Soulbound (TMNT '16) ❪✓❫

Cords

Hawk snorted the dust from her nose and gave an aggressive expression in her ears, eyes, and back. The hair stood up along her spine, white daggers bared, she was salty toward Nizhoni.

"No! This snake can't take the turtles from us." She snarled before darting on the path the brothers took. Shado leads the way to the campsite with Griz and Kri thumping away on the dirt.

The quads weren't going to let a selfish spirit get in the way of being human again. It was amazing to see that the turtle brothers were already back at the camp. Hawk isn't sure what they were doing at this very second. Were they packing? Talking? Eating? She didn't get her answer until she leaped out of the bushes with a deep growl. Kri, Shado, and Griz burst through as well and find...them.

Motionless bodies standing in a perfect line by the fire pit, facing the furry faces. In order, Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey stare at the quads. They aren't all there. Eight eyes are red as blood. Crystal blue and grass green irises replaced with pure evil.

Shado roared. "Nizhoni! Get out of them!"

The brothers said nothing, not moving a muscle.

"They can't hear us. Nizhoni is blocking them out." Griz whispers, slowly making her way to Donnie's hand. He had a long purple ribbon tied from his elbow to his palm. The bear nudged his fingers. "Don?"

Griz's large brown head rubbed against Donatello's legs, groaning lovingly. She closed her eyes to embrace his warmth and touch he gave her. Her memories go back to the moment she first saw the Tartaruga truck, Donnie removing the cooler from her head. And most of all, Griz loved teaching Donnie something new and loving it at the end of the day. She roared lightly, then used one of her oversized paws to hug his leg.

The other three animals watch with emotion. Perhaps the moon would have cried that night.

Just as the bear was about to pull away from her new best friend, what sort of looked like a rope connected to Griz's chest. She didn't notice at first until a sharp pain pierced her unexpectedly. The furious grizzly roared from the pain she experienced. So did Donatello because that cord from Griz's chest met with his own. He clutched his chest, kneeling to the ground and begging for it to stop.

Kri stares in confusion, Hawk tilts her head, and Shado chirps in concern. Actually, they were all concerned.

When Donatello got the invisible knife into his chest, he snapped out of the trance Nizhoni locked him in and gained his hazel eyes back. That's when the purple cord broke into two pieces and disappeared.

Both the bear and Donnie panted as Leo, Raph, and Mikey are back to their normal selves. The leader looked at his surroundings, he is back at the camp.

"Why are we here? What happened?" He asked.

"Nizhoni possessed you four!" Kri says as she tries to figure out what just occurred. "But... What was that?" She looks at Griz and Donnie.

"Mother Hubbard, I don't know!" Donnie cleared his throat. "Just know it hurt like a butt cheek on a stick."

"Watch your profanity." Mikey said from the corner of his mouth.

(HAD TO DO IT 😂😂)

"What hurt?" Leo walks to his little brother, placing a hand on his left shoulder.

"It..." Don swallowed his thick saliva. "It was like a cord, chain, rope, something tied us together. To our chests." He still held a hand to his plastron.

Leo was interested in the cord situation. "What did it feel like?"

"Like we were about to die, Leo!" Griz snaps a quick roar.

"The cord was purple, Donnie." Hawk mentioned. "Once it was connected to your chests, you were in pain."

"This might mean something." Shado chirps loudly. "Running River never mentioned a cord. Maybe this is what we are supposed to focus on! You know, hiding the main puzzle piece from us to see if we catch on. The cord is the greatest piece."

"You might be on to something." Mikey smiled and looks at Griz. "Okay, bear, how did you make the cord appear?"

All eyes are set in the brown bear.

"I don't know." She sat down on the dirt. "All I did was show how much I cared without thinking about it."

"You showed love." Hawk yipped softly. "You used your trait like Running River said."

Leo needed this to be clear. "So, how does this work? Use your traits and then poof! You're human?" Leo asked.

"It's not that easy. What we saw could have been a sliver to our answer." Kri replied. "We need to ask Running River. The cord connected to the chest must be a big step in the Soulbound."

"How do we contact him? More information is needed." Raph looked at the tiger's eyes.

"We don't know. He comes when he wants to."

"What about Nizhoni?" Shado sits properly in front of Mikey. "We can't let her get a hold of these guys again."

Hawk nodded. "Shado is right. The best thing for you guys is to be protected by us. Nizhoni is a snake that will sink her venom into your limb and feed on your soul for power."

"I don't like this. But if the way out is to go through the sneak attacks she gives us, then I'll do it." Donnie said and then changes his eyes to Leo for a great leader's response.

"Okay." He nodded. "Do what you guys want." Leo said to the quads, rubbing his eyes. "We'll figure this out in the morning. Until then, let's all get some rest. Good night, Hawk." He says respectfully and started for the big tent by the campfire.

Raph stroked the side of Kri's head before a good night's sleep. Donnie smiled and waved as Mikey cupped Shado's face and roughed it up. The mutant turtles vanish inside the tent, shuffling into their sleeping bags and chattering until they dozed off.

Once they zipped the tent up, the four female animals crept up to the outside walls of the tent. To guard four very special souls that deserve to live.