Moonlight Mutation (A TMNT Fanfic)

Chapter 6: Safe Haven

Destiny opens her eyes slowly, a bright orb of light above her making her flinch and squeeze them shut again. She blinks repeatedly, adjusting to the light until she's able to see properly and take in the unfamiliar surroundings around her. She's in a room with little decoration to it; bare walls, a "dresser" that looks like it's made out of milk crates, the bed she's currently laying on, and a chair that has her little blue backpack sitting on it. The walls are stone and have piping lining it, leading her to believe that she's in some kind of underground maintenance tunnel.

She shifts with discomfort as, little by little, she becomes aware of just how badly her body aches.

The side of her head has a throbbing pain, one that comes and goes like waves on a beach. Her shoulder no longer aches, it's just stiff, and when she reaches her hand up to touch the new bandages, she realizes that her arms have been patched up too. Travelling lower, she sees that her sprained foot has a makeshift splint secured around it. She dares wiggle her toes and shift her foot, wincing at the sparse tingling that follows.

The nearby door opens and a man walks inside, carrying a glass in one hand and an emerald staff in the other. Destiny stares as she realizes that it's not a man, but a human-sized rat wearing a red kimono. The fur on his face that she can see is three different colours—brown, white, and black—and his eyes are filled with warmth and compassion.

She starts to get up as a squeak leaves her, her heartbeat quickening substantially and her claws unsheathing. The rat doesn't flinch at the reaction.

"Rest. It is alright," he murmurs, his voice low and smooth. He sets the glass down on the milk-crate dresser before his russet-coloured eyes return to her. "I am not going to hurt you."

"Why should I believe you?" she croaks out as she shrinks back against a nearby wall.

"If I wanted to do you harm, I would have already done it," he responds with the barest trace of a smile. "And why would I go to the trouble of cleaning your wounds if I was planning to hurt you again?"

She says nothing for a moment, thinking over the logic in his words. Her hair falls over her face as she swallows. "Can...can you tell me where I am?" There's a short beat before she adds, "Please?"

"You're in the sewers. My four sons brought you here last night," he answers calmly, folding his hands overtop of the staff as he takes a few steps closer. "I am Hamato Yoshi, but you can refer to me as Splinter."

"Sons?" she echoes. "Are they...turtles, by any chance?"

Splinter tilts his head a little, his smile becoming more amused. "Yes, they are." She exhales, lowering herself back onto the bed and trying to slow her breathing. "They told me that you haven't yet introduced yourself."

"It didn't come up," she mumbles.

"I can tell as much," he says. "The topic has come up now, however. What is your name?"

She shifts her weight on the mattress, fiddling with one of her curls. "I'm...Destiny."

"That is a very nice name," he compliments. When she doesn't further the conversation, he gestures to the glass. "I have brought you some water." She mumbles a barely audible thanks. "I'll leave you to rest. My sons should come in to check on you soon."

She sighs heavily and lays back on the bed, closing her eyes as she loops her fingers together over her stomach. The soft footsteps of the mutant rat let her know that he has left the room. As soon as it's quiet, Destiny sits up, grabbing the glass and gulping it down without a moment of hesitation. She may be on edge, but that doesn't mean that she isn't thirsty.