The next day, Destiny is awoken by an excited voice and her shoulders being shaken rather rapidly.
"Wakey wakey! I get to help you become a kunoichi today!"
She groans and opens her eyes, instantly meeting the baby blue eyes of Michelangelo above her, their noses almost touching. She barks in surprise, jerking the blanket over her face and disappearing from view.
"Oops! Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he apologizes. "Hurry up and get ready! Lots to learn!"
Destiny slowly sits up, rubbing her eyes and completely aware of the horrid state of her bed-head. "Wait...patrol or whatever went well?" she asks, a yawn stretching her face a second later.
The excitable terrapin nods rapidly, his bright smile still lifting his freckled cheeks. "Murakami loves you, dudette! He told us all about how nice you are and how you've helped him over the years and that you can turn into a giant wolf! Splinter and the guys were totally convinced. Now come on! Training time!"
In her groggy state of mind, she doesn't notice the comment about her wolf form. "Don't I get breakfast?" she mumbles, still trying to blink sleep from her eyes.
"Of course, silly." He laughs, bouncing up and down a few times. "I made toast, eggs, and bacon, and we'll eat it before we start training. Meet you out there!"
With that, he skips out of the room humming to himself. Destiny smiles a tiny bit, crawling out of bed and reaching for the crutches next to her bed. Donatello already gave her a scolding for not using them the other day. She'd rather avoid another confrontation.
----------
"Alright dudette, you ready to be the best?" Michelangelo asks, spinning his nunchucks.
Destiny nods, leaning awkwardly on the tree in the centre of the dojo with her bad foot lifted slightly to alleviate some of the pressure. She feels all warm and well-fed from the amazing breakfast that the family just indulged in. Plus, she had no idea that Michelangelo was such a good cook.
"Why else would I be here?" she inquires.
He shrugs. "I don't know, maybe you just like dojos." He turns to face her, his eyes locking on hers. "Hey, I know that you barely know us, but I'm glad that you're sticking around. Stuff like this can happen every day!"
Guilt bubbles up in Destiny's chest. She hasn't decided whether she's staying for good or not, but it doesn't look like he's remembering that tidbit of information.
Still, she forces a smile at the kind words. "Thanks Mikey."
He grins. "That's what I do, Desti-bear."
She arches an eyebrow as her tail flicks. "Desti-bear?"
He laughs, the sound musical and contagious. "That's your nickname! We've all got one, so it's only fair that you have one too." He furrows his brow slightly. "And besides, Desti-wolf didn't seem quite right, but Desti-bear does!"
She scratches at the back of her neck, her pointed teeth snagging on her lip lightly. "Do you think I've earned that title?"
"Totes!" he exclaims. He spins his nunchucks, flashing a cheeky grin. "Hey, wanna know a secret?"
"Sure."
He urges her to lean closer and she obeys. He looks around for a moment before donning a serious expression. Her breath hitches in anticipation.
"I'm the best at naming stuff. If you ever need to name anything, talk to me."
He steps back as a coy look flickers across his face. Destiny blinks a few times, then cracks a smile as a giggle leaves her.
YOU ARE READING
Moonlight Mutation (A TMNT Fanfic)
Fanfiction"I'll tell you all the stories you want." In New York, the buildings are quiet as the people of Manhattan sleep. By the glow of the moon, the silhouette of a girl stands atop a roof, her arms crossed as she watches the celestial body with wild green...
