Emotionless Mutation (Book Three)

Epilogue

Art by dave.xp. This is a pretty close representation of what Melanie looks like, so please enjoy!

The kitchen is alive and bustling with the scent of food. Despite the exhaustion, the aches and pains, the general feeling of "holy shell, did this evening really happen?", the Hamatos and their friends are content to be gathered inside their tiny kitchen, stuffing their faces with the fruits of Melanie and Michelangelo's labour.

Karai talks about her travels and the places that she has seen outside of the hustle and bustle of New York, stopping occasionally to show photos of her in front of the signs leading into different cities. The conversation is loud and brimming with excitement, everyone talking over everyone else in a desperate attempt to get their questions and stories out first. Diaval observes everything quietly as he sits between Master Splinter and Destiny, all three of them sipping tea.

"So, Karai, what wicked thing are you gonna do next?" Casey asks as he snatches a fresh muffin from a plate. He takes a bite and arches his eyebrows expectantly.

Karai softens a little, resting her head on her hand as her ruby lips lift into a smirk. "I would like to eventually fix up the Foot Clan, now that Shredder is out of the picture," she admits, "but first, I'm going to Japan to study. I've got an old friend there who I can live with."

"Sa-weet!" Michelangelo whoops, throwing his hands up and nearly smacking Donatello with a sandwich. "That's so awesome. I wish I could go to Japan!"

"Mikey, we have been to Japan," Leonardo says.

The orange-masked turtle thinks for a moment before he laughs. "Oh, right!"

Splinter's eyes widen. "You have? When was this?"

The turtles, Destiny, and Diaval exchange a few wide-eyed looks while April and Casey share the same shocked expression as Splinter. "Uh, that's a long story," Destiny says finally, rubbing the back of her neck.

Raphael nods. "And an annoying one."

"We can explain later," Donatello agrees.

"Well, no matter what the backstory is, I think it's great that you're travelling," Melanie says to Karai. She wraps her hands around her mug of coffee and exhales. "I travelled a lot once I graduated, but Canada is home and I couldn't stay away forever." She looks to Diaval and her dark eyes seem to glint. "Thank goodness I stuck around. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met Diaval and Destiny."

Diaval tips his chin down and he clears his throat, bangs covering his eyes, and Destiny smirks a tiny bit.

"Speaking of that," Sarina says, eyes flashing as she looks to the pale boy. "Will the two of you be staying here for a while?"

Diaval glances at Melanie, then slowly shakes his head. Destiny's face falls and he lets out a soft, sad breath. "Love t'stay, but...Canada's home. Melanie's gotta job and there's Oscar too."

"Aw, Oscar, I love him," Destiny says with a weak laugh. She brings her mug closer.

Diaval lets out an agreeing grunt before taking another quick sip of his tea, bumping the brim of the cup against his lip in his haste. He winces and sets the cup down, hands forming fists on the table. "Yeah, but...gonna visit lots. Promise."

"Of course!" Melanie agrees. "The big city is so exciting, it's a nice change."

"Meanwhile, I'm wondering what it's like to be somewhere with so much flat space," April says. She stifles a yawn and blinks rapidly, giving her head a tiny shake before smiling at Melanie. "What's it like over there? Des hasn't told us much."

Destiny shrugs. "There's not much to say."

"You're not being creative enough," Melanie teases, reaching over to tap Destiny's hand. "It's all about the experiences and I've got a few."