The lights in the lair buzz to life, bathing the turtles, Splinter, Diaval, and Destiny in the harsh realization of how much work they have ahead of them.
"What a disaster," Leonardo says, a sigh escaping his lips. He nudges a stray clump of warped metal with his toe. "The Kraang really trashed this place."
Splinter places a hand on his son's shoulder. "Indeed, but this is our home. We will clean and set things right once more."
The others give hesitant nods and trudge off into the dirtier depths of the lair. Michelangelo, gripping Ice Cream Kitty's cooler, pouts heavily.
"Oh, I hate cleaning," he whines. Ice Cream Kitty meows from within her cooler and he glances at her. "I call the kitchen!"
Donatello and Raphael disperse as they search for the first thing to start working on. Leonardo pushes his Space Heroes pinball machine up, tapping it gently. It whirs once, the display lighting up for a millisecond, and then it dies again. The blue-masked turtle groans inwardly.
"Hey Raph, a little help?" Donatello calls from next to his laboratory doors.
Raphael moves to his brother's side as they both manage to jar the door open. Donatello takes one look at his lab and his face falls, his forehead creased with sadness.
"Oh...oh no," he mourns. "My experiments. My...my lab."
Raphael places a comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezes. Donatello's head droops as he braces himself against the doorway.
Destiny grips her backpack strap as she stands before the door to her old bedroom. She reaches out for the handle, skin prickling. How long has it been since she was last in here? She takes a deep breath and pushes it open with a low creaking noise. The room is practically untouched. The dresser made up of crates and the bed is still there and a few belongings that she left behind rest amongst the dust bunnies on the shelves.
She places her backpack on the floor, brushing her hands off and looking around. She moves to her police box lamp, lifting it and brushing off the dust from the surface before setting it back on her side table. She kneels on the floor and plugs it in, the light inside switching on after a few weak flickers. She sighs in relief and moves to her book shelf, where her favourite novels and Shakespearean works are lined up next to boxed sets of VHS and DVD TV show collections.
"Everything is going back to normal," she murmurs, dusting the shelves with quick sweeps of her tail.
"Destiny, where does this go?" Diaval asks, peeking into the bedroom. He shifts the box in his arms, allowing Destiny to read the scrawled message across the side: "Mikey's stuff".
"Mikey's room," she answers, heading out of the room at a brisk pace. "I'll show you where it is."
Inside the dojo, Splinter sets the bowl that the turtles' came in when he first purchased them on his shelf. The glass is cracked, but the rat doesn't mind. He places a little pink palm tree inside and adjusts it lovingly before pulling his family portrait from his kimono. He gases at it for a second as his fingers trace over their faces.
"Miwa..." he whispers, placing the picture in its designated spot. "What has become of you?"
-----------
YOU ARE READING
Forest Mutation (Book Two)
Fanfiction"In Saskatchewan, when I couldn't fall asleep, I'd watch the moon and think about how across the country and over the border, you were probably out on a rooftop beneath the same moon. You were the first person I enjoyed the moon with. Every other ti...
