Ninjas & Princesses (TMNT Book 1)

Banquet and Trouble

Third person's POV

It was lunch time for the girls at their high school and they were enjoying themselves, just being together like sisters. But Ember was mostly out of it all day. She couldn't help but let her mind wander to last night. She knew that figure was Raphael. Somewhere in her heart, it told her that it was him. Ember was brought out of her thoughts when Sapphire told the girls that her sister, April, witnessed a Foot Clan attack last night down at the docks. 

"Oh, my God! Is she okay?" Addie asked. Sapphire nodded her head to her pink haired friend and said, "Yes she's fine but listen there's more." All the girls scooted closer together to listen to the story.

"So, April said that she was riding her bike by the docks because she was told by her source, a man named Mr. Rivetti, to go back down there and talk to his friend, some guy named Stan. Anyways, she's riding her bike out towards the docks, it's dark out and raining, and she said there were Foot Clan soldiers everywhere. 

They were trying to steal more of those chemicals we heard on the news yesterday. Then out of nowhere, she saw this guy fighting back against them. And she showed me this symbol on her phone that he left behind on one of the shipping containers. When she showed it to me it seemed familiar to me like I've seen it before, but I don't remember where, she can't remember either. Don't you guys see? Someone is fighting back against the Foot Clan. There is a vigilante out there, and no one knows but my sister, and now us."

When Sapphire finished all the girls' jaws were dropped and they all said 'Wow' in unison. Sapphire nodded her head to her friends, and then said, "April said that this is her story that's going to make her the top reporter at her work. Then she was saying something about 'no more froth and foam for her.'" Sapphire's three friends started at her with confusion. She just shrugged her shoulders. "I know I was confused too. I think she's hanging out with Vern too much." She said as she took a bite out of her pizza.

*Later that night*

Sapphire's POV

I asked April if my friends could come with us to the banquet that Eric Sacks was hosting when she and Vern picked me up from school. They said it was okay, if it was okay with the girls' parents.

So, here we are at Mr. Sacks' banquet. Standing at the side lines watching Sacks give his speech that really meant a lot to me. I never knew my adopted parents. April told me her mom died when she was little, and her dad adopted me, when they found me on their door step. I was barely a year old when he died in the fire fifteen years ago. I give anything to have know him.

After his speech, April and I approached him. "Mr. Sacks." He looked at us as April said his name. "I'm April O'Neil and this is my sister Sapphire, you worked with our father." She said as we shook his hand. "Oh. I can't believe it. I haven't seen you two since..." He starts to say. "Um since his funeral... it was a long time ago." I said shyly. 

"Yes, it was. Wow Sapphire you really have grown into a beautiful young woman. I mean you were only a baby the last time I saw you." I blushed at his comment. Then he looked behind me. "And who are these three beautiful young women?" He said to my friends. "These are my friends; Ember Garcia, Daisy Norris, and Addie Swan." "Hello Mr. Sacks." The three girls said in unison.

"You know, up close and in person, he's very handsome." I heard Addie whisper to the others. I rolled my eyes at her comment.

"My sister and I just wanted to say that your words really meant a lot to us, and I just hope that I can contribute to the city like you do." April said smiling. "Well it looks like you're doing a pretty good job. Channel 6, very impressive, April." He said smiling. April chuckled awkwardly then said, "Thank you. It's... um it isn't exactly everything I anticipated it would be." 

"As long as you are true to yourself, yours and Sapphire's father will always be proud of you two." That made me and April smile. I could her the girls giggling behind me. "Mr. Sacks, we have to be uptown at 7:00." Said a guard. "I'll see you on TV April. And Sapphire, stay in school and dream big. It was lovely to meet you girls." Sacks said as he left.

After he left my friends and I helped April and Vern pack everything up, and loaded it into the van.

We were in the van heading back home. Since it was late the girls just texted their parents letting them know that they're going to spend the night at my house. As we waited for the traffic to clear up we heard April sigh heavily. "Eric Sacks was so inspiring. I know this is a story that actually matters." April said. "The superhero one? That's a good idea. I should chase that down." As Vern said that we see people running frantically into traffic from the subway screaming and yelling. "Where's everybody going?" Vern asked.

Third person's POV

The girls then see April get out of the van and going towards the subway where everyone is exiting. "April!" Sapphire shouted out to her sister. She quickly got up from where she sat and opened the back of the van. 

"Hold up you ain't going anywhere!" Ember yelled stopping Sapphire as she quickly turned around. Then she saw all her friends getting up from their seats. "At least not without us." Daisy said. "We got your back Saph." Addie said. Sapphire nodded and motioned the girls to quickly follow them after April, ignoring the calls of Vern telling them to come back.

*Meanwhile in a sewer down below*

"Surveillance uplinks are showing heavy, heavy Foot Clan activity at the Broad Street platform." Donatello informs his brothers looking at the monitors. 

"They're taking hostages, dude." Raphael adds. "But you know we're not supposed to go above ground." Leonardo reminds his brothers. 

"We've done this before. We started something, we gotta finish it." Raphael says. "This is insane. That cat is playing Chopsticks with chopsticks." Michelangelo says happily watching a funny cat video. 

"Don't be an idiot." Leonardo says as he changes the channel. "Okay. Let's rock 'n' roll boys." Leonardo says as he and his brothers grab their weapons and head out above ground to help the hostages. What each turtle doesn't know is that when they go up above, they'll each see the girl they each met for the first time in eight years.