The hug completely shocked me, and the only thing I could do was hug back. Lillyan was watching, and she didn’t know me. She knew Naomi, and she stuck with her. I could hear Naomi start to cry. It made me tear up.

Pulling back, Naomi looked into my eyes and smiled weakly. Below her bandana were darker streaks of black, if that was even possible, and small trails of tears had found their way down her cheeks.

“I wanna go see everyone,” Naomi said softly. “I miss them too.”

Nodding, I smiled. She turned around to Lilly and beckoned her forward. The smaller Turtle came up and nodded a little solemnly. Now, before I continue with this tale, let me explain a little about all of us. There are eight of us, but with one mutation and Lilly here, that makes ten of us…

Naomi is my partner, and sister. Her bandana is black and her eyes blue, but they can sometimes turn a darker blue when she wants to control minds. That’s right, she can read minds, control minds, and even predict the future. Her weapon is a metal staff and she likes Raph. I know later how much she does…

I’m Mikito. My bandana is pink and my eyes are light brown. My weapon is two Katana swords that can combine at the hilt. Naomi says my power is pointing. Sometimes I do that and something bad happens. Lately, I’ve been getting in the habit to not point. And, boy, do I like Mikey.

The new Turtle here, Lillyan, is new to me, but not to Naomi. I don’t know much about her since I just met her. All I know about her is that her bandana is a violet color and her eyes green.

Another one of my sister’s is Sophia, otherwise known as Sophie. Not much difference, I know, but it’s just easier. Her bandana is blue-green and her ends are always found over her shoulders, and her eyes are brown as well. The weapon she uses is a smaller Katana blade, otherwise known as a Wakizashi. Then as far as I can tell, she likes Leo.

One of the newer sisters of mine is Natasha. She was once human, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t fit in. She’s practically one of us! Her mask is grey and it’s tied up in a sort of bun with two pins keeping it in place. Weaponry-wise, it’s a pair of whips. And she admitted one night she likes Mikey, but I’m not giving up without a fight.

Michelangelo, also known as Mikey by most of us, is my personal favorite. His bandana is orange and cut short for his ends. I still haven’t got the chance to ask him why. We’re just always so busy. His eyes are the same light blue as Naomi’s. He’s funny and very hyper. And his weapons are nun chucks that can extend into a Kurosaga chain to entrap opponents.

Raphael, also known as Raph, is Naomi’s crush. His bandana is red with his ends slashed multiple times, along with a small lightning bolt shape crack on his front shell. His eyes are the same green as Lillyan’s curiously. Then his weapon choice is a pair of Sais like the recently deceased Reiley…

Leonardo, or Leo, is the leader of us all, Sophie’s favorite, and the only one with a blue bandana. Although he can be a bit stern, it’s only his job to lead us out of trouble on most occasions. His weapon, like me, are two Katana swords, but his can’t combine at the hilt.

And the last Turtle, Donatello, or Donnie, is pretty much alone… He likes April, but nobody but Naomi’s sure if April likes him back, and Naomi won’t share any of the information with us. He’s the smart one out of us and isn’t afraid to admit it. His weapon is a normal wooden Bo staff.

Now, back to the story because that’s everyone that I know of currently. When we get back to the lair, I’ll add some more information, so just a heads up.

We set off for the lair, me leading for once. Lilly and Naomi were behind me, taking their time. Naomi was slowly inching toward me though. When we finally reached the usual manhole cover we reached to go sewerward, Lilly nearly vomited.

“You live in a sewer?!” she cried, holding her hands up to her mouth.

“It’s not as dirty as you think,” Naomi said. “It’s quite homey and roomy.”

“And nobody knows about us,” I added. “It’s safe for our kind to be in hiding so people don’t freak out.”

“So Master Shredder doesn’t know?” Lilly asked.

“No,” Naomi shook her head.

“But you knew this entire time?!” the young Turtle exclaimed.

“Of course I did!” Naomi snapped rather harshly. Lilly took a step back. Naomi growled then sighed, “Down here is my true family and I wouldn’t betray them, no matter what…”

The three of us were silent for a second. Lilly was looking at Naomi for some kind of hint or answer on why she did what she did. Then, reluctantly, Lilly climbed down the manhole and into the sewers below the street.

“Are you okay?” I asked Naomi, looking at her cautiously, setting a hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged me off and sighed, “I’ve been better… Let’s just go…” and she, too, jumped down. I sighed, worried about my sister then jumped in after, closing the top off.

Looking down the tunnel, Lilly was looking around confusedly, Naomi having her arms crossed and waiting for me to close the metal circle. I chuckled nervously and climbed down the ladder completely. “Sorry.”

“You’re fine,” Naomi said.

“Where do we go?” Lilly asked cautiously, looking around like something was bound to appear from nowhere.

“Well one,” Naomi started. “The only large alligator down here disappeared long ago, so you don’t have to worry about him. And two, down that tunnel.” she pointed down the tunnel toward the lair.

“There was a mutant alligator?!” Lilly practically screeched. It echoed badly and I was sure the others at the lair could hear it.

I covered my ears and Naomi growled, lowering her head, “You have a lot to learn and catch up on…”

“Catch up on what?” Lilly snapped, glaring at Naomi with a familiar glare that I couldn’t place. “I barely know you or her--” she gestured to me. “--and you expect me to ‘catch up’ on things I’ve missed?”

Then, strangely, Naomi started chuckling for some odd reason. Both me and Lilly were shocked. It wasn’t exactly the response I was expecting from Naomi. Was she going mad?

“No,” Naomi laughed softly. She shook her head. “Just… Lilly, you remind me of--”

“MIKITO!” I heard a familiar shout. I hadn’t realized we made it back to the lair. But, before I knew it, I was tackled to the ground by the familiar orange masked Turtle, Mikey. He hugged me close and all I could do was to hold back my laughter, and hug him back.

Mikey cried gently in my ear, “You left without a hug!”

“I’m sorry!” I exclaimed. “Reiley left in such a rush.”

Pulling back, Mikey beamed at me, his smile the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. He got up then helped me up. I smiled back and the jumped when he screamed out. Following his point, the end of it was Naomi and Lillyan.

“She’s back!” Mikey cried. “Naomi’s back!”

Lots of shuffling and sound came from the lair as everyone heard Mikey. I thought I heard some blades scrape along their sheaths, and I was right. Leo and Sophie, which surprised me since Sophie trusted Naomi, came in with their swords ready.

Naomi growled lowly, opening her arms a little to keep Lilly behind her. Why protect someone that doesn’t want to be one of us? Raph came in, hesitated, then followed behind Leo slowly. Even Master Splinter came in. His amber gaze was locked onto Naomi and Lilly. Nobody trusted her, even when Sensei said to trust her when she got back.

Nobody moved or said a word. Mikey even kept his finger pointing at Naomi. Everyone just stared at Naomi, not sure what to say.

“You can say something now,” Naomi spat, shivering slightly from the silence being broken. “I don’t care what I did or what I’ve done, I did it only to keep Shredder thinking I was on his side… I’m back now an--”

“You’re back safely,” Splinter interrupted. “That’s the best I hoped for. You brought another Turtle?”

Everyone moved their gaze from Naomi to Lilly. Lilly tried and hide behind Naomi more, Naomi shuffling slightly to hide her even. However, Naomi just nodded, “Hai, Sensei…”

“You know then?” Sensei asked. “About Mii-wa?”

“Hai, Sensei…” Naomi chocked out.

Mii-wa was our first Sensei. Yes, she was human. But she taught us ninjitsu first, then we met the guys, then we met Splinter. One day, we were out and Splinter told April something and now Mii-wa’s gone. The only way I think Naomi found out was from either my mind, Sophie’s mind, or Sensei’s mind.

“Well,” Splinter nodded. “Come then. You are welcome back, Naomi.”

Splinter stepped aside. Naomi lowered her head a little like a wolf would do if it was threatened by a higher rank. I wouldn’t blame her. Everyone was looking at her with hatred and malice. Even Sophie was.

Raph, on the other hand, wasn’t as much. Instead of his gaze on Naomi, he was staring at Lilly in curiosity and wonder. Lilly was gripping Naomi’s arm tightly as if she could disappear with just touching the psychic.

The lair wasn’t that far, but even as we entered the lair, Natasha looked up. She was the only one that didn’t go stop Naomi when Mikey cried out. When I saw who she was with, I began to understand. Another Turtle, a guy though, was knocked out on the couch, his head in Natasha’s lap. He was the one Turtle to mutate when Pulverizor did.

“Where’s Pulverizor?” I asked.

“Donnie’s lab,” Sophie responded.

“And who’s that?” I asked, pointing at the one Turtle. Big mistake. When I pointed, he woke up with a start, making Natasha jump and cause him to fall off the couch, hitting his head on the ground.

“OW!” he cried, holding his head. He stood up then paused, looking around the lair, “Where am I?”

“With us, child,” Splinter said, stepping up.

The new Turtle turned around and shivered at the sight of Splinter. “A rat?” he shook his head. “I don’t remember a thing…” then he looked at his hands. He jumped back, tripping over the rug and slamming on his back shell. “I’m a Turtle! I’m a Turtle!”

“Yeah,” Naomi growled. “Be grateful you didn’t turn into a glob or a fly.”

Pausing from the voice, the new Turtle looked up. Quickly, he got up and stomped over to Naomi, “Naomi?!”

“You know him?” Splinter asked.

Naomi just nodded calmly, looking at the Turtle with unreadable blue eyes. “Aye. His name is Kyoto. Once a Foot, but now one of us.”

“No, no, no, no, no,” Kyoto said quickly, shaking his head. “I’m not one of you freaks.”

“Have you checked in the mirror then?” Sophie replied with her own harsh snap. “I mean, you look like one yourself.”

Kyoto growled, but didn’t say another thing. Naomi was staring at him calmly, without so much as blinking I don’t think. Then, turning around, Kyoto left the main room and into the kitchen. Personally, I wasn’t sure if he knew where he was going.

Silence enveloped us all again. All I heard was Naomi breathe out, Lilly shuffle, and Natasha leave the room as well. Everyone else pretty much stayed silent, unsure of what to do next.

Until Sensei suddenly said, “Now, Naomi, I think it’s time we heard one another’s stories…”