Chapter Text
Mikey slumped down on a bench, sighing loudly. Today has not been his day...so far! He whipped out a folded piece of paper from within his shell and made quick work of unfolding it out to its full size. Narrowing his eyes on the map before him. He blotted several key locations out with a black marker and with a furious swipe of his hand; he smothered yet another innocent name in black ink. Mikey sighed. He had thought that out of everywhere he looked today, Witch Town of all places would have what he was looking for. He slumped onto the bench and lazily watched as yokai of all kinds went about their subterranean day. An excited shriek caught his attention. He turned his head and watched as a bird yokai toss his daughter into the air; she shrieked in delight again.
“Higher Daddy, higher!”
“Of course pumpkin-poo!”
It was really sweet to watch. Mikey felt himself smiling, hearing laughter doing its part in cheering him up. After a few more tosses, the bird yokai caught his daughter in a hug and gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. She giggled.
“Daddy, I want us to stay together forever and ever!”
“Aww, thanks sweetie, I’ll stay as long as possible, even when I’m old and grey and senile.”
The pair laughed and walked away from the pavilion hand in hand. While the warm fuzziness remained, now it was joined with an icy determination. Mikey bounced off the bench, letting some of his energy out with a shout.
He was going to do it. He was going to find it. This was all for Dad. He can’t just give up now! Mikey folded the scribbled on map, stuffing it into his shell and ran off to the next place on his list.
That’s how he wondered in a forest of mushrooms. The ever present light that radiated off the massive fungus was pretty and the occasional floating cow head was a joy to run across, but neither of them was what the box shell turtle was looking for, so deeper he went. Farther, farther, until the mushrooms grew denser and more radiant, until Mikey had to squeeze himself between stalks to keep going. After the third time he got stuck and had to chip away at the unfairly tough mushrooms, he collapsed on the ground.
“Barry could have warned a turtle that it be so faaaaar!” He whined into the dirt. He pushed himself up and plucked his phone from its safe spot between his shell and his body. He tapped it on the screen, reading out the time.
5:32 pm
He groaned and unlocked the device with a swipe. It took less than a second for him to speed dial a certain sheep man. It took significantly longer before said sheep man bothered to answer, though. Giving Mikey time to pull out a bottle of water from somewhere else in his shell, alongside his map. He had finished unfolding it when the line picked up.
“What do you want? It’s my day off, don’t you have anything better to do?”
As gruff as usual, but it didn’t deter Mikey.
“So I’m in the mushroom forest area and I’m pretty sure I walked off the map.”
“... What?”
Mikey traced his path with a finger, nodding to himself, as if Draxum was right there to see him do it. “Yep, I’m pretty sure I’m lost.”
“Wait, wait, mushroom forest? Are you in the Hidden City right now?”
“Yep!” He chirped, “have been all day.”
“Why?”
“To look for the fountain, of course!”
Draxum went quiet, but before Mikey could ask if he heard him, his booming voice roared out of the hand-held device with so much force that it practically vibrated in Mikey’s hand.
“Are you insane? That was a JOKE!”
“But you said it’s real though.” Mikey said, sitting up straighter. His voice clearly upset. “did you lie to me Barry?” he quickly snapped.
“What? no, it’s definitely real,” Draxum said. Mikey envisioned him pinching his nose and shaking his head. “But it’s not located anywhere near the Hidden City. Heck, it’s not even on this continent!”
“Oh.” That’s really all Mikey could say, “sooooo... hey Barold, I’m kinda lost.”
“I gathered that much.” Draxum sighed. “Would you like I contact your brothers to find you?”
He grimaced. He could practically hear them fretting already. “No thanks, I think I can find my way back,” he looked back at the woven wall of fungus he had just fought to get through.
“But you just said you’re lost.”
“Did I?”
“Yes, you did.”
“Okay, I am, but please don’t bring them into this!” Mikey pleaded. He hopped up to his feet and looked around. “I tooooootally got this.”
“I’m curious now. Why are you looking for the fountain anyway, and by yourself?”
Mikey hummed, just now taking in the small clearing he found himself in. It couldn’t be much bigger than a broom closet. Just a small bubble of space hidden within the growth of fungi. It probably would be dark if it weren’t for the mushrooms’ natural light.
“I just thought this was something I could do on my own and... I kinda wanted it to be a surprise when I brought home some water from the Fountain of Youth.”
Ugh, why’d he go so far, anyway? Now he had to backtrack all the way through that again.
“But why? You’re barely past a decade yourself. What do you need that for?”
“Of it’s not for me. It’s for Pops!”
Draxum laughed. “Why? Are his complaints about his bones driving you all crazy? Or is his frail body too horrific to look at anymore? Or, or-“
“Barold Draxum!” Mikey stomped, keeping his voice leveled but clearly not pleased. “What have I told you about insulting the elderly?”
The sheepman groaned. “Not too.”
“Exactly, and to answer your question. No, it’s not because of that.” He stopped and thought about it. “Well okay, it sorta kinda is, but it’s not the entire reason why I want to get the youth juice for Pops.”
“It’s not?”
“Remember when I came over two days ago?”
“Ah,” Draxum said, “yes, I do. Which leads me to ask, because you never answered me then, anyway. What led to all of this in the first place? Why are you suddenly so concerned about Lou Jitsu’s mortality?”
Mikey sighed.
***
“Yo, can you believe that an actual Lou Jitsu con is happening right here in New York!” Leo yelled out as he exited the Shell tank. Donnie was close behind.
“I know right, finally! California can wallow in despair, no longer are they the ones to host the coveted Lou Jitsu Con. Which never made sense to begin with. Most of Lou Jitsu films take place or at the very least were filmed in New York, so to be denied the right to host the Con is ludicrous!” Donnie finished with a flourish of his hand. Leo slid up to him, wrapping an arm around his twin’s shoulder.
“I know right, Cali can suck it!”
“Indeed!”
“Can we still get tickets?” Raph walked past his younger brothers, staring down at the promotional piece of paper that had plastered itself to his face while they were out on patrol. It had also ended the patrol early, but for once, Raph didn’t mind. He was just as jazzed about this! “I mean, it says that the con is in a week, can we still go?”
Donnie snorted. He broke away from Leo’s arm and walked out of the garage/training room. Looking over his shoulder as he did. “Oh my dear, beloved, older brother,” a wicked smile graced his face. “Fret not! Donnie’s got us covered!”
“... Legally right?” Raph couldn’t help but call out. He didn’t get an answer back. He shook his head.
“Relax, big guy. Think about all the fun we’ll have while at the LJ Con.” Leo elbowed the bigger turtle, a lazy smile on his face. Before he could respond, Raph felt a weight land on his shell. Soon afterwards, the flyer was snatched out of his hand.
“I can’t believe we almost missed this!” Mikey yelled, staring at the flyer with sparkling eyes. “Why didn’t we hear anything about this before!”
“I blame Raph.” Leo said, jabbing a thumb towards the accused. Raph spluttered.
“What, why’s it my fault?”
“You’ve been training us too hard and forcing us to go on boring patrols too much.” Leo said, pouting up at his older brother. “You’re running us ragged!”
“You know, the only reason we found out about the Con is because we were out on one of those boring patrols, right?” Raph said, covering Leo’s face with his hand and shoving him away. The blue-clad turtle laughed as he stumbled to regain his balance.
“Teasing, bro, teasing!” Leo walked beside the larger turtle, both making their way out of the room as well. They continue to talk and plan out what they wanted to do at the LJ con as they made their way to the atrium. It was at this point Mikey hopped off of Raph’s shell and made his way up to the third floor of their lair. He heard the t.v. loud and clear, the familiar hostess introducing the next contestant of Scorpion Treadmill. He popped his head into the t.v. room, waving the flyer as he did.
“Heeeyy Dad! guess what we found while out on the town!”
From the recliner, Mikey heard Splinter hum to himself in thought.
“Let me guess...pizza?”
“Nope! try again.”
“Hmm, tacos?”
“Wrong again!” Mikey walked over to the piece of furniture, standing to the side so he could look at his snack covered Dad while also hiding the flyer from view. “I’ll give you a hint this time. It’s not food.”
“Not food you say,” Splinter stroked at his beard, his eyes still on the t.v. as he popped another piece of candy into his mouth. “Is it... a new video game?”
“Nope!”
“Is it, hmm, a new toy?”
“Nada!”
“Is it...” Splinter frowned and side-eyed his son. “It’s not alive, is it?”
“No, don’t be silly.” Mikey said, chuckling. “That was the one time, I swear. No, it’s not alive, or food, or a video game, or a new toy.”
“Well...my son, I must say I’m stumped. What is it?”
Mikey present the flyer with the glee and enthusiasm only he could muster. Splinter blinked a few times before he could read what the words shoved into his face said. He read it once, then twice, then a third time with a wide smile on his furry face.
“Well, this is a surprise!”
“I know, right!” Mikey squealed, hugging the flyer to himself. “Donnie’s getting the tickets now.”
“You wouldn’t suppose... would boys wouldn’t mind if, well if it’s not too embarrassing for you...” Splinter said, getting progressively more embarrassed as he went. Mikey cocked his head, patiently waiting for Splinter to finish. With a huff, the old rat spat out what he wanted to say. “You boys wouldn’t mind if... Icamealongaswell?”
It took Mikey a hot second to parse out the end of Splinter’s question, but once he got it, his smile beamed back at the rat man. Splinter was not prepared for the crushing hug that came after.
“Of course not! I’ll go let Donnie know you want to come too!”
Later that night, everybody was in the tv room, Splinter in his recliner of course and the boys lounging in their beanbag chairs. A Lou Jitsu film was playing in front of them. Lou Jitsu and the Seven Deadly Clans of the Deadly Arts. The boys were talking over the film, though, commenting about what they were going to do at the Con and what could be there, who’ll be there, and what should they wear. Splinter didn’t mind. He enjoyed the chatter.
“The flyer says in honor of the greatest film action star that ever lived.” Raph read aloud from his cell, he nodded to himself, “well, duh, what other action movie star would they make a con for anyways?”
“To celebrate twenty years of great movies and the dedication he had shown to his films and his fans, we the fans have petitioned for this year’s Lou Jitsu Con to be held here in New York City, where he spent most of his career filming.” Donnie continued, reading from his own phone. He raised an eyebrow. “If only they knew that their great Lou Jitsu was still around and kicking.”
“And a rat.” Leo added.
“And a rat.”
“Ooh, I’m so excited!” Mikey yelled, bouncing in his seat, scrolling through all the panels, movies, and events listed on the Con’s site. His attention only diverted at his Dad’s nostalgia tinged sigh.
“Twenty years? Was it really that long ago since I last been in a film?”
“You’d think with how old you are that seems like nothing.” Leo quipped, giving their dad a cheeky grin. Splinter snorted, too comfy in his chair to bother slapping his son with his tail.
“I’m not that old Blue,” he wiggled in his seat. “Even if I sometimes feel like it.”
Mikey blinked. A realization taking hold of him. He whipped his head towards the rat man.
“How old are you Pops?”
“Hmm? What was that Orange?”
“I just realized, I have no idea how old you are! Or when your birthday is, or, or,” he pushed himself up, turning his entire body to his father. His arms gesticulating wildly. “This is a big thing!”
“Is it?” Splinter’s ear twitched, frowning slightly. “I do not think it’s that big a deal.” He shrugged. “If it makes you feel better, I’m way, way, waaaay older than the four of you.”
Raph and Leo rolled their eyes. Mikey couldn’t help but do the same. “Well, obviously, but, like, what’s your actual age?”
“Yeah Pops,” Raph joined in, “I never really thought about it before, but I guess it’s a little odd that we don’t know something kinda as basic as that about you.”
“I honestly don’t think it’s anything to worry about now. How about-“
“Huh, odd.” Donnie interjected. His hand at his chin as he starred down at his phone screen. “None of the fan sites have an exact age either and none of the IMDb pages have Lou Jitsu’s birthday anywhere on it.” He paused a beat, typing away furiously. “Or anything about a Yoshi Hamato, either. There are a few pages linking the name to the LJ stuff, but nothing personal like date of birth or hometown. Well, nothing beyond that he came from Tokyo, Japan in the early 1980s.” All four boys looked at their father now. Splinter squirmed under his sons’ collective gaze.
“Whatchu hiding, old man?” Leo said, narrowing his eyes at the rat and scrutinizing him. Splinter rolled his eyes and waved his hand as if to bat away the accusation.
“It’s nothing. I just wasn’t very keen on sharing such information with so many people is all and if you four must know. Tokyo is my hometown. Nothing mysterious there.”
“Skeptical brow raise,” Donnie said, while he performed said action. “And yet, you still refuse to give out your age? Peculiar.”
“Ohmigosh.” Splinter face palmed. “Fine, you silly boys, if you must know, I’m fifty two.” He swept his arms out, giving them an exasperated look. “Happy?”
“Fifty two?” Raph repeated, “huh, I’d guess you were older Pops!”
“Thank you?”
“Oh yeah,” Leo joined in, letting his signature smile take over his face. “Like way older, with how you act and complain, I’d believe you if you told us you were a hundred!”
Leo yelped as he got a face full of rat tail.
“No, I’m only half that.” Splinter said, curling his tail back into his chair. “And I can’t help it. When you get older, things ache, that’s just nature.”
“It could be...” in a rare moment of restraint, Donnie trailed off. Looking away from the rest of them. Such an odd occurrence couldn’t help but spark Mikey’s curiosity.
“Could be what?”
His question seemed to make Donnie shrink.
“S’nothing.”
“What!” Leo said, sliding himself over to Donnie, poking him on his cheek just the way he knew would annoy his twin. “C’mon, what is it, could be what?”
Donnie shoved Leo away, putting enough oomph into it to knock over the slider. He smirked as Leo landed with a squawk. “It was just a thought. Could be nothing. I have no proof for it either way.”
“That just makes me even mooooore curious.” Leo wailed from his spot on the floor.
“Yeah Donnie, c’mon, share with the family!” Raph finally joined in. Donnie, realizing that expectant eyes cornered him on all sides, sighed and opened his mouth to spill out whatever theory he had, but Splinter cut Donnie off before he could a word out.
“Oh, you mean because I’m a rat?”
Mikey furrowed his brow. What did that have to do with anything? But Donnie nodded.
“Yeah.”
“Hmm, I must admit, I too have considered this a possibility as well.” Splinter and Donnie both seemed to grow grim. Splinter recovered first, clapping his hands and giving them all a wide smile. “No matter, it doesn’t change much. As long as I have my family, tv, and snacks, I’m as happy as could be.”
“... Why do I feel like I’m missing something?” Raph mumbled, echoing Mikey’s thoughts.
They dropped the subject in favor of deciding which Lou Jitsu film they should put in next. Honestly, Mikey half forgot the strange conversation all together after their movie marathon. That is until the next morning, when he got up to make some scrambled eggs and saw Leo was already up, a cup of tea already by his side as he frowned down at his phone. Concern mixed with a healthy dose of pure nosiness, Mikey snuck up behind his brother. Pretending, well, actually, he really was getting the frying pan, but he was sneakily looking over Leo’s shoulder as he did it, trying to read the screen. It took him a moment to understand what it said. From the language, it read like one of April’s textbooks and the subject was about rats, of all things. Mikey’s eyes skimmed over the scientific words, pretty sure that those weren’t what his older brother was looking at anyway. He continued to skim until he got to the paragraph just above Leo’s thumb. It was short, really only a few sentences.
Rats typically live for two years, five if well cared for in captivi-
Mikey stopped reading. He blinked, then reread the sentence again.
Now that can’t be right. That seemed too short. Way too short.
Mikey pulled the frying pan off from its hook and turned to the stove. He went to the fridge and grabbed a few eggs and went to work making breakfast. As he scrapped the eggs around to make sure they didn’t burn, he resolved to pay a visit to Draxum.
Breakfast ended up tasting a little too salty for Mikey’s liking.
***
Draxum took a little convincing before he let Mikey into his apartment. Something that he found incredibly silly, especially when he found out the reason was because Sloppy Joseph was currently splayed all throughout the living room. His meaty bits coating the walls. Draxum called it a “Tantrum”. But Mikey was too preoccupied to really care about a mess. Honestly, even if he wasn’t, he was pretty sure he still wouldn’t mind that much. He took Draxum aside, electing to sit at the only available table in the apartment. He took a second to collect his thoughts, he then asked Draxum the question that had been burning in him ever since this morning.
“Is there a way to undo aging?”
***
“I see,” Draxum said, his voice coming close to a mumble. “So that is why you asked.”
“Yep,” Mikey rocked on his heels, feeling the soft ground beneath him squish with his weight. He really never considered Splinter’s... mortality before. He had always thought that his furry pops would be there for all of his family’s big moments; Like, April’s wedding, or celebrating Mikey’s thirtieth birthday, or when Shelldon finally gets an android body to hang out in, or when one of the boy’s finally bring home someone special to meet pops, or when Piebald finally manages to become the cryptic creature feared and admired throughout both New York and the Hidden city, or meeting his great-great grandkids! Splinter had to stay alive! “That’s why I really need to find some de-aging potion or fountain of youth, or something!”
“Y’know,” Draxum said, sounding sly as he did, “you could let me take a gander at his DNA. I’m sure I could figure something-”
“Draxum.” Mikey said, “even if I said yes to that, I know Dad would absolutely hate it and you don’t have any of your lab equipment to do that.”
The sheepman sighed. “Fine, but honestly Michelangelo, you should have explained yourself better. I could have saved you a day’s worth of searching... and whatever mess you managed to get yourself into now. Are you sure you don’t need me to call your brothers?”
“What do you mean?” Mikey gasped, “Wait! Do you know where to find a de-aging potion?”
“I believe I do. Buuuut,” Draxum took a moment to pause, letting his end of the line go quiet. Mikey fidgeted, waiting for the great reveal. “I won’t share what I know until you’re no longer lost.”
Mikey groaned. Of course, there was a catch. He didn’t let it bother him for long; he took a deep breath and braced himself in front of the wall of mushrooms before him. His scratch mark still visible and he was confident enough that his previous struggling left similar marks along his trail. He got this. “Deal.”
***
Three hours later and after a few missed turns, Mikey finally escaped the mushroom forest’s grasp. Leaving the glowing fungi well behind him as he returned to civilization. He was tired and gross and still very empty-handed, but he wasn’t done yet! As the dirt ground slowly gave way to stone and pavement, Mikey brought his phone back out.
“Ah,” Draxum answered. “what is your status?”
“Free baby!” Mikey pumped a fist into the air, a few Yokai turning their heads towards him. He didn’t mind. “And ready to hear those juicy deetz you got for me about the y’know what!”
“Juicy? There is no juice.”
“Chop chop Draxibold, I wanna get home before midnight. Raph will ask questions if I don’t.”
“Incomprehensible.” the sheep Yokai muttered before clearing his throat." So can I assume you’ve been looking for a potion that permanently alters the consumer’s age to a younger state?"
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“I assume you’ve come across more cosmetic solutions instead.”
“Yeah,” Mikey sagged. “and the ones that changed a person’s age-”
“Only last a few hours or days.”
“Pretty much.”
“That is because to alter someone’s physical age permanently takes a considerable amount of magic if one wishes to alter the body. However, this process is far simpler if one where to use a different type of magic.”
“What?”
“Temporal magic, dear turtle.”
“Oh...cool!” Mikey stopped in the middle of the street. “How do I find that?”
“Well, it would be a bit trickier, temporal magic tends to be... finicky and not many sellers feel comfortable keeping such stuff in their shops. Much less in such a quantity that you would desire. So if you desire such a solution, you would need to go someplace a little more... lax in safety.”
“I’m hearing a lot of words and very little in directions. Just tell me where to look. If you’re worried about me, that’s sweet, but don’t forget, I’m a trained ninja! I can take care of myself!” Mikey puffed out his chest, even though Draxum wasn’t there to see him do it. It still felt necessary.
“Oh believe me, I know. I built you and your brothers of tough stuff and I have firsthand experience with your ninja skills.” Draxum reassured the young turtle, “I’m merely concerned over what magical exposure you may encounter and if you were to accidentally come in contact with the temporal magic. That stuff is real tricky to undo.”
“Don’t worry Draxie! I know how to handle delicate and dangerous things. I got the steady hands of an artist and chef in one baby!”
“Hmm, well, if you are so sure, head towards the docks. Look for a narrow alleyway with no lights. If memory serves, it should be situated between an open bar and a pawnshop. Now when I say narrow, I do mean narrow, you might miss it on your first pass.”
“Will I be able to fit?”
“Oh yes, the entryway is just glamoured to look that way, the actual alleyway is quite spacious and boasts a bustling black market.”
“Isn’t the docks already kinda a black market.”
“Well, yes, but the alleyway is where you’ll find your rare and experimental mystic items, spells, and potions. You’ll also, um...” Draxum cleared his throat. “You’ll also see some pretty interesting pieces of mystic materials that aren’t exactly... pleasant. But those should be far in the market, you can avoid those easily enough.”
Mikey raised an eyebrow ridge. “And the temporal magic stuff? How do I find that?”
“The real stuff will be sliver sand, not gray, not steel colored or iron. Hold it up to the what light is available and it should have a rainbow sheen to it. For what you want to do, you’ll need no more than a few millimeters’ worth. Which is good, cuz these things can get ridiculously expensive. More than likely, the seller will look like they’re peddling common poisons and tonics. This is typical. They only sell their best merchandise to those who know what they’re looking for. Don’t ask for it, find it amongst their stuff and make it obvious you know what to look for. They’ll respect you for it and take you seriously. And-”
“Yep, got it.” Mikey said, his head spinning from the onslaught of information but determined all the same to remember it all. “Call you once I get topside again. Thanks, bye!”
“Wha- Michaelangelo!”
Mikey hung up, stashing his phone into his cell before dashing off to the Hidden City docks. Ignoring the funny vibrating coming from his shell.
***
Not that he would admit it, but he had missed the glamoured entryway three times before finally locating it. But he found it, though! So that’s all that matter. Passing through the entryway left him feeling tingly all over, but that was quickly shaken off as he took in his surroundings. True to Draxum’s description, the place was much bigger. Stalls, caravans, and mats were strewn all about. The air was thick with a sickly sweet scent, no longer the hint of the ocean that surrounded the harbor, with the unfortunate stink of unwashed bodies and refuse still somehow coming through. The noise wasn’t a near a drastic change, perhaps a little quieter than the main street, but the same. Taking a shallow breath, he began his search.
Shop after shop, he perused the wares on display. Once or twice he thought he found what he was looking for, only to disappointedly placing the vial or bottle back down. He pushed himself deeper into the alleyway, the sweet scent giving way to the mild scent of rot. Remembering Draxum’s warning, Mikey kept his eyes glued to the wares displayed. He stopped when something from the corner of his eyes caught his eye. Something multi-colored. He turned his head on instinct, letting his curiosity rule him. Following the iridescent glint, he saw that an old, hairy Yokai was kneeling on the ground, a bunch of wares laid out on a mat in front of him, the only thing marking it as a shop was the shoddy umbrella with a metal sign hanging off of it declaring that the meager store was selling potions. Mikey pushed his way towards it, squatting down to look at the shiny object more closely. It was in a dingy little bottle, not much bigger than one of April’s nail polish containers, but what light that filter all the way down to the ground from the torches along the walls illuminated the inconspicuous item perfectly. Mikey turned his head sideways, making sure to get a good look at it from all angles, and to his delight. When cast in shadow, the little bottle showed silver sand inside that glinted a pretty prismatic color.
He found it!
“I would like that one, please.”
The old hairy Yokai, he couldn’t decide if they were a bear or a really fat dog, followed Mikey’s finger to the bottle. The shopkeeper then met Mikey’s eyes, staring straight at him. Not sure what else to do, he accepted the silent challenge. It wasn’t until Mikey’s eyes itched and his eyelids started twitching that the Yokai merchant wheezed out an answer.
“Wha’cha willin’ to part with for it?”
Mikey dug out everything he had on him, which was more than usual. To his dismay, the merchant didn’t seem interested in the money or coins he had brought. He did, however, pick up Mikey’s phone, turning it in his hands before setting it back down. The old Yokai did the same to a paintbrush Mikey had stashed and a stack of coupons for Tony and Lou’s pizza. But in the end, the Yokai had set everything down and shook his shaggy head.
“I’m not willing’ to part with mine for yours. Come back with different things or leave. I don’t care.”
The entire day’s frustration made itself known to Mikey, this last drop making it painfully hard to ignore the nasty feeling. Mikey grabbed all of his stuff, all the while trying to reason with the old Yokai. Each shake of the head and gruff “no” made it harder and harder to keep the boiling negativity at bay.
“Can I get you something for it then? How ‘bout I do something in exchange or-“
“No.”
“Please!”
“No.”
“C’mon! I said please!”
“No.” the merchant repeated, “go away or else I will make you.”
Mikey kept his mouth closed, keeping his scream at bay. He pushed himself up and stomped away from the frustrating seller. Mikey spent a few more minutes wondering around the marketplace, but in the end and to his great dismay. He didn’t see anybody else selling what he needed. He made his way back to the shop, but stopping and keeping himself out of sight. Nothing had changed, and the vial was still there. Everybody passing the old bear-dog Yokai by as they shop. He didn’t seem to mind. The young turtle took a moment to think over what he planned to do and found that he still hadn’t changed his mind. He took a step forward...
and became one with the shadows.
***
He took a deep breath, finally free of the claustrophobic marketplace, to the slightly more populated but far less smothering atmosphere of the docks. The tang of salt in the air a welcome change from the sickly mixture of sugar and B.O. from before. He made a beeline out of the harbor, not stopping until he found one of many passageways that led in and out of the Hidden City. With a hop, he was back in New York. He pulled out his phone, noting the time before dialing up Draxum.
“You unharmed?”
“Aww, you do care!”
Draxum spluttered, but didn’t deny it. Making Mikey very happy. “How did your mission go?” He said, “if you didn’t find it, don’t be dishearten, you can try again some othe-“
“Oh, I got it.”
“-er, wait what? You got it? How?”
“I found it, it had everything you said, I double checked, and I got it.” Mikey recounted, a smile blossoming on his face. “And now I can give it to Dad!”
“How did you purchase it? I was sure you wouldn’t be able to-“
“Bartered for it, I can be very persuasive Barry.”
“That is most certainly true, I suppose. Well... I guess congratulations are in order. I sincerely did not think you’d be able to find it within the day. Much less purchase it. Good job.”
Now Mikey was no Leo or Donnie, but he wasn’t immune to praise either. He giggled, his smile growing brighter. “Yeah, well, when Michelangelo Splinterson Hamato wants something, he doesn’t give up until he gets it!”
“I have found this to be true as well.” Draxum admitted, “Now when are you planning on giving Lou this ‘medicine’ of his?”
“If Dad is still awake when I get home, I’ll ask if he wants a snack or some tea, if he’s asleep. I’ll put it in his breakfast.”
“Ah, simple enough. Now remember, only add in a small amount. You can always add more later if the results don’t meet to your satisfaction.”
“Just like adding spice to a dish.” Mikey nodded, “thanks Draxum, I wouldn’t have been able to find this without you. It means... It means a lot.”
Draxum went quiet on the other end.
“Of course.” He managed to say. “It’s the least I can do.”
“I’ll visit you at April’s school on Monday! I’ll make you a thank-you meal!”
“Unnecessary, but nice all the same. I’ll be waiting.”
Mikey said his final goodbyes before hanging up. He dashed to the nearest sewer hole cover, sprinting the rest of the way home.
***
The lair was quiet, and the atrium was empty. Which was a good thing. It wasn’t exactly midnight, but it was certainly late enough for Raph to go all overprotective big brother and ask him where he’s been. Mikey simply didn’t have time for that right now. He made his way up to the third floor, listening into the tunnel leading into the tv room. He didn’t hear any movie playing, but he was sure he heard the hum of the projector. Which meant one thing.
Dad was getting himself some tea!
Mikey dashed into the kitchen, yelping for joy when he saw his dad’s fuzzy self fiddling over his newest teapot (alas, poor Skully, you are missed). Splinter shrieked, spinning on the step stool and going into a fighting stance.
“Orange?” Splinter sighed, clutching at his chest. “Thank goodness it’s just you.” He straighten himself and pointed an accusing rat claw at Mikey, “never do that again! You almost gave this old rat a heart attack!”
“Sorry Dad!” He really was. How cruel would that be that after all he went through today, he’d end up killing his own father! Mikey shook off the thought and focused on his mission at hand. “Making some tea?” He walked over, smelling the brewing tea leaves. He looked at Splinter, who was just about eye level thanks to the stool. “You went with oolong?”
“Impressive,” Splinter nodded. He lightly chopped Mikey on the head, “now tell me why you’re home so late.”
“Blegh,” Mikey stuck his tongue out. Thankfully, he had thought out this part. “I was just in the Hidden city looking for some spices and guess what!” He pulled out the bottle of silver powder, twirling it in his fingers to let the refracted rainbow light flicker in and out of existence. “I found some that’s just perfect for tea!”
“Ooh,” Splinter’s eyes widened as he watched the mini light show. Ears twitching at the not-so-subtle hint in Mikey’s words. “You want to try this now?”
“Yes, please!”
The old rat man couldn’t help but chuckle. “If you’re the one serving up, we can have it here.”
This was going a lot quicker than Mikey thought, but he wasn’t complaining. Soon after the tea was ready to be poured, Mikey took the vial and uncorked it. Making sure to add only about ten grains before stopping. He stirred it well before delivering it to Splinter, who was waiting patiently at the table.
“Enjoy!” Mikey said just as he set the small cup down in front of the rat man. He stood there, watching as Splinter picked his cup up, blew at the rising steam and brought it up to drink.
“Aren’t you gonna get your’s?” Splinter quirked an eyebrow, the cup only a few inches away from his mouth. Mikey tensed but smiled it off, quickly get his cup of tea and sitting down with his father. Once satisfied, Splinter took a sip of his tea. He let the hot liquid stay in his mouth for a little while longer, trying to taste whatever flavor the new spice Mikey had added would bring to the tea. But try as he might, he simply could not taste the exotic spice at all. He lowered his cup and hummed.
“Sorry my son, I do not taste a difference.”
“Oh? That’s too bad.” Mikey said, taking a long sip of his own cup of tea. Usually, Mikey wasn’t a big tea drinker, and it was a little odd that he’d agree to have a cup without adding in a bunch of sugar in first. Splinter merely shrugged, figuring that whatever Splinter couldn’t taste, he was sure his son’s refined palate probably picked up whatever subtle flavor he was going for. They sat like that for a while, chatting a little, just enjoying each other’s experiences. Soon enough though, Splinter shooed his youngest to bed, bidding him good night and thanking him for the company. Once he was sure that the young turtle had gone to his room, he went back into the kitchen to wash the cups. As he entered the kitchen again, he eyed the small bottle of pretty grains. He walked over and picked it up, turning it in his hand to watch its prismatic effect.
“He put so little of it in,” Splinter said, stroking his beard. “Adding just a little bit more wouldn’t hurt none.”
Setting Mikey’s cup inside the sink, Splinter poured himself another cup of oolong tea. He set the teapot down on a tea tray, adding his cup to it as well. For the finishing touch, he uncorked the bottle, knocking a good teaspoon into the steaming cup of tea. Satisfied, he closed the bottle and and stirred the mixture together. He picked up the tea tray and made his way back into the tv room. With an ease that came with practice, he hopped up on to the recliner without spilling a drop of his drink; he set the tray down on a foldable table next to the chair and settled in. He unpaused his movie, letting the familiar image of himself beating up baddies play across the screen. With a smile, he grabbed his teacup and took a long sip.
“Hmm, still tastes like nothing.”