the curse - 1 - [rottmnt - COMPLETED]

#40

"Oh wow, that felt really good." Shiro came limping into the projector room, freshly showered and with fresh clothes. April seemed to think black suited her the best, and she'd brought her a thick pair of socks. Her wound healed well and quickly, Donnie had put a new plaster on it. She still had to limp a bit, but in her experience, it will heal completely in a day or two.

She supported herself as she carefully sat down on an armchair.

"You look a lot more alive now, too. How long did you and Donnie sleep?"

"Over 15 hours."

"I don't think Donnie has ever slept that long in a row..."

"I think, I didn't either. What are you reading?"

Raph held up the book he was reading.

"These are Dad's books he brought here after we found you. They are about the different family clans in ancient Japan. I guess he had to read a lot to get the story together. He wasn't a very good listener when he was young..."

"And now you're reading them...?"

"I'm looking for answers. I don't think we know the whole story yet. There are still so many unanswered questions."

Shiro thought about her mother and how she hadn't told her the entire part of the story.

"Do you mind if I help you...?"

"No, far from it!"

Raph smiled as she loaded the first book onto her lap and began leafing through it.

"Where's Donnie?"

"He's taking a shower now, too."

"Shiro?!" Mikey's voice came from the depths of the train station.

"Yes?" she called back

"Are you awake!?"

Shiro and Raph looked at each other and started laughing. But instead of teasing him about it and making a comment, Shiro just called back laughing

"Yeees?"

"Would you like some cereal and a coffee?"

"YES PLEASE!"

-

Donnie peeked into the projector room as he finished showering. He felt more relaxed than he had in a long time.

The purple stripes on his legs had also grown. That was extremely interesting. He had previously assumed that they only changed as his body aged, but apparently the Ninpo had an effect on them as well - which was basically obvious because they glowed when he used it.

So clearly, his Ninpo also changed, and he wanted to document the visible course as well as possible. That's why he only had a long shower towel wrapped around his hips, which he held on to with one hand and refrained from putting on a clean pair of pants so that he could take photos in his laboratory.

He found his eldest brother sitting with Shiro engrossed in books, and he circled the armchair. Beside her was an empty cereal bowl, she sat cross-legged and was holding a steaming coffee as she leafed through two books simultaneously that were resting on her lap. Strands of white hair fell across her face and she looked very focused. Donnie just thought she was beautiful. He felt the flame. She frowned, lifted her head and looked at him.

And looked down at him.

And looked up again.

And looked at him.

He grinned. Then he saw her wet her lips again in a small motion. He knew this movement. His grin faded, and now he found the idea of taking her instead to his lab and taking the photos later much more logical and urgent. Donnie and Shiro looked into each other's eyes and saw the new thing again, and like before something started to charge inside them as