the curse - 1 - [rottmnt - COMPLETED]

#50

They were sitting in the kitchen when Raph came in, half asleep, and sat down on the stool with a loud thud.

Mikey stood up without comment, poured coffee into a mug, and pushed it over to Raph.

"Well, was it late yesterday?" asked Donnie amused

"Mmmpfh."

"Found anything?"

“Mmmmpfh…”

Shiro smiled and bit into her apple. Watching the brothers together always delighted her. Mikey and Donnie exchanged a look and grinned. Raph right after waking up without coffee yet was always a special spectacle.

"Hi guys." Leo walked in as well, stretching and wearing only shorts.

"Oh Leo. Well, hopefully there's more to get out of you than this grumpy…”

"Mmmmaaaaah?!"

“… adorable morning grouch.” Shiro finished Donnie's sentence and bit into her apple again while smiling at Raph. He smiled back small-eyed and she started to chuckle.

"Oh man. Yes…” Leo said, pouring himself a cup of coffee as well, “that miserable librarian bat… you know, she'll NEVER forgive us. We'll be fucked forever and…"

Mikey started laughing and Shiro couldn't wait to hear the story from him.

"Would you please stick to the essential findings?" said Donnie.

“Okay, okay. So. We found something." Mikey, Donnie and Shiro pricked up their ears when Leo sat down next to them. “Wait, I took pictures.” he reached into his non-existent pocket, “Shit, my phone is in my room, I'll get it quick!”

They groaned as Leo scurried away

"The story of the Kuraiko clan is also known in the mystic world." said Raph, halfway through his coffee, rubbing his forehead.

"We couldn't take the books with us, but Leo took pictures."

Mikey hurriedly poured Raph more coffee.

“The samurai back then. He had shared his Ninpo with her. With the Kuraiko woman. He was really madly in love with her. But her Ninpo became white and…"

Raph yawned and the three looked at him impatiently.

"YES…?" exclaimed Donnie

"Hey, don't rush me."

"… and we found the exact wording of the curse!" Leo said, as he walked back into the kitchen, with the phone in his hand. Donnie almost snatched it out of his hand and started looking at the last pictures.

Leo sat down again and sipped his coffee with a grin.

"Don't read it aloud!" Shiro suddenly whispered, holding Donnie's arm. Everyone looked at her. She had turned pale.

"Okay." Donnie said, pulling her close, and everyone bent over the picture on Leo's phone.

As these coins are cursed, so I curse

her name and all Kuraiko

Everyone who knows her name

The greed of the Kuraiko shall haunt her in her dreams

Her Ninpo is said to be a berserk

Cut the ribbon and lose yourself

Only I can set you free again.

“What does that mean exactly? Cut the ribbon…?" Mikey asked

"This is the part where Shiro will lose her personality if she cuts ties with her ancestors." Donnie explained and pulled her a little closer to him.

"They really took advantage of the curse." said Leo, and he felt anger well up when he saw Shiro's pale face. She was still looking at the picture on his phone.

Shiro had been thrown into a whirlpool of emotions. Her mother had kept the last two lines from her. The realization some days ago, that her mother had put up with the fact that Shiro would lose all her memories and her whole self if she would sever ties with her ancestors, was hard enough for her. And now she saw that it would have been useless. Only the samurai himself could remove the curse, and he was dead.

She pressed her lips together. She felt defrauded and betrayed. Like a pawn in the hands of the mighty, who only wanted to use her to become even more powerful. She had trusted her! She had truly trusted her! And she had sent her to her doom without even batting an eyelid.

"Shiro…?" Donnie's voice reached her, but seemed far away.

"I… I think I need to be alone for a moment…" she said, pulling away from Donnie.

"Shiro…" he wanted to hold her, but Mikey shook his head, and so he let her go.

The four brothers watched her in concern as she walked out of the kitchen like a ghost.

"Oh man. Poor Shiro…” said Raph.

"That damn samurai needs his ass kicked." Leo got upset

"You do know that's our ancestor, right?" Mikey looked at Leo doubtfully.

"I don't care, this guy pisses me off."

Donnie said nothing. He was still looking at the door through which Shiro had just disappeared. Her half-eaten apple was abandoned on the countertop. He felt the flame flicker.

—

Shiro wandered through the turtles' home without noticing their surroundings. She had a strong impulse to run away. To flee. Just anywhere. Just away. Far away. And the knowledge that there was no escape wanted to tear her apart.

Desperation made its way into her mind. It was just hopeless. She will not be able to escape this madness – her only way to a free life was blocked. The person she trusted had betrayed and sold her. And for what? Why had her mother done that? Why would she want her to cut the bond if it wouldn't change the curse? Just more damn questions she didn't know the answer to.

She suddenly stood in the projector room. The books they had looked through yesterday were stacked to the side. The one with her ancestor's picture was still on the sofa where she had left it. Shiro stood indecisively at the door, but then turned away. She was fed up with old paper and silent pictures. She needed fresh air! Where was the exit?

The young woman looked around, she didn't know. Then the bracelet came to her mind. She lifted her left arm and briefly closed her eyes. Click

The black bandage and display appeared. She was navigating through the menu and scanning the train station when she heard Leo's voice moving towards her.

“Yes, April, I sent you all the pictures. Yes, all the ones I've made…. Yep!… That's what I'm saying!… Did you actually reach Casey?… And what did he say? Hmm, okay…. He's acting really weird, isn't he?… Hm, yeah… okay…. See you later."

Leo hung up and looked down the corridor.

“Shiro?”

He thought he'd just spotted movement, but no one was there.