The start of this part of the story is a little different today. Instead of following April or the group of four turtles, we start in the hidden home of the purple dragons where a young 15-year-old Japanese girl by the name of Eshima lives.
Eshima sat on the floor of her dark-lit room as the clock reached 8 pm when she beat her game on the stollen console. She sighed looking out her broke window and seeing the light of day fade away, now would be the best time for her to go out. She then got up grabbing her backpack and skateboard before sliding on her shoes and made her way down the stairs and was about to reach for the door when she was stopped by Toshi
"And where do you think you're going, Eshima?" he asked
"Out, gonna go find a skate spot" she reached for the door but he grabbed her hand. "Toshi let go," she said.
"No you can't go out" Toshi spoke in a cold voice.
"Says who?" she asked, pulling away.
"Me," a voice said behind Eshima as she looked up to see her older brother, Hun.
"Hun, why can't I go out? You've never had a problem with that before as long as it was after dark" she explained before he sighed.
"Sis, we've made some new enemies recently, as you recall us coming home beat up a few days ago."
"I remember," she said, crossing her arms.
"They're terrible and I want to keep you safe" he explained, making her slightly annoyed.
"I'll be careful. You forget I'm 15 I'm not five anymore Hun, I can take care of myself, plus they probably don't even know I exist" she said as he shook his head no
"It's a risk I'm not willing to take" he nodded his head at his followers then Eshima was escorted to her room.
"This is not fair! You don't care about me and how I feel! I'm not a princess you need to protect Hun!" she yelled before being pushed back into her room as Toshi locked the door.
"You'll understand when you're older" Hun explained threw the door, as Eshima groaned in frustration before coming up with a plan.
She turned her tv back on and made it play some cartoon show as she took some clothes and pillows making a fake her to look like she fell asleep watching cartoons. She then put her skateboard in her backpack before making her way out of the broken window and made her way out, being mindful of the glass.
Eshima then slowly and carefully made her way down the side of the building holding onto thick vines and still in place bricks before she finally reached the ground. Once down she quietly fled her home and once she was past the fence she took off running to the closest skatepark she could find.
When Eshima finally found the place she set down her backpack, took out her mp3 player, and plugged her earbuds into it before placing them in her ears. Once the music started playing she hopped on her bored and started going. She was so happy to be out doing one of the things she loved the most, but after a few songs, she made a misstep causing her to fall off her bored and land on a flat part of the skatepark.
"Ah ow.." she hissed a little in pain as she sat up pulling out her earbuds then looked at her left ankle which was the source of her pain. Eshima rubbed her ankle wanting the pain to go away but heard the sound of a trash can falling over in a nearby ally as she turned her head towards the source of the sound, before asking.
"Is someone there?" Eshima then stood up even though her ankle hurt. "I know you can hear me," she said then suddenly something bumped into a dumpster causing Eshima to jump slightly but she limply speed walked over and looked into the dead-end alley as she leaned onto the wall of the building. "Hello?" She saw something in the shadows. "I can see you in the shadows," she said
"Shhh no you can't," it said then covered its mouth.
"So you are here" she smirked, "well show yourself".
"No.. I can't. You'll run away if I do" it said.
"I can't run with this" she pointed to her ankle she hurt before slightly hissing at the pain. "I'm Eshima"
"I'm Michelangelo, but my family calls me Mikey," the voice now known as Mikey said.
"Well Mikey I can't run anywhere with his ankle, so why don't you just come out?" she said softly as he thought about it.
"Okay.. but please don't scream.." he said before slowly making his way out of the shadows and into the light of need by street lamps. Eshima looked to see a big green turtle? Needless to say, she was kind of confused.
"I'm sorry, is this some costume or something?" she chuckled a little as he shook his head no.
"No, very much real," he said standing about five ft away from her.
"Well Mikey I'm not running" she smiled slightly as he smiled back.
"Heh, thanks.. Hey let me help with that" Mikey walked over to her and held out his hand for her to take, Eshima was a little hesitant but she placed her hand in his before he helped her walk over to a nearby bench. Once she sat down Mikey ran over to a vending machine and got a cold drink with a few quarters "for your ankle" he explained after walking back to her as she then took the can from him.
"Thanks," she said, gently putting it on her ankle as he then ran off grabbing her board and backpack for her, setting them by her. "Hey thanks, that's really nice of you Mikey" Eshima smiled.
"It's no problem, do you mind if I look?" he asked, not wanting to overstep boundaries.
"No go ahead," she said, removing the frigid can and letting him examine her ankle. Eshima was told to never talk with people her brother didn't like, but Mikey was so different and it seemed like his existence was also secret like hers..
"Looks like you just twisted it, no breaks or sprains luckily" he smiled sitting next to her.
"That's good, but may I ask.. Were you watching me Mikey?" she asked, icing her ankle again.
"W-Well.. I-I was about to skate then you showed up, but you looked cool.. I-I guess I did watch.." he felt a little embarrassed but Eshima just smiled.
"You skateboard?" she asked as he nodded.
"Of course, why else would I be here?"
"A huge turtle that talks AND knows how to skateboard? I don't buy it" she said, shaking her head, as he then scoffed
"I do to know how to skateboard!".
"Prove it turtle!" Eshima teased.
"Okay watch me" Mikey ran off grabbing his board then started to skate doing all sorts of tricks. Truly Eshima was amazed by this until Mikey went to do a trick and then missed rolling off his board. Eshima gasped and quickly went over to him since he was on the flat part of the park.
"Mikey! You okay?" she asked, helping him up.
"Yeah I'm okay.." he said sitting up as Eshima handed him the still cold soda can. "Thanks" he took it, placing it on his head, as she sat next to him then looked up at the night sky.
"What are you Mikey? You're not some figment of my imagination are you? She asked as he chuckled.
"No, I'm real. I'm a mutant turtle, I'm also a ninja and a teenager" he said as she looked at him.
"Wait, how old are you?"
"15," he said.
"I'm 15 too!" she smiled.
"Really?! Your the first human friend I've made that's my age" he said
"Wait, you think we're friends?" Eshima asked and Mikey instantly regretted what he said.
"I.. I mean I thought.. Never mind" he said as she then gasped.
"No Mikey, I would love to be friends with you. Heck, you're my first real friend, like ever!"
"Really? You don't have any other friends?" he asked as she sighed before laying down on the ground.
"No, not really.. My brother is really protective of me, he doesn't let me leave the house that much.." Eshima explained, biting her lip a little not wanting to say her brother was really a criminal.
"What about your parents?" Mikey asked as she shook her head. "Not in the picture?"
"No.. my mom passed away when I was a baby and my dad wasn't the best person.. So my brother took me and ran off to give us our best chance.." she said sadly fiddling with the stings of her hoodie with her fingers.
"And you're not happy?" Mikey asked, laying down but keeping his eyes on her.
"No.." she then chuckled. "I've never told anyone this before, that I was unhappy with my life.." she said looking at Mikey.
"Well I'm a good listener" he chuckled. "And I think I understand. Siblings don't always get along, the older ones try to do what's best for the younger ones without really thinking about how they feel" he then explained with a sigh.
"You have an older sibling?" she asked and he nodded.
"Three older brothers actually, I'm the youngest"
"Really? Are they like you?" Eshima asked curiously, turning her body to face him
"Yeah, all mutant turtles," he chuckled, also turning his body to face her.
"That sounds crazy, were you born like this or?"
"We were once normal turtles till a canister of green slime full on us and mutated us into what we are now"
"Now that's even crazier," she said, looking back up at the sky as she laid on her back again.
"You have no idea," Mikey said, looking at the sky and going back to lay on his shell. The two of them lay there in silence watching the stars for a while before Eshima yawned.
"Crap!" she shot up "I better get home before my brother finds out" she explained getting up as Mikey stood up.
"He doesn't know you're out?"
"No, and he never will," she said getting her backpack and skateboard
"What about your ankle?" he asked a little concerned.
"I'll be fine," she said confidently with a smile.
"Well.. I hope to see you again" Mikey said.
"I hope to see you again, Mikey" she smiled and was about to turn to leave.
"Hey wait! Could I maybe get your number? A-And if it's okay with you, could I give you a nickname?" he asked as she turned to him biting her lip a little thinking but then again.. What's the harm of him having her number? Even if her phone was technically stolen.
"Sure" she smiled as Mikey pulled out his phone, only it was shaped like a shell which made her ask "What brand is this?"
"Well it's more like my brother made it" Mikey explained handing her his phone as she put in the number then pulled out hers and let him do the same. However, Mikey noticed she only had one contact that was labeled "Big Bro" he was kind of shocked to see that he was so protective she didn't have any contact but her brother. Eshima then brought him out of his thoughts when took back her phone and she said.
"Alright, now for the nickname, what do you have in mind? Shoot,"
"How about.. Eshi" Mikey said happily.
"Eshi.. I like it" she smiled.
"Well good night Eshi"
"Good night Mikey" Eshi said before running off leaving Mikey no choice but to go home himself. But as he walked home he couldn't get Eshima out of his head, her long dark hair with the purple streaks then her cute face when she smiles. Mikey could feel his face start to heat up before he shook his head and then kept walking.
However, when Eshima was running she had images of Mikey running threw her mind, his baby blue eyes are what she noticed the most, and just the thought of looking at them made her heart speed up even more.
"But he/she would never feel the same.. Right?" they thought, but the two of them had no idea what the future could hold.