Art by dave.xp. This is a pretty close representation of what Melanie looks like, so please enjoy!

The kitchen is alive and bustling with the scent of food. Despite the exhaustion, the aches and pains, the general feeling of "holy shell, did this evening really happen?", the Hamatos and their friends are content to be gathered inside their tiny kitchen, stuffing their faces with the fruits of Melanie and Michelangelo's labour.

Karai talks about her travels and the places that she has seen outside of the hustle and bustle of New York, stopping occasionally to show photos of her in front of the signs leading into different cities. The conversation is loud and brimming with excitement, everyone talking over everyone else in a desperate attempt to get their questions and stories out first. Diaval observes everything quietly as he sits between Master Splinter and Destiny, all three of them sipping tea.

"So, Karai, what wicked thing are you gonna do next?" Casey asks as he snatches a fresh muffin from a plate. He takes a bite and arches his eyebrows expectantly.

Karai softens a little, resting her head on her hand as her ruby lips lift into a smirk. "I would like to eventually fix up the Foot Clan, now that Shredder is out of the picture," she admits, "but first, I'm going to Japan to study. I've got an old friend there who I can live with."

"Sa-weet!" Michelangelo whoops, throwing his hands up and nearly smacking Donatello with a sandwich. "That's so awesome. I wish I could go to Japan!"

"Mikey, we have been to Japan," Leonardo says.

The orange-masked turtle thinks for a moment before he laughs. "Oh, right!"

Splinter's eyes widen. "You have? When was this?"

The turtles, Destiny, and Diaval exchange a few wide-eyed looks while April and Casey share the same shocked expression as Splinter. "Uh, that's a long story," Destiny says finally, rubbing the back of her neck.

Raphael nods. "And an annoying one."

"We can explain later," Donatello agrees.

"Well, no matter what the backstory is, I think it's great that you're travelling," Melanie says to Karai. She wraps her hands around her mug of coffee and exhales. "I travelled a lot once I graduated, but Canada is home and I couldn't stay away forever." She looks to Diaval and her dark eyes seem to glint. "Thank goodness I stuck around. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met Diaval and Destiny."

Diaval tips his chin down and he clears his throat, bangs covering his eyes, and Destiny smirks a tiny bit.

"Speaking of that," Sarina says, eyes flashing as she looks to the pale boy. "Will the two of you be staying here for a while?"

Diaval glances at Melanie, then slowly shakes his head. Destiny's face falls and he lets out a soft, sad breath. "Love t'stay, but...Canada's home. Melanie's gotta job and there's Oscar too."

"Aw, Oscar, I love him," Destiny says with a weak laugh. She brings her mug closer.

Diaval lets out an agreeing grunt before taking another quick sip of his tea, bumping the brim of the cup against his lip in his haste. He winces and sets the cup down, hands forming fists on the table. "Yeah, but...gonna visit lots. Promise."

"Of course!" Melanie agrees. "The big city is so exciting, it's a nice change."

"Meanwhile, I'm wondering what it's like to be somewhere with so much flat space," April says. She stifles a yawn and blinks rapidly, giving her head a tiny shake before smiling at Melanie. "What's it like over there? Des hasn't told us much."

Destiny shrugs. "There's not much to say."

"You're not being creative enough," Melanie teases, reaching over to tap Destiny's hand. "It's all about the experiences and I've got a few."

The evening keeps winding down. A few more stories are shared, mostly from Melanie, Diaval, and Karai, and eventually, everyone is too exhausted to continue. Master Splinter declares that all the dishes can be left for another day and that at the moment, sleep is more important, and he heads off to set up beds for their new guest.

Melanie hugs Destiny goodnight while Diaval reaches over and pats the top of her head, both gestures making her tail wag. The turtles mumble a few goodnight wishes and wander off to their rooms, Donatello only leaving once he gives Sarina a kiss. Her and Destiny head to their room while the remaining humans head to the dojo.

Sarina lays awake, staring up at the ceiling. After a few minutes, she rolls over and stares up at Destiny's bed, lips pursed.

"Destiny?"

There's a beat before the covers rustle and Destiny's head appears over the edge. "Can't sleep?" she asks.

"Yes."

"Me too." The wolf-raven adjusts herself into a more comfortable position before continuing. "What's on your mind?"

Sarina's eyes flash, making Destiny squint against the brightness. "I feel strange. I did not know much about Shredder at all, then I was told about him and all his evil deeds. All of you experienced pain at his hand and the same could have gone for me, but...it hasn't." She exhales, rolling onto her back again. "I never had to worry about him and I never will. I feel a sense of immense peace. I cannot imagine what you are feeling."

Destiny smiles a little. "I feel peaceful too, but hey, knowing me I'll start having nightmares about zombie Shredder coming back from the dead." She laughs, but it dies quickly and her eyes go wide. "Are zombies a possibility?"

"I highly doubt it."

They linger in silence for a few seconds before Destiny whispers, "What do you think will happen now?"

"I do not know. I suppose that I will continue to date Donatello and grow more skilled with my abilities." Sarina lets a dreamy smile decorate her features. "Oh, and I will let my hair grow long and beautiful, and one day you and April will be able to teach me how to style it and Donatello will be able to run his fingers through it. I imagine that will feel lovely."

"Do you think it'll stay white or will it become blonde?"

"I hope it will stay white. That will fit my aesthetic."

Destiny laughs. "Oh yeah, that's so important."

Sarina shuts her eyes and breathes deeply, then lifts herself to her feet. She climbs onto Destiny's bed and settles next to her, earning a look of confusion from the brunette, but Sarina is undeterred.

"There is so much that will be different now," she whispers. She rests her hand between them, eyes darting towards the bed as she frowns in thought. "It is terrifying yet undoubtedly exciting."

Destiny smirks and rests her hand over Sarina's, giving it a squeeze. "Well, no matter what, I've got my best friend by my side, right?"

Sarina's eyes glow a little, just enough to illuminate Destiny's eyes. "Yes, yes you will, and so will I."

They fall asleep next to each other, hands intertwined between them, and Destiny sleeps through the night. When Leonardo checks on her the next morning, peeking his head into the room, the sight of them just about melts his heart. He leaves only to retrieve Donatello, who grins like a dope and shuts the door.

"They're so adorable. I love them so much," he says.

Leonardo grins. "Me too, Donnie. Me too."

----------

The office cubicles within TCRI are emptier than a ghost town and the levels adorned with Kraang tech are nearly identical, save for the abandoned remnants of alien tech.

A group of humans move through the building in silence, some collecting whatever they can in cardboard boxes while others mark down the findings in journals. A man with greying hair opens a door and wanders into a rather large room lined with cabinets, most of them utterly empty. He checks each box and drawer, finding next to nothing of use. His brow furrows and he sighs, pausing to sit down on the nearest box and clean his glasses.

As he puts them back on, he notices a smear of pink gel on the floor. He stoops to examine it, noting the red undertones and the texture that walks the line between lotion and putty. He digs a spare sample tube from his coat pocket and scoops some of the substance up, staring at it at eye-level with growing interest.

"Sir."

The man looks up to see one of his colleagues at the door. His eyebrows furrow and he straightens up. "Yes? What is it, Hanovitz?" he asks.

"You're not going to believe what we've found on their old security tapes," Hanovitz says, her face paling slightly. "They look like...mutants."

The man's stormy eyes brighten. "Now, this...I have to see."

End of Book Three