Donnie is out wandering around the hidden city looking for resources and material to incorporate into mystic tech. He's wary of where he walks into since he might be unwelcome after the witch town incident. He's already had to escape a few witch-hunts and come back home with sparkly limbs, his head on fire, puking out frogs and a repertoire of curses cast on him by the witches of the hidden city. April has warned him not to go down there alone. Leo jokes that he should bring him along as a face card. Donnie still insists that bringing others would be a distraction.
Walking through the pirate bazaar, he encounters a family of what seems to be seal yokai, kidnapped by a group of pirates who cackle excitedly about how they've won the lotto with their find.
Despite what he tries to make everyone else believe about his careless morally gray bad boy attitude, Donnie can't help but be concerned and sneaks around to follow them. There's two children yokai and they hide their faces from the pirates, the smallest one cries into their mama's dress, which looks worn out from struggling. The dad speaks with a strained voice and tries to keep the children calm and reassure them that everything is alright. The oldest child whines with loud "ough"s. Donnie feels his guts twist and sink even deeper into his stomach when he hears one of the pirates say that the family's flesh will be very valuable in the market.
He instinctively jumps into action and charges at them. To hell with keeping a low profile. He smashes a projectile straight into the face of the tall pirate yokai who was taunting the family. Two sets of hands, launch over him and start pushing him against an alley wall. He spins his bo at them and manages to swing them away. The tall yokai he can only guess is the leader charges angrily at him and pins him against the wall, attempting to bite at his face with sharp fangs. Donnie struggles to keep him at bay with only his bo and sheer strength and he feels the breath of the big pirate gasping over him. He catches a glimpse of the seal yokai family, who are struggling to break free from the chainmail net they were wrapped in. The children hurriedly pull at the parents' flippers, but the grown-ups (although much smaller now that they're standing up) freeze and stare at the turtle still caught in the pirate's grip. Don screams "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET OUT! GO!", which he felt sounded angrier than he intended but no time to care about that.
Two rockets materialize at each end of his staff, which he tops off with a strong twist to smash at the pirate's jaw. With adrenaline pumping through his limbs, he chooses to take the opportunity to run. Maybe he catch up to the family and use his flying shell to carry them further away from danger. He realizes they're not too far when he sees them still running away, their stubby bodies waddling in a clumsy hurry.
Donnie sets the jetpack off and rushes to pick up the seals. "C'mon! C'mon! Let's go!" He pushes the small parents onto his back and carries each kid in his arms. "Where do we go?!". "Just off the shore of Mermaid Lagoon! To your right!" Says the mother. Donnie nods and takes a turn, making sure to not rustle the family too hard.
They land on a rocky shore. Don bends his knees and lowers his back so the yokai riding his battle shell can climb off safely, he then handles the children over to them. Still struggling to catch his breath, he remains unsure whether or not to ask them if this is their home, if this is safe for them, if there's anything else he can do for them, since when did he become such a softie?
"No dear, we're alright. Are you?". Oof. Had he said that out loud? "Are you from around here? You seem yokai but we've never seen a... kappa? like you before".
Donnie doubts whether to make himself known as a mutant, not a yokai, or kappa, or whatever reptilian slash amphibious variant of whatever his whole situation is. "I am Donatello. Not exactly from this part of town but I was... you know, hanging". He rests a hand behind his neck and avoids eye contact.
"Donatello. You wouldn't understand how grateful we are. Pirates, scavengers and treasure hunters have been after our kind for centuries, but it's been particularly bad in the last few decades" the mom sighs.
"There's only a handle of us left" the dad sobs out "we only want to keep our kids safe and for them to grow up and have full and rich lives. If only there were more yokai like you".
There are, in fact, three others who are probably kinder and braver and stronger than him, but it feels nice to have this for himself. His insides feel full and sparkly.
"Baahh, it's no trouble" he gets his head out of the clouds for a second. "I'm sure anyone with two braincells would've done the same". He bashes.
"You're too humble Donatello, I hope your kappa friends are as kind as you" the mom glimmers.
Donnie struggles not to blush and squirm. Validation and acceptance always make him feel so warm. It's almost a little overwhelming.
"I! Uh! Mayhaps I should go now". He stutters. He feels kind of guilty leaving them. The small creatures look so defenseless. Why were those pirates after a small seal family in the first place?
The children cry out to him with soft little "ough"s and "guh"s. He can't understand what they're trying to say but he can tell they understood him and that they're scared of him leaving.
The parents stare at their kids and back at Donnie, then exchange glances for a moment and smile warmly. "Please, Donatello, wait here for a moment". They pick up their children and splash into the water.
For a moment Donnie is left alone on the shore. He hadn't taken a moment to notice how... beautiful it seemed there. The water gently washed over the rocks and hushed away the noise and rattle from the hidden city. The breeze was soft and it eased his nerves, still a little alert from the encounter they had earlier. If he weren't a lousy city dweller, he'd love to just hang out there all the time, but isn't this place like, sacred or something? The seal family did seem to mention being pretty hidden from society. Those seals surely were taking their time but he kind of doesn't mind.
He hears a soft splash pop out of the water.
Seal mama and seal papa are back. Maybe it's the small therapeutic moment he just got caught in the middle of but he swears they look a lot fluffier and shinier. The seal pups are paddling behind them. Seal mama reaches out her flippers at Donnie. She hands him a fluffy but sleek coat. He is indeed very confused.
"This is for you. We'd love to have you back here whenever you want. It's an old coat but it should still serve its purpose. Please watch it well" seal mama warned. "Besides, it would be great for if we ever need your watch again" giggled seal papa. The pups spun around and made little noises that Donnie could only assume were happy ones.
He stared at the coat a little dumbfounded. It seemed so comfortable and stayed dry despite having just come out of the water. It doesn't look like the normal item of clothing he would wear but it was a kind gift and, apparently, it served a purpose. Whichever it was. Good lord it seemed soft. The urge to put it on right away was strong, but he knows rule number one of jetpacks is no jackets.
"Thank-" he rushed to say, realizing he was thought monologuing again. Only to realize that he was now alone on that rocky shore. Only the glimmer, tingle and hush of the waves remained there. Aw goddammit. So much for being the kind and humble Donatello.
He folded the coat as best as he could and hugged it as he took off back home.
Back at the lair, it was nighttime. He had just missed dinner and might face a scold from Michael but he'll live. He still feels so full and sparkly like he hasn't felt in forever. When his family questioned him about his sloppy old coat, he chose to lie and claim it was a bazaar find and that he liked the look, they just don't see his vision!
He'll probably tell his family eventually about the events from that day. It's not that big of a deal anyway. But he knows that to that little family he IS a big deal. They trusted him and he really valued that. He for once got to be the strong, brave and caring one, when he's always been surrounded by people who are way better at those three things than he is.
He wore the coat to bed. It was as cozy and soft as it seemed. It didn't even seem like it came from the bottom of the Mermaid Lagoon. It should feel gross but it doesn't. His heart feels full and he feels sparkly again. The coat hugs him like a big wave.
*.✧
The next day Donnie wakes up. Drowsy and warm.
His coat is gone. His thoughts start rushing in. Did someone take it from him?
He tries to get up and finds out he can't.
He tries to call out to his siblings, but finds himself unable to speak.
