You didn't see them for two weeks. You thought they had left for good, or didn't want to see you again. Living way out in the country makes it hard to find friends, since everyone is so far away. You had hoped they could be your friends.

Right now you were playing with your dolls, in a whole other world, where everyone is nice, and everyone has friends. You were drawn out of your world when several quick taps sounded on your window. You scampered over and opened it.

"Mikey! You're here!" You cheered as Mikey, the wind being, flew in your room with a cheerful grin.

"Yeah! Sorry I couldn't come sooner, my brothers were scared."

"Were not!" Someone shouted from the ground. Being on the third and top floor of your house, you peeked out the window and gasped.
First came Leo, creating a water geyser to blast himself through your window. You giggled when he bowed for you, then turned your attention back to Donnie on the ground, who was making himself a dirt escalator. He rose up and stepped in, smiling goofily before joining his brothers, sitting on the edge of your bed. Last was Raph, who was looking around warily. With a heavy sigh, he thrust his hands to the ground, fire shooting out from his hands, and flies through your window like a rocket. You clap your hands in delight.

"Now you can play with me!" You giggle, and Mikey beams.

"What can we play?" He asks. You think for a moment, tapping your chin.

"Let's play castle!" You chirp, running around to collect things that will be needed.

"I don't know missy, this place is kinda small for us." Raph points out, and you giggle. Running to the other side of your room, you pull back your curtain to reveal the rest of your room, with f/c walls decorated with (favorite/animals), and a big cardboard castle in the center.

"Isn't is pretty! Daddy made the castle for me, and Mommy made the walls all pretty. C'mon! Donnie and Leo are the guards, Mikey is the jester, and Raph will be the friendly Dragon!" You smile as you pull a princess dress over your clothes and crawl in the castle, sitting on your 'throne', which is really a pile of pillows and blankets. Mikey chuckles and carefully crawls in, making silly faces and doing silly things to make you laugh. Donnie and Leo shrug, standing outside your castle and acting like guards. Raph sits in the corner with a sour face, whom you notice.

"Raphie? What's wrong?" You ask, ignoring the blazing flames coming off him and walking over.

"Why do I have to be the dragon? Dragons are bad guys. I'm not a bad guy!" He pouts, and you giggle.

"I said friendly Dragon, silly. You're a nice Dragon that visits the castle to have tea with me. C'mon, get... up!" You try to pull him up, but he doesn't move, just stares at your little hands, holding his fiery one. The flames are crawling away from your soft touch, and Raph can see specks of his skin. His real, green skin he used to have.

"Y-you can touch me..?" He whispers, and his brothers leave their places to get a closer look.

"That's amazing. If I had my equipment, I might be able to figure out what exactly is happening, but for now, I'd have to guess." Donnie remarks, looking closely at Raph's hand.

"And your guess is..?" Leo presses on.

"I have no idea." Donnie answers, sighing. You look around, confused.

"I-is this bad?" You ask, taking your hands away from Raph's.

"N-no.. I-I.. I don't know. I don't think it is.." Donnie sighs, rubbing his eyes in frustration. Raph notices your worried expression, and scoops you up in his warm arms.

"Come, princess, let's have that tea." He says in a deep voice, pretending to be a Dragon.
You giggled, forgetting your worries and grabbing the tea set.

~~~

"No no, you hold your pinky out." You correct, showing Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey how to hold the tea cup.

"Umm.. we don't really have pinkies." Leo comments, wiggling his very large third finger.

"What are you?" You question, sipping your imaginary tea.

"W-we used to be mutant turtles. That was before.." Donnie trailed off, looking down sadly.

"Where do you live?"

"Um.. in your old barn." Mikey replies. You smile excitedly.

"That means I can visit you! I can, can't I?" You tug on Donnie's arm, and he smiles down at you.

"Of course Y/n."

~~~

They were amazing. Each had awesome powers, although they didn't like to use them.

At first, they were cautious around you. They had no idea if you were safe around them, or if they were safe around you.

Mikey was the first to warm up to you.
He was a child at heart, and playing with you was the most fun he had had in a while.
One night, he snuck in your room and woke you up for a late-night ride. He flew with you on his back, up to the ridge miles away. You two played hide-and-seek in the woods, then he took you back home. On the way back, you remembered when he found you hiding behind a tree. For a moment, you saw his face flicker from dusty air to soft green skin, his orange leaf eyes changing to a pretty baby blue. You passed it off as the moonlight playing tricks on you, and didn't think of it again for a long time.

Leo was next to cave in.
You loved to jump from the rafters of the barn into the big pile of hay below. Leo caught you one day and pulled you away from the edge, beginning a long speech on safety. You cut him short by pushing him over and in the hay pile. When he landed, he started laughing uncontrollably, and you joined him, jumping down and lying next to him in a fit of giggles. You looked over, and saw his crystal blue water face change to green skin, and beautiful deep blue eyes. But, again, you thought nothing of it.

Then it was Donnie.
You were talking about a present your Mom got you, and being five, you were bound to use incorrect grammar.

"So mommy gotten-"

"Got, Y/n."

"Right, mommy got me a pretty toy pony. It's got a toy brush, and I'm gonna learn how to braid goodly."

"It's braid better, flower." Donnie chuckles, giving you back your toy.
You smiled at your nickname, when you notice Donnie change from the corner of your eye. His grassy skin changed to a soft green, and his brown pebble eyes transformed to an amazing spiced brown. Then he changed back, and you forgot about it for a long while.

Raph was the hardest to crack.
It was your first time visiting them in the old barn. It was pretty much empty, but they had some piles of straw for beds. You looked around, and found a special interest in the straw bed with scorch marks. Raph sat with his fiery back to you, brooding. You walked over and sat in front of him, smiling brightly. He glued his harsh gaze to the floor, so you got up and sat on his lap, staring up at him.

"Are you ok Raphie?" You asked quietly, leaning against him.

"Don't call me that." He growled.

"Why?"

"Because, I don't like it."

"But I wanna call you Raphie, Raphie. Why're you so sad?" You stared up at him with big e/c eyes, and he sighed sadly.

"Because I'm a monster." He muttered, and hearing that, you jumped up to hug him.

"No you're not, Raph. You're very nice, and you're very cool." You smile, looking at him, and he smiles back. For a moment, he changes, his skin turning to a dark green, and his eyes, once on fire, were electric green. Then it was gone.

You thought nothing of that strange activity until you were older, when it seemed too late...

You called them the elements when you got a little older, and spent every day with them.

Four days before your 8th birthday, you noticed they were all acting weird. Leo stared at you, Donnie hugged you longer, Raph was distant, and Mikey wasn't as cheerful. Whenever you asked them what was wrong, they'd just smile at you sadly and hug you.
On your birthday, you ran down the hill after the party to see them. But they weren't there. All that was left on the straw- littered ground was a note.

Dear Y/n,

We are sorry we couldn't be here for your 8th birthday, and that we couldn't tell you why. None of us could bear to see your heartbroken expression.
We have to go back to New York. Our old friends need our help, and it's possible we might get our bodies back.
If we can, we will try to visit you on your other birthdays.

We love you,

Little Princess,

Flower,

Peanut,

Sunshine.

Best birthday wishes,

Leo, Donnie, Raph, and Mikey.

You wiped away the tears on your cheeks, feeling the breeze ruffle your hair. Out of habit, you turned to face the wind, but this time, Mikey wasn't there.

"I miss you guys. Please come back soon." You whisper, drying your eyes and running back home to rejoin your Mom and Dad.