My Guardian
Ch 1 A walk Through the Village.
Raphael Hamato slowly walked behind his brother and Sensei as they strolled through the Hamato village, casually looking from one merchant's stall to the next. He rolled his green eyes and grumbled softly to himself every time they made a stop to check out a merchant's wares.
After the fifth stop, Raph finally spoke up. "Why are we here?" He grumbled in annoyance.
"We are here so your brother may pick up his book." His father and Sensei, Hamato Splinter, replied in a calm and very relaxed voice as he once again stopped and picked up a silken handkerchief at the next stall.
"So why haven't we done this yet?" Raphael's voice was slowly rising in irritation.
"Because we are also looking for a gift for your betroth." Splinter responded, his voice also now growing in irritation. He held out a beautiful pink kerchief. "Perhaps she would like this?" He looked at him sternly.
"How am I suppose to know what she would like father?" Raph questioned him. "I've never even met her." He huffed and crossed his arms turning away from the large brown rat. "I don't even understand why I have to marry someone I've never even met." He adjusted the sleeves on his red kimono.
"Come on Raph." His younger brother Donatello leaned into him and nudged him with his shoulder. "Father has told you a dozen times why this is happening."
Raph pushed him away gently. "I know Donnie." He told him. His brother, who was dressed in a purple kimono, took every chance he could to tease his brother about his upcoming marriage. "I just don't understand it."
"No matter Raphael." Splinter told him as they continued to walk down the dirt path of the large village. "It is what has been arranged and you will abide by it."
Raph grumbled something incoherent under his breath and walked up to a stall that was selling jewelry. "Any idea what her favorite color is?" He asked, rather sarcastically.
"Father, I'm going to go get my book now." Donnie said, turning away from his father and brother.
"Hurry back my son." Splinter called out to him. "I want to get in line for when the dango shop opens." He let out a small chuckle. "That with some green tea would be a nice treat right about now." He began pawing through the necklaces and was just about to hold one up to show Raph when a loud cry could be heard throughout the small square.
Splinter and Raphael turned to see a large rhino dragging a small turtle by the arm. The turtle was dressed in a very filthy torn blue tunic and was struggling to get out of the larger animal's grip.
"THIEF." The rhino yelled. "Give me back my apples!" He shoved the turtle roughly on the ground in the square in front of everyone. Raph and splinter recognized the rhino as the fruit merchant, Rocksteady.
"I swear!" The turtle cried out, turning to look up at the rhino in fear. "I didn't take anything. I was just…"
"LIAR!" Rocksteady swung his large hand back with the intention of backhanding the young turtle when he suddenly found his arm immobilized by Splinter.
"You will not lay another hand on this turtle." Splinter told the large rhino, holding him back with his walking stick.
"How dare you defend this piece of filth" The rhino growled. "You, Splinter-san, are the keisatsu for the Hamato village and you dare allow a thief to get away from being punished.
"As you so eloquently just pointed out Rockstaedy-san." Splinter glared back at the rhino. "I am the peacekeeper and if this boy has committed a crime then it is my job to see he is punished appropriately and by my hand…not yours."He removed his walking stick from off the rhino's arm.
Rocksteady scowled down at Splinter for several moments before finally backing down. Splinter, when he was certain the large beast was calmed, turned to the young turtle who was watching the scene with large frightened blue eyes.
"What is your name child?" Splinter asked him.
"Leonardo." The turtle answered, the fear evident in his voice. Splinter smiled tenderly at him before looking back at the merchant.
"Now then merchant." Splinter addressed Rocksteady while watching the turtle. "Why do you call this boy a thief?"
"Because he stole apples from my cart." He responded angrily.
Leonardo shook his head vigorously at the accusation. Around them, a variety of villagers and merchants watched curiously as the scene unfolded before them. Behind Raph, Donnie walked up slowly, curiously and apprehensively eyeing the scene before him as he held his book tightly in his hands and close to his plastron.
"I did not steal from him." The turtle insisted anxiously. "I was running and attempted to avoid his cart but I slipped and fell into it." He explained. "I was only trying to pick up the apples that fell."
"LIAR!" Rocksteady turned fiery eyes on the frightened turtle. "You stole from me. I saw you."
"I do not steal." Leonardo insisted. "I pay for what I need."
"And where would a piece of filth like you get money?" The rhino demanded.
Leonardo opened his mouth to say something but then quickly closed it. He looked down at the ground as a look of shame came over him.
"Do you have a job child?" Splinter knelt down by the turtle and looked deep into his eyes.
"I…" Leonardo looked into Splinter's eyes, it was clear to him that it would do no good to lie to the large brown rat. Rocksteady and Splinter stared intently at the turtle who was turning red faced in shame and guilt.
"The boy is a whore!" Rocksteady suddenly yelled out. He quickly bent down and roughly grabbed the turtle by his arm and lifted him off the ground causing the turtle to gasp in surprise. "If he wishes to exchange his services for some apples, then I will be happy to accommodate him." He was just about to drag the turtle away from the square when he was once again stopped by Splinter.
"You will take this child nowhere." He told him. It was obvious to everyone watching how anxious the turtle was to get away from everything and his body shook violently as he begged to be let go.
"And why not?" The rhino turned defiant eyes on Splinter. "Prostitution is legal and I demand he pay for what he took!" He held on to the turtle's arm tightly causing the young turtle to wince in pain.
"While selling one's self for money is legal." Splinter glared back at him. "It is only so if the person is at least the age of twenty one." He looked back at Leonardo who was hanging limply by his arm in the large rhino's hand, trying to push himself away. "Now release him." He told Rocksteady, who begrudgingly obeyed by shoving the turtle once again roughly onto the ground. "How old are you boy?"
Raphael grinned at his father, he knew what he was up to. If Leonardo was under twenty-one, and Raph was sure he was, then Splinter would be obligated to arrest the turtle and take him away from Rocksteady, but if Rocksteady insisted on forcing Leonardo to 'service' him, then Splinter would arrest him, and he was certain the large rhino did not want to be arrested.
Leonardo looked up at Splinter with the saddest eyes Raph had ever seen, and he found himself rather mesmerized by the turtle in blue. "I am…not twenty-one." The turtle confessed in a very shaky voice, looking back down at the ground.
"And do you sell yourself?" Splinter asked. His voice was soothing and tender and both Raph and Donnie could see he was trying very hard to make the young turtle feel at ease.
Everyone watched as the turtle looked away from Splinter with a guilty look on his face. Splinter looked up at Rocksteady with a nod. He stood up and Rocksteady growled at the brown rat in anger.
"I will take this child into custody." He informed the fruit merchant, ignoring his anger. "How many apples do you say he took from you?"
Rocksteady looked angrily at the turtle before looking back at Splinter and then back to the turtle. It was clear there was no way the turtle could hide anything in the ripped and tattered tunic. "At least two." He told Splinter reluctantly.
Splinter took out a small leather pouch that hung around his neck. He then removed a silver coin and handed it to the merchant. "This will pay for the two apples and more if you think it necessary." He told him. The merchant took it and, grumbling to himself, turned to go back to his cart.
He then turned back to the turtle. "I have paid a dept for you." He explained. "I also need to arrest you for illegal prostitution." The turtle looked up at him in disbelief. But Splinter continued. "You will accompany me back to our house." He motioned to his sons. "And pay your debt off by working for me." He looked down at the turtle sternly, watching as he slowly stood up. "This will also absolve you of your crime."
"Please." The turtle begged, bowing to the rat. "I am thankful and I will do what you want but I must…." He stopped and looked around the village in fear. "I can't go with you just yet…." He began again. "It's just that I need to…"The turtle's eyes darted around wildly again and then suddenly, much to the shock of Splinter and his sons, he ran out of the square and toward a run down part of the village. The others followed him and saw him go into a decaying abandon building. They followed him down a small flight of stairs into a dank dark room.
"Mikey!" He called out, running into the room. He looked around wildly and turned as the others came down and looked about the cold room.
In the corner of the small room a pile of old rotted sacks moved lightly. "Leo?" A small voice called out timidly and a light green freckled faced turtle dressed in a filthy orange tunic popped his head out.
"Leo!" The small turtle cried out as the other turtle made his way to him. They wrapped their arms around each other and the larger turtle spoke soothing words to the smaller one as he assisted him in getting out of the pile of sacks.
"My brother, Michelangelo." He told them breathlessly as Splinter and his sons made their way over to them.
"Where have you been Leo?" The young turtle called Michelangelo asked him, making his way out of the pile of sacks with his brother's assistance. "I heard people outside, I thought they were the soldiers and I got scared." He told him.
"It's okay Mikey." Leo told him quickly. "I got held up when I accidentally ran into a merchant's cart and I…"
"We thought he might be hurt and we wanted to make sure he was okay." Splinter quickly interrupted him. He smiled at the small turtle who looked up at him in fear.
"Leo, he's wearing soldier's clothes." He pointed to the red kimono with the Hamato symbol on the chest signifying Splinter's status as one of authority. "Is he going to take us away?" He whispered fearfully.
Before Leo could answer, the wise brown rat smiled at him and gently placed a comforting paw on the smaller turtle's shoulder. "I am going to help you." He told him. "Your brother is in need of some medical attention and I wish for him and you to accompany me back to our home where you can both get proper nourishment and rest."
Mikey looked at his brother curiously. "He means food Mikey." Leo told him with a reassuring smile.
Mikey smiled at his brother and the rat. He took his brother's hand and walked over to the other turtles, his eyes widing when he saw the book in the Donnie's hands. He let go of Leo's hand and quickly walked over to him. "Hi, I'm Mikey, what's your name?." He told him. "I like books, do you like books too? I especially love adventure books. Do you like adventure books? What kind is that one?"
Donnie looked at the happy turtle with amusement in his eyes and showed him his book. "I'm Donatello but you can call me Donnie." He told him. "That's my brother Raphael but we call him Raph." Mikey looked over at the larger turtle who was watching everything with a scowl on his face. He waved at him rather uncertainly before turning back to Donnie.
"Do you have a library?" He asked him. "We use to have one but…"
"Mikey!" Leo quickly interrupted him. "You should not bombard Donatello with so many questions." He gave Mikey a stern look that told his little brother to be quiet which he did, rather abruptly.
Splinter chuckled at the exuberance of the smaller turtle. He turned toward the exit and motioned to his sons and the other turtles to follow him. "Shall we go?" He made his way out of the small room and up the stairs to the warmth of the outside.
Raph stood back and allowed the others to go ahead of him. He watched as Mikey followed Donnie outside talking excitedly to him about the library at their home while Leo followed behind him, keeping a close eye and ear on his brother. But as Leo walked past Raph, their eyes locked onto each others and Raph felt a strange feeling come over him as he followed the group toward home.