I sighed deeply as I watched the small turtles play. People may say they are not playing, rather swimming or basking. I say playing. Every species on Earth has its own way of playing, weather others Species may see them as doing something out of the ordinary.

"Oh, you like the turtles?" I turned and smiled at a young woman who worked at the store. She had a bright cheerful face.

"Yes, we had many living in the rivers where I was from." I nodded happily. "The four playing in the corner caught my eye.

"Would you like to buy some? We have a great deal, a bunch of hatchlings just hatched." She said as she pointed to a sign stuck to the turtles' tank. I frowned. $50 for 1 turtle or 3 for $100. "Of course that includes a starter tank and food." She smiled and held a marker. "I was about to add it." She said.

I nodded and stepped back to allow the girl to write and continue the job. "They are nice but hatchlings would require lots of care correct?" I asked.

"Yes." The girl nodded as she wrote. "They do need to be cheeked on regularly. We have some juveniles of a different breed." She turned and smiled as she noticed my attention had moved to a smaller tank to the side where a bigger turtle, about the size of a book was hiding in it's shell. "That guy is or was or breeding male." The girl said as she opened the tank and gently placed a piece of fish in front of the turtle, coaching him out.

"Oh… And what of the little one?" I asked as I pointed to the little turtle to the side of the male. It looked as small as the hatchlings.

"She's his last spawn. She was the last to hatch and spent her first few days by the side of the tank where his and her tank meet." The girl said slightly sadly. "We put her in with him and she never leaves his side. It's cute. She knowns who her Daddy is."

"If he is a breeding turtle why is he not with the other turtles?" I asked with a little smile as the small little female turtle started to nibble on the older ones fish.

The girl sighed. "He's getting too old to keep breeding. The younger turtles bite him, that's why he has so many scratches. We had to take him out." The girl said as she stuck a for sale sign on the tank.

I frowned as I looked at the sign. "Well thank you for talking to me." I said as I turned away. I noticed the girls eyes became dull and lost their cheerful colour. I knew she had wanted me to buy him, but it would have just been a sales scheme.

"Hey you think I should buy him!" I turned and saw a few men looking at the turtle, they had tattoos and were smoking. "I hear some Japan forks think turtles are a delicacy." He chuckled. I noticed he was tossing a knife.

I looked at the ground and took a deep breath as I walked towards them. I got a glare for the men as I walked into the store. The same girl that was talking to me before looked up at me and smiled. "One turtle sir?" She asked with a grin.

"Two please. The older one and his young daughter." I said with a small smile.

3 YEAR LATER

"Sprwter!" I sighed deeply as I turned to where Kozakana's voice came from. I stood up as the young turtle came through the door.

"Good morning Kozakana." I smiled as she hugged me tightly around the legs. "Happy birthday!" I said as she happily jumped and clapped her hands. "Where's Mako?" I asked.

Kozakana shrugged and looked out of the door. I chuckled as her eyes lit up as Mako walked thought the door holding a small cake with a candle, alone with Jaya. They both sung happy birthday. I quickly joined in and picked up Kozakana

"Happy birthday baby girl." Mako said as we finished singing and Kazakana blew out the candle. She giggled happily and kicked her legs about, clearly very excited about having cake for breakfast.

"Thank you for buying the cake for her." I said as he handed Kazakana to Mako and looked at Jaya who just smiled.

"It was nothing. I would do anything for you guys." She said. "I wish I could stay for cake but I can't." She sighed. "This is for Kazakana, Give it to her later ok." Jaya winked as she handed me a small purple wrapped box.

"Jaya you know I don't like you-" My ears pinned back as Jaya waved and quickly left before I could finish.

I smiled and chuckled as I put the gift aside and turned to Mako and Kazakana as they had begun to play. I sat and watched them. I loved the way they played. Mako would flip Kazakana on to her shell and wiggle his hand above her. She would reach for his hand and begin to rock on her shell. She would get stuck a lot as a baby but she was 4 now so she had learned to flip over quickly. I understood it was a lesson Mako needed to teach his daughter, he simply turned it into a game for her.

"Yoshi." Mako said looking at me. I frowned as he sounded concerned.

"Yes Mako?" I said shifting closer.

"I wanted to ask you if you would teach Kazakana to be a ninja." He asked. "I understand that you stopped long ago but I wish for her to grow up with a meaning or goal in life." He said. "I also understand if you say no."

I smiled and nodded. "I would love to teach Kazakana ninjisu. I will have to get myself back into shape first."

Mako chuckled. "Thank you Yoshi." He said as he stood up and picked up Kazakana. "I will prepare Lunch and dinner tonight." He said leaving.

I smiled as I watched them leave. Kazakana smiled and waved goodbye. I chuckled and waved back. When the door was closed I took a deep breath and crossed my legs, clearing my mind as I begun to meditate.

Meditation was about the only thing I had continued since I lost my wife, Teng-shin and my baby daughter Miwa. That was about 5 years ago. I had moved to New York to start a new life, but the one I got was far beyond what I was after. Soon after I had brought the turtles I had become exposed to a green goo that changed me into a rat and the two turtles in to human like turtles.

Mako was very large, strong and brave. But he was also wounded by old scars he got from when he was a turtle. This slowed him down but he was determined that his weaknesses would never get the best of him. I had taught him to speak English, though he did know quite a bit from hearing humans. He had Dark green skin, so dark it was almost black in the dark of the sewers. Sometimes I wouldn't be able to see him other than his bright blue eyes that glowed through the dark. He was extremely intelligent. He was constantly inventing new things to make life more comfortable for our small family.

Kazakana was just a baby, she couldn't walk, talk or do anything for herself. I had taken care of her as Mako was not use to what a human baby needs. He soon became aware of the change and has turned into an amazing father. I figured Mako was about 40. Kazakana was almost exactly like her father. Lighter skin and blues eyes. She was bubbly and looked forward to everyday. She never cried unless hurt and would spend all her time with myself or Mako.

"Little fish." I said with a smile remembering the day I had named her. Kazakana was Japanese for Little fish. I didn't know why I choose that name for her but it suited as she was about as slippy as a fish, she never stayed in her crib during the nights. She would always found a way to climb onto the bed and cuddle up to me or Mako.

I had met Jaya the day of mine and the turtles' mutation. She was the young girl who had sold me them. After we changed I had nowhere to go so I hid out in my apartment. Jaya came along with the delivery of a tank I brought. She was there to help set up. Unfortunately went the door bell rung and Kazakana began to cry it gave away my plan of making her think I was out.

I had learned then and there the stubbornness that was living inside Jaya. She hadn't cared about the fact we were mutants only that Kazakana couldn't sleep in a box, which was sadly all I had for her at the time. I would admit, Jaya saved our lives. She knew we couldn't live in an apartment. She had found our underground home. She never did thinks in halves. She made sure our home was safe, quiet and not just a sewer. She visits every day and has become the mother of our family.

"Splinter!" Kazakana said, since she had begun to walk she was always disturbing me during my meditations. I opened my eyes and smiled as she held a slice of cake up to my face. She had icing around her mouth and a cheery on her head, I could only guess Mako put there. "Cake?"

"Yes thank you Kazakana." I smiled as I took the cake from her. She quickly climbed into my lap as Mako walked in and handed me a tea. He sat down beside me and smiled.

"Another year old." Mako said with a huge smile as he watched his daughter. "Thank you Yoshi."

I smiled and looked down at my tea. "No thank you."