Hamato Yoshi, ever since he had mutated, thought it was right to adopt those four turtle hatchlings, calling them his "sons." His Small Hamatos.
He always was very proud of the four; he was always following them, helping them grow, sharing in their joys or sorrows, laughs or tears. They were all very happy together
...almost...
There was, in fact, a problem. And it was with Michelangelo.
Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael had learned to speak when they were two years old, and now that they were six, they knew how to say almost as many words as Splinter. Mikey, even though he was three, didn't know how to say a single thing.
This was a problem that tormented Splinter every day. He knew that if a child didn't learn to speak while young, he would never do so.
Then again, Splinter had noticed that Raphael was the most near to Mikey than the others. Maybe, if Mikey couldn't learn how to speak, Raphie could become his interpreter.
But still, the sensei couldn't help but worry...
After a long day of training, Splinter began preparing soup for dinner. It was true that his little children would have preferred a pizza, but at the moment, it was too cold out to reach a pizzeria. However, after taking a small sip of the soup, Splinter decided the food still tasted good.
"My sons, your dinner is ready!" Splinter called from the kitchen.
The sounds of small, pawed feet reached the kitchen, causing a soft laugh from Splinter. Leo, Raph and Don sat on their chairs immediately, smiling.
Mikey gripped his teddy bear, incapable of getting up onto his chair like his elder brothers. Raphael gave a small grimace of sadness and helped Mikey.
"Here" he said, caressing his head. "That better?"
Michelangelo smiled and looked the sensei, who was already giving them some bowls of rice and broth. The children were so excited about this simple dinner!
"Enjoy your meal!" they said in choir, except Mikey, obviously.
They ate.
Splinter observed everything from the corner of his eye. Mikey seemed the least hungry and the saddest of all the brothers.
He turned the spoon in his bowl, sighing and gripping his teddy bear to his chest. Raph stopped eating and gave a soft nudge to Donnie, who kicked Leo's knee.
"What's up, Mikey?" the red-banded turtle asked.
The other lowered his head, trembling a bit. Big tears were filling up his blue eyes. Mikey stopped eating and curled up in a little ball on his chair.
"Mikey?" Leonardo murmured too, standing up from his chair.
"Little bro...why are you crying?" Donnie asked, worried.
Since Raph was sitting the closest, he gripped Mikey's chest, cradling him. From a warm, wet sensation on Mikey's plastron, Raph understood Mikey was crying.
Splinter, now more worried than ever, wanted to know more, and approached Mikey himself.
"Michelangelo, my son, what has upset you?"
The little one denied weakly with his head that anything was wrong and he left Raph impetuously. Mikey clung to his sensei's kimono, sliding onto his knees. Splinter sighed, understanding that Mikey could not answer, and scooped up the little one into his arms.
Splinter kissed Mikey's forehead, avoiding the wet mask.
"Michelangelo, I know well that the lack of words frustrates you," he started softly. "But you must not give up. We are here, near you, my son."
The orange-clad turtle closed his red eyes, nodding tiredly. He didn't think it was true.
Mikey, in fact, had surrendered himself to being speechless ever since he was two years old. His brothers talked continuously...but he did not. And the little one didn't understand why.
"I'll see if I can find some information in my books. Meanwhile, you can go to play, my sons," Splinter proposed.
"Hai, sensei!"
"Mikey, you wanna help me wash Spike?" Raph asked, taking Mikey's hand…
In his room, Splinter had already started the read of a thick book of medicine. He analyzed each specific page for his youngest son's problem, without giving up. He didn't believe that the lack of words was a psychological block or a delay of the child. No...there was certainly something physically wrong!
Splinter was the father and it was his task to find the evil in question.
"I'm certain I'll find the answer I need!" he said to encourage himself.
He continued to browse, the numbers at the bottom of the page increasing with every minute. The flames of the three candles in front of him trembled, giving at the room a red light.
Splinter's cinnamon eyes, then, paused on an image of a windpipe. He read the caption under the illustration, learning what caused this particular illness. He observed the vocal chords, the esophagus, the throat...everything. It seemed so familiar. The sensei had a flash in his mind...
Yoshi had been fighting against the Kraang droids. He had been pushed against a wall at some point, the bowl with his four turtles inside falling and breaking on the floor. But he continued to fight.
Yoshi fought hard, but an immense heat froze him in place. Something sticky and fluorescent was falling on his body.
Everything was changing...
He noticed a jar had fallen from the back of the van where the Kraang droids had arrived. But now the van was gone. The droids, obviously, had escaped.
Yoshi didn't scream...
He felt each part of his body divided and put together in a new aspect. He fell on his knees and waited for it to pass. Yoshi opened his eyes...
He was big, brown, and he had a tail…He was a rat!
Then, very suddenly, he remembered his turtles. Glancing down, he realized they were next to his new tail.
The turtles were larger, but three of them weren't infants.
No, they could have been two, maybe three, years old.
But then, Yoshi looked the fourth turtle, the youngest one. From the tiny one's mouth came the same fluorescent liquid that had changed, had mutated, them.
The little one was vomiting that liquid with blood and saliva…and tears…
Splinter let the book fall onto the tatami...
He understood.
Yes, everything now was clear.
His baby had been mutated in his throat...possibly permanently. Why he didn't understand it before?
The rat put a hand on his heart, hoping to calm the racing beat.
His littlest one, maybe...would never speak...
Hi! I'm back! From DeviantArt, CuddlyHawk (my new special friend) help me to write my new story. Her help is much important for me. I hope you like it! :)