Title: Sword Dance

Author: Raykushi

Disclaimer: Rights to TMNT belong to Nickelodeon and others. This is a fan piece only and no monetary gain comes from its publication.

Incarnation: 2k12 TV show

Summary: A young Chinese girl is befriended by the turtles after a canister of mutagen falls from the sky, mutating her into a lizard. But how will she find peace when her first American friends contradict her strict Buddhist upbringing?

Writing Prompt: Forgotten Character Challenge - write a drabble featuring a 'forgotten' TMNT character: Mona Lisa, Kala, Tokka, or Bloch.

Rating/Pairings: Rated G. No pairings intended.

Word Count: 966

Author's Notes:
(YES I am aware Mona Lisa has appeared in the 2k12 show as of season four. This drabble was written in May, before ComicCon '15 when her character was revealed to be forthcoming in the show.)

For a while I'd been wanting to explore the idea of how the turtles would react to meeting a pacifist character who doesn't believe in violence. So I had a lot of fun with this prompt, though there's so much more in my head about Mi Ling that I wasn't able to get to in this one small drabble. Although I don't know if I'll write more about her in the future, since the Mona Lisa character has now appeared in the show in a different way.

I fear I might get an adverse reaction from readers for not including Raph in this story, but I always thought Leo and Mona Lisa could have fun interactions too. ^_^

Oh, and the oni kenbu or Demon's Sword Dance is a real thing performed in Japan, but it looks nothing like how I described it here. I took poetic license to make it flashy for the TMNT universe lol. ^_^;

Sword Dance

Her name was Mi Ling, and she had immigrated to Chinatown with her parents to run a small Buddhist temple. She spoke poor English, passable Japanese and Korean, and hated everything about New York. Especially after the night something fell from the sky, turning her scaly and green.

But then she met four brothers.

"Your mutant name should be Mona Lisa!" Michelangelo announced, helping the bewildered girl out of the construction site where they had met. "'Cuz Leo thought you were an evil Kraang mutant and chucked those paint cans at ya!"

The chagrined leader looked equal parts mortified at his actions and amazed that his brother knew a cultural reference outside of comic books and cartoons.

Now Mi stood alone in the lair, taking refuge in the calm quiet of the dojo for just a moment to clear her head. Her eyes fell on the weapons wall. Resting on pegs, each in its proper place, clean and immaculate. A proud display. The light filtering down from the grate above played along the metal of the longest blades. Her eyes followed the length of a long bo, picturing how the wood had been shaped and wrapped, changed from its natural form by human hands.

"Something troubles you, child?"

She turned and found the turtles' sensei standing at her side, joining her to look at the display on the wall.

Mi bit her lip. She didn't want to say anything to her new friends, but somehow their sensei was different. Somehow he drew the truth out of her. "Your weapons are sad," she said hesitantly. When he didn't respond, she ducked her head shyly, switching to Japanese. "I-I mean, it feels sad, to look at them. They only exist to hurt people. They were made with hatred."

"Hmm." Splinter tapped his green staff on the carpet thoughtfully. She waited for the ninja master to rebuke her, but instead he said, "Perhaps we can consider an alternative. Perhaps they were not made with hatred, but with joy and pride."

Her brow furrowed and she looked back to the wall. "The joy of men winning battles?" the young Buddhist asked softly, eyeing a katana blade. "Proud that these weapons get them what they want?"

Splinter stroked his beard and was silent.

"Weapons are forged to cause pain," Mi intoned, saying the words her mother and father had told her all her life. "How can anything good come from that reason to exist?"

Splinter tightened his grip on his staff. He turned his head suddenly to the dojo's entrance. "Leonardo! Come."

Mi whirled in shock as the turtle stepped into the room, his expression sheepish at getting caught. She wondered how long he had been listening, and what he thought of her now.

But Leonardo looked at his teacher, not at the other young mutant. He came to stand in front of the tall, straight-backed form. "Hai, sensei," he said formally, ready to accept punishment for eavesdropping.

Mi gazed at the ground. Why had she tried to explain Buddhism, a pledge of non-violence, to a ninja master? Leo must think she was an idiot.

"Leonardo, perform oni kenbu," Splinter ordered.

Both young mutants looked at him in confusion. "Sensei?" Leo asked questionably.

Splinter didn't answer, but walked to his usual spot at the front of the dojo and knelt. He caught Mi's eye. "Sit," he requested, indicating the spot next to him on the floor. Curious, she did.

Leonardo obeyed his sensei with no further hesitation. He took a stance in the center of the dojo, facing away from his audience. His posture was straight and sure; he picked up one foot and placed it down in front of him, changing his pose. Then with a smooth, quick movement, Leonardo drew his swords.

Mi's eyes widened and she watched as he flowed into motion. A complicated pattern of movements carried him across the carpets of the dojo, the steps taking him in a half-circle. Slowly his face was revealed as he turned, fiercely focused, eyes narrowed in concentration.

Mi couldn't look away from the intricate dance. The two swords seemed to be extensions of his body, sunlight flashing across them as he turned through the choreographed steps. He leaped up and twisted; they swept through the air exactly where he had been standing an instant before, as if he intended to try to cut himself down. He then landed lightly on the balls of his feet, the tips of the blades meeting in a perfect arch overhead.

The dance came to an end and Leonardo's body stilled in the exact spot he had started, but now he was facing them. He held the pose for a moment before his face relaxed and he slid the swords into their scabbards on his shell.

"Wow," Mi breathed.

Not used to getting a compliment like that from a girl, Leonardo's face immediately turned pink.

A burst of laughter startled him and Mi both, and they turned and saw the figures of his three brothers standing in the doorway of the dojo. Raphael wolf-whistled.

"Aw, cut it out, guys!" Leo objected, embarrassed to find out he had been performing for more than just his sensei and Mi. He started to take a step to chase them. Belatedly he remembered his sensei and bowed, then took off after the fleeing culprits when Splinter bowed back to dismiss him.

Splinter looked down at the young mutant who was seated beside him. He wore a mildly curious expression.

"That was amazing," she said.

"It is a traditional dance performed during summer festivals in northern Japan," he said. His voice became gentle as he added, "Have we showed you that weapons are not only for causing pain?"

A startled look crossed Mi's face. Slowly, she smiled.

"Hai, sensei."