Hi everyone! I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted last, and I know I said I'd be posting Gravity Falls stories but this one kind of snuck up on me.

For anyone who doesn't know, the movie referenced in this is Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

I own nothing in this fanwork apart from the plot.

Eight year old Michelangelo was quieter than usual, but Master Splinter wasn't worried. It was, after all, the first time he had given his son this particular task and, as such, it required concentration. The fact that the normally hyperactive turtle appeared to actually BE concentrating made Splinter feel rather pleased. Perhaps his lessons on the subject were FINALLY starting to have some effect.

They were cooking dinner together; this was, by now, common practise as Michelangelo had always been interested in cooking and revelled in the alone time with his father. Splinter's other sons were playing at the other end of the Den they called home; the idea of cooking seemed more like a chore to them. Splinter never found it so; he was usually grateful just to have the food and the heating appliances Donatello had set up for them. Indeed, when times were good and they had plenty to eat – as they did now, mostly thanks to a supermarket dumpster – cooking was one of his favourite parts of the day.

Michelangelo paused in his act of chopping carrots. "Sensei?"

"Yes my son?"

"Am I a monster?"

Any traces of contentment or pleasure vanished from the rat's body, replaced instantly with deep sadness and a determination to remove this idea from his son's head immediately.

"No, Michelangelo, you are most definitely NOT a monster."

The young turtle looked down at his two toed feet and sniffed. "Am I ugly?"

"No my son, you are not ugly. Where did you get such ideas?"

Mikey sniffed again. "The video you brought us," his voice was sad, "Quasimodo had to hide away and no one liked him because he was ugly and a monster and different to everyone else. We have to hide away too and no one likes us because we are different so I thought…" at this point the tears in his eyes overflowed and he started crying. "I don't WANT to be a monster! I don't WANT to be ugly!"

Splinter knelt down and embraced his son, lost for a moment as to what he could possibly do or say to make this better, and angry at himself for not checking more carefully what he had given his sons to watch. The box had looked colourful and bright, with happy, smiling characters on the front. He resolved to check EVERYTHING he found for his sons to watch much more carefully from then on.

Splinter rocked Michelangelo backwards and forwards, rubbing his back and holding him close until he started to calm down. Once most of the crying had run its course, Splinter held out his hand.

"My Son, are our hands the same?" Mikey shook his head. "What about our faces?" Mikey shook his head again. "What about our bodies, are they the same?"

"No."

"Am I a monster? Am I ugly?"

Mikey shook his head vigorously.

"Just because someone looks different does not mean they are ugly or a monster. There are many different types of flower, yet they are all beautiful. You are just a different type of flower my son, and you are very beautiful."

"Then why do we have to hide away? Why won't people like us?"

Splinter sighed. "We are very special Michelangelo, and because we are very special, the humans will not understand us. Sadly, when humans do not understand something, they become frightened, and sometimes try to hurt the thing they don't understand."

"So… it's because we're too special?"

Splinter smiled. "Yes Michelangelo, that is exactly right."

Mikey smiled back, feeling more beautiful and more special than ever.

Let me know what you thought in the comments!