I'll go on with "Glory of Love", but this came to my mind while I was in Xmas holidays…

Thanks to Cynlee for betareading and corrections!

The TMNT, Splinter, Hamato Yoshi, Shredder etc. are property of Mirage.

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Change of Perspectives

The rat laid in its cage, coiled up, its tail neatly folded around its body. Its eyes were closed, but the pointed ears twitched eagerly, waiting for a special sound, a unique rhythm of footsteps.

Finally.

Both ears erected and the rat opened its brown eyes. The head followed the sound of the footsteps along the wall, then stopped as the pet rat looked directly at the door. For a moment, the sound paused, but the rat wasn't concerned. Its sharp sense of smell already told it who was behind that wall, and it stood up and scampered to the edge of the cage which was closest to the door. Then it stared again at the entrance, waiting impatiently. The door opened and HE entered. Immediately, the rat climbed a ladder to the level where the cage opening was and poked its nose between the bars. It wanted out, to HIM, now. HE chuckled and opened the cage door. The rat hopped on HIS hand at once, clambered up HIS arm and snuggled on HIS shoulder. HE laughed softly, then HE offered a piece of food to the rat. The rat grabbed the treat with its forepaws and eagerly ate it. HE waited patiently until the rat had finished and stood at all four paws again, then HE got up carefully. The rat nuzzled HIS neck. It was happy.

Time passed by, but the rat didn't care. There was only here and now. It was happy, when HE was there. It waited for HIM, when HE wasn't at home. HE meant safety, warmth, shelter, family. Although the rat had no words for its feelings, it knew that it belonged to HIM. But the rat found a possibility to express itself.

It knew what HE disliked. No chewing of something outside its cage, except what was offered. And what HE liked. In its mind, images of sleeping in HIS lap appeared, and pictures of it playing around. HE laughed, when the rat tried to walk on its hind paws, as HE did. HE laughed, so he liked it. The rat went further.

It was not always allowed to leave its cage and be with HIM. Not when OTHERS were around. So the rat disliked OTHERS, and hid in its little cabin when they were at HIS place. But it watched HIM without ceasing. In the evening, it showed HIM what it had learned, and HE laughed, so the rat was happy, too. It even tried to mimic the sound of the laughter, but that was impossible.

It was not allowed outside the cage however; not when HE performed the dangerous dance. The rat had seen the OTHERS dancing, but HE danced alone, and sometimes HE put the cage in the special room. So the rat watched and learned and remembered. But when it demonstrated its new skill to HIM, HE did not laugh; instead HE sat beneath the cage and watched it closely. The rat hesitated, crouched on the ground, feeling very uncomfortable when being looked over with this new gaze. Its tail twitched nervously, when HE stretched HIS hand out, but he grabbed it carefully and placed it on HIS lap. Then HE gently petted the frightened rodent. The rat recognized the words HE pronounced – Nezumi, Kakera, Splinter- they all stood for "it". Slowly, the rat eased off and calmed down. Nevertheless, it didn't understand. It just wanted to please. What had it done wrongly? What was its mistake?

The next day, the rat still felt as if it were being watched, so it hid in its cabin and refused food. It was totally confused. HE brought pellets, but the rat merely sniffed.

Although it wasn't allowed that often in the special room, HE put its cage there. And while HE exercised, the rat kept an eye on HIM. Eventually, it left its cabin to have a better sight. It was still bewildered, but also fascinated by the flow of HIS movements, of HIS dexterity.

So it was okay?

When HE had done HIS exercises, HE came to the cage. The rat was somewhat suspicious. Nevertheless the rodent decided to give it a try. This time, HE encouraged it, and gave it some of the special, sweet treat the rodent liked so much. So the rat cuddled contendedly in HIS lab, nibbled the sweetness and was perfectly happy. The world was back to normal. So it was okay.

Days passed and became months, and eventually years. The rat noticed that HE became more stressed lately and did its best to amuse HIM. It was successful. Although it definitively preferred it to use all of its legs to walk, it became used to HIS movements. Finally the rat had something to spend its time on when HE was not around, and it felt even closer to HIM.

One evening, while it was in its cage and watching HIM exercising, suddenly the door exploded. The rat flinched back, terrified by the sight of OTHERS who boldy entered the room. It noticed the look at HIS face, HIS changed expression, smell and body language, and it was frightened to death. The OTHERS attacked HIM! They mustn't!

It shied away and retreated backward to the rear side of its cage. What should it do? Shivering it crouched to the ground. HE would not surrender, HE fought and one of the OTHERS crashed against its cage, which fell to the ground and broke open. Immediately it fled behind a room divider, where it watched the further progress of the fight. THEY bound HIM, hurt HIM and HE screamed! It had never heard HIM screaming before and it scared the rat even more than the OTHERS trampling through HIS apartment.

It had to help HIM! But there were so many…

The rat flit along he feet of the OTHERS, they did not notice it, it was to small. Then it sprang directly at the muscular man standing in front of HIM, biting and scratching the man in his face with everything it had. How could they dare to hurt HIM!

It wasn't enough. The man yelled, but with one movement of his hand he grabbed the rat and dashed it out of the window. At the last moment it was able to get hold at the windowsill- and almost wished it hadn´t, because what the rat saw then was the worst moment of its life. The shiny man in the background, the one which had given all the commands, barked a few words. The rat did not understand them, but it clearly understood the meaning. It couldn't look away when the sword stroke down. And when HE felt to the ground, it realized that HE would never stand up again. Its claws disengaged from the windowsill and it fell down to the street, right in a puddle. Not only the cold water made the rodent shiver. Its world was destroyed. HE was away. It had not been able to help HIM. It was its fault.

The rat was totally alone now, and that was all its fault.