Okay, so after I completed the story 'Eating Clouds', I decided I would come up with a story on how Splinter came up with the names for the turtles and himself. I have yet to read a fanfic where someone goes into their idea of how the names were given so here is mine. I had a lot of time on my hands while we were at our camp, since there was no internet, so after the kids went to bed I came up with a lot of stories and sat down to finish writing the ones in my notebook. There are five chapters, enjoy and please Review. -Peace-
Naming Names.
Ch one Leonardo
The tall brown rat walked into the lair of his new home and placed his bags full of supplies on the floor by the turnstiles. It had been a long night and he was looking forward to relaxing on the bench with his book and going over the information he needed to finally make his decision. He walked over to the bench and looked down at the four mutated turtles that laid in front of it and smiled down at them tenderly. Three of them were laying down on the tatami mat wrapped up in a blanket, sound asleep while the one with the bright blue eyes was still awake, sitting up and keeping watch over the other three. The little turtle blinked up at him as he made his way over to them. The turtle gave him a shy smile as he placed his paw on his head and gently made him lay down. The rat shook his head, still in awe of this little turtle who was so fierce in protecting his siblings. More then once when he would come back from his supply runs, he would find this little turtle awake and watching over his brothers.
"I am home now little one." He whispered to him. "Go back to sleep."
"K." The turtle giggled tiredly and snuggled under the blue blanket with the yellow duck wrapped around him before finally drifting off into deep slumber. Yoshi chuckled softly as he watched the little one snuggle into the blanket. It still surprised him how much more mature then the others this one seemed to be, if he had any idea how old the turtles were, he would definitely put this one to be the oldest. But for now, he decided, they all would probably be at least one year of age, or maybe slightly older.
Hamato Yoshi sighed and sat down heavily on the bench. He was exhausted after his supply run and wanted very much to just sit and relax. He looked down at the now four sleeping lumps on the tatami mat snuggled up together in front of his feet and smiled contentedly; happy to know that they were safe and sound. It had only been two weeks since he and the turtles had taken on their new forms and he still could not get use to what had happened. But, he wondered, who could.
He sighed again and looked down at the book in his hands. A leather brown edition of Famous Painters and Sculptors of the Italian Renaissance. A book he had received from his late wife Tang Shen and one he had read a dozen times over. But it did not matter, he would read it a hundred times more as it reminded him of her. He opened the book and picked up a photo of the two of them. He smiled as he rubbed his thumb over her beautiful face. He couldn't help but give a little chuckle at this picture as he reminisced about that day. His human self leaning toward her, a happy smile on his face as she looked away from him rather shyly. His eyes showing a love he had never felt before and, Yoshi felt a tear roll down his furry cheek as he took a deep breath, a love he knew he would never feel again.
As Yoshi began to read, a small whimper from the blue eyed turtle had him looking down, fearful that he was again waking up. He shook his head as the one wrapped up in the ducky blanket moved slightly. The small blanket had once belonged to his daughter, but now that she was, sadly, no longer in his life, he had decided to give it to this one. Yoshi smiled as he thought of that night not too long ago.
Flashback
Yoshi walked into the lair and placed his meager possessions he had just retrieved from his apartment onto the floor. He was just about to make his way over to the room he decided would be the kitchen when he heard a sneeze coming from one of the lumps that laid on the tatami mat in front of the bench. Fearing one of his new charges may have come down with an illness, he quickly made his way over to them. He stopped short and his eyes widen in surprise at seeing one of the little turtles awake and sitting up. He was shivering and sniffing slightly.
"Young one." Yoshi knelt beside him. "Why are you up?"
The little turtle with the bright blue eyes that Yoshi felt he could get lost in if he stared into them too long, looked up at him mournfully. "You not here and…he cold.." The turtle pointed to the one on the farthest end of the mat.
Yoshi stare at him in surprise. He had made sure all the turtles were asleep before leaving the lair and now, here was this little one awake and watching over his brothers. Yoshi was just about to force the turtle to lay back down and put the blanket back over him when he noticed the blanket he had wrapped them up in prior to leaving had been moved so more of it was now on the other side leaving the little turtle with none for himself.
He nodded in understanding as he looked back at the small turtle. "But little one." Yoshi placed a paw on the turtle's head. "Now so are you."
"He smaller." His voice sounding so much older then it was. It became clear to Yoshi this turtle was very protective of the other turtles.
Yoshi regarded the small turtle as he stroked his long piece of whisker that dangled down his chin. It was a new habit he had formed within a few days of their change and, he realized, it helped him think. He shook his head and couldn't help but notice that this particular turtle always seemed so eager to watch over his siblings as well as protect them, weather it be from someone or something.
He placed his hand on the turtle and gently coaxed him back into a laying position and smiled down at him. "I have something that will help keep you warm." He told him. He quickly went over to his bag and began to take things out. Slowly and solemnly looking things over as he went. So much of his life he had left behind in Japan but these few things had to come with him. He sighed as he took them out one by one.
A photo of him with his wife and newborn baby. He held back a sob as he placed it gently on the floor. A large book, the one his wife gave to him for his birthday…just before he lost her. He breath deeply as he placed it on the floor and ran a hand over the cover before continuing his task. He then pulled out a small blue blanket with a picture of a yellow ducky wearing a hat on it's head. The one he and Shen brought their daughter home in after her birth. He fingered the small blanket as he remembered that day.
"Miwa." He muttered softly as a tear ran down his face. So tiny and beautiful. She was just barely a year old and would probably be walking by now, maybe running and chasing the ducks and turtles in the pond by their little home back in Japan…had she survived the fire all those months ago.
He breath deeply as he attempted to force the haunting memory away; he stood and made his way back to where the turtles laid. He placed the blanket over the shivering young turtle and tucked it around his small body. "This is for you." He told him.
The turtle smiled up at him and looked at the yellow duck on the blanket. "Ducky?" He said as he snuggled into the blanket.
Yoshi smiled and gently stroked the turtle's head. "Yes young one." He told him. "A ducky….just for you."
Present
A small smile played gently on Yoshi's lips as his eyes looked over the little turtle. "Always ready to protect his siblings." Yoshi thought. "So small yet brave and bold like….a lion." Yoshi lowed his eyes back down to his book, reading the title of the page. "LEONARDO DA VINCI."
Yoshi hummed softly to himself. "Leonardo." A name that meant 'lion bold', he told himself. He looked back at the turtle and wrinkled his eye ridges together as his eyes wandered back to the picture of one of his favorite painters.
He finished reading the biography and turned the page to his next favorite painter when he heard a loud yawn. Praying his turtles were still sleeping, he cautiously looked up from the book and watched nervously as the one with the emerald eyes was stretching.
