Memories
A TMNT 2012 Fanfic
10 years prior to events in Rise of the Turtles
Splinter sat quietly in his room in meditation, his young turtles were napping in their rooms; at least they were supposed to be. His ears twitched forward and he opened his eyes about halfway, to see one of his young turtles standing there holding a book that he knew he shouldn't have in one hand and in the other a photograph. Splinter sighed and waved the already fidgeting Donatello forward. Donnie walked slowly up to his father looking down at the floor of Splinter's room; he'd broken the rules by sneaking into the storage room and getting the book in the first place. Splinter's ears twitched again as he looked at Donnie.
"What is it you have there, my son?" He did not let his annoyed tone seep into the question he posed to his young son.
"The Jungle Book." He said as he held it for his father to see. Then he held up the photograph. "But don't think this is posed to be part of da story."
Yes, Donnie could talk better than his brothers at this point, but even he still slipped back into the "baby" talk every once in a while. He blinked as Splinter reached and took the photo in his left hand which Donnie noticed was trembling ever so slightly. The young turtle was in a bit of shock at seeing his strong father tremble at a picture. Hamato Yoshi's mind slid back in time, this picture had been taken earlier in the night in which his world ended. The Kanji writing was delicate and light, it belonged to his Tang Shen, he remembered taking it, that was Tang Shen, and Miwa in the back and the little girl laying down reading in the front was Oroku, Kuma, younger sister of Oroku, Saki. Kuma was about 5 in the photo and she had been spending the evening with them.
He fought back tears but they escaped anyway and he felt a small pair of three fingered hands on his arm. "Papa, I sorry didn't mean to make you cry." Donnie had laid the book beside his father and seeing his tears had come closer to comfort him. Splinter reached over and scooped up the little turtle into his arms giving him a squeeze.
"It is not your fault Donatello, you were only curious. Shall I read you some of this book?" he held up The Jungle Book. "Or shall I tell you a story of a foolish young man who was blinded by a foolish heart?" He looked down at the gap-toothed turtle in his arms. Donnie giggled a bit as a tear dropped from his father's muzzle onto his own nose. The curious little turtle was trying to read his father's emotions not really understanding them his curious nature wanted to know why Splinter was crying, and how this book and picture fit in with the reaction.
"You tell story, I read book later." He grinned and got comfortable. Splinter waited till Donnie got comfortable then he proceeded to tell his story.
"I was a young man when I first met Kuma. She and my beloved Tang Shen were reading in the garden in front of Tang Shen's home. This…" he lifted up the book beside him. "Is what they were reading. Kuma had bought it for Tang Shen from an old book shop." Splinter placed it back at his side and readjusted the little turtle. By this time another head had poked itself around the door to the room. A head that was freckled and much smaller than Donnie's. Splinter motioned Mikey inside and to a pillow beside him. Michelangelo scuttled in with his orange blanket and tattered stuffed kitten, flopping on the pillow to listen too.
"And so, the young ninja sat beside them in the garden and lay back against a rock to listen as well." Splinter had tactfully switched his storytelling to third person for a reason that puzzled the young Donatello, but he soon let that slip away as splinter continued his story.
"The trio had quite a few adventures over the next few years but, the little "mouse" always slipped off near dark, and returned the next day quietly. The young ninja never questioned where she went to, only when she would be back. But one day he followed her to her home." Splinter paused and motioned to the door where another head had appeared, this one had a body attached to it as if it had been trying to slip into the room unseen, in this turtle's hand rested a non-mutated box turtle. Splinter smiled as Raphael gave a shy smile and hurried in stealing Mikey's pillow and blanket. Splinter gave a disapproving glare and Raph gave it back sheepishly, before scurrying over to a pile and snatching up his own blanket and one of the worn pillows then settled down with the box turtle on his head. Splinter smiled and continued.
"As he followed the "mouse", anger started to mount in his foolish heart." There was a small gasp from the turtles, especially Donnie. After all, he couldn't figure out what the "mouse" did wrong. All she was doing was going home. Splinter cleared his throat as the gasp became a small murmur between Mikey & Raph and they quieted completely when they heard Leonardo from the door.
"Kin I come in too?" He looked a bit saddened as if he'd been left out of some great discussion.
"Course you can big brother!" Mikey ran over and snatched Leo a pillow and a blanket. Leo grinned and hugged his "baby" brother as he plopped down cross legged on the pillow wrapping the blanket around him... "So wuh did I miss?" Donnie recapped the story so far using Master Splinter's third person variant.
"Dat's where we are Leo now shush so Papa can finish." Donnie picked up the book without really paying attention to what he was doing and held it close to him.
Splinter smiled at his young sons. So eager and bright, it once again brought a small pang of sadness to him. Kuma had been just that way at their age, so eager for a story. Splinter figured she and Donatello would have gotten along well. Donnie tugged on his robes to get his attention.
"Why was the ninja getting angry?" Donnie asked his eyes sparkling up at Splinter's own. "Mouse hadn't done anything wrong she was just goin' home right!?"
"No, Mouse hadn't done anything wrong, but the ninja had walked this path many times. It was a path he had walked himself for many years before the little mouse had, it was a path that lead to his friend turned enemy's house." Splinter paused a moment more as if gathering himself he let the boys whisper among themselves. Once they settled back down he continued. " Furious after seeing the girl greet his enemy with a hug and kiss on the cheek, he ran for home and slammed his hand down cursing the stars and spirits for letting this traitorous girl get close to his beloved, for surely she would work for her brother to get his beloved to fall for him. It was then he knew what he must do. The next day at the usual time the little girl came hopping out of the woods, when she saw him she hurried over and wrapped her arms around the ninja. To her shock he pushed her away. Her soft icy blue eyes blinked as she tried to figure what she had done to make him angry. She finally decided to go around him carrying the book she had brought for his beloved to read to her. He stepped into her way and pushed her back the way she had come from. "She does not want to see you today, Kuma. Go home to your brother." Kuma now knew why he was upset with her. To him, she was with the enemy. Holding back the tears threatening to fall she nodded, and quickly wrote something in the cover of the book and offered it to him.
"Please give to Onee-chan, and no read." Her voice was trembling but not breaking proving great strength was behind it. His heart felt a bit guilty as he took it and nodded watching her turn on her heels an bolt back into the small bit of forest where she'd come from. The ninja's kunoichi was just coming out of her house as he turned to enter. She looked silently at him then down at the book and back to him. "Where has Kuma gone?" she asked quietly reaching for the book.
He swallowed hard for the moment not getting this far in his plan, feeling the book being removed from his hand he let it drop from the book and turned his head, looking back through the wood. "She was summoned home, and will not return due to a request of her brother. At least that's what she told me." The kunoichi nodded, opening the book.
"HE LIED!" Donnie's eyes got huge with a mixture of emotions and with tears, streaming from them he sprang from Splinter's lap still clutching The Jungle Book; hurried over to the pile of blankets in the corner and curled up in the middle of them. Burying himself under them he was crying uncontrollably. It had never occurred to this small turtle that his father could lie to someone. He wondered if Splinter had lied to them, and this made him cry harder. The ever-sensitive Mikey, drug his own blanket and pillow over to the pile of "crying blankets" and put his arm around it. Raph blinked in confusion, what was so bad about lying to someone? He'd done it a few times.
"Is there more ta the story papa?" Leo asked, sitting up on his legs and letting the blanket wrapped around him fall to floor of the room.
Splinter nodded. "Much more my son, after all many lessons we learn start off in falling for lies." He looked towards the pile of blankets. "Donatello do you wish me to continue?" The blankets bobbed in a yes motion as the crying had simmered down to sniffles.
Splinter twitched his ears as a small spray of dust came from above him and shimmered down over his robes he made a mental note to clean up there later, so the rodents and what not that scurried through would not knock things like this down, then he continued his story. "By the time the ninja had turned back from looking the way that Kuma had gone, his beloved had got to the door of her home, and was turning to shut the door. The ninja started to follow and was stopped; his beloved's eye was locked on him. "I'm sorry my love, you may not come inside at this time I do not want to see you." she closed the door and walked away leaving the ninja, outside the door as the skies started to pour rain down across the city.
Two of his turtles looked up at Splinter and blinked. Their interest in this story had done nothing but increase. " So he lost his love over a girl?" Raph blinked "Dat's stupid, he's gotta get her back.!" Leo's mouth was on the floor with mixed emotions "but, how'd she know he fibbed to her? Did Kuma tell her in the book? Did she hear him how..." Splinter cut him off with a raised hand .
"The kunoichi's reaction to his lie was tearing him apart on his walk home; how had she know what he said was a fib? Was she listening as he spoke to the little girl? No he would have noticed her in the door way. The little one couldn't have written it in the book had she? No, there wasn't enough time. He sighed and looked up he'd walked right past his own home back to his beloved's, She stood in the doorway starring at him and shaking her head, she waved him in out of the rain. As she poured hot tea he began to confess everything he'd said and done. He tried to read her reaction to his confession but it seemed she already knew roughly what had happened. As she brought him a dry set of clothes he sighed. "How did you know?" He asked her. The kunoichi reached behind her and sat the book on the table, Turning to the cover there was in rich but wavy Kanji the phrase. " Please read to ani* until we meet again. Love " Mouse"." The ninja broke down into tears what had he done. He vowed to make right what he had done wrong but it was to late by the time he arrived at the home of the little one, her mother had sent her to a different area for boarding school as he brother had complained she was in the way." At this the blanket pile started back into sobs, as sniffles were starting among the other youngsters. " But that is not the end of our story my sons, come let us get lunch and we'll continue the story." He stood, stretched, then walked over scooping up the blanket pile he gave it a squeeze. Donnie Poked his head out and tried to rub his eyes dry. Splinter nuzzled the small turtle in his arms, who gave a slight giggle as his papa's whiskers tickled his chin, Donny lay his head on Splinters shoulder as they all five crossed the lair to get lunch. Most of the meal was silent until Mikey got a sly little twinkle in his eye, that's when the algae started flying around the room, Splinter nimbly avoided the flying items until he got tired of doing so.
" Yamete !" The rat's voice was loud and clear over the giggling young turtles, and four young turtles were planted in their seats quiet as slice of Lunch meat slid down Raph's head and landed on his nose.
Normally Splinter would scold the young turtles for wasting what food they could come by but this time he was reminded of another young child's food fight, with two older souls, in a restaurant many a year ago. True the three had been kicked out but it was a happier time. Splinter smiled to himself and looked at his sons, no not a happier time simply a different one, fate had laid an interesting path for him, but all things happen for a reason at least this is how Splinter believed.
Donnie still wrapped tight in his blanket which miraculously had not caught any of the flying food looked over at him his eyes still red from crying, and asked in a soft voice."Can we finish the story now Papa?" Splinter nodded.
"Once you and your brothers have cleaned yourselves up we shall continue. Clean up and..." four shells disappeared out of the kitchen door before he could finish his sentence and he twitched an ear and smiled clearing up the mess in the kitchen with ease. He made his way back to his room and sat down opening the book Donnie had brought that started the whole thing. Little strips of kanji writing scrolled in various boarders of chapters, some was Tang Shen's elegant and airy style, others were rough and unrefined those were Kumas, At the very back in the blank pages was a list of names in Kuma's unrefined hand, baby names. Among them Miwa written in the Kanji that meant harmony. He sighed and closed the book laying it beside him as he listened to the small voices from the bathroom.
" Mine Raphie, gimme I want the orange one!" That was his youngest. Michelangelo, always wanting the orange of everything.
" No! you take purple it's a girl color." Rapheal's reply was a bit whinny as he shoved the washcloth in mikey's face.
"Why do I gotta have the girl color! It's not fair I always have to get stuck with it!" his voice was getting a little heated. so splinter lifted himself up and started that way.
"Cause Donnie has blue and Leo has red!" Raph's voice was growing a bit more agitated. He wanted to get back to the story.
"Here Mikey, you can have blue gimme the purple." Donnie's voice was small in comparison to his brothers but Master Splinter smiled as he entered the bathroom doorway that had worked it out with out his help.
Mikey grabbed the blue washcloth and squealed. " Your the best big brother EVER Donnie." Donnie smiled his gap-toothed smile and washed up. He grabbed his Blanket and tore off down the hallway doing a few flips to get back to his spot in his father's room.
"Donnie to the Dojo we shall finish in there." Master splinters voice caught the turtle off guard and he misplaced his left foot and fell flat on his back. Raph who had just finished washing up came out of the bathroom and squealed with laughter at his brother who lay at the far end of the small hallway on his back, Raph looked up at the stern look he was getting from his father and scuttled into the Dojo area and sat down. Leo followed and Mikey brought up the rear as he stopped for a moment and was looking up at the pipes and beams with a slightly frightened look.
"What is it Michelangelo?" splinter asked from the archway.
"Thought I saw a spooky." Mikey meant ghost but, that was what he called them. He pointed up at a high beam. " Was all white and sneaky! Went from there to over the Dojo papa." Splinter looked in the low light and saw nothing but he did not discredit his youngest.
" Perhaps the ghost would like to hear the story too. I know you and your brothers would shall we?" He guided the little turtle into the room and settled himself letting his sons get settled. It did not surprise him where each ended up Michelangelo & Donatello were near the Sapling he was growing in the small amount of light that filtered into their home; Both were wrapped in Donatello's blanket a black based blanket with a lime green Pi symbol on it. Leo and Raph scraped for a place directly in front of Splinter, and neither really being able to shove the other out of place finally settled and pulled a blanket over them.
"Okay we ready papa." Leonardo finally exclaimed.
Splinter nodded and started. "The kunoichi & her warrior continued to live their lives growing closer and soon they decided to marry. They noticed "the mouse" just a bit to late at the ceremony as she hid quietly at the back of the room and smiled a small smile and gave a wave as she disappeared once more. After the ceremony the warrior went to the home of his enemy to see the little one's mother. Only to be turned away by a house servant with the news that the mistress had passed from this world."
Splinter paused a moment to compose himself. Sniffles and sobs were starting to heard from his turtles so to avoid a chain reaction breakdown from the four of them he continued.
"One day some months later the little girl came slinking back to the home they shared, her arm wrapped in a cast and her little body quite bruised. The ninja's beloved ushered her in quickly, and started questioning her but all she would say was she was helping her bother practice and he got over zealous." The four were noticing the break in splinters voice as he continued so they all slid closer to the rat for support. Splinter smiled and took all four of his sons into his lap. " From That day until the end of her days Kuma resided in the spare room of couple, even as the birth of their own child drew closer, the warrior and his wife treated the mouse with caring and kindness. The mouse had started doodling in Kanji in the copy of The Jungle Book she had given to the kunoichi, that was returned to her." Splinter stop once more as a scraping noise caught his ear and and unfamiliar scent drifted to him. He stated to stand but noticed two of his turtles had drifted to sleep. So he decided not to rouse them.
" A month went by before the warrior and his wife welcomed their baby daughter into the world." Seeing as it was only Donatello awake he continued." She was named Miwa. It means harmony. The little mouse was fascinated by the baby. But felt bad because she had no gift for her. So that night Kuma slipped off and crept to her brothers home snagging a small stuffed tiger from her room. She returned a bit shaken but whatever was on her mind slipped away as she presented Miwa with the tiger. Three days later our life there disappeared in a fiery blaze. As Oroku took his revenge and destroyed us all."
Splinter held the tears no more as he carefully slid out from under the small turtles, he placed the photo be hind the other of himself, Teng Shen and Miwa. He had not realized until this evening he had almost forgotten the "Mouse" who meant so much to both he and his Beloved, grief had caused him to see only the two losses not three. Splinter felt a small three fingered hand wrap around his. Donatello's gap tooth smile stared up at him the book clutched in his free hand his.
"It will be okay papa I think she would forgive you. I would have liked to meet Kuma she seems very smart. " he grinned again and yawned as splinter picked him up.
" Why don't you keep that book Donatello I think she would have liked you a lot. All of you. Now it's nap time." He smiled as he lay his son with his brothers. " Sleep well and dream my son." He covered his sons with Donatello's blanket and went to gather his dusting supplies. He stepped up onto the ladder he'd repaired to have around for cleaning and what not as he did so he noticed the spot wher the dust has cascaded down on him, the marks in the dust were not that of a rodent but that of a feline. from the size of it a fairly large one, the trail of foot prints traveled along the pipes from his room to the kitchen, and back then across the hallway section where mikey had seen the spooky then finaly into the dojo where he'd heard the scraping noise he saw claw marks along the side of a pipe he figured the feline must have slipped. Another patch of pipe devoid of dust showed where the feline had lay down, also in the space caught on a rough part of a beam was a small tuft of fur, white and sky blue in color; he reached for it and had just grabbed it when her heard the boys scuffling in the other room he sighed and got off the ladder. "BOYS!"
The tuft of fur floated away in the slight breeze as splinter set his supplies down to deal with his sons. Somewhere down the line of the sewer system behind a strange shop scattered with Native American artifacts, and herbs a manhole cover lifted and was slid aside. Out from the hole slid a small white feline mutant, the man sitting behind the shop wrapped a blanket around it, slid the cover back and they went inside.