So I've had this idea in my head for a long time, before I even joined FanFiction. Now that I'm an author, I want to share this new AU with you guys. It's pretty much a reimagining of the Turtle's origin, about what their life would be like if they lived in Usagi's world.

NOTE: There will probably be grammar mistakes which I will fix later.

Warning: Disturbing content in this chapter. I'll rate this chapter "M" just to be safe...

He tried to block out his mother's cries that were coming from the other room by covering his ears, but it was no use.

His three siblings, who lay next to him in the pile of blankets that served as their bed, did the same. Lotus, their only sister and the youngest of the group, started to cry.

"I hate it when Mother's like this," she whimpered, tears dripping down her nose and whiskers. "It always sounds like she's hurting."

Arrow, the oldest, sat up and held her, soothingly rubbing her back while whispering words of comfort in her ear. "Don't cry, little sister. She's not hurt. She has done this many times in the past, so she's used to it."

Moon, the second oldest, groaned and buried his head under a pillow. "I can't take this anymore!" he yelled muffled. "One of these days, I'm going to run away!"

The third brother, Splinter, rolled to the side to face his brother. "Moon, I know you're frustrated-"

Moon threw the pillow aside and sat up, glaring at his brother. "Everyone in this village looks at us like we're horse droppings because our mother's a whore! It's a disgrace to our family! Mother doesn't care about how it affects us!"

Angered by his brother's insensitive words, Splinter threw his pillow at Moon, his long tail slapping down on the bed. "Take that back, you-!"

"Brothers!" Arrow whispered harshly. "Shhhh! They'll hear us. And Moon, you are wrong. Mother works as a prostitute because she has no other choice. It puts food on the table and provides us with a roof over our heads. You don't think it breaks her heart knowing that her children have to put up with this every day?"

Moon huffed and covered himself with a blanket. "None of us even share the same father," he mumbled. "I hate our life."

"Enough," Arrow sternly said. "Whether you hate it or love it, it doesn't matter. This is our life, and we have to make the most of it and be there for Mother."

They heard a man let out a loud cry in the other room, which meant that it was finally over. After a few minutes of panting, the man chuckled and a loud slapping sound followed. "Thanks for pleasuring me," he said. The sound of coins chinking indicated that he was paying her for her service and then the door slammed shut.

Lotus sighed in relief and snuggled close to Arrow. "It's over," she whispered.

Now that they were no longer bothered by the noises of their mother's...labor, the siblings quickly went back to sleep. Moments later, the mother rat, whose name was Momo, slowly and quietly slid the door open and peeked inside, checking on her children. Seeing that they were sound asleep, she closed the door and laid down in her own bed, wincing as she did.

Her entire body ached from the tiger's harsh treatment and her shoulders had deep lacerations from his claws. As she closed her eyes, tears slid down her cheeks. She knew that her children were embarrassed and ashamed by her lifestyle and the entire village looked down on her family because of it. But someday, once she has earned enough money, they will move to a new village and begin their life anew, and her children will have a more promising future.

Her ear twitched as she heard the door to the children's bedroom being slid open and she turned to see Splinter standing there, looking at his mother with sad brown eyes.

"Mother," he softly said as he approached her, "are you alright?"

Quickly drying her tears, Momo sat up and gave her son a tensed smile. "Yes, my dearest. Go back to sleep now."

But Splinter climbed onto the bed and laid his head in her lap, rubbing her knee in comfort. More tears burned Momo's eyes. Her third son always had such a kind heart. She, in turn, pulled him close and stroked his head.

"One day we will leave this village, my son," she whispered. "And I will never have to work as a lowly prostitute ever again. I promise."

He lifted his eyes and looked straight into her kind grey ones. "I will take care of you, Mother. And so will Arrow, Moon, and Lotus."

Momo smiled and leaned down to gently kiss him on the forehead. "I know, Splinter. I know."

"What will we give Mother on her birthday?" Lotus asked as she played with her doll which was made out of cloth and straw.

The young rat siblings relaxed at a creek while their mother went shopping in the marketplace back in the village. Moon threw another rock into the water and crossed his arms with a snort. "We can't even afford new sandals. What makes you think we can afford to buy her a gift, or at least a nice one?"

"It doesn't necessarily have to be bought," Arrow said. "As long as it's from the heart, it will be just as precious to Mother."

Splinter thought about it for a moment, before a brilliant but crazy idea came to mind. "How about we give her a wreath made of blue blossoms?"

His siblings looked at him as though he had grown two heads.

"Are you insane?" Moon pointed to the north. "You mean you want us to go into Rhino territory just to get some stupid flowers?"

"For once, Moon has a point, Splinter," Arrow agreed. "The Rhinos will slaughter you if they catch you on their land or at least take you prisoner. While it's touching that you're willing to go that far for Mother, it's suicidal. As the oldest, I forbid you from going."

Splinter's ears dropped. "But, Brother-"

"But nothing," Arrow sternly said. "We'll just make a wreath out of the flowers here."

"Yay!" Lotus cheered as she stood up and began searching for some flowers. "I love making wreaths!"

Arrow fondly patted her on the head and went in the opposite direction. Moon rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly but joined in on the search too. Making wreaths was a girl's thing, but it was for their mother so today would be an exception.

As his siblings worked and had their backs to him, Splinter sneaked away and headed for the forbidden Rhino lands...

The blue blossom trees were exceptionally rare and the only known ones were located just outside the Rhino village. Splinter knew the risks that were in store for him there. After all, Rhino Clan was known for their sadistic and barbaric behavior, always raiding villages and taking the few who had survived prisoner. He once heard a story about them invading the Fox village. All of the men killed their own wives and children to spare them from the wrath of the rhinos. Needless to say, no one was taken prisoner.

After hours of traveling, he finally approached the Rhino rice fields, and just on top of a hill in the distance was a blue blossom tree. He looked around for any sign of the Rhinos, and so far there were none in sight. He took a deep breath before he scurried across the field and headed toward the hill.

As he climbed to the top, he pictured himself giving his mother a wreath of blue blossoms. Of course, he anticipated a severe scolding for venturing into enemy territory on his own, but afterwards she would thank for him for such a wonderful gift. She would have in her possession extremely rare flowers that all the other more privileged women in the village desired but could never obtain. The thought of her mother being respected and even envied for once made him smile.

He finally reached the blossom tree, and he looked up in awe at the breathtaking blue colors of the petals. They would definitely look good on Mother.

...

He worked on wreath during the entire trip back to his village, and it was almost dark by the time he reached the creek. His mother and siblings were undoubtedly worried about him and he was prepared for a tongue lashing one he got home.

His nose wrinkled when he smelled something burning. Perhaps the locals were burning some leaves or wood, he figured. But then he picked up the strong scent of burning flesh, and he began to fear the worst. He picked up the pace and ran as fast as he could to the village, and he dropped the wreath in shock as he was greeted by a horrible sight.

The entire village was in flames.

The first thing that came to his mind was his family.

Without thinking, he ran straight into the village and frantically searched for his family. All around him were mangled bodies, young and old. He could hear the anguish cries and screams of terror of the remaining villagers, though he could see through all the flames and smoke what was happening to them, nor did he want to find out.

When he reached his house, he was relieved to see that it was still in one piece and untouched. He began to pound on the door and call out to his family. "MOTHER! SIBLINGS!"

The door instantly flew open and a hand quickly pulled him inside. His mother slammed the door shut behind her and embraced her son, sobbing and nuzzling his cheek.

"Splinter!" she cried. "My son! You are alive!"

Splinter hugged her back and began to cry, himself. "Mother! I'm so sorry! I never should've left! I just wanted-!"

A loud banging on the door interrupted him, and Momo wasted no time in removing the table that barricaded the children's bedroom. She slid the door open and pushed him inside, where his brothers and sisters greeted him with a hug.

"Splinter!"

"Brother!"

"You're alive!"

The banging continued and Momo put a finger to her lips, silently instructing her children to be quiet before she slid the door shut and placed the table in front of it once again.

"Why is this happening?" Splinter whispered to his siblings.

"It's the Rhinos," Arrow said. "They're targeting ourvillage this time."

"I'm scared, Brother," Lotus hid her face in Splinter's kimono.

"Don't worry, Lotus," Moon tried to hide his own fear by acting tough for his sister's sake. "If any dumb Rhino gets in here, I'll fight him off!"

...

The door was kicked down and three Rhino soldiers barged into the house. All they found was a rat sitting on a table that was placed in front of another door. She quivered in fear as one of them stomped over to her.

He smiled down at her maliciously, revealing his yellow crooked teeth. "Hiding something in there?"

Momo only scooted closer to the door. "P-Please go away," she pleaded. "Take anything you want and just go."

He threw his head back and laughed. "Please, there's nothing in here worth taking. But maybe behind that door..." He roughly shoved her aside and began to slide the door open.

"NO!" Momo latched onto his arm and bit down as hard as she could.

The Rhino cried out in pain and slapped her off of him. "Restrain her! Keep that wench back!" The other Rhinos held Momo back while the leader slid the door all the way, and he was disappointed to find just an empty bedroom. But his nose picked up the stench of more rats. He stepped in and followed the scent to a pile of blankets. He kicked it and the muffled cries of pain and surprise immediately followed.

Grinning, he removed the blankets and four young rats were looking up at him with eyes full of fear.

"Oh, good," he chuckled darkly. "More young slaves. You seem healthy enough."

"NO!" Momo struggled more than ever to break free. "Leave them alone! Take me but not my babies!"

The leader ignored her and grabbed Lotus by the arm. The youngest rat squealed as she was being dragged away, and both Arrow and Moon ran to their sister's defense, jumping onto the Rhino and attacking him. Arrow bit down on his arm while Moon chewed on one of his ears. The Rhino struggled to pry them off and in the process accidentally threw Lotus against the wall. A sickening crack was heard upon impact and Lotus dropped to the floor, seemingly lifeless.

"LOTUS!" Momo screamed. "MY BABY!"

Splinter was too frightened to move, still trying to process what was happening around him. This was supposed to be a happy day. They were supposed to having a merry time celebrating his mother's birthday. How could this have happened all at once?

The Rhino leader finally subdued the two rat brothers and held them up their arms. They still continued to resist, kicking at him as they dangled. The Rhino laughed at their futile attempts and carried them outside. "One of you, check on the littlest one," he instructed his comrades as he walked out of the house.

A Rhino let go of Momo and walked over to Lotus, who continued to lay on the floor very still. He checked her over and lifted her chin. He winced when he heard another crack as he slightly turned her head. He sighed and shook her head. "No good. Her neck had been snapped."

Momo wailed at the top of her lungs and dropped to her knees. Splinter clamped a hand over his mouth and tears were building up in his eyes. This couldn't be happening.

The Rhino holding Momo snorted and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, well. Grab the other child."

Splinter's heart pounded as the soldier approached the bed and reached for him. But before the Rhino could grab him, the rat sprinted through the gap between his legs and toward the front door.

"Run, Splinter!" Momo screamed to her son as he ran outside. "Run!"

He didn't know it at the time but that would be the last time he'd ever hear his mother's voice.

...

The village continued to burn as he escaped to the hills, and he stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He turned back to see the Rhinos pushing the survivors into their caged wagons, mostly women and children. He didn't see his brothers, and he prayed that they either escaped or were killed, for even death was a mercy compared to living as a slave in the Rhino Clan.

After taking one last, longing look at the village he used to call home, Splinter turned away and continued on his path, though he did not know where to go. As he staggered, he looked up at the moon that hung above his head in the starless black sky. His heart broke for his mother and siblings, and he had never felt so alone in his life.

...

After spending the whole night wandering around aimlessly, he could finally see a small village that was hidden by the hills. He didn't know if the locals were friendly or not, but at this point, he could care less. He was tired and cold and starved, and he didn't want to spend the rest of his life alone in the woods.

As he got closer to the gates of the village, he could see two guards dressed entirely in black, and even their faces were covered, but judging by their long scaled tails and piercing yellow eyes, he could guess that they were reptiles. On their brows were strange red symbols, which appeared to be three-toed footprints.

They inspected a traveler's cart before they moved aside and let him pass. Splinter figured that they wouldn't let a dirty, lowly rat orphan into their village. His ears twitched when he heard the turning of wheels and saw another traveller approaching with a cart full of ceramic pots. Thinking quickly, he sneaked to the back of the cart and hopped on, being as quiet as he could be as he climbed into one of the pots. Thankfully he was small enough to hide in it and he closed the lid over him.

He felt the cart come to a complete stop as the guards spoke with the driver. He only hoped that the guards wouldn't inspect the pots, and to his tremendous relief, they didn't and allowed the driver to pass.

Splinter lifted the lid a bit and peeked outside. To his surprise, the villagers were all reptiles, but they seemed friendly enough, greeting each other with a smile and nod. There were even children who were playing on the streets.

Splinter smiled to himself. This could be the beginning of a brand new life for him.

He soon found out that he was even worse off than he was before.

Ever since he arrived two months ago, he had been living on the streets and stole food from the villagers in order to survive. He had no roof over his head, he starved every day, and even the children treated him poorly, throwing rocks at him and calling him a "rodent".

The villagers thought it appropriate for him to be named "Splinter", for he was a constant pain in their side and they considered him a nuisance. Some even threatened to kill the rat as he stole from them, but fortunately he was much too quick for them.

Then one day, he heard the sound of coins dropping to the ground and saw a Turtle in a black and red kimono bending down to pick up his bag of money, grumbling as he did. Several coins were scattered all around, and a hungry and desperate Splinter took a risk in sneaking up behind the Turtle and picking up as many coins as he could before he'd get caught.

Unfortunately, the Turtle heard him and swiftly turned his head. Realizing he had been caught, Splinter turned to run but the Turtle caught him by the collar of his kimono.

Enraged, he unsheathed his katana and raised it over his head. "Filthy rodent!" he yelled. "You'll die for this!"

Splinter closed his eyes and waited for death to take him.

But just as the Turtle brought his sword down to execute the rat, a scaled hand grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"Nagi, no!"

Splinter opened his eyes and saw another Turtle, who wore a simple grey kimono, pulling the sword away and keeping the blade from touching him.

Nagi, the Turtle who tried to kill him, glared at Splinter's savior. "This rodent tried to steal from me!" he growled. "The penalty for stealing from a member of the Foot elite is death!"

The other Turtle firmly shook his head. "We do not kill children for committing petty crimes." He let go of the sword and gave Splinter a warm smile, kneeling down on one knee so that he would be at the rat's level. "Are you hungry, little one?"

Splinter shyly nodded his head. "Y-Yes, sir."

The Turtle stood back up and offered Splinter his hand, still smiling. "Well, how about I treat you to some rice and tea?"

"Oh, no, sir," Splinter politefully declined and bowed to his savior. "I couldn't possibly-"

The Turtle patted him on the head, chuckling. "It's no problem really." He gently took the rat's hand and they walked away together. The villagers who stood by and watched the whole thing couldn't believe their eyes.

Nagi sighed and shook his head, watching them leave in disgust. "You're too soft to be in the Foot Clan, Yoshi."

So...what do ya think...? O.o

Too weird?