Hello World, I do not know where I am getting these ideas from. I watched the '03 version of TMNT as a child with my brothers, and saw it recently when it was on TV. So here is what I managed to type up. Enjoy!

Prologue: Part 1

Out of the Streets, Into the Sewers

I was sitting outside of a house near our shelter. That was all that Sissy and I had left. Mommy and Daddy told us to go to the store, then when we got back the door was lock and had a sign that said "For sale" on it. Now it is just the two of us. Sissy said that I cannot be found. If I am found, they would take me away and separate us.

I wanted to see what was going on inside, so I peeked inside and what I saw I wanted. There was a boy and a girl, about Sissy's and mine age, sitting on a carpet watching TV, while their parents were sitting on the couch. It used to be like that for us. I do not know why it had to change.

"Machiavelli! What are you doing?" I heard my sister say as she pulled me down from the window. "You know what I said about if you are found."

"Yes, Sissy. I just… I just miss how it used to be… with Mommy and Daddy."

"I know, Mac, but until they find us, it is just us." She told me. It was a truth that I did not want to admit, but I knew that I had to, "Hey, you know what, I might have something to cheer you up." She reached into her bag and pulled out a large piece of bread, "A nice lady gave this to me. It should be enough for us to have some for tomorrow too." She broke a piece then handed it to me, "Is that better?"

"Yes, thank you, Sissy." I started eating the bread, "Sissy… Can you tell me the story? The one Daddy used to tell us."

"I'm sure that you could tell me that story at this point."

"I know… I just like hearing you tell it."

"Ok, I will tell the story of our ancestor, Hanto Yoma. He was a ninja of great respect in Japan during the Sengoku Jidai period, but he wasn't always known as this. He used to be a common worker. He would plow the fields with is oxen and had very little worries. Then the shogun died without a son to take his place, and every lord in Japan wanted to take the shogun's place, Hanto Yoma's lord being one of them. But he was an evil lord, he put out a draft and forced every man to go to war or die and lose their land, with Hanto Yoma being one of them. Hanto Yoma joined the army as a ninja, not so he may live, but so his family will be happy on their farm. He went through training quickly, learning the secret arts of ninjustu in just one year.

"The evil lord was impressed and sent Hanto Yoma on a daring mission. The lord's warriors were too few in number if they were to win the next battle. Hanto Yoma was to go and make the enemy army scared and surrender. He went out into the battle ground and made a fake scout's report. So when the report came back, the enemy lord thought that they were going up against tens of thousands of the finest warriors in Japan, not a few hundred farmers which was the truth. The enemy lord did not believe this report because he knew Hanto Yoma's lord well, he had no allies and his army would not be as well-equipped or as large as the report claimed. That very night, the enemy lord looked out at the horizon from his tent, what he saw was camp fires across the entire valley, each with many of warriors. But in truth, every one of those fires were lite by Hanto Yoma and were surrounded by large bags of grain. The enemy lord surrendered unconditionally. The evil lord honored Hano Yoma by making him the leader of all ninjas in the land.

"Years went by with Hanto Yoma serving his lord, for the sake of his family. The evil lord was close to Kyoto, the seat of the shogun, when he all of a suddenly heard of a report of one of his newest allies was planning to betray him. He sent Hanto Yoma to go and investigate. When Hanto Yoma got to the supposed enemy's land, he found no evidence of an impending betrayal. All of the local lord's forces were at the northern border, fending off the evil lord's enemies. Hanto Yoma reported back to the evil lord, but the evil lord would not listen to him. The evil lord told him to go and conquer his own allies based solely on an assumption, then threatened to kill his family if he failed. Hanto Yoma forsaken his master. He killed his family's guards and took them across the border to the former ally's land. Once they was there, he told the local lord about the impending betrayal. The lord did not believe it at first, but when the scouts reported back confirming what Hanto Yoma said, he thanked Hanto Yoma and honored making him and his family nobility. He also offered Hanto Yoma his former position, but it was refused. Hanto Yoma had enough working for such a dishonorable man."

"Then he lived happily ever after?" I asked.

"Yes, Mac, him and his family lived happily ever after."

"I'm getting tired, Sissy."

"Then sleep, Mac, you know that I don't mind."

"Maybe I can be of service to the two of you." We heard mysterious man outside our shelter heard.

"Who is that?" Sissy demanded.

"Someone who can give both you and your brother a home together."

He pulled back the curtain door. He had black slicked back hair a very serious look on his face. He also wore robes that I have never seen before in the city. "I couldn't here of the story you were retelling, about Hanto Yoma. I am an eighth-generation ninjustu master. I am will to take both of you in and teach both of you what I know."

Sissy turned down to me, "What do you think?"

"If we are together, yes, but only until Mommy and Daddy come back."

"Then, yes, we will come with you."

"Good." The mysterious man said.

He took us to his car and we were driven to our new home. It was an entire tower. We went to the second floor where we saw two small bed rooms. "These rooms are for the two of you." I couldn't believe what I had heard. Even when we lived with Mommy and Daddy, Sissy and I still had to sleep in the same room. I was finally going to have my own room!

"What are we to call you?" I asked, wondering this the entire ride to the tower but never finding the right opportunity to ask.

"For now, Sensei will do." He told me, "Now both of you go to bed. Training will begin first thing in the morning."

For the next few months, Sissy and I both trained under Sensei in ninjustu. He taught us how to sneak without being seen and how to defend ourselves. Both of us loved learning what Hanto Yoma mastered so long ago. I did feel a little disappointed every now and then in that I was not living up to his legacy by failing in task. I also go distracted from time to time. Something did not feel right. I understood that Sensei was to be our new daddy, but I still thought back to my old parents. Where are they? Are they coming back?

One day, I had enough of wondering these questions to myself and wanted to hear what Sissy thought. Sensei told us to go to bed. I waited for an hour, then I got up. I used some of the skills Sensei taught me to sneak out. I used my sheets to make it look like I was still asleep the snuck into Sissy's room. I slowly opened the door.

"Sissy?" I asked.

"Wha? Ohh… hey, Mac. You should be in your room."

"Yeah, I know. It's just… I was thinking about Mommy and Daddy."

"What about them?"

"Just…if they are going to come and get us."

"Honestly, Mac, I don't think so. Sensei has been a good daddy to us. I would be happy to be his daughter."

"I don't know. Something feels wrong about this place. I don't know what it is."

"It is probably just you. You didn't like our shelter when we first moved in after all."

"Maybe, I do miss them though."

"I do too. Now, head off to bed, Mac. Like Sensei said, we have a big day tomorrow." She padded my shoulder then kissed my forehead.

"Okay, Sissy." I started to sneak out of her room and towards mine, but what I found I could not believe. One of Sensei's guards walked out of my then walked away. I was curious so I followed him down the hallway until he found a phone.

"Master, the boy was not in his room… Yes sir. We will put out a search parties in all direction and increase security within the tower…. Yes sir, we will keep the girl alive and make sure that she doesn't ask any questions…Yes sir, if she does we will say that he ran away." He hung up the phone then made another call for my death.

I tried to go back to Sissy's room to tell her what I just heard, but there were more soldiers down the hall. I got into the elevator and went to the ground floor. I decided to sneak out and try to find my sister another time. One of the soldiers saw me just as I turned into the alley way. I ran and took every corner that I saw until I hit a dead end. I did not know what to do. I looked around, no window to climb through, no fire escapes. I panicked and started walking around trying to find something. Then I heard a voice.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"What? Where are you?"

"Down here." I saw that the manhole cover lifted slowly and moved it to the side. "If you need to the get away from something come in."

"Ah…I don't have a choice." I climbed down the manhole, but I was not climbing down a ladder. It felt wider than a ladder and slightly scaly. I finally hit the floor of the sewer. "Thank you, whoever you are."

"You're welcome," I heard come from four different directions. My eyes adjusted to the lack of light, and I could not believe what I was seeing, standing infront of me were four two-legged turtles all about my size. The only distinguishing feature between the four of them was that each had a different shade of green skin

"Turtles?"

"Yea see," the one of them said, "I told you that he would be able to see us." He then hit another one in the back of the head.

"Hey, why did you do that?"

"Well it was your idea after all."

The third one walked over to the first one, "Stop it. It may have been his idea, but it was my call." He turn to me, "What were you running from up there?"

"My sensei...wanted to kill me…his soldiers." I pointed up to the closed manhole cover. "Thank you."

"Shouldn't we take this to Master Splinter?" the last one said, "He would know more of what to do than we do."

"Good idea." The blue one said, then he took a dirt shirt of the ground then tied it around my head. "Come with us."

The turtles took my arm and lead me through the sewers. It felt like we were far away from their 'master'.

"Master Splinter, we need your advice." One of the turtles said in a respectful way.

"What is it my son? And why have you brought a human to our home?"

"We found him on the surface panicking because his sensei was trying to kill him."

"Really?" He took off my blindfold. At this point I did not know what to think, it must have shown on my face. The one that the turtles called 'Master Splinter' was actually a giant rat. He wore a pale orange robe and carried a walking staff with him. "Now tell me. What is your name, little one?"

"M…Machiavelli, sir. My sister calls me Mac though."

"And why does your sensei want you dead?"

"I…I don't know… I just went to talk to Sissy, then I overheard one of Sensei's guards give the order for my death."

"And what of your sister? Is she safe?"

"Yes… He said to… keep her alive…"

"Hmm," Splinter walked away from me in deep thought. "You will stay here until your sensei's guards stop looking for you. Once they stop looking and it is safe for you to go onto the surface, you will do so and not come back. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir"

"Then you must get acquainted with us if you are going to be staying here." He handed the shirt back to the turtle that gave it to me, "This is Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo." Gesturing to each as he spoke.

"Thank you, all of you."

"Now my sons, find our guest, Machiavelli, a place to sleep. I suspect that this will take some time to blow over."