Part 2: Permanent .
"OK like this?" I asked feeling like i was about to chop off my own head.
"That's right," Leo told me, "Your a natural Vivian."
I smiled a bit at him and then stood up out of the stance that i was just learning. For the moment We were learning the basics.
When Lisa had come in and announced to all of us that The guys wanted us to train some we'd all been thrilled. But the truth was, it wasn't gonna happen over night. For the moment Splinter and surprisingly Aunt Angel were both trying to find out what all of our skills were.
So we were getting the run down with various weapons and with different styles of Ninjitsu.
As it turns out, Aunt Angel had learned it from her long lost love, the man who's human name she had given to splinter. Hamato Yoshi, had been a grand master of the very same martial arts that splinter had taught him self. While aunt angel was never going to be a grand master, she was skilled and was more than strong enough to spar with splinter. It had helped him to learn, and helped him to ultimately teach the guys the art as well.
So each of us were trying to figure out what we would do. Leo had tried, unsuccessfully to show me how to use his katans. To say that I had NO skill with swords would be putting it mildly. I'm pretty sure Leo is still laughing about that one when I'm not around to see it, well ok, probably not. He wouldn't do that, but I've been laughing at my self for it.
All of that aside for the moment I stepped back up out of my stance and looked at the item Leo was telling me I was a natural with.
"And this thing is called again," I asked looking at the grim reaper-ish weapon.
"Its called a kamayari," He smiled, "And neither me or any of my brothers ever had talent with the things, but you seem to have been born to wield one."
I grinned, "Well just call me Maka."
Leo frowned for a second and then grinned back, "Soul Eater?"
"Yep, and thank you. A week ago, " I admitted, "If someone had told me I'd be spending the first week of my summer vacation training to be a kunoichi I would have looked at them strange. Then again A month and a half ago if any one had told me that I'd be in love with someone id have looked at them strange over that too."
Leo smiled back at me, "Well life changes a lot and quickly, but learning to adapt is part of what we are."
"Ninjas?" I asked innocently going back into my stance again.
He got quiet for a second, "No Mutants."
I stood back up and looked at him, "You say that like its a bad thing."
He motioned for me to give the weapon back to him and he put it on the rack, "Come on its time for lunch."
I nodded and picked up my towel and draped it over the shoulder of my peach Gi, "Seriously Leo, There's no reason to be ashamed of the fact you guys are mutants. Its really quite incredible."
"Not everyone in the world see's it that way Vivian," He told me, "The fact that we are having to teach you girls to defend your selves because of that, just drives the point home."
"I see," I told him as I opened to door to my aunt's Dojo, "Well in the long run does it matter what other people think?"
"What do you mean?" He turned for a second and looked at me, "People will..."
"Your scared other people will do what Sacks did right?" I asked, "If they found out about you and your brothers."
He turned his face away from mine for a second and then nodded, "Vivian, You know how it feels. Seeing someone you love hurt like that, what if it happens again?"
I reached up and hooked my fingers on his plastron and pulled him down to eye level making him look at me, "IF someone does come after you like the Jerk. Then my sisters and I will protect you."
"What if you can't?" he looked away again.
"Then we'll die trying," I looked deep into his blue eyes, "Hear me now Hamato Leonardo, There is NOTHING in this world that is going to keep me away from you. I don't care what you are, turtle, mutant," I grinned, "REALLY bad CLEAN freak. I will always be here for you."
He snorted at that and finally laughed some, "Ok I'm NOT that bad."
"Not that bad?" I giggled, "You were up till TWO am cleaning when we first got here. Remind me, next summer, Hide the mop! Not to mention the pine sol!"
Now he broke into genuine laughter, "Ok ok, you got me. I promise to not worry about that any more."
"Good," I nodded, "You can't teach me how to do this stuff if your head's a million miles away worrying about something that you have NO possible control over."
"Your right," He opened the door to the kitchen, "Lets just focus on now."
I walked in and found the other guys, and my three sisters all clustered around the table waiting for lunch. Lisa still had her pale green Gi on and had her head down on her arms, she had done her dance practice and then her martial arts training both and looked ready to doze off right there. Gabbi and Eli looked a bit more alive, Each talking to their turtle about the different aspects of training.
Poor Eli was having a lot of trouble out of it due to the fact that her back was still some what sore. Donnie was doing his best to take it slow for her but that in and of its self was frustrating to her.
Gabbi on the other hand had dove face first into it, just like she had with her photography. It turns out that she might have the most potential out of all of us for this. She seemed the most alive of all of us, happy and enthusiastic in a way that we hadn't seen her since she'd had her heart broken.
Beyond that we could see my aunt and Master splinter doing something at the stove and the sink. Pizza of course for the guys was on the way while I could smell my aunts famous Tika Marsala sizzling away in one of her trade mark iron skillets.
"Wow that smells wonderful!" I told them as we walked in, "Thank you Aunt Angel."
She smiled and appeared with various soda selections for each of us, "Well kiddo you know what a sucker I am for anyone that likes my cooking. I hope you kids enjoy it."
"Mffff..." Came a muffled sound from Lisa.
"Lis?" Raph prodded her shoulder and asked, "Lisa?"
My aunt changed her tray of drinks to one hand and prodded my older sister with the other, "oh poor thing. Raphael, why don't you take her up to her room and let her rest. She'll drive her self into the ground just like her Aunt if you let her. I'll bring you up some pizza in a second darling, then you can eat up there while she rest's."
Raph proceeded to get embarrassed, it is a known fact that my aunt can charm just about any carbon based organism on this planet when she smiles like that.
"Ummm.. wow, thanks Mam," He blushed and moved to help Lisa.
"Now you don't have to be formal young man," She smiled again, "You may call me aunt like the girls if you wish, or just Angel will do."
"ummm.. yah... " he proceeded to blush even harder and then managed to get Lisa awake enough so he could get her up to her room.
Gabbi and Mike both snickered and Eli and Donnie tried not to, but I have to admit it was pretty hard. Like I said, when my aunt turns it on, no one is safe from that charm.
I had to smile and leaned on Leo's arm with a happy sigh.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Oh Leo cant you tell?" I looked up at him and smiled, "This is something wonderful we have here, A real family"
"We were family's before," He replied smiling a bit, " but your right. This feels more complete some how."
I snuggled his arm, "One of these days we're going to have to make these arrangements permanent ya know?"
He looked caught off by that for a second and then softened, "Yah.. one of these days we just might."
