Of course I didn't give up on this challenge! I never give up. I didn't impede writing either, shell no, I kept writing daily. But I write these on notebooks, and I hadn't typed them from there to PC yet. So, have a 9 chapters of update.

I am especially curious about your reaction to the 9th prompt - Stars. I might be the only one who didn't write it in an optimistic manner.

Wait, you're actually reading this? I mean, both my note and my fanfictions which I can't write in-character enough because of the time limit? Guys, I fucking love you. I really do.

"Are you sure you're okay, Leo?" Donatello asked for the one-hundred-twenty-fourth time that day. He and Leonardo stood in the dojo across each other, waiting their sensei to come before they started sparring few minutes later.

"For the last time Donnie, I am." Leonardo's voice was no longer hoarse, but it was still different from usual. "And if you won't stop asking that, I will show you exactly how fine I am."

Donatello rolled his eyes. "Hard to tell when it's you or Mikey. Mikey pretends he's sick when he isn't and you pretend you aren't sick when you are."

"I don't pre-"

"Don't make me remind you Wednesday-the-Fourteenth accident, Leo."

Leonardo sighed. "Fine, I sometimes do it for the sake of not losing my shape. A few days without training don't make anything good to a ninja."

Donatello narrowed his eyes. "Exactly."

"But this time, I am telling the truth. I'm fine. Just a few coughs sometimes, but that's all it has left." The no longer sick turtle winked at his brother. "I was taken good care of."

Donatello sent him a playful grin. "Yeah, I heard your doctor is pretty good at what he's doing."

"Careful, Donnie, your modesty bar is on such high levels that it may accidentally stick out people's eyes." Leonardo grinned as well; he knew the only thing Donatello actually bragged about was his intelligence and even that wasn't so often, this was just a beit for a brotherly tease.

Suddenly, dojo's door was slid aside, revealing a mutant rat behind it. Four turtles instantly bowed to their sensei, waiting for the word "Hajime" to leave his mouth.

Which wasn't going to come out just yet.

Without looking away, Splinter slowly walked to his cushion, leaning on his cane – but like always, this was only assisting his wise and confident attitude rather than ruining it.

"My sons," he started. "Drop your weapons."

"What?" Michelangelo asked, confused. "Then what are we going to fight with, fists and kicks?"

"Works for me," Raphael said rather too much happily as he punched his left palm and stepped towards the shortest turtle.

"No, Raphael." His father sent him a glare that told him to be patient. "You all will fight with different weapons other than your preferred ones. You may lose them in a battle and have to use completely different one. If you show any less performance without your weapons, I'm afraid that could be deathly."

As soon as Splinter completed his sentence, the brothers rushed towards the weapon section of the dojo. Raphael took a pair of tonfas and Leonardo could easily see why; the way Raphael used tonfa had only a few differences from how he fought bare-handed and he felt better with two-parted weapons. Michelangelo picked a three-section staff, which surprised Leonardo because he would think his youngest brother would go with something like axe-flail mace, considering how it worked similar to his secondary weapon kusarigama. Not that Leonardo wasn't happy that the freckled turtle went out of his way; working with different weapon of course would improve his skills.

Without paying too much attention to originality, Leonardo grabbed Donatello's bo staff. Weapons without blades were sometimes a little of a problem for Leonardo, and he wanted to fix it; so he wasn't going to use the staff as naginata. Besides, fighting against his own primary weapon would be a good practice for the genius as well.

Donatello was having a hard time picking his weapon though. Startling Leonardo, he suddenly turned on his wheels to rush towards an object on the floor. It was a scarf, probably one of cloths the turtles used to disguise as human. It wasn't so surprising when he picked it up, but then he made his way to his previous spot with the scarf in his hand.

His brothers were confused, but Leonardo also felt a slight anger on his temples. "I told you I am okay, Donnie. And you know I hate it when someone takes easy on me," he said sternly as he took position across the brown eyed turtle.

"I am not going easy on you," Donatello stated as he bowed a bit. "Onegaishimasu."

Leonardo bowed to him as well, and with that, the fight started.

Leonardo flipped the staff in his hand as he examined his opponent to spot a weakness. Donatello had wrapped one of the ends of the scarf around his left hand while he pulled the other one with his right. Leonardo narrowed his eyes before he attacked Donatello's left side, but the brother in question wasn't slow at all.

Feeling the adrenalin climbing up his veins that was stuck in his nerves for whole two days, Leonardo automatically moved aside to get across his brother again. After half a circle around each other, the older one directly attacked the younger one's head with the staff. The weaponeer blocked it by stretching the scarf above his head, but due to the flexible fabric of the cloth, he wouldn't be able to block it for more than two seconds and he was aware of that. He sneaked out of under the scarf with a quick turn, having Leonardo to pull the staff back.

The leader was confused. Scarf was far from being useful or being a weapon, therefore it was no useful weapon, and Donatello's movements to balance this fact were only proving it. Why did his brother keep using the scarf while he could do better with his bare hands? Of course, he wasn't going to stop and ask, his training was his priority. Leonardo started flipping the staff fast, attempting to use it to break Donatello's balance by hitting a supporting spot on his body, like his knees.

But suddenly, his staff was blocked by the scarf once again, in a totally different way though. Donatello had used the scarf like a whip; the fabric had automatically wrapped itself around the staff after Donatello gave it enough angular momentum. With a strong pull, the staff was in his original owner's hands now; although Leonardo was the best at ninjitsu amongst his brothers, that didn't make them any worse. Donatello tackled him to the ground with placing the staff on Leonardo's throat, pressing his legs with knees not to let him move them.

"Guess that makes me win," Donatello grinned cheerfully.

Leonardo frowned, but with a sigh, he smiled and gave in. "Yes, Donnie, you win."

"Our great and mighty leader is beaten by a scarf." The sarcasm Raphael's voice reflected could be considered as a gem with such purity. "Wow, what a hero."

Apparently, he and Michelangelo were done with their spar; and it wasn't hard to tell who won since Raphael's mood wasn't any worse than usual.

Michelangelo punched the air excitedly. "Crack that scarf, Donnie!" he cheered.

Leonardo rolled his eyes. "What can I do if my opponent is really smart?" he said, winking at Donatello as the said turtle grinned happily as return. "But I learned my lesson. Never underestimate your rival's weapon… or clothing."

Master Splinter came from behind Raphael and Michelangelo with a small smile of approval on his face. "Donatello, I appreciate your skill on turning an everyday object into a weapon. Well done; this will help you in your fights when you use or not be able to use your own weapon. Leonardo, I know you learned your lesson, but I will repeat it for your brothers; my sons, never underestimate one's weapon, no matter they are an ally or an adversary. Michelangelo, you rely on your speed too much; you will study on your concentration with me a few hours more. Rest of you can be dismissed."

With simultaneous bows, older three brothers made their way to the exit of the dojo. Leonardo felt a heavy existence on his right shoulder which Raphael just happened to put his elbow on with a smug face.

"So, Leo… Scarves, huh?"

Leonardo growled; he could have accepted losing, but he was never okay with it. "Shut up, Raph."

Donatello smirked at his oldest brother. "Come on, Raph. He lost because he was sick."

"I am not sick." Leonardo's voice went a little bit louder, but Donatello was already in his lab.