Kame

AU fanfiction. This means that the turtles have been placed in a unique world of my imagination and I do not have to stick to cannon. I am saying that to the readers that don't like this type of story.

I own nothing.

Chapter Ten

I was right in the train of thinking that the healer brought a lot of interesting changes into my brothers' lives as Kame took over as Chief healer with a vengeance. He was given the right to make decisions in the palace if it had to do with the health of any of the Royal family. The healer and the palace cook got into a fight over Mikey's diet the next day and it was a fierce battle to observe.

"Absolutely not! I changed my menu for one night and that is one night too many! Why should I have to rewrite all of my menus due to one spoiled turtle?" the head cook gritted out as she stamped her little, shrew feet.

Honestly, I wasn't being rude. The head cook was from the Shrew clan and I was about to rip Ms. Talina a new one.

"Prince Michelangelo is not a 'spoiled turtle,' Ma'am," Kame calmly stated as his hands curled into fists, "The Little One is a very sick, young turtle and he is not able to handle soy in his diet. All soy has to be eliminated from this kitchen immediately for the safety of the youngest Prince. Surely you understand why this is so important for the young one's health."

"I will do no such thing," Ms. Talina denied as she squared off against the healer, "I don't know who you think you are barging in here and making demands in my kitchen, but I will not have it. Leave, Turtle."

Kame's calm didn't break, but his eyes got a lot colder.

"I am the Chief Healer and what I say goes when it comes to the health of the Little One," Kame bit out coldly as the shrew blinked, "I have been given free reign by both the Daimyo and Lord Splinter to see that Prince Michelangelo heals. If you cannot abide by my wishes then pack your bags and leave now so that I can get a new head chef into the palace kitchen. You will not poison my patient with food that makes him ill."

"You…you have no right…" the head cook babbled as Kame leaned down in her face.

"I will dismiss you now if you cannot abide by the new rules, Ms. Talina," Kame said, "Soy will kill the youngest Prince and I will not allow that. I do not wish to threaten you, but I will not abide for you to try and subvert my orders, Madam. Do we understand one another?"

"Yes, Chief Healer," Ms. Talina agreed as she curtsied much to my surprise, "I will eliminate the soy and follow the new menus for the Princes."

"Please do," Kame grinned out, "I will talk to Lord Splinter about a raise in your pay for being so understanding, Ms. Talina. Thank you for your support, my lady."

Not only did Kame win, but he now had a total ally in the head cook. He did say he would handle the battle-ax when she ranted about eliminating soy and dammit all if he didn't do just that.

Score: Raphael-7 Kame-10.

Mikey enjoyed his new diet and I enjoyed the fact that Kame agreed to eat the same foods to make my baby brother happy. Both were beginning to show signs of filling out into more healthy weights, but it would take time to regain their proper, body masses. The healer's arm healed good as new and he no longer wore the sling. I also very much enjoyed seeing Kame walking about the palace with my baby brother strapped to his back in the sling. This new independence that Mikey felt in being able to get around more was making my little brother happy and what made Mikey happy, made Donnie and I ecstatic.

"This I am not happy about," I snapped angrily when I noticed one afternoon that Kame and Mikey were up in a very high tree, "What tha shell are they doin' up there?"

"I have no idea. We used to climb this tree when we were little," Donnie chuckled as he waved back at a gleeful Mikey, "Baby Brother has gotten stronger, but he still doesn't have the strength for a climb like that. How did they get up there?"

"Our clansman climbed up there with the youngest Prince strapped to his back," one of the Heiwa no Senshi explained as he popped out of nowhere, "Your brother was feeling a little down today and was reminiscing about when he would play with you, his older brothers, in that tree, your Majesties."

"Feelin' down?" I asked frowning, "Come on, Donnie."

Donnie and I scaled the tree quickly and found that Kame had used the sling to secure Mikey against the trunk within a nest of branches that we could all sit comfortably in. I breathed easier seeing that Kame had taken such precautions with my youngest brother.

"Raphie," Mikey squealed as he saw me haul myself up beside him, "Kame, helped me climb up here like we used to do. Yay! Donnie came too."

"I sure did," Donnie agreed as he looked out over the palace grounds, "I remember this view."

"Me too," I grinned out before looking irritably over at a beaming Kame, "Would have liked ta have been invited ta make sure that my baby brother didn't fall out of tha damn tree."

"Mikey's feeling bad today," Kame whispered to me as I looked over at my youngest brother, "Wants his healing to hurry faster than is reasonable. He is sad. I wanted to make him happy."

I looked over to my chirping brother as he talked animatedly with Donnie. Mikey's eyes were shining as he related the grand adventure.

"Thank you," I offered as I squeezed Kame's hand in mine, "But I want to know when ya are goin' ta endanger my baby brother's life next time."

Kame laughed gleefully at me before surprising all of us with a picnic lunch he had chucked into a bag slung around his neck.

"Now this is tha life," I sighed as I munched on an apple with Mikey leaning against me, "No bowin', no etiquette, and no naggin'."

"Your father would not have to nag if you would listen to him for a change," Kame chuckled as my other two brothers giggled at my glare.

Score: Raphael-7 Kame-11. Damn!

"Nosy," I murmured as Kame laughed at me before reaching over and pulling a giggling Mikey closer to strap him back on his shell, "Are ya sure that Mikey won't fall?"

"Positive," Kame chuckled as he began the climb down as Mikey held tight around his neck, "Not to mention, do you see who is right below me?"

Donnie and I looked and saw the two Heiwa no Senshi ninja climbing near to assist Kame and Mikey if they needed help. It did make me feel a lot better to know that two, fully-trained ninja were acting as safety nets.

"I had so much fun," Mikey giggled when everyone was safely on the ground, "I can't wait to be able to climb on my own again."

"You will in time, Little One," Kame agreed as he looked back at our little brother, "For now, just take everything day by day. You have improved immensely since I first met you, Mikey."

"Really?" Mikey eagerly chirped.

"Absolutely," Donnie agreed, "Tomorrow we are even going to the first Summer Festival. It has been a long time since we have been able to go to a festival. Won't that be fun?"

Mikey continued babbling happily as Kame sat him in his wheeled chair. Donnie pushed Mikey inside to tell him a story while I pulled the healer with me so we could walk in the gardens.

"You wish to talk to me?" Kame asked as I nodded.

"Would you tell me more about my brother's sadness, please?" I asked.

"Hm," Kame hummed as he thought, "Mikey caught Kioshi and Mamoru instructing me in some katas this morning."

"I've noticed that ya have put on some muscle," I offered as Kame smiled, "So ya've started some of your trainin'?"

"Yes. Mikey was allowed to watch, but then I noticed that he was getting upset," Kame continued as I frowned, "It took me a bit of wheedling to get the truth out of him, but finally the Little One told me what was bothering him. He misses joining you and Donnie in your training with Master Splinter. Mikey is getting physically stronger and I have begun some small exercises with him so he can begin to control the Earth element within himself, but he will still need time to heal fully."

"Poor Mikey," I groaned feeling helpless, "Kame, what does it mean ta control tha element within him?"

"Mikey himself has been pulling the greenery into his room without knowing it," Kame grinned out as I startled, "If he wanted a bench…then a tree branch grew and made one for him. Your brother cannot control plants and Earth, but rather they react to his feelings in hopes of pleasing Mikey. Once he centers himself within his element then his shielding techniques can develop."

"Why does Mikey have this ability and Donnie and I don't?" I inquired as Kame and I sat on a bench together.

"Everyone's chi has a basis within one of the elements," the healer explained, "There are the main four and then the sub-classes such as Metal, Rock, and so forth. I myself am based in Water while you are of Fire. Donnie is of Wind. Mikey is unique due to his empathic abilities. Empathy, as you already know, means feeling other's emotions and the Earth has been reaching out to try and soothe your brother's pain."

"That makes me feel bad because I've been callin' Earth a 'bitch' for several years since I've been blamin' her for hurtin' my brother," I groused before calling down to the ground, "My apologies, Earth, for blamin' ya for my brother's illness. Thanks for tryin ta soothe Mikey."

I smiled when Kame burst into laughter. I liked making the healer laugh. Score: Raphael-8 Kame-11. The healer looked over the gardens and sighed with a contented look on his face.

"Ya look happy," I offered as Kame looked over at me and smiled again.

"During my slavery, I rarely got to just stop for a change," Kame began, "Even at night it was my responsibility to keep the fires going in the caravan. My life consisted of working, beatings, hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. To be able to walk in a garden or sit and read a book is…is…I have no words for it, Raphael. It's like I'm finally getting to live for the first time since I was four years old. I only wish…never mind. I shouldn't have thought to bring that up."

"What? What do ya wish?" I asked wanting to do something for the healer, "Please, tell me Kame."

"I wish my babies were here too," Kame admitted as he pulled his knees up to his chest as he sniffled, "I miss them so much, my friend. I see their little faces in my mind and my heart aches so bad, Raphael."

"I am so sorry, Kame," I sighed as the healer continued to sniffle, "I wish there was somethin' my brothers and I could do ta help."

"You three have done so much for me already," Kame denied as he shook, "I…I shouldn't have brought this up. I only hope my babies are at peace in heaven and forgive me for never being able to get back to them. I have nightmares of them slowly starving to death all alone and scared."

The healer's face crumpled as he sobbed softly. It was instinct to pull Kame into a hug, but as the older turtle wept I felt another feeling of déjà vu that I couldn't shake. I rocked Kame gently until he finally stilled. I wasn't startled this time when the Heiwa no Senshi ninjas popped up and one instantly picked up a sleeping Kame and whisked the healer off to his room.

"Prince Raphael, would you please tell me of these 'babies' that our charge spoke of?" the ninja asked as he pulled down his mask to show me that it was Mamoru, "I have not heard such pain in my clansman's voice before today."

I explained Kame's sad past as the Heiwa no Senshi seethed angrily beside me.

"Three?" the ninja demanded enraged, "My clan lost three children of the Heiwa no Senshi while the Young One suffered in slavery since he was four years old? That poor, Child. To blame himself when he was but a babe. I wish I could have been a part of the team that took out those slavers!"

"I wish I could have as well," I agreed as my own blood boiled, "Kame has become like family ta me and my brothers and I wish that I could help with his pain, but it is impossible ta return tha dead."

"You have done a lot for the Young One," Mamoru replied as I stood, "Prince Raphael, the Heiwa no Senshi have always supported the prophesized nobility, but today I speak for my clan to say that we will always be in your debt for saving one of our own."

I grimaced as the ninja bowed low. More bowing. Ugh!

"Kame is terrapin, so therefore he is also of my clan just as ya are," I offered, "I will never stand by and allow a terrapin, or anyone else, be treated as Kame was when I first met him. I realize that ya have begun some of his trainin', but remember that Kame was abused for years. Be gentle in your more physical instructions."

"As you wish, your Majesty," the ninja agreed, "My teammate and I have already noticed the occasional flinch when our movements are too close for the Young One's comfort."

"Ya made Kame flinch?!" I snarled as my protective instincts flared.

"Raph, calm down," Casey Jones called out as he walked down the path, "I've observed every trainin' and Kame was in no danger. In fact, tha Chief Healer was pretty angry at his reactions and tha Heiwa no Senshi have been helpin' Kame ta condition himself ta not react automatically as if he was gettin' hit."

"Hm," I hummed as I calmed before turning back to the ninja, "Continue bein' gentle with Kame. As long as ya two train my friend at tha speed he can handle then I will not forbid tha trainin'. At any point if I see that ya are negatively affectin' Kame, tha trainin' will cease. Am I understood?"

"Hai, your Majesty," Mamoru barked as he bowed, "I must return to the Young One now. You have my word that our clansman will be treated very delicately. Kioshi and I have grown quite fond of the little survivor."

The ninja disappeared right when Donnie rounded a corner and hurried up beside me.

"Why did I see Kame carried into his room? Is he okay?" my brother demanded as Casey hurried back to guard the healer, "He was fine when Mikey and I left!"

"Kame fell asleep, Donnie, and Kioshi was just placin' him inta bed," I soothed as my younger brother settled, "He had a small cryin' fit when he was rememberin' his little brothers. Cried himself out. I don't think Kame will ever stop blamin' himself for his babies' passin' despite tha fact that nothin' is his fault."

"Oh," Donnie sighed, "Dear, sweet Kame. I feel so bad that he blames himself for the death of his brothers. Mikey and I have seen him looking sad before when he thinks nobody is watching. I know he is thinking of his babies. Mikey forced Kame's story out of me and has been trying in his own way to distract our friend from his sadness."

I sighed softly as I nodded. This was a hurt that I couldn't fix for Kame and it pained me to not be able to soothe my friend.

To be continued…