I own nothing!

"Are you really going away again?"

Usagi looked to Tomoe Ame as they walked in the palace rock garden together while the rhino bounty hunter taught the young Noriyuki about playing with dice and spotting cheaters inside. He looked into her intent, brown eyes. Then he gave her back a gentle smile.

"Perhaps not for very long, Tomoe Ame. As I told your lord, I have to keep my word by attending a celebration in the house of a very good friend within the month."

"Will you return then?"

He looked down. "Perhaps. Your lord has asked me to be his eyes in your land since he can not be for a time."

She sighed. "I know. At least then, you will be somewhat in his service, and perhaps can be paid regularly and enough to satisfy Gennesuke."

"No regular pay will be enough for Gennesuke."

And both Samurai laughed.

. . .

(Late November in New York City, New York, 3 earth 2004 AD)

"Master Splinter, if Usagi is going to be here for Christmas, I need to get a present for him."

Splinter looked back into the face of his son with slightly widened eyes. "Leonardo, we are already going to host him in our home. You do not need to give yourself the added pressure of getting him a gift."

"But its Christmas, Sensei. I can't let him be the only one who comes here, who doesn't get a gift!" The mutant turtle was frowning now with his arms crossed over his chest.

Splinter began to rub his chin. "What are you considering giving him, my son?"

Leonardo looked down, let his shoulders droop, and sighed. "That's why I needed to talk to you, the only thing that makes sense is … a sword."

Splinter's bushy eyebrows rose. "A sword?"

"I know, it's a lot to ask. It's not a very easy thing to get in New York City …"

Splinter raised a hand to stop his son's flow of words. "Wait, my son, I may know of a way."

Leo looked up at his with a bright grin. "You … you think you can find a way for me to honorably get a sword Usagi can really use?"

"Let me talk to our benefactor, my master Yoshi's master, who helped me get yours and all your brother's weapons for us."

Leo fell on his knees, pressed his hands together, and bowed his head. Relief sounded in his voice, "Thank you, Sensei."

Splinter looked down at his son's bent head speculatively. "Hmmm … Be careful, I haven't talked to the ancient one yet."

. . .

Splinter picked up a phone receiver, dialed a very familiar number, went through a familiar conversation with an operator, and finally listened to a phone ring. Then he heard a click and familiar, "Who is this and why are you bothering me? You better have a good reason."

"Hello, Ancient One."

"Oh, Splinter-san. Good to hear from you. How are you and your sons doing these days? Still having problems with the False-Shredder?"

"That is not why I called. Right now, Leonardo is concerned with the task of giving an honorable gift to a friend at Christmas."

"An expensive gift?"

"He wishes to give his friend a sword a warrior's sword to be used if need be."

"He's not planning on giving it to the one who runs around using sports equipment to beat up trouble-makers is he?"

"No."

"Oh. Too bad …"

"The blade would be for the friend he met during the Battle Nexus Tournament."

"Oooooohhh, Miyamoto Usagi! Yes! He deserves a sword! But I don't give away things for free, Splinter-san, not even to my honorary great-grand-sons."

"I know. What would Leonardo have to do to earn a fine sword fit for a Samurai from you?"

"Hmmmm … What does he like to do?"

"Train. He enjoys tea …"

"Does he engage in other parts of my country's history and culture?"

"What are you thinking of, old friend?"

"I'd like to challenge him in a way somewhat familiar to us, but not to him. I suppose flower-arranging would make him too great of a target of jokes from family and friends. How about this then?"

. . .

"One hundred haikus?"

"By Christmas?"

Donatello happened to be nearby when Splinter delivered the ancient one's challenge to Leonardo and had added this last question while peering out of his lab.

"The ancient one says he'd like to see our lives through your eyes in the way our people used to memorialize their observations of the universe. He hopes you will rise to the challenge well."

Leonardo crossed his arms and looked away, worry wrinkles appearing in his brow and between his eyes. "I don't know … I've never tried it before …"

"One reason this is what he asks of you to try something new … to challenge yourself."

"What is it Fearless? You scared?!"

Raph's voice echoed from above them where he was probably reading a monthly magazine about motors in bikes or cars in his room alone. Leonardo made a face. Then Mikey's voice coming from over the back of the couch caught his attention. "Yeah, Leo, it's just writing poetry."

Leo glanced over to see Mikey grinning at him. Leonardo let out a breath from his lips and then looked back to Splinter. "Tell the Ancient One I accept his challenge. I will try … to have 100 haikus written for him …" Leonardo swallowed. "By Christmas."

"Hee, hee" Raph dropped down from the second floor of their lair and slapped a three-fingered hand on his big brother's shoulder. "Way to go, Fearless!" Leonardo rolled his eyes again.

. . .

"Don, I need help!"

Donnie looked up from his now very bright screen in the otherwise dark lair to see Leo's very wrinkled in worry face illuminated by its white glow looking into his lab. He turned away from his computer wondering what caused his oldest bro to look so concerned so late at night. "With what, Leo?"

"How do I write good Haikus?"

Donnie blinked. Then he tilted his head as he replied. "You know I'm a scientist and engineer not a poet, right?"

Leo stepped in and scuffed a green foot on the floor while reaching up to rub the back of his head. "Yeah, it's just … I thought … you're good at … research."

Donnie raised his head. His rounded lips uttered a long "Ooooooh …"

He turned back to his computer. "Okay, we'll do a quick search on 'writing haikus' and if that doesn't work, we can sneak into or send April to the library to do more research."

"Thanks Don." Leo came to lean over and look over Don's shoulder. "I need to hurry. I have to write 100 great haikus in just a little under a month."

Donnie glanced up at his worried brother's face. "You do realize Sensei passed on the Ancient One's request for 100 Haikus, not necessarily 100 'great' haikus, by Christmas, right?"

Leo gave him a look that made Donnie look back to his computer screen with a sigh. Unfortunately, he and his oldest bro shared the same obsession with perfectionism that seemed to reach in and get ahold of every goal in their lives … He sure hoped the Ancient One and Usagi ended up appreciated all of this …

What do you think now?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes