Note: Some parts in this chapter refer to the TMNT 2003 episode 'Tales of Leo'
Chapter Four
After about ten minutes, Leonardo and Kemeko arrived at the surface via a manhole, Leonardo climbed out first and helped Kemeko out of it.
"Stay close baby." He said holding her hand tightly then looked around to make sure there was no-one around.
"Okay, we're safe!" he said before kneeling down and Kemeko climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Hold tight!" he said before looking up at a fire escape then leaping up onto it before swinging onto the rooftop and starting to run across it.
As he leapt onto the roof, Kemeko squealed in joy and held onto her father tightly as he ran, she loved that feeling of the cool night air as it blew through her hair and rushed over her skin and her heart leapt in joy as Leonardo jumped the building gaps and did a few flips as she clung onto him tightly.
Before long they came to a stop on a flat rooftop surrounded by raised roof tops so they were shielded from the wind and the full moon was shining down on them providing them with the light they needed.
Leonardo stood still and Kemeko slid off his shell landing on the ground.
"Here we are Lotus." He said "Somewhere quiet where we can have some time to talk, just you and me!"
Kemeko smiled up at her father fondly.
"And maybe we can do some private practice together?" Leonardo said taking out his katana, "And you can show me more of your Chi Gong?"
Kemeko nodded eagerly.
"Okay then!" Leonardo smiled "How about I sit here and watch you?" and so saying he sat on the rooftop cross-legged, placing his swords down next to him.
He scanned the area and listened hard just to make sure there was no danger.
He prayed that the Foot Ninja, or worse the Venomous Five wouldn't turn up and attack, he had gotten so used to their movements if they were close and he even knew the faint smiler sounds of the Venomous Five if they tried to sneak up on him.
As Kemeko had gotten older and he was taking her outside more often in the city, he was always aware, even more so than usual that the Foot could snatch her if they showed up.
It was a nightmare that Leonardo often had, as he knew when Kemeko was old enough and mature enough to understand that he would have to tell her about her true origins and he wasn't sure how he was going to explain it or how Kemeko would react.
His worst fear was that the Foot would catch her, and she would find out from them her true origins, and more than likely the Shredder would deceive her, like he almost deceived him many years ago.
Leonardo shivered within, it still haunted him today that he almost fell victim to the Shredder's lies and almost joined the Foot and after all he had been through, it wasn't pleasant to think about!
"Daddy?" Kemeko's voice brought him down to earth and he looked across to Kemeko who stood before him and bowed to which he bowed back.
Leonardo then gestured to Kemeko with his hand and the little Japanese girl took a deep breath and began to make graceful gestures with her arms and legs.
The blue turtle smiled as he watched the girl, how she bent her body and moved almost like a reed bends in the wind or like a flowing silk scarf.
Before long, Kemeko began to show off by doing some backflips and handstands, her hair flowing around her and her feet and hands landing noiselessly on the rooftop to which Leonardo watched intently and smiled.
"Well done Lotus." He said softly then Kemeko stopped moving and bowed gracefully to which Leonardo gave her a small applause.
"That's my girl!" he praised "You make me so proud! And I know Karai would be proud too…" he added under his breath.
Kemeko walked over and Leonardo uncrossed his legs so she could sit on his lap.
"You get better everyday sweetheart!" Leonardo said tapping Kemeko's noise cutely to which the girl grinned.
"Thank you daddy!" she said.
"You're a special girl, a girl with a true talent!" Leonardo said as he hugged his adopted daughter, "You will grow to be a great ninja! And be able to protect the world from evil!"
"I can't wait for that day!" Kemeko grinned "I'll be the best Warrior ever! Along with Pandora! We'll do you and everyone proud!"
Leonardo nodded.
"But until then, you still got a lot to learn baby." He said, "As well as a lot to overcome!"
Kemeko looked at her father in question.
"Overcome?" she asked.
"Yes Lotus." Leonardo said "We need to talk about your fear of the dark."
Kemeko's eyes widened and she looked concerned then down at her lap, as if a little ashamed.
"Are you disappointed in me?" she asked.
"What!?"
Leonardo was appalled.
"Goodness baby, no way!" he exclaimed "Why would I be disappointed in you?"
"I don't know." Kemeko said in a quiet voice "I guess I'm just ashamed that I'm supposed to be a ninja, yet I'm scared of the dark, who ever heard of a ninja who was scared of the dark?"
Leonardo sighed and stroked Kemeko's hair.
"I told Grandpa Splinter about it." Kemeko confessed "And he told me about how Uncle Mikey was scared of the dark."
Leonardo chuckled.
"Oh, I remember it well!" he smiled "Michelangelo was so scared of the dark he often wet himself at night rather than go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, wasn't funny back then, but we can often to chuckle about it now."
"Poor Mikey." Kemeko giggled.
"Yeah." Leonardo said "Raphael used to be terrified of bugs, still is, well spiders, and scorpions mostly, and Donatello used to be scared of water, since he nearly drowned as a tot, but he loves the water now, and me…man, I used to be petrified of heights."
As he said the last part, Leonardo blushed hard.
"Grandpa told me." Kemeko laughed seeing her adopted father go red.
"I'm not ashamed to admit it," Leonardo said, "But I was really scared, I don't know why, but I always found it hard to climb the high ladders within the sewers when we scavenged, so sensei did all he could to help me cope, find ways to desensitise me, help me face my fear and embrace what could be amazing."
"What did he do, father?" Kemeko asked.
"He tried my exercises with me, including one where he blindfolded me and got me to focus on balance on bamboo sticks, which I mastered without thinking then he raised the sticks higher, and higher, then he got me to take of my blindfold, but as soon as I realised how high I was, I lost my nerve."
Leonardo sighed as he remembered those days, he always felt ashamed that he had failed in his tests, as he really wanted to get over his fear and always wondered if he had let his master down every-time he failed, even though Splinter had never berated him for it, Leonardo was always hard on himself and looking at Kemeko, he could tell she was feeling the same as he did as a child, and it saddened him slightly.
"But then came the day I had to face my fear head on, once again we were in the sewers scavenging, and Master took me to a high part of the sewers where he had to climb the high pipes, I was once again too scared to get even close to the pipes and my master was ahead of me, when suddenly the pipe he was on got loose and collapsed, and he was dangling on the end by his robe!"
Kemeko gasped and stared at her father.
"What happened then!?" she asked.
"I had to force myself to go out there and save him! As huge as my fear was, my fear of losing my sensei, my father, was far greater and I had to save him! I held on tight to the pipe and crawled over to him, pulling him back!"
Kemeko's mouth opened slightly as she tried to imagine Leonardo, a young, frightened turtle, risking everything to save his sensei, her grandfather.
"After I saved him," Leonardo went on "I realised that the pipe was getting weaker under our weight, and I thought we were done for, but sensei had a plan, and he took out a rope with a grappling hook and managed to swing us to safety! It was then I questioned him, asking why he didn't use it earlier to which he replied, 'You would still be consumed by your fear, focusing on the task at hand, you were able to clear your mind of all distractions."
Kemeko blinked as she listened.
"I remembered his lessons well, and he was right, and I plan to help you, the same way he helped me." Leonardo said "I promise you, my turtle child." He stroked Kemeko's cheek "I will do all I can to help you embrace the dark, it will no longer be a fear, but it will be your ally."
So Leonardo and Kemeko have arrived on a lookout topside to talk, and have had a heart to heart talk about Kemeko's fear and Leonardo has spoken of his own fears and how he was able to overcome them, let's hope he can do the same for Kemeko!
P.S. I remember in the 2003 show Michelangelo spoke about being afraid of the Dark, Raphael as we all know hates bugs, and Leonardo was afraid of heights, but I can't remember if Donatello's fears were mentioned, if they were then I guess I missed that part, so I thought after seeing a scene in 'Tales of Leo' where Leo saved Donatello as a child from drowning in the sewers that he was scared of water.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you soon! ;)