BETWEEN THE GRAVES

April, 1983

DONATELLO:

"Where's Master Splinter?"

Leonardo looked up from the book he was thumbing through. "I don't know. He left about an hour ago."

"Yeah, he didn't say where he was going," Mike added, watching the TV screen.

"Has he been acting weird lately, or is it just me?" Raphael mumbled, coming out of the kitchen.

Leonardo glared at him and the sandwich in his hand. "You shouldn't be eating right now," he lectured. "It's almost dinnertime."

"Yeah, so what?" Raph shot back. "Last night Sensei didn't even come home, 'member?"

I frowned at that. "Yes he did. He was just late."

"Hey, he gets pissed off at us for leaving the lair, and he goes and takes off for the whole day?" Raph challenged. "That's jacked up."

"Watch your mouth," Leo warned.

Raph stuck out his tongue at him. "Make me."

"I'll tell Master Splinter," he threatened.

"Master Splinter ain't here," Raph reminded. "And you ain't the boss of me anyhow so mind your own business."

I sighed and turned away, leaving them to their argument. I wouldn't be surprised if Sensei left to get away from the noise. But Raphael was right. He had been acting strange lately. It had been a long time since he'd been so distracted and distant. I hoped he was okay.

SPLINTER:

Darkness fell over the yard like a thick blanket, comforting the shadowed gravemarkers that stood against the rain. I watched a couple under an umbrella turn and leave, and I knew I was alone. I slid from the tree and walked to the grave. Memories flooded to my mind as I knelt and placed a single rose near the headstone. It seemed so long ago...

I felt a presence nearby. A chill swept through my body, and I tensed instinctively as I rose and turned. There was no one behind me. At least, there was no one visible to the naked eye. Tilting my head back slightly, I smelled the air, and noted the faint scent of a human's presence. I reached for the sais at my waist and drew them slowly. Nothing moved. I faced a tall gravestone, fully prepared for a battle.

At length, he stepped out from behind it. "I am impressed, Yoshi," he laughed. "Your instincts are still as sharp as ever."

I flinched at the name, and at his arrogant tone. He was dressed as he had been the last time I saw him, when he had ended the life that I now mourned. "Why the costume?" I glared.

He swept his cape aside and bowed low in a very un-Japanese manner. "You may call me Master Shredder if you wish. All of my students do."

I glared at him, unaffected by the insinuation. "I am not your student, Saki," I growled.

"No," he agreed, his eyes narrowing to slits. "You are not."

He reached to his belt and flung a handful of shurieken in my direction. I jumped aside, avoiding some and blocking the others with the sais. He reached for his katana, which I realized was strapped to his back, underneath the cape. I braced at he lunged at me.

He attacked from the side first, and I caught his weapon between the prongs of my own. He spun to the side as I lunged forward, and brought the sword up and around. Metal clashed against metal as I caught it a second time, and jumped back. He kicked forward, and held the sword behind him as he lashed out with his fist. I stepped aside and my weapon sparked against the metal on the back of his wrist. He swept at my feet and I jumped to avoid his attack.

His form varied from what I had taught him, years ago. He had received instruction elsewhere since I had left Japan. This could not be new, I realized. I had fought with him less than two years ago, and he had surely not changed since then. But now I was not nearly so blinded by anger as I was on that night.

I threw the sai and caught the base of the katana between its prongs. Momentarily stunned, his grip loosened. I lept forward and hit the inside of his wrist, lashing out with my foot at the same time. The sword fell, and he jumped back to avoid a sweeping kick aimed at his shins. I grabbed the sword and rose.

He appeared disarmed, and no doubt expecting me to drop my weapons. But I did not. I struck forward and was not surprised when he reached behind him and pulled out a second, shorter sword. He was counting on my surprise, and attacked simply. I caught his weapon with the sai, and attacked his hand with the katana. At the base of his palm, the sword made contact with skin and cut deeply. His sword fell, and I jumped and kicked him.

He fell on his back, and attempted to catch himself on his arms. The cut on his hand was deep, and blood ran from it, pooling on the ground. He glanced at it quickly, then at me. A hint of fear flashed across his features as he looked up at me. I held the sword to the side of his neck. With very little effort, I could behead him. "Tell me, Oroku Saki," I growled. "Will you die satisfied with your life? And with what you have become?"

He took a few shallow breaths, not moving.

"Master Splinter?"

Shock radiated through me at the sound of the child's voice. It took very little time to figure out where and who it was coming from, but how he had gotten here was unknown to me. He stood ten feet away, his eyes wide with horror. Saki turned his head slowly, careful not to press against the sword. I watched him closely for any sign of a threat.

His eyes fell to the figure nearby, and he laughed. "Master Splinter?" he taunted. "Is this the student who will someday defeat me?" I did not answer and he laughed harder. "How fitting that he be a freak like yourself!"

Leonardo flinched, and a hurt expression crossed his face. He looked from Saki to me. "Sensei, who is he?" he asked, adopting the language Saki had chosen to use. The man stopped laughing as he heard the foreign tongue.

"Leonardo, you should not be here," I chastized, my eyes fixed on my enemy.

The child hung his head. "Hai, Sensei. I know."

This was neither the time nor place to find out why and how he had come. He stood frozen in place, not daring to come closer. Saki's eyes closed slowly. He was weakening from the loss of blood. My thoughts rested on him for a moment longer. I could end his life now, and be rid of him after wanting such a thing for so long. But in the presence of my fostered son, it was suddenly so much more difficult.

"Are you going to kill him, Sensei?" Leonardo asked quietly. I could tell by his voice that he was horrified at the idea.

Saki's eyes turned to me again, and I could almost see him smile behind the metal faceplate. "Kill me, Yoshi," he invited. "Go ahead. You could always explain later. Ten years from now, perhaps, when he's old enough to understand revenge."

"Justice is not revenge," I corrected him. "You have shed innocent blood, and for that you deserve to die."

His eyes narrowed into slits. "You will not kill me," he whispered. The words resonated inside his mask. "Your years have made you weak and unwilling to sacrifice. Leave me now, and you will not hear from me again."

"That will not bring them back," I growled.

"Nor will killing me."

Leonardo approached cautiously and stood behind me. "Sensei, I want to go home."

Saki's eyes closed again, and his body relaxed as consciousness drained from his body. Beyond trees and gravemarkers, I could feel dark figures move. His students. His clan. They watched me carefully, but did not attack, and I knew that they were only here to help him to safety. I looked back down at the figure again and felt anger flare up inside of me one last time. Then I dropped the sword at his feet, picked up my other sai, and circled my arm around Leonardo's shoulders as we walked away.

LEONARDO:

"Are you angry with me, Sensei?"

He took a long time to answer. "You know that it is against the rules for you to leave the lair."

I hung my head, staring at the dark ground as it passed under our feet. "I know. But I was worried about you. You've been gone a long time."

He was quiet again. I knew better than to say anything. "You could have been hurt, Leonardo. The rules are only there for your safety."

I sighed deeply. "I know."

He turned to face me as we continued through the sewer tunnels, and I shrank back instinctively. I knew it was against the rules to wander away from the lair. Especially alone, and especially up to the surface.

"How did you know where to find me?" he asked.

I looked away, hanging my head again. I was going to get in even more trouble now that he asked me that. "I knew where you would be," he whispered. "It's where you always go when you're sad."

"How do you know that?"

I cringed. "I... uh... followed you before. A couplea times."

He didn't answer. I looked up at him. "I'm sorry, Sensei."

He sighed deeply. "Yes," he whispered, as if his mind were on other things. I wasn't sure he'd even heard me from the faraway look in his eyes. "So am I."