She continued to glare at them through her strange-hued eyes. Her arms
were getting tired from holding the rat upright and close to her, but she
dared not release him else his students would be on her all the quicker.
She knew she must succeed...
"Child," Splinter, his voice rough like old wood, yet soothing, in her ear, very familiar and yet...strange, "Child, let me go so that we may speak like civil beings..."
"We won't harm you, Amiko-san..." Leonardo spoke, as always, playing the part of leader down to a Tee. If she could, she would have applauded his effort, "Just let Master Splinter go..."
Splinter, once known as Yoshi to those old enough to recall his fully human form, touched Amiko's soft olive-toned hand beneath his own clawed and furred one. Energy seemed to seep from her at his touch, draining her. She sank to her knees behind him. He turned and placed a hand upon her brow, the other keeping her from toppling over. "Shh..." He said, as tears caught in her slanted eyes, beautiful eyes, eyes belonging to one he had known long before...
Out the corner of his eye he saw one of his students rise and prepare to attack. He held out a hand behind him to stay the action. "Raphael-san," He said, "Do not attack this child! She has been through much."
"B-but, Master...she..."
"Do not question me!" Master Splinter said, turning his full attention towards the girl who now knelt before him, "Why have you come seeking me, now, Daughter Of My Enemy?"
Amiko gasped and turned her face away. He knows! She thought, But how could he know...?
"I know many things, Amiko-san," Splinter smiled kindly at her, and she realized that his face, voice and manner weren't unfamiliar to her at all! She had the vaguest inkling in the back of her mind that she somehow knew him, yet did not recall from where. "Including you and your mother's names. How is Kioko?"
At the sound of her mother's name, Amiko shrank down lower towards the floor. Her feline ears drew back and her tail, now visible, tucked between her legs in shame, "Father said...said..." She stumbled over her words, shame at not having finished her mission lending doubt and insecurity to her words, "Father said that I mustn't fail or Mother...Mother...would....would....die...!"
Master Splinter closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head. All the pain in his old heart seemed to be focused into that simple gesture. Without a word he took the girl into his arms and held her as if she were of his own blood, rocking her gently as she wept. The others, ill at ease around a crying female, shifted in their seats. Only Donatello inched forward to place one hand upon the girl's shoulder and look at her with sad, kind dark eyes.
In her mind, Amiko drifted. Back and back and back until she could see just over the tops of tables if she peered on her tip-toes. The silk robes she wore were lose about her small body and her hair had been shorn close to her scalp after an accident with her Mother's sewing sheers. She didn't mind her short hair. It made it easier to get dressed in the morning without her hair being pulled and twisted into styles that her mother thought looked nice. She was running through the garden, her little lithe feet kicking up dust all around that she pretended was smoke due to her speed.
She often played such games. Games where she was some kind of super-being out to save the world from wrong-doers. Her tail, dark and cute, was too small to hide about her waist she her mother allowed her to keep it tucked under her robes, but the fur tickled her skin. She wore a hat most of the time to shield her odd black-blue cat ears from strangers.
Yet, running in the garden, she had no fear of strangers. She stripped off her robe and let her tail loose to feel the breeze swish the fur about it, her hat flew off her head and her ears twitched, enjoying the fresh air. She giggled and a butterfly touched her upturned button nose. She chased after it, laughing, landing on all fours in the dirt beside the flowerbed, her tail swishing back and forth playfully.
"Amiko-chan!" Her mother's voice rang out sweetly, calling her from the house, "Come here and meet our guest!"
Still giggling, Amiko ran towards her mother's voice, not caring about her nakedness, as was the way of very young children, and slipped behind Kioko's slender waist, peeking out at the stranger who had come to call. Kioko looked down at her child and shook her head, pushing her out in front of herself. She dusted the top of her head and barely missed swatting the child's ears.
"This disgraceful little urchin," Kioko said, but her eyes twinkled and her voice was soft, almost playful, "Is my daughter, Amiko. Amiko, this is a good friend of mine, Yoshi-san."
The handsome dark haired man bowed deeply, showing his respect in greeting towards the shy little girl and her mother. As he rose, Amiko saw that his eyes held something different than all the other guests who had ever come to grace her mother's family's garden and she bowed clumsily in return, her eyes shining back at his.
Slowly, Amiko came back to herself, still being held within the arms of this rat-person. Though as she pulled away and stared into his dark, shining eyes, she no longer knew him as a stranger to herself. "Yoshi- san...!" She exclaimed, "I've missed you! Mother's missed you..."
"We must all begin to think," Master Splinter interrupted her, "Of a way to rescue Amiko's mother, Kioko and bring her to safety..."
Amiko nodded, growing silent once more. Long overdue reunions would have to wait, she knew, until everyone was there to be embraced...safe and sound.
"Child," Splinter, his voice rough like old wood, yet soothing, in her ear, very familiar and yet...strange, "Child, let me go so that we may speak like civil beings..."
"We won't harm you, Amiko-san..." Leonardo spoke, as always, playing the part of leader down to a Tee. If she could, she would have applauded his effort, "Just let Master Splinter go..."
Splinter, once known as Yoshi to those old enough to recall his fully human form, touched Amiko's soft olive-toned hand beneath his own clawed and furred one. Energy seemed to seep from her at his touch, draining her. She sank to her knees behind him. He turned and placed a hand upon her brow, the other keeping her from toppling over. "Shh..." He said, as tears caught in her slanted eyes, beautiful eyes, eyes belonging to one he had known long before...
Out the corner of his eye he saw one of his students rise and prepare to attack. He held out a hand behind him to stay the action. "Raphael-san," He said, "Do not attack this child! She has been through much."
"B-but, Master...she..."
"Do not question me!" Master Splinter said, turning his full attention towards the girl who now knelt before him, "Why have you come seeking me, now, Daughter Of My Enemy?"
Amiko gasped and turned her face away. He knows! She thought, But how could he know...?
"I know many things, Amiko-san," Splinter smiled kindly at her, and she realized that his face, voice and manner weren't unfamiliar to her at all! She had the vaguest inkling in the back of her mind that she somehow knew him, yet did not recall from where. "Including you and your mother's names. How is Kioko?"
At the sound of her mother's name, Amiko shrank down lower towards the floor. Her feline ears drew back and her tail, now visible, tucked between her legs in shame, "Father said...said..." She stumbled over her words, shame at not having finished her mission lending doubt and insecurity to her words, "Father said that I mustn't fail or Mother...Mother...would....would....die...!"
Master Splinter closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head. All the pain in his old heart seemed to be focused into that simple gesture. Without a word he took the girl into his arms and held her as if she were of his own blood, rocking her gently as she wept. The others, ill at ease around a crying female, shifted in their seats. Only Donatello inched forward to place one hand upon the girl's shoulder and look at her with sad, kind dark eyes.
In her mind, Amiko drifted. Back and back and back until she could see just over the tops of tables if she peered on her tip-toes. The silk robes she wore were lose about her small body and her hair had been shorn close to her scalp after an accident with her Mother's sewing sheers. She didn't mind her short hair. It made it easier to get dressed in the morning without her hair being pulled and twisted into styles that her mother thought looked nice. She was running through the garden, her little lithe feet kicking up dust all around that she pretended was smoke due to her speed.
She often played such games. Games where she was some kind of super-being out to save the world from wrong-doers. Her tail, dark and cute, was too small to hide about her waist she her mother allowed her to keep it tucked under her robes, but the fur tickled her skin. She wore a hat most of the time to shield her odd black-blue cat ears from strangers.
Yet, running in the garden, she had no fear of strangers. She stripped off her robe and let her tail loose to feel the breeze swish the fur about it, her hat flew off her head and her ears twitched, enjoying the fresh air. She giggled and a butterfly touched her upturned button nose. She chased after it, laughing, landing on all fours in the dirt beside the flowerbed, her tail swishing back and forth playfully.
"Amiko-chan!" Her mother's voice rang out sweetly, calling her from the house, "Come here and meet our guest!"
Still giggling, Amiko ran towards her mother's voice, not caring about her nakedness, as was the way of very young children, and slipped behind Kioko's slender waist, peeking out at the stranger who had come to call. Kioko looked down at her child and shook her head, pushing her out in front of herself. She dusted the top of her head and barely missed swatting the child's ears.
"This disgraceful little urchin," Kioko said, but her eyes twinkled and her voice was soft, almost playful, "Is my daughter, Amiko. Amiko, this is a good friend of mine, Yoshi-san."
The handsome dark haired man bowed deeply, showing his respect in greeting towards the shy little girl and her mother. As he rose, Amiko saw that his eyes held something different than all the other guests who had ever come to grace her mother's family's garden and she bowed clumsily in return, her eyes shining back at his.
Slowly, Amiko came back to herself, still being held within the arms of this rat-person. Though as she pulled away and stared into his dark, shining eyes, she no longer knew him as a stranger to herself. "Yoshi- san...!" She exclaimed, "I've missed you! Mother's missed you..."
"We must all begin to think," Master Splinter interrupted her, "Of a way to rescue Amiko's mother, Kioko and bring her to safety..."
Amiko nodded, growing silent once more. Long overdue reunions would have to wait, she knew, until everyone was there to be embraced...safe and sound.