Chapter 1: Crime and Punishment
A/N: Well, here's the next part of Rivalries. Sorry for the delay, I've just had a lot to do the last few weeks. But thanks for your patience and I hope that everyone enjoys this. :p
A million possibilities raced through Splinter's mind as he watched the children a moment longer. He knew that with this group, there was no telling what he should expect. They always had a way of surprising him, even when he thought that he was prepared.
Like now, he knew that something had happened. Only he didn't know what or exactly how. Well, if he was ever going to answer that question, Splinter decided that he should start now. Standing around watching the children certainly wouldn't get him anywhere. So he cleared his throat as he stepped into the room, thus catching the attention of the youngsters.
In an almost synchronized motion, five faces snapped to attention. Their startled gaze fell upon Splinter, ten young eyes reflecting surprised and dismay at his sudden appearance. It wasn't the first time they had given that expression, as their Sensei seemed to make a habit of coming upon one or more of them unseen.
"M-Master Splinter," Leonardo stammered.
This was the only thing to break the silence. The others remained as they were, unable to speak a word as their Master approached. Inwardly, they were all shivering with fear and doubt. They each knew from experience what was about to follow once all was learned and none of them were looking forward to facing it.
In a few steps and seconds, Splinter stood before the nearest three, his eyes watching each one briefly before turning to the next. Each boy visibly flinched when it was his turn, his face instantly changing from dismay to obvious shame. That at least gave Splinter some clue as to what he should expect. Though somehow, he knew that he wasn't going to like it either way.
Well, first things first. Before he could determine what he liked or not, Splinter had other things to do. Namely, finding out what happened and then figuring out what had to be done about it.
"All right," he said, his voice of mix of displeasure and strictness," What has been going on in here?"
Again, there was no immediate answer. All that came was the uneasy shuffling and fidgeting of five young bodies. The nearest three edged a bit closer together, looking as if they were trying to hide whatever lay on the floor between them, and the other two backed away closer to the kitchen.
A stern gleam shined in their Master's eye, preventing any of them from acting any further. They all froze in place, not wishing to draw attention to themselves anymore than necessary. Splinter took this as another obvious sign that they were up to something serious and put an idea of what it was into his mind.
"What has been going on in here?" he asked again," I heard you arguing in my study and then something crash in here. I want to know what that was."
"Um. Ouch!" Mikey started, before Raphael jabbed him with his elbow.
He rubbed the sore spot, glaring angrily at his older brother who returned the look without hesitation. Only with Raphael, his glance was more intense and meaningful than that of kid brother. This lasted only a few seconds before both returned to looking up at their Sensei. He watched the exchange with stolid attention and hardened eyes.
"Raphael, do not hit your brother, my son," he admonished the elder boy before adding to his younger son," Michaelangelo, finish what you were starting to say."
Raphael only nodded in reply to his Sensei's scolding and fell into one of his huffs while his sibling spoke. Which took a moment or so, since now that the attention was on him, Mikey wasn't so sure what he should say. The words were caught in his throat and no matter how much he tried, nothing would come out.
"Michaelangelo," Splinter prompted.
"W-we were just messing around, Master," Mikey stammered," It was an accident, honest. We d-didn't mean to d-do it."
Accident was it? Well, that was at least one clue as to what had happened and explained the crash that he had heard. But that wasn't everything, he was certain. It didn't explain what had been broken or the exact circumstances surrounding the event. Well, from looking at the way Leo, Mikey, and Raph were clustering together, at least he knew where to look.
"Michaelangelo, Raphael, move aside," he instructed.
The response from the two was slow. They hesitated for a moment, as if they weren't certain if they should obey or not. A stern glance from Splinter quickly corrected that. Still a bit reluctantly, the boys moved apart and revealed what lay between them.
When he saw for himself, the hardness melted away from Splinter's face in an instant. In its place, dismay took a firm root as he surveyed the remains of what had once been a prize in itself. Scattered in disarray, there were at least a dozen pieces the size of nickels and quarters while the rest were nothing but mere crumbs. Each was the color of faded ivory that had been severely weathered through the years. Here and there, pieces would show more detail in this shattered state, giving a sense of what the mess had once been.
What it had been was a small statuette of a man about the size of a soda can. It had been made of porcelain that had been pure ivory white when new. Years of constant moving and weathering had dulled the color however, making it the way it was now. But the features had remained true despite this, depicting a young shogun warrior with his head and sword held high as he headed into battle.
When he still lived, the piece had been a memento of Splinter's own Master, Hamato Yoshi. Years before, when the man was still a young boy and Splinter himself had yet to be born, Yoshi had received it as a birthday gift from his grandmother, Hamato Yoko. The old woman had seen it one day in a peddler's shop and decided that it would be a perfect gift for her young grandson's upcoming tenth birthday.
He was already in training to become a Shadow Warrior for nearly five years and she felt that he deserved something special to commemorate the occasion. So for the next year, Yoko began to scrimp and save every spare penny that she could bring into her possession in order to purchase it in time.
It was not easy at first, since times were hard then and most found it hard just to make end's meet. Despite this, Yoko managed to find a way and put a little aside when she could. So by the time the special day had finally come, she was able to purchase and present her grandson with the gift.
When he first saw the image, was almost no way to describe the child's reaction. Yoshi, though he had wanted a true weapon like he had seen the older students using, was more than a bit surprised by what he had been bestowed with. He honestly didn't know what to make of it.
Knowing that his grandmother was not the richest woman, he had been expecting something simple like he always got. Maybe something like the dragon kite he had gotten for his last birthday or bamboo horse. So receiving a gift as special as this one was quite the surprise for young Yoshi and once he had gained his senses again, proved to be very grateful.
This in turn, brought a bit of joy into Yoko's life. She enjoyed nothing more than seeing the light in one of her grandchildren's eyes when they were given something special as their own. It was one of the few things that she herself had left in life and one that she wouldn't have traded for anything.
Sadly, it was not long afterward after Yoshi's birthday that his grandmother passed away. She had gone to sleep one night and never awoke again. She was found later the next morning by one of her daughters that still lived at home. The discovery itself was quick a shock, since Hamato Yoko had been in good health for several years and showed no sign of the fate that befallen her.
So when the news was made public, it was a shock that no one was prepared for. Least of all, young Yoshi, who had been very close to the old woman from a young age. As he had grown older, naturally Yoshi had become a bit distant as all children did at some point and time. But that distance was still not enough to put a barrier between grandmother and grandson on a large scale, so hearing of Yoko's death was a devastating blow to the youngster.
After he had, Yoshi began to withdraw from the world. He went from being a robust, outgoing child who spent his days playing and laughing with friends to one of a silent, almost solitary nature. It was a reaction that was not totally unexpected but one that his parents and family were not prepared for.
At first, no one noticed what had happened due to the confusion of Yoko's sudden passing. Everyone was too busy trying to cope with their own feelings to worry about that of one child. But when the surprise had died down and life had begun to slowly but surely return to normal, people started to sit up and take notice.
They recognized that something serious was going through Yoshi's mind and most had a good idea as to what the cause was. Some attempted to ease the child's pain so that he could cope with what had happened, which eventually led to failure. Others only left him alone; understanding that Yoshi would only come around when he was ready to. Any rushing might only make things worse than they were.
Eventually, as time wore on and he accepted what had happened, Yoshi did begin to return to normal as the rest had expected. In his own, childlike way, he had begun to realize something. Though he would always love his grandmother and he would continue to miss her, Yoshi knew that life had to go on. He couldn't just dwell on the past forever, no matter how much part of his heart might want to. So like the rest of his family had done before him, Yoshi did indeed move on.
Long after his grandmother's passing, Yoshi had kept her last gift to him in his possession. It was mostly kept stored away in some corner where it might gather dust but was out of harm's way. Sometimes he would take his prize out again and remember his early childhood and all that were connected with it.
When he and his love, Tang Shen, had been forced to flee to America to escape Oroku Saki, there were few material possessions that he had brought along. There were the few sets of clothing they had managed to scrounge together, along with what savings that was between the two of them, and anything else that the pair felt would be vital to their survival in a new land. One of the few sentimental treasures brought had been Splinter himself, who had only been Yoshi's pet at the time.
Splinter had been in Yoshi's possession for many years before that perilous time had come. He was supposed to be a tamed rat, kept as both a pet and a symbol of good luck for his Master. But in some ways, the relationship shared between man and rat went deeper than most could understand.
For reasons that he couldn't understand, Yoshi felt that there was something special about this rat of his. In his eyes, there was a shimmer of intelligence that one didn't often find in animals. It was a quality that both intrigued and fascinated Yoshi and was one that he never took lightly. Which was one reason why Yoshi often found himself talking quietly to a creature that could never answer back but seemed to listen intently nonetheless. One that he had found a sort of kinship that existed with no other person in his life.
Yoshi had first found a wet and half-starved Splinter in one many storage rooms of his Uncle's dojo. Seeing the poor creature actually brought a then 19-year old Yoshi to a serious crossroads. Through normally he would have put such a creature out of its misery, something inside stopped him. For a long time, Yoshi was never sure why.
What had lain before him was commonly seen as a symbol of good luck, but rats were also considered pests. As a whole, they got into grains and ruined entire bins by nibbling and tearing into everything within range. Then there were the new rumors spreading from distant places that rats also caused serious sickness and even death in many cases.
Yoshi was certain of the first part, though the second part had still been in doubt for him. He had never been sure when it came to foreign ideals and was always skeptical at first. At the moment though, none of that really mattered to him. What mattered was the animal before him, staring back at him with a pair of fear-filled eyes.
The longer he looked into those eyes, the more Yoshi saw. He could see the almost human understanding and reason that set one species apart from another. And the more he thought this, the more Yoshi began to understand what had to be done.
It would be a decision that would forever change not only his life, but of those around him and of those yet to be born. It was also one that Yoshi would never regret. For in one moment of compassion, he gained not only a friend, but also an ally who would be loyal to his memory and teaching even after the man had met his own demise.
Which was made Splinter so important to Yoshi in those days. He could not simply abandon his friend, animal or not. Just as he could no more abandon the last physical remnant that he had of his grandmother.
That was the second treasure that he and Shen had brought with them, the statuette of so long ago. When the humans fled, it had been packed away among their few belongings and with Splinter's cage. There was little worth to it now, compared to when Yoko had first purchased it so many years before.
Despite how careless children can sometimes be, Yoshi had managed to keep the gift in relatively good shape while he was growing up. No cracks or chips had found their way into the fading ivory of the shell's color. The features remained as they had been from the first day Yoshi had seen the warrior.
Once he and Shen had come to America, Yoshi had placed the statuette on a shelf in the living room. It had remained there for several months, acting as both an ornament and a reminder of what had been left behind. Until one fateful night, when those memories were shattered and something new had been created.
That had been the night that Oroku Saki came and finished what he begun in Japan. He was the true reason that the two young lovers had first fled from Japan. For many years, Yoshi and Saki been rivalries in many things. But their two greatest competitions had been in their fighting skills and the battle for the love of Tang Shen.
Shen however, had chosen Yoshi and the two had fled in hopes that they would be able to lead a quiet life on their own. That was not to be. Saki, enraged that he had been scorned, had followed them. He tracked them down from one end of the Earth to another, plotting his revenge. That came in the form of Shen and Yoshi losing their lives and Splinter losing the only family he had until that point.
Saki had left after that awful night, leaving nothing behind but tattered dreams and many unanswered questions. That was how it would remain for several years, especially for Splinter. He would leave that night, long before police and neighbors found the bodies of his human friends. Nor would he return for some weeks and when he did, it would not be in the same form as before.
When he did return, Splinter was not the ordinary rat that he had once been. Instead, he had changed. He had become a creature that had the appearance of a rat but with the mind, heart, and near stature of a man. The keen intelligence that he had as an animal was increased nearly tenfold, giving him a reason and understanding that was possessed by even few other men.
After the deaths of Shen and Yoshi, Splinter had returned to the old apartment in order to find items that would aid in his and the survival of the four infant Turtles' that he had adopted. He mostly took things like pots and pan, foodstuffs, dojo hangings, and whatever pieces of furniture he was able to carry away.
While searching for just that, Splinter had come across the statuette. It was one of the few things in the apartment that had gone unscathed by the struggle before the murders. Somehow, it had fallen onto a cushion behind the couch and had remained there until Splinter had found it.
Upon finding the item, Splinter was uncertain of what he should do with it. He knew that this had been a treasured keepsake of Master Yoshi, but it had never mattered much to him. He had always seen it as just another knickknack that the humans he lived with kept for useless decoration. Why should he bother taking something that would be of nothing but ornamental use and a remembrance of what he had so recently lost?
In the end, that was just the motivation that he had needed to wrap the statuette in some rags he had found and stow it away in a sack with everything else. Once that was done, Splinter had pushed what he had found from his mind and turned back to other concerns. It wouldn't be until much later, after he had made his final trip to the apartment, that he would bother with the statuette again.
When he did, Splinter had carefully unwrapped it from the rag covering and held it in his hands. For nearly an hour, he remained with it there, simply staring at the knickknack in silent contemplation. Mixed emotions had filled him then, his heart in great conflict as he tried to determine what he should do next.
Part of him thought it best to simply put aside what he had found and be done with it. There was no reason for him to keep something that reminded him of his past, something that would never again be revived. Yet another side of him, the fragment that still clung to those old memories, thought otherwise. This was the part that called for Splinter to keep the memento, as a way to honor what was lost.
For a long time, Splinter was caught between these two decisions. Both had their points and their problems. Getting rid of this would mean saying good-bye to something that meant a great deal to Splinter. But keeping it would sometimes mean having to endure a pain that he didn't need.
But the more he stared at what lay in his hands, the more a memory was sparked in the rat's heart. One of a night long ago when another had been faced with a similar if different decision. On that night, a man had chosen to take care of something that he could just have easily destroyed.
In the end, that was what influence his final decision. Like then, there would be no loss. Instead, only the gain of a new beginning and the remembrance of the old. So, Splinter would keep his prize and remember, no matter how much it might hurt at times.
From that night on, Splinter kept the statuette on a small but sturdy table in the living room. He would still look at it from time to time, allowing the memories that it brought back to seep into his mind. Sometimes these were the comforting kind of better days, while others brought back the remorse and anger he had felt that fateful night.
Every so often, as his children grew older, there were periods when the statuette and like so many things like it had to be moved to safer places. There was always the chance of an accident, something that Splinter wanted to prevent if possible. For nearly a decade, that task had been accomplished. But now, as he looked down at the broken remains of the memento, that all seemed to have been in vain.
Without a word, Splinter suddenly knelt forward and began to gather the pieces into a pile. He did so in complete silence, neither looking at the children nor speaking to them. They only watched on in grim silence, not exactly sure what they should expect from their father at this point. Normally when they had done something wrong, he would give them a lecture and punishment of some kind. Splinter had never acted like this before, so it was putting them on edge.
In the depths of his own mind, Splinter was anything but silent. A thousand questions were racing through him at once, as he attempted to make sense of what had happened. The one thing that he was certain of was that this had been an accident. There was no way that the children would intentionally destroy another's possessions. They had been taught to know better than to act like that. Still, that didn't explain how something on so sturdy a table had been knocked aside and broken.
"How did this happen?" Splinter asked as he finished gathering the pieces and setting them onto the table again.
As before, the only answer he received was a deep quiet and the uneasy shuffling of the children. Inwardly, Splinter sighed. He knew from experience that it would take some time to get an explanation from the group on something like this, but it was still frustrating.
Turning to his gaze to Leonardo, Splinter said sternly," Leonardo, what caused this to happen? And tell me the truth, my son."
From his tone, Leonardo knew better than to try and lie about this. Not that he could have even if he tried. He knew his Master's rules about lying and the consequences of what happens to those who were caught in the act. Its results were that the children rarely lied about anything, even to each other but it never dissolved the possibility. So Splinter usually made this clear when someone got into trouble over anything and now would be no exception.
This caused Leonardo to choose his words carefully. He knew that he and the others were already in trouble, there was no doubt about that. Still, that didn't mean he should get them into anymore trouble than they had to be. That's what the older brother side of him was saying, the part that usually caused him to stick up for his younger siblings when it was and wasn't necessary.
It was a side that Leo listened to almost as much as he did to his Master Splinter. For him, it was instinct and duty all rolled into one. The obligation of an older brother to help his younger siblings no matter what the situation or the cost to him. But it was a side that had gotten him into trouble more times than he could count and one of those qualities that more misunderstood than appreciated by the others.
"Um, Mike and I were playing some checkers," Leonardo began, pointing at the board on the coffee table nearby in emphasis," Raph was on the couch reading one of his comic books but then he said that he was bored with that and that he wanted to play too. We had just started a new game and I told him that he would have to wait until we were done. But. But then Raph got mad and said that we had already played five games and that we should let someone else have a turn."
Splinter nodded slowly as he listened, taking all this in. It was the truth as far as he could tell; the tone of voice his son was using gave no hint to believe otherwise. Besides, it was such a common enough occurrence with his sons that he wouldn't have doubted it even if Leo had bothered to try and cover something up. The boy's continuing words were evidence enough of that as well.
"And I told Raph that it wasn't fair that we had to stop just cause he wanted us to. He wouldn't listen and then we started arguing about it," Leonardo replied.
From where he stood, Raphael was more than looking like he wanted to protest these words and give his own version of events. That too was also something to be expected in a case like this. There had always been a rivalry between the two eldest brothers that went beyond the ordinary one often found between siblings.
For once however, the boy held his tongue. A single glance from Splinter had been enough to handle that measure. But it couldn't quell the angry glances that Raphael kept throwing at Leonardo, who continued to speak.
The explanation went on for the next few moments. Leonardo accounted how the argument had gone on for the next few minutes and then escalated like it usually did. It went from the verbal to a nearly physical fight.
The two boys had gotten to their feet and begun pushing one another. Mike had tried to stop them, but it did little good. If anything, it only caused his brothers to get more upset. Like each other, they pushed him out of the way and then returned to their own business.
At first, things were simple. They only pushed each other from one side to the next. But finally, Leonardo pushed Raphael too hard and he was knocked into the wall near the statuette's table. As he fell backwards, Raph's arm knocked into the statuette and knocked it off its setting. It was this motion that had pitched it forward, caused the crash and brought things to where they were now.
Splinter listened to all of this, taking in the information and processing it. He now understood what was going on to an extent and what part these three had played during it all. Now all that remained was what Magnolia and Donatello had been up to. They had been silent since his arrival and Splinter felt that it was time they answer some questions as well.
"And what were the two of you doing when this happened?" Splinter asked as his gaze fell upon them.
Maggie whimpered quietly, shrinking further back behind Don until only her hand and eartips were visible. Her brother just stood there for a moment, not sure how to answer. He knew all too well what that gaze meant and every time he faced it, he froze. "Donatello," their father prompted sternly.
"We were in the kitchen, Master," Donnie answered hastily," M-Maggie wanted to see the new plans I was drawing up. Right Maggie?"
He glanced over his shoulder at the younger child, hoping for a confirmation. Meekly, Magnolia peeked around Donnie, looking up at Splinter as she did. She nodded quickly and then hid behind her brother again.
Splinter listened, allowing this information to pass through his mind. It certainly put a new perspective on the fate of Donnie and Maggie. If what the boy said was true, then they were not to be blamed in this. They had only been drawn in as he had, attracted by the noise of their brothers' accident. Which meant that these two knew no more than he did and were nothing more than innocent bystanders in this mess. For Splinter, that changed at least one element of the puzzle and would partly save him trouble later on.
"Donatello, Magnolia," he said," You are both get excused. Get your things from the kitchen and go wait in Magnolia's room until I call for you. Understood?"
For a brief second, the two simply stood where they were, staring back at their Sensei in amazement. Neither one was sure if they had heard him right. He was actually excusing them from a lecture and punishment?
"I said that you were excused," Splinter repeated more forcefully.
"Yes Master," Donatello said with a hasty bow.
There was no need to tell him again. In the blink of an eye, Donatello did an instant 360, grabbed his startled sister's hand, and dashed back into the kitchen. Inside, there was the muffled sounds of the hasty gathering of paper and pencils before the two reappeared a moment later, heading toward another corridor. This would be the one that led to Maggie's room and well away from the present situation.
Their remaining siblings watched them leave with mixed emotions. It wasn't hard to see that they wanted nothing more than to have the same fate as their brother and sister. Each one had a good idea of what his own would be and none of them wanted any part of that.
In some ways, Splinter really couldn't blame them for feeling that way. No one ever enjoyed being punished, regardless of what the crime was. He knew that as a pet, he certainly hadn't been happy during the times the times when his own Master had scolded him for something. So he could sympathize to a degree with his young sons. But that only went so far.
There was a part of him that just couldn't understand how the boys could be so inconsiderate and careless. They had been warned countless times to be careful when around the statuette and Splinter had thought that they had listened to him. But after seeing what happened, accident or not, he wasn't so sure now.
Clearing his throat to get the remaining children's attention, he said," I believe it's time we discuss this further. Into the study, all of you."
Glancing easily from their father to each other, the three boys gulped in near unison. They knew what was in store for them now and it was not something any of them were looking forward to.
A/N: That's the end of part one. Hope that everyone enjoyed this and I promise that the next part will be out soon. Just might be a bit due to my work but it'll happen. Until then, if anyone has a comment they want to share, just e-mail me and we'll see what happens. Later. :P
A/N: Well, here's the next part of Rivalries. Sorry for the delay, I've just had a lot to do the last few weeks. But thanks for your patience and I hope that everyone enjoys this. :p
A million possibilities raced through Splinter's mind as he watched the children a moment longer. He knew that with this group, there was no telling what he should expect. They always had a way of surprising him, even when he thought that he was prepared.
Like now, he knew that something had happened. Only he didn't know what or exactly how. Well, if he was ever going to answer that question, Splinter decided that he should start now. Standing around watching the children certainly wouldn't get him anywhere. So he cleared his throat as he stepped into the room, thus catching the attention of the youngsters.
In an almost synchronized motion, five faces snapped to attention. Their startled gaze fell upon Splinter, ten young eyes reflecting surprised and dismay at his sudden appearance. It wasn't the first time they had given that expression, as their Sensei seemed to make a habit of coming upon one or more of them unseen.
"M-Master Splinter," Leonardo stammered.
This was the only thing to break the silence. The others remained as they were, unable to speak a word as their Master approached. Inwardly, they were all shivering with fear and doubt. They each knew from experience what was about to follow once all was learned and none of them were looking forward to facing it.
In a few steps and seconds, Splinter stood before the nearest three, his eyes watching each one briefly before turning to the next. Each boy visibly flinched when it was his turn, his face instantly changing from dismay to obvious shame. That at least gave Splinter some clue as to what he should expect. Though somehow, he knew that he wasn't going to like it either way.
Well, first things first. Before he could determine what he liked or not, Splinter had other things to do. Namely, finding out what happened and then figuring out what had to be done about it.
"All right," he said, his voice of mix of displeasure and strictness," What has been going on in here?"
Again, there was no immediate answer. All that came was the uneasy shuffling and fidgeting of five young bodies. The nearest three edged a bit closer together, looking as if they were trying to hide whatever lay on the floor between them, and the other two backed away closer to the kitchen.
A stern gleam shined in their Master's eye, preventing any of them from acting any further. They all froze in place, not wishing to draw attention to themselves anymore than necessary. Splinter took this as another obvious sign that they were up to something serious and put an idea of what it was into his mind.
"What has been going on in here?" he asked again," I heard you arguing in my study and then something crash in here. I want to know what that was."
"Um. Ouch!" Mikey started, before Raphael jabbed him with his elbow.
He rubbed the sore spot, glaring angrily at his older brother who returned the look without hesitation. Only with Raphael, his glance was more intense and meaningful than that of kid brother. This lasted only a few seconds before both returned to looking up at their Sensei. He watched the exchange with stolid attention and hardened eyes.
"Raphael, do not hit your brother, my son," he admonished the elder boy before adding to his younger son," Michaelangelo, finish what you were starting to say."
Raphael only nodded in reply to his Sensei's scolding and fell into one of his huffs while his sibling spoke. Which took a moment or so, since now that the attention was on him, Mikey wasn't so sure what he should say. The words were caught in his throat and no matter how much he tried, nothing would come out.
"Michaelangelo," Splinter prompted.
"W-we were just messing around, Master," Mikey stammered," It was an accident, honest. We d-didn't mean to d-do it."
Accident was it? Well, that was at least one clue as to what had happened and explained the crash that he had heard. But that wasn't everything, he was certain. It didn't explain what had been broken or the exact circumstances surrounding the event. Well, from looking at the way Leo, Mikey, and Raph were clustering together, at least he knew where to look.
"Michaelangelo, Raphael, move aside," he instructed.
The response from the two was slow. They hesitated for a moment, as if they weren't certain if they should obey or not. A stern glance from Splinter quickly corrected that. Still a bit reluctantly, the boys moved apart and revealed what lay between them.
When he saw for himself, the hardness melted away from Splinter's face in an instant. In its place, dismay took a firm root as he surveyed the remains of what had once been a prize in itself. Scattered in disarray, there were at least a dozen pieces the size of nickels and quarters while the rest were nothing but mere crumbs. Each was the color of faded ivory that had been severely weathered through the years. Here and there, pieces would show more detail in this shattered state, giving a sense of what the mess had once been.
What it had been was a small statuette of a man about the size of a soda can. It had been made of porcelain that had been pure ivory white when new. Years of constant moving and weathering had dulled the color however, making it the way it was now. But the features had remained true despite this, depicting a young shogun warrior with his head and sword held high as he headed into battle.
When he still lived, the piece had been a memento of Splinter's own Master, Hamato Yoshi. Years before, when the man was still a young boy and Splinter himself had yet to be born, Yoshi had received it as a birthday gift from his grandmother, Hamato Yoko. The old woman had seen it one day in a peddler's shop and decided that it would be a perfect gift for her young grandson's upcoming tenth birthday.
He was already in training to become a Shadow Warrior for nearly five years and she felt that he deserved something special to commemorate the occasion. So for the next year, Yoko began to scrimp and save every spare penny that she could bring into her possession in order to purchase it in time.
It was not easy at first, since times were hard then and most found it hard just to make end's meet. Despite this, Yoko managed to find a way and put a little aside when she could. So by the time the special day had finally come, she was able to purchase and present her grandson with the gift.
When he first saw the image, was almost no way to describe the child's reaction. Yoshi, though he had wanted a true weapon like he had seen the older students using, was more than a bit surprised by what he had been bestowed with. He honestly didn't know what to make of it.
Knowing that his grandmother was not the richest woman, he had been expecting something simple like he always got. Maybe something like the dragon kite he had gotten for his last birthday or bamboo horse. So receiving a gift as special as this one was quite the surprise for young Yoshi and once he had gained his senses again, proved to be very grateful.
This in turn, brought a bit of joy into Yoko's life. She enjoyed nothing more than seeing the light in one of her grandchildren's eyes when they were given something special as their own. It was one of the few things that she herself had left in life and one that she wouldn't have traded for anything.
Sadly, it was not long afterward after Yoshi's birthday that his grandmother passed away. She had gone to sleep one night and never awoke again. She was found later the next morning by one of her daughters that still lived at home. The discovery itself was quick a shock, since Hamato Yoko had been in good health for several years and showed no sign of the fate that befallen her.
So when the news was made public, it was a shock that no one was prepared for. Least of all, young Yoshi, who had been very close to the old woman from a young age. As he had grown older, naturally Yoshi had become a bit distant as all children did at some point and time. But that distance was still not enough to put a barrier between grandmother and grandson on a large scale, so hearing of Yoko's death was a devastating blow to the youngster.
After he had, Yoshi began to withdraw from the world. He went from being a robust, outgoing child who spent his days playing and laughing with friends to one of a silent, almost solitary nature. It was a reaction that was not totally unexpected but one that his parents and family were not prepared for.
At first, no one noticed what had happened due to the confusion of Yoko's sudden passing. Everyone was too busy trying to cope with their own feelings to worry about that of one child. But when the surprise had died down and life had begun to slowly but surely return to normal, people started to sit up and take notice.
They recognized that something serious was going through Yoshi's mind and most had a good idea as to what the cause was. Some attempted to ease the child's pain so that he could cope with what had happened, which eventually led to failure. Others only left him alone; understanding that Yoshi would only come around when he was ready to. Any rushing might only make things worse than they were.
Eventually, as time wore on and he accepted what had happened, Yoshi did begin to return to normal as the rest had expected. In his own, childlike way, he had begun to realize something. Though he would always love his grandmother and he would continue to miss her, Yoshi knew that life had to go on. He couldn't just dwell on the past forever, no matter how much part of his heart might want to. So like the rest of his family had done before him, Yoshi did indeed move on.
Long after his grandmother's passing, Yoshi had kept her last gift to him in his possession. It was mostly kept stored away in some corner where it might gather dust but was out of harm's way. Sometimes he would take his prize out again and remember his early childhood and all that were connected with it.
When he and his love, Tang Shen, had been forced to flee to America to escape Oroku Saki, there were few material possessions that he had brought along. There were the few sets of clothing they had managed to scrounge together, along with what savings that was between the two of them, and anything else that the pair felt would be vital to their survival in a new land. One of the few sentimental treasures brought had been Splinter himself, who had only been Yoshi's pet at the time.
Splinter had been in Yoshi's possession for many years before that perilous time had come. He was supposed to be a tamed rat, kept as both a pet and a symbol of good luck for his Master. But in some ways, the relationship shared between man and rat went deeper than most could understand.
For reasons that he couldn't understand, Yoshi felt that there was something special about this rat of his. In his eyes, there was a shimmer of intelligence that one didn't often find in animals. It was a quality that both intrigued and fascinated Yoshi and was one that he never took lightly. Which was one reason why Yoshi often found himself talking quietly to a creature that could never answer back but seemed to listen intently nonetheless. One that he had found a sort of kinship that existed with no other person in his life.
Yoshi had first found a wet and half-starved Splinter in one many storage rooms of his Uncle's dojo. Seeing the poor creature actually brought a then 19-year old Yoshi to a serious crossroads. Through normally he would have put such a creature out of its misery, something inside stopped him. For a long time, Yoshi was never sure why.
What had lain before him was commonly seen as a symbol of good luck, but rats were also considered pests. As a whole, they got into grains and ruined entire bins by nibbling and tearing into everything within range. Then there were the new rumors spreading from distant places that rats also caused serious sickness and even death in many cases.
Yoshi was certain of the first part, though the second part had still been in doubt for him. He had never been sure when it came to foreign ideals and was always skeptical at first. At the moment though, none of that really mattered to him. What mattered was the animal before him, staring back at him with a pair of fear-filled eyes.
The longer he looked into those eyes, the more Yoshi saw. He could see the almost human understanding and reason that set one species apart from another. And the more he thought this, the more Yoshi began to understand what had to be done.
It would be a decision that would forever change not only his life, but of those around him and of those yet to be born. It was also one that Yoshi would never regret. For in one moment of compassion, he gained not only a friend, but also an ally who would be loyal to his memory and teaching even after the man had met his own demise.
Which was made Splinter so important to Yoshi in those days. He could not simply abandon his friend, animal or not. Just as he could no more abandon the last physical remnant that he had of his grandmother.
That was the second treasure that he and Shen had brought with them, the statuette of so long ago. When the humans fled, it had been packed away among their few belongings and with Splinter's cage. There was little worth to it now, compared to when Yoko had first purchased it so many years before.
Despite how careless children can sometimes be, Yoshi had managed to keep the gift in relatively good shape while he was growing up. No cracks or chips had found their way into the fading ivory of the shell's color. The features remained as they had been from the first day Yoshi had seen the warrior.
Once he and Shen had come to America, Yoshi had placed the statuette on a shelf in the living room. It had remained there for several months, acting as both an ornament and a reminder of what had been left behind. Until one fateful night, when those memories were shattered and something new had been created.
That had been the night that Oroku Saki came and finished what he begun in Japan. He was the true reason that the two young lovers had first fled from Japan. For many years, Yoshi and Saki been rivalries in many things. But their two greatest competitions had been in their fighting skills and the battle for the love of Tang Shen.
Shen however, had chosen Yoshi and the two had fled in hopes that they would be able to lead a quiet life on their own. That was not to be. Saki, enraged that he had been scorned, had followed them. He tracked them down from one end of the Earth to another, plotting his revenge. That came in the form of Shen and Yoshi losing their lives and Splinter losing the only family he had until that point.
Saki had left after that awful night, leaving nothing behind but tattered dreams and many unanswered questions. That was how it would remain for several years, especially for Splinter. He would leave that night, long before police and neighbors found the bodies of his human friends. Nor would he return for some weeks and when he did, it would not be in the same form as before.
When he did return, Splinter was not the ordinary rat that he had once been. Instead, he had changed. He had become a creature that had the appearance of a rat but with the mind, heart, and near stature of a man. The keen intelligence that he had as an animal was increased nearly tenfold, giving him a reason and understanding that was possessed by even few other men.
After the deaths of Shen and Yoshi, Splinter had returned to the old apartment in order to find items that would aid in his and the survival of the four infant Turtles' that he had adopted. He mostly took things like pots and pan, foodstuffs, dojo hangings, and whatever pieces of furniture he was able to carry away.
While searching for just that, Splinter had come across the statuette. It was one of the few things in the apartment that had gone unscathed by the struggle before the murders. Somehow, it had fallen onto a cushion behind the couch and had remained there until Splinter had found it.
Upon finding the item, Splinter was uncertain of what he should do with it. He knew that this had been a treasured keepsake of Master Yoshi, but it had never mattered much to him. He had always seen it as just another knickknack that the humans he lived with kept for useless decoration. Why should he bother taking something that would be of nothing but ornamental use and a remembrance of what he had so recently lost?
In the end, that was just the motivation that he had needed to wrap the statuette in some rags he had found and stow it away in a sack with everything else. Once that was done, Splinter had pushed what he had found from his mind and turned back to other concerns. It wouldn't be until much later, after he had made his final trip to the apartment, that he would bother with the statuette again.
When he did, Splinter had carefully unwrapped it from the rag covering and held it in his hands. For nearly an hour, he remained with it there, simply staring at the knickknack in silent contemplation. Mixed emotions had filled him then, his heart in great conflict as he tried to determine what he should do next.
Part of him thought it best to simply put aside what he had found and be done with it. There was no reason for him to keep something that reminded him of his past, something that would never again be revived. Yet another side of him, the fragment that still clung to those old memories, thought otherwise. This was the part that called for Splinter to keep the memento, as a way to honor what was lost.
For a long time, Splinter was caught between these two decisions. Both had their points and their problems. Getting rid of this would mean saying good-bye to something that meant a great deal to Splinter. But keeping it would sometimes mean having to endure a pain that he didn't need.
But the more he stared at what lay in his hands, the more a memory was sparked in the rat's heart. One of a night long ago when another had been faced with a similar if different decision. On that night, a man had chosen to take care of something that he could just have easily destroyed.
In the end, that was what influence his final decision. Like then, there would be no loss. Instead, only the gain of a new beginning and the remembrance of the old. So, Splinter would keep his prize and remember, no matter how much it might hurt at times.
From that night on, Splinter kept the statuette on a small but sturdy table in the living room. He would still look at it from time to time, allowing the memories that it brought back to seep into his mind. Sometimes these were the comforting kind of better days, while others brought back the remorse and anger he had felt that fateful night.
Every so often, as his children grew older, there were periods when the statuette and like so many things like it had to be moved to safer places. There was always the chance of an accident, something that Splinter wanted to prevent if possible. For nearly a decade, that task had been accomplished. But now, as he looked down at the broken remains of the memento, that all seemed to have been in vain.
Without a word, Splinter suddenly knelt forward and began to gather the pieces into a pile. He did so in complete silence, neither looking at the children nor speaking to them. They only watched on in grim silence, not exactly sure what they should expect from their father at this point. Normally when they had done something wrong, he would give them a lecture and punishment of some kind. Splinter had never acted like this before, so it was putting them on edge.
In the depths of his own mind, Splinter was anything but silent. A thousand questions were racing through him at once, as he attempted to make sense of what had happened. The one thing that he was certain of was that this had been an accident. There was no way that the children would intentionally destroy another's possessions. They had been taught to know better than to act like that. Still, that didn't explain how something on so sturdy a table had been knocked aside and broken.
"How did this happen?" Splinter asked as he finished gathering the pieces and setting them onto the table again.
As before, the only answer he received was a deep quiet and the uneasy shuffling of the children. Inwardly, Splinter sighed. He knew from experience that it would take some time to get an explanation from the group on something like this, but it was still frustrating.
Turning to his gaze to Leonardo, Splinter said sternly," Leonardo, what caused this to happen? And tell me the truth, my son."
From his tone, Leonardo knew better than to try and lie about this. Not that he could have even if he tried. He knew his Master's rules about lying and the consequences of what happens to those who were caught in the act. Its results were that the children rarely lied about anything, even to each other but it never dissolved the possibility. So Splinter usually made this clear when someone got into trouble over anything and now would be no exception.
This caused Leonardo to choose his words carefully. He knew that he and the others were already in trouble, there was no doubt about that. Still, that didn't mean he should get them into anymore trouble than they had to be. That's what the older brother side of him was saying, the part that usually caused him to stick up for his younger siblings when it was and wasn't necessary.
It was a side that Leo listened to almost as much as he did to his Master Splinter. For him, it was instinct and duty all rolled into one. The obligation of an older brother to help his younger siblings no matter what the situation or the cost to him. But it was a side that had gotten him into trouble more times than he could count and one of those qualities that more misunderstood than appreciated by the others.
"Um, Mike and I were playing some checkers," Leonardo began, pointing at the board on the coffee table nearby in emphasis," Raph was on the couch reading one of his comic books but then he said that he was bored with that and that he wanted to play too. We had just started a new game and I told him that he would have to wait until we were done. But. But then Raph got mad and said that we had already played five games and that we should let someone else have a turn."
Splinter nodded slowly as he listened, taking all this in. It was the truth as far as he could tell; the tone of voice his son was using gave no hint to believe otherwise. Besides, it was such a common enough occurrence with his sons that he wouldn't have doubted it even if Leo had bothered to try and cover something up. The boy's continuing words were evidence enough of that as well.
"And I told Raph that it wasn't fair that we had to stop just cause he wanted us to. He wouldn't listen and then we started arguing about it," Leonardo replied.
From where he stood, Raphael was more than looking like he wanted to protest these words and give his own version of events. That too was also something to be expected in a case like this. There had always been a rivalry between the two eldest brothers that went beyond the ordinary one often found between siblings.
For once however, the boy held his tongue. A single glance from Splinter had been enough to handle that measure. But it couldn't quell the angry glances that Raphael kept throwing at Leonardo, who continued to speak.
The explanation went on for the next few moments. Leonardo accounted how the argument had gone on for the next few minutes and then escalated like it usually did. It went from the verbal to a nearly physical fight.
The two boys had gotten to their feet and begun pushing one another. Mike had tried to stop them, but it did little good. If anything, it only caused his brothers to get more upset. Like each other, they pushed him out of the way and then returned to their own business.
At first, things were simple. They only pushed each other from one side to the next. But finally, Leonardo pushed Raphael too hard and he was knocked into the wall near the statuette's table. As he fell backwards, Raph's arm knocked into the statuette and knocked it off its setting. It was this motion that had pitched it forward, caused the crash and brought things to where they were now.
Splinter listened to all of this, taking in the information and processing it. He now understood what was going on to an extent and what part these three had played during it all. Now all that remained was what Magnolia and Donatello had been up to. They had been silent since his arrival and Splinter felt that it was time they answer some questions as well.
"And what were the two of you doing when this happened?" Splinter asked as his gaze fell upon them.
Maggie whimpered quietly, shrinking further back behind Don until only her hand and eartips were visible. Her brother just stood there for a moment, not sure how to answer. He knew all too well what that gaze meant and every time he faced it, he froze. "Donatello," their father prompted sternly.
"We were in the kitchen, Master," Donnie answered hastily," M-Maggie wanted to see the new plans I was drawing up. Right Maggie?"
He glanced over his shoulder at the younger child, hoping for a confirmation. Meekly, Magnolia peeked around Donnie, looking up at Splinter as she did. She nodded quickly and then hid behind her brother again.
Splinter listened, allowing this information to pass through his mind. It certainly put a new perspective on the fate of Donnie and Maggie. If what the boy said was true, then they were not to be blamed in this. They had only been drawn in as he had, attracted by the noise of their brothers' accident. Which meant that these two knew no more than he did and were nothing more than innocent bystanders in this mess. For Splinter, that changed at least one element of the puzzle and would partly save him trouble later on.
"Donatello, Magnolia," he said," You are both get excused. Get your things from the kitchen and go wait in Magnolia's room until I call for you. Understood?"
For a brief second, the two simply stood where they were, staring back at their Sensei in amazement. Neither one was sure if they had heard him right. He was actually excusing them from a lecture and punishment?
"I said that you were excused," Splinter repeated more forcefully.
"Yes Master," Donatello said with a hasty bow.
There was no need to tell him again. In the blink of an eye, Donatello did an instant 360, grabbed his startled sister's hand, and dashed back into the kitchen. Inside, there was the muffled sounds of the hasty gathering of paper and pencils before the two reappeared a moment later, heading toward another corridor. This would be the one that led to Maggie's room and well away from the present situation.
Their remaining siblings watched them leave with mixed emotions. It wasn't hard to see that they wanted nothing more than to have the same fate as their brother and sister. Each one had a good idea of what his own would be and none of them wanted any part of that.
In some ways, Splinter really couldn't blame them for feeling that way. No one ever enjoyed being punished, regardless of what the crime was. He knew that as a pet, he certainly hadn't been happy during the times the times when his own Master had scolded him for something. So he could sympathize to a degree with his young sons. But that only went so far.
There was a part of him that just couldn't understand how the boys could be so inconsiderate and careless. They had been warned countless times to be careful when around the statuette and Splinter had thought that they had listened to him. But after seeing what happened, accident or not, he wasn't so sure now.
Clearing his throat to get the remaining children's attention, he said," I believe it's time we discuss this further. Into the study, all of you."
Glancing easily from their father to each other, the three boys gulped in near unison. They knew what was in store for them now and it was not something any of them were looking forward to.
A/N: That's the end of part one. Hope that everyone enjoyed this and I promise that the next part will be out soon. Just might be a bit due to my work but it'll happen. Until then, if anyone has a comment they want to share, just e-mail me and we'll see what happens. Later. :P
