Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT. Duh. So you can't sue me. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. But all the original creations in this are mine, so if you want to use them, please just ask. Thank you. :P

Chapter 3: Daybreak Reflections

A/N: Yay! Another chapter up and running. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far. I can't believe that I'm actually updating again so soon. Well, I hope my luck holds out and that I can update the next chapter real soon. Until then, read and enjoy, readers. (

As always, despite the uneasiness that had occurred the day before, morning came all too soon for the inhabitants of the Lair. It began with the Sensei in his own quarters. Ever the early riser, Splinter woke just before dawn and started almost immediately into his usual morning routine.

First he would tend to his personal needs and then turn his attention to clearing and straightening the bedding area of his quarters. This was a process that normally took him no longer than fifteen to twenty minutes. Once done with these chores, Splinter would then go into the kitchen to spend some quiet time by himself before he went to wake the children.

This too was something that he did nearly every morning. It was usually no more than ten minutes or so, just long enough to relax slightly and prepare his mind for the events of the day. A process that Splinter knew that he sometimes needed more than anything else, especially when it came to dealing with his students.

For as much as he cared for the young ones, there was still times when Splinter wished to spend his time alone. It was helped him to deal with the stress that now filled his days. So when he could, he took the chance to enjoy the quiet company of his own thoughts. Sitting in the kitchen, drinking his morning tea and reading a few passages from a book just happened to be one of his favorites.

Eventually though, Splinter knew that he was going to have to leave his mental haven and go wake the children. He couldn't allow them to sleep too late into the morning or else, there wouldn't be enough time to begin practice and then set the children to their chores before Splinter went out to make his weekly search for food and supplies.

We're going to need more blankets soon. The chills down here have been getting worse than usual, Splinter thought as he made a mental list of what to find, heading for the kitchen.

In the sewers, regardless of the season, there was always some sort of underground chill. Most days, it was mild to moderate and could be dealt with by just adding an extra blanket or two to the beds. But in late fall and deep winter, it was necessary to take more extreme measures to keep them all from freezing at night.

Of course, winter was dangerous for more than just freezing at night. There were several risks were run not only in the grand scheme but in the daily activities of everyday life. Bouts of sickness were common occurrences, seeming to hit more this time of year than any other time. Then of course, there was the fact that the family's food supplies, usually taken from whatever leftovers Splinter managed to find in the garbage, would be stressed to the limit.

There was always less to eat during the winter; that was a natural given. Except for the holidays, humans tended to throw out less food than they would normally do so. So during the months before, Splinter tried to stock up what he could and put it away for the weeks to come. Otherwise, when he found the scraps left behind in the cold, he would have to make sure that they used things carefully and be sure that nothing was wasted.

For the moment however, Splinter was more concerned about the blankets. Summer had already passed and was quickly settling into the days of early fall, so what the family already had would do for now. But not for more than another few weeks. For soon, the autumn would pass them by yet again and the snows would lock the upper world in a cold that would drift down into the world of the sewers. Only below, it would be more severe than what humans faced. Which meant that next to finding more food, gathering up blankets would be the topmost of Splinter's priorities.

Before going out on his errands though, Splinter knew that there were other tasks that needed his attention first. Staring with getting the children out of bed and setting them to their morning practice. Not that that would be so easy to do, considering that most mornings the children didn't want to get up so early.

Entering the kitchen, Splinter thought, A little longer won't hurt them. They'll all have a long enough day ahead of them that they will need all the rest that they can get. Especially Leonardo and Raphael, since I'll have to keep them a bit longer than the others before I go.

This was the first time since the night before that he had given any thought to his elder sons' punishment and for a bit, he really didn't wish to. Having to keep them after for both morning and afternoon practice was going to be taxing on all three of them, especially this early. It would seriously delay Splinter in a time when he should be out searching for more supplies for the months ahead instead of remaining at home like he would be doing.

Even so, that was another duty that came with being a parent and one he was not about to start shirking now. Not after all this time. He had set down a punishment for his sons and it was his obligation to be sure that it was carried out. If he wanted the children, both those who had been punished and those that weren't, to understand the lesson of consequence and commitment, then he would have to.

As he took his favorite tea mug and the kettle out of the cabinet, setting the former on the table and filling the latter with water from the sink, Splinter realized a few other things as well. Part of him was actually hesitant to leave for those same errands later on and for good reason. He now realized that he was worried about what might happen between his two sons while he was gone. Though neither boy had said anything before or after his lecture, Splinter had sensed a deep resentment between the pair about what had happened. One that went deeper than the usual rift found between the brothers and that was what caused him to worry.

Of course, it wouldn't be the first time that Splinter felt that way about his sons' feelings toward one another or their well being in general. Worrying about one's children was all part of being a parent and a section that he had long grown used to. Even so, the way that it went for Leo and Raph, sometimes he couldn't help but feel something deeper than normal.

From the earliest times when the boys had begun to talk and their individual personalities had flickered through the layers of diaper days, there had always been a sort of competition for the eldest two. They would constantly fight and argue, one brother always trying to outdo the other in sparring or in lessons. It never mattered what, but they would still try, with the outcome either being that with one successor or that of a draw.

When he considered it all, Splinter felt that sometimes, it was good for the boys to have some sort of competition. It was a way for them to learn how to better interact with others and how to better overcome challenges from outside forces. Both skills he felt that all his children should know, no matter where they went in their lives.

That certainly didn't mean that it was all right for Leo and Raph to battle one another to the excessive manner that they sometimes took to. When that happened, all that it ever resulted in was trouble. Not only for the two boys, but also for everyone else around them. An event that Splinter often worked to prevent if he could, whether or not he managed to be successful.

Setting the kettle on the stove and waiting for it to heat, Splinter sighed inwardly. It was all too much to think about this early in the morning and part of him was starting to wish that he hadn't begun. Yet another side of him knew that he couldn't do that. It just wasn't him.

A sudden, light hiss from the kettle drew his attention briefly away from his thoughts. Splinter glanced down at the piece of worn and beaten metal before him. It had seen many years of use long before coming into Splinter's possession and the evidence was clearly visible.

What had once been a shade of bright copper had long since dulled to a lifeless and rusted tint. On one side, there were at least five dents and bangs of various sizes that had happened when one of the children decided to play 'marching band' with the kitchen utensils. The handle, a wooden one that had also darkened with age, was slightly cracked and sometimes looked as if it were about to break.

In spite of these many blemishes, Splinter still found much use in the old thing and in some ways, come to think of the kettle as an old friend. To an extent, he even considered the kettle as an old friend. Lifting it by the handle, his fingers fell almost instantly into the worn places that had come from years of wear on the handle, only adding to this feeling.

With the water heated, Splinter poured some into his mug before he set the kettle back onto the stove. There was still plenty of water left over that he could have more than one cup, but Splinter doubted that he would have time beyond the one that he was already preparing. Which would probably be enough, since Splinter really only needed something to wake him up completely and to help him relax for later on.

He then began searching in one of the higher cabinets, attempting to locate the tea mixtures that he kept. Splinter had created these mixtures by taking teabags he had gathered and then added other spices to them in order to diversify the tastes. The results had ended with him having many of Yoshi's old favorites and then some of his own.

His mixtures were kept on the highest shelf in the cabinet nearest to the sink in a sort of carry case. This kept it well out of reach of the children, who might have gotten curious about the contents and explored where they shouldn't have. It was about half the size of a breadbox, in basically the same shape, and made of darkened wood. Each mixture was kept in its own compartment, the bits held in small teabags similar to the ones that humans purchased in their supermarkets.

Taking the carry case down, Splinter began to pick through the compartments in search of which one he wanted. The day before, he had chosen the peppermint mixture. He had greatly enjoyed that but there was only so much of it, so he decided against using it again. Instead, he chose the cinnamon from the far end of the case before putting the container back onto its shelf.

Taking a seat at the table, Splinter slowly poured the tea mix into the water, allowing it a moment to dissolve before stirring. The spoon he used for this task was one of the few that the family had and was reserved for meals alone. It only took him a moment to complete this chore, before he wiped the excess liquid off and set the spoon aside.

Smiling slightly, Splinter took a sip and was genuinely satisfied with the taste. This was definitely one of the better mixtures that he had been able to make. Despite his careful measuring and experimentation, there were still times when Splinter had to admit failure when it came to his teas. So when he did manage to do one correctly, it was worth enjoying to the fullest.

There were many things that Splinter had come to enjoy in his life since mutating to this present state, though some not as much as he would have liked. Some were material and others were those he experienced through his mind and body. For the material, he tried to limit this, as it might have interfered with his attempts to further enlighten his mind and increase his ninja skills.

The few material experiences that Splinter ever enjoyed were usually those that included anything to do with his family and the few things he still had of his Master Yoshi. Unfortunately, that had also included the statuette that had been broken the day before. Recalling this brought a frown to the old rat's face, forcing him to also remember what he would have to do later on and what he had already done.

What remained of the statuette was still in Splinter's study, wrapped in an old towel and stored away in his desk. The fate of the shards had been decided in the night before and for them, it was a good one compared to what could have been. Instead of throwing the remains out, Splinter had decided that he would attempt to restore his treasure.

There was certainly no way for him to make it as it had once been. To do that, one would have to go back in time and prevent the accident from even happening. As this was completely impossible, the only remaining options were to throw the pieces out or try to rebuild them into the whole. Splinter had felt the latter would be the better option, both in his Master's memory and to ease the emotions still raging in his heart.

Part of him was still greatly upset over what had happened. He still found it hard to believe that something he had had for so long had endured the fate that it had. Splinter had always thought that like the memories he held within his heart, it would continue to endure when few other things did.

Another side of him had already calmed down and was concentrating on other matters. Such as finding the blankets and more food for the upcoming weeks. And though this didn't entirely erase the former emotions from his mind, it was still enough to ease his mind for the time being.

Sipping away the last of his tea, Splinter decided that he would simply deal with his problems as they came up instead of worrying about them like this. That was how he always did things and would continue to do so. After all, no sense in worrying about what may or may not happen when other, more realistic circumstances were already apparent.

Done with his tea, Splinter decided that he might as well go on and wake the children. He set his mug in the sink and left the kitchen to do just so. His first stop would be Magnolia's room. It was not the closest to the kitchen, but Splinter sometimes varied how he went about waking his children. Sometimes it would go from youngest to oldest or vice versa.

Doing this helped to keep the sleep each one received to a sort of balance. When one got to sleep later on one day while another was awakened, it would be reverse. In this way, no one ever got more than the rest. And since he had woken the boys first for the last three days, Splinter decided that it was Maggie's turn to wake first while her brothers slept on.

Heading from the kitchen and down the hallway, Splinter was at his daughter's door in only a moment. As usual, the door was only open enough to allow light to filter into the room. Though she had good night vision from being a feline, like any child, Magnolia had a youngster's fear of the dark and sometimes wanted light to be present while she slept. It was helped to reassure her enough where she could be left alone at night and what made life a little easier on Splinter's part.

When he pushed on the door and entered the bedroom, Splinter found that the creak that had begun to appear in the last week had worsened from before. It gave him a clue that as soon as he had found some oil, he would need to apply it to the hinges. If not, the doorway might need to be replaced later on.

Stepping inside, Splinter took a few seconds to examine the area with a father's eye. As with her brothers' room, most of the contents consisted of furniture and a few other belongings. Her furniture included her bench-bed, a nightstand by her bed, a small dresser that held her day clothes and the one nightdress she had, and a desk where she worked and kept her books. These books were few, mostly just children's books that had either once belonged to her brothers or that Splinter had found for her personally.

On her walls, like in the boys' room, there was also a tattered old poster that she had received on her sixth birthday. On it, there were horses running in a field. In her short life, Magnolia had never seen either of these, though she was aware of what they were.

On the floor, a few toys were scattered about near the back of the room. In the back of his mind, Splinter made a mental note to remind his daughter that she would need to clean these up and maybe the rest of her room too before it got too messy. Even with so little, it was still possible for the floor to disappear in the room of a seven-year old.

One small lump lay on the floor near the head of Magnolia's bed caught Splinter's attention more than the rest. Almost immediately, the Sensei knew what it was. Like it sometimes did, Maggie's doll had fallen to the floor during the night without its owner ever knowing. It lay upside down, button eyes staring back up at Splinter with a life that could only be seen through the light that flickered through the open doorway.

Splinter shook his head as he entered the room, stooping to pick up the toy without even thinking. To most, what he held looked like a mess of colored rags with arms, legs, and a mat of yarn where the head should be. Which was exactly why Maggie had given her doll the name, Raggy.

During the day, Maggie was hardly ever without Raggy. Wherever she went, her doll went as well. For Raggy, it meant a great deal of wear from all the play that it endured and many a hour of repair on Splinter's part. Well, he didn't mind too much. It wasn't that hard to repair a doll, taking only a few stitches here and there.

Kneeling by the bed, Splinter set Raggy on the nightstand until later. Gently shaking the girl's shoulder, he attempted rouse the child from her sleep. At first, Magnolia only groaned and dug deeper into her covers. By the time she was finished, most of her was half buried under the old sheets and pillow. All the remained visible was one arm and hand, the elbow of another, and what was supposed to be the white of her nightdress.

Despite himself, Splinter smiled at his daughter's actions. Normally it didn't take him very long to get her roused and out of bed, but sometimes she acted like this. When that occurred, then it was just as difficult for Splinter to get her up as it was when he went to wake Mikey.

Which is certainly a chore in itself, Splinter chuckled mentally.

Which of course, was directly on target when it came to the truth. Though he would gripe and moan about having to go to sleep at night, it was always a struggle to get Michaelangelo up in the morning. Though he sometimes prefer to take the 'easy road' rather doing everything in order, Mikey wasn't truly a lazy person.

If anything, he was merely average when it came to doing things and just simply wanted to keep sleeping during the early morning. It was a trait shared by all his siblings and one that Splinter had grown to tolerate and understand. There were certainly times when he didn't wish to get out of bed himself. Which was why after trying to wake his youngest son, Splinter never saw it as a chore when it came to waking the others even on their worst mornings.

Shaking her shoulder a second time, Splinter finally managed to get his daughter awake. Maggie stirred restlessly in her nest of blankets as she came to and looked up at her father with drowsy eyes, her mind barely comprehending that he was even there. Not that her body or mind really cared at the moment about who was nearby. All that mattered to these right now was falling back in the arms of slumber again and forgetting about everything else.

"It's time for you to get up, Magnolia," Splinter said," It will be time for practice soon."

Still not totally coherent, Maggie shook her head wearily and made as if to lie back down. Before she could, Splinter pulled her back up and lifted her out of the bed. This startled Maggie enough that at least part of her woke up. She instinctively clutched at Splinter's kimono, digging her fingers in just enough to keep herself from falling.

Not that there was any chance of that happening. Splinter had never once dropped one of the children and now would be no exception. He simply picked up Magnolia, allowed her a few seconds to collect herself, and then set her on the floor beside him.

Slightly dazed, she stared up at her father with an expression caught between being surprised and blank. Again, Splinter only smiled down at the child and her actions. He had known from experience that this was one of the better ways to wake her. If anything got her attention, it was when something surprised her. Though personally, that despite her sleepiness, he was glad that Magnolia had remembered to keep her claws sheathed this time.

Like any cat, Maggie had a set of claws that had been there since day one. As of yet, she wasn't entirely sure how to use them and Splinter had taught her to mostly keep them sheathed and out of sight. This way there were fewer chances of someone accidentally being hurt when Maggie grabbed onto something.

Of course, this didn't exclude what might happen if she were frightened or startled. Sometimes, regardless of her training, Magnolia couldn't help what she did and the claws were instinctively unsheathed and ready for battle. And when that happened, there was bound to be a lot of damage done to something or someone.

This time, Splinter had been spared being scratched. What he had instead a now waking child who looked like a mess than anything else right now. That was fixed easily enough. Just allow her to change into one of her other dresses and to wash up and comb her headfur, and then she would be all set for the day.

When she was younger, Splinter had helped Maggie in these chores in order to make sure that they were done correctly. Back then, she had a tendency to make more of a mess of herself than get the job done. But in the last year, Splinter found that his daughter was becoming more and more independent, insisting more and more that she do these things on her own.

In the long run, this would prove to be a good thing in Splinter's opinion. He felt that the sooner all the children learned to be self- sufficient, the sooner that they would be able to face the challenges of life head-on. That didn't mean he was in a great hurry for any of them to grow up though, since like any parent he really couldn't imagine there ever being a time when his children did everything on their own.

As Maggie wiped the final bits of sleep from her eyes, Splinter asked," Did you sleep well, little one?"

Yes Sensei, the child signed.

"That is good," Splinter nodded, rising to his feet.

He walked over to the dress and opened the top drawer. Roughly folded, Maggie's two dresses were laid beside one another. One was the sleeveless green that she had worn the day before which had been put aside last night. The other was a pale yellow with a patch on one shoulder and another near the hem.

Splinter took out the yellow, seeing as how the green had already been worn twice and was due for a wash. It was a hassle sometimes that Maggie only had two dresses and one or the other needed to be washed at least once every few days. But there were few things that Splinter had found in the way of clothes that managed to fit the child that didn't require a great deal of alteration, so what they had had to do.

Pushing the drawer closed with one hand, the rat used the other to hand the dress to Magnolia. She took it without question and clutched it to her chest, looking up at Splinter expectantly.

"Go on and get changed, Magnolia," he urged," Bring your nightdress back in here when you are done and then wait for us in the dojo. Just remember not to touch the weapons until I am there. All right?"

Nodding in understanding, Magnolia scampered out her door and down the corridor to the bathroom. Splinter watched her go for a brief second, knowing that she would obey and wait for the rest of them to come once she had seen to her other chores. Another benefit from the children getting older, Splinter could leave them alone longer than he could in their early years.

Once Magnolia was out of sight, Splinter left her bedroom and turned to go to the boys' room instead. From where he approached, he could hear the snores of at least two of them drifting out into the hallway from the open doorway. Most likely that would be Leonardo and Donatello, the two that were quiet during the day but could keep anyone else up for hours on end at night from their snores.

The other two, Raphael and Michaelangelo, were too used to this to really care. If anything, they could sleep right through the snores. Usually by burying themselves so deftly under their covers and pillows that one literally had to dig them out for the boys to be found. And that was exactly how Splinter found his sons this morning; two were quietly snoring and the other two were buried deeply under the covers.

Like almost every morning, Splinter spent the next several moments getting his four sons up and moving. First up were Leo and Don, followed by Raphael who actually cooperated for a change and dug himself out on his own. Lastly was Mikey, who literally had to be dragged out of bed this morning.

By the time Splinter had his boys up, into their gear, and on their way to the dojo, he had been up for nearly an hour. It was a bit longer than he would have liked, but he had to take into account that it wasn't yet 8:00 A.M. and not even most humans were awake yet. Still, he wished to finish everything as soon as possible and be on his way to starting his many errands of the day.

On the way to the dojo, Splinter walked behind his sons and checked their moods this morning. As usual, Leo and Raph were at the head of the line. For the most part, they seemed to be ignoring one another. But every so often, Splinter could catch them throwing dark glances at one another. Not too hard to guess where that was coming from.

Behind them, Mikey walked with less spring in his step than he usual did. From the way his shoulders were hunched, Splinter guessed that he was still tensed either from yesterday's lecture or else he sensed his siblings' dark mood. Most likely, it was a mixture of the two. Well, it wouldn't be too long before Michaelangelo forgot about them both and returned to his normal, excitable self.

Of the four, only Donatello seemed to be himself. He walked behind his brothers, nearest to Splinter. Like he normally was this time of day, the young turtle was quiet and probably drawn into his own thoughts. Splinter was used to this behavior and really didn't give it much thought, believing that his third son was in a better state of mind today than his brothers were.

Reaching the dojo, Splinter saw that Maggie was alert and waiting for them. She was seated on her mat, looking up at the door as soon as the rest of her family entered the room. In an instant, Maggie was on her feet and was joining the rest as were directed to the sparring mat by Splinter.

From there, practice took its usual course. First Splinter had everyone warm up with some old katas each one had been practicing for years and knew well enough without having to be instructed. After that, they moved onto learning some of the new movements that Splinter had introduced them to a few days before.

This was how the morning practice session went for the next hour and for the most part, everything seemed to go smoothly. Perhaps a little too smoothly from what Splinter was accustomed to. Normally, at least some type of disagreement broke out among Maggie and the boys over something before practice was even half finished. Usually it was from one tripping the other up in the sparring matches or someone not handling a weapon properly.

But today, there was none of that. If anything, it was actually pretty quiet. No joking around, no horseplay between the brothers, nothing that normally went on that Splinter had come to expect. If he hadn't been prepared for something like this, he might have actually been worried.

They're still thinking about yesterday and are afraid of making me displeased with them, even Donatello and Magnolia, Splinter concluded.

He sighed once, though he hid it well enough. To be honest, part of him really wasn't too surprised that this had happened. When someone got in trouble around the Lair, it was usually followed by a period of uncertainty and silence among the children. Depending on how serious the offense, it might only go on for a few days, to a week, or even several in a few cases.

It was an easy guess that this might go on for at least a week at this rate. Oh well, there was no changing that. No amount of talking or assurance would be enough to ease his students' minds until they themselves willed it to be so. The only thing to do was to accept this mood along with everything else and move on.

Eventually, Splinter decided that it was time to excuse his three youngest and start with the real work concerning the other two. The reaction was a bit of a cross between reluctant acceptance and the cloud of uncertainty that seemed to have become a norm. When they were excuse, Splinter knew that Maggie and her brothers would head straight for the kitchen to get some breakfast.

Despite the reluctance Splinter had about leaving the children alone for preparing meals, he knew that the Don and Mikey understood enough that they could make their own breakfast and Maggie's as well. It might well mean that the kitchen could be turned into a disaster area thanks to Mikey's own experimentation when it came to the meals. But Splinter was willing to take the chance, since he knew that calm and rational Don would most likely keep his exuberant sibling in line for the time being.

Once they were gone, Splinter returned his attention to the task at hand. This was not going to be easy and he wasn't looking forward to what he had to do, no matter how necessary he felt it was. Still, he managed to keep a straight face and directed his sons into further exercises.

This went on for another half hour before Splinter finally called a halt for the morning. During this time, the boys were put through a routine of rigorous exercises that they normally didn't experience. As expected, there was some slight moaning and groaning from the brothers. But for the most part, they managed to keep themselves under control enough that Splinter felt that they were getting something out of this.

By the time Splinter had finished with his two eldest sons and all three had gone to the kitchen, the rest of the children had already eaten and put their dishes in the sink. As far as he could see, Donnie had done just what his father had expected. The boy had somehow managed to keep some sort of control in their father's absence and the kitchen was in relatively good condition.

For himself, Leonardo, and Raphael, Splinter scrounged up enough for toast and some juice for them all to have a decent share. The others had eaten cereal with fruit in it. This had taken up the last bit of milk that they had and proved to Splinter that he indeed needed to restock their supplies.

Like everything else so far, this belated breakfast was done and over in silence. Which was perhaps for the best. Splinter knew that the day was barely started and he had much to get done before nightfall. So as soon as he and the boys had finished their meal, he set about giving instructions to the children before he left.

"I am going to go and see what I can find," Splinter instructed the children when they were all out in the living room," I will be back later this afternoon. While I am gone, I want you to finish cleaning up the dojo, the kitchen, and your rooms. If you finish before I return, study your school lessons and I will check your progress later," Splinter instructed," There's some bread and fruit in the cupboard for your lunch if you get hungry."

"Yes Sensei," the boys chorused, they and their sister bowing to their Master.

Satisfied, Splinter turned and went to gather his cloak, walking staff, and gather-sack. These were stored away in the far corner of his study and like so many things that remained in the Lair, had seen their share of wear. In the last month alone, Splinter had had to replace the shoulder strap after it had broken from the stress.

When he had these things, the only place left to go was out the door. Before leaving, Splinter cast a single glance over his shoulder. He watched as the five children finally separated from one another and went about their assigned duties. From the looks of things, he guessed that everything would be all right until he got back. At least, as he turned to leave, that's what he was hoping for. Little did he know that his own hopes would end up being the exact opposite of what was in store for his children before he even returned.

A/N: Major sigh of relief, good readers. Another chapter done and out. Hate to say this, but it may be awhile before I can get this story updated. School has started again (please shoot me now) and so I'll have less time than before to do my writing. Plus, all this is really making me tired and I need a serious break. Even so, I'll try and do what I can with this. I hope that you all enjoyed reading and please, REVIEW! Thank you. :p



Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT. Duh. So you can't sue me. I'm just borrowing them for a bit. But all the original creations in this are mine, so if you want to use them, please just ask. Thank you. :P