Splinter's Tale

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Part Five – Regrets

 It was amazing how in thirteen years our simple home had taken on the furnishings and trappings of most human homes topside but such furniture provided us with comfort.

My sons in many ways had done far better with their lessons then I had ever hoped they would truly achieve, when I looked at them now I could see them for what they truly were. They had in many ways surpassed my simple teaching and become in every essence every way true ninja.

I could see it when they practiced and was amazed with how well their moves now matched the movements I recalled other ninja making back in Japan.

My ears perked up as the door into our home creaked open softly I glance up to see my four sons entering they had gone topside alone this night. That they returned now meant that they should have accomplished the test I had set them.

" You have returned my sons and have you fought?"

" And won against fifteen foes" Michelangelo replied bowing before me.

" Your training served us well Master" Leonardo declared also bowing.

I heard the news and felt a shiver travel the length of my spine fifteen against four and my sons looked relatively unscathed for it.

" Against the Purple Dragons no less, toughest street gang on the East side" Raphael boasted proudly " They even had guns not that it did them much good we still whipped their sorry butts." ( A/N Yes, the Purple dragons are mentioned in the original number one comic. The new cartoon series do have a lot of the old comic series in them.)

I was pleased and sat up straighter in the chair I was in, I knew now if ever was the time for my sons to learn all that I had kept from them to this point.

" Your skills are at their peak. It is time now to learn why I have trained you these past years. You will learn of my past and your past as well."

I then told my sons about my life in Japan about Yoshi, Nagi and Shen. I told them how Shredder then used his anger to become one of the greatest Foot Soldiers and sent to America and a year later how under his rule the Foot Soldiers had become very powerful and dangerous, I told them how Saki was not pleased and hunted down Yoshi and Shen murdering them leaving me alone in the world.

I told them too of their beginnings and the strange accident that had caused four ordinary pet turtles and a rat to become what we were today.

When I was done telling them my story I looked at each of my sons in turn " Now I am old there is a task that I would have you perform for me before I leave this life.

Now I ask you to do that which no being should ask another…I ask you to avenge the cruel death of my Master Hamato Yoshi and his wife Tang Shen. I ask you to challenge and kill the murderer Oroku Saki- The Shredder." ( These words were taken direct from the Eastman and Laird number one comic. Said right after Splinter finishes telling his sons about their beginnings.)

I glanced at each of my sons silently holding my breath wondering how they would respond to my request. They could turn me down and if they did would I, could I accept it as their choice?

Yes, they might decide to leave Yoshi without honour but I hoped my tale had moved them and that they would respond in the true ninja way.

Leonardo was the first to raise his head to catch my eyes his eyes shining with pride as he spoke " I accept the assignment Master."

Raphael nodded his acceptance.

" Me too sounds like it could be fun," Michelangelo laughed.

Donatello gave a small gentle smile " Count me in."

My sons had accepted and there would be no turning back since the night was still young there was one assignment I selected Raphael to do this night for a challenge must be delivered to Saki.
In my years of scavenging I had learned where his home base was and directed Raphael to infiltrate their headquarters and leave a calling card as well as our challenge, which I would write.

Raphael gave one of his wicked looking grins and said " My pleasure Master."

The note I then wrote for the Shredder was simple and to the point but I knew that it would still strike fear in the cowards heart.

I wrote that he had dishonoured his family by killing Yoshi and to regain honour he must meet my four pupils the following evening in a match to the death.

The next day I do my best to ensure that my sons are prepared and ready to face the battle that lies ahead of them.

It is all I could do for them, hopefully it would be enough but I know this is no street gang my family goes to fight this night no these are skilled warriors.

As night falls my sons leave to make their rendezvous and I am left alone with the silence of the sewers and my memories of the past. I am also left with my worries, fears and concerns to confront me.

I know that Saki is most likely going to test my son's skills first pitting his Foot Soldiers against my sons. How many Soldiers would my sons have to face and defeat before Saki decides to meet them head on?

Hopefully Saki will only test them but I knew it was also quite possible for him to overwhelm my sons with the sheer number of Soldiers greatly weakening my students to the point it would be almost impossible for the four of them to withstand the strength and skill that Saki possessed.

That very thought chilled me.

What had I done?

I had in all likely hood sent my sons to their death. I could possible lose them this very night and then I would be left alone again.

I did not wish to be alone and suffer the misery of losing all those that I loved yet again. I held my sons near to my heart. They were not just my pupils they were in every sense my sons. I had raised them, cared for them in sickness, trained them teaching them all I felt they would need to get by. I loved them as if they were my own.

They meant so much to me and I had sent them to face a challenge that they might not be able to overcome.

Why? Why had I done such a foolish thing?

Did revenge and words of honour mean far more then family itself?
Had I allowed my own anger and hatred to blind me into feeling that this was truly the only way?

I wondered briefly if there could have been another way that I had not previously seen or thought of because I was set on this one path.

If only I could go back and not set in motion what I had. If I had left things alone as I should have would I then be able to live with myself?

I knew now that if my sons died this night that I would not be able to go on for I would have essentially caused their death.

I also knew that we had come full circle of Nagi being killed by Yoshi and if my sons by some miracle accomplished the fools mission I had sent them on then the Foot in turn would want their revenge for Saki.

I had dragged my sons into a long blood feud.

The circle had to be broken. It had to stop and not continue to repeat itself.

It was true my sons could have turned down this mission but I had trained them well in honour and respect for them to have denied this mission would be to deny all their training and all that I had taught them would be dishonoured. I had not truly offered them a real choice though it almost seemed like I had.

I longed to put an end to this charade but it was far too late for that now, wisdom had come too late.

I had loved Yoshi and had thought that I had owed him this for he had no heir to restore his lost honour to him I was the only one who could do that for him.

I too had seen what Nagi had done to Shen and how killing Nagi had destroyed a piece of Yoshi. I highly doubted that Yoshi's death plagued Saki in any way shape or form.

I had also been the only one to see how cowardly Saki had killed those I loved. He was a  man with no honour only much hatred. Much as his older brother had been.

Yoshi deserved honour to be returned and my sons provided the only means I knew to achieving that goal.

I knew now thought that I loved my sons too, each was special to me in their own way and I realized now that I did not wish to lose any of them in a battle of honour.

Yet I could not stop the events, which were playing out on the rooftops.

Now I could only sit and hope with all my heart, that the training my sons had received would be sufficient to restore honour and bring them back to me. I knew if they fought together helping each other out as I had trained them too they could be strong enough to meet and conquer the challenge of this evening.

If their training was lacking in any way I would never see my sons again they would be lost to me forever and then what would I have to show or live for in this life?

I was torn and conflicted between what I wanted for the Master I once loved and the sons, the family I loved and had now.

I hung my head and felt bitter cold tears trickle from my eyes knowing that I could either win all or lose all in the battle that raged this night and only now did I see that such a battle might be far more then I could bear.

TBC