Reflected Future

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

Part Three:

Michaelangelo:

Don't ask me when, where or how I came to the conclusion that Rama's training wasn't quite the way I recalled mine being under Splinter's tutelage. Perhaps it was simply a matter that Splinter was our Sensei and Leo was Rama's, and it was possible that Leo's teaching methods were different from our Master's.

Then again I hadn't really paid a great deal of attention to my schooling, least not if I could help it. Though I admit Splinter sure had his ways of making a person sit up and pay attention.

I mean once in a while I'd watch one of her lessons and have a feeling that Leo was doing things that for the life of me I couldn't recall Splinter ever doing with us. But I trusted Leo and I figured he knew what he was doing so didn't bother asking unnecessary questions.

Of course there were plenty of distractions to take away from the every day pleasures of life. Practically any one could understand I mean raising a child, I found was a big distraction in itself.

But there were patrols, and night battles and trailing or spying on the Foot, which also caused its share of normal every day distractions for the like of us.

Then there was a series of distractions that I hated the most, the sort of distractions, which seem to tie you up and occupy you the longest. Things that just don't go "hi notice me " in this mouse like squeak of a voice. But rather gets up slaps you right across the face before yelling " Your going to notice me! NOW!" Before it goes and falls right on top of you, so you can't help but notice it, and then you have to dig your way out of it.

So I might have had the rare or occasional niggling little feeling that something wasn't quite right or that my brother, might be hiding things from us.

Yet Leo was often secretive about certain things regarding the clan. I had learned that if Leo wanted us to know, he'd tell us. Being trained for Jonin meant a lot of details Leo was aware of concerned only him or Splinter alone.

So I don't think I paid much attention to it and I ignored the feeling or irritation once in a while it would pop into my head, like the errant thought that it was, but for the most part I concentrated and focused on other things until other details demanded my attention.

Trust me once those distractions started there wasn't a great deal of time to sit and contemplate on if my daughter's training was really all that different from what I had learned years ago.

Distraction one; was caused by my daughter breaking the tops side rule and making a human friend.

That brought distraction two, Melody Scott, her friend Jessie's mother who preached tolerance but wasn't very understanding of us. She was quite sure we were evil monsters and probably would have preferred to see us dead or locked up where we wouldn't do anyone harm. Luckily she changed, but at first she was an enemy and a threat to our well being.

Distraction Three; A very necessary move right around Rama's seventh birthday followed very shortly by, yeah, you guessed it distraction four.

That little distraction was baby sitting and looking after a certain special lady of the night, who happened to be working her way through nursing school the hard way. She was also trying to get a real seedy low life character off the streets and behind bars. That was why she needed our protection; the person she was willing to testify against was trying to have her killed to shut her up.

Then came distraction five right fast on fours heels. That one was a real kicker and for all my training I still get chills even thinking about it. Rama's mother, Shay came back to New York, kidnapped and drugged Rama with a street drug.

Shay intended to use her own daughter to earn a living. She wanted Rama to be a big part of Las Vegas and I'm sure that Shay could have done well with such a show. Though how she could do that to Rama I don't know.

Shay had used the buzz to keep Rama quiet and make it harder for us to track and find her until Rama could be smuggled away from New York. Only thing is the drug just about took Rama's life, she laid in a coma like sleep for five days.

It could have killed her and in truth it was very touch and go. Even Don who was normally so composed in an emergency had seemed stressed and unsure of what to do to help Rama.

All we could do was hope and wait and pray that she would open her eyes.

That was the sort of distractions that diverted me from those stray thoughts of how Leo happened to be training my daughter. Those sort of things kept me from poking prying and other wise just mulling over whether her training was normal or not.

It had taken a few weeks for Rama to recover but she was starting to be all right now, though if she heard anyone even mention Shay's name she'd glare hard, stomp her foot and yell " I hates Shay. Shuts up about her!"

In fact this was the first night that I had left her since she'd been kidnapped and drugged I needed a bit of time alone to reflect and consider.

I climbed up to the top of an apartment complex that had an incredible roof top garden; there was a place for the growing vegetables and herbs, lots of flowers, a small pond with fish and a sitting area that included a lawn swing.

At night the door to the garden was locked, the garden area was open to the tenants of the building over certain times and there was no cameras or anything up here. It was nice and peaceful. I sat back on the lawn swing relaxing and swinging slightly as I watched the sky overhead.

I thought about recent events and so much more, little things came popping into my head out of nowhere.

After some time Leo came up to check up on me he was interested in knowing if I had any feelings left for Shay.

Wouldn't that be a laugh? Having feelings for the person who had almost taken my daughter from me permanently. No I had given up on Shay when she had taken Rama at the age of four.

I knew Shay hadn't been telling me the truth when I asked her why she had taken Rama back then, yet Shay stuck to it and I had given her the ultimatum to leave my family and I alone. She was to go on with her life pretending that Rama didn't exist. If she ever came back or harmed Rama in a way she would regret it.

Course she ha to test us and make sure I was telling the truth. Yeah she might have regretted her actions but not for long.

Once Leo was sure about my feelings concerning, Shay we talked a bit about Rama and how she could never be a proper kunoichi and the way she often rebelled she might end up being more of a shinobi, then a kunoichi. After all a shiobi is only a rebel kunoichi.

I guess though that Rama's training had been sort of pricking at the back of my mind bit by bit, constantly there but easily overlooked.

Now with Leo in a talkative mood and checking up on things acting, more like an older brother then the leader of our group, the chunin to Splinter and eventually the jonin of our clan. Perhaps that is why it slipped out but I hadn't exactly been expecting it to do that.

" Her turning shinobi would put a crimp in your plans thought wouldn't it Leo, especially considering Rama's future within the clan" I commented quickly.

Leo turned to face me; I could make out his face and his calm steady stare even in the darkness of the garden. " What do you mean Mike?" he asked innocently arching one eye ridge ever so slightly.

" You know her being a shinobi won't sit well if she has to be a jonin one day" I said in a hard tone and I wondered where that accusation had come from. Surely just the thought Rama was being trained different didn't mean she was going be a jonin.

" Mike…" Leo began.

I held up my hand and shook my head; little things in my mind were starting to come together, the way I think Leo silently approved when Rama escaped the Foot in the sewers when they had captured Jessie. His concern for Rama, while, she fought for her life. A concern he didn't show outwardly but it was known and felt in other ways. I recalled Splinter coming in once when Leo was with me and Splinter had seemed greatly troubled and I had sensed there was more to it.

At that time though my concern was for Rama. There were numerous other little things that now made them selves' known with, my finally saying the words. As if by saying the words alone were enough to provide all the clues I needed to verify it.

" No Leo I know what you and Splinter is training Rama for. I seen him training her at times, Splinter doesn't even worry about our practices any more but he stirs himself to help you train her" I accused bitterly " It makes sense I suppose she is the oldest after all." I hesitated for a moment knowing that I would be crossing the line with my next words, but I was Rama's father and I didn't care if I stepped on a few toes at this moment.

" I think someone else would be better suited for the job" I hinted firmly.

Leo sighed a bit softly but he didn't deny or refute my words in any way, nor did he hasten to assure me that I was off my rocker and all my recent worries and stress was creating things that just weren't so.

A part of me actually longed for Leo to admit that this was some sort of joke on his part, or delusion on my part I think I could have taken either of those scenarios quite well. Sure I knew Leo wasn't much for playing practical jokes but there were times he could cut loose and enjoy life.

" It can't be helped Mike" was Leo's simple but solemn reply.

I felt a sinking feeling inside as I realized that it was true. Rama was being trained to be a jonin.

My only child, my daughter had somehow been picked for the honour and the curse that came with leadership of a clan.

Why hadn't I been consulted? Why did it have to be Rama?

This was the sort of thing Leo might dream up for his children but it was not what I wanted for her. I winced inwardly knowing only some of the challenges that awaited her, the maturity that would have to come with those lessons and I felt very much that the child that she was, would be taken from me.

In much the way that ninja clans used to take and raise children, so they never knew their own parents or family and accepted the clan as their family.

I thought it was bad enough that Rama was going to be a ninja, that would place her life in enough danger, but paradoxically it could also spare her life. Ninja training was the only thing that might help her stay safe in a world full of people like her mother, who would want to hurt and exploit her.

I don't know how Splinter managed to train us, and then feel secure enough in our training, to send us out in the world to test our abilities.

Did he ever sit and wonder about what he was sending us into? Did he ever consider the many threats and dangers that might prevent us from returning to him?

Jonin meant a great deal of responsibility. Jonin meant added danger for Rama.

I knew I couldn't save her from every danger out there, that was why she had to be trained as a ninja, so she could call on her own reserves and skills.

As far as I was concerned I didn't have to let her be a jonin or trained that way.

Leo's look turned hard " Mike. It isn't your choice. It is an honour."

" Like hell it is Leo!" I snapped, " What is so great in being a leader of a clan?"

Leo gave me a stoic glare " I know you are upset, so I'll pretend you didn't say that. Mike Splinter decided it."

" And you just go along with this idea of his, come on Leo what do you think as the future jonin you must have an opinion of your own" I growled getting up and stomping over to the edge of the garden and looking down at the streets and city below.

Leo's hand draped across my shoulder " Mike, we need your acceptance in this if Ramiela were to pick up your feelings on this matter it might make her more difficult to train you know that."

" Listen Leo she is my daughter. I want to protect her and keep her safe. I can't agree to this," I snapped quickly shaking my head. " I can let her be a jenin because she needs that." I explained, " in the same way other parents train their children how to handle the, lets hope it never happens, child molester or kidnapper. They train them knowing it could help that child if."

" Mike further training can help Ramiela protect not only herself but others as well." Leo protested.

" If jenin is good enough for me it ought to be good enough for my daughter!"

Leo seemed to reflect on my words " Give yourself time think about it. Right now her training isn't that in depth."

I snorted a bit in amusement at those words.

Leo nodded " Just don't interfere with her training for now." He ordered suddenly becoming the leader again.

I gave a non-committed answer to his request. I couldn't agree to that at this moment.

I went home suddenly concerned about Rama's training. I knew what was expected of me.

I ought to be proud for my daughter. I ought to back both of the leaders in our clan fully and do everything possible to ensure Rama obeyed them. I knew what my duty to the clan was.

My duty to my daughter was something totally different and at the moment I didn't know which would win.

I got home and peeked into Rama's room.

Shining half closed glowing eyes greeted mine and a rumbling purr began, Baka was curled at the foot of her bed content to spend the night sleeping with his mistress and reassure her from any bad dreams that might interfere with her sleep.

I looked at the small huddled form under the blankets she was just a seven and a half year old little girl, full of love, laughter and mischief. She was my angel and devil mixed together and looking at her like the way she was right now made me realize how different Leo was from this sweet innocence of childhood.

Looking at her the way she was I just couldn't picture her as a jonin, I couldn't see how I was suppose to accept the decision the clan had made.

I was afraid in this instance it was my duty for my daughter that would win over the clan's desires this time.

TBC

Ninjalara: Well I explained Rama's jokes and how I was never like that.

As for the ninja fighting world owning and reading ninja books really helps add to a great deal of my stories. Sometimes though, I realize the turtles being such a small clan would have to have different rules from regular ninja clans.

Lenni: Mike might have the right to know but Leo isn't about to change his mind. As it is Leo got lucky he kept it from Mike for a year. Under normal circumstances Mike would probably have caught on much sooner.