Coming Of Age
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.
Chapter Eight – Game to reality
Two days after the accident, Don rechecked Rama's leg, the wound on it was healing quite nicely and Don, with the knowledge that a cast might be needed, had wisely used self absorbing stitches.
" No sign of infection everything looks good. Now comes the tricky part I want to see if you can put weight on your leg."
" Okay!" Rama cheered ready to jump off the table. Don's hand quickly restrained her.
" Hold it right there!" Don ordered " I want you to place just a bit of weight on it and slowly increase the weight until it hurts. If it hurts right away.Stop immediately."
Rama nodded obediently as she eased herself down, cautiously placing her left foot on to the ground, barely had she put weight on it when she felt the sharp jolt of pain. She inhaled sharply between gritted teeth and squeezed her eyes shut at how much it hurt her.
Don had been keeping his senses alert and he moved fast, as soon as he sensed her pain he bent scooping her into his arms and back on to the infirmary bed.
Don gave her a gentle but sympathetic look " Guess that answers that question. Looks like it is time for a cast after all Ramiela."
" Can I do ninja lessons with a cast on Uncle Donatello?" she asked hopefully.
Don shook his head " I thought I told you before you might miss a lot more lessons."
" You did but I was hoping…" Rama moaned totally crestfallen at the prospect of missing her lessons. " Its not fair!" She grouched suddenly sulking.
" Sorry Ramiela but it is necessary, especially as you are going need two good legs for ninjitsu. Even when the cast comes off you will have to rebuild the muscles in your leg slowly." Don replied kindly. He cupped her face in his hands " Trust me the alternatives could be much worse."
" I don't see how," Rama moped.
Don and Sara prepared the cast and while they mixed the plaster for the cast they explained what Rama would have to do to care for it, as well as things she should tell them about immediately.
Ramiela listened carefully to all the instructions with a morose look on her face. " Having a cast isn't going to be any fun at all."
Don laughed, " That is what you think Ramiela, when the cast is dry your friends and family can sign the cast and draw pictures on it for you."
" Really?" Rama perked up a bit with that news. She chuckled a bit " People drawing on my leg."
After all the orders had been given and she had been handed her crutches Rama made her way out of the infirmary, out of habit she made her way to the dojo. Sensei was there instructing Aiden and Kaliann in some of the basics.
" Aiden bend your knees more, and spread your legs further apart for better balance." Leo instructed. He shook his head when Aiden refused to comply.
Leo walked over to Aiden and taking his hands gave Aiden a gentle push on the shoulders. Aiden was forced to back up or fall over onto his tail.
" Now improve your stance son, you should remain firm!"
This time Aiden hastened to obey and Leo nodded his approval.
" Better much better son."
Rama went over and sat down on a bench against the wall to watch the rest of the lesson, with just a hint of wistfulness on her face.
Leo dismissed the two a few minutes later. Aiden typically wandered over to look at the weapons displayed in the racks, he kept his hands locked behind his back. Proving that he fully understood, and was willing to abide, by the rule of looking but not touching the weapons.
Leo walked over and sat down beside Ramiela placing a hand on her shoulder " Looks like you won't be doing much of the physical part of ninjitsu for awhile."
Rama sighed, as she looked up at her Sensei, " I could do it Sensei. With the cast on my leg won't hurt any." She blurted out frantically.
Leo gave a stern shake of his head " You can't put too much of a strain on your leg, even with the cast on, you might end up making your leg much weaker in the long run. Patience, is a virtue you must learn Ramiela, especially an important one to ninja."
" I want to do ninjitsu though Sensei. I don't want to sit around and do nothing but school work" She said, " I don't care for Uncle Donatello's lessons."
Leo chuckled he knew how Rama felt about Don. He was also fully aware of how many problems his brother had with teaching Rama her lessons.
" You know Ramiela you can still practice ninjitsu."
Rama pulled her head back slightly giving Leo a strange puzzled look that clearly said ' Say what?' She knew that he had just told her she couldn't do ninjitsu, so she couldn't figure out why now, all of a sudden she could.
Leo laughed at her perplexed look " Ninja need more then just physical skills. They use a great deal of mental abilities as well. I've been focusing mostly on your physical but we can work on the mental while you are recovering."
" Mental? What do ninja need that stuff for? Don't they just need to kick butt?" Rama asked.
" Mental abilities help a ninja to understand more about their enemies and the world around them. With the mental skills you can pick up emotions, you can learn what others are thinking, you know if people are lying. Sometimes you might even learn what the enemy plans to do before he does it." Leo explained.
" Cooooool!" Rama grinned, " But I can all ready tell sometimes what family members are feeling. I do it with daddy and Aunt Karena."
" Yes, I know you can but you must learn to control it and use it when you want to." Leo replied simply, " It should not be something that happens just once in a while with certain people."
Rama smiled, " Any ninja lesson has to be better then none at all. Or being stuck doing nothing but boring schoolwork" She admitted.
Leo grinned, " Besides that there are other things you can learn to do while you recover. You could learn a new skill or hobby. In fact I am going to insist you learn to do one new skill while you are healing." Leo decided quickly, " I don't care if you learn how to draw, or play an instrument after all your Aunt Jen does have that guitar. Just learn something that you might be able to use in your life and enjoy." Then Leo gave her a stern look " As for Don, he has a great deal to teach you, and you really ought to respect him."
Rama groaned inwardly sensing a lecture coming " Okay I'll try to pay more attention to Uncle Donatello" she relented, " Can we work on the mental work now Sensei?"
Leo was aware that she was trying to divert attention elsewhere but he also knew that Rama did need to know the mental aspects, and it would probably be far easier for him to instruct her on it now, then waiting until she recovered fully.
The mental aspects of ninjitsu required a great deal of discipline and focus to achieve, whichwas partly the reason why Rama didn't know much about them as of yet. Her age, and her natural characteristics made it difficult to teach her correctly.
" All right we will work in the meditation room. I'll get a chair for you to sit on just to make things easier for you. Normally you would be expected to sit on the floor in the lotus position."
Rama cuddled up to Splinter on his right side, Aiden was on Splinter's left, while Kaliann had the spot of honour on Splinter's lap. All of them were on the couch listening as Splinter told them stories about his sons when they were little.
Karena entered the living room and saw all of them she smiled as the one tale ended " Enough stories now you two it is bedtime." She announced.
" Aw but mom" Aiden protested " Splinter was gonna tell us when Dad were real bad."
" Your father real bad?" Karena repeated in disbelief arching an eyebrow and shaking her head " I find that hard to believe."
" Leonardo had his moments when he was younger. If he got an idea into his head he could become very stubborn about it." Splinter replied.
" He can still be stubborn. Trust me!" Karena said and then laughed a little.
Splinter turned to Aiden " I will tell you the story tomorrow for now listen to your mother."
Aiden's face grew dark " I wanna hear story. NOW!" He yelled to help get his point across.
" Hey you don't talk to Splinter like that" Karena admonished sharply " Say you are sorry." She insisted.
Aiden turned and glared at his mother before answering with a simple " NO!"
Karena smiled as she moved in and picked Aiden up " It is most definitely bedtime. Come on Kali."
Kaliann reached up and kissed Splinter's whiskery nose " Night Spinter" she said sweetly before getting off his lap and following after her mom.
Rama watched them leave and snuggled closer to Splinter. She had always liked the fact that he was the soft member of the family, at least until she started getting Aunts.
Splinter smiled down at her " Is there a story you would like to hear my child?"
" Uh-uh." Rama shook her head.
Splinter looked at the cast marked in numerous felt colours, he clearly recognized the different signatures. " Are you all right Ramiela? He asked suspiciously.
" I don't think daddy is very happy with me." Rama mumbled.
Splinter nodded he had sensed something that was disturbing her, obviously she had picked up on Mike's concerns for her. " Why do you say that child?"
" He said he were proud of me for helping that little boy but he don't act like it" Rama explained, " he's also kinda of sad but I don't know why. I didn't mean to get hurt. Didn't I do a good thing? Or is it that I didn't act ninja enough for daddy?"
Splinter wrapped an arm around her shoulder hugging her close with one arm while he stroked her hair with his other hand. " Ramiela rest assured you are ninja enough for your father. Your father though knows he now must start to let you go and that isn't easy for him."
" Let me go? Go where? Where am I going?" Rama demanded suddenly worried " You're not making me goes away are ya?"
Splinter chocked back his laughter as he heard this, for he realized she had misunderstood him and it was causing her to become more concerned. " It is not what you think Ramiela. Your father must come to grips with the fact you are getting older and you might not need him as much as you once did" Splinter informed her kindly. " He also knows in a few short years you will be doing more as a ninja."
" Really?" Rama interrupted her eyes full of excitement at that prospect.
Splinter did end up laughing this time " Really." He replied simply then smiled, " Ninja often find themselves in great danger Ramiela and your father doesn't want to see you hurt."
" Daddy worries too much. I supposed to be kunoichi. I wants to be a ninja and dad said I could be one." Rama declared. She grinned, a little " I like to play that I really am a ninja. One day I won't have to play that I am one. Because I will be."
Splinter caressed her face with one hand " You most certainly will. However when a parent worries Ramiela it is their way of saying they love you." He sat back and gave her a tender look " So your father just wants you to know he cares about you. He doesn't want the games to become real."
Rama nodded, " Aunt Karena doesn't want the game real either."
" How do you know that? Has she told you?" Splinter wondered.
" No I feel it. I feel her and dad pretty good. Sensei is tryin' to git me to feel everyone though but it isn't easy." Rama gave a slow shake of her head " I can't seem to get it with anyone but dad and Karena."
" You are able to read them because they are much closer to you. Karena has never hid her feelings" Splinter confessed, he knew Leo had been aware of her intentions towardshim but his son had ignored her. " Perhaps I can help you learn to read others."
Rama beamed she loved Splinter's lessons " I'd like a lesson with you Master."
"Very well we will arrange it hmm?" Splinter asked.
Rama nodded and sighed with contentment as she nestled close to Splinter resting her head on his arm " Is daddy going let me be a kunoichi one day?"
" I am sure he will come to accept it as inevitable child." Splinter answered.
Rama laughed, " In what?"
" Inevitable. It means that it must come to pass. It is your future and your destiny. You are ninja and your father will accept it in time, so you must not worry any longer."
Rama smiled " Maybe. Maybe I'll just play ninja till daddy is ready for it to be real" she decided softly.
Splinter sighed inwardly, ' Ah such wisdom' he mused though he had a feeling that Rama would find it difficult to turn down ninja status until her father was ready to accept it.
Rama like many young children had spent her early years playing at the thing she wanted to be when she grew up. She emulated the adults around her in the same fashion other children would make believe at being mom, dad or some job career like a doctor or fireman. Some children even pretended to be their favourite characters from books or movies.
Yet very few of those children would ever grow up to be one of those things they pretended to be as a child, growth, opportunities changed goals and aspirations.
Ramiela though would get to be exactly what she had dreamed of and pretended to be, one day very soon she would be a real kunoichi and then she wouldn't have to pretend any longer.
Only once her childhood game became a reality would it suddenly take on all new meaning for her.
TBC