I do not own the TMNT.

The Finding

Chapter 9

"Michelangelo has been deeply hurt by this experience. The only being he has shown any real emotion with has been his kitten, Klunk…"

"He named a kitten Klunk?" Raph interrupted.

"Be respectful!" Donnie hissed slapping an amused Raphael on the back of the head.

"Ahem…as I was saying. The child needs his big brothers. You need to help him realize that he is needed and loved," Master Makota said, "You must convince Michelangelo that he is wanted or his very soul will whither away to a ghost of what he once was. A passion for life like your brother's should never be extinguished."

"We will convince him," I said, "To that we all swear."

Several days had passed by since my brothers and I had made the promise to convince Mikey that we were truly sorry and that we needed him to come home. I had written April to let her know we had made it to Japan and the circumstances surrounding our locating of Mikey. I hoped this would make Sensei feel better, but I didn't let him know that Mikey was having doubts on returning home. Mikey was avoiding us as best that he could, but we took the opportunity to spend time with him as much as possible. Master Makota had even started allowing Raph, Donnie, and I to participate in morning practices in the dojo. I noticed, with pride, that Mikey had not lost any of his ninjitsu skills, but what surprised me the most was how good Mikey was with the younger students. I mean, don't get me wrong, Mikey has always had a great touch with children on the rare occasions that they saw us. He was always able to talk with them and convince them to keep us a secret, but this was different. He was a good teacher and the younger students looked at him as if he was a God.

"Would ya look at that," Raph said watching Mikey correct a child's hand position on a nunchuck, "Nevah thought I'd see the day when Mikey was serious about somethin'."

"When did he start growing up?" I asked, "I still remember him playing video games rather than doing any type of work."

"Guys. Did we ever give Mikey a chance to show us what he had in him?" Donnie asked making Raph and I grow thoughtful.

Had we ever really given Mikey the chance to show us what he could do? Thinking back, I realized that we hadn't. When had we ever taken Mikey seriously? Maybe that was why he was always goofing off, he had given up showing us what he was capable of. I needed to talk to Mikey. He always took a walk in Master Makota's garden before lunch so I headed there to wait for him on one of the garden benches. A hissing, gray fluff ball jumped out at me from one of the bushes startling me.

"Well hello," I said studying the kitten, "You must be Klunk."

"Mew?"

"Come on kitty-kitty," I said putting my hand out for the kitten to sniff, "I won't hurt you. I'm your master's older brother."

After Klunk sniffed me and decided that I was okay, I was granted permission to stroke his back. His purring was very soothing.

"I'm glad you found my brother," I said to Klunk, "You probably helped Mikey a lot."

"He did," my little brother said from behind me, "Klunk usually doesn't allow other people to touch him, let alone; a certain turtle who has stolen our bench. You must have made a good first impression."

"This is your bench?" I asked laughing, "No wonder he jumped out and hissed at me when I sat down."

Mikey chuckled and sat at the other end of the bench. Klunk immediately abandoned me to lounge happily in my little brother's lap, butting his head under Mikey's hands to get stroked.

"You looked great in there," I blurted out suddenly.

"What?" he said looking confused.

"You looked great in there with the students," I said with pride in my voice, "You would make an excellent instructor."

"Do you really think so?" Mikey said blushing.

"Yes I do," I said, "Mikey I don't think we have been very fair to you."

"If you mean about that night, then I can tell you honestly that I have already forgiven you and the others. You wouldn't have come all the way to Japan to find me, if you didn't care about me. I was pretty dumb wasn't I?" Mikey said as he fiddled with a strand of hair.

"You are not dumb and I am speaking of more than just that night," I said lifting Mikey's chin and looked him full in the eyes, "We have always assumed that you were just the baby of the family. We never really listened when you tried to tell us what it was you intended on doing with your life have we?"

"No you didn't, but I wasn't sure myself," Mikey said softly, "I'm still not sure."

"That's okay. You have the right to have as much time as you need to decide. This is your life and nobody else's," I said smiling, "I'll even let you know a secret."

"What's that?" he said looking curious.

"I'm not exactly sure what I want to do with my life either."

"You don't?" Mikey said surprised, "But I thought you wanted to be a ninja master."

"I do," I said, "But to do what with? Defend the innocent? Teach? Try for world domination?"

The latter earned a smile and chuckle out of Mikey.

"Just know that we will support you no matter what Mike-Mike," I said, "We all love you dearly and would like you to come home. Even if that means waiting until after you become a fully trained Jinchuu. We will always support you. Right guys?"

Mikey laughed long and hard when a blushing Raphael and Donatello came creeping out from behind a bush. It felt good to hear Mikey's laugh again and by the looks on Raph and Donnie's face, they were thinking the same thoughts. Mikey jumped up and gave each of us a long hug.

"Do you think Sensei really misses me?" Mikey said with tears in his eyes.

"Are ya kiddin'?" Raph said, "He'll tie ya to his tail ta make sure ya nevah leave again!"

"I believe he has missed you as badly as we missed you," Donnie said looking into Mikey's shining eyes, "And that is a lot of missing."

Mikey's growling stomach reminded us that it was lunchtime.

"I'm starving!" Mikey chirped pulling us towards the dining hall, "Let's eat."

Finally, the four of us were united again. Maybe things were going to be all right after all. Now the only problem was how to deal with Katsuro.

To be continued.

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