I own nothing. All credit goes to the creators of the 2003 TMNT series. So please just read and enjoy this story for free.

Splinter might remember it the rest of his life. He certainly hoped he would. He had woken up feeling more cramped than he had ever felt in his burrow before, and when he'd cracked his eyes open, he'd seen four, smiling faces looking at him.

His eyes had widened. He'd sat up. Then he'd noticed his own body's changes. He had grown larger!

He'd looked back to the smiling faces before him. The little turtles who had been covered in green goo that he'd found, cleaned off, and brought back to his burrow had grown bigger too. He'd stared at them with wide eyes.

Then, one, little turtle, the one the color of those round, sweet things that had sometimes been mixed in with the white grains he and Master Yoshi had eaten so often, had walked away from the other three. The now larger turtle had put both of his front feet up onto the old, dry, drainage pipe and had looked up to meet the mutant rat's gaze. He'd then pulled himself up further and moved his face even closer to Splinter's own. The turtle's green chin had soon hung right above the rat's lowered snout.

Splinter had blinked back at the young turtle. He had just been thinking to himself how he must look like a monster with his larger size, and claws and teeth. He had thought to himself then, Yet, this little one comes near me despite my appearance.

Then, another of the turtles, the dark green one, had sprung forward and shoved the first out of the way to take his place standing right before him. The first got up and pushed him back. Then they were both struggling with each other in front of the opening of the drainage pipe he'd made into his burrow. Splinter had blinked at them both.

Then another of the turtles had pulled himself up by the drainpipe to meet Splinter's gaze. He had been a bluer shade of green than the others. He'd stood right behind the shell of the dark green one, and he had been grinning up at him.

When the dark green turtle had backed up in his fight with the first and bumped into the grinning turtle, the other turtle's grin had only grown more. He'd glanced their way a moment, keeping his smile, before looking back to Splinter again. The rat had raised his eyebrows. Then he'd smiled back at the young creature before him. You are cheerful.

Finally, the last of the four turtles to approach had climbed right over the still smiling one. This one had been almost as yellow as he was green. He'd become the first to actually climb all the way up into Splinter's burrow with him.

Splinter had risen and moved to make room for this turtle at the time. Then he'd looked down at him, the young turtle who'd made it to his side first. He'd smiled at him too. You are smart.

He'd finally looked back to the fight that had still been going on between the first two turtles to come near him after somehow escaping his burrow. Splinter had shaken his head and reached out to pull an arm of the dark green one away from the other turtle. The "free," dark green arm had then flashed out to push Splinter's hand away. The rat had drawn his hand away and shaken his head. You are pushy.

He had next reached back out and picked up the still smiling one. Then he'd placed him on the opposite side of him as the smart one then sat at. Next, he'd tried to pick up the pushy one again. This time he'd used both hands.

At the feeling of his feet leaving the ground, the pushy one had let go of the first of the turtles to approach Splinter, and had tried to pull away the fingers gripping him. However, the rat had held on tight until he'd placed the dark green one beside the cheerful turtle. The latter had seemed to try mimicking the other two by pinning the dark green one's arms to his sides with an embrace. The pushy one had scowled. The cheerful one had just continued to smile.

Finally, Splinter had reached down and picked up the turtle the color of … "peas." That had been the name of the tiniest vegetable he remembered eating with Master Yoshi! The rat had then looked down into the eyes of the turtle who'd first approached him again. This little one's face did not wrinkle, flinch, or turn away, but just stared intently back at him with amazing focus. Splinter had then realized this turtle had also not shrunk away from the dark green one's pushing either. He had smiled at him. You are fearless.

What do you think?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes