Hope you enjoy this like you enjoyed the other chapters.

Second Katas

The 4 young turtles entered the room. When they knew there sensei wasn't next to the closed door, three of the four young turtles...laughed their heads off. They all had to admit that they didn't even believe that they would be able to trick their Dad. He was their father. He was supposed to know straight away when something wasn't quiet right, and yet, they fooled him. And the best bit was that that was only the beginning and they still had 2 more lessons to go. This was going to be sweet.

"Can you believe this?" Donny/leo spoke to no one imperticular, after catching his breath.

"Not at all." Leo/mikey was looking towards the ground, his back to his brothers. He took all this all to seriously.

"Can we get ready for the next one already? Please, please, please, please, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease. I'm having too much fun to stop now." Mikey/raph was ready for some more enjoyment. Obviously.

"One thing though. Act more like one another and remember who you are." Raph had this all figured. "Both Mikey and Don lost their guard so lets make sure we have a good look at each other when we swap masks, agreed?"

"Agreed," Don and Mikey said in unison as they took of their masks. Raph and, reluctantly, Leo also continued this charade.

Master Splinter entered to find his sons ready. Once again, no suspition crossed his eyes.

"My sons. Today, will will practise three particular moves, all you know. Upper rising kick to a double kick counter and finish with a chest block. Come, let us see how much more you will have learnt."

The five left the room to continue this 'ordinary' practise.

Raph

Okay this might be a little challenging. I'm Mikey. The knucklehead, the screwball, the pain in the gut Mikey. This would definitely be different. All I hope is that I don't do too badly. Katas isn't my absolute best or favourite subject. Mikey was good at the chest block but I'm not sure of the other techniques. I'll just have to wait and find out.

Master Splinter told us to leap and kick as high as we could. The others did well and I think I went OK. For a pretend Mikey that is. The real Mikey wasn't that bad either, even if he was pretending to be fearless. The double kick counter was a lot harder. I have to focus so hard just to get off the ground. All of us (except Leo/don) was having trouble just getting off the ground and landing without hurting ourselves. Finally, when I was able to produce a double kick counter...

...I slipped. I slipped big time. Everyone laughed at me. I even found myself laughing at myself. I should be glad. Mikey has to cope with this stuff everyday. And I guess it was kind of nice to let a little laugh out now and again. I wonder if that's why Mikey makes jokes so often. To get everyone to laugh and forget their worries, even for just a second. I know I'll need to remember this in future.

Master Splinter helped me up and let me try again. I could not believe myself. Not only did I do the double kick counter right, but I also did the whole routine extremely well. I guess laughing helps for being nervous as well. Master Splinter nodded and we went in our line. After talking to everyone else, he walked up to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I couldn't help but noticed Leo/don looked almost like he would cry. I wouldn't have known it to affect him that quickly. I looked up at our beloved sensei. He had a proud glint in his eyes.

"Michelangelo, this was your best practising katas I've seen you do all month. I must say congratulations my son. You should feel great pride in your accomplishment. Now all of get ready. Next is Weapons." He whacked his stick which made a noise like a thunder crack, only a little quieter. I forgot all about my thoughts of Leo. As I walked to our room, I couldn't resist the erge to do something Mikey would do everyday. I walked up to Don/fake-me with a huge grin on my face.

"You ready to lose to me, Raphie-boy?" I couldn't help but smile at my own stupidity. Don caught on quickly, luckily.

"In your dreams, knuckle-head." We entered and my innerds were about to burst with so much laughter and praise. It was like all my worries disappeared into thin...

OH NOOOOO!! I'm turning INTO MIKEY.

Don

I swear I had to completely swap personalities today. I'm the reckless, bad tempered, bad attitude, bad breath, hot-head Raph. I'm the quiet techno-geck. I now have to pretend to be reckless. I know this will not end well. If we get busted, I bet a million bucks that I'll be the one responsible. I just know it.

Since katas was my best lesson, I tried to do the moves as best I can, but at the same time trying to make it look like the gruff Raph version. Believe me, harder than it looks. The Upper rising kick I did pretty well, I hope. The double kick counter took a little more time, but after that the block was absolutely easy. I think a preschool kid could learn that move easy. After awhile of grunting and puffing, I looked round to see Mikey fall flat on his shell. Everyone just couldn't stop laughing. I looked at him to see that he wasn't Mikey. Mikey was standing next to me. No, Raphie was on the floor laughing his head off. When he got up again, we all did the routine one more time to find we all did pretty well.

We arranged ourselves into a line and, after talking to the turtle that looks like me, Master Splinter came up to me. He looked down his long nose to me. He seemed alright with my progress.

"Raphael, I must say I'm very pleased with your progress. You have almost completely mastered the lesson. I still must say, well done." He walked away to the others.

I have to be happy with that. He suspected nothing. To our room I did an exaggerated Raphael strut. I thought I heard Master Splinter chuckled behind me. Raph/mikey pretended he could beat himself in weapons. I doubt it. All I can say is.

'In this family, there is never a dull moment.'

Mikey

This lesson won't be as fun as I thought. I have to be the serious one. The not-fun one. The so-perfect-at-everything one. Leo. Like I said, he is NO FUN.

The lesson started pretty well, until the double kick counter. I am so sloppy at that move. I try, I try and I try so more, but I don't get any better. I was still practising when I heard a crash on the solid floor. I looked 'round to see Raphie-disguised-as-me on the floor. I laughed my head off. I could not help it. That was so funny. My laughs were drowned in with everyone else so no one could hear that my voice was different from Leo's. When Raphie/me got back to his feet, we all did one more routine. Mine was so amateur. The real Leo looked like a Master compared to me. That's what it seemed like anyway. When we lined up, I was 2 spots away from Leo/don, who looked over at me when Dad was finished talking to him. Dad looked like fire could burst from his mouth in one sec flat. He almost reminded me of one of the horror movies I saw 3 nights ago.

"Leonardo, I'm very, very disappointed at you. You mastered the double kick counter weeks ago. I expected better." He left to the others without a world. I glanced over at the real Leo with a little smile to see it wasn't returned. His head was down and everything. I felt a little bad that I was the one representing Leo. When he took a blow, he took it hard.

I guess this lesson's performance is in need of improvement. (Big word for today) Well, I have one more lesson to pay it off, so, I'm not to stressed. 2 down three to go, that's what I say.

...Wait, what did I say?

Leo

I walked into the dojo as silently as possible. I can't get over what Dad said to Donny. That was MY MASK. I hold the responsibility. I just hope I can act like Donny better than he can act like me. My biggest concern, however, is how Mikey will hold out acting like me. I just hope he doesn't make a complete fool of himself, cause that's making a fool of me. I'm praying he won't mess this up.

"You could easily have told I was further ahead of everyone else. I did the routine 10 times before anyone else had even gotten the hang of it. Master Splinter kept looking at me. I wonder if he finds anything different about my technique or something. I hoped that would happen then this charade can get over and done with before it gets any worse. Suddenly, there was a bang to my left. I saw one of my brothers was on the ground...laughing. I did a little cackle to join in a little. I know I shouldn't even be smiling. Raph/mikey couldn't have gotten seriously hurt. I just hoped nothing serious happened in that fall. I couldn't help but notice, when Dad helped him up, the scratches and scars on his shell. I felt responsible for each and everyone of them.

We all completed our final routine. We lined up in our order (or, at least, that's what sensei thinks) that we always do. for once I was first up. Master Splinter walked to me with something of a little 'skip' in his step. Boy he looked pleased with me.

"Donatello, your progress has improved immensely. This is a grand achievement for you. Great work."

I grinned an innocent grin when Master Splinter walked to Don/raph and Mikey/me. My smile was soon gone when I heard those 3 fateful words when he was talking to Mikey.

I expected better.

Even though they were words, they tore me limb from limb. I felt as though I was the one Dad was talking to, not my sibling. I looked down to the concrete. I felt salty water on the edge of my eyelids. I wanted to get rid of this moisture straight away, but that would show I was crying in the first place. I tried to stay as strong as I could, for their sake. Master Splinter stuck his walking stick. I almost ran to our room I was so upset. Everything was a blur. I couldn't see my own hand in front of my eyes. It was a miracle that I got to the door of our roof without hitting anything. I jogged over to my bed I took Don's masked off. Went to the darkest part of the room...and wept.

Something that I had not done for a long, long time.

So so so so sorry that it took this long to type. Schoolwork, chores, homework it all got in the way. A million times a trillion apologies.

I still hope it was good.