Chapter 9: Healing River
A/N: Well, one more chapter after this one and this story will be complete. I want to thank those who have read and reviewed the story so far. Your kind words and encouragement are the reason I have continued with this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own the TMNT or any characters associated with them. I own the plot and The Hamato Sisters.
The boat made its way out of New York Harbor heading for Japan. The sky was clear and filled with stars. The crew went about their business, not knowing that they had ten stowaways on their boat. Splinter had suggested that they take a well deserved vacation to Japan to see the Ancient One. The girls had never met him before and were eager to see the man who had raised Master Yoshi.
Lisa and Destiny were glad that they were reprieved from their punishment, though Raphael was still upset with them. Splinter had asked how the girls had snuck out, and Destiny had revealed the secret passage in Raph's room. Splinter had ordered that it be sealed shut, which was the cause for Raph's anger. Splinter had also punished Raph for keeping the passage a secret.
"Are we there yet?" Kaylee whined. She wasn't happy to be sitting in such a cramped space.
"No, it will take us a few days to get there," Splinter replied.
"Why couldn't we have flown in a plane?" Kaylee asked.
"Because it would be hard to disguise ourselves from the humans," Splinter told her. "You must be patient."
Kaylee sighed and sulked. She didn't want to be patient. She wanted to get off of the boat. She looked around to see what the others were doing. Lisa and Mariel were reading, Destiny was listening to her portable CD player, Kaia was staring out the window, Donnie was on his laptop, Mikey was reading a comic, and Raph was looking at a wrestling magazine. Well, at least they were amusing themselves. She had nothing to keep her amused.
"Hey, Kay, why don't you try drawing something?" Mikey suggested. He handed her a pad of paper and a pencil.
Kaylee took the items and set to work. She drew pictures of her sisters, brothers, Klunk, and Splinter. Even though the drawings weren't as good as a professional artist's were, they were still good. After she finished drawing the pictures, she colored them in with some colored pencils Mikey had brought.
Splinter was happy that Kaylee had found something to amuse herself with. He was anxious to get back to Japan to see his sensei's home country and Yoshi's own father. He thought that getting away from New York would be a good thing for his children. After Kaia's capture and rescue emotions had been tense within the Lair. Kaia continued to have nightmares after her ordeal, causing everyone else to lose sleep because of them. He hoped that the visit to the Ancient One would help to heal Kaia's wounds and boost her morale.
After the boat docked, the ten stowaways got off the ship using the ninja stealth they were noted for. Then they set out for the Ancient One's temple. Kaylee was upset that they had to walk ("Can't we rent a car?"), but one look from Splinter silenced her complaints. The other girls exclaimed at the scenery and how beautiful everything was. Kaia secretly wished she could stay there forever.
When they arrived at the Ancient One's temple, he came outside to greet them and was surprised to see that five girls had accompanied Splinter and his sons. He was curious about them, and they were curious about him. Destiny guessed that the Ancient One had to be a hundred years old.
"Welcome to my home," the Ancient One said. "It is so good to see you." He bowed to Splinter and the Turtles. Then he looked at the girls. "I see you have brought some others as well," he said. "Are you trying to follow in my footsteps, Splinter-san?"
Splinter smiled. "Well, I did not intend to follow your lead, Ancient One," he replied. "These five girls were in need of assistance, so I took them in and gave them a home."
"Very admirable, Splinter-san," the Ancient One replied. "Come inside so you can tell me the tale of how these young ladies came into your care."
After they were finished unpacking their belongings, the Turtles, the girls, and Splinter followed the Ancient One to his kitchen where he gave them bowls of miso soup and green tea. Splinter told the Ancient One all about the girls' story and how they arrived at the Lair. The girls then introduced themselves to the old man, who bowed respectfully to each of them.
"Ancient One, what did you mean when you asked Splinter if he was trying to follow in your footsteps?" Mariel inquired.
The Ancient One chuckled. "Well, my dear, I was once a lonely man until I came upon two boys on the streets," he told her. "One of the boys had a yen I had dropped out of my pocket. These two boys were orphans and had nowhere to go." Then he proceeded to tell them of how he adopted Hamato Yoshi and Yukio Mashimi and how he adopted Tang Shen as his daughter.
"What happened to Shen and Mashimi?" Kaia asked.
"They both died," the Ancient One answered.
"How?" Kaylee asked.
"They were both killed," the Ancient One replied and would say no more.
"Come on, you have to know more," pressed Kaylee. "Why can't you tell us?"
"Kaylee, enough!" chastised Splinter. "The Ancient One does not feel it is a story for young ears to hear. Let us change the subject to something more suitable."
Kaylee wasn't satisfied with this answer, but she knew she couldn't pursue the subject. Instead, she ate her soup and came up with her own theories on Shen's and Mashimi's deaths.
Splinter told the Ancient One about Kaia's capture and rescue. The old man was angry and didn't bother to hide it.
"Accursed Foot!" he seethed. "Are there no lows they will not sink to?"
"I'm afraid not," Splinter said. "That is why I decided to come to Japan. I felt that a change in scenery was in order."
"How is the little one faring?" asked the Ancient One as his eyes settled on Kaia, who was talking to Leo.
Splinter sighed. "Not well, I am afraid," he said. "She has been having nightmares each night about her ordeal. We've tried everything, but the nightmares will not stop."
"Have you tried talking to her about it?" suggested the Ancient One.
"Yes, but she will not comply," replied Splinter.
"Perhaps I can assist you," said the Ancient One. "I will speak to her and see if she will open up to me."
After the meal was finished, the Ancient One took the girls on a tour of the temple. They were amazed at the size of the rooms and wondered if all of them were used. The Ancient One admitted that he didn't use all of the rooms, but he did make sure they were all cleaned.
Kaia wanted to go outside so Leo accompanied her. The Ancient One decided to follow them, hoping that he could speak to Kaia.
"This is such a beautiful place," Kaia commented. "The view is amazing." She gazed over the cliff where a river flowed below, making sure to stay away from the cliff's edge.
"Yes, the view is a good one," the Ancient One told her. "I often come here to meditate."
"I wish I could stay here," Kaia said wistfully. "I don't want to go back to New York."
"And why is that?" the Ancient One asked her.
"Because if I go back, I'll be reminded of what the Foot did to me. I want to forget what happened to me and for it to just be a dream and not real."
"I understand, little one," the Ancient One said. "But you cannot change what has happened, nor can you forget it. It will always be there in your mind."
"You mean I'll always have nightmares?" asked Kaia.
"No, those will go away in time," replied the Ancient One. "But you will always remember what happened to you."
"Isn't there a way to forget it?" asked Kaia.
"This reminds me of a story I once heard," said the Ancient One. "There was once a river which was said to have healing properties. Anyone who bathed in this river was immediately healed of whatever affliction they suffered. The local healer of the village was confused as to why the villagers stopped coming to see him for their ailments. He heard of the healing river and thought it was just a story. Then he witnessed the river's power for himself when one of the villagers bathed in it. He warned them not to depend on the river all the time, for it probably would not have these powers long. The villagers ignored him and continued to go to the river to be cured of their aliments. Then one day, there was a drought in the village, and the river dried up. The villagers were terrified for they had no way of relieving their suffering.
"Suddenly, they were relying on the doctor to heal them. The doctor laughed at them for being so foolish as to think they could depend on a river instead of a true healer such as himself. In the end, the villagers knew he was right and decided to consult him for their ailments instead of the river. In a few days, the drought was over, and the rain filled the river once again. But no villager ever went to the river to be healed again for they had learned their lesson. Instead, they used it to fetch water to drink. So, do you see the lesson, little one?"
Kaia thought about it and shook her head. "No, I don't," she replied.
"Leonardo, do you see the lesson?" the Ancient One asked the blue-clad Turtle.
"Yes, I do," Leonardo said. "The lesson is to trust in others. The villagers thought they could rely on the river to heal them instead of trusting in the doctor to do so. Because of this, they lost sight of what was really important, namely the fact that they had someone to heal them all along. They were blinded by their own selfish desires and wanted to seek help a different way."
"Very astute, Leonardo," praised the Ancient One. "And how does this lesson pertain to your sister?"
"Kaia needs the support of her family to aid her," replied Leo. "She shouldn't try to handle this herself. She needs to trust us and tell us how she feels."
"I'm not talking about what happened," said Kaia defiantly. "I'm not ready."
"You don't have to, Kaia," Leo told her. "But you need to know that you don't have to go through this alone."
"I know that, Leo," said Kaia. "I'm sorry. Thanks for telling me. And thank you, Ancient One, for telling me that story."
"You're welcome, little one," said the Ancient One. "Now, we had better go back inside. No doubt your brothers are causing some mischief."
Splinter insisted that they have evening practice despite the fact that they were on vacation. The Ancient One observed the practice and praised Splinter for being a good teacher. He was impressed with how much the Turtles knew and how quickly the girls had progressed in their lessons. Then he told them about how he trained Yoshi and Mashimi in the art of ninjitsu.
"Did you teach Tang Shen, too?" asked Lisa.
"No, women were not allowed to train in the martial arts," answered the Ancient One. "She would rather watch her brothers train than to do it herself. But that does not mean I am against you five training in ninjitsu. You are doing well and will make fine warriors one day."
After the Turtles and the girls went to bed, the Ancient One asked Splinter if he would like a cup of tea before bed. The rat agreed with a smile and followed his host into the kitchen.
"I must say, Splinter-san, you have done a wonderful job raising your sons and daughters," commented the Ancient One. "Your son, Leonardo, reminds me of my Yoshi. I remember how he would always repeat a kata until it was done correctly." A sad look came over the old man's face. "I'm sure Yoshi would have loved them."
"Yes, he would have," agreed Splinter. "He would have been proud of them as well." He sighed. "Every time I come back here, I feel the hole in my heart from his passing. It reminds me of how I want my sons to grow up without hate for each other. I do not want them to be like Yoshi and Mashimi were. That is why I have kept a close watch on Raphael and Leonardo."
"Do you think they would act in that way?" asked the Ancient One.
"I do not think they would act that way in terms of one seeking a mate," replied Splinter. "However, I often feel that Raphael resent that I have Leonardo as the leader. There are times when I fear Raphael will act as Mashimi did and cause strife with his brother. And yet, there are other times when they get along splendidly. I remember when Leonardo was ambushed by the Foot and how Raphael stayed by his side throughout his ordeal. When I see moments like that, my fears are alleviated."
"Then perhaps they will be different," speculated the Ancient One. "Only time will tell what may happen in the future."
"That is very true," said Splinter. "Fate often gives us a surprise we never expect, which is how I feel about my daughters."
"They seem very close," remarked the Ancient One. "And they are not really related?"
"No, they are not," said Splinter. "However, they have always considered themselves as sisters. Lisa has told me about how they would often feel alone when they would get rejected by a potential parent and how they sought comfort in each other. That is how they realized they belonged together as sisters. When Karai tried to adopt Kaia, they did not want her to separate them, which resulted in their departure from the orphanage and their accidental arrival to our home. Before that, my sons helped them when a group of Purple Dragons accosted them."
"And now they have a family of their own," said the Ancient One. "I'm sure they felt terrible when Kaia was captured by Karai."
"Yes, they were very upset and determined to help rescue her," said Splinter. "I am very thankful that she was rescued from the Foot's clutches."
"Yes, it is fortunate," replied the Ancient One. "However, you should proceed with caution, Splinter-san. I have a feeling Karai may try to seek revenge against you for what you have denied her."
Splinter thought about the Ancient One's words as he made his way upstairs. He knew that Karai would stop at nothing to avenge her defeat, but he also knew that they would stop her at any cost. Little did he know just what sort of revenge she would seek and what it would mean for Splinter and his children.
A/N: And this chapter is now done. One more to go, and this story will finally be completed. Feel free to leave a review once you have read the story. And, as always, have a shell-tastic day.