The next morning after breakfast Leonardo quieted everyone down and had them gather outside near the half ruined workshop. They all seemed to know what was going on except for April, who wondered what they were up to.
"April we wanted to thank you somehow for sharing this amazing place with us," Leonardo started. "Together we have been able to grow as a team and improve our skills. We have been safe from the Foot and found friendships we never thought we would have."
Casey nudged Donatello towards the ancient workbench playfully and he pushed him back before scampering around behind it suspiciously.
"So we made you a gift," he continued. "All of us did some work on it, but Donnie put on the finishing touches so we're giving him the honors."
Donatello came back around with a bo staff. It was shorter and thinner than his, and made from light oak instead of dark. The middle had white and red twined wrappings, woven together. Her mouth dropped when she held it. "It's beautiful! You made this?" she asked breathlessly. One end had kanji symbols carved into it and a flowing pattern of willow leaves.
"Let me make sure I made it the right size," Donatello said. "Stand it up next to you." He leaned back to appraise it. "Just a bit shorter than you, perfect! It's officially done."
"Thank you so much, guys!" she said, hugging each of the five of them.
Thrilled, she tested the feel of it slowly. It was perfectly weighted, not too heavy, comfortable in her grip and the detail and craftsmanship they had put into the it was unbelievable. She rubbed a finger over the kanji. "What does it mean?" she asked.
"Fiery spirit," replied Raphael.
"We all agreed it suited you," snickered Casey, to the chuckles of the others.
"Yeah, just wait 'til the next time you guys leave me with all the dishes," she joked. "You're going to be in major shit."
"Now that your basic training is done we thought you would want to progress," said Leonardo. "It is up to you. Raph is confident now that you could handle yourself in a one-on-one human confrontation. The bo is nice enough to have as a keepsake. We picked the weapon for you based on Raph's assessment of your inherent strengths and weaknesses. It is combat ready if you would like to learn how to use it. With us as your teachers, you will become a skilled fighter."
Her breath caught in her throat. This was an open invitation to join them in their training beyond the farm. Accepting her into the group by offering to share their passion for ninjitsu. They had also given her a casual way to decline if she wasn't interested without hard feelings. They accepted her either way.
"Yes, yes, yes I want to learn how to use it!" she said in giddy excitement. "I'm truly honored."
"Excellent!" Donatello cheered.
Raphael smiled with a look close to pride and she grinned up at him. He took her hand and squeezed it.
"Okay April, Raphael can teach you the basics today," Leonard said warmly. "Ultimately Donnie is going to be the best teacher and he'll give you some lessons before we go back. Like I had said, we are working well again as a team and have really built each other up. Now, to fully prepare to go back and fight an entire army, we need to start trying to tear each other down."
The brothers seemed to have already gone over this but wanted to include April and Casey. "I want for all six of us to train together, once in the morning and once again in the evening every day. It is going to be intense. Mornings we train as a team. Evenings we will single each other out and fight five on one. We need to get used to getting swarmed. It needs to become second nature to defend against many attacks at once. It is the only way we will defeat the Foot and find Splinter. Retreat is not an option this time," Leo said firmly.
"April, obviously as a beginner we are going to keep you back, keep you safe," Raphael said soothingly. "This will help get you into fighting shape and give you some skills. Unless things go really, really wrong, we'll keep them offa you." He looked conflicted and worried.
"Casey, you are a great fighter and have gotten even better training with us now and then," Leonardo said. "Are you ready to commit to this and take it up to the next level?"
"Hell ya, how could I pass that up?" Casey replied enthusiastically. "I'm itching to kick some ninja-wannabe ass. Farm life is making me crazy."
"Awesome, I'm glad we are all on the same page," Leo said, relaxing.
Donatello gave April and Raphael a sly look. "I think we've cut into your morning enough. You two crazy kids go out in the woods and do whatever it is you do," he teased.
They all laughed and April blushed. Raphael scowled angrily at them, tensing. April played along and purred, "Yes, Raph, please teach me how to handle this huge stick."
That shocked them into silence for a moment and then they all burst out laughing, Raphael included. "Well when you put it like that, how can I say no?" They went on their way, catcalls behind them. "Don't mind my idiot brothers," he mumbled.
"I don't mind. I'm just happy they are happy for us. Mikey calls me sis now all the time it's so cute."
He snorted. "As long as the idea of them as family doesn't make you want to turn tail and run."
"I'm not the one with a tail, remember? Where are we going anyways?"
"Just over here, the trail with all the steep hills. You ready to run? You gotta get used to the weight and feel of your staff. Twenty push-up punishment for every time I hear it tap the ground."
April groaned. This was going to be a long day.
ooooooo
In the evening Donatello worked with her while his brothers and Casey sparred. After all the push-ups she had done her arms felt heavy and her hands were going numb. He had expected her to be tired and tried to keep it light and fun, having her mirror his movements with his own bo staff. He was a gentle and patient teacher. He made her do the stances, forms, strikes and blocks almost in slow motion at first until she executed them perfectly. Then quicker and quicker until her bo whizzed through the air with a dangerous, thrilling whistle.
That night, after two full training sessions and the longest, hottest bath she'd ever had, April retired to her room right after dinner. Her muscles were sore and aching. She glanced at her new bo and instantly had a love-hate moment with it.
Michelangelo, Raphael and Casey had found the strongest, straightest white oak they could and cut it down. They tested the tree for it's strongest point, then whittled it into the basic shape. Donatello had finished carving it, balancing it perfectly and trying to make it the proper height, weight and thickness for her smaller size. Leonardo had wood burned in the delicate flowing kanji and laced the red and white weave tightly down it's middle. Raphael had been the one who carved the intricate willow leaves up the one side of the bo, wrapping in a complimentary way around the kanji and down to the fabric grip. It was a nod to 'their' spot under the willow tree by the pond. Donatello had then polished it and given it a protective coating. It had taken them the better part of a week to finish it.
Sighing, she decided she loved it again. She took it into the middle of the room and went through each of the four starting stances. Then the three main holds in each stance – wide, narrow and normal. She brought it up to block an imaginary strike on one side and then the other.
There was a knock on her door. "Come in." She smiled as Raphael came in and closed the door behind him.
"Still at it?" he asked, setting a herbal paste and wraps on the table.
"Sort of. Just trying to remember my stances before my brain shuts down." She leaned the bo against the wall. "Sorry I just disappeared, I am so tired and my neck and shoulders are in knots."
"That I can help you with."
He lead her over to the bed and he sat behind her. Huge warm hands firmly rubbed out the tired muscles, turning them to putty. April moaned and he nipped at her ear playfully. "Where do you get all this energy?" she asked with a yawn. "You don't even drink coffee." Her words were slightly slurred and her eyes wouldn't open.
Raphael let her down onto the mattress and tucked the blanket over her. He smoothed her hair back and kissed her cheek. Looking at her made his heart ache. He was glad she would continue her training. In the back of his mind he had hoped she would, and not only because it meant she would spend more time with them. The reality was that their enemies knew she was a friend. April would always be a target. Even if she tried to walk away from the whole mess she would be a target, just by association. He would feel much better knowing she had a fighting chance against whatever foes made the mistake of trying to use her against them.
Raphael remembered the paste him and Leo had made for her, one that their father had used to make for them when they were young. He turned up her hands one at a time, applying a coating to the palms and the inside of all those tiny fingers. Then he took the gauze and wrapped her hands into loose mittens, only the tips of her fingers exposed. The salve would reduce inflammation and heal the blisters she was no doubt forming.
He spooned in behind her, the bed not really big enough for the both of them. He didn't care. He looked down at her peaceful face one last time before reaching to turn off the lamp on her nightstand and smiled. She really did drool in her sleep.