Disclaimer: I do not own this franchise, for it is older than I am.
What have we become?
Tell me where are the righteous ones.
What have we become... In a world degenerating.
What have we become? Have we come undone?
"What have we become" by DC Talk.
Authors Note: The song that inspired this story, and was used in the prologue will conclude this story.
Hamato Moth: acolyte of the Ninja Tribunal, student to Kon-Shisho the Ninja Master of spirit, master of it herself, the wearer of the white dragon-armor, wielder of the dragon fang In'na-fubuki(1), the notorious 'Ronin of the Snow', the one with a snow dragon avatar, and immortal spirit. Yes, Moth held many statuses now, but she felt that her most prominent status was the most miserable member of the ninja tribunal.
When Moth died, she was surprised to find that her spirit did not end up in the afterlife; instead she wandered in the snow for an unprecedented amount of time, unaware she was dead and not understanding why she could not find her family, or why she could not step out of the snow. She was then approached by a man wearing black Shredder armor; he introduced himself as Kon-Shisho. He told of her of her unfortunate status of a ghost.
Distraught and depressed, Moth left with Kon-Shisho to the Lap of the Gods monastery, there Kon-Shisho then explained to her that they tribunal had been watching her for the course of her lifetime, and had anticipated her birth long before she was even born. According to him, Moth's connection to Jade/Leonadi was established not because Leonadi forced it, but because Moth herself had a strong connection to the astral plane that had lie mostly dormant for most of her life. Kon-Shisho then told her that he wished for her to became his acolyte in the spiritual field of Ninjutsu, which Moth accepted because that was an aspect of Ninjutsu that she had never been trained in.
Being an immortal spirit, Moth was forever stuck in a mid-twenties body, her fur-and-bones gear became white, all of her scars disappeared, and she no longer required food or became sick, something she was quite thankful for. However, because she had died in the snow, she had become a Yuki-Onna, or snow spirit. This meant she could only manifest herself in the mortal world in the snow, this was perhaps the biggest part that attributed to her depression, she could only see her children if they happened to be out in the snow, which for a good portion of their childhood their father did not prohibit to prevent them from becoming ill. Though Moth appreciated that her husband was a caring father, she was still saddened by her inability to see her children as much as she wanted. And her already limited ability to see them was further restricted by the Tribunal, who reminded her that she must leave the mortal world affairs out of her afterlife. Moth last saw Takeo and Say when they were very young, and she did not know how long ago that was as she no longer kept track of time, a common trait of immortal spirits.
When Moth became an acolyte, she was surprised to see a familiar face of the only other acolyte; her step-brother Kai. When he died, he became the stealth-acolyte of Hisomi-Shisho, and although he never spoke in order to maintain his stealth training, Moth could tell he was actually happy with his afterlife as an acolyte, having had very impersonal relationships while he was alive, he welcomed having a close almost familial bond with the Tribunal. Kai wore blue dragon-armor, and used the dragon-fang Naitosutoka (2), his avatar was a green-and-blue dragon. In contrast the bitter relationship they had while alive, despite the fact that it was Moth who killed him, they had a good relationship, communicated through gestures they understood each other without words.
When the excitement of being an acolyte to the legendary Tribunal themselves died down, Moth became increasingly depressed, mind always drifted back to past and current tragedies. She had recurring war-flashbacks of her father dying in front of her, and her slaughtering Kai by ripping his heart of his chest. She knew that the Tribunal was concerned for her, how could she inherit Kon-Shisho's place if she was an incompetent wreck? After all, it is much more difficult for a spirit to mend mental problems than it is for a mortal.
At the moment, Moth was sitting in the middle of her quarters; a small room with a sliding-paper door, bear of most things except for a sleeping mat (which she didn't need, since spirits did not sleep) and small chest which held her formal Shredder dragon-armor, a weapons display which held her twin scimitar, her tomahawk and In'na-Fubuki and a silk scroll where a realistic image of her dragon avatar was painted, a surprising gift from Kai. Moth was curled on her sleeping mat, wearing her more casual fur-and-bones gear, a tear snaked out her eyes and froze into an ice droplet; being a yuki-onna gave her the ability of ice manipulation, although already being an all-powerful immortal ninja spirit she didn't have a need for it and didn't use it, so it mostly appeared when she was feeling very sad, a now common occurrence.
How long had it been since she was last in the mortal world? Did Patrick move on, and love another who her children called their mother? It made her heart twist in sadness, she never got to spend much time with Takeo and Saya, and not that long with Patrick either, it was almost as though she would have been better off if she had just died alone... If her father hadn't died...
She was nudged in her shoulder so she rolled and came face-to-face with her constant spiritual companion the coyote Raphael. Another surprising gift, but from her sensei ,Kon-Shisho had collected the coyotes spirit and kept him to be companion to Moth once her time came. Moth absently patted on her companions furry head. The paper door of her room slid open, revealing Kai.
Two challengers, Moth could somehow translate just from the look in her step-brothers eyes, shrugging, Moth got up and and nodded, the two then left to watch. "Challengers" were warriors who came to monastery hoping to prove to the Tribunal that the were worthy to being students, unaware that they had to be chosen before they were even born, although it had happened several times before that a chosen one would be a challenger. Chikara and Hisomi were examples, as was Yoshi who dropped out of the Tribunal and then perished.
Challengers were forbidden to see the acolytes, they could not be aware of them as not to discourage them from trying their best in proving themselves, or making them act in accordance to an open mastery. The open mastery's now were strength under Chikara-Shisho, and weapons under Juto-Shisho.
Moth and Kai would watch from behind a magic wall, one that acted as a two way way; one side window, one side wall. The challengers would be unaware about this.
The two challengers were adults... And something about them threw Moth off completely and made her mouth dry, especially the young man.
"Ninja Tribunal, my sister and I are here to take up your challenge, and prove ourselves to be worthy students." The young man said. He looked so much like Patrick... No wait, his hair was much darker, not as dark as Moth's though, but really his resemblance to Patrick was uncanny. He carried a single, but very large, scimitar as a weapon. He was built like a tank, obviously very physically powerful. He was wearing a red face mask around his eyes, wore a black hooded cowl.
"Indeed." His sister said "We do not have a mastery intended; we wish to show you what we are capable of, and trust your judgement to assign a mastery if you feel we are worthy." This girl looked much like Moth did, having the same bright yellow eyes and Asian features, but she was a noticeably pale white color with freckles on her face and shoulder-length dark red hair, she wore a green face mask around her eyes, and was also garbed in a black cowl. She was very slim with modest muscles, but she carried several weapons; a katana, a nunchaku, a bladed yari, two butterfly swords, a small battle axe and many shuriken.
Moth felt herself breathing heavily; could these two possibly be... No! It couldn't have been that long! They couldn't be adults now! There had to be more time! There had to be...
Chikara-Shisho said "State your names."
"Hamato Takeo." The young man said proudly.
"Hamato Saya." The young woman said respectfully.
Engulfed in despair over the lost years, Moth fell to her knees and started to hyperventilate, refusing to shed a tear in front of a fellow acolyte; her ice manipulation ability made the air around her very cold and she didn't have to will to control it. Her children were fully grown and she didn't see most of it, she lost track of time. She never got to know them, they never got to know her except by a few stories told by her husband and family.
Kai knew why his step-sister was despairing and pitied her; he himself didn't live long enough to start a family of his own, but he couldn't imagine the sadness felt in being ripped away from that family. He knelt down a placed a comforting hand on Moth's shoulder, and watched the battle as the twins battled the mystical wood warriors.
Eventually, Moth got up and went back to her room.
She did not see that her children did in fact pass the challenge; Chikara-Shisho took Takeo as her acolyte, and Juto-Shisho took Saya as his, the twins were delighted, and they were introduced to Kai, and they were rather surprised to see he was also a turtle like their elderly great-uncles and aunt.
The Tribunal chose not to tell them about Moth.
Moth wanted to disappear as she curled up on her sleeping mat; she could not face her now full-grown children, how could they react to their mother being an immortal spirit. They probably didn't even remember the one time she visited them, and even if they did they perhaps thought it had been a hopeful dream. She couldn't face that she hadn't been there for them or Patrick for all of these years, twenty years must have passed. The thought of being rejected by them terrified her.
"Acolyte," Kon-Shisho said as he entered her room "you must come with me."
"I do not wish to see them." Moth said briskly.
"We are not going to have you see your children Moth, there is another immortal spirit we wish for you to meet." Kon-Shisho said gently.
Mournfully getting up, the acolyte followed her sensei to wherever it was he was going to take her; the ground becoming frozen where she stepped.
She was taken into the Tribunal Throne Room; Kai was absent, but all of the Tribunal was in their respectful throne-chair, along with a short, glowing man in strange robes standing in front of them.
Kon-Shisho sat in his throne.
"Greeting Moth," the short man said "the Tribunal tells me you have been battling demons for many years now."
Moth said nothing.
"Acolyte, the damage is too great for your spiritual for to ment on it's own." Kon-Shisho explained.
"We have decided the only way for you to heal your mind is to live another mortal life." Chikara-Shisho told her.
Moth was of course puzzled "But you told me that it is beyond your power to revive the dead."
"It is." Juto-Shisho confirmed.
"And that is why they have me." The short man said "I am Lord Simultaneous, the lord of time." Before Moth could react, he lightly touched Moth on the forehead with his long staff.
Moth began to glow blue and she fell to the floor on her back.
Everything was leaving her, all of her memories, experiences, like she was going through her life and afterlife backwards, in only a moments time she completely lost memory of her afterlife as regressed back into a mortal, her now again-mortal body shrinking and becoming younger as the major events of her mortal life played backwards to her.
It was snowing hard, Moth was suddenly really hot and knew she had a fever. Delirious, she took a nap in the snow...
Patrick told her to be careful, Moth reminded him that she lived in the mountains her entire life and a simple snowstorm would not kill her...
Saya was crawling! Moth was so proud to see that her quiet daughter learned to crawl before her brother, she was a natural warrior...
Takeo was such a happy baby boy, always smiling and laughing, even in his sleep, Moth found this especially adorable. Sometimes, she would run a finger on his cheek while he slept, and he would smile...
Patrick and Moth, together, built a wooden cradleboard to carry the babies on their backs, two small cradle-boards that could carry a single baby, and one large one that could carry both.
Moth had newborn Saya in her arms, Patrick had Takeo in his, they were sitting on a hill on a tree; Moth's head was on her husband's shoulder, they watched as the spring ice melted to the summer heat...
A few hours after their babies were born Moth named their son Takeo, Patrick named their daughter Saya...
The labor was over; her babies were born, in awe she held the twins, her loving Patrick smiling with her as they stared at the two new lives they brought in, even with those innocent faces Moth knew that when the day would come, they would be fierce, honorable warriors...
"Patrick I have a problem." Moth told her husband, who then appeared worried.
"What's wrong Moth? Are you sick again?" He asked.
Moth nodded "I have not just been ill Patrick, I think I might have a parasite." Tensing up she grabbed his hand and put it on her belly which had been swelling lately.
His eyes widened at the tiny movement he felt under the skin.
"Moth..." Patrick said, his voice became excited, his expression becoming joyous "You aren't sick because of a parasite."
"What is it then?" Moth demanded fearfully.
"My love... You're pregnant!"
A little bit of both sudden fever and shock caused Moth to pass out right then and there, but luckily Patrick caught her and stopped her from hitting her head against the cave floor...
On the night of the wedding, Patrick was unfortunately tasked with explaining to his new wife what sex was because it turned out that Michaelangelo never told her what it was. Moth refused to talk to him for a week...
"I do." Patrick said.
"And do you, Moth Hamato, take Patrick Keene as your husband?"
"I... suppose?" Moth mimed, not quite sure how weddings worked.
"Good enough for me. You may now kiss the bride." The sleazy Vegas priest instructed. And the two did...
Moth stared confused at the coyote fang necklace that Patrick placed in her hand while he was on his knees.
"Will you marry me?" Patrick asked.
Rare, touched emotions caused tears to appear in Moth's eyes.
"Yes."...
"Why won't you leave me alone!" Moth shouted at Patrick Keene; she lay on the cave floor, sick once again. Her futile attempts to swat at him only caused the stupid boy to smirk.
"I told you; you're stuck with me because I care." Patrick said as-a-matter-a-factually.
"I hope you get your foot stuck in a rock crag and your ankle breaks." Moth growled, curling up. Patrick did not comment and wrapped his arms around her, placing a blanket over both of them...
"So you want me to stalk that stag, jump on it's back and break it's neck?" Patrick asked, terrified as he stared at the very, very large male deer with it's very, very large and deadly looking antlers.
"That's what I just said." Moth rolled her eyes...
"If you're going to collect water, it can never come from a stagnant source of water, remember to always get it from a rushing stream." Moth told Patrick, amused.
"It would have been nice if you told me earlier." Patrick moaned, holding his stomach...
"Do you miss your family?" Moth asked Patrick as they stared up at the night sky.
"Not my old man." Patrick admitted "After what he did to my mom and brother.. They are dead because he was selfish."
"I was really lucky to have a father like Master Michaelangelo." Moth observed.
"Do you ever wonder what it would be like if you were raised by... you know?"
"I imagine Leonardo would still kill Chaplin, so I would be raised by him. What a scary thought, that turtle was no good to the core." Moth said bitterly. "But you know, I sort of happy you're here with me in the mountains, grieving alone would have been so much less pleasant."...
"If you keep following me, I'll gut you." Moth threatened darkly as she continued her ascent back up the mountains where she was raised; Keene shook his head and kept following her anyways. "I've gutted fish, rabbits, deer, and druggies, do you honestly think I won't gut you if you don't leave me alone?"
"Yes." Keene stubbornly insisted; Moth gritted her teeth but ignored him as she trekked on.
Her father was dead; her heart was broken. She had no more direction in life, no one to guide her. The only thing left for her to do now was return to her roots in the mountains...
Moth, her Foot comrades, Casey and April Jones, Raphael, Donatello and Venus DeMilo were silent as they spread the ashes of Master Michaelangelo in the field on Casey's grandmother's farmhouse. Moth wasn't making a sound, blinking or even moving her facial expression, but tears ran down her face. Keene kept his hand on her shoulder the entire funeral...
Master Michaelangelo died right in front of her, the vile Leonardo died as well but it was not enough to lesson her grief as all life left her father, she cried into Keene's chest.
Her pet coyote, Raphael, was slain in the great battle...
The priest brothers Bellicose and Benign revealed to Moth their true identity as Donatello and Raphael, the revealed Joyce Quinn to be their adopted daughter and daughter of Casey and April Jones, formerly known as the 'late' Shadow Jones...
Moth for the first and last time used the Five-Finger Death Punch, she ripped Kai's beating heart from his rib cage. She carried his dead body home, and aunt Venus turned his ashes into a sword...
Kai accused her of killing Karai...
Her spirit friend "Jade" left her...
She found out that Karai was her mother, she was Oroku Jade...
Karai captured her, she claimed Moth was her deceased daughter Jade...
She blew her cover as a Foot ninja to save Joyce, Karai was chasing her now...
Moth pretended to be a mutant and fought the Foot clan that she was part of...
Moth and Quinn became Front-Liners...
Moth had a humans night out with the original members of her Cadet squad, she talked Kai into drinking and now he was dancing happily...
Moth graduated from being a Cadet into a full-fledged Foot Ninja...
Moth infiltrated the Foot clan, she told Kai that her name was Stella Marlowe...
She met the priestly brothers in the cemetery, she passed out from a sudden fever spell...
She, Master Michaelangelo and Venus DiMilo found a new Lair in the sewers.
They arrived in New York, Moth was awestruck by bright lights. She met a hooker, and then killed that hookers pimp because he was an asshole and didn't deserve to continue living. She kept his fedora as a trophy...
Leonardo invaded their home...
When she was seventeen, her sensei taught her the Five-Finger Death Punch, he told her she could only use it during emergencies...
She was really sick, she felt like she would never get better. The hospital told her that her immune system would stay weak the rest of her life...
When she was eleven, she was attacked by a bear, she got wicked scars on one side of her face...
When Moth was five, Michaelangelo rescued her from the orphanage and brought her to the mountains. He told her she would become a ninja. He gave her a red mask...
She was alone in the orphanage, one night a giant turtle visited her...
The former yuki-onna was now no more than a mortal toddler, about three years of age and too young to have any more graspable memories. Kon-Shisho walked over to his student and picked her up; she was under a spell now, asleep and she wouldn't wake up soon. The fragile toddler in his arms, he gave the signal to Lord Simultaneous.
The Time Lord nodded and a bright light engulfed them. Briefly in the time stream, they soon arrived in an alleyway, it was sunset.
Each of the Tribunal members morphed themselves to appear as though they were mere homeless vagrants. "As I understand," Chikara began "the Michaelangelo of this reality has separated himself from the other turtles, and in in this area?"
"Yes." Lord Simultaneous confirmed "The Michaelangelo of this timeline was captured and brainwashed from the Foot clan, he has recently exiled himself from his family to fix the fragments of his broken mind (3) He and the little one have quite a much in common, he himself was mixed up with the Foot Clan, he has slain the Shredder and as the carrier of the mantle, has retired it. Now that he is alone, it is highly likely that he will adopt your acolyte if convinced enough." Lord Simultaneous winked and fazed from existence.
"The Hamato family has always encouraged naturally-born warriors, if we can spread enough rumors among the homeless community, perhaps the rumors will reach him and he will seek Moth on his own." Juto-Shisho said; at this notion Kon-Shisho handed his acolyte to Hisomi-Shisho and the other three departed.
Hisomi stared at the now toddler Moth; she seemed so innocent, now that her mind was a clean slate, hopefully a different lifetime will give her enough time for the dormant personality of her former life to mend itself, and these new experiences will make her an even better acolyte, but only time can tell.
Hisomi had to make the girl look as though she really had been living on the streets; he smeared grime on her skin and in her hair and regretfully had to put cuts and dirt on her bare feet, digging in the trash he found a dirty green bed sheet and wrapped it around her for warmth, he also found a dirty, ragged rabbit toy and positioned her to be holding it in her tiny arms, the sleeping child held it to her tightly. Giving a rare smile at this, Hisomi-Shisho brought the child to the end of the alleyway in a corner.
Before he used his stealth mastery, he realized that he must do one more kindness for the unfortunate acolyte and grant her a chance to at least keep her name; he used magic to attract moths; Michaelangelo, if he found her, would find it bizarre for these moths to be fluttering the child, and perhaps out of sentiment name her 'Moth' like his other-dimension counterpart had for unknown reasons.
Hisomi made himself disappeared and kept vigil over the child, in a matter of time his comrades appeared, this time they were in his true forms like he was, they too made themselves disappear and kept watch over their student, waiting for the Michaelangelo of this dimension.
Some time later, still early at night but still rather dark, the turtle indeed appeared. This Michelangelo was wearing a trench coat and fedora, but they could see that he was wearing an orange mask and had a long fresh scar running over one of his eyes (curiously, the same eye that his counterpart had lost, though his was still there and appeared to function) and stitching on his mask in the same spot, suggesting that his mask had been cut off from the same blow that his given him the scar. This Michaelangelo just seemed... Tired, not as bitter from his counterpart, he was lost and confused.
Staring curiously at the child, Michaelangelo approached and knelt in front of her; he quickly checked over her and made sure that there were no marks or injuries; he frowned seeing how her feet were cut and dirty though. He stayed kneeling for a second, contemplating. Michaelangelo then swatted all of the moth's away and picked the child up, sheet, rabbit and all and left the alley.
Lord Simultaneous appeared again. "It is done I presume?"
Kon-Shisho nodded "I ask that you allow me to check up on her as she grows. I fear the possibility that in this lifetime she does not gather the necessary skills to prove herself. We worked with Michaelangelo when we needed his and his brothers help to destroy the Tengu Shredder, and while it was quite obvious he was a fast learner and the most talented of his brothers, he was also quite immateur and difficult to work with."
"I understand your fears," Lord Simultaneous began "but as a result of his cruel Foot training and other associated recent events, at this time Michaelangelo had matured and become much more serious. Do not worry about Moth, she is in very capable hands."
Reluctantly Kon-Shisho agreed, but threw in "This new life, with new experiences and influence the acolyte will change; her abilities, her avatar, her aura... her soul will be the same but the spirit will not. The spirit is shaped by the events of life, the soul is the template."
With that, the five disappeared back into the time stream, back to their time.
Michaelangelo stared down awkwardly at the small child in his arms while he sat on a bench under the light of a street lamp. "Poor thing, losing your mother..." He said even though she could not hear him; the homeless told him of how the street girls mother had died and now she was on her own, he felt a connection to her almost immediately, they told her of her struggles and he decided she was a naturally born warrior. "I know I can't replace your parents, but I hope I can be a good enough father." He smiled, then frowned again seeing how dirty she was "Poor thing, I can't imagine what you've been through..."
Using a corner of the bed sheet he wet using a nearby fountain, he cleaned the toddlers face "I wish I could know what your mother named you, but I'm sorry I can't." While cleaning her face, he noted "You kind of look like my adopted sister Karai... But I can't name you after her... Hmm.." He knew he couldn't name her after a Renaissance artist, it just didn't fit a non-turtle ninja for some reason. Maybe there was something particular about her... Those moths that had been flying around her, even without a light source...
With a name decided Michaelangelo held the now clean-faced child outstretched in front of him. The toddler then opened bewildered eyes, beholding the turtle holding her. The toddler felt as if she knew this mutant, but her mind was to young to put anything together.
"Hello Moth."
The End.
(1) In'na-fubuki: Inner Blizzard. Represents her cryokinetic abilities and connection to the Ninjitsu art of spirit.
(2) Naitosutoka: Night Stalker. To symbolize Kai's Ninjitsu art of stealth.
(3) References to the first TMNT story I wrote "If its the Last Thing I do" and the story where I introduced Moth, who had no origin story except for Michaelangelo finding and adopting her. In that story, Michelangelo is betrayed by Raphael and is then brainwashed by the Foot... Its a long story, and if you want to read it go ahead, but if you hate tcest I REALLY suggest you do not.
So yeah, story is over. I decided to make Moth seriously OP as an acolyte to show that in her next life, there really is quite a lot to achieve. No in her next life Moth cannot regain memories of her last life unless if a very specific time spell is used, or if the Ninja Tribunal grants her the ability to access her past life, or if she dies and reawakens in her acolyte form in which she will then also represent the aspects of her new life.
...Seriously though, can you imagine how awkward it would be to watch your children grow older than you? I think the Tribunal dodged a bullet there.
Well it was fun, some of the story disapoints me some of it I like, I hope you guys liked it and I'll see you in court.
-KGD out. Oh and Merry Christmas, when I wrote this it was Christmas eve, 11:09 at night.