Chapter 3

Your Promise

Leonardo grabbed his little brother and threw them both out of the room falling back against the opposite wall his heart pounding his chest. His hand reached out and slammed the sliding door to Splinters room as though that would keep him away from them. But he didn't care, even the motion itself did little to sooth his anxiety. Already his eyes began to waver, unfocused as his breathing became hindered

"Leonardo?"

He didn't have to look up to see Dorinbo-dono heading for them, he could already imagine the concerned look on his face. The old rabbits hand reaching out and gripping his shoulder, "Leonardo what has happened?"

Leo opened his mouth but his voice was caught in his throat. He needed to focus to think straight. A hand reached out and gripped his sleeve, reminding Leo that Mikey was right there watching him. He had to calm down or risk scaring his baby brother even more. He reached up and put a arm around Mikey's neck, using his presence to clam himself down. He had to. Finally he opened his eyes to look at Miyamoto, "That=that rat-."

'"Master Splinter?"

'Yeah, he called me his son."

Dorinbo blinked, "Are you quite sure? Maybe you misheard him."

"no!" Leo looked down at Mikey, whose face was pale and blue eyes wide, "he knew our names and said, 'Leonardo, my son. Unless he's a completely twisted psychopath that's psychic!" He could hear the fear in his little brothers voice, the confusion which brought him to pull Mikey even closer to his side.

Dorinbo must of heard it too because he turned back to look at Leo, "We'll discuss this in a bit, please or now take care of your brother" he reached out and placed his hand on Mikey's' scalp, rubbing it softly. It could never be said that, over the years of having 2 more sons, he never grew to love them as his own. And Leo knew that very well. He pulled Mikey over and guided him out of the room, making his way out of the house (stopping to get their sandals) and hurrying back to their house. The instant they entered the small house he let Mikey go (reluctantly) and walked on over to the kamado, ( a low stove) and knelt down, "Let me make you some tea Mikey-"

But he was welcomed with the sound of their low table being knocked away by clumsy feet and slamming the screen door behind him Leo sighed slightly, in the role of brother again. He looked over to the side where a low cabinet held canisters of tea. But there was a very special type of tea there he had discovered a while back. It was when Mikey would get insanely hyper during Miyamoto's stories, he had found a blend that would put him to sleep the more buzzed he was. He normally didn't use it except for emergencies (in which he was driving Leo crazy). It would give Leo enough time to go back to the Miyamoto house and talk to Miyamoto. But he found himself hesitating, that wasn't fair to his brother. It might put him to sleep but it wouldn't change the turmoil the younger turtle was going through.

Leo took the tea off the burner and stood up when he caught glance at the alcove in the wall and walked on over to the hooks that hung there. He bowed his head and knelt down and removed the blades from his waist and carefully hung them up. It was a tradition on his, somehow he knew that those blades had belonged to his family at one point. Every time he hung them up he'd say a small prayer to the family he couldn't give Mikey. The one they had been separated from, maybe that they would all be together someday.

He just didn't think it'd be so soon.

Leo walked over the tatami floors and pulled the screen door open aside to poke his head into the hallway, even though the house wasn't big in anyway, Mikey was good at hiding, "Mikey? You ok aka-chan? "but he didn't get a response. He stepped out and walked over across the hall to Mikey's room and slid the door open slowly, he could see Mikey sitting against the wall with his face in his knees and his form shaking. Leo slid in and sat next to him, "are you ok Mikey?"

"no," his voice was muffled, "I don't know what to think."

"Well that's not new." he hoped a little humor would help Mikey feel better. But judging from the glare he got it didn't help. He scooted closer , "sorry sorry." and put his arm around his little brothers shoulders,

"I'm not stupid."

"I know-"'

"I'm-I'm just so confused Leo! Is that old rat telling the truth? Is he lying? If he was how did he know our names? We look nothing like him! Wh=what does this mean Leo? Do we have to go with him? Why didn't he come sooner ?Does he eat nothing but cheese like that old hobo that used to live under the bridge-"

Leo shushed his little brother gently, rubbing his arms again in a attempt to calm him down. It did the trick because Mikey leaned over and rested his head on his big brothers chest, at least Leo still knew how to clam his little brother, " This is what's going to happen, I am going to go back to the Miyamoto house and I will find out what's going on . You stay here ok?"

"But-"

"No buts Mikey, I promise to take care of everything."

After a moment Mikey shuffled even closer to Leo as though trying to disappear into his big brothers side causing Leo to hold him tightly.

It took a bit, but after a few hours Leo finally felt comfortable enough to pull away, reaching over he grabbed Mikey's bundled up blanket and pulled it over Mikey, "I'll be right back, just let your big brother take care of this." he repeated

Mikey nodded. Leo had always told him that he could rely on him, that there wasn't any problem he couldn't fix. It was the reason Mikey felt so free to be himself and sleep free of nightmares. Leo just hoped he wasn't' lying.

NO. He pushed that thought away as he picked his swords back up and exited the house, he would get to the bottom of this. He would find out who this "Splinter" man was.

He made his way back to the room he had left Splinter when just as Miyamoto dono exited the room. Leo suddenly remembered his behavior earlier, his rudeness and fell down on his knees, head to the floorboards, "Please forgive me Dorinbo-Dono, there was no call for my rudeness earlier. Its my fault and no ones else's-" he heard the floorboards creak in front of But he couldn't bring himself to look up till a hand fell on his shoulder . He raised his head to see Dorinboo kneeling in front of him, a sad smile on his face, "Leonardo, " here came his father voice, "I have asked you many times not to kneel to me remember?"

Leo nodded sadly, allowing Miyamoto to lift him to his feet. He had to do better, but it would be hard to fight the urge to bow to the great hero. He depicted everything he wanted to be, merciful, loyal and wise. Anyway, enough fan-boying, time for the hard question, "D-did you find anything from the old rat? From Master Splinter?"

"Yes, I was able to confirm the fact he really is Hamoto Yoshi, my old war ally. It was hard to recognize him because I haven't seen him in 18 years. The last time I did see him he mentioned that his wife was pregnant. Whether that was you, I do not know. I had never seen his wife. But." there was a pause. "Now that I see you close to each other, I can not deny the similarities. But it would help if you remembered anything past us finding you."

Leo bowed his head slightly, it was one of his deepest shames that he couldn't tell Mikey anything about their past. Every once in a while he'd go and meditate and search the deepest parts of his mind. But every time he did he didn't get anywhere, except that he knew there had been a fire. Not one he could physically remember but he knew there had been one. And that coincided with the burns that Dorinbo-dono said he had on him when they found him. But the mere thought of what laid beyond that bedroom door filled his stomach with nausea again despite his best attempts to hide it. He glanced up at Dorinbo-Dono to get some idea of what the old samurai rabbit though. But it appeared that Miyamoto believed it too, "So-so is he?"

"But I do not know if he is your father, it would be best if you found out yourself. " Leo put his hand on the hilt of his sword, not for preparation for a battle (though it sure felt like one) but because he needed strength. He needed wisdom, so as he pressed his hand on the handle of the door he turned to look at his adoptive father one more time, "What do I do if he is our father? I mean he's a ninja-"

"Leonardo." and there it was, the lecture tone he had learned from, "I took you and your brother into my village and my family because you needed help. Even if you come from ninj. I know how you feel about them, but you will not find a more honorable man then Splinter. But to deny him even the chance to be a father, your father and Michelangelo's," he paused, putting on a smile, "Is to deny him a great honor."

Leo tried not to think about the fact Miyamoto had just told him he was proud to of adopted him (dam it THEM, them. No point in leaving out Mikey). That walking through that door would potentially erase the life he had in the Murakami village. Despite all that he opened the bedroom door, "M-Master Splinter?" great, now he was stuttering. He could see the rat sitting up against the wall, his eyes half-closed as though in meditation

Splinter eyes looked over at him for a moment then widen in shock, "Leonardo."

Leo froze up, fighting the urge to run right back through the door to what was familiar. He couldn't talk. He stepped forward and knelt down by the old rats bed. He wasn't sure what else to do, . But the old rat seemed to understand (if his painfully kind eyes were anything to go by), "You probably don't remember me, do you? You were only 6 when, and the fire." there was a pause. As his eyes fell on Leo's waist. Onto the swords, "The Niten Ryu, I didn't think you'd take them with all that chaos."

Fire? Splinter knew about the fire? He didn't know if that was a bad thing or a good thing. He gripped the hilts of his blades again, trying to soak up some more courage.

"But that is a hard memory, its understandable you pushed it away." despite that sentence there was sadness in the rats onyx eyes, "I suppose that means you do not remember your mother either?"

Mother, he hadn't even thought of her. Why wasn't she here? With him? Wouldn't they of been together? If Splinter was their father, did that mean that their mother-'

"Perhaps it is also best that you four ended up looking like her. Lucky even, that you and Michelangelo obtained my father's eyes. Raphael was the one who obtained your mothers eyes, but they might of changed in the past ten years."

"Raphael?" 4? They were the first word Leo could bring himself to say upon entering the room, but it caused him to shiver slightly, what was the rat trying to say?

"Yes, you do not even remember them?" Splinter looked at him hard. NO, not cruelly, but as though he was willing his memories onto him, "You have 2 more younger brothers Leonardo. "

NO, that wasn't possible. 2 more brothers? How could he have forgotten that?! Without realizing leaned in closer to Master Splinter, "N-names, what are their-" but he couldn't complete the sentence so he looked back at Master Splinter in hopes he'd understand what he was trying to say.

"Raphael and Donatello, I do not know what happened to them the night of the fire, but." Splinter paused, putting a hand over his chest, " I have very little faith in my own heart, because it can be swayed by outside influences. But I have faith in the Spirit Plane. I sense their souls every time I enter, they are far, but they are together and they are alive. That is all I need to know to look for them." he looked back at Leonardo, "and I promise, my son, that I will."

My son.

The words pulled at him, triggering feelings he hadn't felt in a long time. It pulled him away into his mind, like a water current, not even able to hear Master Splinter ask him if he was alright

Leo was kneeling on tatami floors. Soft candles lined the walls and a alter to the side, holding items that would hopefully bring good health to the family. Offerings. But Leo found no hope in them. He only felt sadness, it filled his hearts in a way a child should never feel. A child? Yes, he was, no older then 5. But even at this age he understood respect, he understood responsibility. He understood that when his father asked him to meet him in his meditation room, that he NEEDED to be there for however long was needed. He just hoped that Raphael wouldn't break anything while he wasn't watching him.

The door slid open to the right and Master Splinter entered, free of scars and wearing red/brown robes. He held a bundle in his arms, Leo wanted to see what it was but his father set it into a basket and knelt down in front of Leo.

Leo looked back at the doorway, hoping to see his mother walk in after him, but it remained empty, "Father? Where's mother? Is this about her? Is she-" already his young throat was tightening up.

"she is still with us, my son, she is lying with Donatello. He is not well as well"

As though he needed to be reminded, it seemed like ever since Leonardo's' youngest brother (well, now second youngest) brother was born that the house was full of his pitiful coughs. He had no idea why the little turtle got sick so often, but it got to eh point where someone was always in bed with him. Most of the time it was Leo, but his mother probably wanted to be with him.

"My son." whoops, guess he was out longer then he thought. He quickly looked back up to his father, when he had his sons attention he continued. When he did he put his staff on the floor, so that Leo could see the handle of it and the familiar 5 leaved white lotus. He'd recognize it anywhere, it was sewn onto all of their clothes and it covered their house, "Leonardo, do you know what our family does?"

"Protect the secwets of the Hamoto Clan." it was something he had been taught since birth, even if he didn't use his r's right.

"Very good, this a job that's passed from parent to child for as long as time has existed. And now I believe is the time to start you on your training. Raphael will join you shortly, when he turns 3 also, followed by Donatello and," he paused to reach into the basket at his side, a small smile on his face, "And then Michelangelo."

Leo raised his head in shock, trying to find the joke in his fathers eyes. But as Master Splinter hardly joked, he didn't put much faith in it, he didn't question his father normally but "Why? Why now?" hoping he wouldn't come off as rude.

But as usual his father was kind, he reached out and took Leo's tiny hands, rolling it over and palm up, his claw running over it gently, "Something's will never change, your brotherhood is the same. Just like the lines of your hand, your brotherhood is of 4. It may become callused, worn, and old but it will always be a brotherhood. Our ninjutsu will strengthen that bond, so the sooner we start the stronger your bond will be. And the better you can lead them later."

Lead? This was new, he was the oldest but he never expected this. To be asked to lead, even if it was in the future. But then it hit him, emotions began to burn at his eyes, choking his throat, forcing his lips to speak, "M-Mother is-isn't going to m-make it is she?" unable to keep his eyes open he let them close anything to keep from crying

A pair of arms develop him, pulling him close, pressing his face into the familiar cloth of his fathers robe. He could feel his father shake and his hand stroke the back of his head, "I am sorry ,my dear son, but I do not believe your mother has much longer, that is why I bring this up now. I need to know, no matter what happens Leonardo, if anything were to happen to me-"

Leos' head jerked up, "But father-" only to have it guided back to his fathers' chest

"Leonardo, I'm saying if anything were to happen to me, " he hugged Leo even tighter at 'if', "that you would take care of your brothers. Keep them a family. Keep them brothers, can you promise me that?"

Leo nodded. The sound of a wailing baby filled the air and caused Splinter to release Leo completely, "Tang Shen! Donatello!" and ran out of the room. Leaving Leo to sit there with his fists balled on his knees, crying softly over the mother he knew was no longer with them.

But his small sobs were interrupted by a whining sound coming from the basket. Leo looked where his father had gone then crawled over to the basket while wiping at his eyes furiously, looking into the basket and pulling the blanket back slightly,

The newborn in the basket began to whine louder at the removal of darkness. His fists rubbing at his eyes and legs kicking. Leo didn't want his father to have to come back ( he had enough to worry about) and quickly picked the baby out of the basket (with some difficulty, due to size), careful with the head. And cradled him close. Remembering how his mother told him to hold Donatello, how the warmth of a body could help a person heal or feel better.

Michelangelo began to whine even louder though. And Leo knew the one thing that the baby wanted had just passed from the world. So he pressed his forehead against the tiny baby. Michelangelo's whines quieted to soft cooing, "Its ok Mi-Mi" he couldn't pronounce the name his father had given the baby, "Mikey." that seemed to be a good nickname, it fit, "It's ok Mikey, I'll protect you, and all our brothers. "He began to rock him, "I'll protect you all forever, aka-chan."

(#)(#)(#)(#)

"Leo?! Leo are you ok!?"

Leo opened his burning eyes, his face was pressed into his cupped hands, tears puddling in the bowl of his hands. When did that happen? He didn't even remember when he started crying? Mikey's familiar hands on his back , even Splinter had gotten out of his futon to kneel in front of him. He knew they were worried.

And he also knew the truth

Leo reached around and put a arm around Mikey's' shoulders, hugging him tightly, but it wasn't a second later the young turtle was flailing around, "Leo! Leo I can't breath man!"

"S-Sorry." he lessened his grip but not his hold. He didn't want his little brother to leave. But judging by the look of concern on Mikey's face, he wasn't planning on it

"Leo? Why are you crying?"

"Its nothing aka-chan, " he wiped his eyes, struggling to keep his voice level, looking back at Master Splinter, "I'm so sorry, I-I failed. I didn't keep them safe-"

Even though it was coming out of a complicated, traumatic flashback it was surprising how Splinter seemed to understand because he put his hands on Leo's shoulders, "Leonardo it wasn't your fault, you were a child. You kept Michelangelo safe and that's what matters. "

"But-"

"I will find your brothers, I promise-"

"No." eh forced himself to look at Master Splinter. The man who a , 20 minutes ago, he wanted to disappear from the earth. But now, now he couldn't stand the idea of him leaving again. Even if he was a ninja., "We will find them,"

Master Splinters face went from confusion, to happiness. Understanding what was happening, and what that meant.

"Uh guys? What's going on?" Oh right, Mikey wasn't part of that moment. That explained why he was sitting there with the most absolutely confused on his face, turning to look at his big brother, "Come on Leo! I hate it when you leave me out of stuff."

"Mikey-"

"Just- just tell me." he glanced over at Splinter before scooting closer to Leo, "is-is he telling the truth?"

Leo smiled, putting one arm around his little brother, and one hand on the old rats shoulders. Saying something he never dreamt he'd ever to tell his little brother

"This is our father, Michelangelo."