Journal entry N°5-Splinter's journal:

A Lifetime of Changes.

Back in the days when I was merely a simpleminded rat, I didn't expect much of life. My only worries were to get food, shelter and avoid death in many ways.

I never expected humans to show compassion towards what they consider a pest.

Yet, one did.

She was beautiful, kind; she saw beyond my appearance and treated me with love, compassion and care until the day she was taken from me.

After the passing of that innocent soul, her mate became my protector and with time: my Master.

I never expected this new human to become my mentor just like I never expected to learn something as complex as ninjutsu.

Once again, I was mistaken.

I learned by watching his moves and listening carefully while he read ancient scrolls in his native language; he took me to different places and never hesitated to tell me his deepest secrets, sorrows and dreams.

I was his confidant, his friend, his one and only student.

Time passed by.

I never thought pain, sorrow and impotence would be something a rat could feel yet my heart broke in pieces when I saw my Master being slain before me and I could not protect him.

For the first time in my life I felt hatred, the thirst for revenge, and that thought consumed me from the inside.

Sadly, there was nothing I could do.

It seemed that with the passing of both my Master and his mate my fate had been sealed.

I was destined to live in pain, mourning the death of my loved ones until the end of my days.

Or so I thought.

To my surprise, just when I thought I had lost everything, I gained something new: four creatures covered in glowing ooze. Four baby turtles.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

Two of them were crawling, one was rolling on its shell, and the other looked around in confusion. They chirped to each other, I believe they were communicating, letting each other know they were alright but I could sense they were scared.

I do not know what came over me but I knew I had to make sure those defenseless creatures were safe. Later, when I became sentient, I realized that what I was feeling was compassion.

The same compassion my mentor and his mate showed to me many years ago.

I never expected to become a father but with the arrival of these curious gifts, I had to train myself to become one.

My priorities changed: this time it was not just about me, I had four tiny mouths to feed, four fragile life forms that depended on me to survive. My primal needs of seeking food, shelter and avoiding danger came handy.

By the time we fully mutated, we had a place to call home, we had food and we were hidden from the world where no one could hurt my little turtles. My precious babies.

I never expected to go through such radical changes.

I never expected to become a pet.

Never thought I would lose my humans.

Never imagined I would find a new family.

I never expected I would mutate or my children.

But life proved wrong.

Time will continue to pass by and I may not be here anymore but what I do expect is for my sons to enjoy their own long trip through a lifetime of changes to the fullest.

I know I did.

End of Journal entry N°5

…

I lied.

Randomness will have to wait for a little while.

But I bet you didn't expect me to write Splinter so I think that counts as random?

No?

Ok.

There'll be a next time.