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Road Rovers, and others, are owned by WB.
Chapter 10:
Fathers & sons
By now the turtles have made it to April's antique store, and had set Karai on the couch. As their female friend along with Donatello was tending to the female foe, Raphael and Leonardo were gazing out the windows, Michelangelo was watching TV, and the senseis were simply meditating. "The Shredder really beat the shell out of Karai." Donatello said after treating her wounds before adding, "I…I don't think she'll make it." The others heard him, and did not like what they heard.
"All we can do is wait, and prepare for the battle to come." Ancient One informed them with a stroke of the beard and a nod from the rodent beside him.
"Masters, we don't stand a chance against this Mystic Shredder. You should have seen him - it's impossible." The swords-turtle said to the two elders as he walked from the window, and knelt in between them.
"My son, you four have faced impossible odds in the past, and like David facing Goliath, you overcame the challenge." Their father said while using the best example of all to describe the fights with the Shredder or other villains. "Ancient One, do you remember when I brought them all to your home in Japan. Years and years ago." He questioned to the elder: hinting of a hidden piece of the four's past.
"How can I forget? They were such a pain." The human said back with a chuckle since he knew what his old friend was getting at. This conversation got all of the ninja's attention.
"Years and years ago?" Mikey questioned while muting the television.
"What are you talking about, sensei?" Donatello questioned as he got up from kneeling by the couch, and headed to the three.
"Long ago just as my beloved Yoshi passing away I took you all to a journey to Japan." He started to say to them and added that Leo and Don were playing in an open container of straw, Mikey was drawing with an orange crayon with some paper Splinter…found, and Raph…
"Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha." Raph said in a sing song tone before breaking the orange crayon that he grabbed from his brother. Seeing this the youngest of the four started to bawl, but their happy and sorrow time was cut short when their father signed them to hide.
'Everything's clear here.' The checker thought as he zipped his flashlight over the area they were in, and saw nothing. Once the coast was clear the turtles turned to the rat coming out of the shadows.
"You see, through great difficulty I have procured Master Yoshi's ashes, and I was determined to honor his wish - that he be buried in the land of his birth, and that he be buried near his sensei and adoptive father: the Ancient One." Modern Splinter stated to them as he still recalled the dragon themed urn that held his father's ashes. "It took all my skills as a ninja to keep us from detection, but we made it." He added while also speaking of how the five of them stayed in the shadows until they got to their destination.
"Ahh!" The man they searched for screamed in alarm as he pulled down a clean towel from the line and saw four small kappa creatures, and a large nesumi.
"Ancient One, it is a great honor to…" Splinter said with a bow, but was interrupted.
"Bah, begone nesumi, I have not time today for a rat monster's mischief." The man said back after getting over his shock and resumed putting the towels in the basket. The rodent understood, but decided to clear up the confusion.
"Wise one, please, I know I must look strange. I am Splinter." The gray furred one said, and that name snapped the human into astonishment.
"Splinter?" He questioned while facing away from them, but quickly turned to face the five. "Splinter? You are the rat Yoshi and Tengshin kept as a pet? How?" The elderly looking man questioned now with his interest peaked.
"It is a long and strange tale. I have gone through…changes since Master Yoshi…since he…" The rodent started to speak, but found himself unable to say anything more.
"Since Yoshi what?" The teacher, to the man they were talking about, questioned before adding, "How is my Yoshi?" He questioned while stepping away from the clothesline since he knew the five meant no harm.
"I'm sorry. He has been slain. His life was taken by the Shredder." The former pet said to the human in a sorrowful tone since he knew that beating around the bush would only hurt them both.
"No, this cannot be!" He shouted with his open hand facing the messenger. The man walked over to some rocks in his yard, and fell to his knees. "No. No! This tragety would not be if Yoshi had heeded my wishes: stayed in Japan, and joined the Ninja Tribunal." He said while tapping on his left palm.
"As I remember the Ninja Tribunal is to blame. They were asked to fight the Utrom Shredder and did nothing. Perhaps Yoshi would be alive today if the Tribunal had not been so dismissive." Splinter said back since he knew of this because Yoshi often spoke to him over how his day was - just to get it off his chest.
"Tag, you're it." Raph said since he did not like all this seriousness, and decided to have fun with his brothers by playing tag. As they were having fun and the elders were grieving a new figure appeared on the ground.
'This is the man I am to follow.' The cloaked creature thought as he viewed the six; believing himself to be invisible.
"Hey, guys time out." The second oldest said while making the traditional 'T' sign with his hands. "There's a man in the bushes over there." He pointed out, and the others saw what he saw a white hand and the tip of a coat.
"What do you think he's doing?" Michelangelo questioned out of curiosity.
"Maybe he's lost or something." Donatello guessed as to why there was a man skulking around them.
"Hey, mistah." Raph called out after seeing the figure of a head, but after he said that the head sank back into the shadows. In an instant the man leapt out of the shadows and to them. The four ran away from the skull faced, red cloaked man out of sheer terror.
"It's the boogeyman." Mikey shouted as they ran to their father.
"It's a ghost." Raph shouted as he got there first, and pointed to where he, and the others saw the creature.
"Come quick." Leo shouted; believing that if anyone could face this fiend it was their father.
"He's a skeleton." Donatello screamed as he was the last to arrive, and could think of no other way to describe the creature.
"Quiet, please. One at a time." Their father said to them in a calm tone. They did as he said and decided to tell him what they saw, but with a clearer voice.
"Master Splinter, there's a scary man in that bush." Leonardo said while pointing to the bush in question. The rodent walked over to it, made room for his head, and checked both sides.
"I see nothing here." Their dad said back with a confused look on his face. He knew that they would not lie to him, but at the same time they spoke with such fright.
"But he was right there." The youngest of the four said while gesturing to the bush with both hands.
"I am sorry. They have had a long journey." Splinter said to his old friend as he comforted his sons with a hug.
'Kids will be kids.' The human thought before looking at the urn. "As have you. And I truly appreciate your having come all this way on my behalf. Splinter-san, we both loved Yoshi very much. Let us pay our last respects, and lay him to rest next to the woman he loved." Ancient One said before he and the five others walked to the cemetery with urn in hand.
'How could they see me?' The fiend thought as he was now hiding in the tree: watching them walk away. The turtles knew that where they now stood was sacred so they stood behind Ancient One and Splinter with their heads bowed down in remorse. The group went back to
'I'm scared of this room.' Michelangelo thought as he shivered in fear while lying on a green mat. The young turtle's fear was put to rest as a red circle appeared on the wall before him.
'Huh?' The other three thought as the young one motioned for them to look at the wall, and once they did all saw the same creepy stranger walk through the wall; out of fear they huddled together.
"Silence, kamma. If you scream I will eat your souls." The man said to the ones that were crying out of fear. Out of fright the four young ones screamed, and ran through the paper doors, and straight down stairs. 'Maybe I should have tried a different threat.' The creature thought before going somewhere else to hide.
"Children. It is alright. Shh. Alright, little ones. It is alright, now." The rodent said as he held all four in his arms in a hush voice as a way to sooth him. "My apologies, Ancient One. They are not used to sleeping alone just yet." He explained to the human that just walked in. "Come along, children. I will stay with you." He promised to the little ones and followed them upstairs.
"Fe." The white haired one said in a huff before a smiling of remembering how Hamato Yoshi and Mashimi was the same as the kappa only Mashimi left a yellow trail as he ran down the stairs. "Kids." He said with a smile before walking back to his room.
"Bye, Ancient One." Donatello said to the man in question once dawn broke the night sky, and they had Breakfast.
"Don't forget to write." The young one said, repeating something that he had heard off of the cartoons he's watched.
"What are you talking about? You can't even read yet." The second oldest reminded him.
"Oh yeah." The hatchling said after remembering that small piece of information. The six made it to his gate, and decided to say a final farewell before parting.
"Well, my friends, I suppose that this is it. Safe journey, Splinter-san." Ancient One said before bowing to the rodent, who did as the human did.
"Until we meet again, Ancient One." The former pet said in a calm tone. With that the six split into two different paths. All of a sudden one of them felt something, and turned behind him and saw the stranger.
"Guys, look! There it is again!" Donatello shouted in fright causing the four others to turn and look down the path.
"It's the ghost!" Raphael shouted as he too saw the creature.
"Following the Ancient One." Don said to them even though he knew that they could see that as easily as he could.
"What are you going on about?" Their father questioned with concern that his sons may have lost their sanity.
"Master Splinter, we see a ghost. We really do." The oldest said and his father could hear the honesty in his voice.
"He's, like, right there." The second child said while pointing at the being the four of them could see.
"Master Splinter, can't you see him? He's right there." Michelangelo questioned; concerned that his father was not believing them.
"I see nothing, my sons." The taller animal said and tried his other sense - smell. "But there is a dark scent in the air." He told them which made them feel better that he was starting to believe them. "Come, let us that no harm befalls the Ancient One." He instructed and they followed the human.
'Good thing I know my way past this door.' Ancient One thought as he signed which opened the door. Once the human went into one of the buildings to speak with the Ninja Tribunal the ghost decided to get in contact with five figures.
"Dark Masters, The Ancient One, has finally led me to the Ninja Tribunal Monastery." The bone based man said to the five around him.
"Excellent, the amulet we have granted you will cloak your presence there." The fire based man said to their servant.
"You will remain invisible to all who encounter you." A water man said to their gopher.
"Masters, the four kamma children resisted the amulet's spell. They were able to see me. What if…" He said to them but was stopped by a blast of wind.
"You need not concern yourself with children. They are powerless." The wind warden said to their lackey.
"Find the pool of sorrow, part the waters with the amulet's energy…" The water based one instructed and let one of the others to pick up where he left off.
"Beneath it lies the masters: gauntlet, helmet, and sarcophagus." The earth based man finished what his friend spoke of.
"Use them to fulfill your only purpose for existence - ressurect the one true Shredder." The metal toned man said in a grave tone.
"Yes, raise our master from his long sleep so he may once again rule in limitless power over all the world." The fire one said to him and ended their mystical transmission. As he did that the round human finally ended his walk at the feet of the Ninja Tribunal.
"We did not send for you? Why are you here, young one?" Chikara questioned one of their former students.
"My masters, I bring grievous news. My adopted son, Hamato Yoshi, has been slain. By the alien bug - falsely bearing the mantle of the Shredder." Their former pupil said to the four; feeling that they had a right know which warrior had fallen.
"We know." Kon said in a calm tone since he knew that the four of them had nothing to hide.
"You…know?" Ancient One questioned to them; making sure that he had heard the master of spirits correctly.
"It is as it must be." Juto said to the former student of theirs as if this was a casual conversation.
"If I may masters…" Ancient One started to say, but the strong woman cut him to the quick.
"Do you question our judgment?" She questioned to the smaller human.
"No. Never." The one at their feet said out of sudden fear gripping his spine after gazing into Chikara's eyes.
"All is as it must be." Juto said to the native of Japan.
"If there is nothing of consequence you wish to share. Leave us, we have no need of you." The female said to him since she saw no point to this meeting. He stood up, gave them a final look, and then headed for the door.
"What are you doing here?" He questioned to the five that lied and stood before him.
"The children have seen a phantom stalking you. The same ghost they encountered at your home. We followed to see that you came to no harm." Splinter explained as to why they had followed him instead of going home, and at that time Raphael got up from his belly and saw the man they were following.
"There it goes now." The second oldest shouted as he pointed to a creature that seemed to be using the thing on his neck as a hot/cold device.
"I see nothing." The Ancient One stated as all he saw were buildings.
"Nor do I, but there is a presence in the air. Something is not right." Splinter said to his old friend, and was wishing that he could track down the source of the scent like a dog could, but he didn't, so he relied on the skills he did have.
"He's headed for that house over there." Raphael said as he pointed to a small building on the far side of the monetary.
"The pool of sorrows? The artifacts! Curse me for a donkey's bottom." Ancient One questioned and exclaimed as he realized that if there was a spirit following him then that would be the first place they would go.
"What?" Splinter questioned; not understanding what he meant.
"Come, we must make haste. Hurry." Ancient One said as he sped walked to the building the young turtle pointed to. The beast was already inside, and with a little help from the amulet a staircase appeared from beneath the water.
"The artifacts. At long last I can fulfill my mission and resurrect the Shredder." The bone demon said, and just as he was about to reach for the first artifact until a voice called out.
"There he is!" Don shouted out and pointed.
"And he's right by that sharp glove." Leo said as he began to fear the being standing before them.
"The gauntlet? I still see nothing." Ancient One questioned as he was looking at the only thing that could be considered a glove.
"But his boney butt is right there." Raph shouted at them as he pointed at the man they had been following for a while now.
"You will pay for your interference, little kamma." The bone thug warned the four that could see him before transforming into a human sized three headed bone dragon.
"Look out!" Mikey screamed in fright.
"But we see nothing, my sons." Their father said which allowed the creature to have his two new heads to grab Master Splinter and the Ancient One.
"He's got them both." Don said while pointing at the fact that the two masters of ninja were being crushed in the beasts jaws.
"I warned you meddlesome brats. Watch as your masters perish. Their suffering will be great, but I promise yours will be worse." The creature said as he enjoyed defeating the warriors in his jaws, and making the kappa cry.
'No one does that to our father and his friend.' Leo thought as he scanned the floor for a weapon and saw a rock, that fell when the fiend was transforming, so he picked it up and tossed it at his head.
"You dare." The thug said before seeing that the other three were doing as their brother had done.
"Cut it out." Don shouted and threw the second stone.
"Leave them alone." Leo shouted as he threw another one.
"Get away." Mikey said as he backed up his brothers.
"Stop it, you bone headed freak." Raph said as he joined in on the rock throwing fest. The opponent could only laugh at the four pelting him with pebbles.
'This one will do nicely.' Don thought as he spotted a rock bigger than the others. So, with all his might he picked it up and threw it at the gem around his neck.
"What!" He shouted in alarm as the gem began to crack. Out of fear he released the victims, and was launched into the far wall - completely visible.
"Well, lookie what I see." Ancient said about the creature before them, but quickly added, "Hey, nice shot, little kamma." He seemed embarrassed at the praise.
'The gem may be gone, but I can still take him. I have a mission to complete.' The demon thought as he got back to his feet.
"Now that the playing field has been level, phantom. Let us see just how scary you really are." Ancient One said after taking off his sandals and cracking his knuckles. Not wasting any time the bone creature tried a twin head butt move, but the man dodged and kicked him into another wall.
'My turn.' Splinter thought as he leapt up into the air, and took out the left with his cane. The beast tried to attack with his right head, but the rat back-flipped, removing the head from the body and smashing it with his cane.
'I can still get the old man.' The servant of darkness thought as he tried to attack the Ancient One. He evaded the other removable head, and once it was away from the body; he stomped on it. The four cheer for the two's easy victory.
"Ancient One, look." Splinter said as they both saw him reduce to a more basic form.
"His magic is failing. Let's end this." The human said before the two of them each took one arm and broke it from the main body.
"You are finished, fool." Splinter said before either of them broke off his arms. The creature landed on the sarcophagus, but as soon as he turned to face them and received a flying kick from the both of them. Cheers from the four young ones gave both men a reason to smile.
"Well done, young one, you have crushed a bone demon." Chikara said as she, Juto, and Kon floated into the room.
"Only with a little help from Splinter-san and his turtle ninja." Ancient One said as he shared the praise to the five that backed him up.
"We sensed the Foot Mystics would strike to retrieve the artifacts, but knew not when. Their cunning is boundless." Kon admitted and commented to the six others in the room.
"We owe you thanks, rodent. You and your kamma children." Juto said before turning his back to the mammal he was speaking to. The thing that the weapon master said caused their student to speak.
"Masters, how is it that the children could see the demon yet we could not." Ancient One asked since he felt a little upstaged that a kids could see what he could not.
"The amulet it wore blinded the wise and world weary. Only those pure of heart: children, were immune to its powers." The green outfitted woman said as the four were playing with the remains of the demon.
"Still, not all children could resist its magic. These four are unique. We will have to watch them for the future." The weapon master said as he watched Raphael laughing at his brother who was coughing due to the dust.
"However, at present, their knowledge of this night is a danger to them and to us. Their minds must be relieved of these memories." Kon said as he started to use his might on the little one's short term memory.
"I suppose." Splinter admitted even though he did not feel right leaving this memory out of their thoughts.
"Be purged." He called out and just like that all of the turtle's memories of the last twenty four hours. Once that was done Juto used his talent to summon a doorway to a familiar location.
"My burrow." Splinter said in relief at the sight of his New York home.
"Wait." Ancient said to the fuzzy one and walked over to the creature. "Splinter before you go I have something for your little ones." He said after pulling out four masks, each of different colors.
"Ninja masks." The former pet said, remembering that his father wore something similar to the item in the sensei's hand. Without another word the human put them on: purple, blue, orange, and red.
"Enough foolishness. Enter the portal." Chikara instructed to the five.
"Good bye little kama. Good bye Splinter-san." Ancient One said as they did as she asked them to do. "Take care of yourselves." He added once the portal was closed on the Tribunal's end.
"Wow!" Donatello of present exclaimed after hearing the tale.
"To think we been to Japan and met the Tribunal when we were just kids." Leonardo said to his brothers since he too was blown by the story.
"Yes, my sons, and even though you were very small; you helped win a very big victory." Splinter said with a smile after remembering a somewhat happy memory.
"And we'll do it again. We will find a way to defeat the Shredder. All of us." The elderly man said to them since this story had renowned him with new hope.
"I hope your right, masters. I hope your right." The field leader said as he rose from his sitting pose and looked out the window at the still thunderstorm sky.