A/N: Another drabble, this time about turtle tots :)

Splinter's Treat

The chill of the night air brushes against my fur as I lean deeper into the shadows of the alley watching the lively festivities of the evening. Adults hold the hands of little ghouls, pirates and princesses as they scurry door to door to ask for candy. This concept of Halloween is still fairly new to me. As a child in Japan, we never dressed as the dead, but honored those who passed with ceremonial lanterns place set afloat in rivers to guide our lost loves home. A shrieking child wrapped in toilet paper runs around in circles with other children in the closed off road of the neighborhood. This American tradition seems more of a mockery then an honoring of the deceased. I shake my head thoughtfully, trying not to pass judgement on customs which I do not fully understand.

Despite my hesitation of accepting this holiday into our home, my boys have fully immersed themselves into after seeing a single Halloween commercial. The idea of a whole night dedicated to candy made them a constant form of chatter in the lair. Even my silent son, Donatello seemed excited about the thought of Halloween as a small smile curled around the fingers in his mouth. They spent most of the day scavenging through our small collection of possessions to make their 'costumes'.

With his blanket tied around his neck, Leonardo insisted on being a hero from a cartoon he is currently fixated on. He said he originally wanted to dress as me, but Michelangelo took his 'tail' and since he wanted to be a good big brother he said he did not fuss or fight and let his little brother have it.

Raphael smeared ketchup all of his mouth and plastron, claiming to be the 'boogie man' who eats dumb little brothers before chasing Michelangelo around the lair leaving a trail of tomato flavored sauce in his wake.

Donatello peered up at me with a sense of pride in his eyes. With a metal colander on his head and aluminum foil wrapped around his arms and legs. For a moment, I wonder if he is dressed as the radio he dismantled yesterday after I specifically told him not to touch it. However, before I can incorrectly guess, Michelangelo piped in to inform me he was 'robot'. Donatello's eyes lit up as he confirmed Michelangelo's outburst with a nod causing the metal bowl on his head bob forward covering nearly half his face.

Then there was Michelangelo who took Leonardo's 'tail' to create his costume. A pair of discarded devil's ears on his head, a small blob of pink paint on his beak and a black paint of whiskers on his cheeks, he asked me to guess what he was. Even if he had not 'meowed' or licked his hand, I would have known he was a cat from the way he swishes his makeshift 'rope tail' taped to his shell, from side to side.

They were all so excited thinking if they made best costumes, I would allow them to go trick-or-treating in the neighborhood above our sewer home. It pained me to see their small faces crumble with disappointment as I denied their request. At the tender age of four, they are still so very young. Even if most would mistake their true appearances for costumes, I am not willing to take that chance. There were several sniffles, tears, and pouts as they miserably curled into a pile and remained there until they fell asleep.

A chorus of trick-or-treaters brings me out of my thoughts. My sons will not wake from their nap for at least an hour. That will be long enough for me to find at least a single bag of candy that some careless child has dropped in their excitement of this evening. I will never be able to give them the childhood they deserve, but it will not stop me from trying.

FIN

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