Note: My earlier fic 'Karai's Legacy' is referenced here, go to my main page to read it.
Also, characters in his chapter belong to my dear friend and fellow writer Tyroth Darkstorm.
Chapter Two
Anxious Thoughts
A little while later, Leonardo was in the main lair making sure it was ready for Kemeko's big party.
After he had dressed Kemeko and she had had some breakfast with him and those who were up earlier, he had requested that Kemeko and the other children go into the playroom for a while whilst he and the other adults dressed the lair up ready for the party as he wanted to make this a surprise.
Sonia the Chameleon, the eldest of the youngest of the Chicago Knights offered to watch over the younger ones and Leonardo was grateful to her.
Sonia, even though she was now an adult and a fully trained Chicago Knight, she was also the leader in a sense to the younger generation and her primary goal whilst both clans were together was to make sure Pandora, Kemeko and the Geckolings were looked after.
As the blue masked turtle looked around, he saw everyone had pitched in to help.
Heather the Dragonfly and Sephie the Gecko were hanging some bunting and balloons on the higher parts of the lair, Heather having the ability to fly, and Sephie given her strong gecko grip.
Monalisa, April, Tyroth, Michelangelo and Amber were in the kitchen making sure all the food for the buffet was ready.
Jack, Sharky, Jake, and Percy were blowing up balloons, both with their own lungs but also with a helium machine, although Percy was making everyone laugh by inhaling the helium and making his voice squeaky.
Raphael, Casey, Kate, and Sarah were arranging the tables as well as some chairs with Splinter making a few pointers on where everything should go.
Donatello was setting up his DJ music system along with some lights and a disco ball which he asked Devina to do in her beast form which the Vampiress was more than happy to do.
Leonardo looked around and smiled.
"Everything must be perfect for my Lotus Blossom." He thought, "Especially as it's her special birthday."
He looked towards a table of presents piled up where gifts from Mutopia as well as himself and his family and friends had contributed to.
Like any father, he loved to spoil his daughter on their special day or holidays like Christmas, but he was also anxious, as this was the age, he felt Kemeko was ready to learn the truth of her origins.
The night before, Leonardo had lay awake for a long time trying to think of what to tell his daughter.
As he thought about what he was to tell her, he remembered the night Karai had died, and how she had made him promise that he tells Kemeko the truth, not hide anything from her, tell her everything, the whole truth.
Flashback
Leonardo sat next to Karai's bedside, the Japanese woman, the once fierce and fearless warrior queen of the Foot, and the Shredder's adopted daughter lay there in the bed in Donatello's medical room, bleeding internally and slowly dying from the wounds sustained by Shredder, who had tried to kill her in an honour killing for betraying him and leaving the Foot with Dr Chaplin and living a new life.
He had tried to help her in the final fight against him, they had managed to win the battle, yet the war had been lost as Karai had been seriously injured and Donatello had confirmed her wounds were fatal, and Karai had requested that she see Leonardo and hold her baby daughter one more time.
And that was exactly where Leonardo was, sitting next to Karai so she wasn't alone, and he had made sure baby Kemeko was with her too, and the baby girl was resting on Karai's chest as she was taking her final few breaths of life.
"Leonardo..."
Karai's voice brought Leonardo back to earth and he looked at Karai's face, she was struggling, and she had limited time in the mortal world.
He gathered Karai in his arms and held her close as she spoke.
"I... I don't know how long I'll last...I...I need to ask you to do something for me..."
"Karai?" Leonardo whispered.
"Leonardo..." Karai choked "Kemeko needs someone...someone who will show her the way of honour...and strength...someone who will care for her, love her and protect her..." she gripped Leonardo's hand tightly "Please...promise me you'll care for her..."
Leonardo's throat tightened again.
"Me?" he whimpered "You want me to..."
"You are her Godfather...and you are the only one I trust to care for her...make sure she doesn't make the same mistakes as I did..." Karai said "Promise me you'll care for her, love her, protect her and train her in the path of honour...what I was never given..."
Leonardo held back a sob as he nodded.
"I promise Karai..." he said as he gripped her hand tighter the tears falling, and he made no attempt to hold them back.
"Also...don't hide the truth from her..." Karai pleaded "She needs to know about Shredder, about me...how I was in league with him...don't hide anything...don't sugar-coat it...tell her everything..."
Leonardo bit his lip.
"I won't lie Karai..." he said, "I won't hide anything from her."
Karai smiled weakly.
"I know I can trust you Leonardo..." she said, he looked up at Splinter, her eyes filled with longing, "Please..." she pleaded "Let me hold my daughter one last time..."
Splinter nodded and gently handed Kemeko to Karai who with difficultly tried to sit up; Leonardo quickly slid his arms around her and helped her sit up and cradled one of her arms so she could hold Kemeko.
Tears streamed from Karai's eyes as she held her daughter and cradled her tiny hand in her hand.
"I'm so sorry Kemeko..." Karai whispered "Please forgive me..."
Leonardo gritted his teeth.
"You were a great mother Karai..." he said "Kemeko will never hate you for leaving her like this...She will understand you tried to protect her."
Karai smiled at Leonardo weakly.
"After everything that happened, Leonardo..." she said, "After everything I did to you...I didn't deserve it."
"Don't talk like that" said Leonardo in a choked voice "It doesn't matter now, you were honourable tonight, honourable to the end..."
"I'm grateful for everything you did for me Leonardo." Karai whispered "So grateful, if you weren't here...Kemeko wouldn't have survived...and I trust you to take care of her...love her, protect her and train her well...don't let her make the same mistakes I did..."
"I promise Karai." Leonardo whispered, "I promise...on my honour...and my life."
Karai smiled again at Leonardo then leaned back, her eyelids fluttered.
"I trust you Leonardo..." she whispered, "Take care of Kemeko..."
Leonardo gritted his teeth and tears fell as Karai's head fell back slowly and her grip loosened on him and Kemeko.
Splinter started to say a Japanese prayer as tears fell from his eyes and Donatello walked behind Leonardo as he watched Karai take her last breath and the machine monitoring her heart made the flat-line noise.
Tears streamed from Leonardo's eyes as Karai rested back in his arms, her eyes slowly closed, and she looked like she was in a peaceful slumber.
"Be at peace Karai..." Leonardo whispered as he gently laid Karai on the bed and picked up Kemeko who was napping peacefully.
Splinter kept whispering the prayer and bowed his head.
Donatello leaned over and crossed Karai's arms before pulling the sheet over her face.
Leonardo sat there for a long time staring at the sheet. He couldn't believe Karai was gone.
"Rest in Peace…. Karai." he whispered between sobs
End Flashback
Leonardo blinked and breathed hard as he held back tears.
Looking at everything going on around him, he had to keep it together, this was a special day for Kemeko, and he wanted everything to be perfect.
He also remembered that last night because he couldn't sleep, he decided to go to the kitchen to get a glass of water and maybe a midnight snack, something that his brother Michelangelo was famous at doing and sometimes his niece Pandora.
He would have laughed at himself doing what they did, but this was a serious situation he was in, so it was no laughing matter, yet he had gotten a surprise when he entered the kitchen.
Flashback
Leonardo entered the kitchen to get a glass of water, he hadn't been able to sleep due to his mind being full of all he had to endure.
As he entered the kitchen, he saw a large, tall figure standing at the sink and he almost jumped out of his shell.
"Tyroth?"
The figure turned around and it was revealed to be the large red dragon Leonardo considered a dear friend, ally and fellow warrior and leader.
"Hey Leo." Tyroth said turning to him with a glass of water, "Are you alright?"
Leonardo looked up at the dragon.
"To be honest, I don't know." He replied in honest tones.
"I could guess." Tyroth said "In a way I had a feeling."
"You did?" Leonardo asked in surprise, yet he guessed in a way the all-knowing dragon was able to read his body language.
Tyroth nodded.
"You've confided in me about this." Tyroth said as he sipped his water "You're anxious about tomorrow."
Leonardo sighed.
"Nothing slips past you huh T?" he asked, "Just like Master Splinter."
Tyroth nodded.
"It's true Tyroth, Kemeko turns thirteen tomorrow, and I told myself as well as promised Karai that I would tell her the truth about her origins, and about her mother and father, but I'm scared to."
Leonardo walked over to the sink as Tyroth moved to the side and poured himself a glass of water.
"I spent years preparing for this…and now, I'm not sure."
Tyroth sighed as he watched the turtle, and he walked over to the freezer.
"Fancy some ice cream?" he asked casually.
"Huh?" Leonardo asked looking up.
"I got a craving for something sweet." Tyroth said "How about you?" he added with a smile as he opened the freezer door and pulled out a cartoon of ice cream.
"Maybe some sprinkles and sauce?" he asked.
Leonardo licked his lips and he felt himself start to relax.
"Okay then." He smiled softly and sat down as the dragon prepared some midnight desserts.
After five minutes, the blue masked turtle and the red dragon were eating ice cream and talking.
"I can feel that you're scared and worried about tomorrow and what to tell Kemeko." Tyroth said.
Leonardo nodded.
"It's been the time I've been dreading." He said "All the years I've been preparing, all the time I've spent wondering how to break it to her, the truth about why her parents are dead, and who she is connected to, the very monster we talk about and fight…. I'm scared of her reaction…. will she hate me? Will she want to face him?"
"Leonardo…"
Leonardo looked up to Tyroth who reached out his paw to place on Leonardo's.
"Leonardo, if there is any advice I can give you, it is do not lie, do not hide anything, tell the truth, Kemeko may be upset, but she will be thankful afterwards."
Leonardo looked down at his bowl of ice cream that was slowly melting.
"You think that, big guy?" he asked.
"I do!" Tyroth replied seriously "Have I ever told you a lie?"
Leonardo shook his head.
"It is best to tell the truth now, and not sugar coat anything." Tyroth said "And I promise you, no matter what, I will be here to help, whatever the outcome, you have my support!"
Leonardo looked at the dragon and smiled weakly.
"I do apricate it, Big T, I do." He said, "After that day you helped me reach Karai, I trust your word till the day I die!"
Tyroth smiled back.
"Anytime Fearless!" he winked.
End Flashback
"Leo!"
Monalisa's voice brought Leonardo out of his thoughts.
"Leonardo! We're almost done now!"
Leonardo saw Monalisa walking out of the kitchen with snacks followed by Amber and Michelangelo, yet Amber kept poking the orange masked turtle with her tail as he kept picking at the snacks.
"Cool! Thanks Mona!" Leonardo said and looked around seeing almost everything in place to give his adopted daughter a great birthday.
Taking a deep breath, Leonardo thought about how he wanted to give Kemeko a day to remember.
"I'll let her have a good day, then I'll consider speaking to her about the truth, but I don't want to spoil anything…I'll be damned if I spoil the best day of the year for her…"
Poor Leonardo is feeling anxious, I don't blame him, but he does have help and support from his dear friends and family.
Yet the truth must be told.