Note: My Fanfics 'Karai's Legacy' and 'A Father's Lament' are mentioned in this chapter.

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Missing you

Kemeko held both the hands of her parents as they walked together away from the graves.

"Where exactly are we?" she asked.

"This is our heaven." Karai replied, "Our place of peace, when our lives were taken, we woke up here, and were welcomed into this land, knowing we would be safe and at peace."

"Who else is here?" Kemeko asked even though she already knew the answers as her father would often tell her that the souls of Hamato Yoshi, Tang Shen, her parents, the Ancient One and even Michelangelo's beloved cat Klunk would be there.

"Apart from those in your family, others who have passed on, both recently and from long ago." Chaplin explained and they walked further into the garden where they saw the woodland areas and the mountains behind them.

As Kemeko observed, she saw several people watching from the behind the trees, and many she noticed where in warrior's clothes, including many from long ago, ninjas and samurai.

"Who are these people?" she asked.

"Those who have fought with honour." Karai replied "Many who fell in battle and have come here to live in peace because they earnt it.

Kemeko looked at them then up at her parents.

"They know only to observe, and they can see you are merely visiting." Chaplin said, "We needed to some time alone to talk to you."

"How?" Kemeko asked as it came to her how she was about to reach this world.

"How was I able to reach you from earth?" she asked, "I've never known meditation to take me this far."

"With the right training, anything is possible." Karai smiled "Your father has tried this before, back in Mutopia with his dragon friend."

"Uncle Tyroth." Kemeko said.

"That's right." Chaplin nodded.

"With the Dragon's magic, he was able to amplify the meditation so he was able to reach me in his time of need when you were just a baby as he doubted himself greatly" Karai said "And now he has gifted you the same, to seek peace and answers, and now you are here, in this sacred place and able to meet us, which is what you have desired."

Kemeko blinked as she thought about what was said, then her parents lead her down to a lake and she recognised it as the one that she saw Leonardo meditating in front of earlier.

They soon made it to the blossom tree, and they sat down in front of it.

"This is one of the most sacred places here, and where we have watched you grow from afar." Karai said, she stroked Kemeko's hair and touched the white streak.

"I can't tell you the happiness I felt when I realised, I was pregnant with you, all those years ago." Karai remembered and Chaplin nodded sadly.

"It was the greatest day of my life." He agreed "We were settled and married and ready to be a family."

But his voice turned saddened.

"But then Shredder tore it apart."

Kemeko lowered her head.

"Why couldn't he just leave you alone?" she asked, "You did nothing except leave and turn your lives around, and he saw that as a betrayal?"

Chaplin and Karai nodded.

"The Shredder is indeed an evil man, or rather a creature in that metal suit." Karai said, "And I was loyal to him from a young age after he saved me from homelessness in Japan."

"And I too followed him, hoping to be better than that Baxter Stockman! But I too choose to not follow him, and I went with Karai, and we followed our own path, but sadly, it meant losing our lives."

"We spent many years watching you, watching you grow under the care and tutelage of Leonardo and his family, and I was so proud to see the way you turned out, you followed the path of love and honour."

Kemeko felt tears in her eyes as she looked at her parents.

"I only want to be the most honourable warrior and fight for my family." She said, "I was hurt by knowing I was part of the Oruko Clan, but I was always told, that I never was, I might have been part of them because you were, but not by blood."

"You were never Oruko." Karai said, "From the day you were born, you never were, You were your own, you are who you choose to be."

Kemeko looked down and sighed.

Chaplin then stroked Kemeko's back then looked at Karai who nodded and leaned towards the water before waving her hand over it.

Kemeko watched then blinked in amazement as she saw the lake suddenly turn into a screen almost like a large television and she began to see images.

"What is this?" she asked in surprise.

"This is how we've been watching you, Turtle Child." Karai said gently "From when I left this world, to the years of you growing up."

Kemeko gaped in amazement and looked down at the images that played before her.

She saw Leonardo caring for her as a tiny baby, giving her a bottle, changing her nappies, swaddling her, bathing her, feeding her, and holding her as he rocked her to sleep.

As Chaplin watched he chuckled.

"When I watched, I couldn't help but feel slightly envious that I wasn't there doing those things, what I should have been doing, but I was grateful to know you were safe."

Karai just smiled.

Kemeko said nothing as she watched.

Before long, she saw her learning to walk, say her first words, celebrating her birthdays and Christmases, and other celebrations with her mutant family, both the Hamato Clan and with the Mutopians.

She then saw herself training with her family and learning the ways of Ninja as well as some Kung Fu by her Aunt Monalisa and also training from Tyroth and the Knights in Mutopia.

She saw the fun times with her cousins, Sonia, Freya and Loki and them training together to be the next team of Knights and Ninjas to protect their homes when their parents and friends could no longer do it.

They were all happy memories that she treasured.

She looked up at her parents.

"You see there, my child?" Karai said, "You are in a much-loved place, and you have become your own person under the watchful loving eyes of your supportive family, not moulded into something that someone wants to control." She looked saddened "Like he did with me."

She waved her hand over the lake and Kemeko watched as she saw Karai as a young girl being found by Shredder in the streets, then bringing her to his home then raising her and teaching her his ways.

She saw her mother rise the ranks of the ninja, then lead her own armies in Japan before coming to the USA to fight and work alongside her adopted father.

She then saw the many interactions between her and Leonardo, and her struggle between following orders of the Shredder and doing what was right.

"I found myself following my father due to my loyalty to him." Karai lamented "I only want to do him proud, either that or I was fearful as I was drawn to Leonardo's path of honour."

She sighed as she watched herself, including her attacking the turtles in their lair, then her and Leonardo's confrontation.

Then after many more encounters, it showed her coming to Leonardo begging him for his help in protecting her unborn baby, and then the events that followed up to Kemeko's birth.

"I spent many days wishing things had been different, and when you were born, I planned that to be the case with you, that you followed the right path."

"If Shredder had possessed you." Chaplin sighed "We can only imagine what would have happened to you."

Kemeko chewed her lip as she remembered her nightmares after the Mutopians had saved her and her family, and she stroked the white streak in her hair.

"What would Shredder have done?" she asked fearfully.

Karai and Chaplin looked at each other and Kemeko wondered what they were thinking before Karai waved her hand over the water, and Kemeko watched as she held the hands of her parents, bracing herself for what was to become.

The scene soon changed, and it showed Shredder standing in his throne room, the very one Kemeko had been sitting in when she and Pandora were captured by Hanako and brought before him.

This time, she saw herself bowing before him, willingly and wearing similar armour to him, she was smirking up at him.

She then saw Shredder kneel to her and stroke her under the chin.

"You are my best student, my granddaughter, and together, we will finish those turtles, those lizards and the rat once and for all!"

Kemeko felt sick as she watched, but she took a breath and continued to watch.

The scene changed again, and it soon showed a rooftop battle, and she saw herself standing with Shredder, Arashi, Dr Arden, Hanako, the Venomous Five and the other Foot Ninja facing the Hamato Clan and her stomach lurched as she saw Leonardo standing at the front with his Katana drawn.

Monalisa and Raphael were on either side of him with Donatello and Michelangelo, then she saw Splinter and Pandora, battle ready as always and Mr Swinger at the ready.

Kemeko felt tears in her eyes as she thought about how she could fight her beloved cousin, but there in that image, they were enemies, and she couldn't bear to think how it could have been.

Just then, both clans charged at each other ready to fight, and Kemeko flinched as she watched herself fight alongside her Grandfather, and his dishonourable clan, she saw herself fighting Leonardo, then the other turtles and Monalisa then finally going head to head with Pandora who swung Mr Swinger about as well as struck with her claws and tail yet Kemeko had fought back and the moves mimicked that of the Shredder!

Finally, the young Asian girl could stand it no longer and she looked away sobbing.

"No!" she said, "I am not Oruko!"

She then felt some arms around her, and she heard Chaplin and Karai soothing her gently and stroking her back and hair to comfort her.

"Shhh, Shhh, it's alright." They said gently "I'm sorry we had to show you that, but you know understand how lucky and fortunate you are that you did not follow our path, and instead you followed the path of honour and love, and what you saw just now we never come to be."

Kemeko sobbed as she nodded against them knowing what they said was true.

"I'm grateful that I was raised by Leonardo, and his family, I love them so much." She wept "Yet I wish we could have been a family, if Shredder hadn't taken your lives."

"We wish that too baby." Karai said, tears of her own falling.

Chaplin nodded in agreement.

"We wished every day we could just hold you, and talk to you, for just one day, or even just for a few hours, minutes even, and we were granted that," he stroked Kemeko's cheek wiping her tears.

"We got the chance we've wanted in so long." Karai smiled "To see our precious daughter for real and close to us, rather than just watching afar."

"I've wanted that too!" Kemeko sobbed "Just to see you, I never thought it possible, but now it has been, and I'll forever be grateful I had that chance."

"As are we Kemeko." Karai said, "And Leonardo will be glad to know he succeeded."

Chaplin nodded.

"Give him our regards child." He said, "I'm so happy I got to meet my beautiful Princess." He kissed Kemeko's forehead.

"I love you so much Precious." He whispered.

"I love you turtle child." Karai said kissing Kemeko's cheek "We both love you, and we will always be watching you, no matter what."

Kemeko looked up at her parents then noticed everything was starting to glow bright, so much so she couldn't keep her eyes open.

"Mum? Dad?" she asked fearfully "What's happening."

"Don't be afraid." Karai called "We'll always be there, and we'll be here waiting when you finally join us….be happy…. we love you!"

As Karai said those final words, Kemeko couldn't keep her eyes open against the brightness as she closed them tightly.

"Lotus?"

Kemeko opened her eyes and she soon found herself back at the graves of her parents, Hamato Yoshi, Tang Shen and the Ancient One.

She looked around, tears in her eyes as she wondered where her parents had gone then she felt Leonardo's hand on her shoulder, and she turned to face him.

"Dad?" she asked.

"Lotus?" Leonardo asked cocking his head on one side, then he saw Kemeko smile then she leaned towards him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh Dad!" she cried with a half happy sob "Thank you! I…I saw them! I saw them!"

Leonardo was a little surprised at being hugged like that so suddenly, but he wrapped his arms around his daughter and stroked her back.

"You saw them?" he asked.

Kemeko nodded.

"For many years, I wanted to know what it would be like to talk to them." She said as she pulled back and looked at Leonardo "Before I knew their fates, I wanted to know them, you told me many stories about them."

"That I did." Leonardo said lifting his hand to Kemeko's cheek and stroking it "I could only tell you in words and show you in pictures, but you needed to hear their voices and learn from them how much they love you and miss you, and how they have watched you, and even though they couldn't do all the things I did, along with the rest of my family to raise you, they have seen what a strong, beautiful and honourable woman and warrior you have become."

Kemeko smiled and she leaned against Leonardo.

"I feel so much better now dad." She said, "Thank you for bringing me here to meet them."

"My pleasure Lotus." Leonardo said as he held his daughter close and looked towards the graves.

As he did, he saw two figures standing behind them, and he smiled as he saw it was Karai and Chaplin.

"Thank you, Leonardo…" Karai whispered and bowed to the turtle.

Leonardo smiled back and bowed.

"You're welcome." He mouthed then watched as the figures of Chaplin and Karai faded away with the blossoms as a warm breeze blew and began to swirl around him and Kemeko as they sat still and embraced in silence.

Awww that was so heartwarming, I felt so happy for Kemeko finally meeting her parents and hearing words from them about their pasts and how things could have been different.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and stay tuned for more drama back in Chicago coming soon!