(Four Months After the Death of Hamato-Tang Shen and presumed death of Hamato Miwa)
She lay curled up and dosing in a corner, her comfortable cage abandoned long ago. Her belly was full to bursting with delicious food, she had a nice dalliance with a few of the rats that lived around the temple, and she looked forward to her afternoon snooze while her Master Kwai Chang Caine meditated. She might even climb to sit on his head and join him in some meditation, if she woke up enough.
Humans voices began to enter the dozing Juliet's mind, one she did not like much.
"Ugh! Will you look at that? Bold, isn't it! You have an infestation, Caine. I'll get rid of her ..."
"Yoshi! Leave her!" Caine snapped with uncharacteristic heat. "Juliet is not an infestation, she is my pet, and I would appreciate it if you would not harm her."
"Pet? I thought you wanted a cat? You go from cats to rats? Why for heaven's sake? It ... Sorry, I mean 'she', will breed by the dozens and chew right through your foundation."
"Juliet is very special, Yoshi," Caine said patiently. "Get to know her and you will see why I treasure her so much. And if you do not modify your tone, my friend, she might chew right through your foundation."
"You mean she bites?" Yoshi recoiled.
"Not yet, but you will put that to the test, I'm sure."
With all the chat going on, she did wake up early, but the sight before her was startling. Her Master, and this strange angry man were sparring quite enthusiastically. If the man would calm down and focus better, he might be a threat, but for now, Master Caine was obviously holding back, being nice, going easy and not mopping the floor with this irritating stranger.
She yawned, stretched and got to her feet scaling the walls to her favorite perch for a better view of the contest.
Right away she could see that the man was getting more frustrated, more angry as they spared. He was keeping his temper with her master, but just barely. There was a terrible energy about him. Painful and dark, and it was feeding that anger.
As a contrast, Caine grew even calmer, more composed and steady in the face of this man's anger. Juliet fully expected her Master to bring this one down to the mat at any moment, and when the opposite happened, she was stunned and incredulous. And as the man bent over her Master, she reacted out of pure fear and rage. How dare he come to their peaceful temple and bring her Master low? The small sleek rat launched herself from the wall with a shrill hiss and an angry chittering squeak, straight at the angry man's face, and would have made contact with her teeth bared, if Caine had not cried out, "NO!" then reached out and snatched her in mid-air at the very last second.
"Hush, little one," he soothed as she twisted and complained in his grip. "Be at peace, my Juliet. I am fine. He did not hurt me. He would not hurt me."
The volley of chitters and squeaks showed that Juliet did not buy a word of it.
Yoshi turned as she leaped at him, and started to raise a hand to swat her away, before Caine caught her. As the master spoke to his pet, he lowered that hand and then suddenly felt a wave of shame. He was not a fan of rats, but she was just a small creature. Had he struck her, he might have killed her. He closed his eyes for a second, and tried to tap the flames in his mind down. What was wrong with him? Had he learned nothing from what had happened to his family? He felt a wave of both anger, and self-loathing.
/Just one little bite?/ Juliet pleaded with her Master. /A nip, even?/ She gnashed her teeth.
She thought spoke, but he answered her out loud. "I said no, Juliet. Mine me now, little Miss," he said, his voice as gentle as always, but with that hint of steel buried deep within.
Yoshi bowed to him "I…forgive me." he said, a little gruffly but meaning the words. "I forgot myself and where I am."
Juliet gave the man a disdainful flick of her tail and a very audible little sniff, like a Queen chastising a disobedient subject. /You are not forgiven!/ Juliet spat, still thought speaking. /Go away, angry human!/
"Alright, so that's how it will be, then," Caine sighed sadly, and stuffed the angry female rat into one of his pockets. This forced her to calm down. It was not her beloved Master's skin she wanted to shred, after all.
"I'm sorry," Caine apologized for his pet as he massaged his bulging pocket. "She is usually such a regal gentle and loving and lady-like little rat." He was only grateful that the man could not understand her thought speak, he hoped. But even if Yoshi could not understand her thoughts, her body language spoke volumes.
"She is protecting her master." He said "Fierce little thing. I suppose she is more loyal than a cat." He said, trying to make a joke "I….did not mean to…loose lose my temper. Why did you hold back? I can see clearly you are my better." He felt annoyed bit at least the rage was dying down.
Caine put one hand on Yoshi's shoulder, and forced the man to look him in the eyes. "I needed to see how long you could hold out. You did very well, better than I expected. And, because a good sound beating is not what you need, my friend," Caine said gently. "I know you feel it necessary, but please trust me. I have been where you are now. After I lost my Laura, I tried to get my Master to beat me down, too. He said thanks for the offer and that it was tempting, but he refused, and the old man was correct. That won't help you much. Breaking your body will not help mend your spirit. And relying on pain as either a crutch or a shield can become as dangerous as any drug addiction."
Something flashed in Yoshi's eyes at this. But he relaxed slightly, his hands unclenched. He nodded "Thank you, Caine." He said. His eyes flicked to the lump in Caines pocket, and although his lips pulled a little (he couldn't hide that he really didn't like rats) he said "I'm sorry I frightened your pet." He said and he meant it.
"I do not fear this obnoxious braggart!" she squeaked, and Caine patted his pocket.
"Yes fair one, I know," he murmured to his pet.
Then Caine smiled a little. "It's a good start, for you, Yoshi," he said. "You came to me for help, my friend. So your first task is this- become friends with my Juliet."
Hearing this, Juliet gasped and emitted the squeaking version of, "What? NOOO!" from Caine's pocket.
Yoshi blinked and then frowned "With all due respect, I really don't like ….."
Caine smiled wider. "I know. If you can overcome that, and succeed….I think it will do you good."
Yoshi sighed but managed a slight smile "Now you sound like my father."
Caine grinned. "I shall take that as the greatest compliment," he told his friend.
Juliet poked her head out of Caine's pocket, squeaked insistently until he looked her in the eyes, and then fixed him with a very plaintive, very human-seeming stare. /I did not bite him. Why am I being punished?/ she demanded of her Master.
Caine took her out of his pocket, set her on his head, then burst into helpless laughter. "She just demanded to know why she was being punished," he told Yoshi through his mirth. Once he sobered, he continued, "Yes, she really did say that. My Juliet is no ordinary rat,my friend. She is a transcendent being. She understands human speech, English anyway. She can even read to an extraordinary extent. And despite what you have seen today, she has a gentle and generous heart that cannot bear the pain of others. Once you both calm down, you will feel her empathic talents, if you allow yourself."
Sitting on top of Caine's head like a fierce and furry crown, Juliet cast a disparaging glance at Yoshi, and shook her head a firm 'no'.
Yoshi sighed, resigning himself with annoyance. "Then, Little Juliet, I will respect your wish for today." He gave them both a bow. "Perhaps we might ... .try tomorrow " he said trying to placate his friend while getting away from the rodent that obviously wanted nothing to do with him, save for as a chew toy.
He stepped back, turned, and headed for the small room he had been given. He would try to meditate.
/He went the wrong way,/ Juliet complained. She hoped to see him go out the exit, not into a side room.
"He will be with us for a while. So you might as well make peace with him," Caine told her patiently.
/I did not start this war,/ was Juliet's terse reply. /He hates rats. Why can we not leave it at that?/
Caine sighed. "I expect this kind of behavior from him. I expected far better of you, Juliet," he scolded her softly.
She winced, unaccustomed to being scolded by her Master.
Switching to thought speak, in case his friend was listening deliberately or not, he said, /You shall watch over him tonight. For me, little one? Just stay out of sight and come fetch me if he gets too upset./
/If I must?/
/I would very much appreciate it, my girl,/ Caine thought sweetly.
/Fine!/ the rat muttered disconsolately. She would of course obey her Master. She would not pretend to be happy about it.
So, after everyone was supposedly sleeping, the reluctant rat crept into Yoshi's room, and concealed herself beneath an old chest of drawers, and settled in for a long and boring night's watch.
Yoshi sat in meditation for a long time. At least he tried to. Sometimes he could fall into it, but sometimes….like tonight…..his mind raced too much, thoughts intruding.
Finally he gave up and simply lay back on his futon mat.
The truth was Shen would have been upset with his earlier behavior, especially toward the rat. HE was upset with his behavior. He didn't have to like rats to understand she was a living creature just as he was. More so that she had protected her master despite the fact that Yoshi was so much bigger, capable of killing her easily.
Well maybe not so easily. He smiled a little. The little one was full of fire. He had to admire that.
And if someone had threatened Shen wouldn't he have reacted the same? He couldn't hold any anger toward someone…even a little rat…defending one they loved.
The thought of Shen brought the weight in his chest to full focus, and he put an arm over his eyes.
"I will not bring you shame, beloved." He murmured out loud "I will tame this. I will become better in memory of you. I will be the man I should have been for you. I swear it."
Talking to himself? Juliet wondered if that was behavior her Master should be made aware of right away? His use of the word beloved startled the rat. Who would want to be the beloved of this one, she wondered.
No matter what Juliet thought of it, he lay quiet then and eventually fell asleep.
For several hours, it was silent save his breathing. Once or twice he might have muttered something too low and sleep slurred to really make out.
It was just before one am, when he suddenly jerked violently and woke, sitting up with something between a cry and a full out scream, his eyes wide, terrified and anguished.
He took in a huge gasp of air, and frantically looked around. The horror drained from his face as he realized he had been dreaming. He didn't even realize he was weeping, until he reached up to brush his hair back from his face and felt the naked warm wet of his own tears.
He made a small sound, something like an "oh" but it was nearly a moan and put his head in his hands. He was trembling.
He began to breathe slowly, obviously trying to calm himself.
Juliet had never been more bored in her life. Perhaps that was why she fell asleep not long after her charge did. But sometime later, his shriek awakened her with a start. She hit her head on the underside of the chest of drawers and squeaked out a few swear words before peering out to find Hamato Yoshi in tears. Her first response was automatic. She slid under the furniture and started to approach the man, her gaze deep and full of concern, wanting to help. Then, she remembered his earlier reaction to her presence, and her Master's advice to stay out of sight and most important, out of reach. She sat for a few seconds, her long tail curled primly around her legs, gazing with amazed concern at him. His weeping almost made him seem a decent human being. She went through Caine's meditative breathing exercises, hoping some part of that would reach him, then she started to scurry back to her hiding place, hopefully before he took any notice.
Still the motion caught his eye, and he lowered his hands. For a second he just stared at her retreating form, and then he sighed. It was a heavy sound "I won't harm you." He said "And I won't harm your master. He is my friend. For what it's worth, you have my promise for both things." He said, brushing at his own face to wipe tears away. "Now you see the great monster wailing in the night like a child frightened of a dream. I'm sure I look like a fool."
She gave a startled squeak. In English, it would have translated as, "Damn. I'm busted." But when he continued to speak, not shout or rave or in mockery except to himself, she came cautiously out from hiding again and watched him with real interest this time, taking in not just his words but his tone.
He took a moment more to compose himself and then looked at her. "You did your master proud today" he offered "You were very brave to defend him." He leaned his head against the wall, and closed his eyes.
Shen would have taken to the little rat right away, he thought. She loved animals, but more so she had an instinct to help and protect anyone smaller or weaker than she was.
"I'm sorry. My wife would be very ashamed of how I acted today, and I dishonored her memory and my friendship with your master." He shook his head "I don't much want to be friends with me either these days."
She crept a little closer but still well out of his arms reach and squeaked a giggle that she tried to turn into a fake coughing fit to cover the laughter. The words 'wife' and 'would be ashamed' caught her attention. So his mate was gone. Was she dead, like Caine's mate? That would be an explanation for his behavior.
Sitting up straight and balancing herself easily on her hind legs and long tail, Juliet pointed with one front paw deliberately to a picture of Caine's wife Laura. There was one in each room of the temple. He could not thought speak or not with her, but could he receive pictures? She tried to send him a picture of Caine and Laura with joined hands and very goofy starry-eyed looks on their faces to show she understood what he meant by 'wife.' Secretly, she thanked whatever maker that she would never look so vapid and stupid and mindlessly adoring over any mate. Poor humans and their madnesses.
A faint smile touched his lips. He wasn't sure why he couldn't clearly hear her mind speak ... .maybe his own mind was too chaotic for that these days…but he was clearly picking up impressions from her, and the images came across clearly.
"Yes." He said "I see, little one. Laura was a good and kind woman. Much like my Shen. This is why Caine understands me better I think. He understands….this grief." But Caine was a better man than he was. He hoped he would eventually be able to also be a better man.
He gave her a small bow of his head. "I came hoping that here I can…." He paused realizing he didn't know how to explain to her what he was looking for. Honestly, he wasn't exactly sure what he was hoping for except….
Except that he was horribly afraid if he didn't deal with this he would turn out like Saki. A true monster. Someone who would hurt his friend in a burst of frustration, or kill a tiny animal in his rage with no remorse. The idea made him feel sick. Better he should die than turn into…that.
"I am trying to be better." He said simply.
Juliet got impressions from him that she was certain he did not mean to send, but they were so much in the front of his mind that the most inept psychic reader should be able to see them. It was brief, less than a second, but she saw a fight, Yoshi and some other human male who were really trying to hurt one another. It was nothing like the fight she witnessed between her Master and this man. Then, she saw the female trying to intervene, saying they were brothers, begging them both to stop ...
And suffusing all this ringing in her ears was the wail of a frightened infant ...
When she recovered from this vision, she found her own forepaws pressed tightly over her eyes. Lowering them, she gazed wide-eyed and through a shimmering veil of tears at the man with a new-found sympathy and understanding.
Juliet could not say when she moved to his side, but here she was, staring up at him, one tiny paw patting his hand, the very hand that almost swatted her out of life only hours before, the hand she had longed to bite, but not now.
He looked down at her, surprised at this display. Hesitantly, he lifted his hand, slowly so as not to frighten her, and using two fingers gently stroked her head "Thank you, little warrior" he said softly, in a voice that was nothing like how he had spoken when she first saw him. This was a sad voice, but also a warm one. A thankful one. A humbled one. A voice one could believe had been, for all his shortcomings, a man who had deeply loved his wife and child and would have died for them.
That was the edge of what Juliet had seen. Some part of him wished he had been the one to die, so they might have lived. And that was the heart of all the fire inside him, all the rage. That he was left behind. That he had failed to save what he so deeply loved.
His voice was compelling in its tone and warmth, so much so that she shivered a bit under his touch, but not with fear,not with any emotion she understood. Cautiously, she rubbed her head against his fingers and made soft soothing sounds.
It was not his fault, not entirely. That other man was even more hate-filled than Yoshi. It was his fault, must have been.
No. NO, You must not die! Juliet thought this with some urgency, and not just because her Master Caine would grieve long and hard for his friend. But now she knew that she would grieve for him, too, and that was insane. They barely knew one another, and he did not like her besides.
Maybe he picked that up, or at least got the strong impression. He said "No, Fierce Juliet. I was not meant to die, not yet. My place is to remain behind. But I will never allow my anger to rule me like that again. Saki knew how to use it against me. I will overcome and harness what is inside me so it will not destroy, but protect. I will be its master, not let it be mine. And I will go into the world and do what good I can. Shen would have me do so. And I want to."
He continued to stroke her fur gently "I am still struggling. But I will not stop trying."
He smiled a little sadly "My Shen would have been delighted with you." He said "It seems I was wrong about rats. You have my deepest apologies, little warrior"
She let him stroke her fur for a while. He was almost as good at that as was Master Caine, and the combination of his touch and his warm compelling voice was nearly hypnotic. She gave a long sigh and laid her entire head in his hand for a moment, careful to keep her lips pulled firmly over her sharp teeth as she nuzzled his hand. Then, after a while, she straightened and put two paws on his wrist and began to easily climb his arm. She took her time,[ ready to leap to safety and half expecting him to violently recoil, and he did tremble a little, but made no move to stop her as she climbed to his shoulder. Again balancing on her tail and her hind legs, she reached out and ran a soft forepaw, being obviously mindful of her claws, over his cheek, wiping away what remained of his tears.
He closed his eyes "you are very kind, Little Warrior." He said. It felt strange to have her climb over him, but as she did he found he was getting used to it. The touch of her paws was almost like little hands.
It might take awhile to get used to not immediately recoil from a rat. But he found he wanted to get used to it.
To his surprise he found that he wanted to befriend her not only because it would please Caine, but because he…..he was starting to honestly like the little creature. She was kind…and Fierce. She was gentle and protective. If she was human he would have recognized her as a good person. Why should it be any different because she was a different being than he was?
No. They were both living beings, trying to make their way. She deserved no less respect.
"It is late little warrior. I don't want to keep you from sleep. I'll be alright."
Resting against his neck, she gave him a long searching look that seemed to say, "How stupid do you think I am?" She looked at Caine's picture, then tapped herself on the head, touched his cheek again with that extra gentle paw, and gave an obvious shrug, trying to tell him that the Master wanted her to stay. But if Yoshi wanted her to get down, she would oblige,and slowly began to climb back down his arm. She only got halfway, then leaped lightly onto his knee and spring-boarded herself from there to the top of the chest of drawers. She turned around a few times before settling in with her tail curled tight around her body, and her now soft and kindly gaze still fixed worriedly on him. She yawned a couple of times, but each time she yawned, she bit the end of her tail to keep herself awake and on guard.
He watched her settle in, and then stood. He moved to the satchel he had hung on the wall by a single hook. Inside the bag was everything he owned, everything he could save from the ruins of his home.
He rummaged and then pulled out a folded piece of cloth. It was white, with a spray of green leaves hand painted on it. He went to the dresser, slowly so he wouldn't frighten her.
She watched his every move, but showed no real concern until he approached her with that big piece of cloth. Well, it was big to her tiny slender body. What did he mean to do with that?
Sacks ... Rivers! The genetic memory of her ancestors, which stretched back far beyond the first generation raised in the labs, suddenly screamed at her, speaking of potential danger. And yesterday, she would have run away or stood up and fought, thinking he meant to tie her in that and drown her in the river at dawn. He approached slowly, but made no attempt to hide his movements or the cloth, though, so perhaps a drowning was not in the cards.
And it had a lovely scent to it, mostly his, but there was the hint of something else, the cloth maker, maybe? A feminine scent that spoke of kindness and gentleness and devotion.
"If you are determined to be my guardian, then you should at least be comfortable. Please, little warrior, treat this with care. My Shen made it for me. But it is warm and soft and it will keep you comfortable." he gently tucked the scarf around the rat, making something between a nest and a little cave with it. "There."
She slowly blinked up at him and sighed with contentment, though this would not make it any easier to stay awake. Treat with care ... Translation, no chewing! She understood, and snuggled deeper into her cloth cave so that only her eyes could be seen.
He went back to his bed, and lay down again. He closed his eyes "Goodnight fierce Juliet." he said and there was a smile in his voice.
"Good night, better human," she squeaked to him
When he woke in the morning, he felt more refreshed than he had for a long time. He lay, listening to the morning sounds of the temple, and the birds outside. He felt….peaceful.
In truth he wouldn't have minded if the little rat had slept on his shoulder, but he had been afraid he would move in his sleep and hurt her. If he rolled over in his sleep and crushed her…..no it was better and safer that she had nested up on the dresser.
Juliet had a peaceful night, almost. Right before dawn, the old nightmare began to run through her mind yet again. She woke up with a plaintive squeak as she cried out for her snake devoured family.
/Father! Romeo! Mother! Arielle!/ The last two names were nothing short of an all-out scream of horror and loss. Still lost in the depths of her real life nightmare, and thinking the cloth wrapped around her was a ravenous snake, she scrambled out of it, and toppled straight off the edge of the chest of drawers with another plaintive squeak. /Help!/
Yoshi heard the shrill squeal from the little animal, and understood even as he launched into motion that it was a scream. At the same time in his mind the faint echo of a female voice screamed for her family.
He saw the little body tumble off her resting place, and lunged forward clumsily, still scrambling and sleep heavy, hands outstretched and cupped. He caught her gently, and pulled her to him as he hit the floor on his back with a thick thud. The little rat took none of the impact.
She was trembling in his hands, and he opened them to look down at her. "It's alright Little Warrior" he said softly, and began to stroke the fur around her head again, humming soothingly as he did. The poor little creature. He felt a great wave of sympathy for her.
He hadn't known rats could dream, never mind have a nightmare. But he knew very well what it was like to wake in terror like that. Hadn't she just witnessed it not hours before?
He sat with his back against the wall and continued soothing his small guardian.
What? Wait! Where am I ... Juliet gasped and panted as the present surroundings slowly came back to focus. No snakes, no death cages, and no family, either. Her insides clenched tight at that realization. There was only someone who was not the great Saviour Master Caine, but almost as good.
/Visitor ... Yoshi?/ She let herself curl into a loose ball in his hands, put her tail up over her eyes, and began to actually cry, but quietly this time. As she softly sobbed, she sent him images of the four members of her family, strong Father and sweet Mother, beautiful sister and brave big brother, and then there was her, baby Juliet, not the pretty one or the strong one or the brave one, just little Juliet, the smartest one. Only that intelligence was a curse.
/Gone,/ she wept. /All Gone. Snake food!/
The words were coming through, not as strong as the images, but there. As she wept, he simply continued to pet her fur gently, keeping his hand slightly cupped against his chest to keep her warm.
He closed his eyes as he listened and saw what she was trying to tell him. That kind of loss…didn't he know it so well? That poor small being carrying it now. So much in such a small body.
For the second time in a day, tears escaped him. But this time they were not tears for himself.
He had no words for her. What could you say in the face of such a thing? But he could be here, and be present with her. That could be his gift.
"Beautiful, and brave, and smart, little Warrior" he murmured gently. His hand moved slowly and gently as he scratched the fur on her neck.
The rat was relaxing in spite of herself, hard not to under such a tender touch. She lifted her head and looked at him though tear filled eyes, but she shook her head in an emphatic no. /not pretty. Not brave/ she disagreed. To deny that she was smart was absurd. "Spoiled Juliet,/ she scolded herself. /Teacher's pet Juliet!/ Least, that's how her brother Romeo always teased her.
He raised an eyebrow. The picture that she saw in her mind was himself, but cartoonish. In this version he was an ogre, an Oni. Caine stood before him, and Juliet was between them, in a stance like a little samurai. There was a tint of self-deprecating humor in the image. Himself as a monster.
"Not brave, little warrior? You tried to fight a great and terrible Oni many times your size to protect your master. I know you to be brave. I have seen it."
/Oni?/ She formed each letter clear in her mind. Someone needed to teach this man how to spell things because it looked like an ogre to her./O G R E,/ she corrected him with letter pictures.
He smiled a little /Forgive me/ he tried to send /An Oni is a monster or a demon in my homelands stories. They look much like what the west sees as an ogre./
She blinked curiously. /Oh, I see./ She would dig into Caine's library later and look these things up.
/You. Not ogre,/ She told him firmly, though yesterday, she would not have doubted it in the slightest, But her tears were drying up, and her breathing slowing down to normal.
/But to you I was. And you were not entirely ogre in me is what I must tame. But you came for me all the same, to protect Caine. An act of great courage/ he gave her ears a little scratch /You humble me, Brave Juliet. You have defeated the monster./
That brought a real contented sigh, and she tilted her head this way and that against his hand, hopefully to encourage more of that behavior.
That made him smile a little, and he did as she asked.
He thought how strange it was that the two of them had suffered some of the same loss and trauma. They were so different, and yet in the end that didn't matter because at their core they were the same.
They sat like that for the better part of the hour, talking quietly. Her mind speak came through more strongly by the minute until it was no stranger than him speaking with Caine, and that seemed like a small miracle in itself.
A handful of Caine's students had returned late the night before. When the clear voices of three young women in their late teens and early twenties rose and rang out in the early morning air, followed by a small chorus of young men, Juliet smiled. /Our monks and nuns are home,/ she told their distinguished visitor. /Students. They visit family for a while, but always come back./
Yoshi nodded. He rose and set her back on the dresser. "Give me a moment." He took clothes into the small room off his, and in a few minutes came back washed and dressed /I would like to see them. Would you like to come with me?/
She gave him the once over, and nodded with approval. Not bad for a human, she thought. I wonder how he would look as a rat? What a silly thought, she chided herself.
/I have to,/ she said. /They will look for me if I do not. My training time, too./
He offered her his hands, offering to carry her.
Well now, a girl could get used to this, she thought as she let him lift her, and settled on his shoulder, her long tail loosely wrapped around the back of his neck.
They walked through the temple to the main hall where the training took place. Yoshi followed Juliet's instructions to place her where she usually trained. He retreated to the back of the room, respectfully. This was not his school, and it was proper he should show his respect for those who were Caines students.
This was also not his style of fighting, but he could follow along carefully by watching and imitating from his place.
Caine's eyes went a little wide when Yoshi came into the training room with a perfectly content Juliet perched on his shoulder as if she always belonged there. Either they were both faking it extremely well, or something had dramatically shifted between them last night.
Once he recovered from the surprise, Caine grinned at Juliet, shot Yoshi a 'what the hell happened here' look, then glanced back at his students. "Students, we have a visitor," Caine said softly. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned in unison and bowed low.
"Welcome Honorable Master Yoshi," they sang out in harmony. "Our temple is yours."
"I thank you, oh honorable students of Master Caine" he said humbly. He caught Caines eye and gave him a sheepish smile, silently promising to explain later.
Caine smiled. "Since you are visiting, Yoshi, my students probably want to show off a bit. I do not normally approve of exhibitionism." His students groaned as if this was something they heard a lot. "But I suppose there are always exceptions," Caine finished.
Yoshi smiled a little and bowed again "You honor me with the show of your skills. I will gladly learn from what you all have to show me."
Caine smiled, feeling Yoshi had already gotten some lessons that did not involve anything particularly Shaolin.
"My students will decide amongst themselves what they wish to show off," he told everyone. "You all have ten minutes to choose ... or I will choose for you." The tone sounded ominous, but Caine's grin belied the threat
"Yoshi, and Juliet, come with me while my students work this out," he said, turning towards a side chamber.
Juliet climbed down from her own little training platform, but instead of going to Caine, she went to Yoshi, and climbed back onto his shoulder again.
When they entered the room, Caine turned to his old friend and newer pet. "Juliet did her job well, I see. You look well rested, my friend. I'm glad, but I thought I had assigned you a difficult task. What did you do, supply her with cinnamon and chocolate last night?" he chuckled.
Yoshi smiled both fondly and a little sadly "We discovered we have more in common than we suspected, although in truth I wish it wasn't so. She is a good soul, I wish things had been easier for her."
Caine's eyebrow shot up. He looked from Yoshi to Juliet. "I take it the two of you ... are communicating?" he asked carefully.
"Forgive my astonishment, but mind speaking was never really your forte, Yoshi."
He shrugged "There's nothing to forgive, you're right. It's gotten easier as we became more
comfortable with each other. In all honesty I think it's more Juliet's doing."
"It is one of her many talents," Caine concurred. "In fact, that is how I found her In the pet store. I assume she told you that already?"
"Some, yes." He said and gave the rat a small bow of his head "She is very talented. I am humbled to say my first impression of her was very very wrong, and I ask forgiveness."
/Is he always like this,/Juliet asked Caine concerning Yoshi.
/No, he definitely is not, and I beg you, do not discourage him,/ was Caine's reply. /Not when he is finally on the right path after all these years./
"To forgive is her choice,and it appears she has made up her mind to trust you." Caine grinned. "Either that or she's just using you as a handy transportation device. Either is quite possible."
Yoshi actually grinned at this and said "Well she knows quality when she sees it." Teasing his old friend.
"Pay attention, Juliet," Caine warned his pet. "This is how he usually is."
Yoshi chuckled and even gave Juliet a bit of a conspiratorial nod.
The little rat glanced from Yoshi to her Master, then raised her eyes to the ceiling. She did not need to squeak or to mind speak, the message was plain. Males/!
The man became more serious then "I am not such a fool that I think my work is done. I have a long way to go. But…Juliet helped me see the first steps I should take while I am here. So…" he shrugged a little self conscious "I will keep trying to be better."
Caine smiled a little. "I think if you are going to spend time with my students ... .rat and human alike… that's a good step."
Yoshi nodded.
Juliet patted Yoshi's cheek again, then went to her Master and did the same. Then, she said something to Caine that made him burst out laughing as he set her gently back onto the floor.
"Juliet says if we will play nice, she would like to go check on all the other children," Caine chuckled.
Yoshi smiled, "You have my word, little warrior," he laughed.
Juliet ran to the door then turned and looked at the two humans. Both men moved at once and nearly bumped into one another to be the one who opened the door for her. Once she was gone, Caine sighed.
"That ... No, I cannot call her an animal. That little being is an angel, Yoshi. I truly believe this. How she contains all that light in one small body, I will never understand."
He waited, and when Yoshi did not sneer or scoff, his brows rose up again. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Are you feeling ill, Yoshi? NO sarcasm? NO trying to make me see reality? I do not know whether to be pleased or concerned."
Yoshi gave his friend a small smile "I know what I have experienced and seen" he said "I would be a fool if I denied it." He paused and then said, "It may be hard to believe, but I can admit when I am wrong, old friend." There was humor in that statement, but also a touch of sadness. Maybe regret that he was seen as so inflexible.
"Because she is small does not make her any less extraordinary. That I know now."
"Not all that hard to believe, Yoshi," Caine replied, a bit apologetically. "YOU know, I expected Juliet to have some kind of an effect on you, but not this much and not so fast. Perhaps you will reconsider and stay a bit longer than you planned? The city of New York will still be there whenever you decide to become its resident."
He hesitated, then added, "And I think my little girl is going to miss you once you're gone."
Yoshi smiled, and there was an edge of sadness to it, maybe even a hint of that anger, but not directed at Caine.
"I wish I could" he said and then sincerely "I have missed you my friend, and seeing you has been a blessing. But…..if Saki should discover I am still alive, and he has eyes everywhere ... .I would bring danger and destruction to you and your students, and that I would never be able to forgive myself for." He paused, "I will stay as long as I think is safe for you, and maybe someday…..I might be able to return." Maybe if Saki met his end, and at that thought some of the anger he had laid to sleep the night before began to burn again, although slowly.
When he had awoken outside the burning ruin of his home, his wife and child inside to become ashes, his first thought ... .his only thought for days…had been revenge. Healing, finding Saki, and killing him for what he had done.
It was Caine that had gotten through to him. He hadn't thought of his friend in many years, not since the man had been a teenager who came to learn at Yoshi's father's dojo for one season. The two young men had become fast friends, and even then Saki had been friendly to Caine. Before the madness took him, before the hate and the anger had made his foster brother into a murderer, he too had been Caine's friend.
He had no illusions that Saki would honor that old friendship. If he thought it would get him closer to killing Yoshi…or even just to hurt him more….he would burn this place to the ground and kill them all. Yoshi could not allow that. Even if it meant his path was to walk this world alone, he could not let that hate destroy this place, his friend, these young monks and nuns, and the extraordinary little Guardian of them all.
Caine's life and teachings were all about redemption, the total avoidance of anything resembling vendettas and/or revenge, but even he could understand Yoshi's anger. If Saki had killed Laura…
"Your concern shows your true inner light, and it does you much credit, but my students who live here full time, and there aren't very many, are all adults and can take care of themselves, Yoshi. Do not be concerned about us. Besides, why would Saki ever bother coming here?"
Because he knows you give shelter to almost everyone, and would never turn away a friend in need, Caine thought with a sudden chill running up his spine, and he shivered in spite of himself. It was as if a cold wind had blown through the room, concentrating around him.
"I have no doubt of that." Yoshi smiled "They have a skilled and wise teacher" he complimented his friend "I could not take the chance however…..it is not your skills I worry for, but the sheer numbers. The Foot are many, and relentless." He sighed a little but then his smile returned "I can promise I will stay as long as I feel is safe for you. That's the best I can offer." He put his hand on his friend's arm "And what time I can stay, I will be very thankful for. It has been very very good to see you my friend."
His smile got a little teasing "And I will make sure that I don't leave my ego behind. The temple wouldn't be able to contain it." he joked.
"Never a truer word was said in jest," Caine smiled.
When Yoshi returned to the main hall, the students happily gave him a demonstration of their school's style and skills. Yoshi sat and watched respectfully and bowed to each set of students when they were finished showing their skills.
After the morning was done, he spoke with several of the students, and he was both respectful and kind to the younger people. It was strange, even with his more vulnerable side exposed to Juliet, how a man who had seemed to be so forceful was gentle and supportive to the young students, especially the children and the teenagers. These seemed to bring out the best part of him, it was obvious he had a large soft spot for those so young. It was easy watching him to see that he could have been a wonderful father had things not gone so horribly wrong.
Two young girls, one no more than nine and the other a young teen around fourteen or so, started to walk him through a series of moves to teach him some of the basics of their style. He watched this, and followed them. When the little girl corrected his stance, he was not angry at all but happily let her guide him. When they were done, he praised their teaching and their patience with him, and they were obviously very happy that he was pleased.
At the end of the day, the children (some who were nuns and monks in training, some who were village children) headed back down to their homes, and the adult students returned to their quarters. Many of the children stopped to give Juliet a pet before they left.
Yoshi joined Caine for a simple meal, and Juliet enjoyed her own on the edge of their low table. The two men traded stories, and talked late into the night. It was a good day. A normal day full of friendship and warmth.
Juliet ran in and out for a few hours, her cheeks stuffed with as much food as she could carry, until Yoshi grew curious. "One might think you are starving her, but I know better. Why is she hoarding food? Rodent instinct?" he asked.
Caine laughed. "She is not. She is feeding her wild friends, especially Sam."
"Ah. A suitor?" Yoshi grinned.
Caine laughed harder. "She makes those few chosen bring her gifts, not the other way around. She has plenty of those as well." For a moment, he honestly looked like a man worried about his dangerously beautiful teenage daughter who was running with too many wild boys. Then he sighed and continued, "No, he might have been her favorite suitor, if this was two years ago. He's huge and I suppose was the strongest when he was younger, but he's also gentle. She has a real fondness for those types. NO, he is our oldest wild rat, Juliet says. He is no longer able to forage,and much of his family have moved on, so she feeds him and grooms him, and sings to him, I think."
"She ... sings?" Yoshi smiled. "Why am I surprised?"
"Oh yes. I only wish I could actually hear it, But I feel it, in my bones, and in my soul. It has an amazing effect on the rats in this area."
He put one finger to his lips, his eyes going far away and his face taking on an angelic expression. "Close your eyes and relax, Yoshi. Think of Juliet, and I bet you will feel it too. She is doing it now. My little Rat Queen sings to her suitors and followers."
Yoshi nodded and closed his eyes, doing his best to be still and listen not with his ears, but with his body and soul.
There was warmth. It buzzed gently and free, like maybe what the universe felt like as it was forming. It was both comforting and wild, kind and unchained. He held his breath, letting that feeling wash over him in waves. He felt tears start to trickle down his cheeks again, but these were not sad. He felt like a child seeing the ocean for the first time- standing before something endless and beautiful, and he was small but blessed.
When the song ended, both men sat for a long time. Silently, Caine handed him a handkerchief.
He did not need to ask.
Yoshi took it silently but thankfully, and wiped his eyes.
"The way you were this morning, I thought that perhaps she sang to you last night," Caine said. He sighed, then with an uncharacteristic burst of heat that startled his friend, he slammed his fist down on the table. "It is not fair," he complained bitterly. "It is not fair that her life will be so short."
Yoshi had nothing he could say to the man. It was the way of things, fair or not.
"Then, we must make her life as happy as we can. Give her in quality what we can't give in quantity." Yoshi said. As soon as he said it he felt guilty for it. He wasn't going to be able to be in her life for very long, and even if he could come back by the time it happened, she would likely be gone into the next life. He was surprised how sad that made him.
Caine's eyes were mournful. "I know it's foolish, but I cannot escape the feeling, no the certainty, that she was meant for something more," Caine sighed. "She's meant to do great things in the wider world, not just the world of rats. She deserves a human's lifespan."
More than some, he thought, Yoshi's lost brother Saki coming to mind. It was universally unjust that his loving little Juliet was dealt the short life of a rat, but Saki could go on for decades, spreading his hurt and his poison to so many innocent beings.
Yoshi sighed. "All I can offer you is this: I will not forget her. I will tell anyone I meet and who will listen about her, and she will at least live in those memories and those stories. It is not much at all, but it is what I can promise."
"That means much to me, Yoshi. Thank you," Caine said simply. "I gave her no instructions, but do not be surprised if she turns up in your room sometime tonight," he advised his friend.
He smiled a little, "I'll welcome the company," he said.
It was true that when he went to bed, he lay with his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling and waited hoping to hear her. Caine was right, it wasn't fair, but it was what it was. He wished he could stay. He wished he could offer Juliet his friendship for the rest of her life. It made him feel like stay or go, he would be hurting someone and that wasn't fair either.
Sometimes fair had nothing to do with it, and all he could do was to make her know she was his friend as long as he could be here.
Juliet waited until Caine slept, then she crept out of his room, and straight into Yoshi's. She sat watching him for a while before coming to climb onto his chest. /Why no sleep?/ She asked him worriedly. She settled directly over his heart, the strong rhythmic beats as soothing to her as were caine's.
/You go soon. Why? Shaolin temple not good enough for Honorable Ninja?/ she teased him. He fit in here so well, she did not understand why he could not stay permanently . And she wanted him to stay, wanted it with a ferocious longing that frightened her by its intensity.
/The man you saw in my memory hunts me. He is unsure if I am still alive, but he has eyes and ears in many places and he will destroy me if he can./ Yoshi replied /He may track me here. Hurt Caine and the children. Hurt you. This must not be./
He began to pet the little rat /I wish I could stay. It is maybe the ninja is not good enough for the temple./ he teased back, but there was a sad undertone to it.
/Ah well, yes of course,/ she teased him back, but projected belonging and acceptance to him./Caine soft and gentle, but not weak,/ she insisted. /He can take this person./
/I have no doubt./ but that was a lie. She didn't know Saki, how brutal and dishonorable he was.
/The man has a pack. Many./ he pictured the hundreds and hundreds of Foot Clan ninja he had last seen in Japan. A sea of black masks.
She gasped. /Oh ... Bad pack,/ she shuddered a little. /Bad Leader makes a bad pack./ She knew all about this, having recently dethroned the cruel and vicious former Rat Queen of this village.
He nodded /I don't want to go. I go because I care for Caine, and his students. I care for you./ he said /I will not allow Saki to harm anyone else I care for. If I am here too long, you are in danger./
She gave Yoshi a wide-eyed, all too innocent, 'Aw, for little ol' me' look. /Might be worth it, facing danger if you stayed,/ she thought spoke to him very softly, rubbing herself against his hand. She would miss that caress when he was gone, and intended to get as much out of him as she could in the meantime.
He shook his head /No/ he said and there was no humor in that thought. /If he hurt you, Caine…../ he paused /I think that would break me. I think I would be lost to vengeance and I would become a monster as he is. After Shen and Miwa, to have him take you and Caine, to have him harm your innocent students…those sweet children…no. My rage would know no taming then. I would no longer be Yoshi for all his flaws. I would be something…terrible./
He scratched her, gently, and closed his eyes /No. For as long as I can stay here and not put you in danger, I will. But even after I am gone, I will always be your friend. And I will never forget you, little warrior./
She let him caress for a while, then crept up and touched her muzzle to his cheek. /No, I want good Yoshi, not bad one,/ she told him firmly. There was a 'don't don't you dare let that happen to you' queenly command hidden somewhere in that little speech.
And again, the thought crept unbidden into her mind. I wonder what he would be like as a rat? Oh, he would be such a splendid one! Best male who ever lived! She even started to draw a picture of a rat Yoshi in her mind, and she could see it so clearly. But she quickly stopped herself, hoping he had not noticed.
/I remember you too, good Yoshi,/ she whispered inside his mind. /I remember you, always./ A tear escaped her eyes and fell onto his cheek. She already felt his going as some unfathomable pain deep inside her heart, but that was silly. He was still here.
/Oh none of that, Little warrior. The world can be very hard, but there is a truth the worst darkness cannot touch. Once a connection is made, nothing can break it. My Shen is dead, but she is still connected to me, as is my daughter. Caine is connected to me. And now so are you. Even if we are a world apart, we are connected./
He gently used his fingertip to gently wipe away her tears. /I never knew rats could cry./ he admitted.
She sighed. /The others don't. Just me, freak Juliet./
/No Juliet. Not a freak. Extraordinary Juliet. Miracle Juliet./
/Flatterer. You sound like Caine now./
He smiled /Caine is a wise man. I am honored to be compared to him./
/As you should be,/ she told him with an inward grin.
He closed his eyes /I will treasure the time we have./ he said /It is a blessing. Thank you Juliet, for being willing to see more than a monster in me./
She nodded,nuzzled his cheek once more, even gave it a little lick, then moved back down to his chest and settled herself against his heart again.
Yoshi continued to pet her, until his breathing evened out and he fell into a deep sleep. He didn't move all night, as if on some level he knew if he did he might harm her. Instead, his hand lay next to her protectively, and his heart beat slow and steady beneath her.
And this was Yoshi's life for the month he was able to stay. Days with Caine, training and taking meals, and spending time with his students. The anger in him was not tamed yet, not entirely, but as the days passed it began to lay still more and more. Peace was beginning to settle on his heart. His friend was a large part of it, but more so was Juliet. That the little rat trusted him now, cared for him now….it meant the world and he worked hard not to break that trust and that care.
He helped care for the temple, helped train the students. He would sit at the midday meal, and tell the children all the stories he would have told Miwa had she not been taken from him. Every Japanese folk story and fairy tale. He was a master storyteller, his voice carrying them all on the tale. The children loved it, and it was clear what his favorite story was because he told it so well. No matter how many times he told it to them, the children often asked for "The Boy Who Drew Cats."
Caine came to realize Juliet was sleeping every night now with Yoshi, and smiled a little to himself on it. It seemed they were both very good for each other.
And then, one night near dawn he dreamt of Shen. She looked at him, fear in her eyes ``It's time Yoshi. Hurry before it's too late. Go now."
Juliet woke up and felt his urgency. One glance around the room also told her that he had packed and was ready to leave.
He looked at the little rat and sat on the floor, cupping her in his hands when she climbed into his lap. He raised her to his face, and gently bowed his head to her. "My time has run out." He said simply.
He gently stroked her head with two fingers. "Your monster must go and lead the demon away." He teased gently and sadly "Please forgive me Juliet. When you think of me, let it be kindly. I will continue to try and be a better man for my Shen. But also for you, my dearest little friend."
Her whiskers and tail drooped, her ears flattened, and she audibly sighed. There was no changing this one's mind. He was too strong, too stubborn. And she knew this day was coming, after all. He already stayed much longer than Caine expected, hadn't he?
/Will you say goodbye to the master?/ she asked, though it probably came out as more of a demand, 'you will', not 'will you'. She really needed to watch that. Speaking to other rats in that manner was one thing, but she had no right to speak to humans like that all the time, perhaps not ever.
/Of course./ he assured her. He was many things, but he was not a man who would just vanish into the night leaving someone he cared about behind without a word. That would have been cruel.
/Good./ The little rat gazed at Hamato Yoshi long and hard, turning her head this way and that, as if cementing his face in her near perfect memory for the rest of her life. She reached out and quickly touched the tip of her nose to his, then easily slipped from his hands down to his lap to the floor. /Well, you best get on with it then, should you not?/ she said lightly. /Give my regards to the rats in New York City, won't you?/
With a flick of her long tail, she vanished underneath his door.
/I will./ he sent back /I doubt any will be as extraordinary as you./ he had a feeling they wouldn't be anywhere near as friendly either.
Still he set his mind to try and be kind to any he saw in her honor..leave a few bits of food for them.
When Caine saw him in the early morning light, he understood at once. He smiled a little sadly at his friend "You will be sorely missed" he said.
"I will miss this place and all within it." Yoshi returned. The second part was unspoken but understood /But especially you and Juliet./
Caine nodded "In my meditations this morning I knew you were coming to me. I sensed two things I hope will bring you comfort. One is this: in New York City you will not find an easy life, but you will find a precious one." He nodded "And in the city, you will find those who need you most, and who you will find you need in return. You will not be alone my friend. That comforts me. I hope it will give you comfort too."
"I wish I had something to leave you both for your kindness." Yoshi admitted.
"You already have my friend." Caine smiled, and embraced his friend. "My students will never forget you, and you have shown Juliet that even more humans can learn to be kind to rats."
"That feels more of a gift from Juliet to me. But I will take that lesson with me. Do you think the rats of New York will want to be my friend?" He was teasing with the second part, but dead serious at the first.
"If you have won over my Juliet,I think you can charm anyone when you set your mind to it."
Yoshi smiled, and gave his friend a small bow "Goodbye, Master Caine" Somehow it was both a sign of respect and a gentle tease to use his friend's full title "I hope we will meet again soon in better times."
His eyes scanned the floor as he did, hoping Juliet would come to say goodbye as well.
She sat in the corner watching the two men, telling herself she would keep her distance. Until he finally spotted her, and she sighed. She came over to him and looked up as if to say, 'Haven't we done this already?'
He smiled a little /Call me selfish. I would like to have my last memory of this place for now, to have you in it./
He bowed to her slightly, "Goodbye fair Juliet."
The little rat returned his bow. /Watch out for those city rats. I hear they are very mean,/ she warned him gravely.
/You have my word little Warrior. Make sure Caine doesn't get so lost in his students that he forgets to eat./ he settled his bag on his back, gave them both a smile, and was gone in the early morning sun, the nuns singing him a sweet farewell song as he departed.
He had no way to know that the temple was only weeks away from destruction.
A/N:
Welcome, patient readers. I hope you enjoyed this little piece.
For anyone reading my other TMNT story, it's not abandoned. New chapter coming up soon, i promise.
As always, reviews/favs/follows, and/or any and all constructive feedback is more than appreciated.
Also, please check out my friend and co-author, Raven Summersong, stories as well. She is a fanfic genius. 😀
See y'all in the next chapter.