Sodor High School: Thomas & Friends Tales
Written by: ThomasZoey3000 / SF64Rules91 / DaveMan1000 / Sodormatchmaker
Based on the Railway Series by: The Rev. W. and Christiopher Awdry
Based on the Television Series by: Britt AllCroft, David Mitton, Lionsgate, and Universal Pictures
OC(s) owned by: SF64Rules91
Episode 53: Thomas in Trouble
Opening up somewhere on the Island of Sodor one frosty, yet snowless, February morning, construction workers were busy establishing a whole new branch line. Amongst those helping to bring the project to life was Marion Fitzpatrick, a bubbly young woman who was also the manager of the China Clay Pits and who loved her job very much.
"And a dig-dig here, and a dig-dig there," hummed Marion, singing her own version of an old children's song, "Here a dig, there a dig, everywhere a dig-dig."
(elsewhere…)
Outside Sodor High School, all was not well for many of the students there. It had been about two months since James had left the Island of Sodor to go to the mainland with Molly in order to begin a whole new life. Despite having a good start to the new year, Thomas had especially been on the edge since James left—he (Thomas) felt equally responsible for what happened back in December regarding Gordon sabotaging Molly's application out of jealousy and James getting the blame for it, causing the red-haired boy to run away again before, after the mess got cleared by Percy, deciding to leave the Island of Sodor and go with Molly to the mainland. As Thomas and Emily walked down the sidewalk towards the schoolyard, they overheard Percy calling out to them, but mainly the former.
"Thomas! Hey, Thomas!" The voice of Percy echoed, causing Thomas and Emily both to turn around as he ran up to them out of breath, "Oh man, phew! What a run! I thought I was going to be late."
"Hi, Percy," greeted Emily.
"Percy, um…" mused Thomas, causing Percy to look over with curiosity, "You still have your delivery job, right? Has any letter from James come up recently?"
"Sorry, Thomas, there still hasn't been a single letter from James," sighed Percy, equally unhappy even though he (Percy) was one of the few James remained on good terms with, "All I can hope is that…" Thomas and Emily sadly listened to his explanation, "…is he and Molly are at least doing really well in their new lives on the mainland."
"Yeah, I guess they must be," agreed Emily glumly, "Molly is finally working on her veterinarian course, and James is finally happy again—which is good enough for me."
"Come on, let's go inside and find the others," suggested Thomas solemnly, "We should grab a small bite to eat in the cafeteria before the bell rings."
And the three friends walked towards the main entrance of the school.
(inside…)
Inside the building, slumped against the wall to the entrance was Gordon, now back from his two month suspension beginning in mid/late December and the only person completely satisfied over James being gone. Everyone walking past either completely ignored him, or shot angry glares his way over what he did regarding Molly and especially James.
"It's just not right," thought Gordon, looking all pouty after Mavis walked past him, "Why is it 'I'm' being pegged as the villain in all of this when James was the one who almost got Percy killed? If anything, I've pretty much done everyone here a favor; there is now one less delinquent to worry about."
Just then, there was serious trouble… As Gordon started walking by the entrance doors on his way to the cafeteria, they opened and revealed Thomas, Emily, and Percy as they walked inside. It was then Thomas and Gordon noticed and locked hateful eyes at one another, much to the concern of both Emily and Percy.
"Oh great," thought Gordon, "It had to be Thomas of all people."
Sure enough, a confrontation was on the horizon—begun by Thomas no less.
"So, 'you're' finally back," sneered Thomas, very displeased to see Gordon again, "Well, I hope you're proud of yourself, Gordon!"
Emily put a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down, but he, without realizing it, pushed her aside and got up close to Gordon. Emily and Percy remained silent and afraid of what would happen next.
"We lost one of the best friends we ever had thanks to 'your' little stunt!" berated Thomas.
"Like 'you're' innocent in any of this, little Thomas!" snapped Gordon, offended by what he heard, "You and the rest of these ungrateful swines were the ones who drove him away in the first place!"
That made Thomas crosser still as an intense argument began. Several students, including Henry, noticed what was going on but made no effort to step in even as it heated up, with Emily and Percy powerless to try and stop them.
"Do you know what your problem is, Thomas?" growled Gordon, pushing Thomas back, "You're never responsible for your own actions, and always pin the blame on someone else!"
"Shut up!" shouted Thomas, finally losing it, "The thing about you, Gordon, is you're…" As he (Thomas) ranted, Gordon continued to glare, "…just sore that you'll always be living in your older brother's shadow for the rest of your life!"
Uh-oh…
"What did you say?" whispered Gordon, seething hard as one of his eyes briefly twitched.
"You heard me!" accused Thomas, infuriating Gordon even further, "As long as you continue to act like a pompous jerk, you'll 'never' become like your brother! You'll 'always' be second fiddle to him!"
That, I'm afraid, proved to be the last straw for Gordon Gresley; more than anything, he truly hated being compared and seen as inferior to his older brother, whom Gordon was always jealous of for being all that Thomas mentioned plus for being more popular.
"That's what I thought you said," said Gordon coldly.
Not backing down from his choice of words, Thomas continued to defiantly glare in response…
BAM*
…before falling back onto the floor near a horrified Percy and Emily after Gordon viciously punched him (Thomas) in the face. The spectators also gasped over what they saw.
"And there's plenty more where that came from if you 'ever' compare me to him again!" threatened Gordon, shaking his right fist, "Do you understand that, you peasant?!"
An enraged Thomas got up, yelled in anger, and tackled Gordon to the floor. Some of the students watching, particularly Diesel and his own best friend, Dennis, started chanting "Fight!" repeatedly as a violent brawl ensued in the lobby.
"Thomas, stop it!" cried Emily.
"It's not worth fighting him!" begged Percy.
Alas, Thomas paid no attention to the pair while landing a few punches on Gordon while the older boy was still on the floor, before the latter grabbed Thomas by the arms. Using his (Gordon) much larger frame, Gordon threw Thomas off and pinned him (Thomas) against the wall in preparation to deliver a punch to the face that would knock Thomas out for certain. Thinking fast, Thomas kneed Gordon in the abdomen and then delivered a hard enough headbutt directly to the face while the latter was briefly stunned. The force of Thomas's strike was enough to cause Gordon to drop Thomas, reel back, and clutch his (Gordon) nose in pain. Taking the opportunity, Thomas charged at Gordon and shoulder tackled him (Gordon) directly into the trophy display case, shattering the glass and causing the contents to spill out as Gordon fell to his hands and knees.
"That's for framing James and nearly ruining Molly's chance of getting accepted into that veterinarian course!" declared Thomas triumphantly, as Gordon remained on the floor, "Now do you understand that you'll 'never' become better than your brother?" He folded his arms in disgust, "You will always live in his shadow, whether you like it or not."
By now, everyone who was watching the fight unfold was hushed into silence, as Gordon picked himself back up, now red in the face with fury and with a bleeding nose to match. Before anyone could say anything, Gordon rushed and tackled the surprised Thomas, pinning the blue-haired boy to the floor before beginning to wail on him in the face over and over in a fit of rage. Thomas tried to defend himself (Thomas) or force Gordon off, but the latter was too strong.
"What was that you were saying?! HUH?!" roared Gordon furiously, punching Thomas again and again—who's left eye was beginning to bruise badly, "Wanna compare me to my brother again?!" There was pure anger in his eyes as he yelled something out, "DO YOU?!"
At last, Henry had seen more than enough and immediately stepped in to pry Gordon off of Thomas, holding the latter in a headlock with surprisingly good strength. Seeing another opening, Thomas angrily got up and delivered another punch to Gordon's already bleeding nose before a desperate Emily finally pulled him away. As they were both being restrained, Thomas and Gordon glared daggers at each other while seething, feeling nothing but sheer contempt for their former friend. Before anything else could be said or done…
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" The voice of Sir Topham Hatt boomed.
Sure enough, everyone turned to see an aghast-looking Sir Topham Hatt standing at the other lobby entrance. There was a long, awkward silence, as the crowd looked at each other and quickly disbursed before anything else happened. The only people to stay behind with Thomas and Gordon were Henry, Emily, and Percy—oh, plus Diesel and Dennis.
"Oh boy, does our principal look ticked off," commented Diesel.
"But I gotta say that was some fight Thomas and Gordon engaged in," agreed Dennis, "Yet as fun as it looked, I'm rather glad it's them who are in trouble and not us."
The two Smelter Class students then hurried away as Sir Topham Hatt walked past Thomas and Gordon, looked at the destroyed display case, which would likely take weeks to fix up along with being an expensive job, and then back at the two students.
"Who… who started this?" Sir Topham Hatt demanded, trying to remain calm.
"He did it!/He did it!" Thomas and Gordon exclaimed at the same time, pointing at the other accusingly. They looked at each other, "I did it?/I did it? No, you started it!/No, you started it!" As they argued further, Percy, Henry, and Emily looked rather fearful while Sir Topham Hatt only grew angrier that no answer was being given, "This whole thing was your fault!/This whole thing was your fault! Stop repeating what I say!/Stop repeating what I say!"
"Silence!" cut in Sir Topham Hatt, sharply, frightening Thomas and Gordon into submission. He folded his arms and spoke severely to the both of them, "You will both stop at the infirmary to get cleaned up, and then, when you're done there, you will come with me to my office—and you will come without fuss."
Thomas and Gordon, realizing how cross Sir Topham Hatt was, knew it was better to just keep quiet and proceed first to the infirmary for medical treatment, then head to the office for a lecture and punishment. Emily and Percy looked at each other and nodded, figuring they'd better come along and make sure that Thomas didn't lash out at Gordon like that again. Henry stayed behind, appearing to look very disappointed that two months of suspension didn't change Gordon for the better. If anything, Gordon had only doubled down on his current attitude.
(elsewhere…)
Later on, Thomas's parents arrived and were directed to the school infirmary, where they found Thomas sitting on a chair while holding a cold ice pack over his swollen left eye while Emily and Percy were tending and trying to talk to him without success. On the other end of the room was a fuming Gordon, holding two tissues up his bleeding nose which luckily wasn't broken, but did hurt badly from being hit there twice. Both sides refused to speak to the other, but did have a bitter thought about them.
"Stupid kid," thought Gordon, referring to Thomas.
"Pompous jerk!" thought Thomas, referring to Gordon.
(elsewhere…)
Later inside the principal's office, Thomas and Gordon were seated in-front of Sir Topham Hatt's desk. Currently, Sir Topham Hatt was addressing the two students for their earlier fight.
"I'm very disappointed in you two," scolded Sir Topham Hatt, "Your fighting in the lobby has caused confusion and delay—more importantly, however, it destroyed an expensive display case," He (Sir Topham Hatt) eyed Gordon, "I'm especially disappointed with you, Gordon!" There was a gleam of disappointment in his eyes as he folded his arms once more, "This has happened on your first day back after serving your two month suspension!"
An embarrassed Gordon bit his tongue and said nothing. Also present in the office were Thomas's parents, Dalton and Andrea, watching their son with both disappointment and great concern. Gordon's parents were currently absent, but Sir Topham Hatt had called to let them know what had transpired. Sir Topham Hatt massaged his forehead, knowing he needed to make sure something like this never happened again.
"Listen, I won't suspend or expel the both of you for the fighting," groaned Sir Topham Hatt, as Thomas and Gordon listened carefully, "You will instead, as punishment, cover the cost of the damages you caused to the lobby and especially the display case," Writing the total amount of money both students needed to cough up on a sheet of paper, he handed the result to them, "Combined together, this is the amount you will need to pay up."
Thomas and Gordon looked at the sheet and nearly freaked out.
"Th-Th-That much?!" complained Gordon.
"Let Andrea and I see this," requested Dalton, walking over and taking the sheet of paper from Sir Topham Hatt. He and his wife looked it over and became unsettled, "Yeesh! That's a lot of zeroes…"
"Honey, don't exaggerate!" scolded Andrea, before she and Dalton looked back at the principal, "But I agree, that is an expensive bill."
Sir Topham Hatt nodded gravely, agreeing that it was a lot of money owed.
"But I've been saving up my hard earned money from last summer for a big trip to London after graduation," Gordon thought to himself, "I guess I'll have to spend it all to pay for my half of the bill—there's always next time," He coughed and got the principal's attention, "Sir, I've been saving up money I earned from my part-time job at the rubbish dump. I think that will be enough to cover my side of the bill immediately."
"Very well, Gordon," accepted Sir Topham Hatt, "You can bring the money you owe me to the office first thing tomorrow morning."
"Yes, sir," grinned Gordon, glad to be let off the hook.
With that said, Gordon proudly stood up, straightened his collar, and started to leave the office. Despite knowing he would still have to face the music by his parents at home, he was glad to not be stuck in debt like the idiot who dared to negatively compare him to his older brother. On the other hand, Thomas looked down in shame because he knew he didn't have that kind of money—it would take months if not years to pay Sir Topham Hatt back. Gordon, however, had one more thing to say directly to Thomas before leaving.
"And you better hope you haven't damaged my shot put arm!" mocked Gordon, pointing rudely at Thomas.
"Gordon! Out, now!" thundered Sir Topham Hatt.
"Yes, sir!"
Once Gordon was finally gone from the office and the door was shut, Thomas felt even worse. Sir Topham Hatt, meanwhile, softened up a little bit while beginning to speak more kindly to Thomas.
"Now, Thomas, I understand that Gordon can be difficult to get along with, and a lot has happened these last few months, but I really expected better from someone like you," Sir Topham Hatt pointed out.
"I know, sir, and I'm sorry," apologized Thomas, as his parents listened to him, "I will do what I can to make it up to you for what I did."
"That's what I like to hear," nodded Sir Topham Hatt, "Now, since you obviously don't have the money that Gordon does, I've gone ahead and made your debt a little lower than his and you're under no strict time limit to get it to me."
Thomas felt a little better, but was still absolutely awful for what that fight with Gordon led to.
"Thank you, sir. Again, I apologize for my actions and I will do what I can to make it right," vowed Thomas.
"That's a good lad," smiled Sir Topham Hatt, "Now, off you go while I talk to your parents."
But before Thomas could leave, the office door opened and revealed a 18-year old boy with short purple hair and an older man that Thomas assumed was the Father, being shown the way by Stacy the office secretary before she returned to her desk.
"Hello?" The puple-haired boy wondered, "My name is Ryan Johnson, and I'm new to this school."
"Ryan Johnson?" blinked Sir Topham Hatt, before remembering that a new student had been accepted into the school, "Oh, my stars! I nearly forgot! Please, come in!"
The new boy, Ryan, and his Father walked inside before sitting down next to Thomas.
"Hi," greeted Ryan pleasantly.
"H-Hi," stammered Thomas.
"Sir Topham Hatt, my name is Steven, I am Ryan's Father," Mr. Johnson, or Steven, was saying, shaking hands with Sir Topham Hatt.
"It's very nice to meet you both," said Sir Topham Hatt importantly, "My apologies for not remembering your son's first day here, but, right now, I'm about to have a small meeting with Thomas's parents—so I cannot talk to the both of you for too long."
"Is something wrong?" worried Ryan.
"Earlier, Thomas Brighton and Gordon Gresley had gotten into a brawl that destroyed an important display case in the lobby," explained Sir Topham Hatt, with Ryan and Steven both realizing the damage they saw when arriving was caused by a fight, "Thomas here doesn't have the money needed to help pay for repairs, so I'm going to talk…" He sat back down, "…to his parents to see if we can get him a job to help pay me back."
"A job, you say?" uttered Steven thoughtfully, "Hmm… You know, I might be able to help with that."
"Dad?" blinked Ryan.
"I'm the head of the construction crew aiming to build a new branch line," revealed Steven, before looking at Thomas—who listened with curiosity, "Perhaps Thomas here can come and work for me?" He nodded, "We're in need of as much help as we can get."
"Say what?" gasped Thomas.
"You would let our son work for you?" came from Andrea.
"I would be happy to have Thomas help out," answered Steven pleasantly, "If he works hard for me for at least a month, he'll make enough money to repay the principal easily."
"Oh, Steven, that would be wonderful," praised Dalton, walking over and shaking hands with Steven. He then addressed his son, "Do you hear that Thomas? These kind folks have offered to give you a job."
Thomas smiled a little bit, but didn't feel too much better about the whole thing.
(outside…)
Thomas and Ryan left the office so that the adults could go over the arrangements, and were joined by both Percy and Emily.
"Thomas! How did it go?" started Emily.
Before Thomas could respond…
"Oh, hello," beamed Percy, noticing Ryan, "Are you new?"
"Yup," replied Ryan, "I'm Ryan."
"My name's Percy, and this here's Emily," introduced Percy, also pointing towards Emily, "I should warn you that this school is really big for newcomers."
Emily smiled warmly, "Would you like us to show you around?"
"I'd love that!" accepted Ryan jovially, "Please lead the way!"
Percy, Emily, and Ryan started to leave when they realized that Thomas wasn't following them.
"Thomas? Aren't you coming?" pressed Emily.
"No thanks," declined Thomas, feeling depressed and left out, "I'm just going to go to the homeroom class. You three have a good time."
Percy and Ryan looked at each other and shrugged before they and a concerned Emily walked away to begin the tour. Thomas watched his two best friends leave with the new student before turning and walking sadly away.
(elsewhere…)
Later in the early evening, all was uneventful outside the Brighton residence. Lights within the building could be seen, but it was mainly dark in Thomas's room.
(inside…)
In the kitchen, Annie and Clarabel were busy helping Emily prepare dinner. As they cooked, Emily was telling the twin girls how she and Percy got to know Ryan and how Thomas was going to be working at an actual construction site for a little while.
(elsewhere…)
Inside his bedroom, Thomas laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling in a depression, silently wishing that this was all some bad dream that he could wake up from; the moments ranging from James leaving to that deadly brawl with Gordon earlier that destroyed the display case in the school lobby. Soon, there was a knock on the door.
"Thomas, honey?" The voice of Andrea called out, "Can your Father and I come inside?"
"We'd like to have a talk with you," The voice of Dalton added.
"Sure," mumbled Thomas, "Come in."
The door opened, and both Dalton and Andrea opened the door, walked inside, and sat down on the bed next to their son, noticing how sad he looked.
"Look, we're not mad at you, Thomas," reassured Dalton, "But we do want to know what's been going on with you."
"You've been acting very depressed and much more irate these past few months," put in Andrea, "It's making us very worried. Does…" Thomas kept laying in his spot as he listened to her, "…this have anything to do with what happened with James?"
"Yes, it does," confessed Thomas, sitting up, "Ever since December… I've been feeling like my social life has started falling apart."
"What do you mean by that?" quizzed Andrea softly.
"Well, everyone's become more downcast, Gordon and I aren't friends anymore, I helped drive James away, and, on top of all that, I'm now in debt," continued Thomas, growing very upset, "I just wish I could go back in time and prevent any of these things from happening!"
Dalton and Andrea looked at each other, finally knowing that this was why their son had been feeling so depressed lately.
"Son, everything's going to be alright," assured Dalton, "James might be gone, but I believe that, one day, he'll be back."
"No, he won't, Dad…" Thomas responded downhearted, "You didn't see the look on his face, or the state he was in. He's 'never' coming back… and it's all my fault…"
"Oh, honey," sighed Andrea softly, as she gently embraced Thomas, "You can't think like that."
"But it's all true," sulked Thomas, talking half-heartedly, "I jumped at the first chance to welcome him back, only to blindly turn on him once he was framed by Gordon," He withdrew from Andrea and stared at the shaky palms of both hands, "And now, he's gone forever…"
Once again, Dalton and Andrea both exchanged concerned glances over Thomas's emotional state, but they wanted to help him feel better.
"Listen to me, son," began Dalton, "We don't know what'll happen next. But always remember that your Mother and I will always be there for you when you need us."
"Most definitely," agreed Andrea, "Your Father and I might be disappointed in you for what happened between you and Gordon, but we're proud…" As she went on, Thomas appeared to look up, "…of you for owning up to your mistakes and taking responsibility," She winked, "That's part of growing up."
"No harm, no foul," Dalton smiled, before getting off the bed and inviting Thomas to follow along, "Now, why don't you come downstairs with us and have some dinner? It might help you a little bit."
Although he was still downcast, Thomas felt all the more better than from earlier in the day and decided he was hungry and that a little bit of dinner could help remedy that.
(elsewhere…)
At the construction site, work had been going on all day with no end in sight until its completion, but it would soon have to conclude—in at least another half an hour or so—until the next morning. Leading the project was Ryan's Father, Steven. Amongst those assisting with the project were several members of a group called 'Jack and the Pack', which included Max and Monty, who were friends of Spencer's and also worked part-time with the group because it paid them well, and Jack—who's group was named after him. The two co-leaders of the group were Kelly Austin and Isobella Larson, two university students like Jack who wished to become full-time construction workers after graduation.
"Oooooh, I've been working on the railway! All the livelong day!" sang Kelly.
Isobella giggled over hearing the little song; she quite liked listening to 'I've Been Working on the Railroad' on music cassette tapes when she was a child, and it made sense here because that's what the current project was all about. Nearby, Max and Monty were busy helping Marion with some digging when they overheard the loud singing from Kelly—with Max snorting over how bad he thought it was.
"Feh! I've heard better singers on the street corner," Max uttered quietly.
"Yeah, same," agreed Monty.
Both mischievous boys snickered to themselves, making it loud enough so Kelly could hear them. Marion was rather displeased with Max and Monty over them making fun of Kelly's singing, but had no time to scold them when she was approached by Mr. Drewry, Mavis's Father, forcing her to talk to him instead. Meanwhile, watching the construction from the top of the nearby hill were Mike, Rex, and Bert, triplet brothers who attended Sodor High School; they loved watching new construction projects being done, and they loved trains overall.
"A brand new branch line! Can you two believe it?" admired Mike.
"You betcha! I can't wait until it's complete," beamed Rex.
"I wonder what they'll name it after?" wondered Bert.
The other two boys had no answer and just continued to happily watch the construction of the new branch line ensue. Back at the working grounds some of the workers were taking a quick coffee break before returning to work.
"So this is the Island of Sodor?" The first worker pondered, looking at the surrounding area and speaking in a very unimpressed way, "If you ask me, it sure as heck isn't as glamorous as the other countries we've explored in Europe and North Africa."
"Ease up, will ya," The second worker encouraged, "We're just doing our job for the captain."
"Yeah, yeah, I know," sighed the first worker, before looking eager, "But once we find the treasure, we'll be rich beyond our wildest dreams!"
"I hear you, mate!" chortled the second worker, "I'm gonna use my half to pay myself for a fancy trip to North America!"
"While I'm gonna use my share of the treasure to-" The first worker started to say.
"Treasure?" interrupted Marion curiously, causing the two workers to comically freeze as she walked over to meet with them, "What treasure? Is there any treasure nearby?" Her eyes sparkled with eagerness, "Please tell me there's treasure!"
"O-Oh, nothing of the sort, ma'am!" The second worker insisted hastily, as the first worker smiled weakly while trying to remain innocent, "I'm just gossiping with my mate here!" He then shrugged, "Sorry, you must have misheard us or something."
"Oh, phooey!" pouted Marion, before walking away in disappointment, "I was hoping there was treasure nearby."
Once she was gone, the two workers exhaled with relief, glad Marion had walked away while believing them that there was no treasure.
"We need to be more cautious!" The first worker whispered, "The captain is counting on us!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know!" The second worker reassured irritably, before looking a little confused, "So what's the plan again?"
"Nimrod! We've been discussing this all week!" hissed the first worker, "Listen this time!" After looking around to make sure nobody else was around, he revealed the scheme, "We blend in to the team here, scout the area, report anything we find, clues and the likes, to the captain, first mate, or either commanders, and they take it from there."
"And when that's done, we're in the 'money'," gushed the second worker.
"Of course! So do me a favor and don't mess it up!"
Both men then glanced around at the construction site before them one more time and nodded at each other when they finished. What were they planning, and if they weren't working for Steven to build a railway branch line, who were they answering to? That, we can't reveal just yet.
(elsewhere…)
Inside the Splinterson residence later that night, particularly inside a dojo of sorts, Hamato Yoshi was busy training his two grandsons and their two best friends in the art of the warrior—using everything he learned from his youth. The training was coming along very nicely, and his students were quickly mastering martial arts.
"Now, 'shuto'!" commanded Hamato Yoshi, "Back fist strike!" As he shouted the instructions, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael all did the moves as they were told, "Front snap kick! Upper rising block! Double-kick counter! Again! And finish!"
Once the final double-kick counter by the four teenagers was done, Hamato Yoshi tapped his walking stick on the floor to signal the end of the training session, and his students lined up and bowed despite being exhausted.
"Well done, my sons," praised Hamato Yoshi, "You are getting better with each passing session."
"(はい, 先生) Hai, sensei! (Yes, sensei!)" Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael responded in brief Japanese.
"Now, please kneel in-front of me," requested Hamato Yoshi, and, when they did as they were told, went on with addressing the four ninja teens, "You four have proven yourselves that you are serious in becoming the warriors of the night. You have made me proud."
"You mean like ninjas, Grandpa?" interrupted Michelangelo, "Because, heck yeah, we're great!" He then felt his left hand being pinched, "OUCH! What?"
"Zip it, loudmouth," berated Donatello, who had pinched Michelangelo's hand, "I think your Grandpa still has more to say."
"Eh heh… Sorry, Grandpa," chuckled Michelangelo sheepishly.
"Now, I have a gift for each of you as we continue our journey," said Hamato Yoshi, standing up, walking towards the wall behind him, and showing his students the ninja-based weaponry hung there, "Although these are mostly from your own choosing, it is clear to me they chose you."
"Weapons?" wondered Raphael, as Leonardo and Michelangelo looked at each other.
"And they chose us?" put in Donatello, staring blankly, "Weird."
"They are not just any weapons," The voice of Hamato Yoshi corrected, as he walked to the wall and picked certain weapons off the wall, "These were all provided to me by my own master from many years ago before I left Japan."
Leonardo and Michelangelo were aware of that tidbit, having trained under their Grandfather for as long as they could remember. Hamato Yoshi then approached Leonardo, presenting two ninja swords called katanas to the youth.
"Leonardo, the katana. A royal Samurai weapon, for those with courage and keen skill," he offered.
"(はい, 先生) Hai, sensei! (Yes, sensei!)" nodded Leonardo, again speaking in brief Japanese.
Hamato Yoshi gave his older grandson the weapons, then approached Raphael.
"The sai. The weapon of a fierce and fearless warrior, who will always fight the hardest for his family," explained Hamato Yoshi, handing the two bladed weapons to Raphael, "For you, Raphael."
"Thank you, master," grinned Raphael, pleased with the gift.
"For you, Donatello," stated Hamato Yoshi, presenting a long wooden staff known as the bo to Donatello, "The bo staff, for a thoughtful soul, and a peaceful heart."
"Aww man. A stick?" complained Donatello, a little disappointed.
"Initial appearances can be deceiving, my son," Hamato Yoshi assured, trying to cheer his student up, "What may seem simple and unimpressive can yield great many surprises and opportunities. I believe you will wield it very well."
Being encouraged over mastering the weapon made Donatello feel a little better.
"What about me? What do I get?" pressed Michelangelo.
"For you, Michelangelo," grimaced Hamato Yoshi, wondering how he would explain two nunchakus to the youngest member of the team, "The nunchaku… because… um… they are perfect for you."
Michelangelo accepted the two weapons with nothing but pride, causing Hamato Yoshi to sigh with relief and return to his side of the area.
"My sons, it is time for the next level of your training to begin," revealed Hamato Yoshi, tapping his walking stick on the floor one more time, "Are you ready?"
Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael bowed their heads, signaling they were ready to advance in their training.
"In addition, I've spoken to Sir Topham Hatt in person, and the principal has granted the four of you special permission to bring these weapons to school on the condition that you do not use them to threaten or harass the other students," recalled Hamato Yoshi sternly, as the four ninja teens listened to their sensei, "Failure to obey those rules will result in your weapons being banned outright and the punishment of being suspended for the rest of the year," He folded his arms after finishing his warning, "Do you understand?"
"Do we ever!" exclaimed Raphael, eyeing his friends around him, "What do you say, guys? Wanna go out and stop crime with these babies?"
"Raphael!" boomed Hamato Yoshi, causing the four ninja teens to wince from the sharp scolding, "That is such a brash and foolish request on your part! A true ninja warrior must never instigate a battle, nor engage unless forced to—this is something all four of you need to understand."
Donatello and Michelangelo both blinked from the advice they heard, while Raphael merely pouted over being yelled at.
"Och yes, Grandfather!" obeyed Leonardo, "We will obey your instruction to not start a fight unless forced!"
"Hmph!" huffed Raphael, before deliberately mouthing Leonardo off for being such a suck up, "Och yes, Grandfather! We will obey your instruction to not start a fight unless forced!"
Leonardo overheard that and crossly stood up in a defensive stance, while Raphael did the same thing. Michelangelo and Donatello knew they were stuck in the middle of the two feuding teenage boys, but Hamato Yoshi quickly spoke up about it.
"Stop!" The voice of Hamato Yoshi scolded, causing Leonardo and Raphael to look over, "The both of you will do ten flips now!"
Leonardo and a grumpy Raphael obeyed, walking nearby where there was plenty of space and they started doing a backflip one at a time, counting as they did so. Michelangelo and Donatello both watched and snickered over their expense. Hamato Yoshi watched Leonardo and Raphael performing their punishment, plus Donatello and Michelangelo sharing a laugh, before wearily bringing a hand to his (Hamato Yoshi) forehead.
"Kids," grumbled Hamato Yoshi, before going into his thoughts, "What am I going to do with you?"