Raphael, Donatello, and Destiny watch from the entrance to the dojo as Leonardo and Master Splinter duel. The spectating mutants don't dare make a sound, lest they be discovered and chastised for eavesdropping on their brother's private session.
Leonardo knocks Splinter back and raises his sword above his head for a downward strike, but then hesitates when he sees his Sensei's exhausted face. The turtle's countenance softens and he lowers his weapon back to his side.
"You had me at a disadvantage, but did not attack," Splinter says as he lifts himself up from his knees. "Why?"
"No reason, Sensei," Leonardo says. His voice is rushed.
"Then stop holding back and attack."
They rush at one another and begin their duel with more gusto than before. On the other end of things, Donatello, Raphael, and Destiny are still watching and their concern is growing with every blow that Leonardo and Splinter give.
"'Sup, my ninjas?" Michelangelo greets as he pops up behind the trio. There's a goblin mask hiding his face from view. "Any of you guys seen my stuffed iguana?"
"Ssh!"
Michelangelo takes off his mask and blinks once as he readjusts to the light. "The one with the top hat?" he asks, still unperturbed by his ignorant siblings.
"Ssh!"
The orange-masked turtle ducks down and slips between the space between Donatello and Raphael's legs. He pops up directly in front of them, his entire face blank but not without annoyance.
"Hmm," he murmurs. "My ninja senses are saying you want me to be quiet."
Raphael slaps him across the face and Destiny immediately smacks Raphael's arm, shooting him an ice cold glare. The fight that never quite started in the first place ends and Michelangelo bounces away before it gets more heated.
"Man, they're really going at it," Donatello says as Raphael and Destiny look back at the sparring match. The intelligent turtle's forehead wrinkles as he strokes his chin. "Sensei still hasn't fully recovered."
"Slash messed him up pretty bad," Raphael mumbles. "It's gonna take a while before he gets all his strength back." Destiny nods as her hand drifts to the bandage around her neck, her fingers rubbing along the creases as the hairs on her scarred arms prickle.
There's an earsplitting squeal of glee from behind them as Michelangelo reappears, a badly-sewn stuffed iguana held aloft in his hand. "Found him!" he cries. "Go ninja, go ninja, go!"
"SSH!" Their synchronized brown and green glares are enough to send the younger turtle shrinking backwards into a terrified lump.
Inside the dojo, Leonardo spins and kicks Splinter hard enough to send him skidding backwards. The rat grunts as his leg freezes up, but no mercy comes from his eldest turtle as he lands a solid kick to his Sensei's chest and Splinter collapses. He stares down the shaft of Leonardo's practice katana, Leonardo's gaze latched on his as their heavy breaths stir the still air.
"You succeeded," Splinter says.
Leonardo lowers his sword and shrugs. "Only because you're still recovering, Sensei."
"Very...true." Splinter lets out a small grunt as he settles into a crisscrossed position, his movements stiff. He shuts his eyes and breathes evenly as he starts murmuring under his breath and making hand signals. "Rin. Pyo. Toh. Sha. Kai. Jin. Retsu. Zai. Zen."
His hands glow with a white aura as he speaks and he places his hands on his injured knee. Leonardo's eyes widen and his lips part as he nearly drops the sword in his hand.
YOU ARE READING
Forest Mutation (Book Two)
Fanfiction"In Saskatchewan, when I couldn't fall asleep, I'd watch the moon and think about how across the country and over the border, you were probably out on a rooftop beneath the same moon. You were the first person I enjoyed the moon with. Every other ti...
