The Travelers Wish (The Wattys 2016)

Chapter 33

"Do you wanna know something strange?"

Asked Donatello as he helped me clear the table.

"Hit me with your best shot."

I joked sarcastically, as I find nothing strange anymore.

"At first I couldn't figure out how to use these fingers."

He held them up for a second, like he was playing an imaginary piano

"I kept losing grip of that spoon, till I saw you holding it, and like an instinct took over and I immediately knew what to do."

"Now that you mention it, I felt the same way."

Agreed Raphael.

"Yeah, it was like that time I showed you how to hold a spoon.

Only this time it was backwards, and it was me needing kitchen utensils."

Mikey's eyes widened, like he just realized something important

"Maybe the whole 'see once and learn' thing has reversed itself."

Noted Leonardo.

Then he continued cautiously.

"We better see if this affects our ninjutsu as well."

_________________________

We had been in the training room for a good hour and half, and it wasn't looking so great.

The guys could perform their hand to hand ninjutsu moves from memory just fine.

But they were human now, and weaker, much weaker, slower and less powerful.

Their jumps were half as high, strikes and blows half as powerful.

And apparently some of my own klutziness was thrown into the mix, as they were occasionally tripping and falling hard against the wooden floor.

"Ouch, that hurts."

Cried Leonardo from the floor that Michelangelo had just kicked him down onto.

"Why did that hurt, that never used to hurt!?"

He complained, rubbing his now exposed shell less back.

"No shell."

I pointed out.

"Remember I told you about that, it acts like shock absorbent armor, without it, your just landing on flesh and bone, and that hurts!"

I was sitting on the floor as well, exhausted but Master Splinter insisted I help them through this, and do it along with them.

"How could you have fought like this... This weak, when you were human Sensai?!"

Leo asked his Teacher.

The rat smiled, obviously amused at Leonardo's plight.

"One does not need to be a walking armored car to be ninja, my son."

His eyes full of years of experience.

How does he come up with all this deep, inspiring, and wise stuff?

And always just at the time when you need it most.

Is their like a ninja grand master "How To" booklet, full of tips and tricks on raising warriors?

Leonardo nodded in respect.

"Alright, that's enough hand to hand, lets see if you can still handle your weapons."

The Sensai ordered.

Oh thank heavens, I am beat.

I just spent the last 90 minutes jumping and kicking, then jumping again, trying not to fall flat on my face, which I did a lot anyways, and face planting the hard wooden floor.

Face it, normal ninja-ing is just not one of the things I'm good at.

I limped over to where the giant rat was standing and slumped to my knees.

There was a clatter, I looked over to the boys and watched as they tried to pick up the weapons that had fallen through their hands, to the floor.

Man, just when I thought I was gonna get a break.

I sighed, standing up and walked over.

I began picking weapons off the floor and placing them firmly in the hands of each of their owners.

I was just handing Leo his Katanas when I heard a cry of of pain from behind me, followed by the sound of something hitting the wall.

I turned and saw Michelangelo with one nunchaku in his hand, and his other hand rubbing his head.

"I just hit myself in the head with my own weapon, how is that even possible?!"

He was disappointed in himself.

For the next hour after that, no matter how hard I tried to show them how to handle their weapons, it just did not work.

They constantly fumbled and dropped them, just like me.

Even when master Splinter tried to show them, they failed.

Which subconsciously I knew would happen, because they are bonded to me, and Only I can show them.

"I'd never thought I'd say this in all my years as a Grand Master...

But Enough, this is ridiculous.

Hand to hand combat will just have to do, should the situation arise."

He walked off, violently rubbing his temples.

Probably Disappointed in the fact that a decades worth of weapons training has been temporarily flushed down the toilet.

________________________

I grinned as I hit purchase on Donatello's computer.

5 ringside tickets to New Yorks own semi permanents show, The Big Apple Circus.

Finally I would get to do what Iv been promising myself I would, and take my heroes out to a circus.

Now that they are human it's the perfect opportunity.

I'm going to make tonight awesome for them, and hopefully it will ease the pain of being weak and human.

Hopefully they will see the bright side.

I peered over to the living room, Leonardo was watching Space Heroes.

Michelangelo and Donnie and Raph were all in their rooms, probably catching up on sleep as the training session today was much harder on their bodies now that they are human.

It was around 3 and we hadn't eaten lunch yet.

But I did make their breakfast rather late in the morning so nobody has gotten hungry yet.

But I suspect any second now, someone will make their way out of their room and start rummaging the fridge.

So I set the laptop down, and not saying a word moved from the table to the couch and plopped down next to Leonardo to watch his favorite show.