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anythingdrabbleTitle: Proud (of His Sons)
Author: Katya Starling
Fandom: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Characters/Pairing: Splinter, Ensemble
Rating: G/K
Challenge/Prompt: Anything Drabble 132: Beginning
Word Count: 500
Date Written: 4 April 2020
Warnings: None
Summary: Splinter's never regretted taking in his boys.
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
In the beginning, they had only been four tiny turtles. He had scooped them up out of the dangerous waters in the sewer without any inkling that they would begin to grow from the strange, green ooze and keep growing. And keep growing they had in so many ways, not just in height but in age and wisdom, in style as Michelangelo would claim, in prowess in all the ways of the ninja, and in love.
They had grown so much, and though the years had been difficult, there had never once been a time when Splinter had regretted his decision to pluck them from the waters. That had been an easy decision: they had been tiny lives, and he would never want anything to drown. Far harder had been the call to raise them as his sons and proteges, but just as in saving their lives, he had never once regretted doing so.
They had paid him back, too, time and time again. They had saved his life countless times, but more than that, they had saved his soul. They had renewed the whole world for him, giving him cause to see the world again through the tiny eyes of baby turtles and the excited vision of young, strong men. They had made him want to live. They had made him happy when he had once thought he would never be happy again and was only surviving until he could die.
He still no longer wanted to die. He would never again want to die as long as he had his four, precious sons, and although death would one day claim him, he'd never stop doing everything in his power to watch over his boys who were so much more than mere pupils to him. They'd just saved the world again and was surrounding him and looking to him with far more care and love in their eyes than students ever looked to their teacher.
It took great effort, but he managed to raise both hands. Leonardo and Michelangelo were closest, and he gently touched their cheeks. All four were barely holding back tears, though Raphael would never admit to them. He stayed out of Splinter's reach, but he wiped away one of his "non-existent" tears with the tip of his tail. The length of his tail curved around Donatello's shell, so that between his tail and his hands, he was able to reach all four of his beloved boys.
"It is all right, my sons. You've did it again."
Donatello sniffled. Raphael slammed a sai into the floor. "We should've stopped him sooner, 'fore he got to you."
"I will heal. I only need to rest for now, and when I wake, you four will still be close."
"Of course, master."
Splinter's eyes began to slide closed.
"May we go for pizza?"
"MICHELANGELO!"
"Mikey!"
"Bro -- "
"Yes, of course." Splinter smiled through sleep's call. "Save me a slice."
"'Course!" Mikey beamed.
Splinter's smile grew. He was proud, as always, of his sons.
The End
Author: Katya Starling
Fandom: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Characters/Pairing: Splinter, Ensemble
Rating: G/K
Challenge/Prompt: Anything Drabble 132: Beginning
Word Count: 500
Date Written: 4 April 2020
Warnings: None
Summary: Splinter's never regretted taking in his boys.
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
In the beginning, they had only been four tiny turtles. He had scooped them up out of the dangerous waters in the sewer without any inkling that they would begin to grow from the strange, green ooze and keep growing. And keep growing they had in so many ways, not just in height but in age and wisdom, in style as Michelangelo would claim, in prowess in all the ways of the ninja, and in love.
They had grown so much, and though the years had been difficult, there had never once been a time when Splinter had regretted his decision to pluck them from the waters. That had been an easy decision: they had been tiny lives, and he would never want anything to drown. Far harder had been the call to raise them as his sons and proteges, but just as in saving their lives, he had never once regretted doing so.
They had paid him back, too, time and time again. They had saved his life countless times, but more than that, they had saved his soul. They had renewed the whole world for him, giving him cause to see the world again through the tiny eyes of baby turtles and the excited vision of young, strong men. They had made him want to live. They had made him happy when he had once thought he would never be happy again and was only surviving until he could die.
He still no longer wanted to die. He would never again want to die as long as he had his four, precious sons, and although death would one day claim him, he'd never stop doing everything in his power to watch over his boys who were so much more than mere pupils to him. They'd just saved the world again and was surrounding him and looking to him with far more care and love in their eyes than students ever looked to their teacher.
It took great effort, but he managed to raise both hands. Leonardo and Michelangelo were closest, and he gently touched their cheeks. All four were barely holding back tears, though Raphael would never admit to them. He stayed out of Splinter's reach, but he wiped away one of his "non-existent" tears with the tip of his tail. The length of his tail curved around Donatello's shell, so that between his tail and his hands, he was able to reach all four of his beloved boys.
"It is all right, my sons. You've did it again."
Donatello sniffled. Raphael slammed a sai into the floor. "We should've stopped him sooner, 'fore he got to you."
"I will heal. I only need to rest for now, and when I wake, you four will still be close."
"Of course, master."
Splinter's eyes began to slide closed.
"May we go for pizza?"
"MICHELANGELO!"
"Mikey!"
"Bro -- "
"Yes, of course." Splinter smiled through sleep's call. "Save me a slice."
"'Course!" Mikey beamed.
Splinter's smile grew. He was proud, as always, of his sons.
The End
