Total Turtle Transformation (TMNT Book 4)

Switching Weapons

We went back to the lair and walked in just as Splinter was walking out of the dojo. He beckoned us back in, and we followed him.

“And how was your patrol?” he asked.

“Kicked some more Foot again,” Raph nodded happily.

“And met an old comrade…” Donnie crossed his arms.

“Oh?” Splinter asked.

“Pulverizor,” I replied.

Everyone looked at Sensei as his face grew slightly unfocused, like he was disappointed or sad. His face perked up gradually so we wouldn’t notice, but we did. He sighed, “Anything else?”

“The Foot are getting easier,” Leo announced.

“Or you are all getting too used to your weapons,” Sensei said suddenly, looking at us all. “You need to start adapting to your surroundings.”

We all looked at him questioningly. “We’re not following you, Sensei,” Natasha spoke up. “What do you mean?”

“I mean for you to all switch weapons,” Splinter said, looking at us carefully.

“WHAT!?” All of us exclaimed, shocked out of our shells. I wasn’t expecting it, and I’m guessing no one else was either. They looked about as shocked as I did.

“Yes!” Splinter said rather harshly. “Now switch!”

Reluctantly, we looked at one another then took our weapons out of their sheaths. I was going to act all smart and switch with Leo, but Splinter shot me a glare, and I just casually, but swiftly, turned to Sophie, giving my swords to her, while her giving me her own. It was small! And so light! How could she even deal any good blows with this small sword?

Natasha had turned to Sophie since they had gotten along a lot better than me and her have and switched weapons with her. So now my swords were with Natasha and Sophie had the double whips. Raph got Mikey’s nun chucks. Which looked weird… So not his weapon. Leo got Donnie’s staff, Mikey with  Leo’s swords, and Donnie had Raph’s Sais.

None of us looked right. It felt being off balance for me. How could I attack with something I wasn’t familiar with? This sword felt light and like it could break any second, even with just tapping it on my hand it would shatter like glass.

Each of us looked at one another like this idea was crazy, but Splinter didn’t say a word until we were done.

“Now attack each other,” Sensei ordered.

“You’re kidding, right?” Sophie said, raising the whips. Even at shoulder height, the ends still touched the ground.

“Hajamae!” Master Splinter shouted, making me jump.

I turned to Natasha and Natasha me. She looked at my swords weirdly before raising them like she would with her whips. I gripped the hilt of the Wakizashi with both hands, but even the hilt was small and I cut my hand on the blade. I never noticed there wasn’t a guard! Why isn’t there a guard!?

Natasha ran up to me, looking ready, but she brought the swords together and they just clanged loudly together, not even close to hitting me. The swords reverberated and shook her hand so violently, she let go. By the time we were done with our episode, Raph was tangled in the sugonagi chain, Donnie had a small flow of blood under his chin, Leo looked slightly beat up, Mikey was trying to get the Katanas out of the ceiling, and Sophie was tangled in one whip while the other was loose with some blood on it from her own skin that was scourged heavily.

Splinter was looking at us all warily before saying, “You will keep it this way until you learn to adapt. Dismissed.”

He left the room, and we just shrugged our shoulders in dismay. How can we fight the Foot if all we can attack are not our opponents?!