Remember [Book 1]

28 - Mikito

After the guys left for a patrol, Naomi, April, and I went to the dojo for more training. Splinter paired me up with April to run move sets. The two of us practiced winged horse kicks, whirlpool throws, ookais, and how to defend against them in different ways. Each time we put more power in our attempts to throw one another off. It was basic stuff, but we did it without complaint.

Finally, April had me pinned. I struggled but couldn't get up. Giving up, I set my head on the ground and grunted. "I wish I had a weapon!"

April laughed and got up then. She helped me up and I rolled my shoulder. Splinter came up to us. Were we done? April was seriously kicking my butt. I wanted a break.

"Mikito, you already possess the ninja's most important weapon," Splinter smiled. He grabbed his beard as he continued, "The mind."

April turned to look at me then at Splinter. "No offense, Sensei, but... When was the last time you saw someone pull their mind out and hit someone with it?"

Naomi snickered in the background. I even gave a small smile. Splinter looked at her and I in stunned silence. With a sigh, Splinter nodded. "True... Let's find you girls your weapons." He even turned to Naomi with a smile.

April and I gave a high three as Splinter left to his room. Naomi got up and we shared a high three as well. The lizard leaned on her crutch as each of us waited for Splinter.

When the rat mutant came out of his room, he was pushing along a weapon cart. Coming over, I helped him out. When it was situated on a corner of the room, Splinter gestured toward the cart. Free grabs! Sweet! What did I want?

Looking over the weapons, I picked out a large scythe. Taking it in hand, I stepped back and grinned. April had a staff with chain on the end and Naomi had a single Sai. Why a Sai?

"Don't forget," Splinter advised. "The weapon chooses you as much as you choose it."

I nodded with a confident smile, "Hai, Sensei."

Going to my own corner of the room, I started to swing and attack imaginary enemies. Although the blade had caught my attention, the weight threw me off balance. The blade tip swung too far and caught the wall. Within seconds, I pulled it out and set it back on the weapon rack. Nope!

During my failed weapon choice didn't suit me, April's chain had gotten wrapped in the tree, and Naomi's had left her spinning the Sai to the floor. No weapons for them either. This time around, I picked up a staff. Hopefully it was better balanced than the scythe. April was given a mace and Naomi picked out gauntlets.

I found my previous corner and thought to how Donnie twisted the staff. With a determined smirk, I started spinning the staff. It was easy and simple! Until there was no staff left and it clattered to the floor. Staff was a no as well, then...

As I picked it up, I heard a thump. April had fallen backward with the mace. I looked over at her. Naomi and I laughed with her as she got up. Splinter simply smiled and took the mace from the teenager. Naomi had cut her legs a few times by accident with the gauntlets. Again, none of us had found our weapons.

Staring at the weapon rack didn't really give me insight as to what I wanted. April took a pair of scythes. Naomi groaned and eventually took a Katana. The other weapons didn't really appeal to me, though. I knew I wasn't strong enough for the mace, the gauntlets were too bulky for my liking, and I knew I didn't like the staff or scythe. Maybe something with a smaller handle! Like... My hand grabbed the nunchucks. These!

Immediately I went back to the corner. Now... How did Mikey deal with these? Figuring out how to get one of the handles to swing freely, I started to spin the weapon in a circle. It seemed smooth sailing for a while until I made the movement closer to my face. The sight of the season so close to my face made me drop it out of fright. How Mikey didn't hit himself while training was beyond me.

April's scythe pair almost decapitated her and Naomi had grabbed the blade with her palm. She limped out of the dojo to get her hand bandaged. I gave back my nunchucks and sighed. What would be good for me? April picked up the Katana then set it down. She went to a ball and chain instead. I watched her for a moment before deciding to pick up the Katana.

The weight of the blade felt even and light. It was a handle and a half, giving me free choice of what to do. With a small smile, I went back to my corner. Within seconds, I had the blade singing through the air with a confident grip. In my head, I imagined Leo spinning and stabbing. Of course I tried to mimic the movements. Although they felt fluid with me, I'm sure they looked crazy to someone else.

Stopping, I took a large breath of air. The katana felt... Amazing! I looked up to Splinter with the biggest grin I'd ever have. He smiled at me and nodded. The rat left to his room and returned with a sheath, belt, and shoulder strap. "Here you are, Mikito," he said with a proud voice. "The Katana is a strong weapon that strengthens the user if they willing to learn from it."

"Hai, Sensei," I bowed to him. Splinter turned around as a clanking sound came from April. She had knocked over the picture frame that held a family.

I always noticed the picture, but never asked about it. April was quick to pick it up and apologize. At the same time, I was putting on my belt and connecting the shoulder strap to it. The sheath was on the shoulder strap already, making my job easier. Keeping the Katana in check, I sheathed the sword and noticed that I missed an important chunk of conversation between Splinter and April. Splinter was gping to his room once again, leaving April without a weapon.

A few moments later, Naomi came in. She was rubbing the bandage on her palm. From first glance, it seemed like Naomi was the most damaged of us all. Nobody would be wrong, though. She still bore bruises from days ago, a limp from her ankle, and now a bandage on her hand. She looked like she was done. I smiled apologetically at her.

Splinter came back in with something in his hand. It was thin and black. Coming up to April, he said to her, "I want you to have this. I hoped to gave passed it into my daughter one day, but I would like you to have it."

With a swift movement, Splinter moved and snapped open the item in his hand. It was a black fan blade with the Hamato Clan symbol. April's eyes lit up as she admired the piece, "It's beautiful."

With a playful smile, Splinter answered, "Yes. And-" He paused and flung the fan blade at the tree. It stuck in the wood. It was a Tessen! Amazing!

"I think I just found my weapon," April grinned. She walked over to the Tessen and pulled it out of the tree. She came up to Splinter and bowed to him in thanks.

It dawned on me that I should do the same. I came up beside the ginger human and bowed as well. Splinter simply nodded his head. His attention drifted to Naomi. Hopefully to maybe help her with her weapon.

Turning to April, I grinned, "A Tessen! And such a pretty one at that."

"Yeah," April smiled. She traced her palm over the symbols that marked the bladed fan. "I think it suits me well." She held it up to the light and smiled. April then folded it and set it in get pocket. "What about you? New shoulder strap send belt."

With a triumphant smirk, I reached over my shoulder and quickly unsheathed my blade. "A Katana."

April took a step back as the blade with unsheathed. However she quickly turned to admiring the piece of work. "Nice!" She nodded. "Did Naomi find one?"

Turning our heads, the lizard was listening to Splinter. I couldn't hear what the rat was saying because he was speaking in a rather soft voice. Naomi suddenly looked disappointed but nodded. She bowed and limped toward us.

"What was that about?" I asked her as I sheathed my katana again.

"I have to wait until my ankle gets better," Naomi answered. She sighed and shook her head. April and I quickly hugged her.

"You'll get your weapon soon," April encouraged her.

"Yeah!" I chirped. Pulling back, I grinned at Naomi. "And knowing you, you'll probably get the coolest weapon!"

Naomi scoffed and shook her head. Smiling, she limped to the main room where she sat on the couch and turned on the TV.

April and I turned to one another and pulled out our new weapons. Guess she was thinking the same as I was. New training exercises!