The Leader In Blue

A TMNT 'Dream Beavers' Short Story

Leo's POV: In a dream…

When I first touched the blue-glowing asteroid, I felt amazing.

Now? Not so much.

Dire Dream Beaver has stolen my family. My three younger brothers, April, Casey, and even somehow my supposed-to-be-gone father Master Splinter, all being held captive here outside April's family cabin.

I don't know what to do.

"What's the matter little Hero? A little home-sick?" He yells, snickering while holding a long, sharp nail to Mikey's chin.

"Just leave Leo! Save yourself!" He shouts at me.

I'll never leave my family behind.

"Get away from my family!" I demand, poised with my Katana, ready to strike. I will get them back. Even if I have to give my life for theirs.

"You dare challenge me Turtle? I'll show you real pain!" He yells, and time slows as he plunges his dagger-like nail into Mikey's neck and my littlest brother stumbles to the ground, lifeless.

"No!" I yell, the world blurring around me as I run at the Beaver, swinging my Katana ahead of me.

But he disappeared in a cloud of smoke before I could slash him down.

Before I could turn I was knocked to the ground, breathing heavily. I couldn't move, Dire Beaver must've been keeping me down.

From here, I could stare at my family in chains, and Mikey on the ground before me. They were all screaming, but I could only hear one voice. April.

"Leo you have to wake up!" She yells, over and over again, her voice echoing in my mind. I can't process her words, my brother is dead. And the rest of them are in ties. What does she mean by 'wake up?'

Time speeds up again and Dire Beaver lifts his large-clawed foot from my shell. When I get up, I am kicked to the side, so far right that I can barely see the figures of my family anymore. I'm at the edge of the woods. And Dire Beaver hasn't followed. Yet.

For a minute I shut my eyes, and just breathe. I'm risking everything, the Beaver could be massacring my family, could be ready to strike at me, but I still only breathe.

As Sensei would tell me, I need to be calm in the face of evil. It's the only way I can prevail. For now I need to release the burden of the loss of Mikey.

When I open my eyes again, I'm tumbling face first at the street.

I'm in New York City again, which makes no sense, but yet I fall towards the concrete.

I hit the cold hard ground with a thud, my head pounding. When the world finally stops spinning I realize my three brothers standing next to me.

"What's going on?" I half-shout, half-ask them. Donnie looks at me with a strange look on his face.

"I'm having the weirdest dream," He begins. That can't be right.

"You can't be dreaming, I'm here!" I tell him.

"That's because I'm dreaming you," Donnie continues. I shake my head.

"Maybe I'm dreaming you, but you are not dreaming me," I declare, annoyed at the situation.

At the very least my brothers are safe.

I barely realize that Raph and Mikey are suddenly nowhere to be seen.

"Get you dirty claws off me you stupid gerbil!" I hear Raph shout, and Donnie and I turn to see both him and Mikey being held in the hands of Dire Beaver, and some other Beaver I don't recognize.

"I thought we were friends Dave!" I hear Mikey tell the other Beaver that holds him, a sad smile on his face.

"Sowry Mikey!" The Beaver, apparently named Dave, says, to which Dire Dream Beaver and two other Beavers shout 'Shut up Dave!'

Donnie steps forward, his bo-staff spinning in his hands. He's a lot more outgoing in this dream.

"Olly Olly Oxen Free!" Dire Dream Beaver shouts, smiling an evil grin at me.

I will not let him hurt my brothers again.

Time seems to freeze as Donnie and I rush at the Beavers, me to Raph, and Donnie to Mikey.

We jump, but we don't make it to the Beavers. Instead we seem to pause mid-air, and are flung back when the Beavers attack.

Their mistake was letting go of Mikey and Raph. The fight begins immediately.

We're pounded. They're stronger, faster…It's within minutes that each of our corresponding Dream Beavers has us down.

"Turtle soup sounds good about now!" Dire, I'm guessing the leader of their pack, declares.

I blink once, and when my eyes open again I'm staring at the ceiling. Shells hang above me…

I can't move, and I realize that's because I'm entirely inside my own shell, stuck.

"Raph, Donnie, Mikey!" I shout, unable to even really turn my head in this position.

"Leo?" I hear them respond in unison.

Before I can say more, I feel myself slide right.

A conveyer belt.

And then I see a burst of flame out of the corner of my eye.

Turtle soup.

I start squirming, and I can feel that my brothers have realized the situation too.

If this really is a dream, do we still burn in the flames?

I'd rather not find out.

"Oh this is lovely, four additions to dinner!" I hear one of the Beavers say. I can't see them, but I know they must be close.

"Ah!" I hear Donnie scream. He must be closest to the drop.

This isn't real. THIS ISN'T REAL.

I tell myself the same message while I squirm, imagining April's words of terror.

What if it is real?

A sudden flash of light blinds me temporarily. I guess this is it.

At least I won't see the flames when I go down. I can hear my brothers yelling. I stop squirming. Not because I'm giving up, but because I can no longer feel my body. And I still can't see.

"What? No!" I hear a Beaver yell. Something is going on.

When my vision clears, I'm opening my eyes to a new ceiling.

It's the ceiling of April's cabin. I sit up, and see April leaning over Donnie, watching for him to wake up too.

Then I notice a man. I have no idea what's happening.

"Do you have any idea what you've done? You've released the Dream Beavers from the dreamscape! They're free to destroy our world!" The man yells, and I stretch, getting ready for the battle I know is coming.

My brothers are now awake, and April watches us with Casey, worry on her face.

"Are you guys ok? You almost died!" She shouts. I nod, trying to assure her, though I'm still a bit dizzy.

Behind her, a funnel of dust begins to form. Me and my brothers stand, April, Casey and the man moving to get behind us.

When the dust clears, four small plush Beaver's stand tall.

"We've come to-um…How'd you all get so…large?" Dire Beaver says in a high-pitched voice. Mikey steps forward.

"They're so cute!" He yells. Dave Beaver blushes.

"Aw, thanks Mikey!" He replies, earning himself a glare from his Beaver brothers.

"Leave now, or Raph here has the pleasure of throwing you out." I say. Raph smiles deviously to my left.

"Yeah," He says. I can see that Dire Beaver is thinking his decision through.

"Very well, we shall conquer another dimension. Come along brothers." He says, a cloud of dust covering the Beavers from view.

"Bye Dave!" Mikey yells, just as the cloud funnels out of vision.

"April, Casey…Giant talking turtles…" The man begins behind us. I barely realized he was still there.

"I've been awake for forty years, for no reason." He finishes, falling back behind the couch, snoring before he hits the ground.

"Anyone want to help me take him back home?" Casey asks, Donnie walking over to help. Together they carry the man out of the cabin, and Raph and I sit on the couch. I flex my broken leg.

"You know, we may have almost died and all…but my leg really does feel better." I confess.

Near-deadly rest really does help.