AN: This idea just came to me this morning when I was trying to think of ideas for one-shots. Basically, it's a TMNT version of The Wizard of Oz. It's told in Mikey's point of view. I've never really cared for how authors tend to portray him as stupid and unobservant. I agree he acts that way, but I think he perceives more than most give him credit for. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story. Oh, and I don't own any TMNT characters or The Wizard of Oz and characters. I just own the idea of putting them together. Oh, and, if somebody has already done this, then I'm just borrowing the idea and putting my own spin on it!

The TMNT of Oz

A lot of people say I have a vivid imagination. I'd never really taken any of them seriously until one day when I thought I was either having a very realistic, very weird dream, or was slowly losing my grip on my sanity. To this day, I have no idea which, but I guess I'll let you decide.

It was a rainy Monday morning. Or was it Tuesday? Well, it was a rainy Monday or Tuesday morning and I was—what else?—watching television while my bros and sensei were busy doing—whatever it is they do. Sensei had—drum roll please—given us the day off, and we were free to relax and do nothing! Leo was, surprise, surprise, in the dojo running through a series of katas. Figures, we get a day off and he decides to spend it training. Donnie was, naturally, holed up in his lab working on his whatchamacallits and thingamabobs with his gadgets and gizmos a plenty. What, why are you looking at me like that? What's wrong with The Little Mermaid? I loved that movie!

Lastly, Raph was—You know, I think he'd gone back to bed, 'cause I hadn't seen him since sensei announced we had the day off. What did this absence of both brothers and father mean?

Movie marathon! Duh! And what was on? Probably about the weirdest movie ever created. Don claims it was based off a book, but, then again, he says that about just about every popular classic.

What movie was I watching? The Wizard of Oz! Well, watching isn't exactly the right word. More like I was staring at the screen and wondering who the fool was that had thought up this idea. I mean, seriously? A girl with her dog lands her house on an evil witch, some fairy tells her to follow "the yellow brick road" (Those munchkins creep me out! They remind me of the Elfinator!), she meets a talking scarecrow, tin can, and cowardly lion, some wizard who turns out not to be a real wizard can supposedly help them, flying monkeys kidnap them, and, lastly, she has magical slippers that could take her home the entire time?

I'm sure I missed something, but, as I said, I wasn't really paying that much attention. The part where the girl melts the evil witch is cool though. "I'm melting! I'm melting!" Geez, no duh! We hadn't noticed!

Up until then, that movie had been nothing more than that: a movie. A stupid, dull movie that I was only watching because it was better than chores or training, I was bored with my videogames for the moment, and I'd read every single one of my comic books like eleven times.

But, I'm getting off topic. The movie was just at the part where the non-wizard "wizard of Oz" flies off in the balloon without the girl, when something weird happened. Klunk, my ninja kitty cat, soared over the back of the couch and scratched and clawed her way into the crook of my neck. I winced and sat up and could only stare at the sight.

An army of flying monkeys was staring up at me, brandishing various forms of ninja weapons. But, believe it or not, that wasn't even the weirdest thing. No, that was the symbol stamped over the heart of their black ninja uniforms.

The Foot. These weren't just flying monkeys. These were flying ninja monkeys.

Wonderful. I'm having a nervous breakdown, I grumbled to myself as the room began to spin violently. Me and Klunk fell back onto the couch and I screamed in my very manly, not at all girly, way. (Take that, Raph!) My screams only became louder, not to mention Klunk's cute kitty shrieks, as the couch began to spin like a top, turning the world around me into a blur.

I caught sight of the movie on the screen as the couch, carrying me and Klunk, flew into the screen and passed through it.

That's when the weird sensations began. I felt like I was falling down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland, clutching Klunk in my arms like a security blanket. Except, Alice wasn't sitting on a couch, and I wasn't a blonde little girl.

I closed my eyes and hugged Klunk tighter, telling myself over and over that this was all a dream and I would wake up any time now. I was so focused I didn't even notice when the light began to seep through my eyelids, turning my sight a fuzzy pink color. I didn't open my eyes until the couch landed on something soft with a thud and Klunk and I literally rolled off the couch and onto a hard dirt ground.

I sat up and coughed, rubbing the dust, which had been blown up into the air as a cloud in our tumble, from my eyes. "Wha'?"

"THE WICKED WIZARD IS DEAD!" No, I had to be dreaming. That could not be what I thought it was. "THE WICKED WIZARD IS DEAD!"

I fought my way through the cloud of dust until I could begin to make out my surroundings. A strong sense of déjà vu took over my heightened ninja senses and I shivered. This place looked like the opening scene in the movie.

My thoughts were interrupted by a meow and a soft, furry head pushing itself against my hand. I scooped Klunk up without a word, tucking her under my chin, as I stared at the chaotic and way-too-creepy scene before me.

The "munchkins" all looked like mini versions of the Purple Dragons. And, weirdest of all, at the center of the dancing ring of the three feet tall thugs stood someone I recognized.

"Angel?" I called, staring at my purple haired friend in astonishment. She was wearing a ripped lavender sleeveless dress with a threaded bodice that came to her kneecap. Under that, she wore fishnet stockings and high-heeled black leather boots. Her hair was pulled up in her customary pigtails, but now a crown that looked suspiciously as if it was made of bone adorned her head. On her wrists and fingers were more rings and bracelets than I could count.

"Do I know you?" Angel demanded, planting her hands on her hips. Then her eyes widened as if a thought had just occurred to her. "IT WAS YOU WHO KILLED HIM!

I blinked in confusion. "Him?"

Angel pointed and I followed her finger to where, underneath our blue, moth-eaten couch, was a figure I recognized. "The Shredder?" I asked, my voice sounding foreign and faraway to my own ears. "How is that possible?"

"He was the Wicked Wizard of the East," Angel supplied, her scowl melting into a radiant smile that nearly blinded me. "And you have killed him!"

"HAIL! THE WICKED WIZARD IS DEAD!"

I groaned and clutched my forehead. "I am so dreaming!"

"Nay, fair vagabond," Angel admonished me, hurrying forward and cupping my face in her hands. "You have done us all a great service. We are in your debt. How may we repay you?"

"Uh," I blinked up at her. "Who exactly are you supposed to be?"

"Why!" Angel exclaimed. "I am the Good Witch of the North!" She struck a pose that I suppose was supposed to impress me. "Have you not heard of me?"

"Uh," I attempted. "I'm kinda new here. Do you think you could help me get back to Kansas—I mean, New York?" Great, maybe I really do watch too much T.V., I muttered to myself.

Angel tapped her chin. "I, myself, cannot help you, but I know someone who can."

"Let me guess," I interrupted her. "The Wizard of Oz?"

"What?" Angel giggled. "Don't be silly! Wizards are evil! You must visit the Shinobi of Oz!"

Okay, let's recap here. There are flying ninja monkeys, Angel is the Good Witch of the North, Shredder was the Wicked Wizard of the East, and the Wizard of Oz is actually the Shinobi of Oz. Clearly, you have fallen asleep and your subconscious is integrating the movie you just watched with your reality. Which means, that all of the characters in the movie will be "played" by people you know. I'm apparently Dorothy and Klunk's Toto. Okay, I'm a chick. That's just wonderful. The guys will never let me live this down.

"And, as to how to reach him—" Angel began.

Ah, this part I knew! "I follow the yellow brick road?"

Angel stared at me for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Are you serious?!" She guffawed. "There's no such thing as a 'yellow brick road'!" She suddenly stopped laughing and pointed to her direct right. "You follow the Trail of Bushido."

I stared at her for a moment before once again following her finger and laying my eyes on not a yellow, but a red brick road. Well, this is getting off to a weird start. "Uh, thanks," I waved shyly at her before tucking Klunk under my arm, climbing painfully to my feet, and hurrying toward the Trail of Bushido.

I suddenly stopped just before stepping foot on the road and glanced back at Angel. "Just out of curiosity," I pointed at the mini-Purple Dragons still standing in a ring around her. "Who're they?"

"Oh, them?" Angel giggled again. What kind of alternate dimension was this? Angel never giggled! "They're the Purplekins!"

I blinked. Naturally. "Great, just wondering." Now, desperate to get outta this warped dream version of Oz, I hurried down the "red brick road" and on toward the "Shinobi of Oz." Great, things could seriously not get any weirder.

TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT

"Okay," I said to myself as I trotted down the "Trail of Bushido" with Klunk at my heels. "Let's review, shall we, Klunkers?" Klunk meowed his consent. "Right. I'm Dorothy and you're Toto. Our couch was Dorothy's house which squashed the Wicked Witch, or, er, in this case, Wizard, of the East, who is apparently Shredder. Makes sense, we finally 'shredded' him. Eh, Klunkers?" I swear, if cats could roll their eyes, Klunk just did. "Yeah, okay, moving on. Angel is the Good Witch of the North. The Purple Dragons, or Purplekins, are the munchkins, and the 'yellow brick road' is actually a red brick road and it's called the Trail of Bushido. And, we take this Trail to see, not the Wizard of Oz, but the Shinobi of Oz. Oh, and there's flying ninja monkeys. Did I miss anything?" Klunk meowed in response.

"Right," I continued as we approached a cornfield. "So, let's think about the characters in this story. If I'm supposed to be Dorothy, then there must be a Scarecrow, a Tin Can," Klunk meowed. "Sorry, Klunkers. Tin Man. Better? And a Cowardly Lion. Now, who might they be?"

"Excuse me?" A sudden voice to my left asked.

I jumped about a yard. "AAAAHHHH!" After I was back on the ground, I spun around and came face-to-face with a scarecrow stuck on a stick.

I blinked in confusion. "Donnie?"

"Um," my brother who currently looked like a scarecrow blinked. "No, my name's just Scarecrow, but you can call me that if you'd like." My brother, er, I mean, Scarecrow, squirmed. "Could you get me down from here? This stick is very uncomfortable."

"Uh," I looked the scarecrow up and down, just to make sure it really was supposed to be Donnie, purple mask and all. Why the heck did a scarecrow need a ninja mask? "Sure." I reached up and wasn't actually surprised to find I could easily lift my brother. I hooked my arms under his and lifted him clear off the stick before lifting him above the fence surrounding the cornfield and setting him down on the Trail beside me.

"Thank you," Donnie said, spitting out some straw and straightening his shirt. "You are too kind! May I ask, where are you headed?"

"Uh," this was going to take getting some used to. "To see the Shinobi of Oz. The Good Witch of the North said he could send me back to Kansas—I mean, New York." Sheesh, was I going to mess that up everytime?

Donnie's eyes suddenly widened and he gripped my shoulders with a strength you wouldn't think a straw-filled turtle could have. "Do you think he could give me a brain?"

I stared at my "genius" brother. Was he serious? What was wrong with my subconscious? Did it seriously think Donnie needed a brain? "Maybe."

"Oh, thank you, kind stranger!" Donnie exclaimed. "I am forever in your debt! How might I, a humble scarecrow, repay you for your generosity?! The glorious ecstasy I feel at this possible benevolence the good Shinobi of Oz might bestow on a humble serf such as I is uncanny!"

I stared at my brother. If I really concentrated, I could sorta follow what he said, but he kind of lost me towards the end there. "Remind me why you need a brain again?"

"To be smart!" Donnie exclaimed. "My intelligence is far below that of any common serf! Why, I am ashamed at my lack of aptitude for such simple things! If the good Shinobi would be so kind as to grant my request, I would forever be filled with gratitude! As would I to you, if you would allow me to accompany you on such a perilous journey!"

Okay, seriously, why was Donnie talking like a knight out of Camelot? This was just getting ridiculous. "Uh, that's okay. I could use the company. My cat doesn't exactly talk back."

"Oh!" Donnie exclaimed. "A Felis catus! Oh, it is quite an exquisite example, indeed! What is its name?"

"Uh, Klunk," I answered bluntly.

"Fascinating!" Donnie exclaimed, reaching for my cat and scooping her up. "May I hold him?"

"Her," I corrected. "And sure. But, shouldn't we get going?"

"Oh, yes," Donnie nodded eagerly, falling into step behind me. "Let us go meet the good Shinobi of Oz!"

TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT

All right, Donnie's the Scarecrow. He, Klunk, and I are currently walking down the Trail of Bushido, the "red brick road," on our way to see the Shinobi of Oz. Donnie talked about a mile a minute, maybe more, and I could only follow about forty-five percent of what he was saying. Which is, less than half, by the way. Logically, if Donnie was the Scarecrow, then it stands to reason that Leo and Raph are probably going to be the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. An odd thought, but I suppose it made sense if I thought about it.

I was distracted when the monotonous tone of my brother's excited voice suddenly stopped, as did he himself, and I plowed into him. Unfortunately, most likely due to the fact that he was made of straw, he fell flat on his face. In another incidence, I probably would have laughed, but I was too distracted by what had made him stop in the first place.

I really shouldn't be surprised by now, but, yet, I still was. There stood the Tin Man, frozen but not from rust, but shock. But, instead of an axe, he wielded before him two katanas, and one was currently being held at the throat of a man sprawled at his feet. The oddest thing, though, was that he was clearly not actually a tin man. In fact, he was my brother Leo wearing various metal plates over sensitive body parts.

Okay, now I was beyond confused. My subconscious was really messing with me now. I was weaponless and there stood my brother with his two katanas—two very sharp katanas, might I add—and he was currently giving both me and Donnie, who was still sprawled face first on the ground, the death glare.

"Who are you?" He spat in a voice I had not heard him use in a long time. It was the same voice he'd often spoke in after our last battle with the Utrom Shredder. When he went all moody and Raph on us. When, for the first time in my life, I had actually been afraid of one of my brothers. "And what do you want?"

"Hey, Leo," I waved uncertainly. "Are you in this dream too?" I smiled cheekily, brandishing my patented puppy-dog eyes for all they were worth, my eyes not leaving his swords.

My brother growled. "Why is it that you address me by such an odd name? I go by the Tin Man. I am an assassin, bane and offspring of the Shinobi of Oz, he who shunned me when I lost," his head suddenly fell, "my honor." His head jerked up once more as he glared daggers at me. "Why do you mock me?"

"Uh," now I was lost. Okay, Leo was supposed to be a ninja assassin called the Tin Man, but not actually a tin man? And he was the son of the Shinobi of Oz? And what the heck did he mean by 'bane'? Wait, why was I asking myself when I had a walking encyclopedia still sprawled at my feet. "Hey, Donnie?"

My scarecrow of a brother sat up and stared at me with wide eyes. "It's sort of like a worst enemy."

Sheesh, even in my dreams Donnie can read my mind. Now, I focused my attention to my still glaring brother. He was now fully facing us, his swords crossed to form an X and pointed at the ground. However, I knew that, if either me or Donnie, heck, even Klunk, made a wrong move, he could have those swords at our throats faster than Raph when he was chasing me.

"Who are you?" He asked again, his eyes cold and emotionless. I shivered. Those eyes were way too like my other brother. The one I'd rather not have to meet, let alone deal with, again.

"My name's Michelangelo," I said softly, not wanting to startle him. "But you can call me Mikey. I'm a friend, and I didn't mean to insult you. What did you mean you said 'lost your honor'?" I blinked inwardly at that. Wait, his honor? Wasn't the Tin Man supposed to want a heart?

Leo growled and finally sheathed his swords. "Let us just say that my father and I had a little," he paused, "disagreement." He kicked the man at his feet, who I, up until then, had completely forgotten about. "My father sent this scum to deal with me quietly. He does not wish to have it publicly known that I am the infamous Tin Man." He grinned wickedly. "Where are you going, my friend?"

Great, he'd called me 'friend.' That was getting somewhere. "Um, we're sorta going to your dad's."

His smile faltered for a moment before it suddenly broadened. "Could I, perhaps, accompany you?"

I blinked, fairly certain it was a question with no real answer besides the one he wanted. My eyes flashed to the swords sheathed on his back before I flashed him a grin. "Sure, dude, be our guest."

"You will not pull out my straw, will you?" Donnie asked from his place still on the ground. Basically, he hadn't moved since I'd plowed into him. The Tin Man stared down at him in confusion while I reached down and picked him up without a word, setting him on his feet.

"Thank you," Donnie sniffed before returning his attention to Leo. "I will need your word on your life that you will not harm me or my companion," Klunk meowed. "Or the cat."

Leo shrugged and stepped forward to join us. Both Donnie and I took an unconscious step back and Leo smiled ruthlessly. "I swear on my life."

Well, I would sure be happy once I woke up and Leo was back to normal. Heck, I might even hug the guy with relief at that point. He'd probably take my temperature and then send me to bed, but it was better than having to deal with Mr. Moody all over again.

For that matter, I'd be happy once Donnie was back to normal. My genius brother wasn't normally this timid. Why should he be? He could kick butt just as good as the rest of us! Except, his new frailty, mostly due to the whole scarecrow thing, was kinda unnerving.

Maybe somehow one of our many enemies had done something to me and made me experience this twisted reality as torture. I could name them off. Stockman, Bishop, Karai aided by Chaplin. The list pretty much stopped there, but that was good enough for me.

TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT TMNT

I think it's safe to say the silence that followed my little exchange with Leo was deafening. Klunk seemed to be the only one not bothered by it, which made sense, considering the fact that she was a cat. I'd had to pick the little girl up because her little kitty paws could only go so far. Heck, I could only go so far. I considered myself to be in pretty good shape, but this Trail of Bushido was awfully long.

Both Leo and Donnie didn't seem at all bothered by the distance we had walked. Donnie probably because he was made of straw (a weird thought) and he didn't have any real muscles, bones, or nerves, so he probably couldn't feel much at all. Leo, because—uh, well, he always had been in better shape than me. I was trotting behind him with Klunk on my shoulder. Donnie and I had insisted that Leo lead the way, mostly because neither of us trusted him behind us.

Some time ago, we had entered a forest, and now I'm guessing we were near its heart. The trees were so thick that barely any daylight could stream through, and the foliage was so thick, that it felt more like a rainforest than a plain forest. I was just waiting for somebody to jump out and say "Lions and tigers and bears, OH MY!" But, none did.

I knew that this was the part of the movie where Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow met the Cowardly Lion, who I'm assuming is Raph. Donnie was an actual scarecrow; Leo wasn't an actual tin man. Would Raph be an actual lion or some other weird thing like Leo? Who knew? This was Raph we're talking about here.

Just then, a rustling in the bushes to the left of us startled me out of my thoughts and somebody ran to block me from view. I'm not exactly sure why. It wasn't as if I couldn't handle myself.

"Who goes there?!" Leo. Clearly, he wasn't the one currently blocking me from view and shoving me back behind him when I made to sneak past, so that must be Donnie. That was weird considering Donnie's tendency toward cowardice in this reality.

A very familiar growl and a pounce later, and I was finally able to fight past Donnie and get a look at the scene before me. Well, first things first. Raph was not a real lion. He was, however, a turtle wearing a lion's skin draped over his head. He brandished a short sword in his hands as he and Leo wrestled on the ground for control.

Heh, even in this weird place, Leo and Raph still fight. Some things never change.

The struggle lasted for a little longer before Leo managed to slam Raph on his shell and climb on top of his plastron, effectively pinning him. "Outlaw!" He spat. "You must be this Lion's Mane person I've been hearing so much about!"

"Ya flatter ma, Tin Man." Wow. Even in here, Raph has a Brooklyn accent. Weird. "Ya actchallay know ma?"

"Silence, peasant!" Leo spat, unsheathing one of his katanas and holding it to Raph's throat. "Or I will do it for you!"

"Hey, wait!" I tried to rush forward but Donnie grabbed me from behind and hauled me back. My shell hit his plastron and he grunted, but still held me firm. I wanted to curse at him, but I had to keep Leo from killing Raph! Knowing him in this reality, he'd do it too! "Don't hurt him!"

"And why not?" Leo growled, turning his hate-filled eyes on me. "This outlaw has been nothing but trouble for the good people of Oz for years. He and his men ravage towns, raid storage houses, and steal from those who have nothing!" His sword moved another inch closer to Raph's throat. "You die here, filth!"

"Don't do it!" I cried, struggling against Donnie. How the heck could a straw-filled scarecrow be so dang strong?! "Donnie, let me go!"

"I am sorry, Michelangelo." At the sound of Donnie's voice, I turned and looked at him, my eyes widening in surprise. My brother was no longer a scarecrow, but he was dressed in a long and flowing purple wizard's robe adorned in question marks and numbers. However, his purple pointed hat did somewhat resemble the hat he'd worn as a scarecrow.

"Who are you?" I growled, suddenly angry. I didn't care who was behind this, I'd kill them all!

Donnie said nothing as he wrapped one arm around me and used the other to draw a twisted stick with a glowing orb at the top out of his robe. A wand, I thought. "What are you doing?!"

Donnie ignored me as he focused his attention on Raph. "State your name and business, Lion's Mane."

Raph grunted as Leo suddenly slid off of him and hauled him to his feet. I was a little surprised to find that Leo was a good eight inches taller, but Raph was thick and heavyset, his muscles a little more pronounced. He growled as Leo yanked his arms behind his back, his shell slamming against Leo's plastron. I noticed Leo wince slightly, but he recovered quickly as he lifted his katana and held it at Raph's throat, his other arm wrapped around Raph.

I could only watch as Leo raised his eyes and locked them on Donnie. "You must be the Sorcerer. You have been known to disguise yourself as a scarecrow so often using Dark Magic, that you have become known as the Scarecrow."

Wait, so none of my brothers were actually the characters from the movie? My confusion had progressed so far that I felt like I was flailing around in the middle of the ocean. If something didn't happen soon, I was going to lose it.

Okay, Donnie wasn't an actual scarecrow. He was some sorcerer who was sometimes called the Scarecrow. Leo wasn't an actual tin man; he was a ninja assassin called the Tin Man. Raph wasn't an actual lion; he was an outlaw named Lion's Mane. Now my subconscious really was messing with me.

"Okay, hold up!" Struggling against Donnie was useless, but that didn't mean I couldn't try. I'm not sure why he was so strong all of the sudden, even if he wasn't an actual scarecrow, but I didn't waste time thinking about it. "What is going on here? Am I dreaming? Was I captured and taken to Stockman and he's now testing some new reality device thingy on me? Or am I just going insane?"

My three brothers all looked at each other, something that struck me as odd, and turned as one to look at me. It was Leo who spoke up first. "No."

"No what?" I asked, reaching down to try to pry Donnie's hand from my side.

"No to all of those," Donnie answered, adjusting his hold on me as he returned the wand to his robe. He, Leo, and Raph shared another look before Donnie returned his attention to me, smiling down at me fondly.

That's when I realized something. My brothers were all the heights of normal human beings, although they were turtles, but I was still my normal height. Which meant that they all pretty much towered over me, except for Raph, who was apparently on the short side.

Donnie sighed and laid his cheek on the top of my head. "Michelangelo, when you look at us, what do you see?"

I would have looked up at him, but his head was keeping mine still. "My three brothers: Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello."

Donnie nodded as he raised his head once more, locking gazes with me. "You are not dreaming, nor are you being experimented on, nor are you going insane. You are in the world of Oz."

"Okay, I got that," I began uncertainly. "What exactly does that mean?"

It was Leo this time who answered. "Oz is neither another world nor another dimension. It is a state of mind," I blinked up at him. "Occasionally, there are those, like yourself, who enter this state of mind, and you perceive our world in the eyes of your reality." He cocked his head as he sheathed his katana, releasing Raph and holding out his arms.

It took me a minute to realize he was holding out his arms for me. Donnie passed me over without a word and I realized that Leo must have been well over six feet tall as he locked his arms around me. "The movie that you were watching tells the story of a girl who also entered this state." He shook his head. "The story was passed down through time before one writer chose to record it in the book. Your perception, however, is much different than hers. You see the 'characters,' as you call us, in light of people you know, yours friends, and your foes."

"Soooo," I mentally scratched my head since my arms were pinned to my sides, and Leo was far stronger than Donnie. "How do I get out of this state of mind?"

It was Raph's turn to explain. "Ya go through wit' the story."

I blinked at him. "So, I just finish the 'movie' and I'll be home?"

"Had you not noticed that you received nothing from the Wicked Wizard of the East, the one called Shredder in your reality?" Donnie asked.

No, actually, I hadn't. That's right! In the original movie, Dorothy received red ruby slippers after her house fell on and consequently killed the Wicked Witch of the East! But, I hadn't received anything like that.

"Those slippers were her key home," Leo picked up on his explanation. "Yours will be much different. You must finish the story, and then all will be revealed."

"Okay," I said meekly. There was a flash of light, and, suddenly, the scene was back to where it was before with me locked in Donnie's arms and Leo on top of Raph, holding a katana to his throat.

AN: Okay, I have no idea where all that "state of mind" stuff came from. I just started writing, and that's what happened. Anyway, this was supposed to be a one-shot, but it was getting kind of long, and it's nowhere near done, so it will probably end up being three or four chapters. And, yes, you all probably hate me for ending it right there, but the second chapter should be up soon. I just need to write it first. And, before you leave, please do leave a review! And critiques and suggestions are always welcome! This story turned more confusing than originally anticipated!