thoughtmirror asked: April and Leo from the 2007 movie perhaps or 2003 for a drabble and the prompt of him training her how to defend herself physically/mentally/emotionally?
Alright! This one was challenging, because the 2k3 turtles refused to train April and 2k7 April is a very capable fighter. So I tried to go with some 'next level' training that incorporated a spiritual element.
April knocked on the dojo door, waiting to hear Leonardo's voice call out that it was safe for her to enter before doing so. He was sitting in the center of a circle of lit candles, eyes closed, then rose and spun, one katana extended, extinguishing all the flames with one swift movement.
"Show off," April joked.
Leonardo smirked and tilted his head in her direction. She was in her kunoichi gear, her own sword strapped to her back.
"Master Splinter said you wouldn't mind if I joined you," her voice lilting at the end to make the statement sound like a question.
"Of course not," he assured her, a full smile coming to his face.
"I'm not used to sharing the dojo first thing in the morning anymore," she said off-handedly as she started some stretches. "Your brothers weren't much for morning workouts while you were gone."
"Something that will change shortly," Leo said dryly. "It's nice to know that someone took their training seriously while I was away."
April reached for her toes, grabbing them and holding the stretch. "Yeah well, never know when you guys are gonna need to call in the big guns. I have to be ready," she snickered to herself.
Leonardo chuckled and shook his head, turning to relight his candles as she went through her warm-up. "You did great, April. We're lucky to have you."
"Aw, thanks, Leo," she said, genuinely touched. She knew he was referring to their battle against the Stone Generals a few weeks ago. He was still trying to work through being back and reconnecting with his family after his long stint in South America, his rocky return and his subsequent drugging and imprisonment. He had an edge to his movements that told April he was restless and ready to get his brothers back into the swing of things.
Leo finished lighting the candles and turned to her. "Do you want to try?"
"Sure, why not?" April grinned and stepped carefully into the ring of fire. Unsheathing her katana,she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, swirling her sword silently in a 360 degree sweep. The flames danced and flickered, but none went out. She made a face. "So what did I do wrong?"
"Nothing. It was proper form," Leo told her. "The blade is too sharp, it leaves only the smallest displacement in the air behind it. It's your chi that snuffs the fire."
"Ah, this is the 'be one with your weapon' lesson, isn't it?"
"Close." Leo approached and extended his hands, asking her to pass over her katana. "I'm sure you know that in Shinto, everything possesses a spirit, including swords. It was believed that without proper respect and balance between you and your weapon and within yourself, those spirits could become corrupted or willful. Spending a year with only my katanas as company gave me a much stronger appreciation for that tenet."
He turned the blade over lovingly in his grip before continuing. "Anyone can learn to use a tool, but to truly master the way of the sword, you must become it's Master."
April couldn't help but beam with pride over her most cherished possession. It was over 500 years old, an antique she had found at a bargain when purchasing a lot from an estate auction. After the war, American soldiers had been sent home from Japan with katanas as keepsakes. The rest had been destroyed, the generals not knowing the difference between priceless artifacts and standard issue military swords. It was still difficult to tell to the untrained eye, but April's were sharp and knowledgeable and so were Leo's.
"I suppose you are going to teach me to become it's master?" she teased.
He shrugged, his face serious. "If you like," he said softly, passing it back to her.
April stopped toying with him. "Really? That would be amazing!"
Leonardo nodded and gestured for her to follow him to the opposite side of the dojo. "Do some katas," he instructed. "Whichever ones you feel most comfortable with or enjoy the most, and keep going until I tell you to stop."
At first, April was self-conscious; her katas must look like child's play to him. She chose her four favorite series of forms and Leo watched her silently.
He waited to speak until her movements flowed together in an endless loop of lithe limbs and glinting metal. He refrained from nit-picking small details of her position; he needed her feeling comfortable and relaxed. She looked content in her art, her mind loose and receptive. "The spirit of your katana is ancient and unbalanced. It has been a samurai's weapon, it has seen battle and spilled blood. Likely it became a family heirloom the next few generations before being ripped away from it's Master's lineage. Now there is you. What do you want from it?"
April considered as she flowed through her movements, Leo's voice lulling her into a serene state. "I want to defend myself and my loved ones." She faltered as his words sunk in further. "But when you put it like that I feel a bit inadequate for this sword, to be honest."
"Nonsense," Leonardo dismissed. "You have cut monsters from another dimension with that blade. That is potent, April, worlds away from slaying 16th century bandits and ninja."
It struck her that Leo wasn't merely a ninja the way his brothers were. By choosing a katana as his main weapon and trying to abide by the code of Bushido, he had merged two literally warring philosophies within him. No one, perhaps not even Splinter, knew more about inner balance than Leonardo.
When the tension left her again he continued. "Let your chi flow into the blade, picture it glowing all the way to the tip. Then let that energy flow back into you, your own essence and the swords."
The heat her body was generating with exertion warmed the hilt and made it easy to visualize her chi tumbling down the length of the blade. Instead of tiring, April found a new confidence that energized her and made her weapon feel lighter in her hand. Spontaneously she broke into a more difficult series of katas, moving faster and with more flair, a smile on her lips. She felt a stirring in her chest and focused it into her katana before imagining drawing it back out. The deadly legacy of this sword became clear, and her control over it made her feel strong. She was worthy of this blade and it was worthy of her.
"Okay, stop," Leo said. April beamed at him breathlessly. "Now, go sit," he added gently, pointing at his circle.
She sat in the middle as he had been, holding the katana across her lap in a meditative pose. Her eyes fell shut and she listened for the soothing sound of his voice.
"Do you feel that you and the sword are in balance? Any past misdeeds or bitterness behind you...a clean slate?"
Her pulse thrummed in her palms where the warm sides of the blade rested delicately against her skin. "I think so."
"Tell it what you will accomplish together. It doesn't have to be out loud."
April inclined her head and sent her thoughts towards the sword as if silently communicating with a living being. We will protect them. You will defend me and I will take care of you. We will be brave in the face of whatever creature comes at us.
April stood, feeling the vaguest stir of her aura around her. She went into ready stance and rotated gracefully, unconcerned with her hands or her sword, her thoughts beyond the blade and willing her chi through the flames. The final two-thirds of the candles went dark at the end of her arc.
"Hey, I got some!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"You always were a good student," Leo said, his smile becoming wry. "You know, I could probably make time in my hectic schedule to work with you once a week..."
April crossed over the smoking section of candles and rested her hand on his shoulder, honored that he would be willing to continue her training. "I'm really glad you came back, Leo."
Shout out to Novus Ordo Seclorum, thanks for the encouragement :)