Title: Down This Path Lies Madness
Author: Raykushi
Disclaimer: Rights to TMNT belong to Nickelodeon and others. This is a fan piece only and no monetary gain comes from its publication.
Incarnation: 2k3 TV show
Summary: Leo's meditation brings some interesting results.
Warnings/Ratings: None/G
Prompt: Alice in Wonderland
Word Count: 1,160
Down This Path Lies Madness
Master Splinter had warned him that journeying in the astral plane could bring manifestations both shocking and dangerous. The turtles had even experienced this already when they were mentally attacked by the powerful Foot Mystics in the safety of their own home. Yet even with these past warnings, Leonardo never hesitated to drive himself, reaching for new depths within himself through deep meditation.
Still, the mushroom forest was a bit of a surprise.
With the feeling of a bright golden sun beating down on his shoulders and a breeze that smelled faintly of flowers and forest undergrowth, Leonardo wandered down a winding forest path. He wondered what it was that the universe wanted to show him. It seemed almost as if he had shrunken in size, an insignificant single individual in a realm where the trees shot up like skyscrapers in the blue bowl above him and mushrooms as large as taxi cabs lined the forest path.
A flash of white standing on the path ahead caught the turtle's attention. Although it was hard to make out through the dense forest flora, it looked like—
"Usagi?"
The lapine samurai glanced at him over his shoulder, then looked up to check the position of the sun. He shook his head in the manner of one distracted and bolted ahead down the path.
"Usagi, wait!" Leonardo gave chase, one hand up to protect his face from snapping branches that seemed to be moving more than from a simple breeze.
Despite his quick reflexes, Leonardo couldn't seem to catch up with his friend. He could have been running in place for all the scenery around him changed. Almost immediately Usagi had disappeared down the twisting path, and Leonardo didn't see him again, as if his friend had left him far behind. Eventually he came to a stop.
This place in the forest looked no different from any other. Trees and large mushrooms still surrounded him. Somewhere a bird called like a telephone ringing. Leonardo swallowed a feeling of impatience. He had no urge to remain stuck walking a forest path for this entire quest.
A slight sound above him jerked the ninja's head up instantly. The wide brim of a fat blue mushroom cap leaned over the path, casting a shadow on Leonardo and the forest floor, and reclining on the edge of the cap was a familiar green form.
"Donnie?" Leonardo asked in surprise.
His brother laid on his side, head propped up on one hand, the other holding an unlit cigar. He gazed contemplatively into the air, then focused his eyes down at Leonardo on the ground. "Who are you?"
"Donnie, you know who I am," Leo said flatly, wary of this realm's next trick.
"No, who are you?"
Leo frowned. His meditation was running long into the night, and it wasn't unheard of that those who dreamed could connect to the astral plane. Still, he didn't know if this was Donnie or a vision brought forth to test him. Either way, it was a good question.
"That is one answer I seek on this journey," he replied humbly.
"Huh." Donatello looked away, unimpressed.
Further questions got him no response. It seemed like his brainy brother was no longer interested in any interaction. Determined to figure out this puzzling land, Leonardo moved on.
After what could have been an eternity, it looked like the forest was coming to an end. The trees thinned and up ahead he could see a landscape of rolling hills in sharply contrasting colors. Straight ahead a castle with a central white tower rose into the sky.
A laughing voice caused Leo to turn. Michelangelo crouched on a low branch of a tree on the edge of the forest.
"Mikey? Are you going to tell me what's going on here?" Leonardo demanded.
"Oh, madness!" the orange-masked turtle cackled, tapping the tips of his fingers together in front of him like a super villain from a comic book. "We're all mad here!"
Leonardo raised an eye ridge. "I take it that means you don't have any advice on where I should go."
"Anywhere you go will take you somewhere, dude!"
Leonard sighed. "Right. Then I guess I'll continue this way." He gestured to the path leading him out of the forest and toward the tower.
Michelangelo just laughed, and then started to disappear. Leo stared in shock as his young brother faded away in front of him, starting with his feet and traveling upward, until just a flash of laughing white teeth and an orange mask floated creepily in the air.
Leonardo shook his head and moved on down the path.
. ~ . ~ .
"OFF with his HEAD!" Raphael screamed, pointing across the lawn directly at Leonardo as he stepped into the castle courtyard.
Leo froze in place and groaned. "Figures."
The grassy courtyard filled with blank-faced soldiers, common thugs with playing cards tattood on their arms and faces instead of the more familiar sight of twining dragons. Leonardo's focus narrowed until nothing existed but himself, his weapons, and his opponents. He drew a katana.
"I say, don't squeeze my ankles so hard, will you? There's a good chap."
Leo's narrowed eyes darted to the side, then widened. He was holding a flamingo.
The crowd of thugs pulled out folding chairs and set them in a semi-circle around the edge of the lawn, an instant audience.
Raphael stepped onto the field directly opposite his older brother. Instead of a pink flamingo in his hand, he held two smaller (but no less pink) parrots.
"Amateurs," muttered Leonardo's flamingo under his breath.
"Good day for a game, isn't it?" Michelangelo and Donatello also sat on the sidelines, patiently waiting for the event to start. A teacup was perfectly balanced on Mikey's head like a small cap.
"Quite." Don sipped from his own teacup, more sensibly held in his hand.
"I did not think I would make it in time," Usagi muttered, checking a large golden watch he pulled from the folds of his robe. Instead of numbers on the face, there was curly script that simply said 'Look up.' Obediently the rabbit glanced up at the sun to judge the time.
Leonardo gripped his flamingo as Raphael strode toward him. He had no idea how this 'game' was played, but shell if he was going to concede to Raph, whether it was really him or not.
. ~ . ~ .
"How was your meditation, my son?" Master Splinter, an early riser, greeted his son as the turtle stumbled across the lair to the kitchen, desperate for a drink.
Leonardo only shook his head at his father seated at the kitchen table. His face was a wash of frustration as he grabbed a glass and drank water deeply from the sink.
Splinter wondered what could have caused such a reaction. "What did you discover on your journey?" he asked.
The master was no less mystified when his eldest son only muttered, "Raph cheats."