Hey readers! Again so sorry for a very late update. I know you lot were curious about what was going to happen with our Fearless Leader Leo. Hope you enjoy it!
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Visions of the Past
As Leonardo slipped into the deepest of meditation he began to feel like he was floating. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself at the lake again under the tree. He uncrossed his legs and stood up. He looked across the lake but he couldn't see the Ancient One anywhere.
Leonardo looked around more then saw someone walking in the middle of the lake and coming towards him!
Leonardo gave a yelp in shock at the sight of someone walking on water then saw that it was a young man wearing Japanese robes and had short brown hair.
Leonardo narrowed his eyes as he studied the man that was walking towards him; there was something about the man that seemed very familiar.
Leonardo took another look at him then his jaw dropped as he recognised the man as Hatamo Yoshi! Splinter's master and Sensei!
"Hatamo Yoshi!" cried Leonardo "Is that you?"
The man walked closer until he was standing on the water a few feet away from him, then he smiled at the young turtle.
"Yes Leonardo..." he said "It is me...Hatamo Yoshi"
"How...?" Leonardo whispered "And how are you doing that?"
"This is your meditation Leonardo" said Yoshi "And as a spirit I can walk on water and appear in your visions..." He then looked at Leonardo with a warm look.
Leonardo looked at the water again then up at Yoshi.
"Why are you here Yoshi?" asked Leonardo "Why have you come to someone so dishonourable?"
"I have seen the pain you have been in and I have come to help you..." said Yoshi "I have seen what has happened to you"
Leonardo looked at Yoshi and narrowed his eyes in confusion.
"You are not a dishonourable person Leonardo" said Yoshi "Everyone knows that, you were never dishonourable and never will be"
"But I have dishonoured!" Leonardo argued "I've hurt people! I've lost everything! My family think I'm mad! My brother hates me! The woman I love is lost to me..."
"Leonardo" Yoshi interrupted "Do you believe all that?"
"It's true!" said Leonardo "I've hurt them...I've lost my bond and relationship with them...all because I loved the same woman as my brother...but he won her...my jealousy destroyed everything!"
"No Leonardo" said Yoshi "You haven't lost everything, you haven't destroyed everything" Yoshi then held out his hand to Leonardo "Come..." he said "Walk with me"
Leonardo looked at Yoshi then down at the water that stood a few feet between them.
"I'll sink!" said Leonardo.
"You won't" said Yoshi "You trust me?" Leonardo bit his lip then looked at the water unsure; he then placed his toe on the water and placed his weight on it.
As he did he felt his feet get wet but he didn't sink through it. It was like he was standing in a puddle on solid ground.
Leonardo then placed his other foot on the water and found himself standing on it!
"Cool!" Leonardo thought as he began to carefully tread on it. He then looked up at Yoshi who was still holding his hand out to him.
The blue masked turtle stepped over carefully and held out his green three fingered hand and placed it in Yoshi's.
No sooner did he do so then the area around them began to change. He looked around and then found himself back in the sewers in New York.
"Whoa!" cried Leonardo "Where have we gone?" Yoshi squeezed his hand and smiled "We've gone back to visit your past"
"Huh?" said Leonardo confused "My past?" Yoshi nodded then waved his hand around showing him where they were.
"Do you recognise this place Leonardo?" he asked, Leonardo looked around and recognised the place as one of their old lairs in the sewers before Baxtor Stockman's Mousers destroyed it.
"Like the back of my own shell!" said Leonardo "That's how well I know this place!"
Yoshi smiled, "Then you must have some memories" he said.
"Many" said Leonardo as he continued to look around. He then heard the sound of laughing and out of the shadows he saw a young turtle wearing a blue mask run out and start looking around
"Guys!" he called "Guys! Come on I know you're here! Come out come out wherever you are!"
Leonardo stared at the young turtle and his eyes widened "It's me!" he whispered as he watched the young turtle look around the place.
Hatamo Yoshi smiled as he watched the young turtle look around then saw another turtle sneak up on him; this turtle was wearing a red mask.
Leonardo also saw and found the urge to call out to his younger self that the red masked turtle was sneaking up on him.
"Look out!" he cried "Behind you!"
Yoshi chuckled and placed his hand on Leonardo's shoulder "They're merely memories Leonardo-san" he said "They can neither see nor hear us"
Leonardo felt a little embarrassed and went a bit pink making Yoshi smile warmly at him.
"BOO!" the red masked turtle then shouted behind the young Leonardo making him jump out of his skin and turn to face him.
"Whaa!" cried young Leonardo "Raphael! You gave me a heart attack!"
The red masked turtle gave an evil look and laughed "You're gonna need to brush up on your listening skills if you're gonna be a good leader!" he said "You need to open your ears more!"
The young Leonardo glowered but then jumped on young Raphael and started to have a tickle fight with him "That'll teach you for making me jump!" he said as young Raphael squealed and laughed trying to get him off.
Yoshi laughed heartily and Leonardo also watched with a slight smile. Yoshi then noticed a little tear fall from his eye.
"I can see you shed a tear Leonardo-san" whispered Yoshi looking at the young turtle. Leonardo continued to watch the younger versions of him and Raphael play fighting then looked across to Yoshi.
"When I was a turtle tot, I always had a strong bond with Raphael" said Leonardo "Even if he was jealous that Master Splinter decided I was to be the leader of the group when we became official ninjas, he always tried to catch me off guard when we weren't training, he was obviously trying to show I was still vulnerable"
Yoshi sighed and looked at young Raphael as he tickled young Leonardo back
"I can understand the stress Leonardo-san" he said.
Leonardo sighed as he looked back at the two young turtles.
"Let us see another scene here" said Yoshi who waved his hand and the scene faded into the darkness before another scene appeared.
Leonardo then saw himself and his brothers running through the sewers, he was leading them and looking around the corners trying to find the right way.
"You and your brothers spent many days running through the sewers together" said Yoshi "They always followed you"
Leonardo nodded as he watched his younger self stop the group and look both ways at a crossroads in the sewers before picking a direction.
"Because they looked up to me being the eldest, they followed me when we went for runs through the sewers" said Leonardo "Master Splinter had given us the tasks of knowing our ways around the place, we got lost many times but eventually we found our way through the sewers"
"What does this scene here tell you?" asked Yoshi walking up behind Leonardo and placing his hand on his shell.
Leonardo watched himself and his brothers again as he led them through the sewers with confidence and them looking towards him with trust to led them home.
"That my brothers always relied on me, always trusted me to look after them" said Leonardo "From the day we were hatched...I was always their leader"
"That's right" said Yoshi "You are their guiding light, apart from Splinter, they look to you for help and guidance on the Battlefield, I was proud of Splinter for making you the great leader you are now"
"Was..." corrected Leonardo "After what I've done, they'll never want me back; I broke my vows of honour and my bond with them when I hurt Raphael"
"What makes you say that?" asked Yoshi.
Leonardo sighed "I saw it in their eyes...After I injured Raphael, before I fled the scene, the look of disappointment and shock in their eyes...I'll never forget it!"
"Do you really think that they hate you now?" asked Yoshi "even after everything you've done? You think they hate you now just because you snapped?"
Leonardo nodded.
"That's why I ran away" he said "I knew they wouldn't want to know me, and Mona...the hurt and shock on her beautiful face, after everything I promised her, saying I would protect her, and never hurt her"
Yoshi looked saddened.
"If we were to look back" he said "I can show you just how wrong you are"
Leonardo looked towards Yoshi
"What?" he said "What do you...?"
Yoshi waved his hand and what Leonardo saw next was the times he was right beside Mona when they found her rapists and how he had lent her his beloved katana so she could get her revenge. He showed her the times they went out together, whether it was just them two or with the others.
Leonardo watched the scenes as they played before his eyes, he then saw the scene from his past where Mona placed her arms around him and kissed him his cheek thanking him for their trip to Coney Island Beach.
As he watched that scene, Leonardo placed his fingers on his cheek as a single tear fell.
"All those times Leonardo-san" said Yoshi "Whether you were training, fighting enemies or just socialising, you were there for her, you made her so happy after she had such a terrible life, you made her smile again, you and your brothers"
Leonardo watched himself with Mona again and saw her beautiful face smile at him, showing she appreciated him and loved him.
"Look at her face Leonardo" said Yoshi "Can you see how happy she is?"
Leonardo watched and saw he was right, Mona was laughing and smiling, like she had never been so happy in her life.
Leonardo watched her more and he couldn't take her eyes off how beautiful she looked.
"I made her happy yes" said Leonardo "But I broke her heart when I hurt her mate" he whispered "She hates me now"
Yoshi shook his head in sadness.
"Maybe I should show you something that really will prove how wrong you are" he said. Leonardo looked over to Yoshi and saw the sensei wave his hands again and the scene changed again to show them in the current lair.
"What?" cried Leonardo looking around "The lair!"
"The present lair yes" said Yoshi "And this is where we are not long after you departed..."
So what's Yoshi going to show Leonardo? Find out in the next chapter!
Note: I guess some of you would have seen references to 'A Christmas Carol'
Hope you liked it! Let me know what you think!