All TMNT characters are copyrighted by Mirage studios and were created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. And this is a non-profit fanfic.

"Look, father, I can dance like the dragon from my dream." the young turtle said, playing with a fan.

"Leonardo! Never do that again!" Her stern father's reply had been as he took the fan from her hands.

Prelude

Leonardo awoke, cold, sweating in the cargo plane and looked at the watch. It would still be a good 4 hours more. The hours before her departure had been a torment, and it had taken all her might not to scream. She did not know what to feel anymore and, to tell the truth, she did not want to know. They were already worried enough and she was not going to answer questions about the lovely adornment on her wrist which kept causing her pain. I was such a fool. But then, it was the Shredder and he was not joking, so she had really no other choice. Casey, you owe me big time!...

"Who am I kidding?" she said as she sneaked into the cargo plane that would take her to the other side of the country. I brought this on myself. Me and my stupid self-sufficiency… I let him tangle me. Again. She sighed

She somehow knew the Foot would have taken her half-around the world had she asked, but she did not feel like owing them any favors. The idea was just... disturbing. The whole idea was and the prospect of spending a week by the Utrom's side was just… Agh! She really did not want to think about it. The idea of letting a spirit possess her sounded even less attractive; and so were those memories from that creature. Admit it you enjoy it! You are thrilled to know he is after you again!

"Dark half, shut up!" She said. Were you a her... Can you protect them from you? She was not going into that because that was... pristine beaches… chirping birds. She collected herself.

For some reason whenever she tried to repress her feelings or had inner conflict develops, the damn thing stung and badly, and, considering she had to remain silent, it just was inconvenient. It almost felt alive. She wondered what it really was as it felt oddly familiar, like the cape but not comforting. A weapon? But for whom? And it made no sense. To her, it appeared to be a sort of restraining device. One the Shredder had control over and that was just… she was out of words.

As she crawled in a corner, her mind wandered to another topic she had been trying to avoid. And until now had been successful: Donatello. She blushed and brought her hand to her lips. Don had kissed her? She sighed. Just great. His growing feeling for her had been obvious for a while, but she had been... trying to dismiss them or had been in denial. It was just... who was she kidding? There was no way it was just a matter of instincts. Actually, she was lucky Raph had not tried yet and, had she not thrown him, who knew what would have happened?

However, a part of her wished to indulge the thought of wanting to be loved and cared about for no specific reason.

"Don is really... ah…" She had been reading too many romantic novels lately and though she did not watch soaps she was aware of their plot. She sighed. Her instinctual side was having a party over the attention while her rational mind brought her down to Earth and to the unavoidable comparison as she headed to the Ancient One's old refugee in Japan, the one and only Tang Shen.

The downfall of the Ancient One's household, the source of the rift between Yoshi and Mashimi. She wondered though Mashimi had always been less inclined to be a model student if it had been probably Tang Shen who had driven him to the edge when she favored one of them. In Leo's opinion, that was absurd, she had options outside, many humans to choose from, they all had choices and still, it had gotten deadly. She shivered at the faith of Tang Shen, for she was not as naïve as to think Mashimi had just killed her. It would be too simple and she knew about humans. Who knew? Maybe it was Tang Shen herself who had ended her own fate before or after facing disgrace.

Considering the upbringing she had had, it would be predictable. That gave her shivers but she could not blame her though she felt she had done more damage, in the end, dying forfeits your odds of achieving enlightenment or redemption or whatever she thought that is why a samurai is doomed to be reborn as a samurai. 'I will never change after all.' She thought, a bit comforted but she was the innocent victim: after all, it had been Mashimi's fault. She was not going to blame it on her after all and she did not want to go on own treacherous feeling toward her enemy, they were too complex. Why can't I hate him? I am truly worthless.

Let's not think about it. In her case… Well, unless by some miracle, they were not interested, their bloody instincts were. It was quite clear to her: there weren't any choices available after all and it was only her. Will always be only her. She would hate that her presence will tear her clan apart like Tang Shen had. She was not being conceited, she was being realistic. The arguments had already started and had blown out of proportion in the days she neglected her odor control. Raphael and Donatello had already started a sort of territorial battle for her and Mikey was part of it too, in his own sneaky way. The idea of things getting too rough, of one of them being harm or killed... She shook her head. Mikey had already been harmed after all. She had already considered the two options. And these were no options at all as turtles males were territorial, Two dejected turtles hating and probably plotting against the chosen one or an eternal fight between the chosen three… They could not make their minds about what TV show to watch. Sharing was not their strength - it had never been - and being completely honest, even if they could, she would hate herself for she would feel disgraced to be reduced to a mere thing to be fought about, even if they weren't related, something Don had been quick to let her know about him, and knowing Mike was related to him as he had been quite loud about it and as Raph had not made any comments, it was safe to assume they were brothers, but in arms only...

And then there was the third path she had begun considering: she stepping away from a path the Shredder was kindly offering her or rather forcing on her in his own twisted and selfish way. It was even honorable, she mocked: self-sacrifice for the Earth and her family and perhaps the Universe as well. She just needed to play it right. She laughed.

"Who said the universe hated me if it gives me such great choices? I even got the Null Time Order on my shell." Being an unwanted glitch on the timeline would have depressed anyone but to Leonardo, considering the gigantic tangle she was in now, it was one of the truths of the universe she had to learn to accept. On the other hand, what she was not going to forgive was being lied to by her own master and that had really gotten to her.

Deception was an inherent part of the shinobi path; she knew and accepted it as always. Had Splinter been only her Master, she would not question it, but he played the father and had lied to her about what? was what she was about to find out, what she needed to find out: since her knowledge of seals was anything but comforting and she needed the facts before letting her imagination fly.

"What kind of name was 'Ancient One' anyway?" she wondered as she boarded the ship in San Francisco after a brief restocking in China town darker alleys. Even the Tribunal masters had mentioned their names and they were supposed to be more impressive and ancient, so it sounded like a name to keep them off his case more than anything. Besides Tang Shen sounded Chinese. But well, the Ancient One was quite his own case and master. Something she no longer saw within her grasp as of now she was living on a tight schedule.

The turtle reached the path to the Ancient One. She bowed to the guardians. Yeti? She wondered. They did not fail to comment on how puny and childish she was though she could tell they were wary around her this time: she could sense their fear 'They fear me?' she thought with a pang of guilt. No, I must be imagining things.

"Yours are always words of wisdom," she said, humbly bowing. "That is why I seek the master again for I have strayed from the path."

"The Ancient One already sent you off! Trying again is foolish at best, puny baby, but your mistakes are yours," they said, granting her access.

She wandered through the terrain, having memorized the path already from her second visit and it was uneventful at best. She had learned to avoid the ghost trails and not to pick battles and wondered if they were fallen warrior of old who had failed to find rest. Even demons, maybe. She did not have the time to pry on their secrets and they were not interested in her either. Perhaps that was her future: to wander around some deserted battlefield, atoning for her faults. Maybe this whole thing was a sort of punishment for her.

"Kumquat, what ya doin' here 'gain? You still strive for perfection child." The wise man said meeting her at the entrance gate.

"Do I even have a choice?" the bitter turtle retorted. She threw herself at the ground with her forehead touching the dirt as a symbol of respect. "Please, master, receive this unworthy student into your tutelage once again." she almost begged.

"Raise! You, not my student! Leave!" he ordered to the confused Leonardo who could not manage to repress a wince of pain, clenching her fists but not rising.

"I know I am a disappointment, a disgrace to my training and master, a blood tainted worthless makeshift warrior but… please…" She started trembling, feeling her wrist burn and a sharp headache start as all the weight of the previous months finally taxed her. Fighting the tears she felt were starting to cloud her eyes as she was trying to focus and regain control. "Please…I brought c…chocolate," she said taking the candy bag out of her coat and placing it like an offer, losing consciousness.

A strong herbal smell woke her and she looked at the unfazed Ancient One who gave her a puzzled look and helped her stand.

"All things that are, all the training you can achieve, remember nothing beats a good night sleep.," the fat Ancient man said. "I take chocolate, we talk morning, you too tired, you too... we talk morning."

Author's notes

Thanks again to Lady-Kassy for her beta

Thanks for your reviews I am glad you liked the Omake.

The main character refused to speak for a while and the other ones were not on cooperating either and I saw clip from a TMNT anime series and of the musical, yes there was musical that practically brain scarred me and the BttS new series well it has not really met my standards I am suspecting they have dropped Karai completely and she elopes with Chaplain but then why to include her in the movie and we should have suspected it will take more than 4 dragons destroying his body to finish the Tengu Shredder "he lives!"and what is with the character design now April looks 12?, and hello you just lost Splinter why is everyone so calm and OOC particularly Leo come on getting hit by Casey? they weren't precisely slacking on the future but hopefully, it is too soon and it will regain the 2003 tone or will be dropped like FF. Bye Cody have to agree but Serling is there? wasn't he like the least liked character in the whole series history and did not inorganic matter had to stay behind like their weapons.

I just noticed they still had their soul weapons by the end of last season, but they no longer had them is the new series so I am sticking to the scene were the Tengu Shredder took them all or the Tribunal must have asked for them back, come on Mikey goofing around with a weapon capable to induce a typhoon. Scary.