Missing scene from the last episode of the "Big Brawl" storyline from the 2003 TNMT series, once again, as you may have guessed, drawing heavily from Usagi Lore written by Stan Sakai. I own nothing. Please enjoy anyway. And, of course, I make no money from this. :)

All the guards were eventually transported to the Healing ward Leo had been a patient in earlier. The mats already laid out and waiting seemed not to be enough. So, Donnie put Mikey to work laying out more with him while Splinter and Raph helped the injured guards lay down on them. Leo watched Usagi approach the Daimyo. The Samurai bowed to the ruler of the Battle Nexus before speaking, "I fear, Daimyo that the healer usually here may have been transported away, after those attacking you put him to sleep with smoke after they'd done the same to the two guards watching over you."

The Daimyo looked down at the rabbit and nodded. "Thank you for telling me, Usagi san. I will see to their retrieval. But I think this task too great even for our greatest healer to perform alone. Please see to telling the healers in the 'Defeated Warriors Pavilion' that many of my guards are in need of their aid here."

Usagi bowed before running out through the door. The Daimyo then left alone. Leonardo watched them go before approaching Splinter. He helped him lay warriors down on their mats in silence for a minute, but then asked, "Master Splinter?"

"Yes, my son?" The rat did not lift his eyes from his work, but his gentle voice said he was listening. Momentarily, he and Leo were distracted by another conversation farther away.

"Come on, Don, do you think I won or not?"

"Mikey, we're a little busy right now."

"We can talk and lay out mats at the same time! Do you think I won or not?"

"I think we have more important things to do right now than have this conversation."

"But do ya, do ya, do ya?"

Leonardo and Splinter looked back to each other sharing a sympathetic look for Donnie. Then Leo helped set down one guard with his father, and walked over to an unconscious one as Splinter followed. Leo lowered his voice as he bent over the prone form of the warrior. "You think highly of Miyomoto Usagi, don't you, Master Splinter?"

The old rat smiled and nodded. "Indeed, I do, my son. I am not surprised at all you have enjoyed one another's company. Your shared sword skills, the high value you both place on honor, and the energy and optimism of youth that has been tempered in you both by wisdom gained over many adventures made it nearly impossible for either of you to do otherwise. I am glad you found such as he to test your mettle against here."

Leonardo looked down in thought. "What if it wasn't just 'here' I had him to test my mettle against, Master Splinter?"

Splinter held the guard's feet while Leonardo lifted him under his arms. The rat walked backward toward a mat. Leo kept his eyes forward as he matched his pace to Master Splinter's. As they laid the guard gently down, Splinter raised squinted eyes to Leo's downcast face. "What is it you are trying to ask me, my son?"

Leonardo looked up and met his master's gaze while crossing his arms over his chest. "I heard your voice, from the stands, when I was poisoned … But you, Don, and the others weren't near enough to help me then. He was and did. He was also there to help me in the Pavilion of Past champions before that, and when we were all getting sucked into that vortex after that. I feel like I owe him."

Splinter smiled. "I doubt he feels the same, my son. He probably considered doing all those things a great honor, and that 'not' helping you would have been the opposite."

"I know, but Usagi didn't just do all of that for 'me.' He also helped Don when I couldn't by fighting beside him, maybe saving his life, and he definitely helped us all when we were almost framed for the Daimyo's near-death and might never have left here alive! To me, that's an even greater debt ..."

Splinter nodded gravely over the prone form of the warrior they'd just helped. "I see."

Leo nodded while crossing his arms and fixing his gaze on the floor. "He's already acted like he's one of us, like he's one of my brothers."

Splinter raised his head and eyebrows. Raph turned and frowned at his only "big" bro. Things had gone so silent around them, Leo's firm voice had seemed loud in comparison. Mikey glanced wide-eyed at Don who was watching the discussion intently himself. Raph, stepped forward and asked what they were all wondering, "What are you saying, Leo?"

The blue-masked turtle continued in a hesitant voice. "It's just … I'd like to do something for him too."

Splinter asked gravely, "And what would that be?"

"I'd like it if you would invite him to return home with us."

All the other turtles straightened and looked at each other. Donnie smiled, but the turtles in orange and red squinted and then turned back to stare at Leonardo. Splinter lifted his ears and blinked his eyes. His voice came out somewhat soft and sad. "My son, he has his own world to return to. He might not wish to come 'home' with us."

"But he has no one there!"

Leo's voice rose so much the others flinched. A rabbit in a blue approached the pavilion entrance and froze just outside it unnoticed. His ears swiveled forward as he and everyone in the room beyond him listened, save the guards following their lord's newest command to rest and think of nothing. Splinter spoke next in a soft and somewhat bright voice. "He appears to have Gennesuke, my son."

Leo's voice lowered to a growl. "Do you know what Gennesuke 'does?'"

"Gamble, apparently, but I enjoy a game of cards now and then myself. And I believe the swords the rhino carries and garbs he wears also mark him as a Samurai as Usagi's do."

Leo shook his head scowling. The hands of his crossed arms gripped tighter. "No. He's a 'bounty hunter'." The term seemed spat from Leonardo's lips.

Usagi winced. Then his fists clenched. The centers of his eyes seemed to burn.

Splinter tilted his head and looked sad. However, it was Donnie who spoke next. "Usagi … did say his own Daimyo was dead, Master Splinter … and that he's a Yojimbo now, a bodyguard for hire. Not attached to any clan, or anyone."

Leo shook his head again. "He 'is' still attached to someone. He told me so himself. The lord he's still attached to is just dead."

Usagi shut his eyes and forced himself not to tremble. He next heard the old Nezumi speak next. "What is it you wish of me then, my son?"

The turtle uncrossed his arms and raised his hands. "Could you speak to him, Master, Father … please? I think it would come best from you. I can't just leave this world knowing the only friend I made here went back to ... that."

Raph burst out, "Hey! What we got to go back to ain't exactly a picnic either, Leo."

Leonardo turned his head to stare at his brother and ground out. "'I' still wouldn't change places with him, Raph. Would you?"

Raphael grimaced in return.

Usagi watched for a moment as silence fell over the family inside again. Then he turned outside the door and began to walk away. He was used to silencing his steps and did so very well just then.

As he passed those he'd led there, the Yojimbo's voice came out firm and low, barely audible to the healers from the "Defeated Warriors Pavilion." "You will find all in readiness for you, inside, I believe. Splinter and his sons have seen to it."

Usagi continued walking past the healers going in the opposite direction. As he came to the level area outside the arena, several moments later, Gennesuke appeared in front of him. Usagi raised a weak smile to the rhino's face. "Ah, Gen ..."

"Usagi! I thought I might find you here. I want you to come with me as I go pay off my debts."

Usagi chuckled. "Of course, you do."

"A few extra swords should help prevent any of them from thinking they can cheat me out of more than I promised them."

Usagi nodded his head slowly. "And I, Gennesuke will also make certain you don't cheat them by giving them any 'less' than you promised them."

The rhino's face fell. "Usagi ... you should not have to do that." Gennesuke turned and began to walk toward the surrounding city.

Usagi fell into step beside him and grinned. "But I will, my friend. I will."

The two fell into companionable silence as they walked. The Samurai finally began to frown as he pondered things to himself. He considered the events of this day another adventure in his "Warrior's Pilgrimage," and another lesson. It had been an awesome experience overall, and he would not let the last words he'd heard from Leonardo's lips greatly trouble him. Perhaps they would not even see each other again. There was no reason to hold a grudge. Of course, if he were to be honest with himself, this was a very sad ending to their joint adventure.

He supposed he should have expected such as this to happen. He had worn his best to the tournament, clothing he only wore in the presence of the great in their homes not even on the road while he guarded them. Perhaps Leonardo had thought when he called himself a Ronin, when they'd first met, he'd meant it in the word's most general sense of "wanderer," which he indeed was. They had been in a very tense situation, when he told Leonardo he was a Yojimbo later too. And the kame might have thought he simply choose that profession, so he could visit his distinguished family regularly. Perhaps Leonardo had even thought him married and continuing his respected family line with a few sons already. To learn he was an orphan, without wife or sons, the last Samaria to wear the sign of a defeated and dead clan, not entirely welcomed by all (especially the head man) of his own village, homeless, masterless, and fatherless might have been a shock to Leonardo.

To be the eldest son of such a distinguished father, who had raised four, healthy, strong, and highly skilled warriors was quite an honorable position. Such a position must come with many difficult duties to perform. He could not fault Leonardo for becoming disconcerted to learn one as high up as he had accidentally become a companion to one fallen so low.

Usagi knew he was well thought of by many in his world. Some, like lord Noriyuki were even highly respected "and" exalted in status. Many others were not. He wondered if Lord Mifune were still alive if things might have turned out differently …

Farewell, Leonardo san … this Ronin thanks you for your brief friendship ...

What do you think?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes