Carpe Diem

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians. The only one I can lay claim to is Rama and she gets offended when I try to claim her.

Part Three – Hallucination?

Rama came awake ever so slowly in her bedroom, for a moment she lay snuggled down in the warm nest of her blankets her eyes heavy with sleep. She allowed her self to become more fully awake and in tune with the world around her, hearing the sound of water moving through pipes.

Rama yawned and stretched a bit, before rubbing the grit from her eyes, her thoughts turned to the previous night.

A dream, it must have been a dream. I don't think Devon would just disappear like that, and a great deal of the events seemed almost dream like. She mused to herself, considering how much she loved and missed Devon and last night being Valentines had probably inspired the dream of a perfect romance.

Her gaze shifted to her piggy bank sitting in its spot she jumped out of bed and retrieved the bank emptying the contents on to her bed to count the money. Five dollars and a handful of change was all that was in there. Rama checked her belt pouches and found no loose change within it.

Mentally she calculated the expenses twenty nine dollars for a carriage ride, six dollars for the hot drinks and the doughnuts plus the money from her bank would equal exactly what she had before last night.

She scowled and bit her lip gently as she was still no closer to the truth of the matter. Rama wasn't entirely sure if Devon had actually been there or not. Perhaps she had dreamed him, perhaps he had teleported as she had, but found that so hard to believe because she knew how much it had taken for her to reach teleportation and she knew Devon didn't care much for meditating either.

It was rather frustrating not knowing the truth of the matter though.

Rama picked up a sai off her bedside table tossing it slightly and catching it with ease, then she grinned wide as she realized there was one way of finding out for sure. Uncle Raphael and Aiden had both seen Devon perhaps one of them would confirm it.

Rama quickly opted for her Uncle over her cousin for she didn't want to give Aiden any weapon to tease her with or give her a bad time over.

The trick she knew would be waiting for the right moment to approach her uncle on the matter without having to worry about her dad overhearing something he shouldn't.

' Patience, await the perfect opportunity to present itself' Rama advised herself as she strapped on her equipment.

….

As it turned out the perfect opportunity just happened to be a short time before lunch, her dad was typically in the kitchen preparing the mid day meal with Karena's help, Uncle Raphael was busy beating the stuffing out of one of their punching bags in the dojo.

Rama entered the dojo stepping lightly onto the mats plucking her sais from her belt and spinning them lightly in her hands, she glanced at her uncle " You good to go?" She challenged gently.

She was fully aware that her uncle sometimes preferred doing his own routine and might not want to spar. He gave a wry grin and came at her there sais meeting with a soft metallic ring.

" Find any Foot to ease your boredom last night?" Rama wondered.

" No!" Raph grumped miserably, " The whole night was an entire waste of time." He then gave a light snort " best action I saw was what you seemed to be getting" Raph smirked.

" You mean with Devon?" Rama asked innocently but inwardly she held her breath for his reply.

" I didn't see you with any one else" Raph replied casually. He twisted his wrist quickly trying to get past Rama's defences and disarm her but she was used to that trick blocking it and pushing him back a step or two.

" What do you think of him?" Rama probed.

" Don't know, He didn't seem too bad" Raph shrugged indifferently " It isn't how I feel about him. It is how you feel about him that matters" Raph insisted, " Just be sure of yourself before going too far kid."

Rama nodded as she had to retreat under a sudden assault pressed by her uncle when she felt it was safe to speak she stated " Want to know something funny, I woke up this morning and I felt that it was a dream, that it was some grand illusion of what I so wanted."

" Happy you ain't crazy then kid?" Raph inquired as he sent one of her sais flying from Rama's grip.

" No, I'm just confused" Rama moaned as she stepped back bowing conceding the match to her uncle, her brow furrowed slightly " While it happened it seemed real but today I don't know if it happened or if my senses were only playing tricks on me. He was here though, you saw him, so why do I feel that it was more a dream then reality?"

Raph sensed his niece's sudden turmoil and placed a reassuring hand around her shoulders. " If it makes you feel better I did see that mutant lizard boy you called Devon. I talked with him I touched him. I sensed that he cared for you and you for him. Far as I know he was here."

Ramiela knew that her uncle was very realistic he trusted his own senses highly and as far as he was concerned he had seen and interacted with Devon therefore, Devon had to of been there.

Some how though Rama didn't feel the sense of ease or comfort from his words, she still felt that last night had been too right, too perfect and the whole scenario, now that she thought about it seemed almost to scream that there was something wrong. Only what it was she couldn't find it.

Nevertheless she smiled her thanks to her Uncle as she retrieved her weapon and left the dojo heading her way down the sewer pipe towards the meditation room.

She found Sensei and Master Splinter all ready in the room the candles lit the familiar scent of sandalwood incense wafting through the air.

Rama bowed low to the two authorities of her clan.

The Master beamed " Ah, Ramiela have you come to join us in a little meditation?"

Rama dropped easily into the lotus position, reflecting silently to herself that it was one of Master Splinter's better days as he was able to recall her name without help or assistance of any kind, possibly it was why the two were in here now.

" No but I have come seeking enlightenment" Rama replied sincerely.

Leo nodded giving a small smile " Then you have come to the right place and your journey is off to a good start." He remarked as he clasped his hands in front of his plastron.

Rama glanced at the Master, she knew that he was not as sharp as he once had been and the fact that many times he seemed far less then what he had been, she had all ready seen that today he was in good form and she might have to be more careful about how she approached her particular dilemma.

" Last night I thought my friend Devon, from the alternate world had managed to find his way here but now I'm not sure that he ever was here." Rama confessed, " Uncle Raphael saw him and he confirmed that he saw Devon but I still have my doubts" Rama admitted uneasily heaving a sigh.

" The alternate world?" Splinter's muzzle twitched uncertainly.

Leo glanced at the Master " Where Ramiela was when she was gone for two weeks Master, the ones with our twins." He reminded the rat gently before turning back to the kunoichi " You don't feel that he teleported, didn't you say he was ninja?"

" He is a ninja warrior" Rama declared, " It is just that I don't think Devon is aware how to. I am hardly aware how I do it" She grumped, " Besides Devon isn't much into meditation."

Leo arched an eye ridge " Neither are some other people I could mention" he smiled though easing the gentle barb in his words.

Rama smirked " You mean like dad?" She asked deliberately misconstruing his words.

Leo gave her a pointed almost accusing look before shaking his head, " You care a great deal for this boy don't you?"

" Hai Sensei" Rama admitted knowing he had all ready felt it before so there was no need to deny it, besides she couldn't possibly hide it from them when asked such a direct question on the matter.

" Perhaps even love him?" Leo inquired.

Rama ducked her head for a moment before raising it to meet her Sensei's gaze " Hai" she said softly. She took a deep breath before rattling out " Devon isn't just a normal Raphael child though, I mean he does have some of the traits of the family but he is also being trained as a jonin."

Leo glanced at her noting how quickly she came to his defence even though he had said nothing against the boy.

Splinter smiled nodding his head " A good match. Two jonins! A boy who knows ninjitsu, Ramiela could not find any better."

Rama smiled secretively at the Masters approval.

" I take it you miss him?" Leo probed.

" Very much Sensei. I want to be able to see him again I know I can't, at least not until I can control the whole teleporting thing. I just wish I was more sure of the details on how so I could do it when I wanted." She almost snapped the last bit in her frustration.

" We will continue working on it Ramiela you must focus and concentrate to gain control." Leo chided her.

Rama winced inwardly as she mumbled " Hai Sensei."

Leo chuckled a bit at her response " Tell me though does he care for you?"

" I know he does. Devon was going to ask me to marry him before we went to rescue their Don Tello." Rama declared " I felt it then."

Leo felt that there was something more his student hadn't revealed so he remained silent and let his lack of voice and penetrating gaze unnerve his student, using his authority to his advantage.

Rama tried to keep from squirming " I was able to talk to him in meditation and he proposed to me then but he asked me a second time last night because he said he didn't hear my reply and he was worried."

Splinter sighed " There is no greater power then the force of love it self." He murmured.

Leo nodded " Ramiela don't you see if what you say is true he is missing you as badly as you are missing him. Perhaps once in a while in an almost meditative state you will be able to connect with one another because of the feelings you have for each other." Leo explained kindly. " Perhaps what you felt and were a part of last night could possibly be something that lies between walking a dream state in meditation, and your teleporting."

" I don't understand Sensei" Rama said uncertainly.

" If he wanted your answer and didn't hear it. Your friend Devon would be left dangling being a Raphael child he would grow impatient at not knowing your answer. So he probably has been trying to reach you." Leo informed her " your strong feelings probably brought a part of him to you, and like in deep meditation when you walk the dream world…" Leo gazed at her.

" You feel like you are there, but the dream world gets interrupted so easily. So in a way Devon both was and wasn't here at the same time." Rama grinned sighing with relief as she realized what her Sensei was trying to say.

Leo nodded " You have it. Meditation can open many doors to us as I think you are starting to find out."

" I guess that is why it felt like a dream, but how could Uncle Raphael see him then and acknowledge it?" Rama demanded suddenly.

" Your desire and his along with the spiritual body that walked the dream world might have been able to manifest itself as a whole being for a time Ramiela. It isn't easy but it is possible." Leonardo assured her.

" Sort of like teleporting?" Rama grinned " Thank you Sensei Master." She bowed and quickly left the room before either of the clan leaders thought to ask her what her reply had been.

The End.