Warning: This chapter contains some graphic content. Readers beware.

Chapter 13: Nightmares Recycled

As the night continued on, Po, Leo, and Mikey carried Tigress, Raph, and Donnie across the village, planning to head back to their hut where their friends could get some medical attention.

As they walked, Tigress felt her legs seeming to fall asleep as her feet began to drag.

Po quickly noticed this. "Are you feeling okay?" He asked in concern.

"I'm fine, Po." Tigress said, even though her feet kept dragging and looking like her legs were about to give out.

Without a second of hesitation, Po suddenly lifted Tigress into a bridal style hold, earning a surprised yelp from the feline. "Yeeaah… like I'm just supposed to believe that." Po said rather teasingly.

Tigress' cheeks lit up with a light blush but she didn't complain as the group finally made it back to their hut, opening the door and stepping inside, lighting some candles in order to create some light.

"Set them down on your beds." Leo told Po and Mikey as he set Raph down on his bed.

Po and Mikey both nodded as they placed Tigress and Donnie on each of their beds.

"You don't happen to have any bandages with you, do you?" Raph asked gruffly.

Leo shook his head. "Sadly, no. But I do think I've got the next best thing."

Raph, Donnie, and Mikey all looked at their eldest brother with a look that said they knew what he was talking about. Po and Tigress, meanwhile, gave the blue clad turtle confused looks.

"You're gonna do that technique, huh?" Donnie said.

Leo simply nodded.

Po raised his paw, "Um, Leo? I know you're an awesome ninja master but, uh… how exactly do you plan on magically healing Tigress, Raph, and Donnie's injuries."

Leo walked over to Tigress' bed and got down on his knees. "Like this." He said simply. "Give me some space."

Po and Mikey took a step back while Leo closed his eyes and breathed in a deep breath.

"Ryn, Pyo, Toh, Sha," Leo calmly chanted in Japanese, making several hand gestures as he chanted, "Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen…"

As Leo chanted, his hands began to glow a pale white, much to Po and Tigress' surprise and awe while Raph, Donnie, and Mikey simply watched.

Leo then gently placed his hands on Tigress, causing the glow to spread all over her body before it slowly faded.

"How do you feel now?" Leo asked, opening his eyes.

Slowly, Tigress sat up and was shocked to see that the cuts and bruises on her body had completely faded. In fact, she felt way better than she did before. "How…" She struggled to speak, in awe of this technique that Leo had performed. "... what was that?"

"It's an ancient technique Master Splinter taught me called 'The Healing Hands'." Leo explained, already moving over to perform it again on Raph and Donnie.

"Whoa…" Po gasped in awe. "Could you teach me to do that?!"

Leo chuckled as he finished chanting and placed his hands on Raph, healing him too. "Maybe someday." He said as he moved over to heal Donnie.

"Okay, sweet talk over. What do we do now?" Raph questioned as he sat up on the bed. "Kai's on his way here and we don't have any way to beat him since you guys didn't master chi."

There was a silence between the group for a long moment before Mikey let out a yawn, stretching his limbs. "Can't we come up with a plan tomorrow? My shell is tired." He said sleepily.

"Mikey's right, guys." Donnie agreed, still laying down on his bed. "If we're gonna face Kai, we're gonna need a full night of rest."

Leo, Tigress, Raph, and even Po looked like they were about to argue when they suddenly realized how exhausted they were too.

"Fine, we'll discuss this tomorrow morning." Leo said reluctantly.

Since Tigress, Raph, and Donnie occupied their beds, Leo, Po, and Mikey were forced to sleep on the floor.

Though the hardwood floor wasn't very comfortable, eventually, Leo, Po, and Mikey conked out and let sleep take them while Tigress, Raph, and Donnie were already sleeping on the beds.


Leo tossed and turned, shifting uncomfortably on the floor before he tiredly blinked his eyes open.

Letting out a yawn, he sat up, being careful not to wake the others as he got to his feet. Looking out the window, he noticed it was still night, meaning he must not have slept for very long.

Leo sighed, he couldn't sleep. Not with the stress of Kai coming their way.

Deciding to get some fresh air, Leo quietly opened the door to their hut and stepped outside, taking in the fresh snowy air.

The village was unusually quiet, and looking down, Leo was surprised to see not a single panda in sight.

He shrugged it off however, maybe they had all fled the village like Li Shan wanted them too. That or they were resting in their own huts at the moment.

Leo leaned against the railing on the bridge that connected their hut to Li Shan's hut, basking in the bright pale moonlight that shined down on him.

As he leaned against the railing of the bridge, Leo couldn't help but feel his thoughts drift elsewhere.

He was still angry that Li Shan had lied to them, and he was sure the others were as well, but a small part of him couldn't help but understand where he was coming from.

Li Shan had thought his son had been dead for the past twenty years or so, and he was just trying to protect him. And while it was admittedly admirable, the way he went about it was just wrong.

As he continued to ponder, Leo felt his eye-lids start to droop as he began to feel sleepy again.

So, Leo let out another heavy yawn as he stretched his arms, about to turn around and go back inside the hut to get some rest…

… when something caught his eye.

"What…?" He murmured, turning his attention to it fully. Looking closely, Leo noticed the outline of a figure in the village below, but due to the clouds obscuring the moonlight below, he couldn't quite make it out.

The figure was tall and bulky, with long horns stretching from his head and carrying two jade swords attached to chains around his wrists.

Slowly, Leo's eyes widened as he began to recognize the figure. And it was only when the moonlight made it through the clouds and shined down on the figure did Leo get confirmation of his fear.

There, right there in the middle of the village, stood none other than Kai himself.

Leo felt like he could barely breathe. He was here, already?! How did he get here so fast?!

His questions were silenced as Kai looked up towards him, his glowing jade eyes meeting his azure's as the yak chuckled sinisterly.

Immediately, Leo rushed back towards the hut and burst through the door.

"Po, wake up!" Leo yelled frantically. "Get up, Tigress, now! Guys, wake up!"

"What is it?" Raph questioned as he, Donnie, and Mikey were startled awake by the sudden commotion, but strangely Po and Tigress were not.

"It's Kai!" Leo shouted as all four of them rushed outside the hut, drawing their weapons. "He's…"

Leo trailed off as he gazed down at the village below, only to be surprised and dumbfounded to find that Kai was nowhere to be seen.

Before Raph, Donnie, and Mikey could question their eldest brother if he was seeing things, they all suddenly heard that same sinister chuckle, only this time from above them.

Looking up, all four turtles gasped as they saw Kai coming down towards them, throwing his blades down towards them.

The Turtles barely had time to dodge out of the way as Kai's blades hit the ground between them and the yak pulled himself down towards them, slamming into the ground and blowing the Turtles into the village below.

Leo, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey tumbled down the small hills in the village before coming to a stop by the gates to the village, nearly going over the cliffside that went into the snowy fields below.

Grunting as they got up, the four turtles sluggishly reclaimed their weapons and took combative stances as Kai landed behind them at the edge of the cliff in mere seconds.

"I got him!" Mikey yelled as he rushed forward before any of his brothers could stop him, trying desperately to sound brave despite his fear.

Kai chuckled, not even taking a combative stance as the orange clad turtle rushed forward towards him.

Twirling his nunchucks, Mikey batted Kai's jade blades away before swinging his nunchaku at the yak, only for the fallen general to easily dodge out of the way.

Mikey then jumped into the air, spinning himself around like a tornado as he swung his nunchucks, only for Kai to step back and avoid his attack.

Kai then retaliated as he jabbed one of his swords at Mikey's foot, forcing the orange clad turtle to dodge but leaving him open to a kick to the chest by Kai.

Mikey staggered back at the force of the kick, groaning as he shook his head from dizziness. He was about to rush back in to confront Kai again…

… when he suddenly felt a searing pain in stomach.

All of a sudden, Mikey felt like he could barely breath as each breath caused pain to his belly. In front of him, he saw Kai with arm stretched out towards him, holding something to his stomach as he smirked.

Slowly, Mikey looked down to one of Kai's jade swords piercing his plastron, practically impaling him as blood began to drip from the wound.

Leo, Raph, and Donnie stared eyes wide and mouths agape in horror before they finally snapped out of their shock.

"MIKEY!" Raph screamed in horror.

Mikey felt his body going limp as Kai lifted him up and chucked him over the side cliff, leaving him to fall into the snow below.

Enraged and with tears in his eyes, Raph charged forward with his sais drawn, an outraged and sorrowful yell ripping from his throat. He slashed and jabbed furiously at Kai, not caring if he was being wild and predictable, all that mattered to him was ripping this monster's beating heart out for taking his little brother away from them.

Kai still chuckled as he blocked and dodged each and every one of Raph's hacks, slashes, and kicks before he jumped back and threw his swords to where the red clad turtle's feet were.

The sudden explosion of dirt from the impact of his swords caused Raph to let out a yelp as the shockwave sent him over the cliff and falling to his death.

"No…" Leo whispered in horror as now he and Donnie were the only ones left.

And Kai wasn't giving either of them any time to grieve as in a flash, he was suddenly between them, smacking Donnie away with his swords and sending the purple clad turtle stumbling back before he kicked Leo off the cliff, sending him tumbling down the hill.

Donnie yelped as he slid back before regaining his balance. He glared hatefully at the yak who had just taken his brothers away from forever.

An enraged yell coming from his mouth, Donnie whipped out the hidden naginata blade in his bo staff as he rushed forward, raising his staff to bring it down on the fallen general…

… only for Kai to simply outstretch his hand, causing the smart turtle's whole body to freeze mid-swing as a jade green aura surrounded him.

Before Donnie knew what was going on, he was raised into the air telepathically, unable to move a single muscle in his body.

"You cannot fathom the power of chi." Kai smirked before he clenched his fist tightly.

Donnie then felt his arms and legs being pinned to his sides as he felt as if his body getting the life squeezed out of it, before he felt a loud snap in his back followed by excruciating pain and then his body went limp, causing him to drop his staff and let it fall off the side of the cliff.

Kai chuckled as he released his hold on the purple clad turtle's body, letting it fall into the snowy fields below.

Leo groaned as he slowly lifted himself off the snowy ground, reaching out and grabbing something solid to support himself.

As he opened his eyes, he was absolutely horrified to see Mikey's body laying next to him, the wound that Kai inflicted on him still bleeding heavily onto the snow and coating it red.

"No!" Leo gasped, desperately placing his fingers on Mikey's neck to feel for any signs of a pulse, but there were none.

"No!" He closed his eyes, trying desperately to will himself to wake up from this horrible nightmare.

But it all felt too real to be a dream.

Leo lifted his head to the heavens, letting out a scream at the top of his lungs.

"NOOOOO!"

The tattered ends of Raph's mask gently flowed in the wind, the mountain's in the distance echoing back Leo's cry of anguish. The red clad turtle had landed head-first on a boulder below, the impact breaking his neck and instantly killing him. Donnie's staff lay in the snow snapped in half, much like the smart turtle's spine.

Leo hugged Mikey's body close to his chest, burying his face into his baby brother's shoulder as he sobbed profusely, his shoulders shaking with grief as it began to lightly snow.

This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to be the strong and confident leader, the big brother who looked out for those he cared about and led.

But he had failed.

And now his brother's were dead because he wasn't strong enough to protect them.

"I sense the power inside of you, Leonardo."

Leo's eyes became white with rage and bloodlust as he slowly lifted his head from Mikey's neck, still clutching his body close to him.

Standing behind him, the chi-stealing bull sneered, his long black hair flowing in the wind.

"And I shall take it." Kai stated.

Leo gently laid Mikey's body on the ground and stood, his shell still facing the yak. In one swift movement, Leo unsheathed his one remaining sword from his belt and then slowly turned to face the fallen general, tears still flowing down his cheeks, but he paid no mind to them.

Kai simply chuckled, knowing that there was going to be a fight.

Leo silently took the readied stance of a swordsman, placing both hands on the hilt of his katana as he held it out in front of him, squaring his feet in the snow as he prepared himself for the coming conflict.

Kai unwrapped the chains around his wrists as he twirled his jade swords, crouching down and looking ready to pounce.

The two combatants stared at each other in a long silence as the snow continued to fall, both of them daring for the other to make the first move.

Then, without warning, Leo and Kai lunged at each other, rushing past each other as their blades briefly clashed in sparks of steel and jade.

The two briefly stopped, turned a heel, and rushed at each other again, their blades briefly clashing again as thunder rumbled in the clouds above.

Kai then jabbed at Leo with his jade blade, but the blue clad turtle evaded the stab before taking a swing at the yak's extended arm and forcing him to step back.

Lightning crashed in the dark cloudy sky as the snow and wind began to pick up into a blizzard, all the while Leo swung his katana furiously and almost mindlessly at Kai, forcing the yak on the defensive.

Leo then flipped over Kai when he tried to retaliate, trying to bring down his sword on Kai's head, the fallen general rolled out of the way.

Panting, Leo found himself already feeling exhausted as the adrenaline burst was now quickly wearing off and the cold was starting to get to him. But he couldn't give up now! He refused to!

Though tired, Leo managed to deflect several stabs from Kai before they clashed their blades again as they locked.

"You're weakening, turtle." Kai said mockingly as Leo pushed back at him with all his strength, gritting his teeth. "And I'm growing stronger." He then pushed Leo back with a mighty heave as he began to ramp up his attack.

Suddenly, Leo found he was being put on the defensive as he deflected a stab from Kai's swords before the yak spun around and landed a kick on his chest, causing Leo to stumble back.

Shaking off the pain in his gut, Leo quickly raised his katana as Kai spun around in a tornado-like fashion, his jade swords spinning around his body at Leo and forcing the blue clad turtle to deflect the blades when they came close to him.

Kai eventually stopped spinning as he straightened himself out, throwing several stabs at Leo, forcing him to deflect them with his katana.

Leo felt his legs wobbling and his arms trembling, on the verge of giving out. But Leo refused to give in, no matter what.

Kai then pulled a nasty trick as he kicked some snow up into Leo's face, partially blinding the blue clad turtle and giving Kai the opportunity to wrap his chains around the lead turtle, pinning his arms to his sides and causing him to drop his katana, his only means of defense.

Leo struggled against the chains, but couldn't break free as Kai whipped him around, slamming him into the side of the mountain before then sending him crashing onto the ground, before finally swinging him above his head and smashing Leo into a pile of snow.

Unwrapping his chains and pulling them back around his wrists, Kai then pulled several jade pendants from his belt and threw them to the ground, where they morphed into jombified versions of the Furious Five including Tigress, Shifu, April, Casey, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey… and even Master Splinter himself.

Leo just managed to roll himself onto his shell before he was set upon by the jombies, all of them grabbing one of his arms or legs and pinning him down. The blue clad turtle struggled profusely, but could not break their hold as Kai slowly approached him, laughing all the way.

"You are just a child." Kai said, grinning like a madman. "What threat do you pose to me?" His grin then seemed to widen more than what seemed physically possible. "None." In a flash of lightning, Kai had raised his jade blades over his head, ready to deliver the killing blow.

Leo gasped and closed his eyes, just managing to wrestle his arms from the jombies to cover his eyes as he prepared himself for the end…

"Leo! Wake up!"

… only it never came.

Hesitantly, Leo opened his eyes to see Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, Po, and Tigress gathered around him with worried expressions, all of them alive and well, and none of them were jombies.

"R-Raph?" Leo questioned, seeing his hot-headed brother right in front of him, his hand grasped on his wrist. Leo then looked around and was shocked to see that they were still in their hut like nothing had happened. "It was all a… dream?"

"Nightmare is more like it." Raph stated.

Leo shook his head as he rubbed his now aching temples. "What… what just happened?"

"We don't know." Po said. "Me and Tigress were just sleeping all peacefully when we suddenly heard you guys screaming about Kai in your sleep."

"It was strange." Tigress said as she sat up on her bed. "You were all barely breathing when you each began to wake up one by one, almost as if... something had attempted to kill you in your sleep."

Donnie hummed as he held his chin. "From the looks of it, we all had the same dream, like that time we were being controlled by Jei's magic. And much like in that dream, when Kai… killed us, we woke up."

"But why?" Mikey asked. "How come we're seeing all this terrible stuff, yo? It's really jacking me up."

"That's what I'm getting to." Donnie said. "Somehow, and I don't know how, we seem to have some sort of psychic connection to Kai, which is why we've been having those visions of him lately."

Leo, Po, Tigress, Raph, and Mikey all stared at the purple clad turtle with wide eyes.

"How's that possible?" Tigress questioned. "And why is it only affecting you?"

"Like I said, I don't know." Donnie stated. "But it's the only explanation I've got."

Po's eyes then narrowed. "Well, then we should start preparing for when he comes." He said before he marched out the door determinedly.


Kai watched through each of the Turtles' eyes as they discussed and planned, a smirk growing on his lips. He had tested his power over them earlier to make them see things that weren't there, but now he had taken it one step further by creating a dream for them to share, a dream in which only he could win. He was growing stronger with each vision he caused them.

"Yes," He mused as he continued to watch and observe, "you are nothing but puppets. The pawns to be moved on the board." He then chuckled as he relaxed his powers, letting the jade green glow fade from his hands before he continued on his trek to the secret panda village.

Soon, his power would be strong enough to take their minds and use them to his own ambitions, but not yet.

He then looked down and noticed a trail of footprints no doubt leading to the panda village.

Soon, though. Soon.


Po marched through the village past several pandas who were in the process of packing up to evacuate as he headed towards a large batch of bamboo trees.

"Po!" Mr. Ping cried, emerging from the crowd as he hugged his panda son tightly. "I'm so worried for you that I can't even enjoy being right about everything!" He exclaimed happily. "Now run, run, run as fast as those chubby legs can go."

"Run? There's nowhere to run." Po huffed.

"B-b-but, what are you going to do?" Mr. Ping asked nervously.

"I'm gonna stay and fight that monster with my friends." Po stated firmly.

"Po. He may be a monster, but he's still your father." Mr. Ping said, thinking Po was referring to Li Shan. "And I really don't think you should drag your friends into this."

"Not him! Kai!" Po corrected.

"No…" Mr. Ping gasped.

Po then kicked down several bamboo trees, picking up the wood along with some other supplies he picked up along the way to create a wooden training dummy that resembled Kai.

Taking a stance, Po breathed and breathed out before he struck the dummy.