A salt-tinged cool sea breeze danced over the island and brushed through the treetops, gently ruffling the leaves to create soft whispers and rustles that provided a soft backdrop to the chirps and calls of unseen flocks of bird all merrily living their bird lives. Off in the distance, the rush of the ocean waves pulsed rhythmically, lapping at the rocks and smooth, sandy beaches of the island.

And over the natural sounds of the small island forest, calling faintly through the idyllic atmosphere, a lone, unhappy mew echoed plaintively through the air. Perched on a branch high up in a tree, a small little cat wailed out a mournful song of sorrow and loneliness.

And then the sad, drawn out complaints were cut abruptly short with a surprised squeak when a three fingered hand unexpectedly scooped Pangur up, snatching him up off the branch.

"Ha! I'm so sorry, little one. Did I startle you?" Leo chuckled, quite pleased that he had caught the cat unawares.

Pangur blinked at him in surprise, but then purred and bumped his whiskered face against Leo's cheek fondly.

Leo grinned and scratched Pangur behind the ears. "Get caught chasing birds again?" he teased, before twisting about to set the small furry feline on his shell. "You really need to be more careful. This is the third time this week!"

Pangur meowed loudly in response, right in his face, and, purring happily, walked across Leo's shell and threw his whole, tiny body into rubbing against the back of Leo's head fondly.

Leo chuckled, amused, and then, after making sure that his feline passenger was secure on his shell, reached out a hand and took a few moments to feel the solid, rough surface of the trunk of the tree they were high up in. Then he leapt lightly down, landing on a large branch firm under his feet, then further down once more to the next branch, confidence in his every movement.

It had been almost a full year now since he had first fallen out of a tree, and what a difference that time had made.

He may have been still shrouded fully in darkness, but, under the Ancient One's tutelage, he had learned that there were many other ways to 'see' the world around him. Now, instead of relying on his sight, Leo let himself be guided by not only his hearing and sense of smell, but his well trained instincts, his finely honed sixth sense, and his natural tremorsense. He could feel the heartbeat of the earth rumbling up through the very roots of the tree he was in, the subtle but distinct vibrations created by the wind through the branches, and the very life forces of the animals and plants. He trusted the tiny cues the world around him gave him, and, most importantly, he trusted in himself, in his own senses to safely guide him as he bounced lightly from branch to branch, before touching back down on the ground.

He landed lightly, took a moment to adjust the satchel he was carrying and the cat on his shell, and began his stroll across the soft grass underfoot towards the temple-like house he had shared with Pangur and the Ancient One for so many months now.

As usual, Pangur seemed quite content to sit back and ride on his shell, and the grass and dirt was cool under his bare feet. It was a beautiful day for a walk like this. The island was warm with sunshine, and it just felt like the sort of day that Leo could imagine filled with fluffy white clouds sailing across a sky as blue as the mask he had once worn.

Leo felt his mood shift just a little. He still felt that twinge deep down whenever he thought too much about it. About his old life. When he used to be able to see the sky. The stars, the city lights, standing there on the rooftops alongside his...

Leo was quiet for a moment, then cleared his throat and shifted the satchel slightly. "So... what do you think the Ancient One has cooking for us today?" he asked Pangur absently.

Apparently quite happy that Leo was talking to him, Pangur gave a little cat chirp in response.

"Yes, I know you're hoping for fish again." Leo pretended that he understood Cat and kept up the conversation politely. "You're always hoping for fish. Personally, I'm hoping for something with those wild yams we found the other day. Perhaps roasted with some herbs?"

Pangur rubbed his face against the side of Leo's head and murred back conversationally.

"Oh, don't worry, we still have plenty of dried fish on hand, little one." Leo chuckled. "Even if we have icky vegetables, you won't go hungry, I promise."

They arrived at the familiar, grassy clearing in the trees where the house was situated, and Leo lifted his head and gave an experimental sniff, and immediately perked up.

It wasn't the scent of yams or fish on the air he could smell. It was the scent of something completely unexpected but not at all unwelcome.

Where had the Ancient One found a squid?! That was one of Leo's favorites!

Eagerly, mouth salivating with anticipation, Leo set forward, and soon found his short, fat old human friend tending a fire near the giant ancient willow tree that loomed just behind the house.

"Ah, Kumquat!" the Ancient One greeted him cheerfully. "I see you found our missing little friend!"

"Yeah, he was stuck up in a tree again." Leo chuckled, reaching up to pick up the small furry cat in question from his shell and setting him on the ground. As the cat scampered eagerly off to go chase beetles or whatever it was that he did, Leo moved towards the fire, sliding the satchel off his shoulders and closer to the fire and cooking food. "I noticed that you managed to scrounge up some squid for lunch. It smells amazing!"

The Ancient One chuckled. "I figured that would lure you two back faster. And you have good timing too, the food is almost ready to eat."

"Oh, perfect." Leo grinned, and stepped up. "Here, let me help you get it ready."

"And that, Kumquat, is why I wanted to lure you back faster." the Ancient One said dryly as he waddled over to the willow tree. "Stirring spoon is in the pot, bowls and serving utensils are on the blanket near the rock to your left." Leo could hear the rustle of grass as the old human sat down and settled comfortably against a rock, obviously throwing his feet up and quite content to let Leo take care of the rest of the work.

Amused, Leo shook his head as he started to move about the campfire, figuring out quickly where the utensils were placed and stirring the food.

If there was any work to be done, trust the ancient human to pawn it off at the first opportunity. Though Leo had to wonder inwardly if it were not so much laziness as it was more of taking advantage of the opportunities to encourage Leo to learn how to do things himself. That crafty human would be the type to try and sneak in lessons like that.

Leo stirred the food, then lifted up the spoon and gave a quick sniff, before blowing on it to cool it off and tasting it gingerly. Hm. Still very, very hot, but definitely delicious. It seemed to be perfectly cooked, so he reached over to grab the bowls to start ladling it up. From where he sat, Ancient One hummed in his off-tune way, and from the sounds of it, Leo guessed that he was entertaining Pangur Ban by scraping a stick across the dirt.

Leo had to admit that he was intensely grateful for his two companions on this otherwise lonely island. The blind old man was obviously much more than he appeared to be at first. Leo had learned much under his tutelage, not only with how to deal with his blindness, but how to see the world in a whole new way. As strange as the human was, Leo could very much believe the tale now that he was once a ninja master who had tutored his father.

Which... well... That was a tale that Leo was still a little confused about. The Ancient One hadn't clarified any further since that first day when he had shared the story, which frustrated Leo to no end. Honestly! Who even said things like that, and then just dropped the subject?! Perhaps the old human was, as he said, just waiting to the right time to tell Leo the full story. Perhaps he believed withholding the details lent him an air of mystery. If Leo had a guess, he personally thought that the old human just enjoyed aggravating him.

"Careful, it's still very hot." he carried the bowl over to the Ancient One and reached down to offer it to him.

"Ah, thank you, Kumquat." the old human took the bowl gratefully.

Leo set another bowl down on the ground to cool for the cat, then moved off to settle down on a log to enjoy his own helping of the delicious squid.

After a little while, though, he noticed that the Ancient One was rather on the quiet side as he ate, which was a little unusual. Chewing thoughtfully, he let his thoughts wander through the events of the day. Now that he thought about it, the human had been acting a little distracted all day, as if something was on his mind.

Hm.

"I found some more shells on the beach." Leo informed the Ancient One conversationally. "Mostly the small ones I've been collecting, but a few interesting big ones as well that we could add to the decorations around the garden. With the small ones I found, I think I should be able to finish up another rope strand as well." Leo had decorated his sleeping area with several collections of shells strung together, enjoying not only the feel of them, but the sounds they made when he brushed past them. "I also found a flat piece of driftwood that'll work for my calendar that I use to count the days." he continued as he finished another bite. "My old one is getting pretty covered with notches, and I've been looking for a replacement for a while now. This board seems to have washed up on the south end of the island, near where the cliffs start, and I think it'll work nicely."

"Mm." the Ancient One hummed an acknowledgment as he ate. "Did you come across any of the scientists at all in your explorations?"

Leo frowned. Humans had come to their island a few days ago, arriving in a large boat and setting up camp on the far side of the island. These were the humans that apparently came yearly to study the birds on this island, according to the Ancient One. Since this island was apparently a bird sanctuary, the biologists came periodically to monitor and document the colony. They seemed to be staying by their boat on the northern beach of the island, where the birds nest in the cliff faces, and didn't seem to indicate that they were even aware that there was an ancient, temple-like house built further in or that there were currently other residents living on the island. Since they arrived, Leo had tried spying on them a little, but they were speaking a language that Leo didn't understand, and he wasn't able to pick up much. It wasn't as easy as it sounded, and Leo had found himself wedge up uncomfortably in a tree for long hours more then once, holding his breath and trying not to move as the humans moved around beneath him. At least he got to practice being sneaky while blind?

"No, thankfully." Leo took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. "They don't seem to ever wander very far inland, so it's not too difficult to avoid them. They should be leaving soon, I think."

He wondered why his human companion didn't go down to talk with them. The Ancient One, at least, seemed to understand what they were saying, and he wouldn't have the same issues that Leo would have, since he was a normal human and not a five foot seven inch giant walking mutated turtle. Leo would think that he would enjoy the human interaction, or, at the very least, barter for some supplies.

He felt Pangur rub against his leg, and absently he snagged a piece of squid with his chopsticks and leaned down to feed it to the appreciative cat, who happily scarfed it down greedily. Leo agreed with his furry friend as he took a bite himself. This was really good squid.

"If my guess is correct," the Ancient One mused, chewing as he thought, "they'll probably leave tomorrow morning sometime." He swallowed his mouthful of food, and turned to Leo. "So if you're going to sneak aboard their ship, it'll probably be best to do tonight."

Leo froze midbite, and almost choked on the piece of squid as he did so. He coughed, cleared his throat, and asked hoarsely. "Y-you... you think I should sneak on their boat?"

"Kumquat." the Ancient One's voice was surprisingly serious. "You know as well as I do that if you want to get off this island and find your way home, then this is your best chance. Their ship is large enough that you should be able to hide in the cargo and get back to the mainland."

Leo felt his chest tighten at as the persistent internal thoughts he had been trying to avoid for the last few days were now finally voiced out loud.

He... he had a chance. He could leave the island. He could try and find his way home.

He knew now that he could do it. He could figure out his way, even while blind. It wouldn't be easy, but it wasn't as impossible as he once feared.

But... but...

"B-but wh-what about you?" he tried desperately.

"Oh, psh." the Ancient One waved him off with a snort. "You don't need me for training any more. You've learned fast, and I've now taught you all that you need to know. Anything more at this point would just be just fine tuning your techniques, and I know that you can do that on your own just fine."

"No." Leo shook his head, swallowing hard. "I-I mean, I can't leave you and Pangur alone. Who... who will take care of you?"

The Ancient One broke out in laughter. "Oh, trust me, Kumquat. You don't need to worry about either Pangur Ban or myself. We were both fine before you came, and we'll both be fine even after you leave." His laughter mellowed into a soft, yet somehow wise chuckle, and he reached down and picked up the small cat, who purred happily at the attention. "We're not the ones you need to take care of, and I think you know that."

Leo was quiet for a long moment, setting aside the mostly empty bowl and just holding his hands in his lap, letting his fingers rub against each other softly. Finally, he said in a quiet whisper, "What if...?" He paused, and swallowed hard, licking his suddenly dry lips. "The... the last time I saw my brothers, they were on a plane that was about to crash in the middle of a storm over the ocean. What if I go back, only to find...?"

What would he do if he went back only to find out that his brothers were...

He trailed off with a shudder and a sick feeling in his stomach, unable to finish the thought.

"Leonardo..." the Ancient One said softly. "You'll never find them if you don't even try."

Leo closed his eyes and exhaled shakily.

There was a shift as the old, short human moved, walking over to sit next to him, and a moment later, Leo felt a kumquat fruit pressed gently into his hands.

"Have courage, son of Hamato Yoshi. You can do this. Be strong for your brothers. They need you."

Leo opened his eyes and swallowed hard, feeling the soft small fruit between his fingers.

He... he didn't feel full of courage.

The journey ahead of him, traveling through an unfriendly and unfamiliar world blind and alone, terrified him.

What he might find waiting for him at the end, even more so.

But... but Leo knew he needed to try.

He had to do this.

If... if there was even the tiniest chance his brothers were out there and they needed him, then no matter what, he needed to try.

Leo sighed and picked up the small cat from the Ancient One, hugging Pangur to his plastron tightly for a moment. Then he set the purring cat down on the ground and moved to stand up. "You're right. I suppose..."

"That's the spirit!" The Ancient One clapped his hands on his chubby thighs before standing up resolutely as well, his voice turning back to a more normal tone of coarse boisterousness.. "We've much to do if we're going to get you ready to go by tonight. So much to do! So much to get ready! We'll need to pack up some supplies for you! Come Kumquat!"

Leo swallowed hard, and slowly stepped forward to follow into the old, sturdy home they had shared for almost a year, while Pangur stayed behind to happily scavenge the bits of mostly eaten squid left over in the abandoned bowls.

Leo could feel the cool evening wafting against his scaly skin as he stood under the large willow tree just outside the house. Night insects could already be heard in the forest around them just starting to wake up, the air filled with the occasional tentative chirrup as if the bugs were orchestra players testing and tuning up their instruments before the symphony of night songs were set to truly begin.

They were standing underneath the old willow tree behind the house once more. He had spent so many hours under this tree. Meditating alongside the Ancient One, playing with Pangur Ban, or simply just sitting out there, trying to feel the world around him through the sound of the blowing wind, the warm sunshine, or the occasional gentle rainstorms.

It felt as much like a home to him as the house did.

But... That was the crux of it. They whole reason that he was getting ready to leave tonight.

It felt like a home.

Not his home.

This wasn't his home, because they weren't here.

Kneeling down, he felt through the canvas pack one more time, making sure everything was in its place and secured.

"Are you sure you're taking enough water with you, Kumquat?" the Ancient One asked beside him, hovering over his shell slightly. "The boat trip might take a full day or two, and we can't have you getting dehydrated. Make sure you have enough water packed."

"I have enough for at least three days here." Leo let his hands trace the shells of the sturdy gourds they used to store water, carefully waterproofed and tied to the pack. "In the unlikely event that I'd need more than this, I should be able to sneak some from a sink on the boat if needed. So yes, I'll be fine."

"Good. Good." The Ancient One said almost absently, as if reassuring himself. He moved forward and pressed a small bag into Leo's hands. "Remember all you've learned here, Kumquat." he said seriously. "Trust in yourself. Trust in your senses."

Despite everything, Leo felt the corner of his mouth tug a little as he felt the kumquat fruit inside the bag. He turned and tied it to his belt carefully. "I shall. Don't worry about me. I know I can do this." He exhaled, and turned his short human elderly friend. "But... but what will you do now? I'm leaving you all alone."

"Psh. Always such the worrywort." the Ancient One scoffed as Leo felt a purring bundle of fur deposited gently into his arms as the old man handed Pangur over to Leo gently. "I'm thinking that it's about time that I headed home myself." the old human said fondly, reaching up to pet the content cat in Leo's arms. "I think that we've both been taking advantage of Pangur's hospitality long enough."

"Wait." Leo blinked, not expecting that. "So... You'll... you'll be coming with me then? On the boat I mean?" He had only packed enough supplies for one. Why hadn't the Ancient One packed as well, if that was his plan?

"No. I have my own way home." the Ancient One said, somewhat mysteriously. "I'm afraid our paths from here are quite different."

Leo raised an eyeridge, though, obviously, the Ancient One couldn't see such a gesture. "Oh, really? Care to elaborate?"

"Nope!" the Ancient One said cheerfully. "It's more fun for you to be surprised!"

Leo blinked, then scowled and exhaled, a little annoyed. He had already long learned that he wasn't going to get any more information when the old man got like this. Why did the elderly human always have to talk in riddles and hidden meanings?

The old human chuckled gently. "Do not worry about me, Kumquat. You have your path to follow in this life, and I have my own." Then he added with a tone of voice that hinted at a very obvious cheeky grin. "Remember, I'm way older then you can even imagine. I've been around for more years then you and all your brothers combined! I know how to take care of myself. It's you young ones that I worry about."

There was a pause, then he reached over and patted Leo on the arm, his voice suddenly serious. "I am genuinely glad that our paths crossed at this point in your life, son of Yoshi. You are a warrior of great heart, courage, and honor. Your grandfather would be most proud to have a grandson such as you."

Leo swallowed hard and bit his lip at those words. Not trusting his voice, he instead just gave a curt nod, trusting his companion to sense it. He softly pet the cat in his arms, trying to work his mind around everything. Then Leo gave Pangur one last tight squeeze, feeling the warm fur against his face and listening to the loud rumbling purr. "I'll... I'll miss you, little one." he whispered.

Pangur purred even louder, bumped Leo's snout with his whiskered kitty face, and gave him a tiny lick with a small, barbed tongue.

"It is time, Leonardo." the Ancient One reminded him softly. "The humans will arrive back at the boat in a few hours, and it's best that you be on it."

Leo exhaled, nodded, then handed the small cat back to the Ancient One.

He took one more deep breath, before shouldering his pack and turning around.

It was time to find his way home.

He strode forward across the grass with resolution in his steps. His world may be covered in darkness, but he was determined to find his light once more.

"Good luck, Kumquat!" he heard the Ancient One call out behind him. "We'll be rooting for you!"

Pangur gave a little meow as if he completely understood everything they were saying and was in total agreement.

Leo felt an amused smirk tug at the corner of his mouth, and he reached down into his pouch to finger the small kumquat fruit inside.

Only a few steps later, he slowed slightly, then stopped, frowning.

He couldn't see anything, of course, but he could feel the change around him. The very energy in the air was tangibly different. Something... something was very different about the once-familiar clearing he was standing in all of a sudden.

He stood still for a moment, closing his eyes and feeling the grassy ground of the clearing under his feet, listening to the slight tremors in the earth.

What...?

Swallowing hard and feeling his heart beat against the inside of his plastron, he slowly turned around and, one foot in front of the other, made his way back towards the island house that he had just left moments before, his footsteps steadily pressing down against the soft grass as he moved.

And when he reached the spot where the ancient and sturdy house he had lived in for the past year had been, he found that there was nothing there anymore. Only grass and flowers and an open field. It was as if the house had never existed.

"Pangur Ban? Ancient One?" Leo called out hesitantly.

Nothing answered but the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees nearby and the hum of insects. He couldn't sense anybody nearby.

He stood there for a moment, confused.

But... the house... and the Ancient One... and Pangur. They had JUST been there!

But now he could sense nothing but the wind and the grassy clearing and that giant old willow tree. Still standing like an ancient guardian, dominating the center of the grassy clearing set in the sea of island forest

Leo slowly made his way forward until he reached the large, ancient willow tree. He reached out and felt the familiar bumps and knobs that marred the rough bark of the ancient trunk. So he hadn't somehow gotten turned around or anything. This tree had been right behind the house! He was certain of it! Was... was he crazy?

His foot touched something hard and cool set into the ground at the base of the tree, and he froze.

He set his pack down on the ground and, under the long, sheltering curtain of long willow branches, he knelt down and reached out to gently brush aside vines and overgrown brush, only to feel carved stone beneath his fingers.

Tracing the edges, he frowned. Was this... a hokora? A miniature shinto shrine?

A very, very old, forgotten hokora, from the feel of it. The aged, weatherworn miniature structure made of stone was covered in thick moss and half buried under the undergrowth. Leo had heard of these from Master Splinter's tales of his homeland, back in Japan, though he had never seen one himself. They were quite common in Japan, found alongside roads, in forests, on temple grounds, and on the corners of streets. They were little miniature roadside temples meant to house the spirit of a kami. A spirit.

But what was one doing way out here?

And then... exploring further, Leo realized that set inside the small replica temple, sitting with one paw raised playfully up, was the stone carving of a small cat.

Leo swallowed hard and sat back on his heels.

The night breeze seemed to whisper around him as it danced through the swaying willow branches, and the old tree itself occasionally creaked and groaned, its ancient branches rocking with the wind.

Leo just sat there for a long time, alone under the willow tree, his hand resting on the small stone shrine.

After a few minutes, he finally shook his head, and ran his hand over his face, letting out a long, shaky breath and then a hoarse chuckle of disbelief.

So... His father's spirit had asked his old, trusted teacher to look after him, huh?

Just... just how old had the Ancient One been?! Apparently he had been far older then Leo had given him credit for!

And in the creaking wood of the old willow tree, he could've sworn that he could hear the old man laughing at him, as if quite pleased to be validated in his boasts.

Leo leaned forward and began to methodically work to clear the small shrine, carefully removing the vines and brushing the stone and wood clean as best as he could. Once that was finished, he turned and grabbed his pack, reaching in to pull out a piece of dried fish and a kumquat. He set both of the offerings on the ledge of the shrine, scooted back slightly, and bowed down respectfully to touch his forehead against his hands on the ground.

After a long minute of silent prayer, Leo sat back up, breathed out slowly. "Thank you." he whispered.

Then he reached over to grab his bag, stood up, dusted off his knees, and turned towards the northern beach and the boat that awaited.

It was time to go home.

Author Notes:

Well, that was a longer first act then I expected. I hope that explains people's questions about how the Ancient One was able to find Leo so quickly after his accident, though I suspect that it also raises a ton of new questions. And, honestly, I think the Ancient One wouldn't have it any other way.

Now it's time for Part Two of this story! Which involves less cat spirits, sadly, but hopefully more brothers!