Author's note

Hope everyone is doing well in those uncertain times :) I keep on writing since I don't have much else to do… keeps me sane I guess LMAO

I know the fandom for this series just might be dead but of all TMNT series the 2k3 one, and the comics of course, still remains my personal favorite! I own absolutely nothing (beside my weird imagination), it all goes to Eastman and Laird, those legends!

There will be pairings with OCs, but read (and review of course) to find out about it! English is not my maternal language, have mercy on me :)

So, this takes place very shortly after Leo made it back to New York from Japan to gather his family and find a new home following Karai's vendetta (Post-Prodigal Son, season 4). But, with a twist. First, he stayed in Japan for about six months in this story instead of 2 or 3. Also, The Ancient One isn't the only one he met on his journey. High in the Akaishi Mountains (Mountain range in Japan, in central Honshu, close to Nagano. Seemed a likely location) is a well hidden secret. It's not the training alone that healed Leonardo' soul after the ordeal of their ultimate battle with Shredder. His stay in Japan healed him, but transformed him as well, for change is the very nature of life. A tale of friendship, romance and family, as many souls walk the winding road to recover what they have lost, sometimes in unlikely ways.

Leonardo watched over his family as they slept. After the ordeal of the last few days, they needed all the sleep they could get. In his case, maybe he was jet-lagged or just couldn't go to sleep out of worry and adrenaline mixed together. What if he had been too late?

"Oh no… better not open that door…" He thought, not after how long it took him to get out of that dark place his self-doubt and guilt had took him to last time. It felt so good to have that weight lift off his chest, he wanted to keep on feeling like that, if only for a little while longer. Taking a look at their surroundings, their new home in the abandoned pumping station, he decided it was safe enough for him to venture outside. Getting up slowly and silently, gently untangling Mikey's arm from his leg (shell did he trashed a lot in his sleep…) Leo made his way outside, although his didn't go far. He went to sit on the Belvedere Castle top tower, deserted at this ungodly hour of the night. He took a deep breath of the cold air, listening to the familiar noises of the city. He fiddled with the black bands on his arm, taking a small object out of the wraps.

He watched it fondly, remembering many memories, good ones. He could almost smell the sakura trees' blossoms and the mountain dew around him, with maybe a touch of incense and ajisai* flower. Guilt and longing crept up on him at the same time. He had just gotten back home to his family, how could he long to leave already? In his mind many emotions swirled together in a quiet storm. As glad as he was to be home, to have his family being safe and sound, he still somewhere in his heart longed for the feelings he discovered in Japan. Feelings he never thought someone like him could ever get to have… Lost in his thoughts, he did not feel someone coming up to him.

Raph woke up the moment he felt something in his surroundings moving. From the corner of his eye, he saw his older brother get up and make his way for the exit that would lead to the castle. Sitting up, he tried to decide whether he should follow him or not. There were many things he wanted to talk about with his big brother, yet felt like it was maybe too early. For starters, how much Leo had changed, even in appearance.

Instead of that common get-up the four of them once shared, his brother now wore black wraps, that covered his hands up almost to his elbow, leaving his fingers free. Same wraps around his feet and went mid-lenght of his legs. Still had pads on his elbows and knees, but they were now black and those on his elbows reinforced with a dark metal. The missing chunk of the outer layer of his shell* had been filled up with steel, molding perfectly into the shape of the old injury. His swords, once on his back in a x-cross manner, were now resting on his hip. Although he did still had a belt like thing around his chest and shell, but that was black as well now. On his right shoulder was another metal pad, and black wraps around his right shoulder going under his arm. He also looked taller, leaner and older.

"As if the age gap wasn't big enough already" thought Raphaël… Yet, he could not bring himself to feel that usual childish jealousy he once felt, relieved as he was that his only big brother was home. Even though they didn't really know who was the oldest, Leonardo had always felt ahead of them, more mature and wiser. Raph had spent most of his life trying to fill that gap, to measure up to his seemingly perfect big brother. But over six months ago, he saw something broke in his brother's eyes. It had been going on for a while but when Leo lost control and hurt Splinter… Something snapped, they all knew there would be no going back after that.

It was different from when Shredder had ambushed Leo on the rooftops. He was beyond their help. So Splinter sent him away, to seek some old mystic master or whatever to find… to find what? Raph did not know. But now, his brother did seem back to his old self. Finally, he decided to follow his brother, maybe not to talk about all there was to talk about, but just a night time chat and hopefully no fights. He smiled and that last thought as he made his way up to the surface. He followed his intuition and went to the rooftop. There he found his brother sitting and looking at a small object in his hands. Raph could not make it what it was, first thinking it was some kind of blade since it gave off a silver glint, but as he got closer he could see what it was.

A comb…?

Ajisai flower is a kind of Hydrangea, it's color changing accordingly to the acidity of the soil. It conveys apologies or gratitude, maybe a clue to what's to come? ;)

In the finale of season 3, Leo was injured and his shell had a missing part during season 4 and maybe the lost season as well, I'm not sure.

If you guys are curious to know what comes next, R&R to let me know if this story is worthy of being read.

Stay safe, and sane, everyone!