Power Surge

Leonardo stood in the center of the dojo, katana drawn, but perfectly still. Trying to focus his body and mind on the first of many katas. Slowly, he moved through them, one after another. Each movement blending gracefully into the next.

Training was his one constant. A balm for his recently shattered nerves. A physical expression for the anger and tension still eating away at him from the inside. It began like many other solo training sessions Leo had put himself through.

But it was hard to focus on the training today. His thoughts were snarled and flashes of last night's battle and nightmare were on his mind. Perhaps the figure of Raph from his dream embodied a subconscious guilt for killing those bastards. But after meditating and searching his feelings this morning, he found he didn't feel the least bit guilty about it while he was awake.

What was really bothering him about the dream was that he hadn't recognized Luna. His subconscious, if Raph really was a representation of his subconscious, seemed to think he would only bring her pain and that it would be best if he could forget about her. Leo shook his head dismissing that thought.

Then there was breakfast.

Leo had come down to good news from Don that Mikey was on the road to recovery. That had lifted a huge weight off his shoulders. He'd been so afraid that somehow the emotional turmoil last night, about sharing his soulmate, had further injured his little brother during the healing. Perhaps forcing him into the coma like state. To hear that Donnie had found a concrete reason and cure...the relief had been overwhelming.

Leo was distracted a moment from his thoughts as he caught sight of Sol hovering observantly over him, watching his training but also unaccountably still. It's little blue form hardly wavered as it focused its attention on him. Leo wondered briefly at it's presence.

Didn't it need to stay with Luna? Perhaps Fina was with her instead.

Leo finished with the single sword katas and effortlessly drew his second blade. Without pause, he moved into the double bladed ones. These he performed faster. His swords virtually dancing in the patterns of the candlelight, creating complex forms and battling enemies seen only in his mind.

But even these more complicated movements were old friends, performed from the rhythm of memory, and Leo's mind slipped back into contemplation of this morning's events.

When Raph had come into the kitchen, Leo had felt himself tense instantly. He hadn't had time to come to terms with the situation yet. What could he even say to his brother? Leo thought about slipping out before Raph saw that he was there, but another quick glance made him realize that something was off with Raphael.

Leonardo didn't even have think about it. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to reach out with his energy to see what was wrong. He almost laughed out loud when he realized the reason Raph was staggering about, but he also felt a sudden sympathy for Raph's condition. Leo had felt that way in Luna's presence more than once, but all he could advise his brother to do was breathe.

Somehow, that little insight into Raph's feelings made Leo more comfortable with the situation. He wasn't the only one struggling with overwhelming emotions. With this new perspective, Leo found he was able to finish his tea and even tease his brother a bit.

He knew Raph expected something else and had surprised even himself when those feelings of protective dominance hadn't appeared. Of course Leo couldn't count on that lasting forever, so he'd excused himself once it looked like Raph was recovering and headed in here to sort out his thoughts.

Leo reached the end of musings as he reached the end of the double bladed series. He slowed, and moved back into his starting position, poised once again in the center of the dojo.

He waited.

With a small hum, Don's practice bots sprang to life. They attacked. First singly, then in groups of 3 or more. All were repelled with smooth, efficient strokes of flashing silver.

His daily training complete, Leo sheathed his katanas. He felt vaguely dissatisfied, knowing that he had no real way to prepare himself for battle against more supernatural adversaries. He sighed, still lost in thought.

Sol chose that moment to act.

Three glowing blue forms appeared before Leonardo and he fell back immediately into a defensive position. They were ghostly shinobi, appearing as ninjas of old. The one in the lead bowed to him, a classic sparring introduction, then drew his katana and attacked.

Leo reacted, drawing his own sword to counter, but his blade passed right through, encountering the same problem he'd had on the rooftop. The glowing ninja's blade, however, continued it's motion and Leo felt a searing jolt across his plastron at the strike.

He may not be able to mark them, but they could certainly hit him. And yet, they did no real damage.

Leo spun away from the ninja, and glanced up to where Sol was hovering calmly above him. If he was truly under attack, Sol would be helping or heading for Luna. This must be something else.

Leo rolled away from the trio and lept back to his feet, squaring off with the lead glowing form.

"So, I have a new sensei now?" Leo said flicking a glance to Sol, who bobbed slightly.

leo must learn to battle those on another plane. Sol replied calmly. more will come for her.

The deceptively slow dance of dodging and maneuvering continued on the dojo floor, as Leo nodded grimly.

"Then there is a way for me to counter these, without your help?" he asked.

yes.

The ninjas paused, at some silent signal from Sol.

like weapons, leo's energy is a tool. it can heal or harm.

Leonardo nodded his understanding. His weapons could be used to protect and defend, or thrust in attack. Even in attack, he could choose to mortally wound an enemy or just to impair them. It was logical to think his power could be used in a similar manner.

weapons are the heart and soul of the warrior, but intentions are the key

It was perhaps the longest single sentence Leo had heard from Sol, and with that rather cryptic piece of advice, the spectral ninjas took a ready stance again.

Leo thought about what Sol said. He remembered how it felt when Luna helped him to heal Mikey. That combination of relaxation and focus was eerily similar to the calm, meditative state he usually assumed before combat.

Leo did not need to close his eyes to let himself drift into that state. His consciousness could float alone in the center of his mind. A bright point of light, an island in a sea of darkness.

His position of perfect mental balance.

He brought only one objective with him to that island, to make his energy manifest physically.

It was not surprising, this time, when a blue glow began to outline his body. He concentrated harder, and felt a pressure begin to build inside himself. He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but acting on instinct, he began to gather that power using intangible mental fingers into a tighter, smaller mass. Compacting it together in his center and preparing to release it against his enemies.

When he thought he had enough, he turned his focus outward and looked towards his targets. He noted small tendrils of blue light escaping from his body and frowned, concerned. Then he yelped in surprise as a larger blue cord of energy sprung away from him and struck the dojo wall. He hadn't intended to do that.

Like a streamer from a plasma ball, it trailed over the bricks to his left, but instead of expending energy and dissipating as he expected, it seemed to be drawing even more power out of the very bricks themselves. Some of them began to crumble, and the air around Leonardo began to vibrate.

Um, this was more than I wanted… I'll just let this go, before it gets any worse… he thought.

But it was too late for that. The power center he had created was too strong. He didn't know how to direct all this energy safely, so he did the only thing he could think to do. He pack it tighter and tighter together inside himself.

Raph ran in just then to see what all the noise was about. After his nightmare, he was more than a little sensitive about strange lights and noises coming from the dojo. His jaw dropped when he saw Leo. More and more of the streamers had leapt from him, tracking to the walls, floor, and ceiling.

Raph heard a rather menacing sound as well, similar to the rumble of a subway train, only it was a lot closer than any train that ran near their home. As it got louder, the walls began to shake in response.

Leonardo was now suspended in the air, a good three feet from the dojo floor. Blue energy was crackling everywhere, and he seemed to be absorbing it from all around him. Even Sol was caught up in the crossfire.

"Leo!" Raph called, throwing up his arm in front of his face and pushing his way into the charged air, trying to reach his brother. Raph's own energy flared up in response, and streaks of red joined the blue racing toward Leonardo.

Raph only made it halfway to his brother before dropping to his knees. The blue light was draining him, taking all his physical energy, as well as the strange red one he was producing. He locked eyes with Leo as their forces continued to combine, but despite Raph's struggles, he was unable to go any further.

Just as Leo felt his world disintegrating into nothing more than pure light, Luna appeared in the door of the dojo. Donatello was with her, his eyes wide in wonder and Leo thought he saw Don mouth the words 'energy vortex'.

Luna took one look at Leo, Raph, Sol, and the glowing blue ninjas and shook her head. She raised her hand in a 'stop' like motion and all the lightening streamers instantly jumped to her outstretched palm.

She reversed the polarity of the stream, as her other hand pointed to the Earth at her feet, and in one quick and dirty motion she pulled all the excess energy out of Leonardo and grounded it into a large crystal formation she sensed below them.

The crystal hummed and began to glow softly beneath her feet like a fully charged battery. Interesting, she thought. Unprepared crystalline formations didn't usually have that response. She'd have to check that out later. Right now, someone owed her an explanation.

The light died.

Leo dropped to the floor but managed to keep his feet. Raph stood up. Sol, shot down to hide behind Leo's head. The ninjas were nowhere to be seen.

Luna stood glaring at them all, tapping her foot. She looked odd. It took a moment for the difference to sink in. Her eyes were glowing a kind of amber color with red flecks. Her hair was coppery red.

Of course! Fina must be providing her sight since Sol is in here causing problems. Raph thought, eyeing her warily. That thought was quickly followed by:

Man, she's hot when she's angry!

"Would somebody care to tell me" Luna began in a deceptively sweet tone of voice, "just exactly what is going on in here?"

Silence. Three pairs of eyes and a small flame looked anywhere but at her.

Don decided it was a good moment to step out of the line of fire, and slipped away from her side, but he was too curious to go far. He stayed within earshot.

Raph couldn't bear to look at her anymore or he was going to do something unforgivable, like grab her and run upstairs to his room, so he was just letting his eyes roam over the mess they'd made of the dojo.

Leo looked stubborn. He stared at the floor, refusing to meet her eyes. He knew if he did, his will would crumble and he'd do anything she asked. He was certain he needed to practice fighting other planer warriors, and he wasn't going to let her talk him out of it.

Just because this first time hadn't turned out so well, didn't mean he was ready to give up.

Luna turned her glare on Sol and crooked a finger in a come here motion. It floated toward her and stopped in front of her face, slightly wilted and guilty as a flame could look.

"I can understand Leo and Raph wanting to learn how to use their powers offensively." She said. "After all, it would be for the family's protection."

That statement made Leo's head snap up to see if she was serious. She was.

So that's what they were up to. Raph thought. Not a bad idea. I could get behind that.

"But did you really think it was a good idea to jump straight into advanced energy manipulation and node formation in an unshielded workroom?" Luna continued.

Don choked behind her.

"I thought that looked like a modular energy vortex!" he declared excitedly. "But those are only theoretical at this point!"

Luna shot him a look that advised him to hold his tongue for the moment and turned back towards the slightly simpering blue flame.

"Somebody's in trouble!"

A singsong voice echoed across the living area to the doorway where the intense standoff was occurring.

Luna paused in mid tirade and turned to look, shock written all over her face. Donnie had told her everything was going to be alright, but she really hadn't believed him until this moment.

"MIKEY!" she shrieked.

Argument forgotten, she threw herself across the room into his outstretched arms. He spun her around and even tossed her up in the air a little before setting her back on her feet. He reached out and stroked a bit of her now red hair, and took in her amber colored eyes with a calm smile.

"I like the new look, Sis." he said, right before Luna dissolved into tears.