Disclaimer: Never will I own the turtles or Splinter. Life can be so depressing sometimes. Boo-hoo… But I do own character of Mao-Shi. I combined his name from a bunch of others that are in a book I am reading on Chinese generals back in ancient times. I thought it sounded cool, so I used it.
Author's Note: Once more, life has prevented me from updating as quickly as I wanted to. (That and the fact that I've had severe writer's block for the past week.) Along with homework, I've been having some computer problems. I couldn't access the site or log in for a time, therefore, I couldn't update. But now I'm back, and with some new stuff. Not only have I posted another chapter for this story, but I've added a brand-new one-shot story. It originated from an idea that wouldn't quite bugging me and that I knew I just had to get written. I also am currently working on another Klunk/Mikey story called "As One Departs…" To get everyone interested, it has a major plot twist. Some may call it a sequel to my other Klunk story, but I consider more to be just one of those random events in the turtles' lives. Except this one has a more substantial effect on the guys than most other occurrences. It isn't finished yet, but what I have so far is really looking good. I hope to have it up soon. Anyway, I apologize if the wait was a bit too much for anyone to bear. I hope you're all still ok out there. I had a great time at prom. So much happened, that I've decided to talk about it at the end of this chapter. That way, if anyone doesn't want to read about what happened at prom, they won't have to. They can just skip right to the story and won't have to read my long prom note at the end. I hope my loyal readers enjoy this update as well as my other new short stories. One last thing, thank you to the people who reviewed my last chapter. I'm not sure why so few readers left reviews for Chapter 3; I'm hoping that I'll see more for this chapter. I'm praying that this doesn't mean that you guys aren't interested in reading my story anymore. If that's so, then maybe I ought to quit while I'm ahead. I don't want to leave this story unfinished, but if no one's there to read it, what good is it? Please prove me wrong by leaving me tons of reviews. I do read them and appreciate them greatly. Muchas gracias to all of you who did leave me some feedback last chapter:
Chibi Rose Angel: I think your review holds the record for the longest review to ever be addressed to me. And I loved every word of it. You're so generous. Thank you for all your kind words. You seemed quite excited that is was my senior prom. (We don't have junior proms, but lowerclassmen are allowed to come if they get invited by a senior.) If you want, you can read all about it at the end of this chapter. Anyway, if you've been inspired to write a story based on mine, I would consider that quite an honor. I've never inspired anybody before. Have no fear, Leo's bros will be getting more involved in this story soon, but you'll have to wait and see whether or not they find out what Leo and Master Splinter are up to. I can't wait for my graduation. See ya!
spootycup: It's been prolonged, but here's the next chapter. And I had a great time at prom. I'm glad you like the story so far.
pacphys: Don't worry; Splinter will be answering his questions in this chapter. Everyone will finally see where he has been leading Leonardo and who these mysterious friends of his are. And you don't have to leave me any comments about space. As souls, Leo and Splinter are able to defy a lot of the physical laws of nature. It's just one of the privileges of being in the world of the mystic. As a heads up, you'll be seeing more of it, so try to read this chapter with an open mind. A little bit of imagination always makes things more interesting.
Pi90katana: Thanks for the compliment. I'll be having more description in this chapter too.
And now, my long awaited update! Take care and, as always, GOD BLESS!
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Chapter 4-The Teaching Begins…
The darkness suddenly opened up into a bright, white light. Leonardo squinted his eyes to block out the blinding light, but was greeted with a most gorgeous sight once he opened them back up. He and Splinter had now entered into yet another world. But this one was different from the other horrid worlds that the two had passed through. This one was sunny and warm, rather than dark and unforgiving. It was inviting, with no sign of demonic creatures or sights so unpleasant, you wished you had never laid eyes on them before. No, this world was filled with a different kind of aura. Leo could think of only one word to describe the change: peaceful. Yes, that was what it was. This new world was quiet; the others were chaotic and restless. 'This world would make the perfect place to meditate,' thought Leo.
He followed Splinter's white aura trail as the two flew gently through the airy blue sky, with the sun beating down kindly on their backs. Leo looked down and realized that they were flying over a huge field of sunflowers. The flowers were enormous, their faces cast gratefully up to the sun as they sought out its life generating rays. Leo wondered if he could actually lie on them; they were so large. And the blooms looked so tempting too. He started to drift down towards the sunflowers.
Splinter had been gliding along peacefully when he spotted Leo starting to drift towards the sunflowers. "My son, where are you going?" he asked.
"To see if I can lie on the sunflowers sensei. They're so huge, I'd like to see if they can support me."
Leo floated near the sunflowers with Splinter trailing behind. The blue orb observed one of the sunflower blossoms and started to rest his spherical body on it. Just then, one of the sunflowers snapped its head up. It stretched its stem out until it was towering high above Leo and Splinter.
Leo and Splinter stared in complete shock up at the raised plant. "Master Splinter, what is going on!" yelled Leo.
"I am not sure my son!" answered Splinter.
If flowers could have had emotions, then this one looked awfully angry. It tilted its blossom back and rose even higher into the sky. It soon loomed over the two souls.
"What do you do now sensei?" asked Leo.
"We float away cautiously my son, being careful not to startle it." Leo followed Splinter's example as the two slowly drifted backwards away from the angry sunflower. Suddenly, the sunflower lurched back and, of all things, began to fire its seeds at the orbs. "Look out!" cried Splinter. The two souls took off in different directions.
Unfortunately for Leo, the sunflower seemed to like him more. Instead of following after Splinter, it turned and fired more of its seeds at him. It stretched its long stem as it gave chase to the small, blue orb. "Ok, it's official; I no longer like sunflower seeds!" Leo yelled. "Aw!" He dodged seed after seed as he flew as fast as he could away from the homicidal flower. He was just starting to wonder how he was going to get out of this one when the flower's stem reached its maximum stretch capacity. It halted in midair, and then fell limp among the other sunflowers. Leo stopped and turned, searching for his previous chaser. However, the flower had mysteriously vanished in the field of look-alike plants. "Ok, that was weird," he said.
Splinter had been relentlessly trailing the sunflower as it had chased Leonardo. Seeing the flower's sudden disappearance, he rushed over to Leo. "My son, are you alright?" cried Splinter.
"I'm…I'm ok sensei. Just a little shook up, and a bit confused too."
"What do you mean my son?"
"Well, I know we're in the realm of the mystic and that lots of things are different here than back on earth, but can sunflowers really attack you for no reason?"
"Hmmm…the last time I visited this realm, they could not." The rat glanced down at the flowers. "However, there was one way…"
Curious, Leo looked down at the flowers as well. As he stared, he began to notice a slight ruffling in the flowers. Then, a soft rumble could be heard. It began to get louder and louder, until a hand suddenly burst from the flowers and grabbed the orbs from where they were hovering in the air.
The owner of the hand held the souls tightly and didn't seem the least bit started when a parade of tiny rats came crawling out of their hand. The rats collected together in the air, forming Splinter's white spherical soul once more. "What is the meaning of…this?" he asked.
Leo could barely stand being kept so tightly compacted in such a small space. 'This hand must belong to a very strong person,' he thought. He had watched as his sensei had suddenly disappeared beside him, only to have a plethora of small rats assume the space where he once was and crawl out of the hand. 'How did Master Splinter do that?' he wondered. All of a sudden, Leo heard voices. He heard his sensei ask what the reason for this unexpected attack was and was started when his sensei stalled at the end of his question. Leo was even more surprised when another voice answered his sensei.
"Well Splinter-san, I was curious to see if you could still react on a second's notice. I see that you are still just as skilled as ever."
Leo listened closely as his father spoke back to the voice. "Yes, I have made a unique effort to keep my skills in the mystic realm as sharp as they have been in previous years."
"I see," returned the voice.
'Who could Master Splinter possibly be talking to?' thought Leo. 'Obviously, he must be a friend of sensei's, or otherwise they wouldn't be speaking like this.' Leo decided that if Splinter was familiar with the voice, then maybe he could persuade the owner of the hand to let him go. "Uh, excuse me?" the blue orb called. "I don't mean any disrespect, but would if be possible if you could release me? It's getting awfully cramped in here."
The voice must have heard him because the hand began to relax and open. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" asked the voice. "A little blue orb? I hope it is not a lost soul is it?"
"No, no," called Splinter. He hovered down to where Leo lay in his friend's hand. "This is my son, Leonardo." Leo looked at his master as he hovered next to him. "Leonardo, this is my good friend, Master Mao-Shi."
Leo looked up at his sensei's friend. The man's face was old and wrinkled, obviously the face of one who has much wisdom, but little life left. "So you're the one who grabbed us earlier?" he asked.
"Yes I am, little one," returned Mao-Shi.
The man lifted his hand up and gently let Leo slid back into the air. As he stood up, Leo began to get a clearer picture of who this old man was. He wore a traditional Japanese kimono that was torn in several places and looked quite worn. It was a dark navy blue, with faded red strips that ran along its edges. The fabric had obviously seen better days. Leo saw that he carried a sheathe in his belt that held a sword. As for the Master himself, he was quite elderly; he had more wrinkles than a Shar Pei. But his eyes were the brightest of blue that Leo had ever seen. "Wow…" was all the young turtle could say.
"I see you are quite impressed by me young one," said Mao-Shi.
Mao-Shi's booming voice snapped Leo out of his gaze. "What? Oh, yeah, I guess I am. It's just, you're so big."
"Well, to a fist size orb like you, I suppose I am," replied Mao-Shi.
"I was just bringing Leonardo to meet you Master Shi when you took us by surprise," said Splinter.
"I apologize if I started either of you too much," Mao-Shi returned.
"It's ok," said Leo. "I was more surprised than scared anyway." He turned and began to address Master Splinter. "I'm just curious about one thing though."
"What is it Leonardo?" the rodent asked.
"How were you able to turn into all of those tiny rats sensei?"
"Control Leonardo-that is how the true power of the mystic realm is unleashed. But come, let us sit and then all questions shall be answered."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," said Master Shi. "You do not know how long I have been waiting to meet one of your sons Splinter-san. You have told me so much about them."
Leonardo was quite surprised to hear this. "You have sensei?"
"Well, I do not like to boast, but my family does make a wonderful subject during a conversation," answered Splinter.
The souls moved out of the sunflower field and found a small clearing next to a forest. Mao-Shi lowered himself on to the grass as a light breeze began to pick up. Leo and Splinter were still floating in the air when Splinter began to hover closer to the ground. Leo watched as the white orb suddenly disappeared in the blink of an eye and was replaced with the full profile image of Master Splinter. The rat settled himself on the soft grass.
"Come Leonardo," said Splinter as he patted the ground. "Join us on the grass."
Leo hesitated for a second. He wasn't quite sure if he remembered how to transform out of his orb form. But then he recalled all of those long sessions in his sensei's room where he had practiced doing just that. 'Oh yeah, I know how to do that,' he thought. With newly restored confidence, he drifted closer to the ground and, remembering just how to focus his concentration, broke his orb body and allowed his full form to rest on the grass next to Splinter and Mao-Shi.
"So this is what your pupil Leonardo truly looks like. I must say, Master Splinter, he is quite handsome," Mao-Shi complimented. Leo couldn't help but blush. He secretly prayed that his green tinted skin would hide his red cheeks. "And he seems quite skilled for someone so young."
"Yes. Leonardo is a very fast learner," Splinter responded. "Already, he has mastered the most basic skills of traveling through the mystic world. Though I have not told him, I am quite impressed by him." Leo felt his cheeks turn an even darker shade of red.
"Inquisitive and a fast learner. He reminds me of myself when I was young," said Mao-Shi. "But that was a long time ago. I may not have my life anymore, but I can still recognize great potential when I see it."
Mao-Shi's last statement caught Leo's attention. "Wait, did you say 'when you had your life?'" he asked.
"Yes," said Mao-Shi.
"Then doesn't that mean that you're…"
"Dead?"
"Uh…" All Leo could do was nod his head.
"I am afraid that you are correct Leonardo. My body has been gone for quite some time, but here, my soul is free to wander as it pleases for all eternity. In a way, it is like my heaven. But at the same time, I am not bound to it."
"Oh, I'm sorry," whispered the turtle.
"Do not be young one," said Mao-Shi. "I enjoyed my life while I had it, and now that it is over, I can spend the rest of time in peace."
Leo lowered his head in thought.
Splinter looked at his pupil. He noticed a slightly sadden face on him. He put a hand on Leo's shoulder, as a small tear rolled down the reptile's face. "Are you alright my son?" he asked.
Leo lifted his head up. "Yes sensei," sniffed Leo. "I…I think I understand now." He rubbed his eyes as he continued. "This world is like a bridge between earth and heaven. It is a place where the souls of both the living and the dead can converse together, yet be at peace at the same time. It's a place where they can enjoy each other's company and forget about the realities of life and death."
"You are correct. Very good Leonardo," said Splinter.
Mao-Shi turned to Splinter. "My friend, I believe you were being too modest when you told me about your sons. You have obviously taught them very well. I would say that this one has the best intellectual skills of someone this young that I have ever had the pleasure to meet."
Leo felt his cheeks go red once more. As Splinter and Mao-Shi drifted into a small conversation, he began to observe his surroundings. 'The mystic realm is quite beautiful,' he thought. The forest trees were clustered together quite well, yet the appearance of abundant space reverberated all over their rich, verdant leaves and chocolate speckled bark. The sky was baby blue, while wisps of lazy clouds floated gently through the light breeze. The grass was so smooth and tender that Leo felt he could fall asleep in its comforting grasp. He laid back and closed his eyes as the sunflowers licked his face. 'I think I'd rather have these things sway in the wind than fire seed missiles at me,' thought Leo. He couldn't help but chuckle at his own joke.
Leo was just about to fall into a deep sleep, when a lingering question resurfaced in his mind. He opened his eyes and sat up. "Master Splinter?" he asked.
Splinter and Mao-Shi had also been enjoying the scenery when they heard Leo's voice. Splinter turned when he heard his name being called. "Yes my son?"
"I almost forgot to ask. You never said how you were able to turn into all of those little rats before. You promised that you would explain it once we sat down."
"Ah, you are right Leonardo. I did promise that, and I never break a promise." The rat got to his feet. "Well, I believe that sometimes the best way to explain things is to show them directly to you and then teach you how to perform them for yourself." The rat stepped off the grass and on to a trail of dirt at the base of the forest. "Come here Leonardo. I think it is time we move to the next step of the mystic arts-shape shifting and control of the elements." Leo got up and joined his sensei on the dirt. "Are you ready Leonardo?"
Leo and his master exchanged a bow. "Yes Master. I am ready to learn whatever you have to teach me."
"Good. Now, you already know how change into the most basic form of a spirit-the orb. Learning how to become other shapes is not any more difficult, it just requires a greater amount of concentration and focus. To become that which you are not, you must envision yourself as that object. You must feel that shape, whether it be a living creature…" Splinter suddenly changed into a lime green lizard with a pop. Leo stepped back startled. Then, Splinter returned to his original form and continued. "Or an element of nature…" As he had done to become the lizard, Splinter's soul melted into a puddle of water. The water shifted on the ground and made a semicircle about Leo. The puddle then moved in front of the turtle and molded itself back into the form of Splinter.
"Whoa," said Leo.
"Do not be too amazed Leonardo," said Splinter. "For soon, you will know how to do exercises such as those as well."
Leo thought for a moment. Whatever Splinter had just done seemed awfully hard, if not painful. "I'm not so sure I can learn how to do all that sensei," said Leo.
"Do not plague yourself with self-doubt young one," said Mao-Shi. The old soul walked over to Leo and put a steady hand on the turtle's shoulder.
"Master Shi?" wondered Leo.
Mao-Shi gave him a warm smile. "I can see that you are more capable than you give yourself credit for Leonardo. Do not concentrate on what you believe you cannot do. Focus on what you can do and you will be able to learn anything."
"You really think I can?" asked Leo. Mao-Shi nodded his head. "But there's so much to learn about the mystic arts. I've only just gotten started. I hardly know anything right now."
"And that is why we are here Leonardo," said Master Splinter. "To teach you what we know so that the mystic arts can be passed on to others, who in turn, will one day be able to teach the same skills to even more pupils. But one of the first rules of learning the mystic arts is to never forget that everyone, even the most skilled masters, were once novices. Everyone begins with an empty plate. It is only through teachings and practice, that that plate becomes full. Leonardo, your plate will fill up, you just have to be patience with yourself and give it time."
Leo sighed. "You're right, sensei. I'm getting ahead of myself. I guess there just seems to be so much that I can learn, that I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed."
"Do not worry Leonardo. Once we get started, it will not seem to be so much," said Splinter.
"Ok Master Splinter." Leo looked up at Mao-Shi and then back at his father. "I think I'm ready now."
"Fine. I think we will start shape changing, and then move on to control of the elements. We will begin with something simple-a more simplified version of ourselves." Leo's face was plastered with a look of confusion. "Or, to explain it more easily, you will be learning how to change into a normal sized turtle."
"Oh," said Leo.
"I myself prefer rats, but the concept is quite similar. First, concentrate on what it feels like to be smaller, to be, as you and your brothers put it, "normal." What do you think it would feel like if you were still a regular turtle? Once you believe you have that feeling in your mind, transfer that feeling to your body. Allow that feeling to encompass your soul, then release it and you will change. Now, watch me, and follow my example." Leo stared as Splinter closed his eyes. The rat was silent for a moment, and then Splinter's image disintegrated into the form of a normal, but much smaller, rat. The rodent looked up at Leo and spoke. "You see Leonardo. It is quite simple. Now you try. Remember, concentrate. Don't think, just feel."
Leo tried. He pictured himself and his brothers in his head. He saw them as normal sized, non-mutated turtles, all walking around in a glass cage. He concentrated harder. He saw himself on all fours, slowly maneuvering on the ground. His shell was heavy and his body smaller. Once Leo was sure the feeling had coated his mind, he let it flow throughout his body. He could feel his arms and legs begin to shrink as his plastron got closer and closer to the ground. Leo was concentrating so hard that he almost didn't hear Splinter's voice calling him.
"Leonardo? Leonardo? Open your eyes my son."
Leo did as he was told. But he gasped at his sudden point of view change. He gazed towards the ground and was shocked to find it much closer than he ever remembered. He looked at his body and found short legs and a much heavier shell. 'So this is how the world looked when I was baby,' he thought.
Mao-Shi bent down towards the turtle. "So Leonardo, how does your first shape shifting experience feel?" he asked.
"Strange," Leo answered. "And yet, somewhat familiar too. Like some long forgotten memory that I didn't even know I still had."
Splinter chuckled. "I felt the same way when I first learned shape shifting. I had forgotten what it was like to be a normal rat, but at the same time I felt free, like I had awakened a portion of myself that had long remained dormant."
"That's sort of how I feel sensei," answered Leo. "But, I'm not sure if I feel completely free. In a way, I actually think I'm more constricted now. I mean, I can't move very well or very fast for that matter."
"Then perhaps it best that we return to our regular forms and try another shape," said Splinter.
"Yeah, I think I'd like that," said Leo.
"Concentrate then my son. Let your normal form fulfill your mind as your body returns to its regular state. Allow that familiar feeling to take hold and then you will change once more." Leo watched as Splinter reverted back into his normal state of being. "Now my son, join us as you once were."
"Ok, I can do this," Leo whispered to himself. He concentrated on changing back; his familiar muscles and upright shape becoming a reality once more. Soon, Leonardo was in his normal form as well.
Splinter clapped his hands. "Wonderful my son. You have successfully completed your first transformation," said Splinter.
"Wow, I can't believe I actually did it!" exclaimed Leo.
"I am very proud of you Leonardo," said Splinter.
"I must say, I am quite impressed," said Mao-Shi.
"Thank-you sensei. Thank-you Master Shi," said Leo as he took a bow towards his master and his newly acquainted friend. "Now that I know I can actually do this, I can't wait to try out other shapes and forms."
"I am afraid that will have to wait for another time Leonardo," said Splinter.
"What do you mean sensei? Can't we practice some more? Why do we have to stop?"
"Because Leonardo. We need to be getting on home. Do not forget. Our bodies are still sitting in my room, and, as I have warned of before, it would be quite dangerous if we spent too much time away from them."
"Aw, but I was hoping I'd get to practice some more," said Leo.
The rat laughed good-naturally. "Do not worry so Leonardo. We will come back tomorrow and practice some more. And once you have mastered all that I have to teach you, Mao-Shi will be able to educate you in all that he knows."
"Your master is right Leonardo," said Mao-Shi. "I learned much during my lifetime and I would consider it a great honor to pass on my knowledge to someone with so much potential." He bowed towards Leo.
"Thank-you Master Shi," said Leo. He too took bowed at Master Shi. "I would also be honored if I had you for a teacher."
"Until then, Leonardo, I will be waiting."
"Come Leonardo," said Splinter. "We must be going home. I do not want the others to start worrying about us."
"Ok Master Splinter," said Leo.
He followed his master back over to the patch of grass. Getting a running start, Splinter jumped into the air. Without a moment's notice, he changed back into a white orb. He drifted a couple feet into the air and turned around. "Are you coming Leonardo?" he asked.
"Just a minute sensei," called Leo. He looked back at Mao-Shi. "Master Shi, it was real honor getting to meet you. I hope to see you again soon."
"I feel the same way young one. And I believe that will see one another very soon indeed," Mao-Shi assured Leo. "I am looking forward to having you as a student."
"As am I," answered Leo. He bowed once more to the weary soul and turned towards the sunflowers. He sprinted a few steps and leapt into the air. As Splinter had done, he gracefully shifted into his royal blue orb form.
"Until we meet again Leonardo!" waved Mao-Shi. "Good-bye!"
"Good-bye Master Shi!" returned Leo.
Mao-Shi bellowed a good-bye to Splinter. "Farewell Splinter-san! It was wonderful to see you once more!"
"And I you, old friend! I hope to you see you soon as well!" yelled Splinter.
With that, the two souls turned towards the sky and headed for home.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Leo thought that it was must be really late once he and Splinter finally returned to the rat's room. As they drifted through the ceiling, an apparent warmth overtook the blue orb. He could feel his body pulling him, dragging him in an overwhelming urge to reconnect with its missing owner. He barely had any time to look over at his sensei, when he was sucked back into his own body and reconnected with the living world.
The first thing Leo felt was cold; a desperate and unnerving cold, like his body had been frozen in an ice box or something for months on end. He tried to move, to open his eyes, but he couldn't get any response from his nerves. For some reason, they didn't want to respond. 'I hope something didn't go wrong while Master Splinter and I were gone,' he thought. Fear began to grip Leo's mind, while a feeling of panic started to grow in the blue-clad turtle's gut. But the warmth of the lair slowly returned and soon, Leo could feel his fingers and toes once more. The comforting sensation soon spread throughout his body, from his arms and legs, all the way to the back of his shell. 'That's better,' thought Leo. 'At least I know I'm not actually dead.' The young mutant soon became aware of a voice that was calling his name. He concentrated on the voice, listening closely as it became clearer with each breath.
"Leonardo? Can you hear me Leonardo?"
"Yes sensei," whispered Leo. "I can."
But the voice apparently did not catch Leo's shallow response. "If you can hear me, then open your eyes. Let me know that you are in your body once more and no longer a spirit."
Leo knew from the voice's tone that his master was worried about him. Though Leo could feel his physical body once more, he obviously hadn't made any notion to try and move it yet. Leo had been stuck in his mind the whole time. But now, he knew he had to break out of his deep concentration and completely return to the physical plane.
"Leonardo, please, are you still with me?" called Splinter.
"I am here Master Splinter," said Leo. The turtle cautiously opened his eyes; they felt like one hundred pound weights, they were so heavy. "I'm back. I didn't go anywhere…" He stared into his master's comforting gaze. After opening his eyes, Leo began to stretch his rigid muscles. "How long were we sitting here sensei? I think my whole body's gone stiff."
Splinter was relieved to see his son stir. When he had awakened back in his body, he saw that Leo had not moved yet. The father of four had grown worried that Leo's soul might have gotten misplaced somehow and that his son had not reclaimed his body. But now, all fears of that were gone. "A stiff body is a common symptom of an initial spiritual outing my son. But it will get easier to enter and exit the body once you have practiced long term astral projection on a greater scale."
"Oh. I'm curious though. How long were we gone for?"
"I am not sure Leonardo. But let us find out," returned the rat. He stood up and helped Leonardo get to his feet. The two walked to the entrance of Splinter's room and opened the sliding door.
Leo was expecting the lair to be completely dark. Instead, the kitchen light was on, and a glow from the living room area indicated that the TV's were on as well. The eldest turtle looked around and discovered that not only was some of the family still awake, but their leisurely attitude showed that they probably hadn't even noticed that Leo and Splinter had been gone.
As Leo was looking around, Splinter turned and headed for the kitchen. "If you will excuse me Leonardo, I think I am in the mood for some herbal tea."
"Ok sensei," said Leo. He watched the rat disappear inside the kitchen and turned and walked over to the television space. Mikey was stapled to his usual spot in front of the TV's when Leo approached. "Hey Mikey! Miss me?"
Mike looked up from the television screens. "Leo! Hey bro! How did meditatin' with Splinter go?"
"Oh fine, fine." Leo came around the couch and sat down on a stool. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, you guys were in there for eight hours straight. I checked in on you two once and you guys looked alright. I just wanted to make sure everything was ok."
'Eight hours!' Leo's thoughts were racing. 'We were gone for eight hours! I can't believe that! It seemed like we only were gone for a couple of hours, let alone eight!'
Leo's mind was pulled back to reality by Mike's voice. "Leo, you ok bro?"
Quickly sensing his brother's concern, Leo put on a fake smile. "Yeah, Mike, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired. I guess I didn't realize how long Splinter and I were out of it."
"I'll say. I asked Donnie if he knew how long somebody could meditate, but he didn't know. At first, I was kinda worried, but I know how much you and sensei like to meditate, so I didn't try and wake you up."
'Good thing too Mike, because there wouldn't have been anybody there to greet you,' thought Leo. "Uh, yeah," said the turtle in blue. "Thanks Mikey. Sorry if we worried you. Splinter and I were just practicing how to remain at peace for long periods of time. You know, to help you keep calm in case you're stuck somewhere unpleasant for awhile." Leo knew he wasn't telling Michelangelo the whole truth, but he wasn't solely lying to his younger brother either. Splinter was indeed showing him how to be at peace with oneself, just in a slightly different way than normally expected.
Mikey, however, was buying the twisted truth completely. "Oh, well I guess that makes sense. You know a whole lot more about that meditation stuff than I do anyways Leo. Personally, I don't know how you stand it. Being quiet and still for so long; that kind of thing would kill me if I had to do it."
"Well, some are better at it than others Mike," said Leo.
"Yeah, you're right, and I'll freely admit that I ain't one of them." The orange-banned turtle turned back to the TV's.
With a sigh, Leo got up from the stool he had been sitting on. Splinter was just exiting the kitchen with a cup full of hot tea. "You look tired my son," he said.
"Yes Master Splinter. I think I'm going to go to bed."
"Aw, I would recommend that as well my son. I think I will be turning in too after I have finished my tea."
"Good-night sensei," said Leo.
"Good-night Leonardo," said Splinter. The rat walked to his room. He blew on his tea, as he closed the sliding door.
Leo couldn't help but let a yawn escape his mouth. He stretched and climbed the steps to the second floor. "Don't stay up too late Mike," he called to his younger brother.
"Leo, it's only seven!"
"Nevertheless, I know how you can be and I don't want to come out here in the middle of the night to find you still awake in front of the TV."
"Alright, alright. How about this? I'll go to bed when I get tired."
"For you Mikey, that can be at two in the morning."
"What if I make it eleven?" Mike flashed the most innocent and pleading puppy dog eyes he could at Leo. He knew his brother wouldn't be able to stand up to them.
Leo rolled his eyes. "Oh, alright Mikey. Eleven. But if I catch you up any later, I'm going to make you do twenty extra flips during practice tomorrow. And I won't care how tired you are."
"Ok, fine. You don't have to threaten me. I won't stay up past eleven. I promise."
"Good, now I'm going to bed. Good-night Mikey."
"'Night Leo."
Leo walked slowly to his room. His body was really starting to feel the strain of his soul's long absence. His legs felt like jelly, while his stomach was empty. Yet, he was too tired to go and fix anything. All Leo wanted to do right now was sleep. He'd take care of himself in the morning. On the way to his bed, Leo passed Raph's room. The turtle glanced in and was mildly surprised to find his red-clad sibling asleep in a hammock that Raph had put up years ago. 'I wonder why he's asleep at this hour,' thought Leo. 'Raph usually is out right now, not asleep. I gotta remember to ask somebody about that.' Leaving Raphael's snoring behind, Leo continued on to his room. But as he neared his door, he noticed a faint light coming from Don's room. 'What could Donnie possibly be up to now?' he thought. He paused and looked inside the cluttered space that Leo's brainy brother called both a room and a workshop. "Donnie, you still awake?" Leo called softly.
A muffled voice returned with a question. "Yeah, what is it?"
Leo stared harder into the room and spied the outline of Donatello in a chair hovered over a desk. The oldest terrapin made his way through the machinery on the floor, carefully finding his way over to Don. "Donnie, how can you live like this?" he asked.
Don still hadn't looked up from the wiring he was working on. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, all of this." Though he was gesturing about the room, Leo noticed that his brother wasn't really paying any attention to him. "Donatello, are you even listening to me?"
"Oh sure, Raph. But could you hand on a sec? I'm almost done with this."
"Donnie, I'm not Raph. The turtle you're mentioning is asleep in his room."
This got Don's attention. "Huh, then who am I…?" He turned around in his chair. "Oh, Leo! You're finally awake!"
"Awake?"
"Sorry, poor choice of words. It's just that you and Master Splinter have been-"
"I know, I know, meditating. Mikey already told me that sensei and I were doing that for eight hours."
"Well, yeah. You two were in Splinter's room for the entire day. I wasn't really worried. I mean, it's not like you guys haven't meditated for a long time before, so I just let it go. I think Mike once asked me about it earlier, but I can't quite remember." Don turned back to the wiring. "Of course, if you two hadn't come out by morning, I would have come in to check on you myself. But I guess I won't have to do that now."
"Hmmm, I see," said Leo. He glanced out the door. The sound of the TV could still be heard over Raph's faint snoring. "I actually came in here to see if you knew why Raph was in bed so early."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him," said Donnie. "He and Casey were up a good portion of last night out roaming the streets. He was home this morning, but left around one. I think he got back somewhere around five. And I'm not sure when he fell asleep. My guess would be sometime after six thirty or so, not too long before you came in Leo."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about Raph's little misadventure," said Leo. 'Which really is the least I could say of myself,' he thought. "Well, if that's all, then I'm going to bed." He started for the door. "Oh, and I told Mike not to stay up too late and I'm telling you the same thing."
"Don't freak Leo. I was just going to finish the wiring on this circuit board and then I was planning on turning in for the night as well."
"Ok Don, but remember, eleven o'clock. No later. You know those late night workshops aren't good for you."
"I know, I know Leo. I promise, I won't stay up for too long."
"Thanks Donnie. Sometimes, I think you're the only other turtle who actually listens to me around here."
"Yeah, well I probably am," replied the purple-banned reptile.
Leo once more made a miraculous trip through the unknown structures that littered Don's room. 'Someday, I'm really going to have to bust down on Don's chops about cleaning this room,' thought Leo. 'Honestly, his room is as bad as Mikey's.' But Leo was feeling too faint to start that argument now. He managed to reach the room's entrance without any injury. "Good-night," he called from the door.
"Good-night," answered Don. "Pleasant dreams."
"You too Donnie. You too."
Satisfied that his short lecture had actually gotten through to his younger brother, Leonardo saddled his way down the hall and into his room. He took off his katanas and laid them on the stand he had set up specifically for them. He then plopped down his exhausted body on his bed. "A place to rest. Finally," he sighed. Leo shifted more comfortably on his bed and pulled the sheets and comforter over himself.
As sleep began to take hold, thoughts of the days ahead floated through Leo's head. 'I wonder when Splinter is going to let me tell Raph, Mike, and Don all about my astral projection lessons. I don't like keeping this big of a secret from them. I hope Master Splinter won't force me to hold on to it for too long. I'd really like to share this with the others. It would be cool if they could learn astral projection like me. Then we could all go to the mystic realm. In that beautiful place, I'm sure we could have some real fun.' Leo let out a huge yawn. 'I bet Mikey would have a blast with all the stuff he could learn how to do in the spirit world.' Leo could feel his consciousness slipping away. His last thought was, 'I wonder what Master Mao-Shi will be teaching me in the future…' And then, exhaustion overcame the turtle's mind.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Author's Note 1: So, how was that chapter? It was a lot longer than all of my previous ones, so I'm happy for that. I hope it wasn't too disappointing though. I know how it feels when you've been waiting for something for a long time, and when it does finally come, you feel like you've been let down. I've felt this way before, and I don't want it to happen to any of my readers. You can be excited about my upcoming chapters, but don't let them be the only anticipation in your life. I hope that I'm not accidentally denouncing my own story, because that is certainly not my intent. Please read it and tell me what you guys think. I've tried to write it to the best of my ability, which revolves mostly around what I feel is best for the story. Besides, I'm sure the suspense has probably sent somebody into a coma by now. Anyway, leave me some reviews so I can know what you guys think. I'm not sure when I'll be starting on the next chapter, but I can leave one guarantee. The fifth chapter will a lot more of Don, Raph, and Mikey action, so none of you non-Leo or Splinter fans can come after me for not including them very much in my story. And now, for those of you who would prefer to skip straight to a review and leave, go right on ahead. But for all those who are interested in the way my senior prom went, then you can read my second Author's Note. Until next time, good-bye and, as always, GOD BLESS!
Author's Note 2: My senior prom was awesome. It was on Saturday, April 9th. I went with a big group of my friends. We all had dates, except Ericka. But she didn't care. Actually, my date Jamal wasn't really my boyfriend. He was just a friend who I convinced to go with our group. There was a total of nine of us-four boys and five girls. My dress was gorgeous. It was a baby blue that had straps and plenty of sparkles that crisscrossed all the way down the dress. We had all agreed to meet at Elizabeth's house. Jamal came and picked me up at my home and then we drove over to Elizabeth's. As we pulled into her driveway, we were surprised to find her and her date just getting out of her car. Apparently, she wasn't even ready yet! I asked her why she wasn't in her dress yet when everybody else was already here and she responded by saying that she had go pick up her corsage and her date's boutonnière. Then, she had drive all the way over to her date's house to pick him up. We ended up catching her as she got home. So, while Elizabeth was upstairs dressing, the girls all stood in the hallway talking. The guys were collected in the living room watching Everybody Loves Raymond. After Elizabeth was finally ready, we took a bunch of pictures and left for the restaurant. Seven of us ate at Italiano's, while the other two went to Steak & Ale for a more private dinner. The meal was great! I had no idea that they served such great pasta. Anyway, we all got annoyed at Ericka because she thought that she had gotten this huge stain on her white dress. We all stared at it but none of us could find anything. However, she was so convinced, that she called her dad to bring her, get this, other prom dress up to the restaurant to change into. Believe it or not, he did. Strangely, she ended up staying in her first dress. After dinner, we all crowed into separate cars. The drive down the highway didn't take very long. Hotel Sofitel was hosting prom, as they always do every year. Upon arriving at the hotel, we received quite a laugh. In front of us was this school bus that had white Christmas lights decorated across the windows and couches inside. On the side of the bus, the words, "Redneck Limo" were plastered. On the front of the bus were giant steer horns, while on the back, someone had spray painted, "Redneck Prom." We all got a pretty good laugh from it. The prom itself was downstairs, below the hotel's lobby. The were two bars that served everything but alcohol. Unfortunately, the decorations weren't anything special-just black, silver, and white balloons. But in the center of the snack table, was this enormous ice sculpture of a shooting star. It was designed to go along with the theme of the night, "Captured in a Dream." As it turns out, Jamal wasn't a dancer. He actually ditched us for a good portion of the night, so we all decided that he had gotten "lost." None of us cared though. We had a great time dancing in a group anyway. I did manage to get Jamal for some professional pictures being done. I even got a group photo. I was disappointed with who won prom king and queen. I only knew three people on the court, and they only ended up as princes and princesses. But as the French say, "that's life." I saw some awesome dresses. Everyone looked so great; formal really is a good look for young adults. We stayed until midnight when prom was over. None of us felt like calling it a night, so we decided to go bowling. Jamal took me home, and I changed into a more comfortable outfit. A bowling alley on one of the highways always has cosmic bowling on Saturday nights. Cosmic bowling is so much fun! They play music while the alley is completely set under black light, so everything glows fluorescently. We managed two and a half games, but had to quit when the alley closed at two. Afterwards, we talked in the parking lot for a few minutes. Then Jamal took me home. I walked in the door at 2:15 in the morning and fell asleep fifteen minutes later. To finish, I slept in the next morning. It was a wonderful night. Nothing bad happened and I had a magnificent time with my friends. Overall, my prom was definitely a night that I will never forget, for the memories are ones that I will enjoy keeping for the rest of my life.
Author's Note 3: That's all for now everyone. See you next chapter!