Ch 4 Confessions.

Leo walked into the lair, his brothers close behind him. The four of them made their way to the dojo where Splinter sat beneath his tree in a meditative pose. He opened his eyes as he heard his sons come into the room.

He watched as Leonardo knelt before him and bowed respectfully. "I'm sorry Master Splinter." He started. "I awoke early and went for a training run and lost track of time." He looked back at his brothers who were staring at him intently. He turned back to his father and kept his head bowed low, hoping the wise rat would not see the shame in his eyes as he told the lie. "I stopped to rest at one point and fell asleep."

Splinter looked from one turtle to another. The look on the faces of Leo's younger brothers told him the oldest turtle was hiding something. "Leonardo," He began as Leo raised his head, "I sense you have a great burden on your shoulders." He looked deep into his son's eyes, hoping to see something that would tell him what his son was hiding. "Please, my son, will you not speak to me," He looked at his other sons. "To us...and unburden yourself."

Leo sighed heavily, He had not wanted to talk about this just yet, after all, he barely understood it himself. But this was his family and he knew if one of his brothers were going through something, he would want them to talk about it as well. Finally, he took a deep breath and spoke. "I'm sorry Sensei," He began as his three brothers sat down behind him. "I've been having strange dreams, nightmares, I suppose."

"Whoa." Mikey whispered to Donnie who was sitting right next to him. "Leo gets nightmares?"

"Shhh." Donnie told him as Leo continued.

"I don't remember much about them, but I wake up only with the memory of fear and...and people crying and screaming." He looked at his Sensei, his eyes filled with an uncertainty. "I...I'm just trying to figure it out."

Splinter nodded at his pupil. "You can always come to one of us to talk to Leonardo." He reminded him. "Do not keep this inside you." He stroked his long beard. "This dream or nightmare could have something to do with the Tengu ring that was used on you."

Leo nodded as he thought of what his brothers and Sensei had told him about that time. Some part of him still could not believe it but Mikey had the pictures and even a video to prove it to him, so he just accepted it and did what he could do to deal with the situation and attempt to move on. He looked up at his Sensei and continued.

"In the dream, I see a family, I feel like I know them but I'm not sure how." Leo looked at the floor as he recalled the horrific nightmare. "Then the family disappears and...and then I see a village, it reminds me of a village from Japan...I think...maybe around ancient times but I'm not sure. The next thing I know, it's...it's on fire. I see men on horse back chasing the villagers, trying to kill them and then..." Leo took a deep, shuddering breath. "I don't remember anything after that."

"You say this village and these people, they look familiar to you?"

"Yes Sensei."

"How long have you been having these strange dreams Leonardo?" Spinter asked him.

"I'm not sure Master." Leo frowned as he thought back to the first one. "It's been a while, almost two weeks now."

"That's about the time we had the battle with Shredder." Donnie pointed out. "And got you turned back from an infant."

"Do you think these dreams have something to do with what happened at Shredder's lair?" Raph asked.

"Perhaps." Splinter answered as he stroked his long beard. "Leonardo, if you would permit me to, I would like to engage in some meditation exercises that may help you to figure out what these dreams are truly about my son."

"I would like that Sensei." Leo bowed low.

Splinter looked from one son to another, the past year had been an exhausting one for all of them and he felt it was time to possibly get away from everything. Splinter nodded as he continued to stroked his long beard. "Perhaps, we should consider possibly going on a vacation." All of his sons looked at him with surprise. "I think we could all do with one."

"A vacation?!" Mikey yelled, excitedly. "Where to Sensei?"

"April's family summer home perhaps?" Donnie exclaimed enthusiastically. "We could invite April and her dad to come along."

Splinter shook his head. "I was thinking elsewhere Donatello; Miwa will be on holiday soon, I would like to visit her during that time." He told them. "How about we take a trip to Japan,?" He said this as he looked directly at Leo, whose eyes grew wide with a smile that almost split his face in two.

His sons whooped and hollered at the thought of going abroad to visit Splinter's daughter and their sister Miwa, or Karai, as they still sometimes called her. Leo knew he could do with a vacation. After everything that's happened, it would be good to get away.

Splinter smiled at his sons enthusiasm. "We leave in two weeks." He told them as they continued to celebrate. "Now then." He turned to Leonardo. "If you are feeling up to it my son, we shall begin with our morning practice, then I would like you to go rest." Leo nodded as he and Splinter stood. "Then after, I would..."

He was suddenly interrupted by Raph's t-phone. Raph took it out of his belt. "It's Slash." He announced. He was just about to answer it when he stopped and looked at Splinter "Uh, may I Sensei?"

Splinter nodded his consent for Raph to answer the cell. "Yeah Slash." Raph said. His family watched as Raph listened to the voice on the other end, his eye ridges rose slightly in surprise and his mouth slowly began to open in shock. "Okay Slash, bye." His voice was a whisper. He looked up at his brothers and Sensei. "Slash was checking on the Tengu items." His family leaned closer to hear him. "All of it, every single piece." He shook his head in disbelief. "It's all...gone!"