I do not own the tmnt.


Chapter Thirteen

A lone figure walked the streets of New York City searching nonstop. This was where he had last felt the pain. It was drawing him to it, and he did not understand why. He did not have any children. Not that he knew of anyway. His nose wrinkled when he passed by a manhole. He scoffed at it.

"These humans and their low-level technology," he mumbled to himself.

He wore robes of white and purple, and atop of his head was a small jeweled crown. The figure was getting more attention than he needed with it. He was already getting attention from his normal appearance. While he walked he could see the people's fear of him and a few even screamed. Sighing, he decided he should ditch his royal garments for now. Closing his eyes he teleported to his ship hidden on a small island miles away from the shore of the disgusting city.

Once there he removed his robes to expose his white silk tunic, and his black cotton dress-pants. He didn't wear shoes due to his feet being tough enough for any terrain. When he entered the entire room bowed before him.

"How goes your search, sire?" a man asked beginning to walk in step with him.

"Awful," he replied looking into the plain man's face, "I stick out like a sore molken!"

The man laughed thinking about a molken, and how when they got angry they tended to change to a bright hot pink.

"I'm sorry sire. May I suggest the CAM?" the man suggested.

The figure thought for a moment, "That would be rather thoughtful. Yes, I think I will," he replied.

Leah sat on the couch watching the news without really watching the news. She was off in her own head thinking about how the future would play out for her. She could feel the constricting vines of worry suddenly began to envelope her brain. She shook it off instantly trying to clear her mind. Sighing, she removed herself from the couch deciding that meditation might make her feel better.

She began to make her way to the turtle's dojo. Once there she sat on the hard mats, and began to meditate. It seemed like the only peace she could achieve. There her mind cleared and she channeled her energy within herself. It was then she felt energy much like herself, and strangely enough it reached out to her. It was then she felt a touch on her arm.

Startled she jumped and let out a small scream, and then to add to her surprise she fell to the floor.

Looking up she saw Leonardo with wide eyes staring at her, "Leah are you aware you were floating?" he asked her helping her off the floor and pulling her into him.

Cocking her head to the side, she only stared up at him, "It wouldn't surprise me," she replied sarcastically.

Leonardo chuckled, "Sorry to disturb your meditation, I've just never seen anyone float before," he explained.

She smiled, "That makes two of us," she responded.

Looking around the room then Leonardo smiled, "How about a small duel?" he suggested to her.

A slow grin crept on her face. He had no idea what he was up against. She had been at the top of her class in the program. She chuckled and joked with him.

"You do not know what you challenge," she answered with a slight seductiveness to her voice.

His eyes flashed slightly at her tone; "On the contrary are you prepared for what you are up against?" he disagreed with a large grin on his face.

She laughed gleefully, "We'll see," she said slightly brushing him on his arm with her own sending a shock wave of chills through the turtle leader.

They both stood in front of each other. Bowing before the other, Leah started it off by a simple punch to the front of his plastron. Leonardo dodged it with ease, and quickly retaliated with such swiftness it surprised Leah. This was not the type of style she was used to fighting. Keeping in mind that Leonardo had different training than her, and to expect different moves from him, she focused her mind.

Leonardo smiled slightly at Leah's surprise at his move. He was aiming at impressing her, but it didn't impress her only fueled her determination to beat him. She lost her amused expression for a more serious one, and then he got the full taste of her fighting expertise. At first he wasn't expecting her to retaliate as quickly as she had, and she didn't stop coming at him either. For every block he made she came back at him with two more tries either with kicks or punches.

Leah was getting frustrated, but quickly calmed herself down. She was expecting this to be an easy fight, but was she sadly mistaken. He was the leader of the turtles for a reason and she was discovering it. His elusiveness was his strategy, and once his opponent fatigued he could go on the offensive. Watching his movements she finally found a way to get around them. She sent a punch and kick at him within seconds of each other, and while he still blocked her punch she managed to pull her leg up into a vertical split smacking him in the face. The turtle stumbled back confused.

"That was..," he trailed off feeling a twinge of pain in his lip.

Leah looked at him horrified with herself. She had busted his lip, "I'm so sorry Leonardo!" she exclaimed rushing to his side.

He touched his lip and saw the blood on it, "Its fine accidents happen," he replied.

"Look at me, let me see it," she suggested as he obeyed her.

"Oh, Leo, I'm sorry. It looks like it hurts," she said her face so close to his he could feel her breath. His whole body was dying to take her there, but he knew better. It wouldn't be good if one of his brothers or worse her brother walked in on them.

"I'm fine. It's not like I haven't been though worse," Leonardo explained with a wave of his three fingered hand.

"Let's get you to the kitchen and get a bag of ice," Leah sighed, unhappy her competitive nature got the best of her.

Leo, seeing her mood, frowned slightly. He knew she was upset that she had hurt him, and he wanted her to forget about it. Thinking to himself a way to get her to forget about it, he finally got the perfect idea. As they got into the kitchen Mikey looked up from the opened fridge to see Leonardo's lip.

"Whoa, what did you piss off Leo?" Mikey asked a smile on his mouth.

Leo laughed a little embarrassed he'd lost to a human girl as Leah just rubbed the back of her neck. Suddenly Mikey got the picture.

"I know what happened. Leah got a bit rough with ya didn't she Leo," Mikey said suggestively winking at Leonardo.

Leo and Leah instantly blushed realizing what Mikey thought, "No! Not like that, Mikey," Leo replied with a panicked look, "We were sparring in the dojo"

Mikey laughed, "Riiiiiiight," the youngest turtle replied.

Leah rolled her eyes and blushed, "Just get him a bag of ice, Mikey," she demanded.

"Oh! Yes ma'am. We're a little spicy tonight," he replied jokingly grabbing a small plastic bag to put the ice in. When he was done he tossed the bag to Leo.

Mikey soon left after heating up some pizza from a few nights ago. Leonardo and Leah sat alone in the kitchen for a while in silence as Leo thought about how to put his plan into action. He had no idea if she would think it was a good idea or not, and neither did he at the moment. Perhaps he should just not even suggest it. With the Foot more active than normal and her having her change it would be a very risky gamble. Maybe he could get to know her more if he took the risk though.

"So in order to make up for busting my face, would you allow me to take you out to a movie?" Leo asked hopefully.

Leah laughed, "Leo, in case you haven't noticed I don't think with your appearance we could," she replied then thought for a moment, "Or mine."

"On the contrary, my brother's and I go to movies all the time. We wear a trench coat with a hat as you can see over there on the coat hanger," Leonardo explained pointing his finger towards the coat hanger.

Leah chuckled, "So are you asking me out on a date, Leonardo," she replied in the tone she used earlier to rile him up a little.

He smiled, "If that's what you would like it to be," he replied.

"Then my answer is yes," she grinned at Leo.

"But don't think I'll sleep with you after the first date," Leah joked with a wink.

Leo laughed, "You might want to rethink that," he disagreed pulling her into a long heated kiss.

"Yes, father," the figure replied talking to a screen in his ship.

The screen soon bleeped off, after the small meeting with his father. He would need to return home soon, but he couldn't leave not with the calling still deep within his heart. It controlled him. Someone or something here was calling to him. Someone needed his help, and he intended on helping them. Every instinct of his body demanded it of him. Sighing, the figure grabbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. He did not like being in the dark about this, nor anything for that matter.

"Sire, the CAM is ready," a scientist said coming towards the figure bowing as soon as he stopped walking and announced to him.

"Thank you, you may rise," the figure said as the man obeyed and lead the figure over to a small glass cylinder shaped machine.

The figure stepped into it having to duck his head to stand in it, "Are you ready, your highness?" the scientist asked.

Sighing the figure nodded. He hated using the CAM, or Change Automatic. It made him feel uncomfortable changing his mass and appearance. The scientist started up the machine as a small fan began whirling like a tornado, and while the air spun around the Metra Huling, something like lightning struck his body causing him to call out in pain. It continued like this as the figure felt his body change, and soon it was over. The class door opened as the whole ship stood around their leader. He was laid out on the floor of the machine breathing like a madman. Sweat poured from his body. Everyone was shocked at what he looked like.

"Help him," the captain of the ship demanded as his crew rushed to the aide of the fallen figure.

People stared at how his appearance had been changed. He still held his pallid skin color, but his hair was no longer the beautiful white it had been before. Nor was his feet different from anyone on the ship anymore, and his eyes and ears were shaped the same. The crew had never seen a royal stoop down to their level before. Whatever their leader was searching for it must have been a dire situation. Few had ever seen a royal before his change, and as they looked upon the form that what had once been.

The figure looked upon himself in the mirror, "Been a while since I've seen you," he joked at his reflection.

"Wow, I've never seen you look that way," one of the crew stated at the figure.

The figure turned around with a stern look on his face. He held out his hand and threw a huge bolt of invisible energy at the commoner, "Do not forget that even though I appear as one of you that I am not. I am still to be addressed respectively. Do we understand?" the figure stated as the crew all replied, "Yes, your highness."


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