Lost

Chpt. 11

His eyes softly opened to a surreal place. He was in feudal Japan! It looked like the Damiyo's court yard where the samurai would fight. He felt his jaw drop slightly looking around to the elegant place but some how he knew he never been here before.

"What the hell does this of all things have to do with my past?" he snapped looking around,"I've been to Japan, I lived there for months and things such as this were only tourist attractions! I thought you were going to show me my past, reflection!" he was sick of this world and its games.

"Have you forgotten me already, Leonardo san?" a mocking voice with a Japanese accent said from somewhere behind him making him turn quickly upon his heals for the source of the voice.

Perched on the top step of the patio of the elegant house was what appeared to be a rabbit samurai leaning nonchalantly against the pole, his fingers glazing over the swords by his waist a devilish smirk on his features.

"How sloppy were those scientists with the ooze?" Leo snapped before he could stop himself staring disbelievingly at the rabbit who tilted his head to the turtle,"What next? A dimwitted Rhino and a half brained pig decked out in '80's attire?"

The rabit samorai said nothing as he slid from his spot walking in front of the turtle shaking his head drawing his blade,"If you will not see with your eyes this one from your past for who he truly is, I will have to force it out of you my friend."

Without anticipating this the samurai dove at him, swinging his blade in a skilled way making Leo alittle excited he hadn't fought anyone this skilled since he left the foot. Their blades locked and images swarmed his head making his blade clatter to the ground. He fought against the rabbit in some sort of tournament, he fought beside him as an alley in so many more occasions.

Once the images stopped flashing the rabbit was gone, in his place stood Raphael smirking at him shaking his head.

"You say we're out of practice huh? Well here's rule number one," shaking slightly Leo stood to his feet only to be hurled back to the ground by his brother's elbow to the chest knocking the air from him,"Never let your guard down."

As he stepped in the same rhythm as Raphael, blade meeting sai, he had to admit, this fantasy of his brother was allot better at keeping up with him then the original or maybe he was always this good but too cowardly to test his skills out on his older brother. He winced softly as more images plagued his mind this time more drawn out, but each image wasn't that different then the last. All they seemed to do was fight, it was like they stayed in that same position their whole life the only things changing were their ages and the amount of violence thrown into the fights.

He stumbled alittle no longer in battle with sais but numchucks. His 'brother' wore a cocky smile as Leo left his sword forgotten on the ground and simply swayed to each attack. His head pounding images of him holding the youngest and assuring him his dreams laid in his head, playing video games with him(losing on purpose most of the time), snarling at Raph each time he tried to lay harm on him, tasting endless recipes some good, others horrible. Laughing at all his jokes whether they were funny or not, he couldn't take the mind blowing pain.

He feet grew weary as the smart brother nearly knocked him off his feet with his bo staff. A door cracked open in his head to him helping the brother in the lab, watching him heal his wounds and endless fights about him staying in the lab all day and night.

He stumbled backwards but didn't fall catching him self slightly as Karai stood before him in her foot out fit smirking to him.

"How dare you even consider that carbon copy to be the true me!" she snarled her blade coming close to decapitating him with each fatal swing. Images flooding in of her and him fighting, but yet they could be allies at times in these images.

As her blade swooped down upon him it fazed into a gauntlet nearly giving him a fadle piercing blow. He head about burst to the darker images filling his head. Things even the old him didn't want to see, the true leader of the foot. He screamed clinging to his head as in the depths of his mind he fought this foe and each time only narrowly avoiding death.

"Stop!" he screamed to no one in particular dropping to his knees,"For fuck's sake, stop! My head is killing me!"

A familiar hand was offered to him and above him was the caring face of a father, his father. He felt suddenly small clinging to his hand as he helped him up. Pictures shooting across his mind of him training with him, being held by him when he didn't feel strong, holidays he made so joyous for the smaller version of himself, countless streams of wise advise and scoldings. He blinked softly as the rat held him close now waiting for the pictures to fade helping the pain cease.

"My son, be strong," he whispered soothingly,"It is ok now, it is fine. This is all in your mind. You have trapped yourself here for your wishing to get away and wanting nothing more then your life to be perfect, but don't digress, you can make it stop."

The rat let go of him and faded leaving him confused looking into the face of his reflection once more.

"Are you ready to stop denying your past and accept who you were, who you are?" he said softly offering him his hand.

"Leonardo, do not listen to him! Stay with me! Stay in your wildest dreams!" Karai snapped standing behind him making him sigh softly caught between reality and a perfect existence.

"Only you can make this choice," his reflection said gently looking at him. Leo softly took a step toward Karai. Airily he kissed her on the cheek before slicing her head clean off with the blade that laid by his feet. Smoke fluttered from where she once stood making him smirk grabbing the reflections hand, he'd choose reality any day of the week.

...

A/N: I miss Rocksteady and Bebop in the new show. Hun just doesn't hold their charm. I hope they put them in the next TMNT series, who agrees with me?