"Now, I want you to close your eyes. Close your eyes and try to envision your deepest desires, your greatest passions." "Mmmmmmm, pizza." "Mikey! Shhhhhh!" "Please, my sons. I want you to think of your motivations; concentrate on what makes you happy, truly happy." We all shut our eyes and took in a few deep breaths. I did something I didn't let my mind do much- I gave it free reign, I let it wander. My breathing got progressively slower as I felt my mind slip further and further away from my stream of steady consciousness.

Think about what make us happy, truly happy… Well, I knew what that was for me: a good fight, especially when I win. There's nothing I loved more than sparring with Leo- and wiping the floor with his smug face- and taking down the Kraang or some Purple Dragons. I went through a fight sequence in my head, where I came out the victor of course. Needless to say, I was doing my little victory dance with sai in hand, pumping my fists into the air. I was engrossed in the scene that I failed to realize that something was happening; something deep and profound. My consciousness was beginning to vanish into obscurity, leading to the deep, dark recesses of my brain, my heart which I never explored.

While I was celebrating, I started to notice the scenery around me morph into something else. It was still familiar to me, I was near the city's coast. But I had no personal attachment to it, so I couldn't fathom why my subconscious would bring me here. Sensei's words rang through my constant stream of thoughts again. This was supposed to be my deepest desires, my greatest passions… I don't know why but for some reason, I felt compelled to move forward. My motivations…. Slowly I walked down the barren road; I knew I was heading towards the water, though I still had no idea why I felt the urge to go…. Why I felt the sudden need to…

I was supposed to be thinking of something else, I think; something that motivated me….. I entered a part of the road where there were trees with thin, long, low hanging branches; each blooming with fresh white flowers. I don't understand, what does any of this have to do with me? I could hear the waves in the distance; the air felt like was getting thicker around me for some unforeseeable reason. How was this what made me happy? Coming through the branches, I came out onto the beach with large, flat, soft, black rocks. My eyes grew as something up ahead caught my attention; I felt my heart come to a freezing halt. What made me happy….. Someone was sitting out on one of the rocks. Truly happy….

The someone resting on the rocks was a girl; she had long hair which flowed in the salty breeze out behind her. She wasn't looking at me right away, she was gazing out at the sea. For those first few seconds, I felt like I forgot how to breathe. Baby! My eyes grew as wide as they possibly could. W-Why is she here? I don't… I don't get it! After staring out at the water for a long moment, every vein- every atom- in my body froze as her deep, deep eyes drifted back to me. She looked at me from over her shoulder; a look which I'll never forgot, even if I tried. W-why….. why is she looking at me that way?

I felt my muscles start to tense; so tense that it almost hurt. Everything came to a halt when her lips parted a little. "Raphael." Holy crap! I didn't know my name could sound like that. I'd heard my name said a billion times in my life but it's never sounded like that before; not like when she said it. How come? Where'd she learn how to say it so damn perfect? I don't get it! Why all of a sudden is she here? Where did she come from?! I was just sitting here, minding my own business until bam! There she was! My eyes locked onto hers, lowering slightly… There she was, and it made me so happy…..

"AHHHHHHH!" I shrieked jumping to my feet. Everyone opened their eyes and looked at me like I was crazy. "Raph? You ok there?" Leo asked in a slightly concerned, confused tone. "Y-yeah!" Holy hell and a half! What the hell was that?! I blinked several times, trying to regain full control of my mind again. What did I just think?! I didn't give myself permission to fantasize that! Wait, it wasn't a fantasy! All fantasies have some grounding in reality; there was nothing about that which I believed. S-sure, I liked Baby… a-as a friend, just a friend. I adamantly refused to be a love-sick, hormone-overthrown teenager; definitely not going to happen. I-I mean it's not like I loved her or anything… No way! Who cares if she can say my name like no one else; that's just coincidence. There was no way I was in love; no way!