Here's the next one!
The first thing Leo felt was pain. Aching pain all over his body. The next thing he felt was someone was holding his hand. He twitched his fingers wanting to make sure he wasn't dreaming, but the hand squeezed slightly and he heard a very sweet voice speak next to him. "Leo?" Leo forced his tired eyes to open and the first thing he saw was Miwa's beautiful face looking down at him with relief clear in her gaze. "You're awake! Donatello!" She cried turning from him and racing out of the room.
Confused, Leo looked around and saw that he was in the lab on the medical bed. His arm was wrapped, his chest was wrapped, and his leg was wrapped as well. That made sense. They hurt a lot. What happened to him?
"Leo!"
"Leo!"
"Leo you're awake!"
Leo looked over just in time to see an orange blob jump at him. He then was filled with so much pain he cried out.
"Get off 'im ya bone head!" Raph cried and Leo saw the red head pull what was obviously Mikey off him.
"Easy Mikey we don't want everything that has already healed to be re-broken!" That was Donnie.
"Sorry bros, just happy that's all!" Mikey said jumping around.
"We are too Mikey, let's just be careful and not make it worse okay?" Miwa said smiling at him as Master Splinter and Casey joined them.
"Yeah I know." Mikey said rubbing his head sheepishly.
"Okay Leo, how are you feeling?" Donnie asked coming up to his side pulling out different tools.
Leo looked at them happy they were all okay. Except… "Where's April?" He asked groggily blinking his tired eyes.
Everyone then shared a look and all eyes turned to Donnie who looked down, "She was captured." He said softly.
Leo's eyes widened some as the truth sank in. "I'm so sorry." Was all he could say as the sadness and guilt came over him. Seeing everyone so sad and Donnie looking like he was about to cry he reached over with his good arm and placed a gentle hand on his Donnie's shoulder. "We'll get her back." He said offering a smile despite how week and guilty he felt.
Donnie smiled back at him and the rest of the team seemed to rise a bit at this as well. "Well, let's have a look at you." Donnie said as they got back on track. While Donnie was checking him up everyone else was filling him in on everything that happened while he was out including Mikey's new friend, named Leatherhead who subsequently moved to a different part of the sewers because of several attempts at Donatello's face, all apparently not meant, but led on by PTSD. Leo was glad he wasn't around then. "Wow." Donnie finally said when he was done.
"What is it?" Miwa asked a little concerned.
"Well, all of the minor injuries are healed and the two broken rib bones are completely heal. Your broken arm looks like maybe a week left. Your leg is the worst. It was shattered, but from what I can see, the bone is already stitching itself up. Maybe two weeks tops."
"How is that possible?" Miwa asked amazed.
"Yeah doesn't broken stuff take way longer?" Mikey asked confused too.
Donnie nodded, but he had a smile on. "Yeah, typically broken bones, depending on the bone or the type of brake can take up to 6 to 8 weeks to heal."
"Then tells us, my son how Leonardo has healed so quickly?" Master Splinter added.
Donnie shrugged slightly. "My only guess would be our new genetics. They must have given us healing abilities too."
"Well dat's good den." Raph said crossing his arms.
"I'm glad about it too, but now we need to figure out how we're going to stop the Shredder, save the world, and save April." At the look on Donnie's face Leo quickly said, "Maybe not necessarily in that order." Donnie nodded and they continued. "How much time do we have left?" Leo asked looking towards Miwa.
"About two weeks." She said softly. They all hung their heads for a moment knowing it was not nearly enough time.
Leo then spoke loud and clear. "We can do this." He said with a smile. "This is what we were chosen for. This is what we've been training for. We will defeat the Shredder and the Kraang." At his words everyone seemed to brighten.
"Yeah!" Mikey cried. "We are the chosen ones!" He then started laughing as he jumped on Raph and the hot head had to hold his balance in order not to fall.
"Mikey! Get off me!" Raph cried before Mikey did just that and the two then engaged in racing around the room. One trying to get the other.
Leo smiled as he saw this, happy that the depression was somewhat wearing off. However his eyes started to grow heavy and he let out a yawn. A gentle hand on his shoulder made him look up. "You still have much to recover from." Master Splinter said with a loving smile. "Rest now. We will discuss strategy when awaken once more."
Leo nodded and laid back down and closed his eyes letting his weariness take over.
The next few days consisted of Leo either napping or training to get his strength back up. It was coming along, but every once in a while he leg would give out on him and he'd fall. Angry his leg wasn't healing as quickly as it should have been Leo pushed himself to try and compensate for it. This however resulted in his passing out a few days after that and a very stern talking to by Splinter, a lecture by Donnie and very pissed off Miwa. Suffice it to say he didn't push himself anymore.
He had also learned some of the things that they had gathered when they had infiltrated the Foot building. Apparently the reason they needed April was because she had some sort of Psychic connection to the Kraang. Her family had been randomly selected as guanine pigs for the Kraang experiments and after so long April was the result. She had Kraang blood and psyche in her and they were planning on using her to open the portal needed to call the Demon Shredder into this world. With that knowledge they trained even harder. D-day was drawing closer and on one early morning Master Splinter drew the four brothers into the Dojo.
"You four will soon face your destiny and fight the demon Shredder." Splinter began. "You have trained and learned well, but with the knowledge I have given you and your abilities as they stand now, you will not be able to defeat him."
"What!?" They all cried in shock and fear.
Raph hid his fear through his anger, "What de heck is dat supposed ta mean!? How else we supposed ta do it? Ask nicely!?"
Master Splinter brought his hand up to silence him, anticipating the reaction. "You will need to fight him, not only on the physical plane, but the spiritual as well."
"How do we do that, Master Splinter?" Mikey asked curiously.
"You must use all that you have learned, your powers, and your Chi to accomplish this. First you must know that each person has a soul and that soul correlates to a creature of some kind. It depends on the person what creature they have, but in order to manifest it, you must have complete control of your Chi. You have already learned how to tap into your Chi and control it to transform into your turtle forms. You can, however use it to manifest your soul's true power and use it to transform yourself once more."
"I don't understand Master. How could we transform again?" Donnie asked confused.
"I will show you what I can." He answered before sitting down in a meditative position. He closed his eyes and for a few moments nothing happened. Then suddenly just as when they used their Chi, Master Splinter started to glow a dark grey the same color as his fur and then above him his Chi then stated forming into that of a lion. He stared at them, the strength behind its eyes and muscles apparent before it roared so loud it shook the whole dojo. Then after another moment it dissipated back into Master Splinter. When the light faded Splinter let out a huff and started to breathe like he was out of breath.
"Master are you alright?" Leo asked moving to stand, but Splinter held up a hand to stop him.
"I am alright, Leonardo, but it takes quite a bit of strength to bring your soul to life, let alone transform." Splinter explained.
"You mean you can turn into that lion?" Mikey asked with wide amazed eyes.
Splinter smiled and nodded, "In theory yes, but I don't have the strength nor the control yet to do so. You boys do though."
"Wait, how is it we can do it, but you can't?" Raph asked confused. "You're de one who has been teachin' us."
"Yes. I understand Raphael, but you must also understand, that I was chosen to teach you. You were chosen for this destiny. You have been given abilities I have not. You will be able to transform into your soul creatures."
"Wow." Mikey said as his eyes got wide once more. Leo, Donnie and Raph too looked amazed by the knowledge. "Do we have Lions too?" Mikey asked suddenly getting very excited.
Master Splinter shook his head. "Possibly. I do not know what you have. That is something you all have find out for yourself."
"How will we be able to do that?" Leo asked wanting to learn this so he could start practicing it.
"First you will want to transform." Master Splinter said and the four of them did calling on their Chi feeling their cores change their bodies. Once done they looked to Master Splinter as he continued. "Next you will want to once more focus on your Chi. Concentrate on manifesting your Chi into the physical plane. Focus on giving your soul power and letting your Chi combine with it."
As Splinter spoke the boy's bodies started to glow as they call on their Chi. The Chi surrounding them started to combine and travel above them, but before they could manifest anything all four boys let go and fell to the ground on way or another and started gasping.
"Ugh! That's way too hard!" Mikey whined as he gulped down air from his position on his back.
"I felt like my brain was gonna explode." Raph added while lying on his stomach.
"That was very difficult." Donnie added leaning back on his arms. "We're supposed to transform into something, but we can't even find out what it is?"
Leo sat quietly breathing ready to try again, but he knew he needed to wait for a little while to get his breathing back at least.
Splinter nodded, "Yes you must or you will not be able to defeat the demon Shredder." Then Splinter smiled at them. "But do not discourage yourselves. You were doing very well."
"What do you mean?" Leo asked once he was able to breathe normally again.
"Most who try to attempt this spend years alone finding their Chi let alone trying to give it a physical appearance of some sort. You have already surpassed even my expectations. I know you will be able to accomplish this and save the world."