A/N: Neither Cath nor Elisa have a big role in this one. This is also my shortest chapter for TMNT so far, being 500 words shorter than the last.
Please read and review?
Over in a valley in Japan, a shooting star shoots down from the sky, as Leo battles four ghosts.
Leo: I've travelled thousands of miles looking for an answer...
Leo blocks one ghost's swords with his own, before backing away.
..only to wind up here...
He dodges as a Red ghost tried to slash him from behind, then he jumps as a purple one tried to slash his legs.
..halfway across the world...
Leo lands crouched down, then blocks a blue ghost's sword with his right sword.
..in the middle of nowhere...
He gets up while keeping his sword locked with the ghost's, then blocked the purple's sword with his left, before purple punches him away.
..battling it out with four nasty creatures, more ghosts than man...
Leo skids along the ground, as the ghosts move towards him.
..but who's steel is all too real.
He blocks a sword from an orange with both of his, then he pulls them away and backs away.
Meanwhile, my traveling companion...
Leo blocks two slashes from orange ghost's sword, as an old, fat and small man watches.
..some gross slob who...
Leo jumps past orange as it tries to slash his legs, then he lands and turns around.
..attached himself to me...
He blocks a slash with his left sword.
..like a bloated tick, doesn't do a thing to help out.
The man smiles as Leo pushes the ghost back slightly.
He just sits there, grinning like a fool...
Leo dodges as purple ghost runs past him, then he runs off as purple and orange try to slash him.
..leaving me to fight for both our lives.
Leo blocks blue's sword with his right, then moved around with it, as they kept their swords locked.
I've journeyed halfway across...
Leo turns and blocks orange's sword with his left one.
..the world in search for answers...
He blocks blue's sword with his right, then jumps up and away as purple comes at him.
..and instead...
He lands crouched down and stares at the ghosts.
..all I'm gonna get is my head chopped off.
Leo looks around, as the ghosts surround him on all sides.
In the lair, at around sunset, Leo and Splinter were sparring together with Leo's swords, as the other Turtles sat or stood around the lair. Cath stood and watched, worried Leo might do something rash. Mikey lay on the couch, reading a comic. Elisa and Donnie both stood near Raph, who was bench-pressing.
"I already told you I'm fine!" Leo snapped.
"You are sure?" Splinter asked.
"Nothing's the matter, Sensei. Why do you keep asking me that?" Leo demanded.
Mikey lowered his comic and shook his head.
"So much anger." Splinter said. "The open bottle will burst when it's internal pressure becomes too much to bare."
Cath watched Leo and Splinter carefully, not taking her eyes off Leo.
"For months now, you have been brooding, surly and stubborn!" Splinter said.
They slashed their swords together.
"Yeah, right." Leo frowned.
Donnie flinched as he, Elisa and Raph all looked at Leo.
"AH!" Leo growled.
"He's getting worse." Cath thought.
Raph looked up at Donnie and Elisa.
"I think Leo's blown an fuse." Elisa noted.
Splinter blocked a slash from Leo with his sword.
"You have not been yourself." Splinter said.
Leo blocked a slash from him, then they moved around slightly with their swords locked.
"You must release your festers within you." Splinter said, pulling back, then he jumped back as Leo tried to slash him.
He landed on his feet and looked at his oldest son.
"Your family will help you, Leonardo." Splinter said. "It is important that we be open with one another."
Leo charged at him to slash him, but Splinter blocked it, then blocked another, before Leo knocked Splinter's sword out of his hands.
"Ah!" Splinter gasped.
The sword flew away slightly and hit the floor.
"Open? Okay, this katana lesson stinks!" Leo exclaimed angrily. "I mastered this years ago! Years ago!"
Splinter stared at him carefully, before he turned and approached the sword, as everyone else kept watching.
"It is not the student's place to say when a lesson is learned!" he said sternly, picking up the sword, before turning to Leo.
He jumped and sent a slash at Leo, who blocked it with his sword, then dodged a stab from Leo, before they moved around.
"The student's place is to listen and learn." he said.
He blocked Leo's sword with his own, then tried to slash Leo's legs, but missed as he jumped up, then he dodged as Leo tried to slash him. The end of Leo's sword hit the floor, then he rolled away as Splinter tried to slash him from behind.
"AH!" Leo growled, charging forward.
He tried to slash Splinter, who blocked it, as Cath flinched worriedly as her other siblings gathered around her.
"Something tells me the cork's about to burst on that unopen bottle." Mikey said.
"I agree. Leo's worse than ever." Cath said. "I don't know what to do to help him, guys."
"That hothead." Raph said, getting his younger siblings attention. "I hate it when Leo reminds me of me."
"He's even worse than you these days, Raph." Elisa noted.
Leo and Splinter slashed their swords together, then Leo ducked as Splinter tried to slash him.
"AH!" Leo huffed.
He tried to slash Splinter, who dodged it as they ran around each other, then they locked swords together again.
"I've already mastered this lesson!" Leo growled. "Yah!"
He shoved Splinter away with his shoulder.
"And yesterday's lesson!" he growled, moving forward. "Yah!"
He tried to slash Splinter, who blocked it with his sword.
"And the lesson before that!" Leo roared loudly. "When are you going to teach me..."
He knocked Splinter's sword out of his hands and away.
"..something I don't already know?!" he demanded.
He slashed Splinter's forehead in anger, cutting it, shocking his siblings.
"OH!" Splinter moaned, stumbling back.
He touched his forehead, as his five younger children came up behind him.
"Master Splinter?!" Donnie cried.
"Are you okay?" Mikey asked, as Leo dropped his sword, shocked by what he had done.
"Leo, what have you done?!" Cath cried. "You could've killed him!"
"Yeah, Leo, what the shell is your problem?" Raph demanded, pointing at Leo.
"Yeah, even Raph's never gone that far when he's mad!" Elisa snapped.
"Master! Master, I'm so sorry." Leo said, pushing past them all. "I-I didn't mean to hurt you. I just... I just lost control."
He put his head down shamefully, seeing his sisters were right about him going too far.
"Father, come on." Cath said. "Let me look at that?"
She led Splinter away to patch up his forehead, as the others turned from them to Leo, all shocked by what their older brother had done.
Later, Splinter sat meditating in his room, with his forehead bandaged up, surrounded by candles. He heard his door open up, as Leo looked at him in the doorway, looking remorseful.
"Sit down, my son?" Splinter asked.
Leo entered the room and closed the door behind him. He approached his father and sat down on his knees in front of him.
"Master, I...I don't know what to say." Leo said, closing his eyes.
"Say nothing." Splinter said. "Listen, we were all badly wounded in our final confrontation with the Shredder. Your siblings and I have healed, but you have not."
Leo lowered his head sadly.
"I have meditated long and hard on this matter, and Catharina has spent months trying to find a way to help you, but she has not been able to. As such, now I realize, that you are correct." Splinter sighed.
"Hmm?" Leo muttered, looking up.
"It is time for you to move on. It is time for you to study with a new Sensei." Splinter explained, touching Leo's shoulder.
"But... But Master, I don't want a new Sensei!" Leo argued, shaking his head. "I'm happy here with you."
(The lair)
The other five Turtles listened in while standing near the door.
"I know that there's so much more that you can teach me." Leo said.
His siblings all turned to each other.
(Splinter's room)
"No, my son. It is as it must be." Splinter sighed.
"Are you sure Cath knows nothing that can help?" Leo asked.
"I'm afraid not. Your wound is mentally, and she hasn't found anything to help." Splinter sighed. "She has tried though, as she's kept a close eye on you since, but you keep getting mad and pushing her away."
Leo sighed, remembering how Cath had been watching him carefully since returning to Earth, being the doctor she was. He also remembered snapping at her whenever she tried to talk to him, and when he pushed her away before Mikey's Battle Nexus rematch.
Splinter got up and walked off, as Leo looked up and turned to him, then got up.
"Now, there is but one master in all the world, that I would intrust my children's well being too." Splinter explained, as he turned, stopping near the picture of Hamato Yoshi. "He is wise, honorable, and highly skilled. He is called the Ancient One, and he was the Sensei to my Sensei - Hamato Yoshi."
They both stared at the picture.
"You must make a pilgrimage, a pilgrimage halfway across the world." Splinter explained, turning to Leo.
"But, Sensei-" Leo began.
"Come? Let us prepare you for your journey." Splinter said, touching his shoulder.
They both turned and walked off, Leo seeing there was no way to talk his father out of this.
That night, at the shipping docks, a man directed another manning a crane with his hands, as the second moved the crane with a crate on.
"Come on, get it on!" a third man said.
Two men walked away from a freighter ship the crane was near, as Leo showed up behind a crate nearby, with a backpack. He peeked out from it, then ran off towards another set of crates on the boardwalk, unnoticed by any of the men. He then jumped onto the ship, then made his way below deck undetected by any of the crew.
Later, the freighter ship left the harbor, blowing stream as it did, while Leo looked at New York City through a porthole.
The next morning, Leo saw a harbor on the other side of the world through the porthole, as it was in Japan.
"Japan." he said.
Later, Leo walked up a mountain pathway, wearing a hat and long coat, then he climbed up a mountain, and then kept on walking. He soon encountered a snowstorm area in the mountains, walking up a hill as he did. He began to walk through a trench between two mountains as the snow stopped, but once near the end, two shadowy figures showed up, making him stop. He walked towards them slowly, then stopped in front of them both.
Both figures came forward, showing they were Yeti Guards, both with a long beard, but one had a moustache as well. They both pulled out a long sword and crossed them over.
"None shall pass!" the bearded one growled.
Leo filched as the sight of them, before he gritted his teeth.
"Let us teach this puny thing a lesson, brother." the bearded one said.
"What is it that you seek?" the moustache one asked.
"I seek the Ancient One." Leo explained.
"You seek the Ancient One?" the bearded Yeti inquired.
"You funny looking green man. You not even old enough to be a man." the moustache Yeti said. "You a child. An itty-bitty child."
He held up his hand, with his thumb and forefinger not far apart, making Leo grit angrily as his brother laughed.
"Yes, go home, itty-bitty poppy face." the moustache one said.
They both laughed, as Leo took off his backpack and threw it behind him.
"That's it!" he roared, taking out his swords. "I didn't come all this way just to turn around and go home!"
He charged at the moustache Yeti, who dodged slightly as Leo tried to slash him, then he moved back as Leo tried again, then he kicked Leo's shell, knocking him away.
"AH!" he moaned.
He hit the ground on his shell, dropping his right sword in the process.
"Uh!" he moaned.
He rolled onto his chest.
"Looks like itty-bitty baby's going to cry." the moustache Yeti mocked.
Both Yetis laughed as Leo looked up at them, then picked up his sword and got up.
"AHH!" he growled, angrily. "AGHH!"
He charged forward at the Yetis - losing his hat as he did - then he sent three slashes at the bearded one, who lifted his feet up one at a time to dodge them. Leo then ran past it, but it lifted its left foot up, and then stomped on Leo, squashing him.
"AH!" he moaned. "AHH!"
He tried to move, but couldn't due to the Yeti's strength and size.
"AGHHHH!" he gritted.
"Yes. Itty-bitty baby, very, very cranky now." the bearded Yeti said.
He picked Leo up by the jacket and held him up.
"Ah!" Leo yelped.
"It is time, cranky baby..." the Yeti said, throwing Leo away.
"AHH!" Leo yelled.
"..be put to bed!" the Yeti mocked.
Leo hit the snowy ground and rolled onto his chest. Both Yetis laughed as they turned to each other, then put their swords away.
"Have you learned anything, little one?" the moustache one asked, as his brother approached Leo.
He picked Leo up, then put him down nearby.
"A warrior who attacks in anger..." the moustache Yeti said.
"Is a warrior who never wins." his brother quoted. "That is the lesson."
Leo sat up on his knees and put his swords away.
"Go to that rock face until your shadow's in front of you." the moustache one instructed.
Leo put his hat on, then approached his backpack.
"Walk on your shadow with..." the Yeti continued, as Leo put his backpack on, then walked past them both. "..eyes closed for seven paces. Open eyes, and you will have reached the hidden land."
Both Yetis turned to Leo, who kept walking off.
"And remember the lesson, itty-bitty poopy face?" the bearded one asked.
They both chuckled as snow hit them both and Leo, making him stop. He turned around while holding his hat to keep it on, but saw both Yetis had vanished.
"Well, nobody said it wasn't gonna get weird." he said.
Leo turned and kept walking off, but then stopped and saw a lush green valley, full of waterfalls and trees. He looked shocked by the change of scenery, but then walked off towards it.
Later, Leo walked through the valley along a small trench like path, as birds chirped in the sky. He past several piles of rocks as the sun began to set, as more birds chirped, then he passed by an old, small and fat man mediating. Leo kept walking, but then stopped when the man farted.
"Ah!" he yelped, touching his beak.
He turned around, as the man laughed.
"Nice one, eh?" the man asked.
"Um, sir, could I ask you for some directions?" Leo asked. "I'm trying to find my way to someone called the Ancient One."
The man looked at Leo carefully.
"Ancient One, eh? Trust me, I know the way to that old windbag." he assured, as he farted. "But it gonna cost you, monkey boy. You got yen? Give me yen. You got dollars, you give me dollars."
"But, I don't have any." Leo said, emptying his pockets.
"Give me food then?" the man asked.
"Uh... But I don't have much food." Leo explained.
The man got up, and jumped onto a pile of rocks.
"You got doughnuts? Give me doughnuts. You got beef jerky, give me beef jerky." he said, jumping over Leo. "You got pork rinds?"
He farted as Leo turned around, seeing he was emptying his bag.
"Give me pork rinds." the man said.
"Sorry, but I don't have any of those things." Leo explained, moving away as he properly turned around. "Mostly I have uh, trail mix."
"You green kumquat. Trail mix is for ponies." the man said. "What else you got?"
"Um, I have some dried fruit, some peanut butter, uh chocolate." Leo said, putting a finger on his chin.
"Chocolate? Give me chocolate?" the man begged. "Give me, now!"
"Uh, okay." Leo said.
He handed the man a square of chocolate.
"Ah..." the man said.
He snatched it from Leo and ate it, then licked his fingers.
"You have more?" he asked. "Gimme!"
"Let's save it for later." Leo said. "Are you sure you know the way to the Ancient One?"
The man turned around and walked off, farting as he did.
"All roads lead to the Ancient One, green monkey boy, but some roads are shorter than others." he explained, as Leo followed him.
He turned left and walked off the path, as Leo turned to him as he farted.
"Um, uh...the path continues in this direction." Leo said, pointing along it.
"I said some roads are shorter than others! That means a shortcut, stupid." the man explained. "Kapeesh?"
He farted as Leo looked at him annoyed, not sure whether to fully trust him.
That night, as a wolf howled, both Leo and the man were sitting on opposite ends of a campfire, Leo without his hat and coat. The man picked his nose with his pinkie right finger and farted.
"Man, you are unbelievable." Leo said.
"It's just air." the man assured, before farting.
"Uh!" Leo moaned, annoyed.
A loud noise began to startle him.
"And that? What was that?" Leo asked frantically.
The man picked his ear. "Demon ghost coming down the trail." he answered, running his hand through his beard.
"Demon what?" Leo gasped. "What are you talking about?"
Another noise started, louder than before. Leo took out his swords and got up.
"Get ready. We may have to defend ourselves." he said.
"Don't be so sense, monkey turtle. If we don't bother them, they won't bother us." the man explained, scratching his butt. "Remain silent, and they will continue on their ghostly way."
"Really?" Leo asked, curiously.
"Trust me." the man said.
Leo frowned, then reluctantly put his swords away and sat down. The noise came again, then Leo turned and saw four ghosts moving along, one red, one blue, one brown, one orange. They all passed by him and the man, when the man farted, getting purple to stop and turn to him.
"Ah!" Leo groaned.
The ghosts all turned and moved towards Leo and the man, making Leo angry and he held his fists up and gritted his teeth.
"Heh, it's just air." the man said.
"Tell that to them?" Leo frowned, turning to the ghosts.
The ghosts kept approaching them, then Leo jumped up and brought out his swords.
"AH!" he growled, landing on his feet.
The ghosts all moved towards him, before he charged at them.
The man just sat and watched.
Leo blocked Purple's sword with his right one, then backed away and blocked Orange's sword again with both of his. He then blocked a slash from both of them with his swords as he backed away some more.
"Don't get up to help or anything!" Leo complained, jumping over Purple.
Purple turned around to him, then they locked their swords together.
"Ha. I will not." the man said, turning to Leo's backpack. "Now, where'd you hide that chocolate?"
Leo charged at Purple as it came at him, then tried to slash it, but his sword went right through it.
"Whoa!" he yelped, as he skidded along.
He dug his swords briefly into the ground, then turned around.
"Okay, I see where this is heading." he said.
He turned and blocked Blue's sword with his right, moving around as they did, then he blocked Red's sword with his left as it came up behind him.
"They can hurt me..." he gritted.
He blocked Blue's sword with his left, then jumped away as Purple came at him, then he landed crouched down.
"..but I can't hurt them!" he finished.
He blocked Blue's sword with both of his, locking them together.
"AH! Which means, I'm gonna lose." Leo realized, as the other ghosts approached him, before he pulled away from Blue. "I'm gonna lose!"
He blocked Red's and Purple's swords with his own.
"Oh, dumb kumquat." the man said, shaking his head, eating some chocolate.
Leo's feet skidded backwards through the ground as he held the ghosts back, then he fell to his knees.
"Ah! How about helping me out here?" he called.
"How 'bout surrendering?" the man suggested.
Leo got up and pushed Red back slightly, then blocked both its and Purple's swords with his own. He pulled back and rolled to his left, then skidded backwards.
"What? That's your advice?!" Leo exclaimed. "That's ridiculous!"
He began to sweat as he dodged Blue's sword with his right, then he blocked Purple's with it, before running past them both.
"Just say 'I surrender'." the man advised.
"But that's stupid!" Leo argued.
Red came over and knocked his left sword out of his hand.
"To surrender is not the warrior's way!" Leo roared, jumping up as Purple tried to slash him.
He landed and turned around to Purple, as Red and Orange came up on either side of him. He turned as Blue came up behind him, then Blue knocked his right sword away, which hit and dug into the ground.
"You won't be much of a warrior without a head." the man reasoned.
Leo panted as he stared at the ghosts, which raised their swords up, then he closed his eyes, covered in sweat.
"I surrender!" he said, as the ghost moved to slash him.
Their swords stopped inches from him, then the ghosts looked at him, before they all turned and floated away. Leo panted as he put his left hand on the ground and closed his eyes, gutted and saddened.
"I lost. I failed...again." he panted.
The man ate some more chocolate and swallowed it, before burping.
"You stupid. You alive, right?" he said.
Leo panted while looking at him.
"A warrior who never fails, never learns." the man quoted.
Leo got up and turned around, seeing a shooting star in the sky.
The next morning, three big condors flew off towards a tower like building on top of a mountain. Leo and the man both walked along a path leading towards the tower, before they stopped near the foot of the mountain, and looked up.
"The end of the trail, monkey turtle." the man said, pointing up as he farted. "The Ancient One lives on top of this mountain, deep within a temple."
"Great. Let's go." Leo said.
"The temple guards are guarded and perilous to those who are unworthy." the man explained. "You think yourself worthy, kumquat?"
"I do." Leo said.
"Hmm. Okay, your funeral." the man said.
"So, what makes you think you're worthy?" Leo inquired.
"This." the man answered.
He lifted his right leg up and farted, blowing some dust away. Leo covered his beak with his forearm, before running ahead.
"Um, me in front, okay?" he said.
They both soon began climbing up the mountain, Leo getting ahead of the man, who farted.
Later, once near the top, Leo carried the man on his shoulders along a path, then towards a gateway. Leo grunted slightly as they approached it, then walked past the gateway, before the man farted.
"Ugh!" Leo moaned, as the man jumped off him.
"The Temple of the Ancient One lies within." the man explained, pointing forward.
He farted as Leo turned to face a temple door.
"Prepare yourself, kumquat!" the man advised.
He ran forward, then Leo followed him towards a door. The man soon stopped at a courtyard entrance, then Leo stopped behind him.
"Now, you must prove yourself against your most dangerous adversary." the man explained, as Leo took his swords out.
The ground shook wildly, then a large stone warrior came up from the ground, as rocks from all over magnetically attached itself to it. Leo and the man turned, as stone pieces from the support beams shot towards the warrior, which made a sword for it.
"I smell your fear...and your failure. You are not worthy." it said.
Leo growled and charged forward, then he jumped up and dived down to slice the warrior. The warrior however, knocked him down onto his side with his sword, then it kicked Leo away.
"AH!" Leo moaned.
He went flying away, before he hit the top of the doorway the man stood at, then he fell towards the ground. He landed crouched down, then looked up at the stone warrior.
"You are doomed to fail, as you have always failed yourself and others." it said.
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Leo roared, getting up.
He charged forward angrily.
"AGHH!" he yelled.
He blocked the stone warrior's sword with his own, then tried to slash it, but it blocked it with its sword, then it blocked both of them with its own.
"I know you better than you know yourself." it said.
It pushed Leo back with its sword, then raised it up to slash Leo, who blocked it with his own by crossing them over.
(Flashback)
Donnie sat on his knees on the Shredder's Starship, clutching his chest.
"Help me!" he cried. "I'm hurt!"
(Flashback ends)
Leo jumped away from the stone warrior, as Donnie's voice echoed in his ears. He then dodged as it tried to stab him, then he slashed its sword with his own, before it whacked him away slightly.
"Oh!" he moaned.
(Flashback)
Cath lies on her shell in the Starship, unable to move her broken arms.
"Leo, help!" she cried. "I can't move my arms!"
(Flashback ends)
Leo shook his head and moved back slightly, as Cath's voice echoed in his ears. The stone warrior then charged at him slightly, before it raised its up. It then tried to slash Leo, but he crossed his own over and blocked it.
(Flashback)
Mikey lay on his side, clutching his leg on the Starship.
"We're not gonna make it!" he cried, before reaching out. "Leo, help me?"
(Flashback ends)
Leo shook his head with his eyes closed, as Mikey's eyes echoed in his ears, then he looked at the stone warrior, who tried to slash him with its sword, but missed as Leo ducked. Leo then tried to slash it with both of his swords, but it blocked it with its own.
(Flashback)
Elisa lay on her side, clutching her chest, as she'd cracked a few ribs.
"Leo, we need a plan!" she cried. "Think of something?!"
(Flashback ends)
Leo looked up at the stone warrior as Elisa's voice echoed in his ears, then jumped and dived towards it.
"AH!" he yelled.
The stone warrior grabbed him by the waist, then slammed him into the ground by the shell.
(Flashback)
Raph sat on his knees, clutching his chest on the Starship.
"Leo, the Shredder's coming for us!" he cried, turning left. "You gotta do something?!"
(Flashback ends)
Leo was on all fours as Raph's voice echoed in his ears, then the stone warrior slammed him onto the ground.
"AH!" he moaned.
(Flashback)
Splinter lay on his back on the Starship, his fur burned as he held his left hand up.
"Save us, Leonardo?" he begged. "We are all counting on you, my son!"
(Flashback ends)
Leo was on his knees, hearing his father's voice in his ears, with his right sword dug into the ground.
"I'm sorry. I...I..." he said.
The stone warrior raised its sword over its head. It then tried to strike Leo with it, but Leo back flipped away, then he blocked his sword with his own by crossing them over.
"I did the best I could!" Leo pleaded. "I did...the best...I could!"
He sliced the warrior's sword up, then dodged a punch from it, before slicing part of its arm up. It then backed away as he sent a slash at it.
"There wasn't..." he said, trying to slash it with both swords, but missed as it moved back. "..anymore I could have done!"
He slashed the stone warrior twice with both swords, making it back away with its right arm up. It lowered its arm, then its face began to fall apart, showing Leo his own face.
"Ah!" he gasped, shocked.
"If there was nothing more you could have done, why do you punish yourself so?" the man asked.
Leo lowered his swords, then smiled, realizing he'd been his own worst enemy since receiving his scar from Karai, and that Cath had been right about him not being healed mentally. He put his swords away, then he and the stone warrior bowed at each other, then the warrior fell apart.
"I finally understand." he said.
He turned and walked towards the man.
"Ancient One, I am honored." Leo said, bowing on his knees.
"Ah. Took you long enough, Leonardo." the Ancient One said.
He bowed his head as Leo stared at him, Leo realizing he'd tricked him like Yoda had tricked Luke on Empire Strikes Back.
Later, Leo and the Ancient One were inside the temple, sitting on either side of a cooking pot, heating over an in-ground fire.
"Now, Leonardo, tell an old man what is is you think you have learned?" the Ancient One asked.
He handed Leo a bowl of hot tea, as Leo thought.
"I guess I've been... I've-I've been obsessed with failing." Leo said. "I hardened my heart like a rock; wrapped inside my own shell."
The Ancient One blew on his bowl of tea.
"Trying to be perfect; thinking I wasn't good enough, that I needed to be better." Leo continued, as the Ancient One picked up a bamboo stick. "So angry...so-"
The Ancient One whacked him in the head with the stick.
"OW!" he yelped. "What?"
"Too many words. Explain simply?" the Ancient One asked, putting the stick down.
"I've been my own worst enemy." Leo deduced.
"Much better. But, there's more, isn't there?" the Ancient One inquired.
"Yes. My sister, Cath was right, I hadn't fully healed mentally." Leo sighed. "She was just trying to help, and I kept getting mad at her, pushing her away. I'm defiantly apologising to her when I get home."
"Seems like she was deeply worried about you?" the Ancient One inquired.
"She does. She's the most caring in the family." Leo explained. "And I didn't listen to her when she tried to help."
"I'm sure she'll be glad to see you back to normal when you return then." the Ancient One assured. "Now, relax and enjoy your tea..."
They both drank some of their tea.
"..and let me tell you a tale of Master Yoshi." the Ancient One said. "When Yoshi found himself at the crossroads, not dissimilar to your own."
As he began to tell the tale, Leo knew that when he returned to his family, he wouldn't be angry at them anymore for nothing.