Ok! Here's to a chapter that isn't dark or depressing…at least I'm not intending it to be, how it writes itself is out of my control sometimes.
"Guys, I really gotta go,"
"Mikey…shut up…"
"But Ra-aph! This is serious! I gotta pee!"
"Then tell that ta Leo,"
"I tried! But you and I both know he's not exactly in the driver's seat at the moment!"
"Guys, stop fighting, Father and the ancient one will find us soon, and they'll definitely come up with a way to help us with Leo."
"Donnie, ya said that an hour ago,"
"And I'm still hopeful that they'll find us, and have a solution for our…predicament."
"Predicament? Donnie, I don't know about you, but predicament is not how I'd describe this."
"Hate ta say it, but Mikey's got a point."
"Just be patient, guys, they'll come, any minute now."
"Ya don't sound too convinced yerself, Don."
"Any. Minute. NOW."
"Guys…I still gotta pee…"
…
Eight Hours Earlier
Michelangelo and Leonardo sat in the dojo, their legs folded into a lotus, both breathing deep and even.
It had been almost a month since the family returned from their vacation in the Nexus. Three weeks to be precise. Those weeks had been grueling work for Leo as he recovered from his abduction. Donnie hadn't been lying that he'd deal with muscle weakness, not to mention the sudden bouts of incomprehensible fatigue. That frustrated the young leader. He could be in the middle of a kata while training, and in a moment he'd be slapped with a wave of exhaustion so extreme he got dizzy. There were more than a few times his brothers literally had to catch him. Leonardo appreciated their support, but he hated the weakness he still felt in his body. His hands even shook while holding his katana. Granted, things were improving, and he was getting stronger, but not as fast as he'd like.
One pleasant change was that the Ancient One was visiting their humble abode. After learning about Leonardo's kidnapping, the old man wished to check on his student. The gruff old man showing tender concern at his arrival when he reunited with the young leader. The old master had many ideas to help Leo regain his strength, and had settled in for a long visit until he felt that the oldest turtle had recovered sufficiently for his peace of mind. Leo was touched at the concern, and was grateful that the old man had come so far just for his welfare. It also helped make the days less daunting, as the two masters would rotate in training sessions, sometimes the Ancient One leading the lesson, other times Splinter.
For the moment, though, their father and the Ancient One were shopping at the market in the Nexus, intent on finding a particular herbal tea that would help Leonardo's recovery. While Raphael and Donnie tinkered up in the garage on their vehicles, Leo was guiding Mikey through a personal training session in meditation, the eldest wanting to hone the spiritual powers that the baby brother was starting to exhibit.
Michelangelo had told Leo about how his dream had shown them the location of the cellar, and to say the blue ninja was intrigued would be an understatement. Since that conversation, Leonardo and Mikey would meditate together at least once a day, with the leader helping his youngest sibling learn to navigate the astral plane. They were making good progress, as the orange turtle had always been a quick learner in the art of ninjutsu, and Leo enjoyed showing his world to Mikey. Plus, in the spirit realm he didn't have to worry about things like muscle weakness or fatigue. These meditation sessions with Michelangelo made him feel normal again, not like an invalid still trying to recover from a nightmarish kidnapping, and almost murder.
It was during one of these sessions that the brothers were exploring the astral plane, the area around them was a spirit forest, the colors vibrant and shimmering. Leo turned to Mikey, his face wreathed in a wide grin, "You're doing great, bro. Honestly, you've made a lot of progress. Pretty soon you'll pass me up and be regular spirit guru."
The younger turtle gave a modest shrug, shyly looking down at his feet and blushing at the praise, "Nah, I wouldn't have made it this far without your help."
"Sure you would have," Leonardo clapped his brother encouragingly on the shoulder, "but I'm glad I got to join you, it's been fun hanging out like this."
"Me too," Mikey smiled, "I don't get a lot of time with it being just you and me."
Leo nodded in understanding, then cast his gaze around at their surroundings, "So, where do you want to explore first?"
Michelangelo pursed his lips, hands on his hips as he slowly turned to peruse the area, "Hmm, where to play?"
Leo watched the younger turtle as he made his choice, pride swelling in his chest. He wasn't kidding when he said that Mikey had come a long way. The orange ninja was much faster at reaching the astral plane in meditation than he was three weeks ago. Even their father had noticed the improvement, remarking on it only the day before how Mikey's focus had sharpened. Their baby brother couldn't stop grinning for the rest of the day, and Leo couldn't blame him. The youngest ninja had worked hard, and had rightfully earned their father's favor.
Michelangelo was still making his decision when baby blue eyes widened, prompting the teen to suppress a shudder and briskly turn on his heel to face the opposite direction. The blue ninja raised an eyebrow ridge in confusion, then followed Mikey's previous line of sight, only for his own face to pale.
Directly ahead lay a cave, it's gaping mouth lined with stone stalagmite fangs. The pitch black within held secrets and dangers, and Leo could almost hear the muttering of the skin walker. His broad shoulders rippled with the shiver that ran down his spine. His mind was flung back to the cellar, the morbid roommates, the dark dank smell, the swinging lamp's light flickering on the walls accompanying the sound of the creature processing its suits. Leo's vision tunneled, forcing him to look deeper into the cave, the air coming into his lungs suddenly feeling thinner as the turtle vaguely acknowledged that he couldn't breathe.
"Uh, Leo?"
It's skittering fingers, he remembered them too well. The way it's feet shuffled along the dirt floor, dragging its tangled mane of hair behind it.
"Leo!"
The feeling of the cold table, the utter hopelessness of being completely at the creature's mercy. Powerless to stop it's evil ambitions, and incapable of escape. Shell, Leonardo could remember it all in startling detail. The turtle was shivering, whole body trembling like he'd just stood for an hour on the tallest skyscraper in New York on a cold January night. That's right, it was so cold down in that hole. Cold and dark, with no hint of light from the outside. He was trapped all over again in that place, he couldn't get out, couldn't breathe, couldn't…
"LEO!"
The blue ninja snapped out of his reverie, his frame violently shaking and eyes wild from the trauma of his flashback. However, the astral plane was not as he left it. The once peaceful meadow, so vibrant and alive, had grown dark with roiling storm clouds overhead. Lightening flashed, thunder rolling loud enough to deafen the listener. Leo grimaced at the volume, gritting his teeth as a fierce wind picked up, swirling around them. Despair and anger exploded in the young leader's heart. He had done this. How could he have been so stupid?!
Glancing up, Leonardo made his way towards Mikey, his frame buffeted by the howling gale surrounding them. "Mike!"
"What happened?" The younger brother asked, hands shielding his eyes from the stinging winds.
Leo groaned, sapphire eyes growing heavy with guilt, "It's my fault," he growled through a moan, "of all the amateur, ridiculous, downright stupid things I could have done!"
"What did you do?" Michelangelo's tone was incredulous, disbelief that Leo could have made a mistake evident.
"What did I say was the number one rule about being in the astral plane?" The blue ninja shouted back his reply, trying to make himself heard over the storm.
Mikey thought for a moment, baby blue eyes going back and forth as he searched his memory before perking up, "Don't let your mind wander?"
Leo nodded, another wave of self loathing scorching up his throat, "I broke that rule, I let my mind wander and it effected the environment."
"So, what now?"
The blue turtle paused, gathering his thoughts, trying desperately to stop the lingering patches of his flashback from replaying in his mind, "We need to get to safety," he stated slowly, "if we attempt to pull out now without calming our minds, we could risk accidentally stopping our hearts."
Mikey nodded, no doubt remembering the serious conversation he'd had with his team leader earlier that day. Leo had told his baby brother that Mikey was still untrained, and a quick exit could hurt him, he had to leave in stages, similar to how a scuba diver has to resurface slowly. With Leonardo, even though he was almost fully trained in the mystic arts, his body was still too weak from his abduction, thus requiring him to take it easy as well. Neither thought it would prove to be a problem, as they had been exploring the astral plane for the better part of a week with no issues. Leo growled to himself, cursing that he had endangered Mikey with his lack of focus.
The wailing screech of metal cellar doors caught their ears, accompanied by the snarling growl of the skin walker. Leo let out a string of expletives in Japanese, shocking his little brother, "Dude!" Mikey gaped, turning shocked baby blues to Leo, "I'm telling Dad! I didn't think you even knew words like that!"
Leonardo blushed, "Sorry, Mike," he ground out, "I'm just feeling a little frazzled."
"What set you off?" The orange ninja probably knew what it was, but he needed to hear Leo say it.
The team leader looked at the ground, shame searing his cheeks, "The cave," he muttered, voice almost drowned out by the storm, "I haven't had the best track record with them, or underground places in general."
"Which is interesting, considering we live in the sewers," Mikey gave a small smile at his brother, trying to diffuse the tension, "but understandable considering everything you've been through."
The shuffling of hair dragging in the dirt slid by in the growing dark, the monster had drawn much closer to the duo, "Shell!" Leonardo hissed, realizing he let the conversation drag on too long. Yet another mistake made that could potentially kill them both. "Come on!"
Grabbing Michelangelo by the hand, Leo drug his brother in a random direction, knowing that in the end it would be pointless.
They were in the astral realm, there was no finding safety somewhere, his own inability to control his thoughts was molding the environment. Changing it into the nightmare he faced every night, the horrible dream where he relived his abduction and the horrors he faced, the one he never told his brothers about. Another burst of guilt scorched his gut. Leonardo hadn't told his brothers how difficult the recovery was for him mentally. Sure, they knew how frustrated he was about his physical body not healing as fast as he'd like, but he still hadn't opened up about the nightmares. He was regressing back to how he used to be before the caves, not being honest with his family about his struggles. However, he couldn't burden them with this. He was already a monumental burden by being a liability to the team physically. They shouldn't have to deal with his night terrors.
Except now he was inside the nightmare all over again, and this time his baby brother was in danger, and it was all his fault.
Despite not being in a physical body, the blue ninja's shoulders heaved as he struggled to breathe. He needed to get Mikey to safety. He needed to dispel the storm, and drive away the monster hunting them, but how? The horrible skittering of nails on a metal table came on his right, jerking the turtle out of his thoughts. Fear, cold and sharp as a shard of ice, sliced Leonardo's gut. He couldn't face that thing again. The shaking in his limbs grew worse, making the ninja clench his jaw as he tried to regain control over his body. It wasn't working though. Turning back towards the trail, Leo continued to drag Michelangelo, footsteps normally ninja silent now making a racket as they crashed through the underbrush. The sense of urgency as palpable as the storm above. The blue ninja continued blindly running, heart pounding with desperation to put as much space between him and the monster as possible. He ran for God knows how long, before he felt a tug on on his arm.
"Leo! You gotta slow down!"
Leonardo shook his head, tugging back to ensure Mikey continued to follow him, "We can't, it's coming!"
The orange ninja pulled harder, digging his heels in, "Look, Leo, I'm not a genius like Don, but even I can tell what's going on here! Come on, let me help you!"
Leaf green shoulders hunched as the blue warrior came to a stop, refusing to turn around and face his baby brother. Shame and self loathing battled in his heart against the need for reassurance from his sibling. He was the older brother, he should be the one protecting Mikey, not the other way around! However, the memory of a dark journey through a cave reminded him that his brothers could be trusted. That it was safe to be vulnerable in their presence. That he didn't have to be the strong one all the time.
The howling gale continued to batter against the duo, sending their mask tails flying every direction. Michelangelo shifted his grip on his brothers hand, squeezing it comfortingly, "Leo, I know you still have nightmares about that place. We all do. We've heard your nightmares, dude."
The broad shoulders hunched further, Leonardo stubbornly keeping his gaze firmly pinned onto the ground. Of course they've heard, why wouldn't they? He lived in a home full of trained ninjas, it was impossible to keep a secret, "I'm sorry," he choked out, the hand gripping Mikey's trembling as the sound of the skin walker hit the trail behind them, "but I don't know what to do. I can't escape it, and I didn't want to make you worry even more. I've been so useless lately…"
"You haven't been useless, you've been healing!" Mikey insisted, his tenacity shining through, "Come on, Leo. You can't go back to how you were before the caves, it will only hurt you, not to mention us! We've come so far! Don't let that monster steal all the progress we've made! It doesn't deserve that victory!"
Leo choked on the lump building in his throat, before finally turning to meet the sincere baby blue gaze of his sibling. Even with the storm, his paranoia recreating his worst nightmare, the fact he was running from that fear, Mikey still looked at him with eyes full of admiration, and love. Shell, he didn't feel like he deserved that. This unreserved trust that never doubted even for a second. The monster was coming closer, but suddenly Leo didn't feel as much fear before. He wasn't alone. He had his brother who literally shone with light, and hope.
"You're stronger than anyone I know, Leo," Mikey said, tone soft and confident, "you were the one who manifested a dragon before any of us did. You're my amazing big brother, and fearless leader that I'd follow anywhere. That thing only has as much power over you as you give it."
Sapphire eyes widened as Leo remembered his dragon totem, and like a lightbulb flicking on, he knew what he needed to do. Reaching forward, the turtle gathered his youngest sibling into his arms, and squeezed him in a tight hug. Even though the skin walker from his nightmares was skittering up the trail right behind him, even though he could almost smell its rank stench of dead and decomposing bodies, Leo was at peace. He focused on his dragon totem, pulling it into existence, pleading for its aid once again, opening himself to its power and indomitable strength.
A flash of light, an earth shaking roar, the flapping of mighty wings, all were the last things Leo remembered before his world fell to black.
…
Mikey opened his eyes, a wide grin on his face as he prepared to congratulate his brother for successfully facing his fear, but stopped short at the sight that met his gaze.
In his brother's place was the large dragon form that Michelangelo had only seen in the physical world once before. It's large wings folded elegantly down its back wile it's blue crowned head craned like a swans neck. Sharp claws gleamed in the light of the lair, and a lithe tail curled around the serpentine body much like a cat. The orange ninja gave a nervous gulp. He didn't remember Leo's dragon form being this big before, but then again, they were all dragons at the time. So the size difference didn't really hit till now. However, Michelangelo could definitely say, his big brother was enormous when he was a dragon.
"Uh, Leo?" The youngest chuckled weakly, "You ok? I mean, you did great on the astral plane, but did you mean to turn into a dragon, you know, down here?"
The reptilian head cocked to the side, slitted eyes blank and unfamiliar. It gave no response and that's when the orange ninja knew that they were in big trouble. "Actually," Mikey began, slowly walking backwards away from the large beast that used to be Leonardo, "I think I hear Dad calling," the teen turned his head to call over his shoulder, "Coming, Dad!"
The dragon stirred restlessly, an unhappy snarl growing in its gullet as Michelangelo got closer to the door. The orange turtle was almost past the threshold when the dragon pounced. A short yip of surprise was the only sound that made it past green lips before Mikey found himself inexplicably up in the air. The youngest was being carried, held by his belt, by the gentlest fangs he'd ever seen out of the dojo and into the living room of the lair. A groan exploded from the turtle as he considered his situation, then directed a pout up at the hulking beast.
"Put me down!"
The dragon ignored the command, merely approaching the living area of the lair, while Mikey continued his tirade. "Bad Leo! Bad! Put me down!"
One long leg stepped over the couch, while another batted the coffee table out of the way, shattering the wooden piece of furniture against the wall. Michelangelo winced, "Oh, shell, Dad is not gonna be happy about that." Turning back to his current captor, the orange turtle kicked his arms and legs, screaming, "Leonardo Hamato, you put me down this MINUTE!"
With a few scoots, pawed digs with sheathed claws, and swipes with his tail, the large animal created a soft nest for itself out of the pillows, cushions and blankets on the floor. It curled up on top with a pleased reptilian purr, holding Michelangelo in its mouth as it shifted its shoulders so to settle into the soft mound. Setting its mouthful down, the dragon nuzzled Mikey, it's purr growing in both volume and resonance as it's muzzle snuffled along the turtle's head. The teen squinted as the large beast checked him over, allowing the contact before slowly standing up.
"Ok, this has been fun, but I need to go get Donnie…or call Dad,"
The dragon once again cocked its head, not seeming to understand the language of the turtle, and once again began to nuzzle the smaller reptile. Mikey groaned, "No, Leo! You need to stop. Now, I'm going to go get Donnie, and we're going to try and find Dad so we can turn you back. Now, stay! Got it? STAY!"
It seemed the dragon agreed with that sentiment, because as soon as Mikey made a move to leave it promptly grabbed his head between its teeth. The orange ninja yelped, reaching up to grab the large jaws, grateful that the dragon was being as gentle as he had been earlier. However, having ones head grabbed by a mythical creature wasn't an entirely comfortable experience, no matter how careful the beast is. "LEO! STOP! That's my HEAD, dude!"
The beast pulled the turtle back between its forepaws, forcing him to sit down in the nest. Michelangelo groaned, then sighed, resigning himself to his fate. Reaching down to his belt, the orange ninja was pleased to find he remembered to wear his shell cell. Tugging it out, the turtle dialed his immediate older brother, waiting as it rang until the scientist finally answered. "What's up, Mike?"
"Uh, we got a problem, a really bi-ig problem."
A click signifying that Don had put his brother on speakerphone ticked in Mikey's ear, "What, did you wreck Raph's punching bag again?" Donatello snickered.
"He better not have!" Raphael shouted in the background.
"No," the orange ninja groaned, fending off more aggressive snuggling from the large beast, "you remember how Leo and I have been meditating together?"
"Yeah?"
"Well," Mikey paused, trying to piece his words together, the dragon purrs vibrating through his shell as it leaned its head against the turtle, "we had a bumpy ride this time, Leo had to keep me safe, and when we came out of meditation…Leo, kinda, turnedintoadragon!"
"What?!" Donnie asked.
"He's a dragon again?!" Raphael spluttered, "I thought he couldn't do that? The tribunal said that we needed those necklaces ta channel our energy, and ours broke after the battle with demon shredder."
"Yeah," the youngest sighed, resting his head against the sapphire blue crown of the dragon.
"Well, what's the problem then?" The brawler asked, "He can just change back, right?"
"Not really," Mikey patted the green nose, stroking it, "he's not really in control. He doesn't seem to recognize me at all, and he's acting like a dragon."
Silence reigned for a moment, Michelangelo could just picture his two brothers as they blinked uncomprehendingly at his statement. Then he heard Don take a shaky breath, "Are you safe?"
The youngest grinned, heart warm that his brothers would worry over his safety, "Yeah, Leo picked me up, then made a nest in the living room. Now he won't let me leave, keeps wanting to cuddle."
Snorts of laughter buzzed through the device creating a slight static, "He's wanting to cuddle?" Don giggled.
"Yep," Mikey shrugged, "I don't think he knows who I am though, which is weird."
Their genius sibling gave a soft, thoughtful hum, "Interesting," he murmured, "I mean, myths and folklore say that dragons hoard gold and treasure, but other folklore says that dragons just protect what they personally see as treasure."
"Meaning?" The orange ninja drawled.
"Meaning that Leo's personality may be somewhat still intact." Donatello announced, "at least to the point that we won't be in danger, but he'll probably see us as something he needs to protect."
"While that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside," Raphael sighed, "and I'm definitely goin' ta be teasin' Leo about this for months, that doesn't solve the problem."
"Good point," Don hummed, "I'll need to see him for myself. Maybe we can talk him down together?"
Michelangelo grimaced, not convinced the plan would work, "You might want to find a way to contact Dad, because Leo doesn't understand a word I'm saying."
"Big whoop," Raph snickered, "I never understand what yer sayin' and I'm perfectly fine."
"Big talk for a mutant turtle with your face," Mikey shot back, giggling as he heard the inevitable explosion.
Expletives echoed through the speaker, making the youngest pull his head away, shaking it in disgust, "His potty mouth is worse than yours," Michelangelo muttered at the dragon, "which is something I'd never thought I'd say, but after hearing it straight from the turtle's mouth, I have to say I'm disappointed in both of you."
The dragon merely purred, proceeding to try and give the smaller reptile a bath, "No! Bad Leo! I don't need a bath, I'm perfectly clean!"
Where there once was profanity, was immediately replaced by cackles of laughter, "Oh shell, I gotta see this!"
Mikey batted at the snout as it drew near, his nose wrinkling in distaste, "Look, if you're going to come down here, can you bring my gameboy that I left in the battle shell? Please?"
"Fine, I'll bring yer gameboy," Raphael chuckled, "me and Don'll be down there in a few minutes."
"See ya in a few," Michelangelo grumbled.
…..
"Well…this is embarrassin'…"
The two younger turtles gave quiet laughs, even though they couldn't help but agree.
Both red and purple ninjas had come down from the garage, ready to tease Mikey for his predicament, but neither expected how quickly the dragon in question would tackle them. Before either could speak, much less protest, they had been carried to the nest, and set alongside Mikey (who had also been recaptured, as he had was attempting an escape). The dragon then sat down, curling around his prize like a proud mother, and proceeded to groom himself. Sharp fangs carefully preened each wing, licking and biting as he took meticulous care of making the scales gleam. Mikey was just relieved the beast wasn't trying to give him a bath anymore. Looking to the side, the youngest ninja sighed.
"So," he chirped with false optimism, "thoughts? Ideas? Plans that will make Leo turn back to normal?"
Donatello groaned, "I don't know, Mikey, meditation and mystic powers were always Father's and Leo's territory. I'm a scientist!"
"Don't look at me," Raph muttered, angrily pushing away the green snout of the dragon, "I have no idea how ta get Fearless back ta normal."
The beast gave a disconsolate whine, snuffling at Raphael's head, nudging at the grumpy turtle. The red ninja growled at the dragon, but it broke off into a sigh, "I can't stay mad at 'im," he groused, "I try, but then he tries cuddlin' or somethin', he really doesn't have any memory, does he?"
"I don't think so," Michelangelo mourned, "I've tried talking to him, but he's never acted like he understood. It's like I'm talking to Klunk!"
Donnie opened his mouth, ready to pose a hypothesis, but heard the door to their home opening. The genius paused, confusion coloring his brown eyes, "Father and the Ancient One are still shopping in the nexus, right?"
"Yeah?" Raph nodded.
"So, who's coming through the front door?"
All three turtles turned to the door, watching in horror as it opened to reveal Casey Jones, "Hey, I got pizza, I got popcorn, I got a movie, I even got ice cream!" The young man announced, face stretched in a grin, "So, who ready for Friday movie night!"
"Casey, DUCK!"
The human barely had time to respond to the warning before a burst of blue flame shot out of the dragon's maw, "Holy….!"
Casey gave the term duck and cover new meaning as he fell flat to the floor, then rolled behind a pillar. Leo, in his dragon form, hunched over his brothers, covering them with his body and wings, snarling a deep guttural growl that vibrated through the brother's shells. Raphael crawled out from under the beast, calling to his friend, "Casey, ya gotta hide! Don't let Leo see ya!"
"That thing's Leo?!"
"I'll explain later!" The red ninja bellowed, "Just hide somewhere!"
The human slowly stood, trying to maintain a hunched position behind various furniture, all the while listening as the dragon's growl echoed in the lair. Casey made a mistake though, edging around another pillar, the young man dared a peek at the beast. Blue eyes widened, and a slack jaw dropped. Mikey couldn't blame the man, Leo was certainly a sight to behold as a dragon. Even the orange turtle couldn't hold back the urge to gape at the change. However, all he had to deal with was Leo acting clingy, Casey has a full blown dragon with its teeth bared, ready to kill him. Yeah, Mikey didn't blame Casey for being scared, he did blame him for being an idiot and poking his head where they all could see it.
The mistake had been made, though, and as soon as Leo saw the human, the dragon opted to relocate his treasure. Which was a blessing, as they knew Casey stood no chance against a dragon, but it also meant that now they were on the move. With one smooth motion, Leo gathered up his brothers, clutching each belt between his teeth, and took off out the open door. Red, purple and orange screamed as the mythical reptile sprinted through the sewers. Taking hairpin turns, crawling along the ceiling, and jumping across chasms of pipes. Raphael was holding onto Donatello's arm, having found nothing else to grip, while Michelangelo covered his eyes with both hands, peeking between two fingers. The dragon ran for ages until it found a pipe leading out into the Hudson River wide enough for the beast to fit.
Jumping out the opening, Leo took to the sky. The powerful wings beat, sending mighty strokes downwards, propelling them into the clouds. Mikey peeked between his fingers, and let out a shriek, "LEO! We are WAY. TOO. HIGH!"
"Holy, SHELL!" Raphael bellowed, gripping his belt as if the contact would ensure his safety, "Leo! Ya gotta land somewhere! Ok?! Ya gotta land!"
Donatello reached up to pull on the muzzle holding them, tapping it almost as if to convey his wish to land safely via Morse code, "Leo, please, aniki! Land!"
The dragon paused midair, looking around the skyline of the city, the gave a happy chirp as it noticed an ideal nesting spot. Unfortunately, the nesting spot was the garden of the Foot Clan skyscraper. The brothers groaned, "Of course, ya choose there." Raph grumbled.
Leo landed with a thump into the garden. The skyscraper itself barely showed that there had once been a mighty battle on it, one that had decided the fate of the world. In fact, in the time they had been zapped into the future, the foot clan had gone to great lengths rebuilding itself. Including the less than legal ventures, as shown when the turtles from the alternate dimension visited and their entire dimension was almost wiped from existence. Which also meant the building was still guarded, not that that meant much to a dragon.
Putting his brothers down, the dragon chirped with delight, nuzzling the smaller reptiles and then curling around them. Tail drawn tight, the beast pushed the turtles under his wing. Cocking the blue crowned head, the dragon gave a thoughtful trill, then bent down to once again attempt washing Michelangelo, "Seriously, Leo? Why always me? Why not Donnie, or Raph?!"
The youngest pushed the snout away, swatting at his dragon brother, but paused when he gave a warning growl. Nudging Mikey with his snout, the beast tried to continue his task, but the whir of the elevator doors opening caused the head to pop back up. The orange turtle groaned, rubbing his temples with two fingers, "Well, at least Leo is severely overpowered right now, so that's good," he sighed theatrically, "but that doesn't change the fact we're on top of the freaking Foot Headquarters!"
Raphael lowered his head as the dragon resumed his protective stance over the turtles, "Honestly, I'm willin' ta let him fight. Maybe he'll tire himself out, and snap out of it?"
"Great plan," Don smirked, "but say he does, and transforms back. How do we get down?"
Raphael paused, then gave a grunt, "No idea."
"Not to interrupt," Mikey stated, pointing towards the door, "but we got serious company!"
Foot ninja poured from the door, with many more following through various holes and secret doors. Leading the charge was none other than Karai, her face drawn into a dark scowl, "Turtles!" She spat, "What are you doing here? Intent on using your new power to attack?"
"Believe it or not," Donatello sighed, his tone overflowing with resignation, "this was not intentional. We're having something of a weird night, but I can definitely say that he won't attack if you don't."
"Yeah," Mikey nodded enthusiastically, "Leo isn't really himself right now, and if you just pretend you never saw us, I promise we'll leave."
Karai's dark gaze flickered between the teen turtles and the snarling dragon. The mutant ninjas stayed low to the ground, arms casually folded under their chins, each gaze trying to convey the truth behind their explanation. Glancing back up at the mythical creature, the woman sighed, "Stand down," she growled, "lower your weapons, and let the turtles and their brother leave."
The foot ninja cast confused looks at one another, shrugging as they hesitantly put their weapons on the ground. The dragon's rolling snarl eased up, however its protective cover did not. Looking around it, the beast seemed to almost pout as it's perch was compromised. Heaving an unhappy snort, the beast once again picked up his brothers and moved to the edge of the garden. "Here we go again," Mikey moaned as the dragon dropped from the skyscraper.
The brothers screamed as they once again took to the air, this time circling the city. "I sure hope he doesn't try ta leave the city," Raph sighed.
"Please don't jinx us like that, Raphie," Donnie whined, "you know the universe has it out for us, and throwing it a bone like that isn't helpful!"
Raphael released a groan riding on a frustrated sigh, as without missing a beat, the dragon flew towards the forested area of the Northamptons. "I just had ta open my big dumb mouth, what else could go wrong?"
"Raphie!" Don screamed, "Never ask what else could go wrong, we never ask that! It's like daring the universe to make it worse!"
"Guys…"
"Since when did ya get so superstitious?!" Raph bit, "I though ya were all about science, and facts, and hard evidence?"
"Uh, guys?"
"I am," Donatello nodded, "but you gotta admit that our lives would tend to make even a hardcore skeptic become a believer."
"GUYS!"
The two turned to look at their youngest, each wearing a pout, "WHAT?!"
"Donnie's phone is ringing!" Mikey stated, his own face wearing a frown.
The genius yelped, reaching down to answer the shell cell, but could only hold it away from his ear as he winced in pain, "Donatello! Where are you and your brothers?! Why is Leonardo not answering his phone, and why is the entrance to the lair burned black?!"
"Hi, Master Splinter," Donnie greeted miserably, "we have a bit of a problem."
"I'm listening…" the rat growled lowly.
"Mikey and Leo were meditating, and according to Mike, Leo had to save him in the astral realm," the purple ninja explained, words hurried as he strove to clear their name from their father's discipline list, "but when they came out of meditation, Leo was in his dragon form!"
"Leonardo is a dragon?" The Ancient One's tone was shocked, and slightly impressed, "Ah, wait, that would actually make sense."
"What would make sense?" Splinter queried, sounding as confused as they all looked.
The old master gave a thoughtful hum, "Michelangelo, did Leonardo have to call upon his spirit totem in the astral realm?"
Mikey paused, then gave a nod, "Yeah, he…he was spooked by something he saw, and it effected, well, everything."
"Spooked? By what?" Raph perked up, interest brightening his amber gaze.
The youngest sighed, not wanting to tell on his brother, but not seeing any way around it, "Look," he sighed, "he's been having a hard time with the whole abduction thing. I know we've all heard his nightmares, and even though we've been patient, he hasn't told us about them."
The group, both on the phone and being held by the dragon, nodded in agreement. They'd all heard the muted cries in the night, the choked sobs riding on breathless screams. The tossing and turning on worn out mattress springs, resulting in a morning where the blue turtle had dark rings under his eyes and palpable exhaustion following every footstep. They knew it all too well.
"So, when we were in the astral realm," Mikey continued, "he saw a cave and he got hit by a flashback, a bad one. Bad enough that the astral realm reacted to it. A huge storm blew up, and we were being hunted by an evil spirit that used Leo's memories to sound like the skin walker."
Raphael and Don sucked in horrified gasps. They both remembered that thing, heck, they even had their own nightmares about it. Not that they mentioned them either. Amber and brown eyes filled with guilt as they realized their own hypocrisy. They should have mentioned their nightmares, then maybe Leo would have told his. "So, what happened next?" Don prompted.
"He spiraled," Mikey admitted quietly, "went into a full blown panic attack, trying to get us to safety, but mostly just running blind. I was scared. So, I stopped him and told him to get his head out of his shell and remember that he's got us. That's when he finally calmed down, and then he manifested his spirit totem. Took on the projection of the skin walker like a boss. I was so excited that he was able to face it and take it down, but when I came out of meditation, he was still a dragon."
"Ah, very interesting," The Ancient One murmured, "it seems that Leonardo was indeed able to face his fear, but his body was too weak to handle the excess power. Normally, he would have been able to maintain the dominant personality, but as he is currently, the dragon took over. We can only wait until it relinquishes control."
The turtles groaned, "Roger that," Don sighed, "we're flying over the Northamptons right now. As soon as Leo lands I'll send our coordinates to April so you can come pick us up."
"Then we shall wait until then," Splinter affirmed, "be safe my sons."
Donatello hung up, then looked out to the night sky, watching the trees fly by underneath their dangling limbs, interspersed with lakes and rivers. "I guess it could be worse," the genius turtle murmured, "at least we know that Leo faced the skin walker for himself, and won. Maybe that will help with his nightmares."
"I hope so," Raphael nodded, "I really do."
…
Less than an hour later the dragon landed in a familiar meadow nearby a crumbling lumber mill. Donatello made quick work of sending their coordinates, and soon all were settling down in the soft grass. Leo proceeded to once again groom himself, apparently unhappy with his wings condition. The trio attempted to leave while Leo was distracted, but he quickly sent a warning growl, freezing them in their tracks. Deciding that his personal cleaning could wait, the dragon ducked down to nab Michelangelo so to finish the youngest turtle's grooming. Mikey whined aloud, unhappy with the attention.
"No, Leo! NO! Oh come, on! Why is it always ME?!"
Raphael laughed throughout Mikey's wash, that is until the dragon came after him. After all had been suitably groomed, Leo sat with his eyes half lidded, a trilling purr rumbling in his chest. Wings folded neatly at his sides, and his precious treasure safely ensconced within the curve of his tail. Mikey looked between the dragon and his brothers, his body fidgeting, and face a mask of discomfort, "Aw man,"
Raph quirked an eyebrow ridge at his baby brother, confusion in his liquid gold gaze, "What's yer problem?"
The youngest gave a disconsolate whine, "Guys, I really gotta go,"
The red turtle groaned, "Mikey…shut up…"
"But Ra-aph! This is serious! I gotta pee!" The orange ninja exclaimed.
"Then tell that ta Leo,"
"I've tried!" Mikey exclaimed, "Once back at the lair, and when we were at the foot headquarters, but you and I both know he's not exactly in the driver's seat at the moment!"
Donatello opened his eyes from the light doze he had fallen into, "Guys, stop fighting," he growled, "Father and the ancient one will find us soon, and they'll definitely come up with a way to help us with Leo."
"Donnie, ya said that an hour ago," the red ninja grumbled.
"And I'm still hopeful that they'll find us, and have a solution for our…predicament." The genius confirmed.
Mikey chuckled softly, "Predicament? Donnie, I don't know about you, but predicament is not how I'd describe this."
Raph gave an amused huff of air, "Hate ta say it, but Mikey's got a point." He grunted.
"Just be patient, guys, they'll come, any minute now." Don closed his eyes, intent on going back to sleep.
The brawler quirked an eyebrow, "Ya don't sound too convinced yerself, Don."
"Any. Minute. NOW." The intellectual ground out, keeping his eyes stubbornly shut.
Silence for about two moments, until Mikey gave a desperate squeak, "Guys…I still gotta pee…"
….
Leonardo slowly came to, the early rays of dawn breaking, making the sky turn grey. The turtle glanced around, sapphire eyes confused and slightly afraid. His brothers were curled up around him, each sound asleep. The young leader gaped, his eyes shooting from the meadow, to the river and back to the old lumber mill. He recognized the area, they'd come here once before and had met an alien named Jhanna. But how did they get here? And why didn't he remember it?
"What the shell?" The turtle murmured, cocking his head like a confused puppy.
"Don't think I forgot about your potty mouth."
Leo's eyes widened, and he glanced down to see the sleepy gaze of his baby brother, "Mikey," the eldest greeted, before giving a bemused smile to his sibling, "how did we get here?"
Michelangelo's face slowly spread with a mischievous grin, "You don't remember, do you?"
"Remember what?"
"You've been a dragon for the better part of the night."
Leo's jaw dropped, his leaf green skin paling in shock, "I've been what?"
"A dragon," the sibling supplied.
"Oh no," the leader gasped, "did I do anything…bad?"
"Well," the turtle winced, "you might have broken Dad's coffee table, tried to kill Casey, burnt the lair with dragon fire, and almost picked a fight with the foot."
Leo wilted, his face a harsh grimace, "I couldn't handle the excess power of my totem, I bet," he theorized, "the dragon probably took control."
Mikey nodded in agreement, "That's what Dad and the Ancient One said."
"That's it, though?" The blue ninja asked quietly, "I didn't do anything else embarrassing?"
The orange turtle pursed his lips, eyes twinkling as he considered his words, "Well, you did act like a big ol' mother hen, not letting us get away from you, insisting that we stay under your wing like little chicks. I think the worst part was when you kept wanting to give us a bath."
"WHAT?!" Sapphire eyes were blown wide, mouth stretching in disgust, "Ew!"
"Trust me, bro," Mikey giggled, "it was way worse for us."
The green face grew rosy with an intense blush, "Shell, I'm so sorry, Mikey." He groaned.
The orange ninja cackled at how embarrassed his big brother looked, debating on whether he'd have mercy on the poor turtle, "I'm still telling Dad, by the way, about your potty mouth in the astral realm."
Leo recovered from his embarrassment, giving his baby brother a stern pout, "Go ahead," he grumbled, "but you're forgetting one important detail."
"Oh, yeah?"
"You tell Father what I said," the blue turtle threatened softly, "and that means you'll have to admit that you know those words yourself."
Michelangelo gaped, eyes growing wide, mouth working as he desperately tried to come up with a response. Leonardo watched with growing amusement, before rolling over, "That's what I thought. I'm going back to sleep, night."
The orange teen continued to splutter behind Leo's back, making the eldest fight back a wave of giggles, until Mikey finally exploded.
"You jerk!"
Leo gave a large grin, and as he closed his eyes he settled in for the first sleep he's had in weeks that was blessedly nightmare free.
How did you enjoy that? That was my idea when I heard the title Feral. Not totally hurt/comfort, but I had fun writing it!