So, this chapter is mostly a Dream Sequence but one I feel will be helpful for Leo's character development this story is one I found on YouTube as Ted Ed animated story, I'm kind of iffy on Ted Talks but I do like their videos bringing a light to myths and folklore from around the world I particurally like their videos on the more obscure Grimm Fairy Tales the ones they don't make Disney movies based on, but anyway this is a traditional Japanese Folktale and Leo is likely to know of it, also I know I should finish A Rogue and his Mutant I just haven't felt any inspiration for it...This one is so much easier because it's a love story easier for my imagination to milk every emotion to the maximum amount

Leo went to bed that night already feeling broken hearted, and he wasn't even in a relationship with Challa, but he knew she loved him and he was trying to sort through his feeling to be sure if he loved her, but no matter what it was clear it was never meant to be...

As he began to drift into dream land he heard a familiar voice calling his name

"Leonardo...Leonardo-San..."

Leo blinked a few times then sat up, a familiar face stood before him

"Ancient One!" Leo exclaimed "W-What are you doing here?"

"This is a dream Kumquat." Ancient One said flatly "I've come to you in your dreams to give you some much needed advice."

"Is it difficult to maintain contact across different dimensions?" Leo asked as he bagan to stand up

"Don't worry about that." Ancient One said waving his hand "I know what is troubling you and I'm here to tell you a story, you know of it but I'm reminding you of it because your heart needs to be reminded...Walk with me Leonardo..."

And so Leo and Ancient One walked in the Dreamscape that looked like an classic Japanese water color painting, as they walked the story played out before them in the water color illistrations

In ancient Kyoto, a devout Shinto scholar lived a simple life, but he was often distracted from his prayers by the bustling city. He felt that his neighbors were polluting his soul, and he sought to perform some kind of personal harae- a purification ritual that would cleanse his body and his mind. He decided to travel to the revered Hie Shrine. The trip was an arduous climb that took all day. But he was glad for the solitude it afforded him, and the peace he felt upon returning home was profound.

The scholar was determined to maintain this clarity for as long as possible, and resolved to make this pilgrimage another 99 times. He would walk the path alone, ignoring any distractions in his quest for balance, and never straying from his purpose. The man was true to his word, and as days stretched into weeks, he walked through driving rain and searing sun. Over time, his devotion revealed the invisible world of spirits which exists alongside our own. He began to sense the kami, which animated the rocks underfoot, the breeze that cooled him, and the animals grazing in the fields. Still he spoke to no one, spirit or human. He was determined to avoid contact with those who had strayed from the path and become polluted with kegare. This taboo of defilement hung over the sick and deceased, as well as those who defiled the land or committed violent crimes. Of all the threats to the scholar's quest for spiritual purity, kegare was by far the greatest. After paying his respects for the 80th time, he set out for home once more.

But as darkness fell, he heard strained sobs in the night air. The scholar tried to push forward and ignore the moans. But the desperate cries overwhelmed him. Grimacing, he left his path to follow the sound to its source. He soon came to a cramped cottage with a woman crumpled outside. Filled with pity, the scholar implored the woman to share her sorrow. She had explained that her mother just died but no one would help her with the burial. At that news, his heart sank. Touching the body would defile his spirit, draining his life force and leaving him forsaken by the kami. But as he listened to her cries his sympathy soared. And so, they buried the old woman together, to ensure her safe passage into the spirit world.

The burial was complete, but the taboo of death weighed heavily on the scholar. How could he have been so foolish, to shirk his most important rule and corrupt his divine journey? After a tormented night, he resolved to go back to the shrine to cleanse himself. To his surprise, the usually silent temple was filled with people, all gathering around a medium who communicated directly with the kami. The man hid himself, not daring approach in case anyone glimpse his polluted soul.

But the medium had other ways of seeing, and called him forward from the crowd. Ready to be forsaken, the scholar approached the holy woman. But the medium merely smiled. She took his impure hands in hers, and whispered a blessing only he could hear thanking him for his kindness. In that moment the scholar discovered a great spiritual secret: contamination and corruption are two very different things. Filled with insight the scholar set himself back on his journey.

But this time, he stopped to help those he met. He began to see the beauty of the spirit world everywhere he went, even in the city he had previously shunned. Others cautioned that he risked kegare but he never told them why he so freely mingled with the sick and disadvantaged. For he knew that people could only truly understand harae through a journey of their own.

With the story completed, Leo and the Ancient One sat around a campfire, Leo smiled he did indeed remember reading that particular story from an old book of Japanese Folktales, but it was so easily forgotten after reading tales of Samurai Honor or tales of Beautiful or Strange Kami and Yokai.

"I do remember that story..." Leo said softly "...But it was so long ago that I had forgotten it, Thank you Ancient One that does make me feel better."

"Contamination and corruption are not the same thing..." Ancient One said "...I want you to remember that for this journey Leonardo-San and I want you know that Chanchalla deep down knew that truth in her heart though she may not have had the words to express it, but there was a reason why she was so willing to trust the likes of you and be willing to walk in the sewers."

Leo became very still, not even thinking of his personal feelings for Challa he realized this was the reason Challa was selcted to cross the barrier and be the first Janah to leave her world.

"Too often is the case in this world..." Ancient One the people here, obey the letter of the law but not the spirit, contrast Challa often bungles the letter of the law but remains true to the spirit

As Ancient One spoke, a different scene in the same water color style played out behind him, this time Leo could see the images of a much younger Challa walking with her family, Challa being the smallest at the time was at the very back of the line (Leo realized that now Challa was a bit taller and heavier than her brother Aneka as he was a tiny Roe Deer, he realized Aneka finally relented when Challa finally showed her anger because she could immobilize him just by sitting on him)

As they passed by a building, one that looked like a temple, a Begger Janah, looked like a Boxer Dog, dressed in brown rags with scrawny arms and legs, held out his beseeched the family for anything, the rest of their family passed by with their noses in the air, only Challa stopped, took a moment to dig in her pockets for something to put in the begger's bowl before catching up with her family.

Leo smiled realizing it was more than the idea of living his dream in this world, he realized he loved Chanchalla because he admired her kindness and her courage imagining living as wandering outcaste like this Tribe they were with, or supporting her in his world instead, he could imagine loving her all the same.

But still, he felt sure they could never be for so many reasons.

"Is it good that I love her though if I can never have her?" Leo asked "I mean...If I'm burdened with these feelings that can never be satisfied, don't I risk becoming jealous and posseive?" He remembered the unfortunate fall of Yukio Mashimi all too well...

"Be patient." Ancient One said "The future holds many surprises, for now be willing to trust your feelings that you will be honerable..."

Leo then noticed a glow coming from below, he looked down and saw a golden light was emenating from his chest, right where his heart would be...Was that his heart?

"Feel the love in your heart Leonardo..." Ancient One said as Leo placed his hands over his glowing heart "Do not fear it, let the feelings flow you are strong enough to not be ruled by them..."

And then the dream was shattered by the sound of rooster crowing...

Yeah so the story was copy and pasted the original words could explain much better than I could also this is another instance I've used in my stories of the heart being reprisented as a golden light