The A,B,C's of Leo

by dragoscilvio

Drabble series about the problems that come with being Leo. Primarily 2003 universe but will incorporate elements of the comics. Will have angst and Leo!whump. Chapter 59: Leo is home, and learning who he is in an entirely new way

51. Somnus

Here we go! A couple one shots ahead, with the next big arc being named Under. Poor Leo, that's all I can say, because his roller coaster of suffering begins….now.

Deep in the astral plane, a stray spirit flit across the multicolored surface. Large black fox ears reached for the sky above the lovely face of a Japanese woman, clad in only a white kimono, ebony hair streaked by a single stream of silver on her left side.

The woman lived in the spirit realm, her body long abandoned as it had crumbled with age, using the energies she gathered from this space between dimensions to grant herself an unnaturally long lifespan. She should have passed on ages ago, returning to the natural cycle that ruled beyond death, but she wouldn't. Not if it meant relinquishing the power she'd worked so hard to obtain. Power, she intended to use in her ultimate goal of obtaining sole ownership of the world tree. A malicious grin split the ivory face, twisting the features into something akin to a demon more than a mere spirit. Her name was Kitsune, and she'd been banished to the astral plane after attempting to overthrow the previous world walker. Now, she stalked the spirit realm, finding the living souls of those sensitive enough to have the quality of energy she required, before sucking their life force dry. All to maintain her astral form, and one day regain a physical body.

As of late, she'd been hunting a particularly tantalizing living soul, one that frequented this part of the plane and held a special glint to it that she hadn't seen in almost a hundred years. Shifting into the form of a small black fox with a silver stripe down its back, the spirit slunk towards her prey, teeth glinting in a snarl of anticipation.

The living soul sat near a stream, legs crossed in front of it, hands resting on green knees as it meditated. Kitsune had kept her distance from it, unsure of how a large turtle could be a living soul capable of meditation, however, she'd long stopped questioning the ways of the universe at this point in her long life. Tawny eyes the color of copper assessed the soul, analyzing its quality, a pink tongue licking her chops as she considered how it might taste. The soul was a flickering flame of sapphire blue, strong and confident, although it held a swirl of darkness that Kitsune couldn't help but smirk at. She was no stranger to depression, and this soul had a deep dark root that clung to its very core. The living souls caught in an emotional battle always had a bit more zest on her tastebuds. However, what really drew her, was a thin seam of gold outlining the flames. That extra layer of gold represented something special, the blossoming of a new power, an awakening of sorts. Delicious.

The fox spirit couldn't tell what power it might be, it was impossible to know this early in development, and while she'd love to give it time and see what abilities it might be, she also didn't want to take the chance of the living soul becoming strong enough to fight off her influence. Better to take the shot while it was young. They taste so much better that way. Having lived so long in the astral plane, Kitsune had become adept at trapping her prey within their minds as she sucked them dry of their life force. At first, she'd been clumsy, and some managed to escape, but now she was more than a force to be reckoned with, earning her power beyond her wildest dreams; and this living soul, with its layer of gold, will only help her in her ultimate goal of claiming the world tree as her own.

Baring her teeth, Kitsune slunk forward, sneaking up behind the soul, eyes trained on the back of its neck.

….

Leonardo sighed, his spirit settled in the astral realm, currently seated next to a pleasant babbling brook as he attempted to meditate.

It had just been a week since their return from the roadtrip with Anthony, and while they expected Splinter to be upset about their impromptu mission, the aged rat actually took it better than they anticipated. He applauded Leo's plan to get in and out of the base unseen with the goal to sabotage Bishop, praised Donnie's ingenuity in planting the computer virus melting the mainframe, and even chuckled as Raphael described how good it felt to blow the machine up. Splinter also agreed that saving the girls was the right things to do and had spared a brief moment to tease Raphael when Donnie revealed that Mona kissed him, resulting in the room to explode in hoots and hollers as Leo and Mikey embarrassed the brawler. All was well, especially in knowing that Bishops project had been destroyed and stopped in its tracks. Granted, Donatello did download all the notes and blueprints on the project, and even had the scans Bishop's men had taken of Venus' notebook, preserving the data for the sole use of the mutated family, and now the scientist was itching to start trials on his own inter-dimensional portal.

The problems only began when they sheepishly explained the hiccups in their plan, namely the Eater, and how it had almost killed Leo.

It was then that Anthony gave a heartfelt apology, sky blue eyes heavy with regret and guilt that he'd allowed the eldest to get hurt. Splinter had forgiven the man easily, stating that his boys were trouble magnets, and that there wasn't a single person on the face of this earth in any dimension capable of keeping the turtle teens out of it. That's when the veterinarian divulged his findings from the tests he'd run on Leonardo, explaining the scars he'd found on the eldest's heart and detailing the strict medication regimen that Leo was expected to follow, much to the dismay of the mutant family. The leader sat through this, hands clenching and unclenching, striving for peace and balance the way the Ancient One had taught him, but finding his heart and head in a tailspin. Once again, he was forced to face the fact that he was dragging his team down and was utterly failing them as a leader and as a brother.

Ears drooping in grief and concern, Splinter had immediately put Leo on a brief bed rest, stating that he was banned from any strenuous activity that could strain his heart. Anthony had agreed, assuring Leo that it would only be for a couple weeks, and that he wasn't confined to his bed, but that they couldn't turn a blind eye to the fact that his heart stopped. Leonardo nodded meekly, and then requested that he be dismissed, wanting to go to his room to sleep. He had no doubt that everyone saw through his façade, however, he didn't really care at that particular moment. He just wanted to grieve his loss of freedom in private.

Since then, getting used to taking the medication had been a chore.

Leonardo had been prescribed several types, including an anticoagulant that Anthony had explained would help prevent blood clots from forming in his lungs and heart (apparently a common occurrence when one's heart doesn't work properly). As well as a few others that he was expected to take every morning and night, each specifically designed to keep Leo's heart beating properly. The sheer amount of pills was overwhelming to the terrapin, making him clench his jaw in self loathing. However, the eldest took them without complaint, another worrying sign to the family, and then would go back to his room to meditate. Leonardo was spiraling and he desperately wanted to spare his family the darkness taking root down in his very soul, so he'd sought refuge in the astral plane, hoping against hope that it'd soothe the anger and grief souring in his spirit and mind.

Now, here he was, seated next to a cheerful brook and praying it would cleanse him of his negative emotions. Unfortunately, that wasn't what at he'd get. In the words of Raphael, their turtle luck ran true to form.

Sapphire eyes sprang open as Leo sensed a predatory spirit behind him, leaping to his feet so to scuttle away, shuddering when he felt the breeze from the snap of vicious teeth a mere hairsbreadth away from the back of his neck. Whirling to face his opponent, Leo blanched at the sight of the fox, the memories of another fox making a tide of fury bubble in his heart, "Why do you fox hate me?" The blue ninja grumbled venomously.

The spirit cocked its head, a tongue licking its chops before it shifted into the form of a beautiful Japanese woman. Leo tensed. Shapeshifters weren't uncommon on the astral plane, in fact, he could shift to his dragon form here if certain conditions were met. However, there was something about this spirit that set the turtle on edge, "Who are you?" Leo demanded.

"Interesting," the woman murmured, walking around the terrapin, assessing him the way one examines a product in the market, "a turtle living soul not only capable of meditation, but also speech? And I thought I'd seen everything."

Leonardo's brow furrowed in confusion, even as indignation burned, "What's that supposed to mean?!" He growled.

"Nothing to you," his opponent shrugged, "but it's just the icing on the cake for me, in the most literal sense, of course."

"You're bizarre," the eldest scoffed, taking a tentative step backwards, preparing to flee to safety so to pull out of the spirit realm, "look, I don't mean to be rude, however, I need to end this conversation now."

The only reply given was a sardonic chuckle, lily white hands flexing before the fox spirit dove forward, "Then, I must insist that you stay."

The blue ninja reeled back, hands flying to his back to where his blades normally rested, but unfortunately this was one instance where he was too slow. In any other scenario, particularly in the physical realm, Leo would have had the advantage. His skills and strength alone were legendary among their enemies. However, this was the astral realm, where the strength of mind trumped the strength of body every time. Even something as small as speed was determined by the spiritual energy that one had built up while in the spirit realm, and Leo quickly discovered that his latest opponent was much stronger than he was. In a flash, the fox spirit had placed her hand on the turtle's plastron, and much to Leo's horror, disappeared into his chest. A strangled cry of fear burst from the blue ninja, green hands rushing back down from where they had been reaching for his katana to try and dislodge the terrifying hand currently inside his chest cavity. To no avail.

In a mind numbing second, Leonardo was torn from the astral realm and slammed into the deepest reaches of his own mind with enough force to give him mental whiplash. The blue ninja lay on the ground, aware that he was no longer in deep meditation but now in a vicariously dangerous position, pinned on his back to the floor by ruthless claws gripping his very core. Sapphire eyes closed in agony when the fox spirit gave a squeeze, making the terrapin curl. His breath reduced to short pants of pain (though how that worked in the realm of the mind, he wasn't sure), Leo weakly clawed at the arm pushing through his chest.

"Let go," he gasped with a determined snarl, but blanched when the fox woman's face twisted into a sadistic grin.

"Never," she chuckled, "I haven't found a living soul as interesting as you in decades, and I'm not letting you escape me."

"Pickings must be pretty slim if you consider me interesting," Leonardo sneered, once again wincing with a strangled moan as the spirit put more pressure on his soul's core.

"You poor thing, to think so little of yourself," the fox crooned, leaning close enough to whisper in Leo's ear, "so afraid, so broken inside. You don't have to continue being strong, though. Just give in, go to sleep, escape the pain and rest for all eternity."

Leo couldn't lie, sleep sounded so good right now, the prospect of leaving the agony of everything weighing him down was tempting. The relief of rest inviting. Like the promise of a swim in crystal clear water on a hot summer day. Leo wanted it. Wanted to let go and release his spirit out of the binds of this mortal life. However, he'd made a promise to his brothers that he'd fight those dark, intrusive desires that beckoned him into the abyss. He couldn't break his promise, he'd never broken one before, he couldn't start now.

Shaking hands rose to grab the slender wrist protruding from his plastron, digging his nails into the supple skin, "I can't," he wheezed, "I have a promise to keep…and I can't give in. Now now, not ever."

Leaning back, the woman gave Leo a disappointed pout even as her lip curled in disgust, "Wrong answer."

The eldest turtle cried out as the spirit ripped her hand from his chest, then was propelled across the floor. His hands suddenly helpless and bound, Leonardo was thrown into a cage that resembled the plexiglass container they'd had to put Donnie in during his double mutation, no doubt manifesting from his memories. A scream of pain burst from the teen warrior when his carapace crashed into the clear side of the container, sending his vision spinning. Leo allowed himself a brief moment to regain his equilibrium, even as he surged forward with a roar of fury. However, the fox spirit merely smirked as she threw the door shut. The blue ninja beat his bound fists on the container door, a snarl twisting his features.

"Let me out!" He bellowed, "You hear me?! Let. Me. OUT!"

The woman sneered, snapping her fingers to conjure a large black cloth, "I think not," she said, voice monotone and uncaring, "whether you like it or not, your energy is mine to feed off of for the foreseeable future."

"Feed?!" Leo snarled, indignation battling with fear for dominance in his chest, "I may be a turtle but I'm not anyone's food, least of all, yours."

The fox spirit threw back her head, giving a cackle, "I have to admit, you're entertaining for a living soul, however, you're putting far too much effort into fighting back. It's too late, little one, I already have you, and nothing you do will change that."

Leonardo threw himself against the container, throwing punches and kicks in a desperate bid to escape. His chest heaving in panicked gasps, "My family will find me!" He snarled, "They won't just let you do this!"

"Then they're too late," the fox smiled, throwing the black cloth over the container, "because I already have."

…..

"Master Splinter, can I ask you a question?"

The soft tones of Michelangelo stopped the aged rat, making him pause on his way to the kitchen for a cup of tea, "Yes, my son?"

The youngest brother fidgeted, a sure sign to the father that his son was distressed about something, "Well, I just wanted to ask about Leo."

That was a surprise, furry ears perked forward in curiosity, "Oh?" The mutant ventured, turning so to give the orange ninja his complete attention, "What do you wish to know?"

"You know how we've been meditating together?" Michelangelo asked, waiting for the encouraging nod from his parent before continuing, "Well, ever since Leo got benched, I've been meditating with him sometimes, and there's something different about him."

Splinter cocked his head, worry blossoming in his heart. He'd been concerned about Leonardo since they'd returned from their trip, the boy was starting to show emotional distress again, but not anger as he had before. More of an all-encompassing despair. No doubt, Michelangelo had sensed it as well, "I agree, Michelangelo," the rat nodded, "I do believe that there has been a change in your brother."

"Then, you've seen the gold in his aura, too?"

Wait….what?

The rodent opened his mouth, then paused. So, this wasn't a conversation about a possible intervention on Leonardo's behalf? "What are you speaking of my son?" Splinter asked, genuine confusion marring his brow.

Michelangelo balked, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to regather his words, "Oh, you haven't, then?"

"I'm not even sure to what you're referring to," Splinter stated, blinking in bewilderment.

The youngest turtle sighed, slumping forward as if he dreaded the upcoming explanation, then straightened as he drew a deep breath, "Okay," he began, "normally Leo's aura is the same blue as his mask, just like how my aura is my signature orange. I can't see it on myself, but Leo said that the colors match."

Splinter nodded, agreeing with his son that, yes, you could not see your own aura on the astral plane, and indeed, Michelangelo's was a vibrant orange. His son grinned at the confirmation, "So, the last time I was with Leo, I noticed something different about his."

"Different? How?"

"Like, it has his usual blue, but it also has this weird shimmer of gold," Michelangelo explained, "like, almost this transparent layer right on top. I could only see it every once in a while, at first, but it's getting brighter, and I wondered what it could be?"

The mutant rat placed a paw to his lips, humming thoughtfully. Gold outlining his eldest son's aura? That in itself wasn't concerning, if anything, it might be a precursor to an exciting change about to awaken within Leonardo that the boy wasn't even aware of yet. Fascinating, while Splinter was not a stranger to the supernatural, he'd never actually thought that powers and abilities beyond what their training could offer would be available to him and his sons. The very fact his boys transformed into dragons still baffled the aged rat, as it had always seemed as if the deep magics of the world and beyond were always destined to be given to those of greater importance, not to a ragtag family of mutants like them. Stroking his beard, Splinter made a silent promise to consult the Ancient One on this matter. What with Leonardo recently displaying such a surprising ability to bend dimensional energy back in the lab, his son just may be developing powers beyond his comprehension. This was both a moment of pride and anxiety for the old master. He always knew that Leonardo was special, but with that distinction comes many obstacles, particularly ones out for blood.

That thought made Splinter's eyes widen in fear, as he remembered that Michelangelo mentioned Leonardo's aura had been like this for some time. Splinter also remembered, that since his oldest son had been unable to train with his brothers, he'd been meditating in his room, alone, more often than not. Making him a literal sitting duck. A dark premonition stole over the old master, as a strange urgency afflicted his heart. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Jolting back to an upright position, the ninjutsu master grasped his youngest son by the shoulder, cobalt gaze wild and anxious, "Michelangelo, where is your brother?!"

The orange ninja gaped, shocked by the sudden mood change, "Uh, last I saw, Leo was heading to his room to meditate."

"Follow me," Splinter snapped, brushing past the youngest, "I need to check on Leonardo."

"Wait, is something wrong?" Michelangelo asked, jogging to keep up with his father.

"I do not know," the rat murmured, "but I can't deny that I have a bad feeling."

The two swiftly clambered up the steps, both determinedly making their way to the eldest's bedroom, only to release shocked gasps when they barreled through the door.

"It is as I feared," Splinter murmured from where he stood.

Leonardo lay on his side, legs still curled in a warped lotus, hands splayed close to his plastron. Clearly, he'd been meditating, but something had knocked him to the floor. The leader's breathing was hitched, pained pants of air, even as his features were caught in an intense grimace. It didn't take a genius to see that clearly the blue ninja was battling something not of this world. Splinter hurried to his son's side, furry paws caressing the furrowed brow. Closing his eyes, the rat felt for his son's spirit, reaching out to make contact and ascertain the nature of Leonardo's predicament. However, he quickly found that the situation was much worse than even he had anticipated. His son's spirit was being held captive inside the young warrior's core, and when he attempted rescue, a wave of darkness flung itself at the rat, ejecting him out of Leonardo's mind with terrifying force.

With a cry of pain, Splinter reeled back, thankfully caught by the strong arms of his youngest. The mutant gave a low moan as he carefully shook his head free of the evil presence, one hand braced against his forehead, "This is not good," he breathed.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Michelangelo pleaded, baby blue gaze wide and anxious.

"No time to explain," Splinter rushed back to his eldest's side, face grim as he once again tried to reconnect their spirits, "go fetch your brothers, when you return, I will tell you how we can help Leonardo."

"But-!"

"GO!"

Michelangelo nodded, then sprinted out of the room, his voice raised in a scream of alarm for Raphael and Donatello to join them. It took less than a minute for the younger brothers to gather in Leonardo's room, each gazing fearfully on their brother, "What's goin' on, sensei?!" Raphael growled, concern bleeding through his gruff tone.

"Your brother is under attack," Their father replied, "a dark spirit has trapped his soul deep within the recesses of his mind, imprisoning him inside the core of his being. I cannot free him, even with my experience in the realm of the spirit. However, if you three go in, your superior numbers will be enough to withstand the attack."

"A dark spirit?" Donatello gaped, eyes blinking in bewilderment, "But what does it want with Leo?"

Splinter glanced up to his sons, "Michelangelo has informed me that since your trip with Doctor Lowrey, Leonardo's aura has taken on a startling change. He is evolving, spiritual powers growing and awakening a new ability that neither he, nor I, can fathom."

"While that sounds unbearably cool and all, what does that have to do with Leo being attacked?" Michelangelo asked.

"Everything," the rat replied gravely, "when a soul is undergoing a change such as the one Leonardo is experiencing, their soul is particularly vulnerable. The sheer potential that a spirit like your brother's has is incomprehensible, and as such, is a target to dark spirits like this one that would want to feast on it."

"Feast," Donatello balked, "as in, eat?!"

Splinter nodded slowly, "A soul on the cusp of great change is a delicacy for dark spirits, it gives them great power. Leveling up, as Michelangelo would say. An aura lined in gold like Leonardo's would attract them the way blood in the water attracts sharks."

"Well, if it's so special, why couldn't Leo fight it off?" The brawler asked, not meaning to seem unkind, but genuinely confused on how a spirit could get the drop on his leader.

"This spirit is powerful," the mutant rat grieved, "I was not strong enough to even speak to Leonardo before it ejected me from his mind. Your brother is at its mercy, and no doubt, unable to fight back without support."

Raphael grimaced, catching his father's meaning, before giving a firm nod, "Alright, what do we gotta do?"

This was where things became tricky, Splinter turned to Michelangelo, fear and concern making his heartbeat race inside his chest. The youngest wasn't ready, but they had no choice, "Michelangelo, you will lead your brothers into Leonardo's mind, and free his soul."

Blue eyes blinked, then blinked again, "Wait…what?" The orange ninja gaped, eyes blown wide in unrestrained panic, even as he began to back away towards the door while shaking his head vigorously, "No, nononono, this is a bad idea. I mean, wouldn't Raph or Donnie be a better choice for a rescue mission?"

"Michelangelo," Splinter's voice was stern, but not without compassion for the uncomfortable position the youngest was being forced into, "you alone have been taught, trained, by Leonardo about the spiritual realm. You are the only one qualified to lead your brothers."

"Qualified," Michelangelo chuckled nervously, "funny you should say that, because I think you may have forgotten just who you're talking to. It's me, you know, the guy who doesn't take anything seriously, and slacks off if given half a chance? What part about that even smells qualified? Donnie's smart, why can't he lead the mission?"

The aged rat stood, approaching his youngest, "Michelangelo," he said, tone ringing with confidence and authority, "tell me what you have learned about the realm of the mind. What has Leonardo taught you?"

The orange ninja hesitated, shoulders hunching shyly as he looked down at the floor, "Like, what specifically? Or, just in general?"

"What are the three main areas of the mind?" Splinter persisted.

"Uh," Michelangelo floundered, scrunching his beach as he recalled the lesson, "There's the outer court, the inner court, and then the core."

"And what are their functions?"

The youngest's look of concentration deepened, "The outer court rules things like memory and emotions, the inner court holds your deep fears and anxiety, and the core is what rules personality and your character; literally the core of who you are."

Splinter nodded, satisfied with Michelangelo' answers, then turned to Donatello, "My son, were you aware of this?"

Donatello blinked, shaking his head in a fierce no, "I don't know anything about any of this."

The rat then turned to Raphael, "And you, my son, are you well versed in the astral realm and its connection to the mind?"

"Nope."

"Then it is decided,"

Splinter cast a confident gaze onto Michelangelo, placing a comforting paw on the now trembling shoulder, "I know you are not ready, my son, and I'm sorry that I cannot relieve you of this burden, but we have no other choice. Leonardo's life hangs in the balance, and the longer we stay talking here, the higher the danger grows that the dark spirit will completely consume Leonardo's life essence."

Michelangelo bit his bottom lip, anxiety bleeding off him in palpable waves, before the youngest heaved a sigh and forced himself to straighten, "Right," he groaned, "I guess I'm it, then. What do I need to do?"

"Very good," Splinter gave his son a proud smile, softly cupping the green cheek with his paw before turning around to once again kneel at Leonardo's side, "I will remain here as your anchor, keeping the path home open so that you may pull out as soon as you find and free your brother.

"You, Michelangelo, must lead your brothers through the outer and inner courts, into Leonardo's core," Splinter continued, "his spirit is trapped within. Navigate your way to his core, find where he is being held, and then release him. Once you have accomplished that, come back home."

"Aw, jeez," the youngest sighed, sitting down on the floor into a lotus, "I never thought my first dive into someone's mind would be Leo."

"I have faith in you, Michelangelo," Splinter nodded, "trust your intuition, it has served you better than you know."

In truth it was Michelangelo's intuition that saved his brother. If not for the youngest approaching his father to ask about Leonardo, and discuss the change in his aura, they would have found the eldest much too late. The mere thought made Splinter shudder. No, they had found him in time, the rest was up to the boys. And Splinter had no doubt that they would succeed.

…

Meditation was always hit and miss for the youngest.

Granted, Mikey had gotten a lot better the last eight months. Training with Leo had improved his focus by leaps and bounds, and it didn't take nearly as long as it used to for his body to enter a meditative state. This time the youngest was relieved that his mind complied and within a few moments, he was standing with his brothers in Leonardo's mind-scape. Or the outer court to be more precise. Mikey gasped at his surroundings, seeing that the outer most layer of his leader's mind was an impressively detailed recreation of of New York. It wasn't a surprise, honestly, as they had many memories topside and it would make sense that the surface layer of Leonardo would take on the shape and form of their city. What was really interesting, though, was the fact that all of Leonardo's memories were taking place all at the same time.

Countless phantoms, transparent and flickering, ran across the rooftops and clambered on fire escapes. It was both entertaining and creepy. As he'd said to Splinter, the outer court held things like memories and emotions. The most raw parts of Leo existed here, so it made sense that it might be a bit chaotic.

"What is this?" Donatello wondered aloud, brown eyes wide and curious, as he turned the tables by looking to Mikey for an answer to a question.

Talk about waking up in the twilight zone.

"Uh, well," the youngest tried to channel his inner Donnie, attempting to bring his brothers to school about the astral plane and its connection to the mind, "this," he began gesturing around him, "is the outer court of Leo's mind. It holds his memories, and emotions."

"So, all these Leo's are…his memories?" Raph asked, flinching when a phantom ran too close to him across the rooftop they were standing on.

"Yep," Mikey nodded, "constantly playing in the background, forever reliving parts of his life that impacted who he was, is, and will be."

"Fascinating!" Donatello grinned, running to the side of the rooftop and glancing into the alley that lay below, "Look, Raph! It's us! From when we had to go topside after the mousers first attacked!"

Red and orange joined purple, looking over the side, and found themselves giving fond grins as a phantom of Raphael kicked the side of the armored truck they'd eventually turn into the battle shell. The younger brothers shook their head as they watched the memory play out, even as Raph trapped himself in the truck. The memory came to an end as the truck pulled away, and the phantoms of Leo, Don and Mikey gave chase to rescue their hotheaded brother, making Raph give a soft chuckle, "We've always been good at gettin' inta trouble."

"Yeah," Mikey nodded, but then gave himself a mental slap, "gah, we shouldn't be standing around like this, we don't have time!"

Taking off across the roof, the brothers made their way across Leonardo's mind scape, taking in the sights of his many memories. Some caused a smile, and a healthy dose of laughter; like the one where apparently while on a solo patrol, Leo had spent his evening playing with a stray dog instead of guarding the city. Memories like that were few and far between, but it was sweet to see their responsible older brother acting like a little kid with a puppy. The phantom laughter echoing in the alley, even as the transparent dog smothered the blue ninja in kisses, all while furiously wagging his tail, was comforting to see. However, others brought feelings of grief, and even guilt. Like the memory they unwittingly witnessed about the night Leo was attacked by the Shredder's forces.

"Guys," Donnie breathed, his running slowing to a stop, brown eyes heavy with shock, "look."

Mikey and Raphael followed Don's line of sight, and both couldn't restrain the gasp of horror when they saw an altogether different side of their leader.

His phantom was fighting on a rooftop, body slick with the rain that had been coming down on that fateful day, frame already covered in countless gashes and bruises, valiantly holding off the combined forces of the Foot ninja, and Shredder's elite guard. They could see the eldest's strength flagging with every swing of his sword, the exhausted tremors shaking the broad shoulders visible, even from two roofs away. Suddenly, the tide turned, and the solid defense that Leo had exhibited disappeared. Their leader was knocked down, laying in the fetal position, even as the elite guard continued to hammer him with blow after blow with their weapons. The pained screams echoed across the rooftops, riding on sobs that the blue warrior held firmly in the back of his throat. After a moment, the elite stopped, all looking down at Leonardo as he slowly picked himself up, only to wheeze breathlessly on all fours. It seemed as if he had nothing left, blood dripped from every inch of his body, one eye swollen shut, however, Leo was nothing if not stubborn.

With a roaring battle cry, the eldest sprung from his crouch, continuing the fight, and taking down several more foot in the process before sprinting across the rooftop and leaping to the next building.

The fight continued, heading towards April's, in the inevitable aftermath that would haunt their worst nightmares in the weeks following. Donnie drew in a shaky breath, swallowing down the lump that had formed in his throat, "I always wondered," he rasped, "I always wanted to know what had happened, how he'd gotten to that state, but I never asked."

The genius turtle shook his head, brown eyes welling with grief, "How," he choked out, "how did Leo manage to hold out against that many Foot for that long?"

"Remember how in the caves he'd said he'd fought that many foot on his own," Michelangelo said, tone low and guilty, "I never thought that it was then that he had. I don't think we ever even talked about what had happened before he got thrown through the window."

"Our communication skills really sucked back then." Raph grumbled.

"Says the most communication challenged member of the team," Donatello muttered.

"I said all of us, Donnie," Raphael growled, "don't make it as if I don't know that part of it is my fault! Besides, I think I can safely say I've gotten better!"

"I didn't say you haven't," Donatello countered, "I was just remarking that-!"

"HEY!" Michelangelo cut in, interrupting the brewing fight.

Is this what Leo had to deal with all the time? No wonder he got so stressed trying to keep them on task!

"Cut it out!" The youngest ordered, features stern, "We can't change what happened, and we're supposed to be saving Leo right now. So, set aside your guilt about what happened back then, and we'll discuss it as a team later, got it?!"

Purple and red blinked, then exchanged sheepish, but proud, smiles. Raphael nodded, crossing his arms as his smile grew into a smirk, "Whatever you say, fearless leader."

Mikey pouted, rolling his eyes before turning back towards the skyline, "Come on," he groaned, "we need to find the entrance to the next court."

"You don't know where it is?" Don asked, features growing slack in concern, "We've been running for ages, I just assumed you knew."

"Yeah, about that," the orange ninja winced, "everybody's courts are different. My outer court wouldn't look like this, and neither would yours. It's personal thing, obviously, because this is all inside our heads. So, there's no real map for finding your way around."

"Do you have an idea of what we should look for?" Raphael rumbled, topaz eyes thoughtful as he scanned the city around them.

"Well," the youngest began, "as I said before, the outer court is memory. The inner court holds all your worst fears and anxieties. So, I think we need to find a place in Leo's mental New York that would symbolize the entrance to what he fears most.

"Which, honestly," Mikey sighed, casting a confused glare around their surroundings, "could be anything. The entrance to someone's inner court could be as simple as the sewer manholes we use, or a hotel elevator, or a door to a building, or even not a door at all!"

"Great," Raph mumbled, "we're lookin' for a literal needle in a freakin' haystack."

The orange ninja threw his head back, groaning at the sky in aggravation, while Donatello tapped his chin ponderously, before the genius brightened, "I think you might be overthinking this, Mike," he stated, pointing a finger over the skyline, "because I'm pretty sure I know where it might be."

Mikey and Raph followed Don's finger, and found themselves giving a twin "Oh,"

"That…actually makes sense." The youngest nodded.

For the building that Donatello was implying, far across the skyline, loomed a tower that all four brothers were intimately familiar with, one that once held the physical embodiment of their fear and dread. The headquarters of the Foot.

In Leonardo's mind-scape, it still looked like the same building they first saw at fifteen years old when they were new and naïve to the ways of the city. The same dragon foot emblem hung on the side of the building with the Japanese style palace set on top. These days it looked different, the garden still existed along with the house, however, Karai had long done away with the foot emblem. Choosing to try making the foot more legitimate, although she still maintained some of their less than legal activities. Not that that mattered to Leo. To their leader, it would forever be the place that spawned many of their worst nightmares and traumatized them with their most painful scars. If any building in this mental projection of their beloved city held the doorway to Leo's deepest fears, it would be there.

"Let's go," Michelangelo stated, tone heavy with determination.

His brothers nodded, and as one, the trio set off across the rooftops, dodging the many phantoms of their brother as they performed their eternal dance all around them. It didn't take long for the team to reach their enemy's stronghold, and as they approached the front entrance, Raph stopped, his brow furrowing.

"Are ya sure we should go in the front?" The brawler asked, "I mean, I know it's not real, but I still can't help but feel weird about takin' the most direct route, if ya know what I mean?"

"Yeah, but like you said, it isn't real," Donnie countered, "so surely there isn't any danger, right?"

"Maybe, but it's also technically the entrance ta Leo's greatest fears," the red ninja emphasized, "meanin', maybe we shouldn't just barrel in there?"

"That's a very novel concept coming from you, Raphie," Don replied dryly.

The brawler pouted at the genius, rolling his eyes at the burn, "I'm just sayin' that it wouldn't hurt ta be cautious." He grumbled, "Yeah, he's our brother, but this is still Leonardo's head. We all know that it ain't all sunshine and roses up here."

Donatello winced, then found himself backing away from the front door as he considered Raphael's words, "So, what do we do?"

Raphael paused, before he turned to the youngest, "What do you think, Mike?"

"Aw, man, I don't know," Michelangelo gave a helpless shrug, "While I'm honored that you think I'm all knowing about how to do this, I'm really just winging it here, dude."

The trio groaned, trepidation halting their progress, but they jumped when a female voice, distorted and ominous, bellowed from the sky, "Who are you?! What are you doing here?! Get out!"

"What was that?!" Donatello yelped.

"A very good reason to use the front entrance!" Mikey shot back, pushing at his brothers, "Run!"

"You can't run from me!" The voice continued, "I rule this space! This soul is mine, and you can't take it back!"

"I'm assumin' that's the dark spirit Master Splinter told us about?" Raphael panted as they dove through the revolving door into the main lobby and scrambled to hide behind some shrubbery.

Donnie ducked behind a decorative bush, his eyes the only thing visible in the green foliage, "I think that would be a safe assumption, Raphie."

"Can she get us in here?" The brawler asked, turning concerned topaz eyes to Mikey.

The youngest floundered for an answer, shrugging his shoulders as his mouth opened and closed in panic, "I don't know," he finally hissed, "what part of 'I'm winging it' do you not understand?!

"This is why I told Dad I couldn't be leader," Michelangelo groaned, anxiety making the baby blue gaze wild and raw, "I honestly don't know how Leo does it, because I've only been leader for half an hour and I'm already wigging out! I don't have all the answers! I don't know what's ahead, or if the crazy evil spirit chick can find us in here, or if we're just sitting ducks! I don't know exactly how to find our way through this place, and I'm more than a little concerned about having to go through his greatest fears! So, please, just cut me some slack!"

"Whoa!" Raphael dove forward, placing strong hands on Mikey's shoulders, a wince of guilt furrowing the strong brow, "Bro, calm down, it's okay! I'm sorry, I didn't mean ta put so much pressure on ya."

The youngest sat, shoulders heaving as he caught his breath, baby blue gaze shuttered as green eyelids fluttered shut so the turtle teen could regather his composure, "Sorry, dude," he sighed, opening his eyes to meet's Raph's, "don't know where that come from all of a sudden."

"Yer worried about Leo, and stressed over bein' forced into a crazy situation," the brawler said with a sympathetic smirk, "it's fine, I get it."

"I don't know how Leo does this, guys," Michelangelo reiterated with a mournful shake of his head, "no wonder he has heart problems, he's constantly carrying this heavy weight of keeping us all safe, and always needing to have a plan."

"Just when I though we've been doing so much better," Donatello sighed, "I'm reminded that we still have so much more work to do."

Mikey nodded, but was unable to answer when the voice yelling at them before entered the lobby, making the trio duck with a startled gasp, "Little turtles," she sang, running long claws along the wall of the room, leaving tattered gashes in her wake, "come out and play!"

The youngest peeked out, seeing a tall Japanese woman with jet black hair, a silver streak to one side, clad in a white kimono. On top of her head were tall ebony fox ears, and her fingers were tipped with glistening silver claws. Going by the crazed look in her copper eyes…definitely a dark spirit.

"I know you're here," she hissed with a sneer, "he told me you'd come, and I'll tell you the same thing I did him, you're too late. His energy is mine!"

The spirit stalked further into the lobby, "His subconscious may be trying to protect you by hiding you from me, but it won't work for long. I'm draining him as we speak. It's better just to give in, little ones!"

Three pairs of shoulders shuddered in both fear and revulsion. Donatello leaned in close, uncertainty making him bite his bottom lip, "What should we do?"

Raph winced, not wanting to turn the question to Mikey and stress the kid out more, however, the youngest surprised him with a confident reply, "We shouldn't engage," Michelangelo stated, tone firm, "like Raph said, this is Leo's mind and really, we don't have a lot of power here. Maybe enough to tip the scales in our favor after we rescue Leo, but not right now."

"So," the brawler summarized, "run like shell?"

Michelangelo nodded with an affirmative hum.

"Great, but to where?!" Donnie hissed, peeking through the foliage to see their enemy use her claws to start shredding other fake shrubbery.

"Well," Mikey glanced around the lobby, before pointing with a grimace, "we could take the stairs?"

Tucked away around the corner and down the hall, just out of sight of the spirit, was a door labeled 'stairs', and the siblings couldn't suppress the shiver that slunk down their spines. Oh yeah, if anything represented the entrance to Leo's darkest fears, it would be the stairs. Within the last few months their sibling had overcome his fear of basements and was even able to go down into April's lower level, wooden stairs and all, without needing a sibling for emotional support. However, it didn't take away from the fact that one of the scariest moments of his life took place in a dark cellar at the bottom of a winding stairwell.

"Okay," Donnie breathed, "there's no way to get to the door without being seen, but maybe we can lock it behind us?"

"She did say Leo's subconscious was protectin' us," the brawler whispered thoughtfully, lips pursing as he puzzled through his thought process, "so, maybe it might keep her out?"

"No better way to find out than to try, I guess." The genius shrugged, waiting for the others to nod in agreement.

"We'd better move quick, because fox lady is running out of bushes!" Mikey hissed.

Without another word, the younger brothers ducked out from behind the fake foliage, all jolting at the furious shriek released by the dark spirit as she caught sight of them, "Run!" Raph bellowed, taking the lead as he barreled towards the door.

A meaty hand slapped the door as the brawler grappled with the doorknob, panicked liquid gold eyes looking over his shoulder as the fox spirit drew closer, "What is it with fox spirits tryin' ta kill Leo?!" Raph grumbled, before the door finally gave in, allowing the trio to fall through and down the stairs.

Michelangelo vaguely acknowledged that the door slammed behind them on its own, no doubt the results of Leo's subconscious like the spirit said. However, the youngest was currently preoccupied with the rickety set of wooden stairs he was falling down. The brothers landed in a pile at the bottom, all three groaning in pain, Mikey on top, with Raphael squished on the bottom and Donnie in the middle.

"Get. Off!" Raphael snarled, his voice a wheeze as the considerable bulks of his brothers smooshed the air from his lungs, "I'm gettin' turned inta a pancake down here!"

"I will once the room stops spinning," Donatello moaned, "and when Mikey gets off my shell."

"I think I left my stomach upstairs," Michelangelo whined.

"Just get off, already," the brawler pleaded, "I can't breathe!"

The younger brothers slid off their hotheaded sibling, their carapaces thudding onto the dirt floor they remembered from where Leo had been held. Mikey peeked through one squinted eye, stomach roiling with unease. They definitely had found the right place. If this wasn't the entrance to their leader's darkest fears, then he didn't know what was, because this was downright creepy. From the wooden stairway winding up to the lobby, to the metal cellar door looming not far from them from the floor. They were on the right path, of that, Mikey was certain.

"I guess," the youngest sighed, picking himself up, "we go through the cellar door."

"Ugh," Raph's lip curled as he glared at said door, "I had hoped I'd never have ta see that again."

"You and me, both," Donatello commiserated.

However, they were well aware that they had no choice. Leo still needed to be rescued, and they had already wasted too much time.

With all the gravitas of a condemned man, they approached the cellar door, and shared a wince as it shrieked open on rusty hinges. Then continued through, down into what appeared to be a long, pure white hallway lined with doors. Michelangelo gaped as he crept towards one of the many doors, finding a window that he could peek through. Just beyond the pane of glass, the youngest gasped, seeing a sheer drop off the edge of a rooftop. The bottom wasn't visible, but the height was dizzying, with the vague outline of the city lights far below. Revelation struck, and the orange ninja released a soft chuckle.

"His fear of heights," Mikey wondered aloud.

"Huh?" Raphael grunted, moving to stand next to Michelangelo, "What'cha say?"

The youngest pointed out the window, "Leo's fear of heights," he replied simply.

The brawler glanced out the window, giving a nod of understanding, "Makes sense, sensei did say he was scared as a tot of high places."

"But apparently has it locked down, now," Donnie observed, pointing at the door frame, "literally."

True to the genii's word, the entire door frame was covered in locks bolting the door shut. From the bottom corner, following the line of the lintel, all the way up and around and back down to the ground, the edges were bombarded by padlocks, chain locks, bolt locks, and even a few thumb print scanners. Leonardo had, in the literal sense of the term, locked down his fear of heights. The sheer amount of locks on the door made the youngest cock his head in thought, "I wonder," Mikey murmured, "if every lock represents each time he forced himself past his fear?"

Donatello jolted, his jaw hanging slack in surprise, "You know what," the genius started, eyes widening as he considered Mikey's words, "that's actually a really good hypothesis. That's why Leo's fears are relegated behind doors. They don't roam free in his mind, because Leo pushed them into rooms where they can't control him."

Raph gave an impressed smirk, crossing his arms as liquid gold eyes glowed in quiet pride, "That's the Fearless I know,"

"Come on," Mikey urged after a couple moments of silence, "let's just get through this place, locks or not, I don't like it here."

Footsteps as quiet as ninja, the trio sauntered down the blinding hallway, unable to keep themselves from catching glimpses of Leo's deepest fears. Some were small, nothing all that scary except to their leader. Like his anxiety over blowing up the toaster and getting scolded by Donnie again. That one made the genius both chuckle and cringe at the same time, not proud of the fact that his impassioned lectures over kitchenware had made it into its own room in the hallway. Plus, the image of Leo standing sheepishly in the kitchen, with a phantom Donatello yelling at him, wasn't the best impression. Michelangelo found his own room that also made him laugh and wince, where past the window lay an overweight Mikey covered in junk food crumbs and reading a comic book. The youngest snickered, shaking his head at Leo's mother hen side, unsurprised that their leader was genuinely anxious over the youngest's health. Raph's room was more intense, though, leaving the brawler flushed in shame and guilt.

Within the door, flanked by many a bolt and lock, lay Leonardo, holding Raph's bloodied form in his arms, shoulders heaving in gut wrenching sobs. They could hear their leader pleading with the hothead's corpse, begging to know why he left the lair, why he went out on his own without telling anyone, why he jumped headfirst into trouble without calling for backup. Raphael didn't stay to look inside that room for very long. Long legs stalked past it, even as he ducked his head to hide the tears welling in narrowed, angry eyes. Not angry at Leo, but at himself. Michelangelo and Don exchanged looks, neither speaking, not wishing to make the moment worse on their older brother. By that point they had moved on to other rooms that were anticipated, as they were fears all four siblings shared.

The room containing the day they almost died in Shredder's starship; the lab where Bishop almost dissected Mikey, the youngest still bound to the examination table; as well as the sight of their dimension slowly being wiped out, engulfing their home, family and friends. Each detailed a different moment in Leonardo's life, seared into his mind as a moment of pure unbridled terror, carving itself onto the eldest's heart as a memorial of how he believed he'd failed his family.

Near the end of the hall, though, there were three rooms in particular that drew their attention, and eventually, their horror.

The first being one that they had expected, the room holding the skin walker. It, too, was securely locked. The room was an exact replica of the cellar, with Leonardo tied to a straight backed chair, hands lashed to the arms, by the creature's hair. Their leader's tear streaked face was held silent by the silky strands, his mouth forced shut, even as he trembled feebly from the cold the turtle brothers could feel seeping from under the door. Beyond Leo, the skin walker stood next to a metal table, its hands busy as it slowly skinned a corpse in full view of the eldest. Their leader could only watch with horrified sapphire eyes, desperately trying to escape the monster's hold. This time all three brothers fled from the window, each hating the sight of their leader helpless and scared.

Unfortunately, his greatest fears only got worse from there.

The next door greeted them with a blood curdling screech, one filled with pain and torment, overflowing in incomprehensible grief. This door only had a few padlocks on it, wear and tear on the wooden door frame, showing that this was one fear that Leonardo still battled. The brothers didn't want to look, told themselves to walk past it, but just how you can't look away from a car crash, they felt their gaze drawn to the pane of glass. Once again, Leonardo sat on the floor, but instead of holding just Raphael's corpse, he was surrounded by his entire family. All had been slaughtered in gruesome ways, from being beheaded, to their throats slit only for their life blood to pool on the floor. Leo cried over the fallen forms of his family, barely able to breathe in between sobs, crawling to each still body, shaking them as he pleaded that someone, anyone, open their eyes. Begging that he not be left alone, his tears growing thicker with each new body, and cries more hysterical as he realized he was truly the last one left. It ended with Leonardo doubled over on his hands and knees, face pressed into the floor of the decimated lair, heartbreak palpably coming from the turtle in waves.

But that was nothing to the room across the hall.

If Michelangelo thought the door before was bad, he was about to be terribly mistaken. Beyond the glass, huddled in a corner, sat his brother, both hands held over his ears in a desperate bid to block out the noise bellowing from inside. A voice, one the youngest was shocked to realize was Leonardo's own, shrieked at the crumpled form of his leader. Each accusation slicing across the green skin, bidding thick drops of blood to drip onto the floor in morbid plops, leaving the trembling leader to sob helplessly from shattered sapphire eyes.

"You're weak! You don't deserve to lead!"

"Pathetic piece of garbage!"

"Disgusting, you're nothing but a liability!"

"Disgrace!"

"You're going to get them all killed!"

"Unworthy!"

"You're not even at your brother's level, you can't keep up!"

"Not even worth the effort!"

"They'd be better off without you!"

"You're dragging them down!"

"You're not worthy of this family!"

"You don't deserve any of them!"

"Oh no," Donatello breathed, brown eyes horrified, "look at the door."

While it held the same padlocks as the other doors, they were only halfway done, some hanging open and barely holding on. As if Leo had placed them there with the intention of locking this fear away, but never finished the process. What was worse, was the door was splintering. Cracks ran from the bottom up to the top in winding crags, like lightning bolts. The smallest effort would utterly smash it to pieces. It didn't take a genius like Donnie to tell them what that meant. Leo didn't lock this away because he believed it was true. Mikey stifled a sob, turning away from the doors to stomp down the hall.

After walking a few steps, the youngest stopped, chest heaving as he tried to reign in his emotions, but instead felt them bubbling up in the back of his throat into a rising scream. Mikey bellowed out the pain, confusion, fear and worry that he felt for his leader, unable to stem the literal tsunami wave that was engulfing him and sending his senses reeling. He could feel his older brothers watching his reaction with concerned eyes, but he didn't have the ability to care. He was angry. At Leo, at himself, at their messed up lives, at everything!

"WHY?!" Michelangelo screamed, whirling to pin his brothers with tearful baby blue eyes, "Why after all our hard work to convince him that he's needed, that we love him, that he's worth it, why can't he see it for himself?!"

Donnie's brown eyes melted in compassion, "That's not how depression works, Mike."

"Why is he still depressed, then?!" The youngest pled, begging for an answer as to why their eldest was still being tormented, "Haven't we told him over and over that he's good enough?!"

"I don't know," Donatello whispered, fighting back his own emotions, "all I know is that he needs his family, that he needs to feel like he has a purpose."

"So, leading us isn't good enough?!"

Raphael approached the baby, wrapping Mikey in solid warm arms, bracing the trembling head under his scarred chin, "Mike," he rumbled softly, "ya know how I get mad?"

"It's not the same thing!" Michelangelo wept, sniffling into the brawler's plastron.

"Yes, it is," Raph declared, tone firm with conviction, "my anger and Leo's depression are two sides of the same coin. It's a battle we both have ta fight every day of our lives. Now, I don't know what's happened ta Leo, but somethin' has changed lately, and he's startin' ta spiral again, and we now that we know, we ain't gonna let him sink into another pit.

"We can stop it before it gets too bad," Raphael reassured, nuzzling the orange clad head, "But getting' mad at Leo won't change the battle he fights, and it won't help him either. Ya get me?"

Michelangelo gave a hesitant nod, his sobs slowing down, "I'm still mad at him," he muttered miserably.

The brawler chuckled, the sound rolling through his chest and jostling the youngest, "Ya can be mad at him," he assented, "but not for forever, and when we rescue the guy, just give him a hug, yeah?"

As their conversation came to a close, Mikey peeked over Raphael's shoulder, seeing a new door revealing itself. This one was a lot more friendly, and sent a shot of warmth through the terrapin. It was the door to the lair, the very first lair, the one they grew up in. Pulling away from Raphael, Mikey wiped the residual moisture from his eyes, and walked up to the door. A trembling hand finding the right brick where Donnie had hid a keypad, and punched in the familiar code they once used. With a rumbling growl of brick and stone sliding across concrete, the entrance slowly slid open to reveal their current lair, but in a way they'd never seen it before. It was an amalgamation of all their previous homes all tacked together. It had the kitchen of the utrom lair, with the living room of their current one. The bedrooms were close together like in their first home, however, master splinter had his shoji doors like in the pumping station. It seemed, that Leonardo's favorite parts of each lair had been cobbled into one giant home, that was at once familiar and new at the same time.

"This is Leo's core," Mikey announced, voice still slightly congested from his meltdown, "the center of who Leo is as a person."

"And of course, it's home," Donnie chuckled, "don't know why I'm surprised, we already know how much he cares about his family."

"I don't know," Raph shrugged with a playful grin, "I was expectin' something like a Shinto shrine, or a temple, ya know? Or even the dojo."

"No, this is perfect," the genius smiled, "it's just like in the caves when we were reminded that Leo isn't his swords, or a book on war strategy. His core, his inner peace, is being surrounded by the people he loves. In serving them, and caring for them, that's what makes Leo who he is."

"He's a little too selfless if you ask me," Mikey muttered bitterly, "so preoccupied with making everyone else happy, that he drives himself into a corner of self loathing because he supposedly not good enough."

"We're gonna help him with that, Mike," Raphael reiterated, "now that we know how much he's strugglin', we're gonna help him outta his funk."

"Speaking of Leo," the genius murmured, "shouldn't he be here? I thought Master Splinter said that he was trapped inside his core?"

"Let's search the place," Raph suggested, "if he's trapped, then he may not be able ta call out ta us, or he might be held against his will. Let's poke around and see what we find."

Michelangelo ambled over to the living room, begrudgingly acknowledging that Leo somehow knew every single one of his favorite games, even going back from before the caves. The space was impeccably detailed, from the favorite quilt the brothers preferred to use when all four were cuddling on the couch, down to the pillow their father preferred for bracing his back while watching his shows in his chair. The kitchen was equally impressive, as all of Michelangelo's favorite utensils were in their usual spots, the pots and pans all in their regular cupboards, and the fridge loaded with all of his family's favorite foods.

"But none of his," the youngest sighed.

This was proving more than a bit concerning. This was Leo's core, he expected to see more of Leo in it, instead all he saw were echoes of their family. Casey's hockey mask sat on the kitchen table, April's laptop stowed away on the counter, a perch for Radar and a cat food dish for Klunk, while Doctor Lowrey's cane leaned against a chair. But nothing of Leonardo. Not even his katana hung in their usual spot in the dojo. As if, Leo didn't see himself as a member of the family. Mikey frowned, remembering the words he'd heard in the last room. Apparently, Leo didn't think he even deserved a place with them. Blue eyes closed as the youngest drew a shuddering breath. He needed to get it together. He knew that entering Leo's mind wasn't going to be a picnic, and even Raph said that they were well aware that their leader's head was going to have its dark patches. At least Leonardo's core was family, which meant that he would listen to them, they just had to speak the words of encouragement and love more loudly, until he got the message.

"I found him!"

Donnie's cry jolted Mikey out of his thoughts, and without a second glance, the orange ninja pelted towards where he had heard the genius.

Their brother was in the lab, and underneath a black cloth, locked inside the containment unit once used to hold Donatello during his double mutation. Thankfully, and for the most part, Leo looked unharmed but most certainly angry. Furious sapphire eyes practically glowed, even as he gave his cage a dissatisfied glare. However, the anger softened when Leo noticed Don pull the cover off and began working on opening the cage door. After several seconds, the unit opened with a pneumatic hiss, and Leonardo stomped out, the eldest turtle pausing so to draw several deep drafts of air. The brothers gathered around their leader, not talking, unsure of what to say, but needing a tactile reassurance that he was indeed back with them and safe.

"I knew you'd come," Leo smiled, voice soft and warm as he opened his eyes to regard his brothers, "never doubted you for a minute."

"Yeah, well," Raphael shrugged, "if we don't save yer butt, who will?"

The sapphire gaze darkened, no doubt the eldest asking himself who indeed would come? However, Leonardo moved past it, presenting his wrists to the brawler, "Mind cutting these ropes?" He asked with a teasing smile, "It's not really my thing."

The brawler released a startled bark of laughter, snickering as he used his sai to slice through the binds, "So, ya ready ta blow this popsicle stand?"

"More than you can imagine." Leo replied dryly.

"Good, because I hereby grant leadership duties back to you, aniki," Michelangelo groaned, shoulders drooping as if he physically released the burden.

Leo chuckled, "Why?" He smirked, "You've been doing great, as far as I can tell. Maybe you should take over full time?"

Mikey frowned, there was something about Leo's suggestion that wasn't ringing as a joke. In fact, the eldest almost seemed partially serious about the idea. Oh no, he was not letting this continue. The orange ninja opened his mouth to call Leo out on his bull crap but was promptly cut off by the familiar screech of the dark spirit holding their leader hostage.

"Not so fast!"

The siblings blanched, each turning to see that the dark spirit had caught up to them, "You don't get to just get away, I'm still here, and the only way to escape is to eject me from your very soul, and I'm not sure you're strong enough to do that."

"Maybe not when I was alone," Leonardo admitted, his body beginning to glow with blue markings, and his eyes becoming twin shooting stars, "but with my brothers at my back, I can overcome anything. You don't belong here, this is my mind, and I'm serving you an eviction notice!"

Clenching his fists in front of himself, Leo summoned up waves of power, lightning bolts of blue energy crackling from his fingers, and up his arms. A building cry rose from the terrapin, even as his body began to shift into a dragon, silver wings catching the light of the lair, and sharp teeth glinting in a deadly snarl. The fox spirit watched the transformation, her mouth agape in awe, and copper eyes tinged in fear.

"A world walker?!" She murmured softly, bewilderment making her jaw go slack, before a dragon tail slammed into her abdomen, launching the spirit across the lair and ejecting her from Leo's mind scape.

The dragon gave a final roar, before it quickly diminished, leaving Leo panting on his knees in the floor. The blue clad head gave a concerning sway, and Donnie was barely fast enough to catch it before he crashed on his side, "Leo, you okay?!"

The leader gave a small nod, smiling reassuringly up at his siblings from his place on the purple turtle's shoulder, "I'm okay," he promised, "She drained more of my energy than I anticipated. I'll probably be sore for a couple days, and I might not wake up for a bit, but I'll be fine. Just a little tired."

Donatello gushed the eldest's response before heaving a sigh, "Alright, but you're definitely benched for a few more days after this. I'm sure Anthony would agree."

Sapphire eyes widened in panic, a veil of self hatred falling across them, reminding the youngest of his prior worry of his brother's current spiral, "Leo, we need to talk," Mikey said, features serious, cluing their sibling into the kind of conversation it would be, "after you've rested, but later we definitely need to talk everything that's happened."

Leonardo winced, "I figured," he sighed, "I had a feeling a trip through my head wouldn't be very pleasant for you guys."

"Ugh," the youngest groaned, "will you stop being so concerned about us for a change and worry about yourself?! We just walked through some of your most secret thoughts, and you're thinking about our mental state?"

Their leader balked, clamming up even as blue eyes lowered in shame. One shoulder rose in a helpless shrug, and finally Mikey couldn't take it anymore, "Alright," he demanded, "family meeting immediately after you wake up, I'm calling one, because we need to talk about this!"

The eldest nodded, gaze still cast down in guilt and sorrow, but Mikey wasn't reassured.

Something was very wrong with his big brother, something that he had a sneaking suspicion wouldn't be fixed by a family meeting. Leo was starting to believe again that he wasn't worth their loyalty or affection, and it was so much worse this time around. Michelangelo didn't know how they'd fix it, was terrified of what would happen should they fail, but he was sure of one thing, he'd do everything in his power to save Leonardo from himself, even if it killed him.

…

Back in the astral plane, Kitsune lay writhing in pain on a field. Her teeth were bared, even as she let out a scream of frustration, "How dare that arrogant, piece of trash, defy me?!"

Pulling herself up off the ground, the spirit spat out a glob of blood, unhappy with the damage her astral form had taken. A cold smile twisted her lovely features as a grim determination shocked through her frame, thirsting for vengeance. A dark chuckle shook the slim shoulders. Oh, she'd have her revenge, of that she was certain, but she'd need backup of her own to complete the job. Licking her lips free of blood, Kitsune considered the turtle she'd inhabited for the short time, remembering the memories she'd witnessed as she fed. There was a soul cast into the afterlife that she could reach, the remnants of one of his enemies that she was certain would join her crusade. All she had to do was find it. A sneer replaced the malicious grin, and Kitsune bared sharp teeth as she shifted back to her fox form to search out the soul of the one Leo feared.

She had underestimated the animal living soul, and that was a mistake she wasn't going to make again.

So long, so much to write…Lord, you guys don't know how exhausting it was to write this chapter, but I'm so happy with it I just had to finish it so you could have it in its entirety!

Please let me know what you think, because I'm really excited for how the story is going to start picking up from here!