Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Samurai Rabbit Main Theme
Yuichi Usagi was bored. Never a good thing. For any party involved.
He’d already sparred with Chizu, helped Gen’s twin sister Toshiko make upgrades to the Ashibasha–spent at least three hours at the arcade with Kitsune and Kiyoko…
…And somehow it was only two in the afternoon.
Things had been pretty quiet around Neo Edo for the past two months.
Usagi probably shouldn’t complain. They just spent a rough few weeks fighting off a zombie army, brought back by a yokai who wanted revenge against some lord who’d married a woman that the yokai had also been in love with.
—Yeah long story. It took a while to get it though to the yokai that he’d been trapped in the Key Stone for several decades and the people he was seeking revenge against were long gone.
BUT-they eventually cleared things up. The yokai -upset but apologetic– left to find peace elsewhere. And he took his zombie army with him thankfully.
Honestly Usagi could not imagine getting that worked up over love. Kitsune-ever the romantic-just rolled her eyes and told him he may eat his words someday.
That was the other problem. Usagi couldn’t help but notice that ever since Kitsune and Chizu had started dating, the gang all hung out less.
Of course they still hung out. And Usagi could still count on Gen for some guy time.
But he couldn’t just call either one of the girls up for some sparring anymore because they might be busy. Doing what he wasn’t sure. Sparring together maybe. Or whatever it is couples do.
Sparring together sounds nice. Usagi kind of wished he had someone new to fight anyway.
The Neo Gang always improved when they fought each other but lately he felt it was getting a tad too-predictable.
Usagi flopped back on the grass with a sigh. Spot-his loyal pet tokage-echoed his sigh with one of his own as he leaned into his master’s side. Usagi chuckled softly, stroking Spot’s head.
I wish something would happen-
Usagi-Yuchi Usagi-
Usagi sat up in alarm. Spot cheeped as he was rudely shoved off his lap.
I know that voice. Miyamoto?
Yes-Grandson finally. I’ve been trying to get in contact with you. I must speak with you about an urgent matter. Now please.
With concern (and some excitement) Usagi gave Spot an apologetic pat on the head before sitting in a proper lotus position and taking a deep breath.
He’d improved a lot at meditation since he’d first started-but some days it continued to be a struggle. It was so hard to get into at first-like diving into a freezing pool. He doubted it would ever be a favored pastime of his.
Still, Usagi worked hard to quiet his mind and focus-no wait meditation is the opposite of focus-and reach out to Miyamoto. This sounded like time-sensitive information, so he’d better hurry up.
****
Yuichi opened his eyes and saw his great-grandfather, Miyamoto Usagi standing across from him in the–
Well Yuichi couldn’t call it a room. He never knew what to call this space. It kind of just looked like: Space.
An endless blue sky with stars. It was pretty anyway.
And thankfully Yuichi had been here enough times-once or twice-that he’d gotten his sea legs, so to speak, and wasn’t spinning anymore.
“Miyamoto Usagi! Hi! How are you? It’s so good to see you! I think. I mean, I’m always happy to see you, but it sounds like you have bad news?” Yuichi rambled
“Hello great-grandson.” Miyamoto replied slightly exasperated, but not unkind. Had he ever been that energetic as a kid? “And yes. I’m afraid this is not a house call. I do have troubling news. I must warn you of a dark force that seeks to destroy our world.”
“Oh-is that all?” said Yuichi with a careless wave of his hand. “I feel like I’m getting those every other month now. Lay it on me!”
“Listen carefully-”Miyamoto continued, his voice stern. “This force I speak of is one I’m sadly very familiar with. An old enemy of mine. I have battled him many times and defeated him in combat but he always comes back. He’s immortal.”
“So-he’s a yokai?”asked Yuichi
“No.” Miyamoto replied. “In fact most Yokai I’ve met aren’t too fond of him. He is a mad spirit who believes he was blessed by the gods to carry out their work in ridding the world of evil.
But his judgment is heavily clouded. He will kill whoever he deems a threat. And that can be anyone.”
Miyamoto’s expression turned sad. “I am sorry to put the burden of fighting this monster on you, my grandson. But he must be stopped and I have failed to rid the world of his presence. I also can’t guarantee your safety. The best I can do is warn you. Once he sees your clothes with the family crest and hears your name he may attack.”
Yuichi swallowed nervously, “And what is the name of this monster I’m expecting?”
“....Jei”
“Sorry, Jei?” Yuichi clarified “Did you say Jei? Is that it?”
“Yes.”
“That’s the least threatening name I’ve ever heard for your arch enemy.”
“I am a Ronin-I don’t have arch enemies!” Miyamoto grumbled “But I agree that it’s not very inspired. He was at one point a different man with a different name, but whoever that is has been dead and gone for many years, leaving the demon in its place.”
“So how am I going to defeat Jei if he’s unkillable?” Yuichi asked.
“I don’t know.” Miyamoto said flatly
“WHAT?!” Yuichi cried “But you’ve defeated him countless times! Why are you telling me any of this then?!”
“Shush! Listen!” Miyamoto continued. “I don’t know, but I know someone who does! Every time I have gone up against Jei has been different.
I’ve reached out to an old friend of mine-one of the few still alive who can help. You’ve heard of the Temple of the Sky Buddha, correct?”
“Where the Blessed One lives?” Yuichi asks. He’d heard of the powerful medium-whose strength rivaled that of the Key Stone herself. A high priest who lived practically on the other side of the world.
“Yes, him. I don’t know if your Aunt ever told you this but I delivered him to the Temple when he was a young boy-with some help.” Miyamoto said and his expression became fond and far away.
“She’s told me many stories-but not that one.” Yuichi said softly intrigued
“Well perhaps another time we can go into the full story.” Miyamoto replied. “But I’ll tell you the most important parts. Jei-and several other assassins-were after the blessed one at the time. My friends and I were targeted during our travels.”
Miyamoto’s expression took on a haunted look.
“The thing to always remember about Jei Usagi-he is a trickster,” Miyamoto said.
“He will enter your dreams. He will cause hallucinations. He may even possess people you know. “
“He took control of the friends I was traveling with to turn them against me. In the end, Kintaro-kun was the one who was able to break the spell over them by awakening his powers.”
“This is why I want you to go see Kintaro-kun at the Temple of the Sky Buddha.” Miyamoto continued.
“He is all grown up now–well-read and full of experience.
He told me he knows of an artifact that can defeat Jei.
As for me–I’m going to meditate over every battle I’ve ever fought with Jei to come up with a possible solution. I’ve already spoken with Kintaro and told him you’re coming.”
Yuichi sat there taking all this in. “Can my friends come?” he asked finally.
“Yes, that would be wise.” Miyamoto replied. “They are all skilled Kaikishi warriors and you will need help fighting Jei. But be on your guard, Usagi. Remember what I said. Jei has been known to possess anyone at any time. If something-or someone seems off-balance, trust your instincts.”
Yuichi swallowed “So–where is Jei now?”
Miyamoto furrowed his brows and sighed “I don’t know. I know he’s returned-I sensed his energy-but I cannot locate where he might be yet. I’m sorry.”
…It’s cool!” said Yuichi “Don’t worry about it! We’ve got a plan right? Well, the beginnings of a plan anyway! Head to the Sky Buddha Temple and meet up with the Blessed One and-well, we’ll figure it out from there!”
“I wish I could be more help than this”-said Miyamoto “I will gather more information.”
“You’ve actually been pretty helpful already in warning me and your friend.” said Yuichi- “Also–This isn’t your fault. You helped so many people when you were alive.
I don’t know when you started thinking wiping some immortal nutcase off the face of the earth was your responsibility–but you clearly did everything you could and it apparently worked for a good several decades anyway. Please don’t hold yourself accountable for all the evil in the world.”
Miyamoto stared hard at Yuichi to the point where the young rabbit started to sweat wondering if he’d overstepped before he cracked a grin. “I may be your ancestor-but you may still have a few things you can teach me Usagi-Kun.”
Yuichi flushed.
“You’d best be on your way now.” Miyamoto said “I have to meditate and you have a trip to pack for.”
“Someday you’ll have to tell me more about the trip you and those friends of yours took to the Sky Temple the first time.” Yuichi replied with a matching grin.
“Oh don’t worry,” Miyamoto said, his voice growing faint as Yuichi began to leave the meditative state. “Kintaro-kun will be eager to tell you all about them. He has a whole mural dedicated to the Great Kappa Warriors!”
****
“Sooo-where are we going again?” Gen asked, as he and the rest of the Neo Gang watched Usagi run around packing in a blur.
“The Temple of the Sky Buddha!” Usagi replied. “To meet with the High Priest about this evil guy named Jei-lame name I know-who Miyamoto Usagi fought in the past but now he’s back and we don’t have a solid plan to defeat him but the High Priest might because he’s defeated him before-”
“Whoa, whoa, okay slow down” Chizu said, putting her hands on the rabbit’s shoulders to stop the white tornado stirring up the room. “Explain that a little more slowly please-because the Temple of the Sky Buddha is not exactly a train trip away. We need to know why we're making such a long journey.”
“Fair enough,” Usagi said deflating slightly before explaining everything in proper detail to his friends.
They stared at him before blinking collectively.
“Wow that sounds-really bad,” said Kitsune.
“It also sounds like time is of the essence,” said Gen.
“I know that’s why I’m trying to get us packed and out of here-Chop! Chop!” Usagi snapped, clapping his hands.
“No, I mean we need to think of a fast mode of transportation to meet up with this High Priest because that place is really far away,” Gen said. “Do you think we can get that airship we’ve been working on up in time–because let’s face it Lord Kogane isn’t lending us one.”
“That won’t be necessary” a voice cut in-causing everyone to jump as a green translucent bear phased through the walls.
“Geez Tetsujin-why don’t you ever use a door? Why do you have to do that every time?!” snapped Gen, annoyed.
“Because you jump every time!” Tetsujin responded laughing.
“Tetsujin listen-” Usagi interrupted urgently. “Miyamoto Usagi contacted me and warned me of a great danger-
“-Jei is coming and you have to get to the Temple of the Sky Buddha,” Tetsujin finished.
“Yeah!-Wait, how did you know that?” Usagi asked.
“Because the High Priest, Kintaro, just contacted me.” Tetsujin continued. “He explained everything and mentioned that you need to get there as quickly as possible. I just came in here to tell you that he’s providing transport. And soon- so you better pack quickly.”
“Really?” Usagi asked, relieved while everyone else looked shocked.
“Great, problem solved! Everyone hurry up! Start doing your goodbyes and get packing!”
Chizu and Gen looked at each other with a shrug before filing out of the room.
Kitsune paused in the doorway, turning to look at Tetsujin. “So um-exactly how are we getting to this far-away Temple in the next few-
“WOMAN, I DON’T HEAR PACKING OR FAREWELLS!” came a shout down the hallway.
Kitsune’s right eye twitched. “Excuse me,” she said with a smile, whipping out one of her fans as she stomped off.
Tetsujin offered up a prayer for his dumb charge. They still needed him in decent shape to defeat Jei after all.
****
The four friends (and Spot) stood outside in front of the Kaikishi Temple with their bags, where Tetsujin had told them to wait for pickup.
They were saying the last of their goodbyes. They had updated everyone as much as they could of the situation. Tetsujin would just have to fill in any more holes. Gen was saying goodbye to his sister Toshiko and the Ashibasha.
Kitsune was hugging her sister Kiyoko, and trying not to cry. The robot had begged to come insisting they could use her help but Kitsune had asked her sister to help guard Neo Edo and the Key Stone in their absence.
“We could be back in a few days. Or we could be gone longer. We don’t know how long this is going to take. Please guard our home base.” Kitsune said with sadness and pride in her eyes.
With a speech like that the robot resolved to protect the city-as did Toshiko.
Meanwhile Usagi was speaking with his sensei, Karasu-Tengu. When he had brought up the name Jei her eyes had darkened in recognition. She too described the immortal spirit as a madman that even Yokai tended to avoid.
“He thinks the gods put him on this Earth to carry out judgment for others,” Karasu-Tengu said. “He’s been enough of a thorn in the side of a few Yokai that we’ve asked among each other where he came from. No one knows or remembers. If we did know of his origins, it would make it easier to permanently wipe him from the Earth.”
“My ancestor mentioned he used to be an ordinary mortal man with a different name,” Usagi replied. “Maybe if we knew who he was back then we’d learn how he became what he is now.”
“”It’s worth looking into,” the bird yokai replied.
“Will you please tell Auntie and Hana where I’ve gone?” Usagi asked. “I don’t know how to put all this in a letter.”
“Of course.” she said. “I’ll also ask your Aunt what she remembers about the stories of Miyamoto’s battles with Jei. Maybe the two of us can put something together.”
“Thank you Sensei.” said Usagi.
“Alright, gather round everyone, it’s time! Ready to go?!” Tetsujin called floating
“Yeah so-HOW are we getting there again?” Kitsune asked.
“Didn’t I tell you?” the bear said tilting his head.
“NO!” everyone shouted collectively.
“Oh, my bad! Well The High Priest Kintaro is going to rip a hole in space with his War Axe and teleport you there!”
“...Say what now?” asked Toshiko.
“The High Priest can rip a hole in space with his War Axe!” Tetsuin continued, unphased. “In a few seconds now you’ll see a bright beam of light and then-”
“Yeah okay-NO!” said Gen, starting to walk away. “You’ve officially gone off the deep end, Tetsujin. I mean I’ve seen a lot of weird things in the past few years-Robot Aliens, Talking Hats, that Zombie Army, but now you’re telling me the High Priest can literally rip a hole in the fabric of space and time or some shi-
“But he CAN!-” Tetsujin snapped. “Show some respect for the Blessed One when you meet him! Besides sending you from here to there is nothing! He told me when he was a child he sent the Kappa Warriors back home where they belong and they weren’t even from his time or this dimension!”
“WHAT?!” Usagi cried. “Those Kappa Warriors? The ones Miyamoto was talking about? They're from another dimension?”
“You’ve both lost it”, Gen said in disbelief, glancing back and forth between the two. “Kappa Warriors, Magic War Axes, I’m going home, forget this nonsense-”
He was suddenly cut off by a bright white light that blinded them all.
When Usagi lowered his arm he gasped. It was an archway made of light. And on the other side–
Was a giant pug dog with an Axe. Behind him was a sky and a Temple that was clearly somewhere else and not part of Neo Edo.
“You were saying?” Tetsujin said smugly.
The dog waved excitedly.
“Hello!” he said. “I’m Kintaro, the High Priest of the Temple of the Sky Buddha. Please call me Kintaro, or Kintaro-san if you prefer, I hate that long title!
No Blessed One either -thanks! You are the Kaikishi Warriors, yes?”
The old dog’s eyes suddenly landed on Usagi. His smile grew and his eyes misted over slightly.
“Oh yes,” he said. “I have the right group. You are most definitely the descendent of Usagi-san.”
Usagi felt a smile grow on his own face as we remembered what Miyamoto had said.
This wasn’t just an ally-this was an old friend.
He bowed. “Hello Kintaro-san. It’s an honor to meet you. My great-grandfather told me all about you.”
“All terrible I hope”, the dog laughed.
Usagi echoed the dog’s infectious laughter. He turned to his friends. “Let’s go. We’ll see you all later.”
Then he picked up his bags and walked through to the other side of the world.
****
The High Priest of the Temple of the Sky Buddha-a.k.a-The Blessed One-a.k.a. “Kintaro, please call me Kintaro”-was not what any of the Neo Crew were expecting.
After they walked through the portal, he briefly promised to let Tetsujin know he would update them on their progress through a connection in the Key Stone (because he could do that apparently how powerful was this guy ). He then sealed up the archway with his Magic War Axe (Gen still couldn’t get over that if his stuttering was anything to go by).
Then he formally introduced himself to all of them-immediately asked if he could give Spot a treat. Yes. Hooray. Spot’s sitting on his new friend's shoulder now.
He then asked if he could take their bags. The gang said it was quite alright they’d manage–horrified at the thought of this-king? Deity? Whatever he was putting them away. But he insisted it was no trouble.
Okay then, they said thinking he’d call servants or something. Nope. The old dog snapped his fingers and the bags levitated off the ground zipping off to their respective rooms.
Okey dokey, then. This guy’s POWERFUL, powerful. Thank goodness he’s friendly.
They were all pretty gobsmacked, even Usagi. Luckily Kintaro didn’t seem to notice or mind-perhaps he was used to it-and had plenty to say as he led them on a brief tour of the temple.
“I know we’re here to discuss the matter of Jei-I’m having some documents brought to the tea room that I think will help us. But I hope you don’t mind if I show you something first.” he said excitedly.
He took the gang off to a separate wing with a room in which there was a shrine-and a portrait with a familiar face.
Albeit much younger.
“That’s”-Kitsune started before trailing off.
Usagi couldn’t speak.
“I asked him to stand for that-as a birthday present to myself of all things-many decades ago,” Kintaro said softly as Usagi approached the shrine laid out for his ancestor, amazed.
He soaked it in before turning to Kintaro.
“You two were close huh?” he said softly.
“I wouldn’t have made it here without him,” Kintaro said. “Well-him and the Kappa Warriors we ran into on the way.”
“Now THAT is a story I want to hear more about!” Usagi replied, eyes lighting up. “The more I hear about them the more confused I get!”
“Really? Would you like to see their mural?” Kintaro asked excitedly. “I tried to get them depicted as accurately as I could from memory, but it’s probably not exact-”
“Uh I hate to interrupt-”Chizu said “But shouldn’t we be focused on stopping Jei? It is why we’re here?”
“Oh we will, we will,” Kintaro waved her off, “But actually-some of this is relevant. We won’t go over the whole story. But maybe I should tell you how and why those turtles were here in the first place and what happened at this temple all those years ago. Because it has a lot to do with Jei.”
Suddenly they were all listening.
“Come on.” Kintaro said, leading them away from the shrine. “I’ll tell you all about it at the mural.”
****
“Wait, so after you unlocked your powers-you freed the turtles from Jei’s control?” Gen asked
“Yes!” Kintaro replied.
“Why were they still acting like they were possessed then?”
“To gain the upper hand ”said Kintaro “And it worked. Jei thought he had Usagi at their mercy and his at mine-until Leonardo’s sword was embedded in his chest.”
“Wow.” Usagi said, eyes huge.
“Optimal.” said Chizu.
“Sneaky-I like it,” said Kitsune
“That sword stayed in there too. It was creepy. In the end Usagi used it to deliver the final blow. He sent Jei toppling over the edge of the temple.” Kintaro paused, rubbing his head uncomfortably. “I almost went over it too.”
“Wait, he had a SWORD in his chest and he STILL wasn’t down?!” Kitsune said in a panic.
“Well yeah, hence the whole ‘immortal’ schtick” said Gen.
“But then what chance do we have of defeating this guy?!” Kitsune said, looking genuinely worried about the situation since they first got there.
“Miyamoto Usagi was one of the best Samurai who ever lived and he couldn’t get rid of Jei permanently! THIS guy” she said gesturing to Kintaro “Is clearly a powerhouse and even he couldn’t take Jei out on his own!”
“Kitsune!” Usagi hissed, but Kintaro just looked bemused at the backhanded compliment, muttering a flattered “Thank you!”
“Hey!” Chizu said, reaching out a supportive arm to put on her girlfriend’s shoulder. “You’re worrying too much-and that’s coming from me!-Before anything’s actually happened. We’ve faced tough situations before. We’ve beaten the Neko Ninja. We’ve beaten the Makkine. And just a few months ago we got rid of that zombie army, remember? We felt like that was never going to end.”
“You four sound like you have some stories of your own,” Kintaro muttered, slightly alarmed.
“We’ve got a lot of smart, strong, experienced people on our side who are going to help us figure this out,” Chizu continued, squeezing Kitsune’s shoulder. “We’ve got this.”
Kitsune’s shoulders dropped in increments during the speech until she finally sighed and gave a soft smile. “You’re right.”
“Of course I’m right.”
Kitsune laughed. “I thought I was the positive one in this relationship?”
Chizu shrugged, “I guess you’re rubbing off on me.”
Everyone laughed.
“On that note,” Kintaro said “Maybe it’s time to stop reminiscing and look towards the future-and think of a way to beat this awful monster once again. Perhaps permanently this time.”
They got up and made their way out of the room. Usagi paused one last time at the mural. Kintaro turned and looked.
“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked.
“Which one is Leonardo?” said Usagi. “It was his idea to throw the sword at Jei after tricking him right? You make him sound like-”
“A leader,” asked Kintaro. “I suppose he was, among his brothers.
My memory is not what it used to be when it comes to this-but they were pretty young for what they were doing–a few years younger than Miyomoto. Maybe your age? But Leonardo carried himself a certain way-like he was leading a team, and the others tended to follow him.” Kintaro laughed. “Actually I remember him butting heads with Miyamoto on more than one occasion about plans. But I think they parted as good friends. Anyway-
He pointed at a Kappa leaping with twin swords and a blue bandana. “That’s him.”
Kintaro smiled. “I miss them too and think of them often. I wonder whatever became of them after I sent them home.”
***
Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Summary:
Tmnt 2012 Soundtrack-Ninja Training
Notes:
First of all, can I just say WOW.
I was not expecting so many people to check out the first chapter.
Thanks a bunch!
I really love writing this fanfic, and I hope you all love reading it.
Second of all, surprise!
You get two chapters today!
It's just because I had a certain chunk of the story I wanted to post now-but I really felt it worked better split into two chapters.
So I just figured I'd put it up at once.
Any, hope you guys like it-Houston, we now have turtles!
Happy reading!
Chapter Text
Hamato Leonardo was beginning to think he was never going to know true peace in his life.
Sure the Shredder was gone. The Kraang had been dealt with. The Triceratons–were much harder to get rid of, but they were taken care of, eventually.
But even now, in a time of peace for the city of New York (and planet Earth) as the young leader of the Hamato clan sits in the dojo, under Master Splinter’s favorite tree, trying to find his center to meditate, he simply cannot drown out the wails of the damned.
“RAPH- LET GO!”
Or rather, the wails of the Mikey.
Leo rolled his eyes, giving up and decided to go see what the fuss was about. He opened the doors to find his two brothers fighting over:
The blender?
Why?
“Why?” Leo voiced his thoughts.
“Leo!” Mikey turned to look at his other brother. “I was in the middle of making my Pizza Pickle Sundae Supreme when Raph grabbed the blender! Tell him to give it back! He knows the kitchen is my domain!”
“Okay, first of all!,” snapped Raph “Sensei Leonardo does not dictate what we do outside of ninja stuff and he knows that .” Raph shot Leo a dark glare. “Second, I’m stopping you because every time you make this crap it makes the lair smell terrible for several hours and Mona’s supposed to come over tomorrow! You make the sewers smell worse, how do you do that?! ”
Leo looked back and forth between the bickering brothers- wondering if he should intervene or walk away. Honestly his throbbing head was telling him the latter was a better option but then-
“Uh Raph, Mikey-”
“Leo, I told you don’t get involved, you always take Mikey’s side anyways-”
“But guys, it’s GONNA END UP ON THE-”
*Crash*
“-floor,” Leo finished with a cringe as now the smell of pizza and ice cream permeated the room. Thank God they didn’t have a carpet there.
“Oh-nice job, Mikey!”
“Me?! You were the one who wouldn’t let go-you started this!”
“Oh I’m about to start something alri-”
“Clean it up please.”
Both turtles froze and turned their heads when they heard that tone of voice .
Leo was smiling. Not a good smile. A small, strained one.
With narrowed eyes.
“Uh, which one of us are you talking to-,” Mikey started.
“ BOTH of you. ” Leo said. Both turtles did a full body flinch.
“Clean it up. Cause I’m not doing it. I think I’ll go outside for some fresh air. Thanks.”
As Leo left he passed the lab where he suddenly heard a soft “Oh shell-” and an explosion.
He cracked the lab door open just a smidge. “Hey Donnie?” he asked in the same tone.
He heard some shuffling and a nervous “Y-yes?”
Still alive. Good. “Maybe it’s time you took a break, yeah? When’s the last time you got some sleep?”
A pause. “Uhh-is today Tuesday or Thurs-”
“ Go to sleep.”
A sigh. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”
Leo nodded and made his way out of the lair, hopping over the turnstiles.
A few seconds later, an admittedly tired looking Donnie came out of the lab, bags under his eyes, and turned to his other two brothers who were busy with a broom and mop.
“Alright, which one of you set ‘Mom’ off?!” he snapped.
Raph and Mikey just pointed fingers at each other.
****
“So, Kintaro, uh your Blessed-ness?” Usagi asked the giant dog as the five Kaikishii warriors and High Priest poured over a mass of scrolls and snacks in the temple library.
“Kintaro is fine,” the dog said with a kind smile.
“Right,” said Usagi. “My ancestor mentioned you might know of an artifact that could help defeat Jei.”
“You’re just telling us this NOW?!” demanded Gen.
“I forgot?” Usagi said sheepishly.
“That’s what I’m looking for, actually.” said Kintaro “The only problem is I can’t remember the name of the artifact. It’s a very specific and powerful sword forged a long time ago. I read the story when I was very young. But I remember exactly how the story goes.”
“Can I ask why it would help?” Usagi said.
“Well actually,” Kintaro said “I first started looking for it because I had a feeling Jei would try to find it for himself.”
“Why?” asked Kitsune.
“Jei is very weak in his current state. Wherever he is right now, he’s more spirit than physical form. That’s why I can't pinpoint his exact location.” Kintaro said, frustrated. “But certain artifacts could help him regain his strength.
“Very few remember Jei’s origins.” Kintaro continued. “One of the things people can recall is that there was a storm the night he was made. And Miyamoto Usagi once confirmed to me that Jei is more powerful during lightning storms. Some of his worst battles against Jei were fought during storms. Therefore we believe thunderstorms-or more specifically lightning-is the key to Jei regaining his full power.
That’s where the sword comes in. The sword is supposed to have been made during a very powerful thunderstorm, struck with a lightning bolt at the top of the highest mountain peak.”
“Boy that blacksmith must’ve been well-done,” muttered Kitsune. Usagi elbowed her for interrupting.
“Because of this,” Kintaro continued “It is said to possess powers of lightning for the wielder during storms–conducting it and redirecting it to your enemies.”
“Woah.”
“Wicked.”
“Optimal.”
“Okay, that’s pretty cool.”
“And-you think this sword can help defeat Jei-or you just want to keep the sword away from him so he doesn’t regain strength?” Chizu asked. “Not that either of those sound like bad ideas by the way.”
“At first I was just looking for any record of the sword to see if I could find it and keep it out of Jei’s hands”, Kintaro began. “I was worried about him taking it, and literally giving himself a recharge.
But then I remembered a legend about the sword and a warrior who used it against a malevolent spirit. I don’t remember her name, unfortunately. She couldn’t defeat the spirit with physical weapons, they phased right through-so she took the sword and used the lightning to —well—the legend says ‘redirect the spirit back into the heavens’ but it sounds more like she fried it if I’m being honest.”
Gen and Chizu made grossed out faces, while Usagi and Kitsune just looked enamored.
“You think we can do the same to Jei?” Usagi asked excitedly.
“I’m hoping we can do the same to Jei.” Kintaro said. “This is very much a shot in the dark right now-based off a legend I recall reading when I was fifteen, but I know it’s in this library somewhere. If only I could remember the name of the sword. Or the last warrior who used it.”
“Then we need to find it. Time is of the essence.” Gen said.
Kintaro looked sad. “Especially because we need to get you all back to Neo Edo before the week is out.”
“What? Why?” Usagi asked.
“I said Jei needs a strong power source to return to full power.” Kintaro said. “Now to be fair, he can’t just use anything, something specific like this sword would make more sense. But that doesn’t mean he’s not going to try using any power source he comes across.”
Usagi got it immediately. “You mean like the Key Stone.” He grabbed his head in a panic. “Why are we all here?! One or two of us should have stayed behind!”
Kintaro raised his palms in a placating gesture. “Don’t worry. I know I said I can’t pinpoint Jei’s exact location, but I can sense when he’s near, and I promise you he’s not even close to Neo Edo right now. And Tetsujin has promised to keep me updated. If the Key Stone or the city is in danger, I will send you back immediately.”
“Plus, Kiyoko and Toshiko are there,” Kitsune said. “They’ll be the first defense if something goes wrong. Nothing’s touching the Key Stone with them around.”
“Still we should find what we’re looking for and get back home fast,” said Chizu.
“The sooner we find this sword the better.”
“I’m sorry,” said Kintaro. “Since you’re all Kaikishi warriors, I felt you should all be here so you could have all the same information.”
“That’s okay, we appreciate it,” Gen said softly. “It’s late, let’s pick this up first thing in the morning.”
And so they all went to bed. Well, most of them went to bed. One hyperactive rabbit plagued with concerns about the state of the world, a grudge-bearing spirit, and the unprotected city made his way back to the library and began digging through the scrolls with a newfound vigor. Or anxiety, who could say.
“Somehow I’m not surprised you’re here.”
Usagi flinched so hard he almost slipped and fell off the ladder he was perched on. He turned and looked at Kintaro almost guiltily. The dog smiled with a hint of mischief in his eyes like he’d known he’d scare the rabbit.
“Couldn’t sleep?” the old dog asked.
“Uhhhh.” Usagi replied intelligently.
“Well neither can I. We may as well keep looking.”
****
“You look like death warmed over,” Kitsune said to Usagi the next day as he attempted not to nod off into his breakfast.
“Thanks,” he snapped in return. He felt awful. He and Kintaro had searched until the sun rose though thousands of scrolls ( why were libraries so big) and hadn’t found anything about that stupid sword.
Chizu finished her meal and took her tray away. “Well back to it I guess.”
“Noooooooo.”
****
It was late in the afternoon and everyone was yawning at this point with the exhaustion that comes with that time of day. The kind of yawns that make your eyes water.
Gen was trying not to fall asleep in his own scroll and smacking his big horn into the pages every time he did. It had happened so often that nobody was jumping at it anymore.
Chizu had gotten to the point where she had read the same page exactly eleven times and was just–not absorbing anything that was on the paper.
She was sincerely considering getting up and taking a walk.
Into a body of water.
And screaming.
Kitsune had implemented a strategy where she had four scrolls spread out in front of her and was reading a page from each before moving to the next one to try and “speed up the process.”
Whether or not it was working was anyone’s guess.
Usagi might’ve been in the worst shape of all. He was no longer falling asleep but that’s only because he had had four cups of green tea in the past two hours and was practically bouncing out of his seat. It was a struggle to concentrate when you could hear your heartbeat this loud in your brain and literally feel the caffeine dancing across your eyeballs.
Kintaro meanwhile was staring down at his own scroll with a furrow in his eyebrows. He was thinking about what would eventually happen when they did find the scroll.
Chizu was right. They had no guarantee Jei wouldn’t seek out the Key Stone. As Kaikeishi Warriors their duty was to keep it and Neo Edo safe first and foremost.
Wherever this sword was, it wasn’t going to be in Neo Edo.
And while Kintaro didn’t doubt the skill of the great-grandson of Miyamoto Usagi or the rest of the Kaiskeishi Warriors (he had heard of the battles and trials they’d faced)--Jei could be a challenge
Even for the Yojimbo.
They might need more allies.
…Perhaps someone (or someones) who had fought Jei before and were wise to his tricks?
And who else besides Kintaro might still be around who remembered Jei?
…Well there was one possibility.
Kintaro pursed his lips in thought. Would it work? I’ve never tried reaching out to them before. I’ve been too scared to check their timeline. What if I’ve missed it and they’re already de-
“AZULA!”
Everyone leaped out of their chairs in utter fright at the caffeine-induced scream that came out of their friend like a demon cry.
“What?!” snapped Kitsune.
“That’s her name!,” Usagi said, holding up a very old scroll that looked like one small sneeze would cause it to collapse in on itself. “The name of the warrior you couldn’t remember!” he said, turning to Kintaro. “Who wielded the sword?”
Kintaro stared at him for a second before his brain finally caught up to what he was saying. “You found it?”
“I found it!” Usagi cackled like a madman, operating on exhaustion and too much leaf juice. “I FOUND IT!”
“Great, good job!” snapped Gen “Now stop waving it around, that thing looks ready to fall apart!”
“Oh right, sorry,” Usagi handed the scroll over to Kintaro who beckoned everyone over to read it.
“Yes, just as I remember it. The warrior Azula takes the sword Inazuma and uses it to banish the spirit Jao to the heavens.”
“….”
“That’s it?” asks Gen. “The sword of lightning was literally called ‘lightning’”?
“You couldn’t remember that?!” Kitsune snapped at Kintaro.
“I’m sorry, okay?!” said Kintaro. “I’m old! I read this when I was fifteen! That was more than half a century ago!”
“Alright, alright,” said Usagi “No point fighting about it. It’s over and done with. You think Inazuma is what we need to take down Jei?”
“Yes, this will work,” Kintaro said with conviction. “I’m sure of it.”
“Great,” said Gen. “But how do we find this Inazuma?”
“You kidding, that’s the easy part.” Usagi said with a grin. “Same way we found Willow Branch.”
“What, with O-Dokuro’s help?” Chizu asked, recalling the skeleton yokai. “We don’t know where he currently is. Or how to get in contact with him.”
“We’ll find a way. Maybe Kintaro can help us?” He turned to the High Priest.
“O-Dokuro’s a good friend, he can find anything that was once used in battle. He might know where this sword is.”
“Isn’t he usually interested in bones though?” Gen asked, cringing. “I don’t know if spirit frying qualifies as part of his line of work.”
“Oh good point.” Usagi turned back to the priest. “Has this sword ever touched a bone?---Uh, I mean has it been used in other battles besides this one?”
“...Yes?” said Kintaro, looking concerned at the rabbit now.
Usagi turned to give his friends a thumbs up and a smile while they all just gave a collective facepalm.
“You need some sleep,” said Chizu.
****
Leo ran across several rooftops before finally stopping on top of one. He looked over New York City and breathed in the cool night air.
Honestly, maybe this would be a better place to meditate. The dojo was a peaceful place, and it was home-but sometimes a turtle felt cooped up. Being out here could be so cathartic.
He wasn’t even mad anymore. He just felt bad for snapping.
He was just so on edge lately due to these nightmares he’d been having.
Leo wasn’t sure why, but lately he’d been dreaming about an old enemy he and his brothers had fought alongside some friends.
Back in a different time and place.
A demonic spirit named Jei, who took the form of a wolf, and controlled their minds and bodies.
Leo hadn’t thought about Jei in months. Usagi and Kintaro, and the places he’s seen, sure–but Jei was someone he’d worked to forget with meditation and training.
And yet in the past two weeks, nightmares about Jei had increased.
It was when he’d started talking that Leo had gotten worried for his mental health.
I am coming for you too, Kappa, you and the Samurai. For all those who wronged me I shall seek my revenge.
Leo was worried the stress of being Head of the Hamato Clan was finally making him crack. Did Master Splinter ever have delusional dreams like this?
He sighed and sat down.
Everyone would probably have an easier time unwinding when they took their annual summer trip to the O’ Neil Farmhouse next month. The family needed a vacation.
Even in times of peace (however brief) it was hard to get the Hamato Clan to break the habit of always being on the lookout for danger when it seemed to find them the minute they had their shells turned.
Leo was beginning to think he had forgotten how to cut loose and have fun-despite his friends and family’s attempts.
Leo took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He made a silent promise to himself that the next vacation he took- he’d try to loosen up, ease up on being a leader-and rediscover who Leo was.
I can’t believe it! I found you! It is you, isn’t it?
Leo leapt up from the ground looking around frantically, one hand on his sword. But he didn’t see anyone.
“Show yourself, whoever you are!” he barked. He wondered how on earth someone could have gotten the drop on him like that. Was he slipping?
Oh no, I’m not physically there with you. It is Leonardo isn’t it? It’s been so long-I hope I don’t have the wrong Kappa.
Leo blinked in alarm. That voice sounded like it was coming from inside his head.
“Dr. Rockwell?” he asked unsure, although it really didn’t sound like the psychic scientist.
No? Who’s that? It’s me, Kintaro-san!
Oh dear sensei, he was cracking.
“Kintaro? Like, the little kid we helped Usagi take to the Temple?” Leo said.
“Why am I hearing you in my head?!”
I’m using my powers silly Kappa-don’t you remember I’m the Blessed One chosen by the gods? It helped you were meditating though. Your focus is strong. I know someone who could learn a thing or two from you.
“Uh, thank you?” Leo smiled sheepishly. This was weird. “But, I have to say–you don’t sound anything like Kintaro. Kintaro’s a kid. You sound like-”
-An old man?
“Uh, well-”
It’s alright. The thing is Leonardo-san, many years have passed since we last saw each other. I am an old man. I’m surprised to see you’re still young.
Leo blinked. “You can see me?”
Oh yes. My powers are projecting your image for me to see. I remember the first time you and brothers were brought to my world by the monster Jei. You were not only out of your dimension but from another time. I suppose this is the result. Time has synced properly for us-but I am old and you have not aged.
Leo frowned. “If you don’t mind me asking-how much time has passed?”
Quite a bit, my friend. I am an immortal, so I don’t look quite as old as I actually am.
“Then-Usagi is dead?” the ninja asked hesitantly.
Yes. Actually I just met his great-grandson the other day.
Leo felt like someone had punched him in the gut.
Are you still with me-Leonardo?
“Yeah um. That’s just a lot to process.”
I understand. I think of Miyamoto Usagi often. Leonardo, I must confess I did not call you just to catch up on old times. I wanted to warn you and– selfishly I admit–ask for your help.
Leo straightened up. “What can I help with, Kintaro-san?”
Jei has returned.
Leo felt like someone had dropped a heavy weight in his stomach. “Oh?”
..You don’t sound as surprised by that as I’d thought you’d be.
“Well, it’s just–this is going to sound weird but have you by chance been having dreams about Jei lately?”
So you’ve seen him too. I’m even more glad I checked on you then. Jei has entered my dreams a couple times threatening vengeance on those he battled in the past. Honestly I wasn’t sure he could reach you, since you’re a whole world away.
Leo tensed “Do you think he could find his way here?”
No, I don’t, but I don’t wish to find out. I think some of his powers are still limited to the spiritual, like entering people’s dreams. He was able to pull you from your world though. I know he never left Miyamoto Usagi alone when he was alive, always seeking him out to fight for his soul.
But that vendetta was unique. I have no idea whether he’s tried to visit Usagi in his dreams as well. He may not realize the Samurai’s no longer alive. But when he finds out he may just move on to the next closest thing–the next of kin.
“His great-grandson you mean.” Leo replied. “And us.”
Yes I think so unfortunately. But fear not Leonardo-san! All hope is not lost! We’ve been coming up with a plan over here to take Jei down and we may have found a solution.
Leo grinned. “Great. How can we help?”
****
Leo came running back into the lair where he found his brothers being unnaturally quiet.
“Um hi,” he started, slightly out of breath. “Listen-originally I wanted to apologize for earlier when I came back but now I need to tell you all something because we may be disappearing for a few days but only if you agree to come with me because I told Kintaro I wasn’t going to make this decision without you because yes Raph I do take everyone’s feelings into account-”
“Whoah, whoah, okay, slow down-”Donnie said. “Where are we going?”
“Did you say Kintaro?” asked Mikey.
“As in that annoying little brat we helped the samurai guy bring to that temple in the sky?” asked Raph.
At the mention of Usagi a shadow briefly passed over Leo’s face making his brothers tense.
“Leo,” Donnie began, “Why don’t you slow down and tell us everything from the beginning? We’ll listen, we’re not going anywhere.”
So Leo stood there (refusing to sit) and told them everything. Kintaro contacted him, he was old now, Usagi was long dead, he had a great grandson, Jei was back and looking for revenge-
“-is this about the nightmares?” Mikey interrupted.
Leo stopped and stared. “How’d you know I was having nightmares about Jei?”
He asked, surprised.
“Oh I didn’t mean you,” Mikey said “I meant me. I’ve been dreaming about that creepy wolf for like a week. He’s been all ‘I will have my revenge on you Kappa and Usagi’. Why, have you been having them too?”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” asked Leo.
“I thought you guys would think I was being a baby. I dunno. I have a lot of weird dreams. We’ve fought a lot of bad guys.” Mikey said shrugging, not looking anyone in the eyes.
Leo felt like his heart was breaking. He grabbed his little brother in a tight hug.
“Next time tell me, please.” Leo said in a sorrowful tone. “I don’t care if it’s two weeks or just one night. I promise I won’t make fun of you. We lead weird lives. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here.”
“Hypocrite,” Raph muttered. “You didn’t tell us you were having them.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Leo said, letting Mikey go. “I thought it was just stress and that I’d be over it by the time we got to the Farmhouse. I’ll do better next time.”
“Well since we’re admitting to faults here,” said Raph. “I dreamed about him a couple times too. Promising vengeance, blah blah blah.”
“Same here,” said Donnie. “I think we’re all at fault for not putting much thought into this, because he’s not someone we’d thought we’d see again.”
“We don’t have to go,” Leo reminded everyone. “I told Kintaro this was a decision we all had to make together—there’s no guarantee Jei can get us here.”
“Of course we’re going,” said Raph. “That jackass has a lot of nerve screwing with us this whole time. Besides-I’m not letting anything happen to that Kintaro kid, even if he is an old man now or whatever.”
“You just said he was annoying,” Mikey teased.
“He IS annoying. Doesn’t mean I want to see him get hurt, plus he’s like the guardian of that world or something, so it’s kind of important he stays safe,” Raph growled, crossing his arms and tossing his head like he didn’t care.
But Mikey saw through that.
“You big softie,” he cooed, then squawked as Raph reached over to give him a noogie.
Leo smiled at the two of them before turning to Donnie. “Donnie? What about you?”
“Yup, count me in,” Donnie said “I wonder how much their civilization has advanced since so much time has passed. Speaking of which, when are we leaving?”
“As soon as possible,” said Leo “Kintaro’s going to reach back out in ‘a couple hours’ but I’m not sure if there’s like-a time zone difference between dimensions or whatever so who knows when that could be. So we have to call people and let them know where we’re going to be and get someone to feed ICK and Chompy.”
“Mona will do that, she loves Chompy,” Raph said.
Leo stopped and turned to his brother saying softly “Are you sure you wanna go Raph? I know you two had something planned, if you’d rather sit this one out-”
“Leo it’s fine,” Raph said with a smile, “Yeah I’ll miss her, but I always kind of miss her. But if there’s one person I can trust to understand postponing a date for a mission, it’s an intergalactic soldier.”
Leo laughed. “Yeah. You picked a good one. Okay, well everyone grab what you need. And again-sorry about before.”
“Don’t worry about it brah, we’re used to Mama-nardo by this point,” Mikey joked.
Leo rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything-if the worst he got for his behavior was a bit of ribbing, so be it. “Meet back here in a few,” he said walking away from the sound of snickering brothers.
****
“Soooo-how exactly are you guys getting to this place again?” April asked
She and Casey were waiting in the lair with the turtles. Mona and Raph were saying their goodbyes-a.k.a sucking each others’ faces off while Mikey gagged behind them.
“Uhh well,” Donnie said looking up at the ceiling as he tried to recall. “Leo said our friend Kintaro was going to do it-last time the guy kind of just slashed a hole in the fabric of space and time with an axe, and we walked through it–so I guess we’re doing that again?”
Casey snorted. “Yeah right. What’s the real explanation?”
“I’m serious!” Donnie said
“C’mon’” Casey teased. “This coming from the science and facts guy-you’re pulling my leg for laughs!”
“Oh come on Jones, like that’s the weirdest thing we’ve experienced when you got turned into a vampire by Dracula last Halloween!” Donnie snapped.
“I don’t remember that night very well, so it must not have happened,” Casey said suddenly, looking nervously off to the left.
Donnie stared gobsmacked while April and Leo exchanged looks, struggling to not laugh.
Donnie exploded “I’m TELLING you ANY SECOND NOW there’s going to be an arch of white light right over there!” He pointed behind him.
“Just how high WERE you in feudal Japan, Hamato-”
Casey was suddenly cut off as said arch of white light did in fact appear-although it showed up on Donnie’s right not his left.
Donnie looked behind him. “HAH! Okay, fine, I was off by a few feet, but still. Eat your words, Jones! EAT THEM-”
“WELL-we’re sure gonna miss you all-,” said Raph dragging a sputtering Donnie away as Mikey and April cackled. “Love you Mona, take care of Chompy for me, you too April, Casey I hope a bus hits ya.”
“Back at ya!” Casey waved.
“We’ll see you soon!” Mikey hugged all three of his friends. “Take care of Ice Cream Kitty for me!”
“Be well my friends!” Mona called. “May you be victorious in battle! Your charges are in good hands! I hope to hear tales of your conquests when you return!”
April hugged Leo, “I saw Karai before I came over. She’s sorry she couldn’t see you off, but she sends you all her love. And this!”
She held out a box to Leo. Leo peeked inside with a smirk. “Extra smoke bombs.” he said “How practical. Can you give her this?” He held out a letter. “It’s a better explanation of where we’re going and why. It didn’t feel right to say in a text.”
“Sure thing!” April smiled before giving him a stern look. “Be careful.”
“No promises,” he joked.
“Leo”
“Alright, alright. See you soon,” He gave one last smile before turning to face the white arch. His smile fell as a wave of nostalgia suddenly swept over him, remembering the last time he stepped through this light.
Only this time, things were going to look different on the other side.
And someone wasn’t going to be there.
Oh well. An opportunity to make new friends. And meet up with an old one.
They could do this. Jei wasn’t going to know what hit him.
He stepped through.
****
Once the light died down Leo lowered his arm. The first thing he saw was the Temple of the Sky Buddha, which was a nice surprise. It didn’t look much different.
The immediate next thing he saw was his brothers all staring, jaws hanging, necks craned upwards . He followed their gazes wondering what in the world they could be staring at-and immediately adopted the same expression.
A massive pug dog taller than Slash with an axe smiled at them with the biggest grin.
“My friends!” he boomed in a deep friendly voice. “It’s you, it’s really you! Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo! It’s been so long! You haven’t aged a day!”
There was a beat of silence before Mikey finally croaked out a weak-
“ Pugtaro?”
The dog suddenly gasped, dropping the axe–making all four turtles flinch-before descending on Mikey and snatching him up for a big bear hug. Mikey squeaked in surprise while Raph shouted “Hey!”
“I haven’t heard that nickname in ages!” the dog cried. “Yes! Yes it’s me! Pugtaro! I mean Kintaro! Oh whatever! You can call me whatever you like, my friend!”
Mikey was laughing now as the rest of the turtles got over their state of shock.
“Wow man! Leo said you were older, but I didn’t know how much you had grown!” Mikey cheered. “You really could move a mountain now!”
Kintaro laughed with him before setting him back on his feet.
“Indeed I can! And I have!” Kintaro replied. “But who cares about that! I can’t wait to hear how you’ve been. I’m so happy you’re here, although I wish it were under better circumstances!”
“Us too.” said Raph. “Leo said that jerk Jei is back and that you and Usagi’s grandkid or something are trying to figure out how to beat him?”
Kintaro’s face fell slightly. “Yes. After seemingly vanishing from the world for several decades–those of the spiritual world and those in contact with it-such as myself– sensed a great evil return to the mortal world. A familiar one. Right now I sense Jei is still fragile. But I believe he’s in search of an artifact that would make his stay permanent once more.”
Silence befell them.
Then Kintaro broke it by cheerfully saying–”But first there’s some people I want you to meet–and a mural I’ve been DYING to show you!”
****
Chapter 3: Chapter 3
Summary:
“Hello again, friend of a friend, I knew you when
Our common goal was waiting for the world to end”-Black Sheep, Metric
Chapter Text
“Has anyone seen Kintaro-san?” Usagi asked in confusion.
The Neon Gang had just finished packing the last of their things for their return to Neo Edo.
They’d stayed an extra day to recuperate (with Usagi taking a much-needed power nap) and now they were hoping to get together to put together a more concrete plan.
Because what they had right now felt like more of a wishlist than a plan to Usagi.
-Find O-Dokuro and have him locate the sword Inazuma.
-Locate Jei.
-Use the sword Inazuma to defeat Jei.
-???
-Celebrate their success?
And there were several holes in said plan, such as where O-Dokuro and Jei were, and who was going to be stationed where while all this went down.
“I haven’t seen him since breakfast,” said Gen. “He told me he was going to try to get in contact with some ‘old allies’ to help us—but that it might not work, and not to make a fuss if the next time I see him he’s crying.
The others stared.
“Okayyy,” said Kitsune. “Well, it’s about lunchtime, maybe we should go find him and see how that’s going?”
“No need, he’s coming to us?” Chizu said pointing.
And indeed the old dog was flying at top speed over to the Neo Edo Crew.
“Does he look like he’s been crying?” asked Kitsune.
“I don’t think so?” Usagi said, tilting his head. He was a little concerned with the urgency—he doesn’t think he’s seen Kintaro move that fast since they’ve come here—but the pug at least seemed happy? “Is everything alright, Kintaro-san?”
“Usagi, finally!” Kintaro said excitedly. “I’ve been looking for you guys everywhere!”
“We didn’t go anywhere?” said Kitsune. “You’ve been missing all day.”
Kintaro didn’t seem to hear her.
“What is it -your holiness?”- Gen tried, but the giant dog waved him off
“I keep telling you Kintaro is fine-Listen!” he continued. “I reached out to some old friends for help and it worked! Well-old friends for me anyway! And for your family, Usagi! But it’s the weirdest thing-they look as if they haven’t aged a day-in fact they didn’t recognize me at first-they say it's only been a year since they’ve seen me! Dimension hopping and time travel sure is weird-”
“Uh Kintaro-san”,-Usagi finally interrupted while the rest of the Neo crew stood there slack jawed trying to follow the old dog’s ramblings. Honestly he could give Testujin a run for his money. “What exactly are you talking about? What old friends? Who’s here?”
Kintaro stopped and broke out into a grin before saying:
“The Great Kappa Warriors who helped your great-grandfather get me to the Temple all those years ago!”
…
Okay, he hadn’t been expecting that.
“The-the ones on the mural?”, Usagi stuttered.
“Yes!” said Kintaro “I’ve been thinking we might need some extra help taking on Jei–who better than warriors who have fought him before! So I reached out through my spiritual connection and meditation and asked them to come and they agreed!”
“And–they’re here? Just like that?” Kitsune asked. “How?”
“Well the same way I brought you all of course! My war axe!”
“Of course.” Gen muttered.
“Oh you must come up and meet them-I’ve been telling them all about you four!”
The guardian took off back into the palace. The others exchanged looks of bewilderment before following suit.
“Awful nice of them to drop everything and show up to help someone they haven’t seen in forever,” Kitsune muttered. “Does he think we can’t handle this guy?”
“Shhh! I’m sure Kintaro-san just thought it wouldn’t hurt to have experienced warriors helping us,” said Usagi “Especially since he can’t come back with us to Neo Edo for long. Let’s just meet these guys first before jumping to conclusions.”
The gang followed Kintaro into the tea room where they found three-Kappa? They looked like Kappa, kind of-giant turtles anyway-having lunch. Each wore a colored bandana around their eyes.
Kintaro went about making introductions immediately.
“My friends-I’d like to introduce you to some old friends of mine-and of your late grandfather-the great Miyamoto Usagi. These are the Hamato brothers- Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo.
There’s a fourth -their leader Leonardo-but I believe he’s in another part of the palace right now. My friends–this is Murakami Gennouske, Kitsune, Chizu, and the Yojimbo’s great-grandson Yuichi Usagi-for which he’s named. And Spot.”
The one with the orange bandana-Michelangelo-had been stuffing his face with rice balls but looked up, eyes sparkling, at the introductions.
His gaze latched onto Usagi with laser focus as he quite literally bounced out of his seat over to the group and stared intensely, face inches from Usagi’s own. Gen, Chizu and Kitsune wondered if they should be reaching for their weapons.
“Hmm-yeah I kinda see it.” Michelangelo finally said, smiling slowly.
“See what?” Usagi asked.
“You DO look a bit like your grandpa.” the turtle replied.
Everyone else blinked while Usagi felt weirdly like someone had just punched him in the gut-but in a good way, with the greatest compliment he’s ever been paid.
So what came out of the turtle’s mouth next gave him whiplash.
“Except you’re younger, and your face is a lot less you know–RAAAGH-cranky looking.”
“Cranky?!” Usagi spluttered.
“Yeah, your gramps had what we call back in my world ‘resting bitch face.’” said Michelangelo “It’s not a bad thing-it made him look badass but you don’t have that dude.”
Kitsune was starting to cackle.
“But you know what you do have?” the turtle continued. “A scar in the exact same place on your face as he did? How’d you pull that off? Scars don’t pass on like that! Do they?”
“Pass down,” the turtle in the purple bandana corrected.
“Mikey knock it off, you’re freaking him out.” griped the turtle with the red bandana. He and the purple one got up from the table.
“Am NOT!”-the turtle turned his nose up at the other two before bowing to them all with a wide smile. “Anyway–nice to meet you all-you seem cool. I like your style.”
“Thanks,” Usagi said with a grin. “Nice to meet you too, Michelangelo.”
“You can just call me Mikey bra. And that’s Donnie and Raph. And Leo goes by Leo. None of us go by our full names.”
“Do you just make the decisions for everybody when Leo’s not in the room?” Raph rolled his eyes, giving Mikey a playful shove.
“I have to admit,” Chizu said. “From what we were told I thought you guys would be–older?”
“Or dead maybe.” Kitsune muttered before Chizu smacked her arm.
“Yeah-we were kind of surprised too–seeing how old Kintaro is,” Donnie said with a nervous laugh.
“But I think I know what happened? See the first time we came here was against our wills and dragged into a time period that wasn’t our own. From my understanding, your time period may be more closely aligned with ours. Although it sure was some whiplash getting here and finding out how much had changed –and that, you know, certain people were no longer here.”
“Yeah man!” Mikey piped in-throwing his arms around Kintaro in a familiar way that had Gen gobsmacked. “We saw the big arch of light that looked and felt familiar, but we hardly recognized this guy when we saw him. I can’t believe how much Pugtaro has grown!”
“PUGTARO?!”-The Neo group all crowed in varying degrees of shock, horror and amusement.
Kintaro to his credit just laughed with a sheepish smile and threw another arm around Mikey. “I had forgotten all about that nickname! I used to get so mad! …I’ve missed you.”
“Aw really?” Mikey asked with big eyes.
“Yeah, really?” Raph echoed in a far more disbelieving tone.
“Anyway-” Donnie interrupted with an eye roll.
“When Pug-I mean Kintaro asked if we could help out we agreed-so here we are.”
“Aw yeah son!” Mikey chirped “New York’s best-the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at your service!”
“Gee thanks!-wait what did you say?” asked Gen.
“Okay to be fair-Mikey’s got one year left where he can technically tack on ‘Teenage’ to that title he’s given us.” Raph rolled his eyes. “We also go by the Hamato Clan.”
“Hamato Clan-like a ninja clan?” Chizu asked curiously.
“Yup! Born and raised by the greatest sensei ever!” said Mikey.
“The Great Kappa Warriors of Old-who fought alongside my ancestor Miyamoto Usagi-are ninjas?” Usagi asked aloud in utter disbelief. “How did that never come up?”
Immediately he wished he could have phrased that differently. All the turtles visibly tensed, suddenly on the defensive.
“Honestly the fact that they were ninjas must’ve slipped my mind. It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen these guys.” Kintaro waved it off.
“You got a problem with ninjas or something, rabbit boy?” Raph growled.
“No-no!” Usagi hurriedly waved his hands. Crap, crap how do I fix this he thought “I’m just surprised-we haven’t had the best track record with ninjas around here—but that’s starting to change! Like Chizu here-she’s one of my best friends-right Chizu-
“Don’t drag me into this”-she muttered.
“Anyway” Usagi plowed on “-she was raised in an awful clan, but she broke free and even took over for a while where she saved a whole bunch of kidnapped orphans being raised to kill-not that you guys are anything like that clan-but I’m just saying you’re not the first good ninjas I’ve met and I’m sure you guys are great I mean you must be great you’re the Kappa Warriors-”
It was like watching a conductor shovel coal onto a speeding train heading straight over a cliff. The more Usagi talked the more his hands picked up speed with his flailing and it was hard to tell if he was making things better or worse.
On the plus side the turtles seemed less angry than they were a few seconds ago-but mostly because now they were just watching the spectacle unfold.
Raph was looking less angry and more confused, Mikey was smirking and wishing he had a bag of popcorn for the show he was getting, and Donnie was concerned and mildly impressed by how fast someone who wasn’t him could dig themselves in a hole with their own words.
But in the midst of his rambling Usagi’s big rabbit ears suddenly picked up the sound of footsteps from behind. Some of the most quiet footsteps he’d ever heard in his life. So feather light, they moved as though the person making them just knew how to be quiet even if they weren’t deliberately sneaking.
Usagi whirled around in shock and was suddenly met with the face of a fourth turtle.
Oh, this must be the Leader of the Hamato Clan.
The one who’d been spending extra time to pay his respects at Miyamoto’s shrine--and probably drawn out by all the commotion if the slightly unimpressed look on his face was any indication. No problem, Usagi could salvage this. All he had to do was say something polite, introduce himself. But all that came out was-
“WOW, your eyes are blue.”
Said eyes actually widened at that statement as the look of annoyance was replaced with one of shock. Behind him, Usagi could hear the other turtles guffawing while his own brain went into a panic-WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT.
“I mean-HAHA-wow-That was a weird way to say hi!-HI!-I’m Yusagi-I mean Yuichi Usagi! You must be the leader of the Hamato Clan. The Great Kappa Warriors who fought along my ancestor Miyamoto Usagi's side! Kintaro speaks so highly of you all! I’d love to hear all about your travels with my ancestor! He’s such an inspiration to me and any friend of his is a friend of mine!”-Usagi was struggling to breathe now like he’d just run a marathon, as he bowed before the turtle in the blue mask and sent a silent prayer to any god that would listen that he hadn’t just royally screwed this up.
The turtle seemed to get over his shock rather quickly before bowing in return.
“Hamato Leonardo,” he said. “But you can call me Leo. I see you’ve met my brothers. Miyamoto Usagi was an admirable warrior, very skilled in combat and a good friend. We only traveled with him for a few short weeks but we learned a lot from him in that time.”
His face fell slightly “I must admit it’s a little weird being back here and seeing just how much time has passed. It’s only been a year in our world but it’s been decades here. Kintaro was a child the last time we saw him.”
“And I’m older than most.” Kintaro replied.
Hearing that made something in Usagi’s stomach drop. He couldn’t imagine how weird it would be to come back and see how much the technology and culture had advanced so quickly, not to mention the friends you care about dead. For them, Miyamoto Usagi was more than just a great legend. He was someone they knew personally.
“I’m-very sorry.” Usagi replied softly. “I appreciate you coming out here to help us. And I promise despite how different it is you’re still not without friends here. I’m going to help you all navigate your way around our world during your time here.”
Leonardo looked him square in the eyes and whatever he saw he seemed to trust, because he gave Usagi a small smile after a few seconds. “Thank you.” he said softly.
Usagi returned the smile with one of his own.
“Whew,” he thought. “Saved it,”
****
Leo didn’t really know what to expect when he met Usagi’s descendent. Who was also called Usagi. Something he admittedly felt a little weird about.
Shortly after their arrival-and the shock of realizing how much older Kintaro had gotten had worn off-the guardian had shown the turtles the mural dedicated to “The Yojimbo Usagi and The Great Kappa Warriors”
Needless to say the four were more than a little stunned, but Kintaro was adamant that their heroics be remembered in some way.
“If it hadn’t been for you and the Ronin, I wouldn't be here.” the dog said. “This world–and myself–owe you a great debt.”
He then showed them the shrine dedicated to Miyamoto. Kintaro said the Ronin had paid him a visit every few years to see his progress as a great guardian for his people. After a few years the samurai had stopped coming and Kintaro had sensed he must have passed-though he was neve informed directly.
“I had him stand for a portrait one year when he visited.” Kintaro explained. “It took a bit of arm-twisting, but I hadn’t quite grown out of my puppy stage-so I may have used that to my advantage.” he reminisced with a twinkle in his eyes.
“Ah a fellow master of the puppy-dog eyes.” Mikey said slyly. “I’ve used the tactic as well. I find it works no matter how old you get, depending on who you use it on.”
“You keep telling yourself that.” Raph muttered before he was suddenly met with two sets of glittering eyes-Mikey’s and Kintaro’s “Gah! Get away from me!”
“It’s a good picture.” Leo said softly.
“I think so too,” said Kintaro.
They all paid their respects but Leo lingered behind awhile to meditate in private. He still hadn’t quite wrapped his head around the fact that they had been sent back to Usagi’s world-but several years into the future.
Donnie had calculated that the sad truth was this was probably the correct time period when lined up with the turtles’ home dimension–being as they’d been stuck in feudal Japan the first time.
All of them had been in shock to see a grown-frankly old-Kintaro-and to hear that Usagi had been dead for several years now.
Leo felt like he should’ve been more prepared-he’d had a few hours to process-but clearly it hadn’t been enough.
He hadn’t even thought he’d ever see the samurai again personally, but he also hadn’t expected to jump back and travel to a future where Usagi no longer existed.
And now he was bracing himself to go out and see an aspiring samurai who carried Usagi’s swords, bore his name, and apparently looked a fair bit like him, being his great-grandson.
Leo wanted to be polite. He felt like he'd been kind of brash and hasty the last time he’d been here, but he’d been so concerned with getting home. That wouldn’t be a problem this time.
This time they were here on their own merits to help out Kintaro and Usagi's people.
Kintaro seemed to have grasped the concept of dimension travel pretty well–and even if something went wrong, Mikey assured them that they still had Renet as a backup.
But Leo had worried the minute he saw this other Usagi it’d be like looking at a ghost. As he sat there at the shrine he suddenly heard raised voices- Yuichi Usagi must’ve shown up. Well, time to face the music. And put a stop to whatever argument Raph had apparently started.
As he made his way out he suddenly heard “You didn’t tell me they were ninjas!”
He paused. Uh-oh.
So this was how it was going to be.
He picked up the pace as Raph started in on it, and Yuichi tried desperately to backpedal. And if Leo kept his steps ninja-quiet, that was his business.
He saw the rabbit suddenly freeze in his flailing and turn around to face him. Looks like those bunny ears aren’t just for show. Leo merely crossed his arms and fixed the rabbit with a slightly cold gaze as he looked him over.
Okay so he wasn’t an exact copy of Miyamoto Usagi. Which was a relief. For starters this rabbit was younger, possibly Leo’s age with big brown eyes and bangs and a younger face, but curiously enough he did have a scar over his left eyebrow as well.
“How did that happen? Leo wondered. “Scars are not hereditary.”
This Usagi was also younger in the face. And slightly shorter than Leo. Which he had not been expecting.
But none of that could have prepared him for what came out of the rabbit’s mouth next.
“WOW, your eyes are blue!”
Leo thought he had established a pretty good poker face, but he could feel shock coming out now. He could also hear his brothers laughing. But come on, what did that mean?!
“Is that a compliment? An intimidation tactic? An observation?” Leo thought frantically. “I know my eyes are blue, he said that like he just discovered what colors are!”
About the same time, Leo also noticed that the rabbit seemed equally shocked, and maybe a little mortified by what came out of his mouth, as he suddenly tried to cover it up with more flailing of limbs and words-“I mean-HAHA-wow-That was a weird way to say hi!-HI!-I’m Yusagi-I mean Yuichi Usagi!-
As he continued, Leo felt his own embarrassment turn to pity and amusement. He’d be a hypocrite to say he’d never made a bad first impression after all. So he threw the poor kid a bone after that messy introduction, introduced himself and remarked on their own situation.
Usagi earnestly promised the turtles had a friend in him and how he would be their guide. Leo looked at him and thought I can let this messy first meeting go. He clearly has a good heart, just doesn’t think before he speaks.
And besides. Leo thought with relief. He’s clearly NOTHING like Miyamoto Usagi. This isn’t going to get confusing at all.
***
Lunchtime was decidedly spent getting the turtles up to date on the situation.
Jei was back (his exact location undetermined) they knew of a sword to defeat him, and the Neo Crew knew of a guy who could help locate said sword.
“We don’t exactly know where he is right now,” said Usagi. “But we know a couple people we can ask?”
“Oh, I can help with that,” said Kintaro.
“You can?” said Gen. “But you can’t locate Jei, how can you locate O-Dokuro?”
“I can’t locate Jei because his life-force is currently very weak,” Kintaro said, shooting Gen some side-eye. Mikey giggled. “Give the Blessed One some credit.
Your Yokai friend on the other hand should be easy. That guy’s thriving.”
“Oh. Good to know?” said Usagi.
“Your friend is a yokai?,” Leo asked in genuine interest.
“Yes, O-Dokuro is a giant skeleton yokai who can recall several battlefields–and lost weapons,” Usagi said excitedly, turning to Leo as his friends started to groan.
The Yokai Nerd was about to launch.
“Wait, are you guys–not Yokai,” Gen asked. “You seem surprised.”
“No, but it’s a common misconception with us,” Raph said, looking resigned. “We’re not actually Kappa. The real explanation would take too long and be too confusing. Just think of us as giant turtles.”
“It’s just easier for people to call us Kappa sometimes,” Leo said with a smile to Usagi. But I’ve never met an actual Kappa. Mikey will eat cucumbers if you throw them at him though.”
“Mikey will eat anything you throw at him!”,Raph piped up.
“So, are we what you guys had in mind when you heard ‘Great Kappa Warriors’”? Donnie joked to Chizu.
“Not quite,” she replied with a smirk.
“Anyway,” said Kintaro, getting back on track. “When we return to Neo Edo today, I will meditate and enter a deep stasis. We should have no problem locating your friend. But there's something I need in Neo Edo.”
“Sounds like a plan,” said Leo. “When do we leave?”
“Soon,” Kintaro said. “I just need to grab a couple more things, including my war axe,”
“Right,” muttered Gen and Donnie.
Kintaro got up and left to go get it.
“Will you excuse me a moment?” said Usagi before following him.
“Kintaro-san,” Usagi asked when they were outside the tearoom.
“Yes, Usagi?”
“Um, I was just wondering.” Usagi continued. “It’s probably silly, I mean maybe you just wanted to see your old friends, and I know you think we can do this, or course you can or you wouldn’t have asked us-
“Usagi,” Kintaro interrupted, “I’m sorry but I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Right,” Usagi tried again. “Why did you ask the turtles here? Not to be rude, but do you not think we can handle Jei on our own?”
Kintaro’s face fell. “Oh Usagi, I’m sorry I didn't think about how it would look to you and your friends. That’s not what this was about. It’s just that for a while there I was worried I was the only person left alive who remembered how to take on Jei.”
“Oh.”
“I just thought it wouldn’t hurt to have more help.” Kintaro continued. “We don’t know where Jei is. We don’t know what kind of tricks he’s going to pull. We don’t know how long it’s going to take to retrieve this sword. It just seemed like a lot to put on the four of you. That being said, of course I have complete confidence in you and your friends. Never doubt that.”
“Thank you,” Usagi said.
“Plus–there’s something I haven’t mentioned.”Kintaro added “And it’s probably best you know since it concerns you.”
“What’s that?” Usagi asked.
“First I must ask you Usagi.” Kintaro said “Have you had any dreams about a demonic wolf promising vengeance against you?”
“No-o?” Usagi said, slightly weirded out.
Kintaro nodded. “Then he doesn’t know yet. Good. One of the first signs I had of Jei’s return was that he was frequently appearing in my dreams promising vengeance against me and others who wronged him. I remember him mentioning Miyamoto Usagi. I don’t think he realizes how much time has passed, and that your great-grandfather is no longer with us. But when he figures that out Usagi, he may make you his new target. So you must be careful. Jei is relentless when he pursues a victim.”
Usagi felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, but he nodded.
“And I don’t know if I should be the one saying this,” Kintaro continued. “But when I contacted Leonardo earlier today–he asked me if I too had been having dreams about Jei.”
Usagi swallowed. “The turtles are being targeted too? Can Jei tell where they are right now?”
“No, they’re no more targets than I am.” Kintaro reassured the samurai. “I lifted his possession over them many years ago—and don’t tell them this, but I double checked it when they first arrived. They’re perfectly safe, and if anything, their minds are even stronger than I remember.”
Kintaro smiled with a twinkle in his eye. “I recall you mentioning earlier that you struggled with mediation. I think a certain turtle could help you with that. Anyway, they’re just having the same dreams I am, which is part of why they came. Partially to help me–and to help you–and because they want to make sure this old threat doesn’t come back to haunt them.”
“Right,” Usagi said. “Thank you, Kintaro-san. This has been very eye-opening.”
“Please give these turtles a chance.” Kintaro said. “They’re very capable fighters, and they’re familiar with this demon’s tricks.
“Oh don’t worry,” Usagi replied. “I think we’ll all become fast friends.”
****
Thousands of miles from our heroes location—above a peaceful forest–a raven soared in a pale blue sky
Tilting its head to the left, the bird dived into the trees until it reached a peaceful babbling brook.
The bird landed-giving a careful glance to its surroundings, red eyes keeping a lookout for predators before hopping closer to take a drink.
But while nothing lurked in the shadows of the trees, something brewed underneath the frothing bubbles of the stream.
A dark shadow passed just underneath the waters. It had no discerning shape, it moved like smoke.
At the last possible second, the raven noticed the danger and made to take off, but it was a fraction too late. Barely a flap of its wings and with a squawk, a single line of the fog had risen up from the water snagging its leg.
As the bird struggled, the grip grew stronger and the fog condensed as it consumed the raven.
The squawking and splashing had ceased.
The fog disappeared and the bird laid motionless by the water’s edge for a moment.
Then its eyes snapped open, but they were no longer red.
They were white, all consuming things with no pupils or color.
The bird stood up and shook off the water, taking a couple wobbly steps like it was re-learning how to walk. A puppetmaster’s first performance.
Then it did something no raven should be able to do.
It grinned with a full set of sharp teeth.
With a flap of its wings, it took once more to the sky, leaving the babbling brook behind.
***
“So you’ve NEVER had pizza?” Mikey asked for like, the fifth time as Kintaro readied the portal for Neo Edo.
“Nope.”
“Never heard of it.”
“No idea what that is.”
“Is that a dance?”
“Dudes this is tragic,” Mikey turned to Raph with enormous eyes. “Raph, how do we right this terrible wrong?”
“You know I somehow feel like we’ve got bigger problems right now than this Mikey,” Raph said as he gave Spot chin scratches.
“Uh, WRONG.” Mikey said. “I’m going to gather fresh ingredients at the first market I see. I’ll make it myself! Share our culture with our new friends!”
“Since when is pizza our culture?” Leo muttered. “Just don’t put anything too weird on it like anchovies or gum.”
“Alright!”, said Kintaro, stepping away from the arch of light. “Next stop, the city of Neo Edo!”
Everyone walked through the blinding light once more. When they came back out they were in front of the Kaikishi Temple.
“Oooh.” Mikey said.
“Fascinating!” said Donnie.
“Not too bad,” said Raph.
“So this is your home?” Leo asked the others.
“Well kind of,” said Usagi. “It’s been my home for two years now I guess. These guys grew up here. I actually moved here when I was sixteen from-
“Usagi!”
“AAAAAGH-GHOST!” Mikey shrieked, leaping into Raph’s arms. Raph would’ve been annoyed, but he was also trying to process what he was seeing, which was a floating transparent bear making his way over to the turtles.
“Oh no, it’s okay that’s just Tetsujin!”, said Usagi. “The guardian of the Key Stone! And he says he’s not a ghost, but I always forget why.”
“Because the explanation is super boring,” said Kitsune.
“It is not!” said Tetsujin. “You just don’t appreciate science!”
“I appreciate science,” piped up Donnie. “How are you floating? Why are you transparent? It’s not the same as Kintaro-chan’s powers, is it? He’s not transparent.”
Tetsujin looked at Donnie. “And who are you?”
Kintaro walked over. “These are the Kappa warriors who fought with Miyamoto Usagi against Jei all those years ago. I mentioned I was bringing extra people with me.”
“Ah Your Holiness, it’s an honor to have you at our temple!” Tetsujin said “The Key Stone is happy you’re here!”
“It’s an honor to be here at the temple of the Key Stone!” Kintaro replied. “And please, call me Kintaro!”
“So these are the Kappa Warriors!” Tetsujin said, looking them over. “I thought they’d be older.”
“Actually, I have a theory on that-”said Donnie, launching into his time-dimension travel theory to which Tetsujin nodded along, eagerly listening and saying things like “I see” and “fascinating”.
“Now please--tell me why you appear like a ghost but are not!” said Donnie.
“Oh, it’s because of my prolonged exposure to the Key Stone’s energy-” And now it was Donnie’s turn to nod along and say things like “I see” and “fascinating!”
“When nerds converge,” Raph groaned, as he dropped Mikey on the ground with an “Oof!”
“I don’t follow it, but the green ghost guy seems friendly, so I’m not worried.”
“This is going to take a while,” Kitsune said with a roll of her eyes. “I’m going inside and finding Kiyoko.”
“You guys want to see the Key Stone?”Usagi asked. The other three turtles nodded and followed him inside. Kintaro also came along. Even he was spacing out a little during Tetsujin and Donnie’s nerd talk.
The group walked into the temple and were awestruck by the Key Stone.
It seemed to thrum with life despite being well-a giant rock.
“Kiyoko!”Kitsune shouted, running off to hug–a giant robot?”
“Big sis!,” the robot replied, eagerly returning the hug.
“Big sis?”, Raph said, confused.
“Yeah, that’s kind of a long story,” said Gen.
“Eh, who are we to judge family dynamics,” said Mikey.
“Hey bro!” said another rhino looking just like Gen.
Mikey gasped. “You have a twin sister? Now THAT’S cool! Do you guys have like, twin telepathy or something!”
“No.” said Gen the same time Toshiko said “Yes!” with a smirk on her face.
While introductions were being made, Leo was getting a better look at the Key Stone. It was so bright and he could feel a strong power coming off of it, but it was also oddly…tranquil. Like his father’s tree back at home in the dojo.
It just felt like it was sending a message of safety.
“Pretty cool, right?”
Leo turned to his right where Usagi was standing. “She powers and protects our whole city.”
“Is she-alive?” Leo asked, confused. “Like a spirit?”
“Yeah.”, Usagi said. “But she’s kind of stuck here guarding us. She wants to be, though. And she was weakened a few years ago in a pretty bad battle. So we do our best as Kaikishi Warriors to look out for her.”
“So that feeling of safety in here–is coming from her?” Leo asked, looking back at the stone.
“Wow, you can feel that?” Usagi asked, impressed. “Not everyone connects with the Key Stone right away.”
“Oh the vibes in here are super tranquil, this place must be great for meditation,” Mikey said walking by. “Leo’s all about that. Our dad taught us well.”
“Mikey’s pretty in tune with this stuff too, even if he doesn’t enjoy the practice.” Leo said, smirking at his brother. Mikey stuck his tongue out in response.
“Yeah I can see that the Key Stone must like you,” Usagi suddenly blurted. “You’re practically glowing.”
A beat of silence followed that statement.
“Huh?” Leo asked in confusion.
“Uh, I mean-I-it’s glow-y in here!” Usagi stuttered nervously. “Yeah! With all the light! Makes ya glow! Uh! I’m going to see what’s keeping Tetsujin-”
And with that the rabbit scampered away. Leo watched him run off before he looked at Mikey who was staring at him with a smug grin on his face.
“What.” said Leo. He could feel his face getting hot and he had no idea why.
“Nothin’.” his little brother replied.
***
Chapter 4: Chapter 4
Summary:
Love, love is a verb. Love is a doing word
Fearless on my breath. Gentle impulsion Shakes me makes me lighter
Fearless on my breath.-Teardrop, Massive Attack
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“Alright then.” Kintaro said, turning to Usagi. “Have you brought me what I asked for?”
Usagi grinned. “I had to do some digging around in my room, but I found it.” He held out the object.
“A bone?” Raph asked, befuddled.
“Is that the bone O-Dokuro gave Spot?” Gen asked.
“Yep.” said Usagi, trying not to laugh. “He can have it back when you’re done, right?”
“Of course,” said Kintaro. “I just need it to help me pinpoint your friend.”
Kintaro placed the bone on the ground and sat down in front of it, closing his eyes.
Then everyone took a step back as both dog and bone started to levitate in the air, bathed in a soft yellow light. When Kintaro’s eyes snapped open they were glowing, and the light became blinding before it suddenly stopped.
When everyone finally got the spots out of their eyes Kintaro was back on the ground. He held out the bone to Spot, who eagerly took it.
“I found O-Dokuro,” said Kintaro.
“Great!”, said Usagi. “Where is he?”
“Pretty far from here, in a cave,” Kintaro answered.
“Well, that’s not very convenient,” said Tetsujin. “We don’t really have time for a long journey.”
“It’s alright,” said Kintaro. “I can portal you to the cave’s entrance. I hesitate to send you directly into the cave though, that can be dangerous.”
“Perfect! Let’s go!” said Usagi.
***
On the other side of the world–night had fallen at the Temple of the Sky Buddha.
One of the temple priests, a tall polar bear, walked down the long hallway from the library, the light of his paper lantern guiding his steps.
Shirokuma was the last of his colleagues to finish putting away well over a hundred scrolls that had been pulled out by the Blessed One and their guests over the past few days.
Kintaro-san had apologized before he left, saying he’d normally put them away himself, but time was of the essence. Before he left, he stressed the importance that no scroll was left out where it might fall into the wrong hands during this uncertain time.
Shirokuma didn’t mind. He knew the importance of their work and what could happen should they fail.
As he made his way bad to the main house, his steps slowed.
He couldn’t shake the feeling he was being watched. He turned his head this way and that, but saw no one.
He looked upward and saw sitting on a roof ledge the outline of a bird.
Oh great, he was spooked by a bird? This job was getting to him.
Still, he held his lantern higher to get a better look.
“A raven at night?” he muttered. “Out here?”
And what he saw next made his blood run cold.
The bird grinned at him with teeth and empty soulless black eyes.
Shirokuma opened his mouth to call for help, only to get a mouthful of raven for his troubles.
The lantern hit the pavement, going out.
There were the sounds of muffled struggling before spitting noises and squawking as a bird took to the sky and the bear spat out feathers.
Then it turned to dark chuckles.
“Finally,” a voice oozed into the night. “A proper body. I can speak again. This will do for now.”
Footsteps stumbled in the dark as the lantern was collected and Shirokuma’s body made its way back to the library.
“Let’s see if that brat has any useful information to bring me back to full power.”
***
“Oh yeah, that looks inviting,” said Gen as our heroes stood at the mouth of the cave.
They decided they only needed four people to go on this trip, so Leo and Raph volunteered to join Usagi and a less willing Gen-who was being dragged along because with his lantern attachment for his horn he became a walking flashlight.
Plus if they needed to split up, they’d have two teams.
The only downside was they had no means of communication. But that was something Donnie was hurriedly working to fix back at the temple.
Once the turtle realized how far Usagi’s world had advanced in technology, he cracked open a spare T-phone. Donnie was busy pestering Tetsujin with all sorts of questions about Neo Edo’s power sources while making modifications to the phone.
“Their technology is different from ours, but this is definitely a more modern setup than when we were here last,” Donnie had said.
Leo could tell his tech-loving brother was trying not to get sucked up into the steam-punk city of Neo Edo before he and Raph left for their mission
The purple turtle was itching to play around with the few robots they’d come into contact with, and only hadn’t done so out of politeness to their hosts.
Leo couldn’t deny he was also curious about the city, and hoped they’d have a chance to check it out at some point.
Once more pressing matters had been dealt with.
As it was, the four made their way into the Cave of Lost Souls.
“Why is O-Dokuro here, again?” Gen asked. “I thought that guy liked collecting bones from dead warriors off battlefields.”
“This is ‘The Cave of Lost Souls,’” Usagi said eagerly. “Countless warriors have entered this cave, either seeking shelter from storms or as a test of will–only to never be seen again. It’s a legendary cave.”
“Let me guess,” Gen muttered. “Miyamoto Usagi entered this cave once,”
“He did!” Usagi continued, excited. “He came here chasing a group of bandits who had stolen from a family! The bandits thought they could lose him in the cave, or scare him off with the legend, but he asked for guidance from his ancestors to help him return what was lost to the family, and he was able to get their money back!”
“What happened to the bandits?” asked Leo.
“Uhhhh,” Usagi thought for a moment, before shrugging. “I don’t remember. They either perished or ran away screaming, not sure!”
“Riiiight,” said Raph, exchanging looks with Leo. “Well I’m glad you’re not too worried about coming in here then.”
“Oh I think most people just got lost because of how twisty it is,” Usagi said with a wave of his hand, ignorant to his friends’ concern. “Besides, the legend goes that it only affects people who don’t have a clear goal ahead. I say we have a pretty clear goal. Finding O-Dokuro and enlisting his aid in securing the sword.”
The four continued deeper into the cave with Gen’s light guiding the way.
It felt like they had been walking for hours, but they really didn’t have a good way to judge time in there.
Even Usagi was starting to get worried and wondered if they should stop and take a break when he heard something. He stopped in his tracks.
He was about to call out to his friends when he noticed both Leo and Raph freeze at the same time and turn to look back as well. He felt his heart stutter in his chest when he saw their eyes.
They were completely white.
“Do you hear something too?” Usagi asked softly.
“No, but something’s watching us,” said Raph.
“Hey Gen?” Usagi called.
“What’s up?” Gen asked, turning back to Usagi only to shriek when the light fell on something behind him.
Whatever it was equally horrified Leo and Raph. Usagi was momentarily blinded by the light of Gen’s lantern before he turned around to see…
Dozens and dozens of blinking red eyes.
“Uhhhh,” he said dumbly.
“RUN!” shouted Gen, turning and running the other way -light flashing sporadically in the distance.
“Don’t have to tell me twice!” said Raph, also taking off.
“Wait!” cried Usagi, but it was too late.
The bats?-or whatever they were, had already been upset by the flashing light swinging around and had taken flight, shrieking down the cave in a swarm.
Usagi felt someone grab his arm and yank him out of the way just as a pair of claws were about to snatch him from the ground.
“Thanks,” he said to Leo, from behind the rock where they were hiding for safety. “Where are Gen and Raph?”
“I don’t know,” said Leo, peering around the rock and jerking back when another bat monster swooped by. “There’s too many of them, we can’t take them all.”
“Maybe we don’t have to?” Usagi said, looking over before tip-toeing his way back around the rock.
“Where are you going?!” Leo said, panicked.
Usagi plastered himself along the rocks edge, and reached for his Kaikishii weapon at his hip. He focused his energy on it, and threw it into the center of the circle of bats, hoping his hunch was right.
The yo-yo lit up bright purple in the center of the swarm, which suddenly halted as one of the bats became caught in the bubble.
They all stopped their assault and stared at Usagi.
“Now that I have your attention,” he said, trying not to sweat under the thousands of red eyes. “Hi. I am Yuichi Usagi, and that’s my friend Hamato Leonardo.”-he added, pointing to Leo whose large eyes got bigger from behind the rock.
“We also have two others in our party-Raphael and Gennosuke-you may have seen them running off screaming in that direction.” he continued.
“On behalf of them and myself, we are very sorry we disturbed your cave with our bright lights. I know bats prefer darkness to see. We don’t mean to be here long. We just came to find our friend O-Dokuro. We need his help and heard he was staying here.”
More silence followed his words. Well that and the sounds of the one bat monster still struggling on the end of his yo-yo. Usagi was beginning to worry that this wasn’t going to work.
Suddenly he heard a raspy whisper
“Kaikishiiii weaponnn.”
“Uh, yes.” Usagi replied to the cave ceiling. “I’m a Kaikishii Warrior. But I’m not here to hurt you. And I’m sorry about capturing one of you. I just didn’t know how else to stop you guys from attacking us. You’re nobusuma, aren’t you?”
“Hooow astute. You are Usagi, friend of O-Dokuro.”
“You know O-Dokuro?” he asked excitedly.
“He’sss been staying here a while cleaning up old bonesss. He’s nice but-a bit chatty for our tastesss.”
“You hear that Leo?”, Usagi said, turning his head. “They know-GAH!”
Leo was not, in fact , still behind the rock like Usagi thought, but now standing right next to him.
“Why-how-when did you get there?” Usagi said grabbing his chest
Leo raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? I came over after you introduced me to our attackers.”
He was completely stone-faced, but the samurai swore there was just a tiny twinkle of mischief in his eye.
“Sure,”Usagi replied, turning back to the nobusuma. “So, do you mind if we just go see O-Dokuro? Then I promise we’ll leave your cave? Likely to never come back?”
“Howww ‘bout a trade.” Said the bat yokai. “ Give usss back our friend and take that noisy skeleton yokai with you please. We’ve no need to hear about the battle of Ninjin for the eight hundredthhh time.”
“Oh sure!” Usagi said. “I wasn’t going to keep them anyway!” He released the nobusuma from his Kaikishi weapon. It did one giant circle around both their heads before smacking him from behind with a huge wing. “Ouch!” he shouted, clutching his head while Leo snickered into his palm.
“You’ll find O-Dokuro in the tunnel to the right. Jussst follow the chatter.” Said the bats.
“Thank you for your help,” said Leo. “Um, we’re also going to have to go collect the other half of our party,”
“Oh here, you can have them back.”
Usagi and Leo both blanched as Gen and Raph were brought forward, held aloft in the air by a bat on each arm.
Both looked a little worse for wear, with Gen looking slightly pale, and Raph just looking pissed.
“Guys, are you okay?!” Usagi cried.
“I would say I’ve seen horrors beyond my comprehension,” Gen said as the bats lowered him to the ground “But I’ve learned to put most of this stuff away in a vault in my head that shall never be opened. That’s where the memory of the zombies we fought last month resides.”
“Yeah same, this is just another Tuesday for me at this point,” said Raph as Leo looked him over for injuries.
“You four are quite humorousss creaturesss.” The nobusuma mused.
***
“I mean you would not BELIEVE some of the bones I’ve had the pleasure of trying since my stay at the cave,” said O-Dokuro as they waited outside for Kintaro’s portal.
Usagi was attempting to meditate to get in contact with the dog so they could go home.
“Why there was this one warrior from the Battle of Ninjin-let me tell you his bones were divine- ”
“-Does this guy ever shut up?!” Raph hissed at Gen.
The novelty of seeing a giant skeleton yokai had quickly worn off. Usagi had enjoyed Raph and Leo’s gobsmacked faces when they first saw O-Dokuro, who was admittedly a lot more impressive when he wasn’t just a talking head. And Usagi had missed his old friend, who actually seemed happy to see him too.
But geez Louise, he had forgotten how much that guy could talk. No wonder the nobusuma wanted him gone. O-Dokuro hadn’t shut up since they’d found him, and now Usagi was having a hell of a time trying to meditate–something he struggled with on a good day–with the skeleton’s rattling jaw going a mile a minute.
And he needed to concentrate because if he didn’t, he couldn’t tell Kintaro they were ready to get back, and then he wouldn’t be able to get the sword Inazuma , and then Jei would come kill everyone, and O-Dokuro would still be stuck here with the bats so he’d be breaking his promise here too-so he’s just be letting everyone down-
“Usagi, you okay?”
He opened his eyes to find Leo staring at him.
“Uh yeah, just trying to meditate,” he said with a nervous grin.
Leo cast a bewildered look back behind Usagi at the rabble as if to say You can focus with all of that? Before he suddenly stood up straight and called out with a smile on his face “Hey O-Dokuro! Why don’t you show Gen and Raph that lovely clearing where you found that one warrior’s skull? You know, the one you were telling us about earlier? With the blue flowers and red thorns?”
“What?” Raph asked while O-Dokuro said “Oh good idea! That’s a particular favorite of mine! Now it’s just over here, follow me!”
“Great,” Leo said, still smiling in that weird way that seemed almost too perfect. “I’ll stay here and watch Usagi’s back while he’s meditating.”
“Why do we have to go?” snapped Raph, annoyed.
“The walk will do you good,” Leo said, tone dropping to a no-nonsense one and face becoming stern. “We were just in a cave for several hours. Get some fresh air. Go.”
Raph glared at Leo for a few more seconds. He looked down at Usagi and back at the chatty skeleton wandering away before seeming to catch on. He rolled his eyes and threw up his hands, stomping off with Gen in tow.
“Thank you,” Usagi said softly.
“Yeah well, no offense, you kind of looked constipated trying to meditate with all that chatter going on behind you.” Leo said “I know I wouldn’t like listening to that if it were me.”
Usagi groaned, running his hands down his face “You should probably just try to get in contact with Kintaro anyway.”
“What, why me?” Leo asked, confused.
“Kintaro says you're good at meditation and spiritual connection,” Usagi said. “It’s how he was able to find you so fast. Me, I’m slow to pick it up. Once I’m in it, I’m okay but it always takes me forever to get there. My sensei’s always telling me I need to work on that the most out of all my other skills. I just don’t know why I don’t get it.”
There was a minute of silence.
“Uh, maybe that’s part of the problem?” Leo asked. “You’re treating it like it’s work.”
“Huh?” Usagi asked, looking up.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong.” Leo said, sitting down in front of Usagi. “The path to spiritual enlightenment isn’t exactly easy. But meditation isn’t supposed to be as- stressful -as you’re making it sound. If you don’t mind me asking, what goes through your mind when you’re meditating?”
“How I’m not supposed to be thinking, then how I’m thinking about not thinking, then I’m wondering what that noise was, then I wonder if I need complete silence to meditate-,” Usagi rambled.
“Okay, okay,” Leo laughed, waving his hands. “Who told you not to think?”
“Um, Hana I think?” Usagi replied. “She’s my recently adopted younger sister. She was raised in a ninja clan. That’s how she does mediation.”
Leo blinked at that. “Okay, glossing over that for later.”
“But not thinking didn’t work for me,” Usagi said. “So I tried just focusing on one thing–like a flower. And thinking about only that. And that worked for a while.”
“So what’s wrong with that method?” Leo asked.
“I can’t tune out outside sounds anymore,” Usagi said, annoyed. “They’re so distracting.”
“Are we talking about like, the chatter O-Dokuro was making earlier, or just any outside sounds?” Leo asked.
“Any noises,” Usagi said. “How am I supposed to meditate if I can’t have complete silence?”
“You don’t need complete silence to meditate!” Leo said.
“You don’t?” Usagi asked.
“No!” Leo cried. “Geez, I don’t even know how I’d find a place to do that living with three brothers. I think my father might’ve tried a couple of times but with four sons it was hopeless!”
Usagi giggled.
“Honestly,” Leo continued. “I find it easier to meditate with background noise. Nothing obnoxious. I usually just play soothing tones or sounds of babbling streams. Sometimes even the sounds of my brothers in the rooms down the hall is comforting.”
“Really?” Usagi asked.
“I mean, not when they’re fighting obviously,” Leo said, rolling his eyes. “That’s the only time I can’t concentrate. But the soft sounds of my family engaging in their normal activities–it’s ingrained into my daily life. And it means they’re safe at home. I have an easier time relaxing and centering myself.”
“Hmm,” Usagi said. “So…I don’t need silence?”
“I’m not going to tell you that the way you’re meditating is wrong,” Leo said. “Because it sounds like enough people have been telling you that already. I’m just saying you don’t have to be so rigid with it. Do what works best for you.”
Usagi closed his eyes.
“Usagi?”
“Yes?”
“You ever hear the phrase ‘Try to relax?’” Leo asked.
“Yes?” the rabbit replied.
“It’s stupid. Don’t do it.”
Usagi giggled again. Leo smiled.
“Noted.”
Usagi did his best-not to try so hard. He didn’t filter out the noises when he heard them, but rather allowed them to wash over him instead, just coming and going as they pleased.
Birds chirping. Trees rustling in the wind.
Leo’s heartbeat.
Usagi swallowed and felt his cheeks turn red. Okay, maybe I’ll just tune that one sound out, that’s a little distracting.
He let his thoughts float by but tried not to hold them down-until he had an idea.
Instead of “there is only the flower”-he put all that focus on a connection with Kintaro-san.
Kintaro-san. Kintaro-san, can you hear me.
…..
Kintaro-
-Usagi-san! Is that you?
Yes! Yes it’s me! We got O-Dokuro, and we're ready to come home!
Wow, that was fast, I’m impressed! I’ll pick you up right away.
Usagi grinned.
Hey, Kintaro-san you were right.
About, what my friend?
Leo is a good sensei when it comes to meditation.
***
At the Temple of the Sky Buddha–Itachi the priest found himself being roughly shaken awake–just as the sun’s first rays were just entering his room.
Yeesh. Even by temple priest standards–this was early.
“ Itachi, Itachi!,” a voice hissed in a whisper.
“Bwah?” the weasel muttered, half-awake. “What, what’s the matter?”
He was greeted with the worried face of a page, Furamingo.
“It’s Shirokuma!” the bird said. “Something’s wrong with him, we don’t know what to do!”
“What?” Itachi said, sitting up. “He was fine last night, he’s sick?”
“No he’s–god, I don’t know how to say it,” the page continued.
“Furamingo-”, Itachi started.
“He’s tearing the library apart!” Furamingo cried.
Itachi looked at the flamingo blankly. That really didn’t sound like the kind gentle bear he knew, and Furamingo had been known to blow things out of proportion.
“Uhhh, are you sure he’s not just rearranging the mess left in there from our guests?” Itachi asked.
“Just come look!” snapped Furamingo “His eyes are all weird! I’m not alone on this assessment!”
Itachi sighed and threw on a kimono before leaving his room. He was surprised to find quite a few people standing outside the library–and surprise turned to worry when he heard what sounded like objects and furniture being thrown on the other side along with growls.
Shirokuma didn’t growl, ever. Not even when he was bit by that poisonous snake and had to be given a needle the size of a serving spoon.
With a nervous Furamingo hovering behind his shoulder, Itachi opened the door and found:
Utter chaos.
Scrolls thrown all over the floor, some of them ripped, chairs overturned, cabinet doors torn off their hinges, walls scratched.
The whole room was utterly trashed.
And in the middle of it all was Shirokuma, his clothes askew, frantically reading another scroll before tossing it aside with a growl and grabbing another from a pile, muttering “ Useless garbage!”
“Shirokuma?” Itachi asked dumbfounded. “What on Earth are you doing?”
The bear paused and slowly turned his head towards the weasel.
And Itachi felt his blood run cold as he was met with white soulless eyes, a wide smile and sharp teeth.
“Shirokuma isn’t here right now,” said a haunting voice that seemed to echo off the walls. “But I’ll be happy to pass along any messages you have for him.”
Itachi slowly backed out of the room, a firm grip on Furamingo’s shoulder.
He did not break eye contact, though he badly wanted to.
He shut the door.
“Furamingo.” he said as they hurried down the hall. “We need to round up everyone as quickly as we can and keep them away from the library. And we need to contact Kintaro immediately and tell him what’s happened.”
“But what about Shirokuma?” Furamingo asked.
“That’s not Shirokuma anymore.” said Itachi “Hopefully we can save our friend, but right now we need to worry about protecting everyone else and stopping that thing from whatever it’s trying to do before-”
An explosion interrupted him as the library door blew off its hinges. The two friends hit the deck. As the smoke cleared they looked up and were met with a pair of large feet. They slowly raised their heads higher until they were staring into the soulless eyes of a giant possessed polar bear looming over them with a snarling grin.
“...it’s too late.”
Notes:
Did ya'll catch my Shrek reference? XD
FYI, I know nothing about meditation and any rules that may or may not come with it, please don't take anything I wrote here as gospel.
The Nobusuma-bat yokai-in this story are not the same as the bat gang in the Usagi Chronicles.
I just threw these guys in for fun because I wanted a cave monster so I went with bat monsters.
Sorry for fans of the bat gang, they're not making an appearance.
I just have so many characters in this fanfic already I didn't know how to work them in as well.
Also about the Battle of Ninjin that O-Dokuro keeps going on about-I was going to use the name of some famous battle--but then I realized if I chose a real battle that could be offensive if I accidentally picked a particularly gruesome one.
So then I asked google-"What’s the Japanese word for "carrot'"?
And "The Battle of Ninjin" was born lol.
And that seems unimportant now but its going to come back later.
Chapter 5: Chapter 5
Summary:
I was made for lovin’ you baby. You were made for lovin’ me. And I can’t get enough of you baby, can you get enough of me?-I Was Made For Lovin’ You, Kiss
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“So, the sword Inazuma”, O-Dokuro began. “Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in years.”
“But you know where it is, right?” Gen asked, hoping that trip to the cave hadn’t been for nothing.
“Oh sure”, said O-Dokuro. “But it’s a bit of a journey. Somewhere in a village by the Hono Mountains. Get me to that village and I can sniff it out for you.”
“Great!” Usagi turned to the others. “Let’s ask Kintaro-san if he’ll portal us to this village!”
“That poor dog’s been delegated to a taxi service at this point,” teased Raph as they made their way up to the temple where they were met with the worried face of Kintaro and Tetsujin conversing with each other.
“Uh, is everything all right?” asked Leo.
“Oh good you’re back, how did the trip go?” Tetsujin asked.
“Well we got O-Dokuro, and we know the location of the sword!” said Usagi. “Some village in the Hono Mountains!”
“Oh that’s good!” said Kintaro. “Everyone, I’m very sorry but I have to leave you all for a bit.”
“What’s wrong?” Leo asked, concerned.
“My temple’s been attacked,” Kintaro replied.
“WHAT?!” came the collective outcry.
“It was very sudden,” said Kintaro. “One of my priests was possessed, and used to ransack the library. It happened early this morning, I only just heard about it.”
The old dog hung his head. “They think it must’ve happened some time during the night. Poor Shirokuma was putting away all those scrolls for us. They found him ripping the library apart in the morning.”
“Do you think it was Jei?” asked Raph.
“Yes,” said Kintaro. “I didn’t see it myself, but the way my other priests described him I’m sure it was—and we don't know what he might’ve been looking for or what he took.”
“You don’t think he took the scroll on Inazuma, do you?” asked Tetsujin, worried.
“No, I took that with us for safekeeping,” said Kintaro. “Still, I need to go back and see what damage has been done. Apparently he went rogue when he heard my priests were trying to warn me.”
“Do you want some of us to go with you?” Leo asked, concerned.
“Oh, are you sure?” Kintaro asked. “I mean you still need to find the sword.”
“We don’t need a whole team for that.” Raph said. “I’ll gladly go with you back to the temple.”
“Really? You’re volunteering?” Leo asked with a grin.
“After running around in a cave with some bat monsters, I need a break from whatever else this world is going to throw at me,” Raph whispered, making Leo laugh.
“I’ll let you know what I find when I get there,” Kintaro said to Tetsujin. “Will you be able to get to the Hono Mountains without my help?”
“Sure,” said Usagi. “We’ll just take the Ashibasha.”
“The what?” asked Raph.
* **
“The Ashibasha is this yokai spirit that’s taken possession of a vehicle-and something tells me that you , my tall purple friend,” said Kitsune walking next to Donnie with a wide grin “are gonna go nuts when you see it.”
The two were walking with Chizu, Usagi and Leo in Downtown Neo Edo on their way to Gen’s place to pick up the Ashibasha.
O-Dokuro was just going to meet them halfway. Yokai were more accepted in the city nowadays, but he was just–a lot. And tended to hold up traffic.
Mikey had offered to go back with Raph to help Kintaro fix up the temple and gather intel.
Gen was helping Kiyoko guard the Key Stone.
With one place already attacked, they figured it was worth adding extra protection.
But at the rate they were going, they’d be lucky to get out of the city before sundown.
It seemed like every time they turned a corner, there was a new piece of technology for Donnie to ogle.
“Donnie, focus!” Leo said, grabbing his brother by his mask tails and dragging him away for the fifth time in ten minutes. “We have somewhere to be, remember?”
“Do you guys really not have Newsbotto where you’re from?” Chizu asked.
“No, our technology is completely different!” Donnie said excitedly. “That’s what makes this so cool! I love learning new stuff!”
“And I’m glad you’re getting to see all this cool stuff, but some of this has to wait until we deal with a certain incoming threat hanging over our heads,” Leo said with a roll of his eyes. “You’re making me wish I brought Mikey instead.”
“Oh fine, I’ll reel it in,” Donnie said with a pout as the four approached a crosswalk. They were getting ready to cross when Donnie said “Hold up!”
Both turtles turned their heads to the right to see a cyclist coming in for a very late yellow light, and hopped back on the curb almost in sync.
Kitsune and Chizu saw the biker as well but Usagi was still walking-until Leo yoinked him by the back of his vest just in time. With an “Oof!” he slammed back into Leo’s plastron. Usagi glanced up in shock as the cyclist sped by while Leo gave Usagi a sheepish smile.
“Sorry!” Leo said, letting go.
“Watch it!” they heard the cyclist shout as he passed.
“You watch it, asshole!” Donnie shouted back. “We’re walkin’ here!”
Kitsune gasped. “Oh, you’re city dwellers like us!” she said excitedly. “That makes so much sense!”
The turtles looked at each other and shrugged. “Oh yeah, I guess.” Donnie said with a sheepish smile. “We have lived in the same city our whole lives.”
“What’s it called?” asked Usagi.
“New York,” said Leo.
“Never heard of it.” Kitsune replied
“Well no, of course not,” said Donnie blankly. “We’re still from another dimension.”
“So have you guys lived here your whole lives?” Leo asked as they continued down the street.
“Not my whole life,” said Kitsune. “I’ve traveled around but I guess I’ve been here since I was at least ten, maybe younger? So a good while.”
“I moved here two years ago when I turned sixteen,” said Usagi.
“We’re still getting this one adjusted,” Kitsune said, jerking her thumb at Usagi with a giggle. “He’s lived on a farm most of his life. You think he’s bad now-he used to just walk blindly into the middle of the street.”
“I’m not that bad,” Usagi said, crossing his arms with a pout while his friends laughed.
“Honestly I’m not sure being from the country is the only reason he’s like this,” Chizu said with a laugh. “He just gets really focused on one thing, like a goal or enemy– and he forgets all other obstacles around him. Including oncoming traffic.”
Everyone laughed harder as Usagi continued to grumble.
“So are you from Neo Edo then?” Leo asked Chizu as they caught their breath.
She opened her mouth to respond and–
“Why, she’s lived here practically her whole life. Ever since I took her in as a child.”
Chizu, Kitsune and Usagi all tensed and drew their weapons at that voice.
Leo and Donnie looked confused, but also reached for their weapons.
They might not have known who spoke, but judging by their new friends' faces, it wasn’t a friendly voice.
Leo was also kicking himself as he just now realized how empty the busy streets had gotten.
“Chizu, the rooftops,” Usagi muttered and Leo glanced upward to see several shadows.
Holy cow, where did they all come from?
“Ninja?” Leo said in surprise.
“The Neko Ninja Clan,” said Chizu, voice low. “I used to be the leader’s right hand, but I defected. She—hasn’t really been able to let that go.
“Ohhh,” Leo and Donnie both said in understanding.
“Show yourself, Fuwa!” called Chizu. “Whatever you want, I really don’t have the time today!”
A shadow dropped from the roof, landing in front of the group in a crouch. A snow white cat stood up in a single motion and strolled confidently forward until she was an inch from Chizu’s blade.
“I want the same thing I always want, Chizu darling,” Lady Fuwa said smoothly, before holding out her hand and closing it in a fist. “To crush you like the traitorous bug you are under my heel. You were my best ninja and you left me for what? A giant rock and some chumps?”
“I left because I didn’t agree with your methods of stealing children from their homes and raising them to be assassins.” Chizu said darkly. “I left for a better life. And I have one. Without you. I’m making a difference in the world, so if you’ll kindly get out of our way we have places to be. I really don’t want to have to beat you in combat again.”
“Beat me again?” Lady Fuwa laughed. “As I recall- I won our last battle.”
“As I recall,” Usagi chimed in. “You cheated.”
Lady Fuwa scoffed. “Your friends know nothing about how ninjas fight Chizu,”
“There’s at least two right here who disagree with you,” snapped Donnie.
“But we’ll be happy to show you how the Hamato clan fights,” Leo said.
Lady Fuwa raised her eyebrows at the two new additions she hadn’t noticed before.
“…Were your other two friends always turtles, or is someone missing?” she asked, pointing at them.
Chizu groaned “Last chance, get out of our way!”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re surrounded. This was your last chance.”
With a smirk Lady Fuwa snapped her finger and dozens of Neko Ninja fell from the rooftops.
From there it descended into chaos. Chizu went after Lady Fuwa. Usagi was back to back with Kitsune for several minutes taking down ninjas left and right.
They seemed to be doing a good job of thinning the herd, but Usagi was worried.
He actually hadn’t seen the turtles since this madness had unfolded-where had they gone?
As the last cat in front of Usagi dropped to its knees he paused panting to catch his breath. He could hear Kitsune doing the same.
Finally he asked her “Hey, have you seen-”
She tapped him on the shoulder. He looked to see her staring stunned, and his gaze drifted upwards toward the rooftops.
Leo and Donnie looked like they were flying. They danced across those rooftops better than the Neko Ninja, doing crazy backflips and somersaults, sometimes landing on the telephone wires like they were tightropes.
Leo flipped and landed a kick to a ninja in the chest, sending them flying.
Donnie spun on the roof knocking one out with his legs then another two out with his bo staff.
Leo put his fingers to his mouth and whistled causing Donnie to look over.
He did some motion with his hands, and Donnie grinned nodding before Leo came running over and Donnie spun him like a top knocking out five more.
“They’re going to take out half the clan by themselves,” said Kitsune in disbelief.
Usagi barely registered her words, but when he did he couldn’t help himself.
He turned to the fight between Chizu and Fuwa, which was still going strong.
Both women had each other in a deadlock, but Chizu was starting to gain the upper hand.
And Lady Fuwa clearly had no idea how many minions she had just lost.
“Hey Fuwa!” Usagi bellowed, catching the attention of both cats. He jerked his head to the rooftops with a shit-eating grin. “Is this how a ninja wins a fight?”
Lady Fuwa looked at him with furrowed brows before turning and really looking at the massacre around her.
Then she looked in horror at who on earth was picking off her ninjas in record time.
Usagi watched as the two turtles split off to pick off the last few. Donnie was drawing ninja stars that seemed to miss his targets—until both he and Kitsune realized no that was intentional. They sliced clean through some weak, abandoned scaffolding behind the neko ninja, and down it came.
Many were buried. The lucky few took off running. One stayed behind to start digging out their friend.
Donnie, satisfied with his work, turned to check on his brother.
Usagi really hoped he wasn’t drooling. Okay yes, technically he knew Leonardo had to be a decent fighter.
But he wasn’t expecting this.
Usagi watched with rapt attention as Leo ran to take down the last five ninjas on his own. The first two he flipped over shoulders, one arm each. The third came charging head on with a spear. Leo slid underneath- impressive with a shell and delivered a kick to the ninja’s back while snatching the spear for himself.
He used the spear to knock the weapons out of the fourth ninja’s hand, twirling his new toy with ease. The fourth ninja was now left staring at the blunt end of the spear before glancing up at Leo.
Leo just smirked and jerked his head to the left, clearly giving the ninja an out.
The ninja started to walk off, before turning around and drawing a knife.
Usagi was about to shout, but it seemed like the turtle had eyes in the back of his head, because he turned around and did–
Something . Whatever it was, he darted out of the way of the knife and reached over with his bare hands, dropping the spear and the ninja just collapsed.
“What did he-” Kitsune asked before Usagi shrieked.
“OH MY GOD. Pressure points. He knows pressure points. Someone taught him pressure points.”
Kitsune looked at Usagi with a smirk. “You’re enjoying this aren’t you?”
“Kitsune, he’s perfect. I must have him.”
Kitsune blinked in shock, not sure she heard her friend correctly. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I must have him as a sparring partner!” Usagi continued obliviously, “He’s perfect! And he hasn’t even drawn his sword yet!”
Kitsune stared hard at her friend before looking back at the rooftops. “You know what? Not even going to touch that one right now.”
Leo was facing off against the last ninja who did have a sword prompting Leo to draw one of his own katanas. He smirked again and made a come hither motion-Usagi may or may not have squeaked-and the two blades clashed as the ninja charged.
Leo gave no ground. He blocked every swipe of his opponent and began to back them into a corner of the roof. As the neko ninja realized they were boxed in they tried leaping over Leo’s head-and he struck, knocking their sword out of their hands.
The ninja held their hands up as Leo grabbed the front of their clothes and held his sword to their neck.
“Don’t be as stupid as your friend,” he growled threateningly in their face. “When I say run, you run, got it?”
The ninja nodded. Leo let go and they took off.
He sheathed his sword and glanced over the rooftop to find everyone staring at him.
“Uh, is that all of them?” he called out.
“Who ARE you two?!” Lady Fuwa shrieked angrily “Where did you come from? Who taught you to fight like that?! You wiped out half my clan!”
Leo and Donnie smirked, leaning over the roof’s edge.
“I mean, this feels kind of wrong without Mikey and Raph,” said Donnie.
“We’ll just have to do our best,” said Leo. “We’re the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!” he shouted at a stunned Fuwa while Kitsune giggled. “There’s four of us by the way so expect more where that came from!”
“As for who taught us, our father, the greatest ninja who ever lived, taught us! Master Splinter!” shouted Donnie. “Head of the Hamato clan! That’s us!”
“And those are our friends down there!” Leo said pointing “You mess with them, you mess with us! So like Chizu said-stay out of our way!”
All three of the Kaikeishi Warriors were howling now.
“Well Fuwa,” Chizu said. “Will you continue this pointless fight outnumbered, or allow your clan to go home and lick their wounds?”
“Hmph,” Lady Fuwa scoffed, “You have won this time. Thanks to those—freakishly strong and agile friends you picked up from who knows where. But-”
“Don’t say ‘this isn’t the last you’ll see of me’, or ‘I’ll have my revenge’” Chizu said with an eyeroll.
“Oh, you’re no fun, party pooper!” Lady Fuwa said, stomping her foot before walking off, clapping her hands and beginning to rouse her very injured ninjas. “Up, get up! Walk it off!”
“ That- was optimal.” said Chizu with a wide smile of admiration as the two turtles dropped down from the rooftops.
“You guys were incredible up there!” said Kitsune.
“Really? Thanks, we try!” Donnie said.
“Yeah, sorry about ditching you on the ground,” said Leo “We’re just used to fighting on rooftops, so we thought we’d have an advantage-”
“ FIGHT ME !” Usagi exploded.
Everyone stared in shock.
“Uh..come again?” asked Leo as the rabbit bored holes into him with his eyes, his face worryingly red.
“I mean, spar! You and I! We should spar! Soon! I’d like to spare with you please!” Usagi blurted.
Kitsune snorted so hard Chizu looked over at her in concern.
“Oh! Uh, sure?” Leo replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “But maybe not right now? We’re supposed to be picking up that sword.”
“Oh yeah, of course!” said Usagi “Hey we can spar with the sword! Wait no, it has lightning powers, that might not go well. Whatever! Let’s go! We’re almost at Gen’s!”
He turned around and began confidently marching off.
“Usagi, Gen’s place is in the other direction,” Kitsune called out smugly.
“Right, right, I knew that!” Usagi said laughing nervously “This street just looks terrible after all that fighting. Someone should do something about that.”
Usagi made an about-face and booked it, putting as much distance as he could between himself and his friends, three of which were confused and one fox who had the biggest shit-eating grin on her face.
***
Kintaro set another pillar in place in front of the temple’s entrance.
“I’ve got another one!” Raph called as he led an injured servant over on one shoulder to the med bay.
The damage Jei had caused was staggering.
“I’ll see to him, thank you,” said Itachi, taking the servant from Raph. Half of the weasel’s face was bandaged, one eye completely covered.
“That’s all the pillars reset at least,” said Kintaro, coming back over to the med bay.
“Thank you Kintaro-san, that’s much faster than we could’ve done on our own,” said Itachi.
“You shouldn’t thank me, it’s my temple,” said Kintaro. “Which I failed to protect. I should have been here.”
“Hey, don’t blame yourself for that,” said Raph. “We knew Jei was around, that’s why we were gone. Working on a way to get rid of him for good.”
“The Kappa Warrior is right,” said Itachi. “Your mission is very important. And we servants of the Temple knew this job came with risks when we joined. Please don’t fret Kintaro-san. We’ll stand with you ‘til the end.”
“Thank you, Itachi,” said Kintaro. “Your loyalty is truly admirable.”
“Hey, looks like Mikey’s back with the search party,” said Raph as his little brother came out of the fog with several priests and servants.
But the younger turtle looked forlorn.
“No sign of him Kintaro,” said Mikey to his friend. “We looked for miles. We didn’t see a single polar bear–possessed or not.”
“I feared you might not,” said Kintaro. “But thank you for looking. If you can’t find him he’s long gone from this area. Poor Shirokuma, I’ve failed you. I hope he’s not lost to Jei forever.”
***
In a forest where yokai of a particularly tricky nature lived, a polar bear priest lumbered along at an unnatural speed.
The yokai gave him a wide berth.They could sense something was off with him. His mind was not quite all there.
He cursed aloud. “ This body ,” he said, “ Has its limits. I used up too much energy back there. I must find a way to get my old body back soon. I just need a little more power.”
The bear paused in his hike as he reached the edge of the forest and looked out.
In the distance he saw it. A village.
And nighttime would be approaching soon.
The bear grinned. “ And what better way to recharge then with a little fear.”
***
Donnie was having the time of his life.
Technically this wasn’t the first time he’d come into contact with a possessed vehicle.
But the Ashibasha had a much more pleasant demeanor compared to the mutant car he’d merged with that one time.
When the gang got to the house Leo actually pulled Donnie aside and double-checked with him if he was going to be okay seeing the Ashibasha.
Giving Kitsune’s description of the thing and Donnie’s past- experiences –Leo was wondering if this had been a good idea.
But Donnie assured his brother he was fine. Curiosity was outweighing any fear-and if he wasn’t okay he promised he’d let Leo know.
So now here they were. On their way to the Hono Mountains, with Toshiko piloting the Ashibasha.
Donnie was peppering her with a million and one questions about the vehicle–how it differed from other vehicles in their world now that it was possessed by a yokai, how it worked before then, blah blah blah. Thankfully Toshiko was more than happy to talk about her Ashibasha with someone and the two were jabbering away at the front.
Meanwhile O-Dokuro was playing GPS as they neared the Hono Mountains.
“The sword Inazuma is close. It's quite faint but I can feel it,” he said.
“Quite an unusual weapon you’ve asked me to help you find. Ancient, but powerful. But then again this is Jei you’re going up against.”
“You’ve met him too?” asked Kitsune.
“Not exactly.” O-Dokuro replied. “But I saw him. Once, on the battlefield fighting Miyamoto Usagi. I was about to join the battle myself, when I heard that lunatic ranting and raving about cleansing the earth of evil souls-then I realized he wasn’t exactly mortal. Or mentally stable. And when he and the Yojimbo started fighting–I stopped to watch instead. It wasn’t a normal fight. Not that Miyamoto was ever careless with his life in battle–well okay he was a little bit-but he was going out of his way to avoid being touched by that wolf’s weapon that day.”
“Was it a giant spear?” Leo piped up from the back, causing everyone to look at him in surprise.
“Why yes, now that you mention it, it was!” said O-Dokuro. “I’d almost forgotten. It’s been so many years since that battle. I’m surprised you knew.”
“It hasn’t been quite as long for me,” Leo said with a grimace.
“Sorry,” Chizu interrupted. “But why is it so important that Jei's spear doesn’t touch you? Just for future reference?”
“He uses his blade to steal your soul,” said Leo. “Or so I’ve been told. I have no idea how you free yourself, so it’s better we don’t find out.”
There was dead silence before Kitsune piped up, “Well THAT would’ve been great info to know when we started this whole mission!”
***
They’d gotten to the Hono Mountains in record time, all things considered.
The Ashibasha pulled exhausted into the small, but lively touristy village of Taiyo that borders the mountains.
Still, the sun was starting to set.
“I don’t know you guys, maybe we should find a place to spend the night,” said Toshiko.
“But we’re so close, it’s right here!” said O-Dokuro excitedly.
“O-Dokuro, normally I’d agree finding the sword is important,” said Usagi. “But I’m not sure how much luck we’re going to have hunting it up in the grass or woods or wherever it's buried once it gets dark out.”
“What are you talking about?” O-Dokuro asked, confused. “The sword Inazuma isn’t in some field, I sense it in that dojo over there!”
O-Dokuro pointed out what was easily the largest building in the town square.
Oddly enough, while most buildings in the town had the symbol of a bright orange sun displayed on them in some way, on painted signs or stitched in banners, this building displayed a symbol of a gray cloud with a bright gold lightning bolt striking down the middle.
“You sense the sword…in there?” Usagi repeated, confused.
“Yup!” O-Dukuro said.
“...Okay, well let’s go get it then!” Usagi said as he marched up to the dojo’s entrance.
“Uh, hold on.” The samurai felt a hand on his shoulder as Leo turned him around to face the ninja. “What’s your plan here exactly?”
“I’m going to ask whoever’s inside for the sword?” Usagi asked, confused.
“And you think they're just going to…hand it over?” Leo responded.
“Yes?” Usagi replied.
“Why would you think that?”
“Because we need it to defeat Jei?” Usagi replied “And because I’m Miyamoto Usagi’s descendant?”
Leo stared at the rabbit blankly before turning to the girls and Donnie as though for some sort of guidance.
“Nope. He really thinks that.” Chizu answered. “He has to figure this out on his own.”
Leo turned back in utter defeat, and merely let the rabbit go.
“Unbelievable,” he muttered when he was sure Usagi was out of earshot.
Kitsune threw an arm around Leo’s shoulder.
“Our dear friend Usagi,” she said saccharinely. “Brave of heart, dumb of ass.” giggling as she drew a derisive snort out of Leo.
“With an ego the size of Neo Edo,” muttered Toshiko.
Usagi knocked on the doors of the dojo.
“Hello?” he called.
“Sorry, training hours are over for today. Come back tomorrow.” a voice answered.
“Oh uh, I’m not here about that,” Usagi replied. “We’re here about the sword.”
“You want swords, go to Jeong-Jeong the Smith, on 3rd,” the voice replied.
“No, I mean your sword, the one in the dojo? The sword Inazuma,” Usagi said, getting annoyed.
“No such sword exists, I’ve never heard of such a thing,” the voice said curtly. “Good day.”
“Look, we know it’s here,” Usagi said. “My yokai friend here can sense weapons used in battles dating back centuries, now please if you can just come out so we can talk about this, we really need this sword to fight off-”
Usagi was knocked back into O-Dokuro as the doors blew open.
“AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU’RE WORTHY?” shouted the voice at top volume now as out came a salamander in fiery shades of red and pink, decked in blue and gold robes. “HAH? WHO ARE YOU TO DEMAND SUCH A POWERFUL WEAPON?”
Usagi shook his head woozily as O-Dokuro set him back down.
“Uh, I’m not trying to demand anything,” he said. “But we need this sword. If we don’t get it, a really terrible evil will come destroy our homes and people-”
“-So?” the salamander hissed angrily. “What makes this evil so much worse than other evils? Why do you need this sword? Do you have any idea how powerful this weapon is? How dangerous it is in the wrong hands?”
“Yes, I do!” said Usagi “We’ve been learning all about it! That’s how we know it’s the only way to beat Jei!”
“Oh, the only way!” she replied distastefully. “You’re so sure there isn’t another?”
“No, it has to be this sword!” Usagi said. “It’s what my ancestor would have used, it’s my destiny to wield this sword-”
“OH, now its destiny is it ?” the salamander said, raising up to her full height and glaring at him with yellow eyes. Usagi balked. “What do you know of destiny? Do you know who I am? What this sword means to me mister ‘Hand over the all powerful weapon so I may kill someone and we’ll be on our way?””
Usagi just stared at the salamander with his mouth hanging open before stammering. “Uh that-s’s not-we just want to protect our-”
“OKAY-that’s enough.” Leo stepped in with that wide smile that seemed too big for his face again.
“Hi, good evening,” he continued to the salamander woman. “I’m very sorry we disturbed you so late in the day. We were sent here by the Blessed One of the Temple of the Sky Buddha, Kintaro–maybe you’ve heard of him?”
The salamander looked to the side with a furrow of her brows before she looked back at him with a stern nod.
“Wonderful,” he continued. “My name is Leonardo, that’s my brother Donatello, that nice lady back there is Toshiko, that’s O-Dokuro and these three–yes that includes the rabbit–are Kaikishi Warriors. I think my friend may have mentioned this, but just to recap–they were sent here on the Blessed One’s behalf to acquire a certain sword that we believe might destroy an immortal being known as Jei who plans to wreak havoc on all we hold dear.”
“Now obviously,” Leo pressed on as he saw the salamander getting ready to argue. “No one is forcing you to hand over this sword, but you should know that if we leave here empty handed today, we’ll be back with the High Priest tomorrow, and then your options will be less favorable.”
He paused and continued smiling that pleasant perfect smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
It was starting to unnerve Usagi.
The salamander appeared resigned.
“I can’t just hand it over to you,” she said finally. “I meant what I said. It’s a powerful weapon.”
She looked back at Usagi. “You say you’ve heard of this sword’s legend?”
Usagi nodded.
“How?” she asked.
“A scroll at the Sky Temple,” Usagi replied. “It told us of how the warrior Azula used the sword to vanquish an evil spirit. Er–the details are kind of vague but I think she burned it alive.”
The salamander snorted. “Pretty close, but it’s missing a few pieces.”
“Like what?”
“Like how Azula went mad from the sword’s power years later.”
“What?!” Usagi sputtered.
“The sword can corrupt the mind if used too much.” the salamander continued. “It’s not a very well known history fact–except among the family. Azula continued to use the sword in battle. No one realized it was driving her insane until it was too late. So much exposure to that much raw power–it destroys the mind. That’s why her descendents have been tasked with guarding the sword, keeping the world safe from its corruption.”
“Her descendents,” Donnie whispered, “So that means you’re-”
“Yes, I’m a direct descendent of the Warrior Azula,” she shot Usagi a mirthful smirk. “What were you saying about destiny again? Whose descendant are you?”
“Miyamoto Usagi”, he said softly.
“Ah,” she laughed but there was no humor in it. “And now you’ve been tasked with eliminating one of his enemies have you? How does that make you feel?”
Usagi looked annoyed. “I don’t mind. Miyamoto’s my hero, I’ve always wanted to be a samurai like him. Protecting people is my duty.”
“Well at least one of us is happy with the outcome,” the salamander said softly. “No one in my generation signed up to play babysitter for a cursed sword for all eternity, but we do it anyway. How’s this? I will give you the sword on two conditions.”
“Name them,” said Usagi. He couldn’t help but feel for her, hearing her story.
“First, you must beat me in combat.” she said. “Not today, tomorrow, at dawn. Do that, and the sword is yours.”
“Done.” Usagi replied. “And the second?”
“Once you’ve used it for its intended purpose-to defeat this immortal,” she said. “Promise me you will destroy it. I have long feared the day I saddle my children with this stupid family tradition. If you get rid of this sword for me you will be doing me a huge favor.”
“I promise,” said Usagi. “Uh-this sword isn’t indestructible or something is it?”
The salamander threw her head back and laughed-the first smile she’d given him. “You’ve already agreed, and only just thought to ask that?! No, it’s not indestructible. But only someone worthy of wielding the sword can learn how to destroy it.”
“How?” Usagi asked.
“Beat me tomorrow and you’ll learn.” she said. “We fight at sunrise.” She turned to leave. “And if you’re looking for lodging, you’ll find some over on 1st Street.”
“Thank you. What’s your name?” Usagi asked before they left.
“Izumi.” she replied before shutting the doors.
***
He was running through the sewers, the same ones he’d grown up in his whole life.
But he didn’t know where the hell he was.
Nothing looked familiar. How could nothing look familiar? And what was he running from? Something had been chasing him, right?
Scrape, scrape.
Blades against stone.
Oh that sounded familiar.
This was impossible. Shredder was dead. He must be-
Dreaming. He must be dreaming.
So if he pinches himself, he’ll wake up.
“But first I’m going to turn around and punch that metal tin-can right in his stupid face.” he thought angrily.
He stopped, turned-
And was greeted with a grinning wolf scraping his spear against the sewer walls.
Huh. Not what he expected.
“AAAAAHHHH!”
“Raph! RAPH, wake up!”
Raph jolted awake to find his little brother peering over at him in the dark.
“You were screaming in your sleep,” Mikey said, worry etched into his face.
“Yeah right,” Raph replied “That’s just my mighty battle cry. I was fighting Triceratons.”
“Did you have a nightmare about Jei?” Mikey asked, ignoring the obvious lie. “Because I just did.”
Raph sat up at that and turned to better face his little brother.
“It started out as just a nightmare about the Kraang operating on my brain,” Mikey continued. “But then I looked up and Jei was standing over me on the table with his spear.”
“This is getting weird, even for us,” said Raph. “How would Jei know about the Kraang? Or the sewers?”
“I don’t know,” said Mikey. “Kintaro said he’s a master at manipulating minds and dreams. Maybe he just knows what toys to play with, even if he doesn’t know what game it goes to.”
“That made absolutely no sense,” said Raph.
“I don’t know!” snapped Mikey. “It’s late! I’m tired! I’m dreaming about demon wolves scrambling my brain!”
Raph rolled his eyes and laid back down, but he yanked one corner of the covers up.
“Get in,” he said.
“Really?” Mikey asked giggling. “Aren’t we a little old for this?”
“Don’t care. Most people our age aren’t being visited by demon spirits in the night.” said Raph. “Join me or not, but hurry up,”
Mikey crawled in and the two passed out.
They didn’t have any more nightmares that night.
***
He was wet. Why was he wet?
Leo opened his eyes.
He was in a tub.
Wait. He knew this place. This was the bathroom at the farmhouse.
What was he doing here?
He pulled himself out. Shaking off the water, he made his way out into the hallway.
“Hello?” he called, hoping to find April or the guys.
Or anybody. The place was deserted.
Weird.
Suddenly he heard screaming coming from outside.
Leo ran out the front door to find-
-still no one. Just an empty field and the forest that bordered the house.
“Hello?!” he called again, wondering if he’d imagined the screaming.
But it started up again. Now it was coming from the forest.
And he could recognize it this time.
“MIKEY!” he shouted, taking off into the woods.
Leo kept running and his brother kept screaming, but it didn’t sound like he was getting any closer. And now it looked like there was a thick fog rolling in.
And more screams were joining in-Raph, Donnie, Karai- oh god, what was going on? Where the hell was he?!
It felt like he ran forever. Day turned to night. The limbs tore at his face and arms, but he couldn’t stop running.
“ I have to get to them, before it’s too late, I can’t be too late again,”
And then all at once the screams stopped. Leo suddenly found a break in the trees and he saw Mikey standing in the middle, his back turned to Leo.
“Mikey!” Leo called out, relieved. “Are you okay? What’s going on, where are others? How’d we get here?”
Mikey didn’t answer.
Leo approached his brother slowly.
“Mikey?” he asked nervously. He placed a hand on Mikey’s shoulder and turned him around.
Leo was horrified as his brother bore a familiar snarling grin full of sharp white fangs and a pair of soulless white eyes.
“ Hello Leonardo, it’s been a while,” a familiar cadence called out with Mikey’s vocal chords.
“NO!” Leo shouted. “NO, this isn’t real, you can’t-I-this is a dream!”
“Oh maybe it is, but I’m very much real,” said Jei, as he advanced on Leo. “And I’ll be seeing you and your brothers soon, to kill you as I should’ve done long ago. You and Usagi, and that wretched child. But for now, please keep dreaming,” he grinned menacingly. “ Your fear is delicious,”
“I’LL KILL YOU!” Leo hollered.
“Leo, wake up!”
Leo jolted awake to find Donnie shaking him by the shoulders.
“Sorry,” said Donnie. “I just-you were shouting in your sleep. It woke me up,”
“Oh god, I’m sorry Dee,” said Leo.
“No don’t be, I was having a horrible nightmare!” said Donnie. “Jei was in it, he-”
“Wait, yours too?!” Leo asked frantically.
“Uh yeah,” said Donnie. “Um, it started out being about uh, something else at first-I don’t really want to talk about what-but then Jei randomly appeared down a New York alleyway and started taunting me–and then you started shouting, so I woke up.”
“Yeah–he was in my dreams too,” said Leo. “It was so weird. I was at the farmhouse. And then Jei was there. And he told me he was coming for us-and Usagi and Kintaro-who he still thinks is a child by the way.”
“Well I guess we still have the element of surprise on our hands at least,” Donnie muttered.
“You know what, I need some tea,” Leo said, getting up. “Do you want anything to drink?”
“Yeah, that sounds great, I’ll join you.”
***
Yuichi Usagi sat cross-legged just outside the window to his room, Willow Branch resting in his lap. The light of the moon cast the Hono Mountains in a beautiful shade of blue. Ironic given their name.
“You should be in bed, Spot,” Usagi said softly to his Tokage who was curled up at his master’s side, trying valiantly to stay awake.
“So should you,”
Usagi jumped before turning around to see Leo in his doorway.
“How do you do that?” he asked bewildered. “I have terrific hearing, you make no noise when you walk.”
Leo smirked. “You’re not supposed to hear a ninja,” he said. “If you do, it’s because we want you to. Or they were poorly trained. Do you hear Chizu when she walks?”
“No, but I kind of thought that was just a Chizu thing,” Usagi muttered. “She’s kinda-intense.”
Leo snorted, walking into the room. “I’m sure that’s partly her personality, but yeah no-some of that’s just ninja training.”
“So why are you awake?” Usagi asked. “Since you came to reprimand me.”
Leo looked slightly caught off guard by that. Usagi noticed he was holding a mug. “Can’t sleep.” Leo said “I made myself some tea, then I’m going to give it another shot. But I’m not the one who has a sparring match tomorrow for the sword.”
Usagi deflated slightly at that. “Right. I suppose I should be thanking you for that,”
“What?”
“For fixing the mess earlier today.” Usagi turned his gaze back to the mountains. “That wasn’t going well until you stepped in. So thanks. I don’t know how I would have defused the situation otherwise. I wasn’t handling it well.”
Leo sat down next to the rabbit.
“I mean,” the turtle began. “She also could’ve been calmer and not come out guns blazing,”
Usagi burst out laughing. Leo grinned.
“Look, I deal with volatile people all the time,” he continued. “Half of the time I’m breaking up arguments that Raph started with groups we need to work with. The point is, I’ve had lots of practice with this nonsense. And for the record, I still screw it up. Maybe your approach to get what you needed was too hasty today. So…don’t do it that way again. Simple as that.”
“Are you always so full of sage advice?” Usagi asked jokingly as Leo rolled his eyes. “But seriously thank you. Sometimes I think I’m not very good at this diplomacy thing –which is a bigger part of being a samurai and a Kaikishii Warrior than I care to admit.”
“I disagree,” said Leo. “You handled the situation with those nobusuma in the cave pretty well. I wasn’t sure how we were going to get out of there at the time.”
“Really?” Usagi asked eagerly.
“You walked right out into the middle of that swarm.”Leo said “I thought you were crazy and we were all dead.”
“Gee thanks.”
“But you commanded their attention with authority and grace,” Leo continued teasingly. “So I think for the most part you know what you’re doing and have the confidence to lead-even if you get in over your head sometimes.”
“Wow what a backwards compliment,” Usagi said, rolling his eyes.
“You’re welcome,” Leo said with a cheeky grin that Usagi couldn’t help but smile at.
Leo didn’t seem to do a lot of smiling, and when he did they weren’t always real smiles.
But this one was real and it was nice.
Especially in the moonlight.
Oh crap, Leo was still talking, what did he say?
“Sorry, what did you say?” Usagi asked.
Leo looked at him slightly concerned before continuing, “Are you up because you’re worried about Jei? Did you have a dream about him maybe?”
“Oh no, nothing like that,” said Usagi, before turning to look back out the window. “I guess all Izumi’s talk about destiny got to me a little bit. I’m worried about whether or not I can beat the descendant of the warrior Azula tomorrow.”
“Oh,” said Leo. “Well, is she tougher than anyone you’ve faced before?”
“I mean, no I guess not,” Usagi said. “I’ve faced worse. Hell, my friends and I fought and defeated a whole alien army and I’d still say my sensei is a tougher opponent. But I guess it’s more about what’s riding on this if I lose. We need that sword or we can’t defeat Jei.”
“Well if you’re so worried about what Izumi says,” Leo replied. “Remember how she also said there’s always another way,”
“But the sword is the only thing we know can defeat Jei,” Usagi pressed. “It’s the only plan we’ve got-”
“-First of all, we don’t know that for certain it will defeat Jei,” interrupted Leo. “The sword is our best bet, and we’re putting our all on it for now. Second, if there’s one painful lesson I’ve had to learn over and over, it’s that plans change constantly. There is no one solid plan. How about this? Focus on winning tomorrow. I have every confidence you will- bearing you get some sleep -and if in the incredibly unlikely chance you lose and don’t get the sword, we will discuss alternative options to defeating Jei. Okay?”
Usagi stared at the turtle for a minute before giving him a soft smile. “Okay.”
“Good.” Leo said. “Now I’m going back to bed. I suggest you do the same. Please.”
Usagi rolled his eyes. “You’re as bad as my Auntie, I swear.”
The look on Leo’s face was totally worth the punch he got to the shoulder for that comment.
Notes:
So, chapter 4 just felt so much shorter than I intended it to be--
So now you guys get this extra long ass chapter a week early because why the hell not?
It's ready, and I have no self control lol.The forest of "Yokai of a particularly tricky nature" is meant to be that one forest the turtles and Miyamoto Usagi were stuck in and left offerings for.
Those raccoon-looking things.
Nothing scares them, and even they were staying the hell away from Jei, because he gives off bad vibes XDAlso for anyone who was curious, Donnie's nightmare was about the Pulverizer (Timmy), he just didn't feel like talking about it.
According to google "Hono" is "Flame" and "Sun" is "Taiyo" in Japanese.
If that's wrong I'm very sorry.
But basically this whole little village they're in is very "fire" based.
But the dojo is an interested outlier as you'll soon see why.
Chapter Text
The sun was just starting to crest over the Hono Mountains as Usagi and Izumi met for their match in the dojo’s courtyard.
An adult male green gecko was with her holding a smaller yellow gecko in a baby bonnet. Two young salamander children stood next to them, a girl with purple scales and a boy with red scales.
“Good morning,” Izumi said. “If you don’t mind, my husband can judge the match for us.” She nodded to the green gecko. “You may also pick someone from your group if you feel this is unfair.”
Usagi looked back at his sleepy group. “I trust you to be fair, you’re a dojo master,” he said. “But I wouldn’t mind having Chizu spotting me.”
“That’s fine,” Izumi responded.
They got in their positions before Izumi called out “Oh silly me, I have forgotten to mention a very important rule in this match!”
Usagi looked up with dread when he saw her smirking. “No weapons. For you anyway.”
Everyone stared. Izumi’s husband looked exasperated, but not surprised.
“What?” Usagi asked, hoping he’d misheard.
“If you’re truly worthy to wield such a mighty sword,” Izumi explained. “You won’t need a weapon to defeat me in combat. A true warrior can defeat the family of Azula with their bare hands if they must.”
“That’s ridiculous!” cried Kitsune. “This is completely unfair! He didn’t agree to this!”
“It’s how the battle must be won,” the salamander argued. “You can check our rule book if you don’t believe me,” she turned to her eldest child who came running over with an enormous, ancient-looking book, which the girl struggled to carry.
Usagi peeked at the page it had been turned too and-yep there it was “ -in the match for the sword of the Inazuma, the challenger must fight without weapons,”
Usagi rolled his eyes heavenward. “Fine!” he barked. He took Edgewing, Willow Branch, and his Yo-yo off his waist before turning and marching back over to his friends. He paused before looking at the only other swordsman there. “Leo?”
Leo blinked in surprise. “Uh, yes?”
Usagi held out his weapons. “Will you hold on to these for me please?”
Shocked, the turtle accepted the swords and Yo-yo slowly and gently. “Yes of course.”
“Thank you.” The rabbit marched back to his opponent.
“Huh,” said Toshiko, looking at Chizu and Kitsune. “Kind of surprised he didn’t ask one of you two.”
“I’m not.” Kitsune muttered smirking.
Chizu shrugged. “I’m already ‘spotting him’ or whatever. And Kitsune’s holding Spot.”
Donnie was side-eyeing his brother, who was staring at the swords with a sort of soft look in his eyes, before turning his eyes back to the fight.
Inazumi and Usagi both bowed.
“It is an honor to fight you, descendent of the Yojimbo,” said Inazumi. “It is a shame you must walk away empty handed today,”
“That’s Yuichi Usagi to you, Izumi-san” Usagi said, looking her dead in the eyes. “I don’t care who our relatives are. I’m getting that sword, one way or another.”
Izumi seemed surprised at this response but then she smiled eagerly.
“Kick his ass, mom!” the eldest salamander child called.
“Language,” Izumi barked in return, while Kitsune could be heard cackling in the background.
“Hajime!” the gecko called.
They were off.
Izumi shot forward like lightning and Usagi immediately had to dodge her sword.
And for a while that’s all it was. The samurai doing crazy flips and somersaults to avoid becoming rabbit shish-kebab on her sword as she continued to strike.
This is getting me nowhere. Usagi thought, annoyed. It reminded him a lot of his training with Karasu-Tengu, when his sensei would sneak up behind him and repeatedly smack him on the back–until he learned to listen and anticipate her blows.
Maybe that’s what I should be doing. He realized.
He stopped dodging and started listening with those big ears of his. Sure, Izumi was fast.
But she was no ninja.
She made noise when she fought.
Usagi closed his eyes and focused solely on the sounds of her and her alone. Hey, this was a lot like meditation. Okay, here she comes-wait for it, wait for it, wait for it –he moved right before her sword struck the cobblestone, but not to dodge. He moved behind her and struck her back.
He heard her kids gasp, but he knew Izumi wasn’t down yet. She quickly got her bearings and turned to face him.
“Well done,” she said, looking annoyed. “First hit goes to you.”
Usagi smirked and crooked a finger. “Let’s go.” he said.
***
Donnie was beginning to smell something.
Not literally. But something was going on. With Leo and their new rabbit friend.
Honestly, Usagi’s behavior around Leo had been kind of peculiar since they’d met the guy.
At first Donnie thought maybe Usagi was just fangirling over the fact that they were “The Legendary Kappa Warriors”, but that didn’t quite fit.
The samurai was mostly chill-if a little high strung at times-and sometimes said things without thinking them through. But honestly, Donnie would be a hypocrite if he ever gave anyone else a hard time for talking without thinking.
But Usagi tended to have this sort of… nervous energy when it came to Leo.
It was oddly familiar, Donnie just couldn’t place where he’d seen it before.
But whatever it was, it seemed to be spreading because now his brother was also starting to act weird.
After Leo made them both tea last night, he didn’t immediately come back to their room. Leo said he was going to try to take a walk.
But then Donnie thought he heard voices and laughter.
When Leo came back to their room, Donnie pretended to be asleep.
Now he was wondering what on Earth could have happened last night.
Because he’s pretty sure it must’ve been Usagi Leo was talking to.
Because now, out of seemingly nowhere the samurai had asked Leo to hold onto his swords for safekeeping while he engaged in this sparring match.
Something that might seem inconsequential, but Donnie knew (and he knew Leo was aware) from their father’s old books that for samurai, your sword was considered your soul.
Being trusted to look after them, even for a small amount of time, was no small thing.
And for some reason, Usagi picked a guy he’s known only a few short days over some of his arguably much closer friends for the task.
At least they didn’t seem to mind. Kitsune oddly enough looked like the cat who got the cream when it happened.
Chizu looked…well. She was hard to read actually. Her poker face was so good she could give Leo a run for his money.
Something that really couldn’t be said about his brother now, Donnie noted as Leo was staring awestruck at the fight, while he cradled the swords gently against his chest with all the fierce protectiveness of a mother hen.
His eyes practically sparkled.
Holy crap. Donnie hadn’t seen Leo that entranced by something since-
Captain Ryan.
Donnie shook his head.
Nah, no way. He looked back at the fight. Usagi’s not Leo’s type, is he?
“Then again, what is Leo’s type?” Donnie thought to himself. “It’s been Captain Ryan (although he insists that’s just admiration) Karai (thank god that's over) and…is that really it? I mean when all’s said and done all I know is that he likes someone who can keep up with him in a fight.”
Speaking of which, the fight was starting to go in Usagi’s favor.
He had gone from dodging Izumi’s hits to landing blows and sweeping her legs out from under her. The rabbit was incredibly fast. Donnie kind of wanted to see him fight Leo now. The samurai’s fighting style was kind of similar to Mikey’s, sporadic and unpredictable at times.
Leo probably would have a real challenge on his hands.
Izumi meanwhile was getting fed up. She could see that pesky rabbit making to dodge her sword yet again . Not this time.
Too fast to move away, Usagi caught the blade between his hands just before it met his head while everyone sucked in a collective breath.
“Do you yield?” Izumi asked, both of them panting as the sword hovered inches from his face still clasped between his hands.
“Not a chance in hell,” Usagi thought, “Time to end this.”
“Izumi-san,” he asked. “This sword, it’s not like, super important to you or anything right?”
Izumi blinked at him. “What?”
“This sword, right here, in my hands,” Usagi specified. “It’s not some old family heirloom or something with sentimental attachment is it?”
“No?” she snapped, annoyed. “It’s just a sparring sword we keep in the back.”
Usagi grinned, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Good.”
Usagi dropped to his knees, sliding himself across the ground underneath Izumi’s legs, causing her (and her husband) to squawk. She turned around, eyes blazing but in the blink of an eye Usagi was already up on her shoulders where he raised his arms and brought them on either side of the sword shattering it to pieces.
Leo and Donnie’s mouths fell open. Usagi’s friends were less impressed as they’d seen him pull this trick once or twice before. It was still cool though.
Usagi grinned, hopping off Izumi’s shoulders before she threw him off.
“Do you yield, Izumi-san?” he asked. “You have no weapon, I’d say I’ve beaten you.”
Izumi stared at Usagi for a long moment–long enough that he was worried he’d pushed things too far again- before she snorted . “Well done then, Usagi-san,” she said bowing. “We’ll call it here. You’ve certainly earned the sword Inazuma. ”
Usagi grinned and bowed in return.
“Woo-hoo! He did it!” Kitsune shouted, wrapping her arms around Chizu who laughed at her antics. “We’re getting a sword, ba-by!”
“I must say, that was a most impressive match,” said O-Dokuro. “Not as impressive as the battle of Ninjin, but still very nice.”
“Well Kintaro will be pleased to hear we got that sword,” Donnie said. “Man that some fight huh, Leo? Leo?”
“He broke a sword with his bare hands,” Leo whispered.
“Yeah, I saw,” said Donnie. “I was there. Man that was cool, huh? I’ve read about that technique, but I’ve never seen it in practice.”
“I need him to fight me.”
Donnie blinked. “What?
“SPARRING!” Leo shouted. “I need to spar with him. We’re at a dojo, do we have time? We should go do that right now.”
“Uh Leo,” Donnie said, utterly bewildered. “We should really wait until we get the sword. You’ll have plenty of time to spar later. You already promised him a match, remember? Plus Usagi’s probably tired since he just had a duel.”
“But I want him to duel me.” Leo muttered with that intense look still in his eyes.
“Are you okay?” Donnie asked, now downright worried.
Leo shook his head. “FINE! I’m fine, just-you’re right, this needs to wait until later haha, let’s get the sword first, it’s why we came here after all!”
Leo suddenly went stiff as a board as Usagi came bounding over to them, still riding his high of winning.
“Did you see that?!” he asked them both excitedly. “I won! We’re getting the sword!”
“See, what did I tell you?” Leo said with a slightly shaky grin. “You had this in the bag. Although I wasn’t expecting that finishing move. That was pretty cool.”
Usagi stopped bouncing at that and rubbed his arm bashfully. “Oh thanks. Yeah I uh-yeah.”
Neither of them said anything for a minute, they just stood there completely forgetting the third party that was Donatello.
“Uh, can I have my swords back?” Usagi finally asked.
Leo jolted like he’d been electrocuted. “Oh yes! Here!” he said, holding them out with jerky arms. “Nothing happened to them, I took good care of them!”
“I know,” Usagi said with a grin. “Thanks, Leo”
The two of them walked off discussing the fight in more detail.
“ Oh my god,” said Donnie once the two were out of earshot.
“You see it too, do you?” piped up a voice from his right. He leaped about a foot in the air and turned to see Kitsune.
“How long has this been going on?” he asked.
“Hard to say,” she replied. “Usagi? Probably since you guys showed up. Leo I don’t know as well, he’s harder to read so I’m not sure. But it was much sooner for Usagi.”
“Does he know?” Donnie asked.
“Usagi?” Kitsune replied. “I doubt it. He’s never been in a relationship before and as far as I can tell, he’s never had a crush. What about Leo? Does he know?”
Donnie thought on it for a minute.
“No, I don’t think so,” he said. “He’s slow to pick up on these things sometimes.”
Kitsune nodded. “Alright then. So we’ve got a couple of bumbling idiots on our hands and we’re the only ones who know.”
They stood there.
“Do we do anything with this information?” Donnie asked.
“Would it help if we did?,” Kitsune countered.
“Probably not,” Donnie said, resigned.
Kitsune nodded again. “Then let’s not interfere unless it we feel they’re about to cause themselves more harm than good with their own stupidity,”
“I can agree to that,” said Donnie.
They shook on it.
***
Izumi wouldn’t tell Usagi where exactly the sword was hidden in the dojo. Old family secret she said.
She brought it out to him instead.
It was–admittedly a fairly ordinary looking sword.
A gold handle, and though it has some distinct markings on the blade, Usagi couldn’t make them out due to how worn it looked.
“Uh, I can sharpen and polish it, right?” Usagi asked.
“You can, but it won’t help,” Izumi said. “There’s only one way to restore the sword. Its power came not from the flames of a forge, but from the top of the Hono Mountains.”
“What do you mean?” Chizu asked.
“The fiery Hono Mountains are named after the burning blaze that took place on that glorious day of battle,” said Izumi. “Many things in our village are named after fire. The village itself is named after the sun. But it’s sort of a purposeful misdirect to help protect our greatest secret, the sword. Yes, the sun is fire. And yes every morning the Hono Mountains are lit up in her fiery light. But the flames that burned that day did not come from the sun.”
“It came from lightning,” Usagi whispered. “That’s why your dojo has the banner of clouds and lightning.”
Iszumi smiled. “Very good. There was no sun that day. It was a dreadful storm. A powerful storm. You need water just as much as fire. The gods saw fit to bless Azula that day with the strength to defeat her opponent in battle-and they sent her a gift from the heavens striking her sword. That is what we must do.”
“Come again?” asked Donnie.
“You must wait for a storm,” said Izumi. “A vicious one. Luckily, you won’t have to wait long. An ugly storm is approaching Neo Edo. It will arrive tomorrow. We must make haste. I will accompany you and show you what must be done to strengthen the sword.”
“Wait, what?” said Kitsune. “How do you know a storm’s coming? Can you like, sense it or something as a descendent of Azula?”
Izumi shot her a weird look. “What? No, my family took up meteorology in our spare time, we’re the weather forecasters for the area.” she said, causing Usagi to snicker. Even Chizu was trying desperately not to laugh at the stern look on her girlfriend's face.
“A storm here at the mountains would be preferable, but we simply don’t have the luxury of waiting,” said Izumi, her eyebrows furrowing as she got a distant look in her eyes. “And the one in Neo Edo is going to be– strong,”
Everyone else shot each other uncertain looks at that statement-hoping the storm didn’t bring anything else with it.
***
In a quiet sleepy little village an older male dog tossed and turned in his bed, plagued with fitful night terrors.
Finally he opened his eyes to see a grinning bear looming over him in the moonlight.
He screamed before promptly passing out.
Jei cackled and sighed, cracking his back. That should be enough. Between the dreamers he’d visited in the village and his “ check-in” with the turtles he was feeling pretty well-fed.
Well enough even to ditch this body.
With a final shimmy and shake the body of ShiroKuma flopped to the ground like a bug shedding a cocoon. He did not wake.
The door of the dog’s hut blew open, and out into the night stepped a black wolf with white soulless eyes, a snarling grin, and a long black spear.
***
“Hey guys!” Mikey called out, running to give his brothers a hug. “How was the trip? Did you bring me back any souvenirs?”
“We got the sword!” Usagi said excitedly.
“Oh right, honestly I forgot what you all were doing out there,” Mikey said with a sheepish grin as Raph rolled his eyes.
“How were things at the Temple?” asked Chizu.
“Bad,” said Raph. “The infrastructure’s mostly fixed and we’ve patched up whoever we can. But there’s still a priest missing.”
“Kintaro thinks wherever he is, he’s being controlled by Jei like a puppet on a string,” Mikey added worriedly. “So we have to keep our eyes peeled for a polar bear in robes named Shirokuma. Kintaro wanted us to come back and help with things here, but he’s staying at the Sky Temple for now.”
“So that’s the sword?” Raph asked, nodding at the weapon in Usagi’s arms. “Kinda thought it be more…impressive looking,”
“Yeah, it’s not ready yet,” said Usagi. “I have to charge it up with lightning in a thunderstorm or something. Then I’ll be ready to take on Jei!”
“Ooookay,” Raph replied, deciding not to touch that one. If the rabbit wanted to fry himself alive, who was he to stop him? “Well when’s that going to happen?”
“The storm comes tomorrow,” said Izumi. “All we can do now is wait,”
Leo could not have asked for better timing.
“WELL, since we’ve got some time on our hands,” he announced with a grin causing everyone to look at him. “Usagi. I think I promised you a match at some point. How about now?”
Usagi looked at Leo in disbelief before his face lit up like the Fourth of July.
“Really?! Right now?” he said.
“No time like the present, right?” Leo responded.
“YES! I know the perfect spot! Follow me!” Usagi said and the two took off running, of all things, to have their fight.
“Oh I gotta see this,” Kitsune said, taking off after them.
“Met too!” Donnie shouted.
“I wish to see this as well,” said Izumi.
“‘C’mon dude!” Mikey called after Raph.
“What in the world was that?!” Raph asked bewildered as everyone quickly left him in the dust. “Why’d they run off like a couple of skipping school girls? What’s the big deal about one match?”
***
Usagi was practically vibrating with excitement.
He’d been thinking about this for days.
He and Leo stood opposite each other in the courtyard where he typically mediated or trained with Karasu-Tengu.
It was both incredibly peaceful, but also the perfect place for a sparring match.
“Hey, who’s calling this match?” Usagi asked suddenly.
“Um,” Leo looked to the right. “Do you care if Raph does?” He looked back with a grin. “He loves to see me lose anyway, so you can count on this being fair.”
Usagi laughed. “Sure,”
Raph came over with a smirk. “Kick his ass Usagi,” he said with a grin, raising his hand.
“Language!” Leo barked.
Usagi snorted.
The two settled down and bowed, drawing their swords.
“Hajime!” Raph shouted, lowering his hand.
At first neither one moved, still sizing each other up.
The air was tense, the only movement coming from the cherry blossoms falling from the trees.
Usagi’s patience finally wore out, and he struck first.
There was a clang as Leo’s sword met Usagi’s immediately.
Leo threw the blow right back at Usagi and attempted to counter with one of his own but was met with equal resistance.
So he opted to change tactics.
And that’s where things got interesting.
Mikey had, of course, somehow procured popcorn from his shell and was happy to share with Kitsune and Gen.
Those who weren’t stuffing their faces, eyes wide, were gawking with open mouths as they watched a fight turn into an intricate dance.
Donnie’s earlier thought process had been half-right.
Usagi did fight a bit like Mikey. Bobbing and weaving with unpredictable movements, sometimes attempting to jump on Leo’s shoulders. For a swordsman he was kind of nuts. He was also stronger than he looked, there was clearly some power behind some of those parries and sometimes he kicked with his feet.
But to Master Splinter’s credit, he often had his sons train with their polar opposites. Mikey and Leo had been paired off for training dozens of times because their father had noticed the difference in their fighting styles and wanted them to work off each other.
As a basis, Leo tended to fight in a more by-the-books style–he could do crazy flips although he did those a lot less since his knee injury.
But you didn’t spar with Michelangelo or take on two alien invasions without learning to adapt your way of fighting a little .
Watching Usagi fight Izumi, and fighting him now, Leo had begun to notice a small pattern in some of his movements. It wasn’t so much a conscious choice, but more so, “ if Usagi can’t do this move, he’ll flip over here” or “ He’s tensing his legs, he’s getting ready to jump again.”
And so the fight went from keeping the other at bay to adapting to the other’s style.
Leo started throwing in his own flips. Usagi started sliding underneath Leo’s sword after the turtle did it once early on to dodge.
And yet neither was giving or gaining ground. The crowd was beginning to wonder who would win.
“Oh goody, I haven’t missed the match,” said Tetsujin as he floated over.
“Honestly, you probably could’ve been an hour late and they might still be going,” said Gen.
“They have to tire out sometime,” said Toshiko.
“I give ‘em five days,” said Donnie sarcastically.
With one final clang Usagi suddenly found himself forced against a stone wall, their blades tightly locked together as he stared directly into Leo’s eyes, both of them panting.
He still had his sword but he also couldn’t move.
“Do you yield?” Leo asked with a grin breathing heavily.
“Depends on where you take me”, Usagi thought, followed by the immediate damning realization of “ Oh. SHIT.”
Well maybe his arms were trapped, but his legs were still free.
Taking advantage of the fact that he was pinned, Usagi pressed his back to the wall for leverage, and kicked Leo off and away from him– tackling him to the ground. He pressed his blade to the ninja’s chin.
“Not today!,” He said with a nervous grin. “Sorry, you’re not winning this round!”
Leo looked slightly shocked, but then smirked. “Yeah well, you haven’t either.”
Usagi blinked and turned to see Leo’s sword was pressed up against his own neck.
He’d been so focused on victory he hadn’t even felt it.
“Oh,” he said. “Well. It appears we’re at an impasse.”
Leo snorted. “You can’t just call it quits? This has been going on forever. How immature are you?”
“ You call it then if you don’t care who wins.” Usagi said annoyed. “Pull your sword away first.”
Leo looked caught off guard before pouting (to Usagi’s utter delight) and saying “No.”
“You hypocrite!” Usagi crowed, cheerfully. “You just want me to take the loss, can’t admit defeat-”
“WILL YOU TWO DICKHEADS GET OFF OF EACH OTHER?!” hollered Raphael coming over. “Neither of you assholes won as far as I’m concerned. I don’t even know what to call this anymore!”
Usagi was brought back to earth as he suddenly remembered he was technically straddling Leo and they both turned a bright red. They both pulled their swords away as the rabbit stumbled off the turtle, muttering apologies before offering a hand to help him up. Leo notably winced as he stood.
“Are you alright?” Usagi asked.
“Yeah, it’s nothing,” said Leo a tad too quickly.
“Did you push it too hard?” Raph asked, eyeballing Leo’s leg. “You did way more flips than you used to do, you show off.”
“I’m fine Raph,” Leo stressed.
Raph looked like he didn’t buy it, but decided to let it go with a sigh. “At least ice it tonight. If there really is a storm coming tomorrow, you know you’re going to be feeling that.”
Usagi was about to offer to grab an ice pack for Leo, when the turtle changed the subject. “That was fun!” Leo said with a grin. “I haven’t had a match like that in ages! We should do that again soon, I bet you could teach me some new moves.”
Whatever Usagi had been about to say had been completely forgotten over the new information of Leo smiling at him and asking Usagi to show him moves.
As his brain booted back up again, Usagi asked “Yes. Definitely. Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask-would you be willing to show me how you nail your opponents’ pressure points?”
Leo grinned and crossed his arms. “Only if you show me how you crack a sword with your bare hands.”
Usagi’s smile threatened to split his face in half “Absolutely,”
“That was an impressive match you two, although I’m not sure what happened at the end there.”
Usagi turned in surprise and delight to see Karasu-Tengu. “Sensei! You’re back!” he said excitedly.
“Yes, and it seems we came just in time to see your battle,” said the bird yokai.
While Raph and Leo tried not to openly gawk at the impressive stature of Karasu-Tengu (well, Leo tried not to gawk, Raph had no shame) Usagi realized his sensei hadn’t come alone as a tiny cat in a ninja outfit was running alongside her.
“Usagi!” said the cat excitedly, giving her big brother a hug. “You looked so cool fighting the Kappa! And your new friends are so nice! Mikey Kappa gave me popcorn!”
“Thanks Hana!,” Usagi grinned and tossed her slightly in the air causing her to squeal.
“I hope you don’t mind,” said Karasu-Tengu. “I know things here are tense right now, but Hana wanted to see you all. Your Auntie said it was okay if she came to visit. I promised I would guard her with my life.”
“That’s alright,” said Usagi. “I trust you, Sensei. OH!”
He turned to his friends. “Leo, Raph, this is Karasu-Tengu, a nature yokai and my sensei. And this is Hana-she’s sort of Chizu and my little sister. We rescued her from the Neko Ninja clan, and now she lives with my Auntie. Hana, Sensei, this is Hamato Leonardo and Raphael: two of the Kappa Warriors who helped my great-grandfather several years ago.”
Hana tilted her head from her place in Usagi’s arms “Shouldn’t they look old?”
Raph snorted at that.
“Yeah, that’s a long story, but because of time travel, and dimension travel or something, they're closer to my age,” Usagi said. “I’m guessing you met their brothers Mikey and Donnie?”
“Yes!” Hana said. “Mikey-san has lots of snacks!”
“It is nice to meet you both,” said Karasu-Tengu. “That was an impressive duel. I like to see someone keeping Usagi on his toes.”
“Oh, thank you,” Leo said softly. “It’s an honor to meet the sensei who taught him. He’s very skilled.”
The crow yokai snorted. “It’s a wonder he’s retained anything I taught him,” she replied, not without some warmth in her eyes.
Leo smiled at that.
“Auntie’s doing well then?” Usagi asked.
“She is,” said Karasu-Tengu. “And I’ve heard from Chizu that you’ve acquired the sword and will be performing a ritual of sorts with it? I actually wanted to talk to you about that for a bit if you had a moment.”
“Sure?” asked Usagi.
“Oh boo, I wanted to hang out with you guys,” said Hana all glum as Usagi put her back on the ground.
Usagi felt slightly guilty, and was about to tell her they could hang out later, when Leo walked up to her.
“Hana, is it?” he asked. She nodded. “You can call me Leo. I haven’t been in Neo Edo very long. Do you think you could give me and my brothers a tour while they talk? We can invite Chizu too, and whomever else you want?”
Usagi could’ve sworn he heard Raph mutter “Mamanardo strikes again” but that made no sense.
Usagi started to say “Uh Leo, you don’t have to-”but Leo waved him off and Hana cheerfully replied “Okay!’ before taking the turtle’s hand and leading him away.
“C’mon!”, she called over her shoulder to Raph as they left.
Usagi turned to Raph. “You don’t have to play babysitter,” he said worriedly.
Raph just rolled his eyes with a fond grin. “Don’t worry about it,” he replied. “Leo loves kids. And I think he’s always secretly wanted a little sister.”
And with that Raph walked off, leaving Usagi dumbfounded.
***
He was gliding.
No. He was soaring.
His feet no longer touched the ground.
Racing past villages, forests, rivers, at breakneck speed.
He couldn’t find that damned samurai yet and he was not yet strong enough to defeat the child.
But the turtles he was able to pinpoint.
In the village of Edo.
Yes-it looked different in his visions than he remembered, and he didn’t know why, but that’s where they were hiding.
And that’s where he would end their miserable lives.
As long as he traveled by the light of the moon, he would get to his destination in time.
He grinned, anticipation building in what would’ve been a gut if he’d had one as he got closer and closer.
At LAST.
Almost there.
I’m coming for you.
***
Karasu-Tengu, as it turned out, wanted to talk to Usagi about meditation.
Again.
The Samurai was slightly annoyed, though he wouldn’t say it. He knew it was important, but he wondered why it seemed like all conversations about training now focused on mediation.
Of course his Sensei could tell he was annoyed anyway, and explained why it was so important.
“As it’s been explained to me,” the crow yokai said, “This sword you’re using is cursed. It can corrupt your mind if you’re not careful. Usagi, I know you’ve been making great progress in your meditative training. I have seen it. I ask that you practice now more than ever, just to be safe.”
Usagi nodded in understanding.
“I’ve been told your new friends helped you with meditation,” she said. “Let’s see what you’ve learned.”
Usagi closed his eyes and began to listen to the sounds around him. The chirping of the birds. Spot playing somewhere in the distance. The wind chimes Tetsujin hung outside the Key Stone Temple. The soft hum of the Key Stone herself connected to all of Neo Edo.
He could feel himself becoming lost in the very essence of the universe as he became one with the city.
His ears picked up the very faint sound of cherry blossoms hitting the grass.
Just as they had before his match with Leo.
The sound of swords clashing.
Blue eyes catching the light of the blade as a smirk was shot his way.
Do you yield?
Usagi’s eyes snapped open.
“Uhhh, lemme try that again.” he said. Why did his face feel like it was on fire?
“What happened?” asked Karasu-Tengu from his left, causing him to jump. She’d moved at some point. “You had it for a moment. I could tell you were completely at one with your surroundings, then you lost it.”
“Lemme just try again!” Usagi said frantically. “Emptying my mind, here we go!”
He closed his eyes and tuned into the sounds around him.
Birds, Spot, wind chimes-
“- gosh, those wind chimes sound an awful lot like swords now.”
Usagi shook his head frantically. This wasn’t working anymore, time to try his tried and true never-failed-him-yet method.
“There is only the flower, there is only the flower,
There is only Leonardo-
FUCK.”
Usagi’s eyes opened and he turned to Karasu-Tengu in defeat. “I may have a problem.” he said.
***
Kintaro was getting ready to return to the city of Neo Edo.
Between reports of a terrible thunderstorm, and the news that Usagi had retrieved the sword Inazuma he figured he should be there to help.
Only after ensuring he had done all he could to aid those at the Temple of the Sky Buddha.
However, just as he was about to raise his War Axe and open a portal back, a page came running in.
“Kintaro-san!” they exclaimed. “We just received word of a bear in robes found in a nearby village! He was arrested for breaking into a hut, but he has no recollection of doing so! We’re almost certain it’s Shirokuma!”
Kintaro-san paused. “Really? Oh thank the gods. We’d better go straighten things out then with the village and ask Shirokuma what he remembers. Maybe it will help us get a head start on Jei.”
And so Kintaro paused his return trip to the city of Neo Edo.
Which meant he would not be there on the day of a great storm.
But a much more sinister visitor would be stopping by.
***
Hana stood as proud and as tall as she could for her size as her four new friends gawked in awe.
Honestly, she couldn’t believe Chizu and Usagi hadn’t taken them to the arcade yet.
She still remembers how mesmerized she was the first time she came here.
“Oh SHELL yeah!” Mikey crowed, running in. “Raph, look at THAT!”
He pointed at some game that appeared to have two motorcycles attached.
“DIBS!” shouted Raph jumping on one while Mikey and Donnie fought for the other.
“Deja vu,” muttered Gen.
“You know, I’d nearly forgotten you guys were ninjas until we brought you here”, said Kitsune.
“Ninjas?” asked Leo incredulously. “Kitsune, this is how brothers behave,”
Gen laughed at that. “He’s not wrong!”
Leo smiled at Hana. “Is there something you’d like to play first?”
Hana asked Chizu and Leo to play some sort of arrow game that they enjoyed. Then for a few hours it was kind of a free for all.
The turtles weren’t strangers to arcade games, but they weren’t used to such a nice selection.
Mikey managed to destroy the high score on the hardest game in the place-”Super-Punch-Kick-Face-Go”-a spinning monstrosity that seemed to combine dancing and fighting. He gained the respect of the masses when he won (the Neo Gang might’ve been a tad riddled with petty joy seeing the hospital workers’ high score get eliminated).
“Pizza for everybody in the room!” Mikey shouted, dancing his victory on a nearby table.
“Our money’s no good here!” Donnie shouted back as everyone laughed.
Kitsune and Donnie got weirdly competitive and were trying to outdo each other on every game. So far it was a pretty decent tie, which was driving Kitsune batty because Donnie hadn’t even played these games before. Chizu was silently signaling the waiter to start bringing her girlfriend decaf boba instead.
Leo managed to find a space-themed point and shoot game and no one could make him move for a solid hour and a half. When he finally did, it was only because Raph taunted that Leo couldn’t beat him in the biking game, and the two were now throwing elbows on top of that like a couple of maniacs.
The Neo crew would judge them for their behavior, but they were all guilty of doing the same thing.
It was around this time that Usagi showed up at the arcade, looking rather defeated.
He saw several of his friends cheering on the nutjobs, but instead made a beeline for Chizu who was waiting for Hana by the bathrooms.
“Hey, training done already?” Chizu asked.
“I’m screwed,” Usagi replied.
“What, why?” she asked.
“It was meditation again, to help me have a clear mind and avoid the sword’s corruption,” said Usagi.
“I thought you were getting better at it,” Chizu said.
“I was!” Usagi said exasperatedly, before lowering his voice to a normal level. “I was doing fine but then..something…got in the way…and my mind’s not clear anymore.”
“So what took you so long?” she asked.
“I was trying to work around it,” Usagi said. “I um…also kind of wouldn’t tell Karasu-Tengu what I was struggling with.”
Chizu blinked. “...Why?”
“It’s complicated.”
The silence between them felt so loud. Hana came out of the bathroom.
“Oh great, you’re here too!,” she said excitedly.
“He’ll join us in a minute,” said Chizu. “Go keep track of who’s winning for me.”
Hana ran off. Chizu didn’t say anything yet, she could tell Usagi was working through something.
“Chizu…how did you know?” he asked finally.
“Um…know what Usagi?” she responded.
“....When did-how–when and how did you know about your feelings for Kitsune?” Usagi finally got out.
Oh. Wow. Chizu wasn’t expecting that.
“Uh well, can you be more specific?” she said.
“I mean-she was your friend first.” said Usagi “So somewhere along the way you realized your feelings were different. And somewhere along the way you realized you like girls not guys. I’m not asking to judge, I’m asking because–”
Usagi cut himself off and his eyes darted off to the side. Where their friends were still cheering. And like a lightbulb it clicked for Chizu.
Ah.
“Well, I’m not sure when my feelings changed exactly,” Chizu said softly, looking over at Kitsune cheering with a fond look in her eyes. “I’d never had friends before you guys really, so at first I thought I was just…really fond of her. But then I realized I thought about her all the time, even when she wasn’t around. I’d miss her. I’d see trinkets at market stalls and wonder if she’s like them, or hear a joke and wonder if she'd find it funny. I’d have a sort of warm, fluttery feeling in my chest, like someone was squeezing my heart, that I didn’t get with anyone else.”
Usagi didn’t say anything for a solid thirty seconds before he just said “ Oh”
“Yeah,” Chizu replied.
The two friends stood there in companionable silence.
Then Chizu asked, “Did that help at all?”
Usagi replied, “I mean not with my meditation issue, but maybe with something else. Thanks.”
“No problem,” said Chizu. “Tell anybody else I said anything that mushy and you’re dead,”
“Even Kitsune?” he asked jokingly.
“ Especially Kitsune.” she teased.
Usagi laughed and made his way over to the group.
Leo and Raph were now doing “Best nine out of ten” on the steam-cycle race and their friends were jeering for them to give someone else a turn. Raph still had one-up on Leo when the leader pulled out ahead in their final race.
Leo cheered while Raph threw his fist on the handlebars in frustration. He was about to call for another race when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Usagi smirking at him. “You lost,” the rabbit said with a grin looking over at Leo with a dangerous twinkle in his eyes. “Now it’s my turn to crush him.”
Leo looked over in surprise. Raph rolled his eyes but got up and while Usagi smoothly hopped onto the cycle.
“You have a long way to catch up,” Leo teased with a grin.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Usagi said with a smile that was a little more warm than he probably meant it to be. He pointed to the scoreboard above them. “That’s my high score up there.”
Leo followed Usagi’s finger and his eyes widened before he muttered “Ah, sewer apples.” The rabbit burst out laughing as the countdown for the game started and the two were off, trying to shove each other off the cycles as they raced.
***
After several more games (and Usagi crushing Leo at steam-cycle racing as promised), the friends were ready to call it a night.
They wanted to be well rested for whatever tomorrow brought.
Everyone was in pretty high spirits, things seemed to be looking up.
The only one who was worried was the guy who had the most important task tomorrow.
Usagi didn’t voice his concerns about what had happened in training today with anyone else-or the sudden revelation he had had about feelings for a certain ahem someone.
As far as he was concerned his feelings towards Leo didn’t currently matter.
They had bigger problems to worry about, like stopping Jei.
And after?
Well…he had no idea if Leo felt the same.
If Leo ever could feel the same.
Usagi didn’t know whether Leo liked boys or girls.
And even if he did like boys…
Leo was just so cool
He was responsible, level-headed,
The kind of person Karasu-Tengu would dream of training when it came to meditation.
He was way out of Usagi’s league.
There was probably no point in even trying.
...But that was okay! Because they were still good friends!
And Usagi could do friendship!
He was great at friendship!
He was going to be so gosh-darn good at this friendship, Leo wouldn’t know what hit him!
Notes:
…History will call them great friends lol.
Usagi totally copies Leo's "come hither" motion in his match with Izumi .
Ya'll remember when Usagi cracked that pig guy's sword with his bare hands?
I did. And I thought to myself " That totally seems like the kind of thing Leo would find hot."Anyway, I'd like to address my headcanon for Leo's leg injury in this story.
Lots of people have different takes on this. I noticed that in the show Leo's leg's status is kind of based on…plot convenience. XD If they need it to bother him it will, but in later seasons it doesn't seem to affect him at all.
Now the thing I've been told about joint injuries (and I am NOT a medical professional) is that they can sometimes heal with little to no problems. The younger you are the easier you bounce back, although if you're an athlete and you need that limb to bend a certain way you might be screwed.
Leo was really young when his injury happened, but it was pretty bad. Also he kept pushing it to heal too fast (for obvious reasons) which in my opinion probably made it worse than if he'd let it rest more.
Also he's a ninja, so he's doing crazy shit on that leg all the time.But I also don't think he's constantly limping. My headcanon for him here is that his leg is actually in pretty good shape, and he usually has no problem keeping up with everyone, but certain things like bad weather will make it hurt more.
Those are the days he has to take it easy. His family is aware of this and will remind him if he's pushing himself too hard.
Anyway as always, I'm open to questions! Hope you enjoyed reading!
BIG battle scene coming next chapter ;)
Chapter Text
It was a bright, beautiful, sunny day in Neo Edo.
Which would not normally be considered a bad thing.
Except that this was the exact opposite kind of weather everyone was hoping for.
“Uh, isn’t there supposed to be a massive storm today?” Raph asked at breakfast. “I thought that’s what we were counting on here.”
“There will be.” Izumi said. “Can you not tell? Already the air is growing hot-very hot for this time of year. We should see thick dark clouds in a few hours.”
“I agree with Izumi,” said Usagi. “When it started getting this hot back on the farm, we knew we’d have to watch the sky throughout the day for heavy storms-or worse.”
Everyone else more or less shrugged,but Izumi and Usagi were found to be proven right. It started getting more humid as the day progressed. Poor Spot was found panting badly underneath the shade of a tree. Usagi wondered what he could do to offer his pet some relief when he noticed someone had brought the lizard a bowl of ice cubes big enough to roll around in. He asked where they had come from, hoping he could thank the person responsible but no one came forward (Leo smirked while Raph suspiciously avoided eye contact at the questioning).
At about noon, dark clouds came rolling in, fast. It caught almost everyone off guard.
“It’s time!” Izumi said. She dragged Usagi off to an open field just outside the Kaikishi Temple.
“The storm will be here soon,” she said, turning to Usagi, handing him the sword.
“Now, for this to work, you must have a completely open mind. Free of stray thoughts, but also emotions. This is important. You cannot be quick to feelings such as anger or vengeance. I know we’re taking out a being who holds a grudge against your lineage, but we can’t let that influence you as you do this. Can you manage that?”
“Yes.” said Usagi confidently. He had never met Jei, so while he was concerned about what could happen, he didn’t hold any personal feelings towards the guy. As for his previous concerns about having a clear mind and his…recent revelations, well. While Usagi still had a secret to keep, he at least knew what his feelings were, and that would have to be enough for now.
“You are asking the gods to bless you and your sword with the power to slay your opponents in battle,” said Izumi. “That is what you need to remember. If any other feelings about today cross your mind remember this: you are doing this to protect your city, your people, and the ones you love. Tranquil feelings are safe ones to have. Volatile feelings are dangerous. Remember this and you should be okay.”
“Alright,” said Usagi, not without some trepidation.
“You’ll be fine,” said Izumi. “I can see it in your eyes. Now let’s get to work.”
***
“What’s wrong, Tetsujin?” Chizu asked, approaching the bear. He was staring worriedly at the Key Stone.
“It’s the Key Stone, she’s very worried.” Tetsujin replied.
“About the storm?” Chizu said.
“No, about something else, something she says is chasing the storm, heading right this way.” said Tetsujin.
“You don’t think it’s-”Chizu started.
“I hope not, but we can’t be too sure.”
“We’re not ready,” Chizu said, starting to panic. “Usagi’s getting the sword ready right now, he can’t be interrupted. And we don’t even have Kintaro to help us.”
“Then we shall have to hold down the fort,” Tetsujin answered. “Warn the others. And send someone to guard Usagi, just to be on the safe side.”
Chizu ran, panicked, down the temple steps to see Mikey, Kitsune and Kiyoko making their way up.
“Hey babe,” Kitsune’s grin fell when she saw the look on Chizu’s face. “Whoa, where’s the fire.”
“We need to gather everyone up,” Chizu said. “We might have a problem heading our way.”
***
At exactly 1:00 p.m. over the Great City of Neo Edo, a dark storm rolled in, a great shadow blotting out the sun.
For some, the storm was a nuisance as it blew over shop signs and caught unlucky pedestrians unaware as they ran to avoid the rain.
For others, the storm was a blessing as it watered their crops, and relieved them of the unbearable heat they’d been feeling all day.
For one samurai rabbit standing in a field, he watched the flashing sky with anticipation and a little anxiety as he hoped it would bring him a powerful weapon to protect his friends and family.
For a group of warriors now guarding the Kaikishi Temple and the city entrance, they shared their friend’s concern as they wondered what else the storm was bringing their way.
And just outside the city proper, clocked at about fifty miles an hour, a dark wolf rolled in hungrily on the storm’s heels, eagerly chasing the promise of lighting bolts, and at least one, perhaps two power sources he knew to be lying in wait in the Village of Edo.
***
Raph and Gen stood like twin stone lions guarding the gates to the city.
“Sooo, what exactly does Jei look like again?” Gen asked.
“Well normally he’s a wolf, but he’s apparently possessed by some bear guy.” replied Raph. “Either way, you’re looking for a guy who has a real creepy grin and white eyes with no pupils.”
“Oh, great,” squeaked Gen. “The stuff of nightmares, then.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” muttered Raph, secretly hoping the Key Stone’s
“Premonition” was about literally any other monster than Jei. Hell, he’d rather take on godzilla himself right now than the creepy wolf that had been playing shadow-puppet in his nightmares the past few nights.
The two stood there as the storm got worse. Time went by, and they didn’t see anyone.
“You don’t think he could’ve…snuck by us, do you?” Gen finally asked.
Raph was about to answer when someone else beat him to it.
“I think that’s exactly what he did.”
They both froze stock-still before whipping around to see a tall black wolf with a snarling grin standing ten feet away from them.
Inside the city.
“Hello again, Raphael,” said Jei. “Nice to see you in the waking realm. And Gennouske.” He said, turning to Gen who flinched in surprise. “You look…younger somehow. How is that possible?”
“H-how do you know my name?” Gen asked, terrified.
Jei tilted his head. “What do you mean? We’ve fought many times before Gennouske. You, me, that dreaded Miyamoto Usagi. I almost had him the one time I possessed your body.”
Raph was officially confused (keyword: annoyed). Gen was doing all he could not to faint at this point.
“And where is that infernal Samurai?” Jei asked. “I have unfinished business with him.”
“Oh, are we not pleasant enough company?” Raph taunted, throwing a ninja star, and then himself in Jei’s direction.
The two began exchanging blows with Gen quickly joining in.
“Remember, don’t let that spear touch you!” Raph called out as they dodged Jei’s spear.
Jei laughed coldly “Oh, Gennouske knows all about what happens when he touches my spear.” he said.
“Gross! Shut up!” Gen shouted, landing a particularly hard smack with his club, sending Jei skidding back several feet.
The wolf growled as he glanced behind him at the storm which was making its way further into the city. He could feel himself growing weaker.
“I don’t have time for this,” he muttered, turning back to his opponents, who were advancing on him. “I’ll have to smite your souls later.” he grinned. “First, I must recharge.”
Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
The turtle and rhino stood there stunned.
“That sounded bad,” said Gen.
Raph was already calling Leo. Donnie had updated the T-phones just in time.
“Leo? Yeah, he was here. It seemed like we were winning too, but then he said he was going for a ‘recharge’ and vanished in a puff of smoke. How would I know where he’s going? Okay see you soon. Bye.”
He hung up and turned to Gen. “Why did Jei seem like he knew you?” he asked.
“I have no idea, that freaked me out!” Gen exclaimed. “I swear, I’ve never met the guy!”
“Hmm,” said Raph, not quite buying it. “Well whatever, let’s get back to the others.”
They took off in the direction of the temple.
***
The storm was in full swing now.
It was so dark outside, it could’ve easily been mistaken for night.
The wind howled, and Usagi shivered as the rain battered his fur.
It certainly wasn’t warm now. It must’ve dropped twenty degrees.
And the sky crackled with bolts of lightning.
“This is it!” Izumi said excitedly, scurrying over. “Now. Remember what I told you. You just have to ask! But be specific in what you want! And keep a clear mind and heart!”
“Yes!” Usagi called back. They both had to shout now to be heard over the storm.
“And stand up tall!” she continued. “It’s not just about your presence! You need to be the tallest thing out here! Since we couldn’t go to the mountains! I’m going back over there now! You’ve got this!”
Izumi scurried back over to a pavilion about twenty feet away. Usagi swallowed heavily before doing something that-in other circumstances-would be considered stupid by many.
He stood straight and tall in the middle of a field during a thunderstorm, holding out what was essentially a long electric conductor.
But that was kind of the point.
Usagi held out the sword Inazuma in both hands ceremoniously, looking up blinking into the unforgiving sky.
“Please”, he thought. “ Gods above, of water and fire. Of fierce rain and lightning. You once blessed this sword for the Great Warrior Azula. I ask that you do the same for me. A great monster is coming to threaten my people, my city, my family, my friends. I need to protect them and vanquish him, and in order to do that I need this sword.”
Usagi grew concerned when he received no response. “ This isn’t working”, he thought. Glancing over at Izumi he got an idea. Usagi ran to the pavilion.
He ignored her cries of shock as he climbed onto the roof, nearly slipping off in the slick wet rain. “I need to get closer to them,” he thought. He stood up as straight as he could on the slanted top, facing the sky.
“PLEASE!” Usagi shouted. “I know you can hear me! I must vanquish Jei if I am to protect my people! Grant me the power to do so! I promise to only use this sword to take down Jei! I have no other use for it! I have promised Izumi that I will destroy it after that!”
Usagi felt the hair on his arms stand up and he knew he had been heard.
Without being told, he held the sword straight up in the air and lightning struck.
Amazingly, it did not hurt. It kinda tingled, and was bright even through his closed eyes.
It was over as soon as it began.
Usagi was standing there, blinking the spots out of his eyes as Izumi helped him down from the roof. “Did it work?” he muttered.
“I’d say so!” she huffed. “You can’t see a thing, can you?”
Slowly his vision started to come back to him and he looked down at the sword, which looked much different.
Usagi could see now the blade was silver with gold running along the edge. A gold lighting bolt was carved into the middle of the blade from the base to the tip.
The handle was gunmetal gray, a blue lightning bolt carved into the center.
It was… shiny… no…it was sparking. There was a constant thrum coming from the sword, like it was alive.
“Whoa.” Usagi said, stunned.
“Huh, it looks different than I remember,” said Izumi. “Maybe it adapts to its wielder.”
“USAGI!” a voice shouted.
The two turned to find Mikey running towards them in a panic.
“Usagi listen, Jei showed up, we tried to hold him off but-oh hey is that the sword, great timing it looks so cool!”
“MIKEY, what was that about Jei?!” Usagi asked.
Mikey looked at both of them terrified, now back on track.
“Okay, I don’t want to alarm you dudes, but-things have gone to shit.”
***
And indeed, things had gone to shit.
Around the time Usagi was powering up the sword, a psychotic immortal wolf was gunning towards the Kaikishii temple in search of his own power-up.
Now the thing about our heroes is that they were 50/50 on whether Jei was heading for the Key Stone or the Sword.
So while half of the group (mostly the Kaikishii Warriors) were guarding the Key Stone, another half was actually just outside the field where Usagi was, in case that’s where Jei decided to make his appearance.
That half consisted of Mikey and Leo.
A few minutes after the storm started came the phone call from Raph and Gen about their run-in with Jei, but Leo and Mikey hadn’t moved yet.
They didn’t know where Jei was going, just that he was going further into the city.
Not even five minutes later, back at the temple Tetsujin warned that group there (Donnie, Kitsune, Chizu, Kiyoko) that the Key Stone was putting out warning signals of a force heading in their direction.
Donnie called the other two groups and warned them, right before he heard screaming outside.
And that is when shit really hit the fan.
Leo turned to Mikey. “We’ve got to get there,” he said.
“What about those two?” Mikey asked, jerking his thumb to the field where the storm was getting worse.
Leo bit his lip. “Look, don’t hate me. I’m going on ahead-just tell Izumi” he hurried before Mikey could gripe about being left behind. “Don’t wait for them to finish. Tell Izumi what’s going on, then she can relay the message for Usagi when he’s done.”
Mikey groaned, rolling his eyes. “ Fine.”
Leo took off while Mikey turned back, stomping off towards the pavilion, only to stop when he saw the light show beginning. “ Whoa.”
***
Back at the temple, things were not going well.
Donnie had just warned everyone via T-phone of impending doom when he heard screams outside. He turned around only to see the temple doors go blasting off their hinges.
“Oh, sewer apples,” he muttered.
There stood an all-too familiar wolf with a snarling grin.
“Ah Donatello,” Jei said. “It’s been too long. Get out of my way.”
Donnie blinked, nonplussed as a fan launched itself abruptly into the side of Jei’s head. The wolf roared in anger, but his fury was nothing compared to the pure rage on Kitsune’s face as she leapt into the temple like a bat out of hell.
“YOU’LL PAY FOR HURTING MY SISTER!” she shrieked and began throwing her tessen almost like a boxer.
Chizu was quick behind her, drawing her bow.
“Chizu. Kitsune.” Jei mused. “You all look younger. And different? I do not understand it.”
Chizu gave him a weird look, but Kitsune wasn’t really in the mood for chit-chat, as she came at him again.
Jei parried her fans away with his spear.
“Be careful of that!” Donnie called as he made his way over to help.
The three were now engaged in a dangerous dance of fighting an enemy while avoiding his weapon.
Jei was growing madder and madder as he got weaker and weaker, before he took a big gust of air and literally blew them all back.
Donnie looked across the room stunned from his place upside down on the floor.
“Did that really just happen,” he said flatly, thinking of all the jokes Mikey would be cracking at getting blown away by the Big Bad Wolf.
“You will not keep me from what I want,” Jei snarled, turning toward the Key Stone eagerly before he was kicked in the ribs by a blur of green.
“ Yes , I will ,” said Tetsujin.
“Who are you?” Jei said, stunned. “A ghost?”
“ Not a ghost,” said Tetsujin. “This green glow is a result of prolonged exposure to the Key Stone-” Kitsune’s annoyed groan could be heard across the Temple.
Jei merely blinked before pointing his spear in Tetsujin’s direction. “I will exorcize you and send you to the other side as you should have gone long ago, wayward spirit.”
Tetsujin huffed, annoyed and more than a little insulted. “I’m not a ghost!”
The two charged each other.
Chizu helped her girlfriend off the floor. “I don’t remember telling him my name. Do you?”
“No, that was weird.” Kitsune huffed as she watched the two battle it out. They were growing closer to the Key Stone and it was making her worried. “Let’s go do our job and guard that giant rock.”
The three flanked the stone as Jei and Tetsujin pummeled each other.
The bear grinned. “You can try, but you will never get past me to that Stone!” he said.
Jei stopped suddenly and grinned that awful, snarling grin. “Perhaps… I don’t have to.”
He suddenly turned and threw his spear-
-Directly at Kitsune’s head.
There were shrieks of warning, and a terrible cry of “ No!” from Chizu only for the spear to miss her by an inch and pierce the Key Stone instead.
A tiny piece chipped away as the spear sunk in.
“No!” cried Tetsujin at the same time Jei cried “Yes.”
Electricity crackled down the spear towards the Key Stone.
And at the same time a bolt of lightning was hitting a sword in a field, a bolt of lightning struck the Key Stone, and by extension the spear, temporarily blinding everyone in the room.
While everyone was coming to their senses, cackling could be heard as they looked up and saw Jei, who looked a lot more… solid. He floated at least three feet off the ground, clutching his spear which crackled with black electricity while his eyes glowed a vicious white and his hair and clothes billowed around him.
“Ah yes, that feels much better” he said, running a finger lovingly up the handle of his spear.
“ Now,” he continued, turning back to the four occupants in the room who suddenly felt a lot less sure about their chances. “Where were we?”
Tetsujin was beside himself and gearing up for another fight. He came barreling in immediately.
“Ah yes, you.” said Jei, almost nonchalantly. “You were particularly annoying.” Without looking, he waved his spear like a staff and a giant black hand emerged from it wrapping itself entirely around Tetsujin.
It threw him hard enough that he was launched headfirst into a wall.
He didn’t move.
Kitsune shrieked. Chizu was speechless.
“He couldn’t do that before,” was all Donnie could say.
Jei grinned down at the remaining three. “Now, I have something special in mind for old friends. I’m starving, and could use a snack. What scares the ninja cat and trickster fox these days?”
“Run,” Donnie muttered after hearing that.
“What?!” Chizu cried. “We have to take him down, we can’t just-,”
“RUN!” Donnie snapped, shoving the others into moving before taking off himself, but it was too late as the whole room was swallowed by shadows.
It was like they were floating in limbo. All around them was darkness.
“What’s going on?” Kitsune whispered.
“NOW THAT’S INTERESTING.” everyone flinched as Jei’s voice seemed to come from everywhere all at once. “I DON’T REMEMBER YOU TWO HAVING THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP KITSUNE. WELL, THIS JUST MAKES THINGS EASIER DOESN’T IT?”
“What’s he doing?” snapped Chizu as suddenly the lights went back to normal.
Kitsune started screaming.
Donnie and Chizu whipped around in alarm. “Kitsune!” Chizu cried, running to her side.
But Kitsune didn’t seem to hear her. Or see her. Whatever she was seeing wasn’t really there. Kitsune had a look of pure terror on her face as she fell to her knees and just kept saying “No, no please!” over and over again.
“ What’s great about this is I only have to use the spell on one person,”
Donnie turned horrified, Chizu in anger to Jei. “Her fear will feed the cat’s.”
“I’ll kill you, you monster!” shouted Chizu, starting to stand but freezing at the sound of her girlfriend’s screams. She was torn on what to do.
Jei turned to Donnie with a grin. “Your turn.”
Donnie was sending telepathic cries for help to Galileo when a katana flew past him into Jei’s chest.
Donnie chanced a glance behind him, and never in his life was he happier to see both Leo and Raph.
Raph gave Leo an unimpressed look “ Really?”
Leo shrugged. “It worked last time, didn’t it?”
“Where’s Mikey and Gen?” Donnie asked as they ran into the fray.
“Mikey’s on his way,” Leo said off-handedly.
“Gen’s picking someone up,” Raph said with a dangerous smirk.
“O-kay.” Donnie replied. “Well, welcome to our living nightmares. HELP.”
“We’ve got this,” said Leo. “I mean, if you want to check on-um” he gestured to Chizu, who was still struggling with Kitsune.
“Oh, yeah,” said Donnie, running over to see if he could be of any help.
Jei snarled as he finally wrenched Leo’s sword free from his chest, turning to glare at Leo and Raph.
“That’s not going to work, Leonardo,” the wolf spat.
“Worth a shot,” Leo shot back, before the three engaged in battle.
***
“You’re telling me Jei’s at the temple right now?!” Usagi cried, panicked, as he, Mikey and Izumi booked it as fast as they could back to the Key Stone.
Luckily, they might have been some of the fastest of their friends.
“Why did no one tell me sooner?” he said as they neared the temple steps.
“What are you talking about dude, I told you as soon as I heard” said Mikey “I only stopped when I saw that bolt of lighting and-”
He cut himself off when they saw the rubble outside the temple, and something familiar strewn across the steps. “Is that?-
“Kiyoko?!” Usagi finished, running over to check on the robot. He ran his fingers across some control pads-he didn’t know much about how she worked but, dammit he was gonna try-before he saw one of her arms raise much to his relief.
“I’m good Usagi bro,” she said. “Just a little banged up. I’ll need some repairs and r-and-r. But you need to check on our friends in there for me okay? They got backup, but it doesn’t sound good.”
Usagi, Mikey, and Izumi looked up terrified towards the temple, now missing its doors, and no, it did not sound good at all.
***
“What can we do to fix this?” Chizu asked, looking at Donnie worriedly.
Kitsune’s head was in her lap. She’d stopped screaming, but now she was just staring at the ceiling, looking at something that wasn’t there.
She was still lost in her own head.
Donnie racked his brain. Honestly he wasn’t really sure. This wasn’t like when Jei controlled him and his brother’s to attack Kintaro all those years ago. What Kitsune seemed to be experiencing was more of a waking nightmare.
Maybe the closest thing he could compare it to was the dream beavers, but they’d had April to help them back then.
God, if only she were here, or Kintaro or Tetusjin-
Donnie glanced back with a wince to where the bear was still lodged in the wall.
“Hold on.” He said getting up and running to go pull him out.
It honestly looked worse than it was. Donnie realized Tetsujin was stuck in the wall not because of the force with which he’d been thrown, but because his body could phase through.
The bear groaned as Donnie tried to rouse him.
“Hey, how are you holding up?” Donnie asked.
“The Key Stone. Is she alright?” Tetsujin asked, rubbing his head.
Donnie glanced over at the Stone and cringed. It looked relatively the same, except for the fact that there was now an obvious chip where Jei’s spear had sunk in.
“Umm,” Donnie started to say. “Well, Leo and Raph are holding Jei off right now. But I need your help. Jei did something to Kitsune, and I’m not sure how to snap her out of it.”
Tetujin looked over at Chizu and Kitsune and gasped, hurrying over.
“Oh Kitsune-chan, my dear child,” he said softly, kneeling down.
“What can we do?” Chizu pleaded.
Tetsujin put a hand to Kitsune’s head. “She is stuck in a nightmare of her own fears.” Tetsujin said softly. “We need to snap her out of it.”
“How do we do that?” Donnie asked.
“Chizu,” Tetsujin began. “You’ve been following the meditation training I’ve been giving you, yes?”
“Yes,” Chizu said, hesitantly.
“Usagi once used his Kaikishii weapon to dive into the minds of Kagehito’s people.” Tetsujin continued. “Your weapon can help you enter Kitsune’s mind as well. You will help her realize what she’s seeing isn’t real, and guide her out.”
“Me?” Chizu asked. “Shouldn’t you do it?”
“I could, but I believe it would be safer for Kitsune if you were to help her,” Tetsujin said. “I didn’t want to pry, but I looked very briefly at what was going on in her head to see what we were dealing with here. It would be better-in this case-for someone who knows her mind a little better to go in. Plus, this is good practice in case you have to do it again.”
“Let’s hope not,” Chizu muttered. “Okay. Tell me what to do.”
“Take out your bow, and lay it down next to her.” Said Tetsujin.
Chizu did.
“You won’t always have to do it this way,” he continued. “With practice and experience, the connection will become strong enough with your weapon that you won’t need direct physical contact. But for now, take one of her hands and place it on top of your weapon. Put one of yours on as well. Keep the other on her head. Now close your eyes. Concentrate on forming a connection with Kitsune.”
“Easy,” Chizu muttered.
“It should be, but remember you’re going to see and hear a lot of loud and ugly stuff in there that isn’t her,” said Tetsujin. “Dive past all of that and focus on what you know to be Kitsune.”
Chizu took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
For a few seconds there was just the sound of Kitsune’s terrified whimpering, and the battle still going on behind them. Then, Chizu’s eyes glowed a soft red and Kitsune stopped moving as her eyes took on the same color.
“She’s in,” Tetusjin said.
“How will we know when she’s ready to uh, come back out?” Donnie asks.
“When she comes back out.” Tetsujin replied.
“Helpful,” Donnie said.
“She’s got this.” Tetsujin said confidently. “I can watch them if you wanna deal with what’s happening over there. I think they need more help than we do now.”
No sooner had he said that than Leo went flying back, smacking into one of the beams before dropping to the floor like a ragdoll.
“LEO!” Raph shouted, turning to Jei and attacking him with renewed anger.
Donnie ran to check on his brother, turning him over.
“I’m fine,” Leo groaned. “Gimme thirty seconds and I’ll be up. Go help Raph. Please.”
Donnie looked him over once more to be sure before nodding and running off, whipping something out of his shell.
Jei was whipping out more of his magic giant fists, which was apparently his new favorite thing to create.
“Hey,” Donnie said, jumping next to Raph. “We should try to take this outside.”
At this rate, the whole temple was going to come crashing down.
“You don’t think I’ve tried that?!” snapped Raph, as he dodged yet another fist.
“Most of what Leo and I have been doing is taunting this guy towards the door. He doesn’t wanna leave!”
“Okay,” said Donnie. “Then maybe we can try forcing him into another room instead.”
He eyed a small hallway just behind Jei. “ Not ideal, but it’ll have to do”, Donnie thought as dodged another ghostly fist. He barrel rolled underneath and made for the hallway.
“Hey, Jei, Blade of the Gods!” he called out tauntingly. “More like Blade of the Horribly Out of Date! Do you even know what century you’re in anymore?”
Jei turned around with a snarl and charged after Donnie following, him into the dark corridor.
Donnie blended in with the shadows, letting his voice do the work. He noticed Jei didn’t pull those shadow fists back out in this tight hallway. “I don’t know who you think you were talking to earlier, but those girls don’t know you Jei!” he shouted. “You’ve been gone a long time!”
“Lies! Deceit!” Jei shouted in reply. “I will end your miserable life!”
Jei was about halfway through the hallway now, when Donnie reappeared.
-Back at the entrance.
He wound his arm back with what he’d been gripping this whole time-a hockey puck bomb he’d swiped off of Casey before he’d left–and used his Bo Staff to chuck it directly into the hallway.
It went off with a faint boom .
The beams supporting the entrance facing Donnie and Raph collapsed inward.
They’d been knocked around too much from the previous fighting.
“Nice!’ said Raph high-threeing his brother.
“If that doesn’t hold him, nothing will,” Tetsujin muttered, as Leo limped up next to him, clutching his bruised shoulder.
Leo stared hard at the collapsed hallway entrance, listening carefully.
As this happened-the fashionably late backup brigade came barreling through in the form of Usagi, Mikey and Izumi.
“What’s going on in here?!” shouted Izumi.
“Where’s Jei?” said Usagi.
“How many butts are we kicking?” said Mikey whipping out his nunchucks.
They froze in shock when they saw the utter destruction.
“Aw man, are we too late?” Mikey asked.
“Just by a couple seconds, little brother,” Raph joked. “Donnie blew Jei straight to next Tuesday with a bomb.”
“What the hell is wrong with Kitsune and Chizu?” Usagi asked, horrified looking at his friends.
But Leo was still staring at the hallway, listening, before his pupils shrank.
“It’s not holding,” he said in a low tone.
“What?” said Tetsujin.
“RAPH! DONNIE!” Leo bellowed loud enough to be heard above everyone. “GET AWAY FROM THERE NOW!”
But he was just a fraction too late as the rocks and beams were blown outwards knocking everyone-including the two turtles front and center-off their feet.
An infuriated wolf stepped out of the entrance spinning his spear in his right hand.
Usagi groaned, shaking his head. He looked up and froze in shock as he laid eyes on his ancestor’s arch enemy for the first time.
But Jei paid the samurai no mind for the time being as he brushed dirt off his robe sleeves. Turning, he locked eyes on Donnie. “You.” he snarled. “ Are going to pay for that.”
Jei pointed a finger in Donnie’s direction and for those who had been here for Kitsune’s attack, a sense of deja-vu washed over them.
A very pissed off brother was just a tad bit quicker this time around though as a ninja star went flying and took off Jei’s finger.
Jei howled in pain and suddenly his anger was re-directed towards Leonardo, who was glaring up at the wolf with a challenging look in his eyes.
“ YOU INSOLENT LITTLE-” Jei cut himself off with a snarling grin. Raising his injured hand, everyone could see a vapor-like substance-as opposed to blood- pouring out of the wound as his finger re-connected to the rest of his hand.
“Uh, that was normal,” said Mikey, as everyone looked grossed out.
“Leonardo,” said Jei with a grin that, on a kinder face, could be considered fond. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. You always did put yourself in harm’s way for your family. After all, I know your greatest fear is FAILING THEM ALL ONCE MORE.”
Jei’s grin continued to grow while Leo stared him down, unflinching.
Usagi was beginning to feel sick.
“I don’t even need to dive into your head to know that.” Jei continued. “Still I must admit it’s delicious. Who would’ve thought the so-called ‘Fearless Leader’ has such a wide array of fears. Why even waste my time on anyone else when there’s a whole buffet RIGHT HERE!”
Jei finally took aim, but it wasn’t at Leo.
It was at Mikey.
And everyone realized too late that was the point.
Leo moved to block Mikey.
Usagi moved to save Leo.
And once again the room was plunged into darkness.
“LEO!” Mikey could be heard shouting in a pitch Usagi didn’t even realize he could reach.
Then there was this awful ringing laughter that seemed to come from everywhere all at once.
“SO MUCH FEAR!” Jei’s voice boomed. It seemed to bounce off the inside of Usagi’s skull. He really felt like he was gonna hurl now. “SO MUCH STRESS AND TRAUMA! AND SO MUCH YOU’RE NOT WILLING TO TELL ANYONE! GOOD LUCK GETTING OUT OF THIS MESS!”
When the ringing in his ears had finally stopped and the spots in his eyes had finally disappeared, Usagi realized he was lying on his side.
And that Leo was lying next to him.
“Leo!” Usagi sat up and looked the turtle over.
But Leo didn’t seem to hear him. He was staring straight ahead, his face stricken with fear.
“Leo! Hey! Leonardo! Can you hear me?” Usagi cried, starting to panic.
“Shit, shit, no, not him too!” Raph said running over. “This is what happened to Kitsune, but somehow he looks worse!”
“What’s wrong with him?!” Mikey cried, frantic as he came over.
They looked up at the sound of Jei cackling in fury.
“The Great Kappa Warrior is trapped in a nightmare of his own making” -Jei began. “He-
Jei paused, seeming to really see Usagi for the first time. He cocked his head.
“Usagi? Miyamoto Usagi?” he asked, puzzled “Why does everyone look so much younger than I remember? Strangers to me? No matter. You are here at last, and I shall-”
“Miyamoto Usagi’s been dead for decades, you idiot!” Usagi cut him off harshly. “You’ve been gone a long time.”
A pregnant pause.
“WHAT?!” shouted Jei, infuriated.
“Don’t stress about it too much,” Usagi continued, uncaring of the wolf’s rage
He was pissed to hell and back. “I’m his ancestor, Yuichi Usagi. He told me to kick your ass in his place since he couldn’t be bothered.”
Raph and Mikey stared at the rabbit. They weren't sure they’d ever seen him this mad.
Jei was incensed.
“Usagi,” Izumi warned. “Remember what I told you about fighting with strong emotions when wielding the sword.”
But all Usagi could think about was the fact that Leo was motionless in his arms staring at some horror none of them could see, and the samurai was powerless to help.
But maybe he could beat some answers out of the guy who did it.
“You think you can take me down?” snarled Jei. “Face me samurai and prove you’re worthy of your ancestor’s name.”
Usagi gently handed Leo to his brothers and stood up, unsheathing Inazuma from around his waist.
Jei’s grin fell when he saw the sword. “Where did you get that sword?”
Usagi cracked a small half-grin in reply. “Don’t worry about it.”
He lunged at Jei head on. With a clang sword met spear and to everyone’s shock, lightning bolts shot out from the weapons. Black bolts shot out from Jei’s spear and yellow bolts shot out from Inazuma.
The two held their position until the charged air forced them both backward.
“Hmm, interesting-” Jei said, looking over his weapon but Usagi was already coming at him again. The same thing happened.
“Usagi-san!” Izumi shouted. “Remember what I said, you cannot wield the sword in anger!”
But Usagi either couldn’t or wouldn't hear her as another blow of his was blocked by Jei. He was blinded by anger over what had happened to his friends-whatever was going on with Kitsune and Chizu and what had happened to Leo. Not to mention the utter destruction of the Kaikishii Temple.
Usagi was supposed to protect this place. He’d just gotten to the battle, and he felt like he’d already failed.
Jei cackled as he blocked another blow from the rabbit. “Is this the best you can do?” he taunted . “You’re supposed to be the legacy my arch enemy has left behind to fight his battles? Pathetic-” Jei was cut off as Usagi suddenly disappeared and attacked from behind. The Samurai had finally stopped attacking him head on and was putting some of his training to good use.
But something weird was starting to happen.
Usagi’s eyes had started to glow red-and the lighting bolts coming from the sword had also turned red. It seemed the angrier the samurai got, the redder he turned until he was practically glowing, red lighting dancing up and down his body, as he moved faster and faster, like an Energizer Bunny from hell.
“Um, is that normal?” Mikey asked, worriedly
Izumi swore, to everyone’s alarm. “That’s not supposed to happen.” she said. “Usagi!” she called out again. “You need to calm down! You will not be able to keep that up forever! The sword will drain you dry!”
Still Usagi ignored her and came at Jei relentlessly. Jei was also fighting in earnest now, realizing he might actually be in trouble.
“You should listen to your sensei, young one,” Jei growled, as he backed his way towards the entrance of the temple . “ Clearly you don’t know how to wield that weapon you possess.”
“Actually, she’s not his sensei,” a voice called out. “ I am.”
Everyone turned their heads to see Karasu-tengu flying in with Gen clasped in her talons. She set him down gently before making her way towards the fight.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said. “What on Earth have you done to this place?”
“This doesn’t concern you, yokai,” Jei snarled. “This fight is between me and the descendant of Miyamoto Usagi.”
“You’ve damaged a sacred temple, hurt several of my friends, and are threatening my pupil,” said Karasu-Tengu. “This fight concerns me a great deal.”
She then turned her attention to Usagi. “It’s also over. Usagi, we warned you not to use the sword this way.” Her gaze became concerned. “Can you even hear us right now?”
Usagi’s eyes were still glowing red and he didn’t appear to be focused on what was going on around him before he gave a soft, weak “Sensei?”
“Good, you’re still in there.” she said. “You’re friends need your help, you need to come back to us.”
Usagi weakly shook his head as his eyes stopped glowing and the redness started to disappear.
“What happened?” he asked softly.
“You did the thing I told you not to do!” snapped Izumi. “You fought in anger, and the sword almost consumed you!”
Usagi looked both surprised and slightly ashamed.
“I think you’d better put that away for now,” said Karasu-Tengu.
“I told you NOT TO GET INVOLVED!” shouted Jei, charging the crow yokai.
“Sensei!” shouted Usagi.
But the yokai was more than ready, as she whipped out a sword and blocked Jei’s attack.
“We’ve had about enough of you for one day.” she said coldly gazing into his eyes. “Kindly take your leave or I’ll make you.”
“You can’t kill me,” Jei said laughing.
Karasu-Tengu raised an eyebrow. “No, but I can still send you far away.”
And send him she did, since Jei didn’t seem to be taking the hint. Karasu-Tengu ducked another swing from his spear before grabbing the back of Jei’s robes in her talons and taking to the sky with him in her grasp.
Everyone gawked as the two flew upwards several miles into the air until they became a speck. Then the yokai started doing spins until she built up enough momentum and let Jei go, yeeting him several miles away.
They stared as they watched him go soaring off into the distance.
No one said anything before Raph burst out laughing. “Well, that should take care of him for a few days at least!”
“He may not die, but he’s gonna have a hell of a headache!” Gen said and they both cackled harder as Karasu-Tengu made her way back.
Usagi hung his head as she approached him.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “To both of you,” he added, turning to Izumi. “I thought I could handle this. I’m not worthy of this sword.”
“Don’t be silly.” said Izumi. “You screwed it up once. We’re not done yet. I didn’t expect you to have to use it this quickly, I thought we’d have more time to train.”
“And while your bloodlust in battle can’t be excused, your anger is understandable given what’s befallen your friends.” said Karasu-Tengu. “Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this angry before. We’ll have to work on it in training is all.”
Usagi flushed before remembering his friends and running over to check on them.
Leo was still staring at nothing, eerily still in Raph’s arms. “What can we do to fix this?” the rabbit asked.
“What she’s just about wrapping up, successfully, it would seem,” said Tetsujin pointing at Kitsune and Chizu.
Everyone looked over at the fox and cat who hadn’t moved this whole time. Their eyes were still glowing but while Chizu’s eyes still glowed red, Kitsune’s eyes had taken on a bright green.
“Kitsune’s mind is her own again,” said Tetsujin.
After a few more seconds the girls’ eyes stopped glowing entirely and the two blinked as they groaned. Chizu gripped her head slightly while Kitsune muttered “ Never again,” before looking up at the ninja with a sort of awe.
“You’re amazing,” Kitsune said softly. “Thank you,”
Chizu smiled down at her and everyone else looked away for a moment wanting to give them space, but also knowing they didn’t really have time.
“I really hate to interrupt,” said Tetsujin. “And I want to congratulate you Chizu. What you did was no small feat. But unfortunately you need to help me explain how it’s done to someone else, because we have another victim.”
He gestured to Leo in Raphael’s lap.
Chizu swore softly while Gen helped Kitsune up. “How long has he been like this?”
“Too long already,” said Tetsujin. “And you’re far too tired to do this a second time-in can be dangerous. Which is why Usagi has to do it.”
“WHAT?” asked literally everyone else.
“Me?” said Usagi in confusion.
“Him?” said Raph defensively. “What exactly is he doing anyway?”
“Diving into your brother’s mind to help him awake from whatever nightmare he’s experiencing,” said Tetsujin. “I realize it’s not ideal. You haven’t known each other very long. But I don’t know how to do this without a Kaikishii weapon, and out of everyone else here, Usagi and Gen are the only ones who aren’t drained from having that mind trip already. No offense to you Gen, but Usagi’s already had a bit of experience traversing the mind during our fight against the Makkine. Unless you want to give it a try-”
“No thanks, I’m good,” Gen said quickly, waving his arms.
“Perhaps Usagi could find a way to take one of you with him,” said Tetusujin, turning to the turtle brothers. “But it can be more complicated to keep track of an extra mind when you’re already searching for one, and with this being Usagi’s first attempt-”
“-Actually, I’m not sure we should go,” said Donnie dejectedly.
“What! Why?” Raph asked, turning to look at Donnie.
“Earlier Tetsujin said depending on the person’s fear you have to be careful who you send in.” Donnie replied. “Guys. This is Leo we’re talking about. You know he has a habit of shutting us out when it comes to what bothers him.”
“He’s been getting better about that,” Mikey said softly. “I’ve seen him make progress in communicating with us.”
“But letting us see his deepest darkest fears?” Donnie argued.
None of them had a response to that.
“Okay.” said Raph before looking at Usagi. “Usagi, are you up for this? You don’t have to do this but I need to know now if you’re going to back out-”
“Yes,” said Usagi, looking into Raphael’s eyes with zero hesitation. “I will save your brother. And my friend.”
“In that case,” Raph reached across and grabbed Usagi’s shoulder. “You need to know now you’re probably going to see some weird things in there. A lot of weird things. A lot of messed up things. We’ve told you a lot about ourselves, but not everything. My brother likes to pretend he’s this cool, put-together person for the sake of our family and because he thinks that’s what it takes to be a good leader, but he’s not. He’s a giant, awkward space-loving nerd who can’t dance to save his life, with a stick up his butt and a hero complex the size of Manhattan.”
“Raph-” Donnie started but Raph held up his hand.
“We all tease him about being overbearing and a mom, because frankly we’d all be dead if it wasn’t for him” Raph continued. “And” he said, his face softening. “He’s a good person. Sometimes to a fault. He’s extended an olive branch several times to people before, only to have it thrown back in his face but that hasn’t stopped him from trying, for some odd reason.”
He stopped after this.
“Okay?” said Usagi softly, intrigued, but wondering why now off all times he was getting the Leo biography.
“I’m saying this because I want you to… remember that when you go in there,” Raph said sternly. “So that no matter what you see it doesn’t…change your opinion of him too much.”
That part at least clicked, and Usagi nodded, steeling his resolve. “I promise,” he said firmly. He understood that what he was doing was incredibly sensitive, diving inside a person’s mind (without their consent) to pull them from their worst nightmares.
Not to mention some of the things Jei had said before. It still made Usagi sick, and angry.
And anxious more than ever to pull his friend back from wherever he’d been taken too.
Usagi turned to Chizu and Tetsujin “Show me what to do.” he said.
***
“Now you might not find him right away,” Chizu explained to the samurai. “Don’t go poking around more than you need to. You’re not there to sightsee, you just need to find Leo. I don’t know if the nightmares work the same for everyone, but Kitsune was haunted by bad memories combined with worst case scenarios. The way I finally woke her up was by pointing out that there were holes in her memories.”
“Holes?” Usagi asked.
“Yes,” said Chizu. “Things that hadn’t happened the way she remembered them. Even in the worst case scenarios, I found flaws. When you find Leo, if something seems off, not with him but with what’s going on–point it out. But do it gently.” she added. “Don’t rush head-first into it.”
“But I haven’t known Leo that long,” Usagi said. “How can I know if something in his memories is inaccurate?”
“Well, are you supposed to be there?” Chizu replied.
“Good point,” he said.
“Alright, let’s do this!” said Tetsujin with a clap of his hands and a tad more enthusiasm than was appropriate, given the situation. “Round two! Here we go!”
Donnie and Raph exchanged a look.
“Lie his head on your lap,” Tetsujin said.
“Uh, okay,” Usagi squeaked. Mikey would’ve laughed if he wasn’t so worried about Leo.
“Good,” said Tetsujin. “Now, take your weapon and activate it. Connect it between you and Leo.”
Usagi closed his eyes and extended the yoyo until it was gently resting in the turtle’s palm.
“Okay, now here comes the tricky part,” said Tetsujin. “You’re going to want to focus all your energy and thoughts on Leo and his mind, think about helping him get-”
Usagi’s eyes had already started glowing a deep blue bordering on purple halfway through that speech. Leo’s eyes took on the same color, and the stricken look, at least for the moment, left his face.
“That was suspiciously quick,” Raph muttered.
Chizu had never fought so hard to keep a straight face in her life.
Notes:
Chapter 7 Notes:
Brace yourselves, we're going inside Leo's mind next chapter!
God knows what we'll find!
Not even me!
And I wrote the damn story!
-Wait a minute…Anyway, I've never officially read the Yojimbo comics (I'm terrible I know), but I did a bunch of research on Jei (more so than I probably needed to for a measly fanfic) because I wanted to get lore right. Usagi's not the only one named after a former character-Miyamoto Usagi has friends named Gen, Kitsune, and Chizu…I'm actually not sure if Jei's ever met Chizu or Kitsune or would remember their names, but I'm willing to bet his time possessing Usagi's friend Gen (which happened in the comics) is something he remembers.
Just a fun Easter egg I felt like including.
So Jei is super confused at first. He's basically a guy brought back from the dead who doesn't realize how long he was gone. These aren't the enemies he's looking for lol.
And one final note:
Holy crap, where did all of you people come from.
I can't believe how many hits, kudos and comments I'm getting guys.
I don't know what to do with all this love.
I really appreciate it and I'm so glad you all love this fic. This was a lot of fun to write and I didn't do it for praise, but it just means so much to me to see other people enjoy something I wrote.I'm so excited to bring you more!
Chapter 8: Chapter 8
Summary:
Guess I’m contagious, it’d be safest if you ran.
Fuck, that’s what they all just end up doing in the end.
Take my car, paint it black. Take my arm, break it in half. Say a word, do it soon.
It’s too quiet in this room. I NEED NOISE.
-Blood in the Cut- K Flay
Notes:
Alright, first things first:
Find your exit buddy!Do you have your exit buddy?
…Well it's too late now if you don't!…Usagi does not have an exit buddy, he is flying solo, let's go!
Chapter Text
The first thing Usagi realized was that it was very windy wherever he was.
Wait no.
He was falling,
It was pitch black and he was just free-falling with no end in sight.
Usagi started to panic. Had he screwed something up? Did he take a wrong left turn, and now he was stuck in limbo?
There’s no way Leo’s nightmare was just falling endlessly, right?
Wait, what was that?
He put a hand to his forehead and squinted. Was that a light down below?
His eyes widened as it got closer. Oh no.
That was a fucking window.
Usagi flailed his arms in a panic as if he could slow his descent as it rushed up to meet him, but it did no good.
He slammed into it head on.
Usagi gasped as he sat up, amazed he wasn’t dead or covered in glass. He looked up but didn’t see the window anymore.
Huh weird. Then he looked down and was distracted by the fact that he was sitting on top of what appeared to be green water.
Wait. Was this water?
It looked thicker than water. And it glowed an unnatural shade of green. Kind of made him think of Leo for some weird reason. It was pretty, he guessed. And yet when he reached out to see if he could touch it, he heard a voice whisper in the darkness.
“Doooon’t touch it,” it said.
Usagi jerked his hand back. “ Okayyy, maybe it’s time to look for Leo and get out of here,” he thought.
But as he made to stand up he was brought to his knees. He looked back and saw a hand wrapped around his ankle.
A hand made out of the green ooze that was no longer underneath his feet.
Usagi panicked and jerked his foot free, getting up and sprinting. But more hands started emerging from the sludge, made of the sludge, reaching up to tug him down. He pulled out Willow Branch and started slicing them off at the wrist, but they just kept growing back, multiplying, they were everywhere .
Finally one yanked him by the elbow hard enough that he fell backwards into the ooze. They dragged him underneath, the green sludge swallowing him whole. Usagi held his breath, he kicked and tried to fight his way to the surface, but it just seemed to grow further and further away until all he saw was the ooze.
He looked around desperately, searching for an out, when he saw a light shining at the bottom.
Well, up clearly wasn’t working for him, might as well go down.
He started kicking and swimming his way downward, though it seemed like a bad idea. But the light got brighter, like the surface of water so he held out hope as his lungs screamed for air-
And then he sat up gasping and inhaling at last-
-in a bathtub. What the hell?
He was drenched, sitting in an average looking bathroom in normal, non-green non-sludgy water.
He stumbled out of the tub, glancing to his right and noticed the shattered window was here too.
None of this made any damn sense, and Usagi was starting to get annoyed.
Were these fears, cause they sure as hell couldn’t be memories. Where the hell was Leo?
He stomped his way out of the bathroom and into the hallway of the house.
It appeared to be deserted.
“Hello?!” he shouted, even though he knew he was supposed to keep a low profile.
Then he realized he could hear noises outside.
It sounded like fighting.
Usagi perked up and eagerly ran to the front door, throwing it open.
He skidded to a stop on the porch.
There out on a wide stretch of grass was Leo.
And he appeared to be in a fight for his life against two nasty looking opponents.
One was a foe decked out all in metal with razor sharp edges, the other was a tiger that seemed almost more metal than tiger. He even had a jetpack!
This would be cool if they weren’t trying to kill his friend.
Leo, to his credit, was holding his own pretty well in a two against one fight. But his opponents were bigger and seemingly more experienced.
Also, if they were brought here by Leo’s own subconscious and Jei’s influence, odds are they had an unfair advantage in kicking his shell.
“Leo!” Usagi shouted running over, but Leo didn’t seem to hear him.
As Usagi got closer, he realized this wasn’t just a physical match, but a verbal one too.
“You’re weak Hamato,” the guy in all metal snarked. His voice sounded odd, and Usagi realized it was because it had the slightest hint of Jei’s cadence to it.
“You’re a failure and you’re always be a failure,”
“Leo, don’t listen to him!” Usagi shouted.
“Coming from you, that doesn’t mean much!” Leo snapped back at the guy in metal.
“Coming from me?” metal-head taunted, laughing. “Do you forget who I am? I am Oroko Saki! The Shredder! Time and time again you have failed to protect your family from me!”
Leo was blocking another hit from “The Shredder” and Usagi was going to make another attempt to call out when Tiger Guy slammed into Leo from behind. What he said made Usagi’s throat close up and his blood freeze.
“I’m going to snap your other leg, cub. Maybe this time you’ll sleep with the fishes for good,” the tiger snarled.
The two had Leo backed into the trees now as he had a sword drawn pointed towards each of them, looking between the two as they crowded in. Leo looked back and forth, his hard expression starting to slip, looking truly panicked now.
“You couldn’t protect your sister from me,” said the Shredder. “ Or your father. Hamato Yoshi is dead by my hands, and you just watched it happen! And you will meet the same fate! And I will enjoy picking your brothers off one by one! How can you protect them? How can you possibly hope to be half the sensei your father was?”
Usagi couldn’t watch this.
“I DON’T KNOW!” Leo shouted. “What do you want from me?! I can’t be everywhere at once!”
The Shredder raised his arm and Leo closed his eyes and raised his sword above his head waiting for the blow.
But it never came.
After a minute he looked up and saw the Shredder’s wrapped head to toe in-
-a string?
His eyes followed the string to–
“Usagi?” he croaked.
“LEO!” Usagi shouted. “This isn’t real. What’s happening right now is some weird nightmare put together by Jei. Look, I don’t know who these guys are or what’s happened in your past, but this–right now–isn’t happening.”
Leo swallowed, unsure. “But Shredder-”
“Yes, I’m sure he’s a real person, and clearly he’s done some terrible things to you and your family.” Usagi continued, tugging tighter as Shredder tried to free himself.
“But I also know he just said a lot of untrue things. I may not have known you very long but you, Leonardo Hamato, are not a failure, you’re not a coward, and you’re certainly not weak. You have shown yourself to be a steadfast leader and a deeply caring brother, and your family feels the same. Also a rational thinker. Now I’m about to do something I’ve never done in my life, and ask another person to think rationally. Does it make sense that I’m here with these two guys?”
Leo cracked a small grin at Usagi’s joke. “Well…no.”
“Exactly- wow he’s a fighter,” Usagi was really struggling now as Dream Shredder pulled on the yo-yo.
“ RELEASE ME AT ONCE!” the Shredder bellowed.
“Not yet, wait your turn,” Usagi snapped, before turning back to Leo whose smile was growing a bit. “Exactly, it makes no sense. Why else would I be here? I’m here to help you wake up and get out of this nightmare fear-fest Jei created.”
“I mean, you could be part of the nightmare fear-fest,” Leo joked.
Usagi froze at that, and stared blankly at Leo. “Uh…I’m not, am I?”
Leo burst out laughing at that.
The Shredder roared, finally snapping himself free of the yo-yo sending Usagi flying backwards. Leo panicked and ran to check on him, but was blocked by Oroku Saki once more.
“You realize this doesn’t change anything right?” Shredder snapped.
“Dream or no dream, what I said remains true. Karai is still a snake. Your father is still dead. You are still broken beyond repair. You, Hamato Leonardo, ARE A FAILURE.”
But Leo just glared back at Oroku Saki with cold indifference.
Usagi sat up, looked at the scene, and smiled.
The Fearless Leader was back.
Usagi still wasn’t prepared for what happened next though.
“You’re right,” said Leo. “My father is dead. But so are you.”
And even though it wasn’t a real place, a cold breeze seemed to pass across the field.
“If we’re going to do this, let’s do it right,” said Leo with a smirk, turning to look at the Tiger Guy. “You weren’t there.”
And just like that, the tiger guy poofed out of existence.
Usagi gawked and panicked, wondering if the same thing was about to happen to him.
Thankfully, Leo just didn’t address the samurai.
“And it didn’t happen here,” Leo said, looking around at the field. “It happened at your lair.”
There was a flash of lightning and clap of thunder and suddenly they were standing on a rooftop of a grim high rise, torrents of rain pouring down.
“And you didn’t look like that anymore!” Leo called to be heard over the sound of the rain with a smirk at the Shredder who was growing increasingly incensed. “You looked MUCH worse!”
And with another flash of lighting the man dropped to his knees and contorted with a howl of pain, transforming into something grotesque and monstrous.
Usagi stared. He thought that guy was a bitch and half to fight before. Now he had doubled in size.
“And obviously I wasn’t alone,” Leo said as lightning flashed once more and there were his brothers-or well-conjured memories of his brothers Usagi supposed to counteract the memory of the Shredder, and-
“Oh,” Usagi said because they were all wearing different outfits now, including Leo, and crap that was forever going to be sealed into his brain. He didn’t need help creating fantasies. Now he can add “What would Leo look like in Bad Boy Emo Gear,” to his list.
The black outfits didn’t just look good though, because then the four ninja turtles virtually vanished into the darkness as they attacked the Shredder from all angles. Disappearing and reappearing, Usagi got to watch them do what they do best as they took Shredder to the cleaners.
For a while they seemed to have the upper hand, each ninja was certainly giving it their all, but the giant blue and purple monster proved to be a tough opponent.
Donnie seemed particularly worried after he doused Shredder with something orange only to tell the others “It’s not affecting him!”
At some point the roof was set on fire.
One by one each brother was sent over the roof’s edge, until Leo was cornered by the Shredder and the quickly spreading flames.
But he seemed more angry than scared.
“How could you?!” he shouted at the monster as they exchanged blows. “He was your brother, Saki! Your best friend! And you killed him!”
Usagi flinched as Shredder snatched Leo up like a toy and slammed him into the roof.
The Samurai wished he could do something but it was pointless.
He knew this was the real memory. This had already happened.
“Splinter was cursed to become a rat,” the Shredder growled. “It was his destiny.”
“You’re a monster. A demon!,” Leo spat. “Is that your destiny?!”
Shredder froze at that, and looked away. “N-no,” he stuttered, turning back to see Leo reaching for his sword. He snarled and grabbed Leo’s arm.
Usagi’s not sure what sound he made when he heard Shredder snap it, throwing Leo across the roof.
“Now, die!” Shredder snarled, advancing.
“Okay, you know what, maybe it's time to go,” the rabbit thought, wondering how he could convince Leo to leave, when he heard another voice.
“Leonardo”
Usagi blinked and turned.
There was a tall rat man in robes standing just beyond the flames.
Usagi squinted.
“Wait…Is that real?” the rabbit wondered.
Because rat man definitely just walked through the flames.
Was this still Leo’s memory?
He stood tall and looked beyond Shredder and Usagi to Leo alone.
“Fear nothing.” he said, before fading away.
Usagi didn’t have much more time to process that as he suddenly heard movement behind him.
Leo had apparently gotten his second wind from that short motivational speech and was laying Shredder out.
Weaponless he kicked Shredder with just his bare hands and feet until he could reach his sword.
And Usagi knew what was coming before it happened, but it still stole his breath when Leo dealt the final blow.
Leonardo just stood there for a moment, staring down at his opponent, stunned.
He looked down at his sword where he could see the blood running off of it, tinged in that green slime.
Suddenly the ninja became aware of several voices calling his name in worry.
That seemed to snap him out of it. The flames had all but consumed the roof at this point. He grabbed Shredder’s helmet and the scenery shifted slightly-Usagi had a moment of panic before he realized it was just a new part of the memory.
They were standing on a nearby embankment now, near the water. Near Leo’s family, who were still looking up in concern at the building, calling his name.
Usagi was reminded that he was in fact, in Leonardo’s mind, as he was suddenly able to hear the ninja’s thoughts.
“ They're fine,” Leo thought. “They’re safe. And we won’t ever have to worry about this maniac again. That’s all that matters. You can rest now, sensei.”
His family turned to him in relief as he appeared over the hill.
Leo raised the head of Oroku Saki in his arm. “Shredder.” he said. “Is finished.”
***
“They’ve been in there a long time,” Mikey said. “Did Kitsune’s trip take this long?”
“I keep telling you, I don’t know! It happened while we were fighting Jei!” Donnie snapped, before he sighed. “Look, Tetusjin, if something does go wrong, should we-”
“Look!” Tetsujin cut him off as Leo’s eyes had stopped glowing the same blue-purplish hue as Usagi’s. It was subtle, but they had taken on a more navy true-blue color.
The two were waking up.
“Leo!” Raph said, relieved.
“How are you feeling?” Donnie asked.
Leo groaned as he came to. “What happened? Why am I on the floor?”
“Technically, you’re on Usagi’s lap.” Mikey chimed in helpfully.
Leo shoved Mikey’s head out of the way with a squawk as he tried to sit up, face turning pink. He immediately regretted this choice as the walls spun, and was secretly grateful for Usagi’s hand at his back as he almost fell right back down.
“What happened with Jei? Why am I on the floor?” he repeated.
“Jei’s gone bro! For now, anyway.” Mikey said.
“Yeah, not gone like defeated, but definitely out of commission for a few days at least,” said Donnie. “Karasu-Tengu saw to that.”
“She yeeted him across the sky!” Mikey crowed cheerfully. “You should’ve seen it, it was amazing.”
Leo stared at them in confusion.
“I failed to defeat Jei,” said Usagi somberly. “I let my anger get the best of me and the sword almost consumed me. I’ve failed you all today.”
“Well, not all of us,” said Donnie. “You just saved our brother.”
“Yeah, we’ll get him next time!” Mikey said cheerfully.
“Who hasn’t let their anger get the best of them, am I right?” Raph joked.
“You should talk,” Mikey shot back only for Raph to grab his brother in a headlock.
Usagi managed a weak smile when Chizu sat next to him, along with his other friends.
“This was…a lot more than we were expecting, I think,” the cat said. “We thought we knew what we were up against, and we were still taken by surprise. We were all caught off guard today so-I’d be a hypocrite if I blamed this all on you.”
“What she’s trying to say is she’s not mad, none of us are.” Gen joked while Chizu shot him a glare.
“Yeah, you’re not in this alone, Usagi,” Kitsune said. “Today was wild. We’ll do better next time.”
“Plus, you’ll have a chance to practice with that sword now, like Izumi said,” Gen added.
Usagi sighed exasperatedly. “Yeah, practice would be good,” he replied.
He then turned to Leo nervously, who hadn’t said anything to him since they’d woken up.
Leo was just looking at him, and Usagi couldn’t read his expression.
God, that was scary.
“Ummm–” the rabbit started.
“Thank you,” Leo said softly.
“What?” Usagi asked, bewildered. “For what?”
“You know what,” Leo repiled, moving to stand up again with a noticeable wince.
He tried to hide it, but Raph clocked onto it pretty quickly.
“It’s your knee, isn’t it?” said the turtle. “I knew you aggravated it yesterday, and storms always make it worse.”
“I’m fine!” snapped Leo, drawing everyone’s attention. “Um, sorry. I think I’m just gonna-you know, talk a walk-a little on edge from all of-whoo- that” he laughed nervously before waving his hands in the air and walking off, trying not to limp.
Raph just rolled his eyes.
“Honestly, I’m with him,” Kitsune muttered. “That whole experience was pretty awful, I think I’m just going to go lay with some snuggly critters for a while.”
She got up and walked off too.
“We can clean this up later, right?” Mikey asked, eyeballing the mess that was the temple.
Tetsujin sighed. “Yes, yes, this is a tomorrow problem. I think the best thing for now is to rest and recuperate however we see fit.”
People started to disperse, with Usagi promising Karasu-Tengu and Izumi that he would start training with them on the sword properly first thing tomorrow.
“Hey, can we see it?” Mikey asked.
“Oh yeah, I didn’t get a proper look at that thing,” Gen added.
The remaining turtles and neo crew gathered around as Usagi pulled out Inazuma.
“Whoooa,” said Gen.
“Shiny,” said Mikey.
“It’s definitely better-looking now than when you first got it,” said Raph.
“Yeah,” said Usagi nervously, “Now I just need to learn how to wield it properly.”
“Too bad Leo wandered off,” said Donnie. “He’d love to check this thing out if he was in a better mood.”
“Eh, let the Big Baby pout,” grumbled Raph, but Donnie’s remark gave Usagi an idea.
***
Several miles away, like, really, really far from here, in a forest, a pair of legs stuck straight up in the air as the upper part of Jei’s body was embedded into the ground like an ostrich, from the sheer force of which he’d been thrown.
After much struggling and squirming and several strikes of lighting that fried the soil around him, he managed to unearth himself with a howl of anger.
He gnashed his teeth to the sky.
“That WENCH,” he snarled. “That SKY DEMON. I will KILL HER the next time I see her.”
With that he sat himself upon a rock as he contemplated his next move.
It seems the world was not as he had left it.
Miyamoto Usagi was no longer alive.
That explains why Jei had been unable to locate the samurai in his dreams.
Jei had to admit, he was a little disappointed.
He had wanted to be the one to smite the samurai rabbit and cleanse his soul.
And now that opportunity was taken from him.
All that remained was some low-level descendent.
Just as arrogant, just as hard-headed, but not nearly as skilled.
Jei supposed he could take him instead, but-
-A descendent of Miyamoto didn’t necessarily make him bad.
Although he had attacked Jei in defense of the turtles.
And there was another thing that didn’t make sense.
The turtles were still alive.
Well no-come to think of it-Jei supposed it did make sense.
The first time he had asked for the warriors, he hadn’t specified what time or place they should be from.
The turtles could have come from anywhere, they were not bound to a specific timeline.
As for the Blessed One-he was immortal-he would not die though Jei could see the child had aged since the last time he’d seen him.
Jei supposed if nothing else, he could kill the turtles.
And there was the matter of the sword.
He knew that sword.
He wasn’t sure how Usagi’s brat had gotten his hands on it, but he clearly didn’t know how to use it.
Jei on the other hand…
He grinned.
With that sword, he could be restored to full power.
Not only that but cleansing souls would be so much easier.
Faster and more efficient!
However he had to be a bit more pragmatic about his approach.
Usagi’s brat may not be as good as his ancestor, but he still had some skill and more importantly, numbers.
Like that sky witch.
Clearly just going in, spear blazing, by himself wasn’t going to work.
Thankfully, Jei hadn’t left the Kaikishii Temple empty-handed.
With a wide grin, he reached into his robes and pulled out the chunk of the Key Stone that had broken off when he lodged his spear into her.
“Let’s see what we can do with this,” he said.
***
Usagi had been walking for a while, and was beginning to give up hope of finding Leo that day, when he finally spotted him.
The turtle was sitting under a cherry blossom tree-not far from where they’d had their sparring match.
“There you are!” said Usagi. Spot sat on his shoulder.
“Oh, hi,” said Leo. He didn’t appear to have been meditating, just deep in thought. “Um, did you need something?”
“Nooo,” said Usagi slowly, “I just realized you never got a chance to see Inazuma after the transformation, and thought you might like a better look.”
Leo visibly brightened at that. “Oh, yeah, I would!” he said excitedly.
“Cool!” said Usagi, holding it out to Leo.
Leo hesitated before reaching out. “Um, and I can just-hold it? Is that okay?”
“I mean, the second you do, your soul becomes mine forever, but other than that it’s fine,” Usagi joked as Leo gave him an unimpressed look. “Oh come on, that was funny,”
“Ha ha, I’m dying over here,” said Leo flatly, taking the sword gently all the same to get a better look. “Wow, it's uh, darker in color than I was expecting for a sword made of lighting.”
“Izumi says it changes to fit the wielder,” Usagi said, flopping down next to him. “I uh, don’t know what that says about me.”
Leo hummed in response.
“Leo?” Usagi finally said after a moment.
Leo looked up at him.
“I feel like I owe you an apology.”
Leo blinked. “For what?” he asked.
“I went inside your head without your consent.” the rabbit replied.
A complicated look crossed Leo’s face. He carefully handed the sword back to Usagi who put it aside.
That thing really didn’t need to be picking up whatever emotions came out of this conversation.
“I mean, you couldn’t exactly get my consent,” said Leo. “If it helps, I would have given it to you if I’d been aware of what was going on,”
Usagi winced.“I guess? But I saw a lot of stuff I know I wasn’t meant to see,” he said. Leo closed his eyes and sighed as the rabbit continued. “And I guess I just-I don’t know what you want me to-I mean-I just want you to know I don’t think any differently of you as a person but also if you want me to pretend like it didn’t happen or-”
“ Stop,” said Leo and Usagi shut up, looking down.
“I’m not mad at you,” Leo said softly and Usagi looked back up at him.
Leo was looking off in the distance. “You did nothing wrong,” he said. “You helped me.”
“But?” Usagi prodded after a minute.
“But I’m not…happy about it either,” said Leo after a minute. “I don’t-like people seeing me weak.”
Usagi blinked at that. “Leo, I don't think you’re weak. I thought I made that clear earlier.”
Leo snorted disbelievingly.
“I’m serious!” snapped Usagi. “Why would I think you’re weak? Because we were stuck in some nightmare fest of all your worst fears come to life, so you were scared? Would you think I was weak if the roles were flipped?”
Leo blanched, turning to look at Usagi properly “Well, no-”
“-Exactly!” Usagi said, cutting him off. “You’re allowed to be scared Leo! Everybody’s afraid of something! I hate to give Jei credit, but that was the whole freaking point! He picked out our individual fears and targeted us with them! I don't think your brothers call you the Fearless Leader because you're not scared, I think they call you that because you jump into danger regardless of whether it’s scary! Which I think is pretty admirable.”
“But I can’t do it all the time!” Leo said. “You saw what happened in there, I froze up.”
“That wasn’t real,” said Usagi. “That place was made to make you freeze up, that doesn’t actually-”
But he cut himself off at the look on Leo’s face.
Because Usagi realized he didn’t really know what did, or didn’t happen, in Leo’s past.
He only had bits and pieces.
“Look-I just-,” Usagi sighed. “I don’t think you’re weak. And you having a couple battle scars and fears like a normal person isn’t going to change my mind.”
“You call what you saw in there normal?” Leo challenged with a raised eyebrow.
“I call fear of failure normal,” Usagi shot back. “I call wanting to protect my family and being scared I can’t, normal.”
They sat there for a moment in silence.
“Now you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to about ‘The Shredder’ or “Tiger Guy.”” Usagi started.
“Tiger Guy?” Leo asked with his mouth quirked up.
“I don’t know his name,” Usagi said.
“Tiger Claw.”
“Yeah, cause that’s soooo much better.” the rabbit snarked back.
Leo chuckled softly at that and Usagi smirked.
“Anyway,”Usagi continued “We can pretend that whole scene didn’t happen, I mean it’s none of my business anyway-”
“No, it’s okay,” Leo said softly. “I don’t mind telling you. I kind of want to. Maybe not the whole thing, but just the general story.”
“Oh, okay,” said Usagi, surprised.
They sat there for a moment.
“I uh, just don’t know where to start,” Leo said nervously.
“Do you want to hold Spot?” Usagi asked holding out the wiggling Tokage in his arms to a blinking Leo. “It heeeeeelps,” he sang, waving him back and forth gently.
Leo giggled softly before taking Spot gently and setting him in his lap petting him.
“Uh, I guess it kind of starts with my father, Hamato Yoshi,” he began. “And a man named Oroku Saki....”
***
“DEAR BUDDHA IN THE SKY!” cried Kintaro, stepping through the portal and taking in the wreckage. “What happened here?!”
Tetusjin sighed as he exchanged a look with Karasu-Tengu. “A lot,” he said.
***
“I should’ve been here.” Kintaro sighed as he helped put yet another temple back in order. “I’m sorry. I never seem to be in the right place.”
“Don’t sweat it, Kintaro-san,” said Tetsujin. “We weren’t at our best today. But we won’t have to worry about Jei for a while anyway, if the air speed he gained earlier is any indication. He-OH NO!”
“What! What is it?!” Kintaro said in alarm.
“The Key Stone! She’s missing a piece!” Tetsujin cried. “Everyone check the floor!”
“You just noticed that now?!” snapped Karasu-Tengu, but also started diligently checking the floors.
“Oh, we’ll find it!” said Tetusjin. “It can’t have gotten far!”
***
Usagi laid back staring at the sky, his head reeling after listening to what had essentially been Leo’s family history and life story.
There had been–a lot more murder and death than he’d been expecting.
And double crossing.
And aliens?
He didn’t know what to say.
“So,” he finally piped up. “You have a sister! She sounds neat, I’ll have to meet her some time!”
Leo leaned into his field of vision and Usagi tried not to blush. “Is that all you got out of that story?” he said incredulously.
“Oh I got plenty out of it,” said Usagi, far too casually. “Uh! I mean-I was just-trying to think of something nice to say?”
Leo dropped his head with a hard snort before leaning back. Usagi gave a nervous smile.
“You seem,” the rabbit began cautiously, “like you have had a lot on your shoulders from a very early age.”
Leo glanced away nervously. “I guess,” he said, stroking Spot once more.
“Your brothers have mentioned,” Usagi continued. “That you have a hard time opening up to people. Especially when it comes to your own personal problems.”
Leo was starting to squirm a bit now. “Maaayybee.” he said.
“Well maaaayybee.” Usagi mimicked. “This is something I can help you with, yes?
Since you’ve been helping me out so much.”
Leo looked back at the rabbit nervously.
“I’m not one of your brothers,” Usagi said. “If anything, I’m a big brother, so you don’t have to worry about shielding me,” he said with a grin. “I’m your friend. Maybe you can start telling me when something’s bothering you.”
“You don’t know everything I’ve been through though,” Leo said softly. “My brothers have.”
“But you’re not letting them in,” Usagi said. “So maybe you need to start tag-teaming your problems a little bit. Talk to them about what you feel comfortable talking to them about and talk to somebody else, like say me, about the other stuff.”
Leo seemed to be contemplating the idea.
“Or you know, you could talk to your older sister,” Usagi said casually. “She seems like she’d be a good source of advice-”
“ No.”
Usagi blinked at that reaction. Leo laughed nervously. “Uh, I mean no that’s okay, we’re not that close. Maybe I’ll try your suggestion first.”
There was clearly something to unpack there, but Usagi felt like he’d dug around in the skeletons in Leo’s closet enough for one day. He shrugged before sitting up with a stretch.
“I’m hungry,” he said. “Wanna go grab some dinner?”
“Sure,” said Leo, moving to get up before sitting back down with a quiet “Shit.”
Usagi’s ears perked up. He didn’t think he’d ever heard Leo curse up until now.
“Do you need help?” he asked softly.
“ No,” said Leo quickly.
“But you can’t get up,” Usagi stated.
“Yes I can,” Leo replied firmly.
“Okay,” Usagi challenged, standing before the turtle now. “Get up.”
Leo’s glare would’ve looked a lot more threatening if he wasn’t still on the ground. He gently stretched his leg out with a hiss and slowly stood up, bracing himself against the tree for support. Usagi rolled his eyes, catching Leo under the arms before he fell over.
“Leo,” he said exasperatedly. “What did we just talk about?”
Leo looked back at Usagi for a moment and sighed “Letting people in when I have a problem?”
“ Like now,” said Usagi firmly. “Are you hurt?”
“....Yes.”
“Do you need help?”
“....Yes.”
Usagi rewarded Leo with a bright grin. “Thank you for being honest. And SCOOP!”
And he swept Leo off his feet.
“WAIT, what are you doing?!” Leo cried, wrapping his arms against Usagi’s shoulders. God, he knew Usagi was strong, but not this strong. “I can walk just fine on one leg if you support me, you don’t have to carry me like this!”
“Nope, this is faster!” Usagi said cheerfully as he made his way off, Spot trailing behind them. “And I’m STARVING!”
Leo was already beginning to deeply regret his decision to let Usagi help.
“WAIT-just-”he continued, his frantic tone making Usagi pause. “Just- please take me back to my room instead, and make sure we’re not seen by anyone- I will never hear the end of this if my brothers see me like this.”
“But when will you eat?” Usagi asked, conking his head to the side.
Leo turned progressively redder realizing how close they were as he covered his face with one hand. “UGH-just-You can bring me some food later if you want. Tell everyone I went to bed, okay? Now please just hurry up, I’m probably really heavy.”
“Don’t be silly, do you know how many heavy crates I’ve carried on the farm?” Usagi replied, making his way to Leo’s room. “You’re as light as a feather by comparison!”
Leo didn’t respond other than a pathetic whimper from behind his hand.
Chapter 9: Chapter 9
Summary:
So this is love. So this is love. So this is what makes life divine.
My heart has wings and I could fly. I’ll touch every star in the sky.-Cinderella.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
By the next day things were already looking better.
The Kaikishii Temple had been mostly put back in order, largely in part due to the help of Kintaro, who was pleased to report his friend Shirokuma was making a nice recovery after his recent possession.
Leo was up and walking around again, though he was advised to take it easy, and Usagi was off to train with Izumi and Karasu-Tengu.
But in light of the recent attack on the Key Stone, and the City as a whole, the gaggle of friends had forgotten one important thing.
The response of their local government.
“USAGI! TETSUJIN! SOMEBODY! GET OUT HERE!”, a voice bellowed outside the temple steps.
Tetsujin, Mikey, Donnie and Kitsune poked their heads outside to see a lemur in robes and a large headdress, shouting into a bullhorn. Kitsune groaned immediately.
“Who’s that?” asked Mikey.
“Lord Kogane.” said Tetsujin.
“You guys have a lord in this city?” Donnie asked in disbelief. “Why is this the first time we’ve seen him?”
“Because he’s more of a joke than anything,” muttered Kitsune.
“Lord Kogane!” Tetsujin called out, stepping forward. “How can we help you?”
“WHAT WAS-ahem” Lord Kogane put away his bullhorn at last. “What was all that hullabaloo yesterday? I thought it was just the storm, but there were reports of the temple being under attack, and I could’ve sworn this place was in shambles earlier–although it looks normal now.”
“OH that,” said Tetsujin with a wave of his hand. “Some old immortal being with a grudge against Miyamoto Usagi attacked us, but we took care of him.”
“Ah,” said Lord Kogane. “Then he’s defeated and gone for good?”
“Well no,” Tetsujin replied. “He’s immortal.”
“Well, where is he now?”
“Not sure. Karasu-Tengu launched him across the sky, far away from here.”
“Is he coming back?”
“Ehhh, probably not for a while, at least.”
“TETSUJIN” griped Lord Kogane “I can’t have my city threatened by some spooky old creep with an ancient grudge. Think of the bad publicity! No one’s going to want to visit Neo Edo if it’s under attack! What does he even want anyway, Miyamoto Usagi’s been dead for ages! Is it Yuichi? Tell Yuichi to lead him on a wild goose chase for a while then, out of Neo Edo!”
“That won’t be necessary, Lord Kogane!” Tetsujin assured him, while Kitsune and Mikey were starting to give him the stink eye. “We’ve already devised a plan to dispose of this guy the next time we see him. I promise, we have everything under control. Besides, you wouldn’t want one of your best Yokai Warriors up and leaving the city unprotected for that long, would you?” The bear finished with a small smirk.
Lord Kogane sighed, his head thrown back dramatically.
“Oh fine.” he said “But deal with this quickly! ‘Else it’s jail for all of you!” he pointed at everyone, including the turtles he literally just met and didn’t know the names of.
Mikey gawked at the audacity of this Lemur Lord as he left while Donnie stared, deeply unimpressed.
Tetsujin and Kitsune just had a shared look of pain of having dealt with this guy one too many times.
“You’re uh, politics here sure is something else,” said Donnie.
“I need a nap,” muttered Tetsujin, floating away.
***
“So, let’s talk about what went wrong yesterday,” Izumi began.
She and Karasu-Tengu stood before Usagi in the courtyard. Kintaro was there as well, hoping to offer some assistance.
Usagi was honestly starting to feel like he was on trial for his actions, even though he knew it wasn’t meant that way.
“Karasu-Tengu tells me you’ve been having trouble focusing during meditation, something about a mental block,” Izumi continued.
Usagi visibly tensed.
“Your emotions were very high and disorganized at the time,” Karasu-Tengu chimed in. “And for whatever reason, you refused to tell me what was on your mind. I respect your boundaries Usagi-san but with the stakes so high, perhaps you might consider sharing-”
“NO-I mean it’s okay-I took care of it!”Usagi jumped in, his voice cracking as it reached an unusually high pitch. “I worked through those um–feelings and came to an understanding!”
The three adults blinked at him in perfect sync. “You…came to an understanding?” Karasu-Tengu responded. “About yourself? And…what exactly?”
“My-um feelings?” Usagi said, cringing slightly as his wording. “Let’s just say I came to a realization about what had me so worked up that day and processed it. I needed a minute was all. It was…uh…new information.”
They stared at him for what felt like forever while Usagi tried desperately not to sweat.
“Alright then,” said Izumi finally. “Let’s move on to the next issue. Your burst of anger yesterday. Now, I haven’t known you very long, but your Sensei and friends tell me that’s not typical behavior for you. Given what we saw yesterday, I’m willing to look past it and see that that monster took you by surprise with the awful things he did to your friends.”
“Still, ” she continued, gaze becoming stern, “ that can’t happen again. What you need to understand about the sword Inazuma, Usagi, is that it feeds off emotion. And the type of emotions you’re feeling can be paramount to success in battle. Anger is not necessarily a bad motivator. But blinding rage can be dangerous. It makes you careless and unstable. The sword sucks up energy from a host with an unstable mind and heart much faster. That’s why you felt so tired and confused. It was draining you quickly, and if we hadn’t stopped you in time, it would have just kept going until there was nothing left.”
Usagi paled slightly at that information.
“That’s why we need to make sure going forward, you not only have a clear mind, but a clear heart,” Izumi finished. “For your safety as much as the people around you.”
“And as scary as yesterday was, I’m afraid you’ll need to brace yourself now more than ever,” Kintaro added grimly. “Jei’s tricks aren’t over. He knows of your existence now. He’s been visiting the turtles and I in our dreams as of late, but he may also target you and your friends now.”
“Gee, any more good news?” Usagi asked sarcastically.
“Do not despair, my friend,” Kintaro said with conviction. “I know you can do this. I heard how you saved Leonardo yesterday. It takes someone of great meditational skill to pull another person-especially one with a warrior’s past-from the horror’s of Jei’s nightmare prison.”
“I mean-Chizu did it too,” Usagi muttered, to give his friend her due credit.
“And that just goes to show, she is also greatly skilled,” Kintaro replied without missing a beat. “Now let’s begin!”
***
Long dark robes softly brushed against the dirt as Jei glided among the old forgotten spears and helmets.
What a shame.
This had once been the honored sight of a great battle.
Now it seems it had all but been forgotten.
No matter.
The spirits of the soldiers would soon get to see the glory of fighting once again.
Jei grinned as he pulled out the thin chain from around his neck, upon which he’d attached his newfound gift from the gods.
He tightened his grip around the stone as it started to pulse purple.
“Let’s start with one, and see how well he obeys.”
At first there was nothing.
Then the ground shook and split open, and a long bony hand emerged.
Jei sighed.
“Well, that’s to be expected. If he proves his worth, I’ll build him up stronger.”
The rest of the body burst from the ground..
A skeleton, encased in a green glow, the spirit clinging to what remained of his body.
The soldier, forced back to the mortal realm, looked up at Jei in confusion.
Jei grinned.
“Congratulations.” he began. “You have been chosen for a very special task. You will assist me in ridding this world of the unholy souls that plague it. Take up your staff and follow me once more into battle against Yuichi Usagi and his followers.”
“I don’t know who that is!” snapped the soldier. “I served general Daikon in the Orenji army! I have done my part and will not follow you anywhere!”
Jei’s grin dropped off his face.
“I guess we’re doing this the hard way then.”
Gripping his stone piece tight, he pointed his spear at the skeleton, who dropped to the ground, writhing and screaming. His green glow took on a purple hue. Finally, he stood back up straight, his eye sockets now pure white.
“Now then, let's try this again,” Jei said grinning. “You will help me destroy Yuichi Usagi and those protecting the Key Stone. You will also help me retrieve the Key Stone and the sword Inazuma.”
“I live to serve you, Master Jei,” said the skeleton in a monotonous tone.
Jei chuckled. “Well, I don’t know if ‘live’ is the correct word for what you are, but close enough. But you can’t go into battle in that condition. How about a reward for your obedience?”
Waving his spear again, the skeleton bent and writhed once more, but remained eerily silent this time, as muscle and flesh grew over his bones. He grew fur and Jei topped it off with a nice gleaming dark set of armor.
“A colonel,” Jei said, looking over the fox. “Very nice. Now.” He turned back to the rest of the battlefield, licking his lips. “Let’s see about getting you some soldiers to command.”
***
Man, it was a good day.
Usagi cheerfully made his way through Neo Edo waving to everyone he saw.
Boy, he loved hanging out with his friends, they were the best!
Yup, just a typical day in Neo Edo, holding hands with your bestest buds and skipping through the street, ignoring all traffic laws!
Usagi.
Usagi dropped Gen and Chizu’s hands, turning around but he didn’t see anyone.
Huh, that was weird.
He shrugged.
Oooh, a Mochi Stall!
He darted ahead to grab some.
Why was Mikey working at the counter?
Whatever, it looked delicious!
He held it up to his lips to take a bite-
Usagi.
-And immediately dropped his delicious treat. Okay he definitely heard that. What the hell was going on. And where did all the people go? Where’d his friends go?
Why was downtown suddenly deserted?
Wait, there’s someone by the fountain.
Is that Leo?
Usagi took off running with an eager grin only to stop short. That was NOT Leo.
Jei stood in the town square grinning his awful, snarling grin at Usagi, a rolling fog behind him.
I’m coming back for you, samurai. And this time, I won’t be alone.
And the fog started to roll back revealing hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers with glowing white eyes.
Jei continued to grin.
I can see into your heart Usagi, and I see all your fears. I think I’ll visit a certain turtle’s dreams next.
Usagi snapped awake gasping for air. He sat up and realized he was drenched in sweat.
He jumped when he felt a nudge to his hand, only to realize it was Spot, who was squeaking at him in concern.
He pulled his pet into a tight hug. “Sorry for scaring you buddy. Thanks for waking me up.”
A glance to the window told him it was still nighttime. The moon was high in the sky.
He suddenly remembered the last thing Jei said. “I think I’ll visit a certain turtle’s dreams next.”
He wouldn’t. Would he?
Usagi swore under his breath. He wouldn’t be able to sleep now until he checked. Kintaro did say he and the turtles had been having nightmares on and off for several weeks now.
Maybe Jei was bluffing. But that would be an incredibly lucky guess on his part to “see into Usagi’s heart” and target “one of the turtles.”
Either way, none of those guys needed this crap right now, sooo-
Usagi gathered up Spot and made his way out the door and down the hall.
He stopped just outside Leo’s room and listened carefully. Well, he didn’t hear anything, so maybe it was fine? He was about to head back to bed when Spot started to whine.
Never a good sign.
“What is it, boy?” Usagi asked, but Spot just continued to whine towards the door.
Usagi knocked as loud as he dared with other people sleeping nearby.
No response.
He bit his lip before deciding screw it , safety was just a tad bit more important than privacy at the moment, and slid the door open.
Leo was sleeping alright, but not soundly. His face was screwed up and he was panting heavily ,like he was running from something.
Usagi swore again, running over and firmly shaking Leo’s shoulders. “Leo! Leo! Wake up!”
“Karai!” Leo shouted, jolting awake and sitting up with a start.
“Uh, no. Sorry,” Usagi said nervously. “It’s just me.”
Leo looked at Usagi in surprise.
“Um, I’m sorry,” Usagi continued. “I had a nightmare. Jei was in it and he told me he was going to visit-uh, one of you guys next, so I thought I should check on you. Spot tipped me off something was wrong in here.” Usagi shrugged.
“I tried knocking, but you didn’t answer, so I just let myself in.”
“Oh,” Leo replied.
They sat there a minute.
“I’m not sleepy, you want to go get some tea and snacks?” Usagi asked.
“Yeah, that sounds fantastic right now,” Leo replied.
***
“So how are you feeling?” Leo asked as he watched Usagi dig around for snacks while they waited for the water to boil.
“Huh?” Usagi asked from his precarious perch on a ladder, arms laden with boxes of snacks.
“You said you had a nightmare too, are you okay?” Leo asked, wondering if he should get up and help his friend.
“Oh yeah, I’m doing alright,” Usagi replied, hopping down unsteadily, trying not to drop the boxes. “It wasn’t very long and probably not as bad as anything you went through, so, you know whatever.”
“Usagi, that’s not what I asked,” Leo got up and took one of the boxes out of the rabbit’s arms, meeting his eyes. “I asked if you were okay. What happened to our talk earlier? This goes both ways.”
Usagi stiffened, pinkening slighting at the direct eye contact. His whiskers twitched ever so slightly, and Leo was momentarily distracted by the thought of how cute that was, before he was brought back to Earth by the rabbit sighing.
“It was…creepy,” Usagi said. “And kind of worrying? He told me he could ‘See inside my heart’ whatever that means. Also he said he was coming back with an army.”
Leo blanched at that. “Wait what? An army? Where’s he getting an army?”
“I have no idea,” Usagi replied. “All I remember is he said ‘I’ll be back, and this time I won’t be alone’ and suddenly there were hundreds of soldiers behind him. As far as I could see. All with glowing white eyes.”
They stared at each other before they both jumped at the sound of the tea kettle going off.
Usagi went over to take it off the stove. “Should we be concerned about that?” he muttered. “He doesn’t seem like the type to bluff about an army.”
Leo winced. “Probably,” he said. “But let’s check in with everyone else tomorrow.”
Usagi went to pour his friend his tea but Leo waved him off. “I’ve got my own tea, thank you,” Leo joked
Usagi stuck his tongue out. “I was just trying to do something nice for my friend.” he mocked.
“And I appreciate that, but only I know how to make my own tea the way I like it,” Leo replied.
“Oh my god, you’re a tea snob,” Usagi said, then laughed when Leo’s jaw fell.
“I bet bagged tea personally offends you.”
“It should offend you!,” Leo replied.
“It works in a pinch!”
“In a pinch-you and Donnie I swear,” Leo muttered. “Tea is not a process meant to be rushed!”
An evil grin stretched across the samurai’s face before he grabbed his own cup, made direct eye contact with the ninja, and chugged his tea in one go in front of Leo’s horrified face.
Which he immediately regretted, as he gasped and fanned his tongue seeking relief from having swallowed all that boiling hot liquid.
“My point stands,” Leo said dryly.
“ Worth it,” Usagi rasped out in a weak voice, causing Leo to snort. Usagi grinned through burning cheeks.
He liked making the ninja laugh, even at his own expense. Leo seemed so serious compared to his brothers sometimes, it was easy to forget he was only a year older.
They stayed up for a little while longer, finishing their tea at a reasonable pace, while trading stories about fighting in their respective homelands.
Eventually the nightmares had become a far enough memory that sleep seemed like a possibility again.
As they bade each other goodnight, Leo thanked Usagi for checking up on him.
“Sure, no problem Lee, what are friends for!” he replied unthinkingly, as he walked off with Spot.
Leo shut the door behind him and laid down to sleep, exhausted. A total of five seconds passed before his brain registered the last sentence Usagi uttered.
“Wait, what did he just call me?”
***
“Anyway, that was my dream, should I be concerned about that?” Usagi said to Kintaro over breakfast the next day.
The old dog furrowed his brow. “That’s rather…ominous for a dream,” Kintaro replied. “He’s not usually that direct. I wonder where he’d get an army though.”
“Maybe he has some old connections?” Usagi offered.
“He wasn’t really the kind of guy to make friends.,” said Kintaro. “I’m not doubting your dream. He’s had armies in the past…usually through possession. I suppose that’s what we have to be on the lookout for.”
“We were thinking of having some extra training today and recruiting some extra help anyway,” added Karasu-Tengu. “Now’s as good a time as ever, I suppose.”
“Oh yeah,” Gen remembered. “You and I are supposed to talk to Chikabuma today. And for some reason we’re supposed to take Mikey with us. Tetusujin insisted.”
Usagi turned to the old bear, who grinned. “I just think the orange one is very diplomatic, much like you, and will help us recruit more friends.”
Mikey grinned in turn. “I have the gift of charm.”
Raph groaned. “You have the gift of giving me a headache.”
As the two tussled, one last turtle finally joined the breakfast party late, rubbing his eyes.
Usagi visibly brightened at his arrival. “Good morning, Lee! How’d you sleep?”
“Lee?!” came the chorus from three other brothers, and even Usagi’s friends.
Leo looked up in surprise at all the attention suddenly on him. “Um, fine thank you?” he almost squeaked.
Usagi, in his blessed obliviousness, pushed a plate of food that had clearly been set aside for the turtle in Leo’s direction.
Leo, not knowing what else to do, sat down next to the rabbit while Usagi caught him up on what the plans for the day were.
“Will you be joining us to recruit the Mogura gang or are you going to stay here and help with training?” Usagi asked.
“Yeah ‘Lee’”, Mikey teased, leaning over into his brother’s line of vision with the smuggest smile. “What’s on the agenda for the best friends duo?”
If looks could kill, Mikey would be dead.
“I think I should be wherever I’m more useful,” Leo replied. “And that’s probably here helping with training.”
“Oh come on,” Mikey whined. “You’re great at diplomacy. Don’t you want to come help us recruit this gang?”
“I hardly think it’s going to take that much convincing, Usagi says they’re old friends,” Leo said, rolling his eyes. “You’re just going along to warn them about what’s coming, and what they need to prepare for.”
Mikey frowned before he clasped his hands in front of him and made his eyes enormous. “ Please, big broth-”
“NOPE!” Leo was up and out of his seat like a shot, so fast Usagi and Gen were wondering if they’d imagined him there. “Walking away now!”
“What was that about?” Usagi asked in bewilderment, turning to Mikey.
Mikey just grinned evilly while his other brothers groaned. “A little known fact about my brother Usagi- he’s a sucker for cute things.”
***
Mikey was annoyed that his plan to have Leo tag along on his field trip with Usagi and Gen had failed, but that was okay.
He still had plenty of entertainment to look forward to in the form of one Samurai Rabbit.
Sure, he’d had his suspicions from the moment they’d shown up, and Usagi had waxed poetic about Leo’s eyes, but now he was pretty darn sure.
The sparring match, saving breakfast for his brother, the seemingly constant need to be in Leo’s orbit, the nickname.
Usagi was down bad for his brother Leo.
And that was…fine, Mikey supposed.
Usagi seemed like a good guy. Attentive, if a little oblivious to his own feelings.
Leo was hardly any better.
That probably made them an even better match in theory. But these things had to be approached delicately. Leo, to Mikey’s knowledge, had never shown interest in anyone of the same sex before (barring maybe one TV space captain).
And Mikey had no clue what Usagi’s history was when it came to dating or romance.
But he was calling it like he saw it, and what he saw were two bumbling idiots that hadn’t figured out what it was they were bumbling around yet.
Mikey loves his brother, truly, but sheesh his love-life is nonexistent.
And for that reason, it wouldn’t hurt to take this time to get to know a certain rabbit a little better.
Just figure out where they stand, is all.
As they made their way to see this Chikabuma guy (who lived underground apparently) Mikey sidled up next to Usagi while throwing a wink in an unsettled Gen’s direction. The rhino always seemed so nervous around him, Mikey couldn’t figure out why.
“Soooo, Usagi,” Mikey started. “Exactly how long have you been at this samurai shtick again? A couple years or so?”
Usagi lit up at the question. “Well I’ve only been training with Karasu-Tengu as my sensei for about two years now, shortly after my 16th birthday.” the rabbit replied. “But my auntie is a samurai, and she’s been teaching me all she can ever since I could walk-”
The conversation flowed like that for a while with Mikey nodding and saying “Uh huh” when it was appropriate.
They’d somehow gotten onto the subject of Chizu and how she’d saved the orphans from the Neko Ninja Clan. “They’re doing really well, they’ve learned to help others and develop real values!” Usagi seemed to catch himself at this, and turned to Mikey in a panic. “Um, I don’t mean to suggest that that’s because they’re ninjas. It’s because of who was raising them- Lady Fuwa-that they turned out that way-obviously.”
“Of course,” Mikey said with a smirk. “You’ve met so many different kinds of ninjas lately. Some bad and some good. Chizu. Me. My brothers. Leo.”
Usagi blinked. “Uh. R-right.”
“That was some match you two had the other day,” Mikey continued without missing a beat. “I know Leo really liked it. He doesn’t get to fight against other swordsmen often.”
“Oh, really?” Usagi rubbed his neck and looked the other way. “I was kind of worried I’d disappoint him.”
“Why?” Mikey asked, tilting his head.
“Oh well,” Usagi hesitated. Yeesh, for such an unassuming turtle, Mikey had an intense stare. “You guys just seem really…advanced? I was worried I wouldn’t keep up.”
“Nah ,Usagi.” Mikey replies. “I think you keep up just fine. In fights, anyways.”
“Thanks?” Usagi said.
“On that note!” Mikey cheerfully changed the subject, throwing an arm around the samurai’s shoulders. “How do you feel about space?”
“Space?”
“Yeah, you know, outer space, the great beyond our worlds, all those stars and planets?” Mikey said.
“Uhhh,” Usagi blinked, still a little thrown by the abrupt change in topic. “I mean, I kind of got to see it briefly, it was nice?”
“Oh you’ve been there too? We’re off to a great start!” Mikey said. “Because if you want to get to know my bro Leo better, you’re going to be hearing a lot about space. Also, there’s this show ‘Space Heroes’ -”
***
After a really bizarre conversation that felt more like an interrogation, the three had made it to the lair of the Mogura Gang.
Usagi was kind of relieved. Mikey was friendly but…weirdly intense.
The turtle was immediately distracted by Chikabuma, telling him how great his hair and sunglasses were.
Chikabuma was, surprisingly, just as distracted by Mikey’s overall appearance and personality.
After responding “I know” to the turtle’s compliments, the gang leader had some of his own for Mikey’s weapons and bandana.
“When’s the wedding?” Gen muttered in Usagi’s ear as the two new friends started coming up with new handshakes.
After catching up with everyone, Usagi explained to Chikabuma the issue of Jei and the likelihood to expect an attack from an army.
“I have no idea how big the army’s going to be,” Usagi said. “But uh, just Jei by himself is already pretty bad.”
“We heard the noise rattling that temple all the way from down here in the tunnels,” Chikabuma said. “Some of our scouts caught wind of the destruction up top. We wondered if we should help, but then we saw your sensei send that old wolf flyin’ sky-high. It was metal. Chikabuma.”
“Yeah, that’s a temporary fix,” Gen said.
“A good one though,” Mikey giggled with the others.
“For the safety of our home, we will be ready to defend it.” Chikabuma continued.
“But also, as your friend, we will be ready to take on this enemy. After all, you're an honorary member of our gang Usagi. Chikabuma.” The leader of the Mogura gang pumped his fist in the air as the rest of the gang cheered.
Mikey grinned. “I like this guy.” he said.
***
Jei admired his newly formed army of soldiers from afar. Souls pulled back from the spirit realm in order to do his bidding. With a crooked finger he beckoned the fox forward.
Colonel Tamanegi, no longer with a will of his own, strode toward his new master and knelt on one knee. “The army of Jei is ready to follow you into battle, Master.” he said.
“Excellent,” Jei said. “You’ll leave tomorrow at dawn,”
“Will you not be joining us, Master?” the Colonel asked.
“Not right away,” said Jei. “I will meet you in the Village of Edo when it is time.” Jei grinned as he gazed down at the stone hanging from his neck. “There’s one small trip I want to make first.”
***
Raphael Hamato was beginning to smell that something was up.
Not literally.
Something had been bugging him ever since he’s shown back up in this dimension-and oddly enough, it wasn’t the ever growing threat of Jei.
No, it had something to do with that samurai rabbit who was just now making his way back with Mikey, Gen, and some other guy Raph didn’t know.
Okay, maybe the smug grin Mikey was sporting wasn’t helping things either.
Raph had been giving Kitsune some close-range combat training when these three had shown back up.
Chizu and Tetsujin had left to go see if some sort of peace could be brokered with that crazy cat ninja lady they’d fought a couple days ago.
Apparently it had been done before. How Tetsujin was supposed to help Raph wasn’t sure, but Kitsune had shuddered saying “The less you know, the better,” so he took that at face value.
So while… that happened, the rest trained to prepare for the “army” that may or may not be making its way here.
Which left Raph to stew on the issue that had been bothering him.
Whatever was going on between Leo and Usagi.
He’d been noticing it since that… weirdly intense sparring match.
To be fair, the rabbit acted kind of weird around Leo in general. Raph had chalked it up to some kind of hero-worship due to them being “The Great Kappa Warriors” who’d helped Usagi’s ancestor so long ago, but now he wasn’t so sure.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one.
Mikey eagerly introduced the others to his new friend, who was really Usagi’s friend. Raph couldn’t help but notice the rabbit glancing around as though he were looking for someone.
“If you’re looking for Leo,” Raph said, rolling his eyes. “He’s teaching your little sister some advanced lessons by the reflecting pool.”
Usagi lit up and dragged the mole with crazy hair off. “C’mon Chikabuma! Lemme introduce you to Leo! He’s the leader of the Hamato Clan!”
Raph stared dumbfounded as his brothers came up on either side of him. “It’s not just me, right? I’m not the only one seeing this?”
“Oh it’s not just you.” Three green heads whipped to the right as Kitsune and Gen came over, the fox smirking. “We see it too.”
“See what?” Gen asked, confused.
“Gen, come on.” the fox groaned. “We’re talking about Usagi and Leo. Those two are crushing on each other.
Gen looked like someone had dropped an anvil on his head. “OH MY-that explains so much! He’s been acting so weird lately! Did you see him save a plate of food for Leo this morning?”
“And the nickname?” Kitsune chimed in with a grin. “I’m just curious, nobody else calls Leo ‘Lee’ back home, do they?”
“ No.” came the chorus of the three Hamatos in tow.
“Okay, okay,” Donnie waved his hands. “Usagi might like Leo, but honestly I’m not entirely sure Leo feels the same. He hasn’t liked anybody in…well, a while, and it’s always been girls.”
“What about-” Mikey started.
“ Captain Ryan does not count,” Donnie cut him off as Mikey and Raph started giggling. “If he does like Usagi, he’s doing a good job at hiding it. Leo’s usually painfully obvious when he likes someone.”
“Maybe he hasn’t figured it out yet,” Mikey said with a grin. “Maybe he just needs a wake-up call. A bit of a jump start to his gay-dar, if you will.”
“Mikey, what are you planning?” Donnie asked sternly while Gen muttered “A jump start to his what now?”
“Nothing,” Mikey said innocently.
“Look, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about romance, it’s that you don’t force it,” Donnie warned. “If something happens, you need to let it happen naturally. Especially given how-skittish Leo’s gotten about this sort of thing. If you surprise him with it, he might freak out and run away.”
“I’m not going to do something like that,” Mikey said. “Yeesh, give me some credit.”
The youngest turtle started to walk off, but not before looking over his shoulder adding “I’m just going to give my dear brother a couple helpful hints ‘wink wink, nudge nudge’.”
“Mikey!” Donnie hollered, chasing after his brother now.
The other three watched them go.
“Hey, what did Donnie mean Leo gets ‘skittish’ about romantic feelings?” Kitsune asked Raph with concern.
“Ah, don’t worry about that,” Raph said, waving a hand. “Donnie’s just projecting is all.”
Kitsune squinted at him, but let it go for now.
***
Truthfully, Raph knew exactly what Donnie was talking about, which is why he was studying Leo and Usagi very carefully without trying to appear like he was doing so.
The thing about Leo was that he’d kind of had a bad run of luck when it came to romance. However brief, it’d left its mark.
Raph could honestly say he’d grown to love his sister Karai after all they’d been through and mostly, old wounds had healed
And she’d been trying so hard lately to be just that-an older sibling they could rely on.
But Raph would be lying if he said he wasn’t still mad about how she’d treated Leo back in those early days before…certain information had been learned and boundaries had been set.
None of the family liked to think about the fact that those two had been flirting with each other before, but they had.
And it was obvious that while Karai had liked Leo, he had probably liked her just a bit more. Being a kunoichi for the Shredder, she took advantage of that.
It was something she’d apologized for later. Not to all of them, but to Leo personally.
Karai had told Leo that while she didn’t regret being a kunoichi or using her skills for what they were, had she known she was using them against someone she’d want to protect later down the line, she wouldn’t have done it.
Leo for his part said that he was willing to forgive her by acknowledging the fact that they were young, stupid kids who for some reason got stuck fighting their parents’ stupid feud. (And could they maybe forget this whole thing ever happened, since they were siblings now apparently.)
And things got better. A genuine friendship was formed between Leo and Karai, and if Raph was being honest they were probably closer than ever.
But there were some things Raph couldn’t ignore.
Like the fact that Leo didn’t seem to take compliments at face value anymore.
Like a few months back, when Leo and Raph went to collect some mutagen found in a warehouse. While they were there, they met a new member of the mutanimals who was for sure without a doubt, flirting with Leo.
Raph was actually excited for his brother, except Leo didn’t seem to react at all.
“You totally missed those signals man,” Raph said later when they got back to the lair.
“Are you talking about Carol, the fox mutant? The one who told me I had ‘An eye for seeing the angles, I can see why you’re the leader?’” Leo asked with a roll of his eyes.
“So you did notice,” Raph replied. “Man, I thought you were just that thick-headed. Was she just not your type?”
Leo shrugged, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “No…it’s just…y’know, who knows what she meant by that, right?”
Raph blinked. “Uh, that she likes your strategies and thinks you're a good leader?”
Leo scowled “Yeah, exactly. Where have I heard that before?”
“Are you…okay?” Raph asked bewildered.
Leo sighed. “I’m fine. I just…I don’t need more people who need me for things in my life.” He froze then looked at Raph in a panic. “Not like-I didn’t mean it like-I need you guys-I just-I don’t want to be-”
“Dude, I get it, don’t worry.” Raph said, waving his arms in reassurance before his brother could self-destruct anymore. “I know you didn’t mean it like that.”
Leo smiled softly. “Thanks Raph.”
He walked off to put away his gear as Raph called out. “I don’t think that’s how Carol meant it either though.”
And he could hear Leo mutter under his breath “Yeah, how could you be so sure?”
And then it happened again, although Raph wasn’t there to see it the second time.
He heard about it from Mikey, who went with Donnie and Leo to see Agent Bishop on some diplomatic-centered mission. Not really his cup of tea.
“It was crazy Raph,” Mikey recounted, spinning on the kitchen stool. “Donnie was talking alien nerd stuff with Bishop, and this pretty alien chick, like really pretty, walked up to Leo and said the corniest line ever, like really corny, and it was a space line, and you know Leo loves corny lines and space, I thought he’d totally fold-”
“ Mikey, get ON with it!” snapped Raph.
“Right, what was it? Oh yeah, she said,” Mikey batted his lashes and put on a falsetto. “‘I must’ve taken a wrong turn at the last moon of Jupiter, because I don’t remember such a fine looking biped in this part of Dimension X.’”
They both cackled, Mikey practically fell off his seat he was laughing so hard. “Oh god,” Raph said when he finally wiped his eyes. “What did Leo say?”
“That was just it!” Mikey replied, stunned. “He barely reacted. He just gave her the flattest look I’ve ever seen and said ‘You’ll have to keep looking, not interested.’ I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! She was pissed too, and he still had no reaction! I thought she was gonna kill him!”
Raph felt his face drop at that. Aw, shell. He thought.
They might have a problem.
So maybe Leo was just a bit paranoid. Maybe he tended to think any compliment paid his way came with terms and conditions, that something was to be expected later down the road-like a favor.
Raph was chalking that up to partly what happened with Karai, and partly the experience of being the leader of a ninja clan, always keeping an extra eye out for that unexpected knife in your back.
Which was why this whole thing with Usagi was so bizarre, because the hammer hadn’t fallen yet.
Part of that might’ve been because yes, Usagi was a male and their friend, so Leo probably wasn’t expecting to be hit on anyway, and his guard was down.
Leo didn’t flirt with guys, and he didn’t really flirt with friends.
But could Mikey be right? Maybe Leo had started to like Usagi back subconsciously?
Honestly given his ice cold attitude towards romance lately, that might be the best thing for him.
Raph watched as Usagi leaned down to pick up several crates of ammunition that their friend Chikabuma had brought, when he saw Leo coming down to help.
Usagi had grabbed three in total on his own, and was just struggling under the weight.
Leo rolled his eyes with a fond smile ( that had Raph raising an eyebrow) before he grabbed the topmost crate off the stack.
“I think two might be your limit,” Leo said to the samurai.
“Thanks,” Usagi wheezed. “Hah, guess those muscles aren’t just for show, huh?”
They stared at each other. Raph couldn’t decide who looked more shocked by that comment, Leo or Usagi.
“Uh, I MEAN” the rabbit stammered, “just, wow all that ninja training sure builds the muscles, I can see–not that I’m looking! It’s just it seems like a more flexible regimen than samurai training-YOU KNOW WHAT I’M JUST GONNA TAKE THESE NOW MY ARMS ARE GETTING TIRED, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!,” Usagi walked as fast as one carrying two heavy crates possibly could, face burning, away from Leo who had equally pink cheeks at this point.
Raph snorted. What a trainwreck.
Come to think of it.
Usagi was like that with everybody.
Well, not the trainwreck part. He really only seemed to flail like that when he knew he stepped in it. But often he didn’t notice.
Maybe that’s why Leo had no defense. Yuchi Usagi was painfully blunt about everything and everybody, whether good or bad.
Hell, just this morning when they were deciding who should be part of recruitment, Chizu was excusing herself before Usagi had chimed in saying “Her social skills are still a tad rusty.”
And the other day when Raph stubbed his toe on a tree stump and decided to punish said tree stump with his sai, he very clearly heard Usagi say to Donnie “Your brother has a bit of a temper, yes?”
Raph then turned his anger to the samurai, and chased him around a tree for a few hours.
But when Chizu left this morning to “broker peace” with Lady Fuwa, Usagi said “If all else fails, Chizu will just beat her in combat. She can do it, her skills put Fuwa’s to shame.”
And when Donnie finally got the T-phones working, and gave extra copies to the Neo Gang, Usagi said. “It was incredibly thoughtful of you to make some for us. That must’ve taken a lot of extra time. I hope you got some sleep last night.”
So, Raph figured, if he’s like that with everybody no matter what he’s saying, one can only assume he’s 100 percent genuine when he tells you have great muscles…or whatever the hell that was supposed to be.
Yeah.
Leo’s toast.
***
Leonardo Hamato wasn’t sure what the hell was happening, but whatever it was, he would get to the bottom of it.
It being whatever those three awful gremlins were plotting.
Because they were definitely plotting.
Well, maybe just Mikey.
But he couldn’t help but feel like all his brothers were staring at him. It was unnerving.
The turtles and three-fourths of the Neo Gang were currently in the courtyard.
Some ninja weapons from Leo’s little impromptu training session with Hana were still out.
Usagi had just finished moving some boxes when he noticed the bows and arrows. “Oh, were you helping Hana with her aim?” he asked, picking one up.
“Actually, that was more in case any recruits wanted to learn or brush up on their skills,” said Donnie. “Against an army, just a few bows can leave quite an impact.”
“Do all of you know how to shoot bows?” Gen asked.
“Sure,” said Mikey. “Our sensei taught us how to use all kinds of weapons-and one time he sent us out with no weapons.”
“The point was to encourage us to use the environment to our advantage,” Donnie quickly added, seeing his friends' shocked faces. “‘Anything can be a weapon’ he said. He wanted us to be prepared for anything. We’re still more skilled with our own weapons though.”
“That’s so cool!” Usagi said, gripping the bow tightly. “He sounds like an incredible teacher!”
“He was,” Donnie said with a soft smile.
“Chizu’s the only one of us who knows how to use a bow, maybe you can help us,” said Gen.
“Uh, excuse you, I know how to shoot an arrow,” Usagi said, rolling his eyes. “I trained with these on the farm.”
“It’s been a while since the farm Usagi,” Gen teased. “Maybe you’ve lost your edge.”
“I can slice rice in half,” Usagi responded.
“With a sword. Not an arrow,” Kitsune replied.
“Care to prove your skills?” Raph challenged.
“But Chizu’s not here,” Kitsune whined. “And she’s the best.”
“She can take her turn when she comes back,” Mikey jumped in, suddenly getting an idea. “This is a test to see if Usagi’s even any good. Put him against our best.”
Kitsune squinted her eyes suspiciously, cocking her head to the side. “Who’s your best arrowman?”
Three turtles looked to Leo.
“Oh, come on,” she groaned.
“We don’t have to do this,” Leo said, waving his hands with a sheepish grin. “Let’s wait for Chizu.”
“Yeah guys,” Usagi said, checking his nails with a smirk. “Be like Leo. Big enough to know when you’re outmatched.”
It became deathly silent after that.
“Excuse me?” Leo asked incredulously. “I matched you just fine the other day.”
“In swords,” Usagi replied smugly, looking up. “These are arrows. You don’t use these all the time.”
“He uses them a lot more often than you think,” Mikey warned.
“I think my odds are pretty good,” Usagi continued. “I trained for hours with-
“I wiped out half a ninja clan with just a bow and arrows, I am going to wipe that smirk off your face.” Leo snapped.
“Only half?” Usagi replied, tilting his head.
“Oooooooohhh,” came the collective response from everybody.
Leo snatched a set off the table and moved to stand next to Usagi.
“What are you doing?” Gen asked, watching Kitsune fumble with the T-phone.
“Texting Chizu to hurry her butt up with Fuwa and get over here, she’s missing this!” the fox snapped.
It really hadn’t taken her long to figure out how texting worked.
So who’s going first?” Donnie asked.
“Oh, after you,” said Usagi smugly.
“I don’t think so,” snapped Leo, glaring. “You first.”
“Please, I insist,” Usagi gestured with his hand.
“ One of you better decide quick, or the first person who fires an arrow is gonna be me,” snapped Raph. “At your heads!”
Leo rolled his eyes before stringing his bow up. He let out a deep breath.
Everyone watched as he held it for a few seconds, gaze steady on the target.
Then at the last possible second, he turned his head and looked directly at Usagi as he let go.
The arrow hit dead center.
Gen’s mouth fell open.
“Show off.” Raph muttered.
Usagi’s eyes were as big as saucers before he snorted. “Big deal,” he teased moving over and stringing up his own arrow.
He focused on his own target before he had an idea. He took aim off to the left at Leo’s target and watched with satisfaction as it split the turtle’s arrow down the middle.
“HA!” crowed Kitsune.
“ Nice,” said Raph.
Usagi turned to see Leo’s shocked face before a strange glint took on the ninja’s eyes. Leo smirked. “Not bad,” he said. He grabbed another arrow. “But can you hit this?”
The ninja took aim for the pavilion across the reflecting pond-a good distance away.
“Pfft. Easy,” Usagi shot his own arrow after Leo’s. This one didn’t hit down the middle, but it landed almost right on top.
They were off and running after that. Crazy heights. Impossible angles. Everyone started getting in on the fun.
“How about moving targets!” Mikey shouted excitedly, throwing the targets in the air for the two to shoot at. It was utter chaos.
It finally wound down to one last target. Usagi and Leo were practically tied, with the ninja only up by one.
Their final target was a little buoy in the reflecting pond, just big enough to take an arrow and stay afloat. The slight movement made it an unsteady and unassuming target.
Leo and Usagi made it extra challenging by getting as far away from the stupid thing as they possibly could. They really had to squint to see it.
Everyone else was rolling their eyes at this point.
Leo took aim, fired and stared.
“Did you hit it?” Usagi asked, squinting.
“Uh…I think so?” Leo held a hand over his eyes.
“YES!” shouted Donnie who was standing closer to the pond.
“Oh! THANKS! Your turn!” Leo said cheerfully .
Usagi took aim and fired. “Uhhh,” he said, peering with a hand over his own eyes. “Did I-”
“YES, YOU HIT IT!” came Donnie’s shout again.
“Oh! THANKS!” he called back.
The two made their way down to get a better look. Two arrows sat maybe half an inch apart in the buoy.
Usagi sagged. “Aw, man.” he said.
“What’s wrong?” Leo asked, confused. “You hit the target?”
“That’s not what I was aiming for.” Usagi said. “I’ve mostly been aiming for your arrows this whole time.” he added sheepishly. “I don’t know why I keep missing.”
Leo snorted “Really?” he asked but his grin fell when he realized Usagi was serious. Usagi hadn’t hit any of Leo’s arrows since that first one he managed to split.
And as petty as Leo thought that was, he had to admit he’d probably pull a stunt like that himself, if given the chance.
And Usagi looked so…disappointed.
“Ah, what the shell.” Leo thought.
“Can you just…show me how you stand when you aim, please?” Leo muttered, rubbing his neck. “Here, line up like you're aiming for my arrow on the buoy again.”
Usagi gave Leo a funny look, but did as he said.
Then promptly forgot everything else when Leo came up behind him and started checking his stance.
“Here’s your problem,” Leo said softly, putting his hands on the rabbit’s shoulders. “Your arm is drifting off just slightly to the right, I find it helps if you keep your gaze-”
“Oh my god,” Usagi thought. “ Is this really happening? I have no clue what he’s saying. I wish I could pay attention. He’s giving me great advice, and all I can think about is his voice in my ear and his hands on my body. Is he doing this on PURPOSE?!”
About ten feet away, their friends were having similar thoughts.
“OH my god.” said Kitsune.
“Is this really happening?” said Donnie.
“I thought you said your brother was skittish,” said Gen.
“He is.” said Raph. “This has to be unintentional. I don’t know who the hell this is!”
“Mark the date guys and gals,” said Mikey. “The day Leonardo Hamato acquired rizz.”
Gen giggled. “Usagi looks like he’s gonna pass out! Uh-should we do something?”
“I ain’t touching that with a 20 foot pole,” said Raph.
But it seemed like they wouldn’t have to. In the middle of Leo’s explanation, Usagi had given up hope on remembering anything Leo said, and turned to look at the turtle instead.
Leo was busy guiding Usagi’s hands when he met the rabbits’ gaze.
“-and keep your legs wider apart so-” he trailed off, only just now realizing how close they were.
He’d never noticed this before, but Usagi was just a little bit shorter than him.
Neither of them were talking, they were just staring at each other.
Leo couldn’t remember what he was talking about anyway.
“Sorry I’m late I-what are you guys doing?”
The sudden arrival of Chizu broke whatever weird spell had taken over the two, as a too tightly strung arrow went flying way off course into a nearby tree where several disturbed birds squawked and took flight.
The turtle and rabbit jumped apart like they’d been struck by Inazuma itself.
“NOTHING!” shouted Usagi to a completely unconvinced crowd. “Uh, you missed a contest, and Leo was just helping me brush up on my bow skills. Right, Leo?...Uh, Lee? You okay?”
“Leo?” Donnie asked hesitantly.
Leo hadn’t moved from his spot since he’d taken several steps back. He looked like he was having a crisis of sorts.
Like someone had just hit him over the head.
Or he’d figured out something big.
He finally raised one finger, opened his mouth, only to drop it and then squeak out “Right.” He then turned around. “Um, you know, I’m feeling kind of tired, if you’ll excuse me for a bit.”
He practically booked it towards the temple.
Usagi looked towards the others nervously. “Was it something I said?” he asked.
Raph sighed. “No,” he said. “We’ll talk to him. He’s just…going through something. Don’t worry about it.”
Notes:
The last horse crosses the finish line , and he is having a crisis lol.
We'll address that next week.
He just needs a minute, guys.I would like to add that I love Karai and I hope this fic doesn't make it seem like I'm bashing her character.
These guys had some screwed up things happen in their childhood, and Karai got the worst of it.
They all have their scars.
What happened between her and Leo left its mark, and he's a little jaded when it comes to love.
Lucky for him he doesn't have a battle strategy for one Yuichi Usagi. XD
Brave of heart, dumb of ass ,no thought process before he speaks.…I told you the Battle of Ninjin was coming back lmfao.
I've gotta real theme going here naming generals and armies after fruits and veggies-if they're correct.
My teacher is google translate:
Daikon-Radish
Orenji-Orange
Tamanegi-Onion
Chapter 10: Chapter 10
Summary:
My heart is a haunted house. Full of ghosts, don’t go in the basement.
My heart is a haunted house. I have my doubts you’ll get out alive.-Haunted house. Snake Pool, Louie Zong
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Leo felt like he’d been hit by a train.
A very gay, bunny-shaped train.
He booked it faster to his room at the temple. He didn’t know where else to go.
He just had to get away from people.
He slammed the door shut behind him
Well, he was here.
With nothing else to do, Leo began to pace like a madman.
How long has this been going on?
One moment Leo’s standing there helping Usagi with his aim (what on earth made him think that was a good idea) the next moment they’re gazing into each others eyes and he’s struck, not for the first time, by how cute he thinks his friend is (since when did Leo think boys were cute?!).
Chizu’s sudden arrival was like a gallon of cold water being dumped on top of his head, popping the weird little bubble of whatever they’d been sucked into long enough for Leo to realize “ Oh god, is THAT what this is?”
“This” being the weird little fluttery feeling he’d been getting whenever he saw the rabbit.
“This” being the excitement he always felt, the thrill he chalked up to friendly competition whether sparring with or teasing the samurai.
Crap, was he flirting this whole time?
Leo didn’t even know how to flirt!
He can’t like Usagi anyway! Usagi was his friend! Usagi was a guy! Did Usagi even like guys?
Did Leo like guys?
Leo covered his face and tried not to scream before taking a long deep breath.
Okay.
This was getting him nowhere.
Maybe he should meditate on this. That might clear his head.
Leo sat down and closed his eyes.
For a while it seemed to work. He tried to work through his thoughts.
“So maybe you have a teensy-weensy crush on Usagi. That’s not so bad. It’s not like anyone else knows. So you like a guy. So maybe you're bisexual. Whatever. Your brothers’ Captain Ryan jokes may have had some merit, who knew? Never tell them.
No one has to know about this. We’ll handle Jei in a few days or weeks or whatever, and you’ll probably never see Usagi again. Just keep it under wraps for now. And no more stupid stunts like offering to help Usagi with his training or anything that involves too much touching or direct eye contact or…maybe we just try to avoid him altogether?”
Leo thought about the samurai he’d grown so close to.
“ I can’t do that, not after everything we’ve been through and what he’s done for me. He’s a good friend and he deserves better than that.”
Leo was just going to have to hide his crush from his friend.
His friend with really big eyes, who has a special nickname just for Leo, who saves him a spare plate of breakfast in the morning and literally sweeps him off his feet-
Leo threw his head in his hands.
“FUCK, I CAN’T DO THIS!”
A knock came at his door.
“Um, Leo?” It was Raph. “Can we talk?”
Leo ripped his arms away from his face and just sat there, frozen.
“C’mon I know you're in there. I just want to make sure everything’s…okay. You kind of had us worried back there….Please?”
Leo sighed and opened the door. Raph came in and sat down in front of the bed roll.
They didn’t say anything for a couple seconds. Raph kind of glanced around the room taking everything in and twiddling his thumbs.
“Soooo…how you doin’ champ?” he finally ventured.
Leo snorted before flopping face first on the bed roll and groaning into it.
He lifted his head. “Fine. Everything’s great. No problems what-so-ever.” he said before dropping it again.
“Oh come on, I’m not buying that.” Raph replied. "This uh…wouldn’t have anything to do with what happened between you and Usagi earlier, would it?”
The silence was telling.
“Because you know we’re all cool with it, right?” Raph pressed on “I mean, whatever it is. Even if you don’t know what it is yet, or haven’t decided-aw sewer apples, I’m no good at this, Mikey should’ve been the one to talk to you-”
“Wait, what?” Leo sat up on the bed roll properly this time and looked at Raph. “Talk to me about what?”
Raph looked at him blankly. “You know. About um…whatever’s going on between you and Usagi.”
“ Oh my god, is it that obvious?!” Leo asked, a panicked look taking over his face. “Who else knows?”
Raph didn’t respond.
“Raph? Who else knows?”
“Um? Everyone?” Raph said with a wince as Leo dropped his face in his hands. “I mean, at least all Usagi’s friends and us guys have picked up on it.”
Leo swore into his hands.
“If it helps, I don't think Usagi knows how you feel.” Raph said. “He’s kind of oblivious. You both are.”
“How long?” Leo muttered.
“Huh?” Raph asked.
“How long have you guys known?!” Leo snapped, looking up. “I just put two and two together like ten minutes ago! How long have I been making an idiot of myself?!”
“Whoa okay, slow down.” Raph said. “You haven’t been making an idiot of yourself. You just have a crush. You’ve had them before. We all have.”
“Yeah and look how they’ve turned out for me Raph, I can’t do this!” Leo cried.
“Why not?”
“What?” Leo blinked, caught off guard.
“Why not?” Raph asked again. “Why can’t you like Usagi? Is it ‘cause he’s a guy?”
“Um…” Leo blinked as he thought on it for a minute. Admittedly he was still a little bit in shock, but he was also starting to realize that he’d been admiring Usagi in a less than platonic way for the past few days now. Somehow that knowledge was helping.
“No, I guess not,” Leo admitted sheepishly.
“Good,” said Raph. “I can tell you right now I’ll never judge you for dating someone based on gender. Donnie and Mikey are probably going to say the same.” Then he smirked. “I will judge your taste in partners though.”
Leo rolled his eyes.
“So if that’s not the issue, what is?” Raph asked.
“He’s my friend,” Leo said.
“Okay yeah, dating friends is generally not a good idea, but sometimes it happens,” Raph said. “It’s not like you’re trying to date April or Casey, you haven’t known Usagi nearly as long. And I’d hate to admit it but you two would probably work really well together.”
“I don’t even know if he likes guys,” Leo said. “Or me. You know, in that way.”
Raph gave him the flattest look in the world. “ I can’t believe these two.” the turtle thought. “I’m going to go out on a limb here,” he said, tone dripping with sarcasm. “and say that he probably likes you too.”
“What makes you so sure?” Leo asked.
“Leo,” Raph began. “If the rabbit who saves you a plate of breakfast in the morning, follows you wherever you go, and calls you ‘Lee’” and Raph clasped his hands and batted his lashes at that last part. “ doesn’t have a crush on you, you can shoot me into fucking space.”
Leo’s cheeks turned pink before he glanced down.
“What if I’m…too broken for him?” he said softly.
“What?” Raph asked, worried.
“I have a lot of scars. Not just physically, mentally too.” Leo said not meeting Raph’s eyes. “What if it's too much for Usagi to handle?”
Raph felt that old familiar fight or flight frustration well inside of him that cropped up whenever someone he cared about was hurting. In the past, fight would win out. If Raph couldn’t attack the problem physically, he’d do it verbally, but sometimes he got so angry he’d say the wrong things.
It was something Master Splinter had struggled to understand about his hot-tempered son in the beginning. With time, the two came to an understanding that a lot of Raph’s frustration boiled down to wanting to protect his family from whatever threatened them.
But sometimes, you couldn’t just punch the problem away.
So words it was then.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Raph began. “But I don’t think you're giving that space case bunny enough credit.”
“Hey!” Leo defended.
“Didn’t he already dive into your head once?,” Raph began. “I’m guessing it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows in there. Usagi must’ve seen some pretty messed up stuff too.”
Leo looked away.
“Was he put off by it?” Raph asked.
“No,” Leo said softly. “Actually, he wanted me to know it didn’t change the way he saw me.”
“Well, there you go,” said Raph. “The samurai’s got balls, who knew? And honor or whatever.”
“Nice of you to follow balls up with honor.” Leo joked.
“Shut up, I’m making a point.” Raph said with a grin, but then got serious again. “Leo, do you think I’m too screwed up for a relationship?”
Leo looked at Raph shocked. “What? No!”
“What about Donnie? Mikey? Karai?” his brother prodded.
“Of course not!” Leo defended.
“So why do you think you are?”
Leo opened his mouth and Raph said- “And before you say ‘That’s different’, I want you to think, really think, about some of the shit we’ve been through and have done. You know it’s bad. And while I come to Mona about some stuff, I’d be lying if I say I talk to her about everything. She knows that and respects it. She doesn’t tell me everything that happened on her space missions. There’s some stuff I can only talk about with you guys or April and Casey. And some stuff I can’t talk about at all.”
Leo stared at Raph with a resigned expression.
“We may be a little screwed up,” Raph admitted. “We’re not too screwed up to form connections with other people. And honestly it seems like Usagi and his friends are carrying around their own baggage. Not that screwed up people should be together, but they can probably relate on some level. So don’t be so worried you’re going to put him off.”
They sat in silence for a bit.
“Ok?” Raph asked.
“I’m…still not going to tell him,” Leo said.
“No one is saying you have to,” Raph said. “I just want to make sure it’s not because you think you’re not good enough.”
“Alright,” Leo said softly. “Thanks Raph.”
“Anytime,” Raph said, “You know I’m here for you.” Raph then got an evil grin. “Of course, the most important thing now is revealing to Usagi what a massive dork you really are! Can’t have him thinking you’re actually smooth or some crap!”
“Oh you little-come here!” Leo tackled his brother.
***
“I had to beat Fuwa in yet another match,” Chizu said, looking exhausted as she gratefully accepted a cup of tea from Kitsune. “And several of her top ninja. Because you know, nothing is ever easy. But she agreed to help defend the city, especially when Tetsujin explained that Jei would likely be after the Key Stone. She wants it too, so any threat to the Key Stone is a threat to her. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, or whatever.”
The friends had cleaned up the training gear and were now having afternoon tea.
Usagi was off collecting all the stray arrows he and Leo had shot, muttering something about “Needing to clear his head.”
“You did good babe,” Kitune patted her girlfriend on the shoulder.
They’d explained to Chizu the little contest they’d had, and how it had ended-although Chizu had at least seen that part so she didn’t need much explanation there.
Now the friends were just waiting to see who would return first.
Mikey perked up when he saw Leo and Raph in the distance. He elbowed Donnie and the two took off ahead.
Kitsune made to follow, but Chizu grabbed her arm, shaking her head. “Better let them talk to him first.” she said softly.
Mikey and Donnie met their brothers halfway.
“Heyyy bro. You good?” Mikey asked with a cautious smile.
Leo rubbed his arm nervously. “Yeah. I guess. Sorry for freaking out and worrying you. Um, I was just-I guess I learned something about myself today?”
Leo glanced at Raph who just gave him a thumbs up, then turned back to Donnie and Mikey, who were both looking at him earnestly.
“I may like Usagi,” Leo said very quietly. “Just a little. But you can’t tell him. And I guess that means I like both girls and guys, I don’t know, I haven’t had a lot of time to process this-”
Mikey cut him off by pulling him into a big bear hug.
“I love you no matter who you like!” Mikey said, voice teary. “Thank you for trusting us enough to tell us!”
Leo smiled softly before hugging him back, looking over his shoulder at Donnie.
Donnie smiled back at time. “Yeah, same here,” he said. “We love you, Leo, that's not going to change. For the record, I think Usagi’s a great guy.” Donnie then smiled nervously. “But um, while I appreciate you telling us, and we were definitely waiting for you to confirm it, we also maybe already had our suspicions-”
Leo groaned and dropped his face in Mikey’s shoulder while Raph said “Told you!’
***
“Well hello there,” Kitsune grinned as all four Hamato brothers made their way to the table. “Nice of you to join us.”
Leo rubbed his arm again and looked off to the side before looking up at the table. “Um, I’m sorry about running off earlier,” he began. “I wasn’t feeling well, but I’m better now.”
“Sure thing,” Kistune said smugly, before Chizu elbowed her harshly causing her girlfriend to gasp and look at her, saying “What!”
“You don’t owe us an apology for needing space,” said Chizu firmly, meeting his eyes.
Leo sagged in relief.
“But you might owe Usagi one.” the cat continued. “He thinks you ran off because of something he did, and he’s been collecting those arrows for a while now.”
Leo’s look became concerned. “Which direction did he go?”
***
Collecting arrows didn’t actually take that long.
But it gave Usagi something to do with his hands while he mentally spiraled.
And boy, was he spiraling.
“Does he know how I feel?” the rabbit thought as he blindly yanked arrows out from an old tree stump. “Is that why he ran? Is he repulsed by me? Maybe he can read thoughts? How good are his meditation skills again? Can you get so good you can just read minds through touch?”
The samurai's thoughts became more rampant the more arrows he pulled, his hands growing sore with how hard he yanked them from their targets
“What if I’ve ruined our friendship over this? All because I couldn’t keep my feelings to myself?”
Usagi glanced up at the last arrow stuck in a tree, the one they launched by accident.
That was…higher than expected.
Whatever. He started climbing.
“I thought I had a grip on these emotions. How am I supposed to wield Inazuma and defeat Jei if I can’t keep my feelings under control?”
Usagi was finally next to the arrow, his feet precariously perched on a tree limb. It wasn’t a perfect foothold, but as long as he didn’t lose his balance, he should be fine.
If nothing else, he was still a good farmhand.
He placed one arm on a branch for support and started pulling on the arrow with the other, but it was stuck tight.
The rabbit let out a frustrated breath and took his arm off the branch, yanking the arrow with both hands.
“Some samurai I turned out to be. Getting distracted by a pretty face, I bet this never happened to Miyamoto Usagi. I’m not even worthy to carry his name. I should just go back to Auntie’s farm and-ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!”
The stupid arrow wouldn’t budge! Usagi let out a frustrated groan and in a poor lapse of judgment, placed both feet on the trunk of the tree, yanking with all his might.
“You stupid!-Give!” he said.
“Usagi!” he heard someone shout in a panicked voice.
And that was the last thing Usagi remembered before the arrow finally came free. He enjoyed a brief moment of victory followed by the immediate realization of “ Oh shit” as he was now free falling. There was nothing he could do.
***
Leo was beginning to wonder if he’d been sent on a wild goose chase.
Chizu didn’t seem the type to pull pranks, but he’d been to almost every place they'd fired arrows, and he hadn’t seen Usagi anywhere.
Privately, he was also wondering what he’d do when he saw the rabbit again.
How was he supposed to act around Usagi now? Different? The same?
He should probably act the same. He already felt terrible that he’s made Usagi upset by running off.
But what if he couldn’t act the same? Now that Leo knew he had a crush, what if he automatically started flirting the minute he saw the samurai?
Memories of his younger self flirting with Karai flashed behind his eyes and he cringed.
No. Not again.
Leo was about to give up searching when he heard sounds of rustling and muttering in the distance.
He looked off to his right, brows furrowed in confusion before he remembered.
“ Oh, right! The tree!”
Was Usagi really going after that arrow?
How high up was that thing?
Leo made his way towards the tree when he finally saw the rabbit precariously perched halfway up, yanking on the arrow, his fur dappled in the late afternoon sunlight.
“ Oh, NO. Is this just gonna happen now? Am I always going to have thoughts like this?” Leo thought, alarmed as he made his way over.
But those thoughts soon died, and the turtle started panicking for a different reason.
Because Usagi, who had grown angrier by the second, was now yanking the arrow out with both hands and both feet planted squarely on the trunk.
Leo could see what was going to happen before it happened.
“USAGI!” he yelled, running towards his friend hoping he wasn’t too late.
As soon as the name left his lips, the arrow gave and Usagi was falling.
***
Usagi closed his eyes and braced himself as the ground rushed up to meet him.
Except it did not feel like he hit the ground.
After a couple seconds Usagi opened his eyes and realized he was in someone’s arms.
Oh cool, someone caught him.
He turned his head and was met with a pair of blue eyes.
Oh crap, Leo caught him.
They stared at each other in shock.
“Uh…Hi,” Usagi said after a minute. “Thanks? Nice catch.”
And just like that, Leo was mad. “What were you thinking?!” he snapped. “What were you doing up there?” He still hadn’t put Usagi down.
Usagi shrunk a little under Leo’s gaze, but held up the now freed arrow in his defense. “Uh, I got the arrow out.” he said sheepishly.
Leo stared at him like he wanted to rip the arrow right out of his hands and toss it back up that tree.
And maybe Usagi along with it.
“Why?!” Leo asked.
“Look, I needed something to do!” Usagi snapped. “You seemed upset, I needed a way to keep myself busy-”
“Shell yeah I’m upset!” snapped Leo. “You nearly got yourself killed over a stupid arrow, do I have to follow you everywhere?”
“Not about that!,” Usagi snapped back, trying not to think about the last part of that sentence. “I meant earlier. You just took off! Everyone says it wasn’t my fault, but I can’t help but feel like it is! So I was looking for a way to keep busy if-I mean until you wanted to talk about it!”
Leo’s face lost some of its anger at that, and he finally set Usagi back on his own two feet, rubbing his neck awkwardly.
“I…if it was something I did or said-” Usagi began awkwardly.
“No. It wasn’t you,” Leo said firmly, looking Usagi directly in the eyes despite his pink cheeks. “I was having a…personal problem, and just needed some space. You didn’t say or do anything to upset me in any way, and I’m sorry I made you feel that way.”
They stared at each other for a minute.
“You promise?” Usagi asked.
“I promise.” Leo said with a smile. “I was actually coming out here to tell you that.” His expression became exasperated once more. “Good thing I did, since you’re out here seeking your own death on the tops of trees.”
“I told you, I was just clearing my head!” Usagi threw up his hands in annoyance as they started making their way back.
“And just how clear was it up there, among the clouds?” Leo taunted.
“Haha, very funny Lee,” Usagi grumbled, when a thought suddenly occurred to him. “You know I never asked, you don’t mind that I call you Lee, do you?”
“No,” Leo looked away so Usagi wouldn’t see how pink his cheeks had gotten.
“I don’t mind.”
***
It was a morning that rocked the city of Ninjin to its very core.
A city that hadn’t seen war or any kind of real trouble in more than a century, not since some stupid ancient battle that nobody even talked about anymore, except for the most die-hard historians, who could point you in the direction of where it once took place.
But today that all changed, as on this day the dead rose with the sun, and the old warriors walked once again.
City-goers stopped in the streets horrified. Drivers jerked their vehicles to a halt, honking angrily before they saw what caused the pedestrians to pause, and they too froze in fear and disbelief.
Hundreds of soldiers in ancient enchanted armor, with graying fur and sagging skin, and glowing white eyes that stared straight ahead, unblinking, not really seeing what was in front of them.
They marched in perfect formation, directly down main street, not stopping for anyone or anything.
Eventually the first few people snapped out of their stupor and started running in the opposite direction, screaming while local law enforcement arrived to try and halt the battalion.
Sadly, they were quickly subdued.
***
“We’ve gathered you all here to share some worrying news,” said Kintaro to the crowd amassed outside the Kaikishii Temple. “We’ve been getting reports from newsbotto at the city of Ninjin. Apparently, an army dressed in very old-style armor is making its way down their streets heading in the direction of our city,”
Everyone exchanged worrying glances.
“According to these reports, they don’t stop for anything or anyone,” Kintaro continued. “They do not speak or respond to anything, except when they are attacked. They will fight anyone who blocks their way. And they have glowing white eyes.”
“So my dream was true,” Usagi said. “Jei amassed an army.
“It would seem that way, yes.” Kintaro replied.
“Well then what are we still doing here?!” Raph asked. “Let’s go down there and kick their butts!”
“Not so fast,” said Kintaro. “There’s a couple problems. One, the army is moving at such a rapid pace, that it's no longer in the city of Ninjin. The soldiers seem to be marching with the singular goal of getting here at all costs, likely because Jei commanded them to do so.”
“So let’s meet them halfway and stop them!” said Kitsune. “We just have to take out Jei, right?”
“Well, that’s the other problem,” said Tetsujin. “None of the newsbotto reported a dark wolf among the army.”
“We don’t think he’s with them at the moment,” said Kintaro.
“And, that’s a problem…because?” Mikey asked.
“It could be a trap,” Leo answered.
“If Jei’s not leading the army, where could he be?” Usagi wondered. “What else could he possibly be doing?”
“He could be lying in wait, hoping to lure us away from the Key Stone,” said Chizu.
“We can’t rule that out,” said Tetsujin. “So, we can’t leave the temple unprotected.”
“But obviously, we can’t just let an army walk right to our front door.” Kintaro added.
Mikey groaned. “Are you saying we have to split up again? I feel like we just did this?”
“It’s not going to be the same thing, Mikey.” Leo assured, noticing Usagi’s crestfallen face. “We have way more people on our side, and we only need to go two places. The temple and wherever the army is.” He looked back at Kintaro and Tetsujin.
“Uh-that is what we’re doing, right?” he asked, realizing he might have overstepped.
“Correct,” said Kintaro with a reassuring smile. “We’re positive that Jei is interested in one of two things: The Key Stone and the sword Inazuma. Perhaps it’s a little unwise, but we feel the less spread out everyone is, the better chance we stand, so Usagi should stay within close proximity of the temple.
As for the soldiers, we’ll divide up into two teams. Team A will stay and guard the temple from Jei’s attack. Team B will stop the army.”
“Bummer Raph,” said Mikey. “You probably would’ve preferred fighting the army, but A Team’s stuck at the Temple.”
“What?” Raph asked, swiveling his head to look at Mikey. “No-they don’t mean-we’re not doing that you moron,” he snapped.
“We’re going to figure out who should be on which teams together, but if you have a preference, please let us know,” Kintaro said, side-eyeing the turtles in confusion. “We have a limited amount of time. The army is still far from here, but moving quickly. We expect them to be just outside Neo Edo tomorrow afternoon, and we want to head them off before that. And we’re still not sure where Jei is.”
“I thought you could get a reading on the guy.” Kitsune said.
At this, Kintaro’s face became troubled. “I could. Until a few days ago. Shortly after he left. At first I thought it was just because of how far away he was, but then I realized something is actively blocking my ability to find him. So everyone please, keep your guard up.”
“That’s comforting,” Kintsune muttered.
***
Nightfall seemed to come all too soon.
The details of the plan had been finalized.
A Team would consist of Usagi, Leo, Donnie, Tetsujin, Kintaro, and Chizu.
The Neko Ninja Clan were also on stand-by. Little convincing was needed with constant news alerts of an army coming to lay siege to the city.
At the end of the day, Neo Edo was home for all of them. They’d all protect the city and the Key Stone from some immortal nutjob when push came to shove.
B Team would be Raph, Mikey, Gen, Izumi, Karasu-Tengu, the Mogura Gang and Kitsune.
Kitsune was conflicted about not being by Chizu’s side during the fight, but ultimately decided she could do more damage out the field.
As people ran around tying up the last of loose ends, they also said goodbye to Hana. Toshiko was taking her back to Auntie and the farm that night, just to be safe.
Usagi knew she was a very capable fighter, but Kintaro’s recent stories about Jei acquiring “innocents” for his own use had maybe scared him enough that he’d rather see her as far away from Neo Edo as possible.
Just for a little bit.
“We’ll see you real soon, okay?” Chizu said, giving Hana a hard squeeze. “I want to pay Auntie a visit too.”
“Yeah, I gotta have more of Auntie’s dumplings!” Gen said excitedly.
Mikey lit up at that statement and turned to Leo. “We should pay this Auntie of his a visit before we leave.” he said seriously.
Leo rolled his eyes heavenward, before crouching down to be eye level with Hana. “It was really nice meeting you, Hana,” he said with a soft smile. “You’re an excellent ninja, but in the end, whatever path you wind up taking I know you’ll be amazing. You have a lot of promise,”
Hana smiled wide. “That you Sensei Leo!” she said cheerfully before hugging him.
Leo looked surprised, but eagerly returned the hug, while Usagi looked the other way so no one could see him internally squealing over the cuteness.
When they were done, Usagi also got down to eye level for Hana. “Now remember, be good for Auntie, but do try to have some fun and not work so hard, you’re awfully serious for a kid you know-” Hana rolled her eyes and nodded.
“And Hana-” Usagi said suddenly, nervous. “Just um-be careful okay? Like more so than usual. If something seems off and you don’t feel safe, even if you’re with someone you trust- run, okay? Get out, and get help. Keep going until you feel safe again, okay?”
Hana gave Usagi a weird look. “Okay?”
Usagi sighed, dropping his head.
“I may have an idea,” said a voice.
The rabbit looked over his shoulder to see Donatello holding up a T-phone. “Here, I made this for her when I found out she was leaving.” he said, handing it to Usagi who stared in shock. “Your contact and a couple others are already in it. I figured you might be a little worried given the whole ‘Jei on the loose’ thing and want to keep tabs on her,” Donnie rubbed his neck nervously under Usagi’s intense stare.
“Um, someone’s going to have to show her how to use it, but-GAH!”
“Thank you,” said Usagi from around Donnie’s shoulder where he had the turtle in a tight squeeze. “Thank you all so much.”
“No problem,” Donnie rasped out, looking over at Leo with a panicked expression as he gasped for air. Leo just gave them an amused grin.
***
Hana and Toshiko left just as the sun was setting, with a promise to call soon.
Donnie had given Hana a crash-course in how to use the T-phone before she left.
After that everyone headed to bed for an early night.
They wanted to get a head start on stopping Jei and the army, and be well rested for battle.
All the plans were set
Everyone knew their role.
Nothing was amiss.
But of course nothing can ever go smoothly.
Something had to upset the plan.
It was nighttime after all.
Playtime for our antagonist.
Everyone was for once, sleeping peacefully. Normal dreams. Nothing strange or out of the ordinary.
Well okay, Mikey was dreaming Chris Bradford had turned into a giant pizza and Mikey was eating him to save humanity, but even that was a pretty standard Mikey dream.
The only one who wasn’t having a good night’s sleep was Usagi.
At first, Usagi wasn’t dreaming at all. For a few hours it was fine.
But then things took a dark turn.
He was standing in front of Miyamoto Usagi but something was not right.
They were on a battlefield and there was screaming. Wailing? Some sort of shrieks of the damned.
And Miyamoto had an absolutely haunted look on his face as he stood in front of Yuichi in battle armor, scratches on his face.
“Miyamoto?” Yuchi asked hesitantly.
“She’s in trouble.” Miyamoto said. “You have to save her.”
Yuichi felt his fur stand on end. “Who?” he asked. “Where? Who Usagi?!”
Miyamoto spoke again but Yuichi couldn’t hear him as the shrieks got louder. God. He couldn’t take this. Yuichi covered his ears and asked again, but Miyamoto’s image was getting fuzzy.
Suddenly everything just snapped into dark, like someone had flipped a light switch.
The screaming had stopped.
Usagi could hear his heart pounding in his chest.
It was replaced by familiar, awful chuckling that just got louder and louder.
“You shouldn’t have let her go.”
Usagi whirled around and saw Jei standing there in the black void with an evil grin. He grinned his awful snarling grin at Usagi before parting his robes to show Hana staring straight ahead with unseeing white eyes.
“No! NO !”
“Usagi, wake up!”
***
Usagi jerked upright in bed gasping for breath shouting. “He’s got her! He’s got her! I have to go! I-”
“Usagi, slow down, what are you talking about? Who’s got who?”
Usagi looked over to see Leo and Spot looking at him worried. Spot was whining.
Leo suddenly looked sheepish. “Uhh…Spot came in my room. I guess you were having a nightmare and he couldn’t wake you?” he said before getting back on track. “Usagi what happened?”
“Jei has Hana, Leo!” Usagi cried, close to tears.
“What?!” Leo replied “How do you know?”
“I saw it! Just now! In my dream!”
Leo looked nervous before he said cautiously “Are you sure?”
“What do you-of course I’m sure!” Usagi snapped angrily. “He said ‘You shouldn’t have let her go’ and he had her in his grasp-it was awful!”
“I’m just saying he has a habit of sending us our worst nightmares to mess with our heads,” Leo advised in an even tone, holding up his hands. “It might have been a trick.”
“But my last dream came true, why wouldn’t this one!” said Usagi.
“Okay, okay,” said Leo. “I’m not doubting you. But don’t you want to at least check first?”
Usagi looked bewildered before Leo reached over and pulled out the T-phone.
“I forgot all about that,” Usagi muttered in disbelief, taking it. “Thank you,” he said in a dead tone.
“Anytime,” Leo said gently
Usagi hit Hana’s contact and started dialing.
It rang.
And rang.
And with each ring Usagi grew more anxious until the phone finally went to voicemail. He tried again.
Same thing.
He growled and tried one more time.
“I mean it’s late, maybe she’s asleep?”Leo offered, but he was starting to sound worried.
Usagi gave up, throwing the phone on his bed and yanking off his shirt.
“Ah, WHATAREYOUDOING?” Leo cried out, covering his eyes.
Usagi blinked, momentarily remembering what he was doing and who he was with before thinking, whoops oh well. He continued to change clothes angrily. “I’m going to go out and find her,” he snapped.
“Wha-right now?” Leo asked from behind his hands.
“YES! Who knows what he’s doing to her, this is all my fault, if I'd just kept her here this wouldn’t have happened!” Usagi finished dressing. He grabbed his weapons and Inazuma and started for the door.
Leo took a chance, glancing up from behind his hands, before running after him. “Do you even know where you’re going?”
“I’ll start off in the direction of the farm, I’m bound to run into them eventually,” Usagi said.
“By yourself?” Leo replied, keeping pace.
“I don’t have time to wake everyone up and explain everything,” Usagi said, rolling his eyes. “I’ve already wasted enough time as it is.”
“So don’t wake everyone up,” Leo said, stopping in front of Usagi, halting his tracks. “Wake up one person. The one person who can help us find her faster.”
“What are you talking about?” Usagi asked.
“Kintaro,” Leo said. “He can pinpoint where Hana is. It’s better than you wandering off in some random direction for god knows how long.”
“Kintaro can’t track Jei anymore, he said so himself,” Usagi argued.
“Yes very good, he can’t track Jei,” Leo snapped, getting a little fed up with Usagi’s attitude. “We’re not looking for Jei, are we?”
Usagi raised his eyebrows in understanding.
***
“Of course I can find her, but are you sure what you saw in your dream was correct?” Kintaro asked as they stood outside his room. “You know Jei likes to play tricks.”
“Well, we already tried contacting her ourselves and didn’t get a response,” Leo replied, seeing frustration break out anew on Usagi’s face, and sensing another blow-up. “It would just give us peace of mind to know for certain.”
“It wasn’t just Jei,” Usagi added. “I saw Miyamoto Usagi in my dreams too.”
Kintaro raised his eyebrows at that. Leo looked over in surprise. “Does that usually happen?” Kintaro asked.
“No,” Usagi said. “I see Miyamoto when I meditate, but he never talks to me in my dreams. He was there before Jei was, telling me I had to save her.”
Kintaro looked conflicted, but then sighed. “I can pinpoint where she is and portal you to that area to help save time.”
“Great, thank you,” Leo said, turning to Usagi. “See, this will be much faster than walking.”
Usagi looked over in confusion. “Walking? I was never walking there. That’d take forever.” He turned back to Kintaro. “Which reminds me, let me grab something really quick.”
***
This really was not an appropriate time to be thirsty, and yet Leo was suddenly in need of a drink of water.
Bright lights flashed and a growl echoed down the hallway as the samurai pulled up in a motorcycle before stopping in front of Kintaro’s room.
Kintaro gave him the flattest look, as now it was clear everyone else had been woken up. “We could have just gone outside,” he said.
“I’m in a hurry,” said Usagi.
“I can tell,” Kintaro shot back, before he disappeared back into his room to get his War Axe, dragging it on the ground. No point in being quiet now anyways.
Usagi turned to look at Leo who was kind of just standing there, staring at him. “Are you coming?” he asked.
Leo jumped. “Huh?” he said intelligently.
Usagi cracked his first small smile all night. “‘Are you getting on?” he said. “C’mon, it doesn’t bite.”
Leo rolled his eyes and strolled over. “I know that, I’ve driven some of these myself back home you know.” he snapped getting behind Usagi.
“Uh huh,” the rabbit teased as Leo got on.
The rabbit glanced over his shoulder. “You’re gonna have to put my hands on my waist, or you're going to fall off.” he said with a smirk.
Leo raised an eyebrow at him, before getting a teasing look in his eyes and reaching around to grab Usagi’s waist, putting his head on the rabbits shoulder. “Oh, like this?” the ninja replied with a smirk of his own.
Usagi swallowed looking straight ahead, and hoped his face wasn’t burning too much. “I did not think this through.”
Fortunately, he was distracted by Kintaro coming out and bringing the axe down in the middle of the hallway, opening the arch.
An angry Kitune with messy hair and pjs stuck her head through one of the doors. “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON OUT HERE?!” she hollered.
“Kintaro will explain everything, bye!” Usagi shouted back as he revved the engine. Tires spun on wood and smoke filled the space before the bike peeled down the hallway and through the portal, leaving their friends gawking and coughing in the dust.
Notes:
The bike finally makes an appearance!
Admit it, you KNEW they were going for a ride at some point!
And I have left you all with a terrible cliffhanger mwahaha.
Brace yourselves folks, we're kicking into high gear now!
Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Summary:
You’re comin with me, let’s take a dive. Meet at the rainbow, 9:45. Wear somethin trashy, that’s what I like. We’re on the rooftop jumpin off the sides. Are you f-f-f-f-f-fallin’ fallin’ with me?-Fallin With Me, The Struts
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The cool summer air brought goosebumps to Leo’s arms as they raced along the dirt path.
It was a clear night, just the stars and a giant moon, not quite full yet in the sky.
It would be almost nice if the nature of their trip wasn’t so dire.
They drove along in silence for a bit before Usagi finally spoke.
“Um, thanks for listening to me back there,” he said. “And I’m sorry,”
Leo blinked in surprise. “What for?” he asked.
“For blowing up at you, I guess?” Usagi said. “ And freaking out. You were just trying to help, and I was all set to run off blindly into the night without a plan.”
“You don’t need to apologize for that,” Leo replied. “I’d do the same if it were my siblings in danger. I have done the same when it’s my siblings in danger.”
Usagi didn’t have a response for the warm, fuzzy feeling that answer evoked.
But it didn’t matter anyway because they soon saw a familiar object in the distance.
“Is that what I think it is?” Leo called out.
“The Ashibasha!” Usagi replied.
Sure enough, there was the Ashibasha parked on the side of the road. They pulled up next to it and Usagi was off his bike before the engine had fully shut off, Leo not far behind.
“HELLO, ANYONE HOME?” Usagi shouted frantically.
He jumped when the vehicle suddenly gave a loud snort and flinched, whining.
“Whoa-what’s wrong?” he said.
“Uh, I think you woke it up?” Leo said, bewildered. “I thought I heard it snoring?”
“What?” said Usagi. Suddenly the door opened and there was Toshiko, a sleep mask on her forehead.
“Usagi? Leo?” she asked, rubbing her eyes. “What are you guys doing out here? And why are you shouting at the top of your lungs? You woke Ashi.”
“Toshiko, where’s Hana? Is she safe?” Usagi asked frantically. ‘Why hasn’t she answered my calls? Why are you stopped by the side of the road?”
“Whoa okay-easy with the questions,” Toshiko raised her hands. “Hana’s fine, she’s sleeping last I checked. We both were. We’re too far from the nearest rest stop, so we camped here for the night. But I’ll go get her if it’ll make you feel better.”
“It would, thank you,” Leo answered, since Usagi seemed to be rendered speechless.
They stood there for a moment before a sleepy Hana was led out by Toshiko, safe and sound.
“Usagi?” she asked, confused and Usagi dropped to his knees like a puppet whose strings had been cut, pulling her into a tight hug.
“Hana, you’re safe,” he said, relieved.
Honestly, he didn’t care that he was wrong. He was just glad nothing had happened to her.
“Is something wrong?” Hana asked, confused.
Usagi held Hana out at arms length and looked into her eyes.
One blue, one green. Just like normal.
“No, nothing’s wrong,” he said softly. “Not anymore.”
***
Usagi apologized to Toshiko for waking them up, and explained what had happened.
After hearing about his nightmare, the rhino told him to think nothing of it and decided maybe they should all get back on the road now, just in case.
They were more than halfway there anyway.
Rather than make the long trek back to Neo Edo, Usagi loaded the bike onto the Ashibasha.
Kintaro could send the two back once they were at the farm.
Leo offered to contact the high priest himself, but Usagi said he’d do it.
The relief had worn off, and now the samurai was embarrassed that he’d let a stupid nightmare jeopardize the mission.
He told Kintaro as much, but the old dog told him not to worry about it.
“Jei is a master of manipulation, but you also have a duty as a Kaikishii Warrior to heed signs offered from the spirit world,” the old dog said. “You thought Miyamoto was contacting you, and you listened. You must always trust your instincts. And it is a relief to know Hana is safe.”
That part still bothered Usagi. He really thought Miyamoto Usagi was reaching out to him before.
Did Jei have that much of a hold on him?
He stared out the window in frustration as the sun started to rise. In the reflection, he saw Leo come sit down beside him.
“You should really get some sleep,” Leo said.
Usagi rolled his eyes. “Yeah I’ve kind of ruined both our schedules right before the big day huh?” he said, turning to face Leo. “I'm sorry I dragged you out here.”
Leo looked affronted. “You didn't drag me anywhere. If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be here. I care about Hana too and I’m glad she’s safe. I have no regrets.”
Usagi smiled fondly at that. “Thanks Lee,”
They sat there for a moment before Leo added. “And, you know. I care about you too.”
Usagi stared at surprise before he grinned and teased. “ Really? Little old me? You care about me Leo?”
“Oh shut up,” Leo griped while Usagi cackled.
Leo smirked “Mikey’s going to be so jealous,”
Usagi frowned in confusion. “Why?”
“Because now I’m going to meet your Aunt before he does,”
Usagi snorted “Oh brother.”
“I can’t wait to ask her what you were like as a kid,” Leo continued, an evil glint in his eyes.
Usagi’s grin froze on his face. “Oh no.”
“I bet she has pictures.”
“You know , we don’t really need Kintaro to pick us up, ” Usagi said, not meeting Leo’s eyes. “Let’s just book it back from here on the bike-I feel great, totally well-rested, we’d make easy time-”
“We’re here!” shouted Hana. “I see the farm!”
Usagi groaned, dropping his head in his hands while Leo giggled next to him.
Oh, well. Leo’s laughter was nice at least.
Usagi.
Usagi sat straight up and looked at the turtle. “Did you say something?” he said.
Leo looked back in confusion. “No?” he replied.
Usagi quick while you still can.
Save our family.
It was faint, but he knew that voice.
Who was it?
Hana was eagerly jumping around as they pulled up to the farm. “Hold your horses!” Toshiko said. “Wait for me to unlock the door!”
DANGER. The DANGER IS NEAR.
Oh my god, that’s Miyamoto’s voice.
It's so faint because they’re not meditating.
Usagi has no idea how he’s doing this.
“Wait-HANA STAY IN THE ASHIBASHA!” Usagi shouted, properly freaked out now.
Everyone stopped and stared at him.
“I-sorry-just Hana stay right here,” Usagi said in a much more level but firm tone.
He moved towards the front, grabbing his swords. “Sorry for yelling, but don’t go in yet. Toshiko, stay with her, please. Something is very wrong .”
“How do you-,” Toshiko asked.
“I just know,” Usagi said. “Just let me check the house real quick.”
“I’m coming with you,” said Leo.
Usagi felt that warm fuzzy feeling inside again. “I know,” he said fondly.
They made their way up to the house.
“I don’t know what exactly is the matter, but there’s danger lurking here” Usagi practically whispered. “Miyamoto Usagi was trying to warn me. I’m not wrong about this,”
“I know you’re not,” Leo replied with full confidence
“It is getting increasingly hard not to fall in love with you,” Usagi thought absentmindedly as he gently pushed the front door open.
***
It was dark inside.
No lights were on, and for some reason the curtains were drawn.
“Auntie?” Usagi called after a minute. “Are you home? It’s me, Usagi. Oh, uh, I brought a friend. He’s a ninja, but he’s a nice one like Chizu.”
Leo snorted at that.
“Are you sure she’s home? Is there somewhere else she could be right now?” Leo whispered.
“It’s still pretty early, but she could have left for the market by now,” Usagi replied just as softly.
The utter darkness of the house was setting them on edge.
“Okay, this is ridiculous,” Usagi muttered, going to flip a light switch.
It didn’t work.
They stared. “Maybe it’s just burned out, I’ll try another one,” Usagi flipped another switch in the house.
That didn’t work either.
“Okay, don’t panic,” Leo said. “Maybe she’s flipping the fuse box? Where’s that?”
“Uh, the basement-” Usagi started when he heard a voice call. “Usagi dear, is that you?”
The two brave warriors both leapt about a foot in the air.
“Auntie?” Usagi called back, gripping his chest. “Where are you?”
“The dining room, yukidaruma ,”
Leo started giggling again, and Usagi shot him a spectacular stink eye before making his way to the dining room.
“Auntie,” Usagi called. “What happened to all the lights?”
“Oh Usagi,” she said as he walked in. “I just find in my old age they hurt my eyes.”
Usagi froze in the entrance way. He couldn’t speak.
There was his Auntie. The woman who raised him, practically his mother.
With an awful snarling grin and white soulless eyes.
Leo was rounding the hallway and hadn’t seen her yet, but he did see Usagi frozen in horror.
“Usagi?” he asked worriedly.
That seemed to snap the rabbit out of it. “You bastard.” he spit out.
“Usagi what-oh shit,” Leo added helpfully, finally seeing what had happened.
“ I’ll admit, I’m surprised you found me,” Jei’s cadence echoed out of Auntie’s mouth. “Puts a bit of a damper in my original plans, but oh well,”
“What plans were those?” Leo asked, putting his hands on his swords.
“Using Auntie to lure Hana out to the battlefield.” Jei said “See how well Usagi did when the enemy he had to fight was his own family. I suppose I got too cocky with that nightmare I gave you. Still, you didn’t find me on your own, did you?”
They didn’t respond.
Jei took a sword from Auntie’s hip and raised it to her neck. “Answer me.”
Usagi and Leo raised their hands in panic. “STOP! DON’T!” cried Usagi.
“You had help finding me, didn’t you,” said Jei.
“YES!” said Usagi. “Geez, what does it matter to you?!”
“Because!” Jei snapped. “ I should be fighting Miyamoto Usagi, not you!”
He lowered the sword from Auntie’s neck and ran across the room towards them.
Usagi raised Edgewing and blocked Jei’s attack, sliding across the hardwood floors from the force.
Leo came up on the other side, and Jei growled.
He hadn’t planned on the turtle being here.
Gripping something around his neck, his arm started to pulse with a purple light.
Jei raised his arm, and the dining room table rose from the ground and went flying across the room.
Directly at Leo.
Leo looked up with wide eyes, but didn’t have time to react as the table fell on top of him.
“LEO!” Usagi screamed and charged at Jei anew, taking harder swings with his sword.
He came scarily close to a blow to the shoulder when Jei smirked “Careful now, wouldn’t want to hurt Auntie, would you?”
Usagi froze and Jei took his chance, smacking him hard across the room.
“So this is what the great Miyamoto line has been reduced to,” Jei said. “Pathetic. I should be fighting a great samurai. Instead I’m stuck with this. Do you really think you’re worthy to carry his name? You’re NOTHING like him.”
Usagi didn’t know if it was because those words were technically coming out of Auntie’s mouth, but dang they stung.
“Your aunt was more of a challenge than you,” Jei continued. “ She put up a heck of a fight against me. It took a lot to bring her down. I sense a great warrior spirit in her. What a shame I’m wasting it on you.”
“ You don’t get to talk about my Auntie,” Usagi snarled getting back up. “You’re beneath her. And you’re beneath me.”
Jei cackled. “You’re delusional. And though you may not be the samurai I wish to fight, I will take at least some pleasure in breaking you.”
He came at Usagi again. Usagi raised his sword resignedly.
How was he supposed to stop Jei and set his Auntie free?
***
Leo blinked his eyes open and hesitantly poked his head out.
Thank shell for…well, his shell.
It’s saved him more than once.
Of course he was still trapped underneath this table.
He wriggled and pushed and sighed when he realized he wasn’t going anywhere.
Great. Fantastic.
Usagi’s fighting for his life while he’s just chilling out under some furniture.
Leo winced as he heard some of the awful things Jei was saying.
God, he hoped Usagi didn’t actually think any of that was true.
Sure, he’s not Miyamoto Usagi, but frankly, Leo thinks that’s a good thing.
The two samurai rabbits may share a name, but they are two different people with their own lives and own ways of doing things.
Wait a minute-
Miyamoto Usagi!
Leo may be stuck, but he was not out of options.
He’s never tried meditating in this position before, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.
He closed his eyes and focused.
“Miyamoto Usagi. If you can hear me. Please help. Your granddaughter and great-grandson are in trouble. I need any advice you can give.”
….
“Well maybe I should try Kintaro-”
Leonardo.
“ Miyamoto Usagi? Is that you?”
Yes. Hello old friend.
“ Wow, that was fast. I’m sorry I can’t really chat. I need to know how to help your family.”
I understand time is of the essence. Usagi’s Kaikishii weapon can set my granddaughter free. He just needs to have faith in himself and our familial connection.
“Really? Oh wow, that seems so obvious, I feel dumb. Thank you, I’ll let him know.”
Thank you Leonardo. You and your family have helped mine a great deal.
Leo opened his eyes.
Okay. One problem solved. Another still remained.
He was still stuck.
How was he going to talk to Usagi?
Maybe I can help.
Oh, Miyamoto was back.
I can’t lift a table for you, but if you meditate I can open a spiritual line for you to talk to Usagi through his mind.
“Wow really? Like what Kintaro does? Cool thanks.”
Just close your eyes and focus on the person you need to talk to.
Leo closed his eyes and focused on Yuchi Usagi….
“…Usagi. Yuichi Usagi, HEY USAGI, I NEED YOUR ATTENTION FOR LIKE FIVE SECONDS!”
“Block, dodge, don’t kill Auntie, block, dodge, I’m so screwed, somersault, block, what is my life, backflip, what’s up Leo, block-wait what?”
“USAGI-it’s Leo!”
“Oh, hi! Oh god, you’re not dead are you? Am I hearing you from beyond the grave?”
“No? No, I’m fine just stuck under the table. Miyamoto Usagi made it so I can talk to you telepathically for the moment.”
“Really? Wow, that’s so cool-Wait so you can just like, hear all my thoughts right now?”
“I mean I guess, but just for the momen-”
“OH GOD I CHANGED MY MIND THIS IS BAD-I’m not thinking anything sexy about anybody, I have no thoughts! My mind is a blank void!”
“USAGI LISTEN! I did this because you need to know how to free Auntie! Okay?! Miyamoto told me!”
“Oh? Oh yeah, that’d be good to know, what are you waiting for then?”
“Lord give me strength-your Kaikiishii weapon Usagi. Miyamoto says to use your yo-yo.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.”
“Man, in hindsight that seems really obvious.”
“Yeah, I thought so too.”
“…. Okay then, thanks! Um, is this going to stop now?”
“I guess. Good luck. Talk to you later.”
“Yup! I’ll be over to get you out from under that table when I’m done!”
“...Hooray.”
***
Usagi dodged a near slice to his head as Jei growled in frustration.
“Enough of this! Accept your fate and die worthless samurai!”
“Maybe you should put more effort into trying to kill me!” Usagi snarked back. It was easier to focus on the fight now that he had a plan. Riling up Jei seemed like a good way to distract him.
Usagi had noticed Jei hadn’t used his spear once in this fight, which he found rather odd.
He can’t use it in this room. Not very well, at least.
Usagi blinked. “ Miyamoto? Is that you?”
Yes, great-grandson. I’m sorry. I tried to warn you sooner about what happened to your aunt, but Jei made it difficult for me to reach you. He has a piece of the Key Stone with him.
Usagi glanced down and saw a familiar-looking pendant hanging around Auntie’s neck.
“So that’s where that went. Is that why Kintaro can’t find Jei?”
Yes. It’s given Jei incredible powers. But you have an advantage here too. Jei can’t use his spear well in enclosed areas, that’s why he doesn’t have it with him right now. And despite possessing your aunt’s body, he doesn’t have her swordsman skills. Force
Jei into a corner and disarm him, then use your Kaikishii weapon to set your aunt free.
“Got it. Thank you Miyamoto.”
Don’t thank me for burdening you with an old enemy. Usagi heard his ancestor say before his voice faded away.
Usagi blocked another strike from Jei.
“You’re going to join your turtle friend in eternal rest!” Jei snarled.
Usagi didn’t respond to the taunt, partly because he knew Leo was fine and partly because he was checking the room for tight spaces.
Ah, the corner between the china cabinet and that overturned chair will do nicely.
“Are you listening to me?!” Jei roared.
“Sorry, what? No, not really,” Usagi teased as he circled Jei, placing himself in the direction of the back corner. “I’ve been told I’m not a very good listener.”
Jei snarled in frustration, and his blows became harder. Usagi blocked them with ease, but carefully began backing up, making it seem like Jei had him cornered.
“What does your sensei even see in you? What does anybody see in you? Easily distracted, easily subdued, easily cornered. How are you a Kaikishii Warrior?” Jei raised Auntie’s sword up high for a final blow.
Usagi shrugged with a smirk. “The Key Stone thought I was worthy. But then again, I think she knows I like to surprise people.”
And Usagi jumped, right over Jei’s head.
Whipping out his yo-yo he had the weapon wrapped around his aunt before he even landed on the other side.
“What?” Jei shrieked, but Usagi pulled the string taut and concentrated hard.
“Auntie, if you’re in there, I need to fight this with me. I’m here now. Please.” Usagi called out.
I’m here Usagi. I’m with you. I’m not giving up.
“GET OUT.”
“No. This is my mind. YOU GET OUT.”
Auntie’s whole body glowed a dark navy blue, nearly purple. The glowing white from her eyes turned to a bright peach color.
Then there was a horrible shrieking, but it wasn’t coming from Auntie, as a black fog expelled from her eyes and mouth and shot to the roof.
The two rabbits collapsed on the ground.
Jei snarled from the ceiling and made to grab them when his eyes widened.
He was not as stable as he was before.
He was still floating about the ceiling in a mist.
Panicking, Jei looked around frantically as the rabbits came to.
He saw the pendant still around Auntie’s neck.
Diving for it, he snatched it up just as she opened her eyes.
Auntie lurched back bopping him on the nose out of reflex but it went right through him.
They stared at each other in shock before he took off for the nearby window.
“Hey! Get back here you coward!” Usagi ran after him, stopping at the window leaning out.
He didn’t see Jei.
“Unbelievable! After all that garbage about me being weak-Auntie!” Usagi ran back to his Aunt. “Are you alright? Does anything hurt? When did this happen?”
“Usagi,” she said with a smile, touching his cheek gently. “Slow down. I’m fine, thanks to you. I’m so proud of you, my brave samurai. So grown up.”
Usagi smiled and hugged her before his eyes widened. “Leo!” He turned back to the table. “Quick, Auntie, I need your help! Jei trapped my friend under here!”
“Under the table?!” Auntie asked frantically,coming over. “You stupid boy, why wasn’t that the first thing you did? Are they hurt?”
“I thought I was your brave samurai,” Usagi whined. “And he’s fine by the way, just stuck.”
“You can be both a brave samurai and a stupid boy Usagi, and right now you’re both.” she snapped as they moved the table.
They both blinked in surprise as they found a chuckling ninja turtle underneath the table.
“I knew I’d like your Aunt,” Leo said with a wide smile.
Notes:
Me casually trying to figure out how to have a one-on-one fight between Usagi and Jei with Leo in the room.
Also me: Casually drops table on top of Leo.
He's fine guys, don't worry.
If you guessed Hana being in danger was a red herring, you get a cookie.
If you guessed Auntie was the one in trouble instead-WOW you get-- a whole pie maybe?Yukidaruma-Snowball
I like to think it's a cute childhood nickname Auntie sometimes uses for Usagi.Also, I've been receiving so much wonderful fanart guys!
I've been showing it off over on my tumblr (same name, paymeinpikachus) and it's in the comments of the latest chapters, but in case you haven't seen it, check it out! It's incredible!https://www.instagram.com/p/C6-nqIXvUBH/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6a77g0PHPz/?img_index=1
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6mpbpHBdw5/?igsh=ZmZxcWRidnM2czBl
https://www.tumblr.com/sewersludgeovo/749811732370915328/did-a-lil-something-for-this-fic-here?source=share
Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Summary:
“What I am is always up for conversation.
From my biceps to the heels, I can change.
Hungry like a shark, bite me in the dark.
I am your creation, come and shock me back to life.
And tell me, who am I? Who-who-who am I?”-
Who am I- The Struts
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Leo was fine, but both Usagi and Auntie looked him over just to be safe.
Hana and Toshiko were finally allowed in the house, much to Hana’s relief.
They’d definitely become concerned about five minutes in when they saw a chair fly through a window, and phoned everyone back at Neo Edo, informing them something was going down. Toshiko was caught between leaving Hana in the car and going in there to help.
Roughly five minutes after that Jei came spewing out of the window into the early morning air, like smoke off a burnt pie.
Now Leo was on the phone relaying the details of the fight to the gang back in the city, while Auntie explained her version of events to Usagi.
“It happened the other night on my way back from the market,” Auntie said, troubled as she offered her nephew a cup of tea. “Jei was disguised as a neighboring farmer I regularly talk with on my way home. It was part of my evening routine, so I thought nothing of it. Until I realized we’d passed his house ages ago, and were nearly at mine. When I pointed it out, he started feeding me excuses and his story fell apart. That’s when I knew he was a fake. Jei gave it up and revealed himself, and we fought. I held him off as long as I could, but he had a piece of the Key Stone. I don’t know where he got that.”
Usagi looked down, upset. “It’s my fault.”
“Why do you say that?” Auntie asked.
“I failed to defeat Jei when we fought at the Kaikishii Temple,” Usagi said. “I let my emotions get the better of me. If I’d just finished him off the first time, we wouldn’t have an army coming after us and you would’ve been safe. Jei may be evil, but he’s right. I’m nowhere near the samurai Miyamoto Usagi was, I don’t measure up-”
‘“-You don’t honestly believe that, do you?”
Usagi looked up. Leo was standing in the doorway.
His phone call was apparently over.
“Lee, uh,” Usagi stuttered. “I, well, I just mean what Jei said about Miyamoto-”
“Jei is a delusional maniac who fuels his power by creating peoples’ worst fears.” Leo cut Usagi off. “We know this. Are you telling me your worst fear is that you’ll never be as good as Miyamoto Usagi? Or never be just like him?”
“Uh, well-” Usagi started, but apparently Leo wasn’t looking for an answer.
“Because I can answer at least one of those right now. You’re not like Miyamoto Usagi.”
Usagi felt his heart drop.
“And that fact has no bearing on whether you’re a skilled warrior.” Leo continued firmly. “You are two different people. You may share his name and follow him into the Bushido Code, but you , Yuichi Usagi, will have your own style of fighting, and your own way of choosing to resolve disputes. In fact, you already have. Karasu-Tengu told me how you always opt for peace with the yokai when you can.”
“And being different is not a bad thing,” Leo said, his tone softening slightly.
“Being named after him is supposed to be an honor, not a burden. If you try to be exactly like someone else, try to fill shoes that aren’t yours, you-” Leo’s voice broke slightly, and he swallowed. “You can lose yourself in the process. Take it from someone who tried. You don’t need to be Miyamoto Usagi. You need to be Yuichi Usagi.”
They stared at each other. Usagi had no words.
“Okay?” Leo asked after a minute.
“Okay.” Usagi said softly.
Leo turned his attention to Auntie. “Um, pardon me, is there any water left for tea in the kitchen?” he asked sheepishly.
She smiled at him fondly. “Yes Kyuri , it should still be hot too.”
Leo turned pink and whispered “Thank you,” before walking off.
Usagi slowly turned to face his Aunt.
“What?” she asked with a knowing smile.
“Kyuri? ” Usagi replied appalled.
“He’s green.” she argued.
“Nicknames already?” Usagi said. “You haven’t even known him a day.”
“I like him,” said Auntie. “He’s rather wise, for a ninja anyway,” she winked.
Usagi groaned and dropped his head on the table.
***
After convening with everyone on Leo’s T-phone over a late breakfast, a new plan was set into motion.
It was pretty similar to the old plan.
B Team was still going to head off the army, and A Team was guarding the temple, which was almost guaranteed to be attacked by Jei at this point.
Kintaro would be opening a portal for everyone soon.
Auntie was coming along to help in the fight.
Leo got up to help clear the table, when Usagi stopped him. “Lee, you don’t have to do that, you’re a guest here,” he said gently shoving the turtle back in his seat as he helped Auntie grab the dishes. “I’ve got this,”
Usagi carried the dishes to the sink when he felt eyes on him. He turned to see his Aunt smiling at him.
“What?” he asked.
“I think he’s good for you,” Auntie said..
“Uh, what?” Usagi asked nervously, turning back around to start cleaning .
“Oh Usagi don’t play coy with me, I’ve raised you since you were a bunny.” she continued. “I’ve never seen you look at anyone that way. You two have been teasing each other since you got here. And offering to clean the dishes. Since when do you do that for guests?”
“I’m just being a good host, you raised me with manners!” Usagi argued.
“Yes and occasionally they make an appearance, like now,” Auntie teased while Usagi gave her a flat look. “He’s very polite, and good with Hana,” Auntie continued. “And if he’s one of the Kappa Warriors he must be a good fighter-”
“He is!” Usagi said finally. “Oh, we had a sparring match earlier Auntie, you should’ve seen it, it was so much fun! I could hardly keep up with him, he’s full of surprises! And sometimes he-”
Usagi cut himself off, crossing his arms when he realized what she’d done. “Oh, nice try.” His face fell a bit. “I…I’ve never felt like this about someone before, Auntie. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Do I tell him? What if he doesn’t feel the same way and I ruin our friendship?”
Auntie gave Usagi a gentle smile. “Love-and life-Usagi-are about risk. If you think it's worth taking, you go for it. For what it’s worth, I don’t think you’d lose Leonardo as a friend if you told him how you feel. But I also think you’d be surprised by his answer. After all, how can he say no when you laugh at his unfunny jokes?”
“What do you mean?” Usagi asked. “His matcha joke was funny!”
“If you say so,” Auntie said skeptically.
“Didn’t you get it? Matcha’ bliged!” Usagi snorted hard, recalling it.
“I got it, sweetheart. I just didn’t laugh.”
***
A few miles between the farm and the city of Neo Edo, Jei was struggling to take physical form.
That stupid yo-yo really did a number on him.
As his hands faded in and out of existence he grappled with his tiny sliver of the Key Stone until he finally grabbed hold and focused, drawing from it until he could feel himself binding and becoming whole once more.
Jei sighed in relief.
That was better. Still not as strong as before, though.
He had a temple to get to, and a sword to retrieve.
Time to move forward with the final phase of the plan.
***
“I CAN’T believe Leo got to meet Auntie first! Without us!” Mikey griped as the B Team plotted out positions.
They were in a forest just a few miles out of Neo Edo, and a few miles from where the army was last seen. The soldiers were expected to arrive within the next hour, so they had to move fast.
Raph rolled his eyes. This had been going on all morning. If he had to hear one more peep from Mikey about how unfair it was Leo met his future Aunt-in-law first or whatever Raph was going to lose it-
“So everyone’s clear on what they’re doing then?” Izumi said, rolling up the map.
“All good here, Chikabuma,” said Chikabuma giving a salute. The salamander nodded and the leader of the Mogura Gang led his moles off, burrowing underground.
“We’re good too,” Gen said, nodding with Raph. Kitsune nodded as well before elbowing Mikey hard who was still grumbling. Mikey sighed and gave an unenthusiastic thumbs up.
“Good,” Izumi said, turning to Kiyoko. “Let’s show this army that no one invades our city,” said the robot.
With that Kitsune, Mikey, and Raph disappeared into the treetops.
Gen, Izumi and Kiyoko stood waiting at the front line.
It wasn’t long before they heard the marching.
And saw the hundreds of soldiers.
“Well, that’s not quite what I expected,” muttered Izumi, taking in their less than lively appearance.
“Creeepy,” Gen added, as the undead soldiers continued to march without stopping or stumbling, or pausing for a breath they didn’t need.
Before they got too close, Izumi called out “Soldiers of Ninjin, heed my warning! I am Safaia Izumi, descendent of the warrior Azula, and ally to the Kaikiishi Warriors, whose temple you dare to attack! I know you are under a powerful spell, and do this not of your free will! If you can hear me, listen! I will give you one chance to stand down now! Otherwise we will be forced to stop you!”
But the soldiers just kept on coming.
Kiyoko patted Izumi on the shoulder, “It was worth a try,” she said comfortingly.
Izumi reached into her robes and pulled out a T-phone.
“Proceed with Phase One,” Izumi said.
“Copy that. Chikabuma,” came through on the other line.
For the first time since they started marching, the soldiers began to stumble as the ground shook and became uneven.
Then at least half of them disappeared altogether down a gaping hole in the ground dug open by the Mogura gang.
Izumi drew her sword. “Our turn,” she said. “Phase Two!”
Izumi, Gen and Kiyoko charged headfirst into the battle.
Kiyoko was able to knock several soldiers off their feet with her arms alone, which is what she preferred to do honestly. She could blast them, but knowing that these guys were being controlled against their will made it harder on her conscience.
Izumi and Gen weren’t nearly as bothered. The salamander flew like lightning from soldier to soldier knocking the next one out before the first hit the ground.
Gen charged though like a literal tank, both clubs drawn and a razor attached to his horn.
The three weren’t even winded yet, but they were getting noticeably outnumbered, so backup dropped from the trees.
Just as a soldier was about to sneak up on Izumi, Raph dropped in front, sliding his sai underneath the walrus’s spear, sending it spinning away.
He grinned eagerly, “Let’s dance, pal,”
Mikey and Kitsune worked together to push back dozens of soldiers. It seemed like they might actually win the fight.
When they got a worrying call on Mikey’s T-phone.
“Hey, is anybody there? Lizard lady ain’t picking up, and we have a Chikabuma problem,” Chikabuma said.
Mikey picked up his phone. “‘Sup, Chikabuma, where’s the fire?” he asked as he brought his nunchuck down on a soldier's head.
“These guys in the hole aren’t going to stay down for much longer.” Chikabuma said “They’re waking up and crawling back out.”
Mikey and Kitsune shared panicked looks. “Are they just going to keep getting back up?” Kitsune asked.
“We can’t just stay here and fight them forever!” Mikey said. “Or however long it takes to take Jei down! We need a back up plan!”
“Wait, that gives me an idea!” Kitsune said “But I’ll need Izumi to buy me some time! Hang in there Chikabuma, you’ve got this!”
“I mean, we’ll try, what else can we do, Chikabuma!”
Kitsune and Mikey fought their way through to Izumi to explain.
“I think I can set the soldiers free, but I’ll need you to buy us some time. Can you execute Phase Three of the plan?” Kitsune asked.
Izumi looked at the battlefield and nodded. “If things are that dire, might as well.” She pulled out the T-phone and shouted “PHASE 3!” in warning.
They waited a couple seconds while Raph, Kiyoko, and Gen scrambled to get out of harm’s way.
Then she nodded. “Fire away.”
Mikey grinned and pushed a button.
Off went the landmines they’d laid in the battlefield a few hours prior.
Kitsune wished she could enjoy the glorious bloodshed more, but she had a job to do.
She looked around and spotted a fox soldier still passed out on the ground.
Perfect, he’ll do.
She dragged him over to the side, tying him up for good measure and sat down.
She exhaled and pulled out her Kaikishii weapon.
Kitsune hadn’t actually done this before.
Last time she was on the receiving end.
But she at least had to try.
She closed her eyes and focused on…fox guy.
“Oh god, I don’t even know his name.” she thought. “No, you know what it’s okay, that doesn’t matter. Focus on what does matter, Kitsune. This is the spirit of a soldier being forced to fight against his will by an evil being. An evil being who did the same creepy possessive stuff to you. Actually, you have that in common. Focus on setting the soldier free, and you won’t have to fight anymore. Let me help you, please.”
“..Hello?” a voice replied.
Mikey glanced over to see both Kitsune and the fox soldier’s eyes were glowing green.
“Uh I can’t remember…That’s a good sign, right?” he asked Gen.
The light faded as Kitsune clutched her head and the soldier on the ground groaned.
He was still tied up but Mikey rushed over to guard Kitsune just in case.
The soldier looked up at Kitsune. His eyes were slightly glassy, but they were clear.
Brown irises, black pupils.
“Thank you,” he said.
Kitsune smiled. “You’re welcome,” she reached over to untie him. “What’s your name?” she asked.
“During the Battle of Ninjin, I was known as Colonel Tamanegi.” the fox said as he stretched his limbs. “But you may call me Faji,”
“Faji?!” Kitsune squealed excitedly.
“Yes, it’s my first name.” he said with a soft smile and a faraway look.
“Nice to meet you, Fuji,” said Mikey. “Now is there a faster way to free your friends? Kitsune is gonna get wiped out quickly if she has to do this every time.”
Faji seemed to think on it for a minute before reaching for an emblem clipped to the front of his uniform. “If you meditate on this,” he said, holding it out to Kitsune. “You should be able to connect to all my soldiers. We all received one when we joined the war.”
Kitsune held out the bronze pin. It was about the size of a medal but surprisingly light, with the image of an orange imprinted on it.
She closed her eyes and focused hard.
It was taking much longer this time around. Mikey was getting worried as he saw his friend break out into a sweat.
She opened her eyes in dismay “I-I don’t know if I can do this on my own,” she said looking overwhelmed. “There’s just so many of them.”
Mikey smacked his forehead in realization. What were they doing? Kitsune wasn’t the only Quiche Warrior here.
“Wait here!,” Mikey said, running off.
“Gen!” he called out to the rhino fighting on the battlefield. “Kitsune needs your help!”
Gen looked up from where he was shoving off two soldiers at once.
“What’s wrong?” the rhino called out in concern.
“She needs you to help her set the soldiers free with your quiche weapon thingies!” Mikey said.
“Kai-ki-shii weapon!” Gen corrected taking another swing at a monkey soldier. “And I can’t! I never learned how to do that!”
“Newsflash, dude!” Mikey said. “None of you did! I saw your friends all pick it up on the first try! Kitsune just did it now! But she can’t do this next one without you, there’s too many of them! Your friend needs you! Plus if you don’t help her, we’re gonna be stuck fighting these guys forever!”
“Say WHAT?” shouted Raph as he grabbed a giraffe in a headlock.
Gen nodded before running off to help Kitsune. Mikey took Gen’s place helping the others in the fight.
“Kitsune,” Gen said, approaching his friend. “Tell me what I can do to help.”
“This is a tall order,” she replied, holding out the medallion. “We need to focus on this, and all the soldiers on the battlefield. They’re each wearing one, that’s what connects them. Just…think about how you want to save them from Jei’s wrath, and set them free. Find that mind link and you’ll be able to get in.”
Gen nodded and placed his hands on the medallion over hers. They both closed their eyes and focused.
Again, for a couple moments, nothing happened.
But finally, both Gen and Kitsune’s eyes snapped open, hers glowing a bright green, his violet.
All along the battlefield, soldiers started having the same effect. First just one, then five, then row upon row of them started glowing in shades of green and violet as they were set free of Jei’s spell.
Exhausted, the soldiers collapsed to the ground. Eventually, the last soldier was freed and Gen and Kitsune flopped backwards with their own tired groans.
Some of the soldiers seemed confused as to where they were and how they got there.
Faji climbed to the top of a nearby boulder and loudly explained that they had been brought back by an evil spirit to fight in a war not their own, but that the Kaikishii Warriors had set them free.
Other soldiers who remembered meeting Jei briefly backed him up and filled them in. The soldiers humbly apologized to everyone else, who easily forgave them.
“I’m just glad we could stop you guys before you reached Neo Edo, no offense,” Gen said with a grin. “Now the others just have to worry about Jei.
Faji looked alarmed. “But…this is only half of us?”
Everyone went dead silent. “What do you mean?” asked Izumi.
“We’re the soldiers of the Orenji Army who served in the glorious battle for Ninjin,” Faji said. “ But Jei resurrected everyone from that battle. Including those we fought.”
“You mean there’s a whole ‘nother army?” Raph said. “And you’re sure they’re not here?”
“I don’t see them, no,” Faji said. “And it’s pretty easy to spot the army of Ume coming,”
“Why’s that?” Kitsune said with some trepidation.
“They’re all made up of blue jays,” Faji replied with a wince. “They fly,”
“I’m calling Leo,” Raph said in a panic.
***
The sky was overcast in the City of Neo Edo, putting all the residents on edge.
Last time it rained, a full-on war nearly broke out and the Kaikiishii Temple practically came tumbling down.
At the temple itself people weren’t faring much better, as they were bracing for a similar showdown to occur.
This time they were hoping for a better outcome.
The Neko Ninja Crew was patrolling more of the city than normal.
Donnie was busy rigging up every sort of explosive and tech trap he could conceive.
Chizu, Tetsuijin, and Kintaro were doing round-the-clock patrols of the Key Stone Temple, taking shifts.
Usagi was actually not hanging out in the temple, but in the courtyard not too far away.
They were hoping they could lure Jei away from the Key Stone with the promise of Inazuma.
Usagi looked down at the sword.
He really hoped this worked. The samurai felt like his training with Izumi and Karasu-Tengu had helped a great deal. He was definitely more in control of his emotions, but something still worried him.
A little talk they’d had about finding your center and inner peace.
“You must be true to yourself and who you are to use the sword,” Izumi said.
“That shouldn’t be a problem for you,” Karagu-Tengu said with a knowing look. “Usagi’s always been sure about who he is and what he wants to be.”
Usagi knew his sensei meant well, but the truth was, in the past couple days he’d never had more doubts about who he was in his life.
The constant back-and-forth about whether he should be more like his namesake Miyamoto Usagi, who fought Jei countless times, who could move mountains, who made friends from other times and other dimensions, a serious fearless samurai who always came out on top.
Or be more like Yuichi Usagi, who leaped before looking, spoke before thinking, was friendly to yokai, loved to fight, definitely had a grape stuck up his nose for a whole year, chose a yo-yo for a Kaikishii Weapon, but hey, ended an alien invasion and stopped a zombie army so he’s not doing so bad?
Also he likes boys apparently.
Well one specific boy.
Yeah that was the other thing screwing with his mind.
Usagi wasn’t screaming DENIAL anymore, but the constant daydreaming about Leo during mediation had to stop.
It was cramping his style.
“You okay?”
Usagi did not scream, thank-you-very-much as he looked up from his sword at the approaching object of his affections.
“Uh-YEAH, I’m great, what's up with you?” he asked, trying not to cringe.
Leo raised a brow before sitting down next to his friend. “You’re burning a hole into that sword with how hard you're staring,” he said.
“Oh, uh-I guess I’m just plotting out how best to take down Jei ha-ha,” Usagi laughed nervously.
“Hmm,” Leo gave him a sideways look. “You know you’re not doing this alone, right? We’re all here to help you. I’m here to help you.”
“I know,” Usagi said softly.
“Your great-grandfather didn’t even fight Jei alone, so don’t go thinking you have to,” Leo added.
“Okay,”
They were silent for a little bit.
“Um…I’m sorry if I overstepped before,” Leo finally said. “When I said-well, when I yelled at you about not having to be like Miyamoto Usagi. It’s not bad to have role models. I just…I didn’t like to hear you talk about yourself like that. I think you’re a great fighter and a good friend. You clearly work hard to be good at what you do. And I feel like all this stuff from Miyamoto’s past–well it’s just not fair to pin it all on you anyway. It’s not comparable. Like I said. You’re not the same person. And you shouldn’t be. I like Yuichi Usagi as he is. He’s a good friend.”
Leo’s face was bright red as he looked down, stumbling through the end of his speech.
Usagi stared at him, his jaw hanging open slightly, before snorting. “Gee thanks. I like me too,”
Leo punched him in the shoulder.
“OW!”
“I’m trying to apologize for before!” Leo snapped.
“Okay, okay,” Usagi giggled. “For what it’s worth I don’t mind, I think I needed to hear it at the time honestly. I’ve been kind of getting in my own head about this stuff so…thanks I guess, I appreciate it.”
Leo searched Usagi’s expression for a second before relaxing.
“Even if it was kind of awkward with Auntie there,” Usagi tacked on with a grin.
“Oh god, don’t remind me,” Leo groaned. “What must she think of me now?”
“Oh relax, she thinks you’re incredibly wise or something…for a ninja,” Usagi said with a smirk, loving the squinty-eyed look Leo was giving him. “I think you might be her favorite of my friends. After Chizu anyway.”
Leo gave Usagi another hard shove but he was starting to smile now too.
“But seriously,” Usagi said with a grin. “Nothing about me reminds you of my ancestor Miyamoto Usagi? Nothing at all?”
“I didn’t say that.” Leo replied.
“Well come on!” Usagi said, getting on his hands and knees and leaning into Leo’s personal space. If the turtle’s cheeks turned slightly pink, neither of them said anything. “There must be something! My appearance, the way I fight, ooh-maybe we both share a catchphrase!”
“He did not have a catchphrase. Not in the time I knew him.” Leo replied.
“Yeah but you do.” Usagi shot back.
Leo’s eyes widened. “How did you-”
“Mikey told me.” Usagi said with a grin. “Something about a Space Captain-”
“Excuse me.” Leo abruptly shoved Usagi off of him and stood up. “I have a brother to hunt down-I mean have a word with.”
“Wha-no you can’t right now-Lee, he’s not even here!” Usagi laughed, grabbing the turtle and spinning him around. He laughed harder at the pout on Leo’s face at the reminder that Mikey was, in fact, not in the city currently.
Usagi’s laughter died down at their close proximity, and the pout faded from Leo’s face.
His hands were still on Leo’s shoulders. Leo didn’t remove them.
“Your scar,” Leo said finally.
“Huh?” Usagi asked eloquently.
“He had a scar on his eyebrow in the same place as you do,” Leo continued softly looking at Usagi’s eyebrows before dropping to meet Usagi’s eyes. “He didn’t have your eyes though.”
Usagi felt his heart lodge in his throat.
“Maybe I should tell him.” the samurai thought.
“Also,” Leo continued. “When we were sparring, I noticed that when we lock blades, you do this goofy flourish with your wrist to loosen it. It’s tricky and stupid, and I’ve seen literally only one other person do it-your great-grandfather.”
“I NEED to tell him.”
Usagi looked down, mustering up whatever courage he had left before looking back into Leo’s eyes. “Leonardo,” he began. “I need to tell you-”
But Leo wasn’t looking at him anymore. The ninja’s eyes were wide and staring at something over Usagi’s head.
“What’s that?” Leo said, pointing.
Usagi turned to look and saw-
-Several black dots in the sky.
Growing closer.
And larger.
As they stared, Leo’s T-phone went off.
Leo picked it up. “Hello?”
“Leo, you’ve got a big problem heading your way!” Raph shouted hysterically on the other line.
“I think I can see it, but tell me more,” Leo muttered.
“We won, but we only have half the army!” Raph continued.
Usagi and Leo froze. “You’re kidding,” Leo said. “Tell me that’s not what’s in the sky right now.”
“Shit, they’re already there?!” Raph said.
“ They?” both Leo and Usagi said. “Who’s they, Raph?” said Leo “What am I looking at?”
“The army of Ume,” said a voice Leo didn’t recognize. “They fought against the army of Orenji in the battle of Ninjin. They are composed entirely of blue jays.”
“And they’re under Jei’s control too!” Raph continued. “Leo-the only way to set these guys free is to do that thing Usagi did to you with his weapon, but you have to get a hold of one of them first, and they’re in the friggin’ sky!”
Leo released a breath. “Okay,” he said.
“Okay?!” both Raph and Usagi said.
“We’ll handle it,” Leo continued, voice steady. “Raph, everybody-good job on stopping the ground army. I’ll call Kintaro and tell him to send you guys home.”
“Mikey’s already on that-” Raph said.
“Good,” Leo said. “Get back here and do what you can to help us. We’ll knock out as many of these things as we can and protect the city.”
“We have to get Chizu,” Usagi said. “She can help us break the spell on the soldiers. That’s officially what all the Kaikishii Warriors are doing. Um, how did you free so many at once?”
Kitsune came on.
“You just need to find some piece of armor all the soldiers share,” she said. “Something that connects them. That’s your link.”
“Right, got it.” Usagi said. “Thanks, see you soo-”
He was cut off by a loud SQUAWK . Both Usagi and Leo looked up to see they were out of time as the army descended.
Notes:
OOOhh, they were so close to a confession!
I'm just teasing ya'll now.So, if you've been keeping track of the chapter count guys-you'll notice we only have two more left =(
It's been a fun ride, but we're in for the home stretch now.
Brace yourselves.Kyuri-cucumber
Auntie's already nicknamed Leo lol.
She knows he's special.Faji literally means fuzzy.
Colonel Tamanegi has a soft side. ;)The tea joke happened offscreen.
Basically Usagi gave Leo matcha and he said "Matcha 'bliged"
Like "Much obliged"
Usagi was the only one who laughed, he thought it was the funniest thing he's ever heard.
I really wanted to do something with Usagi laughing at Leo's corny jokes, but I couldn't think of any until I was writing this chapter and that popped in.
I'm really good at puns, but they have to come organically lol.
I just imagine the look on Leo's face when someone laughs at one of his jokes hard for a change-like seeing the sunset for the first time.
Chapter 13: Chapter 13
Summary:
Twilight Samurai-Saxtri
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Things were quiet.
Too quiet.
Chizu should’ve expected something to go wrong, or “tits up” as Kitsune liked to put it.
Still, the cursed blue jay army descending from above was a surprise.
Chizu and Kintaro were protecting the back door to the Kaikiishii Temple while Donnie and Tetsujin manned the front.
As Chizu fired arrows from her weapon, her T-phone buzzed.
She stared at it with some trepidation, before hitting what she hoped was the right button. She was still getting the hang of this thing. “Hello?” she said.
“Chizu, it’s Usagi!,” a voice said through the phone.
“Kind of busy right now,” she replied, tucking the phone between her neck and shoulder so she could continue her onslaught.
“I know, we’re having the same problem over here -GAH!” She heard squawking and fighting on the other end of the line. “Listen this is important, it’s about taking these guys down!”
“Uh huh. Sure. Okay. Got it. Alright, see you.” She hung up and turned to relay the information to Kintaro. “So, I can take these guys down with my Kaiskishii weapon, but it’s going to take a while. Also, I need to find a common denominator. Something they’re all wearing? So we need to get a good look at one of them at least.”
“Oh, that’s what we’re dealing with?” Kintaro responded. “I can help with that.” The Blessed One suddenly reminded everyone just how powerful he was by levitating in the air, eyes glowing as he shot a shockwave of light out at the first row of blue jays in the sky.
They froze in mid air, then started plummeting toward the earth. “Oh whoops!” Kintaro said catching them with his powers before the birds could become splotches on the ground.
He pulled one to Chizu. “Will this do?” he asked kindly.
Chizu looked at him stunned. “Uh, yeah thanks.” she said.
“Uhhh, where am I? What’s going on?” the bird in armor groaned.
“Long story,” said Chizu. “But if you want to help me free your army from this horrible curse, I need to know what symbol you all carry into battle.”
***
“I didn’t have zombie birds on my bingo card!” Donnie shouted as he took another swing with his bo staff.
“I did, but I wish I’d been wrong!” Tetsujin responded as he hurled another blue jay back into the air.
“We’re not down and out yet boys!” Auntie cheered, as in a weird twist of fate she stood back-to-back fighting alongside Lady Fuwa. “Let’s send these birds south for winter!”
Donnie turned just in time to see a neko ninja get snatched out of the sky. His jaw dropped and before he could think, he took off running. Using his staff he launched himself onto a pavilion roof and pulled out a hockey puck bomb and-taking a page out of Casey Jones’s book-sent it flying towards the air-born soldier with his staff.
It hit the bird who let out a screech, dropping the ninja as it fell.
Okay, now he had a new problem.
Donnie leapt off the roof and took off again, making it just in time to catch the ninja before they hit the ground.
“Oh sewer apples, I’m so sorry, I didn’t think that through-are you okay?” he asked.
The ninja, a little dazed, yanked her mask off her head. A pretty siamese with blue eyes stared up at him.
“That was pretty cool,” she grinned. “Thanks,”
Donnie felt his face turning red. “Uhhh, n-no problem,” he said softly, gently setting her back on her feet.
They turned their heads skyward as more squawking rained from above.
The neko ninja sighed, pulling her mask back on. “Back to it I guess.” she said.
Donnie, who had frankly had enough, decided it was time for a quicker method. They were meant for Jei, but he could spare one bomb. He held an arm out to stop his new acquaintance and pushed a button.
BOOM. Several birds were sent flying.
“WOW. Or we could just do that,” the neko ninja said, impressed.
“I only have so many of those.” Donnie replied. “How long are we going to be fighting these guys?”
“Not too much longer, my brother!”
“Mikey!” Donnie turned around to see Mikey strolling up. “When’d you get back?”
“Just now!” the orange banded turtle said, jumping into the fray. “Figured you could use some help holding down the fort while the others get ready to take down the army for good.”
“Do they have an actual plan?” Donnie asked as the three ninjas continued to fight off soldiers.
“Yeah it’s all good Dee. They just need a bit of a recharge and they’ll be good to go.”
“Recharge?” Donnie questioned.
“Yup.” Mikey “But don’t worry. I’ve brought us back up in the meantime.”
Donnie and the neko ninja turned to see Mikey did indeed, have back up with him.
Quite a bit.
An army you could say.
“The army of Orenji is here to help,” a bear soldier saluted from the front.
“Oh boy,” Donnie replied.
***
If you had asked Leo more than twenty-four hours ago how he thought today was going to go well-
Taking off in the middle of the night with Usagi on his motorcycle wasn’t it.
Fighting Usagi’s possessed Auntie in their dining room really wasn’t it.
But this?
He was now back-to-back with the samurai as they fought a swarm of undead bird soldiers out for blood.
You’d think you couldn’t surprise a Ninja Turtle anymore.
You’d be wrong.
Leo was beginning to wonder how many more swings he had left in him, when he saw an abnormal number of blue jays hitting the ground.
That wasn’t him.
Looking up, Leo realized they had a guardian angel in the form of Karasu-Tengu who was making it rain Holy Hell in the sky.
Thank god.
“Okay,” Usagi hung up his phone. “Chizu says it’s their helmets. I just have to grab a helmet off one of them, and-”
“Here you go,” Leo offered haggardly, holding out a helmet on the end of a sword.
“Oh, thank you,” Usagi said sweetly as he took it. “Uh, how am I going to do this, we’re pinned down?”
“KARASU-TENGU, WE NEED COVER!” Leo shouted, causing Usagi to jump.
Thankfully she heard him and came to their aid.
“They really seem to be targeting you two specifically,” she said worriedly.
“Not us, I think they’re targeting Usagi,” Leo said, watching with wary eyes.
“I need to focus on this helmet so I can set them free,” Usagi said.
Karasu-Tengu nodded. “I’ll help Leonardo protect you,” she said, spreading her wings. “Let’s show them we mean business,” she said darkly.
Leo and Karasu-Tengu guarded Usagi with fierce determination while Usagi focused.
And focused…
And focused…
“Not to put pressure on you or anything, but what’s taking so long?!” Leo snapped as he was tackled by a bird and backflipped the creature off of him.
“I’m trying!,” Usagi said, frustrated. “There’s just so many of them! I’ve never done more than one before!”
“Maybe I can help.”
Usagi looked up to see Gen, Raph, and Izumi.
And dozens upon dozens of soldiers.
Leo and even Karasu-Tengu looked surprised.
Raph nodded at the fray. “Alright guys, time to show us your stuff,” he said.
A fox in uniform raised a sword. “For the honor of General Daikon!” he shouted and the soldiers charged forth at the blue jays.
“That should keep those guys busy for a while,” Raph said, helping Leo up. “You okay?”
Leo stared at Raph blankly, “Yeah, thanks. It’s been a weird day,”
Raph snorted. “Coming from us that’s saying something, huh?”
Gen went over to Usagi. “I can help.” Gen said. “It’s too hard to try to do that alone. Kitsune and I had to work together to get the other guys free, and it completely wiped us both out.” he brightened. “But luckily, the Key Stone was able to give us a recharge so we’re good to go! Chizu and Kitsune are handling half of the army at the temple. I’m here to help you.”
“Thanks Gen,” Usagi said.
Gen nodded and placed his hands on the helmet. The two closed their eyes and focused hard.
It took a couple moments, but then their eyes snapped open, Gen’s glowing violet, Usagi’s a dark navy blue.
Gradually the soldiers of blue jays stopped attacking as their eyes took on the same hue. They slowly descended to the ground shaking their heads in confusion.
“What’s going on? Where are we?” one muttered.
“Last thing I remembered was that googly-eyed nutcase telling us to fight a samurai rabbit and take his swords from him,” another said.
“You’ve all been under a terrible spell,” said Faji. “The same one we were placed under by a madman known as Jei. Luckily, the Kaikishii Warriors have set us all free.”
The army of Ume looked at their former foes warily before a bird in high-ranking uniform strode forward. “Colonel Tamanegi,” he said formally.
“General Buruberi,” Faji said back stiffly.
“It seems in this new era, dragged back into the world of the living, we find ourselves fighting another war,” continued General Buruberi. “But this time on the same side.”
“Yes, it would appear so,” Faji replied as the tension visibly left his shoulders.
The blue jay nodded. “Let us put the past aside then and do our part to end this nightmare.” He extended a wing to the others. “Thank you for setting us free from that monster’s prison. Please allow us to repay you by joining your side in battle!”
“Yeah sure, why not.” Raph answered, shrugging.
Suddenly there was a great howling screech from above. Everyone turned their heads upward to see lightning flash across the sky.
Black lighting.
“That’s not normal,” Leo said.
“I think somebody’s mad,” Raph teased.
“Jei senses he’s lost his men,” Faji said, turning to Buruberi. “Are all of your men split between here and the temple?”
Buruberi frowned and thought. “I can’t be sure. Jei may have taken some of them along for protection.”
Faji nodded. “We will have to be prepared then.”
“Kitsune and Chizu can handle the other half at the temple.” Leo said. “I think Jei’s become our biggest problem now.”
“Uh, Leo?” Leo turned at Raph’s concerned tone to see Usagi and Gen were barely conscious. “How is Usagi going to fight Jei like this?”
“We have to get them to the Key Stone,” said Izumi. Everyone turned to her in surprise. “It’s what we did for Gen and Kitsune,” Izumi explained. “The Key Stone gave the two of them a power boost.”
Leo nodded. “Then that’s what we’ll do,” he said and looked up with a cringe as the sky let out another howl.
“It might take a couple minutes,”Izumi warned.
But they were about to find out they didn’t have a couple minutes as Leo’s T-phone went off. “Guys, guys!” Donnie said. “Jei’s here! We spotted him downtown and he’s making his way towards Me and Mikey!”
They all looked at each other.
“What are we going to do?!” Raph said panicked.
“Use this to our advantage,” Leo said. “Jei wants something to hunt? Let’s give him something to hunt.”
“WHAT?!” Raph hollered.
“Look, I know he’s interested in the stone and Inazuma, but he’s also vengeful.” Leo continued. “He’s been trying to pick us off since we got here. We just have to buy Usagi some time while the Key Stone… ‘re-charges’ him or whatever.”
Usagi was wiped, but his ears still worked fine. He heard this whole plan and needless to say, didn’t like it.
“N-no, don’t-don’t do that…” he said weakly. “We can-we can think of something else-”
“You’re taking a big risk with your life here,” Karasu-Tengu agreed, looking at the turtles with parental concern.
“We can do this,” Leo said with confidence. “It’s not the first time we’ve had to play keep-away,” He turned to Usagi, gently adding. “Remember what I said? You’re not alone in this.”
Karau-Tengu nodded. “I will fly Usagi and Gen to the temple, it’s faster.” she said.
“I’m coming with you,” Izumi said. “I want to go over a couple more things with Usagi about Inazuma.”
Leo turned to Raph. “Let’s go help our brothers,” he said, holding out his fist.
Raph sighed. “Just another day in paradise huh?” he joked, bumping his fist with Leo’s.
“Would you like an escort?” General Buruberi asked suddenly.
“Uhhhh,” both brothers said with wide eyes, realizing the blue jays were offering to carry them on their backs.
“We will get you there much faster,” the blue jay continued.
Raph turned to Leo who just shrugged. Raph rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air. “Okay, I guess we’re doing this,” he walked off to get aboard a bird.
Leo turned back to Usagi who was already getting picked up by Karasu-Tengu.
The ninja gave the samurai one last smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine! I’ll see you soon, okay?” he said.
“Leo, come on! I ain’t doin’ this alone!” came Raph’s desperate cry.
Leo rolled his eyes and turned around. “I’m coming, you big baby!” he shouted.
“W-wait,” Usagi raised a weak hand to the turtle’s retreating back. “I h-have to tell you something…”
But the ninja was too far away and the samurai was out of strength.
***
“Impossible,”
Jei growled as he strolled through the city making his way to the temple.
“How could those pathetic excuses for warriors best my army? They were perfect. My own creations, forged with divine blessings from the gods.”
Electricity sparked from his spear as he fired at anyone who dared get in his way.
There were an awful lot of filthy ninja in this city.
That would be the first thing taken care of when he got ahold of Inazuma.
Nearing the courtyard, Jei glared as he saw them-the turtles.
Two of them anyway.
He snarled and fired a black sphere of energy in their direction.
Jei took satisfaction in watching them scatter like cockroaches.
Until an explosion went off underneath his own feet, sending him flying about twenty feet backwards.
“Haha, nice one Donnie!” he heard the orange one yell.
Jei snarled, getting up. Well, he had a few surprises of his own.
He stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled.
Ten soldiers of the Ume Army came soaring out of the trees.
Jei wasn’t stupid, he had kept some on hand for himself.
And lucky for him, this group didn’t have any Kaiskiiskii Warriors with them to help them out.
“Aw shell,” he heard the two brothers mutter.
Jei grinned. “Let’s have some fun, shall we?” he said, spinning his spear.
***
This was weird, even by Usagi’s standards.
He had meditated near, on and with the Key Stone so often, she was kind of like an old friend at this point.
It wasn’t something his friends or even Tetsujin approved of, because usually the side effects of Usagi doing it for too long were that he got super wiped afterwards, and sometimes broke out into nosebleeds.
They were kind of worried it was scrambling what little brains the rabbit had.
But this time they were apparently relying on the Key Stone to do the opposite.
Usagi wasn’t really sure how this was going to work, but according to Gen (who’s already done this once today, bless his heart) all he had to do was extend his Kaikishii Weapon to connect to the Stone like normal, and she’d do the rest.
So he did, and at first nothing special happened, it was like a normal connection with the Key Stone- WOW.
“ Holy cow, what a buzz, I feel like I can taste my teeth, this is like five cups of coffee, are my thoughts loud?”
Suddenly he felt hands yanking him back out.
He looked up to see Gen looking down at him worried. “You good?” he asked. “It’s a lot, Kitsune and I were bouncing off the walls the first couple minutes.”
“I can hear my heartbeat in my eyeballs,” Usagi said in response.
Gen let out a breath. “Well, he’s definitely charged,” he said, turning to Izumi and Karasu-Tengu. “He’ll have enough energy to take on Jei if he doesn’t run right by him first.”
Karasu-Tengu slapped her forehead while Izumi approached the rabbit. “Usagi,” she began.
Usagi looked up from his hands, which were shaking slightly. “Yes?” he asked.
“I don’t mean to overstep,” Izumi began. “But now is the time to be sure that you are of clear heart and mind. Since I had the fortune of meeting your Aunt earlier, I did ask her if there was any reason your mind or heart might be in discord. She said that as long as she’s known you, you’ve never once doubted who you are and who you were meant to be. However, recent talk from others comparing you to your ancestor has made you question yourself a little bit.”
Usagi waved her off. “Oh, don’t worry about that,” he said. “I’ve recently had a few talks with.. someone …that kind of opened up my eyes and made me realize I was being kind of dumb.”
“Nevertheless,” Izumi said. “I…if I was the one to put those doubts there-with my talk of ancestry and the burden it carries-I’m sorry. It was not my intention. I just want to make sure you have a clear heart and mind as you face your enemy. In this moment you must be steady, but also true to yourself. As long as you remain you to your core, Yuichi Usagi, you cannot fail.”
Usagi stared at Izumi hard for a solid five seconds. “True to myself,” he repeated.
“Yes,” she said.
He stared so hard the other three were becoming concerned.
“You know what you’re right Izumi, I have been dishonest,”he said. “In my heart.”
“Um, you have?” she asked, confused.
“Oh no,” Gen muttered, having a feeling he knew where this was going.
“Yes, but I’m going to take your advice, and clear my conscience before battle!” Usagi leaped up, grabbing his swords and taking off towards the temple exit.
“He’s not doing what I think he’s doing,” Gen said desperately.
“Where are you going?” Karasu-Tengu called.
“To fight Jei of course!” Usagi shouted back. “But first, I’m going to tell Leonardo that I’m in love with him!”
“ WHAT?!” came the collective cry of his friends.
“Usagi no, that’s a BAD idea!” Izumi shouted frantically.
“But this secret has been weighing on my heart for days!” Usagi laughed. “I have to be true to myself, like you said! Plus maybe if I do this, I’ll stop picturing him all the time when I meditate!”
“I don’t think that’s how that works!” Gen shouted but Usagi was already gone.
“That’s not what I meant!-That’s not what I told him to do at all!” Izumi said, turning to Karasu-Tengu whose face was once more buried in her wing.
The bird yokai just signed. “Don’t bother,” she replied. “Usagi-kun is a…challenging student. Rewarding, but…challenging.”
***
“CHIZU!” Usagi shouted as he ran past her aiding wounded soldiers and ninja. “I’m gonna do it! I’m going to tell Leo I love him!”
“What, now?” Chizu asked, confused as her friend continued on his way at breakneck speed. “Why?”
“It’s going to help me defeat Jei!” he called over his shoulder.
“ How?!” she shouted but the lovestruck samurai was already long gone.
“Welp, let’s get going,” Chizu turned to see her girlfriend standing eagerly by her side with a toothy grin. “Ain’t no way I’m missing this.”
“You can’t be serious,” Chizu said.
“Of course I am,” Kistune replied, then held up her T-phone. “Besides, it sounds like those guys need help.”
***
So, things could probably be going better.
Leo and Raph were playing a hairy game of hide-and-seek in a hedge maze with Jei, and Jei was winning.
Ninja stealth only took you so far when your opponent just kept blasting holes in the hedge walls.
All four of them had been alternating who would keep Jei versus the blue jays busy for the past couple of minutes, because without the neo gang or Kintaro around, those damn birds just kept getting back up.
They had maybe two tied up in chains and another in a nearby net, which left seven still flying around trying to pluck them out of their shells.
Donnie, unfortunately, was long out of landmines, but Leo could still hear a couple pocket bombs getting launched into the sky every now and again.
Leo ducked just in time to miss another black sphere of energy that nearly took off his head. He glanced at Raph across the newly formed hole and gestured with his hands.
Raph nodded and the two started circling in opposite directions trying to close in on Jei.
“I know you’re there, Kappa,”
Oh crap, that was a lot closer than Leo thought he was.
Leo stared in shock as Jei rose up over the other side of the hedge, his spear crackling with black lightning, his grin a mile wide.
Leo didn’t have time to duck this time.
He heard Raph shout his name before a white beam of light suddenly came from the left knocking Jei several yards sideways.
Leo blinked, wondering how he was still alive.
“Leonardo, are you alright?!”
Leo turned and saw Kintaro floating over.
“Uh, I think so?” he said in response. “Thanks,”
Kintaro sighed. “I was worried I got here too late,” he said. “Look, Usagi’s doing better, he’s on his way, but I thought I could help buy you some time. We’ve taken care of all the soldiers at the temple,”
“We’ve still got a couple soldiers here”, Raph said, wincing as he heard Mikey scream somewhere.
“No, it’s okay, we’ll handle them,” Leo said, turning to Kintaro. “Kintaro if you can, please, hold him off until Usagi gets here.”
Kintaro nodded. “He should be here soon, he was moving pretty fast,” then his fast turned serious. “In the meantime, I’m going to give that wolf hell while he waits to meet his doom,”
And the pug took off.
“Dang,” Raph said with a grin. “I kinda like angry Pug-taro.”
***
Jei snarled standing up. The whole world was spinning in a painfully familiar way.
I was wondering when you’d show up, brat. He thought.
He looked up at the Blessed One, no longer a child but a grown man, an old man.
He had reached his full potential, as the prophecies had once predicted.
A fate Jei had tried to prevent.
“That power should’ve been mine,” Jei snarled. “It is my duty to rid this world of evil. You should have relinquished it to me. It is foretold by the gods.”
“You have very eschewed ideas of what the gods want,” Kintaro responded. With a snap of his fingers Jei went flying back several feet. “I’m going to rip that Key Stone piece off your neck.” Kintaro said coldly. “Then Usagi is going to finish you off.”
Jei snarled, clutching his pendant tight as he drew more power from it, spinning his spear in his other hand.
“Come and get it then, brat,” he taunted.
***
Usagi sprinted towards…well he wasn’t exactly sure where Jei was at this point, but his best guess was to follow that spectacular light show in the sky.
Beams of yellow light and black lightning were being thrown back and forth.
As he happened upon a maze directly below, he squinted upward trying to see better.
“Is that… Kintaro?” he said, tilting his head.
“Usagi, WATCH OUT!”
The rabbit was tackled by his side into the grass.
He looked up into the eyes of the one person he’d been looking for.
“Lee!” he exclaimed happily.
“Lee” was a lot less enthused, giving the rabbit a glare. “You almost got your head taken off!” the ninja snapped, rolling off Usagi and firing another arrow into the sky, sending a dive-bombing blue jay squawking to the ground.
“Oh-thanks!” Usagi said “Listen, before I go after Jei there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Can it wait ‘til later, kinda busy right now,” Leo said, firing another arrow.
“Uh, not really,” Usagi said suddenly, nervous. “Izumi said I needed to be true to myself, and true to my heart, and if I’m not true to my heart I could blow this fight-or was it clear heart-or clear mind-the point is I have to say this now-what I am I saying I can’t do this here-this isn’t how I pictured doing this at all-”
“-Usagi, what are you talking about?”, Leo said, looking properly at the rabbit this time in concern.
Usagi felt like he was on the verge of a heart attack, and this time it wasn’t because of the charge he got earlier. Leo must’ve seen something on his face, because he grabbed the rabbit’s hand and led him underneath a small bridge.
“Okay,” said Leo, double checking both sides before turning to face the samurai. “We should be safe here for a while. Now take a deep breath and relax. You have my full attention.”
Usagi’s heart was hammering harder than ever, but looking into Leo’s eyes did help.
They were such a calm shade of blue, like a lake.
He tried again.
“Izumi said all I have to do– to use the sword Inazuma,” Usagi began. “Is to be me down to my core and be true in my mind and heart,” he paused. “Um, I think that means not holding anything back-and the truth is I’ve been keeping something from everyone for a while now-mostly from you.”
Leo raised an eyebrow at that.
“This is not how I wanted to do this,” Usagi continued, looking around annoyed, hands on his hips. “I was hoping for a more romantic setting, but time is of the essence here and beggars can’t be choosers I guess.”
Leo felt his breath catch in his throat.
“Alright I’m going to try with words anyway,” Usagi closed his eyes and thought for a moment, before looking back at Leo. “You’re in my head-a lot. It’s so bad that’s what was ruining my meditation a few days ago. I try to focus and all I can think about is you.”
Leo felt his face flush.
“I think about how much fun I have sparring with you,” Usagi continued, his voice growing stronger. “I think about the funny jokes you told me the other day. I think about how you always make sure your brothers are eating enough or how you love helping and spending time with Hana.”
“I think about how you’re always willing to listen to anything I have to say, no matter how stupid.” Usagi’s voice was softer now. “I think about your eyes. Your laugh. Your smiles, you have many different types and I’m still learning them all. When you’re not around, I think about what you could be doing at that moment and how long I have to wait until I can see you again.”
Both their faces were practically on fire at this point.
“I’m in love with you, Leonardo,” Usagi finished.
There was a moment of silence before Usagi added hurriedly “Um-it’s okay if you don’t feel the same-I just needed you to know before I-”
“-I love you too Usagi,” Leo said.
Usagi’s jaw hung for a second before his whole face lit up in a smile. “Wha-Really?!”
Leo was giggling slightly with flushed cheeks. Oh, there was another new smile for Usagi to document. Was this one just for him?
“Yes,” Leo continued. “And you know what else I love about you, Usagi?” he said leaning in close.
“Uh, what?” Usagi asked, slightly dazed.
“You’re impeccable sense of timing,” Leo teased.
Usagi spluttered. “I-this seemed like the right thing to do! Izumi said I had to be true to myself, to use the sword!”
“Right. Let’s blame this on Izumi and the sword,” Leo said flatly while Usagi pouted. “You’re lucky I like you back. What if I said no, Usagi? How’s a heartbroken samurai supposed to defeat Jei?’
“Uhhhh,” the look on Usagi’s face made it clear he had not considered this scenario.
Leo just rolled his eyes. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Usa.”
“You think I’m cute?” Usagi said happily.
“Don’t push it,” Leo said with pink cheeks.
They were both suddenly brought back to reality by an explosion and nearby screaming.
Wide-eyed they peeked out to see Donnie lying flat on his back about ten feet away, dazed and a little smoky, but mostly unharmed.
“I am officially out of bombs,” Donnie announced to the sky.
Usagi and Leo looked back at each other. “We should uh-probably get back out there,” Leo said, rubbing his neck, embarrassed.
“Yeah, I need to go-uh, take care of Jei with the sword and all,” Usagi said, holding up Inazuma unnecessarily.
“The sword, yeah,”
There was a pause as they looked at Kintaro and Jei still duking it out in the sky.
“How are you going to get up there?” Leo finally asked. “Are we bringing Jei down here?”
“ I’ll bring him down here,” Usagi said, turning to look at Leo with a firm gleam in his eyes. “I know what to do now,”
Leo searched Usagi’s face for a minute then nodded. “Okay,” he said. “We’ll be here waiting for you. I’ll be here,”
Usagi smiled fondly, “I know.”
He started making his way towards the middle of the field, directly under the fight.
Leo bit his lip, deliberating for a minute before calling out “Usagi!” and running after the rabbit.
Usagi turned around “What?!” he said, trying to be patient. Don’t get him wrong, he was happy he told Leo how he felt, but time was of the essence now, he had to stop Jei and-
-and all thoughts of Jei or anything else on this planet earth quickly fled his mind as Leo grabbed him and kissed him.
“WOW. Oh, okay,” Usagi thought somewhere in the back of his brain. “We can make time for this. In fact, let’s just rain check all plans currently, I could spend a few more hours doing this-”
Somewhere in the distance Raph could be heard shouting “Are you fucking kidding me?! Right now?!”
Leo pulled back from a very dazed Usagi and said “Be careful up there, okay?” sternly.
Usagi stared in shock for a minute before breaking out into a huge grin and saying “YEAH! I mean, yes-I will! Be careful, that is! Okay, see you in a bit! We should do this again by the way-bye!”
And he took off practically bouncing, passing his friends on the way, shouting “Guys! I told Leo I loved him! It was great! He loves me too! He kissed me!”
“Aw, crap, we missed the confession?!” Kitsune snapped.
Leo was having a really hard time keeping a grin off his face watching his doofy-boyfriend?-Is that what they were now?-practically dance off to battle, high off just one kiss from Leo of all people.
I did that. Good for me.
“What the hell was that?!”
Leo turned around to see his brothers running up to greet him. Raph looked annoyed, Donnie bewildered, Mikey incredibly smug.
“Uhhh,” Leo said intelligently.
“LEO!” Mikey said with glee. “Kissing in the middle of battle?! That’s normally Raph’s thing!”
“Yeah-HEY wait!” Raph snapped.
Leo shrugged, knowing his face must’ve been red but unable to stop smiling. “He told me he loved me and I told him I loved him too. I think I have a boyfriend now?”
“Look, I’m happy for you but like this couldn’t have waited until I don’t know-THE BATTLE IS OVER?!” Raph hollered. “We’re fighting for our lives out here!”
Leo just rolled his eyes. “You are the last person I want to hear that from,” he said even as he pulled out his swords. “If I had a nickel for every time I caught you and Mona smooching during a fight, we could build our own subway station.”
“Wha-that’s-that’s not true!” Raph spluttered, turning red.
“Yes, yes it is, we’ve all seen it,” Leo, Mikey, and Donnie said in reply.
Raph growled, face the color of his mask before whipping out his sai. “JUST BEAT THOSE BIRDS BACK, IDIOTS!” he snapped as the four came together and attacked the blue jays with newfound vigor.
***
Kintaro hated to admit it, but he was getting tired.
He could match Jei beat for beat, but therein lay the problem.
He should be stronger than Jei, not matching him.
That damned Key Stone piece was giving Jei a hell of a power boost.
Kintaro redirected another one of Jei’s lightning bolts. Glancing down, he saw to his relief that Usagi was finally here.
Time to stop wasting time and get what he came for. This should at least make Usagi’s job a little easier.
Kintaro saw Jei was going to shoot another one of those annoying energy spheres.
That gave him an idea.
The old dog waited until Jei released it and raised a hand as if to block it.
Instead, he grabbed the sphere with his hand.
Kintaro began feeding his own energy back into it.
Jei watched with disbelief as the sphere turned from black to gold and doubled in size.
Then with a flick of a finger, Kintaro sent it barreling back Jei’s way.
Jei was smacked with the full force of the sphere, throwing him into the side of a nearby building, screaming in pain.
He was embedded so hard into the wall he couldn’t even fall forward.
Exhausted, Kintaro floated over. “I’ll be taking this,” he said, snatching the pendant off Jei’s neck. He began to float away. “This belongs with the Key Stone, not you.”
Jei muttered something weakly.
“What was that?” said Kintaro, turning around.
“I said, by the gods' blessing, that stone BELONGS TO ME!” lighting cracked in a straight line from the sky onto Jei. He was like an antenna, a conduit for the source as he took none for himself but directed it down his staff and pointed it straight at Kintaro.
The old dog knew he couldn’t block this in time. It wouldn’t kill him, but damn this was going to hurt.
But then the black lightning met its match.
***
Usagi was still riding his high from having kissed the boy of his dreams when he finally skidded to a stop right below where Kintaro and Jei were fighting.
He shook his head and tried to focus. Right. He had a job to do. He had to take this monster down.
Then maybe after he could kiss Leo some more.
The samurai looked up and cringed. Things were getting ugly up there.
Kintaro was throwing everything Jei gave right back in his face and then some, but the wolf was really channeling this storm, which had only gotten worse.
The amount of lightning flashing through the sky was unnatural, and was definitely Jei’s doing.
But Usagi knew lightning wasn’t the enemy here.
It was his ally just as much as Jei’s, and he was going to use it wisely this time.
The samurai unsheathed Inazuma from his side and closed his eyes, briefly asking the gods-and Miyamoto-once more to aid him in this battle.
Then he centered himself and focused.
The sounds around him faded away, the pounding rain, the howling wind, his friends still fighting, even the match happening up above.
He listened instead to the crackles of the thunder, and the faint hum coming from the sword.
Blue bolts began to extend outward from the sword, running along Usagi’s arms and legs. His fur began to stand on end. Finally when he knew he timed it just right-his eyes snapped open and he pointed the sword skyward.
A silver bolt of lightning shot down hitting Inazuma and flooding his body, but Usagi felt no pain. He felt powerful and he felt more connected to the sword than ever before. The power flowed evenly between samurai and sword in perfect harmony without one drawing too much from the other.
Usagi looked up in time to see Kintaro throw Jei into a wall. He saw the dog take something from the wolf and also saw the wolf’s vicious retaliation.
There would be no time for Kintaro to block that attack.
Bracing himself, Usagi launched from the ground in a bolt of silver lightning and blocked Jei’s attack.
Inazuma’s blade seemed to swallow the black lightning whole, drawing it in.
What didn’t go down the blade sparked all around Usagi’s arms and sides before being directed off into nearby trees.
Jei stared stunned, into the stern face of his rival's successor.
For a split second, he thought he was looking at a ghost.
Then he started to chuckle, before it turned into full blown laughter. “Well this certainly is a surprise,” he said. “And rather fortunate. I’ve been looking for that sword. How nice of you to bring it to me”
“If you want it, you’ll have to take it from me,” said Usagi.
Jei laughed again. “Have you come to finish me off, samurai?” he taunted.
Usagi gave Jei a small smirk. “You know I have,” he said.
“ Well, we’ll see just how well you wield that sword,” Jei said, “Perhaps you’ll prove me wrong about you yet, but I doubt it,”
And with that, Jei launched another black bolt of lightning at Usagi.
Usagi absorbed it once more into Inazuma and this time, directed it back at Jei.
Jei deflected it carelessly towards a nearby building, singing its sides.
Usagi’s eyes widened.
“Well, that’s going to be a problem.” he thought.
Jei smirked, and this time made another one of his spheres of electricity.
Usagi thought fast, deflecting it into the courtyard reflecting pool.
God, he hoped the fish were okay.
“See, that sword can take a hit, but the rest of the city might not survive,” Jei said with a snarling grin. “You should just give me the sword now and I’ll leave the city in peace.”
Jei blinked as the rabbit disappeared in a bolt of lightning.
“I highly doubt that,” Usagi said from behind.
It was his turn.
“AAAAHH,” Jei howled in pain as Usagi shocked him from behind.
Usagi didn't let up, remembering what his great-grandpa said about Jei being weak to close range attacks.
He pushed closer and closer, forcing Jei to hold him off with his spear, but unable to draw anymore lightning.
“Having connection issues?” Usagi taunted as their blades locked.
Jei growled, shoving the rabbit back and making a stabbing motion with his spear aiming for Usagi’s shoulder.
He missed, but forcing Usagi back gave Jei the space he needed to extend his hand to the sky once more and call forth more lightning.
Except it didn’t go to the wolf this time.
The previously unassigned bolt went directly to the samurai rabbit, who was just a little bit faster.
Jei looked at Usagi in rage and just a little bit of fear. The rabbit was practically glowing blue and silver now.
“I think we’ve had enough of your light show,” Usagi said just a tad too calmly, with a smile that was just a touch sadistic. “Let’s wrap this up now, shall we?”
***
“Boy am I glad you guys showed up,” Raph said gratefully as he, Mikey, and Donnie lay worn out on the grass.
Chizu, Kitsune, and Gen had managed to de-curse the seven persistent blue jay soldiers still remaining and were now taking care of the other three tied up.
“I mean, I could’ve fought them for the rest of my life, if I had to,” Raph continued. “But you know, it’s nice that I don’t, so thanks,”
“I couldn’t, I’m bushed,” Mikey admitted freely.
“No problem,” Kitsune giggled.
Leo was just as tired as everybody else, but he couldn’t sit still. His eyes were fixed on the spot in the sky where Usagi and Jei fought.
Black and blue lighting bolts dancing across a gray cloudy canvas.
It was beautiful.
And terrifying.
“He’ll be okay,” a voice said to his left. He turned and saw Chizu giving him a knowing look. “Usagi’s got this,”
“I know,” Leo said in a tone that sounded like he wasn’t sure before looking back up. “So why am I worrying anyway?” he muttered anyway.
“Welcome to the world of dating, brother,” said Raph. “Doesn’t matter how good of a fighter he is, you’re always going to be a little bit worried about him. Of course, not all fights are going to be as uh…intense as this one”
“Great,” Leo replied.
“Hey it’s not so bad,” Kitsune chimed in. “Think of all the fun you’ll have fighting together. You can be ‘The sword swinging duo’,”
“OH my god, never say that again,” Donnie said as Mikey howled with laughter.
But Leo wasn’t paying attention as he realized something had changed in the sky.
“Is he-?” Leo started.
“Yes,” Chizu answered.
“CLEAR THE WAY, THEY’RE COMING DOWN!” they both shouted as they took off running.
Everybody else jumped before also they also started running once they realized what was going on.
Usagi and Jei were coming down fast, spinning in a blue of black and white (Mikey would later swear they formed the Yin and Yang symbol) before they both hit the ground so hard they left a large crater.
No one had time to absorb that fact though, because immediately after that came a high pitched squealing noise as the two split apart like polarizing magnets, shooting off to opposite sides of the field.
Jei definitely came out the one looking the worse for wear. Usagi merely slid back on his feet, Inazuma braced on his hip, a few scratches on his face. Jei groaned as he stumbled to his feet covered in dirt and cuts.
“ You little brat,” he snarled. “I’m going to make you suffer for that one,”
“You’re delusional,” Usagi replied, as everyone peeked their heads over to watch the fight. “Look around. Your army is gone, you have no Key Stone, and you’re out of juice.”
“The only delusional ones here are you and your family,” Jei said “ Miyamoto couldn’t kill me and neither can you.”
“We’ll see about that,” said Usagi.
Jei snarled and reached for his spear.
Only to realize he didn’t have it on him.
Jei blinked, looking all around him in alam.
“Looking for this?” a voice called teasingly.
Jei and Usagi both looked over to see Mikey with a shit-eating grin, holding the spear high above his head, standing near the crater where Jei must've dropped it.
“YOU,” Jei snarled. “Give that back now and I promise to make your death quick and painless.”
Mikey just stuck his tongue out at him. “Nuh-uh,” he said.
“You DARE,” Jei raged.
“You want it, come and get it!” and Mikey took off running, leaping in zig-zags and front-flips all over the destroyed battlefield while Jei chased him.
“GET BACK HERE AT ONCE!” Jei howled giving chase.
“KEEP AWAY!” Mikey shouted, throwing the spear to Raph as Mikey caught up. Raph thumbed his nose at Jei before tossing the spear to Donnie, who tossed it to Chizu.
Usagi just stared in bewilderment. “What are they doing?” he said aloud.
“Buying you time,” he turned to see Kitsune, who continued. “You need to fry the guy with the sword, right? Make it snappy,”
A lightbulb went off in his head and he nodded, before going off after Jei, who was now chasing Gen.
“I don’t like this game, somebody else take this stupid thing!” Gen shouted, running for his life.
“ I’LL GLADLY TAKE IT!” said Jei, but just as he was about to reach the rhino he suddenly screamed as he was hit with a bolt of lightning.
Spear forgotten, Jei turned in anguish to Usagi who wasn’t letting up as he trapped the wolf in a cage of blue electricity.
A steady stream of electricity tingled slightly as it ran up Usagi’s arms. He could feel literally all his fur standing on end and his teeth felt like they were going to shake out of his body.
Usagi glanced up nervously at the sky. He only has one shot at this, he wasn’t sure he had the strength to do this a second time-
“-It won’t work, you know,”
Usagi looked back down and locked eyes with the wolf, who was giving him his snarling grin.
“I know what you’re trying to do, and it won’t work,” Jei continued. “Not on me. I’m an immortal soul. Even if you shock me with all your might, you’re still missing one thing, and I’m not about to tell you what it is.”
Usagi felt his heart sink. Maybe Jei was bluffing?
Jei continued “Miyamoto almost had it, too bad he’s not here to-”
Suddenly there was a weird wet sound and Jei’s eyes went wide before dropping further. Usagi followed his gaze to see the head of Jei’s spear poking out of his chest.
Usagi looked behind Jei to see Leo standing a few yards back.
Leo gave Usagi a knowing look and nodded.
Usagi looked back at Jei who looked properly panicked this time.
Yeah, that was it.
Looking back at the sky, Usagi asked the gods to help him free the world of evil and most importantly– “Help this lost soul find peace and rest,” he said.
A single bolt of silver lightning, brighter than any they’d seen all day, came down and hit the sword Inazuma.
Usagi directed it back at his intended target.
No one actually saw what happened to Jei.
There was so much white light that everyone had to shield their eyes.
And the clap of thunder that followed was so damn loud everyone was worried they’d gone deaf.
So the first couple minutes was just people blindly stumbling around getting their bearings.
When they finally did, Mikey dramatically grabbed Raph weeping about how “It’s so good to see you bro, I never thought I’d see your beautiful face again,”
Raph told Mikey to tone it down, his ears were still ringing, but also gripped his brother pretty tight in return.
Chizu grabbed Kitsune, carefully looking her over asking if she was okay, and Kitsune said “I’m fine, what about you?”
Kintaro was the first to check the spot where Jei had been standing.
There was absolutely nothing left.
No spear, no robes, no ashes.
Nothing.
The ground was smoldering a bit from where he had been struck, but that was it.
“Well uh, I guess that takes care of that then,” Kintaro said as others came over to look.
“Man, Usagi’s mind’s gonna be blown when he sees this,” Kitsune said.
“Usagi!” Gen said worried. “Has anyone checked on him, is he okay after that?!”
To answer the first part of Gen’s question, Leo had booked it over to Usagi’s spot as soon as his vision had started coming back.
Barely.
His ears were still ringing and his heart was in his throat, where it had gotten stuck sometime around the time he saw the biggest lightning bolt in his life head directly for his boyfriend.
He felt dizzy with worry as he searched the burnt field looking for the samurai.
“Usagi?,” Leo called out. “USAGI?! Can you hear me? Say something if you’re conscious!”
It didn’t have to be words, Leo would take a groan of pain as long as it meant the rabbit was alive.
He finally saw a shock of white fur standing out in the dirt. “Usagi!”
Usagi didn’t respond.
“Please just be passed out, please just be passed out,” Leo said frantically, dropping on his knees next to the rabbits side, and putting his head to Usagi’s chest.
A steady heartbeat.
Leo sighed in relief and suddenly heard the rabbit groan and shift.
He sat up.
Usagi blinked and stared at the sky for a few minutes before turning to look at Leo. “Oh, hey,” he said with a grin.
Leo gave a relieved smile back. “Hi,” he said softly. “How do you feel?”
“Like I jammed a fork into the world’s biggest toaster.”
Leo snorted, trying to cover his laughter while Usagi grinned up at him.
“Did we do it?” Usagi asked. “Is he gone?”
Leo held out a hand to help the rabbit sit up. “Yeah,” Leo said. “He’s gone for good. Good job.”
“Cool,” Usagi said. “Did I look cool?”
Leo rolled his eyes but smiled fondly as he helped Usagi stand, throwing an arm over his shoulders. “Yeah, you looked cool. But please never do that again.”
“What, why not?” Usagi whined.
“Because I don’t think my heart could take it,” Leo said truthfully.
Usagi stared at him in surprise, before grinning. “Aww, were you worried about me Lee? Don’t worry, I always land on my feet,”
Leo shot him a look that said he knew damn well that wasn’t true. The turtle leaned in real close to Usagi’s face, holding the look until the rabbit's face started turning red.
Finally he said “You’re gonna be trouble, Yuichi Usagi,” and kissed him.
Usagi decided he didn’t mind the teasing so much.
At least he was kissing Leo again.
The peace was eventually broken by the cheers of their family and friends who had finally seen them.
Usagi found both himself and Leo pulled into a big bear hug by Gen, who was trying not to cry in relief that his friends were okay.
Tons of congratulations and cheers of “You did it!” were heard and Usagi was pretty sure he heard Raph say “Good job on frying the guys ass,”
Kintaro gave Usagi the proudest smile saying “I knew you could do it, Yuichi Usagi,”
Usagi smiled back, saying softly “Thanks, Kintaro-chan,”
Notes:
Well dear readers,
We've just one more chapter left.I'd like to thank you all for checking out my story.
I hope you've had as much fun reading as I did writing this.
It's been a delight.
The Army of Ume- The Plum Army
General BuruBeri- General Blueberry
Army of Orenji-The Orange Army
General Daikon-General Radish
Chapter 14: Chapter 14
Summary:
Finally, a new side of me. Turned a new leaf underneath my tree.
Kiss me, hold me that feeling is holy, nobody’s loved me like you.-New Side Of Me-Blake Roman
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
There was a whole lot of clean-up to be done in the wake of the battle.
Firstly, there was the matter of the undead soldiers from the Orenji and Ume armies.
Kintaro knew of a spell to return them back to their eternal slumber.
Borrowing the loose piece of the Key Stone, he opened a portal back to Ninjin to take the soldiers back to the battlefield, saying it should take him thirty minutes at most.
General Buruberi and Colonel Tamanegi (also known as Faji) thanked the Kaikishii Warriors and Ninja Turtles on behalf of their armies for setting them free.
“We are warriors lost outside of our time,” Faji said. “We will be glad to sleep once more.”
Before they left, a voice called out “Wait!”
O-Dokuro ran up to them frantically, the ground shaking under his heavy footsteps.
“Before you leave, I must know,” the skeleton yokai inquired. “Who won in the Battle of Ninjin? It’s the one piece of information no historian can recover.”
The general and colonel blinked before turning to look at each other.
“Uh, I believe it was your army, wasn’t it?” Colonel Tamanegi said.
“Me? No? I thought it was you who finally claimed victory in the end!” General Buruberi replied.
“...YOU DON’T REMEMBER?!” O-Dokuro cried, aghast.
“It was so long ago,” General Buruberi shrugged.
“And it was a very long, tiring war,” Colonel Tamanegi continued. “I found myself leading the charge very early on after my General Daikon died eating a poisonous mushroom. I served my duties to the end honorably, for my family and my village. But that’s done now and I’d like to go home.”
“Indeed,” General Buruberi agreed. “Let the past be in the past. Now it is time to rest.”
With that the two armies took their leave as one, following where Kintaro would return them to the Earth.
Everyone else spent the day doing what they could to repair the damage done to the courtyard and the city, but most people were still pretty spent.
By nightfall everyone was either passed out in their beds (if they could make it that far) or just lying in the grass.
The following day, after a rude awakening by Lord Kogane’s bullhorn, and a late breakfast, everyone had more energy, and were starting to ride the high of having won the war.
Kintaro and Kiyoko were able to lift some of the heavier pieces like broken walls and whatnot and work went by faster.
By lunchtime people were feeling in much higher spirits.
And open to gossip.
“I still can’t believe we missed the confession,” Kitsune griped across the table from Usagi. “I wanted to see how that went down.”
Usagi paused from shoveling food in his mouth. “Why? I wanted that to be private.”
“You? Privacy?” Gen teased. “Since when?”
Kitsune sighed. “At least I caught the kiss. That was so romantic, with the storm in the background.”
Usagi rolled his eyes, jumping when a green hand slammed down next to him on the tabletop.
He turned to see Raph on his right, giving him a toothy grin that didn’t reach his eyes.
He blinked and turned to see Donnie on his left, bearing a similar smile.
Then he turned and saw Mikey was now sitting directly in front of him, scooting Kitsune off to the side with a “Hey!”
Uh oh.
“So, Usagi,” Raph started as all three brothers sat down. “You’re dating my brother now, right? Welcome to the family, I guess.”
“Leo says he kissed you, but you confessed first,” Donnie interrupted. “True or false?”
“Um, yes?” Usagi said, confused. “Wait, what was the question?”
“You got precious cargo there, man,” Mikey said with a serious face, holding out his hands as he held Usagi’s gaze. “My brother’s heart. Underneath that hard shell is a sensitive turtle. You better take care of it. Or else.”
Usagi returned Mikey’s serious look with one of his own.
“That,” Usagi said. “Was beautiful. I promise to take care of his heart like the precious treasure it is.”
Mikey stared into Usagi’s soul a bit longer while the rabbit stared back, unflinching, before the youngest ninja looked over at his brothers with a smile. “I think we’re good,” Mikey said.
Raph shrugged at Donnie. “Best we can hope for, I think,”
Mikey smiled at Usagi. “Okay next question, do you have super electric powers from getting zapped by lightning now? Because if you need help training them, I happen to be an expert on-”
“Hey Mikey.”
The youngest turtle’s smile dropped, and his eyes, if possible, became wider. He looked up to see Leo standing over his shoulder.
Oh, that was not a good smile Leo was giving him.
“Hey, Leo,” Mikey said with a nervous grin. “Uh, were you looking for us?”
“Oh, just you,” Leo said, smiling wider, eyes squinting. “My favorite brother,”
“Oh, that’s never good,” said Donnie. Mikey gulped.
“What can I do you for?” Mikey asked.
“What were you talking about with Usagi during your trip underground a few days ago, Mikey?” Leo said, tilting his head. “He said Captain Ryan came up?”
Raph and Donnie started snickering while Mikey paled.
“Oh THAT,” Mikey started “Hey, I just thought if he’s gonna be your boyfriend I should test his knowledge on space, and Space Heroes and-I just wanna make sure he likes what you like!”
“How thoughtful-”
“See, that’s what I’m saying!”
The two were locked in a staring contest before Mikey scrambled from his seat and took off running, Leo in hot pursuit.
“Get BACK here, Michelangelo!”
“I was trying to vet your future boyfriend!” Mikey cried in defense.
“I’m gonna vet your face!”
Everyone was laughing as the two started running across the rooftops.
Gen leaned into Usagi’s side and whispered “I can’t believe you’re dating a ninja.”
Usagi stared in awe, watching Leo flip through the air. He turned to Gen with a giant grin. “I know! Isn’t he amazing?!”
***
“So how exactly is this going to work?” Usagi asked Izumi as he held the sword Inazuma.
The samurai hadn’t forgotten his promise to destroy it once he used it for its final purpose.
“It is a powerful weapon capable of absorbing tons of energy,” Izumi said. “There are two ways you could do this. You could ask for the gods to take the sword back. Or you could have it be absorbed by a greater source of power.”
“What do you mean?” Usagi asked.
Izumi gestured to the Key Stone.
“Would that work?” Usagi asked.
“The Stone is a more powerful object,” Izumi said. “But Tetsujin tells me she was weakened in her fight against the Makkine. She may benefit from the energy boost the sword would give her.”
“It won’t hurt her, will it?” Usagi asked worriedly.
Izumi shook her head. “The Key Stone has a stronger will than us, she will not be corrupted.”
With that reassurance, Usagi went and knelt before the Key Stone, Inazuma in his lap. He closed his eyes and asked the Key Stone if she would accept his gift.
For a few moments all was still. Then he felt a familiar presence wash over him, while the power resting in his lap grew less and less until it faded completely.
When he opened his eyes, the sword was still there, but it looked as unimpressive as the first time he’d seen it.
“Is it…done?” Usagi asked. Izumi went up and touched the handle of the sword.
“Yes,” she said after a minute. “ Inazuma is gone. This is an ordinary sword now.”
Izumi looked at Usagi, relieved. “You have done my family a great service. Should you ever need anything, the House of Safaia will answer the call,”
Usagi smiled, “Thank you Izumi…Wait, your last name is Safaia?”
She smacked him upside the head. “I do not want to hear that judgemental tone out of the mouth of someone named USAGI!”
***
“Usagi, I want to thank you for what you’ve done, and also apologize again,” Kintaro said. “I asked you to take down a foe that should never have been yours to fight. Jei should have been dealt with a long time ago, and having you take Miyamoto’s place was a lot to ask,”
“I know,” Usagi said.
Kintaro blinked in surprise at the blunt response. “Well-nevertheless, you rose to the challenge like any true samurai of your clan would, and proved yourself. If there’s anything I can do to thank you-”
“-There is,” Usagi interrupted.
Kintaro blinked again before huffing. “And what might that be?” he asked, bemused.
“I don’t know if word’s reached you yet, but Leonardo and I are dating now,” Usagi said with no small sense of pride.
Kintaro huffed again with an amused grin. “Yes it has, congratulations?”
“Yeah, but see there’s just one problem,” Usagi continued. “He lives an entire dimension away.”
“Ah yes, that does make seeing him difficult,” Kintaro mused.
“I want to be able to visit him and see his world,” Usagi continued softly. “And have him come back here. You’re the master of portals here, how do we fix this?”
Kintaro rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I may have an idea, but I need your Aunt to check your great-grandpa's old things.”
***
“Here they are!” Auntie said, reaching into a box in the attic. “Boy, these were buried, I can’t believe we even had them! Just as Kintaro described!”
Leo had a faraway look on his face as Auntie held up four turtle charms in front of him and Usagi.
“How could I forget!” she continued. “I remember when Ojichan had these on his sword! We only removed them after we gave Edgewing to you, Usagi!”
“Lee, are you okay?” Usagi asked, looking at the turtle's expression. The samurai couldn’t place it.
Leo finally gave a soft, sad smile. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he looked at Usagi. “So, how is this supposed to help me travel back here whenever I want?”
“I don't know, Kintaro didn’t say,” Usagi replied.
They took the trinkets back to Neo Edo where Kintaro was waiting.
“Oh good, you have them!” Kintaro said. “Saves me some time! I just had to make five instead of eight!”
“What?” they all asked when Kintaro held up his own little trinkets.
Two little bunnies, a rino, a fox, and a cat.
“The extra rabbit is for your Auntie,” said Kintaro. “Just in case,”
“They’re very nice, but still don’t see how this is going to help us travel back and forth?” Chizu asked, confused.
“Don’t you four recognize these?” Kintaro asked the Ninja Turtles, holding up the tiny turtle trinkets.
Mikey shrugged looking at them “Yeah? Kind of.”
“This is how Jei brought you to our world all those years ago.Kintaro continued. “He made these enchanted trinkets and asked for mighty warriors to destroy Miyamoto Usagi.”
“I’m going to enchant them again-and these new ones. But with a different purpose. The ability to travel between your world and this one. Only those two. We don’t need an alternate dimension freeway going here. Anyway, the trinkets will be linked specifically to the person they’re assigned to. However if you need to take someone along-like say Hana,” Kintaro added “you should be able to as long as you hold their hand.”
“Cool!” said Mikey.
“Awesome!” said Kitsune
“Thanks!” said Gen
“Thank you Kintaro,” Leo said sincerely. “This means a lot to us,”
“Think nothing of it my friend,” Kintaro replied.
“It’s the least I can do to thank you for coming to help us when you did. I only ask that you four come visit me every once in a while”
Mikey sobbed, throwing his arms around the old dog. “Of course we will, Pug-Taro! And you’ll have to visit us, too! You’re invited to every birthday and holiday!”
***
“Okay, once more,” Leo said as the Ninja Turtles stood with their stuff. “Do we have everything?”
“For the hundredth time,” Raph said, annoyed. “ Yes. Sheesh, we didn’t even really bring anything with us”
“Plus, if we forget anything, it’s not like we can’t pick it up again later,” added Donnie. “We can come back whenever we want now, remember?”
“Yeah,” Leo said softly. “Yeah that’s…that’s true,”
“Aww, miss your boyfriend already?” Mikey teased, earning himself a deadly glare. “Relax, you’ll see him next week, they’re all coming to our place for dinner!”
“I know that!,” Leo snapped.
Mikey giggled while Raph made kissy faces.
“Is there anything special we should bring?” Chizu asked Donnie.
“You don’t have to, but you’re welcome to,” he said kindly. “We’re hosting after all!”
“Just bring your smiling faces!” Mikey cheered. Raph rolled his eyes.
“I miss you guys already and you haven’t even left,” Kitsune said sadly. “Even you, Mr. Grumpy Pants,” she said to Raph.
“Hey!” he snapped as everyone else devolved into laughter.
“I guess these won’t work anymore when you go home?” Usagi asked Leo, holding up his T-phone.
Leo shrugged “Keep it. Donnie says he might be able to make a connection between there and here eventually. We uh-have some friends back home that know a thing or two about dimensional travel.”
Usagi raised an eyebrow with a smile. “I can’t wait to see your world, it sounds so exciting,”
Leo snorted “It’s not that impressive,”
“Of course it is,” Usagi said “You’re from there,”
Leo’s eyes went wide and he felt his face flushing while the rabbit just continued to smile at him obliviously.
“I swear he does this on purpose,” Leo thought.
Leo coughed. “Right,” he said before looking down at Spot and giving him a friendly pat on the head. “I’ll see you later, Spot,” the turtle said fondly.
Spot chirped sweetly in response.
Leo looked up nervously at Usagi, not knowing what to do or say. “Uh, I’ll see you soon. Next week. Friday. 6:00 P.M. Don’t forget. Kintaro’s going to help us figure out the time difference until we’re sure where exactly everyone’s clock falls-”
Usagi threw his arms tight around Leo, crushing him in a hug.
“I’ll see you soon, Lee,” Usagi said softly. “Take care. Love you,”
Leo was stunned for a second before he hugged the rabbit back just as fiercely and whispered “Love you too, Usa.”
After a couple of seconds, they could feel their friends both trying to give them space while also clearly staring at them, so the two separated and Leo went to stand with his brothers.
They weren’t using Kintaro’s war axe this time, they were going to give their new charms a try.
“Okay,” Kintaro began. “The way this works is pretty simple. You just hold them tight and picture your home, and with enough concentration, you should be transported there.”
They all nodded.
They closed their eyes and started to focus and suddenly each turtle began to glow the color of their respective bandana.
And they began to vanish.
Usagi bit his lip, watching them before he ran up to Leo shouting “Hey Lee, wait a second!”
“Uhh, I don’t think I can?!” Leo said, panicked. “What’s wrong?”
Usagi grinned a little guiltily before pulling the turtle in for a kiss.
He let go just in time to see a gobsmacked Leo and the other three Ninjas catcalling.
“Sorry, I really wanted a goodbye kiss and was too nervous to ask before!” Usagi shouted. “I’ll see you later!”
Leo looked torn between smacking the rabbit or kissing him again as he finally disappeared.
“Damn son,” Kitsune said as they stood there. “You thirsty,”
Gen sighed “God help Leo,”
“God help his brothers,” said Chizu. “Since he can’t kill Usagi, they’re probably next.”
“Well with friends like you guys, who needs enemies,” Usagi joked and they all laughed.
***
“We’re back, baby!” Mikey called out as four ninja turtles popped back into the lair.
Casey Jones shrieked, throwing the sandwich he was making onto the ceiling.
“HOLY-oh hey dudes!” he said. “Wow you guys get better at that ninja stuff all the time. I swear, it was like you just appeared out of thin air!”
“Do I hear voices?!” another voice called down the hall and April appeared, before turning her head and calling over her shoulder “Guys! They’re back!”
Mona appeared carrying Chompy, and with her was Karai.
Raph eagerly ran over to his girlfriend and son, giving them both hugs and kisses.
Mikey pulled both April and Karai in for hugs, Leo and Donnie coming over for hugs as well.
“So how was it?” April asked.
“Did you stop that creepy wolf guy?” Casey asked.
“Was it a glorious battle?” Mona asked.
“I just have the sparknotes version,” Karai added “What’s this I hear about a samurai rabbit and some magical dog priest with a hammer?”
“Not this shit again,” Casey muttered.
“Well it’s kind of a long story,” Leo began.
“It was an epic battle,” Raph said eagerly to Mona. “Actually several.”
“The technology there was fascinating,” Donnie told April eagerly. “It was like Edo Japan meets steampunk.”
“LEO’S GOT A BOYFRIEND!” Mikey shouted to the room at large.
Everyone turned to a very red-faced Leo at that, who covered his face in embarrassment.
“Michelangelo, your death will be long and painful,” was the only thing he said.
“Oh yeah,” Raph said. “And that happened,”
“Wait, for real?” Casey asked. “Mikey’s not making that up?”
“Nope,” Donnie said. “You’ll meet our new friends next week actually. We figured out how to travel between here and there with relative ease. They’re all coming here for dinner.”
“Yeah, and Leo’s dating the samurai rabbit!” Mikey blurted. “Yuichi Usagi! They hooked up while we were there!”
“ Mikey,” Leo stressed, looking up with eyes that breathed fire. “Don’t say it like that, please,”
“Well, now I have to know everything about this Yuichi Usagi,” Karai said in a mischievous voice, and Leo suddenly wished he were anywhere else.
He wondered if his new friends in Neo Edo would care if he popped back early for a surprise visit. Usagi would probably be thrilled.
“I’m happy for you,” said a voice to his right. He looked up and saw April smiling at him. “I’m sure he’s wonderful Leo, I can’t wait to meet him,”
Leo gave her a small smile in return as some of the tension left his shoulders. “Thanks. He is, and he’s really looking forward to meeting everybody here.”
“Just answer me one question, Leo,” Karai asked as Leo looked over with some trepidation. “Does he laugh at your dumb jokes?”
“Hey!” Leo said annoyed.
“Yes,” Raph vouched. “This morning at breakfast Leo made a god-awful joke about “wonton” more dumplings and Usagi was in genuine stitches, and it’s sadly not the first time. The poor sap really thinks his wordplay is funny.”
“It was funny,” Leo argued while Mikey groaned at the memory.
But Karai just smiled. “That’s all I needed to hear,” she said. “I can’t wait to meet him too.”
“Me too,” said Casey excitedly. “Any friend of yours is a friend of the Jones man.”
“Yeah actually, I don’t know how I feel about having you two in the same room,” Donnie chimed in.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Casey challenged.
“He’s kind of a walking hazard,” Donnie replied. “And you’re no better,”
“Leo, dating a walking hazard?” April teased knowingly. “No way.”
“Well now, I have to meet this guy,” Casey said.
Leo looked over his family with a begrudging smile as they all laughed.
It was good to be home.
***
“Are you absolutely, positively sure we have everything? ” Usagi asked nervously.
“No, actually,” Kitsune said flatly. “It appears I’ve forgotten my right hand in my pocket when it should be on your face. Because if you ask me one more time, I’m going to slap the-”
“-What Kitsune means to say is,” Chizu cut her girlfriend off with a nervous grin. “You may be worrying a tad too much. We’re fine, Usagi. Everything’s here.”
Usagi sighed. “I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just-this is the first time we’re going to Leo’s world and meeting the rest of his friends and family. I want to make a good first impression.”
“Think of it this way,” Gen reassured. “It’s just a hangout with friends. One of them just happens to be your boyfriend. And he already likes you. And his brothers like you. You’ve won over half the fam already.”
“Yeah that’s true, but I still have his sister,” Usagi said “And April and Casey and Mona-his family is big,”
“And it’s about to get even bigger,” Auntie reassured him. “Because you’re part of it now. Relax, Yukidaruma.”
Spot chirped in support from Usagi’s shoulder. He smiled at all of them.
“Okay,” he said. He took a deep breath and held out his trinket. “Let’s give these things a shot, huh?”
“Finally!” Hana cheered.
They focused on their charms, picturing the turtles in their minds (since they didn’t know what the place looked like yet).
“Hey, look who’s here!”
Usagi opened his eyes and saw a familiar pair of blue ones looking back in surprise from a couch.
He felt himself relax when Leo broke out into a smile.
“Hey,” he said softly, surprising himself.
“Hey,” Leo mimicked back teasingly.
“Guys, they’re here!” Mikey shouted bouncing around the room sweeping everybody into hugs. “Auntie! Hana! Gen! Chizu! Kitsune! Usagi! SPOT, my dude! I think I missed you the most!”
Usagi laughed as Mikey ran off with his pet Tokage.
“Okay then,” Leo teased. “Guess I’m playing host, come meet everybody.”
He led them to the kitchen where Usagi could hear someone shouting “Dude, they brought a dinosaur?!” and introductions were made.
Although they hadn’t been asked to bring anything, that hadn’t stopped Auntie from making her famous dumplings, which everyone zeroed in on pretty quickly.
Mikey went out of his way to give Auntie the nicest seat at the table, and told her “If you need anything, at all this evening, be sure to ask your favorite son-in-law!” while the rest of the turtles rolled their eyes. Auntie for her part seemed to find the whole thing incredibly amusing and took it in stride.
The rest of the family was incredibly warm and friendly.
Usagi had no idea what kind of species April or Casey were but they were friendly and funny and he warmed up to them both right away.
Casey told Usagi he’d heard all about his steamcycle, and being someone who worked on vehicles himself, insisted the rabbit bring it over sometime so he could see it.
Mona was some kind of lizard species Usagi could guess, very pretty and looked incredibly strong.
She asked Usagi if he wanted to spar sometime and he agreed.
He could see why Raph liked her.
Chompy and Ice Cream Kitty seemed to be getting along well with Spot so that was a plus.
Hana thought they were adorable.
Everyone thought Hana was adorable. She was spoiled for attention all night.
Usagi thought he’d met everyone when a woman sidled up to his right with a small smile.
“Oh, hello?” he asked. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name?”
“I’m Karai,” she said.
He gasped. “Oh, you’re Lee’s sister! It’s so nice to meet you, he talks about you all the time!”
Karai’s smile grew slightly and she raised an eyebrow at him. “ Lee?”
Usagi felt his whole face turn red. “Uhh…hehe. It’s uh-yeah I call him that…sometimes.”
“It’s cute.” Karai said. “So are those swords just for show, or are you just as good as Leo says you are?”
Usagi blinked. “He talks about me?”
Karai winked “All the time. Would you be up to a sparring match sometime, samurai?”
Usagi grinned. “I’d be honored, Hamato-san.”
The conversation drifted to other topics after that.
Sometime later, after everyone had stuffed their faces, Usagi felt a tug on his sleeve and turned to see his favorite person.
“I need some fresh air,” said Leo. “Come with me?,”
As if Usagi could ever say no.
They snuck out through the tunnels and up to the surface. Usagi was about to make his way to the street, when he felt Leo grab the back of his jacket.
“Uhh, no not that way,” Leo chuckled nervously. “We stick to the shadows in my city, remember?”
“Ohh, right right,” Usagi said following the ninja up a fire escape. “Are you trying to convert me into your clan, Hamato-san?” he teased. “Get me to leave the code of the samurai and take up a ninja’s way of life?”
Leo rolled his eyes as he held a hand out to help Usagi onto the roof. “Yes, this was my secret plan all along,” Leo teased back. “Dating you has just been part of the plot to get you to join,”
“Aw, shoot,” Usagi said with a snap of his fingers. “I should’ve known it was all a ruse,”
Standing next to Leo on the roof, he stopped joking as he looked at the city skyline.
It was beautiful.
It was even bigger than Neo Edo, but not quite as colorful.
But still very pretty. And noisy.
“Wow,” Usagi said softly.
“Yeah, I like it too,” said Leo. “It’s home.”
Usagi turned to look at the ninja and smiled.
“What?” Leo asked.
“You have the bluest eyes,” Usagi said.
Leo’s face turned pink “You said that when we first met,” he said. “What does that mean?”
Usagi shrugged. “I dunno,” he admitted. “Just that they’re really pretty, and I like them.”
Leo flushed harder, but he had a small smile on his face now.
“You’re too good at that,” Leo said. “I’m going to think of a way to shower you with compliments too, you know.”
Usagi snorted. “It’s not a competition!” Then he grinned. “But if it was, I’d be winning.”
“Oh my god,” Leo rolled his eyes.
“Hey I can’t help it if I’m more competitive,” Usagi said teasingly. “I understand it’s hard, losing to me all the time-”
“Excuse you-” Leo interrupted with a laugh. “Name one time I lost to you in any competition?!”
“The bow and arrow competition-”Usagi started.
“I’m pretty sure I was winning, but honestly I can’t remember” Leo said, cheeks turning pink. “We, uh, never finished that.”
“Oh, right.” Usagi said, also red. “Uh, well, there was our sparring match-”
“ That-” Leo said. “Was a tie. I will go to my grave defending that.”
Usagi pouted at him, arms crossed but Leo didn’t budge.
“Rematch?” Usagi finally asked.
“Rematch.” Leo agreed with a grin.
They didn’t even ask where and when. They just ran to opposite ends of the roof, the moon their only source of light.
The ninja and samurai bowed to each other.
There was no referee this time, but that was all right.
As they both waited for the other to make their move, Leo had an idea.
“Usagi?” he called out sweetly.
“Yeah?” the rabbit asked, confused.
“Your fur really glows in the light of the moon,” Leo replied.
The samurai turned bright red and started sputtering so bad he barely blocked the ninja’s first attack in time.
High above New York’s rooftops, the sounds of clashing swords mixed with the echoes of laughter.
Notes:
Wow, and with that, we've reached the end of the story!
Thank you all for reading!-I can't believe it's done!
Scratch that-I can't believe I wrote this!
Who am I?!I hope the ending didn't feel too rushed for everyone-I wanted to wrap up as much as I could without it overstaying its welcome.
I don't like dragging endings out.
You either end the story or write a part two lol.
In case it wasn't clear, I borrowed names from Avatar: The Last Airbender for Izumi's family (Great Warrior Azula and all that) So for her last name, she's from the house of Safaia-Japanese for Sapphire-because I decided to make a Wang Fire/Sapphire joke.
Izumi's family line is old as dirt/also semi-crazy because of caring for a corrupted sword for so long.
I like to think Azula or one of her close descendants got it into their head that Sapphire would be a cool last name because "blue gems/blue fire is really cool and we're badass warriors blah blah".Anyway, she's caught flack for it her whole life but has a pretty tough skin about it, but like hell was she going to take lip from the rabbit named "Usagi" XD.