This is a co-authored story between Reinbeauchaser and Ramica. We had kicked around an idea a few months ago about what would happen if Rama found herself in Gabby's world. We decided to co-write it since it involved characters of our own creation. Collectively we decided to post it on my site since Rama is visiting Gabby. One day, maybe Rama can play hostess and then Ramica can do the honors. But, for now, the pleasure is mine!

Also, neither of us own any teenage martial arts fanatical chelonians! Don't have the room in my house for all that high kicking anyway. Plus, my cat, Buster, would probably run them off. -}

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Ramiela groaned wearily. She was tired from having been up for the past twenty long exhausting hours. She quite literally felt ready to drop, especially as the last four hours had pushed her to her very limits and beyond. Patrolling for those hours solo was nothing new to her but it had been a rather hectic night.

"Full moon has everyone half crazed," Rama mumbled as she yawned.

She didn't care what some people might say about the moon not effecting people in any way. It seemed that with every full moon things went totally insane.

She staggered and sloshed her way through the sewer pipes towards home. Her mind was focused on just two things, food and sleep in that order. Hopefully her pesky two and a half year old brother, Tyler, wouldn't come bothering her either.

She entered the lair as silently as possible, not wishing to disturb anyone. But mere seconds after entering a light clicked on in the living room. It startled her. Ramiela whirled around, doing her best to mask her startled reaction. As a ninja she really shouldn't have been caught so off guard. She might be tired but that was no excuse.

She immediately saw her sensei sitting in the rocking chair with a small smile on his face. His hands were steepled under his chin. He was obviously quite aware of having surprised her for his dark blue eyes danced with amusement. Worst of all, Rama could sense it. She bristled slightly as she failed to see what was so funny. She didn't like the idea of Sensei waiting up for her like this. Something was brewing and she wasn't in the mood for it.

"Ramiela come sit" Leo gestured for his student to take her place in front of him on the floor.

Ramiela rolled her eyes "All right but can I get something to eat first Sensei? I'm starving." A low growl from the pit of her stomach was easily discernable.

Leo smiled knowingly and looked up at her. However, he shook his head, saying, "No. Come sit. We need to talk."

"What now?" Ramiela demanded. She was not about to hide her irritation; not with how tired and hungry she was.

In an instant a dark expression crossed Leo's face. This, of course, made Ramiela squirm uncomfortably.

"Hai Sensei" she accepted reluctantly. She moved forward without hesitation and dropped to the mat at Leo's feet. She bowed low before him, kneeling silently with her head lowered out of respect.

Leo allowed her to remain that way for a while; his eyes running over the eighteen year old ninja warrior. He was quite familiar with her every feature and attitude. Ramiela, or Rama to those so honored to call her such, had her long black hair pulled in a typical French braid down her back. Leo knew that when her hair was loose it dangled down almost to her knees.

She was also far stronger than she looked; her strength well hidden. She didn't go into the bulging bodybuilder type for herself but was instead almost slender, if a turtle could be called such. As a result, she carried little extra weight.

Her light green skin was pitted and marked by numerous scars; sure signs of her many battles. She had high cheekbones, like her mother, along with five digits on both her hands and feet; evidence of her human heritage.

Her only mark of clothing was her aqua colored bandana around her head and the protective pads for her knees and elbows. Around her waist was a belt that held her smaller weapons and her sais, keeping them within easy reach. Upon the back of her shell, however, was her paired katanas; neatly housed in their scabbards.

Leo silently allowed Ramiela to hold her position for a while. He knew that, true to her nature, she would soon resist. Her teen years had been full of resistance and rebellion. But, hopefully, sooner rather than later, it would be all behind her.

Leo was quite aware of her rising irritation at being kept in her current position. He could sense her impatience at not being dismissed or told she could go her own way. He could tell she was tired and it was obvious by the chorus of groans from her stomach that she was indeed hungry as well.

Kunoichi of the clan Ramiela may be, but she still had a great deal to learn.

Leo then turned and lit a few candles on the table by his chair. Resuming his position, he watched as Ramiela began to squirm under the stress of being kept in her submissive pose. Observing her, he knew she had much potential. Leo smiled inwardly. As she became increasingly restless, however, he glared at her; his expression hard and penetrating.

Sensing his disdain, Ramiela gulped and became still once again. She lowered her head just a little bit in her attempt to appease him. Though she was clearly irritated with being kept from food and sleep, she felt regret at causing her sensei to scowl at her.

"You have much to learn regarding discipline, Ramiela. The heart and mind of a ninja must be united if they are to have harmony and achieve their goal at being invisible."

"I'm aware of that Sensei" she replied humbly. She tried to sound as respectful as she could towards him.

"How aware, Ramiela? It seems to me that you have much to learn. You bow respectfully before me but at the same time you can't wait to get out of my presence," Leo pointed out. Keeping his fingers steepled under his chin, he slowly drummed them together as he waited for her response.

Ramiela sighed. She couldn't dispute his words because they were true.

"Sumimasen ga Sensei" she stated contritely, feeling suddenly very unworthy. Sensei had a way of doing that to her. She knew he deserved the utmost respect, especially now that he was Jonin.

Over the past few years Splinter's mind had become forgetful of many things. The revered rat was now far too old to be capable of leading the clan anymore. It was a sad day when the decision had been made to remove him from his longstanding position within the family. But it was one that was made out of necessity. Fortunately, Splinter stepped down gracefully and was now enjoying a life of leisure and being doted on for all of his needs.

As usual Rama's thoughts of Splinter and his almost rapid decline were unsettling to her. She dreaded the day that she knew was fast approaching. She wished that the old ninja Master could be around to share his wisdom for years to come. But she knew deep in her heart that it would probably not be.

Leo sensed the changes in her attitude and behavior. Now her body and mind were in agreement; she was right where he had wanted her.

"To be ninja Ramiela one must be strong; one must know, one must dare, and one must keep silent." Leo paused for a moment allowing her to think of what he had just said. Then he continued, "I want you to reflect on this and what it means."

"Hai Sensei" Ramiela agreed willingly.

Leo grinned "To that end you will spend a day in meditation and fasting in your bedroom."

"WHAT?" Ramiela sprang to her feet, all thoughts of propriety disappearing quickly, "I'll starve" she protested loudly, her facial expression one of shock and surprise.

Leo scowled at her, saying softly, "No one has ever starved in a single day, Ramiela. I will permit you a pitcher of ice water and a glass. You may come out three times only to use the washroom if necessary but otherwise you will sit on your bed and meditate."

"Why am I being punished? I didn't do anything!" Rama complained defensively, nearly trembling from her emotions.

Leo looked surprised, "You are not being punished Ramiela. A day of fasting and meditation will be good for you." His expression changed, though, as he warned her, "However, I will punish you if you permit yourself to be side tracked by any number of distractions in your room. This includes music, playing on your computer or anything else other then meditating."

"NO music?" Ramiela wailed, almost whining, "And you're saying I'm not being punished here? Sure feels like it to me." She snapped crossing her arms over her plastron in near defiance.

Leo had been expecting a bit of a fight from her on this assignment. He would have been worried if she went along with it meekly. But there was a lesson here for her to learn and Leo was not going to give in to her. He spoke up with a voice that was hard and firm, "You have your assignment, Kunoichi." He remained unmoved before her; his gaze steady and determined.

Realizing that her sensei was quite serious, Ramiela made a low growling noise of irritation deep in her throat. She asked, restating his request, "I have to meditate ALL day?"

Leo knew she was hoping for a light sentence "A full twenty four hours and no falling asleep either" Leo replied as he stood up, holding her hard gaze with his own penetrating stare. He saw her lip curl, but finally and ever so reluctantly she bowed, "Hai Sensei."

Leo smiled a little as he watched Rama retrieve her jug of water and a glass after using the washroom. His student was smart enough to realize that by using the facility before entering her bedroom, she would still have three more breaks at her disposal. It would be most interesting to see what she would learn from this lesson he had assigned her. Leo knew that Ramiela would need both discipline and focus to pull it off. He also knew that she had not given him as hard a time as she would if it had been Mike asking her to do this. Ramiela would have probably battled her father over it for most of the day before complying.

Leo mused silently to himself that being Sensei certainly had its benefits. Ramiela went to her room and sat the jug and glass on her bedside table. A dark scowl of discontent was evident on her face. She paced her room in frustration. Gesturing wildly with her arms, she grouched under her breath, "If Sensei had this lesson or punishment or WHATEVER already planned out, it's a pretty good bet that Dad and Cathy will be keeping Tyler away from my room. At least until it's over!"

Silently to herself, Ramiela thought ruefully, "Great! The one time I wouldn't mind my kid brother bugging me and you can bet it ain't gonna happen." Rama snorted irritably, "And why can't I just use the meditation room? Why do I have to do it for an entire day? 'Oh, it's not punishment, Ramiela.' Right! I get no food, no fun, and no sleep but I'm not being punished. I – don't- think - so!"

As she flopped down on her bed Rama's stomach growled in agreement. She stared sullenly up at the concrete pipe ceiling, her hands clasped behind her head.

"How am I even supposed to concentrate while I am dying of hunger?" She groaned miserably.

All things considered, Ramiela knew it was going to be a very long and boring day.

Finally realizing she didn't have a choice she sat up feeling utterly defeated. Pulling her legs into the lotus position Rama closed her eyes and took a long deep breath, slowly expelling the air. She tried to relax and focus on being ninja the way her sensei had prescribed to her.

Yep, this was definitely going to be one trying day; probably the longest in her short kunoichi life ******

As the day wore on Rama became very much aware of her hunger. However, the cold water was useless in easing the growls of protest in her empty stomach.

"If only I could get out to the kitchen to grab a quick bite of food on the sly. "She wondered silently.

However, Rama ditched that idea almost immediately. It was highly unlikely she would make it to the living room without being seen. Her stomach's constant complaints would be a sure giveaway to her presence. Besides she was also very much aware that her father and uncles were keeping watch over her. Several times she had sensed them drawing near to her bedroom door to check up on her. It was obvious that they had the responsibility to see that she was obeying Sensei's orders.

Rama poured herself yet another glass of water and sipped at it. So far she only had one bathroom break, and it was only late morning.

"Water; plain ordinary water is just so very boring." she grumbled to herself. Meditating was even worse. It wasn't her style to spend an entire day at 'clearing her mind' and meditating. She turned and glanced over at her stereo system that displayed all of her music.

"Maybe I could play something to meditate with where I wouldn't be tempted to sing? Sensei, wouldn't mind that, would he?" she asked herself.

But Rama knew even as she thought it that Sensei would mind. He had made it quite clear what was expected of her. She had learned long ago that it wasn't wise to incur Sensei's wrath. Somehow whenever he became mad at her she felt like she had let the clan down. It was a feeling she didn't much care for.

"Guess it's best to stick to the meditation without livening it up." She counseled herself.

She quickly returned to her position and relaxed back into meditation once again.

The act of meditation was supposed to make one more aware of their surroundings. Its purpose was to help clear ones mind so they could be more sensitive to things unseen. However, a while later after her second glass of water Ramiela felt something strange. Knowing it wasn't likely to be a threat, she chose to ignore it. She decided it was more of a passing feeling or something else connected with this forced assignment.

After a while she felt a peculiar tingling on and around her body. It lasted for only a moment or two but that was all. More than likely her limbs were protesting at being kept in one position for so long.

However, the next thing that she was aware of was she found herself standing in the kitchen. Fortunately no one else was there at the moment. Rama could hear the slow distinctive ticking of the kitchen clock which, when she looked at it, read one thirty five. Then, she heard the low hum of the fridge and after that some voices floating in from the living room. Rama's interest sharpened up at that. She knew exactly who it was that was talking. It was her dad and Sensei!

"I got to hand it to you Leo I figured for sure she'd be blasting her music by now."

"You don't give her enough credit Mike."

"No I just know that's what I would be doing."

Rama glanced around the familiar kitchen. She wondered how she had made it there past Sensei and her dad without being seen. But then her stomach growled once more, distracting her from that thought.

Realizing her good fortune and knowing how busy their home could be, she set about curtailing her immediate hunger. It was best that she took care of it now while no one was around. She'd worry later about how to return to her room with out getting caught. Ramiela made a quick jam sandwich and grabbed a handful of cookies. She took large hungry bites of her meal, chewing fast and swallowing as quickly as possible. It felt so good to have something in her belly. She allowed herself to smile in satisfaction. When she finished the sandwich, she debated making another sandwich. But she erred on the side of caution and decided not to. She had successfully managed to get away with enough now to ease her pangs of hunger. Rama didn't want to press her luck.

The next challenge she had was how to get back into her room without getting caught.

Rama paused to listen to see if the coast was clear. However, she immediately heard someone coming towards the kitchen. It appeared she was too late! With her heart nearly in her throat Rama knew that she was going to be in for it now. Frantically she looked at the clock and noticed that it was a whole eleven minutes since she had found herself in the kitchen.

Then, she heard more voices!

"Hungy mommy. When see Rama?"

"Later, Tyler. Let's get you and I a snack, okay?"

It was Rama's little brother and Cathy. Her step-mom was approaching the kitchen faster than she would be able to hide! Ramiela was trapped and she was going to get caught for sure. There wasn't any escape out of this; not easily anyway. She suddenly felt her hurried meal rise in a lump to her throat, but she forced it back down before it could dislodge.

Rama's heart raced in anxiety as she scanned the area for some other means of hiding or escaping. But even with being a kunoichi, she knew she was out of time.

"I need to get back to my room NOW!" She thought in near panic; her heart racing in anxiety. Suddenly she felt a strange tingly feeling all over her body again. Startled, she snapped her eyes open, glancing around almost frantically. It was then she realized that she was still sitting in the lotus position on her bed. The strange sensations that she felt told her that parts of her body had probably gone to sleep. That must have been what had happened.

She looked at her clock on her stereo and saw that it was one forty eight. Fortunately her stomach had finally given up protesting its lack of food. It probably realized that the complaints weren't getting it anywhere.

"I must have fallen asleep and dreamt it. I mean, there is no possible way for me to get to the kitchen and back here without being seen - and I am being watched by the family to ensure I behave, too!"

Another realization passed over her as well, "Darn good thing none of them bothered to look in here recently or they would have caught me napping."

As she thought about it she realized an important fact, "All the meditation and the short nap did make me feel a little more refreshed, though. I must have dozed off and dreamt that I was stealing food."

She then reminded herself, "I better stay awake for the rest of it, though, or I am so going to be in for it from Sensei."

******

At the twenty-four hour mark, Leo knocked at her bedroom door and then entered Ramiela's bedroom. He knew that Rama had spent the entire day in there, coming out only the three times she was allowed to. Leo had sensed that during her time in meditation she had pretty much stayed focused on the task at hand. He and his brothers had ensured that Rama's mental focus for the most part was directed on deeper things rather than the usual thoughts of day to day life.

Rama opened her eyes almost as soon as her sensei entered, confirming that she was awake and aware of him coming close to her.

"Looks like you've survived your day of enlightenment" Leo mocked gently.

Rama nodded "Hai Sensei" she agreed.

"How do you feel?" he asked her, his eyes bright in anticipation.

"All right I guess. I'm not as tired or as hungry as I thought I would be. More refreshed" She admitted simply. Then she gave him a strange look "You didn't want me in the meditation room for a reason; probably because there aren't enough things to distract me in there."

Leo smiled a little and nodded "Go on."

"A ninja has to often deal with all kinds of distractions going on around them. But no matter what those distractions are, the ninja has to focus on the job at hand."

Leo grinned, "Very good Ramiela. You finally do realize and accept that this was just a simple exercise in discipline and focusing. I know it wasn't going to be easy but you did a wonderful job" Leo squeezed her shoulder gently "We will talk later about what you've learned from it and what you've gained from the meditation. For now, though, why don't you get yourself something to eat and a few hours sleep. I'm sure you will be grateful for both."

Rama considered telling Sensei of her one brief lapse when she had fallen asleep and dreamt about being in the kitchen. The dream had been so real. But she knew that some dreams often had that quality to them so she shrugged it off. What Sensei didn't know wouldn't hurt him, anyway. ******

It was a few weeks later and Ramiela was patrolling again. Everything was quiet for a change. Of course the torrential downpour of rain might have had something to do with the light criminal activity for that evening.

Rama was now more aware of how such things could be distracting. From her experience with the meditative exercise that Sensei had imposed upon her, she had learned to maintain a certain amount of concentrated focus when she patrolled through her watch. It seemed the lesson she had learned weeks earlier did have its uses after all.

She eventually realized that it was her choice to be distracted by the little things or to keep her mind on the task at hand. As a ninja she much preferred staying alert and aware of what she was meant to do, anyway, so she ignored the miserable weather.

As she walked along the roofline of an apartment building, she felt a familiar tingling over her body. It was very much like what she had experienced a few weeks ago during her meditation lesson. But she dismissed it as a simple chill from being out so long in the inclement weather. Soon enough Rama would be going home.

However, after a while things didn't feel quite right. It was like looking at a picture and knowing that something was wrong and yet she unable to see where the flaw lied. Ramiela finally paused and did a quick meditative exercise to see if it would help her pick up on whatever seemed to be bothering her. She brought in tune those things around her as she heard the distant rumble of thunder. Far across the city a faint stroke of lightening could be seen, illuminating the dark clouds that hung deep over the inky black skyline.

She suddenly noticed a quick flicker out of the corner of one eye. It could have been nothing of importance since it wasn't followed by a similar movement. Yet her keen ninja instincts told her it wasn't her imagination or her eyes playing tricks on her. She knew it was trouble.

Rama gave a small smile and masked her thoughts. She continued moving, hoping to draw out into the open whoever was following her and thereby revealing them selves. She did every thing she could to not betray the fact that she was aware of them and their actions.

But her followers must have guessed that she was on to them for they moved in to surround her. They soon closed in from all sides, trapping her in the middle.

Six Foot soldiers were dressed in their dogi hoods that covered their faces. They wore the red bandana with the dragon emblem on it. The dragon dogi were the mark of the Elite and not the lower ranking Foot.

Rama reached over her shoulders and drew up her katanas.

"So, tell me what the Elite up to tonight before they decided to come and harass me?" she asked sarcastically, knowing full well that Sensei would be interested in an answer to that question. Of course Ramiela really didn't expect a reply from them so she wasn't that upset when they didn't give her one.

She braced herself, taking a defensive stance as the Foot reached for their weapons. All of them carried swords of one size or another.

Suddenly a large boom from a thunder clap caused Rama to realize that the rain and the quick moving storm might cause further distractions that could lead to mistakes. Considering she was greatly outnumbered, Ramiela knew she could not afford to make even one this time. She quickly focused her mental energy and skills. Ramiela channeled them to assist her focus on the duty at hand and to help determine her adversary's moves. She had little time for anything else as the Foot began to charge towards her.

She noted that the strange tingling effect seemed to have increased in only a few moments. However, she ignored it figuring it was the result of the electrical storm. Instead she concentrated her attention on what mattered most; repelling the now advancing attack.

As two Elite Foot came at her with their swords drawn, Ramiela raised her katanas and blocked their blows. She turned her body so her hard carapace could deflect some of the other strikes. It was far better for her shell to be scratched than to have her attackers drawing blood so soon in the battle. The ensuing strikes from her adversaries were swift and forceful, but she continued to block them as her own energies intensified.

The driving rain made it hard to see but Rama wasn't using her eyes to locate her enemies. Rather she was using an almost meditative state to pinpoint them. She maneuvered a quick three-sixty, leaping up and doing a swift tornado kick in her attempt to force some of her attackers back. It was a long enough counter attack but it didn't work as well as she had hoped. The Elite who were knocked away were up and back in the attack faster than she could prepare her strike. It seems as if they had expected such a move from her. They were more prepared!

Rama was then forced to parry and deflect but she wasn't getting many chances to do much else. With so many of the Elite gathered around her, the numbers seemed overwhelming.

A single Elite soldier took his sword and, missing her arm, managed to cut off her belt, the force of the action flinging it far and away from her. Rama bristled at that. She hated losing her weapons and now she had lost her sais and all of her smaller equipment with that one strike. Hopefully she would be able to get them back after she successfully made it out of this mess.

"Okay that is IT! No more nice turtle" she growled at the Elite. With a swing of one katana she managed to block an Elite's blow and then at the same time with her other sword cut a deep gash along the stomach of another. Blood oozed freely from the wound, causing the soldier to stumble back and away from the fight.

A sudden flash of lightening illuminated the dark sky and showed the injured Elite backing off and heading out. He was probably going to return to headquarters for medical aid but to also call in reinforcements. That only meant Rama had to get out of there and fast, too.

The remaining soldiers seemed to rally against her. But a lucky strike by one put a sword into her right arm. Rama winced and then glanced at it to try and figure out how bad of a wound it was. It was both deep enough and long enough that she knew it wouldn't stop bleeding on its own. Continuing to move her arm would only make it worse, too. The most that she could hope was for the driving rain to at least wash the wound to some extent.

Rama was now fully aware that, because of her injury, it would be harder for her to use the katana she wielded in her right hand. There wasn't anything that could be done for it now other than blocking out the pain and fighting onward. She would have to compensate with the left sword as much as possible.

Ramiela ducked her head into her shell as someone tried taking a swing at her neck. She moved her right katana and thrust it backward and knew instantly that she had scored a killing blow with that strike. She felt the blade of her weapon pierce the soft tissue of her attacker as it quickly sank deep into his torso. A soft moan escaped his covered mouth and then he fell to the floor of the battle field, still and no longer among the living.

Removing her weapon and seeing the glistening blood on the katana, she prepared for the next attack. She held it up defensively. The heavy rain washed some of the red off of the blade, staining the ground at Rama's feet. But, no sooner had she noticed this than the others were rushing upon her with a vengeance.

There were only four Elite Foot left to go but they were taking their toll on her. Despite trying to do as much harm to them as possible, Rama was unable to block all of their strikes or hits. Repeatedly they managed to cut her; the cuts weren't deep but collectively they were sapping her energies. She was already bleeding from the numerous sword wounds on her arms and legs. If she suffered any more injuries, Rama would have to contend with debilitating blood loss as well.

She heard the thunder and saw the lightening as the storm continued to gain strength. It closed in on her location rapidly as the battle echoed along the rooftops. Even the rain seemed to be coming down harder than before, if such a thing were possible.

In moments Rama's adversaries disarmed her of the right katana, leaving her with only one sword to defend and protect her self with. She was now out of her depth in the fight and realized that fact almost too late. Knowing she needed assistance, Rama mentally sent an urgent call for help to her family in desperation. But she knew that even if they heard and moved at top speed, it was probably going be far too late for her. Though her courage was great and her training thorough, a small need to panic crept up towards her conscious mind. However, Rama forced that thought away, focusing instead on the task at hand.

"Center your thoughts, girl. Concentrate on the here and now! You can't afford to make any more mistakes." she warned herself.

Her subconscious, however, was not so easily rid of the thought of her eminent death looming so near.

"Got to get home, got to get safe. Get away far from fighting. Family protection. Away. Out of danger!" Her subconscious began to say over and over.

Because of her training, Rama was unaware of the wild panic growing deep inside her own mind. Instead she was remaining focused on the immediate situation, knowing full well that one sword against four was not the best of odds. Yet she had to concentrate on her ninjitsu skills or things could get worse - and quickly, too.

Without warning a pair soldiers struck out at her head using their fists and feet. They caught Rama on both side of her cranium while she was forced to deflect a sword strike in front of her. The hit dazed her momentarily and in that instant of distraction the Foot relieved her of her last and final weapon.

Rama now felt a whimper escape her throat as she stood against them with no more then her feet and hands for protection. She knew in her heart that it wouldn't be enough. Especially when she knew that more Foot were probably on their way. She didn't know if her own family had heard her mental cry for help or not, but she had to hope that they did. She also had to fight as if they didn't!

Surrounded by her enemies, Rama did the only thing she could think of. She leaped up high and sailed over them, flipping out of the circle they had formed around her. She would have landed without any further injuries if it hadn't had been for one lucky Foot Soldier. The Elite had raised his sword at just the right moment, slicing a long deep gash down the length of her left leg. Blood sprayed out as a minor vein was nicked, staining the Elite as well as the ground he stood on.

Rama managed to land on both feet and whirl to face her attackers. But her afflicted appendage protested every move she made. She grimaced from the pain and worried about how badly it was bleeding. But she had to mentally force even that back and away from her immediate thoughts. If she was going to die then she was going to do so willingly and in battle. Her death would then be an honorable one that her family would be able to accept. She might have lost all else but she still had her honor. Rama waited patiently for the remaining Foot to move in and attack.

The Elite had to be aware of the situation she was in. Without weapons and bleeding profusely from her many wounds, Rama seemed like easy pickings. It would only be a matter of time, now, she thought to herself.

She tried to gain strength from the electric current in the air that moved around and about her as if she were collecting energy for her last stand. She felt the familiar tingling again and instead of ignoring it, she embraced it. In that moment, however, she noticed the Foot drawing back a step or two. It seemed odd. Was it possible they were going to retreat now? Rama doubted that, it didn't make sense so she watched them warily for their next act. As she backed away from them as well, her tingling seeming to become stronger with each step she took.

Suddenly the energy around her seemed to have become much stronger. Rama felt the hair on her head nearly rise from the effect, tickling her scalp as it did so. Then, without warning, a flash of lightening struck close by the battlefield. The remaining Elite dove further back and out of harms way. At the same time Rama also jumped as best she could, but in the opposite direction. With the energy discharge being all too close for comfort, the combatants barely avoided being hit.

This, of course, only intensified Rama's need to get away. She felt her rising panic and the electrical current merge as her mind screamed, "DANGER! Got to get out NOW! "

In the next moment she the familiar tingling sensation increase in strength, seeming to envelope and surround her completely. Then, as if in a dream, she felt like she was being removed from the rooftop itself. She saw the battlefield fall away as her body seemed to be pulled up into the air. From her observation, the Foot were fading from view and appeared confused by all that had just transpired.

However, what was most clearly evident was Rama's fast approaching family. She tried to call out to them, but no sound would come from her mouth. She shook her head at the impossibility of her situation. Rama's heart ached to stay so that she could help fight and be with those that loved her.

Yet, what was happening couldn't be. It was all too surreal. In that moment, she believed her experience was due to her loss of blood and battle fatigue, not to mention the many blows to her head. It was the best explanation she could think of regarding her current situation.

Then Ramiela briefly thought back to the 'dream' she had when she meditated for those twenty-four hours only a few weeks before. The tingling sensations she felt at that time were all too familiar with the ones she was currently experiencing now. But before she could figure it out or realize what was probably happening, Ramiela felt inky blackness envelope her mind and body. Fatigued and having lost too much blood, Rama let go and finally gave in completely to an overwhelming unconsciousness. TBC