Slowly Splinter opened his eyes as he dared to look up, he was still holding Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael close to him, and they all leaned towards him with squinted eyes.. even Raphael in a rare display of dependence. Splinter looked to his side and saw how April and Donatello was holding hands.. Slowly, the turtles started to stir and opened their eyes, to let go of each other and look around.
It looked like they were back in the lair, every-thing seemed to be in place, the television set, the ping-pong machine, the door that lead to their own little dojo. Splinter frowned slightly.
"Sensei it worked." Leonardo beamed as he stood up straight, in true heroes position. "We all broke the illusion."
Splinter how-ever just frowned even more. "Cautious my son." he told. "Do not just assume." he barely whispered as he looked around.
"It all seems fine enough." Raphael commented as he looked around. "Those of use supposed to be turtles are, those of us supposed to be a rat, is also that." he looked around. "Every-thing seems normal."
"Exactly." Splinter replied. "Normal.. perfect.. exactly as we wanted it." he stated suddenly making all of the turtles silence, as slowly splinter walked towards the rice paper door, that would lead to their dojo, and opened it wide, only to suddenly be met with extreme sunlight and a blue sky. Right in front of him, where the dojo was supposed to be, there was an entire park, filled with happy people that didn't seem to be the least bit surprised to have full view of a giant rant, one woman even smiled happily at him as she waved. Splinter how-ever turned around seizing all of his students.
"Okay!" Mikey then exclaimed helding up both arms. "I really liked that park!" he stated. "And the ability to walk in sunlight and talk to people." He hopelessly looked at them. "I really liked talking to people." He admitted.
"And that's not a quality to be ashamed of, one I don't have myself but wish I did." Splinter told as he turned back to the scenery looking at it. "Though it poses quite a problem in the present." he frowned slightly annoyed.
Leonardo exhaled. "So what do we… oh my god." He suddenly halted as he looked through the window. "Is that the cast of space-heroes?" he asked. "Can I go talk to them?" he asked immedatiely.
Only for Raphael to slap him straight over the head. "They aren't real." He reminded Leonardo. "Wake up you bone-head!" he demanded, only for suddenly, a voice to sound right behind him.
"Raph!"
Surprised Raphael swirled around, to be met with the sight of four youngster, all looking at him. "Tell us what to do." A fourteen year old boy asked. "We need you to help us, to lead us."
"Oh no." Raphael stepped back. "No no no! this isn't my fantasy, this isn't me!"he pleaded thought it was quite obvious that it was.
"Thank you so much!" a little blond girl suddenly grabbed Raphaels hand. "For saving my kitty, you are my hero!"
Raphael send a death-glare at Leonardo, whom was just about to snicker.
"Not one word." Raphael sneered. "Or you'll regret it!"
Only for another girl, whom seemed like the first ones twin to grab Leonardos hand and exclaim. "No you're the hero! You are my hero!" she stated.
Only for the first girl to grab Raphael. "No! This one is much better! He is my hero!"
"Leonardo is clearly the hero!"
"RAPHAEL!"
"Argh!" Simultaneously the two turtles tried to shake the girls of themselves.
"NOW I DON'T WANT TO BE ANY-BODIES HERO!" Raphael exclaimed as he stood back to back with Leo.
"Then why are they still here?" Leonardo hissed. "Be my hero for the day, and get rid of them!" he asked.
"Why don't you do that?" Raphael responded.
Donatello in turn held April closer. "Yeah this doesn't seem to be working out." He commented.
"Donnie don't leave me." April almost cried.
"April now you don't even sound like yourself!" Donnie made aware.
"I.." April blinked. "No I don't!" she realised. "I don't know why I said that!" she exclaimed.
"My sons! Please stay together." Splinter demanded as he backed away from the wide open entrance and stood back to back with Leonardo, Raphael by his right side, Michelangolo to his left.
"Donnie, April. Come on!" Leonardo called, and the two joined the group, so all stood in a pile, facing each their direction.
And then of cause.. it all had to smoulder again as a soft womans voice spoke. "Hamato.."
All turtles, rats and teenage girl gasped as they turned to Splinter and saw what was, across the lair, but in front of Splinters vision.
It was that beautiful Japanese woman from Splinters photo, but now the turtles could see, the photo actually did her injustice.. in the photo they had positioned and looked stoic and disciplined, as was probably expected of an old family like theirs.
But this woman, she looked warm and kind, her face radiant.. if she just wouldn't look so sad, and right next to the woman, was a teenage girl, looking so much like her, only a little more tomboyish, with shorter hair, though the same elegance. "Father." The teenage girl spoke. "Why do you insist leaving us? We are right here."
"Hamato, my love." The woman spoke in such a soft voice. "Come here, over to us, it'll be perfect."
"Stand back." Splinter hissed moving the entire group away from the image. "They aren't real.. they aren't real, it's just a mean to trap us."
"We are as real as you want us to." Teng-shen invited. "Both the two of us, your sons, all of this, we can all co-exist, if you just let us." She invited.
Splinter squinted his eyes tight together as he chanted, trying to hold the turtles close, though as he opened his eyes again, he realised he had humans hands again, and a human attire, he was failing!
"Sensei!" Leonardo exclaimed.
"I.." Hamato exhaled as he bowed over, trying to catch his breath. "No no! we can't be trapped! STOP IT!" he yelled up in the air. "None of this is real! None of it were! It was a nice dream but it.." Hamato blinked. "Wait." He turned around facing all of the teenagers. "We assumed wrong." He suddenly realised.
"What?" All of the turtles asked as they looked up at Splinter.
"We assumed, that what we saw was a re-collection of all of our dreams, mashed together in one shared sequence." Splinter tried to explain. "But what if it was just one persons dream.. pulled out and made reality."
"Just one person?" Leonardo asked. "But who, I sure didn't dream for Raphael to be a leader on his own." He stated.
"Gee thanks." Raphael snorted. "Though, I didn't dream for Donnie to be any kind of priced science major."
"Oh shocks, thanks so much guys." Donnie rolled his eyes. "But no.. none of your situations were my fantasy."
"Me neither." Michelangelo stated as April nodded, before at ones, every-bodies eyes widened and turned to Splinter, still in human form with closed eyes.
Splinter exhaled. "All I wanted, was to give each of you the best life possible, I always wanted you to have all those things, but it wasn't within my power." He tried to explain. "I was sad none of you could experience sunlight." he confessed. "Or even a walk in the park. Donatello, you deserve acknowledgement, and you deserve to be happy." He gestured at April. "So do you Leonardo." He told the blue bandannaed turtle. "And Raphael.. you to could be a great leader, I wish it was in my power to give both of you a chance, but a decision had to be made."
"Then why Leo?" Raphael asked. "Really Sensei, it's been bothering me for a while."
"I was guessing." Splinter admitted. "But I assumed, Leo wanted it, just a little bit more, and that is the only reason. It had nothing to do with skills or whom would be better at it in longer term, because that I do not know."
For a moment Raphael looked at Splinter, then shook his head. "All-right, I guess some decision had to be made." He acknowledged.
"Some day you'll be a leader to." Splinter assured. "I'm quite certain. And a great one to."
"Yeah well." Raphael almost blushed. "No rush, I think I manage for now." He managed to get over his lips.
"NOOOO!" a horrible scream suddenly sounded, and Hamato turned back towards Teng-shen, almost shedding his human form, going back to be a rat as he did and the woman screamed.
"All you had to do was to embrace it!" The woman hissed, now suddenly not looking like Teng-shen at all. "Life out your happiest fantasy! Why was that so hard for you?" she asked as tears started to stream down her cheeks.
"I prefer to life in reality, not fantasy, no matter how pleasant it might seem." Splinter told sternly standing with his turtles.
"That makes no sense!" Miwa now spoke. "Just be happy! Your happiness was so warm, I liked those moments, I can give you more!" she exclaimed. "Like when you tumbled around at that con! Felt good didn't it?" she asked.
"And then you ate up the good emotion no doubt." Splinter furrowed. "Is that what you do? Make people happy and feed on their happiness?" he asked.
"And why is that so bad?" Suddenly it was a little blond girl who talked, one of the two whom had pulled in Raphael and Leonardo. "I like making people happy! I like seeing them being so happy! It warms me!" she exclaimed. "And you down here seemed so trapped, all like a part of you were unfulfilled, especially you!" she pointed up at Splinter. "You always have a dark shadow in you, but I can make it vanish, is that not nice?"
"But then what happens." Splinter looked down at the girl. "To the people whom gets lost in your fantasy? They fade away don't they?" he asked. "They die."
"NO!" The girl screamed. "That's not what I do! I do good!" she yelled.
"Then let us go." Splinter demanded.
"No I wont!" The girl exclaimed. "You were so happy it was so nice! I want to try again, give me another chance!" She begged.
"I warn you." Splinter stated in a very warning tone, the kind of tone that made even his turtles gulp in fear, it never left room for any arguments. "Let us go now, or I wont answer for the consequence, I carry no wish to harm you, but you are threatening the life of my family."
"No!" The girl stated again.
"Fine then, we are leaving." Splinter stated grabbing two of his shoulders by the shoulders, pushing them forward.
"Sensei, where would we even go?" Michelangelo asked.
"Out." Was Splinters only response as he pushed all of them towards the exit.
"NOOOO!" the girl screamed. "DON'T LEAVE! I DEMAND YOU TO STAY!" she yelled.
"Don't look at her." Splinter whispered to the teenagers as he pushed all of them forward. "Just keep on moving."
"I SAID STAY!" The girl yelled so suddenly, the whole lair seemed to shake as if her voice was sonic, for that matter, it became deeper and deeper, as in a big growl.
Splinter widened his eyes, and in a list second managed to throw them all aside, just as a giant viper like creature with sharp fans would have snatched them all. "DEFEND YOURSELVES!" Splinter commanded in a barg, and in a instant, all the turtles pulled out their weapons to stand ready, April stood in a fighting stand and as well did Splinter.
"I warn you again." Splinter addressed the giant snake. "We don't wish you harm, let us go and we'll let you go, but attack us and we'll defend ourselves!"
The viper didn't even answer, but merely attacked at ones, going straight for the turtles, only for all of them to jump each their side, Raphael was the first one to back attack with his sais, forcing them downwards towards, the wiper, only to be closely followed by Leo, whom stroke with his swords, and after that Michelangelo and Donatello came on the same time, from each their side with weapons in their hands.
"What can I do?" April asked.
"Stay out of range so you wont get in the way." Splinter instructed.
"WHAT!" April exclaimed.
"April it's fact, you are not strong enough yet, and if you get in trouble I'll be to our disadvantage." Splinter snapped, in a voice that left no rooms for arguments, before he himself grabbed his cane and jumped right in, to a hand to hand combat with the snake, skille-fully dodging and avoiding each and every-ones of the snakes attack, it didn't even touch, so impressive looked that little dance that the turtles almost stopped up.
"Whoa." Leonardo blinked. "It's like he all-ready knows where the attacks are coming from."
"Sensing Leonardo." Splinter informed as he easily avoided another attack, without having to break as much as a sweat. "Be aware of the now, and." Easily he stepped aside as the massive tale smacked right down, landing with a great thump where he stood a moment earlier. "The room." He told as he stepped back. "How-ever, fighting a viper in hand to hand combat is rather challenging." He admitted jumping first to left, then to the right, and sprung up to plant a fist in between the snakes eyes, but it didn't seem to do much.
And ones again, all turtles attacked, one by one, with the weapons and even with fist, as promised April stood back, and observed, all though a little wide eyed.
"It's no use." Leonardo hissed as he had scratched the snake ones again, but it didn't even seemed to notice. "If only.." then suddenly Leonardo's eyes widened. "I got it." He realised. "SENSEI!" he called up.
Making Splinter halfly turn his head, that being indication enough that he was listening.
"CATCH!" Leonardo exclaimed as he threw one of his swords in Splinters direction, and Splinter easily, stepped forward to grab the weapon in mid-air, then had to role over to avoid one of the vipers attacks, only then to take one step, jump up and plant the sword right between the vipers eyes.
"ARGH!" the wipers hissed as it felt back-wards, twisting and turning. "Why?" a little girls voice came from the viper. "Isn't happiness worth every-thing?" she asked. "Isn't that the reason to life?"
"When happiness hurts others, it's not worth it." Splinter told firmly. "Happiness is fulfilment of the life given to you, it doesn't need to be big, often happiness can be quite simple. Belonging, a simple home, family. That's all I personally ever needed."
The now human like viper looked up at Splinter, with tearful eyes, now having taken one last form.. it resembled that teenage Japanese girl, whom resembled Teng-shen so much. "Don't do it." She asked with tears streaming down her eyes.
In which response Splinter merely reached forward and grabbed the handle of the sword. "I told you that I couldn't answer for the consequences." He told holding the sword firmly.
"You wont be able to go back, or see either of them again." The girl whispered, in Miwas scared voice.
To which in response, Splinter twisted the sword one turn, making the girl cry out in pain, then lifted the sword, and drew it down for a be-headment, only.. the moment he did, every-thing in less than a second, turned to complete black.
"Hrmpf." Splinter frowned as he slowly gained conscious, returning to the light, he became aware, that he was laying on a very hard and cold surface, forcing his eyes open were his suspicious confirmed, he was laying on the floor, and right in front of him, having actually not let go of him was Michelangelo and Leonardo.. and also they started to slowly groan.
Splinter crawled up on his knees, and slowly started to shake the turtles. "Are you all-right?" he asked them.
"Hmm.. Sensei.." Leonardo whispered as his eyes suddenly opened, and his blue bright eyes looked right up at him. "Father…" he barely whispered.
"Shh." Splinter hushed. "I believe, we all had a very bad dream." He commented as Michelangelo groaning sat up also looking around.
"What happened?" Mikey asked. "Did we win? Is this another dream? Or is it a dream in a dream?" he asked looking around. "It's a dream in a dream isn't it?" he asked warily looking around. "There's some troll behind the corner waiting to jump us."
"I don't think so." Donatello replied as he groaningly helped April up from his work-shop corner. "We were never this.. sore, in the dreams." He pointed out.
"Man, it feels like I slept in a wrong position or some-thing!" Raphael gritted as he to got up on his legs.
"Hmm.." Splinter looked around. "The place smells like sewer again, kitchen clearly needs cleaning, which was Mikeys chore today."
"Erhh.." Mikey swallowed.
"If you want my dispute judgment." Splinter nodded as he stroke his beard. "I'll say we did it. You did so well my sons." He smiled a little vaguely.
"Sensei.. you might want to." Leonardo suddenly spoke from the other side of the couch.
"Leonardo what is it?" Splinter asked with a lifted eye-brow as he turned towards the turtle.
"Sensei look." Leonardo pointed at the floor, where a little glimmer of blue light seemed to be dying out.
Slowly Splinter approached Leonardo, and looked down at the little light, before he silently sat down on his knees, and used his two hands to pick it up.
"Sensei you think that's a good.." Leonardo halted.
"I think she's quite harmless now." Splinter whispered holding the light a little higher up so it were in eye height.
"She?" Raphael asked as he also slowly approaches.
"Quite clearly, she was a girl.. perhaps even a child." Splinter remarked. "Whom had the gift to make people life out their dreams and wanted to share that gift, not even realising the consequences."
"Maybe she was lonely." Michelangelo remarked leaning over Splinters shoulder. "So she wanted to give and observe, just to feel a little happiness herself."
"Quite possible." Splinter replied.
"That's so sad." April told as she stood with Donatello holdings his hand.
"But, what was she? Where did she come from?" Raphael asked.
"That I have no idea of." Splinter told. "Little girl." He then whispered at the flickering light in his hands. "I am sorry for the harm I brought you, I hope you realise I only did so because you left me no choice." He told in a very gentle, and very warm open voice. "But I bear no ill feelings, it's all-right little friend, and now I only hope you can forgive me." He asked, and then the light flickered and extra turn, as if it tried to signal some-thing. "Feel welcome to stay and observe, if you promise not to harm." He told. "I invite you." He stated. "You seemed like a kind spirit."
And suddenly the light flickered up, became a little warmer, a little.. happier. Before suddenly, it died out, and Splinter was holding nothing but grey dust in his hands.
For some moments there were silence, as all the teenagers and the rat was left to look at the gray glittering dust.
"She.." April swallowed.
Splinter nodded. "Michelangelo, in the dojo in the west-side closest, there's a couple of small box's, would you be kind enough to fetch one for me, pick what-ever you feel is the most honourable, and hurry." he requested not looking away from the dust in his hands, that seemed to still glitter, ever so slightly.
"OF CAUSE!" Michelangelo exclaimed as he stood up straight, and almost tripped over his own feet's to get to their little private dojo, only for in a few minutes to return with a little pink box with golden Japanese looking symbols on it. "I thought this was good, since it's pink and all, little girls likes pink don't they?" he asked.
"I think it's very pretty, it's a nice gift." April assured as Michelangelo removed the lid, and carefully, not to spill a single little strain, Splinter gently transferred the dust to the little box so Michelangelo could close it, and hand the box to Splinter.
"What now?" Leonardo asked.
"Now we honour her." Splinter told as he stood up. "Along with other priced people whom are gone." He told and walked to that shrine which always had been present in full view, there was not much on it, just that photo of Hamato and his old family, and Splinter without hesitation placed the pink box next to the photo, and then reached for a match to light the incest he usually burned for his lost family, and a little candle light.
"Can I also light a candle for her?" Michelangelo asked.
"That you wont ever have to ask permission for." Splinter assured as he turned to Michelangelo. "When-ever you feel like it, please." He asked reaching the match box to Michelangelo, whom also stepped up to the shrine, and lighted another candle.
Slowly Leonardo walked up and did the same, to then be followed by Donatello, April and even Raphael as the last one.
And at last as they all stood back and observed the six flickering lights, Leonardo broke the silence. "Sensei.. I was sort of wondering."
Splinter turned his head as he looked at Leonardo.
"How did you and Teng-shen meet?" Leonardo asked.
Splinter blinked, one time, and the rest of the turtles blinked rapidly.
"I mean, you told us about how she and Miwa died. How you had to flee Japan and come here, explained why that happened. And that's good, then we all know where we come from." Leonardo tried to explain. "But we actually never heard of happier things, how was she?" he asked.
"Did you give her flowers?" Michelangelo asked in a slight smirk.
"I'd rather want to know how Sensei was trained. From childs-birth right?" Raphael asked Splinter.
"Well." Splinter frowned. "One thing at the time I think, when I first met Teng-shen, I was very young, only a little bit older than you are now, but I remember it well." He told as all six of them, slowly took place in the couches. "It was spring in Japan, and in Japan all the cherry trees are at bloom, which means they are completely pink in colour, I was out walking with my child-hood friend, whom you know of, Oroku Saki." He informed, and suddenly every-body listened intensely. "We were both what one would might call.. cocky young men, we were intending to win the world-class tournament of nin-jitsu together that year, and we did, but that day before that, we were headed our way to our masters dojo for our daily training, and suddenly, out of no-where, there she was." Splinter smiled looking almost lost in his memory. "Carrying a basket filled with laundry she had finished and were supposed to deliver, Teng-shen was not of any high stature, she was just a laundry girl." Splinter informed as every-body sat around, and actually listened very intensely to Splinters story. "And of cause as it happened, I and Saki was so caught up in our own boosting that I walked right into her and we both fell down, as a result all of her laundry was ruined." He chuckled to himself.
"That doesn't sound like you at all." Raphael commented in a slight frown.
"I told you, I was younger then, much younger." Splinter informed. "As it happened, Saki went on to train all that he could at the dojo, while I stayed with Teng-shen and helped her redo the laundry as compensation, and that's how it began, only later did it even occour to me that Saki had developed feelings for her as well." And the story hour continued, no one really wanting to interrupt splinter, only as Leonardo silently made tea for all of them, that tea that Splinter always had some of, and it was a very nice evening for all of them, all six, where they very simply just spend time together, as a family.