Chapter Text
A semi-frantic call to Draxum and a brief text in the family group chat is all it takes to have almost the entire extended Hamato family and Usagi sitting around the lair.
“You should have called me to assist you,” Draxum says exasperatedly.
He sits with his legs crossed and fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. The chide is directed at Mikey, who is sitting beside Usagi and holding his hand supportively. Usagi’s eyes haven’t stopped glowing for the last twenty minutes since Leo and Mikey rushed him out of the dojo and to the living room. While the rabbit claims he can still see just fine, his main complaint is the dull yet persistent headache now plaguing him. Other than that, he’s physically fine. Leo sits on the other side of Usagi, close enough that their thighs are pressed against each other. Usagi doesn’t seem to mind so Leo keeps close. Spaced out around the three are Splinter, Donnie, Raph, April, and Junior.
Draxum stands and begins to pace slowly. “Well, I supposed this timing works out with some of my own findings.”
The others perk up at this.
“What kind of findings?” Donnie asks.
“I did more research on this elusive Ki Stone. It isn’t hard to understand. The hard part was finding enough information on it. Most yokai havens are created near some sort of mystic beacon. That beacon acts as a form of protection for yokai-kind from non-mystic beings. In the Hidden City, the Crying Titan is our beacon. For Neo Edo, it is the Ki Stone.”
Junior asks next, “Okay but why is it blocking other mystic beings from entering if it’s supposed to protect them?”
“Maybe it doesn’t. Not naturally, anyway,” Leo supplies. “Usagi, you said your ancestor trapped a bunch of yokai in it for 500 years. Why would it allow that if it’s meant to protect them?”
“I’m not sure but it wasn’t going to last. Odokuro- another yokai I know- said the Ki Stone was going to be destroyed if they stayed in there any longer. So, maybe it is meant to protect us. Trapping yokai would go directly against that. That would explain why Tetsujin said it was acting strange even before I came to the city.”
“Another point of intrigue,” Draxum cuts back in. “I did read about an order meant to protect your Ki Stone against mystic threats. It was said only the best of these warrior monks could commune with it. But you weren’t one of them when you first arrived, were you?”
“A Kaikishi Warrior? No, I wasn’t. I’m only technically one now because the Ki Stone decided to let me choose one of the Kaikishi weapons.”
Draxum hums. “Right. And your friend Tetsujin is the one that can commune with the stone?”
Usagi nods.
“What has he told you about it?”
“He usually just translates for it. He’s the only one that can really hear it. Also, it can’t be moved and it’s not supposed to be touched. Not even by the Kaikishi Warriors. Though, I have been able to connect with it before.”
“You have?” Draxum stops in his tracks.
Usagi nods again. “Yeah. The first time I did, Tetsujin tried to stop me but it connected with me first. I only ended up seeing a vision of my ancestor. The other few times were pretty much the same. It just kept showing me when Miyamoto trapped the yokai. But the last time was different.”
“Different how?”
“I chose to connect with it to defeat the Makkine. She lent me some of her power and I basically turned into a giant glowy version of myself. Except, I guess it’s more like I was controlling the giant version of myself. I don’t know. It’s hard to explain and I definitely can’t do it again.”
Raph ponders, “Huh. That sorta sounds like my mystic ability. I get what ya’ mean.”
“I think I saw that,” Mikey admits quietly. “Some of it anyway.”
Usagi’s eyes widen. “You did?”
“Only what happened before the glowy part. I think I saw your friend Tetsujin too and the- the Makkine.”
“Did you see anything that might help?’
“I’m not sure. I guess so. Otherwise, I don’t know why the memories I saw were revealed to me in the first place unless they’re important to your abilities. But…I don’t know if I should share them.”
The room gets uncomfortably quiet. Usagi isn’t quite sure what to make of that. He can’t image too many memories that are all that bad. He inhales.
“It’s okay,” he decides. “If it’ll help, then go for it.”
All eyes turn back to Mikey. They straighten.
“The first memory was from when you were young. Maybe five or six? I can’t say exactly. But-” They hesitate and squeeze Usagi’s hand tighter. The rabbit meets their eyes, silently encouraging them to go on. Mikey looks away. Their eyes instead focus on the floor. “You were with your mom.”
Usagi can’t help but flinch back at the information.
His mom? That’s impossible. She died when he was a baby. Some house fire. An accident. He only survived because his aunt happened to be visiting. She’d been woken up by the smoke and the nursery doubled as the guest room so she grabbed him and left, hoping his mother was already out from the engulfed part of the house. She came staggering out after but the smoke had already invaded her lungs. Her dying breath was spent begging Auntie to promise to take care of him.
That’s the story he was told anyway.
“I thought you said you never got to know your parents,” Leo questions but not accusatorily.
“I…I didn’t.” Usagi shakes his head. “Are you sure it wasn’t my aunt? I could tell you what she looks like and maybe-”
“It wasn’t,” Mikey utters. “I saw her in another memory. Short. Orange outfit. Wooden prosthetics. That’s your aunt, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but-”
Mikey doesn’t look up from the floor but they do release Usagi’s hand only to hug themself. “The other woman- your mom- was a bit taller. Her hair was long and in a bun and her ears stood up straight. She wore pink, not orange. She wasn’t your aunt.”
“I don’t understand. This doesn’t…” he trails off.
It doesn’t make sense. Yet, his ear twitches as bits and pieces of the dream he had days ago return to him. A sunny spring day. A pink-clad woman. A sweet voice. A melancholic feeling he couldn’t explain when he awoke.
His mother.
He sits with his mouth open and shoulders tense. He wants to say something, anything, but words are lost on him now.
Draxum finds them for him. “In that case, my theory is a memory block. I’ve seen these before, though usually on witnesses to crimes in the Hidden City. Criminals skilled enough may lock away certain memories from those who witness their crimes or even their victims. Though, there are some cases of it being used for medical purposes.”
“How could invoking magic amnesia be useful in medicine?” Donnie doubts.
“In certain situations, when a person suffers severe psychological distress from an experience, it may be deemed suitable to simply lock away the offending memories while continuing treatment for the remaining physiological effects, if persistent.”
“But the brain is capable of doing that on its own.”
“It’s not guaranteed, from my limited understanding of psychological concepts.”
April hugs her leg resting on the chair. “So you’re saying Usagi might have a spell or something on him because of a traumatic experience he had?”
“It’s possible,” Draxum shrugs. “I wouldn’t know for sure. Michelangelo, what else did you see in his memories that stood out to you?”
They sneak a glance at Usagi’s still form before answering, “Um, there was a memory of him looking for his pet that caused him to panic. Then there was the memory with his aunt. I didn’t really understand that one but she seemed hesitant to talk about someone. And- And then there was the invasion. More panic. It was hard to pay attention.”
“Usagi,” Draxum stands in front of the rabbit. “Is there anything from your past that may have negatively affected you?”
He fidgets with his fingers. “I- I don’t know. I thought I lived with my aunt my whole life but now that might not be true. I…This is a lot.”
Leo’s hand comes to rest on his knee. “Hey, if you need a minute we can stop.”
Usagi meets his eyes. There’s clear concern in Leo’s.
“Please,” he breathes, hardly audible to even Leo.
Leo stands without hesitation. “Okay. Let’s take twenty.”
No one questions it. Leo offers Usagi his hand and helps him up. Usagi appreciates it. His legs feel like jelly at the moment and frankly, his head is reeling. His eyes are still glowing and while it doesn’t hurt or anything, it’s still odd. He’s acutely aware of it from the barely-there tingles around them. He follows Leo away from the group. Neither of them thinks about the fact that their hands don’t leave each other the whole way to Leo’s room.
When they get in there, Leo guides Usagi to take a seat on his mattress. He plops down beside him. They don’t say anything for a bit. Usagi feels like he’s stepping away from himself the more his thoughts swim.
How could he have a memory of a mother he wasn’t old enough to know? And if the memory is to be taken as the truth, then how could he ever forget? What if Draxum is right and someone locked away his memories? If that’s the case, what else doesn’t he remember? Did he know about his powers once? Did he use them? Did…Did he hurt someone or worse?
That’s what Draxum said, wasn’t it? Sometimes memory blocks are put on people who experience severe trauma. Or maybe he saw something he wasn’t supposed to. But why would his memories of his mother be locked away? Did something happen to her, something other than what Auntie told him?
Auntie. That’s the other big question, isn’t it?
She’s the one that told Usagi about what happened. It was one of the last times Usagi ever heard her talk about his parents. He’d believed it. Who was he to question her story? It's not like he remembered otherwise. But why would she lie to him? Auntie never lies. She always tells him the truth. Always. Why would she lie to him about his mom? What else could she have lied about, assuming no one messed with her head either?
“Usagi, you with me?”
Ah. Leo. Right.
“Sorry. I’m just…thinking.” He admits flatly.
He feels strange. Not quite whole. Leo must sense it because he takes Usagi’s hand again and squeezes before rubbing his thumb over it. Usagi watches the movement. Back and forth. Back and forth. He breathes with it until he starts to feel whole again. He blinks a few times and when he turns to Leo, the other boy is staring with his lips parted and eyes wide.
“Your eyes aren’t glowing anymore.”
Usagi appears struck by that. Leo nods toward a long mirror at the end of the room. Usagi leans so he can see his reflection in it. Sure enough, his eyes are back to normal. He sighs and lays back on the mattress. Leo does the same.
“What’s on your mind?” He asks.
Usagi’s brows furrow. “I can’t even trust my mind. How am I supposed to learn to use my powers if I don’t even know the truth about my own life?”
Leo doesn’t say anything for a long moment. They just lie there together, unsure of what comes next. They still don’t think anything of their hands clasped together between them. Usagi shuts his eyes.
“I have to get home. That’s the only way any of this gets figured out.”
After a second, the sheets rustle. Usagi turns his head toward Leo, only to find the other boy is already doing the same.
“What if we come with you?” He says quietly.
“What?”
“We can come with you. To Neo Edo. That way, you’ll be with your friends again and we can still help you out.”
He says it so nonchalantly like it’s the obvious solution. Maybe it is. Usagi doesn’t know but it makes his heart swell. For just a brief moment, the cacophony of chaos in his head falls silent. The way Leo’s looking at him makes it stop. The weight of his hand in Usagi’s is impossible to ignore now. His face feels as warm as his chest.
“You’d do that? For me?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”
“You hardly know me.”
“I know enough.”
Usagi can't believe this. He sits up. Leo follows.
He shakes his head. “Leo, I don’t know what’s going to happen when I get home. I don’t even know if…I don’t even know if I have a home to go back to anymore.”
“So let us come with you. Whatever happens, you don’t have to do it alone.” Leo squeezes his hand. “Trust me. I know it feels like this is all on you but it is better to have help.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m offering, isn’t it?”
Logically, he knows Leo is right. Usagi loves fighting alongside his friends. It’s nice to know there’s always someone who has his back. It’s nice having people who care for him. That’s why he has Spot. That’s why he loves his aunt and Hana and his friends. And he’ll do the same for them, time and time again.
Yet, he’s hesitating here with Leo offering him more than he could ever ask for. Leo, who’s been nothing but kind to him since he arrived. Leo, who’s holding his hand and telling him that even if death is all that’s left for Usagi, he doesn’t have to face it by himself. Leo, telling a guy he’s known for less than a week that he’ll face hell with him just because he knows what it’s like to watch your world crumble around you.
Usagi could cry.
Oh. He is crying.
And Leo has wrapped his arms around him. Usagi holds on for dear life.
His tears come silently. He shuts his eyes again as he focuses on the warmth of Leo’s body.
“You’re incredible, Hamato Leonardo.”
Leo’s chest bounces against Usagi’s as he lets out a breathy chuckle. “Yeah. That’s kinda my thing.”
They pull away but the distance between them is still small. Usagi half sniffles, half chuckles but he’s smiling now. Leo’s hands are still holding Usagi’s upper arms and Usagi has Leo’s just under the elbows. Something Usagi can’t name passes over Leo’s face as his dark eyes fall over pink lips. Leo starts to speak but a knock comes at his door.
Both their hands fall away from the other’s arms but the warmth still lingers. Leo tears his eyes away from Usagi, face darkening, and clears his throat. Usagi finishes wiping his face before Leo calls for the visitor to enter.
Casey Jr. opens the door slowly, peeking in before entering fully. He shuts the door behind him and stays there. His body language is awkward. His gaze keeps getting stuck on Usagi and it takes a small amount of effort to pull it away each time.
“Hey. Just want to check in on Usagi.”
Usagi rests his arms behind him, letting them bare the weight of his upper body. “I’m okay. Leo helped me out.”
“Oh. Good.” Junior looks down at his feet. He fights back an expression.
“You good, Case?” Leo asks knowingly.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s just weird seeing you guys together again.”
Leo’s forehead crinkles and his mask stretches. “Wait, you knew Usagi?”
“We know each other? Aw man, what else don’t I remember,” Usagi mutters sullenly.
Leo and Junior wave the idea away.
“Uh, not quite,” Junior starts. “It’s kinda complicated.”
“Casey’s from the future,” Leo blurts. “I kinda forgot to mention that earlier when I was telling you about the Krang.”
Usagi blinks at him. Junior also shoots an incredulous look Leo’s way before seeming to silently debate something.
He continues, “I was sent back by a now alternate future version of Leo to find the key and stop the Krang from taking over the world. Now that we did, I live in this timeline.”
“Woah, that must be like…crazy deja vu for you,” Usagi ponders.
That surprises a laugh out of Junior. He rubs the side of his neck. “Yeah, actually, it is.”
“What was I like?”
Leo gestures for Junior to come to sit with them. He does.
“You were awesome. Most people called you Usagi Busho. In stories, you were the Great Ronin. To the family, you were just Usagi or ‘Sagi.”
Usagi practically has stars in his eyes at the information. “That. Is. So cool.”
“Yeah,” Junior says.
“Did I use my powers?”
“Oh, uh, no. Not that I remember.”
Usagi slumps a bit but otherwise seems to accept the answer without issue. “Oh. Dang.”
“For what it’s worth, you didn’t need them. You handled things pretty damn well without any mystic help.” Junior makes a face as if implying an apology of sorts.
It’s enough to make Usagi sit a little straighter again. “Huh. I really was awesome, then.”
Junior nods. His smile remains but sadness creeps upon its edges. Luckily for him, Usagi doesn’t ask anything else.
“So, I take it we were friends then?” Leo asks, sensing his melancholy.
Junior nods. “Oh, yeah. You two were super close. I mean, we all were close with Usagi after the Eastern Resistance Front joined us but yeah. You were…close.”
He hopes they don’t pick up on his hesitancy at the end. Better not to mess with some things. If it’s meant to be, then it’s meant to be. If not, no use trying to force it. Though, from what he’s been silently observing since this Usagi arrived, he’s pretty confident in the forces of the universe.
“Look at that!” Leo outstretches his arms in a showy manner. “I told you the universe left you in good hands. Call it fate or destiny or whatever. Looks like you’re stuck with us Hamato.”
Usagi giggles. “I think I’m okay with that. Thank you, universe.”
He bows his head before looking back at Leo with a smile so big, it’s like the turmoil of the last few days never even happened. Leo laughs amusedly. The familiar twinge of grief mixed with joy passes through Casey Jr.'s chest as more of his family comes together again. A crooked smile stretches across his lips now.
“Ready to head back out?”
The question brings the other two teens back down to earth. Usagi’s smile shrinks but it doesn’t disappear completely. He looks at Leo and then at Junior.
“Yeah. Let’s figure this out.”
Leo helps him up again with an extended hand which Usagi takes without question. Junior turns back toward the door and fights back the urge to let his grin grow wider.
When they reenter the living area, the others are more or less in the same spots as before, save for Splinter and Draxum, who are out of sight.
“All good?” April asks gently as they return.
Usagi nods and retakes his spot beside Mikey.
“Thanks,” he says, leaning into the youngest teen.
Mikey still seems a bit uneasy. “What for?”
“Helping me,” Usagi states warmly, “and braving my mess of a brain. I know it’s crazy in there.”
That gets a giggle out of Mikey. They lean back into Usagi, bumping their shoulders together lightly.
“Anytime. And I definitely feel that.”
They miss the way Leo watches them fondly from his spot slightly farther away as they start conversing more.
Raph slides up next to him, also watching the two speak.
“You good?” He asks.
Leo doesn’t look away from the two as he answers, “Yeah. I could see him getting overwhelmed. Angelo too, honestly.”
Raph hums. “You did well. I’m proud of you, ya know?”
“Yeah, I know. No need to get all Sappy Raphie on me,” he teases, finally turning to look at his big brother.
“Eh-hem. I know you two aren’t whispering secretively without me,” Donnie suddenly says from behind them.
“Yeah, or me!” April adds.
“And me,” Junior also joins.
Leo rolls his eyes reverently. Then, a thought pops back into his head.
“Uh oh, ya got your serious leader face on,” Raph points out. “What’s up?”
Leo looks to see Usagi and Mikey still speaking animatedly to each other, oblivious to the gossip circle that’s formed just a few feet away. He looks back to the rest of his family.
“We can’t send Usagi back alone.”
“Well duh,” April agrees incontestably. “So, what’s the plan?”
Leo holds his chin. “We have to go with him. If the guy that’s after him is strong enough to give him and his friends that hard of a time, the more help they have the better. Plus, that way we can keep helping him out with the mystic side of things. Problem is, we can’t leave New York to fend for itself out of the blue.”
“Don’t worry about home, we can handle things while you guys are out,” April assures.
Junior nods beside her. “I can let Cass know too. She’s been looking for a reason to put up a good fight. I’ve barely been able to contain her. She almost fought the cops the other day for bugging the Brownie Scouts.”
“Noted,” Leo says. “The other issue is none of us are fluent in Japanese except Dad. It’d be pretty rough having to rely on him and Usagi to translate everything for us.”
“No worries there, dear brother o’ mine. I’ve already finished my upgraded language enhancement devices. It’ll have enough of the language wired into our Broca and Wernicke areas to get us by with little issue, if any.”
“I’ll take your nerd word for it.”
Raph scratches his cheek. “If we’re goin’ to Neo Edo, we’ll probably have to blend in better.”
“Ah, yes. Clothing seems to be standard for yokai there,” Donnie notes.
“No worries there.” The five teens jump as Splinter suddenly appears behind them. Beside him is Draxum. Splinter claps his hands together to get the teens’ attention. “We have a plan.”
Usagi and Mikey break out of their little bubble and scoot closer to the others. Splinter and Draxum stand before them all.
Draxum begins, “I believe I can get the portal in the Hidden City working to get you all through.”
“What about the Ki Stone blocking outsiders from entering?” April asks.
“That is likely the reason why the portal stopped working but I believe I can simply jumpstart it. The nature of the portals connecting the cities makes it so that the mystic energy connecting them can never truly be cut off. It can only be weakened or disrupted. I should be able to jumpstart it by using some of my mystic energy to amplify what’s already there. However, I’ll need help.”
“So, what?” Leo tilts his head. “You need us to be mystic jumper cables?”
“Essentially, yes. Usagi as well.” He looks at the rabbit only to pause. “Your eyes have stopped glowing. Did you learn to control it?”
He shakes his head. “Uh, no. Leo helped me calm down enough, I guess, and it stopped.”
Draxum sighs. “Of course. Well, do you think you could try activating your mystic energy on command?”
Usagi doesn’t respond with words. Instead, he shuts his eyes and stills as if preparing to meditate. He tries to simply think about activating his powers. Nothing happens. He tries to remember the light tingling feeling that came with it before. Still nothing. He tries to remember his mom. It’s a fuzzy memory and makes his head start to ache to try and dredge it up completely. Some of the tingles start again but nothing feels too different.
It’s not enough.
He sighs in frustration but doesn’t yet open his eyes.
“Hey,” comes Leo’s soft voice. “You can do this.”
Leo. Of course, Leo is encouraging him. His words from before are etched into Usagi’s brain. Frankly, it’s kind of blowing his mind. Usagi doesn’t have much experience in the way of making friends. In all honestly, he lucked out with Gen, Kitsune, and Chizu. He never had friends before them and, even then, the start of their friendship wasn’t exactly typical. They all just about hated him when they first met. Yet, Leo and his family didn’t. Not that he could tell, anyway. This whole time, they’ve been nothing but kind and helpful. He can’t get over it. Especially Leo.
This isn’t to say the other Hamato haven’t been as helpful. Mikey literally just managed to get him to tap into his powers, even if he doesn’t quite get how. Donnie granted him the gift of a whole new language in just three days. Raph has been a steady support, always making sure he’s cared for and included. Splinter, though Usagi hasn’t gotten to know him all too well, literally open their home to him. And the humans have been nothing but accepting. Even Draxum has been incredibly helpful, especially right now.
There is nothing that can stop the intense swell of appreciation and affection in Usagi's chest as he recounts his albeit short time here with the Hamato family. The feeling surges through his whole body and, sure enough, his eyes begin to glow again.
It feels different this time like sun rays kissing his face. He latches onto the feeling and commits it to memory.
“You did it!” Leo praises. The others send their own cheers and kudos his way.
April asks, “Figured out the key?”
Usagi thinks about his answer as he lets the hold on his powers go. Did he? All he did was think about his new friends. Frankly, if that is the key to at least activating his powers, he thought it’d be something way bigger than that.
But then, Karasu-Tengu’s words echo through his mind in Kitsune’s voice.
“The path to home is through your heart and mind. To come home, you have to complete the first step in unlocking your power. You- You have to jumpstart your connection to the Miyamoto Clan’s mystic abilities.”
Ah.
Heart and mind. He repeats the phrase out loud as the pieces of his mystic puzzle start to fall into place. Heart and mind. Emotions and thoughts. Feelings and memories.
Perhaps that’s it. His powers activated when Mikey went through his memories. Memories are connected to feelings. He activated them again by thinking about his new friends. When he contacted Kitsune, he’d been missing home. These sorts of connections must be the key to or part of the key to his abilities.
Another thought hits him. Even the times he connected with the Ki Stone were based around some sort of emotional connection. Miyamoto was the most obvious one. Yet, during the Makkine invasion, he’d been so driven by the desire to protect his loved ones. Surely, that had to play some role in what he was able to do with the Ki Stone’s power.
He wonders how much of that actually was the Ki Stone.
“I think I understand it now,” he says. He nods to himself before looking up at Draxum. “What else do we need to do to get back to Neo Edo?”
Draxum takes the situation’s turn in stride, continuing as if Usagi’s revelation didn’t even happen.
“When we get to the portal, we will use our mystic energies to reactivate it. Then, as a Neo Edo native, you should be able to bypass the barrier to the city and gain entry. When that happens, you’ll need to essentially smuggle the others through by sharing your mystic aura with them.”
“Okay. How exactly do I do that, though?”
Mikey jumps in, “Think of it like a hug! But instead of using your arms, you’re using your mystic energy.”
“Hm,” Usagi contemplates. “Okay, I think I can do that.”
“Good, because we don’t exactly have a choice. Now that that’s settled, let’s prepare to take our leave. We should get going as soon as possible.”
The teens stand. April pulls out her phone, “I’ll let Casey know what the deal is. I’ll see if Suni can help out too. We’ll watch over the lair. I’ve got fall break this week so it works out perfectly.”
“Sounds good,” Leo says.
“I can’t believe you guys are going out of town. You never left New York in my time,” Junior adds. “You’ve gotta bring back some souvenirs.”
“You bet, baby! Our first road trip out of New York!” Mikey beams and pumps a fist in the air.
Donnie taps away at his wrist device, already working on a list of lair-sitting tips for the others to follow. “Not sure if stopping some power-hungry homicidal maniac really counts as a road trip but I will certainly be collecting some tech to analyze.”
Leo makes a discontented sound and arches his brow ridge at his twin.
“ Sigh. With permission, of course.” Donnie adds.
Usagi settles beside him and claps his shoulder lightly. “I’m sure Tetsujin will let you bring something back. He’s got, like, loads of tech junk laying around.”
“Well, I’m excited to meet Usagi’s friends,” Raph adds. “Wish the circumstances were better but hopefully we make a good impression.”
“Are you kidding? They’ll love you guys! Well, they might be a little weary since your ninja but I’m sure it’ll be fine. You guys are great!”
“Thanks, ‘Sagi.” Leo wraps an arm around the rabbit’s shoulders. He ignores the urge to melt into the other’s warmth and the way it makes his stomach flutter. Instead, he focuses on the group’s next move. “Now, what do you say we get this show on the road?”
Splinter wanders over.
“Hold it,” he says. In his arms are multiple articles of clothing, each of them different yet recognizable colors. “Red was correct before in stating that you all will need to blend in. Even if Neo Edo is not quite my home, I want you kids to participate in the culture. After all, it is still yours, in a way.”
The turtles receive their clothes with stars in their eyes as they look over them.
“Go on and get changed. I need to make sure I got your measurements correct,” their dad directs.
They zip off to their rooms. April chuckles at their excitement and comments that she’ll have to take a shopping trip to the Hidden City with them and Sunita sometime. Junior mentions that he’s surprised they don’t wear clothes more often considering they always did in his old timeline. Usagi shares with them his confusion about the topic when he first arrived before the three of them laugh about it together.
The turtles emerge from their rooms not long after.
“Yo-ho! Check out our sweet new threads!” Leo calls.
Usagi tries not to go too slack-jawed at the slider’s new look.
His attire is reminiscent of that of a traditional ninja and rather simple. Black hakama pants tucked into jika-tabi boots. Over his plastron and shell, he wears a properly fitted blue uwagi with a lighter blue triangular pattern. It matches the color of his mask and the Hamato Clan symbol is brandished proudly on the back. Across his waist is a simple black obi. His black arm wrappings now hold the ends of his sleeves in place, making them puff toward the ends.
The remaining Hamato siblings’ outfits are composed in the same way, save for the different colors and geometric patterns of their tops. They’re all complimentary to their mask colors. The patterns are equally suited to them, with Raph’s being small squares, Mikey’s circles, and Donnie’s rectangles. Their gear overlaps their new outfits now.
Usagi attempts to look as nonchalant as possible as he wanders closer to Leo. “You clean up pretty nice, Hamato.”
“I know. I know. Try not to be too distracted by my charming good looks.”
Usagi tries desperately to ignore the heat in his cheeks at the jest. Leo’s stripes go just a little redder as he strikes a few dramatic poses.
“Pft. I think you’re givin’ him too much credit, Usagi,” April teases.
Leo flusters, “What? Frankly, I don’t think either of you is giving me enough credit.”
“Nah, April’s got a point. Dad literally made these for us,” Mikey joins in. “Besides, we all know I’m the fashionista in this family.”
“'Scuse me?”
“After April, of course.”
The two high-eight confidently.
Donnie slides over. “Pardon? I think, young Angelo, you mean after April and me.”
“What? Say what?” Mikey croaks.
“Donnie’s got a point,” Raph says. “Plus, they fit the best in human clothes since his shell’s smaller.”
Leo sags dramatically a few feet away. Usagi pats the back of his shell supportively.
Splinter claps his hands together to reclaim their attention. “Alright. If we’re ready, we should get going.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Draxum grumbles. “When we get there, we’ll do as discussed. Listen to me and do not diverge from my instructions.”
“You got it!” Mikey assures.
The teens exchange hugs with April and Junior, who wish them all luck. Usagi finds himself getting squeezed a bit tighter by April.
“It was nice to meet you, though I wish the circumstances were better,” she says.
Usagi squeezes back. “Thanks. It was nice meeting you too. Humans are awesome.”
“Heck yeah, we are! Do me a solid and make sure to give us a good rep when you get home. I wanna visit too.”
"You got it," Usagi promises. He wanders up to Junior next.
“I know you said future me was pretty close with everyone, including you. I’m sorry you lost him but hopefully, we can be good friends too,” he offers.
Junior’s eyes widen before growing wet. He blinks it away and gives Usagi a fist bump. “Yeah. For sure.”
Usagi nods at him before heading over to the Hamatos and Draxum.
“Alright. Operation Kick-Baddie-Butt is a go!” Leo says before slicing open a portal to the Hidden City.
Donnie cringes. “No way that’s what we’re calling this. I refuse to be associated with that.”
“Well, I don’t hear you coming up with something better.” Leo’s smile doesn’t leave his face. “Now let’s go! ¡Vamos, vamos! ”
He practically shoves everyone through the portal before turning back to Usagi.
The rabbit is hesitant. This is it. He’s finally going home. Who knows what’s waiting for him there? He takes a deep breath. Leo extends a hand to him, just like he did on the way to Run of the Mill. His crooked smile doesn’t quell the intense beating of Usagi’s heart but it does shift its meaning.
He takes Leo’s hand and nods.
They step through the portal.