You Were So Real

The Super Shredder

The chime of a bell rings through their ears.

"Focus. Do not let your attention flitter away from you. All random thoughts are transitory, like dreams."

The bell chimes once more as everyone, including Casey Jackson and Kara, join in on the guys and April's training.

"Bask in the emptiness of the void." Master Splinter's voice spoke to them.

The room was quiet and Kara was beginning to get the hang of it when she heard Splinter's rapid breathing and opened her eyes, noticing he seemed nervous.

"That is enough for today."

"Really, Sensei? Cause we only meditated for, like, ten minutes." Donnie questioned while Raph woke a snoring Mikey by smacking him.

"Yes. I am not..feeling very well."

"Are you ok, Master Splinter? You seem worried about something." April asked as he stood.

"My dream last night, it was very powerful. I fell into a vast pit where I fought the Shredder. My memory is hazy, but I..did not survive."

Kara stared at him in surprise, remembering what happened when the Earth was destroyed. "Could he have dreamt about that?...No way, he didn't fight in a pit..so..what could this mean?"

"But it was nothing. Just a dream. Right, Sensei?" Leo asked with a hint of worry.

"Do not fret, my family, dreams are often symbolic, not literal. I am not going anywhere." Master Splinter placed a reassuring hand on Leo and smiled at his sons and April.

Kara and Casey stood.

Kara walked away to the living room with her head lowered in thought. Casey watched her and soon followed behind. "Hey, everything ok?"

"Just thinking. At the mention of the Shredder I can't help but grow nervous. He's been gone so long..I know he's planning something big and with Master Splinter's dream..it just makes this bad feeling worse."

Casey stared at her a moment and nodded. "Then it's best to prepare for whatever may come. You should head back home."

Kara nodded but stopped for a moment. "Are you going to be ok by yourself?"

"Come on, it's just teenagers. I've hung around you so I have practice." Casey chuckled before placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, is Dragan ok? She's usually here with you and the guys."

"I'm not sure. She hasn't really told me anything." Kara shrugged thinking nothing of it and left. He let out a sigh and went back to the Dojo.

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"Soo..this is what you guys do during your spare time?" Casey asked, leaning back against the couch with his leg crossed over his lap staring at the cartoon they were watching in surprise. "Wow, this cartoon is old.."

"Hey, don't diss the Bradford cartoon. He may be a villain but his cartoon is great! The action is so real!" Mikey comments as he, April, and his brothers minus Donnie were watching a marathon of Bradford and his 2-Ruff Krew. Casey rolled his eyes and looked over at a magazine pile and began to read instead. In the back of his mind he wondered where the two girls were at but knew they could handle themselves.

Hearing Mikey groan he lowered the magazine to see Splinter blocking the TV from the teenager's eyes.

"Aw, Sensei! You're ruining our cartoon-a-thon!"

"We're missing the best part!" Raph adds in.

"No, the best part is when you get your lazy shells off the floor and do something! Too much television is a poison that ruins both body and mind."