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", "count": "23", "submission_left_submission_id": "808189", "submission_left_file_name": "1094072_Applepye_travels_6.rtf", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/1094/1094072_Applepye_travels_6.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1094/1094072_Applepye_travels_6.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1094/1094072_Applepye_travels_6.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "120", "submission_right_submission_id": "837872", "submission_right_file_name": "1137803_Applepye_travels_8.rtf", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/1137/1137803_Applepye_travels_8.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1137/1137803_Applepye_travels_8.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1137/1137803_Applepye_travels_8.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "I decided that I didn't want to use other people's OCs and chose to use my own. All of the changes are at the end. ", "description_bbcode_parsed": "I decided that I didn't want to use other people's OCs and chose to use my own. All of the changes are at the end. ", "writing": "Upon further inspection, it was discovered that their adversary took more than Jotaro and Leo’s amulet. Their supplies and weapons were also missing. Leo’s head was still in a fog but he was functional. Heading outside, Leo looked around for any signs of their assailants. \n\n“Do you think we can track them?” Usagi asked, joining Leo at the door. \n\nTheir eyes scanned the ground. “I hope so,” Leo sighed. “I’m going to check to see if there is a way out in the back.” He left Usagi in the front of the cottage to search in the back. \n\nThere wasn’t much to the cottage. The front was the common room used for cooking, eating, and everyday chores. There was a room to the back where the family must have slept, a small room for bathing, and another that must have been used for storage but no back door. \n\nLeonardo returned to the front room to find Usagi sitting on the floor, holding a piece of wood. The samurai looked up as Leo approached. “There are holes drilled into the wood and an herb of some sort has been tucked into the holes. It was too dark last night, I didn’t see them.” Dropping the piece of wood back in to the pile, Usagi stood up. “If I had been more diligent….”\n\n“This is not your fault,” Leo soothed. \n\nUsagi took a deep staggering breath and let it out slowly. “They have my son. I was supposed to protect him.”\n\n“We’ll get him back,” Leo insisted. “We will find who took Jotaro and get him back.”\n\nShaking his head, Usagi fought back his tears of frustration and fear. “I knew it was too dangerous to bring him with me.”\n\nLeo grabbed Usagi by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “We will find him.”\n\nThere was a great deal of pain in Usagi’s eyes as they searched Leo’s. Nodding Usagi said, “Let’s see if there are any traces of which way they went.” Usagi wiped his eyes and took a step back. “Was there anything in the back of the house?”\n\nLeo shook his head. “No doors and the windows are too small for anyone to crawl through.”\n\n“Then let’s see if there are any clues outside,” Usagi said as he headed for the door once again. Leo could tell that Usagi was struggling to keep it together. It reminded Leo of the time when Splinter went missing. There was the fear and the frustration from not knowing. \n\nThey needed to find answers so they headed back outside to see if there were any tracks. The soggy ground made it hard to find any form of foot prints but that didn’t mean that there was nothing to be found. \n\nBroken branches and flattened foliage were enough to point the pair in the right direction and that there was more than one. Whoever took Jotaro didn’t try to mask their trail, which probably meant that they were overly confidant in their abilities. Leo felt his anger rise at the thought. He was going to make sure that their egos were taken down a notch. \n\nLooking back over his shoulder, Leo could see that Usagi was feeling the same way. Judging by the fire that burned in Usagi’s eyes, the bandits weren’t going to live long enough to learn a lesson. \n\nThe path of trampled foliage led them to the outskirts of a village. “Do you think Jotaro’s in the village?” Leo asked. \n\n“There is only one way to find out,” Usagi answered, heading for the village. “If not, maybe one of the villagers will know something.”\n\nThey didn’t have to wander far into the village before they were approached. A kindly fox walked up to them with a sad smile on his face. “We were expecting you. Someone always shows up after a hard rain. I am Umi. Please come this way.”\n\n“You know what is going on?” Usagi asked, narrowing his eyes. “Tell me what you know.”\n\n“I will tell you everything, Master Samurai,” the villager promised as he led them through the village. “You are not the first to come here after spending the night in the cottage and you will not be the last.” He looked over his shoulder at them. “What was taken?”\n\n“Everything,” Leo answered. “Including a child.”\n\nUmi stopped. “A child? I am sorry.” Turning to continue down the path, Umi added. “Four other children have been taken. Two have been from this village. If you want the child back, you will have to pay.”\n\n“Pay?” Usagi snapped. “Do you know who has my…. Do you know who has taken him?”\n\n“Yes,” Umi nodded. “I am sorry to say that I do.”\n\nLeo’s balled his hands into fists. “Do you work for them? Is this a way for your village to make money?”\n\nOnce again Umi stopped and turned around. “No. We are terrorized by these bandits and their demon master. Men have died in their attempts to stop them. All we can do now is assist their victims in recovering what was taken from them.”\n\n“They chose the wrong travelers,” Leo snarled. “Just point us in the right direction.”\n\nUmi laughed, “You are not the first to make such a declaration. Did you not hear when I said that men have died? Their leader is a demon, there is no defeating him.”\n\nCrossing his arms over his plastron, Leo glared down at Umi. “I have faced and destroyed a few demons in my time.”\n\n“As have I,” Usagi added. “Just tell us where to go.”\n\nUmi pointed over his shoulder. “I am taking you to them now.”\n\n“They are here in the village?” Usagi asked, talking a step closer to Umi. \n\nThe villager’s ears dropped and he took a step back. “Believe me, I don’t want them here but there really isn’t much I can do about it. I’m no fighter. I’m a simply tailor. I had to work until my fingers bled to earn the money to buy my daughter back before the deadline.” Umi looked at each of them in turn. “The villagers here will help you get the money you need so you can get back as much of your possessions as possible.”\n \n“That won’t be necessary,” Usagi said through gritted teeth. “I’m not paying to get what is mine. Just show us where we need to go. We will take it from there.”\n\n“If that is what you want,” Umi sighed. “I will take you to where they are.” Shaking his head, Umi turned and continued down the path. They reached a large estate and he stopped a few feet from the gate. “They are here.”\n\n“Here?” Usagi looked up at the large house. “This looks like an estate for a lord.”\n\nUmi nodded, “It was.” Turning away, he walked back down the path. “Best of luck to you.”\n\nUsagi watched the villager for a moment then turned to Leo. “Let’s go introduce ourselves to this ‘demon’ master.”\n\nWithout a word, Leo nodded. Together they skirted the property in search of the best place to enter. They could have walked through the front door, it is likely that they were expected, but they wanted to assess the situation before they made themselves known. \n\nUsagi, knowing that Leo’s ninja skills were needed, let Leonardo take point. Leo knew that it wasn’t easy for him to relinquish control of the situation, especially since Jotaro was involved. A lesser man wouldn’t have been able to do it. \n\nA large tree that grew near the gate provided a way over. They both landed on the other side without a sound and were running as soon as their feet hit the ground. The lack of security made entry into the house easy. Leo shook his head in disbelief. “How can they be so careless?”\n\nThey heard voices coming from down the hall and moved closer to investigate. Two bandits were sitting in a room, playing a game of some sort. After exchanging glances and a quick nod, Leo and Usagi moved in. They slipped up on the two bandits and snapped their necks before they realized that they were not alone. \n\nAfter removing the bandits’ weapons they stashed the bodies as best as they could. Leo hoped that they were hidden well enough to give them time. Leo checked the hall to make sure it was clear and then they continued in their search. \n\nThe bandit’s cheap weapon felt strange. Just holding it in his hand, Leo could tell that it wasn’t properly balanced. That wasn’t going to make a difference. Leo was sure he would be able to fight the bandits off with his bare hands. \n\nA soft murmur of voices told them that they were going the right way. They came upon the great hall and stood outside the doors to listen in. A slight crack between the closed doors gave the pair a small glimpse into the room. \n\nA fox man sat at the feet of another, begging with his arms outstretched. “Please. I need more time.”\n\n“I gave you all the time you are going to get.” The one sitting on the throne had a dark and silky voice. He was a black turtle with golden eyes. Leo could see why the villagers thought he was a demon. His coloring was unlike anything he had ever seen on a turtle. They probably thought that he was a kappa or at least possessed. \n\nThe black turtle spun a knife in one hand and then used it to point at the man on the floor. “If you do not have the payment by tonight, I will take your child into the next town and sell it along with everything else we took from you.”\n\n“I will report you to the shogun,” the fox shouted. \n\nAs soon as the words left the man’s mouth, one of the bandits stepped forward, pulling out his katana, and sliced the fox’s head off. \n \n“No. You won’t,” the turtle said. He looked at the bandit who had killed the man. “Clean up your mess and put the head on a pike to remind the villagers that there is a price for threatening me.”\n\n“Yes, my lord.” The bandit bowed and then bent down to collect the body. \n\nLeo’s grip was so tight on the swords that he could feel each detail in the hilt. Next to him Usagi was equally as tense. \n\nLeo reached out his hand and opened the door, causing the dark turtle and the bandits to look at them. The turtle’s eyes looked them over as he stood. “You could have come through the front. Most people come through the front.” His eyes moved to the blood stain on the floor. “Excuse the mess. Please pay close attention to it though. That is what happens to people who try to threaten me.”\n\n“We are here for the boy and the items you took from us,” Usagi stated as they walked into the room. \n\nThe turtle nodded. “I figured as much. That’s usually the reason people come here looking for me.” Placing his hand on his chest, he said, “I am Kuroko. Suiting name, don’t you think?” He looked at Usagi, golden eyes met with red and Kuroko smiled. “Your condition is the exact opposite of mine. But I’m sure your people didn’t shun you for it.” \n\nSnapping his fingers, he held out his hand and one of the bandits handed over a piece of paper. “Let’s see what we have, shall we?”\n\nKuroko looked over the paper. “There are a lot of valuable items on this list including a magical necklace, two sets of master katana, and a young boy. This is going to cost you a lot of money to get back. You did have several coins in your possession but it would be silly to sell them back to you. Don’t you think?” A sly smile spread across his lips in response to his own joke. \n\n“We are not going to pay you, bandit,” Usagi spat out. “Give us back what is ours.”\n\nKuroko sighed. “I really hate it when they choose to fight. It makes such a mess.” Cocking his head to the side, he smiled as he pulled out his sword. “Just make it easier on us all and agree to pay me.”\n\n“No,” Leo answered and lunged at Kuroko. “We won’t let you continue taking advantage of innocent people.” \n\n“Try and stop me.” The black turtle was quick, pulling another blade from under his cloak to block Leo’s strike. Usagi moved to join in the fight but the other bandits got in the way, preventing Usagi from helping. \n\nKuroko was proving to be a challenge. He fought with a smile on his face the whole time. He was overly confident in his abilities. “You think you can kill me boy?” Kuroko laughed. “I have fought greater men than you and won.”\n\nKuroko brought his blades down and Leo caught them with his own. They were locked together, testing each other’s physical strength. Leo looked past the blades into the mad man’s eyes. “So have I.” With a hard kick, Leo managed to push Kuroko back. “I may be young but I have been to other worlds and other dimensions. I have fought man and demons, against immeasurable odds. I have defeated them all. I will defeat you!”\n\nTheir swords hit each other with such force that it rattled Leo’s teeth. He couldn’t let that bother him. Pushing the pain aside, Leo calmed his mind and focused his thoughts on the fight. He had studied complex katas most of his life, becoming an expert swordsmen by the time he was twelve. The movements were like second nature to him. \n\nKuroko was stronger, older, and he was skilled but he was also sloppy and full of anger. Leo knew how to handle another golden eyed fighter with too much anger. And like his brother, the more enraged Kuroko became the sloppier he got. \n\nLeo started to spot small openings and took full advantage of them. A small cut here and there, the pink muscle underneath a stark contrast against the black flesh. As Leo’s mind came into focus, Kuroko entered into a rage. \n\nMore openings started to show, Leo was able to cause deeper cuts as a result. Leo’s mind was completely in the fight and he had Kuroko on the defensive. Kuroko’s lips moved but Leo’s mind was not in state to register them. Whatever he was saying was irrelevant anyway, Leo wasn’t going to stop until one of them was dead. \n\nThe scent of blood was heavy in the air. Leo’s vision tunneled. \n\nBlock, swipe, lunge.\n\nLeo’s body was numb. \n\nPunch, thrust, doge. \n\nNo one else was in the room, just them. \n\nSpin, sweep, slice.\n\nHe stood with his swords at the ready. \n\nNothing. \n\nHis eyes stayed locked on his opponent, waiting for him to move. \n\n“Leonardo...,” Usagi’s voice penetrated the fog but it sounded distant. “He’s dead.”\n\nThe pain and exhaustion caught up with Leo in a rush, dropping him to his knees. The swords in his hands clattered to the floor. The cry of a child sounded somewhere in the distance. It was the last sound he registered before blacking out. \n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Upon further inspection, it was discovered that their adversary took more than Jotaro and Leo’s amulet. Their supplies and weapons were also missing. Leo’s head was still in a fog but he was functional. Heading outside, Leo looked around for any signs of their assailants.

“Do you think we can track them?” Usagi asked, joining Leo at the door.

Their eyes scanned the ground. “I hope so,” Leo sighed. “I’m going to check to see if there is a way out in the back.” He left Usagi in the front of the cottage to search in the back.

There wasn’t much to the cottage. The front was the common room used for cooking, eating, and everyday chores. There was a room to the back where the family must have slept, a small room for bathing, and another that must have been used for storage but no back door.

Leonardo returned to the front room to find Usagi sitting on the floor, holding a piece of wood. The samurai looked up as Leo approached. “There are holes drilled into the wood and an herb of some sort has been tucked into the holes. It was too dark last night, I didn’t see them.” Dropping the piece of wood back in to the pile, Usagi stood up. “If I had been more diligent….”

“This is not your fault,” Leo soothed.

Usagi took a deep staggering breath and let it out slowly. “They have my son. I was supposed to protect him.”

“We’ll get him back,” Leo insisted. “We will find who took Jotaro and get him back.”

Shaking his head, Usagi fought back his tears of frustration and fear. “I knew it was too dangerous to bring him with me.”

Leo grabbed Usagi by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “We will find him.”

There was a great deal of pain in Usagi’s eyes as they searched Leo’s. Nodding Usagi said, “Let’s see if there are any traces of which way they went.” Usagi wiped his eyes and took a step back. “Was there anything in the back of the house?”

Leo shook his head. “No doors and the windows are too small for anyone to crawl through.”

“Then let’s see if there are any clues outside,” Usagi said as he headed for the door once again. Leo could tell that Usagi was struggling to keep it together. It reminded Leo of the time when Splinter went missing. There was the fear and the frustration from not knowing.

They needed to find answers so they headed back outside to see if there were any tracks. The soggy ground made it hard to find any form of foot prints but that didn’t mean that there was nothing to be found.

Broken branches and flattened foliage were enough to point the pair in the right direction and that there was more than one. Whoever took Jotaro didn’t try to mask their trail, which probably meant that they were overly confidant in their abilities. Leo felt his anger rise at the thought. He was going to make sure that their egos were taken down a notch.

Looking back over his shoulder, Leo could see that Usagi was feeling the same way. Judging by the fire that burned in Usagi’s eyes, the bandits weren’t going to live long enough to learn a lesson.

The path of trampled foliage led them to the outskirts of a village. “Do you think Jotaro’s in the village?” Leo asked.

“There is only one way to find out,” Usagi answered, heading for the village. “If not, maybe one of the villagers will know something.”

They didn’t have to wander far into the village before they were approached. A kindly fox walked up to them with a sad smile on his face. “We were expecting you. Someone always shows up after a hard rain. I am Umi. Please come this way.”

“You know what is going on?” Usagi asked, narrowing his eyes. “Tell me what you know.”

“I will tell you everything, Master Samurai,” the villager promised as he led them through the village. “You are not the first to come here after spending the night in the cottage and you will not be the last.” He looked over his shoulder at them. “What was taken?”

“Everything,” Leo answered. “Including a child.”

Umi stopped. “A child? I am sorry.” Turning to continue down the path, Umi added. “Four other children have been taken. Two have been from this village. If you want the child back, you will have to pay.”

“Pay?” Usagi snapped. “Do you know who has my…. Do you know who has taken him?”

“Yes,” Umi nodded. “I am sorry to say that I do.”

Leo’s balled his hands into fists. “Do you work for them? Is this a way for your village to make money?”

Once again Umi stopped and turned around. “No. We are terrorized by these bandits and their demon master. Men have died in their attempts to stop them. All we can do now is assist their victims in recovering what was taken from them.”

“They chose the wrong travelers,” Leo snarled. “Just point us in the right direction.”

Umi laughed, “You are not the first to make such a declaration. Did you not hear when I said that men have died? Their leader is a demon, there is no defeating him.”

Crossing his arms over his plastron, Leo glared down at Umi. “I have faced and destroyed a few demons in my time.”

“As have I,” Usagi added. “Just tell us where to go.”

Umi pointed over his shoulder. “I am taking you to them now.”

“They are here in the village?” Usagi asked, talking a step closer to Umi.

The villager’s ears dropped and he took a step back. “Believe me, I don’t want them here but there really isn’t much I can do about it. I’m no fighter. I’m a simply tailor. I had to work until my fingers bled to earn the money to buy my daughter back before the deadline.” Umi looked at each of them in turn. “The villagers here will help you get the money you need so you can get back as much of your possessions as possible.”
  
“That won’t be necessary,” Usagi said through gritted teeth. “I’m not paying to get what is mine. Just show us where we need to go. We will take it from there.”

“If that is what you want,” Umi sighed. “I will take you to where they are.” Shaking his head, Umi turned and continued down the path. They reached a large estate and he stopped a few feet from the gate. “They are here.”

“Here?” Usagi looked up at the large house. “This looks like an estate for a lord.”

Umi nodded, “It was.” Turning away, he walked back down the path. “Best of luck to you.”

Usagi watched the villager for a moment then turned to Leo. “Let’s go introduce ourselves to this ‘demon’ master.”

Without a word, Leo nodded. Together they skirted the property in search of the best place to enter. They could have walked through the front door, it is likely that they were expected, but they wanted to assess the situation before they made themselves known.

Usagi, knowing that Leo’s ninja skills were needed, let Leonardo take point. Leo knew that it wasn’t easy for him to relinquish control of the situation, especially since Jotaro was involved. A lesser man wouldn’t have been able to do it.

A large tree that grew near the gate provided a way over. They both landed on the other side without a sound and were running as soon as their feet hit the ground. The lack of security made entry into the house easy. Leo shook his head in disbelief. “How can they be so careless?”

They heard voices coming from down the hall and moved closer to investigate. Two bandits were sitting in a room, playing a game of some sort. After exchanging glances and a quick nod, Leo and Usagi moved in. They slipped up on the two bandits and snapped their necks before they realized that they were not alone.

After removing the bandits’ weapons they stashed the bodies as best as they could. Leo hoped that they were hidden well enough to give them time. Leo checked the hall to make sure it was clear and then they continued in their search.

The bandit’s cheap weapon felt strange. Just holding it in his hand, Leo could tell that it wasn’t properly balanced. That wasn’t going to make a difference. Leo was sure he would be able to fight the bandits off with his bare hands.

A soft murmur of voices told them that they were going the right way. They came upon the great hall and stood outside the doors to listen in. A slight crack between the closed doors gave the pair a small glimpse into the room.

A fox man sat at the feet of another, begging with his arms outstretched. “Please. I need more time.”

“I gave you all the time you are going to get.” The one sitting on the throne had a dark and silky voice. He was a black turtle with golden eyes. Leo could see why the villagers thought he was a demon. His coloring was unlike anything he had ever seen on a turtle. They probably thought that he was a kappa or at least possessed.

The black turtle spun a knife in one hand and then used it to point at the man on the floor. “If you do not have the payment by tonight, I will take your child into the next town and sell it along with everything else we took from you.”

“I will report you to the shogun,” the fox shouted.

As soon as the words left the man’s mouth, one of the bandits stepped forward, pulling out his katana, and sliced the fox’s head off.
 
“No. You won’t,” the turtle said. He looked at the bandit who had killed the man. “Clean up your mess and put the head on a pike to remind the villagers that there is a price for threatening me.”

“Yes, my lord.” The bandit bowed and then bent down to collect the body.

Leo’s grip was so tight on the swords that he could feel each detail in the hilt. Next to him Usagi was equally as tense.

Leo reached out his hand and opened the door, causing the dark turtle and the bandits to look at them. The turtle’s eyes looked them over as he stood. “You could have come through the front. Most people come through the front.” His eyes moved to the blood stain on the floor. “Excuse the mess. Please pay close attention to it though. That is what happens to people who try to threaten me.”

“We are here for the boy and the items you took from us,” Usagi stated as they walked into the room.

The turtle nodded. “I figured as much. That’s usually the reason people come here looking for me.” Placing his hand on his chest, he said, “I am Kuroko. Suiting name, don’t you think?” He looked at Usagi, golden eyes met with red and Kuroko smiled. “Your condition is the exact opposite of mine. But I’m sure your people didn’t shun you for it.”  

Snapping his fingers, he held out his hand and one of the bandits handed over a piece of paper. “Let’s see what we have, shall we?”

Kuroko looked over the paper. “There are a lot of valuable items on this list including a magical necklace, two sets of master katana, and a young boy. This is going to cost you a lot of money to get back. You did have several coins in your possession but it would be silly to sell them back to you. Don’t you think?” A sly smile spread across his lips in response to his own joke.

“We are not going to pay you, bandit,” Usagi spat out. “Give us back what is ours.”

Kuroko sighed. “I really hate it when they choose to fight. It makes such a mess.” Cocking his head to the side, he smiled as he pulled out his sword. “Just make it easier on us all and agree to pay me.”

“No,” Leo answered and lunged at Kuroko. “We won’t let you continue taking advantage of innocent people.”

“Try and stop me.” The black turtle was quick, pulling another blade from under his cloak to block Leo’s strike. Usagi moved to join in the fight but the other bandits got in the way, preventing Usagi from helping.

Kuroko was proving to be a challenge. He fought with a smile on his face the whole time. He was overly confident in his abilities. “You think you can kill me boy?” Kuroko laughed. “I have fought greater men than you and won.”

Kuroko brought his blades down and Leo caught them with his own. They were locked together, testing each other’s physical strength. Leo looked past the blades into the mad man’s eyes. “So have I.” With a hard kick, Leo managed to push Kuroko back. “I may be young but I have been to other worlds and other dimensions. I have fought man and demons, against immeasurable odds. I have defeated them all. I will defeat you!”

Their swords hit each other with such force that it rattled Leo’s teeth. He couldn’t let that bother him. Pushing the pain aside, Leo calmed his mind and focused his thoughts on the fight. He had studied complex katas most of his life, becoming an expert swordsmen by the time he was twelve. The movements were like second nature to him.

Kuroko was stronger, older, and he was skilled but he was also sloppy and full of anger. Leo knew how to handle another golden eyed fighter with too much anger. And like his brother, the more enraged Kuroko became the sloppier he got.

Leo started to spot small openings and took full advantage of them. A small cut here and there, the pink muscle underneath a stark contrast against the black flesh. As Leo’s mind came into focus, Kuroko entered into a rage.

More openings started to show, Leo was able to cause deeper cuts as a result. Leo’s mind was completely in the fight and he had Kuroko on the defensive. Kuroko’s lips moved but Leo’s mind was not in state to register them. Whatever he was saying was irrelevant anyway, Leo wasn’t going to stop until one of them was dead.

The scent of blood was heavy in the air. Leo’s vision tunneled.

Block, swipe, lunge.

Leo’s body was numb.

Punch, thrust, doge.

No one else was in the room, just them.

Spin, sweep, slice.

He stood with his swords at the ready.

Nothing.

His eyes stayed locked on his opponent, waiting for him to move.

“Leonardo...,” Usagi’s voice penetrated the fog but it sounded distant. “He’s dead.”

The pain and exhaustion caught up with Leo in a rush, dropping him to his knees. The swords in his hands clattered to the floor. The cry of a child sounded somewhere in the distance. It was the last sound he registered before blacking out.
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