Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) (Leonardo X OC)

Chapter 17: Sakura's Paradise

Hey guys! I hope you are ready to see what happens next. I will warn you guys that this piece will make you feel emotional. I hope you enjoy it!

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What happened? Why can't I move? I only remembered screaming, then blinding pain, and then total darkness. I did not know what happened to me, and it scares me.

I felt a wave of calm rush over my head, encasing my body in its warmth. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes slowly. The first thing I saw was soft, pink clouds going at a slow pace. A few birds flew over me, twittering in beautiful tones. When I found movement in my fingers, then my arms, and then my legs, I slowly sat up.

I looked at my surroundings and found myself on a hill as the blades of grass moved with the breeze. When I felt that I had enough strength to stand, I slowly, but carefully, stood up on my feet. I was on a hill surrounded by water, and there was a bridge that led to another land. I did not know what I should do, but something inside me told me to go forward. I slowly walked over to the bridge. As I walked over it, I saw a group of Koi fish swimming in a graceful pattern as they danced in silent rhythm.

When my foot came into contact with land, I studied more of my surroundings. I saw a large patch of sand with large, smooth stones creating a path. The sand looked as though it got combed through with a rake.

"I remember this place," I thought to myself, "my father took me to a Japanese garden when I was a little girl. He helped me understand the purpose of finding inner peace. I remember trying to comb through sand, but it looked squiggly."

I giggled softly at that fond memory. My father told me that everyone has a quiet place to clear the mind and body of stress. Otherwise, we would be surrounded by negative energy and doing something that may be harmful to others. I took his words to heart since then, and whenever I felt stressed, I would go to someplace quiet or do an activity that might help ease the tension.

I felt a strong but gentle warm breeze blowing through my long hair. I heard a rustle coming from a tree, and I turned my head towards the source. There on the hill was a Cherry Blossom tree in full bloom. I remembered seeing the tree in that garden and how sweet it smells in the air. But then I noticed a silhouette standing next to it, staring at the sunset. I was unsure about its presence, but I felt a sense of familiarity. Like I knew that person, but who could it be?

Curiosity got the best of me, and I quietly walked up the hill. When I reached the top, I saw the back of a man facing me. I stood there in silence, unsure of how I should approach him or ask who he was. Then I heard an all too familiar voice.

"It has been so long, my little Sakura."

No. Can it be?

The man turned around to face me, and I raised my hands to my mouth as I stared in awe.

The man was none other than my father.

Tears were building up in my eyes, but I ignored them and ran to him.

"Papa," I cried, feeling like a little girl again.

His arms were open as I went into his embrace. I hugged him tightly, making sure that this was real and that he would not disappear. I cried into his shoulder as my father gently stroked my hair. Once I finished crying, I pulled back and studied his face. The same small wrinkles in his eyes as he smiled, that familiar smell of tea he would drink all day, and the same small streak of grey in his black hair. This man was my father: the one who I looked up to, the one who supported me till his last days.