Here's the prequel for "This Is Not The End", an idea suggested by the wonderful SleepingSeeker! I hope you enjoy. You don't understand how hard these are for me to write cause Karai and Leo are like my favs and Leorai is my saving grace haha. Thanks so much :) :P
"Karai." Shredder growled out her name. Karai knelt down below his throne, her face to the ground.
"Yes father." Karai said softly. She stared down at the ground her eyes narrowing as she thought of the Shredder. She was done being his slave, done working for him, done with him keeping her away from the one she truly loves... the man that will always be there for her.
"I have word from the foot that you have been seen with the blue masked freak. Why haven't you disposed of him yet?" He asked angrily, raising his voice at his last question. Karai pulled her hand into a fist, squeezing tightly, and without looking up she spoke.
"Leonardo."
"Excuse me?" Shredder spoke irritated.
"His name." She said, getting angry. She took a deep breath and then continued. "Is Leonardo."
"Why should I care about this? I just want him dead daughter." Shredder commanded. Karai closed her eyes as she pierced her lips. She took two deep breaths before slowing opening her eyes again. She stood up slowly and stared him directly in the eyes. Shredder's eyes widened at her lack of respect for him.
"No." She said gruffly, her eyes filled with fury and pain. Shredder immediately stood up, rage beaming off of him like light off glass.
"What do you mean no?" He shouted. "You do not contradict me." He slammed his fist into the arm of his throne. Karai's heart rapidly started beating and she felt her stomach twist and turn. She had never seen him this angry before and frankly, it frightened her. But if Shredder were to take her seriously she couldn't show fear. Fear was a weakness and she knew that's what he was trying to get out of her. The last thing she was going to do was give in to him.
"I am done taking orders father." She hissed and she saw the shock he tried to hide on his face. It give her this sense of excitement to know she had caused him to feel this way. If she wasn't fearing so much for her own life right now she would've smirked.
"Why do you act this way?" Shredder asked firmly; ready to pounce at her and beat her mercilessly. Her eyes widened at the question for she knew the answer, but was afraid to speak it out loud.
"Because Shredder." She said fiercely. "I love him. I love Leonardo. I do not want to kill him. I can't-"
"Silence." Shredder screamed and his voice echoed off of the walls. His body shook and trembled with anger. How dare she, his own daughter, betray him in such a horrible way. He could not believe what he was hearing. After everything he had done for her this is how she repayed him? He had spent so much of his life teaching her, training her, loving her and this is what she gives him in return?He was so infuriated he could hardly think. He looked down at the girl and saw no sign of her lying.
Karai's eyes immediately widened at the sound of her father's voice. So loud, so terrifying. There was no turning back now. She had done it, now she must accept the consequences, which would be anything but pleasant.
"Follow me." He said hoarsely, his voice even scratchier than normal.
Shredder led her out to the rooftop. This would be where there final battle would take place. Only one of them would make it out of this alive. Karai took a shaky deep breath as she closed her eyes and pictured Leonardo. If I don't make it out of this alive my love. I'm sorry. She caught the image of a silhouette on a rooftop across from them and knew immediately who it was. The way the muscles were strung down his arms and legs, his eyes as they gleamed in the darkness, the way his mask moved in the wind.
"Excuse me for a moment Father." Karai said angrily.
"Don't you dare run away from this fight." Shredder roared.
"I would never." She added before jumping off and on to the rooftop where Leo stood. When she landed in front of him Leo immediately pulled her close to him.
"Karai. Oh my God. What's going on?" Leo held on to her tightly and she couldn't help but smile at his concern for her, her eyes welling up with tears.
"It's ok Leo." She pulled out of the hug and they both held on to each other's arms as they stared into each other's eyes; each other's souls. "I've told him I want to leave him. Because I love you Leonardo." Her words made his heart flutter and he smiled, kissing her forehead softly. He then pieced together what was going on and realized she was getting ready to fight Shredder. He felt his body tense and his eyes narrow.
"Let me help you fight him. You can't do it on your own. He will kill-" before he could finish Karai leaned in and kissed him passionately. In the kiss Leo could feel her fear and he knew she could feel his. Although love was felt, so many more emotions came out of it: anger, desperation, sadness, terror. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek as she pulled away and brushed it off with her finger.
"No Leo. Please... don't. I don't want you getting hurt for something that is my responsibility. I got myself into this situation and now I must finish it, alone. I promise you I will make it out of this alive. And then you and I can run away and live our lives together. Ok?" She said, her voice strong and confident. But deep down inside she was crying like a baby. She wasn't as sure she going to make it out of this as she made him believe, but she knew if she didn't seem certain he would come no matter what.
"Ok love. I believe you." He cupped her face in his hands. "You will be ok." He said with a shaky voice. She nodded and then walked away, back to her master; her enemy.
"Let's do this." She said with a low voice and Shredder immediately came charging at her. They knew each other's fighting styles very well. Karai with the disadvantage for Shredder taught her everything she knows. Student against master; father against daughter.
She swung her sword at him and slashed his arm, deep, as blood spewed out. He grunted in pain and grabbed his arm. He looked at her as if he were given a kill command.
He punched her hard in the gut and she fell back, her eyes seeming to pop out of her head as she held her stomach. It felt like her insides were going to come up and out of her mouth. The blow had made her sword fly out of her hands and she stood there hunched over. He slowly walked up to her. With every step her heart began beating faster and faster. He picked her up and threw her against the wall. Her body banged against the brick wall and she collapsed on the ground. She pushed on the concrete roof with her hands, raising herself up. She must've hit her head on the wall because she suddenly felt very dizzy. But she wasn't going to give up. For herself... For Leo.
She stood in a fighting stance as she saw three Shredder's coming towards her. She threw a punch at one but felt nothing. Wrong one.
"You're pathetic." Shredder stated coldly at her. "You are weak and a disgrace to the Foot clan... the Oroku family." His words stung her heart and she desperately tried to remain strong, something that was becoming harder and harder to do.
Shredder began to punch her incessantly and with each hit she felt her body become more and more weak. Pain seared through her and she tried desperately not to cry in pain.
He picked her up and threw her at the wall again. This time instead of getting up she just laid there. She couldn't get herself to move. He shot out his blades and then began to swipe her with them. Blood filling the rooftop and covering her body. She started to whimper as the cuts he made burned and her head was crying out in despair. He made one sharp cut on the top of her head and the blood drooled down, getting in her eyes and blinding her vision.
"You have made the wrong decision daughter." The word 'daughter' was spoken with nothing but bitterness.
She was done. She could no longer fight it anymore. She just wanted him to leave her alone to die.
"Please- just- let me- be." She spoke softly, the words a struggle to produce. He laughed coldly at her. He lifted her up by the neck, holding her in front of him.
"I hope you have learned your lesson." He barked at her and then stabbed his blade into her spine. She screamed louder than she ever had before as the blade entered and left. She felt the pain and pressure travel around her body and as Shredder dropped her to the ground, she squirmed as she laid, grunting and sobbing. Shredder looked at her and she could see a small pocket of sadness hidden in his eyes. Her vision started to become blurry and suddenly she couldn't feel her legs anymore. They felt so numb it was as if they were no longer there.
Shredder growled out in anger and began to pound on her head with his fists. He hated himself for feeling bad about what he was doing so he took it out on her. He wanted to take her back and save her. He wanted to keep her with him. But he knew he couldn't and it angered him. She brought out a side of him he kept hidden deep down inside... his humanity. With every blow he let out more and more of his frustration.
Karai just let the hits come, let the pain take her over. She suddenly saw a blurry figure show up behind Shredder and start attacking him. Her hero suddenly became clear and she realized it was Leonardo. What is he doing? I told him to stay. She worried in her mind. She watched as Leo brutally attacked the Shredder, not holding back at all. The fighting in front of her became extremely blurry and she could barely make out what was going on. It turned into just quick flashes, as if she was watching it all happen through photographs.
She saw Leo stand there, holding the Shredder's head in his hands as he chucked it aside and ran towards. Her lover, her savior right here beside her to watch her die. She wanted the dying to come quicker but it was taking too long and the pain was becoming too much for her to handle. She knew what she wanted of Leonardo... She just wasn't sure he would accept her wishes.