This story was written for the TMNT Mini Bang 2014 on tumblr (you can find a link on my profile page here). Many thanks to theherocomplex/Bee for organizing this (and for being awesome ;) ) and to hamstermastersamster for drawing this beautiful picture for this story (used as a cover image here). *hugs*
Chapter 01: Smoke and Ashes
Hamato Yoshi was going to die.
He knew it the moment the ceiling came down. Wooden slates hit him and buried most of his body under them, pinning him to the ground.
He was reaching out, but it was of no use.
He was reaching out to someone who once was his friend, but now was his mortal enemy. He was reaching out to someone who had just set his home on fire and killed his wife.
He was reaching out out of pure reflex. It was of no use. He knew that.
Rather would the wooden slates move all by themselves before the man marching away from the battle ground would, his back turned to Yoshi.
Oroku Saki had come to finish him, and now he was going to leave him to die a long and painful death in the flames.
Yoshi lowered his arm.
He was alone.
Saki had disappeared into the night, Tang Shen was dead, and Miwa's cries had stopped a long time ago.
Yoshi was by himself now, he was lost.
And all he could do now was to prepare himself for death.
He would have preferred to die during battle, but if it was the fire fate had chosen for him, so should it be.
He was going to die, he thought as he closed his eyes in defeat.
Yoshi, move!
His eyes shot open. That voice! It had a striking resemblance with Tang Shen's voice, but that was impossible!
Tang Shen was dead, killed by a strike that had been meant for him.
He had seen her fall. He had seen the life fade from her eyes.
And surely, the voice wasn't coming from where he could see her pale hand in the dirt, visible under a pile of wood.
No, he must be imagining things.
Move, my dear!, the voice said again, and Yoshi looked around him, then back at Tang Shen's hand. But it wasn't moving, and the voice was coming from somewhere else, from inside his head.
Had he gone mad?
Don't give up! You've never been weak, Yoshi, you've always been a fighter. Fight now! Live!
Still Tang Shen's voice. And it still made no sense.
Tang Shen was dead. How could he hear her voice?
Yoshi, fight!
Why?, he asked back. Why should I fight? It is over!
It isn't over, my love. You're still alive.
But for how long?
If you fight now, for many years to come.
But what for? I lost you, my beloved. I lost our daughter, our home. Our clan has been wiped out. So I ask you, my love: WHY should I fight?
Tang Shen's voice was silent for a moment.
That, I can't tell you, dear, she said then. But for now, you have to fight. Please, Yoshi, fight!
But why?
Yoshi, please! Fight!
Her voice was begging, pleading, but it had a commanding ring to it. Begging and commanding and tolerating no dissent – only Tang Shen could manage that. Only Tang Shen could make Yoshi obey like this.
And with that he gathered what was left of his strength and pushed against a wooden slate, not caring about the burns it left on his hands. After a few moments of trying he could finally move it to the side. With a dull sound it fell to the ground and he focused on the next slate, one by one freeing his body from its burning grave.
When he finally crawled out of the pile of slates he was breathing heavily due to exhaustion and the lack of oxygen in the air.
He knew he should crawl away from the fire as far as he could, but something held him here, and he knew what it was when his eyes drifted over the pile of wood Tang Shen was buried under.
It was stupid. He knew she was dead, despite the voice he was hearing.
But he crawled there nonetheless, forcing his hurt body to bring up even more strength now, as he freed her body, grabbing her still from and dragged her away from the fire.
There he was kneeling now, holding Tang Shen in his arms.
He looked at her, waiting for a sign that he had been mistaken all the time, that she still had life in her.
She hadn't. The warmth of her body was fake, caused by the fire, not a sign of life. Tang Shen was gone, forever.
He felt tears prickle in his eyes and forced himself to look away from his dead wife.
But the sight in front of him wasn't any better.
The house was on fire, getting eaten by hungry flames that would leave nothing behind but smoke and ashes.
Their home, turned to smoke and ashes.
His weapons, turned to smoke and ashes.
Tang Shen's beautiful clothes, turned to smoke and ashes.
Miwa's toys, turned to smoke and ashes.
Life as he had known it, turned to smoke and ashes.
His family was gone, his clan was gone. Oroku Saki had told him when he had arrived here. His Foot clan had attacked the Hamatos, killing them all.
But Yoshi, Yoshi, Saki had left for himself to finish, for watching him fall, for leaving him to die.
Yoshi tried to breath around the lump in his throat.
He had lost everything!
All that had been left for him was his life.
And why?
For watching his old life getting turned to smoke and ashes? To keep breathing when all people that had been dear to him were already sleeping their never-ending sleep?
Why was he still here?
He forced his eyes away from the fire and looked into Tang Shen's face.
"Tang Shen," he whispered.
Her face was calm, peaceful. There was no sign of the fear and horror that had displayed on her face just some time ago.
He brushed a few strands of hair away from her forehead.
"You've been stupid, my love," he said. "Why did you get in the way? Why did you save me?"
He took a shaky breath.
"Why did you tell me to live?" he asked.
This time, the voice remained silent.