Last Words

Chapter 1: Discovery

A/N: Here's another Truth and Lies story I thought of. I got inspiration for this plot bunny after reading the book Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares and reading the letters one of the girls writes to the others. I thought about the same scenario happening with April, and thus this story was born. This story will have a total of eight chapters. I hope that you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters are property of Nickelodeon. I only own the plot of the story and nothing more.

Summary: April writes letters to her family and friends upon the occasion of her death. A Truth and Lies novel.

Kirby O'Neil sighed as he entered the room that had once been April's room. After Robyn had come home from the institution, he had allowed her to use the room as well since her old room had been turned into a storage room after she'd been sent away. He began taking things and packing them in boxes since Robyn would no longer use this room again. She was dead from the fire she'd help to set at the antique shop and had nearly killed the Turtles in the process. His heart ached at the thought of how crazy Robyn really was. She'd killed her sister and then tried to kill her sister's best friends, too. The Turtles still believed she was out there, but Kirby had his doubts. How could she have survived that fire?

He went to the closet and started taking clothes out. As he emptied the hangers, he noticed a small hole in the wall and saw that something was in there. He reached in and pulled out a stack of letters wrapped with a rubber band. Curious, Kirby took the rubber band off, and looked at the top letter. It was addressed to Robyn and was from April. He looked at the rest of the letters and saw that they were addressed to Leo, Raph, Don, Mikey, Splinter, Karai, and himself. Why had April written these letters, and why had she written one to Karai of all people? Hadn't Karai been her enemy once? But Karai was on the Turtles' side now and was a part of the family. Maybe April had sensed this would happen and had written her a letter just in case it did.

He took the letter meant for Robyn and opened it. It was supposed to be opened on their birthday, but that day had already come and gone. He pulled out the stationary and recognized it as the stationary Splinter had given to April for her last Christmas though they hadn't known back then that it would be her last Christmas. He gazed at the paper with cherry blossoms on it and looked at his daughter's familiar handwriting.

Robyn,

I know we've had our differences in the past, but I just want to clear some things up with you. If you're reading this, I'm dead and can't talk to you the way I would want to, so I'm writing you this letter as a way to atone for the words I can't say to you in person. I know that you hated me for what happened to our mother, but I want you to know that it wasn't my fault and that I'd never hurt our mother. You probably think I hate you for how you tried to kill me, but I don't because I know that you didn't mean it. You were just angry and as Master Splinter often says, anger clouds the mind and makes you lose control.

So who's Master Splinter? He's the best sensei anyone could ask for. I know I've told you about my friends, but I didn't tell you the whole truth about them. They aren't really human and are mutant turtles who practice ninjitsu and live in the sewers of New York City. Master Splinter is their father and sensei. He was once a human man named Hamato Yoshi who fled to America after fighting his best friend turned enemy, Oroku Saki who is also called The Shredder. He lost his wife and daughter in that battle, though he just recently learned that his daughter, Miwa, is alive and was stolen from him by Shredder and named Karai. I don't know if she'll ever reunite with her family, but I hope that she will one day. Family is important, and I guess after hearing about all of this, I've wanted to share you with my friends. Dad told me not to, but I really want to tell them what's going on and for you to meet them one day when you get out. Maybe Dad can introduce you to them since I won't be there to do it. I suppose that the best thing I can do is ask you to take care of them and be a friend to them just as I've been. I know they'll love you just as much as they love me. But before you meet them, I'll tell you a bit about each of them and what I'd like for you to do for me.

Leonardo is the oldest of the Turtles. He wears a blue mask and carries twin katana blades. He's very skilled and very dedicated to ninjitsu. He's also the type to blame himself when things go wrong, and I know he'll be blaming himself for my death. I want you to comfort him and reassure him that it's not his fault that I died and that he did everything he could to protect me. He just needs someone to be there for him and to let him know that he's still a great leader. Be that person, Robyn. I know you can be, and I know that you'll do this for me because you do love me even if you won't admit it. Yeah, I can see you smirking at me, but you know it's true.

Raphael is the second oldest of the brothers. He wears a red mask and carries twin sais. He has a bit of a temper and can get angry when he feels something isn't going his way. I know he's probably going to be very angry about my death and will want to seek revenge on whoever did this to me. Please help him to see that revenge is not the answer and that he can't be rash about it. His brothers need him, and it won't help anything if he goes off and gets himself killed all for me. I don't know if he'll listen to you, but I want you to try your best. He's pretty stubborn like you are, though, so you'll have your work cut out for you.

Donatello is the third brother. He wears a purple mask and carries a bo staff. Donnie is a genius and is truly special. He has a crush on me and has even kissed me, but I already told you about that. I know that his heart is going to be broken due to my death and that he's going to be very sad about it. He'll probably try and see if he can find out what happened to me and won't give up until he does. Just try to be there for him and let him know that he did all he could for me and that he shouldn't try and hurt himself for my sake. I'm not saying you should replace me, but just be the friend for him that I couldn't be because of my death. I don't know if his crush on me will transfer to you, but if it does, just try your best to be open-minded about it, and if you don't want to return the crush, just let him down as gently as you can. That's all I ask of you.

Michelangelo is the youngest of the group. He wears an orange mask and carries nunchaku and a kusarigama chain hidden in one of the compartments. Mikey's the most fun-loving of the group and the most social. He always wants a chance to make friends and to be included. I know he'll be upset about my death and how he doesn't have a friend anymore. I want you to be that friend for him and to help cheer him up when he's feeling down. I don't want Mikey to ever be sad because that's not who he is, and I hope that your presence will help him to feel better.

Master Splinter is the best sensei ever as I told you. When Dad was kidnapped, he really helped me get through it and is even training me to be a kunoichi, a female ninja. Maybe he'll offer to train you, too, and I think that would be awesome for you to kick butt alongside the Turtles just as I was meant to. Do your best to be kind to Splinter and if you don't want to learn ninjitsu, that's okay.

Finally, I want you to just take care of Dad and make sure he'll be okay. His ordeal with the Kraang has changed him, and I want to make sure that he doesn't slip into insanity or anything. Just be there for him and comfort him the best way you know how. I'm sorry that I'm not around to talk to you one last time. Just try to remember the good times we had, and I'll do the same. Hopefully, we'll see each other again someday. I love you, Robyn, and we'll always be sisters forever.

Your sister,

April

Kirby was stunned as he read the letter, and it made his heart ache even more. Robyn would never read this letter and know how much April loved her. And if April knew just how Robyn treated the Turtles as pawns in her game, she'd be devastated for sure. It hurt him to know that Robyn had been this way and that she'd never fulfill the requests April asked of her. He put the letter back and took the others, except for the one meant for himself. Then he went to the Lair to visit the Turtles and Splinter so that they could receive their letters.

He found them in the living area watching TV. Splinter smiled as he saw Kirby enter.

"Hello, Kirby," he greeted him. "What brings you here today?"

"I was cleaning out April's room and I found some letters she wrote," he answered. "They're addressed to all of you." He handed the letters to the Turtles, Splinter, and Karai, who was now Miwa.

Mikey looked at the front of the envelope. "April wrote this to me?" he asked.

Kirby nodded. "Yes and there are specific dates for when you should open them," he said. "I think these are her last words to you, so I figured you should have them."

"Thank you for letting us know, Kirby," said Splinter graciously. "We will open them at the time that April has requested. Did you have any knowledge of this before?"

He shook his head. "No, I didn't," he answered. "She wrote one to Robyn, too, and even one to me that I have to open on my birthday. I think she somehow knew she was going to die and wanted to write letters to everyone she loved."

"Is that possible, Sensei?" Leo asked his father. "Can someone really have a feeling like that?"

Splinter nodded. "It is possible that one can have a premonition of some sort," he replied. "And as you know, April did have certain senses about things. Perhaps she did sense she was going to meet her end and decided to write to all of us so that we would know of her wishes before it happened."

"So why can't we just open them now?" Raph asked.

"Because April wants us to wait until the date on the letter," Don answered. "I think it would be best if we did as she asked. I think it would mean a lot to her."

"I just can't believe April wrote a letter to me," Miwa said. "She and I didn't end up on the best of terms."

"Perhaps she sensed that you would one day join your true family and wanted to acknowledge that," Splinter guessed.

Miwa nodded. "Yeah, I guess so," she said.

"Well, I had better get going," said Kirby. "I just wanted to let you have those. I'll visit again real soon. I have to finish cleaning out April's room now."

"Do you want us to help?" offered Leo.

"No, I can do it," assured Kirby. "But if I find anything that April wants you to have, I'll pass it along."

"That would be fine," said Splinter. "Have a good night, Kirby."

"You too, Master Splinter," replied Kirby. He gave all of them a wave and left the Lair. As much as he wanted to stay and spend time with them, he knew he had to get this job done first. With a heavy heart, he went back to his empty apartment and finished cleaning out April's room, his mind filled with memories of her laughter and her tears. The tears fell from his eyes, but he did nothing to wipe them away. He wished he would have taken the Turtles up on their offer to help him, but he needed to do this on his own. It was the only way to face the reality that he was alone with no one else. Then he shook that thought away. That was ridiculous! He still had the Turtles and Splinter, and he knew April would want him to stay in contact with them. He couldn't very well leave them, especially after their ordeal with Robyn. They needed another friend to keep them anchored, and he was the one to do that. Steeling himself with that resolve, he finished the job and put the boxes away. He'd take them to the Salvation Army tomorrow and then give the items set aside for the Turtles, Splinter, and Miwa that same day.

"Goodbye, April," he whispered. "I hope that wherever you are that you've found peace, and I'll do my best to take care of the Turtles." Then he closed the door for the very last time.

A/N: So that's the end of the first chapter. What did you think? I hope to have the next chapter up soon and will do my best to finish this as quickly as I can and to not leave you guys hanging as I have before. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.