Hello one and all, welcome to the rewrite of this fic!

For those are new to me, hi!

And for those who read the original story, I think you'll like this one better.

So, first up is the prologue, but first, I want to make some things clear:

The story takes place after the season one finale, but the prologue takes place during the finale, if that makes any sense.

I consider this a version of what would happen if Leo did not return to his family at the end of the finale. Would he survive? If he did survive, who would save him? What new friends/foe would he encounter? What stopped him from going back to his brothers?

For those who are concerned that Leo won't join the Foot, don't worry, he will, just in a different way.

Okay, okay, stop rambling Ulti, you got a story to deliver!

Enjoy!

Drowning.

It was a horrible experience, and he never thought it would ever happen to him. He was a turtle, and turtles didn't drown.

His vision began to darken, and he shook his to make the spots go away.

His head hurts like crazy, and he could see red in the dark water, sticking out like a stripe.

That isn't mine, is it?

Leonardo began to swim upward, or, at least, he hoped it was upward. He couldn't see in this dark water.

The spots began to invade again, and he shook them away once more. His lungs were screaming for air, and he began to see a light.

Was that good or bad? What was that thing that everyone said to someone that was injured?

Don't go into the light!

But why not? The light was bright, and it looked rather comforting. Was this the surface, or was heaven?

Only one way to find out.

Leo began to swim again. The spots were back, he couldn't shake them away. Was he dying?

Well that was a stupid question. Of course he was dying.

But he couldn't die! What about Splinter? Mikey? Donnie? Raph? April? What would they do without him? How would he protect them!?

He saw a figure swimming toward him, he couldn't make out a face, the spots were preventing him from that, but he could make out a tail.

That was the last thing he saw before the spots finally took over.