Warning: Hints of hetero incest here, as Karai and Leonardo are portrayed as a brother and sister in this story.
IV - Nightmare come true
She observed the figure standing at the window, realizing how the agony was cumulating inside herself. It was all becoming too real. The trashed Foot Tower, the abominable scent of death, her father gone...forever. It was impossible, it wasn't supposed to be happening. It had to be a nightmare, mere dream. It had to be. She couldn't breath. All the memories taken place in this specific office building with her father filled her mind and she felt like she could faint.
"Karai", Leonardo said softly, letting to be heard from his voice that he had figured out she had been standing there for a while,
"Nice of you to drop by", he continued with a sarcastic tone, without turning to face her.
It was enough to snap Karai out of her thoughts, and she adjusted her swollen eyes at him again. His presence was as sublime as always. He appeared as the embodiment of grace, perfect shape and true power, no matter was he standing victoriously on a battle field or defeated in the remains he had once known as his home, surrounded by agony.
Karai knew he was grieving. Nothing in his appearance told her that, but she could feel him. That was how they had grown together. She felt his pain, and she knew perfectly well he felt her burden as well.
She also felt there was something else inside of him.
She cleared her throat before answering him.
"Leonardo..."
His figure didn't move, except for his mask tails that were waving in a sudden gust of wind blowing through the trashed window.
Leonardo didn't answer her. She knew he was waiting an explanation.
"I know I haven't been much present, but brother --"
"Don't you dare!"
Karai shut her lips tightly as a silent argument to Leonardo's insolent interruption. She watched him turn around to face her, his eyes shouting wordless accuses at her. Karai answered his glare trying to stare him down, finding the glimpse of guilt from his anger filled eyes. It had been years since last time they had been face to face, but yet they acted the same as always, like nothing had changed. They were too much alike with Leonardo. The guilt he felt was contagious, and Karai was immediately influenced by it.
With a sigh Karai let him win turning her eyes away from Leonardo's, letting her gaze wander at the dead Foot ninjas and Purple Dragons lying all over the room, asking herself, would her presence had prevented the massacre.
It was too late to try defend herself when she noticed that Leonardo had leaped to her, grabbing her arm in a firm grip.
"Don't you dare to call me as your brother, Karai!" he shouted at her ear,
"Betrayer as the whole lot of you! My brothers and sister...you? Never!" He exposed his ikatana/i, holding it so close at her throat she felt the blade boring into her skin.
"You weren't there for Him! And now He's dead! HE'S GONE!"
"Calm yourself, little brother!" Karai told firmly, letting her green gaze challenge Leonardo's angry stare. She pushed his sword holding hand away, jerking herself from his grip. Leonardo let her go, following her with his stare while she slowly paced to the window Leonardo had been standing when she had come in.
"Tell me, Karai", he whispered with a rasp voice,
"Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now. I'm honor bound to revenge my father's death!"
Karai swallowed.
iWe shouldn't be fighting./i
"It's a good question, Leonardo", she said wryly, turning her stare back to Leonardo's eyes.
"Well, then, maybe I should finish you right away", Leonardo spat, though looking somewhat unsure. Karai let a small but significant smile appear on her thin lips. She knew she was winning this round.
Although there were much of things that hadn't changed, Karai had also matured a lot. Probably a lot more than Leonardo or any of his family would've ever thought.
"Go on, Leonardo. Death would be a relief, to both us, and you know it."
Leonardo snorted, letting go of his threatening pose.
"And what a way to go that would be, Karai."
"It would be the best way to go", Karai assured,
"To be killed by the one I love the most in this world, to be killed by the one of the most skilled ininja/i, by the eldest son of our father."
Leonardo knew she wasn't saying those things to praise him.
"And where is this leading, Karai?"
She laughed.
"Either me being death on the floor as if there weren't bodies enough of our tribe", she waved her hand towards the corpses,
"Or you forgiving me. To you. To us all."
Leonardo watched her turning her eyes at the view of the window again.
"What do you mean i'us all'/i?"
"He isn't gone. He lives in our memories. In our legacy, Leonardo", she assured, noticing, like Leonardo just moments ago, how the city seemed to be crying with them,
"Besides, dear brother, I, like you and our brothers are the only representatives of the Shredder."
She felt her heart skip a beat while saying his fathers name out loud. The pain caused by such loss was almost unbearable.
iHe is right, I wasn't there for Him./i
"We shouldn't be slaying each other. iI/i can't slay any of you, little brother", Karai turned her sad eyes back to Leonardo's.
Leonardo felt her burden. It was enough. He didn't need to know why she hadn't followed the rest of the family to New York, it didn't matter she hadn't participated in the massacre. In his family, everything they did they did on purpose. There were no room for apologies. He trusted Karai. He knew they shared the same sorrow.
"You're right. We shouldn't be consuming each other. We need to be strong. We have a murder to revenge, sister", Leonardo nodded, creeping behind her. He was so close at her she could feel his breath burning her neck. Leonardo placed his hands to her shoulders, carefully this time, pleading silently her sister:
"Cry with me, Karai. Prove that you are my sister..."
He traced his finger along her arm. She shivered a little, just barely to be noticed.
iLike that was a thing sister should do with you, Leonardo. /i
She jerked his hands off quickly withdrawing out of his reach before asking:
"What about our little brothers. Where are they?"
Leonardo was seemingly annoyed with the sudden exchange of subject. After a moment of silence he answered dryly:
"You should watch who deserves to be called as our brother, Karai."
"What do you mean, Leonardo?"
"I mean", he began approaching Karai again,
"That we were betrayed from inside."
He had gotten to her, and he was caressing her cheek. Karai shivered to the thought of one of her brothers betraying them. She kept looking Leonardo with eyes that showed her confusion.
"Michelangelo..?" she let the question hang.
"The Foot Elite survived nearly, Karai, thanks to Michelangelo's devoted loyalty. He nearly sacrificed himself. Michelangelo is hurt, but he's getting treatment."
"Michelangelo has leaded the Foot Elite well", Karai nodded.
"He will be rewarded", Leonardo promised.
iIf he survives/i, they both added in their minds.
"What about the other two?" Karai asked quietly. Leonardo sneered, pulling his hand away from her cheek.
"We don't need them, Karai", he bursted out,
"They left our father, they left us, they're not good enough for us."
"Even Raphael?"
"Especially Raphael. He doesn't deserve to be called a ininja/i!" Leonardo raged.
"Although his despise regarding our ancient traditions and his impudence towards you and me, his elder siblings, are unforgivable, there is no excuse to doubt his loyalty", Karai reminded,
"We are all, you, me and our brothers, the representatives of the Shredder."
"You're right, sister. His passion and love towards our father have always been intense", Leonardo admitted. He knew his sister never got along with Raphael. Still she trusted his loyalty.
"We shouldn't be fighting each other. I'm hoping to see him join us when we are revenging our father's death, Leonardo."
Now Leonardo turned his eyes away from Karai, sighing deeply.
"Raphael was seen to be dropped from the roof during the battle." Leonardo informed quietly. Karai nodded.
"So Raphael is..?"
Leonardo shook his head.
"Raphael is quick-tempered and thoughtless. We thought he was death. But apparently one of my ininja/i saw him dragging himself away. But he hasn't informed about himself."
Karai raised an eyebrow.
i'Your' ninja, Leonardo?/i
"The Foot Tech was trashed", Leonardo continued with a blank voice,
"Donatello vanished. We have absolutely no idea is he alive or not."
"Donatello..." Karai mumbled. Leonardo turned his eyes away from Karai's as his voice gained a new, rage-filled tone:
"He's the only one to left to suspect. He has always despised all of us!"
"But not our father, Leonardo", Karai reminded.
"Maybe we just didn't see through him", Leonardo whispered. He hated to say these things from his brother as much as Karai hated to hear them. But their father had to be revenged.
"If there's something to see, we'll see it, brother."
Karai took Leonardo's hand to hers.
"Don't worry. I came here to put order in the chaos", she said dreamily, staring in to voidness.
"We have to revenge, Karai", Leonardo insisted, taking her chin to a grip forcing her to face him,
"Swear to me Karai. Vow loyalty."
Karai's eyes met his challenge.
"Of course. We're honor bound."
Leonardo let out a sigh of relief, releasing his hold of her chin and hand. He enclosed her to a tight embrace. His hands started to wander on her skin, caressing her back and her neck.
"Don't worry brother, I cry with you."
