Chapter 9
Donnie and Mikey rushed at Casey and grabbed both of his arms and threw him away from Shoushi. Casey shook off it off and ran towards Donnie and Mikey with the cane. Raph saw this danger and immediately got up and tackled Casey to the ground. Raph pinned Casey's wrist to the ground and sat on Casey's chest. Casey thrashed around kicking and yelling that he had to kill Shoushi for April. Donnie ran over and helped Raph hold Casey down while Mikey looked over to Shoushi. Shoushi was bleeding and his face was swollen. One eye was closed and swollen shut; his mouth was cut up and there was no telling how many bones were broken. Shoushi started to turn transparent and disappearing. Mikey called Donnie for help, Donnie rushed over to Mikey to see what was going up but by the time he reached Shoushi he was already barely visible.
Just as Shoushi disappeared from them he placed two fingers on the side of Donnie's head and showed him what really happened to April. A burst of memories entered Donnie's mind, he looked down at Shoushi then back at Casey. Shoushi disappeared and Donnie had to try to explain to a very stubborn Casey what really happened to April.
Raph stood up and pulled Casey up. As he started to walk Mikey gasped, Raph turned around and asked Mikey what was wrong. Mikey pointed at Raph with a shaking finger. Raph turned around wondering what Mikey was pointing at. It took a moment for Raph to understand but now he knew; he was walking without assistance or struggling to do anything. Raph asked Casey to throw him the cane. Casey begrudgingly threw him the cane without looking at Raph; he was still sulking over the Shoushi thing. Raph grabbed the cane and took a closer look at it, the cane wasn't shaking. Raph asked Donnie to run over to him. Donnie jogged over and understood what Raph was doing. He wasn't breathing any differently than he would do if he was walking. Raph looked at his best friend and asked if he still believed that Shoushi was evil. Casey's response was yes. He didn't care if Shoushi revived Leo he still killed April no matter what anyone would say or do.
Casey walked out of Raph's room and told his friends that if they continued to believe in Shoushi then they would no longer be his family. Casey left the lair never returning again. Raph looked at his brothers and told them that one day Casey would return and they would be a family again but for now he was filled with too much anger. Donnie and Mikey agreed and left the room.
At the same time Shoushi reappeared in the astral world covered in bruises and blood. He was holding his chest with one arm Shoushi limped over to an invisible door walking through the door Shoushi was enveloped by a warm light and his injuries were healed. Shoushi closed his eyes to rest. As Shoushi's eyes closed Leo's eyes opened.
The injuries inflicted on Shoushi transferred to him. Leo winced a bit trying to readjust himself in his small room. Saki nor Blade haven't visited him in days something that was very strange in his years living here. Another problem was he wasn't receiving food or water. Leo knew he was dying not just from the injuries he has received over the years but now without food or water he was going to die a slow death. Leo looked up in the pitch dark room he has been living in. Leo smiled a bit Shoushi's memories were being transferred into his own he could see and hear what Shoushi saw and heard. Leo was happy that his brothers were recovering and Raph was stepping up to be the protector of the family. Though Casey was turning his back he understood that he was going through an unimaginable pain. Leo felt like that once after he lost the fight from the Shredder's elite guard. Leo closed his eyes and knew that he wouldn't be waking up again so he had to transfer anything he had left to Shoushi to help his brothers to stop Saki and Blade.
Shoushi woke up in the astral plane and looked around his time was coming to an end and he had get the brothers together to attack the Shredder and Blade. The time for Blade's coronation was in a few days and at the party to introduce him to the family in a public matter would end in many deaths. Shoushi walked through the door and arrived back in the lair.
In the lair Raph was leading his brothers through their katas in a slow matter. They haven't been practicing for months and they had to slowly get back into the groove. Shoushi knew he couldn't push them but time was a factor. Shoushi walked into the dojo and pulled Mikey and Donnie closer to Raph. Taking each of their hands he placed them in the middle with one hand on the top of the pile and the other on the bottom. Raph asked Shoushi what he was doing but Shoushi closed his eyes and let a warm light wash over the three brothers. Stepping back Shoushi had to try to catch his breath but he used too much of his power to get them ready to stay much longer. Mikey rushed over to Shoushi to see what was wrong. Shoushi whispered into Mikey's ear. Mikey nodded his head and helped Shoushi up. Mikey helped Shoushi walk over to Leo's katanas.
Placing his fingers by Mikey's head he delivered his final message before disappearing into the katanas. Tears rolled down Mikey's face as he turned to his brothers. Mikey said he needed to be alone for a while. Disappearing to his room Mikey didn't wipe his face until he reached his room. Mikey walked over to his end table and took the picture of the family together placing it on the bed. Kneeling in front of the photo Mikey closed his eyes and placed his forehead against the photo. As Mikey drifted to sleep a gust of wind blew him away from darkness into a world of fog. Mikey looked around and knew where he was, he was in the astral plane. Mikey looked around for the door to his room but saw nothing. Mikey was going to look around when he felt something warm on his wrist. Mikey looked, taking a step back he saw his late father looking up at him. Mikey collapsed on the ground pulling Splinter to his chest Mikey started to ball into the crook of his father's neck. Splinter held his son's head rubbing his shell in circles as he tried to calm him down. Mikey looked up from his father's neck and asked what he was doing here.
Splinter told him he has been waiting to see them again. Ever since he died he has been trying to reach each of his sons but he could not. Splinter explained to his sons that after Leo's disappearance each of their doors have been tightly bound by chains that he could not break. Mikey asked him how he frees him to which Splinter said he didn't. Only the ways to remove the chains were for the person who closed their hearts off to free themselves. Splinter asked if Mikey had met a boy named Shoushi. Mikey nodded his head and said they have met. Splinter smiled a bit, he was happy to see that his trust in Shoushi was working out.
Mikey had to tell Splinter about April but Splinter knew. Shoushi explained everything to Splinter when he returned from his last adventure. Splinter told Mikey that wanted to take the pain away from him that was inflicted by the Shredder. Mikey asked what he meant by that. Splinter told Mikey that Shoushi would be the conductor to transfer the injuries from his sons to him. It was a dangerous and band technique for both Shoushi and himself. Mikey looked at his father if he felt any pain but Splinter shook his head. Shoushi has been baring all the pain from the three of them. Splinter was amazed that Shoushi a complete stranger was doing all this but he could see it in his eyes that he reminded him of Leo. The same temperament and stubbornness Shoushi stated he wasn't going to give anyone the pain of each of his sons, when he was already in so much pain after what happened to Leo and watching each of his sons go through the trials they did just to survive and adapt to a new way of life.
Mikey asked why Shoushi disappeared but Splinter reminded him that Shoushi isn't a real person and can't remain in the real world for too long. Mikey asked if Splinter knew who Shoushi really was but Splinter didn't know. Shoushi never spoke a word to Splinter about his origin just he would repair the damage.
Mikey told Splinter everything that has happened with each of his brothers and Casey. Splinter wished he could help his sons but he was far too gone and could only be with them in spirit. Splinter told Mikey he had to leave but not to worry all he wanted to do was see Mikey smile before he left. Mikey smiled ear to ear even as the tears rolled down his cheeks. Splinter said his last goodbye and disappeared back to the astral plane to wait to talk to his other sons.
Mikey sniffled and continued to cry getting up he walked around looking for his door. From the distance Mikey could see the outline of a door and ran towards it believing it was his. Mikey stopped when he saw the door was bound by chains. Mikey was going to turn around but stopped because he knew who's door it was. Mikey touched the door with his hands and could feel the anger and sadness pouring off. Mikey placed his forehead and hands against the door whispering to the door Mikey said that he forgave his brother and that he love him too much. Mikey grabbed one of the chains and pulled hard on it. No matter what at least one of the three chains would leave. Mikey was going to free one brother no matter the cost.
As Mikey pulled at the chain Donnie was entering the astral plane after finding him in his room unresponsive. Donnie was going to yell for Raph but when he looked closer at Mikey he could see he was just mediating. Donnie needed to know what was keeping Mikey away from him so he started to mediate himself using the photo as an anchor Donnie tried to enter the same place as Mikey. But because Mikey was in his own world Donnie was pushed into his own room in the astral plane. Donnie looked around trying to call out for Mikey; Donnie was surprised when he found April standing in front of him. Donnie couldn't understand why his dead friend was there but didn't care. Donnie ran as fast as he could towards April. Colliding into April's open arms Donnie clung to April like a three year old. Donnie let all of his emotions out as April held him. The two sunk to the ground and April just sat there holding Donnie as he cried and said her name over and over.
After some time Donnie looked up at April and asked what she was doing here? April placed a hand over Donnie's heart and told him she was here to heal him. Donnie said that Casey was the one that needed her more. April shook her head. Tears shed for someone seen were powerful but the ones unseen were the strongest. Donnie and April were the close just like Raph and Casey were. They were connected to each other even though they couldn't see it. Even though April fell in love with Casey she still loved Donnie in a different way. Not a lover or brother way but in a way that words could not describe their bond. April knew her death was hard on Casey and the others but the one who was impacted by it the most was Donnie.
Donnie didn't understand at first but covered her hand that remained over his heart. Nodding his head Donnie said he didn't want to grieve because Casey was the one people believed lost the most. The love of his life was murdered and he barely got away with his life. Donnie asked April if she was happy, April smiled and said now she was. Donnie was excepting the lost in his own way instead of bottling it up like usual. Throwing himself into his inventions in his lab April wanted Donnie to see he had his brothers to talk to and Casey would hopefully see one day that he can live on even without her. Donnie wiped his eyes and stood up. Helping April Donnie said thank you and started to walk away. April watched a bit longer but she knew in the back of her head that Casey was going to join her soon.
Donnie was looking for his door so he could leave when he heard the sounds of someone grunting. Running towards it Donnie found Mikey pulling on some chains. Donnie jogged over and asked Mikey what he was doing. Mikey said he was freeing Raph. Donnie looked at the door and could tell with one look that it was Raph. Donnie moved over and started to pull on another chain immediately. Donnie and Mikey pulled hard one two of the three chains but they were strong. There was no breaking them until Mikey and Donnie looked behind him. Shoushi was walking over to them taking the last chain Shoushi told Donnie and Mikey to pull on the count of three with him. As the two waited there was a moment they looked into Shoushi's on good eye and could see something familiar about it. They all knew that Shoushi reminded them of Leo but getting a better look at him Donnie and Mikey wondered if Shoushi was really Leo. On the count of three everyone pulled hard on the chains. The chains shattered like glass and started to float and disappear. Shoushi took a deep breath and was going to disappear again. Donnie and Mikey grab him by the wrist and asked them if he was Leo.
Shoushi shook his head trying to denied the claim but Mikey was adamant that he was Leo. Shoushi shook head again and told him that he wasn't Leo in whole but a part of him. He couldn't' go any deeper but he told them that they needed to get ready. The message he gave Mikey back in the dojo needed to be relayed to Raph immediately. Shoushi motioned to the door and said that through Raph was free they needed to show him that he could no longer blame himself for Leo's disappearance. The answers he seeks are in Foot Headquarters.
Shoushi pushed Mikey and Donnie back into their own bodies because he could feel himself disappear and he wasn't doing it on purpose.
As Shoushi's eyes closed, Blade's eyes opened. Blade looked down in an alleyway to see a slightly drunk and emotional Casey replacing the cover to the sewer grate he just walked up from. Blade smiled grabbing the handle of his sword Blade waited until Casey replaced the cover before jumping down and slicing downward towards Casey's head.