Shattered

As Leonardo lifted Alexis with exacting precision to avoid any strain on her leg, Donatello's eyes narrowed and a slight frown crossed his features. He hadn't missed their previous interaction, or the flash of hurt on his brother's face when the dragon turned away.

Leo and the Guardian?

The leader wore a tight smile, suppressing his feelings, but they were still there if one had the insight to read them.

Typical. He's probably justifying his emotions as something benign, some manner of responsibility for her as head of the clan.

Donatello knew better. The clues were all there; the early overwhelming grief, the obsessive vigil, the way he reacted to her scream, and his lethal warning to the Feyian. Though his words could sometimes be sharper than his katana, Leonardo did not make idol threats.

To draw blood on Brenellean? Alexis means more to him then clan responsibility.

After observing Raphael's journey, Don could not mistake the symptoms. There was no doubt in the genius' mind Leo had fallen hard for the immortal dragon. Unfortunately, his sharp intellect also spotted several possible... issues with such a relationship.

What it might mean for the team and their family, he wasn't sure, especially if Leonardo had not yet acknowledged the emotion. So he filed the thoughts away for later consideration as his brother began to translate the complex ideas the Guardian didn't have the vocabulary for.

Let's just tackle one problem at a time, shall we?

"Alexis has never encountered a Feyian half-breed who wasn't sterile," Leo said. "Neither has she met one who was Matched or able to manifest mental abilities. She believed such traits suppressed by the genes of all other species"—he paused—"I'm going to summarize the next part because she's veering off into some complex scientific territory."

Donatello's frown deepened.

"You can ask her about it later, Don, but in short, the reason for the sterility pertains to the number of chromosomes each parent contributes. However, Morgan's genetic hybridization appears different, replicating and improving on the traits of her Feyian origin."

"I'm not sure you dumbed it down enough, Leo," Raph said with heavy sarcasm. "I have no clue what you said."

"She's a mule," Donatello clarified, eyes alight with fascination.

"Don't be saying that about my sis," Mikey said, waving an indignant hand. "Talk about adding insult to injury."

"I'm not insulting her! A mule is the perfect example. It's a heterotic hybrid, except instead of a human and Feyian, we're talking equines—a donkey and a horse. Just like Morgan's parents, they each have a different number of chromosomes. The resulting baby isn't classified the same as either parent. It's a new species, inheriting the best characteristics."

"But what does it mean?" Raphael asked. "And how are some Shadow things using it ta get to her?"

They all turned back to Leonardo who listened again to Alexis. Donatello watched the silent communication between the two with more interest. Her obvious intelligence made him eager to chat with the dragon, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to do it mentally.

His brother seemed at ease allowing her access to his mind. Of course, Leonardo was the most accomplished of them and could probably keep things from her if he wished. But, it intrigued him to see his most rigidly controlled sibling embracing the intimate form of communication.

"Alexis says, anytime Morgan feels threatened or stressed, she phases partly into the Shadow realm," Leonardo said.

"The scans did show her cells intermittently coming into contact with it," Donatello said. "But why?"

Leo's head tilted again.

"It's instinctive. The protective behavior of a pregnant Feyian female. Apparently, their children gestate partially in Shadow which allows them access later in life. The phasing removes the child from any possible physical dangers in the mother's natural environment."

"But Morgan never disappeared," Raphael said.

"She wouldn't," Don interjected. "The shift only applies to certain portions of her mass, not her entire body. The same way she camouflages her skin."

"So the issue is with her cells reacting badly to Shadow? We already knew that."

Alexis shook her head.

"That's the reason for the fever and chills," Leonardo explained. "Humans don't last long in contact with the Shadow realm. It's sickening—a poison-filled mist. The major attacks she's suffering are triggered when her system moves the baby to so-called 'safety.' Clusters of foreign cells draw the attention of the Shadowspawn."

"The what?" Mikey asked.

"Shadowspawn are similar to your leeches," Brenellean said. "Only larger. Scavengers who feed on the life energy of hapless things. They do not trouble the Feyian overmuch but they can be dangerous to the unwary."

"How much bigger?"

"The smallest are about the length of your leg."

"Their teeth I have felt before," Alexis said with a grimace. "This pain is the same."

These things are still sucking on her?

Donnie's face twisted in horror. "How did she stop them?"

"She didn't. Satisfied, they were and detached. Recovered enough, Morgan did, to drag herself from the Shadow realm. But with each encounter more come. Soon, too many will feed for her survival."

"What do we do?" A note of panic tempered the ever present anger in Raph's voice.

"Remove them," she said with a wince as another bite sent dagger-like pain through her. "Quickly."

"How?"—Don scratched his head—"I mean, they're not technically in our reality."

Alexis nodded to Brenellean.

"A knife he carries exists at once both here and there. Cut them off it can, but a portion of her flesh you must take or the teeth will remain."

"No," the Feyian snapped. "I'm not going to use a Dai'kroth on my sister."

"What's a Dai'kroth?" Raph demanded.

"The blade she refers to is cursed. It will punish the smallest sin with great pain."

"Harm her, its taint will not," Alexis promised, "no darkness has she within. Shield her, I can, from any agony. After, her Match can heal her."

Raphael exchanged a dark glance with Don who frowned, not liking the sound of the supernatural blade.

"Find another option," Brenellean said through clenched teeth.

"Have you one?" Alexis challenged.

"Dragonfire?" he offered with a glare.

"Remove them, it can," she agreed with a sigh, "but break several treaties, that will. For enter the Shadow realm I can not, any longer, without help. Responsible, you would be held. Called criminal for opening the needed portal."

She stared at the Feyian, silently asking if he could see past his bigotry to allow her into a world now forbidden to her kind.

"Morgan would suffer," Alexis continued, "for hold her mind at peace, I cannot, and wield the flames at the same time. Also, it would..."

She paused, searching for a word. Leo briefly met her gaze.

"Stress," he supplied.

"Stress the child," she finished.

"I'll take the knife," Morgan said.


Leonardo paced outside the lab door in a rare show of anxiety. This whole process was straining his control. His calm facade had cracked to the point even Mikey was avoiding him and his temper flared near to breaking.

It's not like they haven't given me reason...

First, Brenellean refused to produce the blade. Raphael started a yelling match and their confrontation nearly came to blows. Leo was forced to deposit Alexis on a nearby bench to deal with the situation.

Once Donnie got the dagger, it was another argument to persuade the Feyian to stand guard in Shadow for a while. He wished to remain in the lair, not trusting the dragon to uphold her end of the bargain. But until they found a more permanent solution, Leo insisted he and the Huntress stay put in the other realm.

Is he so blinded by hate, he can't see the need to discourage other 'things' from taking an interest in Morgan?

Eventually, Brenellean caved to logic and his sister's pleading. However, before disappearing through the barrier, he tossed Morgan's bracelet to Leo and demanded contact if circumstances went south.

The parting shot at Alexis' honor left him seething.

When all was ready, the Guardian eased Morgan into a gentle sleep, at which point Donatello ordered everyone else out. It took the combined strength of Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Splinter to remove a violently protesting Raphael from the room.

Why must he make everything so difficult?

His brother's desire to remain was understandable but he shouldn't watch. Regardless of how in control he thought he was, the hot-head would certainly blow his top the second Don started cutting.

Leo wasn't faring too well with the idea himself. The idea of Alexis having to undergo what was essentially surgery without anesthesia was excruciating.

And with a cursed blade? What will that do to her?

He couldn't help himself. He ducked back in to take one final measure of her resolve. He forced himself to stay by the door, limiting his engagement to eyes only as he analyzed Alexis' every movement.

She sat on the bench where he left her in a meditative posture, not shifting except for a random shudder of pain and the slow rise and fall of her breath. But she wasn't completely out of touch. She answered the occasional question Don threw her way.

"You sure you want to do this?" Donatello asked, examining the knife. It wasn't made for the delicate type of surgery he usually performed. In fact, it was a pretty ugly piece of work, meant to inflict rather than relieve pain.

When she didn't reply he added, "It's really going to hurt."

Alexis opened her eyes and studied him gravely as he gathered supplies from around the room.

"Fear not, clan-brother, she will not feel it."

He peered at her sideways. "But you will."

Alexis' expression flattened to one of suppressed anger. "I will not falter."

"No one's saying that," Leo interrupted. "He's asking if there is any other way. None of us want you to suffer needlessly."

He'd left his position at the entrance and now knelt in front of her, holding her hand.

I don't even remember moving. Is her draw so impossibly strong?

She squeezed his fingers and her gaze softened. His insides melted.

Yes, yes it is.

"Such compassion is rare, warrior, and you have my thanks. But no time, there is, to conceive of a new solution. Stop them now, we must, before those under our protection suffer irreparable harm."

Leo sighed but he couldn't fault her. Were their situations reversed, he would choose to do the same. Sacrificing personal safety for the future of the clan was a responsibility which came with their positions.

Still, he loitered. Though Don cleared his throat in a quiet reminder he ought to get going, his feet refused to budge. Rooted, he touched Alexis' mind without trying to hide the worry coursing through him.

:If you need anything, reach for me. I'll be near.:

Shock flowed over him in reply, followed by something more—a trembling of the heart. Wistful and more beautiful than a dragonfly's iridescent wings, it was akin to the soul-deep desire inside himself.

With a slightly dazed expression, she raised her free hand to his face as she had before. Echoes of emotion shot through their connection and he was surprised not to see the tell-tale flecks of gold in her gaze.

She is holding back.

The thought frustrated him. He hadn't had a chance to ask why she withdrew from him before and he was wary of provoking the reaction again. Still, he felt compelled to respond to her touch. Donnie wasn't watching, so Leonardo allowed his hand to rise in turn, caressing the ridge of her cheekbone ever so lightly with the back of his knuckles.

Alexis' respiration and heart rate rose. He saw it in the pounding pulse at her throat, felt it as her skin heated under his touch. Despite those positive responses, she caught his hand and pushed it away.

Rebuffed a second time, he thought he must be misreading her. He drew back and bowed his head.

:Your pardon, Guardian. I did not mean to offend. I should never have presumed—:

:Caring is not offensive, Leonardo. You simply do not understand the ramifications of what you are proposing... or the precise nature of the one to which you are offering it.:

His insides quivered again at his name and it took a few moments to process her reply. This was new information. A kind of revelation.

She thinks me inexperienced.

He had feared something much worse behind her rejections, perhaps that she already had a mate or her Guardianship forbade such a thing. If naiveté was her only objection, he was not about to let her go.

Leonardo slid his hand into her hair, cupped the back of her neck, and pulled her closer. When her forehead bumped his, her eyelids fluttered shut and he projected his thoughts as confidently as he could.

:I may have lived a fraction of your years, but I am not unschooled. I'm no stranger to hardship and sacrifice. I've handled vendettas decades in the making, dealt with issues beyond our galaxy, and traveled the reaches of time. I do not make this promise of assistance lightly. I will not withdraw at the first sign of trouble. You need not suffer alone. Call for me. I will help.:

Alexis jerked back with a hiss, as if his touch burned. Her voice turned cold.

:You cannot. Raise your wards, warrior. Close your mind and leave me to my fate.:

Darkness swallowed his heart at the rejection, but she didn't break their connection fast enough to hide a stab of fear and longing.

She believes a relationship will harm me!

He rose into a crouch and leaned forward, whispering fiercely in her ear, "I'm stronger than you think." As he drew away, he pressed his lips firmly against her head.

Alexis' eyes flashed gold.

Satisfied she got the message, he left; ignoring Donatello's startled inhalation. But once outside the door, he paced—fidgeting and occasionally pressing a hand against the closed portal—unable to disconnect and wait with his usual patience.

Time passed at a crawl, as he listened intently with heart and mind.


The dragon slumped, unresponsive, while Donatello applied a cooling poultice to the gash on her thigh. He had finished with Morgan and would not be dissuaded from attending to her hurts since Raphael swept the girl away.

Alexis didn't care about the Silverthorn injury any longer. All she wanted was to slink into a dark hole and never show her face again.

Let it burn. It is a suitable punishment.

The procedure had been difficult. More painful than she could have imagined, but not because Donatello wielded his knife recklessly. To the contrary, he was stunningly precise with his cuts, showing an unerring sense of where the teeth of the Shadowspan lay.

The strain which pushed her beyond endurance was caused by the Dai'kroth.

As promised, Morgan remained blessedly unaffected by the cursed weapon. Having suffered so much in her past, even the bound spirits of the blade could not find fault with her soul.

Alexis was not so lucky. Linked with the young Feyian hybrid, her sins were fair game and a thousand years of anxiety ridden decisions provided them with a rich feeding ground. Intense angst and fear flowed from the knife, dragging troubled memories from her thoughts. Without mercy, they prodded ghosts of events long past to life with visions she could not prevent, ones focused on her worst fears. Keeping silent so as not to distract her clan-brother from his work almost shattered her mind.

The operation was over at last and Alexis tried to clear her thoughts, to break free of the cycle, but it began anew and she moaned in dread. Behind her eyes, another dragon loomed.

The huge, midnight blue beast boasted of his prowess and regarded her with narrowed, possessive eyes. Within them lurked a shadowy demon, one no one else seemed to notice. An evil spirit who intended to annihilate her will, usurp her heritage, and corrupt her people.

In vain, she pleaded with her kin to see the truth but they turned away. The yōkai laughed, content in the knowledge she was trapped by tradition.

A lifetime of wisdom gained, and I still cannot face it...

She fled, just as she had then. The pain of self-imposed banishment haunted her, for she knew not what he'd done to her people in her absence.

Did I save them? Or betray them?

She only hoped without her, he could not assume the power he so desperately craved.

I moved on, found a different place in the world. A new mission.

The dragon faded and her beloved little prince formed, reaching for her with a skeletal hand. Begging with his last breath to know what he had done to make her abandon him and never return.

It wasn't your fault, little one. I love you still...

Yoshi melted away and Splinter raged against her, confronted again with the loss of his family. It was too much to bear. He was the last Hamato and with the destruction of his world, her sole remaining mission in life collapsed.

Demanding retribution, the vengeful old warrior denied her request to linger nearby. He extracted a promise on what little remained of her honor to live as long as she could. Then, he expelled her from her only remaining family, punishing her failure in the severest way possible, with exile.

I would rather he took my life.

But the worst vision, by far, was the warrior.

Leonardo's parting words sparked a fragile hope and her buried desire had escalated to an all-consuming fire. Yet, as she raised a hand towards him the yearning in his eyes died. Horror filled his expression as he realized who—or rather what—he had shackled himself too. She had shifted mid-reach and he cowered away from her draconic claw.

No! I will never harm you...

He writhed, his physical form undergoing a drastic change as his spirit broke under the strain of her affection. Shriveled and shrinking into despair, her love destroyed him; grinding his soul into ruins. This desire for a mate who understood her was selfish and destructive.

The blue dragon formed again.

Alexis' eyes dimmed with self-loathing and the foul fantasies replayed over and over.

Donatello, kneeling at her feet, spoke to her worriedly, but she was too far gone. Trapped in her own personal hell, she could no longer respond to his questions. It was all she could do to hold the connection to Morgan, relieving the pain.

A last futile attempt to fulfill a worthless promise.

Still, Alexis held tight to her vow as her vision faded to black and her dreams crumbled to dust.

Inside the blade, the spirits laughed...