His chest rose and fell in a slow and rhythmic tandem. With each breath, his chest rose-with each exhale, it fell. His features were relaxed and serene. One could have mistaken his serenity for deep sleep. His eyes were closed and his brows unfurrowed. None had seen him so at peace before. None had the ability to recall such a moment.
His mouth twitched suddenly and he made a small sound as his head turned slightly. His brows furrowed and he shook his head. His muscles bunched and tensed as a whimper escaped his throat. His eyes snapped open and he glanced about wildly, unable to move the rest of his body. He was stricken with fatigue and felt gravely ill at ease.
His lidded gaze rose at the sound of a derisive snort. He stiffened and stared at a face much like his own, but devoid of compassion and warmth.
The pale hazel gaze that stared into his own warm hazel eyes was chilling to his core, making him nervous. The lips of the face he could almost call his own curled back into an image of disgust.
"This is it? You are the face of the great mistake?" His double hissed.
His eyes darted over his double, who stood tall over him while he lay flat and immobile on the ground. The double wore a ragged trench coat and it's eyes were outlined in dark blue ink. A blue mask was wrapped around its left wrist. It was scarred and emanated danger.
Leonardo stared at it, the thing he had been at one point. It huffed in irritation and shook its head at him as it slowly and methodically circled him. It eyed him like a hungry predator eyeing a meal dressed and ready for the taking.
"You sacrificed us for your morals." The double chuckled darkly and shook his head before turning his gaze heavenward. "Morals."
It turned back to him swiftly. "We don't get to have morals. We kill. We live. Simple, right? And yet, you managed to screw that up." The Shadow Wraith remarked sharply. Wraith smirked at Leo. "I gave you everything. You were powerful with me. I drove fear into all who opposed us." Wraith glanced aside and turned back again sharply, eyes sparking red and angry shadows swirling around his body. "You gave them hope. You got us killed."
Leo shook his head and opened his mouth to say something.
Wraith raised a hand and Leo threw his head back with a scream as blood sprayed wildly over his body.
"One of many wounds you caused us, Leonardo."
Leo trembled and gasped with pain. He glanced down at his severed arm and watched blood pump forth from the wound. He screwed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw in pain. He turned his head away from the wound.
"You gave up our life for a brother who never cared about us." Wraith snapped off swiftly as he continued circling Leo's prone body with the blood pooling around the wounded terrapin. "You forced us to endure pain when we could have been comfortable. You drove us to suffering when it could have gone so much better."
"You're wrong, it wasn't like that, and you know it." Leo replied swiftly, lifting his pained gaze to Wraith's. The Shadow Wraith paused and glared him down before flicking a finger at Leo. The prone ninja cried out as the sound of snapping bones reverberated around them. The bones in his left hand were broken. Leonardo's hand twitched and sores opened along the length of his arm. He threw his head back, striking the ground with the back of his skull. He struggled under the pain, squirming against invisible bonds.
"You think you've only hurt yourself with your martyrdom." Wraith hissed down at Leo. The prone terrapin cracked his eyes open and stared at Wraith even as he panted in pain. Wraith pointed aside and Leo's eyes followed only to land on a pile of corpses. He screwed his eyes shut and looked away. Pain lanced through his leg and he cried out. His eyes snapped open and dropped to his left knee cap where a shadow blade had stabbed through. It twisted sharply and another cry of pain escaped him. His tired hazel eyes met those of his double.
"You will look at the pain you've caused. It is your duty as their murderer." Wraith ordered as he stepped on the side of Leo's head and forced the prone terrapin to look in the direction of the corpses.
Leo swallowed painfully as he stared at the bloody bodies scattered in the heap. Some were disfigured beyond recognition, others were merely a jumbled mess of severed body parts. His breath caught in his throat and he closed his eyes before turning his gaze up to Shadow Wraith.
"You're a liar."
The Wraith glowered at him, sneered even. "You accuse me of lying?!" It hissed.
"I don't accuse you. I name you for what you are, and you are a liar!" Leo shouted angrily. "You killed them all! I wasn't myself when they died. You were blocking my emotions out!"
Wraith smirked and leaned low, pressing more weight on Leo's skull. The prone terrapin cringed in pain. "That may be true, but there is one thing you did that started everything."
Wraith stood straight and his smirk vanished as he took a step back.
"You let me in."
Leo stared at him in horror and realization before shaking his head wildly and screaming his denial and his anger. He knew Wraith was right. He had let the Contractor powers take over him when he had been blinded by anger and despair. He never realized how losing his control to his emotions in the Heaven's Gate would have lead to so much pain and death. He hadn't thought he could be hurt like that again. Leonardo shook and tore at his invisible bonds, a feral expression of anger had rooted itself in his features. He snarled and snapped as his muscles strained to do as his mind commanded.
The Shadow Wraith watched calmly. "You give fight when the battle is already over." He commented.
"It's not over while I still have breath!" Leo snapped at him. He could hear muscles tearing and popping in his shoulders as his torso lifted off the ground. His arms wouldn't pull free but his body would.
Wraith sneered at Leo and its eyes sparked red. A blade made of shadows formed in its right hand.
Leo screamed at Wraith as he heard his shoulder pop out of its socket, using his captor as the outlet of his pained screams. He jerked his arm sharply with a cracking sound, having snapped bone. He twisted and pulled until gleaming white bone stabbed through emerald-green skin. He continued twisting with short snappy grunts of effort and pained gasps, working the jagged edged bone to cut at his own limb. Blood flowed heavily down his forearm and pain spilled from his arm. Leonardo growled and snarled angrily, turning pain to anger as the bone stabbed and cut through wiry muscle and crimson coated skin. Gleaming red muscle, torn and ravaged, peeked through area where his skin hung in shreds.
"Just what are you going to do when you break free? Bite me? You won't have any strength left, idiot." Wraith said with a twirl of his shadow blade, resting the back of the blade on his shoulder.
An unearthly scream tore out of Leo's throat as he tore his right shoulder from his trapped arm. The sinew and strands of nerve tissue snapped as he pulled. Tears streamed down his cheeks and blood streamed from his lips where he had bitten his tongue. Blood gleamed red on the white of a sharply twisted and broken arm. Leo's breaths came out in wheezing pants and he fought to stay conscious as the edges of his vision turned black.
Wraith fell back a step, lowering its katana and watching with a shocked expression.
"I won't stop fighting until I can't anymore. My friends, my father, and my brothers deserve that much." Leonardo snarled as he pulled at his other arm. Blood spurted in short bursts from his torn and bloody shoulder.
Wraith stared uncertainly in disgust and fear. He wasn't sure what to make of the gore covered terrapin before him. Strands of muscles and nerves hung from Leonardo's shoulder, swaying as he jerked on his other arm.
Wraith moved quickly at the sound of Leo's shoulder popping out of its socket. He stabbed his sword down, into the center of Leonardo's chest and through the wounded turtle's heart. Leo shuddered and gasped. He dropped his gaze down to the blade, noticing just how cold it was. His mouth filled with the coppery taste of blood. His body went limp and fell back against the ground. He wheezed out one rattling breath, blood streamed from his mouth. His body shivered and he whimpered as the shiver sent waves of pain through his cooling body.
The Wraith slid the blade free of Leo's body and glared Leo down. "Why can't you die faster? Are you so determined to fight me that you cling to life when there is none?"
Leonardo didn't move, but his eyes were set on Wraith's form. The Shadow Wraith twitched uncomfortably under the stare and his blade moved swiftly, it stabbed straight down through Leo's skull with a series of cracking sounds, impaling the broken leader's brain through the frontal lobe. Wraith released his hold on the blade, leaving it in place. He glanced down at Leo's stilled features.
The leader's mouth was slack and ajar. His eyes were lidded but open, a deep scarlet had pooled into the whites of his eyes, leaving only the cooling hazel of his irises untouched. He was dead. There was no doubt.
Wraith turned and met startlingly bright green eyes that sparked red. His eyes went wide and he dropped his hazel gaze down to a shadow blade stabbed through his abdomen. He blinked once in shock and glanced back up to the eyes in confusion. "Why?" He couldn't help but ask. He didn't understand.
The blade slid free of his body and he dropped to his knees, clutching the wound. He stared up at the green eyes.
"He is willing to fight to the last breath, you are ready to die when it comes." Was the answer he received. Wraith stared and the blade came down on him, shearing through bone and muscle. He slumped and fell to his side, sprawling out as his body was reverted into a lifeless-graceless corpse. The blade dissipated from view and green-eyed Contractor knelt next to Wraith's body. She unwrapped the blue mask from his wrist and tugged it free before turning to the broken body that was Leo. She strode forward and knelt at his side. Her green eyes surveyed every wound that had been inflicted on him. She heaved a sigh and leaned low. She slid her hand over his open eyes, closing them. She lifted his limp head and wrapped the mask over his closed eyes. She tied the back in a neat knot and gently lowered his head back to the ground. She stood and tore the shadow blade free from his skull with a sickening sucking sound as the flesh of his brain clung to the
blade. The Contractor tossed the blade aside. It spun end over end, disappearing into the surrounding darkness. Her gaze sparked red and light flashed throughout the dark, piercing it and banishing it. The red spark faded from her eyes as she turned her gaze heavenward, to the brilliance of the stars and the moon. She dropped her gaze back to Leonardo, who still lay prone and unmoving upon the ground. His wounds had vanished and his skin was unmarred by scars of past horrors.
She watched him silently, waiting.
Leonardo's eyes snapped open and he drew in a gasping breath. His chest heaved as his body adjusted to the sudden shock of pain's absence. He blinked and shook his head as he sat up stiffly, staring at nothing. His eyes had taken a mad look. Heavy circles hung under them, they were glassy and wide from horrors still fresh in his mind. There was an agonizing pain throughout his body at the shock of the swarm of emotions that filled his head.
"Well if it isn't our favorite infamous trench toting turtle back from the grave. Pretty gutsy of you to leap blindly into the Gate with nothing more than a wish to destroy it." The green-eyed Contractor remarked.
Leo froze and slowly turned to face the speaker. He stared at her and opened his mouth to speak only for his voice to fail him. "F-Fauna?" He sputtered. "What-I died. Twice. The Wraith-it," he began.
"The Gate striking out at you with what remained of you that was still a Contractor." Was the explanation he received. Fauna nodded. "Welcome to Heaven's Gate, Leo. The real Heaven's Gate."
The blue masked turtle stared at her. "Heaven's Gate..." he trailed off, recalling his conversation with the Shadow Wraith. His eyes darted to its body, lying not five feet away. "I failed. I-I didn't save them. Everyone I cared about, and betrayed-they're all dead because of me."
His eyes widened. "Raph." He suddenly said with a startled voice. He looked up to Fauna with desperation in his eyes. "I left him alone! Please! I need to go back!" His voice wavered with desperation. She took a step back with a hesitant look in her eyes.
"I can't."
He crawled forward on his hands and knees. "Fauna, I've never begged, but I'm begging now-please send me back! Please! Raph is all alone!"
Fauna shook her head. "There's nothing to go back to."
"What?" He whispered, looking as if he were about to fall apart.
Fauna sighed and looked away for a moment. "You can't go back."
"Why not?!" He cried desperately.
She only shook her head and turned away.
He stared at her, his shoulders slumping in defeat. Leo bowed his head and he shook his head. "Why didn't you just kill me when we first met. It would've saved so many people if I had just died in that jungle."
"Leonardo,why would you say such a thing, my son?"
Leo flinched at the sound of the voice and turned his head in its direction. He stared and swallowed painfully at the sight. Master Splinter stood beside him, gazing down at Leo with a tender and warm gaze.
"You have fought hard, my son, and you were strong when it seemed things were hopeless. You have done all you can for our family-for the world. You must ease this burden from your shoulders."
Leo stared at his father and shook his head. "But it is my fault. I killed so many people, including you. How can I not be to blame?"
"Leo, Leo, Leo, you need to loosen that knot in your shell, bro. Not everything revolves around you, dude." Mikey commented as he moved out from behind Splinter to stand next to the aged master. "You were kind of a jerk, but you were a nice jerk." Mikey commented as he took a bite from an apple. He made a face at it and tossed it away before wiping his hands on his plastron. "Now, you were pretty good to me for being such an emotionless bag of 'fuck-everyone-but-myself'." Mikey said, pointing at Leo with a knowing look. Splinter's ears fell back and he glanced at Mikey with a stern expression. Mikey smiled cheekily with an apologetic look.
"You took care of me, bro. I could have died so many times but you protected me and made sure I was alright. You wouldn't let anyone take me away even when it would have benefited you. And now you went all self-righteous and stuff with self-sacrifice to save the world and stuff. As far as I'm concerned," Mikey said with a thumb's up. "You're a good guy."
"I can agree with that, regardless of what happened." Donatello commented from behind Leo. The kneeling turtle turned around to see his gentle younger brother leaning on a bo staff. The purple masked genius smiled at Leo's horrified expression. "Yeah, I died, I know. No need to draw it out dramatically."
Leo shook his head and bowed it low. "How can you be so calm about this? About me?"
Don's mouth twitched and he straightened, twirling his bo staff in one hand as he approached Leo's side. He knelt next to his eldest brother with a smile, placing a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Because I understand why I died."
He leaned into Leo with a sigh. "You did try saving me, Leo. Remember? I didn't trust you to save me. I was wrong and that's why I died."
Leo looked away, unable to meet Don's soft brown eyes. Donatello chuckled and wrapped an arm around Leo's shoulders. "Hey, you needed me, Leo. You knew from the beginning that it was going to end the way it did. You made a sacrifice to save us. We were going to die no matter what happened. You made the right decision." Don said, gently nudging his brother.
"Stop." Leo whispered and Don frowned at that. "Just stop it! I killed all of you!" He snarled angrily, slamming a fist into his thigh. He screwed his eyes shut, visibly shaking. "And for what? I failed. I didn't destroy the Gate. I didn't save anyone. I didn't sacrifice anything but my friends and family. I don't deserve forgiveness, so just leave me alone to suffer! Quit forgiving me!" He snapped.
His chest heaved and he could feel the burn of tears fighting to fall from his eyes. His eyes fluttered open as silence met his burst of emotion.
Leo glanced at Don only to see that his brother was no longer beside him. Splinter and Mikey were gone as well. He was alone. He blinked rapidly in confusion. He glanced around only to face Fauna's lowered hand. He froze in place, his eyes rose to meet hers.
"They came to give you strength for the next task before you, Leo. It's not over yet. Take my hand."
He stared at her offered hand, swallowing. "What do you mean? What else is there?"
"The choice. The Gate is falling. Your fight, your suffering, and your resolve were the price for its destruction. Now you must decide where to go from now. You need to be brave. Take my hand, Leo, it's not over yet."
Leo tentatively reached up, taking her offered hand. She helped him to his feet and released her grip on his hand. He glanced away and back to her. "Please tell me I can save my family."
Fauna sighed. "That's going to depend on what you choose. I can't guarantee anything."
He bit his lip and nodded.
"You can choose to let the pain fade away from their lives." She said, and a burst of images flashed before Leonardo's eyes. Images of people he knew-had met-had been friends with-flashed by him.
Viktor stood alone on the porch of a simple log cabin. He leaned low over the rail and stared at the cold snow that surrounded him. His features were worn, but not hard and not bitter. He looked at peace among the snow and simple home. The Russian stood slowly, turning at a sound. A smile creased his features as a short slender woman approached him, punching him tenderly in the arm. He feigned hurt and rubbed the injury while she laughed. He smiled and wrapped an arm around her, turning back to the snow. A band of silver flashed on both of their ring fingers.
James Jack Mason, clad in desert camouflage and carrying a heavy ruck sack over his shoulder, clambered down the steps of an airplane. The man's features were haggard and worn. His shoulders slumped as he made his way to the ground, sighing heavily under the high sun in the clear skies. A cry caught his attention and he turned his worn gaze up to a young woman waving at him and a similar smaller figure at the woman's side staring with a puzzled expression. The little girl at the mother's side pulled on the older woman's jacket and the mother looked down. "Daddy?" The child asked. Her mother smiled with wet eyes and laughed. "Yes, honey. That's daddy." She said happily. James grinned wide at the sight of them both and dropped his ruck sack as he ran to them.
Lila chewed on the lollipop stick in her mouth as she sat back in a chair, reading from a book. Round glasses sat on her nose and she wore a thick sweater that accompanied her shorts and long woolly socks. A pin-up poster of Marilyn Monroe was crumpled up in a ball at her feet. She heard something drop next to her on her couch and glanced up with a smile at the sight. She closed her book, keeping her place with a finger between the pages. She reached out and ruffled her companion's floppy ears. The large golden retriever whined and crawled on her lap, licking at her hand. She chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.
December 22 sat at a park bench in a finely tailored suit. His gaze was fixed on the dark sky above. A cigarette was held limply in his fingers. He lifted it to his mouth with a dismal expression just as a sudden pour of rain fell upon the city. He sighed and dropped the now soggy cigarette. He leaned back, allowing the rain to drench him. He heard a creak and glanced aside to see August sitting next to him on the bench clad in a raincoat. "You're going to catch pneumonia at this rate." She observed. He shrugged with a smirk as he turned his face up at the sky. "When did a cold rain ever stop me from enjoying myself?" She nudged his side and he glanced at her. A can of beer was in her hand, held out to him. He stared for a moment before smiling and gladly accepting the offered beverage. They both popped open a can and toasted together.
Lumen stood in monk's robes, his hood drawn back, revealing smooth and wise features on a young face. He was smiling. He lifted a hand in greeting. Another monk lifted a hand in reply from beside a crowd of curious children. One little girl stood lost among the rest and Lumen strode forward, coming to kneel beside her. "What's your name, child?" He asked softly. The child turned her soft green eyes to his and she smiled, two of her front teeth missing. "Mary Anne, but my friends call me Annie." He nodded and smiled in return. "Why are you so quiet?" He said with a glance at the other children. She shrugged happily. "I like the sounds of the leaves falling." He chuckled. "Then October must be your favorite month."
Leonardo blinked and looked away from Fauna, looking more tired than ever. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath to settle his nerves. He glanced back at her. She watched him silently. "Why did you show me those things?" He asked in a fragile voice.
"Their happiness will be at your expense. But there is another choice. You can choose to start anew. You can give your brothers a human life."
Leonardo froze in place, his chest felt cold at those words. He screwed his eyes shut and looked away, shaking his head. He ran his hand down his face as he wheezed in a breath. He laughed nervously and glanced at Fauna. "I can give them a normal life? No fighting, no death, no more pain of isolation? They-they can be happy?"
Fauna shrugged. "You can do that. But there is a price for happiness, as I have said. They will never have known each other. Your father will never exist. The pain of others will not be erased, and you will be alone. You will never be human. And you will never forget them."
Leo sobered at those words. He bit his lip and closed his eyes, thinking hard. "These are my choices?" He asked softly.
Fauna sighed and nodded. "Yeah."
He released a breath and his tired hazel eyes met hers. "What about that first choice? You said I can take everyone's pain away at a price. What does that mean?"
Fauna bit her lip. "It's the best choice, but you lose out the most."
"What do you mean? Tell me."
"You will face a broken and discordant family upon your return from South America. There will be pain. There will be fighting. Your return will only create dissent."
Leo looked crestfallen at her words.
She looked away. "Raphael will kill you."
Leo paused at her words. "Kill me?" He didn't look so shocked at those words.
"Maybe." She said.
Leo mulled that over. "There's still a chance then, right? A chance that I can stop it? That I can salvage my family?"
Fauna turned back to him and saw the burning hope in his eyes. She couldn't bring herself to say the truth. She couldn't bear to kill his hope. "Yes, there's a chance." She said, forcing a smile.
He nodded once, seeming to relax then. He paused and stared at her for a moment. "What about you?"
She stiffened and met his stare. "What about me?"
"Well, what happens to you?" He asked, taking a step forward. "Is there still..."
"No." She answered bitterly. He took a step back, stung by her answer. He gave a cursory glance and shook his head. "Why? I... I don't understand."
"I'm not interested in you, Leo. Not like that."
He stiffened and shot her a cold look. "You're lying to me."
Fauna's contorted into a snarl of anger, she opened her mouth to snap something at him when he suddenly reached forward and took her hand, holding it tightly. He was close to her now, staring at her-eye to eye. He looked desperate, fearful even.
"I know what you did for me-for my family. I'm not as naïve as you'd like to think." He said softly. "I know it was you inside the Heaven Star that guided me. It was you who stopped me from killing my brother. I heard your voice telling me-reminding me of who I was."
She could only stare at him as he spoke. He looked calm and regal, much like he had when she had first met him.
"It was you the entire time. Raphael didn't change like Mikey and Donnie because you wouldn't let the Gate influence. When I finally threw him the Heaven Star, it was you. You gave Raph your powers. You were with him, protecting him and keeping him from having to pay the price you paid. You kept him safe. You..." He shook his head and suddenly embraced her, his shoulders shaking with relief and grief all the same. "You were always there. You never left." He managed to say with a voice thick with emotion.
Fauna sighed and leaned into his embrace, lifting a hand to pat his shoulder. She didn't deny his words. He was right for the most part.
"Leo."
He wasn't listening.
"Leonardo." She said sternly. He pulled away and stared at her with compassionate hazel eyes. "You need to go."
He stiffened. "What about you?"
"I'll be right behind you." She said with a smile.
"How... how do I," He sputtered.
"Close your eyes." She ordered him, taking a step closer. He hesitated before doing as he was told. "You're coming right? You promise?"
She nodded. "I'll be with you, Leo, quit worrying. It's unbecoming of you." She said with a chuckle as she placed a hand on his plastron, over his heart. "Count to three." She whispered to him.
There was a crumbling sound as the Gate began collapsing around them. Stars fell from the sky, striking the pearly ground like bombshells, raising clouds of heavenly ethereal wisps.
"One...two.." She said softly, tracing the scutes of his chest before raising her hand to his cheek.
"Fauna," he began worriedly, eyes snapping open.
"Three."
He was flung from her grip, watching as she turned away from him as he began falling. He reached out at her. "Fauna!"
"I paid your price, Leo. One life for another."
,.,.,.,.,.,
Leo's eyes snapped open and he found himself staring up at a bright blue sky. Bright green branches cast soft shadows over his features as they stretched over him. He blinked and rose into a sitting position, dirt and dust shifted and fell back to the ground. His hands brace his weight and were dusted with dirt. His chest rose and fell with even and controlled breaths. He blinked and frowned. He turned his gaze aside, glancing around. He eased himself to his feet silently, listening cautiously for the sounds of the jungle. He approached a tree and leaned his hand on it, feeling the cracks of its skin.
Leonardo's eyes traveled up the trunk of the tree to the leafy canopy. He dropped his gaze to the ground and turned at the sound of something softly padding over the dirt and twisted tree roots. He stared silently.
The panther's brilliant green eyes captured his slender frame. It paused, muscle rippling under sleek black fur. It's snout turned in his direction, whiskers twitching. Its tail swung behind it lazily as it eyed Leonardo. The great cat approached again, its large paws placed carefully on the jungle floor.
Leo stared at it. His hands shook and he backed into the tree, unable to move up the tree as the threat came closer. His shell scraped against its bark as he fell to the ground-his legs sprawled out in front of him. His head hung low between his shoulders and he trembled. He screwed his eyes shut and tears burned as they fought to fall. He breathed through his mouth and made a choked sound as a sob died in his throat. He drew his knees up to his plastron and threw his left arm over them while he pressed his right hand to his eyes. His shoulders shook and small whimpers sounded from him. His chest hurt, a pressure was building up inside of him. He shook his head as tears streamed down his cheeks.
Hot breath breathed down on his head. He ignored it as whiskers tickled his cheek. A rough tongue licked at the hand that covered his eyes. Leo swallowed and turned his face up to the panther as its licks grew more insistent. It growled low and rubbed its face against his cheek. Leo reached out tentatively and placed a hand on its thick neck. He gently scratched its fur and pressed his cheek to its neck before wrapping his arms around the regal creature. He closed his eyes and sighed tiredly.
A purr rumbled in its chest and it moved out of Leo's grip with a flick of its tail. It moved off through the undergrowth, forgetting the terrapin warrior. Leo stared after it and wiped at his tears before easing himself to his feet. He put a hand on the tree for support as he heaved a deep breath. He nodded once and turned his gaze at the sound of rushing water.
He realized then that he was thirsty. Leo started in the direction of the water, letting the horrors of the Heaven's Gate drift to the back of his mind-but not forgotten. As far as he knew, it could have been a nightmare conjured by his loneliness in the jungle. The tranquility of the jungle placed the warring Contractors in a world so unreal that it had to have been nothing more than a dream world. All proof of their existence was gone. They were nothing more than science fiction. He could only hope that was so, for then he would know that the longing he felt was real.
Then he would know that this feeling of loss-this feeling of tragedy-was all too real.
He knelt at the bank of a spring and dipped his hands in the water. He stared at his features in the water. The face that stared back at him looked young and naïve, but the eyes hid a haunted feeling. He splashed the water in his face and sighed, glancing aside.
He glanced up at the sky and found himself staring at the bright splendor above him. Night had taken a swift rise over day. The sky was dark and yet it was not. Stars sparkled in that dark velvet cover and Leo smiled despite himself. The moon glowed warmly with its borrowed light. The scattered swirls of stars that was the Milky Way illuminated the night. He sighed in contentment as he stared. Never had he been so entranced by the thought of the difference between the two night skies he had known.
These stars were not fake. They were not tied to a soulless husk. They were radiant orbs of light. Leo closed his eyes and relaxed. He could feel her calloused hand on his shoulder and he could hear her rough voice taunting him.
He opened his eyes and stared at the stars again, not knowing that somewhere-a red masked brother sat on the edge of a rooftop staring at the very same stars.
Raphael sat with his legs dangling over the side of the rooftop, eyes on the stars as Donatello sat beside him, pointing out the different constellations. Michelangelo listened enthusiastically, his features alight with happy curiosity. Raph's eyes captured one star in particular and he pointed at it even as he spoke his question. "What about that one?"
Don followed Raph's finger and frowned at the sight of a brilliant purple star. He glanced at his brothers and shrugged. "I-I have no idea." He chuckled uncertainly.
Mikey stared at it and smiled. "That's Leo's star."
Raph and Don glanced at their youngest brother. They exchanged glances and smiled.
Don stood with a stretch and yawned. "We should probably get back guys. Splinter wanted to watch a movie tonight."
Mikey stood up and moved to Don's side. The two turtles glanced back at Raph. The red masked terrapin waved them off. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up."
The other two shrugged and started for the lair.
Raphael stared up at the purple star.
Leonardo stared at the purple star as the familiar chirps of the night creatures began. His thoughts turned to his brothers and he considered them. He wanted to see them. He wanted to speak with them.
He couldn't. Not yet. It was too soon. Too fresh in his mind. What would they do upon seeing him? They didn't know what it was that he'd done. They didn't know his crimes. Leonardo was guilty, his hands stained with their blood. He couldn't think about them without feeling guilty. He hadn't protected them. He hadn't felt sorry for them. He thought of them as nothing more than obstacles to push aside when it was convenient.
No. He wasn't ready to face the guilt and shame. He was a coward. Leonardo closed his eyes. He would go to them later, when he could face them . When it wouldn't kill him. He would see them soon, but not on this night. Not on the next night-not on the one after that. He opened his eyes silently.
He slowly rose to his feet and headed to his own shelter, his steps silent and light, melting into the shadows of the jungle.
A/N: It's over everyone. I just wanted to say thank-you for reading and waiting for these updates. Thanks for being patient with me, leaving me reviews, and sharing your ideas! I'd like to personally thank Turtleficlibrary (Tumblr) for creating some amazing fan-art for this fanfic and motivating me to get back into the groove on Night Skies. This story has been an experiment and I think it's gone well. I've said before that endings are tough, and I hope this one can properly conclude Night Skies.
I'm off to go work on Tragedy of Perfection now!