It was late evening when Leo slowly blinked his eyes open. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't resting on the ground anymore, but was now on a cot inside of a tent. Outside the tied open entrance flap he heard the bustling of what sounded like a very busy campsite as numerous voices talked and even shouted to one another. The beeping of heavy machinery could also be heard and the tremors their passing caused rocked his resting area slightly. You would think it was all this noise that woke the tired turtle, but it wasn't.

His weary eyes were led to the corner of the tent where there was a soft glowing light. And in that light, sitting quietly on the floor as she waited, was Amaterasu. A smile found it's way on her face when she noticed that he was awake. "I did not wish you to lie in darkness when you awoke. It did not seem right."

He sat up a little, a bit surprised on how tired he was still. "It's normal for me goddess. I've lived most of my life in darkness." He placed a weary hand on his head, trying to rub away the headache that seemed stuck right between his eyes.

"That still does not mean I agree with it." She stubbornly replied. "Have you rested enough?"

"My body is telling me no, but I'm not so sure I can sleep anymore."

"Your health is already much improved."

Sure didn't feel like it on his end. He lowered his hand and looked directly at her. Not really in the mood for polite chit chat about lights and his health. "Why are you here Amaterasu?" He swung his legs over the edge of his cot. "I'm getting a strong feeling that your kind wants nothing to do with us. And if I am completely honest, I'm not sure if I want anything more to do with you."

She sighed as she watched him stand up, then rose to her own feet. And she still had to look up at him. Never really crossed his mind before on how small she actually was. She always seemed bigger to him. "A sentiment I can understand. We have done nothing to earn your trust. And after what had unfolded today..." She shook her head in frustration. "I can only apologize."

"For you or for them? If you apologize for them, I won't accept it." Leo walked around her to reach out for his katanas that had been carefully leaned up against the tent wall.

"It is my duty to accept the responsibility for their actions."

"But they are also in control of those actions." He strapped his harness on, his eyes slightly angry as he did. "The fault is theirs, not yours."

"Then at least let me apologize for the grief we have caused your family. That was also partly my doing."

Leo's hands adjusted the straps with short, angry jerks that belied the calm tone he spoke in. "Yes, it was." He picked up the belt that held his various throwing weapons, and the pouch that held the gem.

"Please my champion, tell me. What frustrates you so?"

He spun back around to face her, his blue eyes angry. "What frustrates me? You have to ask that?" The grip on his belt he still held tightened, his knuckles going white. "Let me list the ways on how you and your kind frustrate me. First, you send us nightmare visions. Not just to my brothers and I, but to my wife and sisters as well. You take them over to go fetch these little trinkets. Then after we deal with this puzzle you place in front of us, you send us on a trip to the other side of the planet, just to pay you a house call. You let that...thing attack my son, let my children fall off of a cliff, let all of us including our friends almost get hit by those falling drones. You have set into motion a series of events that kept scaring my family and putting them into danger...and you have the nerve to ask what frustrates me?" He finally lost his temper and threw the belt onto the floor. "And you barely lifted a damn finger to help! What possible reason can you give me to justify all of this! What happened today was only the end of a long road of frustration!"

Her eyes took on a defeated look as she sat heavily down on the cot he had vacated. "I can not give you one that will calm your anger. Everything that was done, was done in a way to try and help you to understand the gravity of the situation and to make the choice placed in front of you more clear."

Leo clenched his jaw at that. "You're right, it doesn't calm me. Did it ever occur to you to just come to us and ask? You had to drag us through all of this?"

"I had feared you would refuse."

He almost rolled his eyes. He brought his hand up to rub them instead. "Oh for crying out loud... All of this just because you were afraid of a simple no." He leaned over to retrieve his belt.

"That no would have led to disastrous results."

"It would have, if we would have said it." Leo shook his head as he finally wrapped the belt around his waist. "You may be a god Amaterasu, but that doesn't mean you know the right way to do everything. This, was not the right way." Again, quick angry jerks secured the leather to him. "And it is that assumption you have that is really tempting me to throw you out of this tent on your ass."

"I deserve it."

"Yes, you do. The only thing that is keeping me from doing so are the manners my father and wife have spent years beating into me." He pulled a katana out, carefully checking the blade for any damage that might have been received.

Now she looked a little exasperated at him. "What more do you wish me to say? I attempt to apologize, and you refuse it. I give an explanation, you do not accept it. What more can I do to appease you?"

The katana twirled in his hand before it slid back into it's sheath. "Why is is my approval even so important to you?"

"Because I do not wish you to believe that all of the gods are the same!" She suddenly flared. "Some of us do care about the fate of mortals here. I care about the mortals here. If I could have, I would have gladly taken up the task I placed upon you to spare you and your kin the agony of what you went through."

"Why didn't you then? If you care as much as you say you do, then why even throw mortals out there like that?"

He didn't know what he was expecting her to answer with, but tears wasn't it. Amaterasu looked at him with those drops of moisture falling down her cheek before she abruptly turned her head away. "Because I am not strong enough. Alone I could not bring the balance needed to face them, and eons of hate and mistrust has corrupted so many gods and most have lost their way. I had no other option...and I apologize for forcing the matter on you. I saw the perfect harmony in you and your brothers that was lost to us so long ago. It shames me to admit that I held more faith in you, than in my own kind."

Leo closed his eyes and let his anger flow out of him with a simple sigh. He still didn't agree with her methods, but her world left her with what she felt was no other option. That, he could understand. He himself had been forced to do things in ways he didn't necessarily agree with. "And what happens now?"

"You live you life the way you see fit."

His arms crossed as he narrowed his eyes at her. "Really. Forgive me if I'm a little skeptic on that. We are still tied to you through the spirits. What is to say you won't try and get us fix another one of your godly messes?"

"Because it was never my intent to control you. I give the gift freely to you. Use it as you need and do good with it. I ask for nothing in return, both because I do not have the right to ask and you can better judge where it will best come into use."

"You are serious... You are going to just turn and walk away?"

She wiped her eyes as she stood back up, and gave him a soft smile. "Not quite. I have been watching you for a long time now. That is a habit I do not wish to break. It does my heart good to see what you and your brothers have accomplished. And it is my hope that you can accomplish even more with the power of the dragon. I will still watch over your family, and aid you if it is needed. But as to tell you which way to go with your life, that I will not do. I hope that in time you come to trust me more than you do now. That you understand that I am not as heartless as my kin." Amaterasu then calmly lifted a hand and placed it on his head, after having to lift herself up in the air to even reach his head, before letting a soft glow come out of her hand.

Leo was a little shocked at what happened next. A warmth slowly flooded into him and slowly pushed the pain of that annoying headache away and his mood brightened considerably once she removed her hand. He actually found himself giving her a grateful smile when she was done. 'Fine, you win. Peace offering accepted."

"I'm so glad to hear that." Mikey said from outside right before he peered in. "Was starting to get worried that you were going to be an ass to her all night."

The blue banded turtle really wasn't surprised to see him there. "And what about you other two? Ready to come jump to her aid if this didn't turn out to well?"

Raph and Donnie peered in next, their faces a little sheepish. Raph just shrugged it off. "She came and talked to us too Leo. She really does seem to mean well."

"She was even a little worried that you hadn't woken up yet." Donnie added. "We've been up for a couple hours already."

"No." Mikey corrected. "We've been awake for a couple of hours. Ratchet wouldn't let us up."

"Anyway. We trust her Leo. I know we aren't as good about reading individuals as you are, but something about her rings true. She doesn't mean us any harm. And if you think about it, she's pretty much been trying to fight in our corner every step of the way. She didn't have to bully the others to help us you know."

"I know Donnie." Leo sighed. "And I think I may have come down a bit hard on her."

"Not as hard as I did." Raph admitted as he rubbed the back of his head. "You're fit was pretty mild compared to mine."

Mikey turned his head to stare at his hotheaded brother. "You think? You called her, and I quote, 'A meddling walking light bulb that had air up in the space the light was needed the most.' Leo was at least somewhat nice about it."

"Shuddup."

Mikey snickered.

Amaterasu didn't seem offended by it at all. She just smiled at the big turtle who just shrugged apologetically back at her. "I think it best to depart now, before the tentative ground we have gained between us is lost again."

"Will we ever see you again?" Mikey actually looked a little sad that she was leaving.

"I am sure we will do so windwalker." She reached out and patted his arm. "Who knows what the future has in store for us all?" And with those final words she was gone and Leo's tent seemed so much darker.

They looked at the spot she had been a few moments before Leo's turning to the tent opening broke them out of their daze. "What's going on out here?" He asked as he stepped outside and right into the outer edges of a massive construction effort starting.

"Base rebuilding." Donnie answered as he walked at Leo's side. "They are clearing the rubble out right now, but soon enough the whole complex will be rebuilt."

"So soon? How did they get all of the equipment out here so fast?"

"Ground bridged it in from other bases."

"Ah. Very useful device."

"Does make things a lot easier. Ratchet was throwing a fit about not having anything to work with until they just opened it and started throwing supplies through. Shut him up real nicely."

Leo chuckled a little. "And what has our family been doing while we were all napping?"

"Helping." Raph told him. "They seemed very set on it actually. Haven't seen them work so hard on something besides training before."

"Good. Hopefully it will keep them out of trouble for awhile."

Speaking of trouble, they were all quickly reminded that it seemed to follow even the older turtles. "Where are they!" Ratchet bellowed over the construction noise. "Where are those stubborn reptiles! I did not give them permission to get up! Much less to be wandering around out here.

Four turtles stopped in their tracks, wide eyed as they looked at each other. And that pause gave Ratchet the opportunity to spot them. "Get over here! Who said you could get up!" He began to stomp over towards them, wrench already in his hand.

Now, Leo could have picked any of at least a dozen different ways to handle this. He settled on the most logical one in this circumstance. "Run!" He and his brothers took off like bats out of hell, easily vaulting over piles of rubble and dodging around the various construction equipment. Staying well ahead of an increasingly frustrated Ratchet as he kept up the chase, his wrench waving in the air now and his curses filled the air.

Not far away, the teens paused and turned at the commotion and were startled to see their fathers run by, wide grins on their faces and laughter echoing around them. Mere moments later the angry medbot passed next, threatening his patients with all kinds of bodily harm.

"And they tell us to stay out of trouble." Thane grumbled as he crossed his arms. "What exactly do you call this?"

His cousins just shrugged, not really sure what to tell him. But each face was holding a smile. It felt good to see their fathers act out honestly. After the fright from earlier when they thought they would lose these nuts, watching this felt very good.

And over it all, the faint laughter of a certain light goddess could be heard before it faded away.