Amongst Four
By: Kuroi Neko-kun
Summary: A discovery made by one of the turtles leads the four brothers to a secret of the earth and their place on it.
Warning: Bad fighting sequences and mary-sues(??)
Disclaimer: Don't own them. Wishing I did… Oh well…
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Chapter 4: Fate
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The blue moon had always brought her comfort as she sat at the square of the building despite knowing that it was an illusion. The illusions of the mind gave her a blue moon when others see darkness or the sun. Like the moon, she was paler than her sisters. And like the moon reflecting light from the sun, her mind only reflected someone else's, someone who was injured. Yumi had lost her mind years ago and with the lost spells of the Murasakisuishou, she borrowed someone else's and what better than her twin sister, Houki, to be a borrower who volunteered. Sometimes, she wondered why Houki took too many responsibilities for her own good. But the answer came up the same when she visited the dreams. Shura, the always responsible one, died and Houki was just taking her place, providing the other two someone else to turn to without the oldest. Lirin may have left it as that but Yumi saw the grief in her sister's eyes. Knowing to be helpless to a dying person was worse than knowing you helped. To Houki, she killed her sister. And at times when their minds synced, she felt that pain as well. This was the least that Houki could do for Shura. And Yumi felt helpless as she watched her sister die. The red moon was above her sister and the dead sparrow was in her hands. Houki will die. She only wondered when and how. But knowing her sister's death was enough to overwhelm her. Yumi placed her face in her hands to die down her sobs.
"Yumi," she heard a familiar voice. The girl looked up to see the purple masked turtle. His face filled with concern and worry. "Why are you crying?" Yumi quickly wiped her tears and smiled warmly towards the boy. He was not easily fooled though as he kept staring at her with the same concern. She was good at keeping to herself but she could not when she stared into those eyes. They meant something to her. Maybe it was time for this girl to open up.
"Seeing the future is not a burden to me. I welcome it very much," she started, staring at the moon," but knowing that a loved one is going to die and not knowing when, is torture." Don touched her shoulders, providing some relief to her.
"I don't really understand what you mean. And I'm the smart one in this family," he said, smiling slightly," but I know that grieving over someone who has not died, even when you're certain that person will, is wrong." She turned to him, smiling a genuine smile that made her beautiful. Don blinked, never noticing the proper features on her face. True, she looked a lot like Houki since they were twins, but never a face that made her unique. And for that moment, Donatello saw the blue moon in the black void she had always been staring at. With its light reflecting off her, she was stunning. He could not help touching her face. He knew then that this was Yumi. Not a dream seer, not a Murasakisuishou, just normal, little girl Yumi. And he just stood there, engulfed by her sudden innocence and fragility.
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Meditating had always been a way for him to lull over a problem even if was not his own. Splinter sat in the center of the room, feeling the many clashing auras around him. He was trying his best to get used to the place. If it is the center of the earth, then this is where earth's heart is. Can his oldest son sense more than the old man? Can he hear the cries of the earth as man destroys another part of it? He wondered many times who could be the one to inherit earth's wrath. His eyes snapped open, feeling the dawn of realization of something he had been thinking about since he heard from Leonardo. Are his sons chosen because of their uniqueness on this earth? Or is it just because of them being four? Or both? That only raised questions to the rat, not answers. Maybe the answer might surface itself once Leonardo chooses. He only hoped that when he does, it would turn out better. He did not have the heart to see his sons die for something they're not willing to do. Just like the Murasakisuishou sisters…
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She got up, feeling a lot better than she was before. The sleep had helped her a lot in regaining strength. Despite the lack of ki to heal her inner being, she felt immensely refreshed. She turned to the fast asleep turtle that had never left her side since she had slept. Raphael had leaned against a wall, snoring soundly, indicating that he was asleep. His presence in the room made her feel different. Maybe it was his remarkable resemblance to her before they were handed this farce. When all her sisters were happy… She stood up, placing a small box in front of him, before pulling her robes tighter and left the room. Somehow, she knew that this was the last time she was going to see Raphael again.
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"A favor?" Houki mumbled as she tied the strings on her Chinese blouse tighter. On the other side of the closed door was Leonardo who had wanted to talk to her.
"Can you bring me to Central Park? Just you and me…" he mumbled.
"Is this a date, Leo?" she chided.
"No… I'm afraid not, he said, laughing nervously," I just need to talk to you."
"Have you spoken with Lirin?"
"No… I do not wish to now. I sensed that she could not remember much…" he said. Houki did not question it. If that is what he requested, Houki had to oblige. That is the Gatekeeper's rule.
"Okay then."
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Sitting in one of the trees in Central Park unseen and unheard was something Leonardo loved doing. He knew it was against Master Splinter's rules but sitting there at three in the morning after his routine workout was refreshing. He enjoyed the cool breeze that touched his sweat in the damp air. He sat near the Balto statue. It gave him some mind that animals can help humans. A childish wish was to see his brothers bronzed like this remarkable dog as the world recognized them as heroes. Not as something from those bad old movies with even worse titles that Mikey insisted on watching.
"So what do you want to talk about?" Leo thought about it, knowing how sensitive the subject was. He had to know.
"How did you feel when your sister died?" Houki looked away, not wanting to show him the tears. The turtle forced her to look at him.
"I felt useless. I couldn't do anything and when she died…" the tears fell. It hurt to recollect such a painful memory.
"I'm sorry," he mumbled, holding her closer," but if she didn't, wouldn't Lirin be dead?" She nodded, wiping the tears off.
"I didn't know Shura. It would be wrong for me to assume but I know that I'd do the same if anything were to happen to my brothers. As annoying, violent and stupid they can be, I love them. To see even one changing to something bad, I'd be crushed. So if killing me was the only way to change them back, I'd do it," Leo said, still holding her.
"I never knew…" Houki mumbled.
"I understand this much so I plan to make my choice…" He touched her face, lightly brushing his finger against her cheek. That's right… he thought. If anything were to happen, I would do my best to correct it. Looking into the beautiful amethyst eyes of Houki's, he felt so safe. She smiled at him. He just leaned forward. Everything just felt right.
"Leo?" He kissed Houki softly on the lips. I can't refuse fate. I can't fight it either… His hands brushed into her long purple hair. He whiffed her smells with his seemingly nonexistent nose. If I had to choose, I wouldn't want to hurt anyone I care about. So… He held Houki tighter as their lips never parted. I'll protect them all instead…
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Meanwhile…
Raphael checked every room, searching for the supposedly injured woman. He found Lirin instead, sitting by a pond, staring into the water.
"Hey, Lirin!" he shouted," Where's your sister?" He did not mean to sound so demanding but knowing that she decided to disappear without telling him was… painful.
"Gone… she's has gone with the guardian to a vast park. So has the other candidate…" He blinked, realizing she meant that Houki was with Leonardo at Central Park. His anger was boiling knowing that his damn brother could not keep his hands off his girl! [And apparently, Raph gets very territorial]. Almost suddenly, his brother came running to him.
"Raph!" The turtle exclaimed," Mikey's gone!"
"I don't care at this precise moment, Don!" Raph shouted. The turtle whacked his brother's head with his staff.
"You know I wonder why you're deemed older than me…" he muttered," Look, I have this weird feeling that Leo might choose today. Why else would he go to Central Park?"
"Impress the chick?" Don hit him on the head again.
"You're delusional now," he muttered," so why did Mikey disappear?"
"I don't know! Maybe he decides to take a walk too." Before Don could hit him again, Raph caught the staff. He glanced at Lirin before turning back to Don.
"Mikey's the other candidate…" he said, realization dawning.
"If that's true…"
"Then when Leo chose…" They stared at each other, conclusion drawn.
"We've got to stop him," they said together.
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He just could not stop staring at her. She was beautiful but something else, something that was tugging at him told him another story. He had this feeling. Something was wrong…
"Should've known that I'd find you here…" he looked around, eyes searching for the speaker. He drew his swords and blocked a pair of Nunchaku aimed for him.
"Mikey…" he muttered before turning to Houki, who had her fans drawn," Stay away! You're in no condition to fight!!" A blow connected to his abdomen, causing him to fall to the ground.
"Leo!" he heard Houki shout. That blow hurt more than any that Mikey had thrown at him. Could it be that Mikey held back all this while? Wait… How did Mikey leave that place without Houki knowing? He got up, ignoring the pain.
"Mikey!" he shouted, rushing to the scene. Houki was limp in his arms as Leo reached them. He punched his brother's face and grabbed Houki. "Why?" The turtle got up ad smirked at him.
"You have chosen to protect the foolish people who destroy their own homes," he said.
"You? You're the other candidate?" The smirk became more prominent. It scared Leo to see his brother this way.
"Becoming the guardian meant protecting man. Then you have become my enemy…" Too shocked to even move, Leo just watched him come towards him. Battle aura encircled his brother and as it fades away, a ball of light formed in his hand. Leo knew then as the ball hit him, this was not his brother at all.
"Give him back…" he mumbled, as tears fell down his face. Mikey, or this shell of Mikey's, gave him a look. "Give my brother back to me!" Dropping his swords, Leo tackled the other turtle, falling on top of him. "Give him back!" The turtle below him smirked coldly.
"You knew the deal," he said," you know that your brother would inherit this earth's wrath. Man can never conquer it; they can only make stupid deals."
"Then destroy the earth if you want! I just want my brother back!"
"It's too late…" Leo stared at him. The truth was slapped at his face. He knew it was too late. With a kick, Leo slammed against the wall, injured and hurt. But he ignored the pain as he stared at what was his brother.
"Mikey…" He mumbled as the turtle picked up his blade. The orange sash turtle raised the sword high, intending to kill him. If this is what it takes to bring you back… The blade came down. Leo sat there and watched. Then, I'll die so that you'll live. As Leo closed his eyes, the blade struck down. Blood spewed all over him but Leo never felt pain. He opened his eyes, realizing the blood was not his.
"HOUKI!" he shouted as the girl in front of him fell. She had taken a stab to her back. She fell on him.
"L-L-Leo…" she whispered," you can't die… Mikey needs you… to bring him back…"
"Houki…"
"I can't let others face what my sisters did… So Leo… don't die…" The sword was pulled out and was about to strike down again when Mikey froze. Leo looked at him, not understanding why. He watched as the other turtle struggle to but could not. "Shura…" Houki mumbled, watching as well. It was then he saw the form of the blonde haired, amethyst-eyed girl holding on to the turtle.
"Even in death, you are persistent!" Mikey shouted.
"It is my sister's wish to not to let others face our pain," Shura said," Even in death, I will see to it that it comes true." She mumbled an incantation that Leo never heard of. The turtle in her grasp renewed his struggle. As soon as she finished, Mikey disappeared, dropping Leo's sword.
"Shura…" he mumbled as she came towards him," but you rested…"
"I cannot rest until all my sisters are with me." She knelt down in front of Houki and touched her dead hand. She pulled out Houki's soul. Leo shook his head, not wanting to believe it.
"No…" he mumbled as Houki knelt in front of him.
"Leo… you cannot die. Remember that," she said. Shura smiled at him.
"And the future, no matter how much one can see into, is undecided…" With that, the girl's disappeared leaving the wounded turtle to himself.
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He utilized to what was in that box: a purple crystal with inscriptions that he had no time to decipher. He knew that if he used it, he could reach the other side. But when he did, he never thought he would see his brother wounded and staring blankly with Houki's body in his hands. The shock came with a want to hit something. Donatello gripped his arm.
"It's too late…" he muttered," We're too late…" With knowing that, the other two did what they were fated to do: Watch.
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