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 description of fight scenes
Disclaimer: Don't own them. Wishing I did… Oh well…
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Chapter 7: Confrontation
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It took a while but the turtle got a portal open. He wondered what would happen if he accidentally placed them in China or something but when he saw the streets of New York City, he let out a sigh of relief. The city was quiet this time of night. Everything felt normal, even for them. But he did not let it get to him. Leo came out of the portal with a much graver look on his face. His eyes darkened as he looked around for any signs of attacks. The turtle could only guess what was going on in his mind. As Don finally took a step out of the portal, it closed. He looked at the fading stone in his hand.
"I think we have about two more trips on this thing before it fades off completely," he muttered. The crystal was glowing brightly the first time he used it.
"That's all we need," Leo said, opening a manhole cover. He stared at before sighing, contemplating on many scenarios in his head. He should not think about what would happen. Too much he had bore on his shoulders already; he did not want to see another death or go through his own. He jumped into the sewer. The other two followed.
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Once they reached their lair, they spotted Mikey sitting on his favorite couch. It was awkward to them because he was sitting upright and not lounging about on it. The TV was off and he was staring at them with a balled fist propping his head, as if expecting them.
"Welcome home," he said, coldly. They knew then that their brother was not there.
"This isn't your home," Leo seethed as he stepped forward," I advise you to leave."
"But this body, this mind and this soul called out for this place," the turtle said still with his icy tone," this self called out for you, dear guardian." Leo shook his head.
"He called out for me, not the guardian… He called out for Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael." As if something struck him, the sitting turtle snapped back. Leo was getting to him. "He called out for his brothers." The oldest among the four smiled softly as he looked into the hardened eyes. "Don't worry, Mikey. We'll get you back," the tone was soft, caring and sweet. He knew Mikey had heard it many times during their childhood years. The hardened eyes glared at him. Raph caught the game then. He knew what Leo was trying to do.
"Yeah, Mikey… We're all here for you," he said, in a more supportive tone.
"Like we always had," Don added, catching on as well. Leo was face to face with the turtle, ignoring the negative atmosphere around them.
"So… don't worry, okay?" Enraged, the other Mikey pounced on Leo and threw him to a wall. Leo just got up and stood there.
"HE DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE!!!" Mikey shouted," you fools! I am the earth's wrath!" All Leo did was shrug.
"Right…" he mumbled. The white ball formed in Mikey's hand. He threw it at the turtle.
"Leo!" Don shouted, reaching out for him. As the dust settled, Leo was unscathed. He had a shield protecting him. Leo was slightly shocked as the shield disappeared.
"The only way for your brother to return is for you to die in his hands!" Mikey shouted," By that time, I will change this earth and rid of all these foolish humans!"
"Sorry," Leo said," That can't happen either…" Seething, Mikey turned to his other two brothers and formed a massive light ball. Eyes wide, they just stared at the ball coming towards them. "Get out of the way!!" As Leo rushed to them, he did not realize that the pendant on his necklace turned from Goddess to turtle. The dust settled revealing that they were gone. He never saw them jump from harm's way. Were they disintegrated?
"Pity… nothing left of them…" Leo felt his own anger boil up inside him. But he kept his cool, reminding himself that miracles could happen.
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The raven-haired girl sat in her room; eyes dry from crying too much. She had grieved over her sisters for the past hour. She wondered what she would do without them. After all, this was all her fault to begin with. If only she had the strength then to face her other being. The price of her cowardice was deep. Shura…
"Do not cry, Lirin…" she whirled to see Shura's glowing form smiling at her. Behind Shura were a smirking Houki and Yumi. "It is time that you faced that evil being yourself," Shura said. She held out her hand. "Come with me." The corner of her eyes still had tears but she felt suddenly relieved. She took her sister's hand.
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He spent the next few minutes dodging hits. Leo was not certain that the shield that protected him before would work. So he dodged. He hoped to tire this Mikey out. But he doesn't seem to run out of light balls and Leo was running out of places to hide.
"Can we just end this insistence?" Leo raised an eye ridge.
"Wow, a three syllable word… and I don't know what it means," he mumbled, jumping out of the way again. Leo found himself cornered, which was not a good thing.
"Trapped… like a rat."
"I know a rat that can get himself out of this situation," Leo said, smirking. Mikey stopped for awhile, as if contemplating something.
"M-Master… S-Sp-Splinter…" he mumbled before snapping into reality again. "Fool…" he muttered as he raised his light ball to strike Leo.
Crap… Leo thought as he searched for a way out.
"You're forgetting two things, Mikey!" A hit connected to Mikey's back. He fell forward. The leader of the four looked up to see Raph smirking at him as he and Don came out of a portal.
"Guys… But that portal…" Raph held out the shining crystal. The light almost blinded him.
"I guess Houki did leave a better impression on me," he said, smirking as he kept the box," so he's destroying the lair?"
"Doing a pretty good job of that," Don inspected, "missed the TV though." Raph let out a grunt of amusement.
"What's the plan now, boss?" he asked, looking at Leo.
"I don't really plan to take him on. Somehow, the mere mentioning of his memories seem to be working but the wrath's slowly developing an immunity towards that," the turtle said as they jumped out of the way of another of his light balls. Thinking of a plan, Raph drew his sais.
"I'll take him on. Maybe he'll remember who enjoyed knocking sense into him!" He attacked, jabbing his sai's prong at the turtle. Mikey dodged with speed that even Raph was surprised he had. A kick connected to his chest, slamming him into a wall. Raph managed to jump away from a light ball. He used the jump to attack but Mikey grabbed his leg in his freefall and tossed him away. Copper tasting liquid touched his tongue. Raph just wiped it away and stood up, spinning his sais. "Hey, Mikey! Next time, use those!" He pointed to the Nunchaku in the turtle's belt. "Come on!" He took them out, holding the wooden handles and spun the other ends in the air. "Come on, Mikey, you sissy!"
'Come on, Mikey, you sissy!' The echo of a higher pitched voice played in his head. An image of a younger version of the turtle in front of him formed. 'You're a girl in turtle clothing, Mikey! Maybe we should start calling you Michelle!'
"I am not a sissy…" the orange sash wearing turtle muttered.
"Then come on!" Mikey attacked running straight towards him. Raph's sais crossed, catching the weapon by its chain. "Caught you," he said, smirking. Mikey only returned the smirk.
"No, caught you." He let go of the handle and thwacked at Raph's head with the other. Weapons clattered to the ground as Raph fell.
"Raph!" A light ball connected to Don as he tried to rush forward. Mikey picked up one of the sai.
"At least you know how your brother felt…" He raised the sai high. Leonardo ran towards his brother.
"RAPH!" It was then time stood still.
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'Nothing can be done to change the past…' A hand rose to the air, pointing to the blue moon. 'But a future can change itself with the choices we make.' The hand touched another slender hand. 'Choices… It doesn't matter what happens, it is how we choose to perceive it.' A light flickers in the wind, the two hands pick up the light. 'If one chooses to fight, then he will fight. If one chooses to die, then he will die.' The light is held above to the blue moon, it starts to float. 'But if one chooses to protect, then he will protect, no matter what happens.' The light burst into a firework display, falling on the hands, revealing its owner. Lirin watched the light and smiled. Another hand touched her shoulder. She knew who it was. Shura stood with a smile on her face. Behind her were also Houki and Yumi, staring at the light.
'Then we will protect him and his future.'
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He was so sure of death, if it was not his brother's then his own. He had jumped forward, with a cry to save Raph. But as he did, he felt himself slowing down, falling inches away from Raph. Fear may not be in his eyes, but they were in his heart.
"A death you do not deserve," he heard a familiar voice say as a raven-haired girl appeared in front on Raph," let us be your shield."
"Lirin…" he mumbled. The sai fell straight into the girl. "Lirin!"
"You…" Mikey mumbled, his hand still gripping on the sai.
"Michelangelo… you have great brothers who will do anything for you," Lirin mumbled, staring straight into his eyes," so don't kill them for something you did not even choose to do." The grip tightened on the sai. He tried to pull it out but the girl gripped on the prong that was halfway in her.
"This isn't your fight," he said.
"I came back to face you again," the girl said, a confident look on her face," say again that this isn't my fight." She mumbled something under her breath. The turtle tried to move away but he could not. He then heard another voice chanting a spell on him. Shura materialized behind him, palms together, eyes closed.
"You can't stop me with that idiotic spell…" he muttered, moving his fingers. Another voice chanted a different spell as chains bound his arms and legs. Yumi appeared in the same position as Shura. Her twin was holding the chains. All the turtles could not believe their eyes. They were doing this for them.
"Listen to your own heart, Michelangelo!" Lirin said," Listen to the hearts inside your brothers!" Turmoil inside the turtle caused him to sudden cry out as if in pain.
"Mikey!" Don shouted as he ran to his brother. He understood the dream. The crucifix and Mikey… "MIKEY!" Raph held Lirin who started coughing out blood because of her wound. He looked at Mikey, struggling inside.
"Mikey… we love ya. So stop this… please…" It was then tears fell from his eyes. Leo stood watching the struggle continue. It hurt to see his brother this way. He stepped in front of Mikey, placing his sword in Mikey's hand.
"Kill me if it helps, Mikey…" The glare didn't falter as Mikey's grip on the handle tightened. Leo closed his eyes, waiting for something to happen, waiting for the sharp pain in his body to pierce through… All he heard was the clatter of the sword to the ground.
"Leo…" Mikey mumbled," Don… Raph…" The Murasakisuishou sisters unbound him and the turtle fell. Leo caught him before he could hit the floor.
"Mikey…" Leo said softly. He knew it was over. The evil aura had dissipated from him. All he could do was hold his brother in his arms and cry with him. He was glad that they were safe. He did not want anybody else to face this curse. It hurt enough already. A strong gust blew inside the room. It was strange because this never happened. As the wind died down, it revealed a lady dressed in a white cloth. Raph clutched his not bloodied sai.
"Who are you?!" he demanded.
"Stand down, Raph…" Leo commanded as he watched the lady stepped in front of them.
"Leonardo," she said in a voice that seemed do far away," you have created a future without death of your own." Leo kept tightlipped. He just held Mikey tighter to him. "Why do you not wish death?"
"Because it hurts the heart," Leo mumbled," especially when it is of someone close to you. And to actually kill someone you love, will only kill yourself." The lady closed her eyes in thought, heeding his words.
"The Powers that Be has sent me here after seeing you and the Murasakisuishou sisters fight against the earth's wrath. We can grant you one wish for all your help." Whatever Leo felt right now was placed aside. She said help. Meaning that they could toss them aside if they didn't need them. Leo sighed. There was only one thing he could ask for.
"Disperse of this chore. Other siblings do not deserve such torture. You figure out a way how but all I want is that you don't harm anymore any more siblings for this," he muttered. The lady closed her eyes again before nodding.
"A wise decision…" she said before disappearing again. With that, Leo closed his eyes feeling like he was far away from this place. He wanted his life back.
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