Disclaimer: Read the Prologue for it. P
Warning: Major angst for everyone!!!!
This takes place when the turtles are 12.
'Dreams can give wings, but if enough is enough, then they can be the gateway to eternity' --My own quote (you'll understand later.)
THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!!! )
Oh, and don't worry people. There is only one more chapter after this. No more cliffhangers, I promise. Sighs. End of a great story. So sad.
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Raph screeched to a halt when the angel stepped in front of Leo. Looking at the angel, Raph expected a mean look or something, but instead, the angel's face was sad.
"Move outta the way!" Raph snapped at the angel, but the angel just stared at him.
"Raphael!"
Raph winced at the harsh tone Master Splinter used. "Yeah?"
Splinter moved to stand a bit further from the angel, but to be right next to Raphael. "You know better than to talk like that!"
"But Master Splinter...he's in the way!" Raph growled, pointing to the angel.
"Mind your manners, Raphael. And yes. I see." Splinter said, looking at the angel. "May I speak with my son?"
The angel cocked its head before looking down at Leo who was hiding behind him. Then, the angel looked back at Splinter...and shook his head.
"That's it!!!" Raph growled and was about to jump at the angel, but Mikey and Donny held him back.
Splinter ignored his sons. Focusing on the angel, he asked, "Why?"
The angel looked at him sadly, before looking down at Leo. Leo, who had his head down, finally looked up at the angel, but avoided Splinter's eyes.
Splinter understood. "You are a Guardian Angel, are you not?"
The angel looked at Splinter before nodding sadly.
Raph stopped fighting to be let go. Donny relaxed his hold on him and instead looked up at Splinter. "What's that?"
Splinter sighed sadly. "Guardian Angels are those that guard something. This one, however, guards those children whom have been abused or so."
Mikey looked from Splinter to the angel. "But we don't want to harm Leo. He's our brother!"
Splinter looked away. "It is not the angel we need to tell. That is for Leonardo to know." He whispered.
Raph looked at Leo. Leo tightened his hold on the angel's white cloak, keeping his head down.
"Leo?" Raph questioned. Leo bit his lip, but looked away. "Can we talk to you?"
Splinter looked up at the angel while Raph was asking that. "May we talk to him?"
The angel looked down at Leo, but nodded gently. However, the angel refused to leave.
Splinter asked again. "May we talk to him, alone?"
The angel looked down at Leo again, and this time shook his head. Splinter sighed, but nodded. "Leonardo, listen my son. We wish to tell you—"
Leo shook his head.
"Leonardo, if you'd listen—"
But Leo shook his head even more furiously.
Raph got angry. "Leo! Goddamn it! Listen for a goddamn minute!!!!"
The angel stiffened, and Splinter glared at his son before telling him to watch his language. But Raph ignored all that and continued.
"I've had enough of your stupidness!!! You're gonna fuckin' listen to me, whether or not you wanna! 'Cause we didn't come all this way to listen to your shit!!!!!"
Leo blinked back tears. For a second there, he had really believed that they wanted him to come back. But that last part that Raph had said, crushed that tiny little hope. "Raph," Leo whispered, not looking at any of them, "Just shut up."
Raph stared. He didn't even realize that his mouth was hanging open. Leo had never, ever, told him to shut up before! Quickly getting over the surprise, Raph spoke up, "Leo—"
He never got passed that. Leo's head shot up towards them, and they could see tears making their way down his face.
"Just SHUT UP!!!!!!!" Leo yelled, looking as if he was going to break down any second. Nobody knew what to say. Even Splinter was speechless.
Leo ignored that. He had finally snapped. "I have had enough of you and your mouth Raph! I don't know how I put up with you for the past few years, but I managed. I don't know why your like this, what you have against me—"
Raph growled and broke in. "For god's sake! The fact that your always ordering us around!"
"True, I do that, but it's minor things!"
"No it's not! And anyways, your always pushing us around, bossing us,--"
"That's what you do Raph!"
"I don't! Tell me once when I've done that!"
"Okay! Why not make it a hundred times! 'Cause that's how many I've got!"
"Why you...--"
Splinter cut in at that. "ENOUGH!!!!—"
But Leo was too far gone to be stopped. "NO! IT'S NOT ENOUGH SENSEI! I'M TOO GODDAMN TIRED!!! I'M TIRED OF CONSTANTLY BEING THE MAID OF THE HOUSHOLD, BEING THE 'ELDER BROTHER' WHO HAS TO BE PERFECT, BEING THE ROLE MODEL, BEING BEST AT EVERYTHING!!!!!! WHY CAN'T I JUST BE NORMAL FOR ONCE!!!!!! I WANT TO LAUGH AND PLAY AND DO MY OWN THING ONCE IN A WHILE!"
Leo looked at them, sobbing now, but he continued. "It doesn't have to be all the time..." He whispered. "Maybe once in a month or a year or something. But I just want to do what I not someone else, want to do." Leo looked pleadingly at them, but when no one said anything, he continued. "I don't know. I kind of was hoping that you guys would show up tonight. And when you did, you have no idea how happy I was! But it just seems that you just want someone to take care of you. To cook, to clean, to watch over you, and all. A maid." Leo sighed, feeling fresh tears trickle down his face. He stared at the ground, not bearing to look up at the faces of his brothers and teacher.
Raph was speechless. He had no clue that that was how deep the situation was...
Beside him, he felt Mikey shift. "But we don't want that Leo..." Mikey said, cocking his head.
Leo looked at him sadly. "Then what is it you want?" He snapped.
Mikey flinched but answered sincerely. "We want our elder brother back."
Leo chuckled sadly before shaking his head. "Maybe a few minutes ago I would've believed that. But now..."
Mikey shook his head furiously, but it was Donny who answered. "But it's true Leo! Really!"
Rebecca, who was watching the whole thing silently, suddenly scoffed. "Like you'd really expect him to believe that??!!"
Raph glared at her. "You, shut up. You—"He pointed at Leo, "will listen."
Raph took a deep breath. "Listen, cause I'm only gonna say this ONCE." Raph took another breath before continuing.
"Okay, I admit it. I was a goddamn jerk. But I'll admit, I was jealous that you were all perfect and all, so I guess I went a bit overboard..."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "Guess?"
"Okay!!! So I went overboard with it!!! But that's not the point!!! The point is that I'm sorry for being a goddamn jerk to ya, sorry for not thinking about your feelings and whatnot, and sorry for being a horrid little bro to ya! I'm sorry okay! Truth is that I love ya and am glad that you're my elder brother, even though you get on my nerves and all. You are always there for me and you're always sure to fix my faults and help me out in stuff!"
Donny nodded before speaking up. "I agree with Raph. You're always there for me too! Whenever I need help with something, you're always there. Whenever I'm down, you're always there to help me get better."
Mikey nodded in agreement.
Leo was speechless. Looking at his brothers, he could see that they were telling the truth...should he go back?
Suddenly, Splinter spoke up. Leo snapped his head up to look at Splinter.
"My son," Splinter began, and Leo was surprised to see a tear trickle down his teacher's face, "I too, owe an apology. I have pushed you far too much. Far too hard. And far too fast. And am very sorry for that. I never realized how it affected you. I was thinking too much of myself, and just telling myself that this was the right path. I was blind, I admit. And for that, I am so very sorry."
Leo looked at all of them before asking. "Do you really want me back?"
Raph smiled weakly. "Why else would we be here bro?"
Leo smiled before looking up at the angel. The angel cocked its head and looked down at him. Leo nodded and said, "I wanna go home."
The angel smiled. Not a sad smile, but a true happy smile. It bent down and picked Leo up. Leo giggled.
Raph made a movement, but Splinter held him back. "It is okay, Raphael. Leonardo must go home a different way then us. Since he is an Effluoerro, he must travel back differently. You see, my sons, Effluoerros are really spirits who wander along the border of Life and Death. Each time they leave to go meet another Effluoerro, they leave their body behind unconsciously. They may not realize that fact, but each time they go, their body is left behind and it seems to us as if they are merely sleeping; when in fact, their spirits are wandering."
Splinter looked down at his sons. "Come, let us go home."
Raph looked back up at Leo. Splinter smiled gently at him. "Come, Raphael. Leonardo will follow."
Rebecca smiled happily. "I'll miss you!" She called to Leo. Leo nodded. "It was fun. We'll meet again!"
Rebecca nodded, before looking at the turtles and rat. "And it better not be soon, or else I'll come back to earth and give ya'll a piece of my mind!" She growled at them, before smiling and laughing. Looking back at Leo, she nodded. "Good Luck!"
Leo nodded. "You too!"
Rebecca laughed. "You're gonna need it more!" She said, nodding towards Raph. "You have to put up with them!"
Raph growled. "Hey!"
Both Leo and Rebecca laughed before waving farewell to each other. The other angel came over and took Rebecca's hand, before gently leading her to the Gates. Rebecca waved goodbye before she and the angel disappeared. The Gates immediately flickered and faded.
Leo looked at his brothers before mouthing 'see you soon!' and both he and the angel disappeared.
&&&&&(few minutes later)
Leo groaned as he opened his eyes. He felt so weak! His body felt cold and stiff. Opening his eyes, Leo almost got a heart attack. (A/N: and he dies...that would be ironic! LOL)
His brothers were all crowded around his bed, staring at him.
Raph grinned as soon as Leo opened his eyes. "Welcome back bro!"
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Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only the Epilogue to go!!!!!!!!!!
Wait. No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That means the story will be finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
R&R PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
