The Enemy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adult or adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Chapter Twenty Nine - All that is left

Leonardo:

I knew I couldn't hold Yukio off much longer, I felt the pressure he was using to bear down on me, out of the corner of my eye I caught a slight movement, and noted it was a dagger on an upward climb obviously not meant to injure either of us.

Yukio saw it and quickly glanced up looking for the perpetrator and then spat the name " Kirra" with a great deal of animosity, but his distraction gave me a moment, a chance to act and hopefully finish this match alive.

I had doubted my odds of surviving just moments ago, but I wasn't about to throw this away, I moved fast, knocking Yukio over and going for a killing blow, but he dodged the strike of my katana, but clearly he had forgotten the dagger.

The event happened so quickly as if time itself had been slowed down, and yet for me those mere seconds had been an eternity. It was over Yukio was dead.

I heard Ramiela scream, " Father!"

I shook my head, after all she had done to help us she was still a Foot soldier, the years of brainwashing and training, held true and she was still our enemy, in spite of all she had done.

I wondered, if I would now have to fight my way past her before rejoining my own family, if that was the case I really didn't stand a chance. I looked at her readying myself for the worst, prepared to go down fighting.

That was when I noticed the tears streaming down her face, the look of shock mixed with dread, the way she shook her head and mouthed the words " Sorry Father." She was in no condition to fight me. I didn't have to worry about her.

I then looked towards the Foot Soldiers who were still standing in an undecided mass. Shocked and clearly not sure what to do now without someone to take charge, but I knew this was only a momentary reprieve, fairly soon they would get angry and then they would attack, when that happened the Foot Soldiers would be quite willing to destroy both of us.

It was past time to leave. I glanced at Ramiela again wondering if she would somehow blame me for Yukio's death. I didn't trust her, far too many years had passed, she had changed so much, and all Don's talk about the programming she had received told me there wasn't much of a chance to get her back, even seeing her like this made me wonder where her true allegiance lay. With Yukio dead she could take his place.

I knew if I left her though that Mike would never forgive me. Besides that was the fact, that, it was Ramiela who had insured we all got out alive and I felt honour bound to get her out alive if I could.

" Ramiela it is time to go. The Foot will kill you." I whispered.

She gave me a vacant stare " Father?" she whispered softly, almost breathing the word.

" Ramiela please!" I urged, as I sensed the Foot soldiers growing antsy.

She looked at me, then towards the Foot Soldiers and she gave a small evil twisted grin, reaching into her belt she withdrew a small hand weapon, that caused all the Foot to suddenly scatter, their reaction made me realize what weapon she held.

As I expected it was a bomb, but I didn't have a chance to stop her from arming it or tossing it towards the quickly vanishing Foot Soldiers.

Damn!

She was going kill all of us, it was clear she didn't care about her own life, and she was quite willing to take anyone else around her.

" Rama come on. Now!" I ordered.

She gave an indifferent shrug but followed me quickly out of the building, we hit the ground as we entered the back alley as the explosion began, but while there was the noise and a slight tremor the building remained standing and I began to wonder if the bomb had been a dud.

I didn't waste any time worrying about it and decided to put as much room as possible between the Foot base and myself as possible, so I dived for the welcome comfort of the dark, damp concrete subterranean tunnels, with Rama following behind me. I sensed that she was there, more then noticed her presence.

I knew it might take a while before the Foot soldiers regrouped to come after us, but to be on the safe side I decided to take a longer route to our emergency area, where I knew the family waited for me.

Rama stayed behind, she didn't speak and moved silently. I half expected her to run me through with her katana at any moment and kept my senses trained on letting me know if she got too close to me for comfort.

" Leonardo"

I turned to acknowledge her soft tone.

She was standing about three feet back at a junction of sewer pipe I had left moments ago.

" I'm sure you know where your family waits for you. I must leave you here." She said quietly her voice full of regret and sorrow.

" Where are you going to go?" I wondered.

She sneered snorting slightly " Sure tell my enemy where I plan to be so he can hunt me all too easily later" She scoffed, " Does it really matter where I go from here? I am not foolish enough to believe I will ever be a part of your family or clan, just because I was once born to it." She shrugged, " I'm ninja, I'll get by" she assured me.

There was something about her defeated stance, her hollow ragged tone as she spoke, touched me. She was ninja all right, she had proved it more then once since our capture, and that thought, the silent agreement, made me realize what she might intend to do now.

" Rama you are not going commit seppuku are you?" I asked fearing that my suspicion, though delayed was correct, that it was what she intended to do.

She gave a soft smile in reply and I knew then, without her admitting or denying that it was her plan.

" I have disgraced and dishonoured not only the Foot Clan but your clan as well, the way I see it, I have but two choices before me" She explained simply, " I can wait around for your clan, or the Foot Clan to hunt me down and claim the debt of honour, or I can take matters into my own hands, and restore honour to both clans with my death." She took a deep breath, " I knew that I was going die this night, I wanted it to be in battle, but it seems fickle fate did not wish to grant me such a death, but I can arrange it none the less. I have the right to chose my time of death and the way I die."

I shook my head, knowing I had to stop her, " I can't go back to Mike and tell him that I left you to commit seppuku" I protested, at the moment at a loss to say any thing else.

" Then tell him that I died saving your life, tell him I chose to leave, tell him I wanted to go my own way. I don't really care what you tell him, tell him whatever you damn well please," She declared sharply, then her voice grew icy cold " But I will Not be hunted like an animal for the rest of my days, and I refuse to die in disgrace. This is my right as a ninja. It is the path I have chosen for myself."

" Rama I can't lie to my brother, don't ask me to, nor will I be able to face him with the truth. Mike will never forgive me and I wouldn't be able to forgive myself either. I am sure that there is some other way for you to gain honour back without going to such extremes…" I rambled on quickly hoping only to stall her.

I stopped as she drew a katana, her gaze becoming hard, " Don't lie to me Leonardo. I've had more then enough lies to last a life time" she spat.

I sighed, I didn't want her throwing her life away, she was still young and she had a great deal of potential, if it wasn't for the fact she was so messed up I might be willing to try.

It came to me that if she really wanted to commit seppuku she could have said nothing just slipped off quietly and left me none the wiser.

If she had done that I would never have found her, might not have even found her body, though she may have chosen a place where she knew the Foot and we turtles might go, if only to prove to us that honour had been restored to our respective clans.

Or perhaps she had mentioned it just out of politeness, as if to assure me that we had nothing to fear from her any more.

Or perhaps, she had told me because she didn't want to die and was hoping I could offer her something more, but I knew if I offered her such a thing, it would have to be believable and above all else it would have to restore honour. Seppuku she felt was required of her at this point, and possibly the only path she could see of bringing back lost honour, but if she had a different path then maybe she would chose life over death.

Meanwhile I was tired, exhausted both mentally and physically. My body hurt all over, and I just longed to be back with my family, hold my wife, reassure and comfort my children, take time to grieve and recover from the long nightmare we had emerged from.

However I knew I couldn't in good conscious just turn and walk away from her, especially knowing what she planned to do. Mike had lost her years ago, he believed he had her back, if she killed herself, then Mike would never be the same.

I knew he had kept hoping Rama would help us, somewhere along the line. The fact that she had aided us in our escape had been totally unexpected, especially after Don's talks of how unlikely such an event would be.

Don had assured all of us, numerous times that her programming to obey Yukio ran deep, it had been proven to us on more then one occasion. That she was an enemy to us, that had been painstakingly clear to all of us, except Mike, and even now, her desire to commit seppuku spoke of where her true allegiance lay.

I knew I had to come up with something fast, but my mind wasn't up to such thoughts, I knew I needed time to think, only she wasn't going give it to me, because she wanted something firm. Now!

" Why don't you come back with me?" I suggested quickly " Together we might be able to come up with a reasonable alternative that might bring you honour. If you decide that you still must do this deed, then there is no way we will be able to prevent it. We will let you go."

She looked at me with a great deal of askance but I swore I saw a tiny flicker of hope in her eyes.

" Besides, I am not going do your dirty work. You are ninja you ought to have the strength to tell Mike your self. You are a great fighter and deserve far more then ritual suicide." I urged, only hoping I was saying the right things, " Not only that you may not be as big of a disgrace as you see yourself being."

She glared at me through narrow hardened eyes silently debating my words; I waited trying not to hold my breath, as I hoped for a promising decision. The seconds dragged on and I was sure that she would say no.

Finally she shrugged, " All right, but don't try spinning any dreams for me. I know better then to believe in dreams," she murmured.

I was grateful for her acceptance, though I knew that she could slip through later, but at least, Mike wouldn't be able to hold it against me.

I knew I had only bought myself a little time, now I had to come up with something and quickly.

Perhaps it was too late to get through to her, possibly Yukio had put her through far too much for us to ever gain her back. We may never be seen as her family, for we might always be considered her enemy.

I could accept her choice for life or death, but I knew Mike would not accept it. It was more for my brother then this lost ninja of our clan, that I had offered her what I had. I wondered if Splinter would have been willing to let her go or convinced her to stay?

I didn't want to lose another member of my family, and while I didn't see Ramiela as being a member of our family any more, Mike still was.

For Mike's sake, for the small promise she had shown in getting us out of there, for the larger possibilities she held as a fighter. I owed it to her and the family to try. I would gamble and hope that it wasn't a lost cause.

TBC

Lunar Ninja: Ding Dong Yukio is dead, the evil Yukio is dead….okay enough of that. I love updates. Meanwhile rewrite of the Enemy is done it is just typing and posting the last two chapters, so expect it to be done by the end of this week. A gratitude for your insight.

Reinbeauchaser: yes that is how Yukio died in the original, a little unexpected with the dagger doing the job, but I liked it and didn't want to mess with it. How much help remains to be seen in the sequel, which I will be starting once Legacy's rewrite is all done. A gratitude for your insight.