Note to those who stuck around!- I wanted to apologize for the length of time it took, a lot of things happen that pulled me away. Warning: This contains turtlecest don't read if you don't like. As well as there are dark themes in this one.

Chapter 15 - The Decision

Derius stood before them laughing, his eyes glowing with an aura of magic and power. Leo could see it as clearly as night and day. Is this how Raph saw everything? Aura of magic and scary creatures at night. Is this what he always saw? Leo thought to himself, stealing a glance at his brother.

Raphael's eyes twinkled as he glared, holding his sai's out which were glowing with fire, instead of the flames being contained they seemed to lick across his dark green skin as if wanting to ignite him on fire, "you!" Raph growled the word coming out of his mouth as if the very syllable was meant to cut Derius apart, "you just couldn't let me be!" Raph yelled his voice echoing with so much anger and raw emotion.

The pain was so strong in Raphael that Leonardo had to steady himself as it seemed to hit him full blast. Whoa! Master Splinter was not kidding about this spirit connection was he. That was when Leo looked at his other brothers, Don and Mikey both look like they were hit smack in the face by Raphael's raw emotion, I know Raph was powerful but this is a whole new level. Leo thought as he tightened his grips on his blade and steady his feet in a familiar stance.

"Raphael, Raphael. The one of fire. The ever burning flame. The warrior who cannot die. The bird of fire and rebirth. The firebird of legend," Derius said mocking his voice echoing with amusement. "The minute that me and my lover decided to take you, to use you for that ever burning energy that seems to never end - Hahahaha…" He said laughing as a weapon appeared in his hands, that of a staff seeming to brim with power, "They warned us, the other demons told us that playing with the eternal flame was asking for destruction, that meddling in the affairs of the great warriors was asking for our deaths…."

"Enough talk!" Leo yelled pointing his blade at Derius, "You will pay for what you did to my brother! For what you did to our family.!"

"Pay? Didn't I pay enough for the death of my beloved?!" Derius screamed as the flesh around him began to melt away. The perfect pale skin and silver hair seem to slide off his muscles and bones leaving behind scales of an ebony black that seem to shimmer with some form of dark power. Wings ripped out of his back spreading wide and long, as curled horns seemed to grow from his head. He was so much taller than them now, ten feet in height. As he stared at Leonardo with those silver eyes, "Don't you see water dancer I am on a whole different level than you and that thing called the Phoenix." Derius said with a huff, his voice deeper and brimming with power, "How can you possibly plan to defeat me?!" The voice felt like it pressed down on Leo as if an invisible force was trying to drive fear into him.

Leonardo felt that fear grew within him,consuming him. It was an enveloping blanket drawing out his own self doubt, if he failed to lead them everyone would die.

Until he felt a hand on his left shoulder, another one on his right and a familiar warmth on his hand that was shaking while holding his katana.

He looked to Donatello on his left - "really Leo we wouldn't have gotten this far without you." And the purple bandana turtle smiled at him with complete trust.

He turned to Mikelangelo on his right - "seriously bro stop acting like you're alone, what do you say we show what happens to those who mess with our family?" A calmness emanates from the orange bandana turtle.

Then those deep browns landed on the face of Raphael, the burning flame in those golden orbs and a gentle smile reserved only for him to see, "help me end this nightmare Leo!"

Nodding Leo turned it felt like minutes but it was only seconds had passed. "Because Darius we are together again!" As he said that Leo concentrated within himself and felt it.

It was hard to place into words but it felt like a ribbon teared and ripped in places was wrapped around him, barely containing him and he ripped that ribbon off feeling the last of the Ancient Ones magic placed on him fade.

His power flowed into him like a rush of water, consuming and drowning him, until he felt the warmth of Raphael's fire beside him, the brush of Michaelangelo's wind behind him and the calming scent of flowers from Donatello.

He turned to stare at the snaring face of Derius who rushed towards the turtles at breakneck speed. Raph was there in a flash stopping Derius claws from clawing out Leo's eyes, his sai in that defensive cross position as his muscles strain from containing the demon's strength. Leo on queue nodded to Don and Mikey and he quickly faded into the shadows.

"Woot, looks like we have a bit of an upgrade!" Mikey shouted as he jumped in the air with his nunchucks, at first it looked like he miscalculated the jump but he used a blast of air to boost himself even higher and landed on the back of Derius, the chain of his nunchuk wrapped around his neck.

"What?"! Derius shouted as Raph moved back, taking a quick breather as Don jump off Raph's shell and twirling his bow staff to hit Derius smack on the head. Derius had moved his own staff to block the attack but vines had wrapped around it pulling it out of his hand.

"Gahhh, enough!" He screamed a blast of energy emitting from him as Don was thrown back and Raph jumped in front taking the blunt of Don's landing. Derius then grabbed MIkey and threw him on top of the turtle pile. "No more games, I will drain your powers and destroy you all" Derius growled as the demon hounds appeared around them. "You can't defeat me in this realm, I rule it!"

As he said that Leo dived from above taking the distraction of his brothers to drive his katana into his head. However Derius looked up and smirked and Leo knew he miscalculated as something from the side dived into him, slammed him against the wall. He looked up at the snarling face of a hyena looking woman, snarling as she tried to snap into Leo, his katana the only thing stopping him from becoming her meal.

"Hahaha!" Derius laughed, his voice echoing off the walls. "You are all just bumbling idiots who don't deserve the power given to you!"

Raph, Mikey and Don stood back up, their bodies aching but they kept their weapons at the ready. Determined blue, amber and golden eyes staring back at the black beast of a demon man coming towards them.

Leo tried to get the hyena woman off him, he kicked with his feet but her strength was no match. He felt the water underneath him and with some of his energy he used the water to splash her in the face which caused a yelp of surprise from her using that he went to slash into her not holding back. But she caught his blade in her paw, he saw the blade sink in but no reaction from her as she lifted the blade up and tossed him towards Derius.

Or she thought she did…for when she threw him there was a flash of silver and light grey as something seemed to have caught the turtle.

Leonardo felt himself being placed down and realized he was in front of his brothers with a silver white two tailed fox and his father standing in front of him. "You got this my son!" Splinter shouted, holding out his walking stick in defiance.

Derius just laughed, the hellhounds surrounding them, the hyena woman standing next to him along with another. Leo assumed Master Splinter and the fox were fighting this creature earlier, which was a great minotaur looking man with the same red glowing eyes as the hyena woman. "I see you all just want to die together, so be it! I will become unstoppable. I will be the one to take on all the great elemental spirits powers!"

"Like Hell!" Raphael growled, he felt the fire within himself grow. Unstable, untamable and it wanted to consume everything. He ran forward dodging the outstretched hand of Leo who tried to stop him and jumped into the air, fire like wings sprouting from his back as he screamed all his rage at Derius. The fire consumed him and a bright light surrounded them all and then Leo heard nothing.

Leonardo….A voice called him, gentle but commanding at the same time.

As Leonardo opened his eyes and found himself staring at a beautiful red headed woman she was short and her clothes appeared of robes of red, gold and orange like the sun. Her golden eyes shimmering with fear and sadness, "Seiyuu, please we must find another way. I… I can't lose you, I can't be reborn again, I can't start over again please! It is all too much!"

A gentle hand caressed her cheek, wait no Leo's hand, wait no..Leo thought and he felt himself speak but his voice was different. "It is our destiny Suzaku as this is yours, you must always guide our successors, the ones chosen in each timeline. That is your fate and I know it is a cruel one. That is why I must do this."

"No! You can live on, you can be happy!" She said desperation, making her voice crack with pain.

Leo felt his body turn towards a beautiful green world, japanese style buildings peeking above the trees - however he saw the fire in the distance and the distant sounds of screams and fear.

And he looked to his left, a tall and slender man stood there holding a strange looking device in his hands black hair with purple strands dancing in the wind. Turning to his right he saw a more built man, blue eyes glancing back at him as if to say it was time. His own long black hair tied back as orange coloured strands threaten to escape. He was holding a scroll and he turned to the purple streaked man, "you think this ritual can contain him Genbu?"

"Yes, with our powers we can contain him. Suzaku will have time to regenerate her cycle and hopefully the next warriors will be able to defeat him!" Genbu turned his amber eyes to stare at Suzaku's golden orbs.

"Then let us go," Seiyuu said as he held out a katana and pointed it towards the fire-lit horizon, "Byakko prepared us to teleport, it is time to end the Shredder's demonic reign once and for all."

As the orange coloured one known as Byakko started chanting a spell, Leo felt a meek tug on his robe and turned to stare at the pleading eyes of Raphael - wait no Suzaku - but those eyes shimmer the same and appeared the same. "Seiyuu please…"

"No Suzaku you nearly burned out the phoenix flame all together because of your stubbornness, you know your task - your fate…" Leo felt his own hand grip his katana tighter. Thoughts of his own swirling in his head. You need to live, you need to survive - our lives are nothing, the flame must never burn out.

As Seiyuu walked away from the crumpled mess of the crying woman on the ground, her hand falling into her lap, as all three disappeared into the portal.

If only I knew what you were planning Suzaku, if only I remember you are the type that never gives up.

Leo looked as he watched Suzaku stand, her eyes narrow with anger, the rage surrounding the air. As wings appeared on her back, "I am not doing it again Seiyuu! I am no longer going to be alone!"

The image faded as Leonardo felt like he was drowning. The water was everywhere, his lungs, his body, it was consuming him. He struggled to get to the top and as his head broke to the surface of the water he saw all three of the warriors were injured, beaten and barely standing. The Demon Shredder stood in front of them, his laughter echoing in the air. He was huge with a magical aura of hate, anger and swirling chaos. His armor had blades in all sorts of places like the Shredder they fought. And Leo gasped as that helmet was the exact same even if it was more beast-like.

"You thought that old ancient artifact could contain me Genbu, I thought you were the wise one, gifted with all knowledge of the earth!" His laughter was deep and cutting, as if hitting and cutting into Leonardo's very soul.

Seiyuu stood, his long dark blue hair blowing in the breeze the fire surrounding them as he stood on his two feet holding the katana in a pose Leo was very familiar with. "We will defeat you Shredder!"

The Shredder laughed, bringing his great armored hand down upon them, a fire-like energy surrounding it. Then Leo turned to Seiyuu as he summoned a dragon spirit behind him, he had begun to glow a bright blue aura as he stood his ground to protect his weakened comrades.

Genbu stood up and pulled out a blade, holding out the artifact, "with our blood…" he stated and pulled the blade towards his heart.

"Nooo!" Screamed a voice and all looked up as Suzaku dived from the sky, pulling out two daggers and diving towards the Shredder.

"Suzaku!" Seiyuu yelled.

But it was too late. The entire place glowed with a bright light the same one Raphael had done.

Suzaku made a choice that day.

The voice spoke again and Leonardo looked around, the scene faded and he was in a meadow the four warriors looked at each other staring at a strange orb swirling with all of their colours. "Suzaku, what have you done?" Seiyuu was gripping the woman in his arms. She was no longer breathing as her body began to fade, being consumed by a pretty golden flame.

Genbu stared at the orb, "oh no…"

Putting an arm around Genbu, Byakko leaned to stare at it, "what is it?"

Leonardo felt his tears fall as the last of the woman faded…

If only I knew….

That voice echoed again, as Leo watched the rest of the warriors fading along with Suzaku, burning with different colour fires. Blue, Purple and Orange.

That you gave up your power to begin a new destiny.

Leonardo felt the field darken and he fell, he screamed trying to find anything to grip on as a hand caught him and pulled him up. As he looked up he found himself staring face to face with the warrior Seiyuu.

"Leonardo..." Seiyuu walked up, placing his hand against his cheek. "She really is a stubborn one, no matter what form she takes. Male, female, human, beast, or turtle…" he said with a chuckle, his hand brushing the phoenix mark. "But it must have been hard for her, to carry those memories from lifetime to lifetime…"

Seiyuu sighed as he turned his back and looked towards the darkness, seeing something that Leonardo cannot see, "Seiyuu I…"

"She could not do it again. She could not get to know the new chosen warriors over and over again, she could not…" he paused and looked down at his own hand, "let go of me."

Leo looked at Seiyuu and walked up placing a hand on his shoulder, "it is not your fault Seiyuu, this was her choice, her decision."

Seiyuu turned and smiled, "yes I know...and I should be mad at her…"

"How can you stay mad at him." Leo said, finishing Seiyuu's sentence.

A smile appeared on the handsome man's lips, "you really are me are you? Strange, I wonder if this was what Suzaku went through in every reincarnation?" He said his voice was fading, not expecting an answer.

"Seiyuu...why am I here?"

The water warrior paused and a blue light appeared below his feet glowing the water blue of his own element. Leo looked down seeing the image of the dragon. "You understand what the Phoenix did, do you Leonardo?"

Thinking back, Leonardo nodded, "Suzaku gave up her eternal flame to all of you…"

"Yes," Seiyuu whispered, "and…"

"The Phoenix fire was burnt out during that battle cause she provided you all a new life, a new chance and…the Shredder as well..."

"Yes."

"But what does that mean about Raphael? About Suzaku? About the cycle of the eternal flame?"

Leonardo could feel the dragon underneath him shift, pulling at him - tugging him to accept him.

"New lives, new rules, new destiny…" As Seiyuu said that he stepped towards Leonardo, close to him, Leo could feel his energy.

It felt like the ocean, calm and serene yet hidden underneath it a mask of anger that can be lifted anytime. "The eternal flame can be destroyed Leonardo, it has been weakened, stretched thin, all because she - he - wants us with him. The phoenix chose to be mortal."

"But you guys are mortal, are you not?"

"Yes and no." Seiyuu said, reminding Leo of when he would try to get advice from his father. "In a way, the Spirit beasts would choose warriors in each timeline to inherit their names and powers. Suzaku was not like that, Suzaku was itself. A spirit beast who chooses to fight alongside us mortals. When the flame is weak it would burn its current body to be reborn into a new one. Memories would unlock and Suzaku would start to find warriors with hearts of gold."

Seiyuu pulled Leonardo close, "but this is now different. You are me, and Suzaku's memories will not return."

"New lives, new rules, new destiny…" Leonardo whispered as Seiyuu lifted his chin to look into those pools of brown.

"Yes," Seiyuu moved closer, "bring her happiness Leonardo, never let her flame burn out, never let her cry again, no more rebirths, finish what we all started centuries ago."

"It was never about the Shredder was it?" Leonardo whispered realizing how close his old self was to his lips.

"No, it never was." As Seiyuu said that he kissed Leonardo, the dragon rose from below him and Leonardo cried out as he felt his body shiver with the icy coldness and then he opened his eyes.

It has always been about finding happiness.

Raphael screamed as the fire sprung up from within him. He felt the fire licking at his dark green skin. His anger consumed him as he brought all of his spirit energy into his two sai going towards Derius.

Then he hit a wall of water and fell to the ground. Quickly Raph turned towards Leonardo who took a step beside Raphael.

"What the hell Leo?!" Raphael growled as he shook off the water.

Derius laughed, "realized how futile it is - water dancer?" He said with a sneer.

"We do this together Raph, not alone," Leo stated holding his hand out to Raphael, "so do not go burning your flame out yet hot head."

Raphael growled in frustration and grabbed Leo's hand allowing him to pull him to his feet, "fine fearless." He muttered. Raphael was angry but he felt concern coming from Leonardo.

The wall dropped and Derius grabbed his staff, "good luck turtle warriors. You could barely get a hit on me. But they do say fools never know when to give up."

Leonardo did not wait to see what Derius would do, he summoned the water from the air around him using it to summon forth ice like daggers that started shooting all around. "Let us go ninja!" Leo shouted.

Caught off guard by the daggers Derius summoned a shield to stop them, as Michaelangelo appeared behind him seeming to have appeared from nowhere. His nunchucks were glowing orange as he hit him hard, sending the demon flying into the wall.

Donatello stood in front of the hyena woman and minotaur, "oh I see…" Don said, jumping away as the Minotaur tried to smash him into pieces. "Derius has some sort of control over you…" He used his bow staff to block the hyena who was about to hit him from behind. "Why don't we change that!" As Don said that he jumped backwards as vines wrapped around the two. Both blinked as the vines sprouted flowers. The red eyes on the minotaur faded, replaced by very confused looking grey eyes. While the hyena woman blinked as her eyes went back to an orange colour.

Mikey landed beside Don, "oh yeah way to go Don!" The two did a high three and then smirked at each other as they faced the hounds coming their way.

Raphael ran towards Derius who was quick to get to his feet, dodging the claw hand he jumped in the air as Leo ran on the other side. The two didn't even need to look at each other as their weapons glewed, red and blue, as they brought their weapons upon Derius. Hitting in unison Derius screamed as he felt his body burn and then go extremely cold at the same time.

"Now Raphael!" Leo shouted and Raph nodded, summoning his fire he dived straight to Derius' heart and stabbed into it. The flames sprouting from his two sai consuming the creature as Derius screamed out in agony leaving nothing behind but ashes. The demon hounds disappeared.

"Did we win?" Mikey stated looking at the pile of ash on the ground.

Donatello walked up, the minotaur and hyena behind him, "I think we did."

"You did well my sons," master Splinter said, walking up with the silver fox beside him.

Collapsing to his knees and dropping his two sai. Raphael began to laugh.

Soon the laughter turned to tears.

Leonardo dropped to his knees dropping his katanas as he pulled Raphael close into his arms.

Finally able to hold him, to protect him and to be there for him. His firebird.