Sister.

Michelangelo liked the way that word sounded. So much so, that he thought it over and over and every time it made him smile. He couldn't wait to say it outloud again. He'd been thinking it since he woke in the infirmary tucked into her futon. It smelled like his sister. Like flowers.

He smiled again as he approach the living area stealthily and heard her lecturing his brothers about something.

"Would somebody care to tell me just exactly what is going on in here?" Luna asked, an edge to her voice despite it's usual sweetness.

She was feisty, his sister. But then she would have to be to put up with both of his stubborn brothers as soulmates. He decided to hang back a little and see what they were up to this time.

He watched as Donatello sidled carefully away from her, as if he might actually be a little afraid. Raphael glanced up at Luna and his eyes widened before he flushed then looked away.

Raph's got it bad. Mikey thought before turning his gaze to his oldest brother.

Leonardo's mouth was set in a thin solid line that meant he was being stubborn about whatever was going on. Mikey had seen that expression so many times in his life. Usually it was directed at him when he was begging off training or trying to get out of something. Last night Mikey thought he was never going to see it again.

Michelangelo blinked rapidly as tears began to form at the memory of Leo comforting him as he passed into darkness. He hadn't been alone. Even if he would have died, his brother had not let him go alone. He quickly shook off that thought. He was just happy to be back with them again.

As usual, Mikey had wandered away in his own thoughts and lost track of the conversation going on around him. But one thing was pretty obvious. Luna was ticked about something they had done.

Mikey made a face. He wanted to side with his sis but his brothers had saved him, healed him, and called him back to the land of the living. This was his chance to start paying back a little of that by 'saving' them from a tyrannical sister. He chuckled to himself.

"Somebody's in trouble!" He called out in a sing-song voice, guaranteed to distract.

Luna paused, her mouth open to continue her scolding, but as she turned toward him it dropped open further in shock. He chuckled again and held out his arms for a hug.

"Mikey!" She practically screamed, and threw herself at him.

He spun her through the air and set her down gently. She looked different with red hair and amber eyes. That must be Fina's influence. But she also looked healthy, vibrant, and healed. He'd never seen her this way; she'd been injured as long as he'd known her.

He touched her hair gently and smiled into her eyes. She was stunning.

"I like the new look, Sis," he said, trying to convey all his thoughts in his smile.

To his horror, Luna burst into tears.

Raph glared at Mikey and lurched toward them while Leo's eyes flashed angrily, his hands tightening into fists; both instinctively reacting to her pain. Don intercepted them to keep the peace.

"Guys let's go clean up the dojo and let Mikey have a little talk. Ok?" Don said. He leaned in close to them and whispered sternly, "She needs this. Everybody out."

Reluctantly Leo and Raph let Donnie usher them into the dojo but before Don shut the door Leo jerked his head at Sol.

"Watch over her," Leo commanded softly, as Sol went to join his goddess.

"Luna, sweetie, what is it?" Mikey begged. He hated to see her in tears and wondered what he'd done. He took her gently by the arm and led her over to sit on the couch. Now she was sobbing so hard she could barely breath and Sol was orbiting them worriedly.

"Luna," he said, as he shook her gently, but he got no response.

Distressed, he pulled her close and stroked her hair.

"It's ok. Just let it out lil' sis," he said. "Mikey's here."

She gazed sorrowfully up at him through her tears. Even though he was smiling gently down at her the only expression she could see was the agony on his face from her memory.

"I-I'm s-so s-sorry," she managed through her sobs. "I c-couldn't stop them! I c-couldn't think of anything else to do!"

"Luna… I was there to protect you. That's all that matters," he said quietly.

"No!" she pulled away. "It was my fault! I've been fighting this war for thousands of years. I should have realized. I should have done something!"

Mikey stared into her eyes. She looked so lost. What had happened to his sister?

"Why am I even still fighting?" she cried. "What can I do? Just sit around waiting for the next shot in the dark to take out the ones I love?

I could feel you fading away," she moaned. "And all I could do was take away the pain."

She hid her face in her hands as she slowly fell apart.

"She's still cryin'!" Raph said angrily, smashing his fist into an inoffensive and deactivated practice bot.

Not much cleaning was really going on in the dojo but then that had just been the excuse. Donatello sighed as he righted a fallen rack of weapons.

"She needs this Raph. She needs to release the guilt before it tears her up inside," Don said.

"What guilt?" Raph demanded. "Da' only one who should feel guilty is Mikey for taken her out d'ere where d'ose supernatural freaks could get at 'er!"

"Luna's mother said wraiths are power hunters," Don snapped. "They would have sought Luna out underground just as easily as they did on the rooftops. The only difference would be us cleaning their blood out of the carpet."

Don was suddenly the focus of two very hostile glares. He backed up, hands out in apology.

"I'm sorry,that was ill phrased and I plead exhaustion. But Mikey was not at fault."

Raph grunted. "Still, Luna ain't got nuthin' to feel guilty about."

"She blames herself for all of this," Don said, gesturing around.

"All what?" Raph snapped.

"Leo's pain, your fiery soul," Don said pointing at Raph, "Mikey's death."

"So, what does she need?" Leo asked softly.

Don shrugged sadly.

In the blink of an eye, Michelangelo could see the situation through her eyes. She'd lain awake most of the night reliving the pain and trauma. He knew what that was like. He was going to hear her screams and tears from that night for a long time. And the moan of despair when she gave up...it almost killed him. They hurt, those memories. They hurt bad.

They felt like failure.

And then he knew what she needed. He didn't hold her responsible for any of the events of that night but denials and justifications were not going to reach her in this state. So he gave her what she needed for relief.

Permission to let it all go.

"I forgive you." Michelangelo whispered. He put a finger under her chin and forced her to look in his bright blue eyes, shining with unshed tears of his own. "I. Forgive. You."

It was exactly the right thing to say. The only thing that could get through to her. Michelangelo pulled her into his lap and held her close as she collapsed. She buried her face in his neck and sobbed herself out. It was a long time before exhaustion overtook her and she finally fell asleep.

Mikey looked sadly up at Sol.

"Get Leo." was all he said.

Luna slept most of the rest of the day in the infirmary, the place she had confided to Don that she felt the safest, snuggled down in her little nest. A watchful Leonardo curled protectively around her projecting safety, love, and adoration with all his empathic energy. He could feel the steady cadence of his reassurance eating away at the dark swell of her negative emotions.

Time was what she needed now.

Donatello and Michelangelo spent the day comparing notes on the battles. Mikey filled Don in on Luna's brilliant plan to hide among the shades and their subsequent problems as, not one but three of the terrifying wraiths showed up. Don wrote copious notes from Luna's descriptions and Mikey's narrative as he spoke of their appearance, intellect, and strategies. If they were going to face these types of beings again, Don wanted to study them as much as possible.

Raphael retreated to his room. Ostensibly to deal with the mess that used to be his bed; really he needed to be alone. Watching Leo tenderly take Luna from Mikey and tuck her in protectively made him ache. He knew Leonardo was the best choice to reassure her. God knew he wasn't good at doling out comfort.

And Luna's needs were going to come first for Raph...now and forever. As long as Leo was what she required he'd stand down; even when it hurt.

But that didn't mean he had to do nothing. As he dealt with the mess in his room, he planned a night patrol that would lead him past the rooftop where the battle took place and the alley where they had encountered Charon. Maybe he could find some clues to tie the two together.

Raph stayed out of sight until his brothers retired for the night. Leo stayed with Luna as Don and Mikey called quiet he was sure everyone was shut in for the night, Raph slipped quietly out to do some investigating.

Raph came up empty at the alley. The cops and emergency workers had already been through it and anything useful had been carried away. Donnie would have to hack the police dept to see what evidence they might have gathered. Raph growled in frustration and retraced his path to the abandoned building.

He didn't want to go home empty handed, but he found himself rather reluctant to actually revisit that rooftop. There was just so much blood. It wasn't that he was squeamish about blood, he cleaned enough of it off his weapons over the years to fill a swimming pool.

But this was her blood and his brother's. For some reason that made him feel different about it

Instead, he decided to widen his investigation to the rooftops of the surrounding buildings, just in case there had been mortal instigators who might have left a trace behind. He'd spiraled out in a classic search strategy, using the battle rooftop as his center, and was at least 10 buildings away when he sensed something unusual.

The left side of his body had warmed, as if it was in the sun. Impossible. It was nearly 2AM. He glanced around to see if he'd walked too near to some sort of building vent but saw nothing that could create heat.

He walked to the edge of the roof and the sensation moved with him. Intrigued now, he turned to face the direction the warmth was radiating from and it warmed his front. He turned away and felt the heat on his shell.

It was like a full body version of the game hot and cold.

What could be causing that?

Raph faced in the direction of the warmth again and realized he was looking back at his starting point. The warmth was radiating from that building. The one where he nearly lost her. A sense of urgency overtook him and he began to run back to that rooftop.

Something was about to happen.

As he drew closer to his objective, his heart began to pound. Not from exertion but from anticipation. He heard his own pulse beating rapidly in his ears and then,strangely, heard another that beat in almost perfect counterpoint.

He stopped, still one building away, confused.

He froze then disappeared into the shadows when movement on the target rooftop caught his attention. The elevator doors opened. Instantly he knew whose heartbeat it was. Even blocks away her warmth had called to him.

Luna walked out alone.

What is she doing up here? Where the hell is Leo, Don and Mikey?

Raphael was about to leap to his feet, charge over there, and demand answers when a hand fell gently on his shoulder holding him in place. Raph growled and strained against the grip with all his might but it didn't do any good. All his muscles had been locked in place.

He caught a glimmer of pale light in his peripheral vision as the owner of the hand move to his side.

"Shh," the dark haired woman said. "Watch."

He looked back at Luna when she began to sing. She stood, eyes closed, with her face turned to the sky. Her voice was soft, but achingly clear, and it chimed out in an unearthly descant that pierced his heart.

It began quietly, like a child calling out for comfort in the night and slowly rose into a wail.

Shadows rose up around her and Raph struggled again to be free. Luna was in danger! He couldn't sit here and watch her falter under yet another attack. He felt fire explode into life around his hands as five shades formed a circle that swirled around her form and danced in complex patterns to her song.

The strange woman snorted and waved a hand. Raph's fire was immediately extinguished.

Luna's song rose in volume and she was joined by a chorus of voices from the very air around her. They merged harmoniously into her melody, until the night shivered and rippled with their plea. The music rose to a great crescendo, then fell silent.

It was silent for a long time.

Even the shades stilled their frantic movements.

There was a rumbling crack, a detonation that sent shockwaves through the air like a super sonic jet breaking the sound barrier, and Luna was no longer alone on the rooftop.

"Lord Zeus," she greeted formally, inclining her head. "As sworn, I submit these frail souls for entry to the afterlife for services rendered unto me and mine. Grant them entry, I beseech thee."