Cat woke up without the feeling of ground beneath her feet.
'THAT'S never a good sign…'
She opened her eyes, and almost immediately wished she hadn't.
Her wrists were bound together above her by chain, and her ankles were the same below her.
She was dangling in front of a large door in an even larger hallway, a bright light starting behind her, the crystal still around her neck catching the light.
'At least they didn't take it…'
She looked out the massive door as a smashing sound caught her attention, and her eyes widened.
'They're here!'
Raph gave an order, and used the walls to jump up to her as the others looked in strange containers for Leo.
"Its gonna be okay, Kitten…"
"I know…"
A relieved smile.
"You're here, after all…"
He blushed slightly as he used his sai to break the chain around her ankles, and hesitated before doing the same to the ones around her wrists.
"Get ready."
She nodded, and the chain snapped.
She landed on her feet, as did Raph, and both went towards the others as the found Leo.
After Raph gave him two new katana, Cat looked around.
"Where's this Winter's guy, anyway?"
Something heavy flew through the air, slamming into the ground.
"…Oh…here he is…"
He explained that he was trying to RETURN the monsters, and that his brotherhood had turned on him.
"…Speak of the devil…" Cat muttered when said stone warriors stepped out of the shadows.
They wanted immortality, and didn't want to lose it.
Karai appeared, along with Foot ninja, and decided to help them find the last monster.
She left with Casey and April, and Cat turned back to the stone warriors.
"Let's take care of these guys, then…"
She pulled out her blades, twirling them expertly.
"My daughter, we must keep monsters from entering! Your brothers can hold them off!"
She looked at Splinter hesitantly, but eventually followed him.
She punched a strange bat-like creature back in as the containers went into the vortex-like portal, and jumped back to avoid being sucked in.
When her brother's seemed to have a handle on the situation, she moved away from it, and smiled as the four stone statues were kicked into the vortex.
She moved to her brothers side when the four statues came back out.
One held up a sharp-looking stone sword, pulling it back as if to strike.
She tensed, alarms ringing in her head like sirens.
The stone cut through the air, and everything seemed to slow down.
All she felt was the pounding of her heart against her plastron and her heart screaming at her to move…but the sword was heading for her family…her very heart…her love…
Her body moved on its own, knowing what needed to be done…
A slicing sound, and blood spattering against skin and floor as a choked gasp escaped her lips…
The four brothers couldn't believe what they saw.
Their sister, the protector, the caregiver, the lover, the heart…the sword had gone through her own heart, but had stopped at her shell.
She coughed up blood, her body shaking, and she fell back.
"Kitten!!"
Raph caught her, looking worriedly at her.
Mikey was there in a moment, as was Don.
"Kitty!! Kitty, don't go!!" Mikey sobbed out, looking at her glazed violet eyes.
"M-Mikey…" She muttered weakly, feeling herself slipping away…
"Kitty, don't close your eyes!" She heard Don's panicky voice shout, and she hardly felt the pain as the sword slid out of her chest…out of her bleeding heart…
"Kitty, don't you dare go like this!"
Her eyes turned to her blue-banded brother, and a shaky smile rested on her lips.
"S-Sorry…b-but even m-my jutsu c-couldn't heal th-this, bro…"
She saw tears well up in his eyes.
"K-Kitty…"
She felt something wet on her shoulder, and looked up at teary crimson brown eyes.
"Kitten, don't go…you promised me you wouldn't…"
"…I-I know…b-but I'll a-always be w-with you…w-with all o-of you…"
Her strength was fading fast, and her eyes started closing against her will.
"…I-I love you…"
And her heart stopped beating…
The tears came more heavily, and the brothers hardly noticed Mikey's birthday van, the thirteenth monster chasing it, hit the statues and send them all into the portal, which promptly closed.
The small family cried over her, grieving more openly than thought possible.
Even Splinter had a few tears escape his eyes, landing on the crystal around her neck.
Leo was leaning over her, remembering all the memories of her face.
When she was happy, sad, mad, infuriated, distracted, infuriated, annoyed, sweet, cocky…
Tears escaped him, hitting the crystal as well.
Mikey was sobbing almost uncontrollably, holding her still hand as tight as he could manage.
"K-Kitty…K-Kitty…" He kept whispering, as if repeating her name would bring her back.
It became too much, and his tears fell onto the crystal as he hugged her around the chest, ignoring the blood that started staining his skin.
Don still looked shocked as he stared at her face.
It had once been full of life and love…once been alive and smiling…
She'd hugged him, saved him, loved him, soothed him, talked with him…
He followed Mikey's example, his tears wetting the crystal she still wore as he cried into her stomach.
Raph stared at her, remembering what had happened before she'd left…
She'd felt so alive, her heart beating and her chest rising with deep breathes…
He never imagined what it would be like for her to suddenly be gone…just like that…and this pain in his chest was too much to bear…
He remembered every kiss, every touch, every smile…everything they'd ever shared raced through his mind almost too fast to see…
Everything he saw didn't seem to match with what was before him…
She'd seemed invincible, indestructible, so alive…
She was his heart…
And now she was gone…
The tears wouldn't stay back, they burned his eyes as they freed themselves.
"K-Kitten…" He choked out through sobs, a tear landing on the crystal.
Its bright glow caught everyone's attention, and they moved back as the glow grew brighter and brighter.
Her body seemed to float into the air, and the glow seemed to become like bandages, going over her wound and moving away to reveal nothing, not even a scar.
The glow died down, and she was lowered to the floor.
She lay motionless at first, and they wondered what happened.
She coughed, moving slightly.
"KITTY!!!!!!!!!"
Don and Mikey ran to her side, and she smiled up at them.
"H-Hey, guys…"
She stood up shakily, Don and Mikey helping her stand, smiling as they heard her heart beat rhythmically and seeing her chest rise and fall seemed like a blessing.
Leo hugged her, tears still on his cheeks, and she smiled reassuringly.
"It's okay…"
"…We almost lost you…" He whispered.
"…I know…and I'm sorry…"
Leo released her as Master Splinter came closer.
"My daughter…"
He hugged her close, not unlike when she'd been younger.
"…I thought I'd lost you…"
"…I thought I'd lost all of you…" She whispered back, her arms wrapping around her father as Mikey and Don stood behind her.
She looked past the elderly rat to Raph, and loosened her grip slightly.
Splinter understood, and moved aside.
"Raphie…"
"I-I thought I lost ya…"
"…I'm sorry…"
She was surprised by a sudden kiss, but didn't object.
She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"…I don't want to lose you…I-I'm not…I'm not strong enough…" He whispered to her softly.
A reassuring smile.
"…As long as we're together…you won't have to be…"
She turned slightly as Winter's disappeared in gold light as the sun rose.
The crystal around her neck did the same, turning into colors of the rainbow instead.
'…I guess it served its purpose…'
She gripped her red-banded lover's hand tighter.
'…And I'm glad it did…'