"Yes, Master Splinter?" Don asked, still confused but hoping his Sensei could explain it all away.
"My sons… I sense difficulty here. What is the problem that so affects you all?" Master Splinter looked to his eldest immediately on habit, but Leonardo was silent, gazing at Michelangelo, who was curled in his wing, as if the sight mesmerized him.
When Raphael cleared his throat, Master Splinter snapped his attention to his second-oldest quickly.
"Master Splinter… it was a game of tag that ended differently," Raph shrugged. Sensei was looking at him avidly now, as was Don. Letting out a sigh, he locked gazes with Leo, who looked away.
"Leo lost."
"I see. This is not the most bothersome point, though," Master Splinter deduced, now looked harder at his favorite student. Leonardo was… defeated, lifeless.
"No, Sensei. With all due respect, it is something we four must work out before we can talk to anyone else."
Master Splinter heard the truth in Raphael's words, and knew that if he pushed, he would only cause more damage. "Very well," he allowed. "Then I expect you all to speak to me again in such a counsel when the time has come that you are comfortable doing so. Know only that I am always here for you."
"Leo sold his soul!" Mikey blurted suddenly. Don shot him a look that said, You've lost it, huh? Raph, however, winced as Leo's eyes lit up with an inner fire they hardly ever saw. However, it was deadlier than Raph's rage.
"Leonardo?" Master Splinter asked, turning to face his oldest quickly. Leonardo stood up, bowed, and walked away silently. However, Mike grabbed his wing and pulled it down to him. With a grunt, Leo was knocked onto his back, his wings splayed across the grass.
"Sit." No one had heard Mikey ever use that tone of voice; Leo blinked, Don gasped, and Raph smirked. This was Mike being Raph-like. And it was not pretty. "You will tell us of this Ninja God you mention in this diary, and you will do so truthfully," Mike ordered, his hand caressing Leo's wing tip soothingly. "We are only here to help."
"Yeah, right," Leo snarled. Now everyone was taken aback; this was not Leonardo, this was Raph stuck in a deadlier, flying body! And it was actually going to get more like two Raph's and a pissed Leo, if Leo's mind signals were anything to go by.
"Leonardo, explain, please." Master Splinter put his paw on his son's wings, only to feel them shaking, though with suppressed rage or fear he could not tell.
"What's going on?" Don whispered to Raph.
"Hold the phone, everyone," Raph ordered loudly, standing. "Mike, keep Leo here for a minute. I'll grab the diary. Don, we'll bring you up to speed as we go, okay?" With that, Raph trudged into the farm. He came out quickly, though, with a small, blue book in one hand. Leo's eyes widened in recognition and he sat up, tucking his wings close to the ground to keep him in balance.
"This is… Leo's diary. Mike and I found it lying on his table, so we didn't steal it from a locked vault or nothing," Raph assured Leo and Master Splinter hastily. "It has some interesting stuff in it."
"Raph, please," Leo pleaded. "It was my choice, as it still is. Can't we just forget it?"
"No, Leo!" Mike protested before Raph could. "This is serious!"
"But-"
"No!" Mike had tears coming from his eyes, which startled Don. What was Leo hiding that affected their littlest brother so much?
"Very well," Leo sighed, defeated. He wrapped his right wing around Mikey comfortingly. "I did it to save you." Mike just sniffled and hugged Leonardo tightly, and Leo's response was to cover their orange-loving brother with his wing more.
"Did what?" Don asked, thoroughly ticked that he was unable to connect to what had Leo so cowed and Mike so sad.
"Leo, care to tell them, or should I?" Raph asked, his voice as hard and cold as steel in a freezer.
"I will, I suppose. You do not know everything." Leo gathered his thoughts, absently stroking Mikey's shell as he did so. "Master Splinter, Donatello, to tell it short, I sold my soul to the Ninja God."
Stunned silence from both of the addressees. Then Don's mouth dropped open with a pop and Master Splinter's eyes closed. Leo opened his mind barriers for his Sensei, but shut out Raph, who was also trying to get into his brother's mind.
"I was about ten. When you first told me that I was to be leader," Leo clarified for Master Splinter, who sat listening attentively. "I knew that I would have to care for my brothers and keep them from harm, Sensei, when you left us. That's why I train so much. I need to be able to protect you.
"I knew about Him from the scrolls you let me read, Master Splinter. I also knew that, if one of my brothers were to die, I would not be able to keep this family together. We are closely linked, but when disaster strikes, we are quick to separate and do things our own way." Leo glared at Raph, who was silent and didn't acknowledge the jib.
"Anyway, I was meditating hard one night when I realized that I had touched something I'd never felt before. It was like a broad, flat plain to me, but it was filled with souls and spirits. I searched for the ruler of this place, wanting to know more, and I found Him. At first, He thought I was an abandoned soul like the rest of them, but then He realized that I was not, so he came to talk to me.
"He knew of the conflicts I faced, the dangers and trials. He offered me something. Something I could not turn away, for it met my goals of protecting and saving you three. And all I had to do… was be honorable for the rest of my life and try to protect you three. So I agreed.
"When I woke up, I felt… hollow. I still do. But I don't care. I would have grown up the same anyway, and this is merely an added bonus."
"You die in our stead!" Raph argued.
"True," Leo shrugged. "But then, I have always hoped such a thing would come to pass."
This raised horrified gasps from Mike, Don, and Raph, while Master Splinter sighed and shook his head sadly.
"Is there any way to reverse this?" Don asked timidly. Leo turned his blue eyes on their braniac, thankful that he had asked the question.
"No. Not until I die or act dishonorably. As soon as I do that, I join the ranks of His army."
"So that's why you are always honorable, and spouting the "ninja honor" crap all the time," Raph growled. "Why'd ya do it, bro?"
"I needed to protect you," Leo said again. "If that is all, I believe that it is nearly time for dinner, and I have a deal to keep."
"We will talk soon on this subject, Leonardo. I will meditate. You would be wise to sleep. You are tired."
"Indeed, Sensei, but I must beg permission to have some tea first. Would you care for any?"
"Thank you, my son, I would." Master Splinter got up stiffly and walked slowly into the house. Don and Raph stood and followed, letting Leo deal with the emotional Mikey.
In the end, Mike would not come out from Leo's wing, preferring to be close to the brother they could lose so easily. Instead of one out of four who could die from an errant shot in an alley fight, Leo was now covering for all of them.
Finally, Leo just sighed and used his strong wing to pick Mikey up, though it looked odd from an outside view. However, the sad turtle merely curled up to the wing's warm shelter and was soon asleep, his death-like grip keeping any thoughts of dislodging him now from Leo's mind.
"Let's go in, little bro. You need a rest." Smiling, Leo heaved himself to his feet, feeling stronger now. Were his muscles all over his body becoming like the ones in his shoulders?
Mike's only response was to cuddle closer to Leonardo's side and latch his hand on the right wing joint.
Leonardo sat down with Mikey on the couch, hoping Don would help him. True to form, his purple-loving brother came in and smiled at the sight of the lump in Leo's wing.
Don was able to loosen Mikey's grip with some creative tickling along their little brother's tendons, and Leo slipped out of the couch and into the kitchen, keeping his wings tightly snuggled against his back.
"Bro… thanks," a voice whispered. Don came in and hugged Leo, his strong arms wrapping fully around the wings. Leo hugged Donatello back, knowing that his brother did not hold a grudge but was actually understanding. Just like Leo told the other two when Don was trying to work hard, this was something he needed to do.
Mike came in then, his eyes still red from crying. However, he smiled brightly. "No training," he reminded Leo. Happy to see Mikey back to himself, Leo groaned in fake agony and meekly lowered his head and wings in submission.
"As you wish."