A/N wow! this is awesome! thanks so much for the reviews and the interest! you guys have made my day- nah! My week! I've been on a little bit of a downer, and this has totally lifted me straight back up!!
you guys are awesome! yay... I'm so happy! I'm not too confident with my writing skills, or my ability to keep 'em in charater, but the interest that there has been has shown me I must be doin' sumthing a little right!!
Sadly, this is were it all starts to fall apart... it was meant to be a oneshot, because I didn't know - don't know, how to bring Leo back from the funk he's in, right now... and I still don't know what happened to him while he was kidnapped... sorry, that's probably not very reassuring! But please- read on! And I'm not sure how good this chapter is... eh, sorry, but I like it, as much as possible. I decided that you can't keep Leo down, and I had to bring him back, so, I hope it's ok!
(Oh, and sadly, I don't own the turtles. sniff)
Chapter Three - Promises and Wishing on a Star
Donnatello looked at Mikey sadly. Times up, bro. It's been a week. And shell, what a long week it hads been. Donnatello did not want Leo to leave again, didn't know if he could handle it, if any of them could handle it- but, watching Leo and Mikey that week had been horrible, painful.
Because, despite how foolish Donnatello knew it was to hope, he couldn't help it. Couldn't help himself. It was all he could do now. Hope and pray, but that would not be enough.
Not this time.
Leo wasn't bouncing back from this- shell, we could help! If we just knew what happened! Donnatello cursed Leo's silence.
"Mikey..." Donnatello sighed. Michaelangelo staggered into the room- now days, Michaelangelo always seemed tired, he never really bounced around or laughed or smilled or joked. That, among many things, was killing Donnatello. "Nightmares?" Donnatello offered- he wouldn't be able to help, only Leo could help. Donnatello didn't know how.
Well, that just seems to be the problem with you, don't it, Donny? You can fix computers, machines, you can fix bodies too, but you can't fix what's inside of 'em. You can't fix Leo. You can't fix us.
We're broken.
"Mmmh." Michaelangelo slurred.
"Wanna talk about it?"
Michaelangelo did a double take, scowling. "I think I already did."
"With Raph?"
"No- with Leo!" Michaelangelo gaped. Yeah... I can definitly remember... waking up from a nigthmare, then going through- and talking to him for a few minutes... before falling asleep... But... Michaelangelo frowned- he had woken up in his own bed.
"With Leo?" Donnatello repeated.
"Yeah!" Michaelangelo smiled, some of his old energy returning. "You're not still gonna pack Leo off, are you?" He asked, pausing before running off somewhere.
"I... don't know, Mikey."
"You can't split us up, Donny. Please." Michaelangelo said instantly. Donnatello looked away.
I've got to do whats best for Leo- and them... us... But I don't know what's best! Leo would know- Leo always knew what to do...
"I don't know what else to do." Donnatello sighed, at a loss- a complete loss. He didn't know where to go from here, or how to get back to what they used to be- shell, even if he knew what to do, or where to go, it didn't matter. He couldn't even start anymore.
"Wait for him!" Michaelangelo shouted over his shoulder, beginning his search for his oldest brother.
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"What's with Mikey?" Raphael asked, sounding as if he couldn't care less.
"Raph, if anyone of us got through to Leo right now, who do you think it would be? You? Me? Or Mikey?" Donnatello asked flatly. Raphael frowned.
"What the shell does that mean?" Raphael snapped.
Shell, I could just kill him. How does- did- Leo ever cope with Raphael? Donnatello was at a complete loss.
He was just about to shout and scream at Raphael, get rid of some of the tension building up inside of him- then he realised.
Raph's hurting too.
"Raph." Donnatello sighed, feeling bad. Great. I'm such a jerk. "It sounds like... like Mikey might... have managed to get through to Leo- just a little bit."
Raphael stared hard at him. "Is it enough?"
"Little bit, by little bit, small, painful step by small, painful step, it will be enough. We'll get him back. I promise."
Raphael stared Donnatello.
We'll get him back. I promise.
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Don." Raphael growled and walked away.
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"How ya doing?" Michaelangelo asked, feeling like old times, when he would try and bug Leo enough to get him to stop training. Leo merely cut him one look, before resuming his exercises.
Michaelangelo walked around him in a big circle, backwards. "So, what I wanted to say was... thanks. For you know... getting me through my nightmare."
Now, just get me through this one.
Leo frowned at Michaelangelo- who grinned wildly back. "Yeah, I remember. Guess that's why you put me in my own bed, huh?"
Leo looked away.
"'member what you promised me?"
Leo stopped.
Michaelangelo stepped a little closer. "You promised you'd come back, and I promised to wait for you."
Leo lowered his ninjaken's slowly, looking at Michaelangelo with- a look that Mikey couldn't place, but it was so familiar. Then, it clicked.
That's the look in his eyes that he gets- when we get hurt! When he feels like he nearly lost us- he looks at us like that!
Michaelangelo could have whooped for joy. But didn't. "You never break your promises, right?"
Leo's eyes fell to the ground. "Right." He nodded slowly.
Michaelangelo wanted to laugh- but cry too.
"I'll wait for you! Raph and Donny- they'll wait too!" Michaelangelo paused.
"We won't leave you behind, Leo."
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Raphael sighed heavily. "Can't see the stars..." He muttered, then mocked himself for a few minutes.
What good is wishing on a star gonna do me- us, anyway? Damn, I ain't never tried something so stupid.
"I wish..." Raphael said aloud, and nearily died of embarrassment. When the shell did I get so pathetic?
"What are you doing here? It's dangerous. The Foot are still around."
"Back off D-..." Raphael trailed off. "Leo?"
"And what would happen if 20 Foot attacked you now? They'd wipe the floor with your shell." Leo sighed, walking over silently.
"Leo?" Raphael gaped. Wishing... on a star? He shook his head. Suck it up, Raph! Wishing ain't done anyone any good- ever!
Leo sat beside Raphael. "I'm trying, Raph." He muttered weakly. "But this time... I don't know if my best efforts are ever going to be good enough."
Raphael stared hard at his older brother, but didn't say a word. Leo wanted to talk this time. Truth was, Raphael didn't know if he had anymore to say.
"I feel like... you three are- somewhere, just beyond my reach... And even though you're still reaching back for me..." Leo looked at his hands. "We're so far apart now. And it's my fault."
Raphael smiled. All your fault? Don't that sound familiar.
"You need to find some way to help Donny. I can't. If I try and save him now... I'll just... I'll fall even further. So, you have to."
"What?"
"What's hurting you, and killing Mikey- it's... destroying Donny. He's the only thing keeping you guys going right now." Leo sighed.
Nah, you're wrong, bro. The only thing keeping us going right now, is the memory of who you used to be... And the hope that you'll come back to us.
Leo sat back and stretched, a little groan of pain escaping him when he stretched his left arm. He rubbed the shoulder lightly. "I'm tryin' Raph. But I'm failing."
"Why?"
"I'm... I'm scared." Leo said finally.
"Scared? Of what?!"
"You. And Mikey... And Donny." Leo said honestly. "Even though... I know, it wasn't really... really you guys... I can't help but be so scared... that you'll... hurt me like you did."
Raphael scowled at his older brother. "Damnit, Leo! I'd fight away all yer fears!" Raphael snarled. "You've held our hand through some horrible things- and we'd hold yours, if only you..."
Leo looked away.
"Shell, Leo." Raphael cursed. We're trapped by our hopes and memories of him... how we used to be.
"I'm torn between the life I used to lead... and... what I've become." Leo muttered. "I promised... Promised Mikey I'd come back. But I don't know... I don't know if I can."
Raphael searched the sky.
It was stupid, it was childish.
But he wanted a star to wish on.
Because it was the only thing left for him to do.
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"Raph!" Leo shouted, knocking him down- drawing his ninjaken's. A shuriken shot over Raphael's head. "You see?! Look- damnit Raph, this is why you can't go off alone!" Leo chastised him, pulling him up.
"Bro, stop ripping the shit outta me, stop being such a..." Raphael smiled. "On second thoughts, rip away." Leo scowled at him.
They faced the group of Foot Ninja.
Their leader recoiled when he saw Leonardo. "You." He snarled silently.
"We fight?" Raphael asked softly.
Leo cut a look to him. Then nodded. Raphael smiled. Just what he'd been hoping for. Some way to get rid of the anger.
"You shouldn't--!" The ninja that had spoken before began- but Leo leapt forward, with the speed that Raphael secretly admired- and, easy as he breathed, struck the ninja down.
Before the ninja's body struck the ground- the fight had truly started.
Raphael snarled something inarticulate, round-house kicking one ninja, then turned and stabbed another with a sai. He didn't wait to watch them fall. There were too many for that.
Maybe... maybe there's too many for just me and Leo... Raphael cut a look to Leo- who was just a blur of flashing blades and blue and green.
Raphael allowed an angry smile to blossom on his face. He turned back to the group of ninja. Easy... too easy. Raphael smirked. The number of ninja had seriously deminished when- a man appeared, striking Raphael hard in the chest. Raphael cried out and staggered back.
The man moved with... shell! He moves faster 'an Leo does! Raphael thought- before he was on the ground, sai's knocked out of his hands. The man smiled. "What the shell are you?" Raphael demanded angrily.
"That... is of no concern."
"Oh, it kind of is, actually." Raphael replied flatly.
"The knowledge will do you no good. You will be dead before-" The man raised his katana- where in shell did that come from?! Raphael had time to wonder dully- before the blade came swooping down.
"LEO!" Raphael bellowed, throwing his hands up to his face.
Leo knocked the man backwards, feet first. He propelled off the mans chest, backflipping, and landing beside Raphael.
He offered a hand to his brother. "We ain't got time for you to just laze about, Raph." Leo said mildly.
"Ha ha." Raphael muttered, and allowed his brother to pull him up.
"Sorry I took so long." Leo said. "I was getting these." He offered Raphael his sai's.
"It's good." Raphael smiled, staring hard at his older brother.
"What is?" Leo questioned.
"Be-!" Raphael had time to shout, before the man lunged forward. Leo spun, knocking Raphael down with his left arm, and dropping to the ground himself. The man shot over them, landed smoothly, and turned, ready.
Leo came up to his feet just as smoothly, drawing his second ninjaken. "Who the shell are you?"
The man laughed. "You don't remember me?" He smiled, eyes glowering.
Raphael stared at his brother, then at the man before them. "Leo-" He began, he didn't like the look in the man's eyes.
But before he could continue, the man, vanished. Just pure- vanished. Disappeared. Kind of like... the Elite. Raphael thought numbly.
Leo looked back at Raphael, then at the fallen bodies of the ninja. He sheathed his ninjakens.
"Lets get home, before anymore get here." Leo said softly.
Raphael nodded, replaced his sai's, then followed his brother as they leapt over the buildings, heading for home.
I promised... promised Mikey I'd come back... But I don't know... I don't know if I can...
Raphael smiled.
Don't think ya have ta worry bout that anymore, bro.
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One last thing I'd like to say, if ANYONE has any ideas about what happend to Leo, while he was kidnapped, I would appreiated him. The man (ooohh, mystery) has something to do with it, I think... (Ladies and gents, this is why you should always have an outline, or a plan, something! lol) and whatever happened to Leo, was done by his supposed brothers. A.KA. people, or things that are made to look like him... mwahahaha!
confused?
me too!
I really hope you enjoyed it- and thanks again for the interest! woot, I'm so happy! oh... and another apology... I don't like fght scenes, dunno how to right them. So what happens will be sketchy at best, I'm trying to learn, trying to get ot grips with it. any suggestions would be great!!
woot... party!