A/N: Thanks, guys, for the reviews! They are very much appreciated! And much thanks to Hoodoo for the beta'ing of this chapter!
The air was sweet with the scent of Spring.
Raphael closed his eyes as a thousand different aromas blew past him, dancing on the strains of the fresh breeze. Soft, newborn grass covered the awakening ground, carpeting the dirt with undulating waves of vibrant emerald.
He ran calloused fingers across the tender shoots that strained for the sun's warm caress, that yearned for the star's golden touch to break to icy bonds of winter. At every touch of the honey-colored rays of light, Earth responded with its oft-repeated renaissance.
His eyes were slowly drawn to the sky, endless field of blue stretching far into his peripheral, marred only by a lone, white cloud cavorting hand-in-hand with the teasing wind. In his mind's eye he imagined it to be a vast, turquoise ocean with the billowing sail of a foreign ship sailing for some distant, exotic horizon...
An inhaled breath, and the intoxicating scent of life filled his lungs. He could hear the faint songs of birds like a tickling on the edge of his hearing with the distant buzzing of bees carrying on in the background.
His gaze wandered from the sky to a grove of saplings surrounding his serene glade. The breeze danced like delicate faeries in the jade-green canopies, tip-toeing from one aerial branch to another. He could picture their angular, pixie faces grinning at one another as they cavorted among the ancient spirits of the forest.
God, I'm such a girl, he thought with distant chagrin at his fantastical imaginings. But he kept his hazel eyes fixed on the swaying branches.
The trees hummed a chorus to accompany the spirits' whirling dance. Their soft murmurings echoed over the hills and reverberated around his prone form with a strange, soft intensity. It was a hidden song, a private symphony held only for a chosen few. He felt his consciousness glide with the gentle thrum of the life surrounding him.
A stream purled nearby. Silver. He could picture it vividly; liquid silver sliding over amethyst-colored stones, reflecting the all-seeing, golden master of the sky. Its silver burble swelled majestically with the forest's musical resonance, lilting as it entwined and melded with the wood's gentle melody.
A warm breeze slid across his open eyes and slack face. He closed his eyes and inhaled the nectar-sweet air deep into his lungs. The airy smell of new, Spring flowers soothed his tense body as the pure scent entered his lungs. With closed eyes he imagined woodland elves gliding about him in celebration of the rebirth of Mother Earth.
His hazel eyes opened again and he lazily gazed about him. To his left a clump of yellow Buttercups peeked their tiny, dew-drenched heads out of the safety of their buds. Their blue-jade stems sprouted in soft contrast to the emerald grass. Shimmering droplets of dew sparkled brightly in the cheery rays of golden sunlight creating a delicate carpet of diamonds across the forest clearing.
He slowly closed his fingers around the crimson that coated his palm, the back of his hand brushing against scarlet blades of grass. His eyes were drawn to the red-tinged sward that touched his side. Translucent shoots of green grass were shot through with garnet red, highlighted by the sun's cheery tendrils. He found the picture oddly mesmerizing.
The strange pain in his chest was dissipating at the wind's light touch and his eyes drifted shut to the sound of the forest's magnificent symphony. In his grantedly limited experience, he had never heard anything so exquisite; Beethoven hadn't prevailed over the perfect synchrony displayed in nature; Mozart had never come close. This hidden forest thrummed with a flawless harmony that none could replicate and all wished to.
The soothing warmth of the breeze gently dried the sweat that stood on his brow. The intoxicating aromas carried upon it eased his sharp pain with each shallow breath he inhaled.
A ghostly touch rushed over his consciousness and he slowly opened his eyes to see four figures standing at the edge of his hidden sanctuary. He raised a ruby drenched hand in greeting but didn't interrupt the majestic chorus surrounding him by speaking. Mikey was the only one to return his gesture, his blue-tinged aura leaving ghostly trails of light in its wake.
They fondly looked upon him with expressions of somber, loving acceptance. He didn't wonder why they didn't come rushing to his side to try and stem the crimson tide pouring from his shattered plastron; he knew they realized that Nature's song was the only balm that could soothe him now. A rush of regret filled his chest as he regarded his brothers and father, commemorating their features, committing every detail to memory.
Mikey's face, so full of joy and mischief; Don's, regarding him with stern gentleness; Leo's, looking on with respect and honor; his Father's, an expression of grief-ridden acceptance.
Every one of their ghostly faces exuded an overwhelming sense of love that caused him to close his eyes as a sudden wave of grief filled them with tears. When the feeling passed, he opened his eyes to his see his family fading slowly away. The wind tugged gently at their incorporeal bodies as they stood motionless, looking upon him. His eyes were fixed on them; he smiled fondly at them through his tears.
His father suddenly broke away from his brothers and padded soundlessly across the sea of ruby covered diamonds, coming to a stop at his second youngest's side. His father looked down at him, his fading expression one of pride and love. Even as the old rat's features blurred, he kneeled at his son's side and layed a ghostly hand on his face.
Raphael's eyes misted at the intensity of the love in Splinter's gaze. He distantly realized that both he and his Father didn't have much time left. As if realizing this, his Father leaned down and embraced his prone son. Raph closed his glazed eyes and felt a faint breath brush against his ear.
"I love you, my son."
Those five words echoed sharply through his soul; the shackles that bound his spirit broke into a hundred shards and sang in unison with the concert enveloping the forest glade.
He opened his eyes and caught one last glimpse of his beloved father before he faded from sight. Raphael's eyes slid shut once more to nature's sweet lullaby. Peace enveloped him as he inhaled deeply; he felt his consciousness falling under the spell of its siren song. His soul rang in harmony with the spirits surrounding the magical glade as it departed him with a fond farewell.
The forest swelled in its perfected symphony, welcoming the soul joining its ancient dance.