Her Story

Brianna stood with him and let go of his hand so she could take a few steps forward, "Andrew…you said you can see someone's scares, that that was your special empathy power…Tell me…before I start, what you see on me…" She closed her eyes and for the first time in a very long time…she put down her barriers. She felt exposed, venerable…but she trusted him for some reason.

Andrew watched her for the longest time before letting his eyes wander. So many scars, wounds that were trying to heal, some were even infected. He noticed that the major wound was a healing scar above her heart, "Someone hurt you recently," He murmured, "Someone close, not close enough, but close." He looked up at Bria, "You and Rachel……you're the same. No wonder you two are Soul Sisters. The wounds are scars, and some that are trying to heal are infected. Usually that indicates from my experience that you're very sensitive. A word can cause you to bleed. People have to be careful what they say, and do around you."

He paused, "But you don't tell them, they don't know, you get hurt at the end of the day for keeping that. However, you want them to have freedom to say what they want; maybe that's why you stay silent," He sighed, "I just see scars, Bria. I don't really know what each one means, or what it does. I do know that if there's a wound over or near the heart that someone close hurt you."

Bria fought tears, and her barriers went back up immediately, trying to protect her. She laughed once, with only slight humor, "Davon is pissed at me," she smiled half-heartedly, "She's my 'dark side' yet she's not, if that makes any sense to you." She shook her head and started walking slowly so he could keep up, "Yes…someone close has hurt me recently. However, many things have hurt my heart. Did you see how deep it was?" she glanced at him, "Did it stand out more than the others?"

"I don't know how deep...but it did stand out," Andrew admitted, "And Davon being a dark yet not dark side, is understandable. Rachel has split personalities everywhere. Scary really…" He smiled teasingly, "I'm kidding, although I never know which I'm talking to."

Bria chuckled softly, "I have many personalities, and so I know how to pick out the differences between them. So I know which name to use," she smiled ruefully, "Mine have little difference between them personality-wise, but their purposes are much different. Davon takes on the more stressful things, and when I'm in a gory or unpleasant situation she's the one who isn't affected so easily. She's easy to anger, however, and one way you can tell it's her is very easy," she smiled, "Her eyes are green. She's the fighter I become."

"At least that gives me an idea what to look for to say anything just in case." Andrew admitted. Rachel didn't really change with hers. Just her attitude, "You say you have many. Will you tell me more?"

Brianna smiled, "I haven't talked about my personalities in a long time. I usually can't tell who's who…" she closed her eyes, placing her feet carefully in front of one another so she didn't go off track. "Mm…ah, yes, Angela. I told you that Davon angers easily. Angela is nothing but peace. She's never gotten angry about anything. She's the reason why I am able to have so much control over situations. That's her responsibility, to keep all of us calm. When another who's calm, for example Donatello and Leonardo or even you…" she smiled at Andy, "If they come near, she thrives."

She rubbed the back of her neck, "Angela…how you can tell it's her is actually harder than the rest. Her eyes are a dark teal, but since my eyes are ocean blue it's sort of difficult to tell she's taken over. Only Rachel has seen her face-to-face, actually."

"I see," Andrew was storing all of this in his head, "Angela, Davon, how many more is there?"

"Two…Hannah is another," Bria grinned, "She's the adventurer. The fantasy side of me, the one who helps me be a kid and laugh through all of this; that's her purpose. She's the one who allows me to be friends with Mikey. She's the one who's always smiling, always caring for others except her."

"Anya is a lot like Raphael. She's the 'bad girl' of the bunch and the one who easily agrees to help him with his bike. She's the Dare Devil," Bria tapped her chin; "She and Davon are the two depressed ones, and Anya's really mellow. To tell it's her…extremely difficult. You have to look for the accent instead of her eyes," laughing, she shook her head, "Anya is a master at different accents. Say you have an Irish accent…she takes up the Irish brogue within a few sentences. After spending time with Splinter, she's gets a thick Japanese accent. At the beginning, she had Rachel's accent because it still lingered in my Soul Sister's voice. She loves to just do random accents most of the time, though."

"I feel bad that Rachel's accent faded," Andrew admitted to Bria, "At least then you knew who she was, if she was Kimiko. Now…I don't think I'd tell them apart," He thought for a while, "I don't have much of an accent, so sorry." He laughed as he thought for a minute, "At least now I know who I can blame all the injuries you get…but what about you?"

Brianna blinked, and then smiled sadly, "Do you wish to know about my personality and who I am, or do you want me to continue my story?"

"Both…if you want. Or either one," Andrew looked at her, "You can decide. I'm fine with listening to both."

Bria smiled ruefully, "I'm a very spiritual person. I'm open for anything, though until I came here and discovered Angela, I had to be bribed in order to go shopping. My parents say I'm a social bug, but you'll see as I show you my memories…after I thought about it, I never really let anyone close to me. Rarely did I deem it safe to give a simple hug for I was afraid even my semi-friends would get ridiculed. I hung out with the darker side of the crowd who were also strange in their own special way," she chuckled, "The Goths, Emos…The 'gay' people, the 'lesbians' and I actual met a 'bi-sexual' guy."

She sighed, "That's why back there I announced you as my 'new best friend'. Once I really looked you over and put the pieces together, you reminded me of them. I feel comfortable around those kinds of people, for the others I despise as much as they hate me. Why? Because they're so untrustworthy I could never keep up with who was who's friend and who switched sides to become enemies. I stayed quiet back then because no one listened to me or what I had to say. My day could so easily be made because someone would include me in something. I hated group-ups for games like Greek Mythology Jeopardy or jeopardy dealing with something for Algebra…" she shook her head.

"You said I'm sensitive…that's sort of an understatement, but I don't know a better name for it," Brianna frowned, "This leads onto my story. Once…I trusted my heart and love to someone who did every kind of possible thing to hurt me. I was frozen, and Davon came out more often than not after we broke our friendship off…" she bit her lip, "Her name was Krystal – with a K – and it means Ice where Crystal with a C means Crown. Oh, how true that meaning suited her…"

She bowed her head as they neared the half-way point and she stopped, going off the beaten path to a frozen fountain. She sat on the rim, and waited for him to join her. "The one who hurt me recently is Rachel, and it felt like a re-run…I was so frightened…déjà vu hit me quiet a bit during the few-day-silence between her and I," she said very quietly as she waited.

"Rachel?" Andrew murmured. He paused and then sat down next to her and watched the ground for a long while, "I can see that," he looked at her.

Bria shook her head, "No…this was different yet the same." She sighed, "Krystal…We were together for about a year. Started out as friends…then became Soul Sisters," he voice cracked, "School and Summer was a blast. She didn't have a very affectionate family, so she barely knew what a hug was. My family taught her, however, and slowly grew to like it. Then the next school year came around…"

She shaded her eyes with her bangs, "Her grandfather was a major part of it...he was allergic to cats and dogs, so I could rarely go to her place, and then she could baely come to mine, but she did anyway...at least during the summer. Fights occurred constantly during school, though I was careful enough not to drag it out in a public area where other students were."

"Once I remember clearly...I had thought about it, and then after school once told her that we lived in two different worlds. She disagreed. I was trying to find a reason to end it before it, but it would have done too much damage then, now I realize. My parents had gotten us to get over that one…" Bria bit her lip, "I tried to spend more time with her, get us to go to either of our homes or the river on a nice day, but each time she found some sort of excuse. The grandfather allergies one was the most used and soon got old fast. I swear half of it she made up," she spat and hissed menacingly.

"Then summer rolled around, and I found more time, surprisingly. She admitted that she liked me one day…like liked, and she figured she was bi-sexual. I was ecstatic, and eagerly told her I felt the same way…"

She broke off, her breath hitching, "We…we…we kissed, just to try it…" she sounded disgusted by the memory of that 'first kiss', and she was, "We cuddled, talked…and then we parted."

"I didn't see her, not one glimpse, for two weeks."

Andrew burst out laughing, "First kiss happens to be by experimentation. I think about it……I think all first kisses are by the same sex."

Bria furrowed her brows, "That's not where I'm going with this...That bit of trivia I already knew."

Andrew smiled at Bria and then looked down at the ground, "Okay. Keep going."

Brianna sighed, "Then…she came to my house one day…I don't know what brought her there, she just came. We talked, I told her how much I missed her…it's a haze…All I remember is that another day I believe I was at her place and she told me, point blank, that she wasn't bi-sexual. She would never be able to get over this boy of hers, her best friend. She shattered me then…but that was only the beginning. A month I think after that, I sent her a stupid invite to an idiotic site, and she over-did it and overreacted. Her e-mail reply back was long, and each statement cut me deeply after I got over anger and sent her a response. That went on for a couple e-mails, and then she finally come over…

"That was the day our connection was cut permanently. She told me I was clingy, needed love, and she wasn't able to 'handle it'," she did air quotations in mocking, "She wasn't the type of person who hated being clung to. She numbed me, cut me to ribbons, burned me, cut me more, and shattered me like frozen glass hitting the floor. We went outside to 'talk', she stomped on the pieces left, looked into my eyes, saw the hurt, told me straight out what she saw, and then said 'I'm sorry'. A lie, straight at my face…and that was that…

"I'd been shot through the heart, and she didn't give a flying fuck."

Andrew listened to her rant for a long while, "That explains why Rachel's cut was so deep."

Bria put her hand over her eyes, hiding the fact that they had turned a deep purple. Anya's eyes. Her voice stayed the same, however; "Rachel was being so quiet and so distant…I was so afraid that I had said or done something wrong. It turns out that she had once again doubted her trust in me to understand…" she would have explained more, but had a feeling she didn't need to.

"She always doubted," Andrew looked at the ground, "It was one of the fights her and Matt had once. Every fight got worse and worse and then she walked out. Every single fight was about her doubts and her distrust." He looked at Bria, "She doesn't even trust Raph I bet you anything."

Bria rubbed the back of her neck and smiled impishly, keeping her eyes closed, "She does, actually. She feels she's taking a huge risk, but she's given him her heart and complete trust."

"No fucking way," Andrew was shocked. That was not Rachel.

Her throat was itching with the strain of talking regularly in this form. "Shikata," Way… She had hoped by using a Japanese word, the Japanese accent would be masked a bit, but she tightened her eyes a bit more as she felt it betray her anyway.

"I know you changed to someone else, Bria. Just tell me who," Andrew sighed, "I've been around people with different personalities. Namely Rae… Just…don't hide. I won't judge."

"Keh," Anya snorted, her Japanese accent rich, and she curled her lips away from her teeth in a sneer. She kept her eyes close still; "I'm not afraid of being judged. It's happened so many times that I don't care either way." Then her voice went soft, "It's what you'll do."

"Is it?" Andrew smiled at her, "Matt knows Japanese. I don't so if you're going to start talking in Japanese make sure you translate what you're saying." Andrew smiled wider, "You have a nice accent, I like it."

"I'm Anya," she turned in his direction and held out her hand to shake, "I've never come out in front of anyone, except for Rachel and Raphael, but for both I had my sunglasses on and we were working on our motorcycles since Donny had just made mine and I needed help." She chuckled softly, "Arigato for the complement," she added absently.

"No problem." Andrew smiled and looked at the streets for a while. He glanced at her, "So she works on her motorcycle, but she won't ride it."

Anya moved her head like she was rolling her eyes, "This was during the summer."

Andrew blinked, "So she doesn't touch it at all." He paused and then looked at her. "You don't seem to be the girl to be into motorcycles."

"Didn't Bri-chan tell you?" Anya shook her head, "I'm the one who allows her to hand with Raph. I'm the ''bad girl' of the bunch.' Or something like that. Exact words, I remember."

"She did. I just don't see it." Andrew told her.

Anya smiled impishly, "That's because I'm all decked-out in Bri-chan's clothes and this over-sized jacket," she tugged lightly at the red one she was wearing, "I have a set of clothes specifically designed for me, when I feel I need a day to get out and breathe for once."

Andrew laughed, "I'm guessing you're the one that got Rachel that dragon tattoo, hmm?"

"Sort of…yes," Aya couldn't help but beam at him. Too bad she had to keep her eyes closed, or he would see the sparkle in them. She shrugged off her jacket and stood, lifting her sweater to show her side where the two dragons interlocked, "It was Davon's and my idea both to start the Aka Ryuu after a few thefts with the Purple Dragon. We found Rachel soon after, and I just had to have her join. She's just so special that none of us could pass her up."

"She is," Andrew murmured, "However…I feel terrible that she's bowing down. She used to be so strong…"

"I'm going to follow your advice and have Matt bug her," Anya grinned and put her jacket back on; it was cold out.

"As in?" Andrew looked at her. "Making her train using Matt as a sheild?"

"No, no, to have her train harder," Anya chuckled, "Oh, never mind," she shook her head. She turned her head and blinked her eyes for a moment, "Ah…sorry…it's a strain keeping my eyes closed when I come out. I don't have my sunglasses with me."

"Anything more I wish to say? Not really, unless you want to know about my eyes. I was sort of waiting for you to ask…it's a common thing, I'm surprised you didn't," Anya chuckled.

Andrew looked at the streets and then looked at Anya. "Do you wish to tell me about the eyes?" He wasn't teasing, he was asking.

Anya laughed, but it was nervous now, "I admit, I was hoping for that question, but it still scares me every time…" she looked away, "My eyes are purple, Andrew-kun. Only rare people have purple eyes."

"Me and Rae play videogames, Anya," Andrew told her as he sat up from his crouched position to look at her straight in the eyes, "Legend of Zelda, Mario, the classics. I live with a cross-dresser while I'm at the whole thing. So do you really think I'm going to judge you by your eye-color? I know that one third of America has albinos. I know they have red eyes. The rare ones have red eyes and dark color hair. I really do doubt I'm going to judge you on that."

Anya felt him stare at her and her put her hand over her eyes, for extra coverage. Then, after he finished, she growled and grabbed his shoulders, "You're not getting it. I'm not looking for a reason to be judged. I know there are stranger people out there, and they're more fascinating than anything. I've had the fortune of seeing one here in New York…" she let him go, hesitant to continue.

"Do you…really want me…to show you?" Anya asked, barely above a whisper.

"Is there a reason not to?" Andrew asked back.

Anya bit her lip. Two were screaming at her not to do it…mainly Brianna, but Davon was also screeching at the top of her lungs. The other two, Hannah and Angela, were all for it. She had to be the tie breaker…and leaned with H and A. They barely got a say in anything now a days. However, she did not open her eyes right away; "Just answer the question," she murmured.

"If its bad, then no. If it's something that you want to test, then go right ahead. There. That's my answer." Andrew told her firmly.

Taking a deep breath, Anya slowly, carefully, opened her eyes.