I can hardly believe that I'm finally finishing this. *Sigh* I miss the little Turtle Tots.
*Picks up turtle tot Mikey* You guys are soooooo adorable! =^_^=
Anyway, all that cuteness aside a few announcements.
One, I want to thank all the readers out there for reading and commenting on this story. You all have made this my most popular story as of now. For some reason "You Have No Idea" is STILL popular! In second place. And I don't understand why!
Second, people should be aware by now, that despite the few sequels that have been partners to many of my stories I'm not really one to write them. The sequels came from peoples' requests and threats not from my writing ambition so I've done something I normally wouldn't do.
I have planned out sequels for three different stories but I'll only be writing one. Unless there's like 100 requests for the others. Anyways, there'll be a poll on my profile for the selections and of course, those who can't vote, if you leave the vote in a review in ANY of my stories, I'll count it.
Third, don't jump to conclusions about this conclusion. Since I will reveal what kind of ending it is (good, bad, sad or bittersweet) I can tell you that there will be no epilogue, so there will be no more waiting needed.
Forth, I have this story idea that I've posted a preview for, it's called Double Identity, I would like some more feedback on it.
Fifth, this list is too long and I better get a move on. To the chapter!
Time, Michelangelo found it such a funny thing. He thought about the seconds that made up the next minute of his life as his brother's flesh disappeared beneath his hands, the purple mask falling into nonexistence as the previous red and blue masks had. He wondered a million things at one moment.
How long was a second?
Why was time based on units of six?
Why did some people consider you nine months old when you're first born?
Why didn't all the months have an equal number of days?
With ten fingers and toes, you'd think the human race would base time on units of ten, wouldn't they?
Mikey jumped backwards as a blue light appeared before him.
"The very last…" a raspy voice whispered as the leaves rustled around the youngest turtle.
He didn't let his gaze wander. He kept his eyes on the tree, refusing to let them linger on the bleached white bones laying among the grass, dirt and leaves on the forest floors.
The rustling leaves stopped and Mikey felt a chill go up his spine. Had this happened to the ot-
His thought was cut off as his breath vanished and everything lit up light blue.
That day, in that clearing, the two nunchucks were the final two weapons to fall and along with them their owner fell, his skin disappearing and his skeleton clanking against it's own bones as they echoed the pitter patter of the morning dew from the treetops when they fell onto the ground.
"Mikey!" April shouted, falling to her knees by the skeleton, the orange mask outlining the eye sockets of nothing but dark emptiness.
"STOCKMAN! YOU LUNATIC!" Casey shouted, dropping his stick in favor of a large tree branch instead, glaring into the trees.
April, still kneeling by the bones that used to be the fun loving Michelangelo, reached out, her hands sinking into the strange softness the bones held.
"Those foolish reptiles were unmoral obstinate creatures that needed to be disposed of, and now, it's your turn."
"APRIL MOVE!" Casey shouted, pulling the red haired woman from the blue light that appeared before them.
"You two are little trouble to me," the voice said again.
"Casey, is it just me, or does his voice sound robotic?" April asked, half still frozen in horror at the skeletons around them of their friends.
"I don't care! I'll rip out his throat when I get my hands on him!" Casey yelled, randomly selecting a spot of rustling leaves in one of these trees and jumping into it.
"CASEY WAIT!" April yelled but then fell back when the hard headed vigilante came flying out of the tree and landed painfully on her.
"Get off me you bum!" the red haired woman yelled.
"Who you calling a bum!" Casey yelled back.
Stockman's voice returned, scratchy as ever, "Perhaps I don't need to-"
BAM!
"Ok creepy guy, that's enough!"
The tree branches of a tree behind the two humans rattled before the thump of metal against dirt sounded out against the distant flock of birds dancing in the sky.
Bones of black and of white
Within and Without
Their final battle
They became time's adversaries
And fell to ashes
Two weeks later April would stand in the same clearing, breathe the same air, smell the same scents and feel the same ground underneath her feet. Still, it would be different.
Time. It was on her mind, on everyone's mind.
She could still recall the aftermath of the battle when Lord Simultaneous and Rennet had come to her and Casey's rescue. They had surprised Stockman and banished him into the past. Rennet's reaction to the skeletons that laid on the ground was nothing short of how the red haired woman had felt.
"Lord Simultaneous please do something!" Rennet begged her master.
Lord Simultaneous had attempted to reverse the spell that had banished the turtles into instantaneous death, but every attempt was met with failure.
A shake of the head…there was nothing he could do.
"The spell is everlasting."
"Babe?"
April turned to see her boyfriend standing some feet away from her.
"They didn't deserve it," she said, gazing back to where her eyes were almost certain would be their final sight before they closed permanently.
"Of course not, come on babe, we gotta get back."
The silence that was there could be described as a sadness like the sight of a funeral parlor. Motion and sound were like far away sweets, but this would be a repeat of every instance you feel that little tug at your heart, knowing that something was missing from the stance that's held by the observer.
April turned and almost took a step away when it felt like something intangible shot through her chest.
"Wait," she said to Casey before turning and walking back into the clearing where the turtle bones laid in silence, still twisted and turned as they had previously fallen.
She glanced at the one that had stood for innocence, energy and joy, the orange shining bright as the midday sun crept through the leaves on the trees like a wayward mouse and laid a blanket of the sunshine over what was meant to remain.
Then, she glanced at the second, there was a particularly patch of dead, brown grass and when the wind blew over this patch of grass, it seemed to give off the gray hue of the brain, for this being had stood for intelligence, care and clarity.
The third and forth skeletons were tangled together but April had little to think but about the passion, protection and care they had offered their family and friends.
She went to turn away from them for a final time until an unusual, carefully observed, scientific fact metaphorically slapped her in the face. She turned back to them again and she wasn't sure what emotion it was that bloomed by the observed fact but it made part of her want to smile. A smile of accomplishment although, this smile was never physically seen.
The blue flash of color among the white bones was looped in a large O, and hung a little to the right. April, through her scientific mind, looked at one skull and then the other. They were the same. That magic or curse, whatever it had been had also accomplished what had been desired. Walking back out of the forest and to a worried boyfriend, April glanced up.
Were they really up there? In that heaven of everlasting peace and tranquility? April nearly smirked as she mentally answered her last question.
Only time would tell.
Over the years, she would look back at that spot. The bones were gone, the masks and weapons resting with their last home beneath New York City, but she would look back and imagine how time was such an unpredictable enemy. Everything had been good after a glance into the darkest corner that had made up most of their lives.
Even when her bright red hair turned grey and her final trip to the cozy farmhouse in Northampton came, she looked back and could smile at the conclusion that stained the air with a sempiternal gust of memories.
The lost memories and the fear that had been present. The eldest had always wished that his brothers would return to him and they had.
Yes, in death, the family that had stood together so long ago had come together yet again.
Oh come one, people totally didn't expect this? I warned everyone that there might have been a sad ending and now I will reveal which choice on the poll stood for which ending.
All Turtles 16-Sad Ending
Surprise Me-Happy Ending
Keep the Turtle Tots-Bittersweet Ending
Well, that wraps this one up. Hate me for it if you want but I had fun writing this. Anyway, see you all in my next story.
Oh and a last few reviews would be admired for all time!
~Moonsetta