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Chapter 11

Immortal Legacy

"OW!" Daphne pouted as she fell on her bottom, huffing," I'll NEVER learn that stupid trick! Can I kick your board? Please, Mikey?!"

Mikey cradled his board," Um, no, please don't hurt my board!"

Daphne sighed as she stood up and rubbed her sore bottom," That hurt…"

Mikey saw a tear glimmer in her sweet amber eyes and asked worriedly," I know you just fell, but…are you okay?" he put an arm on her shoulder.

She didn't look at him, as tears starting falling out of her eyes.

"Dudette? Daphne? What's wrong?"

She sniffled," I miss my dad… I remember fishing in the Mediterranean with him…sometimes, I'd get hurt…heck, I was always getting into scrapes, and he was always there…and now…" she sniffled, and started crying in eanest now.

Mikey felt his heart clench, remembering the time he and his bros had lost Splinter…at least they had had the chance that he WAS alive…Daphne's father was gone for good.

"Hey, Daphne, it's okay…Sh, don't cry, Daph…" Mikey gently put an arm around her shoulders as she started crying on his plastron, shaking with sobs.

He rubbed her shell, murmuring," I'm sorry about your dad… I'm so sorry."

She murmured," I didn't get a chance to tell him good-bye…I wish I could have one more day with him…to tell him all the things I love about him. I miss him so much!"

Mikey hugged her tighter, tears coming into his own eyes. He tried to force them down, but found instead that he was crying with her.

"Daphne…"

they both looked up as Nerissa, Eos and Andromeda came into the sewers, looking ashamed for some reason.

Andromeda's eyes were red with unshed tears, and Nerissa whispered," Daphne, I'm so sorry!"

Daphne kept crying," We brought death on our father's head. He took us in, thinking we were an answer to a prayer. We brought death to him."

Andromeda's eyes widened and she started to sob now, putting her face in her hands, broken.

Nerissa's face was now becoming wet, but she shouldered her pain as she declared softly," Daphne, you know we could do nothing. Even now, you must realize he died in a worthy manner. He died as a hero. And you know a hero is immortalized only when he dies."

Andromeda nodded grimly, still trembling with grief.

Eos added," I remember Poppa's stories. Achilles. Hercules. Perseus. Bellerphon. Atlanta. Hector. Even Daphne was immortalized by her transformation, going from maiden to tree. All those heroes are remembered by their deaths."

Daphne groaned, sobbing," Those were such horrible stories! All of them about death!"

"You know death is a part of life." Nerissa said gently.

As Nerissa's words sank in, the four turtle girls fell silent. There was an utter, and complete silence.

Leo swallowed. He had never seen the four so grim, so sad.

Eos looked up, a tear shining on her cheek.

"No matter what, my sisters, we'll always remember our parents. Because they have imparted so much to us, they are part of us."

Nerissa nodded slowly, as Leo spoke up," You are right, Eos. I couldn't have said it better myself." He looked at them with pity.

Daphne took a breath.

"I- I'll be in our room. If anyone needs me, that's where I'll be."

She walked off slowly, the light-hearted steps slow and dragging.

Andromeda was looking at the floor, her green eyes stony and hard.

Nerissa shook her head.

"Sorry, guys, I guess we carry a lot of emotional baggage from our past." She said softly.

"Hey, don't apologize you went through a lot. More then we ever did." Leo said softly.

Donatello nodded," We may have had our share of adventures, but we've never lost a parent, or been in a lab for a year at the age of ten! The closest we ever got to that was when Agent Bishop threatened to dissect us."

"Yeah, and he never got the chance! We kicked his butt…after he kicked our's, of course." Mikey added, rethinking what he said, trying to wipe away the tears that had leaked out of his eyes.

Raphael went to Andromeda, concerned, he had never seen her cry before.

"You okay, Andro?" he asked softly.

"Yeah…I'll live." She responded in a murmur.

Nerissa sighed, rubbing her temples," I'm calling off the prank. It was a stupid idea."

She turned and left, her steps dragging.

Daphne sat next to calypso, hugging her like a child, still grieving.

Calypso said nothing, as she stroked the turtle girl's hair, murmuring," Sh, it's okay, little one, it will be alright."

Daphne sobbed," I miss him!"

Calypso marveled inwardly. She had never seen Daphne like this. who would've known that Daphne was so full of grief, when she seemed to sparkle with life?

Andromeda knocked softly as she entered the room," Hey, Daphne, guess what?"

Daphne sniffled," What?"

Andromeda smiled softly, "Eos found out about her power."

Daphne bolted upright," What can she do?!"

"She can defy gravity."

Daphne's amber-golden eyes widened and she squealed, pain momentarily forgotten," Are you serious?! That's awesome!"

Andromeda chuckled," Yeah, it is. And you know what?"

"What?" Daphne was very excited as she grinned" Are you pulling my leg?"

"No, I'm not. Mikey got you a present."

Daphne's eyes widened and she quickly bolted from the room.

Calypso sighed," That poor girl…and you girls say I have a poker face."

Andromeda sighed," You know, I never considered…I always thought…I've been such a jerk. I was in so much pain myself, I didn't realize how much pain Daphne was in. I…I didn't know she blamed us…that she blamed us for his death."

Calypso stood up and murmured," I could say you were selfish, and deserve a sharp reprimand, but the truth is, we are all selfish beings. Wrapped in our own pain. We never consider that there could be someone in worse pain then us."

Andromeda nodded softly as she pulled out a sketch pad and flipped through it. she gazed a picture of a human man with rugged, kind features, a crooked smile and roguish eyes. He was in mid-laugh, older with lines of wisdom in his face, but the beauty of compassion gracing his expression.

Beneath that was a title," My Father's Eyes."

...poor turtle girls...

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