A/N: Apologies to my readers! I've been extremely busy for the past few weeks and I was unable to post a few chapters. In order to make up for this, I will be double(possibly triple) updating this week.
Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT nor any other characters affiliated with the TMNT with the exception of my OCs.
Leo's eye narrowed to a slit and he caught Don's fist with a smack just before it would have struck his face. Leo twisted Don's wrist with a quick jerk, eliciting a small cracking sound from Don's wrist. The purple masked terrapin grimaced and fell to one knee. Leo's hazel eye bored into Don and the younger turtle glared through a wince.
"Remember who exactly you are dealing with, Donatello. I am not distracted in the slightest from my ninjutsu. I am more skilled in hand to hand combat than you. Do not test me." Leo began calmly. "Yes, this is my fault. I know how you feel about April. However, this isn't just about you. Michelangelo and Raphael need this." He continued, releasing his hold on Don's fist. The younger turtle straightened, rubbing his sore wrist. His gaze hardened into a glare.
"This wasn't for anyone but you. Don't try to justify your actions. I saw the way you looked at Mikey. You're just trying to fix your friendship with him after you slaughtered his cat." Don replied calmly, eyeing his brother angrily. Leo remained silent at that. He wasn't going to deny the verity of Don's statement, but, he still had nothing to say to his brother's comment.
You don't have to respond to him at all. He is only trying to start a fight that will end in you losing your touch with yet another brother. You don't need him right now.
Leo nodded slightly at the statement; it possessed certain wisdom to it. He was not going to admit that the voice of his worst enemy was turning into his conscience, but, it was being helpful as of late. He returned his attention to his clearly angered brother. "Don't be late for dinner." He said with sudden calm, turning his shell to the purple masked turtle. He paused, turning his head slightly. "I'm sorry." He breathed, although too low for Don to hear. Leonardo trudged forward, ignoring his brother's bewildered stare. Don had expected Leo to react negatively and violently to his statement.
Don stared hard at Leo's retreating form while clutching his throbbing wrist. He shook his head at the disappearing figure of Leonardo and turned back to the heart of the forest. He scanned the trees but the shadowy figure that had pointed out Leonardo was gone. Don released a sigh, and the tension in his body eased. He stared at the mess of once pristine snow where his and his brother's scuffle had taken place. Don closed his eyes and bowed his head. Leo had changed. Don was unwilling to admit it aloud, but his caring older brother was quickly fading away. He was being replaced with a cagey ever-shifting and apathetically selfish character. Despite that, Don knew that Leo would lay down his life for any of his brothers without hesitation. However, the Leo that cared about his brother's emotional well-being was nearly gone, only as visible as a transparent screen upon an opaque background. Leonardo was becoming dangerously unpredictable, something Don did not like in the least. Donatello yearned for knowledge and a keen sense of prediction. He did not like surprises in the least. Don's eyes fluttered open and he turned to the direction that his older brother had taken in his walk back to the farmhouse.
He eyed the lightly-treaded footsteps of his brother. The imprints were nearly unrecognizable.
A sudden wave of anger contorted Don's usually gentle features into a snarl. "He has nothing to be angry for. He betrayed me. He betrayed me for that spoiled brother of ours. As if a dead cat could cause so much grief. He is blind. Leo should open that one eye of his and see that Michelangelo is overreacting. No, instead he would seek to appease the brat and leave me to attempt to hold my peace around her and that… that ignoramus," He growled, before pausing. He sighed. "Perhaps I should just go back home…" He contemplated in a much calmer voice, his features softening.
He froze as an unnatural chill crept over him. He shivered and rubbed his arms as he leaned against a thick trunked tree. His breath came out in a wisp of vapor and goose bumps dotted his green pigmented skin. He turned his gaze up from the snow and his breath caught in his throat as his heart thudded painfully in his chest. Not more than a few meters away, the same shady figure leaned against a tree. It gave a slow shake of its head and wagged a bony finger at him. Don breathed in a shuddering breath as he stared. He took a step forward and the figure slowly drifted back behind the tree, trailing shadows flowed gently from behind the tree.
Donatello had trouble finding his voice. His mouth opened and closed but no sound would come out. He swallowed and his raw tongue felt as if it were bloated and stuck to the roof of his mouth like a gluttonous tick. He stumbled forward on half-numb legs. "Hey! W-Wait!" Don shouted as he finally found his voice. He walked forward at a brisk pace.
"Hey! Who are you?" Don shouted as he rounded the tree. He froze and tensed. The shadowy figure had vanished. His gaze dropped to the snow. No footprints. He glanced at the tree's bark but there no disturbance of any sort on the ice covered wood. A frown crept onto his features as puzzlement crept into his mind. His brown gaze darted about the frigid forest and he whirled about at every sigh and creak of the trees. He bit his lip and uttered a sound of disbelief. "He couldn't have just vanished. Where the hell did he go?" Donatello muttered, crossing his arms over his plastron. He shivered as a natural cold breeze blew past him. Although he was stymied, and much unhappy about it, he didn't want to end up like the always too curious cat that was destined for bad luck. It was becoming too cold for the purple masked terrapin to remain looking for clues about the shadow that seemed to follow him.
A/N: Thanks for reading, please review. I will be updating soon.