Good evening, everyone! I realize it has been quite some time since the last update, and I apologize for that. However, I have not forgotten my fanfiction, and here I bring to you the conclusion of this epic crossover! I hope it was well worth the wait, and that you all enjoy!
Pennywise began to open its mouth wide, an eerie, amber glow coming from within row upon row of teeth. At this, April and Casey both closed their eyes; though they remained as they were, their consciousness ventured to the source of the monster- the metaphysical form which manifested within the realm of space. As the turtles watched on anxiously, April and Casey found themselves in the recesses of the universe, seeming to float towards a pulsating glow in the distance. As they drew closer, they passed through a web of flares. When a flare made slight contact with Casey's arm, he hissed as the essence singed him, like that from the sun.
"Casey." April said. "You have to let your mind guide you."
"I'm trying… there's too many of these things floating around. Is that why that son of a bitch says that all the time?" He replied.
"These are an extension of it. Each time it takes a soul, it spreads further. When it trapped me here, I had to keep myself from being caught in these. Just… follow me." She said, the pair continuing to float forth as they neared what appeared to be thick clouds forming a wide array of teeth. A pair of crimson eyes were nestled just above the formation, the gargantuan grin seeming to stretch beyond measurable proportions. Just then, the whole universe seemed to tremble as a deep voice bellowed out.
"This isn't the first time I've danced this dance." The voice hissed like a volatile gaseous mixture. "See... as long as one part of the whole survives... I will be everlasting like the universe itself!"
April narrowed her eyes, which began to glow. "The Great Turtle died, didn't it? It was supposed to be eternal too. If one immortal being can die, so can you."
Casey did a double take, still unable to believe where they were. "April, what the hell are you talking about-"
"Casey, just concentrate." April said as the large tooth formation began to separate like a mouth opening wide. She squeezed his hand, clenching her teeth as she focused. The flares began to retract back to its master, Casey hissing as several brushed by him as they did so. He was having a harder time focusing on creating a shield around him as April had, the flares bouncing off and missing her. Once they were all collected, like a compressed web, Pennywise's crimson eyes bore into it as the raw energy absorbed into them. His eyes glowed like a pair of dead lights, and April's brow furrowed.
She knew Casey wouldn't be able to take this hit.
She quickly dove in front of him, clenching her teeth. She whimpered as she attempted to brace the pair of laser like attacks. Casey grunted, shielding his eyes from the blinding light.
"Shit, April!" He shouted as she began to succumb to the overwhelming power.
Back in the underground, Donnie's breathing deepened as April began to tremble, light burns appearing on her arms. "Something's wrong." He went to go to her, but Leo stopped them. "Leo, something's happening to her!"
"We can't intervene." Leo replied lowly as Raph tightened his lips, shaking his head.
"Come on, Casey, don't let her die out there... or in here... wherever the hell they're supposed to be." He muttered.
Mikey glanced worriedly between his brothers and the pair of humans, furrowing his brows deeply. After a moment of biting his lip, he inhaled sharply. "You can do it, April!" He shouted suddenly, to which Leo snapped his attention to him.
"Mikey, are you crazy?! You're going to distract them if you do that!" Leo exclaimed.
"No, Leo!" Mikey replied. "Remember when we were little, and dad would always say stuff like that to us when we we were sucking at something? But then, we'd always do better at it!" He said, glancing between them. "Remember he said that all that stuff helps us grow?"
"Like giving a plant water and warm sunlight." Donnie muttered, looking up for a moment before glancing over at April. "April! If you can hear me, you have to stay strong!"
In the void, April was barely holding up against the deadlight attack, Casey swearing under his breath before moving forward, attempting to help her block the barrage. As they both struggled, distant voices were suddenly heard, April shaking her head.
"Am I hearing things?" She shouted.
"If you're hearing what I am, then yeah, we both are!" He replied. As the voices became louder and stronger, several glowing masses began to appear behind April and Casey, the pair barely able to glance over their shoulders to see the glowing forms becoming clearer. "What the hell?!"
"April, Casey, if you can hear us... we're right here with you." Leo's voice was heard.
"So you better kick that clown's space ass!" Raph was heard shouting.
"You have to come back to us, April." Donnie's voice spoke next.
"What about me?!" Casey shouted as he continued to help shield the assault against them.
"Fine, you can come back too." Donnie rolled his eyes.
"How are you guys even here?!" April exclaimed.
"It's magic!" Mikey shouted, before clearing his throat. "But seriously you guys, you have to win! Pretend he's the final boss!"
"Unfortunately we don't have multiple lives to spare, Mikey!" April replied, thrusting her hands forward. She thought her mind was going to explode. As the turtles continued to encourage them, by a miracle, April and Casey began to gain the upper hand against Pennywise and the deadlights. Angering the creature, something shot out from the chaotic mixture of clouds and lights, wrapping around Casey's waist and whipping him around. "Casey!" April shouted, about to dash toward him when one of the deadlights struck her, sending her flying through the dark void.
"April?! No- shit, April!" He shouted, his voice echoing as she continued to spiral into the depths of eternal darkness.
"You see, Arnold?" The deep voice of the creature spoke. "Always so useless... an insignificant speck like you couldn't even save other insignificant specks... what makes you think you have a chance to survive? If you would have cooperated, I would have at least let you rot with the weeds on that putrid blue marble you call home." It hissed. "But you're pretty stubborn, aren't you?"
Casey grunted as the tongue like appendage squeezed his waist tighter, making Casey wheeze. "Takes one to know one." He spat.
"I'm going to crush you into delectable jelly..." The voice deepened. "And all your little friends are going to scatter like roaches when I come for them. But before them... I'll have a helping to some turtle soup courses." It chuckled lowly. "And that other pathetic excuse for a threat against me... April... she's going to wither out here. Give it a couple decades, not a single morsel will remember her. I can wait and test that theory, buddy boy- a few decades to you is a few hours to me!"
Casey could feel his whole body tensing as rage welled up inside him. The voices of the turtles faded in the background, all noise became muffled as his gaze met with the large pair of red eyes burning within the void. He clenched his fists as he felt greater pressure around his waist, feeling as if his ribs were about to snap. He began to tremble, focusing his mental energy.
He had to get to April... but he had to break out of the disgusting grip of this thing first.
As he threw every ounce of mental willpower into breaking free, Pennywise sensed this, keeping an iron grip on him as it continued to try to break Casey- mentally, and physically. As Casey felt himself weakening, he suddenly heard something behind him. It began in a whisper, but then, he realized the sound was then right beside him.
"Arnold."
Casey whipped his head, glancing to the side as his eyes widened.
"... Dad?!"
"Didn't expect to see me here, did you? I don't blame you, kid. I wasn't exactly father of the year when I was alive." He shook his head.
"Look, appreciate it, but I'm a bit occupied at the moment!" Casey shouted.
"That's why I'm here." His father stated bluntly. "I wasn't there for you growing up. You're a tough son of a bitch like I am. That's why I'm not going to let this thing take you down. I had my life. You're going to live yours, kid."
"Arnold." Another voice spoke, Casey glancing over when he saw his mother at his right side. "It tried to use us to fool you. It's time to give it a taste of its own medicine."
Casey watched in disbelief as he witnessed the visage of his parents float forward, the pair standing side by side as the tongue like appendage began to wither. A bellowing scream came from deep within the jagged toothed mouth, Casey inhaling deeply when he finally felt the pressure leave his waist. After taking a few moments to recover from the ordeal, he took this opportunity to dive away from the chaos, hoping that he could retrieve April. "April!" He shouted as his eyes darted, desperately searching for any sign of her. "April!" He called again. He then spotted her, tightening his lips as he pushed himself to get to her, his hand extended. He finally grabbed her hand, pulling her toward him. "April. Hey, April, wake up!" He shouted, shaking her as she came to.
"Ugh... Casey?" April groaned.
"Yeah, I'm prince charming. Now, pull yourself together, Red. We have to finish this thing." Right on cue, a loud bellow was heard, the pair glancing toward the sound. Pennywise was greatly weakened at this point, the pair somehow able to sense this.
"What do you think is going to happen if we actually defeat this thing?" April asked.
"Guess we'll have to find out." Casey replied, beginning to float forward. April did so alongside him, tightening her lips when they stopped within range.
"You thought you were so powerful... because you destroyed people who were vulnerable, people who you could control. But you can't control everyone. You're nothing but a coward." She narrowed her eyes, light beginning to illuminate around her as the dead lights began to circle about. Casey glanced over, the same happening to him as he focused. "There are forces in this universe more powerful, more memorable, than fear. You're the one who will be forgotten."
"Guess you're learning that lesson the hard way, asshole!" Casey shouted. Pennywise roared, the dead lights darting toward them in a last resort attack. The auras around April and Casey illuminated brighter, shooting out a bolt of light to counterattack the dead lights. At this, the dead lights burst into a large array of sparks, soaring in all directions like burning embers. As they did this, they shot through Pennywise, tearing through his visage as it began to screech loudly. April and Casey winced, covering their ears as it slowly dissipated, becoming nothing more than floating dust in space.
The pair watched this in disbelief, exhaling the breath they had been holding. Before either of them could speak, they felt themselves being drawn backwards, as if the force of gravity had taken hold of them. Space became farther and farther away, their presence becoming heavier and heavier.
Soon, they both opened their eyes- neither of them remembered exactly when they had closed their eyes, but now, they found themselves where this battle had began- on the cold, hard floor within the abandoned portion of the Grand Central Station terminal. The pair took in their surroundings, glancing over at one another. When everything came back to them, realizing what they had done, April exhaled with relief, smiling. Casey returned the gesture, the pair moving to sit up.
"Casey..." April breathed. "I-"
"You guys did it!" Mikey shouted, making the two jump a bit as he fist pumped the air.
"Mikey, I told you not to startle them!" Donnie exclaimed.
"Both of you, quiet down for a second." Leo scolded as he resumed a phone conversation.
"Well, don't congratulate us all at once..." Casey rolled his eyes. One moment later, he grunted as he felt himself being hoisted up, his shoulders being squeezed together.
"Hey, come on! Your buddy Raph's proud of you, Jonesy!" He said, causing Casey to grimace more as he gave him a noogie.
"You guys..." Leo approached then. "Doc's on the phone. He said that whatever you two did..." His expression softened. "... it worked."
"Uh, hello? I said that like, five minutes ago!" Mikey said, Leo shooting him a flat look.
"Anyway..." Leo returned his attention back to April and Casey. "With Pennywise gone, and Roberts biting the dust... we can work on clearing our names."
"Uh, Leo? We should probably get them checked out first before we do that." Donnie said. "For all we know, their brains might be scrambled eggs by this point."
"Donnie, it's going to take a lot more heat than that to fry this brain." Casey snickered.
"Why, because it's already like a rock?" Donnie snapped.
"BOYS." April held her hands up. "Can we bicker when we're ABOVE ground?"
Leo crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Already back to normal. But we need to get this city back to normal. Come on, let's go."
"Wait, am I back to normal too?" Mikey asked.
"Mikey..." Raph nudged him lightly. "You were never normal to begin with." He said, watching as Donnie and Casey both tried to assist April. The group headed out of the terminal, knowing that they were more than content with what they were leaving behind.
Within the following days after that fateful battle, the turtles reached out to the NYC police to present video footage of Pennywise, as well as survivor testimonies, to the appropriate parties in order to relieve the turtles, Casey and April of any charges against them. Once it was known that they stopped this dangerous entity from taking any more lives, they were once again honored as heroes, their reputations restored. At the ceremony, Donnie blinked as he heard his name being called. After glancing around, he finally found the source of the voice.
"Caleb?" Donnie cracked a smile. "What are you doing here?"
"Look, see them?" He looked over, Donnie doing the same as he saw a small group of people wave a bit cautiously. "That's my dad and his family. He asked me how the people at that place found me and I told him about you."
"That's really great, Caleb." Donnie smiled. As he spoke to the boy, April glanced over when she realized that Donnie had moved away from the group.
"Hey Donnie? I want to be a hero like you someday." Caleb said as he took out a small police badge. "My dad's a cop. He said that you saved him, too." The boy smiled. Donnie's expression softened, glancing up as the man gave him a nod. Donnie inhaled sharply, returning his gaze to Caleb.
"Caleb... I'm glad that you think I'm a hero. But... your dad is the real hero. See, my dad is a hero too. When I was little like you, he took good care of me and protected me. When you grow up, if you become a hero like him... you're going to save plenty of lives yourself. You have to keep working hard." He pointed at the small police badge.
"Do you think I can do it?" Caleb asked.
"I know you can. Just remember to do the right thing." Donnie said. "And stay in school."
"Hey Donnie!" Raph shouted from behind. "Come on, you can be a babysitter later!" He laughed.
"Well, I have to go, kiddo. But... I'm glad you're with your family. That's more important than anything." Donnie said. He waved, about to head off when he felt the small boy hug his leg, halting.
"Thanks, Donnie." Caleb said. "Whenever I'm afraid, I'll remember to be brave, like you." He said before stepping back, smiling and waving himself before running back toward his father.
Donnie chuckled to himself, adjusting his glasses as he reflected upon the heartwarming moment. He jumped a bit when he felt something against his shoulder, placing a hand over his heart when he realized it was April.
"I have to admit, that was pretty adorable." She smiled up at him. "Come on. There's someone who wants to speak to all of us."
"Is it Rebecca? I would think she was retiring for the day." Donnie asked as they headed over towards a side street, the crowds dissipating now that the ceremony was over.
"Nope." She said, smiling as they joined the rest of the group.
"Hello, Donnie." A familiar face smiled lightly.
"Doctor Sleep?" Donnie's brows rose.
"You can call me Danny. There are no more direct threats against us." He nodded before nodding toward a young woman next to him. "This is my niece. Roberts... planned on coming after the both of us after he dealt with you all because he held us responsible for his sister's death. With him gone, we have a lot less to worry about."
"Less?" Leo asked.
"There are still fragments of her influence out there... Rose the Hat's. But it's scattered and weak. I'm sure with Pennywise gone, it will further diminish. Those who can shine will no longer have to worry about being preyed upon by such malicious individuals." Danny said.
"You really have no idea how much good you've done." The young woman added.
"Nice to be appreciated for once." Casey shrugged.
"I'm just glad we're not being carted off to jail." Raph said, flicking a toothpick out of his mouth.
"Well, it was nice to see you all again. I'm sorry to cut this short, but unfortunately, I have a lot of work to get back to. I wanted to personally thank you all for your efforts." Danny said.
"We couldn't have done it without your guidance, doc." Leo nodded.
"Regardless... April and Casey had the power within them all along. They were the brave ones- I was too afraid. My niece is all I have. I was too afraid to put her at risk."
"You don't have to apologize. I understand." Leo said, thinking for a moment. "My dad... he's done the same for us in the past."
"Hey, come on! You have us now!" Mikey beamed. "Now we can talk about other stuff on the phone too! Like pizza, and video games, and-"
"Yeah, that will be great, but for now, Mikey, they really need to go." Donnie intervened.
"You know..." Danny smiled. "I think someone just left their pizza box in front of their apartment building just now. It's still warm." At this, Mikey fell silent. "Just down the block."
Mikey did a double take, the youngest turtle making a mad dash down the street. The group chuckled at this, shaking their heads.
"That was a good one." Casey said.
"Oh, no, he was serious." His niece smiled. At this, the chuckling died down, the group glancing at one another quizzically. "Well, it was nice to meet you all. We'll have to visit the city again... if my uncle allows it." She said, giggling before the pair said their goodbyes.
Several minutes later, Mikey returned, grinning from ear to ear. "Guess who got free pizza?!" He exclaimed, holding up the pizza box.
"Woah." Raph blinked, looking around. "That's... really weird."
"I think we all need to go home." Leo shook his head.
"Agreed... see you all tomorrow after work?" April asked.
"Actually... I'm going to see my sister tomorrow." Casey said. "I have a lot I want to tell her. And... I want to help her, somehow..."
April's expression softened at this. "That's great, Casey. If you need anything, let me know, okay?"
"You got it. Need some company back to your place?" He asked.
At this, Donnie straightened. "A- April? Can I walk you home?"
"Really?" Casey asked flatly. "Starting that up again, huh?" He smirked.
"Yes, Casey. Because I care about April. And when all of this was starting, our dad had a conversation about getting older, and what that means." Donnie said.
"Okay, so just because he had the 'birds and the bees' talk doesn't mean that-"
"No, Casey. It means taking responsibility. I care about April. I want to make sure she's safe. And if I want to be a gentleman and walk her home, and she accepts, then I have no reason to feel ashamed." Donnie said. Leo rose his brows as Raph nodded his head lightly, Mikey snickering. April pursed her lip as she too, glanced at him in surprise.
"I'll accept that offer." April nodded. She wanted to speak to Donnie about a few things, anyhow, and there was no better opportunity to do that than now. As the pair bid them goodnight, Casey scoffed.
"Would have been nice to get some dating advice from my dad... apparently I need it." He was about to walk off.
"Hey." Raph approached him, stopping him in his tracks. "Look, Jones. Just because you have no dad doesn't mean you have no family to give you advice or whatever." He cracked his knuckles. "We've all lost people or stuff, but we're still kicking, aren't we? Look... I can tell you all kinds of secrets of how to get back at Donnie. Deal?"
Casey thought for a moment. "Fair enough. Thanks, big guy."
"No problem... brother." He lightly punched Casey's shoulder, rubbing it before they parted ways. As they did, Leo exhaled lightly.
"Huh. Maybe there's some hope for my brothers to grow up after all." He thought aloud.
"Hey Leo? Does this pizza slice look like a funny face to you?" Mikey asked, holding it up as he stuffed a different slice into his mouth. Leo rolled his eyes playfully.
"Well, almost all of them." He said to himself.
April turned to Donnie once they reached her apartment. "Did you want anything to take for the road?"
"No thank you, my lady." Donnie replied, April chuckling lightly.
"Donnie... never change." She said.
"You may be a bit late on that one." Donnie replied.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"April..." He began. "... you know that I'll always..." April tilted her head as he sighed. "Seeing Caleb today, his family... it made me think."
"About what?" She asked.
"Up until now... I feel like the enemies my brothers and I have faced, the lives we saved.. we were just skirting through. We had our serious moments, but that's all they were, moments. Not enough time to really take things seriously. Not enough time to understand the consequences of what we were doing. The importance of what we were doing. What we could have lost..."
"Donnie." April spoke. "Don't ever doubt what you've done."
"I don't. But April... maybe... this silly dream I've had is just that. A silly dream. Maybe in the grand scale of things, it doesn't matter. And maybe, that's okay."
April thought for a moment, moving forward to step in front of Donnie. "But we don't have to be on the grand scale, Donnie. Not all the time. Now we can come back down to Earth. Caleb... he wants to be a police officer like his dad, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, he does."
"But that's impossible. At least... it is now. But what's impossible now, may not be later on. At one time, it was impossible to defeat Pennywise. But with diligence, hard work, and patience... it became possible." Donnie's breath became caught in his throat when her smaller hands took his. "Something about what you said earlier... it made me think too, Donnie. No... you're not a boy genius anymore." She smiled a bit. "You're someone that I don't think I could live without. Every time I fall... you're the one picking me up."
Donnie was silent for several moments, processing what she said to him. Without warning, he cupped her face, planting a kiss on her lips. The gesture lingered, the pair finally breaking it. They stared at one another for a few moments, silently what the action meant for both of them. They eventually parted without words- they did not need to speak, the pair having a mutual understanding of where they stood now.
Eventually, all the turtles met within their underground abode, their father waiting for them as always. They would return to their antics, as if nothing had changed... except that so much had changed. Though their boyish mannerisms remained, they had all grown in their own way through these trying experiences. Through all they had faced, they had matured into the heroes they needed to be, and their friends along with them.
Together, they had grown stronger together, and overcame the impossible.
And there you have it! It took some time, but I finally completed this story. I feel very proud of this one, and how it all came together. I looked into several of Stephen King's novels for inspiration, and I really had a lot of fun with this one. Thank you to all of you who read this, and for all your patience and support. Thank you for bearing with me and the long delays between chapter uploads and for understanding that life sometimes gets in the way. Your support is very much appreciated. Please feel free to share this with a friend if you liked the story, and I may return with a new one in due time. Once again, I hope you all enjoyed, and I will see you next time! Enjoy the rest of your summer!
~Kapra