18: Leo

KATE AND THE NIGHTMARE KING

Shattered. Broken. Beaten down to my grave. That's when I feel like. Kate and Felix may fly beside me, but they can't fix me. They don't know how to.

I swallow hard, and look over at Kate, "I'm sorry."

My voice is broken, and reminds me of glass. It's like I'm trying to talk through the stuff while swallowing it.

Kate glances at me," It's not your fault. It's everyone who made you this way's fault."

"Their right, though. I'm a masochist."

"No, you're not! You didn't know any better. You couldn't be accepted in that world. But you're accepted here."

"Thanks, Kate, but I need time to think. This is…um…a little difficult."

Kate looks at me so sadly, I almost choke. "Just…keep up, kay, Leo."

I nod, "Kay."

Kate flies above me, while I take in the scenery. Below us are pine trees. The sky is turning a bloody orange and red. Up ahead is Old Jack. From here, I can see that Old Jack is not only a clock, but it is an extended building. I wonder…is that…the-

"NIGHTMARE KING!"

I turn to look at Felix right as something black flies through his wing. Felix screams as his wings fold in in shock and he falls.

"FELIX!" Kate and I yell. We dive down after him, his yells urging us to go faster.

We break branches as soon as we hit them. Kate gets under Felix and slows his decent. I grab his legs and guide us through the trees till I find a good place to land and drop them. They hit the ground with a grunt as I land on a ginormous rock. Down here, the trees are pure black and the ground is ashy gray. The sky looks as if it is going to stay bloody red.

"AARGH!"

I turn back to Felix. Kate is looking at his wing. It is bent in a funny way and blood is coming from a hole near his bone.

"Felix?" I say. Kate glances at me then back down at his wing.

"Felix, you're going to be okay. Just breathe." Kate whispers.

Felix shakes his head,"N-no! The- the… L-Leo…LEO!"

I move to his side. He grips my hand as pain washes over him. "Le-Leonar-ardo…FLY!"

"I'm not leaving you, buddy," I say.

He shakes his head but the pain keeps him from saying more. Sweat covers his pale skin, making him shine. I reach to wipe his sweat away when Kate gasps.

I look up at her. She isn't facing me, but she's looking to my right. I follow her gaze and my eyes bulge.

A yard away stands the scariest person I have ever seen. He's smiling with a mouthful of sharp pearly teeth. His hair is pure black and sticking out every which way. At his hip is a burning whip and behind his black get up I can see a double bladed axe.

The Nightmare King.

Why do I feel like I've seen him before?

"Hamato Leonardo," his voice booms, making up jump," I must say I enjoy seeing you so…broken. You look awful."

"Leo, what are you doing?!" Kate cries quietly as I stand. It's as if I'm not in control of my body, though I can sense Kate's fear.

"Look," I call out calmly, "I'm sorry for whatever I did when I was younger. I didn't know what I was doing. But…I can't do anything now. I'm just a-"

"Always so calm weren't you."

I pause, "What?"

The King starts walking, circling towards me. "You were never scared, not really. It made everyone in this world brave. You are not as innocent as you believe."

I maneuver myself so I'm between Kate, Felix and the Nightmare King.

"All of your little followers are going to die, Leonardo. As soon as you are dead."

"Look," I yell," I was a kid! Raph and I were kids! We didn't know what we were doing!"

"LIES!" The roar nearly knocks me over, "You knew how to defeat me! Now that knowledge will die with you and your brother!"

He roars like a lion, and lunges at me like lightning. His axe whips out. I arch back as one of the sharp blades descends to my chest. In only a few seconds, I'll be nothing but shards…

"LEO!"

A crash into my side sends me to the ground. I look back to see Kate take the axe to the chest, standing where I was two seconds before.

"KATE!" I howl and lunge at the King. He yells to, then bursts into millions of little black birds as I cut through his waist with my katana.

He flies away, screaming my name through those beaks. I quickly swerve back to Kate. Felix is already to her, yanking the axe out of her chest, calling her name. I grab the axe from him and with a howl, throw it into the rock I was standing on earlier. It sticks.

I kneel and pull Kate into my arms. Blood is all over her and dripping from her mouth. Her eyes are glazed but stay on me. Felix is crying, running his fingers through her hair. I can't swallow. I feel a tear roll down my face and I cough a breath.

"You shouldn't have done that."

She heaves a breath," I…had to."

"No," I sob, squeezing my eyes closed," I should have died."

Kate lifts her hand and rests it on my cheek," Take care of Felix."

I smile weakly," Of course. Anything for you."

Felix sobs even harder. He leans over, resting his head on the soft dirt.

Kate's chest shutters, then she mumbles through blood," Leo…I…love…"

"Shh," I say, my heart thudding, "I know. I love you, too."

Kate smiles. Through my haze, I suddenly hear my voice singing the words of a song I haven't sang in years. Even though it's the last verse, it still sounds barely audible. But I know Kate hears me.

Neverland is so far away

Somehow Pan ran away

I think I could find him if I really tried

But maybe I'm just not enough…

Kate's hand falls, and her chest heaves one last breath. As it leaves her, I gently kiss her, giving her one last act of love, just as she did for me. When I pull away, her body starts to shimmer. Slowly, she turns to particles of light that float away into the sky.

Once she's gone, I collapse next to Felix and sob till everything aches.

It feels like hours till Felix says," I can't believe she's gone."

I groan as I sit up, letting the pieces fall from me. I look around, letting everything in. Then I spy the axe still stuck in the rock.

Anger like I've never felt before fills me. Rage is the only thing I can feel. I stand and march to that stone. I grab the axe and yank it out as if I'm King Arthur.

Felix watches me," What are you doing?"

I study the axe. I run my fingers along both sides of it, letting my blood run down the blade and my hand. It is a perfect metal. Titanium. Maybe even the stuff Captain America's shield is made of.

I turn to Felix holding the handle tight. "I don't like bullies, Felix. And this…King…has taken it too far. I'm talking him down. Once and for all."