"I'm going to throw up."

"If you wish so. But I won't be cleaning it up, Mikey." Leo almost scoffed at that.

Lan continued staring at them. "If you are such good warriors, how come you have problems with...stomach?"

Raph rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Don't tell me your stomach never turns. You might be pretending to be stone, buddy, but you're human, not a rock."

Lan narrowed his eyes - it was so intense Raph started wondering if he should have said anything at all. "Raphael, if I were an Aiel, I would have probably forced you to honor your toh towards me."

"I don't even know what toh is."

"I told you guys." Donnie said simply looking at something he was making. "It's a part of Aiel honor code. If you have toh, that means you shamed or were shamed by someone, so you owe them a..." Donnie stopped when he saw Raph's frown. He cleared his throat and went on.

"Good - you are given a brain for a reason, Donnie."

"Unlike you." Mikey snaked in to whisper. According to his tradition, Raph turned around to grab him, and, according to his own tradition, Mikey slipped away laughing and the usual chase began. Leo was smiling at that, while Jahar and Nynaeve looked at him both perplexed and angered.

"You don't seem to be giving them much discipline." Nynaeve said while tugging her braid.

"Discipline?" Leo waved away. "You have no idea what we have all seen and been through. Believe me - my brothers don't need more discipline. Besides, I am their brother first. What do you want me to do - spank them? Slap them?"

"If necessary, yes."

Leo just slowly nodded, seeing the confidence she said that with. Hold it back in. A different world, different culture, Leo...Different standards.

"No, thanks. I prefer different techniques. I am not one of your Forsaken!" He chuckled when he said that, but they looked at him frustrated. "Huh?"

"Their names shouldn't be spoken."

"But...you said you killed a few of them."

"They are the greatest servants of the Dark One, Leonardo, at least in humankind. None of them should be mentioned - I am lucky I survived."

"But the greatest among them is dead, isn't he?" Jahar asked. "Ishamael - the Betrayer of Hope. You killed him, haven't you, my lord?"

"Huh? The Betrayer of Hope? Why did they call him like that?"

"He was different from the others, I think." Jahar asked. "Other Forsaken swore allegiance to the Dark One out of pride and lust for power. But..." he swallowed before saying that name. "But Ishamael..."

"Enough of that, Narishma." Rand al'Thor's voice made him flinch again - Leo had to hold back that instinct strongly. Rand al'Thor turned to him. "The intruder - where are they?"

At the moment, the eight of them were standing on top an empty hill that was overlooking the whole of Tear, standing at least two miles away from it. Jahar seemed pleased to see this view, mentioning the times when he, as younger, would often climb on top of such hills - Lan did not speak much, but did smile and nod at that notion. Nynaeve, however, was tugging her braid yet again, standing close to him. "Nynaeve?"

"Light, I hoped we were done with all this!" She muttered. "I hate forests. Ever since we left the Two Rivers, we've been walking and walking, over and over." That surprised Leo - his impression of her was that of a harder woman, especially because of her temper. Splinter was right - don't judge a book by its covers.

Lan smirked.

"What?"

"Nothing. You just make me smile."

Leo scoffed silently. At least someone does.

But Rand al'Thor had not said a single word ever since they left Tear and Leo could not perceive any emotion in his eyes. His brows were furrowed because of the sun, but that was the only expression Leo could see. And so, focusing on Rand al'Thor's question, he wondered how much would be too much information. "I don't know how you think it works, but I can't just guess where those people are - we need to follow the Itch."

"Yet it was enough to have us rush out of the city."

Leo gritted his teeth again. Don't you dare do that again, jerk! "Yes it was. Do you have a problem with that?"

"None except the fact I left something much bigger than the four of you, simply to help you."

"Much bigger?" Leo said. "Yes, the breaking of the Multiverse must be infinitesimal compared to this." He said that, not thinking it, but intentionally, to get on al'Thor's nerves. The truth might have been different. He is here. Shell, he is. Both of them are.

Rand al'Thor had very thick nerves, though. And eyes of ice. "And where does the Itch you feel lead, Leonardo?"

Everyone was staring at them. Even Nynaeve and Mikey had stopped complaining, staring at this tiff, that, depending on either al'Thor or Leo, could escalate - at least in their eyes. It would only be your fault, fool!

But he held back the urge to say that. "Down there." He jumped of a smaller rock, his brothers nodding in agreement. "Though it's pretty hard to get there when you guys can't be as quick as we are."

"How did you even learn all of that?" Nynaeve asked. "I've seen you running on the walls as if you were spiders."

"Hehe." Mikey said. "Sis, you wouldn't know."

She frowned. "What did you just call me?"

"Uh...sis? You know...short for sister?"

Nynaeve had expected that to be an insult, but hearing what it was meant to be, she just stared at him. "I...then why don't you just say sister?"

"It's easier to say 'sis'."

"How is it easier if you confuse everyone around you?"

Mikey shrugged. "Sorry, but at home, everyone understands what I mean when I say 'sis'." He touched his chest. "Look, if you don't like it, sorry then. I just got used to it."

Nynaeve glanced at him quickly, then cleared her throat and followed Rand. "Apology...accepted. I suppose."

Lan and Jahar both looked at Mikey with perplexed glances - after they turned, Jahar even muttered something. Mikey looked down, now feeling as if he had done something...offensive. As if he was a bully. He looked at his brothers. "I just..."

Raph patted him on the shoulder, slowly nodding. "Not your fault, Mikey."

"Who taught you all that?" Rand al'Thor walked beside Leo, somehow catching up to him. "All that skill."

"Our father." Whenever he mentioned Splinter, Leo did not know how to explain. Where would he even begin the story: with two brothers, Saki and Yoshi, or the part where Yoshi bought four pet turtles? Whichever he picked, it would seem convoluted.

But Rand al'Thor did not press further. He did not even look at Leo anymore. That spark a few moments ago almost turned into an argument, and this man just ignored that? Leo he needed to be angry at that. How to speak with someone like this? What would Splinter do? Rand al'Thor looked like a person even Splinter would avoid any conversation with - maybe even contact. Those eyes looked too much like frost, too lifeless. The only emotion that could sometimes be glimpsed Leo recognized in only one person before - the person who killed Splinter in the first place. In turn, Leo sliced his head off. He looked back at the others, also remembering the people in this world - seeing them all fight in the streets, spite each other and argue for the smallest of reasons. He already heard Nynaeve and Jahar muttering something about each other, instead of trying to talk. Lan kept himself still and quite reasonable - he was the person Splinter would most likely respect. But looking back at Rand al'Thor, aware of all these things, he could not help but wonder.

What exactly did Rand al'Thor do when he "forced" Leo to say yes? What did that mean? Was that a channeling of saidin?What are you to these people? Savior? Villain? Leader or wraith?

Jahar and Mikey walked side by side, looking at the backs of their leaders. "I don't think I really understand what...the Dragon is, dude."

"You don't? I think I explained."

Raph and Donnie had walked a bit closer to them, to hear. "Yeah, but...how is he reborn? What does he do to fight for all of you? Is he...different?"

Jahar glanced at Rand al'Thor and Leo - they did not pay attention to them. Lan and Nynaeve were talking to one another, hugging. "Different? A good question." Jahar looked them right in the eyes. "He is more powerful than anyone else in this world...save maybe the Dark One. The Dragon...he is the Champion of the Creator, His gift to our world to fight against the Dark One. Some fanatics I have met even say he is the Child of the Creator or - Light forgive me - the Creator Incarnate."

"Pardon me?!" Donnie almost dropped his satchel. Raph and Mikey also stared at him. "You can't be serious? Is that..."

"Light, no!" He touched his heart, then touched his mouth. "No sensible person believes that! I trust him, he is the best man I know! But that would be going too far."

"Then what is he?" Donnie pressed. "You said your prophecies say he will save the world, don't they?"

"Just like he saved it before, yes." Jahar touched the bells in his hair. "I don't know why...but the prophecies always say that the Dragon has the ability to destroy the world. It will all depend on his choice."

Donnie narrowed his eyes. "And the world...it turns like a wheel?"

"Yes."

"Yet he has never chosen to destroy the world before? What do the prophecies refer to then? Can the Wheel...stop turning?"

"You came here from a world that does not turn like a wheel, I assume."

Donnie nodded to that

"Then I also assume the Wheel can stop turning." He frowned. "But I don't know if that is a good thing."

"And the Dark One?"

Jahar's head turned away from them. He pressed his lips, looking at everyone else. Then he looked all around them - at the sky, to his right and to his left. When he looked back at Turtles, he had unease in his eyes. "Do not talk about him. Please, don't..."

"Jahar, please. We need to know what he is..."

Contrary to their opinion, Leo was listening very carefully. And in the corner of his eyes, he noticed Rand al'Thor turning his head slightly. You're listening too, bastard!

Jahar groaned. "No one knows exactly. Someone say that the Creator made him as well, because He wanted humanity to have free will. Others say he is the Creator's equal: as the Creator is good, the Dark One is evil." He shook his head sharply. "I don't believe in that. The Creator is the Only One - I know it in my heart."

"Then are there maybe...other beings like the Dark One? You know like...Nynaeve is human and you are human. Are there beings that are the same...thing as the Dark One? The same type of creature?"

Jahar raised his eyebrow, then shrugged. "I...no, not that I know of. Though...my mother said she belonged to a cult. A sect. Besides the Creator, they revered other...things. She called them gods, but they preferred to call them spirits, of some kind. They claimed the Dark One was just another of those spirits, though the one that rebelled against the Creator."

Shell! Leo felt himself sweating. Many of Splinter's proverbs and anecdotes passed through his mind. It's all familiar. Too damn familiar!

Raph sighed. "Thanks, Narishma. I never thought all of this would be...Leo!" Raph pushed him, both of them rolling down.

"What...Raph?"

Raph raised his hand, showing him. His eyes widened, staring at the creatures - seven huge figures, humanoid in shape, but four of them had the heads and claws of wolves, two of wild oxes and one that of a bear. Donnie, Mikey and Lan were already in a fight with them. Leo stared at all of this, caught in disbelief. Turning to the other side, he saw the three channelers - Jahar, Nynaeve and al'Thor, fighting two cloaked shadows. One had grabbed Jahar by the throat, making Nynaeve desperate im fighting it, while the other was wrestling with Rand al'Thor, holding him by the hands.

"How...who..."

"Leo, no!" Raph grabbed his sai and jumped at the thing that was at Mikey's back. Leo shook off the confusion, taking out his swords and doing the same.

Lan and Donnie entered into the fight with the thing that resembled a bear, carrying an axe in its hand. "What are these?"

"Trollocs. Watch out!"

The thing roared and almost hit Donnie. He blocked the attack with his staff, almost hitting Leo. Geez. Sometimes I forget that thing's made of metal now! Leo jumped at the creature, kicking it in the face as if he was kicking a ball. The Trolloc twisted, letting out a cry that sounded like the shrieks of a woman dying in pain. Leo jumped again, raising the swords to finish it, but the other Trolloc grabbed him by the throat and pulled him away. Holding him down on the ground, it squeezed his neck, and it was not long before he could see black and white. He kicked it in the guts, but the monster resembling the minotaurs of Greek myth only squeezed harder. Leo felt the need to vomit, to bite, to kick again and again. He only gave a single moment to look at his brothers, who all left their combatants. Just as Leo felt breath leave him, Raph screamed, stabbing the Trolloc in the arm. It roared and drops of black blood fell on Leo's face. Raph stabbed again and it finally let go of him. Instinctively touching his face, he wiped the blood off of it, feeling the stench. He wanted to throw up, but instead spat and turned towards the monster. Just as it tried to strike Raph, its palm was met with Leo's katana. The other Trollocs wanted to charge towards it, but Donnie, Mikey and Lan held them off for long enough to allow Leo the slash across the face. The Trolloc bellowed, falling on its face and covering the blood that was going. Leo and Raph took no pause and charged at the other Trollocs. Lan must have seen that as opportunity, for as soon as the two of the them took the fight, Lan rushed to save his wife and Jahar. Leo made a single glance, seeing both Jahar and Nynaeve throwing bolts of every color at the Myrddraal. Lan made his slash, catching the Fade off guard, while Nynaeve and Jahar both threw fire at it.

"Leo!" Mikey yelled, catching the hand that almost caught Leo with his nunchaku. Leo struck again, but this Trolloc was more resistant, yelling in contempt. Cursing everything, he frantically turned to see where the others were. Instead, he saw the man in red, with haunting blue eyes, raising his hand full of light, directing the power at the Trollocs and the Turtles.

"Wait! WAIT!" Leo yelled, but Rand al'Thor did not heed his plea. He pulled Mikey away and both of them jumped away. The hit of rocks hurt Leo only slightly, until he looked back at the Trollocs who were engulfed in pale flames. They all roared so loudly, sounding like the most irritating rumbles of a train - screams that went to the heavens, begging for everything to stop. After these moments of torture - for the burned yes, but also the eyes and ears of those that stood by - everything became silent. White fire stood in place for just an instant, then disappeared, like the flame of a candle. Forcing breath into his lungs, Leo looked at the ground and saw that the fire left no burns or soot. He reached for Mikey, touching him all over the arm, and then breathed in relief. Donnie and Raph stood close to them, Jahar just behind. Raph pulled both of them up, and when they looked behind, they almost vomited again. The two Myrddraal were dead - one's head was cut off, head laying beside Lan's foot, but the other one, that lay beside the feet of Rand al'Thor, was broken. The position was twisted, half of its face torn off and the blood was on its cloak.

Leo and his brothers were not soft or new to all of this. So many years have passed since they had left their den for the first time, when Splinter allowed them to go out, and they had seen all sorts of things. So, for better or for worse, they had developed a stomach for the most gruesome things one could imagine. But the way Rand al'Thor looked at the monstrous corpse beside him and the look in his eyes he made looking at them...it was something else.

Nynaeve looked away from both corpses, while Jahar crouched beside the head. "In broad daylight. They attacked us in broad daylight."

"The Myrddraal...it blocked me." Nynaeve started shaking. "I could barely touched the Power. It blocked me from it. As if someone ripped saidar apart from me!"

"Blocked you?" Donnie asked.

"A channeler can be unabled to use One Power in many ways - this one of them! But the Myrddraal aren't supposed to do that!"

"Where did they come from!" Lan scrambled to a higher rock, looking down, then turning to all directions. "Where did they come from..."

"You almost killed them." Raph said, his voice surprisingly still. Again, Rand al'Thor did not answer his accusations - staying as still as a tree against the wind. "Damn you." That triggered Raph even more. "You almost killed them!"

Rand al'Thor turned away. "We are moving on."

Nyneave gasped at that, then her face twisted. She pulled him by the arm. "Rand, what do you think you are..."

He pushed her hand away, not turning again. The two of them kept a short gaze, but then he looked away again. "We are moving on."

"Moving on?" Mikey touched Leo on the shoulder. "Oh no, we're not, dude! You will..."

One glance of the frost in his eyes was enough to freeze any resistance in Mikey and they made one step back. He walked away from them, striding in a randomly chosen direction. Lan, though as cold as ever, had unbelief in his eyes. And Jahar stared at his lord's back, with mouth agape.

"Best man you know, huh?" Mikey crossed his arms - less angry, and more disappointed.

Jahar stuttered at first, and the Turtles moved away from him, no longer talking - they passed by the Myrddraal corpses and not even Mikey looked back at them. Lan and Nynaeve were the only ones saying a few words to each other.

"I don't know what this was." Jahar came to Mikey after a while. "I swear. He is not like that. He is one of the kindest people I knew. I can swear by the Light." The words were spoken in vain. In those eyes of Rand al'Thor, that he barely glimpsed later on, Leo did not see anything - no regrets and no changes, much less had any words come out of his mouth. That was enough for him to make up his mind.

In the night, when even Lan had fallen asleep, he shook his brothers, Raph first among them. "Uh...what are you doing..."

"We are leaving."

Mikey wiped the boogers out of his eyes. "What? You can't be serious..."

"We're not staying - not with him." He looked back to the other three feeling sorry for them in a small second. I don't like this. But I cannot stay here."Off with us. Now."

There were a few silent protests and rumbles, but they gave in and went on. Picking up their weapons, they went down the mount, their feet and minds tired. Mikey was still yawning. "Uh...you had to do it in the middle of the night? You couldn't have waited early morning..."

"Mikey, we go on. That's it."

Lower and lower they went, the Itch got stronger and stronger. The cold wind became less and less of Leo's concern - he became focused only on following the Itch. On and on. Go further, now.

His brothers continued making comments, though without much strength to argue and neither did he have patience for that. He heard a hush and turned towards its source. It had turned out to be a rat, of all things. Because of that, even Raph did not hit the thing when it ran over his foot, though his face twisted in disgust.

Leo made a step closer and then, reaching out with his hand, something pushed him off the edge. The stones fell below him, but he himself managed to grab the edge before he fell down. Fearing, not panicking, he looked down, realizing the fall will in no way be fatal, but it would annoy him. He cussed the curses that would make even Splinter frown.

"Leo!" Raph cried. "Leo, where are you!?"

"I'm here. Raph, give me..."

A pale hand reached out and pulled him off the edge. Immediately he glimpsed the eyeless pale face, with a twisted and familiar smile. He flinched midair, ignoring the height behind him. The wind itself was stilled - Leo heard a type of scream as he felt it retreat from the grinning figure. "What a surprise, is it not?" Leo's face finally stiffened and his heart stopped beating. The Myrddraal pulled him stronger and, without any struggle, threw him at the ground behind them. Leo's brothers ran to him, helping him get up, but then they all stared at the smiling Myrddraal.

Leo got back to his sensez, slowly straightening up and pointing at him. "It's you!" he hissed. "It's you!"

"Leo?"

The Myrddraal chuckled and that was enough for the other Turtles to recognize him. "You see, here the Great Lord prefers me taking this form. But, if your memory is deceiving you..." In the blink of an eye he was changed. The black robes remained, but the pale dead skin was replaced with a light of radiant glory. A face that had the beauty above any human being, whether male or female, formed and a long white hair fell, with a small black crown appearing above his brow. The most beautiful creature they had ever seen - inhuman and more adorned than any king who ever walked on earth. And now there were his eyes. Eyes of fire and ash, that looked deep into their hearts. The memories of screams, filth and stench returned to Leo and he recoiled.

"And this is all in place now!" They raised their weapons, only making him chuckle louder. "This must be the best one yet. I could not have imagined you so bold."

"Where's Stephen?" Leo gritted his teeth. "Where is he!"

Sauron sat down on a clean rock, as if shaped to be a chair. "For someone who always stresses the fact that you are not his pets, you surely want to follow him everywhere."

"That's called friendship." Raph said. "And loyalty. It's not surprising you and your boss can't understand it though. It must be beyond you!"

Your boss...Of course. "It's him, isn't it?" Leo asked. "The Dark One - the one that people of this world fear. He is him!"

"Indeed." Sauron smiled again. "We have many names across the Cosmos, Leonardo. Here they call me Shaidar Haran - quite a fitting name, might I say. I do prefer the one I use the most however. And my master...well, his name here probably wouldn't be a surprise to you. It would be very similar to one you already now." He leaned a bet closer to the and barely moved his lips to utter it. "Shai'tan."

Terror spiked through their bodies. Leo hissed again, pointing the tip of his sword right at Sauron, fully aware that it was, for all intents and purposes, a fruitless threat. "What is this place? These people, this land, this entire world...what is this?"

"It is a proof that you have no idea how deep in the roots of all life we hold dominion."

"Speaking in riddles doesn't make you look smart, you dung!"

"Ah, there is need for it - I know more of nature, creation and history than any human being that ever lived, Leonardo. By the virtue of being what I am, after all."

"Virtue?" Donnie said. "You hold no virtue whatsoever!"

"And how would you know, Donatello? Do you know what virtue is? Have you observed it in anyone ever?"

"So, not only a braggart, but an idiot too! For a 'god', you don't have much on your track record." Donnie eased his stance, but not his glance. "We see virtue in people every single day!"

"Are you certain? And by people, I shall assume you mean humans, would that be correct?" He did not wait for a response. "The entire time you have spent here must have surely taught you something. The way they think, they way they feel, the things that control them..."

"We spent years living, literally, below humans." Leo said. "We were raised by a human. Not a single thing we saw here was new. It might be in a different package, but you showed us nothing that we didn't know already." He said that as firmly as he could, but in his heart Leo was not so certain. Something always felt off here - ever since they arrived here, he knew that this world did not feel right, as if it was tainted by something else. That single remark in his thought process made him widen his eyes.

"So you see it." Sauron grinned. "Most humans would never admit that to themselves, much less to others."

The Turtles walked around him in a circle. "What are you talking about?"

Sauron chuckled. "You see, it is very amusing, in a way. Annoying at times, but mostly just amusing. When I say that we are gods...you truly do not understand what I say, do you? When I call my master 'the Great Lord', you do not understand that either."

"Oh, we do get that." Raph said. "Ego beyond boundaries is what I get from it."

"You would not be the first, Raphael." His voice suddenly became soft and genuine. "Humans have been telling these lies to themselves since their dawn. As insulting my master might find the idea that not everything comes from him, the truth is, this is not what we taught them - they devised that on their own." He turned towards the city of Tear, its wall visible even from such a distance. "They believe themselves worthy. Capable, virtuous, wise. They believe they have all things accounted for their side - wisdom, prudence, powers, knowledge..." he chortled, as if he was seeing something they could not. "Such a story. Made to make them forget. They have built systems, institutions, teachings, religions and all sort of things, hoping they would forget. Dreading the truth of who...who they truly serve." He eyed them, sending the itchy feel of those flames down their shells. "I am surprised you have been standing beside them for so long and are still doing that."

They looked at one another, with Donnie touchng his chest. "We?"

"Everyone of you." He waved towards a pointed rock in the distance and shadowy birds flew at his hand, cawing insufferably. The sound made all of them flinch. "Every single kind of yours - humans have done very little for you. They do not have pity for other creatures. And, most importantly, despite the levels they go to prove otherwise, they are our slaves even more than you are."

"That's not true." Donnie dared to make a step closer. "All animals are violent - most of them will not be ashamed to consume their own kind, even their offspring at times! And there are animals with a level of sentience an intelligence almost as high as humans' - and they are still violent." He crossed his arms. "Every species out there has its dark sides...but also enough redeemable aspects to make you a liar."

"So you have not been paying attention?" Sauron said. "A sentience and intelligence almost as high as a human one, you say...and yet that difference is enough. How many creatures, Donatello, can you name, that have actually evolved to such a high degree of self-awareness, such skill and intelligence, that they could build cities, that they could manipulate everything around them, create tools that make other tools, invent such technology others can only dream of and go to such depths of the Cosmos...Well, humans know nothing in the grand pattern of things, but compared to you - the rest of animals can only hope to crawl besides your feet. And mind you...almost every humanoid creature out there is, in fact, human."

That recently learned fact certainly did narrow the list. Almost every creature they had met, that resembled humans enough, according to the Valar and Sauron himself, were indeed humans. Separated by millions and millions of years of diverged evolution, but humans nonetheless. He thought of a few: the Kraang and the Triceratons first. But no one knew their complete history - could they have acquired such technology from a humanoid race instead or perhaps been descendants, twisted beyond recognition, of such humanoids themselves? So he did not answer.

"And so you see." He stood up. "Do you not realize how Cosmos is, despite your own perspective, small in our sight? I think you, Donatello, would understand better than anyone. The entire Cosmos is our realm. Extending to the farthest reaches, to the stars and black holes of existence. And humans? They are slaves we hold in every part of that realm." He passed by them. "This fight you are fighting is in vain. All things die. All things end. All come to us."

"Really?" Leo followed his back. "We're just pitiful things, you think? Yet you are certainly making an effort to convince us it is in vain."

"Ah, the old game of cats and rats, Leonardo." He looked over his shoulder, smiling at them. "A failing analogy, though."

"Because the cat is more threatening than you?"

"Is it?"

Something changed in Sauron's appearance, at least for a moment. The flame in his eyes sparkled more furious than before and Leo recognized them. It was not that he had seen that exact flame before, but that felt it. The deadly heat that pressed into skin, filling up the entire body until it was forced to erupt, exploding not into pieces of flesh, but into a thousand emotions. Terrible and poisonous emotions and thoughts, dark instincts. An explosion of such kind Leo remembered very well.

Shredder was in it when he killed Splinter.

His brothers realized that too, backing away. An emotion flashed in their eyes, one that was not anger, but one that made them chill and flinch.

"You...you were there."

Sauron did not answer. Instead, he walked beside them, grinning and enjoying himself. He continued strolling into the darkness. "Go down into the cave. Your pet is waiting." And he disappeared. No portal was opened and no light gleamed - he simply vanished. The shadows embraced him and let him pass.

They looked at one another. Leo tried to recall what he said. Your pet is waiting... Leo scrambled down the mount, his brothers right behind him and, indeed, there was a cave and. The Itch was growing stronger. Standing close to each other to avoid the fear of darkness, they continued their way in, keeping their weapons up. Yet they could not keep the memory out of their head.

He was there. He was there! Shredder stabbed Splinter through the heart, no one else - his hand killed him.

But Sauron was there.

"Ow. Mikey!" Raph yelled, pushing his brother away and touching his foot.

"Sorry!"

"Both of you!" Leo hissed at them, looking at the darkness. "Do you feel it?"

"Yeah..." Mikey said.

Leo narrowed his eyes, relying on his smell. He sniffed, but felt nothing extraordinary. The Itch continued getting stronger. Approaching a bigger rock, he reached with his hand, leaning in close, expecting all sorts of things, except what had happened. There, behind the rock, sat Stephen Strange. His eyes were closed and he was not moving. Donnie almost panicked, until he touched Stephen's chest and felt him breathe."

"Stephen." Leo laughed, along with his brothers. "Stephen, wake up. Stephen!" He shook him, but all that accomplished was one single glance. Quickly, Stephen closed his eyes again. "Stephen, what is going on. Can you..." His foot touched something, a hard material, made of perfect gold. Leo looked down, right behind Stephen's Cloak and found them.

Mikey almost squealed. "Yes!" He pulled his chain, holding it closely. Mikey even graced it with a few kisses. "Oh my dear dude, I missed you! I missed you so much!" Stephen groaned quietly. "Oh! You too." Mikey's eyes widened and he scratched his head. "Hold on. Is he the..."

They tested it. Donnie walked away a bit farther from Stephen, feeling the Itch weaker, but as soon as he made a step closer, it clear. Even touching Stephen on the shoulder made it strong, almost to the point of annoyance. Stronger than any that they had caught before. "He is. But...how?"

Leo picked up his own chain, looking at the symbol of the Valar on it. "These must be doing something that binds us together - so that we do not feel each other in all those universes."

"But we've spent all this time together." Mikey said. "Shouldn't we have felt the Itch on each other.'

"I don't know." Donnie though. "Maybe only people from a completely unrelated universe can be felt...Damn it, I'm not a Multiverse guidebook! I wish I was!"

Leo did not need to give the order - Donnie and Raph took their chains and placed them. Then, Raph and Leo pulled Stephen up, placing his arms about them and carried him out. "He is light." Leo commented. "Too light. Stephen are you alright?"

He groaned and barely opened his eyes. "L...Leo? Is that you?"

"Yeah, buddy." Raph smiled. "It's us."

"Stephen!" Mikey exclaimed at hearing his voice. "Dude, what happened!"

He struggled to keep his head up. "I...I woke up here and something pulled me away. I tried to..." He groaned again.

"We're taking you out of here immediately." Leo looked back at the cave. "I'm done with this place."

Just as they ventured out of it, they came upon a man. Dressed in black coat, with long hair adorned with bells, Turtles recognized Jahar. "Leonardo?" He came closer to them. "What happened? Who is..."

"This is our friend, Jahar." Leo said. "The one we lost."

"That is great news!" Jahar chuckled. "Quicker! We must return to the others. The Lord Dragon will..."

"Go to shell, that's what he will do!" Leo replied too harshly, then saw the surprise on Jahar's face. "I'm sorry. Jahar...we're leaving. We cannot stay here anymore."

He blinked. "Leaving...this world? Our world? But..."

"He is the one we were looking for." said Leo. "And so we must go now. Please, tell them we left and that we will not no longer bother them. Will Rand al'Thor believe you?"

Jahar looked at them and nodded slowly. "Maybe he will be angry for a while, but he will believe me."

"Great!" They carried Stephen a bit closer towards him, and Leo gave him his hand. "Thank you, Jahar. You...helped us the most. Thank you."

"I haven't said this to a lot of them." Mikey cleared his throat. "And it doesn't go for this entire world. But dude - I seriously hope we'll see each other again."

Jahar smiled and shook hands with each of them. "It was my honor to meet you. I would do everything the same if I could." Then he blinked. "Well...I probably will at some point."

"Ah, yeah. The Wheel and...stuff." Leo smiled at him again. "You should probably go now. The Portal can be unpredictable."

He nodded and hurried to leave them alone. As soon as he was out of sight, the Turtles pressed the symbols on their chains. This time, the Portal behaved differently. It absorbed them like the waves of an ocean, rather than a hole swallowing them, and it all happened so quickly that, this time, they felt no pain.

Anyone else watching would have seen four Turtles and their human friend standing on a stony hill, then disappearing in the wind.

"They found him?"

"Yes, Lord Dragon." said Narishma. "I have seen him with them." He sighed. "Everything went better than we expected it to."

Better, or worse, Lews Therin muttered deep in Rand's head. Worse or better...what does that even mean?

Shut up.

Lews Therin chuckled. I have a madman in my head. I still have a madman in my head.

"That's enough for today." He said - to Narishma or Lews Therin, he did not know. "You can leave with Nynaeve and Lan, Narishma." Rand was still holding the weaves of Travelling, keeping the gateway open for him. "I will stay here for a while."

"My lord, are you certain? Will you be safe?"

And when am I? "Yes, Narishma." He turned away. "Please leave."

He did not look at Narishma anymore. He heard him walking through the gateway and very quickly after that, Rand released the weave and sat down on the rock, staring at the residue.

How many have already died? How many names does he have on the list - the list of people that had died for him and because of him. Ilyena. Lews Therin began reciting the names. Agirin, Andhilin...

Moiraine...Liah, Isan...

Ilyena, Desola, Somara...Ilyena...

At first, Rand only included the women that had died because of him. But over time the list grew larger, his heart weaker and body colder. Everyone was on that list.

How many more will die before he is done?

The wound in his side burned again. He carefully placed a hand on it, only making it worse. But he did not hiss anymore - he had to endure all of it. I will die too.

That is his fate. There is no looking back. The only thing he is meant to do is to face the Dark One - that is the only reason for him to stay alive. He will face the Enemy, destroy him...and then he will die.

Hard as stone. I must be hard. Light, I must. He wished the Turtles good luck. If they are alive, good. If they are dead, good - just four more names on his list. Not hard to keep track of them anymore.

He returned to Tear, without anyone knowing, trying to get some sleep. And yet, he woke up the next day, still feeling tired.

Well, I am back on track now:) I am sorry for the long pauses that happened - life gets in the way. But now the chapters at the Sanctum are going to come again, faster than before.

The 'Wheel of Time' characters will return, just as the 'Stormlight Archive' characters, having a very important role (especially Rand al'Thor). The fans of the books will likely enjoy what will happen with them, but I hope I have made it friendly for you newcomers as well.

See you soon:)