July 11, 2014
It was easy for Zee to use April's knowledge of the Hidden City to find a portal into the mystical realm. Once they passed through the magical barrier, a point within the center of the city called to April in a way she'd never experienced before. Several yokai pointed at the flying girl zooming towards one of the Hidden City's landmarks.
April's landing on the hand of the Crying Titan was gentler than her earlier landing on the rooftop. Zee grinned as she stepped towards the petrified remains of the giant.
"APRIL!"
The girl whipped her head around. Arriving through a bright blue portal by the Stonehenge-esque fingers of the Crying Titan were three turtles and a Salamandrian.
"How did you arrive here so quickly?" Zee growled, clearly baffled at the turn of events.
Mona Lisa stepped forward, hand hovering over the blaster at her side. "We have many friends with mystical abilities."
"Including teleportation." Leo drew his katana.
The blood of the Crying Titan was right there! Zee needed to rid April from these wretched creatures once and for all… and it be seen as her choice. The being made the tactical decision to let April have control for the moment.
The change was immediate - April's posture slumped and her eyes began rapidly blinking. She stepped back, surprised at seeing her family.
"Guys? What're you - wait! Are we in the Hidden City? Why're we here?"
Leo took a step closer, his gaze guarded yet hopeful. "That's what we were going to ask you."
"...that's right…" April pressed the heel of her hands against her eyes. She turned back towards the figure of the Crying Titan. "I-I need the Crying Titan's blood to bring my Daddy back…"
"You think you need the blood of that thing," Raph gestured incredulously. "To bring your dad back?" His voice softened. "Red, your dad's been gone for years. I'm sorry, but there's nothing you can do…"
"NO!" April shouted, grasping her crystal. "She promised me that I could bring him back!" The pebbles and various debris surrounding the group began to swirl with psychic energy as the girl's anger grew.
Mikey squinted at his sister before excitedly jumping up and down. "See, guys! That crystal's got the bad ju-ju, not April!" His expression brightened. "The crystal's what's been making April do all that mean stuff!"
"None of this was you, April! That crystal's warped you." Leo's voice cracked. "We want you home, sis."
April's features changed once more, becoming sharper as the being regained full control. "Your precious April is gone!" She snarled. "Only Za-Naron remains!"
Leo's gaze hardened. He stepped forward, pointing his katana at the creature. "Who're you? What do you want with our sister?"
Everyone took a step back as pure power rippled from the red-head. She chuckled darkly.
"I am the soul of an elder Aeon, one of the First Seven. After 100 millennia our physical forms had disintegrated, so our spirits were each placed into the Soul Star to exist forever… waiting for the day a proper vessel could return us to the physical world. Through our devoted followers, fragments of the Soul Star were scattered throughout the galaxies, each searching for a potential vessel."
Za-Naron placed her hands on her hips, using a sing-song voice. "And wouldn't you know that my fragment found it on this little backwater planet!" Her voice returned to her haughty monotone. "Once April and I found each other, I slowly transplanted my mind into her consciousness. This girl is now ready, unknowingly made perfect by those idiot Kraang! All we need now is the blood of the Crying Titan; better known as the blood of an ancient Kraang that their species turned into mutagen. With this, my brethren shall return and we shall rule every star in the sky, starting with this PATHETIC rock!"
The Aeon's maniacal cackling quickly turned to yowls as she was assaulted with psychic feedback. The feedback was enough to briefly separate April from the terrifying physical form of Za-Naron. Everyone whirled around to see Donnie striding towards them, tech bō aimed at the Aeon.
"Give me back my girlfriend, freak." He warned.
"Donnie!" Mikey cheered.
The boy joined the rest of his family, coming to stand next to Leo. Donnie shot his brother a grin.
"You got her monologuing."
Leo shrugged. "Needed to buy you time to get here." He nudged Donnie's shoulder. "Glad you made it."
Donnie leaned in closer. "Karai's safe, by the way. I was able to get her to Sunita's before flying over here," He whispered. Leo nodded gratefully.
Za-Naron re-merged with April, seething with anger.
"ENOUGH!" She roared. "Stay out of my way, foolish mutants!" The Aeon pushed everyone back. Leo, Raph, Mikey, and Mona Lisa were thrown back by the force of the psychic blast. Only Donnie was able to withstand the blast by digging his tech bō deep into the stone.
"APRIL!" He shouted to make himself heard above the gale. "I know you're still in there! This creature doesn't get to decide what you become! Show this Liar and Pretender that you don't need her!"
His heart lifted as he saw his April flicker behind the glowing teal eyes. A faint sound came through their bond, as if someone were trying to shout across a busy subway tunnel.
"Donnie! Help me, please! I'm sorry!"
A tear tracked down the turtle's face as he reached out a hand towards the girl. "It's okay. I'm here, April. Break her hold for just a second and toss me the crystal. I'll destroy it and all this can be over; I promise!"
Donnie heard a shriek through the bond as Za-Naron wrested full control once more.
"You think mere words can stop the power of the Aeons? A race that has been around for longer than your puny planet? Your platitudes mean NOTHING. The girl… is… MINE."
Everyone who was recovering from the psychic blasts began yelling as Za-Naron lifted Donnie and herself higher and higher. Soon, the pair were nothing but a speck to be seen from the perspective of the ground.
Donnie tried his best to not look down. He wasn't one to be afraid of heights, but even he had his limits.
"This isn't you, April! I see that. I've seen that for a while now. It was never you pushing us away… pushing me away. I'm sorry I didn't do more to help you." The tears from earlier continued. "We still love you… I still love you!" He struggled more against the invisible grip that held him aloft. "You gotta FIGHT her! Fight her and come back to us! Please… come back to me, Apes…"
"Donnie…" April's voice through the bond was still weak; Donnie was just happy it was working again. "She's just… so strong! I… barely have the… control to… talk…" He heard her cry out as her arm lifted.
As the hand spasmed, Donnie felt himself being ripped apart from the inside. The cackling of the crazed alien barely registered as his very fibers were torn asunder. He knew the sound would kill April, but the boy couldn't hold it back anymore - he screamed.
"S-she… she's not stronger… than us!" Through the screams of agonizing pain, Donnie was still able to communicate through their bond. "PLEASE, APRIL!"
Even though he was in the worst pain of his life, Donnie knew he had one shot at helping April regain full control. Gritting his teeth, Donnie began to sing.
"D-dancing… is a l-language that is f-felt… instead of heard,"
Within the subliminal space of April's mind, the vile and twisted form of Za-Naron 'piloted' April's body all the while the dark words and lies of the Aeon held the girl captive, hanging like chains around her soul. After her last outburst with the bond, a gag had appeared over her mouth. She could still see and hear everything happening around her, she just had no control of herself.
That's why when April realized what Donnie was attempting, her eyes went wide.
Za-Naron scoffed. "He's wasting his last words… singing?"
From the confines of her prison, April saw Donnie muster up the last vestiges of his strength to get out the next line.
"You can whisper, sing, or shout without so much as a word. Try it, go on. Like so…"
Donnie's song - their song - wove its way into April's mindscape. The very words of the song danced on the air, glowing a bright, brilliant gold. Za-Naron batted the words away like smoke. They dissipated at the wave of her hand, but reformed on their way towards April.
The words cocooned the girl, enveloping her in waves of truth and love. Tears poured down April's cheeks. Despite all the grief she'd given Donnie? After nearly beating him to death? HOW could he still feel this level of love for her?
As she processed all of the emotions she had shoved down over the last several months, the golden words settled on the chains of lies. Where they sat, the lies began to deteriorate.
April could still hear Donnie's voice, but there was a new voice intermingling with his; a familiar voice. It was faint at first, but a sense of warmth bloomed within April's heart as the voice itself grew louder.
"My Dear One… know that you are loved and that you are able. Come back to us, my daughter…"
The love within her father's words were enough to dissolve the gag binding her speech. It was her turn to drive.
"J-just l-let your… e-emotions tell your b-body w-what to do,"
The words came haltingly at first. As she sang, April was throwing up mental walls so Za-Naron could not regain control. "S-see how much a single gesture can reveal…"
The Aeon whirled around in the mindscape, panicking at the sudden loss of control. "NO! How is this possible?!"
Thousands of feet in the air, Donnie and April reached for each other. Their voices blended beautifully as they sang together.
"And ev'ry little step
Ev'ry single step,
Is one step closer…
To saying what you feel…"
The moment the pair touched, April burst from the chains of lies that had held her down for so long. Filled with the light of her power and the love of those around her, she SHINED.
Who is this girl? Za-Naron cowered away as the light blinded her.
April took advantage of the Aeon's hesitancy and straight up punched the creature in the face. She had regained enough agency to rip the crystal from its place around her neck
"NOOOO!" Za-Naron cried as April crushed the crystal.
The Aeon disappeared.
April took a deep, shuddering breath. The weight that had been ever present in the back of her mind was gone. She was free! …and falling.
Now that the power holding April and Donnie in the air was gone, the teens plummeted.
April gripped Donnie tighter, pulling him towards her during their free-fall. Once they were closer to the ground, the girl used what power she had left to cushion their descent. April felt Donnie rotate their position so that he would land first. Even with her power, their rate of acceleration made for a hard landing. April scrambled off her boyfriend, kneeling over him to take in his injuries.
There were deep cuts all over his body where Za-Naron had pulled him apart. She guessed that there was internal bleeding as well based on the blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.
"Donnie?" She took his mask off, using it to wipe away the blood. "Talk to me, Dee!"
The boy coughed, blinking as if in a haze. He smiled, shakily raising his hand to caress April's cheek. "H-hey you," His voice cracked. "G-glad you m-made it back…" Donnie coughed again, staining his plastron with the blood that came up.
April furiously wiped it away. "Hey, I got you. I got you, okay? You helped me, so now I'm gonna help you. Everything's gonna be fine. GUYS, WHERE ARE YOU?" The girl screamed for her brothers. She stilled as Donnie's hand pressed firmly against her cheek. She held his hand in place.
"Yeah. You're gonna be okay. Y-you're gonna be great. But…" Donnie swallowed hard, tears pooling within his eyes. "But I don't t-think I'm gonna be around to s-see it."
April shook her head, dislodging her own tears. "No… No! Y-you just got me back! We're together again! I… I have so much to make up for… I'm so sorry for everything, Donnie! Please… PLEASE don't leave me!" She continued to cry as Donnie brushed away her tears. April noticed his hand starting to slip.
"I don't ttthhink wehave a choiiceee here, April. Just knowww… I-I wwwouldd do it ag-" He coughed. "I loovve youuu…" Donnie's voice faded, his eyes never leaving April's.
"Donnie?"
His hand fell limp. April hurriedly checked for a pulse.
Nothing.
"No…" April whispered. She pulled Donnie's body into her lap. She screamed.
For Hamato Donatello was dead.
You barely whispered "Welcome back"
Giving me your stupid smile
My tears showed
You cleaned them up
Even when you were crying too
Your gentle hand became heavy
The sound of breaking glass came up to my mind
and then…
I lost you forever.
-Unknown
Once again found a great piece of inspiration, but the original poster's (neko-mirichan) deviant art link to the piece has been deleted and I can't link to the Pinterest image here on . Just wanted to give credit where credit's due!
See you soon...