Good day everyone, I'm trying very hard to finish this series so I can get on to the letter D, which I have already chosen the word for. It's gonna be great lol!

I hope ya'll enjoy this newest installment.

Leo stood, his hand an iron vise on Raphael's shoulder, limbs visibly shaking at the effort it took to stay standing. The red clad turtle winced at the trembling of his leader's hand. The eldest couldn't blame him, he probably looked like he lost a fight with a bus. Raphael looked off to the side, gaze dark with thought, it worried Leo. Raph only looked that way when he was close to self-destructing, he needed to defuse this ticking bomb before it exploded.

"Raph," the blue ninja rasped quietly, "I heard what you said to the fox back there."

Raphael's eyes widened, his prior thought process stalled, "Ya did?"

Leo nodded, "I want you to know that I'm grateful, what you said, it meant a lot, more than you know. More importantly though, I want to say that it's not your fault. My heart, the stress, everything, it isn't your fault."

"Oh yeah?" The red ninja scoffed, eyes casting down to the floor in shame "Ya heard those clones back there in the first challnge, I give ya the hardest time, and they're right! I've been nothin' but a pain in yer shell fer years, if it isn't my fault, then who's is it?"

"It's mine," the leader asserted.

Raphael's amber gaze blazed in fury, "Like Shell it is!"

Leo's shoulders drooped, his joy at how little he and his brother had fought lately deflating like a popped balloon, "Raphie," he said, voice barely above whisper, weighed down by incomprehensible fatigue, "I'm the one who bottled everything up, I'm the one who let my responsibility get to me so much that I'm practically an invalid. If I had been honest with you from the beginning, if I had just asked for help and been a better leader, I wouldn't be like this, and we wouldn't be here."

"Fine, ya could have been more honest, but I shoulda had yer back!" Raphael grasped Leo's hand where it lay on his shoulder, "I'm not gonna let ya shoulder the responsibility fer this alone, not when I know in my heart that I had a hand in it!"

"Me too," Don broke in, face still wet with the tears shed at his brother's medical emergency, "I'm at fault for not seeing what was in front of me, instead I've been holed up in my lab all this time. When you had your last growth spurt, I should have considered doing more in-depth physicals on everyone, but I didn't. I figured it was just a case of you needing to bask more. I shouldn't have been so blind, I knew you've struggled with migraines and so much else, but…I just didn't dig deeper when I should have. I was so distracted with what I wanted, I never noticed you had real medical needs, I'm sorry."

Leo looked between his brothers, appalled that they were claiming responsibility for his heart giving out, "No!" He insisted, voice gaining strength with the conviction he felt, "No, this isn't either of your fault! I should have asked for help, I can't expect things to get better if I don't make the effort, so it's on me!"

"Leo," The blue turtle's tirade stopped at the strangely gentle tone in Raphael's voice, his navy gaze snapping to look at his younger sibling. "Remember that night when ya were wanderin' around the lair, and I found ya on the living room floor?"

Leonardo wilted. He remembered that night. Remembered the tears, how Raph had held him through his weeping, and didn't give him any problems over it the next morning. It was a memory he cherished because it was the first time in years that he had felt cared for. "Yeah,"

"I knew you were under a lot of stress then," Raphael's voice was thick, and Leo glanced up only to gape in shock at the unrestrained raw emotion shining in liquid gold eyes, "but I didn't do anythin' about it! I was stupid, ya literally were crying in my arms, and I told myself that everythin' was ok, because ya just needed ta get whatever it was ya were dealin' with off yer chest. I knew! And I still said nothin'! Ya said that it's yer fault because ya didn't ask fer help, but I say that's a load of garbage!

"Ya were practically screamin' fer help that night," the red ninja continued, heedless of the tears soaking his mask a deeper shade of crimson, "and I didn't do jack because, as everyone says, I don't do feelin's! What kind of brother does that make me?! When ya go out of yer way to make sure your little brothers are ok; ya go on runs with me until I'm ready ta talk about what's tickin' me off, or sit with Donny in his lab, or hang with Mikey until he feels better. Ya do so much, and I couldn't even hear ya call for help when ya were literally cryin' in my arms!"

Leo's jaw hung, the force of his younger brother's emotions washing over him with the power of a hurricane. Raphael was openly sobbing now, anger at himself a violent bonfire roaring behind his eyes, "I should have said somethin'! I should have done somethin' then! So don't act like us bein' in these caves is all yer fault, because I hold responsibility too, and I'm not lettin' ya take the blame fer me anymore!"

The leader grasped his younger sibling and immediately pulled him into a rare hug. Raphael clung to his older brother, broad shoulders shaking with the turmoil rolling within, "I'm so sorry, bro," he rasped, voice hoarse, "I promise ta do better, I'm not gonna be a pain in yer shell anymore. I promise."

Leo had no words. His insides trembled at the weight of the confessions being made by the toughest turtle in the clan. The eldest brothers gripped each other, muscles constricting with how tightly they held the other, each a sort of life preserver in the middle of an emotional storm. Donatello stood guard, respectful of the moment, awed at Raphael's honesty. As for Leonardo, suddenly he felt a weight leave his shoulders, stress and strain he wasn't even aware he carried among everything else leaving his subconscious. A particularly stubborn puzzle piece that, for years, he had longed for was finally clicked into place, and all the leader could feel was intense satisfaction and relief. Finally, he had his entire team behind him.

"Thank you," Leonardo rasped, squeezing his sibling extra tight before letting go.

Raphael swiped at his eyes, awkward self-consciousness replacing the tender scene, "So, uh," the red turtle cleared his throat, "I guess we need ta get ta savin' Mikey, you know he's gonna whine about bein' trapped in ice, so we should get ta work."

The bombastic ninja walked away to start studying the various sculptures, the occasional sniffle, accompanied by the wiping of his eyes, the only evidence of what had taken place. Donatello shared a happy look with his leader, Leo suddenly appearing less haggard, not as strained as he once was. That apology had done more for the blue turtle's stress levels than Raphael knew, but they would keep quiet about that for now. The moment had passed and dwelling on it would only make their hotheaded brother uncomfortable. So, with quiet smiles, the genius and the strategist followed their sibling out among the statues.

"Are you sure you're feeling well enough to do this?" Donatello inquired, voice merely a murmur.

Leo laughed, rubbing his plastron as his heart gave another throb of complaint, "Do I have a choice?"

Don narrowed his eyes at his brother, but gave a begrudging sigh, "You're right, we don't."

"Such is our life," the leader shrugged, pulling in a deep breath to dispel the dizziness he felt, "it's just like anything else though. Father taught us how to overcome pain and physical limitations, I just need to trust in our training."

"So, accordin' ta the furball, all these statues are different part of who ya are," Raphael postulated, his face a mess of confusion, "but how do we know which is the right one?"

The blue ninja grinned, "Mikey actually already answered that for us," he said confidently, gesturing around, "look, that one is when we defeated the Shredder the first time. That one is when we were training with the tribunal. This one represents the part of me that enjoys drinking tea with Father in the evenings."

Leo stopped, his hand lingering on the cold shoulder of the statue that resembled him. Its stony frame seated respectfully in seiza, cupping the key in uplifted hands. Leo gave a soft smile, "But, only one of these statues correspond with Michelangelo."

"But you said Mikey answered the riddle," Donatello queried, face equally confused, "he couldn't have known which statue it is, right?"

"He's the one that said before we even came in here what this challenge will center on," Leo replied, his keen gaze searching the statues for the one he felt fit the bill, "my jealousy at how he was able to enjoy his childhood. Which means…"

Leonardo groaned as he knelt in front a diminutive statue, its hands held high in the air, a happy face wreathed in an innocent smile, "This is the one."

Silence filled the chamber, both younger brothers scrutinizing the statue before the genius gave a gasp of revelation, "I remember," Donny breathed softly, "that was before Father named who was the leader of the team. We were only nine, but we knew when we turned ten that things were going to change."

"Yep," Leo chuckled, his eyes taking in the details of his former self, "back when everything was so much simpler, and we were just kids who liked martial arts."

Reaching out, the leader attempted to palm the key, but jumped back with a startled cry when the statue burst to life.

"No!" It wailed.

"Jeez!" Raphael shouted, he and Donny adopting defensive stances, but calmed when Leo held out a hand.

"Stand down!" Turning back to the living sculpture, he tried to appear as non-threatening as possible, "Its ok, look, I just need that key, that's all. We're not going to hurt you; I only want to save my brother."

The statue shook its head, "No!" it repeated, "You can't, I won't let you!"

Leo cocked his head, eyes dark with confusion, "Why? If you're me, then shouldn't you want to save Mikey?"

The small being pouted, its glowing jade green eyes narrow, "I do," it muttered before suddenly brightening, "but you have to catch me first!"

The statue ran away, holding the key tight in its small hands. The leader's head dropped, an aggravated groan bubbling from his throat. "Of course," he sighed, "there's running."

Heaving himself up, the blue ninja wearily watched as the room once again changed, the fog covering it as stalagmites grew from the mist to reach towards the chamber ceiling. Donatello and Raphael stood shell to shell with their eldest sibling, watching the stone shift, and where once was an almost empty room, now lay a ghost town, similar to the underground city they had found years prior. Thankfully, Mikey was unharmed, his pedestal merely moved up onto the highest roof in the center of the chamber. The other statues had either been destroyed or lost in the commotion; the child statue though ran freely. Ducking in and out of moving slabs, it quickly disappeared, until finally, silence fell as the stalactites settled into place.

Leo braced himself against a newly formed wall, closing his eyes as exhaustion caused a wave of dizziness to hit him. He wasn't up for this, he was tired, his chest hurt, but he needed to rescue Mikey. Leonardo took a deep breath, holding it for several moments before releasing it in a slow exhale. The pain was only in his mind, he could overcome it. He just needed to focus.

No good.

Apparently, the ability to control himself even extended to his ability to control his pain levels. No wonder the fox was able to get into his head so easily before. He couldn't control his emotions, his mind or his body. He was useless. His heart gave another pang, causing Leo to stumble. Don cried out, kneeling next to his leader. "Leo," the genius murmured, "I don't think you can keep going like this, your body is under too much stress as it is. You could have a stroke at this rate."

The blue ninja grit his teeth, "I can't abandon Mikey," he snarled, a clenched fist beating the ground in frustration, "we've come so far. I can't let him down."

"I'm not saying to abandon him, Leo," Don stated, powerful hands gripping his eldest sibling's shoulder pleadingly, "but let us chase the little guy? We can catch him."

"I can't," Leo shook his head, "Mikey was right when he said these were my tests. It's my responsibility."

Raphael and Donatello shared grieved looks, but both recognized the stubborn look that their brother wore, and so bent down to wordlessly aid Leonardo in regaining his feet. "Just," the blue ninja gasped, face covered in sweat from the strain, "just help me walk."

The trio began their trek, Raphael taking the lead in direction as they searched for the statue holding the key, "Come on out, kid," the red ninja called, "ya got something' we need so we can save Mikey and get outta here."

"Why do you want to go?" the young voice echoed around them, making the turtles cast their eyes around, trying to find the source, "Why can't you stay here and play games with me?"

"Because father is waiting," Donny tried, "and so is the Ancient One, they must be worried sick."

"No! Daddy is mean to us!" the child statue bawled, "He said we couldn't have fun anymore! All he wants is rules, rules, rules. You should stay here with me!"

"You don't understand," Leonardo wheezed, trying to garner strength he didn't have to answer the statue, "I have responsibilities, my filial duty to my father and clan. My family depends on me. Playing games is fun, but there's a time and place for them."

"Responsibility," the miniature turtle spat, "Family. Duty. You're so serious about everything, you're no fun!"

Raphael propped Leo up onto his shoulder, watching as Don held his other side, and slowly they began to wander the ruins. Leo hung his head in exhaustion, his feet barely shuffling enough to keep up with his brothers. Shell, he was so tired. Tired of fighting, of being torn open and laid bare for all to see. He wasn't sure he'd make it past the next challenge. He wasn't sure he'd make it through this one; but he had to try.

"There's a time for fun, and a time to be serious," Leo tried again, hoping he could reason with the spirit, "my brother's lives are on the line every day, I can't goof off if it means it could get one of them killed."

"But you don't even play when it isn't time to be serious!" came the echoing accusation, "You could, but you don't, all you do is boring stuff like training. That's stupid!"

"Maybe it is boring, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make if it protects my family." Came the stalwart reply. "Father chose me to lead, I won't disgrace my family and shame the clan by failing to live up to my responsibility."

Donatello opened his mouth to try and give his own reply but found himself being shushed by none other than Raphael. Quirking his eyebrow, the genius silently asked the red ninja why, but Raph simply shook his head. Whatever this conversation was, whatever its point, it was one Leo had to manage on his own. Don gave a silent sigh but nodded. Instead, they continued to carry Leo throughout the city. The leader in question wasn't doing well, but that was to be expected considering his heart gave out mere moments ago.

"Why do you want to go back to him when it was Daddy who stole everything?!" the statue screamed in a tantrum, his childish voice reverberating across stone, "Why did it have to be us?! He could have let Raphie or Donny lead, but he didn't!"

Leo's breath quickened as a wave of agony washed over him, a strangled cry causing his body to lock up and his legs to curl. His younger siblings were swift in setting him on the ground, bracing his shell against a wall, each wearing identical looks of concern. "Leo, ya keep talkin' ta the kid," Raphael suggested, "Donny and I can look for him. If ya distract him, we have a better chance of sneakin' up on him, ya know?"

The leader gave a weary nod of approval, "Go ahead," he whispered, finally consenting to the offer of help, "split up and see if you can flank him, I'll keep him talking."

The duo nodded, and in the blink of an eye, had disappeared. Leonardo smiled as his brothers melted into the shadows, their training gave them a distinct advantage against the child. Angling his mouth upwards, Leo gave his reply, "Father didn't steal anything from us. He could have let Donny or Raphael lead, but he chose us. We were meant to lead the team and one day the clan."

"Yes, he did!" was the retort, "Didn't you say that he took our childhood? I heard you!"

"No," Leo shook his head, closing his eyes as the argument continued, "I said I lost my childhood; no one took it from me. If anything, I gave it up."

"What?"

The blue ninja chuckled at the shock and confusion in the tones of the young voice, "That's right," he sighed, more to himself than anything else, "all this time I've been angry about having to be responsible and keeping the family safe, saying that I lost the opportunity to have a life or interests. I was wrong. If anyone stole my childhood…it was me."

"No, I don't understand, I know Daddy took it…didn't he?"

"No, no he didn't,"

A startled squeak echoed in the cave, and a short cry of triumph followed, "Raphie, I got him!"

"Finally," the hothead's reply growled.

Leonardo chuckled, happy that the plan worked. The weary turtle leaned his head back against the wall, waiting for his brothers to return. A few moments later presence appeared in front of his prone form, and Leonardo opened his eyes to see the glowing jade gaze of his younger doppelganger as it hung from Raphael's arm. The red ninja carried the statue like a sack of potatoes and dumped it with equal ceremony. Standing up, the small spirit shuffled its feet in the snow of the cave, its face downcast, fingers fidgeting with the key it was trying so hard to protect.

The leader sighed, leaning forward so to tap the statue on its arm, "Hey, I know we can't stay and play with you, but I need to save Mikey. I need to go home."

"I don't understand," it repeated, bottom lip trembling, "You want to go back outside where everyone is mean to you, and you don't get to have fun. Why?"

"Because they're my family, and they're worth any sacrifice to keep safe," Leo replied gently, hand reaching out to the despondent child.

The spirit replied by curling up next to the large turtle, cuddling in under his arm, "But they aren't nice to you," he grumbled, "Father goes on long lectures about how you aren't good enough and your brothers hurt you by saying mean things. It's their fault!"

"Look," the leader began, his tone still soft, "father didn't steal my childhood from me, and my brothers love me. I don't blame them for the things I struggle with."

"Then why are you angry?"

Leo released a wry chuckle, "That's a good question," he affirmed, "I guess it was just easier to put the blame on everyone else, when that was the one thing I had control over. Which is weird, because I always take responsibility for everything, but I didn't for that."

"I chose to train during my down time, father never required that of me," Leonardo continued, "I chose to wake up early to meditate, I chose to deny myself time with my brothers so I could train, I chose to sideline my own life and rationalize it as duty."

"Why?"

"Because that's what I thought I had to do," the leader breathed, revelation making him dizzy, "but I was wrong."

The statue stilled, its small fingers clutching the key, "So, what do we do?"

Leo pursed his lips in thought, "Well," he started slowly, I'm going to learn from this. I'll start taking time out for myself and find out what my favorite hobbies are. I'll play games with my brothers, and I'll sleep in on my days off. I'll learn to be more open with my family instead of insisting I carry everything by myself. I probably won't be very good at it at first, but with some practice I'm sure I'll get the hang of it."

"And me?"

The blue ninja looked down at the small form huddled under his arm, and gave it a comforting squeeze, "You're going to give me the key so I can save Mikey, and then you'll stay with me in my memories, so I never forget this experience or the lesson I gained from it."

"Promise?"

Leo smiled, ruffling the stone head, "Promise."

The statue appeared thoughtful, but then gave a firm nod, "Ok," it said, "then you're gonna need this."

The small spirit dropped the metal key into Leo's hand, then swiftly wrapped him in a tight hug, "Don't forget, ok?"

"I won't," the leader replied.

As it had in the former challenges, the room filled with jade fog, sucking everything away. Leo held the child version of himself, determining within himself that this would be a promise that lives on and is never forgotten. The statue clung to the struggling turtle, until it too disintegrated back into mist. Arms dropping to his sides, Leonardo breathed a heavy sigh. A shiver slunk across his shoulders and down his spine. He was cold, he was exhausted, and all he wanted was to go home and spend the evening bundled in front of a fireplace with his family. His brothers must have sensed it, they immediately knelt down in front of him.

"Hey, bro, ya ok?"

The blue leader closed his eyes, swallowing back the wave of pain engulfing his shaking frame, "I'll be ok," he said, it was meant to be a soothing statement for all involved, but it fell flat, "I just need a few minutes."

"Why don't I go get Mikey," Raphael offered, opening his hand for the key, "ya can rest here with Don, and then we'll all go to the last challenge?"

Leo hated being so useless, hated how his body ached and if he had the energy, he'd have burst into tears right then and there. However, he'd done more than enough crying in his opinion on this adventure, and the simple fact was, he didn't have the energy. Add in the fact that for some reason, Leo felt detached from his body, almost floating just out of his skin. Numb. He felt this was something he should probably tell Donny as it might have dire medical consequences, but once again, the thought of even opening his mouth sounded arduous. He tried to nod to Raph, give permission for the red banded turtle to go ahead with the suggestion, but his body wouldn't cooperate. All he could do was lay against the slab of stone at his back.

Donatello began a quick field physical, his eyes narrow with concern, "This isn't good," he murmured, hands shaking with restrained emotion.

Raphael closed his eyes, grief making his throat constrict, "I know, Donny, I know,"

The genius pulled Leo into something of a hug, rubbing his arms, "He's really cold, and it's not helping his heart any. The time between beats is slower than I'd like."

"Ok," Raph nodded, "I'll go get Mikey, ya get Leo warmed up as much as ya can. When I get back with the popsicle, we get Leo ta the last challenge and then we get the shell outta here!"

Raphael took off, not waiting for an answer, his heart heavy with the nonresponsive behavior of his older brother. Leo's health was degrading too fast, and the bombastic turtle felt a dread settle in his stomach like a solid chunk of concrete. They needed to finish this, and thankfully, they only had one test to go. Skidding to a stop, Raphael knelt and slid the key into the keyhole, watching as his brother thawed. Michelangelo opened his eyes, blinking them a few times and giving a small groan as he slowly came to.

"Dude," the orange ninja shivered, "why am I so cold? What happened?"

"They flash froze ya like the corndog ya are, Mikey," Raph snickered.

Mikey rolled his eyes, "Very funny," he groused, "where's Leo?"

The red banded turtle paused, unsure of how to break the news and went with a vague answer instead, "He's with Donny, they're waitin' fer us so we can finish this thing and get outta here."

Michelangelo squinted suspiciously, his gut roiling as his inner lie detector for his brother's started blaring, "What aren't you telling me, Raph?"

A heavy sigh was the immediate reply, proving the orange turtle correct, "Why ya gotta choose now ta be Mr. Observant, huh?"

"For the record, I'm always observant, I just usually choose to focus on fun things than to get stressed over stuff I can't control." Mikey huffed, "And for another thing, I hate it when you guys do this to me!"

"Do what?"

"This!" Michelangelo yelled, face alight with fury, "I know that I'm the youngest, I know that you guys want to protect me; and trust me dude, I appreciate the sentiment! But sometimes you keep important things secret that I would rather know, even if it might hurt. We're a team of four, not three ninja and their baby brother who tags along. Got it?"

Raphael listened to Mikey, really listened, and not for the first time felt a strange gratitude to the caves. It seems that he and Leo weren't the only ones who were getting lessons in growing out of their comfort zones. Pausing so to allow Mikey's words to sink in, Raph gave a nod, acknowledging his brother's statement.

"Leo's heart gave out," the red ninja said softly, noting the gasp of the younger brother, "Donny was able ta bring him back around, but…he's not doin' too good. We need ta get him outta here, fast."

Michelangelo grimaced at the news, but then shook his head firmly. While he was shocked and horrified, he had just finished telling Raphael that he could handle more than they thought, so he couldn't freak out. He needed to keep his cool and be mindful that his brother's needed him now more than ever, especially with Leo out of commission. "Right," the orange ninja nodded, "one turtle express coming up!"

The duo took off in the direction of their siblings, each quiet with the heavy thoughts weighing them down. It didn't take long for them to reach Donny, and Mikey's heart gave a painful twist at his eldest brother's still form. The genius was worriedly checking over Leo, probably for the umpteenth time, his face grim. Michelangelo slowed his run to a trot, approaching the purple banded turtle.

"Hey Donny," Mikey greeted with more cheer than he felt, "what's shakin'?"

Donatello glanced up, ready to tell off his brother, but his ire deflated when he saw the same fear he felt reflected in the youngest's eyes. "Leo isn't responding to me, I've been calling his name and shaking him, but he won't open his eyes or talk."

Raphael knelt down, feeling their leader's forehead and cheek, "It's so cold in here, it's hard ta tell if he's got a fever."

Don nodded, "I don't think we need to worry about that though, the thing I'm concerned about is his heart."

"So, what do we do?" Mikey asked lowly, bravado slipping away to reveal his concern, "We need him for the last challenge, don't we?"

"Yeah, we do," the purple ninja nodded, "Why don't we get moving? The cold may be making him sleepy, since we're cold blooded and all. Maybe if we get somewhere warmer it might wake him up a bit?"

"Nothin' we can do but try," Raphael sighed, leaning over to grip his leader's arm and haul him upwards, "I'll take this side, Mikey, you take his other side."

Michelangelo gave an enthusiastic nod, scrambling to obey his older brother. Lifting Leo's dead weight was no easy matter, while they all worked out to stay fit as ninja, it wasn't a secret that Raphael and Leonardo were the more enthusiastic of the four. So, it made lifting their leader's bulk a tad more difficult, as since the growth spurt, he'd put on at least twenty more pounds of pure muscle. The job got done though, and soon the quadruplets were moving up the stairs and into the corridor.

The walk was quiet, with Donatello hovering nearby, periodically checking on Leo. The younger brothers often exchanged worried glances. Each attempting to gain reassurance from the others that their leader's inactivity was going to pass. That soon they would escape the caves, and he'd miraculously recover from his injuries. Just like he always did. This time felt different however, tragedy felt all too near, and the kiss of death mere footsteps away. None wanted to think about losing their eldest brother, so they plodded on until they finally reached the last challenge.

Donny came to a stop, breathing a sigh as they waited for the instructions to reveal themselves.

Seek to Find Your Brother Lost

In a Room with Treasures Tossed

Soul Imprisoned Beneath Emerald Gleam

Call His Name and Reclaim Your Team

Three Choices Given for Your Turn

Use Wisdom and Patience While You Discern

If Victory, You Find Whilst You Scavenge

Then You'll Have Conquered This Last Challenge

"Looks like it's Leo's turn," Donny murmured.

"Is it bad that I'm kinda relieved?" Raph asked, his tone quiet.

Mikey shook his head, "No, I was scared it would take all three of us, then where would we be?"

"Exactly," Donatello nodded, "it's better this way. In a sense, Leo has a chance to rest. If what I'm reading is accurate, then he's going to be taken and we have to find an object that probably represents his soul, and we get only three choices to find the right one."

"Ooh, ooh! Like in the movie Return to Oz!" Mikey cried, eyes brightening, "We can totally do this, how hard can it be to find an object that represents Leo's soul?"

Raphael grunted, pushing the doors open with his free hand only to give a violent gasp of shock. "Holy Shell…"

Don and Mikey's jaws dropped at the sight, and the orange turtle almost fell to the floor in horror.

It was a treasure room of vast proportions. Looking like something out of a medieval fantasy, almost a dwarven chamber, filled with gold and jewels. The floor couldn't even be seen, treasure spilled from every nook, cranny and crevice. The room positively glowed from the amount of gold and silver that glittered in the firelight. On the far end sat a throne, golden and magnificent, embedded with jewels and precious stones. An entire army's worth of military armament and weapons, each shining with similar embellishment lay on one side. While a library of books and rare tomes laid on the other. Splayed in front of the throne was mountains and valleys of coins from varying nations and time periods, necklaces interlaced with emeralds and rubies, bracelets and belts, all shone twinkling in the dim light of the cave. It would have been wonderous to behold if it didn't seem so daunting that they'd be searching for a needle in a haystack amidst the mess.

"I just had to open my big dumb mouth," Mikey whimpered.

We're almost done!

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