Part 17,

Once I caught up with Raphael and Ninjara, only one thing was on my mind. Where in the world is Master Splinter? Is he really dead. The pain from the blades was still burning. Raphael looked back at me, he knew I was the right Leo, but he still didn't know if he could trust me.

"Leo, why did you save that girl back there? She's one of the main W's, I almost had her."

"Because Raph, when I was a W, she was one of my only friends. I have two friends there I would like to help get free. Who knows..." I looked back towards where we were fighting. "..maybe even three ppl still need to be saved, even though one of them, well, never mind." I thought of how the Shredder too was caught and made to work for them, and how he reacted when he heard we had to take out a Foot Hide out. The Shaper, was right. Shredder has feelings, he just doesn't want to show them.

"Who all are you talking about saving Leo? I mean, I don't want to keep fighting the W's, they're not our fight, they are the humans fight."

"Boy have you got that wrong." We turned around, there stood a teenager, I've seen him before. It's Mark in his human shape. "The W's were never the humans fight. They're here after my brothers and I...now they are also after you. This is your fight too."

"Who are you?" Raphael asked, looking at Mark. He was more confused than anything.

"I'm a friend. I've been helping you guys since the W's took Leo." Than it hit me, the Shapers always knew what was coming up, they had to be the ones writing the notes to my brothers.

"So it was you guys. Why did you make it so I had to face my brothers?"

"Because Leo, you had to see what you were doing was wrong and you use to fight it."

"But I knew that."

"So did Mokeshan, but now she takes her job as if it's a normal job. She doesn't care if she kills or not anymore. She lost hope, cause the ppl she fought was ppl she didn't care about. She has less hope of being free than you do. Your brothers were a reminder. And it worked, each time you fought them, you were trying to pull back. The blades couldn't break all the way through because of your love for your brothers."

"Hey guys. I'll like to ask one question. Who is this guy and how did he find us?" Raphael said. He was getting mad.

"Raph, this is Mark. He's one of the Shapers, the group we use to call the shadows. He's one of the ones that helped me get free. Don't worry he is a friend.... that's one good question though, how did you find us?" Mark smiled at me.

"I know how to find you Leo. I'm good at that, when I saw Terror was leaving because of a report of finding you, I followed him, I didn't get involved in your fight with him, because I knew you had to show Raph it was you. Than I followed you guys." Raph covered his face.

"Ok, now lets get to our hide out. How am I to tell Mokoshan about all this madness." Raphael said walking, Ninjara walked close to Raph. I kind of fell behind walking with Mark. I saw Raph wasn't going to tell me about Master Splinter yet. I had to wait for us to get where we're going.

"Mark do you think this fight will ever end?" I asked, being a little quiet for Ninjara and Raph not to jump in.

"I don't know Leo. This fight has been going on for years, and I don't think they'll stop till they get what they want. I hate that fact, but that's the way things are." I looked down. We didn't say another word while walking to the hide out where Raph and Ninjara was staying. I was shocked it was so far away from Mokoshan's real home.

While walking I didn't really know what to think. Raphael, still wasn't showing to much trust to me, but how can I blame him. I could see the marks on him from my blades from the last time we fought. I hurt him more than I would have ever wanted. Mark was right, fighting my brothers made me think more than, do my job. Right now I felt as if Mark was my only true friend, but I knew I was wrong, my brother still cared for me, they just have a fear, because of some stuff that happened in the pass. I was out to fix that.

I also had a big fear. What of Master Splinter? Is he dead or alive? How much longer will I have to wait to find out? With how Raph was acting had me scared... scared that I may never see Master Splinter again. My blades started to cool down, since the fight was over and I had friends all around me. Ninjara and Raph kept looking back at me, I still saw very little if any trust at all in their eyes.

We came up to this big cave, Mokoshan was sitting near the door. He saw me and stood up. He walked over to Raphael and Ninjara. The were talking soft, I couldn't hear what they were saying. Mokoshan nodded his head and looked over towards Mark and I. We walked forwards.

"Hello Leonardo. Long time no see old friend."

"Leo, can you wait here. I'll like to talk to Ninjara and Mokoshan, alone!" Raph said walking towards another room. They left me and Mark in a room. I heard them talking on the way there. I looked down, it was strange to be left out.

"Either the news is hard to tell, and they don't know how to break it. Or they don't trust you enough to know if they can tell you the truth." I looked down for what Mark has said was true.

I went and sat down. My head was hurting as if there was a thunderstorm going on within it. The thunder was the shaking going on within, as for the lighting...I could feel it hitting the front of my head. I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall. I was feeling lonely and now a bit ill. I just wanted this nightmare to end so I could go home and everything to be all right.

It was a few hours before they came out of the other room, I fell asleep up against the wall. When I awoke, Mark was sitting down looking outside. Why was he here? I got up and looked around, I was lonely alright, I wanted to go home. I looked back at Mark. I saw happiness in his eyes. He had a life, even though he was hunted everyday, he could walk among the humans. He could see the days coming ahead with a new light. When all us Turtles usually saw only another dark sewer.

When Raph finally did come I was looking at a wall, with some art on it, it looked a few months old, but I could tell it was Mikey's doing.

"Leonardo come with me." Raph said turning and walking the other way, still no trust in his eyes. Mark looked at Raph, Raph looked back at him. "You stay here, this is non of your..."

"Raph!" I said, I didn't like how he was talking to my friend.

"It's ok Leo, I'll see ya."

"Well it's NOT LEO! I DON'T KNOW HIM!"

"Drop it Raph." Raph went quiet after I said that. He was mad, but being around anger isn't what got me to come back. I wanted to be with my family... but what of a family do I have left?

We walked into a dark room. Mokoshan was standing over something. My eyes went wide as a tear went down. Was he alive. It was Master Splinter's body. I went to go forward and Raph held me back.

"Leo, he needs rest." Raph said, that means he is alive... I wanted to say hi so bad, but Raph wouldn't let me.

"Raphael.... let.... me..... see... Leo." Raph let me move forward after Master Splinter spoke. The sound of his voice was music to my ears, but at the same time, I heard a cry of pain within his words. I looked over at Raphael,

"Revyen did this?"

"Yes, a bomb went off.. Master Splinter was to close... I better tell you the story." I looked at Master Splinter, I knew I had to hear the story, but I really didn't want to leave Master Splinter. I moved closer to get a better look at him.

I saw a few areas on him where the fur was melted to his skin, other areas where he was shaved for some stitches. Splinter's arm was wrapped up, I saw a brun under the wrapping. Raphael walked up to me and put his arm on my shoulder.

"Go with your..." Splinter paused while trying to speak to me, I could see the pain in his eyes, and a little bit of blood coming from his mouth."brother... My son." I looked at Raphael, than back at Master Splinter.

"Come on Leo. He needs to rest." I followed Raph out of the room. As we were leaving Master Splinter closed his eyes, I just hope that isn't the last time he closes them. I felt a tear go down my face, I didn't want to leave Master Splinter. Raph took me to a room upstairs and we sat down.

"One thing before I begin Leo, If I find out any of this gets out to the W's I'm going to smash your head in myself!"

"Trust me Raph, I'm not a W anymore." Raph looked at me, still with little trust in his eyes.

"Ok Leo, the W's believe Master Splinter is dead, and it's better it stays that way. You see, Master Splinter and I returned to help Ninjara.. she said she had to help Mokoshan out of this mess before she returns with us for good. Of course I would help her, she's the only girl that I've ever cared this much for." Raph sat back, and looked down.

"I know Raph.. I know how much you care for her and I understand why you jumped into this fight."

"Well Leo, it was just three days ago. We were at Mokoshan's old home, getting some food he had hidden there. Master Splinter was in the kitchen, Ninjara and I was up in the storage room. I heard a big bang, it came from Down stairs. We ran down the steps, and saw Revyen standing near the kitchen, there was smoke coming out of the kitchen... she had a big smile across her face. Than she looked at us." Raph looked down. "She told us that she was sent to destroy us, only than will she be happy and the W's will leave Mokoshan's ppl alone. I pulled my sais out on her, she just smiled at me, than turned and walked away. I ran into the kitchen to find Master Splinter on the ground, his fur covered in blood." Raphael got up and started to walk back and forth, I could see worry in his eyes, along with his distrust for me. "A lot of his fur was melted to his skin, when I checked for heart beat we were to late. It was gone. We carried him back to Mokoshan. Mokoshan saved him, he brought Master Splinter back." I smiled at Raph about that.

"That was then Leo! He saved Master Splinter's life, but we don't know if Master Splinter is going to live from this." I looked down, I knew what Raphael was talking about, Master Splinter didn't look good at all.

"I'm sorry Raph, I just like it that you're working with Mokoshan after all that time you hated him." Raph got up and looked at me.

"It's ok Leo. Now I got some stuff to do. I'll show you to a room you can stay in."

Raph took me to a room, and walked out. You could tell he didn't want to be near me to much, he still didn't know about trusting me. I sat down on the bed and looked out the window. It was getting dark, I still didn't feel free, because nothing seemed the same, everything was different. I lyed down in my bed, and closed my eyes, hoping for a better day to follow.

The next morning I woke up and went down stairs. This cave was made into a house, with windows, bed room, and about three floors. I found Mark on the couch in the living room, sleeping. I walked to the kitchen and looked around for some food. There wasn't much there to eat, but I could understand, they were having a hard time. This war was holding them back on their freedom and food.

I made a small breakfast and ate. I brought some food out to Mark and woke him up.

"Hi Mark." Mark's eyes opened as he looked at me. Than looked at the food, he smiled and sat up.

"Morning Leo. How did things go with Raphael last night?"

"He still doesn't seem to trust me, I've tried everything, but I don't think he'll trust me for a long time." I looked down. I felt a pain, one that I've had for a few years now, this pain was because I was lonely.

"Don't worry Leo, your brothers will take you back. They love you, just as much as you love them." I smiled. Than Raph walked into the room. Mark looked over at Raphael. "Morning Raph."

"Oh, hi.. what's you two up to?"

"Just getting something to eat, you hungry?" I asked getting up to go get Raph some food.

"Oh, that reminds me, today I have to go get some food." Raph said going over and grabbing a coat. I walk up to Raph, this was a chance for me and him to be together, I couldn't pass it up. I had to earn Raph's trust again, he was my brother, and I didn't want to be left in the dark forever.

"Hey Raph, I'll come with you." Raph looked at me, he was shocked that I offered to go with him to the store.

"Since when? You never wanted to go to the store with me before Leo? Unless we were getting something you wanted."

"I just figured why not, I haven't been with ya for awhile, we can caught up with each other. What have you been doing this these pass few years." Raph saw I was just trying to be friends with him again.

"I guess you can come Leo." Raph said, throwing a coat and hat at me. "Just don't get in my way." I looked at Raph, I know he was joking with that last part, he was trying to treat it like the old days. I wonder if he was going to trust me any more? Mark said good bye to us as we went out. I was shocked we were going out so early in the morning to go shopping, I guess it's because of the war that's going on, it's not safe to travel to much durning the day.

"So Leo, all this time you've been gone... what all has happened? I mean, you never hit me as hard before you were a W." Raph touch one of the sores I gave him. I looked down.

"Well Raph, as I told you, these blades bring out the anger in me, I'll be scared to see you in these blades." Raph smiled and looked at me.

"Ah come on Leo, I'm not all that bad"

"Hey, you're not the one who has to put up with you." We took a car that April got for them to use to travel. Raph and I joked all the way to the store, it seems we were getting back together again. It was Great to be with my brother. I missed him a lot.

We didn't get much at the store, we didn't have enough money. After getting some food we put it in the car, it was getting to be day light. We went to get into the car, and found the front two tires were flat.

"What's with this?" Raphael said, grabbing out his sais.

"I don't know Raphael." We looked around with weapons in hand. A cold chill went down my back, there was trouble near by, I could feel it. I looked up and saw a shadow come down into the light in front of me. Before I saw anything else, all went dark.

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