The Shape of a Turtle, Part 24



Part 24

"Well, I took out Terror after you guys went into the tree. I told Kevin to follow you and make sure nothing happened. The battle out here started to lighten up, as W's ran for their lifes and others took the bodies of those who were just knocked out. The W's ran, they usually do when they know all four of us Shapers are at a fight. Kevin came out with Peter behind him. They told me you were still in there, but they didn't know where. We were scared the W's got you back. It was around 10 minutes later that Mokoshan came out with you in hand. We brought you over here to rest, while we cleaned up the mess."

"What of the W's still in the HQ? They're sure to come out and take us on for battel." I asked reaching for my sword, which was set on the ground next to me.

"We blocked that door, and they're not dumb enough to try taking us on two times in one day. Or at least in the same hour."

"Hello Leonardo. I will like to say good bye to you before you go." I looked up to see Mokoshan standing above me.

"Good bye Mokoshan." I said, as sharp pain went through my shell, I closed my eyes in pain.

"We better get you home." Mark said. Than he shaped over me. When we came up, I saw Mikey already got Raphael and Ninjara home. Once Raph saw me he turned his head and walked out of the room. I looked down, it hurt to have Raph treat me like that, I felt a tear go down my face.

"Hey Leo, welcome home." I turned to see April standing near the couch.

"Hi April." I looked around the lair, for a first time in a long time, I thought to myself. I'm free, I'm home! Than the dark gloom of the lair hit me. Mikey was sitting down next to Ninjara, as I saw the tears in her eyes that's when it hit me. I may never see Master Splinter again. With all the pain in me, I wanted to fall down and cry, but I didn't let myself do that.

I walked to my long missed room, using the walls to hold me up. Donatello must have cleaned it up, for the place didn't have a dust on a thing. I sat down on my bed, feeling the pain I knew I had to rest. I slowy lyed down, feeling the pain in each move. Than I let my tears out. It was around a half hour before I finally fell asleep.

Next I knew I awoke fast, as if jumping out of a nightmare. Sweat coming down my face, blood coming through my elbows and knee pads. I looked up to see Donatello standing over me.

"Hi Leo, I didn't hear you come in." Don said as he sat down with a first aid kit in his hands. "I set up a funeral, Master Splinter is taken care of till then." I looked down, the topic wasn't something I wanted to wake up to. "Is there anyone not on this list that you want to invite?" Don handed me a list of names of our friends. Than he unraped my shell and started to take care of me. "You sure have lost a lot of blood Leo. I want you to stay in bed. Till the funeral."

"Ok Don, I can do that. I need the rest." Not much more words passed between the two of us while he took care of me. Once he left I lyed down it was two days before the funeral, so I had two days to stay in bed, I closed my eyes to let the time fly.

The following day I woke up to yelling in the other room.

"NO WAY DON! I WONT GO IF HE IS THE ONE TO TALK AT THE FUNERAL! HE WASN'T EVEN HERE FOR HIM THE PASS SO MANY YEARS! AND HE LET THE KILLER GO!!!" I knew what Raph was yelling about, and boy does it sound like he hates me these days.

"Look Raph, we all know Leo was Splinter's favorite student. Splinter would want Leo to be the one to say our Good byes."

"DON!! IF HE DIDN'T MOVE MASTER SPLINTER! SPLINTER MIGHT STILL BE ALIVE!!!!!"

"NO! I checked him, no matter what Master Splinter was going to die and there was nothing any of us could have done about it." I wish I could see them, but I'm in to much pain to get up. I wanted to stop this fight, and I couldn't see what was going on with this wall in my way. I looked up to the sound of a door slam.

An hour later Don came to my room. I looked up seeing the tears in his eyes. I knew all this fighting was hard on Don.

"Leo we seem to be having some trouble"

"I heard Donny." Don sat down next to me. "I heard the fight, Raph sure is over acting"

"Leo is it true you let Revyen go?"

"Yes Don. I wanted to stop the killing before it became a chain of killing. I saw fear in her eyes Don, she could fall just as easy as us, I couldn't let her die. It would have caused more trouble than it was worth."

"I'm sorry Leo, but I'm with Raph on this one. She killed Master Splinter!"

"I believe there was more to that fight then we saw. And I don't feel she's the one to balm for the death."

Don got up and shock his head. He walked out of the room. I felt the anger from him. I didn't get that to often, but I knew I would be mad if one of them let Master Splinter's killer go.

Should I have finshed the job, and took care of Revyen for good? I couldn't! If she wasn't there and held Shredder off for me, I could be dead right now! I rolled over closing my eyes awaiting for the Funeral.

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"Leonardo!" April said. "I just want to know if you need a ride?"

"No thanks April, I'll be there in time."

"Ok, I better get on my way than. I see you guys when you're done. Right?"

"I'm sure you see us before hand April, but we'll see." I watched as April left the sewers. I can't believe that this day ever came. It all felt as if it was yesterday, but I know it has been a year.

One year since Master Splinter died, also today will be the first time in 11 months that all four of usTurtles will be together in the same area. I still have a hard time with all the things that have happened in one year.

Raph was the first to go. It was a week after the funeral, when he told us that Ninjara and him were moving. They moved to Caseys farm house, not far from where Master Splinter was buried. Both Raph and Ninjara don't talk to me when I would come over, so I don't go over to much any more. I would try to make up to them, yet Raph would just turn his shell. I miss him so much, he'll never know. Now they just stay at the house, Raph is said to spend a lot of his time in the barn working out. Ninjara, takes care of the place, and tries to keep Raph level headed. I wish that he would just look at me the same as he did before Master Splinter died.

It wasn't long after that, about a month or two. I was able to stand up and move around. The blades were not letting me live in peace with my brothers. I would snap at the smallest things. It was getting worse every day I stayed there. It was the day that I brought my blades at Donatello that I knew I had to go, Donny was just cleaning up the living room and dropped one of Master Splinters walking sticks. I couldn't believe I pulled my blades out at him for that. I knew I had to move, so I found a new home deep in the sewers across town from the others. I use my blades on the W's and Foot Clan, letting my anger out on them. I have become more of a weapon to them with these blades. I just wish I could be my old self again.

Donatello and Michaelangelo still live at home. Don is taking care of Mikey and the rest of the place. He is also the peace maker between Raphael and I. Donatello did get to speak at Splinters funeral, and I believe he's going to speak for us tonight too. Don didn't put up a fight about speaking after he heard that I let Revyen go. He just went on with it. He still holds that against me, I can tell by how he looks at me. The best thing about that was that Donny, unlike Raph, is still my friend.

Michaelangelo woke up around three months ago. I wish I was there for him. I heard he took Master Splinters death hard, he felt so bad that he couldn't have been there to help. No one told him that I let Revyen go, though sometimes I feel like Raph would tell if Donny wasn't always there. Mikey does know of my blow ups, but never seen me get mad. I hope to keep it that way. Don is working with Mikey and called me last week when Mikey stood up for the first time since he woke up. He made Mikey one of those wheel chairs that move around just by speaking to it, or he can just hit buttons and it'll move. It's not easy seeing him in that. Don says it will be awhile before Mikey will be back upon his feet.

**** Beep**Beep****

"Hello" I said as I answered my Turtle com.

"Hey Leo. Just callin to make sure you're going to be there tonight."

"Yea Mikey, I just lost myself in my thoughts. I'm on my way now."

"Ok Dude, just checken, April said you turned down a ride."

"Yea, well I can get there on time. I'll see you later Mikey." I closed my Turte com and put it on my belt. Grabbing my swords, I remembered the day Master Splinter gave them to me.

I closed my eyes to see his smile and hear his words. "You have proven yourself enough to now hold and own my Master Yoshis old swords. Take care of them my son." The smell of the dust that was on the swords when I first held them, hit me as if I was there. I opened my eyes, I felt the tears coming. "I miss you Master Splinter." I set the swords on my belt and headed out to the woods behind Caseys old farm house.

Donatello picked the spot years ago. He really got envold in learning about death after we started fighting. He would always tell us that we wont live forever. When don was putting everything together for any of us to pass away, he always asked us. "What do you think of this? Would this work?" He picked everything and we would say yes or no. This spot was Master Splinters favorite here in the US. He always told us he would like to be buried in Japan, but after he saw this area, he said it would make more meaning for him to be buried with his sons. So we did as he asked, and he lyes there now.

Pulling my hat and coat on I took the Turtle blimp to Mass. I landed it on a hill in a wooded area near Casey's old farm house. I looked over to see Ninjara talking to Donatello over near the house. I knew if I went over there, Ninjara would turn and walk into the house without a word. I walked over to the grave site and got down on my knees.

"For the pass year, Master Splinter, a lot has happened. All of which you would not stand for. Us Turtles have broken up from each other. RAph and I are always fighting. And the W's are bigger than the foot ever was." I felt some more tears going down my face. "I'm sorry I failed you and everything you taught me." Just than a warm hand went on the back of my shell.

"Don't do this to yourself Leo. It's not your fault he died." I knew the voice, and I knew he was trying to help. But he was wrong, if I never got caught Master Splinter would still be alive.


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