the curse - 1 - [rottmnt - COMPLETED]

#80

Shiro's heart hardened, as she started to look around for a sword. She had no more time, it was too late. Her failure tore at her. She knew if she died, somehow Donnie would die with her. Her promise that she would prevent this family from being torn apart was broken the moment she worded it.

But her will was unbreakable, and so she decided that she would at least save the world. This wasn't about her. It wasn't about Donnie. It was about everyone else.

She knew she'd managed to live with her guilt, so why not die with it too?

A sideways glance at Donnie told her he had the upper hand in his inner struggle, but it was taking all of his attention. He wouldn't be able to stop her now. She felt the burn of his pain in her body and her hand, but ignored it.

Most of the dust had settled, but no weapon could be seen. She looked down at the Bo in her hand and raised it to transform it into something that would effectively kill her when she heard Donnie's choked voice.

"No!" 

The Bo stopped glowing, and she stared at it in surprise and then at Donnie, who was holding the coin and tugging at it with all his might as he looked up at her and saw through her. She felt the flame appear small. Oh, that stubborn one who screwed up her plans!

—

Leo swung his bound hands under himself, ignoring the sharp pain from his leg wound that overshadowed all his other wounds. He got up and closed his hands, which were now in front of his chest, and immediately he had his Katanas in his hands again. He looked around frantically, he didn't know how much time the shock wave had bought them, and with horror he saw this damn witch standing over April. She had evidently successfully taken cover behind April's protective hull. Leo cursed inwardly, but noticed that April was now conscious and already had one arm free! YES! But the red covering slowly began to dissipate, and the woman began screaming madly across the plain for her people.

“RAISE OUR ANCESTORS! THAT WAS A TRAP!”

'Oh damn shit!' thought Leo and hurriedly turned to Raph, who was still kneeling on the ground, breathing heavily as the red glow left his hands. Leo holstered one Katana and then cut his brother's bonds with the other. It glowed blue as it slipped through the black ribbons, and Leo shivered – but his brother was free again. As Raph got to his feet, Leo heard Mikey groan next to him. Turning to him, he saw Raph take his Katana from his hand to free him from his bonds as well.

—

April saw the red hull disappear around her and looked up at the woman standing over her, screaming in hate as she stared, her face contorted, at what appeared to be behind April.

April turned her head and saw Shiro and Donnie together some distance away, and she thanked heaven that she was farsighted and therefore didn't need her glasses to see them both clearly. Donnie was struggling with something, and his hand kept going to his chest. Shiro also looked over at them, and her green eyes were wide and full of fear, which the words of this woman had triggered in her.

Shiro and April's eyes met, an image of herself flickered through April's inner eye, and she heard her own voice in her memory.

"I promise, Shiro."

April's throat tightened. Shiro and her damn stubbornness! NO!

She started to move and wanted to call out to Shiro, but was grabbed hard on the shoulder with a painful jerk, and she looked up again. Slightly blurry, she saw the woman above her, her black hair hanging down wildly, the chain with the coin dangling around her neck.

"You have accomplished your task!" the woman hissed at her, and something shiny flashed. April was getting cold, but she didn't give up and tried to reach it with her free hand.

—

"Damn it!" Shiro shouted, and dropped the Bo, her eyes rushed to the woman who was now bending over April, whose eyes were directed at Shiro. Their gazes met and Shiro pressed her lips together as she thought of April's promise to her and saw a moment later in her face how she had seen what was going on inside her. But April was immediately jerked around by the woman again. Shiro knew they had run out of time!

Then she felt a pull in her chest. She turned her head and saw him standing some distance away with Raph and Mikey. He turned to her.

Their eyes met.

And Shiro was holding her hand out for Leo’s sword.

—

Leo saw April raise her hand to the damn witch, who was bending over her, but before he could react, he felt the twisting in his chest again and turned around. Shiro! Her eyes were green again! Donnie lay next to her and fought doggedly with himself. Leo heard Mikey and Raph shout something, but his whole self was drawn into Shiro's eyes.

Time slowed a thousandfold, space seemed to bend around them both.

He saw Shiro and her will. She was determined. She would do it, he felt it with a certainty he knew about himself. Nothing will make her hesitate now. A sadness seized him, a pain, a longing. His feelings carried him away and made him sink into himself.

He saw Shiro in the sunrise after she had put his sword in his hand and his own voice in his head.

"I promise you, Shiro."

He saw Donnie standing in the bathroom at home, his eyes full of fear for her.

"Leo… if anything happens to her… I don't know how I'm ever going to take it"

He pictured Casey's sad face, shaken by the memory.

"And Donnie… never recovered from the loss of her. He was just… a shadow, Leo."

He saw Donnie's cold, angry stare at him in the trainings' hall.

“… you untrustworthy promise-breaking worm?”

Then he saw Shiro again and her outstretched hand, her shining green eyes. He wished he could tell her everything he had to say. All the words that slumbered inside him unspoken. The feelings that were now so clear in front of him, the veil had been pulled from them, and they rose irresistibly to the surface of his soul.

“It's not about us.”

It wasn't fair. It never was.

Leo felt tears well up in his eyes and whispered,

“Please forgive me.”

as he raised his sword and threw it.