Ch.13: Forgiven

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Nightwatcher's/Raph's POV

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The noise coming from the fight reached my ears as I turned to see Donatello attack Leonardo and Mikey. Wolf was right about Sakavu, if only there some other way besides breaking that jar this wouldn't have happened. Well, you can't change the past, it's time to deal with the future.

Grabbing two sais I always keep sheathed behind my back I joined in the fray and started to battle againist my purple-masked brother. None of the turtles knew who was really lurking under this mask. If they ever found out Leo and Mikey would have a feild day, but now...

Donatello used his bo staff to leap over me and stab me in the back. Good thing I have a shell to protect me from the damage the blow would have caused, not to metion my armor, but the force was enough to make me land flat on my face. When I turned back around Don was busy facing off againist Leo and Mikey again.

Both turtles had their weapons pulled out to defend themselves againist this changed Donatello. Seeing my purple-clad brother act like this was unnatural and I was starting to grow worried. My eyes landed on Karia for a second seeing that she was standing there with no idea what to do.

"Karia" I shouted "help me,"

With a dash I sprang to help my brothers hearing Karia's footsteps patter along behind me. Don had managed to snatch one of Leo's swords and had dropped his own weapon. Now I know this wasn't the Donatello I knew, he would never throw away his own weapon like that.

A howl screamed through the night and everything stood still for a minute as we searched for the source of the sound. Looking up on the rooftop nearby we all saw Wolf standing brillantly againist the glistening light of the full moon. She's such a showoff.

Landing beside me she winked and said "Glad to see you again, need some help?"

What did I have to lose? Oh yeah, my brothers lives if I didn't hurry! Together me and Wolf both charged at Donatello trying to at least pin him down so the battle would stop. Even Leo and Mikey seemed willing to help out although they were mostly staying behind us not to sure about jumping in.

Personally I didn't care whether they jumped in or not, brandishing my sais I headed striaght for Donatello. Don was no sword expert when it came to Leo's katanas but he knew enough to at least defend himself from my sais.

I was reluctant to strike the finishing blow. I could beat any of my brothers any day of the week, but I wouldn't dare go to far as killing them. Unluckily for me the changed Donatello didn't have that problem as I soon found out. When I brought my arm to upper-rising block a sharp pain suddenly slashed through my body as I felt the tip end of Leo's sword pass through my side.

My armor may have protected me in some areas but it looks like Don had found a weak spot even under all this metal. Wearily I glanced at metal-coated hand covering the recent blow watching as blood from the sword wound tarnished it's surface. Karia screamed, silence fell upon the pier, and finally I blacked out.

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Normal POV

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Neither Leo or Mikey could move or speak at what they had just witnessed. Wolf and Karia were shock as thier eyes lingered over the Nightwatcher's unmoving body. Slowly Donatello made his way up to the Nightwather's body and pried off his helemet. Karia couldn't take it any longer, she tackled Donatello.

"You killed him!" she yelled in fury "he was your brother and you killed him!"

"My brother?" asked Donatello surprised.

Leo, Mikey, and Wolf were also surprised. Curious to what Karia had meant Leo walked over to the now unmasked Nightwatcher and gasped at what he saw. There, lying still as the silence around them, was Rapheal, killed by his own brother.

The light blue fire in Donatello's eyes vanished as he also saw Rapheal's face. Wolf looked at him angrilly, Karia was threatening to choke him to death, Leo couldn't say a word, but Mikey didn't even bare to look as he tried to hide his tears so the people around him couldn't see him cry.

Sakavu's spell had been broken, but at a great cost. The fire had fallen by the hands of the earth and was smothered once again. Leo kneeled over Rapheal a.k.a the Nightwatcher's unmoving body and trembled. Fear was one of those rare emotions Leonardo barely ever felt, but this time it had taken control.

It had to be one of the saddest days of the TMNT's lives watching Leonardo cry over Rapheal. Karia loosened her grip on Donatello and travelled over to Rapheal's side tears also showing in her eyes. Don's eyes shifted over to the weapon he had used to stab his brother.

Leo's katana layed there in perfect silence covered in Rapheal's blood. Everyone around him was weeping, but the expression that disturbed Donatello the most was Michealanglo's. In Michealanglo's eyes were hurt,pain,anger,saddness, and loss. This whole adventure had started by reading the expressions in other peoples eyes and now it had ended just like it had begun.

Weeks later the turtles had split apart once again, only this time in their own home. Mikey stayed on the couch, Leo took over the training area, and Don...stayed in his room not daring to come out.

Splinter had not been to pleased to hear about Rapheal's condition and what Donatello had done and was working very hard to keep Rapheal from dying. Good news was Rapheal's condition was improving. Bad news, Donatello's inner emotions were not.

Nightmares kept haunting the poor purple-masked turtle about what he had done to Rapheal. Finally the day came when all those nightmares would go away, but would his guilt?

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Raph's POV

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When I opened my eyes a dim light met my sight. Is this heaven or the other place, I didn't know. My head hurt, and my arms felt heavy, but at least I felt they could still move. All the memories of what happened to me slowly started to flow back into my mind.

Don had been possessed by Sakavu and stabbed me, I thought as I painfully managed to sit up. Looking at my body I could tell right away that something was missing. My armor! Oh great so much for superhero secret indenity. Ah well, like a said before, you can't change the past.

Testing my legs to make sure they still worked I started to the door and let myself out. Back at the lair, I couldn't believe it. The sudden silence stopped me in my tracks. Why was the lair so quiet? Where were my brothers? What had happened at the pier while I was out? On the other hand what had happened to my family?

Steady thumps and bangs came from the pratice ring as I nimbly approached. It seemed like Leo was working off some extra anger while I had been out and it looked like he had a few more to unleash on the already broken boards.

"Hey!" I shouted "watch it Leo or else there won't be anything for me to break!"

The sound of voice must have stopped Leo cold, cause he turned around and looked in my direction that second. My voice must have been louder than I thought cause Mikey turned away from the T.V.'s and don and Master Splinter showed up too.

Before anyone could say anything, or 'I' could say anything, everybody rushed me and started to hug me to death chanting cheers that they were happy that I was alive. My eyes landed on Donatello seeing that he was standing the farest away from me and the others.

Breaking apart from the others I approached Donatello and said "It wasn't your fault Don. If anything it was my fault for breaking that jar that set Sakavu free in the first place. None of you knew that I was the Nightwatcher except for Karia. I didn't want you guys to worry about what I was up to, although I appriceate the thought. No matter what happened Don it's in the past now. I know how painful it can be to want to forget something you really feel guilty about or had done wrong. But the problem is, there's no way to change the past, all we can try to do is keep on living,"

Slowly a grin started to play on Don's mouth as he said "You sound like Master Splinter...thanks Raph for forgiving me,"

"Your welcome" I said getting up "up for a game of Star Trek? I'll try to let you win this time,"

"In your dreams," said Don racing towards the game system.

"Yee-hah!" I yelled after him. It's so good to be home.

The End