This is it, guys! Last chapter! Huge thanks to everyone who has followed along or taken the time to leave comments!

This picks up at the end of "Enter the Dragons: Part 2", immediately after Yoshi kills the Shredder and disappears. It's tweaked just a wee bit, so it doesn't follow the end of the episode verbatim. It seemed like a bit of a cop-out to me that Tora, Faraji, Adam, and Joi were suddenly alive at the end when they had been dead a few minutes before and they didn't get resurrected by their medallions like the Turtles did. (Apparently they were only mostly dead?) If it were up to me I would have left them dead, even though I liked them...but I don't write non-canon character deaths, so I needed some sort of explanation for why they were alive. I also needed a bit more resolution to the story arc.

Song lyrics are from "Carry On", by Fun. Because Nate Ruess could sing "I'm a Little Teapot" and I would be enthralled. :) Also, I make no claims to own "The Princess Bride". I didn't intend to make this chapter so long, but it didn't feel right breaking it up. Enjoy!

Carry On

And it's nice to know
When I was left for dead
I was found and now I don't roam these streets
I am not the ghost you want of me

The energy suspending the Turtles in midair abruptly disappeared. They hit the ground hard enough to take their breath away, and for a moment they just lay still, panting on the flame-blackened earth. Splinter rushed to his sons and bent over Donatello, who was lying nearest. "My son, are you hurt?" He reached out his hand but stopped when he saw the scorch marks on the purple-banded Turtle's right side, spreading down shoulder, arm, and leg.

Donatello sat up slowly, rubbing grit and ash from his eyes. "No. No, I'm fine." He winced a little as the movement tugged at burned flesh, but although the wounds were painful they were not serious. The nearly-indestructible scales of his dragon form had taken the brunt of the demon Shredder's fiery breath, leaving injuries comparable to a severe sunburn and the memory of the volcanic heat behind. It was unlikely that the burns would even scar, a fact for which Splinter was grateful. His sons had far too many scars already.

Don set his hand on Raphael's shoulder and gave his brother a gentle shake. "Hey, you with us?"

"Quit shaking me, Donny. My everything hurts," Raph growled. Despite his protest, though, he sat up by himself.

Leonardo hooked his arm around Mikey's biceps, hauling his little brother upright. He tightened his grip when the other Turtle swayed and pressed a hand to his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "Mikey, what's wrong?"

"What?" Mike asked dazedly, blinking at Leo in confusion.

"Michelangelo, are you all right?" Splinter asked, crouching down to be in his son's line of vision.

"Uh...yeah. I'm okay," he said shakily. "Really, I'm fine," he repeated more steadily, seeing that his father wasn't convinced. "I've just got this ringing in my ears."

Splinter quickly looked over the rest of his sons. Leonardo had burns like Donatello's along his left arm. Raphael had no obvious visible injury and would only admit that he was "cold" but wouldn't elaborate. The way Michelangelo kept rubbing his temples concerned Splinter, but his worry eased a little at his youngest son's reaction when he finally took a good look at the battlefield.

"Wow," he gasped, the beginning of his enthusiastic grin on his face, "That was beyond amazing! We totally kicked shell, Bros!"

"You are sure you are all right?" Splinter asked again, hands clenched tightly around his walking stick.

"We're all right, Sensei," Don assured him, carefully climbing to his feet. He lifted his uninjured left arm, giving Splinter space to come close to his side and wrap wiry arms around his dusty shell.

A sudden startled yelp from Raphael made them all jump. Raph was staring down at his hands, watching threadlike golden bolts of energy arc between his fingers like lightning. "Leo, what's going on?"

"Uh..." Leo looked down at his own hands as tendrils of light wreathed around his forearms and wrists in short, flickering bursts. "I don't know."

"I think it's residual energy from the medallions and from our transformation," Don said slowly, "but I don't know why it's manifesting this way."

"Coooool," Mikey drawled, rainbowing a thread of light back and forth between his palms.

Splinter's gaze grew serious and sad. "My sons, I believe I know why this life energy is still present. Come with me." Mikey, Raph, and Leo all stood to follow their Sensei. The instant Leonardo put weight on his left leg, a shooting, icy pain lanced from his heel to his knee. He stumbled, but since he was bringing up the rear, no one noticed. Pausing for a moment to shake away the unpleasant tingling, he hurried to catch up with his family.

Splinter led them away from the open field where they had battled the Shredder and into a grove of trees. The mystical forest the Shredder had created was gone, but they were in the center of a small park, a good distance away from the Foot building and the main battle. They made their way through a thicket and emerged into a small clearing before the four Turtles halted in dismay. The bodies of Tora, Faraji, Joi, and Adam lay on the ground in broken heaps. A distressed sound escaped Mike's throat as he knelt by Tora's side.

"They're really gone this time," Don said softly when he tried and failed to find Adam's pulse.

Raph stood beside Joi's body, fists clenched by his side as he looked down at her white face and clouded eyes. "It's not fair," he growled. "Not after everything we've been through. It can't end like this."

"It won't," Leo said suddenly. "Master Splinter – you were right. This is why the energy from the medallions is still manifesting, isn't it?"

The Rat nodded. "I believe so, Leonardo. It may be that our friends are not truly dead...merely lost in the astral plane. The energy from the Shredder is mysterious and, yes, deadly...but these warriors are acolytes just as you were. They are still wearing their medallions. I believe you may be able to call their spirits home."

Mikey lifted his head, blue eyes bright with hope. "Is he right, Leo? Can we do that?"

"I think so." He looked at each of his brothers. "Do you remember what I did on the helicopter with Karai? Do you think you can do that?" One by one, the Turtles nodded. There was no further need for explanation. While they had been Dragons, they had been incapable of speech, but their minds had been one. Each brother saw the others' thoughts – strengths were shared, weaknesses compensated for, and they had seen both past and present. They were able to reach into the vault of their memories and see what Leonardo had done.

Mike reached out and placed his hands on Tora's temples, closing his eyes and willing his life energy forward. For the last time, orange bands illuminated his skin. The headache that had been creeping across his forehead intensified, pulsing with his heartbeat, and he flinched but didn't stop. Tora's medallion began to thrum and glow. The gold pendant abruptly shattered like glass and Mikey fell back as sudden blinding white pain streaked behind his eyes. Tora's chest lifted with a sharp intake of air and he sat up with a jerk, coughing raggedly.

"Mikey-san!" he ground out, seeing his friend struggling to sit up. "What has happened?"

"We won, Dude," Mike said, pressing a hand to his head. The pain had made his eyes water and he blinked a few times to clear his vision. His ears were ringing again and it felt as if an icicle had been jammed into his stomach, but the sensation was slowly fading.

Tora's habitually stern expression deepened further as he saw Mikey's distress. "You are injured."

"No, I...I think I'm okay." Michelangelo's heart gave a quick, uncertain beat as he watched his brothers help their friends stand up. None of them seemed to be in pain. But the moment of doubt passed and he grabbed Tora by the hand to pull him to his feet. "You missed one shell of a battle, though! We turned into Dragons!"

The eastern sky began to blush with the first light of day. Faraji brushed the shards of the medallion from the folds of his clothing, watching the cracked red jewel tumble into the dust. He looked down into Leonardo's face. "I heard you calling me," he said in a low voice. "Thank you for bringing me back."

"I'm glad I could," Leo answered with a tired smile. The heavy scent of smoke lingered on the wind and a creeping chill still curled around his insides, but the promise of warmth of the rising sun kindled hope in his heart. He shifted on his feet, giving his left leg a subtle shake. The coldness sinking into his bones seemed to be settling in that leg, and he wasn't sure why.

"Yo, Fearless." Raph waved to him from where he and Don were helping an unsteady-looking Adam to his feet. "What's the plan?"

"We've got to get back to the Foot building," he answered. "Bishop and Hun are still running around over there and now that the battle is over, things could get ugly."

"You guys go ahead," Adam said, allowing Tora and Joi to replace Raphael and Donatello as his crutches. "My leg's not bad, and we'll catch up."

Leo's brow furrowed over his mask. "We shouldn't leave you."

"I will stay with them to guard them, Leonardo," Faraji said, lifting Gunshin in his hands. The weapon didn't have mystical power anymore, but the blade was no less deadly in the hands of the experienced fighter. "Go on. We will follow you."

Leo hesitated. He didn't like the idea of leaving his friends to wander through a war zone, even if the most pressing threat had been eliminated; then again, even without the additional training from the Tribunal, the four humans were more dangerous than anyone they were likely to meet, except perhaps for Bishop. But they knew where the government agent was, or at least where he was supposed to be.

"All right," he said finally. He pulled his battered but still-functional shell-cell out from his belt and handed it to Faraji. "Here. If you need anything, call. We'll see you soon. Speaking of phones..." He turned to look at his brother. "Donny, shouldn't you be making a call right about now?"

Don smiled.

So I met up with some friends at the edge of the night...
And we talked and talked about how our parents will die
All our neighbors and wives
But I like to think I can cheat it all
To make up for all the times that I've been cheated on

Things had gotten very quiet. The only sounds were the soft trickle of water and the gentle hissing of static from the monitors. The flickering electronic snow was hypnotic, and it was only when her eyes burned and blurred that April realized she'd been staring. She lifted her head from Casey's shoulder and rubbed her eyes.

He inclined his head to look down at her. "You okay?"

A humorless chuckle escaped her. "Yeah. Just forgot to blink, that's all."

His arm tightened around her shoulders. "The guys are gonna be okay, April. They've gotta be."

"I know."

But her heart was bounding uneasily. Interference from the Shredder's energy had finally shorted out the satellite feed. She had tried to recalibrate the monitors but nothing had worked. Casey had finally led her over to the couch and made her sit. She had curled against him on the soft blue cushions and listened to the pounding of artificial thunder as their friends – and temporary allies – fought for the fate of the world.

She had wanted to leave the lair to find them after they lost the satellites; better to go out fighting than simply wait for the end. But surprisingly, Casey had been the one to stop her. "We've got to trust them," he had said. "They can do this, A. This is something we can't help them with. And whatever happens after, we'll deal with. Together."

So they had waited.

The lair was some distance away from the epicenter of the battle, but they had still been able to hear it. Brick dust had tainted the air as the earth shook and rattled the old foundation of the abandoned building. But now it was quiet. One way or another, they knew it was over. Her fingers absently ran over the grooves in the back of her shell-cell. She desperately wanted to try to call, but years of experience as an ally of ninjas held her back. Silence was life, sound was death. She would wait.

Her phone rang.

She yelped.

Casey jumped.

She fumbled with the phone and nearly dropped it. "Donny?" A brilliant smile dawned on her face as she listened, and she started to laugh. "You are? You did? Oh, thank God!" She listened for a minute or two, swatting away Casey's hand as he tried to steal the phone. "Okay, sounds like a plan. Be careful, okay? We'll be waiting. Hurry home!" She hung up and threw her arms around Casey's neck. "They won! They're okay!"

Casey gave a whoop and bounced up from the couch, dragging her with him. He picked her up and twirled her around, kissing her soundly when he put her down. "Didn't I tell ya, Babe?"

"You told me." April hugged him tightly, too overwhelmed with relief to offer her token protest to the nickname, even though it had stopped bothering her years ago. "Don said they've got a few loose ends to wrap up. They're going to track down Bishop and Karai, if they're still alive, and figure out how to handle the cleanup. The sun's rising, so they can't stay up there for too long. They'll be home as soon as they can."

"Even after all they did tonight, they're still gonna hide? You'd think this would get them off the hook for bein' 'freaks'."

April shook her head, pulling back a bit so she could see his face but staying within the circle of his arms. "I don't think so. There would be a period of novelty when people were interested in them, but if the guys were to reveal themselves after this, there'd be an unavoidable association with Bishop. No matter what he did to help today, that man's bad news. I wouldn't put it past him to use his influence to make the Turtles and Splinter seem less than human so he could try to experiment on them again. The government already knows about Bishop's studies with mutation – it wouldn't be too hard for him to convince people that he created them. I don't think the government would recognize them as having basic rights as people or American citizens. It's better if the world doesn't know about them."

Casey looked troubled, but he nodded. "Guess you're right."

The smile she gave him was a little sad, but she couldn't keep the hope out of her voice as she said, "Come on. This place could do with a little straightening up before the guys get home, and I bet they'll be hungry. You want to start dusting or start cooking?"

"I'm not real great at either one."

"I know." She smirked and pulled away from him, pointing commandingly towards the storage closet. "Grab a Swiffer, Jones."

Despite Donatello's assurances that they would hurry home, it was over an hour before any Turtles appeared. April didn't hear them coming, of course...one minute, it was just her and Casey in the lair, then she turned around and nearly tripped over Raphael. A startled squeak escaped her, and three fingers clamped around her arm in a gentle but inescapable grip to keep her from falling.

"Easy there," he said with a smirk. "I thought Master Splinter had taught you the basics already...like staying on your feet?"

"Oh, knock it off, you little green troll," she shot back. "You did that on purpose." She paused for just a second to check for visible injuries before she hugged him. She felt the thrum of his deep chuckle through the unforgiving hardness of his shell. "Where's everyone else?"

"On their way. Donny took a little detour to check some of his perimeter sensors, and Sensei and Mikey are coming with Leo." He rolled his eyes. "Fearless hurt his leg but didn't let on until we were half a mile away."

"Is he okay?"

The faintest gleam of hesitation flickered through Raph's eyes, but he said, "Yeah, I think so. He can't walk on it too good right now but we can't find anything wrong with it. Where's Case?"

"We heard water running and he went to check to make sure there wasn't a burst pipe. It felt like there was an earthquake down here." April felt the beginnings of a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth at the news that Leo was hurt, but before she could inquire further, Don appeared in the doorway with Splinter close behind. Leo came in last, limping badly on his left leg as Michelangelo supported him.

"I thought you said you were all okay," April chided Don gently, smiling a little so he'd know she wasn't truly upset.

"I thought we were too," he answered tiredly. "Things just...kind of caught up to us, I guess."

The sound of familiar heavy footsteps echoed off the brick walls as Casey emerged from the back rooms. "Good news, April – no leaks. Guess that water we heard was just the...hey, the heroes are back!" he crowed, hurrying over to greet his friends, clapping Raphael on the shoulder in his customary rough manner. Raph grinned, but while he would ordinarily absorb the blow easily, he staggered under the weight of his friend's broad hand. "Whoa, hey!" Casey grabbed the ridge of Raphael's carapace to steady him. "You okay, pal?"

"I'm fine," came the automatic answer, but April felt her elation and relief dissolving into concern. Now that she really looked at the four Turtles, she could tell they were at the end of their endurance. Raphael was breathing faster than usual and his shoulders were hunched slightly as if he were trying to withdraw them into his shell. Leonardo's mask was darkened with sweat, and April could see patches of skin on both Leo and Don that looked like they had been burned. Then she realized that the blue-masked Turtle was leaning on his father now. When had she lost track of Mikey?

She darted a quick glance around and caught sight of him over on the couch. She wasn't surprised that the ninja had been able to unobtrusively hand his brother off to Splinter and slip away, but it wasn't like him. Her concern deepened when she realized she could see him visibly shaking even from across the room.

"Mikey?" She hurried to his side and placed her hand on his shoulder, brow furrowing in concern when she felt how cool and clammy his skin was. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I'm just...cold," he said through clenched teeth. His bunched muscles spasmed beneath her hand as another shudder ran through him. "And my head is killing me." He propped his elbows on his knees and rested his forehead in his hands. "It wasn't so bad at first...but it's been getting worse. I thought I was hungry before but now my stomach just hurts." He swallowed convulsively. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"No you're not," April told him, gently but firmly. She automatically started to rub her hand in slow circles across his back but remembered he couldn't feel it through the thick armor of his shell, so she put her hand back on his shoulder instead. "Just breathe slowly." She lifted her head to look at Splinter. "What's wrong with them?"

"I do not know," he answered uneasily. He gave Leonardo a little tug and guided him over to sit next to Mikey on the couch before turning to look at his second son. "Raphael, you said earlier that you were cold. Is this still true?" When Raph grudgingly nodded, the Rat turned to Donatello. "And you as well?"

"Yes, Sensei."

"We didn't feel like this after we transformed into dragons before," Leo said, leaning back wearily against the cushions.

"We weren't dead before," Don said quietly. Everybody froze and turned to look at him. "Well...we were dead, weren't we?" he asked slowly. "Sensei?"

Splinter's ears pressed flat against his head. "Yes," he whispered.

Now April felt cold. Her eyes met Casey's across the room. His feet shifted a little as he glanced at his friends, wanting to do something but unsure how he could help. Her hand tightened on Mikey's shoulder. "But...you're okay now, right?" she asked, hating that she couldn't keep the tight quiver out of her voice. "I mean...you're not going to..." she couldn't force herself to say "die".

Leo understood what she meant. "No," he assured her. If he felt any doubt, she couldn't hear it in his voice. "We're okay."

She looked at Splinter. The master still looked worried, but he nodded once. She took a deep breath, trying to ease the tightness in her chest, then shook out the folded blanket on the corner of the couch and draped it around Mikey's trembling shoulders. "Casey, could you get the blanket off of Mikey's bed?" she asked. "Leo's, too."

"Sure thing."

They kept busy after that. Splinter settled beside Leonardo on the couch to wash the soot and dirt away from the burns on his arm. Raphael disappeared to take a hot shower to try and get warm. Casey, realizing that nobody was in the mood for spaghetti, put away the food and set to work cleaning the kitchen. April coaxed Mike to take some pain medication for his head, then headed to the lab to look for Donatello. She found him seated on the edge of his cot, applying a thin layer of aloe to the burns on his right side.

"Need any help?"

He smiled at her. "No, I've got it. Thanks."

She pulled out her chair from its spot at his work bench and sat back, feeling drained. "I don't know why I'm so tired."

"I do. You haven't slept in...what, at least 36 hours?"

She huffed a laugh. "Must be. I forgot." She hesitated, then said, "Don, tell me everything I don't already know."

So he did. He told her about the battle with the Shredder – how they had been transported from the tower into a thick forest, how the cold air had wrapped around them like the hands of ghosts, and how the demon had struck them down, one by one. He told her how they had been brought back somehow using the power of the medallions, and how they had transformed into dragons again for the final battle.

"Then it gets a little fuzzy," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I remember a lot of light and feeling like I was floating outside of my shell, which doesn't make any sense...and I thought I saw Master Yoshi. Then there was this blast of fire and heat, and it was over."

"Did Master Splinter tell you what happened?"

"No, and we didn't have time to ask. Sensei took us back to the woods where we had first fought. That's when we found Adam and the others."

April listened in awe as he described how the four humans had been revived. "That's unbelievable. But, wait...where are your friends now? Didn't they come back with you?"

"They'll come by this evening," Don answered. "After they woke up in the ruins of the Monastery, they decided to come to New York and they got a couple hotel rooms when they arrived. They weren't sure if we'd even survived the battle with the Mystics, but they came here because they knew if we could be found anywhere, we'd be here. They were actually in town for two days before they ran into Leo, but they didn't know how to find us. Leo gave Faraji his shell-cell. He'll call when they're ready to come over and I'll activate the homing beacon."

"Are their medallions gone, too?"

"Yeah. They all shattered."

"I can't say I'm sorry," she said. "I don't mind telling you they gave me the creeps."

"Your instincts were probably right," Don admitted. "We needed to use them, and I won't deny that flying around as a dragon was a heck of a rush, but..." His brow ridges drew together as he glanced toward the main living area where Leo and Mike were. "Something's not right."

"Are you feeling any better?" April ventured.

He averted his eyes. "No."

April shifted uneasily in her chair, but before she could say anything else, Raphael's familiar bulk loomed in the doorway. "Don, you should probably get out here," he said shortly.

Despite his burns and the painful chill gripping his insides, Donatello sprang to his feet and hurried to follow Raphael, April close behind. Don's face darkened with worry as he approached the couch.

Michelangelo was curled in an impossibly small ball in the corner of the couch, still shivering uncontrollably despite the double layer of warm blankets bundled around him. Leo, also covered in a blanket, had scooted closer and wrapped his uninjured arm around Mikey's shoulders, but it hadn't helped. Mikey's head was tucked in the hollow of his brother's neck, involuntary tears of pain darkening the orange fabric of his mask.

"He's getting worse," Leo said hoarsely. Though he tried to hide it, April could hear his voice shaking from the cold as well.

"Your leg?" Don asked.

"It's bad," came the clipped answer. "Feels just like it did earlier when the Shredder – " He broke off suddenly, eyes snapping wide. "Sensei, the Shredder! Could it have anything to do with him?"

"But he's dead," Raph protested, voice sharp with worry and pain.

Splinter's eyes flashed like dark flint, but his touch was gentle as he moved Michelangelo's hands away from his face and laid a hand on the cold green forehead. The master stood very still, gaze growing distant as his nose and whiskers twitched, but only a handful of heartbeats passed before he recoiled, shaking his hand as if he had been stung.

"There is a very dark energy clinging to Michelangelo," he said grimly. "Leonardo as well." He crossed to where Raph and Don stood, resting his hand briefly on each of their plastrons, over their hearts. "I can feel it inside you as well, my sons, but not as strongly." His voice grew lower as he continued speaking, talking to himself more than his family. "The Shredder is dead, so it is not an active energy...more like a residue left behind...but..."

"The gauntlet!" Don suddenly exclaimed. He knelt in front of the couch to be in Michelangelo's line of sight. "Mikey, you shattered the gauntlet in your teeth, remember? And, Leo, you destroyed the helmet by crushing it with your foot." He looked at each of his brothers, expression brightening as the wheels of his mind started to turn. "It's like radiation poisoning. We were exposed to a 'radiation leak' – the Shredder's energy when we fought him – but even though he's gone, the damage is continuing."

"Donny, you're a genius," Leo said, sitting up straighter. He looked down at Mike, giving the blanket-covered shoulder a reassuring pat. "Come on, Mikey. We're going to fix this. Raph, come on over."

"What do you want us to do?" Raph asked.

Leo moved from the couch to the floor, somehow keeping his movements smooth while keeping his bad leg stretched in front of him and coaxing his little brother to move with him. "We're going to meditate."

Raph snorted. "Figures." But he joined his brothers seated in a circle on the floor.

Mikey was shaking his head. "I don't think I can, Leo," he said, voice brittle.

"Yes, you can," Leo said calmly. Now that he knew what to do, the leader in him was taking over, pushing aside his own pain so he could help his family. "I know your head hurts, but you can focus through it. Close your eyes. Breathe with me." He picked up Mikey's hand and laid it flat against his own plastron, taking long, gentle breaths, exaggerating the movement a little so his brother could feel his chest rising and falling. "In and out. That's it." He made eye contact briefly with Raph and Don, making sure they were with him before he shut his eyes. "Think back to how we focused our energies right before we transformed into Dragons," he said, voice low and soothing. "Go to that place."

April swallowed hard, taking comfort in the feeling of Casey's strong arm around her shoulders. She looked questioningly at Splinter, afraid to say anything. Splinter looked worried and she could see that he was unhappy at his inability to help, but the faintest glimmer of hope was beginning to shine in the depths of his dark eyes.

Before long, all four brothers were breathing gently in unison. It took Mike the longest to settle. April knew he had difficulty quieting his active mind on his best day, let alone when he was nearly incapacitated by a blinding headache. But he did it.

For a few minutes, utter silence blanketed the lair. April watched her four adopted brothers in concern, wishing there was something she could do, but trusting that Leo knew what he was doing. Then she saw it. As lacy and delicate as frost gathering on a windowpane, thin threads of light began to curl around the Turtles' arms, necks, and faces. Instead of colored light, though, this light was warm and white.

"I didn't know they could still do that," April whispered to Splinter.

"Nor did I," he replied in the same tone. A melancholy smile touched his mouth. "But my sons have never failed to surprise me."

The light spread, covering every inch of their bodies. As they watched, a toxic-looking green mist began rising from them as if it were seeping from their pores. Splinter tensed and his upper lip curled as the mist hovered above his sons, coalescing into a shape that resembled a dragon. The dragon bent and opened its mouth wide as if it would swallow the Turtles whole. But then the light intensified and there was a sensation of a cool, clean wind blowing through the lair, and the dragon disintegrated and blew away like dust. There was a final warm, brilliant flash of light, then it was gone.

April blinked against the after-image burned on her retinas, face tightening in worry as she saw the four Turtles lying sprawled loosely on the floor. Splinter was already moving. He bent over his sons, resting his hand on their chests and touching their faces. The anxious fist clenched around April's heart loosened when the Rat looked up. His face was weary, but the worry was gone. "They are warm," he said softly. "And they are merely sleeping now."

They couldn't carry the sleep-heavy Turtles and they didn't want to wake them. So April, Casey, and Splinter brought pillows and the rest of the blankets from the boys' beds and tucked them in right where they lay.

"They gonna be okay now?" Casey asked.

"I believe so." Splinter smiled and sighed, the tension in his compact, wiry frame draining away. "Thank you, April and Casey. For taking care of my sons." He smoothed the blanket over Donatello's shell. "They will sleep for some time. Perhaps it would be best if we did the same."

"We'll stick around if it's all right with you," April said. He nodded, then bent to lay his hand against Michelangelo's cheek one last time before withdrawing to his quarters.

Casey sighed heavily, staring down at the slumbering brothers. "So...another crazy-ass anecdote for the record books?"

"So it seems."

"What are you gonna tell your sister when she sees this on the news and calls to see if you're still alive? Again."

April laughed thinly, wrapping her arms around his neck and hiding her face against his shoulder. "You know what? I have no idea."

Casey sat on the couch with a pillow in his lap, gently stroking his rough hand over April's hair as she lay down. "You want a blanket?"

She snuggled closer, blinking drowsily as his warm arm settled around her shoulders. "No, I'm good." Sleep descended quickly. She wasn't sure how long it was before she opened her eyes again – with no windows in the lair, it was hard to gauge the passage of time. She could feel Casey breathing slowly behind her as he slept. When she heard someone murmuring in his sleep, she knew why she had awakened, and a fond smile touched her lips. The Turtles had teased her about her "maternal instinct" with regards to them before, and although she'd been a little embarrassed, she hadn't been able to deny it.

April closed her eyes again and let her arm drift off the edge of the couch, reaching carefully until her fingers brushed against the restless sleeper. Her fingers traced the outline of a soft mask and smooth forehead, and she let her light touch linger until the murmuring quieted. She heard the sound of someone settling more comfortably under his blanket, and then felt three broad fingers wrap warmly around her hand and squeeze gently before letting go.

She smiled and sank back beneath the dark veil of sleep.

Though I've never been through hell like that
I've closed enough windows to know you can never look back

Leonardo's sensei had called it "the mantle of the Shredder". It was a fitting way to describe it, Karai thought. Even now, days after the demon had been destroyed, she could remember the feeling of it clinging to her like cold snakeskin, making her shiver in her bed. It wasn't so bad now, after she had spent time in meditation. It galled her to admit it, but Leonardo had been right.

The first twelve hours after the battle had been terrible. She had withdrawn to a satellite base near the outskirts of the city with the intent of resting for a few days to allow her still-healing injures time to recover, but within a few hours she had been overwhelmed with paralyzing cold and a roaring headache. Phantom flames, green as poison, seemed to flicker at the edges of her vision. She had been unable to do anything except let a distressed Chaplin hold her hand, a degree of closeness that she would never have allowed under normal circumstances. And she wondered if she was dying.

Then Chaplin had told her they had received an email from the Turtles. From Leonardo – who had known or guessed or assumed that Karai was in trouble. And he told her how to heal herself. She had ordered Chaplin try to trace the IP address (which pinged around the globe and dead-ended somewhere in Kenya), but for the first time, she found that she didn't care that Leonardo was out of her grasp.

She had taken the name of the Shredder in honor of her father...and because she knew the Shredder was the one thing that Leonardo had ever feared. He had never backed down, never faltered in battle, but he had been afraid. She knew he had been afraid, and she had taken a savage pleasure in giving flesh to his nightmares. Even though he did not fear her, she knew (or, rather, hoped) the sight of the razor-sharp armor and glowing red eyes would haunt him every time he faced her in combat. But it had not been long before she discovered that she had brazenly taken control of things that she did not fully understand.

Her skill in leading the Foot clan was unparalleled and unquestioned. Oroku Saki had left her in charge of the Japanese faction when he left for New York, and there had been no objections. But after Ch'rell had been defeated, she had been weighed and measured by the Utrom, found not to be a threat, and deposited back on Earth to wander where she would.

So casually dismissed.

Deep down, she suspected that the reason she had been let go was because Leonardo was in no shape to raise an objection. She had seen him at her father's mockery of a trial, watching with a stern, implacable frown on his face, but she knew him well enough to know that he was too lost in his thoughts and physical pain to lend much voice to the proceedings.

Karai had immediately returned to New York to take control of the Foot in Ch'rell's stead. Only then did she begin to suspect that she was in over her head. The Foot Mystics, who previously had been mere shadows at the edge of her awareness, began to press in on her, sinister and silent. She knew that the Heart of Tengu gave her power over them but she did not understand how or why. She began to have dreams that she did not understand, frightening dreams about dragons and a black abyss yawning open to swallow her whole.

She was proud, but she wasn't stupid. Deep down, she had begun to realize that calling herself the Shredder was more than a simple tribute to the one who raised her or an act of revenge. But she could not revoke her decision.

Leonardo's sensei was the one who helped her truly understand what sort of power she had invoked by embracing the name of the Shredder. It was not a power that she could control. It was a power that consumed.

And they needed her to channel it.

"I don't pretend to understand it, Karai, but if you can help us fight the demon Shredder, you're going to help us."

In the end, she knew she didn't have a choice. She had willingly taken the mantle of the Shredder upon herself, and it was time to accept the consequences.

She was strapping on her gauntlets when a shadow at the corner of her vision made her pause. Leonardo was standing in the doorway, arms folded casually across his chest, watching her with an expression she wasn't sure how to read.

"Is there something you need?"

The ice in her voice didn't phase him. "Just making sure you were ready. Thank you for helping."

"I am not doing this for you," she sneered. She tightened the last buckle around her wrist and turned to face him, crossing her arms across her armored chest to mirror his pose. "Do you honestly think this is going to work? Contacting Hun and Agent Bishop?"

"It has to," he said simply. "We can't fight alone."

"How can you be so sure they'll agree to join you when they've spent half a decade trying to kill you?" she asked cuttingly.

"They don't really have a choice. If they fight, we could win. If they don't, they'll die."

She scowled. "The same way that I don't have a choice? Don't think I don't know what you are asking me to do. You wish me to be a vessel for this dark energy. Have you even considered what it might do to me?"

"You had a choice," he replied with infuriating patience. "But the decision was made long before today. You decided this yourself the moment you became the Shredder."

She knew he was right, but it only made her angrier. "You do realize that this is all your doing?" she demanded. "If you had not stolen the Heart of Tengu, the Mystics would not have been freed and this demon could never have been resurrected! Why did you do it?" He flinched. It was an infinitesimal muscle twitch, but her keen eyes caught it, and she knew she had surprised him.

He hesitated, then sighed a little. "That's right. You couldn't have known." Even though it had been a year since the incident, she could still see the trace of desperation in his eyes as he said, "I did it to save my brother."

And he told her what had happened. She remembered the mutagen outbreak that had devastated the city, but she had not known that one of the Turtles had fallen victim to it. "I didn't know what the Heart of Tengu was," he finished. "All I knew was that Bishop told us he would save Donatello if we obtained it for him, and I didn't ask any questions. But you're right. Just because I didn't know doesn't mean I'm not partially responsible for what happened."

Her eyes narrowed. "And what if you had known?" she pressed. "What would the noble Leonardo have done then? Would he have chosen his brother or the greater good?"

He didn't answer for a long moment. "My brothers," he finally admitted, voice low and hoarse. "Always my brothers."

"So in the end, you are no hero," she said, voice dripping with scorn. "The mighty Leonardo has a weakness."

His golden-brown eyes blazed at her. "No. My brothers are my strength. And if you don't have someone like that...if you can't understand that...then I feel sorry for you."

She had merely glared at him, chest tight with anger and, surprisingly, sorrow. Because if Leonardo was good at anything, it was putting his finger on the truth. And the truth was that she didn't have the kind of strength that he was talking about. She had never thought she needed it. Her own strength had been enough...until Ch'rell was gone, and then it wasn't, so the Shredder became her strength. And it had nearly destroyed her.

But if she was good at anything, it was concealing the truth, so the blue-masked Turtle saw nothing of the turbulent swirl of thoughts behind her eyes.

"You've insisted that this truce be temporary," he was saying. "I've agreed to that. I suppose I can't expect anything more. But know this." His eyes narrowed and despite her fury she couldn't suppress the feeling of dread that coiled in her stomach when she saw the lethal promise in his eyes. "Your vendetta is with me. Not my father. Not my friends. And not my brothers. When this is over, if you decide to come after me, that's your choice. But if you ever try to attack my family, I will burn the Foot to the ground."

She gave the buckle on her gauntlet a fierce yank. "You should be grateful that I have agreed to a truce at all," she said coldly. They stared at each other for a heartbeat or two. Even though Leonardo was a head shorter than she, Karai had the disconcerting feeling that he was looking down on her.

"We leave for the rendezvous point in ten minutes," he said quietly. "Be ready." And without a whisper of sound, he was gone.

He had, of course, been right. Again. Hun and the Purple Dragons hated him. Bishop and his men wanted him either dead or locked in a research facility. But nobody could deny that there was something undeniably magnetic and compelling about him, and they followed him anyway. And they had won.

Karai rose from her bed and paced to the window. She missed the sight of the city lights spread out before her in a sparkling carpet from her penthouse in the Foot building. But it would be months before the building was habitable again. If she even chose to return at all. She had sent the clan to ground indefinitely.

The barbed metal armor was locked in the closet. The door was closed, but she imagined that she could feel the red-eyed glare of the empty helmet boring into her back. The demon was dead, so assuming her role as the Shredder wouldn't cause her harm. At least, she assumed so. But she wasn't sure what she would do. And, more disconcertingly, she didn't know what she was going to do about Leonardo. Until four days ago, she would have killed him on sight. Their truce was over now, she supposed, since the Shredder was destroyed. But deep in her heart of hearts, she was beginning to wonder if killing him might be wrong. And not just because he had saved her life.

Karai was not used to doubt. Firm resolve had always driven her – as the Shredder's daughter, then as his second-in-command, and then as she had resumed the role of the Shredder herself. She had always had a goal. And now...

Uncertainty.

She felt unmoored, a ship without a rudder. The only moments when she had felt grounded in the past hellish ten days had been when she had felt Chaplin's surprisingly strong hand enfolding hers. But she wasn't sure what she was going to do about that, either.

She leaned her heated forehead against the cool windowpane and let the darkness of the overcast night wash over her turbulent mind until she wasn't thinking anything at all.

If you're lost and alone
Or you're sinking like a stone
Carry on

Tora was the first to leave, which didn't surprise anyone. What did surprise them was the way he responded to Mikey's farewell bow by putting his arm across the Turtle's shoulders and giving him a spare, sharp smile. Faraji departed not long after. He wouldn't say where he was going, just that he had some obligations to keep. Adam lingered a few days longer until his wrenched knee recovered, working in the lab with Donatello before packing his bags and heading for Croatia by way of Miami – he wanted to see his brother before resuming his duty, whatever it had been.

The next evening, Raph stood just outside the door to the lair, watching Joi shoulder her one small bag in the red light of the dying day. "Duty calls, huh?"

She gave him a sideways smile. "Something like that. I had a contract to fulfill before the Tribunal threw a magical monkey wrench in my plans."

"So where you off to? Unless that's a big secret, too." He crossed his arms, leaning his shoulder against the side of the building.

"Hawaii. At least, for now."

"Nice gig."

"Yeah, it's just gorgeous this time of year. The Yakuza are in full bloom." She smirked as a chuckle tumbled free from his chest. "Tell Mike I'll say hi to Tora for him. I have a feeling that he's been working against the Yakuza from Japan."

"Listen, I know after fighting an undead army, organized crime syndicates are gonna seem like a walk in the park, but if you ever get in a tight spot..." His hand flicked out and she had to move fast to catch the small, dark green object he tossed toward her. One side was grooved like the back of a turtle's shell, and the other had several different-colored, unmarked buttons. "Don removed the homing beacon and tracking chip," Raph explained. "And right now it's set so it won't take incoming calls, but if you take off the back and flip the green toggle in the center, it'll go back to the default setting and work like a normal phone."

Her thumb traced lightly over the smooth buttons and she looked up at him, humor in her eyes. "I take it the red button is you?"

"Don't knock the color-coding. It's saved a lot of lives." He spoke jokingly, but Joi was pretty sure that he wasn't exaggerating.

She sighed, hefting the shell-cell in her hand. "Raph, thanks, but I go to a lot of remote places and I don't think this will be much use."

He backhanded the air dismissively. "Nah, it'll work. Trust me. Donny's got some sort of highly technical and probably highly illegal relay piggybacked off the defense satellites – "

"...That I probably don't want to know about," she finished, grinning at him.

He grinned back. "That you probably don't want to know about."

She tucked the phone into her bag and settled the pack more securely on her shoulders. "Well, this past year has definitely not gone the way I thought it would, but in spite of being abducted by ancient immortal ninjas and sort of dying twice...I wouldn't change anything."

"Yeah, kept things from getting boring." His smile softened and he held out his hand. "Keep your head down, Joi."

"You, too." She grasped his hand warmly for a brief moment, then turned to go. "Goodbye, Raphael."

He stood leaning against the wall until the sun sank below the horizon and cool shadow crept across the pond.

May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground
Carry on

Leo stood a short distance inside the main tunnel to the lair, arms folded loosely across his chest, shell resting against the mossy stone. He didn't hear footsteps, but he felt Raph's presence as his brother approached, and he lifted his head, waiting. Raph stopped a few feet away and just looked at him for a minute before heaving a not-really-annoyed sigh and letting his shell clunk against the stone as he leaned against the wall beside his brother.

"You feel the need to watch the sun set or something?" the red-banded Turtle asked gruffly.

Leo smiled quietly. "Or something."

The last traces of daylight faded from the sky and soft flickers of golden light danced through the air as the first fireflies emerged. Raph shifted his weight slightly against the wall. It was a small movement, but when he was still again, his shoulder was resting against his brother's.

"So...what now, Fearless?"

"Now...things get back to normal, I guess."

"That bad, huh?"

They both laughed, and Leo's heart lightened as he felt the last of Raphael's tension melt away. "Actually," he said, "April and Casey suggested we get out of the city for a couple weeks. Spend some time out at the farm."

"What about the Purple Dragons? The cops are gonna have their hands full just with the everyday stuff for a while...you give Hun an inch and he thinks he's a ruler. Or a yardstick, which I think may be overcompensation."

Leo rolled his eyes a little at his brother's comment. "Actually, Mikey's been talking to the Silver Sentry. After we'd been gone for a couple months, the Justice Force noticed an uptick in gang activity. So they've been keeping an eye on things a little more closely. And they're planning on paying special attention to the Purple Dragons and the other gangs for a while longer."

"So they don't need us," Raph said flatly.

"They can spare us for a while," Leo corrected gently. He turned to look at his brother, a black silhouette against the faint light beaming into the tunnel from the rising moon. "And besides that...we need us. The past eight months have been one long mystic boot camp. I think I'm ready for a vacation."

Leo couldn't see Raph's face, but from the tone of his voice he knew exactly which teasing smirk was on his face. "So...by 'vacation', you mean no training?"

He smiled and jostled his shoulder against his brother's. "I didn't say that."

"You're hopeless." Quick as a striking snake, Raphael's arm hooked around the back of his neck and Leo found his head pinned between a thick biceps and Raph's side as his brother started hauling him down the tunnel back to the lair in a headlock.

Leo grabbed hold of Raph's belt to keep from falling. "What's that, Raph? You want to run through all the katas first thing in the morning?"

"What's that, Leo? You want me to drop you on your face?" But after a few more steps, the tight grip around his neck eased and Raph set him properly on his feet. "There. Don't say I never do anything for you."

Leo just grinned at him. "Love you, too." Raphael grimaced and rolled his eyes, planting his hand on Leo's snout and giving his brother's face a shove. But the sound of Leo's laughter softened the habitually sharp gleam in his amber eyes.

The two brothers made their way down a side tunnel and slipped silently through the hidden entrance to the lair. The tantalizing smell of popcorn warmed the air as they entered the main living room. Splinter's ears twitched and he looked over, giving his sons a welcoming smile. April was sitting on the couch, watching Casey and Don race each other in Mario Kart.

Mikey emerged from the kitchen, balancing a deep bowl of popcorn in each hand. "Hey, you're just in time for movie night!" he called, grinning widely.

"What are we watching?" Leo asked, sidestepping Raphael to vault over the back of the couch and land gracefully on the cushions.

"Anything but a disaster movie!" April piped up. "My whole life is a disaster movie."

"Ha!" Don crowed. "Eat my dust, Jones!" The tinny sound of artificial trumpets blared as the purple-masked Turtle's avatar crossed the finish line first.

"Geez, who knew you were so competitive?" Casey groused. Three green hands (one of them still balancing a bowl of popcorn) shot into the air. He rolled his eyes.

Mikey set the popcorn bowls down with a flourish. "I know just the thing to take your mind off the mayhem and mania," he announced. "Any objections to 'The Princess Bride'?"

"We haven't watched that one in forever," Don said, unplugging the game controllers and carefully winding up the cords.

Casey made a face. "Guys...really? 'The Princess Bride'? I've never heard of a more sissy-sounding movie. I think all of you should give up a man card right now. Or, whatever, a Turtle card. Maybe two cards."

Mikey stared. "Wait...are you telling me you've never seen it?"

"What, do I look like a chick? No!"

"Who are you, Dude? Who makes it to adulthood without experiencing that movie? You really missed out."

"I don't know, Mikey," Don said slyly. "I think if we watched that movie, Casey might...pout." Raph let out a sharp bark of laughter, ignoring the heated glare from his friend.

Mikey grinned as he sat on the floor in front of Raphael's chair. "Aw, you never know. He might like something...new."

"Either that, or he'll tell us he's...through."

Casey winged a sofa pillow at Raph, who was still laughing. "Donny, will you just put the movie in, already?"

Don smirked. "As you wish." His grin widened as his brothers laughed. Although Casey looked put-upon, he settled next to April on the couch and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Leo sighed happily, casting a glance around the room at his family. Raph was sitting sideways in his chair with his legs dangling over the arm so Mike had room. He reached over his brother's shoulder into their shared popcorn bowl. Don stretched on his stomach on the floor with a pillow bunched beneath his arms to prop up his head so he could see the TV. Beside Leo on the couch, April curled a little closer against Casey's side and rested her head on his shoulder. The last of the annoyance faded from Casey's eyes as he looked down at her and very softly kissed the top of her head, a sight that warmed something inside Leo's chest. He'd noticed something different about them since they'd been back...a certain depth and light in their eyes when they looked at each other. Things were about to change for them, he could tell.

An annoyed growl from Raphael pulled him out of his thoughts. "Will you two knock it off?" he said, glaring at Mike and Don. "We're about to watch the movie. We don't need you to quote the whole thing for us."

"But Westley," Mikey chirped in a falsetto voice. "What about the R.O.U.S's?"

"Rodents of unusual size?" Donny answered carelessly. "I don't think they exist." Leo burst out laughing as both brothers cracked up at the age-old joke. April shot a half-startled, half-apologetic glance at Splinter before she broke down completely into helpless giggles, and even Raphael smiled grudgingly...but he still smacked Mikey on the back of the head and threw a fistful of popcorn at Donatello.

Splinter just rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Every time they watch this movie..." he said as he heaved a long-suffering sigh.

With an effort, Leo controlled his laughter and passed the popcorn to his father. Some things were about to change...but it made his heart glad to know that others would always stay the same.

We are shining stars
We are invincible
We are who we are
On our darkest day
When we're miles away
So we'll come
We will find our way home

No one's ever gonna stop us now