Turtlefreak121: Thanks to everyone! We're finally done here! The last chapter! Finished! No more nasty cliffhangers after this! No more heart wrenching action scenes (not that there was any :P) But still! It will be over, and I am so glad about that I'm going out on a limb and thanking you guys! Uh... I know... Not a big limb XD

Thanks to Pi90katana, Kouhiofdoragons, jaunt, Lunar-ninja, Scottenkainen, coldsunshin, TMNTfaithfulfan4ever, Tewi, Longing for Leo, moonie016, Flame Guardian, The Incredible Dancing Betty, RAPHAELFAN02, Rat Queen Valarian, Bioniclefangirl, calliopechild, Dierdre, junkx, Digmon Girl, Goddess of Idun, Mewfem, BadCatGirl, amazed, Okami1, Aurora Miss Amica, Kitty Aya, Green Leap, Carayzee Anonymous, The Burninator Named Trogdo, and 'Anonymous' who I percieved to be the same person. And of course, thank you to anyone at all who read this story! It's been a really good experience for me - but not for Leo XD

The Dark Half

Chapter Twenty

By Turtlefreak121

Disclaimer: FOR THE LAST TIME! I do not own the turtles! Jeash!

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Lesson Learned

It had become very dark in his room, but the dark didn't bother Leonardo anymore. Instead, he sort of welcomed it. Still, he looked towards the soft glow of the light from outside his door, but the room itself was kept dark. Not that Leo preferred the dark to the light, but because he had become used to it once more. After all, as a ninja he couldn't be scared of something as silly as the dark.

Still, he tossed again, unable to sleep. With his body now resting on his left side facing the cold brick wall, Leo just looked at it and blinked a few times sleepily. It didn't matter how hard he attempted to sleep, it just wouldn't happen.

His brothers had suspected that it was because Leo was still 'haunted' by memories of that time involving Aku - but they were wrong. Leonardo was no more afraid of Aku than he was of the dark now. After all, it had been nearly a month since that invasion of their home and Leo's own mind.

At first, the eldest turtle wasn't even capable of sleeping with those haunting images becoming so vivid and real in the front of his mind. He had to keep his reading light on all night because the pitch black corners where he couldn't see were absolutely dreadful for him to think of!

For all he knew there could be Yin in those corners - just waiting for him to fall asleep. That had been a very hard time for Leo - it seemed as though there was nothing that could bring him out of that time, but his brothers and Sensei had.

Now it was a thing of the past - just like Aku, just like Yin, just like the dreams.

Dreams had never been the problem with Leo, though. It had been his brothers who had a hard time with their nightmares. There were a few times where Leo would wake up and find Michelangelo curled up with his blanket and pillow on the floor next to Leo's bed.

The other two more than likely had gone to Splinter for their nightmares because Leonardo knew that they had them. He could hear them sometimes after they had woken up.

But just like Leo's fears of the dark, the dreams were slowly - very slowly - going away. However, the memories of them would probably never leave. But that's what fears do. You are scared of them for a time and then you learn from them and know that it's okay to be afraid of these things, but not to be consumed by them.

Consumed like Maxwell Earwins had been.

Max had not been consumed by Aku's temptations but his own. He hated himself and he hated those who had caused him to be the way he was. Those people he feared, the things that had gone wrong were there before he 'met' Aku - but when Max could cheat his way out of facing his fears, he took it. That wasn't the way to go, though.

Luckily for the turtles, Leonardo had brushed up on that lesson beforehand - else there might have been a small alteration in the end of the story.

Now Leonardo struggled to sleep not for these reasons or a busy mind as it had been even before this episode, but because of his arm.

True, the broken bones in his right arm were healing properly thanks to the same hands that had 'caused' the break, but it didn't keep it from bothering Leo this past month.

Leonardo was usually a right-side person - that is he always slept on his right side facing the door. It was almost as if he was on twenty-four hour lookout. However, with his arm in its current condition, he could not sleep on his right side.

Groaning again, Leonardo once more went for the full stomach approach. Of course, this placed his head completely in the over fluffed pillow - something Mikey had done no doubt.

Mike had for some reason decided to be Leo's personal servant during this 'healing time'. It had been a surprise for no other reason than Michelangelo usually didn't care for Leo's seriousness and therefore spent most of his time annoying either Don or Raph - not Leo.

Leo hadn't thought of it before or even lately, but apparently Mikey had.

Not to mention, Raph acted like Leo's second parent now. Always making sure he ate enough, didn't overwork his arm, or get him too worked up - though Leo had yet to be 'worked up' in front of anyone but their master - and that was in privet.

Once, Leo had actually asked Raph about his sudden behavior.

"I put up wit' dat 'voice' fo' less dan a couple of minutes an' it juss about killed me, Leo!" Raph had answered. "You put up wit' it for a couple of days!"

Raph spoke the truth - Aku really drained you when he talked to you. And it hurt like it was nobody's business. But Leo knew that - just like himself - Raphael had not for a moment considered helping Aku to get rid of the voice.

They were alike, but different. That's what brothers are like - especially the four of them. Alike, but different...

Giving up, Leonardo turned on his shell before pulling himself into a sitting position - accidentally hitting his cast against the bed and causing it to throb with pain for a few minutes.

"Nice job..." Leo hissed at himself before getting up and heading to the hall and eventually down the stairs.

After a few minutes, he had already walked off the last of the 'stairs' from the second floor and was now heading towards the kitchen for some water. As he walked, Leo couldn't help but wonder what time it was.

Before Leo could reach the kitchen, he stopped at the feeling of water underneath his feet. Frowning, Leo looked down and sighed. There was a hug puddle of water surrounding the pond at the center of the lair. This happened all the time now, for some reason the pond would over flood every now and then.

Aku... Leo's mind growled quickly as he clenched his left hand into a fist and looked at the water.

Don said it was from all the rain they had gotten this last month, but Leo doubted it. His mind was stuck on the image of Aku emerging from the very body of water and causing the damp, cave-like atmosphere of the lair during that short period of time.

And Leo knew that was all he would see it as, even though Don was very sound on his explanation.

Looking up a bit, Leo felt a chill down his spine as he looked forward. He stared at the column before him. The collection of bricks and concrete meant one thing clearly in his mind: Yin.

This had been the very spot where Leo had been able to finally defeat the 'evil' that Aku had created in his likeness. It had not been Yin that was truly evil, but was Aku for it had been Aku who had caused everything.

April had visited Leo once and told him that Yin had told her something about 'the strongest heart' would be the thing that really controlled him. Leo thought it was just another lie, but April reminded Leo that it had been Leo's will to save his brothers that had really enabled him to beat Yin.

Perhaps Leo had somehow 'ordered' Yin to be defeated - but Leo doubted it. Leo was sticking to the facts: Aku used Max, Yin connected Leo with Aku, Aku connected Leo with Max, Aku got rid of Max - his death hit the news - to get to Leo, Leo defeated Yin, Yin was connected with Aku and got rid of him. In his mind, that meant the story was over.

"Leo?"

Finally snapping out of his thoughts, Leo turned with a surprised expression to find Don standing there. He was glad it was Don, Mikey would go overboard with concern and Raph would demand to know every detail of what he was doing out of bed.

"Yes?" Leo asked.

"Nothing... Heading for a drink of water or something?" Don asked as he turned his body a bit towards the kitchen as if to tell Leo to walk wit him.

Leo didn't take it.

Instead, the eldest turtle looked back to the scene and saw himself stabbing Yin again. Right there. Against that column. Just like that all the things he had been going through were over and a new list of problems had started.

"It's flooding again..." Leo informed Don, too caught up to notice how obvious that statement was.

"Yeah, Raph, Mikey, and me were going to clean it up tomorrow before you wo--" Don frowned. He had said too much. Truth was the lair flooded a lot more than Leo knew about. They knew how much it disturbed him so usually cleaned up before Leo came downstairs. "Are you sure you're alright?" Don asked to change the subject.

Never losing his sight of the column, Leo nodded. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about it, Don..." he assured him. "It'll never be the same, will it?" Leo asked Don before finally turning to face him.

"What do you mean?" Don asked.

"That column...it's never going to be the same, is it?" Leo asked.

"I don't know, Leo - probably not..." Don answered as he gave the column a small glance before looking at Leo again.

Nothing will be the same after this! Don couldn't help but think.

Pasting a small smile on his face, Don placed a hand on Leo's left shoulder and pointed his thumb back to the kitchen. "C'mon, Leo," Don said softly. "I was heading for some coffee, but I think some tea would be good to talk over."

Leo smiled back. "Coffee's fine, Don," he answered before walking with his brother through the lair and back to the kitchen.

Things would never be the same, but there was one thing for sure: it wasn't Leo's fault.

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"Sir, there's a call for you," the secretary alerted her boss.

"Did you answer it, Maggie?" he asked her as he straightened some papers.

"Sir, it's a direct link - I can't answer it," she answered with a roll of her eyes as she continued. "Must be the Mrs..."

Grumbling, the boss answered the phone and gave the same line as he gave every other caller.

"Police Commissioner - New York City District 36," he answered.

Then, something strange happened as a chilling voice answered over to phone line.

AND TOGETHER WE SHALL RULE THE WORLD!

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Turtlefreak121: Okay, so I lied about the cliffhanger thing (evil grin) I wasn't planning on a sequel, but I keep my options opened. Besides, every good horror movie I watch leaves you hanging. BWAHAHAAHAHA!

THank you for reading and please do still review