Leonardo's POV

My body was trembling out of fear, I still couldn't feel my legs. "Come and rest my child, come and see your dear old father, come and let go of all your pain and suffering...", Death's voice was raspy and cold but somehow it felt warm and inviting. I would get to see dad again and I finally get to let go of all this. I reached out for Death's hand and it felt right, I started feeling the pain wash away, my sorrows dissipate, I was finally free......

"Come on Leo, don't give up.......", I hear a voice behind me, it sounds familiar, I look back to see who's there, but there's no one "Hold on a little longer.....", is that..... Raph? He sounds scared, what am I doing, I can't leave my family behind even if I feel this pain. I pulled my hand away from Death and tried to get up, but I couldn't. Death walked closer to me and says "If u don't take my hand, u will feel nothing but pain back there" his voice was deeper and more sinister, it felt like a threat. I'm not letting Death win, not today "No! I don't want your hand, I may suffer but my family still needs me!"

All of a sudden everything went dark, the light disappeared and Death turns into dust. I was in a dark and empty room by myself, I could hear this weird buzzing sound. It turned into this high-pitched ringing in my head and the louder it got, the more it sounded like screams. I held my head and tried to cover my ears as best I could, but it just kept getting louder. My head was killing, it felt like it was about to explode and my body was going numb, I felt weak. Out of nowhere, a hand grabbed my left arm and another grabbed my right leg.

They were everywhere! They were coming from the ground, the walls, the ceiling. These black, mummified hands were cold and strong. I couldn't move they pulled me all over until the light came back, they were dragging me to it. No! I can't let them, I struggled to set myself free but no matter what I did, another hand got a hold on me. I'm so tired, I could feel my body giving up. The light was right in front of me now, I thought to myself this is it, I got flashbacks of my family as a kid.

Flashes of family moments kept popping up in my mind, Splinter was there. I remember when our dad bathed us this one time as tots, we ended up getting him all wet and covered with bubbles. He wasn't impressed but we all laughed...... and he smiled.

Our first family picture, our first movie, getting our weapons, the fights, the hugs, the anger, the laughter, the moments of hate........ and the love. Everything came rushing back to me, I felt tears running down my cheeks. I love my family, I love my friends....... I'm sorry, I failed. As a brother, as a friend... as a leader.

I gave up........

I let them take me...........

There was a flash of light and out of nowhere, I was blown away from the light itself. I landed on my shell a few feet away, hearing a crack, I felt so much pain when I landed I screamed at the top of my lungs. A figure came running at me at full speed I didn't see who it was, but I did recognize the weapon this person was holding. It was a katana.

Whoever it was they were freeing me from the mummified hands, he picked me up and dragged me to my feet "Come on, get up and run, and don't look back!" he orders me as he pushed me to run into the darkness. That voice, that was Splinter. I did as he told me, I kept running and I didn't look back. I don't know for how long I've been running, I saw a door in the distance but I couldn't anymore, I tripped and fell to my side. My whole body ached, it was the worst pain I ever felt.

I lay there sobbing from the pain, it hurt so much. Why me? What did I do to deserve this? I curled into a ball and held my aching body. I just laid there and cried hoping for all this to end. To wake up from this horrid nightmare, to see my family and friends again. All I could hear was the screaming in my head, I couldn't even hear myself sobbing so much it was loud. My body went limp.

I felt someone pick me up and cradle me, I nuzzled myself in that person's chest, looking and hoping for comfort. That smell was vanilla and lavender. It was Splinter's smell, I held him tight afraid to let go and lose him again. I cried in his chest and he held me tight. "My son, you must go back. Your brothers need you." His voice soft and low, he rubs my head and tells me "Everything will be okay, you are not a failure Leonardo. You can't keep this pain to yourself, your brothers need to know." 

He lifts my head up and wipes the tears off my cheeks, he smiles at me and hugs me back tightly. After what seems like a short while, he gets up and helps me to my feet. We turn towards the door and he helps me walk to it. It looked like the door to April's farmhouse, and I could hear whispers and beeping as we walk closer towards the door. But as we got closer the pain became even more unbearable, my chest was tightening, my legs were becoming limp, my arms were weak.

Suddenly we heard laughing behind us, we both turned to look who it was. It was Death and he was pissed. "You truly thought that I would just let you walk away! Haha ha haha! You are mine turtle! I own your soul!" Deaths screamed, his voice cold and rigorous, pointing his finger at me. The room turned blood red and his cloak fluttered vigorously, the mummified hands started to reappear from the ground, more aggressive than they were before. My dad grabbed my hand and started running dragging me in the process.

I could barely stand let alone run, we finally arrived at the door, Death right behind us. My dad grabs the handle but stops midway, I turn to look at him and felt my heart sink and shatter. Death's scythe was going through Splinter's chest, he was bleeding and turned pale. He fell to his knees and started panting, I was shocked and frozen in place.

I felt tears running down my cheeks, my dad looks up at me "I love you, my son...", he opens the door and pushes me inside. I tried grabbing his hand but it went right through. I started falling into this bright white room and all I could hear was Death screaming in anger. All of sudden everything went dark.

I could hear..... beeping.

And whispering?

No......

It sounds like yelling.....

I was finally able to open my eyes, at first it was bright but my eyes started to adjust. Where am I? "How could u Don, you said he was gonna be okay! You fucking lied!" Who is that? Why are they yelling? "I didn't lie to you Raph, he was getting better, I don't know what happened. I wasn't here!" Raph? Don? What's going on? My eyes finally adjusted and I could see Raph and Don arguing at the end of what I assume to be my bed.

Raph grabbed Don by his shirt and pinned him to the wall, everyone was there, Karai and April were in the doorway looking terrified. While Mickey and Casey were trying to reason with Raph and pull him away. "Stop fighting" I try and tell them, my voice bearly audible over the yelling. "What the hell are you not telling us, Don?! What's wrong with Leo!" Me? What's wrong with me? What happened?

I have to stop this or else Raph will hurt Don. "Raph!" I say as loud as my voice could carry. Everyone looks at me in shock, Raph lets Don go, sits by my side, holds my hand, and starts to tear up, Don checks my vitals and everyone starts telling me how happy they are that I'm back.

I smiled as I felt tears running down my cheeks...........

I'm finally home..............

It's finally over.