No Longer You
Chapter 12
As the first light of dawn broke through the canopy, casting a pale almost blinding light across the forest floor, Leo and Yuichi emerged from their tent, stretching to banish the lingering fog of sleep from their minds. They worked to pack everything up, and soon enough the tent was packed away and the fire was extinguished, leaving no trace of their presence in the clearing. With their packs slung over their shoulders and their breath misting in the crisp morning air, the pair set out to continue their hunt for the mutant bear. Leo took the lead, his eyes scanning the ground for any sign of the creature's passing as they walked. Yuichi followed close behind, his own gaze darting from tree to tree, searching for any disturbance in the dense foliage that might indicate their quarry's path. As they climbed higher up the mountainside, the terrain grew more treacherous, the slope steepening and the footing becoming increasingly unstable. Leo and Yuichi had to rely on their strength and agility to navigate the rocky, snow-covered trails as they hauled themselves up by hand and foothold. After hours of hiking, Leo suddenly froze, his hand raised in a signal for Yuichi to halt. He crouched down, studying the ground intently, his brow furrowed in concentration. Yuichi hurried to his side, his heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and trepidation.
"What is it, Leo?" Yuichi asked, his voice low and hushed. "Did you find something?" Leo pointed to a set of massive paw prints etched into the snow, the size and shape unmistakably those of the beast they were tracking. "These tracks are fresher than the ones we found yesterday. And look," He said, gesturing to a nearby tree, its trunk splintered and bark stripped away, "it seems our friend has been using his claws to mark his territory. But there's no sign of a recent kill, no blood or carcass around thankfully." Yuichi's heart sank slightly, a flicker of disappointment passing through him. He had been hoping they might catch a glimpse of the creature, bring this nightmare to a swift and decisive end. But Leo's words sent a chill down his spine.. They were getting closer…
The sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in a mix of oranges and reds that seemed to bleed into the gathering dusk, the two found themselves growing weary from the long day of tracking. They had followed the mutant bear's trail for what felt like miles, over steep and treacherous terrain, but had yet to catch even a glimpse of their elusive beast. The only signs of the creature's passing were the occasional massive paw print and the occasional tree bearing the scars of its razor-sharp claws. As the light faded and the temperature dropped, Leo paused, his hand raised in a signal for Yuichi to halt again. He studied the darkening forest ahead, his eyes narrowing as he spotted a narrow opening in the rock face, barely visible behind the tangle of underbrush and dead trees. "There," Leo said, pointing towards the cave mouth. "It looks like a natural formation, but it's the only shelter I've seen around here. If the beast is looking for a place to hole up for the night, that could be it." Yuichi peered in the direction Leo was pointing, spotting the gaping darkness of the cave entrance. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of something so scary hiding in the dark just waiting for its chance to pounce. He swallowed hard before nodding slowly. "I see it," He said, his voice low and tight with a mix of apprehension and anxiety. "What's the plan, Leo? Do we set up camp here and wait for it to show itself, d-do we go in after it?" Leo was silent for a moment, considering their options. A few years ago he would've ran in swords blazing without considering his or anyone else's safety.. But that was the old Leo, the version of him that died on this same mountain.
Finally, he shook his head, his expression grim and determined. "We go in," He said, his voice a low, resolute rumble. "We can't afford to let it slip away again, not after coming this far. We can make camp outside the entrance, but we'll take turns keeping watch through the night. If it shows itself, we'll be ready. Does that sound good?" Yuichi nodded, he had no intention of questioning Leos lead. With that, the pair began to make their way towards the cave, their footsteps crunching in the snow and dead leaves that littered the forest floor. As they drew closer, the darkness seemed to press in around them.. Yuichi couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, of unseen eyes tracking their every move from the shadows. But Leo seemed undeterred, unsure if he felt that same anxiety creeping in or if he just didn't pay it any mind after having been in worse situations. As the last light faded and the night closed in around them, Leo and Yuichi set their small camp at the mouth of the cave. They worked together, the flickering light of their small fire casting a warm, inviting glow against the caves face. The meal they shared was a simple combination of the rations they had brought with them and some of the game Leo had managed to hunt along the way with Yuichi's help. They sat close together, their shoulders brushing and their hands occasionally touching as they passed the bowls of rice and vegetables between them. While they ate, the conversation turned to lighter matters, a welcome distraction from the grim quest that had brought them to this place.
"Leo.. While we have some time, do you think I could ask something of you? A-And it's okay if you don't want to talk about it, but since we're all alone I thought it might be a good place to talk about some of the things.. The things you don't usually say aloud while in the village." Leo looked a bit confused, "..Like what?" Yuichi didn't meet Leos eyes, instead he stared down at the empty bowl in his hands as he spoke. "I want to know about your childhood, about your family.. I want to know everything you're willing to talk about." Leo was a bit surprised at his response, it made sense that he'd be curious though. And Yuichi already promised himself to Leo, in all the good and bad, he'd already seen more of his darkness than even his own family had. Yuichi was being considerate, even now he wasn't demanding anything even though he honestly had the right to answers.. Things that had been on his mind all this time, he didn't even make it seem like Leo owed him the answers. Leo hesitated of course, but nodded at his request, "Might not be the best topic before bed but.. Anything you want to know I'll tell you. You deserve that much." Yuichi smiled, unable to hide his excitement as he set his bowl down and took Leo's hands into his, "Tell me about your family then! I want to know everything!"
Leo was quiet for a moment, maybe collecting his thoughts? Then he took a breath and started talking. "Well, I was born as an experiment with my brothers. My dad, the guy who was part of the experiment and who's DNA was used to make us, escaped with us before the scientist could take us. He tried to raise us, but he was a human newly mutated into a rat yokai, so I know it was a lot to deal with.. We had this human friend, April we'd met as kids. She was like our sister, and she grew up around us really as our only long term friend.. I don't want to imagine what she'd think of me now… T-Then there was my brother Raphael, he was the oldest. He took care of us the most, he was big, and strong- But kind. He'd be the one taking the blames, kissing scrapes, and tucking us in when our dad didn't. Then there was Donatello, we weren't even the same kind of turtle but we called ourselves twins. Maybe cause we were the same age? He was, well- A genius. He could build anything, solve any problem, and was a pretty good dancer believe it or not.. Him and our little brother Michelangelo. Mikey was the smallest, but he was headstrong, fierce, confident… He was a great cook, and the artist of the family, he and Donnie had this.. This bond, y'know? I think, because Donnie's a softshell, and Mikey's the youngest they both were sheltered a bit more than me and Raph, so they found other things to do together, like the dancing and building things. Anything Mikey drew up Donnie would build, he had this wall just covered in ideas, years worth of blueprints and-" Leo paused for a moment, his shred of optimism starting to fade. "Then we got older, and it happened.."
"..It?"
"The Shredder, he destroyed our home, he killed our ancestor who swore to keep that.. That thing locked away.. Even when they got their hands on the dark armor, we managed to pull through.. And I wish I could say that was the worst of it." Yuichi squeezed Leo's hands back, "The Shredder.. Like from the old legends?" Leo nodded, "I didn't believe it at first. I didn't think it was a real threat, I mean we'd fought a lot of weird things before but armor with the ability to possess the wearer? I didn't take my brothers seriously at all, and it cost us so much.."
"But Leo-sama, you didn't know- It was years ago so you were only a child, one who hadn't been properly warned at that! And you say you won, so you did something right to have made it so far right?" Leo let out a dry chuckle, unable to fully meet Yuichi's eyes. "Maybe, but that should've been my wake up call to take my duty seriously. To listen to my brothers, but even then I couldn't help but be stuck in my way of ignoring the bigger picture.. Then the invasion happened.."
"Invasion.." Leo nodded, his hands squeezing Yuichi's a little tighter. "A few years ago now, we found out our biggest enemy, the Foot clan, was after a key to open a timeless prison holding aliens, tall creatures that didn't know sympathy, or mercy…" Yuichi's expression darkened, "The Foot? That can't be.. The history books say we banished them from the land decades ago!"
"Banished them from your land maybe. But they came to mine, and their descendants are still there.. Sort of. We kept beating them, kept driving them away, saving the city as vigilantes. But they kept coming back.." Leo sighed, thinking about what New York must look like now without them, and it was all his fault.. "We'll have to update our history books when we get back.. If you don't mind telling the keeper most of this information about you and your family's bravery?" Leo looked back to the fire, not meeting Yuichi's eyes or paying attention to his words. "That's not even the worst part.. The real failure was when I lost the key, I let the monsters out of their prison, I caused the pain and suffering of so many… I nearly lost my family, I nearly lost my life.. I should've lost my-"
"Don't say that!"
"It's true though!" Leo spat back, letting go of Yuichi's hands as he stood up, pacing around the fire, "It's my fault, it always is- It's my fault the future was doomed, my fault the city was in danger to begin with and got wrecked, that our home was destroyed, that we kept failing! My fault Donnie got hurt, my fault Raph lost his eye, my fault Mikey stopped drawing! Its my fault Karai died, that dad died, that my brothers are dead, that my sword is broken, that my powers are gone, that April's alone, that the Foot clan is probably running rampant around New York-! It's all.. I-It's all…" Yuichi shot up after him, pulling Leo into his arms and holding onto him tightly, "Leo-sama please.. Please stop this, it won't do you any good to carry this weight on your heart! You were a child, you were unprepared, and you did your best with what you had. You alone cannot be to blame! Your family, the people, the enemy, they all had their parts, it cannot all rest upon you- You have to know that deep down! And.. Because of those things, of those troubles, you were able to be here.. With… With me" Leo froze, tensed and unable to let himself relax in Yuichi's arms like he usually would.
"I.. Yuichi, I was never meant to be here, to make it this far… I still don't understand why you could possibly want me after all this- You could have anyone! Jun is a great cook, you'd never go hungry if you picked him, Kaizo is the only one in the village who can build anything by himself, he'd make you a house if you asked and wouldn't even ask you to pay! Raiko has the best voice I've ever heard, he'd write songs for you and you could hear any song you wanted any time! Why pick the guy that kills things and can't sleep at night-? I just… I don't get it-" Yuichi rolled his eyes and pulled Leo into a kiss, something deep and maybe a little angry. He dragged Leo to the ground pinning him there in the snow where he could properly yell at him for being such a dumbass, "You don't get to pick for me. I chose you, isn't that enough?"
"But it doesn't make sense! Why? Why did you choose me! I don't have any talents, I don't have any useful skills! I can't give you a family, I cant cook, or clean or sing or show affection like I should! I can't even work up the nerve to kiss you when I want to-"
"Stop worrying about what you can't do you idiot! I love you because you are you, that's all there is to it! I like that you need my help, I like that you're reserved and not wild and not flirty without anyone, I like that you don't want anyone but me, I like that you miss the notes of songs because it makes me laugh, I like how kind you are to Hana, how gentle you are with Oba-san, how calm you are when I get anxious, how you always lean into my hands when I hold you! I like you! Please.. please stop second guessing yourself… Please stop doubting my judgement.. Please…"
Leos eyes widened when he saw the tears form in the corners of Yuichi's eyes, fuck- fuck fuck fuck he messed up, he didn't mean to say all that, and he definitely didn't mean to make him cry! "Wait- I-Im sorry, fuck I- I didn't mean- I just…" He let out a sign, letting his head fall back into the snow, "I'm sorry… I'm such an idiot.."
Yuichi shook his head, letting his hold on Leo slip and he rested his head against his chest. "You are.. But I love you anyway." Leo closed his eyes, his stomach felt like it was in knots, his eyes burned like he might cry if he didn't hold it together.. "Yuichi I-"
Suddenly there was a sharp sound in the distance of branches being broken apart by something heavy. They both perked up and scrambled to their feet but by the time their hands reached for their weapons the beast was upon them. The creature was a grotesque mix of nature and nightmare, a twisted form that shook Yuichi to his core, Leo however could only describe this animal with one word.
Kraangified.
Its hulking frame was covered in patches of matted, coarse fur that exposed muscle tissue. Rising from the creature's back was a forest of jagged, red spines, long and sharp, jutting out in a painful show. They rose with each labored step the beast took, casting eerie shadows that danced and flickered across the snow from the fire light.
The mutant bear's limbs had been elongated and misshapen, the muscles bulging beneath its warped skin. Its claws were massive, serrated blades, each one easily as long as Leo's head. They scraped against the ice-encrusted ground with each step, sending showers of snow scraps flying into the darkness behind it.
But perhaps the most horrifying aspect of the creature was the writhing mass of tentacles that emerged from the grotesque, gaping maw where its mouth should have been. Thick and ropey, they pulsed and writhed like a nest of serpents, dripping with a viscous fluid. The tentacles were covered in a slick, iridescent skin, leaving only the glint of a hidden, pulsing core visible in its throat. They twisted and coiled, as if tasting the air, seeking out the warmth of the two figures huddled by the cave entrance. Leos looked at it in horror, confused as to how something like this could even exist- They beat the Kraang.. Right?
Yuichi's eyes widened in horror as the monstrous bear inched closer, his heart raced, breath coming in short, panicked gasps as a wave of revulsion and terror washed over him. He felt his stomach churn, the meager contents of his dinner threatening to make a reappearance as he took in the creature's figure. Yuichi stumbled back, his legs trembling beneath him as the beast took a lumbering step towards them. Its elongated limbs, tipped with serrated claws that gleamed like daggers, reached out towards them, as if eager to rend and tear. Yuichi's heart pounded in his chest, his mind screaming at him to run, to flee this abomination before it was too late, every fiber of his being screamed that rabbits were prey, not meant to be fighters. He clutched at Leo's arm, his fingers digging into the firm muscle as he sought desperately to anchor himself, to keep from being consumed by the terror that threatened to overwhelm him.
Leo, however, reacted with the speed and ferocity of the trained warrior he was. As the monstrous bear lurched into the circle of firelight, his hand flew to the hilt of his katana, drawing the blade in one smooth, fluid motion. "Yuichi, get behind me!" Leo barked, his voice a low, commanding rumble. He stepped in front of the rabbit yokai, his body a shield between his beloved and the looming horror. The creature roared, a sound that was half bear and half something far more terrible, the tentacles emerging from its maw writhing and lashing the air between them. Leo charged forward, his katana flashing in a silver arc as he struck at the beast's outstretched front limb. The blade bit deep, shearing through muscle and sinew with a sickening crunch, sending a spray of viscous, pink blood arcing through the air and into the snow. The creature bellowed in pain and rage, its other paw lashing out tearing into Leo's clothes. Yuichi tried desperately to aid Leo in the fierce battle against the mutant bear, his heart pounding with a mix of terror and determination. He grabbed a thick branch from the firewood pile, wielding it like a club as he attempted to strike at the beast's flank. The first blow glanced off the creature's exposed muscle, sending a shock wave of pain up Yuichi's arm, but failing to leave more than a shallow gouge in the decaying flesh.
Taken over by the need to help his beloved, Yuichi pressed his attack, dancing around the thrashing tentacles and lashing claws. He managed to land a few more blows, each one driving the makeshift weapon deep into the beast's grotesque hide, but the creature seemed barely to notice. As Yuichi struggled to keep the bear at bay, Leo fought with the skill and ferocity of a man possessed by death itself. His katana flashed in the firelight, the blade singing as it bit deep into the monster's flesh again and again. His muscles bunched and flexed beneath his robes as he wielded the sword with all the strength and power he could muster, determined to protect Yuichi and end this abomination's reign of terror. The bear swung and sent Yuichi flying back, just missing his vitals as he landed into the trunk of a tree. In a short break between the beast's frenzied attacks, Leo turned to Yuichi, his eyes blazing with a fierce, intense light. "Yuichi," he called out, his voice a low, urgent whisper, despite being scared for his life he forced himself to smile. "I love you." The words hung in the air for a single, eternal second before Leo launched himself at the monster, his katana held high ready to give everything he had so that Yuichi could make it home.
With a final, mighty cry, Leo buried the blade to the hilt in the creature's chest, piercing its twisted heart. The beast let out a deafening roar, a sound of agony and fury that shook the very earth. It thrashed and spasmed, its claws scrabbling at the ground as the life drained from its misshapen form. But as it collapsed, its massive weight bearing down upon him, Leo felt a sickening wrench and a searing pain in his right arm. The joint gave way with a sickening crunch, the bones shattering beneath the titanic force. Leo gritted his teeth, a bead of sweat rolling down his brow as he strained with every ounce he had left. He could feel the tendrils forcing their way under his skin, trying to find a new host as the bears heart came to a stop. Leo raised his sword and with a pained, desperate cry, forced the sword down onto this arm just above the elbow.
He hacked at it making sure nothing was worming its way up further and used his legs to push himself away from the bears corpse. He watched the core wrap around the severed arm and tangle itself trying to suck the life from it to keep on. But Leo refused to let it get any further, he grabbed the stick Yuichi had used and let it catch fire, then shoved the flame into the core, heaving and panting as he knelt there making sure the core was nothing but ash then right after made sure to catch the bear in the flames, he had to be sure there was no chance of it coming back.. He heard a voice behind him but it felt distant, like a dream. He went to turn around but his eyes closed before he got to see what was going on, there was just the feeling of the chilling air around him, the snow beneath him.. Then, warmth and someones hands on him, someone soft, gentle..
Maybe he'd finally atoned and could be reunited with his family, maybe he'd finally be free of that heavy guilt that'd been following him all this time?
Masterpost Chapter 13 ->
