Sequel: Angel's Child ›
Golden Angel
Chapter 15
Artemis groaned as sleep started to elude her, pushing her into the waking world.
“Artemisia?”
Opening her eyes blearily, she blinked, focusing on the face above her.
“Sensei…”
He seemed relieved that she remembered him, and she yawned a bit.
Her brain jolted awake, memories flooding back.
“Leo!”
Sitting up sharply, she hit heads with Raph, who had come when he’d realized she was awake.
“OW!”
Leaning back to rub her sore head, she looked around.
They were in a metal trailer, with Mikey actually sitting quietly, Raph growling as he nursed a new bump on his head, and Don had Leo…
The blanket she’d been wrapped it fell down a bit, and her skin shivered.
Mikey, seeing her sitting up, jumped on her.
“AHHH!”
“ARTIE!! YOU’RE OKAY!!”
“NOT IF I CAN’T BREATHE!!”
The orange-banded turtle released her, but he didn’t move away as she moved to see how Leo was doing.
“Is he okay, Donnie?”
“I’m…not sure…He hasn’t woken up yet…”
Worried now, she felt cuts on her arms and legs pull.
‘When did I get those?’
Trying to keep calm, she cupped her hands.
‘Come on, fire…come on…’
A little flame blossomed on her palms, and she let it grow larger until she felt sure it would blow sparks into her face.
Mikey wasn’t shy about sharing the warmth, but Raph kept his distance until he couldn’t take the cold anymore.
They were huddled around the blue-banded turtle, Artemis trying not to lose control of the fire.
“MAN…It sucks being cold-blooded sometimes…”
“…Is he gonna make it, sensei?” Don asked tentatively.
“…Only time will tell…”
Tears started welling up in her eyes, but the gold-banded turtle fought them back.
‘Not now…I shouldn’t make them more worried then they already are…’
By the time they got to the farm, it was daytime, and snow was falling from the sky as they lifted Leo out.
Artemis, looking at the snow, simply moved it out of the way with her Waterbending.
Mikey was gushing in his comic-geek way, and she kept him away from Leo until the injured turtle was put on a couch inside.
Artemis came in, pulling a thick comforter up over him as Mikey and Casey got wood.
“Okay, so it needs some fixin’ up. This place just got a little rundown after grandma passed away.”
Ash fell down heavily as April opened the chimney.
The redhead coughed, and the jade-skinned turtle blew the ash away.
“When was THAT? In the late Jurassic?”
“DUDE, ya live in a sewer!”
The gold-banded turtle sighed, feeling tired.
Kneeling beside the couch, she crossed her arms over his plastron and nestled her head on top of them.
‘Come on, Leo…I know you’re in there…’
Closing her eyes, she couldn’t keep a couple tears from slipping free.
‘You can’t leave me, Leo…I can’t live without you…’
She stayed like that for hours, everyone huddling behind her.
She ignored the ache in her muscles, the sleep pricking at her mind, as she stared at his motionless face.
The bruises weren’t right…
They shouldn’t have been there…
‘If only I’d made it sooner…’
Raph punched the wall, startling her.
“Why won’t ‘e wake up?!”
“Healing takes time, and Leonardo is healing from more than just physical wounds…His spirit has also been grievously injured.”
Artemis fisted the comforter, closing her eyes.
“You think he can hear us?” Don asked.
“Perhaps…”
He knelt next to her, closer to Leo’s head.
“Hey, Leo…It’s me, Don…Listen, you’re gonna pull through this…I know you are…You have to…I mean, you know how much trouble we’d get in without you…”
The gold-banded turtle smiled a bit at that.
‘That’s very true…’
She didn’t look away as Don recounted when he’d lost his toy car and almost got himself killed, and how Leo saved him.
“You really came through for me that day, Leo…You always do…And I know you will again…”
…
“…Looks like ya got ‘im hangin’ on yer every word, Don…”
Artemis glared at him a beat, and put a hand on her purple-banded brother’s shoulder.
“That was really sweet, Donnie. Raph’s just jealous because you went first.”
“No I’m not!”
“RIGHT…” She muttered, resting her head on Leo’s plastron again.
He started stirring, and she perked.
“Hey! I think ‘e ‘eard ya, Raphie!” Casey stated.
“Maybe talking to him DOES help.” April added.
“It is said that the voice of a loved one can help guide a lost soul back home.”
“…Mind if I take a crack at it?” Mikey questioned, and Don moved so Mikey could kneel beside his brother.
“Listen, bro. Just concentrate on my voice. Come on, Leo. You know how focused you get when you set your mind on something…”
Artemis smiled a bit as he told the story of trying to get Leo to lose his concentration during training.
She remembered it herself, and it always brought a smile to her face.
“Leo…when you put your mind to something, you’re unstoppable…So…How about using that famous focus of yours to come back to us?”
“Heh. Ya ask me, Leo ain’t comin’ back ‘cause ‘e’s afraid.”
“No one asked you!” Mikey replied defensively.
“’E got ‘is butt whooped, an’ now ‘e’s too chicken ta come back an’ face it!”
“That’s enough, Raph!” Don intervened.
“Well, I say who needs ya?! Its not like we can’t get along without ya playin’ Fearless Leader!!”
Artemis would’ve snapped at him if she hadn’t seen the tears in his eyes.
“Oh, Raph…”
“…Back in the day, I always thought I’D be top turtle…I was strongest, bravest…Remember that time I brought ya to that closed off section of the sewer?”
Artemis closed her eyes, remembering how she’d tried to stop them and the excited looks she’d seen when they’d recounted the event to her.
She’d been worried for them, and given them huge hugs when they’d gotten back.
“I don’t even know why I told ya that story…I-I guess ya just…I mean…What I’m tryin’ ta say is…”
“…You’re brother hears you, Raphael.” Splinter comforted as Raph seemed at a loss for words.
“He understands…”
The red-banded turtle headed for the window, looking outside at the falling snow.
“Leonardo, my son…You must gather all your strength and confront your fear…Just as you did many years ago…”
“Come on, sensei. Leo’s never been scared ‘a anythin’ in ‘is entire life!”
The jade-skinned turtle shook her head.
“No…he was scared of something…everybody’s scared of something…”
“…Yer not scared ‘a anythin’, princess…”
She smiled a little.
“…No…I am scared of something…Losing you guys…”
Nuzzling the blankets as Mitsukai whimpered, curling up on her owner’s shins, she didn’t feel the eyes on her shell.
“Your sister is correct. Do you recall, Leonardo? From your early days?”
Listening to the story of Leo conquering his fear of heights, she felt her heart tighten.
‘What if he doesn’t wake up?’
“Do so again. Ignore the fear, my son. Let your spirit heal. Find your way home, my son. Return to us.”
Looking at him, she sighed.
“…Leo…Remember when we were little? I’d been trying to balance on my rollerblades when I’d first gotten them…”
Flashback:
A ten year old Artemis was clinging to the back of the couch as the wheels under her slipped on the bricks.
“Artie, come on.” Leo encouraged from his scooter.
“B-But I’m scared…” She whimpered.
“It’ll be alright, Artie. I’m right here.”
Steeling herself, she released the couch and tried to move forward.
Her feet slipped out from under her, and she skinned her shins badly on the bricks.
Sitting back on her shell, she sniffled as blood dripped down her skin.
“Artie!”
The blue-banded turtle was soon by her side as she started crying.
“It’s okay, sis! Don’t cry!”
“B-But it H-HURTS…”
Leo grabbed a rag, putting pressure on the scrapes.
“It’s alright, Artie…”
Sniffling, she wiped her tears away as Leo wiped up the blood and put on bandages.
She was surprised when he kissed her forehead, smiling.
“Master Splinter says kisses makes people feel better.”
Smiling a bit in return, she nodded.
“I-I feel a-a little b-better…”
“Great! You wanna try again?”
Looking at the rollerblades still attached to her feet, she took hold of his hand.
“O-Only if y-you help m-me…”
End Flashback:
“Come on, Leo…You were always there before…”
The tears started escaping again, and she couldn’t hold them back anymore.
“Every time I fell, I knew you’d be right there to pick me up again…I think…I think it’s my turn now…”
Hiding her tears in his plastron, she tried to keep her body from shaking.
“…Let me help you up, Leo…”
There was silence for a while, where even Mikey didn’t dare speak, when she felt a hand touch her cheek.
Lifting her eyes, she saw Leo smiling tiredly at her, his thumb wiping away her tears.
“…Hey, Artie…Don’t cry…”
Tears came to her eyes again, but they were of joy instead of sadness, and she hugged him tighter.
“Leo…”
Don held Mikey back from suffocating Artemis while she hugged Leo.
Everyone still rejoiced, but it felt like background noise to the gold-banded turtle.
She felt so RIGHT holding him like that, and having him try to reassure her.
‘…I really do love him…’
“Artemisia?”
Opening her eyes blearily, she blinked, focusing on the face above her.
“Sensei…”
He seemed relieved that she remembered him, and she yawned a bit.
Her brain jolted awake, memories flooding back.
“Leo!”
Sitting up sharply, she hit heads with Raph, who had come when he’d realized she was awake.
“OW!”
Leaning back to rub her sore head, she looked around.
They were in a metal trailer, with Mikey actually sitting quietly, Raph growling as he nursed a new bump on his head, and Don had Leo…
The blanket she’d been wrapped it fell down a bit, and her skin shivered.
Mikey, seeing her sitting up, jumped on her.
“AHHH!”
“ARTIE!! YOU’RE OKAY!!”
“NOT IF I CAN’T BREATHE!!”
The orange-banded turtle released her, but he didn’t move away as she moved to see how Leo was doing.
“Is he okay, Donnie?”
“I’m…not sure…He hasn’t woken up yet…”
Worried now, she felt cuts on her arms and legs pull.
‘When did I get those?’
Trying to keep calm, she cupped her hands.
‘Come on, fire…come on…’
A little flame blossomed on her palms, and she let it grow larger until she felt sure it would blow sparks into her face.
Mikey wasn’t shy about sharing the warmth, but Raph kept his distance until he couldn’t take the cold anymore.
They were huddled around the blue-banded turtle, Artemis trying not to lose control of the fire.
“MAN…It sucks being cold-blooded sometimes…”
“…Is he gonna make it, sensei?” Don asked tentatively.
“…Only time will tell…”
Tears started welling up in her eyes, but the gold-banded turtle fought them back.
‘Not now…I shouldn’t make them more worried then they already are…’
By the time they got to the farm, it was daytime, and snow was falling from the sky as they lifted Leo out.
Artemis, looking at the snow, simply moved it out of the way with her Waterbending.
Mikey was gushing in his comic-geek way, and she kept him away from Leo until the injured turtle was put on a couch inside.
Artemis came in, pulling a thick comforter up over him as Mikey and Casey got wood.
“Okay, so it needs some fixin’ up. This place just got a little rundown after grandma passed away.”
Ash fell down heavily as April opened the chimney.
The redhead coughed, and the jade-skinned turtle blew the ash away.
“When was THAT? In the late Jurassic?”
“DUDE, ya live in a sewer!”
The gold-banded turtle sighed, feeling tired.
Kneeling beside the couch, she crossed her arms over his plastron and nestled her head on top of them.
‘Come on, Leo…I know you’re in there…’
Closing her eyes, she couldn’t keep a couple tears from slipping free.
‘You can’t leave me, Leo…I can’t live without you…’
She stayed like that for hours, everyone huddling behind her.
She ignored the ache in her muscles, the sleep pricking at her mind, as she stared at his motionless face.
The bruises weren’t right…
They shouldn’t have been there…
‘If only I’d made it sooner…’
Raph punched the wall, startling her.
“Why won’t ‘e wake up?!”
“Healing takes time, and Leonardo is healing from more than just physical wounds…His spirit has also been grievously injured.”
Artemis fisted the comforter, closing her eyes.
“You think he can hear us?” Don asked.
“Perhaps…”
He knelt next to her, closer to Leo’s head.
“Hey, Leo…It’s me, Don…Listen, you’re gonna pull through this…I know you are…You have to…I mean, you know how much trouble we’d get in without you…”
The gold-banded turtle smiled a bit at that.
‘That’s very true…’
She didn’t look away as Don recounted when he’d lost his toy car and almost got himself killed, and how Leo saved him.
“You really came through for me that day, Leo…You always do…And I know you will again…”
…
“…Looks like ya got ‘im hangin’ on yer every word, Don…”
Artemis glared at him a beat, and put a hand on her purple-banded brother’s shoulder.
“That was really sweet, Donnie. Raph’s just jealous because you went first.”
“No I’m not!”
“RIGHT…” She muttered, resting her head on Leo’s plastron again.
He started stirring, and she perked.
“Hey! I think ‘e ‘eard ya, Raphie!” Casey stated.
“Maybe talking to him DOES help.” April added.
“It is said that the voice of a loved one can help guide a lost soul back home.”
“…Mind if I take a crack at it?” Mikey questioned, and Don moved so Mikey could kneel beside his brother.
“Listen, bro. Just concentrate on my voice. Come on, Leo. You know how focused you get when you set your mind on something…”
Artemis smiled a bit as he told the story of trying to get Leo to lose his concentration during training.
She remembered it herself, and it always brought a smile to her face.
“Leo…when you put your mind to something, you’re unstoppable…So…How about using that famous focus of yours to come back to us?”
“Heh. Ya ask me, Leo ain’t comin’ back ‘cause ‘e’s afraid.”
“No one asked you!” Mikey replied defensively.
“’E got ‘is butt whooped, an’ now ‘e’s too chicken ta come back an’ face it!”
“That’s enough, Raph!” Don intervened.
“Well, I say who needs ya?! Its not like we can’t get along without ya playin’ Fearless Leader!!”
Artemis would’ve snapped at him if she hadn’t seen the tears in his eyes.
“Oh, Raph…”
“…Back in the day, I always thought I’D be top turtle…I was strongest, bravest…Remember that time I brought ya to that closed off section of the sewer?”
Artemis closed her eyes, remembering how she’d tried to stop them and the excited looks she’d seen when they’d recounted the event to her.
She’d been worried for them, and given them huge hugs when they’d gotten back.
“I don’t even know why I told ya that story…I-I guess ya just…I mean…What I’m tryin’ ta say is…”
“…You’re brother hears you, Raphael.” Splinter comforted as Raph seemed at a loss for words.
“He understands…”
The red-banded turtle headed for the window, looking outside at the falling snow.
“Leonardo, my son…You must gather all your strength and confront your fear…Just as you did many years ago…”
“Come on, sensei. Leo’s never been scared ‘a anythin’ in ‘is entire life!”
The jade-skinned turtle shook her head.
“No…he was scared of something…everybody’s scared of something…”
“…Yer not scared ‘a anythin’, princess…”
She smiled a little.
“…No…I am scared of something…Losing you guys…”
Nuzzling the blankets as Mitsukai whimpered, curling up on her owner’s shins, she didn’t feel the eyes on her shell.
“Your sister is correct. Do you recall, Leonardo? From your early days?”
Listening to the story of Leo conquering his fear of heights, she felt her heart tighten.
‘What if he doesn’t wake up?’
“Do so again. Ignore the fear, my son. Let your spirit heal. Find your way home, my son. Return to us.”
Looking at him, she sighed.
“…Leo…Remember when we were little? I’d been trying to balance on my rollerblades when I’d first gotten them…”
Flashback:
A ten year old Artemis was clinging to the back of the couch as the wheels under her slipped on the bricks.
“Artie, come on.” Leo encouraged from his scooter.
“B-But I’m scared…” She whimpered.
“It’ll be alright, Artie. I’m right here.”
Steeling herself, she released the couch and tried to move forward.
Her feet slipped out from under her, and she skinned her shins badly on the bricks.
Sitting back on her shell, she sniffled as blood dripped down her skin.
“Artie!”
The blue-banded turtle was soon by her side as she started crying.
“It’s okay, sis! Don’t cry!”
“B-But it H-HURTS…”
Leo grabbed a rag, putting pressure on the scrapes.
“It’s alright, Artie…”
Sniffling, she wiped her tears away as Leo wiped up the blood and put on bandages.
She was surprised when he kissed her forehead, smiling.
“Master Splinter says kisses makes people feel better.”
Smiling a bit in return, she nodded.
“I-I feel a-a little b-better…”
“Great! You wanna try again?”
Looking at the rollerblades still attached to her feet, she took hold of his hand.
“O-Only if y-you help m-me…”
End Flashback:
“Come on, Leo…You were always there before…”
The tears started escaping again, and she couldn’t hold them back anymore.
“Every time I fell, I knew you’d be right there to pick me up again…I think…I think it’s my turn now…”
Hiding her tears in his plastron, she tried to keep her body from shaking.
“…Let me help you up, Leo…”
There was silence for a while, where even Mikey didn’t dare speak, when she felt a hand touch her cheek.
Lifting her eyes, she saw Leo smiling tiredly at her, his thumb wiping away her tears.
“…Hey, Artie…Don’t cry…”
Tears came to her eyes again, but they were of joy instead of sadness, and she hugged him tighter.
“Leo…”
Don held Mikey back from suffocating Artemis while she hugged Leo.
Everyone still rejoiced, but it felt like background noise to the gold-banded turtle.
She felt so RIGHT holding him like that, and having him try to reassure her.
‘…I really do love him…’