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], "pools": [ { "pool_id": "68461", "name": "Echoes on the Water", "description": "This is the story of four princes, three raised together, one kept apart. Connected to each other by an ancient elemental magic that runs as deep as the blood in their veins.", "count": "19", "submission_left_submission_id": "2995702", "submission_left_file_name": "4477339_Sundayeyes_eotw_15.doc", "submission_right_submission_id": "3116132", "submission_right_file_name": "4675166_Sundayeyes_eotw_17.doc" } ], "description": "This is the story of four princes, three raised together, one kept apart. Connected to each other by an ancient elemental magic that runs as deep as the blood in their veins.\n\nSoon they will come together for the first time in their lives, but can the three learn to trust someone they have never met? Can they all overcome the lies they have been told to find the truth they so desperately seek?\n\nThe Trials of Succession are upon them, and only together will they be able to survive.\n\n~*~\nAlternate Universe, AU\nPairings: Raphael/Donatello, Leonardo/Michelangelo, Raphael/Michelangelo, Michelangelo/Donatello, OT4\n\n~*~*~*~\n[url=https://inkbunny.net/s/2995702]<--- Chapter Fifteen[/url] __//__ [url=https://inkbunny.net/s/3116132]Chapter Seventeen --->[/url]\n~*~*~*~", "description_bbcode_parsed": "This is the story of four princes, three raised together, one kept apart. Connected to each other by an ancient elemental magic that runs as deep as the blood in their veins.

Soon they will come together for the first time in their lives, but can the three learn to trust someone they have never met? Can they all overcome the lies they have been told to find the truth they so desperately seek?

The Trials of Succession are upon them, and only together will they be able to survive.

~*~
Alternate Universe, AU
Pairings: Raphael/Donatello, Leonardo/Michelangelo, Raphael/Michelangelo, Michelangelo/Donatello, OT4

~*~*~*~
<--- Chapter Fifteen __//__ Chapter Seventeen --->
~*~*~*~", "writing": "[center]~*~*~*~\n\nChapter Sixteen: This Sense of Something Real\n\n~*~*~*~[/center]\n\nThey found a campsite not far beyond the tree line just as the first rays of sunlight were breaking over the horizon. It was small, with barely enough room for the four tents, a ring of stones for the fire, and a few crates of supplies, but it would do well enough for the rest they all so desperately needed. On the northern side of the camp, the four obsidian pillars stood, their orbs glowing cheerfully in the low light, and just beyond them, a twisting shallow river gurgled its way deeper into the trees.\n\nOnce they had managed to rouse him, Donatello was able to make the last few miles of their trek across the sand under his own power. It seemed as if sheer stubborn determination was propelling him forward, and nothing short of the spirits themselves would stop him. Still, Leonardo remained close to the prince of water the entire way, just in case, ready to catch him should the exhaustion finally sap the last of his strength.\n\nBarely conscious, Donatello made straight for the water, only just remembering to take off his boots first before fully submerging himself until his face was the only part of him poking above the surface. Leo watched him carefully as he settled, and just like back in the desert cave, Don almost immediately fell into some sort of trance, his face slack, mouth open as he breathed, a strange type of coma no doubt induced by their magic. The water shimmered around him, rippling over his limbs against the natural current of the river, and small droplets hovered just above his face, forming a halo that sparkled in the morning light.\n\n``I'll sit with him again.'' Raphael offered, his drooping eyes betraying his willingness to stay awake.\n\nLeo spared him the sacrifice, noticing how Michelangelo was also about to drop, ``No, it's alright, you two go and get some rest. I'll stay.''\n\nRaph looked like he might argue for a second, then shrugged and led Mikey away with a yawn.\n\nThe prince of air watched them go with a fond smile, then turned to survey their surroundings. The forest was peaceful in the early morning. Leafy, spindly trees of hickory and walnut shaded their little respite and kept the drifting sands from intruding too far past the tree line. Birdsong added a pleasant accompaniment to the calming rush of water, and high up, near the very tops of the tallest trees, a small group of Aldafay were foraging through the branches, twittering softly and minding their own business.\n\nThey were safe, for the time being, so Leo settled down to his knees on the bank of the river, letting himself drift into a light meditation. He was just as tired as the others, his mind and body begging for sleep, but for now this was all he would allow himself. He would sleep when he knew Donatello was safely out of danger and not a moment before.\n\nThe sun was nearing its apex in the sky when he sensed another presence drawing close. Rising gently back to consciousness, he first checked on Don, finding the prince of water exactly where they had left him, peacefully resting within the embrace of the river. Leo turned his head as the prince of fire joined him, looking like the few hours of sleep had at least done him some good.\n\n``Any signs of life?'' Raph asked with a crooked grin meant to dispel his own worry more than anything else.\n\n``The magic seems to have abated; I think he's genuinely sleeping now.''\n\nLeo wished he had a more comforting answer, but the water prince still had not moved even an inch, the only difference was now the river was calm once more, the droplets of water had stopped hovering and the flow had rejoined the steady current.\n\n``How's Mikey doing?''\n\n``Out cold, all snuggled up in one of [i]your[/i] old tunics.''\n\nThe tone in Raph's voice was affectionate, teasing, as it was meant to be, and Leo indulged a small, secret smile. A little bubble of possessiveness burst and fizzed and tickled in the space right next to his heart where the prince of earth had long ago taken hold of him and never let go.\n\nThe fire prince lowered himself to the ground, settling back against a large, jagged rock just behind where Leo still knelt at the edge of the water, close enough so they could speak in low tones that wouldn't bother Donatello as he slept.\n\n``I know ya' didn't sleep, so, spill it. What were ya' thinkin' about?''\n\nThe prince of air sighed, Raph always was more observant than Leo ever gave him credit for. ``Lots of things... too much. I think each one of us have made too many assumptions, and I think we've been vastly underprepared.''\n\n``Yeah...'' Raph agreed.\n\n``I think, ...I've never had more hope for the future, then I do in this moment.''\n\nRaphael looked over in surprise but remained silent, curious.\n\n``This... [i]situation[/i]... with my father will be coming to a head soon. Splinter has been trying to prepare me, but until now I've had no idea what I'm going to do should he refuse to give up the throne.''\n\nRaphael didn't really seem surprised by the statement, but he did raise his eye ridges. ``Ya' really think he'll do that?''\n\n``Yes.'' Leonardo replied with confidence.\n\nThe prince of fire released a puff of breath through his lips. ``Okay... so what're ya' gonna do about it?''\n\nLeo smiled lightly and looked back at Donatello, now snoring softly in the water. ``He's the key. We've been walking around without a piece of ourselves for so long, we couldn't know the true depth of our power. My father may think he has everything figured out... but with the four of us finally together... he doesn't stand a chance.''\n\nIt sounded a little over glorified to his ears, but Leo meant every word. Together they could conquer any obstacle set before them... even if it meant going up against his own flesh and blood.\n\n``Bold words,'' Raph said carefully, ``easy to say out here in the middle of nowhere. But we both know it ain't that simple, so, what are ya' thinkin' that looks like?''\n\n``Best case, a simple conversation. It's all of us against him. I would hope he's still rational enough to understand his efforts would be futile.''\n\nThe fire prince gave him a doubtful look. ``And worst case? Sounds to me like you're creepin' into `civil war' territory...''\n\nLeo shrugged noncommittally. ``He's surrounded himself with `yes men' to the point of delusion. I truly don't think he expects me to challenge him. His reaction when I do will likely be... violent.''\n\nThey sat in quiet contemplation for a moment, mulling over the impact of that thought, before Raphael spoke again. ``How many of your men would follow you into that?''\n\n``Most of them,'' Leo said automatically, but then he seemed to reconsider, ``maybe not enough. I may need to call upon... outside support.'' He stopped to give the fire prince a sideways look. ``Agni's Legionnaires, with [i]you[/i] at their head... might make him think twice.''\n\nRaph couldn't help a slightly sadistic smile. ``Don't threaten me with a good time.''\n\nThe soft rumble of their laughter joined with the low gurgle of the stream and faded into the warmth of the afternoon. It was a much-needed release from the stark reality of their conversation. The thought that the coming confrontation with his father could possibly lead to war sent an icy chill spiking through Leo's heart. However necessary it may be to stake his claim on the kingdom that would be his by rights, war meant innocent lives would be lost, and that was something he could never justify, no matter the cause.\n\nPerhaps Raph saw the conflict on his face, because he motioned for Leo to scoot back until they were seated with their shoulders pressed together.\n\n``This is serious, Raph. If it comes to fighting, my people will be caught in the crossfire. I don't want to do that to them, they've already suffered so much.''\n\n``I know...,'' Raphael answered soberly, ``but, there's a lot of steps between here and there. Maybe it'll come to that, maybe it won't, but if there's anyone that can talk sense into your father, it's [i]you[/i]. No one else would stand a chance. Not even Splinter.''\n\nIt wasn't often that Raphael was a voice of reason, but occasionally, he got it right, and Leonardo was grateful for the reminder. Even though their relationship could turn volatile when their moods clashed, they still always managed to find peace with each other, even at the worst of times. Leo looked down at where Raph's hand was curled in his lap and reached out, threading their fingers together with a firm squeeze.\n\n``Raph, I know we don't always agree, and I know sometimes the way I do things annoys the hell out of you... but I'm glad you're here. I don't know that we... that [i]I[/i]... could have made it this far without you.''\n\nRaphael stroked his thumb over Leo's and let the confession hang, let the steady thrum of their magic settle into a comfortable silence. After a minute, Raph shifted, moving to wrap his arm around Leo's shoulders, urging the prince of air to lean into him. Accepting the embrace, Leo laid his head down on Raph's shoulder with a tired sigh.\n\n``Close your eyes and get some rest... ya' big sap.'' Raphael said, dropping a quick but meaningful kiss on the top of Leo's head.\n\nLeonardo laughed in a contented way and proceeded to do just that.\n\n~*~\n\nA little over an hour later, if the quality of the light was any indication, Leo woke still comfortably curled against Raphael's body. The prince of fire was dozing, and when Leo moved to sit up, he snorted awake, blinking owlishly like he had momentarily forgotten where he was. He immediately saw that Michelangelo had joined them and was sitting not far away, quietly enjoying bites of an orange he had sectioned in his palm.\n\nIt felt so serene, and for just a moment Leonardo held his breath, selfishly holding onto it like it was just another day, like they weren't currently struggling through the most important journey of their lives.\n\nTurning his attention to the river, he found Donatello awake and sitting cross-legged upon the surface of the water. Leo was relieved to see he looked marginally better, though there were still dark circles under his eyes. The prince of water was hunched with his hands cupped in front of him, staring intently at his strangely loyal Sindifay companion. The creature was perched on his palms and twittering so softly it almost couldn't be heard over the burbling noise of the river.\n\nDon nodded at the sprite, his eyes downcast, and a single tear fell to trail a dark path down his cheek.\n\nLeonardo stood and moved to the edge of the water, an overpowering instinct crying out for him to rush to the prince of water and pull him into his arms, to soothe away any and every hurt that would dare darken his precious face. But something... a whisper in the wind... told him to wait. So, he did.\n\nThe Sindifay reached out to wash the tear off Don's face, then it turned to look at the three watching from the riverbank. There was no malice in the creature's gaze, in fact it looked happy, relieved, accepting even... though Leo had no idea how he knew that to be true.\n\nIt chirped and spun up over Don's hands, splashing his face playfully, making the water prince smile in a bittersweet way, then it trilled and flipped and flew a twisting path downriver where it soon disappeared down into the meandering current.\n\nThe three waited, quietly patient, for the water prince to make the decision he seemed to be wrestling with. It didn't take long. With a resigned sigh, Donatello stood and pulled an orb of water up to hover over his hand, then he joined them, forming the window effortlessly as he stepped onto the moss that blanketed the riverbank. They gathered close at his shoulders, offering their silent support as Don began his search. He only needed to move a few inches before the water rippled and he settled back against them to watch.\n\nThe scene that greeted them was nothing remarkable at first glance. The river, the campsite in the background, and a single figure, Apelles, sitting on the moss with his arms crossed over his knees, staring with empty eyes as the water cut its slow path through the earth. He seemed to be frozen in time, unmoving, unblinking.\n\nThe soft sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence, and a moment later an exhausted looking Archus plodded into the frame. He walked straight into the water, sitting down and leaning back on his elbows with a relieved sigh.\n\nThe slide of his eyes was the only movement from Apelles as he watched the prince of water settle back. It was a long, silent moment before either of them moved again.\n\n~*~\n[i]``They favor you...'' Apelles said, his voice barely louder than a whisper.\n\nArchus was laughing before he even opened his eyes. He glanced first at Apelles, then back toward the tents with a bewildered look on his face. ``They favor each other...'' he replied, like it should have been obvious.\n\nFor a moment it looked like Apelles didn't understand what Archus was referring to, then he turned to look back over his shoulder with a scowl of understanding. ``No, not them. The spirits. They favor you.''\n\nArchus gave him a sideways smile. ``What are you talking about?''\n\nApelles opened his mouth like he was going to sling back some sharp remark, but then quickly thought better of it. His jaw clicked shut and after a moment he looked back down to the ground with a frustrated shake of his head.\n\nThe prince of water's amusement instantly shifted to concern. He got up and crouched in front of the prince of air, resting one hand gently on his arm while the other traced a ghosting path across Apelles's cheek with his thumb. There was a tenderness to that gentle touch that suggested a familiarity built over long years.\n\n``What's wrong, Pell?'' he asked, low and intimate. ``We used to talk, you and I. Remember? All those summers in Varuna, just you and me at the lake, talking like we were the only two souls in the entire world... I miss those days...''\n\nApelles's face scrunched up with the type of pain that only a shared memory could bring, but he refused to look up, no matter how insistently Archus was trying to capture his gaze.\n\n``I know this hasn't been easy for you, Pell. We've all been challenged in ways we didn't expect, but... that's why we're here together, to support each other. Let me help you... please.''\n\n``I just... don't know why you always have to be so good?'' Apelles ground out through clenched teeth.\n\nArchus sat back a bit, quietly contemplating the odd statement. ``I don't understand...''\n\nAgitated, Apelles found his feet, clenching and unclenching his hands as he moved a few steps away, creating a needed distance between himself and the prince of water. ``It doesn't matter what I do, or how hard I try, somehow I always get it wrong, and you get all the credit.''\n\nObviously confused, Archus's stood and stared at the prince of air. ``Is this because of the rockslide? Pell, you made a choice, and it didn't work out. That doesn't mean you were wrong...''\n\n``I didn't listen to you, and you almost died... because of me...''\n\n``I mean... I was halfway there already,'' the water prince said with a forgiving smile, ``that wasn't your fault.''\n\n``See!'' Apelles almost yelled, dismissing the kindness in Archus's words with a wave of his hand. ``Even now you're making light of it, like it's a joke, like [b]I'm[/b] a joke! You never take anything seriously!''\n\n``I don't...'' Archus blinked, unsettled by the sudden desperation and urgency in his friend's words. He looked sideways and back, like he was searching the forest for an explanation, before settling for a meager plea. ``Pell, why are you...''\n\n``STOP CALLING ME THAT! My name is Apelles! Prince of Aeolus! Master of the air and all its power! You [b]will[/b] address me with the proper respect!''\n\nThe outburst echoed off the trees, followed swiftly by a silence that rang louder than a bell. Archus took in a deep breath and released it slowly with a heavy shake of his head. ``You sound just like your grandfather...''\n\n``So?! Is that such a bad thing?!'' Apelles spat with a wild look in his eye. ``More and more I'm starting to see things from his perspective. For far too long my family has been a laughing stock.''\n\nArchus threw his arms out in exasperation. ``What do you want from me?''\n\n``I want you to leave me alone! But I know you won't, because you can't just let me have this. You always have to be the best...''\n\n``Enough! Where is this coming from?!'' Archus pressed, finally raising his voice in defense of himself. ``Why are you so angry with me?!''\n\nIn the face of that anger, Apelles seemed to deflate, his ire suddenly dissipating with a rush of breath. His lips moved with silent words as he searched for what he wanted to say, but in the end, he only blinked and swallowed and looked everywhere but at the prince of water.\n\nHis voice, when he finally spoke, was breathy and low. ``Sometimes... I just feel like my life would be so much easier if you weren't here...''\n\nThe rustle of wind in the leaves above their heads grew louder, and through the window of water the trees could be seen shivering with the light gale. Archus took a swaying step back, his eyes closed, and he gave his head a little shake, as if confused by the feeling. When he looked up again it was with a blank look, his eyes unfocused and empty. His gaze drifted away from Apelles, past the campsite, back toward the desert.\n\n``I see,'' the water prince said, low and dull, ``if that would make you feel better... then so be it.''\n\nWith that Archus walked away on a straight path toward the shimmering sands, and for a moment Apelles seemed happier, like he thought he had won the argument. But it was only a moment, and then he went very still and frowned, and his head slowly turned in the direction Archus had gone. He blinked, looked back to where the water prince had been standing, then back again at his retreating form, unstopping as he made for the edge of the forest and the roasting heat that awaited him there. As if in slow motion, a dawning realization came over Apelles and with a gasp his hand came up to his mouth. He touched his lips almost reverently, but it wasn't horror or confusion or even concern that lit up his eyes, no, he looked intrigued, curious even. The hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was a long moment before the gravity of the situation seemed to finally register.\n\nGuilt settled heavy on his face and his fingers curled into fists, he took a step, then another, following the prince of water, ``Archie...'' he whispered, and as he disappeared from the scene, his final, fading words echoed from the depths of the frame...\n\n``Archie... come back... I didn't mean it...''[/i]\n~*~\n\nThe empty window hung in the air and Donatello made no move to drop it.\n\n``Whoa.'' Mikey breathed. ``Did... did he just do what I think he did?''\n\n``It didn't look like it was on purpose.'' Raph said, equally as stunned.\n\n``No,'' Leo mused, his eyes locked on the spot where Apelles had just stood. ``I think we may have just witnessed the moment my father truly began to understand the full extent of his power.''\n\nSomething about that softly worded observation seemed to finally rouse Don from his stupor. The water splashed around his feet as he walked away from them without a word, out onto the surface of the river.\n\n``Donnie? Where're you going?'' Mikey piped up.\n\n``...for a walk...,'' the prince of water mumbled without looking back.\n\n``I'll come with...,'' the earth prince offered cheerfully, moving to follow, but Don quickly spun on his heel, holding his hands out in front of him.\n\n``No, Mikey, please... I just... I need a minute... please...''\n\nNot waiting for an answer, Donatello turned back around and continued his original path, following the river south.\n\n``But...,'' Mikey said sadly.\n\n``Let me talk to him.'' Leo said with a comforting hand on the earth prince's arm, moving after Don before either Mikey or Raph could broach further argument.\n\nHe followed Donatello at a discreet distance, acutely feeling the same pain and confusion and uncertainty that he was sure the prince of water was experiencing at that exact moment.\n\n~*~\n\nA panic was rising in Donatello, one he didn't quite know what to do with. Back home in Varuna, when this feeling would sometimes manifest, he would escape out into the forest in the lands behind his castle. The serenity of the magic there always helped to ease his troubled thoughts. So, when the last image of the echo had faded, walking away into the wood where he could put off having to think about it for a while was the first thing he wanted to do. This was different though; he wasn't alone out here and he knew the others might not understand...\n\nLosing himself in the tunnel vision, he walked on the river, letting the path it cut through the trees guide him. Every step they took brought more questions than answers, and each new question pulled him further and further from where he wanted to be. A startling fact was only just beginning to occur to him. Even with all the uncertainty and unknowns, he'd never truly believed he [i]wouldn't[/i] find the truths he was seeking on this journey; he'd convinced himself it was a forgone conclusion, but... in his quest for that knowledge he'd never really considered the consequences, and as each new echo revealed its secrets, he couldn't help but wonder if the truth was worth the pain it was causing them.\n\nThe Sindifay had encouraged him to look this time. He hadn't intended to, not after the desert cave and the stark reminder of his very real, and very looming, mortality. But the sprite had insisted, and against his better judgment he'd done it. Never before had his echoes made him feel like he was trespassing, but this... he felt like he'd been caught intruding on something he was not supposed to see.\n\nThe air grew warmer and wetter as he moved deeper into the wood. It was a soothing warmth, and he took a moment to appreciate the feel of breathing in air that didn't cut its way down his throat. Thick growths of Dogwood and White Cedar flanked the banks of the river, thinning by inches as the water under his feet began to slow.\n\nConiferous forest gave way to marsh land, the river spread and seeped out into wide pools separated by small islands of lush grasses and rock. Towering cypress trees broke through the surface of the water, their tall roots gnarled and twisted and dripping with thick strands of hanging moss.\n\nHe didn't even notice when he stopped, only distantly aware that he was standing at the edge of one of the islands, staring down into dark water teeming with small fish and fresh-water crustaceans. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe, tried to calm the surge of emotion within him that was barely coherent enough for him to understand.\n\nIt only took a few minutes before the whisper of almost silent footfall reached his ears and Donatello sighed. He'd known they wouldn't leave him alone, even when he had asked for space, but as Leonardo came closer, clearly making the noise on purpose, he had to admit that he didn't really mind. His thoughts and feelings were churning into a storm he had always managed to weather on his own, but... maybe, just this once, he didn't want to be alone after all.\n\nWhen he finally turned, Leo was standing only a few feet away, relaxed with his hands out in a non-threatening way.\n\n``What do you need?'' the air prince asked.\n\nThe low tone of Leo's voice started a tremor deep in Don's muscles and he let out a shaky breath. ``I don't know. It just feels like everything keeps getting worse and worse...''\n\nThere was a riddle hidden somewhere between the lines, and Leonardo paused to consider it, eventually asking, ``With the echoes...? Or with us...?''\n\n``Both?'' Don frowned. ``I... thought I wanted to find the truth... but this... all of this...'' The words died and he shook his head, at a loss for what else to say. Insects buzzed, frogs croaked, the water sloshed gently against the roots and banks of their small patch of land, but Leonardo did not offer a response. He just watched... lost somewhere within his own thoughts.\n\nIt was altogether too much; all the stress and pressure and expectation had swelled to a breaking point that could no longer be ignored. The silence was a crushing vice around his heart and all Don wanted to do was run and run and run... he was so tired and standing there staring at everything but each other was doing nothing for his mood. He looked at the prince of air as he took a step, noticing the mask of detached stoicism Leonardo normally wore was gone, replaced by a weary sadness, and just like that Don's urge to flee dissolved like sea foam at the crest of a wave.\n\n``Do you think this is where it happened?'' Leo asked. ``The accident that befell your father?''\n\nDon shook his head. ``No. There was another echo, my father mentioned the Bridge of Ascendency. They were miles from here, somewhere in the mountains when... it happened. Whatever it was...''\n\n``It seemed like they were once very close. Your father and mine.''\n\n``Yeah... seemed that way.''\n\nHe was almost unable, or maybe just unwilling, to believe what he had seen with his own eyes. Leo worked his jaw and Don waited, curious to hear what the prince of air was preparing to say.\n\n``All my life, my father has been... cold and distant. He only speaks to me when he has something he wants to lecture me about. I used to have nightmares when I was younger, that I would grow up to be just like him. If it weren't for Master Splinter, I fear I might have. Seeing him like this, in the echoes, ... witnessing these small moments of fear and worry and doubt, it's like he's a different person. I don't know who I'm looking at... and, to be honest, I'm not sure if I want to know.''\n\nDonatello's mouth went dry, like the desert sands that had almost killed him, and he couldn't think how to respond. He swallowed and his tongue got stuck in his throat.\n\n``I realize now that I know nothing about him.'' Leonardo continued. ``The image of him in my mind is a caricature. I think I've only ever seen him when he's at his worst. But... these echoes... they show him to be someone else entirely. Someone small... and scared... and unsure. Am I supposed to feel sympathy for him now? After everything he's done to my kingdom, my [i]people[/i]?! ...I don't know if I can do that...''\n\nThere was a vulnerability in Leo's eyes that Donatello had not yet been allowed to see. The air prince was clearly uncomfortable speaking so openly about his father, and Don knew he was the cause of that unease. His blind search for the truths he felt entitled to had clouded his judgment to the point where he could no longer see the forest for the trees. Maybe he never had.\n\n``This is all my fault... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have come here...''\n\n``No...'' Leonardo breathed with a stricken look on his face. ``...not your fault. I didn't mean to imply...''\n\n``My echoes... they're a curse, not a gift. I've taken this power for granted. I didn't understand the weight of the windows I was opening. I've used them here for my own personal gain with no thought of how deeply they would affect you. I never even considered...''\n\n``Donnie, there's no way you could have known...''\n\n``I've hurt you!'' Don cried, insistent in the idea that he was profoundly in the wrong. ``All of you. I've hurt you with this, and I can't take those images back.''\n\nThe prince of air took a deep breath. Slowly, inch by inch, he moved forward, reaching out when he was close enough to twist the fingers of both their hands together. Donatello let him with only the slightest resistance, he didn't want to add to the pain he'd already inflicted by pulling away.\n\n``The first time you showed us what you can do,'' Leo said, gently, ``you weren't just revealing a secret, you were also giving us the choice. They may be... difficult to watch, but you haven't forced these visions on us. We choose to share this burden with you, because the four of us are stronger together.''\n\nDon's fingers twitched, shaking his head as he stared at a spot directly in the center of Leo's chest. ``It's a distraction. We are here to complete our trials, we should be focused on that, not on... dreams of the past that don't matter...''\n\n``They do matter, Don, don't sell yourself so short. The echoes and your magic are one and the same. You use your skill to see them and they, in turn, define a part of who you are. This journey is about more than just testing our abilities.''\n\nThat really was the heart of the matter, wasn't it? Donatello blinked and his entire body went numb. He truly was blind, bumbling around in the dark with no compass to guide him. Their technical skills weren't the only things being tested here, it was so much deeper than that, and suddenly all the ways he was currently failing that test started spiraling away from him, out of his control.\n\n``What did you think would happen?'' he asked, so quietly Leo had to bend his head closer to make out the words. ``Before the desert. Sitting there in that pool, under that tree, staring out at the sand... what did you think was going to happen to me?''\n\n``I underestimated the severity.'' The prince of air readily admitted. ``I don't think I expected you to be quite so dependent on your element.''\n\n``Neither did I...,'' Don stared down at their linked hands, ``does that bother you?''\n\n``No. Of course not.''\n\n``It should. It's a liability... makes me a weak link.''\n\nLeonardo shook his head, releasing one of Don's hands to tip his chin up with a finger. ``You are [i]not[/i] weak. In fact, I would say you are the strongest of...''\n\n``No!'' Don jerked his head, dislodging Leo's fingers and stepping back with a growl of frustration. ``What happened to me out there put all of us at risk and I was completely powerless to stop it! This place is far more dangerous than I ever could have foreseen and that is [i]my[/i] failing. I almost died because I could not anticipate how I would react to being cut off from my element, so [i]do not[/i] patronize me with platitudes that do nothing to address the reality of our situation!''\n\nSimmering anger tore through his veins. He was done being coddled, done being treated like he was made of glass. Mistakes had been made and he wasn't afraid to own them. He clenched his fists and stared the air prince down until there was no doubt just how serious he was.\n\nLeonardo held his gaze and something unidentifiable flashed in his eyes. He tilted his head and stepped forward with purpose, taking hold of Don's shoulders in a hard grip. ``I'm sorry. I didn't mean to trivialize your concerns. I was trying to say that I understand. I really do. You've spent your entire life alone, forced to master your magic without support, without [i]us[/i], and you could have let that drag you down, let it destroy your kingdom and everyone in it... but you [i]didn't[/i]. You saw your people suffering and you stepped up to do something about it. If I had even a fraction of your convictions, then maybe I could have found the courage to stand against my father and end what is happening in my own kingdom before now. Those are facts. Not platitudes. You are [i]everything[/i] I wish I could be, Donatello... and so much more.''\n\nThey were both trembling. Soft lines of sunlight broke through the thick canopy high above their heads, glinting off small flecks of gold in Leonardo's honey-colored eyes. A memory came to him then, it almost seemed like an age ago now, standing in the shadows of that warehouse in Aeolus next to a wizened old rat, watching the prince of air move through the crowd of his people with more authority and respect and adoration than Apelles could ever hope to conjure. He had done just as much, if not more, for his people than he was giving himself credit for, and Don wasn't about to let him feel inferior about it for even one single second.\n\nLeonardo huffed and the wind kicked up, whipping the tails of Don's bandana against the back of his head. Magic sizzled in the space between their bodies, filling the air with the scent of ozone and juniper. The prince of water blinked, and just like that something changed, all the anger and frustration from only seconds before dispersed into something... thicker, like that singular moment just before a storm, before the clouds open up to release the rain.\n\nThey swayed into each other, but Leo kept the distance, held, waiting. Waiting for what? [i]...for you...[/i] Don swallowed as the thought settled, his eyes flicking down to Leo's lips only inches away. Of course, permission... his damnable honor. Well... there was only one thing to do about that.\n\nDonatello closed the sliver of space between them and crushed their mouths together, a soft, desperate sound escaping his throat as he grabbed the fabric at Leo's hips and pulled him closer.\n\nThe prince of air made a low noise, surprised for only a second before responding with all the force of a hurricane. His hands leapt from Don's shoulders to grip his face, pressing in with teeth and tongue and a rumbling groan that turned Donatello's knees to liquid. Calluses on Leo's fingers scratched against his skin, and his heart began to pound thinking of what that roughness would feel like dragging across other areas of his body.\n\nWhere Raphael was an all-consuming fire, Leonardo was ceaseless and crisp, brisk and strong, he swept them around, holding Don steady, walking him back until the bottom part of his shell collided with something solid. The impact forced them to break the kiss, but not the contact. If anything, Leonardo pressed in even closer. A quick glance over his shoulder showed Don a flattened boulder, its top tilted at the barest of angles, fluffy with a thick layer of moss and clover.\n\nWhat was he saying about a distraction? They were having a conversation, it was important, but the thread was gone, overridden by an insistent, nervous flutter in his gut. Leonardo moved the solid muscle of his thigh against the lowest part of Don's plastron and the air between them, what little there was, thrummed, rippled with desire and possibility. Every inch of him was tingling as Leo nibbled along the line of his jaw.\n\n``Tell me this is what you want,'' Leo breathed into Don's ear, ``say yes, because now that I've tasted you, I don't know that I can stop.''\n\nDon shuddered. ``Yes,'' he whispered, quietly, emphatically, losing his breath under the sheer wanton weight of Leo's gaze. Wisps of their magic began to swirl against their bodies, seeped into their skin, and they both shivered.\n\nThe prince of air shifted, pressed their foreheads together, groaned. His hands were everywhere, brushing over Don's shoulders, down his arms, sneaking lower to hook under his thighs, lifting him to sit on the rock. With one fluid motion Leo slid between his knees and pulled his tunic up and over and off.\n\nDonatello tipped his head, stealing another kiss, then another and another. His hands came up, one cradling Leo's face, the other resting against the side of his neck, thumb lying in the notch of his collarbone. To kiss Leo was to touch the sky, whisking him higher and higher with every swipe of their tongues, every nip of teeth grazing lips.\n\nOccupied as he was, he barely felt the tickle as Leonardo began a gentle exploration of his body, his touch unbearably light. His fingers found the sensitive skin between shell and plastron and the water prince hitched a breath, expecting heat, but Leo's touch was cool, like the mist of early morning. It wasn't enough, those strong hands, those calloused fingers, within seconds Donatello was huffing and twitching his entire body forward in search of more contact.\n\nThat only seemed to amuse the prince of air, ``Lift up,'' he softly commanded as he hooked his thumbs under the waistband of Don's pants. The water prince hurried to comply, planting his hands on the rock, waiting for only a second before the offending fabric slid off from under him and that feather-light touch returned, dipped between his legs and took hold of his tail, pinching the tip with every pass of his teasing fingers.\n\n``Ah, fu... Leo...'' Donatello cursed under his breath as sparks lit up all his nerve endings. Warmth flooded through his entire body and before he could even process the sensation, he was hard, aching, wincing from the pain of his erection straining in the confined space behind his plastron.\n\nLeonardo hummed low in his throat and grinned wickedly as he swiped down the length of Don's slit with his other hand, pressing his finger firmly against it, slipping inside just enough to tease along the base of the straining length he found there. The prince of water let out a soft cry, unable to hold back, and Leo rushed in to swallow the sound, wrapping his nimble fingers around Don's cock as it tumbled out.\n\nTearing away from the intoxication of Leo's kisses, Don fell back to lean on his elbows. Lost in the onslaught of hands and cool heat and the overpowering scent of atmosphere after a heavy rain. This was exactly what he needed, what they [i]both[/i] needed. Sex may be a distraction just as much as his echoes were, and it wouldn't change what they needed to do, but perhaps for this one blissful moment they could forget all that, just give in, and... [i]feel[/i].\n\n``Spirits,'' Leo murmured, ``look at you... melting already and I've barely even touched you.''\n\nThose soft words and the even softer grip, a ghosting, slow drag up and down the length of his shaft, had Don's eyes rolling back in his head. It was such a delicate torment, that airy touch. He never wanted it to stop, [i]needed[/i] more like he needed oxygen and sunlight. He tried to move, to thrust into that teasing hold, but Leo had a hand on his hip, immobilizing in its strength and the water prince could only manage a stilted flex of his muscles.\n\n``Leo...'' Don laughed and it was almost a sob, his voice fraying at the edges. ``don't tease...''\n\n``What do you need?'' the prince of air asked, repeating the same question that had started this entire exchange.\n\nDon hadn't known how to answer then, but now he did. All his doubt and frustration had coalesced, transformed into need and aching want. It made him feel bold. He reached up to touch Leo's face, running his thumb along the ridge of his cheek, following the line of his throat down to his shoulder where he pushed... not away... [i]down[/i], firmly but gently, giving the air prince every opportunity to refuse if he wanted to.\n\nLeonardo did not refuse. With an unexpectedly lascivious grin he lowered his head, slowly, holding Donatello's gaze to make sure he was watching. Gently he blew a breath over the head of Don's cock, licking up the fluid beading at the tip when it twitched in his grip. The water prince let out a shaky sigh, trembling from the intensity of the promise he could see in Leo's eyes. The road they had traveled to reach this level of trust had been long, but they were here now, and Donatello wanted it all, no holding back.\n\n``[i]Please[/i],'' he whispered, and that was all the encouragement Leo needed, he smiled and ended the torture by swallowing Donatello down, all the way to the root.\n\nSurprised by the suddenness of it, Don choked off a groan, his entire body snapping taut. His head fell back with a dull thunk against the moss-covered rock, slinging one arm over his eyes as he tried to breathe. He wanted to say something encouraging, this was their first time after all, but the words slipped out of his grasp just as he reached for them. The prince of air was a relentless vortex of suction and heat, his tongue swirling circles up and down the length of his shaft, dancing just under the head, teasing into the weeping tip.\n\nPulsing pleasure flared deep in Don's belly, and he clutched at Leo's shoulder, hooked his heels behind his thighs, legs shaking as he fought for purchase. At some point he made a noise high in his throat that had Leonardo smiling as he sucked, and suddenly something was nudging against his entrance, slick and wet and oh, [i]oh...[/i]\n\nBroken fragments of thought skittered through his mind. Awareness slipped, shimmered, rendered down to points of contact, lips and tongue and hands, venturing deeper. Leo pressed his finger all the way in with long languid thrusts, finding that spot inside that had Don keening and locking his arm down over his face so tightly spots of light danced across the backside of his eyelids.\n\n``Leoleoleoleoleo,'' he moaned incoherently, ``ah - your [i]mouth[/i]... I can't... [i]please[/i] don't stop...''\n\nA ragged sound escaped past his lips, already so close it was almost embarrassing but... just a little... just a little more... \n\nAbruptly, that delicious crawl of heat building somewhere low on his spine snuffed out and the merciless wet surrounding his cock disappeared. In that same instant a heavy weight settled across his chest and Donatello grunted, heaved like someone had punched him in the gut. Suddenly unable to move, his eyes snapped open to find Michelangelo's face hovering mere inches above his own.\n\n``Mind if we join you?'' The earth prince asked with a teasing smile, not waiting for an answer before claiming Don's lips in a searing kiss.\n\nThe prince of water groaned, in frustration or excitement he had no idea, but that was fine, everything was fine because the earth prince tasted of oranges and sunlight and Don thought he would happily drown in it, would gladly sacrifice the need for oxygen to be forever filled by that rush of joy. Michelangelo's body covered him so completely and it felt so right, that heavy weight, pressing him down onto the moss and the stone. He opened his mouth and let Mikey plunge into him, returned it with equal fervor, flung his arms around his neck and pulled him closer. They chased each other's tongues back and forth until Mikey started to squirm, and practically purring, he sat up, his eyes fluttering shut as he rocked his hips down.\n\nDon's hands moved to Mikey's thighs, massaging every inch of skin he could reach even as he mourned the sudden loss, wishing it wasn't just his mouth that was feeling empty. The finger that had been so incessantly searching deep within his own body were gone, but from the way Mikey was shuddering and arching his back, Don didn't have to imagine where Leo's attentions had ventured instead.\n\nThe warm light of afternoon shined on Michelangelo's blissed out face as Leo worked deeper into his body, and just behind him Raphael was at Leo's side, the two fighting a battle of tongues and teeth, biting at each other's lips with almost feral smiles on their faces. The sight of them together was erotic beyond anything Don had ever seen, even in his dreams, and an all too embarrassing whimper rattled out of his throat, leaving him shaking with lust and want and [i]need...[/i]\n\nThe sound caught the prince of fire's attention and he turned, moved swiftly around the back of the rock until he stood just behind Don's head. He leaned over and stole an upside-down kiss from the price of water, then pulled away to gaze down at him, running the backs of his fingers down the sides of Don's face.\n\n``How ya' doin'? Ya' okay?''\n\nDonatello could only laugh, breathy and low, ``This is incredible...''\n\n``Told ya','' the fire prince said, and he kissed Don again.\n\nRaphael's light touch on his skin and Mikey's comforting weight was enough to pull Don into a stupefied lull where everything was fuzzy yet sharp, ethereal but far too real. Mikey was gently rolling his hips as Leo worked him, his head bent back, searching for kisses that the prince of air granted only enough to tease the earth prince into a twitching, begging mess. ``Leeeooo...'' he whined.\n\n``Keep wagging your tail at me like that, and I'll keep doing it.'' The air prince chuckled with a gravelly rasp that sent jolts straight to the base of Don's spine.\n\nThe prince of water tried to flex his hips up, seeking more contact and gasped out a cry as a cool, wet hand finally returned to stroke his neglected cock. Then there was warmth and pressure and Mikey wiggled, sighing in delight as Leo guided Don's straining length up and in, his slick fingers tracing swirls around the skin where their bodies met. \n\nDonatello [i]wanted[/i], anything - everything, but he couldn't move, they held him too securely, covered him so completely. He had to stop thinking because he was forgetting how to breathe, could only latch onto one, solitary thought. He was [i]inside[/i] Michelangelo, and [i]spirits[/i] it was heaven.\n\n``Oh [i]fuck...[/i]'' the earth prince whispered as he fell forward with a release of breath, moaning through a fluttering churr, ``...mmmazing... Donnie... this is so much better than I dreamed it would be...''\n\nIt truly was. Don could only mouth silent words, unable to speak under the onslaught as their magic bloomed between them, thick and rich, soaked into their bones and spread flush through every inch of muscle and skin. Mikey lifted his hips and pressed them back down, pulling a strangled moan from Don's throat as he tested the distance, unwilling to leave more than a sliver to separate them, but trembling with the need to move.\n\nBurning fingers left brands on Don's skin where Raphael was caressing his face and neck, trying to soothe but only stoking their passions higher. Don dug his grip into Mikey's hips, desperate to push up, to find what it would take to make the earth prince [i]moan[/i] for him... but Leonardo's hands were at his knees, pushing them apart, lifting his legs up until Don's heels were resting against the edge of the boulder. There was a subtle shift as they adjusted to make the position work, then Leo was pressing into him slowly, with deliberate care so as not to jostle Michelangelo from his perch. A gut-punched noise escaped from Don's mouth, lost to the feeling of being held down so firmly, [i]stretched[/i] so thoroughly.\n\nOnce the prince of air was buried to the hilt, Mikey sat up, twisting his head back to steal sloppy sideways kisses between breathless whimpers. Leo wrapped one arm around his middle, steadying him as he braced his other hand against one of Don's knees. Thought and breath and words floated up and away, stolen by errant currents of air as the forest went completely still, caught in limbo. It was too much and not anywhere near enough.\n\nDonatello wanted to hold on to this moment forever. He wanted Leonardo to hurry up and fucking [i]move...[/i]\n\n``[i]Leo... please...,[/i]'' he husked, his voice a ruin.\n\nThe air prince winked at him as he peered over Mikey's shoulder, slowly pulled away until only the tip of him remained, then pressed back in with quick, even thrusts. With every push forward he lifted Michelangelo and brought him back down again, dragging him along the length of Don's shaft and the water prince threw his head back against the rock, sure that this must be what dying felt like.\n\nRaphael was peppering kisses across his forehead and down the sides of his face and Donatello looked up at him, feverish, mouth open, eyes wide, his grasp on sanity tenuous as Leonardo filled him so full, so [i]deep[/i]. Mikey's body clenched around his cock, riding him so perfectly, and Don dimly wondered how he would ever survive this now that the pleasure was crystallizing in his veins, turning him to dust far more efficiently than the desert ever could.\n\n``Easy...,'' Raphael whispered in his ear with another soothing caress, ``relax... ya' look so good like this.''\n\nDon's throat clicked as he swallowed, nodded, shivered again as he noticed the movement of Raph's arm just out of his line of sight, down behind the rock, where he was working himself in tandem with their movements. He was [i]right there[/i] and yet too far away, and suddenly even that small space of separation between them was untenable.\n\nHe released his grip on Mikey's thighs and reached up to clutch at Raph's shoulders, at any part of the prince of fire that he could get to. ``I want...'' he whined, begging, beseeching, ``let me touch you...''\n\nRaphael smiled with all his teeth. ``I'm good... got the best seat in the house... here...,'' he took Don's hand and moved it to Mikey's cock, hanging thick and dripping and just begging to be touched, guided his thumb to rub across the head, just hard enough to make Mikey jerk and gasp against Leo's tongue. ``Yeah... just like that.''\n\nFrom there they quickly found a steady rhythm, their bodies alight with sweet friction and raw hunger, rocking and surging and swaying together in perfect sync until the air was full of wet, deliberate sounds. Rational thought disintegrated into nothingness, there was only sensation, instinct, and the incessant pull of their elements, crashing and joining and swirling around them, inside them, building to the crescendo until there was no boundary between where they ended, and the magic began.\n\nTime seemed to disappear in the blissful haze of their joining. The water surrounding their tiny island of earth roiled and rippled as Don lost the grip on his control. All around them the elements flared to life, funnels of air brought the water up and out of the marsh, turning into spouts that wobbled as they spun and spat out small liquid orbs filled with flickering magical flame. The ground trembled beneath them, threatening to throw them all asunder should they dare to let go of each other for even a moment.\n\nAll too soon, Leonardo's hips stuttered, seemed to falter, and Don only just had the presence of mind to squeeze down on the hard length hitting his prostate with every thrust, smiling at the sound of the halted cry it pulled from Leo's lips. His legs moved of their own accord, hooking his heels around the bottom edge of Leo's shell, pulling him in harder, [i]deeper[/i], changing the angle and Michelangelo quaked above him, keening as he struggled with the effort to keep moving. \n\nPanting filth in his ear, Raphael grunted out half formed words, ``Takin' it so good... you're perfect, Donnie... wish ya' could see yourself...''\n\nIt was too much. The tension snapped and Don choked around a sobbing churr, his entire body convulsing as he came, [i]hard[/i]. Leo rumbled a deep, dominant churr of his own, falling over that edge, sinking his teeth into the soft flesh of Mikey's shoulder and the prince of earth wailed, painting a mess all over Don's plastron. The rock beneath them shuddered violently, shifting in the earth as flames shot into the air all around them, erupting from the very water as Raph rode out the peak of his own release.\n\nFloating through overwhelming sensation, Donatello gasped out wordless nonsense, dissolved in the pleasure of Raph's hot breath on his face, Mikey's body squeezing around him, Leonardo filling him, deep and warm.\n\nThe earth prince fell over Don like a blanket, whispered something that could have been a curse and whined in a contented way when Don's softening length slid out of him. Then they were all sliding, down off the rock to the ground, shifting and shuffling until he was pulled back against Raph's plastron, secure in his arms. Sleep was pulling him under, but then Leo was hovering over him, holding his face in his warm hands until Don looked up, tired and spent, captured once again by the weight of that cinnamon stare.\n\n``Your happiness is our happiness,'' the air prince said, insistent, unyielding, ``your pain is our pain, from this moment forward we are one soul, and we will face what is to come joined as one... [i]together[/i].''\n\nDonatello nodded and let the tears gathered at the corners of his eyes fall, but they were happy tears, full of light and promise. Leo leaned in and kissed him once more, slow and sweet and their magic [i]sang[/i] on the currents all around them, complete now in a way that it had never been before. He didn't need to open his eyes to see them, didn't need their touch to feel them, they were simply there, a part of him that would never again be severed.\n\nLeonardo settled to the ground beside Raph and pulled Michelangelo into his lap. Don reached out to thread his fingers through Mikey's and nuzzled his face into the softness of Raph's neck with a happy sigh. Then he closed his eyes, knowing he was safe and loved, and succumbed to sleep.\n\n[center]~*~*~*~\ntbc...[/center]\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
~*~*~*~

Chapter Sixteen: This Sense of Something Real

~*~*~*~


They found a campsite not far beyond the tree line just as the first rays of sunlight were breaking over the horizon. It was small, with barely enough room for the four tents, a ring of stones for the fire, and a few crates of supplies, but it would do well enough for the rest they all so desperately needed. On the northern side of the camp, the four obsidian pillars stood, their orbs glowing cheerfully in the low light, and just beyond them, a twisting shallow river gurgled its way deeper into the trees.

Once they had managed to rouse him, Donatello was able to make the last few miles of their trek across the sand under his own power. It seemed as if sheer stubborn determination was propelling him forward, and nothing short of the spirits themselves would stop him. Still, Leonardo remained close to the prince of water the entire way, just in case, ready to catch him should the exhaustion finally sap the last of his strength.

Barely conscious, Donatello made straight for the water, only just remembering to take off his boots first before fully submerging himself until his face was the only part of him poking above the surface. Leo watched him carefully as he settled, and just like back in the desert cave, Don almost immediately fell into some sort of trance, his face slack, mouth open as he breathed, a strange type of coma no doubt induced by their magic. The water shimmered around him, rippling over his limbs against the natural current of the river, and small droplets hovered just above his face, forming a halo that sparkled in the morning light.

``I'll sit with him again.'' Raphael offered, his drooping eyes betraying his willingness to stay awake.

Leo spared him the sacrifice, noticing how Michelangelo was also about to drop, ``No, it's alright, you two go and get some rest. I'll stay.''

Raph looked like he might argue for a second, then shrugged and led Mikey away with a yawn.

The prince of air watched them go with a fond smile, then turned to survey their surroundings. The forest was peaceful in the early morning. Leafy, spindly trees of hickory and walnut shaded their little respite and kept the drifting sands from intruding too far past the tree line. Birdsong added a pleasant accompaniment to the calming rush of water, and high up, near the very tops of the tallest trees, a small group of Aldafay were foraging through the branches, twittering softly and minding their own business.

They were safe, for the time being, so Leo settled down to his knees on the bank of the river, letting himself drift into a light meditation. He was just as tired as the others, his mind and body begging for sleep, but for now this was all he would allow himself. He would sleep when he knew Donatello was safely out of danger and not a moment before.

The sun was nearing its apex in the sky when he sensed another presence drawing close. Rising gently back to consciousness, he first checked on Don, finding the prince of water exactly where they had left him, peacefully resting within the embrace of the river. Leo turned his head as the prince of fire joined him, looking like the few hours of sleep had at least done him some good.

``Any signs of life?'' Raph asked with a crooked grin meant to dispel his own worry more than anything else.

``The magic seems to have abated; I think he's genuinely sleeping now.''

Leo wished he had a more comforting answer, but the water prince still had not moved even an inch, the only difference was now the river was calm once more, the droplets of water had stopped hovering and the flow had rejoined the steady current.

``How's Mikey doing?''

``Out cold, all snuggled up in one of your old tunics.''

The tone in Raph's voice was affectionate, teasing, as it was meant to be, and Leo indulged a small, secret smile. A little bubble of possessiveness burst and fizzed and tickled in the space right next to his heart where the prince of earth had long ago taken hold of him and never let go.

The fire prince lowered himself to the ground, settling back against a large, jagged rock just behind where Leo still knelt at the edge of the water, close enough so they could speak in low tones that wouldn't bother Donatello as he slept.

``I know ya' didn't sleep, so, spill it. What were ya' thinkin' about?''

The prince of air sighed, Raph always was more observant than Leo ever gave him credit for. ``Lots of things... too much. I think each one of us have made too many assumptions, and I think we've been vastly underprepared.''

``Yeah...'' Raph agreed.

``I think, ...I've never had more hope for the future, then I do in this moment.''

Raphael looked over in surprise but remained silent, curious.

``This... situation... with my father will be coming to a head soon. Splinter has been trying to prepare me, but until now I've had no idea what I'm going to do should he refuse to give up the throne.''

Raphael didn't really seem surprised by the statement, but he did raise his eye ridges. ``Ya' really think he'll do that?''

``Yes.'' Leonardo replied with confidence.

The prince of fire released a puff of breath through his lips. ``Okay... so what're ya' gonna do about it?''

Leo smiled lightly and looked back at Donatello, now snoring softly in the water. ``He's the key. We've been walking around without a piece of ourselves for so long, we couldn't know the true depth of our power. My father may think he has everything figured out... but with the four of us finally together... he doesn't stand a chance.''

It sounded a little over glorified to his ears, but Leo meant every word. Together they could conquer any obstacle set before them... even if it meant going up against his own flesh and blood.

``Bold words,'' Raph said carefully, ``easy to say out here in the middle of nowhere. But we both know it ain't that simple, so, what are ya' thinkin' that looks like?''

``Best case, a simple conversation. It's all of us against him. I would hope he's still rational enough to understand his efforts would be futile.''

The fire prince gave him a doubtful look. ``And worst case? Sounds to me like you're creepin' into `civil war' territory...''

Leo shrugged noncommittally. ``He's surrounded himself with `yes men' to the point of delusion. I truly don't think he expects me to challenge him. His reaction when I do will likely be... violent.''

They sat in quiet contemplation for a moment, mulling over the impact of that thought, before Raphael spoke again. ``How many of your men would follow you into that?''

``Most of them,'' Leo said automatically, but then he seemed to reconsider, ``maybe not enough. I may need to call upon... outside support.'' He stopped to give the fire prince a sideways look. ``Agni's Legionnaires, with you at their head... might make him think twice.''

Raph couldn't help a slightly sadistic smile. ``Don't threaten me with a good time.''

The soft rumble of their laughter joined with the low gurgle of the stream and faded into the warmth of the afternoon. It was a much-needed release from the stark reality of their conversation. The thought that the coming confrontation with his father could possibly lead to war sent an icy chill spiking through Leo's heart. However necessary it may be to stake his claim on the kingdom that would be his by rights, war meant innocent lives would be lost, and that was something he could never justify, no matter the cause.

Perhaps Raph saw the conflict on his face, because he motioned for Leo to scoot back until they were seated with their shoulders pressed together.

``This is serious, Raph. If it comes to fighting, my people will be caught in the crossfire. I don't want to do that to them, they've already suffered so much.''

``I know...,'' Raphael answered soberly, ``but, there's a lot of steps between here and there. Maybe it'll come to that, maybe it won't, but if there's anyone that can talk sense into your father, it's you. No one else would stand a chance. Not even Splinter.''

It wasn't often that Raphael was a voice of reason, but occasionally, he got it right, and Leonardo was grateful for the reminder. Even though their relationship could turn volatile when their moods clashed, they still always managed to find peace with each other, even at the worst of times. Leo looked down at where Raph's hand was curled in his lap and reached out, threading their fingers together with a firm squeeze.

``Raph, I know we don't always agree, and I know sometimes the way I do things annoys the hell out of you... but I'm glad you're here. I don't know that we... that I... could have made it this far without you.''

Raphael stroked his thumb over Leo's and let the confession hang, let the steady thrum of their magic settle into a comfortable silence. After a minute, Raph shifted, moving to wrap his arm around Leo's shoulders, urging the prince of air to lean into him. Accepting the embrace, Leo laid his head down on Raph's shoulder with a tired sigh.

``Close your eyes and get some rest... ya' big sap.'' Raphael said, dropping a quick but meaningful kiss on the top of Leo's head.

Leonardo laughed in a contented way and proceeded to do just that.

~*~

A little over an hour later, if the quality of the light was any indication, Leo woke still comfortably curled against Raphael's body. The prince of fire was dozing, and when Leo moved to sit up, he snorted awake, blinking owlishly like he had momentarily forgotten where he was. He immediately saw that Michelangelo had joined them and was sitting not far away, quietly enjoying bites of an orange he had sectioned in his palm.

It felt so serene, and for just a moment Leonardo held his breath, selfishly holding onto it like it was just another day, like they weren't currently struggling through the most important journey of their lives.

Turning his attention to the river, he found Donatello awake and sitting cross-legged upon the surface of the water. Leo was relieved to see he looked marginally better, though there were still dark circles under his eyes. The prince of water was hunched with his hands cupped in front of him, staring intently at his strangely loyal Sindifay companion. The creature was perched on his palms and twittering so softly it almost couldn't be heard over the burbling noise of the river.

Don nodded at the sprite, his eyes downcast, and a single tear fell to trail a dark path down his cheek.

Leonardo stood and moved to the edge of the water, an overpowering instinct crying out for him to rush to the prince of water and pull him into his arms, to soothe away any and every hurt that would dare darken his precious face. But something... a whisper in the wind... told him to wait. So, he did.

The Sindifay reached out to wash the tear off Don's face, then it turned to look at the three watching from the riverbank. There was no malice in the creature's gaze, in fact it looked happy, relieved, accepting even... though Leo had no idea how he knew that to be true.

It chirped and spun up over Don's hands, splashing his face playfully, making the water prince smile in a bittersweet way, then it trilled and flipped and flew a twisting path downriver where it soon disappeared down into the meandering current.

The three waited, quietly patient, for the water prince to make the decision he seemed to be wrestling with. It didn't take long. With a resigned sigh, Donatello stood and pulled an orb of water up to hover over his hand, then he joined them, forming the window effortlessly as he stepped onto the moss that blanketed the riverbank. They gathered close at his shoulders, offering their silent support as Don began his search. He only needed to move a few inches before the water rippled and he settled back against them to watch.

The scene that greeted them was nothing remarkable at first glance. The river, the campsite in the background, and a single figure, Apelles, sitting on the moss with his arms crossed over his knees, staring with empty eyes as the water cut its slow path through the earth. He seemed to be frozen in time, unmoving, unblinking.

The soft sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence, and a moment later an exhausted looking Archus plodded into the frame. He walked straight into the water, sitting down and leaning back on his elbows with a relieved sigh.

The slide of his eyes was the only movement from Apelles as he watched the prince of water settle back. It was a long, silent moment before either of them moved again.

~*~
``They favor you...'' Apelles said, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

Archus was laughing before he even opened his eyes. He glanced first at Apelles, then back toward the tents with a bewildered look on his face. ``They favor each other...'' he replied, like it should have been obvious.

For a moment it looked like Apelles didn't understand what Archus was referring to, then he turned to look back over his shoulder with a scowl of understanding. ``No, not them. The spirits. They favor you.''

Archus gave him a sideways smile. ``What are you talking about?''

Apelles opened his mouth like he was going to sling back some sharp remark, but then quickly thought better of it. His jaw clicked shut and after a moment he looked back down to the ground with a frustrated shake of his head.

The prince of water's amusement instantly shifted to concern. He got up and crouched in front of the prince of air, resting one hand gently on his arm while the other traced a ghosting path across Apelles's cheek with his thumb. There was a tenderness to that gentle touch that suggested a familiarity built over long years.

``What's wrong, Pell?'' he asked, low and intimate. ``We used to talk, you and I. Remember? All those summers in Varuna, just you and me at the lake, talking like we were the only two souls in the entire world... I miss those days...''

Apelles's face scrunched up with the type of pain that only a shared memory could bring, but he refused to look up, no matter how insistently Archus was trying to capture his gaze.

``I know this hasn't been easy for you, Pell. We've all been challenged in ways we didn't expect, but... that's why we're here together, to support each other. Let me help you... please.''

``I just... don't know why you always have to be so good?'' Apelles ground out through clenched teeth.

Archus sat back a bit, quietly contemplating the odd statement. ``I don't understand...''

Agitated, Apelles found his feet, clenching and unclenching his hands as he moved a few steps away, creating a needed distance between himself and the prince of water. ``It doesn't matter what I do, or how hard I try, somehow I always get it wrong, and you get all the credit.''

Obviously confused, Archus's stood and stared at the prince of air. ``Is this because of the rockslide? Pell, you made a choice, and it didn't work out. That doesn't mean you were wrong...''

``I didn't listen to you, and you almost died... because of me...''

``I mean... I was halfway there already,'' the water prince said with a forgiving smile, ``that wasn't your fault.''

``See!'' Apelles almost yelled, dismissing the kindness in Archus's words with a wave of his hand. ``Even now you're making light of it, like it's a joke, like I'm a joke! You never take anything seriously!''

``I don't...'' Archus blinked, unsettled by the sudden desperation and urgency in his friend's words. He looked sideways and back, like he was searching the forest for an explanation, before settling for a meager plea. ``Pell, why are you...''

``STOP CALLING ME THAT! My name is Apelles! Prince of Aeolus! Master of the air and all its power! You will address me with the proper respect!''

The outburst echoed off the trees, followed swiftly by a silence that rang louder than a bell. Archus took in a deep breath and released it slowly with a heavy shake of his head. ``You sound just like your grandfather...''

``So?! Is that such a bad thing?!'' Apelles spat with a wild look in his eye. ``More and more I'm starting to see things from his perspective. For far too long my family has been a laughing stock.''

Archus threw his arms out in exasperation. ``What do you want from me?''

``I want you to leave me alone! But I know you won't, because you can't just let me have this. You always have to be the best...''

``Enough! Where is this coming from?!'' Archus pressed, finally raising his voice in defense of himself. ``Why are you so angry with me?!''

In the face of that anger, Apelles seemed to deflate, his ire suddenly dissipating with a rush of breath. His lips moved with silent words as he searched for what he wanted to say, but in the end, he only blinked and swallowed and looked everywhere but at the prince of water.

His voice, when he finally spoke, was breathy and low. ``Sometimes... I just feel like my life would be so much easier if you weren't here...''

The rustle of wind in the leaves above their heads grew louder, and through the window of water the trees could be seen shivering with the light gale. Archus took a swaying step back, his eyes closed, and he gave his head a little shake, as if confused by the feeling. When he looked up again it was with a blank look, his eyes unfocused and empty. His gaze drifted away from Apelles, past the campsite, back toward the desert.

``I see,'' the water prince said, low and dull, ``if that would make you feel better... then so be it.''

With that Archus walked away on a straight path toward the shimmering sands, and for a moment Apelles seemed happier, like he thought he had won the argument. But it was only a moment, and then he went very still and frowned, and his head slowly turned in the direction Archus had gone. He blinked, looked back to where the water prince had been standing, then back again at his retreating form, unstopping as he made for the edge of the forest and the roasting heat that awaited him there. As if in slow motion, a dawning realization came over Apelles and with a gasp his hand came up to his mouth. He touched his lips almost reverently, but it wasn't horror or confusion or even concern that lit up his eyes, no, he looked intrigued, curious even. The hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was a long moment before the gravity of the situation seemed to finally register.

Guilt settled heavy on his face and his fingers curled into fists, he took a step, then another, following the prince of water, ``Archie...'' he whispered, and as he disappeared from the scene, his final, fading words echoed from the depths of the frame...

``Archie... come back... I didn't mean it...''
~*~

The empty window hung in the air and Donatello made no move to drop it.

``Whoa.'' Mikey breathed. ``Did... did he just do what I think he did?''

``It didn't look like it was on purpose.'' Raph said, equally as stunned.

``No,'' Leo mused, his eyes locked on the spot where Apelles had just stood. ``I think we may have just witnessed the moment my father truly began to understand the full extent of his power.''

Something about that softly worded observation seemed to finally rouse Don from his stupor. The water splashed around his feet as he walked away from them without a word, out onto the surface of the river.

``Donnie? Where're you going?'' Mikey piped up.

``...for a walk...,'' the prince of water mumbled without looking back.

``I'll come with...,'' the earth prince offered cheerfully, moving to follow, but Don quickly spun on his heel, holding his hands out in front of him.

``No, Mikey, please... I just... I need a minute... please...''

Not waiting for an answer, Donatello turned back around and continued his original path, following the river south.

``But...,'' Mikey said sadly.

``Let me talk to him.'' Leo said with a comforting hand on the earth prince's arm, moving after Don before either Mikey or Raph could broach further argument.

He followed Donatello at a discreet distance, acutely feeling the same pain and confusion and uncertainty that he was sure the prince of water was experiencing at that exact moment.

~*~

A panic was rising in Donatello, one he didn't quite know what to do with. Back home in Varuna, when this feeling would sometimes manifest, he would escape out into the forest in the lands behind his castle. The serenity of the magic there always helped to ease his troubled thoughts. So, when the last image of the echo had faded, walking away into the wood where he could put off having to think about it for a while was the first thing he wanted to do. This was different though; he wasn't alone out here and he knew the others might not understand...

Losing himself in the tunnel vision, he walked on the river, letting the path it cut through the trees guide him. Every step they took brought more questions than answers, and each new question pulled him further and further from where he wanted to be. A startling fact was only just beginning to occur to him. Even with all the uncertainty and unknowns, he'd never truly believed he wouldn't find the truths he was seeking on this journey; he'd convinced himself it was a forgone conclusion, but... in his quest for that knowledge he'd never really considered the consequences, and as each new echo revealed its secrets, he couldn't help but wonder if the truth was worth the pain it was causing them.

The Sindifay had encouraged him to look this time. He hadn't intended to, not after the desert cave and the stark reminder of his very real, and very looming, mortality. But the sprite had insisted, and against his better judgment he'd done it. Never before had his echoes made him feel like he was trespassing, but this... he felt like he'd been caught intruding on something he was not supposed to see.

The air grew warmer and wetter as he moved deeper into the wood. It was a soothing warmth, and he took a moment to appreciate the feel of breathing in air that didn't cut its way down his throat. Thick growths of Dogwood and White Cedar flanked the banks of the river, thinning by inches as the water under his feet began to slow.

Coniferous forest gave way to marsh land, the river spread and seeped out into wide pools separated by small islands of lush grasses and rock. Towering cypress trees broke through the surface of the water, their tall roots gnarled and twisted and dripping with thick strands of hanging moss.

He didn't even notice when he stopped, only distantly aware that he was standing at the edge of one of the islands, staring down into dark water teeming with small fish and fresh-water crustaceans. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe, tried to calm the surge of emotion within him that was barely coherent enough for him to understand.

It only took a few minutes before the whisper of almost silent footfall reached his ears and Donatello sighed. He'd known they wouldn't leave him alone, even when he had asked for space, but as Leonardo came closer, clearly making the noise on purpose, he had to admit that he didn't really mind. His thoughts and feelings were churning into a storm he had always managed to weather on his own, but... maybe, just this once, he didn't want to be alone after all.

When he finally turned, Leo was standing only a few feet away, relaxed with his hands out in a non-threatening way.

``What do you need?'' the air prince asked.

The low tone of Leo's voice started a tremor deep in Don's muscles and he let out a shaky breath. ``I don't know. It just feels like everything keeps getting worse and worse...''

There was a riddle hidden somewhere between the lines, and Leonardo paused to consider it, eventually asking, ``With the echoes...? Or with us...?''

``Both?'' Don frowned. ``I... thought I wanted to find the truth... but this... all of this...'' The words died and he shook his head, at a loss for what else to say. Insects buzzed, frogs croaked, the water sloshed gently against the roots and banks of their small patch of land, but Leonardo did not offer a response. He just watched... lost somewhere within his own thoughts.

It was altogether too much; all the stress and pressure and expectation had swelled to a breaking point that could no longer be ignored. The silence was a crushing vice around his heart and all Don wanted to do was run and run and run... he was so tired and standing there staring at everything but each other was doing nothing for his mood. He looked at the prince of air as he took a step, noticing the mask of detached stoicism Leonardo normally wore was gone, replaced by a weary sadness, and just like that Don's urge to flee dissolved like sea foam at the crest of a wave.

``Do you think this is where it happened?'' Leo asked. ``The accident that befell your father?''

Don shook his head. ``No. There was another echo, my father mentioned the Bridge of Ascendency. They were miles from here, somewhere in the mountains when... it happened. Whatever it was...''

``It seemed like they were once very close. Your father and mine.''

``Yeah... seemed that way.''

He was almost unable, or maybe just unwilling, to believe what he had seen with his own eyes. Leo worked his jaw and Don waited, curious to hear what the prince of air was preparing to say.

``All my life, my father has been... cold and distant. He only speaks to me when he has something he wants to lecture me about. I used to have nightmares when I was younger, that I would grow up to be just like him. If it weren't for Master Splinter, I fear I might have. Seeing him like this, in the echoes, ... witnessing these small moments of fear and worry and doubt, it's like he's a different person. I don't know who I'm looking at... and, to be honest, I'm not sure if I want to know.''

Donatello's mouth went dry, like the desert sands that had almost killed him, and he couldn't think how to respond. He swallowed and his tongue got stuck in his throat.

``I realize now that I know nothing about him.'' Leonardo continued. ``The image of him in my mind is a caricature. I think I've only ever seen him when he's at his worst. But... these echoes... they show him to be someone else entirely. Someone small... and scared... and unsure. Am I supposed to feel sympathy for him now? After everything he's done to my kingdom, my people?! ...I don't know if I can do that...''

There was a vulnerability in Leo's eyes that Donatello had not yet been allowed to see. The air prince was clearly uncomfortable speaking so openly about his father, and Don knew he was the cause of that unease. His blind search for the truths he felt entitled to had clouded his judgment to the point where he could no longer see the forest for the trees. Maybe he never had.

``This is all my fault... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have come here...''

``No...'' Leonardo breathed with a stricken look on his face. ``...not your fault. I didn't mean to imply...''

``My echoes... they're a curse, not a gift. I've taken this power for granted. I didn't understand the weight of the windows I was opening. I've used them here for my own personal gain with no thought of how deeply they would affect you. I never even considered...''

``Donnie, there's no way you could have known...''

``I've hurt you!'' Don cried, insistent in the idea that he was profoundly in the wrong. ``All of you. I've hurt you with this, and I can't take those images back.''

The prince of air took a deep breath. Slowly, inch by inch, he moved forward, reaching out when he was close enough to twist the fingers of both their hands together. Donatello let him with only the slightest resistance, he didn't want to add to the pain he'd already inflicted by pulling away.

``The first time you showed us what you can do,'' Leo said, gently, ``you weren't just revealing a secret, you were also giving us the choice. They may be... difficult to watch, but you haven't forced these visions on us. We choose to share this burden with you, because the four of us are stronger together.''

Don's fingers twitched, shaking his head as he stared at a spot directly in the center of Leo's chest. ``It's a distraction. We are here to complete our trials, we should be focused on that, not on... dreams of the past that don't matter...''

``They do matter, Don, don't sell yourself so short. The echoes and your magic are one and the same. You use your skill to see them and they, in turn, define a part of who you are. This journey is about more than just testing our abilities.''

That really was the heart of the matter, wasn't it? Donatello blinked and his entire body went numb. He truly was blind, bumbling around in the dark with no compass to guide him. Their technical skills weren't the only things being tested here, it was so much deeper than that, and suddenly all the ways he was currently failing that test started spiraling away from him, out of his control.

``What did you think would happen?'' he asked, so quietly Leo had to bend his head closer to make out the words. ``Before the desert. Sitting there in that pool, under that tree, staring out at the sand... what did you think was going to happen to me?''

``I underestimated the severity.'' The prince of air readily admitted. ``I don't think I expected you to be quite so dependent on your element.''

``Neither did I...,'' Don stared down at their linked hands, ``does that bother you?''

``No. Of course not.''

``It should. It's a liability... makes me a weak link.''

Leonardo shook his head, releasing one of Don's hands to tip his chin up with a finger. ``You are not weak. In fact, I would say you are the strongest of...''

``No!'' Don jerked his head, dislodging Leo's fingers and stepping back with a growl of frustration. ``What happened to me out there put all of us at risk and I was completely powerless to stop it! This place is far more dangerous than I ever could have foreseen and that is my failing. I almost died because I could not anticipate how I would react to being cut off from my element, so do not patronize me with platitudes that do nothing to address the reality of our situation!''

Simmering anger tore through his veins. He was done being coddled, done being treated like he was made of glass. Mistakes had been made and he wasn't afraid to own them. He clenched his fists and stared the air prince down until there was no doubt just how serious he was.

Leonardo held his gaze and something unidentifiable flashed in his eyes. He tilted his head and stepped forward with purpose, taking hold of Don's shoulders in a hard grip. ``I'm sorry. I didn't mean to trivialize your concerns. I was trying to say that I understand. I really do. You've spent your entire life alone, forced to master your magic without support, without us, and you could have let that drag you down, let it destroy your kingdom and everyone in it... but you didn't. You saw your people suffering and you stepped up to do something about it. If I had even a fraction of your convictions, then maybe I could have found the courage to stand against my father and end what is happening in my own kingdom before now. Those are facts. Not platitudes. You are everything I wish I could be, Donatello... and so much more.''

They were both trembling. Soft lines of sunlight broke through the thick canopy high above their heads, glinting off small flecks of gold in Leonardo's honey-colored eyes. A memory came to him then, it almost seemed like an age ago now, standing in the shadows of that warehouse in Aeolus next to a wizened old rat, watching the prince of air move through the crowd of his people with more authority and respect and adoration than Apelles could ever hope to conjure. He had done just as much, if not more, for his people than he was giving himself credit for, and Don wasn't about to let him feel inferior about it for even one single second.

Leonardo huffed and the wind kicked up, whipping the tails of Don's bandana against the back of his head. Magic sizzled in the space between their bodies, filling the air with the scent of ozone and juniper. The prince of water blinked, and just like that something changed, all the anger and frustration from only seconds before dispersed into something... thicker, like that singular moment just before a storm, before the clouds open up to release the rain.

They swayed into each other, but Leo kept the distance, held, waiting. Waiting for what? ...for you... Don swallowed as the thought settled, his eyes flicking down to Leo's lips only inches away. Of course, permission... his damnable honor. Well... there was only one thing to do about that.

Donatello closed the sliver of space between them and crushed their mouths together, a soft, desperate sound escaping his throat as he grabbed the fabric at Leo's hips and pulled him closer.

The prince of air made a low noise, surprised for only a second before responding with all the force of a hurricane. His hands leapt from Don's shoulders to grip his face, pressing in with teeth and tongue and a rumbling groan that turned Donatello's knees to liquid. Calluses on Leo's fingers scratched against his skin, and his heart began to pound thinking of what that roughness would feel like dragging across other areas of his body.

Where Raphael was an all-consuming fire, Leonardo was ceaseless and crisp, brisk and strong, he swept them around, holding Don steady, walking him back until the bottom part of his shell collided with something solid. The impact forced them to break the kiss, but not the contact. If anything, Leonardo pressed in even closer. A quick glance over his shoulder showed Don a flattened boulder, its top tilted at the barest of angles, fluffy with a thick layer of moss and clover.

What was he saying about a distraction? They were having a conversation, it was important, but the thread was gone, overridden by an insistent, nervous flutter in his gut. Leonardo moved the solid muscle of his thigh against the lowest part of Don's plastron and the air between them, what little there was, thrummed, rippled with desire and possibility. Every inch of him was tingling as Leo nibbled along the line of his jaw.

``Tell me this is what you want,'' Leo breathed into Don's ear, ``say yes, because now that I've tasted you, I don't know that I can stop.''

Don shuddered. ``Yes,'' he whispered, quietly, emphatically, losing his breath under the sheer wanton weight of Leo's gaze. Wisps of their magic began to swirl against their bodies, seeped into their skin, and they both shivered.

The prince of air shifted, pressed their foreheads together, groaned. His hands were everywhere, brushing over Don's shoulders, down his arms, sneaking lower to hook under his thighs, lifting him to sit on the rock. With one fluid motion Leo slid between his knees and pulled his tunic up and over and off.

Donatello tipped his head, stealing another kiss, then another and another. His hands came up, one cradling Leo's face, the other resting against the side of his neck, thumb lying in the notch of his collarbone. To kiss Leo was to touch the sky, whisking him higher and higher with every swipe of their tongues, every nip of teeth grazing lips.

Occupied as he was, he barely felt the tickle as Leonardo began a gentle exploration of his body, his touch unbearably light. His fingers found the sensitive skin between shell and plastron and the water prince hitched a breath, expecting heat, but Leo's touch was cool, like the mist of early morning. It wasn't enough, those strong hands, those calloused fingers, within seconds Donatello was huffing and twitching his entire body forward in search of more contact.

That only seemed to amuse the prince of air, ``Lift up,'' he softly commanded as he hooked his thumbs under the waistband of Don's pants. The water prince hurried to comply, planting his hands on the rock, waiting for only a second before the offending fabric slid off from under him and that feather-light touch returned, dipped between his legs and took hold of his tail, pinching the tip with every pass of his teasing fingers.

``Ah, fu... Leo...'' Donatello cursed under his breath as sparks lit up all his nerve endings. Warmth flooded through his entire body and before he could even process the sensation, he was hard, aching, wincing from the pain of his erection straining in the confined space behind his plastron.

Leonardo hummed low in his throat and grinned wickedly as he swiped down the length of Don's slit with his other hand, pressing his finger firmly against it, slipping inside just enough to tease along the base of the straining length he found there. The prince of water let out a soft cry, unable to hold back, and Leo rushed in to swallow the sound, wrapping his nimble fingers around Don's cock as it tumbled out.

Tearing away from the intoxication of Leo's kisses, Don fell back to lean on his elbows. Lost in the onslaught of hands and cool heat and the overpowering scent of atmosphere after a heavy rain. This was exactly what he needed, what they both needed. Sex may be a distraction just as much as his echoes were, and it wouldn't change what they needed to do, but perhaps for this one blissful moment they could forget all that, just give in, and... feel.

``Spirits,'' Leo murmured, ``look at you... melting already and I've barely even touched you.''

Those soft words and the even softer grip, a ghosting, slow drag up and down the length of his shaft, had Don's eyes rolling back in his head. It was such a delicate torment, that airy touch. He never wanted it to stop, needed more like he needed oxygen and sunlight. He tried to move, to thrust into that teasing hold, but Leo had a hand on his hip, immobilizing in its strength and the water prince could only manage a stilted flex of his muscles.

``Leo...'' Don laughed and it was almost a sob, his voice fraying at the edges. ``don't tease...''

``What do you need?'' the prince of air asked, repeating the same question that had started this entire exchange.

Don hadn't known how to answer then, but now he did. All his doubt and frustration had coalesced, transformed into need and aching want. It made him feel bold. He reached up to touch Leo's face, running his thumb along the ridge of his cheek, following the line of his throat down to his shoulder where he pushed... not away... down, firmly but gently, giving the air prince every opportunity to refuse if he wanted to.

Leonardo did not refuse. With an unexpectedly lascivious grin he lowered his head, slowly, holding Donatello's gaze to make sure he was watching. Gently he blew a breath over the head of Don's cock, licking up the fluid beading at the tip when it twitched in his grip. The water prince let out a shaky sigh, trembling from the intensity of the promise he could see in Leo's eyes. The road they had traveled to reach this level of trust had been long, but they were here now, and Donatello wanted it all, no holding back.

``Please,'' he whispered, and that was all the encouragement Leo needed, he smiled and ended the torture by swallowing Donatello down, all the way to the root.

Surprised by the suddenness of it, Don choked off a groan, his entire body snapping taut. His head fell back with a dull thunk against the moss-covered rock, slinging one arm over his eyes as he tried to breathe. He wanted to say something encouraging, this was their first time after all, but the words slipped out of his grasp just as he reached for them. The prince of air was a relentless vortex of suction and heat, his tongue swirling circles up and down the length of his shaft, dancing just under the head, teasing into the weeping tip.

Pulsing pleasure flared deep in Don's belly, and he clutched at Leo's shoulder, hooked his heels behind his thighs, legs shaking as he fought for purchase. At some point he made a noise high in his throat that had Leonardo smiling as he sucked, and suddenly something was nudging against his entrance, slick and wet and oh, oh...

Broken fragments of thought skittered through his mind. Awareness slipped, shimmered, rendered down to points of contact, lips and tongue and hands, venturing deeper. Leo pressed his finger all the way in with long languid thrusts, finding that spot inside that had Don keening and locking his arm down over his face so tightly spots of light danced across the backside of his eyelids.

``Leoleoleoleoleo,'' he moaned incoherently, ``ah - your mouth... I can't... please don't stop...''

A ragged sound escaped past his lips, already so close it was almost embarrassing but... just a little... just a little more...

Abruptly, that delicious crawl of heat building somewhere low on his spine snuffed out and the merciless wet surrounding his cock disappeared. In that same instant a heavy weight settled across his chest and Donatello grunted, heaved like someone had punched him in the gut. Suddenly unable to move, his eyes snapped open to find Michelangelo's face hovering mere inches above his own.

``Mind if we join you?'' The earth prince asked with a teasing smile, not waiting for an answer before claiming Don's lips in a searing kiss.

The prince of water groaned, in frustration or excitement he had no idea, but that was fine, everything was fine because the earth prince tasted of oranges and sunlight and Don thought he would happily drown in it, would gladly sacrifice the need for oxygen to be forever filled by that rush of joy. Michelangelo's body covered him so completely and it felt so right, that heavy weight, pressing him down onto the moss and the stone. He opened his mouth and let Mikey plunge into him, returned it with equal fervor, flung his arms around his neck and pulled him closer. They chased each other's tongues back and forth until Mikey started to squirm, and practically purring, he sat up, his eyes fluttering shut as he rocked his hips down.

Don's hands moved to Mikey's thighs, massaging every inch of skin he could reach even as he mourned the sudden loss, wishing it wasn't just his mouth that was feeling empty. The finger that had been so incessantly searching deep within his own body were gone, but from the way Mikey was shuddering and arching his back, Don didn't have to imagine where Leo's attentions had ventured instead.

The warm light of afternoon shined on Michelangelo's blissed out face as Leo worked deeper into his body, and just behind him Raphael was at Leo's side, the two fighting a battle of tongues and teeth, biting at each other's lips with almost feral smiles on their faces. The sight of them together was erotic beyond anything Don had ever seen, even in his dreams, and an all too embarrassing whimper rattled out of his throat, leaving him shaking with lust and want and need...

The sound caught the prince of fire's attention and he turned, moved swiftly around the back of the rock until he stood just behind Don's head. He leaned over and stole an upside-down kiss from the price of water, then pulled away to gaze down at him, running the backs of his fingers down the sides of Don's face.

``How ya' doin'? Ya' okay?''

Donatello could only laugh, breathy and low, ``This is incredible...''

``Told ya','' the fire prince said, and he kissed Don again.

Raphael's light touch on his skin and Mikey's comforting weight was enough to pull Don into a stupefied lull where everything was fuzzy yet sharp, ethereal but far too real. Mikey was gently rolling his hips as Leo worked him, his head bent back, searching for kisses that the prince of air granted only enough to tease the earth prince into a twitching, begging mess. ``Leeeooo...'' he whined.

``Keep wagging your tail at me like that, and I'll keep doing it.'' The air prince chuckled with a gravelly rasp that sent jolts straight to the base of Don's spine.

The prince of water tried to flex his hips up, seeking more contact and gasped out a cry as a cool, wet hand finally returned to stroke his neglected cock. Then there was warmth and pressure and Mikey wiggled, sighing in delight as Leo guided Don's straining length up and in, his slick fingers tracing swirls around the skin where their bodies met.

Donatello wanted, anything  - everything, but he couldn't move, they held him too securely, covered him so completely. He had to stop thinking because he was forgetting how to breathe, could only latch onto one, solitary thought. He was inside Michelangelo, and spirits it was heaven.

``Oh fuck...'' the earth prince whispered as he fell forward with a release of breath, moaning through a fluttering churr, ``...mmmazing... Donnie... this is so much better than I dreamed it would be...''

It truly was. Don could only mouth silent words, unable to speak under the onslaught as their magic bloomed between them, thick and rich, soaked into their bones and spread flush through every inch of muscle and skin. Mikey lifted his hips and pressed them back down, pulling a strangled moan from Don's throat as he tested the distance, unwilling to leave more than a sliver to separate them, but trembling with the need to move.

Burning fingers left brands on Don's skin where Raphael was caressing his face and neck, trying to soothe but only stoking their passions higher. Don dug his grip into Mikey's hips, desperate to push up, to find what it would take to make the earth prince moan for him... but Leonardo's hands were at his knees, pushing them apart, lifting his legs up until Don's heels were resting against the edge of the boulder. There was a subtle shift as they adjusted to make the position work, then Leo was pressing into him slowly, with deliberate care so as not to jostle Michelangelo from his perch. A gut-punched noise escaped from Don's mouth, lost to the feeling of being held down so firmly, stretched so thoroughly.

Once the prince of air was buried to the hilt, Mikey sat up, twisting his head back to steal sloppy sideways kisses between breathless whimpers. Leo wrapped one arm around his middle, steadying him as he braced his other hand against one of Don's knees. Thought and breath and words floated up and away, stolen by errant currents of air as the forest went completely still, caught in limbo. It was too much and not anywhere near enough.

Donatello wanted to hold on to this moment forever. He wanted Leonardo to hurry up and fucking move...

``Leo... please...,'' he husked, his voice a ruin.

The air prince winked at him as he peered over Mikey's shoulder, slowly pulled away until only the tip of him remained, then pressed back in with quick, even thrusts. With every push forward he lifted Michelangelo and brought him back down again, dragging him along the length of Don's shaft and the water prince threw his head back against the rock, sure that this must be what dying felt like.

Raphael was peppering kisses across his forehead and down the sides of his face and Donatello looked up at him, feverish, mouth open, eyes wide, his grasp on sanity tenuous as Leonardo filled him so full, so deep. Mikey's body clenched around his cock, riding him so perfectly, and Don dimly wondered how he would ever survive this now that the pleasure was crystallizing in his veins, turning him to dust far more efficiently than the desert ever could.

``Easy...,'' Raphael whispered in his ear with another soothing caress, ``relax... ya' look so good like this.''

Don's throat clicked as he swallowed, nodded, shivered again as he noticed the movement of Raph's arm just out of his line of sight, down behind the rock, where he was working himself in tandem with their movements. He was right there and yet too far away, and suddenly even that small space of separation between them was untenable.

He released his grip on Mikey's thighs and reached up to clutch at Raph's shoulders, at any part of the prince of fire that he could get to. ``I want...'' he whined, begging, beseeching, ``let me touch you...''

Raphael smiled with all his teeth. ``I'm good... got the best seat in the house... here...,'' he took Don's hand and moved it to Mikey's cock, hanging thick and dripping and just begging to be touched, guided his thumb to rub across the head, just hard enough to make Mikey jerk and gasp against Leo's tongue. ``Yeah... just like that.''

From there they quickly found a steady rhythm, their bodies alight with sweet friction and raw hunger, rocking and surging and swaying together in perfect sync until the air was full of wet, deliberate sounds. Rational thought disintegrated into nothingness, there was only sensation, instinct, and the incessant pull of their elements, crashing and joining and swirling around them, inside them, building to the crescendo until there was no boundary between where they ended, and the magic began.

Time seemed to disappear in the blissful haze of their joining. The water surrounding their tiny island of earth roiled and rippled as Don lost the grip on his control. All around them the elements flared to life, funnels of air brought the water up and out of the marsh, turning into spouts that wobbled as they spun and spat out small liquid orbs filled with flickering magical flame. The ground trembled beneath them, threatening to throw them all asunder should they dare to let go of each other for even a moment.

All too soon, Leonardo's hips stuttered, seemed to falter, and Don only just had the presence of mind to squeeze down on the hard length hitting his prostate with every thrust, smiling at the sound of the halted cry it pulled from Leo's lips. His legs moved of their own accord, hooking his heels around the bottom edge of Leo's shell, pulling him in harder, deeper, changing the angle and Michelangelo quaked above him, keening as he struggled with the effort to keep moving.

Panting filth in his ear, Raphael grunted out half formed words, ``Takin' it so good... you're perfect, Donnie... wish ya' could see yourself...''

It was too much. The tension snapped and Don choked around a sobbing churr, his entire body convulsing as he came, hard. Leo rumbled a deep, dominant churr of his own, falling over that edge, sinking his teeth into the soft flesh of Mikey's shoulder and the prince of earth wailed, painting a mess all over Don's plastron. The rock beneath them shuddered violently, shifting in the earth as flames shot into the air all around them, erupting from the very water as Raph rode out the peak of his own release.

Floating through overwhelming sensation, Donatello gasped out wordless nonsense, dissolved in the pleasure of Raph's hot breath on his face, Mikey's body squeezing around him, Leonardo filling him, deep and warm.

The earth prince fell over Don like a blanket, whispered something that could have been a curse and whined in a contented way when Don's softening length slid out of him. Then they were all sliding, down off the rock to the ground, shifting and shuffling until he was pulled back against Raph's plastron, secure in his arms. Sleep was pulling him under, but then Leo was hovering over him, holding his face in his warm hands until Don looked up, tired and spent, captured once again by the weight of that cinnamon stare.

``Your happiness is our happiness,'' the air prince said, insistent, unyielding, ``your pain is our pain, from this moment forward we are one soul, and we will face what is to come joined as one... together.''

Donatello nodded and let the tears gathered at the corners of his eyes fall, but they were happy tears, full of light and promise. Leo leaned in and kissed him once more, slow and sweet and their magic sang on the currents all around them, complete now in a way that it had never been before. He didn't need to open his eyes to see them, didn't need their touch to feel them, they were simply there, a part of him that would never again be severed.

Leonardo settled to the ground beside Raph and pulled Michelangelo into his lap. Don reached out to thread his fingers through Mikey's and nuzzled his face into the softness of Raph's neck with a happy sigh. Then he closed his eyes, knowing he was safe and loved, and succumbed to sleep.

~*~*~*~
tbc...

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