66. Forget; Elizabetta

                                    

                                          
Song: Wake Me Up When September Ends - Green Day
                          
Leonardo helps me rise to my feet. I lean heavily on him, and despite the fact he's covered in wounds, he acts as my rock.
                          
   His fingers gently trace the cut going down my side. He quickly takes his hand away at my wince. "It's shallow," he murmurs. "You'll be alright."
                          
   I am still fighting the effects of the serum. It's so hard to resist falling into blackness. The only thing that keeps me in the present is Leonardo's deep, calm voice, and the will to survive.
                          
   "Saki, face me!" Master Splinter's shout jolts me completely awake for a moment.  I turn my head to see the Shredder disappearing into the shadows of the room, probably to escape through a secret exit.
                          
   "You have mutated my daughter and harmed my sons!  You will come back and finish this battle!" Master Splinter keeps yelling, his voice deep with rage.
                          
   "One day, rat," Shredder replies over his shoulder, before he is gone.
                          
   Master Splinter pauses for a moment.  Then he turns around and rushes over to Karai's side, his expression filled with concern.  "How is she, Donatello?" he asks, his anger fading.
                          
   "She's still bleeding, but by some miracle, most of it seems to have cleared up," the purple-clad turtle reports promptly, his expert gaze traveling over the serpent closely.
                          
   Relief seems to cover the room.  After all Karai has done for us, it would be horrible to witness her fade away.
                          
   "Raph, did you destroy the portal?" Leonardo questions the red-clad turtle. That explains the random power surge and crashing noises I heard a few minutes ago.
                          
   "Yeah," Raphael is suddenly very monotone.  Even though we won, he looks defeated.  He must be thinking of Casey.
                          
   "What about the one we found in the TCRI rubble?" Donatello speaks up again. "We can't just leave that lying about with Shredder's ex-henchmen roaming around. They might attempt to use it."
                          
   "We'll get rid of that one tomorrow," Leonardo decides as he tugs me closer to him. "The sun is rising and we're all beat. Donnie, are you fit enough to carry Karai?"
                          
   Master Splinter steps forward instead.  "I will carry her," he decides, gently scooping the mutant into his weary arms.
                          
   Leonardo gives a respectful nod.  "Then Donnie, you help Raph carry Lizzy's mother," he orders.  "If we bring her back to the lair, I can help change her back to normal."
                          
   Raphael and Donatello obediently walk over to the spider.  She only responds to commands made by my father.  And he's dead, so she is completely motionless.  Raphael and Donatello both grab a leg and start to guide her towards the exit, step by step.
                          
   At least I didn't lose my whole family.
                          
   "Let's go home, team," Leonardo announces.
                          
   "Wait, dudes!" Michelangelo stops us. He eyes the serum-filled needle on the ground. He slams his foot down on it, shattering it. The liquid spreads out into a small, useless, purple puddle.
                          
   The orange-clad turtle gives me a small smile and then says, "Ok, now we can go."
                          
   On the way out, I see snowflakes sprinkling from the sky. They're only just beginning to collect together on the ground, creating a blanket of white on the streets.
                          
   Though I am still suffering through the serum effects, I somehow manage a smile. "What do you know?" I murmur. "I actually did live long enough to see the first snowfall."