Author's Note! If I had a time machine, I would go back in time and practically beg the creators of TMNT to at least make them humans. I still can't figure out why they had to be turtles, and their father a rat.

Disclaimer Notice! I disclaim the franchise Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, they belong to its respective owner. What I do own on the other hand, was the story twist I made. That's all.

BLAMES, TEARS, AND REGRETS

A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Fan Fiction

Chapter One

The Inevitable Goodbye

Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey – the four turtle brothers, trained for greatness, thought to fight for the good - went on their usual patrol. When all of a sudden, foot ninjas emerged from the shadows, cornering them. Leonardo - their leader - though how strange it sounds, wanted to flee but fate forced them to stay and defend themselves. After hours of fighting endless stream of trained and skilled ninjas...

Mikey was first to go down, an odd kind of dart sticking out from his shoulder. Donnie was the second to fall, having stayed by his brother's side. Leo and Raph were the only ones left, fighting side by side.

Raph was almost finished with his share of enemies when a glint of metal flashed from a distant took his attention. His mind screamed one thought 'No! Leo!' He made a dash and tackled his brother to the ground. The dart hitting him instead.

Leo removed his body from under him and lay it gently with his two remaining brother. Karai grimaced as she failed to shot her target. She leaned the heavy gun on her shoulders, like a sack of rice and emerged from her shadows. Leo still has his back on them, as if daring them to break their honor attack him from behind. She snickered at that thought. She decided to taunt him.

"Look what we have here...only one turtle left..." She yelled out enough for all to hear. Leo slowly gripped his swords, his knuckles turning white. He turned around and faced them with his eyes still focused on ground. The tension grew as silence seemed to be the only one making a noise. Karai dropped the gun she held, and drew her swords prepared to for any attack. With one gesture from her, the remaining foot attack the remaining turtle.

A minute passed, and all of the foot who attacked him now lay unconscious to the ground. Karai felt fear crawl on her skin. She gulped as she stares at the eyes of the beast.

Leo stood there, his stance the same. His blue bandana swayed rhythmically to the gash of wind. His eyes showed to no mercy to whoever dared to attack his fallen comrade, his fallen brothers. His muscle tense and his senses high, allowing no room for further mistake.

A growl escape his mouth as he prepared yet for another attack. Karai found herself drawing closer to the edge, surprisingly afraid of attacking the creature. 'He's a monster!' Her mind screamed as her eyes wondered the bloody concrete. 'He killed them all...' With one gesture of her hand, she ordered the others to retreat.

Leo had long since prepared himself for a chase, wanting to satisfy his revenge. But a soft moan from own of his brother stopped him. He looked back, his eyes wide and full of horror.

The monster that once overcame him vanished within an instant. His once ferocious eyes reverted to its soft and forgiving ones. He kneeled down, his swords falling from his grip, and checked his fallen brothers.

As if feeling sympathetic on him, the rain suddenly poured down on the earth. Leo glanced up and stared at the black sky as droplets of water fell down from the sky. He poured out all his regrets and pain in one angst scream. He cried and let the rain shower his sins and pain. As if it would all go away.

He felt an arm shook him. "Raph! Raphie!" He heard his name being called. He gruffly sat up and let his eyes adjust to the darkness. A movement from his right draw his attention. He gazed at the said direction and saw his youngest brother staring at him. A loud growl escape him.

"What the shell? Mike!" He called out as the turtle stared at him, his eyes masked with worry.

Hearing his brother bickered at him, his worry flushed out. "Glad you're fine bro...Donnie's still in his dreamland" Mike complained as he pointed his finger at his back. Raph leaned and stared at the figure lying behind his youngest brother. "Shell...it's that Don?" He asked as he stared at the sleeping figure. He could see the soft rise and fall of its chest.

He stood up and walked to his brother. "Why didn't you wake him?" Raph asked as he looked curiously at his brother. "Uh...he looks like he needs it..." Mike replied shyly. "Need my ass..." Raph murmured as he shook his brother awake. Don's eyes slowly opened. He looked at Raph then to his younger brother. "Um..Raph? Mike?" He asked, trying to see if he was still dreaming or not. "Yeah it's me brainiac" Raph bickered as he glanced around. Don sat up and found himself scanning the surrounding too.

"Where the shell are we?" Raph voiced out the question that was running through everyone's head, well except probably for the cursing.

They seemed to be stuck inside a four-walled room with no window, door or whatsoever things a simple room should contain. They were only walls. They are trapped in an unknown territory with only walls to guard them.

Raph clenched his fist. He hates being trapped. Don and mike stood up and went to each of his side, as if saying to him that he wasn't alone of this thing. A smile found its way to his lips. Yes, his brother was with him and they will make their plan out. Speaking of plan? Wasn't that his older brother's forte?

"So what's the plan oh fearless one?" He asked out loud, waiting for his older to bicker back. But instead of yet another nasty comment, he was replied by silence.

"Ah...Raph you do realize that Leo's ain't here, right?" Mike asked, his voice sounded uncertain. Raph glanced around, looking for his brother. Don shook his head. "I wished this was just a dream..." He spoke, barely a whisper.

Suddenly, they heard a loud sound. It sounded like a sharp metal slicing an object. Their eyes widened. 'Leo!' Their thoughts were the same.

All of a sudden, the once dark room suddenly lit up. The wall collapsed and they end up in an endless oblivion. Everything was white.

Images started to shift around them, engulfing them in a bright light. As if hearing their wish, they were greeted by the sight they had longed for. There stood with his back faced against them, their older brother, the fearless leader - Leonardo Hamato.

They were in the dojo, and he seemed to be training with a dummy, well a sliced one. The upper half part of the dummy now lays beside it. The cut was neat, as expected from a master wielder of the sharp blades called Katana.

Raph gawked as he starred at the perfectly sliced figure. He doesn't want to admit it broadly, but he was always amazed on how his brother was so perfectly rhythmic with his swords - it was like his swords were his brother's other half.

His hand then found its ways to his sais, and a smirk showed on his face. 'Just like with mine...' He thought silently.

All of a sudden, they saw Leo tensed. Their senses immediately alerted as they tried to look for the enemy. 'No! Had they found the location of the lair?!' Raph panicked as his eyes scanned the room. 'How could they get pass through my system? My system?!' Don could feel anger radiated inside him. 'Dude...' Mikey could only think of one word.

Within a blink of an eye, Leo's sword swiftly moved so fast it's almost as if slicing the air itself, its tip pointing at the person he mostly felt threatened with...at the moment.

Raph's eyes widened as he looked at his brother. "Leo..." Mikey's voice was etched with worry too while Don's eyes flicker from Leo to Raph.

Leo's sword were directly pointed at his brother's neck. Raph could clearly see the sharp hilt of his brother's sword. He was too astonished he did not even noticed that he was holding his breath.

Leo's gaze was stern – the one look he only reserved for their enemies. Raph felt fear crawl within him. With the harsh training his brother had gone through since they were a child, plus the agility he was born with, he knew that one wrong move could take away his life and end up like the dummy his brother had been practicing with.

"Leo! What are you doing, dude!" Mikey's voice seemed on edge. He knew that Leo had some hatred towards his brother, with Raph had found it his hobby to defy everything Leo said, but he also knew that he doesn't loathe Raph enough to take away his life! Dude! They were brothers! And, aren't brothers suppose to protect each other? Why was he threatening him? His confusion had left him standing right there, his feet frozen, and his body immobilized.

Just like their youngest brother, Don too - being how observant he is - knew that he didn't hate Raph by heart. In fact, their eldest brother was the one with the biggest heart among them. Cause' no matter how serious trouble you've cause, he will always be the first to forgive you. He knew that hadn't change. Not until now...

As if sensing their distress, the fearless leader held down his sword and held his head with his other arm. "No..." He murmured to himself.

As soon as the threat diminished, Raph released the breath he had been holding. His eyes found its way to his brother. 'He seemed to be in...more pain?' He thought as he observed his brother. His hand unconsciously found its way to his neck. He could still feel the coldness of the sword in his throat. 'Why did he do that?'

Leo then placed his sword back at the rack and for a moment stared at it. He softly touched its blade, as if checking if they were alive and breathing.

"He always does that....I guess he really took great pride on wielding them" Don commented as he watch the scene he had seen for too many times. "Yeah..." Mikey agreed. Raph simply nod his head to imply his agreement.

Leo then turned his head and went towards the exit. Raph could clearly see the tears that fell down from his brother's cheek. The others didn't fail to notice it too.

Raph huffed his chest and stood tall, blocking the exit way. He had enough of his brother's acts and ways. He has to know the reason of those tears and why he decided to exhaust himself again. He has to know the reason behind all of it.

But in the middle of the way, Leo suddenly collapsed. His body suddenly became limp and crushed to the ground.

Out of instinct, Don immediately went to his brother's side eager to check up on him and probably scold him for exhausting himself, again. Not knowing that he couldn't do any of it.

'I needed to check on his pulse first' Don thought as he stretched his arm, attempting to feel the rhythmic beating of the eldest's heart. But when his finger reached the skin, he found it...dug deep in his body. 'What the shell?!' His mind screamed in panic.

Mikey saw his brother's startled look and had hoped for the worst. He immediately rushed to Leo's other side as if giving Don the silent message of 'I'll be here to assist you if you need any'.

Don shook his head. 'That's completely illogical!' He thought, trying to ease the confusion mixed with anxiety he felt. He decided to flip his brother over so he could properly see the damage on his body.

'Here we go!' He thought as he forced all of his energy at both of his arms attempting to flip his brother.

But his arms hadn't got into contact with his brother's, for instead, his arms passed through his brothers skin. His eyes widened as he saw his arms missing its three-fingered palm. Out of panic, he removed his arms and stared at it. It was still whole, no missing hands nor fingers. So, does that mean...

"Dude. Did you just pass through Leo like a ghost?" Mikey's voice was filled with mixed humor and worry. "That couldn't be, right?" Mikey said, assuring himself.

He closed his eyes and attempted to touch his brother too. His eyes widened when he saw his hand pass through his brother as well.

"No..." A simple word of denial escape him. "Mikey! Mikey!" Don yelled his younger brother's name, attempting to snap him out of his shock all the while trying his best to control his ever growing fear too.

A soft growl snapped them out of their thoughts. They saw Leo waking up, his right hand clenched at his throbbing head. "What the shell..." He murmured as he slowly tried to get up, all the while swaying as fatigue caught up with his strength.

He slowly walked to the exit. Raph's mouth gap as he saw his brother walking to him, not even stopping to even glance up at him. His eyes, half open, was still glued to the floor. He stretched his arm, attempting to stop his brother...

But his brother just passed through him, ignoring his whole presence. Wait. Did I just said...through? As if he wasn't even there to begin with.

Raph, Mikey and Don threw each other shocked glances. Their minds still trying to process the simple occurrence.

"Did Leo just pass through us?" Raph voice was filled with confusion, his mind full of unanswered questions.

"When...are we transparent?" Don asked as he stared as his hands. His mind is trying to believe what was logical. But with the past kept replying what had transpired earlier, his thoughts swirled as it fought with each other.

Mikey's statement made it even more confusing. And even though they refuse to believe it, it was the most logical explanation yet.

"Dude...did we died? Are we...ghosts?"

Author's Note!

If you like my work, do consider buying me a coffee! <3 Coffee keeps me awake 0_0 and I might write more ;)

https://ko-fi.com/naxxerie

NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW!

"I still can't believe were ghost.." Mikey all to louder proclaimed as he sank into the chair. "Me too. I mean, if were really dead, why stay here?" Donnie agreed. He was not a believer of supernatural things,but when science can't explain things, people need something firm to believe in.

"Maybe...we're here to haunt Leo or something..." Mikey said as he makes gesture of ghosts. Donnie sighed, perhaps it was them having each other that prevented them from breaking.

"Yeah...mike" Donnie flashed his brother one last smile before closing his eyes and attempting to sleep.

NEXT CHAPTER! CHAPTER TWO – THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE DEAD

Author's Note! Have no fear, there is no character death involved, if there would be, you'll see warnings. I didn't have any, right? Oh dear, was that a spoiler? Anyhow, all questions shall be sooner. Do leave some review. Thanks.