Weight of the Crown { A Leonardo fanfic}

How to Run From the Mess you Made

(An: Let me just say this gif. OMG, my heart)

With wide eyes, the earth crew along with the professor glide into the town. "This place is unbelievable..." April muses, moving aside as a couple giggling children run past in a game of chase. "Everyone looks so happy." Leo agrees, taking in the smiling people and chatting merchants. 

"Don't let looks fool you." Raph grunts, jerking his chin in front of them, where a burly man and his companions are grabbing random pieces of fruit from a seller's stand. "Hey," Mikey says. "That's not nice." The Fugitoid pushes the group down the other direction. "Let's not draw attention to ourselves shall we lads?" The cyborg encourages. 

"Woah...." Casey says, running up to a weapon dealing stand. "Cool weapons!" He runs his hand over a large battle axe with strange wing-shaped blades. "Cool," Raph admits beside him. "Wicked metal dude." The hockey player gushes. "That one is one of a kind." A smooth voice wafts from the stand. The two look up to see a young woman with fiery red hair and equally blazing eyes. She wore a stained grey shirt under a dark leather blacksmith's apron. Her face is littered with ash and grease and her hair is pulled back into a messy bun. She grins at the boys in curiosity. 

"It's called Saorsa. Freedom." She explains. Casey's eyes sparkle with delight as he examines the blade more closely. "It's beautiful." He cries happily. The girl chuckled. "It sure is." Raph's mouth is agape as he gazes like an idiot at the girl. His emerald eye gleam in a similar way Casey's did when he first saw the blade. "Yeah...beautiful..." The red-banded turtle murmurs. 

The girl looks to Raph, snickering at the look on his face. "See something you like, red?" She laughs. Raphael blinks and closes his mouth, stuttering some jibber jabber. "I-um, yes, er, this knife looks nice." He picks up the first blade he can get his hand on. It was a small dagger. The blade was shinier than a normal dagger and the blade curved a bit. 

It was a pretty blade Raph had to admit. The girl leaned forward onto the counter, looking at the blade. "It is a 'nice' knife. I call it a leaf dagger. See the green lining on the handle?" She says, reaching out and tracing the green stitching with a finger. 

In a flash, she snatches Raph's sai from his belt. "Hey!" He exclaims, hands flying to his empty belt. The young blacksmith inspects the weapons with detective-like eyes. "Wow....I've never seen such strange blades..." She admits, inspecting them. "What purpose do they serve? They are not sharp? Are they salad tongs?" 

Raph's cheeks burn a deep pink. Beside him, Casey bursts out laughing. "Salad tongs! That's a good one!" The boy cackles, tears in his eyes. Raph elbows his friend in the ribs. "They are called sai. They are...um....ninja weapons." The terrapin explains. The girl looks at him quizzically. "Ninja? What is a ninja?" 

By this time, Casey was on the ground, rolling around clutching his stomach. Raph tries to ignore him. "Where I come from, ninja are these sneaky warriors." He says, trying to explain properly. The girl nods. "Oh, like assassins." 

Raph shrugs. "Kind of I guess." He mutters. "So you are an assassin." The girl concludes, placing the turtle's sai on the counter. "Well....not really. I'm kind of like the good assassin. But I don't kill anyone."  The girl nods. "I see. Well then. Where are you from?" She asks. Raph rubs the back of his neck. "Um....far away..." 

"Mysterious. Interesting." The girl grins, exposing the dimples in her cheeks. Raph could only blush harder and try to look smooth. "Yup, where I come from, I'm the most handsome, most skilled ninja around." 

The girl plays along nodding and folding her arms. "I'm sure you are." Casey finally gets up and places the axe on the counter. "So, what's your name, m'lady?" The dark haired boy asks, leaning on the counter. The young blacksmith leans on the other side of the counter. "I'm Asterin." She introduces, nodding in greeting. "The name's Casey." The hockey player says.

Raph smiles. "I'm R-" 

"Raph! Casey!" Leo calls from afar. "Come see this!" Raph groans, his shoulders drooping. Asterin chuckles, straightening. "Well, until we meet again," She tosses him his sai. Raph catches it and smiles. "Yeah..." He then lets Casey drag him away. "Dude!" Mikey cries. "You've gotta try these weird fruit things! They taste so good!" 

"Better than pizza?" Raph joked taking fruit from April and tasting it himself. "Nah, pizza will always be number one bro." The youngest turtle admits. The merchant, a middle-aged man with greying hair around the edges. "Yes, these fruits are quite popular around here. They grow all around here. I personally enjoy these best out of all of the Lycadian fruits."

Suddenly a loud cry rings out. Everyone including the earth crew freezes. Down the line of carts and stands, the large man and his goons were at a particular stand. A young man with a knife had his blade to a girl's neck. The large man with burly arms and cropped cut blond hair smirked. 

"I think that you should reconsider your answer sweetheart." The leader purred. The skinny man cackled, pressing his blade further into the girl's throat. "If you want protection, we get our food free, sweetcheeks." He says, grinning evily, his fangs gleaming in the morning sun. 

Leo instinctively lunges forward, only to be pulled back. "We cannot intervene, Leonardo," Honeycut warns. "It's not our problem." Leo looks to the men once again. The woman to the right of the large man unsheaths her sword and swipes it across the young woman's stand, scattering food and breaking vases. 

"We can't just let them do this," Leo argues, noticing all the other vendors cowering behind their counters and stands. "I wouldn't lad." The fruit merchant says, shivering. "These fellows are nothing but trouble. Army veterans they are. Think their service earns them free goods and respect. Don't get involved." 

Leonardo looks at his family. "Guys?" No one moves. Donnie scratches his arm nervously. Casey grabs his hockey stick. "Time for action, dudes." He announces."Goongalla!" He shouts, running at the three bullies. The skinny guy is the first to look up. "Huh?" He doesn't have time to react before Casey's hockey stick crashes over his head, splintering into pieces. 

The dark haired boy is astonished. "What the heck?" He exclaims. "Are you made of metal, bro?!" He yelps and the man lands a firm kick to his ribs. "Something like that, runt." The turtles run to the aid of their friend. "Casey!" Raph shouts, picking up his friend by the armpits. 

Leo locks blades with the woman. "What kind of goblin are you?" She queries, countering his strikes with stronger slices. "I'm a turtle!" Leo answers, trying to avoid her blade. Mikey and Donatello attack the large man. Donnie's staff hits the man on the head. The man only smirks, stretching the scars on his face. 

"Nice try, kid." He says, grabbing the staff and swinging Donnie into a nearby cart. Mikey repeatedly smacks the man's chest with his nunchucks. Nothing. The man laughs and grabs Michelangelo by the face, throwing him into Donnie who was just starting to stand. 

Raph growls. "You leave my brothers alone!" He shouts, running at the man only to be tripped by the slender man who lets the girl go. Raph collapses and gasps as the cold blade of the man's knife hits his neck. 

"I wonder what colour you bleed." The goon says thoughtfully, his eyes glowing a bright orange. "Why don't I find out." He smirks. Raph's eyes widen in fear. 

"Raph!" Leo shouts, glancing to his brother. This was opportunity enough for the woman to disarm him and kick him away. "Umph!" Leo grunts, crashing into the counter behind him. Donnie and Mikey were hovered over by the burly leader, Raph by the skinny man, and Leo by the woman with his own katanas in her hand. 

"Well, this is just great," Leo mutters, ignoring the pain in his stomach. "Just great."

Mwahhaahahahahahah! You should know by now that I am the queen of cliffhangers. Well, what did you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)