Splinter's Bestie

Chapter 3

Time skip*** (They catch Snake, they lose Snake, blah blah blah)

"I love a happy ending." Raph comments. Ruby smiles in pride at the boys.

She then turns around to head home.

"Hey wait!" Mikey calls out to her causing his brothers to notice that she was leaving. Ruby turns to look at them.

"Do you want to come with us?" Donnie asks, he had so many questions.

"Hmm maybe some other time. There is still things I need to take care of. But I will meet you all here tomorrow at midnight don't be late." She pets all their heads.

Raph blushes and looks away, Leo gives a happy nod, Donnie gives her a wide gap tooth smile and Mikey simply hugs her.

Ruby chuckles at the boys they had her wrapped around their fingers already.

"See you tomorrow night!" Leo told her before they ran off. Ruby waves at them until they are out of sight then walks home.

***

At the lair the next afternoon the turtles were preparing for the rescue.

Donnie was creating climbing claws while Raph was talking to his pet turtle.

"I know you're a little worried about me. Look, I'm not gonna lie to you. We've never gone into a fight like this, and I don't know what's gonna happen. But you don't have to worry. I ill make it back. I love you, man."

"Aww."

Raph turns around and is met with Mikey, "Are you talking to your pet turtle?"

Raph frowns, "No! Shut up!"

Mikey gushes, "That's adorable."

Raph grabs a wooden spoon, "Oh, I'm gonna crush you! I'm gonna shellac you!" Raph chases Mikey with the wooden spoon.

Leo was making the symbol with some things he found in the lair, he smiles to himself, "I think this plan is gonna work."

Splinter walks up to him. "No plan ever survives contact with the enemy. It is how you react to the unexpected that will determine if you and your brothers succeed." Splinter says wisely causing Leo to turn around in surprise.

"Sensei, do you think I'm ready for this?" Leo asks feeling insecure.

Splinter places a fatherly hand on his shoulder, "Leonardo, I made you leader for a reason."

Leo looks at him, "What is that reason?"

Splinter gives him a mysterious smile, "That is for you to discover on your own."

Leo gives a worried expression, "There's so much riding on this. What if something goes wrong?"

Splinter gives him a wise look, "Failure is a possibility every leader must face Leonardo. It is something I had to face in Japan during my final battle with my enemy, the Shredder." He leads Leo to a picture of himself, Ruby and Saki, all wore bright smiles, Ruby was between the two teens holding their arms in hers as they laugh.

"Years ago, Oruku Saki, as Shredder was called then, and Ruby Lotus, had been my very best friends. But the love of a woman came between us. Ruby had told me that the woman I married had been cheating on both me and Saki and I didn't believe her, I said some things and in turn destroyed our friendship. Saki and I both loved said woman who was playing both our hearts. He could not accept that she had decided to wed me and his jealousy turned outward in a vengeful attack. And while he could not defeat me that day, my world had long since crumbled around me when I lost Ruby. The battle took the life of Tang Shen and Saki's daughter, Miwa." Splinter said with a sad frown he turns to Leo who eyed the picture with a small frown.