Rising of the Moon
Chapter 4

"Where is it? I know it's here somewhere." Leonardo scrambled through thousands of history books that where stuffed in a box. He's torn up the history section of the library and still hasn't found the book he was looking for. He was told from the librarian that there was some old history books stuffed in boxes in the back of the room. He pretty much emptied each box. This was his last box and if he dosen't find it, he was going to have to go to another smaller library down town. Which would be less likely to find it there.
"Hah found it!" He shouted only to get shushed by a few people near by. He pulled out a renaissance book. Opening it up he turned to the page he needed.
"Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino) (1483 – April 6, 1520), was a great Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is known for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur." Leonardo read in a whisper.
"Huh, maybe Raphael got mutated into a turtle and then bitten by a vampire. Being a vampire would explain how he could survive for so long." He started giggling at his funny idea.
"Who would ever name a vampire turtle after a renaissance painter. And from the description of what he liked to paint does not sound anything like what I just saw a few nights ago." Leo shook his head, picked up the book and brought it ot the librarian to check out before he stuffed it in his back pack.
. . .
"Leo, you have been reading that renaissance book all day." Mikey contemplated at his friend continually sitting on his bed reading the same book.
"I'm sorry, Mikey. I. . . met someone who is similar to this guy in the book." The sea green turtle snatched the book out of hand and read the page he was.
"Raphael? The renaissance master? Awesome! All we need is a Donnatello and the renaissance masters can be reborn."
"Very funny, Mikey." He snatched the book back and continued to where he was reading.
"So when did you two meet?"
"Uh. . . A few nights ago."
"When you were hunting vampires?"
"Afterwards. When I was finished and coming home. He was getting attacked by vampires. So, naturally I saved him." He quickly made up from his mind.
"Uh huh. And. . .?"
"And? What do you mean "and"? I saved him, that's it."
"You don't just look up every guy or girls name after you rescue them. Why the sudden interest with this one. Just because you know me, Michelangelo. Your name Leonardo. And then you save some guy named Raphael and you just become interested in looking up the renaissance masters?"
"So your point, is?" 
"My point is. What did you two talk about afterwards!?" He immediately demanded. Causing Leo to jump at the sudden shout.
"Nothing. He just thanked me. What else would he do?" 
"Introduce himself? Does he know your name?"
"Uh. . . No. He doesn't."
"So you save a guy. He thanks you, introduces himself and you just suddenly take off, huh?"
"Actually, he took off."
"Now why would he do a thing like that?"
"Scared? Maybe?"
"Scared!? You saved his ass from getting torn apart by vicious blood thristy monsters he thanks you and tells you his name then suddenly takes off because he was scared of you!? Does that sound right?"
"Look Mikey. I don't know why. Maybe he was late for something. Or he wanted to get away from a dark alley or to go home or to the police, or I don't know what? He just took off after he told me his name. That's all."
"You know, I don't think that's all. I think there's something your not telling me." Leo gulped down the large lump that formed in his throat. Feeling a knot in his stomach.
"I don't know what your talking about, Mikey. I'm not keeping anything secret from you."
"So there is something! What happened? Did he talk to you? Fought you. . .? Kiss you? Are you in love with him?" Mikey smiled sheepishly as he teased.
"What!? Oh, Mikey! That's disgusting!" Leo shouted. Slamming the book down on the table and looking at him grossed out.
"Uh huh. Well, if your not going to tell me the truth. I'm just going to have to make something up." Mikey smirked evilly. Leo glared at him at his most ridiculous theory he could ever come up with.
"I'm not lying to you, Mikey. Nothing happened. Especially nothing like that."
"Whatever you say brother. But I can see the lie written all over your face." He smiled mischievously. 
"Whatever. I'm going out. I'll be back. . . late." Leo grimaced at him. Picking up his swords and throwing his jacket over his shoulder and grabbing his book before rushing out of the garage before Mikey sets him up for a full interrogation.
"Oh don't mind me, Leo! You just go have fun! Take as much time as you want to hang out with your future hubby!" Mikey shouted at him before he rushed out. Leo cursed at him. Slamming his garage door. Really not wanting to hear anything else his friend had to say to him. His stomach was already feeling sick as it is.
"It's bad enough that I got beaten by a Vampire and he refused to kill me for a reason I will never know. But the last thing I would ever want to happen. Even if my life depended on it, would I ever want to fall in love with a Vampire. I kill Vampires, not kiss. Besides, an impossible relationship like that would not end well. Probably both end up dead in the end." He growled at himself. Getting himself ready before he headed out on patrol.
. . .
After hours of waiting, the day finally turned to night. Leonardo was capable to get out of the shadows. He stood on the roofs edge, staring seriously out into the streets. 
"Where are you? You son of a. . ."
"You know. If your looking for Vampires. I don't think you should be searching for them in the public streets. It's like running through large buffet tables while you've been for weeks starving to death. They mostly hang out alley's, clubs, down town areas. You know, dark lonely corners where they can hide from you." The sound of the emerald turtle startles Leonardo. 
He snapped around. Unsheathing his swords in the process as he glared darkly to the other turtle. 
"Just saying." He said plainly like it didnt matter that he just drew his swords to him.
"So what? You just rat out all your Vampire buddy's?"
"Hey, they never did anything for me."
"And what makes you think I'm going to listen to you."
"I don't. But it would be the smart thing if your hunting them." Raphael smirked. Crossing his arms over his chest.
"No, I just think that your leading me into a trap. And you are your vampire buddy's are going to have me for an appetizer and take tons of other helpless innocent people as your meal and have a celebration buffet for killing the Vampire hunter. Well, go a head. Be the hero you've always wanted to be." Leo spat. His voice dripping with bitter venom.
"Whoa whoa easy, Blue. That kind of hurt. For your information, those vampire buddy's you speak of. Heh, their actually hunting me down. They despise me for reasons I won't tell you. And second, I'm not like those vampires. I don't disgustingly feed on my pray and end up waisting half of it. At least when I eat I savor everything. They kill for fun."
"I don't care if those Vampire's want you dead! I don't care if you are different from other Vampire's! I don't care if you rather use a knife and fork to eat then your own mouth! Your a man killing Vampire and it's guy's like you I need to destroy!" And before Raphael could say anything to calm him down. Leonardo ran in for the attack. Swinging his swords at random strikes. Hoping that one of them would hit this unbelievably annoying enemy of his.
Unfortanully Raphael seemed just as skilled as himself. He dodged each strike with ease. Flipping away from one that could easily cut threw his gut. Landing right on his feet.
"Blue, stop!" He demanded. Blocking the sword away from him.
"And stop calling me that! That's not my name!" He growled. Raph stopped the sword. Catching the smooth side with his palms. Leo pressed harder on him till he shoved him against the wall. Raph grunted trying to push the turtle away.
"Well, I don't know what your name is. So I just made a nickname up."
"Stop trying so hard. I don't want a nickname!" He angirly demanded.
"Then tell me your name." Leo growled and narrowed his eyes. Trying to shove harder. Raph grunted. Pressing against the wall he managed to push himself off. Shoving Leonardo off him.
"You don't need to know my name."
"Well, if your going to kill me. Wouldn't that last thing I hear be your name?" 
"Vampire Hunter. You can call me, Vampire Hunter."
"That's a stupid name?" Leonardo growled low. Running in for another attack. Raph dodged a couple, blocked some. Grabbing the sword he threw Leonardo over his shoulder as the turtle landed shell first into the concrete. He rolled to his side. Dodging Raph's foot from hammering down on him. Grabbing both his swords and running at him.
Leo ran at him once again as Raph rolled to the side. Sweeping his legs from under him, he grabbed Leo and slammed him against the wall. The leaf green turtle grunted and glared harshly at the turtle pinning him. Raph grabbed his wrists and twisted them uncomfortably causing Leonardo to whine and yelp. Dropping both his swords before Raph ended up breaking his wrists.
"Please, kill me." He begged. Hating as he lost another battle. Raph's eyes widen as he released him. Leo collapsed on his knees growling like he was an animal, whipping the blood and tears off his face. He was just about to reach for his swords till Raph kicked them far away from him.
"Why would I want to kill you?" He asked in a disbelieving voice.
"I lost. I can't believe I lost to a vampire!" He cried.
"Oh come on, Blue. It's not that bad." Leo looked up at him. His teeth clenched tightly and his eyes narrowed evil like. 
"I have been killing all vampires for years now. Groups. Piles of them. I never found it a struggle. Then I run into you and I loose both fights! I hate the failure." His head hung from his shoulders in ashamedness. Raph frowned bending beside him. 
"Look, Blue. I'm not going to kill you. I didn't even want to fight you in the first place."
"But I want to fight you. I want you dead!" He was about to leap for him till Raph grabbed his shoulders and shoved him back on the ground. His forearm locked tightly in his throat. 
"Stop it! I don't know exactly what your problem is against vampires. But I'm not killing you for a reason." He growled.
"Then why!?"
"Because your different." 
"What?"
"You not like vampires. Set a side the fact that you kill them. You entertain me." 
"So I'm just your little entertainment. You have fun watching me fail a fight and pitifully make a fool of myself."
"Well no. That's more your fault. Your actually the only one that makes things a challenge for me." Leo slowly started relaxing. He couldn't believe the weight this turtle had. He trained and worked out his strength every night and morning and he didn't think someone could be this much stronger then him. It made him feel so weak, but there wasn't much he could do.
"So you fight me because I'm something new. I don't understand why you don't eat me and be the hero of Vampire history."
"Fuck Blue. What part of I don't want to kill you do you not understand? I just want to talk."
"About what!?"
"How about starting with your name." Leo was about to say something else for a protest but Raph immediately interupted him. "And I mean your real name." Leo stared into that red eye and he once again felt something wierd from staring at it. Like he was hypnotized. 
"L-E-O. . . N-A-R. . . D-O. . ." He slowly spelled out. Still unsure of it. Raph smiled as he slowly read the name Leo spelled out for him. 
"Leonardo?" The leaf green turtle nodded. "I like it."
"It would figure." He grumbled.
"Can't you just take the damn compliment!?"
"Thanks. . ." He sighed. 
"If I release you now. Are you going to attack me?" Leonardo looked up at him. An eye ridge raising a bit.
"I might." 
"Then I guess we're going to be staying here all night." Leo growled at him. "Are you going to attack?"
"No! Now let me up!" He demanded. Raph finally got off of him. Leo pushed himself up, but he kept his word and did nothing suspicious that would lead to him attacking the vampire. Considering he really did not feel like getting tackled and pinned under him again. Let alone stay like that for the rest of the night. 
"Look. I got a job to do. Even if you don't want to kill me. Your vampire buddy's do. And they need to be destroyed."
"And why exactly?"
"I already explained myself to you. I don't have to repeat." He snarled.
"No, you just say that you have to. You don't give me the reason."
"I just have to okay? They took something from me-so in return-I'm taking them away." Leo could feel tears pile in his eyes. Blinking them away rapidly.
"What is it?" Raph asked. His voice turning to concern.
"I've had enough of your nosiness! You know far too much as it is!" Running to where his katans were kicked. Flipping around and picking them, he spun and sliced Raph in the chest. The emerald turtle hissing and held the bloody cuts. Backing up he accidently tripped on the ledge. Tripping and falling off the building.
The shout caught Leo's attention. Turning around and gasping when he just realized Raphael fell off. Running to the edge and on instinct grabbed his grapple hook and throwing it down, Raph grabbed it as it twirled around his wrist. Pushing himself off the wall he swung back up. Leonardo grabbed a hold of his hand and helped him on his feet. Connecting wide eyes with wide eyes. 
"I saved your life. . ." Leo said with absolute shock and disbelief. Raphael kept silence. Leonardo growled and yanked his hand out of their grip. 
"But you can guarantee that won't happen again." Turning around and taking off. The look of misery scratched on his face. Raph was still standing there, surprised himself.
"I don't doubt that." He sighed sadly to himself. "Though I do doubt we won't see each other again." He smirked at the shadowy figure running soon out of his vision.