The room fell silent as a shocked atmosphere settled over the group of mutants and humans. Renet gasped, letting go of the katana handle and covering her mouth in fear.

Shelby's eyes were wide, the veil of frost over them faded from the pain shooting through her nerves. She looked down to the blade inserted in the middle of her gut, blood oozing out slowly, although the majority of the flow was blocked by the sword itself. Her legs buckled and she fell to her knees, shifting back into her human form. Her hands shaking as she gently grabbed the katana's handle, tears of agony welling in her eyes.

"Shelbs!" Tyler gasped, rushing to his sister's aid. "Shelby! Oh, god. Okay, just stay calm." Tyler muttered, gently scooping her off the ground, careful not to move her too much. "Just breathe."

Renet scrambled to her feet, her expression that of pure horror. "Oh no, what I have done?" She whispered, burying her face in her hands.

Mikey rushed over to the Bradfords, his baby blue eyes wide. "Holy chalupa, Shelby! Oh, this is all my fault." He squeaked.

Tyler's heterochromic eyes glared at the mutant turtle. "Stay away from her. You're the reason they were even fighting." Tyler hissed, his usual warm personality turned harsh.

Mikey paused in surprise at Tyler's words, and opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the rush of people into the dojo.

"What is going on here?" Master Splinter demanded, his russet eyes glaring. When they landed on Shelby, they widened in fear.

Raph, Leo, Donnie, and Monica, who had gathered behind their sensei, gasped at the sight that laid before them. "Quick, into my lab." Donnie breathed, beckoning Tyler. "I might be able to work some magic." He muttered, before taking off to prepare the equipment to treat Shelby.

Tyler moved slowly, trying not jostle his sister too much. However, nothing could keep Shelby from cringing in pain, icy tears falling down her cheeks. As she passed Mikey, she glanced at him. She offered him a small smile, despite the pain dancing in her eyes, as she was taken away.

Master Splinter sighed, his ears pressing flat to his head. "Leonardo, would you please take Renet to the surface?" He asked, his voice gentle. "It would be best if she relaxed with some fresh air after such an incident."

Leo nodded, beckoning for Renet to follow. Tentatively, the shaking teen obeyed, tears spilling over on her cheeks.

Monica watched as the purple blood covering the floor slowly began to frost over. She glanced at Raph. "Wanna clean this up before it turns the dojo into a tundra?"

Raph nodded slowly. For once, he had no snide comment. They left the lair to grab cleaning supplies, leaving Master Splinter and Michelangelo alone in silence.

Splinter eyed his son for a few moments, before speaking. "How did this happen?" He whispered, his hands clasped behind his back.

Mikey sniffed, trying to rub away the moisture in his eyes. "I'm not sure, exactly. It happened really fast. Shelby got mad at me for hanging out with Renet. Renet started insulting her, she held my hand... and then it was over." Mikey whispered.

Then, he sighed sadly, glancing up at his sensei. "Is this really my fault, sensei? Did I really cause all this?" He whimpered.

Splinter shook his head, approaching Mikey, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "No, my son. This was not at your hand, but at Shelby and Renet's. They were blinded by envy, consumed by their own rage and selfish goals." He explained, before shaking his head. "A very similar fate presented itself to Oruko Saki and I over Tang Shen. Let us hope that this incident... is not as fatal." Master Splinter finished. Mikey nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with worry.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️

Renet paced back and forth on the roof, tears falling across her cheeks. "How could I have been so ignorant? I should have realized, I should have known! Oh, why can't I just keep my mouth shut?" She cried.

Leo intercepted her pacing, holding her shoulders. "Relax, Renet. You need to breathe. No one is yelling at you; you were defending yourself."

"You don't understand, Leo." Renet sighed. "I was wrong. Shelby is in the history books. How could I been so forgetful?"

Leo raised his eye-ridge in surprise. "What?"

"She told me her name was Shelby Bradford. But in the textbooks, they don't really call her by her real name. They call her Blizzard; it goes nicely with her powers. I didn't realize Shelby was Blizzard until she attacked me." Renet explained, her voice flat. "I've just ruined history."

"Not necessarily. Shelby will pull through." Leo comforted the distraught teen, but Renet shook her head.

"No, not from an injury like that." She whispered, her lip quivering. "I can't believe it. I'll be grounded for the rest of my life. She's so important to the final battle." She scolds herself, slamming her palm into her forehead.

Leo was completely silent for a few moments, before he spoke softly. "Let's go back to the lair."

Renet glanced at him. "Huh?"

"If Shelby really is going, if she really can't bounce back from this, then I want to say goodbye." Leo admitted, his sapphire eyes churning with sadness. "Let's go."