The new Donnie looked perplexed. Ghost couldn't blame him, he'd been perplexed about this whole thing. He was older, just like all his other competitors, but they had all been Leo. This was Donatello. His Donatello. His kid, grown up, older. So much older.
Still, he had Donnie's smirk, intelligent eyes, that spark of curiosity that seemed to take over his entire body language as he stared at Ghost. Ghost could only stare at him, chest tight, waiting for him to speak first. He never knew how to say hello first.
"You," Donnie says instead. "You are me! Donatello."
The name hurts. It hurts like it's always hurt when Splinter says it, but it hurts even more coming from Donatello. It hurts that this one recognized him immediately when no one else knew who he was. Of course Donnie would figure it out. Of course Donnie would know immediately.
Why did he have to know? It was obvious Ghost from somewhere else, some other reality, and his brothers were not here. There were no others that looked like him, as much as he'd looked for them. There was someone else not from this reality, but he wasn't Ghost's brother. Another Leonardo, another version of Ghost that had failed to keep his family together.
"So! You managed to get all the way through the other half of the tournament!" Donnie continued when Ghost didn't speak, grinning. "Impressive. You really are Donatello."
Not anymore, he wanted to say. I can't be. I failed them. I left them. I abandoned them. I'm gone and I cannot ever go back to them and they will never know. I can't be Donatello. I'm only a shell of my old self.
Instead he felt his eyes tear up. His chest bloomed with warmth. He'd met so many versions of his kids during this entire thing. He'd seen some more scarred and lost than others, some more confident. They had all grown up so much. So, so much, with so much loss and everything that he had never wanted any of them to go through.
He was terrified his presence would make no difference. Maybe his absence would have been better. Maybe he should have stayed in that little corner of the sewers, tucked away and alone.
This Donnie looked impressed with him, though. Proud, even, that he was Donatello. Fundamentally he was still Donatello, even if it was only the shell of him, even if the name was no longer his, he'd been born Donatello and he would always be Donatello, no matter what other name he took.
His eyes slid past Donnie, focusing on his family cheering behind him. Donnie's brothers and a small human child he didn't recognize that he was sure he would eventually. Raph was a robot, Leo was missing an arm, but they were all alive and thriving, cheering on their Donatello with their whole hearts.
Ghost somehow managed to swallow everything and murmured, "Is that your family over there?"
Donnie's expression sobered, and he glanced away. "Yeah," He said, mouth turning into a faint smile.
"You have grown so much," Ghost whispered, taking a breath. "Promise me you won't let anything happen to them."
Ghost needed Donnie to know. He needed him to know. He hoped he could hear the plea in his tone, the desperation he had. Please, let him make the difference that I couldn't. Please keep them safe. Let him keep them safe. Let him never feel what I do.
"Heh." Donnie smirked and held out his hand. "I guess that's just what we do."
The "we" hurt, but it brought that warmth he was starting to get used to. He took Donnie's hand and it hurt. Everything about this hurt, but he wasn't going to run from this. Not this time.
"Maybe that's why we're here." He ducked his head to try and hide the smile of pride at how confident this Donnie was, how strong and open and sure he seemed.
They shook hands, and Donnie spun them, lifting their fists up above their heads, practically pulling Ghost along. When did Donnie get so tall?
The crowd was roaring, and Ghost hated all the eyes on him, but Donnie was so eagerly drinking it up, and Ghost was so proud of him.
He loved all of them so much. Every single one that he'd seen, the ones he hadn't seen. He loved them all and he hoped they all had people who loved them just as much in his place.
He smiled at the crowd, glad his mask could soak up the wetness from his eyes.
Off to the side, he could hear his little Leo scream, "HE HAS DIMPLES?!"
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I'M SOBBING THIS IS ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME THING I WAS THINKING ABOUT THEM MEETING AND GHKFHGHGFH
I JUST MADE IT A LOT SADDER IN GHOST'S HEAD BUT GOD
This has been so much fun and I just couldn't pass up writing a little short thing for them because I just nfgljdhlfg I loved this too much I'm so sorry
I'm glad this ended the way it did, even though it's wild to me that Ghost made it so far as to face up against Cass' Apocalypse of all things like JEEZE I didn't know this many people liked Ghost so much?
Anyway, yeah. I love all the people I met through this. Sorry I've been rambling. I haven't been able to process this whole thing very well lmao
izzy806
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