Don't Stop Fighting
AU by @dreamweave01, fanfic by me.
After Mikey pulled them from their awful timeline, the other three brothers were determined to stay together with their new family. Leo often refused to leave his brothers alone on the surface. Raph tried bonding games with them to get closer with his new family, and Donnie really tried to be more trusting. It was hard though.
It was around midnight, and Mikey woke to three separate screams.
He instantly knew what had happened. "Guys!" He rushed to the closest room, which was Donnie's.
His brother was sitting on the floor and holding his head, screaming. His Battle Shell was on. The nightmare must have been really bad. Donnie's Battle Shell only went on if he genuinely thought he was going to die. Mikey seized Donnie in hug.
"Donnie, it's okay! It's okay!"
Donnie stopped screaming, but broke down sobbing. Mikey picked him up and carried him to Leo's room, where his older brother was hugging himself, his breath coming rapidly. Mikey just took Leo's hand and lead him to Raph's room. Raph was screaming and sobbing. Mikey sat Leo down next to Raph and the blue-clad turtle instinctively hugged his brother. His breath was beginning to slow, and he too started crying.
Raph stopped screaming and his sobs slowed. Donnie still had his face buried in Mikey's shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.
"He came back, he came back," Donnie sobbed. "He came back, you all died." He cried harder.
Leo was almost fully recovered, and started whispering soothing things to Raph. Mikey snuggled up against his brother, taking off Donnie's Battle Shell slowly. Donnie's breath speed up, but Mikey gently started stroking his soft shell.
It was sadly not Mikey's first time helping his brother through nightmares. Leo always recovered first, and with Raph and Donnie, it varied. The first several times, Leo was just as bad as Raph or Donnie, but he was getting better.
"You didn't hurt us," Leo whispered to Raph. "It wasn't your fault. It was never your fault."
"He's not here, Donnie," Mikey said soothingly. "He was never here. He can't hurt us, and he can't hurt you. He can't hurt you anymore." He felt the scars on his brother's shell, and felt really mad at the Shredder. How could he do this to someone so good? So kind, and loyal, and brave?
"He can't hurt me anymore," Donnie repeated softly.
"That's right," Mikey murmured in the same soothing tone.
"And he can't hurt you anymore."
Raph was getting better too. "It's not my fault," he whispered. "It was never my fault."
Leo and Mikey smiled at each other. They were getting better. Usually it took almost an hour to calm them down.
"Can we have a turtle-pile?" Raph asked.
Donnie's response was crawling into Raph's lap and snuggling against his brother's plastron. Raph took a shaky breath and hugged Donnie. This in it's own right, was a way out of the nightmare trap. He was needed, and thus his mind calmed. He needed an anchor, and that was his little brother.
It also calmed Donnie. Because Donnie was also needed. He was also an anchor. And the fear from the nightmare began to dissipate.
Mikey and Leo snuggled close too, and they all fell asleep.
The next morning, the brothers were greeted by their parents.
"Good morning, turtley-boos," Big Mama sang.
"Good morning, Mama,'' the turtles all replied in unison.
"Hello, my sons," Splinter said.
Mikey and Donnie gave him a hug.
"Hey, Pops," Raph greeted.
"Hey, Dad," Leo said, grabbing fruit. "Morning, Draxum."
Mikey seized his other dad in a hug. Donnie awkwardly waved, and Raph nodded.
"Yes, yes, hello."
"I heard screaming last night," Splinter said. "Is everything alright?"
"Just nightmares, Dad," Mikey answered. "Everyone's okay though. Right?" He cast a look at his brothers.
Leo nodded. "I'm good. It was just a nightmare."
Raph trembled, and tears shone in his eyes. "I-It was pretty bad. I-I killed you again."
Mikey hugged him. "It's okay. You're okay. You didn't hurt us. It was never and will never be your fault."
"What about you, Purple?" Splinter asked.
Donnie just shook his head. Leo wrapped his arm around his little brother's shoulders and gave him a one-armed hug. "It's okay, Tello. It wasn't real. He was never here. You're okay."
Dee leaned into his brother and sighed. Mikey got an idea.
"Hey, Dee, wanna come get coffee with me?"
Donnie nodded, and the two brothers went out. Yokai were now accepted by the humans (thanks to Mikey), so they didn't have to disguise themselves.
"Where are we going?" the soft shell asked.
"A friend's coffee shop," Mike replied cheerfully. It was the Foot Shack, where his friend Cassandra worked.
The two brother got to the Foot Shack and went inside. Donnie immediately tensed. He knew that symbol. That horrible, horrible symbol. And when Mikey greeted a worker bearing the symbol, the poor turtle lost it.
"The Foot Clan!? You're friends with the Foot Clan?! After everything they've done!? How could you, Mikey?" Donnie shouted. People gave him concerned looks.
"Donnie, I-"
"Don't you know what they've done?!" Donnie screamed. Horrible images flashed through his traumatized mind. "They ruined my life! They killed my family. Leo and Raph sacrificed themselves to save us, and you died in my arms, Mikey!" He was crying now. "I held you as you died! And you're friends with them?! What is wrong with you?! How could you do this?"
"Donnie, please," Mikey begged. "They never did that! I stopped them before they did! Please, bro-"
"No!" Donnie shouted. "You're not my brother. I don't have brothers who are friends with the Foot." He turned and ran out the door, as far away from the coffee shop as he could.
"Donnie!" Mikey cried, racing after him. "Donnie, come back! Please!"
Suddenly a large black van pulled in front of him and a man pointed a gun at him! Mikey activated his ninpo a second too late as the dart sank into his skin. He swayed and fell to his knees.
"Donnie-!" Mikey called weakly. "Help......" Then he passed out as the men loaded him into the truck.
"Donnie, run!" Leo shouted. "Take Mikey and get out of here!"
"No, I won't leave you guys!" Donnie shouted, cradling his bleeding brother and trying to ignore the pain in his shell.
"You don't have a choice!" Raph shouted. "I'll buy you time."
Leo made a portal. "I'll help him. Get out of here."
"No!" Donnie cried. "I can't lose you too! Please, Nardo- Please."
Leo smiled sadly. "I love you, Tello. So does Raph. Always remember that." And then Leo kicked him through the portal. And Donnie watched in horror as both his brothers were killed before the portal snapped shut.
Mikey took shaky breaths, each one weaker than the last.
"Nonononono- Mikey, please don't die, I couldn't live if you died too-"
"Donnie....." Mikey whispered weakly. "Don't...... Don't stop fighting....... Keep...... Keep fighting. Please.... Don't give up..... Promise me......"
"I-I promise," Donnie sobbed. "I love you, Mikey."
"I love you too......" And with that, Mikey died. Donnie threw his head back to scream his anguish at the sky-
And woke up with a shaky gasp. He held his head and sobbed. Why can't I put this behind me? he thought as the tears rolled down his face. Why does this dream always haunt me?
Donnie got out of bed and went to Mikey's room. I should apologize, he thought. Maybe it will help. Also, I was a jerk.
"Mikey?" Donnie asked, knocking on the door quietly. "Mikey, can I come in? I'm sorry about how I acted today. Or yesterday. Whatever day I blew up at you. I shouldn't have done that. They just caught me off guard, and I'm really really sorry. Two really's. But I had a nightmare. Can I come in? ........ Mikey?"
Donnie opened the door. It was weirdly silent. Normally you could hear Mikey's snoring in the hall. Donnie's heart stopped when he saw Mikey's bed was empty.
Donnie ran through the halls in panic. "Mikey! Where are you?!"
Mikey woke up with a groan of pain. Everything was way too bright and way too loud. Why had he been kidnapped? Was Donnie okay? Would they be okay with their nightmares?
As a man walked towards him with a big needle, Mikey realized his brothers having nightmares was the least of his problems.
The entire family was around Donnie, who was shaking and crying and trying to explain.
"Breathe, Tello," Leo commanded. "Take your time."
"I-I had a n-n-nightmare," Donnie said, trying to hold back his tears. "I-I-It was r-really b-bad. I-I w-went to apologize a-a-and-" He cut off with a sob, then continued. "H-He w-w-was there. A-and all I d-did was y-yell at him earlier- I-I-I sh-shouldn't h-have yelled, I-I should have s-stayed. I-It's my f-fault-" He broke down sobbing.
Raph and Leo were by his side in an instant, hugging him fiercely.
"It's not your fault, Don," Raph said. "If me being forced to kill my brothers isn't my fault, you having a bad reaction to people who killed your family isn't yours."
Leo squeezed him tighter. "We'll find him, Tello. We can't stop fighting. For Mikey."
"For Mikey," Donnie and Raph said in unison.
"So, how do we find him?" Raph asked.
"You can activate your connection and maybe send mental messages," Draxum said.
Leo nodded. "Let's do that."
Draxum drew a mystic circle thing and each brother took a place. They all took deep breaths, and Leo said, "Mikey needs us, so we need to focus. Focus on our family, our love for each other, and remember; Anata wa hitori ja nai."
Mikey's throat hurt from how hard he'd been screaming for hours. It was so much, his body had gone numb. Then, he felt a mystic tap and grabbed at it.
'Mikey can you hear us? Mikey?'
'Donnie?'
'Oh, thank Pizza Supreme. Are you okay?'
'They're hurting me so bad. It hurts. I just want to go to sleep.'
'Mikey, don't you dare. We can't lose you.'
'Just hang on, Mikey, and remember; Anata wa hitori ja nai. You are not alone. Don't stop fighting. And Mikey? I'm really really sorry.'
'Two really's? It's okay, Donnie. I forgive you.'
As Mikey's mind returned to his body, the pain came back, but he wasn't ready to give up. Not yet. He wasn't going to stop fighting.
"We know where he is," Donnie said. "Let's go get him."
"Not too fast, Tello. We need to think this through."
"We don't have time to think this through!" Donnie shouted. "What happened to spontaneous Leo? The one who never thought anything through and winged everything? That's the Leo we need right now."
"He's right, Leo," Raph said. "Mikey doesn't have time from this."
Leo knew they were right. So he nodded. "Alright, boys, gear up. We have a brother to rescue."
Raph tested his biological Krang weapons and ninpo. Donnie gave Leo his prosthetic arm, and tested his tech. Soon, they were jumping from roof to roof and got to the building.
"Donnie, black-out."
"Gladly." Donnie activated his ninpo and scrambled the electricity system, causing the entire building to go dark.
"Leo, portal."
"Coming right up."
Leo created a portal to where he felt Mikey was and the three jumped inside. Scientists were rushing around and shouting. Mikey was unconscious and glowing faintly.
"Donnie, get to Mikey," Leo whispered. "Raph and I will handle the guards."
Donnie nodded and faded into the shadows.
One scientist stepped up and shouted, "This is just a minor set-back. Continue with the experiments."
Raph and Leo stepped out of the shadows, draw their weapons. "Oh no, you don't," Leo growled. Then they attacked.
Donnie was stealthily moving towards Mikey when a scientist started going at him with a surgeon's blade. He quit on stealthy and attacked the scientist. "Stay away from him," he snarled.
"Donnie! Look out!" Raph lashed out with his Krang arm and smacked the scientist into a wall.
Donnie cut Mikey free, but was slashed in the arm with a surgeon's blade. He cried out with pain, and fell to the ground. Through reflex tears, he saw the lead scientist heading to Mikey with the very blade that cut his arm.
"No!" Donnie shouted, tackling the scientist's legs and knocking him to the ground. The two grappled for control of the blade. Images of his Mikey's death flashed through Donnie's mind. "You stay away from him! I am not losing him again, you hear me?! Never again!" He kicked the scientist into the bottom of the surgeon's table and slammed his foot into his face.
Raph scooped up Mikey and Leo got Donnie on his feet. Donnie was crying. Leo gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay, Tello. You did it. You saved him. Let's go home."
Mikey's heart sped up as the nightmares racked his mind. He jerked and twisted and flopped until he bolted up with a cry. He was suddenly hug-tackled.
"It's okay, Mikey," he heard Donnie whispered. "You're home. You're safe. I'm here." Leo and Raph joined the hug. "We all are."
Mikey let out a laughing sob. "Isn't nightmare-comfort my thing?"
Leo squeezed him tighter. "Everybody needs comfort sometimes, Mikey. Even you."
Raph pulled them all together. "Turtle-pile."
And together, they all fell into dreamless sleeps, safe and home. Because they never stopped fighting.
Well that was the longest thing ever. Thanks for bearing with me, and thank you @dreamweave01, for letting me write this fantastic story, your au is absolutely amazing. There aren't enough words to describe it. Thank you.
@willanara, @koolaidashley, @truths33k3r4, @sara-the-wizard, @oddartistl3, @charcoaldustonmyfingers, @howtotrainyourdragonprince
