Author's Note: This fanfic is born because there are never enough crossovers between these eight turtles. Ever.
I'm fond of both shows, so I won't be flaming one or the other. Just telling in case that's what you hoped for.
Set after season 4 for the 2012 turtles (guess where I want to go?) and after season 5 for the 2003 turtles.
I don't own them.
I'll be switching points of view a lot and I'll do my best so it doesn't become too confusing. As suggested in another of my stories, I'll try referring to the 2003 turtles with their full name and to the 2012 turtles with their nicknames.
Welcome to this story. I hope you enjoy it!
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United We Stand, Part 1
~2003 Raphael~
I immediately knew something was wrong. Granted, we were surrounded by a cloud of smoke and couldn't see a thing, but I had this feeling. This you're not in your dimension feeling.
Believe me, I hate it.
"Don…" I growled.
"I don't know what went wrong," my genius brother answered. "My calculations were perfect!"
Leonardo narrowed his eyes and moved his left hand to his katana hilt, just in case. Always ready. I guess he was about to says something like "Guys, be careful" or "Wait for it", but Michelangelo had already stepped out of the smoke cloud and was exclaiming loudly.
"Guys! Check this out!"
Leonardo sighed discreetly and I grinned. I like it when Mike helps me remember our leader that some recklessness is good for the soul.
The smoke cloud dissipated, and we were able to look at our surroundings. I'm certain my jaw dropped, and I swear Donatello's did, too. Not Leo's. The guy gives an entire new meaning to the concept of self-control.
We were in a wide room which looked like a subway station, with the turnstiles and all. On a comfy couch in front of a TV set, two turtles were looking at us with stupefaction. If their bandana colors were anything to go by, they were this world's Leo and Mikey. Near sliding doors on the other side of the room, two other turtles had stopped dead in their tracks. Donnie and Raph, I assumed. Both had their arms full of pipes, and Donnie was leading the way. I had no idea what he was going to do with them, but I'm no genius.
The TV displayed a cartoon show I had never heard of. Something about space heroes. It looked really lame, by the way.
I was shocked at how small these turtles were. It was cute in a way, especially with their pupils and irises. My own eyes are an impressive white. Much more suitable for a respectable turtle.
I exchanged baffled glances with my brothers before collecting myself. Well. At least we weren't surrounded by enemies.
"Aaaaaawesome!" Their Mikey shouted before jumping at our Michelangelo, who caught him with a huge grin. He had freckles. Freckles!
"Awww, mini-me is so cute! Guys! Can I keep him?" Our brother asked gleefully.
"No, Mike," Donatello answered matter-of-factly. "It would most certainly unbalance dimensions, and maybe even create a major distortion in the space-time continuum, and you don't want that."
"I don't?" Michelangelo, asked, tilting his head as if he had a clue what Donatello had just said.
"You don't."
Leonardo cleared his throat.
"Sorry to disturb you like that," he politely said, looking at the other Leo.
Who was now standing in front of us, and I hadn't seen him move. My Leonardo can do the same. It's spooky, but a rather cool ninja ability. Not that I would ever acknowledge it to him.
"We're kind of… lost."
"Don't worry about that," Mikey beamed. "We've already watched this episode, like, a thousand times. But it's Leo's favorite, and you have to indulge your brother sometimes, right? It's not his fault he's a hopeless Space Heroes fan."
I almost choked. Their Leo was a stupid cartoon's fan? Forget what I just said about coolness. Another world with childish turtles, just what I needed.
Their Raph dropped the pipes he was holding – much to his Donnie's dismay – and stomped to us to peel Mikey off Michelangelo. He looked really bothered. I kind of liked it. Donnie delicately placed his load in a neat pile on the floor before coming closer to us, a curious look on his face. Now that they were all side to side, I could see that their heights were different. Both Leo and Donnie were taller than Raph, which for some reason bothered me. A lot.
"How did you get there?" Donnie asked.
He had one tooth missing. An experiment gone wrong?
Donatello looked at him with circumspection.
"I'm not exactly sure," he confessed. "We were trying to come home… But now we must wait until the teleporting crystal has reloaded."
"You can stay here as long as you want to!" Freckled Mikey chirped. "Right, Leo?"
"Right," little Leo said.
He was watching us thoughtfully. I felt slightly uneasy under his attentive gaze.
Don't be stupid. He's nothing more than a kid. Who likes cartoons.
My Leonardo bowed slightly. He is sometimes too formal to my liking, but I suppose it balances my lack of manners. Or Michelangelo's.
"Thank you. If you believe that your Master Splinter will agree, then we gladly accept."
The four turtles in front of us tensed visibly at that, and Leonardo frowned.
"Is there a problem?"
Leo averted his eyes, not answering.
"If your Sensei doesn't approve…" Leonardo added hesitantly.
"We don't want to get you into trouble," I interjected.
"Oh, don't worry about that," Mikey answered, shaking his head. His voice was a strange mix of humor and grief, which I didn't understand. "Our Sensei approves."
"Maybe," Leonardo went on, "you need to ask him first?"
It was impossible to tell if you weren't his brother, but he was tense.
I was too. Our counterparts' stances were too rigid, their gazes too intense. Mikey had a forlorn expression, Raph was glaring at us as if we had just insulted them and Donnie looked sad.
And they had all moved closer to Leo, whose expression was unreadable. But I could have sworn his cheeks were a greener tone now. Seriously, he was blushing?
"Already done," Mikey added slowly with the same mixed tone.
"Oh. Alright," Leonardo said, baffled.
Donatello took a step forward, his curiosity taking over.
"Did you send him a message? How? Our own father is a lost cause when it comes to technology."
Raph let out a strangled laugh.
"No need to," he said wryly.
Now they were getting on my nerves. Maybe they had some superpower we didn't – telepathy, perhaps? – but it was no reason to take us for fools.
"Then how can you be sure that your Sensei approves of our staying here?" I said, restraining from adding a few well-thought insults.
They were our hosts, after all.
Raph, Donnie and Mikey turned towards Leo, clearly expecting him to talk. The short blue-clad turtle took a deep breath and raised his head to look each of us in turn in the eye. His gaze felt too old for a fan of kids' cartoons.
When he finally spoke, my stomach turned.
"I, Leonardo, Sensei of the Hamato clan since our beloved father's death, welcome you in our home for as long as will be needed."
