The young turtles ran around the pit, Raphael hitting the broom handle in Michelangelo's direction.
"Mikey, it wasn't funny!" He shouted, running as quickly as his eight year old legs would carry him.
"Aw, don't be like that, Raphie!" Mikey shouted back, keeping just out of reach of his older brother.
"Raphael! Michelangelo!" Splinter called to them. The two tots stopped their chase, Raph attempting to high the broom behind his back. "What is the meaning of your yelling and running?"
"Mikey got my comic all wet an'e didn't even say sorry or nothin'!" Raph shouted, pointing to the offending comic.
"I did say sorry! You didn't listen!"
"No ya didn't, Mikey! You just laughed an' said 'Oops' like a dummy!"
"I'm not a dummy!" Mikey shouted.
"Enough, you two. Donatello, did Michelangelo apologize?" Splinter asked the smallest turtle, who had been sitting on the couch watching his brothers.
"No, he didn't, Sensei. But Raphael started chasing him before he had a chance to." Donnie said in a quiet voice, looking at his brother's with a shy expression.
"Thank you, Donatello. You will both apologize to each other, Michelangelo for ruining his comic, and Raphael for chasing him."
"But I wouldn't of even chased'im if he didn't ruin my stuff!" Raph argued, but was silenced by his father's stern expression.
"Sorry, Mikey." He grumbled, looking down at his feet and clenching his fists.
"I'm sorry too, Raphie." Mikey told him. "I can help ya dry your comic if ya want me too."
Raph didn't say anything, but handed the comic over to his younger brother.
"Good, now that that is settled, if you do not mind, I am going to lie down early tonight. I am not feeling well." He told his sons, Leonardo coming out of the kitchen when he heard his father.
"What's wrong with you, Sensei?" He asked.
"Nothing, I'm sure. Most likely just a cold, but it is draining my energy." Splinter smiled comfortingly down at his oldest son.
"If you think you have a cold, Sensei, you should make sure to keep your hands clean, and drink lots of water. It's also flu season, so we should keep very clean since we live in the sewers, and I doubt any of us can get the flu shot. I can get you a glass of water, though, if you like." Donnie offered, getting up off the couch.
Splinter smiled, nodding down at his brightest son. "Thank you, Donatello." He told him as he walked to the kitchen.
Donnie and Leo walked their father to his bedroom, opening the door and helping him to bed.
"We'll be extra quiet, Sensei." Leo told him before closing the door.
"Yeah, it'll be like we're not even here." Donnie whispered.
They closed the door behind them and tip-toed down the hallway, re-entering the main room.
"Is he asleep?" Raph asked, and smiled at the confirmation.
"Yeah, let's go." Donnie smiled.
"Wait, what?" Leo asked, grabbing Donnie's arm before they ran off. "Where are you going?" He kept his voice hushed.
"Out into the sewers." Donnie told him with a smile. "There's a big celebration on this day and I want to see. Raph's coming too."
"What kind of celebration?" Mikey asked, the word he knew meant party sparking his interests.
"For the New Year. It's December 31st, and January 1st marks the celebration of the Earth completing a full cycle around the earth and why am I still explaining this to you?"
Mikey shrugged, but his smile grew. "If there's a party I want to go!"
"We can all go!" Raph said excitedly.
"Yeah, there's going to be music, and food, and fireworks!"
"What are fireworks?" Mikey asked.
"I don't know, but I'm excited to find out!" Donnie smiled excitedly.
"Wait! We can't just go! Master Splinter wouldn't let us!" Leo told them.
"Well, it's a good thing he isn't here to say no." Raph smiled, and the three younger brothers ran for the door, grabbing their small hoods to stay warm, Donnie grabbing a bag as well, and ran out the door.
Leo watched them run before crying out, "Hey, wait for me!" Grabbing his own cloak and chasing after them.
"Decided to join us?" Raph teased as Leo caught up to him.
"Well, I don't want you guys to get in trouble, so I have to come with you, because I'm the oldest." He said, turning his nose up.
"Man, am I glad that we don't know if Raph's older than me. It'd probably be 10 times worse than that." Donnie whispered to his younger brother.
"Imagine how I feel." Mikey grumbled as they continued to walk down the tunnels.
"So, Donnie, no humans are gonna see us, right?" Leo asked.
"No, we're okay. We're just going to stay in the sewers, but I found one that points at where they're going to be holding the celebration."
"But how are we gonna get food, then?" Mikey frowned, holding his stomach.
"I brought us some of our own food." Donnie smiled, patting his bag.
"But we're ninjas! We could probably just sneak up and get our own food!" Raph suggested.
"No, absolutely not! We're not allowed topside, and you know it!" Leo told him.
"Maybe someone will drop something into the sewers." Mikey said optimistically.
"Yay. Leftovers." Raph cheered sarcastically.
"Guys, we're not here for the food. We're here for the music, the fireworks and to celebrate the New Year." Donnie told him stepping up on the higher part of the sewer and peeking out of the opening. He let out a silent, 'Whoa,' as he seen the people.
His brothers each lifted themselves up to see and let out small gasps.
"There's people every where's." Mikey said, his eyes growing large as feet passed them. People were running around, adults, teenagers and children alike, though it would have been well past their bedtime.
"I think this was a mistake, guys." Leo frowned, shrinking back a bit.
"Oh look, the oldest is scared, guys." Raph smirked at his brothers.
"I'm not scared! But if they see us then we'll be in big trouble!" Leo told them. "And if Sensei wakes up and we're not home!"
"He won't wake up." Donnie rolled his eyes. "I put a sedative in his water."
"You what?!" Leo yelled.
Donnie let out a laugh, turning back to his brother. "I'm joking!" He said, "I didn't drug Sensei. But he did look very tired, and he didn't even make sure that we went to bed, so he must've been out of it."
"We're fine, Leo, enjoy the party." Raph smiled. Mikey had jumped down off the ledge and was dancing to the loud music.
"O-Okay, I guess, we can stay for a little longer." Leo said, looking back out of the opening.
They stayed for another hour, eating the snacks that Donnie had brought, and dancing to the music.
At one point a couple of people had sat down on the curb they were under, setting some of their food by the opening where Mikey could grab it.
They enjoyed the pop-corn and drink more than they had ever enjoyed any other food, though Raph and Mikey argued that worms and algae were a lot better than the other two made it out to be.
"It's almost twelve!" They heard a girl call out, and all ran up to the opening.
"It's almost twelve?!" Leo asked incredulously. "We should definitely be home!"
"No, no, Leo! That's when the fireworks happen!" Donnie told him, and they all ran to the opening.
They looked at the group of people; all gathered looking up at the sky.
"5!" They heard the people chant, and joined along.
"4!"
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"Happy New Year!" They heard all the people scream at once and immediately echoed it.
"Look at the fireworks!" A girl cried out and they all looking excitedly up at the sky.
A shot of light made its way from the ground and exploded into colour.
"That's a firework." Donnie gasped, his eyes the size of dinner plates as he looked up at the pyrotechnics.
More came soon after, with loud claps of sound as they exploded in the night sky.
"They're amazing." Leo let out, a bright smile on his face.
"Donnie, can you make those?" Mikey asked.
"I'm gonna try." He gave a mischievous smile towards his younger brother.
"Awesome." Raph grinned.
Eventually they died down, people began to make their way home and the music went off.
"That was really great." Raph smiled. "Good idea, Don." He clapped his brother on the back.
"Yeah, it was totally radical." Mikey agreed, preforming the shaka sign with his hand.
"What was it for again, Donnie?" Leo asked.
"Well, the New Year's Eve is the 31st of December and it's celebrated because the Earth has made another rotation around the Earth and January 1st, which is today, is the first day of the New Year." Donnie explained again, sure that at least Leo would understand. "It's kind of like the Earth's birthday."
"So it happens every year?" Raph asked.
"Yeah. Since, like, 153 B.C."
"Sweet. Let's do it again next year." Mikey suggested excitedly.
"Yeah, definitely." Donnie smiled, while the other three nodded along.
They got back to the lair, smiling widely when Splinter was not there waiting for them.
"Go check on him, Don." Raph urged, and Donnie stiffened.
"Why me?" He asked.
"Because you'd be the one most likely to check on him when he's sick. And you probably should, anyways. Because he is sick." Leo told him, pushing him forwards.
"Fine, fine." He frowned.
He tiptoed down the hall and opened his father's door quietly before slipping inside.
He examined his father, lying peacefully on the bed, and very carefully placed the back of his hand to his forehead.
Smiling happily when he wasn't warm, Donnie went to creep back out of the room but heard shuffling behind him.
He stiffened when he heard his father's voice.
"What are you doing still awake, Donatello?" He asked.
"I, um, wasn't. I woke up, and I thought I would check on you since you said you were sick, but you look fine, and now I'm going to go back to sleep." He wasn't sure if he even heard him since he was talking so quickly and quietly, but it didn't matter. "Goodnight, Sensei." He gave a quick bow before retreating from the room.
"Guys, go to bed." He hissed at his brothers as they were still stood in the main room, before rushing off to his own room.
"Well, goodnight guys. See you in the morning." Raph yawned, walking to his own room before Leo and Mikey followed.
Almost exactly eight years later, Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo and April sat on the top of a building just away from the city's centre where hundreds of people were gathered celebrating the New Year.
They were all huddled together, blankets and jackets on each of them watching the people down below them.
Raphael and Casey appeared on the roof moments later, mounds of food in their hands.
"Okay, this is what we snagged, and that's what we paid for, so if you're feeling a bit too 'goody-goody' you can eat from Casey's pile." Raph told them, rolling his eyes. "My pile's way better, by the way."
"That's because we stole all the expensive stuff." Casey chuckled, picking from that pile.
The other four looked at each other before shrugging. "I'm not feeling entirely angelic tonight." Donnie declared, taking a bag of cotton candy.
"We've been saving their butts all year, they should be handing this stuff out to us." Leo said, getting a laugh from the rest of the teens.
"Works for me." Mikey smiled, digging in.
"So, this is your first new year's above ground?" Casey asked.
"Yup. We've gone every year but we're usually right about..." Donnie looked down at the ground, his finger wavering around the streets for a moment before stopping. "There." He pointed at a small grate a few metres back.
"Ouch, probably not the best view." April laughed.
"Not the best food, either." Mikey told them, stuffing more into his mouth.
They continued there for the night, dancing to the music and eating their food. April eventually left for a few minutes as they seen there pizza show up at the front door of the building they were on.
"Pizza for O'Neil?" She asked the regular pizza boy as she jumped down from the ladder to the roof.
"Got it right here." He told her, handing the pizza over. "You and your turtle buddies enjoying the fireworks up there?" He smirked, and April almost dropped her money.
"How do you-?" She started and he laughed.
"I've seen you guys around enough. Don't worry; I'm not one to judge." He took the money and started to ride away. "Enjoy your pizza, and Happy New Year!"
"Um, thanks! Happy New Year!" April shouted, before shaking her head and making her way back up onto the roof.
"So, the pizza guy knows you guys exist." April said as she jumped back up.
"Makes enough sense, Raph scared the shell out of him our first night topside." Donnie shrugged, taking a slice of the pizza.
"Guys, it's almost midnight!" Mikey said excitedly, taking a slice as well. They all ran to the side of the building, looking over to where the fireworks were set up.
Another minute later and the countdown started.
"5!"
"4!"
"3!"
"2!"
"1!"
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" They all shouted; Raph and Casey clinking their bottles together as April gave Donnie a kiss on the cheek. Mikey hung himself off of Leo, smashing their pizzas together before taking a large bite, Leo laughing happily.
"Happy Birthday, World!" Mikey shouted; a mouth full of pizza.
They remained up on the roof for another hour, laughing and dancing to the music that continued to play in the town centre, only leaving when there were enough people to get around easily undetected.
Happy New Year, y'all, hope you enjoyed~!