My nightmare always begins the same.

I'm in the middle of a losing battle with Raphael and Michelangelo by my side. Donatello cannot be reached by shell-cell. we are alone and outnumbered.

I'm fighting to keep afloat of all the ninja surrounding us. I try to keep the majority from my brothers, but suddenly I hear a sharp cry of pain from Mikey.

I'm momentarily stunned, then turn my sword on the one responsible for evoking that cry from my brother. I'm still breathing heavily as I feel steel connect with flesh and then my eyes drift downward to Mikey.

Mikey lies awkwardly on his side, breathing shallowly. His skin is pale and his lips are a horrible shade of green. The sword that had pierced his side now lies beside him, along with the owner; decapitated, limbs twitching slightly in death.

"Mike!" Raphael is always the first to get to the scene of carnage. He barrells his way through his adversaries and past my frozen form. Falling to his knees I see the sudden comprehension in his eyes. See the streaks of teartracks on his face as he turns wildly, his gaze finally locking on me. "Leo, we havta do sometin, now. Mikey aint gonna make it!"

I drop beside Raphael and watch Mikey take shallow breaths. He is juddering and twitching, his eyes barely open. A small trickle of blood runs from his mouth, and I feel him tense up as a new wave of agony rushes through his body.

"Leo! What'd we do?" Raph pulls out his shell-cell, his fingers trembling uselessly as he hits Don's number and waits impatiently for him to answer. Angrily, he throws the phone away from him, hitting the ground with his fist. I feel his bones crack with the violence of his movement.

Mikey turns suddenly, gasping. His hand grasps at thin air, and I feel my own hand drawn towards his, holding it tightly as I fight to keep calm.

"I messed ... up ... bro ..." Mikey says quietly, his voice hitching with pain. A small tear trickles down his pale cheek, and he looks helpless, defeated. "I'm sorry ..."

I shake my head and smile at Mikey. "You did great, Mikey. We won. We're safe now."

Mikey lurches, struggling to breathe. He doesn't notice the shadows surrounding us. His eyes can barely see. A fresh wave of agony comes over him, and his hand crushes mine.

I hear a sword unsheath behind me. Cold metal presses on my shoulder. Refusing to turn, I hold onto Mikey's hand and watch the twitching cease and his breathing still. His face is turned towards me but his eyes are cold, lifeless. I don't have to check for a heartbeat. I know it's over.

Raphael has become a ball of quivering grief by my side, howling with rage. He pushes himself up and launches himself at our approaching attackers, his moves awkward and clumsy.

I lean forward and close Mikey's eyes with my fingers. I kiss his brow and feel the heat quickly evaporating from his still corpse.

I turn to Raph, who is killing everyone in his path. His blind fury leaves no prisoners, his rage spells death to anyone and everyone in his path. He had taken out the ninja behind me with a merciless strike, and I watch as he runs out of enemies.

He is coiled and taut and unrelenting. He looks at me with terrified eyes, sudden understanding of his violent storm descending. He lifts his sai and points the prongs toward his own chest.

"Raph, no!" I feel myself moving towards him before I truly understand what is happening.

"Mikey's gone, Leo." Raph is sobbing violently, and he plunges the sharp prong of his centre blade viciously through his own plastron and into his heart.

I reach him a second later as he falls awkwardly to the ground, catching him in my arms as I feel his breathing cease. A few further sobs, and then nothing.

I ring Donatello on my shell-cell. After a few moments, his voicemail comes on. I leave him a small message in a calm voice. I tell him our brothers are dead. I tell him to keep living. To find a way to move on without us.

I drag the sai out of Raphael's heart and hold the point to my own chest. Before the weapon plunges into my own heart I feel a warm collection of memories overcome me - memories of my brothers and I growing up, fighting over video games, sparring in the dojo, meeting April and Casey, defeating The Shredder. These memories are all glorious, and I feel a heavy weight descend.

Those memories will be our last. I plunge the sai deep before fear can take over and numb my steady hand.

It is almost instantaneous, a sudden mixture of pain and relief flooding through me as I topple over Raph's corpse. I see shapes, vivid and bright. A rainbow of colours all swirling against my dulling eyes. I see a vast brightness at a distance and I see Mikey and Raph smiling at me through a hazy tunnel.

As I float towards them, they reach out their arms for me. I have no hesitation. I float on, towards their welcoming embrace.

Leonardo