Prologue- Together Forever

In the depths of the sewers in NYC, there was a family of mutant turtle brothers with their mutant rat father/master.

Out of all the four turtle brothers, Michelangelo was the youngest and was the one they needed to really take care of against any illness.

Why?

Because he had a very weak immune system. Any mild cold and/or any sickness that he catches, he could nearly die from it.

Their father, Hamato Yoshi/Splinter, found out about his condition when the four were just 1 year old and since then, he kept his youngest son in a safe and clean room with a transparent window at the top part of the door so Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello, Mikey's three older brothers, could still see him and visit him everyday.

All was well...until one stormy night.

The turtle children were 6 years old and while Mikey and Splinter were fast asleep, Leo, Raph and Donnie snuck out of the lair to play a game of Marco Polo in the sewers but in the middle of their game, they got caught in a flash flood. They kept on screaming for someone to help them, which caught Mikey's attention from inside his isolated room, making him jolt up in alarm and run out to save his brothers.

" Hang on, dudes!" he cried out to them as he saw them trying to swim out of the water." I'm coming to help!"

" No, Mikey!" Donnie screamed when he heard his little brother's loud cry." If you come into the water, you'll die!"

" Then I won't come! Just grab on to me and I'll pull you guys out of there!"

Mikey reached out and, one by one, was able to get his brothers back from the flowing water. The four were so happy that they were all safe and alive that they did a group hug before walking back to the lair.

Suddenly, the edge of the ground cracked, making Leo and Raph fall back into the water. Donnie and Mikey grabbed them both to try to get them back up to safety but as soon as the two elder brothers had their both of their feet back on the ground, the youngest slipped and fell into the rushing water.

" MIKEY!" the three shrieked in panic, pouncing into the flood to save their little brother.

Mikey tried his best to swim and to float to stay alive but he was so cold that his immune system couldn't take it. When his brothers finally got to him and brought him to safety, it was too late.

The young turtle wasn't moving nor was he breathing. His body was colder than his usual body temperature and they couldn't feel his heartbeat nor his pulse.

Their little brother was gone.

Leo, Raph and Donnie couldn't help the tears falling from their eyes as they cuddled Mikey's dead body and mourned for hours before walking back to the lair, carrying their youngest sibling with them.

" My sons?" Splinter asked as he met and saw his three older children walk to their home from the sewers." Where have you all been? What happened?"

The three showed the cold body to their father, who gasped in horror.

" We're really sorry, sensei," Leo apologized in tears.

" We got caught in flood and he saved us," Raph explained as he sniffles his cries.

" But we couldn't save him in time!" Donnie bursted into tears, placing his face on his hands in shame and sadness.

" We're sorry that he's dead, Master Splinter!" the three turtle kids shouted, crying their sadness out as they tried to wipe away their tears.

Splinter sighed sadly, placing his youngest down before giving his other sons a big, warm hug.

" Do not cry, my sons," he soothed them." This was an accident. Do not blame yourselves for I do not blame any of you either,"

The three kept crying and crying on their father's chest until they finally calmed down. They placed Mikey's lifeless body in a brown coffin and placed it in the dojo to visit every single day. Leo, Raph and Donnie tried their best and hardest to forgive theirselves for what happened to their little brother but they kept having the same bad dream every night.

They thought that they would be sleepless forever.

But then, one morning, the three remaining brothers had a strange surprise.

They woke up screaming when they saw Mikey's spirit greeting them and looking at them with a wide smile, a welcoming wave and a happy giggle. At first, they didn't believe what they were seeing and they thought it was just their imagination but soon, they realized that it really was Mikey's spirit.

" But how?!" Donnie asked in wonder.

" Yeah, how are you here?!" Raph gasped in surprise.

" And why?!" Leo demanded, not wanting to be hurt anymore with any accusations from the spirit of the one who died.

Mikey smiled, tears falling from his eyes before giving his explanation.

" I-I couldn't leave. Not yet. Not ever. I love you dudes and I love my whole family too much to leave and go to heaven so I chose to stay here and be with you guys. We'll grow up together and I promise to keep you all safe from danger of all kinds! Cross my heart!"

Leo, Raph and Donnie cried tears of joy before the four brothers did a group hug.

Unfortunately, only the three older brothers could see Mikey's spirit so Splinter didn't know if his sons were crazy when they were talking to nobody when they were really talking to Mikey.

One day, while he was doing his afternoon meditation, he found out that his sons were seeing their dead brother. Mikey explained to his father that he wanted to stay with the family and Splinter was so happy that he gave his deceased son a warm welcoming hug.

For years, Mikey had been playing and training with his brothers plus he's been protecting them from trouble and/or danger. He didn't care if it was scary. He didn't care about anything else.

As long as he stayed with his family, he was happy...