A/N: Thanks to Amonraphoenix and Darkunderworld for beta-ing for me. You two are awesome and I would be lost without you.
Disclaimer: see chapter one
Leonardo looked at Michelangelo, panic robbing him of his ability to breathe. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. He concentrated on slowing his breathing so that he could fall into a deep meditative state. He needed to reach Michelangelo, to comfort him and assure him that everything was going to be okay, and that he was going to be fine.
Leonardo opened his eyes to darkness; so all consuming it was smothering, cloying, almost sticky. A rolling mist began to fill in the world around him, painting a forest in muted shades of grey and brown. "Mikey!" he called out as the echo of his brother's panicked voice reached his ears.
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
Leonardo ran through the underbrush, pushing away dead branches, and stumbling over uprooted trees and winding, grasping tree roots that hindered his progress. "Mikey!" he called out again, the sound of rushing water nearly drowning out his baby brother's voice.
He staggered out from the forest, falling to his knees, a sharp pain shooting through his legs as he lifted up his head, confronted by a human child, who looked at him, perplexed.
"You're not supposed to be here," the child said as Leonardo's attention was drawn from the boy to Michelangelo, who called out his name.
"Leo!" Michelangelo was hip deep in the river, about one quarter of the way across. "Help!"
Leonardo leapt to his feet, rushing unthinkingly towards the river. His feet struck the icy water and he felt his legs go instantly numb.
"What are you doing?" the boy asked as he stood next to Leonardo, standing on top of the water.
"Saving my baby brother," Leonardo ground out as he waded ever deeper into the frigid water. It felt as if the water was repelling him somehow. He was fighting against the swirling currents that seemed to be dragging Michelangelo ever deeper and further away from him. Michelangelo was mid-chest deep and nearly halfway across the expanse of water before Leonardo was able to grab onto his brother's flailing arms.
"You can't save him," the boy pointed out solemnly.
"Leo!" Michelangelo wailed, tears of misery coursing down his cheeks.
"I'm not letting him go! I am going to save him," Leonardo vowed defiantly. "I'm not going to leave him alone. I'm not going to let him die."
Leonardo tugged his brother, using all of his nearly sapped strength to pull him back, but he may as well have been trying to move a boulder for all he was able to move his brother. "You have to help me, Mikey!" he pleaded with his brother.
"I'm trying!" Michelangelo complained as he began to slip from Leonardo's grasp.
"Mikey!" he shouted. "Please try!" He encouraged.
Michelangelo gritted his teeth and ever so slowly they moved towards the dead forest, leaving behind the tempting, simplicity and beauty of the vast forest on the other side of the river.
They both fell hard upon the river's edge. Michelangelo was panting hard with exertion and shaking. Leonardo felt somehow insubstantial, lighter almost. The darkness was grabbing at him, pulling him back.
"Leo!" Michelangelo yelled at him, fear filling his face. "D-don't leave me!" he begged reaching out a shaking hand towards him.
"Mikey!" Leonardo shouted in panic as he was swept back. "I won't leave you! I promise!" He vowed as he was unwillingly dragged away from his baby brother, and thrown into back into life.
Leonardo gasped as he felt himself slammed back into his body as the SUV came to a stop. Leonardo felt weak and disoriented, unable to move when Donatello tried to get him out of the back of the SUV. His brother's panicked voice swirled around him as he heard Casey and April's voices raised in alarm.
Leonardo drifted in and out of consciousness, but was able to answer a few questions that Donatello had posed to him in a moment of lucidity. He was able to gather that he and Raphael were 'stable', while Michelangelo's injuries were considered the most life threatening. Michelangelo had been placed on the kitchen table, and Donatello and April were rushing around, setting up medical equipment and prepping for surgery.
Leonardo had been placed on a love seat in the living room, while Raphael had been placed on the couch. Casey was ordered to apply pressure to the laceration on Raphael's head that was still bleeding. Donatello was worried about a possible concussion or skull fracture, but Michelangelo needed treatment more urgently, so Casey was kneeling beside Raphael, a thick gauze pad pressed against Raphael's skull.
The hands of the many must join as one
And together we'll cross the river
Leonardo's eyes drifted closed again, needing to find and help his baby brother.
(Nature, nurture heaven and home)
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
In the kitchen, Donatello and April had managed to get the piece of wood out of Michelangelo's side and were now in the process of trying to stop the bleeding.
Donatello could feel his rising panic at the amount of blood that his brother seemed to be losing. There had been so much damage; Donatello was at a loss of where to even begin to repair his baby brother's grievous injury. Determination replaced panic. He wasn't going to let his baby brother die on his operating table. He flicked a quick glance at April, who was pale, but whose face also contained the faint light of determination as well. She gave a slight nod as Donatello quickly threaded a needle, reaching into his brother's side, and began the almost impossible task of stitching together muscle and tissue.
(Sum of all, and by them, driven)
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
April kept a vigilant watch on Michelangelo's breathing and heart rate, determined to keep him alive and let Donatello know of any changed to either. She wasn't going to lose her friend. She wasn't going to let his heart just stop, not without one hell of a fight.
(To conquer every mountain shown)
The hands of the many must join as one
Leonardo strode through the darkness, calling his brother's name. His brother's terror filled voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. He gritted his teeth in determination, willing himself to find his brother, whose voice was raised in panic, calling desperately out for him.
"Mikey! I'm coming!" he shouted running towards where he knew his brother to be, even though he was still unable to see anything beyond the thick merciless darkness that surrounded him. His feet burned with cold and the darkness cleared, leaving him confronted with the reality that his brother was neck deep in the river, three quarters across the expanse of water.
Leonardo didn't think, just reacted by diving into the swirling, heaving, water that seemed determined to drag his brother to his death.
Leonardo surfaced, taking in a deep breath of air as he tried to swim towards his brother, his own ties to life tugging at him, trying to impede his progress. "Mikey! I'm coming, don't give up! Please don't give up!"
"L-Leo..I...I can't! I-it's too hard!" Michelangelo sobbed tiredly. "Le...Leo, I'm scared! I don't want to be alone. Please, Leo. I don't want to die!"
Leonardo reached out for his brother but his hand clasped the little boy's who appeared out of nowhere.
"It is not your time." The boy spoke with solemn annoyance and Leonardo felt himself flung back into his body.
And together we'll cross the river
Michelangelo's breathing slowed, until his chest failed to rise again. April immediately shouted at Donatello, who desperately stared at his friend as if he couldn't believe her words. He looked at his baby brother's pale and unmoving plastron, shaking his head in denial. "Mikey!" he cried out in panic. "Don't you dare do this to me!" He begged as he began performing chest compressions on his brother's plastron. Stopping only to breathe into his brother's mouth trying to revive his baby brother.
(Braved the forests, braved the stone)
It'll take a lot more than words and guns
April's face paled even more as Donatello felt tears of despair begin to trickle down his cold cheeks.
His focus narrowed into a small pinpoint of awareness. His eyes locked upon his hands, crimson with his baby brother's blood.
(Braved the icy winds and fire)
A whole lot more than riches and muscle
"Please Mikey, please… no…!" Donatello's voice broke with grief as his brother's body gave no sign of life.
(Braved and beat them on my own)
The hands of the many must join as one
"NO!" Donatello yelled. "Mikey!" Donatello shouted in anguish.
And together we'll cross the river
April wrapped an arm around Donatello's shoulders as her friend broke down. He had done all he could, but the injury was too serious; there had been too much damage to repair.
"I'm sorry, Mikey," Donatello sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry I failed you."
April picked up a blanket and reverently draped it over Michelangelo's lifeless body.
And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river
Leonardo heard Donatello's debilitating roar of grief, and Leonardo felt sorrow rise up and consume him whole. Michelangelo had been so scared, and he had promised -no, swore- to Michelangelo that he wouldn't leave him alone, but he had. He had let his baby brother die, frightened and alone, dragged into the river's icy, numbing, terrifying depths.
He closed his eyes in anguish. Before they snapped open, determination filling him. "I'm sorry, Donny, Raph, Father..." He whispered as he closed his eyes, slowing his breathing. "I love you all." He slowed his heart, forcing that life sustaining organ to slow. Pain shot through him as his body struggled to live, but he ignored the pain, fighting through it until finally it stopped.
Nature, nurture heaven and home
And together we'll cross the river
And together we'll cross the river
Leonardo ran to the river, unhindered by the ties of life. Michelangelo was still struggling, his head sinking beneath the churning surface of the water, only to emerge again, gasping for breath. Again Leonardo dove into the frigid river, but this time, his journey was easy; effortless.
He grabbed hold of his brother's fatigued body, hauling his brother's head above the water.
"Leo?" Michelangelo mumbled in quiet disbelief, as if he believed his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Nature, nurture heaven and home
"Yeah, Mikey, I'm here," he gently told his brother, feeling the nearly vice like grip the river had on them both.
Michelangelo's eyes filled with tears of relief, but horror suddenly carved itself into his features. "No." Michelangelo shook his head in denial. "No, Leo, No. I-I...why?" His voice cracked with emotion. "Why did you do it? You would have lived."
"Because, then you would be alone," Leonardo soothed gently. "And I promised you that I wouldn't leave you."
"B-but Raph, Donny, father..."
"They have each other, they will be fine," he assured his distraught brother even as he felt regret and sorrow fill him at his own words.
He worried about his family, and knew they would be devastated when they learned they had lost two brothers in a single night, but he knew he had made the right decision; he couldn't have left Michelangelo alone to his fate. At least this way they would be together.
And together we'll cross the river
Michelangelo's wide, trusting, fearful eyes looked into his own.
"The fight is over, Mikey. It's okay. You can let go," he reassured his brother, giving a quick glance at the boy who stood on the bank of the river closest to them, watching them with puzzlement, and something akin to amazement, and respect crossing his features. He gave them both a gentle smile, and then vanished, the water rising up and over their heads, sweeping them away; together.
April and Donatello grimly began to wash the blood from their hands and slowly made their way into the living room. April went over to Casey and buried her face in his chest as she broke down her sobbing filling the deathly silent room. Donatello quickly knelt down by Raphael's side trying to push away his debilitating grief before he gave into it and found himself unable to function. Raphael's head wound had stopped bleeding, but he was still worried about a skull fracture. He had just lost one brother, and he refused to lose another.
Donatello was glad to see that Raphael's wound had stopped bleeding, but was concerned by his continued unconsciousness. He glanced over at the loveseat where Leonardo lay disturbingly still.
"Leo?" he asked softly, brushing away the tears that still rolled down his cheeks. He stood and stumbled over to Leonardo's side, reaching out gently shaking his older brother's cool, shoulder. "Leo?" he asked again, and got no reply.
With panic rising in his chest, Donatello quickly placed his fingers against Leonardo's throat, praying that his initial, horrifying suspicions were incorrect. If it were possible, Donatello would have thought his own heart had stopped beating. There was no pulse coming from his big brother, and by the way Leonardo's skin felt, no amount of CPR was going to bring him back.
"No, Leo. Oh, God, NO!" Donatello cried out in grief-stricken devastation.
And together we'll cross the river
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