The urn was majestically crafted, with a fiery orange glaze and a white inlay. Raph loved the Japanese symbols Master Splinter had chosen for it. They were the best atributes of Mikeys personality, innocence, joy, and courage. Raphs dreams had depicted it with all but innocence, Mikeys pranks had blinded him to the purity his brother had held. After they had discovered his illness, Raph had seen it finally. He saw a young boy who was scared and helpless, because finally Mikey had come across a problem he couldn't joke about. Mikeys face at that exact moment haunted Raph, his pleading blue eyes spoke that of helplessness and fear. Raph sighed as he finally set Mikeys orange mask beside the urn, swearing a silent vow of protection and remembrance. He came to rest beside Master Splinter who had already placed the urn on the alter.
Don was next, Mikeys battle nexus medal of honor hung in his hands. Swaying back and forth like its owner had previously done in jovial pestering. The small token spoke of Michelangelo's valor and courage, his warrior inside. Late one night Mikey confessed to Don he didn't want to die from illness, but as the warrior Master Splinter had said he was. Don had faced him with seriousness and told him that this was the greatest battle anyone could ever face, and even if it took his life he had died battling. Gently he hung the medal on the urn, whispering a goodbye to the only little brother he would ever have. He wanted so badly to see Mikeys real smile just one last time, not that fake one he'd put on just to make his brothers think he was ok. He had spent so much time in his life reading to Mikey, trying to make him understand the things he did. Leo's hand fell onto Dons shoulder, but Donny brushed it off, "Im not done, Leo." Leo only nodded before he took a step back. "Mikey, me and you were a team all our own. We stood for the lighter side of ninjitsu, but you were still one of the greatest warriors I have ever seen. You had a mind all your own, and I wish I could say the same about me." Donny stood up and left the stand, leaving a little piece of himself there with Mikey.
Finally Leo came to the alter, Mikeys nunchuka in his hands. Leo had been meditating for four days, not once getting up. His face showed no emotions, he had blocked his heart up with fury and rage, not daring to let his sorrow free. He gave a bow of appreciation as he set the nunchuka on both sides of the urn, completing the link to Mikey. Before he stepped down though, Leo chanted a token of gratitude and sorrow. Finally, he took his place beside his family.
"Michelangelo no longer lives on this plane, my sons. He has given us all the gift of his presence, something very few will ever get to say. Be proud in that knowledge, and be comforted by the fact that he was your brother. Know that he never wanted any of you to feel sorrow, and actively sought out each of your smiles. He was sweet and kind, a man with a heart of gold. He reminded me much of my Master Yoshi in some aspects of his personality, just like the rest of you. Michelangelo always had something to say, and was never shy in voicing his opinion. He was both lenient and strong willed, traits he learned by observing his elder brothers. I myself take pride in the fact that he has a statue beside my own in the Battle Nexus, and I am proud to call him my son. No parent should ever have to outlive their child, and I have never truly gotten that saying up until now. It as if a piece of me has faded away into the oblivion, when I know he has only gone to a higher plane. Michelangelo was the purest warrior I have ever seen, he fought with honor, skill, and humiliation. I only wish he could have shown focus. Now my sons, let us meditate." The three boys bowed before their Sensei as they all began to focus their chi on Mikeys. Each boy prayed for one last chance to hold him and tell him they cared. The first to find him was Leonardo, he had been intent on doing this for days and had vowed to let nothing stop him from hugging his baby brother.
The world around Leo was subtle, there were no bright colors and defining lines. It was calm and peaceful, there were no distractions to keep you from training. Mikey stood before him, doing katas none of them had even dared try. He moved with grace and focus, something the orange masked turtle only ever showed when he was completely serious. Leo was proud to witness his little brother displaying that which he never had truly mastered. Mikey was the only thing in this world that had defining lines and colors. His bright orange mask stood out, nearly blinding Leo as Mikey finally turned to face him. "Leonardo, it is wonderful to see you once again." Mikey came before his brother and bowed. His words, his grace made Leo feel like a small child in comparison to Mikey. "I take it our meeting is brief, but will be touching none the less." Leo smiled as he brought Mikey into a hug, something neither of the brothers expected, "I'm proud of you Mikey." The strong and powerful demeanor Mikey had once put on vanished as he melted into his brothers embrace, "Really Leo?" Leo nodded his head as he let him go, "You are a strong warrior Mikey, I am truly honored to say I have fought beside the Battle Nexus Champion, but mostly my brother." Mikey let out a sigh he was at a loss for words, so he quickly changed the subject, "This plane is supposed to be peaceful. I don't like peaceful Leo." Leo let out a small snort of amusement as he looked his little brother in the eye, "Of course you don't." Mikey shrugged, he had missed his brothers teasing, "I wish you would've found me on a good plane. Maybe then we could of kicked some shell like we used to." Leo looked to his brother for a moment, "Why do you say that? This plane is wonderful, and you have sixteen years of me beating your shell on the physical plane to make up for it." Mikey let out a snort of annoyance, "Yea, perfect for you." Mikeys words sunk in then, he had never taken into consideration what others wanted. He had always assumed what he was doing was best, "Mikey, I'm so sorry." The elder brothers hands came to rest beside him. Leo hung his head in humiliation. "Don't sweat it, Leo. You always did what was best for us." Mikey's optimistic comment gave Leo some peace, but he would never forget the lesson his youngest brother had just taught him. Leo could feel the world around him grow fainter, but before he left he brought his little brother into an embrace, "I love you Mikey." "I love you to Leo." The words rang in Leos head as he finally came to rest on the physical plane. He was exhausted and let sleep take him in.
Raph was the next to find him, the world he awoke to was grainy and dark. The bustling streets of New York were eerily quiet. A dark figure came from the shadows, the only color Raph could make out was orange. "Mikey? Is it you?" Raph stepped a little closer, his hand outstretched, pleading for it to be his baby brother." The strangers own hand came to rest upon Raphaels. Mikey stepped from the shadows, a mischievous grin spread from ear to ear. "So, let me guess. Your ugly mug misses me?" Somehow, Mikes comment didn't bother Raph. The hothead was just to happy to see his little brother, "Of course I missed ya. Wha' kinda big brother would I be if I didn't?" Raph placed Mikey in a headlock, but released him in fear of inflicting harm. "Im not sick here Raphie, you can beat me up." Mikeys voice seemed so full of life, so happy here. It almost made up for those long and painful months Mikey had endured, almost. It was tempting, but Raph wanted his final memories of Mikey to be of joy and not anger. "Ya, but bein a good big brother means wanting ya happy." He chuckled softly, "Ya shell for brains." This earned him a sigh, "Raph, I only ever wanted you guys to be happy. It doesn't matter what I want." Mikey's blue eyes burned with life, so different from the gentle ones Raph remembered. "Mikey, ya cant possibly mean that. You're the baby, that kind of burden should never be yours to carry." Raphs brow contorted in anger. He wasn't mad at Mikey, he was mad at himself. Raphs eyes snapped close as questions raced through his usually thick skull. How could he have not seen this? How could he let Mikey carry this responsibility for sixteen years and not do anything to help? What kind of big brother was he? Raph opened his eyes and looked at Mikey. He was a child again, barely six years old. "What da shell? How'd ya do that?" The young Mikey gave him a smile, "This isn't the plane of the living. Once you come here, you see what you want to Raph. Your heart wanted me to be a little kid again, so here I am." He smiled and did a flip, "Im a little kid again." He gave Mikey a nod, "Yea, I guess I kinda did. I wanted you to be how we were when we were just kids. Happy." It was Mikeys turn to be upset, "I never said I wasn't happy Raph. Making you guys happy was my passion. It brought me many hours of joy. I made you guys happy, and in turn you made me happy." Mikey gently lifted his small and pudgy arm. Raph gratefully took it, "Then maybe its because I don't think this is fair. Its not supposed to go like this Mike. It was supposed to be Leo, me, Donny, and then you. You're the baby, you shouldn't have been the first to go." Raph began to cry, "You weren't supposed to die." Silently, Mikey brought his brother into a hug, his age restored, "Cry not because I have died, but because I have lived." This only made Raph cry harder, "I love you Mikey." His little brother only held him tighter, "I love you to Raphie." Raphs eyes snapped open, tears still in his eyes. He was back, back to the world without Mikey. The experience reminded him of a promise he had made to his baby brother, and Raph quickly went to retrieve the notes.
Don found himself in his lab, the machines around him let off whirling and whooshing noises. His three fingered hand became clenched. "So I failed?! I cant find my only little brother? I cant say goodbye!" His voice rose. The last sentence wasn't a question, but a horribly true statement. "Hey Donny!" Don spun around, because there, hanging from a pipe on the ceiling, was Mikey. The orange masked turtle had his usual goofy grin spread wide. "Mikey!" Don lept up and took his little brother down to the floor. Donny had Mikey wrapped up in a big hug. He was sobbing uncontrollably as Mikey tried to calm him down. "I thought...I thought I lost you." Don managed to whisper in between tears. "You cant lose me. I'm the little brother!" Mikey teased, and just that made Don feel a million times better. "Is this real Mikey?" He whimpered, his crying now sniffles. "What do you think?" Mikey stuck his tongue out of his mouth, something Donny had once found annoying, but now missed terribly. "I think you're being my goob of a little brother, so no." His voice was barely a whisper, afraid of the response he was going to get. "Donny, I don't have a physical vessel anymore, but I'm real." Mikey gingerly touched Dons plastron, "I can touch you. I can comfort you. Shell Donny, you can see me cant you?" Don gave him a quick nod. "Then I'm real." Don raised his hand to point something out, but Mikey cut him off, "And I'm not a hologram. You cant touch holograms. Raphie boy found that out the hard way. Twice." Mikeys eye ridges lept up at the last word. This caused Donny to chuckle. This might not be the real Mikey, but he wouldn't let this opportunity slip through his fingers. "Alright. You're real! I surrender." Don shot his hands up playfully, going along with his only little brother. Don knew better than to waste these moments, the moments he would never have again. "Donny, you're being dramatic! You can always come visit me, silly turtle." A bewildered expression crossed Dons face, "How did you?" "Simple!" The orange mask turtle once again budged in, "I spent sixteen years with you, I know your facial expressions." Don let out a sob, he truly would miss this. Mikeys ramblings, his incoherent train of thought, the trail of explosions he left behind. "I don't have to leave you right? I can stay here with you." Don nuzzled himself into Mikeys plastron, nearly taking them both down. "Donny, you cant live your life in the past. Someone needs to keep an eye on Leo and Raph, make sure they don't get themselves into trouble." Dons brown eyes locked onto Mikeys baby blue ones. "Don't dwell on my death Donatello, because eventually you'll find yourself in your own grave with nothing to show for it but an empty heart." Mikeys three fingered hand clamped down on his shoulder, "Tell Raph to give you guys the letters. They both could sense their time drawing to a close, so Don didn't question it. "I love you Mikey." Don only hugged him closer. "I love you more Donny." The purple masked turtles eyes snapped open, immediately falling on a small unopened letter. The handwriting scribbled out his name, and was without a doubt Mikeys.
What has Mikey left for his brothers? The epilogue will explain all. :)