A/N: Alright folks! This is the last chapter to this story! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! I seriously hope I don't disappoint you guys either...anyways, don't worry, any questions you have will be answered in the sequel, "The Monster Inside". Now hurry up and read! And don't forget to review! It will mean a whole stinkin' lot to me :D
Donnie could only watch in horror as his body tensed, shaking with pain. A pain that he was now beginning to feel. His breaths were growing shallower by the second, and his eyelids were fluttering uncontrollably, as if he was having a nightmare.
"It's okay Donnie," Leo repeated. He didn't want his little brother to suffer anymore. It just wasn't right.
Raph touched Leo's shoulder, and they switched places, this Raph holding Donnie's hand. "Hey, Donnie-boy," Donnie's body seemed relax at his brother's voice, and for a moment the pain had left him. "You know I'm not so good with words. Heck, I've never been. But Donnie, you gotta listen to Leo," Raph laughed weakly. "You hear me saying that? Me, of all people. But you gotta listen to Leo. You gotta let go little brother."
"No more..." Mikey cried quietly. "No more...don't hurt anymore Donnie...please..." Mikey looked up, his eyes glistening with tears.
Even Master Splinter had given up on him, merely placing a paw on his forehead. "My son, I never thought your time would come so soon. You have done many wondrous things in your life, and you have made an impact on all who knew you. You will not be forgotten."
"Never," Mikey whispered while Raph just bowed his head.
"We're brothers forever Donnie. Even if you can't be here in body, you will forever be with us in spirit," Leo spoke, closing his eyes tightly. He was doing his best to remain strong, but he too was crying.
"Brothers forever," Donnie whispered to himself. His family was here, sticking up for him, comforting him. He was not ready to die. Not today.
Donnie approached his body, the agony increasing the closer he got. The world around him seemed to disappear, and it was only him and...him. He was awake, but he was asleep. He was two different people, but he had to be one again.
As he got close, he could feel the magnetism. He was being pulled and repelled, drawn near, and pushed away. Closing his eyes, Donnie willed himself to be whole again. He had to be whole like his family. They were no longer broken...no longer torn...no longer dead...
Gasping, Donnie slowly opened his eyes. He could see his family standing over him. They did not expect him to pull through this. The believed in him, but they thought he was gone. Gone from them forever.
"Hey guys," Donnie whispered, his voice cracking. It was all but gone. He tried to smile at the shocked faces of his family, but he almost to weak to do so.
"Donnie?" Mikey murmured in disbelief. His bottom lip quivered, and he hesitantly hugged his big brother. But once Donnie was in his grasp, he knew that if Mikey wasn't pulled away, it would be a long time before he was out of it. Mikey had his eyes squeezed tight, and just held him.
"Mikey, geez, give him some breathin' room," Raph looked genuinely scared. Mikey flew back, patting Donnie's chest softly, but he looked terrified, like he had hurt him. His eyes were wide, and he couldn't decide whether he was happy or sad.
"It's okay," Donnie replied weakly. His eyes threatened to shut on him, but it wasn't because he was sleepy. He was just exhausted, tired to the bone. He had been through a lot, and hadn't gotten much rest. But he wasn't going to pass out on his brothers. Not now.
Leo reached out, but he was clearly unsure about even touching his little brother. "Donnie?"
Donnie gazed into Leo's eyes, and gave him an assuring smile. "It's okay now Leo. I'm okay now," A grin slowly etched across Leo's face, but there was still grief behind it. There was still pain. He knew it wasn't over yet.
"My son," Even Splinter couldn't stop his emotions from spilling over. Here was his son, on the edge of death, and only moments later, awake and alert.
Raph and Mikey stepped to the side to allow their father space. Splinter extended his arms, and Donnie strove to sit up into them. They met in the middle, and his father wrapped his arms around him. Donnie squeezed his father back, and nestled his face in his father's shoulder. He couldn't stop it when the tears began to fall. He didn't want to stop it. His father...his brothers...they had been dead, but now they were alive. They were a family again. They were together.
Donnie heard himself trying to speak, and he wanted to explain everything to them, but the words were not coming out right. They were garbled, and mixed up, completely uncomprehensible. He wanted them to know that he had done everything for them, that he was sorry, that he wanted all to be well. But all he could do was sob.
They gathered around him, around the bed. They surrounded him like a shield, they were his protectors. Just as he was their protector. They were brothers. It was what they did.
Splinter wiped his tears away, and smiled. Mikey was glued to his arm, and Donnie was concerned that he might lose blood circulation to it, but that was fine. He would do anything for them. Just as they were comforting him, he was to comfort them.
Leo was standing with his hand on his shoulder. He was the leader. He was always going to be looking out for him. It was just how it was going to be. Raph on the other hand, he was their defender. He always had their back. Donnie couldn't help but smile yet again at that thought. He was encompassed by his family.
But all was not well. How was he supposed to tell them about what he had seen? Witnessed? Experienced? Caused? He had to trust them. Without trust...they would just end up like they had before. If he did not trust them...they would...they would die...and it truly would be his fault...
"F..Father?" Donnie took a deep breath in, pulling himself together. He couldn't harden himself to what he was going to say, he couldn't turn off his emotions like Don had. He had to be open to his brothers, to his father, to himself. He had to trust them.
"Yes, my son?" Splinter spoke calmly, almost as if he sensed Donnie had something important to say. He had always been in tune like that. And he would always be like that, Donnie was going to make sure of that. He wasn't going to let anything destroy his father or brothers, whether he be the cause, or the Shredder, or the Kraang, or whoever. It just wasn't going to happen. He wouldn't allow it.
"I..." Where did he even begin? How? He couldn't let them think it was any less than what it really was... "I have seen things Sensei..." Just the use of his words, switching from 'Father' to 'Sensei' like that brought attention to him. As if he didn't already have all that.
"Donatello-" Splinter went to speak, but Donnie weakly held his hand up.
"Please. I...I have too..." Donnie couldn't even bear to look them in the eyes. He had killed them. Not by his hands, but by his promise of victory. But now, now he was going to right that. His wish, his if could come true. He had the chance to right the wrong. And he was going to seize this opportunity, and he was never going to let go. He was never going to let his family go.
Splinter nodded, and his brothers just stared, wide eyed, waiting for Donnie to begin. They felt the seriousness, the dire of the situation. They knew whatever Donnie was going to share was going to shake them as it did him, but they were together. And together, they could overcome anything.
"I don't know if it was just a dream, or if it was vision. Maybe I was really there, maybe I wasn't. All I know, is that I..." Donnie closed his eyes tightly. "I have seen our family torn far apart from the bonds that have held us. I have seen the consequences of our...my actions if I allow..." Donnie cringed, and he felt a cough rattle his body. It was dry, and shook from his chest. It was one that nearly took the air out of him. "If I allow my own selfishness to affect this family..."
"Donnie," Leo shook his head, as if he did not believe what his little brother was saying. "You are perhaps the least selfish person I know. You have always put others above you. You have spent hours in your lab, dedicated to making life easier for this family. So I do not want to hear about you being selfish," Looking up, Donnie saw how grave Leo was. He did not understand, he couldn't possibly perceive what had happened. How one decision made by him, by Hamato Donatello, had affected the entire family.
"Leonardo," Donnie spoke gravelly, having to push out what he needed to say with the little strength he had left. He saw the shocked looks on their faces. He never used their full names. Never. "This family was gone. There was no such thing. And...it was all my fault," Donnie's shoulders drooped, and he gazed down at his hands. He was squeezing them tightly, trying to do his best to keep himself strong for them. "I have seen things...done things you can't even possibly imagine..."
Leo sat at the edge of the bed, forcing Donnie to stare into his eyes. "Then tell us little brother. Start from the beginning."
Donnie just shook his head. "The beginning? Where I woke up to see the lair obliterated? Or do I skip to the part where Mikey saved me from the Foot? Where he told me I had..." Donnie fought back the tears. "Where I had not only abandoned you, but caused the death of Master Splinter? Where I betrayed you to the Shredder? That I caused the division of you and Raph? Or do I tell you that Raph blinded you Leo? And that Shredder took Raph and Mikey? That he gouged out Raph's eye? That he tortured Mikey to the point Raph had to amputate his arm? Is that what you want to hear Leo? Do you want me to tell you that I managed to gather you together just long enough for...for us to..." Donnie was completely sobbing now. His family could only watch silently as Donnie continued to pour out what held him down so heavily. They could do nothing. "What do you want to know Leo? That I failed you? That I led you into a battle against Oroku Saki? That Karai murdered you and Raph? That her legions took Mikey out? That at the last moment, I wasn't there for him when he needed me? Please! Tell me what you want to know!" Donnie was begging his brother, and Leo had no clue how to respond. Donnie was fully sitting up now, clutching Leo's shell. "Do you want me to tell you that I murdered them? That I killed Shredder and Karai with my bare hands? That I reveled in their deaths? That I was proud I had finally crossed the line? That in the end...in the end I...I..." Donnie didn't even know how to tell them. "I killed myself Leo. I had been there the entire time. And when he...when I approached myself...he...I killed me..." Letting out a weak laugh, Donnie felt light headed. "Would that be suicide? When your alternate future counterpart executes you?"
Leo only blinked. "Donnie...I..."
"Don't say anything Leo...I told you...it's okay now..." Donnie let out a well deserved sigh of relief. His head sank into his pillow, and he finally felt like he was worth the family he had. "What I don't get though is why I'm so sick..." He coughed again, but that wasn't what disturbed him. His brothers had glanced at each other as if they knew the cause of his current discomfort. No, it wasn't an if, they did know.
"You don't?" Mikey practically squeaked it out, his brow scrunching together in an innocent confusion.
Donnie shook his head no, and looked at his father for answers. Splinter frowned briefly, and sighed. "Rest now Donatello. You have been through enough for one day," Glancing at Mikey, Splinter cocked an eyebrow. "Now don't we have some of that pineapple and ham pizza left over?"
Mikey nodded, and took off for the kitchen, only to return seconds with the cold food. "Pizza makes everything better," He laughed as he handed it out.
"Agreed," Raph chuckled as he picked off the fruit.
Leo smiled at Donnie, and handed him his pizza. All together, they ate as a family, and although there was tension in the air, they could once again laugh together too.
Don paused as he felt life itself ripple around him with change. The world's fate, which had rested upon the shoulders of his younger equivalent, had just been warped. The kid had surely done his job.
Glancing at his brothers' bodies, a slow, small smile spread across Don's face. That alone was a miracle, but the sight before him was even better. Despite the loss of limb, Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo, they were still alive. They were barely breathing, and they were still bleeding out, but it was true. They were wounded, but alive.
Their brotherly bond was stronger than ever, as new memories now plagued Don's mind. It wasn't Raph who took Leo's sight, it wasn't Shredder who had taken Mikey's arm or Raph's eye. Shredder hadn't even killed Master Splinter. It had been a beast, a creature that would no doubt soon infect the young Donatello's mind.
At least they had all remained together afterwards. All but him. He had changed very little, if there was any change at all. It appeared his fate had remained fixed.
He knew what the problem was. Although he had trusted his brothers, he had made a grave mistake. He had not trusted himself. The hatred that he had once lashed out upon the world was now directly aimed at himself. He was forcing himself to live just to torment himself each and every day. He knew the blood that was on his hands. Except nothing he knew anymore could be trusted. He was untrustworthy. He wasn't worth anything. All the trust in himself was gone.
"Well shell," Don muttered. "I guess this is going to be harder to fix than I thought," With that thought in mind, Don gazed upon the sky. It was early morning, but he could still see the twinkle of the last star. "Oh, Emily...I wish I could change everything," Don sighed, his heart threatening to crush itself from weight of guilt that it carried. "I wish my younger self could alter what happens in his lifetime," As Don looked away to see approaching vehicles, no doubt sent by April, he did not witness the star shine brighter, nor did he see it sparkle. It was absorbing in the wish that he had made, a wish that, despite it having to affect the past, would affect the present, and the future, as well.
Don watched as April raced out of the military truck straight for his brothers. It was now that he had a choice. Did he step out of the shadows and save his brothers' lives, or did he remained hidden, a coward, forever to be marred by the events of his past?
He closed his eyes, and made his decision. Stepping out, he approached his nearest brother. He knew April saw him, and that wasn't going to change, but right now he had focus on the thing that mattered most. His family.
Kneeling down beside his younger brother, Don immediately set to work, tying his bandana tightly around Mikey's arm.
Mikey's eyes snapped open at the touch. "Donnie? Bro? Is that you?" He could hardly speak, but he recognized his brother in an instant.
Don nodded affectionately at his childhood nickname. "Yeah bro, it is," He could only watched as his little brother fluttered in and out of consciousness.
"Donnie..." Mikey whispered. "You're not going to leave again...are you?"
"Never," Don smiled weakly. "Never again. We're brothers, remember? Brothers forever."
A/N: Okay so I know you guys are probably filled with more questions now than you were before, but like I said everything will be explained later. Well...mostly everything.
Can you guys guess who was Don was referring to? Who is Emily?
How do you feel about Don now? I have to admit, in the previous chapter, I despised him. But now...I guess I kind of feel bad for him, you know?
Anyways, we have reached 3,000 words, so whoopdie doo! Please please review! (You see what I did there? It rhymes...sort of.)
But yeah, if you read, faved, or put an alert for this story, can you please review? I mean, this is the LAST CHAPTER. This story is now complete! Yay!
Well, adios, bye bye, until "The Monster Inside"!
(Also...I'm really close to 200 reviews...and you could be the 200th review...so please review? Thank you...)