Dude, I Seriously Don't Feel Good
By ilovemyboys
Chapter 20: Facing Fears
Authors Note: For those wondering, yes, everything is connected in the dream world to the real one. See if you can figure it out before the end! Hint: Chapter titles give some info away.
MIKEY'S DREAMLAND:
"Raph?"…I asked him quietly.
He said nothing. Didn't even move.
"Raph?" I asked again, inching closer to him, dragging myself on my arms I crawled up next to his face and nudged his shoulder.
No response.
"Come on Raph…" I croaked, tears starting to come down my face. "Come on bro don't leave me…"
Raph wouldn't move. Or couldn't.
"No…no…this…this isn't possible…" I muttered to myself. "No…no, no no. NO!"
Tears were pouring down my face. "RAPH GET UP! COME ON!" I nudged him again.
"No…no…not this…not this…"
PRESENTLY:
MASTER SPINTER'S POV:
"Master Splinter! His heart rate's going down!" Don exclaimed.
MIKEY'S DREMLAND:
My brother...my closest brother…and best friend…is gone…
I couldn't believe it. No…I won't believe it. This can't be real. Some trick of the Shredder's. Yeah, that's it…Just…a really, really convincing lie!
I gulped.
Gotta find the others. And soon.
I tried getting up.
"Ahh!"
I fell back down painfully.
"My back…on no…I still can't get up…"
Looking around frantically for Leo and Don I saw nothing but smoke all around.
"I can't find them like this…LEO! DON!" I called.
No reply.
After about a minute of shouting their names my throat ached as I buried my head in my arms. And sobbed.
…
I don't know how long I was lying there when I heard a deep, wispy voice from above.
"Michelangelo…" It called.
It's just more of this nightmare. Pay no attention to it…
I kept my head hidden in my arms.
"Go away…" My voice muffled.
"Michelangelo…" It called again.
"What!" I spat, my voice still muffled in my arms.
"What have you done to your brother...?"
What have I done? What does it mean?
"You could have saved him from all this…"
"What are you talking about, no I couldn't! He's dead! DEAD!" I shouted.
"He didn't need to be…You could have saved him…"
"Oh yeah? How!"
It didn't answer.
"Well? TELL ME!"
Still no answer. Anger began to boil inside me.
"Are you going to answer or just say nothing!"
"You could have paid attention to the wreckage falling…"
"No one could have seen that." I replied. Surprising even myself. I was blaming myself all this time for that. But now…
"Michelangelo…that unfocused lack on your part lead to you being cared for, slowing your brothers down, and causing them to be unprotected…"
"No…that's…not true…We couldn't have avoided those blasts…" I defended myself.
"You could have…Or are you saying all that ninja training was for nothing when it mattered most?"
"Shut up!"
"Because of your actions two of your brothers are severely injured and one is dead."
"SHUT UP! IT'S NOT TRUE!" I covered m ears.
"Is it? See for yourself…"
I couldn't help but look up from my tear stricken face to see Leo and Don suddenly lying on the ground a few feet away from Raph. Bloodied and battered.
"No…that never happened…"
"When the explosion landed they took a hit…" the voice explained.
"No…" I shook my head. "This can't be real…It can't, YOU HEAR ME!"
"It can…and it is…"
"No…"
"Michelangelo…you…are the guilty party…
"No…NOOO!" I bawled.
"Take no pity on yourself," it spoke darkly. "Instead punish yourself for your actions so this may never happen again!"
"H…how?"
PRESENTLY:
MASTER SPLINTER'S POV:
I looked over my son once again. Something is not right…Something else is going on inside him…
"Masta Splinta?" Raphael gazed at me with tears he had been trying to hold back the last few hours.
I sighed. "My sons…I do not know if this is all due to his fever…Or if there are darker works involved here…"
My sons gasped at that. Then equally held the same look: We will do anything for him.
I exhaled. "There is one way we can find out. And I believe Michelangelo may very well need it. However, I need all of you to stay where you are and watch over him."
"Where are you going Master?" Leo asked.
"To his mind," I replied.