Sorry, Donnie! You've been through a lot in your various lifetimes but I couldn't resist combining the two things that will forever hurt my heart the most!
Endless snow falls about tall skyscrapers of the sleepy metropolis, carried along the the sharp winds to rest against windows and the railings of various stairs and balconies spread throughout the city. The late night has many settled down in their homes, avoiding the hazardous roads and freezing temps. Even gangs such as the Purple Dragons and organized crime syndicates have their people staying inside from the record breaking lows.
But in the sewers where the snow and biting cold wind can't reach, rests the Hamato family in their lair, warm from the countless candles and heaters they've collected over the years. It's calm in their underground home as they sleep, getting well deserved rest from protecting the streets of New York, but one resident is unable to find peaceful sleep.
Donatello is drenched in sweat as he jumps up from his desk with a gasp. He breathes heavily as he watches paper filled with various equations and blueprints settle to the ground around his feet. His chest heaves a quiet sob as he reaches a hand up to wipe at his face, lifting up his purple mask to rub at his sleep-caked eyes before tears can fall.
The genius turtle was use to nightmares by this point. The entire family was. After dealing with the Shredder and his followers, the Kraang and their nightmarish machines, and the various crimes they've stumbled across in their time as New York's protectors, it would be concerning if any of them didn't have disturbing dreams of what has or could happen.
It was routine for them by this point, usually ending with their father finding a turtle pile in front of the TV while it played cringey infomercials. And while Splinter tried to get his children to open up to him about their dreams, the brothers kept them amongst themselves. Normally, only a word or phrase was enough to let the others what had been witnessed.
"Shredder."
"Lost you again."
"They caught me."
"Kraang."
"We lost."
The last time any of the brothers had to explain what they experienced was after Donnie kept having reoccurring dreams of the alternate reality he had been sent to. He kept touching Mikey's arms and making such a point to look both Raph and Leo in the eyes and would constantly assure them that he was there and wasn't going to leave. It had driven his three brothers mad and they eventually cornered and coerced him to let them in, to tell them what he was going through so they could help.
Ever since then another word had been added to their "nightmare code."
"Draco."
But tonight.
Donnie sniffs as he runs his fingers over his shoulders and arms, still feeling the phantom pricks of arrowheads embedded in his flesh.
What a horrible way to die, he thinks.
He can't stay focused on the thought for long, though. The olive-skinned mutant steps over his research with a singular goal in mind.
Sure he had dreamed of his own demise, protecting his father was an honorable way to go, but how he wished the dream had stopped there. Instead of waking up the moment his dream-self's eyes closed for oblivion, he was haunted by visions of a black bandana and broken katana. That enslaved city, so similar to the hopeless dystopia he knew from Draco, held no light of a bright future. How could there be one when there was no Hamato clan?
There had only been the Ronin.
There had only been Michael.
He had only been an empty shell of the Michelangelo that Donnie knows. The lone turtle had been void of smiles and jokes. There was no raucous laughter as he pulled another prank on his big brothers. There was no innocent shine to his eyes or gentle disposition that he took when regarding their father.
A Mikey without his family, wasn't Mikey at all.
An incomplete Hamato Michelangelo.
The thought sickens the purple clad turtle, but he lets out a relieved breath as he opens the door to his younger brother's room and he sees him sprawled on his bed, limbs hanging off the worn mattress with his signature kitty blanket lumped on the floor while the light green turtle snores.
Donnie quietly creeps across the room, past empty pizza boxes and action figures and comic books, over to the bed. He picks the thick blanket up from the floor and flicks it out before spreading it back over Mikey's sleeping form. He thanks whatever higher power that may be out there that his orange brother has always been a heavy sleeper, as he maneuvers limp limbs back under the bedding to get warm.
It's just his bad luck though when the lump on the bed starts to stir.
"Mm... Donnie?"
He's quick to shush his little brother, smoothing the blanket back out before giving him a pat on the head.
"Go back to sleep, Mikey," he whispers. "Everything's okay."
Sleepy blue eyes open to peer up at haunted soft chocolate.
Mikey sits up to lean onto his elbow as he levels his brother with a stare. "You're a terrible liar, Don. Leo's the one with the mother routine, not you, so what's up?"
"Nothing, Mike. Just couldn't go back to sleep so I came in here to check on you. That's all."
Donnie watches as the normally chaotic ninja's gaze falls to the older's hands.
"So then explain why your hands are all shakey and clamy." He doesn't get a response. "Was it Draco again?"
Donatello sighs and moves to sit on the edge of the bed, Mikey scooching back to make room. The younger turtle is taken aback, however, as his big brother wraps an arm around him, pulling him up and tugging him against a warm side. He doesn't object, of course. He always loves to get whatever amount of affection he can get from his normally stoic family members, but the silence from Don disturbs him. It's thick and heavy and carried with it the feeling of guilt and grief.
He cuddles closer into his brother's side, tucking his head under his chin, and waits for the other to speak.
"You know I love you, right, Mike?" Don's low voice quivers as he speaks. He gives Mikey's shoulders a loving squeeze. "You know that I would do anything in my power to keep you safe."
"Yeah, bro, I know. I love you too, dude."
Mikey can feel Donatello crying before he hears it. The olive green shoulder he rests he head on trembles and the chest under his cheek hitches. But before he can ask if his brother is okay, he speaks again.
"You're my little brother. My only little brother, and I want you to be happy and safe. So I want you to promise me something."
"Anything."
Don takes his brother by the shoulders and pushes him away to hold him as arm's length. "If anything ever happens to us, promise me you won't try to avenge us. I want you to run and go make a life for yourself and be happy, okay? Promise me."
Mikey's eyes widen. "W-what? Dude, anything but that! Did something happen while I was asleep?"
"No, nothing happened, just... a dream I had," the purple turtle admits.
"That was one shell of a dream if you're wanting me to promise that. I mean, we're family. Together, forever, until the very end, dude."
"I know, but like I said, I just want you safe and happy, otouto."
The freckled ninja humphs and throws his arms back around his older brother.
"I am safe and happy. Right here. Right now. So don't worry about what you saw. I'm here, big bro, okay?"
Donatello trembles harder as he suppresses another sob. "You were just so broken," he chokes out. "And you didn't have us there to protect you. My baby brother, all alone. You hate being alone."
"I'm not alone, Don. I've got you and Raphie and Leo and Dad and April and Casey and Leatherhead and- GAH!"
Mikey flails to keep from falling off his bed, having been gently shoved just enough by his brother to get him off balance.
"Not cool, dude," he huffs. "That's it! I'm taking you off the Mikey Protection Squad list!"
With a watery chuckle, the genius scoops the younger up into another hug. Mikey easily sinks back into his brother's arm. He'll give Donnie a few minutes to cuddle him and calm down enough to compose himself before coaxing him into waking up their big brothers. He knows Leo and Raph wouldn't deny their geeky little brother a sleepover, especially with him still looking a few shades paler than normal. And in the morning he'll make everyone coffee pancakes to cheer Donnie up.
They'll get through tonight just like all the other bad nights.
The same way they always have.
Together.
Forever.
Nightmares and Night Terrors absolutely suck... But don't worry you'll outlast them time and time again because a new day is coming to wake you up. Just don't give up. You'll see the sun again.
~Bless, Alpha
