To be young again
Summary: Mikey died. He expected to be reunited with his brothers and sensei once again. He wasn't expecting to travel in time back when his family is very much alive. With this second chance given Michelangelo promised to protect his family like his family did for him in his own timeline, watch out world he was going to change some things around.
Disclaimer: (reading from a letter with a pair of glasses as I clear my throat.) It has come to my attention that I do not own TMNT.
Note: Because its time travel, what do you want me to say? Also this isn't a one shot but it will be a chapter length story.
Mikey wasn't as smart as Donnie had been when his older brother was alive, but Mike was pretty sure this was not meant to happen. He was smaller, he had little feet, little hands, and baby teeth, not to mentioned his brothers are alive and sleeping in the same room. Mikey looked at the pile of turtles fast asleep Raph snoring the loudest and Donnie kept mumbling while Leo was the only quite one in his sleep. Mikey did what any sane turtle would do in this situation he glared.
He had patted himself down making sure he was still breathing and yes, his heartbeat was still pumping. He had gotten smaller or maybe if the sight in front of him wasn't real, but some kind of hallucination. Maybe his mind was being kind on him and gave him this to help ease the pain of dying. Either way this was not what he expected when he thought he would be reunited with his brothers after being stabbed by some rouge ninja in New York city.
He was meant to be dying alone, he was meant to be older he was 50 for crying out loud and not, will Mikey, isn't too sure what age he was. Maybe five, maybe six, either way the point is this was meant to be impossible. Mikey had done the next logical cause of action when one started to think that this was time travel at its finalist.
"Argh!" Mikey screamed as loud as his lungs will allow him.
In unison his three older brother's eyes snapped opened and turned their head to the youngest that kept screaming like he had seen bloody murder.
"Did he have another nightmare?" five-year Leo asked.
Mikey just kept screaming pushing Donnie small little hands away from his face and backing himself away from the three of them.
"Snap out of it!" Raph yelled.
Mikey mouth closed and just at the moment the door opened and a very much alive Master Splinter stood in his way.
"What is going on here?" Splinter asked looking at his four sons.
Mikey looked at his father he was pretty sure the old rat was killed years ago and yet he stood in front of him. He looked at his brothers, looked at his father once again and did the next best cause of action. He screamed.
"Argh!"
Splinter ears twitched at the volume of his voice and with the open-door Mikey ran out of the room.
"Mikey."
"Mike."
"Michelangelo."
Mikey didn't listen to them he had other things on his mind like running for his life and seeing if he would wake up because this wasn't right and this was unfair, he didn't like this dream. If he was still bleeding on the roof top can't his body just hurry up and die right now. Mikey felt the tears rolling down his cheeks he needed to shake those tears away he hadn't cried since Donnie was killed. He wasn't going to cry now, but Mikey may have a mind of a 50-year-old, his body was still young and if in pain it was going to cry, with or without Mikey permission.
Mikey found himself alone in the tunnels away from the lair and hugging himself closed he allowed his tears to fall. Maybe, just maybe he might wake up and go back to dying on that roof top. He didn't though and Mikey had lost track of time by the time he stopped crying.
"This is so messed up," Mikey said to himself out loud. "This is not what I had in mind when I thought I'll be reunited with my family. Wait."
Mikey had a sudden idea he rubbed his chin and looked upwards the cracks from the surface was showing sunlight. If only he was taller enough to get out of here this way, he could see what state New York was in. In his time New York had been destroyed. Krang had been easy to take out Shredder was the real challenge. While Shredder was killed when his brothers had been alive people who believed in the Foot had not been and they had taken over New York in Shredder name. Mikey had watched many good allies being killed trying to take the Foot out and died in vain.
If this was real and he was alive possible chances of time travel and the fact that he was a tot again. It means he will grow up all over again. His brothers are alive. Leo didn't die, Raph wasn't killed, Donnie was still alive they are alive and well breathing with him. Even his father was alive and young they are all here, Mikey had a chance. He had a chance to fix things. Mikey frowned what was he going to do about Karai?
She was Splinter daughter after all and somewhere in New York thinking the Shredder is her father, damn he had forgotten about the downside of Shredder being alive the Foot. Mikey shakes his head there wasn't much he could do. He was a tot for crying out loud he could barely reach the counter top whether alone face Shredder himself.
"Sorry sis, I'll save you. Just not now," Mikey promised.
All the more reason to train he can't slack of this time like he did in the first time line. He needed to be at his best the sooner he took down the Foot the better.
"Michelangelo."
He stood in his spot his breathing got faster at the sight of Master Splinter standing in front of him. He would worry about the future later right now he needed to deal with a very worried father. Reminding himself he did wake up screaming and while he has a possible idea that he did time travel. Master Splinter and his brothers don't they just assumed their younger brother had woken up screaming at some awful nightmare.
Was it time travel?
He isn't too sure at the moment but he will mediate on the matter later, just to make sure he wasn't daydreaming if he isn't, he had a chance to fix everything that went wrong. Right now he needed to deal with a very much alive Splinter.
"My son what is the matter?"
"Sorry papa."
Dude his voice sounded so different to, not as deep or as worn out as it did when he was older. He needed to get used to little him for a while until he started growing again. His eyes widen, he had to go through being a teenage a second time. Mikey wasn't going to admit to anyone the real reason on why he fainted right in front of his father. After all he didn't faint, he didn't really, he didn't.
He does remember his father calling out his name as he reached the ground, hello shock was Mikey last thought before darkness took over.
"Are you alright Mike?" a worried Donnie asked.
Mikey glared at his brother pushing him away from him as his brother tiny hands seemed to want to make sure there wasn't anything wrong.
"I'm fine."
"I bet he had a nightmare," Raph said. "That's why he screamed because he's a cry baby."
"You're a baby to," Mikey pointed out.
Gosh, they we're all kids for crying out loud.
"Nah, you're a bigger baby," tot Raph said.
"As long as he's okay," Leo said with a frown. "You are, aren't you? You did faint."
"Yeah, fainted like a girl."
His younger self wouldn't be thinking of pushing Raph aside, but his younger self was also a lot happy then grown up Mikey had ever been. Which is why he didn't give a shell when he pushed Raph aside with his hand, Raph landed with a thud.
"I didn't faint."
Will he, did. Master Splinter had to carry him back to the lair.
"Did to," Raph said.
Mikey glared.
"What no comeback?" Raph challenged.
"My sons please give your brother some space."
"Sensei," his brothers said in unison.
"We're only making sure Mikey is okay," Leo said. "He won't tell us what's wrong though."
Not like Leo would believe him. Shell, Mikey didn't even believe it either he was meant to be dead not back to his tot years and in the past. He stared at his hands this was all so strange. He was going to make sure New York won't end up the way it did in his time he was pretty much only protecting a small section of the population at the time, most mutants had been killed by then. He just needed to get through the shock of time travel first, then he can come up with a plan on the go later.
"My son, are you alright?"
He looked up to find his family worried.
"Um, I think so. Why you asked papa, I mean sensei?"
"You had zoned out," Donnie said. "Maybe he's sick. He isn't sick, is he? Mikey are you sick?"
Mikey pushed his older brother away from him much to the others shock, but he didn't have time to act like he used to be. Actually, he also didn't remember how he acted when he was young, he only remembered his teenage self and looking back on those memories had been painful because his brothers had been alive and happy at that point.
"Very well since Michelangelo seem to believe that he is okay. We shall practice today on mediation."
Raph and Donnie both groaned at the thought. Eyes turned to him, he looked at them with a puzzle expression.
"What?"
"You normally groan with Don and Raph," Leo pointed out.
"Yeah, and it's the loudest because then you whine about now doing anything awesome," Donnie said.
Did he? Dude, he so didn't know anymore. Adult him didn't mind mediation it was the only time where he could relax without worrying about another battle.
"Oh, I mean. Ah Master Splinter not mediation can't we do something cool."
"No puppy dog eyes this time my son."
He did that to, alright if only kid him kept his thoughts down on paper. It wasn't until his teenage years did, he started to write down his thoughts because books were a lot easier to get with April and Casey help. With his two human friends in mind he made a mental note to see what he could do about them later. He hadn't pulled the puppy dog eye trick in a while didn't help when it was just himself, so with what he could remember he tried to muster his puppy dog eye skilled once again.
"Please Master Splinter. Not mediation its boring only Leo likes mediation and he's boring."
"Hey," Leo defended himself.
"Don't worry dude I still love you."
Because it was true, he loved all of his family and while he didn't say it enough in his last timeline, he was going to do it this time. He wasn't expecting Leo to choke on air.
"Not this time my son you and your brothers need to work on mediation as well as your ninjutsu."
Raph and Donnie still groaned again once Mikey puppy dog eyes had failed. Mikey was a little disappoint as will he wanted to know if he was still as great as adult him had been that way, he knew what he was cable of, but mediation would give him a perfect reason to see if this was time travel or not.
The group walked towards the dojo the tree that normally stood in the middle was only a baby compared to what teenage him had seen. It was still amazing to see the place in tack, granted not everything was here yet but it was better then nothing. In the future his old home had been destroyed shortly after Leo death. Raph, Donnie and him had to try and find another place it was never the same though without their big brother. Raph wasn't the same either.
Those two might fight like cats and dogs most of the time at the end of the day though they we're best friends and brothers. Leo death had affected Raph big time, but Raph always made sure to look after his two baby brothers before he to was killed protecting Mikey in battle against a large group of Foot. Mikey frowned his future was not going to happen.
He will find Nee-san he will fix things he will he had to, but first to see if this wasn't some sort of messed up dream.
"Mikey?"
"What?"
"You're already sitting?" Leo asked.
Mikey blinked and noticed he was already crossed-legged.
"Yeah bro, you going to sit next to me this time?"
It felt nice to have his puppy dog eyes back it got Leo every time in his timeline and it seemed to do the trick with this Leo to. Leo sat next to him while Donnie sat on the other side and Raph sat at the end. He looked at them all as Master Splinter stated to sit in front of them everybody was so young, so alive, not broken or sad.
"It's nice to be back." Mikey whispered to himself so nobody else could hear.
"Now, my sons close your eyes."
Master Splinter spoke to them but Mikey had tune him out his mind focus on the questioned he had been thinking. Where was he really?
His mind took him to his body the one that was dead with swords stabbing through it blood leaking onto the ground. Mikey was dead, he had died in that timeline he shouldn't have travel back in time because of it, but then the pictures in his head changed. He saw bright blue almost tunnel like and he felt a rush of power in his face he saw himself falling.
His eyes closed and his body seemed to be falling it got smaller and smaller until it formed itself back into a tot. Mikey was suddenly back in a pile of his sleeping brothers that's when he had woken up.
"How did I get here?" Mikey asked out loud.
He was still deep in mediation he could tell because his mind was still looking at the sleeping baby turtles.
"You have been given a second chance my son."
He turned his head around to see a woman with long black hair. She smiled at him a small and kind smile.
"Mum?"
Tang Shen was right in front of him. Mikey used to try and spend hours in mediation trying to connected with his family after Donnie had been killed, but it never happened and now he was here. She nodded her head and Mikey was sure he had tears in his eyes he felt her arms wrapping around him.
"My brave sunshine, my strong brave baby boy how much you've grown."
She touched his cheeked and Mikey couldn't help himself but cry, this couldn't be real. It just couldn't be he tried so hard to connected with them before but never did and now he could. Why now and not there when he needed them the most?
"I don't get it why would you play this curl trick on me. I accepted my death, I fought for so long I protected what I could for so long. Why send me back? Why can't I be with you and everybody else?"
"I know my son it is a lot for you to take in, but you must understand the world itself needs you. Shredder may have died years ago, but the Foot still follows in his footsteps. With you no longer stopping them people had slowly given up hope in everything they faced. It's why I sent you here?"
Anger. He felt a spark of anger rise up through him.
"You sent me here? So, I can see the ghost of my past alive. Woman you have a sick sense of humor. And as someone that was the King of all pranks, I like to think I know what I'm on about."
"I know my son. I know, but please understand I only saw this as a chance for you. To go back and to do what is right you get your family again and it really wasn't your time back then."
"So, I'm in the past?" Mikey asked.
She nodded.
"This isn't a dream?"
She shakes her head.
"I'm alive?"
She nodded again a smile on her lips.
"I'm upset at you for what you have done allowing me to live again, but I want to stop things before they got worst before I even knew that I had time traveled. I'm willing to go with it."
She kissed him on the forehead.
"My sunshine. We will talk more about this later, but its best to wake up. Our family is getting worried about you."
Oh, right he forgot young him was different he nodded his head and the next thing he knows he's back facing three worried brothers and a father.
"Don't cry Mike." Donnie said.
Sweet young Donnie, nothing like the old war hero he ended up being. Mikey noticed the tears down his cheek he must have been crying during mediation he remembered crying to Tang Shen.
"I."
Mikey didn't know what to say it's been a big day for him and he didn't know if the guys should be told the truth or not. He didn't know how to say it anyway, what was he going to tell them? Surprised he watched them all get killed at some point in their life was ready to die and boom back in the past. Yeah, as if they would believe such a thing. He knows he shouldn't worry them but he can't help and cry again, Donnie is the one to give him a hug.
Leo and Raph follow suit and Master Splinter wraps his arms around them all the only sound was Mikey crying. No, doubt afterwards he be asked 20 questioned on why, but for now he's just going to let himself cry after everything he had been through.
Note: hmm, I wonder why I like writing such emotional stuff? Either way review please at first it was going to be the group traveling into the future and leaving Mikey behind, but I was like nah something different.