Prologue: Raph

I am awakened by the creaking of my door. I would yell at who is ever in my bedroom but I'm too tired to care at this point. Unless it's Mikey. Then I'll be mad. But considering it's extra quiet, I think its not.

Anyhow, I ignore them. I'll deal with whoever it is tomorrow. Especially, since they woke me from a good dream. It is easier just to lay still and sleep. Whoever it is can just blow their business out their shells. And they better beware for morning. It is never good when I am a jerk in the morning. I just want to go back to my dream. The dream of when I – we- were little.

Leo's eyes are a light blue instead of dark. He has a grin. It's almost as big as mine. Little Leo is wrestling with me. I grab his mask that almost covers his face. I pull it over his eyes. He squeals.

I look around. Mikey is staining his orange mask with all the food he is eating. Donnie is on the couch with Sensei playing a tactical game.

I look back at Leo. He is laughing with me because my life is full of fun. Leo finally gets his bandana back in place. We lock eyes and smile.

"Muzzle," Leo smiles, poking my nose. I smile back. This is the game we play when I'm upset. I reach up to poke his muzzle. As I graze his nose, he disappears.

That's when the door creaks open. Now I'm lying here, fuming mad. Leo used to be fun. Leo used to hang out with me every day. He sang. He'd sing to make Mikey laugh. He sang to make Donnie and Master Splinter smile. He'd sing to us to make us sleep. Leo and I did karaoke. I would always yell when he screamed so well on rock songs. I was so jealous that I couldn't scream.

But then… he stopped.

Leo didn't play games anymore. He stopped singing. He didn't do Muzzle, Muzzle with me anymore. I couldn't talk to him because without Muzzle, Muzzle, I just couldn't open up. Leo became different and as he did, so did everyone else.

Time passed by and Mikey started saying he wasn't a baby. Donnie is always in his lab, hardly ever comes out. And since I know Casey now, I'm hardly ever home. So Leo changed and we only saw him on missions, at meals, training, and occasional free times. Mikey doesn't notice and Don doesn't care. But I notice and care. It's like little Leo never existed and he's always been a perfect son.

I miss Leo.

My bed slumps a little by my head. I open my eyes. Spike is looking at me.

"Hey, Spike." I smile and pet him. He looks at my door. I follow his gaze to see my door close on a dark-blue eyed turtle.

"Leo?" I whisper. I look at my clock. Three a.m. What the shell? Why is he up so early? Or is he still awake from yesterday?

There are whispers outside my room, then a smack. Leo's door creaks open, then closes. Finally, he's going to bed. No wonder he's so tired all the time. Whatever cracks his shell, though.

I think I'll dream some more. It's the only way I'll be able to see fun Leo. I think I'll call that Leo Leondo. Yeah. That way I can separate the two.

Sometimes the dream world is so much better than the real world.