Chapter 17: Sharing Stories
Warning: extreme angst and talk of battle near the end of the chapter, (not until the very end) feel free to skip.
Leo smiled as he rested his head fondly on Michelangelo's, content to watch the show in front of them. His very resourceful little brothers had managed to finagle a TV into the lab! Leo had dreaded the fate of being bedridden even for a day and his brothers, having sensed this had done what they could to make his recovery more manageable. Thus the reunited four were snuggled up watching Space Heroes.
Space Heroes. Leo's eyes twinkled in delight. He had missed this. Rapheal's grumblings about the show's apparent lameness putting up with the nerdy show for his brother and entertaining himself by throwing popcorn at the youngest. The discussion he had with his genius brother as
Donatello pointed out apparent plot holes and scientific improbabilities throughout the show. Michelangelo would watch the show and enjoy it alongside his brother but the energetic youngest would also doodle in a spare notebook when he needed more of a distraction.
Smiling at his brothers, Leo's ears perked at the sound of new voices in the lair.
"Is that April and Casey?" Leo had completely forgotten about the probability of this world having his friend's doubles.
Rapheal's green eyes left the screen and turned to face the door, his head tilted sideways as he listened. "Sounds like it."
Leo smiled. "I'm taking it that you've met our friends' doubles?" Leo questioned his eyes, turning curiously to each of his brothers in turn. "What are they like?"
"Oh yes, we have." Donetello confirmed. "April and Casey have been exceedling helpful during our stay."
"Definitely!" Michelangelo confirmed. "April helped the geniuses when she could and Casey totally kept Waffy from going completely crazy with 'need to protect family' mode."
"What are you talking about?!" Raphael demanded his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"Actually Michelangelo is correct in that account, we were all worried you'd run out of here. In fact, thinking Leonardo was back in our dimension was the only thing that kept you from racing out of here and looking for him yourself." Donetello replied.
Leonardo hummed. "Well then I'm relieved that you thought I was back at home. I can imagine how worried you guys must have been!" Leo's eyes softened in understanding. "I was worried about you three as well."
There was a quiet moment of understanding and sympathy.
"I do not act like that Micheangelo!" Raphael growled, turning to the youngest, interrupting the moment.
"But you totally do bro!" Michelangelo argued. "Both you and Leonardo. I think it was to do with being the older brothers. If you even think anyone in our family is in trouble you go into mother hen mode!"
Both Rapeal and Leonado made noises of protest, their faces displaying their disagreement.
"I am not a mother hen!" Leonardo denied indignantly.
"Leonado you are a perfect definition of Mother Hen" Donetello interjected.
Leonardo let out a squawk of protest. "Am not!"
"Actually Leonardo you are." Raphael agreed before challenging. "But I am not!"
"It may not look the same as Leonado's fuss and protective tendencies but it's still there Rapheal. You are just as protective of us as Leonardo is."
"He has a point Rapheal" Leonardo commented to his redbanded brother who just crossed his arms and turned away from his brothers, mumbling an annoyed "whatever" before turning back to the sifi.
Leonardo chuckled to himself.
"What's funny bro?" Michelangelo asked, rolling away from his doodle of turtles on-board the enterprise.
"This April is a lot like ours right?" Leonardo questioned instead of answering.
"I guess" Michelangelo answered, sharing a confused look with his brothers.
"It's just..if she has psychic powers like our April does then..the turtles of this world are about to learn something about Wind."
Completely intrigued, his three brothers turned all attention from the show.
"What are you talking about Leonardo?" Raphael asked.
"Is Wind psychic?" Michelangelo asked.
Leonardo shook his head. "No but he is telepathic to some degree."
"To what degree?" Donetello asked, eyes wide with surprise. He had not expected that bit of news regarding his brother's counterpart.
"Bro does that mean you're telepathic?" Michealangelo asked with wide eyes looking at his older brother in a new light.
"No" Leo quickly denied before scratching the back of his head. "Wind..he wasn't raised in New York..he grew up around these other…beings."
"Beings?" Rapheals eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"They're aliens. Crash landed here years ago" Leonardo explained. "From what I gathered from Wind they didn't really speak with words..more with thoughts, a joining of consciousness."
"But we don't do that" Michelangelo commented with a frown.
"I know" Leo met his brother's gaze. "But you don't grow up around telepaths and not pick up on a few things." Leonardo fought to explain. "Did you see the wrappings around his wrist?"
Donatello swallowed. Yes, he had. His counterpart had to basically pry the fried device from Wind's arms.
"Well they helped him communicate with these aliens." Leo scratched the back of his head. "Even though they are not around any more..old habits die hard right." Leo grinned. "My guess is that he'll try to communicate with April. I mean he's already been talking to the dojo tree."
The three brothers' eyes widened. "What?!"
"Look, i'm telling you this because like it or not I'm going to be stuck in here for at least the next few days and I know myself enough to know how hard explaining certain things are going to be for Wind. Most likely he will not understand that a few of his normal habits will be..odd..to his brothers and I'm hoping you three can be intermediators…if need be." Leo rushed to add.
"Intermediators?" Donatello asked, his eyes narrowed at his older brother. "Leo, this is a very sensitive and frankly personal situation. We've been giving the others space! They…they thought they didn't even have a Leo!" The genius began to choke up at the end of his speech.
Leonardo softened, reaching out to pat his brother's hand. "Your right" the blue clad turtle breathed, running a hand down his face. "You're right! I've been so focused on one side of things I failed to see the other." The blue banded turtle let out a sigh. "I've traveled half the country with my counterpart trying to get back to you three. The only way I could convince him to come was by having him think he was helping me." the turtle let out a half-hearted chuckle. "Which I guess he did, I'd be dead if it wasn't for him." Leo shook his head before getting back on track. "Point is, the guy was so afraid, so convinced that he'd be turned away. Having lived so long thinking he was alone he didn't even stop to consider that he'd be accepted with open arms."
The other sat stunted, unable to contemplate what Leonardo was telling them.
"That's terrible," Michelangelo whispered.
Leo let out a sigh. "When I asked you to intervene it's only because I would if I wasn't stuck on bedrest but Donetello's right this is a delicate situation and its not for us to intervene."
"I don't think ya' even need to" Raphael grumbled. "It seems like everythings been going well..considering'"
Leo smiled relieved at his brother's words.
He turned a worried gaze to his own brothers. "And how have you been doing all things considered?" His voice was soft.
Raphael shrugged. "Fine"
"Having April and Casey around really helped," Michelangelo smiled, informing his brother.
Hearing that Leo's heart warmed. Settling back against his pillows Leo let his brothers fill him in on all that he'd missed.
"Master Splinter?" Leo breathed the name of his past father with wide eyes. He hadn't even considered the possibilities that the mirror dimension would still have a Master Splinter.
His brothers' eyes were flooded with the same array of emotions Leo's own heart felt. He was so relieved to hear the comfort and soliance this dimension's Splinter had provided for his brothers and his own heart ached to see this mirror of his father.
"Yeah" Raphael's voice was soft as he crossed his arms.
The brothers sat in silence for a while. A lot had been shared in the last hour. Then again a lot had happened in the last week.
Leo couldn't express how grateful he was toward the April, Casey and Master Splinter of this world for being there for his brothers in his absence. Leo's heart warmed in gratitude, looking forward to meeting the counterparts of the friends and family he held so close.
"Hey Leo?" Michelangelo's voice pulled the blue clad turtle out of his thoughts.
"Yes, little Brother?" Leo smiled.
"How did Wind save your life?" Michelangelo's question caught Leonardo completely off guard.
"What?!" Blue eyes widened.
"You mentioned earlier that you would have died if it wasn't for Wind" Michealangelo's eyes were narrowed in worry "and when he lead us to you in the sewers.." Michelangelo worried his bottom lip with his teeth, his eyes filling with tears.
"Mikey!" Leonardo wrapped his brother in a hug careful of his own injuries.
"Michelangelo is right" Rapheal's own eyes were narrowed. "We need to know what happened Fearless."
Leo closed his sapphire eyes knowing that as much as he wanted to he couldn't put off this conversation forever. The blue clad turtle had no doubt that his counterpart was no doubt being prodded with the same type of questions, reluctantly the ninja couldn't help but wonder if the other had avoided them or if he'd told his side of the story yet. Leonardo would guess not.
Letting out a sigh he met the worried gaze of his three brothers sending them what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I guess I haven't really shared my side of the story yet."
"Where were you Leonardo?" Michelangelo questioned.
"I'm guessing that Donnie's device or whatever sent us here sent us to the location of our counterparts..for me that was Boise National Forest."
"Bosise?" Three sets of eyes widened in surprise.
"Yep Boise" Leonardo chuckled. "Like I said, Wind was raised by aliens. They traveled around a lot. What I left out was…he was also kinda raised by trees." Leonardo scratched the back of his head, he knew his counterpart would definitely rephrase that a lot differently but from Leo's perspective: his counterpart was most definitely partially raised by trees.
"When things were dangerous the Ortainins left me in the care of the trees" Wind shrugged nonchalantly.
For literal weeks!
Yeah that was a conversation the train wasn't one Leonardo was going to forget anytime soon.
It definitely had explained why his counterpart had loathed to enter the city and leave the trees. It had also portrayed how desperate he'd been to find his own family.
"Leonardo?" Donetello's eyes reflected his concern, feeling skeptical suddenly of his brother's cognition, his blue clad brother's words making no sense. "One can-not be raised by trees"
"Exactly!" the blue clad turtle threw his arms in the air, finally able to express his concern.
The three brothers shared a glance before it clicked with Michelangelo.
"You're being serious? Wind was actually raised by Trees?!"
"Yep" Leonardo enunciated the 'p' at the end of the words. "And he has no idea that is an unusual or even concerning thing."
The three brothers shared a look.
"You see now why I was wondering if interference needed to be run." Leo raised an eyeridge.
"Anyway" shaking his head, Leonardo rerouted to the course of the story. "Waking up in a forest I immediately realized two things. One: you three were not there" Leo's heart clenched in remembrance of the heartwrenching panic he'd felt at realizing his brother's absence. "Second: I was not alone."
His brother's sympathetic looks turned questioning at the second turn of events.
Letting out a chuckle, Leonardo continued the story. "Wind reacted much the same way I would have in that situation." the blue masked turtle admitted. "
"Which is?" Michelangelo's eyes were narrowed skeptically.
"Neutralizing a potential threat and diverting danger from home."
Donetello face palmed trying to imagine what that meant.
"After he heard my story and realized that I was in fact his counterpart Wind was more than willing to help me."
"Yeah that must have been a lot to take in" Michelangelo admitted.
"Actually considering I'm the first turtle he ever met, I think he took it all pretty well" Leonardo mused before continuing. "With being raised partially by nature focused aliens and trees, it's easy to say that we were basically through the vast wilderness in no time at all."
"You said Wind could talk to trees?" Michelangelo asked with a smile.
"It reminded me a lot of the centering ones Chi." Leonardo smiled as he explained. "It came in handy too, the trees let us know if there were hikers or campers nearby"
The brothers nodded as they listened.
"We were able to hop on a train to Chicago and from there it was a series of buses, shipping trucks, and a lot of traveling by foot," Leonardo explained. "But we finally made it to New York."
"Wow" Michelangelo whistled "that is a long journey."
"You didn't run into any trouble" Raphael's eyes were worried.
"Not on the road" Leonardo responded vaguely.
"What about when you reached New York?" Donetello asked, catching onto what his brother wasn't saying.
Leonardo let out a sigh. "This is honestly as much Wind's story as my own."
The kitchen had been quiet now for quite some time and it was clear from the noise outside that the teens had moved to the pit for another few cartoons after dinner.
With a contemplative look Rapheal stood up and strode over to the lab door before pulling it open and calling out. "Yo, get your shells in here."
Leonardo turned white as he realized what his brother was doing. With a smug look the red clad turntel turned back to his brother with eyes that said 'you're not getting out of this that easily.'
"Well" the red clad turtle shrugged. "You're right it's not just your story to share so lets get everyone in here so both you and Wind can share it. I'm certain our counterparts are just as curious as we are."
Donetello and Michelangelo nodded in agreement as they set about gathering chairs and a spare clot for everyone to sit on.
Donnie was the first to arrive on scene, his brown eyes wide in worry as the resident genius rushed into the lab. "Is everything alright?"
"Everything is fine Donnie, sorry for worrying you" Leonardo apologize.
"Rapheal wants everyone in here so that we can hear the two Leo's side of the story" Michelangelo explained.
Having arrived just in time for the explanation, Wind paled as Mikey and Raph nodded in agreement.
"When asked about his injuries our brother pointed out that it wasn't fully his story to share." "So" Raheal shrugged. "It seems only fair that both our brothers fill us in on what happened."
"A very logical rationale" Donnie agreed as he pulled up his own chair.
"I believe we are all in consensus on the idea." Donetello concurred, as he settled in at the foot of the cot, Michelangelo squeezed next to Leonardo's left side and Rapheal on a chair on Leonardo's right.
"I'll go grab Master Splinter!" Mikey commented before dashing out of the lab. Donnie positioned the spare cot like a long sopha for the four brothers to sit on while Raph grabbed a chair for their father. Wind sat between Raph and Donnie, while April and Casey grabbed chairs to sit next to the brothers.
The four turtles not from this world stiffened as their decided father's counterpart entered the room.
"M..master Splinter" Leonardo bowed, or at least attempted a half bow from his reclined seat on the cot. His brother Donetello pushed his injured brother back on the pillows, his brown eyes sympathetic at the array of emotions emanating in his brother's eyes.
"I am relieved to see that you are recovering Leonardo" Master Splinter replied, stroking his beard as he grabbed a seat.
"He should make a full recovery, as long as he listens to his doctor" Donetello sent a meaningful look toward his brother.
"No crazy stunts, I got it" Leonardo chuckled.
"I was informed that a long awaited explanation is due" the elderly rat raised a meaningful eyeridge looking between Wind and Leonardo.
Taking a centering breath Leonardo closed his eyes, gaining his focus. His brothers deserve to know what had happened as did their counterparts.
"Where should I start?" Leonardo asked.
"Leonardo already caught us up on the journey here" , Donetello clarified.
"Wind has not" Donnie noted turning to his brother.
Wind and Leo shared a look.
"I guess the beginning is as good a place as ever to start." Wind commented and dived into the story.
It was interesting hearing their journey from a different perspective and it gave Leonardo a moment to find his balance. Heart still pounding in his chest, Leonardo couldn't help darting glances toward Master Splinter finding the resemblance uncanny. His heart pained looking at the man who looked so much like his father but was not his father. The young leader had to remind himself that this Master Splinter already had four sons.
Leonardo was pulled out of his thoughts as the story veered away from the journey and toward New York city. "Okay this is just like your mission reports" Leonardo reminded himself. He was honestly more worried about Wind, who was clearly on edge and had already admitted that he was unsure how the family would react to the fight.
"Leo was leading us toward an underground entrance to the sewers but we diverted our course when we realized we were being followed." Wind explained.
The room tensed.
"By who" Raph grit out his fists clenched.
"By the foot" Leonardo interjected, noting the reaction these words had.
"The foot?" Donnie's eyes were wide with worry.
"Was there a fight?" Mikey asked worriedly.
Leonardo nodded. "At first it was nothing we couldn't handle. Yes the numbers kept coming but we kept fighting." Leonardo took a breath.
"It wasn't just foot soldiers was it?" Donetello asked knowingly, his heart in his throat.
Leonardo met his brother's eyes. "No it wasn't"
Master Splinter turned his face, his hands shaking. Had he almost lost his son before they were reunited? The old ninja master's heart shuddered at the possibility.
"I've heard of the Shredder before, though I'd never fought him…until that night" Although his voice was quiet it was steady, as Wind spoke.
Leonardo continued the story before either set of brothers could interject. "We were forced to split apart. I fought Shredder and Wind faced Razar and Tiger Claw." Leonardo kept his leader's mask blank as he continued. "The fight, although we were out-numbered and already tired from the long journey, the previous fight was well-matched..but then." Leonardo closed his eyes momentarily, "then the Shredder got the upper hand." The three brothers of the other world scooted closer to their brother grabbing his shell encouragingly as he continued. "I was disarmed" Leonardo closed his eyes. "Shredder pressured me for the location of Hamato Yoshi when I refused he stabbed me." The leader's hand ghosted over the white bandage on his shoulder. Leonardo looked up and met the eyes of the three turtles across from him. "Wind saved my life" a smile ghosted across his lips. "He managed to get away from Razar and Tiger Claw and drew Shredder's fire."
Wind met Leonardo's gaze for a moment, humbled.
"Did you really fight the Shredder?" Raph asked, eyes wide in astonishment.
"It's more like I avoided his blows and dealt a few when I could." Wind interjected with a shrug. "It was more of a dance for survival."
"Many have faced the Shredder and few have lived to tell the tale. Walking away with Leonardo and your life is quite a feat, my son." Master Splinter prided, his eyes warm with relief and pride.
Wind looked down his heart, paining in guilt. Will they still feel the same when they know the truth? He wondered. Tears clouded his eyes.
Raph, Donnie and Mikey scooted closer to their upset fourth. April and Casey offered their own signs of sympathy while Leonardo gestured to his brothers to provide space, knowing what his counterpart was grappling with.
Master Splinter put a hand on the shoulder of his distressed son, his eyes clouded in worry.
"T..time was running out" Wind fought to keep his voice steady as the tears began to fall. "I n..needed to get Leo help soon..I knew I couldn't keep going much longer..and" Wind ripped his gaze from the carrying and compassionate gaze of his new-found family and friends. "It was self defense!" Tears trekked down his face.
"Wind?" Donnie pulled his brother closer to his chest, his heart pounding in his own chest.
"What are you talking about bro?" Mikey asked quietly, stroking his brothers' head.
"I'm not proud of what I did, but I had to do it. He was going to kill Leo and I..he wouldn't stop there…he'd hurt you..or.."
Realization dawned and the baffled family looked up to meet each other's gaze as understanding fell.
Wind continued on fighting past the tears to continue the story. "I reached out like Traneil taught me and I pulled the electricity to me..it hurt…but I channeled it from me to the Shredder..it was the only thing I could think to do."
The was a moment of stunned silence.
"Let me get this straight, you electrocuted the Shredder?!" Raph's electric green eyes started thunderstruck at his brother.
Wind nodded.
"And you used yourself as a conduit?!" Donnie yelled, sounding both absolutely horrified and scandalized. "Do you even realize how dangerous that is?!"
"So metal," Casey whispered.
Splinter closed his eyes understanding his Son's internal upheaval, placing a hand on the young turtle's shoulder. "You did what you had to do my son. None of us are mad at you or think any less of you. You did what you needed to do to save Leonardo and yourself. Saki was a dangerous villain who would stop at nothing to destroy those who opposed him, though I understand your distress at your actions you may have saved your family."
Meeting his fathers' gaze Wind nodded, before he found himself in the center of a group hug of a worried, astounded and relieved Ninja family.
Author's Note: The story got away from me, I apologize for how dark it got in the end there it was not my intention.