Hello all you wonderful people! So happy to see you all again and I hope you've been doing well. And if you celebrate, Merry Christmas! If not, Happy Holidays and an early Happy New Year! I have no excuse for why it took so long for me to update this outside of just lack of motivation and a need to work on some other creative things for a bit. But, I have been working on this chapter all year and really wanted to get this up for you guys as like a little Christmas/New Year's gift to show how much it's been meaning to me that all of you are still willing to read and leave such sweet comments on my story. I really appreciate it all, truly. So, I really hope all of you enjoy this chapter.
Happy reading!
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"Ha! First place! Shell yeah, Baby!" I cheer, watching as my character, Luigi, starts taking a victory lap with Michelangelo's character, Princess Peach, right behind him. Michelangelo groans but there is a spark of mirth in his eyes as he slumps back into the couch.
"Ugh, I was so close! If only King Boo hadn't hit me with that dumb green shell I would have had you!"
I snicker as my counterpart pouts, placing my controller down next to me to glance over at him.
"No way, Dude! I totally had that in the bag," I state, my grin growing. "Even if you did pass me, I still had a golden mushroom that I could have used."
Michelangelo opens his mouth before pausing. I can see the wheels turning behind his sky-blue eyes before sticking his tongue out at me.
"Yeah, well, I still won our first round, so there!" A light brightens Michelangelo's sky-blue eyes. "Which means that we'll need to do a round thr—"
Michelangelo sucks in a sharp breath, trailing off mid-sentence and his head tilts to the left. There is a slight hitch in his breathing and his eye ridges twitch as if he's trying to listen to something. Concern instantly bubbles in my chest when his face smooths out into that faraway look from before. I open my mouth to call out to him when his hands suddenly go slack in his lap, the controller dropping into his lap and sliding onto the couch. I quickly catch it before it can also slide off the couch and I gently place the controller next to mine.
Is he checking to see how far along our fathers are? I think, shooting the fun-loving turtle a look. I feel like he's going to say he is, but this feels a little extreme. Why is his breathing so weird? Shell, where's a Donnie when you need one!
I run a hand down my face, quietly relishing in the fact that the movement doesn't hurt while I also try to figure out what to do. Movement catches my eyes, causing my gaze to slide back over to Buffer Me. My heart leaps into my throat I fully see what the movement actually is.
"Whoa!"
My hands shoot out as I quickly scoot closer to my counterpart when he lists forward. My hold tightens when he sags even more causing me to grunt when more of his weight leans onto me.
"Dude?" I lean closer, panicking trying to bubble over when he doesn't answer. I shake him gently. "Michelangelo? Can you hear me? Is everything all right?"
My eyes frantically scan Buffer Me as my brain grasps at possible scenarios of what's going on as I make sure that he's still breathing. (Which he is, thank Silver Sentry!) Did he get called out by someone? Did the lair get attacked and he needed to go help? Did he pass out? And if he did, am I trapped inside his head now?
Being alone with my own thoughts is bad enough!
My throat tightens at that thought and my fingers cling more to the slightly older turtle. I laugh nervously.
"Don't get me wrong, Dude," I start shakily as I work to ignore my racing thoughts. "This is like super rad, but I don't even wanna be trapped in my OWN mind. I don't really wanna be trapped in a different version of me's mind." I swallow thickly as I study his blank blue eyes. "So, uh, if you could come back, that would be great. Please?"
Silence.
Dragging in a deep breath, I release it as my chest rattles. I'm just jumping to conclusions. For all I know, someone on the outside called him out and is talking to him. Which would mean that my arm should be completely mended right?
Unless my arm was too broken, and they had to chop it off.
A wheeze leaves me as I stare down at my right arm. I mean, I'm left-handed so it's not like I wouldn't be able to draw but my nunchakus are so much easier to use with two hands! And Donnie would have to help me figure out how to use my controllers with one hand or maybe even have to build me a new controller.
He still owes me for using my controller for his T-Bots, I think sourly as my eyes narrow.
But what can I do to help other me out? CAN I even help?
My fingers twitch on Michelangelo's shoulders at the thought of just sitting here, quietly and waiting in silence. Which…neither are my strong suits. And silence is one of the few things I can't stand.
My eye ridges furrow when my fingers twitch again, but this time not because of something my body did. Hope blooms in my chest and I quickly bring my attention back to the turtle. His head twitches and his fingers flex. My eyes widen more when Michelangelo lifts his head, blinking around lethargically. Sky-blue eyes turn toward me, squinting for a moment before he twitches again with a wince.
"Whoa," Michelangelo breathes out, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Head rush."
"Dude, what happened?" I ask as I help steady the slightly larger turtle.
Michelangelo blinks again, lowering his hand to look at me. He stares at me for a beat before smiling that famous and very charming 'Mikey Smile'.
"Oh, nothing. I was just checking on something and it should be all good to go."
My eyes narrow as he reaches down for his controller only to look around when he doesn't spot it. I hand it over and he offers me another smile.
"'Checking on something'?" I echo back which he only nods. "What the shell does that mean, Dude? What were you checking? Do you know how freaky it is for you to just suddenly stop talking mid-sentence than just sit there as if your soul was taken and your body was left behind?!"
Michelangelo shoots me an apologetic look as he fiddles with his controller.
"Sorry about that, Dude. It kinda caught me off guard so I didn't have time to warn you about it." Michelangelo rubs the back of his neck before beaming. "But on the bright side, your arm should be completely healed by now!" Michelangelo pretends to look at his wrist as if there was a watch on it. "It has to have been at least an hour out there or so. So, it should only be a matter of time before someone reaches out to us to let me know that it's completely safe to bring us back."
My head tilts to the side, a frown forming.
"But aren't you able to check on the progress of my arm? Isn't that what you did before we started playing games?"
Michelangelo stands, stretching out his back.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah," he waves a dismissive hand. "But that was just a quick overall peek, telling me that there was progress on your arm, not that Sensei was actually done with healing you."
Standing, I follow after him as he turns off the gaming console.
"Dude, if something's going on, I'd really like to know," I state as he continues to move, and I can tell that he's trying hard to not look my way. "It's not like I don't trust you or your dad, Michelangelo, but like, that seemed really weird, and I don't think you just checking on my arm's progress would cause a head rush like you mentioned." And that weird, concerning breathing you were doing. "And you didn't answer my question. What were you checking on?"
"Seriously, Dude," Michelangelo states, throwing me another smile, one that I'm painfully familiar with. It's that smile that I give my brothers when I'm trying to hide something from them that I know will upset them emotionally. "It's fine. I'M fine, just haven't done this in a bit so I'm a little rusty is all. Why don't we—"
Michelangelo stops and looks off to his left and I follow his gaze. A six-foot line of bright blue light cuts vertically through the darkness surrounding us. When the light hits where the ground should be, the light creeps apart forming a portal of light blue light. My eyes flicker over to Michelangelo when he turns to face me, and he offers me a grin.
"Welp, that's one way to be called back." Michelangelo laughs as he extends a hand out toward me. "Looks like Sensei has finished healing your arm and is giving us a fancy way out of my core. You ready to not have a broken arm anymore?"
I open my mouth to argue, because seriously! Why won't he just tell me what he was checking on? He would have told me straight up if he was checking on my arm, so there was something else that he was doing. But the words die in my mouth when I look at the slightly older turtle's face. He has the biggest grin on his face and his eyes are sparkling that it's so hard to stay annoyed or upset at him.
This is how my bros must feel when I give them the same look, I think as a heavy sigh escapes me. Slowly, I nod and take his hand.
"Yeah, I'm ready to not have a broken arm anymore," I state before squinting up at him. "But I am gonna figure out what just happened, Dude. You mark my words. Mikeys are allowed to be weird, but even that was weird for a Mikey."
Michelangelo laughs as he pulls us along toward the portal. He shoots me a grin over his shoulder as he winks.
"Us Mikeys are good at keeping people on their toes, you know that."
I offer him a lopsided smile and an amused shake of my head.
Boy, do I ever.
My smile slips a little when we close in on the portal and my head tilts to the side when I realize that the energy to this light doesn't feel like a Splinter-sensei at all. It feels more like a—
"Huh, Leo must have been the one to send us a portal," Michelangelo states, leaning close to the inspect the light before shrugging. "I'm sure Sensei is probably a little tired and Leo volunteered to call us back since he's the only other person who has been here before."
I nod along because, honestly, that is such a Leo thing to do. Get told to leave the dojo and check on breakfast and the next come back into the dojo and offer to help.
My lips twitch into a small smile, watching the way that the bluish light pulses softly as if calling out to us to enter.
Why couldn't Leo be the Kyūkyoku no purotekutā instead? I think as the two of us start walking once more. Instead of that large chunk of armor? Bet Leo wouldn't have destroyed my chi walls if he was. He would have found some sort of workout regimen to gradually get it to drop over time. The overachiever.
I just barely catch myself from snorting out loud as Michelangelo steps into the blinding light. My free hand lifts to cover my eyes as I follow after and I can't help but gasp as a loving warmth washes over me. The type of warmth that one feels when their big brother opens up his arms and envelops you in a warm hug after having a bad dream.
Heat builds behind my eyes as I feel Michelangelo and I walk through this blinding light. It takes a lot of will power for me to shove those emotions back down inside of me and it's when I do that I notice that I can no longer feel Michelangelo's hand in mine. The urge to panic comes and goes as I can still feel the lingering presence of Michelangelo's Leonardo surrounding me. I instead focus on that feeling and allow myself to be guided forward gently. A frown tugs on my lips when I suddenly feel myself stop and the warm, bright light that had been surrounding me is suddenly gone. My head tilts to the side in curiosity.
"Open your eyes, Watashi no nikkō."
My body nearly sags at the sound of Chichi's voice and I do as my father asks. Squinting, I glance around at the unfamiliar dojo before my eyes land on my father kneeling beside me. A relieved smile forms on his face and I return it before glancing down at my arm. The wrappings LH had put around my wrist is gone and my fingers no longer look like sausages. Lifting my arm up, I excitedly open and close my hand and rotate my wrist.
"How's it feel, Dude?"
"It feels good as new!" I state and hold my hand up like a proud child.
Beaming, I look over at Michelangelo. Only for my smile to slip a little when I see how tired and pale my counterpart appears. However, his smile is large and genuine, making his sky-blue eyes sparkle despite his otherwise fatigued appearance.
Shell, I think as a pit of guilt forms in my gut. Bringing me to his core really took a toll on him.
My mouth opens to ask Buffer Me how he feels but he leans forward and for a split second, I'm afraid that he's toppling over. I nearly sigh in relief when he merely cocks his head at me, an impish look crossing his face.
"And is that aaaaaall you feel?"
He pokes me in the knee and my eye ridges furrow in confusion. Am I supposed to feel something else? Glancing down, I pat at my plastron, still hating the fact that I'm sitting here naked. (A tiny Donnie like voice pipes up in my head telling me that I'm ALWAYS naked but I quickly shoo that voice away. It's the principle of the thing!) My fingers move up to my face, still not figuring out what Michelangelo is talking about. Meeting Michelangelo's giddy but tired gaze, I open my mouth to tell him that I don't feel any different when I pause. My head tilts to the side as I stare at the other nunchaku wielder. My 'Tiger Senses' are telling me that there IS something different. I just can't put my finger on it.
My eyes widen with a gasp.
"We're at eye level!"
I leap to my feet with a 'WHOOP!' and study my body at every angle I can before glancing back at Michelangelo, who nods in excitement.
"Yeah, Dude! You're big again!" Buffer Me exclaims with a giddy wiggle as I nod.
Not only is my arm fixed but I'm normal size once more! I shoot an excited look at Chichi which he returns with a gentle smile of his own. He then nods to the side and I follow his direction to look at Splinter-sensei and I quickly press one fist into the palm of my hand and bow to the amused older mutant.
"Arigatō, Splinter-sensei. This…This means a lot."
Splinter-sensei chuckles as he strokes his little white beard, light brown eyes shining as he and I make eye contact. He inclines his head.
"You are very welcome, Michelangelo. However, all I did was heal your wrist. I did nothing about reverting you back to your regular size." Brown eyes flicker behind me. "It was quite the shock to see your body shift back right after I finished mending the bones in your wrist."
My eyes narrow for a moment as I think over what this smaller version of my father said. If it wasn't Splinter-sensei and I'm sure Chichi would have said something if he knew how to revert me back and Leatherhead doesn't have access to his chi like we do so it couldn't have been him.
Which only leaves…
The image of Michelangelo's blank face and nearly falling from the couch comes to mind and I turn toward the other turtle, who is still seated on the floor, hands clasped in his lap as he watches me. Looking very drained and pale.
As if energy was sucked from him.
"What did you do?" I ask, trying hard to keep my voice from raising an octave as worry starts to spread through my chest.
A contrite smile appears on Michelangelo's face as everyone in the room looks at him. His sky-blue eyes flicker from my face to his father's back to mine and he rubs the back of his neck.
"Nothing bad, honest," he says, grabbing one of his mask tails and fiddling with it. "You just looked so bummed being small so I just…" Michelangelo makes a vague hand gesture with his free hand. "gave you some of my chi. Kinda like a blood transfusion but with chi." He shrugs as my mouth falls open. You can do that? "And it's not like I did it all at once. I was doing it gradually while we were in my core playing games."
My mouth falls open as realization hits me.
"You didn't check to see how far along they were on my arm, you were giving me some of your chi," I accuse as I point at the sheepish looking turtle. "Why didn't you just tell me that was what you were doing that?"
Michelangelo shrugs again, twirling the long ribbon around his finger.
"Because I figured, if you were anything like me, you'd try to stop me." A lopsided grin appears on his face and a knowing look appears in his eyes. "And, well, you ARE me."
My lips purse as I stare at my counterpart. He's right and I hate that he's right. I would have tried to stop him from giving me his chi because I wouldn't want to make him as he is now. Tired and drained and still on the floor. But… I also would have done the same thing. Which is why I'm kicking myself for not figuring it out sooner.
"My son," Splinter-sensei starts softly. "That was a very noble thing to do. But also, a very dangerous thing to do. You could have made yourself very ill and I am certain that Michelangelo would have been very upset if you had made yourself sick without at least letting him in on what you were doing."
"And it's not like I'm not grateful!" I quickly chime in when it looks like Buffer Me is going to argue. "But, Dude. I was at bottom of the tank! Absolute zero! You had to have poured, like, a HUMUNGO portion of your chi into me to get me back to my regular size!"
Michelangelo shrugs, looking very unphased by our words as he continues to smile.
"Dude, I've got energy to burn. It's not gonna hurt me any that I gave you enough to help you feel better." He smirks. "My bros say that I always gain a second wind, so give me about an hour and I'm sure I'll be up for skating in the sewers or some ACTUAL video games in the living room."
The feeling of fatherly glares fills the air and from the way that Michelangelo shrinks a little with another contrite look lets me know that his father isn't the ONLY one giving him the LOOK. I glance over when I hear rustling and I see Leatherhead standing with a handheld device. Michelangelo groans as the crocodile mutant approaches him.
"Duuuude, LH, I'm FINE."
"And I am certain that you allowing Leatherhead to check you over will confirm said statement," Chichi states dryly as he straightens his emerald robe.
Michelangelo pouts as LH starts scanning him.
"Honest, Senseis, I'm fi—"
"Michelangelo."
My counterpart's mouth snaps shut when Leonardo's voice filters into the dojo. I have to bite the inside of my cheek so that I don't react when the buffer version of my brother enters the room, a tray of steaming drinks in his hands. An unamused expression mars his face as he look (glares really) over at where his youngest brother is sitting. The orange-cladded turtle ducks his head, looking very much like a kicked puppy as his brother kneels next to my father, handing him a drink as my father nods in 'thanks'.
"We are just making sure that you are truly okay, Little Brother," Leonardo states as he stands and walks over to where his father is kneeling and handing him one of the cups. "So, for our peace of minds, please just let LH check you over before Donnie finds out what you did."
Michelangelo's eyes widen at Leonardo's subtle not subtle threat before grumbling and crosses his arms. Chichi and I exchange a look, my father hiding an amused quirk of his lips behind his tea. Chuckling softly, I make to get closer to Chichi when a steaming cup of tea is held out in front of me. Jumping, I follow the green arm up until I'm looking up at Leonardo. He offers me a soft smile, one that makes my chest ache for Leo before I shove it down. Breathing out slowly, I return his smile with a small one of my own as I take the tea almost shyly.
"Arigatō."
I swear Leonardo's face softens even more as I thank him. He nods his head before moving on to where his brother is sitting. I follow after him with my eyes for a beat, just long enough to see him squat down next to his Michelangelo. Snout twitching, I tear my eyes away and hurry over to my father and kneel next to him, enjoying the sensation of not only being able to move so freely without being cautious because something might pull or ache. Chichi smiles warmly at me as I take my place next to him.
"Feeling better, my son?"
Nodding, I bring my cup to my lips and take a sip. I blink in surprise when, instead of tea like I was assuming, a burst of silky chocolate hits my tongue. Startled, I glance down at the contents that are swirling in the dark blue cup.
Hot chocolate?!
I take another mouthful, filling up my cheeks. Sensing a stare, I glance up at Chichi, cheeks still full as I widen my eyes in question at him. All I get back is an amused shake of the head and a soft chuckle. Swallowing, I'm about to open my mouth to ask my father what's so amusing when Leatherhead suddenly hums.
"What is it, LH?" I call out, eyes flickering down to my counterpart, concern spreading through me once more as the larger mutant stares down at the device in his hands. I bite my lip as my gaze shifts to my counterpart. There is a dazed look on his face that wasn't there a few seconds ago even as his Leo softly speaks to him. Leonardo reaches out to steady my fellow orange lover when he sways a little.
"Is there something wrong, my friend?" Splinter-sensei asks, materializing next to Leonardo and placing a hand on Michelangelo's cheek just as LH opens his mouth to answer.
Almost the moment my counterpart's father touches his cheek, Michelangelo's eyes slide close and Leonardo is only just barely able to save his brother's drink while Splinter-sensei helps keep the now unconscious turtle upright until Leonardo can place the cup a safe distance away.
Leatherhead purses his lips as he squats. "Looks like Michelangelo beat me to the punch, so to speak. I was about to say that I was quite impressed that Michelangelo was still awake with how low his readings were but that would have been speaking too soon it seems." A wary yet amused chuckle leaves the older reptile. "At least he was seated this time."
My eye ridges lift high at Leatherhead's comment, shooting Chichi a worried look. My father sips his tea, reaching down to rest a hand on my thigh, patting gently in a silent way of saying, 'Remain calm. It is all right.' I worry my bottom lip as I turn my attention back to my counterpart and his family. I place my hot chocolate down, ready to help in any way possible. Splinter-sensei gently strokes his youngest's head as he looks up at Leatherhead. The older reptile nods as if my father's counterpart said something before standing.
"I shall go inform Donatello about Michelangelo's vitals and the current situation." Leatherhead chuckles softly. "He will be very displeased if he is not informed right away." Leatherhead turns, offering me a soft, kind smile. "We are very happy that you are feeling better. Please do not be afraid to inform one of us if any of your injuries start acting up again. I would also highly suggest that you take it easy for the rest of the day, though I do understand that might be a bit of a challenge right now. All of us wish to help you as much as possible, so do not hesitate to reach out to one of us."
My throat tightens at the older mutant's words and all I can do is nod in understanding. Leatherhead's yellow eyes are tender and he gently pats me on the head before continuing out of the dojo. Movement draws my attention away from the retreating crocodile and I bite the inside of my cheek when Leonardo approaches his unconscious brother still being cradled by their father.
My fingers twitch where they rest on my thighs, feeling as though I shouldn't be staring and yet I can't look away. Leonardo whispers something to his father that has the older mutant smiling before he starts to shift. Michelangelo doesn't make a sound, nor does he react as he's shifted around. Leonardo slides his arms under his little brother's shell and then under his knees. Vague memories of not only Leo but all my brothers doing the same for me when I fall asleep during a horror movie marathon flashes in my mind making my eyes burn a little. Leonardo stands easily, as if Michelangelo isn't made of pure muscle and shell. I quickly drop my gaze when the leaf green turtle turns and quietly exits the dojo.
Guilt fills me as a silence fills the dojo and I can hear the gruff voice of this world's Raphael calling out to Leonardo then quickly followed by quiet but fast footsteps. My eyes drop to the still steaming cup of hot chocolate before me. Shell. How could I have let Michelangelo do this? I should have known he would have tried doing something like this! Because I would have done the same thing had I known I had the ability to do so!
"Michelangelo."
My head snaps up and I look over at Splinter-sensei with wide eyes.
"Y-Yes, Splinter-sensei?"
The older mutant is now kneeling and facing toward me and Chichi. He somehow obtained his tea in the short span of helping Leonardo with Michelangelo and is holding it with both hands. Wise light brown eyes are watching me through the steam of his tea. When we make eye contact, his features soften, and he offers me a small smile.
"What just happened with Michelangelo was not your fault, Young One," Splinter-sensei states taking another sip of his tea. He shakes his head when I open my mouth to argue. "No. My son's decision was his own and he knew what he was doing and what risk he was running in pouring so much of his chi into you. Yet, he still chose to do so." Splinter-sensei's lips quirk into a larger smile. "That is merely how my youngest is. He wants to help even at the expense of himself. He has done similar things for his brothers." The wise ninja master closes his eyes before reopening them and I see him glance over at Chichi. "Does not mean it makes it any easier to witness him collapse as he did, but I do not blame you for what happened. And neither will any of my sons." An aspirated look appears on the older mutant's face and I hear my father chuckle quietly to himself. "While my youngest is my more easy-going child, when he puts his mind to something, he can become even more stubborn than all of his older brothers combine."
"Hmm, sounds familiar," Chichi says before taking a sip of tea as I turn toward him.
"Chichi! What is that supposed to mean?" I ask, pouting. He nods toward my hot chocolate instead of answering and I grumble but do as I'm told.
Splinter-sensei watches us, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"I am certain that your father merely means that once you put your mind to something, you do not allow anything to deter you from your goal."
My eyes narrow as I hear Chichi make a noise, but I can't quite tell if it's in agreement or one of his mysterious noises that even Leo doesn't understand but tries to pretend that he does. I swirl my mug, making the liquid on the inside to spin. I lift my gaze up to Splinter-sensei.
"I-I…I guess…"
Splinter-sensei's offers me another smile.
"It is a good thing, Michelangelo. But please, do not fret too much. Michelangelo will be just fine after a little bit of rest. I foresee him being up and about a little after lunch."
I breathe out slowly but nod in agreement with the older mutant's words. If this isn't the first time that my counterpart has done this, then I'm sure his own father would know how long it takes him to recoup. Doesn't mean I have to like being the reason Buff Me is out of commission but knowing that his family knows what to do about it is a comfort.
Is this how my bros felt when I used too much chi while out with LH and Slash? I think as I take another sip of my drink, not wanting Leonardo's hard work to go to waste. I guess I now understand why they got so mad and stressed out. A soft noise leaves me, just barely catching a sigh. A warm hand pats my leg again and I glance at Chichi from the corner of my eye, but he isn't looking at, having started a soft conversation with Splinter-sensei.
Downing the rest of my tea, I gingerly stand up, trying not to feel guilty about the happiness that fills me when I'm at my normal height. I glance down and wiggle my toes before heat spreads across my cheeks when I remember that I'm not wearing any of my gear.
"Um, I'm…I'm just gonna go and put my gear on and dr-drop off my empty cup." My eyes land on Michelangelo's forgotten cup. "And I'll take Michelangelo's to the kitchen, maybe pop it into the fridge for later."
"Arigatō, Michelangelo. It is Raphael's turn for dishes tonight, so feel free to just place your mug into the sink."
I incline my head as I scoop up the untouched drink and hurry out of the dojo. I glance around the main space of the lair only to find it empty. Deciding it's for the best so everyone isn't seeing me walking around naked, I hurry toward the kitchen. I peek inside and breathe a sigh of relief when it's empty. Humming softly, I place my empty mug into the sink and Michelangelo's hot chocolate into the fridge to be heated up later. My head tilts to the side when my neck prickles.
"Is everything okay?"
A squeak leaves me as I whip around, hand landing on my chest. I groan as I spot Tiny Leo standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
"Seriously, I'm buying you a bell or huge clown shoes that squeak!"
An amused look appears on Tiny Leo's face as he enters the kitchen fully.
"I wasn't trying to walk all that softly, Mikey."
My faces scrunches up at how that is such a Leonardo thing to say.
"Yes, well, all Leos are like master ninjas so even if you tried to stomp, I bet no noise would be heard! You are the envy of all felines."
Tiny Leo smirks as he leans against the counter, dark blue eyes watching me carefully with that look that only big brothers seem to have mastered. He crosses his arms with a quirked eye ridge.
"Well, we ARE ninjas. We aren't SUPPOSED to be loud. But you're avoiding my question. Did something happen? The group of you were in there for less than an hour when Leonardo brought all of you drinks." Tiny Leo eyes me, a flash of relief showing on his face. "I'm happy that they not only healed your arm but that you're your normal size, but why did Raphael call out, demanding to know what happened?"
My snout wiggles as I fight to not squirm in place. Concern replaces the look of relief that Tiny Leo had before as he pushes himself away from the counter.
"Mikey?"
I sigh and wave a hand.
"Nothing HORRIBLE happened, Dude, so don't get the wrong idea," I state softly, rubbing my palms on my thighs. "But, uh, I guess Buff Me thought it would be a good idea to give me quite a bit of his chi so that I wouldn't be all Mini Me anymore." I wince as Tiny Leo's eyes widen. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Apparently, this isn't the first time he's provided someone with chi like this so like, he's not in any danger or anything. He's just super tired and passed out. Splinter-sensei said that he should be up and about a little after lunch." I rub the back of my neck as Tiny Leo narrows his eyes. "So, uh, Leonardo brought him to his room to rest and Raphael saw him from the sounds."
Tiny Leo reaches up and pinches between his eye ridges, groaning.
"I swear, the two of you are going to make me wrinkle early. Why in the world would he think that was a good idea?" Tiny Leo drops his hand, leveling me with a stare that feels far older than I know him and my brothers' counterparts to be. "I'm not saying that it's not great that you're your normal self, Mikey, but first YOU use too much energy when you had no chi LEFT to use and now this world's Mikey does the same with his chi. You're making me nervous on what MY Mikey is going to try to do next."
My heart cracks a little at the worried and almost fearful look on this younger Leo's face.
"Dude, I'm sure your Mikey won't—"
"He already took a spear in the gut for me, Michelangelo," Tiny Leo harshly whispers, voice cracking as he looks back at me as he hugs himself. "You really think that my Mikey wouldn't attempt to try and pull what you or this world's Mikey just did if it meant he could help someone?"
My mouth opens before I snap it shut. I do think that. I might not know these versions of me and my brothers for very long or well but from what I have seen? Their Mikey WOULD do something like that. I know it and so does his eldest brother and probably his Donnie and Raph know it too. But I can't bring myself to say it, not with the upset gleam shining bright in Tiny Leo's eyes.
A wet chuckle leaves the younger turtle, and he shakes his head.
"That's what I thought. Mikey's heart is just too big, and he cares so much about others for him NOT to do something like that. It just…It just hurts to know how easily Mikey would give himself up for others." Tiny Leo glances at me. "We got Mikey to promise to talk to us about that thing you mentioned up on the roof, so maybe we can make him see that he does matter to us, more than he seems to know."
I listen silently as Tiny Leo speaks, pleased to hear that not only are the four of them going to talk like they really need to but how that also implies that Mini Me woke up long enough to make that promise. Quietly, I walk up to the younger turtle, and I wrap my arms around him, pulling him into a hug. I feel him stiffen for a moment, but Leo does the same thing when he isn't expecting a hug. My lips quirk when the younger turtle relaxes and even hugs back. I continue the hug until I feel him starting to pull away and I release him, offering him a soft smile.
"Dude, you know that each of us would do anything for each other, no matter what world it is. As my Leo told me; In this life, we only have each other. If one of us goes down, we all go down."
Tiny Leo blinks as he stares at me and I can see the wheels turning behind his eyes. After a beat, he slowly nods and smiles in that way that Leo does when he understands something.
"You're right. Thank you, Mikey."
I grin and wink at him.
"You're welcome! Mikey-sensei at your service anytime! And on every Tuesday, I can give you a fortune if you provide me with a cookie."
Tiny Leo laughs softly but it's enough to satisfy me and get rid of that sadness that was lingering in his gaze.
"All right, all right. Arigatō, Mikey. I really needed that." Tiny Leo starts for the entrance of the kitchen before he stops in the doorway and looks back at me, a serious expression on his face. "But please know that what's happened both with this world's Mikey and our Mikey isn't and never was, your fault."
My mouth falls open but before I can say anything, Tiny Leo is leaving the kitchen. I stand there for a moment, trying to figure out how in the world Tiny Leo knew that was how he was feeling. My snout scrunches up as I huff.
Leo can never convince me he doesn't have mindreading powers. This just PROVES that ALL Leos have the ability to read their baby brothers minds. It does and Leo cannot convince me otherwise.
Puffing up my cheeks, I exit the kitchen and aim for the bedroom that Chichi and he are currently occupying. I tilt my head as I can just barely hear whispering coming from a room further down telling me that is where this worlds version of my brothers have ended up. Biting my bottom lip and a touch afraid that one of them might come out and start yelling at me and blaming me (even though I know that won't happen but what if it does!) I quickly hurry into the room. I glance around, trying to find where my father placed my gear last night. I do a 180 in the center of the room before my eyes finally land on my gear resting on top of the desk.
"Oh, thank Silver Sentry," I breathe out and I swiftly start pulling my pads on and then tie my belt around my waist before reaching for my nunchakus. "Come to Papa!" A sense of almost normalcy falls over me now having my gear on. "Now all I need is my mask and I'll be good to go!"
"Then it's a good thing I was just bringing it over, huh?"
A tiny shriek leaves me (and yes it was totally manly, thank you) as I turn around. Donatello stands in the doorway and the only thing helping me not mistaken him for my own is the fact that he's not nearly as tall as my genius brother is. His light brown eyes are gentle as he watches me and I quickly offer him a smile.
"Oh! Thanks a mill, Dude! Looks good as new!" I chirp out as I approach, peeking down at my orange mask folded neatly in his hands. "Almost looks like when Chichi first gave it to me!"
Donatello chuckles softly, meeting me halfway into the room before holding the strip of fabric out for me to take. Gingerly, I pluck up my mask and allow the long piece of fabric to unroll. Smiling, I lift it to my face and expertly tie it around my eyes. The familiar weight and sensation against my skin completes the feeling of rightness that I was looking for while putting my gear on. I open my eyes, unsure when I closed them, and beam up at the genius turtle.
Donatello chuckles and I see his hand twitch but it remains at his side.
"I'm glad your pleased with it. The formula I used is one of my own creation. It cleans fabrics deeply but without bleaching or making the colors run. It's been very handy for situations such as this."
I laugh softly.
"I bet! My own Donnie made one similar for the same reason. He was also tired of seeing bleach stains on our father's robes." I snicker. "We just happen to have needed it for OTHER reasons. A life of a ninja is forever changing." I wiggle my fingers in a spooky manner that earns myself a fond eye roll from this world's genius.
"I swear, all I would need to do is hold a conversation with you and not even see you to tell that you're a Michelangelo."
"I'm going to take that as a complement," I state, beaming.
Donatello offers me a soft smile.
"Good, because that's what I was aiming for. Are you ready to come down to the TV area? Leatherhead got some news from Mortu that he wants to share with all of you."
I blink in surprise. "Really? I wonder what he heard. Think he has the parts we need for our little bracelet?"
Donatello guides me out of the room.
"That's what I'm hoping! The technology inside of your Dimension Bracelet is incredible! So many of the parts I recognize as the Utroms but there are other parts that I don't recognize that Don mentioned were tech from creatures called Kraang!" A distant look forms on the genius's face. "It's just so interesting how our dimensions can be so similar and yet hold different beings that we would never know about if it wasn't for the fact that we have met all of you." Donatello shakes his head and looks over at me as we leap from the second floor. "And yet, it seems like YOUR world has a blend of both ours and theirs! Oh, what I would give to be able to travel to both of your dimensions and see what different technology both worlds have that ours doesn't."
I brighten at the suggestion.
"Oh! My Donnie would love that! He always is looking for more people to talk geek with!" I snicker, a sense of relief that I'm able to hold such a normal conversation with another being of this world. And one that looks similar to my brother! Not completely similar, not having the height or the right colored eyes but close enough that at a quick glance I could definitely mistaken him as my own brother.
Donatello is about to answer when he looks up and makes a noise between a sigh and a laugh. I follow his line of sight and spot what he's looking at. Tiny Leo and Tiny Donnie are slowly helping Mini Me exit the lab while Tiny Raph is arranging one of the Lazy-boys with cushions to make their little brother comfortable for the news that LH has for us. I can see the smile on Mini Me's face as he talks and the incredibly soft smiles on the older two turtles' faces as they listen to him chatter about something. Chichi, Splinter-sensei, and Master Splinter are already in the living room and I can see the three of them talking while also keeping an eye on the youngest turtle as he approaches.
"Ya slowpokes better hurry up if ya don't wanna be stuck standing da entire time."
I blink as I glance over my shoulder as Raphael appears, walking by Donatello and I. Donatello huffs out a whine when Raphael reaches over and roughly rubs his head before walking away. My lips twitch, my body unsure whether to laugh or be sad at such a familiar interaction.
"Raphael, stop picking on Donnie."
My eyes widen when I hear Leonardo's voice from behind me. Okay, okay, we'll just play it cool. No upset. No running off, it's fine. Just gonna sit there and hear what Leatherhead has to say! The noise of a disgruntled father pulls my attention away from my inner dilemma and I glance back over at the couch to find all three of the fathers looking at the end of the couch where Raphael now sits with a very contrite look on his face.
"Uh, sorry, Sensei. Habit?"
Splinter-sensei's ears twitch in the same way that Chichi's does when one of us do something he's annoyed about but doesn't want to openly scold us about it. And by the way that Raphael's face turns even more sheepish, he knows what that ear twitch means as well.
I press a hand to my lips to hide a snicker as Donatello and I move around the couch. I catch Mini Me's eye as his brothers help him sit down and he waves at me which I quickly return. Mini Me giggles as his brothers all sit on the floor in front of him and I can't help the smile that forms. I then plop myself on the floor while Donatello and Leonardo join Raphael on the couch. I peek over my shoulder at Chichi, who offers me a smile just as Leatherhead walks into the room.
"My apologies for making you wait."
"Don't apologize, LH!" I say with a grin. "We all just sat down, Dude, so no worries."
Leatherhead looks down at me, a warm smile on his face as I beam up at him.
"You said that you had some news from Mortu?" Leonardo asks, gaining the larger mutant's attention.
Leatherhead brightens at Leonardo's question and nods.
"Yes! Mortu just messaged me right after I spoke with Donatello about what happened in the dojo. He said that he will be back on Earth in two days! And will be able to see if the labs have the parts we need to return our friends back to their correct dimensions!"
My heart leaps up into my throat as my excitement rises.
"Se-Seriously?!" I ask, shifting to a kneeling position on the floor.
"Indeed, my young friend," Leatherhead says warmly. "Mortu promised to message me and Donatello the moment he is back in the TCRI building."
Oh! That's the best news I've been told all day! Even better than me returning to my normal size! Oh, I just can't wait! I bet Chichi is super excited as well!
Two days! Two days more and then I'll be able to see my brothers. Just two more days. I can handle two more days, I think happily before my gaze shifts over to the four younger turtles. Oh, they don't look so good.
