•Necromancer Dancer•

•Horrible reminders•

Donnies P.O.V-

My breathing was labored. I'm exhausted and my legs are pumping me as fast as I possibly can. My body is begging, pleading with me to stop, to rest, but I can't. I won't.

I need to find my brothers, I need to, I need to-

"AHHHHHHHGH-!"

...that was Michel. No...no NO! Please, please let them be ok. I push my body harder, my battle shell weighing me down, I contemplated taking it off, but with the current battle at hand, I couldn't risk it.

I run through the abandoned hall way, the slapping of my feet on the hard concrete is muffled in my ears as all I can hear are my brothers pleas of mercy. I burst into the room, my bō staff at the ready as I charge it up.

I stare in horror as I see my brothers lifeless bodies I front of me...Leo's plastron is torn through, his blood slowly spilling out of the wound...Raphs head is caved in on itself, parts of his skull poking out through the deep red hole...and Mikey torn limb from limb, his arms and legs thrown around and some even bent out of shape.

Breathing if difficult, my heart racing painfully in my chest...I can't breathe as my legs cave in on me and I fall pitifully to the ground. All I can do is claw at my chest and throat; I can barely feel the small hand that rests on my covered shoulder.

I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I CAN'T-

I shoot up in my bed, my sweat dripping down my forehead as I clutch my blanket so hard that my finger tips become lighter in color. It was all I dream, it wasn't real is all I can think as I try to reason with myself...but I couldn't. It was real. It had happened, and it was all my fault. It was my fault that my brothers are dead.

April kept trying to tell me otherwise, but I knew from how Splinter would look at me. He always looked pained to see me, to be in the same vicinity as me. He hates me and I know it. He blames me for my brothers deaths, but it's alright because I blame myself too.

I truly thought about going to Splinter and asking for comfort, but I knew it was a feeble ask. So I opted to at least do something with my awakened body.

I rose from the blankets and pushed myself from my bed. Sleep wasn't plentiful this week, as it hadn't been for the past few weeks since the incident. I would usually cry myself to sleep and then wake around 3am. It was just routine at this point. I tiredly put on my bandanna and walked out of my room.

My brothers rooms were closed off as I walked past them. Never once looking in them as I kept on with my walk. I get to the kitchen and start to make some coffee, I open the machine and put in a new brew.

As I wait for it to finish I recall my dream. This one was more vivid than the others, which makes it more terrifying.

The coffee maker beeped announcing that it was done so I grabbed my mug that said "#The worlds greatest evil scientist", Micheal made it for me; Nardo claimed that he helped but I doubted it. I smile a bit thinking about the memory.

"Here ya' go Donnie! I made this for you!" Mikey says excitedly as I open my eyes to land on the purple mug in his hands.

"Hey, don't forget, I helped!" Leo butts in, leaning over Mikey's shoulder. They both start to bicker about who helped with what 'til Raph pushes them apart.

"C'mon you two, this is about Donnie. So, do ya' like it bro?" Mikey gently puts the mug in my hands and I begin to stare down at it. A smile grows on my face "I truly love it dear brothers, though I doubt Nardo helped." I look away smugly as I see Leo's jaw drop.

He lunges for the mug stating that if I'm going to be ungrateful then I don't deserve it, Mikey and Raph laugh loudly in the background.

My smile grows a little after being reminded of it when I saw a drop of water fall into my coffee. My hand reaches for my face as I feel the tears slowly drip down. I wipe them away as I turn to go back to my room.

~•:•~
Aprils P.O.V-

Walking slowly into the lair I exhale quietly. I didn't really expect Splints or Donnie to be out of their rooms, but it would've been nice.

Ever since...the incident, Splinter has been locked up in his room for days, Donnie keeps blaming himself, and I don't know what to do. Me and Sunita have been trying to do all we can. We let them have some time of their own, we tried to get them to interact with each other more, we tried to get them out of the lair; everything.

I feel so bad for not being able to stop it, for not being able to help, for not being able to do...anything. Though honestly that's all I can do. Grieve about what happened and try to move on.

That's when I hear a drill buzzing faintly coming from the direction of Donnies room. I slowly walk towards the source and gently push back the soft purple fabric that closes off Donnies room to see him hunched over on his desk working on something.

I smile to myself 'At least he's working.." I think.

"Hey, Donnie." The drilling noise stops as he straightens his back and turns to me without taking off his signature red and blue goggles.

"April. Its good to see you." But there's no emotion in his voice, it's all just nothing. I let a breath escape me as I quietly walk up to him.

"What're you workin' on?" I ask gently, as if I was trying not to startle a deer. He takes off his goggles and sets them on the desk as he brings out some wires and circuit boards.

"Nothing much. Just some additions to Shelldon...or something." Donnie mumbled the last part. He wasn't really doing anything specific, he just needed something to do and all he could think of was to build. I just opted to watching him.

We sat, basking in each others silence. Donnie didn't say anything so I didn't say anything either.

But something kept on nagging at me, slowly eating away at my patience, until I could no longer hold back my question "Are you ok?"Donnie stopped his work for a second to asses my question but quickly went back to working, so I asked again "Donnie. Are you ok?" This time he put down his tools but still he didn't look my way

"April." My first warning, but I knew he was bottling up he feelings like he always did, so I decided that I would try to do it for him.

"Donnie, please. You haven't talked about them since-"

"April." This time is voice was more urgent. My second warning.

"I know that you're bottling it all up, so please-"

"What? What should I do?" He snapped at me, "Talk to my father? Oh, wait." He lightly glared at me as if he was begging me to push the subject further. This was my final warning. I wanted to argue, but he was right.  "Just...go." His voice was soft, but not without that same strictness to it. After standing for a second longer, I'd opted to leaving the room, I didn't know what else to do other than give him more time.

As I walked to the door, I pushed past the purple curtain and looked back to my friend. Silently begging for him to turn and look at me, but he didn't. And so I began my treck back to my apartment.

   Why? Why did this have to happen?

[1362 words]