Brotherly Bonds

Picky Portals

So this is honestly just a real short bit that I whipped out the other day. I was gonna add more to it, but I figured, eh, what the heck, let it be suspenseful. Enjoy!

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Man, and I thought being invaded by alien brain squid thingies was weird. Try this one on for size: my brothers and I are currently facing a creepy dude supposedly from another planet who has magical powers. Uh-huh, you heard that right. Magical powers. I ain't exactly a big believer in the supernatural, but let me tell ya, that stuff hurts too much to be anything but real.

Anyway, this creepy magical powers alien dude is up on the roof of the TCRI building making some giant storm cloud, tornado-looking thing. My brothers and I are trying to get close enough to attack him, but he's whipping up winds around himself that are just too strong. They're forcing us backwards. We have to fight just to move forward an inch.

"You, turtles!" The guy shouts in a loud booming voice that echoes through the whole city. We looked up at him, glaring as best we could through the wind and dust. "I have heard tales of your bravery! Your reputation has spread across the galaxy! I have heard that you are noble creatures! I am in need of your help!"

"You threaten our planet and now you ask for our help?!" I hear Leo exclaim from off to one side.

"The powers I carry are beyond my control! If you cannot help me, this entire galaxy will be devoured by a mighty portal."

Leo and I looked at each other. I sent him a firm stare. He mirrored my expression and turned back to the strange man. "What to do we need to do?" My older brother asked.

Before we got an answer the man screamed. It was a long, loud, seemingly endless scream. Green light suddenly surrounded him and he went limp, though he was still floating listlessly about two feet above the roof. There was now a green sphere around him.

He opened his eyes and stared down at as. I stared slightly open mouthed. His eyes were glowing. When he spoke this time, his voice was quiet and weak. The four of us drew closer to the sphere. "One of you will have to," he panted, looking down at Leo first, then at Mikey, then at Don, "to sacrifice." He finished, looking deeply down into my eyes.

I tensed. "Sacrifice what?" I asked, suspiciously.

He remained looking at me. "Yourself." He muttered, then he added, "Your life, possibly."

"No." We all turned to Leo. He was not pleased. Not at all.

The man in the sphere glared tiredly at my older brother. "You must. Or you kill not only this planet, but the galaxy."

I watched Leo's face change and I got a very bad feeling in my gut. I knew what was coming. I wasn't even gonna let the words leave his mouth. "No, Leo. There is no way—" I didn't get to finish.

Leo cut me off. "I will make the sacrifice. Tell me what must be done."

The man shook his head. "Not strong enough." Leo's eye-ridges furrowed. "You are not the one. Your heart is not strong enough. Only one with a heavy heart may sacrifice to the portal."

I froze. I had a funny feeling in my chest. A couple months ago I'd had a dream. A dream I hadn't relayed to any of my brothers. But since then, I'd had the same dream at least once a month. It always ended with the same ominous warning. "Be brave and stay strong for the time grows near, heavy-hearted one." I whispered aloud. None of my brothers heard me for the whistling of the winds in our ears was too loud.

Abruptly, the winds ceased. The man was staring at me, his eyes flashing, as though he had heard my soft admission. Leo looked concerned. "I will do whatever you require. But I will not allow you to take any of my brothers."

"Then we'll all die, Leo!" I argued warmly, putting a hand on my brother's shoulder. "We have to do as he says!"

"How are we supposed to know which of us has a 'heavy heart'?" Mikey asked, piping up from where stood slightly behind us.

"It doesn't make sense. What even is a 'heavy heart'?" Don asked.

Leo was turned to them, but I was still staring at the man. He was still staring at me. "It doesn't matter what it is." I said softly, sensing my brothers' eyes on me, though mine were still fixed on the limp, pained man in the green sphere.

My older sibling glanced at the man, then at my brothers and then at me. "Raph, what do you mean? How can we figure out who the one with the heavy heart is if we don't even know what it is?"

"We don't need to know what it means because we already know who it is." I turned to my brother, my green eyes gleaming. Then I turned back to the man. "You sent me those dreams, didn't you?"

He smiled bitterly, then seized as he was hit by another wave of pain. "I knew you were the one. Save this world and—and others. You must—" He closed his eyes and fell limp with pain. I turned back to my brothers, who were staring at me, their eyes filled with fear. I removed my sais from my belt and handed them to Leo. He stared at me in disbelief.

"Dreams? What dreams?" Don asked, rushing forward.

Mikey grabbed my arms and yanked me into a hug. "Don't do it Raphie!"

I felt a tear run down my cheek and I wiped it away. I smiled at him. "I'm sorry Mikey, but ninjas have to make sacrifices."

"No!" Leo rushed forward, my sais now in his hands. "You're my little brother, I won't allow you to—"

"Then you would condemn Donnie and Mikey to death as well?" I asked. "Along with the rest of the universe?" He didn't answer. How could he? Damn, can't he see this is as hard for me as it is for him?

"You can't do this." He whispered.

I shook my head. "I have to, Leo." I slowly met his eyes. I glanced at Don and Mikey then back at Leo, "Please, whatever happens, take care of our little brothers."

There were tears in Leo's eyes. "I will."

"Promise?"

"Promise." He whispered softly, his voice hoarse with emotion.

I smirked at them. "Wish me luck." Then I turned toward the man. It stung a little, but I was able to enter his protective sphere of energy. I put my hands on his shoulders. There was an explosion of white light. I screamed. I felt like my body was being ripped apart limb from limb. I felt like acid was eating away at me, burning me. I felt hot and my heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest.

The last thing I heard was my brothers' voices screaming my name into the sky.

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How was it?