"And it was there, from the top of New York, where the Krang tore our sky. From there came terror and what ruled us was worse than death"

—For twenty-five years we fought against nightmarish beings that arose from a mistake, we made a youthful mistake, something that, we thought, would have no more consequences than an argument between Rapha and Leo, something that we would laugh about later, but we condemn the world.

In less than a week the world as we knew it ceased to exist, within a month eighty percent of the people had died and the survivors barely had where and how to hide, how to survive. At first we had a hidden city to hide and regroup but, over time, the destruction also reached it and both yokai and humans had to join in the fight.

We became the leaders of the resistance, both humans, yokais and mutants put their lives in our hands, our family became the last bastion of fighting, Leo was the general of our small army, Raphael was our shield, Donatello was the one who maintained the world running on its wits and I was the warrior who kept the enemy at bay.

And then we lost Rapha...—

Angelo stops in his narration and looks at his hands without knowing how to express the pain of losing his older brother. For years he kept that regret deep in his heart, prioritizing many other things. Helping the resistance was more urgent than mourning a lost brother, but now that he no longer had that need, the pain emerged from the depths of his chest and he allowed himself to cry.

Splinter listened to the boy with a stoic face, the horror of what he was narrating exceeded his expectations but he did not allow himself to demonstrate it, just imagining a similar scenario for his own children filled him with terror and he could not imagine the magnitude of the destruction and fear that would affect them. counterparts of his boys had to suffer; Seeing the turtle in front of him collapse into tears hurt him deeply, visualizing his own Michaelangelo having to endure a similar loss hurt his chest and he prayed to his ancestors that his children would never have to experience something like that.

She placed a paw on the visitor's shoulder in silent support and her heart broke when she felt that the opponent was leaning on her looking for a comfort that would be difficult to come by.

"My most sincere condolences," he murmured in a low voice and the boy nodded, breathing deeply, trying to control his crying.

— It's been ten years since that day — the boy sobs quietly — two since we lost Donatello too — the sensei couldn't stifle a painful gasp upon hearing it — and a few hours since we lost the war... — that last one phrase said in such a low voice and with so much pain that Splinter simply let the feeling consume him and approached to hug the narrator tightly, seeking to console him and hiding his own tears so as not to increase the suffering of someone who had already gone through so much.

Long minutes passed as they wrapped themselves in a hug that was as necessary as it was useless at that moment. The pain of so much loss was not easily erased but the comfort was well received and Angelo separated from the contact feeling a little better; He wiped the tears from his face as best he could and gave a grateful look to the father of this version of his family.

"I also lost someone I loved at the hands of an enemy," Yoshi says in a low voice when they both return to their places. "My wife died at the hands of who I called my brother and I have never forgiven myself that day." Angelo remains silent, noticing the solemnity. of the moment and the clear pain on the man's face - I have searched for his spirit in my meditations to ask for forgiveness but I have not been able to reach her - upon hearing that last word, the turtle of the future smiled.

— One of my tasks during the war was to contact the spirits of the deceased and let them say goodbye to those they had left behind — you know that, probably, it is not the best offer you can make to the owner of the house but to think of doing something so common for How to contact the spirits and bring peace to a mourner caused him tranquility and familiarity. It would help calm a little the storm I felt in my chest — I can try, if you want...

The teacher listened to the visitor carefully, he had obviously noticed the enormous energy that the boy emanated, enough to cause small tremors in his lair at least twice, but he also knew that to contact a spirit as ancient as his deceased wife it was necessary to more, much more than the newcomer had. Even so, he did not communicate this thought to the young man; if the effort to communicate with Tan Sheng's spirit calmed the distressed turtle, he would let him try.

"I appreciate the intention," he says calmly, "I suppose we'll meditate," he adds interrogatively, Angelo nods and places himself in the lotus position.

— That's right, it's the simplest way to contact, to enter the astral — he comments, grateful that the teacher easily understood what they were going to do. Sometimes people got scared when he helped them enter the astral plane and that altered the results. of meditation - I suppose he has experience - the rat man nods and Angelo snorts more calmly.

He closes his eyes and concentrates knowing that the older man next to him does the same; A soft calm surrounds them and Angelo begins to search for the core of the world as he always did, in his world it was very simple, the core and he complemented each other perfectly and he could turn to its energy whenever he needed it but in this world he still He hadn't had a chance to connect so he didn't know if he could really use his power easily.

Finding the energy core was not easy, it was hidden, beating slowly, it was not bright like the one in his world, even during the invasion, but opaque and light, shy for lack of another word, which shuddered when Angelo touched it with his own energy asking permission to join him and use his power.

At his side, Yoshi meditated as he normally did: calming his mind and searching for the answers he longed for. The arrival of this older, tired version of his younger son filled him with uncertainty; Although the boy had not delved into the enemy they lost to it was implied that he was much more powerful than anyone his family had ever faced, especially considering that the older Michaelangelo seemed to possess strong spiritual power. He hoped that his appearance at his home was not synonymous with some unknown evil being close to attacking them, he did not want his young students to be faced with something that would hurt them the way the visitor's enemy hurt his. his family. He didn't want to see his family destroyed.

The moment Angelo touched the core, Yoshi felt a strong pull in his mind and the astral plane in which he found himself changed radically. It was no longer a peaceful Japanese park with sakura trees swaying in the wind, but rather a huge field of trees. ice under the night sky, when he looked up he found impressive northern lights that illuminated the sky as far as the eye could see. The enormous feeling of power that surrounded him was overwhelming and the ratman felt himself tremble in the presence of such magnitude of energy.

He looked around the place and was surprised to see an exact replica of the tree from his dojo in the middle of nowhere. Under the leaves of the tree a figure was standing, a figure that, even in the distance, he knew how to identify as his deceased. wife. Her heart fluttered in his chest and he couldn't control the impulse to run towards her. It took him a few seconds to realize that her body felt different and he stopped to look at himself.

He was human, he looked like a human, like he was before the whole mutation thing. He put his hands to his face and laughed as he felt the skin under his fingers. Human hair, nose, ears... he looked up and there, in front of him, was the only woman he loved; He smiled at her and she smiled back.

Outside the dojo the young turtles were sitting around the table in the kitchen. The youngest was serving some plates of fruit that his recently arrived friend, April, had kindly brought them. Raphael tapped his fingers on the table, clearly annoyed. He felt like the only one who took the newcomer's threat seriously. He understood that Michael had a terrible habit of getting attached to people, whether they were dangerous or not, but Leo? Donnie? He expected more from his brothers but Don seemed delighted with the idea of being able to study the intruder in depth and Leo remained in a relaxed position. He didn't know if his older brother distrusted the newcomer or not, he didn't give any sign of anything and that made him nervous.

—Rapha — the redhead's voice stopped the tapping on the table — even without my powers I can hear you think — Donnie snorts next to him and the one in red felt the impulse to push him but he restrained himself — Would you like to share your thought with the others ? — The girl asks softly and Raphael sits up straight in her seat.

— I feel like I'm the only one who understands how dangerous that Lou guy can be — he growls and sees his younger brother's eyes roll — as much as you seem to trust him, Mikey, we don't know anything, it could very well be a trap and we brought him home without even questioning anything — he hits the table with his fist causing the plates on the table to rattle.

— I understand your concern Raph — Leo's voice is calm from the other side of the table and the halfling gives him a dark look — and even though he didn't completely trust him either, the option of leaving him alone outside sounded worse than keeping him here with we. At least we can keep an eye on him while we're here and we have the teacher to help us if things get dangerous - the hothead snorts and slumps against the back of his chair - it was our best option besides the fact that Mikey is rarely wrong in judging people. People - with those words he earns a grateful smile from his little brother - we have April now, she can help us if necessary, right? - asks the human and she nods.

- Once I have him in front of me I can probe his mind - she says - and I can help contain him, using my powers, if necessary...

His voice began to lose strength and everyone at the table could notice how his body began to tense. Donnie and Leo stood up and ran towards her calling her name but the young woman did not react to the sound of her voices. April opened her mouth wide and let out a low moan that stopped mid-sigh and she closed her eyes trembling. Raphael and Mikey looked at each other scared as Don grabbed the girl's shoulders.

"So many souls," the human murmured, "so many souls, so many voices..." the teenager began to repeat, but before anyone could say anything, the earth shook strongly beneath them and suddenly all the things around them began to float slowly. Seconds later everyone's feet left the ground.

- What the fuck! — Raphael grabbed the table trying to stabilize himself but the furniture began to rise with him — Leo! — He looked at his older brother looking for an answer but he could see in his eyes the same confusion and fear that he felt.

-Donnie! - The older man shouted towards his genius brother, but he only hugged the girl who was crying without opening her eyes.

—I have no idea what's happening!

A loud crack ran through the lair and chilled the blood of everyone present. The walls of the home trembled, barely supporting the enormous tremors that shook the place.

Leonardo looked around looking for his little brothers, Donatello still hugged the trembling April but looked critically at the room, probably looking for cracks or something that could mean danger, then he directed his gaze at Raphael who was clinging to the corner of the room. a table and he frowned more than normal, the tension was noticeable in his posture but at least he remained calm.

When he found Michaelangelo he paled, the minor was floating in a fetal position with his hands supporting his head and thick silent tears flowed from his closed eyes, his face showed pain and sadness.

— Mikey? — I called him and immediately the gaze of his other two brothers turned to the youngest of the family.

— Mikey! — Raphael exclaimed and, helped by the table, he pushed himself towards his little brother, grabbing him in the air and wrapping him in his arms. Leo arrived at his side seconds later.

—What's up Mikey? —He asked in a low voice, touching the younger man's shoulder, but the little boy squirmed at the touch, trying to escape both from Leo's contact and from the embrace of his brother in red.

— It's a lot, there are many voices, so many faces... — he complained in a pained voice and both older brothers looked at each other without knowing what to do. Raphael loosened his grip on the younger brother a little but kept the hug.

At some point the roar stopped and the walls stopped vibrating although they still couldn't go down to ground level; April had calmed down and opened her eyes slowly, disoriented.

- April? — The family scientist called his friend softly — How do you feel?

— As if a hundred televisions with different programs were blaring right next to my ear — the girl answers, blinking — Are we floating?

— Apparently, yes — Don answers and looks at his brothers who were still standing next to Mikey — How's it going? —He asks.

— We don't even know what he has — Leo responds with a frown — I don't know how to help him.

Donatello dares to let go of the girl and floats to his brothers, as the family doctor it is his duty to discover what is happening to them if something is wrong, the answers are his.

— Mikey, hey, can you hear me? — he tries to get the youngest's attention but gets no response other than a pained moan — I don't know what it is, but it seems to cause him pain — he looks at Leo seriously, whatever is happening with his little brother is something he must resolve already. Leonardo learned long ago that when Donnie has that look in his eyes he shouldn't interfere so he just gives him a nod in understanding and lets him do it.

The one in purple takes Mikey's hands and removes them from his head, if he can get the youngest to look at him he could determine some things by looking at his eyes.

— Mike... Can you open your eyes please? — The youngest denies with a moan but holds his brother's hands tightly — Come on, little brother, just a look — he begs and Michaelangelo has never been able to refuse something that is asked of him in that way.

He opens his eyes slowly and everyone gasps when they see that his pupils shine in a soft orange glow. Raphael and Leonardo look at each other with identical expressions of fear, Donatello only stands firm and examines the younger's eyes with a clinical eye. ; Something behind them seems to catch the attention of the youngest who tilts his head looking interested. Don doesn't want to turn around, suddenly he fears what his brother might be seeing but Raph at his side follows Mikey's gaze and doesn't seem to see anything that is. scary. Don relaxed until he felt a presence next to him, someone was there, someone he couldn't see but it was obvious that Mikey could, his little brother smiled at the presence, leaned into a touch that neither of them could see and closed his eyes breathing. deep, when he opened them again it had its normal, beautiful light blue color again.

"She is very beautiful," he says before the questioning gaze of his brothers. On the other side of the room, April murmurs approval.

- Yes it was - she says floating towards them, she looked calmer - although it is very strange that you saw her, she was a spirit, I didn't know you could see spirits Mikey

"I didn't know she could," the youngest murmurs and lets go of Donatello's grip to wring his hands nervously. "I mean, before I could see some colors and feel things but she was so clear and she wasn't the only one, there were so many people walking around." here...

And they fell to the floor, whatever had them floating stopped suddenly and gravity took over the world again, letting everything fall in a loud crash: the table and chairs were overturned and most of the other things were scattered across the floor. kitchen, things were heard falling in the other rooms and Leo mentally complained when thinking about the mess the den had been left in.

—What the fuck was that? - his brother in red expressed out loud the question that everyone was asking - I assure you that it is that intruder's fault - he stands up stomping and begins to walk towards the dojo where everyone knew the visitor was with his father, Leo follows him, more than anything to prevent him from making a scandal until it was known if he was really to blame for what was happening, although everyone suspected that he was, things had become strange since the guy had appeared and only a few minutes had passed. few hours. Donatello and Abril stayed next to Mikey who seemed to have recovered from the strange experience.

— Could you also see it? — the orange turtle asks his human friend and she nods — He didn't scare me, it was more like he was part of the family — he keeps a soft smile on his face while his brother methodically examines him — he told me that I shouldn't be afraid , that everything was going to turn out well although we have to be prepared because something big was coming - he sighs and closes his eyes, the other two look at each other worried - but that he should not be afraid because the help would come from ourselves - the youngest He smiles enthusiastically — I think Lou came to help us with this, that's why he's here.

— I see that you're fine, at least physically — the one in purple comments — and I would rule out your vision as a hallucination if April says she saw it too, although that worries me more... Mikey, since when can you see those colors? - He asks, although memories begin to form in his head of the times the youngest mentioned something similar to that and they dismissed it as one of the well-known eccentricities of his younger brother.

— Like since... always — Michael's voice is low and shy — it scared me, but when I wanted to say it, you ignored it and, well, then I got used to it — Donatello sighs and takes one of his brother's hands.

- I think we do that a lot... discard things that happen to you - he apologizes - now I see that what you said was true, I didn't want to believe it because it went beyond anything scientific that I was used to but from now on I will take more pay attention to this whole situation and I will try to help you understand what is happening - his brother's promise lightens the youngest's heart.

— Thank you Donnie — he rushes forward and hugs his intelligent brother, he was already confused before when he could glimpse a color around the people but now the sensation was so great and overwhelming that he felt like he was drowning, counting on Don's help to Trying to understand what was happening was a huge relief.

— I'll also help — April touched Mikey's shoulder and smiled at him when he looked at her — I think I understand a little about this whole mental power thing so I can guide you, we'll work together to understand what's happening, okay? - She asks while she lovingly caresses the head of the turtle that she had decided to adopt as his little brother. Mikey nods and smiles more relaxed now that he knows that he has the help of two of his favorite people. in the world.

Inside the dojo things were as strange or stranger than outside; He was so absorbed in his meditation and so focused on the long-awaited