Ninja Turtles 1. Too Much In So Little Time

**How Long Is Time**

Chapter 1: Too Much In So Little Time

A/N: This is the Part 2 of the Fears Series. Hope you enjoy and yes, it will be longer than the first one.

Disclaim: I don't know or own them. Sorry.

My name is Emerald and it's been two years since I had to help Loss's family. I have left the turtles before the 1st year was over. I couldn't handle all of the silence. I believe that the guys were breaking apart because of Splinter's death. I also believe that Splinter's death was my fault. Raph also thought that way too. I couldn't be in the same room with him not unless I wanted to be yelled at. Leo's been in his room ever since and he hasn't even shown his face to any of his brothers or me. Don's never left his computer and Mike's been training overtime. I was the only one who had moved on, Mike had a bit too. I had convince Mike to come with me cause the lair wasn't his home any more. Leo had overheard the conversation and had decided to leave the lair too but at a price. He had to choose to leave Don and Raph behind or stay with them. This decision tore him apart. I just finally left by myself and left Mike a note saying that he needed to stay with his brothers and that they needed him more that I needed him. I've been walking for the past year and I've gotten far but not as far as I wanted. I hope the guys are still ok in the Lair. I don't want to be the fault of anything any more.

Back in the lair, things had gone from bad to worse. Raph and Don had left several months after Em and Leo had become so isolated in his room, Mike doubted that he ever left. Mike, though, had taken a bad beating from Raph before he had left. Mike now has a bad limp in his right leg and now tries to take care of it as best he could, still training hard and keeping the lair in good condition.

"Leo?" Mike asked, knocking on Leo's door. "Leo, I got some food for you."

After a while, when no answer came from the other side, Mike placed the food in front of Leo's door and moved into the shadows. Watching Leo's door to make sure his brother was still in there, the door opened and a katana pulled the food into the room. Mike smiled weakly and limped to his room where he laid on his bed and closed his eyes, worn out from all the moving he had done today and the growing pain in his leg. Sighing, Mike fell asleep.

Hours passed and once more, Leo's door opened. This time a figure came out. Walking in the shadows, Leo walked into Mike's room and placed a note on his end table. Tears gleamed in the dim light as Leo turned and walked out. Walking back to his room, Leo grabbed the bag he had put the things he wanted in and walked out of the lair.

Once again, hours passed and a heart stopped beating. A figure walked through the shadows of the Lair, aiming for Mike's room. They walked in and came out a few minutes later, tears running down their face and dripping loudly onto the cement floor. Shaking their head, they ran out of the lair as fast as they could.

Days passed and the three remaining turtles stood around the wooden coffin that they had created. The three were standing in Casey's grandma's house with Casey and April. Tears ran unashamed and faces were pale. Leo knelt by the coffin and placed a flower into Mike's hands. Standing, Leo walked out of the house and to the barn before turning and sprinting through the forest nearby.

"Leo," April whispered, following Leo with her gaze.

"Don't worry Ape," Casey said through his tears. "He'll be ok."

April nodded and leaned against Casey who had his arm around her shoulder.

Days passed and the burial went according to plan but no one saw Leo except when he had left the house. Don and Raph had gone out every day possible but the snow had begun to fall a little harder than realized, almost catching Don and Raph in it.

"There's no way we're going to be able to find him in that," Don said, standing at the window and watching the blizzard blow by.

"I hope we don't loose another brother now," Raph said, gripping his fisted.

"We won't Raph," Don said. "Leo will get through this some how."

But the storm didn't let up, nor did the fear in the whole house. Raph wouldn't stop looking out the window, trying to get even a glimpse of Leo, Don sat staring into the fire, his thoughts taking him far away, April was either crying upstairs or cooking in the kitchen, and Casey's the only one trying to get everyone into a brighter mood.

A girl runs through the shadows as silent as a still wind. Not even her cloak rustled as she ran. She slid to a stop at the border of New York and Pennsylvania. Glancing around real quick, she ran across the border into New York and began running at, once more, a silent sprint. As the girl ran, nothing made a sound. She ran harder and harder until she was a blur to watching eyes. A boy looked up. The girl ran past again. Sighing, the boy jumped down from the roof of the car he was sitting on and began clapping with a devilish half smile on his face.

"Bravo Kinu," he said, as the girl ran back towards him. "You got faster."

The 13-year-old girl's mid-back length brown hair was tied back into a ponytail and her green eyes were sparkling with a power of its own. Her black cloak was the only protection from the cold night air. Under it she wore a dark orange shirt with navy blue jeans with white sneakers. Breathing hard, she glared at the boy. The boy had the same cloak on and his brown hair, long enough to get into the boy's eyes, was going crazy and his blue eyes showed how devious this 15-year-old has gotten in the past two years. His cloak was open, revealing a dark orchid long leave shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the middle of his lower arm, his light blue jeans, and his white sneakers.

"Thanks for breaking my spirit Jason," the girl said, catching her breath.

I chuckled. My black cloak rustled lightly as a light night breeze caught it and my waist long braided black hair. My green eyes showed my emotions like a book and I walked over to the pair. The cloak I wore blew open, revealing my ping t-shirt, my navy blue jeans, and my pink sneakers. Smiling that devious half smile the boy had shown earlier, I stood next to my brother and sister.

"Aw, is my older brother and sister getting into a fight again?" I asked, trying to keep from laughing.

"Back off Kutiel," the boy snapped at me. "I don't need an eleven year old telling me what's going on."

I chuckled again and turned on my heels.

"Fine by me," I said over my shoulder. "Sly's not going to be happy to know that you two were fighting again."

"Kutiel," the boy said through clenched jaws.

"Jason," I said, turning and mocking the boy's voice.

"Guys," the girl said, her eyes flashing panic.

"Kinu," I said, mocking my sister's voice. "I'm 11 and I don't need to be treated like I'm 2."

"You sure do act like it," Jason said with that half smile he inherited from our dad.

"Like you don't," I said, looking at my brother.

"Come on guys," Kinu said. "We need to get going."

I smiled that half smile I also inherited from our father and followed my older sister, my older brother falling in behind.

"Run, Ashara, run!" a male voice yelled, breaking the silence, the sound of guns firing following.

"Sly! Jarred!" a girl's voice yelled.

"Run!" the same male voice yelled, the sound of guns being fired still ringing through the night. A girl ran over the top of the hill, no older than 7 with brown shoulder length hair and wide, scared eyes, her black cloak flapping open revealing her dark green v-neck t-shirt, green jeans, and white shoes. A boy, no older than 9, ran over the hill next, gaining on the girl. His ear length black hair and blue eyes shinned in the moonlight and his black cloak was open. His deep sky blue shirt was flapping in the air as he sped down the hill, his navy blue jeans getting caught on branches and his blue sneakers getting covered in mud from last night's rain.

"There!" the boy yelled, pointed to an outcrop of rock, as he pulled even with the girl. The girl nodded and dove behind it, the boy on her heels.

A few seconds later, the gunfire getting louder, a 17-year-old boy stumbles over the top of the hill. His buzzed cut, thick black hair made his green eyes shine brighter than normal as he tried to keep his black cloak closed. His sienna shirt was visible through the opening of the boy's cloak and his blue jeans were covered with mud as well as his black sneakers. Stumbling again, the girl jumped up from behind the rock, pulling her dagger out from its sheath on her right side, in one fluid motion and she began sprinting towards the older boy, her cloak forgotten with the other boy.

"Ashara! NO!" the older boy called as a shot ran out. The girl winced as the bullet went straight through her left shoulder but she kept running to the older boy. She made it just as the boy was on his feet and she grabbed his hand. They both sprinted down the hill and slid behind the outcrop. The younger boy pointed to a ditch to the right and the older boy nodded. The younger boy smiled and crawled along the outcrop to the ditch and slid in. The older boy crawled over to the ditch and discovered that it was a good 6 feet deep. The girl crawled over, not using her left arm, and, with a little help, slid into the ditch. The older boy was last to get into the ditch and nodded to the younger boy. He smiled and led both the girl and older boy along the ditch.

Don gasped. Tears were frozen on the other turtle's face, having found the one thing everyone was dreading. Leo was dead. Raph rapped his arm around his younger brother's shoulder and pulled him into his chest. Shutters ran through a body as cries came roughly. April led the two turtles back to the house, Casey staying behind to take care of Leo. Once inside, Raph separated from his brother and not even 6 feet from April and his brother, he lost the contents in his stomach. Don collapsed to his knees and began to break down. April was crying beside Don when Casey came in with Leo in his arms. Neither turtle looked at the second brother they had lost as Casey placed him on the couch. Raph got up and looked at April with tears still coming down with a burning question in his eyes. April nodded and Raph left the house and aimed for the barn.

"W-where is h-he going?" Don chocked out between sobs.

"The barn," April said, pulling Don's head onto her shoulder where Don began crying hard again. "He wanted to personally make the…"

April couldn't make herself finished as Don began crying harder. April looked at Casey and Casey nodded. He left the house and went for the barn. He opened the barn door to find Raph sitting on an anvil, one of Leo's swords in his hands. Casey walked over and placed a hand on Raph's shoulder. Raph looked up, his face a mask of neutral emotions, and looked back at the sword.

"It's ok Raph," Casey said, tightening his grip lightly on Raph's shoulder. "There's nothing to hide."

Raph's body began to shudder and Casey smiled weakly, knowing Raph was sobbing now. Squeezing Raph's shoulder quickly, Casey left the barn. When the door was closed, Casey could here the wails from Raph's cries from inside. Sighing, Casey headed for the house.


	2. It's All A Nightmare, Please

How Long Is Time

Chapter Two: It's All a Nightmare, Please

Disclaim: I don't own or know the TMNT. Sorry.

I slid to a stop. Having fun isn't that hard on a snow day. Never was. A smile on my face and the children was all that made the parents of the children of the family I was living with for the moment happy. The children were 6, 9, and 12. The two youngest were girls and the oldest was a boy. The girls both had gold hair but the older one had hazel eyes and the younger girl had brown eyes. The boy had silver hair and silver eyes. He also has a major limp in his left leg. His parents told me that when he was born, one leg was shorter than the other by a visible amount. It never corrected itself nor did his eyes or hair ever change color. They don't know why the boy's hair and eyes were silver but they said that they were glad that he was just as able to do everything like the girls.

"Come on Sean," I said over my shoulder. "Your turn."

The boy smiled and ran the short distance to the line I drew in the snow with color die. The boy laughed as he slid all the way to me. I watched as the girls went at the same time and collided into Sean and me. I fell over and the four of us became a laughing pile of bodies.

"Come along children," the mother, her name is Shian, of the family from the porch. "Time to come in and get warm."

"You heard Mother," I said, "in and warmth."

Both girls nodded but laughed all the way to the gray house on the corner. I helped Sean to his feet and watched him as he bounded off. Something in his running was wrong but I didn't worry about it much and ran to the house. I took off the coat I was borrowing and hung it up next to the door inside. The girls and Sean were already sitting at the kitchen table with hot chocolate laughing at what their father had said.

"What I miss?" I asked, jogging over.

"Nothing," beamed Angel, the youngest girl. She was trying to hold in a laugh, causing her face to become red.

"Yeah, nothing," Hope, the other girl, said, trying to keep from laughing as well.

"Sean?" I asked, looking at him. He was avoiding my gaze, trying not to laugh. I looked at their dad, his name is Jacob, who shrugged.

"Don't look at me," he said, "all I said was that there was a bug in someone's soup and they ate it. When someone told them they had, they laughed so hard the bug came back up and it was alive."

This time, no matter how hard the three kids tried, they burst into laughter. I even joined in. Shian walked over with a mug and handed it to me. I took it and sipped it.

"I want to watch a movie," Angel said, taking her empty mug to the sink and rinsing it out.

"What kind?" Jacob asked, looking over his shoulder to his youngest child.

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas," she said, walking back over to the table.

"Ok," Jacob said. He looked at me. "Can you go get it ready?"

"Sure," I said, placing my mug on the table. I walking into the living room, Angel on my heels, and I got the movie started.

A cough ran through the house. Not a regular cough but a hacking cough. Don looked up from the thing he was working on. Another hacking cough ran through the house. Don sighed and grabbed the cough medicine and walked upstairs. He walked over to a bed and sat on the edge.

"Hey Ape," he said with a weak smile. "You need to take some more."

April nodded weakly and Don knew her time was growing shorter by the minute. The cough was dragging her into a high fever, shooting pain, and sleepless nights for both of them. Don filled the little cup and handed it to April who chugged it quickly. Don smiled weakly again and took the cup from April and prayed that tonight, both of them would sleep.

_I don't under stand,_ Don told himself. _She should be getting better, not worse. _Don shook his head clear and tried to get the most sleep he possibly could before April needed more medicine. Sighing, Don rolled over onto his side and fell into a light sleep.

Raph sat in front of the two grave makers with a blanket rapped tightly around him. He also had a hat, coat, gloves, pants and shoes on but he felt warmer with the blanket as well. He sighed. He ran his glove-covered hand over Mike's gave marker and wished he could say sorry to Mike about being mean to him before he had left. Raph then ran the same hand over Leo's.

"Oh Leo," Raph said, tears running down his face. "Why did you have to go?"

A hand lightly fell onto Raph's shoulder and Raph didn't even need to look to know who it was. Sighing, he closed his eyes and willed the tears to stop.

"It's ok bro," Don said, sitting next to his brother with winter gear on as well. "Leo couldn't handle all the pain, partly because he had also blamed himself for loosing Master Splinter and then he thought it was his fault that Mike died. He's happy now Raph and he has Master Splinter and Mike with him. The two people he blamed himself for, for their deaths."

"I just wish Leo was here," Raph said, looking at the blue sky. "I keep turning to ask Mike why he's so quiet and when I don't see him, I turn and begin asking Leo where Mike is when I realize he isn't here either. I wish Leo hadn't gotten caught in that snow storm."

"I do too, Raph," Don said, hugging his now crying brother. "I do too."

"Come on slow pocks," I said over my shoulder. "We need to reach the guys before Sly, Ashara and Jarred do."

"Why?" Jason asked, trying to keep his footing as we climb a muddy hill.

"Cause then we can tell them that Em is coming back, that's why stupid," Kinu said, slapping Jason across the back of the head.

"Hey," Jason said, glaring at the younger sibling.

"Guys, come on," I said, gesturing to them to hurry and follow.

"So?" I asked.

"All done," Jacob said, standing up. In front of him was a small town of snow with people and all.

"Cool," Angel said.

"Can we?" Sean asked.

"Yeah, now?" Hope begged. I looked at Jacob. He nodded.

"Squish them!" I yell. Angel and Hope began squealing and Sean began to laugh. All out of nowhere, a snowball hits my back. Instinctively, I spin around and reach to where my katanas would be and remember they were in the house. My eyes widened at who had thrown it though.

"Sly?" My eyes grew even wider. "Loss?"

A 17-year-old boy with buzzed cut, thick black hair that made his green eyes shine brighter than normal with a sienna shirt, a black cloak, and blue jeans, as well as black sneakers was on the hill, smiling.

"Emerald!" a 7-year-old girl with brown shoulder length hair, wide, green eyes, a black cloak, a green v-neck t-shirt, green jeans, and white shoes runs down the hill towards me. I fall to one knee and open my arms.

"Hey Ashara," I said when the young girl ran into my arms. "I'm so glad the spell was lifted."

"As well as I," the boy said, walking over. "Hey Em."

"Hey Sly," I said, standing up and embracing the boy.

"Em," he said, holding me tighter.

"Hey Em," a 9-year-old boy with ear length black hair, blue eyes, a black cloak, a deep sky blue shirt, navy blue jeans, blue sneakers said.

"Hey Jarred," I said. I stepped away from Sly and faced the staring faces. "Shian, Jacob. These are some friends of mine. Sly, Jarred, and Ashara."

"Why are you here?" I whispered harshly to Sly as Sean's family met Ashara and Jarred.

"I have some news," he said. "Meet me at midnight out here."

I was only able to nod because Jacob had walked over and began asking Sly some questions. I smiled and walked over to Sean and Ashara.

"Ashara's nice," Sean said as I kneeled.

"Sean's nice," Ashara said, blushing lightly.

"You're both nice and if we don't start wrecking a city, the people are going to be able to escape," I said, rubbing my hand on both of their heads. Sean took Ashara's hand.

"Come on," he said, leading Ashara over to the town and showing her what to do. Hope, Angel, and Jarred joined in. Sly walked over and rapped his arm around my shoulder.

"Come," Shian said. "It's time for lunch. If you would like, you may stay."

"I would be honored," Sly said, bowing. "Jarred, Ashara."

The two young ones looked at their older brother and then ran over. I noticed Ashara's left arm a little stiffer than her right arm that was flying but held my tongue, planning to ask Sly during our meeting at midnight. As Shian ushered her children into the house, Sly glanced at me before leading his siblings into the house as well. The only ones left outside with me was Jacob.

"He's a very nice guy," he said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"He's done so much for his family and friends," I said, tears running down my face. "He almost died trying to save others. He almost died saving me. His family is different, yes, but to be hunted like animals is not the way it's suppose to go. I wish I could help but I fear that this is not a happy surprise but something grave has happened. What, I do not know at the moment but I am sure that I will find out sooner than later."

Jacob nodded and left my side, walking into the house. Tears dried and I wiped my face before walking into the house, fear heavy in my heart.

"You need to rest bro," Raph said, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I know but I have to know why Ape isn't getting better," Don said, rubbing his forehead with the back of his right hand. "She should be getting better not worse."

"You're going to kill yourself if you don't rest," Raph said.

"I know, I know," Don said with a sigh.

"Oh Don," Raph said pulling his brother into a hug. A few seconds later, tears begin to be shed. "Oh Don."

Raph rubbed Don's back lightly and begins crying himself. Casey walked into the room but left quickly at the sight of the two brothers. Raph looked out the window, his chin on Don's head, his mind wandering.

…

Guys,

I need to leave. I know it is soon but please understand. I need to be with my thoughts, away from the blame, the pain, that's all around in the Lair. Leo's taking it harder than necessary and won't listen, Raph keeps yelling at me when I'm in the same room with him, Don hasn't spoken to me ever since, and poor Mike is pushing himself over the top. I wish to be with you but the pain is too much and the burden is more than anyone can handle. Please understand.

With love,

Emerald

Raph crumpled the letter up in his fist. So she did leave. Oh why did he have to vent his anger on her? He always messed things up. Now she thinks it was her fault for their master's death when it was no ones. He was just frustrated with the whole idea that things would end this way, that Master Splinter had to go. Tears blinding him, he heads to the gym where he sees Mike using the punching bag. Trying to keep his cool, he goes to figure out something else out to vent his anger on. All of the sudden, Mike leaves the punching bag and Raph sighs. He walks over to the bag and begins. A minute later, Raph's ducking under a kick from Mike.

"What was that for?!" Raph yelled.

"Sorry," Mike said in a small voice.

"Sorry doesn't cut it! You nearly hit me!"

"I'm sorry."

"Damn it Mike!" Raph turned and punched the bag so hard that the chain shattered. "Damn it."

Mike was now standing over next to the wall, watching his brother.

"What are you looking at?" Raph snaps.

Mike looks away and spies the note on the floor.

"Don't touch that!" Raph said, snatching the note first.

"D-do you w-want to spar?" Mike stuttered.

"Sure, why not? I'm already in a good mood."

The two brothers began and in no time it becomes deadly. Don walks in just as Raph knees Mike in the right hip and is about to drive his fist into Mike's face.

"Raph!"

Raph looks at Don with a puzzled face then looks at Mike who was on his left side, a hand on his right hip, tears coming down his face, fear in his eyes. Raph backs up slowly as Don runs over next to Mike and begins checking Mike's hip. Raph looks at his shaking hands and blinks, trying to keep from crying. Glancing into the shadows, Raph saw the form of Leo shake his head before walking away.

_What have I done?_

Raph spun and ran as hard out of the room to his as he could. Tears blinding him, Raph packed a bag and ran to the elevator and went up. He threw the pack onto the back of the shell cycle and sped out of there and into the night.

…

_Oh Mike,_ Raph said, his eyes closed and tears coming faster. _I wish I could say sorry for what I did. It's my fault that you're gone. Em, I hope you get back so I can tell you that I'm sorry for yelling at you. It wasn't your burden to carry._

Raph looked down at his last living brother and notice that he had stopped crying and was now sleeping. Raph shifted Don in his arms and carried him to the couch and rapped him up in a blanket. Rapping a coat around him, Raph went to the barn.

Night falls and it's around ten. The coughing stops, a heart stops, everything seems to stop. The one by the side of the dead one lays their head on the bed and begins to cry. But not just for the one on the bed. Another had died just a bit earlier. The last turtle was next to the one who had died first and was crying, his head on the chest of the one dead.

Midnight and the full moon was high overhead. I turned at the sound of the snow crunching.

"See you made it," Sly said.

"See you're late," I said.

"Sorry," Sly said, coming up from behind me and rapping his arms around my middle. He rested his head on my right shoulder. "My sister wouldn't fall asleep. She just kept saying…"

I moved away from him and faced him. I looked into his eyes and saw shame and sorrow in them as clear as the white snow in the moonlight. Tears began to fall.

"Who's…gone?" I asked, knowing I was going to regret the answer.

"April, Mike, Don, and…" Sly looked at me. He walked over and held me tight. "Leo."

I gasped. I began to cry hard and I collapsed to my knees, Sly coming down with me, still holding me.

"You must get to Raph, now," Sly said into my hair.

"I can't," I chocked into his shoulder. "I can't leave them now. Not now."

"Please go," Sly said. "He might be gone before you reach him."

"Why can't this be a nightmare?" I half chocked, half yelled. "Tell me it's just a horrible nightmare. Please."

"I wish I could Em," Sly said, rubbing my back. "I really wish I could."

"I'll leave in a week," I said. "It will give me time to explain everything to them."

"Hurry back," Sly said, moving back. "I'll wait for you with Raph."

I nodded and watched Sly jump to his feet and run to the house. A half hour later, Sly and his siblings crept out of the house and waved to me before disappearing. I smiled lightly and walked to the house, chilled to the bone. I walk into the room I was given and break down into my pillow. A nightmare had just begun.


End file.

Ninja Turtles, Adventure, Mystery