It was a slow night out on patrol. The four turtles were on the way home when they saw Karai and some Foot soldiers.

"Hey Leo," Raph sneered, "guess who is here. I will leave you two alone," Raph said as he and Donnie jumped down from the roof following the half dozen Foot solders. Leo and Mikey stayed on the roof top with Karai and her two comrades.

Leo glanced over his right shoulder, Mikey's nunchakus were spinning madly over his head, ready to defend. Mikey jumped into the air and using a roundhouse kick he knocked a Foot to the ground. The Foot jumped and counter attacked, Mikey deflected.

Karai smiled at Leo, "hello again," she said smiling matching Leo's steps in a circular motion. Leo lunged forward, his left hand ready to deflect his right ready to attack. Karai flicked her blade deflecting the attack.

A Foot got his hand on Mikey and tossed into to the air vent. "Mikey you good?" Leo called over his shoulder after hearing the crash.

Mikey groaned, "yeah bro, I'm good," he said getting to his feet. Using his kusigama he wrapped it around the foot soldier's leg, knocking him to the ground. Mikey brought his weapon back to hands. Mikey suddenly felt a pain to his side, something stick him, then he felt another pain, this was a sharp pain. He felt a knife stick into his side and then withdrawn. Mikey cried out in pain.

Leo heard a loud heart wrenching scream. "MIKEY!" he yelled turning around. He could only watch as his brother's body go limp and collapsed to the roof top. Leo ran over to his brother.

"See ya around," Karai said with a twisted smile, then she shot a look to Mikey, "well maybe not him," Karai disappeared into the shadows.

Leo wanted to go after Karai, but his brother's health and safety came first. He looked down, Mikey's hand was over the lower right half of his plastron. His plastron was severely cracked, and he was bleeding badly. Mikey coughed, blood dripped down the corners of his mouth, he could hardly keep his eyes open, he was breathing heavily.

"Mikey?" Leo called to his youngest brother's name as Donnie and Raph rushed to their brother's side.

"Mikey…." Donnie gasped, when he arrive he was Leo trying to keep pressure to Mikey's deep injury.

"Karai," Raph growled, "I'ma gonna go after her," Donnie grabbed his brother's arm.

"We-we should stay," Donnie said solemnly. Raph looked at place where Karai went off to and then down his little brother lying in his oldest brother's arms.

"Le-Le-Leo-" Mikey was crying, Mikey was struggling to breathe. Leo could tell his brother was dying. Mikey's skin was pale, his eyes glossed over, and the bleeding had gotten worse. Leo's hand was over his brother's plastron, some pieces chipped off, her could see his brother's skin underneath. He tried to stop the blood, but it kept coming. "'urts….'urts…." Mikey cried wheezing, more blood dripped down from his mouth.

Donnie looked at Raph, he was scared, Raph was never scared, "not Mikey...please…" Raph choked out.

Donnie tried to fight his tears, "Mikey…." was all he could manage.

Leo brought his brother close to him, his breathing was getting more and more shallow. "Mikey...stay with us…" Leo said as Mikey closed his eyes.

"…..Eo," Mikey gasped, he tried to find his other brothers open eyes, "….'ahnnie…'Aph….'ome…"

Leo pulled his brother closer. "Mikey, please," he cried, "don't...die…." Raph and Donnie knelt down next to their brothers. "H-how...d-do...we-we...t-tell...father….?" Leo said looking tearfully up at his younger brothers to meet their tear filled eyes. Leo sat on the roof top rocking back and forth holding onto his youngest brother. "Should we- can we, take him to a hospital?" Leo wanted to help his brother, he was the leader anything that happened to Mikey was his fault. Leo looked to Donnie and then to Raph.

"Leo," Donnie said gently, "we need to take him home, he uh will be more comfortable there," Donnie looked at his oldest and youngest brother, Michelangelo was clearly dying.

"Let me help you," Raph said going to pick up despite Leo's protest. He youngest brother in his arms as Donnie helped Leo stand on shaky legs.

"I-I w-will carry Mikey," Leo voice was hardly above a whisper.

Raph carefully placed Mikey on Leo's back, "Mikey you good?" Raph asked gently. All he heard from Mikey was soft moan.

Donnie bent down and picked up the pieces that broke off from his brother's plastron, "just be careful Leo," Donnie said. Leo nodded.

It was solemn process bring Mikey home. They stopped a couple of times because Mikey's breathing became worst. Donnie looked at the little brother, he was so pale even his freckles seemed dull. Mikey hung so limply on Leo's back.

"Almost home buddy," Raph said, his tone was gentle.

"Donnie can...you go...ahead and….warn father…" Leo said speaking for the first time since the roof top. Donnie nodded he glanced back as he ran ahead.

Once the reached the lair Donnie ushered them into his lab that held a bed they used it as an infirmary.

Raph lifted Mikey off Leo's back and laid him in the bed. He saw the crack to his brother's plastron, if he survived it would never heal.

"Michelangelo," Splinter said softly checking is son's fleeting pulse before laying his hand on the side of his face.

"Father...is there anything we-we can do?" Leo asked, his voice was child-like.

Splinter drew in a deep breath, "The only thing we can do is keep him comfortable." He lost a child once, he hoped to never have to experience that pain again, but now he felt his youngest adopted son's spirit leaving his mortal body.

Mikey started to cough. His family looked at him as he brought his hand to his mouth, blood spattered onto it. Mikey took in gasped, struggled breaths. He looked at Leo with unfocused eyes, "sm...ile, L...eo. Ev-ev...erything will b-b-be ok….ay," Mikey's words were quiet, then so were Mikey's breaths.

Leo pulled his brother into his arm "Mikey!" he cried. Mikey's eyes closed, "Mikey open your eyes!"

"Michelangelo…" Splinter's voice was hoarse.

"Mikey?" Donnie said weakly, he placed a hand on his brother's head.

"Mikey, buddy?" Raph asked, "wake up, you're scaring sensei, Leo and Donnie...shell me too…."

Splinter placed a paw on the side of his son's face. He spoke softly:

"Horai ya

kame mo ko hosu

hatsu-hinata,"

"What did you say?" Leo's voice cracked as he looked up at his father.

"Island of Eternity:

a turtle dries its shell out

in the rays of a new sun."

Leo kissed the top of his brother's head.

"MIKEY!" Leo woke up screaming, he was sweating and his breathing was heavy. Leo jumped out of bed. "It was dream….it was a dream….was it a dream?" Leo panicked he looked down at his hands, they were shaking. He stumbled to Mikey's door, slowly he pushed it open. Leo looked in, the bed was unmade, it was always like that Mikey never made his bed. "….it was unmade…..no! Mikey's not in the bed…." Leo gasped, his heart was beating so hard he though it was going to breath through his plastron, he felt the sudden urge to through up, but he held it in "….it was not a dream it was real? My brother is dead?" shaking Leo dropped to his knees. He held his face in his hands.

"Bro you okay?" A voice came from behind him.

"M-Mikey's dead…."

"News to me," the voice said.

"How-how can you-" Leo could not even say the words, his brothers were there, how could they not know? Leo slowly looked up. "MIKEY!" he cried suddenly finding strength he jumped to his feet and pulled his brother a tight hug, "you-you s-scared me…."

"Bro?" Mikey asked confused.

"D-d-on't do it again…" Leo's voice tailed

"What get pizza at midnight? I always do that…."

"No...not...pizza...I-I...uh...had a nightmare...and you-you…." he could not continue. Leo crumbled to ground again, Mikey knelt down next to him.

Raph and Donnie joined their brothers, Leo's screaming woke them up. Leo was crying into Mikey's shoulder.

"Leo?" Raph asked in seldom used concerned voice kneeling down next to his oldest brother.

"Mikey everything okay?" Donnie asked kneeling down next to his youngest brother.

"No clue, bro. He said he had a nightmare and then he just started crying…." Mikey's eyes were full of panic.

"Leo...what happened?' Donnie asked as Leo pulled back from the embrace.

Leo took in a deep breath to calm himself, "I-I had a dream Mikey...was...there was a fight...and he...it was a dream….but it felt so real….the blood…" Leo broke down again.

Now it was Donnie's turn to take in a deep breath, "Leo….your dream….what happened to Mikey?" he asked gently

"He...was….dying….in….my….arms…"

Raph placed a hand on Leo's carapace. Donnie draped his arm around Mikey, he was string wide eyed, with his mouth open at Leo.

Mikey looked to his brother and smiled, "smile, Leo, everything will be okay."

Leo just sobbed harder, leaving his three younger brothers even more confused.

"Leo?" Raph said with a gentle tone.

"He-his….last...words…" Leo breathed out each word.

Mikey wrapped his arms around his brother. "Leo, I'm okay…" Mikey said.

"And I will make sure no one hurts Mikey," Raph said.

"No one hurts Mikey on my watch either," Donnie said, "your nightmare, it won't-"

Leo held up a hand to stop his brothers, "We-how...you can't m-make the p-promise…."

"We can and we will, no will hurt Mikey as long as I'm around," Raph said looking Leo in the eyes. Leo could tell Raph was serious.

"Leo want to stay with me tonight?" Mikey asked. Leo nodded slowly. Raph and Donnie helped Leo to his feet and helped him over to Mikey's bed. Leo laid down in the bed, Mikey curled up next to his brother. Leo listened to his brother's steady breaths. Once he was satisfied the breathing would not stop Leo allowed himself to fall asleep.

When Leo woke up he saw Mikey sleeping curled up next to him, he was warm. Leo started to breath heavily, the memories of his dream flooded him.

"Leo?" Mikey asked, "you okay?"

"Mikey, I will do anything to protect you," Leo voice was fierce, his eyes determined. Leo pulled his brother into a hug.

Mikey nuzzled against the crock of his brother's neck, "I know I am safe when I am with you."

A/N: This is for my 100 theme challenge (on deviantART), the theme was dying, I thought I should share it with you guys.

I have had this fic mostly written for a long time now. This has been an idea of mine for a long time, I hope you liked it.

I do not own the haiku Splinter said I found it online oddly enough.