Disclaimer: TMNT belong to Nick.

A/N: It's been a while since we've checked in with Leonardo. Let's change that, shall we?

Leonardo could not fully articulate into words how sounds resonated in the dreamscape of his mind. The seemed hollow, flat, yet closer than they should have been. There was no sky, only an eternal blackness which stretched into infinity at each unclear horizon.

Donatello had once again fallen into his cryptic, uneasy silence, leaving Leonardo to his confused musings. At the moment, Donatello had taken to aimlessly walking through the mental re-creation of the decimated New York City, Leonardo having taken stride beside him. It appeared that they were the only living souls in this place.

Leonardo had so many questions, each one vying in his head for release, swirling in uncontrolled eddies for dominance. However, whenever Leonardo did manage to let an inquiry pass his lips, he was met by steely silence and sidelong glances from the other terrapin. Donatello kept his head facing forward, his mouth pressed into a tight line, betraying none of his own thoughts, but baring the expression Leonardo knew as the one his genius brother had when in deep contemplation.

"Obviously nothing has changed, Leo," Don remarked, his sharp tone cutting through the still air like a razor. "I'm still here, you're still here, this is still here…if my efforts had worked…time should have changed…"

Leonardo stopped mid-stride, his raised left foot making a harsh stamp upon the ground to complete the step. He made no comment, but his frustrated expression spoke volumes.

"Nothing I am trying has worked, Leo," Donatello sighed, the breath leaving his body like the slow leak in a balloon. He flopped down onto a large piece of rubble, and deflated, his shoulders dropping.

"I don't claim to understand all this time travel stuff, Don," Leonardo said, "but maybe it hasn't changed yet. I haven't even had a chance to talk to...you…in my time. And you yourself said that time still sometimes has a way of leading back to the same conclusion. We thought we altered the future, and it still changed. Maybe that is the case here. If you are the same Don as my Don, you'll figure it out. You always do."

Donatello glanced up slowly and smiled bitterly, a slight curling to the edges of his mouth. "Maybe…You always were good for a pep-talk, Fearless Leader. And I think that is where most of it went wrong….where I went wrong."

"What do you mean?" Leonardo asked.

"After we…lost you…things just fell apart. Dregg still got what he needed, and without you to lead us…I just couldn't keep it together. I should have made you listen. I should have saved you. I failed," the genius' voice choked on his own words toward the end of his statement, cracking like the fine spider-webbing of a chipped pane of glass.

"Dregg got what he needed?" Leo echoed, still lost to the meaning.

"I don't have the time to explain everything," Donatello frowned, his tone growing urgent. "It's a lot to speak of, and you will learn everything soon enough. Just know that Don doesn't need to complete the deal. Tell him he can cure you himself. He needs what Dregg proposes…but not Dregg's part in it. Starting at the source is all he needs to know."

"I've heard that phrase since the beginning of this…'start at the source.'" Leo shook his head.

For the second time, Donatello sighed. It was a deep, weary sigh, full of the weight of the world, heavy and burdensome. His gaze shifted back to the ground, to the cracks in the road, fixating on them.

"Leo…I'm doing the best I can to get through, but this device puts me into dreams, and I cannot break through that barrier as much as I try. Dreams can be full of imagery, clues, half spoken thoughts. If I could have invented a real time machine I would. This was the closest I could get."

"Wouldn't it have made more sense to go to yourself then? Explain as best you could to the one turtle who would understand?"

"I cannot get myself into my own head, even if it is though time. Just not possible," Donatello said with finality. "So you just need to try to get your Don to understand. He can cure you." He lifted his gaze back to his brother, his eyes piercing. "What made us?"

Leo placed a thoughtful hand upon his chin. "Hmm…Master Splinter? He made us into the ninjas we are…he raised us and trained us."

Donatello sprung to his feet, glancing around in multiple directions.

"You're waking up," he stated. "I'm sure you won't feel as clear upon waking. Your body is weakening. Just remember…please remember…Don doesn't need to complete the deal…and what made us…"

Leonardo reached toward Donatello as the surroundings begin to fade.

"So that wasn't right?" he asked as Donatello's form was swallowed into the growing oblivion.

"No…go deeper than that…earlier…"

A/N: Short chapter…but it's leading into more. Thanks for reading! Happy Thanksgiving!