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","count":"12","submission_left_submission_id":"551776","submission_left_file_name":"723146_Applepye_five_again_ch6.rtf","submission_right_submission_id":"574973","submission_right_file_name":"754868_Applepye_five_again_ch_9.rtf"}],"description":"","description_bbcode_parsed":"","writing":"Donny fought to keep his head above water and there were times when he was pulled under for so long that he thought he would drown. When he was able to keep his head above water, he searched for Raph but in the chaos it was hard for him to see anything. Donny was pulled through the sewers and after a while found himself in the river. \n\nHe managed to fight the current and swim to shore, flopping down on the muddy ground to catch his breath. The need to find Raph had him up on shaking legs sooner than he body would have liked.\n\nThe winds were starting to die down. Donny looked up and figured that the lull in the storm was due to the eye nearing and knew that the lull in the storm would be short lived. Pulling out his shell-cell, Donny opened it and set it to find the tracking device that he had placed on Raph after the first time he ran off in the Nexus. \n\nThe signal was close by but it was stationary. \n\nDon ran in the direction of the signal, knowing that if Raph was hurt then he needed to be found as soon as possible. The winds died down as the eye of the storm passed overhead and everything got eerily still. Only the thundering sound of the rushing water could be heard as Don rushed towards Raph’s signal. \n\nWhen he reached the location, he was standing at the edge of the river near a drainage grid. Donny reached in the water and found Raph just below the surface. The water pressure held Raph against the grate and made it hard for Donny to pull him free. \n\nDonny had to pull him up first until Raph was far enough out of the water to relieve the pressure and then Donny was able to finally pull him all the way out. \n\n“Please let me be in time.” He carried Raph’s lifeless body further up shore to level ground and placed him down so that he could start CPR. He immediately went into chest compressions, stopping every few seconds to blow air into Raph lungs. \n\n“Don’t leave me,” Donny was light headed with shock. Nothing else mattered to him at that moment. The eye could pass and the storm could rage on and he would not care. His entire focus was on trying to save his little brother. \n\nThe more time that passed the more Donny was filled with desperation. He refused to give up, he could not give up. \n\n\n**\n\n\n“Please,” Renet turned to Lord Simultaneous with tears in her eyes. “I’ve learned my lesson. Let me fix this.”\n\n“You’re actions caused this, Renet,” the time lord stated flatly, keeping his eyes fixed on the viewing orb. \n\n“I’m sorry,” she cried. \n\n“The Time Scepter is not a fix all and you can’t just pluck someone from their time at a whim,” he said, looking up at her. “Change one thing and it has a rippling effect that spreads on to change the lives of many. Or do I need to remind you what happened when Donatello was removed from his time and dropped into the future?”\n\n“But all of that was changed back when he returned to his proper time,” Renet pointed out. “If you would just let me go back and undo what I did then this would never have happened. Donny would never have been… been…. Please let me fix this.”\n\n“No,” he replied then turned back to the sphere. “He’s finally giving up. You should watch.”\n\nRenet watched as Donny bent over Raph in defeat and his mournful cries tore at her heart. “They have helped us and others, so many times. They play a pivotal role in the future. You can’t let him die.”\n\nLord Simultaneous turned to look up at Renet, “This is true. Raphael’s death would have a devastating effect on the future that spreads beyond just his family and friends. Just like with Donatello, if he is gone then his family will fall apart and their world will be taken over when the Shredder returns. It still amazes me how four creatures can have such a monumental impact on a world.”\n\n“Maybe I could just eliminate the Utrom Shredder instead,” the time lord pondered out loud. \n\n“Please, no,” Renet begged. \n\nLord Simultaneous sighed, “No. They are needed for more than just the Shredder, Raphael must live.”\n\nRenet felt a wave of hope, “Then you’ll let me fix it?” \n\n“Not entirely,” the time lord answered then looked again to the orb, though his eyes were not focused on it. “You’re lucky that they are so important to the outcome of future events. When I was still an apprentice my mistakes did not have such a great ripple effect. My master had me watch as my actions killed and devastated a minor twenty innocent people. After that I learned to respect the power of the Time Scepter and to think before I act.”\n\nHe looked up at Renet, “Do not take your responsibilities lightly or underestimate the power of the Time Scepter. It is not a toy and it cannot fix all of your problems without causing problems for others. As a time keeper, your actions have a greater impact. You will see people die and you may want to change it but your actions could cause more harm and the deaths of many more. You will have to learn to make difficult decisions for the greater good.”\n\n“I understand,” Renet whispered past the lump in her throat. \n\n“Let’s go,” Lord Simultaneous waved the time scepter and the portal opened. \n\n\n**\n\n\nIt was hard for Donny to breathe and he rasped out his tears as he pulled Raph’s body closer. Devastation filled him followed closely by guilt, “This is my fault.”\n\n“Not entirely,” a familiar voice came from behind him. Donny turned to see Lord Simultaneous stepping through a time portal followed by Renet. “This is all mainly Renet’s fault.”\n\n“What?” Donny shook his head. “Why?”\n\n“It was an accident,” Renet answered. “I’m so sorry.”\n\n“As am I,” the time lord smiled sadly. “It isn’t common for time lords to correct the mistakes of their pupils. We usually let them go so that they can learn that their actions have consequences. One death is usually nothing in the greater scheme of things. However, you and your brothers are special.”\n\n“So, what?” Donny stood, cradling Raph in his arms. “Are you going to take us back to before this all happened?”\n\n“No,” Lord Simultaneous shook his head. \n\n“Then what?” hot tears fell from Donny’s eyes. \n\n“I will return your brother to his rightful age and revive him but I will not change what had happened in your lives. It is only his death that will change the future. All that has happened in the past few weeks has little to no impact so does not warrant my attention.” Lord Simultaneous sighed. “Place your brother on the ground.”\n\nDonny looked down at Raph then pulled him into a gentle hug before placing him on the muddy ground. He stepped back as Lord Simultaneous waved the Time Scepter. \n\nRaph grew to his full size then moaned. He brought his hand up to his head, “I gotta stop drinking.” He sat up and looked around, “Where the hell am I?” Standing, he looked at Renet then his face scrunched up in anger, “You turned me into a kid!”\n\n“I didn’t mean to,” she cried. “It was totally and accident.”\n\n“You didn’t mean to?” Raph shouted. “Do you have any idea how many problems you caused?”\n\n“I do,” Renet nodded. “I’m so sorry. After this, you guys will never see me again.”\n\nRaph glared at her, “We better not.”\n\n“Time to go,” Lord Simultaneous said, placing his hand on Renet’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”\n\nHe pulled her with him as he opened another portal and she looked down at him, “You wanted them to hate me.”\n\n“It’s for the best,” he stated. “You never should have met them in the first place. We cannot afford to have friends outside of Null Time; we cannot play favorites.”\n\nRaph stood, watching as they left through the portal. As soon as it was closed the winds started to pick up again.\n\nHe turned to Donny, who just stood there in numb shock. “You okay?” Raph walked over to him and caressed his cheek. \n\nDonny nodded, but didn’t say anything. \n\nRaph looked up as a flash of lightning tore across the sky, followed closely by a boom of thunder. “We need to find shelter for the rest of the storm. Do you think we can make it back to the lair?”\n\nBefore he was finished speaking, Donny threw his arms around Raph’s neck then broke down in a flood of tears. \n\nRaph wrapped his arms around Donny and held him tight, “It’s alright.”\n\n“I just…,” Donny managed to choke out. “You were dead.”\n\n“We’ll have time for it later,” Raph kissed the top of Donny’s head. “But, now we need to get somewhere safe.”\n\nDonny nodded but didn’t let go so Raph lifted Donny bridal style and carried him away from the river. The ferocity of the rain escalated quickly and it wasn’t long before Raph struggled against the wind. \n\nDonny had passed out, the shock and way he had pushed his body beyond its limits had caught up to him, but Raph wasn’t about to complain. He found his way to the street and got his bearings. When he realized that they were too far from the lair to get back before the storm broke again he sought out shelter.\n\nThe waters rushed around his feet as he ran along the street. There was a toll plaza not far from their location and he hoped that the small structure would be enough to keep them safe. He broke his way into a toll booth and took shelter under the desk. Raph held Donny close as the second leg of the storm passed. \n\nHe covered Donny with his own body to protect him from the flying debris and he covered his own head with a thick binder to protect it. He felt Donny stir and bring his arms up to wrap around Raph but Raph pulled Don’s arms back down to keep them tucked safe under him.\n\nThe wind howled and shook the tiny structure. The sudden pressure change had Raph’s ears popping and it was hard to breathe. Debris flew around the booth and cut into Raph, making his body sting. \n\nHe felt something slam into his carapace and pierce through the bone-like shell. Fortunately it was far from his spine and didn’t pierce deep enough to do any damage to the soft tissue underneath. He was just grateful that it was his shell and not his arms or legs that got struck. \n\nAfter about an hour, the winds died down to a steady down pour of rain. \n\n“I think the worst is over,” Donny mumbled. \n\n“Should we try to make it home?” Raph moved off of Donny.\n\nWater pooled around them in the booth and they could tell by the smell that it was over flow from the sewers. Donny moved to the booth window and looked out then opened his shell-cell. “We need to know if the others are okay.”\n\n“Can you get this thing out of my back while you wait for one of them to pick up?” Raph grunted as he turned his back to Don. The parts of his body that had been exposed to the storm were covered with little nicks and cuts. \n\n“Wow,” Donny walked over and placed his hand on the chopstick that was lodged in Raph’s shell. “That had to have been moving fast to be able to pierce your carapace like that.”\n\n“Hello?” Leo answered, drawing Don’s attention back to his shell-cell. \n\n“Leo,” Donny’s voice broke. “Are you guys okay? How’s Splinter?”\n\n“The lair’s flooded but we found a safe place to get away from the current. Splinter is a little shook up but he’s okay.” Leo answered. “Did you find Raph?”\n\n“Yeah,” Donny was unable to keep from crying. “It’s a long story but he’s back to his old self now.”\n\n“Really?” there was joy in Leo’s voice. “That’s great. You can tell us all about it when you get back…. Do you think you two can make it back?”\n\n“I think so,” Donny answered. “The streets are flooded but I think we will be able to make it home.” \n\n“Okay. Be careful and don’t take any chances.” Leo replied before disconnecting.\n\nDonny tucked his cell back into his belt before turning to Raph, “I still can’t believe you’re back.”\n\n“I can’t believe that bitch Renet turned me into a kid,” Raph mumbled. “I knew she did stupid shit but this was the worst.”\n\n“So you remember being five,” Donny placed his hand on the chopstick and gave it a pull but it was in there tight. \n\n“I remember,” Raph breathed, looking over his shoulder at Donny. “I’m sorry.”\n\n“Nothing was your fault,” Don fought to hold back tears. “Get on your knees so I can get better leverage on this.”\n\n“I couldn’t protect you.” Raph knelt down in the murky water and leaned forward a little as Don gripped the chopstick. After some pulling and wiggling, Donny managed to pull it free and was glad to see that no blood followed. \n\n“You were a kid, Raph. There was nothing you could have done,” Donny said.\n\n“Maybe,” Raph stood and turned to face Donny. Cupping Don’s face in his hands, Raph brought him in for a gentle kiss. Donny trembled and Raph knew that it wasn’t from the cold. Pulling back, Raph looked Donny in the eyes, “You’re afraid of me now.”\n\n“I’m sorry,” Donny sobbed. “I just need more time. I know you won’t hurt me I just….”\n\n“I understand,” Raph forced a sad smile. “I’ll give you all the time you need. You were willing to wait for me to grow up again, I can wait for you. No matter how long it takes.”\n\nDonny led the way through the waist high waters. He was amazed at how far the current pulled them through the sewers before dumping them into the river. It took them about an hour to make it back to the lair, due to them having to avoid being seen and avoid the more dangerous areas. \n\n“We’re back,” Donny announced when they found a way back into the station. \n\n“We’re over here,” Mikey called back to them. \n\nIt was a difficult task for Don and Raph to make their way through the damaged and flooded lair. Once they got to the others, Raph was hugged by each of them in a brief moment of joy. \n\nThey told the others what had happened as they sat in the small, relatively dry place. Everyone was a mixture of emotions by the end of the story. They were glad that Raph was back to his old self but upset that so much time was allowed to pass with him as a child all so Renet could learn a lesson. \n\nDonny spent the time curled up in Mikey’s lap, going through his own set of conflictions. On one hand, he was overjoyed that Raph was alive and back to his grown self but, on the other hand, he was still suffering the effects of his rape. \n\nLeo had a medical kit in his belt and treated all the small cuts that littered Raph’s body while Mikey treated the few injuries that Donny had sustained. Then they all settled in to wait until the waters settled. After, they would discover if they still had a home or if they would once again need to move. \n","writing_bbcode_parsed":"Donny fought to keep his head above water and there were times when he was pulled under for so long that he thought he would drown. When he was able to keep his head above water, he searched for Raph but in the chaos it was hard for him to see anything. Donny was pulled through the sewers and after a while found himself in the river.

He managed to fight the current and swim to shore, flopping down on the muddy ground to catch his breath. The need to find Raph had him up on shaking legs sooner than he body would have liked.

The winds were starting to die down. Donny looked up and figured that the lull in the storm was due to the eye nearing and knew that the lull in the storm would be short lived. Pulling out his shell-cell, Donny opened it and set it to find the tracking device that he had placed on Raph after the first time he ran off in the Nexus.

The signal was close by but it was stationary.

Don ran in the direction of the signal, knowing that if Raph was hurt then he needed to be found as soon as possible. The winds died down as the eye of the storm passed overhead and everything got eerily still. Only the thundering sound of the rushing water could be heard as Don rushed towards Raph’s signal.

When he reached the location, he was standing at the edge of the river near a drainage grid. Donny reached in the water and found Raph just below the surface. The water pressure held Raph against the grate and made it hard for Donny to pull him free.

Donny had to pull him up first until Raph was far enough out of the water to relieve the pressure and then Donny was able to finally pull him all the way out.

“Please let me be in time.” He carried Raph’s lifeless body further up shore to level ground and placed him down so that he could start CPR. He immediately went into chest compressions, stopping every few seconds to blow air into Raph lungs.

“Don’t leave me,” Donny was light headed with shock. Nothing else mattered to him at that moment. The eye could pass and the storm could rage on and he would not care. His entire focus was on trying to save his little brother.

The more time that passed the more Donny was filled with desperation. He refused to give up, he could not give up.


**


“Please,” Renet turned to Lord Simultaneous with tears in her eyes. “I’ve learned my lesson. Let me fix this.”

“You’re actions caused this, Renet,” the time lord stated flatly, keeping his eyes fixed on the viewing orb.

“I’m sorry,” she cried.

“The Time Scepter is not a fix all and you can’t just pluck someone from their time at a whim,” he said, looking up at her. “Change one thing and it has a rippling effect that spreads on to change the lives of many. Or do I need to remind you what happened when Donatello was removed from his time and dropped into the future?”

“But all of that was changed back when he returned to his proper time,” Renet pointed out. “If you would just let me go back and undo what I did then this would never have happened. Donny would never have been… been…. Please let me fix this.”

“No,” he replied then turned back to the sphere. “He’s finally giving up. You should watch.”

Renet watched as Donny bent over Raph in defeat and his mournful cries tore at her heart. “They have helped us and others, so many times. They play a pivotal role in the future. You can’t let him die.”

Lord Simultaneous turned to look up at Renet, “This is true. Raphael’s death would have a devastating effect on the future that spreads beyond just his family and friends. Just like with Donatello, if he is gone then his family will fall apart and their world will be taken over when the Shredder returns. It still amazes me how four creatures can have such a monumental impact on a world.”

“Maybe I could just eliminate the Utrom Shredder instead,” the time lord pondered out loud.

“Please, no,” Renet begged.

Lord Simultaneous sighed, “No. They are needed for more than just the Shredder, Raphael must live.”

Renet felt a wave of hope, “Then you’ll let me fix it?”

“Not entirely,” the time lord answered then looked again to the orb, though his eyes were not focused on it. “You’re lucky that they are so important to the outcome of future events. When I was still an apprentice my mistakes did not have such a great ripple effect. My master had me watch as my actions killed and devastated a minor twenty innocent people. After that I learned to respect the power of the Time Scepter and to think before I act.”

He looked up at Renet, “Do not take your responsibilities lightly or underestimate the power of the Time Scepter. It is not a toy and it cannot fix all of your problems without causing problems for others. As a time keeper, your actions have a greater impact. You will see people die and you may want to change it but your actions could cause more harm and the deaths of many more. You will have to learn to make difficult decisions for the greater good.”

“I understand,” Renet whispered past the lump in her throat.

“Let’s go,” Lord Simultaneous waved the time scepter and the portal opened.


**


It was hard for Donny to breathe and he rasped out his tears as he pulled Raph’s body closer. Devastation filled him followed closely by guilt, “This is my fault.”

“Not entirely,” a familiar voice came from behind him. Donny turned to see Lord Simultaneous stepping through a time portal followed by Renet. “This is all mainly Renet’s fault.”

“What?” Donny shook his head. “Why?”

“It was an accident,” Renet answered. “I’m so sorry.”

“As am I,” the time lord smiled sadly. “It isn’t common for time lords to correct the mistakes of their pupils. We usually let them go so that they can learn that their actions have consequences. One death is usually nothing in the greater scheme of things. However, you and your brothers are special.”

“So, what?” Donny stood, cradling Raph in his arms. “Are you going to take us back to before this all happened?”

“No,” Lord Simultaneous shook his head.

“Then what?” hot tears fell from Donny’s eyes.

“I will return your brother to his rightful age and revive him but I will not change what had happened in your lives. It is only his death that will change the future. All that has happened in the past few weeks has little to no impact so does not warrant my attention.” Lord Simultaneous sighed. “Place your brother on the ground.”

Donny looked down at Raph then pulled him into a gentle hug before placing him on the muddy ground. He stepped back as Lord Simultaneous waved the Time Scepter.

Raph grew to his full size then moaned. He brought his hand up to his head, “I gotta stop drinking.” He sat up and looked around, “Where the hell am I?” Standing, he looked at Renet then his face scrunched up in anger, “You turned me into a kid!”

“I didn’t mean to,” she cried. “It was totally and accident.”

“You didn’t mean to?” Raph shouted. “Do you have any idea how many problems you caused?”

“I do,” Renet nodded. “I’m so sorry. After this, you guys will never see me again.”

Raph glared at her, “We better not.”

“Time to go,” Lord Simultaneous said, placing his hand on Renet’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

He pulled her with him as he opened another portal and she looked down at him, “You wanted them to hate me.”

“It’s for the best,” he stated. “You never should have met them in the first place. We cannot afford to have friends outside of Null Time; we cannot play favorites.”

Raph stood, watching as they left through the portal. As soon as it was closed the winds started to pick up again.

He turned to Donny, who just stood there in numb shock. “You okay?” Raph walked over to him and caressed his cheek.

Donny nodded, but didn’t say anything.

Raph looked up as a flash of lightning tore across the sky, followed closely by a boom of thunder. “We need to find shelter for the rest of the storm. Do you think we can make it back to the lair?”

Before he was finished speaking, Donny threw his arms around Raph’s neck then broke down in a flood of tears.

Raph wrapped his arms around Donny and held him tight, “It’s alright.”

“I just…,” Donny managed to choke out. “You were dead.”

“We’ll have time for it later,” Raph kissed the top of Donny’s head. “But, now we need to get somewhere safe.”

Donny nodded but didn’t let go so Raph lifted Donny bridal style and carried him away from the river. The ferocity of the rain escalated quickly and it wasn’t long before Raph struggled against the wind.

Donny had passed out, the shock and way he had pushed his body beyond its limits had caught up to him, but Raph wasn’t about to complain. He found his way to the street and got his bearings. When he realized that they were too far from the lair to get back before the storm broke again he sought out shelter.

The waters rushed around his feet as he ran along the street. There was a toll plaza not far from their location and he hoped that the small structure would be enough to keep them safe. He broke his way into a toll booth and took shelter under the desk. Raph held Donny close as the second leg of the storm passed.

He covered Donny with his own body to protect him from the flying debris and he covered his own head with a thick binder to protect it. He felt Donny stir and bring his arms up to wrap around Raph but Raph pulled Don’s arms back down to keep them tucked safe under him.

The wind howled and shook the tiny structure. The sudden pressure change had Raph’s ears popping and it was hard to breathe. Debris flew around the booth and cut into Raph, making his body sting.

He felt something slam into his carapace and pierce through the bone-like shell. Fortunately it was far from his spine and didn’t pierce deep enough to do any damage to the soft tissue underneath. He was just grateful that it was his shell and not his arms or legs that got struck.

After about an hour, the winds died down to a steady down pour of rain.

“I think the worst is over,” Donny mumbled.

“Should we try to make it home?” Raph moved off of Donny.

Water pooled around them in the booth and they could tell by the smell that it was over flow from the sewers. Donny moved to the booth window and looked out then opened his shell-cell. “We need to know if the others are okay.”

“Can you get this thing out of my back while you wait for one of them to pick up?” Raph grunted as he turned his back to Don. The parts of his body that had been exposed to the storm were covered with little nicks and cuts.

“Wow,” Donny walked over and placed his hand on the chopstick that was lodged in Raph’s shell. “That had to have been moving fast to be able to pierce your carapace like that.”

“Hello?” Leo answered, drawing Don’s attention back to his shell-cell.

“Leo,” Donny’s voice broke. “Are you guys okay? How’s Splinter?”

“The lair’s flooded but we found a safe place to get away from the current. Splinter is a little shook up but he’s okay.” Leo answered. “Did you find Raph?”

“Yeah,” Donny was unable to keep from crying. “It’s a long story but he’s back to his old self now.”

“Really?” there was joy in Leo’s voice. “That’s great. You can tell us all about it when you get back…. Do you think you two can make it back?”

“I think so,” Donny answered. “The streets are flooded but I think we will be able to make it home.”

“Okay. Be careful and don’t take any chances.” Leo replied before disconnecting.

Donny tucked his cell back into his belt before turning to Raph, “I still can’t believe you’re back.”

“I can’t believe that bitch Renet turned me into a kid,” Raph mumbled. “I knew she did stupid shit but this was the worst.”

“So you remember being five,” Donny placed his hand on the chopstick and gave it a pull but it was in there tight.

“I remember,” Raph breathed, looking over his shoulder at Donny. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing was your fault,” Don fought to hold back tears. “Get on your knees so I can get better leverage on this.”

“I couldn’t protect you.” Raph knelt down in the murky water and leaned forward a little as Don gripped the chopstick. After some pulling and wiggling, Donny managed to pull it free and was glad to see that no blood followed.

“You were a kid, Raph. There was nothing you could have done,” Donny said.

“Maybe,” Raph stood and turned to face Donny. Cupping Don’s face in his hands, Raph brought him in for a gentle kiss. Donny trembled and Raph knew that it wasn’t from the cold. Pulling back, Raph looked Donny in the eyes, “You’re afraid of me now.”

“I’m sorry,” Donny sobbed. “I just need more time. I know you won’t hurt me I just….”

“I understand,” Raph forced a sad smile. “I’ll give you all the time you need. You were willing to wait for me to grow up again, I can wait for you. No matter how long it takes.”

Donny led the way through the waist high waters. He was amazed at how far the current pulled them through the sewers before dumping them into the river. It took them about an hour to make it back to the lair, due to them having to avoid being seen and avoid the more dangerous areas.

“We’re back,” Donny announced when they found a way back into the station.

“We’re over here,” Mikey called back to them.

It was a difficult task for Don and Raph to make their way through the damaged and flooded lair. Once they got to the others, Raph was hugged by each of them in a brief moment of joy.

They told the others what had happened as they sat in the small, relatively dry place. Everyone was a mixture of emotions by the end of the story. They were glad that Raph was back to his old self but upset that so much time was allowed to pass with him as a child all so Renet could learn a lesson.

Donny spent the time curled up in Mikey’s lap, going through his own set of conflictions. On one hand, he was overjoyed that Raph was alive and back to his grown self but, on the other hand, he was still suffering the effects of his rape.

Leo had a medical kit in his belt and treated all the small cuts that littered Raph’s body while Mikey treated the few injuries that Donny had sustained. Then they all settled in to wait until the waters settled. After, they would discover if they still had a home or if they would once again need to move.
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