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Alone in his bedroom, Michelangelo laid on his stomach across his bed. His hands resting on his cheeks, the orange turtle playfully kicked his feet up in the air, looking at the source that was putting him in such a good mood. In front of him, a little device projecting a holographic image of the Time Master, Renet Tilley. Her perfectly imperfect gap teeth smiled for him through the hologram as she listened to the turtle finish telling his story.
"So then Leatherhead and I ended up crashing through the entire thing, but the pizza was still safe and good enough to eat, so everything was fine in the end!" Michelangelo said with joy, giving her a prideful grin.
Renet’s hologram giggled, "You had quite an adventure with your friends, Mikey."
"Maybe we could go on our own adventure together one day. Just the two of us?…” he blushes, “You're still visiting me this weekend, right?"
"Oh, grock!" Renet gasped with realization, her shoulders slumped, "I completely forgot! I'm sorry, Mikey, but I'm not going to be able to make it. Lord Simultaneous has really got me busy with a lot of work lately so I won't be able to come and visit for a while. I'm so sorry."
"But we had plans!" Mikey gave her his puppy dog eyes, hoping that will change her mind, "I-I miss you..."
Renet sighs, "I know. I miss you too…”
The time master looked at him with sorrow. Her news took away his joyful smile that she loves to see. Renet was just as disappointed as he was. They both know now difficult their relationship is, but it has been growing more and more complicated for them both lately, "I promise, I'll make it up to you when-"
"RENET!" An angry voice shouts in the background of the time master's hologram, making her image on Mikey’s screen shake:
"YOUR BREAK IS OVER! GET BACK TO WORK!!”
Renet quickly turns her head to look over her shoulder, "I-I’ll be right there, Lord Simultaneous!" She turns back around and looks at Mikey's hologram, "I gotta go. We'll talk later." She blows him a kiss, "Bye!"
Before Mikey could say his goodbye, his girlfriend turned off her end of the communication. Her cute smile through the hologram that he adored so much was gone. Michelangelo was alone, lying on his bed looking at the future tech he used to talk to her. In a way, he was hoping her boss changed his mind and her little holographic self will come back to talk to him some more. He sighs, setting the device to the side, slamming his head into the pillow.
"Long distance relationships are HAAAAAARD!" Mikey whines in frustration, his cry muffled from the pillow.
This always happens. Whenever he and Renet make plans, something comes up that prevents her from seeing him. Does he blame her? Never. Not in a million timelines would he ever blame her for their predicament. In the end, it is not her fault and he knows that. Given their circumstances of living in different timelines, a long distance relationship will be complicated for them. This is an obstacle they both knew they had to face when they first started dating. Not to mention Lord Simultaneous constantly barking at Renet, making her work day and night. Never giving her time off, only short breaks that Renet uses to contact Mikey. Renet says she doesn’t mind the extra work, assuring Mikey that this is what is expected from her as his apprentice.
“It’ll all be worth it in the end!” Mikey remembers Renet telling him during another one of their holographic chats, “One day, Lord Simultaneous will promote me and I’ll be the one in charge! And when that day comes, we will have all the time in the world to be together.”
Michelangelo continues to wonder when that day will come.
Sitting up from his bed, Mikey felt the unsettling feeling of his tummy rumbling. The sound was loud enough to echo throughout his bedroom. Mikey knew his stomach was telling him exactly what he needed to cheer him up. Pizza! It never steered him wrong before.
Hoping off his bed, Mikey made his way out of his messy bedroom, the grumbles of his stomach guiding him to the kitchen. As he leaves his room and enters into the main living area of the lair, Mikey spots his older brother, Raphael, sitting on the couch watching TV. With him, wrapped around his arm, was his girlfriend. Mona Lisa. Her head peacefully resting on his shoulder. They looked so comfortable and happy just from being with one another. They weren't doing much or saying a single word to one another, yet Mikey could see their comfort and love from one another just by being in each other's presence. He is usually happy to see his favorite couple. But, this time around brought more sorrow to Mikey’s already sad day. A reminder that what Raph was experiencing with his girlfriend, Mikey will not be able to with his own. Not any time soon at least.
Not wanting to disturb them, Mikey begins to walk past the couple, silently tip-toeing across the room. However, the attempt at stealth was an unsuccessful mission.
"Michelangelo?" Spotting him in the corner of her eye, Mona Lisa turns to look over at the orange turtle. Mikey could guess that her time in the Salamandrian military allowed her to heighten her senses, being aware of any potential opponents that might sneak up on her for an attack.
Quickly taking notice of his sad expression she then asked, "Are you alright?"
"Huh? Uh, y-yeah!" Mikey says, trying his best to fake a smile, "I'm just heading to the kitchen! Don't mind me!"
"Are you sure?" Mona sits herself up, removing herself from her boyfriend's arms, "You seem rather upset.”
"Yeah. Mona's right, Mikey," Raph added as he joined Mona, sitting up from the couch, "You don't look too good. What’s wrong?”
Mikey was silent for a moment, giving the couple a pouty look. He could see they were concerned for him, their eyes locked onto him rather than the movie they were watching that evening. Even if he tried to assure them that he’s fine, Mikey knew he wasn’t going to get out of this one. They could already tell something was bothering him and they weren’t going to let it go that easily. Perhaps it was best to just come clean and open up.
Taking a deep breath, Mikey confesses, "It’s Renet…”
“What did she do?!” Raph practically jumps from his seat, “Did she dump you?! I swear, I will give that Time Ditz a piece of my-”
“Raphael!” Mona placing her hand on Raph’s shoulder was enough to stop him from his rant, calming him down before he could truly get angry. She pulls him back down to his seat then looks over at Mikey, gesturing for him to join her and Raph on the couch, “Please continue, Michelangelo. What about Renet?”
Mikey gives a slight smile, the warm welcoming feeling Mona offered to him was enough for him to know he can be honest with her. Raphael has always bragged about how much of a good listener his girlfriend is, always comfortable to talk to her about his personal problems, so maybe it wouldn’t hurt to talk to her himself? Walking up to the couple to join them on the couch, Mikey sat in between Raphael and Mona Lisa, and began to open up about his relationship problems.
“It's just that Renet had to cancel our plans to hang out this weekend and I'm really bummed out about it. We haven't been able to hang out in a while. Her boss never gives her any free time and the whole different timelines thing makes everything confusing. We're still able to talk and stuff once in a while, but we never get to hang out together. She's always busy, and so far away..." he sighs, resting his hand on his cheek, "I miss her..."
"Aw, I'm sorry to hear that, Michelangelo," Mona says, gently placing a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "Do not worry. You two will get through it."
"Yeah, a long distance relationship is hard in the beginning, but it will get better eventually," Raph added. "Trust me, Little Brother. I know the feeling you're going through."
He's right. If anyone knows what Mikey's going through and would understand his feelings, it's his brother Raphael. He and Mona Lisa were in a long distance relationship for roughly the first year of dating and they made it through just fine. They are still happy together and are stronger than ever before, but it still left Mikey curious about one thing…
"How... How did you guys do it?"
Raph looked at his brother confused, “Do what?”
"The long distance thing," Mikey clarifies, looking up at him, "How were you and Mona able to get through it?”
Raphael and Mona Lisa look at each other, both of them expecting the other to answer. Mikey worried that the silence from the couple was a sign that there was no answer or advice to give. Did they not even know the answer?
Soon, Mona Lisa spoke, "To be honest, Michelangelo, we didn't know how we were going to be able to do it. We were from two completely different worlds, focused on our separate missions, so we often believed it would be impossible for us to see each other again. The galaxy is infinite after all, and I knew Raphael would only be traveling the galaxy for a temporary amount of time before returning to his planet. Along with me and my work with the Salamandrian army. However, despite those odds we took a risk and began a relationship."
"And that risk was worth it cause I ended up with the best girlfriend a turtle could ask for," Raph adds, giving his girlfriend a loving smile. "But Mona’s right, Mikey. There were times we thought we would never see each other again and by coincidence we kept running into each other. We took that as a sign to keep going, how there was hope.”
Mona nodded in agreement as she continued, "After reuniting in Dimension X we started staying in contact more frequently which really helped us get through our long distance relationship. Your brother was so sweet, always sending me romantic love mail full of heartfelt letters and poems..."
"Yeah, I know," Mikey said, giving a teasing smirk to his big brother, "I was sitting right next to him watching him write one of those letters. Seeing him go into la la land every single time."
Raph growled at Mikey, giving him a furious glare. Though his eyes said he was angry, the blush on his cheeks burning redder than his mask told a different story.
Mona giggles, finding her boyfriend’s embarrassed face rather than assuming, "Overall, the best thing for you and Renet to do is to stay strong and not give up hope for one another. You said you two have stayed in contact with one another and that is perfect. Just remember, patience, loyalty and love is the key. And you two do love each other, yes?”
Mikey nods instinctively.
“Then as long as your love is strong you two can make it through it.” Carefully, Mona grasps Mikey’s hand, giving him a friendly smile of reassurance as she continues.
“Just remember, the long distance part of the relationship is only temporary, and soon one day you and Renet will have all the time in the world to be together. Just like how Raphael and I are like now.
Mikey was silent, letting Mona's words sink in. That is exactly what Renet told him. Some day they will be together. They both don’t know when, but as long as they stay strong the results will be so rewarding, and Raphael and Mona Lisa are living proof of that! Though Mikey hated waiting, for Renet he was willing to wait a thousand years for her so they could be together.
"You're right, Mona!" Mikey says cheerfully, standing up from his seat to face the couple. "Even though I miss her and our relationship is hard right now, I just gotta have hope, be patient, and stay strong, then one day Renet and I will be together with no long distance getting in our way!"
“That's the spirit, Michelangelo!”
"Yeah, be like me, Mikey." Raph says confidently, "When Mona and I went through our long distance relationship, I stayed strong. So you can do it too!"
Mikey suddenly bursts out into laughter. This reaction caught the couple off guard.
"YOU?! You were no better, Raph! The first time Mona left you were devastated. Like, miserable without her!"
"Okay Mikey, we get it," Raph said, annoyed as he grinded his teeth.
"You should have seen him, Mona." Mikey continued, not taking the hint, "He was sulking for DAYS! Then when we got back to Earth he was even worse! An absolute emotional wreck!"
Raph jumps up from his seat, "Shut up, Mikey!"
"There's was this one time that he missed you so much that he started hallucinating and made out with a mutant bug thinking it was you-"
"Michelangelo!" A friendly voice cheers, interrupting the orange turtles words and even preventing Raph from launching at his brother to silence him
Mikey, Raph, and Mona Lisa turn to see that a time portal has opened in the lair. Out came Renet, still in her time master uniform but without her helmet on or hood up, showing off her long wavy dirty blonde hair. A look that Mikey always found attractive about her.
"Oh! Hello, Raphael and Mona Lisa!” Renet says with a friendly wave, “Long time, no see!”
“Hi Renet…” Raph grumbles with a toothy smile, already annoyed by her presence.
Mona smiles, “It’s good to see you, Renet.”
"Babe!" Mikey cheered as he ran up to his girlfriend and gave her a tight loving embrace, practically picking her up and spinning her around, so happy to see her, "What are you doing here? I thought you said you weren't going to be able to make it?"
"I was able to work around it,” the young Time Master smiles proudly, twirling the Time Scepter around in her palm, “And I may or may have stolen the scepter and used it to sneak out of work.”
"You ditch work just to see Mikey?" Raph was dumbfounded.
“Lord Simultaneous has been working me to the bone! I deserve a day off!” Renet huffs before looking back at Mikey, "And more importantly, I promised this cool daddy-o that we'd hang out and that's what we're gonna do! As long as I’m back before my boss notices I’m gone, we’ll be fine.”
“Huh, I guess you were right, Mona,” Mikey says, “If I’m patient, we’ll be together!”
“Apparently sooner than expected…” Mona says, letting out an awkward chuckle.
With a spin of the Time Scepter, Renet creates a new time portal out of thin air. The magical portal glowed brightly, nearing blinding the two mutants and Salamandrian. "You ready?" Renet smiled as she offered Mikey her hand.
Mikey takes a moment to turn and look at Raph and Mona Lisa. He gives them a friendly smile of gratitude, "Thanks for the advice guys, but I don’t know why you were over exaggerating it so much. Long distance relationships are so easy!"
With that Michelangelo takes his girlfriend’s hand and they run through the portal together. The orange turtle's iconic catchphrase "Booyakasha!" echoes through the lair as the young couple disappears, the portal fading away the second they went though. Raphael and Mona Lisa were left alone in the lair, completely shocked, processing what they had just witnessed.
"lOnG dIsTaNcE rElAtIoNsHiPs ArE sO eAsY!" Raph mimics in a high pitch tone. He scoffed, "Can you believe him?!"
Raph hears a slight giggle come from Mona Lisa. He turns to see her giving him a teasing smirk that rather caught him off guard, "A bug, huh?"
Raph blushes, letting out a defeated sigh as he sat back down on the couch. Face palming himself in embarrassment, he mumbles, "That's the first and last time we're giving him dating advice..."
Mona exhales, scooting herself closer to Raphael, “Well, I still think it was good we did talk to him about this, even if Michelangelo and Renet's situation is very different compared to what we went through.” Carefully she lifts up his chin and directs him to face her, looking at one another in the eyes, “Yes, both of our relationships involve long distance, but for them, Renet has the ability to travel and visit Michelangelo anytime she wishes with her scepter. We didn't have that privilege.”
“I wish we did…” Raph sighs, removing Mona’s hand from his chin, guiding her to caress his cheek. He hummed in delight from her soft touch.
“I really did miss you, you know. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but Mikey was right. There were days I felt miserable without you around.”
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t go through the same experience.” Mona carefully gets herself comfortable, returning to resting her head on Raph’s shoulders as they were before. Raph wraps his arm around Mona, holding her in his embrace and she continued, “To be frank, I am rather envious that Michelangelo and Renet have an easier time handling their long distance relationship compared to the troubles we went through, but I’m still happy for them regardless. I wish them the best."
“Yeah, I can’t really stay mad at either of them. Our situations up front seem the same, but when you look at, like, the context? We’re different. In a way, it’s a good thing they are not experiencing the same things. I’d hate to see Mikey go through what I did.”
Mona nuzzles her head against Raph’s. A gentle smile grew on both of their faces, feeling the warm comfort of one another as they lay on the couch together snuggling. "Your brother and his love will be fine. I just know it."
"Yeah," Raph practically whispers, holding her tighter in his embrace, "And we are the proof that it can work out.”
Mona Lisa smiles at Raph in agreement. As the couple shared a quick but loving kiss, they returned back to watching TV, enjoying the rest of their evening alone, peace and quiet.
They’ve been through a lot, a difficult journey to get where they are now with one another. Once living on different planets from different galaxies, not knowing when they will be able to see one another, to now living on Earth together with a bright future awaiting for them. Long distance relationships are not easy, but if both parties truly love one another and can fight through the odds, the conclusion of this temporary phase will be worth it in the end.
For Michelangelo and Renet, their journey together has just begun, more trials and tribulations will no doubt come their way, but by the evidence they have seen tonight - Renet’s dedication to spend time with Mikey and his pure joy, love and excitement from just the sight of her - Raphael and Mona Lisa are confident that the couple will make it through just fine.