This is what I think happened to the turtles after the events of the episode 'The Darkness Within'
The turtles drove Angel and Ryan home. It was very quiet in the Shell, as everyone was thinking about the evening events.
"Thanks so much, guys" Angel said as the Shell pulled up outside her house. She and Ryan got out.
"Hey, Kid, don't go looking for anymore treasure, ok?" Raph said, leaning out of the window.
"Right" Ryan smiled weakly, before leading Angel into the house.
The turtles remained quiet, while Leo dove back to the lair. Donnie was watching the road. He looked like he was searching for something, or keeping watch just in case Leo missed anything. Raph was staring out of the rear window, turning his hands over each other. Occasionally, he rubbed his face with his shaky hands. Mikey was sitting in a back seat, with his knees up to his chin. His eyes were closed and he seemed asleep.
Leo pulled the Shell into the warehouse, and sighed. Without a word, Raph got up and disappeared, down to the lair. Donnie turned around and saw Mikey.
"I'll wake him" Leo said and climbed into the back.
"Mikey" Leo said, shaking him slightly. Mikey's eyes snapped open and he jumped up, away from Leo. His eyes were wide in fear. Leo frowned in confusion.
"Mikey?" he asked, putting a hand forward. Mikey walked backwards, bumping into the Shell's wall.
"Get away from me!!" Mikey yelled. Donnie jumped into the back.
"Mikey, its ok" he said, going to Mikey's side. Nearly instantly, Mikey calmed down and ran to Donnie and hugged him, tightly.
Leo looked at them, hurt in his eyes.
"Mikey, what's wrong?" Donnie asked, hugging him back.
"Bad dream…just a bad dream" Mikey whispered and then broke away. Leo put a hand on Mikey's shell. Mikey jumped, but smiled weakly.
"Sorry, Leo" he said, without Leo in the eye, "I didn't mean it" Mikey then left. Leo looked at Donnie.
"It was probably nothing, Leo" Donnie said. Leo nodded and followed Mikey out. Donnie followed.
"My sons, where have you been?" Splinter said as they arrived in the lair. Leo turned as pale as a turtle can go and looked at the floor.
"Angel's brother disappeared, we had to find him" Donnie explained, looking nervously around the lair. Mikey was sitting on the sofa, rocking himself slightly. Leo was creeping slowly away. Raph was nowhere in sight.
"Can I assume that your search went in vain by the way you are acting?" Splinter asked, following Donnie's eyes. Donnie turned to his eyes to his master.
"No, Sensei, we found him and he's ok" he told Splinter. Splinter's expression turned to a frown.
"Did you see Raph come in?" Donnie asked, urgently.
"Yes, he went to his bedroom" Splinter said, "Donatello, what happened tonight?" Concern was written all over Splinter's face.
"I…eh, can I….eh….get some sleep first, Sensei?" Donnie asked, putting on a yawn. What he really wanted was to think everything through. Splinter gave him a stern look.
"Donatello, the sooner you tell me, the sooner I can help you" Splinter said. Donnie sighed.
"Yes, Sensei"
Splinter herded all four turtles into the dojo. Leo still wouldn't look at Splinter and Mikey had made sure that Raph and Donnie were in-between him and Leo.
Donnie told Splinter the story as Leo seemed unable to talk. Splinter looked from each one and said,
"My sons, what ever you were forced with tonight, you just have to remember that it wasn't real" Mikey looked up at his master and then at Raph who was next to him.
"What was your fear?" he asked. Raph jumped slightly at being spoken to directly and said,
"You know me, it was a giant spider, what was yours?" Mikey thought for a second before replying,
"Someone stole my entire comic collation" Raph looked along to Leo,
"What about you?" Leo looked at Raph and said,
"Someone broke my Katanas" Donnie looked at everyone, who was looking at him.
"I lost my screwdriver when I needed to fix something" there was a complete silence. All turtles looked down at the floor. Splinter looked at each one, carefully, before saying,
"I can see that you are all tried, go and sleep my sons" The turtles stood up, "But I wish to have a meditating session tomorrow" the turtles nodded and left the room.
Donnie watched his brothers walk into their separate rooms and shut their doors. Donnie heisted before going into his room. Unlike his brothers, he left his door opened. This was so he could easily hear if anything happens.
Donnie sat on his bed, his ears alert. He was sure his brothers had lied to Master Splinter about their fears. Surely, Leo, Mikey and Raph's fears were worst then what they had said. Donnie stayed on watch for ages, listening out for anything that may be unusual. But soon his body overtook him and he fall asleep.
Donnie was awoken by screaming several hours later. He jumped up and ran into Mikey's room, where the noise was coming from. Donnie held his boi staff up, ready.
Mikey was in a corner, kneeling on the floor, with his hands up. Leo was beside the door, looking confused and hurt.
"Get away from me! HELP! Someone, help! DONNIE! RAPH!" Mikey screamed.
"What's going on?" Raph asked, coming into the room. Donnie kneeled down next to Mikey.
"Mikey, it's ok" he said, outing a hand on Mikey's shoulder. Mikey stopped screaming and looked up at Donnie. His eyes were wet with tears and fear was in them.
"Donnie?" He asked, before hugging him tightly.
"I…I heard Mikey having a nightmare, so I came in here" Leo explained to Raph, "and he started to scream"
"It's ok, my son" Splinter's voice said from behind them. Leo jumped nearly out of his shell and ducked his head.
"Michelangelo had a bad a dream, it scared him" Splinter said. Leo said nothing and quickly left the room, without even looking at his master.
Mikey calmed down and once again, the turtles were herded into the dojo and they sat, crossed legged in front of Splinter.
"My sons, I can see that last night's events have really shaken you all, so meditate, as this may help calm your inner selves" Splinter said, in a calm voice, before gently closing his eyes.
Donnie closed his, but nearly instantly, he opened them again. He swore he heard a noise and he looked around the room. Nothing was out of ordinary and everything seemed safe. Mikey was beside him, still shaking. His eyes were wide open and he kept looking along to Leo, nervously.
Leo's eyes were open as well, and he was looking at Splinter, like he was studying him. Only Raph had his eyes closed, but he didn't seem relaxed and calm.
Master Splinter could sense something wasn't right and he opened his eyes. Leo jumped and looked down at the floor.
"Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo, why is it that Raphael is the only one meditating?" Raph opened his eyes and looked at his brothers. Splinter sighed.
"I can sense that this session is going nowhere" he stood up, "I suggest you all try and calm your minds by doing your normal routine" the turtles nodded and dismissed themselves.
"I'm starving" Leo said, trying to lighten everyone's mod as they got out of the dojo, "Who wants breakfast?" He led the way to the kitchen and everyone sat down. Mikey grabbed the coco pops and poured them in silence. He shakily put them down and Raph absently mindedly picked them up. When he poured them, all that came out was a lone coco pop.
"Mikey, you knucklehead!" Raph growled and raised a fist Mikey backed away in fear of Raph's punch.
"I'm going to…" but Raph's eyes widen and he paused. He looked at Mikey, he had held up a hand to protect himself. Raph lowed his fist and looked at his shaking hand.
"I…" he said, but then walked out of the room. Leo, Donnie and Mikey watched him go, all of them deep in thought. There was a long silence, before a yell rang though the air.
Donnie jumped up and ran into Raph's room. He expected the worst. Foot Ninjas attacking, or same horrible monster creeping around.
But all that Donnie could see was Raph sitting on the bed, holding his head and yelling.
"Raph!" Donnie shouted over the yelling. Raph stopped and Donnie could see he was crying. Donnie didn't know wither to leave the room or to comfort him.
"Are you ok?" Donnie asked. Raph didn't say anything, but nodded.
"Yeh…I…I just need some time alone" he then stood up and left. Donnie followed him.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Out" Raph replied.
"Do you have your Shell Cell on?" Donnie asked. Raph held the green phone up before leaving the lair.
Donnie looked at the door nervously. He hoped Raph would be ok. Donnie sighed.
Raph would be fine, his always going out on his own and he can fight if he got into trouble.
But what if he wasn't?"
Donnie shook his head and turned around. Mikey was curled up in a ball on the sofa, trying to watch the TV. Leo was watching Mikey from the kitchen door.
"Are you ok?" Donnie asked, going to Leo. Leo jumped slightly and turned to him.
"Yeh" he said, before disappearing into his room. Donnie sighed and sat next to Mikey. He held his boi staff ready in his hands for anything that might suddenly happen.
The next couple of days were same of the worst in Donnie's life.
Donnie was concretely on alert for anything that may harm his brothers and when ever one of them went out, he would call them every tem minuets just to see of they were ok.
Leo couldn't even stay in the same room as his Sensei. He kept unusual quiet and was always quite tense during training. For same reason, he would hardly wear his Katanas. This surprised everyone as the Katanas were Leo's most prized procession.
Raph refused point blank to practise or train. His Sias were left in his room and he wouldn't go near anyone. He sometimes went out, but the most of the time he kept to his workshop. When the others did see Raph, he was unusual kind.
Mikey was quiet all the time. Most of the time, he was curled up, with his knees up to his chine. It was like he was trying to make himself invisible. He jumped every time Leo came into a room, and he would start shaking like hell. Every night Donnie was woken by Mikey's screams and most nights Donnie had to sleep in Mikey's bed like when they were kids so Mikey could sleep again.
No one barely spoke to each other and a silence hang over the lair like a ghostly web.
Not long after, the turtles were practising Ninjitsu in the dojo. Well…Donnie and Leo were anyway. Donnie had been practising harder then ever, wanting more then ever to protect his brothers. Mikey was watching with anxiety in his blue eyes. He flinched every time Leo made a hard blow. Raph was standing beside Mikey, with folded arms and a blank expression.
As Donnie was working himself really hard, Leo could easily pin him down because Leo wasn't as tried.
"Raph, your turn" Leo said, letting Donnie up and looked at Raph. Raph shook his head.
"Come on, Raph" Leo said, spinning his Katanas round, "Chicken?"
Raph growled but stayed where he was.
"You just know that I'm going to beat you" Leo grinned, knowing he was getting under Raph's shell, "You haven't practised in days…are you scared?"
Raph growled again and picked up his Sias. He ran at Leo and aimed several blows. Leo blocked everyone and aimed his own blows. Raph gave out angry blows and his Sias accidentally cut Leo's arm.
Leo hissed and backed away. Mikey gasped and grabbed hold of Donnie, and Raph's eyes grew wide. He backed away and dropped his Sais on the floor.
"I…I didn't mean to" Raph said, fear in his voice.
"It's ok, Raph, it's just a scratch" Leo reassured him.
"I'm…I'm sorry" Raph cried and sunk to his knees, "I'm sorry" tears fell heavily down his face, soaking his bandanna.
The whole room was silent. Leo dropped his Katanas and fell to his knees beside Raph.
"It's ok" Leo said again and embraced Raph. Raph heisted before hugging Leo back and shaking. Donnie and Leo watched the scene in slight amazement.
"My sons, what is wrong?" came Splinter's voice. Donnie looked towards it. Splinter was standing in the doorway, looking worried. He looked from the scared Donnie and Mikey to the embracing Raph and Leo.
"My sons, we need to sort this out, each of you are living in fear" Splinter said and gestured for them to kneel in front of him.
"My sons, I want the truth, what did that demon really make you face?" Splinter asked. He looked at Leo, who sighed deeply and answered.
"I saw you die, Sensei, then you were alive again, but…but evil, we fought and I…I killed you" Splinter's eyes widen slightly in shock. For the first time in days, Leo looked up and met his master's eyes.
Raph took a deep, shaky breath and said,
"I saw the Shredder, and we fought. He pinned me down and I knocked off his helmet" he looked down at his heads, "It was me…I was the Shredder" Donnie looked at him and then his other brothers, before saying,
"I saw Angel die, she fell to her dearth down a large ditch" he told them, "And then I saw you three die, the monster killed all of you"
Mikey looked at each of his brothers, before catching Leo's eye and flinching.
"Leo…Leo turned evil…he joined the monster's side and when I wouldn't join…he…he tried to kill me" Mikey said, tears running down his face. Leo looked shocked, but got up and hugged Mikey.
"Mikey, that would never happen" Leo said. Mikey nodded, and hugged Leo back. He didn't scream or pull away because he believed his older brother.
"Leonardo, I too would never turn evil" Splinter said, looked at his oldest son. Leo looked up.
"I know, Master" Leo said, "But I was ashamed for fearing it"
"Leonardo, we all have fears, to fear is nothing to be ashamed of" Splinter told him. Donnie turned to Raph.
"Raph, you would never be evil"
"But…bit I got so angry sometimes…I don't mean to hurt you guys" Raph said, closing his eyes and shaking his head, "I'm sorry"
"Raph, you do get angry, but you would never hurt anyone on purpose, especially us" Leo told Raph. Raph opened his eyes and looked at Leo.
"You will never be the Shredder" Leo told him.
"And Donnie, we will never leave you" Mikey said.
"But my fear could actually come true…you never know when you're going to die" Donnie said, looking at Mikey and then at his Master.
"Yes, Donatello, we do not know when our time is going to end" he said. Donnie looked at the floor, "But you and your brothers can protect each other from harm and guide each other through difficult times" Mikey wrapped his arms around Donnie.
"We won't go without a fight" he said. Leo put his arms around Donnie and Mikey.
"We will always be here for you, no matter what" he smiled. Raph always joined in with the embrace. Donnie smiled.
"I know, thanks guys"
Splinter smiled at his sons.
"Hopefully, this is the end of this nightmare, but it may take a while longer for the wounds to heal" he looked at each of his sons individually "But with the knowledge that your fears are just that, fears and with the support of each other, I am sure you all will get through this, together"
The turtles nodded and broke their embrace. They gave each other a weak smile and continued their training session.
I wrote this a little while ago now. I show 'The Darkness Within' on youtube and some of the comments underneath it encouraged me to write this. It was people wandering how the turtles could get over that night so quickly. So I decided to write this. Hope you liked it.
Please review, flames welcome like always, but nothing to harsh.