Mitternacht; Reloaded
Authors notes: I tried writing Mitternacht firstly through Leonardo's point of view. I have those few chapters posted on DeviantArt but quickly found that I kept having writer's block while trying to write this complicated story through just one point of view. Mitternacht; Reloaded is re-written and revamped.
No T-cest.
No T-cest implications.
No first person.
All much more palatable for a horror story.
Enjoy.
Chapter 1
Ladies and Gentlemen, skinny and stout,
There was one thing that the turtles hated above all else about the Ninja Tribunal; They never gave warning. The first time that they met the megalomaniac team of four they sent living wooden dolls to attack, claiming it was to judge their abilities. Afterwards they found themselves kidnapped and taken to a place that was hidden within the mist of the high mountains of Japan. The Ancient One faithfully would lead them into the greedy laps of his masters even if found reasons to question their methods.
It should have been the first sign that something was wrong; They invited them. Warned them of the need for help, even sent the Ancient One as a messenger to ask for the turtles to come to them.
"No."
"Splinter, this is different from before." The Ancient One's voice was hushed behind the closed doors of Splinter's room.
"How is it different? They stole my sons, forced them to fight for them when they could have taken care of the problem themselves! I will not have my sons risk themselves by associating with them again," Splinter's teeth bared, the white nails of bone glimmering in the candle light of the room. The hatred for the Tribunal gleefully festered in his heart like a corrosive wound in his heart. When these foul creatures were ever mentioned he would gladly reach down inside and pull up the infection and rot to spit out with his words. "Tell them to do it themselves!"
The Ancient One sighed, putting his cup of tea down. "I'm sorry that this is such a burden upon your soul. But do not make it theirs."
Splinter felt his jaw clench, his teeth grinding together with the sudden anger only bottled back from his closed mouth. They had no right to ask this of his family, not after killing Yoshi through their negligence, after nearly killing his sons, almost destroying the world because they were too afraid to fight their own battle against the Tengu Shredder. It would be a blessing if they all died sitting upon their thrones and forgotten to waste away to dust with no pleasant memories to be spared upon them.
But… fate would always deal his family a difficult hand and each game they played against this awesome power they always won. They always became stronger because of it. He forced himself to breathe through his nose. Trying to calm his hot belly.
"Why Scotland?" He managed to ask in a low, restrained voice.
The Ancient One seemed pleased that he was getting a response that allowed this conversation to go forward. "There are many places upon the earth where the world is thin. The veil that keeps this world safe from the other is thin at these points; a cave in Greece, an island in England, a crevice in Japan where the Tribunal reside. There are many other places that many other Tribunals reside to protect the world from what may cross over. Scotland has a well. The ones sent to guard this place have ceased contact. My Masters are concerned. They have contacted the other acolytes in hopes that your sons will join with them once more and find out what must have happened to the ones there."
Splinter's mind turned this information around in his head. He had heard whispers as to why the Tribunal could never leave their dwellings. Though he wished to deny it, he couldn't. If this was true then they had ample reason to stay where they are. To leave it unguarded against the other side would be bad for everyone…
He took another deep breath.
"Please wait here." He stood up, feeling the little man's eyes follow him. "If this is truly what you say, then fate will have a way of telling us they should be sent."
He quietly left his room, leaning heavily against his cane. He felt his joints ache with the familiar pain of arthritis that he had developed in the past few years. It was making it harder to move around without having a daily regiment of a couple of aspirin twice a day. He carefully moved down the small ramp that his sons had built him after he found it too difficult to go up the few steps one day. He looked out to the large living area of his home. It was warm and safe and the best place for them to be if it was up to him.
Raphael was the only one visible at the moment. His nose was stuck in a book, an interest to read hit him two years ago after he got a few books from Donatello on his eighteenth birthday. Though his selection was dramatically different from all of his brothers' tastes dealing more with paranormal research and true crime.
He could hear Donatello in his lab, saying something to Leonardo whom was trying to help and understand the best he could with making medicines. After the arthritis hit Splinter, the eldest turtle took an interest more in home care than before. Now he knew how to sow stitches, set bones, properly splint, and what medicine was best used for basic illnesses. He was still dutiful in his studies of martial arts and his time with his brother gladdened the old rat since Donatello was always such a lonely boy, never truly able to spend much time with his brothers.
Michelangelo… Splinter felt his heart sink at the sound of clanging pans in the kitchen. Though the turtle was getting more interested in the culinary arts than in martial arts the youngest hasn't changed much. He still loved his video games and comics, he would rather play than do chores, and he's gotten softer than ever before after Klunk had kittens. The baby cats played around his feet at all times unless in the kitchen. Whenever he was in the kitchen the babies would all stand in a line at the entryway watching him until he was either done or they got bored enough to find a rat tail to play with or other green feet to rub against. He worried the most about Michelangelo. Was the orange banded turtle really ready to go on a mission like this?
"'sup Master Splint'a?" Raphael didn't even look up from his book as he flipped a page. "You don't look too happy."
That was something that Splinter was starting to really enjoy about his sons being older. Their teen curiosity and hyperactivity was ebbing away to make room for calm and awareness, mostly displayed with Raphael. Though he could tell the exact date when Raphael "grew up". February seventh of this year. April and Casey announced they were going to have their very first child after years of trying. Raph was going to be an uncle and he loved the idea.
Splinter went down to the living room and called out to his sons by name. Listing each name with the length and power that each seemed to be imbued with. The only delay was when Michelangelo asked for some time due to a delicate process for whatever he was currently cooking. Five minutes later he came out rubbing his floured hands on a kitchen rag.
"So what's going on?" He shrugged off all the looks that his family was giving him. After all it wasn't his fault that baking could be so temperamental.
Splinter cleared his throat focusing everyone's attention onto him.
"My sons I have something to discuss with you."
"It's not going to be about inheritance is it? You tried that last year." Donatello held a lecturing tone telling the rat he still had several years to live.
"No, nothing like that. This is… a situation I could not foresee us willingly going into." He paused trying to gather the right words. "But, I believe in whatever choice you make will be the right one."
"What's going on?" Leo crossed his arms over his chest, his instinctive leadership kicking in.
"Today, I had a visitor come while you were out this morning. He came with grievous news."
The air in the room filled with curiosity and caution. Splinter rarely got visitors, and more so they've had "visitors" in the past that only caused problems by being kept silent over.
"Who's the visitor?" Raph asked as everyone's eyes shifted to their father's bedroom door.
"The Ancient One."
Raphael glared. That was never good. The little fat man was a good warrior but he was a spineless lap dog for those Tribunal bastards.
"Whatever he want's better do nothin' with April and Casey."
"It doesn't." That was one of the few ways to get Raph raging these days, to threaten the Jones family, especially now that they had a baby starting to bulge April's tummy. "This deals with… regions."
"Regions?" Donnie tilted his head to the side, shifting weight from one leg to the other.
"My sons… there is something I have not told you but have tried to prepare you for."
The four turtles exchanged looks before turning back to him. Leo relaxed his posture a bit, "Which is?"
Splinter rounded the sofa and sat down next to his emerald colored son. He motioned for all the rest to take a seat as well.
"There are two worlds my sons. Two very different worlds that must never cross."
To Be Continued…