The Extinguishing Light Within - CH1

Disclaimer: TMNT isn't mine and this is just a fan fiction writing. No money is being made on this story.
(TMNT CC are AU based on 2003 version and events, the turtles are in their late 20s.)
Warning: It has horror elements.
Rate: T

This is my secret santa gift for :icontmntlovingleo:
The prompt was a story based after the 2k3 episode "The darkness within"

Summery: It has been months since the horrors of the Volpehart building, and Leo thought it was all over... or was Leo just at the brink of losing his mind?

What do you desire... the world... wealth...)

He stood there in a red-lit cave covered with crystals that glimmer to the hellish glow. The ground beneath him was dry dirt and its dust rose when he shifted his feet. There was a coldness to this cavern, an darkness hidden from sight and the longer he lingered there the more of its presence could be felt. Sweat ran down his brow as he was faced with the dilemma at hand, stay and wait or move forward to see what the two archways in the distance would lead him.

(It can be all yours... Tell me what it is that you want...)

He clenched his fists focusing on those two exits in hopes it would lead him somewhere far from here, far from... that dark presence. The dust kicked up marking his path as he treaded lightly as possible towards his escape, hearing odd noises rise from between the cracks of the gem walls. It was stirring, coming for him. His heart raced and he could feel the anxiety rising in his very soul. It was there, it was coming, it was calling... whispering for him and him alone.

(I... know what you want turtle... its...)

A scream abruptly echoed in the once silent air, shaking the muscular turtle awake in fright, as he lunged forward in his hammock causing it to sway to one side and before he knew it his weight aided it to turn full circle, dropping him to the cold hard cement ground beak first.

"What the shell!" he yelped feeling the rush of heat and the stinging of his beak. His room cast in shadows circled about making it hard to focus on one item only. In his disoriented state, another helpless scream, or was it still the same one, not letting go of the air, reached his eardrums that made his heart clench in fear and he rushed to his feet turning pure white as his head whipped towards his closed door.

"Leo?" Raph gasped, not believing his ears yet knew it was his older brother for his younger brother nor Donatello who was in the same direction of the screaming sounded alike. The scream still ringing Raph collected his senses dashing towards the door not before swooping up his sia and unfortunately wasn't able to snatch his mask that was out of arm's reach, since it was on the other side of the room from being flung by his hammock.

The cold steel of his door handle made him shiver, leaving him with a sense of dread still horrifyingly hearing his eldest brother bellowing like someone was murdering him. As he opened the door, he was consumed by all possibilities, an intruder entering the lair and harming his brother, to something unspeakable happening to him, such as in the likes to what happen to Donnie making him mutate and the pain he suffered as he did so. Out of his room, he heard the door to his right swing open and a sleepy half awake Mikey stumbled out wide eyes, regardless of the bags under them.

"What the shell dude?" Mikey asked groggily.

"Don't know, arm yourself," Raph hissed, not believing Mikey wasn't more diligent, what time did the brother get to bed? He wouldn't be surprised very late since after he dove into that new game he received from April.

The muscular turtle knowing this wasn't a moment to criticize the young fool, he ignored the kid brother and ran towards Leo's room, where the screaming was coming from and entered without hesitation.

The older brother's room was in disarray, from the normal tidy and Raph would say OCD cleanliness.

Books were scattered around the room, there painted in a red substance, he hoped wasn't blood of some sorts, scribbled words on the walls and ceiling was nothing short then nonsense. There was more, cluttering the floor was ripped up papers and Leo's dresser was flat on the ground with his belonging smashed and broken around it.

Within the center of the chaos, still in his bed lying on his shell was Leo blankets off as his body was stiff with his arms to his side with his head facing towards the ceiling, eyes still closed tightly. Under those eyelids, Raph could see movement. The other disturbing display his brother was showing was that his mouth was wide open, screaming what horrors he was enduring.

Was he meditating?

Was he sleeping?

Engulfed in a nightmare was all Raph could conclude. Either way, he wasn't going to stand there any more coming to his brother's aid and placing his hand on Leo's shoulder. Maybe he should be more cautious or looked for the individual that destroyed Leo's room, yet his focus was on the brother instead.

"Leo..." Raph nudged softly, trying to call his brother from his perils.

Leo to Raph's dismay did not stop yet continued becoming louder, then suddenly Leo started to thrash around arms flailing about, that the one closest to Raph jerked up slamming into Raph's jaw with a raw force.

The red-clad brother caught off guard staggered back moaning as he bit his damn tongue of all things, eyes on Leo, who was not fazed by the uppercut on him, moving wildly in his bed as if something was attacking him.

"What is going on?" Mikey finally came in, then froze in horror by the display of his brother and the room.

"Shell like I know..." Raph hissed holding his chin that was becoming red. Mikey's eyes darted to it in question, to give his heart a break from the scary chaos that was going down, yet Raph pulled the little brother's eyes towards his own instead, "Shell don't stand there idiot, get Master Splinter!" Raph barked the command in a half panic, seeing his kid brother jump, then turned around with no hesitation to leave this horror show behind, rushing out to find their father, if he wasn't already on his way hearing Leo's cries.

Raph let out a sigh, swallowing his own rising anxiety and focus back on his brother once more pulling his courage to aid him, "Come on Leo wake up," Raph begged. His brother snared in his own hell didn't awake only fall deeper into the darkness of his nightmare.

(It's what you want... isn't it?)

Leo dashed forward quickly choosing a path that was no different in appearance as the other. The walls here were a red rock, no gems to glitterfy it and there were cracks in the stone surface that leaked out some black ooze. The darkness behind him came swiftly after him as he had no time to think or question his decisions, going deeper into the heart of this place.

(I can give it to you... just...)

"Leonardo my son, you must awake," his father called. A warm hand was on his shoulder soothing his fears pulling him towards it. "Leonardo my son, you're stronger than this, now come back to us."

With a gasping choked up scream, Leo sprang upwards quickly, feeling a rush of blood rushing to his brain and making him feel ill and disoriented.

His room swirled around him and he could feel three sets of eyes on him. Eyes that were familiar and comforting from what he left behind. What was it that he left, that brought this sense of dread and despair to his very soul? The turtle slowly breathing, heavily and a bit taxing, he turned towards the warm body next to him.

"Father?" Leo forced out, feeling his throat a desert and his voice was rough and husky then it should be.

"Yes my son," the old rat answered, not removing his hand on Leo's shoulder.

"What... what's going on?" Leo asked, swallowing the saliva in his mouth, hoping it would help his throat, yet did nothing.

"I was hoping you would tell me," Splinter said softly hinting to the condition to Leo's room.

Leo's eyes moved away from his father's face just noticing Raph was behind his father with a wearisome look that didn't suit him and then towards his room that looked like it was ransacked.

"I..." Leo gasped.

"What's going on?" Donnie's voice cut in from the doorway. The turtle looking half dead, which wasn't surprising since that was his normal face in the morning, he let out a yawn and then a gasp of confusion towards the event at hand.

Mikey who was at the door too sighed shrugging and canted his head at Donnie, "Bro you're late for the party."

"I'm what now?" Donnie blinked.

"Michelangelo fetch some water for your brother, and Donatello we are finding out what has happened," Master Splinter interrupted.

"Yes Master," Mikey rushed out not for he was ordered, but wanting to get back in time not to miss any the juicy information that he knew would take him a decade to pry out of Donnie later.

Splinter let out a breath of what they all figured was a bit of annoyance, then turned his attention once more towards Leo, "Leonardo can you tell me what has occurred?"

Leo a bit white around the collar, shook his head in dismay, "I'm sorry Master I have no idea, when I went to bed after Raph came back from Casey's, my room wasn't in this condition and I still don't know why you are all in here."

"You were screaming like a banshee," Raph mutter sourly.

"I was?"

"Yes, my son, I had to wake you from your nightmare," his father admitted.

"Was Leo sleepwalking," Donnie spoken up quickly moving into the room, minding his footing not to step on anything that was broken.

"He was in his bed when I came in and only made any movement when I tried to wake him up," Raph explained, "the room was trashed before I got here."

"An intruder?" Donnie question as Splinter and Raph looked at each other in question. No one confirming it was or wasn't, Donnie nodded quickly, "I will check the security than to make sure," he turned around then was stopped by his father.

"Donatello, arm yourself with your weapon," Splinter reminded the turtle he was unarmed and with no mask as well.

"Yes Sensei," Donnie exited the room just as Mikey was entering.

"I have the water," Mikey brought it to his father.

"Thank you, Michelangelo. Now go assist your brother Donatello, I wish that no one to be left alone until we know what has happened tonight," Splinter insisted, feeling careless about making Mikey go alone for a glass of water on his own where there could be someone still in their mist.

"Umm, okay, am I missing something here?" Mikey asked, yet got an eye full from not just Master Splinter but Raph as well, "Never mind, I will get Don to fill me in." The kid brother scampered off as his voice could be heard from the hallway bombarding Donnie with questions as they both descended down the stairs towards the lab.

"Sensei, what do we do now?" Raph inquired not feeling comfortable in the room.

"We move down to the living room," he instructed passing the water to Leo, who took it gratefully taking a sip.

Once he was done, he looked up at his father, "Master is it wise, the living room is wide open and..."

"It is better than staying in this small space my son."

"I guess..." Leo tried to get up, then fell back on his ass. With a long sigh, he couldn't believe his luck, something was going down in his home and his body felt weak and drained, what was going on?

"Here, bro," Raph insisted extending his hand to Leo.

Leo nodded, taking it with no argument and was helped to his feet. Once there it was like a slap in the face, his whole body starting from his toes moving up to the top of his head, was invaded by a vibrating sensation of something he couldn't explain. It swept through him and he staggered forward, if it wasn't for his brother's quick reflexes, he would have went crashing down beak first to his floor.

"Shell Leo," Raph muttered tightening his lips as his father's eyes met his, "Master, I don't know about bringing him down the stairs is a good idea."

"I'm fine," Leo willed himself to be stable, for how long he wasn't sure as he straightened up and push himself forward. Which didn't last a second as his father gave him a disapproving look, "Leonardo you will let your brother help you. Raphael, we will go downstairs, now assist your brother," he said sternly leaving the room. Both turtle's sighed for their own reasons following their father's lead.

He felt claustrophobic being surrounded by his family.

Normally this wasn't an issue yet all he wanted was to drop the subject at hand, knowing full well there could be potential threats lurking about by the evidence of his room. Even so, the nightmarish screaming that he had endured and bellowed out, its embarrassment with being nicknamed the fearless leader, was weighing on him greater than anything else.

He desperately wanted to forget it even happened, pass it off as nothing, any other brother would have if it was one of them, yet for it was he that had what Raph insisted must have been a really bad nightmare or night-terror, he was being dissected over it.

Their eyes were the bright lights targeting him and their questions like knives, cut his pride bones deep.
His restraints to the operating table where his bodies own doing, being weak and being very difficult to manage, refusing to follow his brain's commands.

Even the idealism of this surfacing up, fresh in his mind's eye, he couldn't shake it off, regardless if it was a bit too imaginative for his taste, far from reality, yet felt so real in many ways.

"So you can't remember anything?" Raph asked that same question more than once, it was the fifth, he could recall that he was able to keep track of.

The red mask brother sat there to the right of him, on the lazy boy chair's arm, perch like a vulture greedily waiting for an answer to snatch up and devour.

The brother rolled his eyes not buying it, "Come on Leo, you have to remember something, anything."

"As I stated Raphael I don't remember anything, the last thing was going to bed," he boorishly answered.

"I-" Raph started to argue only to be stopped by his father who was seated in his chair to Leo's right.

"That would be enough my son, if Leonardo can't recall any details, then we leave it at that. Donatello hopefully will shed some light to the situation at hand," he said calmly and then peered into the lair's darkness then back to his sons.

"What if Don doesn't find anything?" Raph asked.

"Then we will have to conclude this was an isolated incident, and Leonardo's nightmare must have affected him to act out towards his own room."

Leo shuddered, not sure what was worse, the thought someone had intruded in his room and did their way with it as he never sense them when he slumbered, or it was him inflicted by this nightmare everyone insisting he was plagued with, resorting to being violent in his own sleep.

He was praying it was someone that had discovered the lair, at least he knew how to handle that, compared to having no control of his own body in a sleeping state.

Suddenly footsteps began to make their way to the small group as heads darted in the direction they came from. Leo stiffened when it was Donnie and Mikey seeing the judgmental faces they have worn. He knew the verdict was out, it was his own doing and there was no evidence of anyone entering or leaving the lair.

"So?" Raph asked hastily not even giving either younger brother a chance to reach the living space before demanding an explanation.

Mikey shrugged as Donnie let out a sigh.

"There was nothing on the tapes, no one coming in or out of the lair in the past five hours," Donnie insisted.

"How about before that, my son?" Master Splinter inquired, seeing Donnie shake is head.

"Sorry Sensei, I'm afraid it wasn't some intruder," Donnie answered, giving Leo a sympathetic look.

"I see then," his father sat back on his chair thinking over the situation as he did, Donnie placed his focus on Leo.

"Leo how are you feeling?" the purple mask brother questioned, something no one has bothered trying. Every question was what happened not one was over any concerns of his well being.

Leo sighed, "I'm fine Donnie, right now I just want to tidy up my room and get back to bed. We all should get some sleep, we have training in the morning." The three brothers moaned on the idea of training after this.

"We are taking the day off my son," Master Splinter answered, now with Leo groaning in alarm and disapproval.

"But Sensei -"

"It is final Leonardo," his father commanded with no reasonable explanation, rising to his feet and heading to his room. Leo stood there gawking at his Master, why were they getting a day off training? So what he had a nightmare that was a poor excuse and if it was that easy to get out of training his kid brother would have exploited it years ago.

"Well then," Mikey broke the silence as the eyes shifted towards him, "I will grab a broom, mop and the garbage bags."

"Mikey, I can clean my own room," Leo snarled raising some eyebrows. He ignored the other two, especially Donnie, who was studying him. He was tired and now frustrated with how everyone was treating this little meaningless nightmare a crippling wound, that he had to be bedridden, in a manner of speaking from training. Even regardless all four were told no training, he knew mainly it was towards him and to prevent him from trying to find a way to join his brother's training later that day.

"I know bro, but it would be faster two or more taking a crack at it. Like you said we need to get back to bed and would be unfair to have you to do this on your own," Mikey pointed out with a warm smile not taken back to his brother's rising bad mood.

He rolled his eyes, "Fine, but this doesn't mean you can use this as a way to weasel your way out of cleaning your room tomorrow. If we are not training we should take this as an opportunity to clean the lair."

"Seriously," Raph moaned.

"Seriously, besides we all know we have to at one point or another," He explained, then turned to Raph, "Would you rather do it next week and deal with training on top of it?"

"No…" Raph rubbed his head and caved in moving away from his brothers, calling over his shell, "If I'm going to play maid tomorrow like shell I'm helping with your room, I want some damn sleep."

"Oh, playing maid!" Mikey grinned devilishly to have Raph give him the finger not to dare or he will visit the grave at such an early age, regardless they are brothers.

Leo rolled his eyes, looking over towards Donnie, "I will take it you're going to insist to help with my room too?"

"Nope," Donnie yawned, " I need to do a few things in the lab before I head back to bed."

"A few things?" Leo questioned suspiciously.

"Dude, I wouldn't worry about Donnie-boy staying up too much longer. So come on, let's get your room fixed up," Mikey slithered his arm under and around Leo's, pulling him along.

"Wait, I'm not done talk-"

"Lecturing Don," Mikey interrupted him, "I know, I know, but time is escaping bro we need to make haste," the kid brother poetically put it.

Leo sighed, not arguing making a mental note to make sure Donatello has gone to bed when he and Mikey were done with his room.

"Morning," he greeted his just awaken brothers. They piled into the room one by one heading towards their routine posts, Donnie on the left-hand side of the table that had the newspaper awaiting, something Leo did in the early morning before anyone else was up. He couldn't cook nor dared, especially trying to brew coffee, since the last time he did Donnie accused him of trying to poison him. So this little gesture made him feel a bit helpful and also a way to beg for forgiveness, not for the death coffee, but the past mutilations of Donnie's dear babies… the toasters.

Raph on cue grunted giving Leo a lazy eye, too tired to bother to grumble how the shell the leader could be this damn perky in the morning, while Mikey slowly rising from his dead zombie state dragged his feet towards the kitchen.

There the kid brother would find a fresh glass of orange juice and the items he would need to start breakfast. The only thing Leo was permitted to touch in the kitchen, unsupervised.

As for him, Leo sat in his chair across from Donnie with a cup of his tea, the other thing he was okay to interact with, well the kettle that was.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Donnie started receiving a frown from Leo.

"I'm fine," Leo insisted not believing that this was going to be the topic of discussion this early.

"Did you get any sleep?"

"Of course I did," Leo lied not wanting to throw something for his brother to pick apart, and to cover it, he stared directly into Donnie's eyes with his own question knowing the brother would drop the matters at hand in mere seconds, "As of you? Did you even go back to sleep last night?"

Donnie shifted in his seat darting his eyes towards the newspaper, "Why would you think I didn't?"

Leo shrugged, "Just making sure you didn't get too involved in what you needed to do that just couldn't wait for the morning," he pushed, and hope it was enough to stop what happened to him last night rising from the grave yet again.

Donnie's eyes met with Leo's, "Don't worry Leo I got the right amount of sleep last night, now what were you planning for today? You mention about spring cleaning, I am assuming?"

With a smile of victory, that of course, everyone around him would take it as him just thinking of some miserable tasks for them to take part, not realizing that wasn't the case, he got what he wanted and now things were going forward and not reflecting that night's events.

"As you simply put it Don, spring cleaning, we start with the rooms, throw out any clutter and then once that is done, we will divvy up the chores to clean the bathrooms down fully, scrub down the dojo and then any other odds and ends.

A heavy sigh escaped the two brothers as another long-winded one came rolling from the kitchen.

"Then it's settled," Leo mused, getting an eyebrow of defeat and frustration from Raph as Donnie picked up his paper reading through it.

One brush, a bucket full of soap, he narrowed his eyes to the showers and knew the hidden enemy at hand… the mold! His bandana wrapped neatly around his neck, he slapped on a rubber glove picturing a movie scene of a doctor getting ready to do an exam.

"You're not going to war Leo," his brother told him stepping up beside him. Donnie looked about then to him. "It's not that bad in here we have been keeping it up."

"I know, but the same time it's either Raph or Mikey that has been cleaning the bathroom and we both know half fast they could be."

"Is it why you insisted they clean the dojo?" Donnie leaned forward.

"Yes, since we normally clean it, so there isn't much for them to do compared to this room…"

His brother took a breath, shaking his head, " When you put it that way, I see what you mean."

"Then let's get this over with," Leo took the lead.

It was a large job finding things growing that was overlooked and sadly it has already been almost an hour since they have started.

"So Leo…" Donnie started in that voice that made Leo dread getting this brother to help him out.

Leo stood there scrubbing down one of the shower faucets. He desperately was thinking a way to avoid what he feared was another crack at last night's events.

"Was last night the only night you been having nightmares?" Donnie asked as Leo's heart raced.

"You know any other night my room was trashed?" he could only respond.

"Your room doesn't have to be for you to experience nightmares, Leo," his brother grumbled.

He sighed, turning his face towards the worried turtle, "Donnie there is nothing for you to worry about-"

"Leo there is much to worry about for starters, your avoiding my question and…"

"And?" Leo crossed his arms.

"And there is the fact your sleep patterns are way off from the norm and I believe you are being plagued by nightmares and hiding the fact."

His face scrunched up not impressed by his brother's accusations that were true. He has been constantly bombarded with sleepless nights being startled awake from something or another, never recalling what it the dream was about, and when it came down to investigating the lair for what may have startled him out of sleep, he came empty handed every time never finding anything that was the cause.

Even so, Leo refused to mention it to anyone seeing this phase will pass on its own and no one will be the wiser. That was until last night that must have clued Donnie in.

"Not sure what you're talking about," Leo answered hoarsely.

"You very well know what I'm getting at Leo," Donnie pointed his thick finger at his stubborn brother, shaking it. "I'm not the only one that has noticed you know. The baggy eyes and decline of energy you have been displaying is a clear sign. Then there is Master Splinter."

"Father?" he inquired wondering what he was getting at since his master hasn't voiced any concerns.

"Yes, father has noticed too and came to me for some advice since he was concerned over the fact that during your meditation sessions you have been falling asleep."

"I'm not Michelangelo!" Leo growled insulted.

"Leo, yes you are not Mikey doesn't disclaim what is going on," Donnie said calmly, knowing he was best not to challenge Leo's frustration towards him with his own, that would only fuel the situation and nothing would be resolved.

"Donnie…" Leo looked away then turned when he felt his brother's hand on his shoulder.

"Leo if it makes you feel better I will not push this, but want you to know I'm here and you can talk to me any time. Everything you say I promise to keep it confidential if that is what you wish, but please don't think you have to deal with this alone," Donnie showed his support.

A flash of guilt filled Leo as he couldn't look at his brother anymore, feeling he would break down and admit what, what isn't there?

Donnie to his surprise only nodded, then picked up his bucket, "I will start on the washroom stalls." With that, the conversation was over and Leo stood there lost.

Was he to talk to Donnie? Was there anything he could even talk about?

Sure the nightmares, but how long would that last and the night before was a one-time thing, maybe he should try to get more sleep instead and see where it takes him.

(What do you desire... the fame... fortune...)

His body stiffened finding he was surrounded by red walls of crystal, and before him was two paths and the darkness was behind him.

(It can be all yours... Tell me what it is that you want...)

He ran for it, dashing towards what he believed was the exit.

(I... know what you want turtle... its...)

With a gasping breath as if someone was suffocating him with a pillow, Leo reared up feeling the cold kisses on his hot skin.

He was soaking wet and his blankets were a dark colour showing how much they showcased his sweat.

His eyes trailed around in anticipation of being in the presence of a family member, yet only the darkness greeted him.

Not moving he took his breaths easing his nerves and slowly searched for his light to get a better look than just seeing what was in front of him.

He finally found what he was looking for, he flicked the switch as he shuddered at the sight, blinking horror. His room was trashed once more and to his left on the wall in a red substance with four scrambled words clear as day.

"What dol you desirhe?"

TBC