The Shadow Spirit Part II

by Kellie Fay

Part II: Mikey is not only talking to the ghost, he's actually allowing the ghost to possess him. Leo and Raph have to decide if they trust this spirit who may hold the key to keeping Master Splinter alive.

The Shadow Spirit Part II

Disclaimer: The TMNT belong to Mirage Studios. I just like to borrow them for the sake of my creativity demons.

I apologize in advance for any spelling or grammar errors. I simply cannot find beta readers. Well okay that's not exactly true. I can find the beta readers, but not ones who are willing to proofread and send it back to me. If my spelling and grammar really bother you feel free to proof it, send me a copy, and I will repost it.

A Note on Resuscitation: (Don't read if you don't want a spoiler)

For my Resuscitation scene I consulted two who claimed to know something about CPR. One claimed that real CPR would break bones and cause more problems (and plot holes) than I wanted to solve. The other insisted he was wrong. I never got a satisfactory answer from either one of them aside of "I'm right he's wrong" So if you have a problem of how I resuscitated a character it is not my fault.

And now:

****************

Raphael let himself in at the ground floor of the vet's clinic. It was nearly dawn, and no one was about. Even the dogs and cats in the clinic were sound asleep. Raphael silently crept up the steps to the second floor. He opened the door to the apartment, and saw Michelangelo watching cartoons with the sound off. Donatello lay on his sleeping bag oblivious to the world."

The moment the door opened Michelangelo's head snapped toward the sound. "Leo?" He asked.

Raphael opened the door all the way. "No, it's me." Raphael said suddenly worried. "You don't know where Leo is?"

Michelangelo shook his head. "I haven't seen him since I woke up. That was two hours ago." He rubbed his forehead slightly. "I woke up with a headache."

"Did you look for him?" Raphael asked.

"Well, a little," Michelangelo explained. "I looked on the roof, but he wasn't there, and he wasn't downstairs either. I figured he may have gone out for something."

Raphael shook his head. "He wouldn't have left you and Donny here sleeping without being able to reach you guys." He rubbed his chin wondering.

Princess looked up from her position next to Splinter, and meowed.

"Later cat," Raphael said sourly.

"No, wait," Michelangelo said. "Maybe she knows something."

"That does us a lot of good if she can't talk to us," Raphael reminded him, but Michelangelo, undaunted moved over to where the cat lay.

"That's my sweet Princess," Michelangelo crooned to the cat as he scratched behind her ears. "Can you tell us where Leo is?"

"If the cat starts talking," Raphael said rolling his eyes to the ceiling, "I'm outta here."

Princess didn't talk. She meowed twice then got up from her place, and padded silently over the spare room. She stopped at the door, and meowed again.

"Mikey, did you look in there?" Raphael asked. When Michelangelo shook his head, Raphael said. "Then its high time we did. He looked into the room. Sure enough Leonardo was there. He was sitting, lotus style, on the floor. His katanas were on his lap, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow and even.

"He's meditating? Michelangelo asked, sounding unsure. "Why does he have his swords like that then?"

A strange sound alerted Raphael. "I don't think he's just meditating, Mikey. Hang on a sec." Raphael closed his eyes, and tried to shut out any distractions. He listened not just with his ears, but his whole body. He tried to emulate what he experienced last night with the ghost telling Michelangelo bed time stories, and was rewarded with a faint far away sound.

It was a sound he didn't quite expect, but he wasn't surprised to hear either. It was the sound of metal on metal, as if someone were in the room sparing. Along with the sounds of fighting were faint far away voices, and one of those voices was very familiar indeed.

"I still feel bad about it. Sometimes I lay awake at night and try to figure out why I was such an idiot to believe the Shredder's lies."

"It sounds to me as if he sprinkled enough truth into the lies to give you a reason to believe. It is in the nature of good to believe good about others. You should not blame yourself. Vision is always clearer in hindsight. If your sensei had told you of The Foot before you would have known that they were not to be trusted."

"I thought of that, but I understand why Master Splinter didn't tell us. He said he didn't want our training to be stained by hatred. I can't blame him for that, but I do wish I could have known about The Shredder before. It still makes me angry to think of all the horrible things he's done: Destroying April's apartment, trying to kill the other Umtrom, killing Splinter's master Yoshi."

"I am sure that your sensei's master is very proud of what he has accomplished with the four of you."

"Raph?"

Michelangelo's interruption regulated the sounds back to the uncomprehensible buzzing. "Mikey!" Raphael shouted excited. "I could hear them that time!"

"Hear what?" Michelangelo asked.

Again Raphael tried to get himself back to where he was when he heard the voices clearly. "Its Leo, and . . . and the ghost I guess. They're fighting, with weapons this time. I can hear metal against metal. They're talking too, but I can't understand them without concentrating harder."

"Should we wake him up?" Michelangelo asked.

Just then Raphael heard something else. "Raphael, wait a moment"

Automatically without thinking Raphael said, "Hang on a sec Mikey."

Less than a minute later Leonardo blinked, and came back to himself. He looked down at the swords in his lap, then looked up at the two turtles waiting for him. "He told me you were here."

"You were telling him plenty," Raphael countered.

Leonardo's eyes widened as he sheathed his blades and rose to his feet. "You could hear us?"

"A little," Raphael admitted, offering him his hand. "You sounded like you were really going at it with him."

Leonardo smiled as he got to his feet. "I had a good workout. I also got a few questions answered." He looked at Michelangelo speculatively. "You don't remember last night, do you?" He asked.

"What about last night?" Michelangelo asked.

Leonardo sighed. "Okay, in that case it's time for all of us to get together. We have to talk."

They went back into the living room. Donatello was just waking up. "Oh, hi guys." He took one look at Leonardo's face, and his mood instantly turned serious. "I didn't dream that last night did I?"

"'Fraid not, Don," Leonardo said, "it happened."

"What happened?" Michelangelo asked puzzled.

**************************
"And you just went back to sleep like nothing happened," Leonardo said, still looking directly at Michelangelo. "And you don't remember anything?"

Michelangelo shook his head and grabbed another burger. "Not a bit. I slept like a log, or at least I thought I did."

"You haven't been," Raphael said flatly. "I mean you talking to our invisible friend was weird enough. Now he's taking you over. Call me funny, Mikey, but I'd be a little worried if I were you. "

"Of course he's not worried," Donatello said. "Even if he doesn't remember it consciously, he did give consent. His subconscious remembers. Deep down inside of him, he knows."

Michelangelo glared at them "You know I'm right here, Don. Can you like, not talk about me like I'm not here?"

"Sorry, bro," Raphael said with a grin. "Sometimes we're not sure you're all here even when you are."

"The point is," Leonardo interjected before the conversation could deteriorate further, "That Mikey knows more about the ghost than he can consciously remember. Maybe we should try to help him to reach those unconscious memories."

Michelangelo looked at Leonardo quizzically. "Do you really think we can?"

"We can give it a try," Donatello said. Leonardo, and Donatello drew closer to Michelangelo. Raphael got up to get out of their way.

"Okay, Mikey," Leonardo said softly. "I want you to close your eyes, relax, try to ignore your surroundings."

"Does that include you?" Michelangelo asked with a mischievous grin.

Leonardo hit him upside the head, and gave a frustrated grunt. "Will you be serious for a minute! This is important! Now come on relax close your eyes."

Michelangelo did so at first then opened his eyes again, and asked, "Can I have another burger first"

Raphael rolled his eyes, Mikey had to be nervous. He just went into impossible mode. Usually he was cooperative, and would go along with the rest of them. When he was unsettled, however, he'd never come out and say it, but he'd start getting silly to the point where the three of them would ether give up, or clobber him. This time, however it was important that he cooperate.

"He does not wish to remember at this time. He will resist your brothers, until they become discouraged."

Raphael looked around. Was that who he thought it was? It sounded pretty clear, but he hadn't been paying attention. Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes, and relaxed trying to emulate what he had done the day before. "Why doesn't he want to remember?" He whispered softly into the air.

"If he remembers he will have to tell, and he does not wish to tell." Now Raphael understood why this voice was so hard to understand at first. It didn't come to his ears. It was coming through his whole body. He still didn't know why he could do this, but now he knew that if he kept his mind still he could understand the spirit who wished to communicate.

"What did you make Mikey promise? What doesn't he want to tell us?" Raphael asked.

"If he does not wish to tell, it would be wrong of me to tell his secrets." The spirit answered him."He has adapted to me, but he chooses not to be able to recall."

"So if I pound him enough will he tell us?" Raphael asked with a grin.

"Why are you always so violent? First my poor Princess and now your own brother." The spirit's voice was teasing, but Raphael knew that the question was meant to be taken seriously.

"Ahhh Mikey can take it. So can that cat of yours for that matter. She can take care of herself just fine." Raphael answered back.

The spirit laughed at that. "I suppose she can, but still, do you need to force your brother to tell you of me?"

Raphael sighed frustrated. "You won't. You won't tell us what you want with Mikey, you won't tell Leo why you keep testing him, you won't even tell us your name."

"All things in their own time, my friend. My secrets are mine, and I have reasons for all. When the time is right, you will understand."

Then Raphael felt a ripple of energy flow away. The ghost had left. He sighed again, and opened his eyes. Three pairs of eyes stared back at him.

"Raph?" Leonardo's voice was full of concern and worry.

"What?" Raphael said. Now that he wasn't trying to keep calm, he was annoyed. He finally got control of hearing the ghost, but it didn't do them any good.

"Raph, were you really talking to the ghost just now?" Donatello asked uncertainly.

Raphael flushed now embarrassed and annoyed. The whole time he was talking to the ghost he had been speaking out loud. Everyone had heard him.

"You were," Leonardo said. It wasn't a question. "Raph, I thought you couldn't understand what the ghost was saying?"

"I kinda got the trick of it now," Raphael said. "I just have to keep it cool, but he didn't tell me anything more than he's told Leo. He just told me that us trying to get into Mikey's head was a waste of time."

At that point there was a knock at the door. Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello grabbed for their weapons. Once they were ready Michelangelo opened the door. Doctor Robert Thomas was standing in the doorway.

After three days, he was getting used to them though. He looked at the armed and ready turtles and just sighed. "Guys how many times do I have to come in here before you stop ambushing me."

"Sorry," Leonardo said ruefully. "We have some powerful enemies. We have to be cautious when we're away from our lair."

"I'll call before I come up, next time," Rob said. He then moved over to where Splinter lay. Donatello joined him.

"Come on," Leonardo said to Raphael. "Lets go upstairs to practice." Raphael noticed that Michelangelo wasn't invited. He had a feeling Leo needed to talk more than practice.

They went up to the roof, and began to just spar. For a long time neither Leonardo, nor Raphael said anything. They just relaxed into the rhythm of practice. Finally after ten minutes Leonardo asked casually, "so, what were you two talking about?"

"He told me that Mikey doesn't want us to know what he promised the ghost. That's why he doesn't want to remember."

Leonardo nodded as he blocked Raphael's blows. "I was wondering why he wasn't cooperating, and the ghost didn't tell you either did he?"

Raphael did a back flip away from Leonardo then made another jab toward his brother. "Nope, said it wasn't our business." Finally he managed to score a kick on Leonardo's shell. "I suppose now that I can understand what he's saying to me you want me to stick around, right?"

Leonardo smiled as he ducked from another blow. "Nope," he said, as he managed to disarm Raphael. Once disarmed they stopped. Leonardo put his hands together over his head and gave a long stretch. "Actually I want you to keep crashing at Casey's, more than ever now that you can understand the ghost."

Raphael picked up his sai. "Huh? How come?" He asked.

"How did you feel when you were talking to the ghost?" Leonardo asked over his shoulder as he leaned on the ledge of the roof.

Raphael followed him to the edge of the roof where together they watched the city below. "I had to chill out," Raphael explained. "As long as I was keeping my head quiet, I could understand what he was saying. It's not like listening with your ears. It's more like listening with everything."

Leonardo nodded. "Like mind reading. When he used Mikey to talk to Don, he said he could see our dreams. He's been drawing me into dreams he's created, and when he talked to Don . . . "Leonardo trailed off and stared out into the city. "Raph, I'm starting to wonder if he can influence our thoughts. I mean, once he gets me sparing with him, I forget all about my questions. Mikey's never awake when he talks to the ghost, and he did something to Don earlier. Somehow he got Don to see into another dimension or something. I don't know what to think now. "

"So you want me out of his reach?" Raphael asked. Leonardo nodded.

"As long as your sleeping somewhere else, he won't affect you as much as the rest of us. I don't think he's evil, but I also don't know if I can trust my own judgement. This way you're watching out for the rest of us."

This worried Raphael more than he cared to admit. If Leo the perfect, didn't think he could trust his own judgement it was up to Raphael to support him and give him confidence in himself. ~How did I get stuck with this job? ~ Raphael wondered. ~Why is it that when Leo isn't sure of something he ends up leaning on me? ~ But that wasn't what he said. It was rare for Leo to lean on anyone. And when Leo asked for help, Raphael always felt compelled to listen. "You got it Leo," he said reassuringly "You can count on me, bro."

*********************
Raphael actually left early that day. He wanted to go over to April's place and ask her to do some research into ghosts. It took a while for him and Casey to convince April that they did have a ghost problem, but soon they had her surfing the net on her home computer.

"And you're saying this ghost possessed Mike?" She asked as her finger flew across her keyboard.

"That's what Leo said," Raphael told her. "The ghost used Mikey to talk to Don. Leo said he helped Donny out with something, but it's the idea that he used Mikey to do it that bugs him."

"Man, that's like the stories my uncle Sal told me when I was a kid." Casey said leaning against the wall. "He always said the best way to get rid of a ghost is to give it what it wants."

"Well he'd better not want Mikey," Raphael said. "Otherwise there's gonna be a problem."

"I'm e-mailing an old college friend of mine who lives in San Francisco now," April told them. "He used to study this stuff as a hobby. Silly me, I thought he was spending time with a wild goose chase."

"You used to date a guy who was a ghost hunter?" Casey asked wryly. Raphael hid a snicker.

"I didn't. My roommate did." April answered hotly. "Marc was a pretty cool guy though. I sent him everything you told me." A second later she got a return email. "Hey he's answered." April began reading the email carefully.

"So what does it say?" Raphael asked impatiently. "Does it say anything about possession and stuff?"

"Hold on!" April said. She read a little bit more. "He says it sounds like your ghost is very aware that he's dead. He's actually had to convince some spirits that they were no longer living."

"So he can hear ghosts? Like I can?" Raphael asked.

"Not exactly, one of his team members can. He's got about seven friends of his who help him out. He's the tech of the group, but he also keeps notes about their encounters." April read the email a little more. "He says as long as the ghost seems friendly and aware you shouldn't worry too much about little possessions like dreams and channeling."

"You mean a dream is like being possessed?" Casey asked. "I dreamed about my grandma after she died."

"According to this," April explained, "Dreams are a minor form of possession, and the most common. Channeling, communicating with a ghost in an unconscious state, is the second more common way to talk to a ghost."

Raphael thought a moment. "That's what Mikey's been doing, I think. I mean he acts like he's asleep, but he's talking, and when he wakes up he doesn't remember anything, but last time the ghost talked through Mikey. Does your friend say anything about that?"

"That's what Marc called a high level possession, and even those come in stages," April said. She turned from the computer, and looked at Raphael directly. "When the ghost started using him to talk to Don, were there any signs of Mike's personality at all? "

"I don't know, I wasn't there," Raphael answered worried. "Why?"

"Marc says here, that there are different kinds of full possession where the ghost is using the body instead of just reaching the mind. One kind has the ghost in complete control and the host is completely unaware of the ghost's presence. A lesser kind still has the host unaware but they stay in charge and the ghost switches off with them. Other kinds of possession are where the ghost and the host are sharing control and are aware of each other on certain levels. If that goes on too long, the two personalities can actually merge. The amount of control or sharing that goes on has to do with how compatible the ghost and their host are."

"So what's causing the ghost to give Mikey a road test? And how can we stop it?" Casey asked. "I mean dreams are one thing, but I wouldn't want a ghost taking my body for a walk."

Raphael frowned a moment. "But Mikey did tell the ghost it was okay. That's the one thing the ghost told all three of us. Don, Leo and me. Every time we asked him about Mikey he said that Mikey gave consent. Don said its in Mikey's subconscious, and he knows he did it."

"In that case the simplest solution is to get Mikey out of there," April said. "Marc says that it sounds like the ghost we told him about might be bound to the building Getting Mikey to go back to the lair will get him out of the ghost's influence. End of problem."

"That's it? Just get Mikey to leave?" Casey echoed? "That's sounds too simple to work"

"Marc says most ghosts have boundaries. Where they died is a big one. He may literally not be able to leave that apartment."

"Gee," Suddenly Raphael felt guilty. "Makes me kinda feel sorry for the guy, trapped forever in a four-room apartment? No wonder the cat keeps him company."

"If you can find out why he's bound, you could free him," April said. "That's technically what Mark and his friends do. They find the ghost, find out what's keeping them here, and free them. That would also get him away from Mike too."

"How do we do that?" Raphael asked.

"April shook her head. "I'm not quite sure. You have to find out what's holding the ghost back. According to Mark usually when people die their spirits go someplace else, ghosts are kinda stuck here for one reason or another."

"So if we find out why Casper is stuck in the apartment, we can free him." Raphael said thoughtfully. Then in a moment of decision, Raphael said, "April print that stuff out. I wanna show it to Leo."

"You going back?" Casey asked.

Raphael nodded. "He needs to know this stuff, like now. Mikey's been keeping a big secrete from us, and the ghost doesn't wanna tell us, only that he and Mikey agreed to help each other. Leo might not want Mikey spending another night over there."

"It's just nightfall now," April said. "Be careful."

"I'll be fine," Raphael said "I need to get back there."

"Stay cool, pal," Casey said. Raphael nodded then left April's apartment.

He was halfway back to the veterinary clinic when one of the alley's he used was blocked by a huge truck. Raphael frowned realizing he would have to leave the alley, and go the long way around. He turned to go when a second truck cut him off. The driver of the truck looked back at Raphael. It was a Foot ninja.

"Awww crud," Raphael said. They didn't know if the Shredder was alive or dead any more, but Leonardo said that they might as well act as if he was alive. Therefore they all still considered The Foot deadly enemies, and The Foot did the same.

"Don't you boys know that there are laws against blocking alleys?" Raphael asked as a hoard of Foot ninjas clamored out of the truck.

"Guess not," Raphael said. Without thinking twice about it, he charged into the crowd. He was holding his own pretty good, but in the back of his mind he knew what they were planning on. ~They're pulling the same stunt that almost got Leo killed.~ Unfortunately he was next on their hit list. When he saw a break in the group, he managed to do a home plate slide under the larger truck, scraping his shell. He came out of the slide and ignoring the pain, broke into a run.

Though he was loathed to admit it, he knew when he was outnumbered. He tried to run, not sure where he could lead The Foot. He couldn't go back to the clinic. Splinter was very sick. They would kill him in a minute. He couldn't lead them back to the lair, the last thing in the world he wanted to do was help them find his home.

He ran past the clinic hoping to go up 17th Street, and head for the water. It wouldn't be his first choice to jump into the Hudson and find an underwater access, but at least The Foot couldn't follow him then.

He was almost to the docks when they caught up to him. Somehow they had managed to herd him into a dead end alley. The only way out was through five rows of ten Foot each.

"I guess you guys are tired of follow the leader," Raphael said drawing his sai and twirling them in his hand. "So how about we play tag instead."

He rushed into the group stabbing and blocking left and right. He liked fighting high odds, but he didn't like the fact that The Foot used overwhelming odds. Not for the first time in his life he mentally said his goodbys, and vowed to take as many of his enemy with him as possible.

Suddenly a huge black shape came from behind the wall of Foot. An inhuman growl escaped from its mouth showing a row of large yellowing teeth. It lashed out at The Foot barking, and biting any who were in it's way. One Foot tried to take it down with the blade of his halberd. The huge dog bit the weapon in two then took a piece out of the owner's backside. Another ninja tried to wrap a manriki gusari around its neck, but by then Raphael had recovered from his own surprise, and got the chain wrapped around his own sai disarming The Foot. "Bad Foot Ninja," Raphael said as he made a flying kick at the offending Foot.

With the dog attacking everyone, and barking loud enough for ten dogs, The Foot Ninja quickly retreated. Raphael placed his blades back on his belt, and looked at his rescuer. There was no polite way to say this. This dog was built like a truck. Even though he was the black and tan of a Rottweiler his shoulder was where a Rottweiler's head should be, and his fur was corse and shaggy.

"Woah! You're a big one," Raphael said. Then as he stared at the dog he recognized it. "Wait a minute. Aren't you supposed to be locked up in a certain clinic a few blocks back?"

The dog padded up to Raphael, its pink lounge protruding as it panted. He leaned against Raphael and preceded to sniff him thoroughly

"Yeah yeah! I'm fine!" Raphael said annoyed, then with a sigh he said, "Look at me. Now Mikey's got me talking to dogs and cats to"

The dog licked Raphael's hand once, then took a few steps away. He looked back at Raphael and whined.

"Eww!" Raphael complained wiping his hand. He then looked at the dog confused. "What's the matter, boy? You want me to follow you?"

The dog whined again. Raphael took a few tentative steps forward, and the dog began walking away, looking behind him every few moments to make sure Raphael was following him.

The dog didn't take Raphael back to the clinic right away. Instead it took him on a strange round about route. Often it doubled back on its trail or sniffed the wind and abruptly change direction. When they finally got to the back alley, they were welcomed by Princess.

Princess looked down at the two from a ledge and meowed a greeting. The dog looked right back at her and woofed in return. Looking from the dog to the cat Raphael said, "I guess you two know each other."

The dog looked at the door then looked back at Raphael. The request was obvious. Raphael quietly picked the lock of the door, and let Princess and the dog inside. Once in, the dog moved over to the kennels. The dogs and cats there started to bark and hiss at the trio, but the large dog simply looked at them all, and they quieted down. While Raphael tried to take that in, the dog nosed open an empty kennel, and climbed inside. Before Raphael could even register that, he watched amazed as the kennel door closed under its own power, and the pin, that should have locked the kennel shut, floated up, and into its proper place locking the dog inside.

Raphael spent several seconds trying to get his voice to work. "I didn't see that," Raphael said flatly into the air.

Suddenly he felt a ripple of energy through the room, and heard a tired voice chuckling behind him. "Yesyoudidmyfriend."

Suddenly everything made sense. Raphael focused and concentrated so he could hear better. "It was you!" he said. "You were inside of the dog?"

"I cannot leave the boundaries of my home without help from the living. My friends here often assist me in helping others. We saw the Foot pursue you past the clinic. We feared that there may have been to many for you to fight."

Raphael relaxed. He knew he was safe here, and now it made sense why the dog was so careful about coming back here. "There almost was," he admitted. "Thanks for helping out."

The spirit's tone was pleased. "Against The Foot I will always help out. They and I have been enemies for a very long time. They are your enemies too?"

Raphael thought about how much of an understatement that was. "Yeah," he said darkly.

"Why?"

"We got our reasons," he answered. Then looking around wondering where the ghost actually was he asked, "why do you want to know?"

"Just curious. At least one of the others dream of the foot at least once a night."

"I guess we all do," Raphael admitted. "At first we was just butting heads with those guys, but then we found out their leader, The Shredder, he killed our sensei's Master long ago. We've tried to take him down loads of times, but he keeps coming back like a bad penny, and now he wants us dead too. He almost killed Leo once, and if you hadn't shown up tonight he might have gotten me. You could say we have enough material for nightmares."

"I see," The spirit was quiet for a moment. It was an odd feeling. Raphael could almost sense comforting arms around him, and a small whisper in his mind that the spirit could empathize with him, and felt for their sorrows. "But you continue to fight against him?"

"He killed our sensei's master," Raphael repeated, letting his anger grow. "He tried to trick Leo into joining him, and when Leo wised up and said no, he tried to kill him. He nearly did once. He destroyed our friend's home trying to get at us, and he's tried to kill us all more times than I care to count." Raphael drew his sai and shadow boxed for a few moments to get rid of the extra energy. "If he's still out there, I'm gonna make sure he regrets messing with us!"

"Then you will continue to defeat the Shredder," the spirit told him. "You refuse to let despair overtake you. As long as you and your brothers feel as you do The Shredder will never destroy your spirit."

Raphael relaxed, his bad temper spent. Now that he could understand the ghost he seemed like a nice guy to talk to. "How do you know about The Foot anyway?" Raphael asked. Then before the ghost could answer he added. "Just curious of course."

The spirit laughed. "I know them well," he said, with a touch of sadness. "And like you I have many reasons to dislike them. Not the least being -" Suddenly the sprit stopped in mid sentence, and paused. Raphael could feel the energy in the room ripple and move as if something had disturbed the ghost.

"What is it?" Raphael asked. Had they brought The Foot down on the clinic?

"Something is wrong," The spirit said suddenly. Raphael could almost feel it turn its attention elsewhere. "You must go upstairs immediately"

Just like that he was gone. Raphael wasn't sure how he knew, but he knew. Wondering what the problem was Raphael ran up the stairs two at a time.

When he opened the door to the apartment, a dead weight fell into the bottom of his stomach. He saw Splinter shaking violently on the floor with Donatello not restraining him, but gently keeping him from striking the walls. Raphael took three more steps forward but Leonardo stopped him. "No Raph," he said. "There's nothing we can do." Leonardo's voice was steady, but Raphael could see his hands shaking. He was as scared as the rest of them.

Finally Splinter stopped shaking, but the dead feeling in Raphael's stomach doubled when he saw his sensei's eyes roll up in his head and close.

"No," Donatello said in a whisper. "NO!" He shouted louder. He reached down and took Splinter's pulse. With a shudder he put Splinter down on the floor and tried again.

"You must choose now or I cannot help you."

Raphael blinked. Was that the spirit? What did he mean? He was about to ask when suddenly Michelangelo moved forward.

"Mike, no" Leonardo said gently, but when Michelangelo turned to look at him. Leonardo took a step back in shock. Raphael could tell why, too. Those eyes did not belong to Michelangelo.

"Oh no," Raphael muttered, but was as frozen as Leonardo. Michelangelo, or whatever was controlling Michelangelo knelt down next to Donatello.

"Do as I say, or your sensei will die," the voice that was Mike's but wasn't Mike's said.

Donatello looked at Michelangelo in shock. "You . . . You're . . ."

"Obey me now!" Michelangelo, or whatever was in Michelangelo ordered. Donatello mutely nodded once.

"Good," Michelangelo took Donatello's hands, and placed one on Splinter's right rib cage, the other he placed over Splinter's heart. "When I tell you to," he said hurriedly, "Strike a single blow with the heel of your hand here. Do you understand?" When Donatello nodded again, Michelangelo nodded and then took his hand, reached out, and traced Splinter's temples down to collar bone. He then did the same from under Splinter's armpits to his hips. He moved up from the hips to just under the ribs then looked at Donatello. "On three," he said. "One, Two THREE!"

Donatello struck just as Michelangelo pushed up on the rib cage. Splinter's eyes shot open as he breathed out. Instantly Michelangelo moved to Splinter's head and did three more breaths. Donatello's fingers reached for Splinter's wrist. Miraculously, he found a faint pulse.

"He's . . . He's alive!" Donatello's voice was quiet with shock. Then with amazed relief he shouted, "HE'S ALIVE!"

Raphael and Leonardo hugged each other both giddy with relief. Then they both remembered who just helped them. Leonardo found his voice first. "What did you do to Michelangelo?" He asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"Better question. What did you do to our sensei?" Raphael put in.

The being within Michelangelo sighed heavily. "Nothing your brother has not permitted, and as for your master, It is no great feat. Though it must be done quickly after the heart stops to be of any good."

"But what did you do?" Donatello asked. His voice was soft with wonder.

"I realigned the energy flow along the meridian points, and then we together restarted the heart and breathing. It must be done with two, and unlike the Western method it leaves the bones intact." The spirit answered with a slight grin. "As I said, it is no great feat."

"Maybe for you, pal," Raphael said still overwhelmed with relief. "But for us it was something."

"I know," the spirit answered.

"Leonardo tried to gain control of the situation again. "We thank you for your help," he said evenly and business like, bowing as he did so, "but now, please, release Michelangelo."

The spirit looked at Leonardo sternly. "I do nothing that he does not allow me to do, Leonardo. I have promised to help you, and I do not give promises lightly." Then he closed his eyes, and with a little shudder he was gone, and Michelangelo was in control of himself again.

Michelangelo sagged to the floor exhausted. "Oh man!" He complained. "He didn't tell me it was gonna hurt!"

"Mikey?" Raphael and Leonardo both rushed to his side. Together they supported Michelangelo.

"Oh man, I feel like Hun did a tap dance on my noggin," Michelangelo muttered.

"Easy there, Mikey," Leonardo said gently. "You had quite an experience."

"Duh," Michelangelo said. "I don't remember it hurting this much the last time."

"You remember the last time?" Leonardo asked curious.

"Kinda," Michelangelo said. He yawned and closed his eyes. Nervous, Raphael gave Michelangelo a little shake.

"Come on Mikey. Stay with us."

Michelangelo yawned again. "Can't keep my eyes open. Too . . . too tired."

"Mikey?" Leonardo asked desperately. "Did you tell the ghost it was okay to take you over?"

With his eyes closed Michelangelo smiled warmly, and nodded. "Uh huh, only way to save him." Suddenly he curled up in Leonardo's lap, and began to snore.

"Mikey?" Raphael asked. When he didn't answer, Raphael tried shaking him again. "Mikey! Come on! Wake up." Michelangelo continued to snore oblivious.

"It's no-good Raph," Leonardo said with a sigh. "He's out cold."

"And dollars to doughnuts when he wakes up he won't remember anything again," Raphael said frustrated.

"I don't know." Leonardo answered.

Donatello moved over to the three. "Whatever the ghost does to him, must wear him out completely." He said evenly. "I remember when he did whatever he did to me. I was fine when I was going along with it, but when it stopped I was exhausted for no logical reason."

"How's Splinter, Don?" Leonardo asked, as he and Raphael put Michelangelo on his sleeping bag.

Donatello handed them a blanket to cover him with. "Okay, for now, but . . . " Donatello didn't finish the sentence. He just shivered for a moment before continuing. "If it wasn't for our invisible friend doing what he did, we'd have lost him."

"I heard the ghost say just before he took Mikey over that he had to choose." Raphael said flatly. "What can we say, Leo? You know if it was any one of use we'd have made the same choice."

"I know," Leonardo said very quietly.

"I called Doctor Thomas," Donatello said quietly. "He said he'd be over in a few minutes."

When Robert got there, he checked Splinter over thoroughly. "That is one lucky rat," he said. Seeing the three glares he got, he said abruptly, "Sorry."

"How is he doctor?" Leonardo asked.

Robert got to his feet, and sat down on one of the folding chairs. "Like I said, he's lucky to be alive. Don, I know what your going to say, but we have to cut out the stronger antibiotics and get him back on the penicillin."

"But that wasn't working," Donatello insisted. "He wasn't getting better, and the bacteria count wouldn't go down."

"I know," Robert insisted. "But his body can't take the stronger meds."

"What about that stuff you took from Leo's blood?" Raphael asked. "Are you gonna use it or what?"

Robert shook his head. "That's not going to be ready for another day or so."

"So what do we do until then?" Raphael demanded.

"Hope he doesn't have another seizure." Robert said. "I don't think his heart could take that kind of punishment again."

Raphael moved closer to the young vet, angry now. "Is that all your gonna tell us? Hope it doesn't happen again!"

"Raph, I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker!" Robert shot back. "I'm amazed that he's managed to last this long. I'm doing my best, but sometimes that's not enough."

Leonardo pushed Raphael behind him. "We know you're doing your best, Doctor Thomas. It's just that if anything happened to him we don't know what we'd do."

"I know, Leo," Robert said wearily. "I'll do whatever I can to help, but he's got to hang on long enough for us to make that new immune booster. I'll be back tomorrow."

"Thank you for coming over," Leonardo said, as he led Robert to the door.

"Not a problem," Robert said. Then he placed a gentle hand on Leonardo's shell. "He'll pull through, you'll see. He's a rat. They're survivors."

Leonardo managed a week smile. "Yeah. He's a survivor all right."

"I'll see you in the morning." Robert said. As he went down the stairs, Leonardo watched him go.

As Leonardo turned back to the others, Raphael looked at him squarely and asked, "Now what?"

With a heavy sigh Leonardo sat down next to Splinter's unconscious form. Princess came over to Leonardo and meowed, and began to rub her head against his hand. Absently petting the cat Leonardo said, "I don't know, Raph. I honestly don't' know."

Two hours later Michelangelo woke up. Donatello was sitting with Leonardo monitoring Splinter's condition. Leonardo sat next to Donatello watching everything, but not interfering. Raphael had actually dozed off sitting against the wall, when Michelangelo stirred.

Leonardo instantly noticed. "Mikey?"

Raphael opened his eyes and Donatello turned around as Michelangelo rolled over. He then opened his eyes and sat up. "Master Splinter! No!"

Leonardo was at his side in an instant. "Easy Mikey. It's okay."

Michelangelo closed his eyes and shook his head. "Man! I just had the most totally bogus dream. I dreamed that Master Splinter's heart stopped, and we didn't know what to do. Then I heard the ghost talking to me, and he said he could save Master Splinter if I helped him, and . . . "Michelangelo trailed off looking at three identical intense expressions. "Um guys why are you looking at me like that."

"Don't stop, Mikey," Raphael said evenly. "Tell us what happened next."

Michelangelo paused, still looking at them oddly. "Go on," Leonardo said slowly.

Still confused, but cooperative, Michelangelo thought back. "Well that's when it got really strange. When the ghost said I had to help him I said okay, and then . . . " he paused again, as if he were having trouble finding the right words to express himself. " This is gonna sound weird guys, but I wasn't me anymore. I was somebody else."

"Who were you?" Donatello asked.

Michelangelo thought about the question, but then shook his head. "I don't know, or If I did, I don't remember. It was like there were thoughts in my head that weren't mine, and I knew things that I couldn't even begin to tell you now."

"And in this dream you saved Master Splinter, "Leonardo said.

Michelangelo nodded emphatically. "I don't even know how I did it, it was like that other person who was me but wasn't me knew how. I was just like seeing him do everything, but it wasn't me doing it." He stopped and looked up at the three of them quizzically. "How can I dream I'm somebody else?"

"You didn't dream it, Mikey," Raphael said. "The ghost did take you over last night. Everything you just told us happened."

Michelangelo suddenly looked crestfallen. "You mean Master Splinter - " He sounded so desperate Leonardo hurriedly reassured him.

"He's okay now, Mike, but if it wasn't for the ghost possessing you last night, we almost lost him." He peered at his brother, and asked earnestly, "Why did you let him take you over like that?"

"Well I had too," Michelangelo insisted. "I mean you just said it. If I hadn't we would have lost Master Splinter. How could I say no?"

"He's got a point," Donatello said.

Leonardo sighed and nodded. "Is there anything else you can tell us about the ghost?" Leonardo asked.

"Like?" Michelangelo asked not sure what they wanted.

"How about his name for starters." Raphael suggested.

Michelangelo furrowed his brow in thought. "I know you're not going to buy this guys, but when he was inside of me, I knew. I knew everything he was thinking, but now I can't remember anything. I remembered it happened, and I remember what he did to Don, but I can't tell you what he knows, or what he was thinking when he was in my head."

"That doesn't make any sense, "Donatello said.

"It probably does to April's ghost hunting friend on the west coast." Raphael said. He handed Leonardo the printout he got from April earlier. "Mikey's what he called a channel. They're the type the ghosts like to take over, because they don't resist as much. There's less, what did he call it? Personality clash."

Leonardo thought about that. He and Raphael had been having close contact with the ghost, but both of them might have resisted possession due to their own personalities, even if it could have helped Splinter.

"So can the ghost do it again?" Donatello asked, taking the paper from Leonardo and scanning it with his eyes.

"Not if Mikey doesn't want him too," Raphael said with a glare over at Michelangelo.

Offended and confused Michelangelo asked, "What?"

"You have to tell him no next time, Mikey," Raphael said. "You can't let that ghost take you over again."

"Why not?" Michelangelo asked.

"What part of, 'he took you completely over', do you not understand?" Raphael insisted. "You can't let it happen again."

"If I didn't let it happen this time, we'd be orphans," Michelangelo pointed out. "If he needs me to help him save Master Splinter I'm going to help him."

"You're crazy if you do!" Raphael shot back.

"Guys guys! " Leonardo tried to restore order. "We need to keep a level head about this." He looked Michelangelo up and down. "Mikey, I'm guessing it's a waste of time for me to tell you not to allow the ghost to possess you again, but I am asking you to talk to us first before you do anything rash, okay?"

Michelangelo looked disgruntled, but Leonardo was firm, and eventually he got a reluctant, "oh, okay."

"Good." Leonardo said.

Two hours later Leonardo was on the roof practicing his katas. When Raphael clamored over the side of the roof from the fire escape, Leonardo didn't stop his exercise, but he could almost see Raphael's dark mood like a perpetual grey cloud surrounding him.

"If I hadn't said anything you would have lost that fight, and you would have felt even worse for losing an argument to Michelangelo."

Raphael punched his fist into his hand and glared at Leonardo as he finished up his katas. "Who says I would have lost?"

Leonardo sighed. "Maybe not in a physical fight, but in a moral one. At least I got him to promise not to do anything unless he talks to us first."

"And if he decides to let that ghost take him over again?" Raphael asked.

Leonardo sheathed his swords, and looked directly at Raphael. "Look me in the eye, and tell me that given the same set of circumstances if you were given something proactive to do to keep Splinter alive that you wouldn't do it."

Raphael opened his mouth as if to speak, but looking into Leonardo's eyes he eventually turned away.

"I thought so," Leonardo said. "I felt the same way too. The best thing we can do it try to set some limits, or at least see if the ghost will let us be in on whatever they're planning."

A sudden movement and noise drew both turtles' attention to the far end of the roof. They both turned in time to see a feline shaped shadow launch herself from one end of the roof toward a flock of pigeons. When the shape landed, a tan and grey pigeon was inside of the cat's mouth.

The cat drew closer with her catch, and lay down on the roof. Slowly Leonardo and Raphael moved closer to see that the cat was Princess, and she was enjoying her meal.

"I thought that was her." Raphael said with a grin. "I caught her eating pigeon the other night too. What's the matter girl, rats too fast for you?"

Princess looked up, and hissed at Raphael. "I think you made her mad, Raph," Leonardo said with a grin.

Raphael didn't seem to be too worried about it. "I think she got one look at Splinter and figured he'd be the one mad if she ate any of his relatives."

Princess looked up at him again, and sneezed. Four small down feathers floated toward Raphael.

"Oh don't mind him," Leonardo said, highly amused. "You go ahead, and enjoy your dinner."

Fascinated, both Leonardo and Raphael watched Princess consume her dinner. She glared at them for a moment, but finally decided to ignore them, as she finished her meal. Just as she was getting up and stretching, an odd breeze flowed over the roof. Princess looked up and followed the breeze to Leonardo's right side.

"I believe the time is now my young friend. We go to make the attempt tonight. Both he and I fear that if we wait it will be too late."

Princess meowed a return. Raphael suddenly tensed up. "Yo, Mister Invisible, is that you?"

"Raph?" Leonardo asked puzzled. "What's the matter?"

"I believe what you said inside covered your half of the discussion, Raphael," the ghost, for it definitely was the ghost, said to him. "Your brother and I discussed it, and we feel that we must act now if we are to help your sensei to live."

"You're gonna take Mikey again." Raphael said shivering with both rage and fear. "You know we don't want you to, but you're gonna take Mikey again, cuz he can get you out of this place!"

"Raphael what's going on? What is he telling you?" Leonardo asked.

The wind around the roof began to pick up, a sign the ghost was getting agitated. "He and I weighed our options and discussed it with your brother below, and we feel this is the best assistance we can both give to the situation. "

"That he and Mikey already talked to Don, and whatever they're planning on doing they're going for it! We gotta get downstairs now!"

"I'd rather you not." The ghost answered. Suddenly a gust of wind shut the door to the roof, and Raphael heard the door lock behind them.

"He locked us out!" Raphael said. Instantly he and Leonardo ran for the fire escape. As they approached, the fire escape began to grow red and heated.

"Careful Leo!" Raphael said, recognizing the trick. "He pulled that trick on me before. He can make things red hot!"

"Then we climb down the wall, and go through the back door." Leonardo said. He pulled out his shuko spikes. Raphael followed his example, and then carefully climbed down the walls. When they got to the bottom they found that door locked as well, but unlike the roof door this wasn't a bolt, just an ordinary lock. Raphael was easily able to pick the lock with his sai, and get them inside.

They climbed the stairs to the second floor. All at once Leonardo began to get an all too familiar sensation. Michelangelo jokingly refereed to it as their 'turtle sense.' It was a feeling of eminent danger. It coursed over their skin like a heat wave telling them that they were not alone, and whatever was out there, was hunting them as well. Sometimes one or two of them would get this feeling, more often all of them would at the same time. Raphael didn't seem to be feeling it though, as he moved forward boldly and opened the front door.

~No! ~ "Raph, down!" Leonardo ordered. He grabbed Raphael by his shell, and dragged him down to the floor with himself. He flattened himself to the ground as he heard something whizzed by his head hitting the door with a thwik.

"Stay down," Leonardo whispered to Raphael. He looked up, and saw a pair of darts embedded in the door a foot apart. Reaching up slowly, Leonardo pulled one dart from the door, and brought it down to examine.

"A tranquilizer dart," Leonardo whispered. He sniffed at the contents. "Man! That's some powerful stuff." He slipped the two darts into one of the secret pockets of his belt.

"Where did it come from?" Raphael asked. Leonardo shrugged. Slowly he scanned the room with his eyes.

"Move in," he said to Raphael. "But stay down, and go slowly." Splitting up they scouted the room. Leonardo found Splinter still lying in his make shift bed, but he didn't see any sign of Michelangelo or Donatello.

"Leo, over here!" Raphael's hushed whisper carried across the room. Leonardo moved over to join him. Raphael had found Donatello unconscious with another dart in his arm.

"He's out cold," Raphael said. "You don't' think Mikey,"

"It may have not been Michelangelo," Leonardo reminded him. "Especially if he and the ghost are together again." Suddenly they heard noises from the empty bed room.

Leonardo motioned for Raphael to follow him. Silently, the two converged on the bedroom door. Keeping to the floor, Leonardo called into the room. "Michelangelo, if that's you, you'd better be alone in there."

"And we mean nobody dead either!" Raphael added.

"You're a little late then dudes," Michelangelo's voice answered them. It sounded like Michelangelo, but not quite. "He's been keeping me company for at least as long as it took you guys to get in here."

"No thanks to Casper," Raphael growled.

Leonardo ignored Raphael. Instead he kept his eye on Michelangelo. He was in the back corner of the room. The radiator in the back of the room was opened to reveal a hidden closet. Several small objects were in Michelangelo's hands, as he tucked them into his belt Leonardo said, "Mikey, you said we'd talk about this before you did anything. I'd like to talk now!"

"Already talked to Don," Again it seemed like a very subdued Michelangelo. He was still gathering objects from the concealed closet. "He tried to stop us, but we need to go now! We can't wait for Splinter to collapse again. We need to solve this now."

"You know we gotta stop you, Mike," Raphael said rising to his feet. He didn't draw his sai. Both he and Leonardo were confused on what to do. How were they supposed to stop Michelangelo without hurting him?

"I know you're going to try," Michelangelo said. He pulled a sling and a small stone from the closet. "But I also know that you can't stop us. Sorry guys. It's time for us to fly. Laters!" Suddenly using the sling he launched a stone toward them. Leonardo turned, half afraid that it was going to hit Raphael, but it flew by Raphael's right ear, and struck the light switch, turning the lights in the room off.

"Arrrrrrgh!" Raphael roared. "He tried to knock me flat!" He reached back and hit the light switch turning the lights back on.

Michelangelo was gone.

"If he was aiming for you, Raph, you would have a lump in the middle of your forehead. He was aiming for the lights. He wanted to distract us in order to escape."

"All we did was blink," Raphael said as he looked around the room. "How did Mikey vanish like that? Not even we're that fast."

"He's possessed now," Leonardo said. "I've fought with that ghost in my dreams remember? He's faster than all four of us combined, and think about that closet. I've been in this room twice, and I never noticed it."

They both moved forward to the open closet. Inside they found an amazing array of weapons. There were four manriki gusari, two ropes, and a put-together halbrad in the bottom of the closet. On top of them were two dozen knives and shrunken of various sizes and styles. On a shelf in the back was a spice rack, but when Leonardo looked at the contents of one bottle he found a blinding dust.

Raphael looked over a pair of sai much smaller than his, as Leonardo pulled out a beautiful antique sword. "Man," Raphael said very much surprised. "Who would have thought, we'd find a ninja's toy box here."

"I should have expected something like this." Leonardo said. "There was something about the way he fought that was almost familiar, but I wasn't able to ever figure out what it was. I wonder if this guy was Foot or something?"

"Call me funny, Leo, but he didn't strike me as the type that The Foot recruits," Raphael said. "He told me he doesn't like The Foot. They're his enemy just as much as ours."

"Maybe for a lot of the same reasons." Leonardo wondered out loud. "Maybe Shredder heard about his skill, and tried to recruit him, and when he said no . . . "

"Maybe," Raphael agreed. He watched as Leonardo tried the balance of the blade in his hand.

"This was the sword he used to spar with me in the dreams." He said speculatively. "I don't know what to think anymore. Who is this ghost? And is he our friend, or should we be in a panic because he's just taken Michelangelo from the house he haunts."

"I don't think he's our enemy, and neither do you, Leo." Raphael reminded him. "Mikey wouldn't have gone alone with Casper if he thought we'd be in any danger because of it." He pulled out another vile of something they both recognized as poison. "Look at all this stuff in here. This guy has to be deadly. He wanted us asleep, not dead."

"You're thinking that he'll bring Mikey back, but you're also thinking that you'd like to just keep tabs on them just in case." Leonardo said as he put the sword back.

"Okay, fearless leader," Raphael said with a grin. "Now that you're done reading minds how about conjuring a way to help us find our little possessed turtle. If this guy is as good as we think he is, we're never going to be able to track him."

"No, we won't," Leonardo said evenly. His eyes went back to the door where Splinter and Donatello both lay unconscious. "But I think I know someone who can."

Leonardo walked into the living room. Raphael moved Donatello to his sleeping bag, and Leonardo moved over to where Splinter lay. Princess was in her accustom place arranged like a pillow on his back.

Leonardo knelt down, and bowed before the cat. "Princess," he addressed the cat formally, "I know you understand us, and I'm sure you were privy to many secrets of your friend the ghost. So I'm pretty sure you know what he and Michelangelo were planning tonight."

The cat looked at Leonardo steadily. Her only motion was the twitching of her tail back and forth.

"If you know what they were planning to do, I can guess that you know where they were going." Leonardo paused, and took in a deep breath. "Princess, he's our brother, and as much as we are sure your friend doesn't mean any harm, we simply cannot allow him to take Michelangelo without our consent."

Still, the cat did nothing.

"Come on you flea bag!" Raphael said. He reached down and tried to grab Princess by the scruff of her neck. "You gotta help us EEEYOW!"

Princess did a spin in Raphael's hand, and gave him a scratch across his arm. When he dropped her she made a mad dash for the kitchen and the open window. Desperate Leonardo called out. "Princess no! Wait! What if it was your litter mate?"

The cat froze in her tracks. Slowly she turned back to Leonardo. Taking courage, he said. "Please you have to help us. All we want to do is make sure that Michelangelo is all right. He's your friend too. He helped you, remember? You might be helping this ghost, but it was Mikey who saved you, and brought you here."

The cat sighed. She looked squarely at Leonardo once more then jumped lightly up to the kitchen counter, and then over to the windowsill by the fire escape. She meowed back at the pair.

"I think she's gonna help us," Leonardo said. "Lets go!" Together, the two followed the orange and grey tabby out into the night.

*******************************
"I don't believe us," Raphael said sourly. "Us running half way across town on cat's say so. Did she watch too many Lassie reruns?"

"I would watch my mouth if I were you. It's pretty obvious she understands us." Leonardo shot back. His focus was on the cat before him. Twice already the orange and grey stripped tabby had turned around and waited for them to catch up.

"Where the heck is she taking us anyway?" Raphael said, as he caught his breath. "We're almost all the way to Battery Park City."

It was true. They had been hopping from roof top to roof top for over an hour, but Leonardo had a feeling he knew where the cat was leading them.

"Not quite," Leonardo answered as Princess climbed across a cable to the next street. "There is something between us and Battery Park that might be our ghost's target."

"Oh yeah?" Raphael asked. "Like what?"

Princess then moved toward a fire escape, and began to make her way to the ground. Leonardo didn't even have to look at the street signs to know that they were on Canal Street.

"Chinatown," Leonardo said. Wisely, Raphael did not contradict him.

The two watched as Princess moved down to street level. It was late, but there were still lots of people about. Leonardo wondered why she suddenly decided she had to be on the ground, but when she sniffing the ground he knew.

"What's with our guide?" Raphael asked.

"She's tracking them by scent now," Leonardo said. "This is as far as she knows they were going."

Patiently they waited for her to pick up the scent. Once she had it she lead them over to a dark alley between a restaurant and a curio shop. She entered the alley and called to the turtles to follow her.

"We must be close," Leonardo whispered. "Come on!"

He and Raphael followed the cat into the alley. There hidden away from the main streets of the city was a small shop whose door was decorated in only Chinese characters.

"What is this place?" Raphael wondered.

"I don't know," Leonard admitted. "Japanese we can do. This is Chinese."

Princes got up on her hind legs, and pawed at the door. "Looks like she wants us to go in," Raphael said. The lock was simple enough, and oddly enough there were no burglar alarms. Raphael easily picked the lock, allowing both turtles, and the cat to enter.

Inside they found what could only be described as a herbalist's shop. The room was like a large hallway with wall to ceiling drawers. On their left was a counter, and a glass case revealing tubs and tubs of different herbs and powders.

"So where's Mikey?" Raphael asked.

Princess suddenly perked her ears, and jumped behind the counter. She meowed softly at both Leonardo and Raphael.

Leonardo had an idea about what was wrong. "Someone's coming," he whispered to Raphael. Instantly both of them found hiding places. Raphael hid under some large baskets, and boxes. Leonardo found a place behind a book case, under a tarp. Princess joined him there.

Leonardo heard, but he couldn't see a window jiggle open above them. Peering out of the tarp he saw a rope appear in front of the book case. The rope wiggled and moved as someone above climbed down silently.

~Mikey? ~ Leonardo wondered. He risked looking up for a moment. Sure enough Michelangelo was climbing down the rope.

~Very cleaver girl, ~ Leonardo silently thought to the cat. ~You knew where they were, so you took us to where they would be later.~ He scratched the cat behind her ears. She didn't purr, as if she knew she should keep silent, but she looked rather pleased with herself.

Michelangelo slowly made his way to the bottom of the rope. Without making a sound he put his feet on the floor. He scanned the room slowly. There was a tenseness to his face that had never been part of Michelangelo's expression before. The thought left a tight feeling in Leonardo's stomach.

Finally Michelangelo stopped watching. He began to swiftly move between the bins and drawers of herbs. Every now and then opening a drawer and using a scoop, measure out a portion which he placed in the cloth bag at his side.

~Herbal medicines? Of course! ~ Any time one of them had been sick Master Splinter would use herbal teas and poultices to make them feel better. He had been showing Leonardo and Donatello various herbs, and their uses for over a year now, but in reflection neither he, nor Donatello could prescribe and mix a full herbal medicine.

~He couldn't just tell us what to get, because we'd have to be able to identify the herbs by smell taste or texture. We couldn't ask another herbalist for help, and he couldn't leave the apartment without a living host. No wonder Mikey went along with this! ~

Leonardo watched amazed as Michelangelo went from drawers to bins, to jars drawing out scoops, or taking only a few pinches of specific herbs. When he was done, he placed some gold coins on the counter. ~Now where did Mikey get those from? ~

He was about to leave when he paused at the doorway kneeling down and observing the floor.

~Whoever the guy possessing Mikey is he's good, and he's not just a fighter. I think he knows more about ninjizu than both Shredder and Master Splinter put together. ~

Michelangelo rose to his feet apparently satisfied with what he saw. Perhaps not, because the next thing he did was reach into a drawer with some finely ground powder, and threw it around the room.

The fine dust tickled Leonardo's nose, but he resisted the urge to sneeze. Raphael wasn't that lucky.

"Ahhh choo!" Came from the baskets in the corner. Michelangelo overturned the baskets revealing Raphael.

"I should have known," Michelangelo said, sounding board.

Leonardo knew then that hiding was pointless. He moved from his hiding place to face the ghost.

Raphael meanwhile was handling the situation with his customary tact and restraint. "Get out of Mikey, ghost, and I mean NOW!"

"Raphael," Leonardo said tiredly. "Leave it alone. That's not what we're here for."

They both turned to face Leonardo. Leonardo could see the spirit eye him speculatively, trying to figure out his angle.

"It's obvious that we can't fight you," Leonardo said. "But at the same time, we don't know you, and we're not about to let you take Mikey off somewhere without us."

A small wise grin played across Michelangelo's features. "So you have no intention of stopping us?" The spirit within asked.

"The question is superfluous," Leonardo insisted. "I know what you can do. I know that no matter what Raph and I do, we can't stop you." Here he grinned as well. "But I also know that you can't stop us from trying to follow."

"Obviously," The spirit said looking down at the cat. Princess washed her face paying no attention to them.

Raphael was seething. "The least you could do is let us talk to Mikey," he said.

The ghost wrinkled his brow in thought at that. He bowed his head, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again he was Michelangelo.

Uneasily Michelangelo adjusted the bag on his shoulder. "Guys," he began hastily. "I'm okay. Everything's cool, really. He's not gonna hurt me or anything. He just wants to help us."

"By making medicines for Master Splinter." Leonardo said evenly. "But he wasn't going to tell us. He won't' tell us anything we want to know about him. How are we supposed to trust him with you?"

"And he hasn't told you that sharing your mind is dangerous." Raphael added. "If you stay with him in your head too long, your personalities are gonna merge."

Michelangelo leaned against the counter, and rolled his eyes. "Get real, Raph, that takes like days he said. We're only gonna be like this for a couple of hours, and the sooner you two cut us loose the sooner we can get back, and be done. So if you dudes want that to happen think fast!"

Suddenly Michelangelo tossed at both of them some kind of strange root. Forced to catch it, Both Leonardo and Raphael took their eyes of Michelangelo for a split second. It was enough for the ghost to escape with Michelangelo.

Raphael growled frustrated. "That little pea brain did it to us again!" He shouted.

Leonardo couldn't help but smile. "We didn't stand a chance. Between our invisible friend's skills, and what Mikey knows about us, we were beat before we began." With that he looked down at the cat cleaning herself at his feet. "Ready to help us again?"

Princess looked up, meowed once, and led them out of the shop.

"Here we go again, playing follow the kitty," Raphael grumbled.

Princess lead them up to the rooftops again. She led them back up Canal Street and over to Ninth Avenue. When they got to fifth Street, Princess stopped in her tracks, and hissed at the shadows raising every hair on her back. Leonardo knelt by her side and stroked her back. "What is it, girl?" Leonardo asked.

"She's doing the Lassie thing again, isn't she?" Raphael said.

"In this case Raph," Leonardo said, as he gazed into the shadows. "We may need her to go for help, for us."

Hidden in the shadows were about fifty Foot soldiers, five foot tech ninjas, and behind all of them was Hun.

"Awwww shell," Raphael said with feeling.

Leonardo drew his sword. There was way to many Foot to fight, but he knew that they couldn't go back to the vet clinic with The Foot after them.

Raphael drew his sai, and twirled them in his hand. "Play time," he said eagerly. Then he glanced at the cat. "No place for fur balls, Princess. Time to scat kitty!"

As The Foot converged Hun reached out, and tried to grab Princess. Raphael blocked two pairs of swords coming at him with his sai. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, pal," Raphael said.

Sure enough Princes spun around, and gave Hun not only a scratch on his lower forearm, but she leapt up his arm, and lay a deep bloody scratch across his purple dragon tattoo before she ran away.

Despite his own problems with the cat, Raphael smiled as he fought. "First rats, then turtles, and now cats, Hun, you really have a way with animals."

Leonardo in the mean time had his hands full battling not only the regular Foot, but the five Foot Tech Ninjas turned invisible, and attacking him at once.

Oddly enough it was his dream fighting with the spirit that helped Leonardo now. The dreams had helped him focus more, pay more attention to senses other than sight. He only had to close his eyes to hear The Foot approaching. He managed to strike three Foot Tech down, and also take down ten regular Foot, but more Foot were showing up.

~They're going to overwhelm us again.~ Leonardo thought a cold chill of fear running down the inside of his shell. ~Just like at April's.~

He and Raphael were now back to back as The Foot surrounded them. Leonardo felt horrible. Not only were they going to kill him, but they were going to kill Raphael as well. ~Not as long as I live, ~ he vowed.

Suddenly a blur appeared on the outer edges of the circle of Foot. Even Hun stopped shocked at what he saw, and got knocked flat as the blur passed by.

"What the shell is that?" Raphael asked.

A broad smile crossed Leonardo's face. "I think I know."

The blur finally stopped. As Leonardo had expected, it was Michelangelo. At first he looked completely focused, then he blinked, and Michelangelo's sly mischievous grin played across his face. "We can't take you guys anywhere, can we?"

"Mikey?" Raphael said in shock.

"Not exactly," Leonardo said. He was impressed, but he wasn't fooled for a second. "It's your friend in there. He did all that."

"Are you sure I can't keep him after Splinter gets better?" Michelangelo asked, still smiling. Behind him Hun began to rise.

"Watch out! Behind you!" Raphael said. Michelangelo turned to see Hun getting to his feet.

"He doesn't go down easy, does he?" Michelangelo asked. Leonardo noticed that Michelangelo's tone had dropped again. The ghost was now taking charge.

"Never," Leonardo said. He drew his swords, and backed up.

"We don't need weapons," The spirit inside of Michelangelo was now in full control. "He's the weapon. We can use his strength against him."

Hun went after Leonardo, who jumped over him and gave a kick in his back, forcing him forward. "You mean like that?" Leonardo asked.

Michelangelo nodded as he dropped to the ground to kick Hun's legs out from under him. Hun lashed back though, just missing the top of Michelangelo's head.

"Man how do we take King Kong down?" Raphael asked. The three jumped together to regroup.

Suddenly Leonardo had an idea. He pulled something from his belt, and called "Hey Mike! Give me some green!"

If there was any doubt in Leonardo's mind that Michelangelo and the ghost were working together they evaporated as the confused expression on Michelangelo's face did not stop him from giving Leonardo a high three as they passed each other. Michelangelo suddenly grinned broadly. "You are good," the spirit commented as he made a slight throwing motion. All of a sudden the yellow feathered dart appeared in Hun's arm. He stared stupidly at the dart for a second, then keeled over, and fell to the floor sound asleep.

Raphael and Leonardo looked down at Hun, then back at Michelangelo. "You are telling us what's in those things." Raphael said.

"Already done," Michelangelo assured them. Then as he moved away, "Come on, I have a feeling we'll have to come back after you if we leave you alone again."

Leonardo wasn't sure if that was Mikey, or the spirit talking, but then he decided that it didn't matter. Without another word they followed Princess back to the veterinary clinic. As Raphael opened the lock Leonardo allowed himself to relax a fraction and think about what almost happened tonight. "Michelangelo was gone when Raphael turned back, but he saw Leonardo trembling slightly, leaning against the wall. "Leo?" Raphael asked.

"I'm okay," Leonardo reassured Raphael instantly. "I was just thinking about what a close call we had tonight. If that ghost inside of Mikey wasn't such a good fighter . . . "

"But he was," Raphael said satisfied. "I still can't figure out why. Hey where did Mikey go?"

Leonardo smiled. "He's probably upstairs already. Not that I think Mikey wants our friend to leave, but I think they want to separate to make us feel better. Lets get upstairs."

The two walked slowly up the stairs back into the apartment. Michelangelo was already busy with a large cook pot, boiling water on the stove. He was at the counter with a bowl and drinking glass using it like a mortar and pestle grinding up the herbs.

Confidant that both Michelangelo and the ghost were content to stay put, Leonardo sat by Splinter and checked his condition.

"His fever is high again," Leonardo said worriedly.

Raphael nodded. "Don and Robbie said that would happen when they took him off those medications that almost killed him."

"I know," Leonardo said, "but the fever still worries me."

"It will go down after a few cups of this," Michelangelo said. He knelt at Splinter's side, and gently nudged the rat into wakefulness. "Master Splinter?"

Leonardo and Raphael watched very curious. When he came over, he hadn't sounded like Michelangelo, but now he did. He began to worry that Raphael was right, and the two personalities were beginning to blend.

"Master Splinter, you have to drink this, that's all. It's gonna make you better." Michelangelo said gently. He managed to get Splinter awake enough that he drank the tea down. Once asleep again, Michelangelo went back to the pot of tea on the stove. He took another pot out, and filled it with water. He measured out a few different leaves, added them to the pot, and left the water to simmer.

"What's that for?" Leonardo asked. He and Raphael were both watching him like a hawk waiting for the spirit to finish.

"Oh that's for later," the tone was still Michelangelo's but Leonardo was suspicious. He sat at the bridge table and watched Michelangelo in the kitchen tend the teas. The scent from the pot was soothing. Leonardo found himself blinking sleepily, suddenly very tired. When he yawned, Michelangelo put a cup in his hand. "He said it will make you feel better," Michelangelo told him gently. Leonardo didn't have the energy at the time to ask any questions. He just sipped at the cup in his hand. The tea was warm and had a slightly sweet and bitter taste going down. It was warm and soothing, and he found that all he wanted to do is put his head down and rest. He closed his eyes and let the darkness engulf him.

**********************

A loud snoring woke Leonardo partially. Somehow he had moved from the bridge table to his sleeping bag, and was comfortably tucked in. Opening his still heavy eyes he saw Raphael and Donatello laying on their bags nearby. Michelangelo was nearest to Splinter's bed. He had a cup in his hand looking at it dubiously. "Are you sure?" He asked. After a moment's pause Michelangelo shrugged. "Okay then, bottoms up!" He downed the cup in one gulp, put it to the side. He then lay down, drawing his pillow close with one hand and his teddy bear in with the other.

Leonardo tried to lift his head, but it felt as if it weighed a ton. He wanted to ask Michelangelo what he had done to him and Raphael, but he just couldn't move. His body felt as if it were swathed in lead.

A warm breeze made his muscles relax and stop fighting, as a hand touched his shoulder lightly. "Shhh it's all over, Leonardo. Michelangelo is alone again. He just needs to rest as you do. There is nothing for you to worry or fret over. Go back to sleep. You will feel better in the morning."

Leonardo wanted to ask questions, but his body had other ideas. His eyes closed again, as he snuggled under the warm covers. Within seconds he was deeply asleep again.

*************************
This time movement woke Leonardo. He managed to lift his head, and open his eyes as he heard Donatello and Robert speaking quietly as they moved around Splinter. Robert had just put a syringe back on the table. Donatello was examining the cooking pot and the ceramic tea pot on the kitchen counter. "The second tea is a little simpler. Mostly it contains restoratives, but two ingredients in there I recognize as pretty powerful sedatives. When we were twelve, Raphael went through an insomnia phase. Using these herbs Splinter had him sleeping through the night again in less than a week."

"That's why they smelled familiar," Leonardo said. Donatello looked back at Leonard and smiled. "I remember they didn't bother Splinter that much, but if any of us were in the kitchen when he made Raph his tea we'd be the ones going to bed early too. "

"Finally you're awake!" Donatello said pleased. "I was beginning to worry. You're not usually such a heavy sleeper."

"You can thank our friend for that," Leonardo gave them a quick recap of what had happened the previous night. "How did he manage to nail you?"

Donatello flushed slightly. "We were arguing about it, and I thought I had won, but the minute my back was turned, he told me that it was my opinion, and he knew he could help. The next thing I knew it was morning, and there was a pot of tea with a note. It says to give Splinter a cup of this every three hours. Most of the herbs in here I don't recognize."

"Well whatever they are they're working, Don," Robert said. "His fever hasn't broken, but its way down. His pulse is stronger, and his fur is starting to look glossier. He might not even need the immune boosters, but I gave him the shot anyway."

All at once Leonardo became concerned. "That won't hurt him like the other medicines did, Doctor Thomas?"

"They shouldn't," Rob reassured him. "For one thing he's not as in bad a shape as he was when I gave him the antibiotics. That tea must be really good. Secondly they don't work the same as the antibiotics anyway. It may take a day or two to work, but if we're lucky he's on the road to recovery."

Now Leonardo felt like he could relax.

Raphael woke up an hour later. "Man, what hit me? I feel like I was run over by a subway."

"I guess Hun qualifies," Leonardo said with as smile. He quickly filled Raphael on Splinter's condition and the odd experience he had when he was half awake.

"What do you think that means?" Raphael asked as the three of them watched Michelangelo sleep.

"Well for one thing he's probably not possessed anymore," Donatello said. "Remember how he acted when the ghost got out of him before? He was exhausted. It's best that we let him sleep and recover. That may even be the reason for the second pot of tea. It did have a lot of restoratives in it."

"Maybe," Leonardo said speculatively, "but it was also a good way to get me and Raph to stop bugging him, and we were both overtired."

"Do you think he's gonna remember anything?" Raphael asked.

"I don't know," Leonardo said evenly. "I guess we'll find out when he wakes up."

Michelangelo slept for the rest of that day and into the next. Leonardo and the others went back to sleeping in shifts. Leonardo was alone practicing his katas when Michelangelo finally stirred.

"ohhhhhh," Michelangelo groaned as he tried to get up. "Ow! I feel like someone turned my body into guacamole"

Leonardo suddenly realized that the exceptional fighting techniques of the ghost might have been more than Michelangelo's body could handle. Doing the moves weren't difficult if you knew how, but if the body was unused to fighting like that it could get hurt. Michelangelo probably had several pulled and strained muscles.

"Go take a hot shower," Leonardo suggested mildly. "And after you're done, maybe we'll talk about what you remember."

He moved over to Michelangelo, and gave him a hand up. As Michelangelo got grudgingly to his feet he asked, "If I say I don't remember anything does that mean I'm not in trouble?"

It was pretty obvious that Michelangelo did remember. He was just trying to get out of a lecture. "No," Leonardo said with a grin. "But we'll talk about that after you feel better."

Two hours later Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello were questioning Michelangelo about his experience. To their surprise he had full recollection of most of the night's events.

"He didn't exactly do the same thing this time," He was explaining to them. "This time he was like inside my head except when he needed to be in charge. All I had to do was relax and let him take charge, but I was still me. It was like having someone else run my arms and legs."

"That's why you're sore," Leonardo reminded him. "Your friend was having you do things that you're just not used to doing."

"Tell me about it," Michelangelo said with a sigh. "The next time I'm going to tell him to keep me in neutral."

"You could always just train harder, then you'd be in better shape," Donatello teased.

"There isn't going to be a next time!" Raphael scowled.

"I don't think there will be either," Leonardo admitted. "Have you noticed, since last night, we haven't had any sign of the ghost. Even Princess hasn't seen him. She's been looking around for him, but she hasn't found him."

All three of them looked at Michelangelo. "I haven't heard from him," Michelangelo insisted. "Honest!"

"Me neither," Raphael said puzzled. "It's like he's just gone."

"We'll just have to wait and see when he wants to contact us again." Leonardo said with a sigh. "I'm sure we'll hear from him soon."

The next morning Leonardo was disappointed. He was sure the spirit would draw him into another dream fight, but he didn't. Raphael noticed right away. "No practice last night?"

Leonardo shook his head. "Nope, not at all. Raph, do you think he's gone?"

"Don't know, Leo," Raphael said, staring at Splinter's unconscious form. "Why would he just split like that on us? Better question is how? If he had something that was keeping him trapped in the apartment, shouldn't he still be here?"

That was a good question, but any speculation flew out of his mind when they heard a horse elderly voice groan and mutter. "My sons! My sons?"

Leonardo and Raphael looked at each other in shock. "SPLINTER!" They both ran over to their sensei and watched as he opened his eyes.

"Leonardo? Raphael? Where . . . where are we?"

"Some place safe," Leonardo hastily reassured him.

"How . . . How did we get here? Why are we not at home?" Splinter asked.

"You've been very sick, sensei," Leonardo said gently. "We had to bring you to a friend."

He heard Michelangelo and Donatello race up the stairs. "He's awake?" Donatello asked.

Simultaneously Michelangelo cheered. "Wahoo! He's better!"

Even Splinter laughed at the enthusiasm. "Not yet, Michelangelo. I do not feel better just yet. I am getting there though."

"You'll be fine now, sensei," Leonardo said confidently. "Everything is going to be fine."

"I am sure it will be my sons," Splinter said reaching out to touch the four of them. "I am sure it will be."

Glancing over at Raphael, Leonardo wondered if he had ever seen his brother smile so broadly. He couldn't blame him though. Splinter was back, and all was right with their world again.

********************************

Three days later the five of them were packing up to finally leave the apartment. To their delight Splinter was up and around by then. He looked out the window that morning to get an idea of where they were..

"Ahh Ninth Avenue. My master Hamato Yoshi had his apartment on Ninth Avenue, but it was up by Seventeenth Street."

"Now that's funny," Donatello said, "We are by Seventeenth Street."

"Imagine," Leonardo said as he rolled up his sleeping bag. "Us being so close to where you used to live with your master."

"We had a wonderful home," Splinter said wistfully. "My master made the great room into a dojo where he could practice. He would keep me in a cage by the window where I could see the fruit market on the corner, and I could smell the bakery below our apartment."

Michelangelo dropped the folding chairs with a clatter. Everyone stopped and stared at him.

"Michelangelo is something wrong?" Splinter asked.

Michelangelo gave a week laugh. "Um my hands slipped," he said.

Raphael and Leonardo looked at each other. Neither one of them was buying that excuse. Something had startled him badly.

Michelangelo ignored the glares both of them were giving him. He picked up the chairs again, and said, "so you lived above a bakery?"

"Oh yes," Splinter said wistfully "They made these wonderful rolls which my master would share with me."

"Oh," Michelangelo answered. He brought the chairs downstairs to the basement, and was met coming back up to the first floor by Leonardo and Raphael. "What?" He asked them

"Fess up," Raphael said. "What did Splinter say that made you jump like that?"

"Guys don't you get it?" Michelangelo said in a hurried whisper. "Splinter just said he lived above a bakery on Ninth and seventeenth!"

"Yeah?" Raphael said. But Leonardo suddenly blinked, and looked serious.

"Oh no," he said.

"What?" Raphael insisted.

Michelangelo rolled his eyes, and shook his head in frustration. "Raph, don't you see! This place used to be a bakery!"

"Sixteen years ago," Leonardo said slowly, still overcoming his own shock. "When supposedly the ghost we've been dealing with was killed. Around the same time Hamato Yoshi was killed by the Shredder."

Suddenly it clicked in Raphael's mind. "Oh no!" he said echoing Leonardo's earlier statement. "You don't think?"

"Raph, it all makes sense! Doesn't it?" Michelangelo said trembling slightly.

"We gotta go find our friend," Raphael said firmly

Just then from upstairs they all heard Donatello call out. "Guys? Are you gonna help me up here or not?"

All three of them sighed. "We'll talk later," Leonardo said, "When we get home."

A day later once settled back at the lair the four of them met in Leonardo's room. They went over what they knew.

"I should have figured this out," Donatello said with a visible shudder. "I can hardly believe we were living in the same apartment that Master Splinter lived in with Hamato Yoshi!"

"It's more than that Don," Leonardo said. "Think about what we know. A man was murdered in that place sixteen years ago by a gang. If that was Master Splinter's home the gang had to be the Foot, and that man, our ghost was -"

"Hamato Yoshi." Donatello finished with a shiver.

"Well that explains why he didn't want to tell us his name," Raphael said.

"We gotta go back!" Michelangelo insisted.

That made the three stare at him. "What?" Leonardo said.

"We gotta go back!" Michelangelo repeated. "Raph can hear him! I mean don't you want to know everything?"

"Man!" Donatello said with feeling. "All that time there, we could have asked him tons of things. If we only knew!"

"I know this is a first, but I'm starting to think Mikey's right," Raphael said. "We need to go back there, and have a talk with our invisible friend."

" I don't know, Raph,' Leonardo said. "After using Mikey to go to that apothecary, we haven't heard from him. I haven't had any dreams, and you haven't heard anything since."

"Where could he have gone?" Donatello said. "He has to be bound to the apartment where he died."

"We gotta go back to find out!" Michelangelo insisted.

Leonardo grew very quiet for a few moments then shook his head. "No," he said finally. "Not right away. Let's wait a week or so, and then go back together."

"But Leo!" Michelangelo protested, but Leonardo held firm.

"I mean it Mikey! None of us, and I mean NONE of us," he said glaring at Raphael, "are going to go back there until next week. Let's give ourselves time to cool down, and then we go back."

"I agree," Donatello said, they both glared at Michelangelo and Raphael.

"Oh all right!" Michelangelo said dejected. Leonardo then turned his gaze to Raphael.

"Fine!" Raphael said. "We'll sit and wait! Happy now?" With that he stormed off. After giving Raphael a few seconds head start, Michelangelo left the room as well.

"And what do we tell Splinter?" Donatello said.

Leonardo swallowed and made the hardest decision he ever had to make. "Nothing, " he said. "He didn't know he was in his old apartment, and he didn't know about Master Yoshi's ghost and I am not going to be the one to tell him."

Considering how they all knew how badly Splinter felt about seeing his old master die, Donatello didn't think that the others would either.

Later that night Donatello lay on his bed with a technical journal abandoned next to his bed. He looked up at his ceiling, and wondered about what they talked about tonight.

The spirit of Hamato Yoshi. It was amazing! To think for the first few days he didn't even believe he existed, and now to find out that it wasn't just any ghost but the spirit of Splinter's old master. What he must know about the Umtrom. Donatello was just as eager as the other to go back and try to find him again, but he could understand Leonardo's need for caution. They needed to be level headed about this and rested up. Suddenly Donatello found himself letting out a jaw splitting yawn. ~Man, I'm more tired than I thought,~ he thought to himself. Donatello yawned again, rolled over, closed his eyes and went instantly to sleep.

******************

~We have to go back! We have to talk to him. ~ Michelangelo thought as he listened to his MP3 player. How could they not have figured this out before? How could Leonardo just want to sit here, and not go see him again? Michelangelo closed his eyes, and tried to think of every little detail that they knew about Hamato Yoshi past and present, but it had been a long and tiring two weeks. Without meaning to Michelangelo fell into a deep and sound sleep.

********************
Raphael stormed in his room kicking at his own practice dummy to work out his frustration. ~Why does Leo always do this to us? We have to go back, It's obvious, but no! Fearless Leader needs some down time. We have to talk to him! ~ Worn out Raphael plopped onto his bed, and looked up at the ceiling. ~ More important we have to find a way to free him from that place. There is no way we can leave Master Yoshi trapped for all time in the apartment where the Shredder killed him. ~ He wanted to go back right then and there, but his conscience kept reminding him on how it was Leo's instincts and training that allowed them to follow Hamato Yoshi when he had taken Michelangelo to the herbalist shop. ~He didn't want us to know it was him. What is he going to do now that we do know?~ With his two sides warring with each other Raphael finally drifted into sleep.

*******************

~We have to do something,~ Leonardo thought as he did his evening stretches. ~It isn't right to leave Splinter's old master a trapped spirit. ~ Was there a way to free him? What geis was preventing Master Yoshi's spirit from crossing over to the other side? He wanted to storm over there as much as the others had, but that only told him that they needed to sit and think about for a bit. ~Though I'll doubt even I'll be able to wait a whole week. Something needs to be done, I only wish I knew what it was.~ He finished his final stretch with a yawn. He picked up a book and was going to read before going to sleep, but his body had other ideas. Twenty minutes later the book resting on his chest fell to the ground when he rolled over, and Leonardo was sleeping so deeply he didn't hear it fall.

*************************
"Leonardo!"

Something was calling him. Leonardo found himself wandering up Seventeenth Street. It was nighttime, and the streets were empty, but Leonardo was a little alarmed that he wasn't sticking to the shadows. ~What's going on? What am I doing here?~ He wondered.

He looked around. He was only a few feet from the clinic. ~How did I get here? Am I dreaming again? ~ Well a dream was easy to test now that he knew the trick of it. He thought of something odd that would prove to him that he could control this dream environment.

~Hmmmm a can of soda would be nice, ~ he thought. Leonardo concentrated for a second with his hand outstretched. Sure enough a can of Pepsi materialized in his hand. With a grin on his face, Leonardo opened the can, and took a swig. It was ice cold and perfect, just as he had imagined.

"Okay, so I'm dreaming again," he said relieved. If it was a dream he could control it. "So why am I dreaming of here?"

"Michelangelo!" A strange voice called out. It wasn't the voice of Hamato Yoshi. It was a female voice. Leonardo moved into the back alley where the vet's back door was. Sure enough after a few seconds Michelangelo appeared. He picked the lock of the door, and went inside.

"If I don't miss my guess...." Leonardo said thoughtfully. He listened again. Sure enough he heard that same strange female voice call out, "Donatello, Raphael!"

"So, this is some kind of joint dream." That only made Leonardo more curious. He looked up at the apartment above him. "Well they don't know it's a dream yet, and since I do, there's no reason not to go along with it." He didn't bother climbing up to the second floor. After a moment of concentration he found himself back in the empty apartment where they had stayed while Splinter was sick. The same apartment that their sensei had lived in with his master Hamato Yoshi. The same apartment he still haunted.

Leonardo decided to hide and wait for the others. Michelangelo came first he peered around, looking for something. He didn't appear to be quite aware of things yet. Donatello came in next surprised to see Michelangelo there. "Mikey? Didn't Leo tell us not to come here?"

"Yeah, so what's your excuse?" Michelangelo shot back with a grin.

"I don't know," Donatello said puzzled. "I just felt that I had to come."

"So now we're all in trouble," Raphael came into the room from the kitchen. He had entered through the window, and was joining them in the room.

"No you're not," Leonardo said as he came out of hiding. The others were all shocked to see him.

"Well look who else is here? What's the matter Leo? You couldn't follow your own advice?" Raphael said snidely

"I did," Leonardo said with a grin. While normally too mature to prank, Leonardo was going to enjoy that the others didn't know what was going on here. "And so did you," he said."

The three of them stared at Leonardo confused.

"Come again?" Raphael asked.

Leonardo demonstrated by concentrating, and calling his brother's weapons to him. As they all made gasps of amazement as the weapons materialized in his hands, he said, "We're all dreaming. None of this is real."

"Radical!" Michelangelo said amazed.

"Leo, how did you do that?" Donatello asked.

"It's a dream," Leonardo repeated. "If you try hard enough, you can control you dreams"

"My, he was right," a voice said out of nowhere. "You are very clever, Leonardo."

The four looked around to find a stone alter where the bridge table once stood. They all stared at the odd carvings of animal headed people. On top of the alter sat a very familiar orange tabby.

"Princess?" Michelangelo said uncertainly.

"Well of course it's me," the cat said into their minds. "Who else would it be?"

All four of them stared at Princess in shock as she calmly washed her paws.

"Now I know I'm dreaming!" Michelangelo said. "You talk!"

"This is impossible!" Donatello said.

The cat made a slight growl, and glared at them disapprovingly. "Of course it is impossible," She said haultily. "That is why your dreaming it silly."

"Like the dreams our sensei's master Yoshi made for me." Leonardo said evenly.

"Of course," Princess said.

"But how are you doing this in our heads?" Raphael insisted. "You're just a cat."

Princess gave him one of those looks that told him he was being unusually dense. "Really," she drawled. "Well us plain non-mutant cats can still ask our Lady Bastet for anything we want as long as we've made our first kill, and it is for a good and noble purpose. " She started to clean her other paw. "So I suppose telling you what happened to Yoshi is good and noble, because she has allowed this to happen."

"You asked who?" Michelangelo asked, but Donatello snapped his fingers, and smiled as he pointed to the alter.

"Egyptian," he said. "Bastet was an Egyptian goddess with a cat's head."

"Very good," Princess nodded sounding pleased. "At least not all of you are completely thick."

That last comment was definitely aimed at Raphael who began to show signs of frustration. Before he could answer the cat back Leonardo said, "You said something about telling us what happened to Master Yoshi."

"Yeah," Michelangelo said, "where is he?"

"I knew you wouldn't have figured it out," Princess said, as if confirming her own suspicions. "Well he's gone now. He's crossed over, and he has you four to thank for it."

"Us?" Leonardo asked puzzled. "What did we have to do with it?"

Princess sneezed, and gave Leonardo a hard look. "Do try to keep up," she said as she rose to her feet, and paced the length of the alter. "When you four arrived here Yoshi was determined to learn more about you. Once he figured out who your master was, and how you continually fight against the Shredder he realized he no longer had to stay. He knew whatever needed to be done to protect others from those dreadful Foot would be done by you four."

Raphael thought he had it. "That time with the dog," he said. "That wasn't the first time he borrowed one of the Doc's kennel clients to go rescue someone."

"Yes he did some of that, but mostly he terrorized the Foot that came near to here." At that moment Princess gave an odd high pitched chuckle. "Once one of those foolish Foot creatures tried to rent this apartment. Oh he had him running out of here in less than a day." Then she grew serious again. "Well once he realized that you could now act as his hands and heart, he could happily go off to his rest. He only stayed around long enough to make sure that your sensei would get well."

The others seemed pleased at that thought that merely by their existence they had freed Hamato Yoshi from his imprisonment, but Raphael wasn't satisfied. "What so now we're obligated to fight the Shredder? What happens if we don't want to?"

Princess stopped in her tracks, stared at Raphael hard, and then rolled her eyes. "Raphael you are a fool," she said. "Obligation has nothing to do with it. It is your destiny to battle the Shredder. It has been written in the books of Thoth by Shai who is in his hands, since The Shredder first caused the aliens' ship to crash to the earth. By his own misdeeds would he forge the force that would oppose him."

"Um, I think I lost something there in the translation." Michelangelo complained.

"I didn't," Donatello said evenly. "Remember I told you guys that before. If it wasn't for the Shredder we wouldn't exist."

"I remember, Don," Leonardo said uneasily, "but she's talking like it was supposed to be this way."

"Well of course it was," Princess said, pacing up to Leonardo to sit in front of him. "Saki had three chances to undo the evil he had wrought. By causing the Umtroms' ship to crash he lost his first chance, and caused you four to come into existence. When he killed dear Yoshi he lost his second, giving you, in a sense, your sensei, and because of him I may never eat another rat again," she said with good humor.

A smile formed on Leonardo's lips but he didn't let it distract him from what the cat was telling him. "And the third?"

"The third is when he learned of your existence," she said solemnly. "He could have left you alone, but he tried to deceive you, and when you were not deceived he tried to destroy you. Truly your lives and his were irrevocably bound from then on. You are the light to his darkness. It is your destiny."

"Well what if we don't like our destiny?" Raphael said. "Don't we have a choice?"

"Of course you have a choice," Princess said snidely. "You could let The Shredder do as he pleases, and not interfere" She snorted, and shook her whole body, puffing out her fur. "But you didn't even do that when you didn't know who he was."

"And if we did that we'd be leaving innocent people unprotected," Leonardo said. "That's not a choice at all. Regardless of what he's done to us, he's harmed dozens of innocent people, with his schemes."

"Those poor people the Purple Dragons rob and terrorize," Donatello said.

"Quarry and all those dudes underground," Michelangelo added.

"The Umtrom, his own kind," Raphael said.

Leonardo nodded. "I don't think we have a choice guys. If we don't fight the Shredder who will?"

"It is your destiny," Princess said firmly. "It is written that by the consequences of his own deeds will he be thwarted in his evil ways. Thus his fate was written by Shai.."

Leonardo formally bowed to the little cat. "It will be our honor to do so."

Princess cocked her head and sounded pleased. "Yoshi said you'd say that. He also said to keep practicing. You're very good Leonardo, he thinks you might one day be better than him."

Leonardo flushed pleased at the compliment. Without waiting for an answer She looked over at Donatello. "And you, Yoshi thinks your very clever, but he did want me to remind you to keep your heart and mind open. There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy Donatello."

"I'll try to remember that," Donatello answered..

Raphael grunted and rolled his eyes to the sky.

"And you," Princess said harshly turning towards Raphael. "You didn't fool him at all you know, he's sorry he gave you such a start at first. He really thinks highly of you, and he said you should show your feelings more. He knows you feel more than you let on."

Raphael didn't have any smart answer to that, so he kept his mouth shut for once blushing furiously.

Then Princess slowly paced towards Michelangelo, who oblivious to the alter she was sitting on reached out and scratched her behind her ears. "I shall miss you my friend," she said.

"What?" Michelangelo said confused. "I'll be back here soon."

"But I shan't be here when you arrive." Princess explained as she purred deeply. "I only stayed because dear Yoshi was so lonely. Now that he's moved on, it's high time that I do so. I'm not the kind of cat that like to stay in one house you know. You know how it is dear. Places to go birds to hunt. I've grown quite fond of you, of all of you," she amended. "But I really have to go."

Leonardo bowed again before the cat. "Thank you again," he said formally. "If you ever need help, we will be there."

Princess said nothing, but nodded formally. Then she turned to the open window, and said, "I am done my lady." A bright silvery white light flew into the room filling the room with a luminous mist. A feeling of deep peace and contentment filled each one of them. Leonardo closed his eyes as he felt himself being cradled by something with great power, but great gentleness. He felt safe and secure as he hadn't felt since he was a tiny hatchling. He let the memories of his early childhood fill him, and his dreams drifted off to wonderful memories of his past.

Leonardo opened his eyes an hour before his alarm was set to go off. He didn't get up right away, preferring to lay in bed trying to make sense of last night's dream. There really wasn't that much to make sense of. He had received a message, a very special message about Hamato Yoshi, and how they could best honor his memory.

~Mikey is so going to want a cat after this, ~ he thought with a smile. Splinter would object, but maybe they could work something out.

After laying for a half hour Leonardo decided he wanted an early jump on this morning's training. He got out of his bed, and was downstairs before anyone else was awake. Splinter came out of his room to find Leonardo doing sword dances.

"Good morning, Leonardo. You are starting early this morning." Splinter said.

Leonardo couldn't hide the smile. Splinter was looking better every day. "Good morning, Sensei. How are you feeling?"

"Much better. I am glad you and your brothers had such a friend to help us during my illness." Splinter said.

Leonardo finished his exercise, and sheathed his sword. "He was really just Michelangelo's friend before, but I'm glad we know him now. I just wish you didn't have to get sick in order for us to do so."

"So do I," Splinter confided. Just then Donatello came over looking a bit bemused. "Good morning, Donatello."

"Morning, Sensei. Morning, Leo," Donatello said absently. He looked up at Leonardo with a question in his eyes.

Leonardo didn't wait for him to ask. He nodded slightly once. Donatello's eyes widened, but he said nothing. He just nodded back.

"Remember, Sensei," Leonardo said smoothly, picking up the conversation again. "We're going to bring Doctor Thomas down here tomorrow. You still need a shot every other day for the next six."

Splinter sighed and rubbed his arm, where three shots had already been administered. "I know," he said reluctantly."

"It's for your own good, sensei," Donatello reminded him. "I'm sure you don't want to relapse anymore than we do. Morning, guys!"

Raphael and Michelangelo were both coming down the stairs. Michelangelo was chatting away in Raphael's ear. "And did she-" Michelangelo was almost in ear shot when Raphael punched him in the stomach.

"Enough all ready, lame brain!" He scolded.

Leonardo caught his eye. Raphael nodded once, and Leonardo did the same. From the way that Michelangelo was trying to carry on it was obviously unanimous. They all had the same dream last night.

While Michelangelo was trying to catch his breath Donatello muttered under his breath. "Ixnay on the emdray" Michelangelo blinked at that, and then abruptly changed the subject.

"Hey what's for breakfast! I'm starved!"

Splinter didn't catch the odd looks and whispers. He said, "You may eat after we have completed your morning training. Just because I am sick does not give you an excuse to take a holiday."

"Aww sensei, I'm hungry!" Michelangelo complained.

"Come!" Splinter began herding Michelangelo with his walking stick. "You have had over a week without formal training! You are sadly out of shape!"

With only a token protest Michelangelo got in line with the others, and began his morning katas. Next to Leonardo Donatello grinned, and whispered, "It looks like things are back to normal around here."

Leonardo cast a look at Raphael who seemed to be paying slightly more attention than normal, and even Michelangelo's protests were not as strenuous as they used to be. "Not entirely Donny," Leonardo said with a warm smile. "Not entirely."

The End.