Author Note: Enjoy. I felt in the spirit and therefore I give you this story. This is multi-verse. A combination of different universes to clear up any confusion in that aspect.
Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT characters. I just use them. Hehehe... Anyways, I also don't claim any credit for the story 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens for which this story is based.
Hamato Raphael could not believe what he was doing and yet as he stared down his opponent, he knew he couldn't back down. Pride wouldn't allow it. His family needed him.
"Listen, Lady. I don't know who you think you are, but I got to the ham first. It's mine." Raph and some random lady who had appeared out of nowhere both had hands on a ham. The last one.
"I don't know who you are, but obviously I got to the ham first. Find your own ham and don't take mine."
"There isn't any left!" Raph protested.
He could think of several other places he rather be, but here he was. In a well-lit grocery store who knew where, fighting with who knew who women over an overly priced ham that probably couldn't feed his family for more than ten minutes. Problem was, it. Was. The. Last. One. Raph had searched everywhere and he knew this was the last brown-sugar-precooked ham on the face of the Earth. Or at least the face of New York. Raph had just found it and he had just picked up when this lady snatched it from his hands interrupting the hallelujah chorus. He knew that it was his and if he had to start a tug-of-war and reveal to the whole world who exactly he was, he would and he would win.
"I have seven, starving children at home. Go to a homeless shelter, you mangy dwarf. Get your ham there." The lady said snarling and spitting. Raph almost took a step back in surprise before stopping himself. He wouldn't back down from this Satan Spawn. It didn't really matter though if he wouldn't take a single step back in surrender, he had let go of the ham. Off went the spawn cackling, and running at break neck speed.
"You probably don't even have kids!" Raph yelled at her retreating back. "And I have a home, thanks!" He could chase after her, but she was already a step from pushing her way through the checkout line. Raph didn't know 'normal' humans could move that fast. Might as well go home. Everyone was already staring at him now because of his little outburst. Every single person. "Who are you looking at?" Raph muttered as he walked out of the store. The demon spawn flashed him a smile as he walked by.
"Peachy. Just peachy."
As soon as he stepped into the Lair, Raph was heading for a mental breakdown.
First off, there was a small storm happening seemingly on the welcome mat out of the elevator.
"I'm telling you the tree should go here!"
"Not if it's blocking all the Christmas decorations over there. Move it." April said a few steps away.
"I've been moving it for an hour now. I'm not moving it again." Raph stepped back as Casey swung the tree around for good measure to his argument.
"You will even if I have to move the tree myself."
"Fine. You do it. I've stinkin' tree needles everywhere on me." As if on cue, the dying tree dropped a branch of pine needles onto Raph's feet.
"Whatever. Be sure to vacuum up the mess you have made."
"I wouldn't have made the mess if you weren't so nit-picky about where the tree was to go."
"You just want the tree in right in front of the doorway."
"Yeah. Everyone can see it then."
"Not if they can't get past the front door!"
"Hey, Casey. April. The tree's on fire." Raph said after watching the argument for a few minutes.
"What?!" Casey shifted the tree to look at the top leaving a small opening to get through. Raph took the opportunity. "You think you're so funny." Raph ducked without turning around as the tree brushed across the top of his head. He kept walking.
"You know, he has a point. The tree looks like it's going up in flames any second." Raph heard April say before passing out of hear shot.
"You picked the tree!"
Raph headed towards the true makings of a fire, the kitchen. There was a second point to mental breakdown. Christmas dinner.
Sure, Leo had saved his life several times in the past, so had Master Splinter. Raph, even though he might not say it out loud, would trust his life with Leo and Master Splinter anytime. Right now, they seemed dead set on killing him.
"Don't put that in there, Master Splinter. We have to keep the two mixtures separate and mix in all the ingredients for each before we add them together."
"That is foolish, my son. If they are going to be combined in the end, why not add them now? It will be faster that way. Time is of the essence."
"Not at the expense of taste, Master."
"Leonardo, my son, I know you are worried, but it is fine. 'I got it' as you would say."
"Do you even have the proper measurements for the ingredients?!"
"Trust your instincts."
Black smoke was drifting out of the stove and it had smelled like something had been dead for awhile, but that was to be expected. Everyone (A/N: I mean everyone.) agreed that Leo and Master Splinter should never cook anything.
"Where's Mikey? Isn't he supposed to be supervising, you guys?" Raph asked looking around. No little brother in sight. Figures.
"He is setting up Santa traps. He said 'to go with the flow' and 'that we got it'." Leo said looking up. Master Splinter took the opportunity to add in some more sugar to both mixtures.
"I'm going to kill him if the food doesn't get to him first."
"Funny. Do you have the ham?" Leo looked behind Raph hope printed across his face. Raph had been looking for pre-cooked for a reason.
"Nope." Ha, look at the hope drop away. "Nothing. Everyone likes ham, I guess."
"We're doomed." Leo said. Raph strained to keep from saying 'you think?'.
"Do not worry, my sons. We have...this." Master Splinter gestured to a mixture on the counter.
"What the shell is that?" Raph asked. He certainly couldn't tell what it was.
"I'm not quite sure. What were we making, Master Splinter?" Leo asked.
"Dinner."
"That's it. You guys need help. Wait here. I'll get Mikey." Raph said walking out of the kitchen. "Don't touch anything!" He called over his shoulder as an afterthought. The TVs was blaring in the living room. Raph went to check there.
Always there when you didn't want him and always gone when you did need him. That would be Mikey. Currently missing in all the action. Lucky him.
"Mikey?" Raph called out. He wasn't on the couch. There were however three delicious looking cookies laying on the small table next to the couch. There could be six culprits and no one would mind if he took one... He was so hungry. He picked up the biggest cookie.
"Stop Raph! Don't touch-" Raph looked up in time to see a net fall down on him "the cookie. Nice going, Raph."
"Mikey. You got ten seconds to explain."
"Setting up Santa traps, duh. Like I do every year." Mikey flipped down from his temporary perch on the ceiling above the cookies.
"You do know that Santa is-"
"A ninja master. Yeah. I'm going to catch him red-handed. It's my-"
"Destiny. Sure. The net is necessary? What about a camera? Donnie could help you." Raph was taking deep breathes. It wasn't easy to do weighed down by a net. The idiot had weighted the ends down.
"Donnie said it was a stupid idea."
"Imagine that. Mikey?"
"Yeah?"
"Ten seconds are up."
"My cue to start running and screaming before you kill me?"
"The very same cue."
"Too bad you are weighed down by a net, sucker." Mikey took off running towards the kitchen where his two saviors waited anxiously for him.
"Come back here!" Raph said struggling with the net. He stumbled and got himself just barely before his nose hit the floor. The net opening had to be here somewhere! Just a little bit more and-
With a great explosion of sparks, all the electricity went out leaving everyone in darkness. Cries of exclamation came those standing in front of the oven, those in front of the now burning tree that had lit up thanks to the sparks, and from Raph himself as he ran straight into a conveniently placed wall and then fell down a conveniently placed step of stairs.
"Um...sorry about that guys. I'll get the lights back on." Donnie yelled out from somewhere on the upper floor.
Suddenly everyone was blinded by an array of strategically placed Christmas lights. Christmas music began blaring, shaking the entire house and Raph felt himself getting ever closer and closer to the breaking point. With a wave and a shove of his arms, he was free of the net and heading for the elevator that would lead him to the door to the garage.
"Raph, wait. Where are you going?" Of course Fearless would stop him. He was the one he pushed him to the breaking point more often than not.
"Out."
"It's too cold outside. We can't move well out there right now. The guests will be here soon."
"Didn't seem to concern you too much when I was out trying to get your precious ham, Leo."
"You just need to calm down for a-"
"Calm down?! I can't take it anymore. I've snapped. I hate Christmas. I'm done." Raph yelled over the loud music. And that music. "Can you shut it off?! I don't really care what the stinkin wind heard or what anyone sees. Just turn it off." The music went silent and the seemed to echo for awhile after in the silent Lair. All eyes on him. "Bye."
"Wait-"
"Don't know when I'll be back." Raph shut the elevator door on his family's worried faces.
Open the garage door. Get on the bike. Get out. Raph gave himself simple instructions. He couldn't think other than that. With a thunderous roar he was out.
"You sure you can drive?" A woman asked her boyfriend.
"Sure, baby." Her boyfriend's words were slurred, and he had a goofy grin on his face. He reeked of liquor. He was also thoroughly drunk. The woman sighed, but got into the passenger seat as he took up the driver's side. She was dizzy herself.
"Fine."
Soon they were racing down the streets, laughing as they skidded down the road. The slush and ice made it hard to stay straight perhaps even more than the driver's vision.
A motorcycle came tearing from around the corner, and the woman screamed for her boyfriend to brake. As soon as the brakes were applied, the car began slipping and sliding even more. They were heading straight for the motorcycle. The woman closed her eyes screaming. She heard the squeal of tires from the motorcycle and deafening crash of metal on brick. The women opened her eyes. The motorist was nowhere to be found. The woman pressed a hand to her pounding head. Maybe the motorcycle had just been a figment of her head. He wasn't anywhere now.
"Careful." The woman told the driver.
"Careful is my middle name."
Raph heard the car speed away as he began to black out. Good. If they had stopped and helped, they would have been in for a nasty surprise.
"Shell..." Raph rasped. He had slowed down before he had skidded into the wall but apparently not enough. He couldn't move. He would just have to wait for someone to find him. Anger flushed through him as he stared up at the night sky. It was their fault. If they hadn't pushed him, he wouldn't be in this mess.
Well, there isn't anyway of getting out of it right now. Raph though as he drifted into darkness.
"Hey numbskull! Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get up!" A voice pierced through Hamato Raphael's skull. It was the kind of voice you wanted to slap.
"Ow..." He slowly sat up. "I feel like shell..." Every bone in his body ached. He felt like he had just survived a elephant stampede.
"Stand up. Face the light, sunshine." The voice continued on. Figures Casey had to be the one to find him in this mess.
"Casey, I swear if you don't shut up in the next three-no-two seconds. I'm going to shove your huge head through the pavement."
"I'm not Casey."
"Well, sure. Too bad you sound just like him. Have you turned into some pretty, pink fairy?" Raph said as he rubbed his eyes opened. He had to squint. There were white flashes everywhere in his vision.
"No. Man, you are stupider than you look."
"Same to you." Raph flew backwards in surprise slamming his head again into the wall behind him.
"Sorry. Being a ghost means sometimes things are pretty selective about if you can go through them or not. Should of warned you."
"You aren't Casey." Raph said slowly.
"Yeah, we already covered that."
"You sound like him and look like him, sorta." He stared at the Casey person in front of him. 'Casey' looked exactly like the old man except for the knife wounds up and down his arms. He probably had more if he had that many on his face and arms, but the Casey person's clothes covered them. Those type of wounds looked familiar... "Who did this to you?"
"No one you need to concern yourself with right now. I'm not him. This Casey dude or whatever, I mean. I'm just a ghost. A ghost in charge of warning you. Lucky me."
"Warning me against what?" Raph stood up. He wanted to be ready.
"What will happen if you don't change your ways. You might end like me." The Casey person gestured to his arms and the knife wounds. "You get three chances. Three ghosts will take you through Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. Pay attention. You only have an amount of time before you are dead and the ghost won't let you back until you have learned something. Trust me." The Casey person pointed to something at Raph's feet. Raph looked down and jumped back. It was him and his bike. This must of been where he crashed. There were the remains of his bike scattered about all around him. Don was going to kill him. Both for the bike and for going and getting himself hurt.
"I banged myself up pretty badly. Am I dead?" Raph asked. He didn't feel dead. Quite the opposite.
"No, not yet. I already said that. Three ghosts. Don't end up like me."
"Wait, hold up Case Man. You aren't making much sense." Raph said.
"Don't worry about that. Someone will guide you. That's where the three ghosts come in. Now are you ready?"
"No."
"Not my problem." The Casey ghost grabbed Raph's arm and pulled him after him. The scene and the air suddenly changed. "Just wait for your guide. Let him explain it to you, block head." Raph barely had time to turn around and watch 'Casey' vanish through a wall.
"Come back here bonehead!" Raph yelled at the vanishing ghost. He looked around him at what appeared to be an empty and unfamiliar sewer tunnel. Maybe it wasn't. Nothing was making much sense. "And where the shell did you take me?!" The only thing that answered him were echoes. No one was in sight. The ominous threat 'Casey' had left with and the bone-chilling silence only made Raph more and more angry. "What do you mean 'someone will guide me'? No one's here!" He slammed his fists into the wall where 'Casey' had vanished to. "Answer me!"
"You really do have issues." A small, high-pitched voice murmured through the echoes. Raph froze. Fan-freakin'-tastic.
"A kid? Really? I need to wake up now. Wake up now. Got a concussion or somethin'" Raph murmured without turning around.
"And you're talking to yourself. The list keeps growing." The voice stage whispered back. Raph's shoulders tensed. Sure, he had issues but even he wasn't one to get too angry with kids. Shell, he even agreed that some were alright. That voice though was so irritatingly familiar and so annoying. Even more disturbing was the fact the kid wasn't running away screaming. But then again, what normal kid would be perfectly calm in the sewers with him on Christmas? And eager to throw smart comments at him. Just the guide for him.
"I don't know who you think you are, kid." He stressed the last word. "But I don't need your help." Raph didn't know why he didn't want to turn around. He seen alot of scarier things than little ghost kids.
"Everyone could stand to use my help if I do say so myself." The voice was laughing at him. Laughing. Anger won out over fear and Raph counted to three and turned towards the voice.
"Who do you thin-Whodawhat?" Raph stared down at the small figure before him. The tunnel was dark but he could still see two human eyes reflecting back at him. The silhouette of the child though. It wasn't normal. "What are you?"
"It's who" The child glowed, showing a sad smile and revealing who he was. "and I'm just a ghost specially tailored for you. Ghost of Christmas Past at your service. Yippee."
"Mik-Mikey?" Raphael and his brothers looked like each other more when they were little without the help of distinguishing masks or scars, but only one of them was that shade of green and only one of them had blue eyes.
The ghost put on a small glare that wasn't particularly intimidating on his small face. "No. I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. Don't go confusing me with your idiot brother. He may have even more issues than you. It's close though. I don't know what the other ghosts will say." The ghost child rambled on and on.
"Whoa, stop. Mik-kid, stop. Other ghosts?" Raph asked.
"You didn't pay attention? Of course not. You are you." The ghost raised a hand to stop to a horde of protesting. "There's me, Ghost of Christmas Present, and Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Three ghosts. You haven't read the story?"
"So you are going to guide me through my-" Raph began to say.
"Past. That's correct. We don't have very much time so let's hop to it." The ghost clapped his hands, and Raph was a little disturbed by the way the young Mikey had the speech of someone much older coming from his mouth. He shuddered. The sooner this was over the better. Although there was one thing he wasn't going to do.
"Hop?"
"Beside the point. Now since I'm your guide, you have to do something for me." Raph took a step back from the ghost's sudden puppy dog look. If he thought Mikey's puppy-eyed look now was bad, he was wrong. No wonder Splinter gave Mikey whatever he wanted when he was a kid. This wasn't going to be good.
"What?" Raph asked cautiously.
"You're so paranoid. All I want is a ride on your shoulders."
"A ride on my-" Raph asked slowly not knowing if he heard the adult-child correct.
"Shoulders. Yes, yes. Not the brightest one, are we? Do I need to ask again? Or perhaps say please? Would that be enough for you?"
"Why-"
"Because I've always wanted to ride on the shoulders of a lumbering gorilla and seeing as there is none readily available, you will have to do. Come, we are wasting time. Too much time. Please?" The ghost intensified the puppy-eye look and though Raph had the frightening urge to slam the adult-child into the wall before tossing him into the sludge that came with the name sewer, he really had no choice.
"Fine." He said with a glare.
"Score!" The ghost child pumped his arm in the air much like a little brother leaving Raph even more confused and slightly 'creeped out'. Raph picked up the child and threw him into unto his shoulders. The ghost child's ringing laugh made Raph grudgingly smile despite the whole weirdness of it.
"If you are a ghost-"
"O, I won't pass through you. Technically, you are a ghost too. No one can see or hear you. Understand?" The ghost said.
"Alright. Where to, kid?"
"I am a thousand year old spirit who may just happen to bear resembles to your youngest brother at an early age. I don't see how this fact makes me 'a kid'."
"Wasting daylight. Where to, kid?" Raph said again.
"You don't recognize the place? Well, I guess you were very little and it was long ago. Look someone's coming home."
Raph looked up to see a hunched over shape moving towards him. He instinctively stepped back into the darker part of the shadows. He could practically hear the eyes rolling of the ghost child.
"Not necessary. No one can see or hear you, remem-" The ghost child, for once, snapped his mouth shut as the hunched figure looked up at the duo. Then again, Master Splinter had that affect on people. Raph watched as his father's eyes seemed to stare directly at him. After a minute or two, Master Splinter's attention turned to the wall in front of him. Raph grinned when he heard and felt the ghost child sigh with relief.
"Spooky." The ghost child had to say something to feel the silence, but Raphael was more concerned with watching past Master Splinter taking a look right, left, and right again before pulling back a cleverly disguised camouflage cloth. The dark shadows and muted colors had hid the cloth from Raph's eyes before. When he had been pounding the wall, his fists had come so close... They wouldn't have done anything, but it sent shivers down Raph's spine. He remembered better now. The cloth would lead to Splinter's burrow. His first home. Raph started walking to the burrow before the ghost child said anything. This was where he needed to go.
Peering inside, a sense of deja vu swept through Raph. He couldn't remember much but this was how he would have imaged it. Splinter said a few garbled English words in greeting to the four, small figures that awaited his coming. This would have to be his first Christmas. The four shapes were too small for any other age, and Splinter was--was different somehow. He walked on all fours more often than not, and his words were guttural and Raph had to strain to understand them. "Why are we here?" Raph asked the ghost child. The ghost child hadn't said a word in the past few minutes and it was a cause of mild concern.
"To help you learn. To perfect yourself. To gain inner peace. To gain knowledge of the workings of the universe. How am I supposed to know? This is your journey not mine. I'm here just to 'guide' you. Do you want commentary? I didn't know you liked the sound of my voice so much. Perhaps-"
"Stop. I got it, I got it. Kid Guide can't do his job. I got it. I got." Raph said raising his hands in mock surrender.
"You can be left to travel all time as a ghost. Be my guest." The ghost child huffed. "Look at that. Isn't that cute?"
Raph watched Splinter sing 'Silent Night' to four wide- eyed young turtles. Splinter had to stop at times and find the words that were so difficult for his rodent tongue to say. Around the end, Master Splinter gave up and finished the song in Japanese with a few words made up in translation. Raph felt a soft kind of smile drift up his face as Splinter tucked in his four little ones so gently. "Yeah." It hadn't been much, but it was a pleasant memory.
"Time to go then. We still have a lot to see." Darkness swept over him, and Raph found himself hurled forward to land face first into whatever scene the ghost-child wanted next. A small object landed heavily against the top of his shell, and Raph opened one eye to a small foot dangling in front of his face. The foot promptly kicked him in the face. "Let's go. Move your big, fat shell." Raph grumbled dark threats against the ghost child as he settled himself into place on Raph's shoulders.
With one fluid movement, Raph whipped himself up causing the ghost child to squeal and to wrap his hands around Raph's head tightly. Despite himself, Raph chuckled as he felt a glare smoking through his skull. Kids.
"Where are we now, kid?" He asked knowing the conceited, little brat on his shoulders was ignoring him.
"Home. For you anyways. Home for the holidays." Raph looked around the lair. The kid's answer didn't help him much. It was decorated in its usually cheer. He could see the long table with the empty plates still on it. It was set for more than just his brothers and father so it had to be after they met April and Casey. His family hadn't been big on inviting people for Christmas before that.
"Where is everybody?" The light that usually was on under Don's lab door was off. They had to have gone out for patrol or something, but that didn't make sense. They wouldn't be out this late on the holidays especially with guests. "Maybe we're escorting them home?"
"Or perhaps you are giving adorable elf dolls to good girls and boys. You'll be coming home any minute."
"Right. The year we got Klunk."
"Exactly. Now pay attention. You're supposed to be learning." Raph rolled his eyes at the ghost child. "Here we go." Raph could hear voices as he and his brothers came home. It felt different being the one waiting. Usually everyone else was waiting for him to come home.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, the before silent lair was filled with sound. The entire atmosphere seemed to change. Brighter somehow.
"That was totally awesome!" Mikey yelled out as he walked into the living room area. The ghost child sighed and mumbled something along the lines of having to look like that one. "I feel great."
"Sure you do. You dragged us into it. What I want to know is how great you would have felt if you were passing out all those dolls yourself." A very familiar voice rang out behind the orange-banded turtle making, whether he knew or not, Mikey cringed.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Don't pretend that you didn't have a goofy smile on your face. I know you did. Of course, it was kind of a scary, sadistic smile to the children, but you get points for trying, right?" Mikey said.
"You're dead knucklehead. I don't care that it is Christmas." Raph watched as 'he' made a move to lunge forward only to be stopped by a gentle but firm hand of his father.
"My sons, it has come to my attention that the table still needs clearing up and the dishes washed. The stove, too, I believe. Something exploded in it when I was trying to make something." Master Splinter said in an overly loud voice.
"See you tomorrow Master Splinter. Hope you have a good night's rest." Donatello said.
"Night and don't let those bed bugs bite. Not saying you have any of course, but- yeah- night." Michelangelo said as he quickly backed up deciding to quit while he was behind.
"Good night Master." Leonardo bowed quickly and took off quickly disappearing out of sight.
"Aw, Raphael. Thank you for staying behind and volunteering. I am always pleased to see you lend a helping hand. I will see your results in the morning, my son. Good night." Raph hadn't been able to move due to the restraining hand on his shoulder. The ninja master disappeared quickly leaving Raph alone with the dishes and of course the cat.
"I'm going to leave the dishes behind, aren't I?" Raph asked the ghost child. "Take the chance to kick the cat while Mikey's not watching."
"Mmm... one, this isn't my memory so why are you asking me? Two, I don't think so. I'm trying to stress that somewhere deep, deep inside you there is a sliver of kindness. You don't seem to think very highly of yourself."
"Gee, thanks." Raph said.
"Anytime, anytime." The ghost child said patting his ride's head.
The past Raphael shook his head and probably the grumble under his breath was some kind of swear word, but he started to pick up the dishes. Much to the amazement of present Raph, past Raph was doing what he was told. He watched as the table soon became clean and then the dishes and then lastly the stove. When everything gleamed, present Raph still watched with amazement as past Raph stretched cat-like and with a small, smug smile said, "Man, I'm good." before heading off to bed himself. On his way he opened the door and waited for the new furry orange ball to go inside before going inside himself.
"I forgot about that." Raph said watching his past close his bedroom door.
"Well, at least I know I'm doing my job. Not that I would care. Okay, one more trip. Let's go. Not much time left." The ghost child said clapping his hands again. There was something urgent in his voice.
"No, it's my turn now. Sorry Ghost of Christmas Past. Your time is up." Another familiar voice from behind him. This one even more familiar than the first.
"Crap." The ghost child muttered. "A few more minutes, please? I just need a few more minutes." Raph turned around to see the next ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Present.
"Hey, Donnie." After the shock of seeing the Ghost of Christmas Past, Raph had an idea of what the next ghost would look like, but it still was a little unnerving to see his brother, Don as he was now, as a ghost. He looked exactly like him down to the scars, the purple bandana, and weapon to boot. It was Donnie's bo casually but easily within reach slung on his back.
"Not quite, but my 'name' I guess is too long for conversation use. Feel free to call me whatever you like." The Ghost of Christmas Present said.
"Whatever I like..." Raph said thinking. He did say whatever. This Don look alike couldn't do anything to him. There were some things he had been dying to call his purple-banded brother...
"Wonderful idea, Present. I'm trying to teach him about kindness, and you're encouraging him to call you nasty names. "
"I don't really care what he calls me." The new ghost shrugged his shoulders indifferently.
"Then lets stick to, say, Tiny Tim." The ghost child suggested.
"I don't really appreciate the very old 'A Christmas Carol' reference. Can't you come up with something more original?"
"You just said you didn't care what he called you!" Raph's neck started to hurt as the ghost child leaned forward to get closer to the new ghost.
"I just want to call you Donnie. Less confusing that way." Raph said cutting in. It made perfect sense, but the new ghost sighed, irritated.
"It'll get confusing later on in our journey. I am not your brother even more than Ghost of Christmas Past is. Neither will Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come be related to you when you journey with him. Don't confuse us. It will cause you grief later."
"I don't confuse, you guys." Raph said defensively. It was one thing to have a kid talk back to him, but seeing Don talk like this was something else.
"Not too many people get along well with Ghost of Christmas Past. Does he remind you of someone?"
"Well, yeah, but that's beside the point." Raph heard his voice growing louder. This new ghost was getting on his nerves.
"You are fiercely protective of your family. We know, but don't confuse us. Remember that." The new ghost said. Raph clenched his teeth shut to bite back any cutting remarks. The new ghost calm gaze so very much like Donnie's moved to just over Raph's head. "I don't need as much time to make my point it seems. We'll share the next journey. I decide, but you can make your point."
"Fine." The ghost child said but the new ghost had already turned around and started walking away expecting the two others to follow.
"Isn't the Present Ghost supposed to be happy and everything?" Raph asked through clenched teeth as he reluctantly followed the new ghost. He didn't want to, but the kid kept smacking across the head until he started forward. The kid was stronger than he looked.
"And I suppose I look like a girl. Do you have the same issues as Ebenezer Scrooge?" The ghost child asked.
"No-"
"Then you won't be visited by the same ghosts, will you? Present is just doing his job. Distancing himself. Making you hate him."
"I don't hate him. I barely know him." Raph retorted.
"But you are angry with him, and you barely know him." The ghost child said. "Think about that, fake older brother of mine." The child patted Raph's head for good measure before continuing on. "Careful, we're traveling now."
Suddenly the atmosphere changed. They were outside now. The bright atmosphere long gone and far away.
"Where are we now?"
"In the past, obviously." The ghost child said.
"It has to do with the present, as well. This Christmas is on the minds of everyone this year. Especially with your departure." The new ghost said. He stood still waiting and so Raph stood still waiting. The rooftop looked familiar. April's house wasn't that far from this rooftop. Raph recognized several landmarks that he used to get to her house before he and his brothers learned how to get there with their eyes shut.
"Remember anymore past Christmases?" Past asked as it softly began to snow. The flakes went right through Raph making him shiver despite the eerie lack of cold.
"Yeah. I think I know what this year is." Raph said grimly as his eyes looked out and caught a group of people that he had come to know very well on a few rooftops over. They were crowded around someone, and Raph knew who it was. Leo.
"You haven't seen this part of the memory, have you? You and your younger brothers are safely home right now." Present said slowly as if he was commenting on the weather. Present pointed towards the crowd. "Perhaps we should get closer."
"That's my brother you are pointing at." Raph growled. He didn't want to be here. Any year but this year.
"There's nothing you can do besides watch. This is a Christmas Past. What has happened, has happened. You and your family has moved on. I understand this might be painful to watch but this nothing but a painful memory and a painful lesson." Present's voice never rose or fell. It continued on calmly not phased at all by the event unfolding in front of him. Raph thought about closing his eyes since he couldn't move, but that would hurt his pride more than anything. Raph wouldn't step down to Present and in a way he felt he owned Leo this at least. With the Foot surrounding past Leo, this Christmas could only be that fateful one when the Shredder was first reborn. Raph wasn't there when Leo needed him, and even though it didn't mean squat now, the least he could do was watch.
And so, Raphael watched. He watched his Leo face off against armies and armies of Foot. Beating them down and getting beaten down at the same time. He watched as his older brother carefully led away the Foot from April's house where the rest of the family was staying preparing for Christmas. He watched Leo struggle back home and then face down a resurrected Shredder. He watched his own startled face as his older brother came through the window. Raphael could remember he had just finished saying that Leo would be alright, that he could take care of himself. Leonardo announced that Shredder was back and he bleakly smiled at his surprised face and the surprised face of his conscious brothers.
"We were so stupid then." Raph muttered rhetorically.
The ghost child still answered. "You were kinder back then." Raph watched as he gently dragged his brother's body from the shards of glass.
"Yeah, I guess I was." Raph said softly.
"Well, that's my cue to leave." Raph glanced up surprised. He had just gotten used to the kid. "See you later. Well, actually, I won't see you again and I-" Raph reached up and pulled the ghost child off his shoulders and threw him up into the air just like he would of done if he had a little brother or a son or a nephew the ghost child's age. He had always wanted to do that. Raph caught the ghost child a second before he hit the pavement. He couldn't let the little monster leave without a goodbye. The smoking glare was well worth it.
"Bye, kid. You-you take care of yourself." Raph said putting the ghost child back on his feet.
"That's the best you come up with. I bet you don't tell your brothers that. Yes, well, 'take care of yourself', too, you puny gorilla." The ghost child yelled as he slowly bit by bit faded away.
Raphael chuckled and knew he had a silly grin on his face. He was going to miss that kid. Time to face the next ghost. As he turned, Raph knew it was already going to be a long night.
Present had a nonchalant look on his face and didn't seem very impressed. "Charming." He said. Raph could feel his teeth and knuckles grinding together. The ghost child said he couldn't go through them. Wonder if a nice sucker punch could wipe that look off of his face. "Let's go. We don't have much time." Raph barely had a chance to settle himself as the air seemed to vibrate and shift into something new. They were on street level, but nothing seemed different.
"Looks like we are in the same place, genius." Raph snapped.
"We basically are. Same city, same basic place. We are still in your city. Different time though if you look closer." Present waved a hand around. This guy was taking Donnie's words and voice and twisting them. He was taking Donnie's face and twisting it. That's what was making Raph so mad. Raph felt his hands clench again into a fist. Just a few steps forwards and-
A scream broke through the night. Raph pushed past Present, barreling for the source of the scream. He didn't have to run very far. He saw the explosion that went through him pushing everything else back. As debris flew outward, burning pieces of wood went right through. It was like he wasn't even there. He was truly a ghost after all.
Raph could see the orange flames flying skyward and he could hear the roar of the flames and perhaps he could even feel slight warmth from the heat. He saw a sobbing woman clutching a child to her as she collapsed to the ground staring at her blazing house. He also saw the Purple Dragon thugs threatening her. Telling her to pay up next time or her baby was next. Telling her they had other ways of extracting her husband's debt from her than just money. Reminding her that protection money was due soon. Raph's vision went as red as the flames and he started to walk to the thugs who were fleeing before the police could get there.
Present stopped him. Grabbed his arm just like Don would have done. Of course he would have. Raph let out a roar and almost without thinking turned his attack on Present. Present didn't even reach for the weapon at his back as he waited and then side-stepped. Suddenly Raph found himself face first in the pavement grunting in surprise. Present was so much faster than Mikey or even Master Splinter. There wasn't a contest. Present pulled Raph up in some hold that he, himself probably would have done to trap Present. Present was stronger than him, too. He would have to be careful and clever in fighting Present in the future.
"Look. You can't do anything. Remember? You're nothing more than a ghost, something on the wind. A figment. You can't do anything to those thugs. You can't help that woman, got it?"
"We should be doing something about it! This isn't the past. We can-"
"I'm not your brother. I don't do the things you and your brothers do. You technically aren't you right now. We can't touch those thugs." Present released Raph and bodily picked him up, throwing him the many yards to the Purple Dragons. After a split second of surprise, Raph twisted in midair preparing land feet first and breaking the neck of the first thug he reached. They wouldn't see it coming.
Raph passed right through the thug softening his fall at the last second with a quick roll. The thugs kept on running. Raph took a few seconds to memorize their faces. Present helped him with that at least. They would pay eventually, but they would pay.
"All that strength and speed wasted." Raph said to no one in particular. No one could hear him anyways. He wouldn't know what to do with himself if he was really a ghost unable to touch or affect anyone except for the few.
"Yeah. Doesn't do anyone a fat lot of good." Raph was surprised to hear his current guide grumble darkly. He had covered alot of ground in just a couple of seconds.
"You could help people. Help that woman."
"I have a responsibility to you. Responsibility. You know what that means?" Present said as he offered Raph a hand up.
"No, my brothers say I don't." Raph said bluntly. It was true.
"This is going to be a long night then." Present turned towards the blazes crossing his arms. The firemen were starting to arrive. "You know her husband's in that fire, right?"
"What?" Raph started walking closer to the fire before stopping. He wouldn't be any help.
"It's going to be difficult to get him out. The water from the firemen hoses will turn to steam when it hits the fire and then when it hits the ground it will turn to ice because it's so cold. The ice will make the firemen move slower." Present said. "They will get him out though. Someone whispered something to the firemen. They got to the fire early on." Raph suddenly thought that may be Present was doing more than he looked like he was doing. A bigger help than anyone thought he was. Raph quickly pushed the thought away.
"You remind me of my brother Donnie." Raph said.
"Good. I'm not him, but your family seems to be the only people who can knock any sense in you. More so than even thousand year old spirits. I've taken his form. He's probably one of the more responsible ones. Anyways, look over at that street sign over there." Present pointed without taking his gaze off the fire.
"It's one of the ones we patrol. Tonight, actually, right before we celebrate."
"What do you think your brothers are doing right now instead of patrolling?" Present said.
"Looking for me." Raph said slowly with it clicking together in his head. "Are you saying this is my fault?! I didn't know that this would happen. You can't push the blame on me."
"I don't blame you, and I am very sure the young women, her husband, or her child don't blame her silent, but unfortunately missing, guardian angels. You will blame yourself though. Take responsibility for your actions. Your actions affect more people than just you. Look at this." Raph and Present shot straight upwards. Up and away from the fire and the struggling firemen.
The scene quickly changed to a different part the city not far away as Raph and Present flew over fast. They continued to fly as they sailed above Raph's present time brothers.
"They're moving fast." Raph said surprise.
"They aren't the only ones looking for you. You have friends looking for you in your streets and down in your sewers."
"Why? I'll come back home eventually. They didn't seemed too interested in seeing me when I left."
"The temperature's rapidly dropping. In the crash, your shell cell with your bike was smashed to smithereens so they have no way of contacting you, no way of tracking you. When the first ghost found you, you were unconscious, suffering multiple injuries from your crash, and you're with me now..."
"I'm dead?!"
"No. Not yet." Present smiled grimly. "Look at their faces. You're scaring them and, although it sounds small in comparison to you slowly dying, you are ruining their Christmas. You have had good past Christmases and bad ones. Don't ruin it for them." Present continued on. "They worked pretty hard. I understand its alot of work to keep you happy and to keep you from going off on some wild new idea of killing yourself."
Raph thought about this. The ghost was just repeating what everyone else was saying. It was different though watching their, his brothers', faces. The ghost actually had some sense in what he was saying. After a pause, Raph realized the ghost wanted him to say something. "I think you can very well burn eternally."
"I hate you, too. Not that it matters." Present looked around sighing. What he saw, Raph didn't know. "My time is almost up. The munchkin didn't leave me much time."
"Any more advice? If I need my own personal shrink, I'll let you know." Raph said jokily. He wasn't so angry with this weird form of Donnie anymore, but that didn't mean he wanted to sit and chat any longer than he had too. The guy wasn't so bad, Raph saw that the ghost was just as mad at the thugs as he was. He did something to help that wasn't in- your- face like Raph had done. It had helped more in the end. A little like Donnie. It was weird seeing Donnie who wasn't Donnie.
The Ghost of Christmas Present continued on ignoring the comment. Raph noted the only smile he had seen from Present was the grim one. Maybe more like Leo than... "Remember what the Ghost of Christmas Past and I have told you. It's my job to take you to the next destination, but this time you need to find the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come on your own. He isn't the type to let you off easy like Ghost of Christmas Past or me." Raph snorted at Present's comment. "Remember, alright?"
"Okay, already. I got it. Can we go now? I want to get this over with." As soon as Raph went silent the scene was ripped from his eyes.
"Very well." Raphael heard Present say before he spiraled down into darkness. "Goodbye Hamato Raphael. You won't be seeing me again. I wish you luck. You will need it."
"Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come? Where are you? You can come out now." Raph called out. It was pitch black. He couldn't see his hand in front of his face. "I'm a little short on time. Gotta get back to my dying body and all." Raph stood up uncertainly, something made harder by the darkness. The floor felt uneven beneath his feet. He stretched forward a hand feeling for something to give him a reference.
"Of course since you are probably going to be Leo, an old Leo to boot, you naturally are going to make me wait." Raph drawled. "Well, I got it now. Play nice and don't go running off... as much. You can let me go back now." He traced a light hand across the wall in found. It led to a corner and then another wall and then another. A small black cube big enough only to take a few steps in. In Raph stood on the tips of his toes, he could touch the ceiling. "You could at least turn on the lights." Raph said. "There's at least has to be a door."
The last one wall, the one behind him, had a crack in the corner. He could feel that now. It was just a hair thin in width, but it would be enough. Raph cautiously put a hand to his belt. His hands rested on one of his sai. He didn't want his hand passing through his weapons at a time like this. "Guess they must be a part of me." Raph jammed a sai into the crack and proceeded to pry the wall open. The wall shuddered and groaned and after a few seconds shifted.
"Bingo." It took several tries but finally the door opened enough for to let Raph squeeze through. There was light now to from the room beyond the cube room. Raph could now he was in an elevator caught halfway between the floor and the ceiling. His shell made it difficult but he landed feet first onto the floor beneath. Raph carefully avoided the semi opened shaft behind him. "Okay, Leo or Ghost of Christmas Future and whatever, where the shell am I?"
There wasn't much light beside the odd flicker of sparks but the place looked trashed. Furniture pieces flung every which direction. The walls crumbling in on themselves. Raph heard a whistle sound and just barely stepped out of the way of a falling piece of debris from the ceiling. The ceiling piece scrapped past him, and Raph felt the sting on his arm. "It didn't go through me." He said surprised. He had only moved on instinct. Good thing he did.
"That would be because this place is a ghost of sorts." A voice said from behind Raph. Raph resisted the urge to whirl around and face the ghost.. The voice, like the others, was familiar but so very different.
"Leo." Raph said as he turned around slowly. He almost didn't want to see what they looked like when they were older.
"Yes. Welcome home." Leo said simply. An array of sparks shot out from somewhere behind him illuminating his face. Raph stood speechless, frozen. This couldn't be the future. "Home looks different now, I suppose, then what you are used to." Leo said spitting out the first word like a nasty word. "I'm sure I look different as well though its hard to tell these days."
"Your eyes." Raph finally said staring at the festering wounds. "They're gone." Raph took a step sideways to get out of the line of sight of his brother. His brother's head followed him and Raph looked down at his feet to avoid the sightless gaze. How Leo could tell his actions only made even more sickening.
Leo chuckled humorlessly. "Can't stand the sight of them? Don't know why. It was your fault. You are the one that dug them out."
"I didn't. It wasn't me. I swear." Raph looked up at the accusation forgetting before swinging his head back down away from the two wounds.
"You haven't but you will. It doesn't matter. It's your fault for everything." Leo took a step forward.
"Everything?"
"Everyone. Gone. You want to hear how you did it?" Leo took another step forward. One step closer.
"Stop."
"You took care of our friends first. You of course pushed the blame to someone else. Twisted us. Left us without allies. Made us so angry we couldn't see the real culprit." Leonardo stood directly in front of his brother now. Raph could see Leo's now even more scarred feet.
"Leo."
"We took out the Foot. Lost Splinter and Mikey in the process, but at least we had avenged our friends and you didn't have to worry about them anymore. " Leo's voice got louder.
"Stop it."
"The true murderer still ran free. You took the fallen Foot into your murderous stride. You made some new allies and gained a whole army of obedient slaves. I was too trusting. Didn't see what was right in front of my face." The future Leo angrily jabbed at his face. "Donnie did. So you killed him. Did it yourself. You walked right up to him and slit opened his throat."
"Stop. Stop telling me this." Raph screamed, pushing back this future ghost- Leo. The ghost-Leo sneered. Just sneered. He walked back and forced Raph's face up. Forced Raph to look into what used to be his eyes. Leo was stronger than he looked.
"I finally saw you for who you were after that. It took my world to full apart in front of me but I finally saw it. And guess what? Right when I saw it and saw everything gone from me, you took the only thing left I had. Dug my eyes out and threw me away to rot. I should kill you now."
"Why? You're just a ghost. You are not my brother. Your world isn't my world." Raph almost laughed with relief. The smile fell off his face at Leo's look of complete fury.
"I am your brother even now. Who said I was a ghost? I'm not dead, not yet. You made sure of that. Just dead enough to keep company with the ghosts. "
"I'll stop this. I swear to you I will." Raph said forcing himself to look at the place where his older brother's eyes would have been.
"You still have to face him." Leo said unimpressed.
"Face who?"
"You haven't learned your lesson yet." Leo released Raph letting him drop to the ground. "This will be your future." With that, an explosion rocked the entire Lair. Leo who had been standing above Raph was smashed into the wall as half the elevator flew out of the chute pinning him to the ground. Within a moment, Leo's flailing limbs went limb and stopped.
"Come on out ghost." Raph roared drawing his weapons. He would stop this.
"Huh. So you finally showed up. You're a little late." Finally the last ghost had shown himself. It was the most frighteningly familiar of all. Raphael stared as he watched himself pull himself out of the shaft. "Hey, Raphie Boy. Long time no see."
Raph stared at an older version of himself. It was him. Him exactly only not him exactly. "No. You aren't me."
"Give yourself some credit. I am you."
"I wouldn't-wouldn't-" Raph stammered. This wasn't happening.
"Kill our entire family? You've been listening to our older brother. This is how you turned out. It was an accident really but a fortunate accident." Future Raph drawled.
"What?!"
"We lost it one night. Killed our best bud. It was accident. We didn't mean too, but it got out of hand. April saw and started screaming. She called us a monster over and over again and we didn't like that very much. Later when we calmed down we had two dead friends and a family crying for blood. So we pointed a finger. It could be considered the Foot's fault. We were arguing with Casey about them up to the point he died. We finally could convince our old man and Fearless to take down the Foot for good."
"I wouldn't do that." Raph yelled. His feet were frozen in place. He couldn't move. All he could do was shout threats.
"But you did. I'm here, right? After the Foot was destroyed we really lost it. I mean, really, really. We were monsters. Killing all those innocents. We killed our own father and brother." Future Raph continued on in his sad, sick tale. "So we decided to help the Foot. We owed them. We needed to restore them to their former glory. Donnie didn't approve but it wasn't his decision. He got in the way and what do you know? One less brother to worry about."
"Stop!"
Future Raph continued on ignoring Raph. "And then of course Leonardo. He thought we still had some good in us like everyone else. He finally got over his trust after all these years. Funny how we were the ones to finally convince him to do that. He had the chance to kill us, but he didn't. He couldn't bring himself too. We had to take care of him, too."
"I didn't kill them. It isn't my fault."
"It might as well be. That anger of ours. It's going to get everyone killed." Future Raph said matter-of-factly like he was stating common knowledge.
"It was your fault." Raph said softly. Leo had said he hadn't learned his lesson.
"Pointing fingers again, hmm?"
"When you take me back, I'll make things right. I know I won't do what you have done. I can learn to control my anger. I have my family to help me." Raph said.
"Why would they? They hate you." Future Raph said.
"They are my family. Sure, I need to be nicer to them and accept more responsibility, but they won't give up on me." Raph said. They were looking for him, right? They cared enough to keep coming back.
"That's beautiful really, but how are you going to get back?"
"You are going to take me. Its your job as Ghost of Yet to Come. You have shown me what can be yet to come, but" Raph told the ghost. "you aren't really me, and I'm going to make sure I will never be you.
The ghost smiled and whispered. "Very well. Make sure you never see me again." Everything went black.
"Hey numbskull! Stop feeling sorry for yourself and get up!" A voice pierced through Hamato Raphael's skull. It was the kind of voice you wanted to slap.
"Ow..." Raph slowly sat up. He could fill hands supporting him and helping him up. "I feel like shell..." Every bone in his body hurt. Raph opened his eyes and his vision swirled. He started to sway backwards. He felt like he just lived through an elephant stampede.
"Whoa, there. You got a nasty bump on your head. Don't push it." Raph could just barely make out Don's voice.
"Donnie. You're nice and normal again." Raph smiled remember Present's ancient and emotionless face that had somehow taken hold of the last person he expect that to happen to.
"Sure. When we get home though I think you will change your mind. I'm going to see to it that you are going to take a very long time to recover." Donnie said, his voice happy and threatening at the same time.
"That's fine." Raph said. He was bone tired.
"What?" Don asked in disbelief. "Raph, I think you have a concussion. Look into the flashlight, please." Raph stared into the general direction of a particularly bright light. "The flashlight's over here." Raph moved his head to the sound of the voice, his head flopping a little without the help of his neck. "Definitely a concussion."
"Hey Mikey?" Raph called out. He was aware of more than just Don's presence.
"Yeah Raphie Boy?" There was that annoying voice.
"You there?"
"Obviously. You hit your head pretty hard, bro. Its a good thing you're hard- headed or what little part of your brain might have be smashed all over the wall."
"Yeah. Hey listen, take care of yourself." Raph said laughing as he imagined the ghost child's scowling face.
"Okay... Sure."
"Leo?"
"Yes, Raph." Leo answered from somewhere beyond him. Not getting in his space or in Don's space, but watching. Seeing if everything was alright. Probably hyperventilating but there was nothing they could do about that.
"He's going to confess something. Everyone be quiet." Mikey's voice cut in excitedly.
"Shut it, Mikey. What is it Raph?"
"Are you okay?" Raph needed to know. He couldn't see with all these lights flashing. The eyeless Leo still flashed in his memory.
"I'm fine. How are you doing?" Leo said gently.
"Fine. I promise you I won't turn out to who you think I'm going to turn out. I know you hate me. I'm sorry." Raph said in a hurry. He had to get the words out.
"Whatever you say." Leo said. A brief pause and then, "Wait, I don't hate you."
"That's good." Raph mumbled relieved.
'What I more concerned with is, did Raph just apologize?" Mikey asked in a stage whisper probably to Donnie.
"Shh...Enjoy the moment." Donnie shushed him. Raph could hear the relieved smiles in their voices.
"Does this mean I have to enjoy Christmas?" Raph asked to no one in particular half expecting one of the ghosts to answer. If they were happy, maybe that had to mean he had to be happy, too. He couldn't tell. Shell, he could barely think. One thought kept drifting to another.
"Yes, Raph. We are going to stuff you full of food, tie you to a chair and force your eyes to follow blinking lights, and blare Christmas songs in ear hour after hour. It's a new torture we invented."
"Alright. You guys can take me home now." Raph said seriously. Something in his head told him he should be peeved at the last statement, but he couldn't think of the reason why.
"Home it is. You're going to have a nasty cold after all this." Donnie warned. "You've been exposed to the cold for too long. We will blast the heaters just for you."
"Thanks and guys?" One more thing to say.
"Yeah?" All three of them answered at once nervous. They were worried about him and after what he had gone through, that made Raph happy.
"Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Raph. Glad you are deciding to come home."
"Yeah. Me too."
The End
Merry Christmas Everyone!