"BEN!!!!!"
Violet pulled Ben behind her, who in turn pulled Theo behind him.
Violet felt something rush into her eyes, letting her see more clearly than she remembered.
"You can't stop me, child…"
The voice was cold, but faint, and Violet took an involuntary step back.
"I will be reborn…and destroy your precious family…"
Her eyes shifted from purple/red to red/purple, showing her protective temper.
"Leave us alone!!!"
Rose looked at her sister, feeling fear in her heart.
"V-Vi…"
A cold chill raced up Violet's side, but she didn't break eye contact as the fingers left a cold trail on her skin.
"A Kekai Genkai…but that won't save you…you'll all disappear…one by one…"
"No…I won't let you hurt them…" She retorted in a harsh whisper, feeling something pump into her palm.
She grabbed its wrist, and the robed figure seemed brighter, more visible.
Everyone's eyes widened as the figure became visible, though still having a ghost-like transparency that sent chills up their shells.
"HEY!!! GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!!!"
The figure ripped its wrist from the eight year old's grasp, and seemed to slowly disappear.
"HEY!!!"
Violet tried to grab hold again, but a gnarled, clawed hand grabbed her around the throat, digging the sharp claws into her flesh.
"You're life force won't protect you forever! And when it runs out, I'll kill you…"
"We'll see…" She forced out, and then Rose was by her side, her eyes red except for specks of purple in the background.
"LET MY SISTER GO!!!!!!!"
The ghost was soon gone, even from the sister's sight, and Rose gripped her sister's wrist tighter.
"Vi…"
"I'm fine…"
A forced smile as small drops of blood made their way down her neck from small cuts.
"Couldn't let someone hurt my family, now could I?"
Rose calmed down, the red started to back off slightly in her eyes, while the balance in her sister's eyes was nearly restored.
"Ya two are crazy!!" Raph reprimanded, but held both close as Cat moved next to him, checking the small cuts in her daughter's neck.
"…THIS is NOT good…" Gio muttered, trying to soothe a crying Jackie.
"Mommy, this isn't gonna be good until we find out what that was!" Joss replied, not able to comfort her cousins because of her father's tight grip on her.
Jazz took off her headphones, blinking slightly.
"Daddy, would there be something I could find? Like on the Internet?"
"Maybe…"
"My children…"
They all looked up at Splinter, who had a apprehensive look.
"I believe I know what is going on…"
THAT caught everyone's attention, and they waited for him to settle into a chair before he began.
"I've heard the story of an evil wizard…He wreaked havoc across the universes, traveling through gateways he created…He went to the Battle Nexus, trying to overthrow the Daimyo, but he was arrested and his sentence was death…his soul was unable to rest, and he wandered the universes, trying to find the perfect body to inhabit…Power can be hidden, even by the wielder, but a ghost can see someone's soul…"
Splinter sighed, gripping his cane tighter.
"He's revived himself as the Battle Nexus's strongest fighters…once he takes your body, it's the same as death…your soul can't return and can't make it to the spirit world…"
"…Ghosts…" Cat muttered.
"Exactly, my daughter. It seems that he is looking for another body to inhabit….though he never wounds it beforehand…"
"Then I'm out, thank God…" Violet muttered.
"Me, too." Joss added.
"So's Theo." Rach stated in relief.
"So…there's still Rose, Jackie, Ben, Jazz, and ALL you guys…" Theo stated.
"…Just great…"
"He usually tries to inhabit children with great potential, so that the body lasts longer."
"…That doesn't comfort me much, sensei…" Elisa admitted, looking worriedly at the uninjured children.
"I've gotta agree with 'er on this one." Rach added, holding Ben close.
"Well, I know for sure that I'm not gonna sleep tonight. I'll stay up and keep watch." Cat offered.
"Kitten, ya won't be able ta see 'im."
"Raphie, I can still sense his life force, thank you very much!"
"But where are we going to sleep? All of us won't fit in any of the rooms." Gio informed.
"We'll sleep here."
"…Cat, if you hadn't noticed…a ghost just ATTACKED us here…" Mikey stated, looking at his older sister like she was crazy.
"Hey, remember you're talking to the turtle with super strength and a variety of jutsu under her belt, bro. Don't worry about it."
Jazz looked at her CD player, sighing.
"Daddy, it ran out of battery…"
"I'll get some for you, sweetie. Wait here."
He put her down gently, and went into the lab.
"What do ghosts do, anyway? Spirit people away?" Ben asked, looking innocently at his father.
"That and much worse! OW!!!"
He rubbed his head, pouting at his mate.
"Don't scare 'im, ya idiot!"
A prickle of warning, and Elisa tensed.
"Donnie? Donnie, are you having trouble finding the batteries?"
When she got no reply, the pink-banded turtle stood up.
"Donnie?!"
She always had a sixth sense for such things…
She ran into the lab, but it was empty, and she felt a chill in the air.
"DONNIE!!!"
The other adults ran up, and stopped.
"…Guess ghosts DO spirit people away…OW!!!"
As Mikey nursed the newest bump on his head, Jazz had snuck up.
"He went after Don first because he's one of the smartest…"
"D-Daddy?"
Jazz seemed so much younger hugging her stuffed turtle, tears in her eyes.
"Oh, honey…"
Elisa picked up her child, trying to soothe her, and Gio looked around.
"Leo? I swear, if you're playing ninja on me again-!!"
But worry went through her, and the toddler in her arms sensed it.
"Leo?"
Cat was keyed up, agitated, and held Raph's hand tight.
"Bro? Where are you? Now is NOT the time to try and scare me!"
Joss came up, holding her wrist.
"Mommy? Where's daddy?"
Gio's heart stuck in her throat.
"Oh God…"
Mikey sighed.
"Well, at least the kids are okay! Right, babe?"
Silence…
"Babe?"
…
"…SHE'S BEEN SPIRITED AWAY!!!! WE'RE ALL DOOMED!!!!!"
SMACK!!!
"What is WRONG with ya?!"
"BABE!!!!"
"I go ta check on the kids for five seconds an' ya loose yer mind!!"
Cat breathed out a sigh of relief.
"I was right behind him…"
They headed back to the living room, and Cat froze when she saw someone missing…
"…Sensei? Sensei, PLEASE tell me you went to get candles or meditate or something…Sensei?!"
Panic-fueled, even the kids looked around, their search in vain.
"…I REALLY don't like this ghost…Why can't he just go to hell already?"
SMACK!!!!!
"OW!!!!!! What was THAT for?!" Raph asked indignantly.
"No swearing in front of the kids!! NOW I know where Rose learned those words!!"
Rose watched this exchange, and asked, "But why can't I say those words?"
"You're too young. When you're fifteen, you can."
"FIFTEEN?! That's ten years away!!"
"I noticed."
"That's not fair!!"
Violet sighed.
"Rose, EVERYONE has to wait until they're fifteen…even Jackie…"
"…But you don't have to wait as long!"
"Why are we even HAVING this argument?!" Joss asked, exasperated.
"We'll all eventually start swearing, so live with it!!"
Silence…
"Good. Now that we've stopped fighting about something that has NO importance WHATSOEVER, can we get back to our real problem?!"
"Yeah, just cool it! Man, you look ready to bite someone's head off!" Ben commented, grinning.
"…I'm THIS close to getting something sharp, so DON'T push it!!"
"JOCELYN HAMATO!!!!"
Joss flinched at the sharp tone in her mother's voice.
"I wasn't being serious!!"
"You still don't say such things to your cousins!!"
"But-!!"
"Don't even START with me, young lady!!"
Rose snickered, and a pillow smacked her in the face.
"HA!!! Who's the klutz NOW!!!" Ben joked.
"Yer gonna be a DEAD klutz!!!"
Raph sighed as he picked up the hot-headed turtle, and Cat smirked slightly.
"Like father, like daughter."
"Don't even START!"
Mikey sighed.
"Well, three down, thirteen to go…"
He expected a smack, but when none came, his curiosity perked.
"Babe?"
He looked around, but she was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Theo.
"Babe?!"
His heart raced.
"If you're pulling a prank, I'll have a heart attack!!!"
"…Bro…I think she's gone…" Cat whispered.
"…AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Cat flinched at the sound, and covered his mouth.
"Calm down. I know that isn't something you're good at, but try…"
He nodded slightly, and Violet scanned the room suspiciously.
"Uncle Mikey, weren't you the Battle Nexus Champion?"
"Yep!!"
"Then why are you scared?"
"…Ghosts are different than alien warriors…"
Violet really thought about it, but stopped.
"Uncle Mikey…"
"Yeah?"
"Move…"
"Why?"
"He's behind you…"
"Who? Raph?"
"No…worse…"
"Pissed off Donnie?" Mikey joked.
"Nope…the ghost…"