Colors churned and span.
Raph fell deep and fast as his own colors were pulled away.
He dropped into the dark blackness, his features dissolving until only a black creature with amber eyes remained.
He landed in a kneeling position in front of another creature of his own kind. It was black all over with only a wide grin to show anything of his personality. Two amber eyes widened in surprise. It had changed; this creature of darkness now sported two five-fingered hands. It slowly stepped out of darkness as it smiled at him. Its only feature was those gleaming white teeth. It was proof that everything was going as plan as the amber eye creature's kneeling would shift to a respective sitting that gave this new creature his full attention.
"They are happy with you?" Those ambers eyes would answer in place of his missing mouth.
The creature's smile grew.
"Good …Good, keep it that way. It won't be long before you are the permanent resident of this body, and me…. I will be free." He twisted his hands in front of his eyeless face. It would seem almost as if he was marveling at them.
"Now return. I am sure they are worried about you." Those amber eyes sparkled in delight at such a thought, and then ….he woke up.
Amber eyes blinked as he looked up at the ceiling. the single light in the room drove away the darkness. It made it clear that he was okay, but the lancing of pain through his body made him amend this thought to "mostly". He shifted his body, guessing he had a few minutes alone. He almost slid back the other way when he turned to see dark blue eyes glaring at him from the darkness. He chuckled lightly to himself.
"Geesh, Leo, give a turtle a heart attack why don't ya?"
There was no response.
"No one should have to wake up to the sight of your ugly mug."
"Quit acting like him." Those words cut him off. Amber eyes narrowed as he sat up all the way. His focus completely locked on his brother.
"What are you talkin' about Leo?"
The blue mask turtle rose at those words.
"You aren't Raph."
The turtle in front of him huffed and looked down at himself.
"You're crazy. Hit your head a bit too hard on the roof there. Let's see: green skin, three fingers, a shell... Geesh, if I ain't Raphael, then who am I?"
It sounded just like his brother. A flicker of doubt came across his senses, but then those amber eyes looks up at him.
"I don't know who or what you are, but you aren't Raph. You sound like him, you act like him, but you don't fight like him."
That last one made the creature in front of him snarl.
"I have one fucking off day, and you think I'm someone else." The familiar anger was showing its head, but it wasn't as hot. Leo noticed how his eyes didn't lock on his, but instead seemed to find a place beyond him like he was trying to remember his lines as opposed to trying to scorch his will into his brother. All doubt dissolved as Leo stood and stalked over to his brother. He didn't move, nor does he rise to challenge, the action. Too injured... No, not Raph. Leo reached out and pressed his weight down on his brother's shoulders, forcing him to lay back down. The creature struggled, but was mindful of his strikes. None to damaged areas, more flailing than force... Definitely not Raph. When Raph was angry, he didn't give a damn as to whom he hurt, but this one did. This one didn't want to injure him more than necessary.
Now was the time to strike.
"What happened to you? What happened in the bathroom?" "Get off of me," the struggling turtle snapped back. "Tell me, where is Raphael?"
"What in the shell is wrong with you; I AM him!"
The sound of a sword being pulled from its scabbard stopped him cold. His struggles had gone from being against two hands to one, and the blade appeared alongside his face. Amber eyes narrowed as his brother leaned into him, and their twin reflections were distorted in the shine of the sword. This had become serious.
"Answer me or else." Amber eyes would locked onto dark blue.
"Or else what? You will kill your own brother?" Leo didn't flinch as he heard those words, and his own response slid from between his lips. The words echoed in the lab as though the room couldn't believe what had been said. It echoed as though it needed to be clarified or better understood. Those words, spoken slowly and with a chill that could freeze the air, made the struggling turtle go still.
"Never, but YOU are NOT my brother."
Master Splinter had traveled far from the Lair. He didn't know where to go for his answers, but when he was meditating, something pulled him here. It'd nagged at him, and with his sons gone he saw no reason not to pursue it. His body slipped easily between the fallen rocks as he climbed even higher than before. He was scrambling towards something important, but he didn't know what it was. His ears twitched a bit as his tail whipped out behind him.
Movement.
Something small and white tumbled down to greet him.
Its ears went up just like his, and it gave an uncharacteristic smile.
Master Splinter would recognize it from anywhere.
Yet, he trust his senses. He trusted himself enough not to strike out.
The little white rat straightened its whiskers as Splinter thought to himself,
The Rat King is dead...
...But whoever said that he was the one pulling all the strings?
(Chapter 11 ...finished)
(Yay, I have a beta-reader now. I have a beta-read, and they are so awesome. So the fact that this read better is all thanks to them. Thank you so much kame otaku)
