Author's Note: So, in the 2003 universe, we have native Raphael and Donatello with Rise Leo and Rise Mikey. In the Rise universe, we have native Raph and Donnie with 2003 Leonardo and 2003 Michelangelo.

To the Guest: Thank you so much for commenting! I'm happy to know what you think.

Enter the Splinters

2003 universe

Leo gave the two foreign turtles a big toothy smile in the hope that they wouldn't linger too much over the meaning of his last words.

His hope didn't last for long.

"YOU LOST YOUR SWORD?" the turtle named Raphael shouted right into his sensitive ears.

Leo shrank a little under the furious yell. That Raphael wasn't helping. Obviously he had a different leadership style from his own brother Raph, who would rather have soothed him by saying it was no problem.

Not that it would have helped, either - because it was a problem, and Leo knew it - but it was way nicer.

"Excuse me if I was a little busy," he said with great dignity, stifling the urge to rub his abused ears. "You know, busy surviving the warm welcome of your world."

Raphael rolled his eyes. "You know, a really easy way to avoid that would have been not to come in the first pl-"

He was pushed aside by Mikey, who had put his sketchbook away in order to better grab Leo's shoulders.

"You mean we're lost here forever? We'll never see Raph and Donnie again? I'll never eat the best pizza in the world again? We have to find your sword!"

The panic in Mikey's voice almost contaminated Leo. But he felt responsible for both of them - who knew how much they could count on these two other turtles, especially the rude Raphael? - and he refused to yield to it.

"Of course we will find it, Mikey." Leo patted his brother's shell. "It couldn't have gone far. It can't walk, right?"

"Hmm, I'm not so sure about that," Donatello began. "Maybe one of the Purple Dragons stole it. Can its mystical magic be triggered by somebody else than you?"

Leo grimaced. He would rather have let these other turtles believe that he was the only being in all the worlds who could unleash the portal powers of this sword.

However, lying was only a good idea when the chances of getting caught were slim.

"Yeah, it's a possibility," he admitted.

Donatello and Raphael exchanged a glance that could only be called concerned, as if they knew something Leo didn't.

Leo hated that.

"Can you imagine what Hun would do with such ability?" Donatello whispered.

"All too well." Raphael clenched his fists. "Let's hope the thief has no intention of bringing that sword back to his leader."

Leo was listening to their every word. So that Hun was the Purple Dragons' leader, uh? And these Purple Dragons themselves - who were they? Representatives of organized crime in the city?

"Who's Hun?" Mikey asked.

Raphael gave him a spooky smile. "A big, big man that likes nothing more than punching turtles."

Leo wasn't impressed. No matter how big the man was, he probably couldn't compete with Big Mama the madwoman - or mad-yokai-spider.

"Raph would love him," Mikey commented, also unimpressed. "He's always complaining that we don't put all our heart in punching him."

Raphael blinked.

"He's pulling his punches too, and I'm not complaining about it." Leo shrugged. "But yeah, I guess we were too obvious."

"Uh." Something about the concept seemed to unsettle Raphael.

Too bad that Leo was in no mood to expand.

"So." He stretched his arms. "It's not that I don't like a good conversation, but I need to get my sword back. Where does this Hun lives?"

"We can lead you to the Purple Dragons' current lair," Donatello said. "But maybe we should go to our own lair first. I need to take a few things that could help us, and you might want another weapon."

"Oooh," Leo said, doing his best to keep his sense of irony in check. This Donatello had been nothing but nice and helpful so far, unlike his brother. "You mean you would help us?"

Some sarcasm must have escaped his notice, because Raphael frowned.

Donatello put an insistent hand on his brother's forearm. "Of course. You can count on our assistance. Right, Raph?"

"Right," Raphael grumbled.

Probably more to please his brother than because he meant it, if his tone was any indication.

"In that case, we'll be happy to have you by," Leo said graciously, secretly pleased that he didn't have to ask.

He didn't know this world, after all, and some reinforcements were always nice.

Donatello smiled at him. "Come. The Battle Shell is that way."

Rise universe

Michelangelo was having the time of his life. The Arcade had everything he could have asked for: video games, video games, and pizza to go with the video games.

It was paradise. Michelangelo hoped that whatever this other Leo was up to, it would last long enough that he would have the time to try all the games.

Icing on the cake, he had found in Donnie an opponent on his own level.

As in, he was a great cheater.

"Didn't you just use your last life?" Michelangelo said matter-of-factly.

"No," Donnie said, just as matter-of-factly. "You were mistaken."

Michelangelo couldn't help admiring the ease Donnie had lied with. He wasn't used to that from a Donatello.

"It was your last life."

"Ah, Mike." Donnie's tone was the most patronizing Michelangelo had ever heard. "It's okay. I'm a genius, you can't keep up with me and it irritates you. No hard feelings."

Michelangelo glanced at his opponent. Donnie looked dead serious.

He decided to dig and see how far he could go.

"Of course you're a genius, who else would design such a perfect place?"

He waved at the Arcade and took advantage of the gesture to put his arm around Donnie's shoulders.

Donnie stiffened a little under the gesture, but didn't protest.

"Yes, I know," he puffed up.

"And of course a mere mortal such as me can't compete with you," Michelangelo added.

The complacent smile on Donnie's face proved enough that the turtle was drinking Michelangelo's words.

With Donnie's attention focused on Michelangelo's face and not on the hand that was hanging close to his gamepad, it was child's play for the orange-masked turtle to press a special combination of buttons.

The screen immediately displayed "Purple Boss left the game", and Michelangelo pulled out his arm with a grin.

"What?" Donnie yelled. "You cheated!"

Michelangelo gave him his most innocent smile. "Nah. You're mistaken."

In the kitchen of this same lair, and while Donnie and Michelangelo restarted another round, Leonardo did his best to answer the questions of this huge and friendly Raph.

"So you are four brothers, just like us?"

"Yes."

"And you live in New York City?"

"Yes."

"In the sewers?"

"Yes."

"Do you have yokai?"

"… No. What are yokai?"

Raph began to tell him about the Hidden City in a dimension underneath New York, and about the people who lived there. Leonardo listened intently to him.

This universe was decidedly very different from theirs.

He was given another proof of that when Raph suddenly interrupted his talk.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't even ask you if you wanted to drink something. What kind of host am I?" He rubbed his hands. "Do you want something to drink? Hot chocolate maybe? We've marshmallows."

Leonardo inwardly grimaced at the mention of that much sugar. "Do you have tea?"

"Oh, sure! Just wait a minute." Raph went to one of the kitchen's cupboards and began making the tea.

Leonardo watched him with relief. "Thank you."

"It's amazing," Raph said. "That you exist, I mean. Wait until I tell April! She'll be baffled!" He chuckled and took his phone. "You know what, I'm texting her right now. Maybe she can come and say hi before you leave! Not that I think Leo'll take long to fix things, don't worry," he added in haste.

Leonardo decided it would be wiser not to comment on the bead of sweat which was treacherously sliding down his host's temple.

"And maybe I should tell Master Splinter too," Raph added with much less enthusiasm. "Yeah."

He let the water boil and led Leonardo to a living room where the TV was on. Raph came closer to a giant armchair and bent over its armrest.

"Hey Pops! We have guests."

Leonardo raised his eye ridges at the title. He took a step forwards and watched, dumbfounded, the fat rat sprawled on the cushions.

Said rat groaned something that Leonardo didn't hear. The turtle wondered whether he should say something and introduce himself, but Raph shrugged and left Pops alone.

"It's his favorite commercial ads," he said to Leonardo. "He'll be more receptive later."

Leonardo silently nodded.

Yes, this universe was definitely very different from his own.

He really hoped that everything was going fine at home.

2003 universe

"Not bad," Mikey said upon discovering the decoration of these other turtles' lair.

He liked his own home better, like he liked the Turtle Tank more than the Battle Shell that was these turtles' vehicle, but it was still a very nice place.

It was audacious, with neither rectangular nor rounded shapes for the doorframes and symbols everywhere. And it had a pond.

"We found this place after our first lair was destroyed by Mousers," Donatello explained. "It's been built by an ancient…"

A splash interrupted him. "It's good!" Leo shouted.

Mikey grinned and joined him inside the pond. It was good.

Donatello watched them both in surprise and amusement before heading for a desk covered in spare parts and weird scientific machines. "Raph will show you the armory," he said as he began searching through his stuff.

"If you're still interested," Raphael added, watching the two turtles playing in the water with a nonplussed expression.

Mikey assumed the pond had long ago lost its novelty to him. He was wondering whether he could try to push him into the water - Raphael definitely sounded grumpy and it was a case for Doctor Delicate Touch Mikey - when a new voice echoed in the vast room.

"My sons?"

Mikey turned to see the newcomer. It was a short rat leaning on a cane.

Now if Mikey had to guess, a short rat in a lair full of teenage mutant ninja turtles could only mean one thing.

"You're their Splinter!" he said, delighted.

The rat tilted his head. "Indeed." He took in the occupants of the room and his smile disappeared. "My sons, where are your brothers?"

Raphael huffed and pointed at Leo, who was almost completely immersed in the water with only his eyes showing.

Mikey couldn't blame him for feeling a little apprehensive. After all, he was 100% responsible for the vanishing of two of this Splinter's sons.

"Why don't you ask him?"