That Which Prowls in the Dark of Night

Disclaimer: The TMNT belong to Mirage and other people. Not me.

Chapter 8 Explanations

"I wish I was home."

"Mikey?"

"I wish I was home."

"Michelangelo,"

"I wish I was-"

"Mikey, wake up."

Michelangelo opened his eyes, and saw Leonardo sitting on the edge of his bed, shaking him gently. Once he looked up at his brother, Leonardo stopped shaking him awake. "Mikey?" He asked gently.

"Leo?" It took Michelangelo a few seconds to reorientate himself. He was in his bed. He was home.

"You were having another nightmare, I think," Leonardo said calmly. "Are you all right?"

Michelangelo had a nagging headache at his temples, but he focused through the pain. "Yeah, Leo, but Raph! Leo, some witch or something had him, and Master Splinter and I were flying after them and we were like ghosts or something, and there was this flying cat-monkey thing that was after me. I couldn't touch it, but it could touch me and - ow!" Michelangelo suddenly noticed that he had a burning pain across his shoulder.

"Mikey?" Leonardo asked concerned.

"In my dream that monkey-cat-thing got me across the shoulder, but it was just a dream, right?" He winced again as he looked at his shoulder. "This is weird. Its like I feel it, as if it really did happen."

In a very small voice Leonardo answered, "That's because I think it did."

Michelangelo followed Leonardo's gaze to his bed sheets. To his shock, there were three streaks of blood just like the scars he should have had.

"Huh?" Michelangelo stared at the streaks completely confused. "Leo, how? I mean I...I don't understand. It was just a dream, wasn't it?"

"I don't think so," Leonardo said slowly, thinking. "You can still feel where that thing hit you?" Leonardo asked.

Michelangelo nodded. "And you have a headache right here," Leonardo touched his own temples as he spoke. "Am I right?"

"How did you know?" Michelangelo asked surprised.

Leonardo nodded satisfied. "I think I know what happened to you, Mikey. You've been dream traveling."

That didn't make any sense to Michelangelo. "I've been what?"

"It is also called spirit walking," a new voice said. Both turtles turned to see Master Splinter in the doorway.

"Sensei," Leonardo looked surprised to see him, but Michelangelo grew excited as he realized what that meant.

"Master Splinter! Does that mean that it was all real? And if it was real how did I end up back here? And if I was just like a spirit why does my arm still hurt?"

Splinter smiled at the questions. He joined Leonardo on the bed and offered Michelangelo a cup of tea. "This will help ease the spirit wound as well as the pain in your mind. That you walked within the dream at all is well beyond what you should be able to accomplish, Michelangelo.

As Michelangelo drank down the tea, Leonardo said, "I'm beginning to think that the creature, or at least the danger Mikey is feeling because of it is tweaking his ESP." He turned gently to Michelangelo. "Mikey, Don told me that when The Foot went after me in force, and you guys were at April's place you kept wondering what was keeping me."

"I did?" Michelangelo paused, and thought about it. " I guess I did, but I forgot about it with everything else that was going on."

Splinter had not forgotten. "You were the first to ask about Leonardo, and you repeated your request throughout the day."

Leonardo nodded. "That's why when you started wondering when Raph would be home, Don thought we'd better go looking for him right then and there. We think it's connected to your premonitions. You knew when Raph and I were in trouble."

"And what about what I did tonight?" Michelangelo asked. "I'm still not sure exactly what I did, but both of you are acting like I shouldn't have been able too."

"It takes great discipline of the mind to be able to free one's mind from the body and allow it to roam free as a spirit," Splinter explained. "I was quite surprised to see that you had accomplished the task without actually wishing too."

"I can do it a little," Leonardo said modestly. "But I've only really succeededa fewtimes. Master Splinter is right. It takes a lot of practice to be able to relax and concentrate exactly right to be able to do it."

Michelangelo digested this slowly "But I wasn't trying to do anything. I was asleep."

Splinter thought deeply. "This ability may also be innate as is your ability to predict the future. With training a ninja may also be able to open his inner eye and see other times, but it is very difficult." Splinter paused and studied Michelangelo carefully rubbing his chin. "What were you thinking about as you went to bed, my son?"

Michelangelo flushed slightly. "Thinking? I guess I was thinking about Raph, and that thing, and what I thought I saw on Raph's wrists." He paused and amended that last bit. "Well I guess I did see it, cuz I saw it when I was ...you know, and I'm pretty sure that witch is responsible for it."

Splinter nodded. "When you told me of the image of bands around your brother's wrists and how the creature could not touch him, I wondered if Leonardo's speculation that some magical force had shielded him from the creature's power was true."

"So Raph is under a spell," Leonardo mused. "I'll bet that's why he could see that thing that Mikey saw too."

"Yes," Splinter agreed. "That is why I chose to send my spirit out to see if I could not discover the source of the magic on Raphael. It is most likely your concern for Raphael that allowed your spirit to walk freely, Michelangelo."

Michelangelo tried to remember exactly what had happened in that odd dream. "I heard the witch calling for Raph," he said. "I thought it woke me up, and I got up to see what was going on."

"You're mind woke up," Leonardo explained with a grin. "The rest of you stayed right here."

"Is it like gonna happen again?" Michelangelo asked worriedly.

"I do not know, Michelangelo," Splinter said gently. "Your own mind separated your spirit and body. I believe you did so because you were worried for your brother. If you do so again, I would suppose you would have a reason, as you did now."

Michelangelo didn't like that idea at all. Now he couldn't stop his mind from wandering off?

Sympathetically Leonardo said, "Remember, Mikey it happened because you wanted it to happen, even if you don't understand it. If you really don't want it to happen again, it won't."

Michelangelo handed Leonardo the empty tea cup, and lay back down on his bed. "I don't know Leo. That never worked with the nightmare's," he reminded him.

"It might with some practice," Leonardo told him with a slight smile. "But I'm more interested in what you two saw. Are you sure Raph is really under a magical spell?"

Briefly Michelangelo recounted the not-a-dream to Leonardo. The more he talked the more serious he became. "That sounds like a magic spell all right," Leonardo said gravely.

Splinter nodded firmly. "I was positive of that when the witch called your brother's spirit to her. She has Raphael's spirit in bondage. That is what the golden bands on his wrist mean."

"But Sensei, she's not bad." Michelangelo insisted. "She told Raph that the only reason she zapped him was to protect him against that jello thing, and she wanted to answer his questions. She said she wanted to help him because of her cousin."

"Her cousin?" Echoed Leonardo. "Did she mean April?"

"She wouldn't say," Michelangelo answered worried. "Raph was asking her when that thing that scratched me came after me. That's when I did what Master Splinter told me about wishing to be home, and I woke up here. I don't know what happened after that."

Splinter furrowed his brow deep in thought. "Michelangelo," he began, "do you think that you could find that young woman's shop again in the physical world?"

"You mean like in real and not by doing what I did tonight?" Michelangelo asked. When Splinter nodded he said, "I think so. We were in Soho."

"Then tomorrow after dusk you and Leonardo will seek out this sorcerous, and see if we can not persuade her to release Raphael from her spell.

Michelangelo shook his head at that. "I don't know, sensei. She told Raph that the only way she'd take the spell off of him if she gets rid of that demon thing that's after him."

"Isn't she going to make him help her?" Leonardo asked. "He's under her control, isn't he?"

"He is, but she doesn't want to use him," Michelangelo explained earnestly, "She told him that helping her was up to him, and you know Raph, He's bound to refuse just so he can say no to her.

Leonardo sighed. "You're right about that," he said. "But we can offer her assistance. The sooner we can get rid of that thing, the sooner she'll take that spell off of Raphael."

"Then it is settled," Splinter said firmly. "Tomorrow you and Michelangelo will seek out this witch. I shall take Donatello and Raphael and see what I can do for Mr Jones." He glanced down at Michelangelo, who released an jaw splitting yawn. "Walking in dreams is as strenuous as walking in the waking world. You should go back to sleep, Michelangelo."

Leonardo bit his lit as he saw the fear enter Michelangelo's eyes "But...but what if it happens again?" Michelangelo asked worridly.

"I don't think it will," Leonardo said reassuringly. "You got most of your answers tonight. Hopefully whatever is driving your gifts is satisfied for now."

"But what if it's not?" Michelangelo asked. He yawned again.

"I'm not leaving, Mikey," Leonardo said gently. "You go back to sleep. Master Splinter and I will take care of things."

Michelangelo was tired, but still he fought sleep. "But what if-"

Splinter raised his hand silencing Michelangelo. "Enough, my son. Sleep now. You need to rest."

Michelangelo wanted to protest more, but obedience had been driven into all of them for so long he simply lay back down and rolled over on his side. Within minutes he was sound asleep.

Once Leonardo and Splinter were certain that Michelangelo was asleep Leonardo walked with his sensei to the entrance to Michelangelo's room. "I don't want to admit it sensei, but I'm beginning to get worried." Leonardo said pensively. "I mean this whole thing with that whatever it was is bad enough, but I'm beginning to think Mikey's problem is more serious. He's never dream walked before, or had visions while he was wide awake. "

Splinter nodded. "It may be that after being dormant for so long, Michelangelo's gifts are maturing. It also may be that the creature is affecting Michelangelo's abilities."

"Or it could be that we've never faced anything so dangerous before," Leonardo mused. After a few seconds of silence Leonardo said, "Sensei, I'm going to bunk out here with Mikey for the rest of the night. Just in case. "

Splinter agreed, then left Leonardo, and went back downstairs to his own chambers. Leonardo went back into Michelangelo's room, and cleared a space for himself on the floor. He was going to rest, but he wasn't exactly going to sleep. Leonardo folded himself onto the floor Lotus style, and allowed himself to fall into a meditative trance.. The last few hours passed peacefully as Leonardo pondered the events of the last two nights. By the time Michelangelo stirred later that morning, Leonardo had worked out a few things.

The spell on Raphael was lowest on his list of priorities. It was more important to deal with the creature, than to free Raphael from the spell. On top of his list was Michelangelo. Leonardo was beginning to worry that the strain of being pulled around by a force he didn't understand was going to break his brother's mind. They had to do something about getting Michelangelo's gifts under control before they caused him to crack under pressure.

It was late in the morning when Michelangelo finally woke. Leonardo opened his eyes and watched as Michelangelo tossed and turned for a few seconds. "It isn't gonna work," he muttered sleepily. "Can't break the spell with Raph there feeding it. Sensei, if you send Raph away you can wake him." Leonardo wondered at that, but just then Michelangelo rolled over and opened his eyes. "Morning Leo," He said cheerily.

Well that was encouraging. Michelangelo seemed to be back to his normal sunny disposition. He didn't seem to be aware of what he had just said seconds earlier. Leonardo filed the information away and gave his brother a visual once over. "You're feeling better," he observed.

"I guess," Michelangelo said with a smile. "I kinda figured out that if that magic spell is keeping Raph from being eaten I don't have to worry about him."

"Yeah," Leonardo agreed. "I figured that too. As long as the spell is on him Raph is safe." Then as an afterthought he asked, "what about the rest of us?"

"Huh?" Michelangelo sat up cross legged on the bed.

"You've been talking about Raph this whole time, but you haven't said anything about me or Don."

Michelangelo went from quizzical to serious. "Leo are you asking me to predict something?"

Leonardo knew how Michelangelo felt about his ability to see into the future. "No! I wouldn't!" he said immediately. He rose from his position on the floor and sat on the bed next to his brother. "It's just that, that thing almost got Don and I last night and you didn't see it coming."

"I don't know," Michelangelo said with a shrug. "I never understood why I can do this, why it stopped or what It started up again."

"We'll figure it out, Mikey," Leonardo said with a gentle hand on his shoulder. Then in an effort to change the subject he said, "Come on lets go see if we can find Don and Raph."

They didn't find the others. They did see a note on the refrigerator. "Hmmm," Leo mused as he read the note. "Don and Raph went with Splinter to Casey's." He opened the freezer and tossed Michelangelo the box of frozen waffles. While Michelangelo toasted Eggos, Leonardo got out the syrup butter and milk. He caught the waffles on the plates as they popped out of the toaster and together they shared breakfast.

After Leonardo finished the last of the milk, he looked at Michelangelo, and said, "Wanna spar?"

Two hours later both tired but charged found themselves back in the kitchen rehydrating. "That was fun," Leonardo said as he finished his water.

Michelangelo glared at him. "Leo, why does throwing me to the mat twenty times make a good time for you and Raph?"

Leonardo couldn't help but chuckle. "You're suppose to not let me throw you." He tossed Michelangelo another bottle of water.

Michelangelo opened the bottle and chugged down half of it before answering. "That's one thing I do wish that freaky gift did is tell me what you and Raph were going to do before you do it!"

Leonardo sighed. That was the real reason he beat Michelangelo in the dojo. "The workout was supposed to take your mind off of that. That's why I could take you down so easy. You weren't focused."

"I guess," Michelangelo admitted. "I'm still kinda worried about doing all this stuff."

Leonardo gazed down at his brother speculatively before telling him an old secrete. "You know back when you started having those dreams I asked Sensei what to do about them. He said we couldn't stop them, but we should let them guide us. Like we said, most of the time when we listened to you even when you didn't know what you were telling us you didn't steer us wrong. We were able to prevent the worst things you dreamed up." Suddenly Leonardo looked at the clock. "Speaking of Sensei I wonder what's keeping them?"

Michelangelo finished the water. "I dunno, you want to go check on them?"

Leonardo checked the clock. "I'd rather not run into Raph until after we check out that witch. I'll give Don a call instead. "He pulled out his shell cell and dialed Donatello's personal number."

It rang twice and then he heard his brother's calm cool distracted voice say, "Don here,"

"It's me Don," Leonardo said evenly. "I was just checking up on you three. How's it going?"

"It's not," Donatello said mildly annoyed. "Every time Master Splinter thinks he's figured it out whatever's holding Casey unconscious seems to shift."

It isn't gonna work," he muttered sleepily. "Can't break the spell with Raph there feeding it. Sensei, if you send Raph away you can wake him.

Leo thought for a few seconds then with a quick glance at Michelangelo, he said. "Hold on Don, I'll look."

Confused Donatello asked, "Look for what? Leo what are you talking about."

Leonardo moved away from the kitchen and into Donatello's lab on the other side of the room. "Sorry Don, I didn't want Mikey to hear this. He said something this morning that didn't make sense until you just told me that. He said that whatever you were doing wasn't going to work unless you get Raph out of the building."

"He said what?" Donatello asked incredulously.

"I'll explain it all later," Leonardo assured him. "You just have to find a way to get Raph away from Casey. If you do that I'll bet Master Splinter will be able to get him up."

"If you say so, Leo," Donatello said uncertainly. "I'll get back to you if it worked."

Leonardo nodded even though Donatello couldn't see him. "Okay see you when you get back," he said then turned off the shell cell. Leonardo glanced at the clock again. It was still early but it might be a good idea to go and check out the witch before the sun set. He went back into the kitchen where Michelangelo was still sitting eating a bag of chips. "How do you feel about going to visit Raph's witch now?"

"Now?" Michelangelo asked as he took a final swig of water. "Before sundown?"

Leonardo nodded. "That thing seems only to be out after dark, so lets eliminate the need to be out in the dark. We can get to Soho by the sewers, and if you can remember what street you were on, we'll be able to find that too."

Michelangelo shrugged. "Okay."

To Leonardo's surprise Michelangelo didn't complain that he wanted to rest or it wasn't time. He simply got up and followed behind. I wonder what he knows unconsciously. Still Leonardo wasn't about to look a gift turtle in the mouth so he just nodded and led the way out of the lair.

Coming Soon Chapter 9: A Friend from the Past

"Mikey?" Leonardo whispered.

"Leo?" Michelangelo managed to struggle out. "Leo, what the shell is wrong with me? I feel as if my brain is on fire!" He clasped his hands to his head in pain. Leonardo reached out to support Michelangelo, and found his skin hot to the touch. That was wrong. They were cold blooded. They couldn't even get a fever. They got cold when they were sick, not hot. Leonardo wasn't sure what he could do.

Michelangelo couldn't keep in hiding any longer he was having trouble staying on his knees. Leoanrdo drew Michelangelo up into his lap, and did the only thing he could think of doing.