That Which Prowls in the Dark of Night
Disclaimer: The TMNT belongs to Mirage and other people not me.
Chapter 13 Striking out alone
Michelangelo was mad. He stormed up the stairs to the small loft apartment above. He passed by the kitchen, and walked through a light sand colored door to his right. Around him was a bedroom decorated in pale pink and sky blue.
Michelangelo sighed. In his own room, or in the lair he could cut loose, and pound on something. He didn't dare here in what appeared to be Annie's room, so he just flopped down on the bed and buried his head in a pillow.
It's not fair! Raph isn't being fair. He has no idea what its like to watch people you care about die night after night!
He didn't turn when he heard the steps on the stairs. He didn't even look up until something wet was rubbed against his left wrist. He lifted his head to find himself eye to eye with Samantha, the odd shape shifting cat creature Annie called her familiar. Michelangelo make a small sharp squeak and slid to the other side of the bed. The last time he was this close to Samantha she had struck him so hard that even in the dream world he had bled.
"Nice kitty!" Michelangelo said frightened, but the creature didn't do anything threatening. She simply looked up at Michelangelo. She had the most intense yellow green eyes he had ever seen. They glittered and sparkled like gems lit from within. A strange sensation came over Michelangelo. It was as if some force was telling him he did not have to be afraid, that the great cat meant him no harm. She jumped lightly onto the bed, and lay down next to Michelangelo. To his surprise she rubbed her head against his hand with a low meow as if asking to be pet.
Her coat was an iridescent black that shimmered with a metallic gleam, and it was wonderfully soft and thick. Without thinking about it, Michelangelo began to stroke the rich heavy fur. It had a sweet spicy smell like cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper. It was so intoxicating, Michelangelo closed his eyes so he could savor it. She leaned her warm body against his, and began to rumble a deep soothing purr. With her back against his plastron, the low rumble in her body vibrated through his like a massage relaxing his tight muscles. He was aware on some level that something odd was happening to him, but it felt so good, he didn't care. All the angry frustrated emotions that had drove him up here were fading away. He felt as if he were floating in space but it wasn't cold like outer space. The place his mind was in was warm, and soft like the fur under his hand, filled with that spicy sweet scent, and rocked him with that steady monotonous purring. He knew this had to be magic. but he could feel that it was good magic, healing magic, and soon the spell the strange creature had laid on Michelangelo had him hovering on the edge of sleep.
What are you? Michelangelo wondered to himself, half lost in a dream. Every time I look at you you look different. You're a monkey. You're a cat. You have wings. Your brown, black blue purple, and some colors I don't' think I've ever seen before, and you have more magic than Annie does.
I am not of this world, a soft feminine voice answered him in his mind. I exist in all places, in all times and in all forms. What you see me as, is not what I am. My realm is within that of spirits, and not of substance.
"You're a spirit?" Michelangelo asked, "like that Dekabor thing?"
I am not like the dekabor, The voice answered a little sternly. I can exists within a realm of substance and interact with it as a dekabor can not. The dekabor is a creature of darkness, my people are beings of light.
"Oh," Michelangelo answered absently. Suddenly he realized what he was doing and shook some of the tranquil feeling out of his head. "Wait a minute! You can talk?"
Samantha lifted her head and nodded once. I simply do not speak unless I have something to say, she said. She then looked back to the stairs. Your brother is a fool you know. Annie is young, but she tries very hard to work within her means. He should not fault you for helping her. You did what was necessary to keep the dekabor from his spirit.
Mentioning Raphael brought Michelangelo completely out of the tranquil sensation Samantha had cast over him. Leaning against a pile of pillows and burying his hand in her silky soft fur Michelangelo answered, "Oh Raph wouldn't understand. Over a month ago I had a set of nightmares that didn't make sense until he and Annie were pulling against each other. I knew what would happen if Raph broke the spell, so I helped Annie." Michelangelo tugged at the turtle pendant around his neck with his free hand. "I just wish I knew what I should do now." He sighed heavily. "Raph is right though. I can see for them so much easier than Annie, but I hate these nightmares and all the stuff I've been doing, and I don't want to do it."
The choice is yours, Samantha said purring and rubbing her head against him. Use your gift, or do not.
Michelangelo sighed. "It's not that simple," he told her.
But it is. Samantha insisted. You either use the gift or you do not. The great cat looked at Michelangelo with her yellow green eyes. You are afraid to use your gift.
Michelangelo nodded. "I've never seen anything good. I always see my sensei or my bro's getting hurt or worse. I don't want to see them get hurt."
Do they get hurt when they listen to you? Or when you do not tell them your dreams? Samantha asked.
"I always tell them my dreams," Michelangelo said. "Most of the time I don't remember them anyway except that I had them. The only time I didn't say anything was the dream about Annie, and ..." Suddenly he stopped and thought. "That dream was for me!" Suddenly his thoughts began to run nonstop. "All the dreams I tell my bro's about something they have to do, but the dream I remembered was for me! So if I want to find that thing! I have to do it by myself! He jumped off the bed, and was almost to the stairs when he realized. "Oh shell they won't let me go off on my own! And if I go down there to use Annie's crystal ball they'll all have something to say about it."
Samantha gave him a curious glance. Do you truly wish to scry for the dekabor without assistance?
"Can you help me?" Michelangelo asked. "I mean you seem to know something about this, and well you did something to my head, so you're sort of magical."
Samantha eyed him up and down. Are you asking for my help then? She asked him. There was an amused tone to her mental voice.
"If you can," Michelangelo said nodding eagerly.
Very well then, Samantha agreed. Go into Annie's desk the left drawer please. You will find a copper enameled box. Take it out and bring it here to the bed.
He only hesitated a second. Surely Samantha wouldn't tell him to do anything wrong. He jumped off the bed, went into the drawer of the pink writing desk, and brought out a copper box with Celtic symbols and green enameling. He brought the box back to Samantha and hopped back on the bed sitting Indian style. Samantha came in front of him, shrinking to the size of a large dog, and curled up before him.
Make yourself comfortable, she instructed Michelangelo. Now focus your mind on what you want to know. Where is the dekabor? And how can we send it back to where it belongs without cost to your brothers? Once you have your purpose fixed within your mind, open the box and unwrap the crystal you find within.
Michelangelo did as he was told. He closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath. He grounded himself and focused the way Master Splinter had taught him. He thought about the question he wanted answered, and then opened the box.
Inside was a small sack of black silk, Michelangelo opened that as well, and dropped the contents into his hand. It was a small rose crystal ball the size of a billiard ball. Inside he could see the tiny imperfections that gave the interior of the ball a spider web pattern.
Just like downstairs, the crystal seemed to be generating a welcoming warmth. Michelangelo immediately felt safe, secure, and willing to use this energy to see. Please, he pleaded the crystal silently. Help me see something that will help me keep my bro's safe.
As before he felt his eyelids suddenly drop and his vision grey. When he opened his eyes again he saw before him Riverside park. A major rumble was occurring between different factions of the Purple Dragons, and a few smaller gangs. In the midst of it was the dekabor with it's sickly green fog infecting everyone's mind, and encouraging the worst in the fighters.
This time people were going to get badly hurt. This time people were going to die. "No," Michelangelo whispered to the crystal. "How do I stop this?"
Strangely enough the crystal answered him. He could see himself somehow uphill from the melee. Were there hills in Riverside Park? He had a small ball of something red that he tossed to the ground. It rolled down the hill, growing as it went. It grew larger and larger gaining colors as it grew, but it's primary color was still red. The ball grew larger than he was, and it flattened everything in it's path including the dekabor. His vision greyed out again, and then it was over. He was back in Annie's bedroom sitting on her bed, with Samantha staring at him.
"I'm supposed to get a ball rolling," he said confused.
Was the vision symbolic or realistic? Samantha asked him.
"Huh?" Michelangelo didn't understand at first, but then remembered the handful of times that his dreams had been very odd and they had been symbolic for something completely different. "Oh! Symbolic, I think." Suddenly he did know what the dream meant. The red and multicolored ball. "Oh! I'm supposed to get Raph and the others to help me! But I've got to start things off. So lets go hunting demons!"
Wait my friend, Samantha said with an amused chuckled to her mind voice. It is not wise to go hunting demons with no weapons that can harm them. Wait here. With that Samantha simply vanished from sight.
"Woah! Cool trick!" Michelangelo said. He wasn't sure what he should be doing but a second later he didn't have to wonder as Samantha had reappeared. At her paws, sat a pair of shirukin, and a garrotte. In her mouth was Leonardo's katana.
"Man, Leo is gonna be pissed." Michelangelo said with a grin. He wasn't particularly fond of edged weapons, but he would have loved to seen Leonardo's face when he realized that one of his precious blades was missing. "Why'd you take their stuff?"
This belongs to Leonardo, the stars are Donatello's and this device is Raphael's. You have something that belongs to each of them. So you are taking a part of them into battle with you.
"Huh?" Michelangelo still didn't understand.
Samantha sighed. It is a magic thing.
"Oh okay," That satisfied him. He made a makeshift sheath for Leonardo's katana out of a bathroom towel and some duct tape. Once the extra weapons were secured he asked, "so now what?"
Samantha leaped down in front of Michelangelo growing to the size of a small horse. If you trust me, we shall go.
"You want me to ride you?" Michelangelo asked amazed. "Radical! It'll be just like in Elf Quest!" Without a second thought he climbed on Samantha's back and tucked his feet up by her rump. "Hi ho! Kitty kat! Away!"
Samantha made the tiniest shiver down her back. Michelangelo noticed that instantly the colors of the room shifted. They were brighter, and a blue haze covered the walls. Looking down at his own arm, he noticed that it was transparent.
We can move more quickly in my realm. Samantha explained. Do as I say and do not break contact with me until I tell you to. If you get lost now, it will be very difficult to return you to your brothers.
Michelangelo didn't bother answering he just nodded. Samantha felt solid enough. He could feel her muscles bunch underneath him, and she made a leap for the glowing blue walls. He understood now. Somehow she had dragged him, body and soul into the spirit world. He didn't worry about how she did that. Right now the only thing he worried about was the demon outside of these walls, and his brothers within.
Coming Soon Chapter 14 Hunting for Michelangelo
"Can you still find him?" Annie asked. Raphael nodded. Leonardo could see that Raphael was still in that preoccupied state, but he seemed just as aware of what they were doing.
"This way," Raphael said as he opened the door to the Battle shell. He led them out to a path above a large field. About a hundred gang members were battling each other below. Leonardo drew his remaining katana and was about to go charging down there when Raphael stopped him.
"Leo, No! That thing is down there!" Raphael warned. He looked up at the young witch. "Annie?"
Before he could even ask, she said. "I can see it!"
"But Leo, Don, and Casey can't!" Raphael insisted. "How are they gonna help us, if they can't see it?"