Author's Note: Hello there Glazier Blue and I are back to bring you another chapter, and boy do we have a doozy of one. Believe me when I say things will be taken a step up here, but can't say much. We all hope it'll be enjoyable, so for now Enjoy.

Chapter 4: Witnessing

The mediation picked up right where the dream had left off, as Splinter felt the weight of Donatello on his shoulder as he carried him into a place of darkness. He could hear the sound of wind echoing through what he was sure was many tunnels. Not unlike the sewers. His sensitive nose told him there was damp and mold growing out of every corner of the stone walls. Around them was the sound of water. The feelings around him were familiar and yet he knew he had never been there before, but he didn't like it here. Why would he be bringing his son to such a place? Even in a dream, all this place said was death!

"Purple!" Splinter jumped. A voice saying just one simple word, but it was filled with so much lustful need for pain. The rat didn't even want to see who had spoken it, "The purple one..." The disembodied voice said again, and this time Splinter realized the words were coming from his mouth, and they were talking about his son. Donatello had by now been laid onto the ground. The eyes looking him over closely.

Splinter saw a hand much larger than his own, running a thumb across Donatello's cheek. "I like this one. He will be fun..." He started tying the teens wrist together. Splinter heard the smirk in his own voice and he didn't like it! He would never have such disturbing dark thoughts about one off his children. "Maybe I'll play with him a bit first-"

"Get your hands off my son!" Splinter snapped, dream or vision, no one touched one of his boys.

To his surprise however it worked, as the large hands froze, "What is this?" The dark voice said, and he wasn't talking about the turtle still lying unconscious under him. "Someone new... How exciting! What's your name?" Realizing his mistake, Splinter rendered himself quiet. "Come now, don't be shy. I can sense you..." Splinter flinch suddenly feeling sharpness probing into his head. "But I can't quite get into your mind... Strange. The only ones I can sense are my subjects." He said with a thrill. Still, he wouldn't answer. "You must be a rat?..." More probing. "You are... but also SO much more... Well, this is unexpected, I thought there was something special hiding around here." Splinter brain throbbed, like a hot poker trying to break through his skull, but he resisted, mentally pushing it away.

"Why are you resisting me? We are a brotherhood." He went to stroke Donatello's face again.

"I said don't touch him!" Splinter could not help it. The way he was looking at him while he couldn't defend himself, like he was a meal!

"Ah there you are!" The other voice said delighted. "Though I still can't quite reach you... You are a strong one. Stronger than any of my subjects... You have intelligence too…" He looked over the unconscious turtle as he continued tying him up. "You care for THIS creature? You called him son? But you are not like him... You are like me-!"

Splinter gasped, forcing his mind to cut itself off, there seemed to be some kind of telepathic connection forming. He couldn't let this person invade his mind... but he couldn't leave Donatello either. Reluctantly as he allowed his mind to return to the darkness, the images shifted. A dim light had appeared, illuminating every bruise, cut and bite his son had. He could feel the other become excited with anticipation as he looked at over, whereas Splinter was shocked by the state of him. The rat master wanted nothing more than to run over and free him from the rope Donatello was now strung up into the air on.

The other he had realized Splinter had returned. "I have been looking for a challenge... Tell me, is this one worthy or should I seek one of the others?" Trying to incise Splinter to engage so he could establish the connection, but the father remained silent. This invoked a growl of frustration as the lights went out again. "Have it your way."

Before long they hear the turtle groaning as he started to come too. Fearfully the father watched through the same eyes that was stalking their away around him in the pitch darkness. He listens to Donatello call out, describing his surroundings, "He is a curious one... Are you there rat man? Tell me, does your "son" scare easy?" The otherdrew back into the tunnels just so his scream like a banshee and growling like a hunger animal as he quietly approached his son. Still Splinter wouldn't allow himself to be manipulated... That was until he the other start choking him!

From the rat master's prospective, this was an action he himself was preforming. He could feel Donatello's throat closing up under his fingers... It took all his will power not to scream out. He knew Donatello was being used as a way to get to him! But he also knew this was a battle he would soon lose if he didn't release his son soon.

For a while the smart turtle was taken to the brink of death, only letting him go just before his heart stopped. Each time this happened the other called out for Splinter to respond to him. He knew his son must be so afraid, and he could do nothing! Unlike Splinter, the other seemed to be relishing in the turtles fear.

Splinter couldn't stand it. He could sense that Donatello life force was slipping away...he couldn't just sit here and say nothing! Just as Donnie stopped struggling for a final time - "NO! Please don't hurt him!" Splinter finally losing control, connecting with the other. He had never felt so much hate before...This thing... this person, was living by pure instinct... But it was fueled by hatred... and he could feel it starting to infect him. An animalistic instinct that Splinter had not felt in years, at least not since before mutation, and it was taking over.

Light returned. The other didn't seem satisfied with just choking him anymore. They crept up behind Donatello this time, Splinter was horrified as he felt himself smelling his son around the neck... What? But it was then taken further. He started licking him! Tasting his sweat, soaking up his scent. Splinter could feel Donatello shuddering with fright as he pinned his shell to his chest, drinking up his fear - "NO! The rat finally lost control. He would NEVER do this to his son, and neither would anyone else. "MINE!" Splinter growling at the other like an animal. He shocked himself. Years of humanizing himself with study and knowledge and meditation, suddenly all meant nothing.

But the anger in the rat master was so powerful, it even ripped the other away, sending the pain back at him. The other scurried off into the darkness. He to growled as though fighting over food. "The turtle boy is MINE now!" He shouted in his mind but out loud he was hissing. "And so are you! If you are a rat, then I am your master! … and now I can see you... Splinter!"

Again, Splinter head spiked with such pain before waking up from his meditation, shaking uncontrollably.

Splinter had been so sure it had been a bad dream about Donatello when asleep. Now seeing it continue during meditation, he questioned if it could be a surreal premonition. His mind was still clouded, and the ringing had returned, but all that was overshadowed by a parental fear. He had to try and reach Donatello on the spirit plain... but he couldn't. In fact, he didn't sense Donatello at all! Something was blocking his son's spirit from him.

He shuddered remembering the distressing feeling of his son as he tied him up... Strangled him and licked him. He felt physically sick! He had never lost control of himself before. This thing was infecting him... For the first time in 16 years Splinter felt more like a rat! It really scared him that this person called themselves his Master!?

*Gasp!*

Suddenly Splinter's eyes opened as Donatello painfully twisted face involuntarily flashed through his mind once more. But he was awake now. Not dreaming, not meditating. This force was now invading his waking mind without him even trying to reach out. The blanket fell off the bed as his hand cradled his head... He had to get up and get help.

Immediately tried to stand, but his head spun making him lose his sense of reality and debilitating him. He couldn't allow that to happen. Acting with haste, he grabbed his walking stick, grunting as he fought to leave the room.

"Argh!" Splinter crashed against his sliding door. More sharp pain, like a knife trying to jab his eyes out and nearly tripping over his own feet as he went. Using the door for support, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to endure and stabilize himself. His parental instincts won over, he needed to know that his child was safe and hopefully all this was just in his mind.

He stepped through, quickly in search of his other sons, thankfully he found them in the TV area. The rapid taps of his stick alerting them to his presence.

"Sensei, I thought you were resting?" Leo looked up alarmed by the worry in his father's eyes. Something was wrong. He quickly made his way over, mirroring his expression.

"Where is Donatello?" He demanded.

"... Still at April's Sensei," Leo responded a little confused. "He told me he would send me a message when he was on his way back."

"Call him. Now!" Splinter tone making them all flinch. They recognized it as an order...yet also sensing the dread.

"What's going on?" Raph stood to attention. "No offense Sensei but you don't look so great."

"He looks better than you on most days Raphie," Mikey smirked only to receives another light smack. "Ow!"

"And you're going to look a lot worse numbskull!" Raph spat.

"Enough!" Splinter yelled grinding the room to a halt. "There is no time. Please just call him." He couldn't hide the pleading now. He was still hoping that he was wrong and that the problem was just with him. He would have called him himself but in his state, he doubted he couldn't even press the buttons.

"Ok ok..." Leo waved his hands sensing his urgency. If it made him feel better just to hear Donnie's voice, then he would call. Quickly reaching to grab his shell cell, dialing the clever turtle's number. The ring tone rang out...then it rang out again... and again. Ok why was he not answering? Donnie knew better than to not answer. The lack of answering soon showed on Splinter. Leo tried not to mirror it, as he didn't want to panic just yet. There could be an explanation, "Maybe he's just too deep in repairs?"

"...Yeah... Ya know what the brainiac's like. You could be right next to Donnie boy, and he wouldn't notice you when he's working," Raphael quickly wanting to help calm the situation he could see growing. Fearless leader often would go into panic mode when he didn't pick up his phone. Sometimes a turtle just needed to let loose and have a break! Although Donnie was a lot more responsible than he was.

"Yeah... A train could go by, and he wouldn't know." Mikey added but this sounded a bit forced. Donnie was focused but he wasn't deaf! "We could call April?"

"Good idea." Leo hung up and re-dialed. Thankfully the red head answered on the third ring.

"Hello?" April's sweet voice answered.

"Hey April, it's Leo, just calling in to check on Don, he's not picking up his cell." The blue clad turtle with a bit of forced calm. Leo had to admit he was a little peeved with Don for not picking up and worrying Splinter unnecessary.

There was a 4 second delay in response that was the first warning flag, "Donnie? You mean he's not home yet?" April sounding surprised.

Not Good!

Leo's relief dropped faster than the pit of his stomach, "What do you mean? Donnie sent me a text saying he was going to be there for a while?" The sudden change in tone made the group look up in alarm. Splinter had been silently praying that he was going mad, but with the horrific images still fresh in his mind, the rat's sense of dread was back with a vengeance.

"He's not here Leo. He left an hour ago!" The red head informed them.

This coupled with his father's sudden strange behavior, the feeling the panic started to flood the system and the rational thoughts he had been clinging to slipped away. "D-Did he say where he was going?" Leo caught a look of his brothers. Raph was trying to decide which panic fueled emotion to run with. Anger or worried? Mikey meanwhile was already at worry.

"No, he just said he was going home," April now joining the worry party.

"Ok let's not panic... He must have taken a last-minute detour or something...We'll straighten things out, and I'll keep you informed." The blue clad turtle leader automatically stepped in taking charge. Big brothers in hysteria weren't going to help anything right now.

"Alright Leo, I'll be waiting... Please find him... and let me know if you need any help." April couldn't hide the regret in her voice. She had called Donnie out and now he was missing, but this was out of her hands.

"We will. Thank you." Leo hung up before turning to his father with a questioning look. How did he know something was wrong? Had Sensei seen something bad in Donnie's aurora while meditating? If that was the case, why hadn't he said so right away? That would have left no question.

"OK let's just chill a second. Go over what we do know, which isn't much," Mikey clearly starting to stress out. "Maybe he just got distracted on the way home -?

"No!" Splinter snapped making them all jumped. "He is in great danger..." Splinter finally declared but it was laced with fear.

"Sensei how do you know that?"

It was then the group witness something they had never seen in there 16 years of existence from their rat master. He flinched away unconformably not wanting to answer the question. How could he explain to his son's that he had physically felt himself defile and attack Donatello? Even through another, it sounded monstrous! But the look of guilt in his eyes said it all. "I... I cannot explain right now my sons. But we need to find him." Splinter not giving them a chance to argue.

"Alright. That's good enough for me. Let's go find him!" Raph grabbing his sais.

"Hold on Raph-" Leo started but didn't get to finish.

"Leo I am starting to stress. When I stress, I forget my anger management. If Splinter says brainiac is in trouble, then he is."

"I agree, so why don't we make it a bit easier and access the locator on his shell cell first? Then we'll go and get him," Leo compromised. Still hopefully the panic was all for nothing... but Splinter's strange behavior alone was bad enough. Even if they found Donnie safe, there was a bad situation brewing here.

"I will join you, my sons... I just need to see him -" When another sharp pain shot through his head, causing the old master to clutch his head, "UGH!" The walking stick clattered to the floor as the rat squeezed his eyes shut. Cold red eyes filled his vision for a moment. Every spot in his brain was being clawed at with a thousand of needle stabbing him all at once.

"Sensei?" Mikey stepped forward.

But Splinter didn't answer. Breathing heavy, he was mentally starting to drift away as he looked at something across the room.

"Master Splinter can you hear me?"

But he couldn't hear them. His sons were gone. The next instalment to this horror movie was uploading. The ringing in his ears had made the world round him become silent as a new form appeared before him.

Donatello was in the lair, just a few feet away, this time Splinter could see him from a front view. This face frightened. Restrained with his hands above his head but secured in a way he couldn't determine. His movements only showing that he was trying to get away from something truly terrifying, but he couldn't. "Donatello?" The concerned father quickly made his way over to his distressed and bound son. As he reached him, Donnie's eyes looked right at him, growing wider with fear. Splinter was taken aback by how scared Donatello was of him. He went to reach up to untie him, but instead a putrid wrapped hands punching the teen hard across the face.

At the same time pain shot through Splinter's hand as he felt Donatello cheek bone crack and blood started oozing from his mouth. This was followed up with more blows. Splinter gasped as Donnie started to slump in his bonds. He couldn't even defend himself. Splinter's heart was yanked harshly from his chest watching the scene of pointless and cruel pain unfold... Because the hands hitting him was his!

"N-No...No, I would never do this! I would never harm Donatello! This isn't me!" Splinter shouted out loud to himself.

He was suddenly yanked away from the scene by a hand firmly grabbing his shoulder from behind, forcing him to turn around and look into the scared face of his eldest. It took an entire moment to remember who they all were. Just for a second his sons had vanished from the room, from his mind, and even from his life. What was happening to him?

"Master what's wrong!? You... you were... growling?" Leo demanded. His fear was reflecting in all three faces.

"Father please, you're scaring us!" Mikey scared by the darkness clouding in his eyes.

"D-Donatello?" Was all Splinter could manage while pointing where the apparition had been.

"What about Donatello? Where?" Raph looking around confused. "No one is here Sensei!"

But the question didn't reach Splinter's ears as his gaze fell on the same spot again. Donatello was still there, as the three brothers followed his gaze but there was nothing too see. "Donatello! Can you hear me my son?" Splinter making his way over to the spot once more. His remaining sons could only watch, unaware that they were in the world around Splinter that was currently dissolving.

Donnie's head hung low, his breathing was strained and uneven. It broke Splinter's heart and was even glad the others couldn't see him like this.

"M-My son I am here…I am with you!" Splinter pleaded for himself to be heard.

"Is there any parting words you wish to pass along to your son?" Said the insidious voice. "No? Then I will do it for you, Splinter."

Something then changed. Splinter found the lair around him all gone, except for a dark void and a lone light. Yet…the most startling thing is that he saw another image of …of himself! Standing separate, an identical copy of his body, standing before Donatello with scowl on his face.

How was this possible? Splinter thought... Unless this other WAS in Splinters head. He had let him in to had read his mind. Now he was using his knowledge of them as a weapon against his third youngest.

The purple clad turtle was trying to control his breathing when he looked up to see his father standing in the dim light before him. Shock but the relief filled the turtles eyes "Sensei?... Please help me!" His voice was painful and dry.

The second Splinter spoke, "Donatello I am deeply disappointed in you." He said in a chastising voice that would even make Leonardo flinch. "Once again you ignored my training and became distracted with your surroundings. You allow yourself to be captured, and failed to escape... For being as smart as you are, your Ninjutsu skills are weak. "

"S-Sensei... father please I made a mistake. I was looking for supplies and-"

"You have lost the right to call me Sensei!" The second Splinter shouted maliciously, causing the turtle to flinch into silence. "You are a disgrace to me and to your brothers! And you are not welcome back in my clan!"

"No! Don't believe him Donatello! I would never cast you out!" The Real Splinter yelled but he only saw his son's crushed expression. He did believe it. "Donatello has never been a disappointment. Many occasions we would never have survived without his brilliant mind and kind heart! Why? Why are you doing this to him?" Splinter pleaded this at the other who was really behind this, but he wouldn't get the answer, at least not directly.

"I'…I'm sorry ...please...help me. Tell me how to prove myself to you?" Donatello whimpered at his fake father's words.

"I will only help you wipe the stain of dishonor from my clan name!" the Splinter doppelgänger teeth bared, his tail cracking like a whip.

"Donatello is not a stain! He has brought much honor to the Hamato name!"

"Please...d-don't-Gaa-aaaacck!" Donnie spoke up but is cut off as small, yet strong, hands wrapped around his throat and started to apply pressure.

"My Master has taken you to see if you are worthy." The second Splinter sneered squeezing Donnie neck resentfully. "If you are truly a Hamato, you will meet his challenge and win. That will be the only way you are allowed to return home... If you die, then at least you will die with honor. If you refuse however, you will dishonor the clan and I will kill you myself! Understand?!" The rat followed this demand up with a hard slap across Donnie's face.

Donatello looked up into his "father's" eyes like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

The dark doppelgänger then laughed in the most sadistic unlike-Splinter way as he watched the purple clad turtle crumble as he continued to choke him. It seemed like Donatello was going to agree to his terms, but before he did his eyes rolled up into the back of his head before going limp in his binds.

Splinter couldn't watch this anymore. He had to alert his other son's to go and rescue their brother before it was too late.

The other however sensed the rats urgency as his attention was turned back to him. "I don't think purple will be that big of a challenge for me, but I will enjoy him all the same. You however belong to me. For I am your King, and you WILL obey me! And I order you not to let any of your other sons interfere until I am done with him."

At that Splinter got a reflection of the person he seemed to be inhabiting. But all he could see was a large dark figure covered in bandages.

Only his eyes and mouth were uncovered, yet only by looking into them he felt a sense of familiarity. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he had seen those eyes before, only they were not as dead and cold as they were now, and they were drawing out his very soul!

From the brothers perspective, watching their father walking about like a zombie, speaking gibberish for the last 20 minutes, had them now almost in a full-blown panic. When he finally stopped was the first indication that their master was mentally transporting back to wherever he had been.

The father turned to face them like he had had an electric shock. Breathing rapidly at the sight of the only three remaining sons wearing confused expression on their faces.

"S-Sensei...are you ok?! What's going on?" Leo went to touch him only for him to quickly jerk away.

Splinter was shaking his head as though trying to deny the horror he had not only witness, but felt, as though he had done it himself. Not even caring about the throbbing headache growing in his skull... But darkness seemed to be slowly gathering in his vision... He had let the other in... now he was running out of time to save his child.

"Bro's what do we do?" Mikey at a loss.

The rats control was slipping...He had lost. The world spinning and he knew he was leaving... He just didn't know where too. There was just only last thing he could do.

"Forgive me my... my sons...He has... taken your... brother... Save him!" And that was it!

"Sensei!" All three turtles cried jumping forward as their father keeled over onto the stone floor in a heap and the scary bandaged man's face completely consuming his vision.

A/N: Hope you like, strange turn of events that happened here right? Splinter being talked to and seeing himself abusing his own child. Completely coming out of nowhere right? Well there is a reason for that, but can't say as it'll be a spoiler. Still, I thank you all for sticking by this story so far. More is in store and believe me when I say things get better. Please let me know what you think as feedback is always welcomed. Till next time.