Lessons Learned
.
.
.
"Gah!" Raphael moaned as he was knocked on his shell, sliding back on the matts slightly. He got up on his elbows to see Mikey standing over him. His grim face looking down on him. Their staring contest was interrupted.
"Raphael, this is the 3rd time you have been knocked down. Are you feeling alright?" Master Splinter asked. Raphael looked at his sensei before looking back up at his younger brother, as if directing him what he should.
"Yea. Yea i'm fine. Just an off day." He mumbled out before standing up and taking a few steps back from Mikey. He made it to the end of the matts and sat next to Donnie before releasing his breath. Donnie eyed his red banded brother before looking back at Mikey, who was stretching with a grin.
"Geez Master Splinter, thought you would be excited that I'm doing better." He said. Splinter narrowed his eyes.
"Though I can see your, improvements," He paused. "But your tactics are out of your normal routine." Mikey lowered his arms.
"Aren't you the one who says we should always keep improving?" He asked, catching the attention of his three older brothers. Splinter raised an eye.
"Yes. But it seems as though you are trying to be more aggressive with your tactics. You do not need to be pushing yourself considering your condition." He said. Suddenly, Mikey's expression went cold. Donnie saw the immediate change and tensed. Its true, Mikey's state of mind was not fully there. Since the incident in his lab, his youngest brothers memory has been splotchy. He has lost huge chunks that had no correlation and yet it barely even fazed him. Don scanned his eyes towards Mikey's arm, seeing the blood was still seeping through. It made his skin crawl knowing that the bite was still not healing and seemed it was just getting worse. But Michelangelo wasn't bothered by it. He didn't even notice it till Donnie mentioned it.
"I'm fine. Just honing my skills the way you say I should." He shot back.
"Mikey." Leo hissed in warning for being disrespectful to their master. Splinter held up a paw in silencing the oldest while keeping his eyes on his youngest.
"Very well. But watch the boundaries. Donatello you are next." he addressed his son before settling back in his seat. Donnie got up and stood on the mat facing his brother and could help but to feel almost clammy. Mikey's facial expression was stern. Donnie took his stance and charge but wasn't expecting Mikey to step out of the way. When Donnie turned to hit him with his elbow, Mikey side stepped, ducking under the attacking before grabbing donnie but the neck and slamming him down to the mat. Before Donnie could respond, Mikey dug his knee in the back of his shell, pressing him down farther in the mat. Mikey reached over and took hold of Donnies arm and started to bring it up to lock it in place.
"Ow!" Doonie yelled, trying to get out of the hold but found it useless. He patted on the mat twice, expressing his need for release but Michelangelo wasn't budging.
"Mikey I give! Let go!" Donnie grumbled. Leo was about to stand up but Raphael grabbed him before he could without taking his eyes off of their youngest.
Instead of taking pressure off of his arm, Mikey began to bend it more, farther than it was suppose to go, attempting to pop it out of place. Donnie began to struggle more, not understanding where this strength or hostility was coming from.
"Mikey stop!" He yelled, feeling his arm bend farther. Mikey made no notion to his brother pleas but kept up the pressure.
"Michelangelo that is enough!" Master Splinter yelled, standing up. Mikey shot a glare at their father before violently dropping Donatello's arm, making Donnie immediately curl it under himself and having both Leo and Raph at his side.
"What?" Mikey challenged throwing his hands out to the sides.
"This is a practice Michelangelo. Purposely trying to hurt your brothers shows no honor!" Even the other three flinched at their fathers words, but not Mikey. He stood there tall and glaring.
"Whatever. I'm gonna take a shower." he announced before heading out of the dojo. Leo was about to march after him but Splinter stopped him. Raphael helped Donnie to a sitting position and watched as his father left the room to meditate. Raph knew this was his only chance.
"Kneel." Splinter spoke from his seated position in his room. Raphael took a breath before kneeling in front of his father and bowed his head. Splinter opened his eyes and saw his sons shoulders were sagged.
"Raphael look at me." he commanded. With hesitation, he looked up at his father with shallow eyes.
"My son, what is happening to you? I have seen your performance has been starting to decline. You have not been eating, and I hear you wonder the lair at night. What is going on?" He asked. Raphael took a shuddering breath. Part of him hoped his father would not notice his sudden changes but part of him was ecstatic he did. That made talking about this easy.
"Its...its Mikey." He choked out. Splinter arched an eye.
"Michelangelo? Is he bullying you Raphael? I knew you all played rough with one another but is he being too rough?" He asked, a little skeptical considering Raphael was normally the one bullying the others in good fun.
"Father...Do you not feel it?" He asked.
"Feel what?" Splinter asked. Raph bit his lip, starting to feel fear behind his words.
"The dark thing. Its-its behind Mikey. It's always behind him." He started. "And it keeps following me. Ever since Mikey left the lair that one night and I had that fainting episode, it just doesn't go away." He could the unshed tears in his eyes as he felt himself start to panic. Master Splinter said nothing and allowed Raphael to continue to speak of his stress.
"Father it's everywhere. I can't eat, I can't sleep, I cant even take a piss without it around me. It's so heavy. It makes me see things." He admitted, trying to keep his voice balanced.
"What does it make you see?" Splinter asked. He saw Raph physically shake.
"It makes me see things that are dark." He licked his lips. "It shows me Mikey, burning. A-and Leo drowning and Donnie being mutilated and you-" He stopped seeing his father was staring at him intently. He chose not to finish that part of his tale.
"But it's doing something to me, ta' the others, to Mike. Its changing him. I dont think hes sick or whateva' Donnie is trying to say is wrong with 'em. He, he aint Mikey anymore Master Splinter. I feel like I'm goin' crazy cuz I seem to be the only one who sees this damn thing. Leo just gets annoyed if I mention it, Donnie is trying to hide it but I know he knows there's something up." He took a shaky breath.
"Please Masta Splinter. I can't take it anymore. I know I aint crazy and I know you see somethings up too." He pointed out. Splinter mused over Raphaels cry for help and couldn't help but to agree.
"Michelangelo has been off as of late. This odd aggression he has been displaying does make things worrisome. This black entity you speak of I do not recall. Could it be possible it had something to do with when you all interrupted that cult?" He asked. Raphael did not immediately respond.
"When we went to visit that kid in the hospital. She freaked out when she saw Mikey's picture. Not like ya know that were turtles but, actually freaked. Kept calling him a vessel. That aint the first time I heard someone call 'em that." He told his father. Splinter started to feel an unease. If there was something in his home that made it past his intellect, it had a good chance that it was stronger than he.
"Thank you for coming to me with this Raphael. I will have a conversation with Michelangelo and see if I cannot figure out the source of all this discomfort." He told him.
"Father, trust me when I say this, it aint going away so easily. I don't think this is something that we can just get rid of." Raphael admitted. Splinter stood up and walked over to Raph, patting his shoulder in reassurance.
"My son, let me see what I can do before doubt comes through." He told him as he walked out of the room, leaving Raphael with a dread he just made a huge mistake.
In the Dojo, Splinter set up the room with candles and incense. He made the room scenic and peaceful as he could. He sent for Michelangelo not too long ago and expected his youngest to appear soon. He felt dread in his old bones considering he was about to face a foe he could not see or feel. But, he did not doubt Raphael's fear, he only feared he could not save his sons.
"Master Splinter?" He heard Mikey's voice from the door.
"Come in my son." He said. The orange clad turtle walked in with care. Splinter tried to focus as hard as he could to sense an entity in the room but found none.
"You wanted to speak to me?" Mikey questioned. Splinter observed his youngests demeanor and it was nothing like how it was earlier at practice.
"Michelangelo, your brothers and I are beginning to worry about your mental state." He said flatly. Mikey quirked his head, lowering himself down on the mat in front of Splinter.
"What do you mean? Is it cuz of the blanks in my memory? Donnie says it might just like a defense mechanism or something." Mikey said with his normal upbeat attitude.
"Michelangelo, do you not remember what happened earlier at practice? How you hurt donatello and humiliated Raphael?" He asked. Mikey just stared at him for a moment, and Splinter could almost see, just a mere second, but a strange shadow passed by those crystal blue eyes of his youngest.
Splinter sat up slightly higher.
"My son, I want you to go to the astral plane." He commanded. Mikey huffed.
"You're joking? Master Splinter I'm not really good at doing all that. I dont have the focus for it." He tried to hustle his way out.
"My son, you have done it thousands of times and I am sure you can do it again. We need to have a clear view of what has been going on." He said. Mikey's demeanor suddenly changed. It was no longer light hearted but instead grew tense.
"Father I really don't want to." He admitted, keeping his head down.
"Why? What are you hiding?" He demanded. Mikey bit his lip, grabbing at his wrist in a nervous act.
"You know why you have been having these blackouts don't you MIchelangelo?" Splinter questioned. He hesitated, but Mikey nodded in agreement. "Why is this happening my son?" Mikey didn't answer.
"If-if I go to the astral plane? Will you make him go away?" He asked timidly. Splinter squinted his eyes, suddenly feeling something heavy in the air.
"Who?" he asked.
"The man that's in my head." he admitted softly. Splinter's fur stood up, feeling a strange aura surround them.
"Who is he?" Mikey shook his head aggressively.
"I can't say anymore. He'll make me black out again." He admitted. Splinter felt his own body tense, staying on alert.
"My son, go to the astral plane. I will meet you there." He told him. Mikey shook his head to agree before taking a breath to relax himself. A few more intakes of breath, and he settled his body, allowing his mind to go to the other world. The weight that was felt earlier was gone, meaning whatever it was followed Mikey to the astral plane.
"Michelangelo, can hear me?" he spoke softly.
"Yes." Simple and flat answer.
"My son what do you see?" He asked.
"Grass. There's a lot of grass." Mikey responded, eyes remained closed and him immobile.
"Are you in a meadow?" Splinter asked, moving so that he was closer to his son, nearly inches apart.
"No, its all flat. The sky is dark. There's a breeze." Mikey explained. Splinter's eyes caught the immediate twitch of his sons hand. It's almost as if it was cramping. He took note of Mikey's breathing getting quicker.
"Michelangelo what is happening?" He asked with slight urgency.
"Th-there's a fire. I-I-I don't know where it came from. I can't move." He started to ground his teeth, pepples of sweat forming on his forehead. Splinter needed to wait, he needed to see what Michelangelo was seeing.
"What else is there my son. Ignore the distractions, focus on what is harming you. Do you see it?" He asked. Mikey tried his best to calm his breathing, his head twitching from side to side as if he was looking around.
His body suddenly froze, mouth slightly open. A shiver went through his body that lead him to shake uncontrollably. It was till the nose bleed came through did Splinter begin to worry.
"Michelangelo? Michelangelo! Do you hear me?" He called out. Mikey didn't respond which meant he was out of Master Splinter's range.
Splinter immediately took his seat and calmed his mind, passing the barriers of his spirit to merge with Michelangelos to meet him in the astral plane. When he opened his mind, he was met with the grassy plane just as Mikey explained. He felt the cool breeze and saw the darkened sky.
"Michelangelo!" He called, as he looked in every direction.
"Et Venit, Et venit, Et venit.."
It repeated in the air. Splinter held his hand vertically to his chest and took breaths.
"I feel you demon, I feel your presence in this world." He spoke allowed.
"Hahahahaha..." Manic laughing could be heard.
"Om Benza Wiki Bitana Soha." Splinter repeated the ancient mantra of buddha, in attempt to wear off this presence.
"Et Venit...Et Venit.." it continue to repeat, ignoring the prayers that Splinter was speaking.
"You say he has come, an ancient tongue you have. You are not of this this world." He spoke aloud. Heat hit the back of his neck, as he turned he could see the plane had caught aflame and a figure standing in front of it. It looked to be of a man, dressed in a black suit with an odd black top hat.
"Who are you? You are not the host you are just a messenger. What business do you have with my son?" He demanded, keeping his hand close to his chest. the man started to turn, jerky movements as if he was a puppet. He faced Splinter, head still down but could see his complexion was not that of human.
"What are you?" He demanded. He heard the laughing fill his ears once more as he watched the tall black suited man look up at him. Splinter froze in place, all color leaving him, turning his fur white. The man smiled at him with an oversized mouth, teeth as bright as snow. His eyes gorged out, deep black sockets staring deeply into Splinters very being.
"What?..." He was unable to finish his sentence, as the monster opened its mouth to screech so loud Splinter almost went deaf. He didn't have to think as the flames that burned the planes came to him at full force, devouring him whole.
Splinter was left immobile, soul left in the astral plane to burn in the flames. His body went slack as he fell to the side. He watched as Mikey's body stayed in place, staring forward like an excellent student, unnerved by the continuous blood dripping from his nostril. Splinter struggled but was able to move his eyes to look and see the emptiness in his sons. He has now become a hollow shell, what some might call, a vessel. And Splinter just helped to speed up the process.
A/N: I mean, Splinter tried to help! But it looks like it just wasnt enough :/ till next time!
-F