"Ah, Master Splinter! We weren't expecting you to be up." Leo gulped.

"Obviously not," the old rat chuckled, tapping his walking cane on the floor meaningfully. "Tell me nonetheless. What are you so afraid of to let me know about?"

"We meant no disrespect, Master Splinter," Leo started. Darkwing chuckled again, liking his host's discomfort. "We were merely discussing a tender topic."

"Ah. May I join, or is this a young-brothers-only meeting?"

"I'm not sure you'd like to, Sensei," Mikey interrupted.

"Why ever not? What concerns you concerns me. Please, continue your discussion." He knelt in beside Leo, understanding that Leo was running this meeting.

"Should we?" Leo asked his brothers and Darkwing.

Why not? He'll find out soon enough. Let me out, Leonardo, and let me talk to him, Darkwing's voice advised on an open thought. Master Splinter's head raised sharply as Leo backed away slowly.

"I am sorry for not telling you sooner, Sensei. But… I am not wholly turtle any more."

"What do you mean?" the rat snapped, but silenced as Leo shut his eyes and let Darkwing take over his physical form and then transform it. Soon, facing their old Sensei, was a horse-sized black dragon.

"I am Darkwing," he said graciously, fanning his wings gently and dipping his front quarters. "I have taken over your son's body and mind to help combat an evil that arises soon. He has wished to keep this secret, though I advised against it."

Sure. Like you'd take my being a dragon easily, Leo's voice scoffed. Just tell them about when I found you and then let me outta here.

"As you can see, we share a single physical form that changes to suit the mind 'driving', as Leonardo says. When I am dormant, Leo's body and mind are apparent. When he is dormant, this is what you get. An improvement, I assure you."

Ha ha ha. Listen to the funny glorified lizard.

"Shut up. Anyway, he found my book – that keeps former host's thoughts and my soul in it – in the hands of the Purple Dragons. They didn't know what I was, only that I was powerful. When his hand – or paw, which is it?"

"Hand. Paws are normally referred to when the-"

"Thank you, Donatello. Let our… guest continue, if you please," Splinter admonished. "Please, keep going."

"I was sucked into him, basically. It wasn't very pleasant for either of us." Darkwing's wings shook and he looked down. "His mind was empty, pretty much, from all of his meditation. I helped fill that room, but Leonardo does have room for one more Inhabitant, which is what you call my kind. I am a Dragon Inhabitant, as is Shikeera, the blue dragon who inhabited the Foot Ninja. Only the most trained in mental combat and stability can maintain hold on an Inhabitant and still keep rational. You, Master Splinter, have taught your son well." Splinter nodded in acknowledgement and thanks.

"He was able to keep himself in check though I was… rather excited."

More like scared out of his scales, Leo's voice laughed. He was just ready to come out and pounce on those Purple Dragons.

"When the battle was over, he sat down and tried to push me out right away. He wasn't able to, thankfully."

Not for my lack of trying, Leo muttered darkly.

"Why not?" Don asked.

"He was unable to get rid of me because I was rooted too firmly in his mind. Also, that empty space I was talking about? It needed filling, and here I was! It would have been bad if he did, because my hold was so good that I'd pull his mind with me. Once I told Leonardo that, he allowed me to stay, but he said that it was temporary. That was before he discovered flying and all I have to offer."

You like that part, don't you? I loved flying, sure, but the deer… Not so great.

"As you have heard from Fearless Leader, he has had a taste of my kind of food and didn't like it very much. To be fair, I tried veggies, but those are unkind to my stomach."

You're telling me.

"My system didn't take well to it. It has been a few weeks since I Inhabited Leonardo, by the way. This vegetable disaster struck last week, when my host was unable to cope with meat anymore. I tried to appease him and eat greens, but I ended up throwing it up through his body. That is the source of the coughing fits he has been having."

"Coughing fits?"

"Ah, yes. He didn't tell you because he didn't want me to be known yet, though I warned him that the time for his task was coming close."

"Task?" Raph asked, twirling a Sai. In response, Darkwing shifted to Leo, who sat down suddenly.

"Don't do that! I hate it!" he snarled at Darkwing.

Sorry. In fact, the dragon did sound sorry.

"What?" Don asked.

"When he changes like that, it can give me a headache… or worse. Also, it so happens that when he does that, he has more power over me. And it hurts like shell!"

"What task?" Splinter asked quietly.

"Right. I have a task to complete before the end of this moon or Darkwing will forever be trapped in me. Personally, I wouldn't mind, but he insists that I have to let him go or he will never have a new host."

"What task is this?"

"That's the problem. I have to find a werewolf Inhabitant and absorb it, too. And, once that's done, I have to get Mikey a Mage, Don a Sorcerer, and Raph a vampire. Get it? You all have the room and training for Inhabitants, and we'll need them all for the Final Battle."

"Final Battle?" Splinter asked.

"I get to be a magician?" Mikey yelled excitedly. "Like, magic and stuff?"

"Yes, Mikey," Leo answered. "Master Splinter, the Final Battle is between us and the Dark Inhabitants, like Shikeera. The Foot we found had allowed her to Inhabit him, and his task will be to gather the rest of the Dark Inhabitants."

"Oooookay," Raph groaned. "I'm a vampire?"

"It fits best, Raph, I'm sorry. You could have the werewolf, but Bloodclaw is easiest for me to control because he needs a leader to Inhabit. And the Mage needs an endless source of energy, hence Mikey. The Sorcerer needs a person – or turtle – with good equations knowledge and poison know-how, like Donnie. The vampire needs someone accustomed to working on their own and used to the sight of blood."

"Okay, I get that. But why us?"

"Darkwing Inhabited me because I am half-reptilian and because I have a lot of mental capacity for this sort of thing. The others need little-sunlight, ninja-master hosts who can be close to Darkwing. He runs this whole side of the Battle, you know."

"So, where are these books?" Mikey asked, jumping to his feet. "Can we get 'em now? Please? Pretty please?"

"Sensei?" Leo asked carefully.

"I know a little of what you speak of, Leonardo. Ancient tomes and records tell of Inhibitors-"

Suddenly, Darkwing appeared and roared angrily. "Do not speak of the Accursed Ones!" he bellowed just as Leo cried out in pain from the sudden transformation.

"I apologize, Darkwing-san, for my ignorance."

"I, too, should apologize. I forgot my place in the heat of my anger. Please, I meant no disrespect. Leonardo, are you okay?"

…Barely. Do that again, and I'll probably Succumb.

"Succumb?" Don asked. "To what?"

"That is a dreaded word for Inhabitants. It means that the host – Leonardo, in this case – will cease to exist. Only my body and mind would remain. I should have been more careful. Leonardo, I'm going to change back. You three might want to catch him."

Raph moved behind the black dragon as he slowly shifted to Leo's turtle form, which collapsed into Raph's arms immediately. His breathing was slow and deep, as if in sleep, but it quickened and he opened his eyes, straightening.

"Sorry," he mumbled, averting his eyes. "Such slow transformations made me very tired. We should go, Master Splinter. Shikeera will not stop for explanations as we have."

"You have my blessing, Leonardo. Go, and bring your brothers back safely."

"I will, Sensei."

And so will I, if I have the power, Darkwing promised, projecting an image of him bowing.

"Thank you. Boys, you may go."

They sprinted out of the layer, hot on Leo's heels as he raced around obstacles only he could see.