Ancient Prophecy.

Meant to explain in the last one that manriki are the weapons Raph uses as the Nightwatcher in the movie, for those of you who didn't know.

Chapter 4:

"I've cracked it!" Donnie yelled as he managed to hack the foot's computer systems. Serena had insisted that they find out what book Zuko was talking about and that they should attempt to find it before Hex did as she felt nothing the dark witch was after should be allowed into her hands.

"You're the best Donnie!" Mikey yelled enthusiastically, no trace of the mortal wound he'd received only weeks ago in his stomach, "What were you doing again?" Don groaned at his brother and sighed in relief as April and Serena arrived at his side from where they had been researching several things.

"We're trying to hack foot headquarters to see if we can find out what book Zuko said Hex was looking for." Don said through gritted teeth as he mentally counted to ten to calm his temper.

"If someone like Hex is looking for a book then it's most likely a spell book and she's strong enough as it is without her using spell books to make her stronger. " She took a drink from her mug of hot chocolate and carried on, "We need to find the whereabouts of this book before she does and remove it." She leant over Donnie's shoulder, careful not spill her drink and watched as he looked trough any files regarding missions involving Hex and Zuko and found one active involving a lot of manpower.

"This looks interesting," he thought out loud and felt the two women were getting uncomfortably close, "um, as much as I love you girls," he glanced to each one as they looked at him, "personal space is becoming an issue."

"Oh, sorry." Serena instantly stood up to give him more room.

"Sorry Don." April did the same. "So what's interesting?" April questioned impatiently.

"Oh, this mission involves Hex," he explained as he commanded the computer to copy all of it to his own console, "a lot of research was done into the whereabouts of several books that were hidden across the globe centuries ago." He delved a little deeper hoping his connection wouldn't be severed before they had what they needed, "Even the foot weren't able to find much, but they called them the Tomes of Ellyon." The turtle and red head turned to the young witch as she choked on her beverage.

"Uh, Serena," April patted the younger's back, "are you okay?"

"Are you sure Donnie?!" Serena asked staring at him in pure disbelief.

"Positive!" He assured her, "That's what the files are calling these books and according to . . .Aw shell!" He cried as he immediately went to sever the connection to the foot's systems.

"They detect you?" April asked as he flicked the screen off and sighed in relief that they didn't have time to administer a virus to his own system.

"Yeah," he slumped a little in his chair, "but I didn't manage to download everything from that one file, I didn't get the information of where the books are though."

"We won't need one," Serena informed him ignoring the confused looks, "The tomes of Ellyon are stuff of legend to people like me, they hold spells and the like that have not been used for millennia. From what I've heard they're more powerful than anything I or my aunt Bella have ever handled before."

"So why don't we have to worry about where all these books are?" Mikey asked cocking his head to one side.

"Well I do know that there is one hidden somewhere here in New York and there should be an ancient map that we can use to figure out where it will be." She said and continued before anyone could interrupt her, "Unfortunately the map is in elven and it might take me a few days to translate the directions."

"If it's ancient then how. . ." Mikey started.

"Well if Serena can translate the writing on it then I suppose we can scan it into the computer and compare it to a modern map." April suggested, "Where is the map Renie?"

"In the basement at the shop," speaking of her aunt's magic store and failing to hide the grief that flashed through her features, "I guess at least Leo and Casey will be moving her library here for a better reason now, huh?"

"Still not sure Casey'll stop grumbling about all of the work he and Leo are putting into it though." April grinned mischievously trying to cheer her young friend up, then frowned, "you're sure there was nothing breakable right?"

"It's all just books they're moving April." Serena smiled. Soon after Raphael's mystery girl had arrived at the lair supporting him and then slipped away unnoticed they'd found out that the police were searching for her as a missing person. When Donnie had looked into it he'd found that Bella had never named anyone as a legal guardian should anything happen to her and that meant if Serena did reappear then she might be taken away from Leo so he had gone to work and managed to make it so that it looked like April and Casey were distant relatives of hers. Then they'd gone to the justice force and spoken to Nobody who managed to smooth Bella's death over as a gang related crime along with ensuring that social services didn't get suspicious of any of the details Don had fabricated. Considering April's shop had been all but destroyed, again, she, Casey and April were now safely hidden away at the lair until further notice and despite her loss Serena was determined to carry on her studies into witchcraft. That was why Leo and Casey were currently emptying her aunt's basement of the hundreds of books stored down there. Serena would collect anything else herself once Leonardo stopped mothering her enough to allow her above ground for a moment or two, she hadn't even returned to school yet. "Speak of the devil." She pointed to the doors that lead to the hanger as Leo and Casey walked in each carrying a box each. "Thanks guys."

"No probs, Renie" Casey huffed as he lugged the heavy box of books towards the area the boys had set aside for them. Don had really gone to town, especially when Serena had told him a lot of the books were ancient texts filled with lost languages. He had created enough book shelves to make the area into a small library and was as eager to start studying the books as Serena was.

"You okay?" Leo asked his girl pecking her on the cheek.

"I'm fine," she said rolling her eyes knowing full well that that was farthest from the truth, "why do you insist on worrying about me you know perfectly well I can take care of myself." She smiled and whispered; "Besides you have more important things to worry about than me." She didn't miss the hurt look in his eyes neither did he miss the grief shining in hers.

"I know but since. . .well the last time you used your magic. . ." he sighed not wanting to think about it more than he had to, "you slept for so long and have you been able to use it since?"

"A little." She lied looking the other way she thought that he would protest more but he didn't and merely followed Casey to put his own box down then the turtle noticed someone in the dojo. He frowned and walked over to the doors and peered through the cracks then groaned on seeing Raphael working out despite Donatello's explicit orders not to do anything strenuous until it was said Raph could do so.

"What are you doing?" Leo opened the door, folded his arms and glared at his little brother.

"What's it look like." Raph moved awkwardly, still feeling many of his wounds, but ignored the pain and carried on with his katas.

"Raph, I can tell from here you're in pain," Leo said walking over to his brother who had stopped and was now bent over with his hands on his knees and breathing heavily, "you have to rest or you'll never heal."

"Just butt out Leo, you wouldn't understand!" Raphael spat at his brother gritting his teeth at the pain that seemed to be getting worse. He stood up and the room span the appeared to get closer, but before he hit he felt strong arms catch him and sit him down carefully so that he was leaning against a wall.

"Raph please don't do this to your self." Leo pleaded with his brother hoping he would listen and wondering if he had been as foolish when he had the attitude problem after Karai had stabbed him.

"Do what Leo!" the injured party tried to shout but it came out more pained than anything else. "Stop, we don't got time for that with those new creeps still out there! They find us then all of us gotta be ready ta fight!"

"Raph you're hurting yourself!" Leo didn't miss the terrified look on Raph's face from that remark and his brother fingering his forearms.

"I'm fine Leo," he replied quietly, "I just need ta get back to normal." By now the rest of the house hold were in the room listening to the minor spat and ready to help out when needed.

"You won't get back to normal until you're healed!" Leo protested making his little brother look at him but Raph didn't reply this time only looked away.

"Raph?" the turtle in question looked at his only younger brother and blanched, knowing what was coming, "What did they do?" It was a simple question really but Raphael wasn't sure how to answer it without breaking down and there was no way he'd do that in front of his brothers, especially not Mikey, besides he didn't think it was just the constant beatings that were playing on his mind, "Why are you so scared?" He looked at Mikey then with shocked eyes.

"I. . .I don't know what you're. . ."

"Liar," Mikey replied before he could complete the sentence, "I hear you at night bro," the youngest wrapped his arms around himself as if talking about big bad Raphie being scared terrified him to the bone, "you try not to call out but I can still here you." He turned his blue eyes on his brother and glared, "so stop acting like the tough guy for once and tell us what they did to you that's got you so damn scared!"

"He's right Raph," Donnie joined in smiling kindly at his younger brother, "we can't help you until you admit there's something wrong. Don approached Raph slowly and reached down to his forearms picking them up and said the words that terrified him more than anything the foot could ever have done to him, "I know what you did Raph, please let us help you." Raph snatched his arm away and pulled away from his brothers and Don instantly regretted admitting what he'd found when treating Raph's injuries and the conclusions he had come to. The family watched as Raph edged away from Leo and Don towards the main room, he then bolted and pushed past Serena and April who were effectively sent flying. He ran for the sewers and once out of the layer kept running until his adrenaline ran out and was no longer masking the pain he was in. He looked around and blinked.

"When did I go topside?" He thought to himself but shrugged and breathed in the sewage free air. He sat on whichever rooftop he had ended up on and looked up at the sky wishing he was at the farmhouse where he could see the stars, he'd often wondered about learning the names of all of the constellations but on mentioning it to Don his brother had laughed at him and then asked if he had been joking so he'd complied and old him he had been. Mikey had once said that Leo was responsible so that Don could dream, Mikey could goof around and he didn't have to think. He thought back to that day and the feeling it had caused in his stomach was still there, was that how they all saw him. He did and could think, it was just he got so angry sometimes that his mind didn't catch up with his body. After all he was not like Donnie who would have graduated at eight, but he wasn't stupid even if his brothers thought of him that way. Raph didn't give a damn about science unless it was in a sci-fi movie, he did like to read though and he did all of the repairs on his bike himself. In fact Don had asked him a while back if he was even using his bike as it didn't seem to have a thing wrong with it. Raph had grinned at that and just walked away. It still hurt though; he'd do anything for any of his brothers, he'd give his life for them. But not one of them knew who he really was why he got angry or even what scared him, other than bugs of course but he would deny that to the grave. He unwound the bandage his right arm and fingered the scars there, had Mikey really heard him cry out? He'd been plagued with nightmares for years now but had taught himself to keep himself quiet even in sleep; a talent he was sure even the mighty Leo would be impressed with. But since he had been mercilessly beaten whilst chained to a wall in enemy grounds his nightmares had reached a fever pitch and he knew he had lost control a few times and yelled out involuntarily. No one had ever come in so he figured that the cries had gone unnoticed but he had obviously been wrong. And now Donatello knew his darkest secret and he felt like his world would shatter around him.

"Well, well, well."Raph spun around to find a bunch of purple dragons approaching from the roof's fire escape, the one who had spoken was none other than Hun himself and Raph's eyes darted around for an escape route, "now when one of my boys reported in saying there was a lone turtle up here oblivious to the world I didn't believe him." The behemoth chuckled, "I hear you've met the foot's new boss and his little pets." Raphael growled subconsciously reaching for his belt and trying not to panic when he found his sai missing instead he reached for his cell he pressed the panic button. "I've met Tatsu too and he's given me free rein ta do whateva the hell I want with you so long as you're not with your little family." The dragons surrounded him and Raph crouched into a fighting stance hoping that he'd get a lucky break and he could break free and just run, "You don't look so hot freak, oh well. Don't you worry you're ugly green head Raphael, this parts the easy part, if you think what the foot did was bad just wait till we get through with ya." Hun grinned at the fear that flashed through the mutant's eyes the pointed at the turtle, "Get him boys, but make sure ya don't ruff him up too much just yet, that way we can have more fun with him later."

"Leo, slow down!" Don yelled as he tried to keep up with their worried leader and glanced at an equally worried Mikey. All three skidded to a stop at the shrill sound from their cells.

"Ah shell," Mikey said panic evident over his features, "Raphie?" Don took his out aware that Leo had rejoined them, and tried to contact Raph.

"Hello freaks!" Huns voice said down the line.

"No! Let me go!" Raph was heard yelling in the back ground.

"Hun if you so much as scratch him I swear I'll. . ." Leo clenched his fists.

"You'll do what?" Hun teased down the line grinning as he watched his boys tie Raph up and hold him down, "call me names? Cause there's no way you'll find me freaks and me and my boys here get a big wad of cash every day we keep Raphael under lock and key, away from you!" Hun laughed as he heard one of the turtles on the line loosing it and being comforted by another. "Tell ya what, I'll keep this thing and let you keep in touch how's that?" He laughed again at the insults thrown his way, "Of course I gotta warn ya, we'll be in a building that scrambles all tracking devices and I know how long it takes to trace a call location so don't get any bright ideas. Oh and just in case ya do, I get one whiff of any of you freaks getting too close an your brother's dead got it?" With that he hung up and threw the cell at a guy with short black hair and walked over to Raphael who growled up at the walking mountain, "Goodnight freak!" He drew his right arm back and smashed his fist into the teenagers face knocking him out cold then nodded to his men to take him back to their safe house.

"They got Raphie!" Mikey screamed over and over as they raced to Raph's last location and were greeted with an empty rooftop.

"Don?" Leo stood and looked out over the city, "If Raph's cutting himself and he's not mentally stable right now. . ."

"How long do you think Raph's gonna last with the purple dragons?" Mikey finished sniffling.

"From the stories Casey's told me?" Don squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists fearing for his little brother's sanity as well as his safety, "I doubt they'd have to do much, but it's unlikely they'll stop even if they see Raph's been. . ."

"Been what Donnie?!" Mickey asked in a shrill voice.

"The way he's been acting recently I would say he's headed for a complete mental break down," Donnie slipped into doctor mode to try and mask his worry, "they might break him completely Mike."

"Then we've got to go after them!" Mikey said as if it was the obvious choice more tears beginning to trail down his face once more.

"You heard what Hun said Mikey," Don placed a comforting hand on the younger's shoulder, "We need to figure out where they're going to take him. Even if we did manage to find them there's no way we could get to him before they. . ."

"What?" Mikey asked despite knowing the answer.

"They're purple dragons Mike," Leo clenched his fists and turned his back to his brother's hiding the fear he knew they would see, "if they don't put a bullet through his head then they'll cave it in. Either way they'll kill him before we could get to him."

"Which means the best plan would be to use any and all ways to find out where they're taking him and go from there," Don looked to Mikey and made the blue eyed teen look back at him, "with all of his contacts through the force and on the street Nobody might be able to get some vital information." His brother nodded and Don looked to Leo, "We should get home to tell Splinter what's happened." Leo didn't make any attempt to move and Don noticed his brother tensing, "Leo this wasn't your fault."

"He's right bro." Mike took a step towards the turtle in blue.

"No he's not right!" Leo protested, "I'm the one who allowed myself to get hurt when we were first attacked! Raph had to try and hold off Zuko whilst the two of you were trying to help me! Then I had to watch helplessly whilst Isabella is murdered in front of our eyes and Serena. . ." Leo paused only to rub his eyes, "oh Gods, that scream, the look in her eyes. She thinks I can't see it, she won't talk to me and it's all cause she thinks I've got enough to worry about. And tonight. . ."

"Leo. . ." Don pleaded but Leo spun around and carried on with his rant.

"No! I'm not done!" Leo glared at both of his brothers making them edge backwards slightly, "I mean look at tonight! I wasn't going to shout, I wasn't even planning on. . . But then I saw him looking in so much pain and after what you'd told us about his arms. I just snapped! And I never expected Raph to look so damn scared, he never looks scared!" Leo sunk to his knees and looked down at his hands now palm up in his lap.

"What's happened is not your fault Leo," Don said sternly to his brother, "we all stood there and watched Raph run from the lair. We've all known something was wrong since he got back. Master Splinter and I have been keeping and eye on him even before he was taken and still neither of us approached him, and we all just watched him leave. We were all shocked at his outburst; it was so unlike him to react that way."

"I don't get it." Mikey said almost too quietly, "He always tells me everything; I thought we were best friends. But all this time he was in so much pain. Why was he was hurting himself? Why didn't he tell me?" He wasn't really talking to anyone but himself and proceeded to sit on the edge of the building.

"I don't know Mike." Don said softly, "This is exactly why Splinter and I should have done something sooner!" he added pulling his older brother into a hug then pulling back to hold him at arms length, "We'll get him back Leo and if they've hurt him then they'll pay."

"When did it all go wrong Donnie?" Leo asked terrifying both of his younger brothers with the utterly lost expression on his face.

There is a reason for me torturing them, so at the moment please bear with me! Anywho, please if you're out there then I need your reviews!! You know you want to review! Oh and I know most of this is based on the 03 cartoon-verse but I loved the eyes in the new movie so I stole them and I think the latest series is doing the boys with their eyes showing as well. Toddles Angel xxx