8D Hey guys. Welp, this is the last chapter! Yyaayyy.

I actually had a lot of trouble with this one, mostly because I had it all in my head but I couldn't...put it down...on paper.

But then I tried something that I didn't think of. I started it out in someone's point of view! As soon as I did that, it just flowed righhhht outta me.

Sorry it's not amazingly long, but I write what I write, I am but a slave to my muse.

Chapter Eight

When we landed, we were most definitely not in Mikey's mind room anymore. Once again we were in a dark void. Mikey's mind seemed to have a lot of those. Seems I owe Raph ten bucks.

Don and Raph landed behind me a few seconds later and Master Splinter was quick to follow.

"Look, over there!" Don called, pointing behind me. I swiftly turned and saw outlines of four figures. My brows knitted in concern.

"Hopefully one of those is Mikey…but let's hurry, in case they're hostile." I instructed. Donnie and Master Splinter nodded and Raph just growled angrily.

I knew Raph was the one feeling the guiltiest about his little brother's feelings. They were very close, close enough that he probably thought any derogatory comments between them was their way of showing affection. But to find out that some of his teasing words actually hurt his best friend? Raph always felt things so strongly; I just hope his guilt and anger won't get in the way of this rescue.

However I am not safe from the monster called guilt either, and I am sure Donnie is feeling the same. What is keeping me going is the knowledge that I will make this right with my littlest.

I'm somewhat grateful for this parasite to be honest, knowing Mikey, he definitely would not come to us about these feelings until it broke him. Frivolous complaining? We will always hear it from Mikey, but issues that are actually serious? Never. Usually get whatever's bothering him out in the open we have to sick Raphael on him to corner him until he explodes. Not the best method…but it works. Just like it works with me. Mikey and I…aren't that much different, to be honest. Well, when it comes to dealing with emotion anyway. We both put our feeling in a bottle, hoping we can keep the pressure from building. But in the end it always explodes, one way or another.

As we got closer to the beings, I noticed that there was a figure huddling in the middle of three other beings. Donatello, who was in the lead, stopped suddenly.

"What the…are those…?" He muttered, I came up beside him and reeled back in shock.

"What! HEY! GET AWAY FROM MAH BRO!" Raph screamed, unsheathing his sais threateningly.

It was then that I noticed that Michelangelo was definitely there…and in the middle of three, very dark looking versions of ourselves.

My eyes narrowed in anger. If that parasite thought it could get away turning us against our little brother, it had another thing coming.

I brought out my two katana threateningly.

Ooooooooo

Michelangelo was starting to lose hope. Covering his ears was doing nothing from protecting his mind from the harsh words…because he was in his mind. The angry yelling echoed around him, slashing viciously against his self control and resistance.

But suddenly he heard something different. It was still angry, and it was still yelling…but it wasn't this.

"HEY! GET AWAY FROM MAH BRO!"

Mikey's head shot up and he peered around the circle of his angry brother clones…to see his brothers and his father.

But these, this was his real family.

He felt a large smile begin to creep onto his face. They came for him.

Leonardo was standing in front, his katana held away and pointed towards their clones. Raph was just a few inches behind him, sai's gleaming threateningly from the small amount of light in the area. Donnie was standing beside Leo, his bo pointed towards them threateningly, a dark glare on his face that he wasn't accustomed to seeing. And then, right next to him was his father. His walking stick struck the ground, his chin held high and looking very much like an overprotective father trying to protect his children and Mikey couldn't be happier to see that.

But the relief did not last. A dark chill fell across the group and the clones all turned at once to face wisps of darkness, slowly manifesting into a person shape.

Mikey felt fear strike his heart and he scrambled back.

"You." He heard his father growl. "Parasite! Release my son this instance."

"I do not know how you managed to find your way here," the parasite began. Its voice sounded like a mix of many voices and was very, very disturbing to Mikey. "But his light has been claimed. If you leave now, I may grant you your lives. Your lights are unappetizing to me."

Raphael laughed mockingly. "Yeah, like we'd do that!" And with a loud battle cry he surged forward, slashing at the being.

"Raph! Wait!" Leo yelled, dashing forward to help only to be intercepted by their evil clones.

The parasite easily separated his lower and upper body to dodge the sai. "My creations, do not let them near my light!"

At that command, the clones suddenly transformed from doppelgangers to large, dark masses of a rather intimidating nature.

Donnie spared a glance at Mikey and felt his heart break slightly at the terrified and completely confused expression on his face. "We need to get to Mikey!" He instructed.

"Right." Leonardo nodded, twirling his katana expertly and surging forward, and sound of pure aggression flying from his lips as he attacked one of the dark masses. It dodged, as if made of water and shot forward. Leo managed to dodge it and advanced again.

Donnie ran directly towards the creature and with expert precision dodged a strike from one of the masses and slide under it. Behind his foe, he delivered a swift kick straight into its back, sending the mass sprawling forward. It recovered quickly however and turned, one of its meaty appendages slamming into the purple turtle and sending him flying into Leonardo, who yelped in surprise.

However Master Splinter chose a different tactic, skillful avoidance. Easily jumping over the last creature, he ran forward and, dodging dark tendrils that the creature was attacking him with to try and dissuade him, slide forward in front of his son.

"My son!" He cried, placing a hand on his cheek. Mikey looked up at him, the look of absolute confusion and fear breaking the old rat's heart. "My son," He repeated, staring deep into Michelangelo's blue eyes. "This is your mind. This parasite, it tricks you into believing it is in control but it is not! You must gather your strength, you must-AGH!" While he was talking to his son, the remaining creature had surged forward and sent the rat sprawling, dangerously close to the dark pit.

"Master!" Mikey cried, trying to get up. Why did he feel so weak?

Raph was viciously trying to tear into the humanoid being that was the parasite. Every time the slippery being dodged his swipes his growls of anger got louder and louder, his frustration peeking.

Finally his couldn't take it any longer and decided to try a feint. Punching with his left, he waited until the parasite went to dodge before slamming his sai into the being's side. The parasite let out a screech that most definitely was not human and made the red turtle flinch slightly.

Suddenly the parasite's head whirled around, noticing Michelangelo attempting to get up.

"NO!" It yelled. Quickly dodging an attack from Raph, it bleed into the floor, crossing under where Donnie and Leo were fighting two of his creations and grabbed hold on Mikey's foot.

Mikey screeched in surprise and began to struggle, staring fearfully in the direction of where his sensei was struggling to get up, the dark creature inching ever closer.

"Let me GO!" He yelled, trying to get a grip on the dark tendril but it just kept moving up and overtaking him more.

"You are mine." He heard the voice in his head whisper. Mikey turned his head and caught a glance of Leo and Donnie getting their butts kicked by the giant masses, their strength unyielding and their dodging swift. Raph was running towards him, his arm reached out as if he could grab him and pull him from harm. Master Splinter was up, barely dodging the creature that was bringing him ever closer to the pit.

"No…NO!" He suddenly yelled. "This…this is MY mind! Get OUT!" Bright light burst through the void at his last word. The three creatures yelled in pain and scurried away from their opponents, trying to find some relief in the shadows.

"NO! You cannot fight me! No one can!" The parasite yelled, trying to grip Mikey tighter, its tendrils crawling up his back.

No longer hindered by unbeatable opponents, the brothers and father ran over to their youngest and began to try and get the darkness off of him.

"That is it my son! Keep fighting!" Master Splinter encouraged, placing a hand on his son's arm and closing his eyes, trying to will as much spiritual power into him as possible.

"C'mon Mike! You can do it!" Donnie yelled, grabbed the tendril that had attached himself to Mikey's other arm and tried to pry it off.

"Get offa mah brotha freak!" Raph growled, trying to get a grip on the increasingly heavy dark tendrils on Mikey's shell.

Leonardo grabbed Mikey's chin and tilted his head up to stare directly into his older brother's eyes. "You can do this Mike, you can! You are fully capable, strong, and most of all not useless!"

Mikey let out a gasp at the words, staring at Leonardo with an almost sense of disbelief before his eyes narrowed in determination. The last thing that the family saw was Mikey's eyes turn white before they were blasted back.

Gasping, the three turtles fell backwards, surprised at the sudden re-entering of their bodies.

"Mike?" Raph whispered, scooting over to the couch and touching the still unconscious Mikey's head.

Master Splinter let out a deep sigh and placed a clawed hand over his littlest's heart. "We did all we could my sons…it is up to Michelangelo now."

Donnie and Leo looked at each other sorrowfully before getting closer, waiting anxiously for their brother to awaken.

Ooooooo

Michelangelo gasped loudly, sitting up from his place on the now brightly lit floor and looked around. "I…musta knocked out or somethin'…" he muttered, standing to his feet.

"Where'd…my bros go?" The orange turtle asked out loud.

He heard a hissing from his right and tensed when he saw the dark form of the parasite kneeling on the ground. The light was hurting it, that much was obvious. Smokey tendrils were rising from it, giving the impression that it was burning.

"No…" It hissed, slowly beginning to creep towards Michelangelo again. He took an involuntary step back.

"No one has been able to fight me…I must…I am so weak…I must…have…your…light!" With that the parasite lunged forward, tackling Michelangelo to the floor.

"Give up! Your brother's think you useless remember? Just give yourself to me…and you will be free from their words…" The parasite hissed in his ear, tendrils trying to creep into his temples.

Michelangelo closed his eyes tightly. "No…"

"You did good Mikey, I'm proud of you."

"No…" He felt the tendril dig into his soul, sending a flash of pain through him.

"In this life we only have each other. If one of us goes down, we all go down."

"No…" He tried to struggle, but the darkness was unyielding.

"You guys…love me right?"

"Of course we do Mikey."

"Don't ever doubt that."

"No…!" He began to panic, desperately trying to dislodge what was causing him pain.

"You are fully capable, strong, and most of all not useless!"

"NO!" Mikey yelled, and with a sudden flash of strength grabbed onto the tendrils and yankedthem from his body.

"What? No!" The parasite yelled.

"I won't let you deceive me about my family anymore! You know nothing about them, about us, now GET OUT OF ME!" Mikey screamed.

"NOOO!" The parasite yelled, scrambling away from the orange turtle as he began to glow, the light encasing the void around him and completely covering the parasite. Mikey smiled in satisfaction and closed his eyes.

Oooooooo

For twenty minutes they sat there, staring mournfully at the still body of their little brother.

"It ain't right." Raph said, breaking the silence. "Mike should neva be this still."

"I know what you mean Raph…he's always moving around. I never realized how much I need to see him being so energetic until…" Leo muttered, gently stroking Mikey's forehead.

Donnie was silent for a moment. "…Maybe he has ADD."

That managed to get a small chuckle from his family. Suddenly Mikey shot up, startling the three brothers and sending them back a few inches.

"Mikey!" Leonardo yelled.

Mikey let out a scream, before suddenly a dark entity surged out of his mouth and into the air. With an inhuman shriek, the shadow froze, writhing in pain in the air before flying into the shadows. There was a weak hiss…and the parasite was gone.

The orange turtle flopped back onto the couch and let out a long moan. "Mannn…did someone get the license number of the truck that hit me?" He groaned, bringing his uninjured hand to rest against his forehead.

"MIKEY!" His brothers yelled all at once, swarming the couch and pulled him off, encircling him in a rather tight group hug, one that Raph was glad to contribute to (with an affectionate headlock, of course).

"I'm so glad you are alright!" Leo cried, hugging him tightly.

"Dammit Mike, if you do this to us again I am chaining you down to your bed!" Donnie yelled, flicking his little brother affectionately in the shoulder.

Mikey laughed. "But then you'd hafta make Raph wait on me hand and foot!"

"That's definitely not happening!" Raph growled, tightening his grip for a moment before letting go. The three just laughed.

Master Splinter stood at the sidelines for a moment, a relieved look on his face before stepping forward. The laughing stopped as Mikey looked up at his father with a smile.

The rat grinned gently and placed a hand on his youngest's forehead. "I am proud of you my son; you defeated a soul eating parasite, one that many had succumbed to before you. I am relieved that you heeded my words, despite me unable to completely explain myself."

Mikey let out a breathtaking smile, one that the family had not seen for weeks now and exhaled loudly. "Well, these good looks come with big brains ya know."

Raph growled and whacked him upside the head gently. "Knucklehead." Mikey just tilted his head up to smile at him and red masked turtle was never more relieved to see the goofy smile then he was then.

Now all that's left is the epilogue! Any feedback you are willing to give is appreciated! :D