Dark Side

"You…" She whispered.

"Yes. Me," Lynx replied, "Funny. Seeing how I turned out in the end. How pathetic. You can't even fight anymore. What happened to the name?"

"I erased it. Bria saved me," Rachel started getting worried. If her dark side was Lynx, then why was she in such a peaceful environment? Lynx was a dark soul, who loved the darkness more than she cared about the light. Vampire. Supernatural. Anything of the sort, Lynx was ten times worse…someone with no soul and no hope.

Someone who relied on the Sight just so she could know if she was going to die the next day or not…

"Yes. I should be thanking her, but…she ruined us. Ruined me," Lynx pointed at Rachel, "Look at you! You can't do anything right! You can't fight, you can't balance, and you can't do anything that I used to do. I taught Andrew how to make people wish death just by saying a few words, I made Matt loved me with just a flutter of the eyelashes, you……you wait in the corner. You rely on Andrew to make you feel better; you rely on Matt's comfort because you can't go to the one you're truly lusting after."

Rachel winced. Her dark side was harsh. This was how she used to be? Lust? That was all she thought love was? That was it? Lynx did have a point. Andrew knew how to get the truth out of anyone, or wish they were dead by saying a few words. Lynx taught him that. She became a couple with Matt with just the twitch of the hips.

How awful she was.

"You're a thief, and a murderer. I am nothing better. I'm about to go into a war that will kill thousands, and they will die by everyone's hands. Even if we try not to kill, there will be bloodshed," Rachel said softly, "All I want is my Sight back."

"For what?" Lynx asked.

"Because they rely on me."

"They? Rely on you to tell the future? What a laugh," Lynx cracked up, "No, sweetheart, that's where you're wrong. They don't rely on you to See. They rely on you to die."

"…That's not true."

"You wished death on them, Rachel. Wasn't it not you that made Raphael crash? Wasn't it not you that made Bria run and got her back reopened? Was it not you who had the brilliant idea of going into the HQ of the Foot just so that you could get information? Was that all you?" Lynx gently grabbed the girl's chin, "Don't fret my darling little gentle side. When war strikes, I'll make sure I'm the last one standing alongside Andrew and Matt."

"Why do you care about them, and not care about anyone else that I do?" Rachel demanded.

"Because I'm the leader," Lynx said, "And Matt needs a good smack up in the head and Andrew needs to learn that while there comes changes, there comes lives."

"You're just going to use them to kill the ones I care about!" Rachel screamed, "I won't let you! Not at all."

"That's where you're wrong. You wish it. You wish them to die…To disappear. You don't like being trapped. You don't like the fact that you're always in the background. You long for the spotlight and the only way you get the attention is by Seeing. Well darling, I'll play that game. I'll make sure that Raph gets what he wants from you, and make sure he knows that you're just playing. I'll make sure Leonardo understands that you're the source of pain and disaster. I'll get Master Splinter to not just call war on the Foot, but to declare war on the Informers.

"They'll die."

"No…No…" Rachel started crying, "No, I don't wish that. I never wished that. It's true, I did make Raphael crash, but it was an accident."

"It was intentional," Lynx soothed, "Aw, Rae…" She gently brought the girl into a hug, "You don't want to admit it, but you know you're just being used. If you didn't have the Sight, you wouldn't be here right now. You'd never have that 'special someone' and you defiantly wouldn't have the Informers. So, I think I did you some good. I do expect payback. That's why I took the Sight. It was getting my nerves."

"…They wouldn't use me," Rachel whispered, "They'd never use me. Don's a nice person, and he listens to me. Mikey's like a younger brother I never had. He reminds me a bit of Matt, but he is his own person. He does get annoying, but he can brighten up my day just by telling me the lamest joke. Leo…Leo does hate me for what I did to Raph. I think he still hates me……"

"See?"

"But I doubt he hates me enough to use me. I don't think he has that potential. He may have made it difficult for me to get his acceptance and his apology, but once I got it, he told me that I learned a valuable lesson," Rachel bit her lip.

"What lesson? That you shouldn't have even tried to race Raph? He had it coming, Rae. He upset you. He cut you deep by insulting what you used for protection. He made you cry. That's all he's good for. He causes you pain and you still keep going and love him. He's never said the words to you, Rachel. You guys just fell and happened to kiss. That's not love, there's no such thing as love for him. He lusts after you, and once he gets what he wants, he'll discard you. Just like Matt."

"Matt discarded you because he found out his sexuality. He never, ever discarded me," Rachel pointed at herself. "He's still loyal……no…She's still loyal and faithful. She's a little nutty now, but I think it's because she's finally free…she doesn't have to be trapped."

"But aren't you?" Lynx asked.

Rachel didn't respond.

"Raphael. I think the only reason why you think its love is because of this little trick. Change the p to a c and you have your name. Rachael. Raphael. See? Only thing is, is that yours is spelt R-A-C-H-E-L. There's no connection." Lynx smirked as she gently pulled back from the hug, "Don't you see, Rachel? Don't you get it? You were only being used. Once this war is over, they'd want you out as quickly as they can. Either that, or make you force yourself to See so that they know if they're going to be hotshot or not."

"No. No." Rachel chanted, "NO! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" She pushed Lynx away from her and the woman fell into the river. She didn't bother to try to help her up, "They'd never use me! Bria only wanted me off the streets because…"

"Because you were a threat. A big one," Lynx replied.

"No! It's because she wanted to keep me safe. Mikey, Don, Leo, Raph, Master Splinter… they're family I never had. Never. I was an only child growing up and so was Matt. We both relied on each other to be a family because we didn't have anyone else. Now that I live here, and I train with them, I'm falling in love not with just one person, but with all of them. I see them all as my brothers……Raphael and I were/are something more. I know we're something more. He's not the most emotionalist guy on the block……"

"Just like your father."

That stung. That literally hurt. Rachel felt her hand at her heart and her tears came down faster, "He shows it to me." She said, "Actions speak louder than words, I know he loves me too. He worries about me…"

"He only worries, because if you die their plans go to hell and your body is a waste," Lynx snapped.

"That's not true. He worries and cares about me because he loves me. I'm sure if I asked him if he did, he'd answer…" Rachel bit her lip timidly. No, Raph wouldn't answer.

Lynx knew that, "He wouldn't."

Silence filled the air. The argument was still and then Rachel fell to her knees and started crying. Maybe Lynx was right. Maybe that's all she was…Just a tool… just someone that couldn't do anything else but See and fight weakly. Where's the point if that's all true? She bit her lip and clutched the grassy ground. She could hear Lynx's soft footsteps and then she bent down, "Oh…sweetheart," Lynx murmured, "It's okay… It's alright…" She gently brought the girl into a hug, "I'm here. No one else is. See? I've always been with you, I'd never abandon you. Not like them."

"They hadn't abandoned me. You're just saying that," Rachel said thickly, "You're saying that because you are the only one here. You are because I have to fight off this dark side of mine to get the Sight back…"

"Because of what? Everyone relies on it and uses it to their advantage. There's nothing for you," Lynx said soothingly, "Don't worry, Rae. I'll make them sorry for using you."

"No…" Rachel shook her head, "……You don't know that."

"Have they once, ever said anything to you besides Mikey? Don's in his lab, pushing you away, Leo and Raph only train. They don't care about you, they never have. Maybe Mikey has. Maybe, if we're lucky we can use him and make everyone feel guilty……"

"Don't bring him into this!" Rachel screamed and crawled away from Lynx, "You're not going to use him!"

"If I didn't know any better I'd say that the one you're lusting for isn't Raph, but Mikey."

"Mikey has Nao. I'd never betray her. Even if I did love him," Rachel shook her head, "No. My heart is firm and better than yours. It's not hypocritical nor is it flaky. I know who I belong to."

"Belong? Like a dog," Lynx sneered.

"I belong to Raph. If he's using me, fine," Rachel's tears fell down faster, "I don't care anymore if their using me or not. I don't care if they put distance from me because that's all their relying on. I don't care if my love for Raph is one-sided and he's using that to his advantage. I don't care anymore!" She grabbed her head and just burst into loud tears, "I don't! Watch, Lynx. Just watch. I'll let them use me, I'll let them do whatever they want and never complain. I'm going to get my Sight back even if it's just because I'm being used. I don't care anymore! I just don't!"

Lynx watched her for the longest time as Rachel just broke down crying. She didn't care if she was being used? Maybe Lynx had gone too far and Rachel developed a resistance to the talk. Repeating things could work or backfire. It looked to Lynx that it only backfired a bit. Rachel's spirit was broken, but her heart remained intact.

"Fine," Lynx sighed, "Have it your way."

"You're letting me have it?" Rachel blinked.

Lynx sighed again. "Yes, I'm letting you have the Sight back. If you want to be a tool then that's fine with me. Just remember, you reawakened me. Now I can do whatever I please," She gently walked over to Rachel and kissed her forehead before saying, "An hour and thirty minutes you lasted. Congrats."

Lynx and the scenery disappeared and Rachel found herself awake on the floor. The glass of water tipped over and water all over the floor, and she was in a crouched position on her side, her cheeks damp from the tears she had shed.

Softly, soothingly…as if it was a reward for her struggle, Nao's flute swirled about the Castle in the song of Water.

Outside the door, Raphael beat Michelangelo on the last level of their video game and he yawned before stretching, "Well, Mikey, I'm heading to bed," he told his brother, "Night."

"Night, bro," Mikey grinned and started shutting everything down before following Raph's example.

Raph headed up the stairs and was about to head to his room when he heard the distinct sounds of crying. Immediately he hurried to Rachel's room and opened the door. "Rachel!" he went to her, worry and fright in his eyes, "Are you alright?" he didn't bother asking what happened…the fact that the Journal was across the room gave it away. He brought her into his iron embrace and held her close, "I'm here, Rachel, I'm here…" he soothed.

Rachel hugged him back tightly, seeking comfort in the embrace. She felt so lost, so scared. Lynx...was it all true? He's right here…right here. She held onto him, she knew that he was scared and worried about her. Was it one-sided? Was it both sides? She felt so confused, and for once it made her feel as if she was powerless. She could feel fresh tears fall down her cheeks and she quickly tried to stop them. She didn't want him to know that she was like this. "I'm sorry…" She muttered into his shoulder, "I'm sorry."

"Go ahead and cry, Rachel," Raph told her, "Don't hide your tears from me…" he whispered and held her closer. He felt it was time to say it…time to say those three special words…Softly he nuzzled her hair, "I love you…There's nothing I wouldn't do if it meant making you happy and keeping you safe."

Rachel's grip tightened just a bit. She didn't bother hiding her tears this time. She still felt her fear slowly die and she realized what he had just said. Lynx was wrong all this time. It wasn't one-sided and clearly it wasn't just pure lust. He loved her, just as she loved him. She smiled through her tears, "I love you, too, Raph. Thank you…"

Raphael smiled a bit and nuzzled her hair again, "Of course," he soothed. They stayed like that for the longest time, and when he was certain she was fast asleep he gently picked her up as Nao's flute died out and she soon appeared in the doorway. Bowing his head in respect he left and went over to his room.

He set her down and covered her with the blankets before climbing in himself. He finger-combed her bangs and kissed her forehead, "Anything for you," he whispered, "I love you, and nothing and no one will change that."

Closing his eyes and keeping her against him, the night faded quickly into darkness.