Author's Note: Hey there, we're back to bring you another good chapter. We had to make sure this one is good, as it is a focal point. This is the end result and we hope it's good. Anyway, don't want to hold you up so enjoy.
Chapter 25: Finding Your Center Part 1
The Astral Plane was a place between the living world and the spirit world, with the dream world somewhere in between. Only powerful living beings could visit such a place where their senses were heighted. Not quite solid enough to be deemed as real, but much more coherent than just a vivid dream. But the place where Splinter was returning to was something different. This place was one step further into a realm that felt more real than ever… and not in a good way. A place where powerful souls became trapped. Once again Splinter remembered the unpleasant sensation of entering the Rat Kings Astral plane. The transition into darkness as his mind faded from the real world, but instead of descending upwards, this was always falling to a much darker depth. He felt the wind flow past his ears. His body was forced to surrender to the complete and utter loss of control. Lights started appearing, flying passed him as he watched what appeared to be a fire pit at the end of the tunnel grow disturbingly closer… only this was no light at the end of a tunnel anybody would want to reach.
Splinter knew quickly he was returning to a place he prayed he would never see again. As he had been dragged there as a prisoner the first time, he hadn't taken the time to really look at his surroundings, but now he was entering it willingly in search of his son, more details presented themselves. His eyes widened in alarm as the walls looked to be alive in a way, almost as if he was inside of a living being. He raced through the many tunnels, or that is what he assumed, trying to navigate his way through, yet stopped as something bright and ablaze caught his eye. What he took for fire was actually red-light bleeding through what looked like a large crack in what must be glass as he could not see a surface around it. It was a crack in the fabric of reality! As he approached the crack, he felt the heat against his face, but he did not recoil. Donatello was just beyond this wall; of that he was sure of. Being a parent on a mission to protect his child, he clawed at the weak point trying to break through. His fingers burning, with a stabbing pain, as it made him wince and hiss, yet he didn't stop, no matter the cost! His son was in danger, and he would save him at the cost of his own body being harmed! Lucky, an entrance soon presented itself, but instead of crumbling like earth as expected, it melted away, as though trying to stretch and tear apart hot thick rubber.
When it was big enough, the rat master didn't hesitate crawling through the narrow space. He knew that he was heading in the right direction, as the deeper he went, the stronger the link to his smart son grew. Once through, he stood up only to find something terrifying familiar. The black web, the very same thing that had kept him and his fellow brethren imprisoned. It dominated the entire space, spreading out in every direction, as one could not take a single step without touching it. The mere sight made him shudder momentarily as his limbs burned from the memory of the thin wires cutting into him. The nightmares alone from his time here were enough to last him a lifetime. Yet, now as he continued to look upon the trap that had imprisoned him before, his heart did not sink until he heard the blood curdling scream echoed from somewhere within it.
Splinter froze to the spot, as it felt like a river of ice had replaced his blood. He knew who that was, and worse he knew exactly WHAT was been done to him to make his child cry out like that. "No!" With desperation, the father quickly made his way through the forest of the now empty webs towards the source of the cries.
He had expected to find it difficult barreling his way through tangled wires. Easier to get caught up and trapped within it… but strangely, this time he seemed to just effortless glide through it, like swimming through water. Very different to the last time he had been here. The web no longer seemed to hold any restrictions, at least for him. Had he not cared more about finding Donatello, he may have found this curious.
As he reached the center of the mind trap, he knew he had found his son before he had even seen him. As two figures in the mass took shape, the ice that had been running though the father's veins a moment ago was quickly replaced with burning anger. He saw the monster who called himself his King and Master, standing over his son, only he looked different. The bandages were gone, as he had transformed into something truly grotesque, and hideous. The rat skin laid under him, revealing the blood and bone demon he really was. Something that oddly fit what he was on the inside. Now he was tormenting his son, who could not defend himself. Donatello was bound tightly with his arms outstretched as the many fine threads of the web sharply piecing him along every joint. A much thicker cluster of the webbing was wrapped around his throat choking him and keeping him immobilized as more lines were feeding into his scalp. Splinter heart wept for the teen as his arms and legs were slowly being pulled and twisted at unnatural angles, but Donatello had long since given up on trying to regain his freedom. His body was already broken and growing weaker by the second. His cries were now just of wilting despair. His glazed eyes had lost any fight from them as the life was being drained from his entire body through the attached vines. Donatello's aura, which was a soft violet light, bled out of him and was being filtered along the threads before being fed into the body of the adjoined Rat King.
Splinter didn't wait another second. The father leapt forward placing himself between the Rat King and his second youngest. Wasting no time as he started clawing at the monster, and his webs in the hope of once again severing the connection…but nothing happened! Splinter's eyes widened in horror as he saw his hands go right through the web strings and through the Rat Kings flesh, not leaving so much as a mark! The Rat King didn't even notice that Splinter had arrived. Even when the father tried to focus all his energy on separating the two, he didn't even flinch…it was almost like Splinter was nothing more than a ghost they could not see or hear.
Panic rising as Donatello's cries faded into a terrifying silence and the rat master realized why he could not attack the demonic mutant before him, nor the webbing. He, Splinter, had severed the connection between himself and the Rat king. The easier movement through the web was because he was no longer a prisoner. He wasn't even in the Rat Kings mind anymore… he was in Donatello's, only able to observe. The web could no longer control him, but he could no longer damage it either. All the rats were free forever, including him! Splinter looked around to face his son shaking as his body unwillingly surrendered to the pain of been hollowed out. Even though he was connected to Donatello's mind, he couldn't help him.
Splinter quickly made his way over to his son, in a complete panic as he needed to do something, anything! "Donatello, you need to listen!" He pleaded, but no response. "Donatello!" louder, this time Donnie flinched. "Donatello please hear my voice, I am here." Finally, eyes opened weakly to greet him. "My son!" Splinter said with such sorrow, wanting so much to take his pain, and even exchange himself with him… but couldn't. The distress in his son's eyes made Splinter's tremble as his heart started to ache. Donatello was dying, that much was distressingly clear. Splinter took his son's face in his hands, yet his heart sank that bit more. He could feel cold and clammy skin, but his paws just went through the net holding him. He really was useless, but that didn't mean he would stop trying. "You can't give up my son… You can't!" He whispered desperately. Feeling his eyes stinging with fire, only realizing tears were falling. Donatello blinked a few trying to see his father clearly. He was too tired to move as the pain drained him.
Splinter shook him, "NO! Donatello stay awake - !" He yelled but only more light to bleed from him, along with more tears. No, no! He can't lose him like this! He can't! He would rather die first.
"Stop fighting it Donatello, the nightmare will end soon. Just let go and you will feel no more," The Rat King muttered not knowing he had interrupted the reunion. Splinter looked back at the monster, as it was apparent that the humanoid mutant could not see him. Donatello just groaned in response, not able to withstand much more.
"No… Donatello, look at me, not him!" This time Splinter said firmly, trying to block the Rat King's out. Donnie did so, eyes opening slightly to only someone he could see. There was still fear in his eyes when he looked at his father, but that had been violently shoved to one side by sorrow…and fear…a fear of dying. Splinter moved closer, taking his face in his hand again. "See me! Just me, not him! Hear MY voice -"
"Kill me!" Donnie mouthed so quietly that Splinter struggled to hear it, but he did hear it as he went completely stiff at the words. "Please kill me before he kills you all." Donnie was not able to talk much more… As they were linked, he instead told his father what was going to happen and what he should do to stop it through a vision.
Splinter gasped, not able to repress a shudder as a graphic image swept through him, as more tears followed. It was a 'premonition', but the warning was also a plea. He saw the two of them in the real world as they were right now, sitting in the green house. Donatello's head on his lap. But Rat King had successfully possessed and taken over his body, meaning there was no stopping him. Not Ever! The next time Donatello would open his eyes in the real world; Donatello would no longer exist! It would be too late. His eyes glowed with burning red and Splinter would only have one last chance of stopping him! That was the plea from his son Splinter was seeing. Taking what used to be his son's head in his paws… and breaking his neck. One clean kill before Donatello/Rat King attacked him and moved onto everyone else.
"NO!" Splinter gasped in horror. Not wanting to believe what his son was showing him… What he is asking him to do. Though it was true, if Donatello made it back to the real world now, Splinter would only be looking at the thing that killed him! He considered his son's last request. A last act of mercy. Not to let his body be abused in such a way, but they were not at this stage yet! Splinter HAD to find a way to stop this here and now before his mind and body were contaminated…but what if he failed…? He would have no choice… Oh god! He would have no choice – No! He hadn't failed yet. Splinter's hands tightened into fists, not wanting to give up, "Donatello you listen to me-!"
"DONNIE!" New voices had suddenly joined the party before Splinter could finish, and this time the Rat King heard them too. The three looked up to see three new figures struggling to make their way through the webbing towards them, carrying only horrified expressions. Donnie gasped at seeing his brothers here. How were they here? This was one giant red flag!
The three brothers grunted with the effort of fighting their way through the web. It was an impeding and slow progress… Only to halt and gasp upon seeing the state of their missing brother. The sight of his distorted limbs, and defeated look was enough to make them grimace, and even a need to puke just by looking, yet it didn't help as they were shocked at the Rat King's appearance. All three nearly gasping at the sight of it and giving them pause once more…yet it didn't deter them, but instead, it refueled their determination. "Hold on Donnie we're coming!" Leo yelled. None of them had noticed Splinter either. Yet unlike Splinter, they were getting tangled in the web… Like adhesive, it clung to their skin, while other strands wrapped around them.
"No, no, no, no Donnie! … Let him go!" Mikey yelled at the Rat King, but the more they moved, the worse it got, even snagging at their feet making them trip over. Without stopping what he was doing, the Rat King just chuckled at his captive, positively delighted by the new arrivals. "I owe you thanks boy. Now I won't have to hunt for my meals after I get my new body," He muttered.
On the Astral Plane the brothers had been denied their weapons, but that wasn't going to stop them from kicking shell! Nothing would stop them from saving their brother… or so they thought.
"You wait until I get through this, I am going to cut you up in little pieces and feed them to Mikey cat!" Raphael yelled, struggling more violently as he watched the violet light drain while Donnie gawped like a fish on a beach as the air was rejected from his body. God-almighty! He had never wanted to punch someone so hard, so badly in his life. Oh, shell no! As though he still had his sai, Raphael twisted his restrained arms, trying to stab and tear his way through the netting, but more thread seemed to be appearing blocking his way, caging them in. The red and orange brothers chanced a look at Leo hoping they wouldn't see their own helplessness reflecting back at them… they did. They couldn't get through… They wouldn't reach Donnie in time.
"Take me!" Mikey yelled suddenly, catching everyone off guard. The orange clad turtle pleaded, willing this all to stop. "Take me instead!"
"Mikey!" both Raph and Leo and even Donnie looked at him on in alarm.
"Michelangelo…" Splinter spoke up, even though he knew they couldn't hear him.
This was what Mikey had been planning as a last-ditch attempt all along. He had just hoped it wouldn't be necessary. Turns out that it was, "I was your first captive…It all began with me…There is nothing you can take from him that you couldn't have from me!"
"Mikey shut up! Don't you dare-!"
"Take me instead, just… just let him go…please! I won't fight you…just please give him back!" Mikey attempting to stifle the sob. He knew the nightmares meant he and the Rat King still held a connection… and he would be willing to trade places with and endure his fate.
But the Rat King just laughed in a tone that sounded patronizingly familiar, "This is all very touching, but I am afraid you are all too late… This is my Astral Plane now. My mind… but as an empath and telepath, you could say this place is also my stomach! I can 'digest' you ALL from here. So please hang around, I'll be with you next," He smiled with a wink at the orange clad turtle. He then looked back at the smart turtle who was trying to kill him with just a glare. "You're still holding on because you're trying to keep them safe but hear your little brother. You have taken them down with you. Doesn't that just break you, knowing that you killed them because of your weakness!? You don't want to listen to them screaming, do you?"
"Don't listen to him Donatello." Splinter desperately whispered hoping to steal his attention. He could see that every word being said by the Rat King was hitting Donnie like a sledgehammer, crushing his shell and breaking his armor. The more he listened, the easier it would be for his son to be hallowed out, allowing his life force to be drained…but RK was finished at been subtle.
"You're killing them Donatello! You're hurting all of them by staying. Your face will be the last face they see." The Rat King turned back towards his new guests, twitching his head in their direction, and the web suddenly sprung to life, coiling itself around the three brothers further before they could get any closer.
"What the Shell!" "HEY!" The three tried to break away, but it was too late. They were snared in the webs grasp. It wrapped around their limbs, pulling them up even higher into the rafter of the trap with no means of escape.
The Rat King then just casually resumed his task without paying the three any further attention, like he had just swatted a fly. "That's better."
"NO!" Splinter yelled. He growled in frustration. His former victory had now made him completely helpless to any of his sons. He wasn't sure why it was only Donatello that could see him, and he wasn't sure how Donatello had become trapped by the Rat king? He was reptile, not a rat. But… he was also humanoid! Moving up the evolution chain was something he knew the Rat King had been keen to achieve. Oh no! He must have done it. Somehow though his smart son, he had only gone and done it. Humans would be next on his target and more importantly his other sons would be easy pickings... and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
He turned back to Donatello, really looking for any sign he was still in there. His hands cupping the cold face, "Donatello, listen to me! ME ONLY! Do not listen to him, you are stronger than him, much stronger than you have ever given yourself credit for. Donatello, go inside yourself and find your center. You will find all that you need to beat him… You have the most powerful mind of any Master I have ever known. I believe in you Donatello. You can stop him! We ALL need you too." He pleaded the truth, but that was all he could do.
"Fight Donnie!" Leo joined in, as though he could hear his father's. "FIGHT! Don't let him win!"
"Dying is not an option bro!" Raph joined in.
"Donnie please fight him." Mikey pleaded as well, all three of them trying to encourage the purple clad turtle as the violet light emanating from him grew dimer.
There is an odd, sick sensation that everyone experiences at least once in their lives to make them doubt themselves. However, Donatello had been battered with this sensation so many times by this point, he couldn't even feel it anymore. "I'm sorry… I can't do this," Donnie could only answer them in his mind. The shedded tears could only voice what he was thinking. He was sure Splinter could hear him… or at least understand he was weak. A disappointment. Not worthy and all would suffer because of him. The dread kept him firmly in place. Not such a genius after all, as he could not think of a way and at the end of his rope.
"I'm sorry… I'm not strong enough," He couldn't even speak… They would never hear him. His eyes to heavy to remain open… It would be so easy just give in and drift away… end the nightmare, if it wasn't for the fact he would just be spreading his nightmare to everyone else. This wasn't something he could just shrug off! It wouldn't just end with him. He tried to listen to his family, about finding his center, but the words were growing distant.
"You're tired little one. Just let go. Any moment now there will be no more pain!" The Rat Kind spurred him on his way.
"No Donnie no! Don't listen to him!" The brothers yelled in turn, but they were just background noise now. The fading image of Splinter clouded his vision… His eyes screaming desperation, but it was the Rat King voice that filled his ears. He shook his head trying to push the darkness out of himself. He had to find his center… but he honestly didn't know what he would find when he got there.
Ready to pour that extra salt into the wound, the Rat King edged him closer, "Splinter will thank you for finally releasing him from his torment of having to raise weakling … You're setting him free." The Rat King expression faltered, irritated that things weren't moving along fast enough. He wanted his new young body already. Time to turn up the heat! "He took you in, fed you, taught you…and what for? Nothing! He picked up the cheque for your dreams, and said goodbye to his own… Isn't it about time you let him have his dreams?"
Donnie heart clenched, but once again the real Splinter blocked his view. "You were my dream Donatello! All of you were… When you fight, you fight with love, and honor!" For just a second a glimmer of hope filled him as Donnie finally tore his eyes away from the Rat King. Donnie so wanted to believe him. With all he had left, he clung onto whatever glimmer of light left, but the embers were burning, and they were almost gone. "I am proud to give you the Hamato clan name. We wouldn't have a clan without you… You kept us alive. Your intellect saved your brothers more times than you can count… and your heart keeps us together, even in a future where there was no hope…" Splinter poured his heart out and counteract the Rat King lies. The monster ignored the father's pride, but the lack of dying was starting to irritate him. If Donatello wasn't going to leave willingly!
Donatello's violet aura had slowed as he tried focusing on his father's words. He was about to try and say something when suddenly a tremendous pain ripped through his body, cancelling any words and replacing them with a gut-wrenching scream! The violet light pooled from his heart out like blood from an open wound. His muscles popped as they were twisted out of his sockets. Donnie couldn't hear his family yelling at him anymore! All he saw was the dark smirk of the Rat King break through that final wall as he entered the turtle's mind.
Suddenly all the horrific images that had been in the sky were now in Donnie head, like he was living them first-hand. But instead of seeing the rat king inflict it on others, it was HIM who was tired down to the table as the shadow people wearing masks and white clothing hacked and cut into him. He saw his own heart beating in his chest. Pipes feeding fluid into his arteries that burned all his insides, but the clamp over his face would let him scream. He saw himself been flushed down into sewers… Time passed, then there were voices… so many screaming, angry voices ripping apart his head and his heart at the same time. He had been wrong. This was what the Rat King had been living through, not inflicting. But before he could digest what he had just experienced, his world vanished once again. His family vanished and he faded away into further nothingness. A rushing sensation swept through him as he was delivered from one Hell to the next.
A/N: Hope you like, intense, right? Seems like Don is failing at staying alive, and now his brothers are caught up as well and are easy pickings for the Rat King once he's through with Don. And poor Splinter, he can only stand there and watch it happen without being seen. But at least Don is hearing him. Things got intense in this one but we promise that the next chapter will be just as good, I want to say what can be in store but it'll be spoilers. Please let us know how we're doing, and till next time.