Chapter five:
"Let's yourselves be free from the reality of the world! Drain your sorrows into this foul beast! Experience the best feeling you've ever felt for some wonderful hours! All for a fair price!"
Raphie and his Leo peek into a space where they see people gathered. They also can see some kind of circus ringleader looking man who holds a staff with a weird gem affixed to the top. They also see a caged ram mutant in tattered clothes shivering and laying slightly curled up.
The same ram mutant they've found themselves against. Yet a younger version of him.
A human steps up and pays the man who makes the person stand on a certain point.
The man holds the staff, that looks like a spiralled branch with a green weirdly cut gemstone on the top, out in front of the person.
The person has what looks like light like mist flow out of him and through the gemstone that begins to glow.
The gemstone stops draining this light mist from the person then beams it into the ram.
The ram cries out as he's forced to absorb the pain and suffering.
The human on the other hand smiling as if he hasn't felt better in months.
Raphie blinks at this and starts to approach with his Leo following.
The rams eyes snap open and he throws his head back. He lets out a loud cry and black magic swoops out of him, destroying everything like an apocalyptic bomb. He sits there on his knees, hands by his legs, head tilted back sobbing out to the now quiet air.
Raphie is about to reach sympathetically towards the ram mutant.
"So now you know."
Raphie pulls his hand back and turns to find the ram mutant in the way he is in the present. He faces the ram mutant who looks to his crying younger self.
"They used that magical staff after my parents sold me. I was turned into this by testing they approved of because they thought it'd make me the best. Then turned their backs on me when I was no longer human. Those people time and time again released their sorrows and pain into me, just so they could feel happiness in their dreary lives. Eventually it built up into dark magic that I now still possess." The ram turns to look at Raphie's eyes letting his eyes meet the others. "As I traveled the various worlds and learned of my powers I could see and feel the suffering of each world. My only solace was that the multiverse was unstable, so it'd end eventually." He lets out an unhappy snort with a glare. "Until you two came along. Balancing the worlds and watching over them! As if they deserved it!"
Raphie feels saddened that the rams situation forced him to be unable to see the good.
"So I found a way to magically latch myself onto that stupid tree of yours. Draining and draining. Wanting this suffering to come to an end!" The ram turns away with a rather angry expression.
"I probably should apologize." Raphie begins. "I misunderstood you. I thought you were just evil because you were evil. And yet I had you all wrong. You've only seen the bad side of the worlds. It's all you've ever known."
The ram turns to look back at Raphie.
"But there is more to the worlds than the negativity you've been forced to see. Let us show you." Raphie glances to his Leo who nods softly in understanding.
His Leo closes his eyes and his magic makes the vision vanish to just a room painted black.
The others appear there as they blink in surprise.
Leonardo's wound healed to be a scar that stops right at his eye so he isn't blinded there. Which sadly may not be the case when it heals in reality... Though that's a worry for later.
They turn and see the ram, Raphie and to their shock Raphie worlds Leo. They tense up ready to help fight but Raphie shakes his head. They lower their stances though do still look on edge.
Raphie focuses on the ram who is still ready for a fight. "Let us show the good in the worlds." He offers to the ram extending a hand his way. "You can feel the good of the worlds for yourself."
The ram glares at Raphies hand then he looks to the others face. "A final plea before things end? Fine, I suppose I can humour you." He refuses to take Raphies hand so he lowers it.
Raphie smiles at this then turns to his Leo.
The two link hands and sharing their strength magic is used to surround the ram in light.
The light extends and surrounds them all before dimming to a light blue empty landscape.
There only stands Raphie, his Leo and the ram.
Not for long though as Leonardo appears first with his eyes glowing. He stands there and the scenery changes to show one of his happier memories.
The memory shows Leonardo walking into the living room. "Okay Raph. What is it you wanted to show me?" He blinks as he sees all of his brothers there as if ready for movie night.
"We're having an extra movie night tonight!" Memory Raphael declares patting the spot beside him on the couch.
Memory Leonardo sits by the other.
"We know you've been having a rough time since the last mission failed." Memory Michelangelo explains looking to memory Leonardo with a smile. "So we set this up so you can have a night to relax. You deserve it."
Memory Leonardo smiles feeling happy and grateful for his family. His feelings projected onto the ram mutant who gasps at the warmth. "Thanks guys."
Memory Donatello turns on the movie, and memory Leonardo lets out a happy chirp seeing that they had picked out his favourite movie. He leans on memory Raphael's shoulder as they watch the movie as a family.
"W-What?" The ram mutant stutters feeling the happiness he'd been denied for so long. "This is..." He pauses clearly at a loss for words to describe what he's feeling.
Raphie smiles at this. "Ready to continue?"
The ram blinks at Raphie for a moment, all hatred and anger gone to be now replaced by wonder and curiosity, so he nods his head.
Raphie and his Leo let Leonardo's memory fade then Leonardo fades away, only for Raphael to take his place.
A new memory appears with this one starting with a scene of Raphael in the city, he is hoping from rooftop to rooftop when he pauses spotting memory Leonardo. He heads towards attempting to sneak up behind him. He leaps managing to tackle memory Leonardo to the rooftop.
Memory Leonardo turns only to see a smiling proud memory Raphael. "Raph!" He playfully punches memory Raphael's shoulder causing the other to laugh.
"Come on fearless." Memory Raphael keeps memory Leonardo down as they share smiles. "I got you. I have no obligation to let you go so soon." He hears memory Leonardo chuckle with a roll of his eyes. His smile growing a little. His feelings of happiness and warmth being shared to the ram.
Raphie smiles seeing the ram bring a hand to his chest at the feeling. He lets Raphael fade away for Donatellos turn. Though this time he decides to also bring Michelangelo in, to increase the good feelings intensity for the ram. He knows they have a memory that brought both of them good feelings.
The memory becomes of Donatello working in his lab and Michelangelo heading inside.
Memory Michelangelo wrapping his arms around memory Donatello from behind. He smiles when the other turns to him. "Dee!" He playfully whines at him. "I'm bored! I wanna do something with you!"
Memory Donatello smiles and puts down his pen from working on a blueprint. "I suppose I can take a break." He agrees looking at the other with warmth.
"Great!" Memory Michelangelo chirps happily. He grabs memory Donatello then drags him away. He takes him to the living room. "Leo and Raph are out right now. So it's just us." He gets memory Donatello to sit on the couch before starting up a game.
The two happily play the game together.
Raphie notices the ram shiver at the huge wave of happy emotions. He blinks as he starts to worry that maybe this was too much all at once. He worries about ruining this chance to be able to help the other; despite what the other has done to his dear sapphire. He slightly reaches for the ram letting Michelangelo, Donatello, and the memory fade away.