"Raph! Quit that and get your shell over here!" I yelled, an undertone of urgency creeping into my voice. "Aww, come on! They're just Purple Dragons. I could take these guys with my mask on backwards!" He rolled his eyes before being shoved into the wall.

"Ha. Take that, ya dumb mutant!" Fong sneered.

Raphael kicked him in the face before whirling to face the two other gang members.

"Raph! This is important!" I yelled back, but he just kept fighting. "I am the leader. That means you listen to me. Which means that you should get your shell here, now!"

Grumbling, he turned and climbed up the fire escape towards me.

"C'mon. This is supposed to be just a recon mission. Nothing else." I turned and jumped across to the next rooftop.

As I ran, my thoughts swirled around in my head. Stupid Raph. Why couldn't he listen? Why couldn't he see that underneath, I was drowning under the pressure of leading, even when he did listen?

Suddenly, I couldn't move. My limbs were frozen mid-step. Dumbfounded as to why my legs wouldn't obey me, I looked downwards, and saw a glowing dark purple light floating surrounding my limbs.

A feminine laugh floated through the air from behind me. "I thought it would be harder to find you. You know, being a ninja and all that." I lifted off the ground and floated towards the voice.

"Who are you?" I asked defiantly.

"You can call me… Evernight." A cloaked figure stepped out from the shadows. She wore a long dark cloak, her long black hair flowing as if blown by some invisible breeze. But that wasn't what caught my attention. She seemed to have a horse-like figure. A mutant, perhaps?

"It was much too little of a challenge to get your brothers to stop following you. I thought you would've noticed. But it seems that you were caught up in your thoughts."

A thousand different scenarios rushed through my mind, each even worse than the last. Mikey. Donnie. Raph. I had been too caught up in my frustration that I hadn't even noticed that they were gone? What kind of brother was I? "What did you do with them?" I struggled, but my body didn't move, not even an inch.

"That doesn't concern you." She moved closer. I caught a glance of dark hoof shaped feet under the cloak. Dark, but not quite black- purple?

"You see, I need your help. And really, how am I supposed to get you to help me with all four of you running at me at once? I mean, I'm certainly powerful enough to stop you all, but I didn't want to get off on the wrong hoof. If you know what I mean." She laughed again, stepping closer. Her hair still floated, a supernatural phenomenon on the windless night.

Now that she was closer, I could see her in better detail. Her hair wasn't entirely black, a strip of it was blue, and the ends of her hair were tinted blood red. A long and sharp conical object protruded out of her hood, glowing with the same kind of light as the energy that was holding me in place.

"My sister," She said the word as if it was poison. "My younger sister betrayed me." She paced around me. "Jealous, she banished me and took my throne." She paused, and turned her head towards me. "I formed the Eternal tribe to de-throne Celestia and show the ponies of Equestria the truth."

I frowned at Evernight. She was babbling like a mad person.

"But, it so happens that Celestia's forces out-number mine, although I have an advantage, my forces being trained in various forms of offensive and defensive maneuvers. So I used my magic to look across the universes for help. And I found you." She resumed her circling until she was facing me again.

"So, what do you think about my offer? Help a pony in need?"

I remained silent, my mind still processing what she had just said.

"Come on, I don't have all day. Being the queen of a revolutionary tribe isn't easy, you know."

Queen of a revolutionary tribe?

She released her hold on me, dropping me towards the ground, but my ninja reflexes kicked in and I landed on my feet, crouched in a defensive position. I pulled my katanas from their sheaths, the familiar metallic scrape faintly comforting.

Evernight tutted disapprovingly. "Now, isn't that rude of you? I let you down, and you pull out your weapons."

"You're dangerous." I said in a steely tone.

"True." I could hear her smile without seeing her face. "You still haven't answered my question."

I stepped slightly towards her testily. "I don't even know what you look like. For all I know, you could be working for The Shredder." Evernight seemed slightly taken aback at the suggestion. "Very… well." She said finally.

She shook off her cloak, revealing her full appearance. She was a horse. Her physique matched a horse's in every way possible, except for the large wings folded on her back and the lengthy horn in the middle of her forehead. She wore a blood red crown on her head, and a shining peytral looped around her neck in a similar way to a necklace. Crimson horseshoes adorned her hooves, and three black studs shone from her ear. Her dark blue eyes were large and almond shaped, her lips twisted in a coy smile. On her hindquarters was a strange symbol. It consisted of a sun and crescent moon above the two points of a red symbol not unlike the shape of her crown, separated by a point. Evernight noticed my inquisitive look. "The blood red symbol of the Eternal tribe. A pointed red spike joined with two smaller spikes in the shape of a wave, pointing inwards. All in blood red. All members of the Eternal tribe have our emblem on their cutie mark."

"I'm sorry, what now?" I asked, confused. She ignored my question. "What's a cutie mark?" I clarified.

"The symbol on my hindquarters. All ponies get one." I mentally filed the information away.

"Give me proof that I can trust you. Proof that you really come from another universe." I said finally, not lowering my stance.

She inclined her head. "As you wish. Your name is Leonardo Hamato. You have three brothers, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donnatello. Your adoptive father, Hamato Yoshi, was mutated into a rat after escaping from his brother-turned enemy Oroku Saki, alias The Shredder." She looked at me, hard and cold.

"You killed The Shredder. You have also saved the world multiple times from an alien race called the Kraang, and have two human friends, April O' Neil and Casey Jones." I looked at her, lost for words for a few seconds. "That isn't proof. Anyone could know that if they had spied on us." I said, tightening my grip on my weapons.

"Think about it. Would just anyone be able to spy on you? I have no doubt that you would've noticed if I hid in a corner."

I frowned thoughtfully. Her words were true enough, and who on earth would create such a detailed story just to gain my trust?

No chances should be taken, I told myself, but yet I still felt as if she was being sincere.

"I-I suppose…"

"I appreciate your understanding." Her coy smile appeared yet again on her face. Her horn glowed purple again, and light streamed out of it, wrapping around me.

"What are you doing?" I yelped. She looked at me strangely. "Traveling, of course."

"Why are we traveling? Where?"

"Equestria." She studied me closely. "I did say that I was from another universe."

And all I remember is a bright flash of purple and then…

Darkness.

—

Leo slowly blinked his eyes, flinching at the sudden brightness. He groaned, lifting his head slightly off the ground and then let it drop back down, the small movement sapping his strength.

"You should rest, you know." A voice said. "Interdimensional travel by magic takes a toll on the body, although it seems that you have done it before. Without magic. How curious." Leo summoned all of his strength and attempted to sit up. He succeeded in lifting his head, and then he fell back down again, his reserves drained.

"Here, let me help." The voice said, and he felt energy coursing through his veins. It didn't feel like a normal burst of adrenaline mid-battle, nor did it feel like waking up after a good night's sleep. It felt… bright, almost, like a light, but warm, if that was even possible. And fuzzy.

Gingerly, he sat up slowly, and found that he was able to do so. He opened his eyes, and saw Evernight leaning against the wall, looking slightly drained, but her coy smile was still twisted in place. "Better?" She asked. He nodded in reply.

"Where are we?"

"I told you. Equestria. The Undiscovered West, to be specific."

"I mean, where is this?" Leo gestured to the room around them.

"Eternal's base camp."

"Has anyone ever told you that you are frustratingly vague sometimes?"

"Yes."

Rolling his eyes, Leo slid himself off the bed he had been placed on, and had a sudden realization.

"What about my brothers?"

"Your brothers? They will be awake soon." Evernight started off down a hallway. "You coming?" She called, not looking back. Leo hurried after her. "Where are we going?" He thought for a moment. "What happens if someone sees me?"

"Oh yes, I had almost forgotten. Hold still." She said, her horn lighting up, and the familiar purple stream of light floated towards him. This time, he let the magic surround him.

"Oh, and, just so you know, I've never attempted this particular spell before, so I don't know what it will feel like." She frowned in concentration.

"That's okay, I-" Leo doubled over in pain as he felt his bones cracking and reforming, his skin stretching but still not breaking. He curled up in the fetal position, hoping that it would be over soon. After an eternity, or it might have been five minutes, Leo gasped for breath. He felt a hoof on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" He opened his eyes to see Evernight leaning over him. "I'm assuming that it hurt." She said, dryly.

"Yes." Leo said, after he had caught his breath. "What exactly did you do to me?"

"Take a look for yourself." Leo hauled himself off the cool marble floor, and looked at his reflection in the floating mirror Evernight had conjured up.

He was a pony with wings and a horn, just like Evernight, though he and his horn were notably shorter than she was. His coat was green, his mane was blue, and he was relieved to find that his mask and katanas were still fastened to him. He twisted so that he could see his flank and saw a marking- or a "cutie mark", as they called it. His was a pair of katanas crossed in a "X".

"Your inner pony is an Alicorn. Curious indeed. I wonder what your brothers will be."

"Hey, how am I going to use my katanas if I don't have hands?" Leo said unhappily.

"Why, use your horn, of course." Evernight said, amused.

"Oh. Right." He squeezed his eyes together in concentration. Slowly but surely, his horn flickered blue and magic flowed around the handles of his katanas. They floated into the air and then fell to the ground with a metallic clang.

"You'll get the hang of it eventually. With practice, your magic will improve." She studied him for a moment, squinting as if she could see into his soul.

"Uhh…"

She turned away and continued down the hallway. Leo hurried to catch up. As Evernight navigated the twists and turns of the hallways, a tall, slender pony with a scar over her left eye approached her. At first glance, she seemed to only have wings, but on second Leo saw her horn had been snapped in half. She had a long red mane that hung straight and almost brushed the floor, and wore a hoop earring in one ear and a black choker. Her horseshoes, he noted, were black as well. They seemed to be a sort of symbol of power. "Leonardo, I would like you to meet Scarlet, my twin, and second in command."

"Nice to meet you." Scarlet said, quietly but strongly.

"Good to meet you too." Leo said, wondering what had happened to her horn and her eye.

"I'm sure you are curious about my scars." She said, almost as if she had read his mind. Leo nodded. She must have been asked that a lot, he reasoned.

"When I was younger, my brother Brutus attacked me. All members of the royal family have a job, you see, Celestia and Luna are in charge of the sun and moon, I'm in charge of Life, Evernight over here is in charge of Death, and Brutus's job was to control Peace and Evil in the kingdom. Eventually, he snapped, whether it was because he saw too much evil or some other unknown reason, and he lashed out. We were in the gardens at the time. He slashed at my eye, though his horn didn't touch my eye, it scarred my eyelid. He snapped my horn, and though I can still perform simple spells of levitation, it has not grown back. Evernight saved me. She killed Brutus, and though Celestia banished her from Canterlot and made her an outlaw, she still found me when I was told to leave, and she didn't blame me." Leo was shocked. He was filled with sympathy for the mare.

"What? But- why would he hurt you? His sister?" He gaped.

"I do not know." She said simply. "I'm assuming you are looking for your brothers?" She turned to Evernight. "They have been moved to one of the guest rooms, as ordered. Number sixteen."

"Thank you, Scarlet. Could you notify the council to meet me in the throne room?" She nodded and turned away, her steps so soft that the solid metal of her horseshoes barely made a sound against the tiles. Leo watched her pad around the corner, and then turned and realized that Evernight had left without him. Again. He caught a glimpse of her red tinted tail disappearing around a corner and rushed to catch up.

"You should stop getting distracted. Hasn't your Sensei-" She winced. "Sorry, sore subject, I know." Leo bit his lip, trying to stop the tears building up. He failed in catching one, and it rolled down his cheek, but he wiped it off, hoping no one had seen it. "It-it's fine. Really." His voice cracked slightly.

Evernight ducked her head apologetically and slipped noiselessly through a doorway marked with the number sixteen.

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