The Shadow Spirit

By Kellie Fay

Disclaimer: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and related characters belong to Mirage Studios. It's not my fault that my creativity demons tie me down and make me write these things. :)

**********************

The soft sent of ginger and soy sauce floated from the restaurant on the corner up to the rooftops. Above the streets Michelangelo perched easily on the top of a street lamp, ignoring the chill in the air. He wrinkled his nose at the smell, but he told his stomach to wait, and paid careful attention to the back alley below him. Two garbage men were emptying pails into the back of their truck.

In Michelangelo's arms a tiny grey puppy wriggled excitedly. He tried to bark, but Michelangelo gently stuck his finger into the little dog's mouth.

"Shhh, your going to give me away," he admonished the puppy gently. As the puppy settled down they both watched as the garbage men finished their rounds. Once the last pail was dumped, the two men got back into their dingy grey truck, and rumbled away. Michelangelo watched, and listened once more in case someone else wandered into the alley.

After a full minute of silence Michelangelo jumped down into the alley. He looked around once more just to make sure no one was watching then moved over to a small dark green door with a small glass window. The window was translucent so Michelangelo listened at the door. Once convinced that he would surprise no one on entering, he pulled a lock pick out of a fold in his mask, and opened the door.

Michelangelo entered the darkened store room silently. He listened again. A soft gentle male voice was speaking. Michelangelo moved forward to the door that connected this store room to the kennel. Several dogs whined a greeting to Michelangelo as he waved at them. He went to the next door that was the entrance to the examination room. There Doctor Robert Thomas was in the examination room with a patient, so Michelangelo waited with the little dog by the kennels.

Ever so quietly Michelangelo peeked into the exam room. Doctor Thomas was treating a dachshund. He had just given the dog an injection. The puppy in Michelangelo's arms whimpered as he watched, but again Michelangelo hushed the dog. "Trust me, doggie dude. Rob's cool. Some times you guys just need shots."

The puppy still didn't look happy. Michelangelo absently scratched its ears to calm him.

"Merow?" A soft sound came from Michelangelo's feet. Princess, a soft grey and orange tabby, came over to the ninja turtle, and regarded both him and his furry burden coolly.

"Hi, Princess," Michelangelo said softly, as he knelt down to pet the cat. "And how are you doing today your highness?"

The cat glared at him, and then looked at the puppy still in his arms. Her tail began to twitch nervously.

"Chill, oh feline one," Michelangelo said with a chuckle. "This little dude needed rescuing just like you did. I'm sure Rob will find him a cool home. Come and say hi!"

The grey and orange tabby gave him a look that he interpreted as her saying that she was far too important to bother with dogs, but she rose to her feet, and daintily came forward to touch noses with the puppy.

"I don't know how you can get that cat to get off her high horse, and be sociable," a voice said. Michelangelo looked up to see Doctor Thomas leaning against the frame of the doorway smiling.

"Yo Rob! What's up?" Michelangelo asked happily. He picked up the puppy, and approached the young veterinarian

"Heart worm season," Robert said casually. "I've got lots of extra patients right now." Robert led the way back into the store room, and turned on the lights. He then looked down at Michelangelo's wriggling burden. "I see I'm going to need the extra cash. I suppose that this is another member of the 'follow the giant turtle to the vet's office club.'".

"Not exactly Doc," Michelangelo said with a sly grin. "Remember the dude who told you about the dog fighting ring uptown?"

The young doctor suddenly was paying more attention. "Yes," he said cautiously.

"Well, he was right. There ~was~ a dog fighting ring." Michelangelo said cuddling the little dog to his chest.

"Was?" Robert asked, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

Michelangelo nodded smugly. "Was. By now the cops are reading those dudes their rights. I saved this little guy cuz the big dogs were using him for a chew toy."

Robert sighed. "Okay, okay, Mike. I'll find a home for him, but try to remember this is a vet's office, not an animal shelter."

Princess then looked up at the doctor, and meowed. She had been Michelangelo's first rescue.

"And that will be enough out of you, your highness," Robert added, shaking his finger at the cat.

Princess sneezed then curled up at Michelangelo's feet. Michelangelo just shrugged, and handed Robert the puppy.

"Any other dens of animal cruelty you want me to KO doc?" Michelangelo asked.

Robert began to examine the puppy as he answered. "Not this week. I think people are beginning to associate me with the sudden increase in animal cruelty arrests."

"Is that a bad thing?" Michelangelo asked as he bent down to pet the cat. Princess purred deeply enjoying his attentions.

Finishing his exam of the puppy Robert went into a cabinet for some dog treats. "I'm not sure, Mike. On one hand they know now if I get wind of animal abuse something bad will happen to the parties involved, but if the abusers know that they'll work doubly hard to hide."

That Michelangelo understood. "That sounds like something Leo would think of. I guess you'll have to let the good guys you talk to know why you do it."

Doctor Robert nodded. "I guess. Well, this little fellow is a bit on the underfed side, but other than a few scratches he seems to have come out very well for a potential pit bull chew toy. I should have no trouble adopting him out."

"Doc," Michelangelo said gleefully, "you rock!"

Robert laughed as he fed the hungry puppy some biscuits. "So aside of handing me another freeloader what can I do for you, Mike? Are you hungry?"

As always the word hungry captured Michelangelo's attention. "Well now that you mention it, I could really go for-" Michelangelo paused as he suddenly felt his shell cell vibrate. Picking up the phone Michelangelo saw the new red LED light Donatello had installed last month, flashing frantically.

With a sigh Michelangelo said, "sorry Rob. I'll have to take a rain check on that. That's Don's new call light. It means drop what youre doing, and come home now. Do not pass Go do not collect two hundred dollars."

"Sounds serious," Robert said. "You'd better go then. Come by next week if you can."

Michelangelo opened the door and peeked out. The alley way was still silent. "Will do doctor dude. See you!" With that Michelangelo slipped out of the clinic, and was lost into the shadows. As he made his way home he hoped that it wasn't another disaster.

*****************
Donatello spread out the map on his workbench for Leonardo and Splinter to see. "There, there and there," he told them. "I've called the city about them twice. The last time was three months ago. They haven't assigned any work crews to fix those pipes.

"Are they that close to breaking?" Leonardo asked wordily.

Donatello nodded. "The two water mains don't worry me too much, but this one over here is a sewage pipe. If the water mains goes we'll just get flooded, but the sewer main is already leaking. That's why we've seen so many dead animals lately.

Donatello really wanted to say 'dead rats,' but he would never say anything like that in front of Splinter. Still their aged sensei was wise and understood what was not said. "Either way," Donatello continued. "If we don't want to wind up sick ourselves or worse, we'll have to fix the sewage pipe ourselves."

Splinter looked to Leonardo. Donatello expected that. He was the scientist, but Leonardo was the strategist.

"I don't think we have much of a choice," Leonardo said uneasily. "Unless we want to end up ankle deep in sewage we're going to have to fix that pipe."

Splinter picked up his walking stick, and nodded at his two sons. "So be it then. Let us look to see how these pipes can be repaired."

Eagerly Donatello grabbed his bag of tricks, and led Leonardo and Splinter to the pipes.

The sewage pipe was worse than it had been a week ago. The small crack had become a steady leak. There was a puddle of oozing brown sewage about two feet in diameter. Scattered around the area were five dead rats, and two dead raccoons.

"Careful everyone," Donatello cautioned them. "That sewage has dozens, maybe hundreds of types of bacteria. Even at tiny bit could get us very sick."

Splinter nodded firmly. "I see your concern Donatello. The pipe must be repaired as soon as possible."

Donatello frowned at the pipe. "This is worse than the last time I checked, sensei. We'd better get more tools." Donatello moved under the pipe to examine it more closely.

Suddenly a creaking groaning sound was heard. Splinter's perked his ears, and turned sharply towards Donatello. "Donatello! Move quickly! Now!"

Donatello jumped out of the way as the crack in the pipe suddenly widened and expanded into a spider web pattern. Just then a chunk of the pipe fell into the puddle with a sickening splash, releasing the deadly brown ooze inside.

Leonardo glanced at his brother. Donatello was safe, but Splinter was in the path of the oncoming sewage.

"Sensei!" Leonardo cried out. Splinter saw the flood, and began to spring away. At that moment a full five foot section of the pipe exploded crashing into the aged rat throwing him into the torrent of poisoned water.

"Master Splinter!" Leonardo called again. He tried to reach Splinter but Donatello stopped him.

"No, Leo! Not that way!" Donatello said. Using his bo, Donatello caught Splinter by his robe, and dragged him out of the sewage. Splinter was shivering, and coughing up the sewage he had swallowed. Leonardo knelt down at Splinter's side. Donatello gently patted the old rat's back.

"Sensei?" Leonardo asked wordily.

Splinter coughed a few more times. "I...I am all right, Leonardo."

Donatello frowned, but did not contradict his sensei. "Come on," he said instead. "Lets get you home and cleaned up.

An hour later cleaned, and safe in his own room, Splinter assured his two turtle sons he was all right.

"Yes, Donatello. I am fine." Splinter repeated for the fifth time.

Leonard didn't buy that any more than Donatello did. Splinter's whiskers drooped, and his fur was dull and soft, not bristly like a toothbrush. The usual wise gleam in Splinters eyes was dulled, and his tail dragged behind him as if it had become a great weight. Still Leonardo did not like to argue with his sensei.

"Now go, both of you. I wish to meditate." Weakly, Splinter shooed both of them out of his room.

Donatello sighed then turned to Leonardo. "Come on, Leo. We need a hot bath ourselves."

When they had first found this lair, they had found a smaller chamber forty yards away. In that chamber was a four foot depression 50 square feet in diameter. Michelangelo had joked about a jacuzzi, but Donatello had taken him up on the idea. With a few alterations to the city's water supply, and a lot of Donatello ingenuity they ended up with a bathtub big enough for all five of them to soak in. They used it most often in the winter for hot baths, but tonight at Donatello insistence, he and Leonardo turned on the spigots, and hot steamy water filled the tub.

"I don't' get it, Don," Leonardo said as he eased into the hot water. "If we're taking a bath too, why did you ask me to scrub the tub after we got Master Splinter cleaned up?" As much as they liked the hot baths, they all hated scrubbing the tub afterwards.

"Same reason we need the bath now," Donatello answered sharply. "We were all exposed to a lot of different kinds of bacteria down there. I want to make sure we get rid of as much of it as we can. And I didn't want us to be recontaminated by whatever we washed off of sensei." He tossed Leonardo the soap and entered the tub himself. "So wash up as thoroughly as you can."

Leonardo sighed but didn't argue further. Together they washed up. When they finished Donatello let the water out of the bottom of the tub. "Don't worry; I'm cleaning out the tub this time, Leo. Just keep an eye on Master Splinter. He swallowed some of that sewage you know, and if we're not very careful he could get very sick."

Leonardo left Donatello to scour the tub, and went to look in on Splinter. To his horror he found his sensei lying sprawled across his meditation pallet breathing heavily.

"Sensei!" Forgetting proper etiquette to wait for Splinter to invite him in, Leonardo ran to his master's side. Splinter was shivering, but his skin was hot to the touch.

Splinter opened his eyes, but they did not seem to focus properly. "L...Leonardo I ...I was dizzy for a moment." Then he took a deep breath, and passed out.

"Don!" Leonardo called out, trying to lift Splinter into his lap. "Donny!"

Donatello rushed into the room. The moment he saw Splinter in Leonardo's lap, his face fell. "Oh no," he muttered. He ran over and knelt down, gently touching Splinter's forehead. "He's burning up. Leo, we've got to get him into bed. We've got to get that fever down!"

Leonardo complied, though Donatello's seriousness worried him. Donatello ran to the kitchen, and returned with an ice pack.

"Don?" Leonardo asked tentatively. Leonardo didn't want to ask the question, and he was sure Donatello didn't want to answer it, but he did.

"It doesn't look good, Leo. Bruises and broken bones I can fix. I don't have any idea what to do for a multi bacterial infection."

Leonardo took in a deep breath, and tried to put his own fear and despair aside. The others were going to need him to be steady. "Call the other's back Don."

**********************
Michelangelo ran down the tunnel wondering what the emergency was. Could it be the Shredder? Was April or Casey in trouble? Normally not a worrier, Michelangelo's thoughts kept running in circles as he made his way to the lair.

He did a back flip down into the well that led to the slide. At the bottom of the slide, Raphael was waiting for him.

"Raph, what's up?" From his very manner Michelangelo knew that something was wrong. Raphael was leaning against the wall with arms folded over his chest. He was angry, which was nothing new, but his anger was unfocused. It was as if Raphael was mad about something, but he knew he couldn't do anything about the problem. That was it. His anger wasn't unfocused, it was resigned. That worried Michelangelo all the more.

"Splinter is sick," Raphael said slowly, tensing up. "He and the others had a sewage accident. Leo said that Master Splinter got caught right in the middle of it."

Michelangelo felt an uncomfortable twinge in his stomach. All of them had learned at a very early age to avoid sewage, and sewage pipes. At first Michelangelo wondered if Splinter being sick was really an emergency, but now...

"How sick is he?" Michelangelo asked worriedly.

From the entrance to the lair, Leonardo said, "He's got a bad fever. Don's trying to cool him down, but it doesn't look good."

Raphael tensed again, but he kept his voice level. "Is there anything we can do?"

Leonardo shook his head sadly. "I don't know. I just figured that you two would want to be here. In case...."

"In case?" Raphael's tone turned dark. "Leo, don't even think that way!"

"I don't know how to think anymore!" Leonardo shot back. "We're not doctors, Raph, and ...and I don't know what to do!"

This was major. Never in all of their fifteen years did Leonardo ever admit that he did not know what to do. Even so one phrase stuck in Michelangelo's mind.

~We're not doctors~

~Maybe not, ~ Michelangelo thought as he backed away from his brothers. ~ But I know where I can get my hands on one.~

Once out of sight of Leonardo and Raphael, Michelangelo raced for the emergency ladder that ran up into the warehouse. In a flash he was in the Battle Shell, his seatbelt was buckled, and he was on his way.

"Please don't close early. Please don't close early! Please!" Michelangelo repeated to himself again and again as he drove up to the side of the Veterinary clinic. As he pulled up he saw Robert closing the entrance. and locking it.

"Rob! Man, am I glad to see you!" Michelangelo opened the door to The Battle Shell

"Mike!" Rob said, sounding surprised. "What are you doing here at this - Mike! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? "

Without a word of warning Michelangelo had reached out, grabbed the vet by the arm, and dragged him inside of the van.

"You gotta come with me, Doc," Michelangelo insisted "My sensei is real sick. You gotta make him better!"

"Mike! I'm a veterinarian. I work on animals, not people!" Robert protested.

Michelangelo sighed, and glared at his friend. "The 'turtle' driving the van knows your into the fur and feather set. That's all the better cuz my master is definitely of the furry persuasion."

Michelangelo made the final turn into the warehouse. Before the engine had turned off, Michelangelo jumped over the roof of the van, and was on the passenger side, pulling Robert out. "Come on! We gotta hurry!" He insisted, pulling the vet along.

"Mike! Okay! Okay! I'm coming!" Michelangelo pulled and pushed Robert to the oddly carved elevator left by the underground beings who had built the lair. Robert was looking at the carvings confused. "What is this Aztec or something?"

"Or something, Doc. Come on!" Michelangelo answered as the elevator opened. Inside was Raphael.

"Mikey? Where'd you go? Leo's been havin' a fit wondering where you-" He stopped in mid sentence as he noticed the human before him. "Oh boy."

"Raph, this is Rob," Michelangelo made the introductions, hoping Raphael wouldn't call him on bringing a stranger to the lair. "Rob, Raph."

Raphael was not put off by the distraction. "Mikey, what did you do? Kidnap a doctor?"

"Not exactly," Michelangelo answered as the elevator doors closed. "Rob's not an ordinary doctor, and I didn't kidnap him."

"Really?" Rob said with a sly grin. "I thought it was a kidnapping."

"Rob," Michelangelo's voice rose in pitch. He knew he had forced Robert to come with him, but it was important. Even so, Robert's teasing had relaxed Raphael. Anyone comfortable enough to joke with them was probably trustworthy.

The elevator slowed then stopped. Michelangelo grabbed onto Robert's arm, and pulled him into the lair, right past Leonardo.

"Hi Leo, this is Rob, he's gonna help us," Michelangelo hoped Leonard wasn't going to confront him about bringing his friend into the lair.

"Michelangelo! What are you doing?" Leonardo snapped.

Michelangelo gave Robert one last shove into Splinter's private room. "Your patient's in there." Only then did he face Leonardo. "You said we needed a doctor. Rob's a doctor. We've been friends for months."

"But we don't know him!" Leonardo insisted. "How can you bring a stranger down here?"

"But Leo, he's gonna help us!" Michelangelo shot back.

Leonardo rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "How do you know that he can be trusted? What do you know about this guy?"

As Leonardo and Michelangelo argued, Raphael, bored and worried for Master Splinter, peeked into the room. There was Michelangelo's friend, with his jacket not only off, but wrapped securely around Splinter. He had his stethoscope out, and was speaking softly to Donatello.

"No, you did the right thing. You couldn't treat the infection, so you treated the dangerous symptoms like the fever."

"Yeah, but what about the bacteria?" Donatello asked worriedly.

"I've got antibiotics, and other medicines back at my clinic, but first lets see if we can't get him stable," Robert answered, and the two continued to work. From behind him Raphael could hear Leonardo.

"Honestly of all the reckless, stupid, completely irresponsible things you could have done-" Leonardo was still going at Michelangelo who truly looked chagrined.

Raphael decided to intervene. "Uh, Leo, before you finish that thought, take a look in there."

With a blistering glare at Michelangelo Leonardo moved forward, and peered into the room. The young vet was taking Splinter's pulse. His face was concerned and serious, as he gently lay down Splinter's arm. "Ninety seven beats per minute," he said picking up a notepad. He turned to Donatello. "What is it normally?"

Donatello drew a blank look. "I...I don't know. I never thought to-"

"It's all right," Robert said. "You couldn't have foreseen this." He looked at the data again. "It's higher than human beings, but rats have faster heartbeats. What is his metabolism like? Does he eat a lot or a little and how often?

Donatello thought. "He doesn't eat a lot at a sitting, but he does snack a lot during the day."

Robert nodded writing it down. "Fast then, or at least faster than mine."

The vet went into another litany of questions, but Leonardo had heard enough. He turned back to Raphael and Michelangelo, who was grinning triumphantly.

"See!" Michelangelo said knowingly. "I told you Rob can be trusted! He's totally cool!"

"We'll talk about it later," Leonardo said icily. Raphael hid a smirk. That usually meant that Leonardo was rethinking his position, but he wasn't ready to admit he was wrong yet.

At that moment Robert came out of the room wiping his hand on a towel. "You four have a very sick sensei in there. He's going to need a lot of medication, and a lot of rest, but I can't keep coming out here every day for treatment. Would it be possible for you to bring him closer to my clinic?" At Leonardo's skeptical expression he said. "You can all come."

"Where would we stay?" Donatello asked standing behind Robert in the doorway of Splinter's room.

"There is a small four room apartment right above my clinic," Robert explained. "Nobody lives there right now. You could stay there as long as you need too, and since youre right upstairs I could keep an eye on his condition. "

"I thought you finally rented that place out," Michelangelo said puzzled.

The young veterinarian sighed. "He tried to get rid of Princess, and the powers that be took exception to that. He lasted nine days."

"Didn't you warn him?" Michelangelo asked. Robert only shrugged.

"Anyway the apartment is there, it's empty, and it's right above my clinic. Otherwise I may not be able to give him the care that he needs."

Leonardo looked at Donatello, and Raphael. "What do you think, guys?"

"We need his help," Donatello said softly. "We've got to get Master Splinter better."

Raphael nodded. "And even though he's not supposed to, Mickeys got a pretty good track record with people he runs into."

Leonardo couldn't argue with that one. "Okay," he said. "Don, work with Mike's friend. Get a stretcher together for moving Master Splinter. Mike, Raph, get together our camping gear, and get The Battle Shell ready."

"Will do, fearless leader!" Michelangelo said running off to the second level.

Within an hour everything was packed and ready. Donatello closed up the lair as they had when the Foot had searched for them, and took the elevator to The Battle Shell. They parked the Battle Shell in the same alley that Michelangelo used to enter the clinic before. With only a slight effort they managed to get Splinter up the stairs and onto a large dog bed.

"I know it's not ideal," Rob said apologetically. "But it's large enough, it will keep him warm and off the floor, and the cedar sawdust will prevent odors.

Since the apartment didn't have any furniture in it, they were grateful for the bed. Rob also gave them some folding chairs and a bridge table from a store room in the basement. "You've been very helpful, doctor," Leonardo said evenly. "We can't thank you enough."

The young doctor flushed pleased, yet embarrassed, by their gratitude. "Let me go down and get some fever reducers, and penicillin. Do any of you know if he's allergic to antibiotics?"

"Unfortunately no," Donatello said. "We've never needed them before."

Robert sighed. "All right then, we start slow. It may take a while to find the right medicines for your sensei. We'll give him penicillin for now. Tomorrow I'd like to do a blood work up on him, and you two too."

"Us?" Leonardo asked.

Robert nodded. "You might not be having symptoms, but you were exposed to the bacteria all the same. It won't do any good for me to heal your sensei only to have him reexposed to the bacteria that made him sick in the first place."

Leonardo didn't look entirely convinced, so Donatello said, "I'll explain it to him later."

Robert smiled. "Okay, Don. Here are the keys to the apartment, and just in case you need anything here are a set of keys to the clinic. Now I'm sorry, but I do have to go. I'll be back at eight thirtytomorrow to take a look at Splinter before I open the clinic again."

Leonardo bowed graciously. "I thank you again for helping us, and thank you for trusting us with your clinic."

Robert nodded. "Come on, Don. I'll give you the medicines you'll need for tonight."

"And After that Donny," Leonardo said, "I want you to go back, and check that pipe again carefully. I'm going to take Mikey, and let him get some groceries while I get some extra blankets and stuff from the lair." Leonardo turned to Raphael. "Are you going to be okay alone here for a while?"

Raphael shrugged. "Sure Leo. I'll be fine. Quit worrying."

Donatello followed Robert down the stairs, and a few minutes later came back up with a small collection of pills. Without a word to the others, he knelt by Splinter's side. "Sensei? Master Splinter? Can you wake up a little?"

The aged rat muttered and groaned. Donatello gently nudged Splinter again. "Sensei? You have to wake up and take some medicine."

Finally Splinter coughed, and opened his eyes. "Donatello? Where are we?" He asked.

Leonardo and the others knelt down around him. "We're in a safe place, sensei," Leonardo said earnestly. He wasn't sure how much Splinter could perceive through his fever.

Splinter looked around puzzled. "This is not the lair."

"No sensei," Donatello said. "We needed to find you medical attention. We have a friend who is helping us. You need to take this medicine now."

Splinter nodded. He accepted the pills and a glass of water from Michelangelo. Only then did they allow their master to rest.

Donatello took his bag and slipped out of the room. Leonardo left with Michelangelo, but first he looked at Raphael then at Splinter. "Take care of him until we get back," he said. Raphael nodded, and in an instant he was alone in the apartment with Splinter.

Raphael grew bored very quickly. Since the apartment was unfurnished there was nothing to bump into. Raphael began doing his katas to pass the time. When he had finished the exercise, he found he had an audience. Seated on the window sill observing every move he made was a soft grey and orange cat with bright yellow green eyes.

"Well hello there," Raphael said, welcoming the cat. Splinter didn't care for cats, but the rest of them liked the furry hunters. Cats reminded them of ninja. They were silent, athletic, and mysterious.

"Do you live here?" Raphael asked the cat. He came over and scratched under her chin. She purred, and rubbed her head into his hand. "I know the doc keeps all his patients in cages downstairs. Did you escape or something?"

Raphael reached down to pick up the cat, but she leaped lightly out of his way. She moved over to where Splinter lay. She paused, studding the rat, then circled him slowly twice. Raphael watched her puzzled. This was very strange behavior for a cat. When she finally lay down next to Splinter Raphael shook his head.

"I'm not sure what you're thinking, kitty, but I know one thing for sure. That rat is way too big of a mouthful for you, and besides my brothers and I would take exception to you trying to make a meal out of him."

The cat turned her head to face Raphael, and gave him a glare that made him wonder if he hadn't just insulted her. Uneasily he cleared his throat. "Either way he's sick, and if you belong downstairs your probably sick too. I don't want you or him to get any worse so I'm gonna take you back to your cage NOW!"

As he said "now" he made a jump for the cat, who again, moved daintily out of his way. Twice more he tried to make a grab for the cat, and twice more she eluded him. Finally he had her backed into a corner when he heard something odd behind him.

Heonlywantstotakeyoudownstairs.Icanletyououtagain

Raphael drew his sai and spun around. The cat ran through his legs escaping. "Who's there?" he demanded.

He didn't get an answer. Instead he heard the odd whispering sound again.

Theotheronedidnottellhimofyou.Heisnotbeingrude.

Who's there? Raphael repeated getting an uncomfortable chill down his shell. "Show yourself!"

Ohdearthisisacomplication.Hecanhearme.Resteasywarrior.Ididnotmeantodisturbyou.

They were almost words, almost but Raphael couldn't make out what they were saying. He looked at the cat who, oddly enough, was looking past him to his left.

~Is there something there?~ Raphael wondered. He looked back at the cat, and glowered at the thought. "You see something. Are you the one making the noises, or is it something else?"

Theprincesscatisnotthecauseofthesounds,myyoungfriend.Iamspeaking,anditappearsyouhearme.

This was getting creepy and frustrating. There was no one around except Splinter, the cat and himself, and yet these whispers were still about.

~What do I do?~ Raphael wondered as he felt the muscles in his neck bunch with tension.

"Merow?" The normal sound of the cat was a small comfort, but it also gave him a focus for his frustration.

"You! You're responsible for this!" He accused the cat. "Make it stop or I'll-"

The cat wisely did not wait for him to finish the statement. She ran for the kitchen sprang from the floor to the counter then leaped from the counter to the top of the refrigerator and squeezed under the cabinets there.

Raphael jumped up on the counter and reached in with one arm. "Come out of there you flea bag! I'm -YEOW!!!" Raphael pulled his arm back feeling the hot sting move from his wrist to his mid arm. He looked at his arm, and while he wasn't bleeding he could clearly see the brown discolored welt where the cat had scratched him.

"That does it!" Raphael drew his sai, and would have stabbed at the cat hiding between the cabinet and the refrigerator, but suddenly the metal of his sai became too hot to touch.

"OW! Raphael dropped the sai which clattered to the floor. Raphael stared at his weapon for a few seconds in shock, and then reached for it again.

The sai vibrated on the floor warningly, and he could see it becoming red hot. As his hand drew closer he could feel the heat of his weapon radiation into the air.

"What the shell is going on?" Raphael demanded. To his shock he heard an answer.

Iwillnotallowyoutoharmher.

Raphael almost caught that. At least he thought he did. Something in his memory flashed back to something Michelangelo and his friend had said back at the lair.

"I thought you finally rented that place out?" Michelangelo said puzzled.

The young veterinarian sighed. "He tried to get rid of Princess, and the powers that be took exception to that. He lasted nine days."

"Didn't you warn him?" Michelangelo asked. Robert only shrugged.

~Mikey knows, Mikey know!~ Raphael thought angrily. ~What is it with this place? Is it cursed or something? And what does that cat have to do with it?~

He looked down at his weapon on the floor again. Very slowly he reached for his sai, and once again it vibrated a warning.

Raphael drew back. "Look," he said to the empty air around him, feeling very foolish. "I get the message. The cat is off limits, but I want my sai back!" Silence answered him, but when he reached for his sai again he was able to pick it up and place it back in his belt.

The cat now peeked her head out from her hiding place, and hissed at him angrily.

"Same to you, kitty," Raphael said angrily. "I don't know what's making those noises, but it's made its point." He was still edgy, and nervous, even more so now. Whatever was in this apartment, whatever had driven the other tenants out, was intelligent and aware of his presence. For a ninja who spends most of his life in hiding, Raphael felt very exposed. So it was no surprise that when he heard the door unlock and open he flung his sai at the unfamiliar sound.

"Hey!"

"What the?"

"Raph! Chill! It's us!"

Raphael had his second sai in his hand ready to attack his unknown assailant, when he saw that it was his three brothers. His sai was in the door vibrating up and down like a sea saw.

Leonardo was the first in the room. He looked at the offending sai in the door and put a single finger on it, stilling it's vibrations. "Raph, what's with-" He paused in mid sentence and took a really good look at Raphael. Then he began again, "forget what I was saying. What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"You're not too far off, Leo," Raphael said tensing up. "That's exactly how I feel. We've gotta get Splinter out of here. This place is haunted or something."

"More like, 'or something," Donatello said, from behind Leonardo. "Ghosts aren't real."

From behind him Raphael heard a voice burst out in good hearted laughter. Again he heard the buzzing sound, but could not make out words.

Ghostarenotrealhmm?Ibelieveyourmoretechnicalbrotherisinforasurprise.

"Oh yeah?" Raphael said, feeling his muscles tighten, "Then what was that?"

"What was what?" Leonardo asked evenly.

Raphael looked over his shoulder, then turned back to Leonardo. "You mean you didn't hear that?"

"Hear what?" Donatello asked.

With a giggle Michelangelo said, "Is Raphy hearing things? Has he finally gone off the deep end?"

"I'll send you off the deep end, Mikey," Raphael growled. "This isn't funny. Something about this place is whacked, and-HEY!" At that moment the orange tabby streaked through Raphael's legs, and leaped into Michelangelo's waiting arms.

"Awwww," Michelangelo said petting the cat. "Has my pretty Princess been driving Raphael crazy? Though in his case it's a pretty short trip."

Even Donatello laughed. "Your ghost has fur and a tail, Raph."

"It wasn't the cat!" Raphael insisted. I saw the cat before the place got weird. I keep hearing something, like a buzzing, or somebody whispering behind me, but I never saw nothin'." Then with a fierce glare at Michelangelo, he said, "And you know about it, Mikey! You know why nobody wants to rent this place out! Why did things start getting freaky when this cat showed up?"

To their surprise Michelangelo's face suddenly turned serious. He looked worriedly at the cat, and said, "Princess, did your invisible friend show up again, and cause trouble?"

"Invisible friend?" Leonardo asked.."

Michelangelo ignored the question, and looked at Raphael. "You didn't try to get rid of her, did you?"

"I was taking her downstairs where she belongs," Raphael said in a growl.

Michelangelo shook his head in negation. "Princess doesn't belong downstairs, Raph. I brought her in as a rescue a few months ago. She decided to move up here on her own."

"Didn't your friend keep her in the kennel?" Donatello asked.

Michelangelo shrugged. "She kept getting out." He explained. "Rob would always find her up here, and if a family wanted to adopt a cat he couldn't find her at all. When she stopped eating his food, he stopped worrying about her. Rob figures she's a pretty good mou- uh hunter."

Leonardo hid a smirk knowing full well why Michelangelo didn't wish to call the cat a "mouser." Raphael didn't pay attention to the joke.

"That doesn't tell my anything about the ghost, Mikey, and don't tell me there isn't one! That's why your vet friend can't rent out this place."

"Raph, there are no such things as-" Donatello began again, but Michelangelo cut him off.

" I didn't think you'd guys would believe me if I told you. I wasn't sure I believed it myself for a while."

"And you do now?" Leonardo asked.

Michelangelo nodded. "Rob's told me enough stories now that I'd be more surprised if this place wasn't haunted." He pat the cat affectionately "I think Princess comes up here all the time to keep him company."

Donatello still looked skeptical. "All right what did you see to make you think that there's a ghost around?

Raphael wasn't sure if Donatello had addressed Michelangelo or himself, but he answered anyway. "I didn't see anything, Don. I've been hearing voices, buzzing and whisperings all night, but there's nobody there!"

"Easy Raph." Leonardo said steadily. He knew Raphael wouldn't be so edgy unless it was something serious. "I think we can deal with some mysterious voices for a while. Unless something else happened here." He looked at Raphael expectantly.

"No," Raphael's voice was flat and without emotion. That told all his brothers that something else had happened, but it had frightened Raphael so badly he would never admit it.

Leonardo sighed. "Okay, then we stay. Don, do you mind staying up with Splinter for a while?"

"Of course not, Leo," Donatello said cheerfully. "I can't check on some stuff Rob wants me to read on bacteria."

Leonardo nodded. "Then I'm going to get some shut eye. Wake me up when you want to go to bed."

"Okay, Leo." Donatello answered. Suddenly Michelangelo's cat, Princess, jumped from his shoulder, and made her way to Splinter. Once next to the aged rat she lay down, and began to purr.

"Ohhhhh no!" Raphael said warningly. Not again! That's what started this whole thing tonight! She wouldn't leave Splinter alone!"

"I don't think she's means any harm, Raph." Donatello observed. "She's just laying there and purring."

"Maybe she's trying to help Master Splinter." Michelangelo suggested.

Raphael glared at Michelangelo, but Leonardo gestured that Raphael should be should leave it be. "It's okay, Raph. She's not doing anything. Who knows, maybe Mike's right. She thinks she's helping. Leave her alone, and go to bed Raph, you look beat."

As he Michelangelo and Raphael prepared their sleeping bags, Leonardo took another look at Raphael. He knew that sending him to bed wasn't going to work. If Raphael was as tense as he looked he'd never get to sleep. As Leonardo got into his bag though he realized something. He wasn't nervy. True nothing ghostly had happened to him, but he felt oddly safe here. As if whatever force was in the house liked them, and would protect him if it could. That odd feeling, combined with the long day allowed Leonardo to drop into a deep sleep almost instantly.

*************************
"Leonardo,"

Leonardo woke to hear a strange voice calling his name. He sat up and looked around. He wasn't in the apartment over the vet's clinic. That place had been empty of furnishings. This place even though the walls and the floor looked the same, were furnished with a very Asian flavor. There was a small bonsai tree on a shelf on his left. A screen almost covered a small sleeping pallet, and there was a small electric fountain in the north westcorner of the room. The floors were polished hardwood with a three soft tumbling mats along the edges. The oddest thing was the large rod iron bird cage that hung from a stand near by the fountain.

"Where am I?" Leonardo wondered. "What is this place? Why aren't I with my brothers?"

"But you are Leonardo," the strange voice said again. "And you aren't."

Leonardo turned to see a strange human before him. He was dressed in a one piece dogi of black silk with a small sash trailing out behind him. Over the dogi he wore a plain open vest made of red brown leather that hung almost to his knees. His hair was a deep black scattered across his head. He had a long face, and warm brown eyes that matched his golden tanned skin. He was smiling, amused at Leonardo's confusion.

"What do you mean?" Leonardo asked. "Where are my brothers, and who are you?"

"So many questions," the stranger said merrily. "For a ninja in training you are very curious.. If you want to have any of you're questions answered you'll simply have to make me take a fall."

Leonardo wasn't sure what the stranger meant until he saw him crouch into a first level ready position. "Defend yourself my friend!" He said cheerfully then attacked.

He came at Leonardo with a serpent kick to his left. Leonardo dodged it by inches to find himself blocking a tiger punch to his face. He kicked out at the stranger, and did a quick back flip away to catch his breath. He only had a second when the stranger was over him again. This time he was using a quick one two punch to his gut that he only blocked just in time. He leaped up to the wall then spring boarded back to land a kick to the man's face, but the strange human managed to block it. Instead he grabbed onto Leonardo's foot, and caused him to loose his momentum in the air. His shell connected to the floor with a loud crack.

~Man, this guy is good!~ Leonardo though between breaths. Whoever he was he was far more skilled that he appeared. ~But who is he?~ He looked up at the stranger who was patently waiting for him to rise to his feet before continuing. "Why are you doing this?" Leonardo demanded.

"Tut tut tut, Leonardo," The stranger said cheerfully. "That is just another question, and I told you to get your questions answered, you'll have to take me down first. Now then." He clapped his hands teasingly. "Up up up. I thought you would have more stamina than this."

Rising to his feet Leonardo said, "you'd better be careful what you wish for." He didn't wait for the stranger to attack first. He tried to land a double phoenix punch on the man, but the stranger moved lightly away from the blow, and managed to kick Leonardo hard in his shell driving him forward. A second kick to his legs landed Leonardo back on the floor.

"Come now, Leonardo you should have seen that one coming." The stranger said, shaking his head. "Let's try it again."

With a savage growl Leonardo went for the stranger again. The stranger easily blocked the blows. Suddenly the stranger went down, and did an orbit kick. Knocking Leonardo to the floor again.

"Is there any point to this other than introducing my face to the floor?" Leonardo asked as he rose to a sitting position."

With a disgruntled sigh the stranger shook his head. "I was hoping for a bit more of a challenge, but still. Once more and we'll call it a night."

"Once more?" Leonardo looked at the stranger confused. "I still don't understand why you're doing this."

"Don't worry about the why, Leonardo," the stranger said. "Remember the little reed that bends in the wind will survive while the mighty oak who stands against it may be uprooted."

Leonardo's eyes widened. That had been one of Masters Splinters favorite fables when they had been young. "How do you know that! Leonardo demanded. Who are you that you know the stories we were told as children!"

This time the stranger did not answer. He simply dropped into a ready position. Leonardo attacked once more with a flying double dragon kick. When that was blocked he tried a reverse punch, and yet again the stranger blocked him. Leonardo's final kick allowed the stranger to grasp onto his foot which let the stranger pull Leonardo down. Dizzy and frustrated Leonardo struggled to get to his feet, but the stranger knelt by his side, and placed a hand on his head. The moment the stranger touched him Leonardo felt all the strength ebb out of his body. He grew too tired to get up.

"Shhh be at peace my friend," the stranger said. "Rest now. You and I will have time to get better acquainted later."

"No...." Leonardo protested weakly even though he felt himself falling asleep. "No....I....I don't understand."

"There is time for that later as well," the stranger said. He leaned down and whispered into Leonardo's ear. "Sleep."

Leonardo could not resist. His eyes closed he felt his body fall to the floor, and he did not rise again.

************************

Donatello yawned a fourth time, and looked at the clock. It was two in the morning, and high time for him to take his turn sleeping. He got up from his chair and stretched. Instantly Raphael opened his eyes, and grabbed onto the sai under his pillow.

"You're still awake, Raph?" Donatello whispered.

Raphael sat up and sighed. "I can't sleep. Every time I close my eyes I think I hear those voices again. It's starting to freak me out."

Donatello thought about that for a moment. "Maybe you should try to meditate or something. Maybe then the voices will become clearer."

Raphael gave his brother a scrutinizing eye. "I thought you didn't believe in ghost, Donny."

"I don't, not really," Donatello said, "I don't know if it was Mikey's ghost story or what, but all night I've had this feeling of being watched."

"Now I know why they can't get anyone to rent this place," Raphael said uneasily. "I don't know how we're going to stand spending a week here, or however long it takes Master Splinter to get better? How is he, Don?"

Donatello knelt next to their sensei, and felt his head. "He's still hot, but not as bad as before. I think the antibiotics are starting to work. It's gonna take a while before he gets well enough to go back to the lair."

Raphael frowned but didn't answer that. Donatello couldn't blame him. If Raphael was still as prickly as he had been when they had returned from the supply run it was no wonder he wasn't sleeping. Donatello yawned again.

"Don?" Raphael said concerned.

"I'm okay," he said, reassuring his brother. "I'm just beat. I was going to ask Leo to take up a watch so I can get some sleep."

"I'll sit up with Splinter. I can't sleep anyway," Raphael suggested, but Donatello shook his head.

"You haven't slept at all tonight," he explained. "Leo's been sleeping like a log all night. He's fresh. You really should try to get some sleep."

"I guess," Raphael said. He turned to where Leonardo had been laying oblivious to the world around him, and gave Leonardo a gentle shove. "Hey Leo, It's your turn to sit up with Splinter. Leo?"

Leonardo lay there sound asleep, not moving. Donatello instantly was worried. "That's not like him. He usually wakes up at the slightest sound." "Donatello knelt down next to Leonardo, and nudged him as well. "Leo? Leo, wake up!"

Suddenly Leonardo's eyes flew open, and his hands balled into fists as he sat up. "No! Wait! Who-" Leonardo stopped in mid-sentence, and looked around. "Raph? Don?" Suddenly tired he put his hand to his head.

"Leo?" Raphael asked concerned. "You okay?"

Still unsteady Leonardo took in several deep breaths. "I....I was dreaming, I think. It all seemed so real."

"What were you dreaming?" Donatello asked. He pulled up a chair, and sat down again.

"There was this stranger," Leonardo began. He wanted me to fight with him. He wouldn't tell me who he was or why though."

"Why did he want you to fight him?" Raphael asked. "What did he want to prove?"

"No," Leonardo tried to explain. "It wasn't a fight - fight. It was more like extreme sparring. He was pulling his blows , and even then he was laying me flat. He must have thrown me at least a half dozen times."

"He threw you?" Raphael said. He paused a moment in thought. "He was good then?"

Leonardo nodded. "I've never seen anyone fight like him before. Not The Shredder, not even Sensei." Then thinking of if Leonardo turned to Donatello. "Don, how-"

Donatello didn't even let Leonardo finish the question. "He's fever is down but not gone, his pulse is stronger and he's breathing a bit easier, but he's not out of the woods yet, Leo. If your up for it, I'd like a couple of hours shut-eye"

"Huh?" Leonardo wasn't quite awake yet, he checked the small clock over the mantel. "Two thirty?" He managed to shake off the rest of his lethargy, and turn his attention to business. "I'll take over, Donny. Get some sleep." Then as an afterthought he said, "You too, Raph. Go back to bed."

"I'll go, Leo," Raphael said with a hint of a growl in his voice. "But I doubt I'll fall asleep. There's something going on in this place. I'm hearing voices, and now your having dreams."

"It was just a dream, Raph," Leonardo said. "There isn't anything more to it."

Raphael shrugged. "If that's true, Leo," he said, "why do I hear voices laughing at you?"

Leonardo stayed up for the rest of the night. Raphael laid back down as he was told, but he spent all that time staring at the ceiling.

It was almost dawn when Michelangelo stirred. Raphael sat up, and Leonardo looked over. He had been doing a few sword dances to occupy his time. Maybe it was the dream, or maybe not, but he felt the need to be active.

"No, Sensei. Why are you going! You can't leave us! Come back! Splinter!" Michelangelo muttered in his sleep.

Raphael wasn't sure what to make of it. As far as he could tell Michelangelo was still asleep. "Leo?" He asked his brother.

"I think he's dreaming," Leonardo said. He sighed feeling for Michelangelo. "You know Mikey, He never lets you know when something bothering him, he just hides it, and laughs it away. He's more worried about Splinter than he lets on."

Raphael nodded understanding. "Maybe we should wake him or something." Raphael moved to nudge Michelangelo, but Leonardo stopped him.

"No wait, I want to hear what he's thinking." Leonardo said softly. Together they listened to their brother speak in his sleep.

"No, please sensei! Come back ! Come-" Michelangelo suddenly rolled over and opened his eyes. "No! Huh? Who are you?"

For one frantic moment Leonardo wondered why Michelangelo didn't recognize him, then he relaxed as he realized that Michelangelo wasn't looking at him, or Raphael.

"Raph?" Leonardo asked warily.

"Shhh," Raphael hushed Leonardo instantly. "I'm listening."

Oblivious to his two brothers Michelangelo continued to look to his left into empty space. "You mean your real? I mean I guess your real. You're here, but-" He broke off as he listened to absolutely nothing. "Oh, that: I guess it was a nightmare," he said after a few moments. Then after another pause he shifted slightly, and said, "Yeah I guess."

Leonardo again whispered to his brother. "Raph?"

"I can hear the whispers again," Raphael said in a whisper himself. "As if they're talking to Mikey, but I can't hear what they're telling him!"

Michelangelo continued to speak with their unseen companion. "You would? Why? Who-" Again he paused. Leonardo glanced over at Raphael who nodded. He was still hearing the spirit, even though he didn't understand them. Whatever the spirit was saying must have cheered Michelangelo, because just then he smiled. "Gee thanks dude!"

"This is like listening to only half of a phone call," Leonardo complained. "What is this spirit, or whatever, promising him?"

"I wish I could tell you, Leo" Raphael said frustrated. "All I hear is that damn buzzing!"

Michelangelo yawned as he spoke to the ghost. "You can't? Well I guess I can." After a long pause he said. "Well I 'd do anything for Master Splinter. Okay, I'll help you."

"No, Mikey," Leonardo said, wincing at Michelangelo's friendly attitude towards the spirit. "Don't make promises to strangers you'll have to keep later."

But whatever Michelangelo had promised the spirit seemed to calm him. He yawned again. "Okay," he said absently as he put his head back down pillowed by his arms. Seconds later his eyes were closed, and he was snoring again."

"Mikey?" Raphael moved forward to wake him, but Leonardo stopped him.

"Don't bother," Leonardo said softly. "Remember when we were kids? Waking him up now will just give him a headache, and confuse him."

Raphael did remember vaguely. When they had been very young they all shared a room back in their original lair. Between the ages of six and nine Michelangelo had developed the odd behavior of talking in his sleep. He would carry on complete conversations in the middle of the night. Then the next day he wouldn't remember anything at all. Once as an experiment Donatello had tried to wake him right after one of those odd conversations. Michelangelo couldn't seem to understand what was being said to him, and he complained of a headache. All he had wanted to do was go back to sleep, and even then did not remember them waking him earlier.

"Man, Mikey hasn't talked in his sleep like that since we were kids," Raphael said trying to suppress a shiver. "Leo, what does this mean?"

"You tell me," Leonardo said evenly. He could sense Raphael's unease, but he didn't feel it himself. "You said you could hear the ghost talking to him?"

Raphael nodded. "The whispers stopped just as Mikey went back to sleep. As much as I hate to say this, Leo, but I think Mikey's right. This place is haunted. What are we going to do?"

Leonardo looked at the clock. "It's almost eight-o-clock," he said. "As soon as Mikey's friend comes in to check on Splinter we're going to have a talk with him about his ghost."

At eight thirty as promised, Leonardo saw Michelangelo's friend park his car, and enter the vet clinic below. As they heard his steps on the stairs, even though they were sure it was him, old habits died hard. Leonardo and Raphael took up a position to ambush a potential enemy.

Robert entered the room and looked around. The only one to greet him was the cat who had not moved from Splinter's side all night. She looked up and meowed a welcome to him.

"Hey there, Princess," Robert said reaching down to pet her. "Have you been up here with him all night?"

Once they saw it was Michelangelo's friend, both Raphael and Leonardo came out of hiding. "She hasn't left his side all night," Leonardo said, startling the vet.

"Geeze! Don't scare me like that guys!"

"Sorry," Leonardo said, not really feeling sorry. He was still not sure how much they could trust this vet.

Robert went through a quick examination of Splinter. "If you could come with me now, I'll do that blood test on you, and Donatello. Then we can bring the equipment up here and do it for your sensei.

Leonardo nodded. "Raph, let Mikey sleep, but wake up Don, and meet us downstairs." As Raphael complied Leonardo followed the veterinarian down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, well out of earshot of the upper apartment, Leonardo said, "While your sticking us with needles would you mind telling us about your ghost?"

Robert winced. "Ouch," he said then looked guiltily over at Leonardo. Donatello and Raphael were just entering the room. "So what did he do this time?" Robert asked.

"I heard voices for more than half the night," Raphael said sourly eyeing several of the dogs in the kennels. "You mean there really is a ghost?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Leonardo asked.

"Mike knew," Robert said evenly. "Besides I didn't think you'd believe me."

"I still don't believe it," Donatello said skeptically. "There has to be a logical scientific explanation."

Robert began to busy himself at the cabinets preparing materials for the blood tests. "If you find one, Don, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me. I'd love to be able to rent out that apartment. The only people who have stayed in there for more than a month was a Korean family. They stayed for five years. Here, Leo, sit up here." He gestured to the examination table.

Leonardo complied ignoring the chill of the cold metal table.. "Why didn't the ghost bother them?" Leonardo asked a bit nervous about the blood test.

"Oh he was active the whole time. The family seemed to like it," Robert explained. "They treated him like he belonged. They called him an honored ancestor."

"So how long has Casperbeen upstairs?" Raphael asked. Bored with watching the dogs, He leaned against the wall and watched everything Robert did carefully.

"As far as I know about sixteen years. The family that adopted him found that out. My dad bought this building from a baker who used to have a shop here where the clinic is now. That was about twelve years ago. He kept the clinic open then. I've just been here the last three years. According to what I was told, the tenant of that apartment was murdered by some gang. Ever since then there have been tales of strange occurrences up there." Robert took a piece of chord and wrapped it around Leonardo's arm. "Easy now," he said as he watched the vein bulge. "Don't look, it won't hurt."

Leonardo looked back up the stairs. "What sort of occurrences happen?" He asked.

Robert shrugged as he worked. "Oh normal things you hear in ghost stories. Odd sounds, people hearing voices. The temperature of the room or objects would rise and drop for no reason. Some people reported seeing someone, and then of course there's Princess."

"Princess?" Donatello asked confused. "What does the cat have to do with it?"

"You watch her over the next few days," Robert suggested.. "Every now and then she's looking at something, and following it, but there won 't be anything there. Okay, Don, your turn."

Robert finished with Leonardo and gave him a band-aid to put on the needle prick. "Anything else we should expect?" Leonardo asked.

"You tell me," Rob said as Donatello calmly accepted the needle. "Usually once people believe that the apartment is haunted, they move out. So I don't know what he'll do over the long run."

"Well," Leonardo said with a sigh," I guess we'll find out. It's not like we're going anywhere for a while."

Raphael looked at Leonardo and glowered. "Leo, I am not spending another night in that place."

"Raph," Donatello said as Robert finished with him. "We can't move Splinter again."

"And what about what happened to Mikey? You're going to let that ghost do whatever it is to him." Raphael asked.

"What can we do, Raph?" Leonardo shot back. "It's not like we can fight a ghost!"

"So that's it huh fearless leader? You're going to let that ghost do whatever it wants." Raphael argued.

Leonardo threw his hands up frustrated. "Tell me what we can do, and I'll do it!" He shot back, then before Raphael could say another word he said. "Look, go back to the lair, and get some sleep or something. Don't come back until you can be reasonable."

Raphael glared at Leonardo angry and rebellious, but then with a defeated sigh he stormed out the back entrance into the alleyway behind the clinic.

Leonardo let out a breath he had been holding. "There's a manhole right out there, he'll go right home."

"Are you sure it's a good idea for him not to be here, Leo?" "We should all be sticking together." Donatello reminded him.

Leonardo sighed watching Raphael scramble down the manhole. "But we can't hear what he's hearing, Don. It's got him on edge. If he feels he can't sleep here, I'd rather have him someplace he can keep his cool. I'm sure he won't stay away for long."

Robert sighed. "Okay then," he said. "If you guys don't mind, I'd like to check your sensei out now. In about a half hour I'm going to have my paying patients come in."

With a sad smile Leonardo said, "Of course, Doctor Thomas, lets go."

****************************

To his credit Raphael did as he was told for about two hours. He went to the lair, but found himself unable to sleep there either. He was torn between his guilt and this nagging sensation that he couldn't stand to be in that apartment. Was he afraid? As much as it bothered him to think so, Raphael scanned his emotions carefully. It wasn't exactly a fear. It was more like helplessness. He couldn't fight the ghost, and he couldn't tune him out. The others weren't going through what he was, and why not?

Usually a loner, this time solitude was no solace. He felt he needed to be with them, with Splinter. What if Splinter got worse and he wasn't there? As much as he needed sleep he was ancy and restless. Before noon he found himself going up Canal Street to the small one room apartment where Casey Jones lived.

Casey had just come out of the shower. He was only wearing his jeans, his black hair damply plastered to his head. Already used to the silent ways of the Ninja Turtles, he didn't even blink when he found Raphael in his recliner, with no sign of forced entry.

"Did you pop my locks again?" Casey asked.

"Don't get on my back, Casey," Raphael said sourly. "I aint in the mood."

Casey towel dried his hair, and kept his voice even. Something was seriously bothering his buddy, and he wanted to know what.. "Did you and Leo have a fight or something again? This isn't your usual prowling times."

"The others are takin' care of Splinter. He's sick." Raphael said. His face was not just angry, but worried. Casey wondered how much of an understatement "sick" was.

"Is that all?" Casey asked. He knew there had to be something else going on.

"They took him to this vet Mikey knows They're staying in an apartment above the clinic. Case, the joint is haunted. I spent most of last night listening to whispers and noises I didn't understand!"

"Haunted? Casey echoed. He thought about that for a moment, then with a sigh said,. "I'll get us a couple of beers."

By the time Raphael had finished his story Casey knew what was bothering Raphael. He didn't blame him at all. Ghosts were unnerving, and as far as he knew the four teen turtles had never had an experience with the super natural before. As he got the second round of beers, as an after thought, he spiked Raphael's beer with two shots of whiskey. Raphael was nervy and on edge and it would take the whiskey to relax Raphael enough to get him to sleep.

Coming back into the living room, he handed Raphael the beer. "You want me to tell you the truth, Raph?" Casey sat down on a kitchen chair, leaving his recliner for Raphael. "You're lucky to be able to hear ghosts. Most people don't even know they're there."

"I wish I didn't know he was there," Raphael complained. I didn't sleep at all last night.

Casey nodded wisely. "Would you feel better or worse if you hadn't known that there was a ghost when Mikey started talking in his sleep?"

Raphael sighed. "Worse I guess, we wouldn't have known what was going on at all, but still why me?"

Casey shrugged. "I don't know the answer to that, pal. All I know is that I've had ghost visits on account of you too."

"What?" Raphael said, turning towards Casey? "On account of us?"

"Not you four, you," Casey insisted. "My grandma died when I was thirteen, but the very night she died I had a dream that she came to visit me, she told me to take care of my dad and to be good."

"Okay, but what does that got to do with us?" Raphael asked.

Casey grinned. "Because the night I met you, I dreamed of her again, and she gave me what for, because I laid you out. "

Raphael sat up, and looked at Casey directly. "You're pulling my leg."

Casey shook his head and held up his hand in an oath. "No way pal, it happened. She told me I was being rotten and you were right, and if I did see you again I'd better mind my manners or else she was going to make sure I'd be in for the worse run of bad luck since I was ten."

"Can a ghost do that?" Raphael asked. From his tone Casey could tell that he still didn't believe that Casey had visits from his grandmother. Casey grinned knowing that he had researched as a child what his grandmother might have been able to do.

"Depends on how badly they want to as far as I know," Casey explained. "They can sometimes affect things, but more often they affect people around them, like in their dreams or something."

"Dreams?" Raphael yawned. He was having trouble staying awake now. "Leo had some kinda weird dream about fighting someone. I wonder if there's a connection."

"And you say the others aren't getting creeped out?" When Raphael shook his head Casey said. "Then he probably doesn't mean any harm. It's just that you're not used to having a ghost around. Man I remember a time where my Uncle Sal..."

Casey went off into a long deliberately boring story that his uncle had told him when he had mentioned the first visit of his grandmother. Raphael tried to listen, but the alcohol was taking affect and within twenty minutes Raphael was sound asleep.

Raphael's ghost story didn't surprise Casey. He was more surprised that it took that long for the green teens to come across one. A third generation inhabitant of the city, Casey had heard more than enough ghost stories, and swore his old high school had been haunted. Ghosts were just one more odd thing about New York, and hopefully by tonight Raphael would be able to deal with it after he got some sleep. He would be mad, but he wouldn't really be in a positing to argue about it, besides there was someone who was going to be angrier.

With a sigh Casey went to his phone, and began to dial a number he's only used a handful of times. He had to fess up to Leonardo that he had gotten Raphael mildly drunk. The last time he had done this Splinter had grounded Raphael, and then lectured Casey. He had to make Leonardo understand why.

~Hmph,~ Casey thought to himself. ~Convincing Leo of this is going to be easier than getting Raph to think about a ghost sensibly. ~

**************************

Leonardo watched Michelangelo from the spare room. Mikey was playing with the cat who had dropped her dignity enough to entertain him. In the kitchen Donatello worked on his laptop.

As Leonardo reached into the refrigerator for a soda, his shell cell began to ring. Wondering who it was, Leonardo put down the can of Pepsi and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey Leo!" It was Casey

"Did Raph end up there?" Leonardo asked. He couldn't think of any other reason for Casey to be calling him, unless something was wrong.

Casey's voice was cheerful and unstressed. Leonardo relaxed as he listened. "Yeah, he told me about last night. He's bunked out here at my place right now."

Leonardo sighed with relief. At last Raphael would calm down. "You got him to go to sleep?" He asked puzzled.

Now Leonardo could hear the guilt in Casey's voice. "Um yeah with a little help."

Leonardo bit his lower lip in mild frustration. "What kind of help, Casey?"

He could almost hear Casey shrug. "Oh just a couple of shots in his beer."

"Casey!" Leonardo went into full scolding mode. "How many times do I have to tell you-"

"Hey," Casey's shot back his ire rising, "It was either that or use Valium and, or a two-by-four. Besides I told you before Raph doesn't get drunk he just passes out, and wakes up with a hang over. He didn't even know I spiked the beer!"

Leonardo gave up. "I just wish you'd warn me when you're going to do that."

"Next time," Casey promised. "I just wanted to let you know it was all my fault and that Raph was crashing here for a while."

What could Leonardo say. Casey was taking responsibility for it, and letting them know where Raphael was. "I appreciate that, Casey," Leonardo said. "When he wakes up tell him to give us a call over here."

"Will do!" Casey said cheerfully, "And I hope Splinter gets better real soon."

Leonardo managed to keep his voice even as he said, "Thanks, Casey. Bye." As he heard the phone line disconnect he said to himself. "I hope so too."

From his laptop Donatello asked calmly, "Casey spiked Raphael's drink again didn't he?"

Leonardo nodded. "I should have expected that."

Footsteps up the stairs alerted them. The three of them moved to a position best able to ambush the intruder, but then they heard a knock at the door that was the pattern they had taught Robert.

All but Leonardo relaxed. He wasn't convinced it was safe until Robert opened the door. The young vet took three steps inside the apartment looking quite unhappy and haggard.

Michelangelo noticed instantly. "Man, you look like you had some day."

Robert sighed and loosened his tie. "I had to put down two family dogs today. I hate it when I have to do that."

Leonardo wasn't sure what he meant, but Donatello instantly turned to him. "What was wrong with them?"

"Old, and in lots of pain. One of them had cancer, and arthritis so bad he could barely move. The other one had been hit by a car, and there was no way to repair all the damage." He sighed. "I know it's worse for the families, but I still hate doing it."

"You'd be a pretty poor vet if you didn't hate it." Michelangelo pointed out.

Robert grinned at that. "You sound like my dad. The up side of this is the family of the second dog likes the little friend you brought in the other night. I think they're going to adopt him."

"Cool!" Michelangelo said. "Do I get to say goodbye to him first?"

"Go ahead downstairs," Robert said. "He's in the kennel, they're picking him up tomorrow after he gets all his shots. I need to talk to Don about something I found."

Michelangelo was down the stairs in a flash. Robert with an amused smile moved over to Donatello. "Guess what I found when I did your blood tests," he asked.

"I'll bite," Donatello said cheerfully. "What?"

Robert pulled a stained slide out of his pocket and placed it on the nearby microscope. "Check this out." Robert said.

Donatello looked into the microscope. Curious, Leonardo came closer. The cat leaped on to the table and put her nose to the microscope, but Leonardo picked up the cat and dropped her back to the floor. "No Princess," Leonardo said. "Let Donny look." With a sneeze the cat leaped back onto the table, but kept her distance as Donatello gazed into the microscope.

"I'm not sure if its an algae or some other kind of protozoan." Donatello said uncertainly. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Neither have I," Robert admitted. I took a microphotograph of it and sent it to a friend of mine at Columbia. He swears there isn't anything in any book he's seen before either."

"So what does this have to do with us?" Leonardo asked.

Now Robert grinned and shrugged. "You tell me, pal. It was in your blood stream. "

"Leonardo blinked and looked in the microscope himself. "It's inside of us?"

"Pretty much," Robert said. "If I were to hazard a guess, it used to be a pond algae that kinda merged with your white blood cells when you got mutated.

"Fascinating," Donatello said, pushing Leonardo aside so he could look again. .

"Okay," Leonard said. "This is interesting, but If you don't' mind I'd rather you work on finding something that will make Master Splinter better."

"This might," Robert explained with a grin. They produce some kind of cytokine that really goes after foreign bacteria. Symbiotic bacteria that's supposed to be there it ignores, but any alien infections it seems to nail them right away. If we could isolate that cytokine into a purer form, we could give your sensei's immune system the boost it needs to nail the infection."

"That's amazing," Donatello said surprised.

"I'll have to get some help from some of my friends in Columbia, but they won't ask too many questions, Robert said, "and I'll need a larger blood sample."

Leonardo frowned. "How much of a bigger blood sample?" He asked warningly.

Robert sighed. "I'm not sure. If you don't mind I'll take a half a pint now. I don't know anything about your metabolism, so I don't want to take too much at once. So, Don you up for it?"

Donatello rose to his feet. "I guess, I'll give it a shot."

"No wait," Leonardo said. When both Donatello and the vet looked at him, he said, "I'd rather you use me as your source for now. Don can help you.

Robert looked at Donatello who grinned and nodded.. "It's okay Rob. That's just Leo. Are we setting up here or downstairs?

"Here I figured," Robert said. "Just pile up some pillows for him to rest on."

Donatello and Leonard set up a spot as Robert came back with a rolling IV bag, some other tools in a case, and a tennis ball in his hand. "Okay, Leo," he said as he knelt down. "Make yourself comfortable."

Leonardo lay down on the nest of pillows, and held out his right arm. "Okay, Doctor Thomas, what's going to happen?"

"It's just like the blood test," Robert reassured him, "But it takes a little longer." He searched for a vein in Leonardo's arm. "All your going to feel is a little pinch, but afterwards you're going to have to hold still.

"All right," Leonardo said. Again he did not look at the needle going into his skin. He felt the pinch, but he ignored it. He had been though worse after all.

After about twenty minutes Robert took out the needle and bandaged Leonardo's arm. "That's all for now, Leo. Just lay there for a while until you feel ready to get up."

"What, I'm fine now," Leonardo said. He started to sit up when a wave of dizziness spread over him. "Um maybe I'll lay here anyway."

Robert smiled at that, and turned to Donatello. "Make sure he stays put for a while, and give him some juice, and cookies if Mike hasn't eaten them all."

"I will, Rob," Donatello said evenly. He made sure Leonardo was comfortable then he returned to his research. The next time he looked over Leonardo was sleeping peacefully.

**********************
Raphael woke up with a slight headache. As he forced his vision to focus he picked up the beer can behind him, and took a tentative sniff of the remains.

"Damn," he said under his breath. "Casey did it to me again." He lay back down on the pillow for a moment, as he wondered what he should do now. Raiding Casey's refrigerator in revenge seemed like a good idea. He got up slowly, and moved into the kitchen. Raphael picked up the coffee pot measuring it's contents. He took a whiff. "Three days old," he muttered to himself. "Still good." He poured the muddy contents of the pot into a chipped cup, and put it into the microwave. Setting the timer for one minute he peered into Casey's refrigerator to look for something to eat.

Two minutes later with the hot coffee and half of a crumb cake Raphael peered at the newspaper Casey had left behind. He then lifted weights for an hour, and then decided that he had to stop putting it off. He had to return to the vet clinic.

It was broad daylight out, but that wasn't going to stop Raphael, just slow him down a bit. All he had to do was find a way to get to the clinic underground. Fortunately there was another manhole just outside of Casey's apartment. All Raphael had to do was wait until the street was empty and slip in.

Two hours later he climbed out of the manhole in the alley next to the vet clinic. He used his sai on the back door to unlock it, and was nearly bowled over by a small furry missile, barking frantically.

"What is it with animals here, that they love to drive me crazy!" Raphael said as he tried to push the barking pup aside.

To his surprise Michelangelo picked up the puppy, and soothed it so that it quieted down. "Hey Raph! Welcome back, bro!"

"Who's that?" Raphael asked. "Another of the doctor's four footed patients?"

"More like a rescue," Michelangelo explained. "I found this little guy at a dog fighting ring where some bigger does were gonna use him for a practice toy. Rob's found him a new home."

"Is that how you met this vet?" Raphael asked getting to his feet. "You did an animal rescues?"

"Kind of," A new voice said. Both turtles turned to see Robert coming down the stairs with a plastic sac of something red. He went past both of them and placed the bag into the refrigerator marked. "Specimens only."

"All I had known is that someone had been dropping off puppies, kittens, and once even a sick squirrel." Robert said facing them again. "Then one of those rescued dogs started barking up a storm one night, and when I let him out to chase what I thought was a burglar I found this one in my alley with a gunshot wound on his shoulder." He nodded towards Michelangelo who was giving an extra dog biscuit to a large Mastiff in one of the larger cages.

"It was only a scratch!" Michelangelo protested. The dog tired of waiting took the cookie from Michelangelo's hand, causing him to call out. "Hey!" Then he counted his fingers. Raphael sighed and rolled his eyes, but didn't dream of chastising Michelangelo. The only one who tended to get hurt more than Michelangelo was himself.

The vet looked at Michelangelo, and shook his head amused. "Well anyway, that's when I heard your story. I told him I really wasn't supposed to take in strays, but he was pretty persuasive, so we worked out this deal. I would take in the strays, and he would do little favors for me."

"Like busting up dog fighting rings?" Raphael asked.

Robert laughed. "Usually not that dangerous, but yeah he's put down some pretty bad cases of animal abuse around here, and in return I find home's for all his strays. Except for Princess who decided that her home is here."

"Cats," Raphael said, "they always have to do things there way." He decided then to change the subject. "How's Splinter, doc?"

"His fever is down a bit," Robert said worriedly. "But it's not as low as I'd like, and he isn't responding that well to the antibiotic. If by tomorrow he hasn't improved I'll try something stronger. But I want to be careful. There's no telling what his physiology will react to. I have an idea for a new treatment, but it means getting my new sample to Columbiasoon. I'll see you guys later."

"New sample?" For some reason that phrase worried Raphael. "A new sample of what?"

Michelangelo shrugged, and put the puppy back in his kennel "I don't know, lets go ask Don and Leo," he said, then taking the stairs two at a time, raced to the apartment above.

Where the ghost was.

Raphael swallowed and told himself he wasn't going to be afraid of unknown voices, once more before he slowly followed Michelangelo up the stairs.

As Raphael reached the top of the stairs Donatello was finishing his explanation to Michelangelo. "So if he can isolate the substance from our blood he can make a medicine that will allow sensei's own immune system to fight the infection. That would be safer than using all those strong antibiotics."

"Wait a minute!" Raphael said trying to piece together what he heard. "He found something in our blood that will make Splinter better?"

"Theoretically." Donatello said dropping his voice. "He needed a larger blood sample, so Leo volunteered. Donating blood isn't easy, and he wasn't feeling very good when Rob left, so don't wake him up, Okay?"

Raphael grunted a reluctant assent, but just in case he decided to check on Leonardo himself.

Sure enough Leonardo was sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the world on a nest of pillows with an electric blanket tucked securely around him and turned on to almost it's highest setting. Everything seemed to be in order but there was something bothering Raphael that he couldn't put his finger on. Thinking about what Casey told him Raphael stopped and tried to listen to the room. Maybe the ghost was present here.

He wasn't sure at first if he was hearing something or imagining it, but soon he heard a soft steady clicking sound and a hum, like a low conversations. ~This is different,~ he thought. ~It may be the ghost or may not. How can I know? ~

Suddenly he felt a prickly sensation all over his skin as not a breeze, but a wave of energy flowed through the room. The clicking sounds stopped only to be replaced by a more familiar sound.

Don'tworryfriend,Ihaven'tdamangedhimtoomuch.He'llhavequiteataletotell

"Y-" Raphael began until he realized he shouldn't wake Leonardo. More quietly he said. "You! What are you up too? What are you going to do?"

It'sallreadydonemyfriend.Donotworry.Iwillnotallowyouoryourbrotherstocometoharm.

This was all so frustrating. Raphael was sure the ghost was speaking to him, and saying something meaningful, but he couldn't understand him. "I can't understand you! I want to, but I can't."

DonotworryYouwillseeandsoonunderstand. The spirit was answering him, and just as suddenly as that prickly feeling had begun it was gone, and Raphael was alone again, but it was only for a second, because at that moment Leonardo woke up.

"No! Wait!" Leonardo shouted staring around the room wildly. He tired to sit up, but then he closed his eyes and bowed his head as a wave of dizziness overcame him.

"Woah Leo, Take it easy!" Raphael said trying to support him.

Donatello came into the room and glared at Raphael reproachfully. "I told you not to wake him up!"

"I didn't!" Raphael insisted. Before Donatello could argue with that Leonardo agreed.

"No...Don, he didn't. I was dreaming, just like the last time." Leonardo said slowly, then he shook his head. "No, not like last time. The dream was different a little, more like a continuation of the last one."

"What happened?" Donatello asked gently.

I was in the same room as last time," Leonardo said, still slightly unfocused. "But this time there were weapons all over the place, bos, manriki gusari, sai, knives, everything, but swords. He had a sword though. He wanted me to disarm him. " As Leonardo became more awake he began to take on a seriously put out expression.

"You didn't did you?" Raphael said with a grin. When Leonardo looked up at him, Raphael said," You look like your ready to go back ,and do another round with him."

"Man, I want to," Leonardo admitted, "but not now. I feel like I really did go through that fight. I wonder why that is?"

"You want to know what's really funny." Raphael asked. As both Donatello and Leonardo looked up at him, Raphael said, "Just before you woke up I heard our invisible host. I think he's the one giving you dreams."

"Raph," Donatello said, rolling his eyes. "I've told you before, there is no such thing-"

"Hold on Don," Leonardo said raising his hand to get him to stop. "You heard the ghost?" He asked Raphael.

Raphael nodded. "I still don't know what he was trying to tell me. It's like I can hear him, but I can't understand what he's saying.

Donatello sighed. "There's no way I'm going to be able to convince either one of you that ghosts aren't real is there?"

Donatello was smiling ruefully. He knew he was licked, but he wasn't going to let it worry him. Either that or he's beginning to wonder too. Raphael shrugged. "Sorry Don. Casey and I talked last night. He swears his grandma visited him twice after she died. He doesn't have any problems believing that this place is haunted "

"Did Casey give you any ideas on how to deal with out invisible friend?" Leonardo asked.

"I didn't ask," Raphael admitted. "And yeah I'll admit I wasn't exactly thinking clearly when I left this morning."

"It's all right," Leonardo said laying back down on the cushions. "If it was me hearing things I'd probably be nervy too. If you want to keep crashing at Casey's that's fine with me. Just keep in touch. "

Raphael nodded, then looking casually back at his brother. "You get some more sleep, bro. I'll go back to Casey's for some shut eye when your rested.

"Okay," Leonardo agreed reluctantly. He rolled over, and pulled the blanket over his shoulders. Satisfied that everything was all right, Raphael and Donatello left the spare room.

Back in the living room, the two found Michelangelo stretched out on his sleeping bag dozing in front of the TV they had brought up with them. Raphael watched as Donatello checked Splinter's temperature. "Still high, but not as bad as before," He said to Raphael. Raphael frowned at Donatello's dejected manner.

"Is that bad?" Raphael asked.

Absently Donatello covered Michelangelo with a blanket. "He should be responding to the antibiotics by now," he explained, "but I don't see any signs of that happening. He may need stronger medicines, but the stronger the medicines are the more chances that they'll be side affects."

"I'm gonna let you and the doc worry about that," Raphael said. "I'll worry about our invisible friend around here."

"Do you really think you have to worry about him?" Donatello asked. "I mean I still haven't seen any sign that he exists."

"Oh he's real all right," Raphael insisted. "I just want to know what he wants with us. Besides that's something I can do. I can't do anything about Splinter getting better."

Donatello put an arm around Raphael's shell. "Don't get crazy over it, Raph. I feel pretty helpless too. There's nothing for any of us to do except wait, and hope the medicines work."

Suddenly Raphael noticed that the cat was not next to Splinter. "Hey, where did the feline fur ball go? Did she finally take the hint and scat?"

Donatello blinked and looked around. "Now that's funny. Mikey said she comes and goes as she pleases, but she's been next to Splinter all day. I wonder where she went off too."

"Maybe it's cuz she's not keen on me." Raphael wondered. "I'm gonna go up to the roof and work out a little. Maybe she'll come back if I'm not around."

Raphael went up to the roof, and worked on his katas for an hour. He was about to start another exercise when he saw something move behind him. Spinning around, with his blades drawn Raphael immediately relaxed when he saw it was Princess, carrying a large dead pigeon in her mouth.

"Dinner?" Raphael asked as the cat lay down with her catch. "What did you do, catch it on the fly?"

Princess glared at him for a minute, then went back to her prey. With not much else to do Raphael kept up a one sided conversation with the cat. "Well I guess you have to be a good hunter going after birds like that. Call me biased but I'm glad you're not catching rats."

He watched Princess finish her dinner then meticulously wash her paws and face. Only then did she jump over the side of the roof and down to the fire escape. With nothing else to do, Raphael followed the cat, trying to be as quiet as she was. Once in the kitchen he peaked back into the living room. Michelangelo was curled up on the floor sound asleep and Donatello had dozed off at the table where he was working with his laptop.

"anditwasagreatthingbackthentodefyone'sfather.BecauseshehaddonethisKingMaioZhongdecidedthatsheshouldbeputtodeath."

What was that? It sounded like the ghost speaking, but who was he talking too? He looked around the room again, then noticed that Michelangelo, though still asleep, was listening attentively to something. Princess, back in her position at Splinter's side was watching the same area.

"ButYanlouWang,thelordofthedeadcameandtookGuanyinawaytohisunderworldkingdom. Thereshesoothed thedamned,and shetransformedhell intoaparidise...."

Raphael realized that the ghost was telling a story to Michelangelo. He tried to strain his hearing trying to figure out the words the spirit was saying. As he listened though, something inside of him began to relax. He was beginning to understand the words, it was some kind of Japanese fairy tale or myth. As he relaxed more, the story became clearer and clearer.

"Andwhen herfather becameill shehealed himby cookinga pieceof herown fleshfor himto eat."

"Raph!"

Suddenly someone shaking him, had broken the spell the words had on him. He was aware of himself again.

"Huh? Leo?"

Leonardo was behind him, looking very worried. "Raph. You back with us now?"

Instantly Raphael remembered what he was doing. He paused to listen but all he heard was the same buzzing he head heard when he started.

"Sheisknowntobeabletocureallsickness,soperhapsshecanhelpus."

"Is she real?" Michelangelo yawned. Leonardo's and Raphael's head snapped down to look at Michelangelo, but he was still sound asleep.

"Idonotknow.Ihaveneverencounteredher,butyouandyourbrothershouldalreadyknowthattherearethingsthatexisteventhoughyoucannotseethem."

Michelangelo chuckled to himself. "If you can prove to Donny you're real then I'll say we all know it"

"Know what?" Leonardo wondered. Raphael tightened up and he cursed under his breath.

"Damn! I almost had it. I was this close to understanding him and when you shook me I lost it!"

Leonardo sighed and folded his arms against his chest. "Look I'm sorry about that Raph, but you really had me scared for a second. You looked like you had lost your mind or something."

Raphael paused and played the last few seconds over in his mind. "Maybe he was trying to get me into whatever state Mikey's in. All I know was I was almost understanding him. It was like he was telling Mikey some kind of bedtime story or something. I don't get it. Why am I the only one hearing him?"

Leonardo sighed pensively "You might as well ask what makes Donny good with machines, or where Mikey's magic touch with animals comes from." He said evenly. "We're all different in a lot of ways. It just seems that this difference didn't come out until we encountered a ghost.

"I guess," Raphael said uneasily. "I just don't like the idea that I'm the only one who can hear him. I'd feel better if the rest of you could too."

"I know, Raph," Leonardo said. "And in some ways I wish I could too. That way it wouldn't be just you going through this." Leonardo thought about it. "Go back to Casey's and get some sleep Raph. Come back when you're ready, not before."

Raphael seemed torn in two about the suggestion. "I'm okay, Leo, but I'll go anyway. I want to think about a few things, and I just can't think knowing he's around here invisible."

"Go ahead Raph." Leonardo said with a smile. "I got a good long nap, and I don't feel as dizzy as I did this morning. We'll be fine."

"Okay, bro, just remember I'm a phone call away." With that Raphael slipped out of a window and into the night.

Leonardo watched out the window slightly worried. Splinter's illness was bad enough. Having this ghost around was straining their nerves to the limit. Yet at the same time, he didn't feel threatened by the ghost. He knew without understanding how that they were safe there, that nothing bad could ever happen to them, as long as they were within this spirit's sphere of influence.

Leonardo shook off the mood. He was sure the spirit was good, and it was enough for him. In fact the spirit's combat skills far exceeded his own. This second dream he had again been bested by the spirit. He needed the practice, and while his brother's were both peacefully asleep, he was going to get some practice in.

Leonardo looked down at the cat washing her face next to Master Splinter. "If he gets worse or if anything at all happens," Leonard said to the cat. "Come and get me."

The cat paused in her washing and meowed an affirmative. With that assurance, Leonardo climbed out of the kitchen window, to go up to the roof to practice.

*****************************

Donatello woke up with a stiff neck. "Ugh remind me not to fall asleep in front of my lap top again," he said to no one in particular. He got up from the chair and decided on a quick hot shower to help his neck.

After his shower Donatello grabbed a quick bite, and went to check on Splinter. Donatello knelt by Splinter's side and used the ear probe to take his temperature again. "Still high," he muttered sadly. As much as he didn't want to worry the others, that Splinter's fever had not gone down was a sign that the antibiotic wasn't helping.

"It will be okay, Don. You'll see. He promised me it would." Michelangelo said from behind him.

Donatello turned around. He knew Michelangelo had been sleeping in front of the TV since he woke up from his nap. Sure enough Michelangelo was still asleep, snoring away blissfully. Donatello grinned. It was so odd that Michelangelo would talk in his sleep like that. "Shhh, Mikey," Donatello said gently. "You're sleeping."

"He promised me, Don," Michelangelo said with complete faith, not opening his eyes. "He said he'd help us make Splinter better."

Donatello drew closer to Michelangelo and knelt down. "How can he help us make Splinter better Mikey?" Donatello asked softly.

Michelangelo barely stirred. "He says he knows things. He knows how to make Master Splinter better. He knows how to make you feel better too. He knows what's bugging you"

That made Donatello blink, and stare at his brother wide eyed. "What are you talking about?"

Suddenly Michelangelo's voice deepened, and took on a tone Donatello had never heard before. "I've seen your dreams. I know what troubles your heart."

Donatello stifled an involuntary shudder. "Mikey? Is that you?"

The deep warm chuckle that came from Michelangelo answered Donatello like nothing else would. That was not how Michelangelo laughed. His laugh was a higher pitched manic giggle. This sounded more like an older wiser adult, rather than his mischievous brother.

"He told me you were the clever one," Michelangelo said. Again it was obvious that whoever was speaking was not Michelangelo. His tone, his manner, and even the rhythm of his words told Donatello that this was some stranger. "Then again," the stranger in his brother's body said, "You don't believe in ghosts, so I guess it would be hard to imagine me."

~That's the ghost? ~ Part of Donatello was still insisting that ghosts weren't real. The rest of him mentally sighed and took in the new information as it came to him. He would need to accept what he was hearing if he was going to help Michelangelo.

"So, you're Leo's and Raph's ghost, right? What have you done with Mikey?" He asked, torn between asking the spirit a dozen questions, and protecting Michelangelo.

The ghost laughed again slowly and deliberately. "Nothing he is not aware of and has not consented to. I wanted to speak to you about the deep worry you keep in your heart."

"What do you know about what's in my heart?" Donatello asked worriedly. "Can you read our thoughts?"

"I have seen your dreams," the spirit in Michelangelo explained. "Dreams exist within the realm of sprits. I have seen your dreams, and the dreams of two of your brothers. I know what troubles your heart, and I can help you heal it."

"I don't know what your taking about," Donatello suddenly nervous for no reason. "There isn't anything bothering me."

Suddenly Michelangelo's eyes opened, but again, without knowing how he knew, Donatello could see that the intelligence behind the eyes was someone completely different. "You fear your skills will not be enough to save your sensei. His illness is far more serious than you have told them."

Donatello swallowed audibly, but said nothing. How could he lie to this being that could see inside his dreams?

"Just as you fear that your skills as a ninja failed to rescue one you know, a chance friend who led you on a great adventure. Your heart greaves because you left your friend Kirby behind in another world, and you could not rescue him."

"K...K" The word stuck in Donatello's throat. He stared at his brother in shock. "How....how do you know about him! I never told the others!" He told April, he had to, and Splinter but no, not even Leonardo knew about his failure."

"Dreams exist within the realm of spirits, and I have seen your dreams, Donatello. I know that you feel you failed this friend of yours, that you could not rescue, but I can see father than you. True my spirit is confined to these four walls, but within the realm where all is spirit one can see from one end of the world to the other. Nothing that exists within the spirit can be concealed from one who dwells there. Because of your dreams I have sought out the world you remember, the world your friend created. I can see that world, Donatello, and if you wish to you can see it as well."

Something odd was happening. Donatello could feel it. The more the spirit inside of Michelangelo talked to him. The calmer he grew. He was having trouble thinking clearly, but it wasn't a bad feeling. Everything inside of him was growing quiet and more attentive to what he was being told.

"Listen to me, my young friend," the spirit said. "Inside of every soul is the ability to see into the realm of spirits. Within that realm is all you wish to see and know. I have seen the world created by your friend, and he dwells there still. Find that power within you Donatello. Reach for it, and allow it to cradle you. Let it flow through your heart and mind. You can see your friend, Donatello. Just go over to the window. You will see what your heart yearns to know. Go, look."

Donatello couldn't have disobeyed even if he wished too. He rose to his feet and slowly paced over to the window.

***********************
Leonardo spent two hours on the roof sword dancing, and practicing various exercises. He was definitely getting sharper and faster. ~Maybe those dreams are good for something after all,~ he mused to himself. ~I wonder if Raph is right. Is the ghost causing my dreams? And if so what for?~ The only answer he got was the rumbling of his stomach. ~Ah well,~ he thought to himself amused. ~Esoteric questions are for when I'm not hungry." With a mental chuckle he climbed down the fire escape and went into the kitchen.

As soon as he crawled through the kitchen window, he was greeted by Princess. She was sitting on the counter batting the kitchen faucet with her paw.

"Hey there girl," he said. He turned on the water for her. "Raph told me before that you're a pretty good huntress. He filled his hand with water, and offered it to the cat.

Daintily Princess bowed her head, and lapped the water from his palm. Leonardo filled his hand two more times until she was finished drinking.

Leonardo dried his hand on a paper towel, and then began to pet the cat. "I'm beginning to wonder if Mikey is right," he said as he stroked the cat's soft thick fur. "You don't seem to need anyone to take care of you. The only reason I can see for you sticking around is to keep your ghost company."

Princess purred under Leonardo's attentions. "I wish you could talk," he said. "I'd bet you'd tell us about your invisible friend, including what he wants with us."

Princess looked up at Leonardo, and meowed once. She squeezed out from under his hands, and jumped over to the counter dividing the kitchen from the living room. She looked at Leonardo, and called again. Curious, he followed her, and looked into the room.

Michelangelo was sitting up, and his eyes were open, but the voice that came out of his mouth was not his brother's by any stretch of the imagination. ~What the shell is going on?~ Leonardo wondered. Donatello was there kneeling next to Michelangelo, but something was off about him too.

"Dreams exist within the realm of spirits, and I have seen your dreams, Donatello. I know that you feel you failed this friend of yours, that you could not rescue, but I can see father than you. True my spirit is confined to these four walls, but within the realm where all is spirit one can see from one end of the world to the other. Nothing that exists within the spirit can be concealed from one who dwells there. Because of your dreams I have sought out the world you remember, the world your friend created. I can see that world, Donatello, and if you wish to you can see it as well."

~That is not Mikey, no way.~ Leonardo thought. ~Is that the ghost? He's possessed Michelangelo now? ~ "No this is wrong," he said. He moved forward to go into the living room, but a paw on his hand stopped him.

Leonardo stared down at the cat. "I've got to stop this," he said quietly to the cat. To his surprise he felt the cat's claws gently touch the skin of his hand. Not to scratch but to warn. She didn't want him to interfere. He wasn't sure why, but Leonardo decided to listen to the cat. ~I just wish I knew what the shell was going on.~

He watched again. If it was the ghost inside of Michelangelo he wasn't done with Donatello yet. "Listen to me, my young friend," the spirit said. "Inside of every soul is the ability to see into the realm of spirits. Within that realm is all you wish to see and know. I have seen the world created by your friend, and he dwells there still. Find that power within you Donatello. Reach for it, and allow it to cradle you. Let it flow through your heart and mind. You can see your friend, Donatello. Just go over to the window. You will see what your heart yearns to know. Go, look"

Donatello got to his feet, and walked like a sleep walker over to the window. He looked out, and his eyes widened in shock. "Kirby?" He said softly in wonder. One hand reached up, and touched the pane lightly. He began to tremble slightly, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Now Leonardo wasn't going to let the cat talk him out of it, but she didn't seem inclined to stop him again. He moved into the living room, and went over to Donatello.

Donatello didn't even notice. He continued to stare out the window intently. Leonardo looked over his shoulder out into the street, but there was nothing there, just some cars and a young couple walking down the street.

"Donny?" Leonardo said. When Donatello didn't respond he grabbed his shoulder and shook hard. "Donny! What's going on? Talk to me."

Shaking him woke Donatello from his dream. "Huh? Leo?" Then with a realization of what he saw. "Kirby!" He looked back at the window. "I saw him! I saw him, Leo! I saw Kirby!"

"The guy from April's place? Don I don't understand. What did you see." Suddenly Donatello crumbled onto the floor.

"I saw him Leo," Donatello said between the tears. "He has a wife and kid now in that world. He...he's happy."

Leonardo still was confused. "Don I don't know what your talking about? What happened to that guy. April never told us."

For the next hour Leonardo sat, and listened to Donatello spill his guts. It seemed to be something his brother needed to get off his shell. By the end of the story Leonardo was amazed, and Donatello was exhausted.

"By the time I...I turned around there was nothing I could do, the porthole was too small to even put my hands in. Kirby managed to get through a note to me from his sketchbook, but I failed to rescue him." Donatello sighed sadly and leaned against the wall.

"But you saw him tonight," Leonardo said. "Our ghost friend showed you how to see into that world somehow."

"Yeah," Donatello said, more relieved. "The ghost told me-" He then stopped in mid sentence, and struggled to get to his feet. "The ghost! He was in Mikey! He-"

"Don! Relax," Leonardo said. He showed Donatello where Michelangelo lay still asleep on the floor. "See Mike's sleeping again."

Donatello blinked, and stared at Michelangelo for a few seconds before he began to relax. "Leo, what's going on around here. Why did the ghost take over Mikey?"

"It seems that our invisible host has upped the anti." Leonardo said. For some reason he needed Mikey to talk to you. Me he gives dreams, and Raph can hear him outright."

"But why talk to me at all?" Donatello asked. "Why take over Mikey?"

"Don, it's not your fault," Leonardo reassured him. "Whatever is in this house did it. I guess if he can see into our dreams he knew it was bothering you."

"But," Donatello began again, but Leonardo cut him off gently.

"I don't know all the answers, Donny," he said gently. "We'll find them out together, all four of us. Right now I think you need to get some more sleep."

"Sleep?" Donatello sounded confused. "But Leo what about the-"

"I'll worry about the ghost Don," Leonardo said evenly. "You just get some rest."

Donatello complained a little more, but Leonardo was firm. Twenty minutes later Leonardo has gotten Donatello to lay down in his sleeping bag. Ten minutes after that Donatello was sound asleep."

~He's exhausted, ~ Leonardo observed. He moved quietly over to check on both Michelangelo and Splinter. ~If whatever happened to Mikey wore him out I'd never know. He sleeps like a log anyway. ~ Splinter was all right, but he still had a high fever. Leonardo didn't like the idea of thinking about what would happen if Splinter never got better, but he also didn't like the idea of Splinter wasting away a little bit every day. It would be better if he just went fast. They'd grieve, but at least Splinter would be out of pain. ~Please get better Master Splinter,~ Leonardo thought to himself sadly. ~We're not ready to do without you yet. Not even me.~

Princess had taken up her usual position next to Splinter. She looked up once at Leonardo and meowed gently. She then purred leaning against Splinter.

"You take care of him girl," Leonardo said gently to the cat. "I'm going to try to have a talk with your friend about borrowing Michelangelo."

The cat gave him an amused look, and went back to paying attention to Splinter. Leonardo grinned and went to the back of the apartment. This was actually a four room apartment. They were all camped out with Splinter in the combination living/dining room. To the right was the kitchen and bathroom, and to the left of the living room, was the bedroom. Once they had settled and had found out about their invisible host, they had decided to all stick together in the main room, and left the bedroom alone. Now, however, Leonardo wanted to be close at hand, but to be apart from the others.

He sat down lotus style on the floor. The bare wooden floorboards were chilly, but he could tolerate that for this exercise. If this worked he wouldn't' be noticing the cold anyway.

After careful consideration on how to approach this task, Leonardo reached back and drew both his katanas, and rested them in his lap. In the two dreams he had experienced he had been weaponless. Even in the second dream were there had been stray weapons everywhere, there had been no swords.

~He might have done that on purpose,~ Leonardo mused. ~If these dreams are meant to test me it makes sense to keep me from the weapon I'm most comfortable with.~ How many times had Splinter chastise him, and the others for depending on their weapons? ~More than I care to count,~ he answered himself with a grin. ~Often enough for the lesson to sink in to my head at least.~ One of Splinter's favorite sayings was that the greatest weapons for a ninja was their body and mind.

~I think I understand that. It's the only two weapons we always have with us.~ Even disarmed a true ninja could take care of him or herself. ~Donny uses his mind all the time, but that's not exactly the full meaning of it.~ There was something else. Something they haven't quite grasped yet about ninjitzu. It had more to do with Mikey's odd dreams or the fact that Raphael could hear their invisible host. ~Or what the ghost did to Don. Splinter can do it. He always seems to know what we're doing whether or not we tell him, or even when we try to not tell him. It's like he just knows things. He can tap into something in his mind that we just don't understand yet.~ It was frightening, and yet intriguing at the same time. Splinter had given them little tastes of that kind of training from time to time, but this time Leonardo had to make it work, all on his own.

He closed his eyes, and placed his hand across the blades on his lap. He shut out the world around him. First he filed and put away the sounds around him, the whistle of the old radiator in the room, the steady purring of the cat, and the snores of his brothers from the main room. The sounds of the city out the window. He threw it all from his mind until he was rewarded with silence. In the same way he shut out all external sensations and smells. Each distraction was filed and discarded until he was alone in the darkness with his thoughts. Only then did he begin to focus his thoughts visualizing the room he had dreamed about. Reaching with his thoughts he called out hoping that he knew what he was doing, and that it would work.

"Of course it will work," a voice answered him. If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything."

Leonardo opened his eyes, sure enough he saw the room he had seen twice before in his dreams. Sanding on the opposite side of the room, was his opponent both times.

"You are very resourceful, Leonardo," the stranger said, "I'm very impressed."

Leonardo reached down. To his surprise he could feel his blades just where he had left them. On his lap. Sheathing the blades he rose to his feet.

"And you remembered your swords this time," The stranger said. "Very clever. May I?"

He offered his hands out. His gesture was obvious. Leonardo slightly suspicious, but proud of what he had accomplished, he drew the blades again, and handed them to his opponent."

The stranger looked over the blades carefully testing their weight and balance. "Excellent workmanship," he said finally, handing his katanas back..

"Thank you." Leonardo said. For some reason he was pleased that the stranger thought well of his skills. "Now since I've impressed you, maybe you'll tell me what you were doing with my brothers."

"Ahh," the stranger looked slightly embarrassed. "I see. Well I suppose since you found your way here using your own abilities, I do owe you something."

"I think so," Leonardo said. He kept his eyes on the stranger, who leaned up against the wall."

"I chose to communicate with Donatello in such a manner because he needed to be in the physical world. Otherwise you know he would regulate anything I did with him to the realm of dreams and give it no consideration. "

Well the ghost had a point. Prior to this Donatello had insisted that ghost were not real. "It's kinda hard to say you don't exist when you're channeling yourself through someone else," Leonardo said evenly. "But why Mikey? And why then?"

"Michelangelo consented," The ghost answered calmly. "He has promised to help me, as long as I help you. Sometimes it is very hard to be of assistance without the use of hands and voice."

The way he said that gave Leonardo his next answer before asking it. "Then I supposed it's no good to ask you to not do that again."

"That is between me and your brother I believe," the ghost said. "He has promised to help me."

~Damn, I knew Mikey was promising him something I wouldn't like,~ Leonardo thought to himself. Well there was nothing he could do about that now. Still the ghost seemed to be in a talking mood tonight, so Leonardo tried one more question. "Since your talking to me tonight instead of trying to flatten me to the floor or dislocate my wrists, do you want to tell me who you are, and how you ended up here?"

The spirit laughed long and loud, as Leonardo's heart sunk into his feet. "Did you think me so unaware that you could slip that question by me? You know what you must do to get an answer to that."

~Ahh well,~ Leonardo sighed. "I know I know I have to defeat you in combat. I still don't see the point of it."

"Once you have perhaps you will," the spirit said. From behind his back he drew a long samurai style tachi. "Now since you thought to bring your blades perhaps you would like to show me your skill with them. Are you ready to begin?"

Leonardo drew his blades again and got into his ready position. "As long as I'm here, I might as well." And with that he charged at the stranger attempting to disarm him.
********************

Coming Soon! Part II

When he opened the door to the apartment a dead weight fell into the bottom of his stomach. He saw Splinter shaking violently on the floor with Donatello not restraining him, but gently keeping him from striking the walls. Raphael took three more steps forward, but Leonardo stopped him. "No Raph," he said. "There's nothing we can do." Leonardo's voice was steady but Raphael could see his hands shaking. He was as scared as the rest of them.

Finally Splinter stopped shaking, but the dead feeling in Raphael's stomach doubled when he saw his sensei's eyes roll up in his head and close.

"No," Donatello said in a whisper. "NO!" He shouted louder. He reached down and took Splinter's pulse. With a shudder he put Splinter down on the floor and tried again.

"You must choose now or I cannot help you."

Raphael blinked. Was that the spirit? What did he mean? He was about to ask when suddenly Michelangelo moved forward.

"Mike, no" Leonardo said gently, but when Michelangelo turned to look at him. Leonardo took a step back in shock. Raphael could tell why, too. Those eyes did not belong to Michelangelo.

"Oh no," Raphael muttered, but was as frozen as Leonardo. Michelangelo, or whatever was controlling Michelangelo knelt down next to Donatello.

"Do as I say, or your sensei will die," the voice that was Mike's but wasn't Mike's said.