"Raphael, the time has come. You must take it."

"What?! Me? But isn't it dangerous to—"

"It must be hidden. Takeshi is my former student, Raphael. He still has access to my mind. Though my connection to him is weak, I fear that he will try to exploit it. Take it with you. Keep it safe. Block me from your mind. I sense that the time is growing near..."

----------

High in the mountains, a lone figure crouched at the rocky shores of a lake full of stars. He ran his fingers through the icy water, sending ripples of imperfection through the immaculate reproduction of the night sky. His breath billowed out in steamy puffs. The last autumn leaves had fallen some time ago. Now as he stared deep into the starry water, the first snow began to fall. Raphael's golden eyes glowed like a cat's as he crept nearer to the water's edge. The trembling ripples brought a recent conversation to the forefront of his mind.

"If Takeshi's so powerful in the first place, then there's no guarantee I can beat him!"

"Takeshi is one with the dark stone. The dark stone is connected to the light stone, and the light stone's energy is one with you and I."

"And the hip bone's connected to the thigh bone, so?"

"Remember it. Though it will not come to that. You are my finest student, Raphael."

A snap of a twig and the dull murmur of voices called him back to the present. He leapt into the twisted, pale branches of a cherry tree and watched as two young figures, holding hands and laughing, sauntered down to the lake's edge and lay on their backs to look at the stars. Raphael vanished as swiftly and silently as he had emerged.

The climb back up to the sanctuary was steep, and heavily wooded. As he climbed, his shoulders tightened and he felt ill at ease, as though someone, or something, were watching him. His feet slowed to a stop, digging into the earth as his muscles tensed. Something buzzed in loudly in his ear. He gasped. Large legs gripped his skin.

Balanced on his shoulder was a giant beetle. The largest he had ever seen. Its horns made up about a third of its bright-red body. It seemed to be staring directly into his soul. Suddenly, as soon as it had appeared, it took once more to the air.

Raph chased it, but once he rounded the tree, it was gone. His eyes narrowed. That beetle...he felt he just had to find it. He looked up the mountainside, to where the path to the sanctuary gates was just barely visible in the starlight. Raph chewed his lip. He was already later than expected. Master Adachi would not be pleased if he stayed out even longer. With a sigh, he continued on the path to the sanctuary.

---------

In the dimly lit courtyard, Adachi sat beneath his favorite tree, deep in a meditative trance. A draught made the hair of on the back of his neck rise. When his eyes opened the first figure he saw was that of his student.

Raphael closed the sanctuary doors and secured them.

Adachi stayed silent. He noted the curve of the turtle's shoulders and foggy eyes. "Raphael..."

"I just—I can't stop thinking about them."

"They are fine, for now."

The turtle cringed. For now...but who knows how long that will last.

"I cannot lie to you. As long as there is threat of Takeshi's return, no one is safe."

"I'm not sure they'll ever forgive me." He dropped to his knees respectfully.

Adachi's eyes closed. "They are your family. They have no other choice. Neither did you. They will see that in time."

Raph frowned. "Wish I could be as sure as you."

"Despite the current situation with your family, Raphael, you cannot afford to let anything distract from your training. You must remain confident." Adachi's forehead creased with worry when Raph refused to make eye contact. "I fear that Takeshi is getting stronger."

Raph's head shot up.

"Your powers are strong and your control is improving, but defeating him will not be easy. You are not ready yet. You must embrace your difficulties and resolve the trouble in your heart before you will have the strength to defeat him."

Eyes glowing, Raphael nodded.

"Get some sleep, young one. Tomorrow there will be no training. You must meditate on the objects that hold you back before we can proceed any further."

--------

In a clearing, a few miles down the mountain from the sanctuary, Raph was meditating on the events of the night before. Embracing his heart's deepest conflicts was proving exceedingly difficult. He didn't want to acknowledge the hurt that his father's words had caused, the emotions on his brothers' faces that night, but he had to. He just had to.

His eyes opened for the umpteenth time in the past minute. A loud buzz caught his ear. When he looked up he saw the red beetle on a tree across the clearing the one from the night before. He crept towards it, trying to channel his powers to make it approach him.

It flew away, and he took off in pursuit. The beetle buzzed through the forest, leading him further and further up the mountainside. Raphael paused when trees became scarce and the slope was rocky and jagged. The beetle went on. Raph slowly inched forward, uncertain whether or not the beetle had escaped, when a pair of bright red horns rounded the corner of the cliff. It was waiting for him.

"Hey, little guy. What are you doing all the way out there?" he asked.

The beetle crawled back around the cliff side. Raph carefully flattened himself against the mountain and stepped softly along the narrow ledge. When he turned the corner, his jaw dropped slightly. A great tree stuck out the side of the cliff, and the beetle had landed in its bare branches.

"That's your home, huh? Nice."

Raph's attention turned to the ground below his feet. The ledge widened out significantly. His heart started beating in his chest. The great rock wall on his right hand side was made of an ore so beautiful it sparkled, even in the shadow of the mountain. The beetle landed on its surface, and Raph approached. It didn't fly away.

He put his hand on the rock. Something amazing had drawn him to this place. Something he couldn't explain or name. He closed his eyes.

The rock began to glow. Vivid, red light poured out from under his hand. The atmosphere of peace and beauty vanished. His eyes snapped open, red as his mask. An ominous force swept over his entire body, and his powers flared to life. Raph gasped and used all his strength trying to pull his hand away, to no avail. The glittering ore crumbled and fell away from the face of the mountain.

Raph's gasp became a scream as pain exploded through every cell in his body. Whatever was locking his arm in place finally released him. Raph went limp and fell to his plastron, still trembling with echoes of searing pain. A rush of air and something much stronger sent him flying backwards. He cried out, arms flailing for purchase on the rock. His fingers caught the cliff's edge at the last second.

The turtle's heart pounded in his ears as he stared into the drop he almost took. He turned to pull himself up, and froze. Less than an inch from his hand, the toe of a black shoe poked off the cliff's edge. His mind cried out to his Sensei...

Master...I...

His powers were weakened. He struggled to push the message through.

It's him.

The figure above dropped to one knee and grinned down at him. He was young and had dark, wavy hair. A purple glow surrounded him, and Raph briefly thought it looked almost ghostly. When Takeshi spoke, his voice was hypnotically smooth.

"So...you must be Sensei's new favorite student."

Raphael growled.

"I was expecting something a bit less...freakish. He must have been desperate."

"Why don't you let me up there and I'll show you desperate, Takeshi."

The man above threw up his right hand and a splintering wind rushed across the tree growing out of the mountainside, stripping it of its leaves.

Raph just continued to glare, shifting his grip in an attempt to gain some kind of leverage.

Takeshi was annoyed, but not surprised. He chuckled. "Adachi taught you well. Distraction lures fish from the quiet pond—"

"—to the dining table," the turtle interrupted.

That only seemed to please Takeshi even more. He offered his hand. The red-masked turtle stared at him as though he had eight heads.

"There is no honor in a battle won so easily." His neon purple eyes flashed.

An emerald green hand reached up and grabbed the glowing hand of his adversary. As he was hoisted back onto solid ground his other hand wrapped tightly around the handle of his sai.

When his feet hit the ground, Raph tensed and dropped into stance, "We'll see how easy it is now."

Takeshi smiled.

Raph moved first. He rushed forward at unparalleled speed, giving all he had...but it wasn't enough.

The glowing purple menace dodged every blow.

Raph's cry of fury must have been audible within a mile radius. Anger fed the flames in his heart and his power surged, he hurled a huge ball of light straight at Takeshi's heart.

Cape billowing out behind him, Takeshi scurried away from direct line of fire, cringing as the brilliant energy pulse singed his right arm. He laughed, loudly.

"To feel pain again after all this time...it is invigorating."

"Then I'll make you feel it some more!" Raph shouted, charging in with white eyes.

Takeshi's hand shot out and flicked him in the forehead like a fly.

Raph's eyes widened. His body was completely paralyzed. He was frozen in position, his sais raised, leaning heavily forward.

"I grow bored of these games. Your form is strong, but you have no idea the amount of power that lies inside yourself. You are no threat to me. Time to say goodbye."

Another blast of air hurled him back to the cliffs edge. He flailed, catching the ledge once more at the last possible second.

"You're strong, child." Takeshi loomed above, casting a shadow over the dangling turtle. "But not strong enough." His foot came down on the green fingers, and Raph's eyes went wide as he plummeted downward.

The turtle knew what was coming. He just didn't know when...and he didn't want to.

THUD!

----------

Tiny fingers prodded the side of his head. He didn't open his eyes. He concentrated all his powers into himself. His body glowed, after a few moments, the glow faded and he cursed. His powers still weren't back at full strength, but he at least he'd healed enough to get started. For a few seconds he lay on his carapace, breathing deeply.

Not long after, tiny fingers poked his cheek once more.

Raph turned his head and opened his eyes, finding a young pair of big, brown eyes staring back at him.

The little girl was wearing a long blue nightgown. When she realized he was watching her, she took a small canvas bag from around her waist and left it on the ground beside him. She turned her back and moved quickly down a little path through the trees, probably the way she had come.

Grunting, Raph heaved himself up and reached over to grab the bag. He peered inside and couldn't help but crack a smile.

Cucumbers.

He looked down the path the girl had taken. If it hadn't been for her, it might have been days before—

Wait.

How long had it been? There were stars in the sky. A few bugs were chirping and crawling about.

Takeshi...had been released. He would go after the stone...

Master Adachi!

Raphael straightened. His eyes shone. He had to reach the sanctuary.

He tore up the mountainside. His aching legs and back only a dull burn in the raging inferno of his mind. He tried calling out with his mind, but he couldn't focus hard enough to push through any thoughts.

Finally, his feet carried him to path up to the gates. His eyes saw what his heart could not fathom. The gates had been torn off their hinges, there was giant crater in the courtyard. Raph's heart rose to his throat.

No...it wasn't possible.

He plunged into the wreckage. His sudden movement flung dust from the wreckage up into the air. "Sensei?" He pleaded.

There was no answer. He rushed into the building, not caring that there were smoldering holes in the walls and roof.

"Sensei!" he shouted more urgently, moving from the dojo through to Master Adachi's room, and finally, the shrine where the stone was kept.

Raph's breath stopped. He slid onto his knees and gathered his Sensei's broken body in his arms. Tears ran down his face as he tried to channel his power from himself to his sensei. He gasped when a hand reached out and pushed his plastron.

"No, Raphael. It is too late for me." Adachi had begun to look his real age, wrinkles gathered at the corners of his eyes, his body was shriveled and frail—he was almost skin and bone.

Raph shook his head.

"I realesed him, Master. It was all my fault. Please, I can't let you die. I can't do this alone. I'm not strong enough."

A sharp, bitter sting flared on his right cheek.

"Yes you are, but you are not ready. You must get out of here! Quickly."

"I can't leave you here."

"He will return. He knows the stone is gone. He will be after you now. Go." Adachi's fingers trembled, he touched Raph's shoulder. "You are smart—a" he fought for breath, "and stronger than you think. Get the stone. You have to escape. Find your strength." With a sigh, his eyes went blank.

Raphael set down the body and bowed his head.

Adachi's from withered away to bone, and finally, to dust.

A new wave of power swept through Raphael. The aches in his body dissipated. His hands wrapped around the handles of his sai, then released them. He went to his room and grabbed his cloak. His golden eyes closed for a split second before snapping open once more.

He could feel an ominous presence drawing nearer. He had to move fast.

There was only one way to find his full strength: he had to face his demons.

He had to go home. 

-----

Hope its okay. 

Sorry it took so long. Soooo busy with homework this semester.