//------------------------------// // Shadows of a Former Self // Story: Ponies in a Half-Shell // by MetalJrock //------------------------------// "Snap out of it, Raph!" Leo pleaded, using his katanas to block Nightwatcher's sai, the two struggled in their place, ensuring that one doesn't get the chance to stab the other. Under his helmet, Nightwatcher hissed, using his sai to knock one of the katanas right out of Leonardo's hand. Leo turned his head quickly to see where his blade had ended up, making sure Sombra wasn't planning anything. "I told you, the name's Nightwatcher!" Sombra growled, punching Leo in the jaw. Michaelangelo and Donatello lunged at the possessed turtle, but Shredder told two ninjas to cover for the Nightwatcher, stopping the two turtles in their spots. Splinter jumped in front of them, holding up his staff, scowling. "You are not using my son as your puppet, Sombra." he declared. Nightwatcher laughed underneath his helmet, casuing his voice to echo. "Ha. As if I care about what you say, Splinter." Nightwatcher hissed, punching the rat in the jaw. The three turtles ran up to Splinter, holding him up. Leonardo wrapped an arm around his shoulder, using his own body as a crutch for his Sensei. "Of course you three are willing to bow down to everything he says and does. Pathetic family..." he growled to the turtles. "You all just stop what you're doing the minute one of you are hurt. It disgusts me." "He is our father. We're all a family, and Raphael knows that." Donatello told Nightwatcher in a disgusted tone. "In case you forgotten, Raphael is no longer in control of this body. I am the Nightwatcher now and forever!" Nightwatcher leaped, kicking down Donatello. "That's a lame name. Seriously..." Michaelangelo disapproved. "I don't care for your critique." Nightwatcher admitted. "Shredder... I want you to go find the crystal yourself." he ordered, "I will hold off the turtles until you do so." he saw Shredder nod, and then the ninja master broke apart the ground below, revealing a secret passage. Leonardo looked at the ponies. "But you shall end them yourself, I promise." "Girls! Follow Shredder!" Leo demanded. "We can't have him find the crystals!" "But Leonardo, we can't stop him!" Twilight shouted. Leonardo struggled to hold up Nightwatcher's sai, he pushed until Sombra in Raph's body gave out, giving him an opportunity to kick him in his armored chest. Nightwatcher snarled, rearing his right hand back at his brother. Leo blocked it with his palm, holding it back in the process. "Just go! We'll save Raph and meet up!" "But-" Fluttershy started to say before being interrupted by Shining Armor, who stood in front of them. "Don't worry. I'll go with you. I am the Captain of the Royal Guard after all, I can lend a hoof." Shining Armor insisted. "But Shining, the turtles may need your help." Twilight said. "Don't worry about us! We fight all the time whenever Raph's mad, though not to this extent." Donatello assured. He used his staff to hit Nightwatcher, who grabbed it. The armored turtle used Donnie's staff against the wielder, whacking him on the top of the head. After the third time, Donatello was ready, and he held up the staff with his right hand, pulling up Nightwatcher in the process. He put his other hand on his weapon, then he spun it slightly, making Nightwatcher release his grasp on the bo-staff. "C'mon!" Shining Armor gestured ahead, the six ponies, Spike, and Princess Cadence all nodded and followed. Cadence noticed that the Shredder and his Foot soldiers had used their athletic capabilities to scour the area, something that not all of them had. She turned to Twilight, who noticed this as well. The purple alicorn's horn began to glow its magenta hue, and covered everypony surrounding her in a hovering protective bubble. She used her horn to have the bubble slowly descend into the hole. The Foot soldiers hopped from their spots, navigating one by one on the pillars that lie below the crystal castle. Shredder perched himself on top of one, searching for what he had been desiring this entire time. "Finally. In this mine is the crystal I've been searching for. Go look for it now!" he ordered his robots. Shredder turned around, "Some of you stay behind, I have some unfinished business that I must attend to." he said, referring to the ponies that had followed him. The bubble faded from existance, due to Twilight wearing herself out and saving energy for the battle. "You shouldn't have come here, pathetic ponies." Shredder snarled. "You would've been spared an untimely death had you not intervened." "We're not gonna let you take those crystals!" Dash shouted. "Very well... Soldiers attack!" Nightwatcher felt his arm get wrapped by chains, Michaelangelo pulled an obvious tactic, "Annoying whelp!" Sombra snarled, trying to remove the material wrapped around his appendage. Mikey pulled himself forward, using his nunchucks as an anchor. "You are so lucky I left my grappling hook at home!" Mikey yelled, flipping over his brainwashed brother, his weapon still tied around his arm. Nightwatcher went flying with him, unprepared for it to begin with. He landed on his chest, disoriented. He felt the strain around his arm loosen, showing that Michaelangelo had removed the nunchuck chains from around his arm. "Do not ease up, my sons!" Splinter warned, "Despite Sombra wearing the mask of your brother, he will not hold back. And I am sure he expects us to do the same!" "You think you can stop me?" Nightwatcher asked. "This body can do wonders against each of you." "Not quite, Sombra." Leo responded, getting a punch on Nightwatcher's face. The armored turtle turned his head, feeling the force of the punch. "Raph was kinda sloppy in his fighting style. You seem to prove not much better." Nightwatcher held up both sai once more, and ran toward Leonardo, who clenched his fists. "Sloppy? I'll show you sloppy!" he shouted, trying to poking Leo, but he stepped to the side, dodging Nightwatcher's weapons of choice. "And you're stuck in a body you haven't had time to adjust in!" Donnie added, hitting Nightwatcher with his staff. The armored turtle hissed in pain, attempting to grab the staff out of Donatello's hands, but the turtle was too fast for him to react. Each time he tried to reach, he was met with another attack from either Donnie or Leonardo. The Nightwatcher continued this attempt until he lunged at Donnie, but the turtle leaned back, kicking the armored turtle midflip, sending him flying into the crystalline wall. "My point exactly." Mikey laughed, "Heck, I can't even tell the difference between you and Raph. The two of you get frustrated real easily!" he mocked, watching Nightwatcher stumble out of the hole that was formed in the walls of the castle. "Oh, I wish I can see your face. You must be so pissed off right now!" he joked. "Oh, I am pissed off!" Nightwatcher growled, punching Michaelangelo in the chest. The turtle held his shell, in the spot where he had been punched by the thick armored glove. "See? I told you not to mess with me." but then, he saw Mikey smirk, "How did you recover so quickly? That should've put you out long enough for-" he was cut off by Mikey kicking him in the back. "Do you bad guys ever shut up?" Nightwatcher grumbled, "Do you ever stop the constant jokes? It's giving me a migrane." "Nope. If you're gonna be in Raph's body, then you're gonna be treated like Raphael!" Michaelangelo teased, sticking his tounge out in a very childlike manner, which angered Nightwatcher even more than ever before. "You dare treat me like a child!?" "No..." said an elder voice, smacking Nightwatcher with the palm of his hand. Splinter leaped into the battle, his hand still extended while his free hand never let go of his walking cane. "You took my son away from me. The one my sons and I lost so long ago. We got him back and you took him away from us." he scowled at the armored turtle pretending to be Raphael, "I hold no sympathy for you at all." "I never asked for it." said an annoyed Nightwatcher. "Very well..." Splinter sighed. "Then once I save Raphael, then perhaps I'll leave you to your deserved fate." "Woah, Sensei..." Leo whispered. "That's not what you taught us!" he said. "We'll get Raph back!" Closing his eyes, Splinter focused his thoughts removing any ideas of rage and hatred, "You are right my son. But I will make sure Sombra pays for what he has done today." "We're with ya all the way, Father." Mikey chimed in. Donatello held out his staff, "Yeah... No matter what, we will get our brother back. Again."