Here it is, the grand finale! I was planning for it to be much shorter but, as usual, my muse ran away with me again.

MajorCartooniac and TheRedScreech both had great suggestions for how this chapter could go. I worked in your ideas guys, thanks for the inspiration!

Also, thanks again to all my readers and reviewers. I've enjoyed trying my hand at writing comedy and I'm glad I could make you guys laugh a few times. Funny how action still managed to creep in there by the end lol.

Finally thanks again to my sister for being my beta. She is amazing and awesome xo

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Nothing!

Mikey had been hanging upside down for so long it felt like all the blood in his body was now in his head. Pulsing pressure made his eyeballs feel like they were bulging from their sockets but he just blinked away the feeling, pushing his tongue against his teeth as he strained with effort.

"C'mon...c'mon...ahhhh, no! Yes yes yes yes, yeah!" Green thumbs flew furiously over the small buttons as a grin stretched his mouth. "Eat laser evil-looking-weird-caped-dude." He cackled triumphantly. He rested the controller on his plastron, shaking out one hand at a time and cracking his knuckles as he prepared to tackle the next level. He was starting to get more than a little uncomfortable in this position lying square on his shell but refused to budge, he had started the game this way so this was the way he was gonna finish it even if his carapace developed a flat patch...

Scarlett momentarily crossed his field of vision and his eyes flicked to her, watching as she dumped yet another armload of blankets onto the floor before tromping off again in the direction of the lab. She was nearing the end of cleaning up after the epic mess she'd made this morning, her current trips to and from the laundry were the last of her chores. Mikey picked up his controller again and un-paused the game, shaking his head a little at Scarlett's retreating back.

Freshly washed pillows and doonas were beginning to make a large pile in the middle of the lounge pit in preparation for tonight's sleep out. All their bedrooms had been made unliveable by Scarlett's breeze-bombs so everyone except Master Splinter was being forced to sleep out here until their rooms had aired enough to be inhabitable again. To say the other guys were pissed was a bit of an understatement and Mikey had to admit he wasn't really seeing the funny side to her prank right now either. Caught up in the heat of the moment he'd had a great time but then later when he'd realised just how stinky his room now was, along with all his stuff...

"Please, turn off your game Michelangelo."

Mikey lifted his head to find Master Splinter standing at his feet, hands clasped behind his back as he looked stoically down at his youngest son.

Obediently Mikey paused the game once more before twisting himself upright. "Sure," he yawned and stretched, "I was just thinking that I should probably switch to a movie, the other guys might like to watch..."

"There will be no screens of any kind tonight." His father shook his head and Mikey gaped up at him, frozen with one arm over his head and the other out to the side.

"What? Why?"

"Scarlett is banned from screens so therefore no TV tonight while you are sleeping in this room," Splinter responded calmly in the face of Mikey's rising dismay. "You and your brothers will have to find other ways to entertain yourselves before bedtime."

"Great," Raph slouched his way into the room followed closely by Leo and Donny, the latter holding a steaming stack of pizza boxes. "Not only are we forced out of our own bedrooms but now we can't even pass the time by watching a movie. Nice one Scarlett."

"I said I was sorry." Scarlett was back with her last load of blankets. The tiniest grin pulled at her mouth even as she pouted and flung herself onto her back in the cushy nest she'd built. She draped an arm across her eyes dramatically and moaned. "I'll just go sleep in the lab so you guys don't have to be near me."

"Ah, no you will not," Donny disagreed as he handed out the boxes to his brothers who were spreading themselves around the lounge pit, grumpy expressions full force. "Your lab pass has been revoked until further notice." He shot her an exasperated look and plonked himself down next to Mikey to eat.

"Fine," she huffed and sat up again. "Then I'll just go to the dojo..."

She broke off when Master Splinter let out a discreet cough and Leo openly scoffed.

"Kitchen bench?"

Mikey half choked on his mouthful of pizza, shaking his head violently as he beat at his plastron with a closed fist. "Unsanitary," He managed to croak after swallowing roughly.

"I'm running out of places to go here guys," Scarlett said dryly as she slid from the pile of blankets then shuffled on her butt across the lounge pit to reach for a slice from the box Raph was holding. "Ow!" She pulled her hand back when he slapped it smartly, glaring at her and shaking his head minutely.

"Aw, c'mon Raphie," she wheedled, opening her eyes wide in a blatant attempt to soften him up. Her face was still streaked here and there with dirt from her earlier prank, a reminder of why everyone was annoyed with her. Mikey sniggered as he took another huge bite from his dinner.

"Come on nothin'," Raph glowered at Scarlett, unmoved by her puppy dog eyes. "In the last month I've had enough of you and Mikey to last me an entire lifetime. You've completely ruined jelly for me, all my stuff stinks like fake flowers and for some stupid reason my drumsticks are orange. I'm sick of pranks, I'm sick of the two of you...and don't call me Raphie or I'll thump you," he added as an afterthought.

"Perhaps it is time a truce was negotiated," Master Splinter interjected mildly. Scarlett glanced at their sensei then slid a sly sideways look at Mikey who stiffened indignantly when he caught her smug expression.

"But that would mean leaving the tally uneven," he protested, which immediately caused Scarlett to hide a smirk behind her hand. "I can't just walk away to leave today's prank unanswered. Think of the precedent it would set for all future throwdowns!" He pointed a piece of pizza at Scarlett as he rose to his feet, the other hand pointing a finger to the sky, "Dr Prankenstein shall be avenged!"

A chorus of groans was accompanied by a hail of pizza crusts and cushions. Mikey flinched, protesting the rude treatment from his brothers before finally subsiding back to the lounge and stuffing the slice of pizza into his mouth.

"I knew it would be too much to hope that either of you would have learned your lesson from today," Leo groused, narrowing his eyes at Scarlett who just smiled unrepentantly as she snuck a slice of pizza from under Raph's nose before he could stop her again. "Even after three hours of cleaning you still won't give it up."

"Totally worth every single second," Scarlett informed him seriously. "The memory of kicking your guys' butts today is going to be burnt into my brain forever."

"How about the fact you still have extra training to do tomorrow? With me." Leo cocked his eye-ridge at her and she wilted a little.

"Still worth it," she muttered stubbornly, sinking back against the blanket pile.

"Hold on a sec," Raph leaned forward with an incredulous expression. "What the shell do you mean you kicked our butts?" His face was turning thunderous, "I'll show you a butt kicking you little..."

"So anyway," Donny said loudly and pointedly over the top of Raph's escalating threat. "If we can't watch any TV tonight how about a boardgame instead?" He looked around the group with raised eye ridges, "Might be a good way to wind down?"

"Pass," Leo responded immediately with a grimace. "Nothing competitive please. I don't think I could handle any more drama today."

"Singalong?" Mikey suggested hopefully.

Scarlett let out a long, loud raspberry accompanied by an exaggerated thumbs down. Her mouth was full of food which meant she then had to brush off wet crumbs that had dropped onto her sweater as she swallowed and said, "Noooooope."

"Gotta agree with gaki on that one," Raph sank back against the lounge and took a massive bite of pie while Mikey pouted a little at being shot down.

Silence fell as everyone chewed thoughtfully. After a moment Leo cleared his throat, "Well," the blue banded leader mused hesitantly, "it's been a while but maybe Master Splinter could tell us a story..." He broke off with a frown when Raph let out a loud scoff. He shot his brother a quelling glare as he added, "You know, the old Japanese horror stories he knows about yurei, obake and kappas."

"Oooohhhhhhh yes!" Mikey's eyes popped open as he leaned forward towards his father hopefully. "That's an awesome idea!"

"Hmmmm, I don't know." Master Splinter stroked his beard as he met Mikey's pleading gaze with a doubtful expression. "Last time you became most distraught Michelangelo..."

"Pffffft! Last time I was, like, a kid!" Mikey scoffed, waving one hand dismissively. "I can totally handle it now."

"Last time was last year and you had nightmares for a week," Raph corrected dryly which caused Scarlett to muffle another giggle behind her hand. "You got so freaked out by the story of the kappa that you actually wanted to sleep in my bed with me."

"Whatever," Mikey waved away his brother's words again, unfazed by his recount of events. "Point is Master Splinter needs to tell us Japanese ghost stories."

A general murmur of agreement went around the lounge pit as each teen turned their eyes to Splinter.

"Very well." The tall rat surveyed the sea of hopeful gazes, inclining his head slightly before crossing to the middle of the lounge pit, sinking down into a seated position and adjusting his robes over his crossed legs with neat flicks of his wrists. "But for this story I will require one candle. Leonardo would you please fetch one from my quarters?"

"Hai Sensei," the eldest turtle bowed before hurrying away to complete the task. In the few moments of his absence Donny went around the lair to extinguish the other main lights and by the time Leo returned, the lounge pit was bathed in flickering shadows. Scarlett meanwhile had busied herself handing out the pillows and blankets she'd collected earlier and soon everyone was resettled and waiting in their chosen sleeping spots around the lounge pit.

Splinter sent one last look around the darkened room, meeting each of their eyes in turn before beginning his story...

On the Akasaka Road, in Tokyo, there is a slope called Kii-no-kuni-zaka. On one side of this slope is an ancient moat, deep and very wide, with high green banks rising up to some place of gardens. On the other side of the road extend the long and lofty walls of an imperial palace. This neighbourhood is very lonesome after dark, belated pedestrians go miles out of their way rather than mount the Kii-no-kuni-zaka alone after sunset. All because of the yurei that walks there.

"A yurei is a type of ghost," Mikey leaned over to whisper into Scarlett's ear. She shivered as his warm breath tickled her neck, pushing him away with a grimace without taking her eyes off Master Splinter.

The look the turtles' sensei gave Mikey was tinged with just the slightest hint of exasperation. "Yes, it is, and what have I told you about interrupting?"

"Heh, sorry," Mikey grinned sheepishly and subsided back onto his blankets.

Splinter held his gaze for another moment before returning to his tale, voice low and mesmerising as he spun the story.

Late one night an old merchant was hurrying up the Kii-no-kuni-zaka, when he saw a woman crouching by the moat, all alone and weeping bitterly. Fearing that she intended to drown herself he stopped to offer her assistance. She appeared to be a slight and graceful person, handsomely dressed, and her hair was arranged like that of a young girl of good family.

"O-jochu," he exclaimed, approaching her, "O-jochu, do not cry like that!…Tell me what the trouble is and if there be any way to help you, I shall be glad to do so."

But she continued to weep, hiding her face from him with one of her long sleeves. Her distress pulled at the old merchant's heart for he was a kind man and did not like to see another soul so distraught, especially one young enough to be his own daughter.

"O-jochu," he said again, as gently as he could, "please, please listen to me!… This is no place for a young lady at night! Do not cry, I implore you! Only tell me how I may be of some help to you!"

He came closer, drawn by her cries, and soon was directly behind her. Slowly she rose up, but turned her back to him and continued to moan and sob behind her sleeve.

He laid his hand lightly upon her shoulder, and pleaded: "O-jochu! O-jochu! O-jochu!… Listen to me, just for one little moment!… O-jochu! O-jochu!"

Then that O-jochu turned around and dropped her sleeve. Beforehis eyes she stroked her face with her hand, and the man saw that she had no eyes or nose or mouth. Pitiful sobs continued to sound yet she had no way to voice them.

"Tasukete." She moaned, reaching for him with one white hand.

The old merchant screamed and recoiled from her. Up Kii-no-kuni-zaka he fled, blind and overcome with terror. All was black and empty before him. Stones and roots tripped his feet, sent him to his knees, yet he picked himself up and kept running. Never daring to look back for fear he would see her following, her smooth white face glowing in the darkness.

At last he saw a lantern, so far away that it looked like the gleam of a firefly, and he made his way towards it. As he drew closer he convinced himself he could feel the smooth cold fingers of the girl tickling the back of his neck until finally he threw himself at the light, sobbing with relief.

It proved to be only the lantern of an itinerant soba-seller who had set down his stand by the road-side; but any light and any human companionship was good after his terrifying experience.

He flung himself down at the feet of the soba-seller, crying out, "Ah! — aa! — aa!"…

"Kore! kore!" roughly exclaimed the soba-man. "Here! What is the matter with you? Anybody hurt you?"

"No — nobody hurt me," panted the old merchant, "only… Ah! — aa!"

"Only scared you?" queried the peddler, unsympathetically. "Robbers?" He helped the merchant to his feet, holding his arms tightly and peering into his eyes.

"Not robbers, not robbers," gasped the terrified man… "I saw… I saw a woman — by the moat; — and she showed me… Ah! I cannot tell you what she showed me!" He clung to the soba-man, certain he would fall if he didn't.

"Ha! Was it anything like THIS that she showed you?" cried the soba-man, letting go of the old merchant with one hand to stroke his own face —which transformed to become white and smooth like an egg.

With a loud cry the merchant tried to pull away but was stopped by the hand on his arm, strong as steel and immovable as a mountain. The peddler hissed as he drew the man closer and closer, ignoring his struggles. "Uemashita..."

… and, simultaneously, all the lights in the village went out.

With that Master Splinter extinguished the candle, plunging the lounge pit into darkness. The abrupt change left the teenagers momentarily blinded and the resulting unease in the air was almost palpable...or at least Mikey thought it was.

"And then what?" Scarlett's voice, loud and right next to his ear, startled Mikey so bad he let out a yelp. The others gave disembodied groans in the darkness and at that moment the youngest turtle was certain that they'd been as enthralled as he by their father's story.

"What?" Scarlett came back into view as their sensei relit the candle. Her eyes shone in the darkness like twin mirrors, throwing back the light as she looked around and saw the flat expressions being thrown her way. She shrugged apologetically, one shoulder lifting as her mouth tilted at the corner. "Sorry Master Splinter, but I've seen a ton of horror stories way scarier than that. But..." she ran a hand through her hair and shrugged before finishing lamely, "...you know, it was still really interesting."

Mikey caught her eye, pinning her with a pointed look from under his brow and giving her a shake of his head before turning to his father. "Well I thought it was a great story Sensei. I totally got the shivers."

"Yeah, thanks dad," Leo chipped in followed by the rest of his brothers.

Master Splinter's whiskers twitched in acknowledgement, a small smile tugging at his mouth. Rising to his feet smoothly he said, "Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the tale. And now it is past time you were all asleep." He fixed them all with a last long look which had the teenagers obediently scooting down under their blankets.

"Goodnight."

"Mikey?"

Mikey awoke to the feeling of someone poking him in the eye. He groaned, batted at the hand that was roughly scrabbling over his face and attempted to roll away from whoever was currently being a massive jerk.

"Mikey!" The hiss came again, low and urgent. "Mikey, is that you?"

"No," he grumbled, growing more annoyed when he found he was pinned under something that pressed into the direct centre of his chest. "Go away."

"Wake up." The hand flattened against the side of his face, lifted, then came back with a sharp slap.

That did it. Mikey sat up abruptly, dislodging the weight from his chest and sending it tumbling to the floor with a squeal. "Scarlett? Did you just slap me?" he demanded hotly, eyes squinting as they searched the darkness then settling into a frown when he discovered he couldn't make out a single thing.

"It's still the middle of the night, why are you climbing all over me and slapping my face?" he grumbled, pulling his blanket back over his shoulder and thumping back to his pillow. He rolled his eyes as he heard Scarlett scuffle around on the floor for a bit then her hand found him again, tugging at his blanket as she pulled herself back towards him.

"It's dark," she whispered right next to his ear.

"Uh, yeah, night time," Mikey said in exasperation. "Now go back to sleep before you wake the others and get us into even more trouble."

"No, I mean it's dark," Scarlett said insistently, shaking at his shoulder. "Like, I-can't-see-anything-at-all dark. And also," her voice quavered a little, "I don't think the others are actually here..." she trailed off and the uneasiness in her voice was what had him casting off the last of his drowsiness.

"Wait," Mikey sat up and looked around again, the cloying darkness suddenly taking on a whole new weight. "You can't see anything? Nothing at all?"

"No," her voice dropped back down to a whisper. "It's like I've gone totally blind. I think the power has been cut or something."

"Oh," that was something to be concerned over right? If Scarlett couldn't see anything then there wasn't a single beam of light in this whole place. "And you can't find the others?" he asked hesitantly.

There was a slight rustle and he imagined her shaking her head. "I looked all around here before I finally found you. They're gone. I can smell where they were and their blankets are still a little warm but they aren't there anymore."

He heard her swallow and her voice dropped lower before she admitted quietly, "I'm actually kinda scared, I forgot how much I hate it when I can't see. And it's so quiet. I think...it feels like...I feel like something is watching us..."

Oh jeez. Chills worked their way up and down Mikey's spine and he reached for her before he'd even really thought about it, only to find she was already reaching for him. Together they climbed to their feet, still clinging to one another. Scarlett pressed her back against his plastron and when he dropped an arm over her left shoulder she pulled it across her chest so she could hug it tightly. He could feel her heart beating rapidly against his forearm and it sent his own pulse skyrocketing.

"Raph?" His brother's name came out as an unmanly squeak and Mikey cleared his throat before trying again. "Donny? Leo? Where are you guys?" His voice echoed hollowly in the enormous space and all at once he was struck with the feeling that they were floating in a great void of nothingness instead of safely inside their hidden lair. Your imagination is starting to carry you away again, he chastised himself sternly, tightening his arm around Scarlett just a little and fixing his face into a more confident expression in the hope it would carry over to the rest of his brain.

As the last echo died away he felt Scar hold her breath and mimicked her, listening intently. "Maybe they've gone to the bathroom?" he suggested after what felt like an eternity.

"All at the same time?" she whispered back.

"Uh, yeah okay," he acknowledged before pausing to think again. "So, what about sounds? Can you hear anything?" Scarlett's ears were much more sensitive than his; if anything was moving in here she would pick it up first. Her hair brushed against his jaw as she shook her head.

"No, it's so silent. I can't...wait..." Her head turned sharply and he followed the movement even though it was pointless. "F-footsteps?" A second passed and her head turned sharply again in the other direction. "Hello?" she called out. "I can hear you...I know you're there...Leo?" Her voice ended on a squeaky whisper, almost pleading.

This time Mikey heard the shuffling footsteps too, but it was the noise that followed that caused his entire body to erupt into a sea of goosebumps. Low, wheezing laughter on his right side, just on the edges of his hearing. At the same time a high pitched cackle skittered behind him. He had the sensation of a body moving past him, almost brushing against him before moving away again without making contact.

When Scarlett jerked then let out a choked scream he tightened his hold on her so abruptly the air wooshed from her lungs. "Something just pulled at my leg," she whimpered.

A rush of anger rose to replace his fear and Mikey lifted his chin to the ceiling, "Cut it out guys!" His angry voice bounced back to him mingled with another wave of snickers and low titters. His momentary boost of bravery withered in his chest. He'd never heard his brothers make those sounds before. Maybe this wasn't his bro's, maybe it was something else, something more sinister...

"Mikey, look," Scarlett's voice pulled his attention and he swivelled his head around blindly. At first he still couldn't see a single thing but then, like a gradual sunrise over the horizon, a faint tinge of colour caught his eye. He fixated on it, so faint in the beginning that he could almost believe that he was imagining it, but then after a handful of seconds he became sure. There was a glow gathering off in the darkness, spreading illumination in a small but widening spread of green light.

"I think it's coming from the pool," Scarlett breathed, relief tainting her voice. "I can see the outline of the tyre swing."

Mikey squinted closer and after a moment nodded, the glow was now strong enough he could make out the faint, shimmery surface of the water. "C'mon," he murmured, forcing wobbly knees to cooperate, "let's get a closer look."

Together they climbed out of the pit, still holding onto each other tightly, and shuffled their way across the lair mostly by feel. No more creepy whispers or brushes of movement occurred and with each step towards the light tension ebbed from both their bodies. Light was safety right?

Mikey followed Scarlett's lead, trusting her to pick her way around obstacles that she saw much more clearly than he did. When she came to an abrupt halt only a few feet from the lip of the pool he immediately followed suit.

"What is it?" he frowned, tension clawing its way back into his muscles as he felt her stiffen against his chest.

"Someone's there, just on the other side of the water," she said, fingers digging into his forearm. "And they smell awful, like...like freshly turned dirt and rotting meat."

At her description Mikey felt the breath freeze in his lungs as he realised he could smell the same thing. He lifted his nose from where he'd unconsciously buried it in the warm crown of her head and immediately the odour became much stronger without the mask of her scent. There was the faint sound of splashing and suddenly the glow coming from the water was much stronger. Green light radiated up from the depths to cast wavering shadows against the stone walls. Shimmers flittered over nearby surfaces as the water swirled gently as though it had been disturbed by something slick and stealthy.

On the other side of the pool a dark figure stirred, separated its self from its nest of shadows and stepped to the edge of the water. The smell of death intensified and Mikey felt a wave of light headedness when the breath caught in his chest still refused to move. Tall and human shaped, clothed in a dingy brown cloak that hid its wearer amidst long sleeves and a deep cowl. Menace radiated from the figure in waves.

With a sharp movement two pale white hands darted out from beneath the ratty sleeves of the robe, shoving back the hood to reveal the head beneath. Before the two teenagers could get more than a glimpse the figure let out a terrifying hiss, leaping across the water towards them with so little effort its movements seemed inhuman. It easily crossed the expanse and landed in front of them without a sound, those same white hands reaching for them with long, hooked fingers.

Mikey felt all his insides turn to liquid as the horrible face loomed, filling his entire vision with smooth white where features should be.

"Uemashita..."

The single word rasped over his eardrums like the crackle of dead leaves. Its utterance finally unlocked Mikey's throat as he found his lost breath on a violent intake that filled his lungs sharply.

"YUREI!"

The terrified yell had barely left his mouth when something wrapped around his chest from behind and yanked hard. Scarlett let out her own horrified scream as she was torn from him, white arms wrenching her away and dragging her into the darkness where he couldn't see.

He cried out her name as he stumbled backwards, knocked off-balance by a heavy weight pulling on his shell. Even as he fell he pried at the white limbs holding him, wriggling desperately to get away and only managing to turn his head enough to get a glimpse of the entity that grappled him. He came up short when they came face to face, eyes widening in terror as he took in yet another blank white expanse like the shell of an egg.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The scream ripped from his throat so hard it felt like it tore his vocal chords and the creature holding him cackled into his ear, long and loud and completely terrifying. He continued to struggle wildly, breath coming in small hitches as he tried to get away, but he was caught too firmly within its grip.

Suddenly there was a blinding flash of light. The brilliant glare whitewashing his vision to the point he was yet again rendered sightless. The arm around his chest remained firm, holding him still while he rubbed at his eyes and blinked, panting in laboured breaths as his sight cleared.

The room swam into focus but the first thing Mikey noticed as the fog of fear cleared was that laughter was sounding again. He frowned when he immediately recognised Raph's rough chortle, whipping his head around when he heard Scarlett's furious cry, "You guys are jerks!"

Just a handful of feet away she was facing off against the red-banded turtle and looking absolutely livid. He had a white mask pushed up on top of his head, expression twisted into a satisfied smirk in the face of her anger. Across his chest his arms were folded and Mikey felt himself gape when he saw his brother's hands and forearms were stained white.

Looking down at his own chest Mikey found similar pale arms snaked across his plastron. When he turned his head he was once again faced with a smooth expanse of white. One of the arms gripping his chest released him, rising to tilt the mask back, then it was Donny grinning down at him, mouth stretched wide and eyes crinkled with mirth.

Mikey pushed his brother away, scrabbling back to his feet and swinging his head back and forth between the other two turtles. "What. The. Shell?"

"You should have seen your faces," Leo spoke from further back in the lair and when Mikey turned that way he saw his eldest brother striding towards them through the lounge pit. As he caught Leo's eye the blue banded turtle hunched his shoulders and raised his clawed fingers to paw at the air as he let out a high pitched cackle that caused the skin to prickle along Mikey's arms.

"My face? Dude! I nearly had a heart attack and died!" Mikey rubbed both hands over his upper arms, relief warring with a growing irritation.

"I know! It was hilarious!" Raph sniggered, unfazed when Scarlett gave his shoulder a rough shove.

"Not cool Raph," she glowered at him then swept her gaze around to the others. "Whose brilliant idea was this?"

"Mine." Master Splinter stepped forward from where he'd been standing perfectly still in the shadows cast by a nearby pillar. Scarlett let out a squeak when she saw he was still wearing the smooth white mask with the cowl once again pulled up. Even in the light their sensei cut a creepy and imposing figure as he towered over them.

Mikey caught a strong whiff of decay and realised that it came from the robe his father was wearing. He watched with growing admiration as the mutant rat removed the white mask with his stained paws and scanned them all with his red tinged eyes. He really is the master, he thought to himself with a spurt of pride.

"I trust you enjoyed my prank?" Splinter asked mildly, twitching one ear when his three older sons broke into smothered giggles.

"No," Scarlett sputtered. "That was freakin awful."

Splinter turned his attention to her, voice rising gently with the pretence of surprise. "No?" he echoed, stroking his goatee. "But I thought anybody was welcome to join this so-called prank war you've been giving so much time and energy to lately. I was simply showing you what I am capable of as a contender should it continue in the future." He trailed off pointedly and Mikey felt his stomach twist. Judging by Scarlett's face and the way it drained of colour, she felt the same roll of horror at the thought of going through a similar experience ever again. They both let out strangled noises as they shook their heads.

"I see. So I take it that this prank war will not be going any further?" He raised a pointed eyebrow and once again Scarlett and Mikey shook their heads mutely. "As you wish."

"Well thank shell for that," Raph sounded immensely pleased as he tossed his white mask to Donny then made his way back to the lounge pit with a yawn. "Now maybe I can finally get through a whole day without being disturbed by you two idiots."

"Amen," Donny agreed, catching the mask his brother threw then taking the items that his father handed him.

"Gotta say I'm glad it's over as well," Leo agreed. "But parts of it were actually kinda fun." He sat down on his makeshift bed, a grin twisting his mouth as he slid Scarlett a look. "You have no idea how long I practiced that cackle for out in the sewer tunnels. I'm pretty sure I convinced the homeless guy down the block that the storm drain is haunted."

"Well top points go to you," Scarlett replied as she finished moving her own sleeping pallet next to Mikey's then dove under her covers and pulled them up to her chin. "I am officially never going to be able to close my eyes or sleep ever again."

"Try," Donny suggested dryly as he turned off the main light, leaving Scarlett to shiver and scoot closer to Mikey.

"Once again I bid you goodnight," Master Splinter said as everyone was once again settled under their covers. A soft chorus of replies followed him as he retreated to his quarters, then silence fell as they all began drifting back to sleep.

Mikey crossed his arms behind his head and gazed up at the ceiling, comforted by Scarlett's warm weight pressed against his side. Minutes passed but the orange-banded turtle found his thoughts drifting back to the events of the past month. A frown pinched the skin between his eyes.

"Guys?" he finally called softly, "Hey, guys?"

"Mmmph?"

A sleepy murmur answered him and he addressed his question to the general darkness.

"So...who do you reckon won the prank war...? Hey! No! I was just kidding..."

yurei - ghost

yokai - demon

gaki - brat

kappa - water monster

obake - shapeshifting spirits

tasukete - help me

o-jochu - maid servent

kore - 'this' or 'there'

uemashita - hungry

The story Splinter told was adapted from 'Stories and Studies of Strange Things' by Lafcadio Hearn. I don't own the story and want to give credit to the original author

So what did you think? Please take a minute to leave a review :)

And now I'm back to working on 'Neko'. Give me a few weeks and I should get the next few chapters out. School holidays are just around the corner so lets hope my muse cooperates!