Debate

Lily ran to catch him and it took all she had to able to keep him from falling face-first into the bloodied snow and mud. He was just so heavy! Dead-weight now that he was unconscious. Her mind reeled at that…wait…dead? He was also suddenly very cold.

Lily set him down and carefully looked him over, skimming her hand along, pausing now and then on a few to let her new-found healing ability work. She saw where the spear had been…the same place where her injury was. He felt so cold…and knew that being cold-blooded and in the snow wasn't helping maters. Without thinking about how cold it would be, she set him down and all but ripped off her soaked cloak.

She wrapped the small article of fabric over his plastron, "Don…Don, if you can hear me, you've got to stay with me…" she said desperately. Blood pooled around her… "Donatello…Donny, please…you have to be ok," she heard her voice crack. No…this couldn't be happening! Lily clung to him. There was no damned freaking way she was going to be able to take him all the way back to the castle in his condition, much less hers.

She needed some way…he was fading fast… "Don, listen to me! You have to stay…" again her voice broke. She cradled his purple-clad head in her lap and arms, ignoring the searing pain in her side.

The wind whipped around her, trying to get her attention. Lily listened.

"Remember…remember, think, think…" it chanted.

Lily did. She closed her eyes and immediately, as if by command, a specific memory came to her mind's eye.

---Flashback---

It was her and Nao…back in Japan. Nao was petting her, head against the stone wall of the cell that was the torture room. Again another bad day full of petty mistakes…

"Meditation….I don't know why I'm talking about it instead of doing it, but I feel that I have to," Nao chuckled weakly. Lily meowed sympathetically. "Many say that it's not possible to clear your mind completely, since even a picture runs through it when no thoughts are. However, I find that not true."

Again, Nao laughed one short laugh, "I have been able to do it many times, more than I can count. Meditation…it's when your mind is blank and empty, picture-less, thoughtless…It feels like you're spinning…being sucked into the unknown. Your body has the immediate instinct to jerk and pull you out of it, but you have to put that instinct at bay.

"Slowly, or for some it might be distinctive, but you eventually feel like nothing yourself. Like the Wind…you can see everything, be anything and touch anything and everything at once. You go great distances so easily…"

---End FB---

Lily's eyes snapped open. That was it! The answer to this predicament… The wind howled in response. If Nao's ability to heal – however subtle it was – had seeped into her, why not the Wind, as well? Closing her eyes, she let her breathing slow and calm, like she was sleeping, and then almost not breathing at all. Swirling after a precious minute had passed…Then she was being sucked in and finally…

She was FLYING.

Everything was a blur, whizzing past in a haze. Street lamps were streaks and blotches of light. Late-night walkers and runners noticed nothing. Soon trees were all around, and she knew she was in Central Park. Lust a bit further…Lily willed her protesting body. Soon…she was breezing through every possible crack in the door.

As soon as she knew she was inside and felt warmth other that the blood soaking her, she allowed herself to phase back into a Neko. Lily and Donatello both came crashing into the ground of the Living Room. A loud shriek filled the castle.

She realized it was her own.

Turning into the Wind was no problem. A literal breeze. However, the pain of turning solid again was unthinkable. She couldn't smile at the weak mental pun.

Almost immediately everyone poured into the living room. Brianna, Nao, and Rachel were the quickest ones to get to Don's and Lily's side. Bria took Lily while Rachel and Nao both had to heave Don upwards and carefully bring him over to the lab. Rachel was growling mentally at herself. Why didn't she see this? Why didn't she know that this was going to happen? She wanted to scream in frustration or something, but withheld the desire. Right now, their focus was on Don. She watched as Bria had brought Lily into the room as well.

She ran her fingers through her hair and yanked on it hard. She hated this. She really hated this. She didn't understand; she would have caught this. Why didn't she catch this? She mentally scowled herself for a while before asking, "Is there anything I can do? Besides just dropping him off?" She hated this feeling.

The feeling of hate and despair…

Nao was fidgety, unfocused, and panicked. Brianna bit her lip and looked at Rachel, "I have no idea what happened last time…I believe it's best if you get Raphael."

"Yes, yes…" Nao agreed, nodding fast. She ran her hand along the wounds, trying to heal him, but nothing seemed to work. The turtle was looking extremely pale, "Something's wrong…" she noticed the eyes, "Go! Get him, don't mind me. Bria, you leave, you don't know anything. Only me, Lily, Rachel, and Raph when he gets here…"

Bria would have winced, but her face was dead. She turned without a word and went to the garage. She all but punched her way through the door. Someone new had arrived while they were gone. Leatherhead was the giant crocodile's name. "Leatherhead, Raphael, the both of you stop your marveling over the turtle to human changes. Nao didn't say anything about you, LH, but I think it's better if you also go to the lab. NOW," She turned on her heals again and stalked off somewhere else.

Raphael stared in utter shock. "Um…I'm guessing we should do as we're told. I heard screaming, but here I never can tell if it's play or real. Obviously real…" he muttered and quickly started to the lab.

Leatherhead and Raphael both made it to the lab and Rachel glanced over before giving a slight smile before looking back over to the turtle and the cat. "I do believe your sister's in a bad mood." Leatherhead said to Rachel. "Did something happen?"

"A misunderstanding," Rachel knew how deep Nao's words cut Bria. She recognized the cut so easily that it didn't take her long to figure out what the problem was. "That isn't the point though," She gestured over to Don. "Just what exactly did they use? The cuts aren't stopping the blood. I heard of many poisons that can do that, but Karai wouldn't have the knowledge to make them...."

"No, she would." Leatherhead said to her. "She has Chaplain remember? I do wonder if your correct. It could be a poison and that could be why the blood is flowing, on the other hand it could just be how deep they cut the arteries."

"I can try making an antidote if it is a poison, but…" Rachel did a halfhearted shrug, "That takes time, and I don't think time is what we have on our side, but against us. What do you think Nao?"

Nao nostrils flared. She was seeing something…something far back, long ago. "Raphael…" she breathed as her eyes were still unfocused, "Remember. Tell me what the hell you remember…some small factor that would be the reason for this…"

Raphael furrowed his brows for a long while, watching his brother closely as Nao tried to heal at least minor injuries. Then he went frozen solid. "No…" he felt tears brim his eyes, but he forced them back as he looked up at Leatherhead.

"The secondary mutation," Raphael, Leatherhead, and Nao all murmured together.

"What in the hell is that? What's happening?" Lily's fight with her tears had failed miserably. She was trying to hold her side together, but this was becoming too much.

Raphael bit his lip, "Years ago…during that fake alien attack we had, the 'aliens' were made of some go. My brothers and I fought them, and the blue goo seeped into the sewers, where we still lived at the time. The sewer creatures started becoming mutants themselves. Again, my brothers and I fought them. Don got cut, and some of the goo seeped into his system. He became so sick…and then…" he couldn't finish.

Nao took over. Using her ki to stitch up the most-bleeding wounds, she went over to Rachel and Lily, showing them both what she remembered from Raphael's and Leonardo's own memories.

It was there…for both of them. Don…a complete and total monster, barely able to be tamed during the worst of it by Master Splinter and his brothers.

The image faded as easily as it came, and then Nao tried not to cry, "There's never been something like this that his body has dealt with since then…" she shook her head and went back to make sure he didn't bleed too much internally, "There's only three things that would prevent me from healing…sickness isn't one of them. I don't understand this…" she murmured trying to keep the bother alive. She heard the others outside the tightly closed door…

"What are the three things?" Lily demanded.

Nao chewed and tore at her bottom lip, "Venom (wince from her), Death (wince from everyone), and Fate…" she looked at Lily with complete meaning.

"Donny was talking to me about my transformation…" Raph murmured.

"Same," Lily said, but she was more or less moving her lips.

"Because some of the goo got into Don, there's a chance that it won't work. No blood because of it." Leatherhead murmured. "The mutation might cause even the best blood donors, not to be compatible."

"Seeing how that's quite obvious," Rachel said softly, "What I'm worried about is that…" She trialed off… She couldn't continue that sentence. Lily would be devastated. It was obvious that if Don didn't get blood, he was going to die. No one in the room was going to be a good donor because of the sickness Don once got. Lily was going to be hurt. Rachel frowned as she finally went over to a chair and sat down on it, crossing her legs. Lily was going to blame herself for the harm done, and then she would even blame herself if Don died, and that sort of blame was usually what caused suicide. Rachel knew the streets, and she knew that love was stronger.

Love was so strong down underground that people literally killed for it. Lily was going to die because of it. Rachel groaned softly as she started to play with her hair. What could she do? Was there a way to stabilize a mutation? She wished desperately that Don was awake. Maybe he would help, tell them what to do…

They were falling apart.

Taking in a deep breath, she decided to finish her sentence, "What I'm worried about is that what if Lily's blood is compatible? What if we do the blood transfusion as if there's no problem?"

"That's a risk I wouldn't want to take," Leatherhead said to Rachel, "It takes loads of clean blood. Not just that, but it takes tissues and muscles as well. There's more damage than the blood."

"When you say loads……" Rachel watched him.

"I mean gallons," Leatherhead nodded.

Rachel growled under her breath. "This is ridiculous! Seriously! It's one thing to be attacked and nearly get killed, but I swear to god that this is NOT on the list."

Leatherhead watched her amused, "What list would that be?"

"How much damage one turtle should get himself into list!" Rachel snapped. She paused, "Sorry."

"It's alright, you're frustrated. All of us are," Leatherhead sighed.

Lily thought for a long while. She watched Donatello with frantic, growing anxiety and fear. Frustration also grew. Didn't she even have the chance to get her own two cents in? She watched Don pale by the minute, more blood loss every second. There was no other way. She would not give up!

Hissing dangerously she shot up and came toe-to-toe with the giant croc. She was so tiny against him, easily crushed if he wanted to hurt her. "I won't give up," her fierce soprano voice chimed, her eyes burning fire, Raphael's temper from the memories she had of the red once-turtle fueling her fire, "I refuse. Do whatever it takes, save him. Blood? Check. Tissue? What the hell. Mutagen or no, we don't have time."

Raphael saw the Neko's hazel eyes swirl with the green starburst, bleeding out and brightening until they were finally that eerie neon green he remembered from Azami. He also easily saw the determination, the will to take on anything.

Just to save his brother…

Her lover…

Raph could not deny the truth. The love was there, it showed now. It showed in how Lily had no injury except the one on her side and Don was dying. She must have been knocked out, and Don fought to protect her.

Now she/I was/am returning the favor.

The same thought ran through both of their heads at the same profound exact time that Lily turned and they locked eyes. He grabbed Rachel's hand and silently pulled her out of the room, "We're no longer needed," he whispered in her ear as he shut the door behind them.

Leatherhead watched her for the longest time before giving a sigh, "You can try the blood transfer." He told the two girls, "But it may just drain and it won't do anything. If we're lucky, the blood may just be enough to stop the bleeding. I don't think we can do anything about the tissues…or the muscles at this exact moment."

"Whatever!" Lily snapped. She jumped back when Leatherhead's eyes flipped for a brief second into real croc eyes.

"LH! LH-san, choudai, choudai, calm down! She doesn't understand or know you, remember?!" Nao called frantically before the giant mutant could rip her cat's head off. She sighed as Leatherhead calmed. She once again ran her ki along the wounds for small temporary use, mindful of the danger, as she hurried to find something…anything that would be useful.

Leatherhead watched Nao leave and sighed to himself. This was one long night, and Rachel did have a point. How much trouble could have one cat and one turtle gotten themselves into? He looked over at Don and sighed again. He wished he was a bit more helpful, but he honestly didn't know what he could do. He started thinking trying to come up with ideas.

"Lily, we won't be doing the transfusion like when Raphael was changed. We'll use this...it's more convenient," Nao said as she came back with a transfusion tube.

"No," Lily hissed. Something told her something was bound to go wrong with that thing. She glared at Nao.

Nao stared back at her, "You're right, ok...then...the exact same way?" her voice was strained, but agreeing. She put the contraption back, frustrated that she couldn't find anything helpful.

"Hai."

Pain flickered, but then it vanished as her face went blank, "Alright," she nodded reluctantly and came over, "Leatherhead, you might want to hold Donatello down gently…I'm not sure how this will work with him. Raph was one story but they're each different."

Leatherhead walked over to where Don was and got to where his head was and gently held down his shoulders. He watched as Nao prepared herself for the transfusion.

Nao took a deep breath and watched as Lily's eyes softened back to their hazel-gold. "Let me try something first…" she tried.

Lily frowned, but nodded. She held her arm.

Nao took her cat's wrist and lightly sliced it with her own razor sharp nail. Not enough to cause serious damage, but enough for a tiny flow of blood to pour. She ran Lily's blood over Don's cuts and gashes and when all of them were filled with her blood, she healed the Neko's wrist. She watched to see what would happen…it was more of a precautionary test than anything.

Steam, light burning as the skin sealed together. Don's body lightly jerked and fidgeted at the pain as the wounds started closing, but that was all it was. It felt awful, but not terrible.

The trio let out a small sigh of relief. A little bit of color had also returned to Don's form. "This just might work…" Nao whispered and then took Lily's arm again. As swift as the wind, she sliced Lily's artery and then Donatello's before twining their arms together and Lily's own power sealed them shut.

Quietly, as a minute passed, both of their breathing accelerated and their heart rate sped also. They pain was bearable for now…

Key words: For now.

Nao watched as Don and Lily withered and both seemed about to scream, yet took it and not a sound came from them. She looked at Leatherhead with a hopeful look. Maybe…just maybe…

Lily was the first to scream at the five minute mark.