Leo calmly walked out from the dark forest surrounding the blazing campfire. Unlike Mikey who had been dressed in a simple kimono, Leo was dressed in a bright blue kimono and white hakama. He looked more like a noble samurai then a ninja.

The older turtle didn't speak as he knelt down in front of the fire, his face remaining neutral as he gazed across the fire at his younger brother. Donnie half wondered if he should speak to his older brother, before Leo spoke in a voice that sounded as if he was speaking directly from the kitchen.

"Hi Donnie." He said calmly. "The guys and I are all here and were waiting for you to wake up, April and Master Splinter are here too just in case you're curious."

Donnie smiled glad to know that April, his father, and brothers were waiting for him. But he didn't understand what Leo was saying about 'waiting for him to wake up'. He was awake as far as he knew…he had been awake for days. He didn't even remember how he even ended up in this forest to begin with. The last thing he remembered was his consciousness slowly fading after the Shredder had stabbed him in the stomach. The room progressively becoming colder before the cell door opened and two figures he almost thought he's imagined bursting in. After that it was all darkness, just darkness and pain. He could feel presences, comforting ones. He could also hear voices, vaguely familiar ones. But the voices sounded like they were speaking at him from underwater. One of the clearest voices softly whispered to him in Japanese. And then the feeling of a gentle four fingered hand being placed on his forehead as a deep gentle voice told him to let his mind and consciousness drift apart. Ever since then he's been trapped in this forest with a fire and shadows for company.

"I don't know how you are feeling right now, by I do know your body is very sick and it's struggling to keep you with us." Leo continued. Donnie had trouble understanding this statement. His body was sick, but wouldn't that mean he was sick? And come to think of it, didn't Mikey say something about how he should be feeling pain. But that didn't make sense; he didn't feel weakness or fatigue. In fact thanks to the log Mikey had left behind he felt…stronger. He didn't even feel tired anymore. Still there were moments when he felt pain and that only occurred when he added things to the fire, which also didn't make sense. If the fire burned him wouldn't the pain be in his hands or his fingers, not his shoulders and stomach."

"What are you talking about Leo?" Donnie asked confused. "I don't feel sick and I'm not in any pain." Leo however continued talking as if Donnie had said nothing. "Remember that time when we were seven years old, that one winter season when I came down with the flu?"

*Flashback*

"Donatello, where is Leonardo?" Master Splinter had asked the young purple masked genin during training that morning. His eldest son was normally the first one up and ready before any of his younger siblings. To not see him present was almost unheard of.

Raphael was kneeling on one side of Donatello looking bored out of his mind while Michelangelo hadn't quite woken up just yet and was instead sleeping in a kneeling position on the other side of his immediate older brother. He would almost seem to be meditating if it wasn't for the soft snore that gave it away.

"I'm here sensei," A tired Leonardo stumbled into the dojo looking like he was going to throw up or faint at any moment. His eyes looking half lidded and his face taking on a slight paler shade of green than normal should have been. Leonardo's voice holding a slightly scratch tone as if it was irritated, and had the muffled tone of one with a stuffy nose.

"Geeze, Leo." Raph started his irritation and boredom turning to concern. "You look awful."

"I don't think the algae and worms, Mikey made last night agreed with me." Leo said snorting back some mucus. "But I'm okay enough for training."

"I don't think it agreed with anybody." Raph commented.

"And when was the last time you made something that counted as edible?" Donnie asked challengingly.

"At least it's more edible then when it's your turn to cook?" Raph shot back, causing the two of them to glare challenging at each other.

"Yame!" Splinter yelled to his second and third oldest sons, before approaching his eldest son. Gently placing the back of his hand against his son's forehead, he noted the slightly uncomfortable heat radiating off his sons skin. "Leonardo, I think its best you return to bed."

"No Sensei, I'm alright really," Leo tiredly protested before he collapsed into Splinters waiting arms.

"Come now my son," Splinter answered gently gathering the blue masked genin into his arms, before issuing a command to his second and third eldest sons. "Donatello, Raphael wake up Michelangelo! I want the three of you to practice your kata until I return."

"Hai, Sensei!" The older two boys responded, as their teacher and father carried their older brother back to his room. Donnie stood and watched their fathers retreating back in concern a moment before helping Raph wake up Mikey.

"Master Splinter, will Leo be alright?" Donnie asked once training was over. Splinter smiled appreciatively at his third sons concerns.

"Given a few days of rest, Leonardo will be well enough to return to training." Splinter answered placing a hand on his young sons shoulder. "However I must request that you sleep in the common area until I feel your brother is well enough to for you to be in the same room with him again."

"Okay," Donnie answered somewhat in understanding and disappointment. He understood it would not be good for the family to have two sick turtles, but he didn't like the idea of leaving Leo in a room by himself, or sleeping in room that wasn't his.

The couches in the pit weren't the most comfortable places to sleep, and Donatello found himself tossing and turning repeatedly. Getting fed up he grabbed his blankets walked to the dormitory area. He didn't open the door to the room he shared with Leo, but placed a hand against the wooden door before sitting down with his blankets wrapped around him with his shell against the door. Quietly listening to his older brother cough and sniffle just feet beyond it.

"Donnie?" Leo asked tiredly, his voice still sounding congested. "Donnie is that you?"

"I'm here Leo," Donnie answered soft enough to be heard by his older brother, but not so loud as to wake Raph and Mikey. Donnie heard some shifting movement before the sound of a shell lightly hitting against the door. Two sets of small green fingers slipped out from the space between the door, Donatello softly smiled as he hooked his older brother's fingers with his own for a short moment. "How are you feeling?"

"Sort of okay," Leo answered. "I wish this door wasn't separating us."

"That's the problem with being sick." Donnie answered. "You want your loved ones with you, but you don't want them to have the same illness as you."

"Master Splinter says I should be healthy enough to resume training in two to three days." Leo coughed. "And even then he wants to limit it to simple kata until he is certain I am fully recovered."

"Raph and Mikey missed you during training, in their own way." Donnie commented. "But you know them. Raph wanted to believe you were faking it just to get out of training, but even he knows you're not that good an actor. Besides even if you were, would you want to risk a round of Randori with Master Splinter? "Leo chuckled slightly which was quickly turned into some wet sounding coughs.

"Mikey wishes he could see you," Donnie states. "As do I. But this family doesn't need more than one sick turtle."

"I agree." Leo said his voice sounding sleepy. "I wish I can see you guys too, but none of you want this flu virus. It's not fun."

"Master Splinter was saying we will begin weapons training soon," Informed Donnie. "We still have much to learn before then but I'm excited about having our own weapons."

"So am I." Leo agreed with some excitement in his voice. "Do you know anything further about that, such as will we choose our own weapons? Or does Master Splinter have something already in mind for each of us?"

"I don't know if I completely understood what he was saying about it." Donnie answered. "He said that the weapon we are destined for will choose us. If you want my opinion, I can see you being a master of the katana." Leo smiled tiredly at his younger brother's statement. The katana was one weapon he was most interested in, and hoped swords would accept him as its wielder.

"What weapon are you interested in?" Leo asked. Donnie went quiet, so quiet Leo wondered if Donnie had fallen asleep.

"I don't know, but I hope it's something…powerful." Donnie responded. Leo seemed to understand what Donatello was saying. Of the four of them Donnie was not the strongest, fastest, or most skilled fighter. There had been more than one moment where Leo had seen Donnie crying in frustration about how he was holding everyone back. And Raph wasn't exactly helping in that department either as the red masked turtle would often cruelly ask why Donnie even bothered to train at all. Because no matter how hard or how often Donatello went over his kata, he always seemed to fall behind the rest of his brothers. Whether Raph's heartless comments were because he was being a jerk like he could be at times. Or if that was some misguided attempt help push his brother to improve that was unknown. It was clear Donnie's was determined to prove himself as just as useful a member of their family as everyone else.

"I don't know what weapon will choose you." Leo answered his eyes starting to droop. "But it may be one that will surprise us all, even you." Donnie smiled softly of his older brothers words.

"Maybe." He said in agreement.

"Are you going to stay out there all night?" Leo asked, his voice sounding tired.

"I couldn't sleep in the common area." Donnie answered. "It just felt too…"

"Lonely…?" Leo supplied inquiringly.

"Yeah," Donnie answered. "You could say that."

"If it makes you feel any better…" Leo said. "It's lonely without you here too." Donatello smiled at that. He heard a slight shuffling which indicated Leo had moved away from the door and had returned to bed. Curling down in his blankets he fell asleep listening to the congested snores of his older brother on the other side of the door. And the contented snores of his other brothers just a room away.

*End Flashback.*

"I know Master Splinter wasn't all that happy with the fact you did that," Leonardo commented with a wistful smile. "Particularly since you caught the same bug I had not long before I was fully recovered. But surprisingly, I actually felt less sick after that night you spent with me. It made me feel like I wasn't alone, you were there watching over me. That's something you've done for all of us, every sickness, injury, nightmares, and any other form of distress. And that's something were all trying to do for you. I can't begin to know what the Shredder did to you and I wish I can take away everything he has done. I guess what I'm really trying to say is that we all miss you, and the lair isn't the same without your gentle natured presence being there for all of us. We need you." Leo started to glow and he was becoming brighter by the minute until in a blinding flash of light that exploded into blue sparks.

"You sense it, don't you?" A shadow in the darkness said. The voice was a woman's voice, he didn't know who she was but he felt as if he had known her for years. "You are strong young one, and your family is willing you their strength to aid in your return. "

"Who are you?" Donnie asked. This was the first any of the shadows had directly spoken to him. Normally they will instruct him to keep the fire burning.

"I am someone you know of, even though we have never personally met." The woman said almost with the gentle tone of a loving mother. There was sadness, almost regretfulness in her voice, but there was happiness as well. "But I have watched over you and your family your whole lives."

"Then can you tell me where I am and how I've come to be here?" Donatello asked. The woman shadow paused a moment as if deliberating the question.

"This is the place where the man you know as your father sent you." The unknown female shadow spoke. "He sent your mind deep into your subconscious to help separate your body from the pain your physical body is suffering from. And this world is what your subconscious has created for you a peaceful haven. Now it is your task to return your mind back into your consciousness."

"And how do I do that?" Donnie asked as he eyed demonic looking apparition that lurked in the shadows like a hungry beast. A glowing tori gate appeared some distance away down an area where the clearing curved inward like a path.

"The fire before you is your bodies life force, " The woman shadow said. "As long as it burns your body lives, to reach your consciousness you must build your life force until its light reaches that gate. Unfortunately as you approach your consciousness you will feel the pain your body is suffering from. If you chose death, you can let the fire weaken and die. Or you can simply walk into the shadows to let the demons of darkness drag you to where your death waits, extinguishing your life force forever. However if you do desire life, it would be a wise choice to use the gift your brother has left you."