A/N: Ahhh! You guys are so awesome! I love all the new faves and follows! I only gave this chapter a quick edit, so forgive any glaring errors.

It felt like his body weighed an actual ton as Raph pushed himself off the floor and made for the stairs. Every step was exhausting. He didn't know what Sab had done to him, but whatever it was it had nearly drained him dry. Nonetheless, he wanted to be with his brothers. He needed to know what they were doing. He'd just reached the bottom of the stairs when he heard Leo speaking.

"Raph is in serious danger."

Raph sank heavily to the floor beside the stairs, his legs refusing to carry him any further.

Mikey's voice was slightly panicked. "Then what are we waiting for! We gotta hurry and get that transporter thing!"

Leo's voice was steady and calm when he spoke again. "Mikey, it's still daylight outside right now. We have to wait for the cover of dark. In the meantime, I suggest we all get some sleep. I know I for one haven't been sleeping well the past two days and I know you two haven't either. We'll be of no good to Raph, if we're caught for being sloppy because of lack of sleep. Don, do you think you could fix something up so we can talk to Raph?"

"Yeah, I can probably rig a radio to pick up the frequency he's using without much trouble."

Raph sighed. It would be nice to talk to 'em. He looked down at his arm. Although there was no sign of toothmarks, it still hurt. He wondered if it was some sort of phantom pain. He laid back, his body relaxing with the knowledge his family was only a few feet away. Without realizing it he began to slip into slumber. Just before he did, he heard Mikey ask softly.

"Do you think I could hear Raph's message for me?"

Don smiled sadly at his younger brother. "Yeah, Mikey. Come here." He turned to plug Mikey's phone into the computer and pull up the voice mail.

Leo took an almost hesitant step forward. "It might be wise for us all to listen to our messages. They might give us more information."

Leo was using the pretense of getting more information as a way to hear his own message. But he couldn't hide the look in his eye, that said all he wanted was to hear Raph's voice. And Donnie couldn't blame him. The sound of their brother's voice was a solid thread of hope they could all cling to. Don gave his older brother the same sad smile. "Yeah, that's a good idea."

"Me first though!" Mikey sat in Don's rolling chair.

The genius gave his shoulder a squeeze as he reached around to use the mouse to pull the file. He adjusted the audio filter and pressed play.

"Hey, Mikey! I'm here! I'm alive! I can see you guys and hear ya!" Raph growled in frustration. "I don't know why you can't me." There was a heavy sigh. "But I promise, I'm here. I ain't left you, bro. I just gotta find a way to tell ya that. I know you're sad and it's 'cause of me. I'll make it up to you when I get back, little brother." The message ended and Mikey took in a deep shuddering breath. It had been a long time since Raph had called him that and the endearment wasn't lost on him.

Don's hand tightened on Mikey's shoulder. "We're going to get him back, Mikey."

"Yeah, I know." Mikey let out another heavy breath. As much as it felt good to hear Raph's voice, it still made some part of him ache inside – like a ball of dread knotting in his stomach. He pushed back from the desk, trying to keep a steady expression as he turned to the others. "I think I'll go try to catch a few more hours of sleep."

"I think that is wise, my son." Splinter smiled warmly at him as he left the room.

Leo moved towards the desk and Don put out his hand for his phone. "I'll need your shell-cell. I never built in a redundancy for voicemail onto my hard-drive." He frowned. "Never thought I'd need it. But I think it might be a project I'll take up once we get Raph back."

Leo frowned as well. "I'll get it. I left it on the couch."

Don nodded as he left and turned to Splinter. "Do you want to listen to your message, Sensei?"

Splinter pulled his shell-cell from his robe. "Yes." He would have had no idea how to check for a voicemail, but Raphael had obviously had something to say to him to leave one. He handed the device over to Donatello, who plugged it into the computer.

A few clicks of the mouse and Raphael's voice filled the space once more. "Sensei, I don't even know if you can check your messages. And if you can't, better get Donnie to teach you." Raph sounded tired and frustrated. "I've left messages for everybody else, I guess I was hopin' you'd get this one too. I wanted to tell you that you did see me on the astral-plane, but Sab did somethin'. He made it so you didn't know it was me somehow. I don't know what he is, but he creeps me out. I told 'im to get lost, but he keeps comin' back." There was another heavy sigh. "I could use some of your wisdom right now, Father. I feel so helpless….If….If I don't get out of this place I'm stuck in…I just…I love ya, Sensei."

The message ended and Splinter stared at the computer as if it had taken his son from him. His fists tightened in his lap. "We will bring you home, my son."

"Yes, we will." Leo said from behind them.

Splinter stood and stepped towards the door. "I believe I will rest as well. Knowing that Raphael is alive has put my spirit at ease somewhat."

Leo merely nodded as their father left them. He stepped forward and handed Don his phone. He frowned, averting his eyes. "Donnie, do you think I could…?"

"You want to be alone?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, but promise me you'll get some sleep afterwards too." Leo nodded and Don plugged in the phone, setting up the message. "Just hit play when you're ready."

Leo slipped into the rolling chair as Don quietly left the room. He bit his lip, a mixture of uncertainty, guilt, and irrational fear bubbling up inside him. What would Raph say? Was he angry with him for what happened? It was his fault. He'd caused the power surge by messing with the toaster. Stupid toaster! In Leo's opinion they should all be taken out and crushed in a trash compactor.

He pushed down the unwanted emotions and reached out for the mouse.

"Leo! You're right, I'm still here! I saw you throw the phone down! You got to hear me, bro! This is completely nuts! I can see and hear you guys, but you can't me! But I am here! I ain't dead, Leo! Tell Don and Mikey! I'm still here! Ya gotta do somethin'! I ain't no good at this weird sci-fi stuff, you know that!" There was a frustrated growl. "Man, I don't even know if you're gonna get this. I just want to say.… I'm sorry, Leo. I never meant to hurt ya. I-." The message cut off.

Leo stared at the computer screen and the program that displayed his brother's voice in rising and falling hills. How had he let this happen? He was supposed to protect them. He was their big brother. He was their leader. It doesn't matter how it happened! It's still my fault! I'm sorry, Raph. I'm so sorry. The screen blurred and a single tear streamed down his cheek to fall on the desk. Somehow, we're going to get you back, Raphie. I swear it!

Raph didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until he was awakened by the cries of strange animals. He sat up, rubbing his head, wondering just how long he'd been out. He looked around him and froze. He was back in that strange world of Sab's. "Ah, crud."

He stood slowly. Although he still felt weak, he felt far better than he had when he'd fallen asleep. In the distance, he spotted smoke. I wonder if that mystic can get me home again. Checking his surroundings, he was relieved not to see Sab anywhere. He didn't exactly want to deal with that creep at the moment. Picking his way through the blackened earth and rocks, he began to slowly make his way towards the smoke rising into the red sky. Finally, he came to a stop near a hut. It was built low to the ground out of rocks, mud, and straw. It reminded him of huts he'd seen in photos at the natural history museum. It made him wonder if these people could help him if they were so primitive. He sighed. Well, it was worth a try anyways.

As he approached the hut, the mystic he'd seen earlier appeared. He no longer wore heavy armor, but wore the dried pelt of some poor animal. He rushed at Raph, swinging his glowing sword. "Be gone demon! How dare you intrude on my home!"

Raph jumped aside. "Wait! Give me a chance to talk to ya! I need your help!"

The man snorted, causing puffs of air to come out his upturned nostrils. "Help? You're a demon! You're a trickster!"

"No, I ain't neither of those things!" He looked down at his hands. "I got stuck like this. I don't wanna be here. I wanna get home to my family."

Something in Raph's voice and demeanor seemed to catch the man's attention. "You were here with the other. He is evil."

Raph huffed. "Yeah, don't I know it. He attacked me."

The man lowered his sword. "He attacked you?"

"Yeah, he was gonna hurt my brother. I tried to fight 'im, but he bit me." Raph rubbed his arm absently, still feeling the lingering of the phantom pain.

The man slid the glowing sword into its sheath. "I am Kamdul of the mystic tribe Trazifor."

Raph frowned. "My name's Raphael of the, uh, Hamatos."

"What is it you wish of me, Raphael of the Hamatos?"

"You sent me home last time when I was here. I need you to do it again. I don't belong in this world. I've gotta get back to my own dimension."

"I used the fire stones to send you away before. I can do it again. But I want something in return."

Raph frowned. "Look fella, it ain't like I got somethin' to give ya. And it ain't like you could hold anything I gave ya either."

"That is not what I desire." Kamdul scowled, making the lines in his face even deeper. "I wish you to kill the evil one."

"You mean Sab?" Raph raised an eye-ridge. "You want me to kill Sab?"

Kamdul walked to the fire pit and sat cross-legged beside it. "He is known by many names here. The name you apparently know him by is Sabazios. He once ruled our world many millennia ago, through death and destruction."

Raph settled on the ground across from him. "Wow, he must be really old."

Kamdul's hand rose to grasp a stone around his neck. "The mystics were able to banish him and seal him away. They had thought him gone for some time. But he has begun to reappear, trying to resurrect himself from his banishment into the void. Our world is already wrought with war, we need not his interference. He will only bring further death to our people."

Raph frowned. "But I ain't got no idea how to kill 'im."

"The fire stones can do it."

"What are fire stones?"

Kamdul pulled the stone from his neck and his sword. "These are fire stones. They came to us from the heavens. They carry the power to kill beings such as Sabazios."

Raph looked at the sword. It seemed to glow a white-hot fire at it center. He frowned. "But I don't have any of those. And you can't exactly give me yours."

"You should no need of these. Legend claims that when Sabazios was banished, he possessed one such stone in his scepter."

Raph's brow furrowed. "Scepter? I ain't seen no scepter. Sab ain't even got arms."

Kamdul stood. "Then I have no reason to help you."

Raph jumped up. "Wait! You gotta send me home! My family their gonna be worried about me! They just found out I was alive! I can't be stuck here!"

Kamdul snorted and started to walk away. As far as he was concerned the conversation was over. This creature had nothing to offer him.

"Stop!" Raph rushed forward blocking his path. "Look, I may not have seen it, but that don't mean I can't find it. And if I can't find it, I'll still do my best to kill 'im. I ain't that found of 'im myself."

Kamdul's eyes narrowed. "And if you fail?"

"I'll never bother you again, I swear."

Kamdul pulled his sword. "Think of the place you desire to be and touch the blade."

"Guys!" April shouted as she stepped through the lair's entrance. She was a little surprised to find the lair so quiet. It was almost sunset outside and normally their friends were up by now.

"Babe, come on! There ain't nothin' goin' on!" Casey pleaded as he followed her in.

She spun on him. "Casey just stop it! I know somethings up!" She turned back to stomp into the center of the living room. "Guys!"

Splinter was the first to appear. He stepped through his door looking haggard and worried. "April, is there something wrong?"

She frowned. "Not that I know of – yet." She glanced at Casey, who squirmed. "But I know there's something going on."

Leo, Don, and Mikey appeared on the upper level. They all exchanged worried looks before descending the stairs. April approached them, her fists balled at her side. "What is going on! I want to know right now!"

Leo glanced at Casey and the vigilante waved his hands. "I didn't tell her nothin'. I swear, Leo."

The redhead growled. "Somebody better tell me what's going on or so help me-!"

Donnie slowly took a step forward and took her hand, leading her towards the couch. "You better sit down, April. This is a long story."

A little while later, April sat staring at everyone. "So, Raph is…missing?"

"Well, not exactly missing." Leo tried to clarify. "He is here. We just can't see or hear him."

"But you know for sure he's alive." The hope in Casey's voice was tangible.

"Yeah, he left us all messages on our phones." Mikey gestured at his eldest brother. "And Leo saw him on the astral-plane."

April frowned. "So, how do we get him back?"

Don raised a finger. "Well, the first thing we need to do is get another transporter device."

"Which means we're going to have to sneak into Foot headquarters again." Leo continued.

April shook her head. "Guys, that's not such a great idea. Remember what happened last time."

"We won't be there to face Shredder this time and we won't have to go far, just to their R&D floor. We're going to make this as swift and stealthy as possible."

Casey stood up. "You're a man down, so I'm comin'."

"Great, we've got the hot-head department filled now." Mikey snipped behind him.

Leo rubbed his chin. "Actually, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea, if we run into trouble. Thanks, Casey."

"Me and Don have been working on an EMP with a limited range. It could knock out the power to the tower, so you guys could get inside." April suggested.

Don frowned. "We wouldn't want to use it inside the building though. I need the Triceraton tech to still work when we get it home." He frowned thoughtfully. "But maybe, we could just take out the power substation in the sewers. It'll knock out the block, but it would give us plenty of time to get in and get out."

"Awesome!" Mikey cheered. "Now that we have a plan, let's get going!"

Leo stood calmly. "Wait, Mikey. There's one other thing we need to do before we leave. We need to make sure Raph knows what we're doing."

Splinter looked around them. The lair had seemed strangely empty when he'd woken earlier and now he knew why. "I have not sensed Raphael's presence in some time."

Leo fought to restrain the panic that swept over him. He looked around as well. "Raph, are you here? Did you hear the plan?" He scanned the room for any sign of – well, Raph.

Don's eyes grew wide. "Raph?" He snapped his fingers. "The radio!" He ran off to his lab to return a few moments later with his old stereo. He tuned in a solid station. "Come on, Raph, make it static like you did before." But there was no response. The station continued to play smoothly.

Mikey paled. "Guys, where is he?"

A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Leave your thoughts in the review box! You never know when I might use one! ;)