Still with Leo at the beginning.

This is a short one, but there's a reason.

Before the Great Master had visited Leonardo in his spirit form, it was dark and unending for him. He lost track of time and sometimes would have unrelenting stillness. He heard muffled voices of those around his body, but rarely understood them. He couldn't reply even if he could.

But when his father disappeared from view, the world around him was forgotten; Shut out. He stayed deep in his thoughts. 'Meiki came, I was so harsh.' Leonardo tries to find what it is the Great Master meant when he said he had changed. 'She irritated me. I thought her a baka. Then I saw her pain. I was concerned. I've been concerned before.' He continues to remind himself how his time with Meiki played out. But he didn't understand.

Until he thinks of the village. He had spared an abusive father, all because the daughter asked him to. 'I would have been merciless, taken his life before he could beg. But I didn't.. I forgave him, because Meiki could. ...I guess I have changed.'

He hears again, the sound of Meiki's voice. She's singing a slow lullaby. He heard mothers sing it to their children at the village. It's about love and cherry blossoms, but to a child, it lulls them to sleep, comforts them. With her voice, the smell of chicken wafts through the void, tickling his nostrils and teasing his tongue.

"Sakura no kare no ai o ataeru tame ni,(To give his love a cherry blossom)" Meiki sings softly. She is washing his arm again. Jika had helped her remove the bandages so the cloth would reach Leonardo's green skin. She rhythmically strokes his bicep with the damp cloth, watching water droplets fall along his toned muscle to the bed sheets. "To hana ga saki, seichō to shite (and as the blossoms bloom and grow)," she continues, "sono kare no tame no kanojo no ai o shi(so does her love for him)."

"Eat, Meiki. You must keep up your strength," Jika prods. Meiki slowly puts down the cloth and Jika sets the now warm bowl before her. She had to heat it up after a few hours of Meiki not touching it.

"Arigato, you are right." She takes a small bite, trying to relish the flavor. But instead, it only painfully reminds her of Leonardo before the fight; kind, gentle but firm, caring. "I-I can't," she says defeated. It may never be like that again.

"..Mmguh.." Meiki looks up, hearing something. Leonardo looks the same; A small wound stitched on his head, eye surrounded by a faintly darker green, blankets pulled two thirds up his plastron, and sweat beaded his brow. Throughout it all, he remains in a calm sleep. Meiki buries her face in the armband again.

".. I thought that..." she whispers. She thought he was better, that he would wake up. 'But it was just my imagination,' she tells herself.

"...Mmm..."

"Jika, just stop," Meiki asks, sobbing. But when no one replies, Meiki looks up to see that her sister had gone.

"Mm, ei.." She slowly turns her head to look at the Kame. His face is plastered into a frown, concentrating. His beak is parted softly. "Mei.." They move. Meiki smiles and takes hold of his finger, since his wrists are still healing. "Mei-ki.." He says finally.

"I'm here Leonardo, I'm here," she assures, full of new hope, "Come back, come home."

"Meiki," he mutters, "Watashi no ai, Watashi no mizu, Watashi no hachi. (my love, my water, my bee)"

"... Come home..." she repeats, stroking his arm again. He sighs, almost a whisper. The Purple Kame opens the door and rushes in, Jika on his heels. Meiki doesn't pay them mind. She barely registers them.

"Brother, can you hear me?" Donatello asks. Leonardo continues to mumble something in Japanese. "Okusama, Jika, you need to leave."

"No, I'm staying here," Meiki says, using more strength in her words than she's ever used. The Purple Kame can't object. Meiki wipes Leonardo's brow. "Otto, I need you.." she whispers.

*Gasp!* Is he..

I couldn't have them go any longer without having him do anything. Let's face it, Meiki needs him.

And this is where I leave you for now. SUSPENSE! Hahaha!