He hears footsteps approaching: Raphael's, judging by the hard thumps and means behind them. Leonardo opens his eyes and looks around their dojo; he sits calmly in the middle of the room, but his mind fires from every end, then landing in the great sea of remorse.
Raph leans against the doorway, crossing one leg over the other and his arms in a tight grip. "When are you going to stop moping? It's kinda sick." He means it as more of a joke, but it hardly falls from his lips as one. "You've barely spoken to us. We tried talking to you about what happened. What more do you want?"
"I want," Leo breathes deeply and shields his eyes from the small light in the room, "peace. I have so much to overcome and finalize."
"Did you really want to risk it and possibly never return?"
Leo melts into the mental sea instead of risking another argument. He holds steady.
Unfolding his legs and arms, Raph feels a strange calmness washing over him, but his blood still runs warm. "Take me with you."
Leo hears another set of footsteps; he confuses Don and Mikey's often. This pair has an anxious feel to it. Leo opens his eyes and bores a hard look into Raph. "I can't risk it. I don't even know how I got there."
Raph feels a presence behind him. "We'll find a way. Right, Mikey?"
"I've been trying. He won't budge." Exasperated, Mikey steps pass by Raph and stands between them, an uncomfortable silence drapes over the dojo. Mikey and Raph's minds and hearts scream for their distraught brother to simply push aside the reckless idea of returning to the girl and move on. A part of their own need to rescue her bites at their core, too, just like their leader. They can't imagine the anguish he's enduring, and while they strive to understand it, undoubtedly they fall short. Crushes, girlfriends, and romance haven't been at the top of their list of goals. It's been a hard road of survival and injuries. But this... for their leader, it feels natural for him to be the first to kiss the hand he rescued.
"She must be a cool girl," Mikey breaks a little smile, relaxing his shoulders. He watches Leo for approval. "She seemed cool being stuck, uh, in your body." He looks to Raph for assurance. "I know that sounded weird."
"It's not like we had a lot of time with her," Raph says, watching Mikey turn back to Leo.
Leo's cushioned words glide out of his mouth before he catches them. "She helped and guided me, and even though it was her duty, she enjoyed my company and cared for my well-being. I owe it to her to go back and help."
"That's not all, huh?" Mikey looks down towards Leo's seat.
A small grin curls in Leo's upper lip, and his head lowers slightly. "I owe it to her."
Raph claps his hands, making Mikey jump. "Okay! Then it's settled. We're going back. No arguing."
Mikey rotates his head like a robot, obviously flabbergasted by Raph's display of rudeness. "What are you doing?" he whistles through clasped teeth.
"I'm not standing around and watching Leo blush like a schoolboy. Now, shit, pack it up and let's grab Donny and go see Splinter. This is making me sick!"
"No! No!" Zera screams as she lugs the Rook's body through the relentless sand and falls through his disappearing hands. "What's happening, Nipal? He's vanishing!"
Nipal scuttles around the Rook's feet, carefully watching the old human fire tacos at the dive-bombing Lucarucs, but Lady Zera isn't lying or seeing things: the Rook's body is fading, showing tiny mounds of dark sand where his body once lain. Nipal twiddles his furry thumbs and mutters, "I'm sorry. I don't know what to d-do..."
"No, please.." Zera presses her hands across his chest and arms, but they quickly topple into the sand. "Is he going back home?" her voice pitches high and warbles. "It's where he wanted to go."
"Make your thinking quick, Navrians!" the old man shouts, lowering his bazooka. "I'm all out of tacos and cares. Let's go!" He grabs Nipal by his suspenders and guns through the sand with his legs wide apart, avoiding rocks and rogue taco shells. Zera scoots backwards, helplessly viewing the last of Leonardo's body vanish into the shore breeze; she pines over the sand and jabs her hand into a keen shell, spilling trickles of blood in her path. She sees the old man and a wiggling Nipal run over the hill. The sand slows her down, sinking her feet in its mighty snare. Lucarucs are hard on her trail, and a deafening, brittle scream comes from the hill and halts her in one spot.
Little Nipal's legs and ears flap wildly in the air as one determined Lucaruc snatches him from the ground and dangles his furry body. Disgusted, Zera summons what strength she has left and frees one of her legs, using her arms and upper body to capture the other leg. She flops only a short distance until a set of scaly, feathered claws entraps under her arms, lifting her high from the hole and causing the beach to get smaller and smaller. In her panic, she momentarily catches the old man chasing after them.
Overcoming a great challenge, the Lucarucs flock and cry a swift victory to each other. She shields her ears from the appalling noise and frantically searches through the mess of airborne feathers and giant black wings for Nipal. The mangy birds swoop over a high, leaning cliff, and dive for their landing. Zera's face stretches from the sudden burst, and the ground collides into her chest with a crackling thud. As she breathes through the dirt and grass, she knows her body has completely given up. No more energy, no more anything.
While the enemies continue their barking charade, Zera's sore neck rises, and Nipal's bloody eyes meet hers. All around him: beads of blood and torn pieces of fur. She crawls to his still body and pushes him into her shoulder, leaning into his and holding back tears of anguish. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry.." she repeats with faltered breath until she grows quiet and hugs him close.
Although her hearing drops behind a thick curtain, she notices the threatening and exciting caws turn critical and alarmed. Has the old man returned with another round from his bazooka? Her heart doesn't celebrate early; the bazooka will run out again, and the Lucs can't be beaten. They are too many and too powerful.
"Donny, that was my shoulder!"
"Well, move over there!"
A Lucaruc squeals and its noise flies further away. "What the hell are these things? KFC rejects!" Some grunts and punches clap over the cliff; the Lucarucs are having a terrible time with whoever is fighting them.
The voices are so familiar, she realizes. A warble comes from Nipal's throat; she feels a strong hand on her shoulder and Nipal whimpering, "Where did you go.."
"I'm here. I'm here," the Rook's gentle voice washes over his two injured friends. "Zera, can you get up?"
She fumbles over Nipal, keeping her hands under his body, and the sun stings her eyes, but she sees his shadowy outline. "Are you okay?" she asks, wobbling her heavy head and weak neck. He holds her steady and she finally sees his kind eyes and face under the sun and clouds.
"I'm not the one who looks rough," he chuckles.
"Leo! Could use some help!" Don chokes and shakes another Lucaruc, punching it over the cliff and avoiding another careening over his head. "Just a few more and we got this!"
Realizing their days are numbered, the Lucarucs retreat into the distance, spilling feathers everywhere and leaving their fallen comrades scattered on the cliff. The Turtles wipe their heads clean and chuck the rest of the bodies off the cliff, whistling sound effects as the bodies bounce off the rocks and flop into the sea. They laugh and high kick from the adrenaline and victory; Mikey nearly falls, but Raph catches him in time, and they can't stop laughing. It simmers down as they patrol around the cliff and watch the sun melt away the redness of the sky.
Beside Zera on the ground, Leo scoops Nipal in his arms and touches his little pink nose. "You got some battle wounds there, friend." The rabbit sighs a big relief and cuddles safely in his Rook's arms. Mikey leans over and guides Zera to her feet, holding her arm over his shoulder. He gives her a smile as she looks up and she returns it with a half smile, half injured groan.
Leaving Don at the post, Raph walks over and asks Zera, "You okay?" He pats Leo on the shoulder and warily looks over a snoozing Nipal. She nods silently and keeps a hand over her chest.
"What were those things?" Mikey shuffles his left leg for balance. "They were pretty ugly."
"And noisy," Raph adds, tapping Nipal on the head and seeing if the rabbit is alive; Nipal shifts his head from the touch.
"Lucarucs," she breathes deeply.
"Bothersome things," Leo says, noticing how fast Zera is slouching. "You shouldn't need to worry about them for a while. Let's get you two somewhere safe." He smiles at her, and she returns it, creating an awkward moment for the other siblings.
Mikey finally pipes up. "So where do we go?"
"Someone's coming," Don whispers from their right, looking over the cliff's border.
"Who is it?" Leo hands Nipal over to Raph's clumsy hands.
Don shakes his head and counters, "An old guy in a sequin black jumpsuit dragging a questionable monster up the hill. This place intrigues me."
Next chapter: Leo is told the reason why he was summoned to Anavrin, and then it's time to say goodbye.