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It was his brother's shout that again cut through the darkness and sludge of his mind. He was yelling something to Usagi. Why would Donnie yell something to Usagi? He didn't sound angry anymore. His cry sounded … urgent ... like … they were in battle together ...

Leo fought through the darkness to learn what was going on. As he became more awake, he found his face felt … moist? He cracked open his eyes. Water got into them. He tried to raise his arm to wipe the water away. The motion hurt. Oh, man! Why did "Every" fiber of his body "hurt?"

Then he heard Donnie's voice nearby again. "Leo …"

Why did he sound so relieved? Had he really scared Donnie "that" much? Memories washed through Leo's mind: a sting in his flesh followed by a burning sensation in the same place, turning away from his fellow competitor in the midst of a match, dropping his swords, calling out to Usagi, and falling on his face … After all that he'd heard Donnie's angry voice. Oh yeah, he had scared his smart brother that much. "He'd" have been scared if "Donnie" had done all that.

Leo heard his brother's cry followed by a crash. A crash? Was Donnie hurt? Before he could make himself move to find out, he heard the sound of swords clashing near him. A fight.

He remained still. Father would kill him if he did otherwise. One thing their teacher had drilled into them, well, most of them, was not to draw attention to yourself until you knew what the situation was. He heard the sound of the fight fade as the "thump" of many bodies landing on the floor echoed back to him. He felt the slight vibrations through the floor along with the sounds of it too. He seemed to be lying on a mat.

Who had fallen? Had Donnie? Usagi? The latter seemed unlikely as he heard the Samurai's voice, "The Daimyo!"

The Daimyo? What had he to do with all this? He was in trouble? Father … father had called him "old friend ..." Father didn't have many of those. Leo began to to take inventory of himself as he lay there. He had to help, soon.

The sounds of battle came to him again, farther away this time. As far as he could tell, he didn't feel a broken limb. He felt that exhaustion that follows having a fever, or a flue. So, he wasn't that bad off … was he? He felt like he was in the recovery stage. What "had" stung him anyway?

A body crashed near him. Just behind his head. Whose?

Then, a hand touched him. The hand seemed familiar. Three fingers, faint scent of motor oil, but the palms and fingers were not large and rough enough to be Raph's. Their touch was too gentle too, delicate, like one used to working with small, fragile things. Donnie. And he was being very, very careful. He "had" scared his intelligent, little brother.

Then the touch was gone. He felt the air move as his brother left and headed toward the sounds of fighting. Leonardo recognized the battle cries sounding along with the sword clashes as those of the Samurai who'd saved his life, maybe twice now. Okay ... He really had to get up ...

Leo blinked, and then moved. He bit back a groan. As he stood and turned toward the sounds of fighting, he noticed a hole in a nearby silk screen. That might be useful.

He walked toward it. As he watched his feet, to make sure they cooperated, he noticed something lying on the floor, Donnie's staff. He'd have to remember to tell his little brother to keep ahold of it better if they both survived this. He picked it up and put it down through the belt wrapped around the back of his shell between his katana sheaths, which were now empty. Where were his swords? He could use them right about now.

Leo carefully moved through the tear in the silk screen. It was a tight fit. He thought he heard it tear further. The sound seemed mostly covered by his friend's battle cry, though. Sensei would still not be happy. First thing he noticed when he was fully through, and he looked down at his feet again, were two, familiar katana lying on the floor. Nearby them lay the head of the seemingly passed out Daimyo. "WHAT" was going on?!

He glanced to the side. Usagi was still fighting. He was fighting alone the assassins they had fought together in the Pavilion of Past Champions!

Leo knelt slowly, wincing and biting his lip all the way. He picked up his swords and edged back into the shadows. He didn't think Usagi or the dark assassins had noticed him, yet. Where was Don?

Leo slipped past the Daimyo's head, noticed a low-lying rafter above his own, and pulled himself up onto it. Ow. That hurt. A lot.

He stayed still a moment barely daring to breath both for the sound and pain it would cause. Then he heard another sound. A body thumped to the floor. He opened his eyes and looked in the direction the sound had come from. He saw everyone else from Usagi to the assassins were doing the same. There, standing strong behind the prone figure lying across the floor, was Don.

His little brother smiled at Usagi. Then, he … bowed to the Samurai. Leo couldn't see the expression the other warrior gave back to his little brother, but he was proud of Donnie. The scientist, slash engineer, slash ninja-in-training had obviously seen past his earlier suspicions and passionate protectiveness to discover Usagi's true heart. It was much like Donnie's own really: devoted, fair, honorable. Leo didn't know why he was surprised by any of this. Donnie almost always dug into things thoroughly until he got a clear answer to his questions. He wondered how these two had dug together while he'd been out of things.

Then Leo heard a rattle and whistling sound he hadn't missed at "all." He turned his head knowing what it was, having to see who it was aimed at. One of the assassins threw the end of his chain at Usagi. Leo held his breath.

Usagi turned, but not in time. The chain's weighted end collided with him. He was sent flying back several feet to collide with a column holding this place up. Then the chain returned to wrap around and secure the Samurai to it.

Leo's eyes widened. Then he began to move, silently, despite the ever increasing protest from every part of his body. He got closer to Usagi. He even went around the column the Ronin was chained to, nearer to Donnie. Maybe the assassins would consider Usagi not a threat anymore and go after Donnie full force now.

He heard a clang as he moved, or rather two very close together. He turned back upon reaching the spot he'd wanted to and saw Usagi had dropped his swords. Leo also saw an assassin with a spear lower its point at the Samurai. A low, guttural voice from the figure said, "Time to skewer the rabbit."

Usagi bared his teeth and leaned into his bindings as if to get nearer the assassin coming to kill him. Leo heard Donnie's voice cry out "Usagi! Nooooooo!"

They really had gotten close. How long had he been out? What had happened? No time to think about that now!

He dropped. Neither Usagi, nor the assassin about to kill him, seemed to notice until his katana stopped the downward strike. Then he raised a foot and kicked the assassin back from his friend. Usagi gave a satisfied "huh," and "Glad you are feeling better Leonardo san."

Leonardo found himself out of breath after just "that" bit of effort. Still, he recalled now how hard breathing at all had become back in that time of "less than restful" darkness. It had been almost sleep, but he'd been too aware of his desperate state, too afraid he'd never wake up again, for it to truly be sleep.

He turned back to Usagi and smiled sadly. "Maybe not 'better' but at least I'm breathing." He took a few steps back to his friend and brought one of his katana's down "hard" on the chains. They broke. Huh. Maybe he was better.

Usagi lifted his arms and looked at his hands a moment. Then he slipped a foot under his longest blade and flipped it up catching it in midair. He held it low and began to stalk toward the sounds of battle. His face was hard, so was his voice. "Good, then let us finish these foes."

Leonardo turned to the sounds of a fight already engaged. "Donnie!" His brother was fighting impressively hand-to-hand. He also used his elbows. Leo was proud of him. He thought father would be too. Still, he believed Donnie would appreciate the gift he brought him. He took out his brother's bo, cocked his arm back, and threw. "Incoming!"

Donnie grabbed his bo out of the air, turned and used it to block a pair of swords an assassin brought down at him. Usagi used his own particular battle style of mostly sword swipes and jump kicks against another assassin armed with a spear. As soon as he'd fought back that one, another came at him with a sword. Usagi met it with his own and pushed his attacker backwards. Then Donnie launched himself at both Usagi's attackers and landed on their weapons, bo-first, thankfully.

Then two assassins came at Leo, and he had to concentrate on his own fight. He found himself using both his katana one on either side of his body against foes coming at him from his left and right. He only had to do this for a moment though. He managed to push back one. Then Donnie came flying in to take the other out with his foot. Wow. He and Usagi "both" must have really scared Don. Donnie could fight, sure, but not usually like this.

Suddenly, they three were standing together in front of the sleeping Daimyo's feet. Usagi, his new best friend now, having saved both him and his brother, stood on his left. His aforementioned gentle, little brother, Donnie, who'd just saved them both by fighting as fiercely as a tiger, now stood on his right.

Their four foes backed up together into a small crowd. The two groups stared at each other a moment. Then … the assassins jumped into the shadows and disappeared.

It took some time to sink in. He, Usagi, and Donnie kept glancing up nervously into the shadows. But … nothing. No one came at them again there. It was just them, and the Daimyo lying peacefully and seemingly breathing deeply just behind them. Donnie looked back at him and Usagi his eyes wide and mouth open. "We won!"

What do you think?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes