"Wow," Don whistled, staring at the oil on his cloth. "Look at that. Natural excess oil. You're amazing."

Everyone knew he was talking to his cloth filled with oil. Leo cleared his throat and Don guiltily continued rubbing the soothing oil in slow circles on the membrane. Pushing his other cloth on the top of the wing to collect more oil, Don used both hands to rub the oil in carefully, observing how the webbing looked brighter and healthier with the oil in it.

Suddenly, they all paused. Something had rumbled, and it didn't sound like an earthquake.

Rrrrrrrrrr.

There is was again! Don looked at Raph, who glanced at Mikey to make sure it wasn't their joking sibling. Mikey was just as appalled, but then a grin crept on his beak. He signed for silence and walked silently to Leo's head, bending down to put his ear-hole next to the leader's chest.

His grin split even wider. "He's purring!" Mikey squealed, laughing uproariously.

"W-what?" Don stammered. "We don't have that capacity," he argued, coming around to Leo's shoulders with Raph close behind. Sure enough, their sleeping brother's chest was vibrating and the rumbling emitted from it.

"Absolutely amazing!" Donnie crowed, waking Leo up in the process.

"What?" Leo asked, blinking. Mikey was still howling hysterically and Raph was trying to hold his chuckles to a minimum.

"Who wants to tell him?" Raph asked smoothly, peering at Mikey.

"L-Leo… y-you… y-you w-w-were… p-p-p-purr-rr-rr-ing!" Mikey managed to get out between fits of laughter.

"I was what-ing?"

"Purring," Raph exclaimed. "You were going like a motor boat."

"Really?"

"Yeah. We're not done, though. Mikey, snap outta it and help Donnie and me get this done. Or do you want me to kick your tail from here to the other end of the sewers?"

"Eeep." Mikey, still giggling, went to his side of Leo's right wing and continued oiling it gently, though listening for when his hero and brother started purring.

He wasn't disappointed, either. Leo fell asleep again and his body purred until it shook slightly. The three younger turtles shared a glance and a smile before setting to work again. All of them could tell Leonardo was being pushed beyond even his endurance; he would never fall asleep otherwise.

Raph smiled, remembering when Leo was tossed through April's window into her apartment. He was so broken and battered… the smile melted. Leo had slept for a week afterwards waking only occasionally. Raph had helped him, encouraging their injured brother to make himself a pair of katanas so he would feel whole again.

Don examined the oil, wondering why Leo had grown such large wings. His body would be able to fly with something half the size of these behemoths. Would his body grow to accommodate them? Don sighed; he hated not knowing what was going to happen. Well, he'd better read some books on dragons and caretaking of them, even if they were just a myth. Or were, he chuckled to himself.

Mikey was humming a song while he spread the oil over Leo's wings. It was kind of gross, but Mikey knew that he owed Leo a lot. Their eldest was always there for them, standing in for the blow or just being there to collapse on and let all their worries out for him to soothe away.

Master Splinter came into the living room to see the three brothers just finishing an hour after they began, putting the cloths in the sink and folding Leonardo's wings gently closed. Each looked tired, but more mentally and emotionally than physically.

Donatello and Raphael sat Leonardo up, the eldest just waking, as Michelangelo strapped his wings to his back.

"How's that feel?" Donatello asked compassionately, helping the blue-wearing turtle stand up on tired feet.

"Great," Leonardo mumbled. Splinter grimaced inside. The eldest was wearing out; he had talked to their master about taking a break, letting Raph take over for a few days to let the current leader have a chance to meditate and recover from his recent injuries at the hands of the Shredder and the Foot Clan.

"Let's get you to bed," Raphael suggested, showing his rarely-seen sensitive side. Michelangelo didn't comment but helped his brother lie down on the couch. The smartest turtle put a hand on Leonardo's wings and sat with him for a while, even after the eldest had fallen into a deep slumber.

"My sons," Splinter spoke, commanding the attention of the turtles. Leonardo didn't even stir, which was a worrying sign. If someone merely breathed near him, he would at least become more alert. Donatello noticed as well, and looked apprehensive. "We will leave early tomorrow. Let Leonardo rest. Michelangelo, you and Raphael will oversee the packing of Leonardo's katanas and gear, plus your own. Donatello, you will gather anything you think you may need to help your brother grow in strength and ability until he can care for himself and his wings without needed your help all the time." The purple-banded turtle looked ready to argue, but was silenced when Splinter held up a hand. "Raphael and Michelangelo, you will also help Donatello if he needs it. Also, pack enough food for many weeks. Leonardo will need more food than is usual for him."

"Not that he eats much anyway," Raphael grumbled. "We will, Sensei. May we begin?"

"Certainly. I will stay with Leonardo. I have all I need for our trip. Be sure to pack heavy clothing in case we need it. The farm is not what it once was."

"Hai, Sensei," Donatello agreed, standing and walking swiftly out of the room.

Raph went immediately to Leo's room with Mikey in tow. Swinging open the heavy door, Raph couldn't help but shudder. Leo's room was neat and tidy. Nothing but strategy and tactic books lined two of the walls, the third and fourth filled with a futon – a mattress on the floor in a Japanese style – and displays of katanas and ninjitsu weapons.

"I never noticed before."

Raph looked at his younger brother with astonishment. Mikey was staring at the room.

"He's… always been there for us," Mike explained, voice unusually solemn. "His life revolves around us. He's always there in case something goes wrong. Ninjitsu… it's more than a survival tactic. It's a way for him to protect us, to put himself on the line so we can be sane. He's always the one to take the blow. Leo's… he does so much. But I've never noticed before."

Raph was struck dumb. Now that Mike mentioned it, Raph realized that he was right.

"He gave his soul so we could keep ours. And Leo doesn't know what it's like to be his own person. He's always living to please Master Splinter, keep me from killing myself on my late-night runs. He will do anything with you when Don and I are too busy or just don't wanna. And he listens to Don, which is more than I do. Boy, we're really blind, aren't we?" Raph asked Mikey, stepping into the room.

"What do we do? We can't let him keep doing this to himself. He'll wear out eventually." Raph spied a book on the desk next to Leo's plain futon and picked it up. It fell open to a page. "What?"

"It's… a diary," Raph gasped, shutting it quickly. He had just caught a glimpse of Leo's neat handwriting drawn on the page.

"Well, read it. Leo wouldn't leave it there unless he meant to. Maybe there's something in there that can help us get this burden he put on himself off of him." Mikey and Raph sat on the meditating mats next to the futon.

"Here's the first one he wrote," Raph introduced.

Dear Diary,

Today, I decided that keeping a journal could be very beneficial. Sensei says that the best leaders keep records so they can look over them when they make a mistake, and see where that mistake was. Master Splinter told me that I was to be the leader of my brothers today. I will need to keep this in case I make a mistake. It will be a tribute to my brothers if nothing else, and if they are reading this, that means I am probably dead.

That doesn't bother me, though. If I die so they may live, that is the best sacrifice. My soul was forfeit the minute I was hatched. I have always been the stick in the mud because I care so much for them.

You don't know about them, do you? Well, I'll tell you.

I'll start with Raphael. He's my best friend. We get along really well, though we have very little in common except that we're both stubborn. But Raph is different in that he keeps everything bottled inside until he has to lash out at the nearest thing. Last week, I remember, he was angry because he had gotten in trouble for skipping dish washing. I did it for him, but somehow Master Splinter found out. Instead of scolding me, as he should have because I had done something Raph was supposed to, he was angry with Raphael. Why? Raph was just having fun. I'm here and training to be a better leader so he can be himself. If Master Splinter doesn't like that, then why'd he name me leader?

Michelangelo is next. He's the goofball, silly turtle. He's the light in this family, the brightness that keeps our hearts happy. I love him so much… I can't even put it into thoughts, much less words! He's always ready to lighten the mood. His light-hearted jokes are just the thing to calm Raphael down when he's ready to kill something. Mikey puts himself in danger to keep Raph cool; he's the only one with that gift. I can stem the tide, but Mikey pulls it out until nothing is left in the ocean of emotions that is our hotheaded brother. I remember the event of last week that has changed Mikey a little. He was coloring very happily. I was watching him, though I knew I had to tell him about his share of the chores. Instead, I just let him play. He's so young at heart and innocent I couldn't bring myself to stop his merriment. So I did his chores all that week. And when his coloring book was finished with, each coloring bright and merry, I was sad. Probably more sad than he was, because he had had fun with the crayons and colored pencils. So, I gave him mine, so that I could still see that youthful child. Master Splinter was angry at Mikey for shirking on his chores. When I tried to intervene, Master Splinter told me that Mikey had to learn how to own up to his responsibilities. I couldn't understand it. Why would the youngest of all of us have to do his own work? I would gladly do it to preserve his childishness.

Donatello is the smartest of us. He was the one who first spoke and walked on two legs instead of four. When he says something, it just blows over me. I can't blame him, though. He's doing what he loves. I like to watch him study because he can be so calm and excited all at once. A few months ago, I gave him a text book I found in a college dumpster. It was brand new, and had all kinds of information I was sure Donnie didn't know. The look on his face was incredible… I can't wait to get him another, as soon as I can find one in good condition. I've also been helping with his chores because he will probably need to study a lot to take care of the family in terms of medical needs in the future. Master Splinter is not young anymore, he told me so himself. And living in the sewers is dangerous. I don't have the know-how to do complex healing things, but Don does. Will he grow up to be the doctor of the family? Judging by what he is reading – and the rate of it! – he will be an overall braniac. I love him so much, though. He can't possibly change for the better; this personality suits him.

And me? Well, I'm not important. I died when Master Splinter named me leader. I died when Raph shook from jealousy. I died when Mikey stopped begging me to play with him because I was the "Almighty One". I died when Donnie stopped explaining everything he knew to me. I died… and I will not come back. My soul has been taken by the Ninja God. I offered it to him a month back, when I was meditating. Master Splinter was resting, so I felt safe to do this. I found Him and made a deal. My soul will forever be his, and should I be dishonorable, I will be taken. In return, he will make sure I die physically instead of my brothers. I have done this because I love them very much. If they are reading this, I am probably dead. If so, you now know why.

Raph just looked at Mikey, who was crying profusely. Dropping the diary, Raph gathered the orange-wearing turtle into his arms and let the tears from both of them run down his plastron.