A/N: Sorry for my lack of updates! It's been the start of one crazy year and I've barely had any time to write. But I'm back on track, so this story will no longer be neglected. I hope all of you haven't lost interest by now, but that would be expecting too much. Well, hopefully this chapter will spark your interest again! Thank you for continuing to read my poor, greatly-lacking, writing. I look forward to reading the reviews, criticism included. (N: The last chapter was a little heavy and out-of-the-blue, wasn't it? So I'm focusing more on moving the story forward than Leo and Karai's relationship for now. We'll get to that soon enough *wink*)

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Chapter 17

Leonardo crashed through the inn's screen door, baring his katanas. Terror and panic echoed through the evening air in the form of endless screams and strangled sobs. Somewhere a candle had been knocked over and had lit the inn ablaze. Smoke reflecting the growing flames hung heavily in the air and began to leak through the windows and now-shredded screen.

Ducking low and holding one hand over his nose and mouth so as to not inhale any smoke, Leo ran through the inn searching for Mitsue. She had still been asleep inside before the demons attacked and the inn had been set on fire. He had her scream only seconds ago. Gritting his teeth, he willed himself to get to her before the demons did.

Finally reaching her room, Leo came to a staggering halt. "Mitsue!", he yelled as he threw the screen doors open. "Ryo-oniichan!" came the choked reply from the small girl bundled in blankets in the corner of her room.

The flames had just started to eat away at the opposite side of the room and it was already filling to the brink with smoke. "Hold on Mitsue, I'm co-" He started to say, but just as he stepped into the room the ceiling collapsed with a deafening crack. Stepping back, Leo squinted through tearing eyes at what stood over the rubble of the charred ceiling. A large demon, like the one that he and Karai had fought in the forest, now stood between him and Mitsue. But unlike that demon, whose appearance had been hidden in the shadows, this one's was made entirely visible by the bright, red glare of the flames.

The monster, sharply silhouetted, looked like something out of a nightmare–or worse, hell itself. Its body resembled that of a steroidal wolf's and sticking out of its long, narrow snout where dagger-like teeth stained with fresh blood. As for its height, it was almost the size of a full-grown bear. But none of this unnerved Leo the most as its eyes. Not red and piercing like the one he previously faced, but black and empty. That was all they were: black, empty sockets that seemed to suck everything into them.

Its large ears twitched toward the sudden noise of rustling in the corner. Mitsue was pushing herself farther into the corner, whimpering softly. Despite her blindness, she must've realized what stood only a few feet away from her.

The wolf-demon swerved its head toward her, sniffing the air for her scent. After moments pause, it licked its lips: she was the one.

Knowing what was going to happen, Leonardo dashed forward with his katanas poised to attack first. But the wolf was equally swift and darted to the side to avoid the attack. It focused in on him, ears facing in his direction. Leo started to circle the creature; eyeing it for an opening. Seeing a glimpse of its exposed side, he rushed forward and brought his sword down in a flashing arc. But he never landed the blow, because the wolf's paw suddenly shot out and knocked him to the ground.

With the wind-knocked out of him, Leo barely had time to react as the wolf leapt on him, pouncing with the force of a tiger. He lurched forward and clamped its gaping mouth shut before it could rip his head off.

Any wresting he had done with Raph couldn't have prepared him for wresting a giant, crazed wolf-demon. He had to use every ounce of strength in his body to keep it from trapping him under its strong grip. But not even his strength could save him from the onslaught of claws raking his body. Peering out of his half-closed eyes, he blearily made out his katanas scarcely out of hands reach.

Shifting all his weight, he brought his right leg forward and kicked as hard as he possibly could. His muscles burned in over-exertion as his leg lifted the massive, 2 ton creature off of him and into a fire-consumed wall. A dog-like whimper escaped from the wolf upon impact.

Staggering up and gasping for breath, Leo grabbed his much-needed weapons and began limping toward the still-recovering wolf. But as he stepped in front of it, a shrill scream filled the air. Whipping around, Leo spotted another wolf-demon looming over a petrified Mitsue, drool pooling out of its mouth.

Leo yelled her name as he raised his arm to throw one of his katanas at it. But he had momentarily forgotten about the creature lying beside his feet. As soon as his sword left his hand, the wolf's sharp teeth sank into his leg with a vicious snarl. His eyes widened in shock and he inwardly screamed as pain laced through his body.

Enraged and desperate to relieve the agony, Leo turned and pierced straight through the wolf's skull with his remaining sword. The iron-like grip on his leg immediately slacked as the creature dropped dead to the floor. Its empty sockets staring into a void, but its mouth curled in sickening satisfaction.

Leo ignored the pain and the blood seeping from his wound in red rivulets as he turned back and stared in blank astonishment at an unharmed Mitsue and the crumpled-over body of the other wolf.

A sword glimmered in the shadows behind the body and for a second Leo thought he saw fangs glimmering as well. But then, to add more to his surprise and relief, Karai stepped out into the fire's light and smirked knowingly.

"Having some trouble, Leonardo?" She asked with mock concern. Leo's relief instantly vanished. Ignoring her, Leo quickly retrieved his single katana from the wolf corpse and limped as fast as he could over to where Mitsue lay still frozen in shock and fear.

He crouched down beside her, inwardly cringing at the increasing pain in his leg, and checked her over for any injuries or burns. He sighed in relief when he found nothing but ashy smudges covering her arms and cheeks. "Mitsue, are you alright?" he asked quietly, just to be safe.

But the little girl's gaze was intently fixed on Karai, despite her blindness. 'There must be some kind of special aura around Karai or something. After all, Mitsue had sensed her coming earlier'. Leo thought.

Shaking her shoulder gently, she finally snapped out of it. Then she turned toward Leo and smiled in relief, tears streaking down her dirty face, before reaching out to hug him fiercely. "Ryo-oniichan!" She cried before coughing violently. Leo patted her back and tore off a piece of his kimono for her to cover her mouth with. He placed it in her tiny palm and said. "It's safe now, but don't speak yet. You've inhaled too much smoke, so use that cloth to cover your nose and mouth until we leave, okay?" Mitsue nodded and did like he asked, but not before turning to Karai and managing a quiet "Thank you."

Karai looked taken back at first, but then quickly recovered her poker face and nodded curtly. She turned her attention to Leo. "You should being worrying more about yourself right now, Leonardo. You aren't exactly in the best condition for an escape."

Leo stared down at his bad leg and grimaced. It almost looked worse than it felt…almost. Mitsue seemed to know about the injury too, because she squeezed him tighter. Whether in comfort or anxiety, Leo didn't know. Dodging Karai's statement, Leo brought up what was bothering him more: "Why'd you come back?"

Silence hung in the air, save for the consistent crackle of the fire. "Because I wasn't going to let an innocent child become another victim of this madness. And for that reason alone."

Leo smiled briefly, "So, she still has some good in her after all." But he pushed the thought away. This wasn't the time nor the place for that.

The fire roared and Leo could hear yelling near by. They needed to leave. NOW.

He started to trudge to toward a collapsed wall that led out into the open air, but he had forgotten about his leg. It was still bleeding. Leo could feel the pain slowly turning to numbness due to the blood loss. He had lost too much and inhaled too much smoke. "Damn it!" He cursed silently, as he quickly but shakingly, kneeled to bandage the gruesome wound. He could tell that Karai was watching him. 'Probably with satisfaction.' he thought bitterly.

Standing and hefting Mitsue up, Leo sprinted as quickly as he could manage with the extra weight. Mitsue gripped his kimono as he was leaving the now-collapsing inn and whispered urgently in his ear, "What about Oba-san?"

Leo felt a sharp pang of guilt and sadness. The old woman was either still inside or was one of the many lifeless bodies strewn throughout the village. Leo swallowed back his grief and shook his head slowly.

He didn't have to look to know that it was Mitsue's tears that were soaking his shoulder and running down his back. She had lost her only family member, the only person who had truly loved her in this entire village. The one person she loved and relied on for everything. Gone. Forever.

Just like Kaki. Just like he was to his family.

And then Leo couldn't contain his own tears as they fell rapidly down his face. If only he could leave this god-forsaken world and return to his own, to his brothers, and to the comforting arms of his father that he had rejected!

And now, as the world blurred over, Leo left Karai and the fallen village behind. The only thing that kept him going forward was this one thought: 'I'm all Mitsue has left now.'

TBC….