A/N: Alight, here's the next chapter and you really better pay attention. This is important to future events of our characters. Without this, well, I won't give the spoilers. Enjoy.

8: Mikey

Blood Suckers of the Dream Realm

"Mikey… Mikey, wake up. Shredder's leaving us."

I groan as Donnie shakes me awake. I was almost home. I was home till Donnie said Shredder.

My cheek sticks to my arm as I left my head. My arms hurt as I pull them off the chair, leaving grooves in my arms. My legs ache as I try to stand. Falling asleep on a chair backwards is not comfortable. But I wouldn't want to be Leo and Raph. They argued for a full hour before Donnie screamed at them and make them share the table.

Don gets me to my feet and follows me out of the house. "Thank you again, Ma'am, for your hospitality." Don says. Again. Leo must have thanked her, too. Tang Shen stands in the door way.

"Do itashimashta. It's a pleasure to help the Hamato brothers."

Don and Tang Shen bow to each other, and then we leave. I look to the south, where the sun lies. Sunset. Day one of Mission Live Dream is almost over.

"Donnie, what time do you think it is?" I ask.

Don sighs, staring at the bright sun, "To be honest, Mikey, I couldn't tell you for the world."

The others walk ahead of us, not slowing down. We jog to catch up with them. I am surprised to see Raph and Leo walking on either side of Shredder. It's like they'd rather stand next to our greatest enemy than each other.

"Donnie, how many miles have we walked since we left Abandon?" Leo asks.

"Uh…" Donnie calculates for a moment," maybe… three to four miles." Everyone groans," but as long as we walk through the night, we should be to Three Crossing by morning."

"Great," Leo says some-what optimistically, "let's keep walking the…then…"

Leo trails off. He starts sniffing the air like he smells something good. I do the same but don't smell anything.

Shredder gives Leo a weird look as he sniffs him. Leo ignores it and pushes Shredder out of the way.

"Leo, what are you doing?" Raph asks, uncomfortably as Leo sniffs the air inches from Raph.

"Raph," Leo says, almost like he's in a trance," You… you smell…"

By this time, Raph is looking at Leo in a fearful way," Leo, quit looking at me that way."

"What way?"

"LIKE YOU'RE GONNA EAT ME!"

"There you are!" A voice from above cries out. We look up to see Kate and Felix coming down from the sky. They circle twice then land in front of Leo and Raph.

"Oh, good," Raph gasps," you're Leo's friends. Get him to stop sniffing me and looking like he wants to eat me for dinner."

"Oh, yes," Felix grumbles, putting a hand on his hip, then rubs his chin with the other," We were worried about that."

"What?!" Raph says. I snicker. He's failing miserably at hiding his panic. "What were you worried about? Should we be worried?"

Kate puts her arm around Leo, turning him away from Raph," Only if your brothers still here when the sun is completely gone."

We all instinctly look at the sun. It is halfway down behind the plains.

"What'll happen if Leo is still here when the sun sets?" I ask.

"Then you will all die." Felix simply says as if it's normal to say that. We all look at him in horror. Even Leo.

"Felix," Kate hisses," Look, Leonardo is a newbie-"

"I hate that word," Leo growls.

Kate continues," Yes, I did, too. But Suides have two 'curses.' The eight a.m. one and this one. All night long, Suides become much like a vampire, but no completely. And, actually, we don't really hate it."

"Huh?" We all ask at once.

Felix chuckles, "this is how we see it. Vampires are in technical terms dead, right. No heartbeat. Suides have a heartbeat. At least, during the day. At night our heartbeat stops, our blood goes cold and we drink blood. It helps us get along with the vampires here. It lets us feel, even though we're dead, alive. At least for a night."

"Wait," Donnie says, squeezing his temples gently," So you all turn into vampires at night, but you're not actual vampires. And there are real vampires other than you guys."

Felix nods," Yep."

Donnie squints," Okay…"

"That would answer why no one stays in Abandon overnight." Shredder says as if he has been to this place before.

I look to my big brother. Felix and Kate's eyes are red already, and Leo's eyes are slowly turning red, too. The two humans look at the sun, and then turn to our big brother.

"Aright, Leonardo," Kate says, "Can you smell anything coming from that direction," she points toward the beyond.

"How could I smell anything when all I can smell is him?!" Leo howls, gesturing at Raph.

Raph snaps back," Well sorry if my blood smells good."

"Let me try," Felix says. He grabs Leo's shoulders and faces him to the north. "Alright, Leonardo, take a deep breath and-"

HOWL!

The bushes break apart as two hound's pound out. They have no eyes, a big nose, sharp teeth and are as scary as the horse Aro was on. They stop when they smell the three Suides.

I swallow hard." Donnie," I say. A growl from Leo gets my attention. His eyes are huge and zeroed in on the hounds. His wings are ruffling up. A hound barks angrily and lunges at Leo. I yelp.

THWACK!

The air fills with that sound as Leo smacks that dog so hard it flies clear down the path. Leo turns on the second one and lets out a battle cry. We all gap at the fangs that come from his mouth.

The hound runs to his fallen comrade. Leo sprints after it.

"WHEW!" Felix yells," WE'VE GOTTA HUNT NOW!" Then takes off after Leo.

Kate looks over at us," We'll bring your brother back in the morning. Just keep walkin', and do not draw attention to yourselves."

Then she's gone, too.

After a minute of silence, I snort," Heh, heh, you smell good, Raph."

He lunges and hits me on top of the head.

That was so worth it, though.

April looks down the path where Leo disappeared. The sun is gone. The stars are out. We hear screams behind us and howls in front of us.

"You heard the Suides," Shredder says," Let's move. I would like to meet Leonardo at Three Crossing."

I shake as a howl cuts the air. A pain filled one. This is going to be a long night.

My friends start walking forward. I take a deep breath and walk forward, too. I still have two big brothers. I got to remember that.

Still two.

Still two… plus a suicidal bloodsucker.

A/N: And there we go. I feel successful for the day. Hope you like it and till the next chapter. The Next Authors oath.