And we're back! Let's get right into the story, shall we?

Leo groaned, his body twitching in weak, sporadic shivers.

The creature still held him in a cocoon of hair, but it did nothing to shield him from the harsh effects of the almost refrigerated cellar.

He was so cold, but his body had long stopped its constant shivering. Which Leonardo knew, somewhere in his pain induced fog, to be a bad sign. He could almost hear Donnie's voice telling him that he had moved from moderate to severe hypothermia. By this point he could barely string a coherent sentence of words together. His body hurt so much. Not only from sitting restrained in the chair for God knows how long, but the chilly atmosphere was making his muscles cramp from the constant, sustained tension.

The turtle tried to move, tried to force his body into obeying him and attempt escape again. Like it had all the times previous, though, the hair holding him hostage reacted to his movements. Constricting his chest, hurting the bruised ribs caused from his capture. His fingers tingled, throbbing in pain as his bonds cut off blood flow to his extremities, Leo couldn't hold back the whine of pain. He was so sick of hair. If he never had to feel the creepy crawly silkiness of hair ever again, it'd be too soon. Not that he had to worry about that, he was a turtle, turtles don't have hair.

The turtle bit back the giddy laugh from his silent joke. What was he doing again? Oh, yeah, he was trying to think of a way to escape. Why hadn't his brothers rescued him? Leonardo didn't know, he didn't even know where they were and he had a sinking feeling that they didn't know where he was either.

It was getting harder to remember things like that, like where he was, and where his brothers were.

How did he get here again?

The blue turtle thought back, trying to dredge up the answer to how he had gotten here. The image of a small girl in a kimono appeared in his mind's eye, and Leonardo felt himself falling into memory.

…

3 Days Ago

"Dudes, wanna go another round of ninja hide-and-seek?" Mikey panted, bent over double with his hands on his knees, eyes glowing from their recent exertion.

"I don't think I have the energy for another round," Donnie gasped as he sat on the ground, chuckles shaking his frame. "Especially, since our games tend to turn into tag."

"That's the point!" Mikey squawked, "Normal hide-and-seek ends when everyone is found, ninja hide-and-seek ends when everyone is found and caught!"

"Gee, I wonder who came up with that variation," Donatello asked dryly, giving his eldest brother a playful side eye.

"I have no idea to whom you're referring to," Leo snickered between wheezed breaths, leaning against a tree enjoying the breeze, "but I'm down for another round."

Raphael groaned from where he lay on the grass, "Fine, Mikey," he conceded, lifting his hand to raise a green finger, "one more round, an' that's it, but you can't be 'it' this time."

"Sweet," the youngest grinned, before a mischievous sparkle lit his eyes, with the speed of a ninja Mikey placed a finger on the tip of his nose, "NOT IT!"

Raphael and Donatello followed behind him, swiftly lifting their own digits to touch their nose, "NOT IT!"

"Huh?" Leo lifted his head, noticing he had missed the cue to touch his nose, "Aw, shell."

"Leo's it!" Mikey crowed, "Scatter!"

The blue ninja grinned, chuckling slightly as he shut his eyes and leaned his head back against the rough bark, "Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku,"

Leonardo breathed in the sweet smell of the forest, enjoying the feeling of the wind playing with the tails of his mask. His brothers were long gone, and assuredly out of the range of the sound of his voice. He was long practiced at listening to their unique footstep patterns, already knowing that Raphael had taken to the trees, Donatello scurrying through the underbrush and Mikey leapt up a nearby incline of rocks.

His plan was simple. He would find Donnie first, as Don was the most tired out of all of them. Catching him would be an easy task. Raph would be next, he'd put up more of a fight, but Leonardo was confident he could use the environment against his bombastic little brother. Once both were safely caught, he'd make use of one of the household rules for ninja hide-and-seek. In which, he could ally with his captives and use them to catch the last remaining player hiding. True, they rarely made use of the alliance rule as it was more of a challenge to go about catching everyone solo; but this was their last round, and no matter how tired out the orange ninja was, Mikey could be a slippery little monkey when he wanted. Not to mention, fast. He'd need the extra help if he wanted to round up the youngest brother in time for dinner.

Finally reaching one hundred, Leo stood, lifting his arms high over his head in a luxurious stretch, "Ready or not, here I come!" He called, more out of tradition than any real warning.

The young leader sauntered into the forest, not in any hurry to track down his brothers. They would enjoy the extra minutes to find their hiding spots, and Leo wanted a peaceful stroll through the forest before having to catch Donnie and Raph. The breeze kicked up the tails of his mask as if to greet him, carrying with it the smell of bamboo and honeysuckle. Leonardo breathed deep drafts of the scent, sighing happily. This had certainly been a family vacation worth remembering. Even with the odd moments of Raphael being creeped out by Okiku. That small reminder sobered the blue warrior.

Leo frowned. Remembering his brother's warnings about the girl.

Raphael was hotheaded by nature, but that didn't mean he always acted on pure instinct. Sometimes he showed observation skills that would impress Leo and even Donnie. Plus, Leonardo wasn't foolish enough to dismiss any of his brothers' gut instinct, especially if it was a warning about potential danger. While he may question them, and delve deeper to better understand their reasoning, he had learned long ago to trust his brothers. Plus, Raph had real concern, and almost fear, behind his amber eyes that day in the hot springs. That alone set Leo on edge. Raph showing fear was, as Mikey would put it, a dangerous anomaly.

Maybe…

A sudden cry tore through the trees, making a flock of birds startle into the air. Sapphire blue eyes snapped to the sky, watching the figures in flight before turning back to the forest surrounding him. The once welcoming sight of trees now turned sinister, any number of threats could use the foliage as cover. Out of habit, the ninja reached up and over his shoulder, but grasped only air. Leonardo cursed, his weapons were up in their room. Left behind as a sign of respect and etiquette, as the Daimyo had requested that his guests not walk around the palace armed. Now, however, Leonardo almost wished he had a rebellious side like Raphael, who still carried a kunai and some throwing stars.

Once again, the shriek cut through the silence, startling the terrapin out of his thoughts. Shaking his head, Leo darted forward towards the source of the scream. It sounded like a small child, maybe the Daimyo's son, or even Okiku? Leonardo frowned. If it was Okiku, and his brother was correct, he could be going into some serious danger. No, suspicions aside, if Okiku was in danger, he was honor bound to keep her safe. They had no solid evidence, and while he trusted his brother's intuition, he wouldn't forgive himself if they were wrong and she got hurt as a result. With or without his katana, he needed to protect her.

Leo dove into the underbrush, powerful legs pumping as he sprinted at full speed towards the cries. He was close to the edge of the fortress border. The Daimyo had advised them never to cross over the line, as he couldn't protect them beyond that point. However, the screams were louder in this direction. Leonardo groaned as he conflicted on what to do. Should he go back and get help? But that would take too long, he didn't even have enough time to rally his brothers. He didn't like crossing the border though, his promise to both his father and Daimyo to obey the request nagging him in the back of his mind.

Okiku screamed again, panicked sobs carried on the breeze, the sound echoing through the bamboo up ahead. Leo closed his eyes, and breathed a small prayer for protection. Then, features serious, and stance low, the turtle sped through into the glade. He quickly found himself in the ruins of what must have been a village at one time. The entire village was surrounded by the glade of bamboo, almost as if it were a shield of some kind. Strange. Leo shook his head, he needed to focus on the situation at hand.

The young leader continued through the ruins, until he was in front of a large mansion. It sat in decomposing splendor. Ancient tatters of what used to be curtains swayed in the windows. The roof was completely caved in, with the foyer being the only thing slightly intact. Crumbling stone steps leading to a gaping maw served as an entrance, the doors hanging heavy on the hinges. Leonardo stopped at the sight, his body freezing as a premonition stole over him, sending chills through his veins. Something very evil was inside, something dark. "Okiku," he called, "Okiku, are you in there?"

"Help! I can't get out!"

He shouldn't go in. He knew he shouldn't go in, but Okiku was in danger, she needed his help. A voice that sounded like Raph's whispered in the back of his head that Okiku could very well be laying a trap for him. Leo acknowledged that, but his honor couldn't bear with the possibility that she may very well just be a traumatized child who was very much in danger!

"Leonardo-san, HELP!"

He shouldn't go in, but unfortunately it was in that he was going.

Leonardo's footsteps echoed in the crumbling foyer as he stepped over the threshold. The floorboards creaked and the support beams moaned, as if the ghosts of ages past were waiting in the wings to devour the ninja. Leo made his way through the crumbling mansion, approaching a sweeping staircase that led up to a second story.

"Okiku?" Leonardo called, "Where are you?"

"Down here!"

The warrior cocked his head, hearing the voice coming from a small door beside the grand staircase, almost out of sight as the corner was heavy in shadows. The warning buzzing in the back of his head grew to a fever pitch, everything about this place, about the situation, it all felt wrong. He should escape. He needed to get out of here…but Okiku was down there, and even though Leo could think of no rational reason for the girl to be in a place like this, he had to investigate.

Leonardo reached down, hand trembling with the wish to flee, and opened the door.

What the turtle was expecting, even he wasn't entirely sure, but what he got wasn't anywhere near the list of things he had compiled in his head. A torrent of hair burst from the open door, grabbing the terrapin and dragging him down towards the small opening. Leo kicked and thrashed, trying to rip the strands that held him apart, but to no avail. Once again, Leo mourned the loss of his katana, and in the midst of his battle to free himself, swore that if he survived this, he'd never leave them behind ever again. Regardless of who was asking. Reaching down, Leo felt around for his shell cell, only to remember that it was useless in the nexus. Donnie would never receive the S.O.S.

It was then that Leonardo came to the grim conclusion that he could not escape, the hair was too strong and practically unbreakable. It was dragging him towards the opening and he couldn't get out. With one final ditch effort, the turtle stripped off his mask, throwing it where it could be seen. If his brothers found his bandana, he knew they'd tear this house apart looking for him. Writhing in the hair's hold, Leo continued his fight, all the way to the hole in the wall.

Green fingers split open and bled freely onto the blackened and crumbling floor. Leonardo clawed with all his strength to break free. With a mighty yank, the hair pulled him backwards towards the opening. The ninja grasped the frame of the door, muscles bulging and tearing as he held on for dear life. The hair was not to be dissuaded, it pulled harder, making the teen yelp in pain when he felt his shoulder pop out of joint. Pain radiated through the limb, burning down his spine and sending his vision into a dizzying array of multicolored spots burning in the corners of his eyes. He didn't let go though, even as his left arm flopped uselessly, Leo held on to the lintel of the door.

With one more aggressive pull, the hair dislodged the ninja. Leonardo fell backwards through the small door, and was dragged down a series of rickety wooden steps. Each one bruising his body, and sending jolts of agony through his rib cage. The turtle screamed, still fighting in vain for a purchase to hold on to. Anything to stop this dreadful descent.

At the bottom of the stair, Leonardo clawed in the dirt floor, his breath merely ragged gasps. A metal cellar door opened, like hungry jaws ready for its latest victim, and in milliseconds the turtle had been pulled inside. The last thing Leonardo saw before everything went black were the cellar doors slamming shut.

….

Present

Splinter sat alone in meditation, having long sent Michelangelo away to rest. The poor teen was ragged with exhaustion, and Splinter worried that he was pushing himself too far, and too fast, into the spiritual realm. Not that he was surprised, the boys always pushed themselves if any of the family were in danger. It was something he was both proud of and concerned about. While he would never intentionally endanger any of his children, he feared they might destroy themselves in the effort to rescue a brother. However, he had little room to talk, as he himself had willingly jumped headfirst into danger for the sake of a son.

The rat sighed, his meditation broken when the youngest gave a fretful toss, a moan slipping from trembling lips. Slowly rising from where he'd been meditating, Splinter approached the futon holding Michelangelo. A fuzzy paw caressed the creased brow, trying to impart some comfort that would soothe away whatever nightmare was tormenting the teen. Mikey gave a sleepy mumble, turning into the loving touch before settling back into sleep.

"Leo…"

The grey head bowed in despair, even as he continued to stroke the head of his youngest child. They all missed Leonardo, and even though he had spent almost two days in meditation, the old master had not been able to contact his son. There was a malevolent fog hiding Leonardo's spirit from him in the astral plane. That knowledge alone terrified him, but when the rat considered what kind of force was capable of exuding that level of influence, the old master could only shudder. Splinter had kept this revelation to himself, though, not wishing to distress his sons any further. For now, he would keep their small ember of hope alive by continuing his vigil in search of Leonardo.

Trailing furry fingers down the tails of Michelangelo's mask, Splinter could only hope that whatever his youngest was dreaming, it was a pleasant escape from the fear and agony of Leonardo's disappearance.

….

Deep in the realm of dreams, Michelangelo wandered through a large forest, eyes wide as he took in the sight of the tall trees. The area wasn't one he'd been in before, in fact when the orange ninja turned, he found that he was in sight of the palace in the nexus, but just beyond the edges of the fortress. They weren't supposed to go beyond that property line, Mikey remembered that discussion, so why was he out here? Baby blue eyes roved the surrounding area, searching for something, though he had yet to find out what. Strange ruins lay in forgotten clumps all around, brickwork and stone covered in hills of wild flowers and moss, the last testament of an abandoned village. Mikey grinned, knowing his brother Donatello would probably find it fascinating.

Still, this area was quite unfamiliar. He and his brothers had never been in this part of the nexus. Which begged the question, why was he dreaming about it?

The turtle placed a hand on his chin, pondering this question deeply. "I know I'm asleep," he reasoned, "so, this has to be a dream. But I've never been here before, so why am I here?"

Strange dreams of unknown places wasn't entirely foreign to the young warrior. He'd had one about an underground city once, and that came true. So, maybe…

Blue eyes snapped up to the forest, wide with hope. He knew one person who had gone deep enough in the mystic arts to communicate through dreams. Or at least send an impression that could be received by a person if they were sensitive to the call. "Leo?" He asked, voice tremulous and uncertain.

"Help….someone, help…."

Mikey took off into a sprint, feet flying over the discarded rubble of the ruins. "I'm coming, Leo!"

"Father…..anyone…..can…hear me? Help…."

The orange ninja ducked low hanging branches, batting aside leaves and ivy, before cutting through a glade of otherworldly bamboo. He could hear Leo's voice, he just needed to follow it and find the source before he woke up. Urgency pricked at Michelangelo's heart. He'd been meditating with sensei or searching with Raphael for the better part of three days, he wasn't going to let this chance slip through his fingers.

"So cold…..it hurts….please, father…..I need…you…"

Leonardo's pleas tore at the youngest turtle. He sounded so weak, so desperate, almost like how he was back in the caves. Mikey grit his teeth. He was going to find Leo in this dream, and heaven help whoever was responsible for his brother disappearing. "Hang in there, bro, I'm on my way."

Suddenly the glade ended, and Mikey found himself in front of a large ruin, from what must have been a luxurious house at one point. Stately walls, crumbling with age and ivy as nature overwhelmed it, stood like skeletal remains against the bamboo forest backdrop. An elegantly designed front door, thick wood carved with swirling designs and stunning reliefs, hung on its hinges. The door swung open and shut with the breeze coming down the trail, almost as if it were beckoning Mikey to enter. Giving a deep gulp, the turtle made his way into the abandoned mansion with tentative footsteps.

The dream immediately shifted as soon as one green foot stepped over the threshold. Michelangelo lost any control, he was swept along with the flow of the vision. Through the foyer and past a grand sweeping staircase, Mikey plunged through a small side door deep in the recesses of a dark corner, and down a rickety set of wooden steps. Further and further he fell, until his consciousness came to a stop at the bottom of the wooden stairway and in a gloomy hole of a room.

It was dark, and even in the dream Mikey shivered at the cold. The floor underfoot was dirt, and through the cracked stone foundation, the walls were overgrown by grass and ivy. Not even an ounce of sunlight could peek through from the ruin upstairs, the only light coming from an oil lamp that lay on its side in the dirt, casting shadows on the wall. The orange ninja followed the light, and found in the gloom was the faint outline of a cellar door.

"I'm here….I'm here, please, Mikey…Raph…Donnie….I'm here! Help!"

"Leo!"

Mikey darted forward, hand reaching out to grasp the handle. However, as it so often does in dreams, time slowed down. No matter how much Michelangelo ran, no matter the effort he put in jutting out his hand in a desperate scramble to rescue his brother, he couldn't reach the door. All around him were the echoed sounds of his eldest brother's pleas, choked sobs and plaintive cries that grew weaker with every heartbeat. Mikey screamed his frustration, fingers and arm stretching as far as physically possible, only capable of barely brushing the handle of the door before he was swept backwards and thrown out of the dream.

…

Michelangelo woke with a start, chest heaving as he panted, heart thru during in his ears as he groped in the dark, still caught in the throes of his dream. "Leo! LEO!"

"Michelangelo!" The strong voice of his father cried out the orange ninja's name, garnering his attention, grounding him back in reality.

"Dad!" Mikey gasped, squinting when the rat lit a nearby lamp, illuminating their sleeping chamber, "I think I found him!"

Splinter whirled on his youngest, eyes wide with shock, "Your brother, Leonardo?" He asked, voice heavy with emotion, "You know where he is?"

Mikey wilted, remembering that it was a dream, but still hopeful, especially since they've had weirder experiences than this, "I think so," he nodded, "it was a dream, but I'm almost positive it was real."

Splinter nodded, willing to accept even the palest rays of hope, "We must inform your brothers!"

As one, the two stood and rushed out of the sleeping quarters, and into the sitting room of the guest wing. "Where'd they go?" Mikey groaned at the empty space.

"I'm not sure," Splinter's ears flickered back, he really couldn't manage if more of his sons disappeared. His heart couldn't take much more worry.

"The young masters have gone to check on Okiku,"

Michelangelo startled at the sudden voice, he and his father turning to see the shy face of a young maid. "I asked them to check on her for me," the young woman explained, "she hasn't been eating, or even come out of her room since…well, since young master Leonardo's disappearance."

"Thank you," Splinter replied with a respectful bow, "we'll go in search of them."

…..

"Raphael!" Donnie gasped, trying to keep up with his brother, who still had a firm grip on his arm, "Either let me go, or slow down! I can't run like this!"

The red ninja, glanced back at his younger brother, then released the arm he had been clutching, "Sorry, Donnie."

"It's ok," the genius shook his head with a forgiving smile, "if we can get a lead on Leo's location, then I'm willing to be dragged around by anyone."

Raphael nodded, relieved that they had a goal to focus on, along with the sparkle of hope for a precious clue to the whereabouts of their leader. "Donnie, I hope I'm right."

"I'm not normally one to go on faith, me being a scientist and all," Donatello stated, "but I can't deny that I have a good feeling about this."

Raphael did too, but he was hesitant to say it out loud. The way their luck went, as soon as he expressed any emotion save pessimistic cynicism, that was the moment everything would go wrong. So, for now, he was running through the fortress at top speed, chasing after a gut feeling that's been bugging him since day one. That gut feeling being that there was something seriously wrong with the girl. In fact, the red clad turtle was kicking himself for not talking to the kid sooner. She was the one who had told everyone that Leo was missing. However, not Raphael or anyone else has thought to question her.

Raph remembered that they had come back to the palace that day, all confused on why Leo had bailed on their game, only to find the place in an uproar. Their father had scurried to them, informing them that Okiku had come back from the gardens, telling a story that Leonardo had protected her from a mystery attacker. Raphael hadn't even wasted a moment, he had rushed back out the door to the gardens where the child had said they were attacked, but found nothing. Not even signs of a struggle. Okiku had closed herself inside her room by that point, and was being guarded by maids. Not that Raph had considered talking to her, no, he was too busy running around like a bull in a china shop, up and down countless hills tearing apart the countryside in his search. Don had immediately gone to reprogram the shell cell's GPS system so it could work in the nexus, and Mikey split his time between hunting with Raphael and taking care of their father.

No one had given another thought to the kid. Which was why Raphael was so convinced she had to be the key. There was more to the story, and she knew, he was sure of it.

Both ninja screeched to a stop, bare feet skidding on the polished wood floors, in front of the door of the room designated to Okiku. Using a sai, Raphael thrust his weapon through the keyhole and slammed open the door, flinging it roughly to the side. He would apologize to the Daimyo for the destruction of the door later, but for now, he was on the hunt for something that proved his gut feeling right. They were close to an answer, he could feel it.

The room was dark, lit only by the waning light of the sunset through the window. Red light spilled through the room, splashing the floor, and illuminating an object discarded on the floor next to the bed.

Raphael stepped over, eyes growing wide as he knelt on the floor. "Donnie, I think ya need ta see this."

Donatello had been poking around the room, his face a mask of confusion, "I don't understand," he murmured, "there's nothing in this room that would show a little girl lived here. It's too clean, and there's no toys, or drawings, it's like she's a ghost."

"Or never existed ta begin with," Raph breathed, his hands shaking as he picked up folds of silk.

"That's not possible," Don tutted, "we both saw her, it's not like we imagined her."

"We saw somethin' alright," the red ninja stood then held the object out to his brother, "but Don, ya really need ta look at this, because I'm more convinced now that what we saw wasn't human, or even a kid."

Donatello paused, his intelligent gaze stopping on what Raph held in his hand, "Is that," he began, eyes widened and face paling with horror as he took it and held it out in the red light of the sunset, "it can't be."

But it was.

In Donatello's hands was what looked like a full body costume of Okiku, but it wasn't made of plastic. It felt much too real, and the clothes were what the child was wearing on the day Leo disappeared.

Don gagged, dropping the skin suit, and backing away, "Oh, oh God," he gasped.

"I'm pretty sure God didn't have anything ta do with this," Raphael rasped, his shoulders shuddering in revulsion.

"If that's Okiku," the scientist asked, pointing at the suit on the floor, "then what was wearing her?"

"And for how long?" Raph finished, "For all we know, Okiku has been gone since the night her family was killed, and whatever has been wearin' her is what's been livin' here."

"….Oh…." Donatello turned, face paling as his hands scrambled until they latched onto a vase and then, promptly puked into it.

Raph stood in a daze, hands clenched into fists. The red ninja wasn't sick, he was angry, but more than that, he was terrified. They'd been up close and personal with a creature that pranced around as a little girl for the past week, a monster who assumed an identity and used it as a weapon against decent people. A disgusting piece of garbage, that Raphael now knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, held his brother captive somewhere.

Knuckles cracked and creaked as Raphael clenched his hands into even tighter fists, the fury he'd bottled up for the past three days reaching a pressure point. When they found Leo, he was going to give whatever that thing was a beat down to remember. It picked the wrong turtle to kidnap, that was for sure!

"Raph!"

The red ninja turned his head, finding Michelangelo and their father standing just outside the door, "What is the meaning of this?" Splinter demanded, aghast at the destruction.

"Look," Raphael merely pointed down, and watched as both master and student made the same discovery that he and Donnie had.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Mikey moaned.

"Too late," Donnie whimpered.

"No," Splinter shook his head as he held the skin suit in trembling paws, the terror he had felt about the force hiding Leonardo from him quadrupled with every passing second.

The rat didn't have the chance to explain his reaction to his sons, as it was in this moment that the Daimyo arrived, flanked by palace guards. "My friend, what is the matter? Why is the door to Okiku's room destroyed?"

Splinter grit his teeth, "Daimyo, I regret to inform you that the child you have been harboring, was not a child at all."

The old rat presented the evidence to the nexus ruler, the room going deathly still as the Daimyo examined it. However, the shock and disgust expressed by the small family, was not shown by the ruler of the nexus at all. The man seemed to deflate, his glory and authority dimming, as he sat down on the child's bed, gripping the suit in shaking hands. The mighty head bowed, and the Daimyo gave a bone weary sigh that felt as old as time.

"So, it has returned." He said softly.

"What has returned?" Raphael asked, patience already worn thin, and getting thinner by the second.

"The skin walker,"

Silence. For Splinter, it was the silence of a parent having heard the worst news imaginable for their child. For the brothers, it was a silence mixed with horror at the name, and confusion.

"Excuse me," Michelangelo broke in, "the what walker?"

Donatello shuddered, even as he gave his brother the answer he sought, "I believe he said skin Mikey."

"Just clarifying."

Raphael shook his head, fury battling with utter terror as he connected the dots, "Look, Daimyo, I'm goin' ta look past the fact that apparently ya know exactly what's goin' on." The bombastic turtle snarled, choosing the emotion he was most familiar with, "Instead, I'm goin' ta focus on my brother, who was STOLEN and is possibly being held CAPTIVE by this creepy, skin wearin' THING! So, I demand ya tell us everythin' ya know, got it?!"

The Daimyo didn't take offense at Raphael's tirade, instead the man appeared to age several years before their eyes. "The creature to which I refer is an ancient monster or perhaps spirit, one that came to the nexus from a dimension far from your planet. It is a vicious creature, that can murder and devour entire villages. It is also very hard to kill. Since we could not completely destroy it, my family took responsibility of protecting the nexus from the creature, by ensuring it's burial."

"Burial?" Donnie asked.

"Indeed," the older man nodded, "many generations ago, my ancestor fought the monster. It had no name, but it would assume the identity of anyone it fed on, using their skin as a suit to disguise itself in the effort to find more prey. Many died at the hands of the creature, but my ancestor was able to somehow seal it in a cellar deep underground."

"Somethin' tells me it didn't stay there," Raphael growled.

"No, it didn't." The Daimyo moaned, "my ancestor built a lavish palace over the seal, in order to guard it, but eventually it escaped. During the time of my grandfather, the creature was able to wreak havoc yet again. All it took was the overactive imagination of a servant, to break the seal and peek inside the doors, for the creature to regain some of its former strength. Needless to say, the next time anyone saw the servant, they were already being worn by the creature."

Michelangelo trembled, his minds eye going back to the cellar he saw in his dream. Leo was down there with a crazed monster, and they were running out of time to rescue him, "How did you beat it?" The youngest turtle asked in a tremulous voice.

The Daimyo shook his head, "I'm not sure, all that was written is that a mighty battle broke out, in which my grandfather discovered that the monster was hurt by sunlight. Thus the reason it used its victims as a sort of disguise, to protect itself from the rays of the sun, but the sunlight in the nexus is too weak to do any lasting damage. However, that knowledge must have been enough to somehow seal it inside the cellar again. I have considered that sunlight from some other dimension might burn it, or even kill it, but I have no way of testing that theory."

"You have the war staff," Donatello exclaimed, brows furrowed in confusion, "couldn't you have sent it somewhere that had a strong enough sun to do that?"

"And taken the chance of dooming another world to that creature's evil?" The Daimyo asked, watching as the purple ninja wilted at the answer.

"No, that wouldn't be right," Don sighed, "the risk is too high that it might escape and kill again."

"Precisely," the old ruler intoned gravely, "my grandfather was at least able to hurt it enough to send it back into its grave. Then he burned the mansion and the village to the ground before planting a large glade of bamboo all around the place. That bamboo serves as a guide to travelers, all in the nexus know not to go into that cursed place. However, as the years passed I have tried to keep a vigilant eye on it, and with the relative peace we've enjoyed, I had hoped that that was the last we'd ever see of the creature."

"How did it escape this time?" Donatello pondered.

"I have no idea, but I think young Okiku may have been the cause," the Daimyo shook his head mournfully, "ever has the curiosity of children opened the door to countless evils. The monster may have used her form to get into her village then went on a ravenous rampage. Then it came back here, no doubt to take revenge on the deeds of my ancestors."

"That would explain why it kept askin' ta be let into yer livin' quarters," Raph snarled, "but why would it want Leo?"

"Your brother was an honored guest in my home, whom I refused nothing." The man replied, "I have no doubt it means to use him as a vehicle towards achieving its ultimate goal. The child's form was too weak, and it needs to continue to feed in order to challenge me."

Raphael shuddered at the name of his brother and the word 'feed' being in the same explanation, "Then what are we waitin' for? Leo needs us, and I'm not wastin' any more time gabbin', we need ta go rescue him, now!"

"Agreed, but first we need to make a stop by our rooms, I have an idea that might give us an edge against this thing!" Don threw in, eagerly following his brother out the door.

"Wait, I didn't even tell you guys about my dream!" Michelangelo exclaimed, "I'm pretty sure I know where Leo is!"

"Then ya get ta lead the way, Mikey," Raphael bellowed, "but I'm not makin' any more stops, capiche?"

….

"Almost time," the thing hissed, removing the cocoon from around Leo, "soon you will be it's new suit, and assist in much deserved revenge."

Leonardo moaned as he was forced back into clarity, cracking open heavy eyes to watch the monster bustle about the cramped space. It was feverishly cleaning its work table, prepping the area for its next project. The maid who had occupied the chair next to him had already been…processed.

The turtle shuddered, both from cold and from fear. He didn't want to end up like that poor woman. While he wasn't sure, the young leader assumed he had been held captive for about three days. His stomach had stopped growling, something it did after about two and a half days of straight fasting. He could handle going without food for a total of fifteen days before he approached the point of being almost incapacitated, however, he also hadn't had any water since he'd been dragged down here. That was a major problem. Even if he escaped, he'd be too weak to go very far before collapsing from dehydration.

Leo tried to move, twisting his weakened arms and yanking with his legs. The creature must have put his dislocated shoulder back in place, as he could move it, but was rewarded with only feeble movements accompanied by the sharp throbs of healing muscles. The ninja sighed, his strength was practically gone. He couldn't even scream anymore, his throat was dry and aching for water. How he longed for something to drink, it didn't even have to be cold, just something to wet his parched lips and sandpaper throat.

With a satisfied grunt, the creature finished its chore of cleaning the work table and turned to its captive. The young leader tried to don his mask of strength as the creature approached him. Striving to not let it have the satisfaction of his fear, while hoping against hope that he might get a second wind of power and break free somehow; but between the cold and whatever the monster had injected him with, both made it impossible. Even lifting his head was a monumental effort. He needed a miracle, he needed his brothers. In an attempt to stall for time, Leo asked the creature the question he'd been wondering since his abduction.

"Why?" he rasped through cracked lips, "Why…do…this?"

"Because the Daimyo deserves it, he and his many ancestors trapped it down here, stealing its strength." the creature hissed, "Soon it will take revenge and steal his name, and it will rule the nexus and feed as much as it wants. No more skulking in holes, but it can live and make many more pretty suits."

The creature turned to caress the prepped the work table, adjusting the many knives and scalpels into their proper positions. "It has grown stronger, yes, it has grown much stronger. Through learning of science from other worlds, and chemistry, it acquired the knowledge to make its suits last longer, and even allows it to harvest new suits without damaging them. Once it has the war staff, all dimensions and their knowledge will be for the taking, and it can feed to its heart's content!"

"Why…me?" Leo hated that his voice sounded so weak, but he was so thirsty, and so hungry.

"Daimyo respects you, would never expect you to attack him." The monster cackled, "it can take your name, and walk into the palace without fear of being stopped."

"Okiku?" The blue clad ninja queried.

"Little girl was too weak," the monster spat, "it thought she'd prove useful, but all it got was constantly being watched by maids, and rarely did it get to see the Daimyo. It needs a better suit, with a more powerful name. One that can walk even into the private quarters of the Daimyo and take its revenge."

"The…maid?" Leo couldn't understand why he was needed if the monster already had a member of staff from the palace.

"The woman deserved to be made into its new suit!" The creature snarled, "For stopping it from getting to the Daimyo, her impertinence cost her life! However, even the maid cannot serve its purpose. She lacks the ability to go into the places it needs to be. Which is why it went to such lengths to bring you here."

With that being said, the creature took a large syringe of liquid, pushing it into the line running into Leo's arm.

The ninja closed his eyes, a wave of nausea washing over him, even as his limbs became dead weight. The creature must have used something to paralyze him. Which meant that he couldn't fight back. His body was useless.

Leonardo swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, he was so sick of being useless. Sick of being held in this chair. So utterly exhausted of the cold underground seeping through his skin and into his bones. He missed the sun and it's warmth. Missed his family. He needed to escape, but he honestly had no idea how to do so. He was powerless. His worst fears realized. With all his training, and the powerful techniques he'd amassed in the seventeen years he'd been alive, Leonardo was well and truly powerless. He was going to die, and there was no one to save him.

"Enough talking now, it must get you ready for processing."

Leo mewled in agony as the creature released him from the chair and hauled him onto the table, limbs twitching feebly at the rough treatment, "No, stop," he gasped, silently begging his body to spring into action, to do something other than just accepting its fate, "Don't…don't do this!"

The creature leaned close, allowing Leonardo to see a deranged smile split its face, "Don't worry, it will take good care of its new suit."

Leo felt the creature open an artery at his leg, and soon his mouth was full of the taste of copper. He was being drained, and all he could do was lay there. A shiver stole across the broad shoulders, and the turtle felt his consciousness slowly float away. Darkness nipped at the edges of his vision, his thoughts becoming wobbly and unstable. His heart began to pound as it ran out of liquid, making Leonardo's breaths sharper and more of a wheeze.

As his heart began to flutter, the young leader closed his eyes, fatigue overwhelming his senses. Dizziness overtook the warrior, and the world became deathly quiet. In a hole in the ground, far from home, Leonardo Hamato took his last breaths.

Yes, I know that there are instances of skin walkers in many different cultures, with each one being different. I based mine on no particular culture, I took artistic license from various modes of inspiration and created this monster.

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