I'm so glad the last chapter was a hit! Thank you for your patience, and I adore everyone's theories, predictions, and the little things they caught that I wrote as foreshadowing.

Here's the next chapter!

Leonardo blinked at Raphael, not quite understanding the brawler's sudden reticence.

Not that he was ignoring them, if anything the red clad ninja looked utterly shocked. His topaz gaze was blown wide, with his jaw hanging slack, even his shoulders were loose as if he'd taken a blow to the head that left him reeling. Not only that, but Raph looked greener than usual, almost flushed as if he had fever. However, Leo was certain that their resident hothead hadn't been feeling poorly these last few days. So, why the sudden change? That's when the leader followed the brawler's line of sight and realized that the liquid gold gaze was pinned on their new ally.

Oh….OH!

The young leader quickly bit his lips, fighting back the giggle crawling up his gullet. Now it all made sense. Sympathy warmed Leo's heart, even as he coughed around the laughter he so dearly wanted to indulge in. He understood how his bombastic brother felt, what with how much Glimmer affected him when they first met. Granted, he was tied to a chair, and the effort it took not to spiral into a panic attack helped keep him grounded. However, Leonardo remembered all too well the speechlessness of being in the presence of a very pretty girl. Their lifestyle meant they didn't get the experience that most teenage boys have of learning to talk to the opposite sex, plus the females they'd spoken to were usually human or of some alien persuasion, so it made sense that their default reaction to meeting a girl they found genuinely attractive would be a deer in the headlights look. A fond chuckle finally escaped. Poor Raphie.

With casual strides that exuded nonchalance, Leo approached Raphael, and murmured softly in Japanese, "It helps to breathe,"

Topaz eyes blinked, then blinked again as if pulling out of a daydream, then Raphael sucked in a stuttering gasp. The brawler turned his gobsmacked gaze to his leader, as if seeing him for the first time, "What do I do?"

"Well, I've found that pretty girls tend to appreciate not being stared at like a psychopath," Leo whispered back, trying to keep their conversation as private as possible, but failing to swallow his chuckle when Raphael hurriedly pulled his gaze away from Mona, "but for the most part, just be yourself. I'm sure she'll see why we love you so much."

With that last bit of advice given, and a smarmy wink directed to the red ninja, Leo clapped Raph on the shoulder then leaned back as if the last few seconds never even happened, "So, what did that thing look like?"

Raphael coughed out his discomfort, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously while pointedly keeping Mona out of his line of sight, "Well," he stumbled, "it was big. All black, with a bunch of tentacles all down its back."

The newcomer gasped, "Tentacles on its back?" She clarified, dark scales paling, "Did it have eyes?"

The brawler shook his head, "Nah," he replied, hunching his shoulders as he dared brief glances at the girl, "that's what creeped me out the most, it just had a creepy lookin' nose that I think it used ta sniff us out."

Mona groaned, a string of foreign words spilling from her mouth that Leo was certain were curses, while her head sunk into her hands, "This is bad," she moaned into her palms, before raking her claws through ginger hair and pulling at her scalp, "this is really bad."

"Why?" Leo was back to being all business, "What do you know about this thing?"

"It's an Eater," the girl sighed, "at least, that's our nickname for it."

"That's terrifyingly ominous," Mikey chirped, subtly shuffling closer to Raphael.

"Inside their natural habitat, they're harmless," Mona winced, "but outside of it?"

"I'm guessing that's where things get problematic?" Donnie shared their new ally's grimace when Mona nodded, "What even is this thing? And how do you know so much about it?"

The newcomer hesitated, sharp fangs capturing her bottom lip as she considered Donatello's question. Leo perked up at her silence, sapphire eyes narrowing in suspicion, "Mona," the leader said, tone heavy and serious, "I want to help you find your sister, but I can't trust you if you don't trust us first. If my team, my little brothers, are in danger, then I need to know how to protect them. If you want our help, then we need you to help us by telling what you know, got it?"

Mona sighed, shoulders drooping, then gave a tentative nod, "I understand," she murmured, then raised her head, "It's not my intention to hold back, but this creature pertains to my professional occupation, and that is classified information."

"Classified?" Raph scoffed, slowly overcoming his initial shock, "What's that supposed ta mean?"

Another pause, the girl clearly conflicted as she obviously wanted to explain, but her loyalties bidding her to stay silent. However, a short glance at Leonardo's scowl seemed to help her make a decision, "Okay," she breathed, "My name is Mona, and I come from the Wyvern clan. Due to the tradition of my family, my job is to serve and protect the estate of her Grace, the Lady Amalthea, Duchess of the western territories in the Nexus."

"Nexus?" Leo cocked his head in confusion, "Like, where the Daimyo lives?"

"You know the Daimyo?" Mona gasped, her visage brightening.

Leonardo nodded, "We've competed in the Battle Nexus Tournament."

"And I won!" Michelangelo exclaimed, prompting Raph to slap the youngest upside the head.

Mona immediately relaxed, an easy smile replacing the tense frown, even as she giggled softly at the interaction between the red and orange ninja, "That's a relief," she admitted, "my lady lives in the Nexus and manages a vast estate of several villages. She also holds the same power as the Daimyo to travel between worlds, but while he needs the war staff to do so, she can open portals under her own power. She focuses on protecting her territories, and I often accompany her on trips to other worlds."

"Fascinating," Donatello murmured, "I wonder if she was at the tournament we competed in?"

"Maybe, she even used to compete when she was younger," Mona shrugged, "however, now she lives too far away and has so many dimensions and worlds that she monitors, her grace just doesn't have time."

"Just how big is the Nexus?" Leo asked Don, "That's probably a dumb question, but I guess I never really thought it was that big."

"The Nexus is huge," the wyvern replied enthusiastically, "it's actually not that different from your earth, but the varying cultures still using their monarchal system. Similar to how the Daimyo has modern technology with a focus on feudal Japanese culture, my lady is something similar to what your world calls British culture. Plus, the nexus has a wide variety of species living there, including my people the Wyvern nation, and the Draconian clan, who serve the Duchess."

The brothers gaped in wonder at the new information, their understanding of the nexus growing, "So, you're a wyvern?" Donnie asked tentatively, "Like, part snake, part bird?"

Mona once again nodded, "That's correct." She confirmed, "Although, my clan also resembles dragons due to some mixed marriages with the Draconians."

"Oh, that explains the wings," Mikey grinned.

Mona shrugged, "Yes, my grandfather is a dragon lord who married a wyvern woman. My baby sister looks more Wyvern than I do since I take after him."

"Cool!" The youngest burst, "You're part dragon?!"

Their ally nodded, "Yes, partly."

Michelangelo presented two big thumbs up, "Then we're practically familia! My bro's and I can turn into dragons!"

Mona gaped at the brothers, large eyes staring at Raphael in wonder, "You're dragons?"

The red clad ninja blushed, "Well, kinda," he shrugged, "Leo can still turn inta a dragon, we did once, but I'm not sure I still can."

"That's too bad," Mona smirked at the brawler, "it would have been nice to go flying with you."

"Flying…with you?" Aw, shell, Raph's pretty sure he forgot how to breathe again.

"So, to sum up," Leo clarified, bringing the conversation back, "you are a wyvern, part dragon, who serves an inter-dimensional Duchess, and you also travel with her to different worlds which is why you know about the monster?"

"Yes," the wyvern female answered, "the wyvern clan are a warrior race, in charge of patrolling her lands and serving as her main military force protecting the villages. The Draconians also serve her in some capacity, they have an affinity for magic and scholarly pursuits. Some dragons do serve in the military, however, and my baby sister is a scientist with the university."

"While that's interestin' an' all," Raphael sighed, "but ya still haven't answered our question about what that thing is and why ya know about it."

Mona winced, regretting getting distracted, "Right," the girl pulled in a breath, regathering her thoughts, "The Duchess told me that Eaters, that creature, live between the fabric of dimensions. Their main food source is the energy that is produced by dimensions rubbing against each other. By eating that energy, they maintain balance between worlds by preventing the excess buildup of what the duchess calls dimensional static that, when left alone, could cause temporal and dimensional rips."

Leo looked to the side, and his mouth quirked in a small grin. If Donatello's eyes shone any brighter, they'd turn into gemstones. The scientist was agape with wonder, and practically vibrating in curiosity, "That," the purple ninja gasped, "is….so….COOL!"

"Now it makes sense why that monster didn't seem completely solid," Mikey murmured thoughtfully, "it was flickering really weird, like it almost doesn't exist."

"In a sense, it doesn't," Mona shrugged, "but that's what makes it so dangerous. It exists to eat dimensional energy, endlessly, between the folds of realities."

"I think I see where you're going with this," Leo breathed, sapphire eyes widening in horror, "you said it's outside it's natural habitat, right?"

Mona gave an ominous nod, making the young leader wince as he continued his theory, "Which means that it's safe to assume that it's also been separated from its main food source, and is essentially starving?"

"Basically."

"Are you saying it's gonna start hunting us?!" Mikey exclaimed, green face growing pale.

"Not us, specifically," Mona grimaced, "but since every single one of us have traveled to alternate dimensions, that means we have residual dimensional energy. The Eater will definitely be hunting that."

"Turtle luck runnin' true ta form," Raph groaned, face palming in dread, "just perfect."

"How does it sense the energy, though?" Donnie wondered aloud, "It sounds like it was pretty close to Mike and Raph, so why didn't it find them?"

Mona shrugged, "Ask my sister, she wrote her college thesis on the subject."

"Your sister went to college?" The purple turtle whined, pouting jealously.

Their new ally gave a soft chuckle, her caramel gaze melting in affection as she talked about her baby sister, "Yeah, or the closest thing to college in the nexus," she smiled, "she's only sixteen, but she's the smartest person I know."

"I know the feeling," Leo smirked at Donnie, giving the scientist's mask tails a fond ruffle, "Donnie's the smartest guy we know."

"Then I'm sure he and Venus will have plenty to talk about," Mona's gaze turned serious, "but I need to find her first, and with that Eater wandering the halls, I can't leave her unprotected. She can't fight, and I haven't seen her since we got here, she needs me!"

Leo's features softened, satisfied with her answers of their questions, and empathy for her situation causing him to nod, "Right," the leader turned to Donatello, gesturing for him to take the lead, "Donnie, let's go find that control room. You can run a search for where Venus is being held."

"Got it,"

…..

The trip to the control room was quiet, with the entire group silently watching out for the Eater as they made their solemn trek through the corridors. Raphael struggled to keep his eyes from wandering over to Mona, appreciation for her muscular form making his cheeks warm. The wyvern was talking animatedly with Leo, the two sharing stories of the difficulties of protecting younger siblings, their leader often making the girl laugh. Raph pouted. As petty as it sounded, he wanted to be the one to make her laugh, but he still wasn't able to have a natural conversation with her yet, either. The brawler scratched his head violently with an aggravated growl. He didn't understand how a complete stranger could take over his thoughts the way Mona did. How he could go from the tough guy of the clan to a meek and mild turtle mooning over a girl.

It was stupid.

However, stupid seemed to be his new motto, because every time he even took a breath, the vision of the wyvern invaded his thoughts. The brawler wanted to punch himself when he caught the faint smell of cinnamon as she walked by, which had sent all his nerve endings tingling. Now he was trying really hard not allow his liquid gold gaze to travel the curve of her wings, and down to the elegant tail trailing behind her. Ugh. Raphael had turned into Leo, just great. Speaking of Fearless, Raph had to admit to a measure of gratitude to his leader. Leonardo had pulled the brawler's head out of his shell and reminded him to take a breath. Not only that, but the ninja master had also gently comforted Raphael, not crowing over the rough and tumble turtle's inability to stand in front of a pretty girl.

A very pretty girl. The red ninja heaved a silent groan. Actually, scratch that; she was gorgeous, and Raph was sunk, because he knew there was no going back now that he finally admitted it to himself.

"I found it!" Donnie's excited chirp startled Raph out of his thoughts, making the red ninja glance up to see the scientist kneeling down in front of a security panel.

Leo stood by, arms crossed, patiently allowing Donatello to do his thing. Mikey was next to their leader, anxiously bouncing in his toes, baby blue eyes looking down either end of the hallway, no doubt keeping watch for the Eater. Mona was also fidgeting, but more so she could stretch her neck and look through the window at the security camera screens. Raphael could see the worry and fear in her caramel eyes, and his heart constricted with a strange, and overwhelming, wish to resolve the problem that's causing her so much pain; to be the one who gets to play the hero and rescue the wyvern's sister, the sole recipient of her looks of appreciation and affection. To save the day and be her knight in shining armor.

The brawler shook his head. He really needed to stop getting so distracted.

"Okay…and…we're in!"

Raphael gave himself another shake, forcing his focus away from certain intriguing red headed wyverns. Oy, April was gonna have a field day over this if she ever finds out. That thought sent a shiver of fear down the terrapin's spine as he remembered the squealing that took place when April found out about Glimmer. Yeah, big sisters are scary. April was never finding out. It was bad enough that Leo knew, and Fearless was being pretty chill about the whole thing.

Mona rushed into the the control room, eyes wild as she searched the screens, "I found her!" She exclaimed, voice high pitched with excitement.

True to the young woman's word, a smaller wyvern sat in a glass cage within a large room packed with scientific equipment. Raph glanced over Donatello's shoulder, noting the younger sister shared some features with her sister, but not all. The younger Wyvern was covered in ivory scales, a lithe tail curled around her small body, the tip of the tail bearing a fan of lavender and pink feathers. The girl's face had the same color of feathers bursting from her head into almost a pixie cut, with two long tufts of lavender feathers that served as ears. The brawler couldn't help the soft smile as he noticed them twitch and move, much like cat ears as she looked around her prison. The wings bursting from Venus' back, however, were soft and feathery, unlike her sister's. Mostly ivory feathers adorned the appendages, but a pretty cascade of color on the inside of the wings showed off varying shades of lavender and light blue.

Raphael looked to Mona, ready to congratulate her on finding her sister, but was shocked to find the caramel gaze had turned crimson, "She's being held in a cage," the wyvern snarled, her ginger hair flickering with flame as the veins in her wings glowed red, "and it looks like a laboratory."

The brawler's jaw dropped, the intensity of her fury making his mouth go dry. Mona's draconic heritage burned down her spine, glowing crimson stripes igniting beneath her eyes. "I'm going to kill Bishop," the wyvern bit out between bared fangs, "and then I'm going to burn this place to the ground."

Leo stepped forward to place a consoling hand on the young woman's shoulder, only to yelp in pain at the heat. Mona startled at the agonized sound, her candy apple eyes softening in regret at hurting her new friend. The young leader waved her off, an understanding smile on his face, even as he shook the pain out of his hand, "Unfortunately, I can't allow the first," Leonardo shrugged apologetically, "however, I can certainly help you with the second. That was our plan from the beginning."

"We were gonna burn the warehouse down?!" Raph asked eagerly, a maniacal grin stretching his face.

"Metaphorically, speaking," Leo replied dryly, "we can't make a mess that immediately draws Bishop's attention. If we leave the warehouse intact, then that will buy us at least a few days of strategic planning, before he comes hunting."

"Nuts," the brawler grumbled disappointedly.

The wyvern turned to Donnie, clawed hands clasped in a pleading gesture, "Can you release her?"

"Of course!" The scientist reached out to the keyboard but stopped when Leo's hand hovered over them.

"Wait," the leader commanded.

Mona whirled on Leonardo, her ire reignited, "Wait?!" She raged, "What do you mean, wait?! My sister is in a cage!"

"Yes," Leo agreed, the eldest squaring his shoulders as he straightened to his full height to assert his authority, "we need to wait."

"Why?!"

Raph shuffled, his own ire rising at Leo refusing to let Donnie release the younger wyvern. It didn't make sense, normally their leader was very compassionate, ready to jump in and rescue anyone in need. So, why the sudden refusal? Leonardo, however, met the gaze of their ally without flinching. His sapphire eyes calm and confident, ready to throw down if need be, but utterly comfortable with his decision, "Mona, think about it," he said gently, "if Donnie opens the door now, then Venus will undoubtedly, and understandably, leave the enclosure. Which means we'll have to run all over the facility just to find her again.

"Furthermore," the leader continued, watching as the wyvern calmed, "she's alive, which means the Eater hasn't gotten to her. Considering it wasn't able to find Raph or Mikey when they were hiding, I'm thinking it might be safe to assume it has the same limitations we do when it comes to locked doors. If we open that door and set her loose without us nearby to protect her, she'll be at that thing's mercy. Do you really want that?"

Mona looked down at the ground shamefacedly, and then gave a small sigh of resignation, "You're right," she murmured, "I let my impatience get the better of me. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Mikey grinned, throwing his arm around Raphael, and pointing at the brawler excitedly, "Raphie-boy always gets impatient and loses his cool. You should have seen some of the fights he used to get into with Leo over stuff like this! He even runs ahead of us right into fights when he's told to wait! So, Leo's used to dealing with hotheads."

"I'm not a hothead, ya little-!" Raphael froze, giving an uncomfortable cough when he noticed Mona watching him with bemused eyes, "I just get a little impatient, is all."

"Two peas in a pod, then?" The wyvern asked in her deep voice, one side of her mouth quirking into a small smile.

Raphael blushed, giving an uncomfortable shrug, "Yeah, well," he said, pushing Mikey off his shoulders, "when ya got a bunch of brothers that constantly nag ya, or get themselves inta trouble, anybody would get hot under the collar."

"But, we don't wear clothes?" Mikey stage whispered.

"It's an expression, lamebrain," Raph growled back.

Leonardo rolled his eyes at his brothers, then flipped back into leader mode, "Alright, team," the eldest said with a clap of his hands, "Raphael, and Mona? You're coming with me. We'll be a three man team to retrieve Venus. Donnie? You'll stay in the control room and watch for us to appear on the screen. When I give you the thumb's up, release the door."

"What about me, Leo?" Mikey queried, arms resting on Donatello's shell in a casual cross.

The eldest turned a serious gaze to the youngest, clasping his shoulder with one hand, "Protect Donnie," he stated, "with that creature wandering the halls, no one is to go anywhere alone, if we can help it. Understand?"

Michelangelo nodded, reaching up to give his older brother's fingers a comforting squeeze, "You got it, bro."

"Good," Leo pulled in a steadying breath, "Donnie, as soon as Venus is released, join us in the lab. That should give you enough time here to download as much data as you need to figure out how to send them home."

"Will do, aniki," Donnie agreed.

"Great," the azure ninja pulled Donatello's rolling chair closer, then gave him a brief hug, "you two be safe, and we'll see you soon."

…

Leonardo sprinted down the hall, a map of the facility, courtesy of Donatello after a quick hack, clutched in his hand. The scientist had marked the quickest route to the lab, and armed with his brother's intel, Leo was speeding through the corridors with Mona and Raph close behind.

The leader glanced over his shoulder, and swallowed an amused chuckle when he noticed Raphael trying not to look at their new ally. Honestly, Leo thought that Raph's crush was sweet. That being the whole reason he brought the red ninja along, so Raphael could get a chance to talk to Mona and see what came of it. Sure, that could count as meddling, but meddling was the job of the eldest brother, and frankly Leo didn't care. It was rare to see their gruff sibling so flustered, and the fact that the brawler couldn't keep his eyes off her, just made it all the more adorable. As the lone turtle with some experience in the realm of relationships, what with him and Glimmer secretly deciding to be officially dating just a week prior, Leo knew how overwhelming it could be when you're around the person you like.

Plus, it was nice to see he might have someone to talk to in the near future about the mystery that was girls. Leo knew he had it pretty easy, considering Glimmer was still waiting for the day the laws surrounding the merpeople being forced to stay in the city were changed. Plus, they never really fought. However, there were times that Glimmer would get frustrated with him, and he'd sit and wonder for hours, or even days, about what he'd done wrong. Now, with Raph obsessing over Mona, Leo hoped to have some bonding time over their mutual relationships. Assuming Raph is able to ask her out.

Another right and a left, and then two hallways over, the group were fast approaching the corridor near the lab. It was then that things turned upside down. To be honest, when he looked back, Leo acknowledged that he should have realized it was inevitable what would happen. Raphael would even tell his leader that their usual brand of luck leaving them alone for so long should have been the biggest clue. However, the eldest was nonetheless startled when a connecting hallway suddenly revealed the monster they'd been trying so hard to avoid, and Leonardo felt his heart freeze in his chest.

Just as Raphael said, it was big, but that wasn't what sent Leo into a spiral of panic induced terror.

It was the tentacles, flicking and twitching, reaching out for something to grab in a constant flutter of movement. Then the leader was caught by the sight of a mouthful of sharp spiny teeth, much too similar to a certain skin walker that Leonardo desperately wanted to forget. The way the tentacles dragged behind it, the way its needle like teeth glinted in the fluorescent lighting of the hall, both sent a tidal wave of shivers down Leo's spine and rattling his knees. The azure turtle's shoulders began to heave up and down as his breaths shortened into panicked gasps, and breathy whimpers whispered up the now tense throat. Sapphire eyes blinked rapidly, trying to discern between past and present, as the memory of the skin walker overlapped with the sight of the Eater. Instead, Leo ended up with a terrifying amalgamation, as if the two had become one. A hideous creature with a flickering visage, that at once resembled the ninja's one time captor, and the dimensional monster.

Trembling feet stumbled backwards, making Leo's shell clunk against Raph's plastron. The brawler immediately reacted, placing a soothing hand on his leader's shoulder, "Leo," Raph rumbled soothingly, hand squeezing the eldest to help ground him, "it's not what ya think. That thing is gone, remember? I set it on fire when we rescued ya, and it can't get ya ever again."

Leonardo scolded himself. Of all times, this had to be the absolute worst one to have a meltdown. However, he wasn't expecting that the Eater would bear a resemblance to the skin walker, inevitably making him have a flashback. However, he didn't have time for this, the Eater was right there, and he needed to keep his team safe. Shaking hands reached up to pull gleaming katana from their sheaths, even as Leo gave an unsteady swallow. He wouldn't allow himself to break, not here. He needed to stay strong for his brother.

"I know," Leo quavered, words slurring even as he fought through the waves of panic, "it's still dangerous, but it's not….that."

"Exactly, bro," Raph agreed softly, "besides, yer not alone this time, and ya got yer swords. Ya ain't helpless."

That's right, he wasn't. With Raphael at his side, and his trusty katana, he could conquer anything. How typical that the brawler could read him like a book, knowing why Leo feared the skin walker so deeply. In truth, it was no more scary than many of their enemies. It was easier to fight too, as it didn't take much for the younger brothers to subdue the creature. However, it was the fact that it had captured Leo, and left him reeling in a literal pit of helplessness, powerless to save himself that made the young leader fear it so deeply. Shame burned down the azure ninja's craw when he noticed Mona staring at him in open concern. No doubt, his fearless leader act in the control room was all but shattered at this point. What with him whimpering like a scared little kid, needing his little brother to comfort him. Pathetic. He didn't have time to dwell on that though. They needed to get past that thing so to rescue Venus, and standing here shaking in fear won't help him accomplish that.

"Right," Leonardo breathed, shoulders still quivering in fear, "Raph, you go low, minimize its movements. Mona, keep its head busy, I'll focus on taking it down."

"That won't work," the wyvern replied softly, watching the creature sniff the air down the hall, "weapons don't do any damage on Eaters. I've only ever seen one taken down, and that was by the Duchess."

"Well, that's just great," Raph growled, turning to Mona, his worry over Leo and the Eater taking away his nervousness about talking to the wyvern, "so what does work on these things?"

Mona gave a nervous giggle, then a helpless shrug, "I don't know," she shook her head, "the Duchess usually uses her powers to open portals as a way to put them back where they belong, but if one were ever to dry and feed off a living being, that's when she puts them down."

"Fascinatin'," the red ninja grunted, "but how does she do it?"

"I don't know," Mona groaned, "I was there, but she used this technique that she says is impossible to learn, you have to be born with it."

"A technique?" Raphael asked incredulously, "Like martial arts? Ninjutsu?"

"No, like magic," the wyvern shot back, "It's a pulse of energy drawn from her dimensional powers, she calls it the Cascading Stars technique."

Magic? That sounded interesting. Leo's curiosity helped ground him further, making the shaking in his frame die down to minute trembles. It almost sounded like the chi energy the tribunal was attempting to teach them. Not that he learned. Their time with the tribunal was both something Leo took great pride in and was ashamed of. Yes, he was the first to manifest his spirit totem, and yes, he was proud of the fact that his was a dragon, but he had failed miserably with all the other lessons the tribunal had taught them. Raph, Mikey and Don were the ones able to access their chi energy they way they were supposed to. His younger brothers were also the ones given weapons from the dragon forge. While Leo had been left to the side, abandoned like a broken piece of junk. Just more examples of how much of a failure he was.

The azure ninja shook his head fiercely. He couldn't afford to spiral right now, they had much bigger problems. Okay, so weapons don't work on this thing, which means they'd have to outrun it. Great.

"Fine," Leo cut in, just as Raph was about to make a smart aleck remark about magic, "we'll just have to sprint past it, and not get caught."

Raphael opened his mouth, but hesitated, "It might work," he sighed, "that thing don't move fast, or at least I don't think it does."

"Looks can be deceiving," Mona mumbled, quirking an eyebrow at the brawler.

"Let me be optimistic, fer one second, okay?" Raph shot back, smirking at the wyvern, "ya'd be amazed what ya can accomplish with the proper mindset."

"Thank you, master yoda," Mona deadpanned.

The red ninja's jaw dropped at the pop culture reference, "Ya just lost cool points," he said dryly, "I can't believe someone as awesome as you watches Star Wars."

Leo was pleased to notice that Mona blushed at Raphael's statement, but couldn't resist the opportunity to rib his brother, "You watch Star Wars, too, Raphie." The leader snickered, "Don't even try to deny it."

"Only because Donnie loves to watch it so much, and yer not much better," Raph growled.

The azure ninja gave an unrepentant shrug, "Okay, on my signal, sprint as fast as you can past the Eater and to the lab, got it?"

"Yep,"

"I understand."

Leonardo slowly nodded, then placing his katana back in their sheathes and putting the map in a pocket on his belt, he crouched low for a better takeoff, "Alright….GO!"

The trio took off, their legs a blur as they ran for all they were worth. Leonardo watched the creature, noting that just as Mikey said, it wasn't reacting to the noise of their footsteps. Neither did it seem to smell them, strange. However, as Raphael dropped to the ground to skid on the floor between the Eater's legs, the eldest was shocked to find the creature locking in on him, almost as if the sightless face could see the azure turtle as he jumped up to springboard off the wall. Leonardo gasped as tentacles shot out, grasping his legs, and wrapping around his waist. A terrified shriek exploded from the blue ninja's throat, the sensation of being grabbed by the ankles making him flash back to the day the skin walker dragged him down to the cellar.

"Let me go!" Leo screamed, kicking his legs frantically and pulling at the thick appendages. A smear of silver cut the air as the eldest drew his katana, bringing it down onto the tentacles holding him hostage.

True to Mona's word, however, the blades did nothing. It was strange, because Leo did feel some resistance, but it was still almost incorporeal, as if his blades were touching something solid but having no effect. The creature didn't even scream in pain, merely continued holding him captive, all the while horrifyingly silent. Leonardo gaped at the tentacles, unable to comprehend that his katana wasn't even cutting through the dark flesh. The turtle continued to hack at the writhing limbs, his attacks growing more desperate and frenzied as the seconds grew into a minute.

"LEO!" Raphael's bellow echoed through the hallway, followed quickly by the hothead's tromping footsteps as he charged back towards his brother.

As he listened to the sounds of the brawler's enraged roar, Leonardo swiftly became aware of two things. Firstly, that he was starting to feel extremely tired, and second, he'd lost all sensation in his legs. A weight, heavy as a thirty-pound blanket, fell onto his shaking frame, slowing down his movements and making his head loll. The swords master's arms fell, the katana slipping from lax fingers as the normally keen mind became overcome by a smothering fugue. Shell, he was so exhausted, he didn't realize just how much till now. Soft velvet wrapped around Leo's consciousness, warmth trickling from the tips of his fingers, and down to his toes. A tentacle wrapped around his throat, slowly beginning to squeeze, but Leo didn't have the energy to care. The terrapin's eyes grew heavy, slowly slipping closed, even as a soft sigh breathed between parted lips. He could feel his heart slowing, so different from the usual racing he'd come to fear, its throbs gaining more time between each beat.

He was….so….tired….

…

"Let go of my bro, ya creep!"

The sight of Leonardo slowly stop struggling was one of the scariest thing Raph had seen to date. Even more than the skin walker, even more than the Shredder, even more than Bishop. At first his leader was attacking the tentacles holding him, and then, suddenly he went limp. Head lolling back like a doll, as his precious katana slipped from his fingers to clatter to the floor, and the intelligent eyes slipping closed. Raphael had already made it down past the creature, and sprinted several yards down the hall when he'd heard the terrified scream of his leader, a sound he'd never heard before their trip through the caves, and seldom since. There was a reason that Leonardo was nicknamed Fearless, because even though the turtle harbored deep fears of his own, he still pushed through them and fought against them controlling him. So, to hear him literally shriek in unrestrained panic, had sent Raph reeling. The brawler had quickly whirled around, only to find the horrifying image of Leo caught by the dimensional monster.

When that was followed by his brother seemingly losing the will to fight, only made everything so much worse.

Feet skidding on the slick tile, the red ninja charged headlong back into the fray, body slamming the Eater in the hopes that it would loosen its hold on Leonardo. Miraculously, Raph's plan worked. When his body met the strange sensation of hitting the Eater, it shuddered just enough to drop Leonardo. The eldest fell bonelessly to the floor, not even releasing a pained grunt when he hit the tile.

"Mona! Get 'im!" Raphael bellowed.

The wyvern gave a short nod of understanding, wings flaring as she dove gracefully down to the floor, ducking between tentacles, and wrapping muscular arms around the slumped form of the azure ninja. With a mighty flap, the young woman used the inertia of her dive, combined with the thrust of her wings, to carry Leo out of harms way, "I have him," Mona shouted over her shoulder, worry evident in her caramel gaze, "now get out of there!"

Raphael didn't need to be told twice, he scrambled up, quickly gathering the fallen katana, and sprinted as fast as he could manage towards the female warrior and his unconscious leader. The duo continued to run, or fly in Mona's case, in a reckless sprint down the corridor. Taking a tight left, Raph began the familiar dance of jiggling door knobs to find an open room. This time, however, he was much more fortunate. Only four doors down, and the brawler burst through into a dark office. Raph stood to the side, allowing Mona to barrel inside, then they both slammed the door shut and slumped down onto the floor, shoulders heaving with heavy pants.

The red ninja was quick to gather Leo into his arms, muscles bulging as he squeezed the older sibling into a tight embrace, "He's so cold," Raph murmured, fearful concern turning the topaz gaze wild, "like a popsicle. What'd that thing do ta him?"

"Fed," Mona replied gravely, placing the back of her fingers to Leonardo's chilly cheek, "it was trying to drain dimensional energy out of him."

Raphael pulled Leo snug against his plastron, gathering up the young leader into his lap like a small child, pressing the blue masked head into the crook of the brawler's neck. With that done, the red ninja began rubbing the chilled arms, trying to massage life back into the limp figure. Reptiles don't do well in the cold, and Fearless' temperature was scary low. Raph had always been the warmest turtle out of the four, with Leo being the coolest, the leader often having to sit under the basking lamp at home to better regulate his temperature. It was a necessary part of self care, especially when considering their unique anatomy. However, Raphael didn't have to bask as much as his brothers, which turned out to be a blessing in situations like this. The hotheaded turtle had been a hot water bottle for his brothers many times over the years, and he'd never regretted, nor cursed, the special privilege it was to be the one they could count on for warmth and protection.

Mona watched this interaction between the siblings, her gaze melting with open affection, even as she rubbed the back of her neck self consciously, "If it's okay," she broached softly, caramel eyes cast down to the floor shyly, "if you need to warm him up, I can help?"

The brawler cocked his head in curiosity, "I mean, yeah," he shrugged, slowing his movements, "whatever ya can do ta help him would be appreciated."

The wyvern scooted closer, and Raphael could only wonder what she had in mind, then she shocked him out of his shell. When Mona had suggested helping warm Leo up, Raph genuinely thought she meant some kind of magic or fire technique that would return his core temperature back to normal. What he didn't expect, was for her to open her wings, then settle herself against the brawler, chest flush against his right arm, and wrap her wings around them both. Raph wasn't sure if the warmth he was feeling was due to the wyvern, or the intense blush that was burning down the back of his neck. Thankfully, Mona was also blushing, her cheeks glowing as she cleared her throat softly.

"Is-is that better?" She asked.

Raphael hummed an affirmative, slowly nodding his head, "Yup,"

Mona shifted, tightening her wings, and allowing her draconic heritage to glow down the leathery appendages to increase the heat they exuded, "I do this sometimes," the Wyvern admitted in a low whisper, "For Vee when she's feeling cold."

"Heh, you too?" Raph gave a shy grin at the girl, "Same with me, I'm the warmest outta the four of us, so I usually am the one gettin' drafted for hot water bottle duty."

The brawler's statement was rewarded by a giggle, a sound that sent his nerve endings singing, "Hot water bottle duty," she snickered, "I'll have to remember that."

Raphael smiled, happy to have made her laugh, but then looked down at the unconscious face of his leader, and heaved a sigh, "Ya think he's gonna be okay?"

"I don't know," Mona replied, tone soft with concern, "most people who get their energy drained can recover, they're just tired and sluggish for a few days."

The red ninja pondered her words for a moment, then found himself positing a question, "Is it just me," he asked, topaz gaze dull as he thought through his words, "I mean, I didn't see it grab 'im, but did it feel like ta you that the Eater was almost…I don't know…targetin' him?"

Mona's gaze brightened as she slowly gave a nod of agreement, "You're right," she said, "it did."

Raph groaned, head drooping until it rested on Leo's forehead, "I don't even want ta think about what that might mean," he sighed, "I'm worried sick enough as it is."

The wyvern gave a small smile, features soft with understanding, "I can empathize, my little sister gives me several heart attacks just in the space of a day, and she's usually locked up in her lab surrounded by books. I can't even fathom how much of a wreck I'd be if she were more outgoing."

The hothead chuckled, "That sounds like Donnie," he murmured, lifting his head so to brace his chin on Leonardo's temple, "that guy is so smart, and sometimes he's workin' on a project that blows up half the lair. Between dad, and Fearless here, he usually gets a few lectures a day, too. Honestly, Leo has the market cornered on older sibling angst, especially with feelin' like he needs ta protect us, but I feel like I'm the main one who worries about Leo these days.

"He's constantly so self sacrificin'," Raphael grumbled, even as he unconsciously gave the green head under his chin an affectionate nuzzle, "never thinks about his own health, always runnin' himself ragged just ta take care of the family, and it always ends the same way. Wit' him layin' in bed with a fever, or in pain because he'd taken a hit fer one of us, or us carryin' him unconscious back home because he collapsed, also because he overworked himself and let himself spiral again."

The turtle heaved another heavy sigh, cuddling the slowly warming frame closer, "Honestly, I think I'm gonna end up with an ulcer with how much he scares me outta my shell, the jerk."

Mona burst into giggles, her face brightening as she regarded Raph, "Who knew," she chuckled, "such a gruff guy like you is actually a mother hen in a turtle suit."

Raphael's jaw dropped, even as a liquid gold gaze widened with indignation, "I am not!" He squawked, "If anyone is a mother hen, it's Leo, his mom mode is stupid insane, even I can't get out of it!"

"Says you," the wyvern shrugged, eyes glinting with mischief, "but I'm not convinced. I've seen the real Raphael, and I think he's a big softie."

The brawler scoffed, turning away from Mona even as he continued to snuggle Leo, "Am not," he grumbled.

"Are, too," Mona shot back, her smirk growing into a wicked grin.

"Am not!" Raph insisted, finally turn so to face the female warrior.

The two stayed that way for several seconds, a staring contest of intense proportions silently being held, until they couldn't hold in their giggles any longer. Both broke into laughter, shaking their heads and the absurdity of their situation, until suddenly, the peaceful atmosphere was broken by a ragged mumble.

"Will you two stop flirting?" Leo asked, his voice heavy with exhaustion, "Because it's really gross."

Raphael shot a glare down at the barely open sapphire eyes blinking in his arms, "You're awake?!"

"Kinda," the leader replied in a weary whisper, "I've been aware of what was going on, but….I couldn't move….too tired."

Green lips under a red mask pursed unhappily, but Raph couldn't argue with the azure ninja. Leo looked like crap, and that was being kind. His eyes were bloodshot, and already dark bags hung under the sapphire gaze. His normally leaf green skin was a pale mint, wan and dull. Leonardo's breaths were also short pants of pain, as if he couldn't pull in a proper breath if he wanted to. Not to mention his frame hadn't stopped trembling yet, it continued to shiver weakly as Leo strained to keep his eyes open. In short, he looked like he'd been hit by a bus. Whatever the Eater had done, it certainly wiped out their leader, because even awake and talking, Leo seemed ready to fall asleep.

"Mona said that thing was feedin' off yer energy," Raph said, voice becoming noticeably gentler when addressing his injured brother, "that's why yer feelin' so off."

Leonardo gave a slow nod, the small gesture wearing him out even more, "Makes sense," he sighed, "it grabbed me, and then all I could feel was exhaustion. Like it was sucking the life out of me."

"That's pretty accurate," Mona agreed, "it was sucking the energy out of your body and soul, so naturally, the aftereffects were disastrous."

The young leader fidgeted in Raph's embrace, struggling to sit up, but finding he still couldn't move, "Ugh," Leo complained, "I feel like Wesley in Princess Bride."

"Ya mean after he got brought back from the dead?" Raph chuckled, "Ya kinda look like him, too. Or, at least, the ugly version of him."

"Gee, thanks, Raph," Leo replied dryly, "that's exactly what every teen turtle wants to hear."

The brawler smirked at the snarky response, "Well, yer startin' ta sound better, so that's good."

Leonardo made another attempt at sitting up, finally succeeding with a little assistance from Raphael, "We need to get back on the move," the leader stated, features losing their playfulness, "Venus still needs to be rescued, and now that that thing got a taste of us, I'm worried it will be on the hunt, and harder to avoid."

"Ya mean it got a taste of you," Raph grumbled.

"Let's not argue over semantics," Leo waved off, "we need to get to the lab."

Mona stood, withdrawing her wings and wincing in sympathy when Leonardo gave a shiver, "Are you sure you're up for it?"

"Doesn't matter if I am, or not," the leader stated, shuffling to his feet with the help of the hothead, "Venus needs her sister, and we need to get out of here. Both have to happen before I'm able to be back to one hundred percent."

"Alright, Fearless," Raph sighed, giving a tolerant shake of his head, "I think the coast may be clear, so we'll do what ya want. On one condition, though, don't be a self sacrificin' dork, and just lean on me, 'kay?"

"You won't hear any arguments from me," the azure turtle shivered with a strained smile, "I'm still cold."

Raphael nodded to Mona who opened the door and leaned out to check the corridor. A moment or two passed, until the female wyvern finally gave a satisfied nod, "Let's go," she whispered.

With Leonardo in tow, the brawler shuffled out of the office, and drug his brother out into the hallway. As they reentered the brightness of the corridor, Raph hesitated, unsure of whether he really wanted to chance Leo getting caught again. However, Leonardo used the arm slung around Raphael's shoulders to give the younger turtle a comforting squeeze. Strong gold met confident sapphire, and the red ninja nodded in response. As always, they'd make it, they just needed to stick together.

"Alright, Fearless, let's get ta that lab and rescue Mona's little sis."

Whew! That was a long one. I hope everyone liked it, and I hope my chapters continue to live up to your expectations!

Please review!