Ali started to stir awake. She slowly opened her eyes, her head feeling a bit dizzy.' Where am I?' she thought.
She was greeted with silence as she got up. That was odd. She went outside and saw Raphael Michelangelo and Donatello laying on the ground. They were not moving. She assumed the worst right away
"Donnie?" She stood frozen for a moment, eyes wide open. She dashed over to him, trying to shake and nudge him awake. "Donnie? Donnie! Wake up, please." She felt her eyes start to water up, a stinging pain of loss in her chest.
Katrina and Leo heard Ali's voice outside. They came out and saw her hunched over Donatello's unconscious body.
"Ali!" Katrina ran up to her, pulling her in her arms. "Ali? Are you alright?"
But Ali did not seem to pay attention to her as she desperately tried to wake Donnie. Her big sister noticed the tears. "Ali, it's okay. It's okay. He's not dead," Kat spoke
gently, hugging Ali to try to calm her down.
She clung onto Kat, letting the tears fall. "Why won't he wake up? He can't be gone." She tried to calm herself down but she was too upset to control herself.
"He is just in deep sleep. He will wake up when he recovers his strength. I promise," Katrina said calmly.
Behind them Leo was watching the scene. He lifted Donnie up and gentle dragged him to his tent.
"Listen to me, Ali. While you were resting, the villagers were here." Ali's eyes widened with anxiety and she opened her mouth to speak. "Sshh… Sshh," Katrina hushed her sister, putting her hand on her shoulder as she continued. "Father was with them. He is injured. Not badly, but injured. They are taking him back home. We are free to go, too."
Ali's eyes flickered with a hint of excitement. "We can go home?" Then she looked down at her hands. "But what about Donnie? And... Um... Leo-san? I know how he feels about you... and you about him." She braced herself for a negative response. She did want to go home, but she had grown quite close to Donnie. She also remembered what Donnie said about Kat and Leo. And if he was right, why would Kat want to leave Leo? Hopefully she didn't speak out of line when she said that.
Katrina blushed and sighed. "What we feels for each other is... personal, Ali." She cleared her thoat as she changed the subject. "There shall be no more war. I am going to talk to Father about this. I'll force him sign the treaty of I have to. His prejudiced ways have caused many deaths on each side. Until then, you're to stay in the village and recover. Donatello-san will be fine. You will be able to see him after everything is taken care of."
Ali nodded. She wanted to be with Donnie now, but she followed what her sister said. She rubbed her arms and looked away. "I'm sorry... for what I said." It really wasn't any of her business what Kat and Leo's relationship was, so she decided to stay out of it. Ali got up and went over to Raph's side next, making sure he was ok.
~Back in the Uzumaki village
"My daughter," the chief said, scowling at Katrina, "I am relieved to see you are well, but you have brought great shame upon our village. These... things have plagued our land for years. I was fortunate enough to kill off as much as I could, yet four still remain alive. Why did you spare them? Tell me! Why?"
She closed her eyes and sighed. "Because they are not wild beasts, Father. They are the same as us. They have feelings, emotions. They feel hate, vengeance... and love. There has been too many innocent lives taken from both sides, Father. It needs to stop." Katrina's eyes opened and she retaliated against her father. He looked at her sternly, trying to understand her words.
"You... you laid with... with one of those disgusting beasts?!" his voice was stern. Katrina did not reply. "You would betray your dead husband like that?"
Katrina looked down at her feet. "I... I did not betray my husband. He is dead," she said in a monotone voice.
The chief slammed his hand on the table as he stood up. "You would violate yourself like this? With... that thing? You bring shame upon us, Katrina! Your mother weeps for you!" His eyes were burning with rage.
Katrina jumped slightly at the sound of his fist hitting the surface. She lifted her eyes, her brow slowly scrounging into a frown. "The only one who has ashamed us is YOU, Father! You've slaughtered them all just because of your prejudice. They are NOT the enemy. They are not BEASTS!" She normally did not stand against her father's wishes, but this was an exception.
"I do not know you anymore," the chief growled. "You will turn from us like this? You would stand up for them; stand with them, and... lay with them?" He gritted his teeth. "Get out! Leave here, now!"
Katrina felt as if a knife had pieced her heart. She looked at her father with unbelieving eyes. "But, Father! Can't you see the wrongness in the way you have been treating them?" she tried to protest. "What... what about Ali?"
But he did not listen. "Get out! You're banished from this village! You're not my daughter! She died with those monsters. Ali is no longer your concern. LEAVE!" He turned around hiding his tears. It was hard for him to do, but honor was everything. 'My daughter would leave me for them?' he thought. 'She would defend them? Why?' It was painful for him to do, but he could not accepted her anymore.
Katrina felt tears on her eyes. She couldn't not believe her ears. This is not happening; it can't be happening. But it was. She woefully packed whatever she could, taking one last look at her room, her house; her home. She could not believe that her father proclaimed her dead to the village just to keep the honor. Was it really so hard to accept the turtles?
She found her way back to the turtle camp. Tears poured from her eyes when she saw Leo, running up to him so he can hold her in his arms. She had nowhere else to go and she was no longer a chief's daughter. She was a nobody.
Leo held her close, trying to comfort her. "Katrina, you're not a nobody. You the most honorable women I have ever known. You won't be alone. I promise. You'll have us. We'll be there for you."
Donnie came up to Leo, nodding at Katrina to tell her hello. "We're all packed up and ready to go, Leo."
Katrina looked confused at first. Leo explained, "Our camp was found. We have to move on, now. We can't stay here, in case there will be a surprise attack. We have to keep moving."
"But… Ali? She is still in the village," Katrina said, looking at Leo with great sadness gleaming in her eyes. I don't want to leave her all alone."
There was no doubt her father will be hard and over protective of Ali now. With her being the only Uzumaki left, her fate as the only heir will set. Even worse, she will be forced to be married. Even though the men of the village don't find her to be a suitable wife for anyone, she would only be chosen for her status in the village, so anyone who claims her will be the new chife. No doubt, that's why anyone would want her. Her father won't be around forever, so a forced marriage to keep Ali safe is not a fate Katrina wishes her sister to bare alone.
Leo looked deep in her eyes. "What would you have us do?" he asked her. "It's up to you."
"Can't we... take her with us?" she pleaded.
He stroked her hair, thinking for a moment. "I will not start another war. And stepping foot into that village would most likely start another one." He sighed, very irritated with his answer. "There is nothing we can do that won't stir up another fight. I'm sorry.
The choice is Ali's if she tries to find us, but we can't do anything."
She looked down, biting her lip. She knew Ali would try to find her someday. She was her only sister, and there is nothing that can keep sisters from each other. 'I'll be waiting, Ali,' she though.
Katrina nodded looking into Leonardo's calm, cool eyes and found peace in them. She leaned in and kissed him gently.