Hello, RaphSai03 here! This is my new story, "I Couldn't Save Him." This story is going to be told mainly from Leonardo's Pov, just so you know. Also... This story is going to be very emotional, especially the prologue (what you are about to read) if you are a sensitive person, you may not want to read this. There is going to be gore, violence, strong language, and suggestive scenes. Just a heads up. On another note, I'm only going to continue this story if I get a lot of reviews, if not I'm just going to leave it at this. So please, enjoy, and review.
"Raph, Raph?!" I call out my little brother's name as I stumble over Kraang droids and dead Foot soldiers. The sight is sickening, blood and weapons sprawled out all over the rooftop. My eyes widen, the further I walk the more morgue and grim everything is. Tears begin to well in my eyes. Raphael fought this battle alone, without his brothers, but instead a couple of allies. With all of these droids and ninja's, their opponents, there's only a slight chance that they survived...
Suddenly, I'm on the ground, with a skinned knee. The pain isn't what it used to be, ten years ago I would've been balling me eyes out, but now, it's as if I can't feel it. Getting up, my eyes wander down to the object of which I tripped over. Vomit immediately rises in my throat.
Just in front of my feet is a head, detached from its body, hanging on by a single thread of flesh. Blood becomes a pool, and fear swarms through me. I take off into a sprint, wanting to put as great distance as possible between myself and all of these dead soldiers.
A single tear slid down from my sapphire eyes as I ran, followed by another, and another, and another, until soon, a steady stream of salty tears flowed down my cheeks. All of the worry, sadness, sorrow, I had built up, hiding from everyone, came running down my face as all of the possibilities of what could've happened to my brother comes setting in, eating at my soul like a hungry pack of dogs. I must find him, I must make sure he is okay.
Raphael and his buddies certainly put up a fight, I just wonder who survived, who died. Is Karai alright? Is Raphael? Casey? Slash? The rest of the Mutanimals?
I'm zapped out of my thoughts as I hear coughing from the next building over. Raph. "RAPH?! RAPH, WHERE ARE YOU?!" I follow the sound, screaming my baby brothers name as my legs travel faster than light. "Raph, Raph, can you here?!"
"O-over...h-h-he-re." More coughing shadows Raph's rough, scratchy voice. Omigod, what happened?
I spin around, and sure enough, there's my brother, leaning his shell against a shed. And I swear, I would right here, right now, if I could, because what my eyes see is nothing short of pain. A sob escapes my throat, and I rush to my little brothers side.
In the bridge of Raphael's dark brown shell, is a Tanto, Karai's Tanto, with blood seeping slowly out of the wound. Pain stabbed at my heart; I can only imagine how this happened.
Without warning, my brother places two fingers under my chin, bringing up my head. Our eyes meet, locked in a prison like gaze. I sniffle, tears clouding my vision. "Sh-she did this to you?" Karai...the girl I am in love with. Well, was. I don't really know anymore.
Raphael nods, and then says, with a smirk on his face. "Told ya she was nothin' but trouble." I chuckle slightly. This is what I love about Raph, he knows how to lighten up the mood, and isn't afraid to. Usually, I would start a playful argument, but right now I just can't bring myself to.
"I know ya did, little brother." I try, but fail, at a smile. I just end up shaking my head, tears fleeing their home.
"Hey, hey, stop cryin', you're betta' than that." Raphael's tone is stern, making him sound like he knows exactly what he's talking about. Any other day, I would take his words into consideration, and suck it up, because Raphael's words can make you do that.
He this spark to him, there's this thing about him that just makes you listen, that makes you obey. Usually, I would tell myself that Raph knows exactly what he's doing, that if he's telling me stop crying then it means that I need to stop crying. But not now. He isn't the one staring down at his dying brother.
"No, Raph, I'm not better than that. You're dying, and it's all my fault. I didn't mean what I said, I don't want you dead. I want you alive and in my arms so we can watch movies and play video games and skate board while eating pizza. But..I screwed up and you're going to die."
"Shut up, shut up right now! This is not your fault! Okay?" I stifle a sob, and whip a tear off of my face. I nod, and murmur, "okay."
"Good, now, I want you to do me a few things. One, take over my job. Don't let Donnie-boy stay up too late, you gotta check on him every night at 3 a.m. Usually he's already passed out, carry him to his bed and tuck him in. If he's still awake, carry him to his bed anyway. He'll insist that he needs to stay up a little later, ta finish his project, don't let him. Take him to bed, tuck him in, and don't leave the room until you're absolutely positive he's asleep."
"Two, don't let Mike loose his shine. Just because I'm not there, doesn't mean that he can't shine. Every night before going to bed, I want you to give him a hug, kiss him on the crown of his head, and tell him I love him. Don't ever let Mikey forget, never. Even in the darkest days there is light, our baby brotha' just so happens ta be that light."
"Three, don't let Splinter take his despondency out on you guys. I know how the old guy gets when he's mad, scared. He'll try to lash out on you guys, he's done it with me nearly every day for the past sixteen years. Remind him that I'm still here, in heart and vein. Even if he does lambaste you guys, don't let it get ta ya. Reassure our brothers, help them through these hard times."
"Four...don't loose hope. I'm going to die tonight, Leonardo, you and I both know this. And that's okay, because I died for you. I died, so that you all could live, just like Jesus." A wave of tears explodes like a tsunami from Raphael's emerald eyes, and a long, loud sob fills the air around us. "I'm not really gone, we'll be together again shortly, I promise. Whether it's in heaven or hell, or even another life, me and you will be brothers once more. I love you, Leonardo." I squeeze my eyes shut at these four words.
"I love you too, Raphael." I pull my baby brother onto my lap, slipping my hand under his head. My lips press against his, a goodbye gift.
Then, his last words. "Leo, don't ever forget me. We'll always be brothers. We lived together, we trained together, we fought together, we stood for good together. We struck hard, defended and protected, and we would fade into the night, with the shadows. There's no one out there who can ever change that. No one. And that's what's important. Never forget that, Leonardo." I watch as Raphael's eyes flutter for once last second, before closing one last time.
"No, no, Raph, no no no nononononono! Not now, not here. This can't be you aren't dead, you're alive you're just pretending. Raph, open your eyes, you've got me you can stop with you're game now. WAKE UP!" I'm screaming slapping my brothers face, urging him to wake. But, he isn't going to. His heart isn't beating, he isn't breathing. His body is completely still. In my arms.
He's..dead. My little brother, dead. The strength of the team, the one who brought out the warrior in us all..is dead. I stare at my brother's lifeless body in my arms, as tears spring down from my eyes. Is this real, or fake? If only I could go back, fight this battle by his side. At least then we would've died together, and I wouldn't have to live in misery.