This was just something that popped into my mind during a pre-exam stupor of boredom... so yeah. Tyler's thoughts on Raph after the episode 'Lone Raph and Cub'.

Disclaimer: I don't own TMNT.

Wishes

As a kid, everybody wishes that something could be real. Whether it's dragons, or fairies, or aliens, or even that their parents are actually movies stars in disguise.

Me, I wished that I was a secret agent. That I could act in the dead of night, escape bad guys, do good, throw the criminals in jail, and then fade back into the shadows, with not a single person knowing I was even there.

However, unlike most other kids, my wish came true.

Well, kinda.

I got to act in the dead of night. I got to escape bad guys. I got to do loads of good and I helped get the bad guys in jail. I didn't really get to slink away into the shadows though… that was someone else's job.

It was like a dream come true… except that the whole time it was happening, I was scared… because they'd kidnapped my Mom.

That experience helped me to realize that even if you have the most amazing dream, and it seems like it would be the best thing ever if it were to come true… sometimes, things that seem amazing are actually dark and terrifying.

I probably would have ended up dead if I hadn't gotten help. Now, who can say their dream did that to them? Okay, so maybe some guys might get eaten by the dragons he always wanted to exist, and some girl might get turned into a toad by her fairy. But whatever.

I still did good, despite how bad it was when it happened.

But it wasn't all bad. Like I said, I got help… and not just any help. This giant turtle called Raphael found me while I was hiding from the bad guys in a dumpster, and he kicked their butts. Kinda literally.

When I first saw him, I thought I was dreaming. I mean, come on, how many times to you get your life saved by a giant turtle wearing a red mask and acting like he was some type of ninja – which I later found he was.

A giant ninja turtle. Whoa.

So anyway, he saved me, I tried to run away from him, he caught up to me again. Apparently you can't sneak away from a ninja. Oops, I shoulda known that. Took me to the police station, I ran away again, he caught me again… long story short, he busted up the bad guys, I saved my Mom, she showed the police the video tape and then the bad guys got thrown in jail.

Raphael faded into the shadows. I didn't really see him again after that.

At first, I envied him. He had the life that I wanted… he had the ninja skills, he busted up baddies, he was hardly ever seen. And those who did see him didn't remember it.

But as time passed, I began to realize that poor Raphael's life wasn't very good at all. He didn't hide in the shadows because he wanted to… he hid because he had to. Those bad guys called him a freak… everyone else would probably think that too. They'd put him in a cage. So he was all by himself….

But then I remembered – he said he had a dad. So he wasn't alone… except that he'd also said his dad had gone missing.

I told myself that Raphael would find his father. Of course he would. He was ninja… no one could hide from a ninja… Right?

Time passed, and New York city began to get more and more hectic. It was weird. I mean there was the usual stuff… crime, lots of weird underground sightings… but it was getting worse. Crime rates were rising. Someone stole the golden puck and blew up a part of the hockey stadium. And then there were those aliens that looked like dinosaurs.

My mom told me to stay inside during that, and I did mean too, I swear, but when I saw something green go past my window I had to check it out. I opened the window and stuck my head out.

"Raphael!" I called.

The turtle had already landed on one of the alien's flying devices, and he ignored me. Or maybe he didn't hear me. Either way, I was pretty sure it wasn't Raphael. He was wearing a blue mask over his eyes instead of a red one, his skin was a little lighter, and he was using swords instead of the weird fork-like-things Raphael had used.

Maybe Raphael wasn't as alone as I thought. Maybe all those giant croc sightings in the sewers were actually something else… maybe they were actually turtles.

I saw them again a little while after that. This time there were two – one with a purple mask and one with an orange mask. I didn't call out this time. Maybe there were more of them than I thought.

I did see Raphael one last time. At least, I think it was him. He was one of four silhouettes on the roof opposite a window in our apartment. He was wearing a red mask, and he was twirling his fork-like-things around in a circle. The other three that I had seen before were there too – the blue one with his swords strapped to his back, the orange one swinging something around that seemed to be attached by a chain and the purple one, who seemed to be on the phone, but had a wooden pole strapped across his back. They looked a bit tense, standing up there on the roof, with their weapons ready (although the purple one was still on the phone), that I thought that maybe there was trouble coming and I should move away from the window and hide under my bed, but I didn't. I couldn't really see them that well, anyway.

But then they started attacking each other… Well, Raphael attacked the orange one. I wondered if I had been wrong… maybe the others weren't friends of his… maybe they were enemies or something.

But then I heard them yelling.

"Leo! Leo, help! Raph's gonna kill me!"

"Honestly Mikey, what did you expect? You painted his room pink."

"So? He doesn't seem to mind that I painted the shellcycle purple. I thought that would be worse."

"What? Mikey, I really am gonna kill ya!"

"Hey! What's wrong with purple?"

"Stay outa this, Don!"

"Raphie…"

"Don't you dare, Mikey!"

"Aww, come on bro!"

I couldn't help but stare at them. They were brothers… and despite the fighting, they seemed to greatly care for each other.

I felt a small smile come onto my face. Raphael did have a family, just like me.

Suddenly though, the Blue one tensed up and looked in the direction of my window. He muttered something to the others quickly, and then they were gone.

I didn't see them again after that, though sometimes, when I see a shadow pass overhead or I see a silhouette on a roof, I can't help but smile at thought of the ninja that helped me when I most needed it.

He changed my whole life. My encounter with Raphael only strengthened my dream of fighting bad guys, though I didn't really want to fade into the shadows any more. I became a policeman, and I did good. I put the criminals in jail.

Every kid has a wish, and sometimes, if that wish were to come true, it would do a whole lot of bad. But sometimes, if you hold onto that wish, if you try your utmost, it might come true. It might be hard in the beginning, but if you persevere, if you try your hardest, and if you have a little bit of help, it can do a whole lot of good.

Nothing is impossible. Not even giant ninja turtles. Believe in yourself, and you can move mountains.

What did you think? Reviews greatly appreciated! :)