Hello everybody! I´m originally from Germany, so this is my first try to write fan fiction in English. Don´t be so hard with me, I´m really trying. I wanted to write this story for a long time. I published the first two chapters in German first and got a review from Cynlee. She wished to read my story,so I proposed to rewrite it in English and she agreed to reread and correct it. So, thanks to Cynlee! Without you, this wouldn´t have been possible, because I wouldn't have dared to publish something in a language I can't speak (and write in) properly.

Glory of Love

Chapter One: The Loss

Another training mission. And Splinter trained them! They were in a rush the whole night long. He hunted them across the city, practicing the art of invisibility, practicing their stealthiness.

Finally, they ended up at the harbor. Splinter advised them to find him in this maze of lanes and to catch him unaware. Much easier said than done!

Leonardo and Donatello formed one team, Raphael and Michelangelo the other one. They separated. Really regretting the division, Raphael wrinkled his nose.

"Something around here really stinks. Mikey, when is the last time you showered?"

His brother didn't answer. Mikey was watching, spellbound, around a corner, gesturing to Raph with his hand.

"Shhh!".

Raph pushed him away.

"What's going…ON!" Some Foot crept up the gangway of a ship. Raph grabbed his shell cell. "Everyone immediately up to dock seventeen! Foot alert!"

After a few minutes the turtles and their master rejoined them.

"What are they up to?" Leonardo whispered.

"Dunno. But the ship is supposed to be abandoned." Donatello had hacked into the harbors computer network. "It's only a regular cargo ship which should be loaded with Asiatic cars."

"Asiatic?" Leonardo sounded alerted. "Maybe there is something here from the Japanese branch of the Foot. Let's see!"

Leonardo went first. The others followed him without a sound. No Ninja were to be seen. Splinter pointed at Raphael and Leonardo and nodded downwards, then he waved Michelangelo and Donatello to come with him to the bridge.

Splinter peered through a window, his eyes narrowing. A Foot fiddled around with the controls. Suddenly the ship was moving! The bank went away rapidly. But for now, he couldn't change it. There were just seven Ninja at the bridge- an easy fight, and Leo and Raph could handle the rest. For sure Donatello was able to steer the ship back. Otherwise they would have to swim, he considered. He did most definitely not like this thought. It took half an eternity for his fur to get dry. Turning back to his sons, he nodded. The signal to attack. Together, they sprang right trough the window.

Leonardo and Raphael ducked behind a cargo box. They had to, due to the fact that there were at least fifty Foot Ninja standing in front of them, among them two Elite Guards. "What the shell do they want here", whispered Leo, grabbing his katana.

"Easy, bro." Raph held him back. He knew that the sight of the Elite Guards was like a red scar for Leonardo. His normally so self-controlled brother couldn't nearly hold back as he saw his so hatred enemies. "Better to get the others. This is a little bit too much for the two of us."

"You want to get help? You?"

"Yeah, I know, it's not like me, but…"

Suddenly Leonardo pushed Raph away and ducked. A shuirken struck deep into the wood, right where Raphael had crouched a moment before! He gulped.

"Geez. Leo?" He held his sais at the ready. "Looks like we're spotted!"

Splinter finished the first and the second ninja even before his students entered the room. The third one struck with his katana. Splinter ducked and sprang away. The sword missed him by just a few inches and hit a hose at the wall. Black hydraulic fluid poured over the floor, so that Splinter lost his balance and fell. Immediately the ninja pounced on him.

Meanwhile Raphael and Leonardo had lots of trouble, too. Surrounded by Foot, they tried desperately to fight a way out of this mess, but…

"Leo, there're just too many of them", panted Raphael. He sensed that he was becoming exhausted. He had shut down at least a dozen of them, his sais were busy at work, but the Ninja increased like rats, he thought-- and then mentally apologized to his sensei.

He struck another one, back to back with his brother, giving Leonardo the same cover that Leo gave him. Another katana sliced the air just to be blocked by a pair of sais, another punch was stopped, another kick parried.

Normally Raph enjoyed fighting and didn't think about the possible risks, but this had become too serious. For the first time ever he thought he couldn't make it. He heard katanas clattering behind him.

Leo. His so nerving "Big-Leader-Brother". And the rest of his family, including his father, was at this ship as well. He mustn't give up! He had to go through, for them!

"Hyaaaahhhh!" Raphael, ignoring the cover Leo was providing him, sprang into action, trying to finish as many of these scum as possible.

Leo yanked him back.

"Over there!"

The stairs! They had still a chance! With new hope they kept on fighting, approaching the stairs inch for inch.

Splinter couldn't breathe anymore. The ninja had looped a rope twice round his throat and tightened it. Splinter had dug his claws into it and pulled, but he couldn't stand at this slippery ground and concentrate on the rope. Luckily the Foot had the same problem. Both staggered out of the bridge and onto the deck.

Finally a clean floor! Splinter writhed under the Foot, he saw black points already. Slightly he heard a shout. Raph and Leo hurried up a staircase, both wounded, bleeding and followed by a few dozen Ninja. Splinter felt his strength fainting. His field of vision was heavily reduced. His legs weakened. He noticed barely that Leonardo hurried towards him. Suddenly the pressure around his throat was removed and he fell against the rail. Panting in the cool night air he was glad to be still alive, but then he was being lifted... and falling...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April sat on the couch, surrounded by four very depressed turtles.

"What happened then?" she asked.

For a while nobody answered. Then Leonardo went on.

"The Foot threw him over the rail. Then he attacked me, so that I couldn't rescue him. When I finally managed to fight him down, Sensei was nowhere to be seen. I grabbed a rope and jumped into the water, but the ship was too fast and the night too dark." He lowered his voice. "I was not able to find him… to rescue him. We managed to defeat the Foot, but…"

Silence again. No one dared to speak, to say this one thought they all shared. It was impossible… he couldn't be… he just couldn't…

April stood up and touched Leonardo's shoulder gently.

"I'm sure he is fine. He's a fighter. He is strong. For sure he will make it!"

Raphael shook his head.

"He was just semiconscious. That ninja nearly strangled him," he told her.

"What happened to the ninja?" April asked.

Raph grinned evilly.

"He will never ever again worry about breathing!"

April swallowed.