Yin and Yang
By: AndiKaneUnderwood
April O'Neil was very confused. She didn't understand why people only compared Donatello and Raphael, but never contrast them. Anyone who knew the Hamato family knew the Hamato twins. Anyone who knew the Hamato twins would know that they look and act nothing alike. Even their eyes spoke differences between them.
Donatello's, more commonly know as Don, eyes where a soft gentle chocolate brown that held nothing and everything at all. The younger twin held his head high with pride and respect most of the time, but if you where unlucky enough to be on his bad side, because that was extremely hard to accomplish because Don was quite fond of giving second, third, and even forth chances (much to the exasperation of his twin and brothers), you'd see a whole different side that had his body, voice, and face completely voice of any emotion (unless you where the Shredder or one of his cronies, because then all you could see was burning, unadulterated rage) that said Don was about two seconds from, depending on how far and how long you pushed, walking away and letting the teachers or his brothers handle it (because Don was truly terrifying when he was right and truly angry) or about three seconds from using the ninjitsu his whole family knew how to use on you though he didn't look like he could.
Don's older twin Raphael, better known as Raph, was his complete opposite. Amber eyes that more often than not held irritation automatically softened at one thing and one thing only. His family. He had an infamous temper that only Don could sooth and his eyes showed how closely guarded he was and how protective he was over his family. There was a certain something about him, no one could find out what, that had you second guessing if you had a plan that involved anyone of them.
If April had to compare the two, she'd say Yin and Yang.
Different as night and day, but madly protective over the other even with their differences. If she was honest, they where protective of each other because of their differences. Don's genius and creativity was pretty much a magnet for bullies and unwanted attention from the Foot Clan, Shredder, and every other crime syndicate in New York City. Raph's hot-headed, "leap first" personality got the Ninjas into more fixes than she cared to start counting.
There was actually a few incidents that she could recall had one or the other in need of a rescue.
TMNT~TMNT~TMNT
Don had to stay after because of Robotics Club. Coincidentally, Raph had to stay after because of a false accusation that landed him detention. He grumbled under his breath about Casey Jones and hockey under his breath as he walked Don to Robotics on his way to detention.
Don had laughed at his twin brother with fond exasperation. "Wanna talk about it?" He asked.
"I'll tell ya on the way home, Donny. Go have fun with yer "Nerd Group". I gotta get before Mrs Jones has my head." Raph replied, stopping next to the classroom of Mr. Burns and holding up his fist.
"Alright. Bye, Raph. Have fun." Don said, bumping his fist against his twin's, then waving as he disappeared into the classroom. There was a greeting from his brother, then a "hey, Don" from the teacher (and maybe Casey 'nerdy' little brother Cody) and Raph shook his head fondly, heading to the detention room just down the hall.
Casey, his best friend (other than Don) and teammate, already sat in one chair at the back. The ebony haired senior looked up as Raph came in and grinned. He put two fingers to his temple in a mock salute and Raph nodded so they didn't get in trouble. The amber eyed teen sat in his usual seat in the front row and the hour of torture began.
When the hour was over, Mrs Jones laid into them about respecting the school and not getting into fights, Raph and Casey replied with the standard "Yes Mrs Jones" and the elderly teacher smiled fondly, sending them on their way.
Casey looked at Raph and sighed. "Sorry for getting you in trouble Raph."
Raph waved off the apology. "Ah, c'mon Jones, if you hadn't asked, I would've jumped in myself and you know it." He replied.
"Yeah, so we picking up Don too?" He asked.
Raph nodded. "Don said that if the meeting didn't run overtime, they'd get out about ten minutes before us and he'd wait for me. How 'bout Cody?"
Casey shook his head, long hair flying. "Nah, kid had a dentist appointment after school and couldn't go." He replied.
Raph nodded, then stopped dead in his tracks. There, by the Shell Cycle, that Don (the little genius he is) had made specifically for him and Raph tinkered with, was Don, but he wasn't alone. Standing over him as he leaned against Raph's bike, well their bike, was Hun. The resident school bully and leader of the Purple Dragons (a gang that worked under the Shredder.).
Don looked calm as the pond in the backyard, but his eyes where hard as steel. You'd have to look extremely, extremely, close to see the spark of fear Don had covered up with the look Raph so fondly described as his look of rage.
Raph didn't like the way Hun was standing over his brother. Raph didn't like the way Hun was looking at his brother. Raph didn't like the fact that Hun thought he could come up to the younger Hamato twin and talk to him in any way. Raph didn't like it at all.
Casey stopped next to Raph and followed his gaze to the younger twin. "Now what do ya think Hun wants?" He asked the ginger teen.
"Don't know, don't care. I'm getting him away from my brother." Raph snapped in reply, already heading over to the bike, Don, and, more importantly, Hun.
"Yo, Donny!" He yelled as if just coming from detention and he hadn't seen Hun yet. "You ready to go yet? Dad wants us back by six for diner!"
"Yeah, Raph!" Don replied, though his eyes never left the cold grey ones of Hun.
Raph came up with Casey behind him. "Good," then his eyes turned to Hun and they narrowed dangerously. "And what do you want?" He snapped.
Hun sneered at the three teens. "You're clearly not familiar with the terms of how I work." He snapped.
Raph raised a red eyebrow unimpressed. "And, clearly, you're unfamiliar with how Hamatos work. Now, I've gotta get my brother back home before our Dad goes ballistic on us. Good bye." He replied, pushing past him and mounting the red bike and pulling on the red helpmate Don had found to go with the bike. "Let's go, Don." He said.
"Coming, Raph." Don replied, climbing onto the bike behind his brother, putting on the spare helmet, and wrapping his arms around the elders chest to secure himself to the bike. "Ready."
Raph shot a pointed look at Hun. "Watch your feet." He deadpanned, then started the bike and shot off in the direction of the Hamato House, calling over his shoulder. "See ya, Casey!"
TMNT~TMNT~TMNT
Another time had seen Raph in a cage after he tackled Mikey away from a splash of mutagen.
Raph growled under his breath as he attempted to stab the electronic lock to the cage he was trapped in.
"Need a little help?" Called a familiar soft voice.
Raph looked up and his eyes locked on those of his younger twin, Don. "Genzai!" He cried. "Yes, I could use the help. Are you okay?" He asked.
Don jumped down from the rafters and landed in front of the cage with his duffel bag on his shoulder. "I'm fine. You're the one trapped in a cage." He held out a piece of rope.
"You're the one who was knocked out in the fight." Raph countered smoothly, taking the rope and tying it to the bars.
"It's a mild concussions. I'll survive." Don replied, tossing the rope to the rafters with the utmost accuracy. He caught the end as it fell and pulled.
Raph stepped back, mentally hoping his oldest and youngest brothers where prepared for a tongue lashing when he got out, waiting for the crash of the busted bars. It didn't come and Don growled in frustration. "Yeah, Leo, 'it'll work' my bo staff." He sighed. Then pulled the rope down and untying it. He shoved it back in his duffel bag and pulled out an electronic lock pick.
"While you're doing that, where's Tenshi and Raion?"
"Stalling Hun." The brunette replied, picking at the lock. There was a beep and the cage flew open, almost knocking Don in the head, but Don's lightning fast reflexes where faster.
Raph jumped from the cage and nodded his thanks to his twin and then they ran from the building, meeting Leo and Mikey at the entrance and proceeding to blast out the doorway while Mikey and Leo got a lecture on "the importance of resting while injured" that let them know he wasn't happy with them sending Don to come get him when he had a concussion.
TMNT~TMNT~TMNT
Yin and Yang where the exact words she'd use to describe the Hamato Twins. So the next time she heard Casey say, "Don's a lot like Raph, April."
She proceeded to sit him on the couch with a beer and reply. "Have you ever heard of Yin and Yang?"