Takes place during

Part 3: The Lives We Lead

Within the span of Chapter 7 through Chapter 10

Chapter 3: Rokushakubō

"Donnie?" Raph yelled into the house as he opened the first door before narrowing his eyes in the direction of his sibling's room and marched toward it where he promptly punched the door; which sent it crashing into the opposite wall.

"Hey." Donnie complained. "You break my door one more time, I'm gonna break it over your head." He threatened sternly, but Raph wasn't hearing any of it as he stormed over to stare down at his brother who was laid out on the bed pretending to read a book.

"What happened?" He demanded loudly causing Donnie to look away from him. "Ya were doin' great, why did ya stop?" He added before reaching down to pull the book away so Donnie would be forced to look at him.

"I don't know." He admitted calmly before lifting his arm to protect himself as his brother tried to hit him with the novel before grabbing him by the belt around his chest and started hauling him back to the dojo.

"Raph!" Donnie complained as he struggled to break free, but only succeeded when he was finally able to release the buckle; leaving Raph with only the belt in his hand and promptly jumped out of the way when his brother attempted to grab him again.

"I'm not playin' this game with ya Donnie." The hot head threatened going for him again, but the smaller turtle was a lot faster than he was.

"I know." Donnie informed him truthfully. "I just –" He tired only for Raph to interrupt as he finally blew his gasket.

"Damn it Donnie." He swore loudly. "You can DO THIS!"

"I KNOW!" He countered before calming himself again and looked at the ground as his brother chilled out as well. "I know I can do it, I just don't know how." He admitted sadly causing Raph to sigh before reaching out to trap him in a head lock and started leading him from the room again.

Donnie didn't put up that much of a fight this time and instead allowed himself to be marched back into the dojo; where he was released again as Raph turned to look at him, before holding out one of his sai.

To his credit Donnie did try to take it, but the closer his hand got to the handle the more violently his fingers shook until he finally had to pull away again. He just couldn't bring himself to take up a weapon that could be used to cause harm.

"Don." Raph stated with a sigh. "Why is this so hard?"

"I don't know." He admitted desperately, reaching down to hold his shivering hand with his other in an attempt to stop the shaking.

"Than explain." Raph offered gently, causing Donnie to look back up and find his older brother surprisingly calm as he leveled the purple-clad turtle with a gaze that showed him no matter what he said Raph would be there to help him through it.

"I killed him Raph." Donnie suddenly admitted as he looked back at the ground, struggling to contain his tears.

"No ya didn't." Raph immediately countered. "It was the White Coats, it was Shredder that killed him, not you. Ya did nothin' wrong."

"I may not have preformed the deed myself but I'm the reason he's dead." Donnie added sternly.

"Then prove it." Raph suddenly spoke up cruelly causing Donnie to look at him in shock. "If that's really what ya believe." He added as he held out the sai for his brother again. "Then walk away."

"Raph –" Donnie begged, trying to figure out what his brother was doing.

"Prove that ya abandoned him." Raph interrupted sternly causing his brother to flinch. "Prove you're ta blame." He added quietly before his tone softened upon his brother remaining exactly where he was.

"Ya fought for him Donnie." He said kindly after another minute, finally causing the other turtle to look up again. "Ya didn't win, but ya gave it everything ya had." He stated as he gently took Donnie's hand to set the sai in his palm.

"Find that strength again, use it ta protect the people ya love." He added sternly as he wrapped his brother's fingers around the hilt. "Don't let them win." He finally told him in a whisper, leaving Donnie to take a deep breath before looking down at the weapon in his hand.

"There, ya see." Raph said as he pulled away to watch as the other turtle continue to hold the sai, regardless of the obvious weight behind the action. "You're a protector, just like me."

This caused Donnie to once again lift his head to look him in the eyes, as his shaking finally seemed to finally dull. "I guess – we're not that different after all." He added with a little smile.

Raph's only response was to pull out his other sai and step into a stance to show that he was ready for their training to begin, but not before he answered his brother with one final comment.

"We never were."

…

Four years later

"There ya go." Raph called as he held up Donnie's staff to block his brother's next attack as the other turtle bored down on him with both sai in hand. "That's what I'm talkin' about." He complimented with a smile before he suddenly found his legs taken out from under him and hit the floor with his brother on top; taking in one deep breath after another as he held the sharp weapons at the ready with no hesitation whatsoever.

"I admit its strangely enjoyable watching these babies from another point a view." Raph proclaimed as he lovingly ran his finger down the length of one of his own weapons before Donnie stood up again and reached down to help him up.

"I'm wondering if I shouldn't make myself a set." Donnie admitted around his heavy breathing, as he twilled the weapons in his hands.

"I've created a monster." The red-clad turtle proclaimed with a laugh before kneeling to pick up his brother's staff, only to study the thing in interest. "What did ya do ta this thing anyway?"

Admittedly he still felt guilty that his brother had been forced to give up his other one to save him from the snakeweed, but couldn't help but find himself impressed that the newer model had held out against their training efforts during the last week.

"It's got a metal core." Donnie explained leaving his brother to look at him in shock.

"Seriously?" He declared in surprise as he balanced the stick on the palm of his hand. "But it's so light."

"Yet another aspect I toyed with." Donnie admitted taking a seat on the bench and used a towel to dry himself off.

"Well what else can it do? Fire lasers?" Raph countered jokingly, though he still made move to check the thing thoroughly for anything that looked like a trigger, knowing full well that such things were not beyond the realm of his brother's imagination.

"I can't decide what else I want to do with it." Donnie proclaimed as he leaned over his knees to watch his brother. "I though of maybe giving it a retractable feature so it doesn't get in my way so much."

"Why don't ya just turn it into a light saber while yur at it?" Raph joked causing Donnie to laugh.

"Because if I do that Mikey will want one."

"True." Raph muttered with a smile as he continued to study the stick curiously. "What about addin' a blade?" He suddenly suggested.

"I like a good naginata as much as the next turtle." Donnie admitted absentmindedly. "But to be honest, – I just haven't found a design I like yet."

"Well what about –" Raph started again before suddenly deciding on an ever better idea than the one he was about to voice. "Oh, how about like that one chick from – that one movie?"

"That narrows it down." Donnie stated with a laugh, earning a glare for his trouble.

"Na, it was like one a those hidden cane swords, but there was two a 'em." He explained as he looked over the staff again. "Ya could fit a good size sword in here easy." He proclaimed before looking back at Donnie with a grin. "And it'll give ya an excuse ta use another weapon." He added sternly.

"True." Donnie admitted quietly as he thought it over. "I'll work on it."

…

A few weeks later

"Hey!" Raph called as he burst through the doors of the lab making Donnie jump at the sound. "Ya know I just heard a this new thing." The red-clad turtle continued loudly as he stormed his way through the garage. "It's called sleep. Supposed ta be real good for ya."

"Ha, ha." Donnie proclaimed humorlessly as he rolled his eyes before turning back to his work.

"So where's this crazy Jedi staff a yours?" Raph demanded next, as he descend on Donnie's work bench where he plucked said object from his brother's hands.

"Raph." He complained, getting up to snatch it back but missed as his sibling pulled away. "It's not ready yet." He proclaimed truthfully.

"Looks ready ta me." Raph muttered as he took in the new design.

Instead of just a simple wrap as the handle, this time around Donnie had actually added a hilt in the center which was black in color and contrasted by the same gold dragon design that the rest of them had on their own weapons, which was then overlaid by a wrap of purple nylon in the form of prefect diamonds, much like the handle of a Japanese sword.

The edges where still wooden but were tipped with golden ends which held magnets so it could be used to pick up metal things from a distance as well as connect the staff from the other direction if he so wanted.

Raph decided to try this specific feature out himself as he carefully twisted the weapon at the center and pulled it apart to check out the well honed blades set into each end.

"Sweat." He proclaimed distractedly as he flipped them around and connected them again so that he was looking at a staff with a blade on each side "I might just have ya make me one a these." He added before Donnie came up to take it from him.

"What other secrets it got?" Raph demanded as he leaned against the bench to fold his arms and watch as Donnie separated the weapon again and put it back together before looking at him out of the corner of his eye and carefully moved to press a little button which had been cleverly disguised as the eye of the dragon pattern.

It was at this point that the weapon was suddenly reduced in size, hiding the hilt section under the hollowed out wooden ends as it did so, leaving it at nearly half its usual length, but without a single bulge or even an unleveled thickness to indicate that it was anything but perfect.

"Looks ready ta me." Raph stated again with a smile, which his brother returned. "But ya do realize ya gotta stop somewhere, right." He added, knowing full well that Donnie would continue to work on the thing 'til the end of his life if that meant getting it just right.

"Who says?" Donnie countered persistently making his brother laugh.

"Fine." Raph relented as he raised his hands in surrender. "Ya stubborn bastard." He swore, but didn't mean anything by the insult.

"Guess we really are alike." Donnie proclaimed with a smile as he set the staff back on his table.

"No doubt little brother." Raph answered before pushing himself off the desk to trap Donnie in a head lock so he could march him from the lab. "Now, about this sleep thing we discussed."

I've replaced the original Chapter 3; but not to worry, I'll repost it again shortly.

I was hoping that the three part mini-story I started with "Raph's Reprieve" would continue faster than it did, but unfortunately Leo's giving me grief. -_-