Author's Note: Yay, another update!! -cheers- I must warn you, this is an intense chapter. Beware of my evilness!! MUAHAHAHAHA!! -coughs- Yeah...well, ANYways, enjoy, and thanks for all the reviews!! X3

mangalover248: lol This reply has to be one of my favorites. I dunno why, but it always makes me laugh!! -giggles- X3 Anyways, thanks!!

Eridani23: Thank you!! I just thought it was too short. -shrugs-

S.E.Ragland: Thanks!!

xLannyx: lol Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough!! -grins-

Alora05: Aw, thanks!! -blushes- I always aim to please my readers!! Ooh, cake!! Heh, I just had chocolate cake for dessert, too!! XD

KriStALKaLEi: Yeps!! Heh, I guess everyone but me likes this chapter, huh?? XP Well, thanks and I hope ya like this next chapter better!!

BigfootSighted: lol Oh, you'll find out, you can count on that!! -snickers- Thanks for the review!!

Lady-Of-The-Rings: Thank you!!

Raph carefully made his way to the rooftops, trusting his senses of hearing and touch to tell him what was going on around him. He sighed as he walked along the familiar roof, stopping inches away from the edge. Looking out at the scenery, he tried to imagine the line of trees in the distance he'd seen so many times before when he was younger. He could still imagine them, and he hoped that they were still there. It just wasn't the same not being able to actually see them...

He shook the sad thoughts away and closed his one eye, breathing in the cool scents of New York City in the winter time. It was beginning to get warmer, signaling the approach of spring.

Suddenly, he whipped around, gazing fearfully into the shadows behind him. His sais were in his hands instantly as figures clad in black emerged. But these were no Foot ninjas...

"No..." Raph breathed, his eye widening. He knew who they were, blind or not.

The ninjas advanced without hesitation, striking the sightless turtle mercilessly. Though he was still a formidable fighter, Raph was weak and these ninjas were far more intelligent and skilled than the Foot. He felt blow after blow as their weapons rained down on him. While he did manage to block most of them with his sais, he felt the sting of their weaponry over and over again. Gritting his teeth, he fought harder, desperately trying to find a way out of his situation before-

"Raphael."

At the sound of that voice, Raph froze. The other ninjas around him backed off, revealing the source of the voice. He slowly turned his sightless gaze to the girl, shaking violently.

"E-eclipse..."

Eclipse watched at him with her blood-red eyes, a smirk on her crimson lips. Her midnight black hair was disturbed slightly by the wind that ruffled her black cape. She wore a black suit and black boots, her black-gloved hands relaxed at her sides. The suit showed off her feminine features, following the curves of her body with barely a single wrinkle. Her smirk broke into a smile, but there was nothing pleasant about it. Her eyes held a hunger for revenge and a craving for blood.

"So, we meet again," she rumbled, her voice icy but still liquid smooth. Raph stared, wide-eyed and breathing hard. She was delighted at this. "You have not lost your fear of me, I see."

"I-I'm n-not afraid!" Raph retorted, trying his best to steady his shaky voice.

"So I see!" Eclipse chuckled, clearly amused. "Well, let's not waste time with words. You know why I've come here, do you not?"

"I'm not going back there!" Raph cried out suddenly. "You can't make me!"

"Oh, no, I don't intend on taking you back," Eclipse assured him, but that only made him feel even more nervous. She narrowed her eyes, walking forward until she was right in front of her enemy. "In fact, I'll show you what I intend to do."

Before Raph could react, she snatched his sais. Pain shot through him as his own beloved weapons were shoved into his stomach. Eclipse smirked and twisted the blades inside the wound, making Raph gasp in pain. She leaned closer and whispered into his ear.

"You have lived in fear of me, and now you will die in fear of me."

"Where could he be?"

Don looked back at his orange-clad brother. Mike had tears in his eyes, no matter how hard he was trying to hold them back.

"We'll find Raph soon, Mikey," Leo assured him, glancing over his shoulder from his position in front of his two younger brothers. "He said himself that he would never be able to leave us again."

"I-I guess so," Mike agreed quietly, his voice still doubtful. "I hope he's ok..."

"He will be ok, Mike," Don interrupted determinedly. "He has to be."

Mike nodded wordlessly, sniffing and wiping away a few stray tears. Don sighed as he jumped across yet another rooftop. They had been searching for almost half an hour now, and there was still no sign of their blind brother. Despite his words, he was worried too. How could Raph even find his way around without being able to see? He shook his head, trying to get rid of the depressing thoughts.

Suddenly, he froze, causing Mike to bump into him.

"Wait a minute!" He exclaimed before Mike could react. Leo turned to him, walking back a few paces to his brothers. "I know exactly where Raph went!"

"What? How?" Leo demanded.

"Just follow me," Don ordered, setting off in the opposite direction from where they'd been going.

Bewildered, his brothers had no choice but to follow him. Don jumped across the rooftops, his heart racing. Please let Raph be ok, he begged silently. But when he caught sight of his destination, all of his hopes vanished. He heard Mike and Leo both gasp behind him.

There was Raph, surrounded by strange ninjas. In front of him stood a woman. Her back was turned to them, so Don couldn't see who she was or exactly what she looked like. When he got closer, he saw blood pooling around his red-clad brother, and his sais sticking out of his stomach. His eyes widened in horror as Raph stumbled backwards, his sais still lodged in his plastron, and hit his foot on the edge of the roof. What happened next would be a scene burned in his mind forever...

All three of them screamed their brother's name, though they knew it was helpless.

"RAPH!"

Eclipse released the sais, leaving them embedded in her opponent. Raph stumbled backwards and felt his foot hit something. At first he was confused, then his eyes widened even further as he realized he was on the edge of the roof.

"Goodbye, Raphael," Eclipse hissed, raising a hand.

Black light shot out of her open palm like a lightning bolt. It cannoned into Raph, pushing him over the edge of the roof and sending him tumbling into the gaping space between two structures. His scream was cut off when his shell hit the opposite building, knocking the breath out of him. He fell and his shell then slammed into the ground with a sickening crack. Though he was still conscious, he could only vaguely hear his name being called.

Eclipse glanced over her shoulder at the three approaching turtles, a victorious, malicious smile on her face. With a snap of her fingers, her ninjas vanished from sight. She disappeared herself in a cloud of black smoke just as Leo, Don, and Mike reached the rooftop.

"NO!" Mike cried, bounding past the spot the woman had been and practically jumping down the building.

Leo and Don exchanged a dismayed, horrified glance before quickly following him. The moment Mike's feet touched the ground, he was racing towards his fallen brother. He collapsed beside Raph, his breath hitching at the sight of him.

The first thing they noticed was the many cuts and bruises along with Raph's own sais embedded in his plastron. Don hit his knees beside Mike, who was frozen to the spot. He looked at Raph's shell, and saw the beginnings of the huge crack that was now there. Teary-eyed, he reached out for Raph with a shaky hand, gently laying his hand on his brother's arm. Raph flinched, and for the first time Don noticed the fast, shallow breaths he took as his chest rose up and down, a motion so faint it was almost impossible to see. Apparently, Mike detected it as well.

"Raphie?" He whispered.

Raph tried to reply, but all that came out was a muffled whimper. Mike choked back a sob and looked at Don with pleading eyes. The purple-masked turtle swept his gaze over his brother's broken body, trying to decide what to do. He didn't have to say anything when he motioned his head toward the nearest manhole and his brothers sped off back to the lair. A billion thoughts running through his head, he gently picked up his injured brother and sprinted as fast as he could out of the alley. He managed to get Raph down into to the sewers and swiftly replaced the lid before picking him up and starting off again. The faint footsteps of his other two brothers could faintly be heard in the distance, but he paid no heed as he bolted through the tunnels at a speed that defied all laws of science.

"Hold on, bro," he whispered, his voice shaky but determined. "We'll take care of you. Just hold on a little bit longer."

Raph gasped for breath, his senses fading in and out. He felt himself being carried and faintly heard his brother's voice. Fighting against unconsciousness, he willed himself to stay awake at least long enough to say goodbye. Then again, he hoped he wouldn't have to. Pain shot through him with every breath he took, but he refused to give in to the darkness that beckoned him. He gritted his teeth, managing to hold back a scream while a whimper once again escaped him.

Don glanced down at Raph when he heard him and sped up, if only a little. Finally, he burst into the lair, where Leo and Mike were waiting anxiously for him. He gently set Raph down on the couch, trying to clear his troubled thoughts.

'Calm...'

He heard Splinter's voice in his head, and he closed his eyes for a moment. Mike and Leo were shifting nervously behind him, sobs coming from his youngest brother every few seconds.

"Leo, get me some wet rags," Don ordered after a few more moments of silence, opening his eyes. Leo nodded and dashed off. "Mike, go get me bandages - a lot of them. Grab my kit while you're at it."

Mike hesitated before quickly heading off to get the supplies. Turning his attention back to his brother, Don took hold of the sais and carefully removed them, knowing they would have to come out sometime. He set them aside, trying to ignore the way the blood seemed to pour out of the gashes where the sais had struck. Leo came back moments later, holding a bundle of rags. Taking them quickly, Don pressed them against Raph's wounds, doing his best to stop the blood flow. Moments later, Mike appeared with the bandages and the kit. Don took those as well, cleaning and dressing Raph's cuts before looking back at Leo.

"Leo, I need you to sit him up so I can look at his shell," he instructed.

Leo nodded and swiftly but gently pulled Raph into a sitting position. Don paused then shook his head, taking controlling of his whirling mind. His eyes widened when he saw the full extent of the damage to Raph's shell.

There was a nasty-looking crack that almost split the shell in two. It started at Raph's right shoulder and went in a zigzag more than halfway through his shell. Blood was seeping out of it, fortunately not enough to do much harm. As for the shell, the two parts would have to be forced back together again. He tried to block out Mike's quiet sobs and snapped open the kit. He grabbed a bottle and put what looked like glue on the edges of the crack. Placing it on the table, he carefully pushed the two parts towards each other. He was expecting Raph to respond, but it seemed like he was doing his best to ignore however much pain he was feeling right now, his teeth clenched and tears threatening to spill over down his cheeks.

Finally, Don had done just about everything he could do. Leo slowly lowered Raph back down so he was lying on the couch, his breath fast and heaving as if he were gasping for air.

"Donnie..." Don looked up when Mike whimpered his name, once again meeting his brother's pleading, tearful gaze. He bowed his head solemnly.

"There's nothing more we can do," he murmured, slowly turning his head to look at Raph. "We just have to wait and hope..." He trailed off, taking a deep, shaky breath before letting it out again. "...and hope this is a battle he can win..."

That did it. Mike broke down, falling to his knees beside the couch. He latched onto his dying brother, hugging him as tightly as he could while trying not to hurt him further. Tears were streaming down his face and he had a hard time speaking through his sobs.

"I'm so sorry, Raph!" He wailed. "I'm so, so sorry! If I hadn't...if I hadn't gotten mad at you and made you leave none of this would have ever happened! I was so sad when I read that note...I really thought you were never gonna come home! I still can't believe I said all of that to you!" He buried his head into Raph's plastron, his voice lowering when he spoke his next words. "I can't believe I told you I hated you..."

Raph's eye snapped open at that, the memory of what his brothers had said to him that night slamming into him at full force...

Leonardo: You almost killed your own brother!

Donatello: Stay away from me you monster!

But his baby brother's words were the clearest, as loud as if he were saying them right now...

Michelangelo: I hate you...

"No..." Raph whispered, bringing his brothers' attention back to him. He slowly shook his head, ignoring the pain that shot through him with every movement, every word. "You...you had...had a right...to." He silenced Mike's protest with a sharp glare. Ignoring the burning sensation in his chest, he continued. "I really...really am a...a monster." Don winced, his own tears trickling down his cheeks. "You didn't...didn't deserve...to have a brother like...like me. And I...I forgive you...but...do you...forgive me?" His brothers looked at him, bewildered, but Leo finally spoke up.

"As unnecessary as it is, I do forgive you," the blue-clad turtle murmured, placing a hand on Raph's arm. "And I accept your apology."

"Me too," Don spoke up, gazing into his brother's eyes with admiration and sadness. Raph's gaze flicked to Mike, who still hadn't spoken.

"Raph..." The orange-clad turtle began, then nodded his head slowly. "I forgive you..."

Raph's frown slowly turned into a small, approving smile. Relief shone in his eye, and for a moment all of his fears were forgotten. But a sharp pain soon reminded him, and his smile vanished. He winced, still struggling to cling to life. He made a small noise in his throat that sounded like a whine, causing Mike to jump. The orange-clad ninja's eyes were wide with fear and grief, their innocent sparkle lost to his sadness. Don's eyes were pools of sorrow, still blaming himself for what had happened, especially with after what he'd said to his brother. Leo's gaze was solemn and strangely calm, as if he knew that, even if his brother did die, he would still be with family...Splinter.

"Guys?"

Leo and Don looked towards the door, while Mike only listened quietly, still clinging to Raph. April was standing in the doorway with Casey right behind her.

"I called April and Casey, Don," Leo explained. "I hope that's ok."

Don nodded, glancing at Raph before looking back at the two guests. He motioned towards the couch, and April was the first to dare to approach. The red-head hesitated, but took one more step forward...

"Oh my-!" She gasped, taking another step back.

Tears sprang to her eyes and she had to force herself to walk forward until she could kneel down beside Raph. Casey glanced at Don and Leo before following April's footsteps to the couch. A look of shock crossed his face when he saw his friend lying injured on the couch, but he didn't utter a sound. Instead, he crouched down beside April, an arm around her shoulder as he tried to comfort her. Mike didn't even look up when he felt the two humans beside him. He was still hugging his brother as if he were afraid to let him go. Truthfully, he really was.

Raph's breathing was slower now, almost to the point where he wasn't breathing at all, and it took all of his strength to keep his one eye open. The only real reason that he was trying his best to hold on was because he knew his family couldn't handle another death, especially so soon.

"Raph?" Casey broke the silence that had settled over the lair. "Geez, man, who did this to ya?"

Raph shared a meaningful look with Don, the only person he'd told his story to so far. The purple-clad turtle blinked, startled. Had that woman he'd seen been...Eclipse?

"She..." Don began, trailing off. "That's who...it was her, wasn't it?" Slowly, Raph nodded. The others looked from Raph to Don, confused, but before anyone could ask, Don continued. "It was Eclipse...that girl you said..." He trailed off again, anger flaring in his eyes. "...tortured you."

Mike's head snapped up to stare at Don, while Leo, Casey, and April all gaped at him. Raph shuddered, fear creeping back into his eyes. The movement hadn't gone unnoticed by anyone, and Raph felt everyone's gaze trained on him.

"How did she know where to find you?" Don asked. "I mean...she could have followed you, but this was the first time you'd seen her since you escaped, right?" Raph nodded again. "She's...she's the demon?" Once again, Raph nodded.

"She-" Raph began, but broke up and gasped as an excruciating pain surged through him.

Mike drew back as Raph jerked, his eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clenched. Don immediately dropped down beside the couch, alarmed.

"Raph! What's wrong?" Don frantically checked his brother's pulse, and his heart skipped a beat when he found one so faint he could barely even feel it, and felt it fading even more. "No! Don't you dare give up, you hear me!?"

Mike was shivering beside him, scared of what might happen next. Leo gently pulled April and Casey away, giving Don a little more room. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Don squeezed Raph's hand gently.

"Come on, Raph, you can't let go now, you just can't!" He sobbed, trying desperately to get his brother to open his eyes and pull away from that cliff that would take him away forever if he fell from it. "Please, bro, just hang on. We'll-"

"No..." Raph muttered, his eye still closed. "No use. Only...only one...person...can help...but she...she's not coming."

That was another reason the red-clad turtle had tried his best to hold on as long as he could. If only his old friend would come, the one who helped him escape. She could have saved him, but now it looked like she might just be too late...

"Raph, please." This time it was April. Raph could tell she was crying her eyes out. Her voice was shaky and choked, as if she were trying her hardest not to cry. "Please don't leave us. Your brothers need you, I need you."

"I'm sorry..."

Raph trailed off, trying to force his lungs to fill with air. It didn't work. He reached for Don, who was nearest, and gently took his brother's hand. Don squeezed Raph's hand, knowing he wouldn't be able to prevent death no matter what he did. Mike's body was racked with his uncontrollable yet somewhat quiet sobs. Though he knew what would happen next, he just couldn't bring himself to believe this was really happening. Raph mustered up all of his remaining strength to say three last words...

"...I love you..."

...Then he allowed the darkness to take him. Don let go of Raph's hand, letting it fall limply to the couch. Mike let out a wail, reaching out for his brother. Leo stopped him, shaking his head when Mike turned his desperate gaze to him.

"It's over, Mikey, I'm sorry," Leo whispered. Tears were startling to slide down his cheeks as well. "He's gone."

"NO!" Mike cried.

Leo pulled him into a hug, rocking him gently back and forth. Casey was doing the same thing with April, who was just as bad as Mike, while Don just looked at Raph, wishing it'd been his own life taken instead.

"Raphael..." Everyone looked up towards the source of the voice. A figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing itself.

She was a white mutant cat, that much was obvious. Her bright white eyes were wide with shock and grief. She wore a sleek, white, strapless shirt and silky, white capris. Her white boots had no heel and came up just above her ankle, while her four-fingered 'hands' were uncovered. She had a white necklace with a chain that easily slipped off of her head instead of having to be unclipped. Attached to it was what looked like a cat's eye with a crystal in the center where the pupil was supposed to be and just plain white on the rest of the pendant. She also had a short muzzle with a black nose, though she had no whiskers. Her cat-like ears were lying flat against her head and her eyes were glistening with tears as she watched her long-lost friend's family grieve around him.

"If only I had come sooner..." She trailed off and shook her head, meeting the gazes of each mutant and human in turn. "Please, I can help him. My name is Crystal."

Author's Note: -maniacal laughter- This has to be one of my favorite chapters of all!! It was fun to write, too!! -smirks- And don't worry, this is only the beginning. Raph's not done yet!! Heh...I have a dramatic way of introducing my characters, don't I?? XD Just don't steal Eclipse or Crystal, cause if ya do I'll hunt ya down!! -looks around warily- Well, see ya later!! X3