This is gonna be a real short fanfic. It's just a little remembrance dealy. If you're not familiar with the character of Yoshi, then I'll do a briefy. Aight? ^_^ Well, in TMNT the movie #3, they go back to feudal Japan through time warp. In the village where Mikey was brought, there is a little boy that Raphael meets. Yoshi was the reason they were able to go back home. So, seeing that I think Yoshi brought out the more caring side of Raph, I thought I'd write a little somethin' for him...enjoy!
UPDATE: Buslady of SoCal pointed out to me a scene in my story that was her idea and I failed to give her credit. The cave in the wall thingy was her creation, and I didn't realize it when I was writing. Kinda thought it was apart of the movie or something...I dunno. I was tired when I wrote it. . (Also one of those moments where you think you've read it somewhere before but can't remember where.) Anyway, yeah. "Raph's Sanctuary" is BUS LADY'S NOT MINE! Thank you!! ^_^
Raphael grumbled and cursed to the air, sorting through the hundreds of boxes scattered all across the living area floor. On his knees and digging through old junk, Raph's patience was dimming fast. Being an old turtle had its downfalls for sure. He had begun to curse his human side for the characteristic of aging, for his eyesight was a bit off and his joints creaked. His muscles were still nicely defined, but since he had resigned his position of a ninja he had no use for them. 'Curse Leo and his "gotta stay healthy and strong" bullshit!'
"I don't see why we gotta do this, Leo!" Raph snarled, throwing an old teddy bear of Mikey's at Leo. "Why can't we just keep them for memory's sake and leave 'em alone?"
Leo smiled to himself before turning to face Raph. 'He'll always be a grouch till the day he dies,' Leo thought, but then sighed. He knew that day was coming closer and closer for Raph as well as for Leo and the others. Splinter had been long gone since they were around twenty. Now, they were far into their sixties, nearing seventy.
"Because, Raph...one, you just want to leave them alone so you don't have to do any work, and two...they take up too much room in the lair. So keep working." With that, Leo went back into his subway car to collect more things.
Raph muttered some random profanity and kept digging. He got up to carry the box he had been working on outside when something caught his eye. Something had fallen out of the box. Cursing again for the need to bend down and get it, Raph reached down to pull back just as fast. Down by his foot lay an old, dusty gold scepter.
Raph quickly snatched his precious possession and went out into the maze of tunnels, leaving his box where it was to go to his little spot where he always used to go when he was an angry teenager. The little "cave" in the wall that he liked to think of as his "sanctuary."
When he finally reached the spot, lifting himself up with much effort and sitting in a corner, he held the scepter to his view and his eyes grew glossy. 'Ah, I remember you,' Raph thought fondly. 'I remember you, Yoshi...'
His thoughts journeyed back to the little Japanese boy the turtles had met when they traveled through time back to feudal Japan. He remembered how old Yoshi was when he had met him. Yoshi was five...and felt he was too "old" to play childish games with the rest of the village children. He remembered the war, and how Yoshi's innocence was ended at such an early age worrying about it, just like the rest of the village.
Raph's eyes filled up with tears, and he wasn't ashamed of it anymore. If he were a teenager again, he would hate himself for letting himself become so weak. But now, it felt good to go back to the "good old days," and it felt good to keep the promise he had made to that little boy.
"I didn't forget, Yoshi," Raph whispered out loud. And, just like any other would, he thought about Yoshi. He could remember a time when Raph had needed to find a place to think, and instead of that, found Yoshi...
Yoshi sat with one arm wrapped tightly around his knees, the other hand throwing rocks into the river. His eyes were narrowed and glaring across the river at a random tree. When Raph came across him, his first feeling was irritation. There was absolutely no place to sit and think by himself. When he looked at Yoshi, though, he cast his needs aside and strutted over to the little boy.
When he sat down next to Yoshi, Yoshi started, wiping his eyes quickly to hide any signs of crying. The kid reminded Raph of himself more each day. "Hi, Raphael-san."
"Hey, Yoshi," Raph greeted. He looked out among the river, watching silver ribbons wriggle along downstream. A slight breeze made the tails of his mask waver, and he felt immediately peaceful. Japan was such a serene place when there wasn't war going on. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Yoshi said. Raph didn't believe a word of it.
"It's okay, kid. You can tell me. I'm not gonna bite you."
Yoshi laughed. His little Japanese eyes disappeared as his smile replaced them. Then, Yoshi's face became serious again. "The other children were laughing at me."
"Why did they do that?" Raph asked. For some reason, he was acting like a parent from the way he sounded when he asked. He sounded like he was astonished; the type of tone a father used when his little boy was upset was evident in his own voice. Raph failed to realize right away that he felt like a brother to Yoshi if not a father.
"They called me 'old man.'"
"Where would they come up with a name like that?"
"They say I'm too serious."
Raph laughed. He wanted to say, "That's all it is?" but he knew that children's feelings were delicate. How he knew that was beyond him...he supposed it was the connection he had with the little guy.
"That's not a bad thing," Raph began. He wrapped his arm around the tiny little boy's shoulder, relaxing, since he knew his explanation might take a while. "But it's not a good thing all the time."
"Why not, Raphael-san?"
"Well, because if you were serious all the time, no one would want
to play with you." Perhaps he was being a bit hard on the kid, but he knew
that he had to face reality sooner or later. "It's good to be serious at
times, like when there is someone who is upset and you want to make them feel
better." Raph smiled at Yoshi, who smiled back. "But remember that
you're still little. You gotta have fun sometimes."
After that moment with Yoshi, the topic had come up again when Raph had asked him what game he was playing when he saw him acting like a warrior. Yoshi had explained that he needed to prepare for the war that was coming. Raph had suggested he go and fly kites with the others, but Yoshi refused because he was too "old."
Raph had helped Yoshi make that kite, and he had given back some of Yoshi's childhood, helping him realize that he needed to have fun while he still could.
Raph stroked the scepter, feeling a teardrop slide out of his eyes, sneaking in and out of the wrinkles of his aged, spotted face. He wondered where Yoshi was right then, what he was doing, if he still remembered Raphael-san...
Far back in time, Yoshi stood outside the doorway of his home in his village, sweeping the dust off the doorstep. He looked out among the mountains, taking in the pure air and feeling the warmth of the sun. His peppered hair sparkled in the afternoon light, and his squinty Japanese eyes disappeared as he smiled, feeling at peace. He wasn't sure why he had suddenly felt so good. One moment, he was angry at his eldest daughter, who had run off and married a no-good man from the village beyond theirs, then the next he was smiling.
Yoshi slowly walked back inside, holding his back as he did. His joints were worn and old, so he had to walk as slowly as was sanely possible. Yoshi passed his wife, playing with one of their many grandchildren. He walked down to a room in his house where he opened a drawer he had made when he was still a young, able-bodied twenty-year-old man.
Inside this drawer was a kite. He pulled it out gingerly, stroking the light, fragile paper with tenderness, regarding the design of a fish. Yoshi hummed in retrospect, saying to himself, "I remember you, old friend." He paused, thinking back to when he was a five-year-old little boy. "I remember you, Raphael-san." He had remembered when he had met the four demons from the future. What splendid creatures they were...
"Watashi wa kame hito o omoidashimasu," Yoshi murmured in Japanese. He then said in English, to honor the English-speaking Raphael, "I remember the turtle man." Speaking in both languages joined the two in his mind, feeling the comfort of his old friend. He remembered the promise Raphael made, and smiled again. He knew why he had become so happy all of the sudden.
Because Raphael, after so many years, had kept his promise. He was thinking of Yoshi right this second. Yoshi cried, closing his eyes and thinking, 'Raphael. It is me, Yoshi...'
Raphael. It is me, Yoshi...
The voice came out of no where. Chills ran up Raph's neck, and he listened carefully.
I thank you, Raphael-san. You remembered your promise. It's been over fifty years since we met...many more for you...but I remember you. I have a wife and many children and grandchildren. My life is very hard, but very good. Through all of my hardships, I always remember you and how you said to enjoy being young. I am nearing sixty now, and I must admit to myself that age has caught up to me. But I am glad you told me what you did, because I have enjoyed my life and I know that I will die in peace.
Raph's eyes were brimming with tears, and he sniffed quietly as he listened for more.
I can feel you listening, Raphael-san. I am glad I got to speak with you one last time, as I know my life is going to end sooner than I may think. I am happy now, Raphael-san. You remembered me, just like you promised. I love you, Raphael-san.
Raph sobbed when he couldn't hear Yoshi anymore. Now it was his turn to speak, his thoughts probably as quivery as if he were speaking with sobs choking him.
'Hey, kid. Thanks for the hello,' Raph thought. 'I've missed you, buddy. It's hard to think of you as an old man now. But I bet you can't picture me as an old, grumpy turtle as well. I love you too, Yoshi. Never forget it. I wish I could see you again and see how everything's turned out for you. I have always remembered you. Of course I kept my promise. I could never forget you, Yoshi. Take care of yourself, eh?'
Raph stopped, feeling at ease and at great peace. The feeling was familiar, like the feeling next to the river. He wondered if Yoshi had heard him. No...he knew that he did...
If only he knew that Yoshi was listening, smiling, crying...and laughing. He remembered.
Raph looked at the scepter, wondering if it was still possible to time travel. He'd have to ask Donny. He wanted to see Yoshi one last time. He got down from his spot and began walking back to the lair.
"Only one way to find out," he said to himself, holding the scepter close to his heart.
