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It was during patrol, he remembered, that everything came crashing and burning. Raphael was completely frozen, petrified at the sight before him. The red clad watched in horror as the Foot ninja drove his tanto forward, and before he knew it he was screaming, a pitiful, heartbroken broken cry.
"LEONARDO!"
And then he was moving, his feet driving him forward with no conscious thought, aim set on the soldier. Raphael didn't hesitate, in fact, he took great satisfaction in taking down the Foot ninja, the loud crack as his elbow slammed into the man's temple resonating loudly across the rooftop. He would have been smug, in fact, he should have been. But then again...
"Leo! Leo, come on, talk to me bro'!" The terrapin pleaded, dropping his sai and falling to his knees, clinging to the limp, bleeding figure of his brother. Leonardo coughed hoarsely, blood dripping heavily onto the roof below him and begining to pool around the stab wound in his abdomen. "S-sorry....." The leader whispered pitifully, unable to meet the intense gaze of his mate. "Don't ya' dare Fearless." Raph hissed lowly, yet there was a light sheen of moisture in his eyes. "You're gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay."
Leonardo smiled weakly up at him, reaching up and shakily caressing the side of the other's face in his palm. No words were needed at that moment, they both knew the harsh reality of the situation--Raphael let out a choked sob. "Talk to me...." The leader mumbled, drawing his gaze up to the sky as the blood began to flow more heavily. "Ya' always were so stubborn..." Raph replied solemnly, cradling his leader, his mate, closely in his arms and praying that the dull beat of his heart never ceased. It must have been some cruel twist of fate, that they would end up in such a situation. My fault. It's all my fault. The red banded turtle chastised.
So, swallowing the lump in his throat and ignoring the dark red liquid staining his skin, Raph did the only thing he could do--he talked. It felt like a short eternity, sitting there with his love in his arms. He talked about them, about their brothers, about how they, the two complete opposites that they were, came to be. He talked about their sensei, about their many adventures and daring escapes, and he talked about the first time they had made love. Raphael talked until Leonardo paled, and his breath stilled, and with what little voice he had left, the terrapin whispered, "I love you."
And then he was gone. Leonardo, his brother, his leader, his best friend and his mate, was gone, and nothing could bring him back. And, just for that moment, as Raphael clung to Leo's limp and bloodied body, he let the tears flow freely down his cheeks. He sobbed, he cried, he screamed and he pleaded desperately that this was all a nightmare, that his mate be returned to him, yet it was all in vain. The turtle cried until his throat ached and his eyes burned and he had no tears left to shed. What would his brothers think? What would their father think? He already knew--they would be devastated.
Not bothering to wipe his face, Raphael stood, lifting Leonardo's body and shakily stepping forward. His stomach churned violently and he could feel the bile rising up in his throat, yet Raph powered on. Whatever came next, the terrapin told himself that he would have to deal with it. Because if there was anything, and there was a lot, that Leonardo had taught Raphael, it was that no matter what, he should never give up.
Raphael would take that with him to the grave, he affirmed. Because Leonardo was a lot of things--he was stubborn, pigheaded, conceited, often cruel, strong, agile, determined, perfect, and completely and undeniably fearless.
Fin~