Chapter Text
That Raphael protected his brothers tooth and nail, everyone knew. Everyone knew that he was a loving older brother and that he would do anything for his brothers, everyone knew.
But now, they were all around Raph crying as he hugged him tightly. They had never thought that their beloved older brother had gone through so much for them.
"We love you so much Raphie...we love you so much" Leo whispered while with his face against Raph's chest.
"Thank you, you are the best big brother in the world" Mikey said with his arms around his big brother's neck
Donnie bit his lower lips and just hugged Raphael's big arm tighter.
It had all started out as an ordinary day, Mikey had started practicing magic with Draxum and always showed his brothers what he learned. And it was no different this time, the younger one was more than excited to show off his skills to his older brothers.
Everyone gathered around him as he began to tell about what he learned. 'Remember that spell Barry used on Dad so we could see his memories? He taught me how to do it!'
"That's amazing Mikey! I'm proud of you " Raph smiled caressing his younger brother.
"I still find it inferior to technology, but I'm proud of you Miguel. You'll definitely be the best of us with this" Donnie said with not much expression on his face, but Mikey knew it was real.
"Good one little brother! You'll show us right?" Slider smiled crossing his arms, Mikey smiled excitedly
"Absolutely! Who wants to go first?"
At this point the three eldest looked at each other and Leo smiled mischievously "The eldest first hermano"
"What?! Why me? Can't it be Donnie?"
" I am sorry big brother, however everyone knows that the elders are the first" Donnie smiled standing next to Leo.
"Oh come on Raphie! Please!" Mikey intertwined his fingers making his irresistible puppy dog eyes, the older one sighed defeated raising his arms in the air.
"All right, you guys won, Raph will be first"
0o0o0
They were all sitting down as Mikey finished drawing on the floor to complete the spell, Rapha was sitting right in the middle of it all. Mikey finishes drawing the floor and smiles sitting down in his seat.
"Right! Everyone ready?"
"Uh... Raph is not so sure he still wants to do this"
"Don't worry big brother, what can happen?" The softshell said raising a perfectly drawn eyebrow, the snapper opens his mouth to reply but soon closes it sighing.
"Focus guys, the great mage here needs to focus!" Complained the younger one snorting, so everyone closes their eyes as the box turtle takes the mystical hourglass and puts it in its place, taking a deep breath he activates the magic and the designs on the floor glow blue. Everything around seemed to have gone dark and his eyes glowed white.
Leo rubs his eyes and looks around, they were somewhere in the sewers, a strong feeling of nostalgia takes over the slider, he remembered that place. It was the first lair they lived in.
"Wow... I never thought I would see that place again" Donnie said looking around.
"That's exactly how I remember it! Man, this lair was so empty" Mikey said starting to walk.
The three move on hearing small voices just ahead, coming across their versions of the past and their still small older brother.
"Awww! That's us!"
"Haha, Donnie's always had a huge head since he was little"
"Hilarious Nardo. Hilarious. He said sarcastically."
Mikey rolled his eyes and approached his little versions, Raph was sitting with his brothers around him trying to tuck his brothers to sleep.
"Raphie...where are the pops?" Lee's small voice said curled up in Raphael's arms, the little alligator tortoise seemed to think and soon smiled "He must be on a mission with Lou Jitsu!"
"Woah! Really?" Michel perked up looking at his big brother.
"Yes! He's helping Lou Jitsu beat up the bad guys and protect us" Smiled the boy proud of his answer.
"But Lou Jitsu is human, and Papa always says that humans can't know about him or us"
"Pops always goes undercover Dee! Don't worry!" Little Raphie said pulling him closer on the pile of pillows and old sheets. Little Leo smiled and sighed snuggling into Raphiel with a tired yawn starting to fall asleep.
"That's nice...but I miss him"
A sad expression forms on little Raphie's face, with a sigh he covers his siblings and watches them until they all actually sleep.
"I miss him too..."
"I...I didn't remember that conversation" Leo said watching the small pile of turtles.
"Uh... let's see the other stuff"
Mikey said starting to walk through the tunnels, as they walked the walls start to change and they were in a different lair, it was more spacious than the old one and there was more furniture in there, the little ones still seem to be the same age as the previous memory.
"Is it empty? Where is it-" Donnie didn't even have time to finish.
CRASH
Everyone found themselves looking at the makeshift kitchen Raphie rushes past entering the kitchen while Lee was surrounded by shards of glass
"I- I'm sorry! I just wanted to get the glass and-"
"Leo! Are you hurt?" Raphie walked over to her brother stepping on the shards of glass not caring about the bruises on her small feet.
"Raphie! The glass!"
"Raph can take care of himself! Wait a little while, okay? I'll get it out of here.
Raphie gets out of there and goes to get something to clean the shards. The child cleans up and checks that his little brother is okay. With Lee being fine, Raphie waits for him to walk away and sits looking at his feet and finally lets out a squeak of pain.
"Okay... I just need to take care of the bruise. But Leo is fine! I'm the older brother, I need to take care of them first."
"What? He should have called Daddy! He got hurt!" Leo protested, forgetting that this was a memory and that he couldn't be heard by the younger version of his big brother.
"He doesn't listen to us Nardo..." The softshell put his hand on his twin's shoulder, Leo looks at him with a sigh and nods, Mikey tries to smile and holds the slider's hand
"I'm sure the next memory must be of when we used to play! It was always so cool!"
Leo smiles and the three of them walk back, but deep down, the three of them were slowly rethinking if this was even a good idea. Leo wondered if they were really ready for whatever would come in the next memories