A/N- With the conclusion of the 2012 series on Nickelodeon, I find the time has come to pull up and dust off this particular fic. This fic follows the Turtles and their honorary family members as they find they are ready to let go of Splinter and move forward with their lives. While they are cleaning out Splinter's room they come across a series of journals that Splinter had been writing about their time as a family. Curious as to what memories it contained they all begin to read the journals when someone suggests they add their own memories to the journal. That way they have some legacy to leave behind rather than simply living life in obscurity.

As this fic is a massive undertaking, I am opening the floor for any fan writers who are interested to please come up with journal entries for this fic. The point of view can be from Splinter or one of the Turtles. You will be credited for your entry. The first journal will focus on the Turtles infant years roughly between the age of their mutation (more or less 6-11 months) to the age of three.

Prologue

Ever since his murder at the hands of the Shredder, they all knew this day would come. The day Splinter's bedroom would be cleared out.

Following Splinter's death none of them had the heart to even touch his belongings. It all felt like a horrible nightmare that they wished they could wake up from. More than one occasion found at least one of the Turtles, or one of their human friends arriving at the Dojo with the hope of finding Splinter alive and well meditating underneath the tree. Only to have their hopes dashed to pieces.

None of them could forget that horrible night. The five of them had gone to visit Karai who had stationed herself with the Mutanimals while they plotted to take down the Shredder once and for all. When they arrived it was to find the warehouse had been attacked by the Shredder. The Mutanimals, Karai, and Shinigami barely escaped with their lives. Shini informed them that the Shredder had become nothing more than an unfeeling monster and he would not stop until they were all dead.

Splinter sensed the Foot Clans hench mutants had split in two directions, one towards Coney Island, and the other towards the Wolf Hotel. He at once split their number into two with Leo taking Donnie, Mikey, and Leatherhead with him while Raph, April, Casey and Slash went with Splinter. Leo had protested that splitting up was the worst decision and they were stronger together. But Splinter insisted this was how things should be.

All throughout the trip to Coney Island, Leo wondered if he should have been more insistent about remaining together. Because he couldn't shake the feeling this would be the last time he would see Splinter alive. Even now Leo wondered why they were paired off the way they were. Maybe the three of them were more likely to throw themselves in front of the Shredder to defend Splinter, or perhaps having them there gave the Shredder more people to slaughter out of spite in his delusional desires for revenge. Or Maybe Splinter in his own fatherly way, had simply been trying to protect them.

When they had fought Shredder's hench mutants at Coney Island, Rahzar was defeated for good when he was dragged underwater by Leatherhead. Fishface had slithered away sometime in the middle of battle. Bebop and Rocksteady ran off though they indicated they had been meant as a distraction. Before the three turtles could process this, Donnie got a message from April saying that Raph was hurt and was starting to say what was happening to Splinter before she screamed and was cut off. Knowing that time was against them, the three of them rushed to their Sensei's aid.

The minutes felt like hours as they raced across town, everything felt like it was being slowed to a snail's pace compared to the beating of their hearts. Once they arrived they swiftly exited the Turtle Van, ready for anything that would come at them. Everything seemed eerily calm, that is until he noticed a large object lumbering up the side of the building like a humongous spider. Pulling out his spyglass he gasped in horror as he saw none other than the Shredder climbing over the side of the Wolf Hotel where the rest of their family stood. Knowing they would not get there in time, he screamed out. Unfortunately, his cry of alarm came too late as seconds later, Splinter went flying off the roof and descended down...down...down…to the asphalt below.

Donnie, Mikey, and himself rushed to break their fathers fall, but with a sickening thud the wise rat lay broken upon the floor of the alley way. They knew in their hearts he was gone, Leo in particular couldn't forget the sight, he saw it every night in his worst nightmares. The three of them had gathered beside Splinter's body as Leo gathered their father to his arms, desperately calling his name as the mutant rats robe was becoming further stained with the blood and viscera of his own body. Donnie hesitantly reached out and pressed his fingers at the side of Splinter's neck, hoping for some sign of life, some reason to hope. But, alas, the pain filled look that crossed his brothers face before he shook his head told Leo all he needed to know...Splinter was beyond saving...he was gone. And there was nothing... no time traveling robot, no magical staff, no miracle that would bring Splinter back this time. This time, he was gone for good.

With the events caused by Kavaxas and the resurrection of the Shredder, Splinter was able to appear to them one last time and assist them in the battle. Unfortunately, this also served as a final goodbye to his family as well as he ascended into the sky. The only pleasure they took of this was knowing that Master Splinter...no Hamato Yoshi was at peace with his beloved Tang Shen in paradise.

"Well if we are going to do this…" Raph grumbled as the seven teenagers stood at the doorway to Splinter's room

"Do we have to?" Mikey asked sullenly. "I mean, it just doesn't seem right to just…"

"I agree with you, little brother," Leo responded, giving one of the rare times he would refer to his youngest brother with that nickname."But Sensei...he's he's not coming back...not this time."

"So what do you plan to do with all of the Rat-Dude's stuff?" Casey asked as Donnie set to task dismantling the large rodent wheel that Splinter would pace in when he had things on his mind.

"Some of Splinter's scrolls, will be kept." Leo stated. "The healing mantras have been useful in the past." Everyone paused momentarily as they sensed that Leonardo had wanted to add something about where the healing mantra had been useless. Perhaps if Splinter had still been alive, Leo would have thought to use the Healing Hands on him. But following a post-mortem examination Donnie had confirmed that Splinter had died before he even hit the ground.

"The cheese phone, I think could go to Goodwill or the Salvation Army," April suggested as she changed the subject. "There are tons of people who are interested in novelty phones, that is unless you had something planned for it, D?

"Giving it away would be fine," Donnie sighed, his voice sullen and distracted as he glanced over his shoulder and watched Leo taking down Splinter's wall scrolls. Karai was flipping through Splinter's books deciding which ones would be best to give away, and which ones should be kept. His mahogany-red eyes noted with some sorrow that the art history book that Splinter had used when he had named them had been placed in the discard stack. Both Mikey and April were putting Splinter's prized bonzai in a box to be given away.

Much of Splinter's room was the sparse style to a traditional japanese home so outwardly there wasn't a lot to go through. Raph and Casey, however, had opened sliding doors to cabinets and cupboards. The two of them pulling out various boxes looked through them and tossing the contents into bags to be thrown away such as old childish drawings and doodles the Turtles had done when they had been small. The old study primers that Splinter had stolen for them when he had been teaching them. The boxes of toys that Splinter had lovingly found for them when he would scavenge the city. Things their father had kept as treasures of his life with them.

Leo felt himself become overcome with emotion by how thoughtlessly Raph was tossing out relics of their past with Splinter. Putting down the last of Splinter's wall scrolls he stepped out of the room to calm himself. He could feel the eyes of his family watch him with concern and sympathy as they continued with their tasks.

For what felt like the millionth time, Leonardo found himself standing at the doorway to the Dojo. His hand tracing over the grooves that Splinter had scratched into the stone with a kunai. Marking the height of each of his sons as they grew tall and strong as they peacefully lived in this sheltered lair. There had been numerous moments where he longed to return to those innocent days, or somehow warn his younger self of what would come to pass.

"Why would Splinter keep a box of string?" Casey asked. Leo's attention returned to the task at hand. Casey had thrown open one box and gazed into it with his face twisted as though trying to comprehend what he was seeing as he pulled several cords from the box. Each cord was of various lengths and colors, some were made from discarded bits of twine and string, while others were from fabric.

"Oh those...that's all just a bunch of those stupid kamihima cords that the "Dork-Trio" would put together." Raph snorted dismissively.

"The name for them is kumihimo," Donnie corrected. "I didn't know Sensei even kept these."

"The name for them is Kumi-I-don't-give-a-flying-flip." Raph groused.

"These are lovely," April commented in awe as she got up to see the treasures the box contained for herself.

"I'm glad you think so," Leo said as he picked up a four-warp braided cord of alternating blue with purple and red with orange cloth. His mind remembering the feel as he wove the colored strips together. His eyes also caught sight one that was purple cloth woven through with wire. "Hey, D, I think this one was one of yours."

"If you three enjoy wasting your time weaving a bunch of stupid friendship bracelets like group of school girls, be my guest." Raph grumbled.

"It's actually associated with the Samurai." Karai pointed out as she also crouched by the box and began looking through the various cords and examining them."Kumihimo cords were used to as a functional and decorative way of lacing up their lacquered armor."

"Either way, I say toss 'em." Raph said, Casey nodded in agreement.

"Not so fast," April stated "there are a lot of nice ones here, they could certainly be used for something like necklaces or bracelets…"

"I personally don't see any reason to keep any of these,"Leo offered."But if you feel you have a good use for them, then you are welcome to them."

"Thank you," April said as she set the Kumihimo cords aside. Getting up and reaching into one of the cupboards she pulled out another box. Setting it onto the floor she knelt down and opened it only to find full leather bound notebooks. The leather was stained and the pages yellowed with age, picking one of the books up she thumbed through it, relishing the musty smell of the paper and ink. Her eyes suddenly widened. In neat columns upon the pages were strings of hiragana characters, all penned in a firm but gentle hand that could only have belonged to Splinter.

"Guys," April said gaining the attention of all her companions. "Look at this." Casey at once took the journal and flipped through it.

"It's a book filled with squiggles." Casey said as he tossed it Raph who also flipped through it.

"It's Japanese writing…" Raph sighed before throwing the journal at Donnie. "Hey, Dorkatello, this is more your thing." Donatello caught the book giving his brasher brother a bit of a dirty look for callously treating one of Splinter's belongings in such a manner. Opening the journal he scanned the lines of Japanese text muttering each word to himself.

`Watashi wa nani ga okotta no ka wakarimasendeshitaga, watashi wa ningen yori mo chīsai mono ni henshin shite ita koto wa shitte imasuga, dōbutsude wa arimasen.

"I knew not what had happened to me, but I know I had been transfigured to something less than human...and yet not quite an animal."

"It's in hirigana...and it's Splinter's writing." Donnie announced, tears springing to his eyes. After so many months it felt like Splinter speaking to them from beyond.

"What?" Leo asked as he looked for himself.

"It's a journal guys," Donnie said with the happiest smile he had had in days. "It's a journal about our lives as a family."

"No way." Mikey said as he also gathered with his family to look at the journals."

"Karai," Leo suggested to the former Foot Clan Kunoichi. "For your whole life, you've only known Splinter through what the Shredder has told you. And with everything that has been going on there have been so few opportunities for you to really begin to know who he truly was as your father. Perhaps this could help you get to know, Hamato Yoshi as we knew him."

"I think you guys can do something even better." April suggested. "Why don't you translate these journals, and add in your own memories as well." Four pairs of eyes regarded her blankly as though waiting for her to elaborate. "Well you see, the only people who really know of your existence are Casey, Karai, myself, my dad, Mr. Murakami and Mr. Kurtzman..."

"Okay, you can stop right there because the answer is 'No!'" Raph growled. "Have you forgotten that we are ninjas?"

"Yeah, strike hard and fade into the night." Mikey also chimed in. "Must stick to the shadows, that sort of thing."

"We live in secret to protect this family…" Leo pointed out.

"What's left of it." Donatello added somewhat bitterly. Leo however chose to ignore his second brothers jape as he continued.

"You saw what happened the last time we were nearly exposed to the media, April. Joan Grody was practically dragging our family through the mud and calling us 'baby eaters'."

"But that's what I'm talking about." April said. "I'm not saying this is something that should be released to the general public, but there should be some proof that you guys did exist."

"Well, Renet did say we did wind up in the history books in the future." Mikey stated.

"Seriously," Raph said looking somewhat uncomfortable. "You think people should really read about our lives."

"What's the matter, Raph?" Casey smirked. "Afraid that something embarrassing could be in there?"

"No...No of course not." Raph denied. "I just don't think people need to read about us learning how to be potty trained...if that's even in there."

"Who knows Raph," Mikey said cryptically "Maybe people are already reading about us. Or maybe there could be TV shows and movies about us...comic books. Perhaps someone is actually writing a story about us writing this journal as we speak."

"I'm with O'Neil, a family journal could be a good idea." Karai stated trying to drive the conversation away from Mikey's crazy ramblings. "With the Foot Clan disbanded, all of us are all that remains of the Hamato Clan. These journals may be the only legacy that this clan has left. And even if Ninjitsu becomes a thing of the past, there are still things that these journals and all of you could offer for people of the future."

"What do you say guys?" April inquired.

"I'm for it." Mikey said.

"Yeah, this sounds metal." Casey agreed giving Mikey a high-eight.

"I'm up for the task." Donnie stated before looking to Raph and Leo. They were the only ones who had yet to agree on this task. After a long ponderous moment, Leo and Raph nodded in agreement.

[Everyone]

So begins the journal of the Hamato-clan. Currently we stand together as a band of four brothers, one sister, and two honorary family members.

[Leonardo]

Nearly two decades ago, a man named Hamato Yoshi left a pet shop with four recently hatched turtles. Unfortunately, fate had a different destiny in store for him when he was attacked and mutated into a giant rat.

My brothers and I are in actuality the Turtles that he had purchased that fateful day. Hamato Yoshi or Master Splinter as we knew him best was our Father.

[Donatello]

It's been several months since our sensei's murder at the hands of our greatest enemy, the Shredder. Ever since his passing, my brothers and I have continued to follow our lives the way he has taught us.

Not a day has gone by where we don't miss him terribly, and his absence leaves us with a void that we know can never be filled.

[Raphael]

Hopefully this journal won't be read until long after we are gone. But just incase it doesn't, please don't go seeking us out. Nothing personal, but we do prefer that humans don't know we exist. It's safer for people in general as well. We have a hard enough time keeping the humans we've come to know as friends safe.

[Michelangelo]

So in advance thank you for reading our story. It's been a long journey, it's been a hard journey, but it's been one that my brs and I wouldn't have traded for the world.