The car ride to Casey's Grandma's house was a quite and sad one. Each person in the car and in the trailer had their own thoughts. April sat next to Casey silently crying. Casey had an angry look on his face. In the trailer Splinter had on his Kamono and his walking stick. He was placed in a wooden canoe with sticks all around him. They would place him in the lake and burn him. Leo was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice when they were stopped and all of them were out of the vehicals.
"Leo?" Donnie asked.
"What? Oh, I guess we're here." Leo got out of the trailer and stood next to Donnie. Master Splinter was already out of the trailer. Raph, Donnie, Mikey and Leo all picked up Master Splinter and started to carry him to the lake Mikey found. April and Casey followed with their heads bent. Leo continued to walk and was going to go straight to the lake, but was stopped by Raph.
"We need to check and make sure there's nobody around." Raph walked quietly ahead. "Why didn't I realize that?" Leo thought. Raph gave the all clear and headed back to help with Splinter. They placed the canoe in the water, Donnie lighted the sticks and with the sticks burning so was their Sensei.
"I think we should say something." Donnie told the group.
"Leo, you should say something." Mikey looked over at Leo expecting him to say something that would make it all better. "God what can I say that would make everyone feel a little better? Nothing, nothing will make this right. Why do I have to say something? I have no idea what to say. But, they all are looking at me like I have the answers to it all. Donnie's the smart one he should say it. But, no it has to be me. Well here goes." Leo thought.
"I really don't know where to begin... Master Splinter was everything to us. He was our teacher, our father and even our friend. For the longest time he was the only one there for us. We counted on him for so much, guidance, food, safety, and so much more. He was our everything. He will be missed more then I could ever explain. He will be with his Master Yoshi now, where he would of loved to have been forever. We will miss you Master more then you can ever know. I don't know how we will go on without you. We love you father, and I am so sorry I didn't say it enough. God, knows that I loved you and still do." Leo sank to the ground and cried. His brothers gathered around him and hugged him. April and Casey stood away giving them the time they needed.
"Come on Leo, lets go home." Raph gently helped Leo to his feet and they began their walk towards the car. "It's gonna be ok bro." The turtles got into the back of the trailer all huddled together in sadness. No one spoke on the way back to the city, they just sat huddled in silence together. Casey and April dropped the guys off to the closest manhole cover near their lair.
"I'll come and see you guys later." Said April.
"Yeah, me too." Casey and April waved a sad good-bye and drove off. Mikey opened the manhole cover and went down the sewer. Donnie followed, then Raph. Leo looked down and realized he didn't want to go back to a lair without his Master. He started walking away from the hole and then started to run. He had to get away he needed to get away from the loneliness.
Donnie, Mikey, and Raph walked back to the lair in silence. They each believed Leo was with them. Raph turned to say something to Leo when he realized he wasn't behind him. "WHAT THE SHELL!!"
"Raph, what is it?" asked Donnie
"Leo's not with us. He was right behind me but he ain't here. Come on we have to go looking for him." Raph started running back.
"Raph stop. Let him go. Let him be alone. He needs to be alone." Said Mikey as he caught up to his brother and put a hand on his arm to stop him from climbing the ladder.
"Mikey's right Raph, he needs time. He is not handling this well at all. He needs to think. You of all turtles should understand this." Donnie told Raph.
"Look, I understand Leo's sad and all, so are we, but he has to come back to the lair with us. I don't think he should be out by himself. He isn't acting like himself. We need to find him Donnie, please. You know I don't get these feelings but I know something is going to happen if he don't come back with us." Raph looked at his brothers intensely hoping they would listen to him.
"I don't know Raph, he might just need some time, that's all." Donnie stated worriedly.
"Donnie, I am telling you I'm going to get him. Now, it will be so much easier if you could track him for me. So, please instead of me looking all over the city you can help me. After we bring him home and talk about things if at that time he has to be a selfish, inconciterate turtle he can leave." Raph walked up the ladder not looking back but hoping his brothers would help him.
"Raph wait up. You running off in all directions that will lead us who knows where is not helping. Let me check my equipment and see if I can track him." Donnie said angrily.
"Fine, but hurry up braineak." Raph started pacing waiting for Donnie to do his thing, but at the same time got a really bad feeling that they needed to hurry up.
Brooklyn Bridge...This was not the honorable way, but it was quicker and easier. He didn't want to be alone. He couldn't be the leader. His brother's will never accept him. With Master Splinter there it was easy. They did what Splinter told them to do "Listen to your brother. He is the leader." Well now what was he? NOTHING. He couldn't live with out his sensei he was alone. He looked down at the water then looked up to the heavens.
"Master, I know you told me that my brother's need me, that I should live for you and them. But I don't think I can. I don't know if I want to. I need guidance. I am not ready to lead. I need you." Leo cried and was hoping for some kind of answer. There was silence and an occasional car across the bridge. But no one would see him not from way up here. He needed to know if he could do this, could he lead his brother's without their Master. Could he survive on his own.
"LEO!!" a scream came from just below him. There climbing up the bridge where his brothers.
"LEO, IF YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT I AM GOING TO KICK YOUR SORRY SHELL FROM HERE TO FLORIDA." Raph screamed as he finally made his way to his brother. "WHAT THE SHELL ARE YOU THINKING?"
"Don't scream Raph, I'm right here." Leo said sadly as he again looked down towards the water. By the time Raph sat next to Leo, Mikey and Donnie were up and sitting down to. The four brothers sat in silence waiting for something anything. Until Leo spoke...