Leo is so depressed, i think he may leave soon. I will try to keep him here for sensei, but he feels that he failed as a leader, And even worse, a brother. I hope he does not leave us.

Leo woke up to find donnie looking nervously at him. "I'm fine." he lied, the truth was, he was a failure. He'd driven two of his brothers off by pure stubbornness, what would happen if he made donnie leave? Who would take care of master splinter?

"Ok." donnie said, "but I got your medicine." he held up a spoon, leo took it and gulped it down, donnie tried so hard, but leo was already a failure. "See? Not too bad." donnie said, putting the spoon away, "what do you want to do today?" leo looked away, he hadn't spoken very much recently,and he could tell donnie was worried. But it was him opening his big mouth that had caused all this trouble, and he didn't want to make the same mistake three times.

"I dunno." he finally said, donnie looked relieved just to hear him speak.

"Oh come on, you got to want to do something." he pressed. Leo shrugged, he just didn't want to make donnie leave.

"I'm going to talk to splinter." he decided, donnie looked ecstatic that he was finally talking more than once a day, but leo worried still. He got up and walked to his father's room. "Sensei?" he asked, splinter turned.

"Leonardo." he said, pleased, "I am glad that you are up."

"I wanted to see how you were doing." leo explained, "are you ok?" splinter looked way too happy for a guy whose sons had run away, but he was happy.

"I am alright." he assured leo, "come talk to me." leo knelt by his father's chair. Splinter gestured with his hands at the rug. "Do you know what those symbols mean?" he asked, leo looked at them, he didn't recognize them.

"No father." he said, and sensei nodded.

"There are few who do, let me tell you the story."

"Long ago, in ancient japan, there was an emperor. The emperor had four sons. One day, when he was close to death, he called his sons to his bedside. He told them he would die soon, and that he wanted them to split the kingdom equally into two or four clans. The eldest, who wished to obey the laws and rules, suggested that they remain as one kingdom. The second brother who was prideful, yet also very true to his family, wanted to split it to four, one for each brother. The third, took it upon himself to decide what ways the kingdom would split, and came to the conclusion they would thrive most if they were two clans, instead of one or four. The fourth brother was content with whatever his brothers decided, because he hated family quarrels. The second brother conceded that splitting was a good idea, but the first argued against it, warning that he would take the majority with him if they did. Fighting broke out, and soon, the fourth brother, who had tried to calm his brothers, lay dead in the courtyard. The eldest brother, distraught at the thought of killing his own brother, fled, never to return. The second and third brothers split the kingdom equally, as their father had asked. The second named his the Foot clan, to remember the thousands of feet that walked upon the earth,and the third brother named his hamato, in his father's name. The eldest brother traveled for days trying to find his way in life, and eventually threw himself into he waves, to join his younger brother."

"You see leonardo, all arguments are many sided, the second brother only wanted the best for their family. But ended up killing his brother." leo nodded, but he was still confused, who was he? The oldest? The youngest? One of the others?

"Nice story." donnie said from the doorway. Leo looked at his brother, who was he in the story? "Is there more?" donnie asked but sensei shrugged.

"Many ends are left up to those who hear them." he said, "make your own path." leo nodded slowly, that made sense. He got up abruptly. And pushed past donnie out to the lair, he knew what he had to do.

"Well, bye then leo." donnie said, sounding a little disappointed. Leo ignored that, he'd come to a conclusion that made goosebumps rise on his arms, the only way to keep from hurting his remaining family was to leave.

Leo glanced around, grabbing his pack, donnie was asleep, but he had left a note on the cot. By the time his brother read it, he would be gone. Leo climbed up out of the lair,and headed to the docks. He wanted to drown, he was a horrible brother, but just in case some weird thing happened, he'd brought a few supplies. Leo stood at the end of the pier and looked at the glassy black water below, he was the second brother now. Spreading his arms he let himself fall into the depths.

Donnie jerked awake, and ran to the lab, leo was gone. He read quickly through the note and felt tears welling up in his eyes, leo… not him too. He ran to the dojo, "mas, master splinter." he gasped, "leo's gone." master splinter jerked upright.

"Gone?" he echoed, donnie handed him the note, sensei rubbed a hand over his eye. "My son." he said, "leonardo." sensei suddenly whipped around to face donatello, "will you leave as well? Will this family soon reach the far corners of the earth?" donnie took his father's hand.

"I will never leave." he promised, "i'll try to find my brothers." he hugged his father tightly, now it was just the two of them.

ok, here is the second part of chapter two, i know I'm moving a little fast, but there's more important stuff later...