"I gathered up my tools and computer, and various other things of importance, and went to say goodbye to April and Casey. It was a very emotional time. I was their last link to my brothers and Splinter--to everyone and everything we knew and loved, and they in return, were mine. But I needed this journey, even more so than I realized. April asked me not to go. How I longed to be able to do that one thing for her, to finally see a glimmer of happiness in her face after so much sorrow, but I had to deny her plea. It was my duty to fulfil Splinter's request. It was all I could do to ensure that his soul would be at peace. They asked me if I'd be returning. I told them the truth--I didn't know. They seemed to understand my reasons. I could only hope they'd forgive me if we never saw each other again.

"On my way out that night, as I said goodbye to my friends and my home, I decided to take a piece of each of them with me. Though they were no longer in my life, I would keep something to remember them by.

"I took Raphael's barbells. He'd been so attached to those things. I also gathered all of the videotapes I could find under his bed. I dared to go into Leo's room for the first time since he'd disappeared. Everything was in order, just as it was the morning he left. I took his lone sword and the scabbards he kept them in, along with his journal. To honor Splinter's memory, I packed his incense burner and the Japanese scrolls he'd been so fond of.

"Mike's apartment proved the most difficult. As soon as I entered, grief overwhelmed me, and I could hardly bring myself to search through his abandoned belongings. I found his diary in a desk drawer, along with a copy of the book he'd gotten published. Mine had been misplaced several years previous, and I hadn't really taken the time to read much of it. Perhaps its pages would keep me company on the long journey ahead.

"After collecting everything together, I took one final look at the underground tunnels I had once called home, and left without ever looking back."