Song: One Day Too Late - Skillet

I can't look at the fire anymore. There is a stabbing pain in my heart and it isn't just because I breathed in a bunch of smoke. It's because I just witnessed the destruction of countless memories, as well as our confidence. We are broken. We don't need food or shelter. All we need now is time to heal. But time is a thing that's hard to possess.

I look around at my weakened team. They're all covered in soot and frowns are plastered upon their faces. Their eyes are downcast to either stare at the ground in shame, or to examine their own wounds. We are one miserable-looking family.

But one good thing has come out of the attack upon us. I glance at Leonardo. He no longer has that distant look in his blue eyes. Instead, he is focused and scanning the area around us. I know that expression well enough to tell that he is planning our next move.

Before he can declare it, however, Casey interrupts the sad silence that has taken us over.  "What do we do now?"

It takes me a minute to realize he's looking at me.  He wants me to make the decision.  It's a nice feeling, but it's also a bit odd to be treated so highly.  It makes me squirm sheepishly in my shell.

"Uh..." I glance at Leonardo again.  There is no denying the strange expression in his eyes as he awaits my orders.  He makes no move to help me out.

Fine.  If he wants me to lead, then I will.

"We're going to the fire pit," I decide.  I have grown used to giving orders, so it comes almost naturally to me.  "There's something there that you all need to see."

I take the lead without a single squeak of protest from Leonardo.  All my life, I thought being in charge would be fun.  But now that I have it without an argument from the blue-clad turtle, it doesn't feel right.  It's... unsatisfying.

We arrive at the fire pit in renewed silence.  Remembering the hand motions that Leonardo uses constantly, I order everyone to form a circle around the pit.  Once everyone settles down, we wait.

Almost immediately, a familiar blue flame begins to grow in the midst of the ashes.  It increases in size until it's large enough for Master Splinter to fit into it.  His spirit hovers there, his gaze trailing over each of his sons.  He does not acknowledge the existence of Casey, Elizabetta, Charlotte, Lucy, or April at first.  He is simply focused on the ones he spent his whole life protecting.  Even as a ghost, he is doing everything within his power to keep us safe.  It warms my heart and makes it ache at the same time.

"My sons," Master Splinter begins, his voice full of sorrow.  "It is good to see you again, though I wish it had been under different circumstances."

I risk a peek at Leonardo.  As I suspected, his eyes are sparkling with emotion.  Amazement covers his face as he reaches out for our sensei's transparent body.

"S-sensei," the eldest turtle gasps softly.  "Are you...?"

"I am afraid not, my son," Master Splinter replies gently, as if speaking to a small child.  "The Shredder has taken my mortal body from me.  But since you are witnessing this, he has not yet managed to steal my spirit from your hearts."

Leonardo's eyes close tightly.  He is shivering; but because of what, I'm not sure.

Michelangelo's sky-blue eyes are practically bulging out of his head.  "Whoa," he whispers.  "Sensei, if that's really you, then tell me what I'm thinking right now!"

I glare at the orange-clad turtle.  "He's not a mind-reader, you-"

"You are daydreaming about pizza that is large enough to blanket New York City," Master Splinter's spirit replies.

Michelangelo gasps and put his hands on his cheeks.  "You are Master Splinter!" he exclaims in shock.

I facepalm.

Master Splinter's gaze shifts to one of worry.  He seems to see some kind of storm in the distance, but it's hidden from us.

"My sons, you must return to New York immediately," he urges.  "Shredder has discovered a rebellion against his dictatorship and he is eliminating them as we speak.  You must stop him."

Donatello gulps.  "Uh, with all due respect sensei, we'll get destroyed if we go back there.  We barely made it out alive," he says hesitantly.

"Yeah," Michelangelo chirps, a scared expression on his face.  "We'll get turned into turtle pancakes!"

"Not necessarily," Leonardo points out.  He is looking at the mutant rat with hopeful eyes.  "Sensei, if you go back with us, we can defeat the Shredder!  We can save the whole world!" His voice rises happily with each word.

Master Splinter smiles a tiny bit.  "I will always be with you, my sons.  Wherever you go, I am already there."  He goes on before the rest of us can interrupt.  "You cannot save world on your own.  You must obtain more allies.  Remember that sometimes, even the most unlikely creature is willing to help you."

The spirit looks at Michelangelo and Donatello.  "You two must stay focused on what is important.  Do not let comic books or your feelings hinder your success."

The two turtles dip their heads respectfully.  "Hai, sensei," they agree.

Master Splinter looks at Casey and April next. "I know that both of you have much on your minds, but you must learn to control that. Turn your anger and fear towards the Shredder, for he is the reason you are like this."

Casey nods while April says, "Yes, sensei."

Master Splinter eyes Elizabetta a bit skeptically. "Do not lose hope," is all he speaks to her.

Elizabetta swallows hard, her green eyes never leaving the spirit mutant. She and our sensei never got along, and even now it's evident that they are uncomfortable. Still, Elizabetta nods obediently.

Master Splinter faces Charlotte and Lucy. "You two are not as familiar to me, but I have been watching.  I see your struggles and I am aware that you all focus too much on yourselves.  Learn to put others first, no matter the circumstances."

The humans are too startled to reply, but they each manage to nod.

The rat finally looks at Leonardo and I.  "Raphael, you are blinded by your own strength.  You must learn to trust your team, or you will have made enemies with the ones you are closest to.  That is something that even the strongest man- or turtle- cannot overcome."

I dip my head.  "Hai, sensei," I murmur.

"And Leonardo," Master Splinter looks at the blue-clad turtle with a kind expression.  "Do not let your grief weigh you down.  It is a dangerous enemy that can steal years of your life before you even notice they are gone."

Leonardo's eyes glitter with tears.  He bows his head.  "Hai, sensei," he whispers hoarsely.

"I love you, my sons," Master Splinter says. Then, within a blink of an eye, he is gone.

Leonardo stares at the ashes in horror.  "No!" he exclaims.  He falls to his knees beside the pit, clutching the air.  "Sensei!  Father!  You said you would come with us..." he trails off and screws his eyes up.  A tear from each eye leaks out and rolls down his cheeks.

Elizabetta is at his side in an instant, rubbing his shell. "Leo, it's alright. Calm down," she whispers gently, though it doesn't seem to be working.

Donatello sighs.  "This isn't the best time to mention this, but Master Splinter said 'he has not yet managed to steal my spirit from your hearts'.  That means he was just a figment of our imagination that somehow made it into the real world.  I guess what they say is true; your loved ones never really leave you, even after they move on."

My heart reaches out to Leonardo.  I bend down and touch his shoulder, but he reject my comfort.  He simply stands and disappears into the surrounding woods without a single word.

Maybe Leonardo isn't better after all.

Elizabetta rises and gazes after the turtle, her eyes tearing up. She quickly blinks them away as Michelangelo pulls her into a comforting hug, but she starts to cry again as soon as she is in his arms.

Without hesitating, I hop to my feet and dart after the blue-clad turtle. I don't want to lose him to grief again. I just can't. Especially not when I just got him back.

Through the tree branches, I can just make out the shell of a turtle. "Leo!" I call after him. "Leo, wait up!" But he shows no signs of stopping.

I continue after him at a fast pace, determined to protect him from whatever stupid idea he might have. "Leonardo!" I yell louder, scaring some nearby birds into the sky.

Leonardo finally stops and allows me to catch up. When I reach him, I find him on his knees, his face upwards. His eyes are squeezed shut and his lips distorted into a painful frown. It appears like he has morphed into the most depressed turtle on the face of the earth.

I approach him cautiously. "Listen, man. I know losing Master Splinter is hard on you and all. It's hard on the rest of us, too, but-" I attempt to sympathize with my eldest brother, but he doesn't seem interested in it.

He turns his piercing gaze on me with such an angry expression that it startles me. "Master Splinter? You think this is about him?" He sounds accusative, like I am being naive. The vexed turtle rises to his feet and towers over me, his teeth gritted. "No, I'm over that. This is about you."

I take a step back, more out of shock than fear. "Me?" I question. "Are you crazy? What have I got to do with this?"

Leonardo laughs coldly. "Don't play that game with me! You know exactly what you've done," he snaps.

I shove him away from me. "Back off, Leo! I don't know what I did wrong!" I say, trying to sound as calm as possible. But I am never calm, so that doesn't go over too well.

Leonardo growls lowly, a sound I have never heard escape him before. He presses against the hand I placed on his plastron, a dark expression in his eyes. If I didn't know better, I would have assumed he's the spawn of the devil.

"You took over the team! My team!" Leonardo bellows. His biceps bulge with rage. He looks so threatening that I frantically ready myself for any attack he might make.

I'm slightly alarmed by the vicious look in his eyes, but I stand my ground. "I didn't take your team!" I protest, aware of how feeble my voice sounds. I have never been so terrified of my eldest brother before.

"Don't lie to me, Raphael!" Leonardo thunders as he swats my hand away, removing the only obstacle that is keeping me safe from his anger. "You planned it! You waited until I was grieving, and you stole the only thing that gave my life purpose!"

I throw my hands up in frustration and confusion. "Are you even listening to yourself right now?! I would never take your place, Leo! I couldn't!" I insist.

"Yes, you did! They look to you for decisions now! They don't trust me, and it's all your fault," Leonardo spits. He shakes so badly that he looks close to collapsing.

"I'm nothing," he goes on. "I'm just some shadow that tags along with you guys. They don't care about me. They only want you." The dangerous edge to Leonardo's tone fades, replaced with defeat. His blue eyes begin to water. "How could you do this to me?"

I feel my heart break a little. Maybe I wanted to take charge of the team at first, but I never expected to actually acquire it. I'm not leader-material; I never have been. I just wanted to make up for Leonardo's lack of cooperation, but I guess I've fallen in deeper than that. And in the process, I wounded Leonardo.

I swallow the lump that is forming in my throat. "Leo, I didn't realize how much it meant to you..." That': the most idiotic thing I can say. I grew up watching him try to act like Captain Ryan; of course I know it's his dream to lead a team until his last breath. But I wrecked that.

I shake my head slightly to clear it. "What I meant to say, is that I'm sorry." Those two words feel weird on my tongue, like they're a part of a foreign language. But I continue, for my brother's sake. "I knew what I was doing at first and I got a bit carried away. I just wanted to protect the team when you wouldn't- er, couldn't. But you've got to understand why they don't trust you right now, Leo. You gave up in more than one fight. You almost got yourself killed. You also stood there and watched the Dream Beavers nearly take our lives." I sigh. "I trust you, but you can't expect the others to forgive you so easily. You're gonna have to make up for it."

Leonardo takes a deep breath, ridding himself of the remaining anger in his eyes. "I know. I was acting like a shell-head. I'm sorry," he mumbles as his head droops.

I shrug. "It's not me you should be apologizing to." I'm not very encouraging, but I'm not trying to be. He needs to be told what he has done; bluntly, with no sugarcoating. There's no excuse to the errors he made and it it my goal to make him aware of that. And besides, I'm not a turtle of emotion.

But even with that said, I still feel a tiny bit bad for him.

Leonardo shuffles his feet uncomfortably. "I don't think she'll forgive me for this," he whispers, and I know he's referring to Elizabetta.

I smile weakly and pat his shoulder hesitantly, then more confidently when he doesn't stop me. "You've been through a lot, bro. She will understand," I reassure him.

"She has, too," Leonardo disagrees. "That doesn't mean I should get special treatment."

"She'd forgive you for anything." I shrug. "Besides, you were Splinter's favorite. You should be used to special treatment." It hurts to admit it, but I know I'm speaking the truth. Master Splinter preferred Leonardo over the rest of us without question.

Leonardo, however, gazes at me in shock. "Wait, what? You thought I was his favorite?" He shakes his head, like a dog shaking water from its fur. "No way. I was his least favorite, if anything. He was always ten times more hard on me than he was on you guys."

I eye him suspiciously. Is he really that thick? "I wasn't hatched yesterday, Leo," I say, trying to hide the pain in my voice. "He was tough on you because you had the most potential. You still do." I hook an arm around him and rub his head with my fist. "And that's why I am promoting you to Captain Leonardo of the Turtles of Justice."

Leonardo laughs and weakly struggles against my grip. He breaks free and straightens up, his hands at his sides as he strikes a heroic pose. "Raphael, I have a bold and daring plan. There's no time for hesitation. My orders must be carried out without question!"

I normally would facepalm at his obsession with a stupid television show; but instead, I cherish it. It's good to see him acting like himself again.

"C'mon, you big idiot," I chuckle as I head back to the fire pit site. "You've got a lot of bossy stuff to attend to and whatnot."

Leonardo walks beside me, a comically huge grin on his face. He elbows me gently. "Thanks, Raph," he says suddenly.

I shoo his thanks away. "Don't go all mushy on me now, or I might throw up all over you," I joke, but I return the smile.

Leonardo and I laugh the whole way back, giving the illusion that we're still safe at home; still living with our father and experiencing nothing more harmful than stomachaches.

But this isn't a fairytale, and there are no such thing as happily ever afters.