[Opening sequence and theme song.]
[Episode opens on a disguised Michelangelo running through the sewers carrying pizza boxes. Cuts to the other turtles in the lair.]
Donatello "Ah, this waiting is getting on my nerves."
Raphael "Don't worry. It'll be over soon."
Leonardo "And he'll be here any minute. And then we do what we do best!"
Raphael "Yeah."
Michelangelo "Pizza! Ta da!"
Donatello "Mm. Good stuff, Michelangelo."
Michelangelo "Uh, Master Splinter. I know you don't dig pizza. So I got you a sushi tray."
Splinter "It is thoughtful of you, Michelangelo, but I'm afraid I'm not hungry."
Raphael "He didn't want it."
Donatello "I don't blame him. Raw fish! Yech."
Michelangelo "Splinter's been acting mondo depressed lately. What do you suppose is bringing him down?"
Raphael "He's probably worried about Shredder's next move."
Leonardo "I don't think that's it. I think Master Splinter misses being human."
Michelangelo "Oh, I think you got it, bro. Like, wouldn't it be rad if we could grant him his wish?"
Raphael "Yeah, but a chemical that can change a rat into a human ain't easy to come by, even in this city."
Donatello "Hold it, guys. I think I've got just the thing. Follow me. Guess what this is."
Raphael "Well, it's either a very old pizza or it's what's left of the wicked witch of the west."
Donatello "Wrong. This is all that's left of the mutagen that changed us from ordinary turtles into the party animals we are now and changed Splinter into a rat."
Leonardo "Ah, ha. So maybe we can use it to change him back."
Donatello "It's worth a try, if I can mix up the right chemicals to reactivate it."
Michelangelo "Primo concept, bud. Let's tell Master Splinter."
Leonardo "So that's the plan, Sensei. Are you agreeable to it?"
Splinter "To be human once more, to walk the streets, to feel the sunlight. How often have I dreamed of this."
Michelangelo "Yeah. I know the feeling."
Splinter "This is a big decision, my pupils. As a rat, I have abilities that have aided us in the past. My night vision and my sense of smell."
Leonardo "Yes, but, as a human, you could go topside anytime to see what Shredder's up to."
Raphael "I say go for it!"
Splinter "I will."
All "Yeah!"
[The family waits as Donatello mixes chemicals in his lab.]
Raphael "Hey! Careful with that stuff, Donatello. We get any on us, and it's back to the glass bowl in the pet shop."
Donatello "Not to worry. Here goes, Master. Good luck."
[Donatello sprays Master Splinter with his creation. Splinter transforms into Yoshi.]
Splinter "I am human once again."
Leonardo "It's the least we could do for you, Master."
Raphael "Yeah. Now, why don't you take your new body out for a road test? Huh?"
Splinter "Yes. I believe I will."
Donatello "Enjoy your walk, Master Splin -- I mean, Master Yoshi."
Leonardo "He'll be back."
Raphael "Are you sure? I--I--I mean he's human now."
Michelangelo "Yeah. Raphael's right. What if he wants to stay with his own kind? Maximum bummer, man."
Leonardo "It's his choice."
[Scene shifts to the public library, where April has been filming.]
Irma "Ok, April. That's a wrap."
April O'Neil "Oh, really, Irma. Public service announcements for library week? Have you ever heard of such a boring assignment?"
Irma "Well, gee, April. Maybe those turtle friends of yours will show up and lend a little excitement."
April "I'm not that bored."
[She opens a door and spots Rocksteady and Bebop in disguises, heading for an ‘Employees Only’ entrance.]
April "Rocksteady and Bebop! I can't believe it! And the turtles won't either. I'd better warn them."
[At the lair, the turtles are sitting around their kitchen table.]
Donatello "Hey, fellas, cheer up. Master Yoshi's gonna come back."
Raphael "Yeah? I wouldn't bet my shell on it."
Leonardo "What is it, April?"
April "I just saw Rocksteady and Bebop in the public library."
Michelangelo "Those strange-oids. What do you suppose they're doing there?"
Raphael "Well, it's a cinch they're not out to improve their minds."
Donatello "And where those two mutated morons are, you're sure to find Shredder."
Leonardo "Thanks, April. We'll take it from here."
April "Good luck. I've gotta get back to Channel 6."
Raphael "All right. Let's find tin-skin and take him out."
[Scene returns to the library.]
Bebop "So, like, what you reading, boss?"
Shredder "If I told you cretins, your feeble brains would fail to comprehend it, so why bother?"
Rocksteady "Oh, he's right. None of these books got no pictures."
Shredder "This is it! The key to other realms."
Bebop "What's a key doing in your book?"
Shredder "No, you fool. It's an ancient spell that will open a portal to whatever dimension I desire. No longer must I beg that idiot Krang's favors. I now can call forth my warriors from Dimension X on my own."
Splinter "It's been so long since I've been able to walk among people."
Large Blond Man "Hey, watch where you're going, mac!"
Splinter "Perhaps I've walked long enough. Taxi!"
Taxi Driver "You carrying any money in those pajamas, pal?"
Splinter "Ah. In my excitement, I forgot to bring any."
Taxi Driver "Then take a hike, deadbeat."
Splinter "Perhaps a stroll in the park will be more peaceful."
Shredder "I have what I came for. Let us go."
Donatello "April said she saw them go down this section."
Raphael "Shh! Try to keep it down to a roar, will ya, Donatello?"
Shredder "The turtles. Hide quickly."
Michelangelo "Mucho mysterioso, huh guys?"
Leonardo "Shredder's been here. I know it."
Shredder "Wrong, you wretched reptile. I'm still here."
[He throws a shuriken. It hits the bookcase behind the turtles and explodes, sending them flying.]
Turtles "No! Ahh! Ohh."
Bebop "What now, boss?"
Shredder "Why, finish them, of course."
Rocksteady "I was hoping you'd say that."
Bebop "Yeah. Now comes the fun part."
Both "Yeah. Ha, ha, ha!"
Bebop "This is gonna be like shooting turtles in a barrel."
[Leonardo throws a katana at the radiator, hitting a pipe which sprays steam at their attackers.]
Raphael "Way to go, Leonardo. You really got 'em steamed!"
Rocksteady "Uh, oh. They got loose."
Bebop "That changes everything. Let's blow this joint."
Raphael "For a rhino and a wart hog they sure are chicken."
Leonardo "Too bad they got away. We still have no idea of what Shredder's up to."
Donatello "Au contraire, kemosabe. According to this, somewhere beneath the city, there's an old abandoned subway terminal that was used as a temple by some cultists back in the nineteen twenties."
Raphael "So what's Shredder gonna do, huh? Catch the next train to Dimension X?"
Donatello "As a matter of fact, yes. The temple's located at a nexus, a point where different dimensions come together. If Shredder recites the proper spell at midnight, he can open a portal to any dimension he wishes."
Leonardo "We got to stop him before he finds that temple."
Raphael "But how? There's gotta be miles of old subway tunnels under this city."
Michelangelo "And, besides, Shredder's got a map, and we don't."
[To Splinter, walking through Central Park.]
Splinter "This is more like it."
Red Mask Thug "Bad move, pops, coming into the park all by yourself."
Purple Mask Thug "Yeah, but don't worry. You won't live long enough to regret it."
[A third thug joins the group.]
Splinter "The odds are overwhelming, but I shall acquit myself nobly."
Black Mask Thug "Wh-what's happening to him?"
Splinter "I--I feel strange. Ah! The effects of the spray are wearing off! I must get back underground."
Shredder "The turtles did what?"
Bebop "Give us a break, boss."
Rocksteady "Yeah, anybody can make a mistake."
Bebop "Yeah. Especially us."
Shredder "Incompetents. If I didn't need both of you in the next few hours, I'd sell you to a freak show! According to the old book, the temple is here. Now I must translate the ancient spell the cultists used to open the portal. But first –"
Krang "What is it this time, Shredder?"
Shredder "I have found the key to other realms."
Krang "Oh, really?"
Shredder "I'll open a portal to Dimension X tonight."
Krang "I'd advise you to be careful. Unless the spell is spoken precisely right, it could open a gate to yet another dimension. And there are dimensions much worse than this one."
[Topside, Splinter has reverted back to his rat form.]
Splinter "If I can just reach that manhole without being seen. I can delay no longer."
[He makes a mad dash for a manhole cover in the street, but the traffic light changes to red and a truck stops directly atop the cover. Splinter is forced to back up, in full view of a crowd of people.]
Crowd "Look at that! Stop him! Get him! Hey!"
[Splinter runs and the crowd gives chase. Scene shifts to the sewer tunnels.]
Michelangelo "So, like, where do we start looking?"
Leonardo "I wish Master Yoshi were here so we could ask him."
Raphael "Yeah, I wonder if he's all right. It's a jungle up there."
Leonardo "He's a ninja master, Raphael. He can take care of himself."
Raphael "Which means if he doesn't come back, it's because he doesn't want to."
Leonardo "Hey, relax, turtles. Master Yoshi would not desert us. Listen, we can't worry about it now. We've got to stop Shredder."
Michelangelo "Exactamundo. We need a plan. Anyone know where we can glom onto one?"
[Scene change to April in her office.]
Irma "Come on, April. Tell me. Have you ever met the turtles in real life?"
April "Irma, Give me a break. I've done a couple of stories on them, that's all. I don't even--
Uh, can I get back to you? What is it? It's difficult to talk at the office."
[turtlecom beeps]
Uh, can I get back to you? What is it? It's difficult to talk at the office."
Donatello "Sorry, April, but it's really important. Didn't you do a documentary on abandoned subway tunnels a few weeks ago?"
April "Yes, I did. Why?"
Donatello "We need a videotape Of it, tout suite."
April "Uh, just checking my makeup. I could use a bit more eye shadow. Ok. Can do."
Leonardo "Great! Meet us at the Cornelius Building."
April "I'm on my way."
Leonardo "According to this, the spell has to be cast at midnight. We don't have that much time."
Raphael "Don't worry. We'll find it."
Michelangelo "Yeah. We're the good guys, remember?"
[They pause the Turtle Van at a corner in order to pick up April.]
April "Here. Now you want to tell me what this is all about?"
Donatello "It's kinda complicated. Michelangelo, you explain it while Raphael and I check out this tape."
Michelangelo "Uh, well, it's kind of like well, you see well, if we don't find a certain subway terminal, the world's gonna end at midnight. No biggie."
Shredder "We're getting close to the temple."
Rocksteady "Glad to hear it, boss. These tunnels give me the creeps."
Bebop "Yeah, I don't know how the turtles can live in such substandard housing."
Shredder "The turtles! I had forgotten that they live in the sewers."
Krang "You got me out of the shower. This had better be good."
Shredder "I need you to send me the neuro-scrambler I invented."
Krang "Why should I?"
Shredder "Because I can set the wavelength to affect only mutants like the turtles."
Bebop "Uh, and like us?"
Shredder "It will produce a brain-warping frequency that will cause them to see each other as enemies. While the turtles are fighting each other, I will open the portal to Dimension X."
Krang "Well, it's against my better judgment, but all right."
Shredder "Oh, thank you, Krang. You will not regret this."
Krang "I had better not."
Shredder "Crotchety old fool. I'll show him. When the turtles get here, they'll have an unpleasant surprise waiting for them."
[Above ground, Splinter is still being chased by a crowd.]
Splinter "Why must humans hate everything that's different from themselves? I must return to the sewers."
Police "There it is. He's headed for the subway. Hey, whatever that thing is, it looks dangerous."
Michelangelo "Hey, dudes. I feel kind of weirded out."
Raphael "Yeah. Me, too. My brain hurts."
Donatello "Ahh!"
Raphael "Hey. Watch where you're going, nerd."
Donatello "Who you calling a nerd, wimp?"
Leonardo "Cut it out. We got no time for this."
Michelangelo "Butt out, geek. You're getting too big for your shell."
Leonardo "Oh, yeah? Maybe you'd like to tangle with this, turtle?"
Michelangelo "With pleasure."
April "Why are you doing this? What's happening?"
Michelangelo "I'll tell you what's happening. We're talking major rumble, here and now."
First Cop "He gave us the slip. Whatever it was."
Second Cop "Yeah, come on. Let's go."
Splinter "So. Once again Yoshi is gone, and only Splinter remains. So be it."
First Cop "Hey! I thought I heard something down here."
Second Cop "This time, he won't get away."
[Return to the turtles, who are fighting with each other.]
Michelangelo "Come on. Take your best shot."
Raphael "Ha! Where'd you learn that move, off a cereal box?"
April "Have you all gone crazy? Stop it! What would Splinter think if he saw you doing this?"
Leonardo "April's right. We mustn't—unh-- fight each other."
April "That weird sound. That must be what's causing it. I was right. Get it, guys."
[She tosses the neuro scrambler towards the turtles. They throw their weapons at it, breaking it into small pieces.]
Michelangelo "Wow. Mondo nutsiness. Thanks, April."
Donatello "Gee. It's like Master Splinter saved us again, even though he's no longer part of us."
Leonardo "No matter what our sensei's decided to do with his new life and no matter what Shredder throws at us, we won't dishonor Splinter's memory by failing. Okay? Let's go."
Rocksteady "We've been looking for hours, boss."
Bebop "Yeah. I don't think we're gonna find this temple."
Shredder "You were saying? You two, up there. I anticipate no interference. But just in case, you know how to use those stun lasers."
Bebop "Uh, we sure do, boss."
Shredder "It is nearly midnight. Time to begin the spell."
Splinter "Good. I've lost them. What's that? It smells like incense."
Raphael "Looks like this is it, turtles."
Michelangelo "All right. Let's take them."
Leonardo "All right, Shredder."
Shredder "Huh? The turtles."
Raphael "Your number's up, metal mouth."
Shredder "On the contrary. Now!"
[Bebop and Rocksteady blast them, knocking out the turtles and April.]
Shredder "Congratulations. You're just in time to witness my hour of triumph. Too bad it's the last thing you'll ever see. Keep your eyes on them. I must recite the spell exactly right to open the proper portal."
Rocksteady "Gotcha, boss."
Shredder "‘The hour has come. By ancient law and powers dark, let space and time begin to part. Portal now open wide. Reveal at last what is inside. Key within to my success, bridge the gap to Dimension--'"
Splinter "Stop!"
Shredder "What? No! The spell has been miscast."
[A portal opens above Shredder’s head.]
Leonardo "Master Splinter, look out!"
[The turtles begin fighting against Bebop and Rocksteady when they turn their lasers on Splinter.]
Bebop "Hey!"
Shredder "You cretins! Must I do everything myself?"
[A tentacle reaches down from overhead and grabs Shredder. More tentacles stretch out to grab Bebop, Rocksteady, and April.]
Donatello "What's going on?"
Splinter "He has opened a portal to the wrong dimension."
Leonardo "We've got to stop that thing."
Raphael "Good thinking. Any idea how?"
Splinter "The portal will only remain open for a few moments. Once it closes, that creature will remain in our world."
Leonardo "We've got to drive it back through the portal."
All "Turtle power!"
[Leonardo slices off the end of a tentacle, but it grows back.]
Raphael "Uh, oh. We got double trouble."
Donatello "You can say that again."
Michelangelo "Hey! Let go."
[Raphael throws a sai, chopping through the tentacle that’s holding April.]
Raphael "Time to retreat, guys."
[Shredder frees himself and then frees Bebop and Rocksteady.]
Bebop "Hey, boss."
Rocksteady "Thanks, boss."
Shredder "I only did it so I can think of a suitable punishment for you later. Now run!"
Donatello "Aw, it's through the portal."
Raphael "You got a mind like a steel trap, you know that?"
Leonardo "There's only one thing to do. We have to destroy the entire place."
Michelangelo "Easier said than done, fearless leader."
Leonardo "Quick. Lure it towards the column."
Michelangelo "Uh, oh. Time to boogie!"
[They escape as the cavern collapses. Scene shifts to the turtle van as it stops to let April out.]
Donatello "Thanks for your help, April."
April "Oh, don't mention it. I just love spending a relaxing evening fighting monsters from another dimension."
Irma "Gee, April, where've you been?"
April "Believe me, you don't want to know."
Irma "I--I can't wait to hear. You're onto a big story involving those turtles, right?"
April "Golly, Irma, There's no fooling you."
Irma "Oh, darn it. You reporters have all the fun."
April "Oh, sure. It's a million laughs."
[Back at the turtle lair.]
Splinter "And so I merely followed the trail of the incense to the temple. The rest you know."
Donatello "Gee, Sensei, we're really sorry your changing back into a human didn't take."
Splinter "Mm. I do not regret it. After seeing how humans treat one another, I prefer being an animal. Besides, if I had not turned back into my present form, I would not have been able to reach you in time, and Shredder would have won."
Leonardo "I never thought of it that way."
Michelangelo "And the really neat part is now that you're a rat again, it leaves more pizza for us."
[End Credits]