"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."
― Plato

They were winning. They were finally winning. The bodies of the Foot Clan were scattered here and there. Alive? Dead? The mutants didn't know, but all they cared about was the fact that they were finally winning this war.

Adrenaline pumped through the four turtle brothers as they dashed here and there, taking down clan members when they could and progressing more and more into the Shredder's lair.

"This is too easy!"

"Don't speak too soon, Raph. It's just the beginning." Leo replied to his brother as he drove his sword into another clan member. The red bandana wearing mutant could only scoff.

"We've been fighting for a good hour or so. I say we're making great progress." Another member down to the hands of the turtles' weapons. They had progressed many floors of the lair, success was just out of their reach. Soon they'd meet with the Shredder. Soon they'd take down the enemy. Soon they would finally end this battle that started with Hamato Yoshi and will end with his sons.

The four came to four passages. They looked each and every way and finally, Leonardo broke the silence. "Split up, you guys."

Donatello felt his heart skip a beat. "Are you sure that's such a great idea, Leo? This seems a little too good to be true for us to split. It's the Shredder. I don't think-"

"Trust me, Donnie."

Donatello swallowed a lump in this throat and nodded. The brothers didn't need to say anything. Each of them dashed down the separate corridors Donatello felt the air rush through his bandana and the loose strands slap at his sweaty skin. He could feel the bruises on his body and the blood pulse in his wounds as he ran.

It had taken them this long, but after a few long years of this God damn war, the turtles were finally going to have their time to take down the one man that had ruined all of their lives. That had started his and his brothers and sought out to end it just the same.

In a way, he looked forward to running into the Shredder. Even on his own, he knew he could take him. He was ready. And honestly, he was done with all of the fighting. Done with the pain and sorrow and the heart ache he had caused him and his brothers.

Thanks to the Shredder, April had also lost her father. They got the man back from the Kraang after so long. And the poor girl only had a few months with him before the Shredder decided to target her. He had no idea what had gone on with the red head and her father, and if he did he probably wouldn't honestly care.

When the Shredder discovered that April was the root to the mutants' weaknesses, he aimed to rid them of her. Rid Donnie of his April. Okay maybe that was a stretch to say that, but she was his. Even she had to admit that. In the end, no matter what happened, they were there for each other. Donnie's love for her would always shine through and from the time spent with him below the sewers she had learned to do the one thing the mutant thought she could never do: begin to maybe love him. He was still uncertain of her feelings, but he hoped that maybe he was right. After all those years...

Shredder had planned an ambush on the small New York apartment the O'Neils lived in. Unfortunately, her father had returned home before she would and the Foot Clan attacked. He was killed instantly. April came home hours later to find the scene. She hadn't been the same sense.

So Donnie had to kill the Shredder. He had to. He couldn't just let that happen to the red head without him being there to make it right. He couldn't bring back her father, but he could take away the person that had caused her her pain.

Donatello came to two double doors. His heart skipped a beat and he just KNEW the Shredder was behind those doors. The mutant didn't slow down. He picked up his pace and flew through the door, his logical mind fighting to try to think logically.

But there was no one there. The room was empty. The skylight didn't let any light in and the big arm chair that could hold its master remained cold and empty. Something wasn't right. He hadn't run into any clan members on his way there and he began to think that maybe he had made a mistake. That they had all made a horrible mistake.
His fear was confirmed when the first Foot Clan member fell from the ceiling. Donatello barely had time to dodge the attack when another came from a different member. And another. And another. It was an ambush!

Clan members fell from the ceiling and the mutant knew he was surrounded. This had been a stupid idea. They had been going easy on him. On all of them. Donatello felt his blood run cold. The passages all probably led there. The ambush was meant for all of them. If he could break away from the Clan, he could warn them just in time and-

Something came flinging around and smacked Donatello right in the head. The mutant dropped to his hands and knees, feeling blood dribble down his temple. He felt light headed. He wanted to get up and fight, but his bo staff had been kicked away from him and his fists felt heavy.

Donatello felt panic rise in his throat. He wanted to scream, to do something. He raised his head to show he wasn't ready to give up. Not yet. But a staff was swung around and hit him square in the head yet again. Before he could protest or struggle to put in one last fight, the mutant collapsed at the feet of the enemy, darkness swallowing him whole.