I always had Mikey's line in my head for a long time but could never write a story around it. Then I read about how winter can affect depression because of the darkness and I thought that living in the darkness for most of your life because you can never be accepted for who you are might make you go a little crazy so I wrote this. By the way, I made references to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is a type of depression affected by the seasons. Winter depression is another name for SAD but it happens to people in the winter. SAD is believed to be caused by light.

Disclaimer: I don't own Ninja Turtles

The water sloshed and roared down the sewers loud enough for the brothers, who were hanging out in Michelangelo's room, to hear for miles on end. This extra water came from the severe thunderstorm which had recently cut off their power for a few days, leaving the sewers nearly pitch black despite a few candles. However, they were used to the darkness. They lived in it since infancy. They grew up in it. They were taught the ways of the shadows by their father. And the darkness clawed at their minds for days on end, reminding them the simple fact that that they were like vampires – the sunlight will burn and kill them because they were mutants in a cold, cruel, human-populated world. And this has lead to depression settling in them without their notice but only light could relieve them. It was like an everlasting winter depression.

And their father, who since their mutation, constantly reminded them the painful truth that the humans above could never accept them for who and what they are, and because of their cruelty, they must become shadow warriors, servants to the darkness. They all accepted their occupation, but in their hearts, they rejected the darkness and longed for belonging and acceptance. At first, the rejection was quiet and small, but as scars were inflicted and many battles fought, the rejection in their hearts grew until it began to affect their minds until they were starting to show signs of rebellion. And Master Splinter – master of the darkness with full acceptance to the truth – was starting to grow frustrated with his sons' rebellion. It was becoming apparent to him that it was more than just teenage rebellion but something more serious.

This was especially apparent, when Donatello got a call from April who told him of the damage outside but of the beautiful sunrise after days of rain and thunder. She told him of an excellent viewpoint in the city in which he and his brothers could watch it. The only problem was that it was dawn, meaning he and his brothers could be easily spotted. However, he and his brothers begged their father to let them go topside. They were sick of being cooped up inside (but perhaps they were sick being cooped up in the sewer's darkness during the days only being let out at night) and wanted to go see the sunrise. They had never seen a New York City sunrise before in person.

However, Master Splinter had said no and even nearly yelled at them after their constant begging. He swiftly (and without remorse) reminded them that they would not be accepted for who and what they are by the humans and would instantly be captured and dissected. The humans were generally cruel and that was that so the Turtles left. Master Splinter didn't mean to sound so cruel, but they had to accept the way things were.

So with nothing to do but to crowd into Michelangelo's room, they sat in melancholy silence, listening to the roaring water from in the sewers and wallow up in each other's eternal winter depression and creeping insanity. The bond of brothers allows them to be emotionally in tuned with each other in ways never achieved by non siblings. However, this particular pain was easy to feel. They all felt it, and they knew. The darkness and the continuing lowering of self-esteem and being outcasts since mutation were ever etched into their minds. However, twenty years of etching left scars in their minds letting their sanity trickle out.

"I tried it once," Michelangelo spoke softly and hesitantly. However, his brothers could hear him and silently singled for him to continue. "In a small town in the middle of summer, I walked in the sunlight among the humans. At first they were shocked and even a little fearful, but they grew used to me and even liked me, especially the kids."

The brothers nodded their heads, believing their brother but at the same time, not believing him. If what he said was true, none of them would yell at him or even lecture him. Not even Leonardo whose sanity was leaving him the most due to his dedication as a shadow warrior. They probably would have even tried what Michelangelo did. They were just that crazy. But they don't know whether Michelangelo's story was true or not and probably not even Michelangelo knows for a fact either. His creativity left him the most prone to realistic dreams and hallucinations. Years living in the darkness with only artificial light as their light source because the humans would not accepted them have left them in depression, but depression has left them on the brink of insanity. They were starting to wonder what was real or not – was the outside in daytime a reality or a dream? And why did the Master of Darkness lower their humanity by constantly reminding them that they would never be accepted for what and who they were, leaving them to be servants of the dark? They did not know nor would they ever know.

The darkness leaves you in ignorance.

Did you like it? I tried to make it as insane and dark as possibele. Did I do a good job?