The mysterious thunderstorm loomed over the baseball stadium. Lightning crackled across the sky, and the wind howled and blew harshly.
The teens and adults stared at the now alive Shredder as the Foot Lieutenant and Brute bowed down to him.
"Stand strong! The Shredder will show no mercy!" Splinter told the others.
"Guys, Draxum's weak and his body's drained out," Momoka said. "I think the Shredder took his life source."
"Senseis!" The Foot recruit ran through a portal. "My fury is unbridled and ready for—"
She gasped when she saw the Shredder living. "You resurrected Shredder without me?"
While she was distracted, Draxum weakly lifted a vine and used it to get himself through the portal, which disappeared.
The Shredder fell to all fours and roared.
"I wanna say I feel prepared, but my chattering teeth won't let me," Donnie said, his hands shaking.
"Don't let fear get to you, Donnie," Mizuki encouraged him, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Shred, shred, shred!" The three Foot people chanted, catching Shredder's attention.
The Shredder only roared and started chasing after them.
"Don't shred, don't shred!" The three all screeched as they ran around.
The Shredder grabbed them harshly and landed them on the ground multiple times.
"Such blind rage," Splinter said. "And going after his own. That makes no sense."
"Thanks for doing the dirty work for us!" Leo called to the Shredder. "Big ups, Shreddy!"
"Not now, Leo!" Mizuki scolded him.
"What? I thought a nickname might give us a nice rapport," Leo replied to her.
"Cowabunga!" Raph, Donnie, and Mikey both yelled as they charged at Shredder.
The monster, however, knocked them back in a second and glanced at Leo and the others' direction.
"Back off! You don't scare us...much," April growled, stepping in front of them with Leo and Splinter.
The Shredder growled and ran at them on all fours at high speed. The creature roared as it prepared itself to make its kill.
"No!" Mizuki instantly stepped in front of them.
In a matter of seconds, both Mizuki and Shredder disappeared in flashes of green and purple.
Leo opened his eyes to find Mizuki and Shredder gone. "Huh?"
"Mizuki!" Donnie cried as he tried to find her anywhere in the baseball field.
The three Foot people regained their balance and rubbed their heads.
"So...that was unexpected," the Lieutenant remarked.
"You fools! Do you have any idea what you've done?!" Jupiter yelled at them.
"You've doomed all of humanity!" Splinter shouted.
"Have we?" The Brute asked.
The Lieutenant and Recruit looked at him.
"No, seriously, tell me. This has all been very confusing."
"We must find out what went wrong," the Lieutenant said and formed a portal. "Back to the Foot Shack!"
The three disappeared through the portal, which vanished.
"Hey!" Raph went to chase after them, but Momoka stopped him.
"Let them go. They're not worth it for now," she told him.
Donnie worriedly stared at where Mizuki used to be.
If she's out there with that thing...please let her be safe, he thought.
*****
Mizuki groaned and rubbed her head to ease the pain. She was back in the clear white area again.
"Are you alright?" Her ancestor asked her.
She extended her hand out to her, and Mizuki took it gratefully.
"The armor...it was acting...strange," she said.
"How so, young warrior?" The ancestor asked.
"It took Draxum's life source, but it was acting more like an animal rather than a sadistic samurai. And then...it just disappeared along with me," Mizuki explained. "The Shredder's not like the stories we've heard back then."
"I believe I know why the Shredder is teleporting at random times," the ancestor understood.
She waved her hand, and an image of the Shredder and Mizuki fighting each other, while the younger girl is defending the teens and adults, at the Albearto's Pizza Place before disappearing again.
Mizuki gasped when she saw the image.
"The Shredder's quantum energy is definitely out of control. He has not grown accustomed to the human universe yet," the ancestor explained to her. "And with you defending the humans and your friends and the two of you teleporting away, it's hard for this creature to finish them off."
"So...how can he be defeated?" Mizuki glanced up at her.
"It will be saved for another time," the ancestor told her. "However, there is a way to keep him under control for a certain period."
She waved her hand again to reveal a collar with a purple gem in the center.
"This mystic bauble, or a collar, as you would call it, will put him out of his rage and bring him to a resting point," the ancestor went on. "As we speak, one of your turtle friends and their father have made their way to Big Mama's Battle Nexus to make a deal with her."
Another image of Leo and Splinter conversing with Big Mama, who is in her mutant form, appeared in front of them.
"Of course Leo is trying to make some deal with Big Mama," Mizuki rolled her eyes unamused. "The last time he saw her, she tried to get him killed."
"You'll be in and out of consciousness while you teleport to different places in New York with the Shredder," the ancestor explained to her. "In your conscious state, protect your friends and loved ones with all your life."
As Mizuki was returning to being awake, she nodded her head with determined eyes.
*****
"April O'Neil!" April shouted as she drove a crane to hit the Shredder with as many long boxes as she could.
Right now, the teens and adults are at the workers' dock, where Mizuki and the Shredder are at the moment.
Mizuki battled the Shredder while avoiding its attacks and narrowly hitting him back.
"Man, I don't know how many more of Shredder's phasing-ins I can take," Mikey said.
"I can't believe we trusted Leo to get back here quickly," Raph narrowed his eyes at the thought of Leo leaving them.
"All right, here's the new plan," he whipped out his tonfa and pointed at a drawn plan on the ground. "Everyone punch at a different place! Maybe we'll find a weal spot!"
The Shredder leaned in towards the teens and slammed its hand on the ground, promoting the teens to scream.
"Punch it out, Mad Dogs!" Raph commanded.
They started punching the Shredder in various places, which doesn't seem to work for a second.
However, Hallie hit it on the back of the knee, and they all gasped and backed away instantly. Mizuki paused and studied its expression closer.
The Shredder laughed suddenly, not caring about the teens' reactions.
"We found a tickle spot!" Mikey realized.
The teens looked at each other and laughed mischievously.
"Mad Dogs...tickle!" Raph yelled.
They started tickling the Shredder all over the place as the adults watched them in confusion.
"It's immobilizing him!" Donnie said.
"Keep it up until Leo and Pops get back," Raph said.
Mizuki saw from a good distance a ship preparing to release some fireworks. Her heart dropped for a second until she had an idea.
Heading out as far as she can away from dry land, she stood on the ledge of the dock and breathed deeply. Outstretching her hands to her sides, she concentrated with everything she had in her.
Little fire bolts erupted from her palms and then are followed by more fireworks.
"He likes it, Shredder likes it!" Hallie exclaimed.
Green and teal fireworks from outside the docks caught the Shredder's attention, and both it and the teens gasped with terror.
They didn't know that it was Mizuki who was leading the Shredder away from the ship that was already setting up firework.
"Oh, no! The fireworks! He's distracted by the fire!" Momoka shouted.
The Shredder hissed and started his way towards the green and teal fireworks.
"No!" Garrett cried.
"We can't let him get to whoever's setting them off! Stop him, hurry!" Jupiter yelled to the teens.
"Let's go!" Raph slammed his fist on the ground, forming a red arm around his own.
Donnie opened up his hover shell and followed behind Raph. Hallie and Hunter both ran beside the snapping turtle.
"I'm on it. Whiporama!" Mikey threw his kusari-fundo on a ship and threw it to where Shredder would be speeding.
The ship and its numerous boxes soared across the sky beside the turtles and humans.
"That's amazing, Mikey!" Raph said.
"Whoa..." Donnie gasped.
The Shredder avoided and sliced up the many boxes that fell its path and eventually destroyed the ship with its bare hands.
"Where do you think you're going?" Raph slammed his mystic fist on it and landed safely on the ground.
"Come and get it, Shred Face," Raph challenged.
His Tonfa Power fist grew bigger and readied itself for the hit.
"Power punches ahoy!" Raph yelled and threw his fist straight at the Shredder.
However, the creature caught it with its head and growled at Raph. He chuckled nervously before he was punched back.
The Shredder laughed when it saw it was getting close to the target. It was suddenly hit by Donnie's bo staff and saw Donnie landing in front of it and catching his bo staff.
"All of my tech is standing by," he said with confidence. "And I mean all of my tech."
His various tech shells hovered over and beside him, and his drill appeared behind him from the ground.
The Shredder growled and charged at him.
He aimed his bo staff at the Shredder. "Eat science!"
In a matter of seconds, his tech shells zoomed at the creature.
Unfortunately, they became damaged when they collided with the monster, which roared as it charged at him.
"Sad face emoji!" He yelled.
He opened up his hover shell and tried to take off while yelping, but the Shredder caught him and destroyed his tech shell in the process.
Donnie shrieked and made one of his robo arms open up to throw a handkerchief at the creature.
The Shredder roared and tried to get the handkerchief out of its face.
"Ha, ha! Reap the whirlwind of my hanky!" The soft-shell turtle laughed.
The Shredder successfully destroyed the hanky and glanced back at him with a feral look.
Donnie screamed as the Shredder jumped at him, but it was instantly kicked down by Mizuki.
The two slammed against one of the boxes, and more toppled over, trapping them.
"Mizuki!" Donnie cried.
A thunderous roared from underneath, and Mizuki and the Shredder zoomed out from the boxes again.
Mizuki landed on the ground with ease and stood back up, glowering at the Shredder. It snarled and jumped at her again.
"Mizuki! NO!" Hallie cried.
In a flash of green and purple, the two are now gone as the other times.
Donnie frantically searched everywhere for his girlfriend before he saw his tech shells and drill restored to their proper versions.
"She fixed my techs?" He gasped.
"Her powers. She must have used them to repair your tech shells apart from the one you are wearing before she and the Shredder disappeared," Jupiter theorized. "She saved your life."
"Yeah...she did," he nodded.
The teens and adults gathered around while groaning in pain and soothing their sore bodies.
"What is taking Dad and Leo so long?" Mikey got up with a fire on his head.
Hallie quickly patted his head, extinguishing the fire.
Raph pushed open the door of the box and crawled out. "I knew splitting up the Mad Dogs was a bonehead idea."
He glanced up at the fireworks from the ship that Mizuki had distracted the Shredder from. "Leo probably talked his way straight into Big Mama's dungeon."
Donnie wasn't paying attention to what Raph was saying. All he could think about was Mizuki and praying that she's still safe and alive.
*****
When she came to, she was no longer standing in the area nor with the others. She gasps and quickly stands up as she finds herself in the same white room as before.
"Hello?" She calls, her voice echoing. "Anybody?"
No answer seems to appear.
A female scream resonates from somewhere. Mizuki spins around hastily, trying to find the source.
"Okay, I see the head! You're almost there!"
She stops.
That voice. She'd recognize that anywhere...
"Donnie?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she notices his shell bending over. She turns to find Donnie and a woman with blue hair on the bed.
The woman has her bulging belly covered by a blanket as she leans against a pile of pillows. The older version of Donnie is kneeling on the bed between her legs, which were also covered by the same blanket.
Mizuki gasps when she instantly recognizes the woman as herself.
The woman screams again, gripping the fabric underneath, as she pushes.
"The head's out! They're nearly there! Just one more push!" The older version of Donnie is close to tears when he looks up at her lover.
The older version of Mizuki pushes one last time and lets out a strained grunt. Her muscle twitches as she gives every ounce of strength she had within her.
The pressure has finally left her body and she leans back against the soft pillow pile. Her breaths are ragged and heavy, her skin coated with sweat, and a few strands of hair fall out from her messy bun and stick onto her forehead.
A baby's wail loudly breaks the short silence, followed by Donnie's choked up laughter.
Mizuki takes a few steps closer and gasps.
"Oh, God. She's beautiful," older Donnie looks up at his lover with tears streaming down his cheeks. "She's beautiful."
As he wraps a towel around the crying infant, older Mizuki slowly sits herself up to get a better look at her newborn daughter. Older Donnie kisses the baby's forehead before handing her to her arms.
Mizuki could barely hold back her tears when she realizes this is her and Donnie in the future.
"Oh. She's really beautiful," older Mizuki says, choked up.
The infant ceases crying and coos the moment she was placed next to her mother's chest. She has hair on her head, green skin and two fingers and a thumb on both hands.
Older Donnie sets himself next to older Mizuki and strokes his daughter's head. "She's perfect."
He kisses her on the head before he is met with older Mizuki's lips. "I'm so proud of you."
Mizuki stares at the scene in front of her and covers her mouth as the tears finally leave her eyes.
The baby cooing brings the two's attention back to her.
"Would you like to hold her?" Older Mizuki asks.
Older Donnie looks at her surprised, yet his eyes begin to fill with happy tears.
"C-Can I?" He asks back.
She nods in reply and smiles at him.
Older Donnie carefully takes the baby from her arms and holds her close to him.
He uses his finger to stroke her face. The baby coos before opening her deep violet eyes and beams toothlessly at her father.
"Hey," he says to her choked up.
Older Mizuki chuckles at her lover and newborn daughter.
"A-am I holding her right?" He implies to her.
"You're doing amazingly well, honey," she says.
"So, um...what are we gonna name her?" Older Donnie glances down at the baby girl, who is still grinning at him and laughing.
Older Mizuki ponders for a moment before she beams. "I was thinking...Hamato Akira."
"Akira?" Older Donnie raises an interested eyebrow.
"She will be bright and intelligent like you one day," the older version of Mizuki replies. "She'll learn a lot from you..."
Donnie stares at her as he repeats the name. "Akira..."
He then smiles as the baby coos. "I think it's a perfect name..."
Mizuki, in her present form, watches the scene for another moment before she hears something from behind her.
She turns around and notices the older version of Donnie standing over a box on the table. The box, which is white with a purple bow, seems to be opened, and a note with the words 'Happy Father's Day, Donnie' is in older Donnie's hand.
He studies the note and a pregnancy stick in his hands while raising a questioning eyebrow.
"Donnie?" Older Mizuki speaks up.
The older version of Donnie turns around to notice his lover leaning against the doorway with her arms behind her back. A smile is plastered on her face as she looks at him.
Older Donnie blinks at her perplexed until he finally puts the puzzle together.
"It worked?" He whispers, tears brimming his eyes.
Older Mizuki nods, still smiling.
Older Donnie laughs and picks up his lover by the waist and spins her around. He sets her down and rests his head against her still flat stomach, now crying in joy.
Older Mizuki giggles and rubs his head.
"It worked!" He laughs, still resting his head on her stomach. "We're gonna be parents!"
Mizuki gasps and laughs while some tears stream down her face.
A pair of bells ring behind her now.
She turns around to see her future self in a gorgeous wedding dress and older Donnie in a tux with a purple tie.
"Oh, my god..."
Older Donnie and older Mizuki embrace one another and kiss as the crowd cheers from outside the image.
Mizuki beams at the sight and wipes a tear from her cheek.
"You could still have a future with your lover, Mizuki," her ancestor tells her. "If you learn to use your powers for the greater good."
Mizuki glances down at her hands and thinks about what she needs to do.
"Dive down deep into her sound, but not too far or you'll be drowned," Momoka's voice calls from the outside.
"I don't care what happens to me," Mizuki finally speaks up after a moment of silence. "If I don't defeat the Shredder, no one will be safe. Not New York, not my family...not even Donnie."
She looks back up at her ancestor with a determined look. "I'm not going to stop until the Shredder's done for."
*****
The city of New York was now being pelted by the rain from above.
The teens and adults sat in an alleyway while pondering over their next move and when the Shredder and Mizuki are going to appear again.
"After inputting Shredder and Mizuki's previous coordinates on the X, Y, Z and D for Donnie axes, I have calculated that this is the site of our final resting spot," Donnie showed his arm device, which showed the places where they fought off Shredder. "I mean, go team?"
"And we never got a chance to tell Mizuki we were sorry about sending her to her doom," Momoka said, wrapping her arms around herself.
"You and me both," Garrett hugged his wife.
A loud boom resonated from behind them, and they gasped, turning around.
A portal appeared as lightning crackled. The adults and teens gasped, ready for another exhausting battle.
"Oh, my muffins!" Donne screeched.
Splinter, wearing a new uniform, and Leo, dressed in a Lou Jistu costume, popped out through the portal, holding the collar in his hands.
"You love us, you missed us. We're back, baby!" Leo said. "Rat Jitsu and Blue saving the day!"
"Leo!" Hallie cried and rushed towards him.
Leo laughed and opened up his arms to hug her.
Hallie, however, slapped him across the face, prompting him to cry out in pain. Hunter and Mikey both winced, while Raph, April and Donnie's eyes went big.
"Where have you been, you green-skinned dork?!" Hallie lectured him. "We've been getting our butts kicked!"
She then hugged him relieved, and he blinked before embracing her back.
"Well, when I said, 'You got this', I mean that," he chuckled.
"And, look, the only reason we're here right now is 'cause Donnie inputted coordinates of blah, blah, blah. Mikey razzed his tazz. April finally used her crane license. The Mystic Protectors used their skills to keep the Shredder from being released. Mizuki keeps protecting us with her Goddess-like powers. And Raph is gonna put it all together in a plan to defeat that lead-head with this mystic collar," he held up the collar as he spoke.
"Wow, Leo, that's remarkably accurate," Raph sarcastically said.
Donnie heard something beep on his arm device. When he looked at it, his eyes widened with terror.
"Guys, it's Mizuki," he said, catching the others' attention. "...She says she's gonna lead the Shredder away from New York."
****
Thunder crashing from above, the Shredder appeared on the shores of New York. It growled, scanning the area, before fireworks exploded in the raining sky.
When the creature turned around, Mizuki had her arms outstretched as green and teal fireworks flew out of her palms and into the dark sky.
Her green eyes narrowed at the monster.
"I'm right here, Shredder. Come and get me," she dared.
The Shredder roared and charged at her at high speed.
Mizuki stepped out of the way in time and thrust her hand out at it.
An electric line shot out from the sandy ground and gripped the Shredder's leg. The monster roared, slashing at it with no avail.
When it went to attack her again, another line appeared and grabbed its arms and wrists. Mizuki then moved her hands in a push-down motion, and the electric lines pulled it down to the sand.
"C'mon, you guys. Where are you?" Mizuki mumbled.
The Shredder began thrashing around with all its strength as the lines slowly lose their strength.
Mizuki groaned and fell to the earth on her knees.
Her powers are growing weak. She won't be able to hold it down any longer...
But she's got to keep trying. For New York, for everyone she cares about.
"Prepare for Operation Fire-Hanky-Tickle-Green Lightning-Collar!" Raph yelled as the teens charged at the Shredder.
'Perfect timing,' Mizuki thought.
Raph grabbed Leo before he could follow behind the guys.
"Leo, are you sure you and Mizzy could get that on him?" He asked.
"Trust me," Leo replied.
Raph smiled. "I do."
He let him go, and Leo and Raph both sped at the Shredder.
The Shredder finally broke free of the lines. Mizuki groaned and stood upright while staring him down.
"Lure him in, Mikey! Flame on!" Raph commanded.
Mikey, even though he was scared, whirled his kusari-fundo around, and the end of the weapon flamed to life.
That caught the Shredder's attention, and he ran at him on all fours.
"Okay, Donnie, the hanky!"
Donnie slid up in front of the two teens with his bo staff in hand and shaking. "Donnie's on it! One small step for turtlekind!"
The bo staff's robo arm threw a hanky at the Shredder's face again. The monster shrieked and thrashed around while trying to get it off his face.
Raph smashed his fists together, forming red energy fists. He shook them down under his hands and began tickling the Shredder by the back of his legs.
"Leo, Mizzy, now!"
Leo and Mizuki then ran at the Shredder, who is now being held back down by the electric lines, and jumped on his back and arm.
It was getting harder to get the collar on the creature as it was moving around greatly, with Raph tickling him.
Mizuki sighed, coming to her last decision, and closed her eyes.
Her balled-up fists glowed a faint green before the light increased.
"Wait, what are you doing?!" Leo asked her.
"You must live, keep New York safe. For your brothers! For Hallie!" Mizuki replied to him.
"I'm not letting you do this, Mizzy!" Leo cried.
Her hands glowed brighter by the second, lightning bolts crackling.
"You have to!" Mizuki yelled.
She took the collar from his hands and grabbed him by the back of his shirt and threw him back to the other teens. Leo grunted when he hit the ground and skidded across the sand in front of Hallie.
"Mizuki!" She cried as she helped him up.
The blue-haired girl raised the collar in the air while the electric lines continued to hold Shredder down.
The collar then glowed green and lightning crackled.
Mizuki closed her eyes one last time.
This is her choice. She's not going back.
She won't back down. Not now. Not ever.
*****
Her hands begin to glow neon green as electric bolts ripple put from her palms and fingers. Her eyes start to change from violet to the same color.
Mizuki looks up and smiles as a tear streams down her cheek.
Numerous images of her and her parents and friends smiling and laughing zoom past her vision.
Of her as a baby with her mother and father.
Of her being trained by Jupiter for the first time.
Of her hanging out with Hallie and Hunter during break from training.
Of her and the turtles laughing while hanging out on the roof one evening.
Of her laughing at Splinter's stories of the guys while they cringed in embarrassment.
Of her and Yami chatting outside the Run of the Mill pizzeria.
Of her, April and Sunita, with Mayhem, laughing away on April's couch.
Of her and Mikey showing their drawings to one another.
Of Leo helping her try some tricks on his skateboard.
Of her giving Raph giving him a stuffed bear with a red bow as a gift.
Of her, clad in her homecoming dress, and Donnie kissing one another on a rooftop.
Mizuki smiles as the lights shine brighter by the second.
"I love you, Donnie..." she whispers.
She then closes her eyes just as the entire area finally turns white...
*****
Mizuki opened her eyes, which shone bright green, one last time and yelled and placed the collar right on Shredder's neck.
Shredder roared, and a bright green and purple orb surrounded the two before exploding. The explosion sent rubble all over the place and forced the teens and Splinter to shield themselves.
As soon as the bright lights disappeared and the wind dispersed, they looked up to find Shredder laying lifeless on a rock with the collar around his neck.
They suddenly cheered and jumped around in triumph.
"My sons," Splinter hugged Leo.
"We rad," Mikey cheered.
Hallie laughed and kissed Leo on the cheek multiple times. The red-eared slider blushed from the action and smiled.
April stopped when she saw Mizuki not in sight anywhere on the beach. "Wait, where's Mizuki?"
Raph looked around and saw a figure lying on another rock from a meter away. "There!"
Donnie followed Raph's direction and his heart dropped.
Mizuki laid on the floor face up, her hand over her stomach.
Donnie tremblingly walked towards her unmoving body and fell onto his knees. His hands shakily moved to lift her tenderly before slowly cupping her face with his one hand.
Mizuki's eyes remained closed even when her face was now staring back at him.
He wanted to cry out. He wanted to let out the loudest, painful scream his lungs could ever muster from within.
But he had to hold it all back in.
He had to, for the sake of his brothers, his father, his friends, for anyone he ever cares about.
Donnie lifted her head towards his face and kissed her on the lips. They didn't feel warm like they used to be, but rather cold and dead.
As his lips parted from hers, his eyes, unfazed, yet solemn, gazed down at her unconscious body. A tear left his eye and landed on her cheek without him noticing.
He set her down and sat down completely next to her. He covered his eyes with his one hand, the other gripping the bo-staff. Finally not being able to resist the urge to cry, he sobbed, his body shaking.
Raph and Mikey felt their hearts breaking to see their brother trapped in devastation. Leo tried everything he could to keep the tears from leaving his eyes.
Hallie sobbed silently and turned her head away, and the blue-branded turtle wrapped his arm around her. April hugged the oldest brother and quietly sobbed.
Splinter was forced to watch his son mourn for the loss of his beloved lover, his eyes furrowed with solemnness.
For a second, the silence wasn't broken, apart from Donnie's quiet sobbing.
It wasn't until a moment later Donnie glanced up at the Shredder, who didn't move from the ground, the collar around his neck.
He breathed heavily, his eyes narrowing, and instantly shot up from the ground and started attacking the unmoving Shredder with his bo staff and foot. The turtles, April, and Splinter became startled at his sudden attack.
"You killed her! You killed the love of my life!" Donnie yelled at the top of his lungs as he continued to kick and hit the Shredder's body with everything he has. "The promise I made to protect her was for her! I made an oath to keep her safe, and you killed her!"
The three turtles, April, and Splinter could only watch him take his heartbreak and anger on the unconscious monster. They wanted to step in, but now's not the right time.
"I love her with all my life! I love her with all my heart!" Donnie began to gradually hit the Shredder with his foot and bo staff, tears leaving his eyes greatly. "I love her with everything I ever have! I don't care if she's a Mystic Protector! I don't care if she's a Goddess from a prophecy! All I care about is how I love her!"
The tear that had fallen on Mizuki's cheek absorbed into her skin. A green glow faintly appeared before it faded away.
"I hate you for what you've done to my brothers! I hate you for what you've done to New York! I hate you for what you've done to Mizuki!" Donnie slammed his bo staff on the lifeless body a few more times.
He soon stopped hitting the Shredder with his bo staff and fell to his knees. He sobbed and covered his eyes again.
"I hate you!" Donnie said to the unconscious Shredder again, now sobbing uncontrollably. "I hate you..."
The three turtles, April, and Splinter now approached him cautiously, careful not to make a wrong move.
April was the first to step forward. She crouched next to him and rested her hand on his shoulder.
Donnie flinched a little but didn't move completely. She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder.
Raph, Leo, and Mikey knelt in front of and next to their genius tech brother and also entrapped him in a hug. Splinter came up to his son and tenderly patted his arm while hanging his head low in solemness.
Unbeknownst to them, Mizuki's eyes fluttered a few times before they opened up fully. They were back to their violet colors rather than the green orbs that had taken over her vision.
She stretched her arms and slowly pushed herself up by the elbows.
She groaned and rubbed her head while supporting herself with her hand. She turned around and nearly lost the urge to hold back tears the moment she saw Donnie.
"Donnie," she whispered, then yelled louder. "Donnie!"
He heard his name being called and his eyes went big on the brink of tears when he saw his lover alive and unharmed.
She laughed and raised her hand to close to her mouth. A couple of tears were already leaving her eyes.
"Mizuki..." Donnie said in a barely silent tone.
He whooped and jumped off the rock, leaving his brothers, April and Splinter on the boulder.
Mizuki ran across the concrete rubble while laughing in complete joy and sped towards her boyfriend.
"Mizzy! I'm coming, my queen!" Donnie shouted in elation while bounding over a few rocks.
The two teens finally reached one another, now laughing and beaming with tears and her hair now flowing out from the messy bun. Donnie lifted her by the waist and spun her around.
She got close enough to reach his face, and they kissed passionately since the first battle with Shredder.
"I thought I would never see you again," Mizuki said, choked up.
"I thought I had lost you," Donnie replied.
They beamed at one another before they leaned and had their foreheads touching each other.
Raph, Leo, and Mikey both cackled with elation, the snapping turtle spinning his two brothers, father, and April around and setting them down to continue watching the scene. Hallie laughed and gasped, her tears already brimming in her eyelids.
Momoka and Garrett appeared behind the broken rubble and saw their daughter alive and unharmed.
"Mizuki!" Momoka cried elated.
Mizuki heard her mother's yell and gasped in delight. "Mama! Papa!"
Donnie set her down and she instantly rushed towards her parents. The three humans were soon engulfed in a tight hug, laughing while their faces are stained with tears.
"Oh, my child!" Garrett laughed, kissing her multiple times in the head. "My brave, brave child!"
Jupiter and Hunter ran down the rubble of the area and nearly broke down to happiness when they saw Mizuki.
"Oh, Mizuki!" Jupiter exclaimed ecstatically.
Hunter whooped and pumped his arms up in the air. "You nailed that Shredder's butt!"
The other turtles, humans, and Splinter sped up to Mizuki and Donnie and entrapped them in a group hug.
"We did it!"
"We kicked Shredder's butt!"
"You were incredible back there, Mizuki!"
"That was awesome!"
"They will write scrolls about this one day," Splinter remarked.
"Oh, I'm sure they will," a voice said.
They turned around to find Big Mama in her human form with her hands behind her back. Soldiers in demon masks with spears in their hands stood in two lines on both sides.
"Perfectly fasmagoric," she stated. "You turtles and Mystic Warriors are not to be trifled with."
"One tamed, no longer phasing, scrap metal psycho ready for your disposal," Leo slid up to her with a smug smirk.
Mizuki stepped up to him while Donnie holding her to support her. "Are you sure we can trust her to keep Shredder from returning?"
"Relax, girl. Everything's all good," Leo replied.
"You did your part, so I will do mine," Big Mama said.
A figure appeared in front of the older woman and pulled out something. The figure is dressed up in a black cloak with a red-lined mask.
They threw a skull-shaped object at the unmoving Shredder. The object opened up to reveal a portal, which picked up the Shredder with the hand-like lines.
As soon as the Shredder was pulled through the portal, the skull-shaped object closed and flew back up to the sky, which transformed back to the normal starry atmosphere. The beach was also restored to its proper scenery.
"Bam! Back into his prison dimension, never to be heard from again," Raph stated.
"Whoo! What an epic three days of nonstop fighting!" April whooped.
Mizuki yawned tiredly and leaned her head on Donnie's plastron and nuzzled her head against it. Donnie, whose face turned light red, smiled down at her.
"I think we should go home now," he said to the others.
They all agreed and rubbed their eyes and yawned tiredly.
Splinter hummed in agreement and opened the manhole.
"I wish I could say it was a pleasure to see you again..." he told Big Mama.
He leaned up to her with a smile. "My sassy sugar badger."
Big Mama gulped and blushed.
The teens and adults, with Donnie carrying a now sleeping Mizuki, jumped through the manhole before Splinter closed it again.
*****
For what seemed like a few days now, the teens and adults, all worn out from the big battle with Shredder, rested at the lair and fixed themselves up during that time.
Jupiter, Momoka, and Garrett had both denied Splinter's invitation to stay so they can revive their strength, but then decided to since he had told them, "We've all had a long day of battle with the Shredder. A day of rest and healing is our reward."
Donnie finished working on his Battle Shell and took a step back to examine it. He smiled with pride as he stared at the fixed back of the robo shell.
He took a glance over his shoulder to notice Mizuki nuzzling the pillow in her sleep.
A bandage was on her cheek, and her hands were wrapped in bandages as well. Her loose hair rested beside her back, a few strands stuck on her face.
Jupiter had explained that she almost lost her powers and life while putting the collar on Shredder. When she was asked if she would ever gain her powers back, she'd replied, "Maybe one day."
He approached the bed and sat down next to her. Rubbing his thumb on her head, he smiled at her peaceful look.
She's really beautiful in the light from his bed, even on all levels...
Donnie stood back up and was about to head back to his desk. A hand gently grabbed his wrist, stopping him in his tracks. He turned around to find Mizuki, now awake and with a somewhat worried expression.
He furrowed his eyebrows with concern.
"Hey. You okay?" Donnie asked her softly.
The lump in her throat finally freed itself, and she instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, taking him by surprise. Her forehead rested against his neck as she let the tears flow from her eyes.
Donnie seemed hesitant before he entirely wrapped his arms around her body. His three-fingered hand stroked her loose hair and back tenderly.
"Hey, hey," he soothed her, her body shaking greatly. "I'm here. It's okay..."
Mizuki sniffled and buried her head in his shoulder.
"I saw us in the future," she finally said, still hugging him.
Donnie didn't pull away from the embrace, yet he looked at her with a surprised, sympathetic look.
"Possibly ten to fifteen years time," she went on quietly. "We'd gotten married...you were beyond happy to be with me...and...we became parents...we'd had a little girl. It sounded strange how it would be possible...but she looked exactly like me, and has your skin..."
He thought about what she was telling him, still holding her in his arms.
"And...we named her Akira because she would be bright and intelligent...like you. And you'd said that it's a perfect name..."
Donnie had not said anything as she spoke. She could tell by the silence of her boyfriend, she knew he had not spoken for a moment.
"I know this is not what you'd picture your future to be like. I understand," she said. "But...I was afraid of what you say to me if I ever tell you this..."
She was about to pull away, but Donnie still held her gently and sat down on the side of his bed. He sat her on his legs while stroking her hair.
"Can't believe I'm saying this, but..." he spoke softly, then sighed deeply. "I'd like to have a daughter named Akira."
Mizuki pulled away from his shoulder and glanced up at him with a surprised look.
"I mean, imagine the things we can build together," he chuckled lightheartedly. "Of course, I'd teach her how to be safe around tools whenever she uses them, and how to take care of herself when she goes out..."
"And imagine all the things she gets to experience the same way we did, only better than before," Mizuki piped in, now smiling.
"And let's forget about the guys whose butts would be kicked if they rub her the wrong way," Donnie went on. "If we give her non-lethal tips to defend herself."
Mizuki giggled for a moment before her smile fell and she glanced down at the ground again.
"Hey. Is that what you're really worried about?" He asked her again, lifting her chin for her to look at him.
"I didn't want to lose you when we first started fighting the Shredder," she answered him. "I couldn't imagine a future without you if I'd let you get killed by him."
"I couldn't imagine my life without you, either, if I'd lost you" Donnie replied. "And with or without your powers, no matter whatever happened, you're still the same Mizuki I know and love with all my heart. And you will always be my Mystic Protector."
Mizuki beamed up at him with a few tears before she felt her lips connect with his own.
New York City is saved for another day, her family and her friends are safe and living well.
But most importantly, her soft-shell Ninja Turtle is here with her right now.