Wow, this first chapter was amazing! I know I'm going to enjoy reading this fanfic! :D
~3

I’m so thrilled that you’ve updated! I love this story and I love your writing
The characterisation of all the characters are spot on and the romance makes me swoon!
Thank you!

GREAT action, gripping scenes and so many feels! Perfect climax to this adventure! I'm both looking forward to and dreading the final chapter. Love this!

WHOOOOAAAA Shredder is gone! He sure was a formidable opponent if it took the combined efforts of the past, the present and the future to slay him, but at the same time, it must have been quite humiliating for someone like him to be sentenced to death with a shrug.

Thank goodness everyone made it out alive, and it appears that every single thing that the future turtles intended (or just hoped) to fix, has been fixed :D It's gonna be difficult for them to return to their own timeline, but perhaps there's still something that Donnie can try to fix there, namely his relations with Future April, huhu. I'm hoping to get some mention of that in the last episode c:

I absolutely love every bit of this story - the only non-awesome thing about it is the fact that it's almost over :'3 Maybe after it's completed, I will get myself to watch the show it's based on. xD

You. You are NOT supposed to go around stabbing people in the heart. That is illegal. This is illegal. Please stop writing illegal stuff.

So much about this chapter tugged at my heartstrings. Emotionally? I’ve entered the stratosphere. Physically? I’m lying face down on the ground with only the carpet to muffle my yells of agony. There’s so many bits here to like pull out and sob over. Wow wow wow, it is crazy to think that the story has nearly reached its end and I feel like every time you update, you somehow manage to outdo yourselves in comparison with the previous chapter. Seriously, this entire chapter was just a joy to read, I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen and I was holding my breath between scenes.

I still have no idea how you succeed in writing action scenes so damn well. They are always so beautifully orchestrated and even though I usually get bored when reading action scenes, there is just something about yours that takes it up a notch and I’m finding myself at loss for words and scrolling down faster to read more. I think you really did an amazing work regarding that department, the energy along with the cooperation of all the team members involved positively fizzled with excitement and intensity.

There were so many action moments, tender, patient and raw as a wound that I can’t help but admit that were burrowed deep under my skin while at the same time nudging me into inhabiting the perspective of its characters, because the way you encapsulated each character’s essence into their fighting is truly insane. It’s without a doubt when I say that you both possess a unique musicality for language that travels through your scenes; your writing buoys and soothes at once, and as my heart beat through the scenes, I wanted nothing more than to breathe the words in until they ached inside my chest, to nestle into the story’s steady warmth like a well-worn sweater.

I think I’m allowed to say that the moment Raph made Casey stay back, because he obviously care too damn much, my little Rasey heart purely combusted into pieces. I care about 1 (one) boy and his name is Raphael. I love him. He’s one of those genuinely kind people whom you will never know just how gentle they are, since they put up a rough façade and whom you just want to hold you and tell you stories because they have so much love in their souls that is aching to come out and all you want is to see them shine like you know they can and maybe the world doesn’t deserve to see their love but god does it need to! And of course, don’t let me get started on Future Raph, I’m 87% certain that being with Casey has gradually pushed him into being an actual ray of sunshine and the embodiment of every moment anyone has looked at the sunset and had a Moment thinking about how lucky they are to witness the beauty of nature. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I really do want to see some closure between Present Raph and Casey in the last chapter, because you’ve completely converted me in an officially ardent shipper. Just a nod into a maybe blossoming romance, though I think even from the start of the story, it’s been nodded way more. And even if we don’t get that, just the absolute certainty that Future Raph and Casey are in a relationship and there is a similar road being carved for Present Raph and Casey is enough to make me cry. (P.S I can’t back this up with science but I’m sure the moment when Future Raph sees little Karai and actually smiles can harness the sun's warmth and power and bring harmony to human relations and begin an age of peace. Look at him call her ‘sis’, I’m sure my heart melted just by that.)

My heart flounders and scrambles for Karai. Karai is not an easy person, and you’d have to uncoil her DNA to fix that, and thus, she has a forceful personality, and lives by the bullish assumption that any course of action she suggests would automatically be undertaken by those to whom she suggested it. And she is just as uncompromising, as unyielding in her integrity. But nothing in her life, it seems, happens naturally—only as unavoidable blows, like those of a sledgehammer.

“The word 'aw' manifested in Karai's mind, surprisingly not entirely sarcastic.” Please just allow my heart to break into a million pieces for Karai right about now because the character development she's gone through is so soul-wrenchingly amazing. It is such a cathartic experience to see her slowly realize what family and love can be. I feel like I’ve been dragged across the entire universe but the universe was made of rocks and spikes and fire.

This story has probed so, so achingly at the question of identity, what it means to grow up in a world you felt only halfway inside of, and to question your claim to your parents’ roots when you’ve never set foot in their world and Karai is simply such an interesting protagonist when it comes to this. Your interpretation of Karai’s character and personal growth is one of the best approaches I’ve seen in fanfiction. She was shot through with that dark, smoky core of poison, and it sung in her. It bloomed power in her blood, and made her something more than human. It made her unstoppable. A kind of awful pleasure sliced through Karai at the realization that she’s far more powerful than she’s ever given herself credit for, a question winding around her like a rope.

When the tilted emptiness that has settled inside her only begins to fade, replaced by stubborn determination, I wanted—abruptly and with an absurd intensity—for her to kindle it, to shield and nurture that flame until it takes far more than a single breath to blow it out, so to see her journey in this fic and her total repudiation and renunciation of Shredder, damn; oh god, I really love to see Karai grown in this story and I truly want her to be happy in the future times, her smile can distinguish a million stars and realign planets and can topple nations with the force of the power unleashed, I adore her, you guys are the reason my love and unquestionable girl crush on Karai was amplified to 200%.

On other news, I WOULD LITERALLY TAKE A BULLET FOR MIKEY. Look at him in this chapter, he literally was an angel. I love his relationship dynamic with Karai either way, so I adored him here helping and practically saving her and just offering so much care and love. He was worried about her, he wanted to protect his sister so much and it’s no wonder that all of my heart got warm and squishy at it. Look, I love those Pure & Soft characters. The ones who are too good. The ones who give everything to the universe and stay good at heart even when it’s treating them horribly. Mikey is one of them and I volunteer as tribute to kiss his eyelids and draw a thousand heart emojis on him and cover him in a fluffy blanket and hugs because he’s actually the purest thing the earth has created! I love the way you wrote him in this chapter and how you showcased his reaction, consequently underlining that he is the kind of person that is so deeply kind and compassionate that you would listen to them speak and it’s like you're watering your heart and soul garden. And I just can't believe the world isn't catered to making him feel good and content, because let me tell you: being kind and gentle and vulnerable when you have been exposed to less than zero modeling of that behavior is not easy and Mikey does it every day involuntarily.

And Tiger Claw, I really want to mention their depiction of him; I love his character so much together. He is not evil, he is multifaceted and morally ambigous, giving you the impression of being a wispy shape that appears in the corner of your eye when you’re wandering through the streets at night and that you can never quite make out when you look for it but still you wonder what it could have been and his characterization is honestly very much realistic, sincerely, because he reacts to situations accordingly to the way he’s been fleshed as a character very accurately. He has his own dark ways of dealing with things, and it might be good and cathartic for him, though it might not always be healthy.

I’m also so glad we got a small discussion between Donnie and Casey, just understanding between those two, where Casey sort of gives his blessing (let’s hope Don will do the same once Casey admits his obvious whole-hearted love for Raph xD) It’s nice to see those gap-tooth dorks get along well together, in canon we were robbed of a very nice, developed friendship between them. And honestly, it’s refreshing to see them like that and ultimately wonderful to have April and Donnie be official. Truthfully, I want all the adorable dates with Donnie and April. Sleepover with movie, snacks, cuddling and deep conversations about aliens, sneaking in movie theaters and secretly kiss when the lights are off, aquariums, art museums outings, blanket forts and Mario Kart. Let these two love struck nerds just nerd out together.

“I'm sorry, Leo—I'm sorry," Karai breathed, and Leo's heart twisted at the sorrow in her voice. He took her face in his hands, shook his head at her.” Dear authors,

Could you please do me a favor and hold this for me for a second? *shoves my feelings into your hands and runs away*

“Instead, Leo touched his forehead to Karai's, and hoped the small gesture conveyed everything that his voice couldn't. They shared in a few laborious breaths, hands finding each other between them. With a final squeeze, and a combined snarl, they turned to face the Shredder, even if just one last time.” GOOD. NOW EXCUSE ME WHILE I GO CRY. WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO ME I AM ACHING. This entire passage was actual poetry, I want to get it on a poster and plaster it on my room walls forever. Like, it’s not as if I’m hiding it well, I’m a Leorai girl and gah, they way you delivered the feels with this smooth moment, i’m in love with your sexy gargantuan brains, thank you for your service.

Leo and Karai are so vulnerable, hauntingly beautiful patchwork quilt of thoughts and emotions that leave my heart held tight. They’ve been heartbroken and they deserve love. Watch me explode into tiny pieces of heart-shaped fireworks when I see those two here, they’ve been through a lot in the course of the story as a unit and they care for each other impossibly a lot. They are two sharp minds, two fearless hearts, thrust together by chance and bound together and their respective development and gradual relationship isn’t the only purpose of their story, but it sidelinedly compliments Karai’s journey, too, because it’s not just a romance that illustrates the power of a well-matched pairing, but it pushes on the deepest questions ingrained into their hearts and blossoms into a thoughtful, emotionally complex and absorbing tale. And as memories of their mutual growth in their relationship pile up like yarn under a wheel, as we witness how the capricious tides of love, which pull people this way and that, take special notice of Karai—I felt a bloom so heavy that it was as if I carried a rock in my chest.

If you don’t think I had a box of tissues in my embrace while being a masochist and reading those same lines over and over again, crying my heart out, you’ve so, so wrong. Me? A hopeless romantic when it comes to those two dorks? Whaaa – sadly, yes, exhaustively. I don’t want this review to turn into a sob story of how the manner in which you constructed Leorai stole my heart and made it soar, but just know that I could easily do so, lol. My feelings and I… we have been through a lot in this chapter, but that moment was *the* stellar example and I will forever cherish it in my heart, thank you for writing a masterpiece. And you know me, I am expecting the final chapter to see their conclusion and celebrate accordingly, bursting out confetti all over my house.

Oh, also, I loathe Shredder with a burning hate. *record scratch* *freeze* Yup. That’s me. The bundle of straw tied into a vaguely human shape staring blankly at the computer trying to sift through her weird mix of hateful feelings about him and figure out how to properly phrase it all.

“It was as if the entire room had been flooded in thick resin, freezing everything in place like insects in amber. In the tar-like stillness, a low hum, like drowned-out static.” The fact that lights didn’t start flickering ominously and the trees weren’t shaking and clattering in the wind and gusty voices weren’t rattling off the walls and grating my ears while I was reading this line is supremely upsetting and not at all excellent, if you ask me. Holy fuck, I don’t know why I keep getting god smacked by your writing, when I know time after time that your writing skills are off the charts. I am still reeling with shocks.

There’s so much tenderness, ineffable and aching, but with jagged edges too in how you portrayed Shen’s actions. She isn’t just a creature of anger or envy, she is both unapologetic and openhearted, and fierce and I am in awe of how she remembers to be all these things at once. I hands down loved the way she gives in to the scalding, scarring ache inside her—that fire she’d been born with. She doesn’t want to glide through life, unfeeling, so she breaks from the grooves she’s worn down inside herself . But she is also so soft – the moment when she cups Karai’s face, she relents and says her name, holy shit; I am, and I cannot stress this enough, a mess over this, do not make this angstier, I will cry and that’s a threat.

And her softness transcends to her scene with Splinter so beautifully. She is one of those watery people whose compassion, emotions, and ability to break down the barriers of the people around them are a remedy to this world’s problems, the ones with the beautiful eyes through which everything sparkles, and nothing goes unnoticed. And, many have inaccurately been led to believe that softness translates to pliancy and docility. But a soft woman doesn’t mean a fragmented woman. Softness is not weakness, it is the only the way Shen’s heart shows itself. It takes great courage to stay delicate in a world this cruel, just as there’s great strength in the gentleness of femininity. I love her and her fondness so much! ! ! “She smiled, and extended a white hand. Splinter couldn't be sure he hadn't imagined the touch of it on his cheek as he stared into Shen's eyes.” I’m not crying, you’re crying. This particular scene was like a punch in the heart; it just perfectly highlights the wrenching depths of what it feels like to lose something and be unable to move on, not only a literal person, but also a way of life. It’s important not to forget Splinter’s story of weary grief and visceral longing and slowly letting go— alternating between Shredder’s death and Splinter’s closure is fantastic—but we are in there too, and that makes their loss our loss, their ache our ache, their anger our anger.

I’m gonna miss the future turtles – I was weary at first, but it’s also hard not to fall as instantly in love with each of these characters, with the encompassing attraction of a group of family and friends who have made ruins of each other, with the intoxicating chemistry between them, who held each other in plain sight of the world and experienced so much sorrow and pain and grief. It’s impossible not to feel caught up in the pull of everything. I want to see them happy so fucking much, like, there is nothing else they deserve more than happiness and love. It is why I’m so glad Raph and Casey are together and they look so adorably happy with each other. They all deserve some much needed happiness of that kind, especially Future Donnie and Future Leo, let these two boys experience it. I’m crossing my fingers that Future Donnie and April will get over their miscommunication and denial and will get together and maybe Leo can get some rewinding and Usagi as his bf on the sideways, and then all of them will be a family and grow old together. Petition for the future babe turtles to be happy, let’s all sign.

Honestly, stories like this are masterpieces, as it really forces you to focus on the story, and stay on your toes. Every little interaction has a place, and seemingly uncorrelated events string together to form the big picture. I love riddling out the underlying emotions of each situation the characters face or allude to, and how it connects to the rest of the story. And the manner in which you write, with your characterization, imagery, and even just the story's events itself, invokes such deep emotions in me. This story, has so many times completely knocked me off my feet with its deluge of emotions, causing me to experience copious amounts of sadness, anger, anxiety, frustration, horror, anticipation, and thankfully, even some lighter feelings such as happiness or amusement.

This chapter was no exception, I cried so much, I smiled, I got sad ,I made weird surprised noises, like I 100% felt this chapter in my heart. I was so into the read! Your writing is always wonderful, I love how you portray the characters, they have so much personality and just wow I’m mesmerized, you are fucking extremely talented, I could honestly write an essay, you know that. I hope my comment is coherently worded, I’m a bit woozy from ibuprofen and I really wish that I have articulated myself eloquently and not in gibberish lmao. You’ve done an incredible job and I’m beyond certain the last chapter will be nothing but ultimately fulfilling and that totally makes me eagerly wait for the last installment. It’s a tad sad to know this story is over, but I can’t help but nostalgic already – I’m not sure what true happiness looks like but I imagine it’s very close to having got to follow this amazing story for so long Thank you so, so, so much for writing, sending you the bestest of vibes!

okay,,,,wow wow WOW! I've never really stuck with tmnt fanfiction much as it's never captured the real thing, but this is insanely good, it had me hooked from the first chapter! The way you write fight scenes and the relationships between characters is perfect, i cant get over how beautiful this is, you are gods for writing this :)

Necro-ing my FF account is definitely worth reading this latest chapter! I look forward to the happy ending. Here's hoping to see Future Donnie get home with his brothers and Casey to fix things with their April.

I found this story because I love your art. I've read herocomplex' work before and I see their beta efforts shine here.

I'll still follow this story in AO3 because they showcase your art better there, interspersed within the chapters.

Thank you for not abandoning this. :)

ohh man what a ride!
I was on my seat during that fight with the shredder.
Good thing that you powered him up and made him truly vicious.

As for tigerclaw, aww, he's a soft tiggie!

Thank you! This update made my day!

Awesome chapter! Can't wait for the wrap up!

Dang. Well, that awesomeness just happened...

Oh my god. Oh. My. God. Five years. Five years worth of reading and waiting and it's all lead up to this. It was glorious! The battle, the details! The way it all came together! Everything you've been doing for the past five years has led up for this moment and I'm so happy I got to see it through.

I've been waiting since the beginning. Back when the future turtles had barley appeared. When Karai was considering joining the Lotus Clan. I've waited in anticipation and fear that the battle would end in so many different ways. I always assumed Shredder would die along with the cost of someone else. Or Shen's ghost going berserk and ending it but also killing someone else in the process.

I said it before but the way it all came together felt like how Marvel built up their movie franchise over the course of a decade. I honestly could never have asked for a better way for this chapter to go.

It sounds stupid, but this chapter brought me a sense of peace and also a bittersweet feeling. It's so nice to see all your hard work pay off, but at the same time I'm also kinda sad. We're one more chapter away from the end, and it's so weird to think that it's going to be over, you know?

Thank you for staying with this story for as long as you have. I'll patiently be waiting for the next update!

So glad this fic hasn't been abandoned This chapter was worth the wait an kept me on the edge of my seat! Hope to see the last chapter soon.

Thank you very much for continuing to write this fanfic!
you know? About 6 months passed from the last chapter, and for a long time, I was reading and updating the page, because I was afraid: or miss the premiere; Or worse, discovering that nothing had happened since the project had been abandoned. luckily it was not, and that makes me really happy. :')
I understand that it's hard. That you cannot always have time to write, or you can know how to do it, or make the story last 5 YEARS despite everything.
But they did it.
They did and now I can't wait until the next and last part. YEEAAAHHHHHH!
Don't take too long, please . I'll keep checking the page, but there is no pressure.
Thanks for the attention.

AND YES.
IT WAS A VERY EPIC CHAPTER.

GOSH! Only one more chapter? My heart needs two or three more to keep beating. But I gotta write, I waited months for this story to be updated and it was simply perfect. For a moment (a lot of moments), I really thought Karai was going to die or Future Leo (idk why), and I didn't expect Splinter and Shen's moment. Beautiful. Incredible. The best story ever. Please. Take your time to finish the next and *sniff* last chapter. I'll be waiting. Once again, congratulations.