(got the idea for flour made of ground seeds from @/snickerdoodlesart on tumblr)
note about the paper i didn’t feel like editing the image for:
paper is a very new invention and not used by the majority of slugcats/scavengers since it is pretty brittle and a lot of work for something you could replace with like.. a stone tablet or something (which is easier to make, longer lasting, and more durable. and also won’t fall apart when it rains).
however, it is gaining some amount of popularity in areas of the world with little rainfall or nonlethal rainfall (places outside of iterator retaining walls such as Outer Expanse)
another note, now about the pseudo stem:
very, very useful because they’re an easy source of something that can be made into textiles
Sirens wailed in the distance. The sky was stained. And three mutated turtles wept over one of their own. After hours of crying, they took Leo home, laid him in a bed, and placed the sheet over his head. They all stood in the living room, unsure of what to do next. Draxum comes forward and speaks.
"I created him. It is only right that I would bury him."
They all agreed. Knowing that none of them would have had the heart to prepare him for burial. Soon they all attended the funeral they had made for him. There were many tears that fell as the casket was lowered. As months passed. His whole family visited his grave until it was just Donnie. Donnie walked through the hidden city. (Leos grave was in the hidden city right outside of Draxums old lab.) Donnie bought some flowers from a vender. He practiced his speech as he made his way to Leos grave.
"Hey Nardo! I guess you know, today is our birthday! ... I know you can't get me a gift, but I brought you some flowers! And-"
Donnie cut himself off. He looked over at Leos grave in shock. He dropped the flowers on the ground.
---
Donnie rushed home and burst into the room.
"He's gone!!" Donnie shouted in concern.
Everyone looked at Donnie with confusion and concern.
"What's wrong, Donnie?" Mikey asked.
"The grave, not there! Gone!" Donnie sputtered in a panic.
"Woah, Donnie. Slow down! Take it from the top."
Raph placed his hands onto Donnies shoulders.
"I went to Leos grave, but he's gone!" Donnie shook his hands.
"You mean Leo?" Raph creased his brow.
Donnie nodded his head.
"Leo's gone?!" Mikey jumped.
"Do you think it was grave robbers?" Raph shook his fist.
"How disgraceful!" Splinter huffed.
"Who would do such a thing?!" April held out her hands.
---
Donnie busted the door open to an apartment.
"Draxum! Where is he?!" Donnie shouted.
Draxum sat on a couch sipping on some tea.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Draxum huffed.
"Leos grave is dug up and... Leo's gone!"
Raph commented.
"We suspect it to have been grave robbers." Splinter insisted.
"Yeah! So you gotta help us find them and make'em tell us where-" April was cut off.
"It was me." Draxum said, casually sipping his tea.
Everyone was dumbfounded by his statement. "YOU?!?!" They shouted. Splinter growled.
"I've seen you do pretty low things, Draxum. But never have I thought you would stoop so low as to-" Splinters sentence was cut short.
"I know how I can bring your brother back to life. Correction, how WE can bring your brother back to life."
Draxum said while getting up from the couch.
"Come with me." Draxum said as he walked out the door.
---
They walked through Draxums old lab. It was a bit messy. Some ruble still laying on the ground when the laboratory blew up.
"I never thought we'd be back here again." April whispered to Raph. Raph sighed.
"Draxum, where are you taking us?" Raph huffed. Somewhat impatient.
Draxum turned to look at the group behind him. He raised his hand and waved it over a secret panel. The wall started to glow with glowing magenta markings. The wall began to shift. It opened to them, revealing a secret tunnel. They walked down the dark and Erie passageway.
"This was where I did my more, "dangerous experiments"." Draxum cleared his throat.
"Draxum? What are you up to?" Splinter looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I have already told you." Draxum huffed.
Soon they made it to another wall. This wall too started to shift. When it opened, shock ran down everyone's faces. Leo floated lifeless in a tube of water. Many wires were attached to him in various places. An oxygen mask was put on over his mouth.
A few days ago:
Draxum dug up Leos grave with the help of his loyal gargoyles. After the gargoyles were done braking their backs, Draxum used his mystic tentacles to take Leo out of his little bed of eternal rest. Soon he brought Leo inside. There was this pattern drawn on the floor with chalk. Leo laid in the center. Draxum sat above him. And the gargoyles hovered around the bottom.
"Are you sure you trust us to do this, boss?" One of them said.
"I don't have much of a choice." Draxum sighed.
"You can count on us sir!" One snapped its finger.
"You won't regret it boss!" The other gave an optimistic air punch.
Draxum squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I'm already regretting this."
The gargoyles then started the memory spell. Draxum was sent into Leos memories.
---
Suddenly Draxum appeared in the sewers. He watched as the four turtles floated down the stream on their tubes. Draxum raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, blue floating petals flew around him. Startled, He looked around to see where they came from. He followed the trail. Right when he's about to turn the corner. Something jumps at him from the darkness. Draxum raised his hand to block the incoming attack. It was Leos subconscious self. Pure black with glowing white eyes. Leo backed away and tried to hit him again, but Draxum blocked him.
"Move me to another memory!" Draxum shouted.
Suddenly, he was face down in the snow. He looked around and saw the turtles building a snowman. Then the blue petals flew by again. This time they carried a voice.
"I don't want to be alone!" The petals echoed.
Draxum widened his eyes. But before he could follow it, multiple shadows jumped down from the trees. Draxum looked up and quickly jumped away. Dodging most of the swings. Suddenly a sword grazed past his face, and he was knocked to the ground. He felt his cheek where the sword had hit, and looked up at the petals floating away.
"Please, don't forget me!" The petals continued to echo.
The realization knocked in like how that sword hit his head.
"Quickly! You must move me to-"
Then he appeared in a room. Mikey sat on a throne with Donnie and Leo waving palm leaves. Draxums eye twitched.
"What in the world have they been through?" Draxum thought to himself.
suddenly Draxum was free falling from the sky.
"No! I want you to-"
Draxum was then falling in a very long dirt tunnel. The turtles were riding their bike, complaining something about, 'Why does this pizza week have to be so hard?!'
"Ugh! I ment- oof!"
Draxum landed in a very dark place. There was a checkered floor. A single spotlight lit up. Draxum turned around to see what was there. Leo had his back turned away from him. He sat on the floor, cradling himself, repeating-
"I don't want to be alone! Please!"
The blue petals danced around Draxum and Leo. He walked up to Leo and stopped behind him.
"Leonardo?" Draxum called.
Leo didn't answer. Draxum then came around to the front of Leo and knelt down. He gently placed a hand onto Leos shoulder. Leos breath hitched. He slowly looked up to see who was touching him.
"Leonardo." Draxum said in return, as if he was addressing him.
"B-Barry?" Leos eyes began to tear up as whimpers escaped his lips. "Please, I wanna go back home!" Leo blubbered.
"That is why I'm here." Draxum said with a stern tone.
---
Blue petals started to float around them. They swirled round the edges of the chalk circle. The gargoyles were a bit in a panic and surprise. This glowing blue orb started to form in the center, floating above them all. The gargoyles watched In aw. Just as all the petals found their places in this orb. The sphere then quickly started to drop.
"Uh oh! It's falling!" One of them said while waving his arms.
"It's gonna break!" The other said, pressing his hands onto his cheeks.
Just then, A magenta mystic tentacle grabbed the orb just when it was about to hit Leos chest. Draxum slowly brought it over to himself and placed it into his hands.
"Woah, what is it?" One of the gargoyles asked.
"It's his soul." Draxum replied.
Present day:
Leos soul is placed in a special spot just below Leos water tank.
"But the only way to get his soul back into his body, is with a lot of mystic energy." Draxum explained.
"So your saying, that you need our mystic energy to power your machine?" Mikey asked.
"Yes. But there is a chance it could take all your mystic energy, leaving you powerless." Draxum crossed his arms.
"Who cares! Let's do it!" Donnie stomped his foot.
"Woah, hold on a second Donnie. Did you not hear him? Our mystic abilities could be taken away!" Raph held his hands out.
"Raph! This is about our brother! This is about Leo!" Donnie stammered.
"I know! It's just..." Raph gestures with his hands.
"Fine if you're not going to do it, then I'll do it all by myself!" Donnie growled.
"That would be unwise. The amount of mystic energy required is much more than you can possibly handle alone. The decision must be unanimous!" Draxum commanded.
Everyone went to stand next to Donnie and looked at Raph, waiting for his answer. Raph closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then nodded with a sense of determination.
---
Donnie looked down at the metal clasps around his wrists. He looked around to see his other brothers leaning on purple control boards with their wrist locked down tight. For a moment Donnie thought maybe this was a bad idea. Then he looked over at Leo in the tube and hardened his emotions.
"Okay, are you all ready?" Draxum turned to them.
They all nodded. "Yes!" "As ready as I'll ever be." "Let's do this!" "All set!" "Let her rip!"
Draxum then reached over and grabbed a lever.
"Oh, I forgot to mention. This might hurt a bit." Draxum hummed.
"Wait, what?- aaAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Donnie screamed as the machine turned on and the terrible stinging sensation went through his whole body.
Everyone groaned and cried in pain. The energy traveled up the swirling lines and entered through Leos soul and into his body. Almost immediately, Leos body started to flinch. His eyes shot open with a blinding bright blue glow. Donnie painfully turned his head to look at Leo.
"Guys, guys! It's working!!" Donnie shouted.
They all looked up to see. Leo looked down at them with his glowing eyes. Leo slowly reached a hand out of concern for his brothers.
"C'mon Mad Dogs! Keep... going!" Raph strained.
Splinter looked up at Leo. Leos behavior was strange. He kept trying to take deep breaths but could never get enough air each time.
"... Something is wrong!" Splinter stated.
Suddenly a small alarm sounded.
"Error! Error!" The computer repeated.
"There's a malfunction in the oxygen system!" One of the gargoyles cried.
"Oxygen levels are at 27%!" The other said as it read a small panel.
"What!?" April squealed.
"How much longer till the procedure is completed?" Draxum demanded.
"Still 30% to go!" The gargoyles answered.
"There is not enough air! He is not going make it!" Splinter said with concern.
"We have to get him out of there!" April exclaimed.
"No! If we stop now, his soul will shatter from all the energy built up in it. Then there will be no chance of bringing him back!" Draxums voice thundered.
They looked at each other nervously. They continued to push harder and harder. Then suddenly, Mikey began crying.
"I... I can't take this much longer!" Mikey sobbed.
"You've got this Mikey!" April tried her best to encourage him.
"It is just a little longer!" Splinter confirmed.
Donnie grunted. Raph looked at how everyone was in such pain. He then turned his gaze onto Leo. Leo didn't look like he was being resurrected, he looked like he was dying!
"3% left to go!" April stated.
A beeping sound came from one of the panels.
"Boss! Oxygen levels are at 0%!" The gargoyles scrambled.
Raphs heart rate quickened as he watched Leo choke on his final breath and slowly pass out in the water. He couldn't control himself. Raph powered up his Ninpo and broke the clasps around his wrists.
"Raphael, what are you-" Splinter cried out.
Raph ran towards Leo and smashed the tube open with his mystic fist. The glass shattered everywhere as the water spilled out onto the floor. Leo fell forwards into Raphs arms. The machines turned off and the clasps opened. Donnie and Mikey fell to their knees.
"You fool! What were you thinking?!" Draxum shouted at Raph.
But Raph was silent. He stared down at the sopping wet and unconscious Leo in his arms. Leos whole body was shaking something fierce. Raph placed his fingers into Leos neck.
"There's a pulse... Leo's alive!" Raph shouted, with a hint of relief in his voice.
Draxum softened his gaze. He quickly rushed over. But there was something obviously wrong with Leo.
"It will be a short lived revival, if he doesn't breathe!" Draxum said with concern.
Raph looked back down at Leo. His shaking turned into slight twitches. Raph placed a hand onto Leos cheek and gently patted it.
"C'mon Leo, C'mon! You can do it! Just breathe! Just breathe..." Raph shivered slightly with fear.
The others gathered around to look at Leo. But it was just silence. Then suddenly, Leo hiccuped! This caught them off guard. Leo hiccuped again! And again. And again. And again! Leo groaned after each one.
"Hiccups?" Donnie titled his head.
"Leos got the hiccups!" Mikey giggled.
They all made soft cooing sounds and laughter of relief and pity.
"Aw, you poor thing!" Raph pulled Leo in closer.
"You just came back to life, and what you get is the hiccups!" April said as she gently stroked Leos head.
Leo hiccuped and whined loudly.
"Shh, shh! It is okay! Just take deep breaths, can you do that?" Splinter said as he placed a hand onto Leos chest.
Leo proceeded to take many shaky breaths in and out. When they thought they were gone, Leo hiccuped once more! They couldn't hold back their snickering. Leo groaned with annoyance.
"It's okay, just keep breathing, alright?" Raph smiled.
Leo sighed and nodded his head. They all gently embraced Leo in a group hug, Draxum included. Mikey refused to leave him out.
Yes. I’ve heard of her through stories and I wish I could’ve met her, even if I couldn’t converse with her; unfortunately I was born several thousand years after her disappearance. She’s a big inspiration to me.
ooc: If Saint and SoS somehow met:
SoS died(?) before knowledge of slugcat sapience was widespread among iterators so if they somehow met she would not realize Saint is actually more intelligent than a mutated pipe slug
