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Rise April Challenge 18: Sleep

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Please just go to sleep. It’s not that hard, just sleep. Just sleep. Just sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep-

Leo groaned into his pillow and rolled over on to his back. The mantra had been repeating endlessly in his mind for he didn’t even want to know how long, and he just wanted to sleep.  

Leo has had insomnia since he was young, the feeling of desperately reaching out for sleep, only to be met with more exhaustion was an old friend at this point. But it could be worse.

When the four brothers had researched their respective species, they had found that Red Eared Sliders only needed about 4-5 hours of sleep a day, meaning that Leo didn’t need as much shuteye as the others. But those few hours were very important. But on these long nights, when Leo’s mind wouldn’t let his body rest, all he could do was wait for the sun to rise and drown himself in coffee in hopes of driving back the heavy pounding on his limbs.

Leo sighed and sat up. He just needed to accept that he wasn’t going to slip into the dark, and just try and relax till his brain let him sleep. He leaned out of bed, stood up, and headed to the kitchen.  

Leo’s ninja training helped keep his movements quiet as he filled the kettle and placed it on the stove. The familiar routine made him feel more centered and present, rather than just floating around in the sea of nondescript stress and exhaustion that was his mind right now. He opened one of the cabinets and considered the different types of tea inside.

Lavender, Chai, Jasmine, Marigold, Chamomile, Chrysanthemum...

…

…

…

…

...what was that noise?

Oh shoot!

The kettle had begun to whistle. The shrill sound having just barely started before Leo leaped over and yanked it away from the heat. He just stares at the stove for a moment before flicking it off and placing the kettle down.

Damn, he didn't think that he was this far along. He had to have been zoned out for at least a few minutes for the water to start boiling, which meant that he was starting on his way to sleep deprivation. That was never fun.

Leo grabbed a mug and the first box of tea he felt without looking at it. He placed the teabag in the cup and poured the water.

He watched the steam float away from the mug, transfixed by its swirling, twisting patterns. There and not there all at once. It looked like it should be whispering in hushed voices that he couldn’t understand, it looked-

Focus Leo, focus. You can stare at hot water vapor later.

He picked up the mug and walked into the living room, turning off the kitchen light. He settled down on the couch and covered himself with one of the throw blankets. He considered turning on a move but decided that the remote was too far away for him to even try.

So, Leo sat in the silent darkness.  

The lair draped in a stillness that only came when everyone was asleep, an overpowering sense of solitude that flowed around Leo like water. It was a little scary, but this was a part of the insomnia that Leo could enjoy. The only part of it really. It was like having a secret, like these moments were something that was just for him alone. Even if he was half out of his mind with exhaustion.

Leo relaxed into cushions and peered out into the endless shadows. The mug was warm in his hand and the blanket was soft. He took a few sips of his tea as he looked at the empty shadow-covered room but set it down on the table before he even drank an eighth of it.  

He didn’t try and force his brain to shut off, he had already tried and failed to do that all night, he just allowed it to wander. Leo let this mind think without paying it much attention and just sat and stared at nothing.

Soon Leo found his brain’s ramblings fading in and out. Going from half formed thoughts to white noise and back. Good. It meant that he would finally get to sleep, he just had to let it happen.  

Don’t force it, don’t make it, just let it happen.

It took him an hour to completely slip away, and even then, he still woke up several times. But Leo, slowly, managed to sleep his way through the night and into the bright morning of the next day.  

Prev - Next - Masterpost Ao3 Link: Here Please check out @zee-rambles who came up with this challenge and look at @rise-april-art-challenge to see more submissions by other fans. Please give me feedback if there is anything I should work on.

Rise April Challenge: Master Post

Ao3 Link, if you would like: Here

April O’Neil - April meets a strange turtle. Turtle Tots, Fluff,

Competiton - Leo won’t listen to his twin, not even when he is hurt. Hurt/Comfort, Disaster Twins,

Casey & Casey Jr - A mother and a son meet for the first time. Angst, Hurt/Comfort, !TW!

Dream - Raph goes savage if he is under a lot of stress, and he always worries about hurting someone. His brothers know he won’t. Angst, Fluff,

Bottle - Donnie is not having a good time. Autistic Overload, Angst, !TW!

Professor - Skipped

Nonsense - Mikey has a concussion, Leo helps him. Fluffy, Weird, Hurt/Comfort, 

Boom - Donnie finds himself in a minefield. Angst, Tension,

Style - Leo takes Casey Jr shopping for new clothes. Fluff,

Reckless - Mikey sneaks out and Raph finds out. Angst, Fighting, !TW!

 Hope - Skipped

 Family - Skipped

 Umbrella - Boys have fun in a storm. Fluff

 Spar - Mikey finds a way to make sparring fun for Donnie. Fluff,

 Buddies - Buddy the Paper Ninja learns more about his friends. Kinda Angst, Fluff,

 Mask - The boys are acting weird; April finds out why. Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, 

 Cosplay - Skipped

 Sleep - Leo tries to fall asleep. 

 Baby - Mikey becomes the older brother for a day. Fluff, De-ageing,

 Chaos - Raph is sick, and something is going on with the others. Sickfic, Fluff, Attempt at Crack,

 Jokes - 4 times Leo told Casey Jr a joke, and 1 time he returned the favor. Fluff, Humor, Puns

 Father - Splinter realizes he's a father, it brings back bad memories and sends him into a dark place. Angst,

 Spooky - A random stranger gets the scare of his life when he sneaks into the sewars. 

 Rebirth -  Leo reflects on something that happened in the prison dimension. Angst

Please check out @zee-rambles who came up with this challenge and look at @rise-april-art-challenge to see more submissions by other fans. 

@nickelodeon Bring Back Rise

Rise April Rap Up

So, I have entered my final submission for Rise April. That being 24: Rebirth 

Thank you for all the love you have given me! It means so much to me and has encouraged me to try my hand at a larger Rise fic. We’ll see how that goes.

Thank you @zee-rambles for hosting this challenge, giving me a place to share my writing, and encouraging me to fight for Rise. 

Thank the rest of you for giving me your time and love. I hope that I can continue to write for you all and improve.

Please go look at @rise-april-art-challenge for more submissions from other creators.

@nickelodeon Save Rise

One Part of My Brain: Ah yes, a beautiful piece of art.

The Rest Of My Brain: Baby. Baby. Babies. Yes, they are babies. They are small, and babies.

Turtle tots! 💚

@nickelodeon

Reblogging so they can see it again

 Guys…I have made an amazing discovery. (Watch with sound on).

Reblogging because it is a beautiful screenshot.

Artists, can you redraw this?

Pretty please? 🥺

Posting a random screenshot until we get season 3, there’s a chance I’m going to do it forever, day 173

YOU HEARD THEM BOYS, GIRLS AND WHATEVER THE HELL! 

WE HAVE OUR MARTCHING ORDERS! 

MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!

TAKE NO PRISONERS! HAVE NO MERCY!

RISE DESERVED BETTER! AND WE WILL MAKE IT SO!

(no blackmail though, kiddies. let’s be civilized savages. 😊)

Lets. D0. This.

(Please note: Post will be updated as I find more resources and think of more strategies)

(Please do not re-use gif without permission…unless it’s to save Rise…)

YOU can watch Season 1 and Season 2 of RISE right HERE!

So I’ve seen a a lot of people still wondering if Rise of the TMNT can be saved.

There’s is a lot of hope, especially with the boom of fans joining the fandom after the movie dropped last year, people making more art on tumblr, twitter, tik tok, and so on. But also a a lot of doubt, especially after JJ Conway’s post on twitter.

BUT…I still think there is a chance…a GOOD chance. WITH ORIGINAL CAST AND CREW! Why?

We live in the internet. Information is more then easy to get out now thanks to social media. There is all kinds of ways to get the word out to people. Let’s abuse it. 😎

Fans have brought back shows before.

We need a MAJOR push through social media, more fans, more art, it’s up to us…and I think we can do it!

Fans convinced Netflix to bring Sense8 back for a finale

Fans convinced fox to bring back “Futurama” after it was cancelled in 1999.

Hey Arnold got the jungle movie thirteen years after the show was cancelled

Animaniacs got a 3 season revival 22 years after it stopped airing.

Brooklyn 99 was cancelled in 2018, and the fans convinced NBC to pick up the series.

Arrested Development was canceled after 3 seasons, but AFTER it was cancelled, it grew an audience and they made it come back!

Fans saved the original Star Trek in the 60s with letters.

They did it. Why can’t we?

So what can we do?

Well…

1. PETITIONS TO SAVE RISE that we can all sign…

PETITION 1 (The strongest one, but the more petitions signed, the better!)

PETITION 2

PETITION 3

PETITION 4 (save the content that was cut/we missed)

PETITION 5! (Make an ROTTMNT season 3)

2. Pester Nickelodeon and Netflix on social media (THE BIG ONE Y’ALL, THIS IS THE MOST DIRECT AND IMPORTANT)

Be polite, be non-toxic (don’t be rude or mean, the boys would not want that, and the Nick/Netflix won’t listen), but be LOUD, PASSIONATE, AND ANNOYING! Ask for DVDs of the show/movie, and then BUY THOSE DVDs!

MAKE SURE TO ASK FOR THE FULL ORIGINAL CAST AND CREW TO COME BACK, INCLUDING ANDY SARIANO AND ANT WARD.

Sample DM/Letter (but try to come up with your own. Too many repeats and they will ignore it)

“Dear Nickelodeon/Netflix/Viacom, I can’t tell you how much Rise means to me, and I really love that you put the show on air. But it was not fair that the show was cancelled before it got the chance to reach the audience it deserved, only because of a few bad reviews and a lack of advertising. The show is great, there’s tons of fans, tons of art, and people, including me, want so much more! Please bring it back! We want the original crew to come, Flying Bark, for the show to get it’s full second season restored, and it’s five season run like it was originally intended. People hated the 2012 TMNT when it came out, but it got it’s chance and now there are people that love it. Why can’t Rise of the TMNT have the same? It’s clear that the creators love their work and there’s a growing fan base for it. Rise just came out at the wrong time, but it deserves it chance to shine.”

The more personal you made the letter, the more you say what Rise means to you, the better.

As for me? I’m sending them a picture of Pizza Pigeon with the #wewantmoreriseoftheTMNT and #saverottmnt

Request movies/seasons on Netflix.

Ask for Rise Season 2, another season, another movie. Just keep asking!

Nickelodeon’s facebook page

Rise’s facebook page

Leave good reviews. Share. Leave TONS of comments

Nickelodeon’s instagram

Nickelodeon’s Twitter page (treat carefully, there be Musks out there…only use if you are over 18)

Nickelodeon’s TikTok

Niceklodeon’s letter inbox

Nickelodeon, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036

Rugrats was brought back because fans bombarded Nickelodeon with letters saying they wanted it back. Might as well cover our bases.

Contact Paramount

Official Fan Page Rise’s Instagram

The more followers the better.

Netflix’s instagram

Netflix’s facebook

Netflix’s Twitter (Treat carefully. There be MUSKs out there…only use if you are over 18)

SPAM NICKELODEON’S EMAILS!

feedback@nick.com

contactus@nick.com

Letterbox@nick.co.uk

help@paramountplus.coM

If anyone has any more, any deeper more direct points of contact, or more ideas, please share!

3. Leave good reviews for Rise anywhere and raise awareness everywhere you can!

One of the key reasons Rise did not do too well because it was unfairly review bombed before people could give it a chance…so get out there on tik tok, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, and ESPECIALLY youtube.

Make reviews! Analysis! JOKES! Support other content creators! When the Rise Reanimated video comes out, share it like no tomorrow!

No one paid attention when How to Train Your Dragon came out, but word of mouth and people saying it was good, made it the success it was. Let’s repeat history!

Anytime there is NEW RISE CONTENT on Nickelodeon’s YouTube channel, watch it, share, spread it.

Share this post on social media, across various sites, use the information here to spread awareness about how people can help and what they can do. Be relentless! (Like Leo in Lair Games)

Ask influencers to review, react, and give RISE a chance without placing judgement.

4. Make. ART!

Draw, Write, TWEET, Make MERCH, Sell MERCH, Make Tik Toks, Videos on YouTube, posts on instagram, discord, what pad, demanding more Rise, spreading the word, and just showing how much you love this show! Not only will it attract attention, but it’s also good for all of us. There will be more Rise content either way.

PLAY THIS GAME!

If you see official Rise MERCH in the while, buy it if you can! Also support as many rise content creators as you can. If you can’t draw? Write! If you can’t create! Like! Share! Comment! Support each other!

Rise April ART Challenge

Keep in mind…there WILL be pushback.

Companies as big as Nickelodeon and Viacom care about their bottom line: $$$…money. BUT pushback, whether they are taking down your videos on Tik Tok, striking artists on twitter, mean that they’re taking NOTICE. So don’t. Give. UP!

One last thing to remember: DO NOT harass fans for enjoying other versions of TMNT

Even though Rise is the first and only TMNT I have ever loved, I don’t believe in shaming other fans for looking forward to, or enjoying other TMNT series. Gatekeeping like that was what stopped Rise from (heh) Rising as high as it should have. All Rise fans are welcome, and all TMNT fans are welcome. Rise deserves to reach more fans, it deserves another season, and it does not need to knock down other TMNT series to do it. Show them your love and your need for more Rise, without making other TMNT fans feel unwelcome.

Share, spread the word, give it your best shot! A village can move MOUNTAINS! SO let’s do it.

So that in the near future…we can MAKE THIS JOKE!

Moments Chapter 3: Dr. Delicate Touch

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Ao3 Link: Here

Tensions had been running high in the Hamato household for days now. Raph and Donnie had been fighting, Raph and Leo had been fighting, Donnie and Leo had been fighting, everybody was fighting with everybody. Mikey doesn't even really remember the reason why it started, he only knows that every attempt to apologize or to calm everyone down had only caused more harsh words to be exchanged and more feelings to be hurt. And honestly, Mikey was just getting sick of it.   

Even still, he might not have done anything about it. The fighting may have lasted another week before fading into obscurity, and it all would have gone back to normal. But Mikey was tired. He had stayed up all night for the first time, and when the morning had come, he had been barely able to keep his eyes open, and of course, when he went down to breakfast everyone was pointedly ignoring each other or glaring at each other. But Mikey had been too emotionally and physically tried to give a damn, just sat down with a thump and tried to eat his cereal in peace. Then, Leo decided to open his big mouth.  

"So, you're really going to pretend that nothing happened?" the Slider said, glaring at Donnie.   

"I don't know what you're talking about," Donnie responded coldly, not looking up from his bowl. Mikey squeezed his eyes shut with a despite, silent plea for his brothers just to stop.  

“Oh, wonderful. We’re just going to mosey on past all that stuff you said. Awesome. Great.” Mikey put his head in his hands and wished he had hair to tug on.  

“You’re not even going mention what you said yesterday?” Raph asked, eyes narrow. Mikey could feel himself losing control and getting closer to a breakdown every second.  

“Don’t start with me, Rapha.” Leo snarled and opened his mouth to say something else that he would most certainly regret later, and Mikey felt the moment he lost it.  

“Shut up, Leo. You’re not helping.” Mikey said. The others all stopped and stared at him. “What? He’s not. He’s just mad 'cause he knows he’s in the wrong, and he can’t worm his way out of it, so he's pointing out everyone else's mistakes.” There was silence for a moment then Dee, still a little unsettled but determined to use this to his advantage, shakily smiled and turned to Leo.  

“Ha! See Leo-”  

“Oh no, Donnie,” Mikey interrupted before that could get off the ground. “Just because he’s trying to deflect, doesn’t mean he isn’t right. You need to get off your high horse and quit pretending you’re better than us because you’re smarter!” And you!” Mikey said pointing at the eldest brother, and the others watched as Raph leaned away from his younger brother. “You need to quit it with the passive-aggressive stuff! Just say you are angry and hurt! We don’t need you pretending you’re not and then ignoring us or saying backhanded stuff! Comminate! It’s not that hard!”  

Mikey then turns to the whole group and grits his teeth.  

“All of you know you’re wrong! But none of you are going to come out and apologize and would rather keep shouting at each other because you don’t want to lose whatever weird and annoying game you’re playing!” Mikey was waving his arms and then slammed them down on the table. “Well, guess what? It’s not a game! And if you don’t stop, I’m going to tie you together, and dangle you over the sewer fallout! And I will be happy and smiling while I do it, so don’t TEST ME!”  

By the end, Mikey was breathing heavily and the others had backed up several feet. The wind had drained out of him and slumped slightly.  

“I’m going back to bed. Don’t wake me up.” He left the three of them in the kitchen, and marched back into his room, collapsing onto the bed and curling up into his shell until he fell asleep.

-

When Mikey awoke, he groaned and popped out of his shell keeping his eyes closed. He was already forming an apology in his mind to his brothers for his sleep-deprecated shouting earlier. So, when he opened his eyes and found the three brothers surrounding his bed, he squeaked in surprise and then groaned again once he realized who was there.  

"Look, guys-" he said, but was quickly interrupted.  

"We're sorry, Mikey," Raph said, and Mikey blinked.  

"What?" he asked, feeling an intense amount of whiplash.  

"Yeah..." Leo said, fidgeting with his hands. "We shouldn't have been fighting so much, you were right."  

"As much as it pains me to admit it," Donnie said avoiding eye contact and crossing his arms. "You were right, and we could tell that our fighting was hurting you too. We should have been more considerate."  

"We've all already apologized to each other and made up," Raph said. "So, we just needed to apologize to you as well."  

Mikey was overwhelmed, and quite possibly in shock. This was so different than what he was expecting when he woke up. But he felt a rush of relief that the fighting was finally over.  

"Thanks, you guys," he said, feeling a smile. "And I'm sorry about being so mean."  

"You were just a tad mean," Leo said with a dismissive wave. "Honestly we needed more than a little delicate touch, doc." Donnie clapped his hands from where he was standing.  

"Well now that all the sticky emotions are over, I am getting back to business." He turned around and waved back to the others. "You three enjoy yourselves doing whatever it is you do."  

Ralph rolled his eyes and turned to Mikey.  

"Do you want to play Animal Crossing with me?" Mikey shook his head.  

"Nah, I'm going back to my nap," he said.  

"Alright," Raph said and nudged Leo. "Come on, Lee."  

"Alright, Alright," Leo said exasperated. "Night, bro," he called back.  

"Night," Mikey said and curled up with a smile.  

-

I know this is late, stuff happened. Thank you for reading. Let me know if there is anything I should work on.

Thank you to @sariphantom for hosting the Rise August Challenge, which this is inspired by.

@nickelodeon Please save Rise.

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Moments Chapter 2: Disaster Twins

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Ao3 Link: Here

Donnie and Leo loved to get each other gifts. It started with small things when they were younger. Leo brings home a bundle of wires from dumpster diving, or Donnie finds sparkly plastic jewelry for Leo to wear around the lair. There was something about seeing an item and instantly thinking that the other person would like it.

-  

On their 8th birthday, Leo pulled Donnie aside from the celebration and towards their room. Donnie grumbled at Leo's excited giggling and yanked his hand back to sit down as soon as they were through the door and alone. Leo didn't seem to mind, still smiling like a madman.  

"I got you a gift!" Leo said, and Donnie just rolled his eyes.  

"I know you did. You're not very good at keeping secrets. The only thing I don't know is where you're keeping it." The slider glared at his twin and with a huff reached under Donnie's bed. He then pulled out a small cardboard box with a bow on it. Donnie raised his eyebrows.  

"You hid it under my bed?" He asked.  

"Uh, yeah! Why would you look under your bed?" That was a fair point, Donnie conceded, then reached under his extra pillow, and pulled out a similarly sized box. Leo grinned and shoved his box into Donnie's hand before snatching the other one.  

Leo stuck the bow to his head before ripping through the paper and rifling through the tissue paper inside. Donnie on the other hand was very careful in peeling up the pieces of tape, setting the bow to the side before unfolding the tissue paper and pulling out a white coffee mug. It was covered in designs of constellations and atoms that Leo clearly drew himself in varying shades of purple.  

Donnie blinked down at the gift in surprise and looked up at Leo, who was pulling his own white mug covered in Donnie's hand-drawn designs, these of unicorns and rainbows. Leo broke out into a huge smile and began to laugh.  

"We really are twins!" He shouted.  

"Shut up," Donnie mumbled, annoyed.  

-  

7 years later, Donnie was sitting in his lab finishing up the wrapping on his gift for his twin. He smoothed out the wrapping paper across the heavy box with steady hands, trying to dispel the nervousness that always came with getting a gift for his brothers.  

Over the years both Donnie and Leo had given a lot of gifts to each other and to the rest of their family. Sometimes it was for special occasions, sometimes they saw something that the other person would like or need and just did it, sometimes it was just because. But giving gifts to Leo always felt different.  

The thing was that, at least for Donnie, the gift exchanges were reminders of how well the twins knew each other. Donnie had a hard time understanding any of his brothers, but with Leo, it was a bit easier. He believed it had something to do with them both being people of thought, rather than action, like Raph and Mikey. Leo may have acted stupid, but Donnie knew that his true strength lay in his strategy, in his understanding and manipulation of the enemy. He tended to show it casually most of the time, but it was always still impressive.  

But the point was that Donnie understood Leo on a level that he didn't quite with the rest of his family, and each time they gave each other gifts it helped reinforce that understanding. Plus, it was an easy way to show that they loved each other, without all the complexities of emotion.  

Donnie reached out and grabbed a scrap of paper and a pen out of an old coffee mug, with purple hand-drawn constellations and atoms, scribbled a quiet "happy birthday" on the paper and stuck it under the bow. He then walked out and knocked on Leo's door.  

He heard scrambling from inside and was greeted with a bright overwhelming smile on his twin's face.  

"Finally! Why do you always say wrapping till the last minute?" Leo yelped as he pulled Donnie inside his room. Donnie didn't dignify the question with an answer and shoved the present into Leo's hands. Leo in turn put the box on the ground and shoved his own huge brightly wrapped box into Donnie's.  

It had been a tradition ever since that first 8th birthday that they would give each other their presents separate from the rest of their family just so they could have a moment with each other alone on their birthday. And Donnie always had the strangest sense of Deja Vu whenever they did it. It was always a reminder of how little he and his twin had changed as they grew older. Because Leo still ripped and tore through the paper after sticking the bow on his head, and Donnie always peeled away the tape, to the point that Leo only used one or two pieces on the whole box to make the process faster.  

Once it was open Donnie picked up a new soldering tool, remembering how he mentioned his old one was fizzing out uncontrollably, and in another box a Jupiter Jim comic book wrapped in cellophane. With a card on top that read "Mint condition ;)." Donnie felt himself start to wiggle and put down the box to flap his arms up and down, he wished he was in his wheelchair so we could spin around. He looked up to thank Leo and hug him, only to find Leo already leaning across the gap with an excited squeal, talking so fast that Donnie couldn't keep up.  

In Leo's lap was a new custom wooden chess set, with each of the pieces a different sea creature. (Except for the nights which were unicorns, because his brother never grew out of that phase.)  

Donnie hugged Leo back with a smile and patted him on the back before they drew apart.  

"This is great, Don! I love it so much! You've got to play with me later today!"  

Donnie just sighed and rolled his eyes, accepting the fact that he was going to get his butt whooped in chess because he never could be Leo at that game.  

"Later," he said. "Let's just enjoy the party." Leo smiled and bolted for the door, dragging his twin behind.  

Just like always.

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Thank you to @rise-august-art-challenge for hosting the Rise August Challenge, which this is inspired by.

Please let me know if I should improve or fix something.

Moments Chapter 4: Yoaki

Ao3 Link

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(I've failed this challenge but whatever, I'm going to keep going.)

Warning for kinda Unhappy Ending

Donnie had always known he and his brothers weren’t human. Anyone could have known that. Humans had five fingers on each hand; humans had skin without scales, humans had a body temperature of 36.5–37.5 °C.  

He and his brothers were not human.

When he had seen the hidden city for the first time, Donnie’s first thoughts had been: Oh me gosh! Oh me gosh! Oh me gosh!  

His second thought was: Wow! Wow! Wow!  

I had taken twenty or thirty thoughts before he had made the shocking realization.  

The people who lived there were like them.  

Yoaki. That was what the people in that city called themselves. That’s what he and his brothers were. The discovery had made Donnie start wiggling in place and flapping one of his hands. He had a name now, a label, a name for the “what” they were, to go along with the “who” they were.  

He felt the relief and excitement of a missing piece slotting into place, intensified by the fact that his family wasn’t a mystery anymore.  

They weren’t different anymore, they were just yoaki.

-

The first time Donnie questioned that theory was when Draxum revealed he had created them.  

Created. Made.  

The words carried an implication behind it. An implication that their existence wasn’t entirely natural. That they weren't born from the biological processes that were normally used to create life.  

But Donnie had put it aside. It was just the villain being dramatic. Besides, maybe yoaki reproduction was different than humans. Maybe yoaki were made instead of born.  

That must be it. After all, they were yoaki.  

-  

Donnie’s discovery regarding his and his brothers’ identity was next called into doubt on their second visit to Run of the Mill. When Mikey had chirped at Raph gratefully Raph had caved under Mikey’s puppy eyes and had ordered ice cream for the table. The waiter, some kind of snake yoaki, had startled at the chirp and stared at Mikey for a long second. Then had seemed to come back to themself and asked Raph to repeat the order.  

It had reminded Donnie of the early days with April, how she had to get used to how they acted. How she had walked in on them in a turtle pile and given them a look with a furrowed brow. How she had seen their old heat lamps and asked about what they were for and then had looked at them with pity when they said that they needed them for the winter months. How she had wrinkled her nose when she learned they lived in the sewer.  

April didn’t do that anymore. She had ended up with her own reserved spot in the turtle pile, she didn’t show pity or worry when they were resting under the heat lamps, and she had gone swimming with them in the sewer tunnels. Donnie didn’t feel “other” with her anymore. But the look on that waiter’s face had brought back all those memories, and Donnie felt himself sink into the booth, trying to hide.  

The others hadn’t noticed the waiter’s look, of course they didn’t, they never did.

-

Donnie had convinced himself that it didn’t matter. One weird look wasn’t enough to disprove his theory.  

His brothers and him were still yoaki.

-

The next challenge to his theory came from his father when he had told them about the lab and their creation, about how they had started as just tiny turtles, and how they had been made to be weapons.  

Donnie had sat and thought back through every memory he had, his life flashing before his eyes.  

He remembered Raph’s insane strength and the way he went Savage when left alone for too long.  

He remembered how Mikey would curl up in his shell and not come out for ages if he was scared, how he would stop talking mid-sentence to stare intently with a single-minded purpose at anything that moved.  

He remembered how Leo would always subtly check everyone’s pulses seemingly at random, and how he could sit underwater for minutes at a time and never come up for air.  

Donnie remembered how he would grit his teeth to push back the urge to just bite whatever was annoying him, how he could smell like a bloodhound if he wanted, and how he would-  

No.  

No. No. This didn’t mean that they weren’t yoaki. They were just turtles that turned into yoaki. They had to be.  

There was nothing else they could be.

-

The last thing that completely destroyed Donnie’s hope came from Baron Draxum.  

He had been doing his best to connect with Barry, at least for Mikey’s sake, and it had actually been going well. The two had found common ground in the realm of science. Donnie would almost say that he had been having fun with his...  

With Draxum.  

Then, Donnie just had to be an idiot and open his mouth.  

“So, why did you want turtle yoaki for your army? And why couldn’t you just find some in the hidden city?”  

Barry didn’t look up from where he was reading over Donnie’s blueprints for the Turtle Tank as he answered.  

“Well, for starters I didn’t make yoaki. Second, I-”  

The rest of the words turned into white noise in Donnie’s nonexistent ears. (Tympanum. His mind said.)  

“Yes, we are.” He said cutting off Barry, causing him to look up from his reading with a frown.  

“You are what?”  

“We’re yoaki. Me and my brothers. You’re wrong.” Donnie tried to sound confident and glare down the Baron, but he could feel his resolve cracking. Draxum looked back over his glasses with annoyed confusion.  

“I made you; I know what you are. And you’re not yoaki.”  

Donnie felt himself brake at the words.  

“Then what are we!?” He snarled at Draxum. The alchemist leaned back, surprised at the sudden change in Donnie’s tone. “What are we?! Because we’re not human! And despite how we act sometimes, we’re not animals either! So, tell me! WHAT ARE WE?!”  

Donnie was heaving and shaking staring down at the floor with wet eyes. He then slumped and fell into his chair, trying to calm himself.  

“You’re mutants.” Donnie looked up at Barry, who was looking at him with a look that Donnie couldn’t read.  

“That word doesn’t mean anything,” Donnie said, defeated. “It’s just another name for freaks.” The hope that he and his brothers could be anything more than accidents of nature and science dying in his chest.  

After a second the Baron leaned back with a huff and gazed at the ceiling.  

“I’m not going to try and challenge that idea; it seems to be buried too deep in your subconscious.” He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. “And I am sorry I don’t have a better answer to your questions. Somethings are just mysteries.”  

“I don’t want to be a mystery,” Donnie whispered. Barry didn’t respond.  

The two just sat in silence for a few minutes, the alchemist not knowing what to say, and the turtle not able to force the words out, then Draxum turned to his creation and took him in.  

“Do you wish for me to leave?” He asked, and Donnie nodded. “Shall I fetch your brothers for you?” Donnie shook his head, he needed to be alone to think. To accept this information. Draxum just nodded.  

“Try to talk to your family about this. They may be able to help you.”  

Don just curled up more and watched Barry walk away.  

-

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Thank you for reading. Let me know if there is anything I should work on.

Thank you to @sariphantom for hosting the Rise August Challenge, which this is inspired by.

@nickelodeon Please save Rise.