Nalong - Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own the Turtles, April, Casey or Splinter, or Leatherhead. They are the property of people who are not me. I'm just borrowing them and their amazing little world for a little while. I'll put them back when I'm done, I promise. I guess the OCs are mine though. Also I do not get paid for this. Please don't sure me. I have no money anyway.

I'm going to explain the title this time around! That way you can quit nagging me! hehe. Actually the title has been explained here since I got wrote the rough draft of this chapter. I will also explain the voice.

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--Two minutes earlier--

Splinter, deep in meditation, felt an anguished cry from one of his sons. The cry was short-lived and he only just figured out who shouted before it ended. His eyes snapped open.

"Donatello!"

He calmed himself again and looked back at the mental shout. It wasn't due to a physical pain, but an emotional one. This was a cry resulting from the turtle being called upon to do something he was truly disturbed by, or a feeling that he had somehow failed someone. The wise old rat knew that the turtle in question was not prone to this sort of mental shout, and that was troubling. Delving deeper Splinter was relieved to find that, at least as far as Donatello knew, his family was ok. Splinter could only hope that his other sons were with the distressed turtle and that they would be able to recognize his pain and assist him in dealing with it.

One more vital piece of information was gathered in that short yelp. His sons were far away. They were no longer in New York. Beyond that he had nothing more to go on. He stood and headed to the main room. Casey was watching TV, and Splinter could hear April thank someone and hang up the phone.

"Oh, there you are." She seemed startled at Splinter's presence. "That was Secodart. They are the company that designed the darts we found on the roof."

All eyes immediately went to her. Casey turned around on the couch, the TV completely forgotten, and Splinter's attention was undivided.

"They have 5 major purchasers of that particular dart, three of which are in New York. So now it is just a matter of finding out which of those three…"

"They are not in New York." Splinter stated with a calm confidence.

"Huh? What're ya talking about?" Casey asked, just starting to show his characteristic impatience, but a bit of worry also colored the question. Splinter quickly explained.

"Donatello cried out a short time ago. I am sure that they are, or at least Donatello is, out of the state. I can not be absolutely sure of the others, but I believe that they are either with him or nearby. They are ok for now, but it is rapidly becoming urgent that we find them."

"huh? Casey looked to April for translation.

"They're not in the state, but they're ok, and we better find them fast."

"Oh"

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The evening had long since passed into night and Leonardo and Michelangelo were very worried about the fate of their brothers. Lights out had been an hour previous and still Don and Raph were gone. Part of Leo couldn't help but wonder if it was for good. Another part insisted that he would have known if harm had come to either of them. They had to be alive somewhere, they just weren't here.

Leo shifted in his bed and looked over to Mikey who had taken his spot back on the top bunk next to Leo. Michelangelo met his eyes and confirmed Leo's suspicions that Mikey was just as worried as he was. They knew it was going to be a long night without their brothers below them, and tomorrow was going to be an even longer day if they didn't get some sleep. But sleep would not come.

Michelangelo and Eric had explained the incident that had resulted in Raphael being sent to the Course and Annie had explained Donnie's actions. From the descriptions Leo couldn't fault either brother, well maybe Raph, but he would not expect either to react in any other way. He even had to laugh at the guards' stupidity in handing Don a tenbin. What they had expected Leo couldn't imagine. In fact, any one of the turtles in that situation would have probably done the exact same thing. They were all well trained and could hold their own with any brother's weapon as well as several others. But come on, these guys HAD to know that Don was the bo staff bro... Ok, never mind, maybe they actually were that dense. All the same, they had been fighting these guys for two months before they had been captured.

It was just their first day here and the turtles were already being underestimated. That thought gave him some hope for Don and Raph's safety. That knowledge was a small ray of sunshine that broke through the storm clouds overhead.

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What Donnie found on the other side of that door had to be just about the last thing he expected. He had expected another torturous room of the Course, or the guards waiting to force some other form of punishment on them. That wasn't what was there… Donatello stared at the lizard. He never figured he'd stare at something that was no stranger than himself. They hadn't really stared at Leatherhead, yet here he stood, staring and wondering just what he was supposed to make of this situation. Beside him he felt Raphael drop into a defensive posture. Out of habit more than anything else Donnie followed suit.

"You have done well." The lizard praised them. Donatello recognized his voice and it snapped him back to the present. It was the same voice, the one that had helped them through the course, but there was also something different about it, it seemed less nebulous now. Don relaxed his stance somewhat and the lizard focused his attention on Raphael.

"I am impressed with your strength and spirit young one." Raphael bristled at the words 'young one' but based on the lizard's voice he was quite old, and it hadn't been meant as an insult so, with a glance at his brother, Raph let it slide. He even bowed slightly in respect as he had been taught. The lizard then turned to Donatello.

"You figured out the terminal in the first room, did you not? And you knew what to do with the electrified door. Also you gathered anything you thought might be of use. You have done very well, and like your friend you have strength, both of body and mind. You have succeeded where most fail young man."

Donatello tensed at the final words. Warily he eyed the Lizard and waited for him to continue. He didn't think this guy could be a guard, but if not what was he doing here?

"I am not one of the guards, they shall not know. Their ignorance will be their downfall. I believe you are nalong, the source of a river. With luck it will be a river that leads you out of this place." The creature bowed to Donatello who just stood there looking shocked for a moment before returning to his senses and bowing in return.

"I am afraid that I do not understand."

"You will, young turtle, you will."

There was an uncomfortable silence until the lizard spoke again.

"My name is Nalong," the lizard said. "Though I believe the name would be more fitting for you." He gestured to Donatello who was thoroughly confused and embarrassed at this point. "I am an Eastern Water Dragon or physignathus lesuerii, or rather I was. I am from Queensland, Australia originally."

"That explains the accent!" Donatello exclaimed. Immediately embarrassed by his outburst, his face turned an interesting shade of green. "Sorry."

"There is no need to apologize…" Nalong seemed to be waiting for introductions.

"Oh, uh. My name is Donatello. And I'm rather fond of it, actually." The turtle explained quietly.

"Donatello is a good name." Nalong bowed again to Don who, this time responded much more quickly.

"This is my brother Raphael," Donatello started the introductions, "and… and I don't know anyone else." He admitted.

"My name is Iris." The woman who had followed the turtles most closely through the course said. She had an athletic build, and based on how she took the course, a take it as it comes attitude that acted as part of her survival mechanism in this place. Her brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but the most noticeable thing about her was her eyes. Every color of the rainbow danced there.

"Alejandro," continued the young man with the torn off shirt sleeves. He was a tall, lightly muscled man in his mid-20s and though his name suggested that he was of Hispanic origin he did not look the part. His dark hair and brown eyes were about where the major similarities ended.

"Ben." Ben, who had complained originally about the Course, was only a few inches taller than Raph and Don. He was a stockier fellow and well into his 30s, but was apparently a hard worker who had more than his share of determination once he got going. That had been the strength that had allowed him to survive the Course. His blonde hair was at odds with his dark eyes, and he seemed to keep his hands in his pockets unless it was absolutely necessary to take them out.

"Iris, well that makes sense." Nalong mused. "You were instrumental in the escape of the workers in the field during the disturbance young Donatello here caused today were you not?"

"I guess so," She admitted humbly.

"You were." Nalong insisted before turning to Ben. "And you assisted escapees when Raphael here took out that guard. You were the hand that helped the escapees along."

Ben nodded humbly and Nalong turned to Alejandro.

"Your care for fellow prisoners has not gone unnoticed. You are a helper of mankind, and 'mutant' kind as your name implies."

Nalong bowed again to all the survivors of the Course before turning toward a sound only he heard.

"I must leave now or risk being discovered, but I will see you all again."

With that Nalong slipped away. No one knew where he had vanished to nor how he had done so. Even Raphael and Donatello didn't know where the guy disappeared to. He was simply gone.

"Well, that was downright bizarre." Raphael whispered to Don who just nodded in agreement.

Moments later six guards entered the room.

"Take these freaks to TB8."

"Yes sir."

The guard who had given the order departed, leaving the man who had verbally responded to said order in charge.

The five survivors of the course held out their wrists waiting for the inevitable handcuffs, which were soon clapped on. One of the guards grabbed Raphael by the shell and started to pull him from the room. Donatello set his jaw fighting back anger of his own while hoping Raph didn't do anything rash. He let out a breath he didn't remember holding when he realized that his brother was just going to let the guy pull him out of the room like that with little more than a low growl.

Another guard took hold of Don's shell and he hissed at the man even as a glance around the room told him that three more guards had taken Iris, Ben and Alejandro by the shoulder. The group was lead out of the building and into a part of the complex that Don and Raph hadn't seen before, which didn't surprise them in the least given that this was still their first full day. It was dark now; the late afternoon had faded into evening, then night while they had worked through the Course. Don figured from the looks on his companions faces that they hadn't known about his section of the complex either. That was disturbing. At this point what happened next was anyone's guess.

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A/N: BUM BUM BUUUUM! (glances warily around for Lunar-ninja and chibi-rose-angel, eyes cubby and considers a lock for it.)

Alright, before anyone thinks otherwise TB is not tuberculosis ok? Now that we have that cleared up…

And, before I have someone chew me out, all I know is that Nalong means Source of the River to at least one Aboriginal tribe (is that the word they use?). What I do not know is where the name is from, but I like the meaning and sound so I used it.