Fortress Gorlan: Reinigen Stronghold.

Mikey charges across the hedge rows on the top fast and light and seeing the way Inaba was going up top he moves to launch a tackle he knew would never land but his loud " Ahhhh Haaaaa!!" hopefully covering Leon coming the other way.

Don looks around the ground near him, and picks up a couple of small rocks.  Hopefully the kids have hidden, and he's definitely paying attention to where they are, but he moves quickly and as silently as he can, he can't go far, and he's relying on sound. he stands near where the kids are and closes his eyes to listen. When he hears Mikey leap a few rows over, he pole vaults up onto the maze wall himself and tosses the small, round rocks in the direction of the skirmish. They aren't sharp, nor should they be large enough to actually hurt any of them, even at this distance. And his intention is noise, not damage anyway.

He can only hope his aim is true and that it at least causes some sort of distraction that maybe his counterpart can use, because Don has to get back to the kids. As soon as he's released the rocks, he jumps back down and quickly finds them again.

Hahaaha the small round rock bounces off Mikey's head like it was magnetised towards him! hahahaha! it's just enough to make him huh and Inaba skid to a halt so Donatello takes a leap over the bunny lady and out pace his false foes.


Thanks Don...'

At first Liam was not happy to be parted. Since his big turtle was up and about he'd not been taken from him, distracted and made to play -


But Don had given him the signal and to Elena... he and she didn't go far.


Wriggling their little bodies under a hedge and waiting. At least still and quiet, and neither of them aware Elena's color would make her blend into the foliage, Liam's didn't blend but at least it was a soft blue so he match enough to get by.


And the little guy manages not to call out when Don comes back but he is obviously pleased and if one was looking they'd see the tail wagging eagerly.

Ooooooooooooh they'd been close!


The sounds and small rocks were the distraction that Donatello needed. And did cause a bit of laughter in that Leon knew no way were they tossed at Mikey - he just happened to get in the way and well he was a Mikey so of course one bops off the head haha!


He pauses to help Inaba up.

Don is pretty sure he heard Mikey take a pop to the head and his counterpart escape in the confusion. Perfect! There's a silent laugh before Don turns to the kids and gives them the quiet sign again before slipping up a nearby tree. From his vantage point, he can sort of see the kids, and he can definitely hear them, but they probably can't see him.

Just part of what he's testing. He wants Liam to hide on his own, but for the moment, Don is out of sight, but hovering nearby. In addition to watching the kids, he's listening for movement from the others.

" ruuuude Narrator... ruuuude." Mikey is laughing however and rolls to turn his crash landing into a smoother way to regain his footing - having to add a funny pirouette to avoid the hedging in front of him and was sur he had briefly seen Don on the hedges too! but when the light lithe turtle in orange popped back up onto the rows looking - huh he could have sworn he saw him!


Wait! " get back here long legs!"

" whoa! you guys can really move!" Inaba laughs she'd not expected being leapt over so her reaction was mostly prey style, she ducked down low and shivered - no her ears were all the way up and she turns after a moment of gaping and gives chase again.

Zooooooom he is rushing off along the rows and still sometimes laughing happy and enjoying this game - he hoped he was seeking next hah!


And wondering how the kiddies were doing - he was barely keeping out of his pursuers hands and would let them catch him soon if only to see how their littlest hiders were going with their practice hiding.

He almost chirps seeing Don, it was right on the edge of his tongue and poised to crawl out of the hedging the kids had hidden in but - that signal!


And he sits back in the hedge with Elena remaining quiet but his tail is going crazy - until Don seems to vanish and he is staring in a Oh sort of way - woooooooow...


Fighting a chirp again.

Elena is equally amazed but doesn't feel the urge to chirp or call out, and she playfully nips Liam's shoulder making the shuuush signa nd receiving it giggling silently and unbeknownst to bothkids their tails both were sticking out the other side of the hedge and would be visible to Don, both wagging and wiggling.

Don is pretty sure Mikey spotted him during his rock throwing, but that’s alright. The kids have been patient with this ‘game’ for a long time. He looks down at their hiding place and spots little wagging tails. Don chuckles silently. He can’t help it. That’s adorable. He should probably stop them, but can’t bring himself to do so.

Inaba races around a corner and skids to a halt - and covers her mouth hopping on the spot.


Eeeeeeeeeeeee!


It was muffled and happy and ooooh dear the two little backsides sticking out of the hedge with their tails was soooooooooooooo dang cute!!

Yup, should have stopped them. That’s okay. Don flips out of his hiding spot between Inaba and the kids, and speaks softly, but urgently to them.

”Run.”

And he’s probably about to be caught, but that’s okay. For now he will try to force Inaba to play catch the turtle. And hopefully the kids run as ordered!

Aha!


It was more of a flying tackle Mikey threw all himself into it and only just caught the tall quick brainy turtle around his shoulders barely but his fingers caught on the edge of shell and he was hanging there...


" gotcha!'

Leon hears the Mikey but he is a row or two over and he could have sworn he saw another green and purple movement. He runs and flips upwards onto the rows to see for himself.


Oh dear he was inbetween the Inaba and the Mikey and two purple wearing turtles, he had to make a decision -


oh boy Don was a row closer - but Donatello had a Mikey literally on his shell... though whether the tall guy would help out trying to catch his counterpart was another thing. Still catching him would take him out of that part of the play.


Okay Leon chooses hoping Inaba could keep Don moving for a bit and hurries off to join Mikey in the tag down!

Chiiiirp!!


Liam didn't wanna goooo!


Elena though grins and was tugging him along and he is forced to wave at Don and listen to the command following Elena along and away from main hubbub and noise

Ahh!


Dang it he was busy choosing a route between the inaba he could see and the Leo he could hear and then see when the pudgy little Leo got up on the hedging and he was distracted and missed the chance to twist away from Mikey.


And now it was hard getting him off! " dman it are you a Velcro turtle?!"

Liam's chirp rips through Don, slicing into instincts he didn't know he had... or that he didn't have a few days ago. If you ask him later, he won't know which is the truly case.

Either way... there is someone between him and Liam. Though you can't see it behind his mask, nictitating membranes he seldom uses have closed and he hisses a warning at Inaba, not recognizing her for her.

And after that brief moment, his other instincts screaming 'training exercise!' and his knowledge of the difference between that and a true emergency kick back in.  He freezes, mutters something that's probably a 'sorry' then takes a knee, signaling that he's surrendering, whether Inaba is still there or not, and wrestles down the rest of his reaction to Liam's chirp. He can hear the others at least nearby.

He covers his earholes as though it can stop the echo of Liam’s call from echoing in his head. Because it's either that, or give in to those instincts that nearly caused him to attack their friend.

He still needs to go get Liam. Apologizing to Inaba will come later. After he can do so properly without the discussion he needs to have with Liam intruding.

Inaba should have been alarmed... and she was but not in a way that caused her anger and she did react all prey reactive by bounding away all her furr and tail up flashing the white.


A row or two over before she is able to realise they both might have reacted upon instinct than normal thoughts. " it's cold Don!"


" Cool! that's cooooool!" Mikey corrects from somewhere in a shake sort of voice as he is currently rodeo -ing on Donatello.

Elena was leading him away - and he is so far unawares of the effect his chirp had and their scurrying away from the going down in a heap Donatello, Leon and Mikey. Giggling at the scene and hurrying on into a part more rows over that would let them slip into a small underground section of maze - Elena hesitating...


but Liam pulling into the dark-


they didn't go all the way barely past the mouth edge just out of the light.


cause they were kids and didn't like the full dark, even if they could see reasonably well.

Under any other circumstances Inaba's 'cold' being corrected by Mikey from a few rows over might have been comical, but... it's not at the moment. Don physically shakes off the residual of the feelings. At least enough that he can behave rationally.

He looks up at Inaba, meeting her eyes, and clearly himself again. Then he's up and gone in the direction the kids went, tracking them.

Very briefly, he rushes past their hiding place before noticing that their scent trail ended, and he doubles back.

They had been waiting and crouching...


And of course being in the dark stirred their imaginings.


So once Don was spotted both rushed out of the shadows as he is doubling back.


Turns out it was only a bird of some pretty jewelled type.


Liam beams up at Don still very much unawares of the affect his chirp had , holding Elena's hand as they scurry over.

In the wrestling it wasn't until Donatello almost found himself face to tail with Mikey - never a safe position for ones sense of smell! that the big guy surrendered to the capture.


Still chuckling as he disentangles himself from the smaller turtles and stands to his full height. " well done guys, come on lets see if we can catch Don and find out how the kidlets are going with the exercise." so far he assumed well and there had not been a lot of noise so he was rather proud of that.

Don's stop is only semi-controlled, but a ninja's semi-controlled is more than enough to put him exactly where he needs to be. He slides in sort of a modified baseball slide - he barely registers the small bit of gravel digging into his leg - to the kids and snatches them both up in a tight hug. His upper thigh is bleeding slightly, he hasn't noticed, and he won't care. It's just a scratch.

Really, he's after Liam, but both kids there, so they're both caught! He holds them tightly for a moment, and Don uses that time to just take in Liam's scent. Though he knows the child is there, he still sort of has to convince himself to help the last of that chirp stop slamming around in his head. He takes his time. He's in no rush now that they're together again, and he can convince whatever that was that Liam is safe.

When he can, Don pulls back and looks at Liam. Oh goodness, there was too much adrenaline in his system, and it's just starting to fade... And it's hard to force the words out.

"Liam... if I ev-- ever have to tell you to run again... or we're separated for... for whatever reason, kn-know one thing. I will always... always come back for you.

He pulls the boy close again.

"Sometimes it might take longer than others, but I will always come back for you, My Son."

And the adrenaline rush is really starting to fade now as he's found Liam safe and the remnants of the child's call fade into memory. Don is crashing. Too many days without food, and the soup and bread from earlier is long since spent. He's shaky and he doesn't really trust himself to stand at the moment. So he doesn't. He's just there holding the kids.

Liam is just chuffed to be hugged! his tail wiggle waggling and Elena is snuggling on the other side her little hand on Don's shoulder pat patting and quiet watching Liam and Don as there was slight draw back so Liam could listen, watch Don as he spoke.


Elena maybe understanding more of everything said than Liam did but he understood the message and he is glad, careful not to touch Don's ouchies with his toe and wanting to pick at his healing hand scab to help again.


Instead his small hands cup Don's cheeks, " no gone long? Liam wait... Liam wait for Daddy." he beams a kiddie smooch to Don's snout. A churr and he nudges Elena a bit with a foot.

Elena giggles and dawwwws....


So that's what dads did. She is beaming and even more excited about being accepted into Donatello's family, maybe even call him dad? maybe...

she'd like that!

"Hahaha you had a good run long legs.... and yes we should and probably try getting inside to eat and rest for tomorrow." Donatello's big day.


Big Big Day.

Mikey is climbing to his feet and chuckling offering a hand down to the tall turtle. " big big day and we should check on the Don I heard Inaba say cool wrong." one usually would have nothing to do with the other but in this case he thought there might be.


He is enjoying the game though and doesn't want it to end -


that wars with the loud rumble his belly makes now.


" yeah I agree lets get inside bath and eat and eat some more.' And he elbows the nervous looking big guy. " haha come on get excited, however this turns out man an adventure is an adventure."



Donatello accepts the hand up - and yeah he is feeling nervous and now they should probably go look for Don again sure and all go eat and rest... and boy he was trying to not be nervous. " I know I know... still a nerve wracking sort of adventure, come lets find Don and the kiddos doubt he is far from them."


Inaba catches up with them and grins a little, " definitely I may have just inadvertently sparked or stepped into a instinct to protect... come on their not far." she could tell mostly by hearing.


The troop begins the trek through the rows towards Don and them.


And when they turn the corner Donatello is hurrying forward, " you alright Don? - hey kiddos - hows the hiding go?' Don looked shaken.

Liam better not pick at his hand again! Don will stop him. This is definitely not worth it. And Don hasn’t even noticed the scratch yet anyway.

He shifts, backing off a bit again so he can rub Liam’s cheek.

“That’s right. But even if it is a long time, I will still come back for you.” He pulls Liam close again as the others come up towards them.

Don glances up at the call and nods. He’s okay, mostly. He released Elena, and moved to stand with Liam. It took more than one attempt. He caught himself the first time and made it the second.

“Their hiding was great, I missed them the first time.” Not by much and he noticed right away, but they chose a great spot on their own.

”Inaba... I-... I’m so sorry... I... I didn’t realize...” Shell, he still doesn’t quite know what happened. And he’s not entirely sure how to finish his sentence. Didn’t realize who she was? That that would have happened at all? Either one...?  “I’m really sorry, I didn’t know it was you...”

He sets Liam down and bows an apology, but with the shakiness, it’s not as clean or deep as he would like.

She and Leon had fell into holding hands again. She smiles at him and squeezes his hand before wriggling her fingers loose and moving towards Don with her hands out and patshis arm. " it's okay Don, really, really... I mean yeah you scared the heck out of me but I was between you and Liam... and he made a sound I've never heard him make. It definitely called to the inner mam Jägerbar and you acted on it -" she half teases and jokes in efforts to make sure Don knew she didn't hold a grudge over it.


A giggle as the let down Elena hugged Don's knee for a moment then with a trilling squeal rushes at Donatello to be caught up in a hug.

Leon smiles, he wasn't worried about it, and by what he was hearing there was not physical contact mostly just a good scaring. He moves up to offer Don a stabilizing hand to get up to his feet. Or at the very least be able to stand straighter.


" That's great... we might be able to do a little kiddies hide and seek in the rooms if you feel like wondering back to the space and getting some dinner... and I think we should that belly rumble of Mikey's sounds dangerous... like we might all be eaten."


He could still hear it!!

Liam churrs and he loves catching Don's hand so he can nuzzle nuzzle his little tail was in danger of being wagged off it was going so hard! " yay for Liaaam... and brudderrs ... and Lea." he beams and waves at the others and giggles watching his friend dash over to Donatello happy to hug and snug his Dad.


He doesn't understand what Inaba means but he never the less grins at her. On his feet he is watching Leon come over and first giggles cause his belly rumbled - and then mouth ooohs and he sniggers when he realises thanks to Leon that Mikey's was doing the very same thing!

Don pats Elena on the head as she hugs his knee, and he smiles as she runs off to the other Donatello.

Though Inaba is not holding a grudge, Don is still not fond of his behavior. He'd been trained for most of his life to overcome or counteract most of his instincts in favor of his training. And this time he had very nearly failed. Though it had definitely been an instinct he'd never encountered before! And he certainly hadn't expected it. Still... He's not fond of how he handled it. He does reluctantly accept Inaba's words though. As far as the weird creature word... Don doesn’t know what it is, but he got the gist of it.

And is equally reluctant about Leon's helping hand. However... Don is spent. Between the forced inactivity of the past several days and the lack of proper nourishment in the past week, he's still crashing. His blood sugar is tanking mostly because there's just nothing there. Once he's stable, he pulls his staff out again and this time it's not just a prop. He's really using it to help balance.

He chuckles softly as Leon and Mikey's stomachs both growl. Don's pretty sure his stopped bothering several days ago. And though at the moment, he just wants to go sleep, he's pretty sure he really needs to eat first.

" Jägerbar... what is that?" though from the context he assumed it might be nexus's form of bear. Accessed his momma bear... yeah that had to be it. Still he was curious. And moving forward to walk behind Don and Leon to keep watch encase there was a fall, but also it gave him the opportunity to catch Elena up in his arms and kiss her cheek.


" Don says you two did very well in hiding, good job. Its very important play - yous may have to run and hide and stay every quiet when people very unfriendly and trying to find you." the only way he could think of explaining to her it was fun and very important.

" Hah I can find yous more creatures in books inside, come on lets go." entirely pleased with letting go of the moment and moving a little ahead to lead them out of the maze - um making sure to let go of Leon's hand to do so without tugging him and poor tired looking Don with her.

" weeee did? you and Don happy we did good?' Elena happy squeaks and nuzzles into the hug Donatello is wrapping around her.


" I did very much and Don says yous did very very well..." He grins at his counterpart, but it is hiding his urge to mother hen and fuss over Don.

“That underground space was a great idea. The wagging tails sticking out of the hedge... not so much.” He chuckled softly, directing the comment to both kids. The tail thing may have been ineffective, but it was adorable.

He sort of regrets not keeping one of the bags of some sort of fruit that had been shoved in his face earlier. Might have been helpful now...

Oh well, they’re almost back. He’s still tired, and pretty sure his blood sugar is lower than ideal, but he’s coherent enough to at least make a show of being okay. And he does want to see the book Inaba was talking about. Also...

“And you were going to tell me something you found about the Savannah Lands earlier,” he reminds his counterpart. Because no, he hasn’t forgotten that raincheck.

Elena giggles over Donatello's shoulder, " the dark was also very verrrry scary Don... verrry." a shiver and she hugs her big turtle tighter. Then a gap and gasp, " you saw our tails... we didn't sees you?!' and amazed tones.


T

Donatello placed Elena down after a laugh and a nuzzle and a whisper, " because he a ninja darling, a ninja!" and with that and her squeal of wanting to be a ninja too he places her down and Liam runs up to her the pair lightly wrestling for a moment in the pathway then leading on towards the rooms once they were back out of the maze. Making Reinigen awww and daww at them.


Liam looking back now and than at slow moving Don and not rushing to far ahead.

There's a slight, sad smile at Elena's comment about the dark being scary. He was sort of aware that fear of the dark was a common thing for children, but he'd been raised mostly in the dark. Raised to be one with the shadows. Really, being out in the light is far scarier to him than he ever remembers the dark being. Even without the Reinigen paying so much attention to them, wandering around the Nexus in broad daylight makes him slightly nervous.

"For me, darkness means safety." Don commented as Elena was put down before quoting his own Master Splinter. "Darkness gives the ninja power, while light reveals the ninja's presence."

He chuckled as the kids ran off ahead to play and wrestle. And there's another as he catches Liam looking back, worried. Kid has waaaaaay too much Leo in him. He picks up the pace slightly, hoping to reassure the child.  Also, the number of Reinigen moving around still makes him a bit edgy.

Leon and Inaba are holding hands and she is grinning her ears following the kids and the running ahead to keep an eye on them and play with them equally Mikey.


" A bear beast... Don found his mama bear... and I pity the real enemy who ever tries to get between him and Liam." he grins fondly at Don, no she held no grudge, the dude had fought himself enough over the moment and managed not to hurt her and she was more than aware he could have even with her quick all prey reaction to get the heck out of dodge.


Leon chuckles a bit and nods, mama bear. About right. He slows to ask some linger shrew like Reinigen to get a dinner brought up very thank you much. And drinks.

Donatello grin at Don slowling entirely as Mikey and kids rush ahead to play, " good to hear seems like we have some natural ninjas soon to be in training then..." he grins and their nearing their rooms.


He grins at Don and nods, " Well it seems the lands around the capital are actually mostly disconnected from the main land annnnnd seems there is a ferri across the bays or a strip of land...." Okay so most of his observations he was keen to share was geography -but hey he had been distracting himself!


And he was eager to share what he'd remembered, " Also I was studying the savannah looking for a place to meet up with our brothers, all our brothers. Or we hope all of them. and then try to get across to the capital together. Recon this situation closer... can show you more clearly over the map. If we can in touch with other turtles we might be able to tell them where. Erica will be faster when she learns where each group of turtle sis going to be."

Annnnd he scoops the kids up - Giving Elena a light toss in the air first and putting her back down giggling and wriggling into a cushion - then Liam went next.


Though Mikey knew that move had freaked Don out a little the first time he did it - and well he was a troll sometimes. But the giggling boy was caught and placed down with Elena giggling and the pair wriggling on their cushions waiting eagerly for their dads now Mikey knew, " I call dibs on loo and bath!" he calls back, who knew after tonight they might be back on the run so he was getting in a wash before they dashed off again. " catch me up over the table!' he adds laughing and heading to take a massive whiz then go bath.

Liam is reassured, so much he is beaming - and then squealing when Mikey grabs him up and gives him a toss, making him giggly and wriggly and - he is slow to right himself beside Elena waiting for the rest of them to join them in the room.

Don blushes slightly when Inaba is more blunt about the mama bear thing. Though... she probably had a point. Whatever had happened hadn't been a rage state exactly... it was different He was pretty sure he could have accessed his training from there, just... accessed it really, really well without caring about what damage he might do his opponent in the process.

He is smiling at the little ninjas soon to be in training comment. "No time like the present..." As far as Don is concerned, the maze was their first little training session. Especially with what they're probably about to walk into... Don wants the kids to practice hiding as much as possible. And a little tumbling and balance couldn't hurt.

Don listens to the information presented. He hadn't had much of a chance to pay attention to what was beyond the capitol city last time they were there, though he does sort of remember there being water.

...and they had eaten squid.

Don doesn't have enough time or energy to do much more than squeak when Mikey throws Liam in the air! He still doesn't like the tossing! And there's a mildly annoyed sound somewhere between a grunt and a groan when Mikey settles Liam on a cushion after the toss. Oh... Don's going to be a mess when that boy starts learning to fly...

He nods at the map and considers the comments about getting information out. "And maybe some of the others will pick up a scrying mirror." And there's an almost too long pause. "...or... How are your meditation and astral abilities...? That question is sort of asked to both the other Donatello and Leon. As Mikey has rushed off to the bathroom, they'll have to ask him later. Anyone who wants to comment is welcome. He doesn't hold out a whole lot of hope for Leon who thought Don was asleep when he was meditating before they found the others. It's almost a crazy thought as far as Don's concerned, but crazy sometimes works. "I could sort of reach back to Leo once when they were doing their group thing when I was sick..." He thinks he could reach them when they call out, but he's not certain. And who knows what could be accomplished through them. And if Don can reach back, he's pretty sure his brothers can too. And they're all pretty spread out.

Elena giggles and wriggles out from under Liam booping his snout and all bouncy bouncy scurries over to the table, climbing up onto a chair and reaching into the fruit bowl for a fruit similar to kiwi fruit or well the nexus version and biting into it eagerly.

Elena beams at the Dons and her tone curious her face now sticky with fruit juice. " is dark rwally good Don?'


Liam had growled and tried to wrestle but Elena got away so he chases after her and climbs up onto his own chair beaming at Don and eager and bouncy his tail wagging as he reaches over to the fruit bowl next finding small berries and chew chewing watching the two Dons. Or well mostly Don.


He really had only been creeped out in the dark cause Elena had been. He was otherwise not too fussed about it.

Donatello hums and thinks, " I am not too bad at it. I mean it takes a bit longer for me to focus, too many thoughts going on, but the brain usually quietens down after a while. I am pretty sure now most of them know to get some form of scrying mirror. Well... I hope so in any case will definitely make it easier to coordinate something with our brothers." He trusts the Leos to have gotten the word out as much as possible and others to obtain objects fairly soon.


He chuckles at the children following over to the table and tickling Elena's sides, [color=#800080]" easy on the fruit little ones there will be food soon."[/color but is otherwise happy to see them wear themselves out thoroughly.


Impressed even with the toss in the air that Liam remembered to keep wings in. A

Don smiles sadly at Elena's question. He's not quite sure if the question is sad or if his answer is... It probably depends on point of view...

"Well... I grew up mostly in the dark... There's nothing in the dark that isn't there in the light, Elena. And a ninja learns to use the dark to his advantage. So for me... yes. I actually find the dark comforting and safer than the light."

He settles into a chair next to Liam. And that he actually sat in it and didn't fall into it was strictly willpower. Once he's down, he rubs the child's head fondly.

Don also reached into the bowl, yes, he is aware food is coming, but he's also fairly certain he's in the middle of a sugar crash, and fruit is a perfect remedy for that. He picks out two... he's not sure what they are. Largish grape looking things. but they were loose and not in a bunch. Biting into them... they were more kiwi-like... but without the fuzz. They were good though, and sweet. And that's really what he's after. And he has no desire to make himself sick, so he sticks with just the two.

He chuckles at his counterpart's admission that it takes a little while to empty his mind.

"I hear that... Sometimes it feels impossible..."

Though Don can do it in a pinch if called upon. He has screamed out and reached Master Splinter before. There was a measure of desperation there though that will be lacking in this case. Still, he's pretty sure he can at least reach back to Leo.

"And the scrying mirror is definitely easier... Still... Good to have a Plan B... And it might be easier to reach them together if it comes to that."

And it's only now that he notices that he's cut up his leg. He sighs slightly. This is one he actually can take care of... well enough anyway, and he digs through his belt for a topical antibiotic. Somewhere along the line, probably when his gear was cleaned up, some items were moved. It seemed that the big ones were still in their original places, but some of the smaller items, like the antibiotic were moved. He rearranges his pockets as he finds things out of place so they're back where they belong and he can find things easily again.