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Is the strange Turtle he meets the worst thing that's ever happened to him, or something else?\n\nMulti-chapter 2k3", "count": "28", "submission_left_submission_id": "1060764", "submission_left_file_name": "1465690_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_16.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/1465/1465690_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_16.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1465/1465690_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_16.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1465/1465690_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_16.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "300", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "223", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "200", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "149", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "89", "submission_right_submission_id": "1063979", "submission_right_file_name": "1470260_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_18.doc", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/1470/1470260_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_18.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1470/1470260_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_18.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1470/1470260_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_18.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "152", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "123", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "152", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "123", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "97" } ], "description": "Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.\nWord Count: 100K+ multi-chapter 2k3\nSummary: Donatello sets out to do April a small favor and winds up in another dimension.\nRating will vary by chapter, from G to NC-17\n\nAnd now we meet Masolino! Do tell me what you think of him.\n\n~~The amazing preview image created by @dragona15", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.
Word Count: 100K+ multi-chapter 2k3
Summary: Donatello sets out to do April a small favor and winds up in another dimension.
Rating will vary by chapter, from G to NC-17

And now we meet Masolino! Do tell me what you think of him.

~~The amazing preview image created by \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdragona15\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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", "writing": "\tWhen he felt the ground give way beneath him, Don grabbed for the rim of the newly opened chasm as he shot past it. His fingers caught the dry earth but it crumpled under his weight.\n\n\tSeeing his mate fall, Nicco threw himself down, landing heavily on his plastron as he reached for Don. His hand closed around Don’s wrist but the younger turtle’s momentum jerked Nicco’s body forward, causing him to slide towards the chasm.\n\n\tWith nothing to hold onto, Nicco whipped out his hachiwari and buried the blade in the ground, gripping the handle as tightly as he could. In the abrupt stop Nicco almost lost his hold on his mate’s wrist, but Don swiftly latched on to Nicco’s arm with his free hand.\n\n\tThe ground finally stopped shaking and Don swung his feet forward, digging his toes into the side of the chasm.\n\n\t“Don’t let go,” Don called up to Nicco. “I’m going to climb up to you.”\n\n\t“I’ll never let go of you, Donny,” Nicco replied, straining his muscles in order to maintain his position. “Just do me a favor and climb fast.”\n\n\tDon shifted his grip on Nicco’s arm and started to scale the chasm wall, well aware that another quake could hit at any moment. He began to feel heat rising up from below him and tendrils of smoke soon followed.\n\n\tPlanting his feet firmly against the earthen wall, Don said, “On the count of three let go. One . . . two . . . three!”\n\n\tAs Nicco’s hand opened Don sprang upwards, worrying less about form and more about clearing the fragile clumps of dirt at the edges of the long trench. He landed on the ground plastron first, crawling away from the sheer drop off as fast as he could.\n\n\tNicco saw Don’s escape and tore his hachiwari out of the ground, rolling over and up to his feet in a single movement.\n\n\tBreathing hard, Don turned onto his carapace, the makeshift pack on his shell pushing him into a half seated position. He let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Nicco’s approach.\n\n\t“You know what?” Don asked, trying to catch his breath. “We need to get out of here.”\n\n\tNicco chuckled lightly as he helped Don to his feet. “You think?”\n\n\tHis rhetorical question was punctuated by a rumbling sound from deep below them. The pair looked at one another and then took off running.\n\n\t“How far is it?” Don asked, keeping pace with Nicco.\n\n\t“About ten miles,” Nicco answered. “It’s sitting in a rocky area; not much soil and no vegetation.”\n\n\t“Let’s hope it’s still there,” Don said grimly, glancing back at the trench. Ten miles wasn’t all that far considering the power of the seismic disturbances they were experiencing.\n\n\tA little less than thirty minutes later Don started to see great slabs of rock jutting up from the ground. Nicco slowed down when he reached a grouping of them that seemed to form a gigantic staircase. Jumping from stone to stone, Nicco led the way upwards between two hills that appeared to have been formed entirely of rock.\n\n\tDon recognized the area as the one Nicco had shown him before they’d continued on to search for the diamonds. It wasn’t long before Don saw an enormous flat slab of stone sticking out of what looked like a manufactured rock formation and knew it was the structure he’d seen from a distance.\n\n\tThe stair steps ended and Don noticed that the flat slab was actually part of the entrance into a dark opening in the rock. Nicco walked directly towards it, hesitating only long enough for Don to come up next to him.\n\n\t“We’ll need your flashlight for the first forty yards,” Nicco said. “After that natural light illuminates the artifact.”\n\n\tDon saw immediately why the flashlight was needed. The ground underfoot wasn’t smooth; whoever had created the pathway appeared to have chipped their way through solid stone. A misstep would easily leave them with a sliced open foot or a broken ankle.\n\n\tThe ceiling was also low enough that Don had to keep his head down and it was necessary for Nicco to walk in a stooped position. When the entryway finally opened into a cavernous chamber the light filtering in from above made Don’s flashlight unnecessary and he tucked it away.\n\n\tThere was a dusty smell to the air and loose rocks lay strewn about the floor, appearing out of place in the chamber. Looking up, Don could see where chunks had recently fallen from the walls and ceiling.\n\n\tNicco was ahead of him and Don’s examination of the chamber was interrupted when he heard the larger turtle exclaim, “Oh crap!”\n\n\tDon rushed forward, his eyes darting from Nicco to a platform upon which sat an enormous puzzle box, an exact duplicate of the one he’d found on the wasp world. With a sinking heart, Don saw what had upset Nicco.\n\n\tOne of the quakes had split the rock that the platform sat on. The platform had tilted towards the opening and a large section had broken loose. This in turn had caused the artifact to tip to one side and it was now precariously perched on what remained of the platform. To make matters worse, stones from above had fallen around it, some of them sitting up against the artifact itself.\n\n\tSeveral thoughts and accompanying emotions entered Don’s head all at once; sadness that he couldn’t go home and that his brothers would suffer, joy that he didn’t have to be separated from Nicco, and fear at the possibility they’d be killed by a burgeoning volcano.\n\n\tIt was only a matter of about a minute for all of that to flash through Don’s mind and then the analytical part of his brain took over.\n\n\tWalking past the still stricken Nicco, Don said, “Come on, let’s assess the damage. We might be able to get it working.”\n\n\t“Look at it,” Nicco said, lifting his hand to indicate the artifact. “It’s lying on its side!”\n\n\t“It’s tilted,” Don said, correcting him. “There’s a chance it’s still functional. Help me move these stones away from the artifact but be careful not to touch it.”\n\n\tHaving a task to do snapped Nicco out of his paralysis and he moved up to the platform with Don. Together they rolled the stones away from the artifact and cleared a number of them from the platform as well.\n\n\tWith the stones out of the way, Don could walk all of the way around the artifact. When he reached the side that had lifted partway off of the platform he saw that something between the artifact and the platform was glowing.\n\n\tSquatting next to it, Don realized that there was a hidden compartment in the platform itself. Inside was a stack of crystal rods, all of various sizes, but the one thing they had in common was their shape. Each one looked exactly like the crystal protrusions that popped out of April’s artifact whenever it was activated.\n\n\tExcited by his find, Don reached into the compartment and selected a handful of the smaller crystal rods. Standing, he examined them, thinking that they bore a resemblance to the Y’Lyntian crystals that were embedded in the columns throughout the lair.\n\n\t“What have you found?” Nicco asked, walking over to join Don.\n\n\tHolding one of the rods up for Nicco to see, Don said, “I’m sure these crystal rods provide the power to the artifacts. There are different sizes and these small ones are no doubt meant for the hand held puzzle boxes you and I have.”\n\n\t“I don’t think power is the problem with this artifact,” Nicco said. “Those earthquakes haven’t done us any favors. There is no way we’re going to be able to turn the lower dial very far, it’s stuck.”\n\n\tDon looked at the setting and with a deep sigh said, “The current coordinates aren’t even close to the ones I need in order to make it back to my world.”\n\n\tNicco’s eyes lit up and he turned so that he was standing in front of Don. “They’re close to mine,” he said. “The jolt it took must have shaken it off the last setting, which was the one that sent Mase and I back home. I don’t know if it has to be level to work, but if we push hard enough, we can align the settings that form the coordinates to my world.”\n\n\tTaking a minute to consider his options, which Don had to admit were few, he said, “We’ll both go to your world. We don’t have time to try and level the artifact and even if we did, there’s no guarantee it wouldn’t stick if we tried to turn it too much. There’s a good chance that kind of attempt would leave us both stranded here or get us sent to who knows where.”\n\n\tNicco reached out to cup Don’s chin. “If my artifact is busted, you’ll be stuck in my dimension,” he said softly.\n\n\t“I know,” Don said, his eyes fixed on Nicco’s. “I’ll deal with that if it happens. This is really our only logical choice.” Lifting the crystals, he added, “Maybe these will prove useful for fixing the artifact if it is broken. I’ll bet there are hidden compartments containing spare parts under each of the large artifacts. I mean, if I created something like this I’d want to be able to repair it no matter where I was.”\n\n\tAs Don stuffed the crystals into his belt, Nicco told him, “You are one resourceful little ninja.”\n\n\tDon grinned. “If you call me ‘little ninja’ in front of your brother I’m going to slug you.”\n\n\tChuckling, Nicco pulled Don into a tight embrace and pressed a deep, lingering kiss to his mouth. “I’ll call you ‘my ninja’,” he promised as they separated.\n\n\tA faint rumbling sound reminded the pair that they were under a time constraint. They both moved around to the low side of the artifact and Nicco said, “We have to align that symbol with this one.” He pointed first at a marking on the lower dial and then to one on the smaller dial on top.\n\n\t“Grab hold and let’s do this,” Don said, placing his palms flat against the artifact and bracing his legs.\n\n\tNicco chose a spot a couple of feet away and together they began to push against the artifact. For a moment nothing happened and Don had just begun to worry that it was immovable when he felt an almost imperceptible shifting of the dial.\n\n\t“It’s moving!” Don called out. “Push a little harder but let’s be careful that we don’t overshoot the mark.”\n\n\tInch by inch the dial started to spin. With the amount of resistance they were experiencing, Don knew that this artifact was done for; no one would ever be able to use it for dimensional travel ever again.\n\n\tThey finally turned the dial enough so that the required symbols were in alignment. Stepping back, Nicco and Don watched as the puzzle box began to glow. Nicco reached over to grab Don’s hand just as the crystal rods popped out of the sides of the artifact and then a blinding light enveloped the both of them.\n\n\tThe power of the shifting dimensional rift yanked their hands apart, but Don could still see Nicco’s form as it elongated and shot sideways. Though it wasn’t his first time flying through a dimensional wormhole, the sheer force of the experience tore a cry from Don’s throat.\n\n\tThen the air around him changed and Don plunged through a swirling vortex, freefalling several feet before hitting a padded surface.\n\n\tGroaning as he waited for his head to stop spinning, Don immediately tried to locate Nicco. To his immense relief, the larger turtle lay next to him and was starting to push himself upright.\n\n\tA flash of Kashmir green coming through an open doorway caught the corner of Don’s eye.\n\n\t“Ha ha, I found it Nicco! I told you it wouldn’t take me a second; I always know where I put stuff, well mostly I always know where I put stuff. Now we can go . . . .”\n\n\tThe fast talking turtle abruptly stopped and stared at the two who were still sprawled out on the floor. Nicco gained his feet first and reached a hand out to help Don stand.\n\n\t“You left without me, didn’t you? Darn it Nicco, I told you to wait. Wow, who is this? What happened to you? How long were you gone? Did you find the diamonds? Where’s the cube? I’ve got the rest of our gear; maybe we should go right . . . .”\n\n\t“Mase, shut up,” Nicco said good-naturedly. “I don’t know why you ask a million questions if you aren’t going to give me time to answer even one of them.”\n\n\t“I ask them as I think them so I don’t forget any,” Mase said, walking right up to Donatello. “You found another turtle!”\n\n\t“Mase, meet Donatello. Donatello, this is my brother Masolino,” Nicco said with a cheeky grin.\n\n\t“It’s nice to meet you Mase,” Don said, shaking the other turtle’s hand.\n\n\t“This is amazing! Donatello. Were you exploring too? Is that how you met?” Mase lifted Don’s hand up near his eyes and began studying it. “He’s exactly like us! I’d love to take some samples; maybe blood, tissue, oh wait, a brain scan would be fantastic!”\n\n\t“Mase, focus,” Nicco admonished his brother, helping Don remove his makeshift pack and dropping it on the floor. “I didn’t activate the artifact, it opened by itself. Don was in his dimension examining the puzzle box he owns and somehow they went off simultaneously. We both got pulled into the diamond world.”\n\n\t“I believe it happened because of the fact that two identical artifacts and two similar biological masses were touching the puzzle boxes at the exact same moment,” Don said. “The artifacts are probably joined in some manner and since their basic function is to transport living tissue the two boxes communicated with each other and somehow computed that Nicco and I belonged in the same physical space. It then grabbed us and sent us to the coordinates that had most recently been set; the diamond world.”\n\n\tMase’s eyes sparkled with excitement and Don couldn’t help but notice the unique color Nicco had described to him; a smoky gray outlined with touches of sky blue.\n\n\t“Yes, that makes perfect sense. Consider that the puzzle box had been used recently to transport two turtles – Nicco and I – and then take into account the probability that the devices all have residual memory functions. The last recorded operation would have said they’d sent two turtles to the same dimension, but here were two turtles in separate dimensions. The programming would demand that . . . .”\n\n\t“The artifact correct its mistake!” Don finished, feeling the same excitement that had gripped Mase.\n\n\tNicco ignored the two brainy turtles as he looked around for their puzzle box. Spotting it lying in a corner, he tossed his backpack to the side and retrieved the artifact.\n\n\tHolding it gingerly, Nicco placed it on one of the work benches that were built into the wall and turned to look at Don and Mase.\n\n\t“We need to be careful messing with this thing. I don’t know what kind of shape it’s in, but the last thing we need is for it to activate by itself again. Mase, the diamond world dimension needs to go on the no travel list; the artifact there is busted,” Nicco said.\n\n\t“How did that happen? What about the diamonds, were you able to find any? There has to be a way to carry the small artifact with you when you travel, why else would someone create a device that’s so obviously meant to be hand held? Wait, if the device self-activated, where did it drop the two of you? Did you land in the same place? Were you in the same spot where we got dropped the first time? If I could just swab the inside of your mouth really fast Don, I can get started running a DNA test and . . . .” As he talked, Mase darted around the room, opening cabinets as though searching for something.\n\n\tIn a loud voice, Nicco called out, “Masolino, my mate is not your experiment.”\n\n\tThat stopped Mase in his tracks. His mouth dropped open as he turned to look at his brother, one hand still hanging onto the knob of a cabinet.\n\n\t“Mate? You two are . . . ?” Mase blinked and then flew across the room towards Don, flinging his arms around the startled turtle, then lifting and spinning him.\n\n\t“Mase, put him down!” Nicco insisted, grabbing his brother’s shoulder.\n\n\t“As soon as I saw him I thought ‘damn, he’s attractive’,” Mase proclaimed, releasing Don who stepped back as he tried to catch his breath. “In the back of my mind I was wondering why you brought him home with you and now I know. Holy crap Nicco, you finally found someone! Wait until dad finds out. Wait until I tell Corius. This is so fantastic! It’s better than diamonds. He’s smart too. Hey, can I get you to do an intelligence test? I’ll bet you score off the charts. You carry a bo staff! Does that mean you can fight? Did you and Nicco fight? He can be overbearing sometimes and . . . .”\n\n\t“Mase, focus!” Nicco said once more, placing an arm around Don. “Will you please put a sock in it? Yes, Don is better than diamonds, but we found those too. Why don’t you unpack the two bags over there and let Don and I get cleaned up before you ask any more questions you don’t intend to give anyone time to answer?”\n\n\t“Diamonds! Damn, I’ll get right on that. Are you going to shower together? Should I turn up some music really loud so that I can’t hear any sounds coming from your bathroom?” Mase asked, his mouth spreading into a wide and mischievous grin.\n\n\t“Jerk,” Nicco growled at his brother, the underlying humor obvious in his voice as he led Donatello from the room.\n\n\tThe area they’d been in was obviously set up as a transportation space; the padding on the floor placed there to soften the usually rough landings one got when using the artifact. Beyond that room was an even larger space, a section containing shelving covered in camping, climbing, and hunting gear. The remainder of the space was devoted to Mase’s lab, the area crammed with the kind of equipment that made Don salivate.\n\n\tNicco steered Don towards a set of stairs and the younger turtle realized that they were in a basement.\n\n\t“Well, that was Mase,” Nicco said with a chuckle.\n\n\t“He’s very . . . unique,” Don replied, his head still buzzing from meeting the energetic turtle.\n\n\t“Now you know why I didn’t try to describe him to you,” Nicco said. “He’s more of an experience.”\n\n\tAt the top of the stairs Don saw that there was a thick metal door. Nicco tapped a code into a key pad set in the wall next to the door and then turned the large wheel in its center in order to open the door.\n\n\t“Heavy security,” Don noted, stepping into a long hallway.\n\n\tNicco pulled the door closed behind them, tugging on it until there was an audible click. “We don’t want anyone just strolling down there,” Nicco said. “There’s a retinal scanning device on this side along with the key pad. I’ll get Mase to program it so that you’ll be able to open the door too. Right now only Mase, Corius, and I can get down into the basement. My dad doesn’t even go there.”\n\n\t“Does your father know about the artifact?” Don asked.\n\n\t“Yes and before you ask, it does bother him that Mase and I travel through it,” Nicco answered. “He told us of his concerns long ago, but he doesn’t interfere in our decisions. Dad is pretty special. After we get cleaned up, I’m going to take you to meet him.”\n\n\tThey had started down the hallway but now Don stopped, his eyes wide as he stared at Nicco. “I’m going to meet your father?”\n\n\t“Buck up little ninja,” Nicco said, his tone lightly teasing. “He’ll love you almost as much as I do. Trust me.”\n\n\tTaking Don’s hand, Nicco squeezed it reassuringly and Don couldn’t help but believe him. Don had come to learn that trusting Nicco was never a bad bet.\n\nTBC………………", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "\tWhen he felt the ground give way beneath him, Don grabbed for the rim of the newly opened chasm as he shot past it.  His fingers caught the dry earth but it crumpled under his weight.

\tSeeing his mate fall, Nicco threw himself down, landing heavily on his plastron as he reached for Don.  His hand closed around Don’s wrist but the younger turtle’s momentum jerked Nicco’s body forward, causing him to slide towards the chasm.

\tWith nothing to hold onto, Nicco whipped out his hachiwari and buried the blade in the ground, gripping the handle as tightly as he could.  In the abrupt stop Nicco almost lost his hold on his mate’s wrist, but Don swiftly latched on to Nicco’s arm with his free hand.

\tThe ground finally stopped shaking and Don swung his feet forward, digging his toes into the side of the chasm.

\t“Don’t let go,” Don called up to Nicco.  “I’m going to climb up to you.”

\t“I’ll never let go of you, Donny,” Nicco replied, straining his muscles in order to maintain his position.  “Just do me a favor and climb fast.”

\tDon shifted his grip on Nicco’s arm and started to scale the chasm wall, well aware that another quake could hit at any moment.  He began to feel heat rising up from below him and tendrils of smoke soon followed.

\tPlanting his feet firmly against the earthen wall, Don said, “On the count of three let go.  One . . . two . . . three!”

\tAs Nicco’s hand opened Don sprang upwards, worrying less about form and more about clearing the fragile clumps of dirt at the edges of the long trench.  He landed on the ground plastron first, crawling away from the sheer drop off as fast as he could.

\tNicco saw Don’s escape and tore his hachiwari out of the ground, rolling over and up to his feet in a single movement.

\tBreathing hard, Don turned onto his carapace, the makeshift pack on his shell pushing him into a half seated position.  He let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Nicco’s approach.

\t“You know what?” Don asked, trying to catch his breath.  “We need to get out of here.”

\tNicco chuckled lightly as he helped Don to his feet.  “You think?”

\tHis rhetorical question was punctuated by a rumbling sound from deep below them.  The pair looked at one another and then took off running.

\t“How far is it?” Don asked, keeping pace with Nicco.

\t“About ten miles,” Nicco answered.  “It’s sitting in a rocky area; not much soil and no vegetation.”

\t“Let’s hope it’s still there,” Don said grimly, glancing back at the trench.  Ten miles wasn’t all that far considering the power of the seismic disturbances they were experiencing.

\tA little less than thirty minutes later Don started to see great slabs of rock jutting up from the ground.  Nicco slowed down when he reached a grouping of them that seemed to form a gigantic staircase.  Jumping from stone to stone, Nicco led the way upwards between two hills that appeared to have been formed entirely of rock.

\tDon recognized the area as the one Nicco had shown him before they’d continued on to search for the diamonds.  It wasn’t long before Don saw an enormous flat slab of stone sticking out of what looked like a manufactured rock formation and knew it was the structure he’d seen from a distance.

\tThe stair steps ended and Don noticed that the flat slab was actually part of the entrance into a dark opening in the rock.  Nicco walked directly towards it, hesitating only long enough for Don to come up next to him.

\t“We’ll need your flashlight for the first forty yards,” Nicco said.  “After that natural light illuminates the artifact.”

\tDon saw immediately why the flashlight was needed.  The ground underfoot wasn’t smooth; whoever had created the pathway appeared to have chipped their way through solid stone.  A misstep would easily leave them with a sliced open foot or a broken ankle.

\tThe ceiling was also low enough that Don had to keep his head down and it was necessary for Nicco to walk in a stooped position.  When the entryway finally opened into a cavernous chamber the light filtering in from above made Don’s flashlight unnecessary and he tucked it away.

\tThere was a dusty smell to the air and loose rocks lay strewn about the floor, appearing out of place in the chamber.  Looking up, Don could see where chunks had recently fallen from the walls and ceiling.

\tNicco was ahead of him and Don’s examination of the chamber was interrupted when he heard the larger turtle exclaim, “Oh crap!”

\tDon rushed forward, his eyes darting from Nicco to a platform upon which sat an enormous puzzle box, an exact duplicate of the one he’d found on the wasp world.  With a sinking heart, Don saw what had upset Nicco.

\tOne of the quakes had split the rock that the platform sat on.  The platform had tilted towards the opening and a large section had broken loose.  This in turn had caused the artifact to tip to one side and it was now precariously perched on what remained of the platform.  To make matters worse, stones from above had fallen around it, some of them sitting up against the artifact itself.

\tSeveral thoughts and accompanying emotions entered Don’s head all at once; sadness that he couldn’t go home and that his brothers would suffer, joy that he didn’t have to be separated from Nicco, and fear at the possibility they’d be killed by a burgeoning volcano.

\tIt was only a matter of about a minute for all of that to flash through Don’s mind and then the analytical part of his brain took over.

\tWalking past the still stricken Nicco, Don said, “Come on, let’s assess the damage.  We might be able to get it working.”

\t“Look at it,” Nicco said, lifting his hand to indicate the artifact.  “It’s lying on its side!”

\t“It’s tilted,” Don said, correcting him.  “There’s a chance it’s still functional.  Help me move these stones away from the artifact but be careful not to touch it.”

\tHaving a task to do snapped Nicco out of his paralysis and he moved up to the platform with Don.  Together they rolled the stones away from the artifact and cleared a number of them from the platform as well.

\tWith the stones out of the way, Don could walk all of the way around the artifact.  When he reached the side that had lifted partway off of the platform he saw that something between the artifact and the platform was glowing.

\tSquatting next to it, Don realized that there was a hidden compartment in the platform itself.  Inside was a stack of crystal rods, all of various sizes, but the one thing they had in common was their shape.  Each one looked exactly like the crystal protrusions that popped out of April’s artifact whenever it was activated.

\tExcited by his find, Don reached into the compartment and selected a handful of the smaller crystal rods.  Standing, he examined them, thinking that they bore a resemblance to the Y’Lyntian crystals that were embedded in the columns throughout the lair.

\t“What have you found?” Nicco asked, walking over to join Don.

\tHolding one of the rods up for Nicco to see, Don said, “I’m sure these crystal rods provide the power to the artifacts.  There are different sizes and these small ones are no doubt meant for the hand held puzzle boxes you and I have.”

\t“I don’t think power is the problem with this artifact,” Nicco said.  “Those earthquakes haven’t done us any favors.  There is no way we’re going to be able to turn the lower dial very far, it’s stuck.”

\tDon looked at the setting and with a deep sigh said, “The current coordinates aren’t even close to the ones I need in order to make it back to my world.”

\tNicco’s eyes lit up and he turned so that he was standing in front of Don.  “They’re close to mine,” he said.  “The jolt it took must have shaken it off the last setting, which was the one that sent Mase and I back home.  I don’t know if it has to be level to work, but if we push hard enough, we can align the settings that form the coordinates to my world.”

\tTaking a minute to consider his options, which Don had to admit were few, he said, “We’ll both go to your world.  We don’t have time to try and level the artifact and even if we did, there’s no guarantee it wouldn’t stick if we tried to turn it too much.  There’s a good chance that kind of attempt would leave us both stranded here or get us sent to who knows where.”

\tNicco reached out to cup Don’s chin.  “If my artifact is busted, you’ll be stuck in my dimension,” he said softly.

\t“I know,” Don said, his eyes fixed on Nicco’s.  “I’ll deal with that if it happens.  This is really our only logical choice.”  Lifting the crystals, he added, “Maybe these will prove useful for fixing the artifact if it is broken.  I’ll bet there are hidden compartments containing spare parts under each of the large artifacts.  I mean, if I created something like this I’d want to be able to repair it no matter where I was.”

\tAs Don stuffed the crystals into his belt, Nicco told him, “You are one resourceful little ninja.”

\tDon grinned.  “If you call me ‘little ninja’ in front of your brother I’m going to slug you.”

\tChuckling, Nicco pulled Don into a tight embrace and pressed a deep, lingering kiss to his mouth.  “I’ll call you ‘my ninja’,” he promised as they separated.

\tA faint rumbling sound reminded the pair that they were under a time constraint.  They both moved around to the low side of the artifact and Nicco said, “We have to align that symbol with this one.”  He pointed first at a marking on the lower dial and then to one on the smaller dial on top.

\t“Grab hold and let’s do this,” Don said, placing his palms flat against the artifact and bracing his legs.

\tNicco chose a spot a couple of feet away and together they began to push against the artifact.  For a moment nothing happened and Don had just begun to worry that it was immovable when he felt an almost imperceptible shifting of the dial.

\t“It’s moving!” Don called out.  “Push a little harder but let’s be careful that we don’t overshoot the mark.”

\tInch by inch the dial started to spin.  With the amount of resistance they were experiencing, Don knew that this artifact was done for; no one would ever be able to use it for dimensional travel ever again.

\tThey finally turned the dial enough so that the required symbols were in alignment.  Stepping back, Nicco and Don watched as the puzzle box began to glow.  Nicco reached over to grab Don’s hand just as the crystal rods popped out of the sides of the artifact and then a blinding light enveloped the both of them.

\tThe power of the shifting dimensional rift yanked their hands apart, but Don could still see Nicco’s form as it elongated and shot sideways.  Though it wasn’t his first time flying through a dimensional wormhole, the sheer force of the experience tore a cry from Don’s throat.

\tThen the air around him changed and Don plunged through a swirling vortex, freefalling several feet before hitting a padded surface.

\tGroaning as he waited for his head to stop spinning, Don immediately tried to locate Nicco.  To his immense relief, the larger turtle lay next to him and was starting to push himself upright.

\tA flash of Kashmir green coming through an open doorway caught the corner of Don’s eye.

\t“Ha ha, I found it Nicco!  I told you it wouldn’t take me a second; I always know where I put stuff, well mostly I always know where I put stuff.  Now we can go . . . .”

\tThe fast talking turtle abruptly stopped and stared at the two who were still sprawled out on the floor.  Nicco gained his feet first and reached a hand out to help Don stand.

\t“You left without me, didn’t you?  Darn it Nicco, I told you to wait.  Wow, who is this?  What happened to you?  How long were you gone?  Did you find the diamonds?  Where’s the cube?  I’ve got the rest of our gear; maybe we should go right . . . .”

\t“Mase, shut up,” Nicco said good-naturedly.  “I don’t know why you ask a million questions if you aren’t going to give me time to answer even one of them.”

\t“I ask them as I think them so I don’t forget any,” Mase said, walking right up to Donatello.  “You found another turtle!”

\t“Mase, meet Donatello.  Donatello, this is my brother Masolino,” Nicco said with a cheeky grin.

\t“It’s nice to meet you Mase,” Don said, shaking the other turtle’s hand.

\t“This is amazing!  Donatello.  Were you exploring too?  Is that how you met?”  Mase lifted Don’s hand up near his eyes and began studying it.  “He’s exactly like us!  I’d love to take some samples; maybe blood, tissue, oh wait, a brain scan would be fantastic!”

\t“Mase, focus,” Nicco admonished his brother, helping Don remove his makeshift pack and dropping it on the floor.  “I didn’t activate the artifact, it opened by itself.  Don was in his dimension examining the puzzle box he owns and somehow they went off simultaneously.  We both got pulled into the diamond world.”

\t“I believe it happened because of the fact that two identical artifacts and two similar biological masses were touching the puzzle boxes at the exact same moment,” Don said.  “The artifacts are probably joined in some manner and since their basic function is to transport living tissue the two boxes communicated with each other and somehow computed that Nicco and I belonged in the same physical space.  It then grabbed us and sent us to the coordinates that had most recently been set; the diamond world.”

\tMase’s eyes sparkled with excitement and Don couldn’t help but notice the unique color Nicco had described to him; a smoky gray outlined with touches of sky blue.

\t“Yes, that makes perfect sense.  Consider that the puzzle box had been used recently to transport two turtles – Nicco and I – and then take into account the probability that the devices all have residual memory functions.  The last recorded operation would have said they’d sent two turtles to the same dimension, but here were two turtles in separate dimensions.  The programming would demand that . . . .”

\t“The artifact correct its mistake!” Don finished, feeling the same excitement that had gripped Mase.

\tNicco ignored the two brainy turtles as he looked around for their puzzle box.  Spotting it lying in a corner, he tossed his backpack to the side and retrieved the artifact.

\tHolding it gingerly, Nicco placed it on one of the work benches that were built into the wall and turned to look at Don and Mase.

\t“We need to be careful messing with this thing.  I don’t know what kind of shape it’s in, but the last thing we need is for it to activate by itself again.  Mase, the diamond world dimension needs to go on the no travel list; the artifact there is busted,” Nicco said.

\t“How did that happen?  What about the diamonds, were you able to find any?  There has to be a way to carry the small artifact with you when you travel, why else would someone create a device that’s so obviously meant to be hand held?  Wait, if the device self-activated, where did it drop the two of you?  Did you land in the same place?  Were you in the same spot where we got dropped the first time?  If I could just swab the inside of your mouth really fast Don, I can get started running a DNA test and . . . .”  As he talked, Mase darted around the room, opening cabinets as though searching for something.

\tIn a loud voice, Nicco called out, “Masolino, my mate is not your experiment.”

\tThat stopped Mase in his tracks.  His mouth dropped open as he turned to look at his brother, one hand still hanging onto the knob of a cabinet.

\t“Mate?  You two are . . . ?”  Mase blinked and then flew across the room towards Don, flinging his arms around the startled turtle, then lifting and spinning him.

\t“Mase, put him down!” Nicco insisted, grabbing his brother’s shoulder.

\t“As soon as I saw him I thought ‘damn, he’s attractive’,” Mase proclaimed, releasing Don who stepped back as he tried to catch his breath.  “In the back of my mind I was wondering why you brought him home with you and now I know.  Holy crap Nicco, you finally found someone!  Wait until dad finds out.  Wait until I tell Corius.  This is so fantastic!  It’s better than diamonds.  He’s smart too.  Hey, can I get you to do an intelligence test?  I’ll bet you score off the charts.  You carry a bo staff!  Does that mean you can fight?  Did you and Nicco fight?  He can be overbearing sometimes and . . . .”

\t“Mase, focus!” Nicco said once more, placing an arm around Don.  “Will you please put a sock in it?  Yes, Don is better than diamonds, but we found those too.  Why don’t you unpack the two bags over there and let Don and I get cleaned up before you ask any more questions you don’t intend to give anyone time to answer?”

\t“Diamonds!  Damn, I’ll get right on that.  Are you going to shower together?  Should I turn up some music really loud so that I can’t hear any sounds coming from your bathroom?” Mase asked, his mouth spreading into a wide and mischievous grin.

\t“Jerk,” Nicco growled at his brother, the underlying humor obvious in his voice as he led Donatello from the room.

\tThe area they’d been in was obviously set up as a transportation space; the padding on the floor placed there to soften the usually rough landings one got when using the artifact.  Beyond that room was an even larger space, a section containing shelving covered in camping, climbing, and hunting gear.  The remainder of the space was devoted to Mase’s lab, the area crammed with the kind of equipment that made Don salivate.

\tNicco steered Don towards a set of stairs and the younger turtle realized that they were in a basement.

\t“Well, that was Mase,” Nicco said with a chuckle.

\t“He’s very . . . unique,” Don replied, his head still buzzing from meeting the energetic turtle.

\t“Now you know why I didn’t try to describe him to you,” Nicco said.  “He’s more of an experience.”

\tAt the top of the stairs Don saw that there was a thick metal door.  Nicco tapped a code into a key pad set in the wall next to the door and then turned the large wheel in its center in order to open the door.

\t“Heavy security,” Don noted, stepping into a long hallway.

\tNicco pulled the door closed behind them, tugging on it until there was an audible click.  “We don’t want anyone just strolling down there,” Nicco said.  “There’s a retinal scanning device on this side along with the key pad.  I’ll get Mase to program it so that you’ll be able to open the door too.  Right now only Mase, Corius, and I can get down into the basement.  My dad doesn’t even go there.”

\t“Does your father know about the artifact?” Don asked.

\t“Yes and before you ask, it does bother him that Mase and I travel through it,” Nicco answered.  “He told us of his concerns long ago, but he doesn’t interfere in our decisions.  Dad is pretty special.  After we get cleaned up, I’m going to take you to meet him.”

\tThey had started down the hallway but now Don stopped, his eyes wide as he stared at Nicco.  “I’m going to meet your father?”

\t“Buck up little ninja,” Nicco said, his tone lightly teasing.  “He’ll love you almost as much as I do.  Trust me.”

\tTaking Don’s hand, Nicco squeezed it reassuringly and Don couldn’t help but believe him.  Don had come to learn that trusting Nicco was never a bad bet.

TBC………………", "pools_count": 1, "title": "Don and the Puzzle Box part 17", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "application/msword", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "2", "rating_name": "Adult", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "4", "name": "Sexual Themes", "description": "Erotic imagery, sexual activity or arousal", "rating_id": "2" } ], "submission_type_id": "12", "type_name": "Writing - Document", "guest_block": "t", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "7", "views": "157" }