HEY, KID, YOU'RE   A LONG WAY   FROM NICKTOONS!

Some TMNT stuff was always meant for grownups.

Frontispiece

[An Egyptian temple. Inside, Donatello takes pictures of a pile of treasures as an armed Leonardo watches a jackal-headed shadow creep around a corner. Raphael tries to rush Donatello.] Raphael here. Some people are fascinated with the past. Others, like my slow-moving brother Donatello here, are obsessed with it. Still others are haunted by the past. Me, I ain't one of them. Nope, not me. None of the above. Raphael "Hurry up!" But I've met plenty of people who are. Let me tell you a story...

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A Ghost Story

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[Four Turtles and a mutant rat sneak off of a ship in the dead of night.] Master Splinter was leading us on a pilgrimage to Japan, his home country. We were in this small village looking for something very important... [They have reached a wooded area, approaching mountains.] Turtle "Know where we're going, Sensei?" Splinter "I remember the house is not in the village itself, but just outside it... in those woods. All I can remember is that the house was somewhere nearby. Fan out, my sons..." Splinter "...And see if you can find it."

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[Two little girls walk along a path through a small village.] Naoko "< It's getting late. We should probably go home soon.>" Michi "< Come on Naoko, there's plenty of time. Hey, want to check out that haunted house?>" Naoko "< My parents told me I shouldn't go in there. They said it's old and that it might collapse.>" Michi "< It's not going to collapse! It's been fine for years so why should it fall down now? Are you scared or something?>" Naoko "< No.>" Michi "< Let's go look inside then.>" Naoko "< Michi, don't!>"

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[Michi opens the door of the rundown house.] Michi "< I'm just going inside for a quick look around. Come with me if you're not... afraid.>" [Michi enters and Naoko chases after her.] Naoko "< Michi, come back!>" [The girls do not notice the front door slowly closing. It shuts behind them.] click

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[Raphael and Michelangelo have split off from the others to expedite the search.] Raphael "It's getting dark out. I thought this place was supposed to be close by..." Michelangelo "True dat, and these woods aren't that big. So where the heck is this house? I thought it would be easier to fi--" [He trips.] Michelangelo "--iiiind!" [Raphael gives his brother a hand up.] Raphael "Way to go Michelangelo, and you call yourself a ninja." Michelangelo "Go ahead and make fun, nin-jerk, but guess who just found the house?" [They are in an empty, open space, with a few large stones lining the perimeter.] Michelangelo "Or what's left of it."

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[Leonardo, Splinter and Donatello here a whistling sound.] Leonardo "That's our secret birdcall." Splinter "Raphael or Michelangelo may have located the house." Donatello "Either that or Mike's hungry again." [They follow the sound of the birdcall and reach Raphael and Michelangelo.] Leonardo "Found it, guys?" Turtle "Yeah, sort of." Splinter "Oh." Leonardo "I'm sorry, Master Splinter." Splinter "It is all right. Even though the house is gone, this place is still special..." [He envisions the house as it was.]

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Splinter "This is where I spent the first years of my life." [He pictures the interior of the home, filled with the trappings belonging to its owner. He sees his Master, and his own pre-mutated self as well, riding on his Master's shoulders.] Splinter "This is where my Master and I lived... Before he joined the Foot Clan." [Splinter, as a rat, sits inside his cage watching his master practice.] Donatello "So what could have happened to the house, Sensei?" Splinter "After my Master Hamato Yoshi killed the Shredder's older brother, Oroku Nagi, he had brought dishonour onto his entire family..."

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[Splinter envisions what might have happened as he narrates.] Splinter "For such an act the Foot might have ordered the death of every family member. If such is the case I would not doubt that Foot warriors destroyed the home..." Turtle "You really think they might have killed the Hamato family?" Splinter "Perhaps... But as soon as word reached them that Yoshi had killed another member of the clan, the Hamatos would have known that their lives were in danger. That means they might have fled beforehand." [The Turtles watch as their master stoops to pick up a small stone and then holds it in contemplation.] Splinter "Do not worry about such things. Whatever happened cannot be helped... Or changed."

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[Back at the house, the little girls are still exploring.] Michi "< Still scared, Naoko?>" Naoko "< No. So why is this place supposed to be haunted>" Michi "< I'm not really sure. I think the story goes that there were two men in love with a beautiful woman. I heard one of the men killed the other one in this house.>" Naoko "<Oh... Do you think it's true?>" [A lantern comes on overhead.] Michi "< I don't know. Could be.>"

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Naoko "< Hey! A lantern started up!>" Michi "< Are you crazy?>" Naoko "< But it did. I swear it did! Don't you remember stories of Obake, the ghosts that can appear in lanterns?>" Michi "< Yes. But since you're thinking about ghosts and things your mind is just playing tricks on you.>" Naoko "< I didn't imagine it! This place really is haunted! I want to leave!>" [She runs for the front door.] Michi "< Scaredy.>" [Naoko starts pulling on the door.] Naoko "< The door won't open!>" Michi "< What? Let me try.>" Naoko "< M-M-Michi... L-L-Look!>"

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[In the small village, Michi and Naoko's parents are looking for them.] Michi's parents "Michi! Michi!" Naoko's parents "Naoko! Naoko!" Turtle "Sounds like something's up." Michi's parents "Michi!" Naoko's parents "Naoko!" Leonardo "Let's go check it out." Michi's parents "Michi!" Naoko's parents "Naoko!" [From the shadows in the woods, the Turtles and Splinter hold a whispered conversation as they observe the two sets of parents meeting up.] Turtle "What are they saying?" Splinter "Their children have gone missing. They are looking for two girls." Turtle "Doesn't sound like too big an emergency. This is a small town. The kids are probably safe and will turn up soon." [The parents begin running.] Turtle "Where are they off to now?"

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Splinter "They are going to investigate an abandoned building. One of them made mention of an evil spirit that dwells there." Turtle "Evil Spirit?" Leonardo "It's probably a local superstition." Splinter "Perhaps...But I believe we should follow." [The group trails after the parents and watches as they reach the dilapidated house. One of the men tries the front door.] rattle rattle [The door won't open so the man throws his shoulder against it.] BAM! BANG!

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Splinter "The mother's are going to gather more people in order to force the entrance open." Donatello "Look..." [He points at the house, indicating a large hole in one of the windows on the upper floor.] Donatello "...Up there!" Leonardo "Might be time for us to get involved." Splinter "I shall accompany you. If there truly is a dark spirit inside then I should be present." [The group climbs up and into the house. They glance around.] Leonardo "Nada."

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[Splinter has a sudden vision of a man, holding up an unconscious woman by her robe. The man's fist is clenched and he appears furious.] Splinter "I'm... I'm not so sure of that... Interesting. What could it mean?" [Michelangelo takes a defensive stance, his nunchaku in hand.] Raphael "What do you think you're going to do, Mikey, tussle with a ghost?" Michelangelo "Don't you remember Scooby-Doo? If there really is a "ghost" here it's probably a person in a costume or something." [There is a sudden bright light from the next room.] Michelangelo "Or not."

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[A large ghost appears, floating in front of the group. A bright glow hides its face. It wears a tattered robe which trails behind it in place of legs. It speaks to them in Japanese.] Ghost "< Demon creatures, leave this place!>" Michelangelo "Aw, gee, where's Scooby and Scrappy when you need them?"

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Turtle "What'd it say, Master?" Splinter "It wants us to leave." Michelangelo "I could've told you that!" Splinter "< We will leave immediately. We only wish to bring two children to safety.>" [Objects start blowing around the room.] Michelangelo "Let's get out of here!" Raphael "Why, you think it's possible to run away from a ghost in its own haunted house?" Donatello "There's no such thing as ghosts!"

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[The Turtles and Splinter head down the stairs.] Leonardo "We have to find the kids!" Michelangelo "Assuming they're here." Raphael "No such thing as ghosts, huh? What about what we just saw?" Donatello "Well, I..." [They reach a room and see a huddled shape near a wall.] Raphael "And what about that?!" Donatello "There has to be a logical explanation." [The shape turns out to be the two little girls clinging to each other. Both are crying and very frightened.] Donatello "Hey! It's the two girls, not some ghost!" [Splinter reaches out to the two girls.] Splinter "< Do not be afraid, we are here to help.>" EEEEEEEEEEEEE! [The girls scream. Splinter back away.] Raphael "Nice try, Sensei but I bet we look just as scary as any supposed "apparition"." [Michelangelo squats down in front of the girls.] Michelangelo "Chill -- We're friendly turtles... Just like Gamera!" [He looks back over his shoulder.] Michelangelo "Uh-oh..."

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[The Ghost has returned.] Ghost "HAII" Splinter "< We mean no disrespect, spirit. Let us go with the children.>" Ghost "HAIII!" [The wind kicks up again and debris starts flying.] Turtle "Protect Splinter and the girls!" [The Turtles stand in front of the girls, deflecting the flying debris so it doesn't hit them.] Raphael "Anybody see an exit?" [Michelangelo picks the girls up in his arms.] Michelangelo "There's the door. Cover me!" [He starts to run, but the floorboards curl up in front of him to block his escape. The girls scream.] EEEEEEEEEEEEE!

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[Each individual floorboard transforms so that the ends have mouths full of sharp teeth. The Turtles line up in front of Michelangelo who is still holding the girls.] HAIIIIIIIII! Leonardo "Follow my lead - I'll hack out a path!" [He begins hacking apart the boards. Splinter closes his eyes and focuses. The ghost floats up next to him.] Ghost "< It is futile, old rat. I am far too powerful and angry to be exorcized by the likes of you. I was rejected, humiliated, and murdered all in this place. Nothing shall pacify me!>"

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[In his mind, Splinter watches as the man from his earlier vision, still holding the woman, turns to speak to someone else.] Oroku Nagi "Hah, Yoshi dog! If I can't have this wench... Then no one will!" [The man he is speaking to is Hamato Yoshi, who rushes at Nagi.] Hamato Yoshi "Nooooooo!" [The next vision is of Yoshi's splattered fists. Then he is holding the woman in his arms. Pan out to include a vision of the rat in the cage. Splinter's eyes snap open.] Ghost "< I know you... You are the pet of my enemy, Hamato Yoshi!!>" Splinter "< And I know you as well.>" Leonardo "Did he just say "Hamato Yoshi"?"

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Leonardo "Of course! How could we have been so blind? That's the ghost of Oroku Nagi! This is Tang Shen's home!" Ghost "< You are all in league with Hamato Yoshi! You shall all die!>" [Nails rise up from the floors and walls and begin shooting at the group.] Leonardo "What's with that family and sharp objects?"

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[The Turtles form a circle around Splinter and the two girls as a whirlwind whips around them.] Splinter "A perfect compass formation, good... Now remain as still as possible, my sons!" Leonardo "What's the plan, Sensei?" Splinter "There is an unsettled aura to this building. Perhaps if we purified this house with fire then Oroku Nagi might no longer be bound to the physical world and will therefore be set free. Nagi's spirit is so unsettled, its rage so fierce that it cannot be reasoned with. This requires purification." Leonardo "You mean burn the house down, Master?" Splinter "I do." [Splinter lights a match.] Splinter "<Be prepared to run.>" [He tosses it down and the house catches fire.] Splinter "Upstairs, quickly!"

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[The Turtles reach the stairs, with Splinter bringing up the rear. Michelangelo and Leonardo each carry one of the girls. The fire spreads. The Turtles exit through the hole in the window upstairs. Splinter pauses to strike another match as the ghost comes towards him.] Splinter "<Farewell spirit. Do not dwell on your past life any longer.>" [Splinter leaps out of the window as the fire explodes behind him.] Ghost "<NOOOOO!>"

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Michelangelo "Nothing like cutting it close, Master!" [Splinter turns to the girls.] Splinter "<Go to your parents.>" Girls "<Thank you, monsters!>" Michelangelo "Cute kids. What was it they shouted?" [The girls run to their parents.] Mom 1 "Naoko!" Dad 2 "Michi!"

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[The Turtles and Splinter watch from the woods as the fire consumes the haunted house.] Splinter ""Thank you"." Michelangelo "Aww, we don't get that often enough." Donatello "Ok, I'm sold; there are such things as ghosts. And so that was the spirit of the Shredder's older brother?" Leonardo "Oroku Nagi... Can you detect his aura, Sensei?" Splinter "No, I believe the ghost of Oroku Nagi has been released." Leonardo "I'm sorry that you were forced to destroy the house, Sensei. It was another place that must have meant a lot to you." Splinter "Yes, Leonardo. But at the same time I am happy to have released Oroku Nagi's troubled spirit from Tang Shen's home, even if it meant destroying it."

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Splinter "This place used to be one of peace and love. Perhaps now it shall again be so." [A pair of spirits, locked in an embrace, rise from the fiery remains of the house.] The End.