Flights Of Fancy
Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.
Chapter Five: Heading Into Trouble
Marina had lead Leo straight to the mainland as soon as she was well rested and capable of flying. Once she was on the mainland she lead Leo towards the cataflys home, which just happened to be holes in the ground some feet off the long sandy beach well out of reach of the high waves.
Leo noted a large range of mountains that looked only a few miles from the grassy fields and bushes near the beach.
" We cataflys need homes out of reach of our many enemies so we live in catacombs" Marina explained to Leo.
" Why not up high in those mountains?" Leo inquired curiously. It seemed to him that it would be a safer place for the cataflys to live.
" The little fuzzy catapillars can't fly so they would be easy pickings in mountain caves" Marina replied, " besides that is the wyrms domain." She gave a disparaging sniff " It is a good thing I found you. You don't know anything."
Leo gave a small secretive smile at Marina's last comment " Of course, and since you know so much perhaps you can tell me which, direction I might head in to hopefully find my brothers."
" Head. As in you plan to go alone?" Marina asked her large eyes growing even larger " No, that would not be a good thing for no matter what you must go through the wyrms territory."
" Wyrm, where is a wyrm? I didn't see a wyrm?" a dark blue catafly demanded nervously glancing uneasily skyward as if expecting a dragon to appear in the sky above them.
" Leo wants to go hunt wyrms" Marina replied greatly exaggerating Leo's true mission.
" Well if he wants to so be it. He isn't one of us rather see him turn to a crispy critter than us. The shell on him out to give the wyrm's some pause."
" Wyrms don't have paws, just long icky claws." Marina retorted quickly, " besides Leo helped me from a Kraken" she boasted as she landed near the blue catafly she flicked her tail in a saucy way and raised her head " he obviously recognizes my superior quality and intelligence."
Leo looked around carefully without making it seem too obvious he saw all types of cataflys darting about in the sky all of them were fairly small in size and bright colours of blues, pinks, purples, greens, orange, reds and yellows. He also noted small tiny creatures in the openings of some holes that were browns, blacks and greys. They were fairly small about the size of a rat. Those he reasoned must be the catapillars.
" Mrow!" the blue catafly howled taking a swipe at Marina with one paw " If you were half as good as you think you are, you wouldn't even bother with the likes of him."
Marina bristled slightly " Skye you are so ignorant you don't even know the meaning of the word" she growled.
" Ignorant! Ha! You are the one just out of the catcoon" Skye retorted through angry howls.
Leo scowled " Look there is no need to get into a fight about this."
Marina and Skye didn't pay any attention to him they were far too busy trading insults back and forth as their bodies became more fuzzed up with every passing second. Suddenly the two beasts took to the air flying and dive-bombing one another kicking and biting at each other whenever they got close to one another.
Leo shook his head in disgust as he realized the cataflys were now totally ignoring him. He gave a rueful sigh at least Marina hadn't gotten distracted this easily on her way into land.
His main concern and worry though was for his brothers and since he was now on the mainland he was determined to go find them. He wasn't quite sure what the worm talk had been about and the danger that he might just be heading into.
Still even the knowledge that the cataflys seemed nervous about the worms wasn't enough to deter him from his own search. He knew he would have to walk around the catafly's home for he didn't want to risk stepping on one and injuring the catafly or worse yet kill them.
He hadn't gone far however when Marina came flying up to him flapping all about him " Just where are you going? Did I say you could leave?" she demanded sharply " You are worse then little catapillars."
" I have to find my brothers Marina it was partly my fault that we have been separated if I have to travel through worm territory to find her then so be it" Leo explained firmly " though I do appreciate your help Marina there is no way you need to accompany me."
" Leo I swear you have no more sense then a grain of sand. It is just as well we met" Marina retorted landing lightly on Leo's shoulder's without even having to dig in her claws. " Do you even know what a wyrm is?"
" No but I am not about to let it keep me from finding my family. Besides you seemed far more interested in Skye."
Marina yowled and swiped a paw at the side of Leo's head taking off quickly enough to scratch his shoulders " Just see if I tell you any thing about the wyrm then." She declared, " You deserved to be flamed by the whole lot of them" Marina huffed furiously acting like she was going to take off.
" Do you even know anything about them?" Leo inquired.
Marina ignored him for Leo had hurt her feelings with his remark about Skye and very few people could get away with hurting a cat's feelings. She took off ignoring Leo's shouts and calls.
Skye landed near Leo " If you want to hazard the wyrms that is all one to me. We don't bother them and the chaos usually leaves us alone as well," he stated matter of factly " But I will give you a word of advice for snubbing the stuck up pain. If you are determined to face them best head South East from here. The wyrms that way are said to be smaller and not as bad as the great wyrms."
" My thanks but what is a worm?"
Skye chuckled " Dragons. Fire breathing, flame throwing, mouths full of acid. Cunning ferocious brutes the group of them aren't called a chaos for nothing."
" Dragons are real?" a befuddled Leo paused to ask.
" Yes and if you don't know that then you truly need the help and the luck of a catafly" Skye growled a bit " I've all ready been overly generous with information but I will give you one bit more find Tira." Skye advised before departing.
" Find Tira but who is Tira and where do I find her?" Leo called out after Skye.
Skye hovered a bit in the air as he turned back to Leo with a smirk " Well that is for you to find out now isn't it?"
Leo snorted not much amused by the cataflys behaviour or reply but he realized that probably wouldn't be getting much more out of the cataflys so he might as well be moving on. Hopefully he would come across someone on his journey who might be a little more useful with information then what he had received thus far from these fickle beasts.
XXX
Mike slowly opened his eyes " ooh, my aching head" he moaned wearily.
'Its to be expected' came a soft reply, ' you ought to consider yourself lucky that I was even near by, or you wouldn't even have a head to ache at this moment.'
Mike looked at the legs in front of him they were white and slender with long hair around the back of the legs near the top of the split hoof. He slowly let his eyes travel upward to a well muscled shoulder, a short back, a long arched neck, a fine delicate dished face with small pointed ears, large nostrils and a long flowing white mane and tail.
" Man I don't know what hit me but it sent me for a definite loop. I must still be feeling the after effects of whatever it was" Mike muttered, " I mean for a moment I thought you were a unicorn and you could talk."
'I am a unicorn. But I can't talk not really, I just sort of pick up and relay thoughts' the animal replied, bowing its head a bit and Mike could see the spirall horn rising from the forehead. 'My name is Shanza.'
Mike gaped in disbelief his eyes growing large and round and his jaw dropping " A unicorn why…you really are one" he exclaimed quickly, then realized he hadn't introduced himself " Oh, ah sorry, my name is Mike, which is short for Michelangelo."
Shanza tossed her head 'Hello Mike, I thought you did quite well against the harpies. Still their poison did enter you so I just sort of took care of it.'
" Thanks I appreciate that Shanza. You haven't by chance seen anyone like myself have you?" Mike asked, " I've kind of lost track of my brothers" Mike admitted a little embarrassed.
' I have seen no one like you on Necron before'. Shanza replied kindly as she could shifting nervously 'as you are a stranger here it might be wise for you to be careful there are many creatures of darkness on our world, and while there are those who are of the light and will help, they may not always be near when you need it.' Shanza stressed.
" You are kind of like my brothers and I then Shanza if you go helping out those who need your assistance."
' Then you fight those of the dark as well?' Shanza asked eagerly her ears perking up even further and giving a nicker of excitement.
" Yeah, in a way I guess you could call it that" Mike agreed amiably far too amazed by the fact that there was even a unicorn here to worry about much else.
'How do you do this?' Shanza asked curiously.
" Well we are ninja. We study the art of ninjitsu and the ninja uses shadows to hide in and sneak around." Mike paused wondering how one explained ninja to a creature like Shanza.
'Go on remember I can pick up your thoughts and it helps along with what you say.' Shanza encouraged Mike
" Well Ninja use these skill to sneak into enemy camps and learn things. Enemies of the ninja fear ninjas because he seems to be a bit of a magician appearing, and disappearing doing things that just don't seem possible."
Shanza laid back here ears tossing her head upward and flicking her tail in irritation 'A magician are you?' she demanded eyeing him warily as she backed up a few steps and lowered her horn.
" No way not like that" Mike laughed a bit, " no magic spells just cunning trickery and deception. I didn't confuse you with that magician word did I?"
Shanza tossed her head slightly 'Then you aren't a magician but your enemies might see you as such?' she wondered.
" That is the way of it Shanza" Mike agreed enthusiastically, " the ninja seemed to be everywhere all at once and capable of doing things that didn't seem natural so his enemies would often attribute magical powers to the ninja."
Shanza blew out she felt he was telling the truth and being fully open and honest with her, and that was just as well for unicorns can sense a lie faster then any other animal. If Shanza was to feel that Mike might actually be hiding something she might consider him an enemy. It would be a pity to kill him after sparing his life, it just wouldn't be right and would go against all that unicorns believed in.
" Listen Shanza I appreciate your helping me and if all I have heard about unicorns is true then you have saved me twice" Mike stated formally recalling the manners Splinter had drilled into him " Which means that I am doubly in your debt. If there is any way I can repay your kindness I'd love the chance to do so." He concluded as he stood up on shaky legs and bowed slightly towards the unicorn.
'I do not know if you can assist me or not but if you choose you can join me on my present mission' Shanza stated, 'I have been asked by the leader to seek out friends who might assist us in the coming battle.'
" A battle against who or what?" Mike asked.
' The darker aspects of Necron are forever trying to overthrow the light. They have come across a series of dark spells and the means to carry them out, that will in the end give them what they seek.' Shanza explained worriedly, she pranced a bit and tossed her head.
" A series of spells so it might take time for them to do it?" Mike guessed.
'A month and the sorceress says we of the light can not waste time if we are to stop them.'
Mike paused this sounded serious to him " Are you sure these dark powers of Necron have the means of carrying out these series of spells?"
'The herds and the sorceress are sure for the first spell was cast just days ago with the new phase of the moon.' Shanza began she paused and half reared suddenly giving a long sad call 'besides there is but only one set of dark spells that calls for a young alicorn and that is what the dark ones are using.'
Mike scowled " An alicorn? I don't think I have ever heard of those," he muttered.
'An alicorn is the offspring of a unicorn mare and a pegasian stallion they are very rare even on places like Necron, as are most hybrids' Shanza admitted ' You see worlds like Necron have beings who hold magic for the most part, in one form or another and any hybrids end up having the powers of both parents but also a magic that is uniquely their own.' Shanza explained.
" Well I guess that is sort of to be expected" Mike said.
' The hybrid must learn from each parent how to use the magic that is inherited but then they are on their own to control and learn of their new magic, but the new magic mixed with the other magic makes it hard for the young hybrid to control' Shanza explained further, 'the young might accidentally end up in an area or situation that is out of his abilities to handle. Due to that fact cross species mating is usually discouraged' Shanza bowed her head and pawed the ground a bit ' few hybrids make it to adulthood.'
" They can't control their magic and I suppose because they have magic the adults don't have, it is harder for the parents to find them when they do get into trouble huh?" Mike inquired sympathetically.
'Yes unfortunately. That is how the young alicorn was captured a few days before the spell was cast.'
" Are you sure that the enemies have this alicorn and he isn't somewhere else?" Mike wondered.
'The enemies needed an alicorn hair from mane and tail to cast the first part of the spell, which happened to be a wildfire in a place on Necron which is impervious to fires.' Shanza declared firmly, 'the enchanted woods have never been touched by a fire for thousands of years, and the magic that should be there has disappeared.' Shanza bowed her head in sorrow at all the misery that had passed in the last few days. She backed up a little 'I have wasted enough time and I really must be going. I wish you luck in finding your brothers.'
" Wait Shanza let me come with you. I can search for my brothers just as easily that way and I might be able to pay off my debt to you as we travel" Mike offered. " Besides if we find Leo well, my bro is great for planning strategy."
Shanza squealed rearing up 'You mean it Mike?'
" Well sure why not and even if I have to put off looking for my brothers helping get that alicorn back seems just a bit more important." Mike grinned, " I don't know if I can be of much use to you but it won't be for lack of trying."
" Very well then Mike we will travel together but we must hurry for my son might sacrifice his life to destroy us all.'
" Your son?" Mike echoed.
' Yes if he can't be saved then we are all doomed. Can you hurry Mike?'
" I can hurry and I am fast for a turtle but I don't know if I could keep up to a unicorn." Mike confessed.
Shanza laughed a bit 'Then hop upon my back then and hold tight for I might not have the wings of my mate but I can still fly in my own way.'
Mike soon found out what Shanza meant by those words for he found the unicorn traveling at such amazing speed that the wind was causing his eyes to tear and the scenery seemed to blur around them as Shanza raced on in her desperate bid to save her son.
TBC