Flights Of Fancy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Chapter Ten- Playing Fool.

Traba had lead the way to a small pond, the water looked quite dark and a bit mucky and Raph stared at the pond with a great deal of disgust.

" You really expect us to drink that?" he wondered, " I hate to say it but the other stuff looked a great deal clearer."

Traba snorted, " Sure and it was enchanted on top of all that. You can bet this won't turn you into anything and the water isn't too bad for drinking either" the toshe lowered his muzzle to the waters and took a long drink to prove it wasn't dangerous.

After wards he turned back to look at the two turtles his bottom jaw dripping with small droplets of water.

" You know it always amuses me how complete strangers totally disregard the hazards of Necron simply because of sheer ignorance, what surprises me even more is how many time strangers decide they know so much more then the inhabitants of Necron who try to warn them of hazards." The toshe's voice was slightly amused though it bordered on a touch of interest.

" It was thick shell's idea to leave" Mike muttered as he came forward to drink keeping a wary eye on the toshe, while Shanza had trusted these creatures, he still wasn't so sure about them.

Raph came up behind Mike and thumped him hard on the back of the carapace as Mike knelt to drink, the blow caused Mike to almost land face first in the water.

Traba cocked his head to one side as his brow furrowed a bit as if contemplating something " Still I am a fool, that is well known but even I refuse to walk some paths for the dangers I smell down them."

" Maybe that's so Traba" Raph agreed, " But our brothers are missing somewhere on this world and they might need our help." Raph explained, " They could be down one of those paths of danger." He grinned at the toshe " From what I gathered you lot have your own stuff to attend to. You can't take time to help us and we may not have time to waste." Raph turned and finished his drink before wiping wet hands on Mike's bandanna.

Mike snatched one of Raph's sais " Want to go fetch boy?" he threatened as he drew back his arm.

Raph glowered " Try it and I'm pitching you in after it and not letting you out until you bring it back." He snapped.

Traba nodded " I understand your concern, after all the pack is stronger together then it is scattered. A toshe alone is a threat but a pack in full force is something to be reckoned with" Traba admitted boastfully, as he puffed out his chest.

Suddenly Traba received a maddening itch in the middle of his back and he dropped his posturing as he tried to get at the itch, when his teeth failed to reach the spot the toshe gave up and began to chase his tail around in circles.

Mike watching all of this couldn't help but laugh at the toshe's antics. Traba stopped at the sound of Mike's sudden raucous outburst, he seemed to shrug a bit as he gave a panting smile before sitting down in some of the small sparse grass that grew around the rocky ground around the lake.

" Alright, that makes sense I suppose and you do have good intentions or seem too, in spite of your looks."

" What do our looks have to do with anything?" Raph snapped narrowing his eyes as he sat down near Traba.

" I mean that you look a bit like a mahun and smell a bit like a dragon. Two of the most dangerous species you will ever find on Necron." Traba began doing his very best to keep a very serious air as he informed the turtles of the situation, as he saw it, of course. " Naturally you spark suspicion. Even more so though with things turning so unsettled here with the recent events. However the two of you have passed the test."

" Test? What…" Raph started, " So that fight was just a test of some sort" he realized.

" Well of course it was" Traba rolled his eyes " Shanza also trusts your brother Mike. So he must have passed his test with her too."

" I don't think she did test me," Mike disputed.

" Trust me to allow you to travel with her, even to the point of carrying you then she did test you somehow, whether you were aware of it or not." Traba insisted, " As for us we were trying to figure out your brother. He is a quick thinker that is for sure," Traba seemed pleased about it. " Of course we had to figure out if he was a threat to us or not, so we kept an eye on him for a bit. Then when we were pretty sure of things we got him to battle to determine his worth." Traba explained, " We were all sort of curious about those weapons they aren't what we normally see here."

" So the match with Lobo was just to see how well I could fight or what?" Raph wondered.

" That and to see a few other things. You had the right to kill Lobo. If you had we would have left the but you would not be held in high regard by us, because we knew Lobo's intent wasn't to harm you." Traba replied as he sprawled on the ground.

" I didn't want to hurt you. I just didn't want to be your next meal" Raph stated.

Traba rolled over a few times as he gave his barking laugh, " Come now if we wanted to make a meal of you we would have killed you long ago. After all the toshe doesn't have a venomous bite for nothing and if we came at you in full pack what chances would you stand?" Traba pointed out almost smirking as he sat up.

Mike grimaced recalling the pack numbers sure Raph alone might be able to fight off and kill a number of the pack but, the toshe's deadly bite would see to it that in the end the battle would be nothing and the true victors would be the toshe.

Raph nodded, " I all ready figured it out. I also had an idea that you guys weren't that dumb either to have kept such tabs on me, no matter what I did." Raph confessed.

Traba let his tongue loll out as he panted a bit " No toshe aren't dumb, any toshe who is dumb no longer breathes." He agreed, " You obviously have some brains to figure that out as well, which makes me wonder why you feel that searching Necron on your own is now your best course of action. I mean you can get yourself killed while you search for your brothers."

" Yeah I know the risks, but as I said before seems to me you and Shanza there have other fish to fry." Raph replied shrugging as he stood up.

" I don't care for fish myself but I do get a meal of fish I wouldn't bother" the toshe wrinkled his nose. "Frying it. You could spend a long time wandering looking for your brothers and running into all sorts of problems" Traba pointed out kindly, " then where are you? You won't be doing your brothers any good."

Raph grinned, " We have ways of knowing where one another are. We'll find them" Raph said this in such a way as if to assure the canine that nothing short of finding his brothers would stop him either.

Raph knew that while he and Mike both didn't care much for the meditative techniques of ninjitsu they both could and would meditate when they had to. Plus their mental skills and training would be all they needed to find their brothers. Raph smiled inwardly as he realized that no matter where Leo was on this crazy world he was most likely doing the same thing, meditating to find the others. Leo being the leader, had always felt strongly responsible for the others even though they were by no means weaker then he was or even needed his protection.

This was something Leo often lost track of, but the fact of the matter was they had all been trained the same and they could all stand on their own. Splinter wouldn't have had it any other way. For their mentor knew the weakest link of a chain could break the entire chain making it useless, therefore none of their team was allowed to be weaker then another in battle skills, they all had to be able to hold their own. It was part of the reason they made the formidable team they were.

Traba picked up a paw and pulled back his head as if startled to hear this "Good strong instincts to help you find each other. Good!" he barked quickly as he gave a furious wag of his tail. " We of course howl when we are separated and wish to get back together. Lobo of course won't be looking for me he knows where I am at."

Raph allowed a slow grin to travel across his face " That so?" he drawled, " Cause I got this feeling he doesn't know where you are at."

Traba yipped clearly startled by Raph's casual remark, the toshe's eyes grew round and white as he backed up a step or two. Mike sniggered a bit as he realized the toshe was suddenly not so at ease. It made Mike feel as if they were now on even ground, especially as the fact of toshe's bite was so deadly, it seemed to even the odds.

" What gives you that idea?" Traba growled a bit too late to cover his initial reaction.

Raph chuckled a bit " Well for one there was the fact you didn't look at us when you said that, then there was the way your body was positioned, you all of a sudden tucked your tail between your legs a bit. Then there was the tone, it dropped became low but hurried." Raph ticked off the points.

Traba shook himself a bit then stalked towards Raph " Okay. You caught me. Lobo doesn't know where I am or care that much I'm sure. I often slip off on my own from time to time." Traba admitted, " So Lobo won't look for me for awhile because of it."

" In other words you let yourself get distracted," Raph corrected.

The toshe bristled and snarled something unintelligible. " Whatever!"

Mike listened to this silent battle of wits, in actuality he thought that Raph and Traba weren't so different after all, both of them seemed to want to do their own thing. " When Lobo was introducing you he said something about not wanting to admit to you being his son." He recalled.

Traba nodded as he turned to look at the other turtle " True. I can be a fool at times and Lobo as the leader feels my antics could lead the pack into danger." Traba admitted.

" So that is why he is glad when you are out of his hair" Raph decided.

" Yes and no" Traba insisted, " When I am alone I am responsible for myself and can't rely on the pack to save me" Traba countered.

Mike stood up and looked at his brother quickly he ducked his head. Raph too could go on his own and act in ways that might lead the rest of them into trouble, simply because he allowed his anger to get the better of him, but they would always come to Raph's aid. He was their brother. To lose Raph when they could have prevented it would be far worse then letting Raph try to bail himself out.

" While I am in the pack then I must toe the line and submit to Lobo's rules." Traba explained giving a knowing wink " While Lobo does not encourage my foolishness in any way, I like to feel it is his fault" the toshe smirked. " After all he named me Trabajak in the first place."

" So what does it mean?" Mike asked, "and what is a mahun? You said we like a mahun but smelled a bit like a dragon."

" A mahun is a bad human, like those who seek to kill us. What the meaning of my name?" Traba wondered.

Mike nodded his curiosity plain on his face.

" Clown Prince or Prince of Fools" Traba admitted readily. " Fool though I might be, it is said on Necron that a toshe who survives to his fifth year isn't a fool. I am well past my fifth year and I happen to know others who are far more foolish then myself." He concluded as he gave a knowing look towards Raph frisking quickly to one side as he did so.

Raph snarled, " You calling me a fool?" he fumed.

" Well, you know how it is, and does seem to suit. After all consider Shanza only has one or two more stops to make and then she can rest a bit."

" So?" Raph demanded curtly.

" So unicorns and dragons have the most powerful magic of all beings on Necron, they are though polar opposites, they do share some of the same abilities and one of them is the chance to travel great distances in a very short time." Traba began slowly slipping away " Shanza also can use her magic to find your brothers with time being of importance you would think that it would be wiser to throw away time now, to spare it for later" Traba slunk behind a larger rock that was about halfway to the forest and the pond, " However a fool might easily waste time thinking he is saving it and sparing trouble besides!"

Mike gasped Shanza could get them to their brothers faster then they could find them on foot. " You hear that Raph?" he snapped. " I knew we should have stayed with her." He hurried over to look behind the rock but found Traba had already vanished, ' Probably he has hightailed it back to the woods, and our odds of finding her are slim to nothing!'

Raph hurried over to Mike " Mike it isn't my fault" he snapped irritably.

Mike glowered for a moment at his brother wanting to argue the fact, but he also knew Raph really didn't like to make mistakes and he tended to beat himself up about things when he had erred quite badly.

" I had no idea that unicorns were capable of that Mike" Raph grumbled. " Come on Traba can't be too far ahead of us. We can track him down and find Shanza." Raph decided, hoping silently that the time that had been wasted wouldn't cost him a brother.

Mike grinned " Good idea he has to join the others again sometime."

As they neared the woods they saw that hunting for Traba wouldn't be necessary for the toshe was sitting at the edge of the woods as if waiting for them to arrive. The black toshe gave a wide grin " Joining us are you then, at least for now?"

Raph nodded " Can you take us to Shanza?" Mike asked hopefully.

" Sure can. I know exactly where she is going. Follow me" Traba yipped gleefully as he headed back into the woods they had left recently

XXX

Gimod almost flung Don to Goshen ' You can have him since you found him while I…'Gimod paused for a moment then glanced hurriedly at the other dragon 'Something is up. Stay here and guard them both until you hear from me.' Gimod suddenly ordered, as he lunged for the sky that beckoned at the opening of his cave.

Goshen blew out black smoke in frustration 'I hate unexpected guests' the dragon muttered as he squeezed Don slightly in his talons,as if to blame the turtle for all of the unexpected guests.

Gimod meanwhile had flown up and over the mountain tops and down on the other side of the dragon's valley stood a lone unicorn.

Gimod folded his wings along his back diving for attack upon the animal below.

The unicorn flared its nostrils, aware of the dragon but allowing it to draw closer. It waited patiently knowing to move too soon or too slow would be death. At the right moment the unicorn reared up pointing its horn right at the plummeting dragon.

Gimod had an advantage over his larger kin, making him far more manuverable he barrel rolled, snapping his body to one side and grasping the sharp horn in an outstretched hind talons.

The dragon began to lift the unicorn off the ground, but the horn suddenly seemed to burn at the dragon's feet making it almost uncomfortable to hold onto his prey, so Gimod dropped the unicorn letting it plummet to the sharp and deadly rocks below.

The unicorn seemed to disappear in midair and land lightly on its feet below him with in an instant, the corn tossed its head eyeing the dragon warily as it prepared for the next attack.

Gimod let out a burst of angry flame in response before heading once more for the unicorn, this time he managed a quick bite on the neck but before he could avoid the horn, it scratched his tender nose.

Gimod went to fly upward when he was interrupted by a gentle voice.

' Really, haven't you had enough of this game Gimmy?'

'Never Shanza' Gimod replied as he gave in landing lightly by the unicorn greeting her with a friendly nip as the pack burst out of hiding spots greeting the dragon.

Shanza reared up and nip his nose ever so softly ' It is good to see you my friend, though I wish the circumstances of our meeting could have been different.'

Gimod huffed slightly as he looked at the unicorn and the pack who were barking their own greetings. ' I personally wish you could have waited a bit longer Shanza, I had business to attend to that would not appeal to your delicate nature.' The dragon rumbled.

Shanza shook her whole body from nose tip to tail tip and curled her nose ' Why is it dragons insist on being dragons, no matter their size?' She asked, while she did consider the smaller dragons less dangerous then the larger ones there just seemed no way to get around a dragon's desire to act so much like overbearing, bloodthirsty, treacherous creatures.

' It is the nature of the beast Shanza' Gimod rumbled, ' Just as it is for most unicorns to be complete idiots who deserve to die.'

'Present company excepted of course' Shanza laughed, 'So what business wouldn't appeal to me?'

' Planting warnings by killing the two creatures who have questionable intentions.' Gimod answered, ' It might be wiser to kill them now then worry about it later.'

Shanza flicked her tail as Lobo laughed, " Seems to me wyrm I once thought that way." Lobo reminded Gimod.

Shanza however jerked her head up and back a bit 'Unknown creatures? Tell me what do they look like Gimod?' She asked urgently.

Gimod sensed her strong desire to know, he knew that unicorns, even ones as good as Shanza, tended to be rather fickle beasts and he had no idea why these creatures would hold any interest to the unicorn mare he called friend.

Gimod considered his options to that question. As he had already resolved in his own mind the danger the two turtles posed to them and he felt that Shanza might, due to her nature, wish to buy them a reprieve that would only back fire on them later.

TBC