Flights Of Fancy

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adolescent transformed shadow warriors. My house is crowded enough with all my OC's.

Author's Note: Some of the moves Zar uses on Leo, are possible even by some horses of today. The Spanish riding school in Europe uses Lipizzaner horses to perform what they call ' The Airs above the ground'. I feel the Airs give that magical touch. Ramica.

Chapter Sixteen – Contest

In all interest of being fair Zar allowed a twenty minute break before they squared off against one another, for Zar felt that by heading straight into the contest after the boy's practice session would be dishonourable and not a true measure of skill.

A large circle of spectators had gathered around the meadow to watch the up coming match take place, for the spectators wanted to leave plenty of room for the two opponents to move freely about, but of course everyone wanted to be able to see every bit of the action as it took place. At the moment everyone was settling into spots, tossing some comments, good natured banter and general teasing about who would best who, as they jostled for a suitable place to suit their needs.

Don came up behind Mike and Raph reached up and placed a hand on a shoulder of each brother " What is all the excitement about?" He asked curiously, " the tension is so thick you could cut it with a katana."

Raph turned to face his brother and saw Marina perched on Don's shoulder, he couldn't resist smirking as he inquired " So how is your little kitty cat?"

Marina flew up off of Don's shoulder then zipped straight at Raph and swiped out with a foot at his face before darting away " get one thing straight I am not his. Rather he is mine!" she sneered a bit as she kept out of reach " Dogs have owners. Cats have staff."

Raph raised a hand to his cheek, pulling it away to reveal blood on his fingers, Raph's eyes narrowed " Why you…" he muttered a few words under his breath.

Traba nodded and curled his lip " A word of advice, one can't get a cat who stays out of reach but sooner or later all cats forget, what others remember."

Raph gripped a sai handle as he shot a venomous look up towards Marina "I can still get her."

Lobo growled softly " Perhaps you could, but there is a truce of sorts in the corn meadows, that there be no unnecessary killing or bloodletting," he huffed at the catafly, " a rule most species keep to even in times of war."

" I'm not da most patient guy, but I can wait if I have to." Raph admitted.

Traba wagged his tail " There you go and I can tell you some stuff you might find useful in dealing with the cat."

Don shook his head " Will you leave Marina alone and tell me just what is going on here?" he demanded.

Mike flashed a grin " Zar the unicorn has challenged Leo to a sword match, or I guess it is a horn and sword match. While I must admire Leo, I am going have to go with Zar on this one."

Raph snorted " That big lug Mike, Leo could run circles around him" Raph disputed, " Size in a match doesn't matter, not if you can move fast and use the right leverage. What is your call on it all Don?"

Don scowled considering the matter reflectively " Well Leo has less mass so he has manoeuvrability and flexibility on his side, but if the unicorn's horn is long enough, and judging from what I've seen of the unicorns here almost all of them, could easily deflect anything from head on , to either the right or left without too much trouble." Don shrugged, " I don't know much about how unicorns battle to determine an outcome" he confessed. " But Leo might be out of his league for even from a rear assault he'd have to deal with the stallion's hooves."

" See Don is going with the unicorn" Mike insisted very amused with himself.

" I didn't say that Mike." Don protested.

Suddenly the voices dropped as an expectant hush filled the meadow, as Leo entered the ring from the west end Zar from the East for a moment they stood in their spots, staring at each other across the short distance.

Leo always one for ceremony raised his sword in salute to the unicorn stallion as he dropped the katana down he bowed low. Zar reared up to his full height, his horn raised to the sky, as he let loose a clear, resounding neigh, when his fore hooves touched the ground he pranced in place before striding out, using the same strides as the flowing moves of the trot in place. His neck arched his tail raised and blowing on the slight breeze he went forth.

Leo strode with confidence and gave off an aura of calmness; he kept up a meditative trance to enable him to be one with his opponent. Leo silently reminded himself of some of Splinter's teachings ' In battle one must be like the willow willing to bend, but hard and as unforgiving as the mountain that pushes one to their limits and often beyond.' Leo smiled a bit as he lightly gripped the one katana in his hand.

One sword was all he really needed, one of the greatest Samurai and swordsman of Japan had claimed that with one long sword you could beat ten men, but with strategy, it was possible for a single man to defeat much more.

Leo crossed his katana against Zar's horn as they met in the circle, they tapped their weapons together once, twice, then thrice to declare clearly to one and all that the challenge had been accepted and met.

Zar took advantage by lunging forward almost instantly, his head pushing up on Leo's sword arm causing him to give ground, the stallion's strength and muscle all ready coming into play. Leo moved back quickly knowing he'd have to wait for a bit before launching an attack of his own, right now he had to work at defending himself against this move. He slid his katana down the horn toward the base, with Zar's head raised upward the strength of his thrust were not as strong, as they might be to the side or in front of him. Zar broke contact and swung his horn down, to knock Leo off balance by using his head and neck, as well as the long horn.

Leo dropped to the ground in an instant allowing the horn to pass harmlessly over him. Once out of harm's way he moved to a point where hopefully he could score the first strike, keeping in mind that neither of them were to harm the other.

Zar snorted drawing up quickly, he blew out once sharply as if shocked by the move. Like all herbivores Zar's eye placement meant he could see in a wider range then what a carnivore was capable of, but he did have his blind spots as well, where vision wasn't so clear. The Unicorn bobbed his head up and down shaking it slightly and sending his long mane and forelock flapping about, as he took deep breaths in scenting his opponent, who had seemed to disappear.

The stallion spotted something move that seemed out of place to his right, Zar had no desire to rear up and expose his belly, instead he spun about on his legs just in time to use his horn tip to block a blow that Leo had been waiting for. Leo scowled slightly, he had been in full ninja mode, and would have been almost undetectable to others, so he had been slightly shocked to see the stallion block his move. ' Then again' Leo mused, ' I don't often battle beings that have the sort of senses or skills that the creature's of Necron clearly posses.'

For a time horn and sword struck a beat against one another, each of the opponents trying to throw the other off as they switched the beat, or tempo of their strikes.

Zar pushed forward, his head tucked down ever so slightly, neck arched. Leo didn't care to give ground to the stallion and his brute force, instead the turtle opted to sidestep while pushing his katana against the horn and staying in close. He shifted his katana and grabbed the horn with his free hand, but the closer Leo got to the horn's base the more strength and power he could feel behind it and he knew he couldn't hold on much longer. At the moment it was Leo's own weight and hands to keep the horn from breaking free to score a hit upon him.

He took the katana and managed to draw a thin line across Zar's chest to mark that he had managed the first blow in their contest. Zar feeling the katana tip reared up high, so that now Leo was far too close to the forelegs that were curled up. Zar struck out pushing Leonardo forcing the turtle to drop down in front of him.

Leo gaped wide mouthed as he saw the stallion's next move, before Leo had hit the ground the unicorn stallion was hopping on hind legs, in a move that just had to be impossible. No animal with that sort of mass could jump clearing the ground with ease with all four feet and land squarely on his hind feet again forelegs still curled up near the unicorn's chest.

Leo, however wasn't so stunned by the unicorn stallion's move that he planned on staying where he was, he rolled quickly out of the way but not soon enough as one of Zar's fore hooves scraped his shoulder ever so lightly,as the unicorn came down to all four feet again as Leo rolled out of the way.

The sound of unicorn's cheering was heard clearly at that move, as well as Don's astounded, " It has to be magic," which did very little to encourage Leo who was just now wondering how he managed to get himself into this predicament in the first place.

The unicorn's horn was swinging his way again and Leo raised his katana to block the blow as they squared off one more time.

Leonardo was slightly out of breath as he realized the challenge he was up against but he wasn't ready to concede the match just yet.

The unicorn kept his head low, but Leo had all ready learned that if Zar were to raise his head, then he Leo would be at a disadvantage, for the stallion stood taller then he was, and fighting a battle with your arms above the head could get tiring quickly. Leo tried to use his katana to keep the stallion's head lower to the ground, where the stallion had to rely on quick swings of his head, to block the moves.

At the moment he had scored one hit, Zar scored two but it seemed as if Zar was not willing to force the advantages of his height or greater strength against Leo too much, yes he was using them and he was entitled to but the unicorn seemed to be keeping it to sword play only.

' In that case perhaps it is time to use more skill and higher trained kenpo strategy' Leo told himself. With that in mind Leo decided to apply some stickiness. The turtle began to move with the stallion keeping their weapons locked and engaged as much as possible while staying firm and hard.

Zar jerked his head up slightly a gleam coming to his pale eyes, with his opponent so closely matched he knew there was a chance of wearing the turtle down and causing a collapse, an enemy who collapsed was an enemy defeated. Zar knew this from years of battle. He started to move, keeping his hind legs planted, while his fore legs continued to circle around his hindquarters, the stallion circled faster and faster hoping to collapse Leo by causing him dizziness and disorientation.

Leo moved faster urging the stallion to continue circling trying to make him move at top speed, then when Leo felt he had Zar going as quickly as possible he gauged the speed, and leaped flipping up and over the stallion's back. Slashing a faint scratch over Zar's hindquarters before landing and vanishing into the grass.

' If the unicorn can use magic I am entitled to use my ninja skills' Leo reasoned.

Zar curled his lip knowing the mark on his rump meant the turtle had somehow broken free of the circling trap. Instantly he halted and scented the air, knowing that he could not have taken much more of the circling himself.

Suddenly the stallion sensed something behind him, he pranced on the spot an ear turned back ever so slightly, then Zar leaped into the air so that he was about five foot parallel to the ground itself, as if going over an invisible jump, at the peak of his jump the stallion kicked out with his hind legs.

Leo ducked as a cloven hoof whistled by harmlessly though that blow could easily have killed him if it had hit with full strength.

Zar came down and Leonardo made his move using ninja skills to jump up astride the stallion's back. He swung his horn to score a leg but Leo blocked the horn with his katana, the stallion realizing that Leo was safe as long as he was on his back, threw himself up and backward, Leo jumped free at the last moment landing safe, while the unicorn's back hit the ground.

Zar regained his feet and whirled to face his opponent once again. The stallion lunged and Leo met the attack using a parry that he hoped would be effective against a unicorn. He stood his ground raised his katana and blocked the strike, then ducked down for another blow to the chest.

Zar aware of that move reared up to avoid it, so that now Leo had to meet striking fore hooves, then Zar did a series of hops propelled by his hind legs, using his front hooves to knock Leo down and the hopping hindquarters to stomp on him if possible.

Leo moved to one side to avoid the strikes counted five jumps on hind legs before the stallion came down and whipped about jumping, this time, parallel to the ground to rejoin Leo.

'This is all wrong' Leo mused, ' A creature of this mass shouldn't be able to do what Zar is capable of.' Still Leo didn't have much of a chance to figure it out.

All he knew was the stallion was as quick witted, and dangerous with the horn as he was with his katana blade. Yet he had to acknowledge the stallion's fairness, in short he was a worthy opponent and was turning this match into a true challenge.

Zar was starting to sweat and he could tell the turtle was growing slightly tired it was time to finish the match before someone got hurt. As they strove harder to outdo one another it would be too easy to go too far and cause injury.

So he decided it was time to end this if he could, what Zar had said earlier was true, unicorns were indeed born to the way of the sword and while a unicorn could disarm just about anyone who carried a sword, disarming a fellow unicorn was almost impossible. The unicorn stallion went for a tried and true method of disarming, that only another unicorn could hope of meeting without loss of a weapon.

Leonardo skilled as he was, didn't know how to defend himself from the sudden attack, Zar's horn seemed every where at once, the tip flashing as it darted in and around Leo's hands. In the next instant Leo's sword was sent flying away and the unicorn placed his horn tip near Leo's chest just above the plastron.

' I believe that is the killing point and I have won this match but you fought well and scored far more hits on me then many opponents would have managed' Zar spoke kindly.

Leo stepped back " You have bested me and I will honour our agreement."

This was met with wild cheers and applause by everyone watching and the dwarf who had been so offended set about making arrangement to see the sword was brought to the meadow for Leo to carry with him.

Gimod crooned ' I must admit I am impressed, much as I don't care for that hay bellied donkey I didn't think you stood a chance of winning against him.' The dragon yawned and stretched, ' Still I had enough faith in you to feel you would make him work for his victory so I win on both bets.' With that the dragon gave a smug smile.

Leo glowered at the dragon feeling very much offended by the fact the dragon had bet against him, but had encouraged him to take the challenge in the first place.

" You knew it!" He accused as his eyes narrowed to slits.

'Of course as the jackass said, they are born to the art form. Just as dwarves make up the best weapons and armour' Gimod admitted, ' but you may find the dwarf sword very much to your liking for they do use magic in their weapons.'

A few unicorns had gathered around Zar and they all turned as one looking towards Tira's castle ' Tira and the others come. Perhaps they have learned where your journey will take you from here.' Zar stated he glanced over his shoulder towards Shanza.

Leo sighed, it seemed they would soon be on the move again, hopefully though it would wait until morning. Leo turned to fetch his katana before the group drew near to offer whatever information had drawn them to the meadow to begin with.

Leo hoped that one of the unicorns would at least teach him that disarming technique and more importantly how to prevent it from happening.

TBC