Flights Of Fancy

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

Chapter Twenty Seven: Reunion

Dawny paused on his way to the air hole, and whined a little as he glanced over his shoulder, before continuing on his scramble up the rocks, his nose twitching. He could smell dust and dirt, but he was sure that there was also the tantalizing lure of something more, fresh air and sunshine that drew him on up the rocks towards his destination. His foot slipped and sent some small rocks tumbling down, Dawny watched the rocks bounce and roll hitting other rocks, but it didn't cause a slide of any kind. The pup heaved a sigh, wagged his tail and continued his climb.

Then he saw it a crack of sunlight, that played on the rocks in front of him. Dawny's heart surged he barked a couple of times in joy, while he was used to the dark forest and deep woods of Necron, the subterranean passages seemed unnatural, like it was a trap of some kind. None of the other's heard his bark, or if they did they probably felt he had wandered off, which he had. Dawny bounced following the sun stray light to where it came in at.

There were two large boulders, with just a very thin passage between it, but it was clear that if one could squeeze through then they would be out in the open. Dawny gave a plaintive whine as he scratched at the hole digging around the large rocks in hopes of enlarging the way. When that didn't work the pup threw himself onto his haunches and sneezed with frustration before settling in to scratch a rather bothersome itch. The pup glanced back the way he came, but he was not eager to head back, not when he was so close.

Dawny growled a little, then he pushed his head and shoulders into the gap between the boulders, he wriggled, and squirmed moving this way and that, twisting his body and doing everything short of turning it inside out as he managed to get past the boulders, and out on the rocks of the outer mountain. Dawny yipped with joy, wagging his tail with excitement at finally being out of those tunnels and darkness, at escaping the trap. The toshe pup was so thrilled that he couldn't help but to chase something, since no prey was nearby to oblige him, he settled on the next best thing and chased his tail.

XXX

Shanza nuzzled Mike's shoulder 'Wake up Mike, tell me it wasn't too late.' She pleaded. She looked around at the anxious stares of all the others, who like her, could only watch and wait. Shanza curled her lip and bowed her head, willing her unicorn magic to heal. There were certain rules that she had to obey, the horn could be used to heal, illness or injuries. But a unicorn could not restore life to the dead, it took a group of unicorns to work that sort of magic. Unicorns had to accept that death, even for those considered immortal, was inevitable and would come in its time. However in certain circumstances where one died before their time, and it was known that being could do great things, then a glory of unicorns could use their magic together to raise the dead. When she had died after saving Tilamat the Unicorns had restored life to her for all she had sacrificed to free them.

Don kneeled by his brother, holding his breath as he kept pouring bits of water into Mike's mouth. Mike suddenly began to tremble and shake all over, and slowly, almost reluctantly he opened his eyes with a wearied groan. "Mike!" Don exclaimed a large smile crossing his face.

Mike didn't reply just twitched and shivered uncontrollably. But he gave a weak half smile in return and reached for Don's hand to give it a light touch.

'' We should go, there may be more trolls coming.' Demon cautioned, ' He should be all right now, though not up to walking. I could carry him.'

Shanza snaked out her head and stomped her hoof, ' No Demon. I will carry him.' She declared emphatically, ' For I am his partner, as it were, and besides I can help keep him from lapsing back until he is safe. Your magic is not for healing.' She pointed out wisely.

Demon gave a quick snort, ' Very well then.'

Shanza laid down near Mike's side, ' Don if you and your brothers can help him on. I will do the rest and I assure you all, I will not let him fall.'

Raph nodded "That is good enough for me" he stated as he crouched down to help swing Mike onto Shanza's back so he was positioned as best as possible for the unicorn to balance herself with Mike's weight. Mike of course was in no condition to sit up, so he was sort of sprawled on her back with his head, one arm along her neck, and one leg on Shanza's belly, while the other arm and leg was on the left side of Shanza's body. Very slowly, almost delicately Shanza rose to a standing position hardly shifting Mike.

Lobo glanced around "Where is Dawny?" he inquired.

Trina shrugged, "I don't know he was here." She replied her brow furrowing, she turned and gave a quick sharp bark, then cocked her head.

Lobo growled irritably "We don't need to be slowed down by any foolishness. Where could he have slipped off too? Isn't it bad enough we had the turtle go missing, and he ought to know not to stray from the pack."

Trina's hair bristled, "Dawny is not foolish. He is more," she considered, "Intense, he tries hard at all he does." she corrected.

Shea walked up to the others "But we have to move out now and as he isn't here; that poses some difficulty."

XXX

Dawny finished chasing his tail, and collapsed on the sun warmed rock ledge panting heavily with pleasure. Then suddenly he recalled the others still trapped in the darkness of the tunnels, and worse yet, was the fact that the turtle was injured. ' How could I forget the pack? How could I have..." he hung his head and howled in misery, tucking his tail between his legs and crying a little. With a heavy sigh, he looked up and saw a passing shadow, it flitted so quickly over the rocks it could have been nothing. Or it could have been a cloud, or griffin shadow. Yet, it reminded Dawny almost instantly of Gimod, the powerful dragon.

"Gimod help! Gimod help! We are here Gimod help!" Dawny yipped loudly calling to the runt wyrm and hoping that Gimod would be able to make the passage bigger so the others could get out in the sun.

XXX

Gimod had not rested he had been flying keeping a wary eye out for his friends, or some way to reach them, with no luck, but Gimod was not one to give up hope. Suddenly he heard the unmistakable call of a toshe calling his name and the dragon bugled with joy, he flipped about, giving a sharp turn of the wing and lithe body to follow that call to the source. It didn't take Gimod long to find the toshe pup sitting on the rocks. Dawny whined and jumped for joy as he saw the dragon.

Gimod laughed at the young toshe's antics ' Settle down or you will roll off the edge of the mountain little one. I am happy to see you too. But where are the others?'

Dawny turned to the two boulders "I came out here but it is too small for most of them to get through. I had a hard time too. I scraped my sides a little" he confessed quickly, as he clawed at the rocks.

Gimod looked at it and had to admit that it looked like a very tight squeeze, Dawny being the toshe with the least seniority in the pack ate last, luckily Lobo's pack usually hunted well and Dawny was very adept at catching small rodents or grabbing some fruit, or roots, when and where he could to add to his diet and fill him up. If Dawny had trouble making it through that hole then, the rest of the pack probably wouldn't make it, nor would the turtles and equines. ' What is beyond this Dawny? I may be able to make the passage larger, but I don't want to start an avalanche of stone on the others.'

Dawny nodded his head "There is a pile of stone and rubble on a troll, who bashed the rocks down on himself" Dawny explained, and couldn't help but laugh a bit.

' Yes, Trolls are not intelligent beings. Often they are their own worst enemies.' Gimod agreed.

Dawny stopped laughing and licked his lips, "The others though are down far enough and in a bit of a bowl under here." the pup furrowed his brow and shook his head, "I don't think they'd get caught in a fall out."

Gimod rumbled softly as he considered the pups words, he was sure that Dawny was not misleading him, but the pup's knowledge of cave ins was limited to his life, what he had seen for himself, and thus he might not know how hazardous such things could be. 'Shanza can you hear me?'

'Gimodaptor? Is that you?' Shanza snorted tossing her mane.

' It is old friend and it is good to hear you again. I have called for you for a very long time.' Gimod replied cheerfully, 'Is all well?'

' No, Marina is dead. Michaelangelo is hurt and now we are missing the pup Dawny he wandered off.' Shanza spoke with a great deal of regret.

'Dawny has not wandered far, for he has found me. The pup managed to squeeze out a hole, that I doubt will allow anyone else in the party to pass. However I may be able to enlarge it a bit to permit all of you to join me.'Gimod explained, 'But first I need to know that you are all safe and out of harms way.'

Shanza let out a clear musical neigh that Gimod heard even above the debris below him, it was a call of happiness and she quickly relayed to the others that Dawny was with Gimod, and their chance to leave these tunnels behind was very close at hand. Those below scrambled for spots they felt would protect them best in the event of avalanche. Then Shanza informed Gimod that they were all clear and ready for the dragon to do his thing.

Gimod gave a deep rumble of satisfaction,as he winked one eye at the toshe pup, ' Before I get on to business, I think you better climb aboard and hold tight.' He advised kindly.

Dawny barked happily then scrambled up the dragon's out stretched leg, and Gimod snaked his neck around to help aid the toshe onto his back. Once Gimod was sure that his passenger was secure, he turned back to the task at hand. Dragons really love nothing better then to be given a chance to show off their muscle, strength and abilities. In fact it ranked right up there with fighting and destroying what ever animal, place, or thing that they came across. Gimod was truly no different, except he didn't really seek to destroy things, the way the larger wyrms would.

Gimod roared, as he took off soaring upward, and to the left, as he came down at top speed he spiraled to the left and, bashed the rocks with his tail, then he did the same coming from the other side. Then the dragon flew off so he was parallel to the rocks and flew as fast as possible towards them, turning up just before he bashed into the rocks head on, kicking all four legs, using his neck and tail to also push at the rocks. Gimod let out a tendril of smoke from his nostrils, as he came back to take a close look, pushing a bit here and there.

Gimod noted the rocks were weakening and that a few more passes ought to do the trick, ' How are you doing back there Dawny, enjoying the ride?'

"It's a lot of fun. Kinda scary too." the pup replied cheerfully.

' Ready to go again then?' Gimod inquired.

"Yeah!" Dawny yipped happily.

Gimod approved of the young canine's eagerness. ' Good then hold on because now I intend on getting rough.' With that said the dragon prepared for his next fly by attack, the next few blows were major and shifted rocks on the outside, and probably caused some inner rocks to start to slide down. Then Gimod charged the gap in the rocks and he managed to get his head and neck into the hole, though it was a tight squeeze. Now the dragon began to use his front legs and wings for leverage and to aid him in widening the gap. Inside he used his head and neck moving to push in further.

Gimod had to close his eyes to keep the grit and dirt from falling in his eyes. Huffing slightly the dragon pulled back and came at the opening again this time widening the gap enough to allow him to enter up to his shoulders. Now the dragon gave a crafty smile, and began to put as much weight into it as possible as he bashed first to the left then to the right, crumbling more rocks down by the moment, with things shifting every where.

It took only a few more minutes of this treatment, before Gimod was able to create a sufficient enough opening to allow all members in their party to pass. The dirt, dust and debris was starting to settle all around the dragon, as he glanced around well pleased with all of his work. ' Alright, I think it will do. But I suggest everyone hurries just in case.' Gimod hinted to his friends.

He didn't need to say it twice for the rest of the toshe were making a break for freedom before he had finished and the equines and the turtles were all moving at a fast clip as well. Dawny slipped down and greeted the rest of the pack squirming with delight. Lobo stalked up to Dawny, and the pup causing the young toshe to cringe and sink down to the ground, Dawny gave a low apologetic whine.

"Why did you go off like that?" Lobo demanded sharply.

"I smelled fresh air." Dawny said uneasily.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Lobo asked.

"I was going to, but you said you didn't want me to disturb you." Dawny explained twitching slightly,as he cowered down before the leader of the pac.

Lobo gave a slow panting grin, "It is all right. I did say that I know. Don't be afraid to speak up pup." Lobo gave a quick wag of his tail, and licked Dawny's face, "You did well, and if I listen to the prattle of one like Traba, why should I not listen to common sense?"

"If you didn't wanna any more prattle I'd get it." Dawny grouched a bit.

Lobo laughed and gave the pup a friendly nip "We are all members of the pack. We all serve our purpose. If you know something of use, speak up even if I have bid you to silence, except under extreme circumstances where the slightest noise could be our down fall. You will learn Dahawty."

Dawny wriggled as he heard Lobo say his full name, he rarely heard any member call him by that, it was always Dawny, which really had no meaning in the toshe language other then morning. His full name morning of the red death was fire, something almost all Toshe feared, but as the name was attributed to a member of a toshe family it meant more the colour of his coat and great killer, but Dawny with his crippled feet that turned the wrong way, could not expect to ever earn his name by living up to it's true meaning.

Gimod glanced at Mike and Marina he gave a sad shake of his head ' It is good to see all of you again but come Mike is ill and we could all use shelter.' He sniffed the still form of Marina, 'In the morning I will bury her in the meadow, near the water. It won't take me long to get there and back.'

XXX

It took a while to find suitable cave where they could all settle in, and then with only a few sticks that they had gathered from mountain shrubs and bushes, Gimod made a fire, then he gently picked Mike up in his taloned hand and tucked the turtle in close to his body. ' What he needs now more than anything is warmth and there is nothing better than a dragon to supply it. Tucked close to my body he will be quite warm,' Gimod assured all of them, as he made sure that Mike would not be squished, or pinched by his body but was enfolded so securely that it was better then being wrapped, and firmly tucked into bed under a pile of thick heavy blankets.

Shanza bowed her head ' With unicorn water to help he should be himself again by morning.' The unicorn turned her head, ' Pity though that things could not have gone as well for Marina.'

Gimod gave a low growl, ' Perhaps... my home is not that far from the catafly meadows, I have watched them. They can survive incredible things and...well...' the dragon lapsed into silence.

'What?' Shanza pressed suddenly.

Gimod blew some smoke and shook his head, ' Perhaps it is nothing. Perhaps catafly magic. I don't want to raise false hopes Shanza so I will say no more.'

' But there is a chance for her?' Demon Wing wondered.

Gimod shrugged and turned his head into his wing to blow some warm breath over the weak turtle. He had said that he would say no more on that subject and he meant it.

TBC