Flights of Fancy
Disclaimer: I don't own the ninja turtles. Of course I am all ready overcrowded with dragons, toshe, cataflys, unicorns and what have you.
Chapter Thirty Two: The Turtle Roars
Raph touched his sai blade to the discarded trident form that had come off Embraha's hoof, it seemed to be a perfect match, "Don't know if or how this is gonna help" he muttered.
Gimod puffed a thick noxious bit of black smoke from his mouth 'Go ahead and spin them and think fiery thoughts, that shouldn't be too hard for you from what I've seen, and you will see how it may help.' He advised in a rumbling growl, his long tail was slashing and thumping the ground in irritation. Gimod may have gone after Shanza, if it had not been for the simple fact that he knew that Embraha had probably made her vanish into the underworld and entering such a place was not easy. Unless, one had been born into the netherworld, or escorted by one who was.
Raph smirked, he did a quick kata while thinking of thrashing the Foot, before he hit the halfway point the metal on his one sai blade seemed to burst into flame, he touched one blade to the other and the fire went to the other sai and Raph's kata finished in a blaze of light and flame. "Aw yeah!" Raph gave a wide grin, a gleeful look in his eyes "Raph is smoking."
Don scowled as he saw the display "Won't the fire melt or damage the sai blade if it gets hot enough?" He inquired curiously.
'No for the metal is shaped in the form of the Devil's mark,' Demon Wing replied he lunged forward and half reared screaming a challenge to the desert and the volcanic hills beyond, "We ought to hurry after him and strike quickly.'
Symbia shook her head, laying back her ears "No we must be careful now. If we move in haste then we might do more harm. Now is the time to stop, think and plan. You are doing no good allowing your irritation to get the better of you. The scales of balance have tipped in the favour of the dark ones for now. If we are not careful we may plunge them forever into the dark." She declared emphatically.
'We can't afford to wait; for having both Shanza and Shaman in their grasp the dark forces are bound to get the upper hand and we can not allow that.' Gimod snapped, snaking his head around and actually making a threatening move to bite Symbia.
Lobo raised his head and howled, his teeth bared but otherwise he seemed relatively calm, a bad sign in a toshe, for it means they are plotting something "If we go now then they have no time to make a move."
"And we have no chance to plot out ours" Symbia countered the toshe glaring at him
Marina was silently watching the debate from Don's shoulder, she shook her head amazed at how foolish the lot of these people were, she looked towards the Phoenix who had gone back to his feasting, the firebird would not leave the desert unless his home were to disappear, for the phoenix's power faded away from the heat of the desert.
Symbia interrupted her thoughts, "What are your thoughts or feelings on this Marina?"
The catafly sat up and preened a bit as her eyes narrowed, she flicked her wings, Traba laughed " Cats have useless opinions give them fish and they want bird."
"Shows what dogs know," Marina retorted crinkling her nose "For we know never to make a move until it is time. Move too soon you give yourself away, Move too late and you are left empty handed. To gain anything one must wait until the time is right."
"Any predator could tell you that" Shea snarled curling his lip up in disgust.
"Not all predators are cats who know the value of patience, some rush in relying on brute strength to achieve the goal," Marina cut in.
"HOLD IT!" Leo barked as he strode calmly between all of them, "We all are aware of the dangers of waiting too long, but there is just as much danger in acting too quickly. They want us to retaliate in our anger and hatred. If we do that we fall into their hands. The enemy has played us, we must now try to look a head and prevent any further missteps on our part. In other words we should rest, from the heat,and battle and take a moment to think things through," Leo paused and looked all around him, "I'm fully aware some of you are not used to working in a team," he looked at Marina, "Others are well aware of the value of team work" he glanced at the pack, "Some of you are almost considered enemies to the other if it were not for circumstances. It is time to put these petty differences aside, play to our strengths. If Marina is good on her own, so be it, she may be able to sneak in where Gimod or the toshe can not." He paused, "We all have a part in this and a reason to stop or prevent the worst. If we work together we can do this."
Gimod hung his head slightly, his tail stopped thumping the ground 'You speak great wisdom and are not blinded by that which has caused some of us to not see.'
Leo gave a small faint smile, "Many times one of my brothers have been in danger, I have felt that anger, the drive to avenge their pain but I have learned that it only weighs me down and makes it harder to come to a decision. I have often missed a path that was clear in my need to hurry." Leo admitted sadly, "I know my brothers joke that I am perfect, but I'm not I have made mistakes and ended up costing them or myself. I have done my best to learn from these things."
Gimod nodded his head, 'We rest and wait. We will move as one when the time comes, with one goal in mind. I am a dragon and have a dragon mind, the toshe are known for their hunger and blood lust and very few care to listen to clear minds. Yet it seems the lowly turtle has roared on Necron and clearer heads prevail.' Gimod lowered his head to look Leo in the eye, a rather unnerving thing because the dragon's one eye was as big as Leo's head, ' I see now why you are the leader of your brothers. I also see there is much I could learn from you.'
Leo sighed with relief, he turned to see Mike still hunched over his task of weaving hair around the different items that he had collected. Leo walked towards him and heard Mike whispering something softly, "Give me the strength of a dragon, the fire of the phoenix, the lithe quiet moves of a cat on prowl..."
Leo chuckled a bit knowing his brother, Mike was probably trying to weave his own brand of magic into the work while he insured everything was just so, he noted that Mike's carapace had dry flaky bits on it, the scutes were being shed, he went over and plucked a nice one off Mike's back causing Mike to turn "Don't forget to put in some of your self the great ninja."
Mike beamed at Leo widely as if Leo handed him a rare number one issue comic "Thanks Leo. I was trying to figure out what else I could use."
Leo patted Mike's shoulder and strolled off thinking of Gimod's words about the turtle roaring, Mike trying to weave magic, and more importantly Raph with his blazing sais, he unsheathed the dwarf sword, recalling that it had gotten him through some incredible battles, and now he wasn't sure how he could get by with out . He seemed to get lost in his own thoughts, his eyes taking on a distant look. In fact he hardly noticed Don approach him and call his name.
"Leo? Hey Leo!" Don finally gave his blue masked brother a slight shake on the shoulder.
"What? Oh Don. Sorry I was just...Do you get the feeling we are missing something here Don?"
"I have had that feeling since we got here" Don confessed, "This whole magic thing, seems hard to get a handle on Leo."
Leo scowled, "There is something we aren't seeing, something..." Leo bit his bottom lip and shook his head, "Looks like we are going be here for a little while Don. I'm going meditate maybe by clearing my thoughts I might be able to put my finger on whatever seems to be eluding us at the moment."
"All right Leo."Don replied simply.
Leo settled down in the lotus position and in moments of controlled breathing and clearing his mind he was in deep meditation, knowing that if he was really needed he would respond, he stayed in meditation for a time and only as he started coming out did he have a flashback, an old memory came up from out of nowhere.
They sat in the dojo, all four of them, around Splinter's feet, their father was not so grey and seemed a great deal taller then to the seven year olds they had been at the time. He and Don were silently paying attention to Splinter but Raph and Mike were playing rock, paper, scissors and having little pushing matches between one another.
"Raphael, Michaelangelo pay attention" Splinter chided the two of them.
"He started it!" they both said in unison as they pointed to each other, then Mike and Raph simultaneously began the "Did not. He did" bit.
Don and he had both laughed at it. Until Splinter's eyes narrowed, he nudged the two apart. Raphael sit on the other side of Leonardo, Michaelangelo on the other side of Donatello" Splinter ordered.
Sullenly they obeyed and Splinter waited patiently until they had settled themselves. "We are learning about ninja history. It is said that the ninja could do magic" Splinter informed them.
Mike perked up "Real magic?" he asked his mouth open in awe.
"That is what many believed Michaelagelo. For the ninja seemed to disappear at will, or appear where ever he pleased. It is said he could transform himself to an animal."
"We all ready are animals though" Raph interrupted.
"And that would be impossible!" Don insisted firmly, "Humans can't become an animal."
Splinter chuckled, "You are right Donatello, but if a ninja hid a bird or a monkey or some other animal in a bush, then let his enemies follow him to the bush and all of a sudden the animal came out and the ninja did not, then what were the others to believe? Ninja magic is special magic, a magic that can cause fear in those who have never felt it. It is said that some of the ninja's magic came from the ninja understanding and drawing upon the elements of nature itself." Splinter paused and sat back, "Do any of you know, or can even guess what those elements may be?" he asked.
Only Don raised his hand the turtle practically squirmed as he tried to maintain his seat, and finally Splinter acknowledged him, letting out a large breath Don grinned "Fire, water, wind, earth, some say metal as well."
"Very good Donatello, but there is also the void, that which, gives birth to all things, and takes it back when it's time is done. The void is suppose to have a basis in all the elements." Splinter informed them.
Leo opened his eyes, the elements, his sword which could shift and change, becoming what was desired it was not bound by the form it was made in, it could not be contained. Like a river or stream that cut away at the land smoothing the rocks, changing things. Don's staff a part of the Earth, strong and stiff. When they had touched the two together they had formed a place of shelter. Raph's sais now held fire, and Mike with his whirling blinding nunchuks, would they be the wind?
If they brought all of them together could they would they form the void, and what was the void?
Leo inhaled and his eyes grew large, he was sure that this was the ticket, the one thing, they had been missing. They were ninja, magical beings who controlled the elements, and they were now on a world of magic that needed them to control or stop the forces of darkness. Leo furrowed his brow, it seemed on Necron there was a balance, for light there was darkness, hadn't someone mentioned that Shanza was the exact polar opposite to a normal dragon. The dragon the darkest most powerful evil being on Necron, but the unicorn was the strongest force of the light.
Leo got up from the ground, standing with a fluid grace, he wanted confirmation. He needed to know that his thoughts were valid, held some form of reason...because...well he wasn't quite sure of the why, but he had a feeling this was important to everything that was going on. He strode with confidence towards Gimod. Gimod turned his head as he saw the turtle, he sensed that Leo had something he needed to discuss, and from his urgent air the dragon was sure that it was of extreme importance.
"Gimod I'm wondering, do the inhabitants of Necron know what the elements are?" Leo practically blurted out.
'Of course, many of the magical beings of Necron base their magic on it. Or some of their power comes from one of the elements, the element of fire, water, wind, Earth, light, darkness and the void." Gimod shrugged, and snorted a bit, ' And here I thought you wanted to speak to me about something important.'
Leo ignored Gimod's last comment as he silently considered the dragon's words "What being could incorporate the void?" Leo asked puzzled, " I figure the dragons and Phoenix are fire, the Pegasian, and griffins are wind, the dryads are Earth."
' Very good you do understand, the merpeople are water, as are others. But it is said no being on Necron has the void, for that is a power too great for any one being to hold. If anyone from Necron had the void as their element they could destroy or create anything for they would have power over all of us.' Gimod shifted in discomfort at the very thought, ' It could mean Necron and all who live here would cease to exist. Or be reborn into something totally different.'
"You say it is too much for any one being but what if those elements were to combine and all come together?" Leo pushed.
'You speak of a powerful magic Leonardo, there is a reason some of us are of the dark and some are of the light. There can be no night without day, the unicorns can not exist without dragons to balance them. They know that we know that. While the dark ones fight for the upperhand to cast the world to evil, they realize that they must be careful in doing so, to insure their own survival and dark reign." Gimod looked at Leo scrutinizing the turtle, ' Why do you ask this now?'
Leo looked at the dragon and glanced around at the others, "I have reason to believe that the magic of the weapons we now wield and the skills that we have been taught may enable us to hold the void by connecting our weapons." Leo answered.
Gimod sat back on his haunches, and trembled at the words, it was impossible, it was unimaginable and yet...Leonardo spoke with such conviction, indeed he was roaring well today for such a small insignificant reptile that Gimod was almost willing to entertain the thought, no matter how improbable it seemed to him ' If it is so you must not call the void unnecessarily. Not even to test your theory Leonardo. For that is great magic, and perhaps such great magic if given can only be used at the right time and place. Even if you could use it more than once, frequent use may alert those who will try to stop you.'
Leo nodded solemnly, at the dragon's advise. He realized that he might not be able to try it by placing all four weapons together but he could see by a sparring session if he was on the right track or barking up the wrong tree. It was time for him and his brothers to do a little sparring against each other. Perhaps when it was over he would have the full confirmation he needed.
TBC