Flights of Fancy
Disclaimer: I don't own the ninja turtles, never have and most likely never will.
Author's note: This is a long chapter, but I will be going on vacation soon so figured it might be better to do this as a long chapter rather than two short ones. R.
Chapter Thirty Four - Battle Rage
Gimod didn't know what to make of these beings who now had weapons that held such power, he wished Shanza was here, Shanza being a creature of the light could pick up on anything that leaned far too much towards the darkness and evil, while he, would not notice a difference. The only thing Gimod was sure about was the simple fact that these four small creatures had the ability to change Necron dramatically, they could be great allies, or their greatest foes, they could in essence become the rulers of Necron, with the power they wielded and it would be almost impossible to over throw someone who had the ability to control the void.
This was unsettling and disturbing in his own dragon mind and he could tell that the only one who seemed at ease with it, or the turtles themselves at the present moment, was Marina. Gimod went over to where Symbia, Demon and Lobo stood in a small circle talking in hushed voices.
'Symbia you follow the stars and know other signs of potential danger, what do you know of this?' Gimod asked.
Symbia twitched an ear, and shrugged her shoulders, " What is there to say? If the dark ones gain power we know we are lost, and these warrior turtles now seem suspect as they have a great power and ability given to them. Perhaps it is part of the dark spells the dark ones weave, and they are pawns in the game to help gain power and control." She suggested, "Or they are here to put to right that which we can not. This turtles are ruled by their own code of honour."
Lobo whined, " It is true that Raphael did not kill me though he could have, and I know all of them were quite willing to give up our own quest to save the life of Leonardo when the Black Bucks stole his soul. For them the life of one has meaning and they value the pack ways, of sticking together." Lobo panted nervously, "It scares me what they can do, and yet." He cocked his head, " I don't fear them, more what it is they can do unknowingly. For at heart, when all is said and done, they are good and fair."
Demon pawed the ground 'They have been worthy allies until now. I would not wish to turn my back on them due to suspicions and fears.'
Symbia shuddered "I don't know if we can trust them. Sure until now we didn't know what they were capable of, they hardly were aware. But now that they have seen it and touched it, can they control such power, or will they like so many others allow the power to control them?"
Gimod bowed his head ' I know one thing. Tira believed they were sent here for a reason. We may not know what that reason was, but someone does. Who was it that Renet, who brought them here at this time? She who has control of time and space, past present and future. Is one who is familiar with the void in itself. We may have found their ways odd, but we can not deny that they are here, and have proven themselves allies at all times. We must hope that they stay that way."
"I'd feel better if you spoke with more certainty Gimod" Symbia sniffed.
'These are very uncertain and unsettled times.' Gimod retorted, 'Perhaps Marina could give you a better answer for she seems at ease with them.'
Lobo growled softly "That will be the day when I trust the word of a cat."
Demon nickered, 'Toshe don't care for any thing that is unnatural, and yet the catafly is a species, a being who enjoys that which is mysterious.'
Gimod turned and called Marina over to he group, Marina, might have pretended to ignore Symbia, or Demon, acknowledged Gimod by obeying but doing so in a true cat fashion by coming in her own time. Gimod knew the catafly would come, he had no doubts on that count, for while she was very much a cat, she was wise enough to know not to tick off a dragon. 'Some of us are not sure what will be now that their strength and ability has grown to include such impressive power.'
Marina winked and arched her back, "Do you expect an answer, something to sooth your fears perhaps?" She wondered raising one paw delicately into the air. "I can not do that; they are part of the mysteries of the night. They are no more yet no less then they have ever been, it is just we have not seen them for what they are until now. I do not know how they can move so quickly or gracefully with such size and bulk. I do not know who taught them to walk without disturbing a leaf or twig," Marina smiled, "But I do know that they can not hide what they are any longer and while most felines could never go beyond that which they know, these turtles are not ruled by the feline laws and so they have much to teach."
Demon tossed his head, 'Can you tell us nothing of use?'
"I have told you all you need to know." Marina curled her lips and flicked her tail in irritation.
Don and Leo strode towards the group and the others fell silent casting wary glances at one another. Don shook his head wearily, it was easy enough to pick up the distrust that seemed to be growing among them. Don turned to look at Leo wondering what his brother would say or do to put them at ease, then Don got an uneasy feeling that Leo had no interest or desire to put them at ease. He furrowed his brow as he glanced towards his brother.
"If they distrust us after all we have done to prove ourselves then nothing we say can change their mind," Leo declared. "We have vowed to help them and even bringing back that which was stolen from them has not helped them to see we are on their side." Leo shot a withering stare towards Demon Wing "You, know what it is like to be judged and treated unfairly because you did betray trust. But when have we broken trust or gone against the mission at hand during our quest? " He stared hard at Symbia, "Nights can be clouded and the stars covered you can not always see what they say. Truth comes from within." He looked at Lobo "If the strength of the toshe is the pack then what is the strength of the pack? As for you Gimod you did not listen to our words once before, now I want you to listen."
Marina purred loudly as if in full approval.
Leo smiled at her, "We need to come together and we need to do it now or we may as well give up and let Necron fall. If we can't work together then we stand no chance of achieving our goal and doesn't that count far more than our own fears, dreams or anything else?"
Gimod looked at the others who seemed to become instantly ashamed hanging their heads and staring at paws, or hooves. ' Little reptile for all your size you may have some dragon in you after all. You are correct we still have a quest to finish.'
"Then are we going do this together or not?" Leo demanded to know as he stood up straighter.
Marina fluttered over to Don's shoulder and whispered softly in his ear, "Dragons are easily noticed, but you are more of a catafly for you are only noticed when you please."
Don reached up and absently scratched her head, "But we can fight and we are not ones to back down and when worse comes to worse our flames can burn high and bright."
"Yet you thirst to know more, do more, learn more. Curious as can be." Marina challenged.
Don nodded "That is true, especially for myself, but what do you know Marina about the dark forces."
"I all ready told you that." She informed him coyly.
Don considered, then nodded, "So you did and that might mean a big difference in the way we attack."
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They all agreed to continue in their quest though there was still some slight uneasiness, and a lot more respect from the other beings who lead the turtles toward their joined destination. They practiced a bit in the evening but for the most part controlled and tried to hide what ability they had for as they neared the Volcano Valley they knew there was a greater chance of enemies lurking near, who may report back to base about the turtles skill.
Maybe because the turtles did keep their power under control and did not allow it to show during practice, it helped ease the others a little more, especially as the turtles seemed to act as if nothing great or different had happened.
Of course there were many plans and ideas for attack, strategies plotted, mulled over, reconsidered and gone over, or tossed about from one to another. Leo pumped the allies for as much information as possible seeking to learn as much as he could about the enemy they were going engage. Not to mention any thing he could gather considering the terrain they could be battling on.
In essence they were coming down to the wire and it was time to prepare for the battle at hand. This became even more necessary the closer to Volcano Valley they came, and that was happening extremely fast.
Gimod flew over the valley at night and spotted the dark forces fortress, sitting comfortable in the bowl of the valley. He reported back to the others, and since then had avoided flying over that way, instead he purposely flew over other places as if searching for signs of the dark ones hiding spot, for the dragon didn't want the enemies alerted, but he knew that this ploy would only work so long.
Don took Marina aside "I suppose that the dark forces don't think much about cataflys?" he theorized.
Marina nodded, "It is true in their eyes we are insignificant and can do no damage to those who have such magic." Marina admitted, willingly perhaps due to the fact that Don's question seemed far more of a statement to her.
"We ninja are very good at infiltrating places to obtain what we need to know." Don informed her as he petted her glossy fur.
"You ninja are curious sorts." Marina bunted his hand seeking some further attention.
"Oh yes, Leo is thinking that we ought to sneak in find out where Shanza and Shaman may be, try to learn the enemies plans" Don muttered.
"This would be useful to you wouldn't it, to know ahead of time?" Marina asked as she rested one paw on Don's hand.
"It could be useful later that information could be very valuable to us. Lobo, I think, is hoping that he and the toshe can do it." Don stated casually.
Marina fuzzed up and wrinkled her nose in disgust, "Those dogs! They are large and clumsy and while they might be able to sneak in they are sure to be caught because they know nothing, absolutely nothing I tell you, about hiding and keeping secrets." she huffed. "Why it would be far more reasonable for me to go."
Don looked at her as if that thought hadn't occurred to him "It could be very dangerous for you. I mean the toshe at least have their venom if they get found out" he pointed out delicately.
"Yes, but the dark forces doesn't consider cataflys a threat. They see a toshe in there and they know a pack won't be far off, and what would a pack of toshe be doing sneaking around there? The dark ones are aware the toshe align themselves to the light when things go from bad to the very worst." Marina insisted, "It won't work."
Don scowled as he looked the catafly over "But you could do it couldn't you?"
"It is possible. I could and I might..." She drawled letting her voice drop as she considered."In fact I think I will do it just to prove to that dog it has no business interfering in catafly's territory." Marina gave a decisive nod of her head, "and tell your ignorant brother that if he wants a job done right it is best not to ask a dog."
Don watched her flutter off and gave a small smile, he figured Marina would take the bait, he just hoped she wouldn't come to harm.
It was many hours later when Marina arrived back at their camp site, a cave set into one of the smaller volcanoes in the area, a good distance yet from the area where their opponents could be found. Marina had a wealth of information, but typical catafly she had to be coaxed, bribed and almost groveled to before she would divulge what she knew. Don was able to sweeten the deal by offering Marina the last of the cat nip. The fact Marina knew something made her feel very proud and of course everyone's assurance that they could not have learned what they had with out her flattered the catafly and set her preening in a way the information she held could not.
But finally everyone felt that they had learned all that they could and with this new knowledge they were now able to make the final plans for the coming attack.
"We will go in two groups." Leo decided, "One of us will set about freeing Shanza and Shaman, the rest of you will distract the enemy until we can join you."
'Then what Leonardo? Remember there must be a balance maintained. You might have the power of the void on your side but that doesn't mean you fully control it.' Gimod insisted.
Leo glanced up at the dragon "Trust me Gimod, I promise you that we only will do what needs to be done."
'And what pray tell is that exactly?' Gimod wondered.
"I'm not sure but I think, I believe I will know when the time comes." Leo replied.
'That is not reassuring Leonardo.' Gimod grumbled a little.
"Either way we attack tonight as soon as it is dark." Leo remarked simply.
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Gimod flexed his wings as he lifted into the night air, the dragon carried Symbia and most of the toshe, while Demon flew beside him. The dragon silently glided down and set his load down about eight feet away from their destination. Before he rose again into the air this time roaring a loud challenge. Gimod flew right toward the building and smashed at a watch tower where a troll was about to blow his horn. Gimod snapped the troll in his jaw shaking the repulsive beast before dropping him to the rocks below.
The runt dragon shot out a burst of flame, from a courtyard of the building below rose a large dragon that was growing in size and mass as it neared Gimod. The new dragon roared a challenge to the runt and Gimod turned on a wing to face him.
Demon dropped from the sky kicking and striking the larger dragon. The Pegasian dropped as the dragon spat a large chunk of ice at the flying horse.
Down below a mass of trolls, and ogres came out of the gates to shoot arrows at the smaller dragon and Pegasian, the army chortling about having a good feast that night. However hardly were they taking aim when they found someone with much better accuracy picking them off and the air seemed full of arrows. Not to mention the toshe moved out slipping easily among the rocks and around large legs to bite hard and fast, drawing blood and letting venom enter the clumsy brutes.
The toshe seemed to make the shadows come alive and they growled in low delight knowing this was just the start of the night's games. All ready the taste of blood was in their mouth and they longed to rip, tear and destroy. They were almost entering blood lust and as long as they allowed their hunger for blood to be controlled then they would not end up harming friend as well as foe. The toshe leaped and dodged the fists and clubs and large feet that crashed around or near them.
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Meanwhile at the back of the fortress, four ninja turtles, a catafly and two of the toshe pack Dawny and Noharn were slowly nearing the secret entrance Marina had found on her scouting trip, " This goes straight to the dungeons but one must pass the trash heaps first so they don't seem to guard it feeling the refuse will keep others away. Besides who would want to walk straight into a dungeon, the pit of torture and pain that the dark forces use?"
Noharn whined "I want to be with the others." He moped.
Raph whirled grabbing the toshe pup by the scruff of the neck and raising his arm, so the pup's front paws were in the air and his hind legs hardly touched the ground. Raph pointed a sai at the toshe pup's throat and growled in a menacing way "Look you are with us. So you do as you told and don't call attention to us. Got it?"
Noharn rolled his eye and wriggled a bit in Raph's tight grasp "Okay. Sure."
Leo nodded keeping silent, now was not the time for even one of their party to betray them. Besides it had been Lobo's choice to send the two toshe, because their noses could help scent trouble, and their venomous bite might come in useful if the rest found themselves in a tight situation. Leo had gratefully accepted, he wasn't sure exactly what they would run into when they infiltrated the fortress but he wanted to have all bases covered if at all possible.
Leo gestured all of them on and they moved forward keeping low, doing their best to avoid detection. When Leo hit into something. He paused it was almost like a wall of energy blocking them. He scowled, Marina was clearly not affected by it, though she seemed startled to realize the turtles were caught on the other side of something that was not visible.
"Maybe this is why they don't need a guard" Don muttered.
Raph took out his sai and poked it towards the wall, it gave under the tip of his weapon. Raph tore a large hole in the wall allowing the others to slip through before he passed. He gagged almost instantly at the retched smell that filled the air. "I thought New York smelled bad." he complained.
" Let's get out of here," Mike complained, "Phew but I'd be glad to breath in anything that doesn't smell like this."
"I'd be glad to just breath" Don cut in, "lead on Marina quickly." He pleaded.
The catafly lead them past stuff that reeked worse then all the garbage in New York, worse then Casey's foot odour, worse then fish left rotting in the sun for three days, worse then the carcass of some bloated corpse, worse then all those smells and then some combined. Stomachs were rebelling, and they were all gasping for air and trying not to rub watery eyes as the offensive reek seemed to get into every part of their being. One could almost swear that they could taste the smell on their tongue and it wasn't the most appetizing thing they had ever sampled, far from it.
It was torture in itself moving slowly and carefully to avoid being seen and slipping your way from shadow to shadow while fighting the smell of the place; but after what seemed like forever they entered the dungeon area.
Not that the dungeon smelled much better, but at least the air was not so colourful and the rescuers were able to catch almost a full breath of air into their lungs without regretting doing so. The dungeon smelled of blood, and was heavy despair. In one cell stood a young foal, with a horn and tiny wings on his back, it was clear the Peg foals wings were not quite large enough to carry it, or perhaps they had been damaged by his captors so flight was impossible.
"Shaman" Mike whispered as he looked at the foal, it was white as Shanza, with a large black patch over his face and black wings, the horn was chained as was each hoof, in heavy shackles, his tail and mane looked ill kept and scraggly.
Shaman nickered, 'How you know me?'
"I'm a friend of your mom and dad. We are here to help you." Mike informed the young colt.
Shaman dropped his head, ' Can't help these chains can't be broken. Mom. Dad!' Shaman practically sobbed the last two words.
Raph picked the lock on the gate door swinging it open and checked the shackles "There is no locks on these Leo, nuthin."
Leo took out his sword and brought it down on the chains but the chains remained undamaged.
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Gimod felt something hit into him sending him spinning out of control as he smashed into the volcano cliff side where Symbia was, almost burying the centaur mare who scrambled for safety. He got up huffing, his sides heaving as the larger dragon smashed into him from above, ripping at his scales with talons. The toshe seeing Gimod's distress leaped for the giant wyrm and bit hard but the thick heavy scales protected the dragon and it only bashed the toshe to one side.
Demon called upon the one magic he had and was capable of using he was a creature of the wind, and any pegasian could in essence control the wind to a certain degree, but it was not something they normally used, rather it was a self defense mechanism to help aid in escape and no Pegasian could use the wind power for long. Demon called on enough wind to send the larger dragon to back off Gimod. Symbia took advantage of the moment to shoot an arrow at the dragon.
Symbia had prepared for battle and this arrow she had dipped in dragons bane the larger dragon roared in pain and anguish, before letting loose a large volley of flame that seared the valley floor before it crumpled and fell. Only to be bashed by some Ogres who had been blinded by the fiery blast.
Symbia laid back her ears "I hope the others hurry for things have gone from bad to worse" she warned.
' Can it get worse?' Gimod asked wearily.
"It is about to, we have attracted the attention of a few more dragons and some wizards besides." Symbia replied sharply.
Lobo licked his lip " I hope the others finish and come to our aid soon for I don't know how much more distracting we can do before it starts to cost us lives."
'We will and must fight on we have no other choice.' Gimod declared as he lifted his sore and aching body up into the air. Heading towards the dragons that had their eyes on Demon, as he tried to out fly the wyrms who were intent on snapping up the feathery equine morsel.
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After each had tried to break the chains to no avail, Shaman sadly shaking his head at their attempts, 'I told you these chains can't be broken.'
Marina sighed "Hurry free Shanza her horn could probably break the magic that holds Shaman here" She advised. "It would not be wise to use the power of you four just yet."
Leo nodded "Dawny stay here and guard Shaman." Leo ordered.
The young pup puffed himself up with pride at being given such an honourable, noble duty "I'll keep him safe." he vowed.
Leo turned to Marina "Take us to where Shanza is."
Shanza was further up the dungeon closer to the front and was under guard by a witch and warlock team. Marina turned her eyes on the others "The witch and warlock are very powerful for their kind, but none of them are able to have a wizard's power. They are good at casting spells of transformation and illusion but that is about all they can do."
"Doesn't sound so bad" Raph shrugged indifferently.
"Their illusion spells are quite deceptive and they will play to weakness if they can find it or know about it" Marina concluded.
Leo glanced at his brothers " Attack from all sides hopefully they won't know who to attack, and it will distract them long enough to destroy them."
Shanza turned her head snorting she thought she sensed her friends but wasn't sure. Even so she didn't want to do anything that might betray them so she stayed silent, as the turtles, catafly and one toshe moved in. Marina attacked from above darting in to scratch faces or any other body part she could get to, Noharn bit at feet and ankles, while the turtles struck with their weapons at the two humans bodies. As Leo expected the two of them didn't stand a chance and very quickly the witch and warlock were under control.
"That was easy" Mike laughed.
"You think so do you, well Shirelle and I do not plan on staying" the warlock sneered.
Raph quickly thumped the guy over the head to stop him from departing or using any tricks and sneered at Shirelle "Sweets I got more where that came from." he warned as he stared her in her warty pus infected face, "All that power and you can't even look after yer self" Raph shook his head, as he jabbed a sai tip into her side "Now open Shanza's cell."
Shanza pranced in excitement 'I was a fool. I should have known he was no true 'Corn. But by he time I woke from his bewitched spell, it was too late for me. They had already bound me up in here and I can not break free with my magic.'
"We willl get you free!" Mike vowed solemnly, "Then we can go back and free Shaman."
Raph's sai was able to break the shackles that bound Shanza with ease, "That is the way it should be."
Shanza leaped forth from her cell, and bounded past the turtles, then whirled, suddenly the unicorn seemed to grow larger, her body growing red, large black bull like horns sprouted from the side of her heads, her head became almost dragon like and a blast of flame spat from her mouth.
' Fools, now you shall all perish!.' She screamed.
Leo growled pulling his sword, "It is you who will die demon and then perhaps we will find where Shanza really is."
Mike shook his head lingering back as Raph and Leo charged towards the demon, "This isn't right" Mike mumbled to himself but seeing how the demon smashed and smacked his brothers and friends aside, Mike forgot his misgivings and headed in to the fray, though his mind continued to tell them this was not the way.
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Lobo shrank against some rocks dodging a blast of flame from the dragons, battling above. "We can do no good here. Let's see if we can sneak into the fortress and take out some of the Wizards."
Shea barked "Great idea, at least then we will be doing something instead of hiding from blasts. See if Demon cares to join us, he may fare better in there, then out here."
At that moment one of the larger dragons caught Demon's wing in a jaw and wrenched it hard shaking the Pegasian, feathers coming off in the yellow dragon's mouth. Demon screamed in anguish. Gimod bashed into the yellow dragon ripping it lengthwise under the leathery wing. The yellow dragon released Demon to turn on Gimod, and Demon glided as best he could on one wing down to the ground. The pegasian found he could not even fold his injured wing back into place. He looked up at the dark sky an saw a mass of entwined dragon bodies above.
Traba ran past him "Let the wyrms fight it out."
"We can't leave Gimod like this" Demon snorted sharply laying his ears back in distaste at the thought.
"You can't help him against the larger wyrms, nor can Symbia for if she strikes Gimod with her dragon's bane arrows then we will lose him anyways. We are going make a break for the fortress and hopefully bring down some enemies from within." Traba reported quickly, he was limping in spite of how quickly he wound his way around the many rocks.
Demon pranced bucking a little in place before he chased after the toshe. Demon didn't care to leave Gimod alone but Traba, foolish toshe he might be, did have the ability to speak truthfully when he wanted to.
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The demon slashed Raph sending him flying back into the cell hitting his head on the far wall Raph slumped to the floor giving a dazed shake of his head. Hardly missing a beat the demon turned knocked Leo's sword from his hand bringing a foot down on the turtle leader, long drool dangling from the demon mouth. Don yelled as he lunged at the demon at full force with his bo staff up and ready to do damage.
"Mike, Marina come on lets kill this beast." He ordered.
Leo felt the leg squashing him, he tried to speak, to give warning to Don, but found he didn't have the breath to speak at the moment such was the weight on his plastron, he could almost feel the crack of his shell.
Marina shook her head "I can't help in this."
Mike paused glancing from Leo to Don and suddenly made up his mind his nunchuk wrapped around Don's bo "You won't hurt Shanza. We can't kill her that is what they want."
"But this isn't Shanza Mike!" Don protested as he tried to pull his staff free.
"Don't you understand it is a warlock spell. Illusion, this is Shanza, and I know she isn't like this we aren't seeing her clearly." Mike declared emphatically even as he said it, with a great deal of conviction, he saw a glimpse of Shanza standing there frightened and holding Leo under two hooves.
Raph raised his head as he staggered to his feet for a moment he too saw not the demon monster but a unicorn, he shook his head and saw only the monster. Raph paused wondering what was true, he saw Noharn sneaking around to strike from the hind quarters, and the demon slashed out with a hind leg, hitting the pup back ward.
Raph glanced at Don on instinct he told his brother "Put your weapon up Don. Mike could be right."
Don looked like he was about to dispute it but a look towards Leo convinced him to do so, and he called out to Noharn to stand back. As soon as the battle stopped the image of the demon shimmered hesitantly before it dropped showing only the unicorn Shanza, she backed off of Leo ' More dark magic, if you had killed me then things could have gone much worse for all involved, the death of even a single unicorn is a crime, and in times like these can make all the was the spell those two wove, if you freed me you would see me as an enemy and kill me. Now where is Shaman?'
They lead the unicorn down to where her son was, and she greeted the colt with many a comforting word, and gentle caress of her mouth, and tongue. Though Shaman seemed rather disgusted by the display, finally Shanza looked at the shackles that bound him. ' I can not break these chains without Demon for it is meant to have both of us to free him.'
Mike scowled "Do you need all of Demon? I have some of his feathers and hair wrapped round the chain of my nunchuks."
Shanza seemed to smile ' That is good news we can try it and hope it is enough to suffice.'
Mike wrapped the chain of his weapon around the shackles that bound Shaman's front hooves. Shanza used the tip of her horn for a minute or two nothing seemed to change and then the shackles fell off. Mike smiled at Shanza as they quickly set loose the hind legs of the trapped colt. Shaman jumped forward and snorted with glee, almost skipping and hopping on his four legs. Shanza had a proud gentle look in her eye, as she gently nipped her colt. There was no doubt both equines were glad for his freedom.
Leo hated to break up the reunion but he knew there was a better time and place for this, they still had to get out and put a stop to the dark forces plans though the loss of the hostages would damage, almost cripple the dark forces, but Leo was hoping for something a little more lasting. He didn't want to give the enemies a chance to regroup and come up with a better plan to destroy Necron or take over. "I think we best get out and the easiest way is the way we came."
Mike groaned, "Not through that smell again Leo, I'd rather chance the other way."
Shanza laughed 'There are easier ways to travel.' She assured all of her friends, using her magic she opened a portal between them and the outside world where the battle raged on. Shanza screamed as she saw the two larger dragons mangling Gimod. The two dragons whipped about and seeing Shanza left Gimod and dived towards her. Shanza braced her legs and stood calmly waiting.
Gimod watched his whole body ached and his wings could hardly keep him aloft yet he caught an updraft of warm wind, and hovered above to watch what he knew would happen. It would only take one strike, possibly two depending on how stubborn the second dragon was. The yellow dragon neared Shanza first and she swung her horn up ward. Shanza's horn, in fact her whole body, looked as if it was glowing bright white in the night, a shining beacon. Shaman looked at his mother and imitated her stance and position.
' Banish your hate, anger and fear. Do not think of revenge my son. Give them your love, give them forgiveness.' Shanza advised. 'Otherwise do not do it at all. For when a unicorn thinks dark thoughts they lose the light and become shadows of what they are or have been.'
Noharn and Dawny howled calling for the rest of the pack to join up and they heard an answering call from within the fortress.
The yellow dragon came down at Shanza, and her horn almost touched the scaly hide and the yellow dragon screamed beating wings to get higher up and further away from the unicorn. The scream of the dragon was answered by the blowing of a horn from within the walls of the fortress, the walls of the building started to crumble and fall, as the toshe, Demon and Symbia burst out of the open gateway entrance followed by six wizards.
The yellow dragon flapped over three of the wizards, the other dragon a blood red with orange striped fellow hovered over the other three. The Wizards raised their wands directing them at the dragons or towards one another, as they cast a spell that seemed to draw energy from the dragons above them, as well as from their fellow wizard companions.
Gimod's eyes grew large. Shanza squealed in fear, her body trembling.
Marina, her hair standing on end from all the energy flowing, caterwauled loudly. "This is not good!" She warned Don.
"Why? What's going on?" Don demanded.
"They are making it so they have combined strength, power and magic. There is no way... there is nothing that can stand against them, not like that...Not!..." Marina trembled and howled uncontrollably.
The toshe cringed and as the dragon and wizard kept feasting on this bizarre energy river that they maintained between them the clearer it became that there was very little that could stand against them when they were done and ready to attack.
"LEO!" Don yelled, "We have to do it now. We have to strike before they do!" Don insisted sharply.
Leo nodded "Brothers, you know what we must do. Let's do it!"
Shanza shook her head 'You can do nothing! They have more power this way then all the unicorns combined.' She practically wailed.
'There is one way and it may be the only way.' Gimod replied uneasily.
Shaman reared and ran down toward the turtles who were bringing their weapons together. Shanza screamed for her son to return, but he laid back his ears refusing to heed the call. His small hooves scattering rocks as he ran as if in sheer desperation to reach the four turtles.
The ninja having been in battle were all ready attuned to their ninja instincts, and so did not need much meditation to get them in to connection with the elements, instead all they had to do was concentrate, focus and do what they had to do. Leo sensed another presence intrude and he glanced toward the disturbance, seeing Shaman thrusting his small horn into the mix to touch with their weapons. As the wizards broke off the energy source they felt something but for only an instance.
Blackness fell over the land, the void had taken over consuming everything so that nothing could be seen, heard or felt. Leo almost felt like something was trying to guide the void, to some form of decision, but he wasn't exactly sure who it was, though the feel of it was far different from that of his brothers.
As the blackness receded leaving everyone as they had been, though leaving some of the participants a bit more unsure of themselves and where they were, Leo had to wonder what had really happened.
The two larger dragons peeled off flying else where and the Wizards staggered around as if suddenly blind clearly showing there was no sign of coming attack.
Shaman snorted, 'The void is a great power but it needs a certain amount of thought to direct it. I let it know that the Wizard's and dragon's could not combine their power.'
"I just wanted it to do the greater good." Leo remarked wearily.
Shaman seemed to smile ' It did. Yet it also needed to know how and whys. It needs...influencing.' the young colt spoke the last word hesitantly.
Demon came over ' You did well son! Hopefully it will be a long time before they can rejoin such forces against us again.' He sighed wearily, as he glanced at Shanza, 'You shouldn't worry your mother so though. Come son, it is time to go home.'
TBC