Climb That Mountain

OK Everybody this may be my last chapter for a long while, not only does my computer have sticky keys but one of the hinges on my computer is breaking I took it to a repair place and they said it would be cheaper to replace it rather than repair it and I’ve only had this computer for two and a half years at most…Take a break for Summer and the Computer breaks down over the Summer.. Anyway this may be the last Fanfiction Chapter and I will write something for my Fictionpress portfolio for Halloween but this chapter is for World Animal Day October 4th but because I have an appointment on October 4th I’m writing this chapter early.

“If we’re done with that…” Ichabod said “...I’ll tell you where we were last night. Last night Marzipan and I saw some Will O’ The Wisps dancing in the distance, we followed them and we found a cave…In the cave we found a being known as the Firebug, which despite his name isn’t like an insect, he’s more humanoid like…Like a Gnome, like a Garden Gnome made of Fire, he sent the Will O’ The Wisps to attract us to cave…He told us he had been sent by Artemis to inform us of what to do next and he would also temporarily dial down my toxicity so I can travel with everyone else he said that I do need to find permanent cure for this…Unfortunate state of being…”
“How did he ‘Dial Down’ your toxicity?” Don asked because he wanted to know how a Fire Elemental good affect a Plant based Being without hurting them.
Ichabod blushed again “How about I tell you about what he said we should do next, because that’s more important.” He said

Ichabod turned to a certain Mountain of the west side of New Eden “He said we need to climb that Mountain…That specific Mountain over there…He said we’ll find what we need on that Mountain.”

That Particular Mountain did have much greenery reclaiming it.
“After that he said we’ll have to find our way to Stone City, the former Salt Lake City from there we will have to journey to Doctor Rat’s fortress, an entire Mountain some distance from Stone City where will have the final battle with Doctor Rat.
After hearing those instructions Mikey turned to everyone and said “So…Standard hero stuff, what we’ve been doing since we were 15.”

His Brothers sighed, this really had been what they had been doing since they were 15 of course that didn’t alleviate the horror of everyone they had learned about Doctor Rat and this Dimension.
Si’Ni having heard all this she realized she was in the company of Heroes if not equal to the Talon of Kramah they were at least equal to the heroes she had read of in the tales from the Age of Heroes which came before the Twilight Wars and thus before the Talons of Kramah. Even though these creatures had initially seemed strange and terrifying, Si’Ni was beginning to feel a bit ‘Starstruck’ realizing she was among heroes like those she had read about only in stories.
“Well.” Si’Ni said as she stood “What should I do to help prepare for the journey?”

Everyone turned to the Sow, she was the only one who wasn’t in anyway trained for combat she was a Middle-Caste Cook. She was a potentially liability.

“Si’Ni.” Don said “You do know how dangerous this journey will be…”

“Yes I know.” Si’Ni said “But I have come this far I can’t stop here!” She stopped when she realized she was beginning to yell.
“Maybe I’ve read too much epic poetry…” She said “…But in all those tales of Heroes and Devah…Even if the Hero starts out as a Peasant or even an Outcaste when he or she realizes what must be done he or she can not abandon the quest! I alone was able to break free of my cage so weather or not that was decreed by any Spirit Above I have a duty to my Fellow Janah, even when I find them they are all dead, to find out what happened to them so that I can tell their families…Yes…I feel it deep within myself…If I am to find my way home to Dardunah I must follow this to its end wherever it might take me.”

The Turtles found themselves smiling at the Sow’s sincerity, this was all the things Splinter had taught them about honor so of course they had to let Si’Ni join them on their journey.
They packed their things and began their journey towards the Mountain
This Mountain seemed to be more natural than other Mountains that surrounded New Eden not as insanely steep and seeming they had sprouted in minutes instead of millennia this one even appeared to have a worn hiking trail which seemed incredibly out of place in such a wild and chaotic place, but everyone was grateful they didn’t have to scale the mountain. Si’Ni of course was in great pain as they began the ascent causing Eartha and Ringo to worry she might die, but Don assured them it was only because she was overweight and out of shape, after a few moments of catching her breath Si’Ni was able to continue very slowly, with Eartha and Ringo flanking her for to keep watch over her
“If nothing else…” Si’Ni said between gasps “I’ll have much stronger legs after this.”

Don chuckled hearing this, they were just turning a bend when suddenly Don was struck by a psychic attack, one moment Don was on the mountain the next he wasn’t…He was in a dark space it was hot and humid and there was a scent of rotting flesh

“Where am I?” Don said trying to orient himself
“You are in my world…” Came a Familiar Voice and here it seemed to be coming from everywhere!

Don looked up and too his horror he saw Doctor Rat’s head, a Giant head the peak of some horrific mountain made of flesh! Underneath Doctor Rat’s head was like an eternal bubbling of different kinds of Animal Heads with occasional arms reaching out trying to crawl out of the horrific mountain.

“My motor is fueled by both liquefied animal matter and the souls of living creatures…” Said Doctor Rat

Don could see the heads of Cattle, Pigs lots of Wild Creatures but also Humans! There were lots and lots of Humans among the mass of faces
“I thought you said Animals had no souls!” Don said “I thought everything you did was to serve Humans!”

“There are important humans and there are common humans who’s only purpose is to serve their Leaders and Animals purpose is to serve Humans, in any case what you call a ‘soul’ is merely life energy that separates life from non-life all these creatures are is energy to be consumed…These creatures can’t remember who they are or even their original forms, they can never return to life…This is the essence of life Turtle, you must see what the true value of life is…”

Don felt hot tears sting his eyes…This couldn’t be true! What the demon rat said just couldn’t be true!
Suddenly he heard voices, his Brothers voices, he felt a hand grab his wrist and pull him out of this dark place!
Don opened his eyes he was on the same place on the Mountain.
“Shell…” He said “What happened
“A Psychic attack.” Marzipan said “You started screaming and jumping like crazy, you would have fallen off the edge of Morgan hadn’t caught you and wrapped her in her coils. She was able to repel the Psychic attack while she had you wrapped up.”

Don stood “Where is Morgan?” He asked
“Back there with Eartha, Ringo and Si’Ni.” Marzipan said
Don went over to them “Thanks Morgan,” He said “I owe you.”

The Black Mamba-Girl merely blushed and didn’t say anything.

“It was the Demon Rat.” Don said darkly “He revealed to me what fuels his…Motor…Both the flesh and the souls of living creatures…Including Humans.”

Bittersweet this might be the last chapter for the rest of the year