Mist: The Shadows Arise

Prologue-Excerpt From Chapter Two-The Transformation
I opened my eyes to the clear, cold air. Darkness swirled around me as I watched my life flash before my eyes. All of those memories of Pack life...from my puppy days to now. I growled with wariness. ''How can this be? ''I wondered. ''I can't be dead...can I? Am I dead? Did he kill me?'' My mind clouded in confusion as I noticed one of my brown forepaws beginning to change forms, the pad slowly hardening and taking possession of the rest of my paw. Slowly, gradually, it morphed into a hoof, hard on the top and softer on the bottom. I gasped with awe and terror. Long, almost-black, dark-brown hair pushed out of the sides and cascaded down and around my new hoof.

The same thing happened to my other three paws, and then I saw my short black fur changing to dark brown. My short, floppy ears flapped around my head and I felt them growing shorter and pointier until I knew that they were no longer floppy but standing up on the top of my head. I felt the stretching sensation of my legs growing longer and my small, stumpy black tail growing in length. Soon I sensed long, coarse hair growing on my neck, forehead, and tail.

The hair on my forehead began to fall down my face until it covered my right eye in it's coarse, warm darkness. I crossed my eyes to see my muzzle, which was growing longer. The ginger-brown of my muzzle faded into a blackish-brown and my canine nose grew wider with a nostril on both sides. ''What is happening to me? ''Terror flooded though me. Here, in this pressing blackness, I was transforming from something I was familiar with to a creature that before now I had only heard of until this moment.

Inside my mouth, my fangs widened and flattened and I could feel my gums taking over the top of my mouth. For a few more agonizing moments I sensed my body shift, then the blackness disappeared and I was standing before the rest of the horse herd as a dark brown mare.

Chapter One-Abduction
"Black Mist? Where are you?" I heard my best friend Rebecco call me, and I felt the urge to run up and lick his nose. Instead, I decided to play with him and hide a bit longer. The air around me smelled sweet with the scent of early spring. I rolled onto my back in the golden leaf litter and kicked the air with my hind legs. The scent of Rebecco wafted over my nose and I spotted him padding up with his bushy tail wagging. His black-and-tan fur was slicked back with the wetness of morning dew and he smelled of the nearby pine trees. "Looks like I found you," he remarked, sitting down and scratching behind an ear.

I growled playfully in my throat. "Hello to you too," I muttered sarcastically. Suddenly I caught a whiff of a freshly-killed rabbit. "You caught a rabbit?" I inquired, tilting my head. My short, floppy ears pricked and I felt my stubby tail wagging. Rebecco jerked his muzzle toward it. "I caught that one for Alpha," he said. "Awww!" I barked. I rested my head down on my forepaws. "Can't Alpha catch his own prey?" Rebecco eyed me sharply. "He hasn't been able to do much since Addie died."

I didn't really know much about Addie, since she had always been too sick to come out of her den. I could only remember her appearance, which was white with patches of brown and black. "I don't remember much about Addie," I confessed to my friend. Rebecco licked my nose, and I was overcome with a warm feeling. "Why don't we hunt together?" he asked, his tail thumping. "You can catch your own rabbit." I flattened my ears. "I'm not really good at hunting rabbits," I murmured. "I'm only good at eating them." Rebecco looked at me with admiring eyes. "Beta says that your father was the most skilled rabbit hunter that ever roamed the forest," he declared.

I shook my head. "I'm not my father," I replied. Actually, I didn't even remember my parents. My Pack had always told me that I was brought here by my father, Angus, and that my mother must have been some old stray who refused to join a Pack. According to Alpha, my father stayed for a while, then left without warning. "I don't even know who my father is," I complained to Rebecco, who nudged me with his muzzle. "Just come on," he barked as he turned and pushed through some thin trees.

I followed him out into the deep woods. The world around me was a land of lush green and amber, and it smelled fresh with dew and rainwater from the previous night's shower. I took a couple of creeping steps forward, then heard a loud crunch beneath my paws. My black-and-brown fur spiked. Rebecco glared at me. "Surely you can do better than that," he growled, but I sensed playfulness under the hostility of his voice. "Sorry," I whimpered. I pulled my forepaw back and set it gently on the ground.

After a good hour, Rebecco had caught two mice, a rabbit, and even a squirrel. I had caught nothing except for an old vole who looked to fat to run away. "Uh...good catch," mumbled Rebecco through his mouthful. I ignored him and together we carried the prey back to the territory. Alpha emerged as I began to eat my catch. "Hello, you two," he rumbled. "Greetings, Alpha," Rebecco barked graciously. "Are you feeling better?" Alpha nodded but did not reply. His gaze settled on me. "Black Mist, I need to see you in my den," he announced. I gulped and followed him, my short, stumpy tail pressed against my rear. Rebecco stared after me. "Good luck," he whispered.

In Alpha's den, I kept my eyes on my paws. I didn't dare meet Alpha's gaze, for that would have been badly received as a challenge of his authority. His short, smooth white fur was heavily speckled and splotched with black, and his long, floppy black ears were relaxed. his slightly droopy muzzle wore a calm expression. "What is it you wanted me for, Alpha?" I whimpered. Alpha looked amused. "There's no need to fear," he muttered. "I just wanted to ask you something." I nodded. "Anything," I said. He kept his eyes trained on me as I stared at my shivering paws. "I have scented some rogue wolves around here," he growled, "and I know that you are quite fast, so I have a special job just for you." I swallowed nervously. "What is it?" His gaze didn't waver. "I want you to be my lookout," he said. "What that means is you will be kind of like a guard. You will watch for danger in an area that I place you in, and if you see any you are to come and report back to me."

My breath swept out of my body. "Are you sure?" I croaked. "Yes," he whispered. "You may go now, for your work begins tomorrow at dawn." I dipped my head respectfully and left. Rebecco was waiting for me outside as I pushed my way out of the vines hanging in the entrance of Alpha's cave-like den. "What did he say?" asked Rebecco, tilting his head and pricking his ears. I shrugged. "Not much. He wants me to be a lookout for the Pack." Rebecco's eyes widened. "That's incredible!" he bayed, loud enough to wake the dead. Suddenly two more members of our Pack came bounding up, playfully attacking each other. One was small and white with short, floppy ears and dark brown patches, and the other was dark brown with a black muzzle, a thick white stripe on his chest, and ears that stuck out to the sides.

"Hello, Gus," Rebecco said, acknowledging the brown dog. "Hi!" Gus yipped back. "Beta's back from his patrol, and he smelled wolves!" cried Mutt, the brown-and-white dog. I flattened my ears. "Yes, that's what Alpha told me. He wants me to be his lookout." Gus's jaw dropped and he stared at me, clearly unable to speak. "Wow!" exclaimed Mutt. "Congratulations!" Rebecco licked my left ear affectionately. "Black Mist has come a long way," he commented softly. "She's a good dog." Gus nodded and turned around. "Congrats," he said, "but I'm gonna go eat now. I guess I'll catch you guys later!" He sped away from us and grabbed the other rabbit that Rebecco had caught.

I felt a whimper coming on. "There goes your rabbit," I mumbled, scuffing the ground with a paw. Rebecco let out a laughing bark. "Don't worry about it," he said. "I can catch another one later." He looked around him, noticing that Mutt was gone. "Where's Mutt?" he asked. I looked around and spotted the small dog playfully sparring with Gus. "Oh, you know Mutt," I said. "Always playing with Gus." Rebecco watched them roll around in the dust. "I wish I had as much energy as them," he remarked. I shoved him with my muzzle. "They won't have much energy left in a little while," I yapped slyly. "Alpha's probably going to make them leave on the next patrol." Rebecco didn't move his eyes from the two friends. "I bet," was all he said.

That night, I couldn't sleep. Everything was shadowy and I felt twinges of fear and tiredness. "Ugh," I groaned as I heard paw-steps outside. The rank stench of wolves lingered around the territory but I couldn't care less. These wolves, whatever they were doing, were disrupting my sleep. Dumb wolves, I grumbled inside my head as I pushed my way out of the sleeping-den. As soon as I came outside I heard a rough voice whisper, "There she is." Suddenly I heard the snap of jaws and felt the sharp pain of fangs on my neck.

"You're coming with us, dog," snarled a gray wolf with a scarred nose. I yelped as loud as I could, panic ripping though my body. "No!" I snapped, writhing like a snake. I felt a rush of satisfaction as my fangs hit home, sinking into the wolf's chest. My tormentor let out a shrieking yelp and bit down harder. My agitated yelps died down into pained and fearful whimpers. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Rebecco thunder out of the sleeping-den with the rest of the Pack at his heels. Alpha and Beta emerged from their dens and stared with wide eyes and open mouths as they took in what was going on.

"Rebecco!" I cried. Help me!" Just then, a white wolf with glowing amber eyes materialized out from behind the gray wolf. "Well done, Balthor," she said quietly. "Hold on, that's only one of them. Where is the second?" came another voice. Upon further inspection I realized it came from yet another wolf, the biggest of them all. Her ginger fur, black legs and ears, and long, bushy, white-tipped tail gave her a foxlike appearance, as did her pointy muzzle and gleaming yellow eyes. The white wolf turned to her. "You're right," she said, her voice urgent. "Balthor, you keep her here." She turned to the ginger wolf. "Scarlet, you look for the second Spark." My head swam. Spark? What does that even mean? 

Meanwhile, the other dogs were in panic. It seemed as though they wanted to help me, but something was keeping them from doing so. "Help!" I screeched again. "Rebecco!" Finally I saw his long black-and-tan pelt behind the ginger wolf called Scarlet. He was sinking his fangs into her shoulder and she was fending him off with powerful forepaw swipes. "You imbecile!" she snarled, bowling him over. "You think you're a match for a hybrid wolf?" Her fangs were bared with agitation effort as she struggled to pin him down. "Rebecco!" I screamed, but the gray wolf named Balthor slammed his paw into my head and everything went black.

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"Unnnnnhhh," I moaned as I slowly came to. "She's waking up. Be quiet," ordered a firm female voice. I opened my eyes to see the three wolves staring at me with cautious expressions on their faces. "Ah, you're awake," declared the white wolf. I slowly sat up. "Where am I?" I demanded. "Why did you bring me here?" The white wolf lowered her head and stepped forward. "We are sorry for any harm we have caused you, but this is far more important than you imagine," she said quietly. I looked behind me as I heard rustling. Rebecco lay on the ground, shifting his position. "Rebecco!" I cried, rushing over to him. I pressed my muzzle into his fur as the white wolf crept closer.

I bared my fangs and snarled. "Stay away from him!" I snapped. "You've done enough!" The gray wolf growled at me. "You had better let her come," he warned. "She is our leader, and you must respect her." I glared at him. "She's your leader. Not mine. I don't need to obey her!" I roared. Rebecco's eyelids fluttered. "Rebecco," I whispered. "I'm here. I won't let them hurt you." He opened his eyes and focused them on me. "Where are we?" he rasped weakly. "Don't worry," I assured him. "I'm going to get us both home."

It was the ginger wolf that interrupted us. "I highly doubt that," she remarked. "We knocked you out so we could bring you here, and you've been out all night. It's not likely that you will make it home again." I gasped. "You monsters!" I cried. "You've stolen us from our home and now we'll never get back..." I began to sob. The white wolf approached and buried her nose in my fur. "Easy, Black Mist," she said softly. I backed away from her. "How do you know my name?" I demanded. The wolf stood up. "I know many things," she replied. "That is why I was sent here to fetch you. You are here for a reason, and we are only camping here. Tomorrow you will meet your new leader." I recoiled again. "New leader?"

This was crazy. Rebecco, who had been silently listening, opened his mouth to protest. "Why can't you choose someone else?" he asked. The gray wolf answered him impatiently. "Because you two are the only ones who qualify. Both of you have powers, as crazy as it may seem, and tomorrow you will use them." My mouth hung open. There were many things that I wanted to say, but the only thing that came out was, "Who are you?"

The white wolf answered first. "My name is Sheila, and this is Balthor. He is my mate. Over there is Scarlet, my puppyhood friend," she said. I shook my head. "Who is this new leader that we're meeting tomorrow?" asked Rebecco. Sheila's amber eyes glowed. "You'll see."

Chapter Two
The next day was highly eventful. We trekked through the forest, across a massive green valley, and into another forest. Sheila led the way, and Rebecco and I were flanked by Balthor and Scarlet. "Don't try to escape," Balthor had said to me just before we left. "We are faster than you and you will never be able to get past us." I just rolled my eyes. As if we had anywhere to go. Our home was too far away and we'd never make it back even if we tried, however sometimes I could have sworn this area looked familiar...

Once we got to the last forest, Sheila turned around. "This is our territory," she said. "We are very close to your destination." We traveled though the misty, sunlight-dappled forest and finally stopped. My paw-pads were aching and one of them was cracked, a thin stream of blood running from the thin, jagged wound. "Can I rest now?" I whined. Rebecco glanced at me. "Are you okay?" he asked, the darkness of worry in his brown eyes. I nodded. "Yes, but my pad is cracked and my paws hurt." Scarlet shot me a funny look. "Shhh," she hissed. "You new leader is coming."

I turned around to see a huge creature approaching. I gasped and felt Rebecco turn rigid beside me. The creature wore huge draping clothes over his dark brown fur. The clothes were green and had copper designs on it. A pair of small copper dragon wings were perched atop his head, and more copper glimmered on the bottoms of his feet, which were hooves. His long, stringy tail hung out behind him and rippled in the breeze. A pair of thick, green, rectangular lines met underneath his mouth and led around to the back of his neck. A brown patch with a horn in front sat on his back, and the green covering shone in the evening light.

"Whoa," muttered Rebecco. "Who is that?" Sheila turned to us, her eyes aglow. "This is Kai, the King of the Western Sun horse herd. He is here to take you to his valley," she said. She dipped her head respectfully to him. "King Kai, here are the two Spark-Bearers that we've found. You may take them now." I backed away, a whine rising in my throat. "I...I don't belong here!" I cried. "I want to go home!" Rebecco came behind me and nudged me forward. "It's okay," he whispered. "I think that he'll protect us."

Kai must have heard him, for he stepped closer. "Yes," he agreed in a regal voice. "I will look after you and give you a home, but first you must use your powers to transform. Until then you will never feel quite at home where we're going." I stared at him but found nothing to say. "Let's go. Come on, you two," he said. He began to walk at an uneven pace, his shoulders shifting forward with every step. His hooves make curved shapes on the ground. I quickly made it past the three wolves without saying anything as I was nowhere near ready to forgive them for abducting me. Rebecco cast a sideways glance at me. "Don't worry," he whispered. "He said he will protect us."

I couldn't say anything. This was all happening way too fast! We barely had any time to think about this or even say goodbye to our Pack! We traveled through the lush green forest, the dry, golden leaves of the past winter swirling up around us like glimmering amber snow. I pricked my ears and flattened them, awed by the beauty but wary of the dangers that might have lurked here. We traveled for miles, through another valley. The softness of the grass swished around my paws, slightly soothing my aching pads. We stopped at a river. "When are we going to eat?" I moaned. Hunger gnawed at my belly and I felt the urge to catch a rabbit and gulp it down. Rebecco stopped beside Kai, who stood there with his tail rippling. The ridged copper on his neck shone in the afternoon sunlight as he turned back to us.

"You will eat soon," he promised. Then he gestured to the river, sparkling silver-blue. "This is the Silvermane River," he announced. "We are to cross it to make it to the valley." He nodded toward a group of snow-capped blue-gray mountains in the distance. Rebecco groaned. "I thought those wolves said that we were close," he mumbled. Kai's ears twitched. "We are," he said. "I know a shortcut." I stared at him. "Across the river?" I asked. "Are you insane?" Kai grinned at me. "We'll see," he said lightly. I could tell by his actions and facial expression that he was eager to show us his shortcut, and quite possibly his home as well.

He plodded forward. "Be careful," he advised. "Can you swim?" Rebecco flattened his ears. "I really don't like water," he said, looking appalled. Kai turned to me. "What about you?" he asked. I shook my head. "My body shape is not good for swimming," I lied. In reality, I hated water and didn't want to waste my energy swimming in it. Kai sighed. "Well, in that case you'll be wanting to climb on my back. Get in the saddle, you two." I cocked my head, and Rebecco's ears remained pinned. "What's a saddle?" he asked. His tail drooped and so did mine. Kai pawed the ground impatiently. "That brown thing on my back," he replied. "Here, let me kneel down so you can get on."

That being said, he knelt down Rebecco and I climbed onto the saddle. "This thing is weird," declared Rebecco. Kai looked amused. "Do tell," he said. "Now then, are you ready?" Rebecco uttered a tiny, "Yes." I nodded my head. "I'm ready, too," I muttered. Kai nodded. "Okay," he neighed. "Let's get into the water. Please don't wiggle unless you wish to fall off. Try to keep your balance, and find a comfortable position to do so." Rebecco and I both lay sideways with our stomachs across the saddle. It was much smaller than we were and I found myself struggling to get a good hold. "Help," I whined as I slipped again and again.

Rebecco grabbed my scruff in his jaws and pulled me closer to him. "There," he said. "Be still, please." Kai's long legs churned the water smoothly, and we were rocking rhythmically on his back. As the green covering spread out and waved in the water, I found myself mesmerized by its steady, gentle movements. Rebecco soon fell asleep and I felt my eyelids drooping. Kai's body still rocked steadily, his sturdy back untiring. I let myself slip into a deep sleep.

Chapter Two-The Transformation
I awoke to Kai prodding me with his long muzzle. "Wake up," he whinnied, tossing his head. His green mask made him look like a dragon, and his eyes peered out of the eye-holes. "We're at the entrance to my territory," he announced. His tail flicked and it looked as though he was using up all of his willpower not to prance excitedly. I slowly rose to my paws, shaking the wetness from my shiny black coat. Rebecco did the same, his long black-and-tan fur fluffed up with dampness. Kai beckoned with his head. "Come on," he whispered. He led us to the mountains, which weren't so distant after all. He disappeared through a blue tunnel, Rebecco trailing after him. I followed, my ears pricked and alert for any signs of danger. However, I sensed no fear from Rebecco or Kai.

Inside the tunnel were walls of jagged rock and sparkling bits of crystals. My eyes widened. I had never seen such a mystical tunnel. Thick white mist swirled around us, giving a magical feeling to this place of wonder and mystery. I pranced ahead and almost collided with Kai's haunches. "Oops," I whimpered. "Sorry." Kai just nickered with amusement. Finally, we arrived in a huge, lush, valley-like field surrounded by blue cliffs topped with glittering white snow. At the far side of the massive round field a waterfall cascaded down the huge cliffs and spilled into a perfectly round blue pool of water.

Dark green vines dotted with colorful blossoms and berries entangled the cliffs and a very thin thin purple mist hung about the place. My breath was swept from my body. This was the most beautiful area I had ever seen! I squinted as a movement flickered beneath us. My eyes widened even more. Horses! A whole herd of them! All different colors, they were breathtaking. Some were grazing, some were galloping, and others were resting. Foals bounced and ran around each other in play. Tears sprang in my eyes. I heard a throat clear from beside me and looked up to see Kai.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said softly. "This is my home, and now it's yours too." Rebecco whined with delight. "This place is amazing!" he cried, his bushy tail wagging furiously. "Are we really going to live here?" Kai nodded. "Yes." Then he flicked his tail. "Follow me," he said. He then led us through other tunnels until we reached another opening. "My friends!" he called. "The Spark-Bearers have arrived!" The other horses stared at us. Then they all cantered forward until they reached us. Upon reaching us, they gave us a good looking over, touching muzzles and whispering excitedly. One dark brown stallion with a white star on his forehead stepped forth.

"Dogs?" he inquired in a gruff voice. "Yes," beamed Kai proudly. The other horse pinned his ears to his head. "These are dogs, King Kai. They can't be the Spark-Bearers, surely?" His eyes reflected hardness and hostility. Kai waved him away with a hoof. "Swift Arrow, if my plan works then we won't have dogs as our protectors." The dark horse, Swift Arrow, lowered his head and backed away in submission. Alarm flared through me. Was it possible that Swift Arrow would try to kill us? Why were we here anyway? I never recalled agreeing to live here or even to leave my Pack. I wanted to go home! And what were the Spark-Bearers? I began to growl and whimper. Rebecco shot a glance at me. "What's wrong?" he asked. I shook my head, unable to speak.

"It is so," announced Kai. "Come forth, for I would like to test something." I pinned my ears for the hundredth time that day. "What are you trying to test?" I demanded, my hackles raising defensively. Another horse, a black-and-white mare, stepped closer. "Don't be afraid," she whispered, her sweet breath filling my nostrils. "Our king just wants to test your powers to make sure you are the Spark-Bearers and that we have not made a mistake." Anger blazed through me. "Spark-Bearers?!" I snarled. "What are you talking about? Is this why I was abducted? Why I was taken from my home and my friends, never to return? What even is a Spark-Bearer? And why am I here? Just let me go!"

Rebecco jumped on me and pinned me down. "Black Mist, stop it!" he growled. "Are you trying to insult our hosts?" I snapped my jaws, noticing that they were foaming with rage. "Hosts? You have to be joking," I roared. I let loose with a volley of deep barks and the horses backed away in fright. "Rebecco, how could you agree with these monsters? You don't even care that these creatures had us abducted and taken away from our home forever! And you just agree with them willingly?" With a cry of "Stop!", Rebecco slammed a paw on my muzzle to shut it. "I'm so sorry," he apologized. "She just gets so...emotional." He glared fire at me. Kai slowly advanced toward us, his huge dark eyes twinkling. "I can tell," he quipped. "Don't worry. We can try to set her at ease."

I stopped growling and tucked by tail. "I can't breathe...," I tried to say, but Rebecco's paw muffled my speech. Rebecco glanced down. "Sorry," he muttered. He pulled his paw off my muzzle and I stood up and shook out my fur. "Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "Can you please explain to me what a Spark-Bearer is? And why you had us stolen from our Pack?" Kai perks up. "Gladly," he neighed. "A Spark is a tiny bit of spiritual energy that can ignite into Spirit Flame on several occasions. An animal such as yourself who possesses the Spark is called a Spark-Bearer. This means you can ignite your Spark into Spirit Flame as I just said. When this happens, the powers inside are activated and you are able to do things such as bend elements and shapeshift."

I was taken aback. "So we have powers? How do we activate them?" Kai glanced at me. "Let me show you. However, I am warning you that it may be a bit...awkward...at first." He stretched his neck out to Rebecco. "It's Initiation Time," he whispered. "Come forth." Then he turned to the other horses. "Horses of the Western Sun herd!" he whinnied, standing on his hind legs and kicking his forelegs, "We are gathered here to witness the Initiations of Black Mist and Rebecco. Let us begin now!" The curved bottom of his hooves glowed amber.

I watched in awe and wariness as he rested his hoof on my best friend's forehead. Bright neon-blue light swirled around him as he blacked out and appeared to morph into a different creature. My eyes opened as wide as they could when I saw his black-and-tan fur turned into black-and-white patches. A long white mane grew from his neck and his tail turned stringy and white. His paws morphed into hooves and he was lowered to the ground as a black-and-white stallion. I gasped. "What did you do to him?" To my surprise, Kai looked as though this happened every day, and maybe it did. "Relax, Black Mist," he said. "He's fine." Then his eyes glowed and without warning he pressed a glowing amber hoof onto my forehead. "Your turn," he said lightly as I closed my eyes, letting his hoof engulf me with warmth.

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I opened my eyes to the clear, cold air. Darkness swirled around me as I watched my life flash before my eyes. All of those memories of Pack life...from my puppy days to now. I growled with wariness. ''How can this be? ''I wondered. ''I can't be dead...can I? Am I dead? Did he kill me?'' My mind clouded in confusion as I noticed one of my brown forepaws beginning to change forms, the pad slowly hardening and taking possession of the rest of my paw. Slowly, gradually, it morphed into a hoof, hard on the top and softer on the bottom. I gasped with awe and terror. Long, almost-black, dark-brown hair pushed out of the sides and cascaded down and around my new hoof.

The same thing happened to my other three paws, and then I saw my short black fur changing to dark brown. My short, floppy ears flapped around my head and I felt them growing shorter and pointier until I knew that they were no longer floppy but standing up on the top of my head. I felt the stretching sensation of my legs growing longer and my small, stumpy black tail growing in length. Soon I sensed long, coarse hair growing on my neck, forehead, and tail.

The hair on my forehead began to fall down my face until it covered my right eye in its coarse, warm darkness. I crossed my eyes to see my muzzle, which was growing longer. The ginger-brown of my muzzle faded into a blackish-brown and my canine nose grew wider with a nostril on both sides. ''What is happening to me? ''Terror flooded though me. Here, in this pressing blackness, I was transforming from something I was familiar with to a creature that before now I had only heard of until this moment.

Inside my mouth, my fangs widened and flattened and I could feel my gums taking over the top of my mouth. For a few more agonizing moments I sensed my body shift, then the blackness disappeared and I was standing before the rest of the horse herd as a dark brown mare.

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I opened my eyes again, and this time I saw light. I opened them all the way and realized that I was in a shady, leafy den. Sunlight filtered through the golden branches and forest-green leaves, dotting the floor with gold. That was when I spotted a small filly dashing back and forth. Her coat was dark brown and her short mane and tail were black, as were the bottom parts of her long, spindly legs. She turned around sharply when I uttered a low moan. "Where am I?" I slurred. She bounced over, clearly full of energy. "You're awake!" she cried. "Wait until Mama sees!" She dashed over to a huge, square-shaped boulder with holes in it. Reaching her muzzle inside, she drew out a leafy green plant and came back to me. "What's that?" I asked, getting confused. She pushed the plant over to me. "Food," she said. "You don't know what food is?" I pushed my nose forward and sniffed the plant. As a dog, I would never in my life eat this, so I curled my upper lip and turned away. However, hunger drew me forward, so I turned back to the filly.

I nibbled a small leaf and drew it into my mouth. I could not believe what I tasted. This plant was delicious! I quickly ate the rest. The filly watched me with twinkling eyes. "Wow," she remarked. "You must have been really hungry! How does it taste?" I ate the last leaf and licked my lips. "I loved it," I muttered. The filly danced closer. "Your name is Black Mist, right?" she quipped. I nodded, and she spoke again. "I'm Twilight," she announced, her short tail whisking. "It's nice to finally meet a Spark-Bearer! It was my dream, you know." I stared at her. "You know about Spark-Bearers?"

Twilight jumped up and down. "Yes! I know about them. Everyone does." I peered closer, squinting my eyes. "Can you tell me more?" I inquired, not taking my eyes off her. Twilight nodded, but looked nervous. "I think we should wait for my mother to come. She's the Healer, and I'm only her assistant." I pinned back my ears. "What does that have to do with anything?" She began to paw the ground. "I might not know as much as she does, and she still needs to check on you to make sure you're well after your transformation. She'll be here in a little bit."

Suddenly a shadow loomed in the den's entrance and I saw another brown mare. A jagged blaze cut through her face from her ears to her nose, and her brown mane was done up in dozens of short, stumpy braids. She had no forelock, and her brown tail was long, flowing to her ankles with a golden end. She stepped closer with a slow, sturdy walk. "Hello, Black Mist," she rumbled in a deep, foreign voice. "I am Olivia, Healer of the Western Sun horse herd. I see that you have already met my daughter and assistant, Twilight." I nodded a greeting to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you," I squeaked. She gave me a friendly look full of admiration. "The pleasure is all mine," she gushed. "It's an honor to meet the ones who will save us form the Shadows and their Alpha."

I jerked my head back. "What?!" But Olivia didn't respond. Instead she knelt down and checked my hooves, then pushed her nose under my mane. "It looks like you have transformed properly and handled it well," she declared. "Well done." I looked around, just then noticing that I didn't see Rebecco. "Where's my friend?" I wondered, glancing around. Olivia stood up. "He is outside talking to Phoebe. She will send for you as soon as I allow you to leave."

I put my head back down. "And that is?" Olivia's ears swiveled. "Now," she told me. Twilight pranced around. "Bye, Black Mist!" she called. "Please come visit us soon!" Olivia turned to her. "Get back to sorting the herbs, my dear," she rebuked softly. I pushed out of the den...and barreled into that same dark brown stallion that had spoken against Rebecco and me just before our transformations, Swift Arrow. "You!" I cried, slipping to the side. Swift Arrow glared at me, his eyes blazing. "Get out of the way, you clumsy nothing," he barked at me. "You might be a Spark-Bearer, but I refuse to respect you." Flicking his tail haughtily, he made his way into the healing den.

I strained my eyes, looking around for a black-and-white stallion. I spotted a black-and-white coat identical to Rebecco and dashed over in that direction. "Rebecco, is that you?" A pair of sad eyes met my gaze. "Your friend is over there, talking to Phoebe," said the horse who looked just like him. She flicked a fly with her ears and lowered her head to graze. "Sorry," I apologized to her. She didn't answer, but instead yanked a mouthful of grass from the ground. I turned around and saw Rebecco talking to a dark reddish-brown mare with a black mane and tail. I quickly galloped over to him.

"Rebecco!" I called. "There you are!" He squinted at me. "Blackie, is that you?" he asked. Rushing over, I touched my nose to his. "Yes," I whispered. He stared at me. "You look beautiful," he concluded. I felt my skin turn hot. "Thank you." Then the brown mare spoke in a crystal clear voice. "Hello there," she greeted. "It is so nice to have you here. My name is Phoebe. We have been in great need of a savior from the Shadows." My ears flipped back. "Why us?" was all I could get out. She gazed at us, her clear eyes snapping. "Allow me to explain.

"You have what we can only describe as a spark of magic in located inside you. While the magic part may seem convincingly feeble, it is true. Magic is a form of life energy, which is used and channeled by your Sparks. Both of you carry that spark, which makes you Spark-Bearers. When a Spark ignites into a Spirit Flame, you are able to shapeshift, bend the elements to your power, and gain access to your most powerful form, the Spark Form.

"However, this gift is not just for free. You must use it only when you need it, and it will help you to stop the Shadows. Also, if you use your Spark Form too often, it will take up more and more of your life energy." My ears remained flattened. "Who, or what, are the Shadows?" Phoebe answered immediately. "I thought you might ask that," she commented. "Well, the Shadows are our mortal enemies, and they rule their own realm, their own dimension. Their appearances are also quite...distinct. They are translucent and resemble different types of creatures. Their colors can range from purple to black, and they have glowing eyes. Their ultimate goal is to unleash their main leader, the Shadow Dragon, who is known as Berra. They are scattered about the regions in our world. In our world, the Life Realm, their leader is the Shadow Alpha, who was appointed by Berra herself."

I was shocked. "And we have to fight them?" I squeaked. Beside me, Rebecco went rigid. "Yes," was all Phoebe said. "Only the Spark-Bearers can defeat them. That would be you two."