The SWAT team is poised outside the door. They’d had received the call from an officer just earlier. Target armed with a handgun had been involved in a gang shooting. They had potential info on further gang targets and needed to be taken into protective custody. Not only that, but their team had to go through an odd screening process. At their side was reinforcement from the local military base.

All in all? It was the weirdest call they’d ever gotten. They knock on the door, without knocking it down. They wait for several moments, then pound on it harder. “SWAT! We need you to answer some questions!” Your life is in danger!” They wait even longer, repeating it once more.

“Celestia-damn it.” The drone curses, checking through his binoculars. “Supposed to arrest him for murder!” What did he do wrong? The gun was right, they saw his body, was the fire some cultural thing? He’d even given the officer a direct description.

Then it hit him. “Oh...they don’t have changelings here.” He really missed the hivemind, speaking aloud to himself just wasn’t the same. Peering through the binoculars he sees the door open and the target walks out. It had taken him so long to track down their network, but now he had his way home.

Guess it was time to improvise. He’d studied the weaponry of this world since his arrival. Their thirst for bloodshed would put the queen’s thirst for power to shame. Merging with the crowd he stepped towards the perimeter, working his way to the sniper’s nest.

The SWAT leader lets out a breath as he sees the figure emerge. A quick glance proves to match the description they were given. Anything with this many people would really be a hell to mess up.

The drone looks side to side before shifting into his true form, a process much harder here than in equestria, but he’d eaten well. Scaling the building was a cakewalk after that. He’d never been good enough to be chosen for an infiltrator rebirth, but that didn’t mean he was useless. His magic flared for just a moment, causing a tapping on the outward facing sniper’s shoulder. A trick he’d picked up from their admittedly more advanced picture shows.

The sniper flinches, turning their head words forming on their lips. Then he strikes, lunging forward he bites into the humans vulnerable neck injecting it with his toxins as they stiffen and go limp in his grip without so much as a whimper. Yet his falling to the ground does not go unnoticed by the other sniper facing inward.

They quickly start to turn going for their knife but they don’t make it by the time his hoof connects to their skull slamming them against the edge of the building. He takes their long rifle and takes aim only to be body tackled as the soldier gets back up in a pounce pinning his frail body to the ground, their blade cutting at his exoskeleton nearly severing his front right leg.

This isn’t a battle he can win, instead he contracts his second stomach and expels a wad of slime into the humans face blocking their vision...but more importantly their breathing. He doesn’t have to do anymore as the soldier futilely scratches at the slick substance blindly trying to cut at it.

He takes the opportunity to grab the rifle again and focus down his target.

BANG!

The SWAT team drops to the ground. The leader of the raid gaping at the hole in the VIPs abdomen. A typically non-fatal wound, but that’s not what truly made this seasoned officer freeze. Green blood spouted from the wound in pulsating spurts. No human had a heart there, but that kind of wound you don’t forget after seeing it before. Training kicks in as despite it all he applies pressure but he knows it's too late. Even as the ‘man’ in front of him melts into some mutated bug he does the best to fulfill his mission. HQ was gonna have his ass for this one, whatever the hell this is.

The job done he allows himself a breath, seeing the now still soldier he decides to share. He spits saliva onto the hardened slimey mesh then rips away the chunk blocking his nose pausing for just a moment to make sure they were still breathing. They know about us already, no point in hiding it now. He shapeshifts into a local bird, then flies off into the sky as the chaos unfolds.

It had been three days since the transformation, though not for lack of the amulet’s trying. I’d quickly grown tired of taking it off as it kept coming back and I wasn’t a big enough idiot to try to damage it. This was magic we were talking about and whatever mystical being, organization, or whatever would probably not take kindly to destroying it either.

Several moments I had felt that familiar tingling, feeling that warmth and pressure was a bit intoxicating. Like a warm blanket on a cold day that has a mind of its own. I hadn’t exactly been keeping track, but they had been growing more and more frequent. Today it had progressed to shivers that pulsated down my spine and gave me a headache.

The others were enraptured by the idea of me shifting again, but I wanted to learn more about what we were messing with. These things didn’t have a manual, what happens if I change too much?

Wait...there’s that feeling again. I look around looking for any of my fellow history classmates, none of them really seem to be paying much attention, except for that fem-guy. He or they could be a she, keeps staring glances at me from his desk across the room. Now that I think about it they look a lot better than they did the first day of school. Their skin had darkened to a nice tan, their cheeks less sunken, and they seem to have gained a couple pounds.

I try to ignore him, whatever that slight draining feeling was it was definitely making me feel like I was less likely to start shooting sparkles from my fingertips. Which, admittedly would’ve been cool had I not already spent a few (private) hours trying to see if I could expel it. Perhaps I’d watched too many movies, if magic did exist wouldn’t it likely require methods no one else had ever used?

I scribble out a few more lines of notes as I copy down the board. Then, like a switch being flipped in my head I realize that a while ago, mid-sentence I had switched to using abstract symbols which only faintly resembled any language I was aware of. What’s more is that I could read it, right now I couldn’t exactly recall the syntax or individual symbols, but as a whole I could understand.

For the rest of class I continue my note taking, but I don’t find myself writing in the strange language again despite trying to recall its spelling. After class ends I feel a lot less ‘fuzzy’ with what I think would be most aptly described as magic given the circumstances.

Yet with it gone I feel a strange tugging sensation, comparable to an actual hunger or thirst, but for a direction. My last class passes slowly, each minute it seems to intensify and grow. At first I think it’s just pulling me out of my chair, then I realize I’ve slid a good foot in that same direction while sitting.

The bell can’t ring fast enough, by then I’ve already lept out of my seat and the magic tingles have returned with a vengeance. Every moment I struggle against the call I feel the changes start to surge. The cramping of my fingers, the blistering headache, stiffening joints, my clothes feeling a bit more loose.

Yet...something is different this time. It’s as if the feeling is being concentrated at my hips. Taking a quick semi-awkward look at them reveals nothing out of the normal, besides a little bit of sprouting fur. I chuckle to myself, strangeness is the normal now.

“Hey you!”

Behind me I see the SBO’s friend. What was his name again? Pausing just for a moment makes the burning grow even more. “I’m sorry but I really have to go!” I’m quite nearly pulled over as if someone had attached a rope to my skull and pulled. I can feel a faint horn starting to sprout, thankfully without blood this time.

“Well I’m coming with you then.” He moves over quickly at a jog. I feel a sharp sting at his touch, just like the last time when we had been introduced. The pull weakens, if only for a moment. “I should’ve known you had something to do with this.” His voice is accusing, but lacking of any malice. “Unicorn, right?”

“H-how?” How the hell does he know that? “Look, I don’t know what you know but I literally can’t stop right now.” The pull has now forced me into a half-dragging jog, wherever this magic is wanting to take me it’ll take me.

“Thestral, we uh...can see things. Dad really wasn’t kidding when he said you were real…What the hell are you doing out of equestria anyways?” He keeps pace fairly easily, my main concern right now is just not getting run over by traffic.

“The hell is equestria? Aren’t thestrals those weird skeleton things from Harry Potter?” I look at him for a moment before social awareness kicks in. “Uh…no offense of course.”

“None taken, and uh... well, thanks for sharing your magic earlier. I mean, Equis, that place is where we come from and all. Were you forced here after the invasion too?”

If this guy wasn’t so cute I might’ve started to get frustrated with all this weirdness. “Look Michael, I have no idea what all of this is. I got a damn amulet that has a curse or some shit that has caused all of my weirdness. More importantly, do you know why this bloody thing is dragging me off?”

The pull seems content to keep me at a jog, yet as I get closer to--and then I see it. The Hospital somehow I know that’s where it wants me to be, but why? The tug has all but disappeared now, but moving away seems to trigger and pull me back to this place again.

“Uh...not really, well, maybe. Dad said it happened to a unicorn one time when she was getting her cutie-mark--she was apparently one of their national heroes or something.” He looks around eyeing the building. “My mom works here if you really need something. Just...don’t tell her about the pony stuff quite yet if you would.”

We both enter the building and I walk in a bit of a circle trying to locate where the pull is taking me but it remains stubbornly constant. “That’s the weirdest stuff I’ve heard since the gal on the cross country team broke the world record on the 100 through 1600 meter dash, but you know what? Sure, let’s go with that.”

We sit in a pair of chairs in the corner away from the actual patients. He tells me about changing into a Thestral, or Bat pony as they’re called. Discovering a changeling burned on the side of the road, the story of the elements and Nightmare moon. It’s all a bit far-fetched, but honestly it’s something to go on yet it leaves me with a burning question. “So, who gave me this amulet--and more important than that. What am I supposed to do about it?”

“Well...if you’re up to it I really think you should meet my dad later. He seems a bit more of an expert on all of this.” I roll my eyes a bit at the non-answer, checking my phone its been an hour since school ended. My aunt will be getting home soon, and if I’m not home things would definitely not go well.

I head to the restroom to wash up, as much for actual use as to take notes on what I remember of what he had told me earlier. Then my body starts convulsing, the change surging up through my body without warning as I topple to the floor in the thankfully empty room. This time the change doesn’t take hours, but a bit over a minute.

This time it isn’t as painful, though still uncomfortable as my bones stretch and shrink. As I finish changing I notice Michael by the door locking it closed with a switch. “The hell are you changing in here?!” He hisses doing a quick look around ensuring that the place is empty.

“It wasn’t my fault!” I protest, but his eyes only signify confusion. Of course, he doesn’t speak horse. I point to myself, cross my arms in an ‘X’ then widely gesture over my body and stomp my foot for emphasis.

“Okay okay I get it. You need me to grab your stuff?”

I nod enthusiastically and clap my arms together to signify my thanks as he gathers up my discarded clothes and stuffs them into his backpack. Then he kneels down and holds open his jacket gesturing for me to get inside. I’m a bit hesitant, but my backpack and his are full at the moment so I concede and try to slip inside though its obvious I fit rather badly.

With everything packed up he takes off towards the opposite direction of the entrance. “We can use the rear staff entrance, fewer people that way.” I huff into his shirt in return as we head down the hallway.

I can do this, we’re almost outside. Totally not going to be trapped in a facility full of needles and overly curious medical professionals. Nope! Not that at all! Then the tugging starts up again. My horn starts glowing with a vibrant green glow as I’m yanked by my horn to the floor, now quite literally being dragged across the linoleum, my hooves occasionally clopping as I move ahead faster than Mike can keep up, left, then right into an empty room before it drops me unceremoniously next to a bed.

I groan, rubbing my sore limbs as I look around. It looks fairly normal for a hospital. Heart-rate monitor is steadily beeping, but a hanging IV bag with an attachment covered in the ‘radioactive’ symbol draws my attention. I start to leave then pause. The pull is completely gone now, I know I could just walk away. And yet, I know it brought me here for a reason, being a magical unicorn must mean that I can do something.

I turn back around and walk to the front of the bed to read that stats chart. I’m certainly not a doctor, but I know what a Pontine Glioma is. A brain cancer located near the brainstem. I give a small sigh walking towards the door. Then I close it. Turning back, I can see a little girl sleeping in the bed. Her hair is missing under the medical cap.

I don’t know any magic, don’t have any medical training, and this is probably a horrible idea. Yet, watching her I can’t turn away. I may be discovered, I’ll definitely get into trouble, but there is nothing you could do to stop this unicorn from trying to make this little girl’s day.

I hop up onto her bed and carefully crawl forward, knowing that she’s likely immunocompromised I keep away from her face and nuzzle her hand a few times. I feel ridiculous doing it, but being here I suddenly feel a passion for what she’s going through that I hadn’t felt before.

She wakes slowly from her nap. They had grown more and more frequent lately. With her headaches from being sick and the stomachaches from the medicine though it was a relief when it came. She feels something pulling at her fingers and stares at the creature sitting on her bed. Then she reaches over to pick up her glasses and her mouth drops.

Nuzzling her hand is the tiniest little horse she had ever seen! She can’t help but give a small squeak of excitement, then she notices the small stub sticking up from its head. Her eyes start to tear up as she begins to realize what this means.

“A-am I in heaven?” She manages to stutter out, her chest tightens with a cough. Mommy had told her that unicorns weren’t real, her momma told her that heaven had unicorns though. That and people with wings. She reaches out and hugs the little animal close, they give a small whinney in protest and she just laughs, feeling their fur under her fingers. The rise and fall of their chest and that steady thumping that that monitor noisily kept beeping out. She really wished they would turn it off, but they’d always say it was important.

Her eyes tear up as she thinks back to her parents, they said they’d see her in heaven. So where were they? “Uh...M-misses unicorn?” The creature looks up at her with a very human expression of concern. Of course, this was heaven after all. She bet they were really smart. Smarter than their puppy ‘Max’ for sure. No matter how her dad liked to show off his little dancing trick.

Yet they weren’t here now. She wondered how long she would have to wait. Maybe baby Jesus knew. Daddy said Jesus knew everything. She turned back to the unicorn and started petting their mane. “C-can you t-tell Mommy and Daddy I miss them?” She whimpered and started falling into sobs. She didn’t want to go to heaven yet! Mommy had told her all about the fun things she was going to do in her kindergarten class!

Her head starts hurting some more as the machine starts to beep in the bad way again. The one that always brought the mean men in white coats. She hugs the unicorn tightly, they don’t even protest this time as she sees they are crying like she is. “I--I want to go home, I just want to go home!”

The unicorn’s horn started to glow and the angry noise from the dumb monitor stopped. She was feeling awfully sleepy now, but she didn’t want to! Not with the unicorn! She hadn’t even met the wing people yet! Her head was feeling really fuzzy now, she giggled and poked the unicorn’s horn. They winced back before neighing at her unhappily before going back to...whatever they were doing.

Why was its butt glowing? She’d never seen a horse do that before. Then again this was heaven. Maybe they did lots of weird things up here. Things were getting really fuzzy again, her fingers were all tingly too! Then everything went black.

Goddamnit that unicorn! What was he thinking running off like that? I grumble as I search up and down for where they could’ve gone. Broom closets, empty rooms, none of the nurses had seen ‘Anything unusual’ either. Then I felt it. A tingle of what I’d come to know as the feel of moonlight trickled through me. I checked the time, it was several hours to sunset. What is that unicorn up to?

Then it crashes into me, a wave of magic thick with purpose bursts through the hospital nearly stealing the air from my lungs. A quick glance around shows the rest of the staff looking around for a moment, before going back to their duties as if nothing had happened.

Quickly following the direction of where it came from I come across a door in the cancer treatment ward and slowly open it to peek inside. “Artemis! Get your pony ass--” I hesitate seeing the little kid in the bed, though thankfully asleep. “Get over here!” I hiss.

The pony slowly crawls down from the bed and hobbles towards me swaying back and forth before passing out after just a foot or two. Groaning in frustration I pick up the critter and shove him into my jacket. Just after I leave a trauma team hurries down the hallway and enters the room. Not wanting to know what kind of trouble he’d made I hurry out of the building.

I walk a ways from the hospital, my ‘fuzzy little friend’ slowly coming back to his faculties and very nearly stabbing me with his horn. Or would it be her horn? Admittedly not my biggest problem right now. I set them down on the grass and sit next to them under the tree.

I see a splash of color on their flank and facepalm. “Of course, you were getting your cutiemark.” Duh, I think to myself, thinking of my own flank. Apparently ponies could go crazy over them, I didn’t have my own yet--but judging from this experience, I certainly wasn’t in any rush. Maybe I should ask dad about that one later.

Looking over at Artemis I frown, is it me or are their colors looking a little...dull? Their lungs are heaving and hyperventilating as if choking. I press two fingers along their neck where I’d assume their jugular to be. It could be the wrong place, but it feels incredibly faint. He’s definitely not looking very good.

I scoop him up in my arms. Bringing him to the hospital would be a terrible idea given they have more animal than human biology. A vet might be better, but I didn’t really know where a local one is. I pull out my phone and hurry down the road, dialing as I go.

“Hey son, how was sch--”

I cut him off. “Dad, I need a pickup now. I have a unicorn, h--she did some magic thing. Respiration is hampered, BP is low, and they’re looking pale. We’re by the hospital, I--I don’t know who else to call.”

His friendly demeanor disappears in an instant and his tone goes no-nonsense. “Magic starvation, earth doesn’t have natural magic for her to recover with.” He hesitates for a few moments. “It’s what killed your mother.” He remarks grimly, the sounds of him moving around cutting through the silence. “We need to find them a source of magic, its nearing sundown. When you start to change I’m going to give you a quick crash course in magic, okay?”

It takes several agonizingly long minutes for him to show up, a slight chill permeates the air from the incoming storm clouds. Every second making me want to just run into the hospital, consequences be damned. By the time he arrives I’m already feeling the tingles of the night coming on, yet the moon isn’t even up yet. “Uh...dad are you…?”

“Yeah, I’m feeling it too. Only felt that kind of magic a few times. One was during a sonic rainboom, the other was in the presence of her Majesty of the night. Maybe it’ll be enough for her to recover on her own. I still want to hear where the hell you found her once we make sure they are stable. I just wonder why she hasn’t just changed back to being a human.”

I feel her stir on my lap, her breath heaving intensely before she seems to fall back into unconsciousness. We pull up minutes later to our house. I pick her up and follow my dad to our backyard. The moon would be up any minute now, I could feel the tension flowing through my arms, as if I’d just gripped a live wire.

“The full moon is coming next week, there is a lot for us to prepare before then. You remember that I’ve told you that our magic doesn’t come the same way as the other ponies right?” He waits for me to nod before continuing.

“Our power comes from our ancestors, from those that have gone before us. When we die our spirits slowly merge with our worlds magic, we are then slowly joined with the force that is known as harmony. A magic that has been used time and again through wielders, known as the elements of harmony. Ponies chosen by the ancestors to best embody their respective attributes. Loyalty, Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Friendship which binds them all together.”

“That’s really corny and all, but can you really get to the point of all of this? You just told me that he--she’s in magic shock or whatever and that it was what killed my mom!” The hell is he honestly playing at with all of this? If I wasn’t a living shapeshifter every night I might’ve just thrown it all away as gibberish. “I think we have more important things than a lore lesson right now.”

“Because with harmony being a world away, the magic you’ll be calling on tonight will be your mother’s. You don’t have runes or a moonblade yet either, so you will have to work on your bond with her.”

“But I never knew my birth mother, as you said she died shortly after my birth.” I could start to feel the change now. The first strands of moonlight passing over the horizon, I take off my shirt as the fur starts to sprout, feeling the start of my leathery wings brush against the cotton.

I glance at my father, seeing him stare into the moonlight. He flexes his remaining arm, a rune flickers on its surface as a silver glimmer erupts from above his wrist. I blink owlishly as I see a blade, just about a foot in length is now strapped onto his arm. I groan as my face contorts into a muzzle causing some discomfort as the tail emerges, wincing away from the sunlight as I see the world grow brighter.

“Not enough magic for me to change yet, but enough for what we need.” My father says turning to look at me again. “Look to your friend, struggling from the very ailment that took your mother’s life. Centuries before its due, you can’t let her die. Think…” His voice cracks a little. “Think of the loss that will come if she dies here.”

That’s hardly difficult for me right now. I see her laboured breathing, even now I can barely see her chest rise. Her face is pained, she is hurting, she is dying. The thought sends a shiver down my spine as I feel something very real brush against my hoof, holding it ever so gently. I turn my head to look at my limb only to see nothing, I feel something pat my hoof ever so gently a feeling flowing through my gut that makes my heart melt with its warmth. “Mother…” I breathe.

Concentrating I can just barely make out an indiscernible wisp encircling my leg. I can hear her, not with what she speaks but by the memories that start to flow in front of my eyes. Her pulsating affection, her fiery protectiveness, but most importantly the love she feels for me. Love I immediately feel unworthy of. Love from a being that has feelings beyond what I can even fathom, Love from a being I feel ashamed to not even remember.

The moment lasts for several moments. A silent conversation as I feel our emotions and desires flow back and forth. I can’t help but whimper as I feel her warmth move away, the chill of the night air now feeling like the arctic compared to the feeling I had just had. Then her specter turns back around, then dives right into my chest. The bond we had shared before with only a hoof now radiates through my entire body, then just as quickly seems to all but vanish and I look around in confusion, fearing that she may have left me again.

“She’s still there.” My father chuckles, sitting down beside me with a pained smile on his face. “Without the full moon the best we can hope for is her specter. Now close your eyes and relax. With her essence spread over all of you, you will have to pay very close attention to what she is trying to have you do. Specter’s can only enter you with your consent, and they can only give guidance. It is up to you to follow.”

I close my eyes and try to focus on what he is talking about. Frustratingly I feel nothing. After several fruitless minutes, I start to grow impatient. I don’t have time to play around! I look to Arty who has started to look a bit ashen despite her fur. I turn to my dad to voice my concern when I feel it. Just a small tingle that I feel in my front legs, I couldn’t have possibly missed that. Then I remember what he had told me about a sympathetic connection.

I step forward to her prone form, I close my eyes to help focus. My mother’s influence as slight as feeling the pulsing of my heart in my hooves. Every movement makes me pause until I can feel her stroke again. I gently guide my hoof into a pattern on the ground, paying no attention to what it was that I was sketching so much as just following that feeling. Then I feel a sharp prick on the underside of my hoof, and I yelp. Opening my eyes in surprise I see my father there, my hoof outstretched to prick itself on the edge of his blade.

“You don’t have a blade or runes yet, so blood is the best way for you to cast the spell.” My father reassures me. I’m about to voice a complaint before I’m reminded that a small prick is probably less important than my friend dying in front of me.

I close my eyes and nod. From the adrenaline pulsing through my system from the jab it's hard to get back into the groove again, despite knowing what to look for. I feel my hoof trace a shape across their forehead. Moments later I feel a rush as my breath escapes my lungs with a gasp. I very much feel like a balloon that had just popped as I feel my energy drain through my touch, feeling the vacuum that I know is Arty across from me greedily taking it in.

Yet at that same moment I hear them gasp and sputter as if I had just rescued them from drowning. My eyes open as I see a glowing white rune drawn on their forehead, it’s a little wobbly in shape but wouldn’t appear out of place in an egyptian tomb. Relief pours out of me as I feel her specter leave me, seeming to be as exhausted as I am. Her form seems to dissipate into nothingness before I can even tell her goodbye.

Artemis pants, heaving for air, but with much more strength than they had had earlier. They say something I can’t understand with their pony muzzle, though unlike my attempts to speak english their speech seems to incorporate horse noises. My father though, replies something equally incomprehensible before turning to me.

“They thank you for helping him with that.” He translates noticing my distress. “It’s truly a tragedy that your cutiemark had to come in like that. Typically it is a much more joyous occasion. The lack of magic here really can be lethal with that kind of exertion.” He replies in english for both of our benefit.

Artemis speaks a bit more in that strange language, and my father nods. “Yeah...your family is definitely going to be worried. Mom is home, being a nurse I’m sure she can provide a decent medical explanation. I fear that no matter what explanation we have you’re still going to have trouble.”

Artemis’s ears fold back, their tail tucking between their legs. I know that it's a really serious problem, but I have to stifle an “Aawwww” at just how cute h-she looks. Then quickly remember that I’m in a similar predicament, and how they are a mare now. That turned awkward really fast.

Artemis says something again, and my father replies. “Oh..clothes, uh yeah. Let me get those, I assume those are in your pack?” He grabs my backpack and ruffles through it pulling out the clothing I had gathered earlier. After giving it to Arty he turns back to me. “Says he feels like he’s turning back.” Arty heads a bit deeper into the woods, no doubt wanting some privacy.

While we wait for them to get back, I try to practice a bit more with my wings. The thought of one day being able to glide and soar from tree to tree is just exhilarating. It also helps to get a bit of the stress out of my joints from having a potential friend die right in front of me. Once I turned back I’d definitely have to learn more about our magic, not to mention studying up on that Ponish language.

Unfortunately, spending so much time awake at night had quickly started making it hard to stay awake in school lately. Dad said that’s because our race is naturally nocturnal, but that isn’t exactly possible in the current situation. Yet I’d trade our Algebra for Magic Studies anyday, or any-night in my case. Who wouldn’t, honestly?

Artemis comes back several minutes later, looking quite spent. Obvious red lines under their eyes, the way they lean heavily on the trees as they walk towards us showing that their ordeal hadn’t been without their repercussions. The glimmer of their amulet all too visible on their chest. Yet looking a bit further at them I see their form flicker, just like my father’s had.

“I uh...that mark didn’t go away.” He blushes a bit as he stares in our direction, looking quite uncomfortable. Meeting his eyes directly I also see that they have changed ever so slightly. It’s barely noticeable, but having seen them just before they now had the slightest purple tinge. I start to ask him what else has changed, but it all comes out as accursed squeaky gibberish which only makes him look a bit more confused.

He traces a hand over his forehead, feeling where his horn had been minutes earlier. His sigh is all the explanation that is needed to confirm. “There is a little bit of a knob there too.” He sits down across from us and runs both of his hands over his face before yawning sleepily. “I really need to get home, my aunt is going to have my hide as it is. After last time I don’t think she’s going to be as forgiving no matter what I say at this point.”

I wince at that statement, knowing at least a little the kind of fury that he might have coming to him. Thunder echoes in the close distance, the occasional raindrop splattering onto the ground. He gathers his things, immediately going to his phone and texting out a few quick messages before he turns back to me.

“Thank you, I can’t pretend to understand what any of this is. B-but th-thank you, I honestly felt like I was dying there. It was as if my entire body had forgotten how to breathe--It was like I was drowning!” Emotion leaks into his voice that makes me tense, then he suddenly reaches out and pulls me into a hug. Holding me for several moments as I feel a few wet teardrops soak into my fur. I honestly couldn’t blame him, poor guy seems like he’d been through hell.

“I need answers, I don’t know about any of this, but I also don’t want to interfere if this is...if this is something I shouldn’t get involved in. I probably clearly got this amulet by accident and I’m sorry if I damaged it or--”

My father cuts him off with a hand. “We’ll be happy to provide you some more answers. Though I can’t promise to know everything you’ll ask, our species has had little contact with your own over the past thousand years.”

“My species? I think you might be making a mistake. I’m pretty sure I’m a uh...human. Trust me, my family is well, not normal but very much human. Pretty sure they test that in the military or something. This pendant is what really is the unicorn thing.”

“If you say so, I can’t see your magic like my son can. Yet I must express my gratitude for you, inadvertently or not. Your magic--or the pendants has given us a way back to our heritage and way of life. Maybe even a potential way home someday. Now your parents must be worried sick, so let me give you a ride home. My wife is a nurse, a human, she uh...only knows about this as stories.”

Artemis nods in agreement and glances once more in my direction, giving a slight nod of thanks that I return. “I think it's best if I just head home right now, the fewer people involved the better.”

“Alrighty then, Mike? Try and stay safe and out of sight until I get back. I don’t want an incident without me here and remember what I said about changelings. Keep an eye out for them.

I nod as they get together in the car and drive off, before heading down the road. The rain is really coming down now, its chill really sinking into my fur as I feel the weight of all the water accumulate as I hop under a tree. Yet one thing kept bothering me. Dad said that thestrals can see through enchantments and disguises, something that had allowed me to see my dad’s true form. So why did Artemis have the aura of a unicorn?