Winds of Change (A Pitch Black x OC story) {ON HOLD INDEFINITELY}

Chapter 2

          Windy hardly ever ran into other Spirits. Every once in a while she would see glittering, golden sand sparkling in the starlight, or heard the chuckle of the Leprechaun as he scurried about in the cities during March. Sometimes she would even catch a glimpse of the small, delicate tooth fairies zipping through the air. One time, she even got a nod of greeting from the Easter Bunny–The Easter Bunny!--as he hid some eggs in her forest. But she never had a full on conversation with any of them. It was a little lonely, she could admit. Aside from the occasional word from the Moon, her days had been spent in solitude.

          Then she met Shadow.

          Shadow was a horse. But he wasn't just any horse, she knew. No regular horse had skin that shifted and glimmered like black sand, or a mane that moved despite no wind to blow it, or had eyes that glowed orange in the dark. No regular horse was as intelligent, reacting to her speaking as if it understood every word. And no regular horse could simply appear out of thin air, as if conjured from smoke and gloom.

          Windy liked Shadow. He was mischievous, and liked to play pranks on the few people that ventured into the forest. He was fast, and she loved to race beside him, running through the forest as carefree as a butterfly. And when she had those moments, when her mind was in a low, dark place, and the loneliness ate at her like a termite eats at a log, he was there, snuffling against her hand, lending companionship where she had none.

          Today, she was in the forest, beneath the shelter of the trees. It was twilight, and the ghostly light of the Moon lit her path. Pine needles crunched beneath her sneakers. Shadow's hooves made no sound as he ambled along beside her. She chatted idly away, filling him in on the more interesting Changes she had seen today.

          "Remember Old Lady Janice?" Shadow snorted in response. "Well, her granddaughter decided to go through with the house. Now, the whole family can live together under one roof!" Windy stretched her arms up high, a happy expression on her face. "Isn't that great, Shadow?" The horse neighed softly. She kept talking, and they kept walking. They walked for a long time, slowly making their way deeper into the forest.

          "...and then, I flew over to Arizona–yes, all the way to Arizona, how wacky–and had to help a single guy realize the girl of his dreams was marrying his best friend, and how that sucked, but there were other fish in the sea, and–what is that?" Windy cut herself off. They had emerged from the trees and into a small clearing. It was nothing but dirt. The weirdest thing of all, though, was the old, broken down bed frame in the middle of the clearing. "That's, uh, really weird..." Windy mused. "Guess I've never been this deep into the woods before. What do you think, Shadow?" She turned her head to the dark horse, who was stock still, eyes fixed on the strange bed.

          "Uh, Shadow? You okay, buddy?" Windy frowned. Usually, the horse was always moving, whether it was shifting his weight, or prancing in a circle. To see him standing completely still, as if he turned into stone, was a little eerie. Windy reached out tentatively, fingers brushing his flank. "Shadow?"

          The contact seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. He tossed back his head, snorting, and pawed at the ground. He was clearly agitated by something. She took a few steps toward the bed, studying it curiously. There was a hole in the ground. She could see it beneath the broken slats of the bed frame. Shadow neighed in alarm as she drew closer, as if he didn't want her to go any nearer. She was inclined to agree.

          Windy was about to suggest they head back–this was obviously not a place they should be–when a cold wind blew over them. The hair on Windy's arms stood on end, and a chill ran down her spine when she realized where it was coming from. The very next second, her whole body stiffened, every nerve humming with electricity.

          "A spirit seeks freedom from the consequences of his sins. Darkness will awaken once more, to be guided by the winds." It was less of a voice and more of a thought put into her mind. It was an Insight, sent directly from Change itself. When the thought passed, Windy was left gasping, feeling as if a bucket of ice cold water had been thrown on her. The Insight had been a powerful one, and her body trembled beneath the weight of it.

          Shadow seemed to finally reach his limit. He gave a furious snort, stamped his hooves, and shoved her away from the bed with his body. The sudden movement caught her off guard, and she stumbled with a yelp. Her hand shot out, and Shadow let her grab onto his neck for support. "L-Let's go home, Shadow," she whispered. "I don't like this place."

          Shadow jerked his head up and down, as if energetically agreeing to her statement. They turned and began to head back the way they came, Windy leaning on Shadow. As they passed into the trees, she couldn't help but look over her shoulder at the old bed, washed pale in the moonlight. The Insight had foretold a great Change, Windy could tell. But there was another, more alarming feeling tugging at her. "...To be guided by the winds..."

          Whatever that darkness was, she would play a role in its return.