Shapeshifters

22

"WAKE UP SLEEPY head," I heard. "Breakfast is ready."

I groaned and sat up. I rolled my neck, working the kinks out, and stood. I noticed I was still on the couch that I vaguely remember crashing on. I looked around and saw that Dust had already cooked breakfast.

"What time is it?" I asked as I yawned. 

"Almost noon," He replied. 

"Why did you let me sleep for so long?" I questioned.

"Because you needed it," Dust responded.

Sure I did. I thought. 

Yeah, Dust projected to me. You did. After a change like last night, sleep was the cure.

"The cure!" I exclaimed aloud. "I broke half of it right?"

Dust nodded. "You never said how though. Want to elaborate on that?"

"Sure," I told him. "If you want to know," He nodded his head and I began. "When Black was taunting me with my new name, Lighteye, I heard one of the first things Shapeclaw ever told me."

"Which was...?"

"'You must willingly change your name. First, to prove. Then, to save.' I decided I was going to have to prove to Black that he could taunt me all he wanted, but I was stronger than he thought." I wrapped up with that and Dust stared at me.

I starting eating the breakfast he prepared and held his gaze. After a few minutes of a stare off, he finally said, "How will you change your name to save?"

I swallowed. "I don't know yet. I'm still working out the logistics."

"Oh," Dust said. "Tawny left a sign for us. We are meeting tonight."

"Okay," I stated. "We have a whole day ahead of us."

"Light," Dust cautioned. 

"Lighteye," I corrected.

"Lighteye," He started again. "I need to tell you something."

"Go on. What is it?"

I could see him delaying his response, as if he was changing his mind. "Know you don't have to shoulder this alone," He eventually told me.

I didn't fully believe him. He had held back too long for it to be the original saying. There's something he isn't telling me. I informed myself. 

"We don't have the whole day," He pointed out. "We only have half a day, if that."

I rolled my eyes. I hated it when he was all wise and exact. One day that might help us, I thought. But not today.

"I want to go test something," I told Dust, aloud. "Will you come with me?"

"Sure," He replied. "I have nothing better to do."

I laughed and helped clean up, before heading out the door with Dust right behind me. I lead him out to the woods and jumped a little.

"It's broad daylight," He pointed out. "Aren't you worried people will see you?"

"Thank you Mr. Obvious," I said sarcastically. "I'm not shifting, I'm going to see if I can walk in."

"Last time you tried, you couldn't." 

"Quit pointing out the already known facts," I announced. "Maybe because I've broken half the curse, I can walk in now."

Dust's face said it all. He didn't believe it would work. That only made me more determined to prove him wrong. I walked to the edge of forest line and paused. I took a deep breath and stepped in. I looked down and saw that I was in the forest line.

I turned around to look at Dust. He was looking at me as if I had just flown. I smirked. 

"Ha," I laughed. "How bout that? Once you break half the curse, you can join me."

"Tonight," was all he said.

I walked out and we went back to my apartment. We talked until it was time to meet Tawny. I followed him out the door and to the woods.

We shifted and I tucked my wings in as much as I could. Dust gave me a head nod, so I took that as my wings were hidden enough.

Tawny emerged from the trees and cocked her head. "Why are you two so happy tonight?"

Dust gave me a nod and I spread my wings wide. Tawny gapped for a moment before closing her mouth. She was lost for words.

When she found her voice she asked, "H-h-how? W-when? H-how?" She kept stuttering over her words.

"Last moon," I told her. "Black payed us a visit and taunted us with our new names."

Tawny looked confused. "You guys were announced dead, but not given new names. In memory of you two, Stormsky allowed Rose and Thorn to become in-trainings. Rose is now Lighteye and Thorn is now Dustfly."

I must have looked shocked because Dust then said, "It helped break the first part of the curse though."

I nodded. "I accepted the name of Lighteye and got wings. A side effect was that I was not conscious until almost sun up."

"Dust," Tawny said turning her attention to him. "Why didn't you accept Dustfly then?"

I anticipated his response. Curious about it myself, but not having the courage to ask. After a few moments, he finally said, "I had thought Black made her kill herself, I wasn't going to accept Dustfly until I was sure she was okay."

Tawny accepted that answer, but I had the feeling there was more to it that he wasn't telling us. Tawny said she had to get back but told Dust that he might want to accept his name sooner rather than later.

We said our goodbyes and parted our separate ways. I shifted back and turned to see Dust still in his wolf form. 

What are you doing? I projected.

I'm going to accept Dustfly.

Why?

Because Tawny said I should. He paused. And I feel the need to, I feel that something might happen where I will need to have part of the curse broken.

And with that, I watched him be lifted up in the air and saw what he saw happen to me. The bright light and the unknown force lifting him up in the air. When the bright light disappeared, he fell on the ground in a heap. I quickly shifted back and laid by his side, as he did for me, and fell asleep by him. Waiting for him to wake.