???

Where am I?

A cave?

It was dark, but a dim hue of red faded into the cave from outside. It wasn’t particularly bright, but I could see the plants outside dying.

Trees? Did I use to call them that?

I felt strange, tired, yet so full of energy and for some reason lighter.. and smaller?

I wasn’t sure why I felt the way I did, especially since I haven’t experienced this feeling in such a long time.

Where exactly am I? And what happened to me?

My limbs felt weak as I lay on the ground floor of the cave. It wasn’t the season for hibernation, but it felt as if I’d slept through an entire cycle. I looked around to find others, my eyes adjusting to the darkness of the cave that surrounded me. I couldn’t sense anything from deep within the cave, other than a few small creatures that weren't worth the chase. I turned to the entrance of the cave, where I was met with familiar cyan particles flowing inside.

Something’s out there. Something dangerous

At first, I was hesitant to move, my instincts kicking in, but my curiosity got the best of me. I crawled slowly towards the entrance, but my movement felt uncomfortable like I was no longer used to moving in such a way. Although I couldn’t see my body, I could tell something was strange.

I extended my claws, and stretched the ligaments in my front legs, hearing the bones crack from stiffness.

Different.

I stretched my hind legs, applying pressure to the ground, and found myself standing on them. 

Also different.

It was awkward to move at first but I wobbled over on my hind legs, slowly, making sure I didn’t alert whatever was outside. For some reason, it felt comfortable to move in such a way, almost natural. I had never done this before, and I wasn’t sure why. I used the sides of the cave to help myself adjust myself to this unfamiliar feeling.

Before..what? What exactly happened before? The last thing I remembered I was angry…fighting…no…I was hunting. Hunting what?

That I was unsure of, everything after was a blur, a blur of red, like the sky I was stumbling towards. There was a strong presence at the entrance of the cave that grew stronger the more I walked towards it.

When I reached the entrance I could feel the outside air wash over me with an intense wave of heat and humidity. Compared to the cool cave, It was like I had stepped into a whole new world. Outside there were gigantic trees that were twisted and distorted, dying from partial destruction and there was rushing water nearby as well.

Some sort of forest? I’ve never used that word before, where did I learn it? Come to think of it, I never used many words before, but it feels so natural.

The sky was red, and from the east, I could see the sun beginning to set. Opposite of it I could see cyan particles gathering together towards the source of the tremendous pressure I was feeling. It was also in the same direction where the sound of the rushing water was coming from.

And for some reason, I was being drawn towards it, as if it were calling me there.

I slowly walked towards the sound of rushing water and cyan particles, which grew denser the more I got closer. The forest was unfamiliar and everything was dying and decaying. There were no creatures out here that I could sense, meaning they probably fled from whatever was the cause of this pressure.

As I walked going from dying tree to dying tree, I took the time to examine myself. My arms were smaller, but my muscles remained visible and the shape of my body seemed to have changed. My skin was still a silky grey, with a rough texture. I had a dark blue mane that wrapped around my shoulders and collar, and from what I could tell partially down my back. It almost felt like my body hadn’t belonged to me, which was a deep feeling I had felt different ever since I opened my eyes.

Metamorphosis?

I got closer to the particles only to find them surrounding something.

A creature.

They surrounded a creature that had its back turned away from me. It looked familiar and it reminded me of something I had once seen. I looked down, observing my body once more, noticing the similarities between us. 

Me?

It wasn’t exactly me. It had the same silky grey skin, but with a tail with cyan blades at the end. Its head held horns that curved upwards, above its pointed ears. It had a similar blue mane, mangier than mine, and muddied with red.

I felt my head, wondering if I also had horns somewhere, and did the same to see if I had a tail, which I found I did. I took a few steps closer, attempting to stay quiet and to not disturb the familiar, yet unfamiliar creature.

“Congratulations brother.” the creature said, without turning around. Its voice was deep, and it echoed through the silence of the dying forest. It sent shivers down my spine, forcing the hair on my mane to stand.

“You have ascended.”