I don't own these characters. Erin Hunter does.

Lusa's POV

The Seekers awoke that morning. "Good morning, Tok- WHAT'S ON YOUR FACE!" I screamed.

"What?"

"There's some green stuff on your face!"

Toklo put his paw on his face. It felt cold and hard. "I have no idea what this is," he said.

"Let me try to get it off!" I managed to scrape a bit off. "That's weird, this comes off in flakes."

"Maybe we should wash it off in water," Toklo said. They tried to, but it didn't come off.

"Oh no! It's staying on there!" I said.

"Vrrooo, vroom!" something said.

"A firebeast!" I heard it speak too!

"Nope, it's Yakone. You speak firebeast, Yakone?"

"Vrrrrrr! Vroom-oom-oom zoom!" Yakone growled.

"I don't understand what you're saying, Yakone." Toklo and Lusa returned to the den, only to find a firebeast where Kallik was sleeping. "Are you there, Kallik?" Toklo said.

The firebeast awoke silently, and not with a growl like firebeasts do. "Hello, Toklo and Lusa," it said.

"Are you Kallik?" I asked it. It seemed so much like Kallik…

"Yes, why are you asking? I thought you recognized me."

"You're a firebeast, Kallik."

"WHAT?"

"Yep, you are."

"There's something on your face. I think it's… mmmm… I can't tell what it is," Kallik said.

"Vroom zoom-zoom! Vrrooo, vroom!"

"Yakone speaks firebeast now?" I could see sorrow, in her, um… firebeast eyes. "I guess I can't speak to him now."

"Z… oom! Vrr-rr-oom! Zr-oom!" It felt like it was Yakone falling in love with Kallik all over again.

We went to sleep that night. Ujurak came to me in a dream!

Ujurak! What has happened to my friends?

You will have to find out yourself.

You know? Come back here!

I can't tell you. It is a mystery you have to solve.

Yeah, but how did they become-

I'll tell you in two words- Automobilian Technology.

What? Auto-?

I woke up the next day. "Umm, Toklo?"

"Yes, Lusa?" He still had the green stuff on his face.

"Uj-Ujurak came to me i-in a dream." I was afraid he was gonna get angry.

"What did he say?"

"Automobilian technology."

"Does it have anything to do with this?" He pointed to the green stuff.

"I've no idea what this auto-something is," I admitted. "But he did tell me Kallik and Yakone's transformations did occur because of it. And he said something about a mystery."

"Kallik is still Kallik, with a firebeast's body. She wouldn't know anything about this auto-whatever," Toklo pointed out.

"But Yakone might," I said.

"Are you kidding?" Toklo snarled at me. "We don't speak firebeast!"

Then, I heard the voice of another firebeast…