The changes came all at once and instantly altered his perception of the world surrounding him. Even though the changes happened at approximately the same time he noticed changes in his vision first. The sudden transformation was apparent to all onlookers who responded with both awe and horror. The birds fled from the treetops, the reptiles slithered and crawled to their hideaways, and impossibly enough the jungle a place so lush and full of life that it literally crawled came to a complete stand still.

First he noticed his enhanced vision, suddenly sharpened behind his own comprehension, he was seeing a range of colors that he didn't know existed. Turning his newly enhanced gaze away from the gorilla and upwards into the sky he could pick out the individual feather shafts of each of the birds flying away from him. Quickly he found that if he concentrated enough he could see birds hadn't groomed their feathers recently and make out the barely noticeable difference that it made in their individual flight paths.

Second was hearing amplified at least tenfold. The wing beats of the birds overhead were clearly audible. The jungle itself now seemed to be unbearably loud unless he concentrated on a single noise, and he was currently captivated by the feathered creatures flying by. Intense studying of each birds aerial wing beat tipped him off to one that was out of sync. Training both his fiercely tuned eyes and ears towards that one individual he discovered that it was in fact flying slightly unevenly due to a single minor tear in it's feather shaft.

The sudden onset of smells was indescribable and nauseating. He found himself shaking his head in slight anguish. He couldn't seem to focus on one particular smell and the stupefying array of them was giving him a massive headache. Remembering relief he earlier he stopped trying to focus and was rewarded by the headache immediately going away. The scents around him were tantalizing him with messages that he couldn't at the moment decode. Slightly dazed and confused he turned back to the birds.

No longer fighting his urges but instead embracing he crouched and leaped after the bird with the nicked wing shaft, so caught up in the moment that he didn't even realize that he had easily cleared the trees. Grabbing the bird out of the air he marveled that he instantly feel every bone it's a body and form a visual of were each one was. The new sensitivity in his fingers was immediately shown to be a liability when the parrot bit one, exposing him to a level of pain on par with being stabbed. Quickly and quietly he bit into the bird's neck killing it instantly and bringing to his attention the change in his final sense.

Taste. The instant the birds blood filled his mouth he was repulsed, it had a nutty tang to it, not that he disliked nuts but this tang was particularly strong, it caused his tongue to burn and he instantly regretted his decision to bite the bird. The instant he made contact with the ground he starting vomiting uncontrollably. Only then when his nose started tormenting him did he realize that the bird's smell unsettled him and put his nerves on edge. Something about it's scent had been warning him off from the get go and he had paid the price for ignoring the signs.

Turning away from the mess he'd made on the ground, and the bird carcass he finally turned to face the Gorilla being pinned by his dragon. Glancing at it and chancing a cautious sniff he was met with immediate feedback. The Gorilla was afraid of him, his mouth was burning and he frankly had better things to do. Disinterested he signaled for the dragon to let it's captive go. The terrified Gorilla lumbered away as soon as the dragon lifted it's foot. The dragon turned it's full attention onto it's master making note of the rapidly fading physical changes that had warned the other animals away: the jet black hedgehog had been briefly surrounded with a swirling black and blue aura that had since faded, his pupils had vanished leaving twin glowing white orbs were they had been seconds before, and the very air around him had seemed to change for a brief instant, becoming cold, murderous, seeming to posses a will of it's own to slice and wound anything around it.

Now restored back to his normal appearance the hedgehog turned back to the dragon and mounted. Wordlessly the huge black dragon turned and departed flying back in the direction from which it had came. An entire jungle watched it's departure and breathed as sigh of relief. A lone monkey grey from age watched the eerie sight: a midnight black dragon, flying away from one of the most beautiful places on the planet, framed by the nearly set sun, being ridden by a lone black hedgehog and sighed. "So he has been born." With those words the old monkey left it's lonely post atop the treetop and went to rejoin it's tribe.

As quickly as Death wish flew not even the mighty dragon could outrun time. As such it was night fall when he finally arrived back at the palace, wordlessly and with outwardly visible communication dragon and rider made the unanimous decision to return to the dragon keeping chambers. Gliding easily through the entrance and landing in his stall he allowed his rider to dismount and then started to eat barely pausing to eye the guards sealing the outer entrance after them. Petting the dragon softly in farewell the king turned and left the dragon enclosure heading back to his bedchamber. Much to the surprise of his personal guardians at the door.

"King the sun has gone down and protestors are still outside! Your youngest brothers is with them!" Eyeing the guard that had spoken with some unreadable emotion he replied "I am well aware, my brother went outside willingly, is being watched by a small army armed with night vision equipment as we speak, and since when do I address anyone dressed in a riding jacket?" The guard wisely decided to be quiet as the temperamental king passed. Upon entering his royal bedchamber he immediately removed the riding jacket opting instead for a light set of black chest and neck protection which he disguised with the help of a full length black cloak that rustled with the slightest movement or breeze effectively distorting his frame and making it near impossible for anyone to aim a worthwhile blow. Turning around to admire his outfit in the mirror was satisfied to see that the ornately designed collar did in fact cover the armored plated collar he was wearing under it.

Leaving his bedchamber he went straight to Fleet way's chamber and very quietly knocked on the door. He waited ten seconds and when he didn't get a response he soundlessly eased the door open with concern for his brother overriding the want to give him privacy. The sight that met his eyes simultaneously eased and amplified his fear: Fleet way was sitting in the corner unharmed but so still as to be almost comatose. As he cautiously approached his deep concern was evident was his brother's mental condition worsening? Tentatively touching the bigger yellow hedgehog on the shoulder his concern was justified when Fleet Way showed no visible response to his touch. Now very near panic the jet black hedgehog sat next to the yellow one softly called his name. His heart almost stopped when he didn't get a response. "Fleet Way? I know you're still there…you have to be.?" Concern finally put an over ride on his logic. He called for the medics with fingers shaking so badly he almost couldn't dial.

Concern was a foreign emotion to him, he was one that he got he to know when the medics loaded Fleet Way onto a stretcher and took him the Royal Medical Chambers. Barely keeping his true emotions hidden from the various onlookers he headed outside and ordered for the guards to open the gates. Mentally preparing for what awaited him outside of his castle gates he ordered the guards to get find his fire elemental brother and bring him there. Several minutes later the fire eyed hedgehog appeared at his side. The two brothers exited together and no words were spoken until they were well out of earshot of those posted on the castle walls. "Your cloak is flammable." The fire elemental stated without a sideways glance. The black hedgehog then responded without breaking a stride "So is my fur, neither is coming off." With that the two walked on in silence.