- 4 -

They were on a wide road that went through this new village. People started to gather. "SHE'S HERE AT LONG LAST!" a woman shrieked.

A man walked up to her. He looked rich. "Hello! I am King Bandstrum! I can guess you are, oh, I don't know, students from a school from another world?" he asked. They nodded.

"Well, follow me! You can stay at the palace while you are here!" he said. They followed him through the crowd to a carriage, which they climbed into with the king.

At the palace, the queen was having a fit. "I know who she is! She is the one to defeat the sorceress, Anita! I sense that she is missing the scepter she needs..." the queen said, "You four's names are May, Ash, Anne, and Cyrus. Am I correct?"

They nodded to her. "Well, now that you are here, May, you have a big task in front of you. You must find the scepter plus defeat the sorceress in three separate battles. In each battle, you transform into some thing you both agree to, then the battle starts until one can't battle any more, or gives up."

May nodded. Then they heard some thing flapping its wings. "It's Anita...on her dragon..." the king said, "It's time for your first battle. Lead Anita some where else, then it's all up to how you transform and what."

"Only you and one other may go," the queen said. May sighed and looked at Anne, Cyrus, and Ash.

"Ash, I want you to come. It's for a special reason," May said.

"Ash, you go with her. May, listen carefully, I'm going to tell you a saying, you must say it to transform, since you don't have the scepter," the queen said, "To transform, I shall use, the greatest magic in the world! The magic of the love between me and another!"

May nodded and walked over to the door, Ash behind her. "Be careful!" Anne yelled. "Kick that sorceress's butt!" Cyrus said.

May opened the door and stepped out. A black dragon was hovering a few feet above ground. A girl of 15 was sitting on top of it. "Anita! Who are you looking for?" May asked. Anita looked at her.

"Any of your business?" she said.

"Yes, because I'm the one you're looking for!" she yelled. Anita smiled evilly.

"You want me? Come and get me, Anita!" May snapped. She raced through the now empty streets, Ash beside her, and the sorceress above her. When they made it to a large field, May stopped.

"Come down here and fight like the evil sorceress you are!" she said. Anita jumped down to the ground in front of May.

"Unicorn," Anita said.

"Unicorn, eh?" May said, "All right then. Ash, come here." Ash walked over, confused, and stood next to her. She took hold of his hand, determination in her eyes. Being together would strengthen her. "TO TRANSFORM, I SHALL USE, THE GREATEST MAGIC IN THE WORLD! THE MAGIC OF THE LOVE BETWEEN ME AND ANOTHER!"

She let go. She was transforming! It worked! Ash backed away cautiously. A unicorn of red and orange, with a horn and hooves made of gold. Anita transformed into a pure black unicorn, with a steel horn and hooves.

The two of them ran at each other. May was hit across the neck with Anita's steel horn. She backed off, blood dripping down her neck. Ash cringed.

May bowed her head, going to strike. At full speed, she charged at the sorceress. Anita was hit in the side. Anita reared up onto her hind legs and landed on the ground with a boom. May stood ready. Anita charged towards her, sharp horn pointed at her chest. May was hit.

She hit the ground, but got back up. She was covered in blood. May didn't look ready for another hit. She reared up onto her hind legs, catching Anita on the muzzle with her front hooves. Blood dribbled out of Anita's nose.

Anita slashed her across side. That did it. May was down. They transformed back to their human selves. Ash ran over.

May collapsed, her dark hair slightly covering her face. Ash looked her over, checking her bleeding wounds. "Pathetic." Anita spat, "Now, what about you?"

She took her scepter out (black, green sun) and pointed it at Ash. "I wonder what you would look like as a Dalmatian..." she said softly. Ash looked up at her, fear in his eyes. Anita pointed the scepter at him. She said some thing under her breath, and then the scepter started to glow. Magic surged through it, to the very tip of it.

Ash felt pain in every bone in his body. The sorceress was making him into a Dalmatian. "You look very unusual as a Dalmatian. Anita said. He growled, then looked at May. He whined.

"Hmmm, I think I'll heal her and do the same to her as I did to you..." Anita said. She pointed the scepter at May. Ash barked and barked. Like she said, she healed May, but made her into a Dalmatian, too.

"Bye-bye, doggies!" Anita said, getting up on the dragon. She flew away. Ash whined again. May, who had been unconscious, was now awake. She tried to yell out, but all that came out were barks.

Ash whined. May turned her head to look at him. She growled. Ash lied down with his head on his front paws, and whined again. They sat there a moment, and then Ash got up and barked out what happened. She whined.

(Going to dub things they say into human language from now on) "We have to get to the village," May said. Ash nodded, which looked weird, him being a Dalmatian at the moment. They walked through the field.