Swiftshadow's room was almost as she left it. The books stacked randomly on the shelf, only the series being kept together. Her bed and nightstand in the corner. A laptop sat upon a desk next to a dresser. The walls were painted a deep dark red with the ceiling was a golden colour that nearly matched the markings on her scales.

The only differences were that the bed was made, laundry hamper empty and the clothing put away. the dust had been swept away and the garbage can emptied. Todd must've cleaned and sorted her stuff while she was gone.

The hardwood floor creaked as she stepped in. The room was a lot smaller than she remembered. Maroon curtains draped over a window by the desk. She set her backpack down at the foot of the bed and allowed Wilson to settle down on the desk.

"Lunch will be in a couple hours," Todd leaned on the doorway. Swiftshadow could feel a certain tired weariness emanating off him. Yet at the same time relief and concern permeated through.

"I'll be there," She answered. Todd stood staring at her for few moments. Not that she could blame him. "You know I'm not gonna disappear,"

"I would've believed that once," Swiftshadow winced from the sting in Todd's words.

"I didn't disappear on purpose," She said sincerely, "I was taken,"

"Taken? By who," His eyes narrowed.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you,"

"Is that so,"

A part of her wanted to tell him. Wanted to tear off her hoodie and show him the scales that coated her chest and torso. Bare her claws and tell him about the Autobots and Decepticons. of Cybertron and the The Wolf Spirit. Of her battling super villains and eldritch gods of terror.

But she hesitated. Maybe it was the fear of her brothers reaction or the futile desire to come home and pretend nothing had ever happened. She found the words balking inside of her throat choking out any response she had.

"Can I get settled before I tell you everything?" Swiftshadow squirmed under the weight of the question.

Todd eyed her skeptically, "Fine. But you're going to have to promise me that you will tell me everything later,"

"Cross my heart and hope to fly," She crossed her heart then made a fluttering motion with her hands mimicking a butterfly wings.

Todd walked out into the hallway and towards his own room. Swiftshadow closed the door and laid back onto her bed. It felt a little too soft. She was home but somethings did not feel quite right. You can never return to the life you once knew. The Wolf Spirits words echoed inside her head. Is this what she meant by that?

Was she Kelsey Riderman the lonely orphaned teen with only her brother to rely on, or was she Swiftshadow the dragon girl who both fought and survived unimaginable horrors? It felt like she was back asking the same question when awoke inside the wolf den. Just who was she?

"You are going to tell him, right?" Wilson asserted. The tip of his tail twitched expectantly.

"I will." Defensiveness eked into her voice, "When I'm ready. I didn't recall you chomping at the bit to show off your shiny new frame to your sister."

"I'll hold you to that promise." He edged, "In the meantime I would like to check over the saddle and recharge the power cells."

"Fine," Swiftshadow made a quick check out the door to find a vacant hallway. Her body twisted and reformed into it's draconic shape. Fortunately her room had enough room for her increased size. The saddle slipped off over her wings as she undid the final clasp. She set the visor down on the desk. "There. You can tinker away while I have a nap."

Todd paced around the kitchen. He wasn't sure of what to do. He should contact the authorities so the can report her as found But he could to that later today Give her some time to settle back in.

After nearly four months Kelsey was back home. The relieved disbelief still radiated from his chest. Months of worry and sleepless nights washed away the moment he saw her on the swing, their favourite hang spot growing up. A spot he frequented after her disappearance.

When she disappeared it felt like his entire world collapsed. The last member of his family gone without even trace. He counted the days he waited for her to come back. Plunging himself into his work to distract himself from the empty home. He pretended to not notice the pitying looks from his friends and neighbours. They'd all given up the hope she was still alive. Another soul claimed by the mountain. Clinging to the faint hopeful ember Todd remained ever vigilant.

Now that she was back It brought a whole new host of worries. Who had taken her and why? No one abducts a teenager in the woods ever has good intentions. Numerous suspects came to mind. Was it traffickers? The mafia? A cult? Martians? None of those seemed likely.

A burnt odour brought him back to reality. He cursed as rescued the grilled cheese sandwich from the frying pan. A little dark on one side but still edible. Sighing as he flipped one onto a plate. He made his way to Kelsey's room. Three hours of rest and some lunch might help in getting her to open up.

The arguing voices of his sister and her robot dinosaur friend caught his attention.

"This shouldn't be that hard." Kelsey growled in frustration. Todd had to resist the urge to clean out his ears. He could've sworn that the was an actual animalistic growl hidden in the words.

"Maybe if lowered yourself so I can reach," Wilson instructed, "Lets see if I can straighten it out, Swiftshadow."

Straighten what out? Swiftshadow? What was going on behind that door? He was almost afraid to find out.

"This would be a lot easier with another set of hands,"

And that was his cue. Twisting the doorknob he pressed in. "What do you nee-ahhh!" What he saw shook him to his core.

"Todd!" A beast of myth roared in surprise. Wings flared out as it jumped back knocking over a lamp. Wilson tumbled to the ground along with a high tech saddle. The beasts black scales separated as it body reshaped itself. Wings and tail receded back into the spine. What was once a dragon was now his sister.

"Kelsey?" Was the only world that could escape his lips. His heart hammered into his ribs.

"I can explain," She tried to assure him. It wasn't effective as Todd's instincts were still demanding he drop the plate and bolt.

"Explain? How can you explain that?"

"I know it's a lot. So could you calm down and take a seat?"

"What happened to you?" Todd forced himself to sit on the office chair at the desk.

"It's a long story," Her eyes dropped away as she settled on her bed. "and I'm not sure of where to begin,"

"You said you were taken. So lets start with that,"

"I was abducted by aliens," She started. Each word felt forced as it hitched in her breath. She sounded like she was awkwardly fumbling for the next.

"Aliens? From where? Mars?" Todd's brow arched. At first he balked at the idea. Aliens were nothing more than science fiction. Right? Had he not seen his sister transform from a dragon in front of him he would've discarded the idea completely.

"Cybertron actually. They had this war that drove them to this planet. They were looking for a substance called Energon,"

"Energon?"

Kelsey reached into her backpack and pulled out a glowing blue cube, "This stuff. It's basically their fuel and life blood,"

"What does this have to do with being… Abducted?"

"I kinda stumbled across a scouting team on the mountain and they took aboard their… mothership,"

"They experimented on you didn't they?" Todd finished for her. "They turned you into this,"

Her eyes dropped to the floor. Without her saying a word Todd knew the answer. "Yes,"

She pulled off her worn gloves to reveal not hands of flesh but metallic claws. Todd gently took one into his hands. The palm was covered in a thick dark brown leather that reminded him of a dogs paw pad. The back was plated in black metal scales and each finger was tipped in an amber claw. A similar colour ring around her wrist like a bracelet.

"We have to tell someone," he stated.

"Wait, what?" Kelsey and Wilson started in unison.

"The government, the army, heck maybe even NASA. If there are aliens going around abducting people then the people have a right to know,"

"Todd," Kelsey started to protest.

"How many others have been taken?" Todd glared down.

"Todd! It was just me," She rose to her feet. "And we don't have to tell anyone,"

"Why?"

"There are already people working on it." She said, "And besides what would be stopping the government from risking me away and poking and prodding me like some sort of freak?"

Todd hesitated. He couldn't deny that was some truth in his sisters words. The thought of someone taking her away from his forever made him sick to his stomach. He had lost her once, He wasn't going to lose her again.

Power thrummed inside of Julien's veins. He was close enough to taste it. The sixth gem called to him like a sirens song. An insatiable hunger drove him forward. To who that hunger belonged to Julien could no longer tell. Malic's thirst swirled around him like a whirlwind pulling him further into the abyss.

A shadowy tendril swept away a line of guards off the catwalk. The Shadows cloaked him in an impervious armour protecting him from the blast of the futuristic looking guns and weaponry. The plasma blasts were harmlessly absorbed into the inky darkness.

A tall dark haired woman aimed a massive bazooka at him its muzzle glowed with intensity as it charged. An electric blue fury filled her eyes as she fired. A towering wall darkness intercepted the blast. As the wall was torn to shreds he summoned a darkling. Its claws tore the bazooka to pieces. She shouted as it tossed her into a wall.

Numerous darklings already were already dealing with all the other guards. Tearing and slashing into their ranks. Some of their weaponry was somewhat effective in destroying the creatures. A fruitless endeavour as for every darkling destroyed two more took its place.

The darkling raised its sharpened digits over the incapacitated woman.

'Stop' He silently willed it. 'Don't kill her,'

'She is an enemy and will stop at nothing to bar you from your goal.'

'We're not here to kill,' Julien stated firmly, 'Only to take the gem and leave,'

An indistinct grumbling echoed in the back of his mind. 'Very well. But might I suggest a method of keeping her at bay?'

Julien smirked at Malic's suggestion. An emerald glow enveloped his shadow clad hand. The woman writhed as the green light consumed her. In a brief moment a spectacled cobra took her place. He silently ordered it slither away and hide. It obediently followed.

Pressing forward Julien followed the panthers call down a series of hallways. Every turn he was met more armed guards. He dealt with them swiftly and efficiently. Summoning darklings and pulling on the gems' powers and enveloping them in an rainbow of corrupted lights.

Soon the halls were filled with panicked beast of all kinds. Crows, ravens and magpies took to the skies as deer and sheep stampeded. Snakes slithered around the paws of bears. Bestial cries stood in stark contrast with the blaring mechanical alarms.

He soon found what he was looking for. A great vault door stood in his way. A meter thick slab of metal more than five meters around. Made to keep everyone out. A pair of darklings rose from the corners, wrapping their thin limbs around it a ripped it out like it was made of cardboard.

Rows of lockboxes and safes greeted him as he stepped inside. He didn't need to search them all to find the panther. Its presence was strong as ever. He made a beeline for the lockbox and yanked it out of the wall.

There in all its sparkling golden glory was the panther. A gem that would make his desires come real. This made everything worth it. Soon his mother will be saved.

"Freeze!" Julien raised his head to see a tall blond haired boy aiming his watch at him. Next to him was a large muscular man and a girl his age.

"What are you going to do? Give me the time?" Julien mocked.

"Test me and you'll find out," He challenged.

"I've got what I wanted." Julien dangled the gem from his fingers. "So I'll take my leave,"

"Not If Java have anything to say," The large man charged. Blondie shouted something as the panther thrummed with power. In a brilliant flash of golden light the caveman fell to ground. Spotted fur erupted from his writhing form. Formidable fangs sprouted from his jaws. A large sabre tooth cat rose in Java's place.

"Why don't you keep you friends entertained for while," Julien ordered the beast. The beast stalked his friends with glittering golden eyes. Julien did not wait to see the outcome as he stepped through a shadowy portal.

He had far greater matters to attend to.