"Ohh, how cute! Are they yours?" Sophia asked condescendingly as her group stared at me with big eyes.

"What do you want me to say?!" Lizzie linked hurriedly.

"Say yes! I have an amazing surprise for her." Lizzie tried to hide the small grin upon her face.

"Yes, they are, and they are the sweetest," Lizzie answered, "Would you like to hold one?"

I barked, and wagged my tail, trying to be as adorable as I could. All of the girls had a look of cuteness in their eyes. Good.

Sophia didn't even give a response as she reached for me. I let her grab me, but once she tried petting me I bit her hand. It wasn't enough to draw blood, but it would still hurt.

She dropped me, but Nicole was able to catch me before I hit the ground.

"WHAT A RABID BEAST! STUPID DOG!" Our group tried to hide our glee at what I had done. Then she reached for Barry.

I growled a warning, but she didn't heed it as Barry squirmed in her arms. I couldn't take it anymore! I barked at the top of my lungs as I shifted Sophia into a puppy, and Barry into a bird.

Barry flew into the trees, and I saw him perch on a branch to watch. Lizzie and Nicole stared at me in horror, and watched Sophia, who seemed unaware of her condition. She watched Barry fly off into the trees, and then noticed that she was smaller now. She looked down at her paws, and spun in a circle as she looked at her tail.

She stared at me as she let out a nasty mouthful of words.

She ran towards me, falling more than once, "You did this!!"

I ran into the trees, and I could tell that Barry was flying over me. Sophia ran after me, and I made a sharp turn, and shifted to a bird to fly away. I found Barry, and we flew back together as we heard the furious barks from below.

When we neared the edge of the forest, I flew to the side of our group, still out of sight, before shifting us back. We walked back hand in hand to the group.

"Hi Lizzie and Nicole! How's it going?" Both were staring at me like I had gone mad. Then I remembered to shift Sophia back. This was going to be interesting.

"Speak of the devil..." Nicole mumbled, looking at the trees.

Out of the trees stomped Sophia. She had a few sticks in her hair, as well as mud on her hands and face. She looked around wildly, "WHERE ARE YOUR STUPID DOGS?!"

Sophia's group started to back away slowly, and I didn't blame them. Sophia had murder in her eyes. Nicole spoke calmly despite the circumstances, "They will probably come back eventually, but we just found them this morning."

Her rage grew with the words, but when she opened her mouth, no words came out. Her eyes drifted to Barry, and her entire stance changed.

She giggled, "Hi Barry."

Barry waved, "Hi."

"So do you want to go out on a..."

"No."

"K, see you later! Toodles!" Sophia squealed, and wiggled her fingers as she skipped away.

She mumbled under her breath, slapping herself in the forehead while going away to her group, leaving us laughing once she was out of hearing range.

Nicole was rolling on the ground, "I don't know what just happened, but it was amazing!"

I chuckled, but then focused, "So, do you think she's smart enough to figure out my Gift?"

Nicole had stopped laughing, but was breathing hard, "Nah. She will probably blame it on something else."

"Now what?" I sat down on the ground. That was hilarious. Nicole was sitting up once more, draping an arm across Lizzie.

"Now, we can do whatever. I was thinking possibly we go on a ride? I feel full of energy, now that I have my highlight of the week." Nicole babbled.

"Sure," I responded. I backed away before shifting into a dragon, much to the surprise of everyone else. 

"You know, I was thinking horses, or something to that degree. But sure, why not? It's not like you were trying to hide your Gift, so lets just ride a dragon, sounds great."

I turned my head to look at her, and rolled my eyes. "Just get on." 

Nicole got up, and walked around me, observing my form. I could feel that Lizzie was skeptical, and I turned my head to look at her.

She stared at me wide-eyed, and she walked towards me. She put a hand on my snout, and smoke flared out of my nostrils.

"It's okay, I'm not going to eat you." I teased. She climbed up on my back, and wrapped her arms around my neck. No matter how hard she could squeeze, I knew that it wouldn't hurt me. I was big enough to fit five more people, and so Lizzie's hands barely made it halfway around my neck.

Nicole tried to climb on, but she slipped on my scales, and fell on the ground. She let out a groan, and got back on her feet to try again. I tried to get even lower to the ground, which meant fully laying on my stomach. This time, she leapt onto my back, and nearly slid all the way across to the other side of me.

Then I stood still. How was everyone else going to hold on?

"Barry, could you get some rope?" My voice came out in a rumble, or growl. Nicole looked to Barry from where she was sitting on the ground once again. She repeated it, confused by where Barry would get such a thing.

Barry pulled out a piece of paper, and a pen from his pocket, and drew a coil of rope, before blowing on it and making it physical.

"That's new," Stated Nicole, Lizzie nodding in agreement.

"Tie it around my neck, and then tie it around everyone's waist." I voiced to Lizzie. She took the rope, and did what I asked.

Nicole took many more attempts to get on my back, and eventually was pulled up by the rope. Barry got on fairly easily by himself, and everyone was secured.

Once I made sure that they were all ready, I stood up, and kicked off the ground.

I beat my wings as I ascended into the sky. Lizzie's grip tightened the higher we went, and I soon leveled out at a glide.

I barely needed to beat my wings as we soared above the endless yard. I felt a rope tighten around my neck and I turned my head. Nicole was standing up near my tail, her arms in the wind.

I faced forward once more, and then I felt a hard tug, and something grabbed my tail. I looked back once more, and Nicole was holding onto my tail for dear life. She screamed into the air, and laughed. Apparently she was fine.

I swished my tail around playfully, and she continued laughing. Then I dove in a tight formation, and pulled up before we hit he ground. There was a series of screams on my back, and then whoops of joy.

I backwinged into a soft landing, and once everyone got off, I shifted back. I slid off the ropes, and stared at the group.

Nicole just had the time of her life, "Much better than horses."

I laughed, and Barry came up to me. He draped his arm around my shoulders.

"I think I like real animals better." He whispered.

I shifted into an owl, and I perched on Barry's shoulder. Barry stumbled a bit from lack of something to lean on, but regained balance quickly. I was careful with my talons, and made sure that they didn't even pierce his clothes.

"Nice." Nicole butted in. I opened my beak and let out a tiny hoot.  I pushed off of Barry's shoulder, and flew in a circle around their heads before landing on the ground and shifting back.

"Could I try that?" Lizzie asked me softly.

I shifted her into a small owl, and picked her up, I was positive she didn't know how to fly. She faced away from me, and opened her mouth, and a screech came out. She beat her wings frantically, but she was moving them in all the wrong directions.

She shook her head, so I set her down and shifted her back. She looked at me quizzically, "How do you do that?"

"Flying? Just, falling through the sky. Ask Barry, he knows all about it" I answered. Her head darted to Barry, and I could tell they had a small mental conversation before she seemed satisfied.

"Does anyone else want to shift into something? I'm in a good mood." I put out there.

Barry looked at me strangely, "Aren't you always in a good mood?"

"Yeah, but right now I'm in a giving good mood," I clarified, "So, does anyone?"

Nicole spoke up, "Could I be a wolf?"

Lizzie also made a request, "Can I be a deer?"

I nodded, and shifted them to their forms, and I turned to Barry, wrapping my arms around his neck, "What would you like to do now?"

We walked around in silence, and I was mildly amused by the galloping deer, and the lone wolf running after her.

Out of nowhere, Barry took me in his arms, and kissed me. I was taken off guard, and couldn't react in time to do anything. He held me soft but strong in his arms, but it was short-lived. It lasted only a moment; and when he let me go, he smiled at me from where he stood. He commenced to pick me up once more, pinning my arms to my sides. He started walking to a small pond, and dropped me in with a scream.

The cold water touched my skin as I opened my eyes and surfaced. Barry took off his shirt and jumped in after me. I laughed as I tried to swim away from him as he raced towards me. I started to swim, and he picked up speed. I dove under the water as the world quieted once more. I looked up as Barry dove after me. Bubbles erupted out of my mouth as I tried to let out an excited squeal.

I dove deeper, but soon a hand was on my shoulder, and I was pulled out of the water. Barry held me in his arms, and walked back to the shore before setting me down. He put his shirt back on, and I looked into his eyes, his pools of golden amber. I shifted to a small snake, and wrapped myself between his fingers.

"Don't let Lizzie see you," He teased. I slithered up his arm, and coiled myself around his neck, which was intoxicatingly warm. I fell asleep as he sat in the sun.