Thorin was pacing her guard tower, her hooves softly clicking against the cobblestone flooring. Her sunset mane flowing slowly down her back and stopping mid-back. Her wings were set tightly against her sides to better hide herself from intruders approaching the castle. She looked across the drawbridge at the other guard, Ghost.

Ghost was a skeleton of a stallion, with no flesh except for on his feet and his face. His mane was a soft orange color, and made up of flames. His tail was the same, as were his skeleton wings surrounded in a soft veil of fire. Ghost nodded at Thorin and gazed out at the outlands, standing alert for any new intruders.

Thorin felt with her mind across the outlands for any suspicious characters heading their way.

You are a very nosy guard. Do you realize that? Stop looking out here and get back to your job. I'm coming, like it or not. A voice told her. This same voice was talking to her every time she tried to see in the outlands for people.

Yes I realize. She responded for the first time with a shaky voice. But it is my job and as a warrior of these lands, I need to know if you intend to harm us or not. There was no response and she stamped her hoof impatiently.

Keep your temper. I have no quarrel with you. I intend only to deliver a message to your mistress, Sakura. The voice said. Thorin blew a strand of sunset colored hair from her face.

And what would that message be? She asked.

That is for me to know, and Sakura to find out. The voice answered. I must go. Tell your servants to prepare a small meal of apples and sugar for me, with a saucer of milk by the side mixed with healing poultices. Also, a bedding of pine leaves if you would be so kind. The voice stopped abruptly and any signal of life was lost to Thorin. She tossed her mane angrily and turned to Ghost.

"Ghost, gather the servants, I need them to prepare something for our guest. The guest should arrive soon, do not worry." She called. Ghost nodded and turned, uttering a loud shriek. One of his servants appeared, and Ghost urged them to Thorin.

"Get a small meal of apples and sugar cubes with a saucer of healing milk by the side. If you could, add in a bedding of pine leaves and goose feathers." She reported. The servant bowed respectively.

"But we save all of our goose and swan feathers for the Mistress, Sakura." the servant replied. Thorin huffed a breath of annoyance and rolled her almond shaped eyes.

"Get the griffin feathers then, but make it quick, we might not have much time." As if on cue, there was a sound at the drawbridge of a hoof knocking. Thorin panicked and reverted to her human form, with the same sunset colored hair and black jacket on dark blue jeans.

"Quickly!" she hissed. In a matter of moments, the food was there, but the bedding was taking forever.

Im waiting... the voice called.

Hold on one moment please. Thorin replied, her heart skipping a beat as the bedding finally drifted into view by the moment the drawbridge fell down. She gasped at who it was, but why was she gasping? She had never seen this person before in her life.

It looked, kind of mean actually. With an evil-looking helmet and lots of black clothing, and a necklace with red beads and a feather on it.

Hey. How's it goin'? The voice asked as the person smirked underneath his helmet. Thorin reverted to her tiger form, staying close to the ground with her lip curled up revealing a devilish snarl.

"Who are you?" she snarled. The person laughed and twitched his finger. Thorin flipped over onto her back with paws flailing in the air. Ghost lunged forward, and with a flick of the strangers wrist, Ghost flew back and collided with a wall. This time, every guard stampeded forward, spears raised and whatever weaponry they could find raised and pointed at the stranger. The stranger snapped and everyone stopped and clutched at their throats, faces turning a cherry red, then a blue before they fell to the ground, Lifeless. Thorin changed back to human form, but it was not of her doing. She looked around at the dead or unconscious people near her. Citizens of her town that it was her job to protect, were dying or dead. She turned back to the stranger, who was enjoying his milk and an apple. He took off his helmet and smiled.

I will allow you to see this. Remember that I will change my form each time you see me. So, hi. He actually said. He has a demonic grin with a blue tongue and pure white hair. The whites of his eyes were black, and his colored ring was white.

"You-You said you were delivering a message." Thorin rasped, dark spots flashing across her vision. The stranger smiled his demonic grin and stuck his blue tongue out teasingly.

"I am. I have to tell Sakura that Nether is taking over!" he replied, messing with Thorin's hair. "Silly Thorin, what did you think I was doing? Allying myself with her? Bringing good fortune? Well, you were wrong." He snapped his fingers and her vision went black, except for a picture of the stranger with his tongue out teasingly and words at the bottom of the picture. Silly Thorin. You never were the sharpest knife in the kitchen.