"Welcome to the 100th anniversary of the tribal unity under our great leaders! This year we have a hot new set of guardians to keep things fresh!" An announcer shouts into a microphone as a camera pans on a long red carpet with roses, lilies, peonies and daisies lining it in honor of the special guests.
The camera man suddenly swings from the announcer to the end of the red carpet as four limos pull up one after another.
The door to the first limo is opened and a very tall young man with striped hair steps out. He holds out his hand to a young lady inside the limo and she steps out as well. They both begin to walk down the carpet path with arms intertwined.
The young woman seems very irritated and the young man looks indifferent.
"And the first guardian of the night has arrived! The guardian of the wild, the prowling beast whom defeated the lion, Tiger! And who is that walking with him? Could it be his tigres?"
The announcer kept talking about Tiger as the next limo pulled up. This one had a very prominent bumper sticker of a mouse with a winky face.
"Hello anniversary!" A young child said as they hopped out of the limo. The child wore a traditional red and grey dress and seemed to be a young girl but had very androgynous features.
The child pouted when they noticed that the announcer hadn't announced their arrival and began whining and complaining to their body guard who stepped out with them.
"I wanna be announced too Sam!" They complained.
The announcer finally took notice and ran over, dragging the camera man with them.
"And here we have the tiny but mighty mouse guardian! Give him some love!" The announcer shouted as the crowd on either side of the carpet cheered and clapped.
Mouse puffed his cheeks and started stomping down the path grumpily.
Sam and the announcer sweat dropped at the temperamental child.
Behind them the next limo pulled up and out stepped a very beautiful young lady with fins instead of ears and long silky teal hair. Her outfit was less traditional and very revealing, having a strapless cocktail dress that barely managed to cover her privates.
The young woman flipped her hair and then grabbed the microphone from the announcer.
"I can announce myself thank you, now hello world and welcome me! Siren!" She said arrogantly and carelessly tossed the microphone back to the announcer who barely caught it.
The announcer seemed bewildered but quickly shook their head as the last limo pulled up.
"Now our next guardian is very special! She is the daughter of the first ever Dove to take guardianship for their tribe, taking the seat from the infamous wolf clan that held it for hundreds of years! I give you, Dove!" The first thing everyone saw was long strands of wavy silver hair with seemed to gleam under the moonlight. The crowd was struck with aw when her face was revealed, soft but beautiful with striking magenta eyes.
"Erm, hello" she softly said with a smile and stepped out of the limo, helping an older woman out of the limo who held just as much beauty. The older woman was curvaceous and had pale purple hair.
"Let's go mum" Dove said softly and the whole crowd was immediately captured by her softness and grace.
Dove walked down the carpet path and towards the building that would host the festivities and also where she and the other guardians would be staying.
Dove knew that this would be a very long and nerve-racking festival but she was excited to finally have a footing in the world.
.
.
.
It was late in the night but Dove was still awake. She stood at her balcony with a melancholy expression on her soft features. Her white hair blew in the wind, looking like a windswept cloud under the moonlight from above.
"Mommy, why is this job you gave me so heavy?" She asked the brisk night air.
Feathers gently sprouted from markings on her cheeks as well as wings expressing themselves from her back. Her bangs were held back as well by a hairline of feathers.
After this graceful transformation, the gruesome part began to occur.
Her bones began to snap loudly and her body contorted and condensed. Her iris's became larger and her eyes themselves became smaller. Feathers grew all around her body and her arms receded inwards as her chest expanded and then shrunk. Her face elongated as her facial bones cracked the grinded against each other until the burst forth and created a beak that actively shrank with each passing moment.
Before long, her form had become that of her namesake, a Dove.
She ruffled her feathers for a quick minute and then took off into the night's sky. Her white feathers gleamed like pearls under the moonlight.
Unbeknownst to her, a vicious predator waited in the shadows to catch her. She dived down obliviously straight into the danger zone.
Suddenly it struck. The large four legged monster jumped out from the shadows and bit down on one of her wings, staining the white feathers red.
She let out pained chirps and cries for help but help was out of reach for her. Her only chance would be to change into a human and attempt to run for she could not fly.
The predator seemed to be counting on it as he himself began to shift. His bones cracking and rearranging with swift yet vulgar speed. His fur retreated into his skin and his elongated snout crunched and cracked backwards into an acceptable human face.
Dove attempted to shift back but ultimately she could not. Her injury prevented her from doing so without seriously crippling her arm so she stayed as she was.
The now man growled at the fact that she wasn't shifting and spit her out into the dirt.
He then grabbed a nearby stick and poked her with it a couple times.
"Oi, you best be shifting soon or else this will become a lot more awkward princess" the man said angrily.
Dove finally decided to comply now that she was out of his mouth and far away enough that she could safely shift her arm,
Dove's transformation back was a reversed version of her shift into a dove. The only difference was that a couple feathers remained in her hair.
She sat on the ground with her thighs closed and her hands covering as much of her naked body as they could. Her arm was still bleeding severely but it did not effect her ethereal beauty under the full moon's light.
The man was taken aback for a moment but quickly regained his threatening composure.
"May I have your name?" She asked politely, despite her current situation.
"You want my name after I just attacked you? Are you insane?" He asked and growled while moving closer.
"Well it's only fair that I know the name of my assailant"
His face displayed a lazy but amused smile and he ran his fingers through his hair.
"I suppose fair is fair, it's wolf" he introduced with a mocking bow.
"Dove, charmed" she stiffly introduced as well and then closed her eyes.
"Make it as quick or slow as you see fit, I have been expecting this for a long time" she lifted her head upwards with dignity.
"Such a shame to kill a beauty such as yourself, maybe I should keep you and say I killed you" he playfully said.
She left her body being lifted off the ground, her back and legs being supported in a bridal position.
Dove opened her eyes and gave him a skeptical but surprised look.
"Why would the wolf tribe guardian wish to keep the guardian of your enemy?" Dove asked in confusion, her brows knitting together while trying to comprehend it.
"Who knows? I don't really have to tell you my reasons though" he shrugged and started walking in the direction of the forest.
"It's not my place to ask, but could you please let my mum know that I'm still alive?" She looked up at her assailant and now kidnapper hopefully.
"Fair is fair"