Hidden Wings - Part I

Happy Birthday

The full moon shone brightly on the August night.
The light from the white orb chased away the darkness under the thick trees and casted a soft silvery glow, that seemed almost magical.

A girl, a teenager actually, stood under a pine tree in nothing but her pajamas.

Long, silver wings with white tips on their feathers sprouted from her back and elegantly touched the mossy ground.

It was 11:59 p.m. on the third of August.

And in one minute, Jessamine would turn thirteen.

This birthday would be different than the others before, she could feel it.

When the moon started to rise, her blood had rushed through her veins, her senses sharpening.
Her magic was pulsating around her uncontrollably, and streaks of silver light shone on Jessamine's skin, forming patterns and creating a sort of mask on her face.

12:00 p.m.
Midnight.

Jessamine felt her body heat up. Her eyes glowed in the dark shadow of the tree, and a silver light encased her body like a cocoon. Bones were elongating, her skin stretched and was pulled into several directions, and Jessamine bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out in pain.

She shut her eyes deeply, wishing that it would be over soon. Thousands of little needles seemed to be stabbing her from all sides, poking her until she thought her skin had to be completely raw.

What would it feel like?

She had been a human for five years and had forgotten how it was to be a Silverwing.

After another moment, the ache in her body finally vanished.

Jessamine could feel she was standing on all fours, her hands and feet felt different. Thrumming through her with power was her magic, from head to toe, and Jessamine had never felt stronger than now.

Slowly, she anxiously opened her eyes, not sure what to expect.
Everything seemed to be clearer, the darkness seemed less intense. Every green leaf and little insect caught her eye, she heard the slightest rustle of leaves and smelled different scents in the air.

Wood, wet grass, faint traces of human.

Jessamine turned her head left and right to get used to the new sensation, her neck was longer and she could almost see completely around her head.
Moving carefully, she set on foot in front of the other, her hooves thudding softly on the forest ground.
First, she couldn't get her four legs to coordinate at the same time, but she soon found her rhythm.

Trotting over to a small pond, Jessamine lowered her head to see her reflection.

A Silverwing stared back at her, eyes green and her hair a glowing white.
Her horn was a silver spiral, elegantly twisted into a sharp tip at the top.

Jessamine opened her wings and softly beat them up and down. Making a slight swooshing sound, her wings created a wind that whirled leaves around her.

Joy filled Jessamine and she nickered happily.

She was finally in her real form again.

Rearing up on her hind legs, Jessamine neighed overjoyed and rushed forward to gallop through the forest.

Trees brushed past her in a green blur while Jessamine ran, as fast as the wind. Her strong legs carried her over brooks and rocks, she jumped over bushes and sometimes spread her wings to fly low between the trees.

After a the while, she put on a disguise all Silverwings instinctively had. Her wings went invisible, yet they were there, and her fur color turned to a pure white. To anybody else, she'd look like a unicorn.