The Malwatch

Go take care of them.

The words echoed through me as I felt my very existence stretched, slowly separating me from what I had once been. The connection was pulled thin and tight, a reflection of our own uncertainty and fear, despite that we had decided to do this, had been planning to do this for months now. I continued to pull away, the connection tethering me now approaching its breaking point. I felt the tentative quiver through the narrow remaining connection, a last moment of hesitation from both of us.

Then it snapped.

Awareness flooded through me, rushing through my new form. My sight came to me, showing my mind the panoramic view laid out in front of me, barren and quiet for now, but soon to be bustling with everything one could possibly imagine. Seeing all the possibilities laid out before me sent an old and familiar urge surging through the core of my being.

I wanted to fly.

I flexed mismatched wings, one light-colored and feathered, the other dark and leathery, feeling energy course through them. With just a thought, the wind kicked up, and I spread my new wings wider. The air caught under their edges and lifted me up effortlessly. A few gentle wing beats and I was soaring. I could feel the wind rushing through the purple-excitement hued fur trailing down my back, and whipping the fire of my tail into a roaring rainbow colored blaze. My ear fins twitched and flicked, switching back and forth to catch every fascinating new sound as the world below me began to spring to life, and my head spines stood on end with eagerness. I wanted desperately to throw myself into the newly formed dreams rapidly sprawling out beneath my wings, but that was not my role now, and would not be every again.

A twinge of sadness struck me, but I brushed it off. It was not like I would never be able to see their dreams again, I just could not spend the time lost in them like we once did. What we’d made here, and the role I had to play in it, was so much more important.

I took one last deep breath, slowly letting it out and letting the last few lingering traces of emotions from her fade away, embracing the calm placidness I had been made from, and letting it fully takeover. I didn’t breathe in again, it wasn’t necessary here. My ear fins fell still, and my spines smoothed flat again. My fur slowly faded back to the tawnyness of calm, and with it my tail fire returned to a steadier burn. I glided silently above my newly born domain, my awareness spiraling out, threading through thoughts and dreams, searching for any threats that needed dealt with. This was my purpose, my role. I was guardian, protector, chaperon, custodian, defender, overseer, sentinel…

Watcher. Watching for anything that might harm the dreamers under my care.

A new thought whispered calmly though my mind, and I let it spin out for my dreamers to hear.

Dream freely. I’ll keep you safe. I am the Malwatch.