I had Shape Shifting with Willow next. When we got there, I saw Brooke, Branwen and Finch, along with loads of other people. Around 35 people in total.

"Wow."

"Yes, it is half of our year!"

"Only half?" I was very nervous about doing Shape Shifting in front of thins many people. Look what happened in E.M! And I had already tried before with Air and Flame.

Branwen bounced over to us, with Finch looking bemused and Brooke following with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Hi! I'm Branwen, this is Finch and Brooke!"

"It is nice to meet you."

I dragged Brooke away from the others.

"What's the matter?"

She looked at me, outraged.

She jabbed a finger in the direction of Willow.

"She is an Air! An Air!"

I shook my head, confused.

"So?"

"So? So Air's are all graceful and peacekeeping and nice!"

"Then what is the problem Brooke?" I was starting to get annoyed.

"Air's are airheads! mindless, sociable sheep! And you made friends with one!"

Ah.

"Excuse me, I may be an Air, and graceful and maybe nice, and I am quite stupid, but not mindless or sociable. I like to climb trees and run around and I am curious, and my fellow Air's would make fun of me if I showed that. I believe mortals have an expression. Don't judge a duck by it's feathers." Willow cut in. How had she crept up on us so quickly?

"It's don't judge a book by it's cover." Both of the girls glared at me.

"But that's irrelevant."

Brooke began to say something, but was interrupted by a very... normal looking woman.

She wore a blue cloak and black jeans with a t-shirt that said SLEEP, EAT, SHIFT, REPEAT. Her hair fell in loose blonde waves to the shoulders.

She went up to me and smiled, a flash of fear was in her eyes for a second. "Hi, you must be Cariad. I am Mistress Lucie of Water Tower."

I smiled back, she was so nice! She reminded me a little of Matilda. I missed her already.

"Hi. Um, I haven't ever done this before. To be honest I only just discovered I had powers and how to use them. And I haven't tried to control Water yet!" I was so much more nervous than I had thought.

"Don't worry, normally everybody shifts on the second or third try. I shifted on the fifth try! And now if shift into my swan as easily as if had been doing it all my life. Which, in a way, I have!"

"Your swan?"

"Each Weathemental shifts into something unique to them. For instance, I shift into a swift. Water Weathementals shift into fish or sea-birds. Air's shift into birds, Earth's into forest animals and Flame's into animals that frequent tropical areas." Willow explained.

"I shift into a heron, and believe me, I found it very difficult at first! But now I can't dream of not flying, even if I have only been shifting for a year and a half." Branwen said.

"Yes, but normally it is easy. It takes a while to adjust though! It's quite funny. I had a few falls when I tried to jump from a tree when I first shifted into my squirrel." Finch said.

"Your a squirrel!?!?" I nearly collapsed laughing as Finch blushed.

"I wonder what you will shift into?" Brooke mused.

I frowned.

"'Cause I am all elements... Oh dear, what if I don't shift?" I started to panic.

"That won't happen. You will shift into a rather unusual animal, but you will be able to shift." Mistress Lucie assured me before wandering off to the next group.

"Yeah, don't worry!

I turn into a hedgehog. A hedgehog! How boring is that?" Brooke exclaimed.

I laughed. "How sweet."

"Okay, listen up guys! Today is the last lesson of S.S." A cluster of groans followed Mistress Lucie's statement.

I was shocked. This was my first, yet last lesson of Shapeshifting?

"We will help you. After a year and a half we are experts!" Branwen comforted me. I had barely known these people for a day and already they were reading my thoughts.

"Is... Is mind-reading another weird power here?" I wasn't sure.

They laughed.

There was my answer.

"I'll miss you all! But let's make this last lesson special. Let's go outside and you can do whatever you want...an I prepared a surprise for you." Everyone laughed and ran up to her. I smiled, feeling sick from the fluttering sensation in my stomach.

"What about her?" My throat was tight, my voice hoarse.

I grabbed a random bowl so I wouldn't have to talk.

"Are you ready Cariad?" Brooke came up to us just as I was stuffing my face with frozen jam flavoured ice cream with meringue and strawberry. I froze, the spoon half way to my mouth.

"For what?"

"Shifting, of course. What else? Mistress Lucie is waiting." I glanced over to see her smiling at me. I grinned, reluctantly putting the bowl down and going over to her.

"What a pig! Did you see the way she shovelled ice cream into her mouth? How disgusting!" Aneira sneered loudly as I walked past. I slumped, immediately regretting the amount I had eaten.

"You are enjoying the food then sweetheart?"

I smiled guiltily.

"So you have never shifted before?"

"No."

"What a loser. She is like a child!" Those familiar words struck home and I flinched. Finch noticed too, and he marched angrily over to the giggling group.

Aneira giggled flirtatiously and stepped forward to run her fingers down his chest.

"Hello there handsome bird." He pushed her off, furious, just as Aeron, Aniera's boyfriend, noticed what was happening.

"Keep your mouth shut about my girl, or I will shut it for you." Finch growled. I was pleasantly surprised. His girl?

Aneira frowned, and Aeron stepped in front of her.

"You will have to go through me first, Squirrel. " He towered over Finch, and I pulled him away from Aeron.

"Just leave it. Come on."

"That's right you coward, hide behind a mouse!"

I whirled around, and got right up into his face.

"You hypocritical fish! Finch is more of a man than you'll ever be! And just now your girlfriend was hitting on him you blind fool. He is not a coward, and never will be so back off!" I was terrified because although I was tall for my age, Aeron was still a foot taller than me.

I turned around and walked back to Mistress Lucie with exaggerated calmness.

"So Miss, how do you shift?" She gaped at me for a second before smiling.

"Close your eyes, and empty your head of all thoughts." Great, I was so mad at Aneira and co. right now. And I was supposed to empty my head of all thoughts

"Have you done it?" I nodded guiltily.

"Step forward, and imagine that your stepping out of your body and into another."

I stepped forward, feeling foolish as I left my scarred body, and entered another, perfect one.

I felt so strong, like I could destroy anything. I was too thrilled with my blood boiling with adrenaline to hear the shouts and gasps of fear all around me. I was a bird, I could fly higher than the highest mountain and soar across seas. I was invincible. I opened my eyes, wandering what I had become. To my shock, I towered above everybody. Above the trees, even. Everyone was cowering in amazement of my glory. Everything seemed more detailed, the colours more vibrant. I could see for miles, but the castle was still large compared to my new height. What was I? A giraffe? But I had wings!

I looked down at myself to see red skin. No, not skin. Scales. Red, diamond hard, shiny scales that covered me from head to foot. I felt old and wise, as well as full of energy and unstoppable.

I shuffled forward, not seeing the people run from my clawed feet. I imagined being back in my flawed human skin, and I opened my eyes. I was still an animal. I began to panic, the fear rising up inside of me like a tidal wave. I tried to ask Mistress Lucie how to shift back, but only a strangled whine came from between my jaws. I crouched down on to all fours, carefully avoiding the tiny Weathementals, and looked worriedly towards my friends.

"CLOSE YOUR EYES! THINK OF BEING HUMAN!" Branwen yelled. I flinched at the loud noise, and nodded. I thought of running through the forest, of dancing with Finch,of laughing with my new friends and my family back home. I thought of being happy, of singing my favourite songs with Matilda on a Saturday night watching Pitch Perfect.

When I opened my eyes, I was human again. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks." Everybody just stared at me in shock.

"What? What was I? Why couldn't I shift back?"

Brooke finaly gathered her wits enough to tell me.

"You were... a dragon. The dragon. Y Ddraid Goch."