Mercury

A tiny pup opened his eyes for the first time, squinting against the glow of the moonlight and glittering grass that surrounded him in this otherwise dark place. He quickly realized that something felt wrong - he was not supposed to be here. He didn't hear the heartbeats of his mother and his sibling which he had grown accustomed to in the dark chamber where he had spent the past many moons, waiting to emerge into the world. This was not the world that he imagined.

A fog of lunar dust swirled around the pup, and suddenly he was not alone. Another pup, dark brown with hollow eyes, materialized from the dust and peered down at him quietly. It did not look like it belonged here either, as if it was trapped in this realm just as he was. It tilted its head, expressionless, and a voice echoed in the young pup's head: "You should not be here. It isn't time yet."

It lowered it's head and the two wolf pups touched noses briefly. A jolt of electricity shocked through the pup - he felt like he was set ablaze. His fur, once a shade of deep amber, began to sparkle dark blue. Light streamed from his body, exploding through his fur in ornate patterns. His eyes glowed as brightly as the moon itself. Everything went dark once again.

--

He took a sharp breath. His first breath. New smells filled his nostrils - earth, fur, milk. He could not see, but he could hear. Heartbeats. The whimpers of his brothers and sisters. And a panicked voice that he recognized instinctually as his mother. "Please, please wake up" he heard the voice echoing in the cave over and over again. Then suddenly, with palpable relief, "Oh, my sweet pup, you are alive."

--

As the months turned into years, Mercury became a skilled hunter and scout, and an asset to his pack. But he always felt... different. When the sun would set and he closed his eyes, he would dream of a fantastical world with glowing flowers, glittering fog, and strange beasts. In a way, this strange place felt like home. When he would awake, a gnawing thought would always arise - was he a visitor in the Dreamlands, or simply a visitor in the living world?