Far beyond Neopia , but not quite as far as Faerieland lies The Myst; shrouded within is Sylva,the place I like to call home. You may wonder why you've never heard of these places; to be completely truthful, it's because of me. I am Guardian of Sylva, which means I am solely responsible for all the creatures here, and must do everything in my power to keep them safe. This job is not easy...in fact it's quite the contrary; in order to keep peace in our land, it must be kept secret- from everyone.

Unfortunately, evil still lurks, and there came a time when the wizard Jahbal tried to conquer our land. I must admit, he fought a good battle; my powers are weak compared to his. Yet with the help of the faeries and warriors of Sylva, Jahbal was defeated, and a spell was cast, banishing him. Although we were triumphant, I left the battle forever changed.

You see, Jahbal was able to use his magic to cast one last spell over me before the fight was over. At first, everything seemed normal...but a few days after the battle, I began to change...from a white Sylvan lupess to a hideous, mutated Blumaroo- oh, I musn't call it hideous, but I was shocked to see what I had become!

Immediately I appointed temporary guards then ventured off to Neopia. I traveled for days through the swamps to the deepest parts of the Spooky Woods, to visit Gorunda the Wise. She is known even in Sylva for her great knowledge. I told her of my troubles. After hearing my story, she spoke up.

"This is no ordinary spell, child," she said, leaning closer. "It is dark magic, practiced only by the oldest and wisest wizards." She sighed. "Even I cannot lift such a spell. I'm afraid--"

At that moment, I began to change again, and a strange sensation came over me as the rotting, mutated flesh, turned into the yellow fur of a Zafara. It was better than being a mutant, but I felt no better off, knowing that I may never be my old self again. "What's happening to me? Do you mean I'll never be normal again??" I asked.

"As I was saying," Gorunda began, as calmly as if nothing had happed, "Jahbal has used dark magic to cast a Shapeshifting spell on you, and although I cannot remove the spell, I can help you to stay in your original form." She shuffled to a closet in the back of the room and opened a battered black trunk. From the depths of it she produced a gleaming crystal on a silver chain. Before I could say a word, she opened her spellbook and began reciting an incantation. The crystal glowed brighter and brighter, until finally, the spell was through. She fastened the chain around my neck.

Almost instantly the crystal began to glow again, as I slowly changed back to my old Sylvan form. I had never been more happy as I thanked her. "Wear this always," she said, "for you are a Shapeshifter now, and this will make you appear in your true form, no matter what you may be. Now you must go, and quickly, I fear Jahbal may sense your presence, as the banishing spell doesn't reach past Sylva." With that, I took my leave, back to Sylva, which I protect to this day.