Busted

"A police officer? There hasn't been a car on this road for miles… of all the times… oh, jeez, he can't see me can he?" I felt a lump of panic rising in my throat as I pictured myself getting hauled off to a zoo to be prodded by white clad scientists with unpleasant instruments.

"It is highly unlikely… even considering the situation, that particular magic should still function." Guy tried to sound certain, but I could tell he wasn't completely sure of his reply.

I took a chance and looked out the window. The cop had pulled up behind my Prism and had disembarked from the squad car to saunter up to the driver's window. I breathed a sigh of relief as he looked straight through me at Guy.

"Are you the driver of this vehicle?" The officer inquired, dutifully pulling out a clipboard and pen.

"Uh, no." Guy responded nervously.

"I see. Is the driver around?" The policeman looked toward the bushes.

"No."

"Well, I need to talk to the driver of this car. Where are they?"

Guy absentmindedly pointed to me, then quickly lowered his finger. "I- uh, they aren't here right now. Perhaps you could come back later?"

"May I see your license and registration, sir." The officer was starting to look annoyed.

"What is that?" Guy leaned over to me and whispered.

"Don't talk to me, sit up, sit up! You don't have one, it doesn't matter." I shoved Guy away, seeing the policeman raise a suspicious eyebrow.

"Um, I don't have one?" Guy offered.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to step out of the car." The officer slid his clipboard back into a clip on his belt. Confused, Guy unbuckled and got out as he was asked. To my horror, the policeman slapped a set of handcuffs on Guy, and started reciting some legal gibberish.

"What is the meaning of this! This is quite uncalled for!" Guy struggled with the handcuffs, but to no avail.

"This vehicle was reported missing yesterday by the Centerville Police Department, and until you can provide evidence of ownership and identification you are under arrest for the theft of this vehicle and the kidnapping of-"

"I didn't kidnap anyone! How dare you… I would never… Help!" I watched powerlessly as Guy was dragged toward the squad car. My door handle simply wouldn't budge, and Guy had, much to his misfortune, closed the car door after him when he got out. I stared at the open sunroof and swallowed hard. I had no clue how to fly in this form, much less flutter out a sunroof, but I had to try something. Guy was annoying and hazardous to my health, but it was against all virtue to leave a friend behind.

"I'm coming, Guy! I hope…" I scrambled up the back rest of the car seat, hooking claws into the fabric for leverage. For the first time, it dawned on me how completely weird I felt, but I saved my ponderings on this new experience for a later time… hopefully after Guy and I found Harold and got changed back so we could properly hog tie him and dump him in a cave somewhere for all the trouble he caused.

The sunroof was directly above me, and I could easily stand and be halfway out of the car, but there was nothing to grab onto to pull myself out. "Why couldn't my dad buy a freaking luggage rack…" I muttered. I had no other choice, so I opened my wings (a very odd sensation indeed!) and awkwardly scrabbled and flopped around until I managed to get three legs onto the roof. By this time, as I glanced back at Guy, the police officer had successfully shoved the struggling dragon-turned-human into the back of the squad car and was getting into the driver's seat.

"Oh no you don't! I made it out of the damn sunroof, you aren't getting away now!" I crouched on the edge of the roof, spread my wings, and launched myself at the squad car. For a glorious moment, I basked in the exhilarating experience of flight, until I realized the windshield of the police car was approaching quickly. "Oh, sh-" I rammed into the glass head on, and was abruptly assaulted by sparkling dots. I shook my spiky head to clear my vision, and to my satisfaction saw that I had punched a decent sized hole in the window. Through it I spotted Guy staring at me from the back seat, so I tried to flash him a thumbs up, only to realize I lacked proper thumbs. Then I noticed the cop was missing.

"Look out!" Guy shouted, and a shadow fell over me. I spun around and was greeted by a blanket of suffocating blue fabric.

"Hey! Let me out of here! I got ID, you can't arrest me! That's my car! Guy! Oof." I felt myself get tossed onto a springy surface that I assumed was the seat of the squad car. "Guy, you said he couldn't see me!"

"Certainly… but not when you attack him! Why do you think I couldn't assist you at the chicken place?" I heard Guy's response come from somewhere nearby. Then I heard the muffled voice of the dispatcher on the police radio.

"… what is your status?"

"I found some kind of lizard… it attacked me after I subdued the suspect… I've never seen anything like it… it flew at me!" Apparently the police officer had gotten into the car, because I heard his voice right by my head. "I know it sounds crazy… but I recommend sending animal control to take a look at this thing…"

Then, out of nowhere I suddenly got a brilliant idea for escape. "Guy, how do you breath fire?"

There was a pause, then Guy replied, "I don't know if that is very wise…"

"Just tell me how to do it!"

"You kind of tighten the back of your throat, and force air out through your mouth… but don't-"

I didn't hear his next words because the roar of fire filled my ears and flames shot out against the blue fabric that confined me. It was immediately followed by searing pain in my mouth and nose. I spilled out of what was left of the policeman's coat, sputtering and coughing with tears streaming down my snout. "Ohh… my thongue…" I moaned. It felt as though I had just licked a red hot slab of metal. "I tried to warn you!" Guy scolded.

I couldn't see anything through the streaming tears, but I managed to feel my way to the passenger door. I leaned on the door handle and tumbled out into the grass. Behind me, I heard the police officer swearing, and then the sound of the car door slamming shut. "Wait!" I rasped, but it was too late. I saw the dark blurry mass that was the squad car pulling away, and with the sound of squealing tires, Guy and the terrified policeman were gone. I was left lying in the grass with a scorched nose and a swollen tongue.

I don't know how long I lay in the ditch contemplating my hopeless situation before being discovered. All I know is that I was brought out of my bleak meditations by an all too familiar, haughty voice.

"Well, I leave for five minutes and they abandon me."

"Harold!" I didn't know whether to jump up and strangle him or hug him. I settled for falling back into the grass in a hacking fit.

Harold trotted over. "It seems as though some unexpected complications have occurred in my absence." He said mildly.

"Yeah," I managed to say between coughs. When I finally recuperated, I stood up shakily on my hind legs to face Harold. "Harold, you have to change me back. A police officer came and arrested Guy, because my parents thought my car was stolen… I forgot to leave a note because I was in a hurry… but anyway, I have to go to the police station in Franklin and tell them it was a misunderstanding-"

"Whoa, now hold on there. They got Gyquinius? Oh dear," Harold shook his head worriedly.

"Hey, we can get him back, just make me human again so we can…" Harold hung his head guiltily as I spoke, and I realized something was up. "Let me guess… you need Guy to reverse whatever you did?"

"I'm afraid so." Harold replied glumly.

I fell into moody silence for several minutes. "I thought unicorns were, like, supposed to be wise or something." I fumed, finally breaking the silence.

"Well, there is only one thing that can be done. We must retrieve Guy on our own." As I watched, Harold's equine form shimmered and changed to the form of the well dressed man that he had assumed before. "I will need your assistance in operating your automobile."

I snorted, and a puff of smoke rose up in a little ring. "You are not driving my car. I don't have full coverage!"

"I am afraid we haven't any alternative."

"No thanks to you…" I reminded him.

"Yes… I… I am sorry… I am ashamed that I behaved so irresponsibly. But you were fighting terribly..." Harold nervously played with the collar of his white overcoat.

I sighed. "Fine. You're gonna have to open the door for me though. If you hit anything, though, I swear… I'll… I'll get even." I was far too worn out and sore to think up a creative threat.

"I shall do my best." Harold assured me, opening the passenger door for me to climb awkwardly into the seat. "Your tail." Harold warned, pausing in mid-closing of the door.

I glanced over and saw my tail draped over the edge of the seat, dangerously near the door. "Oh. Yeah." I coiled it around my feet. "Hey, Harold? If you ever pull crap like this again I'm gonna have to cut off that horn of yours."

Harold shut the door and wordlessly took his place next to me in the driver's seat.