Bethany carefully urged her only friend around the seventh obstacle lining her solid blue-black Dutch warm-blood horse with her legs. the ominous sky threatened rain but so far the course was dry. As she gathered herself for the jump she felt the hair on her arms start to rise but her mind was on her actions and the feel of Phoenix's rhythm. Phoenix's muscles contracted and both horse and rider began to leave the ground. From above a single bolt of highly charged electricity began it's arc to the ground and another part of the electrical line began from just below the steel shoes of the horse. With a blinding flash and deafening sound both horse and rider were hit and disappeared before the flash of light registered with the spectators.
Bethany woke to find herself falling through a dark grey sky. Rain sheets pelted her off and on as she fell and she felt something along her ribs move. When she turned to look at her side she saw blue-black feathers running along a wing. Strangely she felt the wind along the feathers. Something inside her mind clicked and she felt both wings snap open slowing her descent but a new problem came into view as she broke out of the storm, landing. The ground was coming at her at an alarming rate and she tried to remember everything she had learned about birds from her Biology class in school. She tried to move her wings voluntarily but this being her first flight she really had no clue how to really use her wings. The ground reached up and smacked her... hard, hard enough that she actually rolled several times. her body was stopped suddenly by a rather large tree meeting her head and she felt the welcome relief of unconsciousness take her from the pain that she felt all over.
Bethany opened her eyes to see the deep brown bark of the tree. moaning softly she had a sudden urge to get to her feet. it was almost instinct for her. The motion was odd and she glanced down to see the blue-black fur of Phoenix, her horse, in place of her own legs. A quick check behind her showed that she had his body with a few added extras. The wings were something Phoenix never had. Bethany shook her head feeling the long mane move with her motions. Opening one wing showed that the feathers were nearly a perfect match to her own coat save the silver-blue edges along each primary and out of the corner of her eye she saw something odd on her flank, a pictogram of a phoenix in midflight gripping four arrows in its right talon and a shield in the other. Beth began to slowly move letting her unconscious mind guide her movements through the four gaits of a horse, walk, trot, canter and flat out running or gallop. Beth was surprised that she had not broken anything in her abrupt stop let alone her rather inglorious first landing. Beth came to a stop near a small stream and bent over only to stop at the sight of her reflection. she had a long, conical ivory white horn at the center of her forehead. For the second time in less than an hour Bethany lost her ability to remain awake.
Bethany woke to sunlight hitting her eyes. She yawned and stretched enjoying the feel of her joints popping even her new wings. once she was sufficiently stretched she began to walk into the setting sun. Strangely, her head no longer hurt her. She shrugged, a strange sensation but one she could live with. Bethany came out of the forest and saw a village one that belonged in the 1850's.