Author's Note

As the previous intermission chapter, this is in the view of Aranea.

Intermission: Changeling Coitus

I took off the dress, and placed it over a nearby branch. No one ever ventured into the Everfree from this side. It did not matter too much, as ponies rarely wore clothing. I found it unusual that Nohbodi placed such importance on remaining dressed. Of course, I was not hatched or raised on this 'Earth' he came from. This form was a curiosity to me. Other species of a similar shape, such as diamond dogs or minotaurs retained far more similarities between genders. His insistence that human females had these features and proportions so far removed from his own was a cause for curiosity.

Nontheless, he was my primary option for a steady source of love. The local ponies – Indeed, all ponies I know of – treated me with disgust. There were magical fields to detect my species over every large city, and a large number of unicorns now knew a variant if suspicion was roused. The novelty of a human must have been the only reason that nopony used it at the party. The wedding was open to all by decree, making it the only time I could be seen in public. The denizens of Ponyville likely hated me, as all the others. However, they tolerated my existence – to a degree. There was no chance to reliably hide in disguise. The only option to keep myself alive was to act the part of an unrequited love to another. Whatever they told me to be. It was rare, but it was sufficient to be… a fantasy. An object of fetish. I wanted to escape from this existence.

Did he think the same of me? Or was he similar? Did he need me like how I needed him? I had no answer to that. Regardless, he cared for me, and I would do what I could to keep him.

“You there?” Nohbodi said, waving a hand in front of my face to break my reverie.

“Yes. I was thinking on some subjects. Are we to begin?”

“If you're ready.” he said with a smile. No one had asked that before, unless it was part of a scene.

“Yes. Let us begin.” I smiled back.

“Now, I'm gonna explain the parts . You have the general shape down good, so we're going top-down.” He looked over my human form. “First, the breasts. Can you make them a little bigger?” They were considered large for the species here as they were.

“Are they really so large to humans?”

“It varies. Remember, you're short for a human. See, when a short human is flat like that, it makes her look too young, like a kid. But yeah, some humans' parts are big compared to ponies.”

I concentrated and shifted form, slowly expanding.

“That's good. B I think, but never could guess size at a look. More would be off, or just unbalancing. Uh, you can keep this body without trouble, right?” Another show of concern. Just like before, no pony had asked that. Only demands.

“Yes. I can maintain a form indefinitely if need be. It is the changing of it that requires energy.”

“Good. Don't worry about energy, there'll be plenty of that.”

“Thank you Nohbodi. No being has ever given me assurances of that sort.” He responded by hugging me. A small amount of emotion was received.

“Now, this part's kind of tricky. Can you make parts more sensitive?”

“Sensitive in what manner?”

“The good kind. Excitement.” He seemed slightly nervous. This subject must be a degree of taboo on Earth. “Don't know much about ponies. Are the parts sensitive here?”

“Yes. A slight sensitivity in the breasts. Nipples are more sensitive in a state of physical excitement.”

“Perfect, it's like that. Same place in the middle too. Can you do that now?”

A small amount of additional concentration formed several nipples on each breast.

“Uh, not quite. Forgot most um, non-humans had more. It's one on each, in the middle.”

I made the adjustment. He nodded his approval.

“Humans also have a bigger areola than most. Usually a darker shade than the rest.”

“A darker shade of color than my current form is not possible. I am sorry.” I must get this correct.

“That's my bad. Human skin has a range of colors, but 'black' isn't literal. It's between pink and really dark brown. Or red, or yellow. There's a lot.”

“Bad?”

“My fault for not explaining it better before.”

“Is skin color important to humans?”

“Only the assholes.”

“What does the anus have to do with color?”

“Earth phrase. I mean the only ones that really care about skin color that much are not good people. Listen, you made your own human face with no reference or anything like that. Is there a 'default' skin?”

“Yes, I suppose so. I was attempting to emulate your description directly, and avoided changing others. I thought that it was accurate.”

“Well, don't worry about accuracy. Humans have a lot of looks. More than ponies. For faces and sizes anyway. We don't have neon skin, but there's still a lot of options here. Try it, OK?”

I did. The 'default', as he had put it, skin was a combination of red and darker brown.

“You look great.” There were several emotions to this response. There was still care, but it was combined an amount of happiness at the result, and lust for the result.

“Shit, I should've asked this earlier. You do enjoy stuff besides emotion too, right? I mean, um... not sure how to say it.”

“Yes, I derive enjoyment from the physical acts as well. Though there must be an emotional attachment involved.” He was visibly relieved.

“Good. We're not that different really. Now, I'm going to test them. You tell me if it feels good, like it should.” He held me with one arm, and with the other hand manipulated a breast, running his splayed fingers over a nipple. The feeling was positive, and the nipple stiffened slightly under the ministrations.

“Yes, it is physically enjoyable. It incites excitement and desire.”

“Glad you enjoy it.” He kissed me as he moved his hand to the other breast and repeated the motions. The reaction mirrored the former, and excitement increased.

“No pony ever cared during encounters. So this is what they feel.” He lowered his hand and his smile. “Have I said something wrong?”

“No, no. Sorry to hear that. I kind of know how you feel there.”

“So humans feed on emotion as well?”

“Not quite. Well, not for food, but we need it. Can't spend all the time alone – makes people go crazy. But enough of that. One thing left for anatomy.”

“I am familiar with it. How does it differ from equine anatomy.” He lowered his hand an placed it over the front of the lower abdomen, between the legs. “Here.”

I formed the requested portion.

“Huh, so that's what it looks like for a pony. A human one is smaller, and thinner on the lips. The clitoris is a little bigger, or more out – one or the other. Really sensitive, of course. There's hair above it, another part of showing you're old enough.”

The changes were made. I waited for him to test it in a similar manner to the breasts. A hand slid down and brushed against my clitoris. The feeling was, as many ponies have described it, 'electric'. The hand went lower, covering the length of the vagina, and moved upward, a finger sliding in between the lips during the movement. I shuddered. “N-Nohbodi... Is this what it feels like to experience love as it should be?”

“Yes. It gets better too. Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Agreeing without asking for details, or significan consideration of outcomes, was highly unusual for me. This must be the phenomenon of 'emotions taking over' that is often displayed by couples. He guided me to lean against a tree with smooth bark. Removing his clothing, and setting them aside next to mine, he guided my hand to the male human anatomy. It was in a state of readiness. I looked down at it. “So even at length, human anatomy is small. Odd considering the differences in female anatomy.”

“Hey!”

“It is true, is it not?”

“No! Well... hold on. That's why it's in the front, it doesn't need to be really long like a horse. You'll see.”

It was a display of love I had not known before. As part of a hive, love energy past a certain, minimal point was shared with the hive. This was all to myself. The holes ponies seemed to think were a natural feature are actually marks of hunger. The hive was too large, and no one ever got enough. Being separated gave it all to me. I had accomplished something no changeling had before in my life. I had achieved true stability of existence.

I was whole.

He was mine.

I was his.