"Ah'll be okay." McIntosh hugged his sister, even as he felt the straps of the armor snaking over his back, buckling themselves tight. More and more it fastened itself until he felt constrained by it, trapped within the enchanted grip.

"The helmet will… uh, help with the extra bits." Evening lifted the helmet in his grip, levitating it over to Mac. Ducking his head under it, the blue-brush adorned headgear pulled itself onto his head. There was a tingling fuzziness, Mac shook his head as new memories rushed into empty places in his head. Of growing up with wings, of learning to fly. "I was an earth pony too, you will get used to it, just focus on your memories, your real ones."

They gave him more pieces, finally getting the hoof covers and the tail-cinch. Only the helmet and the chest-plate had immediate effects though, and that was fine by Mac. He wanted to go, to leave his sisters in peace so he could get back to them sooner. That was a joke, of course. "Don't forget me." His voice had lost a bit of the drawl and a lot of the shyness McIntosh was accustomed to, and clearly surprised Applejack too.

" 'sif Ah could do that. You goin' now, then?" Applejack reached down and tried to disentangle Apple Bloom from their brother. He nodded. "Then Ah'm goin' to Twi's castle…" That gave Mac a surge of hope, his sister was best friends with a Princess, after all. Applejack took a deep breath and turned. "Ah ain't gonna cry, dangit." Her words were lost to Mac, but he knew the tone.

"Bye, Bloom." Big Mac's words shattered the filly's dam, she was bawling as AJ led her away. "How do I get to Canterlot the fastest?" Mac turned on the two stallions who had delivered his fate.

"Are you kidding? The fastest way is on your back, ye're a pegasus now." Afternoon laughed and turned back to his checklist. "Dodge City is next, right?"

Big Mac was already turning, looking at the castle far away. "Eeyup." White wings spread, Mac gave them a flap and all the memories that the helmet had 'gifted' gave him information on how to use them, he grew up with them after all. One beat, two, he was in the air and, if it wasn't for his fate, he would feel amazing.

~~~~~+++++~~~~~

"Twi!" Applejack stalked through the castle. "TWILIGHT!" Doors were slammed, her heavy hooves clopped on the floor. She didn't find her friend.

"What's going on?" Spike scratched the side of his cheek as he walked out, eyes heavy with sleep. "You looking for 'her royal highness'?" His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Applejack just narrowed her eyes at the young dragon, she didn't answer and in that moment, Spike became aware of just how quick the mare could spin around and dump both back hooves into him.

"Canterlot!" Spike stepped back. "Princess summoned her for… duties." He shrugged.

"She would have. I don't know why we put up with that…" Applejack bit her tongue, the Princess had ears everywhere. She spun around, but not to give Spike the kick she thought he probably did deserve.

"Where you going?" Spike would have to report this, like every boring thing that happened in this hick town.

"Canterlot, Ah ain't gonna let my brother be in that varmint's clutches." As Applejack left the castle, she made sure to buck the outside door closed so hard, she hoped the dragon's head would be ringing for a year.

~~~~~+++++~~~~~

Big Mac searched his memories for landings and, while he was busy doing that his body had him land smoothly; right at the front gate to the castle.

"Oh, I smell new blood…" It was only late morning but a dark shadow suddenly cast over the courtyard before the capital of Equestria. Luna stepped into sight, her form practically flowing in the dark shadows, each step speaking volumes for the mare's grace. "Definitely new blood and… familiar blood."

He knew who it was, oh boy did Mac know "Lusty" Luna. His armor was his defense, though, and so McIntosh stood straight. "Eeyup." The word was out of his mouth before he realized it, the game was up before he even began it.

"Mac? Big Mac?" Luna's sultry voice lifted a touch. "Sister finally got her hooks on you." Stepping around the stallion, Luna inspected the handy-work of the enchanted armor. "Oh, look, there is a second level of enchantments. I know what we can do, Mac, we can play a game. You see, your service is five years, how about I say, instead, two years in my private guard?" When the stallion was quiet a moment, Luna touched her magic to one of the enchantments.

Big Mac felt that blue tail of his pulled, lifted, hoisted up high so it made an arc. Just like a mare's. He trembled, knowing his plot and, likely, his balls, were now on clear display. "Nope!"

"Aww, how about I just lock this enchantment on… there we go." Luna hadn't, only her sister could punish her stallions in that way. "Oh, here is another one… I wonder where it will go. Three years in my guard." Her offer was getting less palatable, but Mac wanted to fight this, he wanted to fight everything the cursed leaders were likely to do. Magic tingled and he couldn't stop a kick as his shaft was being rubbed, stroked, brought to full hardness. "Still no?" Luna leaned in, one hoof stroking Mac's chin. "Four years or I lock all this on for the rest of your time here. I promise to get this armor off you."

He was hard, on display, and it was terrible. At the same time something actually really felt good. "Eee," Mac cursed himself for what he was going to do, "yup." The pressure at his tail, on his shaft, it eased and he could relax. Straps were being unfastened.

"Good stallions get their rewards right away. Don't challenge me again though, not unless I ask you to." Luna worked at the magic of the armor, peeling back strap after strap and, finally, shoving away the enchantments to lift both breast-plate and helmet free.

It wasn't the same "snap" that had been the change to pegasus. Mac felt his wings twitch and start to… to shrivel. He locked his legs in shock as magic twisted and worked at his body, restoring to him the vitality it had stolen earlier that morning.

Luna watched as the white fur and blue hair receded, leaving the red stallion behind. She reached out a hoof to gently rub Mac's back where the wings were pulling back into, a scattering of feathers cast loose from the superfluous limbs.

Mac was breathing hard by the end of it, his head hung low. If he hadn't locked his knees, he would have been squirming on the ground. A mirror floated, gripped in cobalt blue magic. He was himself again and, for a moment, the stallion would have kissed Luna. "Now," breathing was still tough. The sense of magic around his plot stole his focus and he looked back, seeing Luna removing the last part of the enchanted uniform, "now, what do you want me to do?"

"My guards wear armor too, but it is not quite so… stifling as my Sister's." Luna gestured at the hoof-coverings. "Those aren't enchanted, you can kick those off yourself, come on, Mac." Luna turned, drawing her darkness in around herself as she marched into the castle. Big Mac had no alternative but to follow. "You know, if you had worn that armor for a day, the form gets locked on much more securely, we are lucky I found you so early."

Each step reminded Big Mac of his true self, of how he really moved. The pegasus shape of the enchanted armor was a facade, one he was glad to be rid of. Following Luna down a hall, Mac felt darkness close in around him again, but it felt… safe. He stopped and looked at the transition point.

"This is my wing of the castle, these stones have never seen the light of day, even when I was… away, this wing was boarded up and my magic protected it from Sister's element." Luna reached a forehoof back, rubbing under Mac's chin. "My armor will change you more, and less."

"How, more?" Mac followed when Luna led again, the two soon reaching a room that had many solid ponequins around the outside, several still draped with the dread, dark armor of the the more militant side of her guard.

"Well, you are going to have wings, and your shape will be reduced, but I can promise you, Big McIntosh, you will lose not an ounce of your strength, nor will they affect your thoughts." Luna gestured around. "These were all made for the first of my guard, they carry the essence of their forms, choose one and feel her strength in you."

Big Mac was a little confused by the talk, something about what Luna said sounded important but… he walked around the room, stopping by one of the suits. There was something about it, not only was the armor sized bigger than the rest, but it felt… it felt like home. "This one."

Luna walked over to the armor. "Well, put her on." The way the alicorn said it had Big Mac suddenly suspicious, then a lot of odd things started adding up.

"It will turn me into a mare." It wasn't a question, McIntosh now knew that is what Luna had been alluding to. "Three years."

"The deal was made already!" Luna practically bounced up and down, she so wanted to see what the big burly stallion would become. She noticed, in her excitement, that he looked more stubborn than a rock. She calmed. "Four, but you get regular leave to visit home."

Big Mac sighed, it was a better deal, on the surface, than what the Royal Guard offered. He looked at the armor again, feeling an odd pull toward it. "Regular is monthly?" Luna nodded to him. "Deal then." He didn't wait for Luna to help him, this would be on Mac's terms.

Watching the stallion reach out, Luna was tingling with excitement as she watched him lift the dark armor. "It is a lighter burden than what my sister has her stallions wear." As Mac lifted the saddle-like armor up he certainly found that, as well as more layers to it. Setting the saddle aside he lifted the deep blue blanket that was under it. Casting it to his back, he couldn't help but inhale the scents from it. Night Reign, Big Mac blinked, the words were not his own, but they were in his head.

"Night Reign?" The blanket was small for him, but it made mac feel safer, more secure about himself. "This is different to the other armor."

"Talkative aren't we?" As soon as Luna said it, she got a slight blush into the stallion's cheeks. "Night Reign was one of my first guard. She created her armor and part of her still lives within it. She was a great mare."

Mac gulped, he knew full well what Luna was here to see. Without wanting to think too much on it, he lifted the saddle again and set it on his back. Unlike with the Royal Guard armor, there was no sudden twisting of his shape, no changing of muscles. It felt… it felt like it wanted his permission. "Thank you." Luna knew, as well as Mac did, that he wasn't talking to her. His words and a sense of acceptance was what the armor wanted, and got. It was slower, Mac was certain, the world got a little bigger around him as he lost stature.

Her eyes glued to Big Mac, Luna watched as he lost some physical bulk first, Night's armor stripping him down slowly to what it wanted. As his hefty muscles seemed to reduce down, Luna knew full well that they weren't fading completely. McIntosh would lose no strength to the armor, it merely made him more lithe and compact.

Big Mac couldn't help but squirm as he felt his body being adjusted, changed. "Feels…" Luna waited for the stallion to finish with bated breath. "Feels okay…" It really did. Mac turned and looked at himself; if the changes stopped right now, he would be an effeminate stallion, but he could still be considered one. His hips twitched, then again. Something deep inside him was changing. Big Mac felt his organs shift a little, adjusting and rearranging, making room for a new intrusion.

Luna peeked toward Mac's belly, she saw his shaft had fallen free of his sheath, but it wasn't hard. She grinned as she saw it shrink. "Are you ready, McIntosh?" As the alicorn said his full name, Big Mac got trapped in her gaze. He thought through those words, remembering what life would have been like in Luna's sister's guard. He nodded.

The feel of his shaft pulling inwards, followed by his gonads and all the skin that supported both, shocked Mac. He trembled a little until a dark wing circled around him. Big Mac's gaze was caught by Luna's, once more. "I don't know about… about this." He stumbled in his words as the new shape inside him breached his flesh, opening up and making Mac a mare. Luna's eyes widened, drinking in the sight of the big, masculine stallion, emasculated. Without a word, she lifted the helmet up in her magic and offered it to Mac.

Panting, trying to keep her focus, McIntosh leaned forward and offered her head to Luna. Changes still worked in her body, the last twists on her shape that would make her "mare" and not "feminine stallion" making her squirm a little. She felt her snout twitch and move, then a wave of warmth started from where the blanket was over her spine. Mac gave a low sigh as the helmet came down over her head at the same moment that wave reached her snout. She saw the customary red of her nose change into a deep blue, almost black. Night Reign.

"You wear her well, Big Mac." Luna admired the mare, but she knew more was to come. "But Night was more, you know what is coming?"

Mac looked up at Luna, the wing that had extended out to her gave a twitch. "Wings." Mac braced for the wings, it hadn't hurt before when they had extended from her, but it had been shocking. Just as the tension started to grow, that feminine sensation calmed Mac, relaxed her. She gave a sigh as the leathery wings pushed free, twisting muscle and bone as they extended. Mac smiled, but it wasn't for Luna. "Thank you, Night." The feeling she had started to associate with the armor's "spirit" seemed to swell a little, Mac felt it shield her from more changes. Her ears twitched a little as they grew a touch longer, then the world seemed to tremble and shift, growing brighter and more focused.

"You prefer my way, now?" Luna lifted a hoof to boop the now fully bat-winged pony on the nose. Mac sneezed and got a giggle from Luna. "How do you feel, Mac?"

It was the hardest question in Big Mac's entire life, to answer. She looked up at Luna, knowing that for the alicorn this had been a lot more sensual than she herself had felt. Part of her had enjoyed it, Night Reign wasn't a bad pony, and the essence she had left in her armor cared deeply for its wearer, for Mac. She nodded. "I feel… good." She flapped her wings, the knowledge of how to use them apparently not just shoved into her head. "It is certainly different."

"You are." Luna beamed at her newest guard. "There are more parts to the armor, they won't change you any further, however. But before we get too bogged down in ceremony, you need to learn to fly."

Author's Note

No questions? Oh well, there is at least one more chapter in this, so remember...

So I do this "Ask x" thing, x can be any pony within the story. You can ask them anything and ~~I~~ they will definitely hopefully reply. Keep the questions appropriate to the age-rating of the stories and of course, ~~I~~ They will answer the best question(s) in the author notes of the next chapter. The more votes a comment has the more likely I will get it to the right pony to answer, try and keep it to one answer per post! ~~I~~ They will pick one question per chapter.

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