"I don't normally visit twice," spoke a voice I had heard at least once before. "But you didn't even say bye. Kind of rude if you ask me."

With a loud snap, the darkness was banished. We were floating among the clouds. It should have been cold, but it felt perfectly fine. Another draconeques was there, smiling at me. We were both floating as if that was a normal thing to do. Dream logic? "Dream logic? Not quite. You make your own logic. Now, promise me you won't be startled again."

"I didn't do it on purpose." I was busy looking him over, studying him. "What's your name?"

"I'm Discord, and that's my name, so kindly get your own." He casually tapped me on my wide nose.

"I'm Lauren." I put a hand on my chest. "Speaking of that, I thought I was supposed to be 'given' a name, even if I planned to not take it."

"You want a name to not use? Well, alright. You can be Eris," he so flippantly provided. "A lovely name, pity you won't be using it."

It... felt right. It felt too right. I grabbed the word, literally, suddenly between my mismatched hands and hurled it violently away. "I am Lauren! I have friends waiting to see me again, and I will be Lauren for them, even if every other part of me is unrecognizable."

"Setting boundaries?" He darted in, face just to the right of mine. "I'm so proud. They grow up quickly!" His hands settled on my sides. "You are developing nicely."

"Are you... making a wife?"

Oh, his laugh. "I have a very special somepony, thank you. Besides, long distance relationships never work out." He waved the matter away. "And, to be frank, I like her better, even if her life's passions don't really include me. Ah, dear dear... I'm getting distracted. As you are aware, you are a confused teenager. You're ready to chase anything that doesn't run away."

"But are you doing this?" I gestured over my strange form. "This isn't a pony or a griffon or anything else they know about."

"They know about this, they'll tell you about it not long from now." He rolled his shoulders softly. "But, no, this isn't my trick. I'm not that mean. Now, I don't want to strain your little mind, so I'll let you get back to your regular dreams."

"Wait!" I grabbed for his shoulder, but it was so much cloudstuff, the rest of him breaking apart into mist. "Please visit again. I have so many questions!"

"No promises," was the last thing he said, like a sigh on the wind.

I woke up and grabbed for my computer, typing furiously the dream that teased at me. Only once it was written out did I rise to my strange feet and head towards the bathroom. An inspection revealed the fur and shape of my arms had gone all the way up to my shoulders. I was just a bit more slender, not that there was much left to that if the dream was any indication.

I ran fingers over the newest patches of fur, along my upper arms and spreading over my torso. "I'll be just like him." It was comforting, in a way. At least I knew what I was supposed to look like, and I was looking like that. He didn't have breasts, but he was also a he, so that wasn't too strange. He had horns, two big mismatched horns. I reached up and felt the bumps had part, allowing the tiniest nubs of what would be my horns to poke free.

"Will they be pretty?" I felt there was no assurance what sort of horns I'd get. Goat, rhino, unicorn, or something else?

I grabbed some tissues to make a deposit, the flu still with me as I returned to my computer and got to expanding my report with physical changes. "And... send." I clicked the button and checked my inbox.

Doctor Miller had written me.

Good Morning,

I know you're going through a lot right now. As your doctor, I'm here for you.

Huh, when had his bedside manner suddenly improved?

Thank you for your diligent reports. I appreciate their attention to detail. I noticed you've been talking to Starlight Glimmer a lot. Are you two becoming friends? You mentioned you were growing horns, which has, thus far, meant other things. She may be able to help with that. Your body appears to be healthy, just take care of it and the rest of you.

Keep Up Those Reports,
Doctor Miller

I drummed my fingers on my keyboard. That didn't feel like the same doctor. Something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Either way, I put it aside. Oh, a Cindy-Mail:

Lore!

You're becoming a woman, again? Slim? You found a secret diet in there? Be sure to take some notes for me and don't be stingy with the details. Some of us want some of that. Now, don't get me wrong. You're scared, and you're being a big girl about it. I'm here for you! When you get out of there, you are getting a big hug, and probably a few pets, you said I could.

🤗
Cindy

I smiled at the unflinchingly positive message. That was Cindy, I felt certain. I got to typing a reply.

Cindy!

Always nice to hear from you. Right now, riding out this thing which is like the flu, bleh, snot everywhere. I'm alright though, promise.

I felt an ear twitch without being asked.

If you want to give me a hug, that sounds kinda nice right now.

My finger trailed over to the backspace key, frowning at what I wrote. That sounded too desperate. And yet, it remained.

I still owe you that concert, so let's look forward to that when I get out of here.

Missing You,
Lauren

I did a responsible thing, cancelling a bunch of things I wasn't using while pent up as I was. At least my wallet would be a bit happier about it. Speaking of that, I did my shift of work, typing busily and eating delivered breakfast at the same time. Soon I was satiated in mind and body, with food and work both being devoured. "Time to hunt down a unicorn." Snotty or not, I left my room.

"Feeling better?" There was Flash, across the way in the cafeteria with a plate of something.

"In some ways." I wandered towards him. "Hey, tell me if I'm in heat."

His cheeks went red. "Huh? I can't tell..."

"Sure you can. You said so." I pointed at him. "I looked extra pretty. So, do I look pretty or not?"

He reached a hoof to rub behind his head. "Oh, uh... You look interesting." His eyes roamed over my still adjusting body. "You're a lot skinnier now." He brought his hooves together in front of himself, tapping lightly. "I hope that isn't offensive."

It had ended. I wasn't in heat, and he didn't see that extra glow around me. "You've told me all I need to know, thanks." I reached out and casually patted him twice on the head before moving on. "Is Starlight in her room?"

"I think she just went to--oh there she is." He pointed to where Starlight was coming towards us, a tray floating over her head.

"Lauren! I was just about to come visit you next. Jake's feeling miserable. How are you doing?"

"Likely equally as miserable." And yet, I was smiling. "Heat's over. Oh, and something else..." I gestured for her to come to the side, away from Flash.

Starlight raised a brow, but didn't stop on her way into the cafeteria, setting down her tray, and only then emerging to come over to me. "What's on your mind?"

I crouched down so I could speak quietly. "I think I know what my new name was supposed to be, but I also plan to not use it."

Starlight frowned at that. "Can you even do that? I don't know a single person who has so far." She pointed up at me. "Besides, if you don't switch, that makes our promise a little awkward."

"You don't have to tell me." I set a hand on her shoulder. "Unless you want. Anyway, it's Eris." I pointed to myself. "But I am still Lauren. I have people who are waiting for Lauren to come back to them, not some strange Eris person. I'm already strange enough in other ways..."

Starlight leveled a hoof at me. "This is all connected," she flatly stated, not sounding amazed or baffled. "What you're becoming... how you act... the way you could hear us. I don't know, exactly, what it is, really, but it all... It has to be connected." She sat down on her haunches. "It's your choice, in the end. Nopony forced me to be Starlight, or even told Flash to be Flash."

"Nope, just came to me," he agreed, obviously listening in on us. "Eris? That's a nice name. Sure you don't want it?"

It was a nice name. I could be a perfectly lovely Eris... "No! No. Lauren." I hiked a thumb at myself. "I am Lauren, nice to meet you both." Let out a small breath. "It's nice to talk to you both without losing my mind. Was I really that bad as a stupid teenager?"

"Probably worse," joked Flash with a wry smirk. "But I was just as bad, if you listen to Starlight."

"You were," she flatly agreed. "But, really, glad everypony's feeling a bit more grounded today. Now, you never answered a question of mine." Her eyes fell away from my face, across my chest, belly, thighs, to right between them. "How do you work? Seriously, it's been bothering me all day."

Flash's eyes got wider. "Star! Rude. You were yelling at me, and you just go and ask that?" He hopped down from his chair. "Are you in heat?"

Starlight huffed, rolling her eyes. "I am not, thank you for asking. Still, seriously, she's a barbie doll between her legs. How do you use the bathroom? Where did that heat come from? What would you actually do if I had left you alone with Flash?"

Ugh, now they were both looking between my legs. Thank goodness I was wearing pants. "Is it normal to just casually discuss anatomy?"

Starlight rolled a hoof. "If it has to do with our transformations, yeah, it really is." She raised a hoof towards her horn. "You think I even could shut up about this at first?"

Flash burst into merry laughter. "I remember that. You're getting better at it though. How's it feel?"

"More and more... natural? Is natural the right word?" She looked back towards me. "But that's beside the point. Yes, strange things related to our new bodies? Yes, we talk about those. So, spill it."

I had two options there, that I saw. Well, maybe three. I could just tell them. I could get huffy. I could flee. Starlight had been nothing but a friend so far. I had sneezed right into her hair and she didn't run away in a panic, that had to mean... something...

"It's weird," I prefaced, which just made the two of them look at me more intently. "I have all the parts, we'll start with that. They're just shy. When I'm... not using them, they hide. The fur you saw was just a cover. It can get out of the way." I was wriggling fingers, miming the act of a door opening up left and right. "But, when not, I'm PG-13 at worst, even stark naked."

I raised both hands to my altered chest. "Put a shirt on me at least and I could be G."

Flash slowly tilted his head. "That is strange. Wait, it covers up all the things?" He waved idly at his own back end. "Front and back?"

"I saw it, it's true," confirmed Starlight. "That is so freaky... Um, not in a bad way. You know what I mean, I hope! You're our friend, we care."

Ugh... "Are we done talking about my private bits? I'm still dying of flu over here. Can we do something relaxing?"

Flash circled in place. "You been to the music room?"

"Music room?" I didn't remember seeing that on the map.

"The lounge," corrected Starlight. "It has a stereo system. Over here." She began to lead the way, with us following behind her. "More often than not, it's used by one person to just listen to whatever, or read a book, or both." She looked over her shoulder at me. "We can put on something relaxing?"

"I know a few good ones," assured Flash, accelerating past Starlight. He arrived there first, and we found him tapping at a stereo system. "And here we... go." With a swat of his wing, he hit play and easy listening jazz began to play. "Just the thing to close your eyes and just exist for a while."

I didn't normally tune in jazz, easy listening or not, but... "This is actually a good pick." The melody was already relaxing me and I sank onto a provided chair, pausing only to get my tail out of the way. "Yeah... that's..."

"Good pick," echoed Starlight, slowly bobbing her head along to the tune of the song playing. "Send me a link to this playlist later. I could use this while studying."

Studying... "Oh! Hey, Starlight. Horns." I reached up to brush the little nubbins I had. "I'm getting them, and that might mean that crazy magic grabby thing you do. Can you show me how to do that?"

Starlight trotted over next to my chair. "I'd be glad to share what I've figured out, but we can't be sure yet. Besides..." She reached up to pat my head for a change of pace. "Oh wow, those do feel like... Still, we can't say they're unicorn horns. Maybe they work different, or not. Either way, way too small to do much so far. Expect that to change, quickly. You're right at the part where your head snaps into place."

Flash winced softly. "I remember that... Right when my wings started getting close to full sized." He flapped them in time to the music, intentionally or not. "Not sad about these babies."

Starlight smiled a little at that. "I like my horn too. Still, Lauren, if you feel, you know, worried, you call us, alright?" She pointed at Flash. "Give her your number."

"Huh? Sure." He rattled it off. "I'm allowed to visit now?"

"I'm not a horny teen anymore." I jazz handed lazily in front of myself. "Yay." I then grabbed the box of tissues there and made use of it. "Sorry if I made your day super awkward."

"S'cool," he assured with a hooves up. "Yeah, give us a call if you need anything. Did Starlight get you on the Discord yet?"

"Yesterday. I'm on as Lores," I explained, taking a slow breathe. "Right now, let's just relax. I like the music, and the company." I closed my eyes, but I could hear them moving. They sat down near me. They were good little fuzzy friends, keeping me company. "I hate to ruin this... but you two don't have things to do?"

Flash responded first, "I'm cool being right here. Star?"

"I actually should meet with Twi. Flash, take care of her." I heard her walking away. "Feel better, Lauren!"

I felt Flash's fuzzy nose touch my equally fuzzy arm. "So, did you figure out what you actually... are?"

Cracking an eye to see his curious expression, I smiled a little. "Draconeques. Heard the name in a dream."

Flash's right ear twitched. "That sounds off. Could you say it slower?"

"Dracon. Eques," I repeated firmly. "You've heard the word before?"

"Nah, but pretty sure it should be draconequus, a kind of w after the q. Dra kahn E Kwas," he explained. "Don't ask how I know that. Pretty sure it's right in there next to calling everypony everypony." His shoulders lifted. "Try it out, bet it'll feel better."

Did words have feelings? I tried it anyway, "Draconequus." My tongue curled as I said it and I felt a faint tremble run though me. That word had power, a little power. Yes, it felt right. "Yeah... Thanks, Flash. I've been a horrible friend." I set a hand right on his head. "And I will express my regret with some quiet petting if you're alright with that."

He didn't complain, and the petting gently began. I stroked over his skull and gently ran fingers over his ears. Like Starlight had warned me, in the right environment, it was relaxing. I could see Flash going all to putty under my gentle, not sexually charged, familiar touches. We were two friends, nothing more or less. It was like I was giving him a quality massage and he was ready to fall asleep under the spell of the relaxing music and my casual exploration of his skull and ears.

A little snore revealed he had actually slipped off, eyes closed, a happy smile on his face, and his head resting against my hand as I gently petted him. Flash was a good pony. I had just been in such a bad place to appreciate it. I made a mental note to hang out with him a little more, learn what made him tick. He deserved that much. It had been all Starlight all the time.

We were all stuck there in that lab/hotel, waiting for infectiousness...

Wait. I had a thought. Starlight said she had finished changing some time before, and she wasn't infectious. Why hadn't they let her go? I was the only one still in the early throes of... whatever it was. Why were they even still there?

"Mmf?" Detecting my lack of pets, Flash stirred. "Oh, sorry, fell asleep." He laughed a little embarrassed. "You give good pets."

"Flash, can you confirm something for me? How long ago did you go pegasus?" I pointed at his big feathery wings.

He glanced back at them as they spread. "These? I went pony about half a year ago." He folded them back in tight. "Why?"

I stood up, only to flop right back down. My head ached. "Ugh... it's just, bothering me, you know? You're not infectious now, right?"

"That's the theory." He inclined his head. "Why?"

"Shouldn't you be allowed to go home?" I looked him in the eyes. "Don't you want to go home?"

"'Course I do." He reached up a hoof to my hand. "You alright? Look, they're still figuring out what this is. I can't be angry at them for not wanting me to accidentally make a bunch more ponies. That'd be a huge mess in the middle of the huge mess we already have going on."

He wasn't... entirely wrong there. "But that does mean, after the first thirty days are up, they won't be letting me go home, I trust?"

"Probably not." He pointed back towards the cafeteria, even if walls stopped me from seeing it. "Want me to get you a drink?"

"Just some water..."

"I don't even have to go for that." He trotted over to a water dispenser and with a press of an agile wing, soon had it pouring water into a glass that he carried over cradled between wings. "For you. Relax. We're alright. They're not abusing us or anything."

I accepted the glass with a little smile. "They aren't, but they're also keeping us here. I don't like that." But... what didn't I like? Given the average day before this all began, sitting at home and not paying for food and working on my computer would have been the definition of perfect. And yet, I felt dissatisfied. "I want to know what's going on, exactly. Flash, can you get my laptop?"

"I don't have your card," he warned with a shrug. "Starlight can get past locks, but not me."

I fished out my card and held it towards him. "Bring it back with the computer, thanks."

"Not a problem." And off he darted with the card in his mouth. That couldn't have been super hygienic...

Without trying to, I could hear his trotting despite him being out of hearing range. I was starting to grasp the difference. I could hear him on the inside, not the outside. Why had I locked onto him like that? I heard the card slide into the slot, a click of a lock. "Yes," he cheered to himself, and the sound of the door opening could be heard.

"Huh? No! She gave me her key." He sounded upset. "She just wanted her computer. She's over there! I, hey!"

Whatever was happening, Flash sounded unhappy about it. I got up and grabbed the handle of the door heading out of the lounge, throwing it open to reveal the hallway just outside of my room, where a guard in hazmat gear was leading Flash away. "Stop!"

The guard looked over to see me with surprise. "You're there?"

"I am." I was also confused at how I did that, stepping out into the hallway. "He was just getting my laptop."

"Like I said!" objected Flash, his wings giving a little impotent flap. "Tell them."

"I let him borrow my key. Is that not allowed?"

"No, that's fine..." The guard released Flash. "We just weren't sure that's what happened. I was going to bring him to you... in the lounge, to be sure." I think he was just as confused as I was. "Have a good day then."

Flash trotted up to me with a queer smile. "Since when could you run so fast, and how did you know I needed the helping hoof?"

I didn't answer right away, watching the guard wander off. "Hard to... explain, but I didn't want you being roughed up for doing me a favor." Still, I was there. I turned around, half-expecting the lounge to be behind me in the doorway, but no, it was my room. "I'll get the laptop..."

Why should the room one leaves be the room behind you when you walk through a door? Boy that was silly of me, right? I got my laptop and soon we were back in the lounge, walking there the normal way.

I got an email later.

Lauren,

It seems your unusual energies are manifesting a little earlier than usual. Please be careful with how you use them. While you have the right to move about certain areas of the lab, using those abilities to bypass security will not be tolerated.

I had to roll my eyes. Starlight had bypassed security a few times, but maybe they trusted her more?

In regards to your question, we are closely monitoring the situation both internally and externally of the lab. When a release can be managed with minimal issues, we will proceed. Until then, you are our guests and will be given all the accommodations we can provide.

I hadn't written that down. They were listening to us. That was kind of obvious even after I thought it. They had cameras everywhere. They hadn't been secretive about that. They had heard me complain before.

Your anatomy remains unique. If it causes any sanitary issues, do not hesitate to let us know.

They had listened to that part too. Ugh. It wasn't like I was new to being a girl. Cleaning myself was a task I learned many years before then. Jake was more likely to have an issue, even with his comparatively normal parts. Ugh...

We're here for you,
Doctor Miller

Part of me wanted to flip the nearest camera the bird, but I calmed myself with a few soft cycles of air.

Thanks for checking in. I'm fine. Keep me posted with when we're not prisoners anymore, alright? Thanks.

Sick and Tired,
Lauren

I hit the send button and sank back onto that comfy couch, casually nudging the next song to play.

Author's Note

Two visits from Discord? What luxury! Lauren is tossing aside her newly given name, a wise idea? After Discord went through all that effort...

Join the special community of folks who like my stories here at atreon!

Join my discord to chat!