"Why'd you keep it a secret?" asked a female that was either Cindy or Starlight or Jake. I wasn't sure and also didn't care because dream logic.

"I can't keep a secret if even I didn't know," I had retorted.

"Guess that's true." Whoever they were threw open the shades and let the sun in. A pony and a human were walking by outside and both waved at us. We waved back. It was a perfectly domestic little nice-neighborhood kind of moment.

I woke up later, more annoyed at the dream that had felt so... silly and small and useless. Then again, that was how dreams used to be, before I started sliding down a hill towards becoming some kind of strange something. Fearing I'd forget such a silly little dream, I warmed up the laptop and got to starting the report of the day.

I didn't finish the report just yet. For one, I felt terrible. For two, the bathroom required me for self inspection and the usual things one did in a bathroom. That flu would not go away, it only got worse.

Of course, I was busy being broken down in a second puberty. I hadn't forgotten that. I was growing hair in new places and having strange new thoughts. A smirk spread over my face, imagining one of those old puberty public service announcement-style videos they'd show in school.

I was getting more hair than they were ready to explain. Off to the bathroom! There I was, peering back at me with eyes that didn't hide that I was feeling sick. "Bah." One of them still that big yellow and red... thing. Would the other eye match it eventually?

More pressingly, the change of the day was pretty quick to spot. The fur of my lion's paw had swept up over to my elbow. On the other side, my talon's texture had pressed up as well, then transitioned to fur. The fur on the talon's side was the same dark brown that was on my chest and around my hips, so hirrah for more places that matched.

However, the lion's paw was lighter brown and the fur that spread from it was also that lighter brown, tawny, like a lion. I mean, that was logical, sorta? Upstairs! My ears were higher than they had been before. Not taller, higher on my head. For just a moment I wondered at the biology at work there. Maybe it was good I was asleep when that happened. I couldn't imagine how that'd work and it not be intensely uncomfortable.

My ears twitched there halfway-up to the top of my head, wincing with the imagined pain of it. "At least this isn't doing that to me..." Whatever was going on, I had been mostly spared the literal horror of snapping bones and flowing limbs. It all waited for me to shut down so it could apply updates while I rebooted.

Suddenly that made more sense to me. Did computers want to close their eyes as their insides were made to move in new ways? We were such rude things, being annoyed at them for wanting that much as we changed their operations in ways large and small. It was the least little comfort we could provide.

I was busy offering sympathy to an unfeeling machine. I finished in the bathroom and emerged, cleaned and ready to tackle a new day. By the way, you hadn't asked, but when I went with Jake to get her some bras, I got some new ones too. Bigger body, different chest. Thankfully, Soft had provided without a whisper of complaint.

Funny thing though, despite it having more to wrap around body wide-wise, I had lost a cup size somewhere in the wash. Was I using my fat to fuel the change? I reached back with both hands and grabbed my bottom. Still flesh, still plump, but maybe not as plump? I felt up along my sides, inspecting where the rolls had been somewhat tamed. I was being given a slimming down, whether I liked it or not.

I was unsure. Part of my identity had been wrapped up in being chubby Lauren. I had worked... to get a positive body image. Sure, I hadn't been the perfect model of human attractiveness, but I was a lovely Lore, who was liked, and was just fine with a few extra pounds.

Except that was going away with the rest of it. I sank to the bed, feeling heavy and weepy. "Why am I crying about losing weight?" I berated myself, though it didn't stop the tears from flowing. "Stupid... teenage hormones." I blamed it on those mood swings the doctor had mentioned. Grabbing the box of tissues, I got to clearing out my sinuses for what had already felt like too many times that day. "Report time."

I got to typing up the report to Miller and sent it flying. He hadn't sent me anything new. At least that meant the Internet would stay on? I hoped?

That's an odd question, Girl. I love my people because of what's on the inside, but you better be washing yourself. I don't like dirty people. I will personally hold you under the water if I have to and you know I'm not joking.

Somehow I could imagine Cindy doing that...

So whatever's going on, you let the water hit you and don't worry about a few extra hairs.

A few extra hairs... I hit reply.

First, thank you for the mental image. I know you'd wash me good if you had to, but I'm still taking care of that even if it feels like I have the worst flu ever. No coughing, no Covid. It's all wet mucusy bleh going on over here. Besides that, a few extra hairs isn't the problem. Can't send pics, so I suppose it didn't happen, but I will have a lot more hair, or really fur, next time we meet. On the plus side, I will also be extremely pettable.

I hit send, only to realize literally a second later... "Why did I type that?" Pettable?! Pettable?! We were friends, not... that kind of friend. Why was I advertising my ability to be petted? My cheeks burning, I went on to work. You can't hit undo on emails.

Ugh, work was a real slog. I was feeling worse by the day, but I pushed through it, and ta da, work complete. Oh hey, an email on the corporate server. It basically announced the company picnic was officially cancelled.

Well... good? I hated that thing, and I was in no shape to show up there, not that I bet the lab would have let me go. Work completed, I set the laptop aside to chill out and rose to my feet, stretching towards the ceiling, which I reached easily. On the plus side, I hadn't grown again. Was I done? Well, good. I didn't want to be too tall.

I made sure I had my key on me and slipped outside into the hallway.

Flash's ears skewed, having been trotting past and instead turning to look at me. "Huh..."

"Huh?" The door clicked shut behind me on its own. "What's wrong... Flash, right?"

"That's me." He pointed a hoof at himself. "And you... look really nice today." He started towards me with a smile. "Like I never noticed before."

Was that adorable stallion making a pass at me? "Thank you for the compliment, I think..." It really didn't help that I was slimming down. Did he just like me now because I was less fat? Jerk! No, no... calm down. He's trying to be nice, right? "I'm really stuffed up today."

"Huh, oh, yeah." He nodded, his lips peeling back for just a moment and letting me see his big horse teeth. "It was kind of awful for a bit, but it gets better, I promise. Want some company?"

I felt genuinely uncertain. "Well, I've been hanging out with Starlight the last few days..." Maybe giving Flash a chance wouldn't be so bad. "What do you do for fun?"

"All kinds of things." He sat down and raised his hooves, clopping them together. "I got permission to order stuff, so I have a little collection going."

Collection? "Of?"

"Miniatures." He turned to the side. "Follow me. I'll show you. They're cute."

And so it was that I was following Flash down the corridor. This is when I remind that ponies hid nothing. That big sweeping tail that bobbed back and forth was nice and all, but did not a thing to stop me from seeing that he was a stallion, with dangling furry balls and an equally furry tube that ran in the middle of his belly area. "See something you like?" He was peeking over his shoulder at me.

Nope! "Uh, oh. I was supposed to check in with Jake. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Alright... Or later today." He gave me his room number. "Just knock." He made a knocking gesture with his right forehoof. "Take it easy."

I disengaged maybe a bit too quickly to be polite, feeling flush and miserable. Back to the cafeteria I went, but Jake wasn't there. It was someone else, in a hazmat suit. Which meant they were human, and uninfected, so far. "Hello?"

"Hi," replied the female voice, even if the hazmat suit hid most of the signs of being either gender. "What can I get you?"

"Is Jake alright?"

"Jake? Oh! He called in sick. You don't look so well either. You know we do room service, just pick up the phone." She pantomimed a phone receiver and put it to the side of her armored head. "Go get some rest."

That... felt like a nice option, actually. "Thank you. And Jake's a she."

"Sorry." She didn't sound that sorry. "Can I get anything for you?"

I made a little non-committal noise and turned away. It was hint enough, and she didn't try asking me again. Part of me wanted to just go be miserable in bed.

On the other hand... I began walking, soon in front of Jake's door. I raised a lion paw to knock on it, which... wasn't as effective as I'd like. Fur muffled knocks pretty good. I switched hands and rapped it with the talons. Ah, much better.

"Yeah?" came a voice from inside.

"Jake? Lauren here. I hear you're feeling like hell too." I reached for the knob. "Can I come in?"

"Second..."

That didn't stop me from trying her door. It swung open easily, not locked. "You didn't close your door," I lightly chastised.

"I heard it click," she called out. "Whatever... come in."

I slipped inside, my tail swatting the door shut without really thinking about it. "Jake?" I didn't see her until I went around a dark corner to see her sprawled out on her bed, looking miserable. "Yeah, mood..."

"Mood," she echoed with a faint smile. "I think we're twins."

"We look nothing alike." I came closer, crashing into the comfy chair that I had been sitting on in my room the day before.

"Yeah, but I think we got it at the same time." She grabbed for a tissue and made use of it, tossing the phlegmy paper aside. "Ugh... Look." She raised a hand up towards me. Her fur had pushed back towards her elbows, much like mine. Her hands were still hands. Her bare feet, still feet, human feet, if you ignored the fur creeping up from them. She was becoming a biped pony, as I turned into... unspecified.

"I'm seeing. But I came here to keep you company, and see how you were doing, not gawk." Well, I could gawk too. She was shaping up much like I had, gaining the physique of a physically active female.

Wait... "This is going to sound odd, but am I getting more fit?" I stood up, ready to be judged.

Jake looked more confused than discerning. "Is this a girl thing, asking other girls to look at you?"

That snapped me back towards normalcy and I sat right back down. "No! I mean... not usually... but good friends sometimes trust other good friends to give honest opinions. Don't guys do that?"

"Am I a good friend?" Oh, she had this little innocent smile on her uncomfortable face.

"I'm your godmother," I reminded. "Here for all your awkward girl questions. That rates us as good friends, right?"

"Yeah..." An uneasy silence grew in the room. She rolled over onto her side, facing me, but she didn't say anything. She was just... kinda watching me.

"I'm not helping..."

"I feel better than a few minutes ago," Jake argued. "I bet you do too."

Funny thing, I did. I really did. I mean, I was still clogged and miserable, but I felt better. "Yeah..."

"They say misery loves company, and I'd rather have a friend over." She curled in place, pulling up the blanket over herself and nuzzling into her pillow. "You must be tired though..."

"I am... but I'm also bored." I worried the tips of my strange fingers against one another. "Want to watch someting?"

Soon, we were enjoying a movie on the television they had put in all our rooms.

At least until I heard a snore. She had faded off, comfortable enough around me, or just tired enough, to slip away. I stood up as quietly as I could, helped by carpeted floors. I was going to just sneak out, but the temptation was too great. Her ears were all fuzzy and... there. I crept over and reached out. Her breath caught and I yanked the hand back, silently chastising myself for even trying.

But she calmed, and there I was, reaching again. I gently touched an ear and it flicked weakly. I ran the end of my furry finger along her ear, the softest little pet. She smiled, but I dared not continue, creeping out of the room.

"There you are." Uh oh, there was Flash, trotting towards me as I closed the door to Jake's room. "That isn't your room."

"Just checking in on someone. What are the odds?"

"Yeah," he laughed out awkwardly. Was he following me? "You looked kinda out of it. Everything alright?"

"Sorry for bailing on you before." I kept my eyes on his eyes. That's when I noticed something I never really took note of. Ponies had big eyes! They took up a lot of his head, looking at me with obvious concern, and maybe something else? "Jake called in sick and I was checking up on her."

"You don't look good yourself. Want a walk back to your room? I'll get you whatever you need." He turned and offered a wing towards me as if I'd use it like a walker again.

But my legs were working, even if I was busy suffering. I didn't take up the offer. "Not a single person told me that changing species was easy."

"I hear that," he laughed out as we began to walk towards my room. "Seriously... You, uh. It's hard to explain it. You look really out of it, and I want to help... but you're also, I dunno, glowing? You're just really... you, and I like it."

Suddenly he spotted something out of the corner of his eyes and looked to the right. "Glimmie!"

"Flash." Starlight came trotting into the corridor, joining us. "Lores! You look terrible."

"Flash was just saying I'm looking better than ever." I hiked a thumb at him.

"I said she looked bad too!" he protested, stomping from hoof to hoof in a little cute tantrum.

Starlight casually slid herself between me and Flash. "I think I know what's going on. Seen it a few times now. Flash, be a darling and find something else to do."

"What?" He scowled at her. "I was helping her."

"You were, and you're a good pony." She raised a hoof to gently rub under his chin. He started to relax, but his eyes were on me, not Starlight. "Go find something else to do."

"I'm helping her," he repeated, only to begin glowing as Starlight suddenly shoved him back with her magic, sending him skidding along the floor. "Hey!"

Starlight pointed towards my room. "Go on. I'll meet you there." But she didn't move to follow me, instead glaring at Flash and remaining between us.

I really wasn't sure what was going on, but I got moving. I was tired of standing anyway. Ugh, I hoped the sickness would pass. Maybe once I was finished turning into whatever it was.

Now, I wasn't there for the next part, but...

"Alright, now you listen here, Flash. We're friends, right?"

"You're not acting like it," he bitterly noted, watching me vanish down the corridor.

"She's in season and you're barely a step away from acting like a wild stallion." She rolled her eyes. "Think with the head upstairs and not the one downstairs." She thumped him in the breast. "Now is not the time! In Celestia's Name, I don't even want to consider what it'd be like if you managed to knock her up while she's transitioning. Besides, she's in a vulnerable place. This? This is what we call rape."

"What?!" he squeaked, going pale at the end of his snout. "I'm not a rapist! I was just trying to help!"

"And you would have, and you would have gone into her room, and you would have rubbed on her and tried to be as nice as possible, hoping, maybe not even out loud..." Starlight tapped a forehoof on the smooth tiles. "I'm shooting you down, right now. If you are her friend, you will give her space, and only hang out with her in very public places until she has her feet firmly on the ground."

He danced from hoof to hoof with obvious frustration. "I'm not some brainless wild horse."

"Then act like it," she challenged with a scowl.

"I will!" He turned away from where I had vanished. "She really does look bad though."

"Didn't we all?" Starlight's expression softened then, smiling at her lusty male friend. "I'll check in on her, with no chance of awkward consequences. We've all been through this."

"Yeah... are you mad?"

Starlight came up beside him and threw an arm over him, hugging him closer. "We didn't have to come to blows over it, so I'll forgive you. You're a stallion thinking like a stallion. Sometimes it takes a mare's point of view, alright?"

"Alright," he miserably allowed. "I was just trying to help."

"I hear that, I do." She pulled her arm back, going back to all four hooves. "The best help you can be, right now, is to do things that do not put you two alone. Be a supportive friend and nothing more. Now, gonna go make sure she's in one piece."

He suddenly went in, smooching Starlight on the cheek. "I'll do that. Sorry... I really wasn't trying to hurt her."

Starlight raised a hoof to her blushing cheek. "She's really affecting you."

"I guess." He looked left and right, then started to trot away. "I need to think about stuff."

I was comfortably in my room, perched on my bed, busy being, well, anything but comfortable. Ever have the flu? It sucks! I was running my hand along my aching head.

The knocking didn't help. "Who is it?"

"Starlight," came the reply. "Checking in on you."

I grumbled, getting up and approaching the door.

The handle glowed as it turned and the door swung open a little. "Oops! Did it again. Can I come in?"

Had Starlight just magiced her way in? "Uh, go ahead." Was that what Jake had felt? I returned to bed, kind of relieved I didn't have to finish the trip.

Soon there was a brightly colored pony sitting beside the bed, looking to me with concern. "Wow, you... want something to drink? Hot tea really helped my throat stop screaming when I was going through this."

"That sounds... delightful."

And off she went like a bolt. I heard the door thump on something, not actually clicking shut. A few minutes later I heard loud talking.

"What are you doing!?" questioned Starlight.

"Huh? I saw her door was open and was worried--" It was Flash.

"--I'm on it," hissed Starlight. "You need to not be here. Shoo!"

Then she entered, the door clicking closed behind her. She took a little breath. "Damn stallions..." She came into view, smiling like nothing had happened. "Here we are!" She was floating along a saucer with a big mug of steaming something. "Just the thing for making you feel better."

I sat up, reaching for the saucer even as my feet hit the ground. "Thank you. Was that Flash?"

"You heard that?" Starlight hiked a brow. "You hear everything, I swear. I sent him on his way." She sat down and pointed at the cup. "Go on, a little sip until you get used to it."

"Was he really going to rape me?"

Starlight sputtered, glancing around wildly. "W-what?! No! I mean... wait, where did you...?" She squinted at me a little. "You were way down the hallway, I could hear you walking, barely. There is no way you heard that!"

And yet... "I did. Did he really want me that badly?"

Starlight waved it off. "Let's be clear, he's a fluffy harmless idiot. He was attracted, but he wasn't going to attack you." Her brows came down. "I'd murder him if he did. Besides, he really is a nice person. He's still a stallion, and I'm guessing you're having that special time of the month."

"I am not having a period," I noted wryly, taking a longer pull from the cup. It really was helping...

"I don't think you ever will again," corrected Starlight. "You... transitioned, down there, right?" Her eyes fell down between my legs.

"Yes." Excuse me for closing my legs in response. I'm not used to that much attention being paid thataways.

"Congratulations, you'll never have a period again." She mimed pulling on a confetti popper and spread out her hooves with a confetti-like fwoosh of a noise. "On the other side, your... fertile time... is not as subtle as a human lady is used to. You put out scents, and stallions can pick it up."

"And that's why he was looking at me like I was suddenly an award-winning model?" I sipped from the cup, as if it could scare away the changes. It didn't.

"It affects both sides." Starlight brought her hooves together. "You wanted contact, I imagine. Parts of you were ready to get snugglier..."

I thought about when I had followed him, ready to see what his room looked like, my cheeks warming with the thought.

"That's a yes," cut in Starlight, watching my face. "We're both thinking creatures. We don't just turn around and present our rump, but it affects us. We want to be closer. We want to touch, be touched, by those we trust. We want to be close... and, you know, if things happened... Nature gets to pump its fist at getting us where it wanted."

"I touched Jake," I suddenly admitted. "I'm not any better than Flash, not even a little. Jake was asleep and I snuck over and touched her ears like I had any right to touch her at all. I'm just as bad!"

Starlight set a hoof on my shaking knee. "Calm down... Did you do anything more than ear touching?"

"I thought things..."

"Thoughts don't count for much." Starlight lifted her shoulders. "Look, relax. You didn't hurt anyone. When you and Jake feel better, you can admit your naughty ear touching and laugh about it." Starlight turned for the door. "For now, rest. If you need me, call." She gave me her number. "I'll be sitting right next to the phone in case you need me for anything at all."

Author's Note

Transitioning to a new species is so much more complicated than first suggested.

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