"You're being given a serious responsibility," explained a smooth male voice in what was otherwise darkness. "Having reality wrapped around your pinkie may sound fun, but it also means you can mess it all up in a hurry. Now, you could do it like I did and just ride out the laughs." He chuckled softly to himself as if at some ancient memory. "Or, you can take a step back. Accept you can't be at the front of the stage, or the stage won't look like itself."

His presence came closer. "Are you listening to me? I came all this way across several realities to give a hint and I don't think you're listening."

I could hear him and had little choice but to listen to him. I reached out where his voice seemed to be and encountered soft fur, then a talon grabbed me by one of my arms.

"There you are. Oh, what's this? Well, my my my. You're lucky I'm a loyal draconeques." He released me and I got the impression his arms were crossing. "As I was saying, things are going to get stranger for you, much stranger. It's up to you how much of that strange you'll share with your friends, and enemies. The special ones may even like it. The rest, eh, up to you."

"I'm already pretty strange," I argued. "Wait, what did you say you were? Are you the same as me?"

"Same as you? Perish the thought. We're cousins at best." His hands settled on my shoulders. One like a lion, the other a talon.

He was like me! The shock of the realization drove me awake.

I sat up in bed, looking around and squinting against the light that had come on when I started moving. "What... was that?" I felt delightfully stuffed up. The flu was still there for me to enjoy.

I grabbed for my laptop and wrote down that strange dream as quickly as I could, jamming keys busily until it was all down for later reporting. "Draconeques," I mouthed to myself, tasting the word. "Is that what I'm becoming?" I looked down at the dragon foot and wriggled a few toes. "Dragon... But I don't have a lot of equine. Was a goat that?"

A quick google told me, no, goats were caprines. Maybe my face? I reached for it, feeling the widened nose and altered jawline, still slowly creeping towards a snout. Was that equine? Maybe. My ears were long and fuzzy but I couldn't pin that down between equine and caprine. Speaking of those, they were all the way on top of my head at that point.

I went to the bathroom, did bathroom things, and looked in the mirror. My eyes! I had gotten used to them being an anchor of sorts, but they had changed along with the rest of my head. They were bigger, my teeth were changing. One of my fangs was jutting right out of my lips, casually draping itself over in work that I'd normally be running screaming to a dentist to fix.

It looked painful, but it didn't hurt. It wasn't bent out of shape, it just... had an odd shape. "That is not attractive," I berated my image, turning left and right to examine how the tooth curved downwards from my upper jaw to hang down in front of everything else.

I had gotten to pick my gender and how it manifested, but no hint had been given that the tooth was coming. "Not complaining!" I quickly spat out as if the universe was listening and ready to be annoyed I was arguing. "Still, at least a warning?" I twitched my long tail and huffed, leaning in to study my larger eyes. My normal eye was still... normal, if larger. The other, yellow and red, also larger. White brows raised and lowered as I considered it. "Huh..."

I turned to present a profile and noticed it. I had no belly. Well, not no belly, but I was slim. I ran a talon across where I had been pudgy and fat and... Lauren. "Hey, brighten up," I chastised myself. "Some people would pay money, a lot of it, to get results like this." I let my hands wander, tripping over the fur that was still spreading over my chest. "Maybe not this part." Fur had taken up about a quarter of my chest. I was a slender draconeques. My breasts had become even more slender, easily confirmed when I tried on a bra that didn't quite fit anymore.

"To Soft!" I declared, and then didn't go outside. Oh no, I had a report to type, not to mention work to do. I sat down on the bed and felt my tail swaying with a mind of its own. Somehow... I felt a little better, despite still being sick. I wasn't sure what to pin that on and pushed it aside to get some work done.

Lore!

You're making me worried. Tell me what's going on. I want to hear more. I care about you, Girl. Don't be bashful, just tell me. Words are almost as good as pictures. Oh, did you hear, they're opening up. Part of me wants to go running through the streets, and the other part, which sounds like you by the way, reminds me this is all speedy until... Nevermind that. You alright? Write back.

PS: I will remember that petting is allowed.

I smiled at the rambly message from my friend and got to replying, even if her reply to the petting comment put a blush in my cheeks.

Hey Cindy,

Lauren here, even if I feel so strange. Let's start with I think I'll be fine, just... it's weird. I'm not dying though, promise.

I paused to think on being pet. Raising a hand, I ran it through my hair only to smack into something new. "What the?" Rubbing carefully, I could find two lumps hidden in my hair. "The... hell?" Starlight had a horn, one horn. I had two lumps. Would I get two horns?

Did that mean I'd have magic too?!

Twice the magic?

I made a mental note to add that to the report and resumed typing to Cindy.

The first thing told to me really stuck with me, so I'm going to share it. I'm going through a second puberty. Instead of becoming the little dumpling you know, I am... becoming a slim and strange thing that still adores you. All I ask is that you keep an open mind and give me a chance when I get out of here.

I'd send pics if I could, but please, no panicking. I'm alright.

I hit send and leaned back a bit. "Am I alright?" I wasn't sure how true that was, but Cindy freaking out about it wouldn't help her, or me. It'd also get my Internet cut off if I went panic mongering. I wanted my Internet!

Work! My typing speed was improving and I burned through it, minus the time I spent coughing or sneezing or ordering more hot tea. They did have room service, as they promised. Sure, the one delivering it was dressed for Chernobyl, but the tea was nice and I flipped them a tip.

They looked oddly at the bright gold coin in their palm and left.

Bright... gold coin? Where had I been keeping that? I shook my head and got back to the assignment. My day's worth of work was soon done and I let out a happy little sigh. I liked being good at my job, at being productive and knowing my effort was going towards something.

Report! I copied over the dream and added all the physical alterations I'd found.

So, draconeques? That's what I am, apparently. Have you run into one of those before?

And with a final click, the email was off. My duties were complete, to my work, and to the lab.

The phone suddenly rang and I jumped with surprise. "Jesus..." I grabbed it off its cradle and held it up. "Hello?"

"Lauren?" It was Starlight. "Checking in on you. By the way, you have a computer, right? I've seen it. Did you know we have a server to hang out on? A little private Discord for us caged oddballs."

"I wasn't told about that." I pulled my laptop over closer. "What's the URL?" I typed it in as Starlight said it and soon I was logged into the server. "Wow! I've only seen like six people and this server has over 20 people on it. Are they doctors?"

"Some of them." I couldn't see it but I could imagine Starlight waving it away. "Most of them are just like you and me. Um, after a little... incident... they separated us, physically. It's a lot smaller now, each one, and less prone to... mishaps. I like it in some ways. We're more of a little family instead of a sprawling mess."

Little incident? "Oh, since you asked, still feel like hell, and I'm changing. This reminds me, how can I tell when I'm not 'in heat' anymore?"

"Good luck with that," snorted Starlight. "Boys can smell it on us. We just want some cuddle time."

"Are you up for that?"

There was a moment of quiet. "Um... Just making sure you know what you asked. You want to cuddle?"

Oh crap. That is exactly what I had asked for. "I think I'm still in heat."

"You sound it... Seriously though... We... could do that. A little girl cuddling has less awkward consequences than a little boy cuddling, if you know what I meant."

A lewd image sprung to mind and I shoved it away with bright red cheeks. "Yeah! Yeah... Look, we're both adult whatever-we-ares. I just... made a pass at you. You are so welcome to just say no."

"Ugh, Lore... You can't give proper consent right now. I don't want to take advantage of you." I heard movement through the phone.

"If that's true, I can never have a kid," I suddenly argued. "Any time is the right time, I also can't 'consent', so the only way I could get one would be rape, and that is not a reality I'm comfortable with living in." I folded one arm under my chest, the other busy holding the phone. "We're friends... I want to hug you. Will you let me hug you?"

"It won't end with a hug," noted Starlight flatly. "If you insist, I have to demand you be honest. You want me over to fuck. Starlight, want to fuck. That is the only honest way to approach this. There are no 'hugs' right now. You're confused, horny, and sick too. It promises to be a really snotty, sneezy, coughy, slimy mess of a time."

"Does that mean yes?" Why was I being so desperate? "Look, Starlight... I really want a hug. I don't... Christ, I'm scared and alone and I can't fix one of those, but the other? Can you come over?"

"If I don't, Flash gladly will. You wait right there." The phone clicked dead.

That was when I noticed I wasn't wearing a darn thing. With a squeak, I grabbed a hanging gown and got into it in a hurry. I heard knocking at the door. "If that's Starlight, come on in. I know you can do it."

"Maybe," came the muffled reply. I heard something fall over, then a rattle. A soft muttered curse, then a click, the door opening. "There we go." She came trotting in, circling the corner into view. "Um..."

"What? Is it that bad?" I patted myself down to notice I had put on the gown backwards.

Which means Starlight could basically see everything. Starlight's horn glowed as the door clicked behind her. "You... are... You have nothing!" She thrust a hoof between my legs, where no sign of a sex was present. "How are you in heat?!"

"I thought you didn't want sex," I snapped at her with more acid than I had originally planned. "Did you come over here just to yell at me?"

"No! No... Look, sorry." She walked around my bed, hooves muffled on carpet. "I know this has to be an unfun time for you. I'm here."

"Thank you." I flopped onto my side and reached for her as she came close. She didn't dance away and I could feel her. I could pet and stroke her. She was warm and soft, so soft. I pulled her closer and she didn't stop me. I could smell her mane, a nice little floral hint. Jasmine? I couldn't quite place it, but I liked it. "Mmm, you smell nice."

And then the sneeze. Oh god, right into her poor mane. I grabbed for a tissue, cheeks burning. "I'm on it! Don't be mad!"

"This is exactly--" She sat down on her haunches, watching me frantically rush to try to clean her. "--what I saw coming. Now, if you want me on your bed, you're going to have to ask, honestly. Otherwise, this is as close as I come."

I was patting her dry as best I could. "I'm so sorry. I felt happy for a moment. You're so... and you smelled nice. I forgot I was sick, then I was... reminded."

Starlight pointed at me. "You're still transitioning, so, yeah, you're sick, and it'll get worse. You're creeping up on it, but if we're following the schedule, you have... half a week?" She hiked a brow, seeming to consider it.

But I had an ear to pet. I began to stroke one of her ears gently. They were so pettable... "It gets worse? I don't really want to think about that right now, thanks."

"Nopony does, trust me." She stuck out her tongue a little, tolerating the ear stroking. "I checked in on Jake for you."

That snapped me back to awareness. "How is she?"

"About as good as you, but intact. I brought them breakfast. Speaking of which, did you order anything to eat? Did you forget eating?"

Eating! That was a thing people did, and I had not. "I had some tea..."

"Want me to grab something for you?"

I mean, I did, but I also wanted her there. "Be quick, please." I watched her trot off and let out a loud groan. "Lauren, why are you being such a putz right now?"

I could hear Starlight clop up to the counter, in the cafeteria. "Breakfast bar still open? No? Shoot." I couldn't hear the reply, just what Starlight was saying. "Alright then, I'll take an omelette and some orange juice. I'm bringing it to Lauren. Yeah, she's in it bad. Ugh... you don't need to remind me of that." What was the other person saying?

Hearing half a conversation was frustrating. But why was I hearing it at all? I peeked out around the corner and saw the door was closed tight. Starlight was way outside of where I should be hearing a thing from her.

"Thank you." I heard her clip-clopping away, back towards my room.

By the time she got back, I was back on my bed, smiling innocently as she trotted past, a tray floating in her magic. "Thank you. What kind of eggs did you get?"

"How...?" She placed the tray on my bed and pulled off the lid, revealing the bounty. "Alright, once is a coincidence, this is just nuts. How good is your hearing and how have you not gone crazy just hearing a lot of nothing?"

I grabbed the plastic fork and didn't answer in favor of filling my face with cheesy eggy goodness. I washed down some of it with some OJ and grabbed for some tissues to stop from sliming up the place. "I'm still trying to figure that out. I could hear you, and only you."

Starlight hiked a brow. "Uh, all day?"

"Since you went to get breakfast." I went for a second attack run on breakfast. "Thank you, Starlight. I know I must be a huge pain right now."

Starlight smiled a little. "Other ponies were there, for me, when I was going through the same thing. I'm passing it forward. One day, some other confused soul may be looking to you the same way."

"And I'll help them out, if I can." I let out a happy little sigh. "Ugh, I think being hungry was not helping with things. I'm feeling... better. Starlight, want to watch something?" I grabbed the remote and had the TV on in a flash. "I don't want to be alone, but it's alright if you don't want to get all close and personal with the booger factory right now."

She turned to the television and plopped onto her haunches. "Sure, but I'm still curious... So you could hear me perfectly fine, even when I was all the way over there?"

"You were talking with whoever was in the cafeteria. I couldn't hear them, but I'm guessing they asked about how I was doing... You did mention you were bringing it for me." I finished up the eggs and pushed the platter away, holding the cup to nurse from. "By the way, this is a big bed. There's room for two if you want something more comfy to sit on."

"You're getting more subtle," joked Starlight with a little smirk. Her eyes rolled before she hopped up on the far side of the bed from me and sat down. "Look, I've been there. I've had a few cycles. I spent them online, talking dirty to people too far away from to make a mistake with. I.... took care of it, alone." She coughed into a hoof softly. "It wasn't like I couldn't think. That's why I decided to just stay inside for a few days."

"A reasonable course of action..." Thinking on it. "There are only so many ponies, here, physically. There's Flash--"

"--I know enough biology to know how that'd go," snorted out Starlight.

"--and Soft."

"Cute, don't get me wrong, but she's also very proper. I think she'd die of embarrassment if I approached her about that. Besides, I don't 'feel' her that way. She's a good friend, but I don't think I want to push past that." Starlight waved a hoof negatively. "Wonder how she deals with it...? I never saw her call out a day, or hunt for snuggle time."

"Why are your breasts bigger than mine?" I suddenly blurted. "Look at mine." Easy to do with the gown still on the wrong way. "They got smaller. I used to be big all over, and now I'm outmatched by a little horse. How is that fair?"

"They, uh, fit you." She looked pointedly away from me. "Whatever you are--"

"--Draconeques," I cut in. "I'm a draconeques with little breasts, watching television with a cute little unicorn with big breasts. How fair is that?"

Starlight thumped down a hoof, bouncing off the springy bed. "Do you know how much a pony body is built to have big breasts? Let me enlighten you, it's not! My legs knock into them, they knock into each other. It's a mess. I'd wear a pony bra, but guess what? That doesn't exist! I asked Soft about it once and she made a lot of excuses." She scowled at me. "I think she's just glad she had little hoofulls instead of these big things!"

"You think I don't already know what big boobs are like?!" I shouted at her. "I lived most of my life with big everything. It's a huge pain in the ass, but it was my pain in my ass and it was just what I was and I miss it and--"

"I'm sorry," she suddenly chimed, but it was too late.

"--I'll never get it back. I'm busy being some slim draconeques, whatever that is with nothing up here, or down here." I reached back to grab my significantly reduced back end. "I'm exactly what society said I should always want to be but also a total freak! Thanks, I hate it!" I grabbed a pillow and buried my face into it for some good sobbing time.

Starlight raised a hoof to her cheek, rubbing lightly. "Look... sorry... I snapped, and you snapped. We all snapped... I don't hate you, Lauren." She came closer and set a hoof on my belly, my face hidden under a pillow. "This is a really awkward time... but I'm still here."

"Stupid teenage hormones," I muffedly complained. "I'm too old for this..."

"Been there." She gently patted me, a slow soft brushing with her hoof. "Feel better?"

"A little." Without removing the blanket, I felt around and grabbed the box of tissues, cleaning myself off before I dared to sit up. And there was Starlight, right next to me. "And you're going to run away now."

"I'm not scared of you," she huffed, sticking out her tongue. "So, you wanted to watch something?"

I turned to the television, one arm going around Starlight and pulling her over. It wasn't far, with Starlight already sitting next to me, but I wanted to feel her against me. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"Likewise." She draped a leg over one of my arms. "You are pushing into snuggle territory."

"Is that alright?" I squeezed her just a little. "You can leave, if you rather... Or--" A little smile emerged. "I can give you some tips about being a big lady."

Starlight burst into laughter, suddenly rearing up to thump me with her forehooves. "I'm not a little foal! You doof, I can handle myself." She went back to her haunches. "Still... thanks."

"These things are as much a blessing as curse." My fingers were brushing the soft warmth of one of her swells. "Pony or human, from the sound of it. Do you get... looks?"

She shoved against me. "Mostly from you!" She rolled her eyes. "I take that back. Jake used to look. Are horse breasts really that interesting?" She folded her arms across her entirely flat chest. "I swear, you put a nipple on some fat and suddenly it's the most fascinating thing."

"Not trying to bring up sour memories." But she hadn't moved away. She was still in my grasp, and I held her gently. "Thanks, for putting up with me."

"You are welcome, but you didn't pick, so I will." The remote was suddenly snatched in her glowing magic and she flipped through the channels. "Did you see this remake? It's pretty good." On the screen, a feline-human was busy shouting at some normal-looking human. "They are totally lesbian, I swear." Her voice raised, "Stop arguing and kiss already!"

Well, if she'd rather. I didn't try to kiss Starlight. I was perfectly happy having her there. Besides, I wasn't lesbian. I was straight. I'd had boyfriends before! Sure, they had all... moved on, or gotten kicked out for various reasons. Still! I was hetero. I just needed a nice kind person that wanted to enjoy me for me and not what I could be, or what purpose I served for them.

"Um."

I had been cupping Starlight's far breast, as if the weight would calm me down. Well, it had, come to think, fitting so well in my hand like a living stress ball that I could slowly feel and squish to work off stress. It was also part of my friend! "I'm so sorry!"

Starlight swiveled an ear away and back, the other trained on the television and the episode I was barely paying attention to. "You never did say how that works." She directed a hoof downward, towards my thighs. "You have nothing down there but fuzz. How do you go to the bathroom? Let alone go into heat, let alone decide I'm a perfectly valid target for your lusts."

"I'm lousy company." I slid off the bed, rising up and trying to straighten myself out. "Why don't you head on home? Maybe tomorrow I'll be less completely out of it."

Starlight frowned a little. "If you want, but you have my number. Call me if anything comes up, alright?" She hopped down to the ground and began trotting for the door.

Since she had brought it up, I could see how her horse breasts bounced around down there. Her legs did hit them, they did hit each other. It was far from graceful, but she was handling it well. And then she was gone.

It was just me and my confused hormones.

Author's Note

It's snuggle time! Which would you rather snuggle, Starlight, or Lauren, or some other pony thus presented?

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