Paradigm Shift

“Anything else, Princess?” Snowy grumbled through a forced smile.

Peering down at the little kirin mare, as demure and tranquil as ever, Princess Celestia nodded. “That will be all, Snowy. As always, thank you for your hard work.”

Snowy gave a halfhearted bow, turned, and trotted to the exit of the throne room. Her day, much like every other day after she’d returned from Ponyville, had been a busy one. She’d been up since the crack of dawn, her cloven hooves ached, and she could feel the trace of a headache coming on, probably because she’d skipped lunch, but at least she was done for the day. Proceeding out and into the hallway, she slowed.

A part of her wanted to go back to her room for some rest, although her stomach was quite loudly insisting she go and get something to eat. Almost begrudgingly, dreading going into one of the more active parts of the castle, she wandered in the direction of the cafeteria. While everypony had treated her well since she’d gotten back to Canterlot, her circumstances made her a veritable magnet for attention.

With so much to wrap her head around, she was almost thankful that she was kept so busy - not because she liked wearing herself thin, but because she didn’t have much time to dwell on her situation. She’d been transformed from a tall, in her opinion decently good-looking human man into a small, fluffy, kirin mare, and her life had been changed forever - sure, Rain Shine, the mare responsible for her metamorphosis, claimed it would be possible to reverse the transformation, but apparently the ingredients needed for such a potion were rare and would take quite some time to find. Drifting around a corner and nearly bumping into a guard, she was shaken from her thoughts.

“Sorry, Aegis,” she reflexively muttered.

The pony, an armed and armored unicorn stallion, stiffened. “Only been here a week and you already know my name? You’ve either got one heck of a memory or I somehow made an impression!”

Willing herself to smirk, she trotted by him. “I’m just good with names - that’s all.”

Continuing onward, she grimaced. Save for Celestia and Luna, there wasn’t a pony in Canterlot who knew the truth of who she was. As far as the general public was concerned, the Princesses had discovered a way to send Anon back to Earth, to the home he’d been torn from, and it was purely a coincidence that Snowy Glow had been employed as part of a cultural enrichment program. The explanation for the man’s disappearance and her sudden arrival was actually quite believable, especially since the two oldest and most renown alicorns on the planet had given it credence - still, it was far from perfect.

While everypony may have presumed Anon was gone forever, that couldn’t have been further from the truth. She was Anon, at least mentally for the most part, although she wasn’t about to tell anypony that. It had been bad enough that she’d lost her height, dangly bits, and fingers, but there was no way in Tartarus that she was going to have ponies thinking she’d been changed into a mare voluntarily - for buck’s sake, she hadn’t asked for this?!?

As her ears swiveled back, hearing hooffalls moving up behind her, she scrunched her snout. “Yeah?”

“It is Snowy ~ right?” Aegis inquired, moving up alongside her.

“Eeeeeyup,” she grunted, attempting not to sound testy.

The centurion smiled as he kept pace with her. “All done for the day?”

“That’s the hope,” she flatly responded. “Just going to go get something to eat, preferably in a to-go bag, then head back to my quarters.”

“Gotcha gotcha,” he noted, nodding sagely.

Keeping her eyes forward, she remained silent. She was used to standing out, having spent nearly a year in the Canterlot as Anon the human, but something about being a kirin mare was different. Ponies were prone to approach her and chat with her, the looks she got lacked the concern and trepidation they’d held when she was a man, and it wasn’t uncommon for her to catch guards, castle staff, or the general public staring at her in awe. Hanging a left and proceeding down a small flight of stairs, she sniffed at the air.

Though she was still at least a hundred yards from the cafeteria, she could already tell what was on the menu: grilled carrots, kale smoothies, garden salad, stir fried tofu, and pumpkin - no, sweet potato pie. She’d been stuck as a kirin for nearly a month, two weeks in Ponyville and a week in Canterlot, and she was still amazed with just how darn acute her senses were. As she licked her lips, her mouth set to watering.

“So…” Aegis continued, prompting her to glance over at him, “got any plans for your weekend?”

Refusing to give him her full attention, she shook her head. “Other than maybe a trip to the library, no.”

“Well - um - if you’re not doing anything…” he trailed off, falling behind her.

She screwed her eyes shut and sighed. While she’d apparently caught a number of stallions’ eyes, it was painfully obvious that Aegis had a particular interest in her. He’d accidentally bumped into her on a number of occasions, seemingly went out of his way to tell her hello, and he always seemed eager to start conversations with her, but therein lay a problem; he’d been pleasant to her when she’d been Anon, although he was particularly friendly to her now that she was Snowy.

Taking off his helmet and cradling it under one foreleg, he cleared his throat. “Just out of curiosity, do you wanna get dinner one -”

“No,” she interrupted, wheeling around to face him. “Aegis, listen, you seem like a really sweet stallion, but I just got here and there’s a lot to take in - besides, I don’t want to get into trouble if I’m seen going out on a date with one of the royal guards.”

The dejected look on his face was painful, like that of a kicked puppy, and she genuinely felt bad for turning him down - that said, it was for the good of them both. Seeing as how she had no intention of spending the rest of her life as a mare, pursuing romance in her current state would be messy at best and catastrophic at worst for everypony involved. Stepping closer to him, she reached out and patted his shoulder.

“I really do appreciate it though,” she softly added, running her hoof up his neck and to his jaw. “Maybe we can do a coffee or something instead ~ alright?”

A glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes, the corners of his lips turned up, and he gave her a nod. “You know what, I think I can live with that. Enjoy your meal, Snowy.”

Watching him turn and trot away, she waved. “Don’t work too hard!”

He smirked back at her as he donned his helmet. “Unless there’s another changeling invasion, I don’t plan on it!”

Shaking her head, she waited until he was out of sight to look back to the cafeteria’s doors. Simply adjusting to her body had been a trial, but having to put up an act, pretending not to know anypony, was downright grueling. She had to constantly remind herself that she was supposedly a newcomer who didn’t know where she was going, who she was talking to, or where anything in town was, so it wasn’t her fault for accidentally slipping up from time to time.

As she trotted into the staff dining hall, her tummy grumbled in anticipation. The food didn’t just smell better than it used to, it tasted better too! Weaving past several tables, finding herself fortunate that the place was practically empty, she stopped at the serving line and surveyed the array of victuals. Her nose had been absolutely spot on, having determined what was to eat well before she’d laid eyes on the food, which brought a smile to her face.

“What can I get you, ma’am?” a server asked, hurrying from the kitchen.

“Hey, Björn,” she smoothly began, recognizing his voice. “I’ll have a -”

“How…how did you know my name?” he chirped.

Tearing her eyes off the cuisine, she stared over at him. “I - uh - must have seen you the other day.”

He slowly shook his head while holding her gaze. “No…no, that can’t be it. I just got back from vacation last night.”

Peering up at the ceiling, she thoughtfully tapped her chin to buy herself some time. Darn it - this was bad! It was going to take one humdinger of a lie to explain why she’d known what to call him, but she’d concocted a few fail-safes just for just such an occasion. She conspiratorially looked over her shoulder and around herself before leaning forward and waving him closer.

“I’m special intelligence,” she whispered to him. “Rain Shine, my ruler, allowed Princess Celestia to borrow me for my services. There isn’t much I don’t know…”

The stallion, a rather sturdy earth pony, went rigid and anxiously nodded. “I swear by the Sisters, I won’t tell a soul.”

“I’m sure you won’t, big guy,” she tittered, shooting him a wink and what would have been a finger gun. “Anyhow - can I get some of that tofu, a smoothie, and two pieces of sweet potato pie to go?”

Nodding and reaching beneath the counter, he retrieved a waxed cardboard take-away box. “Will do, ma’am!”

He made short work of getting everything together, going so far as to separate the dessert from the entree with a piece of parchment paper, and presented her bag and drink in a matter of seconds. Taking her order, she nodded her thanks and made her leave. One good thing about the uniqueness of her position was that nopony other than herself or the Princesses could honestly say what her job entailed - meaning she could bend the truth with little or no push-back; she didn’t consider it lying per se, since she was both special and held some modicum of intelligence, though she tried to avoid using it unless absolutely necessary.

Briskly strolling down winding corridors and up to the residential wing, she only stopped when she reached the door of her room. As she opened the door and peered inside, a trace of melancholy settled over her. While nothing had changed in her room, it felt unfamiliar. The bed was too high for her now, it smelled odd, and the clothes she’d gradually collected for herself were as good as useless - nevertheless, her suite was still a place of privacy and comfort.

Trotting in and kicking the door closed behind herself, she ascended the stepping stool beside her bed and climbed atop her mattress. Though Celestia had insisted she continue work, giving her perilously little time to adjust to being back in Canterlot, she had been kind enough to make her living quarters livable. Aside from getting her a vanity she could actually use, the Princess had given her a folding stool so she could easily lock her door and access her otherwise oversized furniture.

“Oh yeah,” she hummed to herself, opening the to-go box and staring down at the fried tofu and vegetable medley.

Ignoring a pair of chopsticks, she clumsily grabbed a fork, went to spear a bite, and froze. She was hungry as heck - starved even, but she couldn’t bring herself to wolf down her dinner. Setting the utensil aside, she took a deep breath and concentrated. There were a number of things about her body that annoyed her, from her diminutive size to how long it took to wash and dry her mane, but the worst was the obstinate, bony protrusion jutting from her crown.

She set her jaw and leered at a little brick of glistening, steaming tofu. Kirin had horns and the ability to use magic - for crying out loud, she’d used her magic immediately after her transformation, yet getting her arcane powers to obey her seemed to be an insurmountable task. Pursing her lips, she slowly exhaled while staring at the food.

It was brief, so fast that she couldn’t say if she’d imagined it or not, but she could swear that she saw a cyan aura flicker around her meal. Redoubling her efforts, she clenched her teeth and put every ounce of her effort into concentrating. It may have been a small, almost trivial accomplishment, but merely levitating food into her mouth would be quite the accomplishment! A strange buzzing grew louder and louder in her head, her vision tunneled, and she gnashed her teeth, refusing to give up, until everything went to heck in a hand-basket.

The main course exploded - literally exploded, showering her, her bed sheets, and her carpet with blasted bits of soy product and vegetables. Staring deadpan at the wall, she numbly reached up and guided a bit of tofu sliding down her muzzle into her mouth. As if to add insult to injury, the food she’d just unintentionally detonated tasted amazing.

What had simply been weariness was overtaken by rage in an instant. Jumping to her hooves and mopping the dregs of stir fry from her face, she scowled down at the blasted carton. The pie had been saved, but most of her meal was now decorating her, her bed, and the ceiling.

“Stupid flipping - Ugh!” she barked, grabbing her horn. “Why the buck won’t you work! It shouldn’t be that hard, you - Raaaaaaagh!”

She didn’t notice her coat taking on an umbral hue, nor was she aware of the crimson-streaked, cerulean flames bursting around her hooves, tail, and mane until it was too late. The blanket around her crackled and went alight, filling the air with an acrid smoke, while she furiously stomped in impotent rage. It wasn’t until she coughed, feeling her lungs burn, that she became aware of what she’d done.

“Hecking darn it!” she bleated, jumping from the mattress and promptly face-planting on the floor.

There was a veritable laundry list of risks when it came to being a kirin, but being consumed by one’s anger was by far the most hazardous. If pushed so far, her kind could and occasionally would transform into what was known as a nirik - an infernal alter-ego that was as dangerous as it was imposing. Scrambling to her hooves, she rushed to the corner, grabbed a fire extinguisher, and doused her smoldering bed.

She dropped the canister once it had gone dry and broke into a coughing fit. Great, just bucking perfect - not only had she ruined something she’d been looking forward to, but she’d made a spectacular mess and ruined her bedspread in the process. With a resigned sigh, she cantered to her window, opened it, and began billowing her curtains to clear the air.

Knock Knock Knock

“Kinda busy!” she shouted.

“Snowy, is everything ok in there?” somepony, likely just a passerby, yelled. “I smell smoke and -”

“It’s fine!” she snapped, sensing her ire rising to the flash point.

Closing her eyes, she steadied her breathing and did what she could to slow her thundering heart. Her every sense was an order of magnitude stronger than what a human could perceive, she could technically wield sorcery, and she could become the embodiment of wrath if she got ticked off enough - it was insane, and it was made all the worse by the impulses she struggled to contain. With a scowl on her face, she stomped over to her bed.

One of the most infuriating things about her predicament was that her body had inclinations which ran contrary to her common sense. In an all but actual way, it was like who she was fighting who she’d become. She used to be a guy, straight as an arrow with zero interest in any creature with a dick, but the marish parts of her brain had developed a very distinct interest in stallions - particularly big, muscular, mohawked one’s who’d -

“Nnnnngh,” she testily growled, shaking her head to dislodge the lecherous and wholly unwanted thoughts from her mind.

Still grappling with the concept of having a quickie with a pegasus she’d known for a whopping ten minutes, she did not want to entertain the notion of sharing her singed bed with yet another stud - not for the least of which reasons being the risk of making a slatternly name for herself. If there was one thing she didn’t need, it was stallions in the castle thinking she was easy. As she grabbed and pulled on her blanket, sending what was left of her stir-fry and her two slices of pie flying, her patience with everything finally broke.

Bolting into her bathroom, knowing she was about to combust, she jumped into her shower and turned the water on full blast. She was way, way too peeved to think clearly, but she had the common sense to save her suite and avert a calamity. Though the frigid shower was enough to suppress her indignation and the conflagration wreathing her, it did nothing to improve her mood.

Seeing no reason not to, she washed herself, rinsed off, and stepped out of her tub with a clearer head. While she was no longer angry, she was weary on every appreciable level. Her day had been long, she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, and now she had a mess to tend to. As she dried herself off and wondered what she was going to do with herself that evening, an idea hit her.

Given that she had the next two days off work, since the castle’s formal operations were typically suspended throughout the weekend, she spontaneously decided to treat herself to a small outing. Getting some fresh air, stretching her legs, and picking up something deliciously unhealthy to much on would be just what the doctor ordered to salvage her afternoon. Her mind was made up in an instant and she smiled to herself as she remade her bed.

Fortunately for her, having something to look forward to gave her all the motivation she needed to get her room tidied up. Seeing herself out and locking up behind herself, carrying her ruined linens on her back, she began her trek out of the keep. Living in Canterlot could be a hassle at times, but one of the benefits of being in the capital was that there were all sorts of restaurants and specialty shops within trotting distance.

She slowed when she passed through portcullis and into the city proper, weighing her options. Considering she’d never been one for opulent meals, she ultimately settled on something simple - a big, greasy hayburger, sweet potato fries, and perhaps a milkshake to finish off her meal. Salivating at the thought of her impending dinner, she trotted away from the keep and to the downtown district - that was until somepony shouted behind her.

“Snowy!” a familiar voice called.

Though she was tempted to ignore him, knowing it was Aegis without having to look at him, she looked back. Had he been anypony else, she wouldn’t have paid him any mind, yet that wasn’t the case. She’d known him before she’d turned into a kirin, prior to the existence of Snowy Glow, and she’d considered him a decently close friend.

“Fancy meeting you here,” he chuckled, cantering up to her side.

“Could say the same about you,” she countered, wistfully smiling up at him. “Done for the day?”

Smirking down at her, he shrugged. “Oh yeah, and I am bushed.”

Her eyes wandered over him, drinking in his unarmored features. He was a hair taller than most stallions and well-built to boot, even compared to most of the other royal guards, but he was a gentle giant. His golden eyes radiated kindness, countering his formidable physique, and he always seemed to be in decent spirits around her - even when she’d been a human guy. Looking back to his face, she brushed a lock of mane away from her eyes.

“Guessing you’re going on an errand?” she inquired, shifting her weight and lazily continuing onward.

As he trotted along next to her, he shook his head. “Not unless you count getting a bite and something to drink an errand, no. How about yourself?”

“I was thinking the same thing, minus the drink part,” she replied.

Grinning over at her, he reached out and gently pressed a hoof to her shoulder. “I know I hinted at it earlier, but would you like to join me?” he asked. “Before you ask, it would be my treat.”

“This isn’t a date ~ is it?” she quipped, shrugging off his forehoof.

“Hey hey hey ~ who said anything about a date?” he laughed. “This is just two ponies - er - a pony and a kirin going out for dinner - no ulterior motives, no romance, nothing crazy.”

She should have held her ground and turned him down, politely passing on his offer, but the idea of a free meal with some decent company was too good to pass up. Stopping in her tracks, she faced him and extended a hoof. It would be nice to have somepony she could talk with, doubly so if it was somepony she worked around, although she’d really rather avoid the stallion getting the wrong impression about her.

“Just dinner,” she intoned.

Shaking her proffered hoof, he set his brow and gave a firm nod. “Just dinner and some friendly chatting - I swear by the sisters.”

“I guess all that leaves is where to eat,” she noted, withdrawing her foreleg. “Burgers sound good to you?”

“You read my mind,” he hummed, waving her forward.

Leading the way, she trotted down the sidewalk and to one of her favorite establishments - The Pony Express. The place wasn’t anything to fancy, basically a diner, but they served some darn good grub. As she saw herself inside the restaurant, her nostrils were assailed with the most heavenly aroma.

Slowing, Aegis motioned over to one side of the dining area. “Corner booth work for you?”

She nodded and waved him ahead. They didn’t have to wait to be seated, which meant they could grab any table that was open. Not two seconds after they both seated themselves, a portly mare wearing an apron trotted over with a little notebook in her forehoof.

“What can I get for y’all?” the server asked.

“I’ll take a southern deluxe hayburger, extra tofu bacon and slaw, with a side of sweet potato fries,” Snowy immediately stated.

Somewhat taken aback, Aegis gawked over at her. “You been here before?”

“I - uh…” she faltered. “No, but one of the maids recommended this meal.”

“Well it does sound pretty good - in fact, if I remember right, Anon used to get the same thing when he’d come here,” he admitted. “You know what, I’ll take the same thing - oh and can I get a cider to go with it?”

“Sure can,” the waitress coolly remarked. “Can I get you something to drink, Missy?”

Moments from ordering a glass of iced tea, Snowy changed her mind. With the frustrating day behind her, having a hard cider might just help her forget about her woes and relax a bit - that and it wasn’t like she was paying for the meal. Throwing her reservations to the wind, she glanced over at the guard.

Possibly sensing what she was thinking, he cocked his head. “Want to get a pitcher?”

“Buck it,” she sighed. “That works for me.”

“You sure?” he pressed. “The cider here is pretty strong.”

“I guess that settles it,” she mused. “Put us down for a pitcher.”

Jotting everything down, the server nodded and proceeded back to the kitchen area. “It’ll only be a minute, you two.”

“Thanks,” he called before turning his attention over to his company. “So how’s everything been going with the Princesses?”

Reclining in her seat, she tapped the digits of one hoof on the table. “Aside from being busy all the time, it’s been ok.”

“Yeah, I kinda figured that’d be the case,” he grumbled. “They worked Anon pretty hard when he was there.”

Hearing the name she’d gone by for most of her life, her ears perked up. “Anon the human?”

“The one and only - at least I think he was the only one,” Aegis mused. “It’s still hard to believe he’s gone ~ ya know?”

She cast her eyes downward as she was hit with a vague sense of melancholy. “Yeah, I can believe it. From what I heard, he just sort of - Poof - disappeared.”

“Pretty much,” he murmured. “I just kinda wish I could have told him goodbye - sure, we may not have been super close or anything, but it was nice shooting the breeze with him from time to time. Wherever he is, I hope he’s doing alright for himself…”

She quietly grunted in response. It was both unsettling and saddening to hear him talking about her, the person she’d used to be, in such a way. As much as she wanted to tell him the truth, to confess that Anon was sitting right in front of him, that would open up a can of worms she had no desire to deal with. Lifting her head, she peered over at him, reached out, and softly patted his foreleg.

“I might not have had the chance to meet him, but I’m sure he’s doing ok,” she whispered. “And if he’s half the guy I think he was, I bet he wishes he could have told you and everypony else he knew goodbye.”

Her remark caused a faint smile to split Aegis’ muzzle. “Yeah, he was a good guy, even if he was a little weird.”

“Weird?” she quipped, peaking a brow. “How so?”

“Other than his looks, he was just kinda funny,” he snickered. “Had all these weird habits and quirks.”

With her curiosity piqued, she leaned forward. “Such as…?”

“He’d wear clothes all the time - like constantly,” he explained. “Honestly, I can’t see how he could stand being dressed up all day.”

“Huh,” she grunted. Getting a candid take on her old self was a unique experience, one that was too good to pass up, and she couldn’t help but dig a little deeper. “Did he have any other quirks?”

Aegis thought for a moment then nodded. “A few, yeah. He’d occasionally talk about these things called cars that were supposedly some sort of motorized carriage - crazy, I know. Other than some of his wacky claims about his homeland, he wasn’t that strange.”

Relieved that she hadn’t been bashed too harshly, she slowly exhaled. “Well that’s good.”

“Plus he had pretty good tastes for a human,” he continued. “It didn’t happen all that often, but I’d occasionally notice him eyeing the Princesses or the mares around the castle. He wasn’t a creep or anything, but the guy definitely wasn’t as subtle as he could have been - oh!”

“Here’s your cider,” the waitress stated, depositing a pitcher and two glasses onto the table. “Your order should be up shortly. Just let me know if there’s -”

“Wait a sec,” Snowy interrupted, holding up a hoof. “Aegis, you wanna make a toast to Anon?”

“A toast?” the stallion parroted.

“Yeah,” she affirmed. “To his memory and to wish him good luck.”

Smiling broader than ever, he looked over to the server. “Can we get two shots of brandy?”

“Course you can,” the waitress responded. “Just gimme a second.”

“You didn’t strike me as much of a drinker,” Aegis remarked, swinging his focus back to Snowy.

Snowy dismissively batted a hoof at him and poured them each a glass of cider. “And you didn’t strike me as a stallion who likes burgers.”

Rocking back, he folded his forelegs over his chest. “And what makes you say that?”

“Big, healthy stallion like you,” she began, waving over at him. “I figured you’d be eating salads and hard boiled eggs!”

“I do eat a lot of salad, tofu, and eggs,” he replied, levitating his cider over to himself, “but everyone can have a cheat day every so often - besides, I can always hit the gym a little harder tomorrow.”

Watching him take a sip of his beverage, she found her gaze wandering down from his face to his shoulders and chest. As irony would have it, he was similar to Thunderlane, the stallion she’d fooled around with, in a number of ways. Though they weren’t identical, the two stallions had greyish coats, blue-hued manes, and yellow-colored eyes. Looking up when he sat his glass down, she bashfully smirked.

“So do you work out at all?” he inquired.

“No, but I should really think about starting,” she grumbled, leaning over and inspecting her flank. “I don’t need to put on any weight.”

Making some room at the table and allowing the server to deliver two rocks glasses, he innocently held up his hooves. “I swear I don’t mean this in a creepy way, but there’s nothing wrong with a mare who has a little meat on her bones - just saying. If, and that’s a big if, you ever did want to get into shape, maybe I could take you to the gym some time and help you get a routine.”

“Not sure what you two are toasting,” the waitress interjected, pouring each of them two glasses of brandy, “but consider this on the house. My husband and I think you’re a cute couple.”

Watching the older mare glance over in the direction of the kitchen, Snowy noticed an older stallion, presumably the cook, lingering behind a serving window smiling out at them. “Well thank you - thank you both…”

While the gesture of a free drink was definitely a kind one, the circumstances around it made it slightly awkward. Was it that unimaginable that a mare and a stallion could be on friendly terms and nothing else? Doing her best not to let her embarrassment show, she waved to the stallion while keeping her hooves crossed that the awkward moment would end.

“Don’t worry about it,” the server said with a smirk. “And he’s right you know,” she added before turning away, “you could do with a little meat on your bones.”

Lifting a hoof to reply, Snowy suddenly found herself speechless - a sentiment her company didn’t share. Trying and failing not to giggle like a schoolfilly, Aegis held a hoof to his muzzle. She blushed in spite of knowing the server’s comment had been harmless and made with good intentions. Hoping to change the subject and spare herself any embarrassment, she grabbed one of the glasses of liquor and lifted it.

“To Anon,” she chirped.

“And to good friends,” Aegis intoned, magically lifting his glass and tapping it to hers.

She downed the very generous shot with him, sat her glass down, and loudly exhaled as the brandy warmed her gullet. Following suit, Aegis knocked his drink back and continued chatting with her. Though the conversation was a bit strange, mostly because she already knew him and ended up giving him a fabricated backstory of herself that she, Celestia, and Rain Shine had constructed, it was remarkably enjoyable. They told each other stories, they laughed, and they speculated on a number of rumors that had been circulating through Canterlot as they slowly drank and enjoyed their meals.

By the time they were finished, having eaten their dinner and drained the entire pitcher of cider, both Snowy and Aegis had loosened up considerably. What had started as exchanging pleasantries, warily avoiding anything that could even remotely offend, evolved into joking about anything that came to mind. Clutching his belly and wiping his face, the stallion fought to control himself.

“And…and then we gave her armor that was way too small,” he guffawed, slapping his knee.

Joining him in his mirth, Snowy broke into a fit of giggling. “Well don’t be surprised if somepony turns the tables on you!”

He waved away any concern and drained what was left of his glass. “Please - like that would bother me. It’s not like we wear anything in the barracks anyways!”

Fleeting images of him strutting out of a shower with water running down his chiseled frame danced through her mind. Feeling warm all over and more than a little bit tipsy, she studied him. Yeah, there was no doubt about it, agreeing to go out with him had done her a world of good. She felt fantastic, her day had been salvaged, and she hadn’t been this relaxed in - well, she hadn’t been this relaxed since the night she’d gone through her transformation.

“Wait,” she started as his words finally sank in. “Even the guard mares go around naked?”

“Off shift, yeah,” he casually answered. “Some of ‘em are easy on the eyes, but none of them are really my type.”

A nagging part of her better judgment told her not to ask, but her curiosity got the better of her. “What’s your type then?”

“Hmmmm,” he thoughtfully hummed, staring up at the ceiling. “Plump but not too plump, short, preferably with a long mane…”

“I know just the type,” she hiccuped. “A nice pair of foal-bearing hips, juicy teats, soft and good for snuggling - the kind of mare who’d make it hard for you to get up in the morning.”

Gazing over at her, he grinned. “Oh I’m pretty sure something would be hard if I woke up in bed next to a mare like that,” he breathed. “You wouldn’t know where I could find a mare like that ~ would you?”

Before she could reply, he reached over and stroked her foreleg. As if the gesture and the somewhat amorous topic wasn’t a dead giveaway at what he was going for, he shot her a wink - a wink that set her heart fluttering. Though he may have had innocent intentions when he’d asked her out for a meal, the cider had loosened his inhibitions and let his feelings for her shine through.

“I…I…” she stammered, swallowing hard. “I might know a mare…”

She wasn’t about to admit it, but it’d been over a month since she’d gotten any action and her hoof simply wasn’t cutting it. Though she’d considered going out and procuring a marital aid to keep her company, she hadn’t yet worked up the nerve to go out and buy something so scandalous. Knowing full well that she may regret what she was doing, she turned her foreleg and clasped hooves with him.

Looking her dead in the eyes, he nodded to the side. “Wanna get out of here?”

“Yeah…” she breathed.

The alcohol’s full effects hit her the moment she slid out of her seat and got to her hooves. Swaying slightly, she closed her eyes for a moment. Her hubris had been her undoing, going off her tolerance for drinking when she’d been far larger and with a different metabolism, but things could have been worse. She could still think relatively clearly, she was pretty sure she could trot in a decently straight line, and she didn’t feel sick.

Noticing her plight, Aegis knit his brow. “Stay right there. I’ll go pay the bill and be right back.”

She gave him a thumbless thumbs up while swaying slightly in place. “Sounds good.”

He did as he said, briskly paying the bill before returning to her side. “Come on, let’s get you back to the castle.”

Leaning against him for support, she trotted out into the cool, refreshing night air. Ponies were out and about, the cloudless sky lay overhead, and all was right with the world - or so she thought. A fantastic smell tickled her nostrils, an aroma she couldn’t quite identify, and it sent a thrilled shiver up her spine. Sniffing the air and closing her eyes, she quickly discovered the bouquet was coming from the stallion right next to her.

“You smell nice,” she commented, pressing her snout in his neck.

Slowing and returning the favor, he buried his nose in her fluffy, lion-like mane. “Says the mare that smells nice herself.”

She tittered at his complement and playfully pushed him away. He didn’t budge in the slightest, being far larger and more powerfully built than herself, sending her reeling. Faster than she could think, before she lost her balance, he plucked her from the ground with his magic and sat her over his back. If he’d wanted to, he could overpower her with ease, but he wasn’t that kind of stallion - unless…

Making herself comfortable, she wiggled atop him. She’d hoped she wasn’t drunk enough to make a proverbial ass of herself, presuming she’d simply be able to trot next to him, but his chivalry, her unsteadiness, or some combination of the two had lead to just that. Only the slightest bit annoyed, she slapped his toned flank.

“Better watch that,” he clucked. “Somepony might get the wrong impression about us.”

“Come on -” she innocently countered, peeking back at him, “as if ponies weren’t thinking that already.”

Holding her gaze, he focused his magic and nonchalantly gave her tush a sorcerous squeeze. “And if they think I’m bringing you home to make wild, passionate love to you?”

Her heart fluttered madly, she felt her marehood grow moist, and she licked her lips. “W…well…”

“Well…?” he urged.

“If that’s the case,” she breathed, “then they…”

With an impish smirk on his muzzle, he caressed her inner thigh with his aura. “They what…?”

“T…they…” she sputtered, gliding a forehoof around his waist.

To Tartarus with it. She hadn’t gone out wanting to get laid, but that’s what was going to happen - she knew it, he knew it, and anypony in the surrounding area probably knew it. As she was carried along, she lowered her head and took notice of something beneath him - a long, dark, heavy something hanging under his belly.

Grinning all the broader, he flexed his loins and slapped his gradually hardening stallionhood against his abdomen. “The faster we get back to your place, the faster you can get a closer look at it, cutie.”

Ignoring her slowly flagging tail, she gave his hindquarters a smack. She’d only gotten a fleeting glimpse of his tool, but it looked like he was packing one heck of a whopper. Like a giddy colt after prom night, he whisked her under the portcullis, through the inner ward, and to one of the side entrances of the keep.

His flight through the castle and to her room went by in an all but literal flash. Breathing hard and being sat down just within her chamber, completely apathetic that both she and Aegis had worked up a sweat, she kicked her door closed and pointed to her bed. If she was going to sully another set of sheets and risk waking up with a few regrets, she was going to do things her way.

“A mare who knows what she wants ~ eh?” he chuckled, hopping onto her mattress and easing himself down. “I can get behind that.”

“Funny you should say that,” she snickered, dragging herself onto the bed beside him. “Lay on your back for me.”

Giving her a little salute, he followed her order to the letter. The sight of his stallionhood stoked the flames of her mounting lust and hammered away at her reservations. With a thick, angry vein running along one side and covered in dark flesh, his length beckoned to her. Drawn in, she approached from his side and froze.

“Hang on a sec,” she grumbled, repositioning herself. Swinging a hind leg over his head, she peered down her chest and past her bosoms at him. “This good for you?”

Keeping his eyes glued to her marehood, he reached up, grabbed her hips, and pulled her hindquarters down. She yelped when she sat on his face, unprepared for just how enthusiastic he’d be, yet her surprise was quickly subsumed by bliss. Given the absolute ravishing he gave her, feasting on her loins like a beast, he was just as excited to get her in bed as she was to sate herself with him.

Lowering herself upon him, she drew her nose down to the base of his length. His natural aroma was fantastic, yet the musk radiating from his nethers was downright intoxicating. Strong, earthy, and tickling parts of her brain that hadn’t existed a month prior, his scent alone was almost enough to send her into a frenzy - almost. Reining herself in, she lifted her head and ran her tongue up his shaft.

The idea for a sixty-nine had been spontaneous, but she was glad she’d thought of it. He got to warm her up while she had a chance to appreciate his endowment, it was a win-win - even so, a problem quickly presented itself. Between the drinks she’d had, the subtle teasing on the way back to the castle, and her burning desires, she was practically skyrocketing toward release.

She forced herself to focus as she wrapped her lips around the head of his cock. Even if she wasn’t going to be able to last for too long, she couldn’t bring herself to take a completely passive role - it just didn’t feel right. Closing her eyes, she filled her lungs and began bobbing her head.

The satisfied groan he gave was music to her ears, giving her all the inspiration she needed to continue. While it was unfortunate that their position made it impossible for her to work the most sensitive part of his dick, she did the best she could given the impulsive circumstances. Mopping his length, leaving streaks of saliva along his shaft, she quivered and bucked against his face.

It was funny - she’d never given much thought to the intricacies of mutual oral, but it was a lot harder than she thought it’d be - pleasurable and fun as all get-out, but definitely not easy. The waves of pleasure surging through her made it difficult to concentrate, wreaking havoc on her mind, and it put her at a disadvantage. Once again, like with her time at the spa, she became aware of just how bad mares had it.

“Sweet Celestia,” he gasped, withdrawing for air. “You taste so much better than a pony.”

Withdrawing with a soft Pop, she peeked back at him. “Really?”

“Oh yeah,” he hummed, caressing her ass. “And hotter too…”

Though she hadn’t wanted to bring the foreplay to a hasty end, the situation was quickly getting out of hoof. She was already close to her limit, he was rock hard, and he clearly knew what he was doing. Almost reluctantly pushing herself up, she stepped away from him and turned to face him. It was painfully obvious that she wasn’t going to last as long as he was, but that wasn’t a problem - no, the real problem was that she wanted to see him while they were doing it.

Straddling him, she dipped her hips and kissed her marehood to the tip of his length. “Guess you’re going to find out if I’m as hot as you think I am.”

“Oh I know you’re hot,” he whispered, lifting and bracing his hind legs.

Silently smiling down at him, she gradually descended and impaled herself. The sensation of being penetrated was just as unbelievably incredible as she remembered, titillating to a fault, although she couldn’t afford to get ahead of herself. Inch after wondrous inch of thick, hot stallionhood stretched her confines, steadily filling her, until she reached his fat medial ring.

“Just…just give me a second,” she wheezed, acclimating to the intrusion.

Surrounding her breasts with his magical aura, he delicately played with her teats. “Take all the time you want - trust me, I don’t mind.”

The additional stimulation was enough to make her whimper in delight and fully hilt herself. The thick band of flesh near the base of his length ground against her g-spot, his cock-head seated itself to her womb, and she uncontrollably winked around him. Maybe it was her imagination, but she could swear he was the perfect fit for her - like a key to a lock.

She gave no warning when she started to move. Leaning forward and placing her forehooves against his chest, she lifted her hips, freed a portion of his shaft, and slammed her ass back down atop him. The plunge was everything she could have asked for and more, downright electrifying, and it spurred her onward.

While he’d just said that she could take her time, he hastily joined her. As he thrust up to meet her descents, having gotten her timing down perfectly, his balls slapped against her tush. Her rapturous mewls cut through the air, reverberating off the stone walls and sounding alien to her ears, but that wasn’t enough to stop her - if anything, the lewd sounds inspired her to move faster.

Alternating between looking to her face and abdomen, he twisted and lightly pulled on her nipples. She’d thought that having her breasts toyed with by a pegasus’ wings had been amazing, but magic - holy heck, the touch of sorcery was so much better than she would have guessed. Closing her eyes and openly panting, drooling over his chest, she struggled to keep up with him.

“Having fun?” he purred.

“Uh…uh-huh…” she croaked, finding it remarkably hard to think.

Shooting forward, taking her completely off guard, he wrapped his forelegs around her neck, pulled her to himself and locked lips with her. The impassioned kiss pushed her to the brink, threatening to undo her completely, but the way he began pounding into her broke her. Howling into his muzzle and around his thick, powerful tongue, she came like a volcano.

If her climax bothered him in the slightest, he gave no sign. Like a runaway train with a mad conductor, he jackhammered into her. Before her orgasm could subside, riding the euphoric high of unimaginable rapture, she was rocked to her core by a second, even more existence-shattering wave of ecstasy. Perhaps she’d been wrong - perhaps being a mare wasn’t as bad as she’d thought.

Her movements came to an abrupt halt, her marehood spasmed and quaked around his pistoning length, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Holy heck - she’d figured he would be decent in bed, but she’d been wrong - he wasn’t good, he was flippin’ phenomenal. Her second climax was followed by a third, robbing her of the ability to think, much less move, while he used her like a flimsy sex-toy.

Having nearly blacked out no fewer than three times, she broke the kiss and draped her head over his shoulder. As badly as she wanted to stay conscious, it was a fight she doubted she’d win. He was too well-hung, his technique was impeccable, he smelled great, he tasted even better, and the booze made his ruthless rutting all the more sensational - in short, she was in heaven.

With holding her forehooves and somehow continuing to use his magic to play with her bosoms and clit, he nibbled her ear. “I’m close…”

“Ugh,” she grunted, unable to form any meaningful response.

She didn’t know if a pony could knock up a kirin, nor did she care - in that moment, feeling his throbbing stallionhood battering her cervix, she wished for nothing more than for him to unload every drop of his hot, virile foal-batter straight into her baby-bakery. Finding the strength to make her desires known, she bit down on his collar.

No sooner did she give him the little love bite than he growled and hilted her. She could all but see his cock locking in place, swelling while the first shots of his seed surged through his shaft. The heat and pressure of his release, bathing her interior and seeping into her womb, an experience beyond words, the sort of thing she hadn’t thought possible, and it evoked what may have been the strongest orgasm of her life.

Throwing herself back, she brayed out in unfettered glee. “Yes - buck yes! Breed me, you sexy STUD!”

Continuing to fitfully thrust his hips, he did just that. Each pulse of his godly stallionhood sent his essence into her, bathing her depths with his cum and marking her as his. This was more than sex, well beyond the lovemaking of romantic partners - this was bestial, animalistic breeding and it gave her satisfaction that was beyond her wildest dreams. When he finally came to a stop, his body giving out, she collapsed on him and heaved air into her chest.

“H…holy moly,” he rasped, stroking her back.

Shudderingly turning and looking at his face, she wearily grinned. “That good?”

“That good,” he softly affirmed, holding her close. “You wanna shower and -”

“Not yet,” she interrupted, pressing a hoof to his lips. “I wanna let it marinate for a bit…”

The shred of common sense she had remaining told her it was a bad idea, that wallowing in their sweat and juices would matt her fur and make cleaning up all the more difficult, but she was past the point of caring. She’d had a wonderful night out with an even more wonderful stallion, and that was all that mattered. As she snuggled up with him, savoring the embrace, her only hope was that the little tryst wouldn’t have any lasting repercussions.

Gratified beyond measure and honestly tired enough to doze off, she bolted up when her door flew open. Backlit by the hallway lighting stood a figure - a figure bearing both wings and a horn. It took her pickled brain a second to figure out who and what she was looking at, understanding that the pony was too small to be either Celestia or Luna, but she grimaced when realization dawned on her.

“Haven’t you heard about knocking?” she called out, her voice slurring ever so slightly.

Undeterred, the mare stepped inside. “Who the hay are you and why are you in Anon’s room?”

“Hey,” Snowy huffed, shifting and unintentionally clenching around Aegis’ softening length, “this is my room and I’m telling you to get out! Can’t you see you’re interrupting something?!”

The mare stared over and jumped back, apparently only then realizing what she’d trotted in. “W…well I’ll be back. I was looking for Anon. If you see him, tell him I want to speak with him.”

As the door slammed shut, Snowy slowly exhaled. Now Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship was looking for her - well the man she used to be. Gently putting a forehoof to Aegis’ lips, silencing him and preempting any questions, she grumbled to herself and tried to get comfortable. She could deal with the Princess later - for the time being, all she wanted to do was bask in the moment…