Paradigm Shift

Snowy shook her head and suddenly realized she had no idea where she was going as she came to an intersection within the castle. What the buck was going on with her? She knew she was on the clock, remembering leaving the throne room to do something, but darned if she could recall what she’d been tasked with! Closing her eyes, she took a breath to collect herself.

For the better part of a week, she’d found it harder and harder to concentrate - worse still, she felt off. It would have been easy for her to tell if she was getting sick when she’d been human, but that wasn’t the case with her new body. Being a kirin meant her body temperature, appetite, and the way she perceived the world were different from what she was used to, leaving her to sort out what was normal and what wasn’t on her lonesome.

“You ok?” a rich voice intoned from behind her.

Looking over her shoulder and spotting a guard moving up to her side, she gave a weary nod. “Yeah, I just got turned around.”

The stallion studied her for a moment before continuing along his way. Ordinarily speaking, she wouldn’t have given the brief interaction any thought whatsoever - unfortunately for her, as soon as he trotted by, her mental faculties faltered entirely. As she gazed longingly at his backside, watching his toned glutes slide past one another, a tingle crept into her loins.

Staring at his tush while wondering if he had a special somepony in his life, she bit her bottom lip. Though his name and rank eluded her, his physique and the concern he’d expressed for her did not. She subconsciously stepped to one side and leaned over to give herself a better look at him. His snow white coat was immaculately brushed, the golden armor adorning his muscular frame had a mirrored finish, and the way he carried himself spoke of a well-trained soldier - nevertheless, her interest in him lay elsewhere.

Spying his meaty, fat coin purse, she ground her thighs together. Oh yeah - she could tell at a glance that he was a real stud, somepony who could pump a foal or two into a mare, and the thought of him pinning her down and claiming her as his personal broodmare wrought havoc upon her. Feeling but ignoring her flagging tail, she started when he turned to face her.

“Is - uh - is everything alright?” he inquired.

The simple question sundered the spell and brought her back to her senses. “Huh?”

“You were staring kind of hard,” he asserted, peaking a brow.

“N…no I wasn’t,” she stuttered, lying through her teeth.

The crushing weight of what had just happened fell heavily upon her, filling her with dread. She’d just been caught red hoofed eyeing this stallion, somepony she didn’t even know, like he was a Grade-A cut of studly meat. Confused, aroused, and more than a little self-conscious, she did the only thing her frazzled mind would allow her to do - she turned tail and ran.

She may not have been able to tell exactly what it was, but something was definitely wrong. While it was understandable and completely forgivable for somepony to become scatterbrained from time to time, her predicament was so much worse than that. Glancing back to ensure she wasn’t being followed, she charged head first into something that sent her crashing to the floor.

“Ugh…” she groaned, wincing and rubbing her head.

Looking up and expecting to find a wall, she swallowed hard when she noticed a guard, one even bigger and more heavily built than the one she’d just fled from, looming over her. Backlit by a window and with a concerned look on his face, he extended a hoof to her. Her heart skipped a beat, her mouth went dry, and her marehood seized upon itself, as she gazed up at the angelic visage over her.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, “you must have -”

“Aaaaaaaaaaah,” she wailed, scrambling up to her hooves and scampering away for her life.

What was happening? Why was she so gosh darned horny! Who had she just run into? Assailed by dozens upon dozens of questions, she came to a skidding halt when a terrifying explanation reared its head. Her temperature, the mental fog, her fixation with stallions, they all pointed to one thing - she was in heat.

Though there was nothing inherently shameful about it, the notion of being a slave to her biology made her blood run cold. Forcing herself to control her breathing, she looked around for somewhere to gather her thoughts. Being in the middle of her shift meant that disappearing would cause problems, problems she’d rather not deal with, but forcing herself to keep working could and likely would end in disaster.

Knowing what she had to do, yet she was apprehensive to actually do it. Princess Celestia, being a magnanimous pony and one of the very few who was aware of her unique situation, could do two things: excuse her from her duties and confirm her suspicions. Getting her bearings, she wheeled around and began making her way back to the throne room. It wasn’t going to be fun, and it sure wasn’t looking forward to it, but the kindly alicorn was the only one she could turn to about something so delicate.

Either by circumstance or sheer dumb luck, she was able to avoid bumping into anypony until she’d reached the first floor of the keep. The ground level of the castle was always bustling with activity, barring the dead of night or on public holidays, so it was no surprise that there’d be townsponies, tourists, and staff members doing this or that - that being said, paying them no mind was a herculean endeavor. Try as she might, keeping her head down and eyes to the floor, she wasn’t able to disappear.

Darn it - if she wasn’t a stupid kirin, a species that next to nopony had heard about, much less seen in person, it would have been easy for her to trot along without drawing any attention to herself - as things were, like it or not, she stood out like a sore thumb. Keeping her pace and weaving past various ponies, she disregarded the hushed whispers and curious looks around her. Regardless of her hunch and how the rest of her day played out, her uniqueness was one facet of the curse Rain had put upon her.

As she continued onward, drawing closer and closer to her destination, the memory of the kirin matriarch and the rush of emotions it evoked proved a valuable, if not infuriating distraction. She hadn’t heard from Rain in well over a month, and she was starting to worry the ruler didn’t view returning her to her original state as a priority. While being a mare wasn’t that bad most of the time, having invasive, extremely inappropriate thoughts was enough to make her reassess how difficult her new life could be.

After seeing her way past the praetorians flanking the open throne room, she breathed a sigh of relief. The room was mostly empty, allowing her to make what she sure hoped would be a brief chat with the Princess relatively uncomplicated. She smiled and waved up at Celestia as she made her approach, keeping her hooves crossed that the alicorn would take pity on her.

“Snowy,” Celestia cheerfully began, “done with fetching those writing quills already?”

“I - um - no,” Snowy grumbled, trotting up to the throne. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t being spied upon, she lowered her voice. “I hate to ask, but can I go home for the day?”

Celestia’s ears perked up and her joyful expression wavered. “Is everything alright?”

“I…” Snowy fell silent as she chose her words carefully. She’d rather not discuss something so sensitive with anypony, much less her employer, so she shook her head. “I’m fine, but I don’t want to talk about it. I can work extra hours to make up for -”

“That’ll hardly be necessary,” the Princess interrupted, reaching out to softly pat her shoulder. “If there’s some private matter you have to attend to, I’ll…”

Holding her breath and fruitlessly for the alicorn to continue, Snowy shifted uncomfortably. “I’ll…?”

Without any warning whatsoever, Celestia closed her eyes and sniffed the air. “Is that…” she went quiet as she went rigid and stared down at the kirin. “Are you…”

Sweat beaded Snowy’s brow, her blood ran cold, and a knot formed in her stomach. Buck - the Princess knew about her not so little problem! Shuffling back and creating some space between herself and the regal demigod, she fought to keep herself from flying into a panic. Celestia was a fair and caring ruler, but she’d seen firsthoof that the alicorn had a mischievous side.

“Listen, Princess, I really have to go,” she murmured, slowly backing away. “I’ll try to be back in the morning.”

She didn’t wait for a reply, choosing to accept any possible punishment over prolonging the interaction. Chatting with the Princess in her current state would be a fool’s errand - not because she was completely helpless, but because the impish smirk she’d seen splitting the alicorn’s muzzle told her everything she needed to know. Having nearly reached the exit, she stopped dead in her tracks when the diarch loudly cleared her throat.

“Y…yes, P…P…Princess?” she sputtered, falteringly looking back at the alicorn.

“Given your stellar work ethic and the - Ahem - delicate circumstances, I’ll allow you to take the day - no, the rest of the week off. Please inform Ms. Inkwell that you’ll need a substitute until next Monday.”

A genuine smile split Snowy’s features as she turned and gave a deep, full bow to the Princess. “Thank you so much. I don’t -”

“I’m not quite finished,” Celestia continued, cutting her off and unseating herself. Coolly trotting over to her, she dipped head. “Cool showers before work and a nice, steamy romance novel to curl up with before bed usually help me get through such trying times…”

Snowy’s jaw practically hit the floor as the words sank in. Had Celestia, one of the oldest and most powerful mares on the entire planet, just given her advice for how to deal with what she assumed was her heat? She should have been grateful, she should have thanked the Princess for the sage wisdom, yet she was mortified. Unable to speak and unsure of what she’d even say, she watched the alicorn turn away from her.

“If those don’t help, there’s one other thing you could try,” Celestia noted. “There’s a particular shop that sells marital -”

There was only so much somepony could stand before they broke - for Snowy, the mere hint that the alicorn was going to suggest buying a sex-toy was the final straw. Dashing out and into the hallway, she ran as fast and as hard as her four legs could carry her. If there was one thing she needed - genuinely needed in that moment, it was some space to decompress.

She didn’t stop until she’d galloped through the courtyard, out into the city, and down the first vacant alleyway she laid eyes upon. Taking refuge behind a stack of palates, she heaved air into her chest and fought to catch her breath. While she wasn’t necessarily worried about Celestia spilling the beans about her condition to anypony, she was concerned that there’d been other ponies, namely the pair of stallions she’d encountered less than an hour ago, who’d figured out she was in estrus.

Seating herself and burying her face in her hooves, she put her mind to work. She’d been in Equestria for long enough to hear about heat cycles, the hormonally charged bouts of fertility in mares, so she dredged up every use of information her memory could deliver. As a vague recollection struck her, remembering a conversation she’d overheard many months prior, she lowered her snout and sniffed herself.

It was hard to tell if she smelled any different than usual, having effectively become nose blind to her scent, but her instincts told her that her particular bouquet was what had given her plight away to the Princess. Since ponies had a darn good sense of smell, several times more sensitive than a human’s, it only made sense that there was an olfactory component involved with reproductive cycles - in fact, she’d heard that some animals on earth used their noses to select mates. Rolling her head back and staring up at the sky, feeling utterly defeated and completely helpless, she was hit with a bolt from the blue.

If her natural fragrance was something that could alert ponies to her heat, it only made sense that she mask it some way - possibly with an unnatural fragrance. As she stood and started to pace in the cramped backstreet, she rubbed her chin. Getting some perfume would be easy enough to pull off in the capital, but that would only address one facet of her conundrum.

As a light breeze washed over her, cooling the dampened fur of her loins and inner thighs, she was reminded of another element. Her treacherous body, no matter what she tried, refused to obey her - as such, covering herself would mitigate the chances of somepony taking note of her persistently aroused state. She chuckled to herself and peered out to the street, both amused and emboldened by her staggering shrewdness.

A dress, preferably a conservative one, and some perfume - yes, those would be the ticket. While the items wouldn’t solve her problem, they potentially would make it much easier to go out and about without looking like a lusty harlot. Filled with righteous determination, she set off in the direction of the Canterlot Carousel.

She didn’t have any bits with her, but that wouldn’t be as big of a problem for her as it would be for most ponies. Since she worked for the Princesses, the boutique would probably be willing to let her pay for a purchase later that afternoon - plus it wasn’t like the shop didn’t do a metric ton of business with the castle. She stuck mainly to smaller roads and backstreets as she went along, steering clear of more heavily traveled areas, until the unmistakable building came into view.

The last and potentially biggest hurdle would be getting in and out of the shop as quickly as possible. She couldn’t have cared less what sort of dress or perfume she picked up, though there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t have to deal with other customers or suffer the platitudes of Sassy. On any other day, at any other time, she really wouldn’t have been bothered to strike up a conversation with the tall, svelte unicorn seamstress, but gossiping and small talk was the last thing she wanted to deal with.

Trotting into the boutique, she scanned the interior. As luck would have it, there appeared to be only two or three ponies browsing wares, meaning she’d be able to get her things and leave without dealing with anypony. Just as she went to trot over to the mares section, she spotted a figure moving straight towards her - a snow white, indigo-maned, blue eyed figure.

“Welcome to the Canterlot Carousel, how can - Oh my!” Rarity gasped, nearly tripping over herself at the sight of her. “A kirin, here in Canterlot?!”

With an extreme exertion of willpower, Snowy kept her eyes from rolling. “Hello.”

Rarity closed the gap between them in an instant and came to a halt at an uncomfortably close distance. “Darling, that coat, those eyes, and that glorious mane of yours are simply divine!”

“I - uh - thanks?” she warily replied, taken aback.

“You simply must let me - Rarity, where are your manners?!” the unicorn admonished herself, stepping back and extending a forehoof. “My apologies, it’s just so rare to see one of you! As I was saying, welcome to the Canterlot Carousel. How can I be of assistance today?”

Fighting the urge to flee, she found the fortitude to maintain her smile. She’d only met Rarity once, shortly after arriving in Equestria when she’d been human, but she knew the couture was close friends with Twilight and was the bearer of the Element of Generosity. Considering the Princess of Friendship was still stalking her for some darn reason, she needed to play her cards very, very carefully.

Giving the seamstress’ hoof a small shake, she wandered away. “I’m just here to pick out a dress.”

“Well you’ve most certainly come to the right place!” Rarity proudly proclaimed, trailing after her. “Might I ask, what kind of dress? Cocktail? Ball gown? Slip? Strapless? Oh - darling, you’d look absolutely gorgeous in a qipao!”

The unfamiliar word was enough to make her slow and look over at the unicorn. “A what?”

“It’s a variety of gown that, while a bit form-fitting, is typically made of silk and is all the rage,” the seamstress eagerly explained. “I feel like an arctic blue with plum blossoms and platinum - no, gold trim would suit you marvelously!”

Finding herself at a crossroads, she considered her options. On one hoof, she wanted to leave as soon as possible - on the other, she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t curious about the exotic-sounding dress Rarity was referring to. Knowing that Rarity had an eye for fashion, and that getting some input on what would look good on her may come in useful, she gave a small nod.

“Well if you have something that would work, I’d be happy to give it a look,” she softly stated.

“I may not have such a garment at the ready, but that will hardly stop me from making you one!” Rarity laughed, snatching her hoof. “If any of you need me, be a dear and call me,” she loudly announced to the duo of prospective customers as she towed the kirin along.

Virtually dragged through the shop and toward the back, Snowy immediately regretted her decision. She was as far from a tailor as a pony could get, but she was savvy enough to understand that something like a dress, even a simple one, simply couldn’t be made in a single sitting. While she was guided past displays and various racks of attire, she came to another startling conclusion - if she acted too strange, there was a darn good chance that Rarity might mention her odd behavior to Twilight.

“Just stand right over there by that drafting table,” Rarity chirped, releasing her hoof as they walked through an employees only door, “I’ll only be a moment.”

Snowy slowed and surveyed the workshop. Large rolls of fabric rested in one corner, while a sewing machine and a large table adorned with pins, scissors, and scraps of cloth rested in another. The whole place was extremely tidy and well-kept, lending further weight to the renown designer’s skill with a needle and thread.

Drifting over to an organizer, she pulled open a drawer and marveled at an array of shiny buttons. “I’m guessing Sassy is out?”

“I’m afraid so,” Rarity called back. “She’s on leave to attend a fashion show in Fillydelphia. I would have gone myself, but it’s simply not fair to deny her the chance - not to mention I went to last year’s event. Ah - here we are!”

As she looked over at the returning unicorn, her eyes lingered on a length of fabric levitating beside the seamstress. “Sassy took my measurements the other week.”

“Well I’m not Sassy, darling -” Rarity tittered, extending the measuring tape, “besides, it’s my humble opinion that somepony should be fitted for every new piece of attire.”

Snowy pinched the bridge of her snout, exasperated but understanding what the couture meant. “I guess that makes sense, just don’t - H…hey!”

Pressing the tape to her side, Rarity glanced up at her face. “Be a dear and hold still for me.”

“Can’t you use your magic?” Snowy groused.

“I could, but that’s so impersonal,” Rarity responded. Running the fabric from her fetlock up to her hoof, she hovered a notepad and pen over to herself and jotted a measurement down. “I must say, your coat is quite luxurious. What sort of conditioner do you use?”

“Marebelline,” she flatly stated, doing her best to keep herself from fidgeting.

“Lift your leg for me,” the unicorn instructed.

Snowy set her jaw and did as she was asked, giving the couture access to her undercarriage. The sensation of cloth and hooves over her bosoms was blissfully excruciating, although that was only the start of things. As the fabric tape slipped up her inner thigh and to her crotch, she prayed her arousal wouldn’t be apparent.

Continuing to work without saying a thing, either too courteous or professional to mention how wet she was, Rarity measured her dock. “Bit warm out today ~ hmm?”

“Yup,” she grunted through gritted teeth.

There was no way Rarity hadn’t figured out that she was in heat. Her nipples were hard enough to cut glass, her marehood was drenched, and she couldn’t stop herself from shivering slightly as the seamstress unintentionally felt her up. As if to add insult to injury, the unicorn was genuinely attractive, well-spoken, and with looks that could kill, making the fitting process all the more harrowing.

Keeping her eyes closed, she attempted to keep her thoughts on anything but the hoof meandering over her body. She was completely aware that Rarity was simply doing a thorough job, yet the attention and the cheerful humming did little to prevent her mind from wandering into lecherous waters. For a fleeting instant, after the unicorn had moved up to her shoulders and away from her lower half, she assumed she’d gotten through the worst of it, but she was swiftly proven wrong.

“This may sound odd, but may I touch your mane?” Rarity demurely inquired.

“Sure,” she huffed, “knock yourself out.”

It wasn’t the first time somepony had asked to feel her mane, and she doubted it’d be the last, although Rarity’s definition of touching differed from the norm. Leaning in, Rarity buried her face in the soft, fluffy fur around her neck and collar. The tactile stimulation of a hoof gliding over her coat paled in comparison to having the mare nuzzling her in such a flippant, frankly unprofessional fashion.

Turning her head from side to side, Rarity giggled. “It’s so soft - much softer than I thought it would be!”

As she peered down at the unicorn, the ache in her nethers returned with a vengeance. “T…thanks. So are we done or -”

“With the measurements, yes, of course,” Rarity proclaimed, backing away and looking to her notebook. “I don’t have the fabric I’ll need to craft your qipao, but I should be able to get it in by next week - after that, it would only take me a day or two to complete your order. Have you given any thoughts to undergarments?”

Snowy balked as if stricken, unprepared for the question. “Like a pair of panties?”

“Lingerie, darling,” Rarity clarified. “A mare as fine as yourself should at least consider something ravishing to wear with the dress I’ll be making. If I may be so bold, I’d suggest a garter belt, brassiere, panties, and leggings to go with it - all in matching black lace, of course.”

Neurons activated and Snowy’s imagination ran wild as images of herself sauntering about in sinful undergarments traipsed through her head. She did enjoy the way she looked, so much so that she’d gotten off while watching herself in a mirror, but the prospect of wearing something naughty elevated her self-admiration to an entirely different level. As she began to drool from both ends, she recoiled when the seamstress broke into a fit of laughter.

“Judging from what I can only presume was a little self-indulgent fantasy you were just having, allow me to select something for you. I’ll be right back,” Rarity smugly remarked, turning and meandering back into the storefront of her shop.

“A…alright,” she breathed.

Her better judgment told her to excuse herself, to forgo even looking at anything even remotely erotic, yet she was compelled to at the very least see what Rarity was going to get. Continuing to peruse the tailor’s tools and raw materials, she mused on what the seamstress had said. While she had no dire need of undergarments, not for the least of which reasons being ponies rarely wore them, it would be nice to have a nice pair - if only to spoil herself.

“Here we are!” Rarity exclaimed, bursting into the backroom. “These should fit you perfectly!”

Watching a small parade of nearly folded garments levitating over to her, Snowy lifted a hoof. “You want me to try them on now?”

Nodding, Rarity beamed. “If it’s not too much trouble. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to see how you look in them.”

“Put them on here?” Snowy pressed, drawing another nod from the mare.

Plucking the attire out of the air and setting them on the table beside herself, she discovered that she had no idea what she was doing. Putting on a pair of underwear wouldn’t be difficult, anypony could do that, but equipping herself with a bra and a garter belt was a foreign concept. Turning one of the garments over in her hoof, she suppressed a frustrated groan.

“This is going to sound really, really stupid, but can you tell me how to wear these?” she defeatedly sighed.

In a flash, Rarity was bowing at her side. “It would be my honor. There’s no shame in being unfamiliar with such luxuries. I assume that such fare is a rarity in your homeland?”

“Something like that,” she weakly laughed as the unicorn magically lifted and brought the bra beneath her.

“Brassiere first, then the panties, and finish off with the garter belt,” the unicorn instructed.

With the couture’s assistance, it only took Snowy a few minutes to get herself dressed. To her surprise, the undergarments were shockingly comfortable. Supporting her breasts and clinging snugly to her groin, tush, and waist, the articles felt far better than they had any right to, but fitting well was no sign that they suited her. Looking over to a standing mirror sat to one side of the room, she shifted and trotted over to get a look at herself.

“Holy cow,” she mumbled.

Rarity had been right about one thing - the lingerie accentuated her curves and magnified her sensuality several times over. Turning and cocking her hips, growing increasingly amused and aroused, she grinned from ear to ear. Yeah, she could definitely see why mares didn’t go out and about adorned in unmentionables - if they did, stallions would be tripping over themselves left, right, and center.

Rarity strolled up behind her and approvingly hummed. “I’m sure your special somepony will be pleasantly surprised when you strut into the bedroom wearing that.”

The mention of a special somepony was like a curse. Still frames of Aegis filled her thoughts, making it impossible not to think of the big, studly stallion who was never far from her mind. Trembling at the idea of what he could do - would do if he saw her like this, she sensed her temperature spike.

“A…are these flame retardant?” she quipped, drawing a confused look from the designer. “We, us kirin, have a habit of getting a little hot when we’re - er - feeling passionate.”

Igniting her horn and surrounding the garments with a heliotrope aura, Rarity waved a hoof. “That should do it. That little cantrip should hold for a few days, though I’d highly suggest getting a long lasting enchantment placed on them before too long.”

As happy as Snowy was, there was one thing she’d avoided asking. “And how much will these set me back?”

“Normally, they’d be thirty bits,” Rarity remarked.

Snowy squinted over at the mare. “Normally?”

“Normally,” the unicorn repeated, “but I have an offer for you. Since you’re the first kirin I’ve had the pleasure of doing business with, I’d be willing to give you the lingerie and the qipao at a heavily discounted price if you allow me to take a few photos of you modeling them.”

“And who would be seeing these photos?” she countered, turning to face her gracious host.

“Ideally, other kirin who will be doing business with me in the future,” Rarity replied. “I would submit them to Vanity Mare, but I would never ask you to -”

“Buck it - sure,” Snowy guffawed. “As long as it’s not for Play Colt, I’m game. Would I be able to pay for everything then? I should have the bits to cover all this stuff after I get paid.”

“Absolutely!” the couture squeaked in delight. Cantering over, she ensnared her in a fleeting embrace. “Just allow me to get your contact information so I can reach you as soon as your dress is completed.”

Going to follow Rarity out, she faltered. “Darn it…”

Rarity peered over her shoulder as she went to trot back into the front of the shop. “Is something the matter?”

“Yeah - well, kinda,” Snowy admitted. “I can’t go out looking like this. Let me -”

“Ah ah ah -” Rarity tutted, lifting and wagging a hoof. “You’d mentioned coming here for something simple, and I’d hate for you to leave without it,” she continued, sorcerously lifting and bringing a folded article from a stack of clothes. Once she’d inspected the tag, she moved the article over to the kirin. “This is nothing to write home about, but it should suffice.”

Taking and unfurling what she discovered was a white slip, she shifted her focus back to the mare. “And the price?”

“All told, it shouldn’t be more then a hundred bits,” Rarity laughed, motioning for her to follow. “Come now, let me get your address before you depart.”

Snowy smiled as she slipped into the dress. She’d gotten everything she wanted from her little outing and then some - best of all, she hadn’t had to shell out a single bit! With the gown covering her from the waist down, she trotted after the seamstress and to the front counter. Maybe things were finally, at long last, starting to go her way!

Chuckling after she gave her address to the unicorn, she shook her head in amusement. “Thank you again for all this. You really are the Element of Generosity.”

“Think nothing of it, miss…?” Rarity let the question hang and expectantly looked over to her.

“Snowy,” Snowy answered as she shook the mare’s hoof, “Snowy Glow. Oh and put this on my tab,” she added, grabbing a small bottle of perfume from beside the register.

“Well missus Glow, it’s been a pleasure, a true delight,” Rarity noted. “I’ll send word to the castle as soon as everything’s ready.”

Turning and trotting to the exit, Snowy waved. “Sounds perfect! I’ll see you then, Rarity.”

“And Snowy,” the unicorn called out, “if you’re inclined to share, I’d love to hear your coltfriend’s thoughts on my little gift.”

Just like that, hearing the small request, Snowy’s mind flew into a tailspin. The remark about a special somepony had been hard to endure, but the utterance of a coltfriend invoked a maelstrom within her. Heat blossomed deep in her abdomen, the breath hitched in her throat, and she felt paralyzed, as thoughts of presenting herself to Aegis in the downright sexy underwear filled her with excitement.

“Will do!” she squawked, sprinting away and through the exit.

No matter how quickly she ran, regardless of how hard she tried, she couldn’t escape the lustful musings of her mind. She could practically see herself sashaying her way up to Aegis in a candlelit room, seductively swaying her hips while peering at him with her heavily-lidded eyes. He’d be absolutely smitten by the sight of her in something so provocative, likely getting a raging hard-on before he could figure out what to say.

Oh the things she’d do to him, flaunting herself for just long enough to make him desperate to do more than just look at her. She’d start things slowly at first, caressing him and whispering sweet nothings into his ear, but that wouldn’t last for too long. Maybe she’d make him beg, or perhaps she’d tease him until he threw himself upon her - no matter how things played out, she was absolutely certain that the castle would hear her blissful howls in the dead of the night.

Blindly hurrying away from the shop, feeling as though she’d go mad, she licked her lips and felt something sharp prick her tongue. It was at that moment, only then becoming aware of her growing canines, that she realized how badly she’d screwed up. As she peeked over her shoulder and saw blazing hoofprints in her wake, fear overtook her desires.

The dress smoldered and burned away, revealing her midnight black hide and the flames rising from her tail and hooves, though the ruined garment was only one issue she had. Several ponies stared at her in a mixture of awe and dismay, stunned that a cute little mare had spontaneously combusted in the middle of the street. She’d had the good fortune of avoiding a full-blown nirik transformation since she’d become a kirin, but her luck in that regard had finally run out.

She panted and looked around in a panic. The chances were low that she’d actually end up hurting anypony, given that she had some sliver of her senses back, yet that didn’t prevent her from being a hazard and making a scene. Her eyes darted from one building to another, looking for something or somepony who might be able to help her, until they settled on a solution to her fiery problem.

Galloping at full speed, she charged down the road and flung herself into a fountain that rested near the city’s center. The cool water against her quenched the flames and sent a plume of steam billowing into the air. Had she just made a fool of herself? Most definitely. Were ponies going to be talking about how a kirin had shot like a blazing comet through the town? More than likely. Was she able to put out the flames and prevent what could have been a legitimate disaster? Without a doubt.

Reclining in the shallow pool, she slowly exhaled. She’d torched her dress, she’d forgotten to ask how much her clothes were going to cost, and she was sitting in a fountain in some very inappropriate undergarments - on the bright side, her libido had effectively died for the time being. Humiliated and feeling defeated, she stood up, stepped out of the basin, and marched in the direction of the castle.

Not a soul spoke to her while she went along, likely because anypony with even an ounce of common sense could tell she was not in the best of moods. Passing by guards, servants, and pedestrians alike, she moved with single-minded determination. She was going to get to her room, she was going to strip out of her lingerie all by herself, and she was going to take a frigid shower before eventually going to the cafeteria to procure a tub of ice cream to drown her sorrows in empty calories.

It wasn’t until she’d reached the floor with the staff’s quarters that somepony was brave or foolish enough to approach her. Hearing somepony shout her name, she looked down a corridor she was passing and spotted a familiar figure. As the silvery pegasus rushed in her direction, the barest hint of a smile graced her muzzle.

“Oh wow,” Silver gasped, trotting up and keeping pace next to her. “Those are some really, really nice duds! I’m kinda surprised you’d wear them out in public, but I can definitely appreciate how bold you are!”

Snowy kept her eyes forward while she trotted. “I didn’t plan on wearing them out.”

“Then what did - oh…” the pegasus breathed, pulling a charred scrap of fabric from her mane. “Guessing you got a little hot under the collar?”

“Something like that…” she growled. “Listen, Silver, it’s been a long, long day. Could you just -”

“Is it because of your estrus?” Silver nonchalantly inquired.

Misstepping and nearly faceplanting, Snowy glowered over at her companion. “Seriously ~ is it that obvious?”

Silver shrugged. “Kinda - well, yeah, it’s kinda obvious. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll be dealing with the same thing in about two months.”

Halting in her tracks, Snowy ground her teeth together. “How the hay does anypony deal with this?! I feel like I’m going crazy, I’m leaking like a broken faucet, and it’s impossible for me to think of anything but wanting to buck myself on a big, fat - Mmmph?!”

“Ssssssssh…” Silver hissed, muzzling her with a wing. “Keep your voice down.”

“Whatever,” Snowy snarled, slapping the wing from her face. “It’s not like I’ve had to deal with this before…”

“I know, and that’s why I want to help,” Snowy sighed. “I get off work in about two hours. If you want, I can pick up some dinner for us, meet you at your room, and give you a few tips to make this a little easier for you.”

“I…” she faltered, stunned by the mare’s kindness. “That would actually be kind of nice.”

Patting her on the shoulders and giving her a brief hug, Silver turned and trotted away. “I’ll come to your room as soon as I finish up ~ alright?”

“A…alright,” she weakly called back, waving at the retreating pegasus.

Reaching and entering her room without incident, she closed the door behind herself and threw herself onto the bed. If she’d had a bit more foresight, she would have done a bit more homework after being turned into a kirin - alas, hindsight wasn’t going to help her now. As she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, she smiled at the thought of Silver’s promise. The little maid may have been a hoofful, but she was genuinely happy to have met the plucky, happy-go-lucky mare…