The couple stared at the newcomer for a long moment before Cyrus blurted out, “Were you transformed too?”

Daring Do tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

“I mean, you’re a winged horse like I became. What happened to you?”

Daring frowned. “First – I’m a pegasus pony, not a winged horse. Second – I was born this way. Are you telling me that you weren’t?”

“No! I’m a human!”

“Ah, I see … No, I don’t. What’s a human?”

Cyrus groaned. “Look – can you help us? Something changed my wife and I into these forms and we’re kind of in trouble.”

The pegasus grinned as she trotted into the tunnel. “Not a problem. Give me your hoof.” She held hers out.

Cyrus instinctively reached out before realizing that he had no fingers to grasp with. To his surprise, he felt his hoof gripped and he was pulled into a four-legged standing position. Unlike with his previous attempt, he found he was stable and his sense of balance was restored, albeit to a new norm.

Daring turned to Blaise and helped her up too. When the unicorn steadied, it could readily be seen that she was significantly taller and more solidly built than the pegasus who grimaced and said, “Geez, mate, you’re practically bursting out of those trousers. That can’t be comfortable.”

“Uncomfortable? Hell, it’s painful! How do I get them off like this?”

“Can’t you use that horn of yours?”

“I wasn’t a unicorn ten minutes ago – I can’t do shit!”

“Ooookay… I can help you out of them, if you don’t mind?” Daring asked with a smirk.

“I don’t know how you’re going to do that but go ahead. I can live with just panties for the moment.”

The pegasus pulled a single-edged knife from her belt and, before Blaise could object, slipped the blade under the waistband and sliced the pants open down the length of one leg with almost zero effort. A long tail matching the mane’s red coloration burst out and Blaise groaned with relief. Daring then sliced open the second leg and the ruined trousers fell to the floor.

“Oops. Looks like I got your panties then too,” Daring said as she put the knife away.

“Damn,” Blaise said. “Never mind – they were just as bad as the trousers. I’ve never felt pain like that before.” She went to rub her abused crotch, but she froze and her eyes widened as her hoof touched something unexpected, causing a novel sensation. She craned her head around to look, then screamed, “WHAT!?”

“Damn! What’s with the yelling?” the pegasus asked, rubbing her abused ears.

“Why do I have a penis and balls?!”

“Stallions usually do, mate.”

“Stallions? I’m a woman!”

“What’s a woman?” asked the bewildered pegasus.

“How do you not know what a woman is? A female human!”

“So… you used to be a mare?”

“No! I mean yes, but not a horse!”

“Not a pony,” Daring reminded her. She turned to Cyrus who had been extracting himself from his vastly oversized pants. “What about you, lady?”

Cyrus cringed. His changed voice had already started him wondering, but after he saw that his wife was now male, that turned to dread. When Daring called him ‘lady’, he felt a stab through his heart. He turned to see a luxurious beige and cream tail stopping his boxer shorts from falling off. There certainly was not anything else filling them. He was most definitely a she. Her eyes rolled up and she fainted.

Daring looked at the unconscious mare for a moment before turning back to Blaise. “I’m gonna guess Miss Dainty used to be male?”

Blaise numbly nodded.

“So, not only have you been transformed from humans, whatever they are, you both changed sex. Snrk! BWA-HA-HA-HAAA!” She fell to the floor, rolling around, howling with laughter.

“It’s not funny!” the stallion growled, shocking himself with his deep voice.

“Oh, come on! You gotta admit it’s hilarious. It sure isn’t the end of the world.”

“How are we supposed to go home like this?”

“What’s wrong with how you look? You’re a pretty hot stallion, not afraid to admit. You’re sure to turn a few heads.”

“I don’t want to turn mares’ heads! That’s not the problem!”

The pegasus was about to reply when another voice came from outside. “What’s holding you up, Daring? Trixie is getting impatient!”

Another pony partially blocked the light coming into the entrance. Blaise could see it was a blue-coated unicorn wearing trousers with a broad belt, and a white singlet. It was odd to see a quadruped dressed that way but it strangely suited the pony.

“Who are these ponies?” the newcomer asked.

“Sorry, Trix! All clear. It seems we’ve found some travelers who fell victim to some enchantment; perhaps a curse.”

The unicorn mare frowned. “A curse? Why are you still in there? It’s Trixie’s job to save you from those!”

“Good point. Can you carry out the unconscious mare? I’ll help out this handsome guy, because dibs!”

Trixie gave the stallion an appreciative look over. As a woman, Blaise was used to that, but it felt weird with the sexual roles reversed. Suddenly, he felt more naked than ever.

“Maybe Trixie can help you out of that too-tight shirt later,” the unicorn offered with a sultry smile.

“Trix! Get the pegasus first. Harass the stallion later.”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie can do both at the same time,” she said with a grin as her horn lit up. A similar lilac-hued glow enveloped Cyrus and she floated up from the floor.

Blaise looked on in astonishment as his husband was levitated over and the unicorn gave him a wink. “What do you say, hot stuff?”

“How do you do that?” he asked.

“What? Basic levitation? Trixie can do far more impressive feats than that.”

Daring said, “Somehow, I think they’ve never seen anything like it before.” She picked up the couple’s backpacks and discarded clothing, tucking them under her wings before chivying Blaise out of the tunnel. “They didn’t use to be ponies. They were transformed.”

“Oh? You have Trixie’s interest.”

“Let’s get them to the campsite first and give them a chance to recover. We can ask them about what they found inside there and maybe avoid whatever curse got them.”

The unicorn gave Daring a skeptical glance. “What happened to the ‘leap-before-you-look’ pegasus I know and love?”

“I’m not that reckless! I just usually don’t know what to expect. This time, we have a chance to learn in advance.”

“Trixie thinks you don’t want to admit that the curse could have gotten you instead.”

“Nah. Just don’t want to find out what it’s like to be a stallion.”

“Say what?”

“These two used to be the opposite sexes.”

Trixie looked back at Blaise. “Really?”

The stallion nodded glumly as he trudged along next to Daring Do.

“Trixie is now really curious about that magic. She knows a few mares who wouldn’t mind playing for the other side.”

“Do you always talk about yourself in the third person?” Blaise asked.

“Trixie is a Great and Powerful personality that demands distinctiveness, significance, and panache” she replied.

“That’s a yes,” Daring added drolly.

Cyrus groaned as she recovered consciousness. The mare looked around. “Crap. Must be still in that nightmare. Now I’m floating above the ground for no reason.”

“Nope. You are in the care of my partner, Trixie,” Daring replied. “She’s carrying you to our camp. Unless you want to walk from here?”

“Sure. What else could go wrong?”

Trixie let the unicorn down and she climbed to her hooves. She looked around and frowned. “What happened to the forest? It looks different from before … well … before we entered the temple.”

Blaise nodded. “Yeah, I saw that too. Although I’ve noticed our senses seem to have been enhanced, that’s not the reason. Cy – I think we’re not the only things that have changed.”

“One disaster at a time, Blaise. I’m still coming to terms with our current predicament.”

“You wanna know what I recommend for getting through an existential crisis? Coffee,” Daring suggested. “Here’s our camp.”

Cyrus looked around, noting the fancy wagon which had pavers, a short railing with lanterns on it, and even some potted flowers. A sturdy stone fireplace sat in the middle of the cleared area and wisps of smoke showed that it had been used recently. “It looks more like a cottage in the woods with picnic facilities than a campsite,” she commented.

“Trixie has little to do while her partner spends hours poring over carvings, so she likes to make the camp homier.”

The sun abruptly plunged below the horizon and the moon rose to take its place.

“What the fuck!” Cyrus exclaimed. “What just happened to the sun?”

The blue unicorn’s horn glowed and all the lanterns burst into light. She stood up on her hind legs and leaned up against the fence. “Celestia set the sun and Luna raised the moon, of course. They did their daily duty more rapidly than usual though. They must have something special planned and didn’t have time to dawdle today.”

“How the hell can someone set the sun?!”

“Well, it takes alicorn-level magic, admittedly.”

“There’s no such thing as real magic!”

Blaise spoke up in a flat tone. “Cy – this isn’t our world. Look at the stars – this isn’t Earth! What happened to us isn’t scientifically possible. What else could it be but magic?”

“Trixie knows a mage who would object to you calling magic unscientific.”

Daring Do stoked the fire and put a pot of water on the hotplate. “We can discuss your predicament, what you found in the temple, and what’s on the other side over that coffee I promised you. Trix – can you whip up some grub? I think we’ll all feel better once we have some food and drink in us.”

Cyrus sighed. “You’re right, but can I ask a favor first? Have either of you got some pants that I can wear? I feel weird walking around butt naked.”

Blaise glared at her. “You feel weird? I now have these dangly bits which are feeling very drafty!”

Daring said, “You look like my size, umm, Sky was it? I can spare a pair of pants. As for your large spouse though, you’re out of luck. Not that it really matters. Many stallions I know prefer not to wear trousers. They say it’s more comfortable that way, but I reckon many just like showing off their goods.”

“I don’t want to show off my ‘goods’! I don’t even want to have them at all. I’m supposed to be female!” She threw up her forelegs in exasperation before flinching. “And will someone help get this shirt off me before it strangles me!”

“Trixie can do that. Hold still.”

Blaise felt a tickling sensation as the unicorn’s magic wormed its way through the clothing and carefully eased it off him. He sighed in relief that it wasn’t pinching him all the time anymore. Thank God, it had been unbuttoned partially due to the heat. The bra underneath had not been so fortunate and the strap had snapped. Cyrus snickered at the sight of the stallion with the bra half falling off him. Blaise frowned at her. “Laugh it up, feather-brain. Don’t think I can’t see your udders.”

Cyrus promptly shut up and hoped the pants Daring had offered would cover her teats.

Trixie manipulated the shirt in her hooves as she examined it. “Y’know, if I cut wing slits and tailor this a bit, Trixie reckons it will fit Sky perfectly.”

Cyrus said, “That’s Cy, actually; short for Cyrus.”

“Cirrus Sky, did you say?” Daring said as she exited the wagon with a pair of shorts held in her wing. “Good name for a pegasus.”

“No, I said… actually, forget about it. I sure don’t feel like a Cyrus at the moment. Call me Cirrus Sky if you like while I’m stuck like this. And thanks, Trixie. I appreciate it, even if these wings are useless. At least they won’t feel cramped.” She unconsciously flexed them a little.

“Why would you say they’re useless?” Daring asked as she passed the shorts to Cyrus, now Cirrus.

“It’s not as if I can fly.”

“Why not? You’re a pegasus, so it should come naturally to you. In fact, you’ll find it hard to fight the urge to leap into the sky!” She put words into action and took to the air, did a loop-the-loop, and then gently landed.

Cirrus gaped at her. “You really can fly! Like the legend of Pegasus.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “How do you think we got our wagon here? There are no roads in this jungle. Trixie put a sky-sled spell on it and Daring towed us through the air to this site.”

The transformed human was stunned by the possibility of actually flying. In a daze, she put the shorts on without thinking about it. Only as she buttoned the waistband just forward of her udders, she realized that she had no clue how she had done so without the benefit of hands. She stared at her forehooves in wonder at their ridiculous dexterity.

Meanwhile, Daring Do made the coffee as Trixie dug out the ingredients for a meal. She asked their guests how they preferred their drink and as she passed a mug to the stallion, she paused. “How rude of us – we never asked your name.”

“It’s Blaise,” he replied, nearly fumbling holding the mug and not noticing his horn glowing for a moment as his grip firmed.

“Blaze? I like it. It matches your mane and tail. A strong name for a studly stallion.” She gave him a wink before moving on.

Blaise noticed the pegasus’ subtle difference in pronunciation and shrugged. It was hardly the first time the woman had been called Blaze. Now a pony stallion, he’d settle for the nickname like his spouse had. He glanced at Cirrus as she accepted her mug, noting that somehow, she held it without effort. While biology had forced a change of pronouns, he was not ready to call her his wife yet. Hopefully, they would both be restored to normal before it became a real issue. As shocking as it had been to gain male genitals, Blaze knew it must have been even worse for Cirrus to be literally emasculated. The man had always been ruggedly male, but now the pegasus mare was not only shorter than him, she had a small and lean body suited to flying creatures. For the first time since they had met, he felt he would have no trouble wrestling her in the bedroom. That thought made him blush furiously as he felt his new appendage stir at the idea. ‘Good God! Am I changed so much that I already find our new forms sexually attractive? I can’t put aside decades of being female because I’ve been male for mere minutes! The sooner this gets fixed, the better!’

It was not long before the four were munching on a mixed salad that Trixie had prepared. Neither of the former humans recognized all the ingredients, but the taste was marvelous. So was their smell. In fact, all their senses seemed to be keener, adding to their appreciation of every novel experience.

Although Daring had only suggested a snack, Trixie had whipped up enough for a full meal. Watching her prepare it had been wondrous as she telekinetically juggled several implements and ingredients simultaneously. They all came together in a symphony of magic that left Blaze and Cirrus in awe. They expressed how impressed they were, and the unicorn mare soaked up the praise.

“Trixie’s skill at multiple manipulations is matched by few,” the unicorn proudly proclaimed.

Daring rolled her eyes and shook her head. “We didn’t bring our guests here to marvel at your cooking, dear. It’s time we found out where they came from and what brought them into this predicament. So, let’s hear it!”

Blaze said, “Before we do, can I ask you how it is that you speak English? If this is a different world, it makes no sense that you speak our language.”

Daring tilted her head and frowned. “I don’t understand what you mean. We’re talking the World Tongue, just like every sapient species.”

Cirrus said, “But it sounds exactly like English to us. Out of the hundreds of languages on Earth, why would your World Tongue match that perfectly? What if I came from the country on the other side of that temple and spoke Spanish instead?” Then her eyes opened in shock and she gaped.

Daring shook her head. “Never heard of Spanish either.”

Cirrus turned to Blaze, the stunned look still on her face. “I said that last bit in Spanish, but it still sounded like English!”

The unicorn’s eyebrows rose and then knitted into a frown. “Let me try something.” He turned to their hosts. “Do you understand me right now while I’m speaking in French?” She blinked and looked back at Cirrus who nodded in wonder.

“Ah! I recognized the Prench accent this time,” Daring replied smugly.

Blaze said, “You don’t understand – we spoke in two different languages, but they both came out sounding the same as our native tongue!”

“The Great and Knowledgeable Trixie comprehends what is happening. Centuries ago, there occurred the event that we call The Great Unification. In an act of Harmony, all sapient species were united in a common understanding of language that was named the World Tongue. Trixie learned that in the History of Magic course at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns,” she said proudly.

Daring rolled her eyes before saying to her guests, “Don’t get her started on that subject. She’ll talk endlessly about her time there.”

The unicorn turned up her nose. “Trixie has a right to be proud of her abilities and academic achievements!”

Blaze ignored the byplay and said, “So, you’re telling us that… magically… all languages sound like the listener's native tongue? That’s incredible!”

Daring nodded. “I understand what you’re getting at now. The ruins and civilizations that I discover and explore contain records in old dead languages that predate Unification and require translating. I just didn’t expect the same for someone speaking a living language, so I was confused.”

Cirrus said, “That magic has to be even more amazing than our transformations. Universal communication for an entire world, and even visitors from another.” She shook her head in wonder. “Anyway, that helps us a lot when we need it the most. So, I suppose we’d better tell you how exactly we got into this predicament.”

The newcomers related how they had chased down the legend of an impossibility which led them to finding the temple. They described their efforts to enter it, their cursory inspection of the wall carvings, and the pillar containing the bowl. When they mentioned the blood, Trixie perked up.

“Aha! Trixie has her suspicions as to what happened.” She looked at Cirrus. “You said you cut your limb badly. May I see it?”

“Sure.” She held out her foreleg, then frowned. “I can’t see it. Perhaps it healed when we transformed?”

Blaze added, “Come to think of it, I haven’t noticed the cuts and scrapes I got too. They seem to have gone as well,” he said as he examined his forelegs.

The unicorn mare smiled smugly. “Trixie believes she knows the answer and she will confirm it tomorrow when we return to the temple.”

“You’re not even going to give us a hint?” Cirrus asked.

Daring said, “My partner might be boastful, but she knows her stuff. She won’t make a pronouncement until all the evidence is in. So, what happened after that?”

“Not much,” Blaze replied. “We headed toward the light at the other end of the passage and were deciding on how to proceed when the transformations started hitting us. You found us just after they completed.”

“Well, I suppose we’ll have to do a thorough investigation tomorrow.”

“Not without Trixie checking for traps and curses! She is most irate with you for barging in without hesitation without her last time!”

“Yeah, yeah, Trix. Don’t want happening to us what happened to them,” the mustard yellow mare conceded.

“Good. We should turn in for the night soon. Trixie wishes to get off to an early start.”

Daring nodded. “I’ll clean up. You get our guests accommodated.”

Trixie faced the couple. “Our wagon is only big enough for Daring and Trixie. You will have to sleep in our tent. Do not be concerned – Trixie has enchanted it to protect the occupants from predators. You will be quite safe.”

Cirrus and Blaze wondered what unfamiliar dangers were present in this world. The stallion said, “Is it big enough to put all our stuff in there too? Including what remains of our clothes? There are things in the pockets that we don’t want to lose.”

Trixie smirked. “Don’t worry – it’s spacious enough for your belongings as well as activities other than sleeping.”

Both of the Peregrines knew exactly what the unicorn was hinting at, but while they were a married couple with a healthy sex life, neither of them could deal with the thought of sex with their current transformed and transgendered bodies. However, the idea did make them look at each other and blush.

The couple was soon distracted by their hosts’ activities. Daring’s ability to utilize her wings like feathered hands was remarkable, and Trixie’s magical versatility was demonstrated once more as she cleared an area for the tent which she erected under a minute.

Meanwhile, Cirrus took out the GPS from her shirt and turned it on. To neither of her nor Blaze’s surprise, it said it could not find any satellites. Their smartphones still worked for everything that did not need a cell or internet connection, so she took a couple of photographs without their hosts noticing. Explaining the technology would be too much for the exhausted pair right then.

Trixie supplied them with blankets to lie on and pillows. She showed them the camp toilet facility before she and Daring bid them goodnight. Using the toilet in their new forms was a strange experience for both of them, but they were able to settle down for the night with relief.

Typically, the couple spooned in bed, the larger man with his arms around his much smaller wife. That quickly proved impractical and uncomfortable in their new pony forms. They both rolled over and tried again, this time with the mare cradled in the stallion’s legs.

“I can tell why you always liked this,” murmured Cirrus. Their embrace was very comforting.

“Yeah, even when it’s a bit warm for cuddling, like right now.”

They lay there, enjoying the calm after the stress of the day before hearing unmistakable noises from the nearby wagon.

“Sounds like there were other considerations besides space that required us to use this tent,” Blaze said with a snicker.

Cirrus giggled. “Yeah. Daring did say Trixie was her partner, just not how close that partnership was.” They fell silent for a long moment before Cirrus continued, “Is what I’m feeling down there what I think it is?”

“Shut up, Sky.”

# # # # # # #

Author's Note

Whatever the Peregrines expected to find, I'm sure it wasn't anything like this.

EDIT: Made some changes to make it clear that the World Tongue is a magical effect that allows every species to understand the other's language as if it's their own. It has not given the world a single language for all.