//------------------------------// // An unexpected change // Story: Kindest of the Bunch // by Dyno8man //------------------------------// Hey, uh, remember when I said I hoped I would never have to wear that stupid costume ever again? Yeah, I’ve never really had a reputation for getting what I want all the time. When I fell asleep, my mind was filled with nightmares. Just awful, terrifying nightmares. Dark and gloomy one moment, then, all of a sudden, all cute, and happy. Wait, what? It had turned from a downright horrifying nightmare, into a peaceful, and happy dream. I was in my room, with my window open, and the bright sunlight shining through, curtains and blinds pulled back. There were animals all over my room. Some were climbing on me, the others were just hanging out. And I was still in the costume! What the hell?! I ran outside, and there were animals everywhere outside, too. When they saw me, they all ran towards me, probably for a hug, but I got terrified anyway, and woke up with a jolt of fear. I didn’t rise up from my sleeping bag or anything. I just quickly opened my eyes, and gasped silently. I was panting in fear, and when I heard my breathing, I noticed that it sounded higher than usual. But I just shrugged it off. I unzipped my sleeping bag, I was nearly completely inside of it with nothing sticking out, when I was greeted with a welcoming “Wakey wakey, sleepy head!” from Izzy. I shrieked as I got scared by her, and I immediately covered my mouth with both hands. Did I do that? W-Was that MY voice?! I crawl out of my sleeping bag, and quickly rush over to the nearest restroom, and I close the door. I look at myself in the mirror, and I nearly scream again, and I get a little lightheaded from my hyperventilating. My eye color had changed to the same color as Fluttershy’s! I tried to pull the pink wig off, but all I got was a huge amount of pain where I had pulled. As I wince at the pain, I look closer at it in the mirror, and gave it a slight tug. I felt a pinch, and saw the hair stand up from my head, where it stuck. The wig is now my real hair?! What is happening?! Or rather, what has happened?! I get a really dark thought, and I decide to see where it leads. I bring my hand down to my crotch area, and feel if there is anything…there… Nope. Nothing! I am screwed! I start freaking out, but not in the usual way. I mean, I START FREAKING OUT!!! I am hyperventilating like crazy. No matter how hard I try to calm down, I just can’t. I mean, who would be able to keep calm about this?! I mean, any guy would be anything but calm, considering he was just stripped of his masculinity. I don’t know what to think anymore. I mean, I just turned into a girl! No, a girl from a little girls show!! I feel like my face is about to blow up with how red it is. I’m just about on the verge of tears. I really don’t want to go back out there and show them. …But, then again, if it happened to me, and most likely from wearing the costume, then it must have happened to the others. I’ve always been on the clever side of things. But right now, I demand an explanation! I hear a knock at the door. “Flutters- I mean, Dallas. Are you in there? It’s me, Twi…Mike.” Mike?! Him too?! Well, I suspected as much. He sounds just like that one girl character with the purple hair. I can’t hold it in, and I just start breaking down in tears. “Please open the door. I think we might be able to help.” “Why should I?!” I manage to squeak through my tears, shocked that my voice now sounds like the shy one of the show whose name is Fluttershy. “Look, I know it’s a lot to handle at once, but it happened to me, and Jake, too. I’m not taking it hard at all, but I don’t quite know about Jake. He…She hasn’t woken up yet.” Mike says through the door. So it happened to Jake, too. At this point, I start crying even more. I don’t say anything back to him, who is now a her. “How I see it, so what if we’re not guys anymore. I mean, we can make this work. Trust me, I know how. Now can you please open up? Izzy also has to use the restroom…” “Please, just pinch it off already!” I hear Izzy say from a distance, sounding distressed. I try to hold back a giggle from that, but it was too strong, and I end up laughing harder than I wanted. I’m sure they heard me laugh. I sigh. “Fine, I’m coming out…but don’t laugh.” “Why would we? We’re your friends.” Mike says. “Are you? Would friends turn everyone into the actual characters?!” I shout back, thinking that this was their plan. “Dallas, why would you think we did this? We’re just as surprised as you are, just I’m handling it better.” Wait…so she means to tell me that this wasn’t planned? That this all just kinda happened with no reason?! I wish I could buy that. “If this wasn’t intentional, then how did it happen in the first place?!” I cry back. “We don’t know. I don’t even know how it’s possible. With me being the most knowledgeable, I’d be shocked the most. Just come on out, and we’ll sort things out.” “Okay, I’m coming out…” I reach for the doorknob, and I slowly open the door, until… “OMG! Yes, thank you! I won’t be long!” Izzy runs in, looking like the pink one who likes parties, and slams the door shut, locking it, and turning on the vent. I almost didn’t hear what she said because she said it so fast. I giggle a little bit more at her silliness. I turn to look at Mike, who seems to be staring at me. She blushes a bit. Oh god, does she really find me attractive?! I mean, with her being turned from a guy to a girl, her sexuality probably hasn’t changed yet. “Okay… I’m out.” I say shyly, blushing also. Mike does nothing in response. I look at her awkwardly. “Um, Mike? Anybody in there??” I snap at her face, and she blinks as she comes back to reality. “Oh, sorry, I guess I just zoned out there for a moment.” “Really? Because it looked like you were staring at me in affection…” I deadpan. Mike blushes again, and replies. “Y-You look nice…” “That sounds really weird coming from you now that you’re a girl…” She says nothing back in return, and we just kinda stand there until we hear a flush, and the sound of the air freshener being sprayed, and the vent being turned off. “Whew! You will not wanna go in there for a while!” Izzy said, holding her nose and waving her hand in front of it. Mike, and I laugh a little, and then turn to see Jake waking up. She’d stretch, and yawn. “Mornin’, everyone...” She was still too tired to notice her new voice. She got up to use the restroom which was recently “blessed” by our party girl. A few seconds after entering, and shutting the door, she said “Hoo-wee! It smells like our pig pen in here!” The stench must have been enough to wake her up, because she must have heard her voice, because after she said that she said, “What the?” I start counting down from 3 with my fingers, and when I reached zero, Jake screamed in terror as she realizes he is now a she. I can’t help but laugh at her reaction, and the fact that I was spot on with the timing. Before I knew it, Mike and I were laughing as Jake starts panicking inside. With how impossible all of this is, despite the situation, I actually had fun. I didn’t think fun was possible anymore since this happened. But for now, I have to start worrying about what my parents will think. My sisters, and mom probably won’t have as big a reaction as my dad. I mean, with me being a female now, he doesn’t have a biological son to pass on his genes, and family name. I don’t want him to deal with that, and I don’t wanna have to deal with the guilt of that. Also, I’ve heard stories of how painful giving birth can be. NOT looking forward to it, I can tell you that! I don’t even know if that’s going to be a thing to happen in the future. For all I know, we all could have turned back by then? Who knows? Whether we do or don’t get turned back, I’m kissing having kids goodbye. [30 minutes later…] I come out of the restroom, wearing my original clothes. You know, plain maroon T-shirt and black shorts from before I was dared to put on the cursed suit. At least I’m wearing clothes I’m comfortable in. I mean, the dress is fine, but I don’t want to walk around pretending to be somebody I’m not. I mean, technically I am Fluttershy now, but only physically! I refuse to think anything like her. Wait a minute, rewind! Did I say “the dress is fine?” The dress was not fine! Gah, it’s gotta be messing with the way I think now. Like hell that’s gonna happen, because when I say “I refuse to think anything like her,” I mean it! I walk into the living room, and sat on the couch, right next to Mike, who was watching TV. Well, more like scrolling through the channels. I look around, and I see Zelda, who now looks like that other girl with the purple hair, uh… Rarity, I think it was. Izzy was doing something on her phone. Jake was busy having an anxiety attack in the corner. We tried to help her, but to no avail. He always has been a bit stubborn. However, when I count everyone, I notice that Emerald was gone. Curious as to where she could have gone, I look around the complex, and in the rooms, but she just wasn’t there. I turn back to the others. “Hey, does anybody know where Emerald went?” I asked around, still cringing at my new voice. I still can’t believe that’s mine… “Oh, you mean ‘Rainbow?’ Yeah, I think she went outside.” Mike said, using air quotes for “Rainbow.” I think she used that jokingly, since Emerald must look like the rainbow-colored one. I step outside for a moment, but quickly retreat back inside. It was freezing outside! Why would Emerald be out there, especially in this cold?! Figuring she must be fine, I go back to Mike and sit back down next to her, drawing my attention towards the TV, which Mike was still browsing. For a moment, I see something catch my eyes on it, but it was quickly changed by Mike. I urge her to go back to that other channel, and she does. It was the local news channel. The headline was what caught my attention. Once I read it thoroughly, I could have sworn my heart skipped a beat. It said “Cosplayers at conventions around the globe become real.” A confusing headline around the end, I know. I ask Mike to turn up the volume, as I pay attention to what the anchorman says. “-cosplayers from conventions around the world seemed to turn into the corresponding character they were cosplaying as. A few of these conventions consist of furry conventions, and anime conventions, but the most affected convention, from what we can tell, were ‘bronycons.’ So, don’t be alarmed if you see some uniquely-colored and fashioned people around.” At this point, everyone is staring at the TV, clearly shocked by what he said. “We’re not the only ones…” Mike states. Izzy drops her phone, and gasps. I mean, she really gasps. It was a really exaggerated gasp, guys; I mean, come on. “We’re not the only ones?!” Izzy blurted out suddenly. “Yeah, I just said that.” Mike replied. “Do you know what this means??” She asks, sounding excited. She doesn’t even wait for an answer, and gathers her things. “I can’t wait to see those cute puppy faces!” “Pinkie…” Both Mike and Zelda laugh. Sure I’ll admit, that was kinda silly, but of all things, I never expected her to say that. However, a thought comes to my head that’s telling me to remember what my parents told me before they left after bringing me my stuff. I do so, and I end up with something that stands out. I remember my mom telling me, “Alright, I figured you wouldn’t want to go anyway, but we’re taking your sisters and one of their friends to that Bronycon you might have heard them talking about. You know how they love dressing up like them.” Then, I swear my heart really did skip a beat. If they went to the convention, and they were also cosplaying, then it must have also happened to them! I quickly go up to Pink- I mean, err, Izzy (I’m not changing mentally, I already said that! It’s… just a slip of the tongue), and grab her shoulder. “Wait, you can’t go!” I talk to her. “Well, why not?” She replies. “I mean you can’t go alone. I’m coming with you.” I tell her, letting go of her shoulder, and gathering my own things, returning back to her.” “Really?!” She shouts excitedly. I give her a nod, and I see her face really light up. “Yay! Finally, some girl time with Dallas!” She exclaims. Wow, I actually thought I’d never be called ‘Dallas’ by them again. It felt good to be called that once again. However, something struck me as offensive: the fact that she called me a girl. I am strongly opposed to being called a girl. I’m still a guy at heart, and at mind! I wish they would see that… I just facepalm in embarrassment. I swear to god, if that was Zelda I just heard say “awe.” “Well, if you two are leaving, then I guess I must as well. It would be rude to stick around after even the party host has left.” Mike says, gathering her things. “Fine, I suppose I must as well. I was almost done with this hat, too.” Zelda complained, holding up what seemed to be an unfinished ball hat. Now that I think about it, she has had a little soft spot for those kinds of hats. “I think you have time to finish that. We still have to find Emerald.” I reassure Zelda. “Oh, thank goodness. Walking around with it unfinished like this would just simply be drab.” You know, she really doesn’t have to talk like that. She really doesn’t. Gathering her things, Jake also decides to join us. “Ah may not be able t’stop ya’ll from leavin’, but the least ah can do is join ya’ll.” He states. “Oooh, this is going to be so much fun!” Izzy jumps joyfully. “In the meantime, I’m going to go search for Emerald.” I tell everyone, pulling out my Five Nights at Freddy’s hoodie. What can I say? I like Five Nights at Freddy’s… “Okie dokie lokie! See you in a few!” She tells me, throwing herself onto the couch. “In the meantime, let’s watch something funny before we leave!” Izzy petitions. Everyone agrees, and huddles up next to her on the couch. I role my eyes and smile as I put on my hoodie, and head outside.