//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: The Package 
// by Kiper 
//------------------------------//

Sara was crazy about horses. Zebras, centaurs, unicorns; if it was vaguely equine, she had heard about it. Not a bad thing, but when you live in a major city, the closest you find four-hooved equines is the local zoo. Her family was aware of her obsession and mostly ignored it. All except her great-aunt Lauren.

Lauren bought Sara her first horse figurine on her second birthday. It was the first horse she had purchased from a trader and the highlight of her personal equine collection. A beautiful piece of black mahogany depicting a stallion rearing up. Exquisitely carved, it almost seemed like his mane blew in the wind despite being made out of wood. Sara treasured the piece for all of her twenty-seven years. 

Despite the sixty year age difference, the two shared a bond of sisterhood. Whenever they would gather, books and texts of their recent study would litter the table. They especially enjoyed their weekends together. Specifically, so they could watch My Little Pony. Comments and critiques about the latest episode would last the two well into the night.

Sadly, less than a month after the series finale, Lauren passed away. It was hardly unexpected as she was almost ninety, but Sara was inconsolable for days. It was a few weeks after that a package arrived at her home from the executor of Lauren's estate. A surprise as per Lauren's wishes, her collection was donated to various museums, but this item was directed to Sara and no one else. 

Curious as to what it could be, Sara cut open the heavy box. The smell of leather, polish, and slight smell of horse gave her a clue. Ripping the box open she revealed a complete set of horse tack. Sara owned two sets already in her collection and was able to identify the pieces easily. Bit, bridle, breastplate, saddle, stirrups. 

Moreover, it was a beautiful set. She had never seen such craftsmanship before. The dark leather gleamed with polish and seemed to shimmer in the lamplight. It was supple and studded with brass buttons. The metal was ornately carved with dancing horses and an unfamiliar script was woven into the pieces. Putting the saddle over the arm of a chair, she sat down and marveled at the comfort as the soft leather cradled her. Hours passed as she studied each piece in minute detail, unable to find a single flaw in the set. It must have cost a fortune.

Finally, as midnight approached, she drew herself away and went to shower before bed. After a very quick shower she returned to living room to examine the equipment once more. With only a towel around her body, she inspected each piece one last time before going to bed. Finally she was left with just the bridle, its metal caressing her skin with its cool touch.

Seeing her clock tick over to a new day, an idea formed in her mind. Lifting the bridle up, Sara quickly slid it over her head. Amusement played across her thoughts as she looked around the room through the leather straps. Humming softly, she folded the leather back until the bit was against her lips. A quick glance to make sure no one had materialized, she opened her mouth and slid the bit inside.

Her first reaction was to gag. It seemed so big in her mouth. Fighting the reaction she ran her tongue over the cool surface and it didn't seem so big anymore. She smiled as she briefly dropped to all fours, parading around the room for a few moments before realizing the foolishness of the situation. Climbing back to her feet, the towel snagged and fell to the floor, leaving her naked except for the bridle. Rubbing the smooth metal between her teeth with her tongue once more, she reached up to slide it off her head.

That was strange. Her fingers couldn't seem to get hold of it properly. They seemed to be stuck together somehow. Confused, she lowered her hands back into her field of vision before gasping in horror. Her fingers had somehow fused into a solid lump. Even as she watched, what remained of her knuckles seemed to melt and run together. The nails of what used to be her fingers began to spread. At first they were a familiar pink, but then shifted and faded into a deep black, which quickly curved around each hand. As she stared, her wrists began to ache and the bones beneath them shifted violently. In a sudden wave of clarity, she realized her hands now looked like hooves!

It had to be the bridle! She rushed over to the mirror in the room, hoping to see enough to get it off without hands. Looking at herself she let out a muffled squeak of terror around the bit in her mouth. Her face had begun to push out, her mouth still clenched around the bit, but it was no longer too big for her. Her lips and mouth had expanded, now clenching the metallic bit easily. As she watched, her nose slid down to join her lips as they both extended further out in front of her. The expansion dragged the leather of the bit so that the front half of the bridle now fit snugly against her newly formed muzzle.

With a groan, a massive pain threatened to split her head in two. She watched, frozen in shock, as her eyes seemed to expand in their sockets. As her field of vision began to widen, the pain lessened as head adapted to the new orbs. She could now see her terrified face in the mirror, as well as both walls of the living room. An itching in her ears drew her attention as she watched them expand and shift up the sides of her head into larger satellites that began to twitch and move of their own accord. 

Dizziness washed over Sara as the back of her head expanded and pulled the bridle tight to the her skin. Her neck muscles began to expand and contract as it widened to support her larger head. Teetering briefly, she fell forward on to her hooves as her sense of balance drastically altered. Looking behind her with a new more flexible neck, Sara saw that her feet had changed to match her hands and she now stood comfortably on four hooves. 

A wave of fire flowed over Sara's head and body, leaving an itching feeling behind. Rubbing a foreleg against her muzzle, she realized that her skin wasn't darkening, but sprouting dark colored fur. The itching retreated as the fur advanced down her body. A streak of color in front of her larger eyes told Sara that her blond hair had taken a silvery sheen and grown into what was undeniably a mane. An odd pulling and itch caused her to look back again as a tail of the same color formed from the base of her spine and draped towards the carpet.

A new round of vertigo almost knocked her off her hooves as the room around her began to grow rapidly. But no, she realized, the room wasn't growing; she had shrunk significantly. Looking back into the mirror shocked Sara to the core. Gone was a 27 year old woman. In its place was a small equine with dark almost midnight blue fur, and a silver mane. 

Numbly, she stepped closer to the mirror. The brief thought that she was able to walk on all fours without thinking about it was overshadowed with concerns of what she would do next. Staring closely she noticed that even her eyes had changed: a yellow iris that seemed to glow in the dim room. 

It was as she stared at her reflection that Sara first noticed the change in her living room. Fresh air and birdsong were equally unfamiliar in the city, let alone in the middle of the night. Turning away from the mirror she was only moderately surprised to see a portal where the entrance to her kitchen used to be. The fast transformation into a pony had used up several weeks worth of shock and awe. 

Beyond the gate in her living room she saw an open field under a mid-day sun. Grass and flowers could be seen growing in abundance. Taking a step towards the portal Sara became aware of another song, a melody without words that seemed to rise and fall coming from beyond the opening. The melody grew louder and carried with it a note of surprise. Much to Sara's quickly replenishing shock, a head appeared above the grass on the far side of the doorway. 

It was equine shaped and a yellow so bright it would make lemons jealous. The pony looked at Sara with curiosity and surprise before smiling. As it opened its mouth a distinctly feminine music was released. No words came from the mare's mouth. Just a song of welcoming and joy. Sara took a step back in reflex causing the mare to change to look of sorrow. The pony called out again in a song that rose and fell like speech. No words, just a feeling to not flee and instead come forward. 

Sara looked around her room before looking back to the other mare. The portal dividing their worlds had begun to shrink. Sara could see parts of the kitchen beyond the edges that had not been visible before. The mare seemed to realize the gate was closing as well. She held up a hoof and waved at Sara. Her song becoming more pleading as the portal shrank further.

Sara breathed deeply before walking to the edge of the gate. The mare on the other side still held one hoof out with a hopeful look in her eyes as she continued to sing. With a last deep breath, Sara closed her eyes and crossed the boundary. A feeling almost like icy fire raced over her as she passed into the other world. She opened her eyes to see the bridle she had worn disappear as the yellow mare bounced forward and hugged her tightly while singing in relief. A brief return of the icy fire settled on her flanks as she hugged the mare in return. She did not see the image of a golden path winding through the woods that appeared on her flanks as she listened to the mare's song. A pop behind her signified the portals closing. It mattered not, Trail Blazer had found her way home.





It was three days before the authorities entered the apartment, called by a concerned employer. They found nothing amiss beyond a slightly damp towel and a cardboard box, empty beyond a note tucked almost invisibly behind a flap on the bottom. May you have the courage to go where I did not. - L