The entire day, I was buzzing with energy, my co-workers even commenting on it as I worked. I focused hard, the sound of my hooves tapping on keys sending all sorts of auditory joy signals to my brain. The sound of my mechanical keys was even more satisfying when combined with the tapping of my hooves against their plastic surfaces.
Just as it was beginning to annoy me, the asymmetry of my hoof and hand began to correct itself, the left finally beginning its transformation into a cute beige nub. I had asked Twilight, who despite her apprehensions, was egged on by Sunset to accept my proposition to blast my left hand to balance it out, similar to how she had done with my leg.
I giggled, giddy with joy as I watched the hoof morph to be the same as the right hand, now covered in the familiar fuzz that the rest of my body was becoming slowly enveloped by. Sunset laughed with me, my voice now even more obviously feminine than it had seemed before. I had my paranoid doubts, a voice in the back of my mind telling me that I was getting my hopes up, but the pitch and cadence of my laughs solidified what she had said before; I was becoming a mare!
“This is… Unreal! I still can't believe any of this is happening, I… I feel like I almost have to thank you, Twilight."
“Naw, me? Pssh.” She dismissed with a shy wave of her hoof. “All I did was almost get myself killed wandering off into the Everfree alone after a demon bear. All this was just… Happy coincidence I guess."
“Still, Twi, can't you tell this is what she wants?" Sunset threw a reassuring hoof around her withers, both of them seated on the couch together. “Besides, just let the filly thank you. I'd have killed to be a magical horse girl as a kid.” I smiled again at the use of my pronouns, Sunsets wink confirming that she was doing it on purpose.
The rest of the day went fast, my improved mood meaning I got through much more work than I expected despite my hooved limbs. I thanked the stars for my flexible work hours as I clocked off and went to go sit down with Twilight and Sunset, who had recently pulled out a bag of chips and my old Xbox; with my go ahead. Watching a horse play video games so skilfully with a controller held between her two forehooves was one of the more impressive things I had seen this week, despite seeing Twilight rip a hole in reality only a few days ago.
I picked up the second controller and gave it a try, but unless we played something a little more simple in button input speed, like a racing game, I was far too new to my hooves to keep up with the experienced mare. Not to mention, she had a perfectly good magical horn there too she could be using to play with, as Twilight was, but refused to.
“I like the challenge." She explained, with her signature wink.
Just as I was leaning back, having finally given up from being beaten into the ground in Mario Kart, I yelped at an odd pain at the base of my spine. I leant forward, foreleg reaching around inquisitively, searching for what it was that was sticking into me, only to brush up against something that sent a weird shiver through my entire body.
“Is that…?" I peeked over my shoulder, trying in vain to get a look at it.
“Hell yeah, filly.” Sunset smirked, pulling out a phone from heck knows where and taking a photo. I was about to protest when she shoved the phone in my face. “Checkitout! It's your tail!"
“Oh wow." I said, inspecting the small appendage now peeking out from the base of my spine. It was green and fuzzy, as was the fur over most of my body, apart from a tiny tuft of bubble-gum pink growing from the very tip. I felt it with a hoof once more and it twitched, shocking me a little, but clueing me in that there were a few extra muscles there than I was used to. I flexed them to the best of my ability, heart leaping when I felt it move back and forth, brushing against my pant waistband. “Oh wow. “
“Yeah.” Sunset laughed. “Trust me, once it grows in, it'll get even better."
“You don't think…" I looked to Twilight, who gave me a flat look in response.
“No, Poppy. No more magic until you're fully transformed.”
“Aww." I sighed in jest, huffing like a child. “Fi–ne. I'll be patient."
The three of us laughed happily, only stopping when we heard a click from behind us, the front door to the house opening and Ada walking in. She looked surprisingly happy, Sunset’s glamour spell still active and working well, by the looks of it. She stopped when she saw me, staring down at my four hooves, now all visible and transformed. I instinctively felt myself drawing inward, her gaze sending stings of anxiety into me.
“So,” She broke the silence, looking away from me coldly toward Sunset and Twilight. “Busy day?”
“Oh, not really. We’re basically just waiting for our magic reserves to recharge, so the best thing for us to do in the meantime is not overwork ourselves; or use much magic outside of your glamour spell.” Twilight responded, eager to distract her and seemingly aware of what the awkward silence before had meant.
“No problem.” The awkward silence returned. “Well, I think I might get some sleep early tonight.” She said, dropping her handbag to the floor and heading up stairs. I glanced at the clock. Only six thirty in the evening.
“No dinner?” Sunset probed.
“I had food on the way home, so I’m good. All this vegan pony diet stuff has left me starving for meat, so I went for some fried chicken and chips.” She said flatly, taking off her shoes outside the door to our room before opening the door and going inside, closing the door behind her quietly. She was avoiding me. Again.
“Hey,” Sunset put her hoof on my shoulder after the door had shut. “I’m sorry she’s acting this way. I’ve seen a fair share of friends go through of bad relationships in the past, so I understand.”
Was it a bad relationship?
A pit formed in my stomach.
“No, she’s just… she’s just stressed. This is a lot to deal with for her, and she’s got so much going on, I just—“
“Poppy.” She interrupted me with a hoof over my mouth. “Do you hear yourself?”
I froze.
“Has she even once seemed like she was thinking this much about you?” She said, her hoof moving to my shoulder in reassurance. “If you don’t think about what you want, what you need, then you’re gonna fall apart.”
“She’s right, Poppy.” Twilight piped up, her soft voice helping to relax me a little. “I’ve seen you put Ada first a lot over the last few days, but you deserve to be happy as well.”
“Y- yeah, but what makes her happy is what makes me happy, so—“
“You know that’s not true. I get what you’re saying, like, making your marefriend happy is gonna make you feel good, sure.” Sunset interrupted. “But you have needs, Poppy. Does she even know you’re trans?” She asked, voice lowering toward the end of the sentence as to not let Ada in on our conversation.
“No, but—“
“No more buts. It’s time you thought about yourself for once. Tomorrow, I’m gonna help you come out to her.”
“Woah, hey, don’t you think that’s a bit… I dunno, fast?”
“Seriously? Poppy, you’re gonna be a mare much sooner than you think and she’ll be far more shocked if you come out to her after becoming a girl.” Sunset frowned sternly, but caringly.
“I- I guess…”
“Well, don’t worry, you don’t have to guess, just trust me on this. We’re here for you, and we’re not going to force you, okay?” Sunset moved closer to me on the couch and hugged me, Twilight joining in a few moments later. I tried to catch myself, stop the tears from flowing forth, but failed completely, crying into the withers of my new, yet somehow, closest friends.
“No… you’re right.” I said, sniffling and reluctantly releasing the hug. “I can’t keep running, and… well, now I can’t run at all. And not just because of the hooves.” I chuckled, eliciting a polite laugh from the other two ponies.
My eyes drifted toward the bedroom door at the top of the stairs. I felt a clench in my chest, mind rushing through the possibilities. What if she hated me? What if she wanted a divorce? What would she say if… I wanted to stay this way? As a pony, as a mare. Finally who I want to be.
I needed this. I felt a yearning in my heart, deeper than any want I had felt before. I clenched at my chest, the uncertainty overwhelming, but deep inside me, I could feel it there. The need. Keeping it all hidden was painful, it hurt so much to feel like I was lying to Ada every day she didn’t know. Something in me knew, however, that it was deeper than that.
It wasn’t just an incongruence with my gender, but I knew that at my core, something else was wrong. I looked at my hooves, taking in their shape and form properly for the first time, really feeling them. That first time I noticed my changes flooded my memory, remembering the joy I had felt when brushing my fingers against that velvety fur on my leg. The pulsing in my heart when I had heard I was going to be a Pegasus. The fluttering in my belly when I had felt the correct muscles to swish my vestigial tail back and forth. There was more than just gender to this, and I knew it.
“I- I’m gonna do it.” I nodded shakily, Twilight and Sunset throwing their hooves around me, eliciting a small “eep” and a blush from me. They were right too, my voice was changing, and by this time tomorrow, confrontation was going to be unavoidable.
“For now though,” Sunset pulled out her phone, tapping on the screen to wake it up. “I’m ordering us some pizza!”
“Woo!” Twilight and I both cheered at the same time, falling into laughter together on the couch, forgetting temporarily the looming events of the coming day.
Our night was filled with laughter and cheer, shouting jovially every time somepony was knocked off the map in Super Smash Brothers; something which happened to me far too much to admit. We ordered a vegetarian pizza, and maybe it was just the vibe of the evening, but it tasted delicious. The capsicum was sweet and intense, the sun dried tomato was an explosion of flavour in my mouth, and even the sauce had more pop than usual.
“My god this pizza is good.”
“Mm!” Sunset perked up, swallowing the bite she had most recently taken. “That’s another cool thing! Turns out, things like meat used to taste good cos that’s the kinda nutrients our body wants, right? But now you’re a pony, that stuff doesn’t taste so great, but plants? Now that’s where it’s at.”
“Makes sense. Ooh, hey, how’s grass?” I laughed, only now remembering the fact that horses were grazing animals.
“Eh, I mean you can eat it in a pickle.” Sunset looked to the side, levitating a pickle out of a jar and into her mouth before swallowing again. “But it’s kinda meh? Tastes like lettuce, just a little more...” She gesticulated, levitating another pickle around. “Earthy? Yeah.”
“Hay is far better.” Twilight added. “Mostly because you can make it into basically whatever you like. Fry it into chips, turn it into a patty, you can even make wraps and pitas out of it.”
“Oh yeah, you mentioned hayburgers the other day, right?” I leant forward, taking another piece, this one with pineapple. Even the sweetness of pineapple was beginning to taste different, now appealing to me even in this form.
“It’s a versatile meal replacement, and it grows fast in optimal conditions, so it’s used to make sure that nopony goes hungry. Earth has similar alternatives for humans, but strangely utilise them sparingly.” Twilight said, looking particularly funny trying to explain something in a scientific tone with a mouth full of pizza.
Sunset and I both snickered, her nerdy charms winning both of us over. We laughed into the night, eventually tuckering ourselves out and heading to bed. I left Sunset and Twilight to sleep on the two couches in the living room, slowly making my way to me and Ada’s bedroom, opening the door quietly and closing it behind me with similar care.
In the dark room, lit only by the dim moonlight leaking in through the window, I could tell immediately that the glamour spell had worn off. Ada’s hooves, deep and blue as the night sky, lay propped above our white sheets, their colours in stark contrast. Her nose was that same blue, almost a good third of her face now changed into a snout and shape similar to the other two ponies in the house. She looked adorable, lying there asleep, snoozing soundly. I frowned, knowing however nice I might think she looked, she would no doubt freak out in the morning.
I sighed and took my usual spot next to her in bed. Despite feeling the heat of her body against mine, I couldn’t help but feel the distance between us. It felt colder than her warmth could make up for. Shivering, tears fell from my face, pressed up against Ada’s back, and I cried until slumber took me.
All four hooves hit the ground hard.
Thump!
I smiled, having just jumped down from the farm cart carrying me and my friends to the market in the centre of town. I breathed in, feeling the fresh and clear Ponyville air filling my lungs. Not only that, but scents of familiar nearby stalls flooded my senses, causing my nostrils to flare and my ears to perk up instinctively.
“Woah, that smells amazing!” I called to my friends, jumping out of the cart to follow me to our favourite hangout. I grinned cheerily, as —— approached, smiling just as widely. We had decided only last night at our weekly sleepover to visit the market this morning, as we usually did when all of us had free time at once.
“Can we go home already?” Ada said, standing next to me with her arms folded. “You can hang out with these pony things some other time, I got work early tomorrow.”
“W- well, we just got here, and it’s my day off— “
“Ugh, Jo, can you please stop being so selfish?”
I stepped back, a lump building up in my throat.
“H- hey, I’m not being selfish, you can go and—“
“Can’t you see how hard this is for me?” She yelled, the volume causing me to flinch in fear. “First you want to be a pony, now you want to live here? There isn’t anything else you’re not telling me, right?”
I shrank down, her form looming over me.
“I can’t believe you. You’re hiding something from me aren’t you?” Her screams were beginning to overwhelm me and I looked to my side for my friends, but nopony was there.
“N- no, I— well, I have something to tell you, b- but—“
“So you are keeping secrets from me!” Her voice was booming now, my hooves losing grip under the gravity of it all. I fell to the dirt and kept going, my body in a freefall. I strained my wings in vain to stop my fall, only to look to my side and see nothing at all.
That’s right.
You’re not a pony. Not a real one.
You’re nothing at all.
I shot up, gasping for air. A shiver ran over me, now feeling the cold chill of the morning after I threw my duvet off of me in my shock. I looked to my side, my heart racing, fearing that my sudden waking had also roused Ada, only to see an empty impression next to me where she was prior. With a glance to the clock, I sighed in relief, knowing that she was probably just at work. I pulled myself up, ready to get dressed and prepare for work myself when— woah! I tripped and fell forward, catching myself on my front hooves.
As I composed myself, I realised something odd. My posture was balanced and my hooves felt planted, all four of them now flat on the floorboards. Standing still, only with slight micro adjustments, I looked down at my front legs, now extending down a little further than usual to meet the floor. As I began inspecting my rear legs, which had also changed proportions somewhat since I had last seen them, I noticed with a flutter of my heart and a gasp, that much more of my tail had grown in. It was now tipped with curly pink fluff, similar to my previous curly mop, yet far more voluminous, smooth, and most importantly, pink. On further inspection, I noticed that thin strips of white graced my tail fluff along its length, which sent more bubbles of joy through my belly.
Taking a wary step forward, I began walking slowly to the mirror on the other side of the room. Hoof by hoof, placing them one in front of the other carefully, and only tripping once or a dozen times, I began to get used to the pattern of steps it took to make me move forward, and finally reached the mirror.
Oh WOW.
My hair— no, my mane had begun to change colour to match my tail, streaks of pink and white starting from the roots and ending halfway to the end of my shoulder length strands, the difference in length from yesterday to today only hitting me now. What stood out even more though, were the tiny little green nubs of ears sticking out from near the top sides of my head. I tapped them lightly with a hoof, feeling them twitch as I had my tail, and used that sensation again to flick my ear of my own accord, swivelling them from side to side and giggling at the subtle yet noticeable change in my hearing.
I stopped still for a moment. Wait, that laugh was seriously me? I opened my mouth and spoke.
“H- hi, I’m Poppy.”
It was sweeter than any honey. A slight rasp, a holdover from how my old voice sounded, as it was still distinctly me. There were some differences, but if you had told me that this voice belonged to my non-existent long lost sister, I would’ve probably believed you. More than anything though, the happiness I felt from this particular change spent sparkles throughout my entire body and I couldn’t help myself from spinning around on the spot, gasping as I lost my balance mid turn, falling clumsily to the floor with a loud bang.
I heard as hooves stomped up the stairs and a few seconds later, the door slammed open with a twinkle of cyan magic. Sunset and Twilight rushed into the room, smiling when they saw me lying on my back in a tangle of hooves and tail. They giggled playfully before lifting me up in their magic and cleaning me down.
I breathed in sharply, remembering what I had not before in my shock; I was completely, absolutely naked.
“Ah- um, oh geez,” I scrambled for the sheets to the bed, desperate to cover up but only succeeding in tripping over my own hooves again and slamming into the floor.
“Hey, calm down, remember? Ponies are kinda naked all the time. Besides,” Sunset said, trotting up to me and extending a hoof for me to hold onto as I got back on my hooves. “It’s not like there’s much left back there to “stick out”, as it were.”
I immediately felt a rush of blood to my face, hotter than any embarrassment I had felt this entire week. Scrambling forward, I sat down on my haunches, facing away from the others and cover as much of my front as possible with both sets of hooves. I sat still in frozen silence, my heart beating a million miles an hour and still unsure on how to react.
“Uhhhhh…” I trailed on for a good ten seconds. “Ah- should I, like… put on some pants?”
“I dunno, do you wanna cut holes in every pair for this thing?” Sunset smirked, trotting up to me and flicking my tail. I jumped and pulled it close to my body, my yelp yet again causing me to blush with embarrassment. “If it was me, I’d just give up on the whole clothes thing. Trust me, it gets a lot easier to get ready in the morning too.”
I laughed, her joke breaking through my nervousness as I relaxed my posture a bit. Looking down at myself, they were right. Especially when seated and with my tail close, not much was visible in that general area and I relaxed a little, nervously laughing as I stood up again.
“Don’t worry, if you wanna chuck on some clothes before coming down, we won’t judge you.”
“No! I- I mean, y- you’re right, there’s not a whole lot of point in wearing clothes much more. I might just chuck a shirt on, since, you know… no fur there yet.” I laughed again, scratching the back of my head anxiously.
I also didn’t want to mention to them that I had seen my nipples sliding down my chest to reposition somewhere lower down, and wearing a shirt would help me avoid that uncomfortable situation. I coughed, finally getting across the message that they should leave so I could get changed. I looked through my closet and picked out a simple shirt, throwing its now oversized cloth over my form.
As they left, suddenly, the impact of what had just happened hit me, and my heart soared higher than it ever had before. I was a girl! A mare! Sunset was right, that was sooner than I expected. I must’ve looked incredibly strange, sitting in the middle of the room and grinning widely at my crotch. I didn’t care. This was a day that I had been waiting for nearly my entire life, whether I knew it or not, and the shock of it finally hitting me had sent me over the moon.
I hopped up and trotted happily across the room again, smiling at myself in the mirror, actually kinda shocked at how cute I looked. My head was a little awkward, not having yet changed fully, but the strangeness of my half pony torso was hidden by the oversized garment. I shrugged, happily flicking my mane from my face as I made my way downstairs, rump bouncing happily with my new-found gait
The day was peaceful for the most part. It was a day off for me, so I spent the majority of it chatting with Twilight and Sunset as we shared our interests with each other. Sunset took control of my pc, using her “riches from streaming”, as she put it, to purchase and download a load of games onto my laptop to show me throughout the day.
Twilight had been apparently browsing YouTube in the wee hour of the morning, enthusiastically telling us of her favourite funny and cute videos she had found. Sunset couldn’t help but feel dejected when Twilight mentioned she had gotten too distracted watching YouTube poops to check out her channel, but I could only laugh, surprised at the content that she had gravitated towards.
I was happy to see my changes progress even further today, and not just because it was beginning to balance out the weird remaining human parts to be far more pony. It had only been what, three days since we had met Twilight? And almost definitely as a result of how much magic she used on me, my transformation had accelerated that come next morning, there might not even be a single thing distinguishing me from Twilight and Sunset, form-wise.
As I relaxed in the afternoon cool, chatting with Twilight about the time Ada and I went on a road trip, I felt a tug at my shirt. I swivelled around, expecting to see Sunset trying to get my attention, only to see nopony. Oddly, that tugging feeling remained, and as I adjusted my shirt a little, I felt a very peculiar feeling against my back in two distinct locations. My smile grew wider and I threw my shirt off, no longer caring about my nudity with a good seventy percent of my torso covered in fluff.
Twilight yelped as the shirt missed her by a hair’s breadth, but she was soon as distracted as I was by the two little wings that now could be seen peeking from my sides. I felt at the area, experimenting with flexing muscles until I found the connection to my new wing and stretched it in and out. I felt that oh so familiar bubbling feeling in my belly, grinning from ear to ear and flapping my cute, tiny, little, green wings.
Sunset, now entering the room from the kitchen, almost dropped her glass of water. “Woah-ho-ho-ho, check it ou~t!” She cheered as she trotted toward me. “Nice! You’ve already got a hang on how to move them, huh? I’m sure you’ll be natural flier.”
I smiled up at her, letting out another feminine giggle. Today had felt amazing. I was talking, walking, singing, and even just existing as my genuine self, and I couldn’t be happier.
Behind us, I heard a familiar click my heart skipped a beat. Oh no. That was Ada. Who didn’t yet know I was trans, and was about to walk in on her husband, now a girl, and almost completely a horse. I panicked, eyes darting around the room before I saw the blanket Twilight had been sleeping with, diving under it and hiding my form from view.
The door swung open, the footsteps of my wife resounding throughout the entryway. “Hey girls. You seen Jo?”
Please stay quiet, please don’t tell her I’m here, please don’t—
“Yes, they’re hiding under the blanket over there.”
Sunset! Curse you!
“Uh, hey, can we talk?”
“Ahem,” I cleared my throat, trying in vain to lower it to it’s previous gruffness. My new voice was absolutely way too singsong to hide. “Sure sweet-heart.”
Ugh, that was the least convincing thing I had ever heard.
“Jo? Is that you? What in the…” She whipped the blanket off my head and stared down at me. I looked up at her, retreating into myself and curling my body as close to itself as possible.
“I’m… sorry?”
“What in the world happened to your voice?”
“I- it’s… well, so it happened like this, um… I… ate a bunch of helium balloons?” I grinned up at her, her flat expression telling me more of her disbelief than words could. “Okay, okay, shit, uh…”
“Oh, for ponies sake.” Sunset trotted over. “She’s a mare now.”
Ada blinked.
“Uh, “she”?”
I gulped. It was now or never.
“A- Ada, I… I love you. The joy you’ve brought me over the last few years is incredible, you’ve taught me so much about myself, but most importantly, you’ve been there for me when no one else has been.”
“Jo, you’re really scaring me.”
“Ada.” I breathed in one more time. “I’m transgender. I’ve known for a while now. I’ve known something was wrong for my entire life, and every single bit of it, every single hardship and struggle, all of its come to this.”
“Jo, I…” She stepped backward, her face an unreadable slate.
“I know this is hard. I’m sorry, but pushing this deep down, running away all the time and never stopping… it’s killing me. For whatever reason, turning into a pony has also turned me into a mare, and I just can’t run any longer. I guess this is things catching up.”
She stared at me, my heart throbbing through my newly elongated ears. My heart threatened to burst out of my chest, thudding so heavily that I could hear each pained beat.
“You… I can’t believe you kept this from me.”
I shrunk. It was happening. Everything I feared.
“You hid this from me, knowing the whole time? When did you plan on telling me!?”
“I- I don’t… I don’t know, I didn’t know if I was ever going to!” I sobbed, my eyes stinging as they were flooded with tears.
“You mean you were just going to keep lying to me?” Ada screamed, her voice reaching a fever pitch.
“Okay, you have to stop right now.” I heard Sunset growl, an unexpected aggression coming from the unicorns outburst. “She is not lying to you.”
“Wh- what!? Are you kidding me?”
“No. I’m not. Look at her!” She pointed a hoof at me, making me flinch and regress further into myself. I sobbed again, uncontrolled convulsions in my stomach forcing the cries out. “She’s terrified of you! If she was expecting this kind of reaction, then maybe that’s somepony else’s fault.” She punctuated with a hoof, pushing lightly against Ada.
“Jo, I’m…”
“Her name is Poppy.” Twilight piped up, stepping in line with Sunset.
“Y- You…? He— sh-she… she told you?”
“She was scared.” Twilight said, her tone soft and caring as she trotted over to me, placing a hoof on my shoulder and nuzzling the top of my head. I felt my heart rate slow, and I looked up appreciatively at my new friend. “She confided in me because she needed support, and a friend. I think that you…”
“You should have been that for her.” Sunset finished for Twilight, who nodded appreciatively. “But she clearly had good reason to be scared of your reaction.”
“I’m…” Ada stammered, the tears finally also reaching her face. “I- I’m sorry.” Her tone was still flat and distant.
“This is… a lot.” Ada began. She fiddled with her hands, looking down at them and clearly imagining the hooves hidden just underneath. “This whole situation has been terrifying.”
“I- I know, Ada, but—“ I started, flinching again as she interrupted me.
“My whole life has been upended, and now this is—“
“Ada.” Sunset growled again. “Listen. To. Her.”
The silence that followed could only be broken by me continuing, so I did just that.
“I- I need you to know, Ada. I know that you’re scared, you’ve told me so many times now.” I said, the grief in my heart bubbling forth. I swallowed my fear and kept going. “But me? I’m not.”
Twilight pulled me into a short hug, Sunset joining her not too long afterward. Silently thanking them, I turned back to Ada.
“To me, this is exciting! I get to experience something new, something joyous! I- I… I don’t feel this normally, Ada. This is not a feeling I’ve been able to experience before today. Y- you get to go out with your friends, never taking me along—“
“Th- they’re weird, they don’t like—“
“Ada! Let me speak, please!” I cried, my voice breaking under the strain of my sadness. “I don’t… I don’t get to be happy. I don’t get to have friends, or family, or fun. I know we both work, but you never want to spend your free time with me. I- I’m beginning to think you regret marrying me.”
She froze, her lips pursing tight, and I knew what I had said was true.
“I think…” I gagged on my words, unable to keep my voice stable. “I think I’m going to go to Equestria. With Twilight.”
She stepped backward and sat on the floor in the entry to the living room. I felt my eyes sting, another round of tears threatening to force their way out, but all I could think of was the stoic and blank face of Ada, staring at the wall, straight past me.
“This is what I need.” I said, resolutely. “I’m… tired. Of not thinking about myself, of hiding, of being sad all the time, and only being ignored by you. I care about you, Ada. I wanted to take you on this adventure with me, even if it meant that you and I would part ways at the end, but… I don’t know. I’m not sure you even wanted to be with me in the first place. I feel like you forced yourself to be with me, even though I could never meet what you expected from a husband.”
Ada stared straight forward.
“P- please, Ada. Say something.”
“You’re right.”
“Wh-what?”
“I’m… I'm sorry, J— P-Poppy…” Her face finally broke, a single tear dripping down her face. “I do regret this. Not because you’re a bad person, not because I don’t love you, because I do love you.”
“I know. I love you too.”
“But… I know something has been wrong. I could tell, we just rushed into this, blind with the honeymoon phase I guess. I’m straight. I can’t be with a girl.”
I hung my head, expecting to hear that sooner or later, just not in such blunt terms.
“But still, I know there’s more to it than that. I… I’m sorry, but I prefer to live a separate life from my partner. I don’t want to have the same friends, I don’t want to necessarily share the same interests, I just want someone there for me at the end of the day.”
“B- but Ada, I needed somepony there for me too.” I picked my voice up, frustration at her words mounting. “I felt that you didn’t want to be there for me. It’s not one sided, and by just expecting me to not want to even meet your friends? It hurts.”
“I’m sorry—“
“Stop.” I held up a hoof, sniffling futilely. “I don’t want to hear you say sorry any more.”
“Okay.” She said, her face returning to the flat stoicism she showed me every day.
“Twi, Sunset, I’m r- really sorry you had to see that.” I sobbed, the blankness in heart breaking as I sobbed once more. They closed the gap between us faster than I could blink and held me close in a deep hug. I cried freely now, soaking the coats of my two new friends with my tears. I almost pulled away, fearful they would be annoyed, but their grip tightened, and their muzzles brushed against the top of my head in calming nuzzles.
I cried loudly now, the confusing joy and grief combined overwhelming me. Behind us, I heard Ada stand up and approach slowly. I held in my tears best as I could and turned to face her, still in the hold of my two friends.
“P- Poppy, do you… want me here still?”
“I…” I grit my teeth. “I wanted you here with me yesterday. And the day before that, and the day before that. Today, it’s too late.”
I turned, not caring to see her reaction. I heard her walk up the stairs, opening and closing the door behind her without any theatrics.
The dam had finally burst, screaming my grief and fears, all releasing all at once into an overwhelming wail. I didn’t care anymore. I needed to just let it all out, my grief, my horror, my relief, my regret, my love, my hate, every single emotion that I had held deep down inside me. It all flooded forth, wracking my whole body with sobs and tears.
After what seemed like forever, my sobs slowed and my thoughts returned to everything that had just happened. I didn’t want to do that. I loved her so much. I wanted her in my life, and I cared so deeply for her that it hurt.
Maybe, that hurt shouldn’t feel so painful.
“I’m sorry if I overstepped before, Poppy, I kinda just…” Sunset began, but I shook my head, pink mane shaking with me as I did so.
“You didn’t overstep, you stepped up for me. I- I’ve never had anypony do that for me before.” I giggled through the sobs, trying to latch onto anything positive right now. “Plus, I think the fact that she idolised you a bit made your words hit harder than even mine could, so thank you.” I nuzzled her in appreciation, the action of deep friendship filling my heart, and seemingly hers as well if her wide smile was anything to go by. Now I could understand why they did it.
“You too, Twilight.” I smiled, turning to the young alicorn. “Thank you for standing up for me. And being here for me. And… for making all this happen in the first place.” I laughed, eliciting a giggle from the other two mares.
“Happy accidents!” She smiled back, leaning in for a nuzzle alongside Sunset.
This time, I let nothing ruin the moment. I didn’t turn to look at the bedroom door, and I didn’t let my mind wander to thoughts of Ada.
“Twilight,” I said, looking down at my almost completely changed torso. “I- I know what you said before, about not overloading me with magic, but…”
“Poppy,” She nuzzled me once more. “The amount of magic it’ll take to finish your changes is minimal. If you’d like to take your place, we can get started.” She motioned to the centre of the room with a hoof, and I stood up, walking slowly to the middle of the room. I was still fresh on my hooves, tripping once- only for the glowing magic of Sunset and Twilight combined to lift me to my hooves. I blushed and thanked them with a nod before finishing my short journey.
“So…” I said, my heart beating with an unknowable anticipation. “This is it, huh?”
“Yep!” Sunset grinned, preparing her horn with a soft cyan glow. “Welcome to the club, filly.”
My brain flooded with endorphins and I couldn’t help myself anymore, twisting around and hopping happily from hoof to hoof. My small tail swished as I spun, only hinting at what would soon be completely mine. I stopped after a few seconds planting all four hooves on the floor at once to balance myself.
“Okay~!” I sang, my voice hitting a tone that was both sweet and high, filling my heart with joy even more. “Let’s do this!”
The glow on Twilight and Sunsets horns grew brighter and brighter until a soft fabric of magical energy spread forth from both of them, enveloping me in their light. I giggled, the tickle of the spectral cloth brushing over me sending little prickles over my skin. I looked down, watching the little hairs I had noticed earlier begin to grow softer and longer, filling out the patches of remaining skin on my body.
With another brush of magic, and another rush of joy, I looked behind me to see my wings begin to fill out, soft and light feathers sprouting from the previously down feather coated nubs. I laughed, flapping them as they grew out before my eyes, the primary and secondary feathers lengthening to be just a little shorter, and slightly different structured, than Twilight’s.
Behind me, my tail lengthened, small hairs turning to long, puffy curls of pink and white. I similarly experimented with it as I had my wings, shaking my rump happily as the beautiful tail hairs glinted in the teal and magenta glows of my friend's magic.
A twitch of something else, and atop my head, I watched as my remaining brown hair lengthened and fluffed out a little, the pink and white strands now visible in my vision passively. I giggled, thinking as it grew longer and longer, that maybe it was a little too visible, half my vision becoming completely blocked by the fluffy curls. That was soon fixed though, as Sunset levitated a hair band toward me, pulling my fluff back into a loose bun, assisting in keeping my vision clear.
“Hehe, thanks Sunny!” I laughed joyously, not noticing as Sunset blushed at the nickname.
Another twitch on my head and my ears began to grow out, lengthening to be slightly longer and rounder than Twilights. Little pinpricks dotted them as tiny fur strands began to grow, softening their appearance and making them feel much cooler, now that they weren’t kept heated by the insulation of my mane.
My nose began to itch and I focused in on it, no doubt looking very silly as my eyes crossed and I stared at the end of my snout, watching it elongate to take up more of my vision than before. The change in vision from my eyes reshaping themselves slightly more than compensated for it, and soon, it felt very natural seeing my snout at the bottom of my face. Peculiarly, I felt my teeth change shape as well, flattening out and widening, both to fill out my longer jaw shape, but also to accommodate my new vegetable focused diet. I ran my tongue along them, the new shape feeling somewhat strange, but a welcome change nonetheless.
My face began to morph alongside my snout, cheeks rounding out into a far more cute and feminine shape, becoming coated with fur like the rest of me. I felt my neck finish readjusting itself, my shoulders thinning out and pulling downward to better accommodate my quadrupedal stance.
Finally, my legs finished their changes as well and the two ponies lowered me down slowly, properly balancing me and leaving my hooves planted firmly on the ground. I stopped for a moment, looking down at myself, heart still racing faster and faster and faster. In the relative calm that followed, with the glow of Twilight and Sunsets horns dissipating, I was finally able to take in my transformation.
Everything felt so right. The way my hooves felt on the carpet, hind and forelegs combined. The posture my new stature offered me, supportive and strong, all limbs firmly on the ground. My ears twitched and adjusted to the slightest sounds, following their source to better hear whatever it may be. My wings settled by my side, filling me with a sense of warmth and pride, the feathers sending sensations down their length that I never had felt before.
Behind me, my tail swished back and forth, the slight breeze cause by its passing tickling my hind legs and brushing up against my—
I froze a little, heart picking up the pace yet again. I had mare parts. I was a girl. A mare. A pony. A pegasus. I was cute, feminine, and most importantly, I felt a sense of contentment and warmth, joy I had never felt, happiness that I had never let myself feel.
“I- I…” I spoke, my higher pitched voice now having fully completed its transition as well. “I don’t know what to say, Twi. Sunny. All I can do is thank you.”
I stepped forward carefully, my new posture even more different to what I was used to before. It no longer felt like I was a human walking on slightly extended arms, it felt right. My hooves fell in front of each other naturally, my muscles flexing and moving just right to send me slowly forward. I came to a stop in front of Twilight and Sunset, my eyes beginning to brim with tears once more.
“I… Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.”
“S- seriously, it was no biggie.” Sunset blushed and rubbed a foreleg, smiling back at me appreciatively.
“It makes me so happy to see you smile like this, Poppy. If I can do something so simple to see that smile, then of course I’d do it.” Twilight said and offered me yet another hug, which I graciously accepted, instinctively lifting a wing as she did, covering each other with the soft feathers.
“D’aw, you’re gonna give me a heart attack.” Sunset laughed, smirking at us. Not for long! I lunged forward, pulling her by the withers into our hug, both of us wrapping another wing around our friend. She froze in shock for a moment before laughing and joining in, solidifying the deep connection I felt with both of these two mares. They had been here for my time of need, listened to my feelings, and genuinely shown their care for me.
I knew, in that moment more than any other, that this is what I wanted. This is what I had needed my entire life, and it just took some world bending, reality travelling pony creatures to help me realise it.