//------------------------------// // XXXVIII // Story: Baen of Equestria // by CrypticMetaphor //------------------------------// It was mid-afternoon in Ponyville and something surprising was indeed taking place. Usually the early to risers who would have been active for a good portion of the morning and still active were….indisposed. Specifically, they were all passed out on the floor of Twilight’s Castle. Eight ponies in total, the resident dragon having gone to stay in Canterlot for the night would soon be returning. Now to be frank, this wouldn’t be the first out of control party that resulted in a mass pass out and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. This party in question was mostly started after the eight ponies made it back to Ponyville after a celebratory feast in Griffonia, though some of the dishes had to be passed. Regardless, when the ponies got home, out came the cider bottles. Twilight of course being the responsible one attempted her best to resist joining in the drinking, but after much coaxing and some chicken calls, she caved. One pony rose from the others and groaned sleepily, it’s rose red mane sticking up at odd angles as it shuffled to the bathroom to wake itself up with a nice splash of cold water. After walking in, the pony moaned groggily and flicked on the light, turned on the faucet, and splashed the water on its face. Shaking it’s head, the pony looked up….and it’s eyes shrunk to pin pricks. “YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!” Everypony else were roused from their slumbers with a jolt and ran to the source of the scream. “Baen! Are ya alright in there?” Rainbow Dash banged on the door, “What did you do, fall in?” The door opened and everypony gasped. Baen stood their shivering…but he was a she. Her mane was much longer than before and less wild looking, the same with her tail. Her features had softened slightly and her figure had shifted to a more feminine and frankly more alluring version of itself, plus, all of her scars were muted. “I…,” Baen shut her mouth then opened it again, “Oh sweet Tieg even my voice….,” Baen’s voice was a much lighter and was as calming as a breeze. Or at least it would have been if she was calm. The girls were gawking at the barbarianess as she stared at her new figure, “Okay…maybe this is just a side effect of having too much, there’s only one way to be sure,” Baen lowered her head to look down south. He stifled another scream and started panicking, “What is this?! Is this some sort of curse?! WHY ME?!?!?!?” Baen keeled over and curled in a ball muttering in fright. Twilight could only blink, “How is this even possible?” Pinkie Pie nodded, “Well I have to say Baen makes a pretty good looking mare.” The girls looked at her as she shrugged, “What, it was a compliment.” Rainbow Dash prodded at Baen in an effort to get her moving, “Yeah, girls, Baen has left the building.” Baen looked up at the girls, “Please, fix this….” Twilight gently levitated Baen to her hooves and calmly placed a wing on her, “Just come with me, we’ll figure something out.” A bluish aura snared Baen’s tail, “Not so fast Twilight,” Baen looked at Rarity, “if Baen is going to trot around as a mare for a while, we might as well make him…her, presentable first.” Baen looked at Rarity as Dash huffed, “Seriously? Our friend was just turned into a mare! And you’re worried about how his,” she faced hoofed, “her, mane looks?” “Well somepony has too,” Rarity countered. “That sounds lovely.” The girls then glanced at Baen who covered her mouth, “Wait…what the Tieg did I just say?” Pinkie then placed a flashlight under her chin and ominously stated, “IT BEGINS.” * Baen sat on the floor, her armor was nearby, as Twilight poured over spell books and notes. Rarity gently dragged her brush through Baen’s mane and occasionally tail. After a bit of brushing, Baen’s mane and tail were done. Due to the wildness it had been before, each strand of hair curled up at the tips and his mane was neatly parted at the front. She blushed slightly and shuffled as Twilight poured over her studies trying to find an answer. As she sat there, Baen wracked her brain in an effort to assist. But for once, his mind was clouded. It was as if a massive jumble of thoughts and emotions were overriding his way of thinking, and it was frightening. “Rarity can I ask you a question?” Rarity glanced at Baen and smiled warmly, “Of course dear.” “Am I pretty?” Rarity sputtered slightly, “Well….um….of course you are. Why you’re stunning in your new form.” Everypony then turned their heads as Baen wailed loudly and fell on the ground. Tears streamed from his face as he bawled. “YOU’RE JUST SAYING WHAT I WANT TO HEEEEEEEAR!” Twilight blinked in confusion as Fluttershy tried to calm the bawling female barbarian. Rainbow flew above Twilight, “What the hay is wrong with her?” “Well this might just be a hypothesis,” Twilight stared at a now sniffling Baen as Fluttershy calmly hugged her and shushed her, “But I think that since Baen was never born as a female, the sudden gender and overall body change is messing with his state of mind.” Applejack glanced at the now calmed Baen, whose tears were being wiped away by Rarity, “How so?” “Well thanks to that sudden mood swing just now. I suspect that Baen is suffering from a massive hormonal imbalance,” she glanced at the book she was reading, “Since he has shifted genders, and as I said since he’s been male all his life, his body is trying to compensate the shift by pumping a bucket load of new hormones through it. This is resulting in his….,” she noticed Baen was giggling like mad, “unusual behaviour.” Rainbow glanced at Baen, “I think strange is kind of an understatement at this point Twi.” Pinkie nodded, “Yep, he’s nuttier than one of my holiday fruit cakes.” Baen was stroking Rarity’s mane and giggling like a lunatic as Twilight nodded slowly, “Yeah…I need to fix this pronto.” Applejack glanced, “There has to be somethin around here about how he was changed,” she nudged a cider bottle, “Anything.” Rainbow Dash sat on her rump and started to rack her brain, “One night of fun and something like this happens,” she crossed her forelegs, “so uncool.” That’s when something clicked in Twilight’s brain, “THAT’S IT!” The girls glanced at their alicorn friend as she levitated Baen over to her, “Alright Baen, this won’t hurt a bit.” Twilight placed her horn to Baen’s head and it gave off a soft glow, then she blacked out. * The previous night. Twilight’s cheeks were a soft red as she pointed a hoof at Baen groggily, “I’ll have you know I can perform…ANY spell. Baen scoffed, “Yeah, big deal. Why not put your bits where your mouth is.” Rainbow Dash hiccupped, “Yeah, do something impressive.” The others were already passed out but Baen smirked, “Try a spell that is actually interesting.” Twilight snorted, “Oh! So you want interesting huh? I’ll show you *hic* interesting!” Twilight’s horn flared with an intense light that was a mix of dark plum purple and magenta. There was a massive flash and then Twilight saw nothing. * Twilight’s eyes flicked open as Applejack was visibly sweating. “How long was I out?” Applejack glanced at a clock, “Bout ten minutes. But that’s not the problem right now Twi….” Twilight stood and sighed, “What happened….” Pinkie pointed toward the exit, “Baen has left the building.” Twilight’s eyes shrunk, “YOU LET HIM LEAVE?!?!” Pinkie rubbed her hooves together with a sheepish grin, “Well no…Rarity decided to take him around town to,” she stuck on a Rarity wig and imitated Rarity’s voice, “show Baen the finer things in life.” Twilight started to hyperventilate, “This is bad this is bad this is BAD!” “What’s the big deal?” Rainbow stated, “I mean it’s not like he’s the way he used to be, right?” Twilight looked at Rainbow, “Think about this for a moment Rainbow Dash, three words,” she was in front of the pegasus who bent slightly back, “Hormonally unbalanced Baen.” Rainbow’s eyes shrunk, “Sweet Celestia….” * Now the two mares in question had long since left the castle after Twilight did her temporary mind meld spell. Rarity knew deep down that an opportunity like this would never present itself again, so she thought that she would do something that nopony had ever attempted before with the barbarian, female bonding. “Well here we are darling!” Baen glanced up at the large building; she remembered that this was the place known as the…Spa, if memory served. “What are we doing here?” Baen was getting the occasional glance from stallions and occasionally mares which caused an adorable blush to cross her face. Rarity smiled at the gender swapped pony, “Trust me when I say, you will love this.” Baen smiled but then whipped around and roared at a nearby stallion, “STOP LOOKING AT ME OR I’LL RIP YOUR EYES OUT!!!!!” The stallion ran away screaming while Baen skipped inside humming happily. Rarity blinked a few times. “Perhaps this wasn’t the wisest course of action…” * Twilight and Rainbow Dash were combing the town from the sky while Applejack searched the ground. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy hung behind to look after the castle in case Baen and Rarity showed back up while they were out. “Where are they?! I mean sheesh, Rarity isn’t that hard of a mare to find,” Rainbow growled. Twilight tapped her chin as she scanned the ground, “If I were Rarity…where would I take a mare I have just met in an effort to bond with them….” Both ponies then said at the same time, “THE SPA!” Changing direction swiftly, the duo rocketed toward the Ponyville Spa. They landed and noticed Applejack about to enter the building. Raising their eyebrows they approached Applejack who in turn, turned and smiled at her approaching friends. “So ah see the two of you came to the same answer ah did,” she said with a small smirk. “Are they inside?” Twilight asked. Rainbow tsked, “Please Twilight, Baen wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this,” she nudged the door open and walked in with a confident grin, “We all know he’d rather be drinking with Discord or your brother at-,” she stopped immediately when she saw the image before her. Mare Baen was face down on a massage table and groaning in bliss. Rarity was beside her in a chair being pampered. “See darling didn’t I tell you?” “Yeessssssss,” Baen groaned, “this is amazing…..” Aloe grunted slightly as she worked Baen’s back, “You have a lot of knots miss Baen; you need to stop with all of this stress.” Baen’s head shot up as fire ignited in her pupils, “DON’T TELL ME HOW TO HANDLE MY LIFE!!” Baen placed her head back down and gestured, “Could you work on my hind legs, they feel a little tight.” Aloe shakily moved her hooves down. * After the spa visit, Rarity insisted she let Baen try on a dress she had been working on. The girls stared on at Baen in utter…surprise. With his new mane style and figure, he was pulling off the outfit in question quite well. The outfit was a soft red sundress with a more soft yellow trim around the edges. “Almost done,” Rarity then magicked a matching sunhat on Baen’s head, “Perfect!” Baen looked at herself in the mirror, “Does this dress make my flank look fat?” The girls remained silent out of fear. “W-Why are none of you answering,” Baen sniffled, “I d-do look fat don’t I?” Rarity waved her hooves quickly, “No NO NO, you look stunning!” “Beautiful!” Dash snapped a photo and quickly stashed it with a snicker which Applejack scowled at. * As the sun set upon the day, the girls were sitting at a café munching on dinner. Baen however for once looked like she was about to lose her mind. “This is insane,” Baen’s eye twitched as she fidgeted in her seat, “why am I itchy?! Why am I wearing this dress…” Baen glanced to the side, “Because I like it,” she shook her head, “NO! I wear armor not dresses!” Rarity sniffed the air for a moment then raised an eyebrow, “I believe Baen’s hormones are…at their peak and are going through their…well…” “Fantastic,” Rainbow grumbled, “Twilight, could you hurry and turn him back before he starts assaulting the guys of Ponyville?” Baen blushed as she tried to shift to a more comfortable position to make the itching between her legs stop. Applejack noticed he was eyeing a stallion across the way with a soft blush, “Sooner rather than later sugarcube.” Twilight looked to the side nervously, “Well thanks to the mind bonding spell I figured out how to turn him back….but I’d prefer we do it in my castle….” The girls raised their eyebrows as Applejack roped Baen up and started to drag her, “Well let’s get a move on.” After paying the waiter, and keeping the now rampant mare Baen restrained, the girls managed to drag her back to the castle and deposit her in the now cleaned throne room. Twilight pulled Baen’s dress and hat off and gave them back to Rarity, glancing at Baen, she inhaled. “Alright…what I’m about to do,” she turned to the girls, “nopony speaks a word of this to anypony, especially Spike.” Twilight fired her horn up as a silvery aura enveloped her lips. Turning to Baen, she shut her eyes, puckered her lips. And then Twilight Sparkle…kissed Baen square on the lips. All of the girls jaws dropped as Baen was engulfed in a silver flash. Twilight pulled away leaving both Twilight and the now stallion Baen speechless. Baen cleared his throat and tried to form a sentence, but he failed. Standing proudly, he turned to the girls and nodded his head. “Thank you for the party and the day,” he turned to Twilight, “Thank you for fixing me. Now if you will excuse me, I’m going to go home and do masculine things.” He robotically donned his armor and left without another word. Rainbow then pulled out the picture with a mischievous grin, “How many copies should I get made?” Pinkie bounced up, “I want wallet sized ones!”