I watched as Will and Cindy labored through the day. Some they turned human, others they turned to ponies. The humans were more straight forward, since they would be returned to their birth form, no questions to ask. Any injuries they had were apparently cleared up, as one guy bemoaned that his tattoos and scars were both gone for his time as a pony.
The ones that wanted to be ponies were much different. News had spread that Will could make choices regarding that, so people came with very specific lists of desires in hand. Most of them, though specific, were harmless and simple. One girl wanted to be a pegasus because she wanted to fly, two guys wanted to be a unicorn because magic, but one guy...
"I've been paying attention," he said. He looked confident in himself as I watched him from the side. Few of the people who arrived paid much attention to me. I was just a unicorn friend of Will's. How wrong they were. I had watched, and learned. The magic to return a pony to a human had been learned by the third act. The one to direct the growth of a pony I already knew. I felt confident I could turn a freshly infected human into just about any pony I'd ever seen. But oh right, that guy...
"I don't just want to be a pony."
Cindy tilted her head. "You want to be a pegasus?"
He shook his head. "I don't need wings. I want to be 'royalty' as you've called it. I want to be the stallion all the mares lust for, and maybe some of the ladies too."
William let out a bit of a laugh as she brought up a hand to muffle it. "Those are very different things. Being royalty is about a leadership role, not scoring with everyone. Which are you really aiming for?"
He looked confused and considering. Neon leaned forward with a wicked look in her eyes. "If you try to take control away from Captain Leo, I'm pretty sure she'd rip your cock off before she considered sucking it."
That made the soldier wince. "Yeah, you have a point there. I'm not trying to be the new leader." He glanced towards the door leading out, which was closed at the time. "Can you help me or not?"
I raised a hoof at him "Are you sure you want that? Oh! Are you a soldier or a civilian?"
Will looked towards me. "Good question, Hope. That does make a difference."
He shrugged. "I'm no soldier here. They took me in when things got rough, ended up staying on and helping out. Look, I'm not asking for much, I just want to be a stud, literally."
Cindy tilted her head. "We can make you ready for that, physically, but we can't force any mare to want what you're offering. You'll have to win that with your personality."
"You can change that too, can't you?" he asked with a raised brow.
I couldn't believe he asked that. "You want them to change who you are? Why?"
He rubbed behind his neck. "It's not so odd, is it?"
William shook her head. "You're the only person to ask for that so far."
"Look, OK, there's this mare." He gestured towards the hall. "She said she likes me, but not enough to hitch up with a human, and she isn't changing. She said she wants a real stud, and I'm ready to be that, for her."
Sandra paled a little. "You shouldn't have to change who you are for a girl. There are ot--"
"No! She's the only one that's paid me any mind. Look, can you do it or not?" He looked embarrassed and angry, face turning red and hands trembling as he looked to Will and Cindy.
They looked unsure. They obviously didn't want to do it. I rose up. "If you infect him, I'll shape him."
Cindy perked an ear. "Clever little unicorn, are you sure you're ready?"
I nodded quickly. "I'll be careful."
The human brightened and dropped to his knees in front of me, rubbing my cheeks vigorously in a petting. "Thank you so much!" I felt embarrassed at the contact and pleased all at once.
Cindy lashed out with her tongues, mouth fully parted in that creepy three way fashion it could. She ran them over the man's face and pried into his lips, frozen as they were at first in shock. Before anything resembling a kiss could occur, she brought them back. "He caught some, go ahead, quickly."
I tapped the ground in front of me and he laid down. I put my hooves on his belly and felt with my mind and horn. He was ready. He hadn't asked for any accessories, so I gently coaxed him towards an earth pony, with strong lines and powerful physique. He grunted and screamed at times as his body reshaped violently to assume what would be its new normal configuration, but I left his genitals entirely alone to start, protecting them specifically from infection just yet. His clothes pulled and bunched, barely fitting and tearing in places.
I carefully pulled his pants off, unzipping them and unbuckling before sliding them free of his new pony legs. He was a nice turquoise color. With his still human bits exposed, I pointed to them. "Are you ready? And how large is your marefriend?"
He was still panting for breath, recovering from the traumatic change. Being changed by one of us was one of the more painful ways to do it, since we worked quickly, instead of the 'natural' infection that may take its time over hours, days, or even weeks. He weakly lifted his head, failing a few times and thudding on the floor before he managed to look down at himself. He wagged his hooves in the air, seeming to really understand what he'd done, and he looked a little scared for it. I really don't think he was ready.
Despite that, he began giving a stuttering description of her. I recognized it, the pretty mare that worked in the cafeteria. She had made a pass at me when she saw what I was packing, but I had a herd for that. Maybe I could give her one to play with? I reared up, exposing myself. "Would you like to be like me?"
He looked over at my two barely visible members and swollen balls and swallowed nervously before licking over his new snout. "Maybe not two ones so big, why not four smaller ones?"
Four smaller ones? It was his body. I focused my magic around his nethers and invited the infection in. With no bones in the way, I was able to make that change pleasant. He began to swell and change before his amazed eyes. One shaft became two. Two balls became four, and everything became larger, aimed to be the right size for that one mare he wanted to be with.
Neon snickered as she watched. "If she says no, I'm sure you'll find some mare that's interested, eventually."
He pinned his new ears against his head. "Why would she say no?" With the change complete, he slowly rolled up to his new hooves and stood up, shaking with inexperience and recovering trauma. "I'm going to show her now!"
William shook his head. "They have a dress code, even for ponies. We have a few pairs of pants ready." With their magic they brought over a few and found one that fit fairly well over the new pony's bottom.
Sandra gasped suddenly. I looked over to see her looking at me, or my rear in particular. "What?" I turned on myself to see I had gained a cutie mark. It looked like an aurora, and just looking at it made me feel happy. "I did it..."
Neon approached to peer at it. "What's it mean?"
Will had that answer. "It means he's good at magic, really good, and that he brings light to a dark place. You are, truly, Dusk Hope." Will clopped two hooves together and soon the entire room was doing it. I blushed and squirmed, but I liked the praise despite that.
Neon pointed to her unadorned flank. "So how do I get one of those?"
Sandra nudged Neon. "Do something well and enjoy it. Dusk has saved people with magic, and served others with it, and enjoys doing it."
Neon snorted at Sandra. "I like using my tongues, and I use them all the time. I better get an awesome one too. I will not be outdone by a damn kid."
The new pony took the opportunity to slip away, likely hunting for that would-be marefriend of his. He had been the last one, likely on purpose so he could ask for his sexual changes without the others around. Will let out a sigh of relief. "Glad that's over. We still need to fix the slavery thing. That reminds me, where is Lizzie and her family?"
I pointed to the hallway. "They seemed to have settled in. This place is safe for them."
A soft knocking came from the door, then Lizzie peeked in as if summoned. "Are you still open?"
Cindy tilted her head. "We thought we were done. Who's still waiting?"
The door was pushed open to reveal Lizzie's entire family was there, one pony mare, human child, and human adult male. Reggie, the adult, was frowning. "You really don't need to do this."
Lizzie shook her head. "When it was being forced, I didn't want it, but now it's a choice, and I have my dad back. I want to be with my dad.
Even Faith, the father turned female, looked embarrassed. "I love you no matter what, even if I'm a pony and you're not. I'll always be with you, no matter what."
She hugged Even around the neck, squeezing. "Do you really want me not to?"
Even looked even more embarrassed. "N-no, I..."
Lizzie stood up. "You want me to, but you don't want to ask me to."
Even Faith sank to the floor. "You're fine just the way you are. I'm a pony now, with some stupid pony thoughts, but they're mine, not yours. Please don't do this for me."
Reggie pinched his nose. "When she said you were 'almost as cute as a foal', she was joking, not wishing you'd become one."
I glanced at Will and Cindy, and they looked back. This was a family mess we had become a part of.
After some thought, it came to me and I smiled. "Lizzie, you like your hands, don't you?"
"What? Yes?" She sounded confused.
I pointed at her legs. "What if you were half pony? I've seen that before. Like, you could be pony from the bottom down, or part pony."
Sandra tilted her head. "A pony satyr?"
Even Faith brightened. "That would be adorable. You'd have a tail and hooves, but you would still have your hands and that... That face I love so much." She sank again. "Please don't become a horse because I said something stupid."
Reggie threw up his hands. "It's your decision, Lizzie. I didn't raise you to stand up for yourself just to turn it around and be the one telling you not to do something. You'll be my niece either way, whatever parts you decide to have."