Alert: As of 16 August 2018 I've begun some drastic editing to knock this story down from Mature rating to Teen; there has been a lot of cleaning up to do in both content and formatting. I believe it's finished, but I might need someone to let me know if it's still too M for the T. Let me know if you think I missed something. Thanks for your patience!
~Adda
The post-graduate campus of Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns is a place of knowledge obscure and powerful, perhaps powerful enough for Alpha to live his dream for just one night... but how far would he be willing to go when his friend's safety and dignity are on the line?
[ This was my entry into the Mature bracket of the Transformations group's Body Swap Contest. How the Other Half Lives managed to place second! Congratulations to the winner, Twinkletail. ]
[ What's more, this story has been accepted into Twilight's Library, which I hear is quite a feat for a story with these tags. As if I wasn't proud of it before! ]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/m9vLrr7.png[/img]
[ Vanilla Breeze acted as prereader for this one; without her help this story would make even less sense than it does, haha. Than you so much, hon! I couldn't have done it without you. 
]
[ Placeholder art is by Death-of-all. I'm still looking for something a little more suitable. ]
![http://i.imgur.com/m9vLrr7.png[/img]](http://i.imgur.com/m9vLrr7.png[/img]){kind=link}
Let's see where this goes.
Rather short, but you've snared my attention.
Is Alpha male?
Hm, I'm not sure if I like this. All-OC stories usually receive negative amount of points for me at the start, so you'll have to try harder to please me as a reader if I'm going to like this story, but we'll see.
4602396
I like your optimism.
4602488
Let's find out!
I didn't write these as chapters; they were meant to be scenes of a whole story. That means there is going to be some variety in size and pacing - the first three chapters clock in at a thousand words each so far, but the fifth is already three times that. Don't worry, I'll have to post frequently to make it by the contest deadline - the first of July. Hm... Can I really manage two chapters per day?
4602614
Puns! Puns everywhere!
I feel the same way about many OC-heavy stories, but some stories simply can't be told with the characters we have to work with. I mean, what would I do, replace Alpha with Braeburn? Fancy Pants? Dusk Shine? No way!
4602936 Cappucino!
4602957
That was an intentional slap to the face of those readers who lost their faith in the protagonists and I regret nothing!
Also he's kinda-sorta a very backgroundy background pony and yeah he's totally an OC with a familiar coat of paint.
But I still regret nothing!
4602936
Something written by Adda le Blue, how can I not read
Now what diabolical scheme is Alpha gonna do to get some petty revenge on Fae...?
And I believe Murphy's Law applies?
4602968
But I assure you I'm not writing tasteless clop; I want to make art, something with a message. If you want to give it a shot, I hope there's something here for you.
Well, your apparent aversion to pony secks would be a good reason not to.
4602989
I expected as much, which is why I would read anyway
Good luck rolling out 2 chapters a day!
4603011
I'll see you when the next one's ready!
Thanks! I suppose I should get back to that, shouldn't I?
Aleph might be a better name. Same technical meaning, but not as strongly associated with male dominance. Plus it's biblical!
I'm pretty sure it's biblical. It might be biblical. It's probably not in the bible.
4603299
Especially if it's pronounced as 'ey-lef' instead of 'ah-lef'. Alpha stays, though. It fits his story and his situation too well.
That would make a nice name, wouldn't it?
But no, it's not biblical.
What difference does that make, though? I mean, Aleph is a letter. Would you name your child M or D or J?
...Never mind.
A story to follow that I know will be good!
(Because why wouldn't it be?)
I already like Fae, no idea why; on the other hand Alpha resembles me a bit, which basically means I don't like him very much. Let's give him some time.
Waiting for the next chapter with patience oh who the hay am I even kidding.
4603826
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Specimen! I hope your dislike for Alpha (read: yourself) isn't too overwhelming; there's a lot to you that I rather enjoy. You're a fine pony, Specimen, and anypony who says otherwise is a liar, even if that pony is you.
As for the next chapter... Tonight, I promise!
I said two a day and I meant it... Or a reasonable compromise, at least. If I only manage one chapter on day three, then I'll feathering write three chapters on day four! I will finish this by July!
-the short description
So far, it looks a lot more like a stereotypical transformation or "shemale" (edit: back from washing my mouth out with soap) fetish fic (depending what happens next) than anything legitimately about gender dysphoria. I hope you do something good with this, but going by the nature of the contest and of the story so far, I won't get my hopes up.
4604383
I understand why you would think so, but I hope the next few chapters change your mind. Sure, the contest this is entered into shows that there will be a swap and my warning to Wolfcape expressly stated that there will be a sex scene, but this is anything but a fetish fic. I wouldn't have even included the scene if it hadn't happened so naturally; this was to be my non-mature entry and I had another silly one-shot planned for the mature bracket. However, I always write what the characters would do in a situation, nothing more and nothing less. I hope you come to agree with my synopsis in the end.
Ew.
Here, have another scene. Let me know if it sways you one way or the other.
Why so short!
It was good though but next time please make it longer.
4605159
Well, I hope the insane post rate will make up for that! As I told Tacia below, chapter size will vary because I'm not writing these as chapters, but as scenes of a story. These two and the next one are a bit short, but the two after that are each the size of the first three combined.
I'm glad you liked it, though!
Truth be told, I prefer OC-centered stories more, limiting yourself to only cannon would greatly limit your story and imagination, people dislike because many OC-centered story aren't well written or are bad self-insert. Yours are doing quite well so far.
Though be sure to maintain a good quality even when keeping a 2 chapter per day rate, keep the whole plot in mind as you write to avoid the story going out of control. Getting the whole outline set down would help. Try to take the time to check for grammar/spelling mistake or get a proofreader if you can.
Switching bodies? Maybe, we'll see soon enough.
Seems interesting, go on.
4605407
Thanks.
Aww.
I'd use a prereader or even an editor - in fact, a good friend of mine has been offering for ages - but since I'm on such a tight deadline I simply can't! I don't have the time. I hope that my final read-through of each chapter will be enough to catch any mistakes that should arise, but if not, please feel free to point them out! After all, I'm writing this story on a word processor that thinks every word in the English language is spelled wrong but accepts 'forehooves', so I wouldn't me surprised if I misspell something along the way, and rushing while writing means sloppy sentence editing is a very realistic possibility.
As for keeping the story on track...? Well, I've already written the final scene and anything from outlines to conversations to incomplete narratives for the other six scenes. I think I'll be fine.
4606216
Have another scene.
Yes, we shall!
Hm... I just realized that all three scenes, the two I posted on the twenty-sixth and the one I posted today, are marked as having been posted on the twenty-fifth. Is it just my browser being goofy or is everypony else seeing this too?
4605159
4602488
How's this for a chapter?
I think the PC term is "gender-incongruent" at the moment, but it honestly feels like it gets changed every six months.
4609582
I think you're right. Somepony's always getting mad about something! I know it's just petty personal preference, but 'incongruence' is an ugly word to my ears and even many transgender individuals are unfamiliar with the term, so I'll keep using 'dysphoria' until I find a good reason not to.
However, if the term offends you and you were just trying to be polite about it, let me know via comment or PM.
4609643 It's quite a bit more difficult than that to offend me :P I was just informing you. Besides, I like the sound of "dysphoric" more than "incongruent."
4609652
Glad to hear it!
'Dysphoric' sounds mystical or philosophical... 'Incongruent' is the sound of a chintzy Elvis Presley alarm clock getting smashed with an aluminum baseball bat on a rotting tree trunk.
4609444
Don't get me wrong, I wasn't complaining per se about how short it was. It's just hard to form a full opinion when that first chapter is as short and unclear as it was.
You did have a good reason for that though, and I'd say it's paid off already.
Very much interested to see where you go from here.
4611432
I wasn't offended. I hope the rest of the story is to your liking! I'm about to finish part five.
No worries, hon.
Oh-ho, shit. This is getting interesting...
Yeah, this is getting really good and really akward in the same time.
Expecting some sweet revenge from Fae, but she should probably wait with punching until they switch back, so she doesn't have to wake up beaten-up by herself.
4611760
I'm glad you think so. I'm going to try my hardest to get the next chapter out by the end of the night, but if I'm to be honest... yeah. Two chapters a day is a pipe dream.
4611980
Awkward? I have no idea what you're talking about! iambrony.dget.cc/mlp/gif/131645489062.gif
Oh, just you wait.
Oh, my brain's melting... I don't know if I'm gonna make it... The last five hundred words I wrote may have been drivel.
I really need some caffeine.
Oh lawd, famous last words. Can we write that on her tombstone?
(inside Fae's head)
"This dress is working amazingly. He's totally dumbstruck at my beauty right now. He can't even take his eyes off me. If only he had the courage to speak, he could shower me with adoration! That fiery look in his eyes, it must be the kindling of true love."
It's so hard to fight off the effects of this mysterious sleeping potion. It seems to be slowing my pace just the right amount such that I discover Alpha at the exact worst possible time. Who brewed this thing? Do I detect a faint aftertaste of essence of Irony?
4615289
I'd like to think it's the opposite, for Alpha's sake as well as Fae's and Longshot's.
This is awesome!
4615685
Admittedly about ten minutes later out in the back alley would have been even worse.
4617826
Well, wish me luck!
Thanks! I hope the next chapter is as good! This one's fighting me. Thanks to my nine-hour shift this morning I know I'm not going to finish it tonight, but I hope to have it for you by tomorrow afternoon...
4617854
Why, I never! Longshot totally wouldn't have walked her to the nearest secluded place because he was totally being a gentlecolt all night and he totally cared about her feelings.
4618673
4621127
It would take some time for Alpha to grow accustomed to being herself for a change, after all... even though she's technically somepony else... or is she? 
I'm not writing a story about a physical transformation, but a spiritual one. I'm trying to write a story of growth and confidence, of coming to terms with oneself and the consequences of letting fear rule our lives.
Thanks!
I'm hard at work on the second. My prereader already read the first half of part seven and she approves - despite the pronoun confusion, haha - so at least I know I'm on the right track! I hope to have it for you within a few hours.
By Celestia's beard, what am I doing with my life?
I don't know if I like scene eight. I really don't. This is heading in a direction that I'm... well, I'm not uncomfortable with it, per se, and I guess I should've seen it coming, but... still. I've never felt so awkward about something I've written before, and that's saying something.
Forget moving ahead. Back to seven. I got this. No, it's not just me... We got this, and for that I shall forever be grateful.
4622441
All of the rush!
That's a nice sentiment, but the story has to be complete by the end of the first of July.
4622615
) in case I start getting tired. She's read a thousand words of chapter seven already and she just started the next thousand. It's not the quickest I've written, but it's progress!
I already have somepony on standby with a riding crop (Or is it a writing crop? Ah! Puns!
As for the rest of you... Well, it's sweet of you to offer.
I think I'll be alright, but if I think I need an extra hoof, you'll be the first pony I ask!
I've sent the seventh scene to my prereader and she's going through it now. You'll understand why it took me so long when you see it, haha.
Ta-da... Now I have one more day to write two more chapters, and they're going to be... They'll be something, that's for sure.
4622713 That profile picture...
so many 
Thank Celestia that Celestia was there, it wouldn't go so smoothly without her, that's for sure.
Green dress would look nice on her.
I'm so sorry
I'm not sorry
but I am so sorry