A Time for Change? (closed: Steel)

[RainbowFoxxy]

"Welcome you two! Come on in!" Twilight seemed extra excited today. 

 

"Uh, thanks Twi!" RD tried to sound upbeat as she entered the castle and trotted along next to her friend. "So, you wanted to try something to give me a better edge in competition?" RD wasn't totally sure this was a good idea but what the hay? 

 

They continued to follow Twilight until they got to a nice sitting room.

 

"You can wait right here Applejack," Twilight told the farm pony. "I'll have her right back to you."

 

RD nodded. "Yep, this will only take a second and then we can get to the afternoon you had planned for us." Rainbow was excited but also a bit nervous to let Twilight experiment on her. 

 

"We'll be right back!" Twilight nodded reassuringly to AJ before usher RD into her private chambers. 

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack had woken up on the wrong side of the bed today. She felt wrong. Something was off in the air and her snout didn't let her forget it for a full moment. Nothing had happened just yet but she couldn't help but have this feeling of insistent foreboding that threatened yet failed to take action. Her day beyond that had been swell. Grand, even! Work was easier than usual with her wife with her and her foals were off and about having a good time, probably causing trouble but she had long ago learned to trust them- if not in their natural instincts just yet, in their endless enthusiasm for trouble and trouble solving in equal measure. She had a nice afternoon planned with Rainbow, now that she didn't have the Wonderbolts in their mane for a few days. Some nice time together, something in short supply it seemed like, would easily slay whatever feeling of unease had been creeping into her lately.

 

Of course, Rainbow was always seeking an edge. Maybe she was getting older and felt she wasn't up to her previous standards. Seemed like hogwash and manehair to Applejack, but for all that a penny more they found themselves heading to twilight's. Apparently the Princess had offered to give Rainbow something to boost her performance. Applejack swallowed her tongue; seemed like cheating, depending on what it was. But it was hard to deny an excited Twilight her prize and besides, Applejack was interested in what she had cooked up. There was never a boring day with Rainbow and when you managed to toss Twilight in the mix? Well, that was a recipe for something wild.

 

"Heh, you better return her safe n' sound, Twi. Ah think this one's past her warranty. Can't get a replacement," she said, playfully kicking Rainbow forward with Twi. She sat down and sprawled out over a couch in the seating room. Ever since her injury she was uncomfortable just sitrting upright. Laid out, the farmer yawned and brought out a book, a good yarn 'bout spies and international intrigue. Some of it seemed propesterous but shoot, thats what she liked about it. That and she had read so many dang fairy tales to her foals that her passion for the older tales had become muted. And if there was one thing she didn't want to be for this afternoon, it was muted.

[RainbowFoxxy]

"So, this won't hurt will it Twi?" RD asked while being ushered into one of Twilight's many experimentation rooms. 

 

This one was nice and appeared to be something of an observatory. The ceiling showed signs of where it could be pulled back to no doubt display the night sky. It was closed now of course seeing as it was still morning.

 

"No silly! Now see that chair over there?"

 

Rainbow nodded, her attention drawn to a cushioned festooned recliner. She trotted over, taking a seat. She was obviously still a bit apprehensive.

 

"So, this edge?"

 

Twilight nodded. 

 

"Yep! So this spell should give you a bit of extra momentum in the wings and spring to the muscle. I just wanted to try it out and you seem like a candidate that can effectively use it!"

 

Rainbow sat back, trusting the princess of friendship would take care of her. 

 

Twilight brought out a couple concoctions and placed them in front of her. Then she began to focus energy into her horn. As she worked RD sat quietly in til a sneeze built up in her nose. She tried to hold it in but eventually...

 

ACHOOOOO!

 

The blast echoed around the chamber, momentarily distracting Twilight. She shook it off, continuing to work her magic. When she let it loose towards RD she knew something was not quite right...

 

BOOM!

 

The noise echoed about, bouncing of the castle walls as the spell hit RD square in the chest...

[SteelEagle]

Applejack had contented herself with the story she was reading rather than trying to interfere too mightily in the happenings of her wife and Twilight. A few years ago she would have had to be there at the whole deal. Mostly it was out of curiosity. She had to see what it was that young unicorn was capable of, and every time she ventured to poke her curious snout in she was rewarded with wonders that put the deeds of other unicorns to shame. A smaller part was somewhat protective of Rainbow. At the time she told herself it was because she needed to compete against the pegasus and she wanted to make sure that nothing happened to give her an edge or harm her. Back when she thought there was an honest competition between the two.

 

Of course she had seen too much magic to be honestly all that surprised by Twi and she loved Rainbow too much to put stock in the lie that there was any real competition between the two mares. Rainbow Dash was a professional athlete, famed and lauded for her achievements and she earned every accolade to boot. Even as the two had aged her abilities hadn't diminished. She was just as fast, just as spry, just as athletic. Of course they were still relatively young- heck, this was the prime years for a rodeo pony- but Dashie had not one sign of being slowed by physical decline and she wouldn't for some time. Applejack? Nopony would claim she wasn't still athletic to some extent or very fit, but child-rearing and that damned Rugby match injury had forced her to admit that Rainbow Dash was a specimen and she was, in comparison, a housewife. 

 

Hard pill to swallow that, but not for nothing she at least enjoyed her life enough to shrug. She had a beautiful mare by her side and the world's greatest foals and farm. She could gracefully admit her role in life had changed when she counted her blessings. 
She yawned and closed the book. She wasn't all that curious and was confident it would go well, but something in the back of her neck tickled her as she remembered she forgot to ask Dash if she wanted to take Zap to the dentist herself or needed Apples. It wasn't that big a deal, but Applejack just had to see what was happening. Before she just did it. At least now she needed an excuse.
She trotted to where she knew it would take place. She opened the doors and heard a sneeze, and her mind struggled to process what she was seeing...

[RainbowFoxxy]

Rainbow was rocked back on her muscular haunches by the blast that emitted from Twi's horn. It was not at all what she had been expecting! The feelings of electricity that course through her made the mare wonder if her heart would stop. It didn't of course, in fact it was beating harder than it had since she last sprinted around the Wonderbolts training yard to show some new recruits how it was done. The pegasus sat up and rubbed her head, her vision blurred for a moment. 

 

She saw Twi rushing towards her, well, multiple visions of Twi. Then there was AJ. Her vision focused as she took stock of the look of concern on AJ's features. She moved her hooves quickly over her body, checking to see if anything was broken. 

 

"Twilight, what the hay!?" She stopped as her hooves continued their explorations. 

 

Something. was. not. right.

 

She felt different, like her body was larger than it had been. Maybe that was the muscle enhancer spell's work? But no, it was more than that. Shew cleared her throat and spoke again. 

 

"AJ!" A hoof clamped over her muzzle. That wasn't her voice was it? It was too deep and mellow. It sounded like the voice of a... her hoof shifted from her mouth down to below her stomach. "Oh holy Celestia!" Rainbow looked down and then back up before both hooves went to cover herself. In an instant a blush flushed her features. RD stood, trying to get herself under control. 

 

"Um, is that was I think it is down there?" RD's eyes bugged out as she fixed Twilight with an expression of confusion and embarrassment. "D-did you just turn me into a-"

 

"Yes," Twilight's voice was a bit shifty. She tried not to look at AJ. "I guess the spell gave you the strength you were asking for along with a bit extra..."

 

"Yeah, I'd say a few bits extra," RD gulped. "You turned me into a stallion Twi, what am I going to do now?"

 

She fixed AJ with a look of desperation. "I'm sure she can turn me back AJ," 

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack could scarcely believe it. This was not her Rainbow Dash, not at all. It was like she...he...had always been a stallion. Thick muscles, a bigger frame- Rainbow was now larger than Applejack- the way his snout jutted out, and well...the obvious developments too. Dangit. Some Alicorn had to go and ruin the body of a buckin' pegasus Goddess for... 
"For Land's SAKES, Twilight!" Applejack bellowed, taking her hat in her hoof, crumpling it, and throwing it onto the ground in frustration. "First ya turn mah cousin inta a valley filly, an' now ya turn mah wife into mah husband! What's next, mah son into mah cat?" She asked, only kidding in the tiniest bit. "Promise me you won't be castin' spells on 'im if he has a cold."

 

Applejack trotted over to Rainbow and quickly went about lifting her significant other's leg to inspect what had just been bolted on like a redwood tree in a lawn.

"Look at tha state of ya! Yer gonna cause an eclipse if ya get a bit excited. How the hay do you plan on flying with that thing?!" She said as she turned back to Twilight. "Twi, what sorta spell is this?" She quickly turned back to Rainbow, dropping the leg. She shook her head. "Dangit Rainbow, this is why you can't turn ta magic for results. Yer an athlete, you know that! This better be reversible, for yer own sake. Don't reckon yer wonderbolts uniform'll fit you anymore," she said as she inspected Rainbow some more.

She stood back and sighed, rubbing her head.

"Yer certainly muscled up. Can you even take off with that sorta mass? Or fly like a real Wonderbolt can?"

[RainbowFoxxy]

Twilight looked extremely apologetic.  Her ears laid flat, embarrassment blush taking over every inch of her face.

 

"Oh my goodness!" The Princess ran over to her closest spell book, instinctively turning the pages to find something to reverse what had happened. The only problem was that she didn't know what had happened. Or, how it had happened. How could a spell have gone this wrong? It was all that extra power she had of course. She would never really get used to all of it, no matter how long she was the Princess of Friendship. 

 

"Um," She blew out a breath. "I can fix this?"

 

"Is that a question Twi?" Rainbow blustered. "Tell me that's not a question. Tell me you can change me back." The tenor of her voice was so different it was hard to know whether she was talking or somepony else. 

 

Rainbow watched AJ in all her frustration. She knew it would come to this. She knew she shouldn't have sought after magic to give her an edge. She already had an edge. Rainbow stood, her figure now taller than AJ's by a small margin. As she stood she could feel her muscles flexing underneath her. The power there was nothing she had ever experienced before. 

 

Rainbow flexed her wings, giving them an experimental flap. The gust of air produced was astounding! 

 

"Well, maaaybe this isn't all bad?" Rainbow raised her brows while she inspected her body once more. The muscles were more pronounced than before, corded and twined. Her legs longer her neck thicker. She could get used to all of it quickly enough, except for that one set on things between her hind legs...

 

"AJ," Rainbow tried to reason with her wife. "It's going to be ok. We'll figure this out." 

 

Was it just Rainbow or was AJ looking hotter than ever right now? Rainbow gulped, that was a new feeling.

 

"Well, let me take a look at my books and I'll have you come back in a few days," Twilight managed to say as she turned page after page in a huge tome.

 

"See AJ, it's only going to be a few days!" Rainbow plastered a grin on her features. How bad could this possibly be?

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack sighed. She could feel a pressure in her head build and build as she looked at Rainbow and Twilight. How in the wide wide world of Equestria was a mare as intelligent and powerful, detail oriented and empathetic as Twilight capable of messing up this bad? And how could somepony so body-conscious as Rainbow be so comfortable trying something like this?

As Twilight flipped through her books and worked on trying to find an answer that would placate her, Rainbow tried to calm her down. AJ didn't need to calm down. She was perfectly calm, as calm as she could be. Rainbow needed to be less calm. Look at her- him! Look at him! He was bigger than her now and by not a small margin. And every part of him was made of rock and muscle. He flapped his wings and if AJ had her hat on, she was sure it would have blown off. And that wasn't even discussing his...bits and bobs down there!

 

Why was she the only one losing her apple-picking mind?! 
"A few days? Well, thank tha moons that Grand Pear is takin' tha kids out ta see tha Pear Estate in Vanhoover. We can try ta keep this all on tha down-low 'till then. Look at that thing! You could play cricket with it. Ah've seen plenty of stallions in mah time- Twilight, how in the hay- Rainbow-" Applejack said, rubbing her face. "Ah can't take you anywhere. You're gonna drag it on the ground and leave a dang trail," she said, trying to lighten her mood with some exaggerations. "A few days, got it. Well, I suppose it ain't all bad. You could plow the fields well enough without taking Big Mac's plow."

[RainbowFoxxy]

Rainbow felt a blush creeping over her face as AJ exaggerated about certain aspects of her new body. She cleared her throat and stood up, making sure to keep herself presentable. It felt good to know how much power was coursing through her body. She'd never felt like this before. Sure, she was strong on the regular but this? This was something new!

 

The pegasus glanced at Twilight out of the corner of her eye when AJ's head was turned. The knowing look that passed between the two mares was as good as a high hoof. Twilight certainly was clumsy with her magic sometimes. RD stifled a triumphant giggle and then began walking towards the door. 

 

"Well, there's no use staying here all day when Twi obviously has her work cut out for her. Better to give her some space to find a counter spell right?" She nodded to Twilight. 

 

The Princess gulped nervously. "Yeah, um, yes! Yes, that would be best. You two go out and get some fresh air. Try to enjoy the day. I'll see what I can get done here!" She hoped she sounded encouraging enough. She wasn't a huge fan of lying to AJ and now Rainbow owed her. Like really owed her. This was not the first time she'd pulled something like this for her friend. 

 

Once they were outside, Rainbow turned to Applejack. "Well, I guess we might as well, I don't know...make the best of this?" 

 

Getting used to this new voice would take a while it seemed. The voice along with the other aspects of suddenly turning into a stallion. What were their friends going to say? Would anypony even know she was Rainbow Dash? Maybe they wouldn't. The possibilities opening up around her were immense! 

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight needed time for a counter spell? Yeah, that made sense. She needed time, she needed perfect silence, she needed to be healthy. Apparently all it took for her family to be turned into parodies was a sniffle! "Got it. Got it. I'll leave yer mane for now, but ah'm promising you this, Twi: I'm gonna tan yer hide if Ah have to lay down long with this here slab of meat," she said playfully and with a smile, though a crucially viciously tingle in her eyes told Twi that there was more truth to that statement than she would like to admit. In a short few moments she left the castle with Rainbow in tow, who was doing *his* best to assure her it would be all right.

 

"Ah suppose," she said, rubbing her face. She did her best to keep her attention pinned on important topics. She had this whole afternoon planned with Rainbow and she wasn't going to allow recent events to totally, absolutely undermine it all. Even if, truthfully, she felt like she needed a shot of hard cider more than anything else. "Ah had a nice afternoon planned out. Some lunch, a show, then a race, though Ah reckon that is out tha window now. No reason we can't do tha rest of it though, right? Yer tastes in food ain't changed much, have they?" She asked as they walked along.

 

As they did, Applejack checked the stallion out some more. Frankly, if you didn't know who he was before, you wouldn't be able to guess it was Rainbow. The mane was similarly colored sure, but that wasn't too rare, 'specially after her better half had become a famouse sportsmare. The coat was the same sure, but it wasn't that rare. And the wings looked so somewhat less impressive when compared to before, if only because the formerly toned and athletic mare had become one giant muscle. And his voice- yeah, it would be impossible to say they were the same. "So...uhh, how do we handle this, sugarcube?"

[RainbowFoxxy]

Rainbow felt her body moving as they walked out of the castle and onto the path. She had never been so aware of herself before. She was still inside her brain somewhere, unable to let go of the fact that her form had completely changed to something entirely masculine. She was trying to embrace it, but obviously it was going to take a few hot minutes. As she trotted up next to AJ, Rainbow's nostrils tingled with her scent. She had always enjoyed AJ's scent, pleasant like the hay fields with just a faintest hint of hard work around the edges. Now the smell was making her feel all kinds of ways in all kinds of places. 

 

As Applejack mentioned food RD's stomach rumbled. Like literally roared. She had been hungry before but not hunger like this. It was probably al that new muscle mass and the metabolism it brought. She cleared her throat.

 

"ah, yeah I could eat." 

 

She was having trouble holding herself back. Her feelings for her wife, her feelings for food. Those two things had just increased in a way she was not used to. Almost animalistic and not in the regular pony way she was used to. 

 

"Handle this...." She mused, turning the phrase to her thoughts and drive for a moment. Then she shook her head to clear it. "Ah, right! How do we handle this? Um, tell the truth or am I Rainbow's cousin from Fillydelphia? Or something to that affect?" 

 

There, that was a solid answer. Well, solid if you considered sponges solids. AJ would figure things out though. She always did. 

 

As if on cue a particularly bouncy mare appeared on the road coming their way. 

 

"Oh oh oh! Just the mare I was after!" Pinkie's ever cheery voice rang out. "Applejack, do have have any super sweet apples I could borrow? I'm making a special cake today and I need-" She stopped short and cocked her head. "Wait, I don't think I know you!" Pinkie bounced around Rainbow. "Nope, definitely not! You must be new to town! I'm Pinkie Pie and you are?"

 

Rainbow looked to AJ for her ever enduring help in hard situations. 

[SteelEagle]

 

How the hay were they to handle it? Applejack had a hard time thinking of it. She had a hard time walking around telling ponies that Rainbow was now her husband. Just...so many questions. Questions she didn't know the answer to. And the how would be even worse- how would anypony save their closest friends believe that Twilight made a mistake like this? It boggled the mind, and even Applejack had a hard time wrapping around it. 

She also had a hard time thinking about her husband's body. Especially his back legs and his wings. They were enormous. His back legs- it wasn't just that they were bigger than hers. Big Mac's back legs were bigger, but Applejack had always prided herself on having such a well-muscled and toned pair that she could do anything. The injury had changed that sure, but even at her best, Dash's back legs were...huge. Better. She felt like a dainty little twig next to him. And his wings? She didn't know how he planned on being a Wonderbolt. He had the wings of one of those long-haul aerial carriers. She felt entirely inadequate, like he could just carry her around like a paperweight. She didn't know what emotions she was feeling about that fact.

 

"Ah was thinking Delilah's Diner. Some good sandwiches there. Ah bet yer rumblin-" she started back as Pinkie Pie overran her, even as Applejack had been chewing on just what she wanted to do.

And now she didn't have any more time to think on it. "Oh! Uhh, hey Pinkie. Ah got some apples Ah can send yer way. Some sweet crops just came up, Ah reckon yer gonna get a kick outta'm," she said, almost only whispering it as she watched Pinkie run all around her husband. Well, she supposed she could lie. But that wouldn't work. Everypony was familiar with RD's family by now. And even if the cousin story worked, they were gonna be seeing him everywhere around. And most importantly, they'd see him with her. More than that, she hated to lie. Applejack sighed.
"Pinkie, this is Rainbow."

[RainbowFoxxy]

And just like that is be ame clear the AJ was going to rely on her good ol' element of honesty! RD felt her stomach drop as her wife told Pinkie the absolute and undiluted truth!

 

"Rainbow?" Pinkie bounced in place, looking over the masculine specimen that was Rainvow Dash. "That's funny! I have a friend named Rainbow Dash! Your name is a lot like hers!"

 

Pinkie took yet another look. "Acutally, her cutie mark is just... like... yours...too. Wait!" Pinkie gasped. "Rainbow! What in Gummy's great grandma's gum drops happened to you?"

 

"I uh..." Rainbow's voice cracked under the strain. "T-Twilight mixed up a spell and... well, it's still me Pinkie. Just a different version." 

 

Pinkie shrugged. "Okie dokie lokie!" She smiled. "Whatever makes you happy!" She glanced at Both of them in turn. "You are happy with it right?"

 

[SteelEagle]

Well, Pinkie had not reacted poorly. That was good. Not wholly unexpected of course, she was a mare of such hard-coded goodwill that Applejack hadn't expected her to launch a protest. Of course, she had expected something more than the near nothing that was given. Rainbow had just went through a massive life change, something huge and altering to a mighty degree. And something accidental! She thought a friend like Pinkie would show some concern. But land claim her if Pinkie wasn't the most getting alongingest pony in town. More than Applejack, even, it seemed. 

 

"Heh. Well, happy ain't tha word Ah'd use. Twilight sure messed up a fair ton, but she'll fix it, Ah'm sure. Ain't gonna be a big deal, right?" She offered a weak smile to Rainbow, one which grew genuinely as she discarded the miasma of ill-manner that threatened her natural food spirit. "Ain't gonna allow that ta ruin what should be a mighty fine lunch!"

 

 

[RainbowFoxxy]

"Hmmmm," Pinkie stared closer at Rainbow as AJ told her that they weren't exactly 'happy' per say. "Well, if Twi did it I'm sure Twi can fix it!" A look of concern passed over her features but she quickly shook it off. No reason to upset her friends if she didn't need to. 

 

She was fairly sure Twi could do something about it. She was the most powerful alicorn around wasn't she? 

 

"That is gonna take a bit of getting used to." Pinkie bounced closer to the pair. "But, I'm sure me and the girls will support you however you need!"

 

"Thanks Pinkie," RD offered. She was feeling a bit awkward. Not knowing how to make her way through this. She of course knew it wasn't actually by accident that this had all happened. 

 

She was starting to rethink not telling the truth about the whole thing. How long was she going to have to keep this up? Lying to her friends, lying to her kids, lying to AJ. She should have just been honest. She should have just told Applejack she wanted to take a walk on the stallion side. How could she even start going there now though? The lie was already rolling and they were telling it more with each pony they came across. 

 

"So, where's lunch?" Pinkie asked, trying to keep things light.

 

"We were thinking about Delilah's." RD offered, his voice it's new low tenor. 

 

RD blushed, it was her first time thinking of herself in the masculine. She had thought about her voice and it coming from a stallion. That felt good actually! Maybe she could get used to this!

[SteelEagle]

Applejack could sense something was wrong with Rainbow, but she quickly donated those feelings to what she felt were some fairly blatant causes. The former mare had undergone such a dramatic change in body that it had to be effecting her mannerisms and personalities. How could it not? Applejack had never felt the same after all her injuries and that was just a collection of her own broken bones and torn muscles. What Rainbow had went through was even more dramatic, if less traumatic. Applejack could easily excuse any momentary change in behavior thusly as little more than the interplay of hormones, chemicals, and confusion.

 

“Yep, Delilah’s. Ah was thinkin’ somethin’ light, didn’t want ta tire us out. Yer welcome to join us, Pinkie,” Applejack offered happily, already allowing herself to distance herself from the awkwardness of the situation. While she could not fully separate from it, she could at least allow the trip to be safe within themselves. She did wonder briefly about that look Pinkie had...but once more, against her own naturally instincts, she buried it.

 

Applejack led the way, and soon the trio were at Delilah's. A small cafe with a small, simple menu, Applejack had been going there since she had returned from Manehattan. It was one of the older places in town, run by one of the older couples, with an old fashioned sensibility. Applejack could deal with a bit of the old-fashioned right about now.