Celestia, in a brilliant flash of white light, reappeared in her bed chambers. Wiping an eye with a hoof, she yawned and went to the balcony doors. Opening them, she stepped out into the cool air of her sister's night. Looking down at the city below, her gaze wandered to the town further down, and finally to the small library residing at the edge. Turning away, she went back inside, closing the doors behind her.

Going to the door, she stopped and looked at herself in the mirror resting in her wardrobe. Her mane was a darker color, a more brownish or red tint to it. Her coat was still the same pristine white, but the clumps of hair in some place were more noticeable, and the hair around her lips was the same hue as her mane and tail. Snorting, turned to the side and looked herself over.

"Have I gained weight?" She asked herself, sucking in her gut the muscles were coming out with more detail than before. "Have I lost weight then? Strange, but not a matter I should-" she was saying before she went into a coughing fit.

A pair of guards came in through the door, stopped and rushed to her side. She stopped herself, waved them off and they returned to their stations by her door. Rubbing her throat, she lit her horn and teleported down the bottom floor.

Appearing in a hall, she looked to her side and saw a nightguard looking back up at her with a calm expression. She gave a small nod which she returned before resuming her patrol. Celestia was going to turn to go the other way, but she watched the guard longer than necessary. Feeling a pleasant unpleasant feeling stirring in her, she tore her gaze away and began her own trek through the halls with moonlight as her only light source.

'Why was I staring for that long?' She thought to herself. 'I must admit though, I have good taste in my guards. When was the last time I was even with a pony intimately? A hundred years? A thousand? It seems like a much longer time than it probably has been.'

Turning a corner, she saw the main four guards stationed at the large, golden doors to the throne room. Looking back, she followed her trail from around another corner further back. Shrugging it off, she went ahead and stopped at the doors. Giving the same nod to the guards there, they stared back with wide eyes. Opening the doors and stepping in, she calmly went to her throne, all the while the guards in the room were following her very move with the same expression.

Taking her spot, she scooted around slightly, feeling the arm rests pushing against her. As she was getting a good position in, she froze when she heard the one voice that disrupted even the guards staring at her.

'Blueblood, at this hour?' She thought. 'It is true what they say, evil really doesn't sleep. Why does my lip itch so much?'

As she was reaching up to scratch her lip, she saw her hoofcover was missing. Turning in her throne, she didn't see it on any of the side or across the room where the pompous unicorn was approaching from with a curious, but uninterested look of annoyance on his face. Putting on her fake smile, she straightened her back to look down at him.

"Your... Highness?" he said giving a small bow while staring at her. "May I ask, where is Princess Celestia?"

"Blueblood, what-my voice." She said in a whisper as she rubbed her throat. "What has happened to my voice, it is so... So... Deep, masculine. I sound like a stallion." She said before her eyes widened.

Getting up from the throne, she ran to the window and lit her horn; casting a ball of light, she looked at herself in the glass. What he saw, made him wobble on his knees before he regained his balance. A white alicorn with a maroon and reddish brown mane stared back at him with a pair of eyes like flaming oranges. Getting onto his hind legs, he was going to take a deep breath to see his belly, but stopped when he could see his muscles flexing with each breath he took. Looking away, he glanced back at Blueblood before shaking his head.

"I need to leave," he said looking towards the nightguards. "Escort Blueblood home, I do not want to read in the morning paper about him being mugged."

"Wait a minute!" Blueblood yelled. "You may be an alicorn, but nopony orders me-"

"Let me rephrase that for you, Blueblood." Celestia said as he stood at his full height and stared down the unicorn from above. "I am not going to ask again. Either you leave with a guard, or you can leave being chased by a guard. Which will it be?" He asked snorting into the quivering unicorns face.

"Y-You know, I-I t-think I'll let myself out, thank you for your hostili-I mean hospitality!" He said putting a hoof to his mouth. "Any friend of my solar alicorn can be considered a friend of mine. I believe I may have business elsewhere too, elsewhere that isn't the cat-" he was saying before he began to gallop away, wheezing like an overweight hamster.

As he stood there, Celestia let out a deep breath that momentarily pushed at something on his lip. Looking back at the glass, he saw a beard covering his chin to his top lip finish growing. Extinguishing the light, he looked out into the city below, just barely catching a glimpse of something running in the streets below. Smiling slightly, he stopped before glancing back down at the town below.

"Guards," he called making them gulp in synchronization. "Have my sister, Princess Twilight, and the female Draconequus down int he Ponyville library brought to my chambers immediately." Not seeing them move, he narrowed his eyes and stomped a hoof. "I said immediately!" He yelled making the glass crack and the guards scramble to get a good grip on the marble floor.

As the guards disappeared he lit his horn again and teleported back to his bed chambers. Laying his head against the wall, he looked around in the dim lighting and found the decor less than satisfying. The white sheets with his Cutiemark on it, the pink carpet, the floral designs in the windows, and the large pillows on the bed. Sighing, he went to the bed and momentarily tripped on something. Snorting, he was about to throw whatever it was across the room when he saw it was his hoofcovers. Picking one up, it seemed a size or a size in a half too small for his hoof now, a hoof that now was showing as a coal black rather than the elegant white it was before.

Taking off his crown and chest piece, the latter was more difficult than he thought, he set those on the ground and got into the bed. Immediately pulling the covers over, he was moving his wings or stretching his legs, desperately trying not to sink into the bed so much. Finally, after three tiresome positions, he was content with laying on his back, his hind legs spread and his fore-legs pulled to his chest along with most of the blanket leaving the tips of his hooves below to poke out.

The Library

"There we go, all done." Spike said as he smoothed the sheets for the guest bed. "A bed fit for whoever wants it." He said sweeping an arm towards it.

"Thank you Spike," Luna said as she got in and set her regalia next to her. "Pleasant dreams."

"You too-" he was saying before belching out a scroll. "Ah, that one kind of burned a little. I need to quit eating so much ice cream." He said rubbing his throat while he held the scroll. "Goodnight."

Luna smiled and laid her head down, but not shortly after did she put her pillow over her head when the sound of Twilight retching began going through the small home. Shaking her head, she was laying back down when there was a knock at her door. Opening it with her magic, Eris was standing there with the scroll in her paw.

"Luna," she said giving a wide smile. "Do you remember how you said my masculinity was transferred to the other host I got the hair from?"

"I do." Luna said looking at the scroll and Eris's guilty look. "The scroll has information on who it went into?"

"It does." She replied looking at it. "Your sister wants to see you, me, and Twilight immediately. As in this scroll will release a teleportation spell upon reading." She said before the scroll began to glow and create a bright flash.

Celestia's Bedchambers

Eris, Luna, an ill Twilight, and Spike all appeared inside Celestia's bedchambers, with the latter of the two looking around in surprise. The lighting was dim but they could see the slight crimson light coming off from the bed, and two orange eyes staring back.

"Sister?" Luna said going towards the two eyes. "You have news of Eris's missing masculinity?"

"Unfortunately," Celestia said making them all jump. "I know exactly where it went. You may turn on the lights, but I would not recommend it."

"Why not?" Eris asked bringing the candles to life. "Oh." She said turning away. "You're other horn is up... An it looks longer than the one on on your head."

Celestia was trying to move as much of the covers as he could over himself so he could sit upright. Getting them all, he hugged them to himself with his wings which had also seemed to lengthen and broaden. Looking at the four visitors his gaze stopped on Twilight as she held a bucket under her head.

"What happened to twilight?" He asked. "I've never seen her that sick before."

"She's a lightweight who got a hold of hard cider." Luna said sitting on the edge of the bed. "Poor Celestia, this must be awful." She said giving a worried glance towards him but otherwise trying not to look at him.

"I feel poor, sister." he groaned. "First came the facial hair, which still itches, the longer wings, increased muscle mass and strength, and the craving for something covered in cheese." He said. "I gave into the last one before you got here."

Looking at his beard, Luna stifled a giggle when she saw the dried cheese along his bottom lip and nose. Eris outright laughed and slunk up next to him making his tense up as she put her arms around his shoulders.

"Celestia," She said resting her chin on his head. "I know how you feel. The cravings for artery clogging amounts of melted cheese, the urge to be angry for no reason, body odor, and your other problem." She said pushing her chin downwards to  make her point. "It's not an easy life, but it has its perks."

"Like what?" He growled. "I cracked the glass in the throne room after yelling at the guards, I threatened Blueblood-"

"We all threaten him." Luna said. "He deserves it."

"He does," Celestia said looking down in shame. "But he ran from me. He was already in the city in mere seconds. What I hate the most about this is the... Thoughts I've been having." he said turning red in the cheeks and hugging the blanket closer. "I feel horrible for having them."

"Ah," Eris laughed. "You're having those thoughts? Have you tried relieving yourself?"

"I've had thoughts," he said looking towards the bathroom door. "But I couldn't do it. i never did it as a mare, even during heat cycles."

"Have you tried masticating with a pillow?" Spike asked making Celestia stare at him. "What? None of you have just gotten something soft and just started masticating until it was a pulp?"

"Are you saying I should kneed dough to relive stress?" Celestia asked.

"Yeah, I do it when I start to get greedy." He said shrugging. "If it works for a dragon, shouldn't it work for an alicorn?"

"Spike, Spike," Eris said tittering. "His problem is different from greed. If anything, he just needs to go do his business in the bathroom or take a cold shower."

"A cold shower would work?" He asked looking up at her. "I thought Luna was just trying to pull my leg with that story. Fine, I'll try it, you all just go outside while I get up."

"Outside is the balcony or a staircase." Spike said. "Couldn't we just not look?"

Celestia, looking towards the balcony and then the door, nodded and waited for them all to close theirs eyes. Once they weren't looking, even thought Twilight still had her head shoved in the bucket she still had her eyes open, he got up and quickly galloped into the bathroom. Once the door shut they all opened their eyes and listened to the water pouring.

"Do any of you find this not weird?" Spike asked. "Because this seems relatively normal to a day in Ponyville."

"N-Not true!" Twilight said raising her head. "I think I'm better. Deep breathes, take deep breaths." She said putting a hoof to her chest.

As she was breathing, the water stopped and the sound of hooves hitting the floor was heard. Going to the door, Eris put her ear to it and knocked. A small thud hit the door making her jump back; from the other side came a groan.

"Eris, the water didn't help." Celestia said hitting his head against the door again. "Do you have any other ideas?"

"There's only one left." She said inspecting her nails. "Do you need any tissues or lotion?"

There was another thud that shook the door, the sound of hooves hitting the tiles and then the water being turned on again. As they waited, Eris stood by the door looking out the window, Spike was rubbing Twilight's back, and Luna was looking between Eris and the door.

Six Minutes Later

Eris was laying on the bed, half asleep with Luna, Twilight as quietly reading next to Spike who was looking over her shoulder to read whatever she was reading. They all didn't notice when the water stopped until the door opened with a wave of steam, and a slightly wet alicorn. Celestia, now wrapped in a towel slightly to small for him, made his way to the bed while brushing off.

He sat down not looking any of them in the eye, but instead he just put his head against the bed-frame.

"I'm not sure if I should be relieved or ashamed." He said looking to his sister. "You wouldn't happen to have anything comforting to say, would you?" He asked folding his ears down.

"It needed to be done." She said opening an eye to look at him. "Now, when did the first changes start? When did you first notice you were becoming a stallion?"

"When I left you to watch over Eris for the night," he said. "I noticed my coat was shaggier, my mane was darker, and I began coughing when I tried to speak."

"It was after you left our company." Luna said looking at him with both eyes. "Well, I'm sorry to say this, but considering you now have Eris's masculinity and she has your femininity, I think you two are stuck as you are."

"What!?" Celestia said standing on the bed with a large scowl. "You mean I'm stuck as a stallion forever? I don't want to live like this; not being able to control my own body, my temper, or even my own thoughts! Are you sure there is nothing you can do?" He asked holding her up by the shoulders.

"No," she said making him drop her back onto the bed. "As I have said before, this has never happened in my experience, including the accident that caused this. I truly do not know how to reverse this, or if it can be reversed." She said looking away from him. "I'm sorry, but I wish I could do more to help you."

He nodded, patted her on the back and then got up from the bed. Looking towards the balcony he opened the doors and shut them behind him, leaving the glass cracked around the edges so his image was distorted through the fragments.

"He's brooding," Luna said. "Celestia only goes to her balcony when she-I mean he, wants to be alone in his own thoughts." She said getting up to go to the staircase door. "We should let him have some time to himself."

Spike got on Twilight's back and they left first, Eris got up but sat back down on the bed, instead she just stared at Celestia through the glass. Luna stopped and held the door, staring at the Draconequus.

"Are you not coming?" She asked drawing Eris's attention.

"No, I thought I'd stay and talk to him when he comes back in." She said sliding onto his bed. "He needs someone in his situation to talk to. He shouldn't be alone, look what happened to me." She said smiling. "You go on, We'll be fine. I just hope he'll let me talk to him, but I'll stay regardless until he is ready. I'll see you in the morning, goodnight, Luna."

Luna took once last glance at Celestia before closing the door. Eris, looking towards Celestia herself, saw him tensing and relaxing while the wind blew his mane faster than it usually moved. Getting up, she went to the door and paused with her talon on the handle.

'He's upset, alone and probably more scared than he's ever been. He needs some company, a shoulder to cry on maybe,' she thought feeling a sinking feeling in her stomach. 'But am I the right one to do it?'

Opening the door, she was hit with a wave of frigid air that made her clench her teeth. Looking towards Celestia as she closed the door, she could hear the sobbing clear enough.

"Celestia," Eris said not making any move while he froze. "It's me, Eris. I came to check on you."

"I-I thought I t-told you to leave?" He said sniffling in-between words.

"I never do anything you tell me," she said putting a paw on his back. "Why are you out here, really? Did you just not want to let your sister or Twilight see you cry? Or do you really feel this bad?"

"I-I... I couldn't let them see me like this." He said letting out another pair of tears. "They have always seen me as strong, unbreaking, always so calm. It would hurt them just as much to see me this pathetic."

"This isn't pathetic," she said turning his head so he was facing her. "This is normal. You cried when you got your sister back, right? How is this different?"

"H-How?" He said looking away but not moving his head away. "This isn't a time to be happy, I'm out here because I feel lost. Eris, I just... For once in my life I do not know what to do." He said scrunching up his eyes to cry again.

She just rubbed his back and put his head on her shoulder. He wrapped his fore-legs around her midsection and soaked the fur around her shoulder with fresh tears. She held him there until the cold was biting into her back and making her wings aches, but when he let go he wiped his nose and just looked up at her.

"Thank you for that," he said swallowing to soothe his throat. "Nopony has ever done that for me. I was usually the one lending a shoulder to cry on, not the other way around."

"Well, if you need a shoulder to cry on again," she said wiping the moisture off herself. "Just find me. You have me worried, with how you are. When something is bothering you, it bothers me."

"Using my own words against me," he laughed. "We should go inside, it's freezing out here."

She smiled before putting her arms around herself and opening the door with her tail. They both entered at the same time, looking towards the bed and the lamp by it. Celestia got in himself and was moving to one side when he stopped to look over at Eris getting in beside him.

"Eris, what are you doing?" He asked eying her warily. "You realize there's always guest rooms available?"

"You need the company," she said turning away from him. "You shouldn't have to sleep alone, especially tonight."

"I don't feel comfortable with you sleeping next to me." He said getting onto his belly. "Really, I'll be fine alone. You do not have to sleep in here if you do not want to."

"Are you going to make me leave?" She asked looking over her shoulder.

"No, I couldn't if I wanted to." He said rolling back over. "Still, this seems unnecessary."

"Don't worry, I don't bite." She said making his snort. "Just don't start having any pleasurable dreams, I don't want to wake up and have your thing poking me in the back. Goodnight."

"Eris, that was unnecessary." he said making her laugh. "Don't be surprised if I kick you by accident, I tend to move in my sleep."

"I'll sleep with one eye open." She said. "Go to sleep, your highness."

"Goodnight Eris." He said watching her turn back.

He sighed and turned off the lamp, leaving the only light to come into the room through the cracked windows, or his mane and tail. In a minute, Eris was asleep and moving. He pushed her tail away more than once before it just hung off the bed; turning in the same spot again, he went back to his original position before she and the others arrived.

'I hope Luna is looking after me tonight,' he thought. 'Now that I'm thinking of her, I wonder how far the guards I sent have gotten?' Next Chapter: Morning glory Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 12 Minutes