Blue Sapphire hummed her delight as she attended her ice cream cone; a double scoop of mint and rocky road, just because she was feeling adventurous. “I feel like a little foal again.” She sounded like a foal too.

Moonlight, walking close by Blue’s side, couldn’t help but keep her eyes peeled as she licked at her own treat of vanilla with chocolate sauce. Already she’d picked out a number of hidden guards in the crowd, but still felt it was her duty to keep vigilant, her eyes ever surveying her surroundings. “I just feel like a guard without armor,” she admitted with a hint of annoyance. It was increasingly irksome to always be in guard mode even when going out with her loved ones. It was like having low-key agoraphobia, forever hindering her ability to relax in crowds.

“Liberating, yes?”

“Eh. I’m not so sure.”

“Don’t tell me you’re catching Thomas’ shyness about nudity,” Blue joked.

“By the stars, I hope not!” Moonlight shuddered in fear. “It’s a little cute when he does it, and while I admit it’s noticeably cooler not being covered up,” she glanced down at her nude and nubile form, “I really can’t imagine actually being ashamed of my body like that.” And what was there to be ashamed of, anyway? Her figure was healthily lean without being slim, her muscles – especially her abs – were aesthetically defined, her plot was pert, and her teats were perky. Even if this weren’t the case, it was hard to wrap her head around the idea of wanting to hide herself away.

“Verily. The body of a pony is a beautiful thing. It is to be put out on display for all the world to see!”

“Says the mare in the glamour.”

“This is how my body would look if I were born a unicorn, so it counts,” Blue argued petulantly.

“Really? Because the way I see it, you’re covering yourself in a cloak of magic instead of cloth or metal.”

Blue snorted. “That’s different and you know it. Obviously I’d much prefer to go about as myself, but then enjoying a peaceful outing would be far more challenging.”

“True,” Moonlight conceded, now looking Blue over. “So is that what it’s like?”

“What is what is like?”

“Wearing a glamour. It doesn’t feel like your covering yourself?” Moonlight asked honestly. “You’re ‘putting yourself out there for all the world to see?’” she asked in imitation of Blue’s drama.

“More or less. Why? Did you wish to try?” she asked eagerly.

Moonlight clucked her tongue thoughtfully. She knew exactly what Blue was referring to. They’d discussed it back at the castle, but the unicorn had been uncertain at the time. It sounded just so outlandish with far too much potential for public embarrassment. Now, after letting the idea simmer for a bit, she was ready to make a decision. “You know what, why not? I can’t let you have all the fun of playing pretend.”

Beaming, Blue grabbed Moonlight by the wrist and dragged her into the nearest store with a bathroom. It was small enough for only a single toilet and sink, but the two mares were able to squeeze in easily enough, locking the door behind them. “So, what were you thinking?” Blue asked, her horn sparking in anticipation of the spell.

Moonlight smiled softly at her lover’s enthusiasm. Although she was still a little apprehensive of what was to come, she made up her mind to put her faith in her friend. “I don’t really have a preference for body type, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Blue tilted her head and quirked her ears cutely. “Are you sure? This could be a chance to live out all sorts of,” she licked her lips suggestively, “fantisies.”

Moonlight rolled her eyes. “A nice thought, but maybe for next time. For now, I guess, I’ll just settle for what you have: a different version of me. However, on top of that first thing, I don’t suppose you’d be able to give me… wings, would you?”

Blue’s excitement tapered out a bit. “Well maybe. They probably didn’t teach this in school, but wing physiology is a lot more complicated than what I had suggested, what with all those extra moving parts. And that is without the mental physiological alterations which would be necessary for the proper wing movement in addition to your normal mental structuring. They would work primarily visually and have the illusion of mass, but would not function at all like real wings would. I am strong enough to levitate you, if that’s what you want, but a full transfiguration is unwise for a first attempt, especially not without a list of precautions that I doubt you want to wait for.”

“That’s fine with me,” Moonlight allowed, tempering her disappointment. “An evening fly would have been romantic, but I think I still want to know what it feels like to have wings.”

“Very well. Then a winged pony you shall be!”

Moonlight quickly closed her eyes as the light enveloped the tiny room, her body quivering in excitement. Outside, ponies who saw the flash beneath the door just shook their heads and pretended they didn’t see evidence of one or more ponies doing things of questionable legality. When Moonlight opened her eyes again, she felt a weight on her back and immediately spun around.

“Wings!” The pair of appendages opened wide as if to offer greetings. She felt the movement tug a little on her shoulder blades, but not uncomfortably. “My very own wings!” It was a little awkward at first, spinning around to reach her new parts, but Moonlight was soon able to grab ahold and stroke her new, feathery limbs. There was a tickling tingle as she stroked her fingers across the individual feathers, each so delightfully fluffy to the touch. “This is great! I can’t believe I really have-”

*Smack*

Moonlight paused, feeling it more than she’d heard it. In her efforts to spin around and achieve a better grip on her new wings, something had smacked her inner thigh. Reflexively she snapped to look down, legs parted, and eyes wide as she beheld it. It was a penis. Her penis! Right there, hanging limply between her legs, was the same penis and testicles she’d had back during the induction orgy. “… Oh.” She’d known it was coming. This had been Blue’s original request, after all. Yet, even compared to the addition of wings, this sight still stunned her the most.

Then came the snorting. It was a stifled, choking sound. Moonlight looked up to find Blue with both hands over her muzzle, stifling herself at her friend’s expression. Each time it looked like the blue mare got control of herself she’d pause, look Moonlight in the eye, and double over with renewed guffaws.

Moonlight narrowed her eyes dangerously on the taller mare. She opened her mouth to speak, to offer some form of rebuke, but thought better of it. In this instance, she had no pony to blame but herself.

“So,” Blue inquired in between her chuckles. “How is it?”

Moonlight just blinked before taking a second to breathe and center herself. This was still just a glamour, an illusion. Its magic connected to her mind to give the impression of realism, but it was still no more than a construct that would disappear the moment its energy supply faded. With those settling thoughts, the orange mare decided her next best course of action would be a more extensive self-examination.

As before, the phallus was a dark shade of orange while the sheath and sack were even darker. The flat head of her horse cock was poking tentatively out from its hood, but made no effort to rise. Likely this was in response to its owner’s confused jumble of emotions. Tentatively, she reached out to touch the new appendage. Her fingers brushed along the top of the sheath and, although she’d braced herself for some kind of jolt of sensation, there was nothing. She still felt the realness of the male equipment, but it was far less sensitive than even her new wings.

“It takes stallions a bit more effort to pleasure themselves,” Blue counseled wisely. “When the touch is your own, the sensation is little different than touching your knees, at least not without the correct mindset.”

Moonlight nodded absently, only barely paying attention. As her one hand stroked along her sheathed phallus, her other hand found something rather unusual against her hip. She looked down to see what it was, only for the true horror of the situation to sink in. Somehow she’d missed it earlier when looking at her sheath, but now the full extent of Blue’s spell was becoming all too apparent.

“My… flank,” Moonlight stammered as she beheld the new, more angular shape of her flank. There was little time to process this, however, once she started properly hearing herself. She touched her hand to her throat and felt a very distinctive bump. “My… voice,” she said in her new baritone. “My flanks! My…” Her eyes lingered up on her muscled pecs, noting the distinct absence of a particular pair of sacs of fat. She, or rather, he looked up at the still snickering Blue, eyes pleading for further advice.

At long last, Blue succeeded in reigning in her mirth. “When Thomas first wore a pony glamour, there was a bit of vertigo at first as he adjusted to his new height. That faded after a moment as the spell harmonized with his perceptions. The same will happen with you. Just focus on your new features and allow yourself to accept them.”

Nodding appreciatively as he trembled just a little, Moonlight took a second breath, somewhat louder than he needed to. He listened to the sound of his new, masculine breathing; watching the rise and fall of his new, masculine chest. He even gave his wings some tentative flaps. It was all incredibly awkward in the beginning, moving things that never existed before. This wasn’t like the induction ceremony where it was just an extra part to play with. This was a full figure transmogrification, a redefinition of what it meant to be Moonlight. But, with time, the awkwardness slowly ebbed into acceptance.

Blue waited until Moonlight’s breathing had evened out. “Better?”

“A little,” Moonlight answered, only to resume touching his throat. “This is still odd, though.”

Blue nodded and motioned for him to go on.

“Deep. Deeeeep,” he said with an experimental hum. “I sound like one of my old drill instructors. He was always barking orders whenever any of us stepped even a millimeter out of line. ‘You call that a push up?’” he growled in imitation of said instructor. “Your nose didn’t even touch the ground. Drop and give me fifty more!”

Blue smiled her approval as Moonlight harmonized with the spell. The wings would come later, but this was a solid start.

“Actually,” Moonlight continued, “I’m starting to see why he liked giving orders so much. This kind of voice just screams ‘I have authority. Do as I say, or else.’ Hmmmm,” he exaggeratedly hummed. “Nice.”

“In several ways,” Blue added, letting her eyes trail along Moonlight’s new, bulkier, masculine body.

Noticing this, Moonlight unfolded his arms and placed his hands on his waist, proudly displaying what he had to offer. He watched Blue’s eyes as they traced over his frame, and felt a bit odd. Although he was sure it had happened before, he’d never really paid much mind to being ogled outside a bedroom setting. And even knowing ‘Blue’ was just a glamour, it just added to the oddness to think he was being looked over by a stranger. “This is certainly different,” he stated plainly, still posing.

“But not unwelcome,” Blue replied, only for her expression to turn skeptical. “Hmm.”

“What?”

“I used my male guards as a reference for this shape, but now I’m questioning if turning you into a male version of Honey was going a bit too far.”

“You’re worried about boundaries now?” Moonlight asked, snickering in disbelief. Blue gave no response and continued her examination. “Well, if you want my opinion,” he turned around to look at himself from multiple angles, “I think I’m more like a male me than Honey.”

“Are you sure?”

Moonlight continued examining himself. His muscles had the same level of definition as before and almost everything else seemed roughly proportional. The absence of his feminine assets was still a little jarring, doing the most to signify that he was no longer a she. However, in the context of the glamour, nothing seemed abnormal. “I think so. If I were a male Honey, I’d look more like Plow.” He flexed his bicep, imagining how much bigger it would be if it belonged to either earth pony. “This is more like my dad, or my brothers.” Just saying those words helped to push Moonlight’s acceptance even further. Being born of the same family, he still had the same father and brothers, so of course he’d maintain a familial likeness.

Blue nodded. “So I take it you’re pleased with this bit of spontaneity and breaking of routine?”

Moonlight’s self-exam continued as he ran his hands over his new physique. More and more he was accepting the alien texture beneath his fingers, yet still felt compelled to double and triple check. It wasn’t often he got to feel a male body like this. “Well, I can safely say I don’t have a life where any of this,” he gestured at himself, “is routine.”

Blue nodded. “Agreed. I might be a little biased, but I appreciate your feminine form more.”

“You’re just saying that.”

“I honestly mean it,” Blue insisted. “For some reason I find myself especially critical of this form, even more so than mine or Thomas’. Perhaps I’m overthinking things?”

“Personally, I like it.” Moonlight bounced in placed and marveled at his body’s reaction. His pecs still had a bounce to them, resulting in a giggle most immature.

“I suppose that’s all that matters. This is probably just a case of an artist being too critical of her own work.”

“So I’m a piece of art, now?” Moonlight asked, feigning offense.

“Are you not?”

Moonlight didn’t answer right away. Instead he turned to the mirror to take his first look at his face. The difference was uncanny. He still looked like herself, just more masculine. Rough edges replaced smoother curves. Wide things had grown slim and soft things were now hard. He was still herself, a blend of her sire and dame. Mane style, tail, and fur were all the same. He was maybe an inch or two taller. The absence of a horn caused his stomach to backflip, leading to his hand snapping up to check. His sigh was relieved when he made contact with the long, pointed protrusion on his forehead. This was all just a glamour. Nothing had physically changed. It was just an illusion. All seemed as it should be, given the circumstances, except… “How do I look more like my dame, now?”

“I’ve heard it said that fillies tend to take after their sires while colts more resemble their dames. Perhaps my spell agreed with this folksy wisdom?”

“Maybe,” Moonlight trailed off, suddenly engrossed with making faces in the mirror. The hope was that staring at his altered face long enough would act as a sort of exposure therapy to help him come to terms with his invisible horn. “I think I could get used to this, at least for one night.”

“Then let us away, Stalwart Shield!” Blue declared before grabbing the stallion by the arm and leading them out of the bathroom, past the small line that had grown during their stay.

“They’re staring,” Stalwart said, suddenly self-conscious. He felt the curious need to cover himself, but didn’t know where to put his hands.

Blue just pressed on. “Ignore them. They’re just jealous.”

Stalwart’s self-consciousness only heightened when the pair got out into the open air. It felt like everypony was staring at him, despite the fact that most pedestrians couldn’t have cared less. In his mind he pictured each of them glowering at him, judging him for… something. It was bad, whatever it was. And the poor stallion still didn’t know what to do with his hands. Blue, acting on her role as the mare, pulled Stalwart close. The orange pegasus quickly relaxed as he felt the warmth of the mare’s soft body wash over him.

Blue was still the taller of the pair, and the way she pulled her stallion close just felt right, but in a different way than usual. Was it Stalwart’s newfound maleness that was making him feel so protected? Was this a part of the spell, Moonlight’s psyche and preconceptions coping with her new body, or maybe the mare-turned-stallion was just overthinking things?

While Blue’s touch helped to calm him down, what grounded Stalwart was noticing an odd movement in the crowd. He recognized the pony staring warily at him as an undercover guard. The guard took no aggressive action, but it was clear from his body language that he was not happy to see his charge suddenly getting cozy with a complete stranger. Stalwart quickly signed who he was before assuring that all was clear. The undercover guard’s head pulled back as if struck as he just stared at Stalwart for a good long while. Then he face palmed before disappearing back into the crowd, leaving the newly minted stallion feeling self-conscious all over again.

“What is my life?” bemoaned the orange stallion.

“Fun?” Blue offered hopefully with a reassuring squeeze.

Stalwart managed a soft chuckle and returned the squeeze and the two began to walk more normally. Stalwart – mentally rehearsing his new name so that it didn’t surprise him later – took in the sights. On the surface, Canterlot looked no different than it ever had. However, it still felt different. “I think I’m still harmonizing with the spell,” he thought aloud.

Blue’s horn lit as she pressed her forehead close to Stalwart’s.

The stallion blushed a little. He knew full well who Blue was, and it wasn’t as though they’d never been this close before. But something still felt off. Stalwart found himself staring down at Blue’s chest as though this were the first time. The words slipped. “Are your teats bigger?”

Blue pulled back and stared into the stallion’s eyes, (inadvertently) giving him a better look. “What?”

Stalwart’s cheeks went beet red and he averted his gaze. “N-nothing.”

“No, that was something,” Blue countered, leaning deeper into Stalwart’s personal space. “You were staring at my teats, weren’t you?” Her tone was equal parts accusatory and amusement.

“Well… it’s not like I could help it. I was looking down and… and…”

“Why so defensive?” Blue inquired, fluttering her eyelids flirtatiously. “Is there something wrong with them?” Letting go of the stallion completely, she folded her arms beneath her chest, pushing her melons up and out. Seeing the distress on Stalwart’s face, she went the extra mile and gave them a playful shake.

“It’s the glamour, isn’t it!?” Stalwart snapped, unable to tear his eyes away from the mesmerizing sight. “You… did something extra.”

Blue’s smile was infuriatingly calm as she shrugged, again giving her teats a soft bounce. “Perhaps. The glamour alters perceptions so that the short do not trip over themselves if given longer legs. Magic has its own will, so perhaps you are feeling as you believe a stallion would?”

Stalwart blinked. That made a frightening amount of sense, which in turn opened up even more frightening implications. “So… I’m ogling your teats-”

“Yes.”

“-because I think a stallion would?”

“Or should,” Blue amended. “This might be a chance to explore your own preconceptions about the world.”

Stalwart pursed his lips. “I’m starting to have second thoughts about all this.”

Blue nodded sympathetically. “I understand. If at any time you wish to stop, just say so.”

Stalwart gratefully bumped hips with Blue, but still felt weighted by his thoughts. While his situation was still unnerving, just the knowledge of there being an easy out helped to calm him immensely. “Why’d you want to do this anyway? Make me a stallion, I mean.”

Blue sighed. “I think I wished to help you relax.”

“Relax?”

“Well, when my regalia comes off, it means I no longer have to be a Princess. I get to just be Luna for a while. It is something of a self-imposed mental conditioning. But your armor almost never comes off. Even on break, the first thing you do in the morning is suit up. Thus, even when it does come off, too often you are of the mindset to keep it on.”

“Well, maybe not the first thing,” Stalwart added out the corner of his mouth.

Blue ignored this. “Sometimes being somepony else can make you feel more like yourself. Wearing the glamour of Blue means that the responsibilities of Luna are not mine to bear. I am free to do as I like without being restricted by the expectations of rich, noble, or politico. I can be the Luna I choose to be without having to worry about how my actions will affect the Princess Luna image and reputation that I deal with when not disguised. So for tonight, instead of being Moonlight the guard, you can likewise enjoy the freedom of being Stalwart.”

Stalwart stared thoughtfully back at Blue. What she said seemed to make sense, even if he couldn’t articulate why. “Okay, but who is Stalwart?”

Finally Blue let her arms drop and took a small step back. “I have no idea,” she said proudly before extending a hand. “Hello,” she greeted warmly. “We have yet to be acquainted. My name is Blue Sapphire. Who might you be?”

A bit awkwardly, the orange stallion reached out and took the mare’s hand. “H-hello? I’m Stalwart Shield. A pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Blue beamed. “Would you like to join me for a night of shopping?”

“What? Like a date?”

Blue hummed as she warily eyed the stallion. “Normally I’m not into stallions who act so forwardly. After all, we’ve only just met and I’m a bit of a traditionalist.”

Seeing Blue’s motioning hand, Stalwart quickly caught on what he was meant to do. “Oh. That’s fair. In that case, maybe we could just grab a tea and see where the night takes us?”

Blue grinned her approval. “That sounds lovely.”

The pair resumed their walk, hand in hand, into the shopping district.

“So then Blue, pony I’ve never met before,” Stalwart began as organically as he could. “What do you do for a living?”

Blue considered quietly before answering. “I work as a chef in the castle.”

“Oh really?”

“I most certainly do! And anypony who says otherwise is a filthy liar.”

“Well I’m convinced,” Stalwart replied with a chuckle. “As for me, hmm… I’m a florist.”

“You are?” Blue asked in awe.

“I am. Why act so surprised?”

“Well, your cutie mark is for a shield,” she pointed out.

“Um… That’s because I’m a defender. Yes! I defend the flowers from their enemies.”

“I never knew flowers had enemies.”

“Most ponies don’t. It’s, uh, sort of a trade secret to protect the, uh, populace.”

“Well now you have me hooked. Do go on.”

“I really shouldn’t,” Stalwart said apologetically. “It would betray my sacred oath.”

Blue’s brow climbed to incredible heights up her forehead. “Are florists truly so organized that they have their very own oaths?”

“As far as you know, yes. Yes they do.”

“The more you deny me, the more my interest builds.”

“Well, as a stallion in the company of such a pretty mare, I’d say my plan is working.”

Blue giggled before leading the way to an outdoor tea house. They grabbed a small table and quickly gave their orders before being left in peace.

“She was cute.”

“Hm?”

“The waitress,” Blue reminded, resting her chin on her hands as she eyed up the orange stallion. “She had a good pair of teats on her, don’t you think?”

“I, uh, didn’t notice.”

“Liar,” Blue tittered. “I saw you looking.”

“So? I have eyes. I’m allowed to look!”

“I never said otherwise,” Blue assured, trying to calm her defensive date. “I am just curious. Do you have an affinity for a mare’s teats?”

Stalwart opened his mouth to answer, but paused to reconsider. “Actually, I’ve always considered myself more of a flank g-uy.” The glamour had corrected his word choice. “But recently, I think my tastes have started to shift.”

“That is interesting,” Blue noted. The waitress came back with their orders and the tall unicorn took a savoring sip of her drink. “What do you think brought this on?”

“Let’s just call it a recent change in perspective,” Stalwart replied with a half grin. “Very recent.”

“I’d like to know more, if you would.”

Stalwart clucked his tongue thoughtfully and took his own sip. “Well, I’d always thought that flanks being universal to all ponies was part of their charm. A stallion’s plot is pretty different from a mare’s,” he shifted in his seat, curious if he could feel a difference, “but they both have their appeal. Teats, though…”

“Yes?”

“Teats are exclusive to mares. Granted, I’ve seen one or two stallions with teats, but they weren’t exactly what you’d call appealing.” The pair shared a laugh. “It’s funny. You go through all your life, looking at these big, round, and bouncy bags of flesh.” He bounced in his seat, making his own pecs jiggle. “They’re nice, but also normal. It’s like living in a city with beautiful architecture all your life. You start to take the scenery for granted. Then one day, reality slides sideways and suddenly you realize what’s been in your face this entire time.”

“That’s a rather interesting way to put it.” Blue pulled her seat around to sit closer to Stalwart. “Have you noticed anything else since this shift?”

Stalwart, before he’d even realized he was doing it, scooted his chair closer to Blue’s. A pregnant pause followed. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“To what?” Blue cut him off. “What did you do wrong?”

Good question. What did he do wrong? “I, um, I’m not sure.”

“Well, it’s perfectly normal for friendly ponies to be friendly with each other, right?”

Stalwart nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”

“So is that what you were doing?”

“Maybe.” Stalwart looked around the street. “Ever since my little ‘shift’, I’ve been feeling a little self-conscious. But, being near you, makes it not so bad.”

Blue cooed and quickly wrapped an arm around Stalwart, pulling him close for a half hug. “Aww. That’s so sweet. The cute little stallion is looking to the big strong mare to protect him.”

Stalwart wished he could die right there and then. He pulled all his magic into his invisible horn, hoping to compile something that might get him out of this. Teleportation, an invisibility spell, or anything for that matter. Unfortunately, the orange stallion with the bright red face didn’t know all that many spells, especially not the super advanced stuff. He could always summon a floating shield, beat Blue into the pavement, and make a run for it. That option certainly had its appeal. Unfortunately, his emotions were too jumbled to even pull that off.

Seeing the signs of tension in the stallion’s body language, Blue reacted by slinging another arm around the stallion’s back and pulling his face into her chest. He fought for a bit, but his struggles faded soon enough. She waited until his breathing had evened, smiling the entire time. “Better?”

Stalwart nodded, not saying a word. His movements caused the expanse of warm breast flesh to run all along his face, providing a familiar sort of relief. He exhaled, his hot breath confined in the closed space and sending an array of goosebumps across the teats. Their surface prickled against his cheeks before he was finally let up for air. Yet Stalwart’s eyes lingered on Blue’s chest.

The blue unicorn giggled, but Stalwart’s gaze remained fixed as he lifted one hand.

“May I?”

Blue’s cheeks pinkened slightly as her body went briefly stiff. She relaxed and eventually nodded her consent.

Stalwart cupped the bottom of Blue’s right breast. She sucked in a surprised breath, so he waited for her to nod for him to continue. He explored the entirety of the mammoth mammary, save for the areola. He tested its weight, applied pressure to see how it bounced back, and anything else he remembered Thomas doing those first times they were together. “It’s like I’m playing with the most amazing toy ever made,” he said without thinking.

“H-happy to hear,” Blue replied breathlessly. Now it was her turn to be wrought with self-consciousness as surrounding ponies either stared or made an obvious effort not to. Stalwart was touching a sensitive place far longer than was socially acceptable and Blue readied to advise him as such.

Stalwart removed his hand of his own accord first. “Well, that was enlightening.”

“Do tell,” Blue inquired a little breathlessly, glad that they were no longer being stared at. She wasn’t scared of public opinion or any sort of scandal. They were both in glamour, so the worst that might happen was these disguises being discontinued in favor of new models. What had actually made Blue anxious was Stalwart’s apparent unintended stoking of her inner fire. She’d never been that much of a voyeur, but at the rate they were going…

“It’s hard to put into words,” Stalwart confessed. “Nothing has actually changed, yet I feel like it should have. It’s like I’m trying to conform to some standard that I only recently heard about.”

“Perhaps you should give these standards a try,” Blue suggested bluntly. “The fun of playing pretend is in exploring the world from a new perspective, doing things you might not, but your character would.”

Stalwart nodded considerately. “Fair enough. So, it’s actually my character who wants to stare at your teats, not necessarily me?”

“If that thinking helps.”

“Alright then.” Stalwart sat back in his seat, closed his eyes, and appeared to go into a deep meditation for a second. When his eyes opened again, his body language had become much more receptive. “My, it’s chilly tonight,” he said while giving his shoulders an inviting roll. “And here I am, without a jacket.”

Blue grinned from ear-to-ear and closed the remaining distance. “Aww, poor thing,” she said while pulling the smaller stallion close. “Is this better?”

Stalwart gave a contented hum while resting his cheek on Blue’s shoulder. “It’s nice to meet a mare who knows how to treat a stallion,” he cooed.

Blue giggled. “As I said, I’m quite the traditionalist. It’s actually been a little tricky adapting to all these modern norms.”

“Some things might have changed,” agreed Stalwart. “Gone are the days when you could just slap a strange stallion on the behind and have them laugh it off.”

“That was never actually a thing,” Blue corrected. “Not if you valued the integrity of your nose.”

Stalwart chuckled. “But the classics are still the same. Treat each other right, and we’ll all get along just fine.”

“An idea that sounds simple on the surface, but bares so many deeper implications,” Blue pondered. “What, for example, would you consider being treated right?”

Stalwart clucked his tongue, thinking what Stalwart the stallion might say. “Well, since you’re the mare who asked me out, we can start by having you pay for the drinks.”

“Simple enough.”

“And when we go shopping, maybe you can buy me something nice?” Stalwart awkwardly asked. It felt so wrong to be making these kinds of demands, but the smile on Blue’s face assured him that no lines had yet been crossed.

“For a stallion as cute as you, I think I can manage, provided you can do me a favor in exchange.”

Stalwart pulled back a little and donned a wary, somewhat offended expression. “If you’re as traditional as you claim, I hope you don’t expect me, a helpless stallion, to do anything untoward on our first date.”

“Oh, Luna’s flanks, no!” Blue denied dramatically. “You’re so young and obviously naïve. I’d never-”

“Wait,” Stalwart cut in. “Naïve?”

“Well yes. You were getting rather handsey back there, if you recall.” She motioned to her breast. “Ponies were staring.”

Stalwart’s face flushed as the weight of his actions hit him like a sack of bricks.

“For a stallion to actually do that in public, well, it reminds me a little of some erotica’s I’ve read,” Blue explained. “The young stallion, barely out of colthood, so bright-eyed and naïve to the harshness of the world, being met by the handsomely wizened mare who is all too ready to teach.” Her inflection on that last word left no doubt what she was implying. “Had you gone on for much longer, I fear I might not have been able to stop myself from correcting your behavior.”

Stalwart pursed his lips tightly as his hands balled into fists. In his obsession with his new identity, he’d completely forgotten who it was he was dealing with. Thinking back on it, and reversing the rolls, having a cute stallion touch him… er, her like that would have been embarrassingly arousing. But with the mare behind the mask of Blue, that kind of public teasing was downright dangerous, with a serious possibility of pelvic injury. With his mouth suddenly dry, he could only reply with a nervous gulp.

Blue quickly shot the stallion a disarming smile, wordlessly reassuring him that that the danger had passed as she pulled him back. “I had actually wanted you to finish telling me about your florist duties. I really want to know about these enemies you face.”

Stalwart gave a sigh of relief as he surrendered himself to Blue’s comforting touch. “Well, if you really want to know…” He was still racking his brain trying to think of something interesting.

“By all means.”

“Very well,” Stalwart sighed his defeat. “The enemies I fight are the, um, nega-plants.” That’s a good name, right?

“Nega-plants?”

“Spirits whose essence is antithetical to normal flora. They cut off the plants’ access to magic, basically starving them to death. That’s why we need earth ponies to begin with, to counter the lingering effects of the nega-plants.”

“A mild exaggeration,” Blue said in her more regal voice, “but I like it. Go on.”

Stalwart nodded. “I come from a long line of defenders, so the earth pony in my blood lets me see things that are normally invisible.”

“Without the special tools,” Blue corrected.

“Right. Because for a profession as old and important as this one, of course they’d make specialized gear so that those without ‘the sight’ can still help out,” agreed Stalwart. “Excellent world building,” he whispered to himself.

“When you write, you’re not as quiet as you believe,” Blue whispered back. Following the finishing of their drinks, she paid and the pair resumed their walk, hand-in-hand. “What else can you tell me?”

Stalwart beamed, elated to be making up a story on the fly like this. “Nega-plants, um, look like plant people. Picture a pony, but with branches growing out of their bodies and with roots for legs. The branches are all dead, of course. They embody plant death, so they’ve got no signs of life anywhere on them.”

“Makes sense.”

“What else?” he asked himself. “They’re spirits, so they need specially enchanted weapons to hurt them.”

“Are they easy to vanquish? I don’t imagine a walking tree is all that threatening.”

“Quite the opposite. On first glance, they look pretty slow, but they can actually grow out their dead branches to spear their enemies. Those branches can also flail around like whips for a pretty solid defense. Being spirits, they’re used to being invisible with most ponies walking by without noticing them, so the trick is to sneak up on them while pretending you don’t see them. Also, spirits like these are pretty single-minded. They won’t normally attack ponies or other animals unless they feel threatened. Otherwise they stick to their mission of killing all plants in their path.”

Blue nodded with a gleam in her eye. “Excellent employ of real world lore in crafting your creations.” True spirits were also notoriously single-minded, so these nega-spirits sounded like beings that could plausibly exist. “So the trick is to sneak up on them and strike when they least expect to avoid their formidable attacks. Even so, it seems at the very least they’d be easy to track.”

“They used to be,” Stalwart continued. “In the olden days, before Unification, it was just a matter of following the obvious trail of dead trees and grass. Unfortunately, the nega-plants that remain have learned from their old mistakes. Now they’ve adapted to do things like follow droughts. They can make a bad problem worse without necessarily raising any kind of alarm that might attract their killers.”

“Very clever.”

“Yes it is.” Stalwart held his chin high in pride. He then pulled Blue’s arm tight against his chest while doing his best to rest his head on the mare’s shoulder. “Am I being too clingy?”

“I don’t mind. Do you?” Stealthily, Blue brushed her fingers down along Stalwart’s flank, barely missing his cutie mark.

“Traditionalist my hoof,” Stalwart playfully chided. “You’re just putting up an act to try and get lucky with the most beautiful stallion you’ve seen all night.”

“You’re not wrong on most parts,” giggled Blue. “Although you seem to have a very high opinion of yourself.”

“The impertinence!” Stalwart scoffed. “Now you really have to buy me something nice to make up for your rudeness.”

Blue laughed and rubbed his cheek to the stallion’s. “Okay, but only because you’re cute.”

“Damn straight I am,” Stalwart agreed haughtily. At his direction, the pair veered into a jewelry shop. Unfortunately, perusing the stock on display revealed nothing that the stallion really wanted. They tried a few more shops for various trinkets, knickknacks, and anything else that might catch his eye. Nothing.

“You’re as picky as the last stallion I dated,” Blue admonished sweetly as they departed the latest store.

“Oh? What was he like?”

“Short, cute, and very introverted. He also made it tricky to shop for him.”

“In defense of both of us, maybe we’re just content with the things we have and don’t really need more stuff.”

“Then how am I supposed to buy you a present to make up for my prior rudeness?”

“Excuse me. Maybe we can help.”

The pair turned around to see a group of five mares bunched together. All five were wearing open black faux-leather jackets, which they seemed to believe made them look – as Thomas might say – edgy. The one who’d spoken was the pink unicorn in front. She had a very self-satisfied smirk as she chewed on a toothpick, immediately setting off alarm bells for the shopping pair. The other four were arranged around the leader, projecting an aura of toughness which did little to conceal the smell of cheap alcohol on their breath.

“And who might you be?” Blue asked as she maneuvered herself between Stalwart and the ponies her brain had registered as a threat.

Stalwart wanted to say he could look out for himself, but bit his tongue. He was supposed to be the sweet, traditionalist stallion, after all. And a look shared with Blue affirmed that she wanted things to play out. It had probably been some time since she’d gotten to play the hero saving the damsel in distress, and her date wanted to help make this night special.

As such, Stalwart spied the undercover guards that were already closing in, and motioned them to back off. They didn’t look happy, and he couldn’t blame them. This was exactly the sort of encounter they were supposed to prevent. However, in accommodating Luna’s love of role-play, they’d at least stay in close range if anything actually happened. The unicorn guards were already casting subtle wards on the both of them against physical damage, surprise teleportation, and a variety of other threats that well exceeded what this bunch of thugs was likely capable of. By the time the guards had finished, Stalwart reckoned that if Blue were to be hit by a pony-sized boulder launched via catapult, it’d likely be deflected back to the sender, and possibly on fire, to say nothing of simple punches and low level spells.

Moonlight made a mental note that when this was all over; she needed to expand her magical vocabulary to include some of these top notch wards.

“The name’s Cinnamon Sugar, sweetie,” the lead mare answered. “And these here are my friends. Say ‘hi’ friends.”

“Hey there.” “How ya doin’?” “Pleasure.” “‘Sup.”

“Aren’t they sweet?” Cinnamon stated more than asked. “Anyway, we overheard how bored your stallion was, and were wondering if maybe he’d like to come with us. We’ve got some experience showing stallions like him a good time.”

“It’s like they’re reading from a book of clichés,” Stalwart whispered as quietly as he could, not wanting to break the illusion of helplessness.

Blue chuckled and nodded back. “That’s nice of you to offer, but my friend doesn’t appear interested.” If these thugs were playing out of some book of clichés, then she had no problem with following this story to its logical conclusion.

“Hold on there,” Cinnamon said as she stepped in Blue’s path. “Don’t go rushing off so quick.” She motioned for her subordinates to come around and surround the pair. Conveniently enough, this boxed them in so that the only place they could go was down a dead-end alley. “That’s not very friendly of you.” And the five thugs began closing in, herding the pair down the alley.

Stalwart pressed his face into Blue’s back as his body began to shake. No doubt the thugs thought he was shaking in fear. The truth was that he was trying to stifle his laughter. You idiots have no clue what you’re dealing with. As if answering her thoughts, she saw several undercover guards close in just behind the thugs. They were still attempting to keep a low profile, but if the thugs had even half a brain cell between them, all they would have needed to do was turn around and see just how outmatched they were.

“I don’t want any trouble,” Blue insisted, sounding like she was pleading.

“Hey now, don’t be like that. We don’t mean no trouble,” Cinnamon said in the least reassuring way possible. “Like I said, all we want is to show you guys a good time.” She looked around the alley. “In fact, this seems like as good a place as any.”

“Question!” Stalwart poked his head out from behind Blue. “Sorry, just something on my mind. Completely unrelated,” she explained to the confused mares. “But can any of you define ‘sanitary’ for me?”

All five thugs looked confused, the four in back looking to their leader for answers. “What does that have to do with anything?” she demanded irately.

“Okay. That answers my question,” said Stalwart as he retreated back behind Blue. A quick look around the alley left him feeling both dirty and offended that these wannabes likely intended to engage in illicit actions in such a foul place. “Carry on.”

Blue had to struggle to contain her snorting chuckles. It was wrong of her to be wanting this. If ‘Tia ever found out, she’d never hear the end of it. Luna actually shuddered just from imagining the lecture her elder sister would beat her down with. At the same time, it had been literal ages since she’d gotten to partake of a good old fashioned back alley scrap. “There was a time,” she began, “when ponies actually expected me to do things like break up bar fights.”

“What? You some kind o’ guard?” Cinnamon asked.

“Some kind, yes,” Blue replied with a dangerous grin. “This will be your last warning. Allow my friend and I to leave unmolested, and there will be no trouble.”

“Eep!” Stalwart couldn’t help it as the feminine sound escaped his lips. He spun around to see that one of the mares had snuck up behind him and given his rump a little pinch.

“Wow, you must work out,” the blue mare said. “That’s a really nice flank.” Strangely, her words weren’t condescending, taunting, or had any kind of overt impolite tone. Under different circumstances, Stalwart might have accepted what sounded like a genuine and otherwise harmless compliment. However, considering the context, Stalwart saw no harm in giving a measured response to this violation of personal space.

Horn glowing beneath the glamour, Stalwart cast his alter-ego’s trademark spell and conjured up a floating shield. “Thank you,” he said under his breath as the confused mare gawked in surprise at the shield. “But I think you should be taught some manners!”

*CRASH*

In less than a second, the floating shield had gone from stationary to 20 kph, bodily impacting the mare and sending her flying down the alleyway. The force was non-lethal, but the bruise that would inevitably follow would not be a pretty sight.

“You punk!” Cinnamon snapped.

“Same to you,” Blue shot back, conjuring for herself a pair of large metallic gauntlets and slipping her fists inside. “You were warned,” she reminded with a sadistic grin while assuming a battle stance.

“Get ‘em!” Cinnamon ordered and her three remaining subordinates charged.

The first thug went after Stalwart. She was a light green and had styled her mane in an odd spiral shape. She had the brilliant idea of countering Stalwart’s shield spell with the lid she’d swiped off a nearby trash can. When she used her magic to hurl it like a throwing disk, Stalwart gave a light flick with his shield, easily dislodging the lid from its wielder’s grip.

“Hey,” whined the green thug. “That’s supposed to work!”

Stalwart rolled his eyes. “That level of control would be pathetic for a blank flank. What’s your excuse?”

The green mare blinked like a deer caught in the headlights. “I… Most ponies just duck down or run away,” she admitted, her tone acknowledging her shame.

“I am so very sad for you,” Stalwart replied before administering a tap to her opponent’s head. She made a funny face and dropped. “That ended faster than expected.”

“Because you don’t know how to have fun,” chastised Blue. She was exchanging blows with the yellow thug, who’d matched her conjured gauntlets by wrapping errant pieces of metal around her fists. “If you were more disciplined, you’d know how to adjust,” she narrowly dodged her enemy’s strike, “yourself to your opponent’s level.” She jumped back, hopping from hoof-to-hoof while holding her gauntlets defensively.

“Oh, I think I see what you mean,” Stalwart acknowledged.

“That way the fight lasts much longer,” Blue agreed before lunging forward. Unfortunately, her opponent must have slipped on something because she lost her hoofing. Unable to dodge, she ended up falling straight into Blue’s metallic fist. At least Blue was able to realize what was happening in time to pull her punch enough not to break anything. Still, the yellow thug dropped limply to the mucky ground.

“Uh, boss,” began the brown and final subordinate. “I think we might be outclassed here.”

“Shut up,” Cinnamon hissed. “These losers just got lucky. There’s no way they can stand against our magic.”

“We probably can,” Stalwart called informatively.

“I said shut up!”

“No thank you.”

“Grr!” Cinnamon stomped her hoof to the ground like a foal throwing a tantrum.

“I should not have this much pity for my opponent,” Stalwart stated bluntly. “Now I just feel bad, like I’m fighting ponies without arms or something.”

“Just fire already!” Cinnamon demanded while her last standing subordinate nodded frightfully.

The brown mare’s spell activated first, leading to a notable drop in temperature as ice particles orbited around her horn. Stalwart and Blue shared unimpressed looks as the seconds ticked by. For a unicorn to so blatantly broadcast their intent in the middle of a fight, they must have a lot of confidence in the spell, as well as trust in any allies to protect them during the charge time. Given the abilities of the last three thugs, the former seemed unlikely. As for the latter…

Cinnamon was also charging her spell at the same time. Based on the rise in temperature and sparks crackling around her horn, it was probably some kind of fire spell.

“Okay, I think I’m done playing,” Stalwart grumbled as he picked up a piece of trash, tested its weight, and threw it at Cinnamon’s head. The mare lost focus on her spell, leading to an explosion of hot air – but no fire – just above her head. Both mares were knocked to the ground, dazed, but conscious.

“Aww,” whined Blue. “I wanted to see what would happen.”

“Nothing. Nothing would have happened. I’m pretty sure what I did was the only reason that anything happened at all.”

“You have no appreciation for the comedy of errors,” Blue dismissed. “Fire and ice spells cast so close together would not have simply canceled out. They’d combine in ways their castors clearly have no experience in.”

“So we’d be hit by hot water?”

“Or steam. A pair of competent unicorns could have created a blast of steam that could singe flesh.”

Stalwart thought on this. “So, given their lack of competence, I might have just saved their lives?”

“Possible,” Blue acknowledged. “But you most definitely stopped us from enjoying the train wreck of a spell gone wrong.”

Stalwart blinked. “I never knew you had such a bloodlust.”

Blue shrugged. “Don’t be like that. You were curious how they’d bungle things, too.”

“Whatever.” Stalwart rolled his eyes, although his tone sounded defeated. “Still, I think that was a satisfactory diversion.”

“Does that mean we can do our jobs, now?” asked one of the ponies who’d been waiting patiently just outside the alley.

“You may,” Blue allowed. At her signal, several undercover guards poured in, extracting cuffs and horn rings from their satchels as they detained the five assailants. In no time the well-practiced guards had everything in order to bring hand these hooligans over to the city guard for proper punishment: probably a few months of mandatory therapy sessions, community service, and maybe some vocational training for good measure.

Resuming their leisurely stroll, the pair couldn’t stop themselves from excitedly giggling.

“I had forgotten how much I missed this,” Blue chortled. She held her hands before her face and took delight in the way they shook. Even compared to her date, she was far too worked up after their recent excitement.

“I thought you fought all the time.”

“Threats in the shadows are few and far between as of late. A sign that those tasked with managing them have done well, certainly, but it does lead to a certain level of tedium. As for the monsters of nightmares, those fights just feel different.”

“How so?”

“Let me think. Hmm. Perhaps it is the context. A fight with a monster is almost always to the death. There is little room for leisure or enjoyment, as such cowardly abomination will take advantage of any distraction and attempt to flee. Not to mention that the waking world feels noticeably different, especially to a master of dream walking,” Blue explained in a manner that wasn’t quite humble. “Sparring in the waking world stimulates the body in a way that dreams simply cannot match.”

“Sort of like your other exercise?” Stalwart asked with a knowing grin.

“Verily! I must ask ‘Tia if she can make time to spar as we used to.”

“Aww. Should I be jealous that your first thought isn’t to get all sweaty grappling with me?”

Blue hip checked her date. “With all due respect-”

“Which my parents told me is basically a prelude for an insult,” Stalwart cut in.

“-I will need an opponent on my level to spar properly,” Blue continued smugly. “Were it you or the others, I fear our sessions would inevitably lead to grappling of the other sort.”

Stalwart chuckled. “I have no objections.”

Blue joined him in mirth as they walked down the streets.

They perused a few shops, discussing preferred fighting techniques as they searched for the stallion’s apology gift. After some time of Stalwart shooting down all of Blue’s suggestions without offering any better suggestions, the mare decided to wrap things up and buy a pair of boxing gloves. It was a little tricky for the sales pony to figure out the right size, but eventually the stallion got himself a promise that he’d indeed get to spar with his lovely date.

“This was fun,” Stalwart decided as he tested the snug feel of the gloves on his hands. “I’m glad we did this.”

“Likewise. Although, now I’m wondering if we can make regular arrangements for ill-prepared thugs to try and ‘crash the party,’” she said carefully.

Stalwart chuckled. “I can just imagine the mountain of paperwork. The Lt. would be hunting through every book ever written to find a rule against it. Then he’d go through every psyche profile with a fine comb and pick out every reason a pony would not be qualified to appease the Princess’ voyeurism by attacking her in the street.”

Blue gave a disappointed smile, but nodded her agreement. “Perhaps. Although, when you put it that way, I think I have a new order for our next trip to Fantastic Fantasies.”

“By the stars!” Stalwart face palmed. “I’m supposed to keep your urges in check. Not encourage them!”

Blue tittered and nosed at the stallion’s neck. “Would it make you feel better to fondle my teats again?”

“Hmm. Tempting, but I’ll wait ‘til we get back to the castle.”

Blue snorted. “Spoil sport.”

“That said, I should probably thank you for sharing this experience with me.”

“Anything in particular you enjoyed?”

“Well, I wasn’t lying when I said this was a new outlook on things. For the first time since I can remember, I actually felt uncomfortable in my body.”

Blue blinked quizzically.

“It was awkward at first, but I’d decided to make the commitment and stuck with it. And you know what? Playing the stallion was a refreshing change of pace,” Stalwart explained, his voice jubilant. “I feel a little bad admitting this, but I don’t think I’ve ever really empathized with stallions as stallions, if that makes sense. I never put too much thought into how different we were; how we see and are seen differently. I mean, it’s probably for the best that I’m not trying to discriminate, but I think I’ve learned a lot walking in another pony’s horse shoes.”

Blue beamed her approval. “As old as I am, it often feels as though I have an obligation to be a teacher for the youngsters. ‘Tia took to this like a duck to water, even altering her style of rule to be hands-off whenever possible and just giving ponies the means to reach the right decisions on their own. It is certainly an appealing mindset to nurture young minds and see them reap the benefits of my imparted wisdom.”

“So I’m your student now?”

“I’m your ruler. You trust in me to offer instruction that will guide you to the best possible outcome,” Blue informed. “In that light, there seems little difference.”

“I guess I can see that,” Stalwart allowed. “But still, thank you for this experience. It was fun, and I think I learned a little something about the world.”

“Happy to help, Stalwart.” Blue’s voice was deep and seductive as she leaned up and planted a kiss on the stallion’s cheek. “I had fun, too. Perhaps, could I see you again some time?”

It didn’t take a master level arcanist to figure out Blue’s meaning. Therefore, as he wasn’t a master level arcanist, Stalwart didn’t take very long to give an answer. “Sure.”

As I’ve mentioned, my goal with these pairings is to show the mares being friends with zero to minimum mention of Thomas. I didn’t quite meet that mark with this one, but I still liked how Moonlight and Luna got along overall. The clichéd fight with the thugs was as clichéd as they come, but it seemed fitting for a natural fighter like Moonlight, as well as a chance to show a new side of Luna.

Big thanks to my Patrons.
Tier 1: Magetsu
Tier 2: Nakey Jakey and Jonathan Applewhaite
Tier 3: kent