What happens when someone gets a hold of something that is well beyond their ability to truly understand it but still decide to make something new and amazing with it? Will it work as intended, or can it backfire and blow up in their faces with unintended results? Follow along with a group of friends who find out the answer in ...

     
     
     
     
     

     “Hey George,” Amy calls out to the ranch hand, “where’s Brian? He told us to meet him out here this afternoon.”

     “Hello there Miss Amy,” George greets her. “We’ve been told that when you and the others arrive you should go out to the birthing barn and wait outside. There’s a small pavilion setup for you all to sit under with refreshments. You’re the first to arrive.”

     “Sounds mysterious, got any idea what this is all about?”

     “I don’t know what Mister Caruthers has going on, so I can’t really say. All I know is that he’s got something to show you, and there’s an unmarked truck that arrived early this morning that Mister Caruthers met and went down to the barn with. He hasn’t been back up since.”

     “Thanks George. How’s the ranch running? The horses all behaving and getting along?”

     “Oh, you know how it is, the ranch is doing fine. The mares that foaled are being extra protective of their young un’s right now, but everyone’s being good. The studs are ignoring their progeny as usual. It’ll be a bit before it’s breeding time again so nobody is getting antsy.”

     “And what about Jenny? She doing okay?”

     “Your favorite girl is in good health,” George informs Amy with a smile. “She’ll be looking for that apple you’ve got in your pocket as soon as she sees you.”

     “Can’t slip anything past you,” Amy laughs. “I’ll let you get back to work George. Take care.”

     George smiles and waves as Amy starts off down the trail towards the barn he directed her to.

     Walking down the fence line Amy sees a big Shire out in the field and gives a whistle. The horse looks around and spies Amy by the fence and comes running up to greet her. Reaching the fence line the horse reaches over and blows in Amy’s hair which makes her laugh then lowers its head down to be scratched in a favorite spot under its chin.

     “Hello you big goof,” Amy greets the animal. “They taking good care of you girl?”

     The horse gently nudges Amy on the chest which is still strong enough to knock her back a step.

     “What? You want something from me? Greedy guts. You’re as bad as George, you can always tell. Here’s your treat then,” Amy tells the eagerly waiting equine as she pulls out the apple from her jacket and presents it.

     Jenny delicately takes the fruit out of Amy’s hand, her lips barely brushing against Amy’s skin, and quickly crunches the sweet offering between her large teeth. Finishing the apple off in mere seconds the horse cranes her head out to reach around Amy’s shoulder and pulls her in closer affectionately. Amy reaches up to wrap both arms around the powerful neck and returns the hug with a smile.

     “I love you too, Jenny. Now go on back to whatever it is you do. Brian has a surprise for us to see so I’ve got to get on down to the barn.”

     She gives the giant mare an affectionate pat on the neck and continues to walk down the tree shaded trail to her destination. When the barn comes into view between the trees she sees the pavilion George had mentioned off to the side with a small table with a cooler beside it. A large delivery style truck with no markings on it sits beside the barn. The vehicle is big enough that it could almost qualify as a small semi trailer. There is also someone already standing under the tent that she recognizes.

     “Alexa!” Amy calls out as she approaches. “You’re certainly looking cute today. Isn’t that a Gothic Lolita outfit?” she asks.

     The girl twirls the lace trimmed parasol that rests over her shoulder and grins at the compliment.

     “Yes, it is. I decided to really dress up for the big day, whatever it is.”

     “Well I’m not too terribly surprised with the whole web pattern and spider theme you’ve got going on there considering who’s wearing it,” Amy giggles. “The pig tails and bow in your hair are a nice touch.”

     “Thanks! The scarf I tied into the bow is real hand dyed spider silk!”

     “What else,” Amy theatrically rolls her eyes which gets the expected giggle in return.

     Amy takes a seat under the tent and opens the cooler to find several types of cold drinks on ice to select from. Selecting a bottled water she sits back to wait and chats with Alexa.

     “So, you usually manage find out what Brian is up to. Any idea what this is all about?”

     “Big Brother is trying to be very secretive with this whole thing. I just don’t have any clue what he’s up to today,” Alexandra says innocently, but she can’t keep a little smirk from showing.

     “Oh, so now it’s the whole sempai routine it is? Fine. Keep the secret then Alexa. I’ll find out soon enough. At least there’s someone else here as short as me.”

     “Almost,” Alexa teases. “I am an even four feet ten inches tall barefoot, and I’m wearing my two inch chunky heels today.”

     “Brat,” Amy says with a giggle. “What are you doing out here, by the way? Shouldn’t you be in school today seeing as how it’s a Friday?”

     The smile on Alexa’s face fades to a frown.

     “I’m trying to convince Big Brother to get me into home schooling, and he let me stay home today.”

     “Oh no. Are the kids bullying you again Alex?”

     The girl winces slightly at the more male sounding pronouncement of her name and she nods.

     “If it’s not the fact that I’m both black and Asian then it’s the whole adopted thing. That’s not too bad. I can handle those most of the time. But we got a new principal at school this year and he’s doing everything he can to out me and make my life hell.”

     “That’s not good. What did he do?”

     Alexa flops down on a seat next to Amy who pulls her seat up against Alexa’s and lets the girl lean her head on her shoulder.

     “I’ve been doing fine for two years using the girls’ bathrooms and lockers. My girl friends who know have helped keep things quiet and low-key and there’s been no problem. This jerk is making me use the single disabled toilet up by the office which is causing a problem in more than one way.

     “At first he tried to force me to use the boys but Brian threatened him with a lawsuit to put a stop to that at least. But now if I need to use the potty I have to run to the front of the school since it’s the only place I’m allowed to go and I’ve been late to a couple of classes or I’ve had an accident. Then there’s the fact I get in the way of the two real disabled kids in school when they have to use the bathroom which isn’t cool. At least they understand and are nice about it and I do everything I can to be quick or even help them if I can.

     “And to top it off, the butthead sent out a letter to all the parents explaining the situation. He didn’t actually name me, and was careful to not outright identify me, but with having to use the single loo and a few other things it didn’t take a lot for some of the kids to figure it out and I’ve been getting some real hate just because I’m transgender. I even lost a couple of people I thought were friends who didn’t know.”

     “Oh Alexa, I am so sorry,” Amy says soothingly as she pulls her into a hug. “That’s not right or fair. It would be so much nicer if there weren’t people like that to deal with. I hope things work out for the best, whatever route that has to take.”

     They continue to talk and about ten minutes later two of their other friends show up walking down the trail.

     “Peter, Susan, over here,” Amy calls out to get their attention.

     The two people change direction and take a more direct path through the grass to join the pair. Hugs are exchanged as they greet each other and everyone sits down to wait for Brian to come out or make his presence known.

     “What in the world could he have had delivered here in such a huge truck?” Peter wonders aloud.

     “No idea,” Susan replies.

     “I’ve been thinking the same thing, but Alexa is being close-lipped about it,” Amy says with a poke to the girl’s ribs. “That truck is big enough to hold three Shire’s in it at least, but it’s not an animal transport as far as I can tell. No air vents or openings.”

     “Good point. I guess we’ll just have to wait for Brian to make his grand entrance to find out.”

     A few minutes later the smaller wicket door opens and a woman wearing a lab coat steps through. Seeing the three friends sitting under the tent she raises her hand and calls to them.

     “You three must be Peter Amy and Susan. Please, everyone come closer. Brian is just about ready for you.”

     “Who are you?” Susan asks as they get up and move closer.

     “I’ll let Brian answer that in a moment. He has a rather big surprise for you and I don’t want to give anything away.”

     She points to a spot and smiles then goes back inside, closing the door. The four of them stop where indicated outside of the barn doors and wait for something to happen. A few minutes later they can hear the clip-clop of hooves from inside that sound like they are approaching the barn doors. The hoof steps stop just on the other side of the large double doors and a moment later both doors are pushed open from inside. The sight that greets them is astonishing and gets an audible gasp from all three.

     “What ...? That ...” Susan stutters, her eyes going big as saucers.

     “Holy hell, that’s not possible,” Peter blurts out.

     Alexandra bounces up and down on her toes doing her best to suppress her excitement as her eyes sparkle while she looks around at the awestruck expressions.

     Amy stares in rapt disbelief for a second before slowly taking several steps forward, her hand rising up hesitantly to touch the figure before them.

     “Brian, is that really you? Is this real?” Amy says quietly, her hand stopping short of actually making contact.

     Standing in the sunlight that shines down is a figure out of myth itself. It stands on four hooves with a tail that swishes lazily behind. Long, muscular legs support the body of a Shire horse with a well groomed chestnut coat. Long silky white hair, or feathers, adorns the hocks of all four legs. Brian’s torso from the abdomen in front and the small of the back from behind sits where the neck of the horse would rise up from the strong equine shoulders. His own legs are not visible; his body smoothly merges down into the form of the horse below.

     “Yes Amy, it’s me. And this is about as real as it can get. More or less,” Brian responds.

     A large horse fly buzzes in and lands on the equine flank. The hide shakes in an attempt to get the fly to depart, and when that fails the tail flicks around and swats the fly away.

     “You ... you’re ...” Amy tries to voice her disbelief.

     “Go on Amy, say it,” Brian prompts her.

     “You’re beautiful. You’re a centaur stal- ...” Amy cuts herself off.

     Looking closer Amy touches the side of the creature before her and runs her hand along the barrel of the body as she takes a closer look.

     “Wait. With these markings ...” she peers underneath towards the rear and gasps.

     “Oh good lord, it can’t be. I just saw her out in the field. These are Jenny’s markings and body. And I mean in every detail.”

     Amy backs up and looks up into the face above her.

     “Am I addressing Brian? Or is it Brianna I am talking to here?” she inquires with a gentle smile.

     “I didn’t want to make it completely obvious so I didn’t put on the full upper body appliance, but yes, I am effectively at this time a mare,” Brianna quietly confirms.

     Amy takes Brianna’s hand that is held out then wraps her arms the best she can around the human waist of the horse-girl and gives her a happy hug.

     “Isn’t it so cool! Big Sister gets to show off her surprise!” Alexa nearly shouts as the giggles of joy she has been holding in finally burst forth.

     “It’s good to see you out and about again, Brianna. We’ve missed you. Although this is just a bit of a shocker I must say. How in the world is this even possible?” Susan says as she comes forward too and takes Amy’s place to give Brianna another hug.

     “Can you really move that body? All of it?” Peter asks as he accepts a hug from their now mythological friend.

     “Yes. Everything is under my control,” Brianna happily states as she lifts each hoof individually to prance in place for a second. “I even swatted that dang horsefly before it got the idea to bite my butt.”

     Brianna carefully steps forwards out of the barn entry and leads her friends over to the pavilion where she takes a moment to kneel down on her forelegs then lowers her rear down so she is lying in the shade under the tent. Her head is now just slightly lower than most of her friends and she can look them in the eye without the three humans having to look up at her.

     “Come, sit, and I’ll explain,” she invites. Once the others have taken their seats again she continues.

     “First off, this is just a costume. All of me is still here on the inside. It’s just a very realistic and complicated costume. It took me all morning to get properly fitted for and outfitted in it.”

     “So this isn’t permanent then?” Susan wants to know.

     “No. I can wear this body all day long and into the night, and I can stay like this until early tomorrow morning. The costume will even take care of any, well, bathroom needs. It will process wastes just like a normal horse does and deposit them the same way. In fact, I will have to eat more than I usually would if I keep it on that long.

     “But, there is a time limit. I can’t keep it on for longer than twenty-three hours. While the internal power source is good for quite a lot longer, and is supplemented by an increased diet like I mentioned, I have to take it off before twenty-four hours for safety reasons.”

     “But if it took you all morning to get in to it, then how can you get out in time if you keep it on that long?” Amy asks.

     “The initial fitting is what took all that time. Now that my measurements have been input and I’ve got it custom fit to me, I can get in and out of it in about thirty minutes or so. Without help.”

     “So, your legs really are still in there somewhere along with the rest of you?”

     “Yes. My legs are down inside the forelegs. And you’ll notice there is just a bit of a bulge in front below my belly where the equine chest begins. That allows for my lower abdomen and such to fit in along with the necessary hookups.”

     “How can you control that body? You walked over here like any horse would then you laid down the same way a horse does,” Peter says.

     “There’s a microchip strip that is stuck against my back along my spine that has tiny little prongs that poke into my skin. It felt like an intense itch as they put it on. It picks up the electrical signals from my brain and intercepts all of the signals to my lower body and reroutes them into a micro computer inside the withers of the equine body. That computer translates the signals into commands for the horse part. It also takes all of the input from sensors in the body and translates them then sends them back up to my brain so I can move the body and feel what it feels.”

     “So can you still feel your human legs?”

     “Not really. Right now I feel four legs folded up underneath my barrel while I am lying on the ground. My human legs are positioned just right so my knees match up to the equine knees, and the lower legs are long and thick enough to effectively contain my feet before reaching the equine ankles. That’s why they used the Shire as the template for their Centaur, they needed something as big as possible to give it a large enough size to accommodate a human body inside.”

     “You mentioned an upper body appliance,” Susan says. “What is that for? Would it give you boobs? And how are you able to defecate like a horse?”

     “Yes, I have a nice pair of breasts sitting inside that I can put on as well,” Brianna giggles. “If they are anything like the rest of this then I’ll be able to feel exactly what it is like to have my own cleavage hanging from my chest. I’ll probably do that later before I take this off.”

     “And the other parts?” Susan prompts.

     “What took so long is part of the initial fitting was to mould a ... rather invasive, appliance to my genitals and rear. It’s like a body shaping stocking that goes around my hips and butt, between as well as down both legs to the toes. It includes a couple of indwelling catheters that have to get inserted in my urethra and anus so I don’t actually have control of waste elimination from my human body right now. It’s all being moved out and down into the horse body. When the reservoirs get full enough the computer will initiate an elimination cycle just like a horse would.”

     “So you’ll shit and piss wherever you’re at like a horse does?”

     “I’m afraid so. I’ll know it is happening and feel it like I’m relieving myself, but as I understand it I’ll only have minimal control over the function. I could probably hold it off for a few minutes or so to let it go in a more convenient location, but yes, I’ll drop it wherever I’m at.”

     Alexa scrunches up her nose, “Eww, that’s getting a bit too realistic, isn’t it?”

     “I suppose so. But it makes sense considering what I understand about the outfit and how it was made.”

     “Well don’t do it in the house if you go inside. I’m not going to clean that up.”

     “Tell us about that,” Amy speaks up. “How did they manage to create such a complex and beautiful device like this?”

     “I don’t know all the details of course, there’s a lot of secrecy involved here to protect their product. But they have developed the necessary mechanics and computer processing to create not just a centaur, but other exotic creatures from mythology too. From what I’ve officially been told they have broken the barrier to produce effective robotics and micro technology that is capable of performing the high level of computations to make this possible.”

     “They approached me about a year ago wanting to acquire samples of Shire DNA and measurements to work with for their testing and development. Apparently they had tried smaller size horses and found them to be inadequate to allow enough room inside the costume for the average human adult to fit.”

     “Wait, DNA?”

     “Yes. I’m not privy to why or how they use it, but apparently the internal workings of this body are part mechanical and part organic in nature. The body is powered by some type of battery or engine that maintains an ongoing reaction that is recharged through processing organic materials, or food. In fact, I’m starting to feel a little hungry. I’ll need to eat soon.”

     “What can you eat? Is it a special diet or formula of some type? Or can you eat anything?”

     “I’m still an omnivore for the most part, just like any human, but I need to eat, well, like a horse,” Brianna chuckles. “I have a second belly to fill in this thing now, and it’s based on a horse. That has altered what I want to eat a bit. I’m craving more fruits vegetables and grains and a whole lot less meats. In fact, thinking about eating a big juicy steak like I normally would enjoy just doesn’t interest me right now. Dairy is somewhere in between.”

     “Feel like trying some hay?” Peter jokes.

     “Honestly, yes,” Brianna answers in surprise. “I think I do.”

     Waving to get the attention of the woman from earlier, Brianna informs her that they need something to eat brought out. As the woman walks away out of earshot, Brianna lowers her voice some.

     “I’ve picked up little bits and pieces here and there by listening to them talk as I worked with them and especially today while I was getting setup to be Brianna the Centaur Mare.”

     “About that, I assume that something about this whole thing perked up your feminine side?” Amy tosses out.

     “It did. After the initial round of talks and tests were done and they started to talk about how they could make a costume for me and asked which horse I wanted to emulate I had some pretty direct questions for them. I found out that it didn’t matter if the horse that donated the DNA was a stallion or a mare as far as they were concerned, but the final form would depend on and copy the body of the animal that donated it. I wanted to know if they would have any trouble with turning me into a mare. That initiated a whole series of questions and tests to find out if the gender difference would be a problem and how it could be overcome if it was.

     “I don’t know how much of a problem it was in the end, but they worked it out successfully enough that I can be my true self and let Brianna out in the light of day. At least for a little while.”

     “Well I for one am glad that you’ve found an avenue to come out,” Amy states.

     She gets up and steps over to give Brianna another hug then sits down on the ground to lean up against her friend’s new, greater bulk. She lets her hand absent-mindedly run down the back of Brianna’s brown coat while the fingers of her other hand intertwine in and comb through the soft hairs of Brianna’s lower legs. Brianna closes her eyes in joy from the sensation of her friend gently petting her.

     “That feels so wonderful,” she states.

     “Oh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t even think and just started petting you like I would an animal. I shouldn’t have just assumed like that,” Amy apologizes as she stops her ministrations and sits up.

     “Aw, don’t stop,” Brianna almost whines. “I really liked that. Having a close friend feel comfortable enough to pet me is nice. Don’t go away.”

     Amy smiles and leans back in against Brianna and the playing with her feathers starts again.

     “You said they developed other creatures from mythology too, didn’t you?” Susan says to get back into the conversation again.

     “Mhm, they did,” Brianna coos with half closed eyelids.

     “You’re going to have to stop that if we are going to get anything more out of her Amy,” Peter chuckles.

     “Sorry guys,” Brianna blushes, opening her eyes fully. “I didn’t realize just how good that feels. I can’t wait to have someone take a couple of curry brushes to my coat, mane, and tail.”

     “Ooo, yes! That sounds like fun! I volunteer!” Alexa announces.

     Brianna nods and smiles at her younger sister, “Done. This afternoon sometime while everyone is busy.”

     “But yes, that’s why I called you three out here,” she turns back to the others. “Being the owner of the ranch they used to make their centaur costume from I worked a deal with them. It’s all going to benefit them in a big way anyways, but I got an exclusive deal for all of us out of this.

     “You know that big costume party coming up in a week out on the beach?”

     “You mean the annual Halloween costume ball that’s been put on for the last ten years? That one?”

     “That’s the one. They want to have their big reveal at the party. And they want to have several people in their costumes out there. Not just a bunch of centaurs either. They have five different bodies they want to present. You’ve seen the one I’m going to wear,” Brianna says as she waves to herself.

     “They also have four others mostly ready. They need some people to go through some trials and tests to verify their costumes will work as intended and then wear them at the big reveal in a week.”

     “Do you mean ...?” Susan whispers, almost afraid to say what seems to be in her heart.

     “How would you three like to become creatures out of myth brought to life?” Brianna asks them with a huge smile.

     Susan squeals in delight, her head nodding so hard her long hair is flung all over in disarray.

     “EEEEE!!! Please tell me one of them is a Mermaid! Please! Please! Please!” Susan manages to get out with a high pitched voice.

     Brianna laughs loudly at her friend’s giddy response.

     “Yes Susan, there is a fish tail waiting for you. I had a feeling you’d go straight for that one. How about you Peter, and Amy? Want to join in? There’s three more costumes that need finalizing.”

     “What are the others?” Peter inquires.

     “A Harpy, and a Naga,” Brianna answers looking at Amy.

     Amy’s eyes get big again at the mention of the Harpy and her hands stop moving.

     “A harpy? With wings?” she asks quietly to which Brianna slowly nods.

     “Can ... can it fly?” Amy says even quieter.

     “They think so,” Brianna gently responds. “That’s one of the things they need to test out.”

     “Well there’s no way I’m going to get in the way of Amy having a chance to realize her dream to fly one day,” Peter states. “She’s had enough disappointment with not being able to fly a plane due to her eyesight. I guess that leaves the Naga for me then. I assume you’re talking about a snake tail instead of legs, right?”

     Brianna nods, confirming Peter’s guess.

     “Might be interesting to slither around. I’m in,” he agrees.

     “I was pretty sure you all would say yes, but I wasn’t sure. I did tell the company to prepare the costumes for two women and one guy just in case though,” she smirks.

     “So Susan’s going to be a Merman then?” Peter asks innocently.

     Susan immediately directs an indignant scowl at Peter who laughs. Brianna also giggles and stops Susan from attacking Peter.

     “Oh come on Pete, I know these two well enough to tell them which body should be which gender. You’ll get your own pair of tits to go with that long green tail you’ll be wearing,” she teases.

     Brianna gently pushes Amy up off her side then carefully stands up.

     “Come on into the barn,” she says as she leads them up to the structure. “It’s been setup for the fittings and they’re waiting for you. I’ll warn you now, like I told you the form fitting bodysuit part is very form fitting. It’s a custom fit and will include having tubes inserted into your lower parts. I’m not sure, but there might even be something additional for the ladies to get inserted as well so don’t be too surprised or bashful. Part of the team here are actual doctors to help take care of these things.”

     “What about Jun,” Amy asks Brianna as they are walking. “Why isn’t she here? Didn’t you call her too?”

     “I did. She couldn’t make it out today due to having to cover an extra shift at the hospital. But I didn’t forget her. You may recall that I said they’ve got five costumes they want to present at the party. Jun’s is set aside for her to come out and get setup when she can make it during the week.”

     Alexa’s smile fades a little.

     “What is her costume?” Peter asks.

     “I’m not going to spoil it, but I’m pretty sure you can figure it out knowing who it is that it’s been made for,” Brianna tells them with a grin.

     “Ohhh, is she going-” Susan starts but Brianna quickly cuts her off.

     “No, don’t say it out loud. Let it be a surprise, even if just a little one. Besides, you might be wrong,” Brianna teases.

     Entering the barn three people in lab coats approach the group along with the woman they had first seen.

     “These three are doctors and will be assisting you with getting your costumes setup and fitted,” The woman instructs them. “Please go with them and don’t be worried or embarrassed with what they ask you to do. We will keep everything as professional as we can.”

     The three friends are greeted by name and led off in separate directions by the individual who approaches each one leaving Brianna and Alexandra behind.

     “Don’t be too surprised if there is a shriek or two coming up,” Brianna tells the woman who stays with them.

     “We’ll handle it,” she says with a chuckle. “Ready to get the final pieces of your costume in place and working?”

     “Yes Alice, I am,” Brianna responds with gleeful anticipation.

     Alexa follows them slowly and stops at the entrance of the room, her smile gone.

     The two women continue into the stall where Brianna climbed into her new body, and then Alice goes to the small table at one side and retrieves the upper body portion of the costume. Brianna steps up beside an elevated platform so Alice can be at the right height and waits as the woman climbs up the few steps and approaches. Taking the body form she spreads the opening in the back and fits it onto Brianna’s chest, wrapping it around her torso under the armpits then while holding it in place with one hand takes the shoulder straps and pulls them over top of Brianna’s shoulders.

     “Hold this in place,” she instructs so Brianna grabs both breasts with her hands and firmly presses them against her chest.

     Alice steps to the side a bit so she can see around to the back and smoothes the appliance down so the ends all meet together along Brianna’s spine. Using the flat of her hands she holds it down for a minute until it begins to adhere on its own. The fake flesh of the appliance is a tan human-like shade that does not really match any known shade of skin. As the seam line disappears, the ends seemingly melting together, the color of the device changes until it is a perfect match for Brianna’s own skin tone and the edges flatten or spread out until it is indistinguishable from Brianna’s own body. Letting go of the breasts in her hands Brianna can feel their weight pulling down on her chest as if they are her own. When she gently brushes a hand over them she can feel her hand slide over the outside and feels as well as sees the nipples stiffen from the feather light touch.

     “Amazing. If I didn’t just watch you put this on me, I’d swear they were my own natural breasts,” she exclaims quietly.

     “Well let’s get you properly covered,” Alice says as she holds out a simple length of dark brown cloth.

     Taking the garment Brianna locates the middle of the length and places that behind her neck so the cloth hangs down evenly on both sides in front. Crossing the ends overtop of her chest she spreads the cloth out to cover each breast fully then wraps the far ends around behind herself where Alice ties them together to hold it in place. Stepping down from the platform Alice picks up two brown colored items that match the color of the coat on Brianna’s equine portions and returns to stand on the platform beside Brianna.

     “This is going to feel strange as I place them and will cut off your hearing for a moment or two, then sounds should return. Things might sound a bit louder at first until they settle in and you get used to them.”

     Brianna moves her hair and holds it out away from her ear as Alice inserts a small plug looking button into her ear canal and fits the longer, semi pointed brown item over top of her normal ear. Brianna turns her head and a moment later the second one is in place as well. The devices leave her ears looking much more equine than human and Brianna is pinching her nose and working her jaw as if she is trying to pop her ears like she is on a plane that is doing a fast descent. A shriek of indignation suddenly emanates from somewhere else in the barn and Brianna’s new ears swivel to better catch the sounds.

     “Whoah, now that was a strange sensation,” she says. “And definitely sounded louder than I am used to as well.”

     “I am speaking in a normal voice Brianna, how do I sound to you?” Alice asks.

     “Oh! There they go moving again,” Brianna exclaims and jerks her head slightly at the sensation. “A bit loud compared to before you put them on. Even my own voice seems louder.”

     “That’s going to be normal. Your ears are more cup shaped now and can trap the sound better. We think you should get used to it fairly quickly. If not then we’ll see about doing something to soften the volume level a bit.”

     “I think I can get used to it. I’ll give it a little bit before I start complaining and see if I adjust. I think I’ll go outside where there’s fewer walls for sounds to echo off of. That should help.”

     Alexandra, having been forgotten, goes to the small tack room and gathers up a couple of horse brushes and a comb then follows her older sibling outside. She starts to brush out Brianna’s coat without saying anything at first. Brianna smiles and closes her eyes as she enjoys the sensations she is getting from the stiff bristles being rubbed over her sides and back.

     “Big sister,” Alexa says quietly. “You said that there are only five costumes, and Jun is going to get one later since she is not here today. Do I not get to have a costume too?”

     The brushing has stopped and Alexa stands by Brianna’s flank with her hand resting unmoving against the equine hip. Brianna turns her torso and looks back to see a dejected frown on her little sister.

     “I’m sorry Alexa, no you don’t.”

     “But, why Bree? Did I do something wrong?” Alexa pleads looking up at her sister, a single tear streak on her cheek.

     Brianna carefully lies down in the grass.

     “Come here, little one,” she says reaching back to take the girls hand and gently pulling her forward.

     Alexa allows herself to be moved and a moment later she is held in the loving and warm embrace of Brianna’s arms.

     “Don’t ever think that you did something wrong. Not like this. I would never withhold something this big when everyone else gets to participate. There are two reasons, and neither one is your fault in any way.

     “The first one is legal. Because of certain developments with how these costumes have been created and how they are having to be custom fit to the individual wearers, the company has decided to restrict the age of their special reveal to twenty-one or older only. You’re only sixteen and even with my special guardian status I can’t make them give you an exception on that.

     “The other reason is there was a problem. We tried to put a costume together for you, really tried. It was being specially developed just for you and your favorite love, but they ran into several issues with it. It became too difficult for them to try and fix or work around the problems so they had to scrap it.”

     “You tried to make me a spider costume?”

     “Yes we did. A Spider-taur like me in fact.”

     “You mean I would be a Drider?” Alexa corrects her without looking up.

     “Yes, that’s it. You even know the arachnoid specialist they hired I think. Gwen Stacy.”

     A small nod confirms Brianna’s guess. She gently pushes her sister away and lifts up on her chin with a finger.

     “It’s not fair, I know. They tried so hard to make it work that there’s no time to make a different one now. It’s too late. I really wanted you to be part of this with us. This hurts me as much as it hurts you.”

     Alexandra finally lets her feeling out and bursts into tears. Turning away she runs back towards the house, dropping her parasol in the dirt and leaving it behind.

     Heaving her bulk up onto all four hooves, Brianna goes over and retrieves the item then comes back to collect the brushes and comb as well.

     “Dammit,” she softly says as she looks in the direction her distraught sister went. “I don’t know how, but I’ll find some way to make this up to you.”