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It took several weeks before the wizard found his composure around Jon-Tom. One day he politely knocked at his door. "Come in," the spell singer replied, not looking up from his fingerings on the daur. The wizard popped his head in. "My boy, I do hate to disturb you, but I am expecting guests in the near future. I am unclear of the exact reason, but there will be two in the company. The one is a colleague of mine, Waliwal. He is accompanying someone of the Capell family, but the reason was not stated. I was hoping that you might be willing to entertain this person once they get here. Jon-Tom stopped strumming and looked up. "Sure. Since I'm stuck here in this world, I figure I might as well learn more about it. Another person to talk to with a fresh perspective will be a welcome change."

Their arrival a few days later was anything but welcome. Jon-Tom was back to practicing on his instrument so the yelling didn't sink into his brain right away. When it did, it was combined with the bellows of Clothahump. He dropped his duar and sprang out his open door, down the stairs and out into the yard. There was the old turtle, his short arms holding up a much abused looking ferret. Standing with them, looking ever so concerned, was the smallest horse he had ever seen. It wasn't a pony, for in color and shape it reminded him most of a Clydesdale. But his real attention was on the ferret.

That it was just that was only evidenced by the peculiar markings on its face. Much of its fur from the neck down was scorched and dark. The sight of it gave him a shudder. It was all too reminiscent of a golden eagle he had recently encountered. The turtle yelled at him. "Don't stand there gawking, help me get him inside!" The ferret was very much larger than one from his home world, but it still weighed next to nothing for him. He picked it up out of the wizard's grasp and glided through the door with his load. He followed Clothahump to his work room, and laid the damaged mammal on a couch. "Thank you my boy! But for now, I must ask that you please leave us. I need to find out what happened. He needs immediate magical attention and I need no distractions!" With that he gently shoved Jon-Tom out and latched the door.

The spell-singer was wondering what he should do when he heard crying coming from the foyer. The horse! He quickly returned to where they had left her. She was standing half in the door, looking bewildered. The approached her. He assumed "her" because of the pitch of the crying. "Hello. My name is Jon-Tom. I live here with the wizard. Can I offer you something to eat or drink?" It was lame and he knew it, but he had been caught off guard by their abrupt and unexpected arrival. She sniffed a little and looked at him straight in the eyes. "I will not eat, drink or sleep until I know that Waliwal will live." He took in a deep breath. "If anyone can help your friend, Clothahump can." She measured up his words. "He had better. If he cannot help him, than our trip here has been for nothing."

Jon-Tom was lost. While even the old turtle had been at a loss for their visit, the spell singer was even more so. Then it dawned on him a line from a favorite fictional story. Data, data, data! I cannot make bricks without clay! He was useless until he found out more information about this horse. For starters, why was she so small? But he had emotionally evolved over the past year or so, and knew better than to ask that outright. He would have to start with something more subtle.

"It may be a while before we find out anything about your friend. Might I suggest either retiring to my room, or perhaps take a walk outside? The weather is refreshing and the sound of the Bellwoods relaxing." She looked like she was prepared to bite his head off, insomuch as a herbivore would be capable of doing so, but apparently changed her mind. "I just walked for four days. But I believe you are right. Some fresh air might be preferable to sitting indoors, even in such an peculiar house as this." The two walked out into the yard again. "Well human. You a familiar with these woods whereas I am not. You pick a direction and I will follow." She wasn't quite icy in her speech, but she was very reserved. He could tell she placed trust in certain people, and unless she trusted you completely, she was very wary.

Jon-Tom knew a place that might help. It was a little meadow not far away. He liked it because there was a boulder there that was suitable for sitting, especially to someone wanting peace when they played their instrument. It also helped that the place was filled with flowers, not the least of which were pinked tinged ones he remembered from home. They walked in silence; he leading the way, she following close behind, her eyes never leaving him. When they broke through the trees and into his haven, she froze in her tracks. "Is, is, is, is, is that...?" He smiled. "Yes. This whole meadow is abloom with clover at the moment. I love to come here and just sit. The aroma reminds of home." She still stood motionless. Finally she shook her head, sending her mane flying in all directions at once.

"Smell it?" She was actually drooling. "One does not merely smell this delicacy. One partakes of it." Jon-Tom hid a smile. "I guess I am not equipped to truly appreciate the full wonder of this plant. It's too bad that you won't eat right now. It's at the height of its glory!" Without waiting for a reply, he walking over to his rock and sat down. She was quick to follow. "Are you saying that you give me permission to eat your clover?" "Yes I am, though I don't consider it to be mine. It just is. I happen to derive some small pleasure from it. The pleasure is magnified ten fold if I have the chance to share it with a friend." That was all it took. Her willpower had eroded to nothing. She was soon eating and rolling to her heart's content. Jon-Tom sat on his rock, smiling internally. He would never had said it, but it was a funny scene. They way she had spoken belied her age, insofar as making it certain that she was an adult. But her size and present frolicking made her look like a foal.

She ate until she was close to bursting and then waddled over to him. Her face betrayed two emotions,. The first was joy. The second was distress, like a child who has eaten too much candy. "Thank you Jon-Tom. This was lovely. Perhaps you can show me to my stall now, for I believe I have over indulged of this wonderful food." He got up without a word and led them back to the tree. "I am afraid that this place has no accommodations for four-legged folk. It would be my honor if you would consent to the use of my room. That is, if you can navigate stairs." She was a bit queasy, and the thought of steps made her stomach do a flip. But she was not going to be difficult. "I think I can do it. But I had better relieve myself first. Once there I don't think I'm going to move for a while." She hastened outside, returning in a moment. "Please show me your room."

The stairs proved difficult but she managed. Had she been larger it might not have worked. Once in his room he offered his bed, but she declined. "I will be fine standing to rest. I normally waken easily, so if you get news of Waliwal, please inform me immediately." Jon-Tom started to go, but decided that he really did wish to know more. "I am sorry to bother you, but would you mind answering a few questions before I go. "Certainly, if I can." "Well for starters, might I inquire as to your name?" She looked mildly horrified. "I am so sorry. I've gotten so flustered I have forgotten all my manners. My name is Lorissa." "Lorissa" he repeated. He liked the sound of it. "Well Lorissa, might I inquire what happened to your friend to have caused him so much harm?" "That is a terrible thing, and I am not prepared to talk about it. The facts will come out, but for now let me say that it was all my fault." With that he wisely chose to quit his nosiness and leave.

With his room occupied, he had little he could do but wait for the wizard to emerge. He got the surprise of his life when the old turtle came out much sooner then he expected. The old hard-shell looked grave but relieved. "That was a close one. A back-fired spell can kill the unwary. It appears he recognized there was some danger in what he was doing, for he ducked out of the way of the rebound, but only just barely." Jon-Tom was curious. "What was it he was trying to do?" The turtle shook his head. "I have no idea. Whatever it was, he should never have attempted it outside of his workshop." Jon-Tom nodded, deep in thought. "It must have had something to do with Lorissa." "Lorissa? Who is Lorissa?" The spell-singer suddenly came to the realization that she and the wizard had not met properly. "Lorissa is the horse who arrived with Waliwal."

The wizard's eyes grew large. "Yes, I nearly forgot. Was she harmed in any way?" Jon-Tom calmed him down. "She is fine. We went for a walk, she ate and is now resting in my room." "My boy, thank you. It seems my choice for you as a companion was well founded. When you speak with her again tell her he will be fine, but he cannot move for several weeks." The spell singer nodded silently, but added one last thing. "Lorissa says it was her fault he got hurt. She didn't say why."

A while later he returned to his room. He politely knocked on the door. There was no answer. He cracked the door just a little. She was standing in place, for all purposes awake. But he knew a little better than that. She was still asleep. He hated to wake her, but felt she would appreciate the news on Waliwal. He cleared his voice rather loudly.  She started, blinked, and about fell over on her side. She looked up at him sharply, then remembered where she was and relaxed. "What is it Jon-Tom? News?" "Yes. Clothahump says your friend will be fine, but it will be weeks before he can travel." She let out a sigh of relief. "I am so glad. He should never have tried to..." She caught herself before she said more.

He looked at her, full of sympathy. He had heard of terrible backfires that had occurred when performing magic. He was curious what this wizard had been attempting, to end up with such serious results. "I don't mean to pry, but it is rather important to know what was going on when the accident happened. All I was told was that two people were coming here, but no reason. It is rather alarming to have one of our guests arrive so severely injured. Would you please enlighten me as to the circumstances behind your visit?" She looked uncomfortable.

"I am the source of all of these problems. If it weren't for me, there would have been no traveling, no accident. Sometimes I wish I had never been born!" He protested strongly. "I think that you are being too harsh on yourself. Might I beg your indulgence in telling me your story from the beginning? Perhaps a different perspective on your situation might prove helpful." She looked at him, appraising his request. She was good with discerning fakirs from the real thing, and this human seemed genuine enough. She sighed and began. "I suppose that it hasn't escaped your notice that my stature is less than imposing." He nodded, but politely refrained from remarking on it. "My sire and dam are both of normal size. When I was born, I too was of normal size, for a colt at least. But I failed to grow properly. My family called in the finest physicians, but they all declared that I was healthy. They could find no reason for my stalled growth. It was only just recently that the cause was discovered."

Jon-Tom waited eagerly for the rest of the story.  "After spending a small fortune on doctors, my parents finally opted to employ their wizard. It is he that now recovers. Waliwal made a determination that the cause was a spell, placed on me when only a few days old. He also determined, through trial and error, that it was impossible to remove, except by whomever cast it. It forms a shell like a second hide, containing my growth and rebuffing any counter spell thrown at it. Waliwal was trying one last time to remove it before he handed my case over to your wizard. As you see, it failed miserably."

The price of pride, he thought to himself. No one liked being stumped. But it nearly cost him his life. "So I suppose your case comes up before Clothahump now. If there is a way of figuring it out, he has the best chance at it. He has been around a long time, and likely has invoked about every spell imaginable. He might just have the answer to your problems."

He was wrong. Clothahump examined her in every way possible. He tested the limits of the spell, only to have every counter-spell backfire. It was a good thing he could retreat into his shell, for the outside of it was darkened with blotches of black. He spent several days searching through ancient tomes, attempting arcane spells, and trying outlandish potions. Not a single one worked. After a week, during which Waliwal made several appearances, Clothahump gave up. "I am so sorry my dear, but whoever laid this spell upon you knew what they were doing. Waliwal is as good as any wizard when it comes to matters like this, and he  nearly killed himself trying to remove it. I will continue to study my texts, but for now there is absolutely nothing I can do."

Jon-Tom took that moment to interrupt "Can I ask if you know how the spell works?" The old turtle looked at him, worry in his eyes. "My boy, I know what you are thinking. Your magic might be proof against this spell, but you could easily end up dead. Please drive the idea from your mind." The spell singer proved defiant, glaring at the wizard unblinking. The turtle caved in first. "Oh all right. Since you are likely going to tackle this regardless of my warning, I will tell you what I know. The spell is like a lock. It has restricted her growth and maturity, keeping her at an  in-between stage. It can only be unlocked by someone who knows the key. The key must fit perfectly or the spell will remain in place. Whoever laid it also included a nasty deflection element to it, the results of which you have seen." 

"So I'll be careful. If you can't help her, then there is no reason for her to remain here. Therefore, I will accompany her back to her home. What happens to me will not affect you in the least. If I happen to incinerate myself, no one will blame you. But I have faith where you don't. If nothing else, I will see her home safely, no better and no worse than when she started." The turtle let out a heavy sigh and turned on his heels. He stopped in the doorway and turned to the young human. "I cannot stop you, but please, for my sake, try not to get yourself killed. I would rather miss having you around." With that, he disappeared into his workroom.

Jon-Tom gathered his necessary belongings. His staff, his duar, his cape, some food and his regular clothes were sufficient for this trip. He explained to Lorissa that he would accompany her back, and that the ferret would come when he was able to travel.  They set off one fine day, the sun shining and the birds singing. A general feeling of unease that clung like cobwebs was the only detraction. The young horse knew nothing of Jon-Tom's plans, though to be honest, neither did he. He wanted to help, but had not yet found a way. They had several days of traveling, and if he came up with nothing, then so be it.

She was far from a chatterbox, but she did ask intelligent, informed questions. She reminded him of a nephew of his who had taken sick. After spending so much time in hospitals he was quite familiar with their workings and was well informed in everything pertinent to his condition. He became very good at asking tough questions. She was no different. "Jon-Tom, are you paired?" He was a little put off by the question. "Are you asking if I am married?" She seemed to whinny a little laugh. "Horses do not marry, as you call it. We pair. If a bond is meant to last, then it lasts as long as both partners live. If there is friction or incompatibility, then the pairing is broken and the two seek solitude or other partners. This is rare, because great care is taken in matching a stallion with a mare." He thought over his answer before giving it. Truth had a way of solving many problems, and this was no exception.

"Lorissa, I have a complicated life. I am in love with several females." She looked at him, waiting to see if there was some joke intended in his words. It was apparent there was none. "I see. I am not sure how to take that. Being lucky enough to love one's partner is a rare privilege. Loving more than one seems almost vulgar." He took no offense. Logically speaking she was correct. Still, he was a bit terse in his explanation. "I cannot help what happened. If it provides you with better understanding, know that my relationships are very difficult for me to discuss. I would prefer to have only one of them, not all three, but each case has proven impossible, or at least highly improbable."

She shook her head, her mane flashing in the sunlight. "We are more sensible. An arranged marriage avoids such problems." He looked her square in the eye. "So, are you in an arranged marriage?" She back away, looking horrified by the question. "No. I should already have a colt of my own by now, but this spell has kept me from achieving the continuation of my line. I am a horrible little freak. Even if a stallion would have me, it would be out of pity. I cannot breed, for I remain physically immature in that respect. I cannot even enjoy the recreational aspects, for a stallion would tear me open like a warrior with a sword." She looked at Jon-Tom with a brave face, but suddenly broke down in what was unmistakably tears.

He was quick to try to console her. He had no idea what to say, so said nothing. He just stopped and put his arms around her neck and gave her a hug. It seemed to be the right thing to do, for she leaned into his embrace. She regained her composure a few minutes later and sniffed away her tears. "I'm sorry about that. You see, I have no life to look forward to. To make it worse, someone did this to me and I don't even know why. Chances are good I will die like this, never amounting to anything more than a freakish wonder for others to talk about." Jon-Tom got rather angry. "I can't say much about your condition or how you should deal with it, but you are certainly no freak. You are rather lovely in your present state. I adore your color and the white spot on your forehead is very fetching. While I'm sure you would rather be normal, I think that you should make the best of your present situation."

She was torn between accepting his assessment and telling him what he could do with it. He said it with such earnest that she felt he was speaking from the heart. He wasn't wrong, not quite anyway. She was healthy. In fact she never came to harm because of the spell, though she had put it down to luck before the nature of her problem had been revealed. The spell deflected any harm thrown at her. She had never even been bitten by a fly or stung by a wasp. And her looks were rather pretty. But they suited a yearling, not a mature horse of four years. She amended that; a mentally mature horse of four years. Rather than dwell on something she couldn't change, she commented on his seeming approval of her looks. "So human, you like the way I look? I'll have you know that my colors come from both sides of my family. The deep chestnut color is diluted from the original sire, whose color is said to have been pure black. He too carried a white spot on his forehead, it is also said, and those who carry it, carry it proudly."

He looked at her approvingly. "That sounds better. I know it's hard to have a cheery outlook when things seem stacked against you. I'm not even from this world. I was torn from mine by the wizard I reside with. It was for a good cause, but now I'm stuck here, which is no bad thing. But I still miss home." She looked up at him, again thinking he was just telling a story to make her feel better. The look on his face proved he was being truthful. He actually did, for a brief moment, look rather sad. "I'm sorry Jon-Tom. I had no idea. I get wrapped up in my own problems that I sometimes forget that others have theirs too. At least I have my family close to me. You don't even have that."

"I suppose that's true, but I have made some great friends here. And a few loves. It's awkward but I wouldn't have missed it for anything." She considered that. "Can I pry and ask about your loves?" I know nothing of human conventions." His face contorted and he started crying. She was about to apologize for being rude when she realized that he was convulsed in laughter. It took a while for him to calm down enough to explain. "Lorissa, I am in love with a tigress. A huge, ferocious, lovely, wonderful svelte feline that is unlike anyone I have ever met. I also happen to have fallen in love with an eagle, with golden feathers and sharpest beak and claws. There is a human in the mix, but she won't give me the time of day."

Her jaw dropped, showing a mouthful of perfect white equine teeth. "You're not lying, are you?" "No. I have no reason to lie. I will tell you the truth about anything you ask. But be careful. People don't always like the truth." She appraised his words carefully. "So then, Jon-Tom. Tell me truthfully. Would you consider teaching me the joys of mating? It seems to me you have the necessary experience and likely the right size not to damage my poor body, if you get my meaning." Ouch, he thought to himself. That was a direct and forward question. He had sex with an equine once. Well OK, a unicorn and it was really his first love Roseroar, but it amounted to the same. She was a bit larger than Lorissa and it had been a little tricky but not impossible. Lorissa's stature brought her rear on the same level as his crotch. His body recognized where his thoughts were going and responded. He wasn't going to jump into this that quickly though.

"I might. But it will cost you." She immediately took offense. "What kind of mare do you think I am to pay for something any male would die for!" He held up his hand to stop her protest. "Don't get yourself riled up over nothing. What I want is more information about you. For one thing, I don't consider myself so cavalier as to take a lady's offer without giving her the respect of getting to know her. Even if we spend only a few days together I would not like thinking I was spending it with a stranger. As of the moment, I still know very little about you or where you're from."

As he spoke, she mentally was trying to crawl into her skin from embarrassment. She had become extremely short tempered over the past year, with pokes and prods, both physically and verbally from doctors, wizards and unkind relatives. She had assumed the worse. Her head hung low. "I'm sorry Jon-Tom. I thought you meant something else.  I would be happy to tell you whatever you want to know in exchange for your services." It was his turn to glare. "My services, as you so politely put it, are given freely. All of them. The reason I want more information is two fold. One, because I am genuinely interested in learning about you. However, the second reason will remain mine for a while longer."

They stopped under a copse of trees with green grass around the edges. Jon-Tom had packed food for the journey, but its presence was not openly apparent. She remarked on it. "I have this lovely grass to eat, but what about you? I don't know the human way, but I have never heard of them eating grass." He laughed, thinking of the other "grass" he used to partake of. "I have plenty of food with me. There is no need to worry about my stomach." She though he was being polite, but the rumble in her belly overrode her immediate concerns. She trotted off to get her fill. When she returned, he was chewing on a piece of jerky. She wrinkled her nose at him. "You meat eaters!" He grinned at her. "Don't knock it until you've tried it!" "No thank you, all the same. I will stick to greens and grains as  nature was intended." He teased her a little. "I'll have you know that I eat plenty of greens, just not the same kind as you. I happen to enjoy carrots and apples and..." "Mmmmmm, apples!" she cried. "I haven't had one in forever. They are not yet in season and our winter supply ran out long ago. I do so miss them."

Jon-Tom had judged that one horse was a lot like another, whether on his world or on this one. He opened the secret compartment in his cloak and found what he was looking for, a big red apple. "You're right Lorissa, apples are good. They're one of my favorite fruits." She was listening to him, but her eyes were on the apple. He put it up to his mouth, stopped, a grin spreading across his face. With a flick of his wrist the red orb sailed in an arc towards her head. She grabbed it out of the air with her teeth. She tried talking, but her words were garbled. He knew what she was asking. "Yes, you can have it. I brought it specifically for you to enjoy." Enjoy wasn't quite the right word. She had it down in no time. "Oh that hit the spot! Thank you so much!" He smiled from ear to ear. "It was my pleasure."

She settled down next to him. "You want to know more about me? I hardly know where to start. Could you prompt me with a few questions so I see what you're looking for?" "Sure. For starters, tell me why someone would place a spell on you?" That wasn't a question she had prepared for. "Jon-Tom, I have no idea why anyone would harm me in this way." He shook his head. "Might I remind you that you have never come to harm because of this spell. It has inconvenienced you, but by your own admission you have never actually been hurt in any way. So allow us to look at what it has done. You cannot physically mature enough to breed. Therefore, whoever placed the spell wished you no direct personal harm. Their intent was to keep you from maturing." He mulled this over and then looked up at her sharply. "What happens if you don't have a foal?"

She was startled by the question. "Uh. Well, I am the only child of Morgath and Kioplef, of the clan of Capell.  Our line represents the leading clan. While the analogy isn't precise, you could say that we are the rulers. In truth we merely make suggestions in regards to matters of importance, such as disputes and commerce. As the sole offspring it is up to me to continue the family line. If I can't foal, then the line passes to another offshoot." He thought it over, trying to get the nuances. There had to be a lot more that he wasn't being told, but it seemed that there might be enough. "Who gets to claim the leadership role if you family loses it?" "That's easy! Mother's cousin Raffough's line is the next closest to ours. He would assume the role father was granted by my grandfather. It has been in our clan since its inception. It would be the first time it has left the clan Capell since the beginning."

As she was talking, the importance of his question was beginning to sink in. Someone had sabotaged their family to ruin the line. Why no one had ever considered this possibility was beyond her reckoning. But he was talking again. "It seems to me that someone was trying to protect you with the spell they placed. It was perhaps a compromise between an evil force and someone not wishing you any harm. It would have worked out for both parties. The real questions are; who wants your line extinguished and who laid the spell on you? It seems to me that this cousin is a good culprit, seeing as he would have the most to gain from your family line ending. That leaves whoever placed the spell. You say that Waliwal claims the spell was placed when you were only a few days old?" She nodded. "How long has Waliwal been with your family?" She jumped to her feet. "Waliwal is a faithful servant of our family and beyond reproach." "I did not accuse him. I asked you a question. All you need to do is answer it." She looked like the apple had turned sour in her stomach. "He has been with the family since before I was born. He has been a friend to me my entire life. Do not denigrate him lightly."

"I have no intention of doing so. But I must have information if I am to break this spell." She looked at him like he was crazy. "You heard your wizard! The only person who can do that is the person who placed it on me. Waliwal nearly died on his last attempt to remove it. How did the turtle say it? It's a lock that needs a specific key to undo it." Jon-Tom smiled smugly. "I have learned a few tricks from a friend of mine. One thing he excels at is picking locks. Something tells me I only need to determine how the lock works." She snorted. "You would have to be a wizard to accomplish that!" He leveled his head and looked her in the eyes. "I am a wizard;  a spell-singer." She did a double take. He had told her that, but because he had never displayed his magic, she had forgotten. He heart raced and she got a lump in her throat.

"Are you saying that you can remove this spell?" He should his head noncommittally. "I think that I have different magic than my mentor, and a different perspective on the problem. I can't say for certain, but I intend to try." She gazed at him for a long moment. "If you don't mind, could you show me your magic?" He figured that was going to come up sooner or later. "Sure. What should I do?" A second ago she had plenty of ideas on the tip of her tongue; now they had fled. "Whatever you like, I suppose." was all she could muster.

He pulled his duar out of his cape, a trick in its own right. She gasped a little and wasn't satisfied with his explanation until she stuck her head into the opening. "You did this magic?" He had to admit that he had not. "A friend of mine did this for me. She felt she needed to repay me for something I did for her." She caught the tone in his voice and looked slyly at him. "One of your loves?"

He pursed his lip, stifling a smile. "No, just a happy bed mate!" She very nearly looked shocked, but then she too had to grin. "You know human, you seem to be a lady's man. Was this friend of yours human?" "No, not quite. She was an orangutan." "I see, " she said, "so you do spend some time with those sharing similar ancestry. That's nice to know." He had been baited plenty times in the past, so her comment fell flat.

They turned the conversation back to his magic, though he had the feeling there were going to be many detours before the night was through. He strummed the strings, trying to think of what he wanted to show her. Better keep it simple. He would need to muster all his skills later if he was going to succeed in breaking the spell. He thought a quick set of lyrics and strummed a tune. His song was short but produced just what he was aiming for. Her jaw dropped again at the sight of a whole basket of oversized, shiny red fruits. "Oh my goodness! Those are the most delicious looking apples I have ever seen. May I have one?" He swept his arm indicating she was free to partake, but he added a warning. "I would recommend you don't try eating them in one sitting." They were large enough that she had to chew each one up before swallowing. She wisely stopped at three.

"Those were wonderful. And you needed no tree to grow them. I am sorry that I failed to realize your power. I have been so caught up in my own life I don't pay the respect to others that they deserve."  He shrugged. "That's alright. I am often overlooked. Sometimes it's due to my age, and at others because I am human. There is an upside to it. People often underestimate what I can do. I have learned to use it to my advantage." This brought the conversation back to breaking the spell. "I am unsure about that. You see, I still need to figure out how to pick the lock, so to speak. I need some way of undoing it, without undoing me." She agreed that was a wise sentiment. "I would not have another hurt on my account."

He was in support of that!. "I have been turning this whole thing over in my mind, but I haven't been able to grasp it enough for it to make complete sense. Sometimes the solution will appear, but not this time." He strummed the strings of his duar with some aggravation. The sound was discordant and harsh, just like his present mood. She winced, laying her ears flat against her skull. "I hate to be critical, but if you can manage some music on that thing without making magic, perhaps that would prove better than torturing it...and my hearing." He started a retort, but it dawned on him that she was correct. Music always did sooth him. Now if he just had some of his old "special" grass to go along with it...

He played around a short while, trying to find songs that would help. He gave up. His mind drifted to Lorissa. She was a horse. What about horse songs? They weren't a popular subject in Rock and Roll. But there were a few. America had a couple that might suit her. Chestnut Mare might require some ad-lib to the lyrics, but he could manage. A Horse with No Name might need a little explaining,  His fingers danced across the strings, bringing forth sounds she had never heard.. The duar always produced a greater range of sound than was physically possible. Its range of notes, and it simulation of other instruments was amazing. She quickly became engrossed in his singing. He mixed in other songs as he dredged his memory for anything remotely equine. His brain brought him back around to The Last Unicorn, also by America.

As he sang, the area in which they were sitting gradually began glowing with its own light. He failed to notice because he was concentrating on the song. Lorissa noticed the change, but had no experience with such things. She tried to get his attention, but it wasn't until the song was finished did he finally open them. When he did, what he said wasn't very reassuring. "Oh shit!" At once the light concentrated into a brilliant flash. Both were blinded. When they were able to see properly the area was back to normal. Well, not exactly. His vision was screwed up, because a point of light kept dancing in his vision. It could have been a gneechee except you couldn't see them dead on. He stared at it, trying to clear it from his retinas. It kept dancing. Then it shot straight at his face, winking out of his vision.

Lorissa was shaking. "Jon-Tom, what did you just do?" He was a little unnerved himself. "I'm not sure. I was just singing old songs from my home world.  I wasn't trying to do magic!" But in his heart he knew he was still worrying about fixing her problem. Could he have inadvertently done something? She was still the same, and a quick pat down found all his parts were in working order. He took a chance and relaxed. He leaned down and gave the little mare a hug. "I'm sorry. Magic has a tendency to pop up when I least expect it." His nose filled with her scent. His brain told him she smelled like a horse, but another part of him spoke volumes. Female!

She started to reply. The look on his face halted her mid-word. "What is it Jon-Tom?" He roused like a sleeper coming out of  a dream. He waggled his head, trying to clear his mind. "No problem. I got a little thrown off for a moment." Her look was all curiosity. "What threw you off?" He was still trying to clear his head. "You did." This clarification did nothing to answer her question. Before she could press the matter further, he leaned down again and kissed her on the forehead, right over her mark. She could feel the heat of his breath penetrate her hair. The spot began to tingle. So did her loins. All at once her legs got wobbly. "Jon-Tom what are you doing to me?" He stepped back. "Nothing I'm aware of. You still look the same." But inside she was feeling something unfamiliar.

The same thing was happening to him. But unlike her, he was familiar with it. It was hormones. He was itchy. Horny. He had been willing, if hesitant, to engage in sex with her before, but now he wanted it. It was strange. It must have had something to do with the songs he had sung. Now when he looked at her it was a more intense feeling than he had yet felt towards her. A glance in her direction showed she was similarly in turmoil. Well, he had said he would consider showing her the joys of mating. He had intended for them to have a relaxed, civil time of it. With both of them under this apparent chemical overload it was bound to get crazy. He was getting so hot that his shirt was starting to cling due to perspiration. He pulled off his cape and shirt and flung it aside.

His boots and pants were next. The cool air did nothing to assuage the heat building within him. As he turned around, Lorissa got a good look at him. He was stark naked. Not one to wear clothing herself, this should have been no big deal. But what struck her most was his maleness. It was rather obvious in its engorged state. True, stallions carried more in that department, but then they were many times bigger and heavier than a human. In an instant all she wanted was to have that inside her. She whinnied it out, he lips trembling. "Jon-Tom, please?!" He was in position in a moment. His demeanor had changed from his normally polite self, for he roughly pushed her down onto her front knees, leaving her rump in the air. For some reason this didn't bother her. She felt his hand slide along her hip, lifting her tail. She instinctively held it up, the long hairs quivering. His hand parted her private area in a way no one had ever done.

For his part, he felt an such a powerful urge to have sex with her that even in his present unbalanced state he knew it had to be caused by his magic. But she was willing to be a  partner, both before as well as now. He pushed her front down, leaving her butt up in the air. It was just the right height, but he instinctively knew that it was likely the most stable position for what was to come. He moved his hands to her hips, and slid one hand to her cunt. His fingers parted the dark external skin to reveal her pink glistening hole. She was obviously sexually excited, for her natural lubrication dripped out in a tiny rivulet. He worked a couple of fingers inside, causing her to squirm and whinny. He would have continued with a little foreplay except that he felt the overwhelming urge to mate. He positioned himself directly behind her and pushed in. She was hot and tight. He pushed in stiffly, spreading tissue for the first time in her life. He was surprised that there had been no maidenhead, but chalked it up to doctors. They likely poked her everywhere, even here.

She gasped a little as she felt his cock slide into her depths. It shot sensations throughout her body, feelings she had never felt before. He pushed in deeper and deeper until she could feel his groin against her rear. He then started ramming her with increasing speed. She knew enough to realize that he was going to cum soon, for stallions rarely lasted longer than a minute. But as time passed, he never lost energy or stamina. Her knees were beginning to hurt when he finally erupted inside her. She could feel his spasms through her taught cunt wall. When he pulled out she was going to stand and save her knees from the rough ground. Before she could she felt him press once more against her backside, but higher. In an instant he had pushed into her ass! She wanted to protest, but she relaxed and it felt so good she stood stock still.

He went to work reaming her ass like it was a matter of life or death. She was glad it was a pleasurable experience. At the rate he was going she would likely be hurting in the morning. It took only a few minutes and he blew again. Without  pulling out, he stood behind her, panting heavily and leaning forward with his full weight. She could feel  that he was still hard, an amazing thing for a horse. But then, he wasn't a horse. Her knees were starting to smart, and she reluctantly mentioned it to him. He pulled his cock out and grabbed her hips, jerking her backwards. She pushed with her front legs to a standing position. Before she could regain her composure, she felt him slide back into her cunt. There seemed to be no stopping him.

Jon-Tom was acting more like an animal than he ever had. It felt good, but it bothered him that he was behaving with more abandon than he should. He just couldn't help it. It was like he had another set of feelings overlaying his. Luckily, she seemed to be caught up as well, for he was sure that otherwise she might have taken offense at his actions. By the third round, he was working away like a madman. As he pumped her, he could feel her cunt tightening around him. The longer he screwed her, the harder it got to move. All at once she cried out. "Jon-Tom! You're beginning to hurt me!" He opened his eyes (he hadn't paid attention to the fact they were closed) and looked at her. She had her head turned towards him, looking both erotically stimulated and alarmed at the same time.

He fought his own animalistic desires and tried pulling out.  He was in tight. Looking down he gaped and let his jaw drop. From the portion not stuck inside her, he could see the skin of his cock had turned black. He placed his hands against her rump and pushed back. He started to slide out an inch at a time. Every inch thus exposed was black, as was each succeeding portion. And it kept coming. When he finally withdrew completely, he had thrice as much length as when he began. He heard her let out a sigh, though if it was from relief or from losing him inside her, he couldn't tell. He was too preoccupied with examining his modified physique. She wobbled on her feet and turned. It was her turn for her jaw to drop.

"Jon-Tom what happened to you? You went from human to, well - that!" He was busy grasping the size of his newest problem. He had a horse cock. While it might have been a teenage dream, in reality, it was a huge inconvenience. It had just interrupted a perfectly enjoyable mating session. He shook his head to clear it. Mating session? Where had that come from. They were just having sex. But he was staring at his newly enlarged cock. It was still growing. The sight of it was making him dizzy and nauseous. Or maybe that was something else. His hands and feet were feeling strange. His whole body was following suit. Light began spilling out from his skin. It was soon so bright that Lorissia could no longer see him. It enveloped him entirely.  Then suddenly it flashed blindingly.

She tried to clear her vision, but it was so dark outside now that it seemed to take forever. As she focused, she found that he was nowhere to be seen. "Jon-Tom? Where are you?" She heard a groan coming from the ground. All she could discern was a vague dark outline, far too large to be the human. It shifted and stood, towering over her.  "Wow! What the hell just happened?" The voice was far too low to be Jon-Tom. Besides, she knew a horse when she saw one, even in the dark. "Uh. Jon-Tom. What happened to you?" He walked forward, vaguely aware of four feet instead of two.  He tried clearing his head again, only to have a mane full of hair fly in front of his face. Mentally he sighed. This was going to be tough to extricate himself from. After all, he needed his instrument, and this form had no fingers.

"That's a good question Lorissa. I seem to have spelled myself into a horse." As he walked closer to her, she gasped. "Your not just a horse!" He looked down and saw hooves. It was dark, but even so they looked black. As did his front legs. If he wasn't a horse, then what was he? She answered that for him. "Jon-Tom, you have turned yourself into a unicorn!" The awe in her voice was distinct. "Do you realize that the forefather of the clan Capell was a unicorn? That's why some of us have this white spot on our forehead. It's the last remnant of the unicorn's horn, diluted by the passing of many generations." He was still trying to come to grips with his transformation. Roseroar had turned into a unicorn, but she had the ability to revert to her natural form. He mentally shrugged and turned to his companion.

"I'll have to believe you on that point. I couldn't see a horn with my eyes in this position." She was gazing at him like he was a rock star. "Jon-Tom, do you know how rare members of the unicorn clan are?" He whinnied, then caught himself. "Yes, I rather guess that they are few and far between. I've only ever met one true one." She looked at him oddly. "What do you mean by that?" He sighed. It came out as another whinny. "I met one on one of my adventures. He wasn't going to be helping the unicorn population any. He was gay." She stared at him, unbelieving. But then she remembered that he said he didn't lie. So she approached the other aspect of his story that bothered her. "What did you mean by "true" one? There is no such thing as a fake unicorn!" He looked down at himself and then to her. "What do you call this?" She was taken aback by that, but pushed forward with her question. "Perhaps you're right, but who else did you know that was a unicorn in form?"

Questions, questions, questions. He was tried of answering questions. She was female and he was male and... He looked down at her and recognized that there was an immense problem. She was now too small to accompany his increased...bulk. His blood was still hot and it made thinking difficult. But he would try to answer her questions. "My first love could change form. She turned into a unicorn once." Lorissa jabbed him with another query. "Did you mate with her while she was in that form?" "Yes, yes, yes. We made love. And when I got tired she touched me with her horn and I recovered for more. If she hadn't restored my strength I would have collapsed." She asked another question, but he didn't hear it.

Her horn had been magic. That meant that his horn was magic. And it was restorative. He had an idea. Perhaps his magic had been on the right track all along. "Lorissa, no more questions! I have an idea. If I'm right, than I have the solution to your problem." Her eyes lit up. "Do you really think so?" He nodded. "Yes I do, but I need to ponder this a little bit longer. I hate to be rude, but can I ask you to move downwind from me? I keep smelling your scent, and it keeps driving this body over the edge. I am aware that you can't take what this form would like to give you, but I am having a tough time keeping it under control." She got his meaning and did as she was told. It was nearly an hour later when he approached her.

"I think I have this figured out, from front to back. It needs testing, and if that goes well than I must ask two things of you." She jumped at his offer. "Jon-Tom, I'll do anything you say." "Be careful what you promise. "Anything" is a broad term." "I said it and I meant it. Whatever you ask of me, I will do. That is, if you can remove this spell and restore my life." He did his best to smile. Thick horse lips parted, exposing white teeth. "I'm not the smartest being, but I think my plan will do more than that." He leaned forward and carefully placed the tip of his horn against her forehead, right on her white mark.

She felt it start burning like when he had kissed it in human form. The feeling spread, but it was far from sexual. Soon she felt as though her skin was rippling. It then eased up and vanished as he removed his horn. He looked satisfied. "Lorissa, I can remove the spell. It's actually not that difficult. But I'm not going to do it now. You'll have to wait until we get you home. Then you'll have to pair up and produce a foal." She was a mixed bundle of conflicting emotions. She had agreed to do anything, but why was he dictating her future life?" He figured she would question his judgment. "It's simple really. I will remove the spell in the presence of witnesses. Then there will be no claim of substitution. You must realize that you will look different in your full-sized body. As for your pairing, you must understand that you will need a partner, and a foal will be necessary to continue the clan lineage.

He had reduced the situation down to its simplest elements. It was completely logical, assuming that there was actually some remaining subterfuge in place against her future life. She could but agree with him. "Yes, I suppose that makes sense. But understand that I may not necessarily be happy with your plan. But it has been the most hope anyone has given me yet, so I will do as you say." He nodded. Now it was a matter of reaching her town. It was only a short ways off, for a unicorn. Before they left, Jon-Tom had to figure out what to do with his clothes, his instrument and his staff. With difficulty he slid them into the cape, closing the magic opening. He pawed the ground near a large rock and buried it. He was hardly in the shape to wear any of it. They then headed for their destination.

Their arrival was greeted with a cessation of all formal activities in the community. Not only was Lorissa back, and unchanged, but she was accompanied by the most formidable looking unicorn they could imagine and not the wizard. Jon-Tom said nothing. He just shadowed the mare, staring intently at the crowd. It was filled with equines; horses, donkeys, burros, mules and even a few zebras. Filling in the spaces between them were other citizens of the two legged variety. He watched them all, looking for anyone who might not be pleased she was back. All of them looked jubilant at her return.

They made their way to her house. It was a large, elaborate stable as suited its occupants. Lorissa pushed her way in and ran to her parents. Her father was an impressive looking stallion, large, but smaller than Jon-Tom's present form. He carried the white dot on his forehead, just like his daughter. Her mother was a lovely chestnut mare, graceful in shape with lovely forelocks. He found his body reacting and pushed down the feeling before it did something embarrassing. This unicorn body seemed to find any equine female attractive. The couple were overjoyed at the return of their daughter, but were full of curiosity. There was the missing wizard, and of course an explanation was needed for Jon-Tom. He left the details up to her. He stayed out of the conversation entirely. When it came time to explain his presence she faltered. She had no wish to lie, but she was uncertain how her sire and dam would react if they knew he was really a human. For that matter, a human she had willingly coupled with.

Her sire saved her from the task. He walked up to Jon-Tom. The awe he felt was very much palpable. "Sir, might I inquire as to your name? Jon-Tom hesitated before answering. If he returned to being human, he would have to use his common name, the one by which most folks knew him. "I have many names, but you may call me Merriweather." The stallion misunderstood him. His eyes grew wide. "But that cannot be! Merry Withers was my great, great, great, great, great grand sire!" He backed up and tripped, unceremoniously dumping himself upon the floor. Lorissa's dam looked alarmed, and for that matter, so did she. He had no idea his name would have such an effect.

The young mare came up to him and whispered in his ear. "What are you doing? You cannot use his name like this. Even if you do seem to resemble him as he is depicted in the old stories, it is improper to make sport of our clan's great ancestor." He was both amused and confused by the fuss being made. When he spoke, he spoke to the three, in a loud clear voice. "If you are accusing me of lying, then I believe it is time for me to leave. I never say anything that's not true. If you misheard me, then perhaps you had better have your ears examined." He turned and headed out the door. Lorissa ran ahead of him and blocked the way. "You cannot leave me like this! You promised to break the spell!' Her mother heard her plea. "Dear sir, please accept our apologies, " she cried, staring at her mate, daring him to disagree. He wisely said nothing. "We did not mean to accuse you of any impropriety. You just took us by surprise. We have never heard of anyone answering your description in these parts for generations. You see, our clan was started by a unicorn a long time ago." She moved to a tapestry hanging on one wall. "Please come and look." He moved over and examined it, viewing the fine detail. There in the middle was a rampant black unicorn. Its white horn stood out like a blazing light.

It then dawned on him that he had yet to see himself in his new form. "Might I ask for a mirror so that I can compare and judge for myself?" Lorissa drew him to the side wall that was her dam's dressing area. There was a large floor length mirror. He stood there admiring his form, appalled at the idea that he might never change back. But he was an identical copy of the unicorn on the tapestry. His pearly white horn was lovely and wickedly sharp. He shook himself, watching his mane spread and settle again. Merry Withers indeed!

Jon-Tom turned to the three of them. "Lorissa is correct. I did promise to break her spell. But that will not solve the entire problem. In exchange for returning her to her normal self, she has promised to pair and produce a foal. This will keep your family line intact." The stallion and mare exchanged glances. "There is no one suitable at present for her to pair with. Matches are not lightly made." He whinnied in irritation. "I was not asking you to find her a match. That has already been done. She must pair and produce an heir. Only then will this matter be brought out of its present difficulty. She will have an heir whose claim to follow in the family hoof-steps will never be questioned." Lorissa looked surprised. He had never mentioned having a mate picked out for her.

Jon-Tom left the three to catch up on the exceptional news. When they were ready, he planned on breaking the spell in the public square, with as much of the population present as possible. He wanted her transformation to be witnessed by everyone. He took to exploring the city. His presence caused a stir, for many had not heard of his remarkable presence. Here and there were signs marked with a black unicorn. One of them was a tavern. It had a rampant unicorn, all black, but with two horns. One was on its head and the other was lower, if you get my meaning. The sign proclaimed the place The Merry Stallion. Jon-Tom chuckled to himself and pushed his way inside. The owner came running forward, babbling incoherently. He then did the sensible thing of dropping down in a dead faint.

Jon-Tom looked at the animal sourly. So much fuss! The thing was unfamiliar to him, but for some reason his mind dredged up "linsang". He leaned down and touched his horn to the limp animal. It stirred and woke. When it saw him it nearly went into a paroxysm of fits. He locked its eyes with his. It calmed down like it had been dosed with narcotics. As the effect wore off, the linsang bowed to Jon-Tom, still jittery but more or less in control of his faculties. "Oh great sir, what do I owe this great honor of having such a great sir as yourself in my humble establishment?" The spell-singer figured he might as well take the proprietor up on his hospitality.  "I want two things. Your best beer, one for me and one for you. After that, I would like some information." "Oh. Yes, yes. Coning right up." In no time there were two beers. The linsang's was in a small wooden cup. Jon-Tom's was in a bucket. "What would his grace wish to speak to me about?"

The spell-singer gave his most severe gaze to the little mammal. "What I am about to ask you, you shall answer truthfully and to the best of your knowledge." "Oh yes sir, whatever you ask!" "I assume that many of the important locals are entertained here in your  tavern." He was rewarded with an affirmative nod.  "Of them all, who are the most untrustworthy?" The brought a frown. "Would the good sir have someone specific in mind? There are varying levels of trust." "Would the name  Raffough mean anything to you?" The proprietor nodded. "Yes sir. Raffough is not a regular customer here, but I know him well enough. He has the tendency to get drunk when he does show up. I have never been disrespectful enough to have him thrown out, but he has had the cost of an escort home put on his tab when necessary."

"Would you consider him trustworthy?" The linsang thought for a moment. "Yes, I guess I would. He has never caused any real trouble. His family line is an offshoot from the clan Capell. He has wealth and sufficient power. If he has a problem, it may be his mate." Jon-Tom motioned for him to continue. "Well, you see, he complains about her when he gets drunk. He says that she always wants more of this and that, whether it's money, oats, carrots, or power. He seems content with his lot in life, but he suffers from her demands." His unicorn brain turned that around a few times. "What do you know of the wizard Waliwal?" The proprietor jumped at the name. "Waliwal? He is a good friend of mine. He's not a drinker. He will occasional show up to perform simple tricks to entertain the crowd. He has the trust of the Capell clan and has been young Lorissa's companion since her birth. Why do you ask about him?" Jon-Tom sternly rebuked him. "My reasons are my own, and you will not discuss them with anyone. Are there any other wizards in this town?" "Why yes sir, there are. But they are both newly arrived." He thought this over. He seemed to be hitting a dead end.

"Were there any others here four years ago besides Waliwal." The linsang nodded. "Yes there was. Potea. She worked for one of the other clan families." "She?" Jon-Tom though it over. Mihandra was female, and quite talented. "Tell me about her." "Well, there isn't much to tell. She never came into my place. Some said she was stuck-up; others said she was arrogant. I never met her so its all hearsay. Her brother rarely spoke of her, especially after she vanished." Now that was interesting. A wizard that disappeared. "When did this happen?" "Oh, about four years ago." "About the time Lorissa was born?" "Yes, probably." Jon-tom though on it a little longer. "You say she had a brother? Where might I find him?" The linsang shrugged a little. "Where does one usually find wizards? The last I knew he was accompanying Lorissa on a journey. Waliwal is probably at the Capell house as we speak."  Jon-Tom thanked the proprietor, downed his bucket of beer and walked out into the street.

The matter was either making more sense, or he was getting distracted by his intake of beer. He focused on his horn and activated its healing properties. The soft buzz the beer had created in him was gone. But his head was no clearer. Or was it? Parts of it made sense, that is if he wasn't jumping to conclusions. He headed to the Capell house. He met the reunited family. "It's time. Make sure to gather plenty of witnesses." There was no difficulty with that, as many had followed the unicorn through the streets.

He called Lorissa to the front, directing her to turn and face him. She did as she was told, quivering with expectation. He lowered his horn and leaned into her head, the tip pushing painfully into her white mark. He willed  his horn to  action. His magic entered her like a virus, infecting the spell and breaking it up. As before when he had tested his hypothesis, she felt as though her skin was alive and writhing. To the crowd, it looked like she was doing just that. Her body was bulging and constricting, contorting as the spell was destroyed from within. Her eyes grew wild, her pupils alternately constricting and dilating. Her legs gave out, but instead of collapsing, she seemed held in place by the black unicorn's horn. As the spell lost its grip, she went more limp. Soon it looked as though there was a connection between their bodies. His horn seemed embedded in her forehead.

She finally eased to the floor. He withdrew his horn, pulling along with it a string of white. After nearly eight inches his horn separated, leaving behind a spiral of pure alabaster. She was in a daze. So was the crowd. There was much murmuring at the wonder that had just seen. But then Lorissa's body began to grow. Her legs lengthened, her ribs expanded, her head enlarged, her tail and mane grew twice as long. She stood on wobbly legs like a newborn. The crowd cheered in unison. Her dam and sire both wept tears of happiness. But the most amazing thing was the perfect unicorn spire emerging from her skull. The mark of the clan of Capell had grown to new heights.

Jon-Tom powered up his horn again, giving himself an aura of familiarity. While it didn't make him invisible, it made those within his proximity think he was someone they knew, so they paid him little mind. He wasn't sure how he knew to do this. He slipped through the crowd and to the outskirts of the city. From there he kicked in his fastest speed. He made it back to the tree in a few hours. Clothahump was nonplussed by the sudden appearance of this unknown black unicorn. Jon-Tom's voice in this form was equally disguised. All he said was that he had been sent to bring Waliwal back. The old turtle was going to argue, citing concern for his injuries. For his part, the little ferret was in awe of his prospective mount. But one touch of the unicorn's horn restored his health, right down to his burned fur. He had no excuse not to travel.

The two made the trip back with good speed, having stopped a short distance from the tree for a quick talk. Jon-Tom was satisfied with story the wizard told him. It jived with the facts such as he knew them. They returned to the house of Capell later that day. The wizard ferret was quiet, having been humbled by a force greater than he. The rest of the house was in an uproar over the unicorn's unannounced departure and return. He quieted them. "I come and go as I please. If you have complaint with my actions..." He left the question hang. No one did. Lorissa's sire came forward. "We do not wish to be ungrateful. We only wished to thank you for your kindness. You left us with many unanswered questions. We did not know if you were going to return." Jon-Tom snorted. "As you can see, I am here. Now, with the spell broken, I thought that the cause of it should be exposed. Isn't that right Waliwal?" The poor ferret looked miserable. He walked up to Lorissa, who stood several feet higher than before "I am sorry. I did what I could." He broke down crying.

The spell-singer snorted and took over the telling the story. "Waliwal did not place the spell on you. His sister did. He didn't catch it before it could be undone. If he hadn't tweaked it, you would have died. He modified in such a way as to redirect its purpose from killing you to inhibiting your growth. If you think about it, it was a good plan on such short notice. He also figured that once you didn't die, there would be other attempts on your life. Therefore he built in the protective deflection spell component." She looked befuddled. "If that is true, then why did he try to undo it? He nearly killed himself." The wizard found his voice. "I could not bear the shame of having someone discovering my handiwork. If I died from the back blast, I would have been spared the humiliation."

Jon-Tom growled out. "It was a stupid thing to do. Clothahump failed to ascertain who put the spell on because there were two involved. It made sense to me that it was you, but I couldn't understand why you would protect the one who placed the original spell. I guess family ties are pretty strong." That brought forth more surprise. "Potea? Why should she wish harm to my foal," cried Lorissa's dam. "She didn't. Not really. But people do things that they later regret. She vanished not long afterward. Isn't that right Waliwal?" He nodded silently. "You see, he couldn't afford to allow her to try her magic again. He had to stop her. He tried talking to her, but she was too stubborn to listen. They had a battle of wills. The winner stands before us." Lorissa exclaimed, "You killed your own sister?!" Jon-Tom snorted. "He's not the type." He lowered his head and stabbed the ferret in the head. Everyone in the room gasped. He jerked his head down, tearing the wizard in half.

Standing there were two ferrets. At first glance they looked identical. But it quickly became obvious that one was male and the other female.  The latter looked bewildered. She made as if to run, but decided the better of it. She knelt before the black unicorn. "I am sorry for what I have done. I was offered a position of power and great wealth if I placed the spell. I was too young and inexperienced. I shamed myself and my family. I place myself before you for punishment." Jon-Tom placed his horn against her chest. "I will ask you one question. Your answer will decide your punishment. Are you truly sorry for the harm to tried to cause?" Her answer was immediate. "Yes I am." He thrust his horn into her body. When he pulled it out, there was no blood. "You speak the truth. I think being stuck within your brother's body has been punishment enough." He turned to Waliwal. "You are either the bravest wizard I have met, or the most stupid. Either way, you have done remarkable things. May you serve the clan Capell until the end of your days." His sister spoke. "You mean I am free, just like that?" Jon-Tom whipped around to face her. "Yes, just like that. But you will find that life will not be so simple. I have split you from the spell your brother foolishly placed to contain you, but I have left your powers within him. You will never be a wizard again."

Jon-Tom walked away. Lorissa followed in his wake. She was now a beautiful, well-proportioned unicorn mare. "Jon-Tom..." He whipped around. "Not that name while I occupy this shape. Use Merry Withers if you have to call me something." She looked abashed. "Merry, I want to thank you for releasing me. I realize that I'm pushing matters, but what about the pairing you said I must partner in? My sire and dam would like to make a formal announcement. It is traditional for the clans to gather for such an occasion." He sighed. "Yes, I suppose that's acceptable. It will bring out the last person that needs to be plucked from this pretty little problem. Tell your folks to make arrangements for a gathering of the clans. I will make the announcement myself." She turned to go, then turned back. "I want to thank you for the improved mark. A horn is the ultimate symbol of the Capell clan. To wear it is a great honor!"  He was tempted to say something, but simply nodded.

The gathering was planned and held the next day. Jon-Tom had the little wizard sit on his back for a full view of the room. "I need you to be my eyes. When you spot them, give me a nudge. I wish to watch for any signs of deceit." Morgath and Kioplef stood before the gathered crowd. Lorissa was off to the side, awaiting the announcement. Her sire thanked the crowd for coming, and blathered on for a few minutes spouting niceties. He finally got to the meat of the matter. "As you all are aware, our daughter has suffered from a deformity of the most unusual kind. It has been determined to be the result of magic. We had foregone hope of countering it. Our faithful wizard Waliwal nearly died trying. But we have been graced with help unforeseen. Allow me to present Lorissa, my lovely daughter."

As she came forward, the gasps were audible. For those familiar with her these past years, the change was, well, magical. She was indeed lovely, but the horn she sported in the middle of her head was extraordinary.  The assembly was in an uproar. At the same time a tug on his mane told him that the ones he wanted were in view. As everyone cheered, one horse watched the proceedings with ears flattened. His hunch had been more or less correct. But that could wait. Morgath was coming to the part about her upcoming pairing. Jon-Tom walked out of the shadows and stood next to the proud stallion. For those who had not yet seen him, their first impression was overwhelming. One of those most effected was the unhappy equine he had spotted earlier. He passed over that one and scanned the crowd, catching the eye each and every one there.

"I am he who broke the spell placed on Lorissa. I exacted a high price for performing this magic. I have determined that to preserve the line of Merry Withers and the clan Capell, she must pair and produce an heir. The blood has been diluted too much over the generations. Therefore, she will pair with me for as long as it takes for her to become with foal. She and my child will carry on the legacy started so long ago. If anyone wishes to protest my judgment, let them come forward now." The room was silent. But in one corner a single horse looked livid. Lorissa appeared surprised and delighted. Her parents were perplexed.

Jon-Tom called Lorissa next to him. "This mare will remain my partner for as long as she wishes it, and I will be hers. What someone does to her, they will be doing to me. Therefore, I will warn anyone who might conspire against her that I will provide suitable protection from any harm. She has already suffered at the hands of a greedy, power hungry fiend. I am well aware of who this person is. Any action that I perceive as hostile will be met in the most harsh and deadly way." He glanced at the guilty horse. She blanched and fell over in a faint. It caused a stir, but no one truly understood the significance of it.  They blamed it on her delicate disposition and over excitement.

After the announcement was a grand party, horse style. Jon-Tom wasn't particularly interested, but Lorissa coaxed him to enjoy himself. He felt like he was on parade. So was she, but she enjoyed the fawning over she was receiving. When he could, he spelled himself to blend into the crowd. It only worked so well, seeing as everyone here was now already familiar with him. He  finally got a break and slipped outside. He took the time to wonder about his plan. He had bitten off a huge chunk of possibility and turned it into reality. He really wasn't this smart. He took to using this body like it had been his normal one. Somewhere in the back of his mind a distinct voice called to him. He strove after it. When he caught up with it, he was standing in an open meadow. Instead of being the unicorn, he found himself standing in front of one, this time in his normal body. He was naked, but that hardly mattered.

"Who are you?' he asked. The unicorn snorted, much like he himself had been doing. "I thought you might figure that part on your own." The human stood there thinking. Part of him was wondering why he was having a conversation inside his own head. This unicorn looked just like he did. And he had looked like Merry Withers. "Methinks you're part of my imagination that has gotten loose and is carousing around inside my head. Other than that, you must be the founder of the clan Capell." The horse bent on one front leg. "At your service." "But you're dead, aren't you?" "Humans. You have all kinds of qualities, but intelligence isn't high on the list. I have changed form, moved on to a higher plane, freed my spirit from the flesh..." Jon-Tom pursed his lips. "Like I said, you're dead."

The unicorn sighed. "Yes, I'm dead. Do you think a live unicorn would fit inside your skull, no matter how empty it seems to be?" "No, I suppose not. But what are you and why are you here?" Again with the sigh. "I am here because you called me. Perhaps you had better tune your magic a little better if you have no idea what you are aiming to achieve." Jon-Tom thought back. The songs. The gneechee that flew at his face. The flash! "I called you up with my songs? I'm sorry! I was just looking for a way of breaking the spell on Lorissa. I didn't mean to inconvenience you in any way." The unicorn moved sideways and hit the human with his tail. "Don't be stupid if you can help it. I came when called and I helped where needed. It is my clan after all. And you are the vessel through which I have returned to preserve what is rightly mine. So keep in mind that you are mating with one of the finest mares in the world. I expect you to treat her with the respect you have shown her all along."

Jon-Tom remarked on that. "So it was you who put the breeding idea in my head? Do you have any idea how messed up my life will be when I turn back into a human? I mean having sex for fun was one thing, but you have put me in the position of becoming a father outside of my species!" The unicorn looked mildly upset. "Are you saying that you wish to be freed from your onus? I can do that, but that will leave Lorissa vulnerable. Besides, once you turn back to being human, no one will ever believe you were once  a grand black unicorn stallion. Lorissa will of course, but she will understand that you cannot stay. Marriage is a formality we do not indulge in. All you will need to do is release each other from pair bond and the matter is settled." "Just like that" "Yes, just like that. But do me a favor." Jon-Tom shrugged. "What might that be?"  "Shut up and listen to your ears. Your mate to be has been trying to get your attention for half of this conversation." With that the scene winked out.

Jon-Tom was standing by a wall. Lorissa looked at him worriedly. "Are you OK? I've been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes. I thought perhaps something was wrong with you." She was right there. Who else had conversations inside their own head? "I'm fine. A little tired perhaps, but fine." "Are you sure?", she asked. "Yes, just fine. Is there a reason you're so concerned?" "Oh nothing important. I thought that perhaps since we are now paired, and I am expected to get pregnant and have a child with you, that maybe, just maybe, you would like to get started?" He had to push down a sudden urging in his loins that threatened to get their mating engaged right there in the open. "I think that is an excellent idea. Where would you like to spend your honeymoon?" The expression was largely a human one, so he had to explain it to her. She found it intriguing. "Maybe later. For now, I think you will find my quarters a suitable place to start."

Indeed they were. The room was spacious and accommodating. It lacked a bed, not surprising as horses could sleep standing up. A bed would prove difficult to get in and out of. The walls were covered with paintings, some of Lorissa as she previously looked, others of her sire and dam, and others he failed to recognize. In a niche he spied a small sculpture. It was carved from ebony, or some similar material. It had a diminutive white horn and white eyes. "I presume that this is Merry Withers?" She acknowledged that it was. "Jon-Tom, why did you take up my ancestor's name? I don't even recall ever mentioning it to you." "You didn't, and I didn't. You see, my full name is Jonathon Thomas Merriweather. Rather than chance anyone finding out that I'm really a human in this body, I gave your sire my last name. It was he that misheard it. Though he may have been more correct than he realized."

"What do you mean by that?" He indicated that he wasn't willing to talk about it just yet. He was still getting used to apparently having another mind gently directing his actions. He wasn't certain he liked it. But the matter came to a close as she turned and walked past him. His nose caught a whiff of her scent, and that was all it took. He snorted in another lung full, attracting her attention. Her eyes went from his to a little lower and towards his midsection. She whinnied in delight.

Equines had little in the way of foreplay. The just were not structured for it. But their lips and tongues could do wonderful things. Lorissa found out. Jon-Tom stuck his nose right into her cunt, blowing his hot breath in enough to force her lips apart. He stuck his curled tongue in as far as it would go, licking her insides. She stood still, shaking with sexual excitement. The more he licked, the more lubrication she generated. He was not merely providing her with pleasure, he was prepping her for the rather large equine member she would be having thrust upon her. After a while he had to give up on pleasing her orally. If he didn't enter her soon he was going to blow all over the floor. He reared up and with deft aim penetrated her on the first try. She let loose a throaty cry but held rigidly in place. He pushed in deeper and deeper, sliding in a slick but tight hole. He was barely inside when he burst forth, spilling out deep within her. He sighed, disappointed.

He was loathe to move, and she seemed to be supporting his extra weight without difficulty. He could feel her muscles contracting  around his slowly softening cock. He concentrated on the feeling. In short order his manhood reversed direction and harden up to working condition. He began pumping vigorously, and Lorissa responded with a happy grunt. With his first load blown, he hoped that this second time would last longer. To make sure it did, he measured his strokes, pushing in as far as he could reach before pulling back. In doing so he found the reason horses were so well endowed. They needed the length to reach their target. From this rear position, the only one achievable by four legged animals, he had a good portion of his total length remaining outside her body. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fit it all in. It was probably a good thing. If he pushed too far, his  immense strength might well cause  her damage.

Meanwhile, she was standing stock still. His ministrations were filling her with all kinds of new and wonderful feelings. His tongue sliding around inside her cunt was hard to describe. She could feel moisture dripping down, collecting on her belly and falling to the ground. She braced herself instinctively when he withdrew his tongue and mounted. All at once she felt a brief stab of pain. It turned to pleasure quickly enough, but it still felt like he was jamming a log into her body. It entered impossibly deep. As suddenly as he had started, she felt his body shudder. Her insides where filled with hot fluid. The feeling set off a reaction of her own. She contracted around his cock, squeezing painfully tight in a series of rapid muscular constrictions. She was still enjoying the feeling, half expecting he to pull out. She had seen others mate, so knew the routine. She was in for a surprise.

She heard him sigh and relax. Here it comes, she thought. But as she was thinking this, she felt his cock harden, crawling back into her depths like it had a life of its own. When he resumed pumping, her insides felt like there were being churned into a mass of electrified nerve endings. His motions became more measured. She could feel him strain against her haunches, apparently trying to push farther in. She pushed back as hard as she could to avoid being bowled over and knocked to her knees. He had been rough on them as a human, she hardly wished to come away with them torn and bleeding now!

His pumping gained momentum until he could barely keep his grip on her body without digging his hard hooves into her hide. He felt a second explosion start deep within his body. It grew until it gushed forth with geyser force. He shoved in hard and held himself in place while his body drained itself of his  life-producing fluids. She felt the full force of his ejaculation. She was so full that when he pulled out a rush of creamy liquid followed and coated the floor. She could feel her dangerously stretched muscles returning back to normal size, pushing out even more. Then her knees gave out and she fell.

He was at her side in a second. "Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?" She sucked in a few breaths before answering. "I'm fine. That was a lot of...experience for one lady to absorb at one time. I hate to be picky, but I think I liked it better when you were human and I was smaller." He chuckled. "You know, I think I did too. There is something pretty cool about having this much, uh, equipment, but there is such a thing as overkill." She got to her feet, trying not to slip on the floor. "You may be right. I feel like you've stretched my insides three times normal size. After that, I would hazard to guess that passing foal will prove a simple matter." He laughed again. "I'll tell you what.  Lets get cleaned up. Then I'll take you on a proper honeymoon, one that will live in your memory forever." She escorted him to a wash room, cleverly rigged up with a shower and drain. They washed and rinsed before heading out. They made one more stop, to inform her parents that they were leaving. They looked chagrined, but made no complaint.

As they left the city, Lorissa  asked her new mate where they were heading. Jon-Tom looked over at her and did his best version of a shrug. "We can go anywhere. Is there someplace that you have never seen but wished that you could visit?" That was an easy question. Until she had traveled to Clothahump's tree, she had never left the confines of her hometown. "I have never been anywhere. But I have heard that the ocean is a remarkable sight. Could we visit there?" "Done!" he said with a shake of his mane. "Uh, Merry, how are we going to get there?" He let out a long equine laugh.  "You can go back to calling me Jon-Tom. As for how, what's wrong with your feet. Did I damage them during our first tryst?" She returned his laughter. "Not hardly. But you don't expect us to run the entire way do you?"

"I'll forgive that question for the moment. I am going to set the pace and I want you to keep up."

He started trotting. She moved up until she was nose to nose with him. He quietly increased his pace until thy scenery was blurring past them like rushing water. It was hours later when he began decreasing their speed. He slowed to a trot, barely breathing any faster than when they had started. Neither was she. "Where are we Jon-Tom?" He sniffed the air. "Close." She sniffed too, catching a remarkable smell she had never encountered before.  It was fresh salt air, blowing off of the greatest expanse of water she would ever see. There was a bank of short scrubby trees blocking their view, but the ground underfoot had turned soft and sandy. He picked a path through some fragrant bushes. Merely brushing their leaves gave off a scent like honey and wine. But the smell was nothing compared to the view that opened up to her. Water. As far as her eyes could see, all the way to the horizon, was nothing but blue water, broken here and there by white cresting waves.

"Jon-Tom, its gorgeous! I had no idea it was so close to home!" "Yes, I have an affinity for the ocean, though I have had a few bad experiences while traveling across it." Her eyes went wide. "You have actually traveled across this great water?" "Yes I have, all the way to the opposite shore. Perhaps I will have time to tell you about it in the days ahead." She hurried down to the water's edge, running into the surf.  She splashed around for a while, enjoying the warm water washing over her body. She went to take a drink and spit it back out. Jon-Tom laughed at the look on her face. "If you need a drink, there's a stream a little farther along. I'll walk you to it." They made their way over the sand until they found a clear stream flowing over rocks and into the waves. They moved inland a few feet to make sure the water was fresh. She rinsed the salt out of her mouth and took a long swig.

"I had no idea the ocean had salt in it. I guess I smelled it without realizing what it was." "It will be something you can tell our child when he is older." She pondered his words. "Jon-Tom, can we really have a child together? I mean, you look like a unicorn and I'm a horse, so its possible, but you're true form is human." "Lorissa, you've missed some very important details. You're not a simple horse anymore. You're a unicorn, like me. But whereas I will hopefully return to being human, you will remain unicorn." She protested. "You only made me look like a unicorn! I don't have any powers!" He got a quirky look on his face. "Oh no? Then how did you just keep up with me for the past 300 miles?"

She started  to giggle at his joke. His face was dead serious. "You're not kidding, are you?' "Well, I can't say for certain, " he said before stopping to consult his internal map, "but it has to be close." "But that's impossible. There is no way even the fastest horse could cover that distance in less than four days." Jon-Tom  walked up to her and struck her horn with his. "This is not a decoration. This is the difference between normal and magic. I did not give it to you. You had it buried in your makeup. All I did was draw it forth. You simply haven't had the opportunity to allow it to express itself. It comes naturally you know. You didn't miss a beat on our trip here. You paced me hoof-beat for hoof-beat." She wondered at that. If what he said was true, and he didn't lie, then there was much more she could do.

She thought about it for a moment. She focused her thoughts on the horn. A soft glow emanated from it. The glow traveled from its base to the tip. It jumped the short gap between their horns and traveled along his. He went to pull back but was held fast. He was wary but allowed the magic to continue. It reached his skull with no ill affects. All at once he could hear her thoughts. He was unaware if she could hear his. He mentally called her name. "Lorissa?" She jerked her head, pulling his along with hers. She stared at him. "Did you call my name?" Again, he called he mentally. Lorissa, do you have any idea what you're doing? She made as if to speak, but focused on the voice in her head. No, she replied mentally, I don't. What have I done? He concentrated until the link was broken. Speaking verbally he said, "What you did was form a link between our minds. It has many aspects and uses, but you will need training before you use it again. A bad link can be difficult to extricate one's self from."

She looked chagrined. "I didn't mean to do anything bad. I was just concentrating on using my horn." He consoled her. "You didn't do any harm. But perhaps we should spend some time getting you familiar with your powers." She liked the idea, but decided to play coy. "But Jon-Tom, this is our honeymoon! I thought we would be doing something else!" "There will be plenty of time for both, even more so if we combine the two." She gazed at him with an uncomprehending look on her face. To show her what he meant he stopped and forced his own horn to glow. As it did, his body seemed to melt and contort until he was human again. He patted himself down. "Well, that was weird. You try it." She took a quick peek at his body, remembering their first time together. She had been much smaller. There was no way they were going to enjoy any sex without the help of a ladder or stool. Now that he was normal, she wished she was small again. Her horn glowed and she felt that crawling sensation in her skin.

Abruptly he grew taller. Rather, her perspective changed, forcing her to re-examine her previous conclusion. She had shrunk again! "Jon-Tom, what happened?" He wrinkled his nose. "You used your magic. Unicorns have a great store of it." "I won't be stuck like this forever will I?" "Only if you choose so. You have only to wish yourself back and it will happen." She considered testing it out, but it dawned on her that this was what she wanted right now. They had more fun as human and horse than as unicorn and unicorn. "Jon-Tom, can we breed now?" "No." She was disheartened. "Why not?" "Because, you silly mare, that can only happen between similar animals. I'm human and you're not. But if you would like, we can enjoy some sexual activity for as long as you wish. Like you said, its our honeymoon."

She was so mad she tackled him, pinning him to the ground. She was heavier than he was, and once he was on his back, she plunked her hindquarters down on top of him. He was laughing, which she found both humorous and maddening. But she was more distracted by the swelling rise up under her. Her body responded by drenching his front with excess lubrication. She went to get up in embarrassment, but he stopped her. "You know Lorissa, I think you may have something here. Slide up until you feel the tip of my cock." She did as she was told. When the head of it was in place, he had her push ever so slightly. His cock popped in. From there it was a matter of her sliding her body back to engulf it. She did just that, until her body was nearly one with his. The friction on her external tissue was extraordinary.  She had never considered being on top. That was the male's position. But the difference in their respective bodies right now made it possible. She would need to make their session short, he told her, for she outweighed him enough to cause discomfort.

She planted her front hooves on either side of his head, and locked her back ones enough to lift some of her weight. It had the extra effect of allowing her more leverage in pushing her body in a rhythmic motion. It was awkward but doable. She was already slick in anticipation. As she moved, she coated his skin with lubrication, allowing her to gain more speed with less friction. She particularly enjoyed the moment when she pushed back as far as she could, driving his cock in  its entire length. She got to grinding down rather hard, making him grunt with each move. "Lorissa, hold up for a minute." She sighed and stopped. All of the sudden she felt his body shift under her, seeming to grow in more ways than one. "There. I was enjoying your motions, but as a normal human you were a little heavy for my body. I just strengthened my bones and muscles to compensate. I also took the liberty of extending you a little gratitude, if you get my meaning."

She did. Now when she pushed back, she could feel his tip just touch her cervix while at the same time her lips were spread wide by the increased circumference of the base of his cock.  He had to have modified his size to fit perfectly inside. She was in heaven. She felt better about exerting herself, and did so with gusto. She could feel Jon-Tom responding as well, moving in counterpoint to her actions. It didn't take long for her to have an orgasm. It built until she couldn't take it any longer. She fell forward on him, legs akimbo and neck draped across his shoulder. He could feel her heat and contraction build to a crescendo. When she came, she did so  with such force that she passed out. He took over pushing from his position underneath. He grabbed her rear legs and pulled them forward and then brought his knees with his feet planted firmly on the ground.

When she awake, she felt like she had died and gone to heaven. She was just coming down from the most sensual experience of her life when her body did an about face and ran past her. Jon-Tom was thrusting away with such speed she thought he must be buzzing like a fly. Her internal nerve endings were already agitated; this was putting them into overload. Sweat was pouring off of her, her teeth were bared and she was panting uncontrollably. He suddenly arched upwards, and she did her best to push down. The two came together in an explosion of sexual energy that actually physically manifested as a wave of heat. Leaves on nearby trees curled and browned around the edges.

Jon-Tom awoke first, to a face full of mane, with one arm under her neck and the other draped over top. He was spooned along her back. It was no bad thing. He wondered that his arm wasn't asleep, but remembered that he had modified his body the night before. It was amazing to work magic without his duar. The unicorn was an amazing form. Even now, when it appeared that he was his old self again, it was merely an illusion. What he was was a human who turned into a unicorn who transformed into the likeness of a human. Therefore he still retained the full power of Merry Withers. It was a sweet deal. He could feel his presently outsized cock sandwiched between their bodies and willed it down to size. A male horse had the physiology to pull it inside his body. A human did not. He shifted his weight a little and curled up closer to Lorissa.

She woke up when he moved. She had a kink in her neck, but realized the cause was his arm underneath. She could feel him press closer and  so eased into his embrace. He must have ascertained her wakefulness, for he planted a kiss on the back of her neck. Electricity flowed through her. It raised the hairs of her mane all the way down to the ones on her tail. It made her teeth chatter.

Jon-Tom  felt her move and gave her a good morning kiss. She reacted as though she were chilled. Her hair raised up and her teeth took to chattering. He couldn't actually hear them, but he certainly felt them through her body. But she felt plenty warm. He whispered in her ear. "Are you OK?" She responded in a voice that seemed eerily detached from her body. "I'm fine Jon-Tom. Better than fine, in fact. But you won't be happy with me I think." He would have asked what the problem was, but his close proximity to her had allowed his power to flow into her body and soul. They had been in contact this way all night. He already knew. It might have something to do with the way she was feeling.  But he was curious to see if she too had noticed the change.

"I'm sorry Jon-Tom. I tried to avoid it. But it happened anyway. I not sure that there is anything I can do about it now." "What are you talking about Lorissa?" Whatever was bothering her had nothing to do with what he was thinking. She got to her feet and looked at him longingly. "I told myself a day or two ago that I wouldn't fall in love with you. I know that you are helping me out of the kindness in your heart, but it happened anyway. I love you Jon-Tom, not as a horse or a unicorn or a human. I love you as a person. I know you can't stay, but you have been truthful with me, so I can no less for you. I wish you were really a horse."

Well, he thought, that wasn't what I was expecting. On the other hand (or hoof) he wasn't totally taken off guard. That particular emotion was having a field day with him as of late. Truth was, he was getting pretty attached to her as well. He had wished to keep it from her, because in the end it didn't matter; he couldn't stay. He knew it and so did she. "What am I supposed to say to that?" She looked pained. "I don't know. Whatever you have to say, please be kind. I understand that you will only speak the truth, but if that is so and you must speak, do so with my heart in mind." "I have nothing to say regarding your feelings." Before she could cry or have an emotional breakdown, he touched his forehead to hers, horn to horn. His feelings flowed into her like a tidal wave.

She was awestruck as he allowed his entire life to flow into her. He saw his first love, felt the emotion he had for her. She saw another for whom his love was nearly equal, if not so ardent. There was a human, red of hair, but distant and unreachable. There were others, not so much lovers as companions. Then there was her. She had hardly known him, and he her. But his feelings washed over her and threatened to drown her in its depths. Compared to how he felt, her love seemed merely a pond to be swallowed up by an ocean greater than the one they had just visited. She picked up bits, flotsam and jetsam of feelings mix in; great loyalty, sadness, loneliness, and a heart that seemed to be boundless. Somewhere in there she got a flicker of something else, foreign to his nature but yet somehow fitting. She couldn't quite comprehend what it was.

There were tears in her eyes. "Jon-Tom, I don't know what to say. When you said you had nothing to say..." "I don't. I often fumble with words, not sufficiently expressing what I'm feeling, saying the wrong thing. I thought that if I allowed you to experience it first hand that it would be a better outlet than whatever might come out of my mouth." "Jon-Tom, there are no words for what I just experienced. I wish I had arms like you; all I want to do is squeeze you tight." It suddenly became too much for her. She got dizzy and fell to the ground. Instead of running to her aid, the spell-singer just stood and watched. She wasn't sure how he could have helped, but it made her upset that he suddenly had an air of indifference. As her head cleared she pushed herself up on her hands and knees and gave him a hurt look. It dawned on her about the same time. Hands?

It was only then that he extended his own hand down and grasped hers. With a mighty tug he hauled her off of the ground and into a standing position. She teetered wildly, tilting like a novice drunk, her now-brunette hair falling about her face. "What's happened to me Jon-Tom?" "The same thing that has happened to me. I turned human. Since you're not used to locomotion on two legs, perhaps you had better give me that hug you mentioned." She wildly tossed her arms around his neck, tightening them into a crushing grip. "Ease up a little dear. I won't let you fall." She tried, but was too disoriented and dazed to keep on her feet. Jon-Tom tried a different tack. "Lorissa, let go. I'll carry you for now." She reluctantly let go. In one swoop he had her petite human body nestled in his arms.

"Ooooo! Jon-Tom! I like this!" she cooed as he held her firmly in his grip. She leaned in and experimentally tried to kiss him. Her lips were a perfect match for his. She wondered if everything else was going to be as fun! He returned her kiss passionately, but when they broke their embrace, he had sober words. "Lorissa, I'm glad that you figured out how to change, but you really shouldn't have transformed. I mean it opens up some wonderful possibilities, but the risk might not be worth it." She was confused. "What risk?" He started to speak, but stopped. "Maybe nothing. I'll keep track of any potential problem." Since she felt fine and had a tingling sensation forming in her privates that need attention, she let the matter drop, but only if he attended to her present needs. He reminded her that it was their honeymoon and she could have whatever she wanted; within reason.

He cautioned her on one other thing. "I want to warn you that this time it's likely to hurt again, and there's going to be some blood." She protested. "You're not planning on trying out that vulgar thing your unicorn form has on this little body are you?" He nearly dropped her in his fit of laughter. "Good lord no! But I have some small experience with new forms on experienced bodies. In the case of a female, there is likely to be a new hymen for each form. She considered it, remembering something of the sort in the memories he had just shared. "It's alright Jon-Tom. If your first love was willing to go through it multiple times, I can do it at least once." He carried her over to a grassy knoll and lay her down, dropping down beside her. "I think I can make it a bit easier on you than I could for her."

She was all ears. "Well, you see, at least for the moment, I have full control over this body. I can make it larger in some aspects and by the same process I can make some parts smaller." She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him again. "I'll trust you to do what you think is best. But you've already shoved that cock of yours into my regular body without breaking it. I think I can handle anything else...within reason!" They both laughed. He moved on top over her, exposing her to another activity four legged animals couldn't readily achieve; the missionary position. She was excited just to be able to wrap her arms around him and continued kissing him. He nudged her knees apart. She got the hint and spread them wide, exposing a perfect little patch of short, straight, chestnut hair.

It had been a long time since Jon-Tom had seen a human female's privates. The last had been with one of Roseroar's final transformations. He got a hard-on right away. Lorissa noticed too, especially when its tip reached the middle of her breasts. "Uh, not funny lover!" His face turned beet red. "Uh, sorry about that. I got a little overly excited!" "Excitement is good.  But lets tone it down a bit, shall we?" she said, giggling. He took the advice to heart. She watched with keen interest as his cock diminished in size until it was "normal." "That still looks a bit big to me. Are you sure it's going to fit?" "It has before, but I'll drop it down a notch like I promised." As he further reduced its size, she wondered what she kind of changes she could do with her own body.

For the moment however, she was more interested in what he could do with it. Still, she found her own body  more flexible and dexterous than he original. Having hands was a new sensation. As a horse, with hard hooves, she felt very little except the rough texture of the ground underneath them. These fingers were soft and sensitive. She extended them down, grasping his cock tightly. It was both hard and soft to the touch. It pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. She pulled on it gently but firmly, at the same time sliding downward. She had seen something like this in his memories, something he had enjoyed. She put her mouth over the end and licked. He groaned. The concept was new to her, but as he seemed to enjoy it, she tried working it some more. She pulled it into her mouth, sucking as she remembered sucking on her dam's teats. It must have been the correct action, for he groaned loader and raised his buttocks off of the ground.

She was really starting to get the hang of it. Horses found sex mostly confined to their back ends, but humans managed to express it from head to toe. For some reason, she was feeling hot and wet, which was strange since he was the one on the receiving end of the pleasure. She felt a compulsion to take him over the top, to have him cum without attempting to impregnate her. She wasn't certain why. In a few minutes it happened; she could feel him stiffen. She was unsure what to do next. She tried mimicking the motion her hips had made the night before, only with her head. She was rewarded with a gush of hot sticky fluid blasting down her throat. It nearly made her gag. She pulled back, choking. As she did, it spilled across her tongue, leaving a strange flavor in its wake. It wasn't entirely gross, but it was foreign to her taste-buds.

She force herself to swallow. There was a slight salty aftertaste, reminiscent of the ocean. She looked to her mate, who was still prone on the ground, his lungs working like bellows. It made her feel good about herself that she had such  power as to render him helpless, even for a mere moment. One of his arms came off the ground, apparently motioning her closer. She came and slid under it. He reeled her in close. Without opening his eyes, he spoke. "You know, for someone of a species not prone to engaging in oral sex, you seem to have mastered the technique on the first try." She was pondering his meaning when he clarified it. "Thanks! That was terrific!" She snuggled in closer. "Do you mean it?" "God yes, I mean it. I thought you were going to suck me inside out!"

They lay together for a while. His breathing slowed, his heart was no longer trying to escape his chest, and his cock had sufficient time to recharge. But Jon-Tom believed in tit-for-tat. He suddenly rose up and pushed her over onto her back. She spread and raised her legs in anticipation. But his head went down between them and it was her turn to gasp. She had felt some wonderful things in her private area, but what he was doing shocked her sensibilities. She had thought herself brave to take his cock in her mouth, considering its other function. But he dived right in with his tongue. His fingers were in her cunt; his tongue was playing with her anus! The experience on their way back from his home had been novel. She had heard stories from some of the older mares about males with inaccurate aim and the pain it caused. What he had done had been delightfully exotic. She blamed that on his compatible size. But even a cock in her ass seemed paltry to what he was doing.

She worried about it for precisely thirty two seconds. By then his fingers and tongue and lips were playing her body like his duar, and the magic that was forthcoming was like nothing she could describe. She was already horny and all he was doing was magnifying it a hundred fold. She could feel a tightness inside her through the manipulations of his fingers. It must be the hymen he mentioned. He seemed to place some significance to it, but if it stood in the way of her pleasure, the sooner it was gone, the better. She finally quit worrying when all her thoughts were driven from her head by an orgasm that seemed to start within her deepest reaches and came crashing outwards like the waves on the nearby ocean. Unconsciously, her hands grabbed his head and her legs locked around his torso. It was a good thing he still had the tougher body because the force of her embrace managed to break one of his ribs and nearly three of his vertebra. He yelped, but activated this body's healing power and repaired it in an instant.

Her brain was foggy, but she heard his cry of pain. She was feeling so good that she couldn't fathom what he was complaining about. That is, until she tried moving her limbs. The muscles refused to budge. It was then that she understood his discomfort; she had him in a death grip. It took little time for him to figure out her dilemma. He had no unicorn horn per-say, but the power remained within him, as it did within her. But she failed to recognize it at the moment. He willed his healing power into her and was rewarded with an easing in the constriction threatening to crush him in its grip. She unbound her arms from around his neck and unclamped her legs. He could  hear her joints crack as she moved. Her reaction was likely to put a damper on further activity of this nature. The two of them might not survive a full fledged love-making session with reactions like this.

She fell back, totally exhausted. "I know how you feel about me Jon-Tom, so I don't understand why you just tried to kill me!" The grin on her face said it all. "My dear little Lorissa. You broke a rib and nearly snapped my neck. It was you who was trying to kill me!" She looked alarmed. "Did I really? I'm so sorry. I guess this body has more strength than I gave it credit for. Are you OK?" "It was his turn to laugh. "I'm glad unicorns have healing powers or else I might be permanently disabled." "Well, I'm certainly glad that you are not. As far as I'm concerned, we've only just begun. You still have a hymen to break, don't you?" She was insatiable. Just like he was at the moment. "Yes, my lady, I think I do. Are you sure you can handle it?" "No, I'm not sure. But I'm not going to wait around wondering!"

He had to admire her spunk. Without further ado, he laid her back and kissed her on the lips, putting himself on top and guiding the head of his cock at her opening. She responded by grabbing is ass and pulling him forward. He didn't want to hurt her, but then a little pain was all that stood between them and boundless pleasure. He pushed, felt her tightness, pushed harder and broke through. She winced but said nothing. He knew there was blood, but since that was what happens the first time, he carried on, gently but passionately.

She was ready for more. If he intended to be gentle, she had every intention of dissuading him. Her body was fired up and ready to roll. Slow and easy wasn't going to cut it right now. She grabbed his buttocks and pulled him as far forward as she could. Her intentions weren't lost on him, and he gave a mighty shove, entering her partway. Another push and she felt a stabbing pain, only to be filled with his manhood. If he had truly reduced his normal size, she was thankful. Anything much larger would have surely been harder to endure. But now that it was in, the pain had eased, blending into the background of the rapidly building pleasure. Ten fingers with ten tough nails dug into his skin.

Sex in this form was much different than in her normal body.  For one, she was on her back. As a horse, she might have accomplished this with a human, but not another horse. Her mind drifted between pleasure and the thought of future possibilities. She wondered, when her mind could concentrate, on whether or not she could convince him to stay. But for now, he was here, she was here, and they were together. It was enough to satisfy her for the moment.

The wore each other out for an hour. She was tired and sore, but testing her new power, concentrated and in a brief moment was healed and horny again. Jon-Tom could have done the same, but was acting a bit more cautious. "Lorissa my dear, we have time. There is no need to expend all of our energy in one evening!" "That's what you think! I understand that when all is said and done, when I'm with child, you'll be leaving me. Therefore, I think I have the right to extract ever little bit of love and enjoyment out of you until that day comes." He could hardly argue with that kind of logic. But he could temper it a bit.

"My dear lovely little horse. I hate to tell you this, but you are already pregnant." She just sat there, blinking. "What? How do you know?" He shook his head. "Feel deep down inside you? Can't you feel another life growing, even now when its so small?" She concentrated. Her ability with using her horn was very green, but indeed, she could feel it. She was both elated and very disappointed. "Jon-Tom, does this mean that we have to head back now. You said you would stick with me only until I came with child." Then she did a double take. "When did I get pregnant?" He laughed long and loud. "When we were both unicorns, you cute little mare you. Right after the ceremony, before we came here. But there is no rush. I figure that until your hormones settle down, I'll leave our honeymoon up to you."

She jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Do you mean it? You won't leave me right away?" He put his hand to her chest. "I'll never be gone. I'll reside in here until the end of our days." She was so happy, should jumped for joy. "Yes, you will be. And for the time being, in here," she said, patting her belly. He started laughing and she joined in, feeling the happiest she ever had in her whole life. They made love again, and  then again, before retiring for the day. In the morning they chose to work their way along the coast, taking in the beauty that surrounded them.

One morning, after another tiring tryst, Jon-Tom posed a question. "The ocean is nice, but where else would you like to go?" She thought on it a while." "I don't really know Jon-Tom. There are so many places that we could, that I don't really care where we are, as long as you're with me." He reached out and tousled her hair, pulling her in close. "That's very sweet. But when its all said and done, you will have our son to remind you of me. I think that some other memories are in order." She craned her neck to look at him. "What did you have in mind?" "On my world, there was a common custom of going to Niagara Falls on your honeymoon. Perhaps something like that." "Ney-ag-raw Falls?" He chuckled. "That's close enough. What say you and me change form and head to our next destination?" Without another word he shifted until he was a four legged unicorn, as black as midnight.

Try as she might, she was unable to change. She finally gave up in tears. "Can't you help me?" she cried. He was sympathetic but stern."Yes I could. But this is your body and your powers. You will have to learn to control them on your own." She plopped down on the ground in a snit. "I don't want to be stuck here, or like this." He walked over and gently bit her on the shoulder. "Ouch! What was that for?" "That was to get your attention. Now listen up. You need to relax a little. Your changes will come naturally in time, assuming that you even bother with them. Right now there are two choices. We can stay here until you control your magic, or we can be on our way."

She shot him a dirty look. "What am I supposed to do, run beside you the entire way?" In exasperation he got down on his four knees. "You could always ride! I did it once and it was a blast. Its a completely different perspective." She blinked once, then vaulted onto his back, leaning into his neck. "Oh thank you Jon-Tom. I sorry if I pouted. This is all some much for me to take in!" "Hang on,," he said, added as an after thought, "And mind the mane." He turned and headed south and inland. He started slowly, but in no time was racing along so fast that only the sharpest eye could have detected his presence. His movements were so smooth and graceful that it hardly felt like they were moving. But his muscles rippled underneath her, and on her exposed areas making contact with his hide it was proving to be hard to ignore. She finally called him to a halt.

"What is it?" She slid off his back and landed awkwardly on the ground. In her place she left a wet spot, which he now noticed as the air allowed it to evaporate, cooling it. He let out a snort and changed back into a human. "I see; getting a bit horny riding on my back. So what now? Would you like to ride on my front?" She was hopping in place.. "Yes, yes yes." "Well, it's fine with me, but you have to change first." She at first looked stricken, then she got a determined look on her face. All at once she transformed, but not into her full body, but that of her half-way form. She looked him in the eye. "There. But I want you and I to do it like we first did." He snorted in delight, and in one quick motion was back to his human form. "Done!"

She had some ideas, and rather than explain them, she decided to show them. She walked over to a fairly comfortable expanse of moss and lay down on it, her back down and her feet up. The position almost looked comical, but considering her intent, Jon-Tom didn't waste time with saying anything stupid. He came up from the rear, grabbed her back legs, and sunk his manhood in as far as it would go. Once he was in, he increased his size until he filled her up from end to end.  He pushed her legs forward a little and began pounding away. The tip of his cock tickled the tip of her cervix, and he consciously knew he had best be careful not to damage the tiny growing embryo inside her. But she was making all the right sounds, so he knew he was not doing her any harm.

She came all at once, squeezing him most pleasantly. He came soon after, blowing his load in deep. He was panting, and was ready to pull out, relax and be on their way, but she was to have none of it. She rolled to one side, with him still in, and coaxed him into another position. This time he was straddling one leg while holding the other upright in front of his chest. He lost no time in getting his erection up to the job, and soon they were enjoying another wonderful climax. By the time they were done, her cunt was feeling rather abused. He pulled out, allowing her to roll to a reclining position. "We're not done yet lover," she cooed. She flipped up her tail, exposing her ass. "I think that I would like a little loving here!" His cock was hard in a shot. In his haste to comply though, he forgot that he had enlarged it a bit. His first push elicited a squeal. "Jon-Tom, not with it that big!" "Sorry about that!" He reduced the size to smaller than his normal and pushed again. It slid in without difficulty. As he pushed it in and began working it, he allowed to to grow larger until she felt very full indeed.

He adjusted its circumference, making it smaller, while at the same time he increased its length. It was so long that even on his most complete thrust he was nowhere near to coming out. The feeling was to die for. All at once it overtook him, and he began filling her insides with his sperm. But he was in so deep that even if he were to lose the rigidity, he wasn't likely to fall out. He kept up his actions,, feeling her intestinal walls squeezing down around him. She started to shake, sweat pouring off of her body and heating rising in waves. She had an orgasm that shook her to her bones. They lay locked for a while, but he finally had to move. He pulled out, reducing his size as he did. She made a weak attempt to stand but fell back. "Jon-Tom, you had best get out of the way!" He rolled to the side just in time. Her much abused rectum was not up to its normal job, and all his deep prodding had loosen things up inside her. Needless to say it was a brief but explosive mess.

She looked horrified. He was quick to calm her. "After what your body just went through, give it a break." She got up and  walked away stiffly." She stood still for a moment, and her body rippled and became her full-sized form. Her horn glowed a moment and then she turned back to him. "I'll say. You know, it may be a good thing that we aren't going to be together forever. I think that you would wear out even a unicorn's power!" He gazed at her with new respect. "You changed. You didn't even have to think about it did you?" She looked down and back at him. "I guess I didn't really notice. I was embarrassed about my accident...but I did change didn't I?" She turned and dropped in size back to the smaller horse, and from there to a human. And then back to unicorn.

"I can do it, Jon-Tom, I can do it!" Just that quickly she forgot the bad over the pleasure of the good. She ran in a circle, her fetlocks flying with wild abandon. "Oh Jon-Tom, I think I'm getting the hang of this. Can we get back to our journey?" Without a word he turned back, stuck his nose towards their destination and said, "Follow me!" They were off like a shot, tearing up the ground and  passing the scenery at a blinding pace. They slowed when the came to a cliff, but instead of stopping, he directed them along until they found a rough stone path leading downward. He changed to human, as did she. "What now?" She looked a bit perplexed. "Oh, just follow me. This path is better for two legs rather than four." They made their way down to the bottom of a valley. There at the end was an unspeakably high waterfall, flowing over the edge like nothing she had ever seen. Even this far away the roar was quite audible.

He found a clear spot and changed back to unicorn, as did she. They took off like the wind, winding their way to the base of the falls. They flatten their ears against the roar. The air was thick with mists.  The water churned against the rocks, grinding itself into droplets that hung in the air, either coalescing and dropping back down or rising up like some animated cloud. It was almost as impressive as the ocean. They watched it in awe for a while, finally backing off to a distance where they could talk. Lorissa was very moved. "This is the most wonderful thing I have ever seen, besides the ocean.  Where does all the water come from?" He nodded his head upward. "From the top, I would guess." She was gazing at the cliff edge, when suddenly the silliness of his statement sunk in. "Very funny lover. I mean, where does the river start?" He consulted his mental map. "From what I can see, there are many places where it starts. They eventually converge into a massive river that runs for a thousand miles." She looked at him with curiosity. "How do you know that?" Instead of answering he touched his horn to hers, allowing the information to flow into her. She got more than she bargained for.

Her mind went  numb as the contents of his head filled hers. The map was only part of it. She saw him in his other world, the world from which he had been taken. She had felt his other lovers, but now she could clearly see them. She saw the old turtle, an otter, and a plethora of other people and places. Her mind was reeling so she concentrated and the images slowed to a stop. The big black unicorn looked on approvingly. "Congratulations. You have learned another aspect of your power. Your can control another's mind, or what their mind can do to you. You can also control someone else's mind, though I would suggest that you consider that a moral outrage unless your own life is in danger. It is not a power to play with." She would have spoken, but her mind was traveling across the landscape of the newly planted globe spinning in her head.

He stuck his horn against hers and pulled her out of her exploration. "I know its a lot of fun to play with, but you'll have plenty of time to check it out later." She sighed and made a funny face. On her unicorn features it was particularly amusing. "OK lover-boy. I'll give up this one in return or exploring this one a little more. Where else can we go?" Even as she asked it, she already had an idea. She wasn't certain that he would find it acceptable. He was non-committal. "This is your honeymoon, we can go wherever you want." "Fine. I want to visit the city of Colivra." He about fell down. "Lorissa, that's not fair. You know why I don't want to return there. And now with me and you as we are, that will make it even worse." She stuck her horn to his. "Are you sure you don't want to see her again? Even if you do, there is no guarantee that she will be around. And who is to say she would even recognize you in your present body. Besides, I am curious about a city that sticks so strongly in your mind."

He found that there were times he should keep his mouth and his mind shut. She was right; he did long to see Roseroar again. But what would she say with him tooling around with a horse, that is, a unicorn mare who was pregnant with his baby. Especially since he had been unable to provide her with a way of having children. He thought long and hard. In the end, against his better judgment, he agreed to go. She was  ready to go immediately. He was less than enthusiastic on their way out of the valley, but changed and headed off at a gallop after they reached the top.  He consulted his map, hoping to find other attractions on the way, in the hope of distracting her from her objective.

He did find a cavern, which by all accounts was large enough to admit them as equines. This would hardly have mattered, but without their horns there would be no way of lighting it up enough to see. Lorissa was stunned when they worked their way in a few hundred feet and he turned on his glow. She added hers, and was raptly  drawn into one of the mostly visually stunning displays she had ever seen. Multicolored stalactites and stalagmites ran from floor to ceiling. In the glow of their horns the minerals seemed to shift and move, with their colors running and changing like a sunset. No matter which way they turned, a wondrous vision presented itself for their eyes to feast upon. They left largely because their stomachs were rumbling. Not far from the cave was a meadow full of luscious greens. The ate their fill and moved on.

"Jon-Tom?" "Yes dear, what is it?" "Are you mad at me for wanting to see Colivra?" He didn't answer right away. When he did, he was a bit terse. "Yes, I suppose I am. I am unsure why you really want to go." She figured as much. "You are always truthful to me, I can no less be the same. I want to see your loves; all of them. I want to see how I compare to them. If you think I wish to disgrace you in any way, the answer is no. You have treated me with such kindness that I couldn't possibly do anything to harm you. So if you wish, I can go alone." He thought is over. "I think that your idea is a good one. I am unsure how I would react if I got close to her. There is a very good chance she would recognize me right away, regardless of my form. We merged our souls."

Lorissa had felt this in his exchanges, but had not understood it. "You mean you have hers?" He nodded in the negative. "We exchanged them and returned them to each other. Now there is always going to be a connection, and the closer I get, the stronger it will become. She will know it is me, I'm sure of it. She wanted me to move on, and I have, but it would still hurt the both of us if I appeared to be acting with impropriety." She was quick to take offense but then remembered that she was pregnant with his baby, and his first love was unable to have any. She could see his point.

"I will go alone, though I would appreciate it if you would accompany me up to the gate." He said he would and off they went. They were closer to it now than the human and tigress had been when they set out originally, and in these bodies they ate up the distance like it was oats. In no time the city loomed large in the distance. He eventually slowed to trot. "This is as far as I'm going to go." He touched his horn to hers. She suddenly felt a connection again, only this time there was no flow of information. It was kind of weird, like being in two places at once. "I have connected us. I will see what you see. I can guide you through any trouble, or if it becomes necessary, to come to your aid, though I can think of no reason you would come to harm here."

She gave him a kiss, a sloppy embrace in these bodies, and trotted off to the gate. He was seeing what she was when suddenly he heard her voice through the connection. "I'm sorry Jon-Tom." The line was then gone. He had to either go after her or trust in her ability. He chose the latter. He trotted off to a copse of trees where he would draw less attention and waited. He soon nodded off. When he awoke, it was to a thin voice inside his head. It was Lorissa. He shook his mane and answered it. "I'm here. I decided to rest." There was humor in her response. "Rest? I'll have you know I've been trying to reach you for an hour!" He was mildly annoyed, partially about being here, and partly because he had been sleeping well. He answered her more sharply than he meant to. "Whatever. Where are you now?" He heard a rustle behind him. Turning, he saw her grinning at him. "Hi lover! I thought perhaps you had decided to abandon me." "You mean like you severing our link?" She grinned even more. "If you wanted to know what was going on, you should have had the courage to come yourself. Now, as it stands, I am quite content with my visit to the city. It was a rather overwhelming experience. I have never seen so many carnivores in my life."

"And that's it?" She just kept right on grinning. "Heck no it's not, but like I just said, if you wanted to know you should have come along." He mentally probed her, but she deftly diverted his intrusion. "Oh no, lover-boy. If you really want to know, you will have to do everything I ask from now on." He gave her the evil eye. "I have always been willing to do almost anything for you, but I will not do anything without regard to the consequences. You are correct. I should have gone in, but since I didn't, I deserve to remain ignorant." With that, he turned and started walking. "Jon-Tom stop! I was just teasing you." He kept walking. "Roseroar would like to see you." That got his attention. "What?! You told her I was here?" "No you stupid jerk. I was taken to the palace because my presence in this region is unusual. She is quite the lady. She cleared the throne room and then turned into a unicorn too!  She wanted to know all about me, so to save time we touched horns. I'm afraid you were clearly in the forefront of my thoughts, even though I thought of you as Merry Withers. I can't say for certain that she understands that it is you, but she wishes to see my husband!"

"Husband? I'm not your husband!" She was laughing again. "I know, but how was I to tell her that? I mean, I am having your baby, so that has to mean something." "It means that if she realizes that its me, in a different form, then why didn't I come back to her as a tiger? It means I have to confront leaving her again. It means..." Before he could continue she touched horns. Before he could fight it, there was Roseroar, hardly older and definitely more lovely than before."Damn you Lorissa." "What about my dam?" He didn't find it funny. "Merry Withers, why don't you please make an appearance to your old love. It will only take a minute and then we will be off."

He agreed, only because if he didn't he would kick himself for the rest of his life. They trotted up to the gate to find a knot of palace guards and other dignitaries. As the two of them approached, the group split, allowing Roseroar to come forward. His heart leaped into his throat, and a longing ache grew where his heart had been. He stood still, not knowing what else to do. Lorissa spoke up. "Your majesty, allow me to present Merry Withers, my mate and the father of my future foal." Roseroar started at that name. "What is your name sir?" Here it goes, he thought. He took all his mental strength and applied it to keeping down any part of him that was Jon-Tom. "Your majesty is too kind to ask. My mate uses my common name, a sort of good-natured name calling. If you wish to address me, you may use my real name, Dhoov Capell." Lorissa made a start, but said nothing. Roseroar did a little curtsy. "The city of Colivra is honored by your presence. I have now been lucky enough to have met three unicorns in my life. You have no idea how exciting that is for me."

He snorted, but not in the way he intended. It sounded like derision. "I'm not certain that the honor is all yours. Something tells me that I stand in the presence of someone who has more hidden beneath her exterior than she ever shows." Roseroar actually got flustered. He saved her from sputtering by making her an offer. "Would your majesty like a ride. It seems a simple thing to offer such a great person as yourself, but perhaps it is all I presently have to give." She actually squealed in delight, and before any of her entourage could complain, jumped on his back. He lowered himself on one knee and said to the group, "I shall return her as safely as if she were my own." With that he turned and sped off, Lorissa at his heels.

They galloped, the wind tearing at them. The tigress hung on for dear life, but was careful not to sink her claws into his skin. For his part, he was growing horny having her this close to him. It was part of the reason he was running so fast. Her scent was driving him crazy; the best way to deal with it was to make sure it was flowing away his nose. Without realizing it, he was retracing their old route. When he stopped, the place looked familiar, but it didn't register with him right away. She spoke of it first. "I remember this place." When she didn't elaborate, Lorissa spoke up. "I take it you majesty was here at one time?" "Yes I was. And quit calling me "your majesty." I hate the term. If anyone deserves to be called that, it was the man I made love to right here." Jon-Tom didn't say a word. Lorissa knew and so pried even more. "By a "man" I assume your.., I mean you meant a tiger?"

Roseroar grunted. "No, he was a man, as in hu-man. I wish he had been a tiger. There are times when you find love, and when you do, you should be able to grasp it and hold it and never let it go. And then there are the times when you settle for two out of three. I could not keep him, no matter what I wished. Sometimes I wish I could have given up the kingdom. I would have traded it for him, no questions asked." She looked up, breaking out of her revery. She noted tears in the big stallion's eyes. "Is something wrong?" Lorissa intercepted the question. "No, not really. He would be the last to admit it, but he's really a big softie on the inside; and a die-hard romantic." Roseroar patted her on the shoulder. "I had one once deary. They are few and far between. Do your best to keep him close." "Oh, I intend to, but I think he has other plans." Roseroar planted her hands on her hips and looked at the big stallion. "If you know whats good for you, I would suggest you think twice before leaving this female behind. We had a nice exchange of experiences. You have done wonderful things for her, just like someone did for me once."

Jon-Tom found his tongue. "Yes, I understand that you have power unto yourself. Would you care to demonstrate?" Lorissa kicked him. "Merry, that is hardly a proper request. Besides, you know how you get around female equines." Roseroar took no offense. "I would be happy to show you, once I get off of your back." She slid down and in one fluid motion, transformed into that wonderful little unicorn he remembered so well. He remembered riding on her back, as well as her backside. Sure enough, his memories were causing a disturbance in his nether regions.  The tigress couldn't help but notice. If she was shocked, she didn't show it. "My goodness, that's a lot of cock for one girl, don't you think?" Jon-Tom should have been embarrassed, but for some reason was not. "I apologize your majesty. I am presently paired, so mentally my mind knows better. But somewhere down the line my body hasn't received the memo." She let out a hearty laugh. "Then I pity your mate, unless she is happy with such a tool. I was content with one that was much smaller, though it was more than plenty in its own right. It certainly could reach the itches!"

"Can your majesty tell us more about him, or would that be prying," asked Lorissa. "Let's head back, and I will tell you on the way." Roseroar took off at a slow gallop, forcing the others to catch up. "Are you sure you should be seen in your present body?" asked  the mare. "I'll change before we get within sight of the city. It isn't often I get the chance to range. So anyway, you want to know about my love. Like I said, he was human. We met when he conjured me up by accident, though it proved to be a happy one. He was my companion when I returned home, and what a companion he turned out to be. He's the one who gave the power to transform. And he was a lover beyond compare. We separated on mutually repugnant terms. He left me with something dear and precious to kept me strong over the passing of the years. I would have given him the entire kingdom; so would have father, but I knew he was too honorable to accept it. I miss him very much, and I hope he feels the same way."

Jon-Tom tried to choke something out. All he did was make a gurgling sound. "Is something wrong?" Lorissa stepped in again. "Oh, he gets worked up over stories like this. He really has a great heart and goes out of his way to help out others. He acts a lot like your human love." They were slowing down, coming to a stop along a massive boulder. Roseroar was tigress once more. "Can I finish the trip on your back?" All he could do was nod yes. She sprang up and they were off, making the distance in about a minute. The palace flunkies all took a deep breath when they knew she was back safely. She slid down, turned and bowed. "Thank you so much! May you both enjoy a long and love filled life!" The two unicorns dropped to one knee and bowed their heads. They then turned and headed back out the gate.

Jon-Tom was silent for a long time. She afforded him with equal silence, knowing that she may have gone too far in her actions.  She probed him mentally and found he didn't resist. "Jon-Tom, are you angry with me? I only though that you might like to see her again." He answered back in the same manner. "It was great to see her, but now I'm leaving again. I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I will always have the strongest possible love for her. You see, I feel love for you, and it is strong, but it will never reach the heights that Roseroar and I reached. So you see, it is a mixed blessing, for seeing her again has lifted me up on high, and leaving is tearing me apart. In the end, if you ask me again sometime in the future, I will likely say the trip was worthwhile, but don't ask me now."

"I suppose that means that we are done on our honeymoon?" He snorted. "I just got a hard-on in front of royalty. Do you think I'm going to let you go unpunished for making such a thing happen? I intend to take it out of your hide for at least a week!" She whinnied with delight. Indeed, it was a week of exploring and love making. For Jon-Tom it was in part a good way of trying to forget his tigress. He immersed himself in his duties to the point that Lorissa had to exercise her healing powers more than once. But each time she was ready for more. At the end of the week they had made their way back, and presented themselves to her dam and sire. They were overjoyed to learn that their daughter was expecting, but equally grim when they learned that the stallion was not staying.

"But sir, is there no way you can stay? A pairing is supposed to be for life. Can you tell us why you are breaking it off already?" Jon-Tom stamped his hoof. "I am not breaking it off. We are paired. But I cannot stay. She knows why. If she wishes to enlightened you, then so be it. But do not pry. It is the will of Dhoov Capell, and it is not to be trifled with." With his words the entire structure shook, dust sifting down from the rafters. All three looked alarmed. "Did you say Dhoov Capell?" He snorted rather peevishly. "I didn't stammer. I am he, the founder of the clan. My work is done and I must leave. In my place will be another. Lorissa already knows who he is. He will not make an appropriate mate, but he will be her friend and will be there if she should need help. You will respect my choices, for the good of my mate and the good of the clan."

They bowed. "We will do as you say." "Good, for I am tired and I need a rest." He returned with Lorissa to her private chambers. "My dear little mare, now is the time when I must go. Could you give me a few minutes?" "Uh, sure?" she stammered out. When she was gone, Jon-Tom found himself drawn to the internal meadow again. There was the big black stallion. "Well human, did you have enough fun?" "Sure, though that's not quite the word I would use." "All right then, did you enjoy your time with my descendant, now the mother of our child?" "Fine, yes, I did. It has been a pleasure helping her, and being her mate. And yes, the sex has been great. But I am still in a quandary. I have no idea how to change back to being me. I can't very well live the rest of my life like this!" The unicorn looked angry. "And why not? Don't you find being a horse to your liking?"

Jon-Tom thought that one over. "I am not suited for being a horse. I like horses, and whether I'm human or equine, I finding making love to them to be a deeply rewarding experience. But in the end, I'm just not cut out for it. It's a job best left up to those who can handle it better than I can!" The unicorn appeared mollified. "You have great spirit human; not a lot of brains really, but great spirit. You are right in not staying. My son should have a father, but he will have great guidance from his grand-sire  and grand-dam. Say your goodbyes to Lorissa and let us present to her parents one last time. He walked out and found the mare. "It's time for me to go. I wish to speak with your sire and dam before I leave" The two were still in shock over his apparent abandonment but were grateful to have one last talk before he went. He said nothing, but placed his horn against their heads in turn, and saying nothing, walked out.

Lorissa followed. "What did you do?" He snorted  with exasperation."I did two things. The first was to explain what you future held for you by explaining the present and the immediate past. I also gave them longer life, so that they may be here to help raise my son, something I will be denied." She wished to discuss more, but he signaled that if she did, she would have to keep pace with him. In no time they were traveling like the wind. "Jon-Tom, why did you claim to be Dhoov Capell? Calling yourself Merry Withers was all well and good, but you used our ancestor's real name, something few even know."  He said nothing for a bit. "Does the name Fairy Hooves mean anything to you?" Indeed it did. "That was my many times great grand-dam, the mate of Merry Withers. Its was from her children that the present clans descend." "Correct. Do you know her full name?" She had to admit that she did not. The common name was all that was left after all of these many years. The discussion had been brief, but in the time it took they were to their old campsite. It was then that he endeavored to answer.

"Her name was Alainn, and she was the most beautiful thing in the world. I called her Fairy Hooves because she was so dainty. You are my descendent as well as hers. If you find this disturbing, remember that I am only a spirit. This human has provided the flesh, so there is no moral considerations to be concerned with. But I must go. I came, I saw, I conquered. My line will carry on as it should." Before she could compose herself to reply, the black unicorn shifted shape. As it took human form, a tiny speck of light withdrew from it and held still, hovering in midair. Jon-Tom groaned and got up off of the ground. He stared at the light, seemingly entranced.  She wasn't aware of  what was happening until she tried to touch him mentally. She broke into a conversation already in the works. "...so you see, you will have several lasting side-effects to this bonding. While it cannot be helped, I don't see how it will effect you adversely. In the meantime, I give you charge over my mate. Treat her forever like she is yours. I know you cannot raise the boy properly, so his care has been entrusted to others. But I expect you to honor my wishes until your dying day. Do you agree?" Now it was Jon-Tom's voice."I most certainly do" "Good, for I must go. I have my true mate waiting for me somewhere..." As the voice said that, another light appeared. "I've gotta go. Take care spell-singer! Take care Lorissa, who I know has been listening in. Keep safe my heir!" And with that the lights were gone.

Jon-Tom dropped to the ground like a stone. She ran to him. "Are you alright?" His head was swimming. "Yeah, I'll be fine in a minute. I've been running around with that thing in my head for the past month. It's been the damnedest thing that's ever happened to me." "Jon-Tom, how did it happen?" He took in a deep breath. "It happened because of my singing. I was playing horse songs and boom!, there he was inside me. It was his spirit that transformed me and gave his powers. Come to think of it, it was probably the only way this whole mess would have ever been solved!" She transformed to human and lay down with him. "So let me get this straight. All this time it's not been you I've been with, but really my ancestor?" "Yes. No!" He sighed and took in a deep breath. "It was he and I together. Like he said, I had the flesh and he had the spirit. Lorissa, if it weren't for him, none of this would have been possible. Most of the time he hid in the farthest reaches of my mind. But if it weren't for his knowledge and the magic that is inherent to a unicorn, I would never have been able to save you."

She pondered that for a while. "I can accept that. It's rather weird, but it makes sense on a cosmic level. But I must say, as far as I am concerned, I have been cheated." He looked up at her sharply. "Cheated?" How the hell do you figure that? You were saved from a spell, restored to your birthright, impregnated with a full-blooded heir, and shown sights none of your  peers will likely ever see. How have you been cheated?!" She stared him straight in the eyes. "You were going to make love to me. All I got was this kinky dual personality gig. You still owe me!" He fell back against the ground in a fit of laughter. He wasn't going to push matters in that direction, but she wasn't pulling any punches. It sounded good to him, for it gave him a few things to try out. She was already on top of him, rubbing herself across his hardening cock.

Her delight in this action turned to an indignant yelp. "For God's sake Jon-Tom, put that thing away!" One of the side effects of having hosted a unicorn was being endowed with a cock whose size was fully controllable. He had just let it grow until it slid between her breasts to tickle her chin. He quickly reduced it to something more manageable. They were soon oblivious to everything around them. The next day, after Jon-Tom made further reparations, the two set off for the tree. He had gone only a few steps when her cough drew him back. "Uh, Jon-Tom, aren't you forgetting something?" He thought it over, and decided there was something, but he couldn't place his finger on it. "You might want to dig up  your cape! You have some clothes in there, and a duar, and a staff and maybe still some apples?" Duh! He had gotten used to not having clothing on. He found the spot, with the cape coming out only mildly disreputable looking. He spoke the word and opened the top. Out came his shirt and pants and boots. Once dressed he pulled out his instrument, running his fingers over the strings. It was good to be human.

He fumbled around in his storage until his hand found a apple. He tossed it to her. It was eerily reminiscent of the start of this trip. She ate it as a human, but an instant later turned back into herself. "Climb up, Jon-Tom. This will likely be the last time you get to ride me, so you had better enjoy it!" She laughed at her joke, only later he was to one up her, so he got the last laugh. In no time they were back to the tree. Jon-Tom opened the door to allow Lorissa to enter. The clomp of her hooves attracted the old turtle from his workroom. "Can I help you young lady? I don't usually have people just walking in on me..." It was then that he saw Jon-Tom. "Spell-singer! Where for the love of gold have you been? And what are you doing with this, this...unicorn?"

"I don't know master, what does one do with a unicorn?" The wizard stuttered out some nonsense. "Master, I would like you to meet Lorissa. Perhaps you remember her from before, you know, the one who had a spell placed on her?" She did a little curtsy. "Hello Clothahump, " she said with a smile." Your apprentice is quite the spell-singer. I don't know how he did it, but he solved all my problems but one. He is quite an amazing wizard. I loathe to leave him behind, but I will make him promise to visit from time to time, even if I have to pick him up myself just to make sure." The turtle looked from one to the other. "So you had something to do with that black monstrosity that came and demanded me to hand over Waliwal?" "Yeah, that sounds about right,"chimed in Jon-Tom, completely enjoying the wizard's dismay. "Ask me about it sometime and I just might tell you." The wizard retreated back to his work room.

Lorissa turned to go. Jon-tom snagged her mane and pulled her back. "Ouch! What is it?" He motioned up the stairs. "I have a wonderful bed that hasn't had any activity on it for a long time. I think the least you could do is make it feel a little less lonely before you go." She said nothing but transformed into her human form. She grabbed his hand and literally dragged him up the stairs. The door opened and she flew upon the bed. He was right there with her. This cowboy was getting his last ride alright. But all at once he stopped. "What one thing did I not do for you?" She wouldn't answer him. He was going to have to find out on his own. I will not say what happened, only that it was a good thing the room was soundproof!