{"sf1_id":634813,"sf2_id":null,"title":"Going from Gray to Golden","author":"StGeorgesHorse","words":2765,"posted_at":"2013-12-20T15:46:00.000Z","tags":["Equine","Horse","Human","Story Progression"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/634813-going-from-gray-to-golden","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/634813","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=634813\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"#25 of Robbin Red\n\nNever a dull moment.","content":" The\nnext day dawned with the couple in bed, the covers on the floor, and she having\na new form. The little gray koala had been her choice, but this one was not. It\nwas one of those times when her changes proved to be inconvenient. She was\nstill gray, but hardly fuzzy. She was now a porpoise and none too happy with\nit. \"This is one reason I like having your magic. I guess I'll spend the day in\nthe ocean. Care to join me?\"\n He ran\nhis fingers along her smooth rubbery flesh. \"Maybe. I think, however, that I\nhad better act like the mayor for a while, and maybe drop in on Huntchy. I'm\ncertain I can find you as long as you don't wander too far from the harbor.\"\nShe nuzzled him lovingly, and with a flash, was gone. He lay there thinking for\na moment or two.\n He had\ntried his best to die. It was too bad he would never see Alma again. He didn't\nhate her; not for doing what she thought was right. But she got to eventually die,\nleaving him to linger in a half dead state for centuries of real time. Jon-Tom\nthe zombie. That was essentially what he was when they had found him. He could\nhardly imagine some archeologist stumbling upon his tomb only to find a still\nliving corpse body inside. Then he chuckled aloud. Maybe the girls shouldn't\nhave rescued him. He had started the Red Riding Hood legend, and the werewolf\nlegend, and now the Arthurian legend. Why not the curse of the mummy!\n So,\nfailing in that, that left him as to what to do with his remaining life. His\ndesire to do good remained, but he had so much unfinished business across the\ntemporal expanse it was hard to find closure without knowing what life would be\nlike for these lovers should he never reappear. Eve seemed to believe that\neverything would work out. But how much time would it take? He felt like; how\nwas it? He read it once; like too little butter spread over too much toast.\nThin and worn. Of course, that was just a fictional character. But the two of\nthem shared some commonalities. \n He\nsteeled himself for his mayoral duties, though he had no idea what they might\nbe today. Sybeele seemed to handle a lot of it all by herself. He dressed in\nhis normal attire and accessories save one thing. He had laid claim to the\nsword, the one to be known later on his home planet as Excalibur. He was glad\nthey had saved it. It was one of the few things he had done as of late that\ngave him a sense of accomplishment. He had admired other's work in metal craft,\nbut now he had an object of beauty he could be proud of. The magic part of it\nhardly mattered. He was back up to snuff as far as that was concerned.\n The\nsword was fairly hidden amongst the folds of his cape. He doubted many would\nnotice it right away, if at all. He drew in a deep breath and stepped out into\nthe sunshine. He nearly collided with old Phoutag of the Mechanics Guild. \"My\npardon, Lord Mayor! I was hoping to catch you home. It is my understanding that\nyou have been busy, and I do hate to bother you with trivial matters.\"\n Jon-Tom\nlooked down kindly on the old badger. \"If a guild master has a question, it can\nhardly be trivial. What can I do for you?\"\n The\nbadger looked embarrassed. \"It has come to my notice that you and your wife\nseem to be much more than you let on about. There is always talk of magic when\npeople refer to you. Therefore, if I can be blunt, there are several projects\nthe guild is engaged in that are faltering. I was wondering if you would endeavor\nto assist us with finishing them.\"\n The\ntall human's face soured just a little. \"I see. I'm always a sucker for helping\npeople, but what does this have to do with me? If I help you, who's to say\nsomeone else won't come along and ask me for a favor. Pretty soon none of you\nwill know how to deal with your problems and I'll be gone. I use my power at my\ndiscretion. Even then, things can go awry. I'd suggest you stick to doing\nthings as you always have done and pass that information along to your\nstudents. I sympathize, but that doesn't mean I'm going to interfere outside of\nthe expectations of my job.\"\n The\nbadger scratched his head a little. \"You make a good point. Still, I felt I had\nto ask. You can't blame me for investigating any possible resource to exploit\nfor my needs.\"\n The\nhuman cracked a grin. \"No, I don't blame you. I admire you for having the\ncourage to ask. Now, if you don't mind, I have to make a house call.\" With that\nhe strode off towards Huntchy's. On the way, he paid attention to the various\nshops strung along his way. One in particular seemed to carry a dizzying array\nof goods. The sign above the door said Qurlis, Vawret and Cupperiff. He decided\nto do some shopping.\n It\nwasn't as if he couldn't spell something into existence. It was that he liked\nthe sensation of doing something normal. He had bought a small silver trinket\nwhen he first came here, a piece made by one of his wife's classmates. It was\nnice to look at and know someone else made it.\n The\nmoment he walked through the door, he was greeted by a flurry of clerks. \"Good\nMorrow sir! How might I help you today?\" cried one. \"See here sir, we have the\nfinest silks in from across the sea! Aren't they lovely?\" called another. He\nheld back a smile lest they think he was mocking them. However, their eagerness\nwas mildly amusing.\n Then\nthey scattered like the wind. The newcomer, a pika, carried an air of\nauthority. \"Good day Lord Mayor. I am Qurlis. How my we help you today?\" \n \"I\ndon't really know. I'm mostly here to look. I've been having some rather\ninteresting experiences in my job so that I've not had time to properly\ninvestigate my new town. And now that I think of it, I suppose I should get a mating\npresent for a friend.\"\n Qurlis\nsmiled at this news. \"Why, that's wonderful. We have many items that are\nsuitable as such gifts. Of what species is the lucky pair?\"\n \"Equine.\"\n \"Good,\ngood! We have some wonderful pieces just for the equine form, from blankets to\npersonalized shoes. All made locally of course. Who is the lucky couple?\"\n Jon-Tom\nwas looking around and answered rather absently. \"Trio. There will three\ngetting hitched, so to speak.\"\n The\npika paused. \"I hope the Lord Mayor isn't playing a trick on me. No one can\nhave more than one wife.\"\n Jon-Tom\nturned his gaze upon Qurlis. \"Really? That's news to me on two fronts. The\nfirst; I have more wives than you'd ever want to think about. Secondly, as\nmayor, it's my job to know all of the laws that govern this region. I'll have\nyou know there is no law on the books against a multiple marriage.\"\n The\npika's eyes narrowed. \"Certainly you jest sir. The old mayor was quite adamant\nabout such things. He said it was monogamy or else the wrath of the gods would\nrain upon us.\"\n The\ntall human shook with laughter. \"Gods? No, no\ngods. Just one goddess. And I'm sure she won't mind\"\n \"Goddess?\nAs in the old stories? Let's say I believe you sir, no disrespect intended, but\nwhy wouldn't she mind?\"\n Jon-Tom\nsniffed diffidently. \"Because she happens to be one of my wives little one. So\nyou can take it from me, she won't mind. Some creatures after all have more\nlove to share than others. Huntchy is right up there.\"\n \"Huntchy\nsir! But he was in love with twins... And one of them is male!\"\n \"Yes,\nhis is and one of them is male. For your information, the only law on the books\nabout marriage pertains to who can perform the ceremony. And for horses, they\ndon't get married, they bond. I know, for I was once paired with a lovely\nlittle mare.\"\n The\npika fell to the floor in a dizzy heap. \"I'd never call you a liar sir, but\nwhat you tell me is too much. Are you saying you would be willing to perform an\nofficially sanctioned pairing between two males?\"\n \"Or two\nfemales. I grew up far differently, mind you. But something dawned on me a long\ntime ago. If a male and a female of two different species can get married here,\nwith no chance of producing children, then why not two of the same sex and the\nsame species? Or a different species? It boils down to the same thing.\"\n \"Yes\nsir, yes it does. I don't disagree with you sir. Vawret and Cupperiff! Front\nand center you partners of mine. We have the Lord Mayor here, and he needs to\nbe shown the royal treatment!\"\n Vawret\nand Cupperiff were rodents as well; respectively an agouti and a pacarana.\n\"Good day sir\", they chirped in unison, \"how can we help you!\" The pika shushed\nthem. \"The Lord Mayor will from this day forward have free pick of anything\nfrom the store. I hope you will honor my decision because the His Lordship will\nbe granting marriages to same sex couples...or trios.\" He spoke his words quietly\nand with reverence. The other two gaped at him and then to the human.\n \"Is\nthis correct sir? Would you really do this for us? \n He\nsmiled. \"I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing my job. And there is nothing in my\njob, or any law on the books which prohibit same sex marriages, or bondings, or\nwhatever term your species uses. As long as you apply for a license like anyone\nelse does, I'll deny no one. Period.\"\n Jon-Tom\nhad seen a lot of things in his life, but he was rather convinced the three\nwere going to get it on right there on the salesroom floor. They barely\nrestrained themselves. In the end, they regained their composure long enough to\nthank him profusely. Then they grabbed\nthe original clerks, told them to agree with anything the Lord Mayor said, and\nleft for their private apartments above the store. Jon-Tom made a few\nselections and ordered the items to be delivered as soon as possible. But,\ndespite their protests, he paid in full. On his way out, he glanced at the\nreceipt. He grinned uncontrollably at the logo, a large Q-V-C.\n He\narrived at Huntchy's house in a few minutes time. He paused outside the doors\nleading to the chamber he had occupied a few times already. He had to gear up\nhis mind to grapple with the fact that as far as anyone here was concerned, he\nhad never been gone. It was hard to tackle the concept when in reality he was\ngone for...well; a life and a death. He drew in a breath, held it and then let it\nout. He allowed his knuckles to rap sharply against the door.\n It took\na moment before he heard a response. He recognized the voice. \"Who's there?\"\nThe second and third voices, while sotto voce, came through clearly. Both\nsounded joyful, and somewhat exhausted. \"Yes, who's there?\"\n \"Oh, no\none in particular. Just the one person who can see fit to join you happy lot in\nthe bonds of togetherness.\"\n \"Jon-Tom!\"\nHuntchy carefully opened the door. The human's eyes went up and down the figure\nin the doorway. A quick inspection found him to be sweaty, and sporting a semi\nhard-on. Jon-Tom knew that feeling. He hated to be interrupted during his fun\ntime.\n \"Sorry\nabout intruding on your reunion. I take it things are going well?\" It was an\nunneeded question.\n Before\nhe could answer, two heads poked through the doorway. Both were nearly\nidentical. The most striking thing about them was their golden color; not like\na metal ring or a necklace, but a pale, straw colored gold. They were gorgeous!\nIt was like looking at horse perfection. That was quite an assessment coming\nfrom someone who had been; and done, a few unicorns in his day. Technically,\nyesterday. But this color was so unique and lovely it nearly made him cry at\nthe beauty of it. He was actually at a loss for words.\n The\ndoor pushed open wider. The golden head on the right spoke. It was definitely a\nfemale voice. \"Your friend seems rather stricken with something. Awe perhaps?\nOr envy?\" Then she giggled. The other hushed her. \"Kato. Don't be rude! This\nhuman has likely never had the chance to understand the joys of being equine.\nAnd it's a well established fact that we are the best looking for leagues in\nevery direction.\"\n \"Kalos,\ndon't you mean erection?\"\n \"Shut\nup sister! Just because we've got our big hunk of lover back after all this\ntime doesn't give you the right to be flippant.\" He turned to the human. \"You'll\nhave to forgive our excitability. We never thought we'd get back our wonderful\nmentor. But now he says you will allow us to be paired, or tripled, if that's\nthe correct term. We can't thank you enough!\"\n Kato pushed\nback into the conversation. \"Yes,\nthanks you so much. But I believe my brother is wrong. I think we could thank\nyou sufficiently if you have the time!\"\n \"Whoa,\nwhoa, whoa!\" the tall human cried out. \"I only came by to see how you were\ndoing. I didn't come over to join in where I'm not wanted!\"\n Huntchy\ngot a goofy grin on his face. \"You're always wanted in my house my friend. You'll\nhave to excuse my loves. They are full of energy and joy. It becomes quite\ncontagious. Please come in and we'll do our best to behave properly while you\nvisit. And where is Alma?\"\n Jon-Tom\nstepped past the three equines. His nose filled with the smell of their recent\nactivities. The unicorn part of him nearly went berserk. His body shuddered as he fought down the need\nto breed. He already had a night full of fun, and his wife was in the bay\nfrolicking in the waves. He had no need for a fling at this moment.\n \"Alma\nhas departed to a far region. Let me just say that she and I had a wonderful\ntime, but that our time together nearly was the death of me. She was\nexceptional right to the finish. Outside of that, I will say no more.\"\n Kato\nwas wide-eyed. \"You made love to a unicorn? Huntchy told us about her. We had\nso hoped to meet her when we got here. This news is a disappointment.\"\n Jon-Tom\nsucked in a breath. He really didn't want to have to explain what had happened.\nHuntchy saved him from that necessity. \"My dear little filly; don't you think\nit's impolite to intrude on another's personal business?\"\n \"Yes, I\nsuppose so. But she sounded so intriguing. Of course, so does your friend here.\"\nLooking at him right in the eye, she asked, \"My lover here says that you claim\nto have unicorn blood yourself. If this is true, how is this possible?\"\n Jon-Tom\nhad an internal, mental fight with himself over this. Telling wasn't the same\nas showing. His decision was a poor one, maybe due to all of the pheromones in\nthe room. He couldn't say after the fact. He stripped off his clothing and in\none sudden convulsive transformation he stood there in their midst, a fully\nfledged, midnight-black unicorn. It was a mistake. His horse nose filled with\nthe smells of the room. He now had to fight this form before it acted improprietously.\nHis mind was trying to reign in a dappled cock that suddenly had a mind of its\nown.\n The\nother three equines in the room stared in disbelief. Huntchy had been willing\nto accept his friend's account as bragging, or wishful thinking. There was\napparently so much more to him that he had first perceived. The twins stood\nthere, jaws slack, tongues hanging out. Huntchy was disgusted by their blatant\ndisplay until he realized that he too was standing there like a love struck\nschool girl."}