Joining the herd

As a volunteer at the local ranch, Leroy relished his work. He didn't care that it was free, of his own time and effort.. The farm animals were enough. Like the Miltanks, the Skiddos... Especially the Rapidash. That was what he had been assigned to today, and he was enjoying every moment of it. The horses with flames for a mane were just so beautiful and hypnotic to watch, seemingly singing the grass with each hoof print in the grass. Yet they never caused a blaze, never a fire


But it was nearing the end of the day, and naturally he had to herd the group of horses back into their stables, whistling out to the fields as the Rapidashes and the Ponytas started to trot back in. holding open the doors as the domesticated animals walked back into their stables, ready to be fed straight from their troths, prepared to rest and sleep. Leroy admired the equines as they walked in, the blazing hair shimmering before his eyes. As the last Rapidash stepped into the stable, he held out a hand to pet it, stroke its cream fur... but the mere touch caused it to whinny, panic slightly as it hurried on in... grazing it's flaming mane across his fingertips. Needless to say, he recoiled, the tips of his fingers singed and burned.


Quickly closing the barn door, he winced and sucked on his fingers, shaking them off as he tried to get over the burning sensation. It was never a nice feeling to get any part of his body burnt, but now it just felt worse... See, he could even see his fingerprint just disappearing, the skin dying... Becoming blacker by the second- Wait, that wasn't meant to happen.


The tips of his fingers, along with his nails started to become harder, seemingly charred at first... But the tips of his fingers became flatter. The black colour spreading up his fingers... As they became number, almost like... Hooves?!


No, that couldn't be possible. It was just a side-effect of the burning from the Rapidash mane. But the heated sensation started to build in his body, an intense pressure, as along his hands, his arms, a light cream fur started to spread, surging upwards to his body...


As his hands started to lose sensation, the thumb looking oh so small, Leroy could feel the same happening with his feet. Yet he felt the need to stand on the balls of his feet... In curiousity, he quickly went to look at his feet, ripping off his shoes, merely to see thick, back hooves, having torn through his socks, toes and feet no longer existing... But his 'feet' were still growing... stretching. Making it so hard to keep standing on two legs.


He tried to keep himself standing, as his torso seemed quite a bit longer, his arms getting longer, lankier as they themselves as hands became useless, now replaced by thick, black hooves. He didn't want to accept his fate, even as his pants tore against his unfamiliar body, his thickening torso and rear... Being forced to grunt as he felt his neck thicken, growing in length like his body.. like his face.


Even his face wasn't exempt from this treatment. As the building heat in his body started to light his hair on fire, he was more focused on getting through the pain of his ears being pulled out to points, looking so equine as his face looked ever so long, his long muzzle filling his vision, nostrils flaring...


Finally, the fire within him was too much. His hair burst into flames, flaring out along his neck like a flowing mane, bursting out of his tailbone and around the back of his hooves... while a pointed horn dug out of his skull, pulsing forward... forming a pretty looking point. His clothing being almost instantly incinerated as he stood there, trying to take it in. He had been burnt... And turned into a Rapidash?! That was... He let out a whine, turning into a whiney in his new tongue, attracting the attention of a ranch owner.


"Hey, you! Into the stables. You're not meant to be out." He opened the stables, forcing the equine in, despite its apparent protests before shutting the gates. The old man sighed, leaning against the wooden gate, treated to be ready for flames before looking around. Where was that boy Leroy? He was meant to be doing this job...