At the bidding of their Lady, two knights undergo a transformative magical trial.


Adult male to female fox child.

A challenge by  fgm01

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Within the frozen heart of Winter, the knight clutched his sword and began to form a kata in his grasp. The icy cold metal burned through his gloves and his steel armor didn’t help one bit.

Sir Marceus took a deep breath, vapor coming out of his mouth. His beard chafed against his helmet and his hands rattled with the chill.

To his left is a warrior in dark masking his heraldry and insignias, a dark knight.

He looked at the hooded woman, smaller than him and dressed in a dense veil. Her face wasn’t exposed and a pair of ribbons trailed behind the wind, “My warriors. This trial is of utmost importance, for through it you will gain vast and great power.”

“We accept!” said the dark knight.

“Sir Felix, do not be so eager,“ chastised Sir Marceus. “Our queen and liege has given us a task. We should accept, but be cautious.”

The dark knight grunted. “You old man must have forgotten glory.”

Marceus sighed. He brought his head up in the air. He knew that this trial would be fraught with dangers, events that would seek to destroy him if he let his guard down. And yet Sir Felix, at about 10 years younger, did not even seem to know caution. “Milady, what would you have us do?”

The hooded woman raised a single finger and pointed at a brass-iron gate, its metal railings covered in white frost. “This, walk through and undergo the trials that will change the way your life will go!”

Sir Felix lifted himself first and dashed into the gate. His body abruptly vanished, armor and all.

Marceus lifted his head and turned towards the hooded woman, examining her countenance. “Milady, why are such trials necessary?”

The woman let out a little laugh. “Because this is to test the one thing years of martial training cannot. Your survival is never in doubt; but rather it is what else you would face.

Sir Marceus shook his head, but knew that asking further questions now would devalue his lady’s suggestions. He stepped forward through the frozen gates… and noticed that the winter land had grown less harsh. The snow had become lighter and the wind had become something more manageable.

The knight felt bemused, but understood that this trial would involve plenty of high magic. Perhaps in this place, the winter was simply less savage, less frightful. Yet as he thought, he saw darkness fall over his hands. He turned his gaze upwards and noted that the sky was rapidly darkening as though night had decided to fall upon him.

Marceus looked around his surroundings. He couldn’t find his opponent anywhere, Sir Felix had disappeared despite him having been only a few paces ahead of him just a minute ago. Perhaps the magic that sent him here was not nearly as precise. The trials clearly were not of a mundane nature, so perhaps he was simply elsewhere in this strange land.

Sir Marceus did not know where to go next, other than forward. His boots crunched against the snow. The trials were not strictly known to him, but he knew that understanding the trial itself was part of the process of proving oneself to be worthy.

Brush and shrubs began to sprout ahead of him, as a desiccated forest slowly engulfed him. The knight did not know if this was strictly the right way, but he could feel something in him that told him to press forward, even as the night surrounded him and the forest loomed ever more.

There is a reason that people clear away the woodlands they reside in and light their homes with flame - darkness and the woods were where the monsters lurk.

Sir Marceus felt it rather than saw it. Even as fear gathered within his stomach, he could feel the odd sensation of someone watching him, examining his every move as if to determine a weak point. The knight pulled his sword from his waist and turned just slightly to his right.


Something moved above him, snow on the tree branches fell as though something caused it to rapidly move. The moon shone overhead, the only light in this forsaken place.

Sir Marceus couldn’t see his foe and he did not pack a torch or a lantern on this trial. His eyesight slowly adjusted as his eyes tried to pick up all of the available light. He turned himself slightly and saw something glint in the dark. He raised his sword in a challenge and spoke. “Whoever, if you wish to fight me, I am ready for you!”

A raspy voice uttered out, like rotten nails against metal. “Brave words for one who faces the unknown.”

Sir Marceus felt a shiver go down his spine. Whoever this foe was, maybe the trial was about facing it.

A shape moved towards Marceus and in only a split second did he manage to land a mailed fist to force his foe back.

The creature stumbled but did not fall. Moonlight shone over it, revealing its features.


Marceus could only look in horror… as what he saw was a man, withered and ancient with a scraggly beard. His features were gaunt, his skin pale and withered. Its rib cage was apparent beneath loose fitting skin, nails long and gnarled. The eyes were milky white but still seemed to glow with an almost feral majesty. And the worst part of it was… Marceus could only think of how much the creature might have been himself.

The ancient creature staggered forward, a grin on his face. “What’s wrong? Scared of your future?”

“You are not me…” Marceus stuttered, but he knew his words were halfhearted.

“I am what you could become, a possible end for you when should you not fall in battle. You will grow old, wither and die. And all that will be left… is me.”

Marceus swung at the creature with his sword.

The ancient stumbled back, the blade never hitting him. “Let’s face it. You’re regal and covered head to toe in armor, but one day, you’ll be just like me. You’ll be nothing but a burden on others and everyone will want to see you go away so they can take what you worked so hard to keep.”

Sir Marceus swung again, this time the sword hitting a tree.

The ancient monster, the possibility of the future, hung just within sword’s reach, but always too far away to threaten. “You are so weak, so afraid.”

“...No…” He lashed out again, but did nothing other than carve away at shattered saplings. His opponent kept retreating from him.

“You will become me,” said the creature again.

SIr Marceus lifted his sword yet again, but this time did not strike. “... You cannot harm me.”

The ancient monster hissed. “What do you mean?”


“You never once struck back except for the first time… but then you haven’t bothered to attack. Why is that?” Marceus spoke, contemplating his options. “And to be frank… you’re just a crazy old man with really long nails. You can’t break through hardened steel when you’re just barely skin and bones.”

The ancient growled. “Your point?”

“I shouldn’t be afraid of you. You cannot harm me.” Marceus shrugged. “And maybe, just maybe I’ll turn into you when I grow old. But that’s still a long way aways. I could always end up something else.”

The creature hissed back and slunk into the woods. “We will see about that. I am the winter of your life, the end of the road. We will always meet again.”



Sir Marceus shook his head. The encounter was a strange one, perhaps one that was more
metaphorical than actual. He knew that whatever he fought… it couldn’t have been actually him, couldn’t it have been?

He stepped forward, a clear path through the woods revealing itself. The air seemed to grow warmed, the trees suddenly seemingly to grow orange and red leaves. Was this autumn now? The trek seemed almost easier now, perhaps it was due to the weather changing, but he could feel something was different. His armor didn’t feel quite so heavy as it should, like his steps were lighter somehow.

Sir Marceus moved through the woodlands and ran into a crossroads. A familiar shape met him at his side. Sir Marceus lifted up his visor and saw his rival looking right at him. “Sir Felix, is that you?”

“Indeed.” The dark knight snorted. “My Sir Marceus, you seem different, less pale than usual.”

Sir Marceus didn’t know how to take it. Did taking the trial change him? “Sir Felix, I wouldn’t know. As far as I can tell you’re still the same as ever.”

“Ha. Perhaps. I have just defeated this creature claiming it to be me! I ran it through!” said the knight.

Sir Marceus frowned. He didn’t know if that meant Sir Felix actually accomplished the trial as was required, yet at the same time, he didn’t know if he had done it properly either. Or if the entire thing was actually a trial and not just a misunderstanding. “I don’t know if that was a good idea…”

Sir Felix snorted. “Of course, senior, but I see no advantage in listening to delusions when the answer is patently obvious.”

Sir Marceus shook his head. There was only one way to know who was right. “Wel, I bid you farewell. It seems we are both heading to different roads. Mayhap we meet after the next trial?”

“Sure! I’d love to see what happens next!”

The two knights split from each other, continuing down the paths set before them. The autumn air did not shift or change, nor did the trees. The darkness did not waver or lighten, no matter how much time it felt like should have passed.

Sir Marceus understood that this place was not like his homeland and that it was a creation of some sort of magic. The trials were magic, so too must be this place.


In the distance, he could see something up ahead that glowed. A creature made of burning fire, a beast in the shape of some sort of wolf as large a horse blocked the knight’s way.

Sir Marceus drew his sword and felt like this might have been the beginning of a fight. However, he knew that simply fighting this creature might not be an option, as it was hard to know if it was a spirit or flesh and blood. He decided to make a step out of the road in the hopes of simply having the power to go around, but the beast stepped forth to block his exit.

The knight knew now that there was no avoiding it. He would need to face this beast if he would make his way through. Sir Marceus narrowed his eyes and prepared to do battle, waiting for the moment for when the beast would strike.

The creature lumbered forward, and that was when the knight struck. His blade passed through the monster’s flesh, heating up in an instant. Flames clung to the blade and Sir Marceus smothered the flame before it could be a problem.

The beast meanwhile silently watched and waited as if unsure of what to make that attack.It leaned away, as if afraid, despite not being able to be harmed.

The knight narrowed his vision, unsure of what to make of the creature. Clearly, he couldn’t kill it as it was made of living fire. And yet… it wasn’t strictly attacking. It was submissive if anything, when it clearly had no right to be so.

Sir Marceus felt a little foolish, realizing that he simply didn’t know what the creature actually intended. Perhaps he shouldn’t be so rash and quick to anger? “What is it you want then?” he said the creature.

The flaming beast did not move, only instead keeping itself low to the ground as if to be afraid.

The knight lifted his faceplate. “Now now, if you want something from me, you can say it… or show me.”

There was a silent whimper from the flaming animal. Marceus wasn’t sure, but he felt like the beast was in pain, suffering from some malady.

Marceus knelt down to the creature with an extended hand. “There there, I won’t hurt you.”

The creature leaned closer, its flaming body radiating an intense heat, a warm that could cook a man alive.

Marceus did not fear, not when the creature was making an effort.

The burning beast leaned close to Marceus, the flames of its body seemingly cooling to something less deadly as it approached the knight.

It was there that Marceus noticed something odd. From the beast’s side something protruded, something small and not flammable. He reached towards it, but the beast slowly backed away.

“This is what’s hurting you, isn’t it?” Marceus said. “I can take care of it, if only you will trust me.”

The beast stopped moving, glowing eyes looking into Marceus’s face.

The knight took that to be a sign of approval. He deftly went towards the object and with an effort of will and patience, he tugged at whatever it was. Intense flame felt like it would threaten to kill him, whilst something frozen touched his hands through his leathery gloves. The creature yelped and howled.

“Just wait!” Marceus spoke. With a final tug, he pulled the object free from the beast’s side. An icicle found its way into his hands.

The fiery creature looked at Marceus with a perplexing and hard to understand look. The beast touched Marceus’s leg, a warmth that was more like being close to a the hearth or a warm summer’s day than a raging inferno. And then the creature got up and left.

Marceus threw the icicle away, unsure of what to make of the entire encounter, but one that he might need to explain to Sir Felix the next time they met.



With the way forward cleared, the knight stepped back onto the trail. The leaves were starting to green and the air was starting to warm. It was clear to Sir Marceus now that the seasons were reversing. Late autumn gave way to early autumn, and then perhaps summer and then spring would be around the corner.

Another crossroads stood before him. And yet again Sir Felix was there on a different path.

“Do you ever stop and turn? I have only gone forward since we started!” said Sir Marceus as he addressed his competitor.

Sir Felix shrugged. “If it has, I have not seen it.” he then let out a laugh. “But look at you? Did your trial involve grooming yourself?”

“What?” Sir Marceus fumbled.

“Your bear beard is much shorter… and it’s red now. Did you dye it when I was not looking?” said Sir Felix as he lifted his own visor.

Sir Marceus touched his own face. Certainly, something happened, but he was unable to determine what without a mirror. His beard did feel different through, softer maybe. He narrowed his gaze onto his competition and wondered if he should be noticing Sir Felix change as well; so far, nothing seemed to happen to the dark knight. “No, I was aiding a wounded creature.”

“Ha,” Sir Felix laughed. “Perhaps it put a glamour or curse on you!”

Sir Marceus shook his head. He did not know what if anything was happening to him; all that he knew was that he needed to overcome the trials. “What have you done since we last met?”

“I bested a creature made of living frost! I melted it with a flame.”

Sir Marceus frowned. He had held back on the details of his encounter because he was sure that the other knight would not believe it, but apparently, he had encountered an oddity himself. Granted, Sir Felix had a different conclusion. “Is it wise to kill everything we meet?”

Sir Felix shrugged. “We are knights. We exist to fight.”

“We exist to defend and serve our liege. Fighting is merely an aspect of that,” the elder knight corrected.

Sir Felix took several steps down his path, clearly tired of the conversation. “Well, I’m not the one who looks different!”

Sir Marceus let out a sigh, wondering if maybe the young upstart was right.



The path leaned close towards a river, fallen leaves splattered against its banks. Feeling parched, the knight leaned over the water and refilled his waterskin. The water was chilly but didn’t seem contaminated. He saw his reflection in the water and touched his face. He looked, younger, his face fresher and cleaner than it had been in so many long years. Even his beard was more trim and elegant, bearing a style from before he gave up on making himself fashionable. The knight then heard a splash nearby, interrupting his musing.

Sir Marceus turned and found a young man in soldier’s garb refilling his own waterskin.

The knight turned to face the youth, curious more than anything about the youth’s sudden appearance. “Greetings, traveler. What brings you here?”

“A simple request by someone who holds authority over me,” said the youth. He stood and turned to face Sir Marceus.

The knight inspected the soldier, feeling like he had seen his reflection somewhere else before. He was clean shaven but the knight could see he had red hair. “My lady asked me to perform a quest through these parts.”

The young man nodded in understanding. “Yes. It’s… not the best experience. It’s strange here to say the least.”

Sir Marceus nodded back again. “You’re a soldier?”

The young tapped his breastplate. “A knight, well, squire I suppose.”

“Your father must be proud then.”

The young man frowned. “I suppose he is.”

Sir Marceus picked up on the squire’s words and understood something was behind them. “I take it you don’t quite like this state of affairs?”

“I… never wanted to be a knight,” said the boy. “My father wanted me to become one for the good for the kingdom.”

Sir Marceus stepped closer and put his hands along the squire’s shoulders. “I was much the same way, I never quite wanted to be a knight either.”

“... So you just did what your father told you to do?” said the teenager.

Sir Marceus nodded in solemn compliance. “It seemed like there was no other way at the time, so I did. I was a prince, and princes go be knights in my family.”

The squire kicked a stone in the river. “Well, I don’t want to be a knight, so maybe I shouldn’t be a prince?”

Sir Marceus chuckled. “Come on, boy, that’s not something that can just be done. You can’t just declare yourself to not be a prince. Although it would have made things be easier if you could.”

The squire grunted and took a seat by the river bank. “Well… what if you weren’t a prince?”

Sir Marceus sat down next to the boy. “I’ve… given up on such fanciful ideas a long time ago. I scarcely remember them.”

“You must have something.”

“... Well, I mean, being a knight isn’t all I do. I still manage my realm,” said Sir Marceus, his mind wandering to paths he hadn’t dreamed of in a long time. “Maybe I could go be a sorcerer or maybe do something else. I never quite liked the blood and fighting of my profession.”

“Being a sorcerer huh?” said the squire. He rose to his feet. “Well, that settles it, I’ll stop being a prince so I can stop being a knight, so I can be a sorcerer.”

Sir Marceus shook his head. What was with the youths of today? Were they always so eager to believe in the impossible? He laughed at the thought of the squire simply doing that. “So, what are you going to do? Unless you intend to abandon your royal responsibilities, you can’t just stop being a prince. We were born into these roles.”

The squire shooks his head. “Well, what if we were born differently?”

Sir Marceus squinted his eyes. “What, you mean if you were a princess instead?”

“Precisely!” the squire took off his metal plated gloves and they fell to the ground.

Sir Marceus rose and almost wanted to stop the boy from being so foolish and discarding his precious equipment, but at the same time, he was entranced. What if it really was so easy? What if he didn’t have to be a knight? Could he have done something else that he might have liked instead?

The squire began to undo the straps of his armor and the plate fell into the lake waters, never to be seen again. However, instead of a tunic, a dress flowered from underneath. The green skirt came free as soon as the squire’s pants fell. The heavy boots were discarded in favor of much gentler shoes. With the lifting of a helmet, a lengthy lock of hair had fallen out. The squire looked more like a young maiden than a knight at this point. And when he… she spoke, she had the gentler tones of a young princess. “See, I don’t have to be a knight anymore.”

Sir Marceus blinked his eyes a few times, just to make sure this wasn’t a trick of the light.

The young maiden before him lifted up the hem of her dress and did a bow. “I am no longer a squire. Neither do you have to be a knight… Oh, I almost forgot.” She lifted up her dress yet again, and out from behind her poked out a fox’s tail.

Sir Marceus did not know what to say. What he saw was impossible, yet, here it was. “I…Why do you have that?”

The now princess approached the knight and gently shifted his head over to the water of the river. “Because I can!”

He could only turn to look at his own reflection in the river, wondering if he could do the same so easily. Instead of his gruff face, he saw the face of the squire in the waters, a young man whose desires were crushed by the duties of princehood.

Sir Marceus turned to face the young maiden, but instead there was no one. “... You were me the whole time weren’t you?” he said to no one, but himself. The trials he was meant to undergo, they were truly maddening. He had just spoken to a version of himself that desired to become a princess rather than become a knight. And yet, Sir Marceus couldn’t deny that if he had that option, a certain teenager would have done it.

The knight… no, squire looked into his reflection again. He was just barely a man now, and yet rather than seek to restore himself, he couldn’t deny a small part of him… wanted something else. Could he really do what his counterpart just did?

He undid the straps holding his armor together and it felt like he was relinquishing some massive part of himself. No, he was regaining something he had lost. Muscle that was in its prime softed and metal gloves came off. A green dress spilled out from where the armor once covered, as if somehow it was always meant to be. Small breasts came from underneath the breastplate. Red flowing hair hung behind smaller shoulders, meanwhile a tail shook behind her and betrayed her excitement.

Marceus was utterly fascinated by the reflection as it changed. Relief washed over him as the burdens of a previous life no longer mattered. It was almost comical, as if he… or she had been hiding that she was a princess this whole time. It felt so strange and yet so comforting. A foxy princess was what she had become, a young maiden as opposed to a wizened knight..

Marceus laughed. “Looks like ‘Sir Marceus’ doesn’t fit me anymore, does it?” She spun around, twirling her body to feel just how different it was. It felt natural, like she had been meant to take this route. “I… I think I’ll call myself Mary. That’s what mother would have called me.”

Princess Mary knelt down next to her fallen equipment. She almost knew that wearing the armor would undo what had happened to her, so without a moment’s hesitation, she simply left. That armor belonged to a man who was never coming back for it. The only thing she kept from her previous existence was her sword, the only thing she could truly carry.


The next crossroads was something that the newly christened princess was unsure of. She wanted to see Sir Felix once again, but at the same time, she knew that he would mocker her for her decisions. It was avoidable however, for as when the crossroads appeared in the maiden’s path, she saw a familiar face looking back at her.

“No, it can’t be. Sir Marceus, is that really you?” said the knight in dark armor.

“Aye. Yes, I well, I… sort of had a conversation with someone who gave me alot to think about,” said the woman, putting her hands behind her body and idly wanting the conversation to end. Sir Felix was now the older of the two of them, if she had to guess.

“First you lose your beard and what, you lose your balls?” said the knight. He laughed at the new woman’s expense. “Are you sure you’ve been completing these trials like our lady asks? You’re… losing it from where I stand.”

Princess Mary took a deep inhalation and steeled herself. Woman or not, she wouldn’t be cowed by this man. “... I stand by my decisions.”

“Sure, just be ready to have to be married off or something. Mayhap our lady give me consent to wed you,” laughed the knight.

Princess Mary steamed. “I would not deign to be your bride.”

Sir Felix gave a mocking nod. “Honestly, my lord,” he put emphasis on that word. “You’re not the man I once served with. All I know is, I see a red haired maiden who scarcely looks like she can defend herself.”

“I will be fine,” said the princess. She then thought about her encounter with himself… herself. “Wait, did you butcher that… man you met?”

“No, I merely forced him to submit. Clearly some sort of trickster who was impersonating me!”

“... and you’ve never given it thought that it might have been yourself?”

“That’s crazy talk milady. And knowing what happened to you, I did the right decision!” said the knight. He slammed his helmet shut and made his way forward and to the otherside of the crossroads. “But worry not, I will… rescue you.”

Princess Mary fumed and walked away, hoping to never see the knight again if she could.



Autumn gave way to summer and the cold air was replaced by warmth and radiance. Leaves turned green and the world was lush with growing plantlife instead of the cold barrens of autumn and winter.

Despite her earlier resistance, the princess almost had to wonder if Sir Felix had been correct. She was… changing and becoming more helpless. The trials had only served to reduce her capacity to defend herself, yet Sir Felix had remained the same. What if she was going down a path that would ultimately harm her?

Princess Mary looked down at her dress. Her green floral clothing was comfy, more so than the hardened armor plating she had worn for most of her life, but she wasn’t supposed to wear a dress, nor be a girl. Was Sir Felix right?

The woods seemed more dangerous now, more intimidating to someone without armor and barely had the muscle to lift her own sword. Would the next trial doom her.

The young woman approached yet another clearing. Now, she was aware that whatever fate would befall her, it would occur here.

When Mary approached, she saw a great tree that stood alone from all of the others at the center of the clearing. A swing was suspended underneath a lone tree branch. In the swing was a little girl who had the head of a rabbit and wore a pink dress. When she saw Mary, the girl waved a fuzzy hand beckoning her to come.

Mary, intrigued by what she had just seen, stepped over to the girl. “Uh, hello there child. What are you doing here?”

“Playing!” she said. If Mary had to guess, she was maybe five or six. “But it’s so lonely.”

Mary looked around. There was no one else here. The girl was all alone out in the woods. That was strange. She was also quite well dressed in clothing that was more than what a peasant girl would have had. “Maybe I could take you home.”

The girl laughed. “No, I’ll go home later. I’m just… waiting for something.”

Mary knelt down. She didn’t fully understand the girl. She was out where she could be captured or eaten and yet she was clearly unthreatened. There was something odd about her. “Well, if you’re safe, would it be fine if I left?”

The little rabbit pouted. “It would… but I’d rather play with you. I’ve been wanting to play with you for a long time.”

Mary blinked. She had never met the rabbit girl beforehand, she’d clearly remember if someone she knew was a rabbit who wanted to play with her. “Oh, is that so? Why is that?”

“Because you’re strong and kind and really smart…” said the girl. “I wish I was like that.”

Mary smiled. She didn’t know how the girl might have known her, at least enough to give a summary like that. She sounded like she knew her, but for the life of her, Mary did not know why. “Oh, well, I wouldn’t call myself all of that…”

The girl giggled.

“Well, if you know who I am, who are you?”

The rabbit girl got off the swing. “I’m Felecia!” she said with a happy cheer. “But you should have already known that.”

“Felecia…” Mary thought it over. She was sure that she should know this girl somehow, but wasn’t quite aware how.

The girl then slapped Mary on the arm and then burst out laughing. “Catch me if you can!” she said as she ran off.

Mary darted over to chase the girl, starting a small game within the clearing. With her naturally longer stride, Mary had the advantage, but the girl just seemed so fast. Within a minute of the game, the girl was nowhere to be seen, having disappeared off somewhere.

Mary looked high and low, searching the tree and its branches, wondering there the little rabbit went. The only sign of the girl still being there were the odd bouts of laughter as she reveled in the game.

“Getting warmer!” the girl would whisper every now and again.

Mary leaned her back against the tree, a laugh erupting from her belly. It’s been so long since she had cut loose like that, been able to just… play without anything else.

“Come on, you’re not going to find me that way!” said Felecia.

“No… but I’ve been thinking…” said Mary as she laid against the tree.

“Thinking what?” Felecia’s voice sounded close by.

“Who you are,” said Mary.

“Oh?” Felecia said.

Mary nodded, her eyes looking for any sign of movement in the dirt. “Yes… You’re Felix aren’t you?”

Felecia let out a very large laugh. “... I am… and I am not…” said the rabbit girl.

Mary frowned. She knew this was possible. After all, she met herself. “Then, what are you?”

“In a way, I’m the person he is deep down inside...” said the girl, her words more profound than they had any right to be coming from a child. “We all grow a little world weary, our imaginations dim, our dreams shattered, our hopes die...”

Mary nodded but kept her eyes looking over at the ground. “But… even then, a part of that still remains, the part of us that wants to dream a little. Is that what the trials our lady are about?”

There was a long moment of silence. “Yes. It is about shedding away what you once were to become something new… like a child again.”

Mary smirked. And that was when she struck. She lunged out at a shape in the air and tugged onto something that was unseen. She fell onto her rear, something invisible falling right into her laugh.

A moment later Felecia’s laughter bubbled as though it was overflowing. The young girl appeared within Mary’s lap.

“I caught you!” Mary declared proudly.

“You did! You clever fox you!” Felecia rose to her feet.

Mary stood up as well, but when she did, she noticed that Felecia was seemingly taller than before, the little girl only a head or so shorter than young woman. No. Felecia had not changed at all. Princess Mary looked at herself, realizing that Felecia was being quite literal.

Mary felt herself. Her mouth and nose fused together to form a short muzzle. Meanwhile orange-red hair had covered her entire body. White fur coated her underbelly and small breasts she had developed only hours prior had vanished entirely. Her hands were more like paws and bore little claws. Her dress while still fanciful had simplified into a girl’s play dress than anything overly formal. Mary knew she had become a fox-child, a few years older than Felecia.

“Wait, when did this happen?” Mary said, now realizing that her voice was even more girlish than that of a woman’s.

“While we were playing!” cried Felecia. “You were having so much fun, I decided not to tell you.”

Mary’s face contorted into an angry pout. “Oh, really? Well, I’ll show you.” she leapt onto the girl and let loose a barrage of tickles.

Felecia collapsed onto the ground and laughed from the onslaught.

Both girls sat there fighting at each other for a minute before they stopped, when Mary had decided she had gotten enough payback.

“So… when this is all over, what’ll happen?” Mary said.

“You’re still not done, but once you are… well, this is the new you,” Felecia said as she laid there on the grass.

Mary shuddered. Once this was all over, she would emerge as a small fox-child, a girl no less. What would the other courtier think about the knight who ended up a princess? She had been so resolute about it earlier, but the possibility of going back as she was now… left her speechless.

“At least, if you really want to,” Felecia added. “For you, if you fail the next trial, you’ll go back to the way you were. You’ve done everything else.”

“But what about you?” said Mary, thinking about Felix.

Felecia frowned. “...I wish I was as clever as you.”

Mary thought about what Felix had done in the previous trials. He had instead of thinking things through or talking had simply fought his way through every obstacle. “But… Felecia… Felix, what can I do to help?”

Felecia shook her head. “He… I will be punished.”

Tears swelled from Mary’s eyes. She didn’t know what Felecia was talking about; the young princess was concerned for her once comrade-in-arms’ fate.

Felecia smiled. She got up and set on her swing. “Don’t worry, you’ll be there to take good care of me, won’t you?”

Mary shook her head. She rose to her feet. She had a mission she needed to accomplish. “I will.”




With purpose, Mary set foot on the next crossroads, eager to see Sir Felix once again. His… girlish side didn’t reveal too much about the specifics, but the young fox princess was desperate to see it through that the dark knight was unharmed.

When she came to the crossroads, he found Felix there, arriving just at the same moment she did.

The knight raised his face plate, revealing the same face as always, except in a look of shook. “Sir Marceus, is that you?”

“Sir Felix!” Princess Mary declared. “Are you alright? How did your trial go?”

“Boring!” said the knight. “I didn’t meet anyone!”

Mary thought of that for a moment. Was it because unlike Felecia… Mary was out here? “Well, I am glad you’re safe.”

“Speak for yourself!” said the knight, pointing a mailed finger at the girl. “You’re… just a child now. You can’t serve in the knighthood at this point! What happened?”

“I… played…” said the princess.

“Well, I suppose that serves you right. You let go of your responsibilities and look at what it got you.”

Mary’s eyes flattened at the shame she was receiving. “But…”

“But nothing, you’re barely able to care for yourself now. What will our lady think of you? What would the kingdom do when they saw you?”

Tears welled up from Mary’s eyes. “I…” But she didn’t say anything.

The knight lunged over and nearly grabbed Mary by the wrist.

It was only by flinging herself back that she managed to avoid getting captured.

“Get back here!” said the knight.

Mary darted past the crossroads, hiding her shame. She wanted to save Sir Felix, but the grown-up was scolding her. She couldn’t face him like that.




Sniffling and whimpering, the young princess dashed into the woodlands. Princess Mary couldn’t stop from, tears streaking down her face. The young fox cried tears of frustration and embarrassment, having been reduced so much and now was almost captive to one who had once been her junior.

She didn’t know where she went, not until she opened her eyes and cleared away the tears. She found herself sitting by the riverside, her clothes drenched in mud and tears. She knelt over saw her own reflection, that of a prepubescent fox-girl with red fur, a child. She had been so strong beforehand, but now she was weak, helpless. Did she do the right thing after all?

Princess Mary tried to convince Sir Felix that he was in danger, but the grown-up wouldn’t listen to her. She was just a young lady after all, small enough that she wasn’t anywhere near what most would call mature. Did she even act like an adult anymore, when she was crying so much?

No, she shouldn’t cry. She was a big girl. She was a big girl… She was a big girl....

The sword that she had kept as a knight still hung at her waist. The thing was so large now it dragged behind her as she stepped. She put its strap onto her back, wondering if maybe she could still find a use for it in this place.

The Princess rose from her position and walked deeper into the woods. She knew it in her heart that the last trial would decide her fate. She trusted Felecia to have been honest to her. Perhaps she should change back and reclaim that dignity she lost.



The woods were a verdant green, with leaves lush with life and flowers in bloom. Water and dew saturated every plant, as though snow had freshly melted off. Idly, the princess could see an image of herself playing in the woods when she was a boy, like she had been walking through the lands of his youth and caught glimpses of herself from those times.

Was it a temptation? A punishment? A reward? She didn’t know. All she knew that the land was practically inviting her to run through the grass.

As she stepped forward she arrived at a clearing. At the other end was a gate, similar to the one she had started this journey from. In her heart, young Mary knew that all she would need to do was step through and she would be home.

What made that seem so much more daunting was the wreckage that surrounded the gate. Piles of bones and discarded armor lay the ground, while the remnants of tables and homes painted vistas of death. Skulls and helmets were raised upon pikes, whilst the tattered banners of armies and lords stood atop mountains of bodies.

The young lass shuddered at the thought of going through such a horrific place. There was just something gross about walking through such a place, nevermind the fact that something might have been lurking there. Springtime wonderland or not, a clearing where soldiers died was not safe.

And yet, she had to go through.

“I’m a big girl…” she muttered to herself. She took the sword from her back and brought it to her side. She could defend herself, she was big enough to fight back or run away. She was big…

Young Mary stepped through. The deserted battlefield, her emerald eyes alert for any signs of movement and danger. Nothing seemed to come at her, but she was concerned whatever it was was just much better than it than she could see. The young princess knew that the wrong move here could spell the end for her.

The little fox then realized something as she wandered through. This place… was odd. The armor on some of the soldiers came from different lands, from different campaigns. One building was made of clay brick that was ill suited to wetlands, whilst another was composed of trees that had no place this far up north. This battlefield, she had seen them before from behind a steel plated mask, but never all at the same time.

Young Mary looked further and saw the remnants of command posts she had once been in, a barracks she had once slept in, a farmhouse she had once stayed in… Even the room she had learned martial warfare in.

The little fox clambered over to a destroyed war table, a map featuring a campaign that had resolved years ago. A weapons rack was right over there, stuffed full of swords, but with room for one more.

Princess Mary considered taking one of the swords, perhaps finding one that would be better suited to her new size. Tears fell from the young lady’s eyes and she stepped away. No, she … knew that this was not her place anymore, the way of the sword was for a knight and she never really wanted to become one anyways. This place where war was conducted, where battles were decided was not her’s, not any longer.

Mary took the sword from her back and unsheathed it. The blade represented more than just a weapon, but rather all of the years of practice and hard fought lessons that he had accumulated. She slid it into the weapons rack and felt something no longer needed leave her. She felt different, her head warm in a way she couldn’t understand.

When she stepped outside, the little fox could no longer recognize the place. The area was still scary, but it no longer felt familiar to her. Flowers and grasses seemed to have sprung up, concealing most of it, too, making it seem less threatening, but more unknown.

The young girl waded through the new brushlands, the trek more difficult than it had been a moment prior, yet there was a sense of anticipation that reverberated through her. She knew her trials were soon to be over.

Little Mary stepped through the icy-gates and emerged somewhere else.



It was a warm spring day when little Mary emerged from her trials. Vines had overgrown the brass-iron gate’s frame where frost coated it in winter. The scent of rainfall and melted snow covered the lands, whilst the sounds of birds chirping and animals baying filled the air.

Young Mary couldn’t help but laugh, both because she new that she had succeeded and because her surroundings made it hard to frown. Even better, and this was tail-waggingly important, she could see that her lady was there, waiting for her behind her hood.

“You’re back,” said her lady, her voice full of mirth. “And I see you’ve done everything as was intended.”

Little Mary smirked and bounced over to the older woman, full of an energy she had once forgotten about. “Ya!” she said. “I dids it all!”

“And you’ve gotten so small!” said the woman. She knelt down and urged the young fox to come closer.

Laughing, little Mary leapt into the woman’s lap. She was a little embarrassed by how childish she had been, but then again, what’s the harm in being a child right? “...Ya…” she muttered. She hadn’t noticed it until now, but the woman was right. Mary had become so young, she wondered if she was even old enough to be schooling age yet.

“You’re worried, aren’t you?” the woman spoke.

“...Ya…” said little Mary in a small and quiet voice. “I was a grown up… nows I’m not. I was a knight, but nows I’m not.”

“Yes, well, there may be plenty who will mock you, and many who might be jealous of what happened to you, but you’ve come out from this more honest with yourself,” said the woman.

Mary sniffled a tear of relief.

“And… it’s not purely for your sake, either,” said the woman. She lifted her cowl and revealed the face of a wolfess, regal and powerful, but definitely not human.

Mary’s mouth opened wide. She… hadn’t known this. How long had she served this princess for? Why hadn’t she been aware of how this had been? Or was it something else?

The wolfess smiled and kissed the little fox on the forehead. “Don’t be alarmed.”

Mary blushed. “Buh… why me? And… Felecia?”

The wolfess smiled. “We have plenty of knights, perhaps a little too many at this time. And… I felt myself in need of siblings, young ones I can instruct in magic. While I could have easily found children to teach, I felt it was a good idea to also reduce the nobility just a tad.”

Mary felt tickles going into her belly and she struggled to keep herself from struggling.

The wolfess stopped ber barrage and let Mary have a moment to break without tickles assaulting her. “You came out very well and with more potential than I had hoped for. Just know that while in many ways it’s going to be easier, this is a responsibility as important, if not more so than being a knight ever was.”

Mary’s blush brightened. Even in her diminished state, one thing remains, she was eager to please. “Yes, Ma’am!”



Crying and moans echoed out from around them, someone deeply terrified or injured was asking for saving. The little fox princess knew who it was.

Little Mary leapt from where she sat in the wolfess’s arms and darted back to the gate.

She saw a small form lying in the grass, one even smaller than her. She didn’t need to think too much to know who it was. She moved over to the small form and gently stood over the small form of a little rabbit girl. “Felecia! Are you alright!”

Little Felecia stuck a thumb in her mouth, her voice echoing out in a frightened wail. “It scawy! It scawy!” she repeated.

Young Mary turned to her lady, looking for any sign of guidance.

The wolfess shook her head. “The trails always cleanse the soul, but not everyone can do so as easily as you. She has been stripped clean as you were, but she had to struggle in order for it to complete.” She knelt down and picked up the crying toddler that Felecia had become.

Mary nodded, but that wasn’t what was important to her. “Can we… do something about her? She’s my friend.”

The wolfess smiled. “Yes, your little sister will get over it, as long as you love her and care for her.” She gently rocked Felecia in her arms and the crying child was put at ease and no longer cried as hard.

“I did that as a big boy!” chirped Mary, eager and willing. “I cans do that!”

The wolfess ruffled the little fox’s head. With one hand, she carried the little girl, whilst in the other, she guided the little fox to the first day in her new life.