James would've felt angry at Rosa for stealing more of his spotlight... But how her body moved left James' focus on her! And he wasn't the only one! Her figure had been exaggerated to something that left the minds of many of the males in the room like putty in her hands. Those that even cared convinced themselves she'd put on an outfit that contained those exaggerated features. Compared to that, they didn't pay attention to the swishing little flames on Rosa's tails.
James however found himself letting out a soft growl like a charmed snake as her tails swayed, his own eyes glued on her, his own tail swaying with hers.
One of Brad's still human friends said, "Hey! Dude! This was some trick you pulled! Did everyone bring a second costume except me?" He slapped his friend on the back, surprised at how hot Brad felt to the touch. Producing a tingle that spread through him.
"Oh," the beak somehow smiled. "I'm pretty sure I've got one for you later. Just sit tight!"
"Really? Cool!"
"Yeah, let me show you where I put it."
Kacey stood next to Abby. Kacey could sense Rosa's new magic, and she saw the mischief in Rosa's eyes. Kacey worried a bit that some of these humans rather than being gifted might end up the kitsune's playthings instead. Kacey was elusive, Rosa was a honey trap. Assuming James didn't burn to ashes anyone who put the moves on Rosa.
Including Abby, there were sixteen humans to be changed all together. That was a lot. While Kacey sensed excitement from Rosa, Kacey felt worried. If any of the humans put two and two together and started a panic, they might do something foolish. At least the combined presence the mythicals so far was keeping them distracted. But twenty mythics all together was going to be troublesome to keep track of. Kacey wondered if it might be better for them to simply leave and uplift more humans later on their own terms.
Not that James was about to give up the spotlight, and Rosa wasn't about to give up her playthings before she'd even had a chance to play with them. Kacey felt a deep seated worry, and hope, that she'd be able to keep things from descending into absolute chaos. Hopefully some of the other humans became mythics with stronger inherent drives than feeding their own petty desires.
Abby, the teen in the plain, brown, store-bought horse costume still couldn’t help but stare at the majestic beauty before her that was Kacey. Her vision subtly cleared as she gazed, as if the mesh in her costume’s eye-holes were becoming invisible, but she brushed it off as her eyes getting used to it.
“You were talking about magic earlier?” Abby asked quietly, ignoring a twitching sensation in her ears. “Do you... do party tricks, or something?”
“I can perform simple tricks,” Kacey nodded. “And more complex feats, too.” Her horn glowed softly, and she held up a coin in her hand. She closed her hand and blew gently on it, then opened it again, palm forward, to show it empty.
Abby, meanwhile, suddenly felt a cool sensation behind her ear, and reached up to grab it. Her hand reached behind the costume’s high, pointed ears, and grabbed the coin she’d seen in Kacey’s hand seconds ago.
“H-how’d you do that?” Abby gasped. “I know how that trick’s supposed to work, but you never reached over to me, and…”
“Magic,” Kacey said with a soft smile.
“Oh, right, a magician never shares their secrets.”
“Would you like to see more?”
“Sure, go ahead.” Abby’s jaws ached for a moment, it almost felt like someone was tugging them out into the snout of her mask, but she chalked it up to having too much candy, and kept her focus on Kacey and her glowing horn.
Unnoticed by seemingly any guest but Abby and Kacey, a similar glow began to surround a paper bat decoration on the wall, then a paper witch. Abby gasped as both objects lifted off the wall, floated down toward Kacey, and circled around the two of them. Abby reached out to touch the paper bat as it passed, and felt it land on her hand. There was no sign of any string.
After a moment of rest, the bat lifted off again, and it and the witch returned to their spots on the wall. “That’s incredible!” Abby said breathlessly. She could tell her voice sounded a little off, and the neck of her costume felt rather tight for a moment, before suddenly relaxing again.
Kacey rested a hand on Abby’s shoulder. “And those are mere child’s play compared to the magical energy flowing through you right now.”
Abby laughed softly. “I appreciate the compliment, but that’s kind of a cliche way to say ‘I have great potential,’ or anything like that.”
The unicorn smiled, but still looked completely sincere. “I’m not speaking figuratively, Abby.” She leaned in closer and whispered. “Can you not feel my hand on your bare skin? Where is your costume?”
Abby’s eyes widened as she suddenly realized the girl in the unicorn costume in front of her… was not wearing a costume. The same was likely true for the guys in the dragon and phoenix “costumes.” And, for that matter, she herself was barely in one. Looking down, she could see the brown cloth had become skin-tight, and it’s texture had changed from a plain fabric, to fur. Her fur.
“Wh-what’s happening to me?” She whispered. “Did you do this to me?” She gulped as her whole body seemed to feel lighter, like her bones were becoming hollow. “I can’t-”
Wait to see the new me. A quiet voice in the back of her head said.
“Wait to see the new me,” she finished, then blinked. She was fairly certain that wasn’t how she’d planned to end that sentence, but it felt right to say. She shuddered, breathing heavily as she felt her torso slimming around the waist, and becoming firmer in others, giving her a limber, athletic build.
“That’s the spirit.”
“Am I becoming a unicorn like you? Is this permanent? What’s everyone else going to do when they see?”
“Keep calm. There is no need to worry.”
“I can’t HELP being-”
Excited
“Excited!” She suddenly realized just how thrilling this situation was. So few people got to truly become something new. She had to savor all of this. “I mean, I’ve never been through something like this before. I want to know what I can look forward to.”
Abby felt her toes clenching together, becoming round and firm hooves. Her shoes disappeared under the costume’s spreading fur. Her feet grew far longer, and her calves, in contrast, shortened dramatically, leaving her the same height, but making her knees appear “reversed” to the uninitiated. At the same time, her fingers grew thicker, pinkies and ring fingers, and pointer and index fingers merging into a pair of wider digits on each hand, her nails thicker and darker, giving her hand an appearance reminiscent of her hooves.
Kacey giggled. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. But you’ll enjoy it.”
She felt pressure building in her shoulders, as new bone and muscle slowly formed, starting a new pair of limbs. A similar feeling came from the base of her spine, pressing into the short, swishing tail at the back of the costume. “This feels so-”
Freeing
“Freeing!” When that word left her mouth, Abby suddenly realized what the two new limbs on her back were. They spread out wide, hundreds of brown feathers running across them. She had her own set of Pegasus wings!
A few of the other guests glance her way in surprise, astonished that a fifth costume had a hidden gimmick.
She looked back to Kacey. “Thank you for this!... Can I try them right now?”
The unicorn looked away for a moment. “Disappointing though it may be, I think it would be best to wait on more blatant displays until most of the human crowd would no longer panic at the sight… Though James and Rosa might not show such restraint…”
Abby felt like a kid looking at a candy store. The chance to really fly was RIGHT THERE, and she had to wait? But she saw Kacey’s logic.
She secretly wondered if there would be a way to make the changes go any faster.