The change in hir scent had been so subtle, sie had not been aware of it untill it had grown so different. Sie realized the latest train of thought should have been a tip off, but sie had only been a herm mare for a couple hours.
Before Sarah could go inside, Joey asked "Er, Sarah? Could you sniff me a moment?"
Puzzled, the she-stallion complied, sniffing at Joeys ears down to hir crotch. Hir expression got more and more puzzled at what hir nose was telling her untill sie took a deeper sniff of Joey.
"Oh my God! I think you are...um, in foal?"
Sie nodded "I think so too."
Sarah's ears flagged excitedly as the initial shock wore off "Oh Joey, I'm so excited for you! *giggle* I never imagined you would be the one to get it when you wished us like this. I thought it would be me." Sie hugged Joey lovingly "Wait untill Lorena finds out! By the way, you owe me a foal, mister -when the excitement dies down of course."
Joey thought about telling hir with equal parts shock and excitement, remembering what sie had said about the change and who sie is and is not allowed to have in a herd. *Wait a minute.. I can wish we two knew what happened!* sie thought.
With that, sie wished and suddenly sie and Sarah "saw" the event hir ring had caused. a quarter million people across the US had suddenly changed into equineherms of most pure breeds out of nowhere. Being so spread out made inbreeding a danger within a couple generations among local breeds, hence the rules. The two had been born several years later, and were cousins due to the low numbers of arabians in the area.
Joey hugged Sarah as the conflicting emotions raced through hir head.
"Sarah, I need to head home. I need to think, and the walk will clear my head. I'll see you at the party."
Sie nodded and whickered comfortingly "All right, I hope you keep your foal whatever else you decide."
As sie walked, Joey rubbed hir belly. Did sie want to keep hir? And did sie want to keep things like this? Did sie want both Sarah and Lorena?
As sie clopped in the door, sie kept out of smelling distance of hir parents, who were now also equines. Sie never imagined hir parents could look so wonderful.
Joey's wardrobe had changed to fit hir moods as either mare or stallion. Tonight, sie was VERY mare and slipped into a tight black party dress and matching silver jewelry. Hir perfume covered hir scent well enough to let hir dam, no, hir MOTHER style hir mane. "Thanks mom!"
Sie whickered back "No problem, sweetie. Trying to impress your coach?"
Sie felt hir ears twitch back in an equine version of blushing "Mom!"
Sie giggled "I see. Well, I hope you three can work something out. I hate to see such a wonderful herd broken up by the council before it even becomes a formal herd just on some bloodline computer's sayso. Dont worry, we can help fight it if need be. Have fun dear."
Nuzzling in thanks, sie trotted out into the night, suddenly proud of hir mom.
Reaching the party, sie found Sarah and Lorena chatting together. Steering them to the back yard, she nuzzled each before setting at the patio table with them, rubbing hir ring. "Lorena, I've found out I'm pregnant with your foal, and I've come to a decision..."