"Ooohhh! He's beautiful!" Cindy stared at the big male zebra, grazing calmly in the center of the fenced-off pasture. There were two other zebras, both females. None would come closer, despite Cameron and Cindy's best efforts. "I wish he'd come over and let us pet him."
Cameron looked at the fence - there was a wire glinting in the moonlight inside the bottom rail of the fence, probably electrified to keep the animals from getting too close. But it wouldn't keep out a determined human. Cindy would be impressed if he went in and petted the zebras. He vaulted over the top rail almost without thinking.
"Cameron! Get out of there! What if they are dangerous?" Cindy sounded scared. Good - that would make it even better.
He approached the animals slowly. The stallion snorted and looked up at him, ears pricked forward. Then it lifted its head and sniffed the air in his direction. Cameron was still a hundred feet away when the big male suddenly trotted toward him.
He froze. The zebra did not look threatening, only curious. It wasn't as big as a normal horse, more like a big donkey. The black nostrils flared and snuffled his face, and then thick lips pulled at his nose and mouth. It wasn't biting him, though its teeth did pull lightly at his hair. Then it licked his nose and mouth.
Grinning, Cameron turned back to Cindy. "See? He's like a big dog!"
She frowned. "Maybe. But he's getting your face all dirty. Yech!"
"It's just being friendly." Cameron felt the zebra's tongue probe his ear and then slip through his hair as it washed the back of his head. Turning to face the stallion again, Cameron got another face wash.
He lipped the zebra's mouth as it pressed against his face, trying to mimic the animal's gestures. Its tongue met his, and they shared spit and breath. It was very pleasant.
"Eeeeeewww! Gross!" Cindy was not impressed. Cameron turned away and saw the girl frowning. "Your face is all nasty now. It looks like he smeared dirt all over it. I'm gonna go look at the dolphins!" She turned and stalked off.
So much for impressing her. Cameron gave the zebra a pat on the neck. As much as he hated to leave the affectionate animal, he didn't want Cindy mad at him. His face was getting all slobbery now, and he realized he was licking the animal back again. He was grooming the zebra just like the zebra was grooming him. It felt really good, very soothing. And the stallion smelled really good to him. Cameron's nostrils flared out, drinking in the rich male scent.
Huh? He pulled back suddenly, confused by strange sensations. His lips and nose seemed swollen and dark, pushed out from his face. Before he could figure out what was going on, the stallion was licking and lipping him again. Cameron responded automatically, and then had to force himself to pull away.
This was too weird. What was going on? He reached up to feel his face and gasped. His mouth and nose had become a partial muzzle! The stallion moved behind him and began to lick the back of his head as he felt flaring nostrils and bristled lips. It was hard to think clearly. This was wrong, wasn't it? But he felt so good, enjoying a rush of pleasure as the male lipped at his neck, his shoulders, his mane. Huh? Once again, Cameron realized things were wrong, and twisted his head around on a neck that felt oddly longer and more flexible.
There was a pond over where the two females were grazing, and he stumbled over to look in its surface. Oddly, the two females didn;t even look up as he came close. Staring down at the still water, Cameron gaped at what was reflected back.
His head was halfway between that of a human and that of a zebra! It was strange looking, but not scary. And as he stared, the zebra moved behind him and started licking the back of his head again. Cameron watched, fascinated, as his face and skull slowly reshaped and thickened. His eyes got larger and spread further apart, and his lower face pushed out into a full muzzle.
"Cameron!" Cindy had come back, and was calling from the fence. She couldn't see his head, which was now fully that of a zebra.
He straightened and turned toward her, allowing the stallion to continue grooming and changing his shoulders and back. When he tried to speak to her, the sounds that emerged were animal squeals.
Cindy squinted in the darkness, obviously not believing what she was seeing. Then he turned just enough to allow her to get a good profile against the moonlight. She screamed and ran, probably off to get the others.
Cameron was past caring. All he wanted to to stand here and let the stallion continue grooming him, changing him, making him part of the herd.