Jonathan Herbison was not in a good mood. At times like this he liked to go to the forest, walk around, and just stew to himself. Something about the quiet sounds of the forest away from the hustle and the bustle of the city put him at ease.
He walked until he found a small creek in a clearing. The creek made a pleasant gurgle as he looked at his reflection in the water. He had a muscular frame, broad shoulders and a chiseled, clean-shaven face. He ran his hands through his short, brown hair. He was wearing a flannel shirt, khaki shorts, and sneakers. Despite being conventionally handsome, he always disliked how he looked for reasons that he could not quite articulate to himself. Something about his appearance always just felt wrong to him. Maybe that’s why he struggled to have a girlfriend for very long.
He splashed some water in his face and shook his head. “Alright. You’ve got this. You can get a new job. Find a new girl. Someone who likes you for you and doesn’t try to change you into someone you’re not,” he said to himself.
A girlish giggle echoed across the clearing. John looked around the clearing for the source of the sound, and saw a glowing ball of light about the size of a tennis ball.
“Um…hello?” John said. The giggle happened again, and the ball of light flew towards him, hovering in front of his face. “Uh, this is weird.”
The ball flew in a small circle in front of him, and then flew off into the forest. For some reason, John thought that it wanted him to follow it. This was weird, but some curiosity and a strange sort of longing compelled him to follow it. A brief thought flitted into his head that this might be something dangerous, but he brushed it aside. At least this was something interesting. If this killed him, at least it wouldn’t be boring.
As he followed the light through the woods, it became clear that his feeling that it wanted him to follow it was correct. Whenever it got far away from him, it would wait for him to catch up and then make a little giggle while it floated away.
John should have been paying more attention, however, as the light led him directly over a large pit. He fell down into a dark void for what seemed to be an eternity, until he saw a blinding flash of light. Afterwards, he was lying in the middle of a field of the greenest grass that he had ever seen under a sky so blue that it looked like it came out of a Ghibli film.
“Why hello there, stranger,” John heard a feminine, chipper voice say. He looked around and saw a strange, naked woman lounging on a nearby boulder. She had one of the nicest bodies that he had ever seen. Shapely breasts. Thick thighs. Large hips. A huge posterior. Pale skin. As she threw her long, straight, red hair around, John noticed that she had pointed ears.
“Uh, hello,” John said, not sure of what was happening to him or what to say.
“Thou looks a bit odd. I am pretty sure that I have not seen thee before. Where is thee from?” the woman asked.
“Uh…” John said.
“From the human realm, perchance?” the woman asked.
“Yes, I think. I’m human. Um, wait, there are other realms?”
The woman laughed. “Of course there are. Thou art a funny one. But where are my manners though? I should introduce myself. Others currently call me Juniper. What is thy name?”
“Jonathan Herbison.”
“Art thou sure that is thy name?” Juniper said.
“What? Of course it is. That’s my name. It’s what my parents gave me.”
“When one speaks one’s name, there should be a conviction and sense of pride of one’s identity, but when thou says what thou claims to be thy name, there is naught but hesitation and melancholy. While ‘Jonathan Herbison’ may be what thou currently is known by to others, it cannot be said to be thy name,” Juniper said.
“Well, I usually go by ‘John’ if that’s what you mean.”
Juniper giggled. “No. Thou does not say that one right, either. Apparently, either thou does not know thine own name, or thou has been deliberately withholding it from me. It does not matter. I did not tell thee my real name either, after all, so we are even on that front. But enough talk of names. What brings thee to our realm, John?”
John explained about the mysterious ball of light.
“Ah, sounds like thou encountered a Will O’ the Whisp. Mischievous little creatures that like to lure outsiders into our realm,” Juniper said.
“So, uh, how can I get home?” John asked.
“Thou has just arrived in our realm and already thou wishes to leave? There are many wonders to see here. Does thou not wish to see them before thou leaves?” Juniper asked.
“I really want to get home,” John said.
“Does thou have something that thou needs to go back to with haste?”
“Um, not really. My parents are dead, I just got dumped by my girlfriend, and I was just fired from my job. I just don’t want to get trapped here, I guess.”
“I do not understand that first part. Dumped? Girlfriend? Job? Fired? What do these words mean?”
“A girlfriend is just a romantic partner. Dumped means that she told me she no longer wants to be my girlfriend, and it usually implies in a way that is rude. In this case, she did it over text message, which is, uh, a way to communicate over long distances, and it’s considered rude to dump somebody that way. A job is where I do work for somebody, and then they give you money, which are little sheets of paper and metal that you can give to other people to get stuff like food and shelter and stuff. Fired means that my boss told me that I no longer have a job,” John explained.
“That all sounds dreadful. Why would thou want to go back to all of that so quickly? Working for others for the privilege of food and shelter! The very thought! Food here is plentiful, and everyone gets a place to live. The only work that thou does is that which is needed to accomplish your desires. And as for romantic companionship,” Juniper stood up and sauntered towards John, getting extremely close, “An attractive person like thee should have little trouble getting many interested parties in fulfilling that particular need.”
John gulped. “Um, if that was an offer, no thank you. I mean, I’m flattered. Really. But I don’t know you that well, and I like to get to go on a couple of dates first at least before doing…well, you know. But while there are parts of my home that I don’t like, it’s still where I live, you know. So I would like to get back there. Do you know how I can do that?”
Juniper laughed. “As thou wishes. All travel from the fae realm is controlled by Queen Titania. One must seek an audience with her to leave the realm. She is quite reasonable. I would not worry about her allowing thee to leave, as long as thou are willing to agree to her deal.”
“What deal?”
“That is for Her Majesty to decide, but do not worry. It will be a deal that is reasonable for thee to fulfill. Some basic task to help the realm, most likely,” Juniper said.
“Where can I find Queen Titania?” John asked.
“I can take thee to where Her Majesty lives.”
“You don’t need to do that. I’m sure that I can find it if you just tell me the directions.”
“Nonsense. I have nothing better to occupy my time with, and I find thy company to be most pleasing.We can talk of many things and see the sights as we journey to Her Majesty’s castle. It would bring me great joy,” Juniper said, bowing to him.
“Uh, if you insist.”
“Excellent. This way to the castle,” Juniper walked off towards a dark forest with John following her.

They talked as they walked through a path that moved through biomes at a rate that seemed unrealistic. Forests that were filled with little pixies. Mountain paths with crabs that looked like rocks. Jungles filled with giant mushrooms. Tundras filled with rabbits made of snow. Juniper told John about the fae realm, its inhabitants, its politics, its wonders. John told Juniper about his life, its dullness, its monotony, its drudgery. This strangely did not seem to bore Juniper, as she listened to his complaints with rapt attention.

After only a couple of hours of walking, they approached a beautiful castle in the mountains. It was made of white stone that sparkled in the sunlight. It had four towers that seemed to stretch up into the heavens. A waterfall ran off the cliffs above the castle right into the center of the castle. Little accents of gold were put all around the towers. A large moat surrounded the castle, its waters pristine and clear. The whole thing shined with more beauty than any building John had ever seen.
“Wow…Just. Wow,” John said.
“Does thou like the castle of Her Majesty?”
“It’s incredible.”
Juniper nodded. “No structure in any realm can rival it for sheer beauty. But it shall be dark soon. We cannot tarry here long if we wish to arrive before sunset.”
They approached the drawbridge entrance which lowers as they near it. A male fae in an ornate, green uniform that looks as though it would have been worn by a European noble in the Baroque era walked across the drawbridge.
“We can reveal that secret to this man, my servant,” Juniper said.
“If thou says so, Thy Majesty,” the servant said. Juniper suddenly glowed with light and grew taller and somehow more curvaceous.
“Wait, are you…?” John began to ask.
“Queen Titania? Yes, I am. My apologies for the ruse. I could not reveal my true identity until we arrived here. If it makes thee feel better, I technically never lied to thee. I just omitted some facts. Others were calling me Juniper at the time,” the fae that John had known as Jupiter said.
“Why?” John asked.
“I like to occasionally journey across my realm in the guise of a commoner to find any potential issues from an unbiased lens. I was relaxing during my travels when thou happened to land in front of me,” Titania said.
“I guess that makes sense. Uh, so, about allowing me to go home…?”
“Of course. But this is not the venue for discussions of such matters. Follow me to the throne room. We will discuss the matter there,” Titania said before walking into the castle.
“Alright,” John followed her into the castle. As they walked through the rooms, they passed increasingly extravagant decorations. Full indoor gardens with streams running through them. Massive ballrooms with gold-leaf walls. Libraries filled with shelves that seemed to stretch up into infinity.
Finally, they arrived at a cavernous throne room, filled with stained-glass windows and containing a tall throne made of red crystal that glistened in the sunlight.
“Everything that I said to thee was the truth about the requirements to leave this realm. I can send thee back to thy realm, if thou fulfills a task of mine choosing,” Titania said.
“So what do you want me to do? I can’t say that I have much in the way of skills. I can grill a decent steak, I guess,” John said.
“Thy task is simple: keep me company until tomorrow morning.”
“By company, do you mean…”
“It was not a sexual request, if that is what you were thinking, although I would be willing if thou wishes. I simply want to share a meal and discussion with thee tonight. That is all,” Titania said.
“That’s all?”
“Would thou rather I ask thee to go to a distant land and slay a dragon?”
“Uh, no. Talking and sharing a meal with you sounds fine. Great, even! I was just expecting something a bit more…”
“Difficult? Thou fell into our realm by accident. I will not force thee to do some onerous task to just return home. I am not heartless. Plus, it has been eons since someone has visited from beyond this realm. I would love to hear more about thy home. I consider it reasonable compensation for the right to travel out of the realm,” Titania said.
“Well, if you insist,” John said. “I agree to the terms.”
“Very good. It is late enough that we should start dinner soon. Afterwards we can converse, and then I shall have a servant lead thee to thy bedroom for tonight. Does all of that sound satisfactory?” Titania said.
“Uh, sure. That sounds fine,” John said.
“Very good. Come. I shall lead thee to a room where we can feast.”
Titania led John through several more rooms until they reached a relatively modest hall with a moderate-sized table that was piled high with delicious looking food. Unfamiliar meats. Strange fruits and vegetables covered in a glaze. Pastries and breads and cakes that smelled divine. Titania and John sat opposite each other, plates and sets of silverware in front of each of them.
“Feel free to eat as much as thou wants,” Titania said.
“Uh, sure,” John was hungry, and Titania had seemed so nice, so he served some sort of meat onto his plate, cut a chunk off, and used his fork to put it into his mouth. It tasted like nothing that he had ever eaten before. The flavor hit his brain like a truck. It was so moist and tender and had just a bit of weirdness that made him want more. He ate another piece. Then another piece. He cut and ate faster and faster until all of the meat on his plate was gone.
After finishing, he seemed to be even hungrier. He put some green fruit with an ovular shape on his plate and began to eat it with a fork and knife. It tasted incredible, sweet with just a bit of tartness. He sped up his eating.
Titania had not started eating yet, which John had not noticed. “How does thou like the work of my chefs?”
“It’sh delicious. Besht food that I’ve ever had,” John said while cramming food into his mouth.
Titania smiled. “Good. Although thou might find the meal makes thee a changed person.”
“Huh?”
“Thy humanity is a fragile thing. Eating too much of our food can shatter it. I would not worry, though. It would be quite an upgrade.”
“You mean…I’m turning into…” John said as he kept using a fork to shove food into his face.
“A fae, yes. Although the transformation is not far along yet, or even noticeable. If thou were to stop eating now, the transformation would likely stop itself and reverse. That is, if thou wants to or even can stop eating…” Titania smiled, her eyes burning with an intense glee.
John tried to tear himself from the food, but as soon as he tried to get up, his stomach growled and hunger pangs more intense than he had ever experienced gripped his mind and body. Unable to control himself, he grabbed some sort of whole, roasted, chicken-like meat. Tearing chunks of flesh off with his hands, he shoved his mouth full of the meat. It tasted so good. Perfectly moist and with a perfect umami flavor. He picked up the pace of his meal.
It was right around then that he began to feel strange. Like his muscles were getting weaker. Not only that, but his pants started to feel tight, especially in his backside. He looked down and saw that his butt was definitely getting larger.
“Interesting. The transformation is always a bit different depending on the personality of the individual. But with thy increasingly large posterior and the melancholy that accompanies the utterance of thy current moniker, could it be that inside you do not feel to be a man?”
“No…at leasht I don’t think…Uhh,” John said while cramming food in his face.
“How queer. Could it be that thou were not even aware of the source of thy melancholy, at least consciously? That thou did not fully comprehend why thou was not happy in thy own skin? That thou is in denial of thy true feelings about thy birth sex?”
“That ishn’t…I mean…” As much as John was trying to deny it, while he didn’t exactly like the tight sensation that his growing ass was causing in his pants, he did find the idea of a larger butt to be pleasing. And wider hips. And a large chest. He looked and saw that the hair seemed to be falling off of his legs. He had always hated the hair on his legs, but never had the guts to shave them because guys just weren’t supposed to do that. His hips were widening as well, further straining his shorts. He took another bite and began to feel his chest expand, pushing against his shirt.
“It still is not too late. Thou could stop and reverse the changes.”
I really should stop. John thought. He finished on that meat and then grabbed a large, orange strawberry-like fruit and began devouring it like a starved piranha. His face put on a little bit of weight and started to look more feminine. His shorts started to tear as his thighs plumped up, his ass expanded even more, and his hips widened. The buttons on his shirt started to strain as his chest developed into boobs. I definitely should stop eating before this changes me further. His shorts and boxers were torn to shreds by the expansion of his lower body, exposing his genitals. Wishing to avoid the same happening to his shirt he quickly stripped it off of himself, exposing his new breasts to the air.
He felt his feet shrink as he shoved more fruit into his mouth. He kicked his now too-large shoes off of his feet, and then removed his socks because it just felt right to do so for reasons he couldn’t articulate.
“Thou is shaping up to be quite the woman. There’s just one last major step for thy change of sex to be complete,” Titania said, pointing between John’s legs. John grabbed another piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth. As the meat disappeared down his throat, his member and balls shrank into his body.
“I…what’s happening to me?” John said, her voice now higher.
“Thou is becoming what thou always was meant to be. Does it feel good?”
“It does. I feel better than I ever have in my life. But something is weird. My head feels so…”
John tried to stand up, but she staggered and fell over, her head throbbing. Titania caught her. John could feel her heart rate rise as she could feel Titania’s soft flesh against her body.
“Careful. Thou transformation is incomplete. Do not hurt thyself,” Titania said.
“My transformation…is…what does thou mean… Wait, what did I just say?” John began to say before her ears started to itch. She reached up and felt her ears begin to lengthen and become pointed.
“Like I said, thou is becoming a fae. It feels nice, does it not?”
“Yes, thou is right. I…feel light. And so calm. And these senses. Everything around me is so beautiful,” John said. All of the light seemed brighter, but not in a way that was unpleasant or overwhelming. Smells permeated the air that were far more intense than any she had ever experienced. The sensations of touch that John was experiencing were sending jolts of pleasure through her body, especially the feeling of Titania’s body pressing against her own. She looked at Titania. John had found her attractive before, but now she looked inhumanly stunning to John. Her face. Her breasts. Her thighs. All of it perfect. John felt an unfamiliar wetness begin to form between her legs. John felt a strong urge to praise and submit herself to the fae queen.
“Thou is so beautiful, my Queen. I know that I am probably not worthy of enjoying such perfection, but…” John started to say.
“I can see what is happening between thy legs, and I could not blame thee, nor do I desire to. Who would not be aroused by such perfection? Does thou wish for me to show thee pleasure beyond what thou could have ever imagined?” Titania asked John.
“Yes, My Queen. Please. I need it,” John said.
“Then thou shall have it,” Titania reached down and touched John’s lower lips. John gasped. The sensation was the best feeling that she had ever experienced.
“More! More, do more, My Queen!” John shouted. Titania gave John just that, stroking her folds faster and faster. The pleasure built more and more until it erupted out of John like a volcano.
Waiting a couple of moments for John to recover, Titania asked, “So does thou still want to return to the human realm?”
“No, My Queen. I would never want to leave someplace so wonderful. Although I do not think my old name fits me anymore.”
“Then pick another of thy choosing.” Titania said.
“I would like to be known as Chrysanthemum.”
“Then so it shall be, my new subject. Welcome to my realm, Chrysanthemum.”
“It is a pleasure to be here, my Queen.”