Four legs good, two legs -- also good?

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Things had settled into a fairly comfortable routine as time has passed and the rather unusual situation had become commonplace -- if no less delightful. But, the Overlord had decided, one thing was still less than perfect. To wit: though he was of course a demon and had no problem going back to his proper form, and Dame Rarity had acclimatized herself to the magics that allowed her to take on a demon's form as well, their visits to the Netherworld, whether together or alone, never included the third member of this triumvirate.

Time for that to change. And so on a lazy morning with nothing on the schedule, the alicorn wandered out into the castle gardens, looking for Applejack. Not an unfamiliar sight, mind -- the real surprise might be that he had a purpose in doing so that wasn't just to hit on her.

Comments

[appletastic]

Applejack knew that gait too well, recognizing him by sound first. There he was, the confident overlord...presumably out and about for his morning snack. She tipped her hat to him as always, though her eyes betrayed some slight confusion.

"Zetta! And to what do I owe this pleasure?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

The Overlord snorted as he walked up to her, matching flank to flank so he could sling a foreleg over her shoulders. Maybe someday she'd relax just a little about... well, everything. Not that he couldn't blame her for still finding being sucked into this whirlwind with him and Rarity a little weird. "Maybe I'm here to sweep you away for the day," he said, winking to imply that he meant the same way he usually tried to sweep her away.

[appletastic]

Applejack hummed in response. Yes, she was quite used to hearing that line. She relaxed into his side, though---for all her play at protesting, she knew when to get comfortable.

"Alrighty, so where are we headed this time? Prance? Los Pegasus?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"What if I said it was just to bed all day?" Zetta dropped his voice as he leaned in to deliver a gentle nip to her ear. Easy enough to say he was asserting his claim on the mare, but truth be told, he was really just affirming it. He himself still wondered if all this was real, some days...

"Or maybe to my Netherworld."

[appletastic]

"Whooooa," Applejack drawled, her voice pitching just slightly at that nip. Now he was just playing cute. She flicked her tail pointedly, but when he mentioned the plan...

"Netherworld, huh? Your kingdom-place? Other than this one?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"You'd liiiiike it," Zetta drawled right back, leaning his side into hers with a gentleness that the alicorn just didn't seem like he ought to be capable of possessing -- physically or mentally. In more normal tones, he continued, "Yes, the demon world I'm the Overlord of. Rarity's settled in there nicely, but they really ought to meet you too."

The demons of the Netherworld had relaxed a bit since Rarity had, well, been Rarity at them. That mare had the proper temperament for demonic rule... Applejack was a different matter, but he thought now would be the time.

"Also, I'm really curious what you'll look like as a demon." And that might explain why he was being so amorous. Except that he was pretty much always like that.

[appletastic]

Ah, that made the picture much clearer. Applejack's ears tilted with vague interest. "How different are we talking?"

Changing her number of legs was not likely to be very smooth, she thought with a grimace. These were the kinds of folks you needed to make a strong first impression with.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"You saw humans running around during those couple times things went crazy and everyone got their normal bodies back, right?" It had happened twice, and Zetta was pretty sure she'd been around for one at least. "Like that. Except pointed ears, fangs, generally stronger."

[appletastic]

"Yup, I recall...oh my stars, this won't be easy."

She shakes her head. But if Rarity can...there's no way she'll totally fail. "But I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I reckon."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"We won't go anywhere public at first. Give you a chance to get used to it before you have to put in an appearance before any of the demons of the Netherworld." And possibly for more prurient reasons. "Oh, uh... it's up to you whether you want to put on a robe or not before we go."

[appletastic]

A robe? They certainly weren't going to a spa, so that was for...

Ah. She coughed.

"Right. Clothes. Can't wait to see what you've got in store there," she grumbled good-naturedly. The only outcome riskier than involving Rarity was involving him, without a doubt.

"Think I oughta, just in case you've got yourself visitors."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Hmph. If you think demons would dare defy the might of the Overlord and risk their very lives just to catch a fleeting glimpse of a beautiful naked girl... you're entirely right." As her time and experience with Zetta himself had probably taught her. And, no bones about it, he thought Applejack was going to turn out something special.

She already was something special, he reflected, as his smile briefly became less self-assured and wicked and more sincerely fond.

"So we're going to drop down on a distant corner of my Netherworld, the Black Sand Beach. That way, you can get used to a demon body without anyone besides me seeing. We'll save the public appearances for when you're confident."

[burningbrighter]

Applejack sighed fondly, drawing closer to him as the thought solidified itself in her mind. This was really happening. She was going to become something new, and he was going to love it.

"Reckon I can do that," she nods. "So...that's it, then. Ready as I'll ever be."

If you still wanna fix this let me know and I can delete and repost!

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Smiling, Zetta reached out to draw the earth pony close. Had to be nearby to make sure the request caught both of them up, right?

"Hey," he said, knowing that his scroll would catch his words and carry them where they needed to go. "Send us to my Netherworld."

Just a moment passed before rainbow light exploded around them and swept them both away.

[appletastic]

Applejack pressed herself against him, the thrill of fear running through her. This was going to be quite the challenge, she knew...but hey, she'd do a heck of a lot for him. And maybe, just maybe, she was curious too.

When the light cleared, she couldn't see much at first. The sand against her feet felt odd, grainier than before...and two feet were missing, transformed into...what the heck were those? Hands, right?

She clung to his new form, wobbling dangerously. "Did we make it?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Black Sand Beach was, just as the Overlord promised, deserted. It lived up to its name as well -- warm black sand spread out against a pristine blue ocean with waves that rolled a few feet high to wash up with a low, gentle roar. The sky above was crystal-blue as well with a few faint fluffy clouds to break it up. All in all, shockingly picturesque.

This was a Netherworld?

Well, the Overlord was certainly demonic now, as he had been twice in the past while still on Equestria. He stepped back, keeping his hands on Applejack's shoulders -- how was that for an interesting sensation, skin against skin? -- to keep her steady, while at the same time giving her space to adjust.

"Yep," he said -- somehow keeping his eyes on her face. "We made it."

[appletastic]

Everything shocked the senses. The grains of sand between her toes, the chill on lightly haired skin rather than fur, balancing on these unfamiliar legs...they were strong enough, but.

Her gaze shifted, taking in his form---and part of hers, it was unavoidable. Fingers skimmed over her own skin with some unease, but then, just to stay focused?

She lifted her chin and reached up, not finding what she was looking for atop her head. Drat---she wobbled as she searched the sand, eyes quickly locking on it. Her hat.

All else left her mind as she reached for it, straining against him. "Care to lend a hoof?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

At the moment -- ESPECIALLY with her moving against him, into him like that -- he couldn't make himself move away from her if his life depended on it. A quick second of thought later, he stepped in and wrapped one arm around her waist, lifting her up easily and keeping her pressed up against him.

With her cozied up, he took a couple of steps over to scoop up the hat with a motion that dipped her down and her legs up, then straightened to set it back on her head.

[appletastic]

Oh, so the great Overlord fancied himself a romantic. Applejack responded by tipping her hat, a familiar gesture with unfamiliar fingers.

"Why thank you, partner," she laughed, surprise echoing through her expression. Every sensation was new, a little overwhelming...and a little mystifying.

"But I reckon you can set me down. I've got these feet here to be figuring out," she reminded, eager to wiggle her toes in that sand again.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"You're asking for it."

Whether from the sensation, the new experience, or the Overlord himself, who knew what he meant? Zetta made sure she had her feet solidly underneath her -- and was prepared to have feet solidly underneath her -- before he released her fully and took a step back.

If she was going to figure out what her new body was like, he was going to watch every second of it.

[appletastic]

Applejack slid her foot across the sand. Her balance shifted. She lifted a foot, it shifted again. Then she dropped it, shuffling forward in something that resembled her usual gait---no, she needed a different approach. These legs moved differently.

She ambled her way to the water's edge, dropping to her knees as the path of least resistance for getting a good look at her reflection. She was so...odd.

Her mane, mostly the same but lighter. Her body, a little thicker than the shapes like this she'd seen before. She touched the spot where a pony's cutie mark would be and failed to find it. Her ears, pointed but not quite pony-like She ran a finger along one ear, frowning.

"This is sure gonna take some getting used to. So, uh...what exactly do I eat?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Watching her muscles play was a distinct delight. Most demon women, even the warriors, tended towards slender, and if muscular, wiry. Applejack, conversely, radiated a solidity that was no less shapely but appealing in a different way. Someone Zetta didn't have to be incredibly careful and gentle with, if he wasn't so inclined.

Just like she was as a pony. Very appropriate.

Suppressing a dirty joke with incredible effort, Zetta folded his hands behind his back to prevent himself from closing the distance between them again and just grabbing her. "Whatever you want. Demons are ominivores. Though us eating flowers and grass is considered a bit weird."

[appletastic]

Applejack pushed herself up on her knees and turned to look at him, hair flying over her shoulder.

"You think I care who thinks I'm weird? Shoot, I know I'm weird!" she said, gesturing at herself as she slowly pushed upright again. "But I ain't eating a critter. Maybe a salad. Or bread's all right."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

In that moment, Zetta abruptly realized that he apparently liked girls with really nice hair.

Not that Applejack would probably describe her mane as such, especially compared to the styled elegance Rarity sported, but her simple, long, thick ponytail had a special appeal all its own. He shook his head slowly, a rush of affection he couldn't directly admit to making his voice gentle. "You don't have to eat critters. And if anyone gives you trouble, I think you could make them regret it."

[appletastic]

Now that was something else she'd forgotten. Applejack squeezed a wrist with her other hand, flexing the fingers.

"That's right. Demons are different...I could probably still buck somebody into a tree, but there's more, ain't there?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

At this point, Zetta pretty much had a deathgrip on his own wrists behind his back. Let her get used to it, he told himself -- not particularly doubting that the pony-turned-demon would come his way when she was good and ready. "Not all that much more, really. You already had a mana power that was worth noticing, for a pony. It might express itself in ways other than kicking, so you just do what feels natural."

[appletastic]

Applejack turned back to him then, a look of curiosity crossing her face. She wandered back, flexing these fingers of hers.

"Right. But first I need a target...aha."

There was the perfect test: a rock at her feet. She widened her stance a little and bent over to reach for it, fingers fumbling before she finally managed a firm grasp. Then it was just a matter of getting back up, which was more difficult than it sounded...

...and finally she had the rock in hand. As a pony, she'd often buck them, but with these arms, maybe she could...

It bent back. Then forward. Then back. The rock fell on the ground when she released it at the wrong time. She grasped again, waited longer, and...

There went the rock, over the ocean and across the horizon. She watched it go with some confusion.

"...like you were saying?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Look... did it need to be said that Zetta enjoyed that whole process from beginning to end? Even watching her learning to move her body through trial and error had him downright short of breath, because it was watching her move.

His voice just a bit husky, he said, "Looks like all that strength of yours just shines through, huh?"

[appletastic]

"You bet it does," she grinned, her old confidence starting to return. "Now I think I'm in decent enough shape to be meeting these friends of yours...hm?"

She returned to his side more confidently now, prodding a casual elbow at his side.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Nope. Hell no. His hands shot out from behind his back; Zetta reached out to grab that girl by her exquisite waste and haul her in to press her up against him. She could feel him shiver at the sensation of smooth soft skin covering solid muscle.

"Should have done this a long time ago," he said, looking down at her with eyes that didn't need pupils or irises to smolder.

[appletastic]

Was she playing with fire? Of course. She threaded these thin arms around, only now beginning to indulge those same curiosities. These shapes were so new to her, but those eyes? Still the same.

Below those eyes, though...

Applejack leaned up, managing a quick kiss on instinct. She'd done this as a pony, yes, but these faces were shaped entirely differently.

"What, do you mean this?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Zetta shut his eyes, opening them only a long moment after that kiss faded.

"Rarity would have my ass for saying this, give me some lecture about how it's not a proper word to use to describe a lady, but... you're hot as hell."

The tipping point, when it came to Applejack, was always that moment she stopped being shy and started being confident. Sure, she was attractive all the time, but once she got into her groove, she was absolutely irresistible. And damned if Zetta was going to even try to resist, tightening his arms around her to pull her up for a much more thorough kiss.

[appletastic]

Applejack would've squeaked earlier on. This still threatened to overwhelm her new senses. But she wouldn't falter. Responding in kind felt natural as anything, curling a leg around his like she'd tended to twist hers as a pony.

When she finally had a moment to breathe, she pointedly raked that new hand through his hair. "Now that's funny, 'cause here I thought this place was gonna be full of fire. It was just me?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

One of Zetta's hands might have wandered a bit lower than her waist by this point. These things happened, you know.

"The area near my castle is lava lakes and volcanoes. The usual decor for style. But a Netherworld is a pretty wide and diverse place unless its Overlord makes it otherwise."

[appletastic]

Applejack curled closer to him with a pleased smile, fingers wandering with more confidence. She was enjoying this far more than she cared to let on, but that little hum in her voice said something.

"You didn't forget the farmland, did you? I'm not working without one."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

The truth, whether Applejack knew it or not, was at times like this she was utterly in control. Flirt, tease, even outright seduce as he might try, one word from her could chain or unleash him, one gesture could incite or subdue him.

"Damn... should have gotten you fingers a long time ago," the Overlord said with distracted bliss, his own absently kneading the muscles of her back appreciatively. He managed to open his eyes again at her question, looking down with all confidence. "There's huge green fields ripe for the farming."

[appletastic]

"I'll get right to work," she murmured, tugging on his hair just a little. Much more efficient to do that now, she thought happily.

"But you're not really after an apple right now, are ya?"

She knew he wasn't. She knew he wanted her, and she wanted him right back, but there was surely much to learn. "I've done a lot with my hooves, but, ah. Not quite everything."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Yeah. He did. If she had ever feared that she'd be a conquest, one in which he'd lose interest after he got what he wanted -- time had proven that utterly wrong. The more she was his, the more he wanted her.

"You know... technically, I AM after an Apple," he said with a grin.

[appletastic]

She snorted and pushed at his collarbone, as she often did. Make him work just that little bit harder, there was after all nothing she admired more.

"All right, all right...we're gonna have to let the steam off before you simmer and show me this netherworld of yours, eh? Think I can handle that."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

The push didn't budge him at all, of course. Quite to the contrary; his hands tightened on her back and rear, so her gentle, warm press against him became fiercer, two layers of skin the only softness separating muscle hard muscle where his own outfit lay his chest bare.

He loved that athletic body of hers, and though he'd definitely gotten used to fur, this was even better.

"Yeah, you're so put on. Like you're doing me some big favor -- like you're not curious yourself." His breath was warm on her ear, before he leaned his head back slightly to look down at her. "Like you don't want it."

To prove the point, he leaned that little bit down to show her how fierce a kiss could be.

[appletastic]

Her fingertips betrayed her, exploring that chest she'd seen from afar once or twice. It was very different, yes, but...not a bad different at all.

"I do. I just...well, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I like to hear you talk."

Of course, there were better things for mouths to do than talk. Like that, for example. She circled his shoulder with her arms and pushed upward, her body sliding with just a little difficulty.

Oh, it would be easier if---there. She insisted on situating herself higher up, climbing and curling her legs around his hips. There, that was better.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Congratulations, Applejack: you just broke the most badass freaking Overlord in the entire cosmos. Straight-out shorted out his brain. The hand on her rear and the one around her waist both shifted to support her weight -- not that they needed to, with the power in those legs that wrapped around him -- but that was purely on instinct. But for conscious actions? He had none. Couldn't even keep kissing her, as a low and barely-voiced moan escaped from his mouth.

Honestly, there was no real question which of the pair of them had all the real power and influence over the other.

[appletastic]

Naturally, this was the perfect time to tease him.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

As if to drive the point home, she started nuzzling his neck and lapping like a cat would. Well...a well-behaved cat, anyway. The only one she knew regularly was Opal, and that cat? Would probably do some scratching.

More ideas to file away for later, she thought with a giggle.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

When Zetta had been pursuing Dame Rarity, it had been in no small part out of the conviction that beneath that icy sugar-frosted exterior lay one fierce and passionate wildcat. And he had been entirely right.

But Applejack? As far as he'd ever suspected, Applejack was everything she was right there on the surface and proud of it. A simple decent farmpony, damnably sexy but in an athletic and innocent way, who needed to be taught.

He never, ever would have guessed that he'd find a similar hellbeat lurking under that hat and behind that warm smile. And every day, especially at times like this, he was thankful beyond words that he'd been the one to discover it.

She could feel his body lurch slightly as his knees went weak and wobbly. If there'd been a wall nearby he'd have slammed her up against it, confident that she could take it -- but without one, all he had was pure pride to keep himself upright.

"I was looking forward to showing you some new things in demon forms," he rasped, "but I'm starting to think you're figuring it all out yourself."

[appletastic]

"Aww, don't fret now. I'm sure you've still got a few things to teach me," she promised, her smile shifting to a shade slightly less predatory and more open. She held on, shifted up...and fully braced herself for a brand new ride.

And it was indeed a fair bit beyond her expectations.

Fully sated, and just a little delirious, she then found her way to the water's edge, splashing about in the shallows. "No more sand," she declared with a laugh. "It's mighty pretty, but I think I've had about enough of it for a good long while."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Zetta let out a long satisfied noise that was mostly vowels and bliss, his body still trembling slightly as he paced across the sand to join her. Applejack... was something else, and in thirty-five thousand years this was in the top five days for sure.

"Oh, I don't know. I think if you stop to consider it, you'll realize you have some pretty good memories of the sand."

[appletastic]

Applejack thought about it for a second, then two...then scooped up a pile of salt water, hurling it in his direction. It was somewhat easier than kicking it with hooves had been, but she still wished for a bigger splash.

"Alright, you win this one, darlin'. But this ain't the only memory we're making, is it?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Hell no!" the Overlord agreed, turning so the splash hit him where he needed some sand sluiced off. Though he didn't look away from Applejack for a second. After tearing up the beach you'd think he might have gotten his fill of admiring her... nope.

"I'll take you to the fields," he said, figuring that would hold her interest most of all.