In the Hall of Ancestors (Patreon)

"Hmm," Alice murmured thougtfully as she fingered the heirloom comb and stared at the thrones in the Coronation Chamber.

......

My mind was a whirl of conflicting thoughts and emotions as I stood there, looking out over the judges' box and the crowd beyond.

"Let me up!" Avogadro cried from somewhere behind the partition wall.  "You don't understand!  I'm meant to be her squire!  I will hold the pies and brush her tailfur."

This form was far too tempting, with all of the attention and free stuff I could get while in it.  I needed to change back to myself, but doing so right here in full view of everyone would be disastrous!  I needed to stay under cover a little while longer; I had a mission to carry out, and good reason to believe my brother was in danger!

"Let me extend to you a Royal Invitation to this pie fight dinner thing, babe," he was saying to the giraffe, who grinned and batted her eyelashes at him.

Perhaps I should transmogrify myself into an attractive ungulate Floozy, to seduce Estmere and lead him to safety!

Great Fuma, no!  That was an even worse plan!  What was I thinking?

"Very vell, Anton," SALV Chesswick barked irritably.  "If it is zat important to you, zen fine, I retract mine points deduction.  Let's chust get zis foolishness over mit.  I haf more important zings to do!  I need to be keepink der tabs on Prince Adler's rebellious army, und I can't do zat vhile judging silly contests."

"Hear that, my dear?" Vulpsmarshal Sweetcheeks simpered at me.  "You're going to be going to the dinner with the Emperor, and SALV Kraekenhoepfer, and me, Sweetcheeks."

I had to hold out long enough to attend this dinner!  There would be vital intel to gather, as well as my best chance to inform Estmere of the danger he was in.  I just needed to remember who I really was, long enough to get through it, and get out.

......

Wise Professor Skunk says:  "One of the primary rules for novices of transmogrification is the threat of becoming your disguise and forgetting your original identity.  The risk is greatest when the student is not focused on his or her work and is enjoying their new body.  The first thing that goes is usually one's instincts, then their drives, then personality, self-image, and last of all their memory."

......

"You say you tracked her from the Gladsome Antglade?" Glenholm Webb inquired.  "That is curious indeed, since she hails originally from frozen Lengra-Cha."

"You fell for that?" Lemmy chuckled.  "Wait til I tell my son about how I, Lemuel O'Possum, knew something that the great detective Glenholm Webb didn't know!"

"I'm not infallible, young elf," detective Webb remarked drily.  "So what you say intrigues me.  Are you quite sure of your vixen?  She has, if this is who I think it is, changed her appearance quite dramatically."

"She certainly has," Lemmy crowed.  "There's very few indeed that would recognize her in her present shape."

"I cannot figure what she would be doing in the Antglade," Webb muttered, with a thoughtful puff of his pipe.

"I can tell you all about it, sir," Lemmy declared smugly.

......

"You dare bar me entrance to my own royal city?" Jimmy snarled at the gate guards.  "Do you not know who I am?"

"My guess is, you're a kook," Angus quipped.  "Some kind of Irenaeus impersonator who let the act go to his head."

"Aye, and yer the oonly interestin' thing to come along all day," Nero added.  "So, laddie, we'll be detainin' ye til our relief comes - if it ever does - fer the sake o' Con Security.  We're under threat o' siege, ye ken.  And ye look somewhat like an insurgent ta me."

"In my day, my reputation alone was enough to keep invaders out," Jimmy growled.  "We didn't need guards!  I'll have your heads on pikes, to decorate the battlements."

......

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