It was going well until she found out I'm a furry. But we're getting ahead of ourselves, aren't we?

It was your average Monday, and I kept sneaking glances at Laria who was sitting a couple rows over from me. She was our resident goth when goth as a style was dying out, and there were rumors she was a witch. Arthur, noticing my furtive glances, dared me to take her out on a date, and despite my insistence that I couldn't - I didn't even drive a car - he and a bunch of other guys insisted, and transportation would not be a problem since one of them volunteered to double-date with his girlfriend.

So now it was Friday night, and we skipped out on the football game to go to an Italian place, which Laria and I decided on. The four of us got our orders in, and then it was time for conversation. Gerald, the guy who was dating Hannah, let slip the fateful remark, and I felt a chill in the air as Laria fixed me with a strange yet powerful stare, and I felt electricity flow between us as something clicked in place.

The rest of the date proceeded without incident, and we went out separate ways as Gerald dropped each of us off. Laria gave me a kiss as I stopped at her door, and the sparks seemed to intensify.

That night was the most painful one I ever had, and I passed out at some point for the rest of the weekend, even missing church that Sunday. When I awoke early Monday morning, I was thirsty above all else, and so I went to the bathroom for a drink of water.

Turning on the light, I was grateful I held a plastic cup, the strange sensations from my proprioception making sense now as I beheld the body of an anthropomorphic bassarisk, and I realized Laria had turned me into what I now knew to be my true fursona. Odd, I thought, looking up what I had become. I've always thought of myself as a wolf, but...this 'ringtail' fits me to a T.

I suddenly grew a big self-conscious, noticing I was naked, and shuddered as I thought of the fright I must have given my folks. Only then did I realize all the time I had lost as I glanced at the date on my phone, and got to work right away on the homework that would be due later that day.

When I got to school that morning, I noticed that despite how different I was, people were treating it as though it was...normal? Then I realized that they were whispering not about me, but about Laria, and I turned around and beheld the most beautiful bassarisk woman I had ever seen.

First period was awkward as the teacher seated us next to each other, muttering something about the consequences of wish fulfillment and curses whilst offering congratulations, and Laria mentioned to me that the teacher is her father. With a common name like Smith, I wouldn't have guessed. She promised to explain everything to me at lunch, and I reluctantly agreed, though I wanted to know right then what was going on and why both of us were bassarisk people.

The explanation took the whole lunch period after we got our meat-laden meals, and now I understood why her dad was both upset and elated. Apparently if a witch or wizard transforms someone into something else by a curse or fulfillment of a wish, that person's soulmate is transformed as well in order that no barriers be erected in the way of true love. And so, when she transformed me into my true fursona, she became her true fursona as well, and since we were soulmates...

Years have gone by since then, and after graduating from high school and college, we are the proud parents of many children, all bassarisks as well...at least until they meet their soulmates. Then they become their soulmate's true fursona. Having this "curse" be passed down and propagate through further generations does not concern us; after all, humanity needs to speciate, as 8 billion of a single species is too much. And it turns out we weren't the first to undergo such a transformation, as descendants of other such couples from throughout history have come out of the woodwork to help us find jobs and other things necessary for functioning in society. You know those mascots you see at sports games and theme parks? A good number of them actually have actual furries underneath.

As I lay here with Laria in my furred arms, making love once again, I once more thank Gerald for mentioning that small detail about me. Without that remark, I would be a lot worse off in life right now. That sly fox...