Jake was coming in from feeding the steers. He wore a red button-down shirt, a pair of jeans and an Akubra Rough Rider hat. He felt proud of his work. He threw aside his hat and mopped his forehead with his shirt sleeve. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that his hat had landed on top of... something.
``What is that?'' he wondered. He quickly picked up his hat and saw that was sitting atop a bandana. He recognized the pattern at once; it was just like the one on his fursona's bandana. Jake couldn't believe it. He really wanted to try it on. On one hand, it was just a bandana. On the one hand, he knew that he probably shouldn't put on a mysterious bandana that just appeared out of nowhere. For all he knew, it would turn him into an anthro Labrador! ``If only...'' Jake chuckled.
It was a win-win, as far as he was concerned. Without another moment of hesitation, he tied the bandana around his neck. He felt energy emit from it and flow all throughout his body which seemed to concentrate in certain areas. Suddenly, his cheeks felt very itchy. ``Huh,'' he thought, ``I could've sworn I shaved today.'' He knew what it probably was but he still had a small twinge of doubt.
It was quickly squashed when he felt pressure coming from his tail bone. It seemed to be getting longer and... hairier? No, furrier. Jake was stunned, he had to be turning into a Lab, after all! He couldn't speak. All that came out of his mouth was short bursts of excited laughter. His ears reshaped as they moved to the top of his head; he really wished he had a mirror handy.
Instead, the sensation spread to his hands. ``At least I'll get to see this,'' he thought. Much to his surprise, instead of the goldish fur his Labrador fursona, his hand was growing fur that was a much darker brown. Jake was surprised. ``Hm...'' He quickly turned around and caught a glimpse of his growing tail. It had rustic-red fur but and rings of brown fur that matched his hands. That's when it hit him; he wasn't becoming a Lab, he was becoming a red panda! That didn't damper Jake's enthusiasm in the slightest. To him, this was the next best thing.
As the fur continued to spread across Jake's body, with white fur under his chin and darker red fur across his torso (hidden by his shirt), his nose and jaw stretched outward. His nose turned black in hue, completing his new muzzle. By now, the most Jake felt was some pressure but his transformation wasn't painful. That is, until it reached his feet. As the dark brown fur covered his les and his feet turned into paws, they squished against his shoes. It was starting to hurt and he quickly tried to kick them off. Fortunately, he was able to remove them before they tore and the pain got too much worse. ``Phew!'' he sighed and wiggled his new toes in relief.
His fur spread across the last of his body and his tail grew out to its full size. With that, Jake's transformation into an anthropomorphic red panda was complete. He looked over his new form, very pleased with the results. His smile was a mile wide. ``I see you found the bandana,'' came a voice.
Jake looked over and saw Kieli, an anthro white cat, with green eyes, a black and gray ringed tail and a black patch on her back hidden by a long red cape. Jake had heard of Kieli, of course, but never thought he'd ever meet the cat in person. In this form, however, he remembered her like she was an old friend.
``Kieli?!'' he exclaimed. It was at that moment he realized that he was, somehow, in Kieli's dwelling. ``How did? What? Where? Who?! Why?!''
``What?'' Kieli asked, ``You didn't notice that you were being pulled through a wormhole during your transformation?''
``Uh...?''
``Does that mean you missed the entertainment too?''
``Uh...?''
``Right, remind me to cancel the check to the dancing lobsters.''
Jake just stared blankly. ``Uh, Kieli...'' he said at last, ``What is going on here?!''
``Oh right. Yes, it was I that sent you that bandana, turned you into a red panda and brought you to my lair! You're a smart boy,'' Kieli added under her breath, ``You probably figured that out already.''
``Yes,'' Jake admitted, ``but why-''
``It's important to get the redundant information out of the way,'' she interjected.
``That wasn't what-''
``Now for the final touch!'' Out of nowhere, Kieli clapped a collar around Jake's neck.
``Final touch?'' Jake asked, perplexed.
``For my pet red panda,'' Kieli explained, ``You can't expect my pet red panda to not have a collar.''
``Oh right! Of course not,'' Jake replied casually. There was a short pause. ``What was that about a `pet red panda'?'' As if on cue, Jake began to shrink and his clothes started to disappear like they were being erased. ``GAH!'' he exclaimed. His thumbs shrank and the rest of his fingers reformed as his hands turned to red panda paws. He couldn't remove that collar now, even if he tried.
Jake suddenly found it hard to stand. As dropped to all-fours, the last of clothing disappeared. ``The bandana too?'' he asked. He sounded more disappointed than afraid.
And there he was. A non-anthro red panda. Jake was tempted to bite Kieli but before he could do anything, she knelt down and began petting him.
``You make for a really cute red panda, Jake,'' she said.
The complement made something click in Jakes mind. He forgot to be angry and scared and just enjoyed the pets he was getting instead.
``Okay, that's enough,'' said Kieli, after a while. She got up and headed towards a door. Jake was disappointed that the petting had stopped. Kieli opened the door leading to a large enclosed outdoor area. Jake's eyes lit up, he quickly dashed out the door and began frolicking in the grass.
``I could watch this all day,'' said Kieli, ``but I'm not going to,'' she added dismissively. She reached behind her back and pulled out a piece of bamboo from within her cape (Don't ask me. That thing's like a pocket dimension or something). ``Oh Jake!'' she called, waving the bamboo. Jake looked over, saw the bamboo and trotted over to her. ``Aw, does the red panda want the bamboo stick?'' Kieli asked, sweetly. Jake pawed at the stick, chittering eagerly. It never occurred to him to speak. ``Okay, the red panda can have the bamboo stick.'' And she offered the bamboo to Jake.
Without hesitation, Jake snatched the bamboo with both paws, laid down on his back and happily ate it up. Almost before he had finished, Kieli gave him another one and another and another. With every stick that Jake finished, his belly grew larger and larger. Jake didn't seem to notice and even if he did, he was too happy to care.
Then Kieli paused. Jake grabbed for more bamboo but found that nothing was there. That's when he noticed something large and dark red in his field of vision. It only took him a moment to realize that it was his belly.
``So, what do you think?'' Kieli asked coyly.
Jake didn't answer at once, he just stared at how big he had gotten. He rubbed his round belly and squeaked contently. He then turned to Kieli. ``Can I have some more bamboo sticks?''
Kieli smiled. ``As much as you want,'' she replied. And with that, she gave another to the rather round, very happy red panda.
