Sketch Commission: Rayquazard TF (2020) (Patreon)

Commission for Phenic (FA)

Story written by Phenic. Special proofreading thanks to Darsen.

~~~~~~

Cheap Chinese knockoff or otherwise, I can’t deny I was excited to unbox the Rayquazard. The plastic crackled as I tore it free from its packaging. I admired it a moment– it was totally worth waiting for. I carefully bit the tip of the tie on the tag, making sure not to damage anything as I removed the card that came with it. Not that I could read a word of the Japanese written on it but I liked the authenticity of it all the same.

I sat it on my desk in front of me and petted the golden circle on its forehead some, enjoying the mix of soft plush and tight knit twine that made up its markings. It would make good company as I spent the rest of the afternoon finishing the last season of The Expanse. Outside, there was more February rain; going back and forth all day leaving the air heavy and laden with water. At least the evening shower should cool it down some, even if it would be uncomfortably damp tomorrow morning. After a streak of bad days, it was nice to have one going better. I turned the plush around, staring into its eyes and rubbing its head one more time as I got up to go to bed.

The feel of the soft plush lingered on my fingers a moment, and without spending half a thought about it, raised my hand to my forehead and rubbed at it some. It felt strangely nice, if not a bit distant. I drew in a deep breath, letting my lungs fill with the humid night air. I kept rubbing in a circular pattern on my forehead as I closed my eyes. My cheeks felt a bit warm and flushed and I shook my head; probably just feeling ill since it's the flu season, I thought to myself. As that thought entered my mind, other, stranger thoughts quickly followed. Like my wings beating behind me as I soared through crystal clear skies. They would always be clear when I was around, after all.

I just sighed a bit. Wouldn’t that be nice? To be strong and free. I pushed those strange ideas out of my mind; I had enough other problems to think, another night of worries before getting a few hours of sleep. But those lucid, dream-like thoughts kept resurfacing. The feel of the tall grass under my paws and against my hide as I hunted for berries and game. My snout tasting the air with my tail swishing behind me, being mindful of its flamed tip. The pride of being a dragon filling my body, especially my gut. The passion of being fire, coursing within. Bit by bit the thoughts and feelings were becoming indescribable, slowly becoming more primal. A part of my brain fought back hard; this must be a fever dream and a dose of acetaminophen is exactly what I needed right now.

I slowly opened my eyes, a good bit of my vision still obscured by my own hand, still absently rubbing at my forehead as I took a step forward. That somehow seemed more difficult than usual. I took another, and the sense of vertigo nearly overwhelmed me. I tried to fall backward onto my bed, but managed to only make it half way. The mattress cushioned my fall a bit as I lay there, half on my back, half on my side. That wasn’t very proud or graceful. I would need a bigger belly– not only for belly drums, but to help lower my center of gravity, preventing me from falling backwards like that again. Did… I really just think that? Still, the thought of having a fat ‘zard–like belly was firmly taking root in my mind. I let it linger there a good long while, completely forgetting that I should be getting some aspirin. I took in another breath, enjoying the way my chest and belly rose a bit when I did so. The strange tightness of my shirt that somehow didn’t recede when I exhaled.

I looked down at my stomach some; it really did look quite fat. Not that I’ve been working out for months now. Still, it did seem larger than usual, a point my cargo pants seemed to agree with as the button on them popped out and the sound of a zipper being forced as my gut continued to swell up. I should have been more worried but most of those voices were getting pushed further into the back of my mind. My thoughts instead dominated by the image of a much more draconic belly. After all, such a thing is not meant to be clothed. It should have hurt as my hips were spread wide as finally the shirt covering my view started to rip and pop. In the dim light from my desk I could make out the soft green of that belly. I took another breath as the black lines seemed to grow down from my sides into a point, then a line right down the middle of my belly, disappearing below my bloated stomach’s horizon line.

I realized I was still rubbing my head, and maybe now would be a good time to check for that fever. I lay my palm against it and sure enough, it felt hot to the touch. But of course it should right? That's a part of being a fire type. But it was more than that I was feeling. That forehead was already stretching back, covered with draconic hide and the powerful golden circle embedded in it. More than just marking, a conduit of power. My skull seemed to stretch under it as my neck muscles spasmed, feeling stronger than ever before. My shirt struggled to hold back my growing frame, continuing to rip and tear until finally it burst off me, my chest and shoulders growing too large to be contained. Another set of black stripes connected to make a V at the base of my neck, and I could feel them continuing around my shoulders and down my sides, to meet up with those already on my belly. Moreover, I could feel stronger golden conduits forming on the back of my neck, stretching it out properly with each passing second. As more and more of my old skin turned into green hide, I found my head more and more at odds with itself.

Both halves of my mind mirrored the same problem; this wasn’t right. The human part knew that I should be panicking at the changes. But now there was another part, a hybrid that seemed to be very concerned as I should be able to feel my tail; it is such a vital thing after all. The muddied thoughts were at odds with each other but somehow I couldn’t stop thinking about my tail either way. The feel of it behind me in flight, helping me turn. Its weight as I swung it around me into an adversary. Or just the gentle warmth its flame gave off. An old dream seemed to fill my mind at that moment and both sides of my thoughts finally found some semblance of peace in that last thought.

I winced a bit feeling the new appendage starting to press its way out of my rear. Feeling my undergarments rip apart was a very weird relief as the green growth slithered forward. I could feel the golden rings and lancing forming down its sides, fueling it. More importantly, fueling me. Even as it reached a good length however, it wasn’t quite right. I lifted it away from the carpet as well as my legs, both currently more flammable than I would like. As much energy as I could feel in my ever changing body, it needed a bit more. The hybrid part of my brain wanted that flame now but somehow I managed to reel those alien thoughts in. After all, I was going to need some paws to stand on before that. Both parts of my mind seemed to smile across at each other through a sea of transformation.

I glared down at my legs; my pants long split apart by that gaping abdomen but my legs still looking much too puny to carry my weight. I welcomed the thoughts of what they should be; powerful haunches to support me. Large paws under them, their beans both soft yet very stable. The hybrid part of my brain was confused when the human part thought of how nice a good paw rub would be, and how some would even want to be put under those paws, even with large claws. Then the loud rip drew my attention away from the strange fixed fantasies and back to the moment at hand; that was enough to get those legs to start morphing. I could feel the conduits forming around my knees and wrapping around the back of my legs as green hide continued to encase my thighs, hiding layers of muscle beneath it. I could feel those paws forming properly on the base of my feet, golden and just as magical as I expected, even as five toes fused into three. White talons started to form through as the last bits of my shredded pants desperately tried to stay on.

I hardly had to think of my hands now, by the time I looked down at them, my digits had fused from five to three there as well. I knew I was almost done, and while part of my brain was still distressed, the sensation of this transformation was totally enthralling. Everything seemed to happen faster and more naturally now. My tongue pressed forward but, rather than meeting my familiar human teeth, it brushed against my strong fangs, the front pair pushing past my lips as my snout pushed out. It squared off and I blushed a bit in spite of myself as I felt my glasses start to fall down. I blinked as the eye ridges formed, I wasn’t even sure what happened to my old ears or hair. I just glared down, gazing at my glasses trying to remember what it was like to need them. The white in my eyes darned to a pitch black and hazel green of my iris was replaced by a piercing brilliant gold. Somewhere, back of my head, I remembered that eyes are the window of the soul. And as I reached up and touched my new snout with my new claws, I found myself realizing that this was the last chance I’d have to go back. I felt my horns push up and I leaded forward as powerful wings pushed out of my back, adorned with more gold trimming and a brilliant ocher inner membrane. Was this such a bad soul to have?

There was a moment of a bit more feral confusion. I’d have to reconcile both sides of my mind. The newer thoughts were still intelligent, but somehow much more basic, driven, understandable. Nothing like the mess usually in my skull. That was going to be my spark then. I took as many of the thoughts as I could; the worries, the world, the chaos. My golden ridges brightened up and pulsed as I sent them down into my tail. With the crackle of the new fire, my tail tip burst into life. The heat was not dangerous or terrifying. It was just comforting. Quiet. Safe. I lay there as the last few changes finished, basking in the both literal and figurative afterglow.

The new thoughts going through my head no longer seemed strange or foreign, fitting right in. The feel of the flame, the raw power, the growth; all felt natural now. Just like this day, part of me was now legendary. Complex thoughts started to fall from my mind, but that was fine. I could take care of any other 'mon out there. I’ll take care of myself. Besides, the worst-case scenario now was simply getting caught by a strong trainer allowing me to get stronger in return. The weather outside calmed with my mind.