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It had been seven years since Kanna Kobayashi revealed her secret to her Riko Saikawa. There was definitely a second of shock as Saikawa watched her best friend suddenly grow feathered wings, horns, and a long tail tipped by a puffball, to say nothing of the light that engulfed her form before she suddenly grew into a large fuzzy dragon. However, despite Kanna's worries, Saikawa's second thought immediately afterwards was just the fact that such a cute girl was somehow even cuter in her true form.
And that had been the end of it for most of those seven years. So what if Kanna was actually a huge reptile? That only one more special thing about her that made Saikawa fall in love with her even harder, if that was even possible. Those days when Kanna allowed her to ride on her back to fly through the city were at once completely terrifying and absolutely exciting. For a while, it was nothing but enjoying each other's company to the fullest as they always had, just with the scope widened by the reveal of the fantastical.
If anything, things had only begun looking up for Saikawa, with Kanna actually accepting her confession in middle school, upgrading them from simple best friends to girlfriends!
Saikawa felt like she was living in a fairytale!
However, when high school rolled around, reality finally began to creep in. Kanna tried her best to physically age alongside Saikawa like a normal human girl, but it was becoming progressively clearer that dragons aged much, much more slowly than a human.
They used to stand at around the same height. By the time Saikawa became a teenager, she was nearly a head taller than her girlfriend. Kanna human form did grow and wasn't exactly lacking in curves, at least in Saikawa's opinion, but it was much more slowly. Bless her soul, the dragon girl had tried to make herself taller to match her human partner, but it wound up only exhausting her after a day. She hadn't matured far enough to do that, Kobayashi's maid, Tohru, had said.
Dragons lived for centuries. For a human like Saikawa, just seven years was enough for her to shoot up in height, not to mention the development of...other feminine traits. For Kanna, those were more like days. Granted, they were storied days that allowed her emotions to rapidly mature, but emotions could only drive her shapeshifting so much.
It hit Saikawa one day. In dragon years, Kanna finally growing to adulthood was likely going to be the day Saikawa passed on from old age.
To leave the girl she loved so much alone for an eternity, to never be able to truly grow old alongside her. That was something Saikawa refused to accept.
Luckily, Kanna revealing herself to be a dragon also meant Saikawa found out about the existence of magic. And she happened to find out that a certain young wizard in training also attended their school.
It honestly wasn't that difficult to get Shouta to lend her one of his spell books. All she had to do was tell him that she wanted to do more research into dragons in order to become closer to Kanna, which was an absolute fact.
An entire year was spent just trying to figure out how to read said book, which required Saikawa to ask for even more loans from the wizard. However, that did little to deter her from her goal. And to be fair, she probably could've memorized everything much earlier if she didn't see fit to be a good girlfriend and continue going on dates with the dragon girl, keeping her readings a secret so that she could wrap up her findings as a gift.
After enough cross-referencing and several glances at a glossary of foreign words she wrote herself, she finally was confident enough to deciphering the section she required. She couldn't quite understand why it'd be listed under "Draconic Curses" though. Then again, the people who wrote it probably never fell in love with a dragon before.
And so, Saikawa's plans were finally able to be set in motion.
She told her parents she was going on a hike with some friends in the nearby forest that day. Luckily, she had established enough of an independent streak in her teen years for them to permit her small trip, albeit with the promise that she called them as soon as she arrived and again two hours later.
In reality, she arrived at the spot completely alone, with only a backpack of supplies. Hopefully, Shouta wouldn't mind the ingredients she pilfered off of him when he wasn't looking.
As soon as she was in a large enough clearing deep inside the forest, Saikawa made her preparations. With as much accuracy as she could manage, she spread a strange light purplish powder around in a circle. Once struck, it would supposedly replicate a dragon's flame, the formation which denoted the invocation of the supposed curse.
She hesitated for a brief moment as she procured a nearby stick to begin to ritual, being that she was going to ignite what was essentially enchanted gunpowder. Of course, the purpose of that particular fire wasn't for it to burn. The last thing Saikawa wanted to do was accidentally cause a forest fire.
Steeling her nerves, she finally brought the stick down on the outline she had created. As soon as the stick made contact, she was suddenly hit with a blinding flash of light. She could feel herself get blown off her feet by some unseen force.
For a moment, she believed she would stay in the air, maybe twirl around a bit magical girl-style as the spell ran its course. Then her butt abruptly hit the grassy floor.
She winced as she rubbed her sore behind before her surroundings came back into focus. Her eyes widened at the sight. Rather than a tall ring of fire, she saw an all-encompassing wall of light. And was it just her, or did the sky suddenly become darker despite it still being the afternoon?
As she got back to her feet to more closely survey her surroundings, she noticed small trails of light rapidly making their way across the forest floor, etching out a pattern that she couldn't properly comprehend but was likely some kind of sigil. She heard a light hum as the enormous sigil completed itself.
That's when she saw the glow from the patterns of light slowly making its way up her body, not so much seeping into her but etching around her form like an outline. She knew immediately that the light had covered her body entirely when she felt something akin to a volt of static dance across her skin, causing her to shiver.
Seconds felt like minutes as she waited for the inevitable sensations to rock her body. Saikawa wasn't expecting a transformation into a dragon to be completely pleasant, but it was barely anything compared to the eternity it would allow her to share with her dear Kanna.
The first thing she felt was an intense pressure at the tips of her fingers, which caused them to twitch slightly. There was a subtle grinding sound that she was only just barely able to hear. She eagerly brought her hands up to her eyes.
Her heart beat loudly as soon as she saw it. Slowly but surely, her manicured nails were gradually lengthening, growing pointier at the ends, pushing further and further to her fingertips as they grew thicker. She could see said fingertips broadening as well along with the rest of her fingers, likely to match. As her growing claws began to curve, the skin on the back of her hands began to discolor, going from pale to a kind of lime green. There was a sensation like skin drying as she watched diamond-like patterns began etching themselves across the surface. As soon as she saw the patterns begin to gleam with the waning sun, she knew she was staring at the beginnings of what would become a growing expanse of scales.
It was happening. She was becoming a dragon!
The moment of euphoria was interrupted by a sudden cramp in her jaws that forced them open slightly. They locked as she felt a distinct tug on her teeth, particularly her canines. Her tongue explored a bit, stinging a bit as it prodded the growing points along what had previously been her molars. Her canine teeth in particular were not only growing sharper but lengthening.
She clutched her head with a groan as a burst of pressure built up in her forehead followed by two distinct pinches. Knowing what the sensations likely denoted, she felt around, freezing when they felt two growing bumps forming on opposite ends of her hairline. A smile tugged at her lips. She couldn't wait to see what her new horns would look like once they finished growing out.
The world around her began to distort slightly, multi-colored outlines radiating from the surrounding trees. Though she couldn't see for herself, her pupils had narrowed into reptilian slits while her irises had begun changing shape and color, expanding slightly as the dark greens brightened to a more saturated shade with a pair of amber outer rings. The whites of her eyes as well were fading into bright yellow that glowed subtly.
So entranced was Saikawa by the changes occurring that she failed to notice her shoes gradually stretching out until her feet suddenly felt unbearably tight. Once she did, her heart clenched at the mortifying realization that she had neglected to strip before beginning the ritual.
She reached down quickly to slip off her shoes and socks, but right before her clawed hands could even reach one of them, both shoes and socks burst apart, scaly elongating feet with broadening toes tipped by curved white talons extending out from the wreckage. Before she could lament the damages to her footwear, she suddenly felt compelled to squat. The muscles in her thighs felt particularly hot.
As it turned out, the damages to her wardrobe had only just begun.
She cursed to herself as she watched holes forming in her tights, unable to contain the growing musculature of her legs. It was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain her balance, especially as she felt the joints beginning to rearrange, forcing her to stand on her toes.
Saikawa could only sigh in defeat as she slowly lowered herself further, placing her hands on the forest floor. The same dry and itchy sensation was now spreading all over the rest of her body. In not time, every inch of her was going to be covered in scales. It stung a bit knowing her uniform was pretty much finished, but that was quickly quashed by the knowledge that dragons had the ability to form their outfits in their human forms using their scales. She'd just have to ask Kanna how to do it.
The thought of Kanna mentoring her on the ins and outs of being a dragon nearly caused her to squeal happily, but that was interrupted by what could only be described as her skeleton suddenly feeling progressively too big for her body. She clenched her developing fangs as her bones gradually pushed out muscle and skin, expanding her frame.
Then there was the series of pops and clicks that dotted her spine, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. Nothing about the transformation was painful so far, but it still felt beyond strange feeling it alter so dramatically. She hunched over more, front claws digging into the earth as she pressed her lower torso back, anticipating the inevitable physical changes that would come from her altering back.
Though what she was expecting didn't come first. Instead, she felt her midsection stretch out, an elongating midriff becoming bared as her coat was pulled away from her skirt. She hardly felt any of the cold air from the wilderness splash against it however, an indication that the scales on her body were practically close to fully-formed. That was, except for her underside, which instead simply felt like coarser, rubbery skin that stretched more tightly across her altering musculature.
However, what she was looking forward to came immediately afterwards. With a rather pronounced crack, she felt her tailbone jut out, stretching skin and muscle with it. Despite the mounting pressure, she couldn't help but smile a bit as she made the stubby beginnings of her tail wiggle a bit with just a stray thought.
Suddenly, she felt what could only be described as a jolt run down her spine, as the pressure was released all in one massive burst. With surprisingly little effort, her new appendage broke through her underwear, utterly shredding it as it flailed out to its full length. Oddly enough, she could feel something somewhat furry at the tip as it brushed past her skirt. Once again, her tail obeyed her most absent thought, bending with surprising dexterity to give her a look at its tip the best it could.
Indeed, a large tuft of copper-colored fur was lining the tip and running a bit up the length of her tail in a somewhat spiky ridge. Just as she identified the fur's color, she suddenly felt a light tug at her hair. Unbeknownst to her, it flowed back as though carried by the wind, greatly increasing in volume and becoming wavier, almost like a mane. From the corner of her eye, she could see her shifting bangs changing color, going from chocolate to reddish brown.
Just as her remaining articles of clothing began to constrict, a massive shudder passed through Saikawa's entire body. Her ears twitched at the sudden cacophony of tearing fabric as she felt shredded fragments of her coat, skirt, shirt, and bra slide off of her, only a few dangling threads remaining hooked between her scales. She almost suffered a bit of vertigo watching the ground suddenly push farther away from her, her body now close to outgrowing the mystical circle around her. Despite this release from her human clothing, she still found her body tensing up as pressure built up in her upper back.
Clenching her fangs, she arched her elongated spine, feeling the harsh yank of her shoulders as they were pulled up, her biceps practically ballooning as her forearms grew longer, transforming them into draconic front legs. That wasn't the end of it however, as she immediately afterwards felt her shoulder blades being pushed aside by...something.
Growing wings was even harder to describe than growing a tail. All Saikawa knew was that they were struggling to push out. She took a deep breath, feeling her chest barrel out as her lungs inflated past their human limits. It didn't matter to her that her modest breasts were completely swallowed by her rough and muscular reptilian underside. All she cared about was releasing another important element of her developing new form.
At a deliberate pace, she could feel the new bones forming. Stubby arm-like appendages pushed out from her back, fleshy at first through quickly becoming enveloped in scales of their own. The tips twitched rather grotesquely as long gangly "fingers" formed, dangling limply. She could feel a tingling sensation running down the sides as thin membranes formed between them. After what felt like an hour of straining and groaning, the tugging sensation at her back finally ceased.
New muscle memory quickly buzzed in Saikawa's brain as her new wings sprang to life. There was an almost visceral satisfaction to the way they beat the air, to say nothing of the gusts they generated as they experimentally flapped. She couldn't wait to take off into the air with them as soon as her transformation was complete!
That moment was coming soon as her entire body had basically completed its transformation. Her ears began to blare, suddenly feeling much more sensitive to the sounds around her. They weren't twitching so much as swiveling at that moment, peeling back as they stretched out into long, folded triangles, tufts of fur similar in texture to what adorned her tail sprouting from the interiors. She suddenly gagged as she felt her throat suddenly tighten, but rather than a feminine gasp, something deeper-sounding rumbled out.
Her tongue flailed out, suddenly much longer with a more pointed tip, as her neck extended out, the back prickling as her flowing hair extended down it, becoming a mane in earnest. Her forehead was aching as her horns grew out further, curling backwards as they hardened to a glossy sheen, taking on the appearance of pointed branches, though their color matched the scales that were now beginning to envelope her face.
Saikawa winced as she heard her jaws suddenly let out a loud crack. The pressure that had previously only mounted on her forehead was now covering her entire skull. While most of the transformation had been fairly exhilarating, it was actually somewhat unbearable feeling her face elongate. Hot air blew from her nostrils as they flared out, the ridge of her nose flattening down until she was left with two slits. Her gums stung as more fangs bloodlessly emerged to fill the growing space. Every soft feature of her human self hardened into rows of small bumps.
With one last tug, the sensations smothering Saikawa's form finally ceased. Her eyes snapped open, catching a full look at the long, pointed muzzle extended out in front of her vision.
She had done it. She was now a dragon!
Her tail thumped the earth in excitement as she felt burning joy quickly building in her chest. Or rather, that's what she thought it was. It was rather shocking when she suddenly exhaled a pillar of blue flames right into the air, completely dispelling the mystic circle around her in the process.
"Riko-chan?"
The flames abruptly ceased as Saikawa heard a familiar voice, one that always made her heart skip a beat.
She craned her head down, still not quite used to the length of her new neck, but with her sharpened vision, she could now see a white-haired girl dressed in pink standing right by her clawed hand. "K-Kanna-chan! What are you doing here?"
The slightly echo-y voice came out of Saikawa without even the need to move her lips. It was just a simple thought.
"Shouta said you were looking into dragons," Kanna explained, "and, when I went to your house, Georgie said that you were taking a hike."
Her face fell. "I wanted to see you transform, but I found out too late."
Saikawa whined deeply. "I'm sorry I kept this a secret. I wanted to surprise you. So you're not mad that I turned myself into a dragon?"
Kanna shook her head. "Miss Kobayashi said that I'm not allowed to use my magic on humans, but I've actually thought about turning you into a dragon before so that we could be together longer."
The lime-green dragon let out a gasp, though it came out as a deeper rumble. Her eyes began to grow wet. "That's why I became a dragon... I didn't think you were thinking the same thing."
Her wings flapped joyously as she pushed her body up, presenting her new form to her beloved in all its glory. "So...what do you think of the new me?"
Kanna stared wide-eyed, her words coming out as only a whisper. "So cool..."