Fate changes people lives...

For the good and the bad...

Fate changed mine...for the good and bad...

This...is my story...

…......

It all started a month ago. I was browsing Deviantart...you know, the art website were I usually put my artworks on. That day, I got commissioned by someone who calls himself Dragonkin696. He asked me to draw his online persona: a black crystal dragon. Nothing to complex I thought, so I accepted.

Three weeks later, I finished the drawing, and I sent that guy a low resolution scan of it. He really liked it, and he told me that he was going to send me my payment right away. Now...I didn't tell him how much I wanted, so when he said that...I told him that we needed to set a price first. He told me that what he was about to send me was more than enough for such a fantastic work.

What he said kind of confused me...but I decided to accept whatever payment he was going to send me anyway. Beside...I didn't usually take a lot money for my artworks...they were just some pretty nice drawings I did for fun. I started asking money when I noticed that people were starting to request them like crazy, and I realized that I couldn't do everything they asked for free. Sounds kind of greedy...but it really isn't. The highest I got was 25 bucks anyway.

So another week went by. My friends and my girlfriend came over one night, and we had a small party, but other than that...a pretty ordinary week. I've never claimed to have an exciting life...it was all about working in the morning, and staying in front of the computer in the afternoon. My friend and girlfriend are the only thing that makes things different every now and then.

But...things were going to change pretty soon.

…......

One evening, while I was cooking some eggs for dinner, I heard someone knocking at the door. I let the eggs cook, and I went to the door. I opened it, and to my surprise...there was no one there.

I stepped outside to see if there was someone hiding...but there was no one to be seen. The only living creature I saw was a black cat, which was staring at me with his bright yellow eyes. I gulped and stepped back. I wasn't afraid of cats, but I always found them kind of creepy, especially black ones, which apparently cause for tremendous misfortune.

I was about to close the door, when I noticed something laying on my, very unoriginal, “welcome” carpet. I knelled down, and took a closer look at it. It looked like a black rock, shaped like a earth. I carefully picked it up...and I suddenly realized that it wasn't a rock. The object was kind of transparent, and I could see the light of the sunset reflected on it. A crystal...a very beautiful black crystal.

I stepped back inside, closing the door behind me. I put the crystal on the table, and went back cooking my eggs. There was only one possible explanation to that crystal: it was the payment Dragonkin666 was talking about. How ironic...he asked for a drawing of a black crystal dragon, and he sent me a black crystal.

I sighed. Sure...I didn't get any money, but that crystal was still a nice object to have, and it definitely deserved a place on my desk. Selling it was also an option...maybe that thing was worth more than I thought it was.

I had no idea how special that crystal was. Well...until...it started.

After dinner, I went back to my computer, and started working on some other things I got commissioned for. For some reason, I couldn't stop scratching my chest. It was itching like crazy, as if someone just put some angry bugs in my skin, clawing it from the inside. When the itching got almost unbearable, I finally decided to raise my shirt and take a look.

I wish I never did that...

My skin was extremely pale, and part of it looked like it was slowly falling off, revealing the red flesh underneath. But that was not all...my flesh was also changing. It was slowly turning a deep black, and it was getting more and more solid, like...crystal...black crystal.

I doubt suddenly came to my mind. I looked at the crystal...it was extremely different from the last time I saw it. A bright red light could be seen, shining inside that black heart shaped shell. Not only that...I was pretty sure the crystal was a lot smaller than before.

I came to a sudden realisation...the crystal was the cause of the sudden changes. That guy tricked me! It was turning me into a freak...or worse!

I looked at my hands, and I was shocked to see the black crystal slowly showing up beneath the falling skin. I also noticed something weird happening to the tip of my fingers. Long pure white claws were slowing growing, replacing the old useless human fingernails.

I was about to panic...I need help, and now. I ran in the living room, the crystal in my hands, and grabbed the phone. I tried to call the 911...but as soon as my fingers touched the number pad...I crushed the phone with all my strength.

I jumped backwards and fell to the ground, both surprised and shocked. I dropped the crystal and looked at my arms, and I noticed that they were getting bigger, the muscled underneath gaining more and more mass. Same things was happening to my legs too, with my feet slowly changing in the same way my hands did.

I let out a loud gasp when my shirt and pants were torn apart by my growing body. I was shocked to see that the skin was almost completely gone, replaced by the black crystal. I also noticed something red beneath the crystal...something that was glowing.

I couldn't believe my eyes...I couldn't believe that my whole body and all his organs, bones and muscles were turning into that...organic crystal. Not only that...I wasn't even turning into a a bipedal creature apparently! My bones structure was changing to fit a quadruped animal! I could tell...because I couldn't stand up anymore. I tried...but I kept falling back on all fours.

I almost started crying when I looked down, and saw my new four crystal legs, and my huge crystal chest, with an unnaturally small belly, and no signs of my manhood. I was still male...but I didn't feel right...nothing felt right. I didn't even know what I was.

I eventually found out when a sudden and sharp pain in my back lead to the quick growth of a long crystal tail, with long spikes on it...spikes, which also started growing on my back.

I finally started understanding what was going on. I looked at the crystal, which was now extremely small...and I realized. I was somehow turning into the creature that guy asked me to draw...the crystal was turning me into a crystal dragon.

My theory was immediately confirmed when two large wings, with a very light crystal-like membrane in between them, erupted from my back. I looked at them, both scared...and amazed, and carefully tried to flap them. Somehow...I managed to do so without a problem at all.

It was weird...I didn't even noticed I had two new appendages (three if you count the tail) until I tried to move them. The movements came out so naturally...that I found myself asking...was I really a human a few minutes ago?

I looked at the crystal. It was extremely small...I was sure that once the transformation was done it would disappear. I watched as the crystal got smaller and smaller...while I got bigger and bigger. I was getting too big for my living room...I was knocking furniture every where, and my head was already touching the ceiling.

When I felt my neck getting longer...I knew that the final part of the change was coming. I braced myself, and closed my eyes...it was almost over.

I don't know what happened then...all I know is that I felt my face getting longer, my teeth falling, off replaced by sharp deadly fangs. I felt my hairs falling, replaced by other spikes, and two long horns. I felt my ears turning into pointed finned ears, with a membrane similar to the one of my wings.

Then..the sensations. I opened my eyes, and I was granted by new colours, new smells, new...emotions, that couldn't be described. I looked down...as predicted, the crystal was gone. The crystal heart was not outside anymore...I knew that it was inside me, glowing in my chest, giving me strength. I couldn't help but smile at myself.

Not only that, but the two wings on my back meant only one thing: flying...the ultimate freedom. I was a majestic creature, that could do whatever it want. Powerful, indestructible, and cool as all hell.

I was happy...for the most part.

Too bad that...when I remembered that I suddenly turned into a beast that could barely fit my living room, reality suddenly kicked me in stomach.

I need to do something...I couldn't just stay there and despair...it wasn't over yet. The first option was to see a doctor...but I immediately scrapped it because...seriously, who would listen to a gigantic crystal dragon? And by the way...I wasn't even able to talk. I tried...all I could do was let out some weird noises, that sounded like...water on a crystal glass...very ironic.

The second option was to leave and live in the wild...but really...was that a really what I wanted? Live alone in a cave, hunting deer and being bored and lonely every single day of my life, which was probably longer than regular humans? No...that was not it.

But then...a third option...one last option. It was risky, and it was definitely crazy...it was definitely better that living in the wild...alone.

I roared, and jumped. I completely destroyed the roof of my house, and landed in my backyard. I let out another roar, followed by a large blue fireball, and then I started flapping my wings, quickly taking flight.

I got to say...that was actually kind of fun. But the best thing was flying...man, once I looked down and saw the city below me, reduced to couple of small white dots...I couldn't believe I've spent so many years without wings.

I just wanted to allow people to enjoy those feelings with me...I wanted friend, I wanted a dragoness to be my mate...yes...that was it: the third option.

I roared again, and kept flying...just enjoying myself in the cold air of the evening. My destination: my friends' houses first, and my girlfriend's house next. They will like it...there was no doubt about it. I smiled, and started a free-fall toward their houses.

Beware...the big dragon is coming to claim its people and his mate. If that's what Dragonkin666 wanted for me...then so be it. A new community of dragons, just like me!

Happiness...here I come!