As a Sorceress, Rinoa had begun trying to learn how to control and use her powers. Edea had been some help, but the greatest source for knowledge was actually Laguna Loire - or rather, in a manner of speaking, Adel.

The now-deceased Esthar Sorceress had gathered many ancient tomes, some dating back centuries, many of them from days before Guardian Forces and para-magic meant anyone could do magic. And they showed that the power of a sorceress could be immense.

Of course, she only experimented under supervision. And after she accidentally almost melted a hole in the side of Balamb Garden, anything that might be particularly devastating was done as far from anything important as possible.

Still, the spells she'd looked at for today to try were safe enough - because she planned to test them on herself.

"What exactly is it you're going to do anyway?" Squall asked.

"Ah! It's a secret! Found this book last night, thought I should try something in it... a little surprise for you."

"Why does that not reassure me in the slightest?" 

"Hm... Well, maybe 'cos you know me... and I know you. More about you than you might wanna admit," Rinoa grinned.

Squall was now both puzzled and fearful, as Rinoa stood back, looking through the book.

She began chanting, reading off a Centran script. Squall nervously looked around for cover just in case - when she pronounced 'Nikto' as 'Necktie' it somehow resulted in a spell to make plants grow cause them to turn into flame-spitting triffids. 

But she seemed to have it right, as he noted her skin turning blue, and horns growing from her head. Grinning, she caught his eye as her spell took effect. Her body began growing larger, a ripping sound coming from her clothes as they became too small - and as a tail began to emerge, along with two small stubby wings. Squall, despite himself, blushed a little as her black shorts ripped open to flash her pink panties, her slightly looser shirt and cardigan lasting longer. Her boots split open, clawed toes emerging. Her ears began elongating into almost winglike appendages.

Her blue skin grew scales, as her neck began to elongate, still growing. From her back, the two stubs had grown into two large leathery wings, and the small tail was now long and thick. She looked at herself in gleeful wonder, studying her long clawed fingers as they grew, dropping the book. Her panties stretched to bursting point, the pink fabric snapping and joining her other shredded clothes at her feet, only a few rags of her cardigan left hanging off her shoulders. Finally, she dropped down on all fours, her arms and legs shifting a little. Her eyes became lizardlike, 

Squall looked on amazed. Rinoa was now a blue dragon, about three times her original size, but still with her black hair, and dark brown eyes - the only real clue if he hadn't watched that it was his girlfriend.

"Ta dah!" The dragon said, sounding like Rinoa if her feminine voice was crossed with a flamethrower. 

"...And this was a surprise for me?" Squall wondered, thinking that, no, she couldn't have.

"Yeah, it was. See, I know you like big noble creatures. Greiver's a lion, but you just see lions as like powerful guardians. When it comes to dragons, you just think they're awesome. And I like it when you think I'm awesome, so, here you go!"

"...fair enough. I also like you naked too, and you're that now as well," Squall noted.

"...Ah, yeah, I didn't quite think that through, damn. I liked that bra and panties. Oh well," the Dragoness-Sorceress shrugged.

"...What type of dragon are you?" Squall wondered.

"Uh, not sure..."

Rinoa then shot out a gout of freezing air at a wall, frosting it over.

"Ice. Still, come over here, feel my scales..."

Squall did so.

"You're pretty warm for an ice dragon. Odd," He said stroking Rinoa's dragon side, making her giggle.

"Ooh, that feels nice, makes my scales tickle!"

"Well, you know it works I guess. And as interesting as it is, maybe you should turn back. I'll go get some replacement clothes."

"Aw, okay. Thanks."

He left, and Rinoa picked up the book.

"Now, revert... huh? Page seventy... seventy-one... seventy-six?! Where'd those two sheets go?!"

With mild horror, she noted that there were in fact, stubs of torn paper.

"Aw man, this is like when I try to cook! I always miss out stuff that it mentions later!" The dragoness bemoaned.

She flicked through the book with alarm, hoping maybe they'd been stuffed in later, but nothing seemed to be there. And then Squall came back.

"I just brought you some random stuff to get you back to our quarters, so- why are you still a dragon?" He wondered.

"Uh, tiny problem, there doesn't seem to be a revert spell. Or it's not there," She tittered nervously.

"Wait... You're stuck."

"M-maaaybe..." She stammered, then had an idea.

"I know! Esuna!" 

She cast the spell upon herself, but all it did was glow.

"Crap.... Wait, wait, wait, plan C!"

She chanted again, trying to do it in reverse. It seemed to be working, at least, until the reverting suddenly halted.

"...huh? I had it!" Rinoa fumed.

She was now on two legs, mostly humanoid, but still blue, scaly, and with her wings  and tail about medium-size. Her neck wasn't as long, but was still considerably longer than her human neck.

"...Shit," she muttered.

"Wait, wait, wait, plan D, I'll go to Doctor Kadowaki!" She raced for the door.

"Wait, Rinoa, you're still a half-dragon! And naked!"

Shrieks from outside reported that she had remembered that, or someone had just ran into a dragon. Probably both. She bolted back in, a blush somehow glowing though her scales.

"Uh... Can I get those clothes you brought? And can you go catch Zell and stop him thinking there's a dragon loose?"

Squall facepalmed. It had been both...