The coming of Thanksgiving again brought a great many hopes and plans, primarily as Lyre and Animalia expected the season of visiting family members or going to visit family elsewhere came about. There was also many of the same concerns over changes in the weather that came with the changing seasons as things began to get cooler. And for some it presented some difficulty, and for Rachel Stega, that was especially true. While there was a great deal of debate over whether or not dinosaurs were warm blooded or cold blooded, with most theories leaning towards them being warm blooded at the present time, and especially for the theropods, that didn't mean she didn't notice the drop in temperature, especially on her back plates.
"What a nice place," Rachel gave a small smile as she came into one of the saunas at the spa that had been built in Animalia, primarily for the more reptilian and amphibian Animalians that could more easily regulate their own body temperatures.
She sat down on an open area of the bench and let her tail lay flat along the bench. She tilted enough so that she could sit forward and look forward, but that wasn't much. While her back and tail plates weren't attached to her spine, they were large enough that they overlapped multiple vertebrae and thus provided some limitation as to her tail's movement. While Heather, Tyra, and Andrew had a fair amount of flexibility in their tails, Rachel's back planes prohibited that, and had also heavily altered the clothing that she wore, but so far the people working in Lyre had managed to successfully alter clothing for her.
"You've said that already," said Sabine from another corner of the room.
Rachel looked up and over to the corner where Sabine was presently coiled up with a white town hanging over her shoulders and reaching down far enough reach over her breasts. The female cobra looked reasonably comfortable and rather amused by the Dinotopian in the sauna with her.
"I know... but my back plates are so sensitive... I can feel every breeze on them, and after a work out that feels nice and helps me cool down from overheating, but on a day that's been quiet... the outside chill is a bit much," Rachel answered, "It's not enough that I'd freeze to death... but I can tell it's getting pretty chilly. That's why I like this place."
"A lot of this was built to better suit cold blooded Animalians specifically during the winter, though it is for everyone's relaxation," Sabine answered, "I've even talked with some of the people from Lyre from time to time..."
"Many people have been rather nice," Rachel commented, "nice and accepting... will actually competing to a degree fun..."
Sabine slowly nodded and remembered something that Rachel wanted to compete and be part of the various sports leagues that were being developed, many of which related to the various combat sports like wrestling, boxing, and mixed martial arts. Much of it had been set up in to provide for an outlet for any pent up aggression or for some varied challenge, and UNLIKE the criminal fighting rings, there were trainers and doctors that were to supervise all bouts to make sure that no lethal harm was done and that any and all injuries were properly treated. Not every Animalian had interest in it, and Sabine knew that several of the Horse Animalians had no interest in it whatsoever, likely a legacy of being part of a horse-fighting ring before being uplifted, but no one had the intent to force them to do so.
"I've heard you've had interest in one of the combat sports leagues," Sabine commented slowly, "any particular reason why?"
"Well... for one, my dad was a boxer, and he often took me to see many of his fights," Rachel began, "though that had many of its own issues..."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
"But... I can do it!" a young Rachel complained as she threw a few fake punches and bobbed side to side in the Stega family kitchen.
"Punching people ain't ladylike," her mother answered she looked down to Rachel and then glared at her husband who was seated at the table drinking coffee, "You put these nonsense ideas in her head! Taking her to those fights!"
"It's sport, Leslie, I ain't there to kill no one," her husband answered, "and I can't see too much wrong in her watchin.' And she knows there are no lady boxers."
"There oughta be!" Rachel declared and hopped over to her father, "I could win and you could be my coach!"
Her father looked at her smiled and then patted her head.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
"Mom and dad loved each other and loved me, but mom never liked the fact that I got into boxing as an interest... and in the end, they loved each other enough that my dad pretty much worshiped the ground my mom walked on," Rachel answered, "and then came the war..."
"The war...?" Sabine said slowly.
"World War II," Rachel nodded, "I was REALLY young at the time and my dad was drafted. He promised us that he'd make it through and we'd see him again."
Sabine watched as Rachel gave a small frown and a sigh.
"But we didn't," Rachel answered, "He was on the Italian front and was killed at some mountain village... Cassino, I think was the name. After that, I was left with my mom who pretty much pigeonholed me into being a secretary or a receptionist, that sort of thing. Without dad there to try and talk to my side... I eventually gave in and went with it. It left me as a secretary for a financial company by the time I grew up and I stayed there because I had no other choice... That changed when I got Tyra's invitation..."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The television covered on with one of the recent MMA fights and Rachel was captivated by it. Partially out of her interest that had followed her father's boxing career when she had been a child, but also for the fact that the two fighters were women. They wore clothing that allowed them to move and had their hair tied back and kept in a way that would prevent anyone from grabbing it, though that was forbidden. It was something that her mother probably would have rolled over in her grave over, but Rachel did like it. At times she even managed clinch her old and wrinkled hands, ignoring the pain of arthritis to through a few fake punches as the two fighters continued their bout.
"If only to have been younger in this day and age," Rachel mused to herself, "Dad could have been my coach."
"I'm sure he would have Ms. Stega," said a younger woman coming into the room and standing by the couch that Rachel was sitting in, "Your stories on his boxing career have been interesting..."
"He was never champ... but he was the best in my eyes, and he loved me and mom, let me come to see him fight," Rachel answered as she looked to the woman, who was a visiting nurse of often visited many of the homes in the small retirement community that had grown up on the land that Effie Wilcox owned. A small tear escaped her as she thought of her father, killed in World War II in Italy... Taken before his time and left her and her mother alone, and her mother never got out of mourning for him. "I miss him so much..."
Rachel soon felt her nurse's hands softly wrap around her own hands. It was gentle and comforting, and it was this that she really needed at times. Though, neither could focus on that when suddenly the phone rang, making both of them jump a bit. Her nurse ultimately answered it and then brought the slim white phone to Rachel.
"Rachel?" a vibrant but familiar voice said on the other end when Rachel answered it.
"Effie...?!" Rachel answered, recognizing the voice to a certain extent, as it did sound like Effie Wilcox, but also sounded younger and more vibrant than before. "Is that you? Are you okay?"
"Yes, it's me, and I am more than okay, I'm great!" Tyra answered, "though I go by Tyra now."
"Any particular reason for this?" Rachel wondered.
"New beginnings and new starts," Tyra answered, "and related to a whole new start on life."
"Are you sure no one's scamming you?" Rachel asked, hoping that no one was trying anything with a friend of hers.
"No, no one's scamming me," Tyra answered, "it really IS a new lease on life... What do you think on Animalia?"
"Isn't that that city in Nevada where all them animal people live?" Rachel asked.
"That's the one, and the company that created it all has an idea to even bring animals long gone... including the dinosaurs," Tyra answered, "not the most "lady-like" thing, sure, but then all that sort of stuff's been turned on its head in recent years hasn't it? Girls getting into all sorts of new things these days."
"I take it you joined them?" Rachel asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not just joined them, I am the KEY to the whole project," Tyra answered, "they said something in my blood made it possible and one whippersnapper used a bunch of big words I didn't know, but something in me made it possible and they seek to use it to provide for both a new start on life and give the dinosaur scientists something new to look at."
"Well... I'm glad you're happy," Rachel answered.
"It's not just me, I'm hoping it's everyone," Tyra answered, "It really is a new start. If you want to... you'd get a shot at being young again. And the transformation... it doesn't hurt too much, some things can hurt a bit at first... but after a certain point when the new Dinotopian reaches that ending point... it feels VERY good."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"And you obviously said yes," Sabine commented, "any particular reason you went with the Stegosaurus? Was it your name or...?"
Rachel chuckled, "It was my name... yes... Some kids thought it funny that my last name was so close to the start of "Stegosaurus." So now, I match. And if they still think its funny... I have the muscle and attributes make them think twice, as the back plates may not have been defensive, the thagomizers on my tail WERE. Though... I'd actually hope they're attracted something else... if you know what I mean."
Sabine chuckled and nodded. Some times at home she could be more curious on who liked her breasts more, her infant children, suckling on them for nourishment, or her husband Bazooka, looking to make her orgasm.
"But the best part out of it was to be young again... as now... now I can go and be what I wanted to be a kid, and actually live up to my father's legacy and NO one can talk me out of it," Rachel finished and thought over her transformation.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rachel remained standing in the room that had been set aside for the transformation. She had already had her reunion with Effie, now Tyra and to a degree was impressed. It was surprising that Tyra was actually a hybrid dinosaur and wasn't really linked with any one species, essentially creating an entirely new theropod species, but Tyra had explained that it had related to dealing with some trouble that Heather had gotten into and that Heather had created it, which was ultimately how Horizon figured out that the genes for a "snake heart" had been in the Wilcox family line and that was what allowed for Heather's transformation and thus the transformation for other Dinotopians.
A Doctor Stein had also added that prior to the recent donations from various natural history museums that Rachel might have had to go through something similar using what DNA from what related species they had the bones. However, the success of Project Thylacine had been such a success that many museums were more willing to part with bone samples in the trust that the DNA and thus its scientific value wouldn't be lost. The museums obviously made copies of the bones to preserve their models, so that people visiting them could see the displays and had requested that Horizon share with them any and all reactions that the new Dinotopians had, likely hoping for ideas for study on dinosaur behavior by studying Dinotopians. It sounded like a lot, but Rachael was fine with everything.
She was particularly fascinated with how young and vibrant Tyra looked and it did confirm the idea of a new life, which was what Rachel had come for. Sure she wouldn't be human, BUT she'd be young again and might get to honor her father's legacy. A part of her even figured that being a dinosaur with spikes at the end of its tail would reflect that. And so she looked down at herself and could see where her hands were bony and her skin hung loose over her hands, and that was pretty similar to the rest of her body. A good part of her was ready to regain her youth, and if she turned out as strong as Tyra, she'd be more than pleased.
"Okay... we are ready... you may feel some discomfort at first as the transformation starts," a Horizon nurse said to her as he approached Rachel, "and the transformation WILL destroy what you presently have on..."
"At my age... you don't want to see ME naked," Rachel managed a small chuckle as she wore a pair of shorts and a tank-top and looked to the man, "at least for the moment..."
The nurse nodded and wiped Rachel's shoulder with an alcohol swab. "You may feel a bit of pinch when you get the shots."
He then proceeded with the injections and nodded as he left. Rachel watched him as he left, even as she began to feel a great deal of warmth building up and signaling the start of her transformation. As the door shut, she was soon drawn to that beginning transformation, particularly as she got the sense that her clothing was getting tighter. She looked down see her hands and noted that the skin was tightening and losing the wrinkled look. To add to it she could see the muscles in her hand getting stronger and thicker, this went along with the tightening of her skin and produced the look that her fingers became much less bony. She easily then flexed her fingers and felt no pain, all the arthritis in her joints was gone and she could feel that as her hands grew in strength and as the muscles in her forearms also began to swell larger. She figured that this was probably happening everywhere.
"A new life and a new start," Rachel smiled as her hands began to turn to a faded greenish color.
Then there was a build up of pain that then began that ran along her back from her neck all the way to just above her butt, and this soon heralded the tightening of the tank-top and shorts even more. Rachel gave a pained groan as she felt her clothing actually beginning to be pulled backward and strangely she could feel the fabric at specific points as it grew tighter. She hesitantly raised a hand to the back of her neck and there she could feel what had brought on the feelings of pain, the growing back plates that were the hallmark of the Stegosaurus. As she brought her hand back, she also found her hair actually hanging on her hand.
"I'd hoped I'd keep my hair," Rachel thought to herself as she managed a step forward and feeling that her feet had changed a little.
One of the odd things that she'd seen on the news was that one could tell whether or not an Animalian had been born human or as a mundane animal was by their hair. Those that were born as animals only had their fur, feathers, or scales, but most that had been born as humans kept their hair. In that she figured she would keep her hair, though she was a bit nervous on that after seeing Tyra, as she had lost her hair as well. Now though, it was certain that she would lose her hair, though her growing back plates would be worth it. And at that point both her shorts and tank-top lost the battle with her growing back plates and gave way with a loud "rrrrrrhhhhhhiiiiipppppp."
That left her looking down further. Her whole body was now covered in faded green colored scales. It wasn't quite the same as a green crayon. It was faded and duller in color and of a lighter shade of green. She also noticed on her sides there were bands of a brownish color that was also there that seemed to come from her growing back plates and ran back up again, almost as if they were stripes. She also noted that her breasts had firmed up and were back to the way it was when she was young. Looking further down she looked to see that her feet had changed, in having three toed feet, similar to that Tyra now had three toes. However, Rachel noted that her toes didn't splay out the way Tyra's did. Her toes were much closer together and far more muscular. Rachel also noted that she was actually still in a largely plantigrade stance rather than the digitigrade stance that Tyra had.
"A new start," Rachel mused to herself before she felt a throbbing pain actually build up on her head and at her spine. There was a great cracking sound as her skull began to alter and push forward, and as it pushed forward into a Stegosaur's muzzle her teeth also altered. Her front teeth merged into the front plates at the front of her mouth, but while her molars got smaller, they retained the ability to chew and grind food, which was something that the scientists had noted had happened when Andrew became a Brachiosaurus in that his teeth didn't become the narrow tooth-pick shaped teeth that were typical of sauropods. Why that was, Rachel had no clue, as Tyra's teeth hadn't shown a similar retention of humanlike features and most other Animalians seemed to have their tooth structure built how the mundane animal had its teeth structured.
Spreading out her legs a bit, Rachel gripped her head and crouched low before another set of pained cracks emerged and while she felt new muscles. She tried to twist and look back behind her, trying to look to her spine which was where the pain was and where the cracking noise had come from, and there she found it. It wasn't super long, but it was her tail and it was growing longer, complete with growing back plates and four growing thagomizers. And now with the tail out there, the pain had lessened to little more than a dull ache, and as her tail reached its full length, that pain vanished.
From there, though, Rachel felt a new sensation, specifically as she felt added weight on her chest. She looked down to watch as her breasts began to swell larger. Her muscles had all grown to that Amazonian size that matched many Animalians and almost as big as Tyra's, and now her breasts were growing and with each breath she took she could watch them swell larger and push further and further in front of her. It felt good and amazing as her bosom grew in size while holding a near perfect roundness and firmness that was typical of any Animalian. It was wonderful, and as Rachel felt herself grow more and more aroused, she couldn't up but raised her hands up to caress her newly grown glories and the darker green scales that functioned like and almost looked like a nipple.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Though I would wonder on what my father may think on me now if he could see me," Rachel commented.
"I'm sure that if he loved you, he would accept what you've become," Sabine offered in a friendly way, "and he might even welcome it. Have you met Daniel?"
"I've met many Daniels in my lifetime," Rachel answered.
"Sorry... he's a Golden Retriever Animalian, commonly as a German Shepard Animalian with him," Sabine answered, "I've never gotten his last name... but from what I've been told he fought in World War II and was over a hundred. In that he's probably of the same generation as your father. So if he can willingly join Animalia... your dad would surely at least accept Animalia."
Rachel couldn't know that for sure, but she did like to think that her father at least would accept it.