It's Not Your Fault

The butterflies in my stomach were doing somersaults as I sat in the booth, nervously sipping my water. It had been a surreal couple of days, to say the least. Yesterday, I had been myself—a guy named Daniel, living a pretty normal life. Then, my sister pulled out that strange, ancient trinket she called the Medallion of Zulo and asked for a "small favor." 

Her wingwoman had bailed on a double date, and rather than cancel the whole thing, she had a different idea—one that involved me using the medallion to transform into a woman. She promised it would just be for one night. "Just to help me out," she said. I should’ve known better. I’d always been curious about the medallion, but never curious enough to actually use it. Still, something about her desperation got to me, and before I knew it, I was looking into a mirror, staring at a completely different person—my reflection, now a woman’s face, soft and unfamiliar.

What my sister failed to mention, though, was that the medallion had side effects. Serious ones. Ever since the transformation, I’d felt this constant hum of energy running through my body. At first, I didn’t understand it, but by the time I sat down at that restaurant, waiting for Mike to arrive, it had become pretty obvious. My body—*this* body—was thrumming with need. A heightened libido I wasn’t prepared for. Every touch of fabric against my skin, every casual brush of my legs when I crossed them sent little sparks of arousal flickering through me. I was trying to hold it together, trying to focus on the night ahead, but it was… difficult.

Mike walked into the restaurant, scanning the room for me, and when he smiled—broad, confident, with that messy, sexy hair—it did something to me. The hum that had been simmering below the surface all day turned into something more. I waved at him, trying to play it cool, but my heart was racing. I couldn’t help it. The medallion’s side effects were messing with my head, amplifying everything.

"Hey, are you Sarah?" he asked as he approached, his voice deep and smooth.

"Yeah, that’s me," I replied, smiling nervously as I stood up. He leaned in for a hug instead of a handshake, and when his strong arms wrapped around me, pressing me against him, a jolt of heat ran through me. I stiffened for a second, thrown by how powerful the reaction was, but forced myself to relax. I wasn’t used to this—this body, these new instincts. But for some reason, it felt *good*.

We sat down, and the conversation started like most first dates. We talked about work and shared a few laughs about our meddling sisters. He was charming, confident, and way more attractive in person than I’d expected. I could feel myself loosening up as the night wore on. The initial nerves I’d had about pulling off this whole charade—pretending to be Sarah, pretending this was normal—started to melt away. But the other part of me, the part that was charged with this heightened libido, kept buzzing in the background, making it hard to focus on anything but him.

Dinner ended, and when the check arrived, Mike smiled at me. "I’ve got this," he said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Definitely. Besides, you can grab drinks next time."

I blinked at that, surprised at how quickly he’d jumped to planning a second date. But honestly, I wasn’t complaining. There was something about him that was pulling me in, and not just because of the medallion’s side effects. He was genuinely fun to be around.

As we stepped outside, the cool night air hit me, but it did nothing to quell the heat inside. "There’s a bar down the street I’ve been meaning to check out," I said before I could stop myself. "Want to grab a drink?"

Mike grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

At the bar, we grabbed a couple of drinks—whiskey for him, gin and tonic for me. The more we drank, the more relaxed I felt, though the buzzing hum in my body only seemed to intensify. My skin felt hyper-sensitive, and every time Mike’s hand brushed against mine, or he leaned in to talk closer, it sent little jolts of heat spiraling through me.

We were laughing, getting closer, and I could feel the pull between us growing stronger. He was sitting closer now, his leg brushing against mine under the bar, his hand resting on my knee as he leaned in to whisper something that made me laugh. But beneath the laughter, there was a tension building—something neither of us was really acknowledging yet but was impossible to ignore.

By the time the bartender called last call, I knew I wasn’t ready to end the night. And judging by the way Mike’s eyes lingered on me, he wasn’t either.

Outside the bar, I hesitated for a second, feeling that rush of nerves again. But the medallion’s effects weren’t letting me second-guess myself for long. Every part of me was screaming for something more—something I’d never experienced before in this body, but now desperately wanted.

"Want to come back to my place?" he asked, his voice low and full of promise.

I swallowed hard, my pulse racing. "Yeah," I heard myself say. "I’d like that."

We didn’t waste much time. The cab ride back to his place was a blur of stolen glances and the steady thrum of anticipation. By the time we got inside, the door barely clicked shut before he pulled me into his arms, kissing me with an intensity that set my whole body on fire.

My breath hitched as his hands explored my body, and mine responded in kind, eager and almost desperate. I’d never felt anything like this—this overwhelming need, this sense of urgency. We stumbled toward his bedroom, and clothes were discarded along the way.

When we finally fell into bed, everything was a whirlwind of sensation. His touch, his breath, the weight of him on top of me—it all felt electric, every nerve in my body lighting up. The medallion’s effects amplified everything, making the experience almost surreal in its intensity. It was like my entire body was alive, craving more, needing more, and he seemed more than happy to oblige.

I don’t know how long we were lost in each other, but by the time it was over, I was breathless, flushed, and utterly spent. We lay there for a while, tangled in the sheets, his arm draped lazily across my waist. I stared at the ceiling, trying to wrap my head around everything that had happened—both that night and in the past 24 hours.

I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. Would I turn back into Daniel, or would I stay like this a little longer? All I knew in that moment was that, for the first time, I wasn’t just "helping my sister out" anymore. Something real had happened tonight—something I hadn’t anticipated.

And, strangely enough, I was okay with that.

The next morning, I woke up to the unfamiliar feeling of Mike’s arm draped across my body. The room was bathed in soft morning light, and for a moment, I forgot everything that had happened. But then reality set in—*I wasn’t supposed to be here.* Not just in Mike’s bed, but in this body at all.

I gently slid out from under his arm, careful not to wake him, and gathered my clothes, my heart still racing from the previous night. The medallion had done more than just change my appearance; it had awakened something inside me that I wasn’t ready for. The heightened libido, the intense physical sensations—it all made sense in the moment, but now, in the harsh light of day, I felt overwhelmed.

I got dressed quickly and slipped out of Mike’s apartment, quietly shutting the door behind me. The whole way back to my sister’s house, my mind was spinning. What had I done? It was supposed to be a simple favor, just one night as Sarah. But now, it had turned into something far more complicated.

When I walked into my sister’s house, she was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping her coffee with a raised eyebrow. "Well, well, well," she said with a smirk. "Look who decided to show up."

I froze in the doorway, my cheeks flushing. "Morning," I mumbled, trying to play it cool. 

My sister grinned. "You never came home last night. Care to explain where you were?"

I hesitated, unsure how much to tell her, but I knew she’d never let it go. "I, uh... went back to Mike’s place."

Her smirk widened. "Oh really? And what happened at Mike’s place?"

I tried to avoid her gaze, feeling that familiar warmth creep up my neck. "We... well... we slept together," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

She nearly spat out her coffee. "Wait, seriously? You hooked up with him?" She burst out laughing, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I knew you’d get into this whole being-a-woman thing way more than you thought."

I rolled my eyes, sinking into the chair across from her. "It’s not like that. It was the medallion—it messed with my head. My libido was off the charts, and I couldn’t help myself." 

"Uh-huh," she teased, leaning in closer. "Sure. Blame it on the medallion."

"I’m serious," I said, exasperated. "The whole night was just… intense. More intense than anything I’ve ever felt before."

She raised an eyebrow but didn’t press further. "Well, you had your fun," she said, her tone lightening. "Now let’s get you back to normal. It’s probably time we switched you back, don’t you think?"

I nodded eagerly. "Yes, please. I can’t stay like this any longer."

She led me to her room where the medallion was still safely stashed away in her drawer. She pulled it out, and just seeing it again made me feel a little anxious. I couldn’t wait to be myself again, to feel normal. 

"Alright," she said, handing me the medallion. "Just hold it and concentrate on your old self. It should reverse the spell."

I took the medallion in my hands, closing my eyes and focusing hard on Daniel—on the guy I had been before all of this craziness. I pictured myself back in my old body, living my old life. But after a minute, nothing happened. I opened my eyes and looked down at myself—still Sarah. Still a woman.

I frowned and tried again, this time concentrating harder. But again, nothing. No tingling sensation, no shift, no change. I was still *me*—or rather, still *her*.

"Something’s wrong," I said, my voice shaky. "It’s not working."

My sister looked at me, her playful expression dropping. "Try again," she urged. "It has to work."

I repeated the process several more times, each time growing more frantic. But no matter how hard I focused, nothing happened. The medallion wasn’t reversing the spell. 

My sister’s face paled as the realization hit her. "This… this doesn’t make sense. It’s supposed to be temporary," she said, her voice wavering. "You should’ve been able to change back."

Panic began to well up inside me. "What do you mean ‘supposed to’?" I asked, my voice rising. "You said this was just for one night!"

She ran a hand through her hair, clearly as thrown as I was. "I don’t know! I’ve never used it for this long before. Maybe… maybe something went wrong."

I stared at her, feeling my stomach drop. "You mean I’m stuck like this?"

She bit her lip, looking uncertain for the first time. "I don’t know. Maybe not forever, but... for now, it looks like the medallion isn’t letting you change back."

I slumped down on her bed, my heart pounding in my chest. Yesterday, I had agreed to this whole thing as a favor, thinking it would be over in a few hours. But now, here I was, trapped in this body with no idea when—or if—I’d ever be able to change back.

"What am I supposed to do?" I asked, feeling completely lost.

My sister sat down beside me, her expression softening. "We’ll figure this out," she said, resting a hand on my shoulder. "I promise. We’ll find a way to reverse it."

But despite her reassurances, I couldn’t shake the growing sense of fear inside me. The night before had been wild and exciting, sure, but I never intended for it to last beyond that. Now, I was facing the possibility of staying like this for who knows how long. 

I looked down at myself—still Sarah, still someone else. I had no idea what my future looked like now, and the uncertainty was terrifying.

The first few days after the failed attempts to reverse the medallion’s effects were some of the most confusing and disorienting of my life. I stayed at my sister’s house, hoping that whatever had gone wrong would somehow right itself. We kept trying the medallion, over and over, but each time it stubbornly refused to change me back.

My mind wouldn’t stop racing. I spent hours scrolling through the internet, searching for answers—any obscure forums, any ancient texts, anything that might give us a clue about why the transformation hadn’t reversed. At first, it felt like grasping at straws. But then, one night, I stumbled across something that made my blood run cold.

It was a random post buried in a dusty old thread about magical artifacts, and it mentioned the Medallion of Zulo. According to the post, there was an undocumented “quirk” in the medallion’s magic. If a man transformed into a woman and then became pregnant while in their female form, the pregnancy would lock the transformation, making it irreversible.

I stared at the screen, rereading the line over and over again, my heart pounding in my chest. It couldn’t be real, could it? The thread wasn’t exactly reputable, but after everything I had experienced in the past few days, I couldn’t ignore the possibility.

Panic bubbled up inside me. I couldn’t help but think about that night with Mike—the drinks, the laughter, the sex. It had been passionate and wild, and in the heat of the moment, we hadn’t even thought about protection. Now, the implications of that recklessness weighed down on me like a ton of bricks.

I tried to calm myself, telling myself it was probably nothing. But the fear gnawed at me, refusing to let go. I decided to wait a few more days, hoping that it was just paranoia, that I wasn’t really facing the possibility of pregnancy. 

But as the days passed, the worry only grew. My body felt different, but I didn’t know if it was just my imagination playing tricks on me or if something was really changing inside me. I finally couldn’t take it anymore. I went out and bought a pregnancy test, hiding it from my sister, not wanting her to know how scared I was.

The next morning, I locked myself in the bathroom, hands shaking as I unwrapped the test. I followed the instructions, waiting for what felt like an eternity, my mind racing with every possibility. I couldn’t even think straight—what would I do if it was positive? How would I handle this new reality?

Finally, the test displayed its result. Positive. 

I stared at it in shock, my mind going completely blank. It wasn’t just a possibility anymore—it was real. I was pregnant. And according to what I’d read, that meant the transformation was permanent. There was no going back to being Daniel. This was my life now.

I sank to the floor, overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. How could everything have changed so drastically in such a short amount of time? One decision—one night—had led me here, and now there was no turning back.

I didn’t know what I was going to do, but I did know one thing: my life was never going to be the same again.

The weeks after I found out I was pregnant were a whirlwind of confusion and fear. Every morning, I woke up hoping it had all been a bad dream—that I’d look in the mirror and see Daniel staring back at me. But each day, I was still Sarah, still trapped in this female form, and now I had the weight of impending motherhood hanging over me.

At first, I didn’t know how to tell Mike. I kept hoping that I wouldn’t have to, that somehow this whole situation would resolve itself. But the days turned into weeks, and eventually, my body began to change. My stomach, once flat and toned, now had a small but unmistakable swell. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to make me realize that I couldn’t keep avoiding the truth.

When I finally told him, I was nervous as hell. We met up for coffee, and I could feel his eyes wandering to my stomach, though he didn’t say anything at first. It wasn’t until we sat down that I took a deep breath and blurted it out.

"Mike, I… I’m pregnant."

He blinked, clearly caught off guard, but to his credit, he didn’t freak out. "Wow," he said after a moment, running a hand through his hair. "That’s… a lot to take in."

I nodded, unsure what to say next. "I didn’t plan for this to happen. Obviously, this wasn’t what either of us expected."

Mike leaned back in his chair, processing the news. "I guess the first question is… what do we do now?"

We talked for hours that day, going back and forth about what this meant for both of us. Neither of us was ready for a serious relationship. Mike was a good guy—sweet, charming, fun to be around—but the truth was, we didn’t know each other well enough to just dive into being a couple, especially not with something this big hanging over our heads.

In the end, we decided against trying to force ourselves into a conventional relationship. It wasn’t fair to either of us, and it wasn’t going to help the situation. Instead, we agreed to be there for each other as much as we could, especially when it came to raising the baby. But romantically? We weren’t a match.

That said, there was still a spark between us—an undeniable chemistry that had been there from the start. We agreed to stay in each other’s lives, but without the pressure of a committed relationship. We settled into a sort of “friends with benefits” arrangement. It wasn’t perfect, but it worked for us. The attraction was still there, but we didn’t have to complicate things by pretending to be something we weren’t.

As the months went on, I adjusted to my new reality. The baby bump grew, and Mike was surprisingly supportive, coming to appointments and checking in on me regularly. We never really labeled what we had, but it was comfortable—easy, in a strange way. There were no expectations, just two people navigating a very unusual situation together.

Though life wasn’t anything like I’d imagined it would be, somehow, I felt a strange sense of acceptance. I still didn’t know what the future held for me, but for now, this was my life—complicated, unexpected, but in its own way, something I was beginning to embrace.

As the pregnancy progressed, something unexpected began to happen—I started to feel more at ease with being a woman. It wasn’t immediate, but with each passing week, as my body changed to accommodate the growing life inside me, I found myself accepting this new reality. The initial shock and fear gave way to a strange sense of peace. I was carrying a child, and with every flutter and kick I felt, I became more connected to the idea of being a mother, and to this new version of myself.

The transformation that had once seemed like a curse no longer weighed so heavily on my mind. I didn’t just see Sarah when I looked in the mirror—I saw someone who was strong enough to navigate this new chapter, who had adapted and grown in ways I never thought possible. The discomfort of pregnancy, the cravings, the emotional ups and downs—these things anchored me to this body in a way nothing else could have.

Mike was there every step of the way. He came with me to every appointment, listened to the doctor’s explanations, and even humored my bizarre cravings. Despite our unconventional arrangement, he was attentive and caring, never letting me feel like I was alone in this. And as my belly grew, so did the bond between us.

By the time the due date was approaching, I had come to terms with everything. Being a woman, being pregnant, raising a child—things I never would have imagined for myself—now felt natural. Mike and I had fallen into a rhythm that worked for us. The friends-with-benefits arrangement gave us the comfort of each other’s company without the pressure of defining what we were.

But as my due date grew closer, something shifted between us. One evening, just a couple of weeks before the baby was due, Mike and I were sitting on the couch, talking about the future. It started out light, joking about baby names and who would be better at diaper duty, but then the conversation turned serious. There was a quietness between us, an unspoken tension.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about us,” Mike said, breaking the silence. “About what we’ve been doing… and how I feel.”

My heart started racing, and I suddenly felt vulnerable in a way I hadn’t expected. “What do you mean?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

He shifted closer to me on the couch, his hand resting on my swollen belly. “I care about you, Sarah. I really do. This whole time, I’ve been trying to keep things casual because I didn’t want to complicate things, but… the truth is, I’ve fallen for you.”

His words hit me like a wave, washing over me with a warmth I hadn’t realized I’d been craving. I swallowed hard, feeling a lump rise in my throat. “I’ve fallen for you too, Mike,” I whispered. “I just didn’t know how to say it.”

We sat there, letting the weight of our confessions sink in. It was a relief, in a way, to finally acknowledge what had been building between us for months. Everything that had seemed so complicated now felt simple—we were in this together, not just because of the baby, but because we cared about each other.

Mike pulled me into his arms, his lips brushing against my forehead. “We’ll figure it out,” he murmured. “Together.”

In that moment, everything seemed to fall into place. We weren’t just two people caught in an unusual situation anymore. We were a couple—partners, lovers, soon-to-be parents—ready to face whatever came next. The fears and uncertainties of the past faded away, replaced by a sense of calm and reassurance.

As the due date loomed closer, we prepared for the arrival of our child, but now there was an added layer of excitement. We weren’t just bringing a baby into the world—we were starting a new chapter of our lives together, as a family.

The journey to get here had been anything but conventional, but in the end, it felt right. I had found peace with who I was, and more than that, I had found love in a place I never expected. And as I looked forward to the birth of our child, I knew that no matter what came our way, we’d face it together.

When my sister found out about everything, her reaction was a mix of shock, guilt, and unexpected support. After all, it had been her idea that had kicked off this whole wild journey in the first place. I’ll never forget the look on her face when I sat her down and told her I was pregnant—and that the transformation was permanent.

She stared at me, wide-eyed, as I explained how I’d tried to use the medallion again and again but nothing worked. How I’d scoured the internet and found out about the pregnancy making the transformation irreversible. How Mike and I had slept together that night after our date, and now I was carrying his child.

For a long time, she was silent. I could see the gears turning in her head, her expression a whirlwind of emotions. Finally, she let out a shaky breath and spoke.

"I… I had no idea something like this could happen," she said, her voice soft, almost trembling. "When I asked you to use the medallion, I thought it would just be for one night. I never imagined… this."

I could hear the guilt in her voice, and I didn’t want her to blame herself. "It’s not your fault," I said quickly. "I made the decision to help you. And yeah, things didn’t go the way we planned, but… it’s not all bad."

Her eyes searched mine, looking for some reassurance. "But you’re… stuck like this," she said. "You’re really okay with that?"

I hesitated, but then nodded. "Yeah," I said honestly. "It took a while, but I’ve come to terms with it. The pregnancy, the changes… it’s strange, sure, but I’m actually starting to feel comfortable in this body. And Mike… he’s been there for me through it all. We’ve grown closer. It’s not the life I thought I’d have, but it’s not bad."

She looked down, biting her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. "I feel like this is all my fault, though," she whispered. "I never should’ve asked you to do this."

I reached across the table and took her hand. "I don’t regret helping you," I said firmly. "Yes, it’s complicated, and it’s been hard to adjust, but it’s also led to things I never expected. I’m going to be a mother. And Mike and I… we’re figuring things out together."

She blinked, wiping a tear from her cheek. "I just… I didn’t want to mess up your life."

I smiled at her. "You didn’t," I assured her. "It’s different, sure, but my life’s not messed up. In fact, in a weird way, I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time. I’ve found a sense of peace with who I am now. And we’re having a baby… that’s something I never thought would happen, but I’m ready for it."