New Zoo (Original Series by Wallace111)

New-Zoo-School Trip

It was early in the morning as the sun was rising into the sky.


A bus was driving along the main road with a particular destination in mind. It was carrying several eager school children, excited to have a change to their cumbersome and demanding routine. Keeping on top of their studying at their school for gifted children often felt like a full-time job.


Their destination was the New Zoo that had recently opened in their town. Recently, their teacher Mr Isacc Hardvic had gotten in touch with management. They offered him the opportunity to bring his class to the New Zoo to be able to learn about the various animals that were within its walls.


Several permission slips later, the children were allowed to come and visit the New Zoo. Mr Hardvic had organised the day, assigning himself as supervisor. He truly adored his students and wanted to ensure that they remained safe.


"Especially after the rumours..." thought Mr Hardvic, his mind drifting as he tried to take his mind off the situation. The articles he had been reading over the past few weeks had definitely given him food for thought. He adjusted his glasses slightly, blinking a few times as light from the horizon entered his eyes.


Meanwhile, the children were currently seated, conversing quietly amongst themselves. Despite their gifted intelligence, they couldn't help but be internally excited for the opportunity they had been given. After being requested by Management, they had each packed their swimming costumes. They figured they would be able to get some hands-on learning later in the day.


There were eight children overall. They were each currently busy with their own devices. They had each brought their backpacks filled with various study materials. Each of the children had also been requested to pack their swimming costumes...for reasons yet to be revealed to them.


"Probably to give us some more 'hands-on' experience," thought Helen, not even looking up from her book. She continued to read the pages, the various mathematical theories satisfying her appetite for knowledge as the noises of the other could be heard around her. "Then again...it would work best for Katie, she's always been more 'hands-on' with her learning" conceded Helen, deciding to put her book away for the time being. She placed her bookmark that her mother had gotten her for her recent birthday inside as she placed the book back into her backpack.


"Soooo, how do you think it's going to be?" said a sudden voice. Helen looked up, noticing her friend looking at her.


It was still weird to think of Julia as such.


"I think it'll be...interesting" replied Helen, noticing Julia's change in expression. "I think it'll be better for the others rather than us" continued Helen, noticing Julia's expression change.


"Well, it'll be a nice break for us. At least we'll be looking at something not in a book" said Julia. "Also, who knows what animals we'll be seeing today?" continued Julia, smiling with enthusiasm.


"I...I guess" replied Helen, admitting Julia had a point. Helen looked around the bus, noticing the other children of her class. They seemed considerably more excited than herself which honestly, made the girl feel a little awkward.


Meanwhile, the other children were conversing with each other on the bus. Some were barely able to contain their enthusiasm. Polly and Katie sat side by side, smiling widely as they hugged each other affectionately for a brief moment.


"This'll be great!. I wonder what animals the Zoo has!" said Katie excitedly. She blushed sheepishly as she realised she was getting stares from the others. Polly couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's enthusiasm.


"I agree but...it's a little early to be this excited. You'll wear yourself out before long" replied Polly, trying to keep her friend calm.


"But there's just soooo much to be excited about!" said Katie, throwing her arms up for emphasis. "First this, then I'll soon have a new brother or sister" continued Katie, unable to keep her excitement at bay.


Polly smiled at her friend. To be fair, Katie did have a lot to be excited about. "While annoying sometimes, her excitement is definitely contagious," thought Polly. She herself was barely suppressing her excitement about the kind of animals she would be seeing. However, she guessed it would be mostly aquatic animals due to the swimming costume request.


"I hope dad's ok...I know he's very protective of me" thought Polly, drifting off into her thoughts.


Elsewhere, Brian was looking at his friend Sydney. Sydney was holding his hands to his ears, trying to muffle the noise around him. Brian rubbed his friend's back sympathetically, making sure Sydney's glasses didn't fall from his face. Sydney never reacted well on transport, his stomach was always fickle on them. His general shyness didn't help with this, meaning the boy could potentially vomit at any moment.

"It's ok Sydney, you're doing very well," said Brian satisfied at Sydney's weak nod in response. He could tell that Sydney was excited despite his situation. "I'm surprised he's this excited about it...you'd think he would have seen a lot of animals due to his parent's occupation" wondered Brian, deciding to push the thought into the back of his mind as he returned his attention to Sydney.


In reality, Sydney was just happy to be with his friends.


"I hope the Zoo doesn't disappoint" thought Brian, unable to resist his feeling of excitement. Something to break the monotony of being confined to a lab was always welcome. It would also give him something he could talk to his sister about which wouldn't require dumbing down.


"Although, Angelica does try to understand. As well as my parents" admitted Brian. He heard some laughter coming from another place on the bus as he returned his attention to Sydney.


Finally, Mike and Wayne were currently looking at a comic book together. They were taking advantage of the moment of peace to engage in something they enjoyed.


"And the day is saved by Gigazoid once again," said Mike, looking towards Wayne.


"Ah, these never get old," replied Wayne, smiling once more. Despite their intense study habits, sometimes, it was just nice to have opportunities to be children. Wayne then turned to his best friend, smiling once more at Mike.


"The Zoo sounds interesting, doesn't it? All those animals?" said Mike.


"Certainly...I wonder what it would be like to be an animal?" wondered Wayne. He placed the comic back into his backpack.


"That...is an interesting question" replied Mike, considering his answer.


Unknown to Mike, he, alongside his classmates, would soon know the answer to that exact question.


At the New Zoo:


"Why are we still doing this?" asked Elizabeth, her expression sceptical as she stared at her best friend. Her expression became more agitated by the second.


"Rebecca ordered us to do so?" replied Charlotte.


"I couldn't care less about Rebecca but...what about us?" asked Elizabeth.


"What do you mean?" asked Charlotte.


"C'mon Charlotte, you're smarter than this" replied Elizabeth. "We're effectively prisoners of Rebecca...shouldn't we be considering an escape?" asked Elizabeth.


"I...I'm not sure we can," replied Charlotte.


"Wha..what?" said Elizabeth, her eyes widening.


"You're aware of the turbulent current state of Rebecca's connections, especially after what happened to Mandrake" replied Charlotte, looking straight into her friend's eyes. "We're on really thin ice now and honestly...I'm scared that we might not survive this 'detour' " finished Charlotte.


Charlotte began to walk away. Elizabeth let her as she knew her best friend would need to regain her composure. Fortunately, they had already gone over the plan as Elizabeth decided to check up on her seals, clear her head before the big event.


The pair needed some time alone before the children appeared while they considered their position...and their future.


Shortly After:


The bus finally came to a complete stop outside of the New Zoo.


"Ok class, time to vacate the bus," said Mr Hardvic. He smiled as his students obeyed without question, each one gathering their backpacks. They then walked single file towards the exit of the bus as Mr Hardvic did a quick headcount as they departed.


Content that all the children were now off the bus, Mr Hardivc departed himself. He turned back to the bus driver, signalling him to depart. The Bus driver nodded, the bus whirring to life once more as it drove out of the Zoo's car park.


"I hope they remember to come back later on," thought Mr Hardvic, still uneasy due to the recent rumours. Nevertheless, he composed himself, heading towards the children which were under his watch.


The children stood outside the stone archways which lead into the Zoo. They looked up curiously, varying levels of excitement bubbling inside them. However, they maintained their composers, well aware that they were, first and foremost, here to learn.


"Ok class, remember to stick together, each to a pair while I find a manager. Don't go too far, please stick to the Main Hallway" informed Mr Hardvic. The children nodded in response, pairing together as they walked under the stone archways.


They walked into the Main Hallway as they looked around. Their eyes widened, aghast with amazement as they split up, sticking with their buddy as they looked around the various enclosures.


Wayne and Mike hung around near the entrance. They noticed an enclosure nearby which got their immediate interest as they spotted a gorilla. He had a line of silver hair on his back as they walked closer towards the enclosure, their curiosity having peaked.


"Wow...this is kinda cool," said Wayne, Mike nodding in agreement as they began to look deeper into the enclosure. They noticed another gorilla holding what appeared to be a baby gorilla.


The baby gorilla stared at the children, a look of confusion on its features. It was curious to see the newcomers up close. However, before it could do so, it felt the grip from his mother tighten. Evan felt powerless against her grip, resigning himself to watching the children from afar.


"So...how's your project coming along?" asked Wayne.


"Progress is slow, still trying to work on the feasibility" replied Mike, smiling as he thought back to his project. Even if his idea appeared rather impractical, it would be rather cool if he pulled it off. "Anyway, how's your group project with Julia?" asked Mike.


"It's coming along" started Wayne, taking a moment to steal a glance towards Julia. She was currently wandering down the Main Hallway with Helen. "Julia's doing most of the work, I'm just...moral support" continued Wayne, letting his head droop slightly, the fringe of his black hair coming forward.


"I'm sure she'll notice you someday" replied Mike, placing a hand on his friend's back for support. "After all, she actually recognises emotions...unlike someone I know," said Mike.


"Helen's still getting used to the class, you can't blame her for being a bit standoffish," said Wayne.


"I guess" conceded Mike, still uncertain regarding Wayne's response. His mind still pondered just what Helen had to have gone through to result in such an abrasive personality.


Meanwhile, Polly and Katie were looking around, their smiles wide as they eyed the nearby Zebra enclosure. Katie squealed with glee as she bolted towards the enclosure. Polly shook her head, following her bubbly friend to the enclosure.


"Wow, they already have a foal!" shouted Katie, unable to contain her excitement. The only thing stopping her from getting hands-on was the bars of the enclosure blocking her way. She felt a sudden touch on her shoulder as she turned her head.


"Katie, you need to calm down a little...you're scaring the foal," said Polly, pointing inside the enclosure. In fairness, the foal did look rather scared at the sudden noise Katie had been making. It headed towards its mother, hiding behind a leg as the zebra stared back dumbly at the children.


"Oh," said Katie simply, deflating somewhat for a brief moment. "Sorry," said Katie, calling out to the foal before turning back to Polly. "I guess I'm just really excited about my new sibling," continued Katie.


"That's ok, just reel it back a bit" replied Polly. Katie nodded in agreement, visibly calming as the pair continued to eye the herd of zebras in peace.


Elsewhere, Brian and Sydney were eyeing the wolf enclosure. Sydney had a soft smile on his face, clearly enjoying the moment of tranquillity. Brian, however, noticed something strange about the wolves.


They seemed to be paying closer attention to the newcomers...as if they were...concerned.


"Sydney...do you think something seems off?" asked Brian.


"No...why do you ask?" replied Sydney, his brow furrowing slightly as he turned to face Brian.


"No reason, I just thought..." started Brian.


"You thought with my parents being zoologists I'd know common wolf behaviour?" replied Sydney, his tone somewhat frustrated.


"Um...yes?" said Brian awkwardly.


"Unfortunately, I don't," started Sydney. "My parents have always been passionate about animals. Me, not so much" continued Sydney.


"So...why did you want to come to the Zoo?" asked Brian, feeling confused by his friend's response.


"Why else? To spend time with my friends" replied Sydney, smiling softly as he looked back at Brian. "How's Angelica?" asked Sydney.


"She's doing ok. She really does try to understand what I'm talking about but I feel it still goes over her head" replied Brian.


"Well, at least she tries to understand. She does care about you" said Sydney.


"Your parents care about you Sydney" replied Brian.


"Not enough to ask about my project but enough of that for now, can we just...enjoy the moment?" asked Sydney, his tone indicating he was leaving no room for argument.


"Of course" replied Brian simply as the pair continued to look at the wolves. Despite Brian's unease, he pushed it to the back of his mind. Right now, his greatest priority was being moral support for his best friend.


Finally, Helen and Julia had settled around one of the enclosures. They looked inside, noticing the giraffe within. It was currently munching on leaves as the pair settled down, content to observe the giraffe.


"You've been fitting in ok?" asked Julia, turning to face her friend.


"I guess" replied Helen, her brown ponytail bouncing slightly as she turned to face Julia.


"You should talk to the others more, I'm sure they'd like you if you let them get to know you," said Julia.


"You don't know that" replied Helen simply.


"Then enlighten me," said Julia, her tone neutral to not accidentally provoke her friend.


"I...I'm not very good at talking to people. Mother never really settled anywhere until recently. She never told me what we were running from" explained Helen. She noticed Julia eying her intently.


"So, until me...you didn't have a friend?" asked Julia.


"No," replied Helen simply. Julia's mouth widened for a moment. She was trying to think of something to say to make Helen feel better. However, rather unlike Julia, she was coming up short of solutions.


Therefore, she decided to change the subject.


"There's a lot of empty enclosures, aren't there?" said Julia. She noticed Helen's expression change, first confusion, then warmth as she showed appreciation for the subject change.


"Agreed, I guess they're still moving animals in" replied Helen. She stared at the giraffe once more, smiling slightly as she did so.


"Well, I guess we should come back in the near future...as friends," said Julia. She offered her hand out to Helen, offering a handshake to her friend.


Helen stared at the hand for a moment. Her smile widened as she accepted the handshake, quickly moving into a quick embrace as Julia was momentarily confused. However, she quickly realized what was happening as she smiled, accepting Helen's embrace.


"I'm getting through to her" thought Julia, smiling with satisfaction and enjoying the moment of intimacy with her friend.


While the children were exploring the enclosures, Mr Hardvic was looking around the Main Hallway.


"Where are they?" wondered Mr Hardvic internally, his frustration building as he glanced towards a nearby clock. Management was almost running late. Fortunately, he trusted his students to behave amongst themselves but how were future relations ever going to work?


Fortunately, a moment later, Mr Hardvic noticed someone approaching him. She appeared quite short, coming up to his waist. She had red hair and was wearing a pair of glasses that covered her face. She stared at a board in her hand briefly before returning her attention to Mr Hardvic.


Mr Hardvic noticed she had a companion at her side. She was rather short with blond hair tied up in a braid. She was wearing a safari hat, adding a couple of inches to her height. Even so, if it wasn't for the uniform she was wearing, Mr Hardvic might have confused her for one of his students. She seemed to be staring into his soul with those warm brown eyes which appeared to be concealing a hidden coldness within.


"Mr Hardvic? I presume?" asked the red-haired woman as she looked down at her checklist.


"Yes," said Mr Hardvic simply. "I booked a tour for my class of children with Management a few weeks ago" continued Mr Hardvic, motioning towards the children.


Charlotte feigned ignorance for a moment, faking her eyes widening in realization. "Oh, of course. I remember now, my name's Charlotte and my colleague here is Elizabeth" explained Charlotte, motioning towards her colleague. Elizabeth nodded in agreement, Charlotte having informed Elizabeth of her plan beforehand.


At least, most of the plan.


"Elizabeth will give the children a tour while we discuss further relations...if that's ok with you?" offered Charlotte, looking directly at Mr Hardvic.


While Mr Hardvic felt a slight unease, he brushed it off. Assuring himself the children would be fine, he prepared his response.


"Yes, that would be lovely," replied Mr Hardvic. He noticed Charlotte smiling before turning back to Elizabeth.


"Elizabeth, take our guests to go and see your marine collection" ordered Charlotte. Elizabeth nodded in agreement, keeping her slight annoyance in check as she smiled. She then waved enthusiastically, noticing she had gotten the children's interest as they complied. The children's excitement was contagious as Elizabeth's smile widened, becoming genuine.


After watching Elizabeth leave with the children, Charlotte turned back towards Mr Hardvic.


"Why don't we head to the Office? I can make you a cup of tea if you wish" said Charlotte, walking away as Mr Hardvic followed.


"Yes, that will help calm the nerves," thought Mr Hardvic, still feeling uneasy about leaving the children with Elizabeth. He shook his head slightly, reassuring himself that nothing was going to go wrong.


Or so he hoped.


Within the Outside Section:


"This way children!" called out Elizabeth, her enthusiasm clearly in her voice as the children followed. Helen stared at Elizabeth, the woman's excitement unnerved the girl somewhat. However, as she felt Julia's hand against her own, she calmed.


"It's ok, she's just enthusiastic," thought Helen, following alongside her peers as they, alongside Elizabeth, approached an enclosure.


"Ok children, let me introduce you to Bennett the polar bear," said Elizabeth, peering over the railing as she encouraged the children to do the same. After a moment, they complied, eyeing the polar bear who stared curiously at the children.


"Wow...this is so cool!" said Wayne excitedly, his smile widening as Sydney's eyes glimmered with equal excitement.


The rest of the children looked with intrigue and curiosity...except Helen. Something about the experience, especially as Bennett stared at her, seemed off. She felt her nervousness returning once more as she felt an odd sensation coarse through her being.


"That's weird...is that the cold?" wondered Helen. She moved away from the railing as the sensation continued to spread over her. It felt unreal, almost as if...there was more to the polar bear than met the eye. Her chill didn't go unnoticed as Julia moved away from the railing to check on her friend.


"You ok?" asked Julia, concerned about her friend's composure.


"Yes," said Helen, her tone a little standoffish as she noticed Julia shift back uneasily. "Sorry, yes I'm ok" repeated Helen, her tone softer this time.


"Good, now...why don't we look at Bennett together?" offered Julia, holding her hand to Helen. Helen smiled, accepting her offer graciously as they returned to the railing.


Helen looked over the railing once more, the same sensation returning. She ignored it this time, not wanting to draw attention to herself. Still...she couldn't ignore the unreal thought that was occurring to her.


"Are these animals just...animals?" thought Helen, a sudden thought occurring to her which she immediately dismissed. That just wasn't possible!


"Ok, children" started Elizabeth. The children turned away from the polar bear enclosure to face her. "I think that's enough time with Bennett. Follow me so I can show you one of my favourites" said Elizabeth, heading away from the polar bear. The children complied, Helen taking a moment longer as the unease she was feeling just refused to leave.


"Seriously...what's wrong with me?" thought Helen, quickening her pace to not draw attention to herself again.


As Helen tried to contemplate what she was feeling, she noticed the group had already stopped near another enclosure. A glance towards a nearby sign confirmed it was the Orca enclosure. She moved forward, trying to get a good view amongst her peers.


Her mouth widened in amazement as she noticed Elizabeth appeared to be coordinating the Orca into putting a little act together. Despite her scepticism, Helen couldn't help but be impressed.


"Ok...this is quite good," thought Helen, smiling alongside the other children as she watched the Orca continue to perform. It bounced a ball back towards Elizabeth, performed a trick for Elizabeth and eventually shot up, splashing back down into its pool.


"Would you all give Tyler a big round of applause?" said Elizabeth as the children clapped. Helen took a short moment before applauding herself. She felt her doubts washing away as her smile widened.


"Ok, now I'm going to show you the new Aquarium expansion before I bring the seals to you for a bit of hands-on experience," explained Elizabeth. She smiled as she heard a small squeal of excitement from Katie in response. She stood up, beginning to walk away as she motioned the children to follow.


"She must 'really' like her marine biology," thought Helen, smiling as she began to feel warm. She, like the others, was truly looking forward to returning.


They all continued to follow Elizabeth, unaware that they were about to have a more permanent residence at the Zoo.


Within the Aquarium:


Elizabeth walked into the Aquarium, the children not too far behind. The children looked around curiously, surprised to find that the Aquarium was empty.


"Why's the Aquarium empty?" asked Brian, his confusion apparent as he looked towards Elizabeth. His confusion was quickly mirrored amongst his classmates.


"We've yet to move everything in" replied Elizabeth, smiling softly as this seemed to reassure the other classmates. "Now, I'm going to show you the back room where you'll be able to interact with my seals," explained Elizabeth. "Now be gentle, they're my favourite" warned Elizabeth calmly but firmly. The rest of the class nodded in response to this.


"I hope you all brought your swimming costumes as requested," said Elizabeth, happy when she got nods all around. "Ok, there are two changing rooms within. One for the boys, another for the girls. Please go get changed while I go get the seals" explained Elizabeth.


"Ok," said the children, preparing to head towards the doors to the backroom as instructed. Helen couldn't help but feel uneasy at the situation. Nevertheless, she ignored her feeling of dread as she walked in alongside Julia.


The children noticed a large pool within the backroom as they turned to face each other.


"Meet back here in five minutes?" suggested Brian. He motioned towards the boys who began to head off towards their changing area.


"Agreed" replied Julia, motioning towards the girls. Helen seemed frozen for a moment until Julia grabbed her hand once more, directing her alongside the other girls as they approached their changing area.


The boys went into their changing area as they split up, each taking separate booths. They proceeded to put on their swimming costumes. Their excitement was contagious amongst the group, each looking forward to the rest of the tour.


"I can't wait to see the seals," thought Sydney. He had enjoyed the time with his friends and was looking forward to the experience. He beamed widely, hearing the other booth doors opening as he decided to depart.


Sydney came out alongside the other boys, each dressed in their swimming costumes as they waited for the girls to be done.


Meanwhile, the girls were also getting changed. The excitement that had infected the boys was also being felt amongst them as they changed as quickly as they could.


"I can't wait to see the seals!" thought Polly excitingly, her excitement bubbling over as she burst out of the booth. She was changed fully into her swimming costume as Polly followed her. Polly was also smiling but trying to keep her friend in check.


Julia was not long after, coming out in her swimming costume as she eyed the boys and her two female companions. She realized Helen was missing as she looked around.


"Helen? You ok?" asked Julia, feeling rather concerned for her friend. She had been acting weird all morning.


Helen waited a moment, then another, and another. She wondered what to do, something just felt off about this place. "I wish mother was here," thought Helen, finding herself at a loss. Not sure of what to do at the moment, she quickly complied. She quietly but quickly changed into her swimming costume, departing from the booth.


"Took you long enough," said Mike, his tone rather annoyed. A quick glare from Julia silenced him however as the group looked around.


Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen.


"Guess she's still getting the seals together," said Julia, looking around the area. She eventually focused on the back pool. Despite her common sense, her childish curiosity was peaking up as she walked towards it, the rest of the group following her in agreement.


The pool looked very clean, it appeared very calm and was very still. It was also very deep, the children couldn't see the complete bottom of the pool. The children tried to resist the temptation to dive in, figuring that Elizabeth was going to get the animals for them to interact with.


"I wonder why they have this?" wondered Brian out loud, leaving the question to settle amongst his classmates.


"Not sure, perhaps the animals are stored here at some point before being moved into the Aquarium?" replied Polly, struggling to come up with a better explanation.


"Oh, I can't wait any longer, I'm going in!" shouted Katie enthusiastically. She ran past the other children, jumping into the pool before any of the children could react. Once Katie made contact with the water, the others could only stare in horror.


"Oh no, we're in serious trouble now," thought the group as they began to feel a sense of panic between them. Any panic, however, evaporated once Katie surfaced. She splashed some water up at Julia, then at Wayne. The rest of the children proceeded to laugh as they all jumped in and joined in with Kate.


They all proceeded to get into a splash fight, giggling as they enjoyed themselves. They all began to feel a tingle all over their bodies as they continued their fun. However, they concluded that it was merely due to the temperature of the water and that their bodies were still adjusting.


"Ah!" screamed Katie, feeling a sudden burning sensation in her neck. She reflexly gripped the area, feeling panic coming over her.


"Katie?" questioned Julia, barely having a moment before she felt a similar burning sensation coming over her neck. She managed to quickly glance around, noticing the others seemed to be experiencing the same sensation. They all proceeded to scream and grasp the sides of their necks, trying anything to ease the sudden agony they were feeling.


"Friends!" called out Sydney, trying to move as he tripped over.


"Sydney!" called out Brian, concerned for his friend as panic came over him. He ducked down into the water, trying to find his friend in the watery abyss.


The rest of the children eyed the water, trying to find the pair.


"They've certainly been down there a while?" mumbled Mike, struggling to speak as the burning sensation got worse.


"I know," replied Julia, trying to make sense of the situation. Her mind was telling her the water would be relieving to her current predicament. Forgoing her judgement, she ducked her head under the water, trying to find the others.


Meanwhile, the others were left in suspense as their panic continued to rise. Helen began to feel uneasy as the discomfort in her stomach returned.


"Wait...I...I remember this" thought Helen, noticing her struggling peers. She looked down at the water, knowing what would happen. "Guys, go under the water," said Helen, calling out to the rest of the group. She held back tears as the burning around her neck increased in magnitude.


"Why should we?" asked Mike, his tone fearful.


"It'll...It'll bring relief" replied Helen simply, ducking her head under as she tried to look for Julia...her friend.


Meanwhile, the others were left to make a decision.


"Should we?" asked Polly.


"Guess so" replied Mike, shrugging his shoulders as the others complied.
To their surprise, placing their necks underwater brought instant relief.


"Guess she was right," thought Mike, beginning to feel slightly guilty for misjudging Helen. He owed her an apology once this was behind them. He noticed something nearby as he directed the others towards what he quickly recognised as his friends.


"Wait...are those...gills?" wondered Polly, having to do a double-take as she moved closer towards Julia. The other watched her curiously as she moved away, indicating to the children to look at her neck.


They looked and noticed that she had gills!


The other children checked their necks, confirming that they also had gills. They began to feel strange as they all stared at each other. A strange sensation passed across their bodies as they had mixed reactions ranging from confusion to outright panic. The world seemed to be getting much larger as they all began to shrink.


The children became smaller and smaller as they shrunk, they all eventually stopped shrinking when they reached the size of...fish. Their swimming costumes fell into the pool, the children far too small to fit into them anymore.


"Wait...it's magic!" thought Helen, her panic becoming too much. She stared around the others, each of the children having shocked expressions. However, they had become too distracted by their changes to focus on each other. All they noted was that they were all changing differently.


Sydney could feel his body changing as it flattened. His arms forced themselves into his body as it twisted, with his body now as if he was on his side.


"What's happening to him?" wondered the group, each person frozen in shock as they could only witness whatever force was changing Sydney against his will.


Meanwhile, Sydney could feel something pushing out of where his arms were, noticing his new fins which were red. His eyes changed, shifting and relocating to the front of his face as his neck vanished, his head moving much closer to his body. Eventually, the details of his head and brown hair vanished as he felt himself becoming increasingly flatter. He felt something new pushing out of his skin. He looked and saw that he was now growing new red scales which quickly spread over his body. He then began to change colour as he became completely red all over.


Sydney took one last glance over his friends, smiling as his eyes glazed over.


"At least we'll still be together," thought Sydney, his changes completing themselves. He was now a Glass Eye Squirrelfish.


"No...Sydney" thought Brian, his eyes full of despair as he eyed his now transformed friend. He noticed the other's expressions, realizing it was now his turn.


Brian's changes began as he felt his arms and legs merging.


"I guess this is where my fins come in,'' thought Brian bitterly. On the contrary, he felt his body shifting. It began to roll up, resembling some sort of tube. His neck vanished and his face pressed against the rest of his body. He noticed the horrified look of the other children, confused why they weren't moving. However, he had greater problems as he began to feel a new pattern formation on his body as it turned a bit green and adopted white stripes which scattered across his entire body.


"Damn it guys...run!" thought Brian, screaming in his mind. However, he was powerless to resist as he felt his face push out slightly as his eyes moved to the front of his face. He felt his changes complete as his eyes glazed over, rendering the former boy a Dragonface Pipefish.


The group were struggling to comprehend what was happening. It was just not possible...people don't just transform into fish!


As if in defiance of their logic, Wayne began to feel the sensations intensify around his body. He felt bloated as he felt something building up inside of him. He then proceeded to inflate, trying to gasp for air. All this accomplished was making him inflate more. He was swelling like a balloon as he felt something push out of his body which looked to be new spines all over his body.


"Is he?" thought Mike, trying to make sense of what was happening to his friend. He noticed Wayne was beginning to deflate, even if his body was changing shape.


Wayne's eyes began to shift to the side of his head, widening his field of vision. His arms shifted, his fingers growing membranes in between as they changed into his new fins. His skin took on a white colour, covered with dark red spots. His spines were still visible as his body finished changing. He felt his new tail form as his changes completed themselves.


Wayne blinked a few times, trying to hold onto his past memories. He was trying to hold onto something, anything. His parents, Gigazoid, anything!. However, this proved futile as his eyes began to glaze over.


"Mom!..." screamed Wayne in his mind, before it was finally silent. Wayne was now a Pufferfish physically and mentally.


The remaining children could only look in horror as they saw their transformed friends. They knew it was only inevitable that they were next as they looked over each other. Their focus soon turned to Mike as they noticed the look of unease on his face.


"Guys, Help me!" shouted Mike internally, dreading his changes as they began to emerge. He cringed as his skin began to prickle, spines pressing out of him. He imagined his change would be similar to Wayne's but noticed that he was only developing spines on part of his body.


"Ow, this hurts so much!" cried out Mike, unable to form coherent speech within the water. He felt his body twisting as his arms disappeared. New fins quickly replaced them as they formed a very unusual pattern.


The patter resembled a zebra as black and white stripes scattered on them. Mike felt scales emerging from his body as the texture of his skin began to warp against his will. New red scales darker than Sydney's began to form all over his body. He felt his legs merging as they formed a new tail which he shook experimentally.


"I...I hope mom and dad don't try to find me. They need to focus on my sisters" thought Mike, feeling his face pushing into his body as the scales spread over his face. He shook himself, feeling his eyes glazing over. They soon lost any sign of intellect as Mike finished his change into a Zebra Lionfish.


"No, no no no no, NO!" screamed Polly internally. She tried to scramble away, tried to escape as her fear overrode her judgement. Before she could significantly move, she felt her body shifting and changing, the sensations spreading over her petite form.


Polly felt her body beginning to stretch out, flattening out. She tried to scream, finding herself unable to as she became very flat. She felt her arms tingling, disappearing into her form as fins quickly shot out to take their place. She eyed them, noticing they were partly yellow with hints of black and white. She felt a prickling across her body as new scales began to push out of her body.


"Honestly, the scales look nice," thought Polly, noticing the scales beginning to spread across her form faster. "That wasn't an invitation to hurry up!" huffed Polly, finding herself irritated with her predicament. However, it was becoming increasingly harder to work out why it was irritating. The scales began to near her face as she felt her head merging with the rest of her body.


"I...why was I angry?" wondered Polly. She felt the scales continue to spread up her face. They were yellow but became black and white as they neared her face. She felt her eyes glazing over, her human intellect being sealed away as she finished her transformation into a Foxface Rabbitfish.




The remaining trio looked over their friends, Katie's former excitement being replaced with fear. As she felt a sensation coming over her form, she looked forlornly at Helen and Julia.


"Guess it's my turn. I wish I could've seen my new sibling" thought Katie, sobbing. However, her tears were absorbed by the surrounding water as she felt herself changing against her will.


Katie felt her skin become uneven as she felt scales beginning to form across her body as if begging for release. The scales were yellow around her face and white across her body as they continued to spread.


"I...I hope my sibling lives a good life" thought Katie, her excitement being replaced with sorrow. She felt her arms shifting, morphing into small white fins as she lost the dexterity in her hands. Her fingers compressed, thinning as membranes formed between them. They changed into a bright shade of white as she felt her body beginning to tingle.


"Guess I'm changing like Brian" assumed Katie. She was quickly proven correct as her body rolled up into a tube-like shape. She felt new instincts coming over her mind as she gritted her teeth.


Despite her resistance, they were just too strong as Katie felt her eyes glazing over.


"I...I want to burrow" thought Katie feeling her face shift and change. Her scales finished spreading across her body as her changes cemented themselves. Katie was swiftly rendered a Yellowhead Jawfish, unable to comprehend she was human only moments before.


Helen and Julia looked over their friends milling around mindlessly as they looked back at each other. Julia could feel the sensations in her form growing as she tried to resist them. To her surprise, they seemed to be holding back for the moment.


"I can't believe the Zoo's doing this!" thought Julia, feeling livid as she watched her transformed friends. She noticed Helen's forlorn expression, it appeared to be hiding guilt.


"Did she...did she know this was going to happen?" wondered Julia, feeling like she'd been stabbed. She mulled over the perceived betrayal, failing to notice that her hands had been quickly overtaken by fins. They were silver in colour as she saw the same silver colour spread around the rest of her body.


"At least it's a pretty colour," thought Julia, trying to find any silver lining she could. She looked back over to Helen. Even as her body was warping and changing, she found herself unable to stay mad at the terrified girl. Her legs were swiftly replaced by a tail that splashed against the water. Julia quickly gained control of it as she eyed Helen's terrified expression once more.


"No, she couldn't have possibly known," thought Julia, feeling at ease as she noticed a small glow between her scales. It appeared to be a pretty rainbow colour as Julia smiled, resigning herself to the changes.


"At least I'll be taken care of...I hope" thought Julia, feeling her eyes glaze over. She gave one last 'smile' to her friend as the changes sealed themselves. Her mind was silenced as she was reduced to a Princess Parrotfish.


This left Helen as the sole remaining human. She was trying to keep herself composed, even after witnessing her best friend be transformed. The sensations seemed to be holding back, as if in anticipation.


"I...I want my mummy" thought Helen, crying out freely. As she did so, like a predator stalking its prey, the changes began to alter her body.


Helen felt her body reduced in weight drastically, beginning to feel very light. Her head began to shift, changing as it became transparent. She could feel her nerves twitching and changing, sparking now and again.


As if her body was encouraged by the formation of new nerves now operating she felt her arms splitting into smaller threads. Helen could barely tell what was happening as she felt something unusual happening to her eyes.


"Tentacles?" thought Helen, struggling to see anything more as her eyes seemed to vanish. Her head began to soften, forming a soft membrane that went over the top of her head. She could feel the smaller threads connecting to it as she felt her mind becoming lighter, simplifying. It felt as if her head was up in the clouds.


"Mother...please save us," thought Helen. That was her final thought before her intelligence was snuffed out like a candle, reducing the poor girl to a common Jellyfish.


The changes were complete, the children had been reduced to common fish and would now be the first addition to the Aquarium.


The new fish stared mindlessly at each other and felt one final change come over them. They began to replicate, each fish becoming another exactly like it. Their suppressed human memories began to scatter, separating across the replicas of fish. This process continued until there were a dozen of each fish in the pool. The fish then proceeded to swim about, not remembering anything of their former lives.


Elizabeth returned as she looked around. After seeing no sign of the children, she eyed the nearby pool. She looked inside, a smile quickly forming on her face.


"Perfect, all according to plan," thought Elizabeth. She grinned as she admired her handiwork, admiring the various fish which adorned the pool. After a moment, she reached for her phone in her pocket. She laughed softly as she began to ring Charlotte, ready to move on to the next phase of the plan.


Within the Office:


"So, you enjoy teaching your children?" asked Charlotte, trying to engage in pleasant conversation.


"Of course," replied Mr Hardvic, taking another sip from his tea. "I look forward to seeing them accomplish their dreams. It gives my life purpose" continued Mr Hardvic.


"Does it now?" replied Charlotte, letting the air stay still for a brief moment. She resisted the urge to smile, especially once she heard her phone ringing.


"Sorry, I need to take this," said Charlotte, politely excusing herself as she walked outside of the Office. She answered the phone, holding it up to her ear.


"Hello, Elizabeth?" started Charlotte.


"Ok, the new fish are ready, now it's time to add our big attraction" replied Elizabeth.


"Perfect, I'll meet you there," said Charlotte, hanging up as she walked back through the Office Doors. She returned to the main desk, seeing Mr Hardvic still seated.


"The children are finished with their tour if you'll follow me" informed Charlotte, beginning to depart as she noticed Mr Hardvic following her.


"Perfect, it's all coming together," thought Charlotte, smiling softly.


This might just work out after all.


Return to the Aquarium:


Within no time, they had arrived at the Aquarium. Mr Hardvic looked around, noticing Elizabeth nearby. He also noticed several tanks scattered around the Aquarium which were now filled with various types of fish.


"I guess they're filling up the Aquarium?" thought Mr Hardvic, his confusion growing as he turned to look at Charlotte before asking "Excuse me Charlotte? Where are the children?."

"They'll be a quick moment. For now, why don't we talk about future relations?" replied Charlotte.


"What...what do you mean?" asked Mr Hardvic, picking up on the ominousness in Charlotte's tone.


"She means you'll be helping the Zoo in a new capacity, like your students," said Elizabeth, her smile widening maliciously.


Mr Hardivc was still unsure of what they were talking about. However, he recalled the rumours he had read about, the fish within the tanks now seemed unsettling. He felt a sense of unease as he felt a tingling in his legs.


"Wait..what's going on?" wondered Mr Hardvic. He tried to move, quickly falling onto the floor as he held his arms out. He managed to prevent himself from hitting the floor hard as he turned back to look towards his legs. "Why is the feeling in my legs fading?" thought Mr Hardvic, unable to comprehend what was happening to him.


He watched as he felt his legs merging. They forcefully stuck themselves together, ripping his trousers in the process as they did so. He eyed the spreading lump, feeling a sensation coming over his feet. They stretched out widely, his feet snapping from his ankles as they rotated, shifting into an unnatural position.


"Ooooo, that looks like it hurts" mocked Elizabeth, watching over Mr Hardvic with glee. She smiled as she noticed his toes fading, merging into the rest of his developing tail. His wide caudal fin finished forming, leaving Mr Hardvic with a wide shark tail which flopped around in desperation.


"Wait...so the rumours were true?" said Mr Hardvic, struggling to concentrate.


"Of course they were and now...we'll have a new shark for our Aquarium" replied Charlotte, observing the changes occurring. She could tell the next change was forthcoming as Mr Hardvic's expression changed.


Mr Hardivc was currently gritting his teeth as he felt multiple pieces forcing themselves out of his body. He felt his spine stretching out, lengthening as something began pushing out around the middle of his back. It grew wider and wider, eventually forcing itself free as it broke his shirt and tore the jacket he was wearing.


"Don't worry, as a shark you won't need clothes anymore" mused Elizabeth, continuing to enjoy the show. Mr Hardvic barely heard her, more focused on the changes warping his body beyond recognition.


The wide fin eventually grew to its true size, giving Mr Hardvic a majestic dorsal fin. A smaller pair of fins had grown around where his knees used to be but he had failed to notice between the larger one forcing itself out of him.


"Wait...I'm becoming a shark?!" mumbled Mr Hardvic, overly focused on the tingling in his arms.


"I thought teachers were supposed to be smart...this could reflect badly on his students" replied Charlotte.


"Agreed, at that standard, even I could be a prodigy," said Elizabeth, her sadistic smile never fading.


Mr Hardvic felt his arms begin to shift and change. He felt an instinctive need to fold them under his armpits which he had no choice in complying with. He felt new nerves and flesh filling the gap within the triangle as his bones shifted into something new. Like some grotesque jigsaw puzzle, it all eventually connected, making Mr Hardvic the new owner of two pectoral fins.


Mr Hardvic was beginning to feel uneasy as he felt something changing in his neck. He found it increasingly difficult to breathe as five slits began to form, quickly becoming his gills. As a burning sensation began to come over them, he felt instant relief. He looked up to Charlotte, noticing her hand was glowing.


"Nope, you're not getting out of your new duties by dying on us" stated Charlotte bluntly. It was then Mr Hardvic felt a tingling in his face. Realising that was the next thing to change, he said nothing.


"At least...I'll hopefully be able to educate differently," thought Mr Hardvic, resigning himself to his predicament.


As he did, Mr Hardvic felt his teeth sharpening in his mouth, preparing for his new diet. His mouth began to stretch open, enlarging to accommodate his new teeth as his face pushed out into a pointed snout. His body began to become more streamlined to travel through the water which he would soon be occupying as it took on a shark's proportions. His head finished merging with his body, his eyes moving to the sides as it took him a moment to get used to his new vision.


"Wait...why am I worried?" thought Mr Hardvic, struggling to remember his human thoughts as new shark instincts began to overwrite them. He looked over towards the other fish in the Aquarium. They looked almost...tasty.


However, before he could focus on that, Mr Hardvic felt his skin changing texture. It became white at the bottom whereas it was blue at the top.


"A blue shark?" thought Mr Hardvic, his eyes darkening as his mind submitted to his developing instincts. His thought became surrounded by survival and devouring of fish rather than nurturing his students. His attempts to resist fell on deaf ears as his eyes darkened, cementing his change.


The complete Blue shark was laying on the floor, flailing around. It needed to get back into the water, get its next meal. Its protests quickly ceased as it heard the blowing of a whistle. It soon became compliant as it felt itself being picked up.


"Ok, steady" called out Charlotte. Elizabeth nodded, gritting her teeth in exertion. By some miracle, they were able to lift the new shark between them. They approached a nearby large tank as Charlotte pressed a small button on it.


This opened a nearby hatch which they swiftly pushed the new Blue shark into. After a few moments, they noticed the Blue Shark within the tank. It was exploring, swimming around the area mindlessly. The only thought on its mind was when it would get its next meal.


"So...mission accomplished?" asked Elizabeth, staring at the Blue shark. Charlotte was currently ticking the new items off her list, wondering what to add next.


"Yes, this...this turned out better than I expected" replied Charlotte, looking up to Elizabeth, her friend. Today had truly gone better than expected, it caused Charlotte's ego to swell. She felt unstoppable at that moment, wondering if this is how Rebecca felt.


"Is this how Rebecca feels?" thought Charlotte, deciding it did feel good. And like anything good, she felt herself quickly becoming addicted to the feeling. She then noticed Elizabeth was still waiting for an answer.


"Yes, now it's time to decide what to do next," said Charlotte, true confidence swelling in her voice.


"Shouldn't we...lay low after this? At least for a while?" asked Elizabeth.


"What scared you?" replied Charlotte.


"I doubt anyone will fail to notice the disappearance of children who, according to our LandLord, are rather prestigious," said Elizabeth defensively.


"We've done it now," said Charlotte, brushing off Elizabeth's concerns. "What's the worst that could happen?" finished Charlotte, electing to walk away. Elizabeth let her leave, wondering what had gotten into her friend.


Little did they know, the worst was yet to come!


After Dark:


Several hours had passed as the moon shone overhead. The beams of light reflected upon a deep loch of water within the Outside Section of the Zoo. It seemed to bubble slightly as if a reaction was taking place within its depths


The animals were asleep without a care in their enclosures. The ambience of the Main Hallway seemed creepy, haunting as something seemed to be flowing from the filled enclosures. The animals shifted slightly, discomfort present on their faces but not enough to awaken them from their slumber. The accumulated energy began to take on a greenish colour, heading directly for the loch as it formed a strand. It appeared to be...feeding something.


The same seemed to be occurring to the newest additions to the Aquarium. Green energy began to flow from the filled tanks. It piled up, increasing in magnitude as it exited out of the Aquarium like a tidal wave. It quickly approached the loch, forming a strand feeding directly into it. The loch began to glow green, whatever reaction was occurring was certainly one to remember.


Finally, a small stream of energy was coming from the Petting Zoo. It was a minor pittance compared to the rest of the energy. However, for the event that was taking place, every little bit counted. It began to feed into the loch, forming a third and final strand as the loch seemed to be bubbling beyond its threshold.


Suddenly, the energy shot up into the sky, creating waves of intensity that pulsed out, scattering themselves around the Zoo. This awoke the animals suddenly as they began to make noise, confused and panicking in reaction to what was occurring.


After what felt like an eternity, the green energy that had surfaced into the sky began to merge. Each fragment stuck together, lighting up like a lantern as each piece combined. Several reactions were taking place, each one connecting another piece of the puzzle. Eventually, the fragments finished combing, forming a green glow that flashed momentarily before disappearing.


Thankfully, the light eventually died down, restoring the Zoo to the tranquillity it had only moments before.


Meanwhile, the event didn't go unnoticed. A man with short white hair witnessed the awakening occurring before his eyes. He held a large staff in his hand, a long flowing black robe adorning his frame as he smiled with intrigue.


"So, my apprentice has managed to awaken something extraordinary?" said the figure. "I look forward to seeing how she handles this test" finished the figure as he vanished. He would need to keep a closer eye on his apprentice.


If she proved herself worthy to him.


1 Week Later:


"Fucking hell!" cursed Rebecca, livid at the current predicament she had found herself in.


Unfortunately, for the Managers, the disappearance of Mr Hardvic and the children did not go unnoticed.


"How...why, damn it!" shouted Rebecca, firing a magical beam in frustration. Fortunately, she was certain of her solitude as she fired into a nearby patch of grass.


She was currently at a hiding spot she recalled from her childhood. She used to come with her friends, until the...unfortunate accident. Nevertheless, she needed to get out of the house.


And away from them.


"How could they overlook the bloody bus driver?" said Rebecca, smashing her hand into a nearby tree. She splintered the bark as she did so, realizing she had worn herself out in her rage.


It had turned out that the bus driver was suspicious of the Zoo. Rebecca assumed he had been reading the same articles as published by John. However, unlike John, he had gone straight to the media, denying all attempts of subtlety. This had led to many interviews across the local news channels and public opinion beginning to turn against the Zoo.


"Harold..." mumbled Rebecca, ruminating on the name. It was now burned into her brain, a reminder that she had watched through every interview with that man. The idea that he appeared to be doing this for solely 15 minutes of fame was the main part that angered her.


Rebecca sat down, her legs giving out from under her. "That goddamn idiot, I'll get even as soon as this blows over," thought Rebecca, feeling herself calm down once more.


"Well, at least there are some positives to the situation" admitted Rebecca. She had noticed amongst the conspiracy theories that a green light had occurred within the Zoo the evening the children were transformed.


"I'm sure it's just a trick of the light," thought Rebecca, annoyed at herself for not having the security cameras set up sooner. She had spied no suspicious activity over the last week so she considered this theory to be debunked.


"Not to mention...those two seem to be wary of each other now," said Rebecca. She recalled how she had reprimanded Elizabeth and Charlotte. Elizabeth seemed to shrug off the concerns, convinced their Landlord would assist them.


"Does she even know how volatile our relations are right now?" thought Rebecca, Elizabeth's idiocy having truly annoyed her. "However, perhaps I can use this to my advantage" continued Rebecca. She felt a plan coming together in her head as she smiled.


"Charlotte seems fearful of the current situation compared to Elizabeth's apathy," thought Rebecca. "I can perhaps use that to turn the pair against each other. I can't afford them to have a unified front against me...especially not now" continued Rebecca. She stared into the distance, content that a plan was coming together in her mind.


For now, however, she needed to weather the current storm. Once this was out of the way, then she could focus on breaking them apart.


"For now, I need to continue my investigation. Make sure that green glow was just a fluke" said Rebecca. Inwardly, she hoped it was a fluke, she didn't need anything else on her plate right now.


After all, with John snooping around, the school children and changing various people they shouldn't have, Rebecca was beginning to fear that they'd be shut down if they were caught in another major incident.


Epilogue:


"So, they've managed to leave themselves vulnerable. We should take advantage" said Amanda, her excitement present in her voice.


"Not yet," started John. He noticed the look of disappointment on Amanda's face. "We need to be steady. At this rate, one more mistake should expose them" finished John. He noticed Amanda sitting down on one side, she looked forlorn.


"Don't worry," said John, holding his hand out against Amanda. "We're close," said John reassuringly.


"Promise?" said Amanda, looking up to John with wide eyes. At that moment, John noticed Amanda seeming vulnerable, like a child. Almost like his...


"I promise," replied John. He was suddenly taken off guard as Amanda gripped him in a wide hug. After a moment, John returned the affection, trying to comfort Amanda as she wept.


As they embraced, they were being watched from the doorway. Lauren looked in, unable to resist the feeling of jealousy within.


She barely suppressed these feelings, acknowledging them as childish. After all, John seemed to be treating Amanda like a daughter rather than a girlfriend.


"Which means...I've still got a chance," thought Lauren, giving herself a rare smile as she headed downstairs. She intended to prepare another cup of tea for her 'roommates'...or cocoa in Amanda's case.


However, Lauren would be lying if she said the feelings weren't getting harder to resist.