New Zoo (Original Series by Wallace111)

New-Zoo-Hippos

Elizabeth wandered around the Zoo, reacquainting herself with the place. It had been a while since she had been on the premises unsupervised since the ongoing scandal. She was incredibly angry at the way her friends had treated her. They seemed to blame everything wrong that had occurred in the Zoo on her.


First, there was that investor, Jason. He had insulted her height and was now reduced to a giraffe snacking on leaves within his enclosure. Elizabeth stopped, looking in as she eyed Jason, she was trying to get her mind off of the others which was proving to be fruitless.


"Why did everyone scapegoat me...was it that obvious?" thought Elizabeth, fuming slightly as she felt her thoughts wandering further.


She remembered that Jason was soon followed up with that sneaky journalist Patricia who thankfully disposed of herself becoming their new elephant although she had proven to require a considerable amount of maintenance. Fortunately, she had proven to be rather gentle which made handling her and her general maintenance much easier than it would have been otherwise.


The recent incident involving the school trip children had caused their Landlord to abandon them to clean up the mess. Parents had been asking questions and it was their job to tie up loose ends. Elizabeth grumbled as her mind returned to frustration.


"Why do we trust our Landlord anyway? They've abandoned us to deal with this fallout but Rebecca still trusts them. Both of them still insist that this is all my fault" said Elizabeth as she remembered her so-called 'friends.'


Elizabeth was especially angry with Charlotte. Charlotte always was one to consider herself logical and smart but she seemingly shifted blame happily as things hadn't gone exactly to plan. They had gone through so much together that her betrayal stabbed Elizabeth like a knife. She barely suppressed tears as she continued to walk down the Main Hallway, wondering how her best friend could abandon her the way she did.


"Why would she do such a thing?" thought Elizabeth, unsure why her friend would enact such a betrayal. "Has this really become so important to her that our friendship suddenly means nothing?!" shouted Elizabeth as she took a quick look around, noticing that some of the animals had reacted to her shout and were now staring at her.


As the animals continued to stare, she also got the nagging feeling that Rebecca was no better than herself, she probably got far more joy out of adding to the Zoo than she let on and would rather blame her for a lack of impulse control.


"She can certainly twist the facts to support that case" admitted Elizabeth. "Is all this really worth losing my best friend over?" continued Elizabeth as she thought back to how she managed to get her today.


Charlotte and Rebecca had placed Elizabeth under house arrest for the duration while they cleaned up the mess they blamed her for. Fortunately, Elizabeth had snuck out of the residence, escaping through an open window and a nearby tree to come to the Zoo today.


The residence was nice, one of the perks of being associated with their Landlord but it felt very cramped when sharing it with two other people. Fortunately, despite annoying them they had not been evicted, being allowed to stay within their residence while they dealt with the current situation.


"It's such a good job that we didn't get evicted. I'd have never lived that down, the others would have made sure of it. It also means that our Landlord still has some faith in this project" thought Elizabeth as she found herself arriving at her desired destination. She turned as she looked over her new seals, smiling despite her bad mood.


Following the addition of Noah, they had all collectively agreed that the seals needed moving to the Outdoors section. They had needed Elizabeth's assistance the day before as the seals proved to be uncooperative when Rebecca and Charlotte tried to move them themselves. No sooner had Elizabeth blown her whistle, the pod had obeyed her without question, getting into their transport crates as they were wheeled over to their new home. Elizabeth felt smug at the memory, enjoying one-upping Rebecca for once, especially given their current situation.


"But is it really worth it?" thought Elizabeth as she looked over to her seals. "Is all this really worth it if I lose my best friend?" she continued as she tried to focus on the seals, trying to take her mind off of her current predicament.


She eyed Mavis who was currently resting on one of the rocks within the enclosure, taking in the rays of the sun. She had recently noticed that Mavis had seemed to take on a peacekeeper role between the rest of the pod. This was fortunate since the addition of Noah made the possibility that one could be killed much greater due to his much larger size.


"I don't trust Rebecca when she says the zoo's magic should prevent that possibility. Despite this, I plan to keep an eye on them. Who knows what Rebecca may have done since they're blaming me for the school trip incident" thought Elizabeth as she felt determined to get her mind off of her worries. She continued to stare at the pod as she smiled, knowing what would make her happy at this point.


She whistled to get their attention. She smiled slightly as they all stared at her, her training of them paying off as she got them into formation. She had the group perform tricks for her amusement such as flipping in the water or blowing on the makeshift horn upon one of the rock structures.


She smiled, content in her amusement as the seals continued to entertain her. However, she eyed Aaron who seemed somewhat sullen as she quickly came to a realisation.


"Oh? he doesn't have a mate," said Elizabeth as she felt a connection. She felt like she was losing her best friend whereas Aaron didn't have anyone to keep him company like Brent or Noah did. Mavis seemed to rotate between Brent as his actual mate and Noah for company. This only seemed to reinforce that Aaron was all alone.


"Don't worry buddy" called out Elizabeth as Aaron stared up at her, the rest of the pod having gone back to doing their own thing. "I'll get you a mate soon enough" finished Elizabeth as she took note of a nearby clock.


As she glanced into the Seal enclosure, she didn't notice a small green glow nearby. It flashed for a short moment before fading away.


Midday:


It was the middle of the day as Charlie and Cassandra walked under the familiar stone archways of the New Zoo that had recently opened in town. The sun was shining down strongly as there was not a cloud in the sky.


Charlie and Cassandra had recently received passes to come and visit the Zoo and had hoped to do so as a family. Katie had a chance to visit the zoo earlier on a school trip and had unfortunately disappeared.


They had been in contact with the Zoo and were reassured that an investigation was underway. This wasn't good enough for Cassandra who had given the Manager on the other line a piece of her mind and demanded that they were able to see them in person. After the outburst that Cassandra had given, Rebecca had complied with the request and had planned an appointment to see them in person.


Charlie and Cassandra looked around as they entered the Main Hallway of the Zoo. They looked around at all the variety of animals around such as the Gorillas, Zebras and Giraffe. Their confusion grew as they wondered how Katie could have possibly gotten lost. They were distraught, particularly Cassandra who was wandering rather slowly as Charlie held her for support.


Cassandra rubbed her belly as she could feel another heartbeat. She was currently 6 months pregnant and all her friends and relatives were looking forward to the new addition to the family. They had been at an ultrasound appointment the previous week while Katie had been on her school trip. The development was positive and Charlie and Cassandra couldn't help but be overjoyed. They were looking forward to the new daughter they would be having in but a few short months.


Katie had been especially excited by the prospect of having a new sibling. She was overjoyed at the previous ultrasound appointment which confirmed that she would soon have a little sister. She had been considering names with her parents until they had decided on Lily, naming her after the Peace Lily believed to attract good luck.


They hoped that Katie would be found before the new child was born. Missing people at the zoo seemed to be becoming a regular occurrence that it was almost normal for people to randomly disappear. The pair, however, remained optimistic as they continued to walk down the main hallway, hoping to find Katie or get some information on her possible whereabouts.


This hadn't stopped Cassandra from worrying however. Despite reassurance from her husband, she was not only concerned about her missing daughter but the state of her workplace and whether she would have anything to return to upon returning from her maternity leave. She was a secretary for the local printing company and when she had left, she knew that the finances weren't particularly healthy.


"If only Greta didn't seemingly screw up every contract we get," thought Cassandra, frowning momentarily. However, she pushed the thought from her mind, calming herself.


After all, currently, the state of the local printing company was not her problem. That was a problem for future Cassandra to figure out.


Cassandra shifted her long blond hair out of her face as she looked around. She had come wearing a white shirt alongside a pair of pink shorts. Her light blue eyes helped brighten up her light complexion further as she walked alongside her husband in a pair of light brown sandals. Her body had become enlarged by her pregnancy as she found it difficult to walk along.


Cassandra's eyes shined in the light, appearing almost pink in colour. She shielded her eyes briefly, the shine proving to be somewhat overwhelming. Over the years, Cassandra had been diagnosed with albinism. Hence her lighter complexion in comparison to her husband. Fortunately, she could see clearly enough to navigate the Main Hallway but was rather difficult to read any of the nearby signage.


At this rate, Cassandra considered wearing her glasses in her pocket. Although she noted that they would most likely darken due to the intense sunlight. Still, the image of her in sunglasses would be currently preferable to her long-sightedness.


Charlie on the other hand had rather short hair which was a fading blond colour as the blond dye he had been using began to fade out. He wore a plain grey t-shirt as he assisted his wife down the Main Hallway. His simple brown shoes and black jeans demonstrated his ability to dress casually. He was likewise concerned for Katie and was very worried about his wife. He was very worried as her stress only seemed to grow and grow as Katie remained missing and the state of her workplace remained ambiguous.


But most of all, he feared what the consequences of her stress could be on his unborn child.


Unfortunately, Charlie's career wasn't particularly lucrative either. There was minimal progression to be had as a bartender after all. It didn't help that the location of the bar was rather out of the way, meaning very few customers, outside of a few loyal patrons, came through the doors.


"Still..." thought Charlie, taking a short glance at his wife. "It was worth it to meet Cassandra" finished Charlie, a small smile across his face. He recalled the first night they had met.


Ten Years Ago:


The dingy lighting of the downtrodden bar shined down as Charlie wiped another pint glass for the dozenth time. He placed the glass down, content with his work as he looked around the seating area of the bar once more.


"Looks like it'll be another quiet night," thought Charlie, feeling irritated as he eyed the empty tip jar. "Guess it'll be another cheap food night" continued Charlie, hearing the wind roaring outside.


"And another difficult night getting home" finished Charlie, dreading walking home once his shift was over. He slumped across the bar, sitting down on a barstool as he eyed the clock ticking away.


Little did Charlie know that this night was going to become significantly different. As the door swung open in the wind, his life was about to change.


Charlie noticed someone quickly entering the bar as they swung the door closed behind them. Their long blond hair was the first clue to Charlie that the person in question was a woman. They turned to face Charlie, covering their eyes with their hand.


"Hello? Can you help me?" asked Cassandra, her voice sounding quite depressed. However, as Charlie continued to gaze at her, he couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat.


"Sure...what do you need?" replied Charlie, finding it hard to focus as the woman approached the bar. She sat down on a nearby stool, eyeing Charlie for a brief moment.


"A taxi...and a drink" replied Cassandra, her voice still rather sullen as she leaned her arms onto the bar. She laid her head in her hands, wondering what had gone wrong.
"Why did they just abandon me?" wondered Cassandra, recalling the other girls she had come out with. She was beginning to think her mother had a point with ignoring the party scene while she was in college.


Perhaps she should just focus on her studies?


As Cassandra lifted her head she noticed that Charlie had presented her with a drink. She began to reach down into her purse, confused as she noticed Charlie shaking his head.


"Don't worry about it...it's on the house" said Charlie, noticing Cassandra's look of relief. He felt warm once again as Cassandra looked particularly cute over the bar lighting. Her seemingly pink eyes shined like amethysts, making her seem majestic as Charlie shook his head. He tried to get his mind back on track...focus on his work.


"Are you ok?" asked Cassandra, now looking rather confused. She raised an eyebrow as she took a sip of her drink. She took a breath of relief as she did so, feeling her evening beginning to not feel like a total waste.


"Yes...sorry" replied Charlie uneasily. It was then he noticed the phone nearby and, recalling Cassandra's request for a taxi, decided to oblige. "About time I called you that taxi," said Charlie, dismissing himself for a moment. Cassandra eyed him as he left, finding herself oddly...curious.


"He's rather...endearing," thought Cassandra, unable to resist cracking a smile. She took another sip of her drink, smiling as the liquid travelled across her taste buds. She noticed the bartender returning, finding him rather cute.


"Ok, I've called you that taxi miss..." said Charlie, realising he had never asked for her name.


"Cassandra...and you?" replied Cassandra, introducing herself before awaiting a response.


"Charlie" stated Charlie simply, sitting back down on a barstool as the pair stared at each other.


"So...what brings you out here?" asked Charlie, curious but also desiring to break the silence between them.


"I was out with some... 'friends'" replied Cassandra, her tone becoming agitated once more. "We were at a nearby club and then they just left without telling me" continued Cassandra, her frustration growing as she became more and more irritated. "Then, before I could call a taxi, my phone went flat and trying to communicate in that club is...impossible between the drunk patrons and loud music" finished Cassandra, noticing Charlie listening intently as she smiled despite her mood.


"They don't sound like good friends" stated Charlie, noticing Cassandra take another swig of her drink.


"No, they're not..." fumed Cassandra. "Still, I decided I needed to find somewhere so I braved the wind until I found this place and then found...you" finished Cassandra, taking another moment to eye Charlie as she smiled.


She could feel herself getting warmer as Charlie looked rather attractive. Cassandra was struggling to tell whether it was down to her drink or arousal but, as of right now, Cassandra didn't care.


After what felt like a few moments but was actually a few minutes, the pair heard the nearby phone ringing once more. Charlie gazed at Cassandra for a moment longer, eventually relenting as he picked up the phone. Cassandra finished off the last of her drink as she noticed Charlie nodding before returning to her.


"Your taxis here" informed Charlie, noticing Cassandra nodding. She began to get up, struggling somewhat as Charlie quickly came round the other side. He helped her up, supporting Cassandra as he did so. He took a glance at the nearby clock, looking around at the empty bar before shrugging his shoulders.


Surely his boss wouldn't mind him closing up a little early.


"Wait," said Cassandra, catching Charlie off guard. She quickly scribbled something on a nearby piece of paper before handing it back to Charlie.


"It's my number...call me again sometime," said Cassandra, her tone slurring slightly. Clearly, her drink had been a little strong for her liking. Charlie, meanwhile, took the piece of paper, helping Cassandra continue to approach the door to the bar.


After taking a moment to lock the doors, Charlie turned back around. He noticed the taxi nearby as he continued to assist Cassandra down the steps. He assisted Cassandra inside, making sure she was secure before getting in himself.


"Take us to the college dorms nearby" instructed Charlie, the taxi driver nodding before driving away.


It had been a surprisingly pleasant night, one that made Charlie look forward to the future for once.


Following their first time at the bar, their relationship escalated rather quickly. The pair had realised they truly enjoyed being in each other's company as they continued to go on dates, take long walks and sleep together intimately.
However, their idyllic times together soon came crashing down one fateful morning.


The morning where Cassandra found out she was pregnant.


Followed by the moment Cassandra decided she was going to keep the baby.


This caused an unfortunate uproar in her family as they tried to pressure her to abort. Cassandra had held her ground, even as her parents threatened to withdraw her college fund and disown her.


And eventually, her parents followed through. Cassandra had been immediately forced from her home, no longer considered their daughter.


This left Cassandra with little more than the clothes on her back as she had swiftly gone to Charlie's place.


After calming her down, Charlie let her move in with him. As Cassandra hugged Charlie intimately, he felt determined to improve himself. He felt determined to provide for his growing family and his unborn child.


A process which proved to be much more difficult than he had anticipated.


As it turns out, most occupations weren't interested in a couple of college dropouts. Hence, Charlie had continued to work at the bar while Cassandra sought employment.


There was no fancy wedding, just a simple engagement at the courthouse as the newlywed couple continued to persist against all odds. Cassandra even managed to find herself a job as a secretary for a newly formed printing company.


However, despite all those difficulties, as Charlie saw his newborn baby girl for the first time. He couldn't help but smile. As he gazed more into his child's brown eyes, he felt that everything, all their struggles, had been worth it.


"I think we should call her...Katie" said Cassandra, her voice weak from having just given birth. Charlie, her husband, stared at Cassandra, his wife. He had tears in his eyes as he eyed the beautiful woman before him.


"That's...perfect" replied Charlie, the happy couple eying their daughter...their charming daughter, a symbol of their unified love together.


And as they say, the rest is history.


Present Day:


"Can we stop for a moment?" asked Cassandra as her husband stopped walking, continuing to support his wife as she took a moment to catch her breath, breathing heavily as the intense heat was leaving her rather dehydrated.


"I still don't think it was a good idea to come with me, I could have come by myself while you kept taking care of Lily" replied Charlie as he held his wife up as she was struggling to support herself.


"This is our daughter Charlie" shot back Cassandra, her stubborn streak showing as she managed to get her breath back as she continued "This is rather important and I'd be a disappointment of a mother if I didn't come."


Charlie had to acknowledge his wife's point. He remembered how her stubbornness was the reason they were seeing someone in person as he sighed, gripping his wife around his arm as they continued, deeper into the Zoo.


The pair were walking down the Main Hallway and were confused at the lack of any employees or personnel around as they continued to look around. They saw a sign that was directed toward the Aquarium or towards the Outside Section of the Zoo. The pair thought for a moment and decided to go away from the aquarium, walking into the Outside Section.


They had failed to realise that Katie was closer than they thought.


Cassandra and Charlie walked through the Outside Section of the Zoo as they attempted to look around for anyone to help them. The Zoo was surprisingly empty as their confusion faded away, being replaced by annoyance.


"Where is anybody?" asked Charlie, turning to his wife as her expression indicated greater annoyance.


"This is beyond a joke now" stated Cassandra as she looked around. Her eyes eventually came across someone outside one of the animal enclosures. She appeared to be wearing a Zoo uniform as she began to hurry toward them.


"Hello, are you Rebecca?" asked Cassandra, her tone making it sound more like a demand as Elizabeth looked at the pair, confused for a moment as she quickly remembered something.


Elizabeth had overheard from Rebecca that she had organised for Katie's parents to come to the Zoo today to talk about the whereabouts of their missing child.


"Oh, crap...that was today?" thought Elizabeth as she realised that her sneaking off had backfired somewhat. Elizabeth made the quick decision to use her sweet facade. Continuing to use this made her sick to her stomach but she had to do this to avoid suspicion, especially considering the circumstances.


"Hello, apologies for the delay. Rebecca's not here right now but I'm Elizabeth, one of the Managers of this Zoo and should be able to assist the pair of you" started Elizabeth as she noticed Cassandra seemed to calm somewhat as the pair stared at her, giving her a moment to collect her thoughts.


"We're here to have a discussion regarding the disappearance of our daughter Katie" explained Cassandra, calmly as she acknowledged the possibility that Elizabeth might not have been told.


As she continued to speak, Elizabeth felt something different about Cassandra. She noticed her round belly as she managed to sense a second heartbeat and realised Cassandra was pregnant.


"Wait...she's pregnant?!" thought Elizabeth, feeling momentary shock as she wondered what to do. "Should I let them go?, what'll happen to the child?, What should I do?" continued Elizabeth as she felt conflicted for the second time that day about what she should do. Nothing seemed simple anymore!


Elizabeth then noticed Cassandra staring at her awkwardly. Elizabeth realised that she had zoned out as she quickly responded "The Zoo is doing the best it can given the situation but you can come with me and assist with looking around if it'll put you at ease."


The parents looked back at each other, their expressions indicating disappointment before they shrugged. Silently agreeing to make the most of a bad situation as they both replied to Elizabeth "That would be good, we can help with looking around."


"Splendid...splendid" stated Elizabeth, still feeling uneasy as she guided the pair away. Charlie and Cassandra followed as none of them noticed a small green glow which shone momentarily before fading away once more.


The group wandered through the Outside Section of the Zoo, Elizabeth keeping her pace slow so Cassandra could keep up.


"So...I've noticed you're pregnant," said Elizabeth, trying to ease her mind at the possibility of what she was about to do. "How long do you have?, are you looking forward to when they're born?, Was it planned?"


Cassandra stared at Elizabeth for a moment, wondering how to respond. The questions seemed rather insensitive but as she eyed Elizabeth, she couldn't find it in herself to be angry. Elizabeth seemed extremely uneasy as Cassandra decided to humour her, trying to defuse the awkwardness of the situation.


"I have about 3 months before she's born, our little Lily, she wasn't planned. She was a surprise...a nice surprise though" replied Cassandra.


This only caused Elizabeth to feel even more uneasy as she became really uncomfortable with what she needed to do. She decided she wanted to get this done as soon as possible.


She turned away for a moment, noticing a nearby enclosure. She quickly noticed that it was for the hippopotamus as she decided she couldn't keep her conflict to herself anymore.


"I think we should start here," said Elizabeth hurriedly, as she looked to the parents who stopped alongside her, confusion on their faces as they did so.


"Why have we stopp.." started Cassandra as she felt something within her mind. Her thoughts dwindled as she stared blankly towards the Hippo enclosure.


"Cassandra, are you..." began Charlie as he felt the same emptiness within his mind. He joined his wife in staring blankly at the enclosure.


"We would both like to check the enclosure," said the pair blankly, as if in monotone. Elizabeth looked on in confusion, slightly fearful at what was going on. She quickly regained her composure as she decided to make the most of the situation.


"By all means," said Elizabeth as she headed to the entrance gate, opening it as Charlie and Cassandra wandered through. Elizabeth closed the gate behind them as she watched intently, intrigued by what was going on.


"What was that all about?" thought Elizabeth as she got a good view of the couple within.


Charlie and Cassandra mindlessly walked down a small staircase into the enclosure. It had a massive pool of water which took up the centre of the enclosure. It bubbled as it looked comfortably warm for the hippo residents when they arrived. There were also heaters surrounding the enclosure, modelled like volcanoes which caused the enclosure to feel very, very warm, almost like a sauna or hothouse.


They could see patches of grass and fruit bushes for the hippos to feed from on the other side of the enclosure and within the centre of the water, was a small island where the hippos could stay. A small house stood still upon it which could give the hippos shelter from the sun.


Speaking of which, the sun had continued to shine down intensely upon the couple which if they could comprehend this, did not clearly demonstrate this.


The couple reached the bottom of the staircase and looked around. Cassandra blinked a few times as she felt her clarity returning, she could feel an odd sensation coming over her as her mind returned. She quickly noticed that she was directly in the sunlight and somehow, had found herself within the Hippo enclosure.


"How did we wind up here?" thought Cassandra as she took a nearby glance at her husband. He seemed to be snapping out of whatever trance they were put under as his mind slowly returned to him as well.


He took a quick glance at his wife, feeling familiar sensations to his wife coming over him. He turned to his wife before stating "We should get out of here. This heat can't be good for you."


Cassandra nodded as she turned with her husband. However, she got a quick sideways glance at the nearby spring. For some reason, she felt drawn to it as she began to walk toward it. She slipped off her sandals as she entered the depths of the spring.


The relief in the water was immediate as Cassandra breathed out in ecstasy. The water seemed to soak into her lower body as she began to feel goosebumps below. She giggled slightly as it felt rather ticklish as Charlie stared at his wife, confused as to what was going on.


"Cassandra?" asked Charlie, surprised at his wife as he came back down the staircase. "What are you doing?." As he glanced at his wife, he felt himself becoming drawn to the spring. He shook his head, trying to resist temptation.


"C'mon in Charlie" replied Cassandra as she smiled seductively, "The water's fine."


This was the final push Charlie needed as he moved forward, entering the spring and joining his wife. The pair cuddled, Charlie, taking care not to disturb Lily as the pair felt themselves become increasingly warm. Unknown to the pair, the sensation had continued to travel through their bodies as the changes were soon to begin.


Cassandra's lower body began to shift as her feet began to morph. Her toes became bloated, some merging into each other as new hooves began to form, replacing her feet as the sensation spread upwards. She moaned slightly as she could feel her legs bulking up, pound after pound of fat building up around her legs, pressing against her shorts which were struggling to stay on her expanding frame.


"Wha?" called out Cassandra as she felt something ripping off of her. Her shorts had split at the seams and sunk into the water, no longer able to accommodate her expanding lower body. Her glasses case sank alongside them, joining the other fragments of her discarded humanity. She could feel her legs shifting as they began to shrink, becoming the perfect length for the hippo cow she was becoming.


"What's wrong dear?" asked Charlie as he could feel a discomfort come over him. His clothes felt tight as his body piled on pound after pound of fat, making him quickly go from quite thin to being rather chubby as the clothes began to feel suffocating to him.


Cassandra covered her mouth in shock as she watched Charlie's weight gain. She managed to get a proper feel for what was happening to her lower body as she saw her husband struggling within his clothing.


"We should get out of here!" exclaimed Cassandra as she began to head towards the edge of the spring, her husband not far behind her. Surprisingly, Cassandra was proving to be quicker than Charlie as his clothes limited his mobility. With each step, he could feel a seam, a stitch, anything as the clothes began to tear. His clothes finally burst from his body as he reached the edge of the spring, noticing his wife looking down in shock at her lower body.


Cassandra's lower body had changed considerably as she noticed her thicker hooves. She saw the additional fat which was surrounding her legs and frame. She looked up to Charlie, noticing he was significantly taller than her. This caused her to notice her legs had shrunken as she looked up to Charlie, tears in her eyes.


"What's happening to us?" asked Cassandra, worry evident in her voice as she turned to her husband for moral support.


Charlie looked at his wife as he wondered what he could say. As he thought, he noticed his full nudity for the first time as he considered covering himself up. It was then he realised what had happened to Katie. She had come to this Zoo and must have been changed into something.


"This Zoo...I think it transforms people. I think we're becoming a new exhibit" stated Charlie, uncertain of how to react to this situation as Cassandra could only react with shock as she covered her mouth.


"Does this mean...Katie's here somewhere?" responded Cassandra as she found herself unable to react as she came to the same realisation as her husband.


The couple then concluded that the other animals must have been previously transformed people too as they began to panic


They desperately tried to head to the staircase, to exit the enclosure. They felt further tingling across their bodies and unknown to them, more changes were about to occur.


The pair looked at each other in shock as they watched each other. They saw their hands change. The fingers hardened as they turned black as their hands flattened, bloating up, matching their new bodies as they had a first look at their new hooves.


The changes then shifted for the pair as Cassandra felt her upper body begin to bloat up, pushing against her t-shirt. It became tighter and tighter as Cassandra found her new hooves useless for removing it, forcing her to watch as it exploded off her frame, exposing her upper body including her breasts as she observed her husband.


Charlie's feet were shifting, the toes bloating up as they quickly became a pair of hooves like his wife's. He could feel his legs shifting as they shrunk, becoming shorter as Charlie noticed his height was becoming more in line with his wife as they stared eye to eye.


Before the pair could focus, they felt a 'click' in their lower backs which forced them to the ground. They attempted to stand but their backs and newfound weight meant that they couldn't stand on two legs and never would again.


The pair felt a small extension form in their spines as a short stubby tail grew which had a tuft of fur on it. They moved the tails experimentally, shocked as they responded to their thoughts. The implications of this disturbed the pair as they felt further changes begin to occur.


The couple's hair fell out, forming on the ground as their skin darkened, becoming a brown-like colour at the top and pinkish around their stomachs. Their skin changed texture till it became fully animal, becoming rough like hide and causing a temporary discomforting sensation as their new animal hide set in.


They felt their equipment rearranged and changed to match their new bodies with Cassandra growing teats below her rear legs as her breasts were absorbed by her new fat and Charlie's member became something very animal, definitely fit for any subsequent mating sessions.


Charlie felt his face stretch out as it grew wider and longer, becoming more accustomed to his soon-to-be new species. He felt his teeth change as new tusks grew out of his mouth. His ears changed and migrated to the top of his head as his face had almost finished changing to match his soon-to-be new species.


Cassandra watched her husband as she felt something inside her change. She realised that her unborn child was changing as she hoped that it would be ok. She was relieved as she felt a new hippo calf in her belly as she calmed down. This gave the changes the foothold they needed in her mind as her instincts became dominant within her mind.


"At least Lily's ok. That's all that matters now" thought Cassandra as her mind finished simplifying, fully submitting to her hippo instincts.


As they did, she felt the sensation come over her, causing further change to her once human body. She felt her face change and stretch out, much like Charlie's had as she began to feel her teeth change to match her new diet and her ears changed. She also felt the formation of her new tusks as she began to breathe which felt much different through her larger nostrils.


Charlie was very near completion now, his head just finishing up as they looked over his wife, noticing her transformation was complete. He noticed that his wife was significantly rounder, reassuring himself that his unborn child was safe. This was his last moment of clarity as his eyes dulled over, showing no human intellect behind them.


The new hippos looked around the enclosure and began to feel rather warm. They walked over to the pool and gently went in, eager to cool off on the intensely bright sunny day. They quickly got used to navigating throughout the water as they planned to spend the rest of the day there. The water felt very pleasurable against their hides as they felt a soothing feeling as their new lives cemented themselves. They began to feel extremely hungry and began to call out, as if demanding food.


Elizabeth looked over the transformed people and felt relieved. She noticed that Cassandra was much larger around her middle section which was reassuring to her. "I can still sense the second heartbeat...guess the baby came over safely after all" thought Elizabeth as she thought back to their previous state.


"Why did they seem hypnotised?" thought Elizabeth as she began to list off possible reasons, not finding any that made sense.


As she wondered, she didn't notice a nearby green glow which faded away before Elizabeth got out her whistle. She blew on it, noticing the hippos immediately stopped what they were doing and stared at her, indicating they were under her control. She smiled slightly as she wandered off, returning moments later as she deposited some food for the newfound hippos which they seemed to eagerly enjoy.


"Of course Cassandra would eat more, she's got another mouth to feed" thought Elizabeth as she decided it would be best to leave. Rebecca would be here at a moment's notice and she didn't want to be here when that happened.


She headed towards the exit, feeling better than when she left. She knew she would have to explain this to her friends later but she didn't care. However, Elizabeth continued to doubt herself before leaving the Zoo. She wondered about whether the Zoo was worth it as her thoughts from earlier returned, she thought back to Charlotte but ultimately dismissed that feeling. She decided that she just needed to do a few more acquisitions, tie up some loose ends and then she'd feel better.


Yes, she would definitely feel better.