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Arriving at the Aviary:
It didn’t take long for the family to arrive at the Aviary. The vast size of it immediately drew their attention as even Aurora and Eri couldn’t help but be impressed by how majestic it looked.

“Wow…the things enough money can afford” thought Eri, genuinely impressed by the structure.

The floor of the Aviary was covered in large green grass as a vast array of plants of shrubbery were scattered throughout. Large trees hung overhead, each proving to be sturdy perches for the birds to rest from. Large bodies of water were scattered throughout, enabling the birds to wash their feathers or even swim as the overhead sun glistened down.

“It really looks pleasant for birds to reside” thought Aurora, smiling widely as she eyed her mother. Aimi seemed to be easing up as Aurora’s smile widened. After everything her mother had done to raise her, she truly deserved to have a moment to just…be calm.

The Aviary was surrounded by a large glass wall, allowing the viewing public to eye the Aviary from all sides. The birds would also be kept in by the large overhead roof which was made of the same glass which would allow the sun to shine in and enable the birds to maintain their proper sleep cycles.

“I’d just like to reiterate how grateful I am for your donation,” said Rebecca, getting the family’s attention. “This really wouldn’t have been possible otherwise” continued Rebecca, motioning towards a nearby plaque as the family eyed it, happy to have made a meaningful contribution to their community as they read it.

The Plaque simply read ‘Diversity Aviary made possible by the Suzuki Johnson family’.

“This…this is wonderful” started Geoffrey, admiring the structural design of the Aviary once more. “The design work is truly spectacular” continued Geoffrey, failing to notice Rebecca smiling once more.

“Would you like to look inside?” asked Rebecca, directing her statement to the rest of the family.

They all seemed to have different feelings about Rebecca’s offer. Eri seemed indifferent, Aimi was still nervous, Aurora seemed suspicious whereas Geoffrey and Liam seemed enthusiastic.

Aurora glanced over at her mother, she noticed Aimi seemed unnerved to go inside. Aurora then took a glance back at Rebecca, unable to shake the suspicion that something was wrong.

“I’d like to look inside,” said Geoffrey, enthusiasm in his voice. Rebecca nodded, turning back to the others who seemed to be ‘encouraged’ by Geoffrey’s enthusiasm.

“Meh…don’t see why not,” said Eri, walking to catch up with her dad. After all, it was fascinating from the outside…surely the inside would be interesting as well?

“Guess we’ve made our decision” stated Aimi, eyeing Aurora as the pair walked forward towards the nearby entrance to the Aviary. Aurora gripped her mother’s hand for support, Liam oblivious to the tension that the pair were feeling.

As Rebecca opened the door, the family walked inside, completely unaware of the changes that were soon about to come over them.

“Feel free to look around, I’ll come to get you in twenty minutes,” said Rebecca as she closed the door behind them. The family watched her leave, curious about the Aviary as they looked around.

It was certainly as pleasant on the inside as it seemed on the outside.

“Can I go look around by myself for a while?” asked Eri, feeling oddly fascinated about the Aviary as she began to feel warm. Eri was unaware of the sensations passing through her body as the magic of the Aviary began to seep into her.

“By all means” replied Geoffrey, smiling as Eri began to look around. She was eager not to squander this opportunity as Aimi stared oddly at her husband. “It’s not like she can go anywhere,” reasoned Geoffrey, trying to reassure his wife.

“Ok…I’m going to look around as well, I wonder what other birds might be in here” said Aurora, looking at her mother. Aimi nodded irritably, reluctantly permitting Aurora to go off on her own as she felt oddly nervous…and uncomfortably warm.

Geoffrey kept close to Aimi who was still holding Liam despite him becoming increasingly fidgety.

“Sorry, little man. Can’t let you go off on your own, you need to stay with us” said Geoffrey as the trio walked forwards, curious as to what wonders they would find.

Meanwhile, Megan was currently sulking in her nest as she began to look around. The sound of running water was beginning to get on her nerves as she squawked irritably once more.

“Couldn’t Rebecca at least install some white noise? Something to break the fucking boredom?!” squawked Megan, irritated as she noticed Chris eyeing her once more. “What are you looking at?!” squawked Megan, fearful and angry at the earlier revelation she had experienced.

However, Megan’s thoughts were quickly distracted as she noticed someone wandering in the distance.

“Wait…is that…Eri?” thought Megan, taking another moment to confirm her suspicions. “Oh no!” squawked Megan, standing from her nest almost immediately. “These must be the new roommates Rebecca was talking about” concluded Megan, quickly running after Eri.

Hopefully, she was not too late.

In her haste, however, Megan failed to notice Chris had watched her leave. He tilted his head in confusion as he began to pursue her.

“What’s gotten into my mate today?” wondered Chris, concerned for his mate’s skittish behaviour from the morning. As he progressed, he felt a new determination growing within, a new influence coming over his mind.

A need to please his mistress, Rebecca.

To accomplish this, he needed to stop his mate from interfering with the soon-to-be additions…by any means necessary.

The Final Curtain:
“Hmmm…where are the other birds?” thought Eri, feeling an odd sense of curiosity building within. The girl was puzzled by the strange goosebumps which seemed impossible to shake as she felt strangely at ease in her surroundings.

As Eri looked around, her mind began to feel odd…fuzzy. It was becoming increasingly difficult to focus as Eri found herself drawn to a nearby lake. Her eyes momentarily darkened, a newfound instinct building within her as a sudden appetite came over her.

“I…hungry” muttered Eri, her mouth watering as she paced towards the lake. She couldn’t help herself as her body forced itself forward like a puppet on a string. As Eri approached the lake, she bent down onto her knees, ignoring how her pristine white dress was becoming muddy from the ground beneath her.

As Eri eyed her reflection in the water, she saw not herself but a trumpeter swan. Eri couldn’t help but admire the majestic creature in her reflection as her mind was still mush. However, something was picking up in her nose, the smell of…fish?

“Fish!” shouted Eri, dunking her head into the lake. She managed to grip one of the many small fish within the lake in her teeth as she chomped down. Eri, her mind under the influence of the swan she was becoming, began to eagerly enjoy her meal as the magic within her picked up once more.

While Eri continued to chew on the fish she had acquired, Megan managed to catch up to Eri. Megan eyed her ‘classmate’, worried for her despite her abrasive personality.

“Eri…snap out of it!” squawked Megan, her worry growing as Eri continued to behave like the swan she was becoming. Eri seemed completely oblivious to anything going on around her as Megan shook her head in annoyance.

“Guess I need to take a more direct approach” snarked Megan, her cynic tone was not lost on her. She began to move towards her ‘classmate’, intending to push her beak to good use.

However, before she could do so, Megan noticed someone running past her quickly. She turned to see that Chris was now in front of her, his feathers unfurled to cut off Megan’s approach.

The display was actually quite creepy, with the tips of each of the feathers resembling eyes glaring down. It was enough to give Megan pause as her fear of the peacock in front of her, as the one responsible for taking her virginity glared at her.

“Megan…you need to stop!” commanded Chris, his gaze hardening as he stared deeply at his mate. “You cannot interfere with Rebecca’s will…the law of the jungle commands it” continued Chris, beginning to walk towards Megan threateningly.

“Law of the jungle? What’s he talking about?” thought Megan, finding it hard to focus as she stepped back in fear. She could recall her previous mating session with Chris, causing her fear to spike up once more.

“Stay back…leave me alone'' squawked Megan, her fear becoming impossible to ignore. Chris continued to walk threateningly towards her, a lusty gaze in his eyes. Megan knew his intentions as she found herself becoming hysterical.

After all, she has no intention of going another round.

“Get away from me you creep!” squawked Megan, having lost control of her emotions. She moved further back, angry at how she was getting further and further away from Eri.

Unknown to Megan and Chris, their squawks seemed to free Eri’s mind from the haze of her swan instincts. Her eyes began to brighten back up, human clarity returning to them as she shook her head.

“Uuuh, my head…” murmured Eri, feeling as if she had woken up from a dream. She looked around, noticing the lake that she was nearby. But not before feeling something in her mouth, something…unusual.

“Wha…what the hell?” wondered Eri, opening her mouth as she reached inside. She managed to feel a foreign object within, pulling it out as she stared at it. Her eyes widened in horror as Eri realised what she had been eating.

“Fuck…raw fish!” shouted Eri, beginning to panic as she threw away the last scrap in her hand. “Oh no” mumbled Eri, feeling a sense of panic come over her, especially since she was allergic to fish. She could feel sensations passing through her body, no doubt in her mind that her allergies were spiking up.

Eri scrambled through her dress, trying to find her Epi-pen to no avail. The sensations continued to spread across her form, Eri growing in panic as they did so.

“No…no, no, no!” shouted Eri, struggling to keep her composure. She tried to stand, finding it hard to do so as she managed to get another look into the lake. “Wait…what?” said Eri, confusion replacing her panic momentarily as she eyed her reflection.

Or at least…what should’ve been her reflection.

Instead of her reflection, Eri noticed an elegant and majestic swan staring back at her. As Eri shifted her head, the swan did the same.

“Ok…I’m hallucinating?” reasoned Eri, feeling a strange sensation coming over her hand. The haze that had previously plagued her mind began to return, calming the panicking girl as she stared at her hand in confusion.

Eri watched as her hand seemed to be shifting. It was as if it was melting right before her eyes. She felt her fingers crunch, compressing themselves as they began to shrink into her hand, no doubt beginning their transition into wings. The hands also seemed to be changing, little ‘pricks’ occurring as small white feathers seemed to be forming across Eri’s mutating hand.

“The…the fuck is going on?” said Eri, finding herself rather short of breath. She could only watch as her ‘stump’ began to be coated in lush, coarse feathers. She tried to wiggle her fingers to no avail, only managing to flap the wing forming as the feathers began to spread up her arm.

“This…this can’t be real…am I dying?” thought Eri, her breathing becoming more erratic. Eri was still convinced that she was having an allergic reaction to the fish she had eaten…but the sheer horror of what she was experiencing was making that idea more difficult to believe.

As Eri’s mind was desperate to make sense of what was going on, she could feel the sensations shifting to her other hand. She cringed as her fingers crushed and compressed, forcing themselves into her hand as small white feathers began to push out of her palms, spreading like wildfire as they created a majestic plumage across her arms as Eri still seemed lost in her own mind.

“This…this is impossible,” thought Eri, trying to make sense of what was happening to her. It was becoming increasingly hard to believe that this was all a result of an allergic reaction. It just all felt too…real. She could feel sensations tingling in her arms as the magic of the Zoo forced them to change.

Eri’s arms became malleable, stretching and moulding as they forced themselves to her sides. It was like an artist at work moulding Eri’s body like clay as the arms began to broaden, and widen as her humerus assumed a different shape. Her radius and ulna split, bending unnaturally as Eri gritted her teeth from the pain.

Fortunately, the pain was short-lived as Eri’s wings finished forming. She flapped them mindlessly for a brief moment, forcing the haze from her mind as Eri finally took notice of her new pair of wings.

“What…no, this…this isn’t possible” mumbled Eri, denial coming over her as she instinctively flapped her wings in frustration. As she eyed her white plumage more, she couldn’t help but feel as if she recognised it.

It took only a moment more for Eri’s eyes to widen in realisation.

“Wait…a swan…like the ballet?” said Eri, her breathing calming for a brief moment. She recalled her recital next week…how much she had practised. How she had longed for the moment to audition.

“At least I’ll be perfect for the part,” said Eri bitterly, a bitter chuckle coming from her lips as she felt the magic focusing itself around her neck. It began to stretch out, giving Eri minor vertigo as it lengthened out. It forced itself higher and higher, becoming the proper proportion for the swan Eri was becoming.

“oh-OH” trumpeted Eri, making her first swan call. Before she could react further, however, she felt her neck becoming increasingly itchy. She tried to resist but her mind couldn’t help but hyper-focus on the itching as more white feathers began to push themselves out from her neck.

“This…this is too much,” thought Eri, unable to resist as she scratched the itch as best as she could with her wingtips. Unfortunately, this caused the sensations around her neck to escalate, becoming worse as more and more white feathers pushed out from her neck. They continued to spread without resistance as a thin trail of white feathers soon coated Eri’s neck.

“Help…help me!” shouted Eri, trying to get the attention of someone…anyone. However, her only chance of help nearby was Megan…and she was having problems of her own.

The Interval:
Currently, Megan was still in a standoff against Chris who was blocking her way to Eri. Megan heard Eri’s screams as she couldn’t help but be confused despite her nervousness of Chris’s lusty stares.

“Ok…where’s her family? Could this be due to magic being involved?” wondered Megan, staring back at Chris whose gaze seemed to…softening.

“Seriously…what’s gotten into you Megan?” asked Chris, his head tilting in confusion. “What’s ruffled your feathers today?” continued Chris, his tone sympathetic as he began to withdraw his large plumage of feathers.

Megan eyed Chris, worried for Eri as she considered if she could get past Chris. Unfortunately, Chris was staring directly at her, clearly having caught on. His gaze seemed to be daring her to try.

“I…I…I don’t feel well” replied Megan, feigning illness. She bent her head down, resisting the urge to smirk as Chris’s stare once again became sympathetic.

“Ah…explains a lot” stated Chris, beginning to walk towards Megan as he nuzzled her. It took everything in Megan not to vomit…or try to. “Well, once the new birds have settled in, we can get Rebecca to give you a check-up” reasoned Chris, his tone affectionate as Megan began to feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Fuck this” thought Megan, her facade fading as she thumped Chris. Chris fell back as Megan quickly took off into a sprint. “Eri…Eri!” squawked Megan, trying to get her ‘classmate’s’ attention.

As Chris recovered, quickly returning to his feet, he couldn’t help but smile. “So…Megan’s playing hard to get today?” thought Chris, ‘smiling’ as something inside of him was relishing the challenge that his mate was providing him. “Guess she doesn’t want to share this space” reasoned Chris, shaking his head disappointedly.

After all, it was Rebecca’s will for them to share this space…and Rebecca’s will was law.

Therefore, Chris took off after his mate, feeling more determined to curb her disobedience.

The Grand Pas De Deux:
Eri was still panicking about her pending transformation as she looked around frantically. She could feel her changes continuing, itching occurring underneath her dress as feathers forced themselves out, covering her human flesh.

“I just…I can’t believe this is happening” mumbled Eri, trying to make sense of what was going on. As she did so, a realisation came over her, one that caused her eyes to widen in panic.

“Wait…did everyone missing from class become an animal?!” thought Eri, feeling bittersweet about the ordeal. “I guess this place proved to be the biggest bully” continued Eri, chuckling slightly as she began to notice everything around her getting bigger.

“I guess I really am acting out the ballet I was rehearsing…oh the irony,” said Eri, feeling that speech was becoming increasingly difficult to say. As she noticed her dress becoming looser and looser against her shrinking frame, she couldn’t help but flap her wings.

“They…I look beautiful” thought Eri, smiling as she could feel a further layer of swan feathers forcing themselves from her body. She couldn’t help but chuckle as her plumage continued to broaden as her dress finally fell to the ground, no longer being supported by her adjusting body.

Eri looked around, unable to resist admiring her changing body. Her plumage truly looked majestic as she noticed another bird approaching her. For some reason that Eri couldn’t recall, they seemed…familiar.

“I…I must be imagining things” thought Eri, shaking her head. She noticed the peahen staring forlornly at her as the sensations changing her had now spread to her legs. She struggled to stand as the tingling intensified, causing her legs to shake as they thinned out. Her muscles shifted, thinning out as they lost definition.

“Just…just get it over with” thought Eri bitterly. While admiring her changing form, she couldn’t help but wish for her humanity. Little did she realise that this desire would spell her true downfall and bring Eri’s performance to a tragic conclusion.

As Eri’s now much thinner legs darkened, the pink skin was being swapped for dark black pigment as the magic began to seep into her feet. Her toes felt strange, her second and fourth toes shrinking back into her feet. They bent backwards as they did so, forcing themselves to become smaller and smaller as they pushed themselves into Eri’s changing feet. The skin of her feet began to darken like her legs, the pigment darkening as her remaining toes stretched out, preparing their change into true swan feet as they became black like her legs.

“This…this feels stra…OH” said Eri, her eyes widening as her speech broke. “OH OH OH” called out Eri, trying to no avail to keep talking…hear her human voice one last time.

Unfortunately, it was to no avail.

As Eri contemplated this development, she could feel something growing between her remaining toes. She looked down, noticing webbing forming between her feet which she moved curiously. Something in her mind, her new swan instincts were directing her towards the lake.

“No…NO!” shouted Eri internally, shaking her head. She felt her body tingling as she looked around, noticing the peahen staring at her. “What’s she staring at?” wondered Eri, feeling the remaining human proportions of her body changing. They quickly shifted, assuming a different shape as her body moulded itself into a more streamlined shape…the shape of the swan.

“Wait…no,” thought Eri, her defiance small as her body continued to be moulded. Whatever force was changing her seemed gentle, and precise…like an artist making final adjustments to their sculpture.

For the finishing touch, another layer of feathers popped out of Eri’s body, forming another layer which puffed out as Eri was becoming increasingly frustrated with her predicament.

“What is the freaking holdup?!” thought Eri, stamping her foot in agitation. She looked towards the peahen once more, still confused as to why it was taking such an interest in her. “OH OH OH!” trumpeted Eri, angry enough at her predicament on her own.

She didn't need an audience.

As Eri continued to trumpet in frustration, she felt a tingling in her scalp. Her eyes widened as she realised what was about to happen.

“No…oh please no!” thought Eri, tears escaping her eyes as her luscious black hair was forced out of the roots as white feathers pushed out to take their place. Her tears only continued to increase as her hair began to fall to the floor. To her astonishment, her hair faded away before hitting the floor as she whimpered once more, fully aware that the final indicator of her former humanity…was gone forever.

“Why…why was I so indifferent towards coming here?” thought Eri, continuing to sob as she noticed the peahen had approached her. Her desire for company eclipsing her frustration caused her to wrap her wings around the peahen, sobbing into its plumage.

“That’s it Eri…let it all out,” thought Megan, eyeing her changing classmate. She took a quick glance around for Chris, content that he was nowhere to be found. She shook her head, chiding herself for failing to rescue Eri.

Which meant that the best Megan could hope for…was comforting Eri in her final moments.

“Wait…this feels…familiar,” thought Eri, a thought coming to her. As she pondered her thoughts, she noticed that her mouth was beginning to tingle. She went cross-eyed as a dark black beak pushed itself from her mouth, swiftly replacing her lips as it lengthened. She could feel her teeth loosening as she spat them out, the teeth fading away before they even hit the floor.

“Wait…Megan?” thought Eri, her eyes widening in realisation. She couldn’t believe it, given her reputation at school…her classmate was actually caring for her? Especially Megan, one of her many victims…was showing her mercy?

“I’m…I’m sorry,” said Eri, surprised that she was able to speak. She could feel prickling occurring across her face as her tears were being absorbed by her finishing plumage. Eri felt her mind beginning to fade, her eyes shrinking and repositioning as her mind began to simplify.

As Eri eyed Megan once more, her eyes began to darken. The human clarity within was being swiftly snuffed out as her new animal instincts claimed a foothold in her mind. Eri’s human memories were being washed away as her new animal instincts…and memories alike began to take hold.

She was Eri, the top bird of the Old Zoo and she was currently eyeing Megan…her rival.

“Megan?” trumpeted Eri, eyeing her rival confusingly. She seemed oddly close to her as she suddenly backed away. Megan stared at Eri with confusion as she did so. “Get away from me” trumpeted Eri, strutting her feathers at the peahen. “Everyone knows I’m the star attraction of the birds” finished Eri, her smug tone obvious in her voice.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” thought Megan, shaking her head irritably. However, she couldn’t help but be alarmed by the sudden change in personality from Eri. Eri eyed her rival smugly, quickly changing her focus to the nearby lake.

“See you around wannabe,” said Eri, her tone still smug as she strutted past Megan. She then sank herself into the water, paddling softly as she kept herself afloat. Something told her that she’d be expecting company soon…for reasons that Eri could no longer understand but weren’t any less important.

As Megan eyed the now-transformed Eri, she couldn’t help but be confused. Had she been like that while she was ‘animal-brained’? Speaking of which…where was Chris? Or the others?

“Well…might as well keep moving,” thought Megan, taking one last glance towards Eri. “Thanks…I guess” finished Megan, shaking her head as she heard a nearby noise. She proceeded to head in that direction, hoping that it was another victim she could attempt to save.

And not her supposed ‘mate’ Chris.

The Point of No Return:
Oblivious to Eri’s new animal form, Aimi and Geoffrey glanced around the Aviary. Aimi was carrying Liam as Geoffrey’s eyes were wide, bright with intrigue at the Aviary’s intricate design.

“Magnificent…isn’t it?” said Geoffrey, feeling rather excited for reasons he didn’t yet understand. Aimi nodded curtly, still irritated at her husband for his casual disregard for their children’s safety earlier on.

After all, they were usually on the same page. What has caused such a sudden shift in opinion?

“Geoffrey…why did you let Eri go off on her own so easily?” asked Aimi, unable to hide her irritation.

“Aimi, it’s not like Eri can go anywhere,” said Geoffrey, his tone indicating irritation at his wife as he turned back to face her. “Besides…you let Aurora go off on her own” continued Geoffrey.

“Only because she would’ve argued otherwise since you let Eri go off on her own” stated Aimi, unable to hide her growing anger. She put Liam down momentarily, feeling a discomfort bubbling within her.

“Aimi, you need to stop being this overprotective” argued Geoffrey, ignoring the look of confusion on his wife’s face. “Every child has to leave the nest at some point” continued Geoffrey, his tone getting more and more agitated.

In response, Aimi’s emotions began escalating to match her husband's, becoming too erratic for her to properly focus. Which was unfortunate because if they hadn’t, she might’ve picked up on Geoffrey’s strange choice of words.

“Ok…where did this come from?!” said Aimi, unable to hold back her anger any longer. “We’ve always been on the same page regarding our children but now you’ve suddenly changed tune!” continued Aimi, oblivious to how her shouting was alarming Liam, making him feel scared.

“Well perhaps wrapping our children in cotton wool isn’t the best idea anymore” replied Geoffrey, his tone getting increasingly argumentative. “Perhaps our children should be able to make their own choices…and mistakes” continued Geoffrey, ignoring his wife’s expression of shock.

“I…I can’t believe you just said that…” stammered Aimi, trying to reconcile what she was witnessing with the man she knew…the man she loved. “You know that we need to protect them, so they don’t end up with someone like…like…” continued Aimi, still trying to make sense of everything that was happening.

The situation was feeling more and more like a nightmare.

“Not everyone is like your ex-husband Aimi!” shouted Geoffrey, his volume silencing Aimi. “Our children need…no they deserve freedom from us” continued Geoffrey firmly, his harsh voice almost driving his wife to tears.

Almost…

“Funny, you’re acting just like my ex right now!” shouted Aimi, her bitter tone coming into her voice. “I may have endured abuse but I refuse to let our children be subjected to that!” continued Aimi, unaware that her raised volume was scaring Liam.

“Oh get over yourself!” shouted Geoffrey harshly. “It’s been over twenty years, I imagine he’s likely long gone at this point and it’s about time we stopped figuratively suffocating our children due to him” continued Geoffrey, barely paying any attention to his wife as he turned away.

While the pair were arguing, they had failed to notice that Liam had run off, desperately trying to get away from his arguing parents. Their vitriol was unusual, unexpected for the small boy which had, in turn, caused him no end of grief and made him determined to escape the negativity.

“How…how dare you try to undermine what I’ve experienced,” said Aimi, her now quiet voice emanating her fury. “What’s gotten into you? This is not the man I married” continued Aimi, taking a moment to look around. As she did, her eyes widened in panic.

“Liam? Liam, where are you?!” called out Aimi, her voice becoming desperate as Geoffrey shook his head.

“Typical” tutted Geoffrey, turning away from his wife. “You try so hard to protect them…only to lose them anyway,” said Geoffrey, walking away from the situation. After all, he felt something drawing him to a nearby lake in the Aviary.

For some reason he didn’t understand, the idea felt rather…inviting.

Aimi watched her husband go. She shrugged her shoulders, still clueless over his sudden change in attitude.

“Perhaps…some time apart might do us some good?” wondered Aimi, feeling a sense of momentary regret. However, before her guilt could fester, she put the thoughts to one side, recognising her priority towards finding her son.

“Liam? Where are you? Come to Mummy” said Aimi, nervousness present in her voice. She continued to look around, trying to see if she could find any trace of him.

“I’m over here mummy!” called out Liam. Aimi’s attention was diverted as she began to quickly run in the direction of the voice. However, as she did so, Aimi became singularly focused on finding her son, protecting her son.

Which led her right into a low-hanging tree branch.

THWACK!

The impact was enough to force Aimi off her feet as she suddenly fell back. She fell onto the squishy mud of the Aviary, her head hitting the ground as she struggled to stay conscious.

“No…Children…Geoffrey” mounted Aimi, her eyes closing as she passed out.

As Aimi lay on the ground, something, or more specifically, someone popped his small head out from behind one of the nearby trees. In hindsight, Liam hadn’t picked the best of hiding places.

“Mummy?” said Liam, confused to find his mother passed out on the ground. He looked around, confused not to find his father anywhere in sight as he bent down. His knees squelched against the mud of the Aviary as he shook his mother, feeling fearful now that he was all alone.

“Mummy…mummy wake up!” shouted Liam, a strange feeling coming over him. It felt sickening. It was as if Liam was coming down with a fever. Liam tried shaking his mother awake once more to no avail, the sensations occurring over his body intensifying as they caused him to stop.

“Wha…what’s happening?” mumbled Liam, looking down at his arms which were literally shaking with anticipation. Liam’s green eyes widened to pinpricks as he gazed at his arms which seemed to be becoming increasingly itchy. The sensations were making Liam feel sick to his stomach as he felt forced to watch the inevitable changes about to come over him.

Liam could feel his goosebumps worsening as he eyed something pushing itself out from his arm. It was black and…fluffy? Liam tilted his head in confusion, trying to make sense of what was happening. He reached out curiously with his hand, grasping the unknown protrusion before yanking it clean from his arm.

“Ow!” shouted Liam, barely holding back tears from the pain. “A…feather?” mumbled Liam, losing his grip as the feather nonchalantly fell to the floor. Nevertheless, he felt a sense of satisfaction from removing it as he couldn’t help but smile smugly.

Until he noticed another one growing on his arm.

“Wha?” said Liam, his mind in shock as he gripped this new feather. Determined once more, he began to pull. However, before he could yank this new feather from his arm, he saw another one prickling out from under his skin.

Then another one, and another one. The feathers were quickly overwhelming Liam’s crude attempts to remove them as his mouth widened in panic.

“Feathers…what’s going…on?” murmured Liam fearfully. He felt nervous, looking around frantically for someone, anyone to help him. As he did, the feathers continued to overwhelm his arms, prickling across each and every pore as they began to spread towards his hands.

“Bird? I’m becoming a bird?” thought Liam, tears coming to his eyes. He was happy as a human, he had friends he’d miss, he…he didn’t want to be an animal. “No…stop…please?” begged Liam, the tears in his eyes escaping as the sensations began to focus around his hands.

Liam gritted his teeth as he could feel his fingernails forcing themselves loose. They popped off as black feathers began to form underneath them, waving around mindlessly in the Aviary. The feathers across his arms seemed to be spreading further, as if in solidarity as Liam could barely see his digits which were already feeling tingly…warm even.

“Hands?” said Liam, unable to resist his childish intrigue despite what was happening to him. However, this was quickly snuffed out as he felt his fingers beginning to shrink. Liam couldn’t help but weep as the digits bent back on themselves, causing considerable pain to the boy as they forced themselves back into his palms. His thumbs mirrored his fingers, twisting unnaturally as the bones began to recede. Liam’s crying continued to increase in intensity as his fingers and thumbs finished shrinking into his palms, leaving the magic to continue its maleficent intentions on the changing five-year-old.

“Mummy!” called out Liam, desperate for his mother to help him. Unfortunately, Aimi was still knocked out cold as he could feel his remaining palms now beginning their change. The sensations increased in magnitude, almost as if they were eager to finish out Liam’s developing wings.

Liam could feel his arms crunch and change, the arms assuming a different shape as they curved unnaturally. The feathers distributed themselves, creating a soft plumage which Liam was too scared to notice. Liam could feel the arms on his t-shirt beginning to tear, no longer able to support his shifting arms as they tore at the seams. Liam’s palms then began to crack, narrowing as they shrunk, the bone seemingly being filed away as his wingtips began to take their place.

Soon, Liam’s arms had been replaced with a pair of wings coated in smooth black feathers. He flapped them, startled at how easily they responded to his thoughts. It made the experience feel all the more real as Liam felt his emotions fall out of his control.

Due to his overwhelming emotions, Liam couldn’t help but scream.

The Cavalry Arrives Late:
Megan was currently running through the Aviary, desperate to pick up any trace of the family currently at risk of joining the Zoo.

“C’mon…where could they be?” thought Megan irritably. She couldn’t help but feel nervous as she scratched the ground irritably. “I can’t believe I couldn’t trace that earlier noise” fumed Megan, looking around frantically.

Known to Megan, while she was looking for the remaining family members, she was also trying to avoid Chris. Especially after what had…
“No…don’t think about it” squawked Megan, shaking her head. She didn’t need to be reminded of what Chris had done to her…what was currently resting in their nest.

It was then Megan heard the screams of a small boy.

“Good, good,” thought Megan, quickly dismissing her own concerns for the time being. She could tell the origin of the scream couldn’t have been too far away. As she ran, she could also hear cries that she figured were coming from the same source.

“Hopefully I can do some good?” wondered Megan, still doubting herself. After all, how far ahead had Rebecca planned?

As Megan ran off unknowingly towards Liam, Chris noticed his mate not too far off. He craned his head irritably, becoming agitated at his mate’s defiance of Rebecca’s will.

“Why doesn’t she understand?… Rebecca’s will is law” thought Chris, confused at where this change in personality in his mate had come from. “Still, Rebecca has planned everything…there is no escape for them now” continued Chris, wondering how he could reassure his mate.

“Anyways, it’s too late for her to help Liam now” reasoned Chris, oblivious as memories filled his head, memories of the Old Zoo coming back to him. “I suppose I should cut her off at the next one…take her by surprise” squawked Chris, nodding as he began to run towards the nearby lake where Eri now rested.

After all, Geoffrey would be there soon…which meant the Zoo’s new black heron wasn’t too far behind.

A Toucan of Appreciation:
As Liam continued to cry, his wings flapping mindlessly as he did so. He took another glance over to his mummy, wishing she was awake to comfort him in his time of need.

“Mummy?” called out Liam once more, his hopeful tone soon breaking as his mother continued to be unresponsive. Before he could try again, he felt the magical sensations returning as they began to focus around his feet.

“No…no not again” begged Liam, hoping that the changes would cease. However, the developing cramping in his feet was telling him a completely different story. Liam shifted himself, trying to position himself to be able to untie his shoes.

Which led him to be immediately reminded of his new wings.

“Stupid useless wings” groaned Liam irritably as the material began to tear. Liam cringed as his toes seemed to be crunching, changing as some folded inwards, regressing towards his feet while others extended past the point of comfort.

As his feet continued to shift, Liam found that they seemed to be…thinning out?

“Shoes…no fit anymore?” wondered Liam, curious as he lifted his feet from his shoes. As he did so, he couldn’t help but gasp as he glanced at his still-changing claws.

“Feet? No…claws” murmured Liam as the sensations continued to mould his feet into an unnatural shape. His thinning toes continued to shrink, fading away as they were sucked back into his foot while some continued to lengthen, becoming the length that would be required for Liam’s near future. His nails continued to grow, his claws shredding the last of his socks to shreds.

As Liam stared at his feet, he noticed them discolouring, becoming blue as they hardened. His toes then began to bend unnaturally as his arms had done. They cracked and crunched, curling as they became a true pair of claws for the toucan he was becoming as Liam couldn’t help but feel once again agitated at what was happening to him.

“I…I don’t want this!” cried out Liam defiantly, trying to get to his feet. However, he found his balance difficult to get and even harder to maintain as he soon fell back onto the ground.

The impact was enough to bring tears to Liam’s eyes. Fortunately, he managed to hold them back as he noticed a newcomer approaching nearby.

Megan kept her distance, suddenly finding herself at a loss of what to do. She shook her head, irritated at having not thought her plan through beforehand as she stared at the small boy before her.

“Wait…he’s that young?!” thought Megan, struggling to keep her composure as she eyed the changing Liam sympathetically. “Eri never mentioned how old her brother was…he seems not much older than Caitlyn’s brother” continued Megan, struggling to not feel sorry for the small boy having his future potential stolen from him.

“Bird?” said Liam, pointing towards Megan as best he could with his new wings. Megan eyed Liam, struggling with how to approach this situation. She eyed his new claws for feet and his wings as she struggled to work out what kind of bird he was becoming.

“Not that it matters” thought Megan, shaking her head. She continued to look around, noticing Aimi not too far off. She was still out cold as Megan could feel a plan coming together.

“Ok, it’s time for a wake-up call” squawked Megan quietly. She walked over to Aimi, poking her with her beak. She tried a few more times to no success, taking occasional glances back towards Liam who seemed to be curious about what Megan was doing.

As Liam stared, he couldn’t help but feel further sensations coming over him. His body began to feel increasingly itchy as Liam tried his best to scratch with his wings.

“C’mon…please stop being…itchy” begged Liam, powerless to stop the onslaught of feathers bubbling underneath his shirt. In contrast to the black feathers that had plagued his arms, these feathers were a bright, sunny yellow which continued to spread upwards. Each tiny feather prickled upwards, determined to coat his face in their plumage.

Megan turned away from Aimi, eyeing Liam as she noticed the yellow feathers spreading up towards his face as she shook her head.

“He doesn’t deserve this” thought Megan, staring forlornly as she wondered if she should comfort Liam. As she began to walk forward, something was stopping her, causing her to hesitate.

“What…what’s stopping me?” wondered Megan, fearful for a moment. Was this the magic affecting her again? Preventing her from even comforting a fellow victim?

“No…it’s because I’m scared…scared of what might happen” concluded Megan bitterly. She scratched the ground irritably, deciding the best thing she could do…was comfort from afar.

Meanwhile, Liam was breathing erratically as the heat of his developing plumage was beginning to get to the small boy. He looked around, noticing that his surroundings appeared to be getting larger, more overwhelming as Liam began to feel agoraphobic.

“The…the room’s getting bigger?” wondered Liam, not having caught on to the fact that he was actually shrinking. This had caused the feathers which had surrounded his frame to envelop him, his clothes to get looser. As Liam’s heartbeat continued nervously, the feathers continued to spread wider and wider across his body, coating it in a pristine black.

Liam could feel a pulling sensation coming from his rear as he turned around. His eyes widened as he noticed a new tail pushing itself out from his shorts. It wiggled mindlessly as if it was taunting the boy. Black feathers coated the new limb, a small red patch forming underneath as a white patch formed above.

“Impossible…no, no, no” mumbled Liam, still trying to deny what was happening to him. However, his tail continued to shift mindlessly, as if to remind him of his future ahead. Liam took one last glance at his mother, upset to find her still unconscious as the sensations began to spread around Liam’s body, as if they were trying to paralyse him.

“I…I’m not animal” mumbled Liam, still trying to defy what was happening to him. However, as his clothes fell to the floor, no longer able to be supported by his shrinking body, his cries were silenced.

Liam closed his eyes, hoping that this was all just a bad dream. However, this was to no avail as the floodgates began to open in his mind. The sensations spread to his mind, ready to change him physically and mentally.

“What…what’s happening? Where are the others?” barked Liam, his voice now silenced by the vocals of the toucan he was becoming. The sudden clarity of the voice caught Megan off guard, still watching over Liam in her attempts at moral support.

“...Megan?” asked Liam confusingly, shaking his head as new memories began to replace his old memories. He remembered Megan, she was the star attraction alongside Chris from the Old Zoo. He could recall how Eri had always been jealous of her and how…

“Wait…no!” barked Liam, his human memories making one last chance to push back. However, as Liam felt a tingling coming over his face, he knew it was a losing battle.

As Liam tried to resist, black feathers emerged from his head, forcing his blond hair loose. Each root gave way as a feather took its place before leaving his human face as the only part of Liam that was still human.

However, that was soon to change as Liam could feel the skin around his eyes changing. It became rougher, changing texture. It became rough as it changed to a luscious green colour as the sensations shifted towards his mouth, ready to add the piece de resistance.

Liam barked as something began to push outwards from his mouth. His beak continued to push, further and further outwards as the colour changed to many different hues. It looked majestic as Liam’s developing toucan beak continued to force itself out to its full length, a red tip forming to signal that his beak was complete.

As the sensations added the finishing touches, Liam could feel his mind changing, simplifying as the false memories began to take hold, becoming dominant as Liam’s pupils darkened. Liam was now physically and mentally a toucan as he looked around.

“Well, this is certainly much bigger than our previous quarters” croaked Liam, admiring the new digs as he caught sight of Megan staring at him. “What’re you looking at?” barked Liam, his irritated tone catching Megan off guard.

“Oh please don’t be another bird which hates me for reasons I don’t know” thought Megan, already dreading the outcome of this conversation.

“Shouldn’t you be with Chris, Megan?” growled Liam pointedly, flapping his wings and landing on a nearby tree branch. If he still had his memories, he would’ve comprehended that it was the same branch responsible for knocking out his mother. “After all, you really like rubbing that fact in Eri’s face..don’t you?” continued Liam, shaking his head.

“You know what…I don’t need this” squawked Megan, looking around before deciding to run off in one direction.

Liam watched her go, he ‘smiled’ smugly to himself, content to have defended his ‘sister’ against the entitled peahen. After all, what good had she ever done for him?

“Speaking of which…where is Eri?” thought Liam, curious as to the whereabouts of his ‘sister.’ “I hope she was transferred properly” continued Liam, desiring to fly out and find his sister.

However, for reasons he could no longer comprehend. He felt compelled to stay put. Liam glanced down at Aimi, still unconscious, not understanding the strange feeling he had inside.

“I hope Aimi, our resident queen, is somewhere around here,” thought Liam, still finding himself gazing confusingly at the unconscious woman that was formerly his mother. Still, he brushed the feeling off, eying the Aviary curious from his perch.

After all, it soon would be time for the next member of their ‘family’, the red-crowned crane, to arrive.

To Be Continued…

Description
Arriving at the Aviary:
It didn’t take long for the family to arrive at the Aviary. The vast size of it immediately drew their attention as even Aurora and Eri couldn’t help but be impressed by how majestic it looked.

“Wow…the things enough money can afford” thought Eri, genuinely impressed by the structure.

The floor of the Aviary was covered in large green grass as a vast array of plants of shrubbery were scattered throughout. Large trees hung overhead, each proving to be sturdy perches for the birds to rest from. Large bodies of water were scattered throughout, enabling the birds to wash their feathers or even swim as the overhead sun glistened down.

“It really looks pleasant for birds to reside” thought Aurora, smiling widely as she eyed her mother. Aimi seemed to be easing up as Aurora’s smile widened. After everything her mother had done to raise her, she truly deserved to have a moment to just…be calm.

The Aviary was surrounded by a large glass wall, allowing the viewing public to eye the Aviary from all sides. The birds would also be kept in by the large overhead roof which was made of the same glass which would allow the sun to shine in and enable the birds to maintain their proper sleep cycles.

“I’d just like to reiterate how grateful I am for your donation,” said Rebecca, getting the family’s attention. “This really wouldn’t have been possible otherwise” continued Rebecca, motioning towards a nearby plaque as the family eyed it, happy to have made a meaningful contribution to their community as they read it.

The Plaque simply read ‘Diversity Aviary made possible by the Suzuki Johnson family’.

“This…this is wonderful” started Geoffrey, admiring the structural design of the Aviary once more. “The design work is truly spectacular” continued Geoffrey, failing to notice Rebecca smiling once more.

“Would you like to look inside?” asked Rebecca, directing her statement to the rest of the family.

They all seemed to have different feelings about Rebecca’s offer. Eri seemed indifferent, Aimi was still nervous, Aurora seemed suspicious whereas Geoffrey and Liam seemed enthusiastic.

Aurora glanced over at her mother, she noticed Aimi seemed unnerved to go inside. Aurora then took a glance back at Rebecca, unable to shake the suspicion that something was wrong.

“I’d like to look inside,” said Geoffrey, enthusiasm in his voice. Rebecca nodded, turning back to the others who seemed to be ‘encouraged’ by Geoffrey’s enthusiasm.

“Meh…don’t see why not,” said Eri, walking to catch up with her dad. After all, it was fascinating from the outside…surely the inside would be interesting as well?

“Guess we’ve made our decision” stated Aimi, eyeing Aurora as the pair walked forward towards the nearby entrance to the Aviary. Aurora gripped her mother’s hand for support, Liam oblivious to the tension that the pair were feeling.

As Rebecca opened the door, the family walked inside, completely unaware of the changes that were soon about to come over them.

“Feel free to look around, I’ll come to get you in twenty minutes,” said Rebecca as she closed the door behind them. The family watched her leave, curious about the Aviary as they looked around.

It was certainly as pleasant on the inside as it seemed on the outside.

“Can I go look around by myself for a while?” asked Eri, feeling oddly fascinated about the Aviary as she began to feel warm. Eri was unaware of the sensations passing through her body as the magic of the Aviary began to seep into her.

“By all means” replied Geoffrey, smiling as Eri began to look around. She was eager not to squander this opportunity as Aimi stared oddly at her husband. “It’s not like she can go anywhere,” reasoned Geoffrey, trying to reassure his wife.

“Ok…I’m going to look around as well, I wonder what other birds might be in here” said Aurora, looking at her mother. Aimi nodded irritably, reluctantly permitting Aurora to go off on her own as she felt oddly nervous…and uncomfortably warm.

Geoffrey kept close to Aimi who was still holding Liam despite him becoming increasingly fidgety.

“Sorry, little man. Can’t let you go off on your own, you need to stay with us” said Geoffrey as the trio walked forwards, curious as to what wonders they would find.

Meanwhile, Megan was currently sulking in her nest as she began to look around. The sound of running water was beginning to get on her nerves as she squawked irritably once more.

“Couldn’t Rebecca at least install some white noise? Something to break the fucking boredom?!” squawked Megan, irritated as she noticed Chris eyeing her once more. “What are you looking at?!” squawked Megan, fearful and angry at the earlier revelation she had experienced.

However, Megan’s thoughts were quickly distracted as she noticed someone wandering in the distance.

“Wait…is that…Eri?” thought Megan, taking another moment to confirm her suspicions. “Oh no!” squawked Megan, standing from her nest almost immediately. “These must be the new roommates Rebecca was talking about” concluded Megan, quickly running after Eri.

Hopefully, she was not too late.

In her haste, however, Megan failed to notice Chris had watched her leave. He tilted his head in confusion as he began to pursue her.

“What’s gotten into my mate today?” wondered Chris, concerned for his mate’s skittish behaviour from the morning. As he progressed, he felt a new determination growing within, a new influence coming over his mind.

A need to please his mistress, Rebecca.

To accomplish this, he needed to stop his mate from interfering with the soon-to-be additions…by any means necessary.

The Final Curtain:
“Hmmm…where are the other birds?” thought Eri, feeling an odd sense of curiosity building within. The girl was puzzled by the strange goosebumps which seemed impossible to shake as she felt strangely at ease in her surroundings.

As Eri looked around, her mind began to feel odd…fuzzy. It was becoming increasingly difficult to focus as Eri found herself drawn to a nearby lake. Her eyes momentarily darkened, a newfound instinct building within her as a sudden appetite came over her.

“I…hungry” muttered Eri, her mouth watering as she paced towards the lake. She couldn’t help herself as her body forced itself forward like a puppet on a string. As Eri approached the lake, she bent down onto her knees, ignoring how her pristine white dress was becoming muddy from the ground beneath her.

As Eri eyed her reflection in the water, she saw not herself but a trumpeter swan. Eri couldn’t help but admire the majestic creature in her reflection as her mind was still mush. However, something was picking up in her nose, the smell of…fish?

“Fish!” shouted Eri, dunking her head into the lake. She managed to grip one of the many small fish within the lake in her teeth as she chomped down. Eri, her mind under the influence of the swan she was becoming, began to eagerly enjoy her meal as the magic within her picked up once more.

While Eri continued to chew on the fish she had acquired, Megan managed to catch up to Eri. Megan eyed her ‘classmate’, worried for her despite her abrasive personality.

“Eri…snap out of it!” squawked Megan, her worry growing as Eri continued to behave like the swan she was becoming. Eri seemed completely oblivious to anything going on around her as Megan shook her head in annoyance.

“Guess I need to take a more direct approach” snarked Megan, her cynic tone was not lost on her. She began to move towards her ‘classmate’, intending to push her beak to good use.

However, before she could do so, Megan noticed someone running past her quickly. She turned to see that Chris was now in front of her, his feathers unfurled to cut off Megan’s approach.

The display was actually quite creepy, with the tips of each of the feathers resembling eyes glaring down. It was enough to give Megan pause as her fear of the peacock in front of her, as the one responsible for taking her virginity glared at her.

“Megan…you need to stop!” commanded Chris, his gaze hardening as he stared deeply at his mate. “You cannot interfere with Rebecca’s will…the law of the jungle commands it” continued Chris, beginning to walk towards Megan threateningly.

“Law of the jungle? What’s he talking about?” thought Megan, finding it hard to focus as she stepped back in fear. She could recall her previous mating session with Chris, causing her fear to spike up once more.

“Stay back…leave me alone'' squawked Megan, her fear becoming impossible to ignore. Chris continued to walk threateningly towards her, a lusty gaze in his eyes. Megan knew his intentions as she found herself becoming hysterical.

After all, she has no intention of going another round.

“Get away from me you creep!” squawked Megan, having lost control of her emotions. She moved further back, angry at how she was getting further and further away from Eri.

Unknown to Megan and Chris, their squawks seemed to free Eri’s mind from the haze of her swan instincts. Her eyes began to brighten back up, human clarity returning to them as she shook her head.

“Uuuh, my head…” murmured Eri, feeling as if she had woken up from a dream. She looked around, noticing the lake that she was nearby. But not before feeling something in her mouth, something…unusual.

“Wha…what the hell?” wondered Eri, opening her mouth as she reached inside. She managed to feel a foreign object within, pulling it out as she stared at it. Her eyes widened in horror as Eri realised what she had been eating.

“Fuck…raw fish!” shouted Eri, beginning to panic as she threw away the last scrap in her hand. “Oh no” mumbled Eri, feeling a sense of panic come over her, especially since she was allergic to fish. She could feel sensations passing through her body, no doubt in her mind that her allergies were spiking up.

Eri scrambled through her dress, trying to find her Epi-pen to no avail. The sensations continued to spread across her form, Eri growing in panic as they did so.

“No…no, no, no!” shouted Eri, struggling to keep her composure. She tried to stand, finding it hard to do so as she managed to get another look into the lake. “Wait…what?” said Eri, confusion replacing her panic momentarily as she eyed her reflection.

Or at least…what should’ve been her reflection.

Instead of her reflection, Eri noticed an elegant and majestic swan staring back at her. As Eri shifted her head, the swan did the same.

“Ok…I’m hallucinating?” reasoned Eri, feeling a strange sensation coming over her hand. The haze that had previously plagued her mind began to return, calming the panicking girl as she stared at her hand in confusion.

Eri watched as her hand seemed to be shifting. It was as if it was melting right before her eyes. She felt her fingers crunch, compressing themselves as they began to shrink into her hand, no doubt beginning their transition into wings. The hands also seemed to be changing, little ‘pricks’ occurring as small white feathers seemed to be forming across Eri’s mutating hand.

“The…the fuck is going on?” said Eri, finding herself rather short of breath. She could only watch as her ‘stump’ began to be coated in lush, coarse feathers. She tried to wiggle her fingers to no avail, only managing to flap the wing forming as the feathers began to spread up her arm.

“This…this can’t be real…am I dying?” thought Eri, her breathing becoming more erratic. Eri was still convinced that she was having an allergic reaction to the fish she had eaten…but the sheer horror of what she was experiencing was making that idea more difficult to believe.

As Eri’s mind was desperate to make sense of what was going on, she could feel the sensations shifting to her other hand. She cringed as her fingers crushed and compressed, forcing themselves into her hand as small white feathers began to push out of her palms, spreading like wildfire as they created a majestic plumage across her arms as Eri still seemed lost in her own mind.

“This…this is impossible,” thought Eri, trying to make sense of what was happening to her. It was becoming increasingly hard to believe that this was all a result of an allergic reaction. It just all felt too…real. She could feel sensations tingling in her arms as the magic of the Zoo forced them to change.

Eri’s arms became malleable, stretching and moulding as they forced themselves to her sides. It was like an artist at work moulding Eri’s body like clay as the arms began to broaden, and widen as her humerus assumed a different shape. Her radius and ulna split, bending unnaturally as Eri gritted her teeth from the pain.

Fortunately, the pain was short-lived as Eri’s wings finished forming. She flapped them mindlessly for a brief moment, forcing the haze from her mind as Eri finally took notice of her new pair of wings.

“What…no, this…this isn’t possible” mumbled Eri, denial coming over her as she instinctively flapped her wings in frustration. As she eyed her white plumage more, she couldn’t help but feel as if she recognised it.

It took only a moment more for Eri’s eyes to widen in realisation.

“Wait…a swan…like the ballet?” said Eri, her breathing calming for a brief moment. She recalled her recital next week…how much she had practised. How she had longed for the moment to audition.

“At least I’ll be perfect for the part,” said Eri bitterly, a bitter chuckle coming from her lips as she felt the magic focusing itself around her neck. It began to stretch out, giving Eri minor vertigo as it lengthened out. It forced itself higher and higher, becoming the proper proportion for the swan Eri was becoming.

“oh-OH” trumpeted Eri, making her first swan call. Before she could react further, however, she felt her neck becoming increasingly itchy. She tried to resist but her mind couldn’t help but hyper-focus on the itching as more white feathers began to push themselves out from her neck.

“This…this is too much,” thought Eri, unable to resist as she scratched the itch as best as she could with her wingtips. Unfortunately, this caused the sensations around her neck to escalate, becoming worse as more and more white feathers pushed out from her neck. They continued to spread without resistance as a thin trail of white feathers soon coated Eri’s neck.

“Help…help me!” shouted Eri, trying to get the attention of someone…anyone. However, her only chance of help nearby was Megan…and she was having problems of her own.

The Interval:
Currently, Megan was still in a standoff against Chris who was blocking her way to Eri. Megan heard Eri’s screams as she couldn’t help but be confused despite her nervousness of Chris’s lusty stares.

“Ok…where’s her family? Could this be due to magic being involved?” wondered Megan, staring back at Chris whose gaze seemed to…softening.

“Seriously…what’s gotten into you Megan?” asked Chris, his head tilting in confusion. “What’s ruffled your feathers today?” continued Chris, his tone sympathetic as he began to withdraw his large plumage of feathers.

Megan eyed Chris, worried for Eri as she considered if she could get past Chris. Unfortunately, Chris was staring directly at her, clearly having caught on. His gaze seemed to be daring her to try.

“I…I…I don’t feel well” replied Megan, feigning illness. She bent her head down, resisting the urge to smirk as Chris’s stare once again became sympathetic.

“Ah…explains a lot” stated Chris, beginning to walk towards Megan as he nuzzled her. It took everything in Megan not to vomit…or try to. “Well, once the new birds have settled in, we can get Rebecca to give you a check-up” reasoned Chris, his tone affectionate as Megan began to feel incredibly uncomfortable.

Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore.

“Fuck this” thought Megan, her facade fading as she thumped Chris. Chris fell back as Megan quickly took off into a sprint. “Eri…Eri!” squawked Megan, trying to get her ‘classmate’s’ attention.

As Chris recovered, quickly returning to his feet, he couldn’t help but smile. “So…Megan’s playing hard to get today?” thought Chris, ‘smiling’ as something inside of him was relishing the challenge that his mate was providing him. “Guess she doesn’t want to share this space” reasoned Chris, shaking his head disappointedly.

After all, it was Rebecca’s will for them to share this space…and Rebecca’s will was law.

Therefore, Chris took off after his mate, feeling more determined to curb her disobedience.

The Grand Pas De Deux:
Eri was still panicking about her pending transformation as she looked around frantically. She could feel her changes continuing, itching occurring underneath her dress as feathers forced themselves out, covering her human flesh.

“I just…I can’t believe this is happening” mumbled Eri, trying to make sense of what was going on. As she did so, a realisation came over her, one that caused her eyes to widen in panic.

“Wait…did everyone missing from class become an animal?!” thought Eri, feeling bittersweet about the ordeal. “I guess this place proved to be the biggest bully” continued Eri, chuckling slightly as she began to notice everything around her getting bigger.

“I guess I really am acting out the ballet I was rehearsing…oh the irony,” said Eri, feeling that speech was becoming increasingly difficult to say. As she noticed her dress becoming looser and looser against her shrinking frame, she couldn’t help but flap her wings.

“They…I look beautiful” thought Eri, smiling as she could feel a further layer of swan feathers forcing themselves from her body. She couldn’t help but chuckle as her plumage continued to broaden as her dress finally fell to the ground, no longer being supported by her adjusting body.

Eri looked around, unable to resist admiring her changing body. Her plumage truly looked majestic as she noticed another bird approaching her. For some reason that Eri couldn’t recall, they seemed…familiar.

“I…I must be imagining things” thought Eri, shaking her head. She noticed the peahen staring forlornly at her as the sensations changing her had now spread to her legs. She struggled to stand as the tingling intensified, causing her legs to shake as they thinned out. Her muscles shifted, thinning out as they lost definition.

“Just…just get it over with” thought Eri bitterly. While admiring her changing form, she couldn’t help but wish for her humanity. Little did she realise that this desire would spell her true downfall and bring Eri’s performance to a tragic conclusion.

As Eri’s now much thinner legs darkened, the pink skin was being swapped for dark black pigment as the magic began to seep into her feet. Her toes felt strange, her second and fourth toes shrinking back into her feet. They bent backwards as they did so, forcing themselves to become smaller and smaller as they pushed themselves into Eri’s changing feet. The skin of her feet began to darken like her legs, the pigment darkening as her remaining toes stretched out, preparing their change into true swan feet as they became black like her legs.

“This…this feels stra…OH” said Eri, her eyes widening as her speech broke. “OH OH OH” called out Eri, trying to no avail to keep talking…hear her human voice one last time.

Unfortunately, it was to no avail.

As Eri contemplated this development, she could feel something growing between her remaining toes. She looked down, noticing webbing forming between her feet which she moved curiously. Something in her mind, her new swan instincts were directing her towards the lake.

“No…NO!” shouted Eri internally, shaking her head. She felt her body tingling as she looked around, noticing the peahen staring at her. “What’s she staring at?” wondered Eri, feeling the remaining human proportions of her body changing. They quickly shifted, assuming a different shape as her body moulded itself into a more streamlined shape…the shape of the swan.

“Wait…no,” thought Eri, her defiance small as her body continued to be moulded. Whatever force was changing her seemed gentle, and precise…like an artist making final adjustments to their sculpture.

For the finishing touch, another layer of feathers popped out of Eri’s body, forming another layer which puffed out as Eri was becoming increasingly frustrated with her predicament.

“What is the freaking holdup?!” thought Eri, stamping her foot in agitation. She looked towards the peahen once more, still confused as to why it was taking such an interest in her. “OH OH OH!” trumpeted Eri, angry enough at her predicament on her own.

She didn't need an audience.

As Eri continued to trumpet in frustration, she felt a tingling in her scalp. Her eyes widened as she realised what was about to happen.

“No…oh please no!” thought Eri, tears escaping her eyes as her luscious black hair was forced out of the roots as white feathers pushed out to take their place. Her tears only continued to increase as her hair began to fall to the floor. To her astonishment, her hair faded away before hitting the floor as she whimpered once more, fully aware that the final indicator of her former humanity…was gone forever.

“Why…why was I so indifferent towards coming here?” thought Eri, continuing to sob as she noticed the peahen had approached her. Her desire for company eclipsing her frustration caused her to wrap her wings around the peahen, sobbing into its plumage.

“That’s it Eri…let it all out,” thought Megan, eyeing her changing classmate. She took a quick glance around for Chris, content that he was nowhere to be found. She shook her head, chiding herself for failing to rescue Eri.

Which meant that the best Megan could hope for…was comforting Eri in her final moments.

“Wait…this feels…familiar,” thought Eri, a thought coming to her. As she pondered her thoughts, she noticed that her mouth was beginning to tingle. She went cross-eyed as a dark black beak pushed itself from her mouth, swiftly replacing her lips as it lengthened. She could feel her teeth loosening as she spat them out, the teeth fading away before they even hit the floor.

“Wait…Megan?” thought Eri, her eyes widening in realisation. She couldn’t believe it, given her reputation at school…her classmate was actually caring for her? Especially Megan, one of her many victims…was showing her mercy?

“I’m…I’m sorry,” said Eri, surprised that she was able to speak. She could feel prickling occurring across her face as her tears were being absorbed by her finishing plumage. Eri felt her mind beginning to fade, her eyes shrinking and repositioning as her mind began to simplify.

As Eri eyed Megan once more, her eyes began to darken. The human clarity within was being swiftly snuffed out as her new animal instincts claimed a foothold in her mind. Eri’s human memories were being washed away as her new animal instincts…and memories alike began to take hold.

She was Eri, the top bird of the Old Zoo and she was currently eyeing Megan…her rival.

“Megan?” trumpeted Eri, eyeing her rival confusingly. She seemed oddly close to her as she suddenly backed away. Megan stared at Eri with confusion as she did so. “Get away from me” trumpeted Eri, strutting her feathers at the peahen. “Everyone knows I’m the star attraction of the birds” finished Eri, her smug tone obvious in her voice.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” thought Megan, shaking her head irritably. However, she couldn’t help but be alarmed by the sudden change in personality from Eri. Eri eyed her rival smugly, quickly changing her focus to the nearby lake.

“See you around wannabe,” said Eri, her tone still smug as she strutted past Megan. She then sank herself into the water, paddling softly as she kept herself afloat. Something told her that she’d be expecting company soon…for reasons that Eri could no longer understand but weren’t any less important.

As Megan eyed the now-transformed Eri, she couldn’t help but be confused. Had she been like that while she was ‘animal-brained’? Speaking of which…where was Chris? Or the others?

“Well…might as well keep moving,” thought Megan, taking one last glance towards Eri. “Thanks…I guess” finished Megan, shaking her head as she heard a nearby noise. She proceeded to head in that direction, hoping that it was another victim she could attempt to save.

And not her supposed ‘mate’ Chris.

The Point of No Return:
Oblivious to Eri’s new animal form, Aimi and Geoffrey glanced around the Aviary. Aimi was carrying Liam as Geoffrey’s eyes were wide, bright with intrigue at the Aviary’s intricate design.

“Magnificent…isn’t it?” said Geoffrey, feeling rather excited for reasons he didn’t yet understand. Aimi nodded curtly, still irritated at her husband for his casual disregard for their children’s safety earlier on.

After all, they were usually on the same page. What has caused such a sudden shift in opinion?

“Geoffrey…why did you let Eri go off on her own so easily?” asked Aimi, unable to hide her irritation.

“Aimi, it’s not like Eri can go anywhere,” said Geoffrey, his tone indicating irritation at his wife as he turned back to face her. “Besides…you let Aurora go off on her own” continued Geoffrey.

“Only because she would’ve argued otherwise since you let Eri go off on her own” stated Aimi, unable to hide her growing anger. She put Liam down momentarily, feeling a discomfort bubbling within her.

“Aimi, you need to stop being this overprotective” argued Geoffrey, ignoring the look of confusion on his wife’s face. “Every child has to leave the nest at some point” continued Geoffrey, his tone getting more and more agitated.

In response, Aimi’s emotions began escalating to match her husband's, becoming too erratic for her to properly focus. Which was unfortunate because if they hadn’t, she might’ve picked up on Geoffrey’s strange choice of words.

“Ok…where did this come from?!” said Aimi, unable to hold back her anger any longer. “We’ve always been on the same page regarding our children but now you’ve suddenly changed tune!” continued Aimi, oblivious to how her shouting was alarming Liam, making him feel scared.

“Well perhaps wrapping our children in cotton wool isn’t the best idea anymore” replied Geoffrey, his tone getting increasingly argumentative. “Perhaps our children should be able to make their own choices…and mistakes” continued Geoffrey, ignoring his wife’s expression of shock.

“I…I can’t believe you just said that…” stammered Aimi, trying to reconcile what she was witnessing with the man she knew…the man she loved. “You know that we need to protect them, so they don’t end up with someone like…like…” continued Aimi, still trying to make sense of everything that was happening.

The situation was feeling more and more like a nightmare.

“Not everyone is like your ex-husband Aimi!” shouted Geoffrey, his volume silencing Aimi. “Our children need…no they deserve freedom from us” continued Geoffrey firmly, his harsh voice almost driving his wife to tears.

Almost…

“Funny, you’re acting just like my ex right now!” shouted Aimi, her bitter tone coming into her voice. “I may have endured abuse but I refuse to let our children be subjected to that!” continued Aimi, unaware that her raised volume was scaring Liam.

“Oh get over yourself!” shouted Geoffrey harshly. “It’s been over twenty years, I imagine he’s likely long gone at this point and it’s about time we stopped figuratively suffocating our children due to him” continued Geoffrey, barely paying any attention to his wife as he turned away.

While the pair were arguing, they had failed to notice that Liam had run off, desperately trying to get away from his arguing parents. Their vitriol was unusual, unexpected for the small boy which had, in turn, caused him no end of grief and made him determined to escape the negativity.

“How…how dare you try to undermine what I’ve experienced,” said Aimi, her now quiet voice emanating her fury. “What’s gotten into you? This is not the man I married” continued Aimi, taking a moment to look around. As she did, her eyes widened in panic.

“Liam? Liam, where are you?!” called out Aimi, her voice becoming desperate as Geoffrey shook his head.

“Typical” tutted Geoffrey, turning away from his wife. “You try so hard to protect them…only to lose them anyway,” said Geoffrey, walking away from the situation. After all, he felt something drawing him to a nearby lake in the Aviary.

For some reason he didn’t understand, the idea felt rather…inviting.

Aimi watched her husband go. She shrugged her shoulders, still clueless over his sudden change in attitude.

“Perhaps…some time apart might do us some good?” wondered Aimi, feeling a sense of momentary regret. However, before her guilt could fester, she put the thoughts to one side, recognising her priority towards finding her son.

“Liam? Where are you? Come to Mummy” said Aimi, nervousness present in her voice. She continued to look around, trying to see if she could find any trace of him.

“I’m over here mummy!” called out Liam. Aimi’s attention was diverted as she began to quickly run in the direction of the voice. However, as she did so, Aimi became singularly focused on finding her son, protecting her son.

Which led her right into a low-hanging tree branch.

THWACK!

The impact was enough to force Aimi off her feet as she suddenly fell back. She fell onto the squishy mud of the Aviary, her head hitting the ground as she struggled to stay conscious.

“No…Children…Geoffrey” mounted Aimi, her eyes closing as she passed out.

As Aimi lay on the ground, something, or more specifically, someone popped his small head out from behind one of the nearby trees. In hindsight, Liam hadn’t picked the best of hiding places.

“Mummy?” said Liam, confused to find his mother passed out on the ground. He looked around, confused not to find his father anywhere in sight as he bent down. His knees squelched against the mud of the Aviary as he shook his mother, feeling fearful now that he was all alone.

“Mummy…mummy wake up!” shouted Liam, a strange feeling coming over him. It felt sickening. It was as if Liam was coming down with a fever. Liam tried shaking his mother awake once more to no avail, the sensations occurring over his body intensifying as they caused him to stop.

“Wha…what’s happening?” mumbled Liam, looking down at his arms which were literally shaking with anticipation. Liam’s green eyes widened to pinpricks as he gazed at his arms which seemed to be becoming increasingly itchy. The sensations were making Liam feel sick to his stomach as he felt forced to watch the inevitable changes about to come over him.

Liam could feel his goosebumps worsening as he eyed something pushing itself out from his arm. It was black and…fluffy? Liam tilted his head in confusion, trying to make sense of what was happening. He reached out curiously with his hand, grasping the unknown protrusion before yanking it clean from his arm.

“Ow!” shouted Liam, barely holding back tears from the pain. “A…feather?” mumbled Liam, losing his grip as the feather nonchalantly fell to the floor. Nevertheless, he felt a sense of satisfaction from removing it as he couldn’t help but smile smugly.

Until he noticed another one growing on his arm.

“Wha?” said Liam, his mind in shock as he gripped this new feather. Determined once more, he began to pull. However, before he could yank this new feather from his arm, he saw another one prickling out from under his skin.

Then another one, and another one. The feathers were quickly overwhelming Liam’s crude attempts to remove them as his mouth widened in panic.

“Feathers…what’s going…on?” murmured Liam fearfully. He felt nervous, looking around frantically for someone, anyone to help him. As he did, the feathers continued to overwhelm his arms, prickling across each and every pore as they began to spread towards his hands.

“Bird? I’m becoming a bird?” thought Liam, tears coming to his eyes. He was happy as a human, he had friends he’d miss, he…he didn’t want to be an animal. “No…stop…please?” begged Liam, the tears in his eyes escaping as the sensations began to focus around his hands.

Liam gritted his teeth as he could feel his fingernails forcing themselves loose. They popped off as black feathers began to form underneath them, waving around mindlessly in the Aviary. The feathers across his arms seemed to be spreading further, as if in solidarity as Liam could barely see his digits which were already feeling tingly…warm even.

“Hands?” said Liam, unable to resist his childish intrigue despite what was happening to him. However, this was quickly snuffed out as he felt his fingers beginning to shrink. Liam couldn’t help but weep as the digits bent back on themselves, causing considerable pain to the boy as they forced themselves back into his palms. His thumbs mirrored his fingers, twisting unnaturally as the bones began to recede. Liam’s crying continued to increase in intensity as his fingers and thumbs finished shrinking into his palms, leaving the magic to continue its maleficent intentions on the changing five-year-old.

“Mummy!” called out Liam, desperate for his mother to help him. Unfortunately, Aimi was still knocked out cold as he could feel his remaining palms now beginning their change. The sensations increased in magnitude, almost as if they were eager to finish out Liam’s developing wings.

Liam could feel his arms crunch and change, the arms assuming a different shape as they curved unnaturally. The feathers distributed themselves, creating a soft plumage which Liam was too scared to notice. Liam could feel the arms on his t-shirt beginning to tear, no longer able to support his shifting arms as they tore at the seams. Liam’s palms then began to crack, narrowing as they shrunk, the bone seemingly being filed away as his wingtips began to take their place.

Soon, Liam’s arms had been replaced with a pair of wings coated in smooth black feathers. He flapped them, startled at how easily they responded to his thoughts. It made the experience feel all the more real as Liam felt his emotions fall out of his control.

Due to his overwhelming emotions, Liam couldn’t help but scream.

The Cavalry Arrives Late:
Megan was currently running through the Aviary, desperate to pick up any trace of the family currently at risk of joining the Zoo.

“C’mon…where could they be?” thought Megan irritably. She couldn’t help but feel nervous as she scratched the ground irritably. “I can’t believe I couldn’t trace that earlier noise” fumed Megan, looking around frantically.

Known to Megan, while she was looking for the remaining family members, she was also trying to avoid Chris. Especially after what had…
“No…don’t think about it” squawked Megan, shaking her head. She didn’t need to be reminded of what Chris had done to her…what was currently resting in their nest.

It was then Megan heard the screams of a small boy.

“Good, good,” thought Megan, quickly dismissing her own concerns for the time being. She could tell the origin of the scream couldn’t have been too far away. As she ran, she could also hear cries that she figured were coming from the same source.

“Hopefully I can do some good?” wondered Megan, still doubting herself. After all, how far ahead had Rebecca planned?

As Megan ran off unknowingly towards Liam, Chris noticed his mate not too far off. He craned his head irritably, becoming agitated at his mate’s defiance of Rebecca’s will.

“Why doesn’t she understand?… Rebecca’s will is law” thought Chris, confused at where this change in personality in his mate had come from. “Still, Rebecca has planned everything…there is no escape for them now” continued Chris, wondering how he could reassure his mate.

“Anyways, it’s too late for her to help Liam now” reasoned Chris, oblivious as memories filled his head, memories of the Old Zoo coming back to him. “I suppose I should cut her off at the next one…take her by surprise” squawked Chris, nodding as he began to run towards the nearby lake where Eri now rested.

After all, Geoffrey would be there soon…which meant the Zoo’s new black heron wasn’t too far behind.

A Toucan of Appreciation:
As Liam continued to cry, his wings flapping mindlessly as he did so. He took another glance over to his mummy, wishing she was awake to comfort him in his time of need.

“Mummy?” called out Liam once more, his hopeful tone soon breaking as his mother continued to be unresponsive. Before he could try again, he felt the magical sensations returning as they began to focus around his feet.

“No…no not again” begged Liam, hoping that the changes would cease. However, the developing cramping in his feet was telling him a completely different story. Liam shifted himself, trying to position himself to be able to untie his shoes.

Which led him to be immediately reminded of his new wings.

“Stupid useless wings” groaned Liam irritably as the material began to tear. Liam cringed as his toes seemed to be crunching, changing as some folded inwards, regressing towards his feet while others extended past the point of comfort.

As his feet continued to shift, Liam found that they seemed to be…thinning out?

“Shoes…no fit anymore?” wondered Liam, curious as he lifted his feet from his shoes. As he did so, he couldn’t help but gasp as he glanced at his still-changing claws.

“Feet? No…claws” murmured Liam as the sensations continued to mould his feet into an unnatural shape. His thinning toes continued to shrink, fading away as they were sucked back into his foot while some continued to lengthen, becoming the length that would be required for Liam’s near future. His nails continued to grow, his claws shredding the last of his socks to shreds.

As Liam stared at his feet, he noticed them discolouring, becoming blue as they hardened. His toes then began to bend unnaturally as his arms had done. They cracked and crunched, curling as they became a true pair of claws for the toucan he was becoming as Liam couldn’t help but feel once again agitated at what was happening to him.

“I…I don’t want this!” cried out Liam defiantly, trying to get to his feet. However, he found his balance difficult to get and even harder to maintain as he soon fell back onto the ground.

The impact was enough to bring tears to Liam’s eyes. Fortunately, he managed to hold them back as he noticed a newcomer approaching nearby.

Megan kept her distance, suddenly finding herself at a loss of what to do. She shook her head, irritated at having not thought her plan through beforehand as she stared at the small boy before her.

“Wait…he’s that young?!” thought Megan, struggling to keep her composure as she eyed the changing Liam sympathetically. “Eri never mentioned how old her brother was…he seems not much older than Caitlyn’s brother” continued Megan, struggling to not feel sorry for the small boy having his future potential stolen from him.

“Bird?” said Liam, pointing towards Megan as best he could with his new wings. Megan eyed Liam, struggling with how to approach this situation. She eyed his new claws for feet and his wings as she struggled to work out what kind of bird he was becoming.

“Not that it matters” thought Megan, shaking her head. She continued to look around, noticing Aimi not too far off. She was still out cold as Megan could feel a plan coming together.

“Ok, it’s time for a wake-up call” squawked Megan quietly. She walked over to Aimi, poking her with her beak. She tried a few more times to no success, taking occasional glances back towards Liam who seemed to be curious about what Megan was doing.

As Liam stared, he couldn’t help but feel further sensations coming over him. His body began to feel increasingly itchy as Liam tried his best to scratch with his wings.

“C’mon…please stop being…itchy” begged Liam, powerless to stop the onslaught of feathers bubbling underneath his shirt. In contrast to the black feathers that had plagued his arms, these feathers were a bright, sunny yellow which continued to spread upwards. Each tiny feather prickled upwards, determined to coat his face in their plumage.

Megan turned away from Aimi, eyeing Liam as she noticed the yellow feathers spreading up towards his face as she shook her head.

“He doesn’t deserve this” thought Megan, staring forlornly as she wondered if she should comfort Liam. As she began to walk forward, something was stopping her, causing her to hesitate.

“What…what’s stopping me?” wondered Megan, fearful for a moment. Was this the magic affecting her again? Preventing her from even comforting a fellow victim?

“No…it’s because I’m scared…scared of what might happen” concluded Megan bitterly. She scratched the ground irritably, deciding the best thing she could do…was comfort from afar.

Meanwhile, Liam was breathing erratically as the heat of his developing plumage was beginning to get to the small boy. He looked around, noticing that his surroundings appeared to be getting larger, more overwhelming as Liam began to feel agoraphobic.

“The…the room’s getting bigger?” wondered Liam, not having caught on to the fact that he was actually shrinking. This had caused the feathers which had surrounded his frame to envelop him, his clothes to get looser. As Liam’s heartbeat continued nervously, the feathers continued to spread wider and wider across his body, coating it in a pristine black.

Liam could feel a pulling sensation coming from his rear as he turned around. His eyes widened as he noticed a new tail pushing itself out from his shorts. It wiggled mindlessly as if it was taunting the boy. Black feathers coated the new limb, a small red patch forming underneath as a white patch formed above.

“Impossible…no, no, no” mumbled Liam, still trying to deny what was happening to him. However, his tail continued to shift mindlessly, as if to remind him of his future ahead. Liam took one last glance at his mother, upset to find her still unconscious as the sensations began to spread around Liam’s body, as if they were trying to paralyse him.

“I…I’m not animal” mumbled Liam, still trying to defy what was happening to him. However, as his clothes fell to the floor, no longer able to be supported by his shrinking body, his cries were silenced.

Liam closed his eyes, hoping that this was all just a bad dream. However, this was to no avail as the floodgates began to open in his mind. The sensations spread to his mind, ready to change him physically and mentally.

“What…what’s happening? Where are the others?” barked Liam, his voice now silenced by the vocals of the toucan he was becoming. The sudden clarity of the voice caught Megan off guard, still watching over Liam in her attempts at moral support.

“...Megan?” asked Liam confusingly, shaking his head as new memories began to replace his old memories. He remembered Megan, she was the star attraction alongside Chris from the Old Zoo. He could recall how Eri had always been jealous of her and how…

“Wait…no!” barked Liam, his human memories making one last chance to push back. However, as Liam felt a tingling coming over his face, he knew it was a losing battle.

As Liam tried to resist, black feathers emerged from his head, forcing his blond hair loose. Each root gave way as a feather took its place before leaving his human face as the only part of Liam that was still human.

However, that was soon to change as Liam could feel the skin around his eyes changing. It became rougher, changing texture. It became rough as it changed to a luscious green colour as the sensations shifted towards his mouth, ready to add the piece de resistance.

Liam barked as something began to push outwards from his mouth. His beak continued to push, further and further outwards as the colour changed to many different hues. It looked majestic as Liam’s developing toucan beak continued to force itself out to its full length, a red tip forming to signal that his beak was complete.

As the sensations added the finishing touches, Liam could feel his mind changing, simplifying as the false memories began to take hold, becoming dominant as Liam’s pupils darkened. Liam was now physically and mentally a toucan as he looked around.

“Well, this is certainly much bigger than our previous quarters” croaked Liam, admiring the new digs as he caught sight of Megan staring at him. “What’re you looking at?” barked Liam, his irritated tone catching Megan off guard.

“Oh please don’t be another bird which hates me for reasons I don’t know” thought Megan, already dreading the outcome of this conversation.

“Shouldn’t you be with Chris, Megan?” growled Liam pointedly, flapping his wings and landing on a nearby tree branch. If he still had his memories, he would’ve comprehended that it was the same branch responsible for knocking out his mother. “After all, you really like rubbing that fact in Eri’s face..don’t you?” continued Liam, shaking his head.

“You know what…I don’t need this” squawked Megan, looking around before deciding to run off in one direction.

Liam watched her go, he ‘smiled’ smugly to himself, content to have defended his ‘sister’ against the entitled peahen. After all, what good had she ever done for him?

“Speaking of which…where is Eri?” thought Liam, curious as to the whereabouts of his ‘sister.’ “I hope she was transferred properly” continued Liam, desiring to fly out and find his sister.

However, for reasons he could no longer comprehend. He felt compelled to stay put. Liam glanced down at Aimi, still unconscious, not understanding the strange feeling he had inside.

“I hope Aimi, our resident queen, is somewhere around here,” thought Liam, still finding himself gazing confusingly at the unconscious woman that was formerly his mother. Still, he brushed the feeling off, eying the Aviary curious from his perch.

After all, it soon would be time for the next member of their ‘family’, the red-crowned crane, to arrive.

To Be Continued…