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Description
The sun shined down overhead as Elizabeth wandered under the stone archways into the New Zoo. She rubbed her 'beauty mark' as she entered the Main Hallway, cringing as she felt the rough texture, having to pull her hand away from the mark.

However, the physical pain was nothing compared to the heartbreak she was currently feeling.

"I…I can't believe she did that last night" mumbled Elizabeth, her disconnected tone being a cause for concern. She barely avoided falling to her knees, the memories washing over her mind. Soon, they became all Elizabeth could think about as her mind, as if forced, began to play back the dreaded memories.

The Previous Night:
"What…what do you mean?" asked Elizabeth, her tone incredulous. She began to feel a sense of dread as she noticed the glare that Rebecca was giving her. Rebecca's expression clearly indicated that she was not in the mood…and Elizabeth certainly didn't want to give her a reason to exploit her mark.

"I'm asking what did you do?" replied Rebecca, clear frustration in her tone. "I mean about Anastasia, I've noticed that the footage was deleted and 'Diana's tape' is now missing" continued Rebecca, noticing Elizabeth's stepping back intimidated. "So you do know something about that?" finished Rebecca, noticing Elizabeth's eyes widen.

"No…no, I don't" replied Elizabeth, her tone uncertain.

"You'd think after branding you…you wouldn't lie to me," remarked Rebecca, her disappointed tone akin to someone disciplining a pet. "Still…I suppose if you want more…" continued Rebecca, noticing Elizabeth appeared startled.

"No, please don't!" begged Elizabeth, not wishing to endure that pain again.

"What made you think I was going to do it?" asked Rebecca, noticing Elizabeth give out a sigh of relief. "Charlotte, you're up," said Rebecca, catching both Elizabeth and Charlotte off guard.

"But…" started Charlotte, noticing Rebecca giving her a cold glare. Charlotte looked at Rebecca, then Elizabeth, then Rebecca again.

With that, she knew what she needed to do.

"Ok Rebecca…let's do this," said Charlotte, a wide, evil smile on her face as Elizabeth's eyes widened in betrayal. "Please don't make this harder than it is" thought Charlotte, holding her hand up, practising just like Rebecca had shown her.

With that, a blood-red glow emanated from Charlotte's hand.

"No…please…not again!" wept Elizabeth, clutching her head as the burning sensation began once more. Like last time, it continued to burn across the entirety of the left side of her face, picking up in intensity as Elizabeth fell to her knees.

The pain was unsurmountable, Charlotte's eyes unchanging as she glanced at her best friend writing on the floor. She kept her emotions steady, knowing Rebecca would catch any sudden shift.

"I only hope she'll forgive me when all is said and done" thought Charlotte, ignoring her friend's cries. She stared at Rebecca, more desperate for revenge than ever.

But for now, she'd have to bide her time.

"Ok, Charlotte…you can stop," said Rebecca, Charlotte dropping her hand almost immediately. Elizabeth still lay there, writhing in pain as Rebecca approached her, a sadistic smile on her face.

"Now…I don't want you being disobedient again" warned Rebecca, giving a swift kick to Elizabeth's side. "Now you're needed at the Zoo tomorrow for our latest addition" informed Rebecca, beginning to move towards the shared sofa. "I expect you to answer in understanding Elizabeth," said Rebecca, clearly relishing the moment.

"Yes…I'll be there" replied Elizabeth, struggling to get up to her feet.

"Good…now get out of my sight," said Rebecca, her threatening tone intimidating Elizabeth to leave. As Elizabeth left, she turned to face Charlotte, a content smile on her face as she motioned for Charlotte to sit.

"Good work Charlotte," said Rebecca, patting Charlotte on the back. It was taking everything within Charlotte not to recoil with disgust. "Welcome to the circle of trust" finished Rebecca, noticing Charlotte seemed to be settling.

In reality, Charlotte was scheming, it wouldn't be long now before she'd get revenge for what Rebecca had forced her to do tonight.

"She will pay soon enough," thought Charlotte, keeping her composure neutral. "She will pay" finished Charlotte, allowing herself to be lost in the latest episode of 'Great Expectations.'

After all, Charlotte needed something to ease her guilty conscience.

Present Day:
"At least Rebecca didn't appear to discover my true plan," remarked Elizabeth, looking down at her whistle for a brief moment. She afforded a rare smile, hoping that her plan for controlling the animals hadn't been exposed.

After all, there was very little to hope for right now.

"Still…I wonder who this new addition is going to be" wondered Elizabeth, recalling that Rebecca had been a little sparse on the details. Elizabeth was also aware that Rebecca needed pictures of her marine animals for the poster she was working on and, fearing Rebecca's wrath, Elizabeth had opted to cooperate and get some photos whilst she was here.

If only to provide a further smokescreen to her true plan.

"I…I really hope this works" said Elizabeth, barely holding back tears. She couldn't help but feel that her predicament was rather hopeless. "I don't know what I'll do if it doesn't" continued Elizabeth, weeping softly.

Elizabeth couldn't help but feel completely lost. She was a prisoner due to Rebecca, her best friend had deserted her…and there was very little she could do about it apart from gambling her freedom on one very, fragile plan.

As Elizabeth contemplated her future, she failed to notice the green glow which she had become acquainted with had emerged. It flashed concerningly, as if worried about Elizabeth as it began to lower itself down towards her.

"Well…at least I know you're on my side…I hope" mused Elizabeth, smiling as she managed to force herself up to her feet. "Now, they informed me that there's a spare camera in the Office to use for the photos but first…I wish to make a detour" continued Elizabeth, walking away as the glow flashed once more before vanishing from sight.

Unknown to Elizabeth, the glow seemed off…as if frustrated about something.

Licking Old Wounds:
As Elizabeth wandered further down the Main Hallway, she noticed the new intercom system that had been fitted. Given recent events, she found herself unable to muster up any real enthusiasm towards it.

"Just another frivolous thing for Rebecca…I guess" mumbled Elizabeth, shuddering as the thoughts played in her mind again. She couldn't help but feel the knife inside her slowly being twisted as she thought back to her best friend.

"I just…we were supposed to be a team Charlotte," thought Elizabeth, noticing the Giraffe enclosure at her side. She turned to look inside, content that she had reached her destination.

"Nice to see you have a mate Jason" cooed Elizabeth, noticing the new female not too far off. She was currently eating leaves from a nearby tree. She appeared a bit smaller than Jason but was still a good average size for her species.

"Funny…just how insignificant your remark feels anymore," said Elizabeth, chuckling bitterly. "I guess I must be going mad…talking as if you understand me" continued Elizabeth, shaking her head as she tried to suppress her emotions…try to force the hurt deep down. She fell to her knees, struggling to hide her pain as it continued to tear her up inside.

Unknown to Elizabeth, Erica was listening to Elizabeth. She felt hurt, angry at what had been done to her. She eyes her mate, silently cursing to herself as she could feel her offspring developing inside of her.

"Looks like there's trouble in paradise," thought Erica sarcastically. She couldn't help but feel infuriated at her predicament, how she had been caught…and mated. Another kick from her developing offspring reinforced Erica's irritation as she couldn't help but 'sigh.'

"Well…at least I'm helping towards conserving the species" mused Erica, unable to resist feeling a motherly attachment to her offspring. "I guess I might as well try to be a good parent…since they don't appear to be letting us leave anytime soon" continued Erica, her bitterness fading somewhat as Erica imagined that her predicament could easily be worse.

"At least I've become my favourite animal," thought Erica, her mind suddenly racing to a variety of worst-case scenarios. " I don't want to imagine becoming something I hated or didn't like, like an octopus," continued Erica, internally shuddering at the thought. She recalled an incident years ago which had caused her distinct fear of octopuses but she forced it down as she noticed Elizabeth standing up.

"I…what's even the point anymore?" wondered Elizabeth, feeling the mark on her face as she could no longer hold back her tears. She wept quietly, Erica eyeing Elizabeth as she couldn't help but feel a small degree of sympathy.

"I can't believe I'm actually feeling sorry for her," thought Erica, struggling to hold back her frustration. She wanted to scream, shout, bellow…but nothing was coming out. Erica shook her head, turning to face Jason, her mate once again.

"I don't hold anything against you Jason" thought Erica, feeling resigned to her role. From her observations, Jason hadn't shown any of the intellect he had shown since the fateful day she was transformed. "After all…you're just as much of a victim as the rest of us" continued Erica, turning back to face Elizabeth who appeared inconsolable.

"It…it's not fair!" shouted Elizabeth, her tears continuing to fall. "Why did this happen to us? After everything we've encountered…everything we've overcome? Why did she just abandon me?!" continued Elizabeth, her despair threatening to swallow her whole as she slunk back down towards the ground.

As Elizabeth sobbed, she failed to notice the green glow was not too far away. It hung back, eyeing Elizabeth as it flashed. It was as if it was trying to express sympathy. It looked back towards the giraffes, recalling its previous attempt to mess with Charlotte.

An attempt which had clearly done nothing given Elizabeth's continued mistreatment.

With that, the green glow faded away. It wished it could do more…anything. However, it was not strong enough…not yet anyway.

"Ok…pull yourself together Elizabeth," said Elizabeth, forcing herself back to her feet. After all, she had a job to do today…unless she risked invoking Rebecca's wrath once more. "Just need to stick to the plan" finished Elizabeth, trying to reassure herself as she walked away.

Erica watched her leave. She shook her head, somehow still feeling sympathy for Elizabeth as she wrapped her tongue around another branch of leaves. She pulled them into her mouth, beginning to feed as her mind began to wander once more.

"Maybe…she's as much of a victim as the rest of us?" wondered Erica, considering this viewpoint as she munched on the leaves. "I only hope that my best friends avoid this…especially Marie" continued Erica, imagining how Marie would even cope. "I mean…she would have no idea of what to do with herself" finished Erica, grabbing more leaves with her tongue before pulling them to her mouth. She was rather famished, and the leaves felt irresistible right now.

After all, she was feeding for two now.

At the Office:
Elizabeth swung open the pair of doors leading into the Office as she wandered inside. She quickly approached the light switch and flicked it on, illuminating the Office in a fading glow.

"Ugh…one of these days this needs to be tidied up" moaned Elizabeth, noticing a small yellow camera on the desk ahead of her. "At least there actually is a camera," said Elizabeth, walking forward as she struggled to hold back tears once more.

"Is this really what my life has amounted to?" wondered Elizabeth, shaking her head. "Being little more than someone's punchline?" continued Elizabeth, a few tears escaping before she could stop them. "I might as well have stayed at home if I knew this was my future" finished Elizabeth, forcing the intrusive thoughts from her mind.

After all, she still needed to get photos for Rebecca's poster.

"I can't believe I've been reduced to this…especially that Charlotte has gone along with it," thought Elizabeth, her anger fading as quickly as it arrived.

After all, what was the point anymore?

"Well…time to get to work," said Elizabeth, pocketing the small camera. She felt a wave of resignation wash over her, threatening to drown her in apathy.

And, as Elizabeth left the Office, she could tell it was succeeding.

Within the Outside Section:
Elizabeth approached the Seal enclosure, unable to resist a small smile. She blew down on her whistle, getting the pod's attention as her smile widened slightly.

"Hello everyone," said Elizabeth, cooing affectionately as she heard her seals barking in response. She couldn't help but laugh, savouring the moment as she felt her mind be taken off her current troubles. "Now…I need…" started Elizabeth, stopping herself. "I…no, Rebecca's little task can wait" finished Elizabeth, raising her arms as she prepared her seals for play.

Elizabeth lost track of time as she played with the seal pod. Their activities ranged from passing their ball back and forth, Elizabeth holding up fish for the seals to grab and finally, conducting them with the various horns that were scattered around the enclosure.

However, all good things must come to an end as Elizabeth ceased her activities. She looked upwards, noticing it would soon be time for the newest addition to arrive. She looked down at her camera, feeling a sense of resignation coming over her.

"Might as well get this over with" muttered Elizabeth, walking away from the seal enclosure. She wandered further through the Outside Section.

She looked around, wondering what enclosure would work best for the poster. "I wish Rebecca gave me an idea of what she is looking for" grumbled Elizabeth, her grumbling interrupted as she heard a distinctive clicking.

"Huh…that could work," thought Elizabeth, deciding to head towards the origin of the clicking. It didn't take long for her to trace the clicking to the Dolphin enclosure where Harold, Petra and their septuplets had been relocated following their practice with Elizabeth several weeks ago.

The enclosure was vast, a very large pool formed the body of the enclosure which allowed the dolphin pod to interact and play amongst one another whenever they desired. Elizabeth smiled as she noticed the dolphin she recognised as Petra playing with some of her calves…they seemed so happy together.

"I guess the others are currently hiding away…fair enough" mumbled Elizabeth, finding the sight of Petra and her calves playing adorable. She looked forward, noticing the obscured area in the back which allowed the dolphins to hide if necessary. "I still wonder what caused their transformation…were they really that clumsy?" wondered Elizabeth, the thought having puzzled her ever since it occurred.

"I wonder if that green glow had anything to do with it?" wondered Elizabeth, noticing something flashing in the corner of her eye. "Speak of the devil" mumbled Elizabeth, turning back to eye the green glow. "What are you?" asked Elizabeth, not expecting a response. The green glow flashed, trying to get Elizabeth to understand…to no avail.

"In any case…thank you for being my only friend…I hope" said Elizabeth, deciding to check another enclosure for a photo opportunity. "No point taking a picture with most of the dolphins hiding" reasoned Elizabeth, walking away as a realisation came over her.

"Wait…Tyler, of course!" thought Elizabeth, deciding to head towards the Orca enclosure. As she did so, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Between all the excitement of the new dolphins and seals…she had kind of forgotten about her larger animal friend.

"Kind of like how Charlotte's forgotten about me" mumbled Elizabeth, trying to keep the negative feelings down. However, the bile she was beginning to feel for her former best friend was becoming impossible to ignore.

In her current mental state, it took Elizabeth a moment to realise that she had arrived at the Orca enclosure. She looked around, admiring its larger size, knowing it was large enough to store Tyler with ease.

The enclosure had two large pools with a bridge hanging overhead to allow guests to look down at any orcas inside. There was a switch that would cause a barrier to separate the pools if it was ever required.

"I…we're both alone," thought Elizabeth, noticing Tyler seemed rather lonely within the enclosure. She thought about the newest addition arriving soon as Elizabeth decided that it was about time that Tyler got some company…maybe even a mate?

After all, Rebecca didn't specify what animal she had to add.

"I guess everything is in place," thought Elizabeth, continuing to observe Tyler from the bridge. She noticed him swimming off into an area designed to give any of the orcas within privacy from any onlookers. She also noticed a ladder which went down into the enclosure, leading to a platform which was above the water. Elizabeth realised this created the possibility that people could interact more closely with the orcas once the Zoo properly opened.

"Assuming the others allow me to have some agency" grumbled Elizabeth, feeling frustrated at the impossibility of ridding herself of the intrusive thoughts. "Time to go to work" reasoned Elizabeth, blowing her whistle as Tyler began to emerge.

Elizabeth then removed her uniform, revealing the dark blue swimming costume underneath. She then jumped from the bridge, performing a forward dive as she landed in the water with a small splash. She surfaced, a small smile on her face as the feeling of the water felt liberating to her.

As Elizabeth hit the water, the green glow had returned. It flashed slightly, as if it was agitated by being unable to help Elizabeth as it began to observe her.

Elizabeth, not noticing the green glow, noticed Tyler approaching her as she looked at him. She stroked his muzzle, hearing a small whimper escape his mouth.

"Sorry, big guy. Guess I forgot about you, huh?" said Elizabeth sorrowfully as Tyler whimpered in response. "Ok…you're definitely getting a new friend," thought Elizabeth, finding it difficult not to relate to Tyler right now.

Tyler looked at her sceptically, eyeing Elizabeth deep in thought. He then moved towards a nearby ball that Elizabeth had brought for him previously, whacking it with his tail towards Elizabeth.

"Whoa…so you wanna play big guy?" said Elizabeth, her tone soft as Tyler appeared to 'nod' in response. With that Elizabeth hit the ball back to Tyler who returned the pass in kind. "Well, he seems to have forgiven me," thought Elizabeth, passing the ball back to Tyler who batted it back.

As the pair continued to play, the green glow hadn't stopped observing Elizabeth. It felt a sense of determination filling it, sensing Elizabeth's growing despair and apathy. It glowed, flashing as it almost appeared to be growing? New features began to take form, a hand, a foot, even a pair of eyes became visible.

However, a moment later, the features quickly dissipated as the glow was reduced back to its original form. It flashed once more, as if frustrated before fading from sight.

Elizabeth, unaware of what had just transpired, had continued to play with Tyler. As she did so, however, she noticed a distant clock.

"Oh shoot…it's almost time," said Elizabeth, quickly breaking off her little game with Tyler. As Tyler stared at her pitifully, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon…I promise" reassured Elizabeth, climbing out of the enclosure. She then dashed back towards the bridge, drying herself off with a nearby towel.

"I wonder who's going to be Tyler's new friend?" wondered Elizabeth, quickly changing back into her uniform as she began to head back towards the Main Hallway.

It was now time to add another orca to her collection.

An Honest Day's Work:
Nadia looked up at the stone archways of the New Zoo. She squinted her eyes in irritation, wishing that she could be anywhere other than here.

"Ugh…why did my parents insist on me getting a job?" moaned Nadia, an expression of disgust on her face. "Especially here of all places?" wondered Nadia, frustrated at how her parents had insisted on her taking a job at the New Zoo opening up in their town and, lacking any basic life skills, Nadia had little room to argue with them.

"I mean…working with and looking after animals…so not my scene," said Nadia, rolling her eyes as she walked under the stone archways, entering the Main Hallway. "Still…if it means I get to keep my already generous allowance" reasoned Nadia, still irritated at her parents essentially forcing her to be here.

Supposedly, this job would teach her the value of an honest day's work.

"I still wonder why Dad was reluctant to let me leave though" wondered Nadia, continuing to wander down the Main Hallway. "I mean…he did insist on me getting this job…unless the others essentially forced him to do this?" continued Nadia, puzzled at how her father had acted.

"He's been this way ever since…Diana disappeared" said Nadia, feeling the memories of her past wash over her like a tidal wave. She recalled their families…how they had been friends for as long as Nadia could remember.

"I still wonder what happened to her?" thought Nadia, recalling the fond memories of her childhood. "I recall how we met…some kind of tradition between our families?" continued Nadia, trying to remember what she had been told.

Unfortunately, the origin of the tradition, and the tradition itself, had been lost to time.
"I still remember how we used to play in the nearby woods on their holiday estate," thought Nadia, smiling warmly at her fond memories. "That was a great summer" continued Nadia, recalling the memories she would always cherish. "I wonder if the fort we built is still there?" finished Nadia, figuring that she would go and check at some point…have a trip down memory lane.

"I still can't believe she just up and disappeared," said Nadia, finding herself outside of an animal enclosure. She looked to one side, noticing it was intended for a Cheetah. "Just…why did you leave Diana?" wondered Nadia, struggling to hold back tears as her expression became forlorn.

As Nadia began to weep, she failed to notice the cheetah within the enclosure eyeing her. It moved forward intriguingly towards her, their eyes widening as they recognised the person before them.

"Nadia? Is…is that you?" chirped Diana, forgetting that she couldn't speak for a moment. Hence, she just stared at her childhood friend, trying to find some solace for the moment.

Unknown to Nadia, her best friend was much closer than she thought.

"I mean…were we not good enough for you?" wondered Nadia, tears still streaming down her face. "Was I not good enough for you?" mumbled Nadia, unable to keep her composure any longer as she was reduced to full-blown sobs.

The barrier she had built up to cope with the loss of her best friend had crumbled, leaving only a friend in mourning.

As Nadia wept, she thought back to the aftermath of her friend's disappearance. Following what had happened, Nadia's father had become fiercely protective of her. She couldn't help but feel slightly bitter as she recalled how her father had kept her occupied throughout her formative years…rarely if ever giving her a moment to herself.

Just like he was doing now.

"Thanks for making me grow up too soon Dad" thought Nadia, still sobbing as she wished she could've spent more time with Diana…make more memories to cherish with her best friend.

Diana just watched her friend sob, unsure of what she should do. What could she even do?

Diana couldn't help but feel guilty as she watched her best friend's inconsolable state.

"Nadia…I'm…I'm sorry" thought Diana, just sitting there as she tried to be there for her friend. Eventually, after what felt like forever, Nadia was able to regain her composure. She brushed the tears from her eyes, indifferent to how they had smudged her makeup as she noticed the cheetah had been watching her.

"Um…hello?" said Nadia, waving awkwardly. She then recalled why she was there. "I hope you enjoy me having to clean up after you…take care of you" continued Nadia, a bitter tone in her voice. "Still…it means I get to keep my allowance" finished Nadia, noticing the cheetah was still staring at her.

"I know you're hurting Nadia…I don't blame you" chirped Diana, once again forgetting she couldn't speak. She just lay there, staring as she just tried to be there for her friend in need.

As Nadia stared at the cheetah again, she couldn't help but feel fascinated by the feline. "There's something special about this cheetah, almost as if…we've met before" wondered Nadia, shaking her head at the absurd notion.

Still, Nadia couldn't deny that she was feeling better for this small interaction.

"Perhaps…this won't be so bad after all," thought Nadia, surrendering to the warm feeling she had inside of her.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

Expanding the Pod:
Elizabeth entered the Main Hallway, her hair still somewhat damp from her earlier swim as she looked around curiously.

"Ok…where is she?" wondered Elizabeth, still curious about who would be becoming Tyler's new friend. It was then she noticed someone near the Cheetah enclosure as she couldn't help but smile.

"Looks like Tyler will be getting a mate," thought Elizabeth, nodding as she began to approach Nadia. "At least I'll be able to do something right today" continued Elizabeth, still bitter regarding her current predicament.

However, as she approached Nadia, she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. After all, she did have a job to do.

Diana noticed Elizabeth's approach as she stared back at her friend.

"Huh…what is it?" asked Nadia, looking around as she noticed what appeared to be a manager approaching. It was at that point that Nadia remembered why she was here…putting on her best smile, no matter how fake it was.

"Hello…I take it that you're our newest worker?" asked Elizabeth, holding her hand out as Nadia shook it in response. Elizabeth eyed Nadia as she couldn't help but smile once more.

"Perfect…she's perfect for the role," thought Elizabeth, smiling once more as she heard Diana chirping. Elizabeth turned back, staring at the cheetah curiously as Diana appeared to have a forlorn expression.

"Damn…what can I do?!" thought Diana, trying to think of some way, any way to help Nadia. Unfortunately, it was to no avail as she conceded, slinking off deeper into her enclosure.

"I'm sorry old friend…. I hope we meet again someday" thought Diana, climbing up one of the nearby trees as she glanced back outside. She noticed that Nadia had now turned away as she lay forlorn, fully aware of what was going to happen to her friend.

"Hello, my name's Elizabeth and I'll be touring you around the Zoo today for your orientation" explained Elizabeth, noticing Nadia nodding in response. She could tell that Nadia was less than enthused as she thought little of it.

"I'm sure her new role will include a swift attitude change," thought Elizabeth, resisting the urge to chuckle. She noticed the quizzical look on Nadia's face as she remembered what she was doing.

"So, where do we start?" asked Nadia, noticing Elizabeth seemed to be in deep thought. She was taken aback when Elizabeth snapped her fingers.

"I know!" said Elizabeth, a small smile on her face. "I'll show you the Orca enclosure first then we can move downwards before ending at the Office to fill out paperwork" continued Elizabeth, noticing Nadia nodding half-hearteningly.

"Sounds good" replied Nadia, just wanting to get this over and done with. Although, she couldn't help but feel tense. This whole situation just felt…off. "I mean…I need this job in order to keep my financial allowance" snarked Nadia, her tone matter-of-fact as she noticed Elizabeth staring at her.

"Good enough, that's the main reason why we work for a living isn't it?" joked Elizabeth, trying to put Nadia at ease.

Surprisingly, it seemed to have the intended effect as Nadia chuckled at the remark. Elizabeth joined in the chuckle as they began to walk away from the Cheetah enclosure. Elizabeth smiled as she eyed Nadia once more, knowing she would make the perfect addition to the orcas.

Diana watched the pair leaving, forcing her to keep hidden. She couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as she worried about whether she had revealed too much.

"Why…why is this happening to me?" wondered Diana, lying down in a slump. "Is it already enough that I have to suffer? Why does she insist on twisting the knife?" continued Diana, feeling defeated and subsequently bitter about her predicament.

Meanwhile, in the Tiger enclosure opposite, Caitlyn had been observing the whole exchange between Nadia, the cheetah and Elizabeth. She had to resist the urge to growl, not wanting to give away the fact that she was eavesdropping.

"I knew there was something not quite right" chuffed Caitlyn, having been observing the cheetah's movements since her arrival. They had been too…sophisticated to be a true animal.

This had caused Caitlyn's mind to conclude something about the annoying cheetah opposite.

"She's…she's got her memories as well," thought Caitlyn, feeling anger within her soul. She once again had to hold back her growl, lest she disturbed her boyfriend, Travis. Caitlyn's mind was momentarily distracted as she thought back to her wonderful boyfriend…and hopefully mate one day.

"I love that Travis is here with me" chuffed Caitlyn, rolling onto her side. Her tail shifted slightly as Caitlyn couldn't help but 'smile.' "He really does complete me" continued Caitlyn, 'smiling' wider as she eyed the cheetah once more…and what could've happened.

"It's great that Travis didn't end up with that dumb cat," continued Caitlyn, unable to resist feeling smug about her 'victory.' "She's getting what she deserves after trying to steal my boyfriend" finished Caitlyn, turning to find Travis lying down on the other side of the enclosure.

"I should check up on him…make sure he's still not worried about his parents," thought Caitlyn, moving from her position to approach her boyfriend. She felt uneasy, memories of her own family coming to her mind.

It was then that Caitlyn didn't feel so complete anymore.

Preparing the Act:
Elizabeth and Nadia had arrived at the Outside Section of the Zoo as Nadia looked around curiously. She noticed the many different enclosures, unable to stop herself from feeling fascinated.

"Amazing…isn't it?" asked Elizabeth, smiling bitterly. Although she did her best to hide her disappointment, some couldn't help but shine through.

"Something wrong?" asked Nadia, looking down at Elizabeth. She noticed Elizabeth's expression, working out that something was getting at her.
"It's…it's nothing" replied Elizabeth, trying to compose herself. She noticed Nadia's sceptical expression, still trying to brush off the worries that were becoming harder to suppress by the minute.

"Are you sure you're ok?" asked Nadia again, bending down to Elizabeth's level. She looked her in the eyes, seeing the concern within. "Something's clearly troubling you…I've always been a good listener" continued Nadia, trying to reassure Elizabeth.

"I…can I trust her?" wondered Elizabeth, feeling momentarily lost. "She seems approachable…and I could use a friend" continued Elizabeth internally, having made her decision.

"I'm…I'm going through a rough patch right now" explained Elizabeth, noticing Nadia listening intently. "My friend…she seems to have abandoned me…makes me feel unwanted" continued Elizabeth, noticing Nadia's sympathetic expression.

"Honestly…that sounds like my dad" replied Nadia, noticing Elizabeth's eyes widened. "He always seems to prefer my best friend…perhaps my rebellious behaviour comes from him being overprotective after she disappeared" wondered Nadia, feeling momentarily curious. "Sometimes I feel he'd prefer Diana as a daughter rather than me" finished Nadia, not realising her slip of the tongue.

Elizabeth paid it no mind, although the name caused her to recall the missing tape. Rebecca had been so anxious about it…although right now Elizabeth didn't care about that either.

"It'll be ok…for both of us" reassured Elizabeth, motioning for Nadia to move on. "We're not too far now" continued Elizabeth, the pair approaching the Orca enclosure as Elizabeth was finding it harder to hold in her excitement.

Something that Nadia picked up on, and couldn't help but feel it rubbing off on her.

Not long after, the pair arrived at the Orca enclosure as Elizabeth turned to face Nadia.

"Ok, first we're going to get you some 'fins-on' experience with our resident Orca…Tyler" explained Elizabeth, smiling slightly at her joke. Nadia nodded in agreement before being presented with a wetsuit.

"Looks…rather nice actually," thought Nadia, staring at the black and white wetsuit, the suit resembling an Orca pattern. She smiled, the prospect of working at the Zoo feeling more and more exciting as Elizabeth motioned her towards a nearby changing room.

As Nadia left, Elizabeth noticed Tyler looking curiously at her. Elizabeth smiled, nodding as she looked forward to giving him his new friend…and mate.
At least then, one of them wouldn't be alone anymore.

Performance Preparations:
Nadia stood in the changing room. She looked at herself in the mirror, eyeing her short blond hair, and noticing the small ponytail behind her. She undid her bobble, allowing her hair to fall freely as she stripped off her shirt.

"I'm…I'm surprised by how much I'm looking forward to this," thought Nadia, unable to contain her excitement. She was beginning to feel like this job was a blessing in disguise as she would have to thank her dad later on. She finished stripping down as she pulled the wetsuit over her body.

She took a moment to eye the colouration once more, noticing the Orca pattern once again.

"It does look good," said Nadia, admiring the patterns as she took a deep breath. She stared at the door to the changing room, figuring she could leave her clothes here for the time being.

"...Showtime…" mumbled Nadia, swallowing any doubt she had as she opened the door wide open.

It was now time to perform.

Getting into Character:
Nadia approached the Orca enclosure once more, dressed in the provided wetsuit as she noticed Elizabeth was wearing her own wetsuit. She didn't think much of it, opting to push her doubts back once more.

"Nice to see you're ready," said Elizabeth, hedging towards a nearby ladder. She motioned for Nadia to follow, and Nadia complied as she approached the ladder which would allow entry into the Orca enclosure. Elizabeth went first, going down the ladder without incident before she helped Nadia down, who was comparatively, much more shy.

"Don't worry…Tyler doesn't bite" reassured Elizabeth, blowing her whistle atop the platform within the Orca enclosure. Nadia eyed Tyler, noticing he was currently confined to a separate tank within the enclosure.

"Ah…he likes you," said Elizabeth, the pair hearing Tyler calling out for Nadia, his future mate. Nadia couldn't help but feel taken aback at Elizabeth's tone, turning to face her with confusion in her eyes.

"What…what do you mean?" asked Nadia, feeling uneasy as Tyler began to thump the barrier keeping him contained.

"Tyler's just voicing his approval for you. You see…. Tyler's been desiring a mate for some time and I promised him one after I accidentally neglected him" said Elizabeth, turning to Nadia and grabbing her arm. Nadia winced at the tight grip as she stared at Elizabeth.

"Oh crap…this is a trap!" thought Nadia, recalling how her dad seems reluctant to let her come here.

Suddenly, it all made sense.

"Dad was trying to protect me?" thought Nadia, trying to free herself from Elizabeth's grip. She began to feel uneasy, a tingling sensation passing through her arm.

"Let go…you're hurting me" cried Nadia as she noticed Elizabeth smiling. Although, unlike earlier, this smile was far more malicious…more sadistic.

"But of course…" replied Elizabeth, yanking Nadia's arm as she tossed her towards the water. Nadia struggled to keep her balance, falling into the water as the tingling began to spread all over her body.

"What…why does this feel so…weird?" thought Nadia, a chill passing over her as she began to swim up to the surface. The magic of the enclosure was claiming her, sealing her fate as Tyler's mate.

As she surfaced, she noticed Elizabeth smiling. "Why…what are you doing?" asked Nadia, feeling odd, woozy even as she began to feel rather bloated.

"I told Tyler he would get a mate but don't worry, I'll be here to support you every step of the way," explained Elizabeth, her smile which initially seemed warm and supportive, now seemed cold and cruel.

"Elizabeth…you don't need to do this," said Nadia, feeling uneasy as she clutched her arm. It began to feel strange, Nadia already having difficulty breathing as her wetsuit began to feel very, very tight.

Nadia stared at her arm, her eyes widening in awe as she could feel its texture changing, becoming slippery…rubbery even?

"Wait…this is really happening!" thought Nadia, her mind beginning to panic. She watched as her arms darkened, becoming almost black. She cringed as they crunched, shifting against her will as her arms were forced directly under her ribs.

"I'm…I'm really becoming an Orca," said Nadia, in a state of shock as the irony wasn't lost on her. Although, she kept quiet, knowing that the irony would be lost on Elizabeth.

In either case, she didn't want to give Elizabeth the satisfaction.

Nadia felt her hands curling up into fists, the fingers shrinking as they were reduced to stumps. Her fingers quickly ceased to exist and Nadia could feel her stumps poking into her sides as, despite Nadia's best efforts, they felt impossible to move.

Nadia could only watch as new skin began to grow. It stretched out, covering the triangles that her stumps had formed. It sank down, new skin attaching the stumps to her sides as she realises she was developing her new flippers. She flapped them with dread, trying to be defiant to no avail.

"I…I can't just let this happen" thought Nadia, panic coming over her. "Why did the others make me apply here?!" continued Nadia, the skin of her new flippers darkening to pitch black. As her new flippers completed themselves, she eyed Elizabeth intently, noticing her never-fading smile.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Nadia frantically, feeling a tingling near her rear. She realised her tail would be growing next as she struggled to breathe. The wetsuit was beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable as she glared at Elizabeth, demanding an answer.

"I'm doing this to help a friend" stated Elizabeth as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The job opening is for a performer and your change will make you perfect for the role" continued Elizabeth, smiling in satisfaction, contentment even. "Besides…this means your dad won't bother you anymore" finished Elizabeth, Nadia feeling the knife in her back being twisted.

"Dad…please forgive me," thought Nadia, gasping as she felt her developing tail force its way out of her wetsuit. It began to flail about wildly, droplets of water splashing about as she could feel it enlarging, spreading downwards as she dreaded what was coming up.

"This…I don't want this…this isn't what I meant!" shouted Nadia, cringing as she could feel her legs being pushed together. She could feel them twisting, being absorbed into the growing tail as more and more blubber began to form around her lower body. The wetsuit easily tore under the strain, falling to the bottom of the tank.

"I know you don't want this" replied Elizabeth simply, smirking as she noticed Nadia's lower body had now been replaced. It was now a proper orca size as the pair could hear Tyler's calls of excitement. "But he does," said Elizabeth, pointing at Tyler as Nadia realised that her decent figure had been replaced with pound after pound of whale blubber.

"He seems so…dreamy," thought Nadia, her mind feeling woozy, her new orca instincts taking root in her mind. She looked down, noticing her orca tail instinctively keeping her afloat. She could feel something forcing itself out of her back, her mind still locked into thoughts of animal lust…making calves with her mate, Tyler.

"What…no?!" thought Nadia, snapping out of her trance as her new wide fin forced itself through the wetsuit. It didn't take long for it to grow larger and larger, Nadia's attention being drawn to a gurgling in her stomach. As her wide fin finished forming, it quickly darkened to black, resembling the same colour of her flippers as it also took on a rubbery texture.

"This…what…what's wrong with me?" thought Nadia, her eyes wide with panic as new instincts began to flood her mind. She barely held onto her human mind, struggling not to feel aroused as she eyed Tyler. She blushed as she couldn't help but notice that Tyler appeared rather impressed with his developing mate, bashing against the barrier separating them once more.

"Please be patient Tyler," said Elizabeth warmly, a small smile on her face as she blew her whistle. Nadia noticed Tyler beginning to calm down as she was struggling to resist her growing attraction to the orca bull before her

"I want him" mumbled Nadia, looking down at her lower body. She couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction. Something just felt right. "Yes…I need him" continued Nadia, unable to resist widening her smile as she could feel a tingling sensation forming around her upper body.

"Yes, need to be big…strong for Tyler," said Nadia, her voice deeper due to her shifting vocals. "Body is too small, too puny!" continued Nadia, already feeling bloated as she felt smug, and confident in her changing form. She sensed Tyler's building eagerness as the whale blubber continued to spread across her upper body.

As the whale blubber continued to grow, the remnants of the wetsuit tore from Nadia's body. It fell to the bottom of the tank as Nadia fell forward onto her stomach. The position felt natural to the changing girl, causing her to smile at the development as her dominating orca instincts were suppressing her human mind.

Nadia's eyes began to change, staring to darken as the instincts took permanent root in her mind. She felt strange, weird. She knew something was wrong but what that specifically was was becoming…harder to remember. Her thoughts were becoming full of the orca bull not too far away…desiring to be his mate…and sire his calves.

"Yes…need to be perfect…perfect for…Tyler" thought Nadia, her vocals no longer capable of human speech. She noticed her skin changing, the texture becoming rubbery as it began to change colour to match her fins and lower body. The only thing still human was her face…the large smile Nadia was wearing appeared very unnatural on her new orca body.

"Feel…so…happy," thought Nadia, her grin widening as the tingling sensation began to spread over her face. She stared at Tyler once more, noticing him becoming more eager which Nadia was easily reciprocating.

"Yes, yes, yes. I'm almost ready Tyler, I want you, I need you!" screamed Nadia internally, becoming frustrated at the barrier separating the pair. She looked around, noticing Elizabeth still standing on the platform.

"Something…wrong," thought Nadia, the thought being suppressed easily by her developing orca instincts. "She stopping me from getting to Tyler" continued Nadia, frustrated as she splashed her large tail as she attempted to approach Elizabeth.

"Not a chance Nadia," said Elizabeth simply, blowing her whistle once more. Nadia heard the sound, feeling herself being brought under Elizabeth's control. Her eyes darkened entirely, her human thoughts being pushed to the deepest, darkest, corners of her mind. She fully submitted herself to her animal instincts, only desiring to be claimed by Tyler, her mate.

Elizabeth eyed Nadia, admiring her developing form. She looked towards Tyler, noticing his eagerness…how happy he seemed. She then looked back at Nadia, feeling the eagerness the orcas had to be with each other.

"My work here is done," said Elizabeth, heading towards the ladder as she climbed out of the enclosure. She headed towards the overhead bridge, deciding to watch the final changes from up above.

Elizabeth watched as Nadia's smile widened even further as her face began to push out. It stretched out, further and further into a muzzle as her head flattened and streamlined. Her blond hair fell from her head, being discarded amongst the rest of the indicators of Nadia's former humanity.

Nadia didn't care, however. The only thing that mattered was her mate…Tyler.

Nadia's changing skin began to change colour, becoming the familiar black and white markings of the orca whale. Her teeth adapted, shifting to become accustomed to her future diet of fish. The final changes swept over Nadia's face as her muzzle finished stretching to its full, animal length as Nadia was human no longer.

"Yes, I need Tyler!" called out Nadia, attracting the attention of the nearby animals as Tyler was being driven crazy by his new mate. Nadia stared at him lustily, beginning to swim towards him as the only thing separating the new couple was the barrier between them.

Fortunately, the barrier began to rise as the pair immediately swam towards one another. It took only moments for the pair to immediately begin to mate, unable to hold back their lust for one another any longer.

Tyler began to thrust as Nadia moaned out, the pair releasing all their pent-up sexual frustration as they continued to mate. They began to pick up in intensity as Elizabeth couldn't help but watch.

"Wow…I didn't realise they'd be this…passionate for one another" mumbled Elizabeth, unable to resist a smile crossing her face. "At least Tyler's happy now…that makes one of us" continued Elizabeth, hearing the pair's orca calls as she felt a little less empty inside.

Eventually, Tyler climaxed and dismounted. Nadia called out to her mate once more, the pair still feeling intimate as they swam together, side by side. They moved towards the secluded area, the pair desiring privacy as they felt weary.

However, before they could, Elizabeth blew her whistle. She directed them back towards the centre of the enclosure as she held out the yellow camera she had acquired earlier. She eyed them sympathetically, knowing the pair were spent but she had one last job to do.

"Sorry you two…I'll make this as quick as possible" reassured Elizabeth, directing the pair to pose. She nodded, satisfied with their positioning as she took a picture. After a moment of inspection, she felt satisfied that it would be suitable for Rebecca's poster.

"Ok…mission accomplished" thought Elizabeth, remembering her experience the night before. She was not looking forward to going home tonight but hopefully, the pair would show her mercy. She watched as the newly mated pair of orcas proceeded towards the secluded area, not disturbing them as they left Elizabeth's line of sight.

"I…I need to think" said Elizabeth, looking around as she noticed the overhead bridge. She nodded, in agreement with herself as she desired to be left with her thoughts.

A New Hope:
"I just don't understand it," thought Elizabeth, her thoughts returning to the night before. "Why did Charlotte betray me? After everything we've been through?" continued Elizabeth, trying to hold back her tears. "What does allying with Rebecca give her?" wondered Elizabeth, unable to make any sense of her friend's reasoning.

In short, from Elizabeth's perspective, it lacked Charlotte's usual logical reasoning.

"I just…just want to keep my friend" whimpered Elizabeth, planting her head on the rail of the overhead bridge. That was until a green glow flashed. Elizabeth picked her head up, noticing the increasingly familiar green glow.

"Oh…it's just you again," said Elizabeth, noticing the green glow flash in understanding. It was then Elizabeth watched as the green glow hovered over the Orca enclosure as Elizabeth stared curiously at it.

"What…what is it doing?" wondered Elizabeth, noticing what looked like streams of energy coming from the Orca enclosure. They moved past her, becoming green as her eyes were amazed and terrified at the spectacle occurring before her.

After what felt like an eternity…but had, in fact, only a few moments, Elizabeth noticed the energy streams vanishing as the green glow returned to Elizabeth's line of vision. It felt strong, and powerful as it glowed in intensity.

Something was happening…and the green glow couldn't be more ecstatic.

"It…it's happening," thought the glow, its flashing becoming more intense as it pushed itself forward. The experience was draining, and tiring but the glow pushed on, determined to complete its evolution…take the next step to help Elizabeth…its best friend.

A massive flashbang occurred, causing Elizabeth to shield her eyes. She moved back, barely avoiding falling over the bridge as her vision returned. She looked to where the green glow had been, seeing what appeared to be a glowing green woman as Elizabeth's eyes could only stare in shock.

"...Hello…?" asked a mysterious voice, ringing in Elizabeth's mind. It took Elizabeth a moment to realise where it was coming from as she felt scared, and intimidated by the entity before her. She began to feel a sense of dread coming over her as the entity could only stare at her sympathetically.

"She's…she's scared" sounded the voice again, ringing in Elizabeth's mind once more. The entity eyed Elizabeth, noticing she was slack-jawed, almost catatonic in shock. It felt an idea forming as it began to glow once more, bringing on another change.

Its body shrunk to a fraction of its former size. Its hair puffed out, turning turquoise before becoming rather voluminous as it curled out. The dress it had been wearing changed, simplifying into a light blue t-shirt with a picture of the Zoo's entrance on it. It now had a jacket over its shirt which was now turquoise in colour, the same shade as its new hair.

It was now wearing a pair of shorts which were green like her former dress. Her irises were now varying shades of blue and green. However, to Elizabeth's surprise, the entity had continued to go barefoot.

The entity now resembled a small child, not much taller than Elizabeth herself as it looked at her.
Its skin was a transparent mix of turquoise, indicating that the entity was still intangible despite its metamorphosis. It smiled as it noticed Elizabeth's features softening in response to its change.

"Are you more comfortable now?" asked the Entity, the voice being more high-pitched compared to its initial contact. It took Elizabeth a moment to get used to it talking in her head as she stared at the entity.

"It…it doesn't appear to be bringing harm," thought Elizabeth, still uneasy as she began to compose herself. Whilst she still felt somewhat nervous, she couldn't help but approach the entity before her."...Yes…," replied Elizabeth, staring at the entity. Despite her situation, she couldn't help but feel curious about the entity before her.

"Who are you? What do you want?" asked Elizabeth, noticing the entity placing its hand to its chin as if pondering the question. In reality, however, the entity already knew the answer…and why it was here.

"I am the Spirit of the Zoo and I'm responsible for the magic that exists within here. You and your friends brought this property within my resting place which as you should know, is the water in which the monster formerly known as Steven is occupying" explained the Spirit, its eyes flashing with intimidation as it thought back to Charlotte and Rebecca…and what the pair had done to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth began to get worried now, she hoped the Spirit wasn't vengeful as it continued to stare at her, its features unmoving as if it was deep in thought. The Spirit noticed Elizabeth's expression, its features softening, showing Elizabeth a smile to help put her at ease.

"But what I want…. is to help you Elizabeth. This mark you have, the way your 'friends' treat you, it's not nice and it makes me ANGRY!!" shouted the Spirit, turning red as a large blast of magic shot up above its location. The Spirit turned momentarily tangible as it was blinded with rage.

Elizabeth gazed at the angry Spirit, scared for herself but also…concerned for the Spirit before her. Hence, she ignored her instinct to run as she moved to comfort the Spirit. She pulled it into a hug, the Spirit being snapped out of its rage as the red colouration began to reduce.

"What…what are you doing?" asked the Spirit as its mood quickly calmed down, its colouration returning to its initial turquoise colouration.

"Comforting you. That's what friends do after all" said Elizabeth, barely holding back tears. She recalled how this Spirit had been there for her…been her friend when no one else had been. Her tears escaped down her face, the Spirit returning the hug to comfort its best friend.

Unlike earlier with Jason however, Elizabeth's tears were tears of joy. She could feel the same euphoria she felt for her seals and dolphins as the pair continued their hug, enjoying the silence between them.

That was until the Spirit became intangible once more.

As Elizabeth and the Spirit stared at each other silently, she couldn't help but feel a thought come to her mind. She recalled how Rebecca had been…more erratic recently as she couldn't help but feel her curiosity coming over her.

"Would you have anything to do with Rebecca becoming distant by any chance?" asked Elizabeth, "You know, just asking for a friend". Elizabeth smiled, resisting the urge to laugh.

The Spirit eyed Elizabeth, noticing her smile as it smirked mischievously in response. "Yes, I did. She was moving the peacock you might know as Chris one day so I decided to give her a taste of her own medicine. Now she can't be near him without kicking off her new emerging animal instincts" explained the Spirit, finishing the last part with a giggle, enjoying redescribing the moment and from what it could see, Elizabeth had enjoyed its telling of the tale.

As it looked at Elizabeth, it noticed the rough mark on her face. It snapped its fingers, a thought coming over it as it invitingly opened its arms towards Elizabeth.

"Come here. Need to amend your beauty mark" stated the Spirit, keeping a soft tone to not intimidate its friend.

Elizabeth, after thinking it through for a moment, complied. She knelt down to face the Spirit at eye level as it flashed its magic. Elizabeth could feel a soft sensation over the mark, a green glow coming from the Spirit as it moved inwardly, moving into the mark before fading from sight.

"What…what did you do?" asked Elizabeth, feeling the mark as she felt the rough texture once more. However, it didn't feel as painful as it once did…Elizabeth felt almost peaceful.

"Couldn't remove your mark, otherwise your 'friends' may ask questions. However, they shouldn't be able to hurt you anymore with it" replied the Spirit simply, noticing Elizabeth's sincere expression of gratitude. It smiled, knowing it had done its job well.

"Thank you. I think this may be the start of a wonderful friendship " said Elizabeth as she pulled the Spirit into another hug. The Spirit didn't resist as she did so, feeling a warmth it didn't understand flowing through it.
But, the important thing was that it felt good.

At that point, Elizabeth noticed the time and realised she would need to get home. She reluctantly broke the hug, turning away from the Spirit a moment later.

"I…I have to go," said Elizabeth, noticing her discarded uniform. She began to get herself dressed back up again as the Spirit nodded in understanding. Its warm expression continued to make Elizabeth feel happy like there was a reason to keep going.

"I understand" replied the Spirit, waving towards Elizabeth as she got fully dressed. "I look forward to seeing you again" finished the Spirit, staying in place for another second before fading from sight.

As Elizabeth put her hat back on her head, she took one last look at where the Spirit had been. She couldn't help but smile, feeling her mood had done a complete shift from that morning. She began to head back to the entrance, a skip in her step as she bid her animals farewell.

As Elizabeth approached the stone archways of the New Zoo, she considered her new friendship as a thought that came to mind. She had noticed the Spirit was barefoot and was curious to see if it would be interested in footwear.

"I wonder what she'll think of sandals," thought Elizabeth.

Elizabeth giggled at this remark as she left the New Zoo. She locked the gates behind her, heading down the path as she began the long walk home.

For once, she was looking forward to the next day.

And the revenge she would enact on her former friend.

Description
The sun shined down overhead as Elizabeth wandered under the stone archways into the New Zoo. She rubbed her 'beauty mark' as she entered the Main Hallway, cringing as she felt the rough texture, having to pull her hand away from the mark.

However, the physical pain was nothing compared to the heartbreak she was currently feeling.

"I…I can't believe she did that last night" mumbled Elizabeth, her disconnected tone being a cause for concern. She barely avoided falling to her knees, the memories washing over her mind. Soon, they became all Elizabeth could think about as her mind, as if forced, began to play back the dreaded memories.

The Previous Night:
"What…what do you mean?" asked Elizabeth, her tone incredulous. She began to feel a sense of dread as she noticed the glare that Rebecca was giving her. Rebecca's expression clearly indicated that she was not in the mood…and Elizabeth certainly didn't want to give her a reason to exploit her mark.

"I'm asking what did you do?" replied Rebecca, clear frustration in her tone. "I mean about Anastasia, I've noticed that the footage was deleted and 'Diana's tape' is now missing" continued Rebecca, noticing Elizabeth's stepping back intimidated. "So you do know something about that?" finished Rebecca, noticing Elizabeth's eyes widen.

"No…no, I don't" replied Elizabeth, her tone uncertain.

"You'd think after branding you…you wouldn't lie to me," remarked Rebecca, her disappointed tone akin to someone disciplining a pet. "Still…I suppose if you want more…" continued Rebecca, noticing Elizabeth appeared startled.

"No, please don't!" begged Elizabeth, not wishing to endure that pain again.

"What made you think I was going to do it?" asked Rebecca, noticing Elizabeth give out a sigh of relief. "Charlotte, you're up," said Rebecca, catching both Elizabeth and Charlotte off guard.

"But…" started Charlotte, noticing Rebecca giving her a cold glare. Charlotte looked at Rebecca, then Elizabeth, then Rebecca again.

With that, she knew what she needed to do.

"Ok Rebecca…let's do this," said Charlotte, a wide, evil smile on her face as Elizabeth's eyes widened in betrayal. "Please don't make this harder than it is" thought Charlotte, holding her hand up, practising just like Rebecca had shown her.

With that, a blood-red glow emanated from Charlotte's hand.

"No…please…not again!" wept Elizabeth, clutching her head as the burning sensation began once more. Like last time, it continued to burn across the entirety of the left side of her face, picking up in intensity as Elizabeth fell to her knees.

The pain was unsurmountable, Charlotte's eyes unchanging as she glanced at her best friend writing on the floor. She kept her emotions steady, knowing Rebecca would catch any sudden shift.

"I only hope she'll forgive me when all is said and done" thought Charlotte, ignoring her friend's cries. She stared at Rebecca, more desperate for revenge than ever.

But for now, she'd have to bide her time.

"Ok, Charlotte…you can stop," said Rebecca, Charlotte dropping her hand almost immediately. Elizabeth still lay there, writhing in pain as Rebecca approached her, a sadistic smile on her face.

"Now…I don't want you being disobedient again" warned Rebecca, giving a swift kick to Elizabeth's side. "Now you're needed at the Zoo tomorrow for our latest addition" informed Rebecca, beginning to move towards the shared sofa. "I expect you to answer in understanding Elizabeth," said Rebecca, clearly relishing the moment.

"Yes…I'll be there" replied Elizabeth, struggling to get up to her feet.

"Good…now get out of my sight," said Rebecca, her threatening tone intimidating Elizabeth to leave. As Elizabeth left, she turned to face Charlotte, a content smile on her face as she motioned for Charlotte to sit.

"Good work Charlotte," said Rebecca, patting Charlotte on the back. It was taking everything within Charlotte not to recoil with disgust. "Welcome to the circle of trust" finished Rebecca, noticing Charlotte seemed to be settling.

In reality, Charlotte was scheming, it wouldn't be long now before she'd get revenge for what Rebecca had forced her to do tonight.

"She will pay soon enough," thought Charlotte, keeping her composure neutral. "She will pay" finished Charlotte, allowing herself to be lost in the latest episode of 'Great Expectations.'

After all, Charlotte needed something to ease her guilty conscience.

Present Day:
"At least Rebecca didn't appear to discover my true plan," remarked Elizabeth, looking down at her whistle for a brief moment. She afforded a rare smile, hoping that her plan for controlling the animals hadn't been exposed.

After all, there was very little to hope for right now.

"Still…I wonder who this new addition is going to be" wondered Elizabeth, recalling that Rebecca had been a little sparse on the details. Elizabeth was also aware that Rebecca needed pictures of her marine animals for the poster she was working on and, fearing Rebecca's wrath, Elizabeth had opted to cooperate and get some photos whilst she was here.

If only to provide a further smokescreen to her true plan.

"I…I really hope this works" said Elizabeth, barely holding back tears. She couldn't help but feel that her predicament was rather hopeless. "I don't know what I'll do if it doesn't" continued Elizabeth, weeping softly.

Elizabeth couldn't help but feel completely lost. She was a prisoner due to Rebecca, her best friend had deserted her…and there was very little she could do about it apart from gambling her freedom on one very, fragile plan.

As Elizabeth contemplated her future, she failed to notice the green glow which she had become acquainted with had emerged. It flashed concerningly, as if worried about Elizabeth as it began to lower itself down towards her.

"Well…at least I know you're on my side…I hope" mused Elizabeth, smiling as she managed to force herself up to her feet. "Now, they informed me that there's a spare camera in the Office to use for the photos but first…I wish to make a detour" continued Elizabeth, walking away as the glow flashed once more before vanishing from sight.

Unknown to Elizabeth, the glow seemed off…as if frustrated about something.

Licking Old Wounds:
As Elizabeth wandered further down the Main Hallway, she noticed the new intercom system that had been fitted. Given recent events, she found herself unable to muster up any real enthusiasm towards it.

"Just another frivolous thing for Rebecca…I guess" mumbled Elizabeth, shuddering as the thoughts played in her mind again. She couldn't help but feel the knife inside her slowly being twisted as she thought back to her best friend.

"I just…we were supposed to be a team Charlotte," thought Elizabeth, noticing the Giraffe enclosure at her side. She turned to look inside, content that she had reached her destination.

"Nice to see you have a mate Jason" cooed Elizabeth, noticing the new female not too far off. She was currently eating leaves from a nearby tree. She appeared a bit smaller than Jason but was still a good average size for her species.

"Funny…just how insignificant your remark feels anymore," said Elizabeth, chuckling bitterly. "I guess I must be going mad…talking as if you understand me" continued Elizabeth, shaking her head as she tried to suppress her emotions…try to force the hurt deep down. She fell to her knees, struggling to hide her pain as it continued to tear her up inside.

Unknown to Elizabeth, Erica was listening to Elizabeth. She felt hurt, angry at what had been done to her. She eyes her mate, silently cursing to herself as she could feel her offspring developing inside of her.

"Looks like there's trouble in paradise," thought Erica sarcastically. She couldn't help but feel infuriated at her predicament, how she had been caught…and mated. Another kick from her developing offspring reinforced Erica's irritation as she couldn't help but 'sigh.'

"Well…at least I'm helping towards conserving the species" mused Erica, unable to resist feeling a motherly attachment to her offspring. "I guess I might as well try to be a good parent…since they don't appear to be letting us leave anytime soon" continued Erica, her bitterness fading somewhat as Erica imagined that her predicament could easily be worse.

"At least I've become my favourite animal," thought Erica, her mind suddenly racing to a variety of worst-case scenarios. " I don't want to imagine becoming something I hated or didn't like, like an octopus," continued Erica, internally shuddering at the thought. She recalled an incident years ago which had caused her distinct fear of octopuses but she forced it down as she noticed Elizabeth standing up.

"I…what's even the point anymore?" wondered Elizabeth, feeling the mark on her face as she could no longer hold back her tears. She wept quietly, Erica eyeing Elizabeth as she couldn't help but feel a small degree of sympathy.

"I can't believe I'm actually feeling sorry for her," thought Erica, struggling to hold back her frustration. She wanted to scream, shout, bellow…but nothing was coming out. Erica shook her head, turning to face Jason, her mate once again.

"I don't hold anything against you Jason" thought Erica, feeling resigned to her role. From her observations, Jason hadn't shown any of the intellect he had shown since the fateful day she was transformed. "After all…you're just as much of a victim as the rest of us" continued Erica, turning back to face Elizabeth who appeared inconsolable.

"It…it's not fair!" shouted Elizabeth, her tears continuing to fall. "Why did this happen to us? After everything we've encountered…everything we've overcome? Why did she just abandon me?!" continued Elizabeth, her despair threatening to swallow her whole as she slunk back down towards the ground.

As Elizabeth sobbed, she failed to notice the green glow was not too far away. It hung back, eyeing Elizabeth as it flashed. It was as if it was trying to express sympathy. It looked back towards the giraffes, recalling its previous attempt to mess with Charlotte.

An attempt which had clearly done nothing given Elizabeth's continued mistreatment.

With that, the green glow faded away. It wished it could do more…anything. However, it was not strong enough…not yet anyway.

"Ok…pull yourself together Elizabeth," said Elizabeth, forcing herself back to her feet. After all, she had a job to do today…unless she risked invoking Rebecca's wrath once more. "Just need to stick to the plan" finished Elizabeth, trying to reassure herself as she walked away.

Erica watched her leave. She shook her head, somehow still feeling sympathy for Elizabeth as she wrapped her tongue around another branch of leaves. She pulled them into her mouth, beginning to feed as her mind began to wander once more.

"Maybe…she's as much of a victim as the rest of us?" wondered Erica, considering this viewpoint as she munched on the leaves. "I only hope that my best friends avoid this…especially Marie" continued Erica, imagining how Marie would even cope. "I mean…she would have no idea of what to do with herself" finished Erica, grabbing more leaves with her tongue before pulling them to her mouth. She was rather famished, and the leaves felt irresistible right now.

After all, she was feeding for two now.

At the Office:
Elizabeth swung open the pair of doors leading into the Office as she wandered inside. She quickly approached the light switch and flicked it on, illuminating the Office in a fading glow.

"Ugh…one of these days this needs to be tidied up" moaned Elizabeth, noticing a small yellow camera on the desk ahead of her. "At least there actually is a camera," said Elizabeth, walking forward as she struggled to hold back tears once more.

"Is this really what my life has amounted to?" wondered Elizabeth, shaking her head. "Being little more than someone's punchline?" continued Elizabeth, a few tears escaping before she could stop them. "I might as well have stayed at home if I knew this was my future" finished Elizabeth, forcing the intrusive thoughts from her mind.

After all, she still needed to get photos for Rebecca's poster.

"I can't believe I've been reduced to this…especially that Charlotte has gone along with it," thought Elizabeth, her anger fading as quickly as it arrived.

After all, what was the point anymore?

"Well…time to get to work," said Elizabeth, pocketing the small camera. She felt a wave of resignation wash over her, threatening to drown her in apathy.

And, as Elizabeth left the Office, she could tell it was succeeding.

Within the Outside Section:
Elizabeth approached the Seal enclosure, unable to resist a small smile. She blew down on her whistle, getting the pod's attention as her smile widened slightly.

"Hello everyone," said Elizabeth, cooing affectionately as she heard her seals barking in response. She couldn't help but laugh, savouring the moment as she felt her mind be taken off her current troubles. "Now…I need…" started Elizabeth, stopping herself. "I…no, Rebecca's little task can wait" finished Elizabeth, raising her arms as she prepared her seals for play.

Elizabeth lost track of time as she played with the seal pod. Their activities ranged from passing their ball back and forth, Elizabeth holding up fish for the seals to grab and finally, conducting them with the various horns that were scattered around the enclosure.

However, all good things must come to an end as Elizabeth ceased her activities. She looked upwards, noticing it would soon be time for the newest addition to arrive. She looked down at her camera, feeling a sense of resignation coming over her.

"Might as well get this over with" muttered Elizabeth, walking away from the seal enclosure. She wandered further through the Outside Section.

She looked around, wondering what enclosure would work best for the poster. "I wish Rebecca gave me an idea of what she is looking for" grumbled Elizabeth, her grumbling interrupted as she heard a distinctive clicking.

"Huh…that could work," thought Elizabeth, deciding to head towards the origin of the clicking. It didn't take long for her to trace the clicking to the Dolphin enclosure where Harold, Petra and their septuplets had been relocated following their practice with Elizabeth several weeks ago.

The enclosure was vast, a very large pool formed the body of the enclosure which allowed the dolphin pod to interact and play amongst one another whenever they desired. Elizabeth smiled as she noticed the dolphin she recognised as Petra playing with some of her calves…they seemed so happy together.

"I guess the others are currently hiding away…fair enough" mumbled Elizabeth, finding the sight of Petra and her calves playing adorable. She looked forward, noticing the obscured area in the back which allowed the dolphins to hide if necessary. "I still wonder what caused their transformation…were they really that clumsy?" wondered Elizabeth, the thought having puzzled her ever since it occurred.

"I wonder if that green glow had anything to do with it?" wondered Elizabeth, noticing something flashing in the corner of her eye. "Speak of the devil" mumbled Elizabeth, turning back to eye the green glow. "What are you?" asked Elizabeth, not expecting a response. The green glow flashed, trying to get Elizabeth to understand…to no avail.

"In any case…thank you for being my only friend…I hope" said Elizabeth, deciding to check another enclosure for a photo opportunity. "No point taking a picture with most of the dolphins hiding" reasoned Elizabeth, walking away as a realisation came over her.

"Wait…Tyler, of course!" thought Elizabeth, deciding to head towards the Orca enclosure. As she did so, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Between all the excitement of the new dolphins and seals…she had kind of forgotten about her larger animal friend.

"Kind of like how Charlotte's forgotten about me" mumbled Elizabeth, trying to keep the negative feelings down. However, the bile she was beginning to feel for her former best friend was becoming impossible to ignore.

In her current mental state, it took Elizabeth a moment to realise that she had arrived at the Orca enclosure. She looked around, admiring its larger size, knowing it was large enough to store Tyler with ease.

The enclosure had two large pools with a bridge hanging overhead to allow guests to look down at any orcas inside. There was a switch that would cause a barrier to separate the pools if it was ever required.

"I…we're both alone," thought Elizabeth, noticing Tyler seemed rather lonely within the enclosure. She thought about the newest addition arriving soon as Elizabeth decided that it was about time that Tyler got some company…maybe even a mate?

After all, Rebecca didn't specify what animal she had to add.

"I guess everything is in place," thought Elizabeth, continuing to observe Tyler from the bridge. She noticed him swimming off into an area designed to give any of the orcas within privacy from any onlookers. She also noticed a ladder which went down into the enclosure, leading to a platform which was above the water. Elizabeth realised this created the possibility that people could interact more closely with the orcas once the Zoo properly opened.

"Assuming the others allow me to have some agency" grumbled Elizabeth, feeling frustrated at the impossibility of ridding herself of the intrusive thoughts. "Time to go to work" reasoned Elizabeth, blowing her whistle as Tyler began to emerge.

Elizabeth then removed her uniform, revealing the dark blue swimming costume underneath. She then jumped from the bridge, performing a forward dive as she landed in the water with a small splash. She surfaced, a small smile on her face as the feeling of the water felt liberating to her.

As Elizabeth hit the water, the green glow had returned. It flashed slightly, as if it was agitated by being unable to help Elizabeth as it began to observe her.

Elizabeth, not noticing the green glow, noticed Tyler approaching her as she looked at him. She stroked his muzzle, hearing a small whimper escape his mouth.

"Sorry, big guy. Guess I forgot about you, huh?" said Elizabeth sorrowfully as Tyler whimpered in response. "Ok…you're definitely getting a new friend," thought Elizabeth, finding it difficult not to relate to Tyler right now.

Tyler looked at her sceptically, eyeing Elizabeth deep in thought. He then moved towards a nearby ball that Elizabeth had brought for him previously, whacking it with his tail towards Elizabeth.

"Whoa…so you wanna play big guy?" said Elizabeth, her tone soft as Tyler appeared to 'nod' in response. With that Elizabeth hit the ball back to Tyler who returned the pass in kind. "Well, he seems to have forgiven me," thought Elizabeth, passing the ball back to Tyler who batted it back.

As the pair continued to play, the green glow hadn't stopped observing Elizabeth. It felt a sense of determination filling it, sensing Elizabeth's growing despair and apathy. It glowed, flashing as it almost appeared to be growing? New features began to take form, a hand, a foot, even a pair of eyes became visible.

However, a moment later, the features quickly dissipated as the glow was reduced back to its original form. It flashed once more, as if frustrated before fading from sight.

Elizabeth, unaware of what had just transpired, had continued to play with Tyler. As she did so, however, she noticed a distant clock.

"Oh shoot…it's almost time," said Elizabeth, quickly breaking off her little game with Tyler. As Tyler stared at her pitifully, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon…I promise" reassured Elizabeth, climbing out of the enclosure. She then dashed back towards the bridge, drying herself off with a nearby towel.

"I wonder who's going to be Tyler's new friend?" wondered Elizabeth, quickly changing back into her uniform as she began to head back towards the Main Hallway.

It was now time to add another orca to her collection.

An Honest Day's Work:
Nadia looked up at the stone archways of the New Zoo. She squinted her eyes in irritation, wishing that she could be anywhere other than here.

"Ugh…why did my parents insist on me getting a job?" moaned Nadia, an expression of disgust on her face. "Especially here of all places?" wondered Nadia, frustrated at how her parents had insisted on her taking a job at the New Zoo opening up in their town and, lacking any basic life skills, Nadia had little room to argue with them.

"I mean…working with and looking after animals…so not my scene," said Nadia, rolling her eyes as she walked under the stone archways, entering the Main Hallway. "Still…if it means I get to keep my already generous allowance" reasoned Nadia, still irritated at her parents essentially forcing her to be here.

Supposedly, this job would teach her the value of an honest day's work.

"I still wonder why Dad was reluctant to let me leave though" wondered Nadia, continuing to wander down the Main Hallway. "I mean…he did insist on me getting this job…unless the others essentially forced him to do this?" continued Nadia, puzzled at how her father had acted.

"He's been this way ever since…Diana disappeared" said Nadia, feeling the memories of her past wash over her like a tidal wave. She recalled their families…how they had been friends for as long as Nadia could remember.

"I still wonder what happened to her?" thought Nadia, recalling the fond memories of her childhood. "I recall how we met…some kind of tradition between our families?" continued Nadia, trying to remember what she had been told.

Unfortunately, the origin of the tradition, and the tradition itself, had been lost to time.
"I still remember how we used to play in the nearby woods on their holiday estate," thought Nadia, smiling warmly at her fond memories. "That was a great summer" continued Nadia, recalling the memories she would always cherish. "I wonder if the fort we built is still there?" finished Nadia, figuring that she would go and check at some point…have a trip down memory lane.

"I still can't believe she just up and disappeared," said Nadia, finding herself outside of an animal enclosure. She looked to one side, noticing it was intended for a Cheetah. "Just…why did you leave Diana?" wondered Nadia, struggling to hold back tears as her expression became forlorn.

As Nadia began to weep, she failed to notice the cheetah within the enclosure eyeing her. It moved forward intriguingly towards her, their eyes widening as they recognised the person before them.

"Nadia? Is…is that you?" chirped Diana, forgetting that she couldn't speak for a moment. Hence, she just stared at her childhood friend, trying to find some solace for the moment.

Unknown to Nadia, her best friend was much closer than she thought.

"I mean…were we not good enough for you?" wondered Nadia, tears still streaming down her face. "Was I not good enough for you?" mumbled Nadia, unable to keep her composure any longer as she was reduced to full-blown sobs.

The barrier she had built up to cope with the loss of her best friend had crumbled, leaving only a friend in mourning.

As Nadia wept, she thought back to the aftermath of her friend's disappearance. Following what had happened, Nadia's father had become fiercely protective of her. She couldn't help but feel slightly bitter as she recalled how her father had kept her occupied throughout her formative years…rarely if ever giving her a moment to herself.

Just like he was doing now.

"Thanks for making me grow up too soon Dad" thought Nadia, still sobbing as she wished she could've spent more time with Diana…make more memories to cherish with her best friend.

Diana just watched her friend sob, unsure of what she should do. What could she even do?

Diana couldn't help but feel guilty as she watched her best friend's inconsolable state.

"Nadia…I'm…I'm sorry" thought Diana, just sitting there as she tried to be there for her friend. Eventually, after what felt like forever, Nadia was able to regain her composure. She brushed the tears from her eyes, indifferent to how they had smudged her makeup as she noticed the cheetah had been watching her.

"Um…hello?" said Nadia, waving awkwardly. She then recalled why she was there. "I hope you enjoy me having to clean up after you…take care of you" continued Nadia, a bitter tone in her voice. "Still…it means I get to keep my allowance" finished Nadia, noticing the cheetah was still staring at her.

"I know you're hurting Nadia…I don't blame you" chirped Diana, once again forgetting she couldn't speak. She just lay there, staring as she just tried to be there for her friend in need.

As Nadia stared at the cheetah again, she couldn't help but feel fascinated by the feline. "There's something special about this cheetah, almost as if…we've met before" wondered Nadia, shaking her head at the absurd notion.

Still, Nadia couldn't deny that she was feeling better for this small interaction.

"Perhaps…this won't be so bad after all," thought Nadia, surrendering to the warm feeling she had inside of her.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

Expanding the Pod:
Elizabeth entered the Main Hallway, her hair still somewhat damp from her earlier swim as she looked around curiously.

"Ok…where is she?" wondered Elizabeth, still curious about who would be becoming Tyler's new friend. It was then she noticed someone near the Cheetah enclosure as she couldn't help but smile.

"Looks like Tyler will be getting a mate," thought Elizabeth, nodding as she began to approach Nadia. "At least I'll be able to do something right today" continued Elizabeth, still bitter regarding her current predicament.

However, as she approached Nadia, she pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. After all, she did have a job to do.

Diana noticed Elizabeth's approach as she stared back at her friend.

"Huh…what is it?" asked Nadia, looking around as she noticed what appeared to be a manager approaching. It was at that point that Nadia remembered why she was here…putting on her best smile, no matter how fake it was.

"Hello…I take it that you're our newest worker?" asked Elizabeth, holding her hand out as Nadia shook it in response. Elizabeth eyed Nadia as she couldn't help but smile once more.

"Perfect…she's perfect for the role," thought Elizabeth, smiling once more as she heard Diana chirping. Elizabeth turned back, staring at the cheetah curiously as Diana appeared to have a forlorn expression.

"Damn…what can I do?!" thought Diana, trying to think of some way, any way to help Nadia. Unfortunately, it was to no avail as she conceded, slinking off deeper into her enclosure.

"I'm sorry old friend…. I hope we meet again someday" thought Diana, climbing up one of the nearby trees as she glanced back outside. She noticed that Nadia had now turned away as she lay forlorn, fully aware of what was going to happen to her friend.

"Hello, my name's Elizabeth and I'll be touring you around the Zoo today for your orientation" explained Elizabeth, noticing Nadia nodding in response. She could tell that Nadia was less than enthused as she thought little of it.

"I'm sure her new role will include a swift attitude change," thought Elizabeth, resisting the urge to chuckle. She noticed the quizzical look on Nadia's face as she remembered what she was doing.

"So, where do we start?" asked Nadia, noticing Elizabeth seemed to be in deep thought. She was taken aback when Elizabeth snapped her fingers.

"I know!" said Elizabeth, a small smile on her face. "I'll show you the Orca enclosure first then we can move downwards before ending at the Office to fill out paperwork" continued Elizabeth, noticing Nadia nodding half-hearteningly.

"Sounds good" replied Nadia, just wanting to get this over and done with. Although, she couldn't help but feel tense. This whole situation just felt…off. "I mean…I need this job in order to keep my financial allowance" snarked Nadia, her tone matter-of-fact as she noticed Elizabeth staring at her.

"Good enough, that's the main reason why we work for a living isn't it?" joked Elizabeth, trying to put Nadia at ease.

Surprisingly, it seemed to have the intended effect as Nadia chuckled at the remark. Elizabeth joined in the chuckle as they began to walk away from the Cheetah enclosure. Elizabeth smiled as she eyed Nadia once more, knowing she would make the perfect addition to the orcas.

Diana watched the pair leaving, forcing her to keep hidden. She couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as she worried about whether she had revealed too much.

"Why…why is this happening to me?" wondered Diana, lying down in a slump. "Is it already enough that I have to suffer? Why does she insist on twisting the knife?" continued Diana, feeling defeated and subsequently bitter about her predicament.

Meanwhile, in the Tiger enclosure opposite, Caitlyn had been observing the whole exchange between Nadia, the cheetah and Elizabeth. She had to resist the urge to growl, not wanting to give away the fact that she was eavesdropping.

"I knew there was something not quite right" chuffed Caitlyn, having been observing the cheetah's movements since her arrival. They had been too…sophisticated to be a true animal.

This had caused Caitlyn's mind to conclude something about the annoying cheetah opposite.

"She's…she's got her memories as well," thought Caitlyn, feeling anger within her soul. She once again had to hold back her growl, lest she disturbed her boyfriend, Travis. Caitlyn's mind was momentarily distracted as she thought back to her wonderful boyfriend…and hopefully mate one day.

"I love that Travis is here with me" chuffed Caitlyn, rolling onto her side. Her tail shifted slightly as Caitlyn couldn't help but 'smile.' "He really does complete me" continued Caitlyn, 'smiling' wider as she eyed the cheetah once more…and what could've happened.

"It's great that Travis didn't end up with that dumb cat," continued Caitlyn, unable to resist feeling smug about her 'victory.' "She's getting what she deserves after trying to steal my boyfriend" finished Caitlyn, turning to find Travis lying down on the other side of the enclosure.

"I should check up on him…make sure he's still not worried about his parents," thought Caitlyn, moving from her position to approach her boyfriend. She felt uneasy, memories of her own family coming to her mind.

It was then that Caitlyn didn't feel so complete anymore.

Preparing the Act:
Elizabeth and Nadia had arrived at the Outside Section of the Zoo as Nadia looked around curiously. She noticed the many different enclosures, unable to stop herself from feeling fascinated.

"Amazing…isn't it?" asked Elizabeth, smiling bitterly. Although she did her best to hide her disappointment, some couldn't help but shine through.

"Something wrong?" asked Nadia, looking down at Elizabeth. She noticed Elizabeth's expression, working out that something was getting at her.
"It's…it's nothing" replied Elizabeth, trying to compose herself. She noticed Nadia's sceptical expression, still trying to brush off the worries that were becoming harder to suppress by the minute.

"Are you sure you're ok?" asked Nadia again, bending down to Elizabeth's level. She looked her in the eyes, seeing the concern within. "Something's clearly troubling you…I've always been a good listener" continued Nadia, trying to reassure Elizabeth.

"I…can I trust her?" wondered Elizabeth, feeling momentarily lost. "She seems approachable…and I could use a friend" continued Elizabeth internally, having made her decision.

"I'm…I'm going through a rough patch right now" explained Elizabeth, noticing Nadia listening intently. "My friend…she seems to have abandoned me…makes me feel unwanted" continued Elizabeth, noticing Nadia's sympathetic expression.

"Honestly…that sounds like my dad" replied Nadia, noticing Elizabeth's eyes widened. "He always seems to prefer my best friend…perhaps my rebellious behaviour comes from him being overprotective after she disappeared" wondered Nadia, feeling momentarily curious. "Sometimes I feel he'd prefer Diana as a daughter rather than me" finished Nadia, not realising her slip of the tongue.

Elizabeth paid it no mind, although the name caused her to recall the missing tape. Rebecca had been so anxious about it…although right now Elizabeth didn't care about that either.

"It'll be ok…for both of us" reassured Elizabeth, motioning for Nadia to move on. "We're not too far now" continued Elizabeth, the pair approaching the Orca enclosure as Elizabeth was finding it harder to hold in her excitement.

Something that Nadia picked up on, and couldn't help but feel it rubbing off on her.

Not long after, the pair arrived at the Orca enclosure as Elizabeth turned to face Nadia.

"Ok, first we're going to get you some 'fins-on' experience with our resident Orca…Tyler" explained Elizabeth, smiling slightly at her joke. Nadia nodded in agreement before being presented with a wetsuit.

"Looks…rather nice actually," thought Nadia, staring at the black and white wetsuit, the suit resembling an Orca pattern. She smiled, the prospect of working at the Zoo feeling more and more exciting as Elizabeth motioned her towards a nearby changing room.

As Nadia left, Elizabeth noticed Tyler looking curiously at her. Elizabeth smiled, nodding as she looked forward to giving him his new friend…and mate.
At least then, one of them wouldn't be alone anymore.

Performance Preparations:
Nadia stood in the changing room. She looked at herself in the mirror, eyeing her short blond hair, and noticing the small ponytail behind her. She undid her bobble, allowing her hair to fall freely as she stripped off her shirt.

"I'm…I'm surprised by how much I'm looking forward to this," thought Nadia, unable to contain her excitement. She was beginning to feel like this job was a blessing in disguise as she would have to thank her dad later on. She finished stripping down as she pulled the wetsuit over her body.

She took a moment to eye the colouration once more, noticing the Orca pattern once again.

"It does look good," said Nadia, admiring the patterns as she took a deep breath. She stared at the door to the changing room, figuring she could leave her clothes here for the time being.

"...Showtime…" mumbled Nadia, swallowing any doubt she had as she opened the door wide open.

It was now time to perform.

Getting into Character:
Nadia approached the Orca enclosure once more, dressed in the provided wetsuit as she noticed Elizabeth was wearing her own wetsuit. She didn't think much of it, opting to push her doubts back once more.

"Nice to see you're ready," said Elizabeth, hedging towards a nearby ladder. She motioned for Nadia to follow, and Nadia complied as she approached the ladder which would allow entry into the Orca enclosure. Elizabeth went first, going down the ladder without incident before she helped Nadia down, who was comparatively, much more shy.

"Don't worry…Tyler doesn't bite" reassured Elizabeth, blowing her whistle atop the platform within the Orca enclosure. Nadia eyed Tyler, noticing he was currently confined to a separate tank within the enclosure.

"Ah…he likes you," said Elizabeth, the pair hearing Tyler calling out for Nadia, his future mate. Nadia couldn't help but feel taken aback at Elizabeth's tone, turning to face her with confusion in her eyes.

"What…what do you mean?" asked Nadia, feeling uneasy as Tyler began to thump the barrier keeping him contained.

"Tyler's just voicing his approval for you. You see…. Tyler's been desiring a mate for some time and I promised him one after I accidentally neglected him" said Elizabeth, turning to Nadia and grabbing her arm. Nadia winced at the tight grip as she stared at Elizabeth.

"Oh crap…this is a trap!" thought Nadia, recalling how her dad seems reluctant to let her come here.

Suddenly, it all made sense.

"Dad was trying to protect me?" thought Nadia, trying to free herself from Elizabeth's grip. She began to feel uneasy, a tingling sensation passing through her arm.

"Let go…you're hurting me" cried Nadia as she noticed Elizabeth smiling. Although, unlike earlier, this smile was far more malicious…more sadistic.

"But of course…" replied Elizabeth, yanking Nadia's arm as she tossed her towards the water. Nadia struggled to keep her balance, falling into the water as the tingling began to spread all over her body.

"What…why does this feel so…weird?" thought Nadia, a chill passing over her as she began to swim up to the surface. The magic of the enclosure was claiming her, sealing her fate as Tyler's mate.

As she surfaced, she noticed Elizabeth smiling. "Why…what are you doing?" asked Nadia, feeling odd, woozy even as she began to feel rather bloated.

"I told Tyler he would get a mate but don't worry, I'll be here to support you every step of the way," explained Elizabeth, her smile which initially seemed warm and supportive, now seemed cold and cruel.

"Elizabeth…you don't need to do this," said Nadia, feeling uneasy as she clutched her arm. It began to feel strange, Nadia already having difficulty breathing as her wetsuit began to feel very, very tight.

Nadia stared at her arm, her eyes widening in awe as she could feel its texture changing, becoming slippery…rubbery even?

"Wait…this is really happening!" thought Nadia, her mind beginning to panic. She watched as her arms darkened, becoming almost black. She cringed as they crunched, shifting against her will as her arms were forced directly under her ribs.

"I'm…I'm really becoming an Orca," said Nadia, in a state of shock as the irony wasn't lost on her. Although, she kept quiet, knowing that the irony would be lost on Elizabeth.

In either case, she didn't want to give Elizabeth the satisfaction.

Nadia felt her hands curling up into fists, the fingers shrinking as they were reduced to stumps. Her fingers quickly ceased to exist and Nadia could feel her stumps poking into her sides as, despite Nadia's best efforts, they felt impossible to move.

Nadia could only watch as new skin began to grow. It stretched out, covering the triangles that her stumps had formed. It sank down, new skin attaching the stumps to her sides as she realises she was developing her new flippers. She flapped them with dread, trying to be defiant to no avail.

"I…I can't just let this happen" thought Nadia, panic coming over her. "Why did the others make me apply here?!" continued Nadia, the skin of her new flippers darkening to pitch black. As her new flippers completed themselves, she eyed Elizabeth intently, noticing her never-fading smile.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Nadia frantically, feeling a tingling near her rear. She realised her tail would be growing next as she struggled to breathe. The wetsuit was beginning to feel more and more uncomfortable as she glared at Elizabeth, demanding an answer.

"I'm doing this to help a friend" stated Elizabeth as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The job opening is for a performer and your change will make you perfect for the role" continued Elizabeth, smiling in satisfaction, contentment even. "Besides…this means your dad won't bother you anymore" finished Elizabeth, Nadia feeling the knife in her back being twisted.

"Dad…please forgive me," thought Nadia, gasping as she felt her developing tail force its way out of her wetsuit. It began to flail about wildly, droplets of water splashing about as she could feel it enlarging, spreading downwards as she dreaded what was coming up.

"This…I don't want this…this isn't what I meant!" shouted Nadia, cringing as she could feel her legs being pushed together. She could feel them twisting, being absorbed into the growing tail as more and more blubber began to form around her lower body. The wetsuit easily tore under the strain, falling to the bottom of the tank.

"I know you don't want this" replied Elizabeth simply, smirking as she noticed Nadia's lower body had now been replaced. It was now a proper orca size as the pair could hear Tyler's calls of excitement. "But he does," said Elizabeth, pointing at Tyler as Nadia realised that her decent figure had been replaced with pound after pound of whale blubber.

"He seems so…dreamy," thought Nadia, her mind feeling woozy, her new orca instincts taking root in her mind. She looked down, noticing her orca tail instinctively keeping her afloat. She could feel something forcing itself out of her back, her mind still locked into thoughts of animal lust…making calves with her mate, Tyler.

"What…no?!" thought Nadia, snapping out of her trance as her new wide fin forced itself through the wetsuit. It didn't take long for it to grow larger and larger, Nadia's attention being drawn to a gurgling in her stomach. As her wide fin finished forming, it quickly darkened to black, resembling the same colour of her flippers as it also took on a rubbery texture.

"This…what…what's wrong with me?" thought Nadia, her eyes wide with panic as new instincts began to flood her mind. She barely held onto her human mind, struggling not to feel aroused as she eyed Tyler. She blushed as she couldn't help but notice that Tyler appeared rather impressed with his developing mate, bashing against the barrier separating them once more.

"Please be patient Tyler," said Elizabeth warmly, a small smile on her face as she blew her whistle. Nadia noticed Tyler beginning to calm down as she was struggling to resist her growing attraction to the orca bull before her

"I want him" mumbled Nadia, looking down at her lower body. She couldn't help but smirk in satisfaction. Something just felt right. "Yes…I need him" continued Nadia, unable to resist widening her smile as she could feel a tingling sensation forming around her upper body.

"Yes, need to be big…strong for Tyler," said Nadia, her voice deeper due to her shifting vocals. "Body is too small, too puny!" continued Nadia, already feeling bloated as she felt smug, and confident in her changing form. She sensed Tyler's building eagerness as the whale blubber continued to spread across her upper body.

As the whale blubber continued to grow, the remnants of the wetsuit tore from Nadia's body. It fell to the bottom of the tank as Nadia fell forward onto her stomach. The position felt natural to the changing girl, causing her to smile at the development as her dominating orca instincts were suppressing her human mind.

Nadia's eyes began to change, staring to darken as the instincts took permanent root in her mind. She felt strange, weird. She knew something was wrong but what that specifically was was becoming…harder to remember. Her thoughts were becoming full of the orca bull not too far away…desiring to be his mate…and sire his calves.

"Yes…need to be perfect…perfect for…Tyler" thought Nadia, her vocals no longer capable of human speech. She noticed her skin changing, the texture becoming rubbery as it began to change colour to match her fins and lower body. The only thing still human was her face…the large smile Nadia was wearing appeared very unnatural on her new orca body.

"Feel…so…happy," thought Nadia, her grin widening as the tingling sensation began to spread over her face. She stared at Tyler once more, noticing him becoming more eager which Nadia was easily reciprocating.

"Yes, yes, yes. I'm almost ready Tyler, I want you, I need you!" screamed Nadia internally, becoming frustrated at the barrier separating the pair. She looked around, noticing Elizabeth still standing on the platform.

"Something…wrong," thought Nadia, the thought being suppressed easily by her developing orca instincts. "She stopping me from getting to Tyler" continued Nadia, frustrated as she splashed her large tail as she attempted to approach Elizabeth.

"Not a chance Nadia," said Elizabeth simply, blowing her whistle once more. Nadia heard the sound, feeling herself being brought under Elizabeth's control. Her eyes darkened entirely, her human thoughts being pushed to the deepest, darkest, corners of her mind. She fully submitted herself to her animal instincts, only desiring to be claimed by Tyler, her mate.

Elizabeth eyed Nadia, admiring her developing form. She looked towards Tyler, noticing his eagerness…how happy he seemed. She then looked back at Nadia, feeling the eagerness the orcas had to be with each other.

"My work here is done," said Elizabeth, heading towards the ladder as she climbed out of the enclosure. She headed towards the overhead bridge, deciding to watch the final changes from up above.

Elizabeth watched as Nadia's smile widened even further as her face began to push out. It stretched out, further and further into a muzzle as her head flattened and streamlined. Her blond hair fell from her head, being discarded amongst the rest of the indicators of Nadia's former humanity.

Nadia didn't care, however. The only thing that mattered was her mate…Tyler.

Nadia's changing skin began to change colour, becoming the familiar black and white markings of the orca whale. Her teeth adapted, shifting to become accustomed to her future diet of fish. The final changes swept over Nadia's face as her muzzle finished stretching to its full, animal length as Nadia was human no longer.

"Yes, I need Tyler!" called out Nadia, attracting the attention of the nearby animals as Tyler was being driven crazy by his new mate. Nadia stared at him lustily, beginning to swim towards him as the only thing separating the new couple was the barrier between them.

Fortunately, the barrier began to rise as the pair immediately swam towards one another. It took only moments for the pair to immediately begin to mate, unable to hold back their lust for one another any longer.

Tyler began to thrust as Nadia moaned out, the pair releasing all their pent-up sexual frustration as they continued to mate. They began to pick up in intensity as Elizabeth couldn't help but watch.

"Wow…I didn't realise they'd be this…passionate for one another" mumbled Elizabeth, unable to resist a smile crossing her face. "At least Tyler's happy now…that makes one of us" continued Elizabeth, hearing the pair's orca calls as she felt a little less empty inside.

Eventually, Tyler climaxed and dismounted. Nadia called out to her mate once more, the pair still feeling intimate as they swam together, side by side. They moved towards the secluded area, the pair desiring privacy as they felt weary.

However, before they could, Elizabeth blew her whistle. She directed them back towards the centre of the enclosure as she held out the yellow camera she had acquired earlier. She eyed them sympathetically, knowing the pair were spent but she had one last job to do.

"Sorry you two…I'll make this as quick as possible" reassured Elizabeth, directing the pair to pose. She nodded, satisfied with their positioning as she took a picture. After a moment of inspection, she felt satisfied that it would be suitable for Rebecca's poster.

"Ok…mission accomplished" thought Elizabeth, remembering her experience the night before. She was not looking forward to going home tonight but hopefully, the pair would show her mercy. She watched as the newly mated pair of orcas proceeded towards the secluded area, not disturbing them as they left Elizabeth's line of sight.

"I…I need to think" said Elizabeth, looking around as she noticed the overhead bridge. She nodded, in agreement with herself as she desired to be left with her thoughts.

A New Hope:
"I just don't understand it," thought Elizabeth, her thoughts returning to the night before. "Why did Charlotte betray me? After everything we've been through?" continued Elizabeth, trying to hold back her tears. "What does allying with Rebecca give her?" wondered Elizabeth, unable to make any sense of her friend's reasoning.

In short, from Elizabeth's perspective, it lacked Charlotte's usual logical reasoning.

"I just…just want to keep my friend" whimpered Elizabeth, planting her head on the rail of the overhead bridge. That was until a green glow flashed. Elizabeth picked her head up, noticing the increasingly familiar green glow.

"Oh…it's just you again," said Elizabeth, noticing the green glow flash in understanding. It was then Elizabeth watched as the green glow hovered over the Orca enclosure as Elizabeth stared curiously at it.

"What…what is it doing?" wondered Elizabeth, noticing what looked like streams of energy coming from the Orca enclosure. They moved past her, becoming green as her eyes were amazed and terrified at the spectacle occurring before her.

After what felt like an eternity…but had, in fact, only a few moments, Elizabeth noticed the energy streams vanishing as the green glow returned to Elizabeth's line of vision. It felt strong, and powerful as it glowed in intensity.

Something was happening…and the green glow couldn't be more ecstatic.

"It…it's happening," thought the glow, its flashing becoming more intense as it pushed itself forward. The experience was draining, and tiring but the glow pushed on, determined to complete its evolution…take the next step to help Elizabeth…its best friend.

A massive flashbang occurred, causing Elizabeth to shield her eyes. She moved back, barely avoiding falling over the bridge as her vision returned. She looked to where the green glow had been, seeing what appeared to be a glowing green woman as Elizabeth's eyes could only stare in shock.

"...Hello…?" asked a mysterious voice, ringing in Elizabeth's mind. It took Elizabeth a moment to realise where it was coming from as she felt scared, and intimidated by the entity before her. She began to feel a sense of dread coming over her as the entity could only stare at her sympathetically.

"She's…she's scared" sounded the voice again, ringing in Elizabeth's mind once more. The entity eyed Elizabeth, noticing she was slack-jawed, almost catatonic in shock. It felt an idea forming as it began to glow once more, bringing on another change.

Its body shrunk to a fraction of its former size. Its hair puffed out, turning turquoise before becoming rather voluminous as it curled out. The dress it had been wearing changed, simplifying into a light blue t-shirt with a picture of the Zoo's entrance on it. It now had a jacket over its shirt which was now turquoise in colour, the same shade as its new hair.

It was now wearing a pair of shorts which were green like her former dress. Her irises were now varying shades of blue and green. However, to Elizabeth's surprise, the entity had continued to go barefoot.

The entity now resembled a small child, not much taller than Elizabeth herself as it looked at her.
Its skin was a transparent mix of turquoise, indicating that the entity was still intangible despite its metamorphosis. It smiled as it noticed Elizabeth's features softening in response to its change.

"Are you more comfortable now?" asked the Entity, the voice being more high-pitched compared to its initial contact. It took Elizabeth a moment to get used to it talking in her head as she stared at the entity.

"It…it doesn't appear to be bringing harm," thought Elizabeth, still uneasy as she began to compose herself. Whilst she still felt somewhat nervous, she couldn't help but approach the entity before her."...Yes…," replied Elizabeth, staring at the entity. Despite her situation, she couldn't help but feel curious about the entity before her.

"Who are you? What do you want?" asked Elizabeth, noticing the entity placing its hand to its chin as if pondering the question. In reality, however, the entity already knew the answer…and why it was here.

"I am the Spirit of the Zoo and I'm responsible for the magic that exists within here. You and your friends brought this property within my resting place which as you should know, is the water in which the monster formerly known as Steven is occupying" explained the Spirit, its eyes flashing with intimidation as it thought back to Charlotte and Rebecca…and what the pair had done to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth began to get worried now, she hoped the Spirit wasn't vengeful as it continued to stare at her, its features unmoving as if it was deep in thought. The Spirit noticed Elizabeth's expression, its features softening, showing Elizabeth a smile to help put her at ease.

"But what I want…. is to help you Elizabeth. This mark you have, the way your 'friends' treat you, it's not nice and it makes me ANGRY!!" shouted the Spirit, turning red as a large blast of magic shot up above its location. The Spirit turned momentarily tangible as it was blinded with rage.

Elizabeth gazed at the angry Spirit, scared for herself but also…concerned for the Spirit before her. Hence, she ignored her instinct to run as she moved to comfort the Spirit. She pulled it into a hug, the Spirit being snapped out of its rage as the red colouration began to reduce.

"What…what are you doing?" asked the Spirit as its mood quickly calmed down, its colouration returning to its initial turquoise colouration.

"Comforting you. That's what friends do after all" said Elizabeth, barely holding back tears. She recalled how this Spirit had been there for her…been her friend when no one else had been. Her tears escaped down her face, the Spirit returning the hug to comfort its best friend.

Unlike earlier with Jason however, Elizabeth's tears were tears of joy. She could feel the same euphoria she felt for her seals and dolphins as the pair continued their hug, enjoying the silence between them.

That was until the Spirit became intangible once more.

As Elizabeth and the Spirit stared at each other silently, she couldn't help but feel a thought come to her mind. She recalled how Rebecca had been…more erratic recently as she couldn't help but feel her curiosity coming over her.

"Would you have anything to do with Rebecca becoming distant by any chance?" asked Elizabeth, "You know, just asking for a friend". Elizabeth smiled, resisting the urge to laugh.

The Spirit eyed Elizabeth, noticing her smile as it smirked mischievously in response. "Yes, I did. She was moving the peacock you might know as Chris one day so I decided to give her a taste of her own medicine. Now she can't be near him without kicking off her new emerging animal instincts" explained the Spirit, finishing the last part with a giggle, enjoying redescribing the moment and from what it could see, Elizabeth had enjoyed its telling of the tale.

As it looked at Elizabeth, it noticed the rough mark on her face. It snapped its fingers, a thought coming over it as it invitingly opened its arms towards Elizabeth.

"Come here. Need to amend your beauty mark" stated the Spirit, keeping a soft tone to not intimidate its friend.

Elizabeth, after thinking it through for a moment, complied. She knelt down to face the Spirit at eye level as it flashed its magic. Elizabeth could feel a soft sensation over the mark, a green glow coming from the Spirit as it moved inwardly, moving into the mark before fading from sight.

"What…what did you do?" asked Elizabeth, feeling the mark as she felt the rough texture once more. However, it didn't feel as painful as it once did…Elizabeth felt almost peaceful.

"Couldn't remove your mark, otherwise your 'friends' may ask questions. However, they shouldn't be able to hurt you anymore with it" replied the Spirit simply, noticing Elizabeth's sincere expression of gratitude. It smiled, knowing it had done its job well.

"Thank you. I think this may be the start of a wonderful friendship " said Elizabeth as she pulled the Spirit into another hug. The Spirit didn't resist as she did so, feeling a warmth it didn't understand flowing through it.
But, the important thing was that it felt good.

At that point, Elizabeth noticed the time and realised she would need to get home. She reluctantly broke the hug, turning away from the Spirit a moment later.

"I…I have to go," said Elizabeth, noticing her discarded uniform. She began to get herself dressed back up again as the Spirit nodded in understanding. Its warm expression continued to make Elizabeth feel happy like there was a reason to keep going.

"I understand" replied the Spirit, waving towards Elizabeth as she got fully dressed. "I look forward to seeing you again" finished the Spirit, staying in place for another second before fading from sight.

As Elizabeth put her hat back on her head, she took one last look at where the Spirit had been. She couldn't help but smile, feeling her mood had done a complete shift from that morning. She began to head back to the entrance, a skip in her step as she bid her animals farewell.

As Elizabeth approached the stone archways of the New Zoo, she considered her new friendship as a thought that came to mind. She had noticed the Spirit was barefoot and was curious to see if it would be interested in footwear.

"I wonder what she'll think of sandals," thought Elizabeth.

Elizabeth giggled at this remark as she left the New Zoo. She locked the gates behind her, heading down the path as she began the long walk home.

For once, she was looking forward to the next day.

And the revenge she would enact on her former friend.