Luke was super excited to land a personal tour spot on the newly opened WildWorld zoo/theme park. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a behind the scenes look, in celebration of the park opening. It had required his family begrudgingly advancing him his next ten birthday gifts, but it was worth it to avoid the crowds and land a private, 1 on 1 in depth experience. And now, as he finished singing a mountain of paperwork (which he assumed was mostly legalese I-will-not-sell-the-park's-secrets-to-corporate-rivals mumbo jumbo), he was nearly bouncing with anticipation.

He could hardly contain himself as a sprightly young woman in the blue and khaki uniform of the zoo walked up to him, introducing herself as his private tour guide. Her nametag had a cartoony leopard on it and said "Ash" in black lettering. She was all smiles as she led him into the zoo, narrating the park's short history.

"WildWorld, as you might know, is the brainchild of eccentric billionaire Warren Gould, who, five years ago, had a visionary idea to build an animal themed amusement park in the vast wilderness of Texas." She chimed, her voice warm and bubbly. She seemed to radiate positivity, and Luke absorbed it like a sponge. He gasped in amazement as they entered the park, and his eyes absorbed the majestic scenery. Ash seemed to pick up on his amazement as she pointed out things of interest.

"As you can see," she said as they walked down a wide, jungle lined pathway, "Mr. Gould spared no expense in designing every little detail of the park, from the bamboo garden to the Tiki themed souvenier huts." She pointed out a small, thatched roof building with a cartoon lion on it, happily pointing towards the hut's entrance. "Leroy Lion's Safari Souvenirs" It read in tribal-style font. A toothy grin stretched across his face, silently urging customers to spend their life savings on stuffed animals, cheap shirts, and various trinkets that claimed to be African, if you didn't notice the "made in china" stickers taped across the bottom. At last they came to the centerpiece of the park, big cat mountain.

It was a giant, fake mountain that stood well above the other attractions, even "Falcon Flight" the peregrine falcon themed roller coaster that was nearly 400 feet tall. The designers must have been aiming to draw away the Disney crowds, because it was styled to look exactly like pride rock from the lion king, a waterfall cascading down the middle the only difference between it and the Disney version. Luke briefly wondered if they would get sued for copyright infringement.

Ash lead him to the end of the path, at the base of the giant mountain. They were now staring directly at the coupe de' gras of the entire park, the regal soon to be home of the park's lions. Luke stared over in amazement at the incredible effort that went into designing the 2 acre enclosure, recreating the swath of Texas desert into an exact replica of the African Savannah. The mountain's base was at the back of the enclosure, encircled by a river which ran through all the big cat exhibits. He couldn't see any lions inside, but there were plenty of rocks and trees to hide behind, so they could simply be avoiding their presence. Luke sighed in disappointment. This was one of the main things he had come to see, and the king of the jungle couldn't be bothered to make an appearance. Ash seemed to detect his disappointment.

"The lions aren't in right now," she apologized, "but that means we can take an in depth look at the inside of the enclosure. After all, there's so much of it that you can't see from our point of view." Luke became elated at the idea. That was why he was here, wasn't he? Now he can actually get the exclusive experience he paid for. He eagerly followed his tour guide to a small, black door hidden from passerby by a wall of bushes and trees. Using an employee key, she unlocked the door, revealing a pathway that led into the giant mountain. It was dark, damp, concrete construction that had clearly no effort made into looking pretty. Customers almost never came back here, after all. She talked more about the park as she led him through the drab hallway.

" Mr. Gould wanted to make this place a haven for endangered species, constructing a 500000 square ft. breeding facility and animal hospital underneath this mountain", she informed Luke as they advanced. "The lab works tirelessly to save species close to extinction, and develop innovative new ways to ensure a species's survival." Luke had half a mind to ask her what some of those new ways were, but he put that question at the back of his mind as they arrived at a door marked "Lion exhibit: Authorized Personnel only". She unlocked it with another key from her belt, and Luke eagerly walked inside, too excited to realize that Ash hadn't followed him in. He didn't even hear the door shutting as he ventured deeper into the enclosure, finding new marvels at every turn.

It was a lot bigger on the inside, Luke realized, as he trekked through the grass examining every part of the complex. from the genuine acacia trees to the giant rock in the center, juxtaposed so that crowds could get better views of the park's superstars. As he glanced at the flowing turquoise water of the river, he was oblivious to the fact that a strange scent had entered his nostrils, and was beginning to reshape him into a more royal form.

He began to notice that something was afoul in the air right as it began to overpower him, a fog slowly beginning to cloud his mind. He stepped back, feeling light headed, unnoticing that his hands were beginning to change as he tried to perceive what was happening. His fingers began to grow thicker, palms beginning to callous as they grew larger. But Luke was unaware of his changing digits as he decided he'd had enough of this exhibit and it was time to leave. He waddled unsteadily to the wall that bore the exit, only to find out that it had completely disappeared.

In order to hide the door from the prying eyes of guests, the designers had made the entry door blend completely in with the rock wall it was embedded into, which was proving to have horrifying consequences for the confused Luke as he grasped at the walls with hands that were rapidly losing their dexterity and being replaced with a pair of feline death mittens. However, he didn't notice the changes until his fumbling hands finally hit the obscurely placed handle, and he found his new paws unable to turn it.

Looking down at this newfound problem, he couldn't help but let out a scream when he saw his new handpaws. His thumbs had become all but useless, and his fingers had condensed into paws. With a renewed sense of urgency, he feverishly fumbled with the door handle before finally giving up with a defeated huff. He took a step back and tried to analyze the situation. He knew something was wrong, but he struggled to elevate that sense of dread into something worth caring about. Part of him was convinced that this was all part of the tour, that somebody would come rescue him if something was wrong. He just had to wait for Ash to come back and escort him to the next part of the tour. Or a hospital. Speaking of which, where was she?

It was now that Luke realized he was all alone, and for the first time a real sense of fear began to enter his mind. He called out for help, staggering towards the door, each step growing more difficult as his legs began to follow the same transformation as his hands. Why wasn't anyone doing anything? Something was clearly wrong, and not a soul was to be found. Luke's stomach ached as he limped towards the door, his shirt beginning to strain under his growing chest and stomach. The feeling was similar to the time he once ate 15 bean burritos from taco hut on a dare. It felt like they were ripping apart, although it wasn't as much bone breaking pain as much as it felt like an upset stomach. Whatever gas or element that was in the air seemed to intensify to an overwhelming degree as his nose became more sensitive and began to pull out from his face. The fog in his mind grew as the odor seemed to fill his mental cavity, pushing out all other thoughts.

He pushed back against it, although it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so. He was now aware that he was turning into some kind of animal, and that if he wanted to stop the changes escape was crucial. But as he reached the door, he felt his center of gravity shift, causing him to lose his balance. He leaned both his paws against the wall for balance, groping for the handle with his left arm/leg. He could almost reach it, just a bit further...

Suddenly he felt a pop in his spine and fell to the ground with a feral yowl, landing on his new front paws. The changing man arched his back and growled as he felt his hips realign into a quadrupedal arrangement, forcing him to remain on all fours. It was too late to escape through the door now. He felt his shirt and pants began to tear as waves of muscle exploded across his body, sending shivers down his spine and past his hips as a leonine tail began to sprout from his rump. A feral, guttural sound escaped his lips that sounded bestial, inhuman, causing him to whimper in fear. Thousands of new signals bombarded Luke's mind, constantly reminding him of his lost humanity. The powerful hind legs of a feline replaced his human ones, causing his pants to fall off at his feet. He felt embarrassed as his new, feline haunches were exposed to the world for the first time, capped by a long and muscular tail fit for a lion.

The changes began in his head as he pawed at it furiously, trying to make the headache wracking his brain go away. His paws rubbed against his newly split, blackening lips and his growing muzzle. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the last of his humanity fade. He wanted to cry, but tears would not flow from his face. Whiskers and fur began to grow all over his shifting form, somewhat covering his exposed self much to his relief. Waves of golden hairs enveloped his arms, legs, and shoulders as they became narrower but deeper at the chest, covered with white fur. His neck grew thick with muscle as it reshaped to support his head horizontally, a thick mane bursting from his neck to the top of his head; his human hair becoming lost as it grew into the proper accessory for a young male lion. As his head shifted, so did his mind, his fears and concerns dissipating as his body felt more and more natural.

His omnivorous human teeth reshaped into toothy knives, designed for piercing flesh and bone with extreme efficiency. Hooked, wicked claws sprang from his new paws, ready to be unleashed on an unsuspecting zebra. Luke finished his transformation as a roar burst forth, signaling the arrival of a new king of the jungle. He still remembered his old human life, but it felt like a dream to him, paying taxes and wearing clothes now felt as unfamiliar to him as having a tail did when he woke up this morning. His muscular, quadrupedal body responded as if he had been born in it, and he was strangely at peace. This is who he was now, and he accepted that. With a low chuff, he padded over to a part of the enclosure that was bathed in sunlight. Arching his back, he yawned and plopped down for a nap, purring contentedly as a certain figure watched from the railing.

Ash leaned against the railing and smiled, watching the zoo's latest addition snooze contentedly in the midday sun. She loved watching humans, many who were obsessed with work, finances, or other stressors of human life find peace here at the park. Plus, the breeding program was taking off with the new additions, many who quickly went on to produce many successful litters of offspring, helping to replenish diminished populations. She truly felt like she was doing something to help, and the other scientists who worked on this project felt the same way. Unfortunately, her primary financial backer, the man who was approaching her now, did not.

He was a tall, stout man in his mid fifties who looked like a cowboy who had gone to seed twenty years ago. A custom fitted cowboy hat and a diamond-studded bolo tie accentuated his expensive, tailor made three piece suit. Gold. Like his namesake.

"Hello, Warren," she greeted him curtly, with obvious disrespect for the man who had willingly wiped out an entire species of parrot just so he could say he owned the last two in existence. She knew speaking to him in this manner could be a death sentence if he was in the wrong mood, but she wasn't going to kiss his boots like she was some politician trying to curry his favor. However, the man appeared unfazed by his cold reception, a smile spreading across his face as he turned to look upon the new Luke the Lion, happily snoozing the day away. He looked like a kid in a candy shop as beheld the magnificent creature. Not because of the beauty of the animal, but because the beast lying in the sun meant his millions of dollars in investments had paid off. He turned to her excitedly, pointing at the creature in the enclosure.

"Is that i-it? " He asked, fumbling his words a bit in sheer giddiness. " Was that l-lion a p-person?" He was still stunned, staring in disbelief. Ash closeted her inner feelings about Mr. Gould and put on as professional a face as possible.

"You entrusted us with your money, Mr. Gould. How could we not succeed?" she responded with a professional tone, burying her emotions for now. Warren lit up.

"O-of course!" he stammered, turning back from the railing to face her. " O-of course I never h-had any doubts a-about your team and their capabilities, it's just that... " he stopped mid-sentence, trying to think of the words to say. Ash filled it in for him.

"-Genetic manipulation is a scientific impossibility?" she guessed. Warren nodded silently, and Ash continued.
"Well sir, people in medieval times thought flying in the air was impossible, and I don't believe that cavemen would have considered the internet "possible" either. Nothing is impossible for science if it receives enough time, effort..." she paused. "and funding."

"Of course! Of course!" Warren fumbled around his pockets before appearing to remember something. "Ah, yes, we use that new fangled internet currency now," he mumbled before regaining composure of himself. "Y-yes, the money should be transferred into your Swiss bank account as previously agreed. It should be there by tomorrow. And, of course, I expect you to provide more samples? "

Ash was taken aback. "What do you mean? We've already acquired over a dozen samples. The formula is correct. We haven't had an error in 5 consecutive trials. There's nothing left to prove." Warren appeared annoyed at her response. He was known for having voracious mood swings, as well as eliminating anybody who disagreed with him. He was dangerously unpredictable, and that was on full display as he suddenly went on a tirade, waving his hands in the air.

"The clients want more samples!" he spat, Ash not daring to wipe his saliva off of her face for fear of setting him off further.
"Why do you think I built this g*****nm park? I won't be satisfied until I fill this place up! My clients want zero risk with this new formula you've created, and if something goes wrong I'll lose billions in potential sales! And it will be your head on the stake!" he wagged a finger in her face, almost yelling directly into her ear. He was practically foaming at the mouth.

" You messed up once, so now they want more proof! And the only way to get proof is by more tests! More samples! If this park isn't full I'll have your head! Am I clear?! He drew back from her, his body heaving up and down and his veins bulged. He almost looked cartoonish, but Ash didn't dare mention it to him. Instead, she meekly hung her head down and swallowed her pride.

"Crystal."





So here's a long awaited sketch and story request for TransformationAnonymous! Here I'm setting up a potential antagonist/ tf trigger for future storylines, so stay tuned for potentially more WildWorld stories in the future! Thanks for requesting!

Requests are currently open, while supplies last, although it may take awhile for me to complete them with my busy schedule.

Let me know what you think in the comments below and if you want to see more of this storyline!