Greetings! :D

This collaboration TF sequence was commissioned by myself and  Pheagle Adler from  bersickr! It shows my character (Blake) and  Pheagle Adler’s character (Phil) transforming into giant snakes after getting a little too comfortable with cursed objects from an ancient ruin! Also featuring a bit of a scolding afterwards by Abby.

If you want to learn more about what happened to these two, please read the below story! ^^

A Serpentine Situation:

What a bummer, I thought dejectedly.

I never enjoyed going behind people’s backs. But what choice did I have? It was Abby. If I told Abby that Phil and I were about to do what we were doing, she’d not only try to stop us, but go absolutely ham on us over it.

On the other hand, I couldn’t go back on my word. I lost a bet to Phil fair and square. To be honest, making a bet has never gone my way, ever. And on the condition I lost this particular bet, Phil told me he’d need me to help him with any one favor he might ask in the future.

I mean, if I knew we’d be “borrowing” some artifacts from Ancient Mayan ruins for a silly photo op Phil wanted us to do, I’d have never agreed to the bet at all.

But enough about that. Me, Phil, and Abby were traveling in the Yucatan together at the site of an unnamed Classic Period Mayan City; deep in the jungle. We travelled here together as part of a tour group with one of the traveling companies that had organized tours in this part of the world.

Today was our last day of the tour, and our place of dwelling in a small hotel wasn’t too far from this ruined city. But technically, all of us were breaking the rules that night (Abby included). That’s because this site was closed off to the public at this late hour. But Abby desperately wanted to take a nighttime photo of this place for her travel photo album. And Phil and I weren’t going to just let her break in alone (if you could call this breaking in as opposed to sneaking onto a protected historic site in the middle of the jungle).

Abby had a local friend named Miguel who picked us up from the hotel and took us straight to this site. Then we avoided the main roads and drove down an obscure path barely wide enough to fit a small car, which took us through thick brush to bypass the security checkpoint. Miguel then parked his car just a little ways outside of the ruins, with the headlights off, and we made our way into the clearing where the city complex of old sat; laid out before us in all its ruined glory. Each of us carried faint candle lanterns to help us light the way.

“Well,” Abby said to the rest of our group when we got to the center of the ruined city complex. “I’m going to go with Miguel here to find a good angle for the photo. You two can join us or even just walk around and explore.”

“Just this once,” I told Abby. “I’m going to explore and take some photos of my own. So, I’ll explore that pyramid over there.” I then pointed to one of the smaller ruins that sat near the western edge of the city.

“Mind if I tag along?” Phil said with a grin and a raised eyebrow, adjusting the collar of his green sweater. “I’m just itching to walk around after 40 minutes of driving. It’s good cardio!”

Abby raised her eyebrow ever so slightly at Phil, then at me. “Fine,” she said. “But can we please lay out some rules before you guys scatter? I’d prefer to spend tomorrow night in my own bed back home rather than a jail cell here.”

“Ouch,” Phil said; dramatically clutching his heart. “C’mon Abby where’s the trust? We won’t get ourselves or you in trouble.” Then he elbowed me with a playful side-eye. “I’ll keep this guy in check for ya’!”

“Ha ha ha,” I laughed sarcastically. “Suuuure. I’m absolutely the one she’s worried about.”

“Actually,” Abby said. “Maybe I am also worried about you, Blake. I’m sure you remember you’ve gotten yourself in a bind doing goofy stuff before on our last trip together. So, this time, I’m also talking to you.”

Yikes, she had to bring that up again? Remembering what she was referring to, I shivered and scratched my head awkwardly, while Phil and Miguel both looked on in confusion at that remark. Wasn’t that mishap supposed to be just between Abby and I? I guess her bringing it up attested to how serious she was.

Before Phil could ask Abby what she meant. She cut him off. “First,” Abby said, starting to count her fingers as she listed each rule. “Don’t get caught by security. Miguel’s sources say that they don’t come around these ruins at this time of night, but be careful regardless.”

“Second,” she started; continuing to look at Phil and I with wide eyes. “Watch out for snakes or poisonous animals. And finally, for the love of all that is good in the world,” she crossed her arms sternly. “Don’t touch anything or tamper with any artifacts! Got it?”

Phil and I both nodded. She didn’t have to tell me twice! I had a great respect for history. I’d never do anything silly like mess with it, right?

Apparently satisfied, Abby smiled and waved at us as she left with Miguel. “Alrighty then! See y’all in 40 minutes right back at this spot!”

And with that, Phil and I turned and walked to the pyramid I had pointed to. As we neared it, Phil said, “Hey Blake. I think I’m going to call in that favor now.”

Then I looked back at him in surprise. “Really? Now?” I asked. “To be honest I thought you’d forgotten our bet on that game from like..what? 5 months ago?”

“Blaaaake,” Phil said with a sly expression. “I never forget a bet I made, especially when the outcome benefits me.”

“Haha whatever,” I replied with a playful wave of my hand. “What do you want, Phil?”

“Just a photo op!” Phil said with his arms raised innocently. “I need you to help me set it up is all!”

“A photo op?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “Like the one Abby is trying to do?”

“Welllllll,” Phil started; tapping his chin thoughtfully with a finger. “Yes, but different. I’m making an album cover for a friend, and I need something that just so happens to be inside this pyramid you pointed out ahead of us.”

“Oh,” I said, with uncertainty and suspicion creeping into my voice. “You mean like a cool background of a Mayan carving or something like that?”

“Nope!” Phil said with a mischievous smile. “I’ve been speaking a bit to Miguel, and he told me a fable about this really interesting set of artifacts which are super cool! I simply wish to…shall we say…borrow them…”

Phil then sped up his explanation upon seeing me gasp in worry. “And then put them right back! I promise. I need two people in the photo op. And I’m even willing to give you half of the earnings I make from it! Easy!”

“But, Phil. Can we just use, I don’t know…AI or something for a stunt like this?” I asked. “Also, if this album cover gets circulated around the web and reaches Abby somehow, won’t she snap at us?”

“Blake, you know that I am against AI,” Phil said with a shrug. “I need something real for this. And besides, if Abby sees this album cover somehow, we’ll just tell her we used AI or photoshop to doctor the artifacts into the photo.”

Ugh, I hate the idea of misleading Abby. This didn’t seem like a good plan to me at all. “Are you sure I can’t do something else to satisfy the bet, Phil?” I asked with my brow furrowed.

Then Phil sighed and looked at me with a prodding expression. “Blake, you know I won’t pressure you too much, but didn’t you say you’d do whatever if your team lost the game? I said the same thing would apply to me if I lost and I meant it.”

Well, he’s not wrong, I thought with a sigh. I guess it could be a worse request.

“Fiiiiine,” I told him begrudgingly after a long while.

“Great!” Phil said with a pleased grin. “I promise, this will take no time at all! Then we can just check out the rest of the site. I know you wanted to explore the place and whatnot.”

Right as he said this, Phil and I arrived at the base of the pyramid. I froze and spent a good few minutes just looking at its exterior. It was amazing! The sheer height, architecture, stone carvings. How did they make stuff like this back then? I wondered with fascination.

“But seriously, Blake,” Phil said to me, waving his lantern in my face and snapping me out of my inner-history nerd trance. “We should hurry if you want to make this quick.”

“Right,” I said, then followed him hesitantly into the pyramid. Immediately, before I even had time to observe the interior of the room we entered into, Phil found a loose stone on the floor which contained two interesting artifacts tucked away in a hidden compartment, one of them being a collar and the other being a pair of bracelets; each of them made of pure gold lined with rubies and sapphires. They looked incredible!

“All right,” Phil said. “We need to get these put on and then go to the place where we left Abby. It has the best background for this kind of photo op.”

“Put them on?” I repeated with worry. “You mean to tell me we’re going that far with this?”

“Yes, I said this will be super quick, didn’t I?” Phil said with an unworried tone. “I promise we’re only going to take three photos, each with different poses I already had thought up in advance, and then leave! Easy.”

I sighed and scratched my forearms nervously. “Phil, I don’t like how many times you’re saying the words ‘quick’ and ‘easy’. But if this will take maybe five minutes then let’s just get it over with.”

Then Phil gave me a friendly pat on the back. “That’s the spirit! It won’t take a minute longer! Now, you put on the collar, I’ll put on the bracelets!”

Really? I’m getting the collar? I thought dejectedly. Why the heck did they have collars in Mayan times, anyways?

Putting it on wasn’t too hard. It literally just slid right onto my neck, especially since my face was already a little sweaty from the humid, warm evening air. Meanwhile, Phil slipped the bracelets on both of his wrists, and with a satisfied expression, Phil led the way out and I started following him.

We both started to make our way back across the clearing towards the center of the city complex. It was about a two minute walk and there was no one to be seen. Abby was probably somewhere nearby, though. She told us earlier that she was heading to a different part of the complex to take a photo of the ruined cityscape from a good spot with the moon in the background.

During the stroll, I started feeling anxious again. I was stuck between breaking my promise to Phil or going behind Abby’s back. Maybe Abby wouldn’t ask us what we were up to when she got back, and I wouldn’t have to lie to her! That was my reasoning at least, but I’d probably just come clean if she asked anyways and rat both myself and Phil out. I never agreed to keep this a secret at least!

As I imagined all the ways that this could go wrong and remembered Abby’s instructions not to mess with any artifacts, I fidgeted with the cold collar around my neck, and the lantern I held gave off a shaky clinking sound as my hand shook slightly.

Phil noticed my worry as we neared the center of the complex, and he tried to cheer me up as we walked. “Relax, Blake. You do realize that this can also be a fun activity, right? You don’t have to worry all the time.”

“I mean…Yeah…But…” I stammered. “Listen, Phil. I’m really against this idea. If we’re caught, we’ll be-“

“Scolded?” Phil interjected with another grin. “Oh please, Blake. It’s totally worth it! Nobody’s at this site except you and me. And Abby won’t meet us here for another half-hour. After a quick photoshoot with these artifacts, we’ll take them off, and put them right back.”

“Ugh,” I sighed. “Fine. But I’m never making another bet with you again after this though…Wh-What the?!”

With a synchronized grunt, Phil and I both fell down with flailing arms belly-first onto the ground.

I realized at the same moment that something felt like it was pulsating around my neck, where the collar was! Why had I tripped? And why did my legs feel so weird? I heard a ripping sound all at once, and got the sensation that my pants and shirt were being torn apart! And when I saw Phil out of the corner of my vision, I could see his pants being torn apart, and his legs seemed to be almost merging! The rubies on his bracelets started to glow bright red, and his skin from the waist down was clumping into a scale-like texture with a red complexion, while his hands had become clawed.

And even more strangely, Phil’s face had elongated into a snout shape, with a forked shaped tongue protruding out of his mouth. He looked just as confused as I was!

But then, that’s when I noticed a similar bright blue glow emanating from the sapphires on my collar. Phil saw it too, and as his body contorted on the ground, he looked at me with an equally shocked expression. And I knew in that spilt second that whatever was happening to him, something similar was happening to me!

As Phil and I both squirmed on the ground, grunting as an unknown force changed our forms, we both dropped our lanterns in the confusion. My clothes completely tore off, and I noticed my own body changes. It wasn’t super painful, but I could hear the bones cracking and rearranging themselves. Looking back, I saw a sight that left me speechless for a moment: my legs were completely merged together and that whole part of my body was becoming a pointy extension of my spine, which flailed about like a tail that quickly grew large enough to match the size of my original human body!

The collar around my neck grew along with me, and continued to shine and pulsate with cursed energy. Meanwhile, my tail continued to grow large enough that I could balance myself on a lower part of my belly without too much trouble. But it felt super strange! Meanwhile, ocean blue scales developed all over my body on my backside, and my peripheral vision was filled with the sight of two large blue flaps which stretched out from either side of my head from my neck to my shoulders. And my face elongated into a long snout I could see stretched out before my very eyes.

“What’ssss going on?!” I tried saying with a strained voice, with my now longer fork-shaped tongue wagging outside my mouth uncontrollably. Trying to keep my balance, I hugged my upper body with my arms as if afraid it would be consumed entirely by this new tail.

Next to me, I saw Phil also groaning and squirming like I was, as his lower body also became extended into a single large strong striped tail that was tipped off with a rattle. His sweater was almost entirely torn off, and like my collar, his bracelets pulsated with energy. His teeth, like mine, had become sharpened, while his face had taken on the appearance of some kind of snake-like creature with scales nearly as red as the rubies on his bracelets!

“Our legsssss are gone!” Phil grunted with a strained voice and a hiss, as he squeezed his eyes shut.

The lanterns hit the ground, broke apart, and made a “fwoomp” sound as small, spreading flames escaped from their busted remains. As this happened, Phil’s tail and mine both continued lashing about, as we both tried getting used to our shared lack of legs.

“I can’t walk!” I said. Before my voice began to change into a more serpentine, hissing version of itself. “I’m…SSSSSSSTUCK SSSSSSSLITHERING.”

Just then, I could feel my arms shrinking. And looking down with my eyes crossed to see through my glasses, I saw them appear to basically melt down into my shoulders. “MY HANDSSSSSS!!!” I hissed in shock.

Phil looked at me with an agape expression and said in a loud, equally eerie sounding hissing voice, “BLAKE, YOU’RE A SSSSSSSNAKE! WAIT A MINUTE, I’M A SSSSSSNAKE TOO!” Phil looked very much like something inhuman when I looked up again to see him. He had clearly grown much, much larger. And since I matched his height, I knew I must’ve been turning into something just as crazy.

But as for Phil, he still had a strong midsection, and he still had arms too with four-fingered, clawed hands, which he observed with a surprised expression. His neck had elongated, and his face was completely snake-ified; with brightly colored, slit-like eyes, a long tongue, and sharp teeth. If I didn’t know that was Phil, I would’ve run (slithered) away long ago by now!

“AND I CAN’T SSSSSSSTOP HISSSSSSSING!” Phil continued. But then, his expression softened a bit, turning from shock into wonder. “BUT I GOTTA ADMIT, THISSSSSS ISSSSS KINDA-“

Phil broke off, and continued observing his body, which had lost all clothing by now. And as the last bit of transformation concluded, Phil and I set to inspecting our new forms.

I was utterly embarrassed and distraught. My arms had become MIA, merging with the rest of my body. Only my head remained. I felt like a living rope with a brain. Meanwhile, the collar had grown so large, that it fit around my enormous body which was now the size of a nearby ruin Phil and I were next to. And Phil was equally large too!

The flames from the lanterns slowly died, and we were left to continue dealing with the aftermath of the transformation in near darkness, lit only by the moon and the light of the gems on the artifacts we both still wore.

I could only flail about and make wavy patterns with my body to stay upright and move. I was slithering, like a complete snake. It felt so awkward moving like this, knowing I had no other choice. I really couldn’t just have arms like Phil?! My body was riddled with different shades of blue scales, and as I tried moving my spine side to side to move around, my tail inadvertently hit a few ruins by accident. I tried looking down my snout at the collar; realizing it must’ve been the source of this magical curse, and tried biting it off, but it was no use. And the flaps on the side of my head followed me no matter which direction I turned.

Meanwhile Phil seemed to have suddenly taken a liking to his new form! He had a big mischievous smile on his face which seemed kind of scary with those teeth he had, but which definitely belonged to the Phil I knew. He appeared to be getting used to slithering like I was, but he looked all over his body as if he were admiring it. As he moved his tail about, it gave off a sharp rattling sound which was loud enough to be heard across the entire ruined city complex. Then he turned around to smile at me.

“Y-YOU HAVE ARMSSSSSS, PHIL?!” I asked jealously in a snake voice. “WHAT HAPPENED TO MINE?!”

“BEATSSSSS ME!” Phil hissed back with an excited grin. “AND I GUESSSSSS I SSSSSSSHOULD BE WORRIED, BUT THISSSSSSS GIVESSSSSS ME A PERFECT EXCUSSSSSSSE TO KEEP THESSSSSSSSE JAWNSSSSSSS.” He said this as he held up his bracelet-clad wrists in front of my snout.

He is really worried about that right now? I thought. No, scratch that. He’s not worried at all right now?!

“AND I GET TO BE A GIANT SSSSSSSNAKE ON TOP OF THAT?!” He hissed with exasperation. “AWESSSSSSSOME!”

No! I wanted to say. This is very much not awesome!

“YOU PLANNED ON KEEPING THE TREASSSSSSURE FROM THE SSSSSTART?! SSSSSSSSO YOU WERE JOKING ABOUT THE PHOTOSSSSSSSSSHOOT? AND YOU’RE ENJOYING THISSSSSS, ON TOP OF EVERYTHING?!”

I was getting increasingly frustrated with my inability to say “s” without hissing like a serpent with this forked tongue of mine. I felt so uncomfortable with the hissing from both myself and Phil. I didn’t particularly like snakes, and now being trapped in the body of one made me feel so…restrained, especially now that I was stuck slithering on the ground without limbs of any kind.

“THEN AT LEASSSSSSST USE THOSE ARMS OF YOURSSSSSS TO GET THISSSS COLLAR OFF ME!” I shouted to Phil as he continued looking at himself, growing more excited by the second. “I CAN’T GO HOME LIKE THISSSSSS!”

But it was no use. Phil suddenly slithered away quickly, laughing and giggling loudly as he tried to get the hang of moving around in his new form. I just sat where I was, head aloft, mouth agape in shock, tail wrapped around my body, and wondering what I should do. I’m pretty sure we’re in huge trouble now, I thought to myself.

10 minutes later…

Well, we scared Miguel away apparently. He had seen Phil slithering around in a frenzy and ditched us completely. Abby found Phil and I right away after that, with her own photoshoot being cut short by the commotion we had caused. We had been waiting in the clearing where our transformations happened when we met Abby again. And boy, was she furious when she saw us both. She wasn’t even terrified. It was as if at this point, this sort of thing couldn’t even faze her, and she was sure the two giant monstrous serpents in front of her were her two traveling companions.

Abby stomped towards Phil and I as we waited for her. Phil was happily feeling all over his body in a content, carefree way, while I was cringing in embarrassment. Both of our long winding tails looped and wagged all around the empty air behind us, and Phil’s continued to give off a rattling sound.

When Abby got within 5 feet of us both, she slammed her lantern down, and proceeded to yell angrily up at us both.

“I thought I told you two not to touch anything!” She screamed; causing me to flinch and curve my coils instinctively, while Phil just shrugged a little. “I knew I should’ve followed you both to that temple! How exactly do either of you plan to make our flight tomorrow?”

“I’M SSSSSSORRY, ABBY,” I said in as apologetic and genuine a tone as I could muster with the voice of an untrustworthy-sounding snake. “I GOT PEER-PRESSSSSSSSSURED AGAIN. CAN YOU PLEASSSSSSSSE GIVE ME A HAND GETTING THISSSSSSS COLLAR OFF?”

I was sure that I could probably change back if the collar was taken off me. The same went for Phil’s bracelets. I think we must’ve tried to get too far away with the artifacts from the temple, and we were cursed because of that!

“Honestly,” Abby said with her arms crossed, and a stern look in my direction. “I think you need to spend a day or two slithering around until you learn your lesson, Blake.”

At that, my stomach dropped. And I bowed my head in shame. I guess I kinda did deserve this punishment. I suppose in a way, my new form suited my behavior tonight.

“PERSSSSSSONALLLY,” hissed Phil to my side, giving Abby a sly, serpentine smile, as he continued feeling the scales all over his body and rattled his tail back and forth. “I DON’T MIND BEING A GIANT RATTLESSSSSSSSNAKE AT ALL. I COULD GET USED TO THIS KIND OF PUNISSSSSSHMENT.”

Then Abby and I both gave Phil a synchronized eyeroll.

“THAT MAKESSSSS ONE OF USSSSSSS…” I said with a dejected tone.

Then, after a short pause, Phil tried to lighten the mood a bit. “SSSSSSSSSSOOO…” he said to us both, with a silly smile on his face. “SSSSSSSHOULD WE SSSSSSTILL TRY DOING OUR PHOTOSSSSHOOT?”

Then Abby and I both looked at each other with uncertainty.

“I mean,” Abby started, with a softened expression on her face, while tapping her foot. “I’m still mad at you both. But we came all this way already, so why not?”

Then, a slight smirk crept onto my face. “WELLLLLL,” I started. “FOR ALL OUR TROUBLE, I GUESSSSSS WE’D BETTER LEAVE WITH SSSSSSOMETHING TO SSSSSSHOW FOR IT.”

Then Phil and I slithered after Abby to get into our positions.

Thanks again to the amazing  Pheagle Adler for the fun collab and to the brilliant  bersickr for yet another awesome piece! And to any readers who got this far, thanks for checking out this story as well! ^^