Thank you to everyone who was involved in writing this.
Myre_0 was so awesome as our editor. Thanks you so much.
Doc looks down at his notes and frowns. Ever since Bdubs had finished his transformation the Meteor has been unusually active, particles floating off it in a ray of colors, sizes and texture. He stands up and grabs his bag stuffing the papers inside. He heads over to spawn island to do a regular check.
As he arrives he frowns at the meteor, "You really messed Bdubs up, you know that?"
Since the meteor could communicate through the communicator network, Doc had installed a screen that is connected to the system so he can yell at the meteor easier. The screen flicks on, "Of course I know, you were all getting used to me, so he gets a nasty transformation."
"You're a sadistic bastard, you know that?" Doc hisses as he glares at the meteor.
"You would be wise not to test me, I have been holding back and while your Vex friends might not let me do anything horrible. You cannot stop me so, watch your tongue," At that, the screen goes dark.
Doc glares at the dull hunk of space rock as he's filled with a sense of absolute dread. Hissing he returns to the observation deck. Keeping one eye one the meteor he carefully files his papers and locks down the compound for the night.
Hissing softly to himself Doc flys over to his base and falls asleep.
The next morning he is awoken by a very sleepy and annoyed Bdubs who pulls him out of his nest.
"What's sup?" Doc asks, basically still asleep, slurring words together, "Nothing else happened to you right?"
"Nothing, but um, the meteor told everyone who's been affected to go to the commercial district," Bdubs stammers as he shoves his communicator into Doc's face.
Doc grabs the device and reads the message; "It seems that I've been challenged. I wonder if your precious Vex will be able to fix what I'm going to do? Anyhow, I want everyone who's been affected to get to your shopping district. If you're not affected yet stay on the mainland for now." Doc snaps to alertness and begins to walk towards his portal with Bdubs.
"Everyone's agreed to listen. The non-affected bunch are going to stay on the road right on the mainland," Bdubs explains as they walk through the nether.
As they arrive the rest of the affected hermits are huddled together. A few minutes later everyone's communicator buzzes, "I'm surprised, you all listened so well. Let's get started, one quick thing, don't go in the nether, I'm not going to tell you what I'm doing but it should be fairly obvious once we get started," And with that Ren, Jevin, Bdubs, and Cub collapse, and Mumbo's eyes shut off as he powers down.
Ren growls in pain as he's forced to shift. He doesn't put up too much of a fuss during the transformation as he knows the more he resists the more pain it'll cause him.
Unfortunately for him, Cub isn't as used to transforming and he struggles. As fur quickly overtakes him, he tries to fight off the transformation. There's a sickening snap as his legs change. It takes seconds to complete, and Cub is forced back into his lion form.
For Mumbo things are a little different, his eyes shut off and System Resetting flashes across his vision. As he comes back on line the metal spreads across his face. He slowly straightens up and stands unmoving, waiting for the others to transform before he does anything.
Nothing really happens to Jevin, he loses grip on his 'humanoid' form and slips down into a puddle of bright blue slime. He attempts to reform and finds it impossible to do anything more than a lump.
Bdubs falls to the ground screeching as his legs disappear and his wings appear. A small amount of smoke drifts off of him as he lays unable to move in the hot sun. Thankfully Impulse takes notice and shoves him into a shaded area near the nether portal. A Health potion is gently poured across the forming blisters.
As the first wave of transformations ends, the Meteor sends another message, "Have you grasped what's happening yet? If not, I'm sure you'll get it soon," With that more hermits drop to the ground in pain as they transform.
Beef falls to his knees as his torso shrinks into his steer body. As his arms start to disappear he carefully lays down, the fur starts to spread across his face. He winces as his teeth flatten and his face elongates. He quivers as he gets bigger. He lets out a snort as the transformation finishes.
Scar stares at his arms in horror as his skin turns a pale blue. He clutches his ears as they elongate slightly and taper off into a point. As his teeth sharpen his mouth twists up into a smile. In a panic, he flutters up and spots the Vex magic surrounding the town hall and flutters inside drawn to the magic sources.
As feathers spread across Grian's chest he chirps in pain as his arms fuse backward and meld into his wings. The feathers overtake his face leaving his eyes uncovered and he feels this nose and mouth fuse into a hooked beak. He falls to the ground and squawks in pain and the unfortunately familiar feeling of shrinking fills him.
Panic builds in Xisuma's chest as pain overtakes him. He starts to grow rapidly until he's almost double the size. His armor snaps off and scatters around him. He falls onto his side as his legs rearrange into a quadruped style. His face draws out into a snout and sharp fangs fill his mouth.
Hissing as his body forcibly rearranges Doc quivers as his head fills with pressure. His human features disappear as he returns to a full creeper. His mechanics are still one line and functional so not much has changed in his head. As he lays in the soft mycelium he's filled with a sense of wrongness.
"You've all figured out what's happening right?" The meteor teases, "Anyways it's about to get a whole lot worse," As he's sending the Messages, Grian wiggles to his feet and flaps wildly over to Mumbo where he tucks his head into his wings as the last remaining hermits on the island drop to their knees.
Tango screeches as he suddenly catches on fire, the flames spread around him, covering his body in white-hot pain. The heat is unbearable, peeling at his skin, clothes, and hair. He falls to the ground thrashing. Smoke fills his lungs as flames burn his mouth. Pieces of ash flake off his body, larger chunks follow, then entire limbs fall into piles of grey ash as he collapses into a mountain of ash and soot. All that remains is a red and orange bird about the size of a hawk.
Staring in shock as his small patches of scales slowly cover him Wels doesn't notice as he starts growing. His armor becomes too tight on his body and the plate mail snaps off as he grows, the top of his head becoming about as high as the Cinnabon factory's roof. He pitches forwards as his legs change position, forcing him to land on all fours. Thankfully he had the premonition that something big was about to happen and he moved slightly away from the group as the transformations started.
Keralis drops to the ground and lays there as he shrinks down to Scar's size, buzzing slightly, and clutching his abdomen as an extra pair of legs grow. He squirms uncomfortably as his mouth changes growing mandibles and he grows a stinger. In no time at all, he's a bee.
Zedaph bleats in fear as his torso starts to be overtaken with thick wool. He draws his arms close to his chest as his fingers start to fuse together. As his face is covered in a thin layer of fur he flicks his tail. He lays down on the ground near to where Tango is asleep in a pile of warm ash.
Swallowing nervously, Iskall watches in terror as their arms turn a translucent green. As the color spreads Iskall can't hold the human figure anymore and slowly collapses into a blob much like Jevin's current form.
Looking over at the scene before him Impulse tenses as he prepares himself for whatever the meteor was about to do to him. It comes as a shock when the meteor sends a message, "And that's that. I wonder how long it'll take for your Vex to reverse this spell. As for you Impulse. I couldn't just turn you into stone, even I am not that cruel, so you get lucky and are exempt from this. Good luck."
..............
Panic starts to rise from deep within Xisuma's chest as searing pain makes its way across his body. The armor he wore suddenly becomes much too tight as his muscles swell and grow nearly doubling in size. The force shattering the pieces of armor and scattering them around his body. Bones shift under his skin, growing more animalistic and predator-like. They rearrange themselves forcing Xisuma to land on all fours before he falls over onto his side. He curls in on himself as the transformation worms its way to his face and jaw. Teeth push their way through his gums and his mouth grows to account for them, reshaping his mouth into a snout. The half-mask snaps off from its place covering his nose and mouth as Xisuma gasps in pain. His neck stretches and grows longer.
His spines quiver as he winces, by the time his transformation is complete the other hermits are on their way. Knowing that if he starts panicking or does anything that makes him breathe deeply he'll gain oxygen too quickly and probably pass out from an oxygen high.
Concern for his family takes hold so he slowly picks his head up to look around. Cub is staggering to his feet trying to get over to Scar who is glowing softly. Grian is huddled on Mumbo's arm looking scared, his head tucked under his wings. Zedaph is swiftly turning into a sheep and Tango is literally burning up.
The moment everyone has finished transforming Mumbo sends out a message.
MumboJumbo: Assistance Required. Shopping district.
Etho: You alright there Mumbo?
MumboJumbo: Negative, ask DocM77.
Xisuma can hear familiar footsteps thudding against the ground. He lets a low purring sound fill his throat as his brother pulls his head into his lap.
"X? Do we need to head to the end?" Exy asks as he takes in all the wrecked armor scraps littering the ground.
"I need to make sure all the hermits aren't hurt?" Xisuma replies, but noticing his brother's concerned face he continues, "I think I'll be alright until then."
"Xisuma, why are you growli-" Ex stops for a moment and says the next bit slowly, "I can't understand a word you've said."
Xisuma pulls his head back and looks at his brother as a look of absolute horror dawns in his eyes. Being very careful not to breathe in too much he rolls to his feet. Instantly he has to lay down again as he gets light-headed.
Exy takes one look at him and nods, "Yeah, you're going to the end. Knowing you, you probably said something about not wanting to leave them but for your sake please," With this Exy takes hold of Xisuma's communicator and teleports them both to the void.
As they arrive thin air floods Xisuma's lungs. Coughs of relief leave his mouth, the air is back to a suitable oxygen level that won't impact his body negatively.
Exy turns to Xisuma, "I'm going to go help the others. I need you to stay put. I'll come back once everyone is safe."
Xisuma nods his head as he's overcome with fatigue, he lays his head down on top of a small pile of end bricks and falls asleep.
..........
The second the transformations have finished Mumbo's eyes dim as he sends a message out to the others letting them know it was safe to come in. The moment he finishes this he shuts down and goes dormant.
Grian completely freaks out and tries to get his attention, until Tango comes over to try and help him. They end up flying to the potion tree and settle into a hole in the wood.
The other hermits rush in to help. Exy runs over to Xisuma and teleports them both to the end. Before teleporting back to help. Biffa runs over to Jevin who waves him off and leads him over to the huge form of Wels. He's about three times his usual size and is slumped against a wall.
Rolling to his feet Beef carefully walks over to Zedaph and nudges the sheep with his nose. As he helps him get up Ren comes over and starts trying to help move him.
Impulse has picked Bdubs up and is running him into the Guardian shop so he's away from all the noise. Bdubs makes a thankful noise as he bops Impulse gently with a wing.
There's a clatter as Doc scrambles into the shop with Bdubs, he looks over at impulse, "Help Mumbo."
"I'll do that," Impulse nods his void-like eyes glimmering.
Back outside Etho and XB are helping Jevin and Iskall get out of the sand patch they had gotten stuck in. They decide to head over to the slime shop. Stress has grabbed Iskall's vest and brings it back to her base.
Cleo and Joe are helping Keralis get out of a small hole he had managed to get himself stuck in. Don't ask him what happened, It just kinda happened. He was leaning against the wall when he transformed and had gotten himself stuck.
Scar and Cub are in town hall communicating with the Vex. The Vex are utterly horrified by what happened and they set out to gather enough magic so they can reverse what happened.
Tinfoil is helping Impulse bring Mumbo back online. They've figured out that to get him to activate someone needs to say Mumbo Jumbo and give him a command to complete.
False and Hypno have run over to help Biffa with calming Wels down. The large red dragon has started panicking, his wings and tail thrashing wildly. His claws digging deep furrows into the ground.
As the hours pass the hermits have managed to get everyone calm. They've figured out that all the transformed hermits can communicate with each other. Scar has the speak with animal spell and he helps deal with some of the translation issues.
Notes:
I hope you enjoyed and have a nice day/night.