Bittersweet Freedom

[Jisa]

It was dark, very dark and it had been for the past two days in confinement. Cold air filtered through the breathing holes in the cheetah’s wooden crate. It tasted like the remnants of winter and the traces of humans. The truck bumped and jolted over uneven paths and swung round corners. Another place to be caged, confined and stared at. Her stomach tightened in anticipation of the semi-fresh meat she’d soon be fed, if this was a good place. If this was a bad place, then there’d be little food and drugged water. The cheetah lifted her nose to the gaps again. Fresh, sharp air and the tang of other animals.

Wait a minute.

There wasn’t the undertone of sickness, fear and pain here. She rose to her paws, hunched over because of the tight space. The female cheetah hungered for more smells, sought it. Some animals were lonely, she could feel it, but most were content- they’d been in captivity all their lives.

Well it would be better than most places she’d been in, for sure, but captivity was not her thing. Suddenly the truck screeched to a halt and she flew into the side of the box with a yowl. She flattened herself to the floor, a low feline growl rumbling in her chest as she felt the crate being lifted out of the truck by men. She felt unbalanced as her crate hung between four men and her growling never let up.

And then she was on the ground. Around her she could smell the dry vegetation of an imitation enclosure. She heard a gate open and something banged the top of the crate. Standing and crouching in anticipation, she waited.

The door slid open and she shot off into the open- stretching her legs full stride. Zero to sixty in three seconds. She heard human noises of awe from behind the fence. It was good to stretch her legs.

She heard the chirping of another cheetah as he strode into view. Hissing to warn him away, she trotted into the shade and stretched out in the cool air.

[Ruka]

Danny felt the zoo was his best discovery yet. He'd been to zoos before, plenty of them, but he hadn't visited one for decades. Though he would have rather seen the animals up close instead of from behind a glass or mesh wall, this would have to suffice. So far, the walk from his home to the zoo had been worth it, even if it had taken forever. The lack of wolves had disappointed him. But the otters. The otters had totally made up for it. They were just so cute, with their little otter feet, and their little otter faces...

He'd spent a good half hour watching the otters before tearing himself away to see the rest of the animals. It was a little chilly, but even so, he'd bought a popsicle for no other reason than he wanted one. Zipping up the gray hoodie, Danny made his way toward the big cats section.

The first enclosure he came to belonged to the lions. To see them, he had to go into a little room and look through the glass. They were really boring. All they did was lay around and sleep in the week sunlight. Couldn't they just, like, bat some of the toys in their enclosure around or something? The two children with their mother standing a little ways away from him obviously felt the same way, judging by their disappointed expressions. He lingered for a bit, taking a few bites from his popsicle before heading out and on to the next area.

Cheetahs! Now cheetahs were bound to be interesting. This enclosure had a fence instead of a viewing room. Danny slipped into the crowd near the edge so he could work his way to the front without blocking anyone's view. Judging by the commotion, they were releasing a new cheetah into the pen today. Sure enough, after a few moments, the female was released. Her speed surprised him; he knew cheetahs were fast, but he'd never seen one actually run in real life before. She was much faster than he was in dog form.

As she lay down in the shade, a few people let out a sigh and wandered off, but Daniel remained, watching her closely while he finished the last of his popsicle. Rather than search out a trash can to get rid of the stick, he slid it into his pocket. This cheetah was special. More than just a simple cheetah. He slowly eased into a crouch, resting a hand on the fence while he watched her.

[Jisa]

She glanced up at the retreating humans, disappointed after her previous show of power and speed. What could they expect of her? To pointlessly run around all day to satisfy their need for entertainment? With that in mind, it was near impossible for Elliot to sit still. After all, she’d been locked up and shipped around for so long… it was high time for more than a two second run. Stretching lazily she watched the remaining humans, gazing at her so doggedly, waiting for something.

Flicking her tail, she sank into a crouch and leaped to the top of a boulder near her, keeping her eyes on her adoring fans. One man lowered himself to the ground, resting his hand against the chain link fence. Curiosity stole into Elliot’s paws and she sprang off the boulder and took off toward the fence nearest to the huge rock. Again, she had sparked interest in the crowd and had them all wrapped around her paw.

Brushing up against the fence, she meandered along toward the strange man with his hand on the fence. She felt hands stroke her fur over the fence as she skirted along the edges of her enclosure. This time, she let it pass, why not let the kids have fun while she investigated the boy with his hand on the fence.

She couldn’t explain the strange pull she felt toward him, especially after all she’d been through with humans and their greed and strange ways. Elliot barely remembered what it was like to be one of them. It was impossible to think in their way anymore. Three years had been a long time. As she approached him, she slowed her trotting pace to a paw dragging walk, keeping her eyes on him. Gently she slowed to a stop, keeping her muscles taut, staring straight into his eyes. There was something familiar about him, but the cheetah couldn’t fathom what it could be.

[Ruka]

Everyone's attention is on her, and she knows it, Danny thought with a quiet laugh, eyes flicking away from the cheetah for a moment to watch the people around him. A few children let out excited cries and pointed at her. Glancing back to the cheetah, he was surprised to see she was walking along the fence, her pace slowing after a few moments. She was even letting the children touch her.

Yeah. She definitely was special. No wild animal would let a human stroke her like that.

About then was when he realized she was watching him. His mother had a cat when he was young, and she told him to never look away if the little tomcat ever locked her eyes on his, lest he show the cat he was weak. So, he stared right back at Elliot, refusing to look away even though he wanted to. A staring contest with a cheetah was different that a house cat. For one, a house cat couldn't swat you senseless with a single stroke.

"There's no way you're just some plain cheetah," he murmured to her. Her eyes showed far more intelligence than an animal would. His mind winged back to the brief time he'd spent in the humane society shortly after he arrived in Silverthorn Crossing a few weeks ago. Maybe, just maybe, Elliot was a shifter in the same boat. And if she was, Daniel wanted to help her out.

But then again, a full-blooded shifter wouldn't let herself get captured. So if she was really a shape-shifter, what was she doing in the zoo?

[Jisa]

Elliot was surprised when the man met her stare with a determination she had never experienced before. All the smugglers and hoarders she’d been passed to, had never had the courage to show her who was boss. All people were afraid of untamed animals that way, it seemed. However, his challenge could not go unreturned, there was no way Elliot would show that she was inferior to him, no matter how question-inspiring he was. Moments passed, and Elliot realized that he wouldn’t back down, and she knew that she wouldn’t either.

Tensing her muscles slightly, she waited, keeping her eyes locked on his. Frustration built up in her, spurring on the persona of the cheetah she was. Suddenly, she sprang at the fence, claws carefully sheathed so she wouldn’t accidentally hurt someone, as unlikely as it might be. She hit the fence, sending it shaking and hearing the gasps of her ‘adoring crowd’. A growl rumbling in her chest, she bounded away from the fence and loped around the enclosure, ignoring the male cheetah.

Why did the boy seem so familiar? There was no way she’d met him before, she would have remembered- wouldn’t she? Things should have stayed normal, Elliot had been fully prepared to reside in the zoo until she passed on or was moved again. Just as she was getting used to her new lifestyle, as if it were that simple.

Why are you bothering me?

She growled, fully aware that a human wouldn’t be able to hear her.

[Ruka]

He really didn't want to be the first to break eye contact. But the part of his mind that thought like a dog was insisting he find something else to do. Staring contests are not very exciting. Well, until the big cat you're having the contest with decides to ram the fence. Since Danny was pretty close to the thing, it knocked him off-balance for a moment, and he fell backwards with a quiet yelp of surprise.

"Now that wasn't very kind of you," he called after her, ignoring the growl she gave him. He quickly leaned back into the position he'd been in before the cheetah had startled him, this time with his arms resting on his knees. With a smile, Daniel watched her run off again.

Any other person would've left her alone then. But not Danny. Elliot seemed upset about something. And since he was better with animals than most people--from experience, to be honest--he wanted to fix whatever the problem was, if he could. Cats weren't exactly something he was fond of, though. They were lazy creatures that only spent time with their masters whenever it suited them. Not like dogs, who loyally ran to their master whenever they were called, and who would gladly die to save their master's life. But cheetahs weren't lazy, at least from what Elliot had shown him, so maybe they weren't too bad.

[Jisa]

Elliot turned back in time to see the man lose his balance and tumble ungracefully back from the fence. His indignant mutter failed to escape the cheetah as she flicked her tail at him in something like satisfaction. At least she’d showed him who was more powerful, huh? Even so, the boy got to his feet, closer to the fence again, pretty quickly. Was this just some human too interested in big cats than good for him? Or was it something... the something that Elliot couldn’t quite put her paw on? This back and forth game was quite tiring, especially because Elliot wasn’t quite in the best of shape.

A month ago she had been seized, along with many other illegally hoarded exotic animals, after a criminal investigation had turned up where the hoarders had been keeping them all; in a basement of an abandoned warehouse. Since then she’d been sent here to recuperate and hopefully be rehabilitated enough to be ‘released into her natural habitat’.
Elliot just wished she could be released into her natural body.

For now, she decided that this man at the fence wasn’t human. So how could he possibly help her? She didn’t know how to communicate in anything besides cheetah, and that wasn’t useful, apparently. Elliot remembered that, as a foster child, she’d had to deal with whatever she had. Maybe she’d just have to do it again. Although, communicating with a human while in a cheetah’s body had never quite come up before.

Reluctantly circling back to the man, not bothering to let the crowd interact as before, she did something she thought she’d never do: purr. It was demoralizing, to tell the truth, but perhaps necessary to get back into the man’s good graces. Ugh.

So she purred and rubbed against the fence in front of him, trying to get his attention. Going overboard, she rolled over, still purring. What would this do? Hopefully something because otherwise, it would be so upsetting.

At least she was only a cheetah in other people’s eyes, not tomboy Elliot with a reputation to ruin.

[Ruka]

Now Elliot was making her way back to him, but she didn't seem to be paying the rest of the crowd any attention. Daniel picked up a few envious murmurs from a few people, while others seemed to think he had some sort of knack with animals. Well, to be honest, he was good with them, but only because he knew what sort of body language to look for. And even then felines were beyond his understanding.

Was she... Purring? He'd never heard a cat of her size purr before. Much less rub against the fence like an overgrown house pet. Danny blinked in surprise as he watched her display. Now she was rolling over... Elliot was obviously very determined to get what she wanted.

And that also meant she probably understood what he'd said after she'd charged the fence. So she was either incredibly intelligent, or she was a shape-shifter, and probably a full-blooded one at that. "That's not necessary," he began, dropping his voice so no one around him could hear. "You're not really a cheetah, are you?"

She needed something, that much he could tell. He doubted she was in the zoo of her own accord. So she must need help breaking out... But what if she was just apologizing? Elliot might just be a nice person who felt bad for startling him. No way, he scolded himself. No one would go to such lengths to apologize, even if they were really sincere.

Still keeping his voice low, Danny added, "Do you need a distraction? 'Cause I'm good at that."

[Jisa]

Elliot toned it down a little when he told her it wasn’t necessary, and was glad that she could. What really stopped her in her tracks was that he’d asked if she wasn’t actually a cheetah. Freezing, her purr cut short, she sat up and looked at him. So he understood! He could get her out of here; the zoo and this body. Finally, her predicament was looking up, if even just a little bit. The man’s next words sealed the deal. Hell yeah, she was getting out of here.

Subtly she inclined her head in an almost indiscernible nod. It would be easy enough to jump the fence; not for a normal cheetah, but Elliot hadn’t entered the realm of normal for a while. Her thoughts raced in anticipation of being herself again, having a life.

That was until she realized that she didn’t have a life, and the reality of the situation hit her. With her freedom came terrible thoughts. What if she couldn’t remember how to be human? Or had some traits left after being in the trade and out on the savanna for so long? In the beginning, as a teenager, she hadn’t really had a life, as she had never had a family and there would certainly not be any scholarships for universities lining up at her door- wherever that was.

The worries weighed down on her, but she shoved them off with equal force. Deal with that later, focus on getting out now.

[Ruka]

He casually rose to his feet, walking off toward other enclosures. Danny passed a trash can on the way, and took that opportunity to throw out the popsicle stick. After he'd gone a few feet, no one payed him any attention. Glancing behind him to be sure he hadn't been followed, Daniel slipped into a small niche between a couple of enclosures that were closed while the animals were being held elsewhere. The shape-shifter stashed his hoodie behind a fake rock and took one last look around him before shifting into his dog form.

It had been a few weeks since he'd taken this form; he was unwilling to risk being caught and taken to the animal shelter again. Danny shook out his fur and sniffed the air before trotting out in the open.

He approached the people around the cheetah enclosure and gave a friendly bark. A few people turned to see what had made the sound, and a young girl rushed over and began to pet him. Daniel wagged his tail and circled around her legs playfully before heading for the crowd. He stopped a few feet away, deciding his next course of action. I probably should've figured out what to do before hand. Oh well, he thought, rising onto his back legs and hopping a few times before he lost his balance and stumbled back onto all fours. Next, he jumped as high as he could and spun in midair, barking loudly in excitement.

One of the zookeepers that patrolled the area spotted him and made his way over, speaking into a walkie-talkie.

Well, time to go.

Danny charged at the zookeeper, running a quick circle around the man before shooting off again. The man gave chase and motioned at the people gathered around the cheetah enclosure for help. A few of the adults formed a line and tried to herd the dog away, while the girl from before called him away from the enclosure with the help of a few other children. Slowly, the small crowd of people that had been watching Elliot was being drawn away from the fence.

A teenaged boy tried to tackle him to the ground, but the shifter darted to the side. Though panicked by the thought of capture, Danny had to commend the kid. Not many people had the courage to try and knock down a beast of his size, even a friendly one.

She'd better hurry, or they'll catch me.

[Jisa]

The man stood abruptly and left. Elliot fought the feeling that he’d never come back; he was only going to figure out a distraction, right? Patiently, she waited. A stray dog returned, though it looked larger and more powerful than any other feral canine. Elliot felt like he was strangely familiar, the sense she’d had with the man. Wait. Could he be one of… whatever she was? Gradually, the crowd drained away from the fence, uniting to try to catch the dog.

Elliot wasn’t going to wait any longer, it was now or never.

Gathering her muscles expertly, she focused on the top of the fence and leaped. She powered off the ground as hard as she could. When she came to the top, losing momentum, she pushed off the chain link fencing and soared to the ground. Absorbing the shock in her paws, Elliot relished the feeling of freedom.

Of course, her escape was never going to go unnoticed. Who was more dangerous? A dog-cross that appeared to be feral, or an escaped cheetah? Who knew that humans had their priorities straight, if nothing else? Pausing a moment, daunted by the sheer unknown of her situation, Elliot stared at the crowd- and took off.

The plan should have been more thought out. Elliot didn’t know the town, or even what continent she was on. Where was she supposed to go? Blinded by panic and fear of being recaptured into the nightmare that had been the past three years, Elliot sprinted anywhere but toward the zoo keepers.

She dodged civilians, trying desperately not to hurt or fatally frighten anyone. So far, it had worked. But which way was out?

[Ruka]

As he backed away from the zookeepers, Danny picked up the faint found of Elliot's paws hitting pavement. She was free! Now they could leave. But why hadn't Elliot changed into a bird and flown out of the fence? Did she not know how? Or was she of mixed heritage, like himself?

A man in his forties was the first to notice Elliot's escape. He frantically grabbed his wife's arm with one hand while pushing his daughter behind him with the other. He pointed in the cheetah's direction with a shout. More people spotted Elliot. That's when the screams began. Danny flattened himself to the ground out of instinct, the animal side of him fearing the might of man.

Oh, wait. He had no reason to fear. Well, until Elliot shot off like a rocket. He barked loudly, trying to get her attention so she'd wait for him. With a frustrated growl, he darted around the mob of people as they hurried to leave the zoo so he could go after her. He'd have to leave the hoodie. Maybe someone would find it and bring it to the front desk or something. Either way, if he didn't get a move on, Elliot was going to get trapped somewhere. He knew how to get out of this place, so he could guide her, but her superior speed put him at a disadvantage.

Even so, Danny hared after her, barking like a maniac in an attempt to get her attention. She was out of his sight now, and there were so many people in the zoo he couldn't pick out her scent. But he wouldn't give up! Come on, come on, where did you go? The crowd that was fleeing the area nearly trampled him, and he was tempted to go back toward the cheetah enclosure and shift back. But then he'd have no chance of catching up with Elliot...

Today wasn't going exactly as Danny had assumed it would.

[Jisa]

People screamed, stumbling out of her way, and sometimes accidentally into it. Elliot’s ears flattened to her skull as she started and shrunk away from the sudden fright of the people around her. No! I’m not going to hurt you! She thought out loud, though it only tumbled out in growls, further agitating the crowd diving out of her way. Distant barking warned her to stop, or at least slow down, but Elliot was spurred on by the shouts and confusion around her.

Slow down and breathe.

Elliot tried to convince herself, and succeeded to a degree. Gradually she slowed, shoving the instinct to get out of there down. Still the amount of people pushing and shoving to get away forced her into a crouch, ears back. All she could feel was her heart thundering in her deep chest. The barking was closer, but the chaos made it impossible to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from.

Two zookeepers, thankfully unarmed though calling for backup, had managed to find her, and were attempting to get closer and calm her. Instinctively, Elliot lowered to the ground and hissed, forcing them back a few steps.

All she could do was wait for her savior, even if it went against everything she’d ever believed in.

[Ruka]

Danny was panting and exhausted. At least now that she'd caused a commotion, he could just run in the opposite direction of all the people. Because of Elliot, no one was paying him any attention anymore. The was certainly a good thing. And thanks to his size, people veered around him rather than just run over him.

He spotted a pair of zookeepers trying to approach something, only to take several steps back when the creature hissed at them. There she was! Daniel put on a spurt of speed, letting out a bark to snag her attention before skidding to a stop between her and the men.

The layout of the zoo was fairly simple; it had been built in such a way that a lost child could easily find its way to help. There was one large path that went through the entire area, with other trails branching off of it. Danny wasn't sure how to signal to her what she had to do, so instead he padded over to Elliot and began to claw at the dirt.

He drew an arrow pointing in the general direction of the exit, and messily wrote 'big path' underneath it. He moved around so that the zookeepers wouldn't be able to see it before giving Elliot an encouraging bark. Please understand!

One of the zookeepers started forward again, and Danny hastily flashed out a paw to erase his message. If they knew he could write, there would be an uproar, and the world's attention would move to Silverthorn Crossing as soon as word got out. He knew the other 'myths' living in town wouldn't thank him for it.

He turned to the braver of the two keepers that had approached them again and fixed him with a glare. He didn't growl, or give any other sign of hostility, other than the glare. Wolves did it when others invaded their territory. He'd learned it from watching the Nature Channel. The man didn't come any closer, so Danny assumed it was working.

The shape-shifter glanced back to Elliot before tossing his head in the direction the arrow had pointed. Go.

[Jisa]

Elliot’s head snapped up at the resounding bark and the sound of paws skidding on asphalt. Still, her tail lashed back and forth and her ears remained glued to her skull. Now what? Elliot was well aware that she couldn’t communicate with what she presumed was the man who had asked if he should make a diversion. If this mutt cross wasn’t, then Elliot would be thoroughly confused. The dog pushed the dirt around on the ground in front of her, until there was a symbol with some letters underneath it. It took a moment for Elliot to remember that the arrow was to show the way she was supposed to go, and she didn’t even begin to try to remind herself how to read.

The dog barked again and Elliot straightened up. Alright, keep your pants on. She growled to herself, annoyed at how much had faded away in her mind during three years without human life or socialization. He then tossed his head in the direction, further solidifying what she had to do.

Instead of full out sprinting, which would have been better for her to some degree, Elliot started at a lope, hoping that the dog could keep up with her, even at this pace. However much she hated the fact, she needed him to help her, or she’d get lost, be captured or die anyway.

She couldn’t possibly let that happen, not after all this.