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Description
For two days and two nights, the girl called Tiger did not sleep. The aches she had felt before quickly became pains for which there was no relief but time.

"They keep you locked up for the first two days while you transform." Puma informed the girl of why the door in her cage remained locked. "It's to make sure it all goes properly, and also..." She hesitated, regaining her usual angry look. "Those bastard handlers want to try to break you. Keep you trapped in a cage like a real animal. Fuckers."

Her skin burned as the hair on her arms became thicker and more colorful. She thought she might lose her mind as her ears became more pointed, moving higher on her head. The worst was the growth of a long striped tail, made only worse by the simultaneous protrusion of new claws.

The pain she felt was unbearable, but she never cried out. She sat in her cage with a downtrodden look on her face. Panther watched over her most of the time, only adding comments such as, "No one deserves this."

After two days, Tiger felt a brief freedom from the piercing pain from before. Looking in the reflection of the water, she noticed that she had almost completely transformed, save for her face. She collapsed face-down in her bed, letting out a barely audible sigh, when she heard a loud click from the wall behind her. Turning her head only as much as necessary, she saw the door swing open and Lion peeking her head through the portal.

"Hi neighbor!" A bit of cheer followed Lion's voice, which would have normally been a welcome sentiment, had Tiger had any sleep. "I wanted to take you out on a tour in honor of your first day of freedom! The Jaguars wanted to come too! I'm sure Puma and Panther will want to join us."

"Stupid Lion." Puma entered the now open cage. "Can't you see she's exhausted? Besides, we don't have any freedom here."

"You're kind of a downer, Puma." The Jaguars appeared quickly, standing on either side of the irritated cat. "Lighten up, make the most of your situation!"

"Tiger." Panther finally made his entrance, approaching the still face-down girl. "Remember what I asked of you? It has to be tonight."

"Are you going to see that damned Elephant?" Puma inquired as Panther helped Tiger to her feet. "Fuck, Panther, why waste your time with that asshole?"

"No! The Elephant's a good man!" Lion was quick to defend this stranger. Turning to Tiger, she said, "You know how they say 'an elephant never forgets?' Turns out it's true!"

Puma slammed a fist against the wall, gathering everyone's attention. "What's there to remember anyway? Pain, misery, and sins, that's what. All things that each of us are dying to forget! All the things that caused us to be trapped in this damned Zoo in the first place!"

"These are the things that will ultimately free us from our curse, Puma." Panther calmly attempted to explain, but his words fell on deaf ears, as Puma was long gone. Shaking his head, Panther continued to help Tiger stand. Lion decided to join the two on their short trip.

"It will take time for her to understand, I'm afraid." Panther explained about Puma. She had been one of the first residents of The Zoo, and she was treated more poorly than any of the others. "Some say the Zookeeper personally beat her, which would explain her hatred of him."

"Panther, what changed? You don't hear of any of us being beaten by the handlers any more." Lion asked.

"They say everything changed when the Pig showed up. For months, she's been locked in that cage, not allowed to leave because she's yet to transform." He explained, though he didn't seem to know much of it himself. "Poor girl. Her strong will is only causing her pain."

They finally arrived at a large open field, caged off like the others. Lion was the first to climb over the bars. Knowing Tiger wouldn't have the strength to do so, Panther picked her up and leapt over with ease.

"Panther!" A deep voice shouted out in anger. "Why have you come here? I'm too busy to do you any favors. Fuck off." The voice came from a cave in the corner of the field. Lion nodded, signaling that this voice did indeed belong to the one called Elephant.

"This one's important, Elephant." Panther shouted back. "I need you to see this girl's face before it transforms."

A large man can stumbling out from the cave. He was covered in a rough, grey skin, with a large trunk swinging back and forth. His thick tusks looked dangerous, causing a certain amount of fear to well up in the girl. He stomped loudly, as if to express his discontent with the current intrusion. "Fine, let me see her... oh."

He hadn't even approached halfway when he stopped in his tracks. "This is the one who took the collar on her own accord, right? I can see why she wouldn't want to remember. I won't force that memory on the poor girl. I'll only speak with you, Panther."

"Lion, take Tiger back to the Big Cats section, okay?" Panther ran off to catch up with a retreating Elephant, leaving two confused female cats behind.

"Better do what he says, huh?" Lion flashed an unsure smile, as Tiger finally succumbed to the sleep she had long been deprived of.

Description
For two days and two nights, the girl called Tiger did not sleep. The aches she had felt before quickly became pains for which there was no relief but time.

"They keep you locked up for the first two days while you transform." Puma informed the girl of why the door in her cage remained locked. "It's to make sure it all goes properly, and also..." She hesitated, regaining her usual angry look. "Those bastard handlers want to try to break you. Keep you trapped in a cage like a real animal. Fuckers."

Her skin burned as the hair on her arms became thicker and more colorful. She thought she might lose her mind as her ears became more pointed, moving higher on her head. The worst was the growth of a long striped tail, made only worse by the simultaneous protrusion of new claws.

The pain she felt was unbearable, but she never cried out. She sat in her cage with a downtrodden look on her face. Panther watched over her most of the time, only adding comments such as, "No one deserves this."

After two days, Tiger felt a brief freedom from the piercing pain from before. Looking in the reflection of the water, she noticed that she had almost completely transformed, save for her face. She collapsed face-down in her bed, letting out a barely audible sigh, when she heard a loud click from the wall behind her. Turning her head only as much as necessary, she saw the door swing open and Lion peeking her head through the portal.

"Hi neighbor!" A bit of cheer followed Lion's voice, which would have normally been a welcome sentiment, had Tiger had any sleep. "I wanted to take you out on a tour in honor of your first day of freedom! The Jaguars wanted to come too! I'm sure Puma and Panther will want to join us."

"Stupid Lion." Puma entered the now open cage. "Can't you see she's exhausted? Besides, we don't have any freedom here."

"You're kind of a downer, Puma." The Jaguars appeared quickly, standing on either side of the irritated cat. "Lighten up, make the most of your situation!"

"Tiger." Panther finally made his entrance, approaching the still face-down girl. "Remember what I asked of you? It has to be tonight."

"Are you going to see that damned Elephant?" Puma inquired as Panther helped Tiger to her feet. "Fuck, Panther, why waste your time with that asshole?"

"No! The Elephant's a good man!" Lion was quick to defend this stranger. Turning to Tiger, she said, "You know how they say 'an elephant never forgets?' Turns out it's true!"

Puma slammed a fist against the wall, gathering everyone's attention. "What's there to remember anyway? Pain, misery, and sins, that's what. All things that each of us are dying to forget! All the things that caused us to be trapped in this damned Zoo in the first place!"

"These are the things that will ultimately free us from our curse, Puma." Panther calmly attempted to explain, but his words fell on deaf ears, as Puma was long gone. Shaking his head, Panther continued to help Tiger stand. Lion decided to join the two on their short trip.

"It will take time for her to understand, I'm afraid." Panther explained about Puma. She had been one of the first residents of The Zoo, and she was treated more poorly than any of the others. "Some say the Zookeeper personally beat her, which would explain her hatred of him."

"Panther, what changed? You don't hear of any of us being beaten by the handlers any more." Lion asked.

"They say everything changed when the Pig showed up. For months, she's been locked in that cage, not allowed to leave because she's yet to transform." He explained, though he didn't seem to know much of it himself. "Poor girl. Her strong will is only causing her pain."

They finally arrived at a large open field, caged off like the others. Lion was the first to climb over the bars. Knowing Tiger wouldn't have the strength to do so, Panther picked her up and leapt over with ease.

"Panther!" A deep voice shouted out in anger. "Why have you come here? I'm too busy to do you any favors. Fuck off." The voice came from a cave in the corner of the field. Lion nodded, signaling that this voice did indeed belong to the one called Elephant.

"This one's important, Elephant." Panther shouted back. "I need you to see this girl's face before it transforms."

A large man can stumbling out from the cave. He was covered in a rough, grey skin, with a large trunk swinging back and forth. His thick tusks looked dangerous, causing a certain amount of fear to well up in the girl. He stomped loudly, as if to express his discontent with the current intrusion. "Fine, let me see her... oh."

He hadn't even approached halfway when he stopped in his tracks. "This is the one who took the collar on her own accord, right? I can see why she wouldn't want to remember. I won't force that memory on the poor girl. I'll only speak with you, Panther."

"Lion, take Tiger back to the Big Cats section, okay?" Panther ran off to catch up with a retreating Elephant, leaving two confused female cats behind.

"Better do what he says, huh?" Lion flashed an unsure smile, as Tiger finally succumbed to the sleep she had long been deprived of.