• Chapter Six •

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April blinked awake, her vision blurry. She could barely see anything, so she just stood still and tried to recall what could've knocked her out. But no matter how hard she tried, she could barely remember anything. All she could remember was that she became a gootraxian. That's it. She couldn't remember anything from after that or before that. And she couldn't think of any important memories from the past. They had all seemed to have been gone.

She then realized that her vision was slowly starting to clear up. Trying to lift herself up, she hissed in pain as her stomach started to feel as if it was on fire.

Sighing, she looked around, trying to figure out where she was. She seemed to have been lying on some sort of nest like structure, which kind of looked like a cat bed. But it was made up of some rather... weird materials. There was assorted colors of goo scatter around it, with bits of crystal here and there. But the main thing that made up the nest was black straw-like material.

She then looked at her surroundings. It seemed to be a den for some gootraxian judging by the mess that was made. But there wasn't one in sight. This place seemed to have been a small space hidden within the crystal cavern, as there were blue crystals jutting from the walls here and there.

After she had looked at everything, she made an effort to touch her stomach. She felt bandages wrapped around her entire chest and stomach, and when feeling her neck felt some there too. She was aggravated that she couldn't remember what had caused her to end up here. She tried lifting herself up once more, but just ended up in more pain. "When will you realize that you can't get up?"

She froze when she heard the voice. She then heard some snickering and footsteps. Snapping her head to her side, she saw a gootraxian now crouched down beside her. It was another feline goo, with nearly black fur, red and yellow eyes, and some interesting dark grey markings. There was a giant star shape on its chest and head, flecks in its neck fluff, a faded ring around its ears, and stripes under its eyes. And oddly, this was the first goo she'd seen that had ear tufts.

From her voice, she assumed she was female. Wait, it's voice? She then remembered that the only sounds that goos really made were chirps, barks, and meows. Why did this one have a voice? Then it clicked. If she was now a goo, she could also now understand them.

"Wh.. Who are you..?" April managed to get out in a nervous tone. The other goo then sat down beside April. "Name's Akira. Panther gootraxian. Ever heard of 'em?" April shook her head. Akira smiled. "Makes sense. I don't think any human has seen one of us yet. Well, that was until yesterday.

"Anyways, I'm assuming you're wondering how you got here?" She said, her smiled fading. April nodded. "Well, I watched your whole transfur. I'd assumed you'd be fine, but I also didn't think the power would turn back on so soon." She stopped for a few seconds, staring off into the distance. "But when the humans opened the bunker and saw you, I knew you were done for. Those gun things they have are way too dangerous for their own good." Then Akira stared at the wraps on April's stomach. "Then they managed to hit you in the stomach. One they saw they got you, they ran over, weapons drawn. And I didn't really want to see you die so... I jumped in. I managed to scare most of them off, but this one with teal hair got a slash off on your scruff. But eventually they all ran off. Then I decided to take to back to my den to bandage you up. Honestly at first, I thought you were going to die. You had lost so much blood it was shocking how you were still breathing. But that's how we ended up here." Akira finished off, looking back at April.

April was stunned. She wasn't able to say anything. She now knew that if Akira hadn't jumped in, she would be dead. And to think that Jay was the one to try and finish her off... it left her in a state of shock. She blinked and and looked at Akira, who was now observing her paws. "Thank you." April managed to get out. "Thank you for saving me. I'd be dead if it weren't for you."  Akira looked back at April. "No problem. Honestly, I would be guilty for the rest of my life if I had done nothing there. You looked pitiful." She said, the smile coming back to her.

"Now I bet you're hungry." She paused and blinked before continuing. "Now thinking about it, I don't really know what food you would eat." April then felt a weird craving for something and decided to say something about it. "Well, I have this strange craving for some sort of meat... but the problem is I don't know what kind of meat." Akira's ears perked up, looking as if she got an idea. "Hold on. I might have an idea what it is. Stay here while I go out to look for it." "Wait, could you grab a mirror while your out? I want to see something." Akira nodded before dashing off. April snorted as Akira ran out of the den. Like she could go anywhere.

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April lifted her head up as she heard footsteps coming from the den enterance. She heard Akira set some stuff down before April could see her. Then she crouched beside April. "Look, I don't think you'll be able to eat lying down. You think you can try to sit up?" April tried, but just whined in pain before flopping back down. Akira shook her head. "Since I don't want you to starve, I'm going to lift you up myself, alright?" April nodded then felt paws under her arms.

As she was being lifted up, she kept hissing. It was very painful to her. But eventually, she felt Akira lean her against the wall. Then to April's surprise,  she brought two dead slime pups over. She then set one into April's paws. "Try that. It might be that strange meat your craving." Then she watched as Akira tore into hers. She looked down and lifted it up, hesitantly taking a bite. But Akira had gotten it spot on. It was exactly what she wanted. Then she began eating like she hadn't eaten in years. Akira looked up, smiling. "That hungry, huh?" She said in a humorous tone before going back to hers.

After they both finished their meal, they were left with two masks. "Uhm... what do I do with this?" April asked, tilting her head. Akira held her paw out. "Give it to me I'll throw it away." She then gave it to Akira and watched as she went to a hole in the wall and threw them out. "Alright, now here's that mirror you wanted." Akira said as she dragged the mirror infront of April.

April's eyes went wide as she looked at herself. She had two pinkish-red horns, along with loops around her ears, ear tufts, crystals bits in her neck fluff, markings under her eyes, on her shoulders, and on her muzzle, cyan eyes with pinkish-red pupils, and purplish fur all over her.

"You done?" Akira asked, startling her. April nodded slowly as she drug the mirror to a corner. April was shocked she couldn't remember anything of her past, that she was a gootraxian, and had gotten saved by a random goo? Akira then spoke up again.

"You look tired, are you going to go to sleep?" Realizing how tired she was, she nodded. Akira came over and layed her back down in the nest. Then she curled up in a corner near the nest. "Hey, don't you have a place to sleep?" April asked, tilting her head. Akira opened an eye and looked ar her. "I do, but you're in it." She said before closing her eye. April then rested her head on her paws, guilt washing over her. As soon as she was well she would get out of Akira's den. But as she fell asleep, she almost felt as if she didn't want to leave...

(**Look at the cover for how they both look in art form** And our panther appears) 1420 words

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