Year of the Tiger
a
Mother Nature story
by
clancy688
Terrified, Derek pressed himself deeper into the smelly orifice of his hideout, a dirty, waste-littered clearance under a concrete staircase in a backyard somewhere in Southern China. His sensitive, flexible ears picked up the sounds of his pursuers: The jarring sound of police sirens, the loud voices of officers giving commands, the clicking when weapons were loaded and armed, the scared and excited mumbling of onlookers... all of it coming together in the cacophony of his impending death.
Bitterly, he peered out into the open through the small gap of his temporary lair. So this was it. The end. His many weeks-long flight was over. A pained growl escaped his throat as another wave of agony rolled through his injured hind-leg into his back. Wistfully he looked at the limb, the mightily muscled appendage now only dead weight, with crimson blood running from the dozens of tiny holes the peasant's shotgun had inflicted, blotting away the black-and-yellow draft of his fur. But even uninjured there'd be no hope, because he'd foolishly sought refuge in this one-way street. A desperate charge would just bring him face to face with the police and their guns, and they'd not hesitate to shoot.
He curled his muzzle into a bitter smile. Shot down like an ordinary animal. Of all the ways to leave this world, this was the last he'd have expected when he'd entered this cursed country. Derek clenched his impressive array of teeth. Deep inside, he just wished for the cops to come, to finally end this terrible nightmare he was living through. So far they hadn't dared coming near his hiding spot, no doubt having great respect for his claws and fangs. A cornered, hurt animal was the most dangerous, even more so when it was a fully grown tiger just like Derek.
But maybe his suffering would now come to an end, as his hearing picked up a subtle change in noise. A car had just arrived, and while the commanding voices had broken off, the crowd's mumbling had doubled. Maybe they've gotten themselves a professional hunter...? he thought bitterly, but seconds later, his bushy ears perked up as he filtered out a new voice speaking, a female one. This... can't be! Incredulously, he listened to the calm female voice outside, and his thoughts flew back a couple of months, remembering when he'd heard this woman's voice the last time...
***************************************************
"Impressive, isn't he?" Derek's tall, raven-haired guide pointed through the fence towards a big tiger snoring in the sun. Out of courtesy, Derek nodded, but actually he'd to suppress a yawn. He was still experiencing jet-lag, and lazy, napping animals weren't exactly the right stimulation to keep him awake. Quite contrary to his guide. Appreciatively, he eyed Lisa Yin. She was an impressive, head-strong and beautiful woman, exactly his type.
She'd worked stateside in an electronics company for many years, amassing not a small personal fortune during that time. That was until her conscience had caught up with her and she'd invested basically all her possessions into this 'South-China Tiger Reserve' project. Derek had to suppress an urge to shake his head. With her determination and managerial skill she'd have been able to lead any of the Fortune 500 companies back at home. That she instead wasted her talents on dumb animals was beyond him. Well... it was her choice.
"And this is the key to your breeding program?" he asked politely. It was company policy to always show interest into the business of the client, no matter how retarded it may seem to be.
Lisa nodded eagerly. "Yeah, he's our stud male. Sadly-" her face took on a morose expression, "-he hasn't shown any interest in our females so far. Hopefully, we'll acquire more specimens in the future."
Dutifully, Derek nodded, secretly peering at his Rolex watch. And here they were already approaching the basic problem. Perfect. He wanted to finish this quick, he had another appointment in Beijing this evening, and he still needed to catch his plane. "So you're saying your breeding program has been less than successful until now? In fact, that's why I'm here. You see, my bank has-"
She'd worked stateside in an electronics company for many years, amassing not a small personal fortune during that time. That was until her conscience had caught up with her and she'd invested basically all her possessions into this 'South-China Tiger Reserve' project. Derek had to suppress an urge to shake his head. With her determination and managerial skill she'd have been able to lead any of the Fortune 500 companies back at home. That she instead wasted her talents on dumb animals was beyond him. Well... it was her choice.
"And this is the key to your breeding program?" he asked politely. It was company policy to always show interest into the business of the client, no matter how retarded it may seem to be.
Lisa nodded eagerly. "Yeah, he's our stud male. Sadly-" her face took on a morose expression, "-he hasn't shown any interest in our females so far. Hopefully, we'll acquire more specimens in the future."
Dutifully, Derek nodded, secretly peering at his Rolex watch. And here they were already approaching the basic problem. Perfect. He wanted to finish this quick, he had another appointment in Beijing this evening, and he still needed to catch his plane. "So you're saying your breeding program has been less than successful until now? In fact, that's why I'm here. You see, my bank has-"
***************************************************
"...and that's the gist of it. I'm sorry." Pleased with his flawless presentation and certainly not sorry, Derek smiled at Lisa who was staring back open-mounded. The two of them had relocated into a so-called "meeting room", actually nothing more than a glorified, dusty storeroom, to inform Lisa of the changes in their business relationship.
It took a few moments until she'd composed herself. Then, though, her response was as direct as always. "You're cutting off the money supply?" she asked sharply.
Contentedly, Derek stroked his two-thousand-dollar tie. He liked sharp-minded clients. "Exactly. Your business hasn't fulfilled our expectations, so to limit our losses, we're terminating our contributions."
"Your losses?" Lisa gasped incredulously. "This is a non-profit organization. It was never intended to create revenues."
"Indeed, indeed. But it's supposed to act as an image campaign for our bank. Sadly-" Derek made a mournful face, "-only few people are aware of the plight your tigers are in. An image campaign nobody knows about is a bad image campaign, so our leadership, based in no small part on my recommendations, decided to relocate our efforts. The funds will instead go to mustang farms in the US."
Now Lisa was ogling him bewildered. "Mustangs? Horses? They are not an endangered species! There's still hundreds of thousands of them. There are less than a thousand South China Tigers! And none in the wild! For all intents and purposes they are extinct!"
"That may be true,-" Derek conceded, "-but Mustangs offer a better rallying point. And you can ride on them. That will give us access to a lot of families with little girls." he smiled at Lisa who was looking back at him now as if he was declaring the sky to be purple.
After a few more seconds she swallowed. "Okay, let's just pretend I haven't heard all this bullshit. So you're saying you won't fund us anymore? Despite all we have accomplished here?" Lisa gestured at a window to her left side where part of the enclosure could be seen. "Half a dozen South China tigers brought together in a large wildlife habitat, to replenish the species once more?"
Derek sighed. "Well, that's the problem." he said. "You aren't replenishing. There's been no breeding so far, as you've explained to me before. And article 28, subclause 19c of our contract states that in the case of failing to meet one of your main goals, which breeding definitely is, we have the right to revoke our funding. And we therefore do."
"But it's only temporary!" For once, Lisa lost her cool and nearly shouted. "Maybe it's the weather, maybe Khan is not in the mood, maybe all the females look ugly to him, but if not now, then in the future. In a few months, we'll get two females and a male tiger from zoos around the world, maybe it will work then! Nature unfortunately doesn't follow business plans! But if you stop your funding now, we'll never reach that point! Because we'll run out of money and will have to close!"
Heavily breathing, the woman stared down on Derek. Unfazed by the outburst, he calmly collected his stuff, buttoned his golden pen and filled everything into his expensive leather suitcase. "That may be unfortunate but isn't our problem anymore." he told her with a a perfectly faked sincere smile. "It's just business, I'm sure a former manager like you understands."
Lisa didn't answer, instead she simply glowered at him. Not that such a demeanor could disconcert a banker of his status. "Well then." he said pleasantly. "If you'd call me a cab, please? There's another appointment I have to attend, and I'd hate to miss it."
It took a few moments until she'd composed herself. Then, though, her response was as direct as always. "You're cutting off the money supply?" she asked sharply.
Contentedly, Derek stroked his two-thousand-dollar tie. He liked sharp-minded clients. "Exactly. Your business hasn't fulfilled our expectations, so to limit our losses, we're terminating our contributions."
"Your losses?" Lisa gasped incredulously. "This is a non-profit organization. It was never intended to create revenues."
"Indeed, indeed. But it's supposed to act as an image campaign for our bank. Sadly-" Derek made a mournful face, "-only few people are aware of the plight your tigers are in. An image campaign nobody knows about is a bad image campaign, so our leadership, based in no small part on my recommendations, decided to relocate our efforts. The funds will instead go to mustang farms in the US."
Now Lisa was ogling him bewildered. "Mustangs? Horses? They are not an endangered species! There's still hundreds of thousands of them. There are less than a thousand South China Tigers! And none in the wild! For all intents and purposes they are extinct!"
"That may be true,-" Derek conceded, "-but Mustangs offer a better rallying point. And you can ride on them. That will give us access to a lot of families with little girls." he smiled at Lisa who was looking back at him now as if he was declaring the sky to be purple.
After a few more seconds she swallowed. "Okay, let's just pretend I haven't heard all this bullshit. So you're saying you won't fund us anymore? Despite all we have accomplished here?" Lisa gestured at a window to her left side where part of the enclosure could be seen. "Half a dozen South China tigers brought together in a large wildlife habitat, to replenish the species once more?"
Derek sighed. "Well, that's the problem." he said. "You aren't replenishing. There's been no breeding so far, as you've explained to me before. And article 28, subclause 19c of our contract states that in the case of failing to meet one of your main goals, which breeding definitely is, we have the right to revoke our funding. And we therefore do."
"But it's only temporary!" For once, Lisa lost her cool and nearly shouted. "Maybe it's the weather, maybe Khan is not in the mood, maybe all the females look ugly to him, but if not now, then in the future. In a few months, we'll get two females and a male tiger from zoos around the world, maybe it will work then! Nature unfortunately doesn't follow business plans! But if you stop your funding now, we'll never reach that point! Because we'll run out of money and will have to close!"
Heavily breathing, the woman stared down on Derek. Unfazed by the outburst, he calmly collected his stuff, buttoned his golden pen and filled everything into his expensive leather suitcase. "That may be unfortunate but isn't our problem anymore." he told her with a a perfectly faked sincere smile. "It's just business, I'm sure a former manager like you understands."
Lisa didn't answer, instead she simply glowered at him. Not that such a demeanor could disconcert a banker of his status. "Well then." he said pleasantly. "If you'd call me a cab, please? There's another appointment I have to attend, and I'd hate to miss it."
***************************************************
Derek smiled while looking through the notes he'd assembled for his next client, this one a promising internet start-up in Beijing. Contrary to this tiger silliness, it actually looked as if it would break the profit-margin soon. In fact he was actually looking forward to speak with real businessmen and -women. And since I managed to wrap up this unpleasant business fast, I'll actually be able to spend more time with them than originally allocated for...
A deep pothole in the road cut his thoughts and he cursed as his head nearly made contact with the roof of the car. Then he frowned. That is, unless this dumb excuse of a cab driver knows the way to the airport! The wilderness they were driving through didn't look anything like the path he'd driven on towards the preserve this morning, and with an annoyed snarl he stored his notes away and leaned forward.
"Excuse me!" he said loudly, "Are you sure that's the right-" Another frown appeared on his forehead as the cab driver swerved right and brought the car to a standstill. Then he opened the driver's door, preparing to get out. Derek scrambled to his door as well, beating his driver to getting out. He was boiling inwardly. The stupid fuck probably wants to take a piss! First he gets lost and then he wants to make a break, but not with me! Swiftly, he rounded the car, preparing to give the driver a good tongue lashing. But then he went still and simply gaped at the creature peeling itself from the driver's seat.
Because that wasn't the bald, pot-bellied Chinese cab driver who'd collected him. Instead, a beautiful woman swung her perfect, feminine legs out of the car and raised herself to an almost impossible height. The impossible appearance was dressed in strange garb, almost like the togas he'd seen on Greek and Roman statues, and somehow, she seemed to emit a sort of strange radiance.
For the first time in years, Derek found himself basically speechless. This is impossible! His thoughts raced. Where did she come from? Where's the driver? What's this all about?
"Tsk, tsk!" the woman curled her lips into a sly smile. "So many questions. Aren't you normally more composed towards your clients?"
As he heard her strange, ethereal voice, every single hair on Derek's body quivered. Something wasn't proper here. Not proper at all. He'd never been superstitious, but what he was just experiencing simply couldn't be explained by mere logic. How in all that was holy had this woman replaced his driver? And she was even speaking perfect English!
"Oh, of course I am." she said with a mocking tone of voice, grinning as Derek's eyes flew wide open upon her revelation that she could read his thoughts, too! "After all, I'm Mother Nature."
He swallowed. "Are you a demon?"
The woman, Mother Nature, threw her head back and burst out laughing. "A demon?" she guffawed. "Oh, that's a good one. A human, the true pest of this planet, asking me if I'm a demon. Oh no, mortal one, I'm not." her eyes twinkled mischievously. "'Goddess' would probably describe my role well, but actually that's of no relevance at the moment. Let's just say-" and suddenly, she glowered down on him, "-I'm the guardian of all animals and plants. Which you humans all too often torture cruelly out of greed or pure spite. In which case I feel myself forced to intervene..."
Something in the goddesses' eyes, and she was a goddess, that much Derek instinctively realized, made him shiver with dread. "To... intervene?" he croaked. "But... I haven't done anything wrong! I swear, I haven't tortured any animal!"
The goddess smiled at his assertion. "Oh, you're right, you haven't." she said lightly. "You're remarkably innocent in that regard, but I'm here because of something else. In fact..."
Derek blinked as suddenly she had some papers in her hand. And not only some random papers. These were- "Oh, you recognize these?" Mother Nature asked him pleasantly. "It's your assessment of Miss Yin's tiger preserve." swiftly, her eyes danced over the lines. "Oh, I like how you praised their efforts and recommended further funding to be forwarded."
"What?" taken aback, Derek looked at the goddess. "But... that's-"
"-not what you've written, exactly. And that's the problem." Mother Nature sighed, looking down on him in something like pity. Or was it disgust? "You recommended funding to be stopped, and with no intervention, it will. Leaving Miss Yin with no support whatsoever, so that she'll have to shut down. And that means that her magnificent tigers, my wonderful babies, will disappear forever from this world." Silence lingered for a few moments. "And I just hate it." she continued with barely restrained fury. "The quagga, the monk-seal, the passenger pigeon... they've lived peacefully for millennia, until you humans-" she spat out the word like a curse, making Derek shudder in fear, "-barged in and hunted them to extinction. I've seen it too often and I don't want to see it again. Not now, not ever." she breathed in deeply. "And that's why I can't let such trifle things as human greed stand in between the rescue of an entire species and its utter extinction."
Derek swallowed, looking for an escape route. Something was telling him that this woman, this goddess, was dangerous. "So you want me to change my mind? To make my superiors change their minds? I'm sure I can-"
"Oh, no, you don't have to." Mother Nature waved his papers through the air mockingly. "I've already convinced enough of your superiors."
The way how the goddess pronounced the word 'convinced' let Derek's hopes plummet. There hovered a certain undertone of satisfaction in the statement, of... retribution.
"And I don't need to convince you." she pointed at the papers again. "I already have your assessment, your very positive assessment." the heavenly woman shrugged. "You haven't written it yourself, but nobody will notice. That should be enough. No, I don't need to 'convince' you. And you don't need convince your superiors either. Without you, everything is already going as it should have been from the beginning. Miss Yin's tiger preserve will continue to be funded, and my babies will not disappear from this world. Everything will be neatly tied up. Except for... you."
Her eyes were like daggers now, piercing deep into his soul and Derek felt despair welling up. He had no idea what Mother Nature had in store for him, didn't even know what she was capable of, but something inside him shiver in terror, dreading what was about to come.
"You know... there are the people who torture and kill animals. For fun. Or out of convenience. There are many of these, too many for me to punish all of them. But you... you are actually worse. You don't even care. The fate of an entire species is of no concern to you. You just doomed an entire species to disappear from this planet and didn't even shed as much thought on it as you're doing each morning to decide which socks to put on! You decided to let Miss Yin's effort die out of the simply reason to increase your company's profit by a quarter of a tenth of a percent!"
The goddess hadn't yelled, hadn't screamed, hadn't cursed or ranted, hadn't even raised her voice, but nonetheless her accusation had pierced Derek's body deep into the bones, had made his eardrums tingle and hurt, had been louder and more powerful than anything he'd ever heard. And now he stood rigid and motionless, inwardly quivering with fear.
"And that's why I will punish you." Mother Nature said softy. "I could kill you, but this isn't my way. Instead I'll show you how it feels being alone, the last of your species, forgotten and helpless among the invaders which take away your living space! All the despair and hopelessness! You will LEARN how it feels to go extinct!"
Helplessly, Derek had to endure while Mother Nature's eyes pierced deep into his soul... and released a beast inside him.
A deep pothole in the road cut his thoughts and he cursed as his head nearly made contact with the roof of the car. Then he frowned. That is, unless this dumb excuse of a cab driver knows the way to the airport! The wilderness they were driving through didn't look anything like the path he'd driven on towards the preserve this morning, and with an annoyed snarl he stored his notes away and leaned forward.
"Excuse me!" he said loudly, "Are you sure that's the right-" Another frown appeared on his forehead as the cab driver swerved right and brought the car to a standstill. Then he opened the driver's door, preparing to get out. Derek scrambled to his door as well, beating his driver to getting out. He was boiling inwardly. The stupid fuck probably wants to take a piss! First he gets lost and then he wants to make a break, but not with me! Swiftly, he rounded the car, preparing to give the driver a good tongue lashing. But then he went still and simply gaped at the creature peeling itself from the driver's seat.
Because that wasn't the bald, pot-bellied Chinese cab driver who'd collected him. Instead, a beautiful woman swung her perfect, feminine legs out of the car and raised herself to an almost impossible height. The impossible appearance was dressed in strange garb, almost like the togas he'd seen on Greek and Roman statues, and somehow, she seemed to emit a sort of strange radiance.
For the first time in years, Derek found himself basically speechless. This is impossible! His thoughts raced. Where did she come from? Where's the driver? What's this all about?
"Tsk, tsk!" the woman curled her lips into a sly smile. "So many questions. Aren't you normally more composed towards your clients?"
As he heard her strange, ethereal voice, every single hair on Derek's body quivered. Something wasn't proper here. Not proper at all. He'd never been superstitious, but what he was just experiencing simply couldn't be explained by mere logic. How in all that was holy had this woman replaced his driver? And she was even speaking perfect English!
"Oh, of course I am." she said with a mocking tone of voice, grinning as Derek's eyes flew wide open upon her revelation that she could read his thoughts, too! "After all, I'm Mother Nature."
He swallowed. "Are you a demon?"
The woman, Mother Nature, threw her head back and burst out laughing. "A demon?" she guffawed. "Oh, that's a good one. A human, the true pest of this planet, asking me if I'm a demon. Oh no, mortal one, I'm not." her eyes twinkled mischievously. "'Goddess' would probably describe my role well, but actually that's of no relevance at the moment. Let's just say-" and suddenly, she glowered down on him, "-I'm the guardian of all animals and plants. Which you humans all too often torture cruelly out of greed or pure spite. In which case I feel myself forced to intervene..."
Something in the goddesses' eyes, and she was a goddess, that much Derek instinctively realized, made him shiver with dread. "To... intervene?" he croaked. "But... I haven't done anything wrong! I swear, I haven't tortured any animal!"
The goddess smiled at his assertion. "Oh, you're right, you haven't." she said lightly. "You're remarkably innocent in that regard, but I'm here because of something else. In fact..."
Derek blinked as suddenly she had some papers in her hand. And not only some random papers. These were- "Oh, you recognize these?" Mother Nature asked him pleasantly. "It's your assessment of Miss Yin's tiger preserve." swiftly, her eyes danced over the lines. "Oh, I like how you praised their efforts and recommended further funding to be forwarded."
"What?" taken aback, Derek looked at the goddess. "But... that's-"
"-not what you've written, exactly. And that's the problem." Mother Nature sighed, looking down on him in something like pity. Or was it disgust? "You recommended funding to be stopped, and with no intervention, it will. Leaving Miss Yin with no support whatsoever, so that she'll have to shut down. And that means that her magnificent tigers, my wonderful babies, will disappear forever from this world." Silence lingered for a few moments. "And I just hate it." she continued with barely restrained fury. "The quagga, the monk-seal, the passenger pigeon... they've lived peacefully for millennia, until you humans-" she spat out the word like a curse, making Derek shudder in fear, "-barged in and hunted them to extinction. I've seen it too often and I don't want to see it again. Not now, not ever." she breathed in deeply. "And that's why I can't let such trifle things as human greed stand in between the rescue of an entire species and its utter extinction."
Derek swallowed, looking for an escape route. Something was telling him that this woman, this goddess, was dangerous. "So you want me to change my mind? To make my superiors change their minds? I'm sure I can-"
"Oh, no, you don't have to." Mother Nature waved his papers through the air mockingly. "I've already convinced enough of your superiors."
The way how the goddess pronounced the word 'convinced' let Derek's hopes plummet. There hovered a certain undertone of satisfaction in the statement, of... retribution.
"And I don't need to convince you." she pointed at the papers again. "I already have your assessment, your very positive assessment." the heavenly woman shrugged. "You haven't written it yourself, but nobody will notice. That should be enough. No, I don't need to 'convince' you. And you don't need convince your superiors either. Without you, everything is already going as it should have been from the beginning. Miss Yin's tiger preserve will continue to be funded, and my babies will not disappear from this world. Everything will be neatly tied up. Except for... you."
Her eyes were like daggers now, piercing deep into his soul and Derek felt despair welling up. He had no idea what Mother Nature had in store for him, didn't even know what she was capable of, but something inside him shiver in terror, dreading what was about to come.
"You know... there are the people who torture and kill animals. For fun. Or out of convenience. There are many of these, too many for me to punish all of them. But you... you are actually worse. You don't even care. The fate of an entire species is of no concern to you. You just doomed an entire species to disappear from this planet and didn't even shed as much thought on it as you're doing each morning to decide which socks to put on! You decided to let Miss Yin's effort die out of the simply reason to increase your company's profit by a quarter of a tenth of a percent!"
The goddess hadn't yelled, hadn't screamed, hadn't cursed or ranted, hadn't even raised her voice, but nonetheless her accusation had pierced Derek's body deep into the bones, had made his eardrums tingle and hurt, had been louder and more powerful than anything he'd ever heard. And now he stood rigid and motionless, inwardly quivering with fear.
"And that's why I will punish you." Mother Nature said softy. "I could kill you, but this isn't my way. Instead I'll show you how it feels being alone, the last of your species, forgotten and helpless among the invaders which take away your living space! All the despair and hopelessness! You will LEARN how it feels to go extinct!"
Helplessly, Derek had to endure while Mother Nature's eyes pierced deep into his soul... and released a beast inside him.
***************************************************
That had been weeks ago. She'd been gone before the final sounds of her curse had faded away, and Derek had found himself sitting among his shredded clothes - suddenly inhabiting the body of a fully-grown South China Tiger. The goddess hadn't lied when she'd told him that she'd make him feel the despair of going extinct.
She'd made him become an almost extinct animal, and it hadn't taken long until Derek had realized the full hopelessness of his situation. He was a 350 pound apex predator in the middle of a densely populated area. All the prey an animal of his size needed for survival was gone, neatly tucked away in guarded farms. He'd been forced to become a thief, to kill domestic pets like dogs and cats, had even been forced to feed from garbage cans behind hotels and the like to stay alive.
And all the while he'd been on the run, for a predator of his size provoked fear - and deadly retribution. Whenever he'd been spotted, people had panicked and shoals of policemen had gathered, no doubt to kill him. He'd always managed to lose them in the end, after all he still possessed his human intelligence, always... except for today.
He let loose another, bitterly amused growl. And now it would end. Well. So would his suffering. Although it bore quite a bit of irony that the woman who, in a sense, was responsible for his suffering would also be the one to end it. During the first few weeks he'd cursed her, had cursed them. The goddess for taking away his humanity. The animal rights activist for bringing him into the situation where he'd enrage a spiteful goddess. But by now, his hate had faded away. Like a festering wound healing and becoming a scar. He wasn't angry at her anymore. All which counted was that he'd finally be able to leave this hell on earth.
His ears twitched as cautious footsteps sounded across the backyard. Tiredly, he peered out from his hiding place, observing Miss Yin coming closer, a huddle of nervous policemen following several yards behind her, their guns drawn. Lisa Yin on the other hand didn't look nervous at all. There was determination written all over her face and professionally, she unslung her weapon, a large-caliber rifle, removing its safety and trailing its muzzle right onto him. The cops are probably to scared to take a tiger heads on... so they asked someone who's accustomed to handling them for help...
So be it. There was no hesitation in Lisa Yin's, the barrel was rock-steady and Derek closed his yellow eyes, preparing himself for the end. And he waited. When finally the shot came, it was peculiar, to say the least. Not the loud, crashing bang he'd expected. Not the brutal impact on his body either. He opened his eyes wide and stared incomprehensibly at the strange dart which was sticking out of his black and orange fur. At almost looked like some kind of syringe! But that doesn't make any- Before he could end his surprised thought, darkness encompassed him like a long-lost friend.
She'd made him become an almost extinct animal, and it hadn't taken long until Derek had realized the full hopelessness of his situation. He was a 350 pound apex predator in the middle of a densely populated area. All the prey an animal of his size needed for survival was gone, neatly tucked away in guarded farms. He'd been forced to become a thief, to kill domestic pets like dogs and cats, had even been forced to feed from garbage cans behind hotels and the like to stay alive.
And all the while he'd been on the run, for a predator of his size provoked fear - and deadly retribution. Whenever he'd been spotted, people had panicked and shoals of policemen had gathered, no doubt to kill him. He'd always managed to lose them in the end, after all he still possessed his human intelligence, always... except for today.
He let loose another, bitterly amused growl. And now it would end. Well. So would his suffering. Although it bore quite a bit of irony that the woman who, in a sense, was responsible for his suffering would also be the one to end it. During the first few weeks he'd cursed her, had cursed them. The goddess for taking away his humanity. The animal rights activist for bringing him into the situation where he'd enrage a spiteful goddess. But by now, his hate had faded away. Like a festering wound healing and becoming a scar. He wasn't angry at her anymore. All which counted was that he'd finally be able to leave this hell on earth.
His ears twitched as cautious footsteps sounded across the backyard. Tiredly, he peered out from his hiding place, observing Miss Yin coming closer, a huddle of nervous policemen following several yards behind her, their guns drawn. Lisa Yin on the other hand didn't look nervous at all. There was determination written all over her face and professionally, she unslung her weapon, a large-caliber rifle, removing its safety and trailing its muzzle right onto him. The cops are probably to scared to take a tiger heads on... so they asked someone who's accustomed to handling them for help...
So be it. There was no hesitation in Lisa Yin's, the barrel was rock-steady and Derek closed his yellow eyes, preparing himself for the end. And he waited. When finally the shot came, it was peculiar, to say the least. Not the loud, crashing bang he'd expected. Not the brutal impact on his body either. He opened his eyes wide and stared incomprehensibly at the strange dart which was sticking out of his black and orange fur. At almost looked like some kind of syringe! But that doesn't make any- Before he could end his surprised thought, darkness encompassed him like a long-lost friend.
***************************************************
"My, my... that turned out differently than I expected." The familiar voice made Derek jump to all his feet in alarm, but he wasn't even half standing when a terrible pain flashed through his back and he dropped down again with a pained whimper.
"Hey, carefully. They removed 17 pellets from your flank, that's going to sting for a few days."
Derek growled in consent, but then irritated peered up to the voice's owner. The goddess was sitting on a chair a good few yards across from him, separated by thick iron bars. As far as he could see, he was lying in some kind of concrete barn, almost like a cage. There was hay below him and a large bowl with water next to the bars.
What do you want? he thought tiredly.
"Oh, no joy in seeing me? I'd have expected a bit more enthusiasm upon our reunion."
Joy? You stripped my humanity away and left me to die. Why are you here now? Do you relish in seeing me in such a state? Shot and captured like some animal? Derek growled bitterly. Where am I, anyway.
Mother Nature chuckled. "Oh, yes. That was the plan. You deserved it, and don't tell me now you still don't feel any sympathy towards extinct species. After all your experiences, how would you decide today? Would you still cancel Miss Yin's funds?"
Derek didn't answer. He didn't have to. Instead, he put his skull on his paws and looked at the opposite wall in silence. He half expected the goddess to probe further, but to his surprise, she didn't. She simply shared the silence with him.
"As for your second question..." Mother Nature continued after a few minutes during which none of them made any sound, "You're in Miss Yin's preserve where you've been treated after she stunned you with a tranquilizer gun. Provided by funds from your bank. Not in small parts thanks to your enthusiastic assessment."
Derek ignored the vibe. I thought she would kill me.
"Kill you? Don't be silly. You're a South China Tiger. To her, you're a miracle come true. South China Tigers are supposed to be extinct in free wildlife, and now look at you. A perfect specimen. Captured in the wild of China's dirtiest suburbs. Of course she'd try to keep you alive. You represent hope to her."
Accusingly, he looked at the goddess. So that's been your plan all along? Make me a tiger? Let me go through hell? And then have Lisa Yin save me?
"Oh, no." Mother Nature shook her head. "Your first guess was closer to the mark. I didn't plan on you being brought here, but Fate works in mysterious ways. And if that's what Fate has in store for you..." she let her words trail off. "In fact, here's a proposal. I will turn you back."
Derek's ears peeked up in sudden hope. Had he just heard-
"Oh, not so fast." Mother Nature shook a finger at him. "First you'll have to serve the role I think Fate has in store for you. And that is simple. I don't want the South China Tigers to go extinct. Fate, apparently, doesn't either. So you'll help in the breeding program."
Surprised, Derek mewed and stared at the goddess. You mean that I should have sex with animals?
"Bah." Mother Nature wrinkled her nose. "I want you to mate inside your own species. You're a tiger now, already forgotten? It's perfectly normal. You'll help replenish the gene pool and I'll turn you back. Yin gets hope, I get survival and you get your human life. Deal?"
Deal... Derek growled. Actually, she was making sense. And humping a couple of tigers shouldn't be that hard, in fact-
"Oh, you're having a flaw in your logic." Suddenly, a mischievous grin spread all over Mother Nature's face. "The humping part, I mean. At the moment, Lisa doesn't have any extra space for another male tiger, so for you to enter the breeding program, there are a few... adjustments needed. Don't worry, I've already done them while you were sleeping and before they examined you. And what a nice coincidence that the tiger Lisa captured had the right gender!"
Uh... what? Blankly, the tiger stared at the goddess. What the hell was she driving at? Somehow, all the pieces of the puzzles made sense individually, it was the overall picture he couldn't quite figure out yet...
"Say, aren't you feeling any different?" Mother Nature asked sweetly. "Like... missing something?"
Missing? What... OH NO! Derek's eyes flew wide open and his head darted between his legs... her legs... finding nothing.
Oh my God! the newly minted tigress groaned. You can't be serious!
But Mother Nature was already gone, although her resounding laughter seemed to stay in Derek's head for hours to come.
"Hey, carefully. They removed 17 pellets from your flank, that's going to sting for a few days."
Derek growled in consent, but then irritated peered up to the voice's owner. The goddess was sitting on a chair a good few yards across from him, separated by thick iron bars. As far as he could see, he was lying in some kind of concrete barn, almost like a cage. There was hay below him and a large bowl with water next to the bars.
What do you want? he thought tiredly.
"Oh, no joy in seeing me? I'd have expected a bit more enthusiasm upon our reunion."
Joy? You stripped my humanity away and left me to die. Why are you here now? Do you relish in seeing me in such a state? Shot and captured like some animal? Derek growled bitterly. Where am I, anyway.
Mother Nature chuckled. "Oh, yes. That was the plan. You deserved it, and don't tell me now you still don't feel any sympathy towards extinct species. After all your experiences, how would you decide today? Would you still cancel Miss Yin's funds?"
Derek didn't answer. He didn't have to. Instead, he put his skull on his paws and looked at the opposite wall in silence. He half expected the goddess to probe further, but to his surprise, she didn't. She simply shared the silence with him.
"As for your second question..." Mother Nature continued after a few minutes during which none of them made any sound, "You're in Miss Yin's preserve where you've been treated after she stunned you with a tranquilizer gun. Provided by funds from your bank. Not in small parts thanks to your enthusiastic assessment."
Derek ignored the vibe. I thought she would kill me.
"Kill you? Don't be silly. You're a South China Tiger. To her, you're a miracle come true. South China Tigers are supposed to be extinct in free wildlife, and now look at you. A perfect specimen. Captured in the wild of China's dirtiest suburbs. Of course she'd try to keep you alive. You represent hope to her."
Accusingly, he looked at the goddess. So that's been your plan all along? Make me a tiger? Let me go through hell? And then have Lisa Yin save me?
"Oh, no." Mother Nature shook her head. "Your first guess was closer to the mark. I didn't plan on you being brought here, but Fate works in mysterious ways. And if that's what Fate has in store for you..." she let her words trail off. "In fact, here's a proposal. I will turn you back."
Derek's ears peeked up in sudden hope. Had he just heard-
"Oh, not so fast." Mother Nature shook a finger at him. "First you'll have to serve the role I think Fate has in store for you. And that is simple. I don't want the South China Tigers to go extinct. Fate, apparently, doesn't either. So you'll help in the breeding program."
Surprised, Derek mewed and stared at the goddess. You mean that I should have sex with animals?
"Bah." Mother Nature wrinkled her nose. "I want you to mate inside your own species. You're a tiger now, already forgotten? It's perfectly normal. You'll help replenish the gene pool and I'll turn you back. Yin gets hope, I get survival and you get your human life. Deal?"
Deal... Derek growled. Actually, she was making sense. And humping a couple of tigers shouldn't be that hard, in fact-
"Oh, you're having a flaw in your logic." Suddenly, a mischievous grin spread all over Mother Nature's face. "The humping part, I mean. At the moment, Lisa doesn't have any extra space for another male tiger, so for you to enter the breeding program, there are a few... adjustments needed. Don't worry, I've already done them while you were sleeping and before they examined you. And what a nice coincidence that the tiger Lisa captured had the right gender!"
Uh... what? Blankly, the tiger stared at the goddess. What the hell was she driving at? Somehow, all the pieces of the puzzles made sense individually, it was the overall picture he couldn't quite figure out yet...
"Say, aren't you feeling any different?" Mother Nature asked sweetly. "Like... missing something?"
Missing? What... OH NO! Derek's eyes flew wide open and his head darted between his legs... her legs... finding nothing.
Oh my God! the newly minted tigress groaned. You can't be serious!
But Mother Nature was already gone, although her resounding laughter seemed to stay in Derek's head for hours to come.
***************************************************
"You're getting fat."
Annoyed at the interruption, Derek turned her head towards the beautiful woman which had appeared out of nowhere and growled angrily. Get out of the sun. It was just getting comfy!
The goddess chuckled but followed the request and stepped a couple of yards to the side.
With a blissful mewl, the large black and orange tigress in front of her stretched all her legs to the side and basked in the warm winter sun. It wasn't exactly freezing, but the air was cold, so every sunbeam offered valuable energy and comfort. This is the life...
Mother Nature furrowed her brows, then went down on her knees to kneed the animal's head. "Quite the pampered kitty cat you've become..." she commented to the large cat's deep, resonant purr. "If I wouldn't know better, I'd say that you enjoy this."
Derek shrugged, a strange looking gesture if done by a predator of his size. I'm just making the best of my situation... should I sulk and whine the whole day long?
The goddess grinned. "Hardly. But you're taking this better then I'd have expected. This was supposed to be a punishment, and you've turned it into some kind of holiday."
So what? Derek bristled. This is a thousand times better than before. I don't have to steal, I don't have to hide. True, I'm in a fenced enclosure, but do you see any fences? She shook her massive head, flashing mighty teeth. They are there, but the enclosure's big enough for me to roam around for hours and not meet any barriers.
"Hm." for a few moments, there was silence. "Better than your ordeal out in the urbanized land? That for sure, I reckon. And... also better then your life before that? When you were still human."
Don't be silly. Derek retorted quickly, but there was no fire in her response, and she knew perfectly well that she wasn't fooling anyone, neither the smirking goddess, nor herself. Over the last few months, she'd felt more alive than ever before in her life. And it scared her to have to admit that, as an animal, she was way closer to happiness than she'd been as a human. You know, you could visit more often and ruffle my fur. She thought therefore, trying to change the topic.
Again, the goddess chuckled. "Oh, you like this, don't you? Almost as much as you like Khan playing with you?"
For once, Derek was thankful to be covered in fur, because she felt the blood rush to her head. What are you talking of? she complained feebly. Why should I like being violated by an animal? That's ridiculous!
Mother Nature laughed brightly. "Well, you're sneaking into Khan's area suspiciously often. Why are you actively seeking him out if you don't like the, err, 'activities' you two do together?"
Because getting pregnant is my ticket back to humanity. Derek responded halfheartedly. Again she wasn't fooling anybody, much less Mother Nature.
The woman chuckled again, but just like before, she chose to not question further. Instead, her crawling hands went a good deal south on the tigress's body. "If that's the case, you're probably quite relieved that it's finally worked."
At once, Derek was wide awake, staring into the goddess's smirking face astonished. Was she actually saying that...
"Oh, absolutely. You're expecting. My comment regarding you getting fat wasn't just a vibe." Almost lovingly, she patted Derek's soft paunch. "You'll become a mommy. And I can't even wait to see the first South China Tiger cubs being born outside a zoo in decades!"
Stupefied, the tigress stared at the goddess for a few moments. Then she started to giggle mentally. I'm pregnant? By Khan? Oh wow... oh wow! Excited, Derek started to bounce up and down on all fours, much to the goddess's amusement. For a few moments, she watched the cavorting tigress. Then Mother Nature's human form flickered like a mirage, and moments later, a beautiful tigress stretched herself in her place.
Derek had only a few seconds to appreciate her dialogue partner's change, then the other tigress leaped upon her, distributing playful paw swipes. Moments later, the two tigers were wrestling and playing with each other, celebrating the big news in the ways of the tigers.
It was only hours later, when Derek's playmate had disappeared and she herself had nestled into her night quarters, when she realized what the pregnancy really meant: After her cubs would be born, she would become human again. But if this repercussion had come to her mind only now, then why had she been so overjoyed at the prospect of being pregnant before? And even more curious, why was thought of becoming human again making her... sentimental...?
The tigress spent the entire night pondering these two questions, and although the answers were straightforward, they disturbed her greatly.
"They are beautiful."
Derek didn't even turn towards the whispered voice anymore. By now, she'd become accustomed to Mother Nature popping up unannounced. Instead, she continued licking the two cubs she had born barely half an hour ago. They were so tiny and clumsy... it was almost unthinkable that they'd become massive, proud tigers in time. And yet they would... if they'd be protected until then. Yeah, they are... she responded softly. Then she hesitated for a moment... And... thank you.
"For what?" For once, Mother Nature's voice was full of compassion.
This chance. This opportunity. This experience. Lovingly, Derek stared at her babies. My life as a human was empty... unfulfilled. There was nothing, no love, no joy. There's nothing I could have achieved in that life which would have come even close to this wonder of life you've made possible.
For a split second, Mother Nature's eyes seemed to water. Then though, her lips curled into a smile. "Don't forget that it's a punishment, not a gift." she murmured.
Then thank you for the punishment. I needed it. Derek replied sincerely before turning all her attention to her struggling cubs again.
Mother Nature coughed slightly. "Oh, I see that I'm kind of interrupting at the moment. I just wanted to give you my congratulations. But before I go..." her voice became serious again and Derek raised her head to look at the woman, the goddess, who was responsible for the greatest joy she'd ever felt in her life. "...your punishment is nearly over. Of course you still need to care for your cubs, but that won't be forever. So when they are old enough to leave your care... call me. And I will remove the curse I've put on you a long time ago."
Derek silently lowered her head in agreement, but suddenly there was sorrow in her eyes, not happiness.
Annoyed at the interruption, Derek turned her head towards the beautiful woman which had appeared out of nowhere and growled angrily. Get out of the sun. It was just getting comfy!
The goddess chuckled but followed the request and stepped a couple of yards to the side.
With a blissful mewl, the large black and orange tigress in front of her stretched all her legs to the side and basked in the warm winter sun. It wasn't exactly freezing, but the air was cold, so every sunbeam offered valuable energy and comfort. This is the life...
Mother Nature furrowed her brows, then went down on her knees to kneed the animal's head. "Quite the pampered kitty cat you've become..." she commented to the large cat's deep, resonant purr. "If I wouldn't know better, I'd say that you enjoy this."
Derek shrugged, a strange looking gesture if done by a predator of his size. I'm just making the best of my situation... should I sulk and whine the whole day long?
The goddess grinned. "Hardly. But you're taking this better then I'd have expected. This was supposed to be a punishment, and you've turned it into some kind of holiday."
So what? Derek bristled. This is a thousand times better than before. I don't have to steal, I don't have to hide. True, I'm in a fenced enclosure, but do you see any fences? She shook her massive head, flashing mighty teeth. They are there, but the enclosure's big enough for me to roam around for hours and not meet any barriers.
"Hm." for a few moments, there was silence. "Better than your ordeal out in the urbanized land? That for sure, I reckon. And... also better then your life before that? When you were still human."
Don't be silly. Derek retorted quickly, but there was no fire in her response, and she knew perfectly well that she wasn't fooling anyone, neither the smirking goddess, nor herself. Over the last few months, she'd felt more alive than ever before in her life. And it scared her to have to admit that, as an animal, she was way closer to happiness than she'd been as a human. You know, you could visit more often and ruffle my fur. She thought therefore, trying to change the topic.
Again, the goddess chuckled. "Oh, you like this, don't you? Almost as much as you like Khan playing with you?"
For once, Derek was thankful to be covered in fur, because she felt the blood rush to her head. What are you talking of? she complained feebly. Why should I like being violated by an animal? That's ridiculous!
Mother Nature laughed brightly. "Well, you're sneaking into Khan's area suspiciously often. Why are you actively seeking him out if you don't like the, err, 'activities' you two do together?"
Because getting pregnant is my ticket back to humanity. Derek responded halfheartedly. Again she wasn't fooling anybody, much less Mother Nature.
The woman chuckled again, but just like before, she chose to not question further. Instead, her crawling hands went a good deal south on the tigress's body. "If that's the case, you're probably quite relieved that it's finally worked."
At once, Derek was wide awake, staring into the goddess's smirking face astonished. Was she actually saying that...
"Oh, absolutely. You're expecting. My comment regarding you getting fat wasn't just a vibe." Almost lovingly, she patted Derek's soft paunch. "You'll become a mommy. And I can't even wait to see the first South China Tiger cubs being born outside a zoo in decades!"
Stupefied, the tigress stared at the goddess for a few moments. Then she started to giggle mentally. I'm pregnant? By Khan? Oh wow... oh wow! Excited, Derek started to bounce up and down on all fours, much to the goddess's amusement. For a few moments, she watched the cavorting tigress. Then Mother Nature's human form flickered like a mirage, and moments later, a beautiful tigress stretched herself in her place.
Derek had only a few seconds to appreciate her dialogue partner's change, then the other tigress leaped upon her, distributing playful paw swipes. Moments later, the two tigers were wrestling and playing with each other, celebrating the big news in the ways of the tigers.
It was only hours later, when Derek's playmate had disappeared and she herself had nestled into her night quarters, when she realized what the pregnancy really meant: After her cubs would be born, she would become human again. But if this repercussion had come to her mind only now, then why had she been so overjoyed at the prospect of being pregnant before? And even more curious, why was thought of becoming human again making her... sentimental...?
The tigress spent the entire night pondering these two questions, and although the answers were straightforward, they disturbed her greatly.
***************************************************
"They are beautiful."
Derek didn't even turn towards the whispered voice anymore. By now, she'd become accustomed to Mother Nature popping up unannounced. Instead, she continued licking the two cubs she had born barely half an hour ago. They were so tiny and clumsy... it was almost unthinkable that they'd become massive, proud tigers in time. And yet they would... if they'd be protected until then. Yeah, they are... she responded softly. Then she hesitated for a moment... And... thank you.
"For what?" For once, Mother Nature's voice was full of compassion.
This chance. This opportunity. This experience. Lovingly, Derek stared at her babies. My life as a human was empty... unfulfilled. There was nothing, no love, no joy. There's nothing I could have achieved in that life which would have come even close to this wonder of life you've made possible.
For a split second, Mother Nature's eyes seemed to water. Then though, her lips curled into a smile. "Don't forget that it's a punishment, not a gift." she murmured.
Then thank you for the punishment. I needed it. Derek replied sincerely before turning all her attention to her struggling cubs again.
Mother Nature coughed slightly. "Oh, I see that I'm kind of interrupting at the moment. I just wanted to give you my congratulations. But before I go..." her voice became serious again and Derek raised her head to look at the woman, the goddess, who was responsible for the greatest joy she'd ever felt in her life. "...your punishment is nearly over. Of course you still need to care for your cubs, but that won't be forever. So when they are old enough to leave your care... call me. And I will remove the curse I've put on you a long time ago."
Derek silently lowered her head in agreement, but suddenly there was sorrow in her eyes, not happiness.
***************************************************
"You're pregnant again."
It wasn't a question, it was a statement, and Derek opened her eyes to peer at Mother Nature. She was relaxing on her favorite, sunny spot, dwelling in the sounds her quarreling children made while playing with each other. Kendra and Ashraf, the names their human caretakers had given them, had blossomed into a proud pair of juvenile tigers capable of hunting their own food. That she still hunted with them was more or less a conscious decision on their mother's part, not any need of them still needing care.
You haven't visited since I've given birth. That, too, was a statement and Mother Nature nodded, crawling Derek's fur like she'd done multiple times in the past. The tigress responded with a blissful purr.
"I was waiting for your call." The goddess said with a smile. "It never came. And now I see you're pregnant again. I fear I can't change you back until your next litter is born."
Derek yawned loudly. What a pity... she thought relieved. Well... I guess I have to spend some more time as a tigress then...
Mother Nature smiled. "You don't seem too upset. You didn't call me because you don't want to become human again, isn't that so?"
It wasn't a conscious decision, no. The tigress conceded. Actually, the thought never crossed my mind. That's why I didn't call you. It simply didn't occur to me. My life was full after all. And then... I met Khan again... and... it happened. Even though I can't deny that I'm happy at your exclamation. So I guess you are right. It took me months to realize it, and even more months to come clean with my heart's desire, but I really don't want to become human anymore.
"Why?" the goddess simply asked, looking Derek deep into the eyes. The tigress shuddered. Suddenly, it was like that fateful day again, when she'd met her for the first time, and when her piercing stare had released something in the terrified, quivering human she'd been. Only that then her stare had been raging fury, whereas now it was gentle compassion.
This... this is my life now. She explained calmly. It's not the life I have chosen, but it's a good life. Better than my old. It matters. When I'd been human, my life hadn't mattered. I... I hope that's enough for you, because... I beg you, please don't turn me back!
Sighing, the goddess looked into the desperate eyes of the large cat cowering in front of her. "No, I won't." She confessed. Then she slowly stretched out her hand, laying it flat onto Derek's skull. "But I have cursed you, and I can't let you live with a curse... therefore..." she concentrated. "There, done."
Derek cocked her head questioningly. What did you do? I feel... different. More... energetic.
The godly woman grinned impishly. "Oh, not much. I only removed my curse... and instead bestowed a blessing of long life. You'll have the life span of a human. I think that's a gift you deserve. You'll be able to watch countless generations of tigers to grow, to watch your species thriving again."
Derek could barely keep the excitement out of her thoughts. So I'll...?
"Stay a tiger? Absolutely- owh, stop that!" Mother Nature giggled as she suddenly had 300 pounds of tiger putting its front paws on her shoulders and a giant, slobbery tongue licking her face. Any normal human would have buckled under the weight, but Derek had been sure that a goddess was made of sterner stuff. Apparently right so. Mother Nature didn't even twitch.
But thank you! Thank you very much! I don't know how I can ever repay you for this gift!
"Shoo!" As if Derek was a normal house cat, the goddess grabbed her and put her down. "Don't thank me. Thank Fate for bringing us together. I think that in this case, I was just another tool of Fate, just like you. This was what had been planned for you all along."
Uncomprehendingly Derek cocked her head. I don't understand... do you mean how we two have met?
Mother Nature chuckled. "Among others. No, there's something I only noticed when you'd given birth, let's call it a 'hint' left-behind by Fate. Say... when were you born?"
Um... startled by the sudden non-sequitur, Derek had to think for a moment. 16th of July 1986... why?
"Oh, you surely have heard of the Chinese zodiacs, have you? And it just happens that July 1986 is flat inside the year of the tiger." She smiled at the proud tigress in front of her. "Quite a fitting birth date in your case, don't you think so?
It wasn't a question, it was a statement, and Derek opened her eyes to peer at Mother Nature. She was relaxing on her favorite, sunny spot, dwelling in the sounds her quarreling children made while playing with each other. Kendra and Ashraf, the names their human caretakers had given them, had blossomed into a proud pair of juvenile tigers capable of hunting their own food. That she still hunted with them was more or less a conscious decision on their mother's part, not any need of them still needing care.
You haven't visited since I've given birth. That, too, was a statement and Mother Nature nodded, crawling Derek's fur like she'd done multiple times in the past. The tigress responded with a blissful purr.
"I was waiting for your call." The goddess said with a smile. "It never came. And now I see you're pregnant again. I fear I can't change you back until your next litter is born."
Derek yawned loudly. What a pity... she thought relieved. Well... I guess I have to spend some more time as a tigress then...
Mother Nature smiled. "You don't seem too upset. You didn't call me because you don't want to become human again, isn't that so?"
It wasn't a conscious decision, no. The tigress conceded. Actually, the thought never crossed my mind. That's why I didn't call you. It simply didn't occur to me. My life was full after all. And then... I met Khan again... and... it happened. Even though I can't deny that I'm happy at your exclamation. So I guess you are right. It took me months to realize it, and even more months to come clean with my heart's desire, but I really don't want to become human anymore.
"Why?" the goddess simply asked, looking Derek deep into the eyes. The tigress shuddered. Suddenly, it was like that fateful day again, when she'd met her for the first time, and when her piercing stare had released something in the terrified, quivering human she'd been. Only that then her stare had been raging fury, whereas now it was gentle compassion.
This... this is my life now. She explained calmly. It's not the life I have chosen, but it's a good life. Better than my old. It matters. When I'd been human, my life hadn't mattered. I... I hope that's enough for you, because... I beg you, please don't turn me back!
Sighing, the goddess looked into the desperate eyes of the large cat cowering in front of her. "No, I won't." She confessed. Then she slowly stretched out her hand, laying it flat onto Derek's skull. "But I have cursed you, and I can't let you live with a curse... therefore..." she concentrated. "There, done."
Derek cocked her head questioningly. What did you do? I feel... different. More... energetic.
The godly woman grinned impishly. "Oh, not much. I only removed my curse... and instead bestowed a blessing of long life. You'll have the life span of a human. I think that's a gift you deserve. You'll be able to watch countless generations of tigers to grow, to watch your species thriving again."
Derek could barely keep the excitement out of her thoughts. So I'll...?
"Stay a tiger? Absolutely- owh, stop that!" Mother Nature giggled as she suddenly had 300 pounds of tiger putting its front paws on her shoulders and a giant, slobbery tongue licking her face. Any normal human would have buckled under the weight, but Derek had been sure that a goddess was made of sterner stuff. Apparently right so. Mother Nature didn't even twitch.
But thank you! Thank you very much! I don't know how I can ever repay you for this gift!
"Shoo!" As if Derek was a normal house cat, the goddess grabbed her and put her down. "Don't thank me. Thank Fate for bringing us together. I think that in this case, I was just another tool of Fate, just like you. This was what had been planned for you all along."
Uncomprehendingly Derek cocked her head. I don't understand... do you mean how we two have met?
Mother Nature chuckled. "Among others. No, there's something I only noticed when you'd given birth, let's call it a 'hint' left-behind by Fate. Say... when were you born?"
Um... startled by the sudden non-sequitur, Derek had to think for a moment. 16th of July 1986... why?
"Oh, you surely have heard of the Chinese zodiacs, have you? And it just happens that July 1986 is flat inside the year of the tiger." She smiled at the proud tigress in front of her. "Quite a fitting birth date in your case, don't you think so?