Tell Her Tail

by Matthais Unidostres

Chapter 3

Allura, dazed, from catnip's spell,
A peaceful slumber, she did dwell
Twitch, too, sought rest, so sweet and deep,
Curled on her belly, fast asleep

The jungle's sounds, now soft and low,
As slumber's peace began to grow
Allura's purr, a soothing sound,
As peaceful dreams did now abound

Together, they, in slumber's bliss,
Found respite from their trials and stress
Their weary bodies, now at ease,
As night's calm shadows filled the trees

---

Allura awoke with a start, blinking rapidly as the haze of the catnip faded from her mind. She shook her head, feeling a bit disoriented, and found herself sprawled on her back. For a brief moment, she was tempted to close her eyes again and drift back into that strange, blissful state, but then she remembered where she was and who she was supposed to be.

The thick, humid air of the jungle flooded her senses. Her head still felt slightly fuzzy from the remnants of her catnip-induced stupor, still lingering like a fading dream. She blinked a few times, her golden eyes sharpening back into their usual calculating gleam. She sat up abruptly, causing Twitch, who was still napping on her stomach, to tumble off with a startled squeak.

"Alright, nap time's over," Allura commanded, shaking off the last vestiges of her bizarre behavior. She stretched her muscles, a low growl escaping her throat as her claws flexed. "Get up, Twitch. We’ve got to keep moving."

She rolled onto her paws, shaking off the last remnants of her temporary daze, and glared down at Twitch. The rabbit stood up and blinked, rubbing his eyes with his tiny paws. He looked up and gave her a look that said, “You’re the one who was snoring like a cub.”

“Come on, Twitch, enough dawdling!” Allura hissed, pushing past him. "Let’s just focus on getting off this island and back to Eques—"

Her words were cut off by a sudden rustling in the bushes. Twitch’s ears shot straight up, his nose twitching furiously as he sensed movement all around them. Before either of them could react, the jungle erupted with sound. A group of brightly colored rabbits, wielding tiny spears made from sharpened twigs and bound with vines, sprang out from behind the undergrowth. They formed a circle around Allura and Twitch, their eyes wide and their expressions fierce.

Allura’s fur bristled as she crouched low, ready to pounce. “Great. Just what we needed. More rabbits,” she muttered, her tail flicking back and forth with irritation.

Twitch, however, stared at the newcomers, his whiskers twitching with curiosity. These rabbits were different from him. Their fur was brighter, almost neon in color—greens, yellows, blues, and pinks that seemed to glow against the rich greens of the jungle. Their eyes were wide and expressive, chattering in rapid, excited tones as they closed in.

One of the rabbits spotted Twitch and froze, its eyes growing even wider. It chattered something in its strange language, pointing a paw at him. The others followed its gaze, and suddenly, they all dropped to their knees, bowing low before him.

Twitch blinked, his ears drooping in confusion. He shot a questioning glance up at Allura, who, for a moment, looked just as baffled as he was. Then, slowly, a sly smile spread across her face. She leaned down close to Twitch, her voice low and conspiratorial. “Looks like they think you’re someone important,” she whispered. “Maybe even their king or something. We could use that, you know. Play along, and we might just get ourselves some allies—or at least some free food.”

Twitch’s ears twitched nervously. He wasn’t sure about this. The whole situation felt strange, and something in his gut told him not to trust it. But when he saw Allura’s eyes gleaming with that mischievous, cunning light, he knew she wouldn’t let him back out now. With a small, reluctant nod, he decided to play along.

He puffed out his chest and hopped forward with a confident bounce, trying to imitate what he imagined a royal rabbit might look like. The island rabbits squeaked with joy and quickly ushered them toward their territory—a large clearing in the jungle filled with burrows, woven nests, and even small huts crafted from leaves and sticks.

In the center of the clearing, they were presented with a grand feast laid out on broad banana leaves. Fruits of every shape and color, crisp vegetables, juicy mushrooms, and various types of boiled beans were arranged in an elaborate spread, clearly meant to impress. Several rabbits hopped around the winged snow leopard, gesturing for her to eat her fill.

Allura’s eyes lit up at the sight of the food. Her stomach growled loudly, and without hesitation, she leapt forward, her mouth already open to take the first bite. “Well, don’t mind if I do!” she declared, pouncing on the nearest pile of ripe berries and sinking her teeth into them with gusto. Juice dribbled down her chin as she tore into the feast, oblivious to anything else around her.

Twitch, on the other hand, remained wary. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. As the rabbits cheered Allura on, he spotted a hollowed-out tree stump to the side, filled with plants and herbs that looked oddly familiar. He hopped over and sniffed cautiously, his nose twitching with recognition. It was a makeshift medicine chest, filled with healing plants and roots.

Among the various herbs, his eyes landed on a particular mushroom—a plump, round specimen with a blue cap. His heart leapt in his chest. He recognized it immediately: a healing mushroom known to absorb and disperse excess magical energy. This was exactly what Allura needed to fly again!

Twitch darted forward, grabbed the mushroom with his paws, and looked over at Allura. She was too busy stuffing her face with beans and meaty mushrooms, the closest thing to actual meat she could get at the moment, to notice him. He sighed impatiently and tucked the mushroom away in the thick fur on his side, making sure it was safely hidden. He would give it to her later when things calmed down.

But just as he turned back, two of the brightly colored rabbits appeared beside him, chattering excitedly. They began to adorn him with necklaces made of woven grass and bright flowers. A makeshift crown crafted from twigs and colorful feathers was placed upon his head. Twitch blinked and tried to keep still as they fussed over him, but the feeling in his gut only grew stronger. This didn’t feel like a coronation—it felt like a trap. But for who?

He glanced over at Allura, still feasting with abandon, her eyes half-lidded in pleasure as she devoured the food. Clearly she had still been hungry from her time stuck on that ice floe, and those few berries she had eaten when they first arrived hadn't nearly been enough. Luckily, this feast seemed to be just what she needed to regain her full physical strength, although her ice magic most likely wouldn't be returning for a while.

In spite of Allura’s contented feasting, Twitch's ears drooped a little. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something weird was about to happen, something somecreature wouldn’t like. But what could he do? He was in too deep now.

Allura licked her chops and let out a satisfied sigh, stretching luxuriously. The feast had been better than anything she’d eaten in days—maybe weeks. She felt full, warm, and far too content for a snow leopard in her situation. Twitch, on the other hand, was still fidgeting with his new crown, his nose twitching anxiously as the island rabbits began to chatter and gesture for them to follow.

“Alright, where are they taking us now?” Allura asked, still basking in the afterglow of her meal. “Hopefully to an even bigger banquet hall, hmm?”

Twitch didn’t respond, just gave her a wary side-eye, his foot tapping with nervous energy. Still, he hopped along beside her as the brightly colored rabbits led them deeper into the jungle, their small feet pattering over the moss-covered ground. Allura kept her pace leisurely, her belly full and her mind drifting lazily over schemes and possibilities.

After a short trek, they emerged into a clearing dominated by a wide volcanic crater, not towering or menacing, but more like a deep, jagged hole in the ground with an ominous red glow emanating from within. The heat radiating from the pit made the air shimmer, and a low rumble hummed in the background, like a distant growl.

The rabbits gathered around a large rock near the crater's edge. One of them pointed at it excitedly, and Allura squinted to get a better look. The rock was painted with a crude but clear image: a rabbit that looked suspiciously like Twitch, standing tall and proud on the chest of a big cat that, in turn, bore a striking resemblance to her. The cat lay sprawled on its back, its wings folded uselessly against its sides.

Allura snorted and flicked her tail, a wry smile spreading across her face. “Ah, I see,” she mused aloud, tilting her head to study the painting more closely. “The old ‘prophesized ruler’ routine. We’ve hit the jackpot, Twitch! All we have to do is play along, and we’ll be worshipped as rulers. Not a bad deal, hmm?”

Twitch still didn’t speak, but he shot her a look that was both annoyed and worried, his ears flattening slightly against his head.

But before Allura could revel in her imagined future any further, one of the rabbits hopped forward and pointed to another rock, this one closer to the crater's edge. Her smile faded as she saw the painting on this stone: it showed the rabbits, these brightly colored islanders, lifting a large, winged big cat—her, unmistakably—over their heads and tossing her into the volcano below.

Allura’s eyes widened, her smirk vanishing in an instant. “What—?”

She glanced down at Twitch, who had folded his arms and was giving her a pointed look that seemed to say, “I told you so.”

Allura took a step back, her instincts screaming at her to run, but before she could spring away, her legs wobbled and then went completely limp beneath her. She fell to the ground with a heavy thud, her limbs useless and her head spinning. “No… no, no, no!” she stammered, her voice rising in panic. “The food—it was drugged!”

The island rabbits erupted into gleeful chattering, their voices like high-pitched giggles. They closed in around her, grabbing hold of her paws, her tail, her shoulders. Allura tried to fight, but her legs wouldn’t respond. She attempted to bite at them, but they were all just out of reach. All she could do was watch in horror as they lifted her up, carrying her toward the edge of the crater. She felt the heat intensifying, the air growing hotter with each step.

“No! Let me go, you little pests!” she roared.

The rabbits ignored her. With a collective cheer, they heaved her over the edge and into the yawning mouth of the crater.

Allura's heart jumped into her throat as she felt herself falling, tumbling end over end toward the molten lava far below. The heat was unbearable, like a furnace blast against her fur. She tried to flap her wings, but they were still useless, still heavy and sparking from the magical overload that landed her in this situation to begin with. At that moment, she believed she would die cursing Sunny Starscout and her friends.

But then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something that made her gasp. Twitch had jumped in after her! The small rabbit was diving through the air, his tiny body a purple blur against the glowing backdrop of the crater. In his paw, he clutched something—a small, blue-capped mushroom, the same one he had tucked away earlier.

Allura’s eyes widened with realization. She stuck her tongue out as far as she could, reaching desperately as Twitch extended his arm, stretching every muscle in his tiny body to reach her. She felt the mushroom brush against the tip of her tongue, and she craned her neck, straining to grab it.

At the last possible moment, she felt her tongue wrap around the mushroom. She snatched it into her mouth, chewing frantically. The taste was earthy and bitter, but she swallowed it down in one gulp. Almost instantly, a tingling sensation spread through her body, radiating from her back to the tips of her wings. She could feel the crackling magic fade from her wings, her powers of flight reawakening.

Her wings snapped open, powerful and strong. She caught Twitch in her forepaws just as he began to fall past her. With a mighty flap, she beat her wings against the hot air, pulling them up just in time. The heat of the magma brushed their fur as they shot upward, riding the thermal drafts out of the crater.

The rabbits at the crater’s edge watched in disbelief as Allura and Twitch soared out of the pit, climbing higher and higher into the sky. They chattered angrily, waving their spears in frustration, but there was nothing they could do.

Allura let out a triumphant laugh that echoed across the jungle. She looped and twirled in the air, feeling the wind rush past her face, her wings feeling stronger than ever. She clutched Twitch close to her chest as she flew up, up, and away from the island.

“See, Twitch?” she called over the roar of the wind. “I told you we’d be fine! Just a minor setback!”

Twitch glanced up at her, his expression a mix of exasperation and relief, but he didn't argue. Instead, he nestled closer into her fur, his tiny paws holding on tight.

With a few more powerful flaps, Allura left the island far behind, the jungle fading into a small green dot against the vast blue of the ocean below. She soared higher, catching a strong tailwind, and together they flew off into the distance, the open ocean stretching endlessly before them, ready for whatever adventure lay next.