Neo stopped the car, the sun still hadn't risen and thus remained a deep dark black. The sand however was a glowing white, and so the light came from the ground, burning so hot that when he stepped out onto it the sand beneath his feet turned to a black crystal. He turned toward the car (a 1923 Rolls Royce Phantom III) and took a glance at his friend who was still asleep, still unaware of this world. They would wake soon. Neo climbed out of the car and fell into the step of a tiger; and when his paws hit the sand the ground that met them turned into black crystal.

Each stripe of his was a waterfall of neon colors, each following the same cycle of color. The rest of his fur was as black as the sky, and if it weren’t for his stripes he would be able to blend better. Neo shook off his clothes, kicking them into a pile just before they disappeared into a array of neon pink sparkles. With one last glance at the car he turned and bounded up the sand dunes, leaving trail of prints behind him which remained until wind passed through the desert and the sand swept them up.

After putting some distance between himself and the car he glanced back at it, and from where he was it looked only like a shadow of something greater, He glanced around the desert, slowly lifting his paw from the sand, when he seemed to find nothing of significance he tapped his paw down twice and revealed the prints of someone else. With a huff Neo followed the path, rubies weaved in and out of the dunes, reach of the strides seemed much longer than his, each print much bigger.

All along the way the song from the car followed after him, just and crisp and clear as if he was right next to it, and the sound only began to fade once the wind picked up and erased the path he was following. Neo paused and tamped the ground again, the trail appeared but the wind was too quick and so he closed his eyes, listening for the familiar sound of a river. His ears moved just ever so slightly toward the sound. Neo opened his eyes once more, green slits looking off toward the sound. Without hesitation he lept toward it, and eventually spotted the runes of a gand temple, and a set of golden steps moving toward it in the distance.

In the center of the temple sat a 14ft sabertooth who looked down on Neo with disapproval. In front of the sabertooth sat a lion and a leopard; the lions mane flashed between different neons, and the rest of his fur was pure white. She paid no mind to Neo when he sat down beside her, but it was clear that the lion was aware of his presence. The leopard however stared at Neo from the corner of her eye as he sat down next to her, her red gaze seeming like almost a warning. Her fur was white, except for her spots that swirled neon as well. Neo turned his attention back to the sabertooth who had already stood from her position; Neo, the lion, and the leopard all bowed their heads The sabertooth, with fur that blinked between black and white, approached each one of them individually. The leopard first, next the lion, dropping a bundle of supplies in front of both of them, with a nod she motioned for them to leave. Finally she paused in front of Neo and glanced up at the sky, he followed her gaze and saw that the moon was almost full, and when he looked back down she was gone. Neo glanced around, finding that the ruins around him were empty, he took the bag that was left for him and went back to the car.

Once he returned he found that his companion had made camp, they had pitched a tent, and made mess of the inside of the car. Neo approached the little camp slowly, as calmly as he could before he pushed back the curtain to the inside of the tent. There slept his friend, exhausted by the heat and the endlessness of the desert. Neo dropped the supplies in front of his friend, and for just a moment he found himself changing forms and running his fingers through his friends hair. He smiled a little at the familiar feeling, but the smile quickly faded as the human began to stir. His heart leapt and he quickly turned back into a tiger.

“Welcome back Neo,” the traveler said, their voice and brown eyes bogged down by sleep as they tried to give Neo their full attention.

The traveler reached out to him, and carefully Neo pressed his head into their hand, earning a smile from his companion. Neo curled up next to them, finding comfort in their touch as they pressed their own head into his fur and drifted back to sleep.