Humankind debated the existence of magic. Countless books, documents, and movies preserved their need for discovery – for their profound curiosity in wizards, magical spells, and rabbits trapped in black hats. Society's obsession with such a feat mesmerized Cerberus, the Guardian Beast of the Seal. He wasn't sure why humans were so perplexed by it. Magic appeared every single day, at least if they wanted it to.
Like now, for example. It was pure magic as Kero smashed through mushroom kingdoms and bopped bad turtles on their heads. Mystical forces tried to inhibit him from grabbing a baseball bat and using it to KO his foes. And it wasn't a coincidence to see the phantom hand – his arch enemy, the final boss – waving in his face, teasing him to use his own abilities to defeat him.
"KYYY-YYYAAAAAA!" bellowed Kero as he repeated mashed the A button.
This was a typical Saturday scenario in the Kinomoto household – Touya would go off to work at whatever job he'd signed up for that week, Sakura and Tomoyo would grace the local shops or perhaps picnic in the park, and Fujitaka (now fully aware of their own magical situation) would leave for food shopping.
That left Kero alone. And boy, did Kero like being alone – in the company of a TV and game console, of course.
"Come on, COME ON!" Kero cried louder. He scored a heart container and picked up a hammer – the item begin to shake, knocking out the rest of the enemy hand's hit points. In a mass of virtual sparks, the hand finally dissipated, leaving the lone hero victorious.
But Kero wasn't satisfied. There was still work to be done. "Go, go, GO, GO!" Kero chanted repeatedly.
The credits rolled, and the fated message finally appeared: Challenger Approaching
"YEAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" came the victory screech. Up on the screen, the mutated wizard-lord approached the pink puff-ball, an epic battle approaching.
As Kero smashed down on his buttons (the enemy kept flying his character off the screen, repeatedly), he took little noticed of the sound of the doorbell ringing. Whoever it was could wait. The fight should last only a few minutes longer.
But the bell was persistent – and Kero fought harder. The damage of the two fighters on screen quickly added up, and it was a struggle to keep his puff afloat. Video game physics were so not on his side right now.
Kero revved up for the fatal blow, the one that would knock his opponent straight to the backdrop of the screen. Only seconds remained until –
FWAK! The door swung open, leaving Kero distracted for just a second – but it was long enough to seal the deal. The dark lord, heavier and deadlier in his weakness, knocked Kero's puff right off the side the screen. The match ended, and Kero was brought back to the home screen.
"What," was Kero's blank response. It took him a moment to register what had happened. Then -
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?" The little bear beast fumed with the fury of a thousand flames. He pulled his ears and wailed.
"Arrgh!" Kero threw the controller at the TV and hit it square in the center. It instantly turned off with an audible click, the colorful screen fading to lifeless black.
"Sorry, Kero," came a soft, meek voice.
The Guardian Beast looked up from his tantrum to see Yukito, his eyes dancing with laughter, standing right in the doorway. Apparently he'd let himself in after no one came to the door.
"It took me all day to rack up those battles," Kero grumbled.
Yukito actually giggled this time, his hand stifling his cute laughter. He studied Kero a moment before daring to speak. "Yue says…'Get over yourself, Brother.'"
"TELL HIM TO COME OUT AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE!" yelled Kero, who's tiny, stubby wings fluttered with unleashed anger.
"Maybe later, Kero," replied Yukito, who's laughter faded into his signature smile. "I've something else to discuss with you. Come downstairs – you'll see what I mean."
"Is it pudding?" said Kero hopefully, his loss now a million miles away. Pudding would make up for such a humiliating defeat.
"Come and see," Yukito repeated, already working his way down the steps.
Kero took off from the pillow he was seated upon, curiosity and hunger rumbling in his tummy. Even if it wasn't pudding, he sure hoped it was something sweet.
As the tiny figured descended the stairs, an object came into his view. An ordinary, brown box sat in the middle of the hallway, nearly blocking the front door. Once the duo approached the box, it actually moved.
"What the - ! Yukito, what's this about!" the beast started. Yukito said nothing, only opening the box in return. He lifted up something small from the bottom.
It was furry. It was tiny. And it was meowing.
A kitten, colored like the pattern of a quilt, stared at the befuddled airborne guardian.
"I can't eat a kitten," Kero blurted before he could stop himself.
"I'm not asking you to eat it!" said Yukito, shaking his head and smiling. He stroked the kitten as it settled in his arms and started to purr. "You've gotta take care of this little one for a while."
"Excuse me?"
"It found me," said Yukito gently. "I was outside, pruning my rose bush, and she was stuck under some of the brush." Yukito then added sadly, "I think her mother abandoned her." The kitten closed its eyes in happy bliss. "Touya told me to bring it here, but I think he expected Sakura to be home by now."
Kero fluttered up to the creature, still at ease in the young man's hands. The kitten was about the size of himself, perhaps a bit smaller. Its multi-colored patches splashed over its skin like a child's painting. For a moment, its eyes peeked open, settling on the Guardian Beast. It simply smiled its kitty smile.
"I think you can handle her until Sakura comes home," continued Yukito. "It shouldn't be long."
Kero's eyebrows knotted in uninhibited frustration. First, he spent the entire morning fighting battles to unlock a new secret character, only for the final battle to be ended because of a dumb distraction and dumber video game logic. Then, when he had expected Yukito to greet him with dessert, he found a kitten instead. His Saturday was not going well.
"Why can't you keep it at your house?" attempted Kero.
"I'm helping Touya out at the toy store today. He's leaving a bit early, so his shift ends in a half hour." Yukito then paused as if reluctant to continue. "I wish I could keep her but…Yue doesn't want it in the house."
Kero's frown deepened. "Of course Yue doesn't want it in the house!" shouted Kero. He put his arms up in a haughty gesture. "Wouldn't want to this demon creature to wreck his perfect widdle toenails!"
Yukito suddenly whacked Kero upside the head. The shocked look on Yukito's face would have had Kero laughing in stitches, if it were any other guardian being bopped. "Sorry about that," Yukito apologized, realizing Yue's subconscious actions instantly. A moment passed before he added, "Yue isn't sorry."
With that, Yukito placed the kitten on the rug and turned on his heels before Kero could delay any further. "Just hang out with her, okay, Kero? I know you will be a great cat sitter!" He waved as he made his quick departure.
"But – but – but –" Kero started to debate, but it was useless. Yukito was already gone.
The Sun Guardian turned around and gazed at the tiny thing sitting inconspicuously on the door mat. It tilted its head ever so slightly, as if to inquire if there was, in fact, a problem.
"What's your DEAL, cat?" Kero reprimanded. The kitten promptly flopped on its back, exposing its downy belly. She held her little paws up to her face – an open invitation for petting and cuddles.
Kero would not have it. "Oh no. Don't you even think about it!" He began up the stairs again, leaving an utterly confused kitty on the rug. "You've put a damper on my plans so far, cat! I've got unfinished business!" He paused mid-flight, just long enough to look around the empty house. Then he added, "Help yourself!" before zooming back into Sakura's room.
As Kero entered, he noticed his pillow was knocked off his usual gaming seat. He went to place it back in its spot, his little arms nearly buckling with the bulky item.
Not a minute after Kero placed the pillow in the perfect spot did he hear a sound come from down stairs. He ignored it. He proceeded to ignore the second and third small noises that came from below as he re-booted the TV and console. When the fourth sound was a rather loud crash, Kero thought there might possibly be something going on downstairs.
He languidly fluttered out the door, rolling his eyes to see what the little pest was up to. She wasn't on the rug, so Kero took to the kitchen. Kero wasn't really worried – not until he noticed the recyclables sprawled across the floor.
"Arghh!" Kero angrily bellowed for the second time that day. "Where you at, cat?"
It didn't take long to know the answer. The calico, after making a spectacle of the various cans, cartons, and boxes laid out for trash, had dragged the empty milk jug under the table. She was currently batting at it with her sharp claws, and already succeeded in making several dents and cuts in the plastic. The kitten looked at Kero, its beady eyes doubling in size as she took the flying beast in. "Meow?" she asked curiously.
"Don't give me that!" responded an irate Kero. "I thought I told you to stay put, cat!"
The cat stood her neck up stick-straight; to Kero, it almost seemed as if she were dubious, doubting the guardians words. Without warning, she bolted from under the table, ran to the counter, and leaped on top of it.
Height wasn't an issue for Kero, but the nerve of this cat was…well, getting on his nerves! "Get down! Your dirty paws are making a mess!"
The kitten flicked its tail and shot Kero a look of pure annoyance. It then spotted an opened package of crackers on the counter. Disregarding Kero's words, the cat strolled up to it and sniffed the box.
It must have been useless to the cat. With one paw, it batted the cracker box off the counter as if it were swatting a fly. The wheat squares shattered onto the floor like a broken mosaic.
Before Kero could even begin to protest, the cat nudged an abandoned glass of water off the counter too. It made a wet sploosh as it smacked the floor – thankfully, it was a plastic cup, so Kero didn't need to pick up glass with soggy crackers.
Kero was speechless – shocked, and speechless. In the silence of the house, he could hear his game's theme music on a loop, teasing him to a far off in another land, as it stayed unplayed and on the home screen.
The cat pranced upon the cracker-water-muck and again sniffed. Unsatisfied, it bolted into the living room, leaving a trail of mushed up mess.
The guardian beast pulled the fur on its head. "CAT!" He immediately took off after the animal.
At first, there was no sign of the wayward kitten. With a closer eye, however, Kero noticed the line of wet spots that led under the couch.
Stealth was never Kero's strong suit. Good thing Kero planned on not using it.
The guardian plopped on the floor and smacked the couch's fabric duster out of the way. In the murky darkness, two gems floated into vision – one green like an ice pop, the other blue like a bonbon.
"Huh," mused Kero, "Your eyes are two different colors, cat."
The gems remained unblinking, but they did burrow in annoyance. The actual cat, however, did not move an inch.
It would have been nice for the cat to just squat there for the remainder of the day, but something nagged Kero. That little, itty bitty part of him that knew he should do the right thing. What did Sakura call it? His con…conscien…con-artist? That was it. Kero decided he should listen to his con-artist. With a small sigh, he attempted, "Here, kitty, kitty…"
A low, melodious sound came from the floating eyeballs. It sounded rather sad and – Kero noted with some guilt – scared.
"It's okay, cat, I'll try not to yell at ya anymore." Kero let go of the duster, submitting to the dark underbelly of the sofa. He could still see the refraction of the kitten's eyes. Ever so slowly, he approached the creature until he could make out its features and smell its stinky kitty breath. Just then, a low rumble came from somewhere. Kero patted his belly, expecting to hear it grumble again, only to realize the sound did not come from him. It came from the cat.
The milk carton…the soggy crackers…."You're hungry, cat!" Kero could not be more pleased. A hungry animal? He knew how to deal with those! "Come on!"
The small beast flew from under the couch with a tinier beast in tow. Kero loved to have an excuse to eat something.
He flew to the fridge, grabbed the handle, and pulled with all his might. It finally opened, welcoming the two pilgrims to a Promise Land of treats.
"You're a guest here," said Kero. "That means you've gotta get something special." He poked around the various containers and food items while the kitten sat patiently below. Its own tail flicked with happy energy.
Towards the back of the fridge, Kero, indeed, located something special – Yukito's own pudding cake. It was almost gone, but the vanilla-caramel-banana goodness was as satisfying as ever.
Kero pulled at the plastic container with both hands, slowing but surely releasing it from the fridge. He shivered from the cold. "You know, Touya asked me to save him a slice. He couldn't have any last night because he worked late…Oh well."
When the container reached the edge, Kero lost his balance. It flopped downward, sending the lid flying and spilling the glorious contents below.
Kero stared at the fallen dessert and quietly relived the rest of the unlucky events of the day.
But he had a solution. He glanced at the cat below; it was curiously sniffing the pile, already interested in the pudding. "I'm not picky if you aren't." He grabbed a spoon and sat himself on the floor.
"Meow," the kitten happily agreed, and began licking the sweet mess.
Kero spooned the ambrosia into his mouth, letting the sugary contents drip down his tummy. When his spoon hit the wooden floor, signaling he'd nearly finish it all, he decided he wasn't that desperate. He'd let his cat friend mop up the rest of the treat.
The two hadn't said much throughout their indulging. Kero noticed how the young cat ate with vigor, licking its chops every few bites. "Hey," Kero said finally, "You're just like me! You love pudding!" The kitten meowed. "I like pudding. And I like eating pudding with a new furry friend. You're my pudding cat."
Kero thought for a moment longer as the kitten finished devouring the puddle of pudding. He then continued, "Do you like video games, cat?"
~Fifteen minutes later~
"Yukito says she's a sweet little calico!"
"I can't wait to meet her, Sakura! Maybe I could begin making you two cute little dresses that match!"
The two friends giggled at the prospect of meeting the rescued kitten for the first time. Sakura jiggled her keys into the lock, already dreaming up names for the new visitor. "Do you think 'Patches' is too cliché, Tomoyo?..."
The question was never answered. As the two girls entered the hallway, their eyes were drawn to the yucky paw prints leading from the kitchen. Bewildered, Sakura and Tomoyo followed the tiny marks – and realized they were the least of their problems. Bottles and papers were scattered everywhere, food littered the area, and a goopy, glopy pile of muck decorated the center of the floor.
Sakura frowned, and realized there was a certain Sun Guardian missing…
"It's too bad you don't have thumbs," she heard a certain someone say from upstairs, "I could really use you in Tournament Battles. Touya won't even press a button with these kinds of things…"
Sakura and Tomoyo eyed each other, their brows arched in suspicion. Their eyes followed the goopy, sticky prints up the landing and around the top corner. Quietly, the girls started up the stairs and kept listening to the one-sided conversation from above.
"Even if you can't play," Kero said again, "you can be my cheerleader. And maybe I can teach you to mash the A-button during the bonus round!"
The sounds of the fighter game came to a crescendo as the two young ladies peeked in. There was Kero, immersed in his game just like they left him. Next to him, quietly but intensely observing the action, was the speckled yet sweetly-sticky-covered, adorable little –
"What do you think of that, Pudding?"
"Pudding!" yelped the two girls, instantly sending Kero into a not-so-unfamiliar frenzy.
"Sakura!" Kero responded. "And Tomoyo! Say hello to my little friend – Pudding Cat!"
Glancing at the soiled animal, Tomoyo muttered, "I can see you named her well…"
Kero haughtily puffed out his tiny chest. "Well, I love pudding, and I love this cat. Two things I love together rolled up in one!" He clasped his miniature hands together and bowed. "Don't you just think it's perfect?"
"Yes," responded Sakura, who giggled despite the gross mess downstairs. The kitten, Sakura noticed, seemed to be beaming from Kero's display of affection – not to mention, his name choice. Next to her, Tomoyo walked from Sakura's side over to the kitten and picked it up in her arms. "Let's get you cleaned, Pudding," the friend cooed, and promptly left the room. Sakura, on the other hand, marched right up to TV and went to pull the plug.
"DON'T!" protested Kero, just as Sakura's hand reached the outlet. "It's a timed thing. Don't shut it off, please, I'll do anything!"
Definitely not the right thing to say, thought Kero, and Sakura's mild expression turned into one of pure amusement. "I'm so glad you get along with the cat, Kero," she responded, walking to the door. "Now I'm asking you to go get along with the mop downstairs." With a last look at the flickering TV screen, she added "Good thing you love Pudding so much! You'll be cleaning up after her since you named her. No more pudding until this mess is cleaned!"
A/N
This idea for a story was just too darn cute.
PS – If you can guess the game series Kero was playing, I'll give you your own pudding! Well, not really. But I'll give you a virtual high five.