Haru's life had been rather simple since her incident with the cat kingdom. Almost married to their prince and then their king. Luckily for her she had Baron to help her out. It had been two years since she had seen Baron, Toto visited her occasionally. She always saw Muta once a week, usually Mondays for a free meal.

Now that she was out of school she found herself wanting to do more than what a simple life could provide. She wanted to go on another adventure like she had in the cat kingdom. She wanted to see the bureau again. She wanted to see Baron again, even after two years she couldn't think about him without blushing.

It was Monday today and as usual Muta had shown up. Haru didn't mind the company as her mother was gone for trips a lot these days. That and today she was going to ask if he could return to the bureau with him.

"You want to return to the bureau? You got a problem chicky?" Muta said stuffing his face with the latest cake Haru had baked.

"Not really, boredom doesn't sound like something the bureau can help with. Unless you could?" Muta snickered.

"Already bored? Most of our clients take more than two years before they want anymore excitement."

Haru blushed and looked away. Her want for something exciting to happen was only half of why she wished to return to the bureau. Keeping to her thoughts she picked up the now empty plate and dumped it in the sink. Her mind skipped over the fat cats words.

"Chicky, are you listening?" Muta waved a paw in front of her snapping her into reality.

"Ah! sorry Muta, I was thinking is all. what did you say."

"Ah that's dangerous, I said I could take ya, but you've already been to the bureau it's always going to be easy for you to find." Haru rubbed his head ignoring the joke, she wasn't about to argue with him like Toto would.

"Great, when do we leave?" Muta looked up and shrugged.

"Right now if you want. Baron wasn't busy when I left." Haru nodded and jumped up heading to the front door.

Muta jumped out of his chair and headed out the door, Haru following behind him. She vaguely remembered the way to the bureau, but a refresher course couldn't hurt. The pair made their way to the bus station, boarding the next available one to the crossroads.

"They normally just let you get on the bus?" Haru whispered holding Muta.

"Yeah, what harm could I do on a bus." Haru thought for a moment and shrugged.

"You might put it over the weight limit." She giggled as he huffed.

"Really chicky, you going to join birdbrain's side in our fights."

"I'm not joining a side Muta, just joking with a friend."

He grunted and jumped from her lap as the bus came to a stop. they exited and Muta headed for the familiar alleyway, leading them across rooftops and through more alleys. All leading them to the familiar archways she once walked through. She sighed at the sight of the small buildings. Toto shifted on his pedestal and soon began changing from stone to flesh, black feather sprouting out and his eyes blinking. The bird creation flapped his wings and smiled at Haru.

"Haru! It's to see you, Baron is inside the bureau." Haru scratched under the black bird's beak, he made a happy sound and hopped onto her hand.

"It's good to see you too Toto." She smiled and approached the bureau setting Toto on the balcony up top and opening the door.

Baron was hunched over his desk reading from a book and scribbling something down on a paper next to it. He didn't look up as Haru opened the doors, ears twitching lightly at the sound.

"Ah Muta, back from miss Haru's so early. Was she not-" Baron looked up eyes widening and a smile spreading across his features. "Ah miss Haru, to what do I owe the pleasure of such a visit. Please come in and make yourself comfortable."

Haru smiled and crawled in, a little more difficult than last as she'd grown a little. She found her usual seat atop the green chest and folded her hands into her lap. Baron offered her a small cup of tea which she gratefully accepted taking an experimental sip. 'Delicious' she thought.

"I just wanted to visit Baron, to be honest, I missed the bureau." 'And you' she added in her head.

"I did say it was always open to you miss Haru, however I was expecting you to visit further into the future." Haru nodded and finished the small cup setting it down.

"Muta told me it took more than two years for clients to come back." Baron nodded going back to his desk and closing the book.

"Well miss Haru, I suspect you are in trouble, or perhaps looking for some adventure. I'm quite certain the bureau can help you with both." He smiled and looked up to her, emerald eyes filled with joy.

'He didn't miss me too did he?' She shook her head and shrugged. "I guess I did come seeking an adventure. Unless I don't know about the danger."

Baron nodded and walked to the bureau doors. "So what shall it be? Fantasies, adventures, myths?"

"You sound like a librarian Baron." She crawled out after him. "I wouldn't want to have you do some adventuring with me and someone show up asking for help." Baron waved a gloved hand.

"No need to worry miss Haru, Toto can keep watch and contact me in such a circumstance. You're a welcome distraction in fact, we haven't had a case in a few months." Muta snorted from behind his newspaper.

"More like a couple years, you were the last big case Chicky." Haru raised an eyebrow.

"So what have you been doing than Baron?"

"We have had a few smaller cases since yours, most of what we've been doing here is as of late is reading."

"Butter balls been sleeping and eating." Toto snickered as the fat cat launched at him.

"Take that back birdbrain!"

"Get some new insults pudding breath."

Haru rolled her eyes at the two and turned back to Baron. He had been thinking as he looked up and smiled calmly.

"Okay Baron. If it were up to me I would say let's go somewhere where we can help others? It is what the bureau does isn't it."

Baron pondered over her words for a moment before snapping his fingers in the air.

"Aha, I know of just the place for us to be of help. Miss Haru, how would you like to explore a sanctuary for magic creatures." Haru's face lit up in excitement and nodded eagerly.

oo0oo

Haru stood up after a rather rude exit from the portal, looking around yielded little information on where she was. a large open field surrounded by trees on all sides. A thud on the ground behind her caught her attention as Baron and Muta landed. Baron on his feet, Muta his back.

"Baron why did you take me with you?" Muta complained scrambling onto his paws. "I didn't want to come to a fairytale home."

"Yes however I believe we may find some others to assist here." Haru tilted her head lightly.

"How can you be so sure Baron."

"This sanctuary in particular has quite a few mischievous entities living in it. A few are dangerous that they have been sealed away."

"And you thought coming here was a good idea? What if there isn't any trouble."

"Call it a hunch miss Haru, even without trouble a sanctuary such as this is sure to cure your boredom." Haru shrugged before giving a hesitant nod.

"I suppose you're right about that, although, it doesn't look very magical to me." Muta snorts in what seemed like agreement.

"Chicky is right Baron. This just looks like an empty field to me." Baron raised his hand and waved it in front of him.

The air distorted and tore open, Haru gasped and looked through the tear. She could only describe the strange building on the inside as a castle. It's towers were spirals, closer inspection showed a few to be only stairs that led to a room at the top. The main building was your typical castle, with a few rooms floating above it, connected by similarly floating stone stairs.

"Baron, that's incredible, how did you." She reached out and touched the tear, pulling it slightly as if it were a curtain.

"It is simply an enchantment to keep out the curious and lost. It is quite easy to find if you know it's there. Ladies first?" He gestured with his hand.

Haru pulled it open more and stepped through, the main difference being the castle there were a few smaller ones. Lights floating between the trees nearest to her. Large birds in the sky, a sky with no clouds or sun. Yet it was sunny and warm.

"This place is, wonderful, it's like going to the cat kingdom for the first time." She turned around to see Baron and Muta enter the enchanted grounds.

"Don't go getting yourself carried away Chicky, remember what happened when you did in the cat kingdom?" Haru nodded slowly but couldn't stop smiling.

"Now we should head to the castle, the caretaker likes to keep tabs on all who enter the sanctuary." Baron started towards the castle in the distance, his height growing as he walked.

"Uh Baron, you're getting taller." Haru pointed out.

"Don't worry miss Haru, it is only temporary." She nodded and followed behind him, now five inches shorter than the half cat.

The castle entrance was a large wooden door with iron reinforcements, nothing fancy about it's design. Haru frowned a little, weren't castles supposed to be big fancy buildings used by kings and queens. Her thoughts were interrupted when Baron knocked on the large door with his can. They soon creaked open and a man's voice called out.

"Enter, the door is open." The small group entered into the main hall. a desk sat between two sets of stairs and an old man sat behind it scribbling in a large book. "Baron? It has been some time since you were last here. I see you brought a couple of friends this time. How may I help you today?"

"Mobius, it is good to see you old friend, as to why I am here, one of my companions came seeking a bit of adventure. I decided that your sanctuary might be a good place for such an adventure."

Mobius looked up, a trimmed grey beard and long white hair showing his impressive age. He pulled his glasses off his face and smiled lightly.

"Well if you are looking for adventure you have come to the right place, although right now may not be the best place. I'm afraid one of the more dangerous residents here have managed to escape their bindings. I was about to send for help when you arrived."

Baron lifted his hat and put it to his chest. "Well Mobius, it would appear help has arrived. We'd be honored if you would allow us to help you."

oo0oo

"So a sorcerer is running about and we are supposed to help capture him?" Haru asked Baron as they walked out of the castle and towards the treeline.

"That would be correct miss Haru, that is why Mobius gave us these pendants. They will protect us from any magic he may attempt to use on us."

Haru rubbed a finger over the small gold pendant she was given. Shaped like a bow, Baron's was a cat, Muta's was a crow.

"Too bad he didn't have a human shaped pendant."

"Or another cat. Mine almost looks like birdbrain." Muta grumbled. "Want to trade chicky?"

Haru shook her head and continued forwards. Catching up to Baron in the lead.

"You knew the guy in that castle, do you know this sorcerer?" Baron nodded.

"I knew him well once, in his search for power he made dealings with dark entities." He sighed sadly. "It was difficult to watch a him turn so dark and cold. Be careful when we find him, even with protection against magic he is dangerous."

Haru kept quiet as they broke through the tree line, the lights were floating closer. Small fairies flitted about the group before losing interest and flying off. A line of blue flames floated in front of them. Haru pointed towards the line.

"Are those?"

"Will-o-wisps chicky." Muta answered. "I wouldn't follow them."

Haru watched them as they walked past the line. The wisps sang to her in what seemed short breaths. Ignoring them she turned back to Baron. She didn't see Baron for long as her vision blurred and she was turned back to the wisps. Baron and Muta were gone now.

"Baron! Muta, where did you go?" She called out before hearing the whispers of the wisps.

"Follow, follow. This way, come come." Haru grumbled and began following the line, each wisp in the line disappearing when she got close.

"Take me back to my friends." She demanded, the wisps continued the same whispers. "I guess I can find my way out on my own, the castle can't be hard to find."

She stumbled over a tree root and landed on the ground with a loud thump. when she raised her head she was in a clearing, a stonehenge surrounded it with strange symbols running along the surfaces. She approached the center of the clearing, occupied by a stone altar. she placed a hand on it and heard someone laugh behind her. She whipped around in time to see the man they were after.

oo0oo

"BARON!" Haru's shout was up ahead, and followed by flashing lights.

"Haru!" Baron hadn't noticed her disappearance in the forest, neither had Muta.

Both started to sprint through the trees dodging trees and bushes. A clearing came into view and then he saw him. The sorcerer was hunched over an altar with a body on it. Baron rammed into the man with enough force to knock him out. When he turned his attention to the altar his eyes widened in surprise.

"Haru?"

"Baron what happened to me?" Haru was staring down at a pair of fur covered hands.

xxx

Alright so the sanctuary idea was from a book series called Fablehaven. This story will be longer than my first one, and if the first chapter is any indication, better too.

(In my opinion it's better for now)