"Cat Napped"
Wearing a face weighed down by disgruntlement, Garu wearily stepped inside his home and slid the front door shut. After a long, quiet pause to rest his throbbing muscles, he released some of his despair through a heavy sigh, an unsettling wheeze that echoed through the silence, and then preceded to his bedroom for some much needed sleep.
As he walked through his living room, spotless and humbly adorned with tiny knick-knacks, weapons and a few picture frames, he nearly broke down into sobs as a rush of excruciating pain speared his chest, briefly making it harder to breathe. His teeth gnashed against each other with a screech and he went stiff like a corpse, feeling his nerves flare up painfully like a volcano had erupted under his skin.
His dark brown eyes, swollen, pink and glossy with reflexive tears, glanced down at the small bundle his arms shakily bared, then to his exposed arm. It was so bruised that it blended in with his black sleeve; an unsuspecting person would never be able to tell there was a huge rip in the fabric.
'You've really over-exerted yourself this time,' Garu thought as he panted like an exhausted dog and gulped down an imaginary drop of saliva.
His mouth was as parched as the Sahara, making even the tiniest throat flex sting as if a sadistic maniac was going wild with a chainsaw, and Garu desperately wished an angel would swoop down and drop him into a lake. Oh, how heavenly it would feel to have his body hydrated and soothed by cool, refreshing water...
Half-asleep and lost in fantasizing about drinking all the water in the world Garu stood in the hallway with a dreamy grin and half-opened eyes, swaying back and forth to the static buzzing in his ears. Sleep was a beautiful maiden, coated in sparkles and happily prancing about, enticing Garu to come a little closer, promising good fortune, adventure, and Pucca-less relaxation. It was a very, very tempting offer, and although Garu currently wanted nothing more than to give in and hibernate like a bear in winter, he couldn't just yet.
A quiet purr small shifting under the blanket he held in his arms was the reason why.
Still only half-focused, Garu took a deep breath and braced himself. With his mouth hanging open and lips quivering from the soreness in his joints, he slowly moved the blanket aside. A familiar pair of amber eyes focused on him and the black figure purred deeply. A small grin graced Garu's face, then slowly disappeared into a cringe as he moved a bit of fabric aside, revealing Mio's crippled leg.
Mio whined, showing his pain, and Garu sympathetically stroked behind his ears to comfort his feline companion. Although his eyes burned and begged to rest, helping Mio was his top priority at the moment. So like any good master he carried his cat to his bedroom, simple, spotless, and dark, and carefully set the little bundle down on his futon.
Mio meowed to signal that he was comfortable, and Garu grinned once more and walked to a small drawer at the corner of the room. He sifted through each drawer, tossing aside various objects he'd collected over the years until he finally found his beloved first aid kit, giving it a quick kiss.
Oh, how much it had helped him survive all the dreadful Pucca attacks.
The tired ninja's eyes lifted up and he took a quick glance in the mirror hanging on the wall directly opposite of him. He looked like a zombie.
Scoffing at the dark humor of his current circumstances Garu turned and made his way to Mio who was cuddled against the crumpled blanket relaxing. Garu opened his first aid kit and began the 'operation', taking out a cloth bandage and carefully wrapping it around Mio's injured leg. He was no animal specialist, but he assumed it would do until morning when the heavy rain and lightning outside subsided. Mio's tail smoothly danced back and forth like an ocean wave and Garu knew he was all right.
The exhausted young ninja yawned like a lion before settling down beside Mio and drifting into a deep, deep sleep. A few seconds before sleep stole Garu away Mio suddenly seemed very uneasy and shifted about, meowing and pawing at his master's cheek desperately, but Garu failed to notice.
It was one of the worst sleeping sessions Garu had ever experienced. Even as he slept his muscles ached and he only had nightmares of the reason why he was so sore: Pucca. With a soft whine Garu rolled over, his eyes tightly scrunching shut as his muscled cried and joints cracked. His cheeks rubbed against the fluffy pillow for comfort and he hoped for better dreams so he could feel refreshed. But just as he was about to resume sleeping his nightmares became reality with a loud BOOM!
The ninja's heart jumped against his ribcage and his eyes shot wide open, nearly popping out of their sockets. He rose like the undead and scrambled over to his sword muttering soft "ow, ow, owwwww!" as his joints crackled like popcorn.
Despite feeling disabled, Garu focused his swollen, crusty eyes the best he could and eyed his bedroom door. Whoever had intruded was quickly stomping over to him. Garu slid his trusty sword out of its sheath and positioned himself, ready to attack.
Was it one of Tobe's clumsy henchmen?
The door slid open with a crash.
No... it was...
Garu's sword dropped with a CLANG! and his eyes were once against wide open with fear, the form of a young bun-headed girl reflecting in his pupils.
"Pucca?! No!" he screamed in his mind as he quickly dashed right past her and out the door.
Like a hungry lion the girl hunted him down, staying on his trail and extending her arms to grab him. As he ran he suddenly realized that dropping his sword was a very, very bad move. The poor boy clumsily made his way to his living room, and saw that Pucca had destroyed his front door. Nothing but a huge crater-like gap was left of it.
Pucca loudly cleared her throat and crossed her arms, and a shivering Garu slowly turned to face her. She was acting strange this morning. She was always a strange, annoying pest but Garu noticed that this morning she was...different. She didn't come here to try and rape him as she usually did, she came here because she was upset and...wanted to interrogate him?
His mouth was still parched but his throat managed to gulp down his nervousness and he blinked. A soft jingle filled the empty void as Pucca lifted a small collar with bells attached.
The young girl frowned and looked deeply into Garu's eyes as a small trail of tears flowed down her cheeks. The boy observed that her eyes were puffy, and he assumed she'd been crying for some time now. The collar...it was...
Yani's?
Garu lifted a brow. Why?
Pucca's sobs grew more intense and her cry was now very audible. Yani was missing and only her collar was left behind. Yani...her pet cat...pet...cat...
Garu gasped and he ran back to his bedroom with eyes full of anxiety. Pucca watched as her love interest frantically scanned his room for any sign of his feline and screamed with frustration when he couldn't find Mio anywhere.
Pucca slowly approached Garu who was now kneeling on his futon gazing down at the torn bandages of Mio's leg wound. Her lips parted and she breathed. Both their cats were missing.
Garu's head turned and he shot Pucca a sharp glare, threatening her, and she gasped and flinched.
I didn't do it, her look said. She was a victim just like him, and she wanted to know where Yani was just like Garu wanted to know where Mio was. The young ninja's face softened as if he was apologizing for his sudden conclusion that Pucca was responsible, and she gave him the same for thinking he had kidnapped Yani out of revenge.
Garu sighed, rising up and walking towards his sword. He slowly (and painfully) bent to pick it up then walked to his door, signaling with his head for Pucca to follow. Her grip on Yani's collar tightened and she followed.
There was a silent agreement hanging in the air that this morning there would be no chasing, no forced kisses, no obsession, no hostile feelings, and no fighting. Today they would peacefully work together to find their missing cats.
The two walked side-by-side down Sooga's streets, both burdened by a heart full of angst and annoyance. Pucca, who was behind Garu, quickened her pace until she was beside him.
What do you think happened? her eyes asked him.
Garu looked at her and shrugged. The previous night had been wild and stressful. It was midnight and stormy but Garu insisted on using the opportunity to train rigorously because he liked how everyone was inside their homes away from the rain and lightning, including Pucca...or so he assumed.
She had come to him, fuming like a volcano ready to erupt, clad in a simple red raincoat and holding an umbrella and towel. She pouted, insisting that he come with her before he caught a cold or passed out from fatigue. But Garu rebelled and that was what led to their fight.
First he rolled his eyes and continued displaying martial arts moves, then she stomped over and grabbed his arm, then he pulled away and kept on fighting with the air, then she growled and dragged him a few feet, then he pushed her away...and eventually she was slapping him and chasing him with the towel. She had accidentally stepped on Mio's leg, causing the poor cat to give out an ear-shattering yowl.
That was when it stopped. A deep sense of guilt froze Pucca. She hadn't noticed Mio since he blended in so well with the night, but before she could apologize and help Garu had snatched Mio away and stormed off.
She cried, feeling guilty of her foolishness before finally falling asleep, but when she had woken up this morning to find her little pink fluff ball missing, she automatically assumed Garu was still sore and acted out of revenge.
Garu shook his head at her. I didn't. I'm not that low. his eyes told, and he softly giggled.
I'm sorry I thought so... Pucca's face replied.
Garu's eyebrow jerked up and he grinned. It's 'kay I'd probably think the same in your situation.
No sound was made, but the two silent teens were laughing, and Garu saw a side of Pucca he had never stopped to notice before. It felt good, he decided, not to run away from her for once. She was an annoying pest, worse than lice, but she wasn't all that evil.
The two began their search around Sooga, eventually stopping at Tobe's for a little interrogation, but when they discovered that he was on a mushy picnic date with the Vagabond's female member they both approved that he was most likely innocent and merely walked away without saying a word.
As they fled the romantic scene of rainbows, prancing rabbits, sweet nonsense, and smooching sounds (which made Garu cringe and Pucca giggle), the two teens looked at each other to decide where to go next.
But they weren't too sure. Tobe was pretty much their number one suspect, and they really didn't think any of their friends had kidnapped the two cats. Why would they?
Let's just ask around? Garu wordlessly suggested.
Pucca grinned and nodded, running her thumb across the leather collar for comfort. They walked, walked, and walked. People stared, astonished that Garu wasn't running for his life and Pucca wasn't like acting like a dog in heat. Some wondered if they were finally a couple while others thought that Pucca had finally grown out of her childhood infatuation and moved on. And a few others got richer from winning a bet.
The two encountered Santa and when the jolly, rotund man greeted them Pucca showed him Yani's collar. Their friend opened his eyes in surprise.
"Ho-ho-Oooh that's terrible! No-o, Pucca, I don't know where they are. I just saw Mio run through the alley right beside Sen's this morning."
Garu and Pucca simultaneously gasped. He saw Mio run? Garu's eyes furrowed. Had Mio tried to escape his kidnapper?
Did you see anything else? his eyes asked Santa.
"No-ho-oh, I just saw that he was in a big hu-ho-ry. No kidnapper."
Pucca smiled and let out a sight of relief. Garu just nodded and grunted his thanks, his usually serious expression now plastered on his face.
"No-ho-ho problem, Pucca and Garu." Santa said before the two ran off in the direction of Sen's Gift Shop. Pucca looked at Garu and smiled. Their cats were probably all right. Maybe they were only playing, she thought. Garu grinned back and nodded in a agreement. The two felines had been hanging out together a lot recently, he remembered. But Mio still needed to see a vet because of his leg injury and if he had been running this morning that was not good at all.
Pucca frowned and once she did a strange feeling whirled within Garu and his grin faded. The aura of his eyes had transformed as if he had lost something and wanted it back. She was apologizing for harming Mio and was genuinely guilty and was willing to do anything to make amends, and for some reason Garu hated seeing her this way and missed that hopeful smile of hers.
He shrugged and groaned, putting on that serious, tough face of his as if to show that he 'didn't care' and she was forgiven. Pucca's eyes were still sad as she doubted he was being honest, but her lips instinctively jerked into a small grin for a few seconds.
Garu almost whined and he didn't really understand why. He felt so...disappointed for some reason. He didn't want her to look like this. He was so used to her being perky, energetic, aggressive, and amorous that it seemed seriously horrific for her to feel sorry. It just wasn't right; it went against the law of nature. As much as he disliked her he secretly never wanted her to be sad.
Garu blinked and inhaled sharply. Why was he suddenly thinking like this, caring about Pucca's behavior around him? And why was it so damn easy for him to forgive her for crushing his cat's leg and door? If it had been any other person he might have given them a good beating but her... he just couldn't be angry and his brain couldn't come up with the reason why.
But there was a tingle in his chest, not his sore muscles, that guided him away from feeling hatred towards her. It was more dominant than his brain and caused him to understand that it was a mistake, an accident that she didn't mean. That cool rush even sparked a bit of concern for the annoying pest beside him...and it protested that maybe labeling her as a pest was a bit too much.
He slowed down to a walk.
"Huh?" Pucca voiced, picking up on Garu's strange mood and instantly blaming herself for it.
She gasped and softly placed her hand on his shoulder to show she was sorry. She behaved a little over the top, she admitted to herself. She constantly chased him like a rabid fan girl and put him through so many wacky adventures. Although she was always aware that he was irritated by her she just could never control herself. And now she had gone and hurt his cat's leg.
Garu's nerves jumped when the weight of her hand perched itself on his shoulder. A cocktail of emotions stirred inside him. He was comforted and surprised but what made his nerves jump was that he really appreciated Pucca actually considering how he felt. His chest rolled and it made him want to run away from her touch, but at the same time the tingle, the heat beneath his ribs made him stay. It wanted this, he wanted this, and that's what frightened him.
He was about to study the young woman when his ears picked up on a soft "meow..."
Pucca gasped and her arm fled back to her side, her eyes looking straight forward. They were now outside of Sen's Gift Shop they noticed, and the alley was just to the left beside a small advertisement board.
"Meow, meow, meooow!" the voice came again.
Pucca softly rejoiced and Garu's eyes glimmered with optimism. Pucca was the first one to dash down the alley, the sound of Yani's collar jingling away. Garu chose not to run. Now that his mind was more at ease it was much harder to ignore his sore body.
He made his way down the dim alley, walking past the dumpsters, seeing Pucca standing a distance away with her back turned to him. She was looking down at a pile of cardboard boxes while the sound of cats filled the air. Garu beamed. He would be giving Mio a good reprimanding about running off with a broken leg and he would finally take him to a vet for proper treatment.
He saw Pucca tilt her head and raise her hands to her mouth and gasp.
That was when his ears opened and he heard it: the meows and purring were too high-pitched to be Mio or Yani. They were young. Very, very young. And there was definitely more than one making the sounds.
Garu pressed his lips together and sped up his pace. Had Santa seen the wrong cat? Was this the wrong alley?
He saw Pucca kneel beside the boxes and a black tail which swayed back and forth like an ocean wave popped out from behind them, approaching Pucca. A black head cuddled against her thigh and she stroked it.
It was Mio!
Garu nearly skipped as he came to the site. But what he saw was unexpected. Very unexpected.
Yani lay there on a mat of old newspapers among the old boxes on her side looking very fatigued, yet happy. And there beside her suckling at her breasts were five kittens, each resembling Mio and Yani.
"Huh?" Garu voiced, his eyes blinking and taking in the sight before him. He looked to Mio who seemed to be the happiest cat in the world. His leg was still hurt, that was for sure, but the feline didn't seem to care as he limped towards Yani and their offspring. He nuzzled his mate and she licked the side of his face, purring. The cats looked down at their beloved children, absolutely glowing.
"Awwww!" Pucca cooed, folding her hands together and smiling brightly.
Garu couldn't help but rejoice too. Not just because their cats were safe, not just because of the little miracles before them, but because it was such a happy ending. He was joyful, the cats were joyful, and Pucca was too. He knelt down beside her and smiled, looking deeply into her eyes.
She was...actually not ugly for once, he assessed. His fascination in her became very strong, and his eyes found themselves fixed on her with a million contradicting thoughts running through his mind. Was she really that bad? No... Not anymore. And did he really hate all her attention? No. He chuckled to himself and thought he rather enjoyed it but never wanted to admit it.
He was alone, training to be a great ninja without any family except Mio and his few faithful friends, including Pucca he agreed. She always cheered for him, was always on his side. The girl was very affectionate, there was no doubt about that, but since he never had any of that as a child he had always wanted it. He cherished it, he needed it. He had only ran away because he wasn't used to it and she was a little over zealous at times due to her immaturity. But since they'd grown up maybe she could tone it down a bit.
He stared at the girl, pondering. They could work something out...maybe they could be good friends after all.
For once, Pucca gulped from nervousness because of Garu. Why was he so fixated on her all of a sudden?
Even though she had always dreamed of him being sweet to her she never imagined the day would actually come where he would be sitting right beside her instead of running for the hills. The current scenario intimated her. She liked it, but she was suddenly self-conscious, worrying about what was on his mind. But she couldn't look away.
"Hmm?" she said in an attempt to make the situation less awkward.
Mio and Yani looked at each other inquisitively; the kittens purred and cuddled against each other for a nice nap.
Like magic the young ninja's lips curved up and his dark eyes seemed to twinkle like the night sky. Because of her, Pucca realized. Instead of feeling excited, confident, and ready to pounce as she always had when she was younger she felt shy. Her cheeks heated so much she was sure they were probably red at the moment, and her heart and stomach seemed to quiver.
She was now fourteen; he was sixteen. They had grown and changed so much physically and yet their relationship had stayed the same, but right now, at this moment... Pucca realized things were different between them. It both frightened and thrilled her.
But was she ready? Was he?
When Garu scooted closer to her, her brain decided it wasn't ready for such a drastic development and in an attempt to bring everything back to normalcy, she pecked him on the cheek, hoping he'd panic and run away.
But he didn't. Instead, he pecked her on the forehead, picked up an empty box, and began to transfer Yani and the kittens inside. He motioned for Pucca, who had nearly suffered a heart attack, to bring Mio and follow.
He whistled as he fled the scene.