A/N: I would like to mention that this is my first full story I have ever published, and I would also like to thank and acknowledge YarningChick who has agreed to be a beta reader for me as well as being part of my inspiration for this story. I recommend reading her work. Without further ado, Enjoy!
A Cat Returns/Quest for Camelot AU
Summary: After years of discord and war, the kingdom of Camelot was finally at peace under the rule of the King who pulled the sword from the stone, King Lune. But there is a darkness growing in the shadows and it will take not one but two heroes to protect their King, as soon as they can learn to trust and understand each other.
Disclaimer: I do not own either Cat Returns or Quest for Camelot, I wish I did. Hasho belongs to YarningChick.
Chapter 1: A Kingdom's beginning
As the salty wind blew across the sandy beach, three horses moved at a trot up on one of the cliff sides. The two larger horses rode close to each other, the largest carrying a tall man with chocolate brown hair and deep brown eyes, dressed in a simple tunic and pants with a sword at his hip. The other horse carried a lovely woman with long flowing red hair and chocolate brown eyes, dressed in a lovely maroon riding dress.
In the front of the two on a small, younger horse rode a little girl, looking no more than nine with long deep brown hair like the man's and large brown eyes like both of the adults. She wore a simple cotton dress over a long sleeve gray shirt and gray pants. The little girl looked back at the couple with a large smile that quickly turned into a mischievous grin as she kicked her horse into a gallop and rode off ahead to the beach. The man called after the girl with a silly though worried grin on his face.
"Haru," he called. "Be careful, sweetheart, the edges can be very dangerous around here." He quickly rode to a gallop after her.
"I will, Father," Haru called back to him as she continued her way towards the sandy beach below.
As the father and daughter came to the end of the path and got off the horses, the women came around the corner right after. Haru's father came over to her and rose his hands to help her off the horse.
"Here you are Naoko." He said with an adoring smile on his face.
"Thank you Hasho." She returned the smile and once on the ground thanked him with a loving kiss as well, which he gladly reciprocated.
Giggling the little girl snuck up behind the couple and with an incredible amount of strength and agility for her age, jumped up and wrapped her arms around her father's shoulders. The father responded with a smile and pulling away from Naoko grabbed the girl and began to spin around with her as she squealed with delight. Losing his footing he and the girl went tumbling down the hill rolling side by side and came to a stop at the bottom with their arms and legs spread as if they were making angels in the sand, laughing away with the biggest smiles on their faces. Naoko simply smiled at them shaking her head as she carefully walked down the hill after them.
"Father," Haru said once she gained her breath back, "tell me about Camelot again."
"Haru," he laughed, "I've told about it almost a hundred times now, do you ever tire of it?"
"I never tire of hearing about it, Father, nor do I tire of hearing about your adventures," she responded with a loved filled smile, absolute admiration in her eyes.
Her father returned the smile with a light laugh as his wife came to sit by his side on the sand and gave him the same loving and admiring smile as Haru.
"Please darling, you know we both love to hear you tell the story," she asked with a kiss on his cheek.
Smiling at his wife and daughter, Hasho conceded. "All right, I will tell you again." He picked up a small stick to his side and began drawing three circles into the sand.
"Long ago there were three kingdoms, locked in constant battle. The Human Kingdom, The Bird Kingdom and The Cat Kingdom. The three rulers had become interlocked in a raging fight over land and power that ended in the demise of all three. This resulted in complete chaos throughout the kingdoms as loyalties were tested and bloodlines were divided, especially of those belong in to two of the kingdoms or more. The battles and wars went on for centuries, neighbor fighting neighbor, even brother fighting brother." As Hasho described the scene, images ran through his mind of the carnage and chaos he had witnessed growing up during that time.
"Then a sorceress gave a prophecy that the one to end the war and unite the three kingdoms would be born of two of the three kingdoms and friend to the third. The prophecy also stated to prove that he/she was the one true ruler, they would be able to pull the sword Excalibur from the stone. Over the years, those from all three kingdoms gathered to the stone to prove their worth. Many tried and many failed." He paused.
"Then on the day that you were born a strange young lad came to the stone. His name was Lune, a boy who was part human and part cat with a black crow on his shoulder, a boy who was from two of our kingdoms and friend to the third." A memory of Lune ran across his mind, he had cat eyes, one blue and one red, and cat ears on his head, the rest of him looked more human-like, his hair and ears though were covered in deep purple hair.
"He pulled the sword from the stone and following his rule the kingdoms were united and Camelot was born." Hasho then retrieved his shield from his horse, on it were three interlocking circles at the center. "These three rings represent the united kingdoms of Camelot and as a knight I swore an oath to protect not only King Lune, but the three kingdoms as well."
Haru gave an enraptured sigh after her father's story, 'Oh to see Camelot,' she thought. "Father, is Camelot really as grand as they say?" she asked.
"Every bit as grand and stunning as they say, Haru," he responded with a smile. In the distance a trumpet was heard and to the horizon a company of knights carrying the same shields as Hasho rode towards them. As in reflection of what Hasho said of the united kingdoms, some were human, some were cat humanoids and some were bird humanoids. "And as is my duty I must go to Camelot when King Lune calls."
Hasho stood and helped his wife up before giving her a loving hug and kiss, then lifting Haru of the ground giving her a large warm hug and a sloppy kiss on her cheek which she giggled at. Hopping on to his horse he began to ride toward the other knights, bidding his family fare well.
"Goodbye, I love you both," he called.
Haru then hopped onto her own horse and began to ride after him. "I want to come with you," she called.
"Yes, Haru, when you are older, I promise I will take you to Camelot," he called back then continued riding to the others, waving back to his family as his figure became smaller and smaller.
Haru stopped her ride and looked on with a forlorn smile as her father grew smaller and smaller in the distance. "One day I will go to Camelot and I will experience adventures as well, just like Father." She whispered to the wind, dreaming of the day she would see that beautiful city.
