Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from The Cat Returns. They all belong to Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. All praised them. I do own my character, Hana. Without a further more, let's begin!

The Cat Returns: A New Life

Ch.1 Meeting Baron/Reunion


A girl was running down the cross roads and managed to hide inside a store. She leaned against the wall as she slid down, trying to regain her breath. She then heard noises outside the store, which was yelling.

"Where did she go!?"

"She did run down here, I know it!"

"Dammit! Let's go, we lost her."

The voices soon faded away. She left the store and sat at a table infront of a restaurant. She brought a hankerchief to her forehead, still breathing fast from all of the running.

"Can I get you anything?" A waiter asked. "Tea would be good." She then noticed something occupying a seat across from her. "...can you also make a tuna sandwich with it?" She asked. Soon, the waiter came with her order and paid the food. She then pushed the sandwich forward to the occupied chair. "This is for you..." She whispered.

It revealed a big, creamish, white cat. His left ear was a dark shade of brown. He stares at the sandwich, then back at her. She had black hair that falls perfectly down to her upper back. Her left eye was a saphire blue while the right eye was a chocolate brown. Her white shrit was partially seen because she was wearing a black trench coat. Her black pants fitting her black high knee boots.

Within three large bites, the cat consume the tuna sandwich. She smiled slightly. "My name is Hana, by the way." She said as she took a sip of her tea.

"...she looks familiar. Her brown eye is giving me a deja' vu moment..." The cat asked himself.

Hana smirked. "Well, you probably recognize me because I've been down her a few times. If it helps answer your question..." Hana answered. The cat fell over, as if someone shot him. Hana got up from her seat, staring at the fallen cat.

"You okay!?" She asked.

"Y-You can hear me!?" The cat asked, still in shock. The only thing Hana can do was smirk slightly.

"Me and my mom are cat whisperers, but we try to keep it quiet." Hana said as she took the last sip of her tea. The cat stares at Hana. "What's your name? Since you know mine." Hana asked. He sighed. "...Muta." He asnwered.

She smiled. "Well, Muta. I'm sorry if I gave you quite a shocking moment there about me being a cat whisperer, but you're not the only cat that freaked out on me like that." She said while chuckling. Muta kept staring at Hana. "...what's your last name?" Muta asked. Hana stares at Muta.

"...Yoshioka...why?"

Muta stared at Hana shocked. "...is your mom named Haru?" Muta asked again. She nodded. "Yeah...how do you know that's my mom's name?" Hana asked. Muta fell over once more. "...is she...married?" Muta asked, knowing that if he ever found out.

"No...my mom was never married. She didn't date anyone at all." Hana said. Muta then sighed in relief. "Then how did..."

"All that mom told me that in college, she got attacked by a boy. Nine months later, I was born." Hana confessed. Muta stared at Hana, suprised. He looked around and then heard yelling.

"There she is!"

Hana looked and saw a group of boys.

"Damn! Muta, I have to go." Hana said as she started to run into the opposite direction. The boys were chasing her. She then felt something by her side. It was Muta; keeping a fast pace with her.

"Follow me! I know a short cut!" Muta ordered. Hana didn't know what was going on, but then followed Muta in a random pattern. Thanks to Muta's pattern, Hana managed to lose the boys.


After reaching out of an alley, she came up to a courtyard; revealing a small town. It was already pass sunset.

When she enter the court yard, she collapsed to her knees; all out of breath. She felt a feeling of being smaller. When she looked up, the town was bigger than her. She even saw Muta bigger than her.

She then felt a shadowy figure by her side. It was a crow, very bigger than her and big enough to ride. "Muta, what's your problem? You didn't have to make her run all the way here!" He exclaimed. "Not right now, bird-brain! Where's Baron? This is something he needs to know!" Muta asked.

A door was then creaked open. Out of the house, was a cat figurine. He had orange fur, and cream colored fur near the bottom of his chin. His deep emerald green eyes were calm and yet comforting at the same time. He was wearing a white suit that matched with his crimson red vest and navy blue tie. He was also wearing his top hat that had a blue ribbon around it. He was gripping on his brown cane.

"My, Muta...this is suprising." He said in a english accent. Hana didn't know what was going on, but she was still trying to regain her breath. She then felt a hand squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. She looked up and saw the cat figurine kneeling infront of her. "It's alright. Take deep breaths." He whispered. Hana soon managed to regain her breathing from all of the running he did.

"Now, what seems to be the problem, since you came running all the way here?" He asked. Hana pointed to Muta. "He...told me to follow him. I met him at the crossroads. He freaked out a little of what I told about my mom of what happpened." Hana explained. He then was in deep thought. "Baron, this is something you need to know. You know that case we did years ago, to help Chicky with her problem in the cat kingdom?" Muta asked. The cat figurine, which Hana thought Muta called him Baron, stared at Muta. "Why are you bringing this matter up?" Baron asked.

Muta stared at Hana. "Guess who's the kid's mother is?" Muta asked. Baron stared at Muta suprised, then back at Hana. Toto stared at Hana shocked. "I guess I need to explain, just as I tried to say to Muta. My mom was never married. She got attacked by a boy in college that made her got pregnant. It's not her fault." Hana said. She felt a tear run down her cheek. "Its...not her fault." She said.

Hana then felt Baron's hand squeezing her arm comfortingly. "...I understand. Can you try to explain the whole story inside the Bureau?" Baron asked. Hana nodded. "I'm...Hana. Sorry if I didn't get a chance-" "I completely understand, since you were trying to regain your breath. I'm Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, but you may call me Baron if you wish. This is Toto, a stone statue with a soul, just like me." Baron said. Hana nodded her head to Toto.

Inside the Bureau, Hana was sitting down on a couch as Baron prepared tea. Toto was on a railing near a window as Muta sits right next to Hana. "Here you are, Miss Hana." Baron said as he hands her a cup of tea.

She takes it carefully. "It's my personal blend. It's different everytime, so I can't guarantee the taste." Baron said. Hana stared at Baron, seeing a worried look in his eyes. Hana took a sip and smiled. "It's delicious, Baron. It's the best blend I had in years." Hana said. Baron smiled.

"Now, then. Can you talk from the beginning?" Baron asked as he sat down in a chair.

"Well, years back. When my mom was graduating high school, there was a boy that seems to take an interest in her. His name was Machida. Mom told me that he use to have a crush on him, but not anymore after an incident. But I get the feeling what the incident was. Anyway, he tried to ask mom out, but she keeps turning him down. She was doing the right thing, but it only made matters worse for her."

"When she was starting college, my grandmother died because she had lung cancer. She tried to go forward with her life, but then..." Hana started to shake slightly. Baron sighed and sat next to Hana; rubbing her back in soothing circles. "...M-Machida knew what college she went to. She...was attacked and...nine months later...I was born." A single tear runs down her cheek. Baron sighed, but felt heart broken on the inside; hearing what happened to Haru.

"At first...mom didn't want me, but she then saw something special in me. Just like her, I became a cat whisperer. So, she kept me because she knew that something was there about me. When I was starting high school, Machida found us. He tried to attack mom, but I cut infront of him; trying to protect her. He became so scared of me that he jumped off a cliff. The police bought mom's story that he committed suicide. If it wasn't for me...mom would have been killed that day...but I keep regretting. Ever since then...I've been...treated different. My mom cared about me, but no one else did." Hana clentched her hands into a fist.

Baron stared at Hana suprised as Hana finished her story. "Now...you know the rest. So, it isn't mom's fault." Hana whispered.

Baron sighed as he got up. "...no wonder she didn't come to me for help." Baron said to himself. Hana's mind then clicked. "...those picture..." She whispered.

Toto stared at Hana. "What pictures?"

Hana smiled. "She...never forgot about you. I keep seeing her do artwork of you and the bureau here. I knew know why you and the others look so familiar. Baron, my mom never forgot about you. If she kept using you in her paintings, then you are a nice person." Hana said with a gentle smile.

Baron stares at Hana suprised from what he heard just now. "She...cares about me?" He asked in disbelief. Hana smiled.

"I remember mom told me a story about a kingdom of cats and someone rescued a girl from being married to a cat. I think that was you and the girl was my mom. She never forgot about you, Baron. She cares about you alot." Hana said. Baron smiled gently.

Hana's cell phone then started to ring. She looked. "...it's my mom." She whispered. She then answered it. "Hello? Mom, I'm fine. I got lost is all...I know." She stared at Baron. "Mom, can I ask you something?" She paused. "Can...my friends come over? They want to see you." She was silent for a minute. "Mom, they are not from that fan club. If I said that, then I wouldn't mention it. It's not my fault that I used you in my career report!" She sighed. "Well, they do love your art work and they want to meet you in person." She smiled. "Thanks mom. I'll see you then. Bye." She clicked her cell phone off.

"You do want to see her, do you Baron?" Hana asked. Baron stares at Hana suprised. He then smiled, knowing that he can see Haru again. "Shall we, then?" Baron asked. Hana smiled.


Hana gripped on her hand bag. "Are you sure you can handle being in there, Baron?" Hana asked. Baron popped his head out of the bag, while gripping on his hat. "No worries. I can handle it." Baron said. She smiled.

Toto was perched on Hana's shoulder while Muta was trotting along beside Hana. After an half an hour of walking, they reached a small house. Hana smiled. "You guys ready?" She asked. They nodded. "Baron, I want to suprise mom. Don't come out until I say it's okay." Hana said. Baron nodded and hid back in the hand bag. She opened the door.

"Mom, I'm home!" Hana answered. "In here, Hana!" A voice said. Hana signaled Toto and Muta to stay where they were. Hana walked inside the room, seeing her mom finishing another artwork. "Where are the friends you wanted me to meet?" She asked. Hana sighed. "Mom, you know those stories you told me as a kid? About the one of the girl being stuck in the kingdom of cats?" Hana asked.

Haru nodded. Hana sighed and ran her hand down to her hand bag. Baron managed to step on Hana's hand. "Theres...someone who wanted to see you after all of those years." Hana said. Haru stares as Hana drew out her hand, revealing a familiar cat figurine. He smiled. "It's been awhile, Miss Haru." Baron said as he tips his hat to her.

Haru didn't know how to react, she then fell to the ground, fainted. "Mom!" Hana ran to her side. She felt her forehead. She sighed in relief. "She just fainted." Hana explained.

Hana managed to drag her mom to the couch; putting a bag of ice on her head. Baron sighed. "This wan't going as planned. I thought Miss Haru would take it better; but fainting was not part of it." Baron said as he scratched his head. Hana sighed.

Haru then started to stirr. "Hey, she's waking up!" Hana said. Haru managed to open her eyes and saw Baron smiling at her. "...Baron?"

He smiled. "That was quite a nasty fall you had, Miss Haru. If your daughter haven't been there, it might of been worse." Baron explained. Baron then felt himself being lifted. Haru then held Baron close to her. Baron smiled and stroked her hair. "It's okay, Haru...everything's okay." Baron whispered.

Hana smmiled and gave Baron and Haru privacy; letting them catch up. Toto and Muta stared at Hana. "Give them time. She want's to see you guys too, you know." Hana explained. Toto and Muta stared at her. "Well, I'm heading off to bed. I'll see you guys in the morning." Hana said as she headed upstairs.

She slipped into her pajamas and slid into the blankets of her bed. She stared at the window.

"For once...mom is actually happy. I never seen her smile like that in years." Hana thought. She soon fell into a deep sleep. An unnoticed figure walks into her room. His tiny hand stroked Hana's hair.

"Thank you, Hana...for taking me to Haru..." He whispered.


Ch. 2 Up soon