Before I go into disclaimer, I have two things to say.
1. Neil is OOC. Here's your warning. The 'thing' that 'changes' him makes him act out of character. Don't like, don't read.
2. Do not complain this should be longer. It was actually meant to be much shorter. I was not about to change it to a chapter story. If I did, I doubt I'd ever get it done.
Alright, that's all I have. Please enjoy
Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon. Copyright goes to the respected owners.
The Witch Princess heard the door opened to her quaint little hut. She heard that someone place something on the table and sit. She said nothing, too busy with her new potion; one that will make her bears come to life.
"Hey Witch. P," a female voice greeted from the table. It was Rachel, the resident rancher of Echo Town.
"Mm..." was the witch's response. The woman was too close in cracking this spell.
"What'cha doing?" the blonde rancher asked, trying to see over the witch's shoulder from the chair.
"Nothing. Experimenting."
Rachel nodded.
"What are you even doing here?" the princess asked as she mixed a final ingredient.
The girl blushed. "Just wondering if you've seen Neil... I uh, I want to give him some fresh yak milk."
Witch Princess scoffed. "Nope."
The woman turned around to see the blonde frown. "Oh... Well, do you mind if I use your washroom? I really need to go."
"Yeah sure... Just don't make a mess." Rachel ran off to the bathroom in a rush.
The princess smirked. The potion was complete! Now... to test it on her beautiful bears. The witch walked over to one of her plush toys with potion in hand. With a single drop, the pink liquid fell onto the bear. With a small flash of light, the bear transformed, but not how she wanted. Instead of round ears, it grew triangle ears. A long tail snaked from behind the bear. To the princess' shock, the mutated bear stood up and stretched, showing two sharp cat-like fangs. Whiskers protruded from its face. The bear was alive, but part cat!
"Darn! Curse you Harvest Goddess!" she cursed. "Must have been that cat claw that did this..." she muttered.
Sighing in defeat, the witch looked around the room to spy Rachel's bag and a jug of yak milk next to it. An evil idea arose from the depths of the witch's evil brain. She skipped happily over and lifted the lid of the fresh milk. She gently dripped a single drop of the neko-turning liquid into the precious gift. The white milk overpowered the colour of the potion so it looked like nothing happened. The Witch Princess cackled. Oh, pretty little Neil will be in for a pretty kitty surprise when Rachel gives him this special milk.
Rachel returned as soon as the witch put the cover back on the milk.
"What are you looking at?" the blonde enquired, sceptical.
"Oh nothing," the princess responded, her voice honey-sweet. "Just admiring the quality of milk. Neil will certainly love it."
Rachel blushed. "You really think...?"
"Yup, of course! Now, you better get going before it gets late!" The witch was practically pushing the rancher out the door.
"Okay! Sheesh! Stop shoving!"
The witch waved the girl off from her door, a sinister smile behind her eyes.
~Harvest Sprite Time Skip~
Rachel walked along the path towards the forest in search for her target: Neil. She was just at the Witch Princess' house to see if she saw him but unfortunately no.
The rancher sighed and looked at the milk she had for her crush. It was fresh from her chores this morning and really wanted the blonde boy to try some. Her search finally ended when she spotted the familiar red jacket and messy turf of golden blonde hair.
Rachel smiled. "Hey Neil!"
Neil turned to see the girl beaming up at him. "Oh, hey Rach. 'Sup?"
The girl blushed. "Oh... Nothing... Just, uh, doing... chores?"
The boy smirked. "Chores as in searching for me? Rod and Henry told me that you were looking for me."
Rachel blushed harder. "Okay fine. I might've been stalking the streets of Echo Town but my excuse is good! I have something for you."
"Oh? As long as it's not sweets I'll see what you've got."
Rachel giggled, her blonde hair flowing slightly in the spring breeze. 'He has the taste buds of a cat!'
"Here!" She held out the yak milk that the Witch Princess had oh-so-deviously drugged with her new serum.
Neil smiled. "Okay, your excuse is acceptable. I love yak milk! Is it fresh?"
She nodded happily, handing the milk over to the animal trader. "Thanks!"
He smiled as he took a sip of the fresh milk. One little sip was all it took for the transformation to begin.
At first, nothing happened. The milk tasted amazing, just a bit off. Then it happened. A sharp pain in his gut which rapidly spread throughout his body.
"Argh!" he cried, doubling over in pain, his arms locked around his stomach.
Rachel gasped. "Neil! What's wrong?"
"Wh-what was in it?" he shrieked, the pain almost unbearable.
"Just milk!" the girl cried. "I got it this morning!"
With a final groan, Neil was enveloped in a bright light. Rachel gasped in horror as this happened. There was nothing the poor girl could do for him.
It quickly subsided. But what was left, or gained, of Neil shocked them both. As the shaken boy stood up straight, he noticed something was... off. His senses felt sharper and he felt more balanced. He could see clearer, and hear the soft rustling of the trees as if it were a hurricane. He could also hear the soft tweeting of a baby bird hatching from its egg. Neil took a deep breath, scents he never even dreamed of ever smelling filled his nose. His canine teeth also felt sharper, almost cutting his lip.
Rachel could only stare at him in awe, her jaw almost hitting the forest floor.
"What?" he asked, a fifth digit flicked behind him.
"N-Neil..."
"What?" he asked again, pointed ears twitched.
"Y-you..."
"For crying out loud Rachel, what?!" Whiskers wiggled.
The girl's face went red. "You're part cat!"
Neil froze. He stared at the girl's anguished face. He took a deep breath and dared to look behind him. There was a golden fur tail happily fluttering in the breeze.
"Nya!" Neil screamed, jumping away. Of course, this would achieve nothing as the tail was attached to him. "W-what?!" he cried. His hands flew up to the top of his hand were two furry cat ears rested. His hands then went to his face were he found whiskers and sharp fangs.
Rachel could only stare at him as the blonde neko made sure this was happening.
"What did you do to me?!" he cried out angrily.
Rachel stared at him with big ocean blue eyes that were forming rain clouds. "I-I don't know... I swear, I didn't do anything!"
That's when the couple heard a familiar cackle from the bushes. They turned to see the blonde woman from before emerging from the bushes with a bear that looked part cat.
"Witch Princess!" they both yelled angrily.
"Awe, c'mon! Why can't that be a happy 'Witch Princess!'? I'm only having a bit of fun! And 'sides, you look adorable Neil," she cooed.
They both blushed but Neil blushed harder. "Sh-Shut up!"
"Awe, why?"
"Be-Beclaws!"
The witch struggled not to laugh. "Di-Did you just say... Beclaws?!" She lost it.
"Nya!" Neil nearly had a nose bleed he was so embarrassed. His hands flew up to his mouth beclaws of these sudden cat puns.
Rachel herself couldn't hold in a few giggles. "Well, you are pretty cute with these cat-extensions..." She gently reached up to scratch his new ears.
"H-Hey... N-No! St-Stop... Nya... That feels good..." The boy started purring at the gentle touch.
"Awe... They're so soft... And you're purring too! You are absolutely adorable now!"
"Nya! No! Stop!" cat boy pulled away from the luscious touch in embarrassment.
Rachel only cooed at Neil who blushed furiously. "Witch Princess, you better have a cure for me!" the boy hissed. Literally. He bared his new fangs at the evil girl.
"And get rid of this cute new Neil? Never!"
Both Rachel and Cat boy stared at the witch. "You have no cure, do you?" they both asked in union.
The Witch Princess smiled sheepishly. "No... But I'll make one! Not just for you, mind you. For my baby teddy." She held up the cat-like bear.
"Okay. But you better hurry! I don't want to be seen like this..."
"That's the thing sweetheart," the witch started. "I don't think I'll have a cure by sundown... People will have to see you before I make one."
The blonde boy hissed in anger. "Feline... I mean fine. J-Just... Hurry..." Neil was blushing hard now.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll get right on it." With that, the witch and her mutant bear left.
Neil looked at Rachel, his whiskered-face red. "What time is it...?" he mewed softly.
The blonde looked at her watch and grimaced. "It's only 10 A.M."
Cat boy gave a mewl of despair. "Nya! How long am I going to have to stay like this?"
"Dunno. So what do you want to do now?"
The neko stood there for a second, his tail swishing back and forth. "I have a weird craving for fish..."
Rachel giggled. "We'll have Shrimp Chili for lunch, okay?"
A fanged smile formed on his face. "Really?! You're the best Rach!" He couldn't contain his new catty self. He pounced on the girl, toppling them to the ground. He purred into her chest as he cuddled her in happiness. During this random kitty outburst, his pupils turned to slits like a cat's eye.
"Uh... N-Neil...?" Rachel blushed.
He took a sharp intake of air as his eyes turned back to normal. He bolted up so he looked down at her as he pinned her. "Nya! I am so sorry Rach! I don't know what possessed me!" His tail flicked frantically as his ears pinned back in embarrassment.
Rachel giggled. The way his 'R's rolled off his tongue when he said her name... She felt herself shiver from it. "Its fine but uh... Mind getting off me?"
"Nya, right..." Neil helped the pinned girl to her feet with a swish of his tail.
Rachel patted herself down from invisible dust. "How about we find Henry? He might know something we can do to pass the time."
"Nya," Neil mewled in response.
Rachel giggled from the cuteness for the millionth time that day. "I'll take that as a yes!"
~This Time Skip Is Brought To You By: Neko Neil – 2x More Cuter Than Regular Neil!~
"Hahaha!" Henry busted out laughing as he saw Cat boy and Rachel turn the corner from the forest. Rachel's brother was walking through the plaza when they found him.
Neil immediately blushed and tried to hide behind the girl with a soft mewl.
"Henry! Stop laughing! It's not that funny..." Rachel sighed, annoyed at her brother's ignorance.
Neil scoffed. "You're the good one talking." Rachel just blushed.
Henry, who almost died from laughter, finally came around. "L-Lemme guess: Witch Princess."
The pair of blondes both nodded.
"I see... Can I see the pretty kitty?" Henry cooed, wanting to see Neil's new appendages.
Cat boy shyly stepped out from behind Rachel. His ears were pinned back in shame as his golden tail wrapped around himself.
"Awe! Little neko Neil is shy, is he?" Henry reached up to pet the soft turf of hair. "He likes it behind the ears," Rachel added, she herself reaching up to pet the neko.
"R-Rachel! Henry! No! Don't! I, uh... Nya... R-Right there..." the kitty purred. The twins gushed at kitty Neil as they worked on both his ears. Poor Neil was reduced to nothing but a happy purring mess.
"He's so cute!"
"I know! Just listen to him purr!"
There was a cough off to the side. The siblings turned to see the redheaded hair stylist, Allen, standing there with a 'WTF' face.
"Oh, hey Al," Henry greeted. His hand never left Neil's velvety soft golden ears. Rachel only nodded in acknowledgement. She was too busy cooing cat Neil.
"Why is Neil part cat?"
Rachel smiled at the redhead. "Oh, just a little catastrophe involving the Witch Princess."
This cat pun snapped the blonde neko out of his kitty-petting trance. Once again, his once half-lidded eyes were cat-like but he blinked them back to normal as he broke away.
"Nya! Shut up Rachel!" he hissed, face turning red. "And stop petting me!"
The Dare twins instantly pulled away from the velvet golden ears. Neil nearly cut his lips from his fangs as he bit it. He was regretting saying that, kitty senses taking over but he wasn't about to ask for the petting to continue.
"Well... Looks like we have another freak in town..." Allen sighed dramatically. "Oh, why did I ever move here?"
Neil hissed loudly, trying to pounce at him but the farmers held him back. "Take that back!"
The hairdresser just chuckled. "Take a chill-fish Neil." Another hiss. "I was only merely fooling around! You were a freak before anyway."
"Nya! You little! I could eat you like a mouse if Hen 'n Rach weren't holding me back!"
"Ooh, you cannibal. Anyway, I'm bored with teasing you. Felicity told me she was looking for you Rachel. She's at Chez Clement waiting for you."
"C'mon Neil. A nice walk will calm you down."
~Time Skips; Brought To You By: Echo Farm! Without It, There Will Be No Echo Town, Meaning No Neil!~
The blonde pair walked into Chez Clement in search for the waitress who worked there. Every so often, Neil's tail would gently tap Rachel, making her blush. He himself never noticed, hissing at himself from Allen's rude comments.
"Neil... Calm down... He didn't mean any harm..."
He just bared a fang in disagreement.
"Rachel! And Neil... I heard of your predicament... You are as cute as the paper said!" Felicity giggled as she rushed up to greet her friend.
"Wait... Paper?!" he meowed in surprise.
Felicity giggled again. "Yup! Tina already sent out a new paper with you," she flicked Neil's nose, "as the main topic. And," Felicity reached up to scratch his weak spot. "We all know of kitty's soft spot." He was immediately purring his head off, enjoying the soft touch. His eyes closed as the pupils slitted.
Rachel giggled, pulling the waitress' hand away from the poor cat boy. His eyes, once again, turned back to normal.
"D-damn it... Meow I'll be – I mean now, I'll be tortured all day..." Neil mewled in despair.
The strawberry-blonde giggled once again. "Anyway, Rachel, I need you to try this new dessert I made! I think it tastes amazing but I need a third-party to seal the deal. So, will you be my taste tester?"
"As long as it doesn't kill me then sure!" Felicity dragged both of them to one tables inside the restaurant. On it was a peculiar desert that couldn't be described.
"Felicity. I love you. But, this...uh..."
Neil gagged inadvertently at the sweet mess that lid before them.
"Come on! Just try it!" The maid grabbed a spoonful of the dangerously sweet creation and stuffed it into Rachel's mouth.
"Mmph!" she mumbled. She made a weird face, then it turned to pleasure. The blonde quickly swallowed the treat. "It's delicious! Neil, you've got to try some!"
"Nya?" Before the neko knew it, his face was stuffed with the sickly sweet treat. He looked disgusted at first but then his face faltered. He slowly chewed the treat then swallowed, a bit shocked.
"Well?" the waitress asked.
"I... didn't taste anything..."
The girls stared at him for a second before they busted out laughing. "Of course!" Rachel giggled. "You're a cat. You can't taste sweet things."
"O-oh... right..." The cat blushed.
Rachel gave the boy a little nookie. "How about we have Clement make us lunch? I have some tomatoes and shrimp that I was going to make the chili with at your place. Maybe Clement will make it instead."
The cat boy purred at this idea, making the girls giggle for the millionth time that day.
~This Minor Time Skip Is Brought To You By Chez Clement: They Make Neil's Shrimp Chili So You Don't Have To!~
Rachel could barely eat Neil was being so cute. He was purring the whole time he was eating. He'd also sometimes furget how to use utensils so he'd just lean down and eat the food right off his plate. Clement even played a little joke on Neil and put some fresh milk in a saucer for him to drink from. The animal trader didn't seem to mind so much though as Felicity and Clement attacked his weak spot.
"I'll be right back," Clement sang as he headed towards the kitchen. Both Neil and Rachel were done their seafood lunch and was contentedly full. The whole time kitty couldn't stop purring.
Clement came back with a dish in hand. "I used to always feed the stray cats around my old restaurant in the city. You being a partial cat brings back good memories..." He laid the platter down to reveal a fresh Fish Pie.
Neil blushed, his ears pinned back. "Gee... Thanks Clement... But I'm quite full..." Then he licked his lips. The beautiful scent of the fish-filled dessert filled his nose. "On second thought..."
The trio laughed as they watch Neil dive into the pie without using a fork. That's when the door to the place opened to reveal another blonde woman; the Witch Princess.
"Witch. P? What are you doing here?" Rachel asked. Neil's head popped up, his mouth full of pie and his cheeks covered with crumbs. Felicity giggled at this, gently wiping cat boy's face.
"Got bad news," the witch stated. "First, I still have no antidote for messy kitty here." Neil hissed but blushed. "Secondly, if he's not cured by twelve tonight, he'll stay a neko... Furever!" She cackled at her own joke but her face turned serious. "No, seriously, he will stay part cat if I can't find the reverse potion... So that means my bear will too!"
"Who cares about your bear!" Neil shrieked. "I don't want to be a cat furever! Nya! I mean forever!"
The witch shrugged. "Well, you will be if I don't find a cure."
"Well go find one!" Rachel said crossly at her. "You're wasting time!"
The princess scoffed. "Okay, okay... Sheesh. No need to be so touchy..."
At that moment, Neil perked up. His ears stood up straight as if trying to detect something while his whiskered twitched. "Do you smell that?"
Clement, Felicity and Rachel sniffed the air. "No," the waitress answered, confused. "Why?"
Neil closed his eyes, taking a deep sniff of the air. He opened his eyes, pupils now slit. "I smell something... Something good and it's driving me crazy..." He got up and aimlessly walked around the dining area in search of the smell.
The mortal trio looked at each other weirdly, not knowing what Neil could smell. The witch, being curious, smelled the air. She, being a magical being, could smell things regular people can't. "Oh. I know what he smells..." she muttered in disgust.
"What?" they asked.
"Catnip. Argh... I've always hated the smell of catnip. It's so annoying."
Rachel looked at her quizzical. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't think anyone here has catnip and Rod's pet stall is closed today."
"Of course I'm sure!" the witch exploded angrily. "I'd recognize that smell anywhere! I've used enough of it to remember..."
Neil prowled back and forth until he made his way to the front entrance. "I don't care what the smell is... I know I want it..." he hissed. With that, the cat pounced out the door after the smell.
Rachel was out the door almost as fast as he was, not before leaving the money for the food on the table. "Neil, wait up!"
~This Time Skip Is Brought To You By Catnip: One Of Neko Neil's Favourite Toys!~
When Rachel finally caught up to the loose kitty, they were in the upper forest, on the path heading towards the mountains.
"N-Neil..." Rachel puffed. "S-Slow... down..."
It was like the cat was a tiger hunting for prey. He didn't seem to hear her, using his ears and nose to pinpoint where the smell was. His tail swished as he focused on the beautiful smell that wouldn't stop wafting up his nose. He seemed to found the source in some bushes so he took action. The boy hunched over, slit eyes never leaving the targeted bush. He quietly made his way over to it, never making a sound. He brought his hands up, curling and spreading his fingers as if he really had claws. With a final step, he crouched down so his hands touched the grassy earth below him. He steadied himself, then pounced into the bushes.
"Neil!" Rachel gasped.
In the bushes, there was many random sounds. Stumbling, grass being rolled on, hissing, then suddenly giggling and purring. Four voices were heard. Neil's and three others that sounded distinctly like two little boys and a little girl.
"Oh brother..." Rachel face palmed.
She stepped through the bushes to find Toni, Niko and Hina giggling at Neil who was lying on his back. He had a mouse-shaped catnip toy between his teeth. He used the sides of his index fingers to keep it in place as he happily chewed on it.
"Oh Neil..." the blonde rancher giggled. She then frowned at the mischievous trio who smiled innocently up at her. "Toni, where did you get the catnip?"
"What? What makes you think that this was my idea?" the green-hat wearing boy asked crossly, but not into her eyes.
Rachel sighed. "Because, it's always you're idea. Now spill the beans or I'll stop giving you old boots... For what ever reason you like them so much..."
"Okay, okay! I uh..." He paused, looking at his two companions for help. They just smiled sheepishly at him. Finding no help in them, Toni continued. "I might have borrowed it... from Rod..."
Rachel sighed. "Whatever... C'mon Neil." Cat boy looked up at her, catnip in mouth. "We've got to return the catnip to Rod."
Neil's face instantly fell as the slit pupils disappeared. He meowed sadly, not wanting to give up his new-found toy already. "Do we have to?" he asked through his teeth.
"Yes, now come on."
Neil sighed sadly as he got up, catnip in mouth. He slightly chewed on it as he walked.
~Time Skips Are Brought To You By: Rod's Pets! He Has The Thing You Need To Train Neko Neil!~
The blonde pair walked up to Rod's wood cabin that Rachel and Henry had built for him. The girl didn't even knock as she opened the door. Inside, the cabin was rather yellow, golden floors walls and furniture. Rod was at his counter, chopping some vegetables.
"Hey Rach," he greeted, turning around to give a toothy smile.
"Hey. Are you missing some catnip purrhaps?" the girl asked, giggling at her little joke.. She couldn't help but smile back.
Rod looked quizzical, his eyes rolling up as if he was trying to look inside his head to remember. He washed and dried his hands. "Yeah, actually. I am. Why?"
Rachel stepped to the side to reveal Neil nibbling on the mouse-shaped toy. He was using his fists like paws to keep it in place. "Toni thought it was a fun idea to 'borrow' some from you to tease our kitty here."
The athlete couldn't help but laugh. "Well, that's adorable! I don't think I'll be able to get that from him," Rod demonstrated, trying to get the toy away from Neil. He hissed, baring his fangs. His tail puffed out, ears flattening down.
"Neil!"
He snapped out of his kitty trance, feeling ashamed of himself. "Sorry Rod... I can't control myself most of the time... Here." He passed him the saliva-covered toy.
"Don't worry about it man. Keep it; you'll get more use out of it then me."
Neil perked up. "Nya! Really?! Thanks!" He pounced onto Rod, once again out of it.
Both humans chuckled, hauling Neil off. "C'mon Neil. Let's go to my farm. I need to check on my animals."
He nodded, smiling sheepishly at Rod for his actions.
~Neko Neil Time Skip~
It took longer for the couple to get to Echo Farm. A lot of the townspeople have yet to see Neil as a cat and wanted to pet him, not that he minded. He happily purred the whole time, loving the attention. It was odd for him but Rachel speculated that it was because it was what he wanted on the inside. The potion had made him bolder with his emotions and where cats loved attention anyway, Neil was screwed.
He was a bit embarrassed of letting Dunhill take a picture of him as he was attacked by hands. He also took a picture of his playing with his catnip and curled up next to Rachel on one of the town's benches. He made it worse by stating that they were going into the Memory Museum.
Cat boy was quite happy when Hana and Kosaburo came by with some fresh fish which he happily ate. Yuri was inspired to make cat-print clothing while Emma was given the idea to make a cat-head apple pie. Iroha wanted a copy of one of Dunhill's pictures so she could send one to her family. Hossan decided that he was going to write about this catastrophe in his novel. Sandra also came by, hoping that Rachel would trade Neil for some of her rare novelties, to which she angrily disagreed to. Amir and Sanjay came by as well to see Neil. The prince couldn't wait to get back to his mansion to write a letter to his little sister about this. Olivia gave Neil some catnip flavour tea, to which he surprisingly loved. Rebecca took pictures of Neil's ears and tails so she had some references for the blueprints of her cat statue. Charles and Camelia even stated that Neil was the most exotic thing they have ever seen; and they saw a lot of things during their travels. Soseki asked Neil a few questions for his field journal on how this happened. The most terrifying person was Klaus who wanted to take Neil back to his clinic for a few experiments of his own.
The pair quickly booted to Rachel's house after that. The scurried through the door and locked it. They fell to the ground, breathing hard before they burst out laughing.
"Well, that last one was...!" Rachel panted.
"Yeah..." Neil instantly stopped when he noticed Rachel's pet cat, Maria, playing with a ball of yarn. Then a tingle entered his ears. He turned his head to see her other cat, Olive, playing with a cat bell. He nearly exploded.
Rachel noticed and quickly got up to pick up the toys. All three cats meowed sadly as she put the toys away. "Sorry guys. If Neil gets his hands, or should I say paws, on these, he'll have the whole house wrecked!"
The animal trader looked to the side in embarrassment, but that was quickly erased when he got a scent of her pointy-eared dog, Arthur. He felt his whole body tense as the black-and-white dog got closer. He hissed, "keep that thing away from me!" Neil jumped onto the table, fur fluffed out.
"Whoa! Take it easy Neil. It's just Arthur; he's curious on why one of his favourite people is part cat." She lifted him up to Neil's face.
"Nya!" Cat boy hissed loudly, flicking his hand as if his fingers were claws and pounced off the table, onto the bed.
Rachel blinked before letting Arthur outside, who was very confused. "Okay! Calm down! Guess it's a natural reaction, hmm?"
Neil licked his lips, whiskers twitched. "Yeah, I guess." He yawned.
Rachel giggled. "Kitty wanna cat nap?"
He blushed. "Mmhmm..."
The blonde boy curled up on Rachel's bed, already purring. The girl smiled at him.
"Lie down with me..." he muttered, half asleep.
"Uh..."
"Now."
Rachel squealed at the demand in his voice. "Okay!" She crawled next to him, her back facing him. He cuddled close to her, spooning her. He wrapped his arms and tail around the rancher as they fell asleep like that.
~Cat Naps Keeps Neko Neil Happy~
The cursed boy yawned as he started to come to. He felt like he was asleep forever. He grunted, trying to find Rachel but couldn't find her. He instantly sat up, worried on where she was.
"You're awake," Rachel called from her dining area. She was eating some stir-fry.
Neil blushed. "Could have woke me up you know..."
"Naw, you looked too cute. By the way, it's almost 10:30 P.M. Thought I'd let you know. And there's some food in the pan on the stove."
The neko sat across from Rachel. "Not hungry. Did the Witch-," Rachel cut him off. "No, she didn't... She hasn't come by at all."
He looked down. "Oh... How about we go for a walk then? I need to stretch."
The rancher had just finished eating. "Sure... Maybe a walk will do us good."
~Poor Neil, Will He Ever Be Turned To Normal?~
The pair struggled up the mountain path. It was 11:30 now, only 30 minutes before Neil would be stuck like this forever.
The night was crisp, a chilly wind swept across them. Thousands of stars twinkled in the black satin sky. The moon twinkled on the Harvest Goddess' pond as they reached the top.
"It's beautiful out..." Rachel murmured in awe. A tail twitched in agreement.
They passed the pond, not before Rachel dropped a strawberry into it.
Neil and Rachel stopped at the very top of the mountain where the view of the mountain range was best. They sat close, Neil wrapping his tail around Rachel's waist. They sat in silence, not knowing what to say.
"So... Do you think you could live part cat for the rest of your life?" Rachel asked finally.
"Dunno... Haven't really thought about it until now," was the answer.
Silence.
"I might though... Being a cat gave me a new... identity."
Rachel looked at him. "Elaborate."
He looked back. "Well..." Hesitation. "I'm finding myself much more calmer now... People don't find me as threatening anymore. The cat instincts help."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, I mean I was quite rude to a lot of people but... they didn't run away like they used to. They just shrugged it off. I was annoyed but..." He paused. "It's nice to get attention..."
Rachel gave a small smile.
11:56 P.M.
Neil nodded. "It also gave me more confidence."
Her head tilted.
"I feel more certain that the girl I like is crushing on me back. Animals have the ability to read humans like a book."
"You have a crush? Never saw that one coming..."
Heat rose to his cheeks. "Yup. I guess it helps to spend the whole day with her too."
"Yeah..." Three seconds later. "Wait, what?"
Rachel had no time to question him as she felt something warm and soft against her lips. She gasped in surprise to realize that the thing was Neil. He had his ruby eyes closed, his cheeks red and burning against her face. His whiskers tickled her as his tail forced her closer to him. He pulled away when he noticed that Rachel wasn't responding. Fear arose, quickly spreading throughout his body.
'Was I wrong?' he wondered in fear.
He looked at her face. She was still frozen.
11:58 P.M.
"No... Oh Goddess Rachel. I am so sorry!" he panicked. "I... I honestly though that you- mrph!"
For the second time that night, she cut him off, only this time it wasn't with words.
Soft, warm and sweet. Their lips molded into one another; purrfectly made for the other. They danced with their partner; the forest the music, the mountain the dance floor, the moon their spotlight. It was as delicate as a butterfly fluttering in the spring air, as light as a feather floating on a summer breeze, as sweet as pudding on a chilly autumn day, as warm as a fire, burning brightly on a cold winter night.
11:59 P.M.
They reluctantly pulled away, cheeks ablaze. As embarrassed as both parties were, they smiled softly at each other. That's when Rachel noticed something happening to Neil.
"Neil... Your cat-extensions... They're..."
A white glitter was covering the cat appendages. It slowly built up, it turning into a white light that happened when Neil first went kitty. He went cross-eyed trying to watch his whiskers being enveloped in light. Then, it flashed.
Rachel turned away, protecting her eyes from the bright light that emitted from Neil. When it died down, she turned back around to see that Neil was no longer part cat. Any cat-extensions he had were now gone, just like that.
"Neil! You're back to normal!" Rachel cried with glee. She hugged him tightly as he tried to get over his shock
Holding Rachel, he turned around to see his fluffy golden tail was gone. Upon further investigation, his fangs, whiskers and ears were gone too.
"Huh. I am back to normal," he murmured soft as he peered down at Rachel with a smile. She instantly understood that the kiss they shared as not going to be forgotten.
In the bushes, the witch that caused this to begin with stood in shock. Lying in her arms was her teddy bear that was cat-a-fied.
"Hmm..."
The witch leaned down to the struggling bear and kissed him on the forehead. When she pulled away, the cat-extensions on the bear were being covered with that same white light, then disappeared, turning the bear back into a stuffed teddy.
12:00 A.M.
"Oh... That was the antidote."
The witch held her head triumph. She started walking back to her hut to leave the lovebirds alone when she was stopped by a familiar entrance
"Dum da da!"
It was Aaron, Alice and the Harvest Goddess herself.
'Oh no.'
"Witch Princess," the Goddess started sternly. The witch flinched. She can be really scary at times.
The features on the Goddess softened. She smiled. "Thank you."
The caught the witch off guard. "Uh... for what?"
"For getting Neil and Rachel together of course!" she laughed. "I don't know if they would have ever gotten together if it weren't for you... But just try not to intervene with anyone's lives like that okay?"
The Witch Princess was dumbstruck.
"Well, I need to go. Got some duties to do," the Goddess sang. "I'll see you soon!" With a sparkle of magic, the three of them were gone.
The witch shook her head, carrying on home.
"I still hate that annoying entrance."
I thought that was cute... I don't know what happened at the end. Anyway, I hope everyone else enjoyed it. Don't forget the review!
Here's a question for everyone:
If you had the power to turn anyone into a neko like I did with Neil, who would it be? It don't have to be from the Harvest Moon universe. Please tell me in the reviews! Looking forward to it.