This is my first finished The Cat Returns story. It was a long couple of months in the making – a time in which I wrote it and nearly finished it and then decided that the moods I was in when writing it were not very good so I rewrote the story :) not a lot of it was changed and I took lines and such from the original and placed them in this story.
But I completely changed the Prologue and such XD
Anyways enjoy :)
PS: I don't own TCR or any of its characters – I however own any characters that are not in the TCR movie.
Prologue
"Mummy, can you tell me the story about the kitties again?"
Daisuke laughed lightly. "Don't you want to hear the other stories, Katarina?"
"No Daddy." Katarina insisted, pulling her cat plush toy closer. "I want to hear the kitty story again."
Haru sat on the mattress beside her daughter and began the story. "Once upon a time, there was a girl, who saved the Cat Prince from certain death. She was strong and had a good life. But what she didn't expect – was all the things that happened after that. The Kingdom of Cats sent her gift after gift. There were Cat Tail plants all around her house. And it wasn't long until the Cat Nip freshly grown in her pot plants attracted all the cats in the neighbourhood. But don't worry. They ate all the yucky mice that she found – all wrapped up in pretty boxes, like presents. But it didn't stop there."
"Oh no." Katarina cried.
"Oh no, indeed." Haru repeated. "A messenger from the Cat Kingdom came and told her that the Cat King wanted her to marry the Cat Prince."
Katarina gasped and held her toy closer.
"But then, magically, a voice came to her and told her: 'Go to the Cat Bureau – find the large white cat in the town square and he will show you the way'. Without hesitation, the girl ran for the town square, looking for this large white cat. She searched and she searched, but she couldn't find him anywhere." Haru put on an exhausted face as she continued. "She was so tired that she decided to sit by the side of the centre fountain. But what she didn't see was – "
"The fat cat!" Katarina finished.
"That's right, Sweetheart. She sat right on him!" Haru said, tickling the little girl. "He was mad at her – but agreed to help her. He led her out of the town, through the woodlands until they came by a small, magical place. It was called the refuge. Within, was the Cat Bureau."
Katarina gasped excitedly. "And the Baron?"
"Yeah, he was there. And he listened to her problems – but he couldn't stop that silly messenger from coming and taking her away." Haru said.
"No. He can't do that!"
Daisuke looked at the clock. "Haru." He warned.
"The story isn't finished yet, Dai." Haru said darkly.
"Yeah, Daddy." Katarina added just as darkly.
Daisuke raised his arms in defence and defeat.
"Now, where was I?" Haru asked.
"She's in the Cat Kingdom!" Katarina replied.
"Oh yes." Haru said. "Now, the Cat Kingdom is a beautiful place. It's better than any place in the world. Of course, it's a cat's paradise and it's always midday there. Anyway, when she arrived with the fat cat, she was taken to the castle, where she was put into a big dress – it was a very pretty dress, better than any dress that the peasant girl had ever worn before."
"What colour was it?" Katarina asked, determined that the colour would be different.
"It was yellow."
Katarina scrunched up her face in disgust. "Yellow?"
Haru laughed. "Yes, yellow. But do you remember what the silly fat cat did?"
Katarina shook her head.
"He jumped into a whole big jug of Cat Nip Jelly!"
Katarina gasped.
"Yes. And the poor peasant girl didn't know what she would do without him – she had no choice but to go to the celebrations. And what was worse, she was already turning into a cat! The Cat King tried to find entertainment that would make the peasant girl happy – but it was no use. She was so upset over her fat friend and her certain forced marriage that she couldn't stop crying." Haru said. "Two cats had already been thrown out the window."
Katarina giggled.
"But then, when the other entertainers were backing away in fear, a lone feline stood out, dressed in black with a cape and a large musketeer styled hat – he also had a mysterious mask over his eyes."
Katarina clung to her toy even more, excitement and her favourite part of the story drawing near.
"He insisted that he could make the young girl smile, so the King agreed to let him try. He offered the girl his hand, but she refused, saying that she was a 'meowsy' dancer. But he needed to only say one thing to her: 'Just trust me'." Haru explained. "She took his hand and as the music started, he danced with her. He led her around the empty dance floor. It was his gentle guidance that made her dance. She was beautiful on the dance floor – and as she stared up at his half hidden face she realised that she could belong in the Cat Kingdom, it didn't seem to be all that bad.
"But the King was suspicious and he ordered that the mysterious cat show who he is. So the cat complied and it turned out that was the Baron!"
Katarina gasped happily.
"He proclaimed that he was going to rescue the fair peasant. And even though the King ordered in his guards, the Baron used his mask to break the jug that the fat cat was in and it turned out that he wasn't dead at all. Just asleep."
Katarina giggled in response.
"And then, a beautiful white cat maid showed the Baron and the girl a secret way out – telling them that the girl will be a human again if she gets through the portal and back home before the next human sunrise. But, when she showed them outside, they had to get through the Kings Maze first – and furthermore, up to the top of the castle's tallest tower.
"So the good Baron began to lead the girl through the maze, though they kept finding dead ends, they kept going. And even when they were faced with guards intent on keeping them from their goal, Baron beat them back with his cane until they could get by. And then, finally, they realised why they couldn't get through the maze. There were fake walls – worn by cats. They walked around and made more dead ends to confuse the 'victims'.
"After the girl discovered this, and the Baron kicked one down, all of them fell – because they'd lined themselves up like dominoes!"
Katarina giggled again. "Those silly kitties."
Haru tickled the girl again. "That's right. So they ran for the tower, right down the path created by the wall carrying cats. But the poor girl, she could hardly run any further and she stopped at the base of the tower to catch her breath. But she was running out of time – so the Baron came back down the tower, picked her up into his arms and began to carry her up the tower. All around the stairs until they reached another level. They were so close – but then, the tower began to collapse, the structure being set up with explosives."
Katarina hid behind her toy. "Oh no."
"It's okay, because they were okay. Because you know what? When they thought that they were going to be captured, the Cat Prince arrived, with the lovely white cat by his side. He announced to his Father that he had already chosen his wife – the cat by his side."
The girl made an excited sound.
Haru smiled. "But the King was too insane to let the poor peasant girl go. The fat cat wouldn't have that though. He turned out to be a notorious criminal in the Cat Kingdom." She explained ominously.
Katarina gasped. "What did he do?"
"He ate all the fish in the lake! And he used this fear of him to help the girl make her way up to the top of the tower – he threw her half of the way."
"Wow…."
"And though the Baron followed her half of the way, the King stalled him too! He demanded a duel. But don't worry, because the good Baron hit his crown and shaved that stupid King."
Katarina burst into fits of laughter.
"And then, they finally got out of the Cat Kingdom – the girl turned back into her normal self and though she would miss the Baron and his Bureau, she went back home where she lived happily ever after."
Katarina sighed. "I love that story."
Haru chuckled lightly. "So do I, sweetie, so do I." She kissed the girls forehead and pulled the blankets up and tucked her in. "Goodnight, Kat."
Katarina yawned largely. "Night-night Mummy. Night-night Daddy."
"Night, baby." Daisuke whispered as he led his wife out of the room, closing the door behind them. "You shouldn't tell her that story too much, Haru."
"It's my story, I'll tell it as much as I wish. Besides….eventually I want to tell her the truth. The whole truth."
"It's been nearly thirteen years since then." Daisuke said as he led the way towards their room.
"Yes, exactly." Haru agreed. "And I haven't seen Baron since our wedding day. I miss them but I can't ever go and see them. They don't even know that Katarina's in my life."
"Do they need to know?"
Haru looked at the everlasting and never wilting rose that sat on her bedside table. "If they hadn't gotten me out of the Cat Kingdom, then I wouldn't be here with you. Telling them about the progress of my life is the least I can do." She walked over to the rose and touched it pale pink petals. A present from her faded crush. "And the poor Baron….he'd be so alone in that refuge. The chances that Muta would still be alive after this long and his alarming weight. And Toto might not always be around either." She sat down on the side of the bed. "And Dai?"
"Hmm?"
"I do miss them."
Daisuke leaned across the bed and kissed her cheek. "It's okay to miss them, sweetheart. But don't let it weigh you down."
Haru looked at her hands, still feeling guilty. "I know."
Please read and review :) I love some constructive criticism.
