Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The characters that make up the wonderful 2002 movie, The Cat Returns, do not belong to me; nor does anything that you would be able to recognize. Instead, just about everything, aside from the drabbles, belong to the writers and animators over at Studio Ghibli.

Summary: All occasions, no matter how long or shot, sudden or predictable, are special.

Warning: Major Haru x Baron shipping. Lots of fluff (mostly) and romance.

Enjoy!


26. Flower

Haru was like a growing flower. A small bud in the midst of shocking the world around it with its developing beauty. And he was to help her do just that.

27. Star

The growing woman looked out her window at the indigo-colored sky, the green and orange patterned curtains billowing out behind her as a cool breeze rolled past. Ignoring the sections of her hair that managed to dance in the way of her gaze, she looked up longingly at an extremely bright star.

Clasping her hands together, she softly pleaded - with both mind and heart - to be somewhere different. "Please."

28. Goal

Since returning back to her own dimension, Haru never woke up late again. She had things to do, people to see, and goals to accomplish.

29. School

On the first day back, a Monday to be exact, Haru had arrived to school before the majority of her class; even the teacher. To say that they were surprised was an understatement.

30. First Crush

Before her feline adventure, Haru never would have thought that she would stop falling for Machida. But now, as she looked back on it, the attentive schoolgirl could not come up with a real reason why she had in the first place.

31. Religion

Haru was not really big about religion. Though, she would often times plead to whoever was listening up there in the clouds to make everything turn out great.

32. Light

Unlike Muta, the Baron never grew tired of his "little light show", and neither did Haru.

33. Knight

Usually knights come to rescue their damsels in distress ready for war, dressed in heavy armor and clad with a shield and sword. However, her rescuer came dressed in a cape, hat, and a silver mask.

34. Train

Haru, often times, found her train of thought focusing on something far different than tests and textbooks.

35. Contest

The three of them were sure of it, if Muta were to be entered into an 'all you can eat' contest, then he was sure to win; no doubt about that.

36. Money

"Muta, money does not buy happiness."

"Yes it does, birdbrain!" The chubby feline shouted, beginning to get annoyed at the crow's disagreement. Though a smile quickly washed away the negative feeling as the imaginary fragrance of various foods filled Muta's mind.

37. Candy

Muta did not really care if the candy was a month old or two minutes. Food was food, and it was good regardless of its age.

38. Oil

Minutes after carefully pouring more inky-black oil into the lamp's base, the statuette turned a switch to make the renewed light brighter and resumed his studying.

39. Flight

No matter the height, Haru had always had a deep rooted dislike for high places; whether she was safely held or free falling.

40. Fake

Feeling her cheeks turn a light shade of pink, Haru knew, right then and there, that her growing crush on the Baron statuette in the Bureau was not a mere slip of the mind.

41. Apple

A quick glance to her left and only seeing a bare counter told her that she had to put breakfast on hold for a couple minutes more. Though to some it would cause to groan and frown with displeasure of venturing out to a shop early in the morning; for her, it made a smile appear. She would do anything to have a reason to visit the crossroads, even if it simply were for apples.

42. Boot

If Haru had to choose which pair of shoes she wanted the Baron to wear, without a doubt she would suggest the mocha brown dress shoes any day. The sharp click as the feline walked around was a comforting sound to hear over the sound of any other type of shoe.

43. Pest

Baron, most times, did not have a negative opinion about a person. However, when it came to the Cat King, the most polite word to describe him - if you asked the statuette - would simply be a pest.

44. Burn

Haru learned quickly that when making tea, the brewer had to be cautious of the items around the area. Another thing that had immediately burned itself into her mind was the fact that Baron had never been fond of her pale skin being damaged.

45. Jail

Haru glanced up at the tawny cat that she had been embraced by, the conversations and music of the grand party rapidly fading. If being in the limbo of immortality was akin to jail, then this was the happiest that an inmate had ever been.

46. Grove

Haru always loved spending time in the forest that surrounded the portal to the Cat Kingdom; the smells of the trees and the flowers that they elegantly bloomed, the melodies that the surrounding animals composed. It all made her feel alive, whether from the magic that the forest secretly harbored or not, she did not know. But what made the grove all that more special was when she received a visit from a certain royal family.

47. Autumn

With Autumn came cold breezes and warm coats, for the general population that is. However, with a certain brunette, the leave-less tree season meant that there were to be new tea batches, warm fires, and jokes with a duo of creations and their favorite marshmallow-sized feline.

48. Cold

Haru quickly noticed that she no longed for the hazel eyes that belonged to her once-love Machida, but instead for the deep emerald eyes of Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen.

49. Dice

If it meant that she could go on more adventures, big or small, with the trio at the Bureau, then Haru would gladly gamble with her already-short life.

50. Splinter

It was at that precise moment that the aged, and rather insane, Cat King confirmed that the Baron was more than just a simple 'thorn in his side'.