Disclaimer: I do not own Cat Returns.
Chapter 3: 10 years later
A lovely young woman of twenty sat in front of a small pond some ways away from Sir Hasho Yoshioka's grave. She had long brown hair that reached to the midpoint of her back, pulled up in a ponytail. Dressed in a grey shirt, purple vest and black breaches she looked up to reveal deep brown eyes, just like her father's. Haru was visiting her father's grave again when a song began to form in her head as she looked at her reflection in the water.
'If you were with me now
'I'd find myself in you
'If you were with me now
'You're the only one who knew
'All the things we planned to do.'
As Haru stood and headed back towards home she began to sing out loud.
"I want to live my life
"The way you said I would
"With courage as my light
"Fighting for what's right
"Like you made me believe I could."
As she began her way back home she came to the sandy hill that she recalled her and her father rolling down so long ago. Tumbling down it herself, she picked it up a stick and began to draw the three circles from her father's shield. As she continued her song, she began to run across the sandy beach up the hill to her family farm.
"And I will fly on my father's wings
"To places I have never been
"There is so much I've never seen
"And I can feel his heartbeat still
"And I will do great things
"On my father's wings!"
Upon her return to the farm she greeting her mother who pointed her to the stables and barn. Haru shook her head yes and began to do her chores, giving hay to the cattle and slop to the pigs. Still dreaming of the adventures she wanted and the lands she wished to see.
"This world I'll never see
"My dreams that just won't be
"This horse's stride," she sang while looking past the pig's pen she placed her chin in her hand as she glanced at Haku's stable.
"With one day's ride
"Will have covered more
"Distance than me."
With a mischievous smile on her face she climbed the fence surrounding Haku and jumped onto his back, riding out of the pen and retrieving a pitch fork which she through at a makeshift target painted on the hay in the barn.
"But I will fly on my father's wings
"To places I have never been
"There is so much I've never seen
"And I can feel his heartbeat still
"And I will do great things
"On my father's wings!"
It landed perfectly in the center, and hopping off of Haku she lifted the hay over a gate into a pen filled with oxen. Giving a bucket of oats to Haku she slowly walked out of the barn her head still far away in the clouds. Hopping up onto a fence she balanced with a cat like grace.
"Someday with his spirit to guide me
"And his memory beside me
"I will be free to…"
Jumping off of it she landed on a plank laid over a bucket, unfortunately a small brown cat with a large smile was walking across and was unceremoniously thrown into the air with a loud yowl by the make shift teeter-totter.
"Fly on my father's wings
"To places I have never been."
The cat landed with his claws dug into the roof of the barn, completely frozen in fear as Haru ran up to a cliff edge near the house, finishing her song as she did.
"There is so much I've never seen
"And I can feel his heartbeat still
"And I will do great things
"On my father's wings!
"On my father's wings!"
Slowly walking down she was greeted by her mother with a large smile, she returned it with a small chagrined one, until she noticed the cat still stuck on the roof of the barn. Her smile falling and with a worried cry she ran over to him.
"Oh Natoru I am so sorry. I didn't know you were on the end of the plank," she apologized as she used a ladder to climb to the roof.
"Here I'll get you down from there." She gently coaxed him into her arms and began softly cooing to him to calm him down.
"It's okay, Miss Haru," Natoru responded, still slightly shaking. "You didn't see me and I should have been looking where I was going. Though I always have wondered what it's like to fly," he laughed. "Now I know."
Smiling at him, Haru joined him in laughing as she continued back to the house holding him close.
Far off in the Kingdom of Camelot, night has made its mark. Within the castle, King Lune and the knights were gathered around the round table. King Lune began the meeting with his opening speech.
"In the ten years since Sir Hasho's death, equality and peace has spread throughout Camelot," he began, the knights responding with cheers. "Excalibur has given us the strength to band together all injustices." At this the room erupted it raucous applause.
"Camelot has prospered beyond our greatest drea-" suddenly a huge crash from above interrupted Lune as a giant Sphinx began to descend down from the roof, landing on the table and plunging the room into darkness as it blew the torches out.
The knights rose from their seats and unsheathed their swords as the sphinx slowly moved its head from side to side till focusing on Lune in his seat. Never taking his eyes of the Sphinx, Lune slowly began reaching behind him for Excalibur. Just as he was about to grip it the Sphinx snapped its head forward and grabbed the sword, shattering the top of the chair and scratching Lune's arm terribly in the process. Ducking down, Lune held his arm to his chest as the warriors around him began to attack the sphinx, who opening its incredible wings, took off into the air and through the roof, spears and arrows flying after it. Those closest to him began to come to Lune's aid, but he merely waved them off.
"Never mind me," he spoke in a pain filled voice. "Find Yuki and go after Excalibur."
The Sphinx burst through the roof and flew off into the night, soldiers on the walls began launching flaming arrows to attempt to take out the sphinx. No arrow could meet its mark as the sphinx flew ever and ever farther from the castle.
"Send word across the land," a soldier called to one by a large horn. "Excalibur has been stolen." The soldier began to blow into the horn and the call filled the night air as the gates opened, soldiers on horseback following after the sphinx.
Yuki dressed in her glowing white robes, climb to the top of one of the walls and walked to the edge, the soldiers stepping back instantly to let her through.
"Toto," she called out to the night. "Protect the sword."
As the sphinx flew over a glowing green forest, a black streak flew across the sky and straight towards him, striking him across the face. The sphinx cried out in surprise as a large crow began to hover some ways away from him. Swiftly turning back, the crow made another swipe at the sphinx which caused him to drop Excalibur into the forest below. Looking after the crow as it flew away the sphinx then realized that the sword was no longer in his grasp, looking around till he spotted it falling to the green below, he began to dive after it.
As the sword fell through the tree tops the sphinx continued his descent when suddenly large claw-like hands made from the branches of the trees reached out after him. The sphinx's eyes widened as he tried to slow his descent, only for the claws to grab hold of his wings and feet. The crow watched his struggle with amusement. The sphinx kicked and yelled as he tried to get out of their grasp, when finally, he was freed who flew as far away from the forest as fast as he could. After the sphinx retreated, the crow began his descent into the forest, easily avoiding the claw-like branches as he traveled to the floor below.
As the sun peeked over the hills onto Camelot, the soldiers continued to sound the call of Excalibur's theft through the horn. The sound travelled across the land from on horn to the next till it reached the farthest ends of the Kingdom.
Back on the Yoshioka farm, Haru heard the horns call in the distance. Dropping her bucket and running inside, she found her mother sitting by the fireside working on a dress, Nirami at her side working at the hem. Hansuke polishing the weapons and trophies on the wall.
"Mother," she cried running in. "Excalibur has been stolen."
At this Naoko laid her work down and jumped from her seat and rushed to Haru, Nirami and Hansuke looking to each other with worry in their eyes.
"Are you sure," she asked Haru, in a worried but strong voice.
"Yes, the horns are sounding in the distance," she answered. "Mother we must go out to help search."
At this Naoko lost a little of that strength in her eyes and was quickly replaced with a shaking worry. Gripping her daughter's shoulders, she shook her head in a negative action.
"No, the knights can handle finding the sword, we must stay here. Come try on your new dress I've made." Naoko then slowly pulled her daughter towards where she laid the dress, Nirami then took a tape measure and began to take lengths of Haru's arms and legs. With a frown Haru tried to pull away before her mother could put her in the dress, but she didn't get away in time. The dress was a pearl white and simply in its design, even though it had only been just started, one could tell it was meant for elegance and grace.
"Mother," she whined as the dress covered her face. "I don't want a new dress; I want to do what I can to find Excalibur."
"As I said the knights can handle finding the sword." Responded Naoko.
"But I can't just stay here and do nothing," Haru pulled away from her mother and Nirami's fussing over her in the dress and went to Hansuke where he was pulling her father's shield from the wall to polish. She gently pulled it from his hands to hold it close as she continued telling her mother, "I want to do what I can to help, see new places. Have adventures, see Camelot. Not stay here feeding chickens its boring!" Haru remarked as she gently handed the shield back to Hansuke.
Naoko gave her daughter a frown and sighed. She then walked to her daughter and pulled her towards her.
"Haru one day you will have adventures and see Camelot, I promise," she told sternly. "That day is just not today and until then you will stay here with me."
Haru quickly pulled away, "All right, all right," she responded angrily as she pulled the dress over her head and threw it aside, running out of the room.
Naoko watched as she ran out of the room with a frown on her face. Turning to the family mural on the wall she looked directly at the image of her late husband.
"What would you do?" she asked Hasho's image, he merely smiled back.
Disclaimer: On my Father's Wings written by The Corrs belongs to Quest for Camelot.