Hey! Soooooo sorry I haven't updated lately. Exhaustion has really been an issue due to play rehearsal and such. And, also, a lot of you have mentioned in the reviews things such as "You forgot to mention that Baron is human now." or "Isn't Baron a human when he changes size?" and other various related statements and questions. I just want to point out, that he is NOT human. I wanted him to stay his cat figurine form for this event. It will be to the peoples' knowledge that it is just an outfit for the event. I know it's a bit odd, but I don't like the idea of him turning human. So, just another FYI…this will sadly NOT be the last chapter. I realized that I wrote too much to make this into just one chapter. So there will definitely be only one more chapter after this. So sorry for the confusion, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Cat Returns, or the lyrics in this chapter to "Where Are You Christmas?" Enjoy!
It didn't take us long to get to the park. Despite the few awkward looks towards Baron, he fit right in. The people filed in quickly, crowding the area. Hiromi went off on her own soon after we arrived to go look for more of our classmates, leaving Baron and I alone.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" Baron asked. I looked over at him and smiled.
"Of course!" I replied. He smiled as a sound emitted from the pavilion in the center of the park. We made our way over to the pavilion, meeting Hiromi on the way. "Hiromi, what's going on?" I asked her.
"It's time for the talent show!" She exclaimed, her eyes beaming. I chuckled as we took a seat on one of the benches to watch said talent show. There were various acts that were quite intriguing; such as a few acrobatic acts, dancing performances, and other various talents. In the middle of one of the acts, a man came up beside the bench we were sitting on.
"Excuse me, miss." He started. I looked at him. He seemed like he had been rushing around all night.
"Yes? Can I help you?" I replied."I hope you can." He said. "We're missing an act. They never arrived this evening to report to the talent show. We've never missed a performance yet, and we really don't want to start tonight. Will you please fill in in for them?" He seemed desperate. I just stared at him blankly.
"Ah! Um…I'm sorry but, you don't want me to sing! I'm terrible!" I stated.
"I'm sure you're wonderful!" he persisted. "We would be eternally grateful, Miss!"
"I'm sorry, sir. But, I'm just not good with doing this in front of people." I said.
"You were quite willing to dance with me in front of everyone at the castle." Baron chimed in with a smirk.
"Yes, but that was different!" I objected.
"I fail to see how." he retorted. He leaned closer to me and placed his hand on mine. "Just keep your eyes on me" He said with a soft smile. I thought long and hard before nodding at the man in agreement. He led me back behind the pavilion. He showed me what I was to sing.
"Alright, Miss…?" he started.
"Haru. Haru Yoshioka." I said with a smile. He blushed a bit before clearing his throat.
"Miss Haru, are you ready?" He asked. I nodded nervously. "That boyfriend of yours is quite lucky to have such a lovely girl like you." He finished with a wink. I blushed at the compliment as he ran out to announce my act. I took a deep breath.
"Alright, Haru…" I said to myself. "You can do this. Just keep your eyes on Baron."
"And now, for the final act of the night: Miss Haru Yoshioka!" The man announced. I slowly, but confidently made my way onto the stage. I took the microphone in hand that was provided, as the intro to "Where Are You Christmas?" emitted from the large sound system. I took a deep breath and…
Where are you Christmas
Why can't I find you
Why have you gone away
Where is the laughter
You used to bring me
Why can't I hear music play
I could feel my body shaking, and looked around, scanning the audience for Baron.
My world is changing
I'm rearranging
Does that mean Christmas changes too
I found Hiromi within the audience, her eyes beaming at me, I smiled, my voice getting a bit more confident.
Where are you Christmas
Do you remember
The one you used to know
I'm not the same one
See what the time's done
Is that why you have let me go
I found Baron, who was staring at me in awe. He smiled at me, nodded, and I continued on, getting more and more confident.
Christmas is here
Everywhere, oh
Christmas is here
If you care, oh
If there is love in your heart and your mind
You will feel like Christmas all the time
I took the microphone off the stand and started moving with the song, throwing my voice far out to the audience, mostly to Baron.
I feel you Christmas Where are you Christmas
I know I've found you
You never fade away
The joy of Christmas
Stays here inside us
Fills each and every heart with love
Fill your heart with love
The song ended, and I finished with a confident smile. Loud applause echoed from the park all throughout the city. I smiled at this, and turned my attention back to Baron who had a rose in his hand, which he had thrown up onto the stage. I caught it quickly before making my way back off the stage. The man who had persuaded me to sing placed a hand on my shoulder, complimented me a few times, and went back out on stage.
"Now, only you, folks, can decide tonight's winner." He announced. "There is a voting booth by the entrance of the park. You may write the name of the act that you wish to vote for and place it in the box provided. We will announce the winner at the end of the event. Enjoy the rest of the night!" With that, music began to play, as people and couples began dancing around the court yard of the park. I cam around from the back of the stage and instantly got bombarded by Hiromi with hugs.
"That was AMAZING, Haru!" She exclaimed. "I never knew you could sing like that!" She went on and on with similar compliments. Finally, she let go, allowing me to catch my breath. I looked over to find Baron smiling directly at me.
"Haru…" He started. "I have heard many people throughout my entire life sing. You, Haru, truly sing like an angel." He grasped my hand tightly. I smiled at him before saying,
"Thank you, Baron. Coming from you, I really appreciate it." He nodded, before tucking my arm in the crook of his arm.
"Shall we dance?" He asked. I nodded before allowing him to lead me into the center of the courtyard to dance. When the music started, my ears perked up right away.
"Isn't this…?" I started. Baron only smirked in response. Scenes from the dance at the Cat Kingdom played through my mind as we dance around gracefully. It was much smoother of a dance since I had remembered the moves from before. The people around us turned into a crowd to watch us. I smiled as we continued to leisurely glide throughout the dance. My eyes never left his. He led me into the final position, with me leaning back and him holding me up. He stared into my eyes as we held that position. He smiled before leaning down, pressing his lips gently against my own. It lasted for only a few seconds, but I would never forget it. He pulled away, pulling me up with him.
"Folks!" We heard the man announce. "We have the results from the talent show! And it looks like the Majority vote is quite obvious." He looked directly at me, while I was still in Baron's arms. "Miss Haru Yoshioka!" he exclaimed. Once again, applause erupted throughout the park, as congratulations and compliments started flooding towards me. I smiled widely, as I went up on stage to accept the trophy that was provided for myself. We spent the rest of the night mingling with the other guests, before heading back to the Bureau.
When we entered through the white arch-way, we could feel ourselves shrinking in size once again. Muta was comfortably resting in his usual chair outside the bureau building. When he saw us coming, he got up and stretched, before walking over to us.
"So? How'd things go…" His voice trailed off when he noticed the trophy I was holding. I smirked. "Wow, kid. Didn't think you could win something like that." I rolled my eyes before turning to Baron.
"Is it ok if I stay for a while?" I asked. "My feet hurt a bit from walking back, and I want to take a little rest." He smiled and nodded.
"Of course you may, Haru." He said before leading me inside. "You may come inside too, Hiromi, if you like." Hiromi shook her head.
"No, I'd better get home." She said. "My Mom'll be worried sick if I don't get home soon." I realized I had forgotten something.
"Oh! Hiromi! Before you leave, I have something for you!" I said before running inside. I soon came back out with a small package. Her eyes beamed when she received it.
"Thank you, Haru!" She said, before giving me a hug. "See you all later! Merry Christmas!" She said before turning and leaving. We went inside after she had left, sat down, and waited for Baron and his famous tea. My mouth watered at the thought.
"Here you are, Haru." He said, handing me a cup of steaming hot tea. I sniffed the scent emitting from the cup, before taking a sip.
"Delicious…" I said with a dreamy smile. Baron chuckled beside me. Suddenly, I heard my phone in my purse playing that familiar holiday carol. I quickly searched for it in the bottom of the hand bag, before looking at the caller ID. "That's strange…it's an unknown number…" I thought out loud. I flipped it open, answering it with caution. "Hello?" I said.
"Hello?" the voice echoed. "Is this, by any chance, Haru Yoshioka? Daughter of Naoko Yoshioka?" They asked.
"It is." I replied. Baron looked at me, a bit of concern in his eyes.
"This is the American Airlines Airport, calling in reference to your mother's flight." She stated. My eyes grew a bit. "I'm calling to report that, at approximately 9:58 this evening, your mother's plane was caught in a snowstorm just off the coast of Tokyo. We haven't heard from the Captain yet since the incident, but we are working hard to find out what happened. We've just only recently sent officials to the area to do a complete search. I apologize greatly if anything were to happen to your Mother, dear." She explained all this with the most sincere voice as possible. I was speechless. Baron only looked at me, concern still filling his eyes. "Miss Haru? Are you still there?" The woman asked. I shook my head to bring myself back to reality.
"Y-yes…I'm here." I said. "Thank you for notifying me…" My voice trailed off, as I shut the phone slowly. I stared blankly at the floor, trying to think and process what I had just heard. Baron finally snapped me out of my head.
"Haru!" He exclaimed. He come over and placed a hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong?" He asked. My eyes filled with tears, as I dived into his chest, tears spilling from my eyes. He was confused, but comforted me as best as possible.
"Mom…please don't leave me…" I thought to myself, as I continued to sob into Baron's now soaked shirt.
Well, thar ya have it. Hope you enjoyed. No flames please! I promise that the next chapter will be the last, and much happier! I promise! For now, R&R, comment, and criticize! Ciao! ^_^
