Chapter 6
Abduction
...In Japan...
Baron looked all over his library, but still could not find any sigh of this Cat Eye of Miw.
Ever since Haru left, Baron's been feeling uneasy, so that didn't help one bit with his search either.
'The Cat Eye of the Miw... where am I supposed to get information about that?' thought Baron bringing his gloved hand to his head.
Lune, who was at the bureau to help Baron with his search at the moment, looked around for another book Baron hasn't seen.
His miss-matched eyes traveled to the table. Next to a pile of books that had Baron already looked over, was a book lying by itself.
'I don't remember him looking at this...' thought Lune picking it up, looking at the cover.
'"Mysteries of the World" huh?' thought Lune.
"Hey Baron. Did you look at this book yet?" asked Lune holding it up.
Baron turned back from his library and frowned slightly at the book.
"That's Ms. Haru's book. She left it here before she left." said Baron looking back at library.
Lune sighed and looked at the book again, before setting it down.
"You know what Baron? I've been thinking. We should visit a friend of mine..."
"Oh?"
"I heard a rumor recently, that there are more stones like The Cat Eye of Miw." said Lune.
Baron turned giving Lune his full attention.
"How is your friend connected with this?"
"I heard that the other stones are located in other kingdoms like how The Cat Eye is located in the Cat Kingdom. Since they say the stones are located in other kingdoms, then perhaps we should visit a friend of mine from the Bird Kingdom."
Baron's emerald eyes widen.
"You have a friend from the Bird Kingdom?"
"Yes, I met him during a treaty that my father sighed to put peace between our kingdoms."
"I see...and the Bird Kingdom is located in-"
"Yes" Lune said.
"Brazil..."
...In England...
Haru slumped on the bed still bummed out from the incident yesterday.
She didn't leave the hotel room since.
'Why is this depressing me?' thought Haru looking at the clock.
Her mom left hours ago to go to the convention again, but before she left Naoko tried her best to convince Haru about not being cooped up in room all day, but left to no avail.
Haru sighed.
'Maybe I'll go to the London Eye' thought Haru getting up from the bed.
...Time Skip...
Haru smiled sadly at the green house in front of her.
'This place is a little run down from when I last saw it' thought Haru looking at the fading green on the house, the broken roof, and the rotting wood.
'Mom, Dad, and I had some good times here. I just wish our old home didn't look so bad...' thought Haru getting a closer look.
Haru walked up to her old house and stopped when she reached the lawn. The lawn's grass was tall, it was up to Haru's knee's, with small rows between the long grass. It looked as if small animals used the grass as a hiding place.
'The land lords sure haven't taken care of this place, like they should...' thought Haru angrily.
Haru looked around to see if someone was watching her thinking she was trespassing. But no one was around.
'The neighborhood doesn't look so well either' thought Haru.
It's as if the whole neighborhood was a ghost town.
Haru walked through the tall grass, to look in the front window and was surprised to find out what was inside.
Everything was so dark. All the stuff her and her mother left was still there, only covered in dust and dirt.
'I guess no one moved in after us... I wonder why? This house and neighborhood was in very good condition before, why is this whole place in the dumps?'
Haru peered inside further.
She could see a bunch of stuff that brought memories back to her.
She saw her collection of rocks, she and her father always looked at. She and her father had a thing for the earth, probably because Isamu was a geologist at the time.
Her gaze was directed to a chair next to the corner. Haru grumbled at all the times that her mother has sent her to sit on that chair for a timeout.
Suddenly, she looked to a dresser that was on the left side of the room. On the dresser was a small silver cage.
'A cage? I thought that-'
Before Haru could finish that thought, she felt something brush her ankle.
"Eeeek!" Haru jumped in surprise and turned around.
She franticly looked at the ground below her to see what the cause of her fright.
Haru scanned the area, but nothing was in sight.
'Guess it was just my imagination' thought Haru looking up at the darkening sky.
'Yikes! It's getting late! I better head back to the hotel, or mom will worry" thought Haru heading towards the walkway.
But just as Haru was about to walk down the walkway, she saw something at the end of it.
Haru squinted her eyes to get a better look.
Standing at the end of the walkway, was a big rat, wearing a black suit and a red cape.
Haru gasped.
'A rat!' Haru screamed in her head.
The rat studied her for a few seconds before making his way over to her.
Haru walked backwards avoiding the small creature headed towards her.
The rat must have noticed her fright, because he stopped a few feet away from her and looked up at her, dead in the eyes.
"Why hello, Haru" he said with a smirk.
'He talks too!' Haru stared wide eyed at the rat.
'I thought I could only understand cats!'
The rat continued to stare in wonder at Haru.
"It's amazing how time can change a human so much..." said the rat looking up and down at her, holding his chin in his palm.
"Have...we m-m-m-met before?" Haru asked nervously.
The rat looked at her with almost a look of hurt in his eyes, but it died quickly for some reason.
"Hmmm...I guess you don't remember me...well...you were very little the last time I saw you...oh well... I guess I could use this as an advantage" sighed the rat, pulling something from hit suit.
Haru watched the rat pull a very pretty blue stone, and then look back up at her.
The rat began to chant something Haru couldn't hear too well, but before she could question what he was doing, the blue stone lit up like the sun.
Haru shielded her eyes from the light, before she looked down at the rat and the stone.
The stone's light lessened slightly and the rat continued to chant something.
'Oh no! What's going on?! Why am I not running?! I don't want to be dragged away to a "rat kingdom"!' Haru screamed in her head.
Haru turned to run, but before that could happen a bunch of mice swarmed around her, blocking her way.
The rat smirked in triumph, and then pointed the stone at Haru.
The stone then sparked.
Haru gasped, and Haru could have sworn she heard the mice bellow her gasp also.
Suddenly a blue beam shot out of the stone and hit Haru.
Haru screamed as light surrounded her, she closed her eyes tight.
She felt the world all around her grow big, she felt fur growing from her skin, she felt something growing from her bottom, and she felt her ears growing bigger.
Seconds drew by and Haru opened her eyes. The light disappeared and the stone ceased to glow.
Haru looked down at herself.
She looked at her arms. They were covered in chocolate colored fur, like the fur color she had when she was a cat. She slowly brought her hands to the side of head, where she felt large rounded ears. She touched her face and felt her nose was pointed but only slightly. She hesitantly looked behind her to see a thin brown tail trailing behind her.
When she was done observing herself she looked at the mice that surrounded her and the rat that held the stone.
"I'm a mouse!" Haru screamed aloud in conclusion.
'Why does this always happen to me?!' Haru screamed in her head.
The rat smirked at her.
"Indeed you are" he said walking up to her.
"Why did you do this to me?" Haru yelled at the rat pointing a finger in his face.
The rat raised an eyebrow at her.
The mice that surrounded them looked with nervous eyes at the rat and the former girl, talking among themselves.
"Does that human have a death wish?"
"She yelled at Ratigan!"
"I'm surprised Ratigan hasn't knocked her down by now..."
"Why did he turn her into one of us anyway?"
"Who knows...?"
Haru looked away from the rat in front of her and at the other mice.
'Did they say Ratigan? But isn't that the name of the rat that is terrorizing the Cat Kingdom?' Haru asked herself.
The rat must have caught her confusion, because he smiled and bowed to Haru.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ratigan, the world's greatest criminal mind." said the rat.
Haru looked abruptly at him.
"So you are him!" she said backing away.
"What do you want with the Cat Kingdom?! Why did you turn me into a mouse?! What was that stone?! What do you plan on doing to me?!" Haru questioned glaring at Ratigan.
Ratigan only smiled at the glare she gave him.
"Questions shall be answered in time, but as for now..." Ratigan said.
Haru suddenly felt dizzy, she felt her legs grow weak. Suddenly she collapsed.
Ratigan looked down at the unconscious girl in front of him before kneeling down in front of her.
"It's time to take you home..."
