Times of Trouble

"So, where exactly are we headed Baron?" I asked above the rush of turbulence. My eyes slightly watered from the oncoming air, but I had to

admit, the fresh air was wonderful. It sure beat being cramped up in that small castle courtyard.

"Baron?" I repeated.

We sailed a little further through the crystal blue sky in silence.

Baron's voice broke the silence with, "Satoru, I want you to take a look below."

I opened mouth to question him.

"Look down," he repeated, as if he knew that I was about to say something. I quickly abandoned my attempt to communicate with him, and I

did as I was told.

It was nothing even close to what I had imagined years ago.

As a matter of fact, it was quite the opposite.

My eyes beheld three colors; black, gray, and white. At first, I assumed it was just my new eyes playing tricks on me.

"Gone. All of it…" Baron called back behind him.

I narrowed my eyes to get a finer view of the earth below.

Petit, obsidian sticks grew upward from the ground below. Topping the crown of some of the sticks were glowing orange and red spheres. The scent of fresh air disappeared without a trace. Replacing it was the musky wafts of a blackened smoke. I coughed noisily, trying to eject the terrible diseased wind from my lungs.

"Oh my God!" I cried. "What happened Baron?"

He didn't respond. He continued to gaze out in front of us.

"Do you… do you really wish to know Satoru?" He asked.

I braced myself for another heart-breaking tale.

"Yes Baron. I want to know," I replied.

"Baron… I don't think…" Toto began dissenting, when Baron stopped him.

"No Toto. He wants to know. You just need to focus on flying us to safety."

Toto sighed, and returned his attention to our course of travel.

Baron swung himself around from his sitting position to face me. He continued to keep his eyes separated from my gaze, but he told his tale all the same.

"About two years ago, the people of the Kingdom were already beginning to suspect that there was something wrong with Lune. He had increased the amount of tax on everything, forcing many villagers from their homes, and into townships. He even began torturing those who could not pay taxes or leave their homes. Eventually, a small group of cats, which called themselves Light's Liberation, began baring arms against their malevolent ruler. Soon, the two waring groups destroyed the surrounding countryside, and the whole of the Kingdom became engaged in a massive civil war. However, under strange circumstances, the war shifted in the favor of King Lune, and he crushed the rebellion with one paw. I have a feeling I know how… or rather who tipped the scales of the war in the favor of the King."

'Fang,' I thought bitterly.

"The result was the destruction of the beauty that was once the Kingdom."

I nodded, continuing to attentively listen. The pain in my ribs had not lessen, and had even sharpened. None-the-less, I struggled through.

"My brother has something sinister brewing Satoru…"

He looked up from our feathery floor, and he stared deep into my own eyes.

"And, I'm going to stop it."

Suddenly, both Baron and I noticed a sudden shift in altitude, and we both looked to our friend and pilot Toto.

"We're here Baron." He explained with his relaxed, soothing voice.

"Thank you Toto," he replied over his shoulder in the same tone. I watched as we gently landed in a field of beige wheat. I looked around, and spotted an apple tree.

"Wait, I thought you said that the fighting had destroyed the Kingdom's surrounding country side."

"It was. But, we're not anywhere near the Kingdom anymore."

I scanned our surroundings, and noticed a fair distance from us a series of straw covered cottages. Some of them with random gray clouds of smoke funneling from the tops of slate stone chimneys. The long, lethargic column blended with a graying sapphire sky. The scent of apple pastries and fresh fruits filled the air.

"These are his majesties's Golden Fields," a tender, but burly voice explained.

I swiftly turned my head towards the direction of the unfamiliar comment. Baron walked from my side, and to the stranger's.

"Who's that Baron?" I asked kindly.

Baron smiled. "This is Lucas. He is a farmer and village leader of the Golden Fields."

I bowed my head in respect.

"Mr. Lucas. A pleasure to meet you," I greeted.

"Oh ho! So, you must be the Satoru kid!"

I lifted my brow in confusion.

"What? How did you know my name?"

"Isn't he supposed to be human?" Lucas asked Baron, apparently ignoring my question. I hated when people did that.

"Well, he washuman…" Baron mumbled, intentionally emphasizing the word was. I shamefully stuck my paws in my pockets, and wrapped my tail around one of my legs. That was new. I wasn't aware I could do that.

"Come Satoru. There's someone I want you to meet."

I looked up from my tail, and watched as Baron signaled for me to follow him. I had been so focused on my tail, that I hadn't noticed that Baron, Lucas and Toto had cleared a good distance between me and our landing spot. I cleared my throat, and trotted off down the dirt path the other three had started down. As my pawed feet trotted along the dirt road, my ears managed to hear Lucas cry towards the nearest cottage, "Hun? Get some soup started! We've got a few more guests!"

"A few more? What's that mean?" I questionably huffed.

We entered one of the small cottage cabins, and just in the knick of time. A thunder shower had quickly began, and we had just managed to duck inside before the rain could fall. The first comfortable thing I recognized inside the stranger's home was a big, fat, white cat.

"Muta!" I cried merrily.

He smiled, and stood up from a nearby bench. It had been depressed under his weight, and as he stood, it snapped back into a neutral, flat position.

"Hey kiddo." He mumbled quietly.

I jumped upon him, and gave him a big hug, crying just a little. I winced with pain as my broken ribs slammed against his large belly. He didn't seem to notice when I shifted to adjust the position of my ribs.

"Muta, I'm so sorry. I can't believe what's happened. Look at me," I moaned into his big furry belly.

"It's alright kid. Your mother made the same mistake when she first arrived."

Muta gingerly patted me on the back.

"Satoru?" I heard the muffled feminine voice ask.

I turned around, and I beheld her.

"Ruri!" I gasped. She exasperatedly fell into mine own arms, and we embraced each other for a moment.

"Is it really you?" I asked, holding her from me at arms length, my eyes slowly studying her.

"Yes, its me silly. I guess we're the "love birds" now huh?" she playfully punched my shoulder. I shivered with pain, and Ruri threw her paws over her mouth.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were injured!"

Quickly, she ran over to a nearby caste-iron stove, and removed a warm, wet wag from a simmering pot. She gently wrapped my bruised shoulder with the steaming cloth, and tied it snuggly around my bicep.

"Are you okay? What happened?" She asked, frantically rushing from the stove and back, attending to my wounds.

"I'm alright, really…"

I suppressed a scream as I gently placed a paw over my broken ribs.

I could hear Baron, Lucas, and Muta laughing quietly behind the two of us, when all of the sudden everyone's voice was drowned out by a powerful, blaring voice, inquiring, "What's with all the noise?"

I looked back over my shoulder, and discovered another cat with maroon colored fur, and a white, sun-like pattern imprinted upon its chest. Its limbs were covered with bloodied bandages, and part of his head was wrapped with a cloth similar to the ones Ruri was providing me.

"And who are you?" It asked, its eyes narrowed with a un-present, but looming anger.

"I'm Satoru. May I ask who you are?" I reverently and politely replied.

"I am the rightful ruler of this Kingdom. I am the people's liberator, the bringer of justice, leader of the rebellion, fulfiller of-" He stopped to grip at an apparent pain tearing in his arm. He stumbled over to a nearby chair, and let his head fall forward.

"This, is Mr. "Prophecy,"' Muta sarcastically explained, rolling his eyes.

"But… you will address me as-"

The cat was quickly interrupted by Baron, who finished his demand with;

"Sol. His name is Sol."

I bowed politely.

"Pleased to meet you Sol."

He stared quietly at the wood floor below us, and continued to tightly clutch his arm.

Ruri continued to tend to my wounds, which was kind of nice. Her fingers making contact with my bruised skin. It was such a relaxing sort of feeling.

"You sure you'll be alright?" she asked once more, inspecting my ribs by taking her paws and prodding around the bruised and broken area.

Wincing, I attempted to cover up my pain.

"Don't worry, a little rest, and I'll be as good as new."

Baron approached from the side, and squatted low to examine my wounds as well.

"You've broken ribs, and torn tissue. I've got a remedy for that…"

Ruri gave me a slightly dirty look, glaring at me with narrowed eyes. I guess she had a right to be a little upset with me for trying to cover up my injury.

"… that is, if I'm permitted to use some of your spices Lucas."

He nodded.

"Yes, if you'll follow me, we can grab the things you need from the back storage room…"

"Wait a minute."

We all turned to look at Sol, who was still staring intently at the wood floor.

"I know who you are…"

He suddenly lifted his gaze from the floor, and his eyes met mine.

"…you're that kid that saved my sister…"

At first, I didn't know what to say.

"Your… sister?" I managed to cough.

"Your… sister?" He mimicked, mocking my expression as he did so.

"But… how?" I asked hesitantly.

"Well, now that the cat's out of the bag," Baron impatiently muttered, "he is Lune's son."

"Son? I thought he only had a daughter?"

"Well, you are obviously wrong," Sol bitterly spat, gritting his teeth from the pain.

"But, you're fur?" I inquired.

"Dyed. To conceal my identity. And, a disgraceful color at that..."

Rolling his shoulder, Sol shook his head, and sniffed.

"You see, just like his mother, prince charming thought that Lune was taking things to far," Muta smugly remarked, re-taking his seat on the worn wooden table bench. Baron nodded in agreement.

"Yes. And only Sol managed to sneak away from the Kingdom unnoticed, with the help of-"

"-my mother…" he interrupted Baron, slowly attempting to rise from his seat.

I smiled, and excitedly looked up at my injured gentlemen cat friend.

"You say only Sol managed to escape from the King?"

"Until now, yes."

I almost laughed from my eager feeling. None of them knew. I thought Baron and Muta may have already figured it out, the two of them living in my world for so long. But, the two of them were oblivious as well.

"What if I told you you were wrong?" I took a glance at my paw's new talons.

"What are you saying? My mother's alive?" Sol cried excitedly, changing his lethargic and pained pace into one of haste and speed.

I could feel my smile growing wider, as I asked, "What if I told you Yuki was in the human world?"

"How?" Everyone cried in unison, their eyes widened with a satisfactory disbelief.

It never felt so good to help.

I took a seat to explain what I had seen the day I had meet Ruri, when the door suddenly flew open.

"Lucas. You'd better hide your new friends quickly!" a blue furred cat in a long tattered shirt cried.

"We've got trouble…"

"Why? What's happening?" Lucas asked.

"It's the inspector. He's headed for our village with tons of troops."

Lucas nodded, and the blue cat shot off to warn others. He slammed the door, and faced all of us, his eyes washed over with panic instead of disbelief as they were before. Without tearing his eyes from the rest of ours, he shouted, "Isabelle? Dinner's gonna have to wait."