Hey, it's been a while. Sorry I've been inactive, but here's the new chapter. Enjoy!

Soul-Sucker

X

The moon hung high in the sky. The heavens were covered in a thick blanket of darkness that was speckled with dots of white. Below was a thick forest that glimmered within the moonlight. A feathered body swooped down to the group of the forest floor, snatching up a mouse within sharp talons. The little creature let out a terrified yelp as the beast with the talons tossed around the little rodent as if it were a toy. There was a chuckle.

"Bonita, darling, don't be so cruel."

The griffon turned up, staring at her beloved master with the tail of the said mouse gripped between her beak. It squirmed and whined as its little feet and paws thrashed about. Yami leaned against the trunk of a tree, his pink eyes glowing delightfully.

"If you're going to kill and eat it, then do so," he said, waving a hand-like paw in her direction.

Bonita cocked her head to the right, and then blinked. She dropped the mouse on the soft ground, and her paw pressed down on the body, and unsheathed her claws. The mouse's screaming ceased as Bonita drove her claws into the soft body, killing the little creature. She tore into the mouse, blood splattering on her beak and claws. Bonita ate up the little creature's insides, and Yami chuckled coldly.

"Atta girl," he said, his tail flicking from side to side.

He looked up to the sky, staring hard at the moon. In the other world, it was still daylight. Noon, perhaps, but day, still. Yami reached up, fingering his long whiskers. His mind was preoccupied with that Haru. Haru. Haru. Haru. He wanted this Haru. She was a human, though. Well, that was easily ratified. A simple spell would do the trick just fine. Then she would be a cat. Yami chuckled, his nails scratching his neck.

Even now, he was obsessed with a Haru.

Bonita swooped over to him, landing on his shoulder. He turned to look at her, and noticed the blood that was smeared across her golden beak. She was licking away the blood on her talons and paws. Yami chuckled, reaching into the inner breast pocket of his jacket.

"You got a little blood on your beak," he said, reaching across, and whipped the blood away.

She crooned, nuzzling against his head. Yami chuckled, and then pulled away to stare at him. He reached up, and rubbed the top of her head.

"My pet, I have a favor to ask of you," he said gently.

She looked up at him with those soft glowing eyes of hers.

"I want you to look after little Haru and her friends," he said, rubbing at the back of her ear soothingly. "Watch her for a while, and report back in two days. Is that clear?"

Bonita crooned, and nodded her head. Yami grinned, and arched a furry brow to her. "Then go, my love," he said, lifting his arm to the sky. He opened his paw-hand, and scratched into the air, ripping a portal into the thin air, literally. Through the portal, there was a bright, sunny day on the other side. "Go on, now."

She spread her mighty wings, and darted through the opening. The portal closed, and Yami was left all alone. He stood still for a moment, his foot tapping at the ground as his thick tail whisked from right to left briskly. He rubbed at his chin in thought, and hummed deeply. His other hand-paw dropped into his outer pocket, and pulled out a vial. He held it up to the sky, watching the essence inside of it swirl in complete and utter fear. Yami chuckled, staring at the vial.

"I know who you are," he crooned to the vial. "You're that little female cat from a few weeks ago."

The soul inside the tube trembled and shifted. He chuckled, lowering his arm as his hand-paw gripped at the cork at the top.

"And now you will be my dinner."

He quickly removed the cork and placed his furry lips to the top of the vial, and slurped up the soul within it. Yami allowed the essence fill his mouth, and he gulped it down. He licked his furry lips, and stretched out his arms. His body started to restore itself, and that young soul made him feel young once more.

"Good meal," he said, and then he sighed deeply.

Yami then walked along to where his empty castle lay.

"Um, Kimiko, would you and Tohru like some milk?" Naoko asked as she watched the curious kitsune Creation with an arched brow.

"I would," Kimiko said, not even looking up as she rearranged the magazine issues on the table. She turned to Tohru. "Would you like some, sweetie?"

"Sure," Tohru said, shifting to get comfortable next to her.

"He says yes," Kimiko said, pawing the magazine.

Naoko watched the Creation sort the magazines by their titles with a confused face. She then turned to Haru, who merely shrugged her shoulders and grinned sheepishly. The redhead cleared her throat, and looked at the large bird.

"Toto, would you like anything more to eat or drink?"

"Ah, no, but thank you, ma'am," Toto said, waving down his wing. "By the way, fatso here will go without. After all, I believe he can live on his own fat reserves for months."

Muta turned to glare at the crow, crumbs covering his face as his grubby paws gripped the cheese and crackers. Toto shook his head, and chuckled.

"See?" the crow Creation stated, outstretching his wing to the cream and brown cat. "And even though he knows that he can live off his own fat for months, he still continues to stuff his face with more food. I do believe that he wishes to be as big as a whale."

Muta's upper lip twitched, his ears flat against his head, and Baron rubbed his temples in perfect circles to soothe his blooming headache. Naoko didn't know how to respond to Toto's statement, and she only chuckled nervously.

"Okay, um, I'll just bring back some more drinks and food for everyone," Naoko said, retreating back to the kitchen to retrieve the items she stated.

Kimiko finished with the magazines, and she scooped out the room, not before pulling at the table cloth to make sure that there was not a single wrinkle in it. She ran her little paw across it, and when it seemed perfect to her, she remained satisfied. There was silence as the kitsune Creation returned to looking around the room, she noticed another stack of magazines by the door, and she shuffled over to them. Tohru twitched, and watched her.

"Um, honey, whatcha doing?" Tohru called, his furry brows knitted and his ears twitched.

"Just fixing this, that's all," she answered, separating the magazines into their titles.

"It—the magazines are fine. Leave them alone."

"No, it isn't," Kimiko said, tails twitching as she continued. "They're not put away properly. I must fix it."

Tohru frowned, and then let out a sigh. Despite that, he still loved her. A small smile quirked at the corners of his mouth and he turned back to face forward again; his paws resting on the wooden table before him. His tail twitched from left to right, and Muta glanced at him, his ear flicking momentarily. He scratched his stomach and continued to chew his food, and crammed another butter cracker into his maw. Toto stared on in disgust, and shuttered violently. He kept silent, and craned his neck away from the fat feline. Naoko shuffled into the room, and placed cups of milk and a new platter of crackers and cheese on the table.

"Here we are," she said, taking a seat at the table. "Have some more."

"Alright," Muta said after swallowing a mouthful, and reached for the platter.

"Really?" Toto said in a deadpanned voice. "Going for more, are we?"

"Shut up, chicken," Muta growled, snatching a cracker in his fat paw, and shoved it into his mouth. "If I want a cracker, I'm going to have a cracker."

"Muta want a cracker. Muta want a cracker."

"Oh, shove it, feathers. I want my damn cracker without you poking fun at me."

"What is it with your attitude?" the crow demanded. "You always have an attitude, you know that?"

"Well, you keep making those smartass remarks to me makes me have an attitude."

"I highly doubt it. You've always been like this."

"Would the both of you please," Baron said with a curled lip. "We are guests, so behave like such."

Toto frowned, and nodded his head. "Yes, of course, you're right," he said. The crow Creation turned to the mother, and bowed. "We are so sorry, ma'am, for our selfishness."

Muta slowly chewed, and chuckled deeply at the bird. The Creation slapped his wing against the fat feline, and he hissed in return. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry too," he muttered.

Haru smiled, and translated: "He said that he was sorry."

Naoko nodded her head slowly, staring at her daughter with a raised eyebrow. "Okay," she said slowly, turning to stare at the animals. "I forgive you."

Toto beamed, and Muta returned to stuffing his fat, furry face. Naoko stared at the cat, fingers laced tightly together. She was not disgusted by the heavy-set feline, but she looked worried, and the only way she kept herself calm was just staring at something—and that something was Muta. The followed silence was thick like pea soup in the room. Kimiko returned to the table, twitching, and her ears were flat against her cranium. She reached across, grabbing Tohru's paw tightly, and spoke very softly to him, fearful to break the said silence (but she spoke loud enough for him to hear her).

"So, when do you leave?" Naoko asked softly.

Haru glanced at her mother, and then back to Baron, who cleared his throat loudly. "Well, Mrs. Yoshioka, I presume tomorrow would be the best," he said.

Naoko winced, her nails grazing the firm skin of her palm. Baron twitched, ears flattened against his head, and he turned away from her. He understood her pain—after all, Haru was her only child. Who was he to ask a mother to surrender her only child to him for protection? For God's sakes, she did not even know him. His slender tail flinched, and he exhaled slowly from his nostrils; whiskers twitching as he did so.

"Perhaps you would like an audience with the royals of the Kingdom of Cats?" he asked, perking his head up to stare at the human. "I could use some—"

"No, no, no, that's fine," Naoko said, waving down her hand. However, her face was etched in false happiness. "Haru trusts you, and you have already proven your worth . . ."

Baron blinked slowly, staring at her.

"You saved her already, so I believe that you—all of you—will care for her. Can you promise me that, Baron, dear?"

The half-feline continued to stare at the human female. "I promise," he said, placing a hand to her heart.

Naoko watched him with her dimmed eyes, and she gave a simple nod of her head. "Thank you," she said, standing up. She then clasped her hands together, and beamed like the sun. "Well, I'm glad you liked the food. And since you're leaving tomorrow, perhaps I should create some lunches for all of you. Does that sound nice?"

"Oh, yeah, that sounds great!" Muta said, lifting a paw into the air.

"That would be most lovely," Toto said, fluttering his wings. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Oh, yes, thank you very much," Kimiko said, nuzzling closer to her feline lover.

Tohru smiled, and then turned to Baron, noticing that the feline was deathly silent. His ears were still low, tail stiff, and he was staring at the palms of his gloved hands. The grey and white feline moved forward, staring at the Creation with concern.

"Hey, Baron, you okay?" he asked, causing the emerald-eyed half-cat to stare directly at him.

Haru glanced downward, staring at her dearly-loved friend with concern. "Yeah, Baron, are you okay?" she inquired silently. "You look tense."

He glanced up at her, emerald eyes meeting her chocolate-brown ones, and he forced a tiny smile across his furry face. "Yes, Haru, I am fine," he said.

Tohru's ears twitched, unable to hear the voice of the Baron. "What?" he asked, paw cupping around his ear.

Kimiko turned to stare at her lover, and reached across to rub his furry back. "He said that he was fine," she responded.

Baron smiled at the grey and white feline, and nodded his head slowly. Haru stared at her half-feline friend as he watched her mother prepare some dishes for them to eat for their "adventure" that they were going to take. She knew that something was wrong—she could plainly see it on his furry little face. He was worried, panic-stricken, and he tried to cover it with his calm, gentleman façade. It was true when people said that the eyes were the windows into one's soul, for his eyes gave away what he was feeling, and she could read them like a book. Tohru looked at his savior, and let out a deep sigh. He knew it as well.

"Baron? Baron?"

The Creation lifted his head, ears twitching as Tohru stared directly at him. The grey and white feline leaned against his kitsune Creation lover for support. It had been a few hours since Baron and the group left Haru's home, and Baron had been oddly silent for all of that time. Kimiko glanced up, helping Tohru sit down on the couch.

"You okay?"

Baron blinked slowly, and then smiled calmly. "Yes, Tohru, I am fine," he said softly, whiskers twitching ever so slightly.

"What?" Tohru called, cupping his paw over the crest of his pointed ear.

Baron glanced up, and spoke loud and clear: "I am fine, Tohru, there is no need to worry."

The feline's paw dropped into his lap, and he continued to stare at the cat Creation. Kimiko shifted in her seat as her many tails swooping across her body and Tohru's protectively. The fox Creation smiled lightly as she stroked her lover's paw.

"Baron, I know you are worried," she said, glancing down to the table, and righted a book on the surface. "We'll look after her."

Baron hummed in his throat as his hands linked together on his lap, and his tail curled around his shoed feet. "I don't want her to go," he muttered.

Muta, who was in the kitchen part of the home, turned his full attention to the group at the couches. "Eh, chicky will be fine," he said, shifting his bulk as he leaned against the counter. "You know she's a tough girl."

Baron's slit eyes narrowed, and he rotated his head to look at his heavy-set friend. "Muta, I am very worried about her, and I know she is a strong person, but she should not come," he said, twitching mildly.

"Ah, I think you're worried too much," Muta said, making a gesture with his paws in the air.

Toto fluttered his wings, tucking them into his feathered body, and sent an icy glare to the fat feline. "Personally, Mooota, I think that Baron is worried to the exact amount," the avian creature said sharply. "I don't want her to come as well."

"Hey, watch it," Muta hissed, back arching as he stepped forward. "And you two have to quit treatin' chicky like a porcelain doll. She'll be fine."

"Are you not even worried about her?"

"Of course I am!" Muta said, erecting his figure upward. "I'll protect her, you'll see!"

"You'll protect her—pah! That's a laugh! You can barely run without the risk of having a heart attack because of that weight on you!"

"Shuddup, feathers!"

"Not before you shut that hole in your mouth first. The only use that mouth has is to feed your face with God-knows what, because you clearly cannot articulate correctly and give a full, intelligent response."

Kimiko's brows furrowed, frown creasing her elongated face, and her pointed ears flattened against her cranium. She held lightly onto Tohru's arm, and the feline watched the two animals bicker to each other in a rather immature fashion. Baron said not a word as he stood from his favorite chair, and wordlessly went to the window, stepping onto the ledge and assumed a pose. Tohru shifted, ignoring the pain echoing in his body, and gripped the couch as he turned fully around to stare at the Baron.

"Baron?" he called, gaining the attention of Kimiko.

The fox Creation sat up, her paws gripping the backrest of the couch. "Baron?" she meekly said. "Are you . . .?"

Muta and Toto turned from each other, their argument ending, and watched as the Baron became his wooden state. The obese feline stood in his place, staring at the wooden Creation as he rubbed the back of his head with his paw. Toto frowned, turning away from Baron, just looking at the floor below them. Suddenly, he stretched his wings, hearing the tiny bones crack as he flexed them, and he then let out a deep sigh.

"Goodnight, everyone," Toto said, opening his little window doors, and flew outside.

Outside, he landed on his perch as he assumed his frozen state. Night was coming, a blanket of dark blue carpeting the heavens as white speckles of stars dotted the said sky. Hues of pink, yellow, and red dusted the bottom of the carpet of dark blue, and it was slowly fading away into full night.