Chapter 35:"A Sculptor gives life to His Art, But A Heart Gives Life To A New Adventure."

"You know there was once a time when I thought I couldn't handle talking cats but lifesize cats? I really need a breather for this one."

"Haru, I never meant to cause you distress. if you are feeling faint I suggest you sit down incase-"

"No it's not you it's just - Ouch!"

"Haru? What are you-"

"Oh, just pinching myself. You know, out of this psychotic, dreaming, maybe delusional state of mind because I don't even know how to handle all this. I mean it's great your here but- I mean- if I ever told anyone this they'd think I'm insane but at the same time I'm really-" She rubbed the place where she'd dug her fingers into on her arm.

"Haru, I assure I'm real, if you wish to touch me you can. I'm no impostor."

"Let's just stick with this... for now." Haru swallowed. Her emotions were a strange mix of apprehension and excitement. Of regret and a glimpse of hope. This wasn't how she imagined it…this was crazy. To feel the Baron's hand again might make it all too real. As if this wasn't real enough...

"Ahem, well yes, at least you know what happened to me and I must admit this context of knowing that you really gave a new life to me through your writing – I must say I was surprised when you gave Ms. Amasawa the book on the adv-"

"You knew about all of that?!" She looked up again at the shadowed cat from the other side of the bedroom.

"Well I was there, I- I know my actions are inexcusable but Haru you are missing a point here-"

"What could I be missing? I finally got a chance to talk to you after all this time and I find out that I was probably totally insensitive the way I walked out considering how blind i had been about you're past - and then to find out that you've been just watching me get in harms way because I was so reckless trying to save Yuki and remind you of - of, I mean I'm so sorry for what happened...and then of course is the one reassuring fact that I wasn't crazy when I thought I saw Muta lead me to the Amasawas...but of course that might be trumped by the fact that I'm having a conversation with a statuette I now own of a cat whose saved my life and is standing in my bedroom at the same hight as-" Haru agitatedly seemed to walk in a small circle as she reviewed everything in her mind.

"Haru-"

Haru raised her head as she felt the Baron's hand on her shoulder. She was in the position she'd been in before, facing away, as if for a moment he'd grounded her in this reality - she couldn't escape this time. He was right behind her now and – it was a strange feeling, familiar - the feelings she'd had back in the Cat kingdom came back all at once. She felt frozen once again. Had she really done this? Had her song meant that much that it brought him here? But did it matter if he was life size or not? I mean she knew his story now, she knew that he'd had someone before, that he was scared of seeing her hurt, but did it mean anything? She wasn't sure. Maybe he'd become life size in the same manner that she'd become a cat – because she wanted to be with him in the cat kingdom, but that was presumptuous to think that he'd come to have any bit of the crush or whatever this was that she'd developed for him and -

She blinked.

His gloved hand wasn't on her shoulder and more but instead was outstretched beside her from behind, holding itself out as if to propose that she take it. "I do not think I would be here had I not wished for us to meet again. But you must know I'm not the same Cat, nor statuette, I was before, and it is because of you Haru – in fact you have changed me quite a lot."

"I'm not sure I understand-" Haru said.

"If this does not make this clear to you I'm not sure what will." She looked down and noticed this time his hand held a mask in it. Not the same mask that he'd once worn to save her from the Cat King, but instead a mask that seemed to mimic the facial features of the Baron. But it seemed silly for the Baron to wear a mask that looked like his own face unless…

"It couldn't be." She said and turned around, her brown eyes wider then they'd ever been before.

Standing before her, was the Baron. But not the Baron she'd expected. His eyes still kept their elongated cat like shape, forever twinkling with their spark, but separated by white, hair that seemed to mimic his strawberry fur, two small tufts that almost reminded her of his ears just resting outside his top hat, falling to his cheek almost like the curves in his fur had. But his face so familiar – as if he was the Baron, but just not the Cat Baron, but of course this made no sense. How could he look exacly like the Baron to her...but he was human? Was this really the same Cat? The same statuette she'd paced around the room with moments before? This must be some tormented dream she'd had?

"This can't be real? You're really-"

"I am the Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen Haru. And it seems, whether it be due to the fact that I wish to be here with you, and maybe I ought to see things from your perspective for once rather then reside a world that you had to always change to be apart of, or whether it was your wish by that song for me to at least join you once more, It seems I am here to, for as long as this state lets me, perhaps become a part of a new story – not the same story my Crafter intended with the Baroness, one I have long clung to, but rather one you have wished to create Haru. I dare say this is quite a different experience for myself, but at the very least we can have this conversation we'd been prolonging for some time."

"But, Baron, I can't, speak." Haru's eyes were still wide, her words lingering in the air, fragmented by a haze of what was in front of her, ill-lucid and light.

"Then I shall at least do this." The Baron took the Broach from off the window seat, and pinned it to the lapel of her pajamas. "It is rightfully yours."

"You know how earlier you asked me if I was going to faint?"

"I don't suppose you are going to now?" He looked a bit wary.

"No, but if I do, I wouldn't be the faintest bit surprised." Haru swallowed. She would not let in to those terrible cliches but this was going to take a bit of adjustin-

"Hey! DO you know how LONG it took me to find a way up here? Do you know how uncomfortable it was for that that dumb Chicken to carry me up here with those thorny feet! Dumb bird brain, barely got me to the 3rd floor!"

Author Note:

Okay so I get people might hate this ending or oppose it but ...its not an ending yet and ...and I have this image in my mind of a humanized Baron that I actually drew out the scene of what happened (I'll be posting it to my deviant account - purpledancer69 - as I did the Haru-Baron scene on the stairs from the ball, for anyone if you wish to know how I imagine it ...again its not great but its not bad either i guess). On the other hand if you wish to review this (liked or disliked) please do so! I'm so happy that people like this because I' was really nervous about going for this plot line in the first place considering! xoxo
Thank you lovelies! Lots of HaruXBaron stuff ahead.