A/N: And here, we have another chapter where the journey back home starts and also where the transformation finally completes as the title suggests.
The Cat Returns: Haru the Princess of Cats
Chapter 5: The Return Home; The Transformation Completes
Later, Meku, Meki, Lune, Haru, Yuri, Baron, and Yuuki slid down a tunnel before Yuuki opened the hatch from inside and got out with Baron and the others following after her.
"The back of the castle.", Baron spoke in slight awe.
"The door to your world is at the top of that tower.", Yuuki explained, pointing toward it.
"You've got to be kidding me.", Meku groaned.
"And the only way to get to that tower is through the King's maze.", Yuuki added.
"Naturally...", Baron responded.
"Good luck. And Baron, take good care of Meku and Meki.", Yuuki spoke before then taking off.
"Hey, wait!", Meki exclaimed.
"She's already gone. I didn't have a chance to talk to her.", Meku spoke before Baron stepped forward.
"Meku, does her voice sound familiar to you? Could it be possible that she's the one who told you to seek help at the Cat Bureau?", Baron asked with Meku and Meki widening their eyes upon this realization as they flashed back to the last time they heard her voice.
"Meku, Meki, go to the Cat Bureau. You two must find the Cat Bureau.", the voice spoke.
"You're right. That was her voice. I'm sure of it.", Meki grinned.
"But why help us?", Meku asked just before several weapons fell off with a couple of cat guards falling off as well with Kotaro and Muta both jumping out and holding on to the wall before they both slid down carefully and landed just as Kintarou arrived a different way nearby and joined the others.
"Hey!", Kintarou shouted.
"Hey, there! Sorry we took so long to get here.", Kotaro grinned.
"Are you all right?", Lune asked.
"Just a couple of fender-benders here and there.", Kotaro chuckled.
"And what do you mean by that?", Yuri puzzled.
But Muta, wasn't quite in a happy mood.
"Whose idea was it to leave without me?! I nearly got killed!", Muta exclaimed angrily.
"This is no time for finger-pointing.", Baron spoke before Meku and Meki nodded.
"The sooner we get Meku and Meki to the exit, the better.", Kintarou responded before he, Meki, Meku, Baron, Lune, Haru, Yuri, and Kotaro ventured out.
"You're leaving me again?", Muta asked in disbelief as he followed the others, not knowing that the Cat King and Natori were watching, the latter of which was using binoculars.
"Are they going in?", the Cat King asked.
"Yes. They've just begun.", Natori responded.
"Purrfect.", the Cat King spoke.
"No one's ever come out of there alive, have they?", Natori asked.
"We can watch them go nuts from over here.", the Cat King grinned as he then walked over to his deck chair.
Meanwhile, at the maze, Baron was searching through possible paths as far as his eyes could see with the others following him.
"Hurry. We don't have much time.", Baron responded.
"Right. But, uh..., which way should we take first?", Meku asked.
"Perfect...", Kintarou sighed.
Meanwhile, Natoru was examining Baron and his group at the maze.
"They're lost already.", Natoru spoke.
"They seem to be doing worse than most of our victims. Pleased, Your Majesty?", Natori asked.
"Feeling good, babe.", the Cat King chuckled as he grabbed his drink from a dish served to him.
"Where are the guards?", Natori asked.
"Right there.", Natoru responded, pointing to them as they marched down to the maze just as Baron turned to the others.
"Let's start with this path. If we're methodical about this, we're sure to find our way. Keep your eye on the tower. That will allow us to stay oriented.", Baron suggested.
"Right.", Meku agreed before Muta started climbing up the wall.
"Hey! We should stick together.", Kintarou urged.
"And beside that, you're cheating.", Meki added.
"Give me a break. Like you think I'm gonna get in trouble.", Muta spoke before the guards arrived at the same spot muta was climbing up to and were quick to hold him accountable for one thing:
"He's cheating!", the captain shouted.
"They're gonna rub this in my face, aren't they?", Muta spoke as he ran.
"Let's get out of here while Muta keeps them occupied.", Baron suggested before Meku and Meki nodded as did everyone else.
"Again, I'm tricked into being bait!", Muta shouted as he ran with the guards chasing after him, only for them to fall off the wall almost instantly before two landed on the ground with Baron and the others approaching before being quickly under attack as Baron stood his ground. with Meku and Meki behind him.
"Stay behind me, you two.", Baron urged before the guards drew their swords as they stepped forward with one of them then swinging a sword at him only to miss and then get picked up before getting flipped to the ground with another then striking with his sword only to get parried before then struck at the wrist and the ankle, the former of which dropped the sword before getting hit against the wall and then falling flat on the ground.
"That was impressive, Baron.", Lune spoke.
"Oh. How's your cane?", Haru asked.
"A little bent. But it's about time for a new one anyway.", Baron responded.
"I never knew they were so useful.", Haru spoke as her hair started to fall out.
"Oh, no! Haru, your hair is falling out.", Meku spoke in fright before Haru then lifted her paw to her head and pulled out big chunk of her hair, but didn't seem to mind.
"Eh, that's fine. It's kinda weird for a cat to have human hair on her head, meow?", Haru responded as the rest of her hair fell out.
"Ah, now your losing even more of your hair!", Meku exclaimed as sweat bubbles appeared around her.
"Meow, stop freaking out, sis. I just said I don't mind. I'm okay with it, meow. Really. Though, I will admit. I look at my hair and I think it looks like catnip, meow. I wonder...", Haru pondered.
And sure enough, the fallen hair had turned into catnip.
"It is catnip. Sweet.", Haru spoke excitedly before she started rubbing herself with it with a purr.
Also Haru will start losing her voice more and meow a lot more.
"Oh, this place is great! Meow, love it here so meowing much, I never want to meowing leave, meow meow meow.", Haru moaned in meows as she started to lose her voice more and meow more as well, much to Meku's worry.
"Baron, what's happening to my sister...?!", Meku asked in worry.
"I'm afraid your sister is in her final stages of her transformation. She's even starting to give in to her cat instincts and is losing her voice. At this rate, she'll be a cat permanently before we get you three home.", Baron responded before Meu gasped while shedding tears before hugging Haru, who gave an actual cat meow, while shedding tears.
"Haru, please don't give in to your changes! I don't want to lose you!", Meku cried a bit.
"All the more reason we have to hurry. Now, come on.", Kintarou urged before he went forward with the others following.
Meanwhile, the King positioned a can on the ground and stepped back a little way to get a good running start before running toward it and kicking the can away, sending it flying upward into the maze.
"Nice shot, sire.", Natoru spoke as the can fell down into the maze with one of the guards noticing a small shadow from the moonlight on the tower, puzzling him before the can landed right on top of him, knocking him off the maze before he could get to Muta, who just saw him falling off.
"Oh, no. You hit one of ours.", Natori spoke.
"I did?", the Cat King puzzled.
"Good heavens, Your Majesty! How could you?", Natori asked rhetorically.
"Let's keep that between us.", the Cat King spoke as Natoru noticed something troubling.
"Excuse me, but I think there's a bit of a problem.", Natoru reported.
"What?", Natori puzzled before he got out his binoculars and saw what happened.
"Our guards are scattered everywhere.", Natoru explained.
"Don't tell me they're lost, too.", Natori spoke in slight worry.
"Where're my princesses?", the Cat King asked before Natori then turned to see Haru (now much more cat-like), Lune, Yuri, Kotaro, Knitarou, Baron, Meku, and Meki walking ahead.
"They're already halfway through.", Natori responded.
Meanwhile, Meku was crying for Haru, who turned to her as she walked on four legs.
"It's okay, sis. Even if I go full cat, you still wouldn't get rid of me that easily.", Haru assured.
"Wait. did you just...?", Meku began in puzzlement before that puzzlement turned to bitter anger before she shouted, her tail puffing up.
"HARU, YOU JERK! You scared me there! I thought I lost you and you became a regular cat.", Meku spoke angrily, making Haru yeowl and jump up in fright.
"Sorry...", Haru apologized with a blush just before Muta arrived.
"Hey!", Muta waved.
"Meow, you found us.", Haru grinned.
"What's that way like?", Baron asked.
"They're just dead-ends.", Muta responded before Baron and the others proceeded, not knowing that some of the walls were moving on opposite parts, preventing them from getting to the exit as best they could as the Cat King grinned.
"Now, this is more like it, babe.", the Cat King grinned.
Meanwhile, Baron and the others seemingly found another dead-end.
"Hm. Another dead-end. My, my. This is getting interesting.", Baron spoke before Haru retraced her steps.
"2 rights and a left... Wait a minute. I know there wasn't a wall here.", the cat realized.
"Maybe it was your transformation, but your brain's overheating.", Muta dismissed.
"No, it's not! We just walked through here, Muta.", Haru argued.
"What are you thinking, walls have legs?", Muta asked just as it did happen to have legs but only because a cat was bound to it and holding it up.
Baron, however, was not fooled. He examined the wall and noticed something.
"She's right, Muta. This wall is fake!", Baron deduced as he lifted his leg and kicked the fake wall down, causing it to tip down with the cat yeowling as he tipped down uncontrollably, leading to a sort of domino effect, creating an opening for Baron and the others to get to the exit.
"Told you.", Haru grinned.
"Good work, Haru.", Baron grinned.
"All right, fine. Good work.", Muta spoke in surprise.
"Dang... Guess that's another good reason to get hitched with her, huh, Lune?", Kotaro grinned.
Meanwhile, the king gasped in surprise while Natori was appalled.
"How stupid do you have to be to line up like dominoes?", Natori asked before groaning as Baron and the others walked through the holes, stepping on the fake walls.
But as they do so, Meki then finally went through the same changes Haru did to complete the transformation of her own.
"Oh, Meow! That was ameowzing!", Meki grinned, worrying Meku.
"Oh, no. Not you, too.", Meku groaned.
"Sorry, sis. I couldn't help it.", Meki apologized with a nervous chuckle.
"Princesses!", the Cat King shouted.
"Wait! It's not safe, Your Majesty!", Natori warned as he and the guards followed.
Meanwhile, as soon as they made it to the beginning of the staircase, Meku panted before they stopped and turned around to see an exhausted Meki.
"You okay?", Meki asked.
"Go ahead. I'll catch up to you.", Meku assured before Baron only went back and picked her up bridal style and went up.
"Hey, wait for me!", Meki exclaimed as she and the others all went except for Muta and Kintarou, the latter of which noticed the Cat King and the others heading down.
"You can leave this one to me.", Kintarou assured before heading back down, but this time on top of the wall.
"What a show-off.", Muta commented as he then decided to join the others.
"I-I can walk, you know.", Meku assured.
"Don't worry.", Baron assured.
Eventually, though, as the group went up the stairs, Meku looked up at Baron before her whiskers finished growing completely, prompting BAron to notice her with a slight, concerned glare before Meku blushed.
Meanwhile, the Cat King and the others were advancing on top of the maze.
"Your Majesty, please! This is very dangerous!", Natori pleaded.
"I can't let them escape!", the Cat King shouted.
"You'll never reach them in time! Besides, we have guards stationed at the tower!", Natori shouted in assurance before the Cat King stopped as did everyone else.
"Why didn't you say so?", the Cat King grinned.
Meanwhile, as Kintarou was looking around, he looked up and saw the guards appearing and stopping Baron and the others from going any further.
"Oh, no...", Kintarou spoke in worry.
"Toast.", the Cat King chuckled before part of the tower suddenly broke, causing all four to fall down, allowing Baron and the others to continue, although they had to be careful.
"Phew.", Kintarou sighed before turning to see the Cat King looking quite frustrated, which made him laugh a bit before he decided to circle back and go behind the cats.
"I'll have a word with the contractors.", Natori spoke.
"It's too late for that! We'll have to use the detonator.", the Cat King spoke, not knowing that Kintarou was positioning himself behind them when he heard this and grew a bit worried again.
"Not that. I beg of you, sire. Think of what it'll do to your approval ratings.", Natori pleaded, only for the Cat King to insist.
"Button?", the Cat King asked.
"I don't have it. I must've left it in the castle.", Natori responded.
"Look what I've found!", Natoru grinned as he got out a detonator and handed it to the Cat King.
"Oh, no! Oh, no! Oh, no!", Natori panicked as the Cat King chuckled, prompting Kintarou to growl softly.
Meanwhile, Baron and the others made it to the top of the tower.
"Hey! We made it to the top!", Meku grinned.
"Not much further, now.", Baron stated as they proceeded.
Meanwhile, down below, Natori shivered with fright.
"Buh-bye, tower.", the Cat King spoke before he suddenly heard a barking noise form behind, which quite made the other cats behind the Cat King jump off into the maze to reveal a livid Kintarou as he snarled.
"Don't even think about it!", Kintarou discouraged.
"Uh... easy. Nice doggy...", the Cat King spoke before Kintarou only barked with a snarl, making him jump a bit, too, to the point he accidentally dropped the detonator and looked back with a cringe as it fell while Kintarou grew worried before the detonator landed on the ground by the button, which got pressed, triggering an explosion in the tower as many different points were set off.
"Baron!", Meku shouted.
"Brace yourselves!", Baron urged before they all held on as best they could before the tower started to crumble with Meku screaming as she was held on by Baron while everyone else held onto a brick pillar before the tower then finally collapsed with the Cat King giving a cringed face as Kintarou grew worried.
"Meku! Meki!", Kintarou shouted before he dashed off toward the maze where the entrance was closest just as the Cat King then slowly started to chuckle before it picked up speed back to a normal chuckle.
"That was quite a surprising explosion, sire.", Natoru commented in a bit of a surprised state.
"Let's go!", the Cat King urged before he and the others ran forward as the soldiers marched.
A/N: Uh-oh. Looks like it may be difficult to return home now. Let's just hope it isn't impossible.