(A/N: Sorry for the delay in updates. o___o Me very, very lazy. Thanks for the reviews! ^^
Aznfyregoddess: Hiyaz! Yeah, I had to change the rating, 'cause ff.net doesn't like me. *sticks tongue out at ff.net* I'm glad you like the story. ^^
AznWhiteTigerGrl: Yes, it'll be a happy ending. And no...there's no actual lemon in this. T_T Sorry.
Now, on with the fic!)
Dawn of Terror
Chapter 16: Welcome Home
Mariah sat by the lone candle, her face buried in her hands, sobbing. She was so sure now that a horrible fate had met her beloved Rei. Rei was like a son to her, one of her own breed and she had raised him from the time he was just a kitten. And now...Now, he was gone, dead just like her own family.
She remembered her sisters, her brother, her mother and father so well. It had hurt her more than anything in the world to have them taken away and now, she'd started anew. She'd started her own life, here with the Hiwataris, even if she was just a servant.
Even as a young girl, all she'd ever dreamed of was to be the perfect housewife and have a nice little family. Becoming a servant for the Hiwataris had allowed her to fulfill the dream of being a housewife- she cooked and cleaned. She knitted and sewed and she looked out for the family.
But in truth, she had no family and she was secretly longing for one. As long as she was a servant in the Hiwatari household, she wasn't allowed to marry, nor have children of her own.
Then, there had been Rei. He had been such an adorable little kitten and she loved him from the moment she saw him. She knew how a mother felt the first time she held her new-born child.
And Rei was gone now. She'd lost her family again and it was almost even more bitter a second time through.
Tyson sat across from her, munching thoughtfully on a stale slice of bread. He'd stopped offering words of comfort long ago, knowing they were making no difference on Mariah's mood. They sat there, in cold, miserable silence, neither making an attempt to break it. Outside, the first nightengale of spring sung them a haunting tune.
At about half-past eleven, Tyson decided to turn in, pecking Mariah on the cheek and whispering "Goodnight," to her, then disappearing into his bedroom.
Mariah straightened up, staring straight forward, eyes focused on one of the grooves in the wooden table top. The candle flickered and slowly burned out. And when her little light flickered out, she sat in the dark, waiting, thinking.
The clock chimed two and Mariah sighed, feeling the tears start again. She bowed her head and got up. She'd been defeated. There was no use waiting up for someone who'd never come home. Deeply saddened, she headed for bed.
~*
They should have stopped hours ago, but the neko-jins were in such a hurry to leave behind the place of such torment, that Grandpa had felt obliged to continue.
Dickenson and his coherts had laughed when they passed through the village, with a truckload of neko-jins. None of the mattered now though. Grandpa was tired of being ridculed in that small place for being different. Now that he was gone, he doubted he'd go back. His son and his wife would take care of the farm, he knew they would. They were good folk.
He glanced in the rear view mirror and smiled slightly, seeing the three neko-jins piled ontop of each other, snoring soundly. Inside the cab, Tala was also fast asleep. Kai, however was wide awake.
The crimson-eyed boy was staring straight forward, into the night, arms folded across his chest. Grandpa glanced at him sideways. "So, what's yer connection to that der neko-jin?"
Kai shrugged. Grandpa frowned and turned his attetion back to the empty road. "If ya dun feel like talkin', dat's okay wit me, but it shore makes the time go a little faster, ya know."
He looked at Kai pointedly. Again, Kai shrugged. Grandpa focused on the road. "Suit yourself, then."
They continued on. The road seemed to stretch on for miles and the car never once stopped bumping on the rutted path. Kai shifted impatiently. At this rate, it would take forever to get home!
Just as he was about to give up any hope of getting home withing the next week, little houses started to appear on the dull landscape. Gradually, the houses grew more clustered and at last, the headlights swept over a roadsign that read "Welcome to *name of city with-held*" Kai sighed in relief and the car pulled onto cobble stone.
He glanced at his watch. Nearly two a.m. He frowned. Nobody would be up for their arrival. He wondered briefly how he was going to make accmodations without rousing anybody.
The city rolled by, the shadows peeping out at the lone car from darkened windows. And at long last, they pulled up in front of the double iron gates of the Hiwatari estate. The gates were slightly ajar, as if someone had been anticipating their return.
Grandpa put the car in park and climbed out of the car. Kai clambered over the seat and out of the vehicle, finally putting his feet on solid ground. "Gimme a hand wit dees gates, huh?"
Kai pushed back the left gate easily, the rusty hinges squeaking in annoyance at the disruption of their slumber. He let go of the twisted metal, inhaling the sweet night air deeply. It was good to be home- this place even smelt like home.
He heard the roar of an engine and noticed that Grandpa was driving up the lane now. He paused just beyond the gates. Kai took the hint and shut the gates, then went back to the truck. He climbed onto the back of the truck, watching the sleeping pile of limbs that was the neko-jins.
The Grandpa pulled around back - Kai didn't know why - then cut the engine.
~*
Mariah walked down the hall, dragging her feet across the cold, stone floor. Her ears twitched as they picked up a distant noise. The noise grew closer, and presently, she could hear the droning of an engine. She gave it no heed.
But the sound persisted. It grew closer, and closer and suddenly she realized that she'd left the gates open and someone must have driven inside. The noise was so near now. The vehicle must have been out in the yard, only feet from the house. She pivoted and dashed to the back door, pausing only to grab a broom. Nobody was going to break into this house!
There was the perpitraitor, walking nearer now. She could see it was a man. She held her broom at ready. Her eyes slitted and her teeth poked out from between her lips as she hissed lowly. He was at the door now, hand hovering just above the door handle. As he reached for it, she flung the door open and brought the broom down over his head with smashing force. There was a shout and a cry and he tumbled to the ground, arms held over his head. Mariah turned on the proch lights, smirking triumphantly. "Hah, got cha- MASTER KAI!"
The lights flickered on, shedding light over her blue-haired master, arms over the back of his head. "Oh, dear-"
She flew to his side, getting down on her knees, checking for a concussion, helping him up, apologizing a thousand times. "I'm so sorry, Hiwatari-sama, I didn't mean to- I thought you were a thief-"
Kai had recovered now and placed a hand on her shoulder and a finger to his lips. "Shh...They're sleeping-"
He gestured to the truck, but it was too late. Rei's downy head was up, blearly golden eyes looking at them, confused. He yawned and stretched, hoping down out of the truck. He padded across the walkway on all fours. He rubbed up against Mariah's leg, then sat at Kai's feet on his haunches. "What's the fuss?" he asked, yawning again.
Kai patted him on the head. "Never mind, Rei-chan. Mariah hit me over the head with a broom."
Rei giggled at the thought of Kai getting hit with a broom. Kai frowned and pushed the neko-jin toward the door. "Go inside."
Rei nodded and was about to obey, but Mariah caught him, hugginhg him tightly about his neck. "Rei-chan! Oh, God! Rei-chan, you're safe, you're alive! You're here! Rei-"
She paused and smothered him with kisses (A/N: On his cheeks, not his lips!) It took a moment or two, but they finally got unravelled. The ruckus of Mariah's emotional outburst had roused Tala and the other two neko-jins.
Tala walked over, standing beside Kai, smirking slightly. Mariah hissed at him. He frowned. "He wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me!"
Mariah hissed again. "It's all your fault this happened in the first place!"
Kai rolled his eyes, walking by them. "Children, please."
He joined Rei just inside the door frame. "It's late and we have guests."
As if on cue, Kevin, Li and Grandpa seemed to materialize from the shadows. Grandpa was holding his hat in the fashion of a Southern gentleman. "A pardon me, Ma'am, but it is shore durn late and we ain't got no where t' lie down and have a rest. Could ya put us up, if even fer da night?"
Mariah blinked several time at the prospect of being called 'Ma'am', but recovered and quickly urged all three of the new comers inside. "Of course we can put you up, Sir. We've got plenty of room, and it isn't good form to put people out in the cold. Especially not friends of the Master."
"Thank ye kindly, Ma'am."
The door banged shut behind them. Mariah made them sit at the kitchen table. "You must be hungry after travelling so far. I'll get you something to eat."
"Shucks, Ma'am, yer too kind t' us."
Mariah ladeled soup into three wooden bowls. "It's not much," she said, looking slightly ashamed of her offering.
Grandpa smiled. "Best durn soup I ever tasted, Ma'am."
Mariah blushed. Li and Kevin were laughing, Li elbowing Kevin in the ribs. The gray-haired neko-jin turned to Mariah and smiled warmly. "Certainly better than what we had to live on in the camps."
Mariah turned her nose up in contempt. "I should hope so!"
They entire company began to laugh.
Roused by their noisiness, Tyson padded down the hall, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on out here?"
He paused and stared, his eyes resting on Grandpa. The elderly man stared back. "By gum, if it ain't Tyson! Sonny boy, what you doin' way out here? We thought tha coyotes had git ya!"
Tyson blinked. "Grandpa!" he shouted and launched himself at the old man. "I never thought I'd see you here!"
The old man smiled keenly. "I ain't never thought I'd see ya here neither. Ya got your pa all worried 'bout cha."
Tyson didn't reply. The banter continued for several minutes more. While the company was chatting, Kai just stood and watched. Rei yawned into his shoulder. Kai placed a hand over his shoulder. "Let's go," he said quietly, leading Rei away from the noisy kitchen.
Aznfyregoddess: Hiyaz! Yeah, I had to change the rating, 'cause ff.net doesn't like me. *sticks tongue out at ff.net* I'm glad you like the story. ^^
AznWhiteTigerGrl: Yes, it'll be a happy ending. And no...there's no actual lemon in this. T_T Sorry.
Now, on with the fic!)
Dawn of Terror
Chapter 16: Welcome Home
Mariah sat by the lone candle, her face buried in her hands, sobbing. She was so sure now that a horrible fate had met her beloved Rei. Rei was like a son to her, one of her own breed and she had raised him from the time he was just a kitten. And now...Now, he was gone, dead just like her own family.
She remembered her sisters, her brother, her mother and father so well. It had hurt her more than anything in the world to have them taken away and now, she'd started anew. She'd started her own life, here with the Hiwataris, even if she was just a servant.
Even as a young girl, all she'd ever dreamed of was to be the perfect housewife and have a nice little family. Becoming a servant for the Hiwataris had allowed her to fulfill the dream of being a housewife- she cooked and cleaned. She knitted and sewed and she looked out for the family.
But in truth, she had no family and she was secretly longing for one. As long as she was a servant in the Hiwatari household, she wasn't allowed to marry, nor have children of her own.
Then, there had been Rei. He had been such an adorable little kitten and she loved him from the moment she saw him. She knew how a mother felt the first time she held her new-born child.
And Rei was gone now. She'd lost her family again and it was almost even more bitter a second time through.
Tyson sat across from her, munching thoughtfully on a stale slice of bread. He'd stopped offering words of comfort long ago, knowing they were making no difference on Mariah's mood. They sat there, in cold, miserable silence, neither making an attempt to break it. Outside, the first nightengale of spring sung them a haunting tune.
At about half-past eleven, Tyson decided to turn in, pecking Mariah on the cheek and whispering "Goodnight," to her, then disappearing into his bedroom.
Mariah straightened up, staring straight forward, eyes focused on one of the grooves in the wooden table top. The candle flickered and slowly burned out. And when her little light flickered out, she sat in the dark, waiting, thinking.
The clock chimed two and Mariah sighed, feeling the tears start again. She bowed her head and got up. She'd been defeated. There was no use waiting up for someone who'd never come home. Deeply saddened, she headed for bed.
~*
They should have stopped hours ago, but the neko-jins were in such a hurry to leave behind the place of such torment, that Grandpa had felt obliged to continue.
Dickenson and his coherts had laughed when they passed through the village, with a truckload of neko-jins. None of the mattered now though. Grandpa was tired of being ridculed in that small place for being different. Now that he was gone, he doubted he'd go back. His son and his wife would take care of the farm, he knew they would. They were good folk.
He glanced in the rear view mirror and smiled slightly, seeing the three neko-jins piled ontop of each other, snoring soundly. Inside the cab, Tala was also fast asleep. Kai, however was wide awake.
The crimson-eyed boy was staring straight forward, into the night, arms folded across his chest. Grandpa glanced at him sideways. "So, what's yer connection to that der neko-jin?"
Kai shrugged. Grandpa frowned and turned his attetion back to the empty road. "If ya dun feel like talkin', dat's okay wit me, but it shore makes the time go a little faster, ya know."
He looked at Kai pointedly. Again, Kai shrugged. Grandpa focused on the road. "Suit yourself, then."
They continued on. The road seemed to stretch on for miles and the car never once stopped bumping on the rutted path. Kai shifted impatiently. At this rate, it would take forever to get home!
Just as he was about to give up any hope of getting home withing the next week, little houses started to appear on the dull landscape. Gradually, the houses grew more clustered and at last, the headlights swept over a roadsign that read "Welcome to *name of city with-held*" Kai sighed in relief and the car pulled onto cobble stone.
He glanced at his watch. Nearly two a.m. He frowned. Nobody would be up for their arrival. He wondered briefly how he was going to make accmodations without rousing anybody.
The city rolled by, the shadows peeping out at the lone car from darkened windows. And at long last, they pulled up in front of the double iron gates of the Hiwatari estate. The gates were slightly ajar, as if someone had been anticipating their return.
Grandpa put the car in park and climbed out of the car. Kai clambered over the seat and out of the vehicle, finally putting his feet on solid ground. "Gimme a hand wit dees gates, huh?"
Kai pushed back the left gate easily, the rusty hinges squeaking in annoyance at the disruption of their slumber. He let go of the twisted metal, inhaling the sweet night air deeply. It was good to be home- this place even smelt like home.
He heard the roar of an engine and noticed that Grandpa was driving up the lane now. He paused just beyond the gates. Kai took the hint and shut the gates, then went back to the truck. He climbed onto the back of the truck, watching the sleeping pile of limbs that was the neko-jins.
The Grandpa pulled around back - Kai didn't know why - then cut the engine.
~*
Mariah walked down the hall, dragging her feet across the cold, stone floor. Her ears twitched as they picked up a distant noise. The noise grew closer, and presently, she could hear the droning of an engine. She gave it no heed.
But the sound persisted. It grew closer, and closer and suddenly she realized that she'd left the gates open and someone must have driven inside. The noise was so near now. The vehicle must have been out in the yard, only feet from the house. She pivoted and dashed to the back door, pausing only to grab a broom. Nobody was going to break into this house!
There was the perpitraitor, walking nearer now. She could see it was a man. She held her broom at ready. Her eyes slitted and her teeth poked out from between her lips as she hissed lowly. He was at the door now, hand hovering just above the door handle. As he reached for it, she flung the door open and brought the broom down over his head with smashing force. There was a shout and a cry and he tumbled to the ground, arms held over his head. Mariah turned on the proch lights, smirking triumphantly. "Hah, got cha- MASTER KAI!"
The lights flickered on, shedding light over her blue-haired master, arms over the back of his head. "Oh, dear-"
She flew to his side, getting down on her knees, checking for a concussion, helping him up, apologizing a thousand times. "I'm so sorry, Hiwatari-sama, I didn't mean to- I thought you were a thief-"
Kai had recovered now and placed a hand on her shoulder and a finger to his lips. "Shh...They're sleeping-"
He gestured to the truck, but it was too late. Rei's downy head was up, blearly golden eyes looking at them, confused. He yawned and stretched, hoping down out of the truck. He padded across the walkway on all fours. He rubbed up against Mariah's leg, then sat at Kai's feet on his haunches. "What's the fuss?" he asked, yawning again.
Kai patted him on the head. "Never mind, Rei-chan. Mariah hit me over the head with a broom."
Rei giggled at the thought of Kai getting hit with a broom. Kai frowned and pushed the neko-jin toward the door. "Go inside."
Rei nodded and was about to obey, but Mariah caught him, hugginhg him tightly about his neck. "Rei-chan! Oh, God! Rei-chan, you're safe, you're alive! You're here! Rei-"
She paused and smothered him with kisses (A/N: On his cheeks, not his lips!) It took a moment or two, but they finally got unravelled. The ruckus of Mariah's emotional outburst had roused Tala and the other two neko-jins.
Tala walked over, standing beside Kai, smirking slightly. Mariah hissed at him. He frowned. "He wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me!"
Mariah hissed again. "It's all your fault this happened in the first place!"
Kai rolled his eyes, walking by them. "Children, please."
He joined Rei just inside the door frame. "It's late and we have guests."
As if on cue, Kevin, Li and Grandpa seemed to materialize from the shadows. Grandpa was holding his hat in the fashion of a Southern gentleman. "A pardon me, Ma'am, but it is shore durn late and we ain't got no where t' lie down and have a rest. Could ya put us up, if even fer da night?"
Mariah blinked several time at the prospect of being called 'Ma'am', but recovered and quickly urged all three of the new comers inside. "Of course we can put you up, Sir. We've got plenty of room, and it isn't good form to put people out in the cold. Especially not friends of the Master."
"Thank ye kindly, Ma'am."
The door banged shut behind them. Mariah made them sit at the kitchen table. "You must be hungry after travelling so far. I'll get you something to eat."
"Shucks, Ma'am, yer too kind t' us."
Mariah ladeled soup into three wooden bowls. "It's not much," she said, looking slightly ashamed of her offering.
Grandpa smiled. "Best durn soup I ever tasted, Ma'am."
Mariah blushed. Li and Kevin were laughing, Li elbowing Kevin in the ribs. The gray-haired neko-jin turned to Mariah and smiled warmly. "Certainly better than what we had to live on in the camps."
Mariah turned her nose up in contempt. "I should hope so!"
They entire company began to laugh.
Roused by their noisiness, Tyson padded down the hall, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on out here?"
He paused and stared, his eyes resting on Grandpa. The elderly man stared back. "By gum, if it ain't Tyson! Sonny boy, what you doin' way out here? We thought tha coyotes had git ya!"
Tyson blinked. "Grandpa!" he shouted and launched himself at the old man. "I never thought I'd see you here!"
The old man smiled keenly. "I ain't never thought I'd see ya here neither. Ya got your pa all worried 'bout cha."
Tyson didn't reply. The banter continued for several minutes more. While the company was chatting, Kai just stood and watched. Rei yawned into his shoulder. Kai placed a hand over his shoulder. "Let's go," he said quietly, leading Rei away from the noisy kitchen.