Ellenlome (wearing a shirt saying :Cat Returns Authoresses: ) : for the disclaimer today, we have a special guest!
michievious-lil-kitsune: (bounces in, smiling and waving)
Ellenlome: Everyone says "hi!" to michievious-lil-kitsune!
The gang from Whispers of a distant land: uh, Hi?
Baron: What's that shirt you're wearing? (looks uncomfortable)
Ellenlome (giggles): a special gift by Phantom Ange. You'll meet her/him (specifics please? I would hate to give you the wrong gender) next chapter. (evil grin)
Baron (definitely worried): I think I'll skip next chapter. (starts fading out)
Ellenlome (evil grin grows wider): You could end up to make out with Haru next chapter you know….
Baron (snaps back into focus) I do?
Ellenlome: (snicker) Yup! (nods while crossing fingers behind her back) A promise I made!
michievious-lil-kitsune: (was shaking hands with all the others when sees Baron) Cool cat! (grabs Baron and starts petting him)
Baron: (struggling to get out of m-l-k's grasp) Argh!
Haru: (stomps over and grabs Baron back) Mine! (proceeds to pet Baron)
Baron: (loud purring)
michievious-lil-kitsune: (pouts) that's not fair!
Ellenlome: (giggles) I knew I brought you for a good reason! (snicker) And for anyone who doesn't know, michievious-lil-kitsune is one of my reviewers. And he/she's (specifics again please) going to make the disclaimer today!
michievious-lil-kitsune: (smiles brightly) Yay!
Muta: then hurry up and do it before these two (points to Haru and Baron) make me sick.
Ellenlome: I think they're cute.
Muta: Bleh!
michievious-lil-kitsune: (points to Muta) Fatso! (giggles and grabs Muta) Ellenlome doesn't own "the Cat returns".
Ellenlome: Indeed, but you can borrow Muta if you want, he makes a good cushion (smirk). I don't think I can get Baron out from Haru's arms though. (peers at the couple) Dang, I wish he was mine.
Fento (striding in): you still own me you know.
Ellenlome and michievious-lil-kitsune (jumping away): Yuck! (makes gagging sound)
Fento: (looks hurt and starts crying)
Ellenlome: Oh great, now the bad guy is crying. What do I do?
michievious-lil-kitsune: by the end of the chapter he should have stopped, so what about letting the others read it?
Ellenlome: yeah, good idea. See ya on the other end! (waves and everyone fades out)
Whispers of a distant land: Chapter eight
The creaking sound it let out was even louder than what she had expected and from upstairs came a sleepy voice:
"Haru? Is that you?"
Haru cringed; she had hoped against all odds that her mother wouldn't hear her. The light at the top of the stairs was turned on, and Haru saw her mother standing there, trying to blink sleep away from her half-lidded eyes. Haru almost smiled. She knew just how to get Shizuru back to bed.
"It's ok Mum, I'm just going to bed. You look tired, why don't you go back to bed too?" Haru murmured, in her best telling-a-story-right-before-going-to-bed voice. As expected, Shizuru mumbled, and didn't even notice that Haru had guided her back to the futon and had tucked her in. She was already in the land of dreams. This time Haru smiled. She then deposited Baron on her bed and, taking out the small first-aid kit, proceeded to disinfect and dress the more serious wounds, washing the minor ones. Aside from that poisoned wound, he would have been perfectly fine. She sighed again as she made her pack, and as she finally slipped out the house, she thought that this was probably one of the weirdest days she ever had. An hour later, she was on the bus, and as was often the case when she was tired and couldn't do much, she began to daydream.
Memories
Haru was inside the Cat Bureau, her legs under her as she sat on the wooden box near the door. It was midday and she had come to visit her friends as she was, for once, free of any duties. Baron hadn't been home when she came, but Toto and Muta had been more than eager to usher her in, Muta taking out some angel fruit cake he had just made the day before, while Toto added some of his mulberries.
Haru sipped quietly at her tea. It was only ordinary tea, nothing special. Indeed, Muta didn't like tea, and Toto couldn't drink it for obvious reasons, and so it was just one of those tea sachets you could find everywhere. Haru wished it was Baron's blended tea. She had taken the habit of making her own tea after her adventure, and she had come to prefer personal blends to the commercial ones, no matter what the taste was.
As she talked with her two friends, her mind was only half on what was being said. She wished Baron was there. As if responding to her unspoken thoughts, the door opened and in came Baron, already taking off his hat, apparently back from some business at the Cat Kingdom.
"Those cats are impossible! Truly Muta, how could you even put up with them!"
"Oy Baron! We have a guest you know!" Muta chided him slightly, inwardly smirking. He had warned Baron that the cat advisors were impossible.
Baron, who had had his eyes downcast, lifted them at Muta's remark, and he realized that Haru was indeed sitting there. Haru knew she should have felt insulted that he didn't even notice her (she was three times his size!), but when her eyes met his, she completely forgot about any insult, her heart doing a summersault instead, and butterflies flapping merrily around in her stomach, or so she thought.
For a second, time froze, and she saw something in the two green orbs that in her wildest dream she hadn't dared imagine. It was an emotion that she knew, something that she had named numerous times, and in that single instant she couldn't remember what it was, except that it was a warm feeling that she wished he shared with her.
And then, time unfroze and what she had seen in his eyes was gone. The baron bowed slightly, greeting her as politely and formally as the first time.
"Greetings, Miss Haru."
"Hello Baron," she had said. She searched his eyes, but they were back to their unemotional state, and she dismissed the moment. It was nothing after all.
Memories end
Now, as the bus sped up the mountain side, Haru wasn't sure it had all been nothing, for, in that moment before Baron collapsed, she had seen the same look in his eyes. But she couldn't bring herself to voice it; she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. She was too afraid to be hurt again. Denial was a far better solution.
I'm not ready for this yet.
The bus stopped. They had arrived. Getting out from under the seat where they had hidden themselves, Toto and Muta urged her on. They had no time to waste. It would be late into the night when they finally reached the doorstep of the wooden chalet.
000000000000
Baron was dead.
The poison had been too fast, even for him, and they had been too slow in bringing him to the lady. They couldn't save him, and now he was dead. Haru was standing there, in front of his grave, right in the middle of the small graveyard she hadn't even known existed in the Cat Kingdom. She just never associated the place with death; it just didn't fit the brightly colored magical country and its equally cheerful inhabitants. No, Haru never imagined a place such as this in that place, yet here she was standing as still as stone, looking mournfully over the simple white marble gravestone as if it could erase the name it bore from its surface if she glared hard enough. She was starting to get bitter, she knew it. For the first time, she wished that the kingdom had normal weather as the rest of the world, so that its non-existent sun didn't shine so brightly when the sky should have been crying the tears that her frozen heart couldn't. She wanted to blame the whole universe and creation for his death, she wanted to yell at the tops of her lungs at whatever entities governed their existences for the injustice of it all, if only her voice hadn't left her when the old woman in the purple shawl told her of his passing. Yes she would have.
All around her, friends were standing, a pace behind out of respect she wasn't sure she deserved. They were all there, all those she had met ever since her adventure in the kingdom, as well as a few she didn't recognize yet knew had as much right as any to pay their respects to Baron.
To her right stood Yuki, big blue eyes rimmed with red over crying so much cast down, leaning heavily on the shoulder of her husband the King. Lune, whose sagging shoulders had just been burdened with more grieves and problems than even a king could bear. The human young woman knew that, almost completely hidden by the two and the captain of the guards that stood behind the couple, three kittens were standing, hugging tightly to their parents, their eyes wide in confusion over the whole thing, and not quite understanding what had happened.
Natori and Natoru were right next to the King and Queen, supporting each other as a misfit pair of brothers. Over-emotional Natoru and stern Natori, the two advisors that stood by the king's side and were more like family than employees to him. The annoying yet so cheerful Natoru, whose smile seemed to have vanished into thin air, and brave Natori, whose grey fur looked dim even though the light was as bright as ever.
A bit far on her left was the shiny glow of Myril's white feathers and the eerie moon-colored eyes of the lady, her ever-constant purple shawl wrapped safely around her shoulders.
Last but not least, and standing right behind Haru were two people whom, even though she couldn't see them, she knew were about as grief stricken as she was, if not more. Muta and Toto, Baron's two sidekicks; his fellow colleagues from the Cat Bureau and his closest friends. Haru could easily picture the fat cat's sagged shoulders and small eyes, standing as still as he could, trying with all his might to look as grumpy and strong as ever so as to shy away his grief. And Toto, good, amiable Toto; he just hadn't been the same after that. Sure, he was the first trying to cheer her up, saying that Baron wouldn't like to see them all like that, but Haru knew better than anyone that it was just how he hid his true feelings. He hadn't even tried to banter with Muta once.
Haru could barely stand it. The wind was rustling the cat-tails now, as it did on her first visit, as it always did and always will. It seemed to carry around a misplaced cheerfulness that dissipated in the sorrowful air of the small assembly. She knew she should have had a part in all this; it was how people normally reacted when a close friend died, wasn't it? But she wasn't feeling sorrow, not even some small grief. In fact she didn't feel at all. She was numb, her whole mind and heart empty. She didn't even have time to tell him…tell him…tell…
"If only you had brought him in sooner, I might have been able to save him," came the soft whisper-like voice of the lady. Haru turned slowly towards her, eyes going wide as the statement – more of an accusation in her ears – was made.
"If only you had accepted my proposition to carry him, he might have survived." Myril's voice came out, eyes devoid of all emotion. Haru started to feel the emptiness inside of her grow. It's all my fault…
"If only you had never met him," said Toto. My fault my fault…Haru whipped around, staring bewildered at the crow. She could feel herself standing right on the narrow ledge, next to the void in her heart.
"If only you didn't save me that day when I was crossing the road, all this would never have happened," Lune said, lifting his empty eyes from the ground. The ledge was rapidly disappearing, fading into nothingness.
"If only you didn't feed me when I was a kitten, I wouldn't have told you about the Bureau and he would still be alive." Yuki this time, her eyes as expressionless and devoid of life as all the others. Haru couldn't find her voice, wouldn't. The last remnant of sanity started to crumble into the emptiness.
"If only you never existed," said Muta, delivering the last blow. Haru fell, the emptiness and oblivion embracing her as she did so, tendrils of darkness encircling her and then…
Haru gasped and sat bolt upright. She was sweating heavily in her pajamas, and shivered as she suddenly realized that all her trashing in her sleep had thrown her covers down on the floor. She had been sleeping, yes. It had all been a dream, or rather, a nightmare. She wasn't sure how to call it. It kept coming back at her, her heart's inner turmoil and secret desires mixing with the memory from one year ago. Haru hugged her knees close to her chest, tears threatening to spill out. It hadn't been all a dream, no, just the last part. She so wished every single bit of it wasn't real. But it was. Real was that night not so long ago when two creations fought, real was the dagger that had stricken Baron on that same night, and real was his death a few days later. Real was the gravestone. She shivered again. Her alarm clock said 4.23 am. Too late to go back to a sleep she knew she wouldn't find, and too early to leave for university, but plenty of time instead to think and get lost in her memories.
No, not again. Gathering a towel and clothes for the coming day, Haru tip-toed to the bathroom for a hot shower. It wouldn't do any good if her mother discovered that she had yet another nightmare. The rushing and deliciously warm water seemed to wash away her problems every time, albeit for a few minutes only. How strange, I can't feel the water. And then she knew why. She quickly got out and dried herself, dressing up as quickly as possible. And as she stepped into the kitchen, she was greeted by two green eyes. Haru sighed; Baron's ghost was sitting on the windowsill. She had started seeing his ghost shortly after his death. She looked back at the eyes, knowing full well that she would find the ever constant regret and sorrow in them. They were always mixed with a lot of emotions, but these two were always there, never going away, sometimes barely visible, and sometimes as powerfully bright as the sun itself. There never was a single reproach in the emerald orbs. Somehow, this hurt Haru more than anything else. If at least he said something to her, but he always remained silent, and even though she knew it was her fault he died, he never looked angry at her, never held any grudge against her. It was as thought him haunting her had something to do with the intense regret his look bore. She could never figure it out. If only he talked. She sighed and started to turn to make tea. And then the unthinkable happened, and she heard him.
"Haru…"
Her eyes went wide, her heart stammering in her chest.
"Haru…" the whisper was a bit more insistent, a bit distorted, and somehow different.
She slowly turned back to him, looking him straight in the eyes. They were glowing, rapidly changing colors, fire was roaring around her - when did it start? - but she didn't care.
"HARU!"
0000000000000
Haru woke up with a gasp. Again. But this time she was greeted by moon-colored eyes. It took Haru some time to remember where she was and what had happened. It was only after seeing the slumped form of Muta in a corner chair and the flutter of Toto's wings that she remembered that she was at the healer's house and quite awake. Said lady was in front of her, holding the single source of light in the room – a small candle - , and it was her eyes Haru had first seen. Her hand was still on the young woman's shoulders where she had placed it to shake Haru awake, and even now her concerned voice whispered her name urgently.
"Miss Haru, Haru-chan!"
Haru's eyes focused back on the woman with the purple shawl, and the healer sighed in relief. She had started to worry, after all the trashing Haru did and her taking a good ten minutes to wake up. The brown eyes instantly filled with worry though, upon realizing who it was exactly that was in front of her.
"How is he?" asked Haru, all her concern and emotions from the past two days pouring into these three words. However tired she was, the lady smiled slightly, and led the young woman outside.
"Fine," she answered.
Haru couldn't describe how she felt at that moment. It was as if a great weight had just been pulled off her shoulders, and she suddenly felt light headed. She needed some fresh air, and she slowly made her way outside and on the terrace.
"Thank you; thank you so much, with all my heart. There are no words that can express how grateful I am." She bowed as deeply and respectfully as she could.
The healer chuckled slightly, but her mirth subsided quickly. What she had seen in Haru's eyes when she told her Baron was fine worried her, however wonderful it was. For it was pure, unlimited love that she had seen, love for the cat figurine, a love forbidden between species, forbidden to exist between mortal and immortal. The lady sighed, making Haru worry, but the woman ignored the younger one, deep in her thoughts. She knew of that type of love, it was the kind of love that nothing could stop or prevent, the type of love that kept making two souls meet over and over again, until the end of times. Very few had known it, very few ever met their true soul mates, and even fewer recognized them. But those who did…those had the strongest bonds ever in the universe, bonds that the gods themselves couldn't destroy, much less death. To these, time, species, age, distance, anything that the universe threw in their path was of no concern, for nothing could keep them apart. Nothing. But even though she knew all that, the lady had to hear the confirmation from Haru. So she asked, although she dreaded the answer she already knew about.
"Miss Haru, do you love him?"
"What?" Haru was completely taken aback, and her panicked mind threw up the only defense it could, feigning an ignorance of the subject that cold have fooled her own self. The lady sighed. It looked like she would have to put it under Haru's nose if she wanted her answer.
"Do you love Baron?"
Haru's eyes went wide with shock, before clouding over with a mix of emotions. Turning to the nearby forest, Haru leaned forward on the barrier, her head supported by her hand. The sun was starting to rise, and mist hung about the trees and ferns all round the house. An early wind blew some loose autumn leaves from the branches, and soon orange red and yellow leaves were falling all around, chasing each other and the retreating mist. Haru shuddered imperceptibly, whether it is because of the chillness of the morning air, or because of the still vivid images from her dreams. She knew they had been an insight of a possible future, and they had deeply shook her, emotions stirring, and now the lady's question was making her reconsider her feelings. Sure, she liked Baron a lot, but she had never really questioned that before, never cut a clear defining line to her feelings. She didn't even know if they "flirted" together at all. She never put a name on what she felt in his presence. What was it she was feeling for him? Her thoughts wandered, and in these few minutes she analyzed as best as she could everything she felt for the cat for the past four years, everything she could remember, and after a few moments she came to a conclusion that, even though it didn't surprise her, was still quite a shock. How could she have denied it for so long?
"Yes," she whispered, so low that the healer had to strain her hears to hear it, "yes, I love him; with all my heart and with all my soul, I love him."
The lady sighed in defeat. It was as she had expected. As much as it would hurt, she would have to set things straight between the two, so that they would not fight and suffer for the rest of their existence. But as she looked up and started opening her mouth to tell Haru to let go, to quench these emotions before it was too late, her eyes locked upon the chocolate brown of Haru's lost gaze as she leaned towards the woods, and she once again saw that love so profound that had started her asking. No. She couldn't do it. She couldn't stop them, and wouldn't. That love…The lady knew that it would be risky, but she was going to help them. Yes, she would help these two, with all the powers she possessed. They didn't deserve to be apart, as she had just realized that taking them apart would more than likely hurt them more than their forbidden love could. And, who knows? Maybe the gods would approve of this love for once, maybe, just this once, they would help.
"You do realize that there are a few problems to that," she said finally. Haru chuckled slightly.
"Yes, quite a lot actually, but since we met, I don't think anything's impossible, although…although I don't know if my feelings are returned, not even what to do about it now…" And it was true. She knew she loved Baron now, but what well would it do her? There was no way they could be together, was it?
"Actually, there is a way," said the healer, making Haru jump. She didn't know she had been thinking out loud. It took her a moment to realize what the lady had said. Her eyes went wide with surprise and hope.
"There is?" she asked eagerly. "How?"
"I can use my powers to call on the gods and spirits so they will grant me the power to make you half-cat and immortal maybe but" and she raised a finger to stop the oncoming comment from Haru, "you won't be able to change back afterwards, and I must warn you that immortality is not assured. The gods are erratic."
"It doesn't matter, as long as I can be with him" answered the young woman without even thinking, not the least bit surprised at learning of the woman's power; magic was as much a part of her life now as anything else. Heck she was in love with a magical creature, so what? "But, will it be possible to make my goodbyes to my family and friends before changing?"
"Don't be so hasty in your decision, Haru," warned the lady. "It is not a simple decision you're making, but a lifetime choice. You have to be sure of what you're doing!"
At that, Haru paused, but only to look at the elder woman in front of her with a determination and assurance she didn't know she had before that instant.
"I've never been surer in my whole life. This is the world I belong in, this is my place, or nowhere else is."
The lady nodded. There was no point in arguing, these eyes told her everything she needed to know. She sighed slightly. Somehow, she had hoped that Haru would reconsider, but no, such love couldn't be stopped, as she had already known.
"Very well then. I'll perform the spell tonight."
Haru opened her mouth to speak, and then realized it was useless. She had already made her decision. She nodded and the old woman turned and walked into the house. Haru followed her and closed the door, but just as the healer was about to go and get some well earned rest, she asked:
"Can I go see him?"
The elder woman stopped and turned her face slightly to the right, a smile on her lips.
"Of course."
Haru didn't even wait to thank the lady; she rushed as fast as she could to the room where the cat was resting. The lady smiled. In love, definitely, she thought as she disappeared into her room.
Tbc…
Author's, euh, note (?):
Fento: (still crying from beginning of chapter)
Ellenlome (trying to console him) Listen, we didn't mean it! It was a joke really! (smiles encouragingly at Fento)
Fento (stops crying and rubs his nose, then makes puppy eyes at Ellenlome) really?
Ellenlome: really
Fento (stops crying and sniffing) Thanks. Can I have some cookies?
Ellenlome: (frowns) you'll get on a sugar high again.
Fento: (makes puppy eyes) Pwease?
Ellenlome (muttering) damn the power of puppy eyes (to Fento) Here, you can have the whole jar. You won't cry again, will you?
Fento: Yay! (grabs jar and runs in a dark corner to eat the cookies)
Ellenlome: That was…disturbingly cute. Uh, author's note (mutter) how can he be so cute when he's the bad guy? I gotta fix that (turns to the readers) Another chapter done! Anyway, I've been asked for some Haru/Baron fluff, so I included that small "memory" scene. I'm not really good at fluff but I'll try my best. It actually helped 'cause I thought that the trip in the bus would be boring. I wonder if I should have described the arrival at the healer's house though. By the way, can anyone suggest a name for her? I'm out of ideas.
As for the fluff, don't worry, next chapter is ONLY fluff between the two, and I should shut up 'cos I'm going to give away what I'm planning and that's not a good idea. :D
Review responses time! (big Chinese gong is rung)
Phantom Ange: (Ellenlome blushes a deep red) THANK YOU SO MUCH! I LOVE the shirt! And Baron didn't like it. (evil grin) Would you like to participate in the next disclaimer so we can traumatize him further? (innocent smile) And the next chapter will be all for your special request! (Smile)
michievious-lil-kitsune: I hope you liked talking with the gang in the disclaimer! I had fun writing that, and it reminds my characters that I can make reviewer cameos whenever I want (evil grin) lol. By the way, You can have Muta for the whole week, but you'll have to let me have him sometimes so I can write the other scenes. (grins) He does make a good cushion you know (Muta: eyebrow is twitching).
e-chan: Another chappie! Hope you like it! And that last chapter wasn't meant to have a cliffhanger, I just couldn't find any other place to cut it.
Earthangel: Sorry to worry you more, but I still don't know about the war, although it would be interesting to add some battle scenes between cats and birds, and how people would react to that. I don't know. I am tempted to end it peacefully, but these scenes are just making my fingers itch. Oh well, wait and see I guess. Even I didn't expect half of what I wrote to happen. :) By the way, what was that Spirited Away story you spoke of? I would like to read it.
Mia-Hood: Thank you! And Sherlock Holmes is cool! (smile) yay! (sugar high here)
Sweet-Intoxication: Thank you so much for the comment! (blush) Although I don't think you'll be able to sue Muta on me. I just lent him to michievious-lil-kitsune as a cushion, so he's not really in a position to do anything (snicker). Yup, I'm evil. And crazy. And on a sugar high right now. I seem to be on a sugar high a lot lately. I wonder if it's my natural state? (ponders)
By the way, anyone who wants to be part of one of the disclaimers, please go ahead and ask. It always makes for funny disclaimer to have other people around!
Baron: (mumbling) Of course, you're not the one getting traumatized here.
Ellenlome (giggles and evil grin): see ya all! (waves)