Ellenlome: I did it! The second to last chapter! Or third to last, depending on whether or not you guys ask for the last optional chapter when I tell what it's about…in the next chapter! And I own your souls now! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (cough) haha (cough).
Muta: you've been playing waaay too much at that stupid computer game, kiddo.
Ellenlome: Don't call me kiddo! And Baldur's Gate II is NOT stupid! You'd better remember that!
Muta :sticks his tongue out: Bleh!
Ellenlome: Why you: starts running after laughing Muta:
Baron and Haru:sweatdrop:
Haru: Uh….Do you think we should tell them that they forgot to do the disclaimer?
Baron: We should. But we won't.
:Ellenlome and Muta are still running. A club-thingy look-alike is in Ellenlome's hand while she shouts "Lin Alun For Shar!":
Haru: Why?
Baron:smirk: Because it is much funnier that way. :smirk grows into evil grin:
Haru:sigh: Ellenlome doesn't own the "Cat Returns", just the plot of this story and any original characters. :to Baron: And stop doing that. You're scary.
Whispers of a distant land: Chapter eleven
Cells, especially those in dungeons, weren't good for your health. Anyone can tell you that they're bad enough as they are. But even worse are cells that are in dark, gloomy, deeply buried dungeons. They had lots of defaults, as one can surmise. First off, architects never thought that those placed in them would use them very long, for obvious reasons, and so never bothered to make them very comfortable – such a thing was for prisoners of higher rank, who would be more than likely placed in special holding cells. Hard, cold stone is not the best place to rest, as many a back told its owner in high protest. Of course, that can still be overlooked, as well as the lack of exercise resulting in an amorphous state, and the vermin scurrying in the darkness and more often than not on the feet and legs of the prisoners. But what one cannot overlook is the cold dampness that seeps into one's very bone, with all that that implies. No, cells weren't good for one's health at all.
A good thing was that such cells were only found in dungeons nowadays, and dungeons could only be found in castles or some such place. The Cat Kingdom's palace was no exception, and so Fento discovered it, along with all the above mentioned unpleasant things that went along with it. He frowned as he looked at his surroundings: the cell into which the guards had placed him was so small he could barely move around, with three wet and slimy walls – the place was undoubtedly under the lake's surface level – and an equally wet and slimy ceiling. The floor was covered in what Fento could guess was straw under all the grime and fungus covering it, and infested by vermin of all sorts, including the largest sort of cockroach the creature had ever seen – and had no desire to see again, it was plain repugnant. Furniture comprised in total of a hard stone bench that would serve as a bed too had Fento "planned" on staying longer, with a bucket shucked under it.
The monkey-like creature was currently standing near the bars of the grid that was the fourth "wall" of the cell, looking grimly at the two guards sitting at the nearby table, sorting through his possessions – Fento's fur still bristled at the memory of the search he had to endure. The humiliation! And the nerve! If only that damn Baron had not meddled in the whole affair, surely Fento would still be in favor with King Lune and sitting comfortably in his office, sipping at a quality wine while waiting for Hanakash's attack. But now that the annoying advisor and the haughty sea eagle had reported his machinations and plans to Lune, there was no regaining the cat's trust.
Fento had before thought of waiting still for the birds' attack and help to get him out, but as he heard Lune give orders in preparation of the conflict to come, Fento quickly gave up that idea. The cats may be less numerous than the birds, and most likely less strong, but Lune was an exceedingly good tactician and fighter, and the Cat Kingdom's citizens would be well prepared and organized by the time Hanakash launched his attack. No, Fento was not expecting help from the birds any more. Already, as four guards escorted him to the dungeons, his mind had launched into designing complicated and less complicated plans for escape. He had even thought of fighting his way out, but had wisely decided that battling the whole garrison was not at the top of his "want to do" list, and if he could he would avoid fighting altogether – the fight against Baron had taxed him more than he thought, and he needed rest. The only positive point in the whole thing was that he was more than certain that Baron was dead by now. Now, as he looked over at his possession, a wicked glimmer entered his eyes; he had found his ticket to freedom.
----oOo----
To be a member of the teaching staff, one has to be serious, mature and also able to keep his head cool in any situation. This is what is required of a good teacher. At least, this is what Hiromi's tutors at the university kept pounding into her and her fellow students' heads all year long. So, it is quite normal that after nearly three years of hearing this, one acts like a "good teacher", even in his/her life. However, with her bed buried under a mound of clothes and herself digging into another even bigger pile of clothes, Hiromi wasn't fitting the good teacher image anymore. Right now, she was absolutely frantic. Not panicking, mind you, but positively flapping. Her usually tidy room had disappeared under clothes, makeup, and whatnot, as if a storm had passed through it, or at least that's what anyone would have thought.
Of course, Hiromi could perfectly well justify the mess. She was preparing for a date with Tsuge, maybe the date, as in THE big date where he would propose. After all, he had booked an extremely romantic restaurant, and it would be a full moon, the perfect setting in Hiromi's mind. She had to be wearing perfect clothing for the occasion, and couldn't allow herself to be distracted from that task. And so, she wasn't happy at all when the phone rung. Hiromi glared at the annoying object before turning away, hoping that whoever was calling would give up. No such luck. It kept on ringing and ringing. Hiromi glared at the white phone, before finally picking it up with a groan and a muttered curse, thinking that whoever it was had better be Tsuge or else…
But she soon forgot all her murderous thoughts when she heard who was at the other end:
"Haru!"
"Hello, 'romi."
"Where have you been! You're mother's frantic, she nearly called the police! And what of that cryptic message you left on my phone? You have better explain right now, or else I'm never covering up for you again!"
Silence. Hiromi breathed deeply, ready to give her best friend another tirade for fraying her nerves by almost disappearing. Just as she was about ready to burst though, the reply came, very quiet over the line:
"Hiromi, are you alone?"
"What? Oh, yes." The auburn-haired woman was a bit perplexed. Haru knew very well that Hiromi now lived in an apartment, and so was alone most of time, except when Haru herself came over. Something was afoot, and Hiromi's next word was full of good-natured suspicion: "Why?"
"Can…can I come over and talk to you privately? I…Listen, I've got two friends with me, can they come too? I know it's rude but…"
"Don't worry, it's ok. I'll be waiting."
Another silence, then something that sounded like a breath released after being held for too long. What, did she think I would say no? What's going on? Hiromi's wild imagination came up with all sorts of absurd reasons Haru would act so, even the weird idea that she had a secret gangster boyfriend – preferably a yakuza in Hiromi's mind's eye – and that the two of them were running away to some far away country in order to marry, with the help of a shady character from a rival gangster band. Hiromi almost laughed as soon as the idea crossed her mind.
"Thank you, 'romi. I…can you please promise not to freak out when you see me?" Haru said over the phone.
"Uh? Yeah, sure, I promise, but what…?"
"I'll see you in five minutes. Bye."
Hiromi stared at the beeping phone for a good two minutes before setting it down slowly on her desk. What in the heck was that about? Finally, totally out of her dressing fit, Hiromi decided that she would make tea while waiting. The herbal tea was almost ready by the time her doorbell rang, and she rushed to open it.
"Haru you…! Huh? Haru?" There was no one at the door, and the corridor was seemingly empty of any human activity. Had she dreamed the sound?
"Down here, 'romi."
Hiromi nearly fainted.
----oOo----
Myril of Clouded Tops. Once, a long time ago, that title had held some great significance to the sea eagle, but it had all turned out to be a hoax, an empty name that Myril had shed as an encumbering shell. She knew that somewhere, sometime, centuries in the past, the title was given to one who showed the most braveness and loyalty to the Empire, and the bird who received it needed not be of noble birth to be treated like an equal by them. It was a title that spoke of power, and courage, but most and foremost of righteousness. When she had received it, barely three years old and hardly a mature eagle, white feathered Myril had been proud of such an honor, too naïve in the ways of the world to understand the reason why it was given to her. But she had truly believed in the meaning of it at the time, and had decided to live up to the name, and what had only be a hoax, a mere decoy to please the population, soon became a true hero, earning the respect of the population, and even a few of the nobles.
Guards scrambled on the balcony and in the courtyard below, running to their posts or answering the call of their superiors to the battlefront. At the sight of the soldiers and their royal uniform, Myril felt a pang of old anger at the nobles these cats served, an anger that was a painful reminder of the eagle's banishment.
When Myril had seen the commoner be assaulted unjustifiably by the peacock lord, she had immediately sided with the unfortunate parrot, and had quite effectively battled him back, saving the young bird's life in the process, all the while knowing that she had been right in doing so, and quite convinced that, no matter what threats the peacock uttered at her, the Empire's justice would side with her and punish the real culprit. But she had been wrong, and when the Empire's police dragged her off to rot in a dungeon, without trial, the sea eagle's naïve perception of the world was shattered, as well as all the ideals that she held dear, and as she withered away in the dungeon, she came to believe that there was nothing worth fighting for, for all justice was forsaken in this corrupted world.
Now, perched on a tower of the cats' palace, Myril was no longer so convinced of that. Natoru, Baron, Toto, Haru, and all these people she had met up till now reminded her of what she had fought for so long, all those she had defended over the years and their true unmasked gratefulness shining on their faces as they flashed through her memory. She remembered the baby eagle she had saved as it fell off the cliff, she remembered the parents' relief. She remembered the smile of the old seagull as Myril "accidentally" dropped a fish in front of him. She remembered the song of the wren girl as she played on a branch near the home she had lost. Yes, Myril remembered them all, and she smiled.
"Care to share the joke?" asked a voice from below her.
Myril turned her gaze downwards, her head slightly cocked to the side and the smile never leaving her face, only to be met by the mismatched eyes of King Lune, standing, weary, on the balcony, paws crossed behind his back.
"Just recalling some memories," replied Myril companionably.
Lune raised an eyebrow but did not press the issue, instead choosing to use this rare lull in all the activity to better know the sea eagle that had brought back to him his advisor and practically delivered Fento, and looked at her fully for the first time. Myril ignored his inquisitive gaze and turned back to looking over at the seemingly endless hills and plains that were the Cat Kingdom's territory.
"Those memories must be very happy ones indeed to make you smile so," he stated finally.
The eagle gazed at the landscape for a full minute before answering. "Actually, it is most painful."
"What?" Lune didn't understand. How could painful memories make one smile? Lune raised and eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate, but when it became obvious that the bird wasn't going to say more without prompting on his part, Lune asked again: "How is that so?"
"The memories of that time are painful, for they are of something that is gone forever but, at the same time, they help me remember…remember that there are things…worth fighting for…"
The reply raised even more questions in Lune, but he knew that the eagle wasn't going to say anything more. Birds could be extremely cryptic in their answers. There was an uneasy silence during which the two pondered on how to continue this conversation, during which more soldiers passed underneath in a tight column, practicing some war maneuvers. Lune winced at the sight. He never liked fighting, especially when it could be avoided.
"Do you know how you're going to avoid this war, King Lune?"
The cat jumped slightly. The question wasn't unexpected, but the one asking it was. The cat never would have expected a bird to ask him that, but then again, Myril didn't seem to like the idea of a war any better than he did. He cocked his head to the side, a habit he had somehow taken up from Toto. And as Toto, Lune felt that he could trust the eagle. Maybe she could help him. After all, an outsider's point of view could be useful, and right now any idea was a good idea to the tired king of cats.
"Honestly, Miss Myril? I don't know." Myril gasped, but kept silent and Lune continued: "I have ordered my cats to avoid fighting as much as possible, and to not wound the opposing party seriously when a fight is unavoidable. I do not want to give Emperor Hanakash more reasons to be angry. No doubt he was tricked by Fento, judging by what Natoru and you told me, and this fight is without any real reason. If only" – he sighed – "if only I could get to talk to him personally, I'm sure we could come to a peaceful ending."
Myril nodded, her eyes fixed on the cat king. He was so young, even in Myril's eyes, even though she was sure that the cat was already twice her age. She hoped he could endure such a pressure. Myril had lived outside the protection of the city, and so her experience made her wise beyond her years, but had she been given the choice she would have liked to have a childhood. Even so, she couldn't decide which was better: childhood memories to share and rely on in times of trouble, or experience and wisdom at the cost of a lost family? She couldn't decide, and, having nothing better to offer, Myril gave him the only thing she had: hope.
"I'm sure the Baron is trying something to help both out people right now. He'll succeed, don't worry."
Lune smiled, grateful for the advice. He just hoped he could have enough faith to last as long as it would take the cat figurine to accomplish whatever plan he had. Lune turned and silently walked back inside, while Myril resumed her passive watching.
----oOo----
Hiromi sipped at her tea pensively, soaking in all Haru had told her. The story was quite unbelievable, if it weren't for the fact that her best friend was now a cat woman and was currently sitting on her kitchen table with a cat and a crow. She glanced at the cat curiously, and took in his appearance. She supposed that he must be quite handsome by cat standards, and his manners were flawless, with all the charm of British aristocracy. Hiromi could very well picture Haru falling for him. Heck, if she had had the same experience as Haru and hadn't met Tsuge, she was sure she would have had a crush on him too.
Her gaze went back to her friend. Hiromi was far from stupid, and was generally good when it came to reading people's feelings and attitudes, and so it hadn't escaped her that Haru had – quite obviously and willingly – left out some parts of her tale, and seeing as she didn't mention her emotions about the orange cat too much, Hiromi had a very good guess at what Haru had left out, and a smirk involuntarily made it's way on her face as she thought of the endless teasing she could make Haru endure. The smirk quickly faded though when she remembered what the threesome had come here to ask her for.
"Tackle an eagle, eh?" she asked Haru, her voice fully indicating her feelings on the matter.
Haru nodded, not letting Hiromi's sarcasm getting to her. She wasn't losing that battle, it was far too important, both for the world she was soon to be part of and for those she held dear in her heart. "Yup, so we can have some time to talk him into at least a truce without being pierced by various weapons and," and Haru raised a hand to stop Hiromi's oncoming comment, "yes, I know that it involves great risks for you 'romi, but we wouldn't have come to you if we had any other choice. I would rather put myself in danger than see my best friend hurt, but for my current form."
Hiromi pouted. "And I guess you can't reverse the thing either?"
Haru grinned. She knew she had won the argument, and Hiromi grimaced slightly. Haru was one of the few who could read her so well. The chocolate-haired woman's – or was it cat? Argh, this was getting confusing – next words confirmed her feelings:
"So you'll do it?"
Hiromi sighed and put her cup back down on the table. "Yeah, I will."
"Thanks 'romi! You're the greatest!" And at that Haru proceeded to hug Hiromi, which was quite awkward since the former had arms a few sizes too small to encircle the latter's neck properly. Finally they settled back down and Hiromi turned to the orange cat who had sat through the whole negotiation in silence.
"So, what should I do?"
Baron turned to her, steeping his fingers together in front of him as the others leaned forward.
"Here is what we should do. I have already sent Muta to…"
As he exposed his plan, the clock slowly ticked by, and Hiromi's preparations for her date lay long forgotten in the form of disarrayed piles of clothes.
Tbc…
Author's note:
Ok, before I start this….I"M SORRY! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME:sweatdrop: Well, that was embarrassing. :sweatdrop again: I know, I know, I haven't written in a long time! It's just that I was kinda stuck on this chapter and the next one, 'cause my dear muses (striking at 3 AM again, I wonder if it's my punishment for being late on updating) banded together with the plot bunnies and added a new twist to the story that I think the majority of you will have seen in this chapter. I actually think I made it too obvious, but oh well…
Anyway, the next chapter will be the last (maybe) as you have surmised from the disclaimer at the top, unless you ask for the Happy Ending extra one, in which nothing will happen. The Extra Chapter would only deal with minor things such as Haru's mother's reaction, and some fluff. Whatever. You're the readers, so you decide.
I think that is all I have to say. Oh yeah, hope you liked Myril's character bio:D
Review responses time! (:random purple camel runs across the fanfiction void:all the fandom characters sweatdrop:)
Kamiko-Zefuru: That's very much probable :smirk: But I don't think we'll ever know, although I DO find it funny. I never made the connection up till now. :laughs: thanks for reviewing and sharing that piece of mind. It made my day when I read it.
Phantom Ange: Bunnies are great! And random! (in my case anyway) But kittens are better. :smile: Hope you liked Hiromi's appearance. As for Haru's mother…well, I haven't figured that out yet, but I'm working on it. I can't imagine Haru just running away from her without any explanation at all. It just isn't realistic. If I DO find a solution though, it will be in the Extra Chapter for sure. Just watch out for it. :)
TO EVRYONE ELSE: Thanks a lot guys! Hiromi's here, hope you liked it! She doesn't have a major role in the story, but as e-chan pointed out, not many stories have her. :smiles and waves: See you all next chapter!
P.S: I wonder if I should changer the name to "Whiskers of a distant land":ponders:laughs: Just joking guys.