Author's Note: A slight change in direction. I've decided to truncate this story and save one of the plot points for another piece. It's not nice to enter the new year with something left unfinished...

SHIZUKU'S DECISION

Haru Yoshioka woke up groaning. Her head ached, her skin felt like it was being jabbed by a thousand little fiery needles, her nose felt stuffy, and her legs throbbed. Did she eat something she was allergic to again? And where was her quilt? It was just as well her bed seemed unusually comfortable today.

She opened her eyes to complain to the world at large, and found that the world had been taken away. Or that at least her room was gone. In its place was a blank whiteness, and a familiar person looking down at her, smiling.

With a gasp she grabbed the other person's wrist, shuddering and closing her eyes. "Sensei! It's you! It's really you!"

She impulsively tried to sit up and was rewarded with sharp pains shooting up from her legs and abdomen. Her yelp caused Shizuku to reach out and steady her.

"Easy," the woman in the white dress said softly. "I've healed you, but your body still thinks it's been hurt. It'll be a while before the pain disappears completely."

"Hurt?" Haru frowned. "I... I can't remember anything, except for thinking I'd made a huge mistake just before I hit that large bird made of fire..."

Shizuku hooded her eyes, and some of the happiness on her face vanished. "That was me, Haru."

"You?"

Nodding, Shizuku laid her slowly back down on the comfy bed. "I was fighting Haku and Nausicaä. I was afraid—I'd forgotten who I was, till I saw you again."

"They're here?"

"Yes." Shizuku inclined her head at something above the level of Haru's head, and she tilted it up until she had an upside-down view of a blue-clad, brown-haired young lady and a young man in blue and white robes.

Nausicaä gave her a nod and a small, fleeting smile.

Haru raised a hand in greeting, then returned her attention to Shizuku. "What're they doing here?"

"They're trying to persuade me to do one thing or the other."

"Oh? And what is it?"

"To either go on to the afterlife, or stay with you or go back to my own world."

Haru blinked. "Have you decided?" she asked, her voice soft and quiet.

"Well... if you were in my shoes, Haru-chan, what would you decide?"

"I... well, I..." Haru looked away and became lost in thought. She knew what she wanted to say; she didn't think it would be right for her to say it. It was Shizuku's life, and her decision to make.

"It's not my place to say, sensei," she finally said. "Though I guess you know what I'd tell you."

"I know, Haru." Shizuku gently turned the younger woman to face her. Her countenance had become serious and sad. "Which is why it pains me all the more to tell you that while you were sleeping I came to a decision. I'm going back to my world."

Haru, who had been looking steadily into her eyes as she spoke, now averted them.

"It's not every day someone gets a second chance at life, dear," continued Shizuku. "Please don't be upset."

"Upset? Me? Oh, no, no. I had just assumed all along that we... that you were going to stay."

"I'd like to, but I'd miss my husband terribly. Haru? Come on, out with it."

Haru sighed and broke into a wavering smile. "So I guess this means goodbye, huh? Darn, I got something in my eye."

Shizuku smiled back. "Don't be ashamed to wear your heart on your sleeve, Haru. That's a part of me which is also to be found within you." She took hold of Haru's hand and squeezed it. "It won't be goodbye yet. I still have to go back to the Cat Kingdom for a short while. So if you can spare the time, you can still come and visit me while I'm there."

"Sensei?"

"Hmm?"

"A thought just occurred to me. Why can't I go to your world too? You know, to visit?"

Shizuku looked up. "Nausicaä-hime?"

"I won't claim to be an expert at it, but it's possible," the wind-rider said, folding her arms but not budging from where she stood. "However, the way it works is unique to each of us: the Baron and the cats need portals, for example. For some all they need to do is think about it really hard and walk through a doorway. Others like Haku and Yu-baaba, because they're more entrenched in their realities, need to cast spells. Still others have no control at all when it happens. Like me."

"Well, how do I get to sensei's world?"

Nausicaä shook her head. "I'm sorry, Haru. That's something only you can find out."

"Then that means it'll never happen!"

"For some, it never does," Nausicaä agreed quietly. She was thinking of Lord Yupa, and Teto, and Kushana's cavalrymen, and Ohma... and her own father and mother.

Haru turned a distraught face to Shizuku. "Sensei! Don't go! There's no guarantee we'll ever meet again! You heard her!"

"But Haru-chan..."

"Enough." It was Haku, and his voice was cold and stern. "Will you let your selfishness get in the way of her happiness? Are you that mean and self-centered?"

"But—oh, sensei. Alright, I'll come see you as much as I can. Hey, wait a minute! Why can't you come to my house, stay there for a while?"

Shizuku thought. "Now there's an idea. But it's going to conflict with what I have in mind, Haru. I need to lie low for just a bit longer."

"What's going to happen to your family when you return to your own world?" asked Nausicaä.

"You leave everything to me. I'll take care of that," Shizuku reassured her, giving her a thumbs-up sign. "All I need now is my journal."

Haru sat back up—more slowly this time—and said, "It's too bad you won't be able to attend Baron's wedding."

Shizuku smirked. "I wouldn't be so sure of that."

------oOo------

When everything was settled Haku contacted Zeniiba and asked that they be brought back to their bodies. He also gave her Shizuku's answer, which enabled her to prepare for what needed to be done next.

Haru was mightily embarrassed when she found herself lying beside Shizuku on a bed. Before she could edge away Machida rushed to her and picked her up, crushing her in his arms.

"You careless idiot," he whispered again and again, his voice husky with emotion as he twirled her round. "You careless, careless idiot." As her view changed Haru saw cat magicians either getting to their feet or quietly meditating cross-legged in their multi-level niches around the room, and some collapsing, to be attended to by those who were their apprentices or helpers, presumably. She found Shizuku also getting up, and Seiji-sensei a few meters away, standing motionless watching her.

"Shizuku!" he bellowed, his voice cracking. He rushed over to her and gave her a big hug, lifting her off her feet. It turned out that underneath the sheet Shizuku had been wearing the white dress Haru had seen her in earlier.

"Kei-chan," Haru whispered back as her arms went around him. Machida stopped spinning, and Haru found herself looking on as Pazu lent a solicitous hand to Nausicaä, who had thrown her cover off and was gingerly getting out of her own bed. He had Sheeta, already awake, firmly pressed against his side.

Nausicaä was smiling at him. "A race it is, then," she said cryptically, just before Selm stepped forward and led her to a waiting physician to be looked at.

"Haru?"

"What? Oh, sorry. How long was I... gone?"

"To be precise, four hours, six minutes, and... fifteen seconds."

"I see. Kei-chan?"
"Yeah?"

"If you ever hear me complain about little things, kindly remind me how lucky I am to be alive, will you?"

Machida pulled his head back and looked at her, puzzlement written on his face. "Sure. I'll gladly do that, seeing as how you're okay enough to listen to it."

"And something else."

"What? Name it."

"Pucker up."

Their kiss was cut short by a screech. Turning to look, they found Shizuku standing there with her hands at the small of her back.

"Eeek!" she wailed. "It's already starting!"

Natoru stepped forward, bearing the familiar thin-necked crimson carafe in his hands. "Would you like to—"

"Thanks, but maybe later," Shizuku said, bowing to the First Secretary. "I've always wanted to know what it felt like to be a cat."

"As you wish, Lady Shizuku. I'll keep this ready."

Haru signaled for the carafe. Natoru provided her a small cup, and she took a sip, and persuaded Machida to drink as well.

"Aren't we supposed to pay for this?" Machida asked.

"Oh, no. This is free, courtesy of King Lune's father. Who is very sorry about what happened to you, Miss Haru."

"Where is he? I want to tell him it's okay, I just got startled, I think."

There was a commotion elsewhere in the room. A couple of people—mainly cat magicians and Lune's staff, but also two furisonde-wearing yuna and several fox-women and an aogaeru newly-arrived from Aburaya—were clustered around Haku's bed. Chihiro had impulsively leapt on him as he stood up, and now they were sprawled on it in a tangle of limbs. The fourteen-year-old was blushing a furious red.

"Scandalous!" said one of the fox-girls.

"How can he stand her?" whispered one of the yuna to another.

"Heheheh!" chuckled the frog-man. "Save it for the wedding night, you two!"

"Oh, shut up," Haku grumbled as Chihiro got off him and he sat at bed's edge. "If you don't stop it, I'll turn all of you into flatworms and turn Chihiro into a fish and let her eat you up."

"Blech!" Chihiro protested, sticking out her tongue. "I'm not eating any worms!"

"Trust me," Haku rejoined tiredly, "when you're a carp you'll love it."

"Hey, you layabouts!" It was Yu-baaba, who was still in her chair. "I didn't tell you to come here so you could stand around yakking like that! Move your limbs, not your mouths! How's my bath?"

"All ready, ma'am!" the bathhouse workers chorused.

"We just have to fill it up," said the aogaeru.

"Well, then, get to it! After doing this for so long I feel I need a special bath! Rin!"

The fox-spirit entered the room and moved towards her boss. She had just shaken off a persistent cat suitor in the corridor, who seemed to find her his type even though she technically was a canid, and a kami as well. "Yes'm?"

"Help me up, will you? My bones are aching." Her giant frame tottering, Yu-baaba bid a brusque good-bye to her sister and to Howl and to everyone else and walked slowly out of the room.

------oOo------

With the spell gone, Haru was able to return home within minutes, through the agency of a spell from Cameron and two other cat magicians. She went with Machida, but when she invited Shizuku and Seiji to come with them they declined.

"I'll be along later," the older woman said. "I have some things to take care of first. And don't worry, I know where you live."

Haru laughed. "I'm sure you do. Well, see you, then. Not for the last time yet. Not yet! See you, everyone!"

Her otherworldly friends bid her goodbye as she and Machida stepped through the glowing, man-sized portal, straight into Haru's living room.

And straight in front of a very surprised Naoko Yoshioka, who stood there and let her mouth gape and her glass of water fall onto her brown leather travel bag.

For one shocked moment Haru wished she and Machida could turn invisible. "Mom! I thought you weren't coming home till tomorrow!"

"I was, but your Aunt Yahagi called and requested for me to be at her workshop tomorrow, so I had to come home ahead of time."

"I... ah, heheh, you must be, um, wondering what this all means." As Haru spoke, the portal disappeared, like a picture being scrolled up into nothingness.

"A bit," her mother conceded calmly.

"The truth is—"

"It's, um, my father's newest special effects system that we're evaluating," Machida tried.

"Oh, really?" Naoko Yoshioka seemed to recover somewhat. Her brows went up, and a glowering expression began to show itself on her features. She stepped over her wet bag and gave Haru's cheek a pinch and pull.

"You'll have to do better than that," she said threateningly. "Much, much better."

"Ah... do you remember the time when you told me I could talk to cats when I was a kid?"

"Uh-huh."

"And, uh, do you remember what we talked about before, about, um, Kei and myself and my 'other man'?"

Machida raised an eyebrow.

"Of course."

"Well, brace yourself, because what I have to tell you is a doozy..."

------oOo------

"I swear, Mom, it's the absolute truth," Haru stammered as they sat round the small dining table. She had seen the thunderclouds gathering on her mother's normally benign face and tried to head them off. "May I get struck by lightning if I'm lying to you."

"I didn't believe it myself at first, Auntie," Machida chimed in. "But she is telling the truth." He turned to Haru. "Why don't you get a couple of those friends of yours to pay a visit?"

"Oh, I don't know about that," Haru said, wincing. "Baron'll probably cut me to pieces for spilling the beans. And then Muta will probably say something mean to me, just before he gobbles me up."

"Baron?" parroted Mrs. Yoshioka. "Is he royalty?" The thought of Haru being involved with the upper crust of society made her perk up a bit.

"Sort of. He's... a cat statue who comes to life."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"I won't let my daughter have a relationship with a cat!"

"Uh, Mom, he isn't really a cat. He's a cat statue. And besides, he's already getting married to someone else."

"Well, I certainly won't have you as his mistress!"

"I'm not! At least, not any more."

"Haru!"

"Oh, Mom, I use that word loosely. I didn't do anything except kiss him, I swear." Machida opened his mouth to speak, but before he could cut loose she said to him, "And no 'hairball' comments, okay?"

"I wasn't going to say anything like that."

------oOo------

In the end, amid all the November rush, not only did Shizuku and Seiji pay a visit to Haru's, but Baron and the staff of the Cat Business Office did so as well. It was a sight to see: a young married couple sitting on the living room couch, flanked by cats left and right, with a certain someone in an Evening Coat and someone else in a maroon walking-dress seated beside them, their feet dangling off the edge, calmly consuming a cup of tea and a bit of pastry each.

"I can see now that Haru was telling the truth," Mrs. Yoshioka said. She was sitting in a chair opposite, trying very much not to gawk and more than a bit intimidated by the Baron's suavity and sang-froid. "It must have been difficult for her to live a double life."

"Indeed," the Baron submitted. "If you'll believe me, she's now quite famous in some parts. I couldn't have rescued my fiancée without her help and encouragement. Your daughter is not only a very good swordswoman, but a fine young lady as well."

"Yeah," Renaldo Moon seconded from his perch on Shizuku's lap. "Who cares if she doesn't look good in a bikini–"

"Muta!" everyone shushed him. Shizuku covered his mouth with her hand, while Moon groaned and covered his face with a paw.

"You must excuse him," Luna apologized. "That's just how he speaks."

"I'll say," muttered Haru, her face glowing pink as she cast a murderous glance at the fat cat.

Muta wriggled free of Shizuku's restraining palm. "I was gonna say that it's what's inside that counts," he continued, "and that she's too hypersensitive about her looks."

The tête-à-tête continued until very late, with Mrs. Yoshioka bringing out a pot roast and rolls and wonderfully fluffy rice, as well as sushi and a shoyu dip and wine for dinner. If anyone had managed to peer past the blinds that Haru had hastily erected in preparation for the meeting, they would have seen a little group engrossed in their own little world, learning about each other.

It was one AM when the visitors left. They thanked Mrs. Yoshioka for the repast, and Haru walked with them to the bus stop while her boyfriend and her mother stayed behind to clean up. Machida had offered to chaffeur them home to Chikyuuya, but Shizuku, wanting to spend as much time as possible with Seiji and Baron and the others, begged off.

"It's a good thing you didn't tell her everything about yourself," Haru whispered to Shizuku as they walked down the street, which was silent except for the scuffling of their feet and the occasional hum of an air conditioner. The one or two faces that watched them ambling along seemed oblivious to the Cats, or to the fact that two grown women and one man were talking to their feline companions.

"No, that's not something you can bandy about so lightly," returned Shizuku. "Think about how you felt when you learned that. You want her to feel the same way?"

"Oh, I think my mother can handle it. But I won't tell her."

"You sure about that?"

"Uh-huh. I'd rather... spare her the things I went through."

"You love your mom that much, eh?" Seiji ventured.

"Of course I do."

"Good. Not everyone has that kind of a relationship with their parents. Don't lose it, Haru."

"She seemed quite lenient whenever the subject about you and Machida and I came up," said the Baron, who had his arm linked with Louise's and was walking sedately beside them.

"That's because she trusts me enough to handle things like those. But she's also good at hiding her feelings... I hope she isn't mad at me because I lied to her."

"Haru, if I were her I wouldn't be," said Louise. "I'd understand. What did you say, Moon?" she asked, hearing the cat beside her mumble.

Moon shook his head.

"Brother," warned Luna, giving him a nudge.

"Nothing. I said she seemed like a lonely woman, at times."

------oOo------

The next morning Mrs. Yoshioka was quite relaxed when she handed a piece of paper over to her daughter after breakfast.

"What's this?"

"A list of demands. Don't read it now. You can read it while you're on the train. Go on, or you'll be late for class! And I'll talk to Moriyama-san for you, okay? I'll see if I can persuade her to give you your boarding room back."

"Thanks, Mom! You're the best!" Giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, Haru ran out the doors to the waiting Hiromi and Machida.

Mrs. Yoshioka settled back to enjoy her tea. She wondered what her daughter's reaction would be when she read the list. Kids. She always knew that you had to let them live their own lives, make their own mistakes, stumble, fall and get up again all by themselves; it was just that she never really thought she'd reach that point with Haru. At 42, the thought made her feel positively old.

Of course, that didn't necessarily abrogate the fact that she was Haru's mother.

------oOo------

"W-what is this? Item one, you will not engage in acts of derring-do without my consent and without Baron around. Item two, there is to be no going to the Cat Kingdom without informing me. Item three..." Haru's incredulous eyes scanned the document for a few more seconds. "No way!"

Machida glanced at the paper and laughed as they entered the station. "You've got to admit, she's hooked you now. I'll be amazed if you can wriggle out of this one, Haru-chan."

"Oh, keep quiet, will you!"