Chapter 42

TT: Sorry if this chapter's a little shorter than usual, guys. Truth be told, this story is growing closer and closer to its completion, but I don't want to finish!

Oh, and for anyone who doesn't work it out - this continues from straight after the last chapter.

Klove - yeah, it was meant to be slightly confusing. The idea was that I gave people a chance to try and work out the translations on their own, and then in enough people complained, I give them the answers.

Pouasson - I'm glad you're enjoying this fic! My exams are in a few weeks, so you have my sympathy. In the mean time, now you can feel impatient for chapter 43! (Also - I love , hehe)

PurpleAjah - I read all the reviews asking me to update, and then I feel guilty when I take too long. P

Ja ne, Kat - There are some things that I, as a writer, just can't find the words to explain properly. Such as Kyo's discussion with the first cat. So I'll leave it to my reader's amazing imaginations!

Cheeky doggie - I don't think she was so bad with rambling when she was alive, but she's gotten used to having no one but herself to talk to.

Watevr - Don't worry, you're review's fine. Just tell me what you like/dislike about a story, and nag me to update - its what everyone does!

"Hey, NeKyo, do you think something's happening? Or did someone just put catnip near the cats – eh? NeKyo? NeKyo!" The ghost waved a hand in front of her friend.

Kyo slowly turned to look at Eris, eyes half-closed, and a small, content smile on his face, his whole posture relaxed, "Hmm?"

"Not you too, NeKyo! What's the deal?"

Kyo shrugged, "Nothing. Just… happy."

"But why? Come on, NeKyo, I hate being left in the dark! And the only other time I've seen you like this is that one time we found some catnip growing wild." Eris growled when Kyo simply shrugged again, leaning back on a wall and tilting his head up towards the sunbeams. "Alright, that's it – lets go see what the heck's happening over there!"

"Hmm? Wha?"

Eris had already grabbed Kyo's arm, and was trying to pull him towards the Sohma estate, "To see what's got the cats so happy – if we're going to start purring, I want to know the reason."

"Eris, you can't purr."

The ghost paused, thinking for a moment, before shrugging, "Loki always told me I can't sing, either, but that's never stopped me."

Kyo and Eris were only mildly surprised to find Kisa within eyesight of the cat's cage, with a rather confused and resigned Hiro in tow. The sheep had looked up and Kyo and, with a scowl, proceeded to remind the cat he wasn't allowed on the Sohma estate. Kyo's – rather heavy – hard-cover chemistry book mysterly disappeared from his bag, hovered over Hiro's head for a second, and fell the meter or so with a loud 'thud'.

Kyo, however, completely ignored Hiro, leaving down so that he could speak to Kisa, "How long have you been here?"

Kisa shrugged, and made an indication that she'd only just gotten there. She never let her eyes stray from the cage, staring at it with eyes that were both confused and curious.

"Anything happen, yet?"

Kisa shook her head, looking up at the orange-haired teen, "What's going on?"

Kyo paused, patting the girl on the head a little vaguely, eyes on the cage in front of him, "That's why Eris dragged me here – to find out." He stood up straight again, eying the building in front of him with some kind of apprehension. There were various cats around, including a tortiseshell that Kyo was sure he'd met before. They were sitting near the rarely-opened door, on the windowsills, on the roof, content to simply bask in the contentness that the rumbling from within gave them. If not for the feeling that the building itself have him, Kyo would have been tempted to join them.

"Uh, NeKyo? It's not like it can come alive and eat you, so that you're trapped inside it."

Kyo gave Eris a wry glance, "It might."

"Hey, I thought I was the one who was supposed to say things like that."

Kyo shook his head, and approaching the building, the sound of deep purring growing louder in his ears. He paused, glancing in a window.

Cats, that was all he could see inside, apart from one of two humanoid ghosts near the walls, cats curled up against one another, like kittens of the same litter. Ghosts who had remained for so long, that they'd forgotten how to keep their human forms, and had only their feline ones left.

And, in the center of the pile, with all his fur-colour faded and the tips of his ears, tail and paws wispy and transparent, was the first cat, eyes open and gazing right at Kyo. The youngest of the Sohma cats had to fight the urge to stand up straighter.

From where she was leaning over Kyo, Eris smiled, and gave a small wave. Both the ghost-cat and Kyo ignored her, causing her to first scowl, and then shrug.

And then, the cat spoke. He wasn't speaking with any human language, but at the same time Kyo knew very well it wasn't cat – he knew how to speak cat, but that wasn't it. However, considering Kyo could understand everything that was said, that left only one possibility… A possibility he didn't want to think about, that he wanted to pretend didn't exist, but a possibility he knew and found he had to accept all the same. The language the first cat was speaking, was the language of the form Kyo took when -

Red eyes flicked down at the beads on his wrist against their owner's will. Kyo shook his head. Refusing to go down that train of thought, Kyo stood still again, eyes on the wizened cat in front of him, utterly silent as he listened.

Eris looked confused, and frustrated at not being able to understand what was going on. By the time the first cat had finished speaking, the ghost-girl was pouting. "NeKyoo, what did he say?"

For a moment, Kyo didn't answer. Then, he turned to her, expression almost vague, as if he were in shock.

"The God is dying."