Note to
the readers: Finally part D of my side story. In this part Milliardo
ended up with a Japanese man, Akira Nemushi.
There's
also a part D.2.…this chapter is without
Japanese words. If you don't want to read
Japanese, or if you're annoyed with the
translations between brackets, I recommend you read part D.2
I left the
original suffixes after the names though…Leaving them out I think
wouldn't be appropriate since this part of the story does
take place in Japan
I hope you
enjoy the chapter.
Save the tears for the right moment part D.2
Milliardo
was scared. Terrified. He tried to make himself as small as possible.
His ears hung down, he was hugging himself tightly, and his tail was
curled around his waist, as he followed his new Master.
'This
way.' he was ordered while the man opened
the door in the wall around his house.
The blond
Neko followed the man without saying a word. They walked through the
garden before they entered the house. If Milliardo wasn't
as terrified as he was at that moment he would've
admired the beautiful garden he walked trough. It was so different
than he was used to. So much more beautiful, calm, serene, compared
to the gardens of the houses he'd stayed
before in Europe.
The teen
looked at his feet before he entered the house. He wasn't
wearing shoes, so he didn't have to take
them off, but his feet were incredibly dirty.
'Uhm…Master…'
he said carefully.
'It is
okay. Come in.' said the Japanese man
with a heavy accent in English.
Milliardo
guessed the man about twenty five/six years old. He was wearing
traditional Japanese clothing and was a bit longer than Milliardo
was. (note: Milliardo is almost seventeen and not full grown yet,
so he's not the same length as in the
anime. Also, his Master is one of the taller persons in Japan.)
The man
had his hair tied up in a top knot, so Milliardo couldn't
guess the length of his hair. His new Master was pretty well build,
and had beautiful green eyes. Milliardo had seen a glimpse of green
when the man had helped him out of the cage. Afterwards he hadn't
looked him in his eyes again.
When they
were inside Milliardo quickly scanned the room. It was furniture like
a normal Japanese house, though a rich Japanese house. He suggested
the other rooms would also be like that.
'I am
Akira Nemushi.' said the man, in informal
Japanese, as he sat down on a pillow on the ground, gesturing the
teen to sit also. 'And you?'
'I…I
am Milliardo, Master.' answered the
teen, in very formal Japanese. He was really happy he had learned
himself Japanese during his training. He'd
never guessed he would really end up in Japan.
Akira said
the teens name a few times to find the best way to pronounce it.
'Your
Japanese is good, Milliardo.' he
continued in English. 'Though your
pronunciation is sometimes a bit off, like my English, but I'll
teach you.'
He's going to teach me? thought the blond confused. Thanks to Dermail his trust in people had completely faded away.
'And do
tell me when you don't completely
understand me. You know how to speak Japanese, but I bet you haven't
heard it in real life. Né?'
'No
Master.'
'I might
talk to fast sometimes for you then, do tell me, 'cause
I'll slow down a bit for you then, okay?'
'Yes,
Thanks very much Master.' he said.
'But
first of all, I think you should take a bath.'
he said in Japanese. 'I'll
bring you to the spring.' he said. He
lead his slave to a corner of the garden. An natural small waterfall
entered his property though an opening in the corner of the wall. The
water fell down in a semi-large pond, which was connected to small
streams through the garden. The pond wasn't
in sight of the house, but if someone would come near, there wouldn't
be places to hide.
'The water
might feel cold compared to what you're
used to.' he said in Japanese. He lay
down a few towels and a bathrobe he'd
taken with him.
'You can
take as long as you want.'
'Arigatou.'
'One
thing. I don't think they'll
come near you, but if they do, just ignore the Koi. They're
really expensive.'
'Koi?
Those big fish?' asked Milliardo
immediately (in English), not thinking about what he said.
Akira
smiled.
'Yes,
the big fish.' he said in Japanese.
'Don't eat
them, okay?' he teased a little.
The teen
blushed a little and nodded.
'Good
Kitty.' said Akira patting the teen
between his ears, switching to English.
When Milliardo was sure his Master was out of sight he took out the only clothes he was wearing. Traditional Japanese pants, given to him when he was taken away from the market by Akira.
Flashback
The
slave driver poked Milliardo with a stick through the bars to make
him sit up straight. A small group of people had gathered around the
small cage Milliardo was kept in. On the cage was a sign on which was
written in English and Japanese: Do not Feed. He sat there for
already three days, with no food, only water so now and then.
After
what seemed an eternity of poking the slave driver finally got the
half naked teen to move. Only not in the way he wanted to.
Milliardo
couldn't take it anymore and transformed
into a white tiger. The first time without the full moon. In the
process his pants were shredded.
'Wow…
amazing……' heard Milliardo come from
out a few people in the crowd. He growled dangerously as he tried to
hit the slave driver with his paw through the bars. He barely missed
the man.
The
tiger was too occupied with the slave driver he didn't
notice someone approaching the cage from behind.
It was
Nemushi Akira, but Milliardo didn't know
that yet.
Akira
stuck his hand through the bars and grabbed the white tiger's
tail, firm but not too hard.
Milliardo's
first reaction was to turn around, but his body was paralysed. His
tail hurt, but somehow he didn't mind .
He couldn't sustain his feline shape and
he transformed back to his human self. Akira was still holding his
tail, while Milliardo was on hands and knees, panting heavily.
The
blond turned his head and looked the man who was holding his tail
directly in his eyes. He immediately looked away.
Akira
let go of the blonds tail and approached the slave driver.
'Thanks
man!' said the slave driver in crappy
Japanese. 'I owe you my life! I'm
certain he would've broken out of the
cage. What can I do in return? You can get everything…Do
you want money? I can…'
'I
want him.' said Akira, meaning Milliardo.
'O,
of course sir. I can give you a great price cut, and…'
'I
want him for free. Now.' he said firm.
'As
much as I want to sir, I can't. My boss…'
'I
don't care. You told me I could get
anything, there are enough witnesses around to confirm that. I want
him now!'
'Eh…right…I'll
get the keys…' said the man nervously.
Akira gave him the creeps.
Milliardo
shivered. Not only could he understand every word there was said, he
also heard a great deal of possessiveness in the Japanese man who had
just bought him for free. He suddenly noticed he was naked. He tried
to curl up. He wasn't ashamed of his
body, he was learned not to be, but he wasn't
comfortable with a large group of people staring at him.
The
slave driver unlocked the cage and stepped back.
Akira
stood in front of the opened cage door.
'Here,
take this one.' he said, still in
Japanese. He gave Milliardo dark blue pants he'd
bought for himself earlier that day.
'Tha…thanks…'
said Milliardo shaky. He quickly took on the pants and got out of
the cage. A path formed in the crowd as Akira made his way back home.
Milliardo
was confused he wasn't shackled, chained,
or tied up, but he followed his new Master nonetheless.
End Flashback
Milliardo slowly got into the water. It was chilly, but not too cold. The teen was surprised how deep the pond was. The water reached just above his waist. He went to the waterfall and let the water fall down on him. After a while of enjoying the water cleaning and refreshing his body he stepped out of the waterfall to get a bar of soap.
When he
was washing himself thoroughly he felt something rush along his leg.
He dropped the bar of soap in the water when he felt another fish.
'They're
coming near me?' he said surprised.
The blond
held his hand in the water, and immediately a few Koi came to inspect
the strange thing in their territory.
After a
while Milliardo wasn't interesting for
the fish anymore and they gave him the room to wash up again.
They
stayed near the Neko though.
When
Milliardo was ready with washing he stayed in the water. He decided
to try and 'play'
with the fish. He hadn't had time to play
for a long time, and it was a thing he'd
really missed. Besides, Akira had told him to take as long as he
wanted, so he would.
After a
few hesitant moments the koi dared to come closer again. Somehow they
knew Milliardo wasn't going to hurt them.
After a
minute of then Akira came to check on his slave if he hadn't
run away.
Much to
his surprise he saw the blond playing with his precious Koi. The fish
were jumping out of the water, and Milliardo was laughing.
'Milliardo?
What is going on?' asked Akira in
Japanese.
Milliardo
quickly turned around His smile disappeared.
'Mast…I….'
The koi
suddenly all huddled around Milliardo like they tried to protect him.
'I was
playing…and…'
said the blond quickly. His ears hung down, and his tail curled
around his waist again.
'Playing?'
asked Milliardo's Master, approaching the
teen.
'Yes…I'm
sorry.' apologised the blond, looking
down at the fish, who were still swimming around him protectively.
'No…Don't
apologise.' said Akira kneeling down next
to the pond. He stuck his hand under water and after a few seconds a
few Koi left Milliardos side and swam over to the other man. 'I
just didn't expect them to come so close
to you…perhaps later on I would've
expected it…'
While
Akira was talking Milliardo started to dry himself. He'd
taken the bathrobe on when Akira suddenly asked: 'Do
you hate one or more persons?'
The blond
didn't answer immediately.
'Why do
you want to know?' he asked daringly.
'I want
to understand why the Koi trust you so much. Do you hate someone?
Really hate?'
'Yes.'
'Do you
trust someone.'
'Yes.'
'With
your life?'
A hesitant
'yes' came as
a reply
'Love?'
'If you
count dead people, yes.' he answered,
referring to his drowned kittens. He hadn't
known them, 'cause they were killed
immediately after birth, but he had loved them.
'No one
alive?'
'I'm
not allowed to fall in love like that.'
he answered bitterly.
'How's
your sense of loyalty?' continued Akira.
'I'm
loyal to persons who deserve to receive loyalty.'
he said, really meaning it.
'Good
answer. I think I know enough for now then. Let's
go in the house. I'll cook dinner, and
you can brush your hair. It's all tangled
up.'
'Yes
Master.'
While
Akira was preparing dinner Milliardo took on some clothes, given to
him by Akira. They were his clothing. The clothes were in the
traditional samurai style, in dark blue colours. The blond wasn't
sure what to do with his hair, so he just let it loose.When
Milliardo was finished, dinner was also ready.
While
eating, after having some problems with the chopsticks at start,
Milliardo started to ask questions.
'Master?'
'Yes?…'
'Do you
live alone? This house seems rather large for only one man.'
'At the
moment I live alone, yes. I have two sons, who are both married and
have their own houses. My wife died seven years ago.'
'O. I'm
sorry to hear that…and…ehh…
what rules do I have to follow?'
'What do
you know about our lifestyle?' asked
Akira instead of answering the teens question.
'Only
what I've read in books…'
'Then I
think it won't be easy for you. I want
you to adapt to the Japanese way of life. You'll
learn that being a slave here is different than where you come from.
I will tell you when you do something wrong…'
'And…what
about…at night?'
asked Milliardo carefully.
'You
will sleep in the same room as I do, on another futon, but you'll
be sleeping next to me. That's all.'
'Tha…that's
all?' asked Milliardo in disbelieve and
relieve.
'Hai,
that's all.'
'Thank
you very much Master.' Akira nodded.
'How do
you feel Milliardo? Tired?' he asked.
'A
little bit.'
'Do you
think you can stay awake for a few hours? The shops are still open,
and you need some fitting clothes.'
'Hai.
I'll manage.'
'Okay,
let's go then.'
'What
about the dishes, Master?'
'I'll
take care of that later on. Do you know how to behave in public?'
'I do.
Always stay two steps behind you, no talking, no running away.'
'Correct.
And try not to be distracted too much. You'll
be started at a lot.'
'I
understand.'
'Good.'
said Akira. He grabbed his pouch and the two of them left the house.
Milliardo tried to not be distracted too much, though it was very difficult. As Akira had said, he was started at lot, but even if that weren't the case, the blond was distracted by everything he saw.
It's much different than I ve read in the books…
Milliardo
was so lost in thoughts he didn't notice
his Master stopping. He bumped into the man.
'A…I'm
sorry.' he quickly apologised, looking
at the ground.
When
Milliardo received no reaction he looked up, finding his Master
standing in front of a gang of thieves. At least, they looked as
thieves to Milliardo.
'Master?'
he asked carefully.
'Watch
out Milliardo.' he said
The
blond nodded.
'If it
isn't Nemushi Akira.'
the leader of the gang said. 'Haven't
seen you in a while.' he teased,
approaching the man.
'What do
you want from me?' demanded Akira.
'Straight
to the point, as always, aren't we?'
he teased. 'You know, I couldn't
stand you in kendo class because you were so damned full of yourself,
so proud, and even now, when you're an
adult, you haven't changed at all. I
can't stand you Nemushi.'
'Then
that feeling is mutual. Could you let me pass? I have things to do.'
he said irritated.
'Now why
would I let you and your pathetic slave pass?'
''cause
I've beaten you when we were young, and I
will beat you now.'
'Is that
a threat!'
'No,
just a station of the facts. Milliardo, come, we're
going.'
'Yes
Master…'the blond said carefully,
always staying behind his Master.
'You're
not going anywhere.' the leader said. The
group behind him formed a circle around Milliardo and his Master.
'Master…'
the blond said softly, tugging his Masters clothing.
'Fine
then. If you want to fight that badly, let's
fight.' Akira said. He positioned
himself, ready to attack the leader of the gang with his bare hands.
Meanwhile one of the others grabbed Milliardo from behind, making
sure he wouldn't interfere.
'Let go
of me!' snapped Milliardo, struggling to
get out of the mans hold. It didn't work
though. The man was too strong for Milliardo.
'Shut it
worthless piece of shit.' snapped the man
holding him.
'Don't
hurt him. You won't live if you do.' warned Akira while the gang
leader prepared himself.
After
he'd said that everything went very fast. They had started to
fight, and neither of them were willing to give up.
At one
point the gang leader had Akira lying doubled over on the ground,
grasping for air. From out of nowhere the gang leader got a gun and
aimed it at Milliardo's Master.
'NO!'
yelled Milliardo. He struggled to get out of the mans grip, but
couldn't do so in his human form. The
only option was to disobey his Master and transform.
He changed
into a white tiger, and leaped a the gang leader. The man was
astonished. He quickly aimed his gun at the tiger, but he couldn't
focus. He shot though, and hit Milliardo in his stomach. Milliardo
felt it, but didn't give in yet. He had
to take care of the man who wanted to hurt his Master. Milliardo bit
in the mans hand, forcing the man to drop the gun.
'LET
GO!' the man yelled. Milliardo did so,
but didn't stop. His new target was the
mans right leg. He bit hard.
The gang
leader screamed out in pain. Meanwhile the local police officers had
come.
'Milliardo.
STOP!' ordered Akira.
The blond
reluctantly let go of the mans leg. He walked over to his Master, who
was kneeling on one knee, still taken back from the fight. Akira
patted the tiger on it's head.
'Don't
transform again without my permission, understood?'
he asked in Japanese.
'I
understand.' said the blond said weakly, and collapsed,
blood seeping from his stomach wound. Also blood was coming from his
mouth…not his blood though.
'Milliardo-kun!'
reacted Akira. (kun is a suffix added to a boys name)
'I'm…fi…fine…'
said Milliardo and fainted.
Meanwhile
the local police squad arrived.
'What
happened here!' demanded one of the
officers.
'Those
men attacked me and my slave.' said
Akira. 'He got hurt trying to protect me
from the leader of them who tried to shoot me.'
added Akira while stroking Milliardo. 'If
you could excuse me, I've got to take him
to a doctor. I'll come to the police
station later on to give my statement. The people know who I am, and
where I live. Excuse me…' he carefully
lifted Milliardo up, and went to the nearest doctor.
When Milliardo woke up he couldn't remember what had happened. He slowly opened his eyes, but he didn't recognise the room he was in. He could faintly here his Master talk to someone though. Very slowly his thoughts returned to him.
I jumped in front of him…why? Why did I risk my life for someone I've only met today? And how come I'm in my human shape? I can't remember turning back…
Suddenly a
door opened and two men stepped inside. One of the men was Akira.
'Ahh…Milliardo-kun.
How are you feeling?'
'Dizzy…Master.'
'That's
probably the medication.' said the
doctor. He checked Milliardos heartbeat. 'Your
heart has calmed down… the wound stopped
bleeding. I think you are able to go home.'
he said smiling friendly.
The neko
pushed himself into a sitting position. 'What
medication did you give me, doctor?' he
said, feeling even more dizzy suddenly.
'Don't
worry. I didn't give you any medicine
your body wouldn't accept.'
'But the
dizziness… I….'
'Give it
some time and it will fade. Trust me.'
said the doctor nicely. 'Shall I help you
out of bed?'
'No,
thanks, I'll manage.'
said the blond. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, suddenly
realising he was naked. 'eh…could I
have some pants to take on?' he asked
blushing slightly.
Akira
laughed softly. 'Of course. Sorry. He
said while he gave his slave his pants.
'You
shouldn't be the one apologising Master.
It was my own decision to jump in front of you.'
'Which I
am very grateful for Milliardo. You saved my life.'
Milliardo
blushed as the man said that.
'Let's
go back home.' said Akira, helping
Milliardo on his feet. 'Can you walk on
your own?'
'Yes.
I've been hurt worse before, I can handle
it…But what about…weren't
we heading for… I don't
remember…'
'It's
common that you've forgotten some parts.
They'll come back in time.'
said the doctor.
'You're
right.' said Akira. 'We
were going somewhere, but it's almost 4
am.'
'I see…'
'Wait
for me outside Milliardo, I've got to
talk to the doctor for a second. I'll be
right there.'
'Hai…'
said the blond and went outside.
'Did you take his blood?' asked Akira.
'Yes. I'll have the result by noon tomorrow. I'll send a messenger with a sealed letter with the results.'
'Thanks.' said the man bowing slightly. He followed his slave outside.
'Cold?' asked Akira when he saw the blond shiver.
'A bit.' admitted Milliardo. Suddenly the blond felt something wrapped around his shoulders.
'Master?' he asked. The man had taken off his coat and hung it around the teens shoulder.
'Let's go home Milliardo-kun.'
'Hai.' said the blond smiling.
Maybe I won't have it too difficult at all…
The next morning, about eleven AM.
Milliardo
was lying on the patio, in his tiger shape, enjoying the sun. Akira
was reading a book, not too far away from his slave.
'Master?…'
'Hmmm…'
'Someone's
coming.' the tiger said, never opening
his eyes, not moving a bit.
Just then someone knocked on the door in the wall around the house.
'Amazing…
Milliardo-kun…' he said as he stood up.
He went to the door and opened it.
'A
letter from Mukai-sensei.' said the
messenger as he handed the letter to Akira.
'Thanks.'
said Akira as he accepted the letter. He gave the messenger a small
tip before he closed the door behind him.
Milliardo
was curious about the letter, but he didn't
ask about it…yet…
Suddenly
Akira's eyes widened, and he dropped the
letter.'This
is… impossible…'
'Master?
Something wrong?' he asked.
When his
Master didn't answer Milliardo stood up.
Slowly. He was still quite weak from his stomach wound. He approached
his Master.
'Master…' he tried again, but it was of no use. He was staring at nothing. The blond couldn't help but take a peek at the letter.
Damn… a lot of kanji…what…wait a second…that's my name…Milliardo…but…what's this…it looks like my blood analysis…
He quickly
scanned the letter. His eyes fell on the last few sentences.
Written in
Japanese, there stood: He is without doubt a son of Stéphan
Peacecraft, King of the European country, Sanc.
'O…my…God…no.'
Milliardo turned back to his human shape. '…this….this
can't me…I'm…'
suddenly Milliardo's legs failed him. He
collapsed on the ground. This made Akira snap back to reality.
'Milliardo-kun.
Are you okay?
'I…I
don't know…I…'
'Milliardo-kun…let's
go inside and get you some clothes on first…'
said Akira, tapping the blond on his shoulder 'I'll…'
Milliardo
blushed, and suddenly changed again because of shock and shame. He
couldn't stop the transformation. He
changed into a fluffy little house cat.
'Milliardo-kun!'
'Damnit…
aw… my wound…'
'Are you
okay?' asked Akira while he took the
small cat in his arms.
'Yes…no…I
don't think so…
my wound…it hurts…and…and
I just cannot be… can't
be…a prince!'
he subconsciously flicked his nails, slightly piercing his Masters
skin.
'Milliardo-kun!
Listen to me!'
The blond
flinched at the hardness of the mans voice. His ears hung down.
'Forget
what you've read. Even though you really
are what stood in that letter, your life now cannot change. Even if
you weren't given away at birth, which I
think is what happened, you wouldn't have
had a life other than you have now.'
'I…
I know…but…'
'Don't
Milliardo-kun. Can you transform back?'
asked the man while he entered the house.
'I'll
try…can you put me down?'
'Of
course.' Akira said as he gently put the
cat down…
Milliardo
concentrated on turning back, but somehow he couldn't.
'Strange…
maybe it's because I'm
too small… I don't
know… I've
never transformed to a cat before… I
guess I'll just have to wait…
I hope this isn't too much of a problem
to you, Master.'
'Not at
all. How's your wound?'
'It
throbs. But it didn't start bleeding, so
I guess it's okay.'
'Do tell
me when the pain gets too much to handle Milliardo-kun.'
'I will'
The next few days Milliardo was in some sort of haze. He transformed back to his human shape the night after he read the letter, but that didn't make him more talkative. He spend a lot of time just staring at the sky or at the Koi.
I can't be a prince, I just can't be… why? Why am I what I am now if I'm from royal blood? I don't understand…
'Milliardo-kun.'
'Yes?…'
he said still staring at the lake.
'Follow
me to the practice room.' said the man
'Practice
room?'
'Don't
question me. Follow.'
The blond
stood up. He followed his Master to the mini dojo.
Akira
walked to the nearest room and took two bokken (wooden/bamboo swords)
from the wall. 'Catch.'
he said throwing one to Milliardo.
Thanks to
Milliardos neko side his reflexes were fast, so he was able to catch
it.
'Good. I
figured you might have let it drop because of your absence in
thoughts. You think too much.'
'I…why…what
are we going to do?'
'What
are we going to do …what?'
'Sorry.
What are we going to do Master?'
corrected the blond.
'Train.
Your body has to strengthen, AND, I want you to learn how to control
your feline self.
Stand like
this.' he said showing it to Milliardo.
'Like
this?'
'Yes.
Remember this pose. We always start with this pose. Now…hold
up the bokken like this… a little more
up… keep it straight…
stay in position…'
Milliardo
and Akira practiced for about an hour and a half, but even after such
short of time, only doing the basics, Milliardo was sweating heavily.
'You
okay Milliardo-kun?'
'Yeah,
I'm fine. My body just isn't
used to this much exercise anymore…well,
not this kind of exercise…Master.'
'How's
your wound?'
'Good. I
hardly feel it anymore.'
'You
forgot something.'
'Master…'
'Is it
easier for you if you spoke English?' Milliardo
and Akira had spoken Japanese practically all the time. Milliardo
only switched to English when he wasn't sure how to say something.
'To
remember saying the correct things?'
asked Milliardo. 'No…I
mean…I don't
think it'll help…'
'You do
know I want you to address me in a proper way, don't
you?'
'Yes, of
course I know Master. It's the first
thing learned, I just… tend to forget
when I'm…
into something…'
'And
it's not because you now know you are a
prince?' asked Akira, sitting down next
to Milliardo on the ground.
'No.'
reacted Milliardo…too fast. 'I…
I don't know…'
'Milliardo-kun.
Listen. You may be a son of the present leader of the Sanc kingdom,
but you weren't raised as one. You can
never claim the place of crown prince. Accept it, and enjoy your life
as you are now, or don't, and live in
misery.'
'But…'
'No
Milliardo-kun. Choose, and stay with your decision.'
The blond
neko was silent for a while. He sighed deeply and let himself fall
backwards, staring at the ceiling.
'If you
want to think about it longer, take the time.'
said Akira after a few more minutes of silence, looking at his slave.
'Milliardo-kun?'
he asked with concern in his voice when he saw tears running down the
blonds cheeks.
Milliardo
turned his head the other side. 'I…I'm
fine…'
'No,
you're not. Come here.'
The blond
looked up at Akira, not sure what the man was planning. Akira was
signalling Milliardo to sit in his lap.
'Master?'
he asked softly while he sat down with his back leaning on his
Masters chest.
'Let it
go. Keeping it bottled up isn't good for
your physical and psychological health.'
Milliardos
tail curled around his Master's wrist. He
closed his eyes and tried to steady his breath, but by trying so he
couldn't keep himself from bursting out
in tears.
'I…it's
just so unfair…' he managed to say
after a few minutes.
'I know
Milliardo-kun, I know, but there's
nothing that can be done about it. You just have to accept it.'
'But
it's so difficult now I know I don't
have to be…'
'If you
keep thinking like that you'll never get
over it. You've got to try and forget it
all. You can never take your rightful place. You weren't
raised too. Milliardo-kun, your life isn't
bad at all. I'll take good care of you.
I'll make sure you won't
get hurt.'
'I…I
know…thanks Master…but
still…'
The next few days Milliardo was still a bit down, but his mood brightened. Mainly because of practising together with his Master with the bokken to try and get a control over his inner self.
One day
though, it was raining hard, and Milliardo was bored. He'd
done all the chores around the house he had to do, he didn't
want to read a book or something like that. He'd
figured out how to transform on will, though when with heavy emotions
he still didn't have control over it, so
he just lay in his tiger form on the patio, watching the water fall
on the ground.
'Milliardo-kun…'
'Yes.'
'You
know you can go wherever in the house you want to go if you're
bored…'
'I
know…' said the tiger, quickly adding
'Master.' He
got up and walked over to Akira. 'I just
don't feel like doing anything than lay
around.' he said while he walked passed
his Masters back, giving him a sort of hug. 'What
are you doing?' asked the tiger when he
saw that Akira was busy writing something.
'A
letter.'
'To
who?'
'My
sons.'
'But…why
don't you just send an email, or call
them?' asked the tiger, sitting down next
to his Master, reading a bit of the letter.
'Have
you seen a computer in the house Milliardo-kun?'
teased Akira.
'Eh…no…I
never noticed though…' said Milliardo.
If he wasn't in his tiger shape, but his
normal human shape he would have blushed.
'An
invitation?' asked Milliardo after he'd
read a part. 'When?'
'Next
week. My birthday is next Sunday.'
'I
didn't know that. Will both your sons
come? And their families?'
'Yes,
all of them. Do you have a problem with that?'
asked Akira concerned when he heard uncertainty in his slaves voice.
'Problem?
No…not at all…it's
just…I don't
know…'
'Don't
worry. I'll warn them about how you look.
You won't be stared at.'
'You
promise?'
'I
Promise.'
That Sunday.
'Milliardo-kun.
Wake up…I don't
want you still be sleeping when my sons and family arrive.'
said Akira while softly shaking the blond.
'Good
morning Master.' he said yawning. 'Your
sons? O, Happy birthday.' he said,
sitting up straight, suddenly very much awake.
'Thanks.'
said Akira smiling. 'Now get dressed,
breakfast is already ready. O no, not your normal clothes…I
want you to wear this.' he said holding
op a dark blue kimono.
'But I
don't know how to take it on Master…'
said Milliardo blushing slightly.
'Don't
worry. I'll help.'
said Akira smiling. When Milliardo was dressed Akira said: 'My
my… you are so adorable like
that.' he said, a bit teasing. Milliardo
was watching his clothes, his tail swishing playful behind him, his
eyes lay cutely down.
'Doesn't
it look strange? I mean…I've
never worn a kimono before…'
'It
looks great, trust me.' said Akira. 'Not
get something to eat, they can come every moment now.'
Just when Milliardo was finished with his breakfast Akira's oldest son came with his wife and nineteen year old daughter. The blond quickly excused himself, saying he would go do the dishes, to give his Master some time alone with his family. When Milliardo was finished with the dishes and he came back Akira's other son had already arrived too. His wife and twin daughters, six years old, were sitting in the living room.
Milliardo
kneeled down behind his Master and softly nudged him.
'Master?'
he asked silently.
'Come
sit next to me Milliardo-kun. Don't be
shy.'
'But…'
'Milliardo-kun.'
said Akira on a more demanding tone.
The neko
quickly complied and set next to his master, cross-legged. He still
wasn't used to sit on his legs like
Japanese people normal did. He averted his eyes from everyone else in
the room after everyone went silent.
'C'mon
Milliardo-kun. You know how to introduce yourself.'
said Akira a bit teasing.
'Ah…I'm
sorry… Everyone… My name is Milliardo, and I'm 16 years old.
Nice to meet you.'
The twins
picked up immediately, as they were taught.
'We
are Yumi and Keiko, nice to meet you too.' said the oldest
of the two, Yumi.
Milliardo
smiled as the twins introduced their selves. They seemed so innocent.
They probably didn't even know
Milliardo's position.
'Nozomi.'
said the nineteen year old girl, seemingly not interested in all
around her.
'Pretty
name.' said Milliardo. 'If
I may say so.' he added immediately.
The teen
looked up and took a good look at the Neko. She noticed Milliardo's
collar and smiled. 'Of course you may say
so.'
Akira
smiled. The adults also introduced their selves to Milliardo.
'Uncle
Akira, may we go outside and play?'
asked Keiko.
' 'course,
but make sure you don't get too dirty.
And only if your parents agree.'
'Daddy?
Mommy?' asked both Yumi and Keiko with
puppy dog eyes.
'Go
ahead girls. But be careful.'
'Yay!'
'Milliardo-kun,
watch over them. I don't expect anything
to happen, but I want someone near them.'
said Akira.
'Ywa.' said the blond. He stood up and followed the twin outside. Not too long after Nozomi got bored and also made her way outsider.
'Brother miri! Catch.' said Yumi while she threw a small ball to the neko.
(miri…Japanese can't pronounce the 'L' …it's changed into a 'R')
Brother miri? Wow...they accept me quick...
'Milliardo-kun.'
called Nozomi.
'Hai?'
asked the blond turning to her, not paying attention to the ball
anymore. 'Ouch!'
he said when the ball hit his head. It hadn't
hurt him at all, but Yumi and Keiko thought it had.
'Miri…are
you okay?' asked Keiko, seemingly almost
in tears.
'Don't
worry Keiko-chan, Yumi-chan. I'm fine.'
assured the blond while he bent through his knees to be on the same
height as the twins. He softly patted the girls on their hands.
(chan: suffix added to young children, used for girls)
Nozomi
watched the three of them while she sat down. She was dressed in her
school uniform, but her normally tied up hair hung loose. It was
about shoulder length. She normally sat cross-legged when she had the
chance, but with a short skirt and a guy around she refrained from
it.
'Nozomi…sama?'
asked Milliardo while Keiko and Yumi concentrated on their ballgame
again. He was a bit insecure about the suffix he had to use. It was
obvious she was older than him. (sama: suffix added to a name which
you respect, someone who's higher than you in 'rank')
'San is
fine.' she said winking. 'You're
good with kids.' she added while she
gestured him to sit down next to her. (San: suffix normally added to
names.)
'I
guess… Just did the things they wanted to
do…' The things I didn't
get a chance to do…
'You're
interesting…' said Nozomi after she'd
observed the blond think for a while.
'You
mean my feline side?'
'No…well,
also…but there's
something about you that is different…interesting…
I don't know what it is…But
yeah, it probably has to do with your feline side…
and your ears and tail are so cute. May I?'
she asked carefully.
'Sure.'
said Milliardo. He unwrapped his tail from his waist. Nozomi
carefully touched Milliardo's tail,
following with his ears…
'So
soft…just like a real cat.'
Milliardo
smiled faintly.
'Ah…I'm
sorry… it isn't
something you like, is it?' she asked
when she noticed his mood.
'Don't
apologise Nozomi-san. You can't help it
I'm half neko…neither
can I…'
'Milliardo-kun…
you've got a difficult name…
but other than that…try and be not so
depressed about it. Uncle Akira takes good care of you, doesn't
he?'
'Yeah,
he does.' said Milliardo smiling
sincerely. 'Only my trainer has been this
nice to me.'
'Your
trainer…that's
confusing…' said Nozomi. 'I
don't know much about the Western
culture, but I thought…'
'You
thought right Nozomi-san. My trainer was an exception.'
'I see…
What about…' but Nozomi didn't
finish what she wanted to ask. Akira called them all inside.
'Time to
eat.' said Akira while he sat down. 'Come
sit next to Milliardo.'
The blond
nodded and quietly sat next to the man.
The rest
of the night passed quite uneventful. After dinner Milliardo offered
to do the dishes, but Akira stood on it he watched Yumi and Keiko.
Both of them fell asleep in his lap when the sun began to set. He
leaned back against the wall he was sitting and closed his eyes for a
second. He looked outside, and almost jumped up.
'Master…It's
a full moon tonight…' he said softly,
but loud enough so Akira could hear it. Yumi shifted a bit, but
didn't wake up, much to Milliardos
relieve.
'It is?
Nozomi, will you watch Yumi and Keiko? I've
got to be with Milliardo-kun privately for a while.'
'Of
course… but what's
going on? What's with the full moon?'
'I'll
explain later…Milliardo-kun, follow me to
the dojo.'
'Hai…'
the blond carefully got up, making sure he didn't
wake Yumi and Keiko. He followed his Master to the dojo.
'Close
the door behind you.' said the man as he
sat down. 'Milliardo, I want you to try
and prevent transforming for as long as you can. I want to see how
much control you really have…'
'But…
I don't know if I cant…normally
if I fight a transformation it hurts like hell…'
'I know,
but I want you to try nonetheless.'
Not long
after Milliard could feel his feline side kick in.
'It's
starting…' he said softly. He sat down
on the ground. He'd already loosened the
top part of his Kimono, so he wouldn't
tear it apart whilst transforming. Milliardo tried not to transform,
but he already saw his hands change into paws…
'Well,
at least I know it'll be a white tiger
this time…' he said. He tried to delay
the transformation as long as he could, and in the end he managed for
about ten minutes.
'I…I
can't stop it anymore…'
he said, panting.
'Let go.
You've done great.'
said Akira, watching in awe. He had seen the blond transform before,
but those had always been fast transformations. That wasn't
the reason he wanted Milliardo to delay the transformation. He wanted
to know how good the blond had his body under control. How his mind
cooperated with his body.
'You are
once again beautiful.' said Akira when
Milliardo's transformation was complete.
'Thanks.'
said Milliardo. 'But don't
leave your family…not on your birthday.
I'll amuse myself. Go to them.'
said Milliardo, really meaning it. He didn't
want his Master to spend time with him when he needed the precious
time with his family.
'O, but
I will go back, and so will you.'
'What?
But… I'm…'
'Don't
worry. I'll explain first, then I'll
call you in.'
'I…'
'Milliardo-kun…'
he said with a hint of warning in his voice.
The tiger
lowered his head and didn't say anything.
'I'll
call you…stay here until that time.'
Milliardo
nodded and sat down on his rear legs. He stared outside, his tail
swishing slowly behind him.
'You
don't have to worry Milliardo-kun. They
won't hurt you.'
said Akira after he stood up. He could see the uncertainty in the
body language of his slave.
'I know…
it's just…
I'm not used to it.'
'I know,
but you'll have to get used to it. I
won't show you around, but others might.'
Others? He's gonna sell me!
TBC
Muhahahaha… Gonna continue, trust me, but I just had to post it, and it would be just too long if I continued… part E will take a time to be uploaded though, I apologise in forward for that…
