Chapter 4- The Crossroads & The Dream

Huff, Huff.

In a back ally, Patches pants as she runs and jumps over piles of trash. She jumps over a pile of trash, nearly falls and almost knocked Haru off. Haru straightens herself and than flattens herself against Patches to lower to chance of falling off. They move from one back alley to another, trying to keep from being seen by the people on the street.

Patches stops at the end of the back alley and collapses. Haru gets off and with a wobble walks to the corner. She than hugs to wall to keep from being seen and from being stepped on, she looks out at the busy street. Looking for a street sign of any type, there was metal light pole with a banner with the familiar yellow cross.

Joy filled Haru heart, she was at the Crossroads. She wanted to jump for joy but kept her composer, she looked down the street again trying to find something to tell her where exactly in the Crossroads they were at. She noticed the white chairs and table where she first met Muta.

Haru too filled with joy to keep compose, she jumped with glee. She than turned and skipped to where Patches lay, who is now breathing normally.

"Oh Patches! We are near where Muta and I first met Muta" Haru said with mirth. Patches cocked her head and looked at Haru with a questioning eye. Haru noticed the look she was getting from her cat and blushed. "Oh no Patches! Muta is a cat. Not a boy"

Patches started to lick her leg (she hurt her leg a bit from the near fall) as to say 'Whatever'. Haru shook her head and went back to corner and looked at the white chairs and tables trying to find the familiar blob figure of Muta. She couldn't find it.

'Where is Muta? 'Haru thought worriedly. She walks back to where Patches lay, who she sits next to and leans against. Patches purrs, which had a calming affect on Haru. Haru started to think.

'Where is Muta? Can I find the way to Cat Bureau?'

Haru sighs and looks up at the sky, wondering what to do.

'There are too many people around right now to go out on the street' Haru thought.

"I guess we have to wait till dark, Patches"

Patches looks up at Haru, very unhappy look about her face. Haru understood what she meant.

"I know, I know, Girl. What choice do we have?"

Patches laid her head down accepting the truth. Haru sighs, lays her head on Patches's side and waits for it to get dark. As she waits she falls asleep to the purring of Patches and starts to dream…..

-----------------------------The Cat Bureau------------------

Baron still sitting in the same chair was thinking on what is going on. He places his hand on his chin.

'Hm…Something is wrong with me. One moment I am in fear than in another I am calm' He shakes his head. Leaning back in the chair, he started to get sluggish. Without knowing it fall asleep and he too started to dream…

Haru enters a room full with people dancing. She looks around, the room was decorated in crystals chandeliers and tied from the chandeliers were streamers. She watched the dancers dance in pairs. She noticed the female dancers were wearing dresses of dark red, light blue, and purple and the male were wearing the same color as their partners. Haru also notice that they all were wearing masks. Haru looked down; she was wearing a white dress. She put hands on her face to find that she too was wearing a mask. As she was taking it all in, someone from behind had address to her. She turned to find the same black cat in her first dream. She would have screamed if she didn't see his eyes, they were light blue.

He bowed to her.

"Excuse me, my lady. But you seem to have lost your partner, as well." the black cat said in a polite voice. "Would you care to dance?" he held out his hand to her. Haru couldn't refuse; she placed her hand in his. He gracefully leaded her to the dance floor.

As they dance, Haru started to think about her t partner. Haru was so busy think she didn't realize that he was asking her something.

"My lady, do you see your partner?"

"Huh?"

"Do you see your partner?" He asked again only more gently. So gently, that Haru blushed.

Haru looked around but only saw blur of red, blue and purple. She looked back at him and noticed that he was wearing black tail coat and pants and wore a white mask. She realized he was looking at her, she blushed again.

"Do you see him?" He asked again still keeping gentleness in his voice. Haru shook her head, unable to speak. "I see, nor do I see mine"

They continue to dance. "How do you tell who your partner is?" Haru asked. But than was embarrassed by the question she asked.

He seems not to have minded the question and answered. "By the masks, like my partner would have a white mask and yours would wear a black mask"

"I do believe I see my partner" They stopped dancing, he give her another bow and than said "It has been a pleasure" Than vanished into the crowed, leaving Haru alone. Before Haru knew it someone was asking her to dance. She turned to the person who asked her, only to gasp. It was Baron! Baron was dressed in white as he is always is but wore a black mask.

--------Baron-----

Baron entered a room that was decorated in crystals chandeliers and tied from the chandeliers were streamers But before he could take it all in, He heard someone talking to him, he turned around to find a female gray cat wearing a black dress and wore a white mask.

"Excuse me, Sir. It would seem that you too lost your partner" said the gray cat. "Would you care to dance that is until we find our partners" But before he could reply, shegrabbed his arm and pulled him to the dance floorBaron could not refuse, they dance for a while.

"I do say that my partner is dancing with yours"

"Pardon?" Baron was not listening.

"I said that I do believe that your partner is dancing with mine"

"How do you know?"

"Well my partner is wearing the same mask as me and your partner wearing the same mask as yours"

"Huh?"

"I will make it simple for you: I wearing a white mask My Partner is wearing a white mask, You are wearing a black mask Your partner is wearing a black mask, got it? Good. Now if you excuse me, I'll join my partner. I sagged you do the same." She than disappeared into the crowd. Baron looked around and found the one who was wearing the same black mask. She was alone. Baron made his way through the dancers, he was behind her. He gives a good look at her. She was wearing a white dress, than he noticed that she was not cat but woman.

"Excuse me, would you care to dance?" He asked the woman

She turns around and gasped. He was shocked with the sight in front of him. It was Haru.

He kept his composer and asked again. "Would you care to dance?" held his hand out to Haru, who took it. He led her out to center of the floor, where they started to dance.

-------Haru----

'I can't believe this is happening' Haru thought. Her heart felt like was trying to fly away. She felt dazed and weak she laid her head on his chest. 'I hope it never ends'

-----Baron---

Baron was surprised when Haru laid her head on his chest. If Baron didn't keep his composer he would have frown but not cause what she did but the fact that he liked it. He liked it too much, far too much.

As they danced the dream began to disappear. Than the two dreamers woke up.

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I hope I didn't make the ending of this chapter bad.