Chapter 1

"I'm coming, Im coming! Geez..."

Ayame heaved a tired sigh, leering down at the small creature with mock irritation as she placed the bowl onto her kitchen floor. His incessant meowing was beginning to grate on her nerves, but she didn't blame him. He was, after all, extremely famished.

She watched as he cautiously approached the food, a predatory stance overtaking his whole demeanour. He lifted his nose towards the ceramic container and inhaled it's contents. Ayame held her breathe and mentally crossed her fingers. Come on, please. The poor thing hadn't had a taste of anything since he'd gotten here and it was worrying her.

She felt a glimmer of hope when the unusual feline let his tongue brush against the food. But this was quickly diminished when she saw him visibly cringe and back away. Again, she didn't blame him. She'd recoil too if she had to dine on squished, cut up meat. But weren't cats meant to go nuts for these kinds of things?

She nodded her head in defeat and let out a somewhat sad chuckle. "Honestly...What are we going to do with you?" When on her usual walk home from her job, she never imagined she'd stumble upon him in the cold, hard rain. She could still remember the pleading, frightened look in his eyes as she approached his drenched form.

And now here she was a few days later, him currently residing in her apartment, as weak as when she'd first noticed him. She guiltily made her way over to her living room. The young cat had taken up his usual space and was curled up against the old, worn out sofas seat. At first glance, it seemed he was completely relaxed, but knots of tension could be seen within his lean body on closer inspection.

Ayame sat down near him and he flinched for a second before becoming at-ease once more. Although, he still held an apparent slight alertness to his posture. She shuffled in her seat. She tried not to sit too close so he wouldn't be afraid, but not so far that she couldn't provide him with some kind of comfort. At least, she hoped he was somewhat consoled by her presence. He all but readily jumped into her arms the day she'd found him but afterwards became very distant and wary. Poor thing...

She couldn't help but pity him as she gazed at his side profile. He was indeed a very beautiful cat. His grey, almost blue coat shone with a regal-like quality, his fur looked soft to the touch and his slim, angled body showcased an unseen amount of strength. She'd go as far as to say he was the most marvellous cat she'd ever seen.

Yet what equally fascinated and saddened her about him were his deep blue eyes. They held an astonishing amount of shades within them but also a flicker of intense sadness. As if he'd been through something that had affected his whole self. Maybe he'd been kicked out of his old owners place? Maybe he'd wandered the streets? The moon his only source of light as he traveled through the cold biting wind, looking for someone to help him.

His small head suddenly turned to meet Ayame's eyes and she felt herself go stiff. His gaze was curious yet renounced. Her heart gave a painful thump. She slowly reached her hand out towards him, intending to console him, but thought better and retracted.

She thought of the countless amounts of food she'd tried to feed him and how nothing seemed to fancy his tastebuds. She let her eyes roam over his stomach and the guilt hit her once more. She swiftly got up from the coach.

Making her way to the rack that was placed to the side of her front door, she squeezed on her thick, slightly tattered grey coat. As she slipped her low cut boots over her leggings, she heard the unmistakable pitter patter of the cat from behind her.

"I'm going to try and get you some more food. Sit tight while I'm out okay?" She didn't expect him to respond. In the short time she'd known him, she found he wasn't much of a talker. Although, she didn't mind it really, it fit with her relaxed, stress-free lifestyle. She'd go to school, do her regular shift at her job, then come home to him lounging around the living room. It was a pretty convenient set up, if it wasn't for the fact that he wouldn't so much as touch his food.

With further resolve, She went to go and open the door, but was abruptly stopped by the young feline blocking her path. She kneeled down in front of him and her voice softened.

"I won't be long, I promise." His behaviour was strange, never usually being so confrontational. He hadn't followed her to the door before, was he slowly warming up to her? She smiled to herself, but as she went to open the door again he stayed routed to his spot. Something was clearly wrong.

She tried soothing him once more with her words. "Hey, don't worry. I'm gonna be back in a tick." He'd been fine being home alone up until this point, why was now any different?

"I swear I'll run back after I'm done buying your food." He simply stared at her, unblinking.

Try as she might to comfort him, it seemed the cats stubbornness prevailed and he would not let her leave. Ayame all but almost gave up on the whole outing altogether, but her attention was quickly redirected to the animal in front of her.

The sleek cat was stood on his hind legs, stretching his small paw out towards the door. It's almost as if...Wait a minute! Ayame cringed at her lack of sense, how could she be so stupid? She turned on her heel towards her room, reappearing seconds later with a medium sized black rucksack. She'd bought the bag at a town sale a couple months back for her studies. It was a good price for the fact that it was originally an animal carrier.

She looked towards the cat as she pulled on the zip and inspected the safety of the rucksack. It had a soft, breathable mesh covering that would allow the animal to be comfortable once inside. Knowing this, she was assured that her companion would be alright on her short walk to the market.

She looked at him expectantly, as if he would willingly jump into the rucksack. She supposed she'd have to try and coax him in? But she was quickly spared the task as the blue eyed cat calmly sauntered over to the carrier. His hind legs sprang him forwards as he lightly but confidently stepped into the opening.

Huh, well I get that's settled then? She chuckled to herself, remarking at how smart of a cat he was. But just as she'd suspected, he paid no heed to her words. She hastily zipped up the rucksack and made her way out the door.

The outside air was fresh and crisp, with the light smell of a recent pouring of rain. The sun gave out a soft glow as Ayame started her journey towards the market. She kept her rhythm steady as she lumbered down the pavement, so as not to disturb her companion now residing on her back.

Fiery colours painted the trees, signifying the change in season. She found that she rather enjoyed the fluttering of leaves and the crunch under her shoes as she stepped. It filled her with an indescribable sense of calm which she very much welcomed.

A few minutes passed in this same manner, with Ayame taking in her surroundings and every so often checking on the young feline. And in due time, she saw the market place up ahead. The area had some people loitering around but was fairly quiet for the most part. A lucky feat considering it was a weekday.

There were many interesting ornaments being sold around the trading square, from exquisite history filled amulets to beautiful and enchanting sea trinkets. And each piece seemed to catch Ayame's eye as she was drawn further into the heart of the market.

For as long as she could remember, she'd always loved to scavenge. Something, mostly by chance, would always happen to reel her in; A seashell from the beach, an old pretty little button, a satin ribbon. It was as if a magnetic force was pulling her in to an unknown destination, enthralling her burning curiosity. A feeling that, unfortunately, was hard to ignore.

With a profound amount of difficulty, she ripped her gaze away from the stalls. Now was not the time to become stuck in such care-free thoughts. She had a separate mission that needed to be seen through.

Stealthily, she weaved her way through the stands. Looking nowhere but straight ahead as to not be taken in by the treasures around her. Soon enough she found herself on a familiar narrow and quaint back alley, which housed an abundance of little shops. Towards the end of the pathway was a tucked away grocery store and she slowly descended towards it.

The pungent smell of bleach mixed with a heady floral scent hit her on entering the shop. She wrinkled her nose but pushed her way inside. Unlike the market, there were many inhabitants within the shop, so she instantly felt tense.

It wasn't like she couldn't socialise. Her conversing skills just seemed to be a little on the awkward side. She was able to carry a good conversation, when she was comfortable that is. And right now, she felt quite out of place.

Keeping her head low, she scanned the shelves of animal food and mentally crossed off the things she'd already tried to coax the young feline with. Cautiously, she slipped off the rucksack on her back and nervously looked around herself. And with a sense of relief at the fact that the isle was completely clear, she opened it's zip slightly.

"Psst, Hey!" She inwardly cringed. It was one thing to talk to her cat in the comfort of her own home, but outside was a completely different affair. She couldn't help but feel rather silly.

The young cat's head slowly emerged from the bag and he calmly took in his surroundings. Ayame gulped and grabbed one of the containers of food. Okay, so her plan was a bit on the deranged side but she was running out of options.

She put the can a good distance from the cat so that he was able to catch a whiff of what was inside. She kept her voice at a low whisper. "How's this?"

He slowly inhaled the substance. Then recoiled sharply, the disgust evident on his face. A low hiss gurgled at the back of his throat and his eyes met hers in a fierce glare. She stifled a laugh. Okay, so I guess Turkey isn't one of his favourites.

Not being defeated just yet, she made her way down the isle and spotted a lone can of tuna. But considered against it as she'd read somewhere it could potentially be bad for cats. As she went to go and pick up a sample of trout, she felt a sudden tug on her bag.

"H-Hey! What are yo-Ahh!"

The young feline was pushing against the front of the rucksack, laying his heavy weight against it so she was tipped off balance. She all but nearly tripped over herself and grew red in embarrassment. She hoped no one had seen that.

He continued to struggle in the rucksack and she opened the zipper further to try to quell his sudden outburst. Which was a big mistake. With lighting like speed he suddenly sprang from the opening and out onto the shopping floor. As soon as the pads of his feet hit the tiled ground, he zoomed away in the blink of an eye. His form was so quick that all she could see was a flurry of black pass her by.

She felt herself go pale and scrambled to try to follow him. Finding herself in the fruit section, and no fuzzy animal to be seen, she cussed under her breath.

"I heard that." She stiffened and turned to meet a slightly older woman with a playful grin on her face.

Oh great, not only had the cat disappeared but now she had to socialise. What a great day this was turning out to be. "U-um, I'm sorry?"

She wasn't sure how to respond. Surely anyone would react the way she had, if they lost a possibly untrained animal in a public place, right?

The woman's smile turned into a full on grin and Ayame felt a wave of unnerve wash over her. It wasn't a bad feeling per se. More so, a kind of bewilderment. The strangers eyes held a mysterious nature to them that she could't quite pin point. It was weird. She was brought back from her sudden thoughts at the sound of a full hearty laugh. "Don't worry! I won't tell anyone."

"Y-yeah…" Ayame trailed off awkwardly, and then remembered the situation at hand.

"I'm really sorry, but you haven't happened to have seen a cat anywhere, have you?"

The woman looked thoughtful for a second, another odd look passing over her face. Her bright green earrings chimed as she tilted her head. "Hmm, can't say I have? Sorry about that."

Ayame's shoulders drooped and she muttered a quick thank you before the woman could say anything more. She needed to find him and make sure he was okay. He couldn't have gone too far. Her pace picked up as she frantically searched down another isle. Her head begun to ache with intense worry when she came up empty handed once more. She chewed on her lip and made a move towards a nearby security guard.

A sudden loud crash halted her search and she swallowed deeply. Uh Oh. Her legs seemed to move of their own accord and she suddenly found herself at the front of the grocery store. She covered her face with her hands, letting out a few silent prayers before unveiling herself to whatever catastrophe was lying in front of her. Please, Oh please don't let it be bad.

She opened her eyes, and lifted her gaze from the ground. Her pupils widened to the size of saucers as she took in the scene. The front tills were an absolute mess. Cans of various assortments were scattered all over the floor, some having been shaken up in there (what looked to be) descent across the room and were leaking out all their contents.

Fizzy drinks dribbled across the counters, their sticky liquids tarnishing the once clean surfaces. Bags of plant fertiliser lay wide open and toppled over in an awkward state.

Chaos was the only word that flashed in Ayame's mind when she was able to slowly register everything.

Her eyes scanned the area, a slither of hope in her chest regained once more. This couldn't be his doing, right? Not her silent as a dormouse companion, who loved to lounge around whenever the moment presented itself. Not the serene little cat who would never so much as utter a single syllable, right?

But just as fast as the thoughts had entered her brain, the possibility of her being wrong seemed more and more probable. She walked towards the area that somewhat resembled a crime scene. She hectically looked around again as the place became clearer now that she was closer. A new kind of desperation had grown inside of her.

She suddenly stopped still when her eyes landed on a familiar shade of blue. Her body trembled in disbelief at the sight in front of her. There he was, the young feline who she'd been worrying out of her mind about. But was he lying down calmly off to the side, like she'd pictured countless of times? Nope.

In fact, to her utter mortification, he was stood (quite happily she may add) in the middle of all this catastrophe. His eyes gleaming with delight as he nuzzled against a fallen can. If it were any other situation, Ayame would have probably jumped for joy at the happiness his expression was showcasing. But all she felt right now was the urge to have the floor swallow her up.

She slowly approached his glowing form, feeling her cheeks heat at all the pairs of eyes on her. Damn it. The idea of her suddenly disappearing was looking more enticing as the seconds rolled by.

When she'd finally gotten by the young cat's side, she slowly crouched down to his level. In the short time that she had eyed him, she'd opted for a more gentle approach. Although a slight annoyance had built up inside of her, she didn't want to scare the small guy. With great hesitance, she reached out a hand towards him, but abruptly stopped in her tracks when she caught sight of the name on the food can. And despite the fact that there was absolutely nothing humorous about the current situation, she instantly burst out into hysterics.

She must have looked utterly mad. Sitting on the cold, mess covered tiles and letting her laughter cut through the silence of the store. But she was too caught up in the moment to be aware enough to even care.

She clutched her stomach as her laughter subsided into small snickers. The precious can that her little companion was clutching onto for dear life, was something she was sure she'd never forget. The pure bliss on his face causing more chuckles to erupt from her throat.

She gave a half exasperated, half jovial sigh. A small smile graced her face as she gazed at her peculiar little friend. She shook her head. "Of course, it just had to be mackerel…"

A/N: Hey Guys! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of the new rewrite/re-telling of an old story I started a long time ago (The Cat infatuated with Water). I hope the pacing and length is okay. I worked really hard on this, spending a week editing and re-reading to ensure that it was as good a read as I could possibly make it. I wanted to establish Ayame as a character and also her relationship to Haruka in this current moment. I'd really appreciate any feedback or criticism. I hope you have fun!

Thank you for your time.

Freedomofexpression7 out!