I am terribly sorry for the late update on Kiss the Cat! I've been really busy at school. We've got quizzes, exams and extra curricular activities popping everywhere! Well, never mind that. Here's the seventh chapter! This chapter has two parts since it really is long. Please kindly leave a review if you liked it! Thank you!

Thank you to hannahfinella-chan, tinkerbellie, 'orange-ideas', ladalada, Nephie-chan, sherea, marshmallow angel, Mawam, musicangelanime, xblackdragonx, PurpleSkye, Leenstarz, CrystalKitteN-MeW, deynaz, horokeu-kun and glenda23 for reviewing!

CHAPTER SEVEN

THE PRINCESS'S PET PART ONE

Natsume's mind was in a blur.

Was it because of the potion he drank that made him gone loopy? He definitely knew that he wasn't dreaming because after he turned into a cat, he believed in anything now. Everything seemed possible after the shocking turn of events last night.

He got turned into a cat in the night of his engagement! And speaking of the engagement, he didn't get a chance to explain to Princess Mikan Sakura why he suddenly disappeared from the party! Well, not that he cared or anything, it was just a sign of respect.

'Now what?' thought Natsume. He gazed at his 'clone' who was leaning on a large fig tree.

Mikan greeted the boy with a bright smile and said, "Prince Natsume? Is that you? I'm Mikan Sakura!"

The boy smiled wide and replied, "Yes, I am Prince Natsume Hyuuga." He took Mikan's hand and kissed it. (Natsume muttered a soft 'yuck' at this.)

Natsume decided it was time to find Wizzy and get an antidote. This was an emergency, someone had taken his identity! He turned away from the two and entered the forest.

"Wizzy has to be in his home… I don't want to be a stupid cat forever! And once I go back to my human form, I'll punch the heck out of that guy!" yelled Natsume in frustration.

Looks like Natsume's really angry now.

ooooooooooo

Hotaru Imai watched as Kokoroyomi tried out her latest invention.

Koko carefully examined it. It was a small robot that looked like somewhere in between a pig and a cat. It had long gray arms that had suction cups as its hands. It moved on the floor in different patterns using two small wheels at the bottom.

"What's it called Hotaru?" asked Koko, picking up the robot.

Hotaru sighed and answered, "Invention Number 149. It is a robot that could find anything, anywhere. I still need to work on it a little bit more since this is only a prototype."

"You sometimes amaze me Hotaru," said Koko, looking intently at his raven-haired friend. Hotaru simply nodded and raised a blueberry muffin to her mouth.

oooooooooooo

Mikan and the boy she thought that was Natsume (who was really Kanji in disguise) entered the entrance hall of the Alice Castle. She was holding him close, afraid that he might vanish into thin air when she looks away in a minute or two.

To Mikan's surprise, she didn't spot anyone inside the entrance hall and the kitchens. "That's odd… No one is around lately," muttered Mikan.

She thought that her father might have ordered everyone to search for Natsume. But they didn't have to look for him anymore! He was here with her… clasping her hand. He was safe.

"Mikan, maybe your parents are upstairs… probably in their bedrooms," suggested 'Natsume', "We have to see them so the engagement could go on!"

Mikan gazed at Natsume sadly. "The engagement? Um… Let's just discuss this matter some other time, okay?"

Natsume bit his lip and looked down.

The two of them walked around the spiral staircases, Mikan in the lead. Kanji was in deep thought at that moment. Judging from the way Mikan responded when she heard the word 'engagement', it seemed as if she didn't want the engagement to go on this early.

'I have to find a way… to get engaged with her soon.'

oooooooooooooo

Natsume the cat ran deeper into the forest, careless where his tiny paws would carry him. He needed to find Wizzy to turn him into human form again or else he would live like a cat… feeding off rats in the sewers. He stopped running and shuddered at the thought of being a helpless cat for eternity.

"Where could that wizard be?!" yelled Natsume infuriatingly. He searched almost every nook and cranny of the forest but to no avail. He went to the clearing where Wizzy's house was located but of course, he cannot see since it was invisible.

He decided to rest for awhile against a tree.

As soon as he closed his eyes, he heard the breaking of a twig which made him suspect that someone was approaching. He stood up and looked around. He could hear a faint cough but he couldn't see who it was.

He trotted around the tree and soon, found himself in the feet of the great wizard, Wizzy.

-

-

"WHERE THE HECK WERE YOU?! YOU GAVE ME THE WRONG POTION!" cried out Natsume. His claws appeared and my, how sharp they were. But, Wizzy looked as if he was being threatened by a worm.

"Are you trying to hurt me Prince Natsume?" said Wizzy calmly.

Natsume looked down and hid back his claws. "I'm sorry but I explored every corner of this forest yet you didn't even bother to come up to me! Who wouldn't be frustrated by that?!"

Wizzy closed his eyes and patted Natsume on the head.

"Hey, don't do that! Don't treat me like a cat!" said Natsume.

"You're the most short-tempered person I have ever met in my 200 years of existence," said Wizzy with a smile.

"Wow… I could've sworn that you only looked about 60 years old," answered the black cat honestly.

"Well, I am a wizard and I am well-practiced with youth spells," shared Wizzy, winking.

"Now, let's cut to the chase. Where's the antidote to this stupid potion?" asked Natsume.

The winds started to blow in their direction. Wizzy's frizzy strands of hair swayed along with the breeze. He was smiling earlier but now his expression turned solemn.

He opened his mouth and said, "Erm… You see… When I was on my way to find you…

…I spilled the antidote on the ground…"

ooooooooooo

When Mikan and Natsume (Kanji) reached her father's bedroom, they were greeted with a warm welcome in the form of tight hugs and concerns.

"Where were you Natsume? Your father was downright furious last night due to your sudden disappearance!" said King Seiji, patting Natsume hardly on the back.

"Er… When I went out of the carriage last night, somebody dragged me into the forest and then...Well, that was the only thing I remembered," answered Natsume.

Mikan clasped her hand over her mouth.

"Well then, the engagement is still on after all! But I think it would be best if it were to continue next month," informed King Seiji.

"Yes, I agree with you dear. We must give enough time for Mikan and Natsume to bond with each other a little more. So, the engagement will be next month!" said Queen Ayako with excitement.

Kanji forced himself to smile but deep inside him, he was cursing. He had to come up with a way to convince either King Seiji or Mikan to make the engagement earlier.

And Kanji wasn't the type of person who would give up that easy.

oooooooooooooo

"You heard me right. I accidentally spilled the antidote earlier. That was the potion I was saving for hundreds of years. I am sorry," apologized Wizzy, "The ingredients that my Great Grandfather used in that potion were only abundant in his time. Nowadays, some of the ingredients are rarely found."

Natsume couldn't believe it. Did his sense of hearing fail him too after he drank the wrong potion?

"Are you absolutely sure that there is no more way to come up with a new antidote?" yelled Natsume madly.

There was an awkward silence and then Wizzy broke the ice.

"Well… There is one thing… but I'm not sure. I have to check my Complete Book of Spells and Potions back in my house," replied the wizard.

"Let's go now to your home! I have to turn back to my human form this instant!" pleaded Natsume.

Suddenly, the wind got even stronger. There was a look of worry in the old wizard's eyes. "Not now, we're not safe. Especially you, Prince Natsume. You have to be somewhere safe while I go to my house and find the antidote."

Natsume was confused now. "What? What do you mean I'm not safe?! Answer me!"

Wizzy shook his head. "Not now, Natsume. Go NOW!"

Natsume's claws appeared again and his ruby red eyes closed from time to time because of the strong gusts of wind.

"Where?! Where will I go?"

"Uh… Go to Alice Castle!!! You must come up with a way to be adopted as a pet cat by Princess Mikan!"

And then the next thing Natsume knew, the wizard had gone to thin air.

Natsume wished he had heard the old man wrong.

But no matter what, he can't deny the fact that the wizard did mention clearly that he must find a way to be Mikan's pet cat.

"He's mental… He's mental, alright," said Natsume under his breath.

oooooooooooooo

There you go! Don't worry, part two is longer. This is a bit rushed because I still need to do a Birthday Card for the whole class for our teacher! Hehehe, I hope you all liked the part one of the seventh chapter! Please leave a review if you liked it! Suggestions are highly appreciated! Thanks! Take care minna!