Chapter Four: Yuki's Debt

Yuki had to move swiftly, in order to repay her debt and allow the love of her life a chance to be with the one he wanted. She knew that no one would believe her if she tried to tell them that Lune already had a bride in mind, especially since she didn't know who the girl was herself.

While the Cat King and his posse were gone to tell Haru just who she had saved, the white cat snuck back into his study, and grabbed the remote to the crystal ball. She pressed the button marked with Lune's name, praying that she wouldn't be caught. The crystal ball lit up with static, then revealed the prince in a big meeting, gravely listening to an older cat make his case.

She fought the urge to hiss, wishing that he had been alone, so that she could talk to him. Yuki heard some voices getting closer, so she shut off the crystal ball and plunged into the hidden opening of the servants' corridors.

It looked like she was on her own for this. She just prayed that it would be enough.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

While the king was taking a nap the next day, she snuck into the study again, this time to check on Haru. Natoru was just delivering the news of the last gift.

The brunette looked at the toady.

"He's cool?" she asked.

Natoru nodded his head enthusiastically, and the slim girl looked off into space, a speculative look on her face. The look slowly faded, now depressed.

"Who knows? Maybe I'd fit in better with a bunch of cats."

The brown cat struggled to contain his excitement.

"You get to lie down all day, don't you?"

"But of course," he hastily assured her.

"A cat's life sounds great. Eating all the food you want, taking long naps in the sun, forget about all your problems."

Yuki struggled not to cry with disappointment.

"But getting married to some cat prince? That's just ridiculous," she giggled. "Right, cat? Cat?"

Natoru was already climbing up a fence.

"Excellent. We'll collect you tonight then."

Haru stood up and tried to stop him.

"Wait, I wasn't agreeing to it!" She tried to go after him, but tripped and fell into a large pile of junk, allowing Natoru enough time to leave with his message. Haru moaned with pain as she struggled to get out of the junk.

Yuki breathed heavily with relief, glad that Haru wasn't accepting. But the King would think that she was, and he would be too dense to listen to her protests until it was too late. There was no way that one servant girl would be able to help her all alone.

Suddenly, she got an idea, remembering something Lune had told her before his mother died. She turned the remote as the human girl began to panic, and pressed the special button that opened up the microphone inside the device. She had been hoping to talk to Lune with it, but there was something the brunette needed to know.

"Haru. Haru," the white cat said into the microphone, the human looking up and around.

"What? Who's there? Who's messing with me now?" She stood up, trying to find the one talking to her.

"Haru, go to the Cat Bureau. You must find the Cat Bureau. Look for a large white cat at the Crossroads. He will show you the way." Yuki wanted to say more, but she could hear someone coming again. She quickly shut off both the crystal ball and the microphone and dove into the secret passageway again.

Lune had told her many stories about the Cat Bureau, and about the mysterious Creation in charge of it. Yuki was certain that she had met the white cat, that day so long ago. He didn't bother to take her to the Bureau back then, since he was able to fix her problem himself without the assistance of the great Baron Humbert von Gikkingen. But she was more than certain that Haru would need both of their help.

'Please. Let the Bureau be able to help her.'

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Yuki had a few hours to herself, before her next shift, and thought she had enough time for a cat nap. She was sleeping peacefully when she suddenly heard a strange sound, waking her from sweet slumber. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she looked out her hut. Her heart froze.

Even from all the way over here, she could easily see a giant white cat with a brown spot on one ear. Right next to him was a slim figure, colored white and blue and brown. Yuki's heart sped up, knowing who the figure must be.

'Some Cat Bureau.' She ran for the two, watching the girl sneak up behind two cats and throw herself into the flowing cat tails. Haru was already under the peaceful spell the land held.

"I've never felt so at home in my life."

"Hurry! You must leave here!" Yuki called out. The girl shifted, and sat up in order to look at her. For one wild second, the blue-eyed cat thought that the human recognized her.

"Wow, you're beautiful. Everything's better here, even the cats."

Yuki silenced the hurt, determined to repay her debt.

"You don't belong here. Please leave, Miss Haru, before it's too late."

Haru leaned back, surprised.

"How did… you know my name?"

"Miss Haru, Miss Haru!" Natoru had found them, all the cats except the large one bowing low before the advisor. He fell over his knees gasping, and grinned at the human. "Your fat servant exceeded our weight limit."

"What?! Fat servant?"

"Oh, no. This is Muta; he's a friend." Haru assured the advisor.

"Well that's nice. Now come on; everyone's dying to meet their new princess." He pulled her to her feet, and successfully managed to get both the human and the Cat Bureau agent on the royal rickshaw and on the way to the palace. Yuki wasn't surprised that Natoru didn't recognize her, but was touched that Haru had thought enough of her to have asked to bring her along.

The white cat watched the rickshaw leave for the palace, her heart sinking in despair. There had to be a way to help Haru. If one could just jump into the lake to return to the human world, she would have dragged the human to the water by now. But the lake portal only opened one way; into the kingdom. In order to return to the human world, one had to solve the king's maze and climb the portal tower inside the castle gates. But once Haru was in the Cat King's clutches, he wouldn't release her, no matter what.

Yuki sharply remembered the agony in her Aunt Haruka's eyes; the painful daily reminder of what she was forced to surrender. She even mentioned having a little sister, whom she never saw again. Did Haru have any siblings? How many people would miss her, if she never returned?

A heaving sound came from the lake, making her leave off in her thoughts. A gray figure spewed out of the water, twirling gracefully in the air before landing solidly on his feet. He straightened himself, and did the same to his attire.

He looked like a human that already been stuck inside the Cat Kingdom. He was dressed like a human gentleman, but had the head and tail of a handsome orange and cream cat. Yuki carefully smelled him from a distance, stunned that he didn't smell like a cat.

'He must be Baron!' Without thinking twice, she ran up to the Creation and looked him in the eye, startling him for a second.

"Are you here to help Haru?"

He tipped his hat politely.

"I am."

She glowed, and began to run.

"Follow me, and I'll get you to her!"

She wasn't surprised that he could keep up with her, as she carefully led him through one of the servants' private entrances, and skillfully led him to the entertainers' quarters.

"This room holds the best chance-" a loud scream cut off the white cat. The Creation looked up, recognizing the voice. Alarm spread across his features.

"Haru!" he whispered, and made to run to her. Yuki grabbed his hand as a second scream echoed through the castle.

"MU-TA!!! AAAUUGH!"

"Don't worry; she probably just figured out that she's becoming a cat." Yuki assured Baron.

Some of the concern melted from the orange cat's face. He tried to ask her another question, but she ran off before the cook could complain about her tardiness. Yuki had faith that the Creation could figure out a way to save Haru, since entertainers were allowed to get away with more than guests or servants were.