Chapter Seventeen: Past and Future
Haru sighed happily, now that she was freed from everything that had shackled her to the Cat Kingdom. She looked around, to find herself in a large black void. She was just floating around in a sea of nothing.
'So this is what it's like, being dead. It's strangely peaceful. Will I see Mom and Dad soon?'
Suddenly, she could see a light, far, far below her. Curious, she pointed herself in that direction, and somehow made her body go in that course. The light became brighter, and brighter as she collided with it.
The white-haired feline had closed her eyes upon impact, but then opened them again. She gasped in shock.
It was a mountain battlefield, littered with bodies. At first glance, they appeared to be human and bird bodies, but the wings sticking from the humans' backs weren't exactly decorational.
'Icari! I thought their kind was a myth!' Her delicate feet touched the scorched earth, and she began looking around. There had to be a reason to come here.
"No! Damian, you can't die!"
Her heart froze, recognizing Baron's voice. She ran for the direction that his voice had come from, around a bend.
As she came into sight of the Creation Lord, her heart stopped.
"Dad!" She ran for her father's broken, bleeding body, which was being held by none other than her orange and cream friend. Her father gasped painfully, a bit of blood appearing at the corners of his mouth as he tried to cover the wound in his stomach. Haru knelt by his side, and reached out for his hand. But, she went right through him, like she was a ghost. Staring at her hand, she realized.
'I must be having my first vision! That's why they can't see or hear me!'
"No, Baron… it's my time to go. I knew that long before I left my family forever. They know I'm not coming back," the silver-haired magician said weakly.
"But you can't die," Baron insisted while pulling the silver watch from his pocket. "Can't this thing save you?"
"I'm not the one it needs to save. Baron, there are some things you need to know, before I die."
With tearing eyes, the Cat Creation nodded, making his companion sigh tiredly.
"I saw you, long before we met in the throne room. I saw your future. You will meet my daughter one day, and you'll need to give her not only the watch, but all the support that you can. She'll need all the support she can get, when she destroys the monster."
"The same one you told me about?" Baron guessed.
"Yes, but that's not all. I don't know how to put this delicately, but you're going to marry her one day."
Haru gasped with astonishment.
"Dad, are you out of your mind?!" she yelled at him as Baron choked uncontrollably.
"Sir, there are a few problems with that. The fact that we're different species comes to mind fairly quickly, as does our different life spans."
"Don't worry, that will be fixed long before you meet my Louise. In fact, you'll fall for her long before you figure out that she's my daughter. She'll be keeping her ancestry a secret for obvious reasons. I still have enemies, you know. Oh, and don't forget to tell her to use the pearl," Damian urged weakly.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Baron demanded, sneaking a glance at the contraption in his hand.
"I dare not tell you, you won't let her do it if you know. Oh, and please don't interfere when she does it, or she will die a terrible death."
Slowly, the Cat Creation nodded.
"How do I find her?" the half feline asked hesitantly, making the seer chuckle as his eyes began to glaze over.
"You'll meet her when she's ready to meet you, but I don't recommend telling her about your intertwined destinies, she's a bit headstrong. Please, Baron, she'll have lived through some unspeakable things, and she'll need the solid love of a good man. And… I know you've been lonely too, although you'd never admit it aloud. You and my daughter will have a bright future together, if you'll just trust me. Don't… don't disappoint me," he sobbed.
"Never, Damian," the lord promised, although his eyes were greatly troubled by the revelation about his personal life. "When I meet Louise, I'll do everything I can to help her. You have my word."
With that, the great Damian von Blut breathed a sigh of gratitude, and died peacefully in the Creation's arms. Haru's heart broke anew as Baron shamelessly cried tears of despair. The white haired cat-woman wept into her hands, somewhat finding peace that her father had known, and approved, of what she had done to the Cat King.
'Was Dad serious? That Baron loves me?'
Without warning, the scenery faded, along with her beloved father and friend. And then lights appeared all around her, to reassemble a new background.
When the colors stopped dancing around, Haru was standing inside a strange courtyard. It was circular, and had a cobblestone street. In the middle of all the houses, was an extremely tall stone pedestal, the top of which was topped with a finely carved crow gargoyle.
"What is this place?" she wondered aloud, looking at the charming houses. A familiar grunt met her ears, making her turn a bit.
Muta was walking through a lean alleyway that led into the strange courtyard, standing on his hind legs as his bones cracked.
He looked a bit older than she was used to, but not by much. As he checked the mail in the box next to a yellow house, the crow gargoyle began to glow, until his form was flesh instead of stone.
"Sounds like you're getting older," the crow said tauntingly. "Maybe you should let some young kitten be the new Cat Bureau agent for the outside world."
"Not happening!" Muta said shortly, relaxing in a lawn chair outside the yellow house. "I still got what it takes."
"Yeah, to eat your way through half of Tokyo!"
"Take that back you birdbrain!"
A window near the top of the house opened to reveal a slightly steamed Baron, who looked the same as ever.
"Can you two kindly keep it down?! Nicole's trying to get to sleep!" he called to them angrily, making the cat and crow flinch from his tone, now unable to say a word.
"Nicole?!" Haru whispered, willing her half-form to float up to the window, and walk through the wall as Baron shut the window again.
"I'm sorry, darling, but that's the best I can do, with those two," the tawny feline apologized as he turned away from the window.
A warm giggle made Haru look to the other side of the room.
She had no idea why the sight surprised her, but it did.
On a canopied bed, a young white kitten was rubbing her eyes sleepily as Haru herself, looking the same as she did right now, took back an empty glass. Well, nearly the same, in any case. The dark blue dress that graced her slender frame was a little old-fashioned, but suited her wonderfully. Haru also took careful note of the stylish bun that swept her obviously shorter hair away from her face, which was more relaxed than Haru had felt in years.
"It's okay, Daddy. I'm used to it," her future daughter sighed sleepily.
The solid Haru laughed warmly as the ghost one nearly ran up to the bed, to get a closer look at Nicole.
Sure, her fur and face was similar to her mother's, even sporting longer head fur like her, but her eyes were the same beautiful green as her father's. The little cat-girl yawned and snuggled between the sheets that her mother lovingly tucked around her. The older Haru kissed her daughter's forehead so tenderly, her eyes filled with undisguised love.
"Sleep well, my treasure."
Baron also came up to the bed, and kissed his daughter goodnight.
"Now remember, you're not allowed to have nightmares," he told her with a teasing grin. "I want happy dreams, understand?"
"Yes, Daddy," she giggled. "I love you."
"We love you too, Kitten," Haru whispered, turning down the lights so that Nicole could sleep. Softly, the doting parents walked out of the room, the phantom figure floating after them. The solid Haru sighed happily.
"She's growing so well, Baron."
"Of course she is," the orange and cream cat said while snaking his arms around her waist to hold her close, purring a soft tenor. "She's just as beautiful as you are, love."
"You're such a terrible flirt," she laughed playfully.
"Really? After all the practice I've been putting in?" Baron countered.
The solid white hair laughed with amusement and delight, firmly wrapping her arms around her husband's neck so she could kiss him with full force. He equaled her passion, holding her like priceless china.
Haru sighed happily as tears of relief flowed down her face. After a while, her solid self broke off the kiss, and looked in her counterpart's direction, smiling happily.
"Does that answer your question?" she asked while laughing, making the ghost Haru panic. Baron sighed.
"Who are you talking to this time, sweetheart?" he asked her curiously as the cat-woman in his arms purred a soft soprano.
"Myself, of course. I can't see her, but she's there. Go back to your body, Haru, this is a future you do not want to miss out on, I promise."