Daffy with the next update for ya, keep reading.
Kidnapped
Muta turned in mid air so he would land on his back rather then on Haru as he was pounced on by a dozen shadow cats. Haru's small frame was flung into the air where it collided with the wall electing a small grunt of pain from her. She watched as Muta clobbered shadow after shadow, knocking the creatures down. But there were too many for the giant cat, and he was soon over powered.
Lock Jack watched on in amusement as Muta was pummelled by his shadow cats, but eventually he grew tired and decided to put an end to this, focusing his attention on Haru instead.
"Enough!" he yelled, shouting loudly he got there attention. Muta was half conscious while Haru had tears flowing freely down her cheeks at the sight of her friend. "Tie them both up to the wall and bring me the mirror," ordered Lock Jack pointing to the chains on the far side of the dungeon.
Haru tried to squirm away from the shadow cat that approached her but it was no use. The shadow cat grabbed her by her hair, causing Haru to grunt again, and began dragging her to the wall, where she was then chained up alongside Muta who was covered in contusions. Haru could see that his brown ear was bleeding, "Muta... This is all my fault, I'm so sorry," thought Haru looking at Muta, tears brimming in her eyes.
"What's the matter Haru? Don't like what my shadow cats did to your friend?" asked Lock Jack tauntingly, laughing at the glare she gave him. He walked over to her, slapping her in the face. The resounding slap echoing around the room. "You lied to me Haru, you told me you didn't know what this key was when all along you yourself were the Key," said Lock Jack, his face hovering above hers.
He grabbed a hold of the gag, ripping it out of her mouth banging her head against the wall in the process.
"Show me your power Haru, I want to see what you can do," said Lock Jack taking a step back.
"I don't know what you're talking about," replied Haru glaring at the black cat, looking him straight in his cold glowing yellow eyes.
"LIAR!" screamed Lock Jack before the sound of another slap was reverberating around the room. "SHOW ME YOUR POWER!!!" bellowed Lock Jack slapping her again whilst Muta watched on, feeling his blood boil.
Lock Jack was getting tired, he needed her to show him her power. He was sure she was the Key and that she would show her power if she got mad enough. He turned as his shadow cats entered with a giant mirror. Sighing he continued talking without turning to face Haru.
"I grow tired of this game Haru, and I know you won't break no matter how much I hurt you so..." he stopped, looking towards the mirror as an image appeared.
Haru gasped at the image. It was of a boat somewhere over the ocean; the S.S. Bimbo. The image changed to view the people on the deck. Stopping to focus on a red headed women.
"Mom..." whispered Haru. Suddenly the boat rocked knocking the women over. People began screaming in the background; rain started pouring, lightning hitting the boat, waves crashing all around. People were running towards the life boats only for the boats to smash on the side of the boat due to the crashing of the waves. "No..... No please. No don't do it, they have nothing to do with this please, they're innocent!!!" cried Haru watching as innocent children clung to there parents, as her mother screamed in terror, Haru now balling her eyes out.
"Then show me your power," said Lock Jack turning a smirk on his face.
"I can't I don't have any power, I'm not the Key!" screamed Haru not having taken her eyes off of the mirror. Lock Jack turned back to the mirror watching as the boat suddenly ripped in half, and people fell into the ocean, swept away to be forever known as lost at sea.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" screamed Haru her body shaking with terror, sobs wracking through her as the mirror showed images of the bodies of those who had drowned, from women to men and children stopping to focus on the body of a red head. "Mom, Mom!!" the image faded leaving only the reflection of a broken hearted Haru and a furious Muta.
Lock Jack turned walking over to Haru, he tilted her chin up to face him.
"A life you could have saved," he said before turning and exiting the dungeon.
Baron awoke feeling his heart cry out; he rushed out of his room and dashed into Haru's room. his heart skipped a beat, finding out that she had vanished; his nostrils flared detecting a fading hint of iron. "Blood," he thought dashing out of the room. He ran around the castle, alerting the others. Checking the rooms he found that Muta had disappeared too.
"Baron what's going on?" asked Toto coming out of his statue form, waking up.
"Haru and Muta are gone Toto. How stupid I am, I should have been watching her more closely," said Baron furious at himself.
"It's not your fault Baron you couldn't have known this was going to happen," replied Toto worried for his friends.
Haru and Muta had been left in darkness neither saying a word for a good 20 minuets before Muta decided to break the silence.
"I'm sorry kid........" said Muta trailing off, not sure what to say to someone who had just watched their parent murdered in front of them. Haru showed no signs of having heard what Muta had said, and for a moment he thought she had cried herself to sleep until she moved to look at him showing him the look on her face, a look that screamed pure misery.
"I'm sorry Muta," replied Haru looking down again; her words caught Muta off guard.
"Kid what are you sorry for? None of this is your fault," said Muta hoping to reassure the girl.
"Yes it is. It's my fault that my mother died, that all those innocent people drowned, that you're stuck in here," said Haru falling lower into the cold empty void that her heart had been claimed by.
"Snap out of it kid!! None of this is your fault and if he's right and you are the Key then don't let all of those people deaths be in vain. Stay strong, because it's probably going to get a whole lot worse before it starts to get better," said Muta, his heart breaking at the sadness she held in her voice. Haru didn't look up at Muta, too busy feeling guilt over what had transpired, when they both heard the door open signalling the return of their warden. Haru refused to look up, feeling numb but Muta growled at Lock Jack as he walked closer to Haru carrying devices.
Baron, Lune, Yuki and Toto where in the royal hall discussing there next course of action.
"I've got every guard on alert, they are searching the land for Haru and Muta, don't worry Baron we will find them," said Lune trying to comfort every one, Baron was staring out of the window a numb feeling resting in his heart and for some reason he knew it was coming from Haru's feelings.
The Ex-Cat King walked in with the Order right behind him.
"Son I heard what happened to Miss Haru is there anything I can do?" asked the Ex-King, trying to act caring.
"Father, what are the Order doing here?" asked Lune after noticing a group of people behind the Ex-King,
"Who? These people? I found them wondering around saying that they have come to help," replied his father pointing at the group as if noticing them for the first time.
"Thank you, but there isn't a lot you can help with unless you know where a cat called Lock Jack lives," said Lune looking solemnly at the floor.
"Lock Jack? You mean Count Lock Jack?" asked the ex-monarch looking to his only son.
"You know him?!" asked Lune hope showing in his eyes.
"His family were the rebels who fell to your ancestors many years ago. I believe he is the last of the family," said the Ex-King, hand on his chin looking to the ceiling.
"Where does he live?!" shouted Baron, a determined look on his face.
"Just outside of the Cat Kingdom in a barren wasteland southwest from here," the Ex-King answered pointing to the south west exit.
"Toto!!!" called Baron running out of the hall. Jumping on Toto's back they took off in the direction the old cat had told them to go in.
Haru was panting after the session with Lock Jack. Not really caring how much it hurt, thinking she deserved it for causing all those deaths. Muta turned his head not being able to stomach it, he threw up.
Lock Jack was getting fed up but he had one last trick up his sleeve, to prove that she was the Key he had been searching relentlessly for. Grabbing her face he opened her mouth and poured a black looking liquid down her throat within two seconds Haru let out an almighty scream, blood spraying out of her mouth.
"What have you done to her!!!!" screamed Muta struggling violently against his bonds, watching as cuts appeared to form on Haru from the inside out whilst she screamed. "YOU'RE KILLING HER!!!!!!!" screamed Muta snarling.
"I just gave her a little potion designed to bring a slow and painful death, but don't worry if I'm wrong and she isn't the Key, I'll just bring her back using the power I'll obtain from the gates of darkness," said Lock Jack as if it was the most obvious and natural thing in the world.
Meanwhile Baron was flying over a barren wasteland when he suddenly spotted a castle.
"That must be it down there Toto!" Shouted Baron over the wind.
"OK Baron!" replied Toto diving down to land. He flew in through the window letting Baron off his back once he touched the ground.
Looking around they could see nothing but doors and dust,
"Now which way Baron?" asked Toto. Baron opened his mouth to answer when someone let out a blood-curdling scream. "Haru!" thought Baron, taking off in the direction of the scream.