Chapter 7

Lune and Haru continued to dance on the outer area of the castle not even noticing or caring that no one was around to watch them. After a while of doing that though the lavender half cat prince then took her hand into his as he led her through the outer garden of the castle. And as they walked around the outer area of the palace they then danced some more while they passed some trees that were lined up in a row. They then walk across a small bridge that led back to the banquet hall of the castle. But as they stared at their reflections along with the moons they soon became lost in each other's eyes once more. But when they did return to the outer entrance to where the ball was taking place Lune gently sat down onto a bench that was next to a stairway and once the brunette did the same their lips then met for a soft and tender kiss.

Haru suddenly broke away however, when she heard the clock tower give it's first strike. And when she looked up she let out a gasp she said, "Oh no, it's midnight."

"Yes, it is." Lune replied, as he got up and took her hand into his.

A second ring then filled the air as Haru removed her hand and said, "I'm sorry, but I have to go, Your Highness."

"What right now? But we were having such a lovely time together, Haru." The Prince responded with, as he took a few steps towards her.

"I-I know, but I just have to go. Goodbye." Haru stated, as she ran up the stairway back into the banquet hall.

"Wait!" The lavender furred half cat begged, as he then began to follow her inside. Once the prince had made it back inside he added, "Haru!"

But right after he had said this though a group of both female half cats and human young woman surrounded him as they then began to comment on how beautiful the brunette had looked.

ooooooo

Haru continued to run down the hallway and towards the long entrance stairway ignoring the king's advisor as he followed somewhat behind her as he pleaded, "Young lady, please wait a moment!"

The brunette did not listen though as she saw that Toto had brought the carriage up to the bottom step and that Baron had jumped off of his post and had opened the door for her as he shouted, "Hurry, Haru!"

The hazel eyed young woman nodded as she then ran at a slightly faster pace down the long stairway. When she had lost her left glass slipper though she quickly turned around and exclaimed, "Oh, my shoe!"

She then started to bend down to pick up. But before she could she felt someone grab her hand and pull her to her feet. And when she turned to look at the person she soon found out that it was Baron as he said, "Don't worry about the shoe, Haru. The most important thing right now is to get you back home before any member of your stepfamily finds out that you were here."

Haru nodded in understanding as the orange and cream furred half cat helped her into the carriage and then quickly jumped onto the back of it as he shouted, "Now let's hurry, Toto!"

The black half cat nodded as the carriage then drove away. But while they left the courtyard the king's advisor watched then leave as he then noticed that the young lady had dropped one of her shoes as he bent down and picked it up while he asked himself, "She didn't even stop to retrieve this. Hmm, I wonder why?"

He then headed back inside to inform the king of what he had found out.

ooooooo

As the tower reached it's tenth stroke on midnight Haru, Baron, and Toto started to notice that everything was changing back to normal as Haru's hair feel behind her head and her dress changed back into rags. The carriage also started to change back into a pumpkin while Baron and Toto started to shrink come the eleventh stroke. And once the final twelfth stroke rang Haru fell onto the ground along with Baron and Toto who were now completely back to normal. Seeing this caused the horses to stop their galloping as the brunette stood up and then started to walk down the road with Baron on top of Toto's back with the horses right next to her as she let out, "Well, it was fun while it had last."

"So I take it that you did have a good time, Haru?" Baron asked, as he looked over at her.

The hazel eyed young woman nodded as she replied, "Yes, I did." Her expression then soften as she added, "The prince was so kind to me and he was pretty cute too." She then let out a sigh as she ended with, "It's just too bad that it had to come to an end so soon. And that everything is gone now."

"I wouldn't give up hope just yet, Haru." The Cat Creation stated, as he looked down at her feet.

Not quite understanding where he was going with this Haru asked, "What do you mean?" The figurine then pointed his cane downward getting the young woman's attention and when she looked down she let out a gasp as she added, "The slipper I still have it?" She then stopped walking and bent down to remove it as she placed it up against her heart and ended with, "Thank you." She then continued to make her way back to the estate hoping that she could sneak back into her room without waking either one of her stepsisters or her stepfather.

ooooooo

The Cat King continued to sleep as he let out a light chuckle as an image of him playing with two kittens showed up in his head. But after a few minutes of this a knocking could be heard on his door which caused the longhaired king to shoot up straight as he shouted, "What? Who is it?"

"Your Majesty..." Natori nervously replied, as he opened the door in front of him.

The mismatched eyed king got out of bed and walked towards his advisor wondering why he would dare disturb him at this hour. It then hit him like a ton of bricks as he grinned and asked, "So since you're here, babe. I take that Lune proposed to that girl right?"

"Um not exactly, sire." The kimono wearing half cat answered back, as he began to shake a little.

"What do you mean by that, Natori?" The King coldly shot back, as he then glared at the light blue half cat.

The advisor then bowed low to the ground as he begged, "Please understand Your Majesty, your son Prince Lune told me a little bit ago that he was going to propose to the young lady. But before he could she left when the clock tower had struck at midnight." He then pulled out a red glass slipper as he added, "And by the time that I had reached the entrance stairway she was already gone. All that remained was this single shoe."

The Cat King then became a bit irritated as he shot back, "And how do you expect us to find this mystery girl when all you could get was a shoe?"

"But Your Majesty, The Prince told me that he knows the young lady's name. It is Haru, sire." Natori stated, as he covered his face in fear of what the king meant do.

"Hmmm, it's funny that you mention that name again babe, because before the ball started I took some time to take a look through the girl's family tree." The Cat King replied, with a grin. Hearing this caused the advisor to lower his arms and look at him completely shocked that the king would do that as he went on with, "And you know what I found out about Haru?" I found out that the girl is a daughter to a former Baron and Baroness."

"You don't mean..." Natori said, before he trailed off in disbelief.

The King just nodded as he replied, "Yes actually I do." He then started to make his way back to his bed. But before he climbed back into bed though he turned to his advisor and ended with, "Natori, I want you and Natoru to go to where ever Haru is living at and try the shoe on her left foot. Because if it fits then I just found myself a daughter in law."

The light blue half cat just let out a heavy sigh as he put the slipper away and made his way towards the door as he opened it and said, "Yes, Your Majesty." He then closed it and let the king go back to sleep.