"Trinity?!"

A young ten year old Claude Frollo cupped his mouth with his hands to project the name he was currently yelling, as he walked along the shore of his Aunt's private sea side property.

"Where are you? You silly cat."

With some growing concern, he scanned the long shore ahead, using his right hand as a visor to repeal the low, late summer sun that was setting just ahead of him. Avoiding the glare as much as he could, he finally spotted the brown and gray tabby just ahead in the distance. He broke into a relieved jog at finally spotting her.

"There you are. Sun bathing I see." He halted, looked down and balled his fists at his waist with exaggerated, feign irritation. "You know, I've been looking all around for you." He couldn't help but smirk as the short haired tabby looked up at him with calming green eyes and disinterest. She uncurled herself calmly and yawned. She ended it all with a long stretch at his feet and propped herself up into a sitting position.

He shook his head with humorous adulation and tittered as the cat started mewing airily. She started moving affectionately towards his bare legs and started rubbing her whole body against them sweetly. Claude brought his hand down to scratch at her ears. Her purring grew as her muzzle came into contact with his index finger. She sniffed the tip with curiosity and slid her whisker pads down the length of his finger. Her head bowed to meet his palm again, circling and searching for more scratches and caresses. She made several more rounds about his legs, hitting them each time with ownership.

"Boy, you are an attention hog aren't you now?" He softly grabbed the back of her head and ran his thumbs up and down the "M" design of her forehead. They covered and stroked along a thin mark of a white cross right in the middle of the whole pattern. Trinity moved her head harder against the friction of his thumbs and chirped with satisfaction.

Claude smiled wide.

"You're such a good girl." Claude stopped his attention on her and Trinity looked at him with longing eyes and mewed at him to continue. Claude laughed, but was interrupted by his aunt calling him from the top of the massive, man made wall to the left of him.

"Claude?!"

Claude looked up and craned his neck to see the dark hair of his aunt peek over the edge of the huge wall. She made eye contact with her nephew quickly below and called down to him firmly but sweetly.

"There you are, it's time to head in. Tide will be coming in soon, it's dangerous and it's almost time for dinner."

Claude turned to regard the illusive water and his eyes went wide at just how short of a time the water took to reach another few inches closer to him and Trinity. She didn't seem to be alarmed though.

"Yes Aunt Audrey. May I bring Trinity inside as well?" He called to her and then made a gesture to Trinity, while the cat incautiously groomed herself.

"Of course dear. But once you enter the house I want you to clean up immediately before I serve dinner." She disappeared from view, but just as quickly, her head popped back into Claude's view, before he had any time to react.

"…And no feeding her any table scraps. Are we clear?" She added.

"Yes ma'am." He pledged eagerly and wasted no time in carefully scooping up Trinity. He put her in a comfortable position against his chest, supporting her back paws and wrapping his other arm around her fuzzy midsection securely. Trinity relaxed into his grip and let him carry her to the wall that had built in steps leading to his aunt's vast garden property above the shores of the Mediterranean.

He met his aunt at the top and let Trinity jump from his arms and land on the soft grass at his own bare feet. Just like Trinity, he enjoyed the feel of the coolness of the grass tickling the bottom of his feet. Both Claude and his aunt looked down at the little kitty in delighted amusement. She rolled around on the lush turf, wiggling and chirping. Both laughed at her jolliness. She eventually rolled onto her back exposing her belly, making it clear what she wanted. Audrey bent down to Claude's surprise and started rubbing at Trinity's stomach softly. Claude was enthralled at the interaction between the two and met eyes with his aunt when she straightened. She felt his eyes bore into her own and she gave him a look of self-awareness.

"What?" She chuckled.

Claude grinned.

"You like her, don't you?"

"I never said I didn't like her. She's…"

"She's what?" His smile faded a bit as he left his aunt's eyes to look down at the small cat licking her paws and rubbing them against the top of her head and face. There seemed to be an invisible thread between the pair. Trinity sensed an emotional change in Claude and stopped immediately to look up at him. She mewed and when his face didn't change, Trinity got to her feet and moved to his legs. Instead of her usual possessive rubs however, she hopped up on her hind legs, so her top half steadied on his own. She made a long stretch upwards with one paw, as if trying to reach for him. Claude rubbed her head and picked her up in his arms. Her purring never ceased as she nestled back into his arms again.

Claude made contact with his aunt again, with a small look of sadness. Guilt rushed through Audrey at the sight. It was a look he always carried upon entering her home, at the start of his summers with her. She wanted to be the last person to ever conjure that look in him.

Claude's face changed from sadness to uncertainty.

Is she turning against me too now? He asked himself, while he rigidly waited for her response.

Audrey made sure to smile and reassure him that she genuinely meant no ill judgment towards his cat and she further elaborated on her previous comment.

"What I mean is; she different. Even more so than any other animal you've bonded with."

Claude's paranoia vanished almost instantly at his aunt's observation and his eyes went wide with fascination.

"Really? You think she's special?"

It crossed Audrey's mind that maybe Claude was oblivious to how Trinity reacted to him. Maybe he just had a stronger bond with cats, rather than dogs or other animals. Even though he seemed to have a fondness for all of them on some level. Audrey knew for a fact that cats sought out their masters out of any other animal and she always saw it as a huge honor to be in good favor with a cat.

Audrey nodded and smiled fondly at the two.

"I know for a fact that she knows you are."

"Really? How so?" He asked with even more intrigue.

"Well…" Audrey went on. "For starters, she never leaves your side and if she does, she's not too far away from you."

Claude shook his head to the contrary at the fact of nearly misplacing her just moments ago.

"But, she almost got away from me today. She was completely on the other side of the beach."

Audrey persisted with a sure grin.

"I don't believe for one second that this cat would run a stray from you."

"How do you know for sure though?" He looked down at Trinity curled up in his arms. Claude tightened his enclosed grip around her possessively. Almost in fear of her deciding, at that particular moment to jump out of his arms and run away forever. He finally looked up at his aunt with earnest eyes. He was desperate for assurance.

"I just do. I mean, you two have only known each other for a month and it seems as if you've known each other for years. Cats don't just warm up to anyone, you know. You have to earn their trust." She pointed her finger to reference at how Trinity was laying in his arms. "…Take that position she's lying in. No cat would dare be almost belly up to someone they've only known for a month."

She crossed her arms in confident resolution.

"That cat isn't going anywhere; anytime soon."

At long last, Claude exhaled with relief and Audrey saw the piercing stare soften. She was aware that Claude trusted her, but Claude was a different child amongst his peers and she saw a very crucial ability in him. It was like he could read souls. She had never in her life lied to him and never planned on it in the future. But she reckoned that if she did try, he would know it.

Claude's eager voice piped up between them as Audrey got pulled from her thoughts.

"It is strange isn't it? It seems like they…" He paused and instantly the wind that was keeping his sails full of wonderment deflated.

Audrey kept a small egging grin, trying to meet her nephew's down cast eyes.

"It seems like they what?" She plainly asked. She kept her sadness hidden from the obvious reality, that Claude's abrupt silence was due to his parent's "work" on him and Audrey loathed it.

Any "out of the box" thinking was strictly forbidden in her brother's household and he made it clear, to Claude especially, that any external voicing that went against his idea of the church's teachings were forbidden and highly consequential. Audrey still kept her faith in tact just as much as her brother did, she just had other ways of going about things. Treatments that didn't involve fear or harm. How was that good for anyone? Why ruin his outlook on life, his faith and in turn, ruin yourself in his eyes?

Ironically, she saw his "teachings" as unlettered.

She was well aware of the struggles that Claude faced on a daily bases. Claude never spoke ill of his parent's slightness towards him, or their treatment of him and he didn't have to. When he would arrive every summer from Paris, he would arrive so quiet and distant, but it never took long for him to break out of his shell and become a normal child again. A boy he deserved to be. If only her brother could accept the wide eyed, adventurous and imaginative boy she did. He would just disapprove however and try to keep Claude away from her. He knew what he was doing, he was trying to stamp out any free innocence Claude had left inside and create himself in his son. She preferred his offspring much better.

Her brother, at Claude's age, was nothing like his son. Her bother was a born tormenter, but what she feared the most was Claude ultimately turning into both his parents and with that horrid thought in mind, she gave an encouraging smile and spoke softly to him.

"Go on Claude."

"It...it's nothing." Claude gave her dismissing eyes and looked down solemnly. Trinity's eyes opened a crack, revealing her deep emerald eyes, she blinked slowly at him. Claude nervously started rubbing her soft belly, making wispy, unseen tracks in her fur.

"You know you're safe here. You're safe with me."

Claude looked up at his aunt with shy eyes.

"I know…Bu…"

Audrey faintly cut him off.

"Anything you have on your mind, you can share it here. There will be no anger from me."

She saw Claude's face relax and his lips turn up into a thoughtful grin. Trinity wiggled playfully in his arms, drawing his attention to her. He looked down once more and swore he caught a glimpse of competent goading in her expression.

It was enough.

He looked up to the east sky, behind his aunt and caught the first few twinkling stars coming out of hiding from the day. They reflected against his eyes. Their light encompassing his vision with renewed fascination and reminding him of a true unfathomable creator.

Audrey waited in awe at how peaceful he looked at that moment. She'd never seen him so present.

"It seems like…they…" He stopped to gather his thoughts and courage. "…have lived other lives…you know, separate from this one."

Audrey nodded heartily in agreement, but Claude had his eyes glued to the shaded grass and didn't notice her own consensus. He went on unremitted however.

"…But, I wonder if…they come…back…" Claude's brow furrowed in deep thought and instead of watching him struggle with it all, Audrey fancied a guess on what he might be getting at.

"…As the same being, you mean?"

Claude's head rose in surprise at his aunt's notion and with a timid grin he agreed.

"Yes. How did you know what…?"

"We are more alike than you think my dear nephew."

Both smiled at each other and finally Audrey broke the silence and looked past Claude to see an almost complete set sun amongst the dying pinks and purples.

"Come on, why don't you give me more of your insight over dinner? I'm actually very intrigued." She held her arm out to guide both boy and his cat to the house.

Just when Claude was about to move along with his aunt, Trinity hopped out of his arms and ran to jump on the high wall behind them. Claude hurried after her and looked down to see the water already crashing against the wall below.

He glanced over at her on the ledge.

"What is it Trinity?" He kept his eyes on her the whole time as she kept her sights at the vast horizon ahead of her. Her eyes never yielded or blinked.

It was like she was entranced.

"Why don't we go eat, I know you have to be hungry."

Trinity acknowledged him with that enticement and allowed him to scoop her up and move to the house.

Unbeknownst to anyone, an angry splashing was growing in the water at a distance. Splashing of a thousand nightmares yet to be born. Waiting to strike at summers end.

A/N DUN DUN DUN! XD

Sorry this took so long, but I'm back and hopefully I can get part two out sooner.