A/N: Someone really needs to tell me why this story is so absurdly popular. Seriously, I've written one chapter for this story, and already the feedback has far surpassed the stats of all my other story's first chapters. Who knows, maybe there's just more people reading fanfiction nowadays. Or perhaps people don't update as often in the summer. Either way, enjoy the next installment of Cat's Paw.
"Come here little guy," I said shakily, brandishing the food in my hand like a shield.
The monster looked at me warily, as if expecting an underhanded trick of some kind. Hunger finally won out over reason though, and he slowly began approaching, hungry but wary. As the creature crept closer, my body began to shake again, no matter how hard I tried to subdue it.
Three feet now...t-two feet...one f-f-fuck it. Turning my hand over, I dumped the food onto the ground and stepped back as fast as I could. The stray cat mewled happily and pounced on the offering, now completely ignoring me.
I sighed and sat back down on the ground, watching silently as the cat ate. I'd been doing this exercise for five years now, and I still couldn't bring myself to actually touch a cat. I could get close to one without freaking out (too much) but they still scared me.
I'd had grown mostly immune to my cat-girl posters, although that might have been my mind rationally deciding that they were more like people than cats. Meditation did nothing for me anymore. For some reason, my mind just seemed incapable of rationalizing my fear, making me incapable of thinking about it properly. Either way, I'd hit a dead end once again, and this time no amount of cat-girl posters were going to help.
I turned as I heard a sigh behind me to see Nanami sitting on one of the park benches, watching me. "Still at it Ranma?"
"It's a weakness," I said simply. "I need to continue working to overcome it."
Nanami shook her head sadly. "Just make sure they don't follow you back this time. No pets in the apartment remember?"
As if I'd ever want one of those furry monsters to follow me anywhere. She had a point though. My daily training exercises had begun to gather a large crowd of strays. Moving away from the feeding frenzy taking place, I took a small trail off the main park pathway and into the somewhat secluded surrounding forest, Nanami following close behind to observe the rest of my morning routine.
I started out slow, beginning with the absolute basics; punches, blocks, and kicks. Slowly, I began speeding up, making the most of the space in the clearing. Occasionally, I would make a leap and do several attacks in the air before falling to the ground and finishing the form. Other times I would stay in the air for minutes at a time, keeping my height by rebounding off the trees and branches. Finally, at the height of my speed, I rebounded off of a tree and crashed into the ground, making a small crater.
Facing one of the taller trees in the clearing, I gathered my internal energies, letting them flow to a focal point in my hands. Concentrating as well as I could, I threw my hands forward in a cross chop.
"KIJIN RASHUU DAN!"
The air in front of me rippled with my blow before slamming into the tree. The wood seemed to groan in protest for a bit before the entire thing toppled towards me, split off from its base. From the sideline, I heard Nanami give a small gasp. She had been a constant companion to my morning routines, but this new addition had apparently caught her off guard.
I waited until the tree was at a forty-five degree angle before I began moving again.
"KIJIN-GUN DAI RANBU!"
I began moving into another kata, this one of my own making. Quickly and precisely, I began throwing vacuum blades, one after the other, each one cutting off part of the tree at a measured length. By the time the last of the tree was ready to fall, the remaining stump was only as tall as me. With a mighty kick, I sent the stump flying into the air.
"SAIDAIKYU KIJIN RASHUU DAN!"
The biggest vacuum blade split the wood lengthwise, causing the stump to fall into near-perfect halves on either side of me. Breathing slowly, I closed my eyes and let out a long breath, calming my body and cooling my adrenaline. With deliberate motion, I opened my eyes and surveyed the destruction of the clearing.
"Well, that went better than I thought it would."
SMACK!
"Ow! What the hell was that for?" I shouted at Nanami, who had smacked me in the back of the head.
"You idiot! This is a park! You can't go around destroying trees like that!"
Oh yeah. Oops. "I think we should get to class," I said quickly, trying to change the subject and provide an excuse to leave the scene.
"Like you ever pay attention in school," she retorted angrily. "What did that tree ever do to you?"
"It made itself a great target for my techniques," I said simply. Unfortunately, I could tell by her expression that it wasn't the answer she was looking for. Fortunately, it really was time to get to class so I was spared a lecture.
"Grrr...this isn't over Ranma. We'll talk about your defilement of nature after class."
Making a mental note to ditch school as soon as possible, I merely nodded.
"And if you ditch school again I'm going to tell mom!" she threatened.
Ouch. Low blow Nanami. Resigning myself to my fate, I fell into line as we walked towards school.
"You know, I don't know how you ever managed to get into high school with your sleeping habits," said Nanami sourly as she and I walked home from school.
"Well why don't you try cutting a tree into sawdust and see how energetic you feel afterward," I teased lightly.
"You're lucky I'm such a good friend or I probably wouldn't let you look at my notes," she threatened.
I sighed but said what she wanted to hear anyways. "Thank you for being such a good friend Nanami."
"And don't you forget it either."
As if I could. We'd been having variations of this conversation for nigh on five years now. Honestly, I had never put much stock into school. Between my training, helping Nanami's mother, and the part time job I had taken later to supplement my income, school had taken a backseat.
It hadn't stopped Nanami and her mother from doing everything in their power to help me pass though. As such, through a combination of last minute cramming and constant pestering, I'd been consistently making average marks despite my less than stellar scholastic habits.
"I still don't understand why I have to learn algebra," I said sourly. "It has nothing to do with martial arts."
"Did you ever think there might be more to life than martial arts?" asked Nanami sarcastically.
"Of course I've thought about it. It's just that those things are boring."
"So what do you want to do when you grow up?" Her voice was genuinely curious now.
I shrugged noncommittally. "Don't know. Travel the world, perfect my art, go on a mystical magical journey of self-discovery that might get transcribed into an anime one day."
"You've never thought about settling down?" She seemed to be nervous as she said this, her voice much quieter as she spoke.
"Meh." I purposefully stayed vague. Truthfully, I suppose I wasn't completely opposed to settling down, but traveling just seemed more appealing to me after doing it for half my life. Besides, I was sixteen. What kind of question was that anyways?
I couldn't tell if she was satisfied with my answer or not as she didn't speak to me the rest of the way home. Sighing lightly I waved goodbye at the entrance to the apartment and headed for my part-time job, moving quickly along the rooftops now that I wasn't escorting Nanami. Within seconds, I was in front of Exelion.
Exelion was a small local diner, privately owned by a single woman who, quite frankly, looked like a princess. Despite her insistence that she was over thirty years old, her long golden hair coupled with her full chest and cute waitress outfit didn't seem to put her a day over twenty-one. Apparently, she was also great friends with Nanami's mother, which is how I landed this job, even though I was legally underage.
Calling out a quick greeting, I hastily made my way to the employee room where I changed at warp speed. Ten seconds later, I emerged from the room, fully dressed in my waiters outfit.
"Someday you'll have to show me how you do that," she said approvingly as she surveyed my uniform.
"Just practice miss," I assured her.
"Indeed. You are quite the quick change artist." She giggled at her own joke.
I didn't get it. Seeing my flat expression, she coughed lightly before handing me a few plates. "Okay, two Sizzler Silver Combinations for table four."
I nodded and expertly threaded my way through the tables and customers, placing the orders at the correct tables within seconds. It was currently dinner time and rather busy by most restaurant standards, but all that meant for me was a slightly tougher workout.
A few hours later, the dinner rush was over and I was finishing the last of the dishes. Stretching slightly, I glanced at the clock and found that I was an hour past my usual quitting time. Huh. Guess it was busier than I thought.
"Good job tonight Ranma," said the manager from behind the counter. "I think you even did some overtime tonight."
I brushed the compliment off. "It was nothing ma'am. I'm no stranger to hard work."
She thought for a minute, idly playing with her long curly hair. "Why don't you take a meal and head home then," she suggested. "I also saved some leftovers for your little friends." She passed me a to-go box and a meal bag, which I accepted, not bothering to correct her that cats were in no way shape or form my friends. Only adversaries to overcome.
Regardless, I accepted the food with a thank you. At the very least it would unburden Nanami's mother from having to feed me another night. Saying my goodbyes, I left the store and jumped to the rooftops.
For some unexplainable reason, the cardboard box sitting next to my apartment complex set off my danger sense into hyper mode. A careful examination of the package revealed nothing. No stamps, no labels, and no return address.
Hesitantly, I picked up the box, finding it surprisingly light. Looking on the underside still revealed nothing as to who the box was meant for, or where it came from. I was just about to put it down when a horrendous sound echoed through the still night.
"Meow...meow..."
I nearly dropped the box in shock, but I was fearful that the contents inside might be fragile. Slowly, I placed the box on the ground and began looking for the origin of the sound. A quick scan of the street revealed nothing.
"Meow...meow..."
It was fainter this time, but it was still unmistakably a cat's meow.
"Where are you you stupid feline," I said challengingly. Still seeing nothing, I turned back to the box. It was rattling now.
"Every single sense that I've developed in twelve years of martial arts training is telling me not to open that box," I said out loud. I stood still for another second before slowly approaching the package, trying to peak through the handle hole. Twelve years, and I still haven't learned any better.
Unfortunately, it was too dark to see. I could sense a small life force coming from within, and a warm familiar sent was wafting from the box.
"It sounds like a cat, smells like a cat, and feels like a cat." And yet, I was still tempted to open the damn thing. Why? I don't know, I was curious dammit!
"It's probably an abandoned cat," I rationalized. And that meant it was probably hungry too. Suddenly, the cat-food the manager had given me started to feel heavy in my hands. God damn nobility. With a sigh, I bit my lip and opened the box.
FLAAAAASH!
I cursed and dropped the bags, rubbing my eyes furiously as I tried to recover from the blinding light. What the hell was going on? I blinked a couple more times, my vision finally regaining focus, and looked inside the box.
"What the fu-"
You know, usually I have a very clean mouth. Even when I'm fighting I tend to stay away from profanity. Sometimes though, there was just no other substitute. Black hair, brown ears, brown tail and complete with a yellow ribbon and red collar with a bell, was an unmistakable catgirl. And she was completely naked.
For a minute, my mind tried to rationalize it as being some sort of hentai catgirl doll, but I could still feel the life energy coming from her. Questions started popping into my mind like fireworks. Oddly enough, the first one I asked myself is why, if she had a ribbon in her hair, did she not have any other clothes? And who the hell put a...humanoid being in a box in the first place?
"Meow..."
Instinctively, I jumped away from the box as the catgril gave out another mewl, turning over slightly but otherwise unaffected by my shouting. Eventually, my rationale caught up to my initial panic and I reassessed the situation, pointedly ignoring the fact that she was part cat.
She was a girl, and someone had abandoned her here. For a moment, I was at a loss as to what I should do. Briefly, I thought about calling the police, but quickly realized the nearest phone was in my room.
"I can't just leave her out here," I said softly. Closing the lid of the box, I quickly hauled it into my apartment, praying that no one had actually seen me. That would have been rather awkward to explain.
Her modesty now preserved by the blanket on my futon, I reassessed the situation in my head. Of course, no matter how much I thought about it, all my thinking brought me back to the same question. "Now what?"
She didn't have any sort of identification (or clothes for that matter), and was sleeping in a near comatose state. Experimentally, I had made some loud noises to try and get a reaction, but nothing had worked insofar.
I looked around the room once more before sighing. "Well, at least Nanami doesn't-"
BANG!
I flinched as Nanami threw open my previously locked door without warning. "Doesn't what?" she asked with a false sweetness. Quickly I threw the blanket over the cat-girl's head and hurried to meet Nanami in the hallway, trying to block her sight into the living room.
"Oh uh...hey Nanami. What are you doing here?" I tried to act as nonchalant as possible.
She held up the bag she was holding. "Mom wanted to give you some leftovers since you didn't show up for dinner tonight." She began trying to move towards my kitchenette but I blocked her way.
"Thanks sis, but I already got some food from the restaurant," I said quickly. A little too quickly it seems, as I saw Nanami's eyes narrow in suspicion.
"What are you hiding?" she asked evenly.
"Nothing!"
"Then you won't mind if I come in then," she stated. With a purposeful step, she tried to move around me, but I quickly matched her step, keeping my body in front of her line of sight.
"Uh...well actually that's not a good idea right now. I'm doing uh...guy stuff!" I invented.
Nanami gave me a flat stare. "Like hell you are. You don't have a sex drive."
I blinked. "What?"
"Just move!" STOMP!
"OW!"
Truthfully it didn't particularly hurt, but it was surprising enough for her to get around me. Briefly I entertained the idea of just running out the door and disappearing for a couple days while I waited for her to cool down, but she'd probably just corner me at my job or at school later. Silently, I began a countdown in my head.
"What the hell? RANMA!"
Sighing, I walked into the living room. "Would you believe me when I say this isn't what it looks like?"
Nanami gave me a deadpan stare as she re-covered the guest. "You have a naked girl with cat ears and a cat tail lying in your bed and there are several cat-girl posters put up around your room. How exactly am I supposed to interpret this?"
"Hey come on now!" I protested. "Weren't you just saying that I have no sex drive?"
"Well maybe you're better at hiding it than I thought," she said snidely. "Jeeze, you even convinced her to wear a cat collar!"
"I'm not like that!" I shouted. "I just found her on the street!"
That was apparently the wrong thing to say. "Oh so you just pick up girls off the street now?"
"No! And quit twisting my words around!"
"Then start speaking straight!"
"I am speaking straight! Your hearing is skewed!"
"Meow..."
Our shouting match cut off abruptly as the girl gave a quiet meow and began to stretch. Respectfully, I turned away, but not before noticing that the way she stretched with her hands out in front and arched back looked eerily similar to a cat waking up.
"Hey uh...Nanami? Can you get some clothes for her please?"
"What? You tore her clothes too? Why-"
"NANAMI!" I yelled in equal parts embarrassment and anger.
She seemed taken aback by my shout. "Right. Sorry. Be right back." In a flash she was gone, leaving me alone with the waking guest.
"Miyah..."
The sound was like a cross between a yawn and a meow. As if waking up from a light sleep rather than a coma like state, the cat-girl rubbed her face before focusing on the room she was in, her cute round eyes reflecting the light. I wanted to run. My brain was telling me that the...person in front of me was incredibly dangerous and closely related to my greatest enemies. However, my body refused to move.
God I felt awkward. What the hell was I supposed to say to her? Hi I found you on the street completely naked and placed in a cardboard box, please don't think of this in the wrong way.
"Where am I?" She was sitting up in my futon now, seemingly unconcerned that the blanket covering her modesty had fallen away. Her cat ears were fluttering like independent appendages, confirming that she was indeed, a cat-girl.
Inevitably, her eyes fell on me.
"Oh." Her face resolute, she jumped gracefully out of the futon to stand before me, in all her naked glory. "Nice to meet you. My name is Mikan. Meow!"
I flinched at the cat-call, but couldn't bring myself to turn away. Slowly, she began moving her face closer to mine until our noses were touching, and I was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. In the back of my mind, something told me that she had just introduced herself, and that I should try the same.
"N...n-nice to meet you M-Mikan," I stuttered badly. Whether it was from fear of her cat parts or embarrassment from her girl parts, I honestly couldn't tell anymore.
Fwoof!
My vision was suddenly obscured by a purple colored cloth. Removed from sight, I finally found my motor functions and desperately moved backwards, brandishing the clothes in front of me like a shield. "Er...Mikan why don't you put these on?"
"Why?" I couldn't see her face but I could almost feel her innocently curious look.
"It's socially proper," cut in Nanami's voice. "It's necessary to keep the boys in line." Hey, come on now.
"So, Mikan right?" The cat-girl nodded, taking the clothes from my grasp and holding them close to her chest. "What are you doing here?"
"Well I-"
"He didn't kidnap you did he?" she asked worriedly.
"No I-"
"Have you two been going steady?"
"Er-"
"How long have you been seeing him huh?"
"We've only just-"
"He's blackmailing you isn't he? That's why your dressed as a cat-girl! I know his taste!"
"Actually-"
"Don't tell me he's-"
BONK!
Nanami suddenly cut off her rant as I lightly flicked her nose. I had regained my composure now that Mikan was covering herself. "Let's not smother our guest, okay sis?"
Nanami glared at me but kept quiet. "So Mikan," I started. "Why are you here?"
"Well, I came from the Cat Kingdom because the cat-god ordered me to serve my master! And that master is you Ranma-sama!" she explained excitedly.
Nanami arched an eyebrow. "Ranma-sama?" There was venom laced in her voice now.
"I've never seen her before in my life!" I protested vainly. "Honestly!"
Nanami ignored me and turned back to Mikan, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Mikan, it's okay. You can tell me. Did he give you anything funny to drink?"
"Will you stop that?" I shouted. "I'm not like that!"
Mikan brushed off Nanami's hand and approached me again, dropping her garments in the process. Energetically she began snuggling up to me, rubbing her nose and forehead against my chest, just like a real cat. Nanami merely stared at her, as if trying to come to grips with the situation.
"So...you're saying that you're from the 'cat-kingdom' and Ranma is your...master?"
"Yep!" she mewled happily.
"Ranma do you seriously believe what she's saying?" asked Nanami skeptically. With confidence, she reached towards Mikan's ears, probably expecting them to be a headband of some sort.
BRRR...FLAP-FLAP...
Only for Mikan's ears to flutter as Nanmi touched them. My sister backed off in surprise. "It can't be!" She quickly rubbed her eyes. "Th...they're real! They're real cat ears!"
As gently and carefully as I could, I pried Miakn's arms off of me and handed her the clothes she dropped. She seemed to pout at the loss of contact, but covered her womanly parts.
"So uh..." Nanami fished around for a topic of conversation. "How did you come here from the cat-kingdom then?" she asked finally.
Her ears drooped as she sat back down on the futon, her eyes downcast. "To tell you the truth, I was fired while I was working as a maid. I was desperately trying to find a job when the cat-god and his wife Bast appeared in front of me and told me to go serve my master."
I had been working on controlling my breathing up to that point, but that name suddenly triggered a memory that I'd hadn't recalled for nearly six years.
"We can't give it to you right away though," said the cat-god. "You'll have to wait a few more years. Something to look forward to on your sixteenth birthday I suppose."
"Make sure to keep up your 'training' though," said Bast with a wink.
"It'll help when the time comes," finished the cat-god.
My mind came back to reality with a snap. "Wait, so you're the 'divine gift' that I got from the cat-god?"
Mikan smiled and nodded enthusiastically, her tail twitching behind her. "I went to a church, had a ceremony, and...I was here when I woke up." As nimbly as a cat, she pounced on me, pressing her soft chest into mine, her cat-like sent floating into my nose. "I'll serve you very well, Ranma-sama!"
Then, she licked my neck.
"GAH!" I couldn't stop the yelp that escaped my lips. Mikan paused in her ministrations to stare at me worriedly.
"Ah! That's right, Bast told me to take it easy," she reminded herself. Slowly, so at not to panic me again, she reached her arms around my body and snuggled into me. Involuntary shivers went up my spine.
"Alright that's enough out of you." With her unnatural tomboyish strength, Nanami pulled the enthusiastic cat girl off of me by her collar. "Listen you, I don't know how much you know about Ranma, but he has a problem with cats, and you're not helping him by acting like that."
"Aww," pouted Mikan cutely. "But Master Ranma smells so nice!"
Breathing heavily, I finally managed to reassert control over my mind and body. "Uh, Mikan? I'm really grateful that you're willing to be my maid and all but..." I trailed off as I saw her face begin to fall. Before I could even find the words, Mikan had begun to sniffle. Guilt was already welling up inside me and I hadn't even finished my sentence yet.
"...but I don't know how comfortable you'll be sleeping on the floor in here," I invented quickly. "I only really have room for one person."
Like a flash the sad expression disappeared, replaced by an innocently smiling cat-girl. Under her breath, I could hear Nanami saying, "Oh, you're good." For some reason, I felt like I'd just been had.
"I don't mind a bit," she assured me quickly. Shaking free of Nanami's grip she slinked towards me again. "I'll serve you, but you'll have to reward me."
"Er...reward you? How?" I stared into her eyes, pointedly not looking at her ears or tail.
She seemed to think about it for a minute. "Well, Bast said to take it slow, so how about this?" Gently, almost featherlight, she put her lips to mine before I could react. My mind practically split in two at the contact. It was a cat, yes, but it felt...good. Before I could register an emotion, Mikan deepened the kiss, quickly invading my mouth, entangling her pointed tongue with mine. I hardly even noticed when her arms encircled me and her naked breasts began to press against my chest. A strange, unfamiliar sensation was starting to pool in my gut.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she released my mouth, licking her lips enticingly. "Mmmm, Master tastes good."
WHAM!
Reality came crashing down on me in the form of Nanami's fist to my head. "Would you mind not doing that right in front of me?" she asked angrily.
"What are you hitting me for?" I protested. "She's the one who kissed me!"
"You're taking advantage of her!"
"I told you I'm not like that!"
"Um...excuse me?"
"What?" asked Nanami in a shouting voice, causing Miakn to take a step back.
"Did Mikan do something wrong?" I swear, she has a cute innocent-like face to die for. Talking in the third person was almost too much. Even Nanami's tomboyish rage was melting away under Mikan's apologetic gaze.
"Er...well..." Finding nothing to say, she whirled on me. "If she's staying with you, you're paying extra on your rent!"
I sighed but didn't say anything. It was only fair after all.
"And you had better keep your clothes on at all times unless you're bathing or sleeping," said Nanami to Mikan. "And don't move until you're dressed!" Mikan gave a small 'eep' before complying with Nanami's orders. Probably some sort of primal self-preservation instinct at work.
Nanami shot one last glare my way before throwing open my apartment door with a bang, and stomping out. Mikan and I were silent. Seconds later a cool breeze blew through my open door, clearing the glazed look from the cat-girl's face.
"Ah, I apologize if I came across too strong." I noticed that her tone had changed from cute and seductive to demure and innocent. I questioned the sudden shift.
"Are you okay Mikan?"
"I'm sorry, the heat was getting to me. Master smelled really good," she purred quietly.
"Ah...thanks I guess..." I trailed off awkwardly. "So where would you like to sleep then?"
Innocently, she glanced towards my futon.
"I don't think that's a good idea," I said quickly. "I'll sleep on the floor, I'm used to it."
"But Master-"
BANG!
I winced at the sound of the door being thrown against the wall again. "It was already open," I grumbled quietly.
"Here." Just in time, I turned around and caught a rolled up a futon and pillow.
"Thank you," I said sincerely.
Nanami rolled her eyes. "Just try and get some sleep tonight, pervert."
"I told you I'm not like that," I said weakly to her retreating back.
SLAM!
I winced again at the slammed door. She was angry. God knows why, not like I asked for this cat-girl to come live with me, it was that stupid cat-god's fault, or his wife's fault. Whatever. Point is, not my fault. I mean really, what was I supposed to do, leave her on the street?
"Master Ranma, is everything okay?" Mikan had noticed me losing myself in thought. I turned to look at her, now fully dressed.
My first thought was where on earth did Nanami get these clothes? Mikan was wearing a purple long sleeved dress, lined with white frills. If Mikan added an apron, it would easily pass as a maid's outfit. A small, innocent, cat-girl maid. Just how many fetishes was that rolled into one?
"Do you like it?" she asked suddenly, breaking me out of my thoughts.
"It's perfect for you," I said without realizing it.
Her smile seemed to light up the room. For a moment, I almost forgot she was part cat.
"Hey...hey, Ranma. Did meyou receive my gift okay?" An old yet familiar voice interrupted my sleep. A voice I'd hadn't heard for six years.
Slowly, I opened my eyes to see the white grinning face of the cat god, leaning over me eerily.
CAT!
Registering a threat, I shot up without warning, hitting the cat-god on the nose.
"Neeeooooowwww! That's the second time meyuve done that," he complained, rubbing his nose.
"What's wrong with you?" I'd noticed that the cat-god had come to my place of residence this time, so I kept my voice to a harsh whisper. "Do you want someone to see you?"
The white cat shook his head. "I only let people who I want to see see me. But seriously, did meyou get my gift alright?"
I scratched my head. "What gift, you mean Mikan? That's the gift your wife said she was going to give me for my sixteenth birthday?"
"Yep!" he said happily.
"Yeah, she came shoved in a box with very little air, no food, no water, laying where anyone with half a mind could have randomly picked her up. What the hell is wrong with you?" I shouted softly.
"Hey, I know the system isn't perfect, but meyou did get her right?" he asked sheepishly. "I'd like to see you try and transport someone between two different worlds."
I groaned, frustrated with his logic. "Why do you even need to ask me anyways, aren't you a god?"
The cat actually looked affronted at my question. "How rude! Of course I'm a god!"
I wonder sometimes. Maybe Mikan was smart to get out of his domain when she could.
"So did you get it?" he asked again.
I decided to humor him for the moment. "Yeah, she's sleeping in the living room right now."
The cat god looked relieved at the news. Reaching under his collar, he pulled out a receipt.
"Are you serious?"
"Of course. The gods have lots of paperwork to process. My secretary and accountant will get furious otherwise. Sign here please." He pushed the paper into my hands, along with a pen which he pulled from...never mind I don't want to know.
"Now hold on a second, I didn't exactly agree to this," I began cautiously. "I don't really think-"
My senses alerted me to the presence of another person right before Bast poofed into existence beside her husband. She was looking at me with something akin to worry on her face. "She can't go back Ranma," she said gently. "For her, this was a one way trip. Even if she could, she doesn't have anything to go back to."
I flinched as if I'd been struck. What Bast had said had hit a little too close to home for my liking. "She came here of her own free will?" I asked hesitantly.
"She was chosen to be your companion, maybe more if you let her," said Bast with a wink, causing my face to go red. "I've been in this business for a long time, I know how to pick em."
Sighing, I took the paper from the cat-god's paws. In the end, there really was no choice. I signed my name, Ranma Aoba. Officially, I'd never actually dropped my original last name, but for the sake of getting me into school and getting me a job, I had been moved to Nanami's family register a while back. Another favor added to the long list of things the Aobas had done for me.
"Umeow. Good. We had a little hitch, but we wrapped it up okay in the end," said the cat-god quickly, snatching the receipt from my hands.
My mind suddenly caught up with what he said. "A hitch?"
The white cat glanced around nervously. "Well uh...don't worry about the details. Everything has been taken care of."
Moving quickly, I grabbed the cat-god by the collar, bringing him right next to my face. "Something tells me that I shouldn't believe you," I said, teeth clenched.
"Umeow! I'm just a cat god! I don't know anything!" he pleaded.
"What the- that doesn't make any sense! What kind of a god are you?" I shook him a little, causing his oversized head to wobble around like a bobble-head.
Before I could threaten more physical violence though, I felt a soft hand touch my shoulder. "Now now Ranma," chided Bast gently. "It really is just a small problem and it's kind of my fault to begin with. We'll have it taken care of soon, okay?"
I grumbled, but dropped the cat-god anyways. "You're lucky your wife is so nice."
I stood up with the intention of moving towards the kitchen for some form of drink, but was stopped by Bast's hand still on my shoulder. "Ranma, look at me for a second," she requested softly.
Hesitating slightly, I turned around, making sure to keep my gaze focused on her feline-like face, rather than her skimpily dressed body. Slowly, I could feel myself turning just a little bit red, Mikan's kiss last night still fresh in my mind.
"My my, he's made great progress already," said Bast approvingly, releasing my shoulder. Turning to the cat-god, she gave him a small smile. "See? I told you this idea would work."
The cat-god rolled his eyes. "Yes yes, now lets go before the other humans start waking up, shall we?" Jumping onto his wife's shoulder, the cat-god flared his energy, causing a blue portal to appear behind him. Before stepping through, the cat sent me a parting grin that sent shivers up my spine. "Good luck kid. You'll need it." And then they were gone, some white and gold cat hairs on the ground the only evidence they'd ever been there.
"I guess even a god has to shed," I thought humorously. Wearily, I flopped back down onto my futon, staring at the ceiling, remembering the cat-god's parting words. "Ugh, I hate foreshadowing."
A/N: There you go. Chapter two. Hoped you enjoyed it. Things are really going to start picking up in the next few chapters now that the set pieces are in place.
