AN: For those readers familiar with how I release chapters in relation to how much I've written and typed up, I'll reveal to you that I didn't release the first chapter of this story until I finished the writing portion. As for typing them all up, I'm working on the final chapter right now. So, you can be assured that I'll be completely finished by the time I release Chapter Three. I also already know what my next story will be after this one. I'll wait until the release of the final chapter to reveal what it is to those of you reading. Anyway, here comes the empath, as this chapter's title shows.

Ch 2: The Empath Arrives

Haru leaves the guest room to find Baron at his desk looking over paperwork. "Morning, everybody."

The feline Creation looks up. "Good morning, Haru."

"Sleep well?" Toto asks from his perch.

The human looks up at the crow gargoyle and nods. "Like a log."

The front door opens and a fat white cat with one brown ear enters. The cat known to the others as Muta, a mortal cat whose lifespan was extended beyond its normal capacity because of him essentially living at the Sanctuary, looks the type of grumpy the others know means he feels hungry. "Baron! Where's the angel food cake?!"

"Where it always is, Muta," the feline Creation informs the fat cat without taking his eyes off his paperwork.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Haru asks Muta as he's passing her.

"What?" the fat cat asks the human. "I like my angel food cake."

"And it shows," Toto points out in reference to the cat's body.

Muta glares at the crow. "Watch it, Birdbrain!"

"Or what you giant marshmallow?"

"Come down here and say that to my face, Chicken!"

Toto spreads out his wings. "I'll show you the difference between a crow and a chicken, Fatso!"

Baron stands up. "Take it outside!"

The crow and the fat cat pause, both remembering how upset the feline Creation was last time they fought in there and broke something.

Muta turns to the front door. "Let's go, Feathers."

Toto faces the open window. "Time for me to kick your tail, Catnip Breath." He flies out of the building.

The fat cat opens the door and looks up at where the crow is now flapping and waiting for him. "I'll tear you to shreds, Birdbrain!"

"At least I have a brain to remember things I've already said!"

Muta's response is muffled by the door closing behind him.

Haru sighs over the pair's antics. "I should get breakfast in quick. I need to get home so I can help Mom with setting out for her quilting convention."

Baron sits down and returns to his paperwork. "I would not recommend the tea. Today's cup was hardly fit for consumption."

The brunette turns to the feline Creation. "Baron, what's wrong?"

The tawny cat looks up. "What do you mean?"

"I know your blend never tastes the same twice, but I've noticed a pattern through all the years I've known you."

"And what pattern would that be?"

"That the tea you make tends to taste bad when you're unhappy in some way. It's almost sour when you're angry, bitter when you're sad, and everything in between."

Baron stares at Haru a moment before looking back down at his paperwork. "Haru, allow me to assure you that I'm quite alright."

The human girl frowns, knowing this is a lie from his defensive tone. "Baron, don't. I'm your friend." She approaches the desk. "You don't have to hide anything from me. I'm here for you no matter what."

The feline Creation almost flinches at that choice of words. 'Oh, Haru. You're one of the most selfless and loving people I've ever met. I, on the other hand, am selfish. Here is a perfect opportunity to send you away for your own safety, yet…my mind is searching for any excuse that it can to put it off. How I dread the thought of you no longer being here. How I fear the amount of emotional pain this discussion will cause you.' Baron looks up at Haru across from him…and gets lost in her brown eyes. 'How at ease and at home I feel when I look in your beautiful eyes.' Recalling the visions where the brunette dies though, the feline Creation steels himself. "Haru…I…" His ears suddenly twitch and he looks out the front window.

"What is it?" the human woman asks while following his gaze.

"Someone or something is coming." Baron gets up and heads for the door.

"How could you tell?" Haru asks as she follows him.

"I can sense unfamiliar magic in the air." The tawny cat grabs his jacket. "As Creations, Toto and I can detect magic with ease."

"Is it friendly or dangerous?"

Baron puts his top hat on his head. "Unknown at this time." He grabs his cane and opens the door.

Muta can be seen glaring up at Toto perched on his pillar. "You get down here! We ain't finished you buzzard!"

"Not now!" the crow gargoyle shouts back while looking around. "There's something on its way here!"

"Yeah right! You just didn't want to lose!"

"He's telling the truth, Muta," Baron states as he approaches with Haru close behind.

The fat cat grunts. Then, his ears twitch too. "Now I'm feeling it."

The four members of the Cat Bureau look around for the source (though Haru can't really feel the magic).

"Above us," Baron informs the brunette as he, Toto, and Muta look up.

Haru follows their gazes just as a portal opens up not far above them in the air. Even she can feel the magic now.

Baron, Toto, and Muta all take defensive stances as a precaution.

This is when someone can be seen falling from the portal, a scream accompanying them. They hit the ground before anyone can move to do anything.

The portal vanishes.

Baron, Haru, and Muta all move to check on the fallen visitor.

The being slowly sits up. "Ow." He rubs the back of his head. "That hurt."

All four members of the Cat Bureau stare in shock at the new arrival.

Baron is the most confused of all of them. "A fellow feline Creation."

The unexpected visitor is indeed a Creation with a look very similar to Baron's. His fur's light brown, he's wearing a red argyle sweater vest over a white shirt, tan pants, and black shoes. The unknown Creation finally opens his eyes, revealing they're a shade of brown no ordinary cat could ever have. Finally noticing everyone around him, the Creation is left stunned.

"Welcome. I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, leader of the Car Bureau. What is your purpose here, Sir?"

The other feline Creation just stares.

"He asked you a question," Toto points out from his place on top of the pillar.

Still, the stranger doesn't respond.

Muta steps forward. "Maybe I should beat some manners into this twerp."

"Stop!" Haru shouts before placing herself between the fat cat and the unknown Creation. "He's obviously freaking out! Pressuring him won't help!" The brunette turns and smiles at the brown furred tom, getting down to her knees so they can be eye to eye. "Hi. I'm Haru Yoshioka, a member of the Cat Bureau. What's your name?"

The brown eyed cat Creation blinks. "Uh…I'm William."

"Just William?"

"It's…the only name I can provide."

Haru nods before standing up and offering a hand to William.

The brown cat Creation takes her hand and stands, revealing he's almost as tall as Baron.

The tawny cat stares at the two holding hands and smiling. He feels sudden irritation.

One of William's ears twitches and he glances at Baron.

Haru, not noticing anything off, gestures to the others. "These two are Muta and Toto."

William looks away from Baron and nods to the crow and the fat cat. "A pleasure. Now, to answer the earlier question, my arrival was an accident. I never intended to be here."

Haru checks the back of the brown cat Creation's head. "That fall must have hurt a lot."

Baron stiffens seeing the brunette practically fussing over William.

One of the brown eyed feline Creation's ears twitches again and he looks over at the other cat Creation. "It didn't last long. I'm alright now."

Toto adjusts his position on top of the pillar. "I'm assuming you'd like to go back where you came from?"

"Absolutely. I have a family to get back to."

"I didn't think Creations could have families," says Muta.

Just as William flinches, Toto chips in. "If an artisan makes a whole set of Creations and imagines them as a family unit, then they'll see each other that way."

Not noticing the brown feline's sigh of relief, Haru smiles at William. "So, there's a wife and kids for you to get back to?"

Baron finds himself hoping this to be the case.

William nervously chuckles. "No, not yet. I have a little brother, a little sister, and…our parents."

Toto tilts his head in confusion.

"Where are you from?" Muta asks the sweater vest wearing Creation.

William stares at the fat cat, then puts on a smile. "You know, I'm in need of a drink after what I've been through. Perhaps tea?"

All three males can tell this was an attempt to avoid the question.

Haru doesn't notice this at all. "A perfect choice." She beams at the Cat Bureau's leader. "Baron makes the best tea ever.

The tawny feline feels his cheeks warm up. "I don't believe I could make that claim. As it's my own personal blend, I can't guarantee the taste of it will be to your liking." Distracted by Haru's praise, Baron forgets William's blatant question dodging and starts making his way to the Cat Bureau's headquarters. "Still, it can't hurt to try."

Haru takes the brown cat Creation's hand. "Come on."

William smiles. "If you insist."

Baron happens to look back and see the two smiling and holding hands again. A surge of anger and possessiveness goes through him.

Once more, one of William's ears twitch and he turns to Baron.

This time, Haru notices and follows his gaze.

Self conscious and embarrassed at the brunette looking at him, Baron walks swiftly to the Cat Bureau's headquarters. "I shall make the tea."

As Haru and William warily follow, Toto and Muta glance at each other. They both know Baron is getting very jealous and that it could become a problem. The fat cat follows after all the others while the crow gargoyle soars to his designated window.

Baron enters his home just as Toto reaches his perch, a scowl on the tawny cat Creation's face as he gets to work on the tea.

William holds the door open for Haru to step through, then has to wait as Muta forces his way in next. The brown eyed cat Creation steps inside, his ears twitching as he does. "Uh oh."

At the same time, Baron's ears also twitch and Toto's feathers puff up.

"Haru, get away from him!" the crow shouts to the human woman.

"What?" the brunette asks feeling confused.

Baron pulls his sword from his cane. "Muta!"

The fat cat grabs Haru and backs away from William.

Baron rushes over and points his sword in the face of the other feline Creation. "Who are you?! No avoiding the question this time!"

"What's going on?!" Haru asks the others.

Toto keeps his eyes on William. "Remember how we told you the Sanctuary is basically alive?"

"Yeah?"

"Our headquarters just now reacted," Baron reveals while keeping his eyes and his sword pointed at William. "It recognized our guest here as the leader of the Cat Bureau."

"But you're the leader. How's that possible?"

"That's what I wish to know."

William sighs. "I didn't realize this place wouldn't be bound by the laws of time."

"Laws of time? What do you mean?"

The brown eyed cat Creation looks at the other feline Creation. "I'm from the future."

Everyone stares at William.

"The future?" Toto repeats.

"You expect us to believe something stupid like that?" asks Muta.

Haru steps forward. "How far into the future?"

"What's today's date?" asks William.

Baron gives the day, month, and year.

"Then I'm from exactly twenty five years into the future."

"On whose authority were you named leader of the Cat Bureau?"

William hesitates.

Baron glares at the other feline Creation. "I require an answer from you. Otherwise, I'll assume you to have taken leadership by force and I'll have to take action against you."

William sighs. "You named me leader."

Baron is more shocked by this answer than anyone else. "I did?"

"You claimed I was the best candidate for succeeding you." William frowns and looks at his own feet. "Honestly, I don't understand what you saw in me."

The tawny cat finally puts away his sword. "If I truly did choose you to succeed me, then it must have been something you have yet to acknowledge in yourself. I'll finish making the tea and we'll discuss how we proceed from here."

Not long after, everyone is sitting down (except Toto who's still on his perch).

Muta is gorging on the angel food cake, but also watching the two cat Creations.

Baron and William are sitting directly across from each other, the both of them sipping at their tea (this batch tastes better than the one from earlier that morning).

The fat cat sees something odd. 'Why does the way they're sitting and the way they drink their boiled grass look so…similar?'

Haru is eating her own breakfast since she has to go soon to help her mother leave for her quilting convention.

Baron sets his tea down. "Now then, Mr William, what was it that brought your here?"

The other cat Creation flinches before placing his own cup down. "Uh…"

"You have to tell us," says Toto. "If you want our help, we need to be aware how you got here."

William twiddles his thumbs. "I…experimented with…time magic."

Baron jumps to his feet. "You experimented with time magic?! Were you never told how dangerous that is?!"

"I was curious!"

Muta chuckles. "You know what they say about cats and curiosity."

Haru swallows the food she's currently eating. "Do we have to worry about William here running into his past self? I'm assuming that would be bad."

Baron smiles at the brunette. "You assume correctly, Haru. William cannot leave or else risk altering the future."

The brown eyed feline Creation nods. "Even if I did leave this place, that wouldn't be an issue. I haven't been…" He pauses as if to think over what to say next. "…created yet."

"How old are you?" asks Haru.

"Twenty four."

As the brunette gets up to dispose of her trash, Toto shifts on his perch. "That's young by Creation standards."

Baron takes time to think things over. "Despite the risks involved, the only way to return young Mr William to his own time is to look into time magic myself."

"What?!" asks the other three members of the Cat Bureau.

"You said it was dangerous!" Haru reminds Baron.

"You wanna blast us through time too?!" asks Muta.

"I'm completely against this!" shouts Toto.

"Do any of you have a better solution to offer?!" Baron asks the others. Silence being the only response he gets, the tawny cat Creation continues. "We cannot force Mr William to remain a prisoner in our time. Let us also not forget that we are the Cat Bureau. It is our job description and in our very nature to help." He glances at Muta. "Some more reluctantly than others."

Toto snickers. "He's right about that. You complain all the time because you'd rather be our constant freeloader."

The fat cat growls at the crow. "Oh yeah? Who here can kick tail as good as I can?"

Baron turns to William. "I intend to send you home. However, unlike your attempt with time magic, I am not going to recklessly experiment. I shall thoroughly research all the available material on the subject of time magic and take every precaution to avoid an accident like yours."

The young Creation smiles. "Thank you."

Haru walks over. "Baron, I know you'll be able to do this."

The tawny feline smiles at the brunette. "I am grateful for your faith in me."

Haru goes over to William. "I have to go help my mom, but I'll be back later to help you in any way I can. If you're already gone by then, then I'll say it was nice meeting you."

The brown eyed cat man smiles. "And you have been delightful."

Baron feels irked by that choice of words.

One of William's ears twitches again, but he doesn't turn to the other feline Creation this time.

Haru heads for the door. "I have to go. Bye, guys."

Everyone waves as the brunette leaves.

William waits until Haru goes through the archway back into the Human World before he turns to Baron. "Sir, I need to clear any confusion right now. I have no romantic interest in her."

The others are completely unprepared for this sudden statement.

Baron blinks a few times. "I should hope not. As a being from the future, it is more than inappropriate for you to have a relationship with a woman of this time."

"I just wanted to assure you that you have no reason to be jealous."

The tawny cat stiffens. "J-jealous?! I…haven't the slightest idea where you would even conceive of such a notion! The nerve!"

"You literally can't hide the truth from me. I'm an empath."

Toto and Baron both stare in shock at the young Creation.

"What's that?" asks Muta.

"It's someone who can sense the emotions of others," Toto answers with concern evident.

As the fat cat comprehends what this means, he starts laughing. "I knew it, Baron! I just knew you were crazy for Chicky!"

The tawny cat Creation sighs at Muta's nickname for Haru. "I am promised to Louise."

William's eyes find the portrait on the wall. "Is that her?"

Following the young Creation's gaze, Baron nods.

"Where is she?"

"That is none of your concern."

Muta smirks. "She left him to find her own way."

Baron glares at the fat cat. "Traitor."

William looks at the other feline Creation with pity. "Why hold onto a past that won't be coming back and let a wonderful future with Haru, a woman who clearly loves you, slip away?"

Baron is furious. "None of this is relevant! She won't be here with us much longer!"

"What?" both William and Muta asks.

Toto nods at his old friend's revelation. "Baron has been having bad visions the past few nights."

The white suit wearing Creation frowns. "In them, Haru falls off of a cliff to her death. I cannot allow such a fate to become reality. So, for her own safety, Haru shall no longer be one of us."

"NO!" William screams out.

Toto glares at the young Creation. "I'm sorry if you've become fond of her, but this is for the best."

"You can't do this!"

Baron frowns. "I'm afraid you have no say in the matter."

William is momentarily panicked, but then he thinks of something that makes him smirk. "Fine. In that case, I'm leaving."

The others gawk at the young Creation as he heads for the door.

"You can't do that!" Toto shouts at William.

The brown eyed cat Creation looks back with a smile. "Why not?"

Baron clutches his can. "You know leaving could put the future that you're familiar with at risk."

"I've suddenly decided I no longer care."

With that, the tawny cat Creation pulls out his sword and charges.

William immediately slips a pair of knives out from his sleeves. He uses both of them to deflect the sword's strike before going in and grabbing the sword from his opponent's hand by its handle. The brown cat Creation sticks the sword into the wall and points his knives at the others to keep them from approaching.

Muta's completely shocked by this outcome. "And since when have Baron and his sword ever lost?"

"Since never," answers an equally stunned Toto.

Baron stares at the younger feline Creation. "I'm assuming I was the one who taught you to duel."

"You were," William responds with a nod. "I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't want it to come to this, but I can't let you send Haru away."

"What?!" an enraged Baron asks.

"Didn't you hear about the visions of her death?!" asks Toto.

William nods. "I did. She still has to stay."

"Would you mind explaining why?"

"That I can't do."

A suspicion enters Baron's mind and fury starts growing inside. Before he can even think to act on it though, one of William's knives is pointed right at his chin.

"With how angry I could sense you were getting, I can bet you were assuming one of two things. Either I'm actually wanting the outcome of your visions to come true or I really do want Haru for myself. Sir, I've already told you I'm not interested in her. As for the other one, Haru's the most comforting presence here. I'd never want her to be hurt."

"Then why put her at risk?!" Baron demands William to answer.

"Again, I can't tell you. I know I won't be able to do a thing once I've been sent back to my own time, but let's make this one agreement. You let Haru stay while I'm still around and I'll keep from making myself a problem for all of you. Deal?"

Baron scowls. "Very well. You win."

William slips the knives back up his sleeves, takes the sword out from the wall, and gives it back to Baron. "Now then, should we start looking into how to send me home?"

The tawny cat Creation puts the sword back in his cane. "I'm afraid that my lack of sleep from last night has caught up to me after our brief and astonishingly one sided match. I must go into my wooden state and rest to recover." He heads over to the front window. "We have to save looking into sending you home for afterwards."

"You know, I'm actually really tired after everything too. Mind if I join you?"

Baron glances at William with annoyance before stepping a little to the side. "Go ahead."

"Thank you." The younger feline Creation places himself beside the other one, clasps his hands together, and changes to wood along with Baron.

Toto spreads his wings. "Guess I'll go look for mulberries." The crow gargoyle flies out of the building.

Muta decides to head for the Human World and see if he can't get hand outs from people at the Crossroads. As he exits the Bureau though, the fat cat can't help but think about their new guest. 'That guy's weird. So many things about him scream at me to take notice. Why?' Taking a look back, Muta can see Baron and William standing side by side in the front window. The two so close to each other in their wooden forms, the fat cat suddenly realizes the truth and laughs at the craziness of it. 'This is priceless! Bet the birdbrain doesn't even know! That makes this that much better!' Muta leaves, smirking at his discovery.

AN: So, who is this mysterious William really? What's the secret of his that Muta was able to figure out? As I've requested in the first chapter, please don't give away anything if you can guess. Next time, the Cat Bureau will be faced with the mystery that represents the second half of this story's title. The third chapter to come on Wednesday!