Summary: Lanzhu is walking back home when she finds a group of boys cornering a small black cat with the intention of hurting it. After saving the kitten, Lanzhu will find what mysteries said black cat entails.
Shioriko/Lanzhu

Author's note:

Shioriko is a nekomata in this one.

Nekomatas were usually yokai cats with two tails that took revenge on humans who had been mistreated them, leading them to cause fires or killing them.

Due to these beliefs, sometimes cats' tails were cut off so they couldn't become a nekomata.

So basically this mini is inspired in that :3

I came for you

A heavy sigh escapes her lips, getting lost in the cold air while mixing with the constant pitter-patter of the rain falling and the splashing of her shoes as she walks through the silent streets on her way back home.

And yet Lanzhu can't help but click her tongue, gazing at the grey cloudy sky from under the shelter of her pink umbrella, seeing it matching with her gloomy demeanor.

The pink haired girl basks in such a peacefully melancholic atmosphere, trying to let the rain wash away the bitter feeling heaving on her chest after another day at classes feeling out of place, misunderstood by her apparently abrasive personality, before a slight commotion breaks the silence reigning over.

Curious about the yelling she hears from afar, the pink haired girl resumes her walking and turns a corner to find a group of three boys a couple of years younger than her cornering a black cat against a wall.

- Trap it! We can't let it escape!

She hears one of them commanding the other two boys who quickly crouch down to trap the kitty in between their arms. But much to their disappointment, the small animal scratches them.

- Argh, it clawed me!

One of the boys complains holding his arm while the other two block the cat's path preventing it from escaping.

- Come on, we need to cut off its tail!

The one that seems to be the group's leader says with a grunt, and Lanzhu can't help but gasp at such barbaric thing, walking towards them as she begins to lower her umbrella.

- Leave it alone!

She yells, seeing the boys looking at her shocked while holding the black cat by its long tail and while the animal hisses at them trying to scratch them to escape from their hold. In a quick move, Lanzhu closes her umbrella and lunges at them to hit them with it not caring in the slightest if the strength of her hits breaks it until the boys finally release the poor animal.

- Arhg stop! Stop!

They yell, raising their arms in a futile attempt to protect themselves from the ire and strength of the hits of her umbrella, before they decide to run away.

- We will come tomorrow for that stupid cat.

She hears the leader saying defeated, seeing them getting lost in the distance and in between the curtain of pouring rain, before she opens her badly damaged umbrella and steps under its shelter, holding it tightly as she kneels in front of the small terrified black cat.

- Don't worry little one, I won't hurt you.

She says softly, sheltering the kitty under her umbrella as she raises her free hand to pet the animal.

She lets her hand linger in the air for a moment, seeing the black cat's crimson eyes looking at her, piercing her soul with just a mere gaze as it shows its fangs defiant, hissing at her, before calming down and getting closer to her hand tentatively.

With an encouraging smile, the little animal lets Lanzhu rest her hand over its wet fur, stroking it softly as she coos.

- Don't worry, you're safe.

She reassures the kitty, feeling it nuzzling the palm of her hand as it lets out a soft meow.

- Now, do you want to come home with me so you can get dry?

She asks the small cat ever so softly, a smile never leaving her lips as she finds herself once again under the scrutiny of those mesmerizing and piercing crimson eyes.

Meow

The black cat meows in return, making the pink haired girl's smile widen, before she carefully takes the small animal in her arms and hides it inside her red jacket to prevent it from keep getting wet.

- Let's go home then. But first, let's buy you some food.

Lanzhu tells the black cat, gesturing it to be quiet and stay hidden inside her red jacket as she enters a 7-Eleven to buy some cat food and pay for it, before finally going back home.

As soon as Lanzhu opens the door, silence greets them, making her dwell on the loneliness and coldness of coming back to the empty apartment in where she lives alone while her parents are away in Hong Kong, before the quiet meow from her new companion breaks it, feeling the small cat nuzzling her chin.

- Right, food and drying out.

She giggles, placing the black cat on the floor as she walks to the kitchen to put its food in a bowl under the impassive scrutiny of its crimson eyes.

Lanzhu can't help but brush its soft fur while the cat eats, noticing how shiny, soft and well cared of feels despite being a stray cat, before she finds herself getting lost in its feline eyes and the mysteries they seem to entail.

A heavy sigh escapes her lips as she wakes up the following morning with the sun fighting to shine upon some clouds, before she turns to look at the peaceful black cat sleeping beside her queen size bed, curled up on its own body and her red jacket on the floor.

A smile draws on her face as she gets out of bed and kneels to press a soft kiss on its head.

- Stay, Shioneko.

It's all she tells the black cat softly, smiling at the name she gave it while hearing the small animal purring in its sleep, before she gets ready to go to classes, not without leaving some food and water for her new companion hoping it really stays with her.

Hours seem to go by endlessly before the final bell rings and Lanzhu is finally free to go back home with the hope that her new and furry friend had decided to stay and keep her some company, not feeling cold and alone anymore but warm beside the small animal.

But on her way back home, her path is blocked by the same group of boys from the previous day, an angry look sporting on their faces as they wield their bats and a small knife in the air.

- Where is it?

They ask her menacingly, hitting the bats against the palm of their hands to emphasize their words.

- I don't know what you're talking about.

- Don't play dumb with us, girl. Where's the black cat from yesterday? – they ask her again, and Lanzhu can't help but gulp terrified.

- I-I don't know…

- We need to cut off its tail before it turns into a menace and brings death to the neighborhood.

The leader says and Lanzhu then realizes about their fixation to cut off the poor cat's tail to prevent it from becoming a nekomata that causes deaths like old myths narrate.

The pink haired girl can only bite her lip terrified for the savages in front of her and their stupid beliefs, stepping back as they keep moving forward intimidating her with their weapons to oblige her to finally confess where is the black cat, when suddenly a ball of fire goes right past her to set the bin next to the group of boys on fire.

- What the…

She hears the boys saying gobsmacked, before a small figure jumps in front of her.

- Leave her alone.

A deep voice says, before she sees a raven haired girl around her age in front of her, noticing the black baggy pants and the familiar red jacket she's wearing.

- Or what? – the leader says cocky, and Lanzhu can see the raven haired girl grinning, one of her fangs showing.

- Or I'll make you pay for it.

The petite girl lowers her voice menacingly as a ball of fire emanate from her hand and before she throws it to the group of boys that jump out of the way a couple of seconds before the floor in front of them it's set on fire.

A terrified squeak escapes their lips as they drop their weapons and start to run away as quickly as their legs allow them.

Lanzhu can't help but stare at the crackling fire in amazement, before her blue eyes find themselves getting lost in a pair of crimson eyes, feeling such a mesmerizing gaze piercing through her soul sending shivers down her spine.

- Are you okay? – the raven haired girl asks, to what Lanzhu can only nod dumbfounded, blushing as the petite girl grins showing her fangs.

- Shio… neko? Is that… W-what are you? ... What are you doing here?

Lanzhu stammers, perplexed at how the petite raven haired girl in front of her resembles to the black cat she saved the previous day, not truly believing it could be the same animal turned into a human. The other girl can only smile softly in return and at her skepticism.

- I came for you.

The raven haired girl simply says, walking closer to the pink haired girl who then notices why the clothes other girl is wearing looked so awfully familiar, smiling widely.

As the nekomata notices this, Shioriko (or also called Shioneko) can't help but let out a chuckle.

- Sorry for stealing your clothes, I didn't have anything else to put on.

- It's okay! They… they actually look better on you.

Lanzhu comments while blushing, hearing the nekomata chuckling once more, before taking the pink haired girl's cold hand in her warm one.

- Let's go back home.

Shioriko says softly, pulling Lanzhu with her so they can talk at the pink haired girl's apartment about everything, unraveling the nekomata's mysteries.