Disclaimer: I do not own The Cats Return in any way, shape or form. Though when I get a cat of my own it's going to be a sleek orange one named Baron. I would give him Baron's full title but I don't think it will fit on his collar tags. I do own the plot though so please don't steal or accuse me of stealing.
Author's Note: I was kinda disappointed after I finished watching The Cat's Return to find such a small fan fiction section for the movie when every other Miyazaki film has such large forums of its own. I'm glad almost every story is based on Haru and Baron's relationship though. That was the main reason I started looking for fan fiction, the ending was lacking the romance a G- rated film for children could give us older Miyazaki fans. So I decided to write my own and maybe encourage more readers to write Cat's Return stories to make the forum size grow. I'll start off with this one short piece and see where things go from here. Enjoy.
Story Note: This starts right after Muta launches Haru up onto the tower staircase so she can reach the exit while Baron , Muta and Prince Lune distract the Cat King. This is also the shortest chapter i've ever written in my life. The next one will be longer I promise.
" Go ahead Haru i'll catch up." Baron reassured her and then turned to the fight to keep the Cat King from following Haru up the tower. She didn't want to leave Muta or Baron to deal with this alone. But she wouldn't be able to run down and help them then back up to the exit to make any of this worth all the trouble the Cat Bureau had gone to already.
The tower seemed to go on forever as Haru ran up the stairs while Muta and Baron distracted the Cat King and his guards. All for me, why go to all this trouble for someone like me? Haru stopped her descent and looked down, at the same time Baron looked up and their eyes met. The battle between Prince Lune and the Cat Kings guards raged on around the cat doll while he stared up at Haru with an expression that made her heart do a back flip.
A sudden sensation ran through Haru's cheeks and she reached up to find that her face now had a cats defined shape. It was the only thing she had been lacking, until now Haru had still had her human facial features to tell her apart from the other cats. Now Haru was a full cat and she had perhaps a few minutes left before it was permanent. She looked down at Baron in panic and he noticed the final change.
" Get to the exit Haru!" He yelled and she reacted immediately as Baron made his way up the stairs to meet up with her. The exit was a few steps away and Haru took them in one large jump as if it were a sprinting race. She lifted herself on the top of the tower and let a sigh of relief, she'd made it. Haru felt herself change back moments after she climbed through the towers exit. In comparison the ledge she was standing on became much smaller. She screamed.
" Haru!"
Baron? Haru looked down to see the cat racing up the staircase in a rush to reach her in time.
" I'm coming Haru, hold on!"
Haru heard his panic and in her mind replayed the look on his face moments ago. That sadness.
A strong wind reminded Haru where she and she screamed, her footing began to slip. There was hundreds of feet between her and the city below with no where safe to land. Haru was sure now that she wouldn't survive this one and only adventure. It was either become a cat or die trying to escape that fate. Now was the time to make that leap of faith. All she had to do was to pick one of them.
Faces of the ones she loved flashed before her, the ones she'd never see again whether she died or became a cat. Among all this one thing repeated in her mind frantically and that one thing helped her decide. I'll never see Baron again if I die.
That one thought caused Haru to move forward and her feet to slip into instead of off the tower. Haru held her breath and hoped for a good landing
A few stories below the exit Baron gasped , his eyes widening in horror as he saw Haru come plummeting back down from the top. She shrank back down to cat size and her features were changing rapidly as she fell. But Baron only noticed that she was free falling ten stories without anyone to catch her.
Baron didn't think, he just leapt. Hat and cane clattered forgotten on the stairs and he attempted to snatch her out of the air and land on the other side of the tower to safety. At least that was the plan. Instead they collided in mid air and Haru wrapped herself around Baron instinctively as they continued to fall together.
Author's Note: What do you think so far:grins: So I left you guys with a cliffhanger. And am I the only one who's started in the middle of the movie? I think the decision Haru has to make is the best time to play with the story line. I need some feedback before I continue. I love this story so much that this story is so easy to write I need some reviews before I can tell if I should continue though. So please read and review.