A/N – I recently watched A Cat Returns for the first time and it captured my imagination the way few things do. I, of course, had to write a short story for it. Had to. I amazed myself when I wrote the entire thing in a single setting. I tried to keep it as much in the same light-hearted feeling as the original movie – many of the fanfics for A Cat Returns are extremely dark and angst filled and I wanted to go another way.

This does have a cross over with another Studio Ghibli film – but knowledge of it isn't needed, it will only enhance the story I'm writing.

Thanks, as always for reading. I hope you enjoy. PS - the first chapter is very short. The entire story will probably be three chapters total and this is just a happy tease.

~.~

A Cat's Repayment

Sunlight shone through the kitchen window, warming the backside of a certain girl as she thoughtfully bent forward in her chair. Even after her best effort, the paper before her was only half finished and looked doomed to remain that way.

With a sigh, Haru sat back in her chair and stretched. Homework wasn't all that bad but trying to sit indoors on what was probably the loveliest day of the year – that was just unfair.

"Bored." She whimpered, pushing the paper around with the tip of her pencil. "Bored, bored, bored! Agh! I can't take it anymore."

Stopping only long enough to tug on her shoes and yell "Mom, I'm heading out for a bit!" (Which came the muffled replay from upstairs of, "Don't you have homework?") Haru rushed out the door and in to the fresh, early morning air.

It was amazing how utterly full of promise a day could be, if one was trying their best not to do homework. Now that she thought about it, there were at least forty things Haru absolutely had to do that very moment. And in no way she should feel even the slightest bit guilty about not doing her homework right away.

"After all," she reassured herself, "It's not like I can't do it tonight."

Which of course would turn out to be an utter lie because a single left turn from then, Haru's life would get complicated.