Prologue

VI

The first time she met him, she was being cornered by a trio of men behind her parent's house. He had swooped in -literally, as it was, since he had been flying by in his nekomata form- and kicked one of the men in the head, sending him sprawling to the ground. With a fierce growl, the large spirit-cat had thrown the remaining men away from her crying form, and leaned down to sniff her ear, purring quietly. She, a girl of only fifteen at the time, had thrown her arms around the large feline, only to yelp when they went right through it.

"It takes a lot of energy to manifest here, and without offerings, I'm afraid you won't be able to touch me," the cat had stated, sitting back on its haunches as it began to groom its impeccable black fur.

It blinked when a half eaten granola bar was hesitantly offered to it, golden eyes staring down at the small human in amusement. With a delicate, very cat-like sniff, it took a hesitant bite. Finding the meal acceptable, it devoured the rest quickly. True to it's word, soft, silky fur met her finger tips the next time she reached for it.

"I am called Minareru. I suppose I shall stay with you for a little while," the large cat had announced, glancing at the men behind it in disdain, before it began to shrink, taking on the form of a normal house cat.

"Papa's allergic to cats," the teen sniffled as it jumped into her arms, purring contently.

"Then I guess I'll just make sure he doesn't see me," it gave her a cat grin.

VI

"Ne, 'Ru, you came from the spirit world, right?" Chihiro asked a few weeks later, voice still quiet and hesitant after her encounter with the men.

"I can be there, or here. I prefer here though," the sleek cat stretched lazily as it eyed her curiously, long body winding its way about her feet.

"Have...have you ever been to Yubaba's Bathhouse?" she asked softly, trailing a hand through her visitor's fur gently.

"Yubaba's you say? I thought you had the scent of a spirited one...you were lucky to come back! ...nonetheless, only those with invitations get into Yubaba's. A lone Bakeneko like myself doesn't really warrant an invitation like that," Minareru said quietly, ears flat as he looked up at her, tail twitching.

"Oh," the teen murmured in clear disappointment, before curling up in her bed.

He would wait a few more months before he got the full story from her, persistent, curious spirit that he was.

VI

"I have decided," Minareru announced one night.

One very late night. Chihiro groaned as the cat jumped once more on her stomach, insistently demanding her attention.

"'ided what 'Ru?" she mumbled, blinking teary eyes at her friend.

"I shall become you're familiar! You are much too danger prone to be left alone in this world!" the cat declared, chest puffed out as he stared down at the sleepy human haughtily.

"Can we talk about this in the mornin'?" Chihiro murmured, flopping back into her pillow and pulling the covers over her head, unseating the prissy neko standing on her stomach.

With a flare of energy, the Bakeneko stood above her, fangs gleaming in the moonlight as a large paw pulled the covers back, revealing the sleeping human girl below him. A gusty sigh left him, before he licked up her cheek slowly, smiling at the small shriek that left the girl.

"Get off fluffy butt!" the human let out an impressive growl, if the cat did say so himself.

"You will make a good little bonded," he smirked down at her, before settling down beside her for a nap.

"...you're so weird!"

VI

"Neh, 'Mistress', do you think you could give me one of those baths you love so much?"

Chihiro blinked down at her self-proclaimed 'familiar', raising a brow in surprise. She didn't point out the obvious, smiling at him in bemusement. The cat huffed in irritation at the almost-a-young-woman.

"Bath. Naow."

The girl shook her head in amusement as she prepared the bath, wondering how the spirit was going to react to the normal bath water of her world. She jumped a little when the cat was suddenly sitting on the edge of the tub, dipping his paw into the water.

"Bubbles," he demanded, before jumping away and vanishing into the other room.

Chihiro was grateful he had picked a time when her parents were out of the house to demand the bath, thinking that, they would definitely think her odd for preparing a bath for 'her imaginary friend', as her father had taken to claiming. After saying that the bath was sufficiently sudsy, the cat jumped into the water, immersing himself completely. She was just getting a little nervous when he surfaced a few moments later, causing her to sigh in relief. Only to noticed that it was not in fact, a cat that emerged from the suds, but a rather handsome, rather naked man.

VI

"Sometimes I think Haku is never coming for me..."

Minareru looked up from where he'd been fiddling with a string from Chihiro's latest project, a soft, knitted item she claimed would be sweater when she was done. Setting his 'toy' aside, he padded to the eighteen year old quietly, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders gently. Long black hair brushed against her chest as he leaned down to nuzzle her ear.

"Dragons are extremely territorial creatures. I highly doubt he will let just a few years separate you Mistress," the cat spirit said quietly, purring soothingly as his lips brushed her neck.

"And if I were to find Haku once more, and we were to be...together...what would happen later? When I grow old and die? Where would he be then?" the cat's ears atop his head flattened, and he scowled down at his little mistress.

"And where will I be when the inevitable happens. Nobody can know the future...it's not that set in stone," he replied quietly.

VI

She was lonely. He could tell that much easily, seeing as he had been with her for five years. And yet she spurned his more suggestive advances. She allowed small things, nuzzles, hugs, but whenever he did something which aroused her, she would pull away as though burned. He heard her whimpers at night, calling out the name that had plagued her since she was a child. Minareru fingered the small, hand-painted picture of a male that sat on her desk, as though a shrine. His little mistress was more talented than she believed, and with the visual before him, the cat made up his mind.

Weaving the illusion itself was a simple task, one that didn't even begin to tap into his vast reserves of energy. However, as he sat in the desk chair and waited for his bonded to come upstairs to the bedroom, he began to play with the necklace about his throat, a collar of sorts that symbolized his status as a familiar. The bell jingled softly as he moved, an ethereal sound which only Chihiro could hear. He heard her footsteps coming closer before the door opened, and a wide-eyed young woman stood before him, shaking hand reaching out to touch the bell.

"Minareru...what the hell did you do?" she asked, voice shaking more than her hand.

"It's just an illusion...I just thought..." he trailed off, blushing brightly, and looked away allowing the illusion to dissipate and reveal his true form.

Waist-length jet black hair fell into his eyes in a jagged, well-kept manner, hiding the worry that shined in near-yellow cat eyes. Feathery lashes framed the black lined orbs, giving him a feminine appearance that only highlighted high cheekbones and full lips. However, there was no mistaking him for a female with his tall, lithe swimmers build. The black cat's ears atop his head replaced what should have been human ears, and a sleek black tail nearly touching the ground gave away his true nature.

"Oh 'Ru," Chihiro embraced him gently, eyes closed as she tried not to cry.

"Look...I know you love the dragon...I just...you're so lonely...and...I kind of am too...so I just thought...nevermind Mistress, it was a stupid idea," Minareru mumbled, attempting to pull away so that he could go hide in a corner.

Chihiro tightened her hold, making him look down at her warily. The little human sighed, looking up at him shyly. His ears perked forwards when she began whispering.

"I...you know I love Haku but...god 'Ru, I'm twenty now! It's been ten years! How long am I supposed to wait for him?" she whispered, before leaning up to press her lips against his hesitantly.

Minareru smiled down at his little mistress, before scooping her into his arms.

"Let me help you forget...at least for a little while. And later...if you want...I'll put that illusion back on, just for you Mistress," he purred against her ear, earning a small giggle as he laid her on the bed.

VI