The Baron

4

I clutched my stomach, taking deep breath.  "Uhh how long till we get home?" I breathed out.  "Up that tower,"  Baron says. My eyes followed his finger as I glanced up the tall tower.  "Baron, Im so scared, how long is a cat's pregnancy?"

He unknowingly turned to Muta for an answer.  "I don't know! A couple months?"  Muta says.

Haru yells, "why are we discussing this, lets just hurry."

Muta lets Haru ride him on his back, then Baron scooped me up and started running up the steps. "I can walk."

"Don't worry."

He says and passes Muta, he got called a show off for it. I glanced at Baron as he ran, focusing on the path ahead. So serious looking.  "Hmm?" He looked down at me and I quickly looked away, blushing hard.  We got to the top at last. I was put down and got so happy with Haru that we hugged.  "We're going home."

We heard an explosion. Looking down at the bottom, we realized the king is down there.  "He's blowing up the tower." More explosions were heard before the whole placed started tumbling. Baron got behind me and pressed ourselves on to a column.  "Brace yourselves!"

As The tower collapsed, I somehow slipped from under Baron grasp. Actually airborne, I screamed bloody murder. My wrist was captured by Baron's grip, quickly he pulled me close enough to wrap his arm around my waist. I practically hugged him as the tower finally reached the lower ground. 

Thankfully no one was harmed.  "Great now we'll never get home." Haru says.  "Does anyone smell fish?"

The three of them give me weird looks.  "Alright preggers, we'll figure a way out before your cravings has us eaten."

"Muta, that's disgusting." Baron tells him, sitting down on the ground. I join him and just wait for the king to get through the rubble.  "Again, Baron, how do you know this girl?"

The orange cat stayed silent, then said,  "Harper is my—she's my owner." His ears went back, signaling annoyance. I realized why. Muta gasped before laughing so obnoxiously.  "Wait, you telling me a human girl owns The Great Baron Humbert Von Gikkingen."

"That's right, I-I don't know what else to tell you."

"That whole thing is your name?" Haru asks Baron.  "It was the title given to me by my artisian."

"It think I'll just call you Baron.." she says and I nod in agreement with her.

As we waited, Baron took his hat off and began fanning himself. I basically laid against his shoulder, I felt so tired. "If I transformed permanently, would I stay like this, or like them?"

"I wouldn't know, Harper, but no worries, you will be back home."

His arm actually went around my shoulders, and it got warm. He was purring! It almost made want to sleep.

"So should I get used to eating mice?" Haru asks, feeling defeat. But Baron spoke up, making me sit up straight. "I don't think you'll have to, Haru. Look."

The king all arrived, but then turned around at the news that the prince has returned. A medium dark grey cat wearing a regalia runs in. Now thats a cat prince. He has different colored eyes.  "I was given a message by Yuki that it's an emergency that I returned." He says. 

Yuki also arrived to the scene.

"Oh, Lune I just wanted show my gratitude for the girl who saved your life. And I thought you might have wanted a good looking girl like Haru for a bride." The king says.

Wow, that escalated quite quickly.  "I've already decided who I want to marry, and that's Yuki." 

"Oh my gosh," I said out of reaction as the prince presented a box full of fish crackers as a present for Yuki. Haru immediately got happy at the thought that she doesn't have to marry.  "Really, that thing?" The king says to Yuki.

I stood up, "that was extremely rude. When was the last time you looked yourself in the mirror, you prickly mess." I told him. He got up to my face, and took his paw to my chest.  "Listen sweetheart, you don't belong here. So. Dont. Tell. Me. Nothing." He would poke me after every word, and thats when Baron pushed the king away with his cane and got me behind him protectively.

"I'd appreciate if you don't touch Harper like that again."

"Okay lets just all calm down." Muta made us both sit down again.

Prince Lune proposed to Yuki and she gladly accepted, which meant Haru didn't have to marry him. She jumped at the news of that and hugged the beautiful white cat. I winked at Haru, realizing we're going home.  "What about you, hybrid? Would you marry me?" The king said like if I already accepted.

I laughed at his words and returned to a serious face quickly,  "not a dang chance." I told him. He turned to Haru and asked her,  "I just want to be changed back."

"I can change you back, but you'll marry me."

"Oh I've have had enough of you! I will never marry you!" Haru stood up to his face, making the king fall back to his guards. Muta laughed,  "you're not ready to get hitched huh kid?"

"Not one bit."

"I like a woman who stands up for herself." Muta defended her and I just smiled. Suddenly the king turned violent, attempting to attack us. Baron  wrapped his arms around me protectively as he tried to figure out what to do.  "Protect them from the king." Lune orders his guards.

They line up in front of the king to stop him. Then Lune came to us,  "you must leave now before you both turn."

"How, the tower collapsed." Baron says.

"The exit is still there, you just need a jumping start."

"I'll help you out." Muta grabs Haru and myself and throws us up 5 stories. We land on all fours, just looking at each other for the cat behavior we just pulled.  "Hurry, run to the top!" Baron yells.  "What about you?"

"We'll meet you there."

"Harper come on." Haru grabs my paw and we both begin to head up the stairs. I could see the sky above.  "We're almost there, Harper.." I take a deep breath to try not to faint. I looked down to see what was going on. Muta and Baron were coming up.

I thought about waiting but my teeth suddenly became sharp. Maybe I can't wait. I watched Baron for a second and screamed when a sword stabbed the wall  right next to him. He took the sword in his hand and jumped a couple stories down to meet the king. "Oh no no."

I jumped down a couple steps, passing Muta which made him stop.  "What are you doing kid? HE'll BE FINE." He screamed but I ignored him. I looked out a little window to see Baron and the cat king in a stand off. My protector raisin the sword high as the king insulted him.  "This wouldn't have happened if you didn't stick your nose in other people's business. You should have kept being a knick knack."

I kept running down.  "You should have stayed with your owner, kitty."

That was it. Baron bared his teeth and charged at the king with what I thought was the intention to stab. Instead he used the sword to flip over the king and land on the opposite side. The kings purple gem cracked as I believe Baron struck it.  "I won, and I prefer to live life sticking my nose in other peoples problems." Baron replied.

With his back still turned to the king, he was about to strike in vein, but I jumped. Taking the sword from Baron's hand and clashed it with the king's sword. I skipped his blade and kicked him on the stomach then placed the tip of the sword to his eye.  "Stay down, kitty." I told him.

Baron took my hand to pull me away from him and took by the shoulders. "You might have made yourself permanently a cat, Harper." He said, I went to answer him but instead I meowed loudly. This made him jump.  "Come on." He slipped his coat back on and scooped me up again. Rapidly running up the steps back.

I could hear Haru and Muta screaming. I meowed again.  "You wont make it in time, Harper." Baron put me down and placed his hands on my waist. But before he could throw me up. I wrapped my arms around his neck, giving him a tight hug. I could feel his fur for the first time. When I pulled away I quickly went for a kiss that he didn't reject.

After, He smiled, then groaned as he hoisted me up and threw me out to the sky.