Homeward Bound

Chapter 5: Awaken the Sleeping Lion

"Kuro~"

It was dark. And he wanted to keep it that way.

"Waky~ Waky~"

"If I keep my eyes closed long enough... Hopefully Black Cat will leave me alone... If I'm lucky..."

He really didn't want to deal with the I told you so 's right now. He just wanted to sleep and stop thinking on what's going on right now. If he's fortunate the cat demon might eventually leave him alone if he kept ignoring it.

Bonk

"Ouch! That hurts you know!" Kuro hissed, shooting up into sitting position, clutching his pained head with both hands, he was in human form. "so much for being left alone..."

"Nice of you to join the party!~" He gave the cat demon, who was innocently holding a large toy hammer behind it's back, a sideways glare as he nursed his throbbing head. "come now Kuro we both know that you can't ignore this situation we're in. After all~ you know who is looking for you as we speak~"

"Mahiru...? Do you know where to find him?" Kuro turned fully towards the demon with a glint of hope in his crimson eyes. Black Cat frowned and shook it's head sadly.

"Unfortunately the moment your contract item was taken from you the bond weakened" with a wave of its paw, some kind of blue and black striped candle appeared. The red flame flickered with fragility, like the smallest gust would snuff it out. "Multiple factors play a role in your current weakened state... being away from your Eve and loosing the cat bell are one thing but there's another. Do you know what that is~?"

Kuro didn't look the cat doll in the eye, instead he watched the flame wearily, he knew Black Cat will start lecturing him, he knew what he did wrong, he knew. But that doesn't stop him from always rejecting blood, he spent two months without drinking any. The demon always tried to sway him into at lest taking a little, but his stubborn self wouldn't be tempted. Now here he was, almost at the end of his rope, keeping his head down as he waited for Black Cat's verbal and mental abuse. He didn't expect a gentle weight on his shoulder.

"Honestly..." the demon murmured, resting it's head on Kuro with its eyes closed. "You act like a three year old who refuses to eat their vegetables when I'm supposed to be the childish one here... Your becoming a pain. You know that?"

"So no lecture or mental torture?"

"Do you want me to~?" Black Cat chucked suggestively, making Kuro cringe.

"I rather not..." he answered almost immediately and sighed. His gaze went from the cat doll resting on his arm to the flicking candle that repressed what was left of his strength. In retrospect it made Kuro afraid. He felt cold fear settle in him at the thought that if he did not find his Eve soon he might end up in the same immobile and vulnerable state he was in before Mahiru found him. Only this time the he might not be there to take him home. He shook his head slightly to rid himself of depressing thoughts. No he can't give in to this weakness when Mahiru, his siblings, and even Taka are depending on him. There has to be a way to make that flame flicker with vitality again, if only until he's reunited with his Eve. "I can't just sit here and wait for something to happen..." he said quietly to the only one who can help him in this situation.

"There is a way" Black Cat gave a knowing smile and met his crimson eyes with it's own squiggled ones. "I can hear your willingness to do anything for those you care about. Correct?" it stated rather than asked.

Kuro didn't need to say anything his crimson eyes glowed with determination, something that the cat demon hasn't seen in such a long time. Black Cat fluidly jumped to it's feet and motioned for Kuro to follow. He sigh and untangled himself from his sitting position.