Tangled!Mao Mao AU

Prologue: His Son

"This is the story of my death...".

A loud smack and a grunt of pain followed with another voice that hinted in annoyance was heard, "Tell it properly!".

"Okay, okay! This is the story of someone else's death, or what they thought was his death. Let's just start in the very beginning".

---

Once upon a time, there was a group of cats, a clan being precise. 

A Heroic Clan; The Mao Clan. 

They were from generations and generations, and did I say generations, of heroic and vicious warriors. You see that weird book? That's gonna be an important part to the story.

Anyway, they were quite well known for their heroism. Fighting evil monsters, arresting horrid criminals, you name it! Hundreds of stories flow throughout time that are consisted of their adventures with a few different details, but the same outcome each time of their great victories. Stories consisting of the Mao Family such as Melon Pope, Sexy Willow, Memelord, and the stalwart feminine feline that extended by seven conjoined names who's nicknamed as "Jojo". You can clearly see that they ain't exactly good on naming each other, but their namesakes though aren't important. What mattered was all their intentions; intentions all structured to one compendium, the Hero Code.

Told you that the book was gonna be important. 

For the Hero Code contains in pages of endless information from all of the Maos, from past ancestors as well as many more for future descendants. One of them being a single-liter, little male kitten named Mao Mao Mao. The only son of Jojo Mao and her husband, Shin Mao, along with another liter of five older sisters that followed in the footsteps of heroic traditions as they traveled freely along and was rare to home for proof of their own legendary worth like all the Maos before.

The moments when one of his sisters would come in visits to home were considered to be the best moments to him, on accounts of their stories; mind-blowing description of scenery and detailed adventuring stories filled the small kitten with excitement and determination to that chance of his own life of heroism that he was more than prepared to go forward for. However, he wasn't prepared for the next moment of his life to change. No one was for it had seemed ridiculous for it to happen, even when explaining it thoroughly, but it was expected when a strict rule had been broken. A rule so strict that the outcome of breaking it so would be a detrimental outcome to this. The rule of no cobbler.

You see, the little kitten had not known this rule at all for he had not even begun an official travel of heroism nor read the first page of the book. However, this was not used as an excuse with that minute of entering his home with a bright smile and tin pan of the forbidden treat, it was already done. He didn't mean to break one of the sacred rules. Cobbler was meant to be a small gift to give when all his sisters have returned home. It was one of those rare times where all five of his sisters would all come into visit as a special occasion would usually prompt them back home. It was the time for the Lantern Festival; a celebration where people would wish for prosperity, fortune, and gratitude with examples of like exchanging small gifts to one another as a show on display of the qualities. The small kitten thought of the cobbler being a perfect gift to exchange with his family, but Shin Mao thought differently and was quick to pull the small boy aside within instant force of the consequences for breaking the rule. For breaking the Honor of Code, a ritual suicide took in place; typically known as seppuku or the less formal saying harakiri.

His sisters weren't able to speak against it because it was true to the rule that they have to follow and they pushed back with an unexplained force. They can only watch in confusion, terror, and desperation through all of those small minutes. Thankfully, it was stopped just in time by Jojo Mao tackling down her husband who was about to conclude the whole act but not by the time for the kitten to receive a physical and mental scar. A wonderful evening of joy and laughter turned into blood-curdling screams and sobs.

Others slept away the tension of the night as the little kitten had soon tired himself out from the crying and slept within his mother's arms in a gentle embrace. Shin however was still up for the show of the lanterns, but mostly on self-reflection. He took the chance of being a hero or a father and now was neither of those things. He had truly regretted on what he had done, not from forcing his son to kill himself per say but for harming his honor because of it. He needed it to be restored, he needed to make it up to his son for the action he had done. To be that supposedly good father, but he could never be one now. Especially within the concept of divorce of his soon to be ex-wife and the traumatic fear his son had for him. All he could do was wish upon the lantern for that second chance.

Light go on and fly.
Up above the sky. 
Make my wish come true.
Bring in what once was mine.
What once was mine.

The lantern he settled to float didn't go up that high as a quick breeze blew it against the window of the bedroom. He sighed as of that ridiculous thought that a wish could help solve the situation while he went down to grabbed it. He then stopped himself as he looked into the bedroom where his wife and son slept at. His son. The silly thought of wishing on a lantern wasn't that much silly anymore as another thought came in; knowing of what he had to do to restore both honor and the relationship with his son.

Shin Mao broke silently into the bedroom, stole the sleeping child out of his mother's arms and just like that. Gone. The Mao Clan searched and searched desperately, but all they had left to find was the parts of the golden now discarded armory washed into the branches in the strong current river; concluding of what had the act before was suppose to accomplish now done. However, deep within the forest, specifically in a hidden tower, Shin had raised the small boy the way he should have before. With love, kindness, and manipulative lies. He was doing his son a favor by doing this, often of what was told to himself. Completely loved and protected by his father, that's what his son always wanted.

"Why can't I go outside, father?", a curious kitten standing on his tip-toes to look out from the single small window only for Shin to close it shut, "The outside world is a dangerous place", he slowly began, "Filled with horrible, selfish people. You must stay here where you're safe. Do you understand, Moo Moo?". He had everything he wished for which was a loving father that pays attention, but it still felt empty. Still, it was his father who was a hero and would do such thing as bad so the kitten nodded as he was picked up and tucked into bed with a small kiss on his forehead. Within minutes later, the small kitten would hop out of bed and snuck down the steps of his bedroom and his father's room. He quickly used a stool to reach and open the window to watch the dazzling display of the 'stars' flying carelessly in the night sky.

The walls of that tower could not hide everything. Each year, since that day, the Mao Clan and others who heard of the tragic death of innocent kitten released thousands of lanterns into the sky filled with wishes and condolences to honor the youngest Mao.