(More Than) Nine Lives
Title: (More Than) Nine Lives
Pairings/Characters: Kato Shigeaki and Koyama Keiichiro
Rating: G
Warnings: n/a
Notes: Most of this story is set in the Puss in Boots universe, but the plot itself may not be canon. I took some creative liberty with creating a past and future for the characters.
Summary: There’s always a price to pay, Shige found out. Time has a funny way of showing that.
Ever since Shige first saw what a cat looked like, he wanted one. They were agile, slender, playful, and could sneak in and out of nooks and crannies. From far away, Shige admired them, wished he could bath in the sun like they did and have the ability to always land on their feet. He especially liked how they would wait in the shadow somewhere, waiting for the right moment to pounce on their desired prey, and in a flash of movement, it had gotten what it needed and ran off.
The first time he touched a cat, it was surprisingly soft and tender. It had approached him from out of some brush. It was orange, its paws were white, and its eyes were gleaming, as if it were smiling at Shige. It was warm and purring beneath his touch, gently nudging for more attention. Minutes later, he started coughing and sneezing and he found it hard to breathe. It was not a pleasant feeling, so he let the cat go on its way.
Shige continued to see the cat wandering around his family’s property and wondered if it needed a home. He was afraid to approach it again, as his father told him his symptoms would come back, so he watched the cat from afar. The cat was persistent though; whenever Shige was outside doing something, it would stalk closer, and then settle down in a small spot of light, pretending not to notice Shige, and instead cleaned its fur.
This ‘game’ continued on, until one day, the orange cat decided to boldly walk up to Shige and meowed. Shige stepped away and it followed, still meowing. It was as if it was communicating something. Eventually, he figured it wanted something to eat and he went into the house to get it, and as he did so, the cat followed him in. It became natural routine for the cat to come during breakfast time and his family did not protest, as it was a welcoming pet around the home. Shige took care not to play with the cat for long periods of time, but they developed a bond that was only theirs. After all, Shige was the one to find him.
Things changed rapidly after Kei, the cat, had become an official member of the family. Shige’s father passed away suddenly, leaving the mill and the mule to Shige’s older brothers, and the cat to himself. Shige never really knew what he wanted in life, except that he wanted to learn more about the world beyond his little village, and Kei was the one who would change his life.
It turned out Kei was no ordinary cat; he had the ability to speak and change into human form. Though, he often preferred to be in his original state, enjoying the sheer delight of seeing his master twitch a little every time his cat form spoke in clear English. It had been several years since Shige knew about Kei’s abilities, but it was nevertheless jolting to see his cat speak to him out of the blue.
Tonight, Shige was alone in his room, because Kei was off “running an errand.” He had been gone several days now, and the boy wondered if he had gotten lost. But then a familiar rasping came from his door and he opened it to find Kei in his spiffy new clothes.
“Well, you look nice,” Shige greeted him.
“Thanks. I ran into an old friend and she gave them to me.”
“An old friend? You have friends?”
Kei made a face and walked past him to put his things down. “I wasn’t always your cat, Shige.”
Shige feigned being hurt, but curiosity got the best of him. “So, who is this old friend? A cat, like you? A guy? Or was it a girl?”
“A girl,” he replied, but he couldn’t keep a straight face. “She is a girl, just a very old one.” There was something about his tone that was wistful, but Shige couldn’t pinpoint what it was. He changed the subject. “Let’s take a walk.” Kei stepped outside, taking the crisp night air in deep breaths. Shige followed him as they walked along the lake by his house.
They stopped after a short distance, by the edge of the lake, watching as the wind blew ripples and waves across the water’s surface. “Kei, tell me about your life before this,” Shige said.
“Alright, I’ll tell you my story. I was born a normal kitten, just like the rest of the litter. I remember being left in a basket by an old cottage. An old lady picked me out of the bunch and took me home. She was a witch, you see, and she wanted my fur for a spell. She took pity on me and only took of me what she needed, sparing my life. In return, she gave me my gift and here I am today.”
Shige stopped and turned to face Kei. He touched his face softly and smiled. “Was that old lady you met the same old lady?”
Kei nodded faintly. “She wanted me to come back.”
Shige’s smile faded. “And what did you say?”
Kei continued looking out across the lake, at the night sky. “That I couldn’t leave you. Of course, she wasn’t very happy about that, but I struck her a deal. You know I’m very good at that. She’ll get what she wants and so will I.”
Shige frowned. “What do you mean?”
“It means you’ll be stuck with me for quite some time.” Even in the dark, Kei sensed Shige’s frown deepening and moved to smooth out his forehead with his thumbs. “Don’t worry too much, dear friend.”
Until this point, Shige had not imagined a life without Kei. Kei wasn’t just a pet, a cat he could replace, he was like family. But he wasn’t stupid; he knew things could be taken away from him, just like his father was. Shige didn’t want to think about it. And though he knew there was nothing he could do to change the deal that Kei had made with the witch, whatever that deal was, he learned that the good things in life did not come easily or without a price. He trusted Kei, but he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about it.
Shige’s worries turned into sadness, and it was harder to take than Kei could have expected. He fought the urge to cry, though it was instinctively harder, not being used to his human form. It was much weaker, fragile; his limbs had little strength to support the rest of his weight from the dragging gravity. He wanted to hug Shige, let him know that he’ll always find a way back to him, but he couldn’t move.
“What are you thinking?” Kei asked before he shimmered back into his original form and gently nudged Shige’s legs with his head. He picked Kei up into his arms, holding him close, just to feel the warmth. “I don’t know…”
“Don’t think too much on it, you silly git. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Kei tried to make light of it and licked Shige’s cheek once. His scratchy tongue tickled him and Shige laughed. “That’s my boy.”
---
They didn’t talk about this night again for quite some time. Kei’s “errands” had worked out and Shige was now going to a university, living in a castle, and spending his days learning to his heart’s content. The details of this plan were not entirely revealed to him, as Kei had many secrets, but Shige was enjoying his nights by the fireplace, as he fell asleep reading his favorite book, with Kei sitting in his lap.
Soon, ten years had gone by and both Shige and Kei had grown older together. Shige was much more independent, starting his own milling industry, and through it all, Kei had stayed by this side. But one day, Shige woke up to find a note on his dresser and he immediately felt that awful gut feeling that something was not right. He recalled their conversation that night, back when he was still the miller’s son, and realized Kei had already set this plan in motion so many years ago.
Don’t worry and live a happy life, the one that you’ve always wanted and the one I made for you. I’ll come back to you one day.
Shige knew there was a consequence for all his dreams coming true and all the extravagance Kei brought him. His new life was of high quality, therefore the price he had to pay was just as high. He didn’t think it was worth it, what was his life without Kei to spend it with? He only hoped that he could be the man Kei knew he could be, and someday, he would be able to find a place in his heart for another cat to be in his company.
1999
Several Johnny’s Juniors had gathered in a small meeting room, called upon by Johnny’s about some important news.
Only a few people had arrived and they had chatted quietly among themselves. A younger boy entered the room, shy, hair looking a bit untamed, and a toothy smile. He bowed as he walked in, and the other boys stopped talking to see who it was. The room got awkwardly silent, until a tall, lanky boy broke the ice.
“Hi, my name’s Koyama Keiichiro, let’s work well together.” He walked up and extended his hand to the boy.
Shige took it and shook firmly. “Kato Shigeaki, nice to meet you.”
The others proceeded to introduce themselves and soon the room was full of chatter again.
“You look awfully familiar,” Shige mused as he sat next to Koyama, settling into his seat. “Maybe I know you from somewhere else.”
“Maybe,” Koyama replied with an amused tone. His smile widened, fighting back the urge to hug the boy. The witch had kept her end of the bargain, even if the wait was long and grueling. It had been 302 years, but he made it.
---Several years later---
“Wagahai ha neko de aru,” Koyama read aloud. “Your blog title is interesting, Shige. What’s the deal with you and cats?” Koyama asked.
“Well, I can’t have one because I’m allergic, so I’m making it happen another way.”
“…By creating an imaginary cat,” Koyama simply said, holding in his laughter.
Shige narrowed his eyes. “Don’t judge me.”
Deep down, Koyama couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy, that even through time, Shige would always have a soft spot for cats.
Originally posted in je_telephone, which was a project done to see the effects of remixing fics several times over. The twist was, you didn't remix the original fic, you remixed the remix ;)
Here are all the versions with two soundtracks -enjoy!
Version 1| Soundtrack for Version 1| Version 2| Version 3| Version 4| Version 5| Version 6| Soundtrack for Version 6| Version 7| Version 8
Pairings/Characters: Kato Shigeaki and Koyama Keiichiro
Rating: G
Warnings: n/a
Notes: Most of this story is set in the Puss in Boots universe, but the plot itself may not be canon. I took some creative liberty with creating a past and future for the characters.
Summary: There’s always a price to pay, Shige found out. Time has a funny way of showing that.
Ever since Shige first saw what a cat looked like, he wanted one. They were agile, slender, playful, and could sneak in and out of nooks and crannies. From far away, Shige admired them, wished he could bath in the sun like they did and have the ability to always land on their feet. He especially liked how they would wait in the shadow somewhere, waiting for the right moment to pounce on their desired prey, and in a flash of movement, it had gotten what it needed and ran off.
The first time he touched a cat, it was surprisingly soft and tender. It had approached him from out of some brush. It was orange, its paws were white, and its eyes were gleaming, as if it were smiling at Shige. It was warm and purring beneath his touch, gently nudging for more attention. Minutes later, he started coughing and sneezing and he found it hard to breathe. It was not a pleasant feeling, so he let the cat go on its way.
Shige continued to see the cat wandering around his family’s property and wondered if it needed a home. He was afraid to approach it again, as his father told him his symptoms would come back, so he watched the cat from afar. The cat was persistent though; whenever Shige was outside doing something, it would stalk closer, and then settle down in a small spot of light, pretending not to notice Shige, and instead cleaned its fur.
This ‘game’ continued on, until one day, the orange cat decided to boldly walk up to Shige and meowed. Shige stepped away and it followed, still meowing. It was as if it was communicating something. Eventually, he figured it wanted something to eat and he went into the house to get it, and as he did so, the cat followed him in. It became natural routine for the cat to come during breakfast time and his family did not protest, as it was a welcoming pet around the home. Shige took care not to play with the cat for long periods of time, but they developed a bond that was only theirs. After all, Shige was the one to find him.
Things changed rapidly after Kei, the cat, had become an official member of the family. Shige’s father passed away suddenly, leaving the mill and the mule to Shige’s older brothers, and the cat to himself. Shige never really knew what he wanted in life, except that he wanted to learn more about the world beyond his little village, and Kei was the one who would change his life.
It turned out Kei was no ordinary cat; he had the ability to speak and change into human form. Though, he often preferred to be in his original state, enjoying the sheer delight of seeing his master twitch a little every time his cat form spoke in clear English. It had been several years since Shige knew about Kei’s abilities, but it was nevertheless jolting to see his cat speak to him out of the blue.
Tonight, Shige was alone in his room, because Kei was off “running an errand.” He had been gone several days now, and the boy wondered if he had gotten lost. But then a familiar rasping came from his door and he opened it to find Kei in his spiffy new clothes.
“Well, you look nice,” Shige greeted him.
“Thanks. I ran into an old friend and she gave them to me.”
“An old friend? You have friends?”
Kei made a face and walked past him to put his things down. “I wasn’t always your cat, Shige.”
Shige feigned being hurt, but curiosity got the best of him. “So, who is this old friend? A cat, like you? A guy? Or was it a girl?”
“A girl,” he replied, but he couldn’t keep a straight face. “She is a girl, just a very old one.” There was something about his tone that was wistful, but Shige couldn’t pinpoint what it was. He changed the subject. “Let’s take a walk.” Kei stepped outside, taking the crisp night air in deep breaths. Shige followed him as they walked along the lake by his house.
They stopped after a short distance, by the edge of the lake, watching as the wind blew ripples and waves across the water’s surface. “Kei, tell me about your life before this,” Shige said.
“Alright, I’ll tell you my story. I was born a normal kitten, just like the rest of the litter. I remember being left in a basket by an old cottage. An old lady picked me out of the bunch and took me home. She was a witch, you see, and she wanted my fur for a spell. She took pity on me and only took of me what she needed, sparing my life. In return, she gave me my gift and here I am today.”
Shige stopped and turned to face Kei. He touched his face softly and smiled. “Was that old lady you met the same old lady?”
Kei nodded faintly. “She wanted me to come back.”
Shige’s smile faded. “And what did you say?”
Kei continued looking out across the lake, at the night sky. “That I couldn’t leave you. Of course, she wasn’t very happy about that, but I struck her a deal. You know I’m very good at that. She’ll get what she wants and so will I.”
Shige frowned. “What do you mean?”
“It means you’ll be stuck with me for quite some time.” Even in the dark, Kei sensed Shige’s frown deepening and moved to smooth out his forehead with his thumbs. “Don’t worry too much, dear friend.”
Until this point, Shige had not imagined a life without Kei. Kei wasn’t just a pet, a cat he could replace, he was like family. But he wasn’t stupid; he knew things could be taken away from him, just like his father was. Shige didn’t want to think about it. And though he knew there was nothing he could do to change the deal that Kei had made with the witch, whatever that deal was, he learned that the good things in life did not come easily or without a price. He trusted Kei, but he couldn’t help but feel uneasy about it.
Shige’s worries turned into sadness, and it was harder to take than Kei could have expected. He fought the urge to cry, though it was instinctively harder, not being used to his human form. It was much weaker, fragile; his limbs had little strength to support the rest of his weight from the dragging gravity. He wanted to hug Shige, let him know that he’ll always find a way back to him, but he couldn’t move.
“What are you thinking?” Kei asked before he shimmered back into his original form and gently nudged Shige’s legs with his head. He picked Kei up into his arms, holding him close, just to feel the warmth. “I don’t know…”
“Don’t think too much on it, you silly git. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Kei tried to make light of it and licked Shige’s cheek once. His scratchy tongue tickled him and Shige laughed. “That’s my boy.”
---
They didn’t talk about this night again for quite some time. Kei’s “errands” had worked out and Shige was now going to a university, living in a castle, and spending his days learning to his heart’s content. The details of this plan were not entirely revealed to him, as Kei had many secrets, but Shige was enjoying his nights by the fireplace, as he fell asleep reading his favorite book, with Kei sitting in his lap.
Soon, ten years had gone by and both Shige and Kei had grown older together. Shige was much more independent, starting his own milling industry, and through it all, Kei had stayed by this side. But one day, Shige woke up to find a note on his dresser and he immediately felt that awful gut feeling that something was not right. He recalled their conversation that night, back when he was still the miller’s son, and realized Kei had already set this plan in motion so many years ago.
Don’t worry and live a happy life, the one that you’ve always wanted and the one I made for you. I’ll come back to you one day.
Shige knew there was a consequence for all his dreams coming true and all the extravagance Kei brought him. His new life was of high quality, therefore the price he had to pay was just as high. He didn’t think it was worth it, what was his life without Kei to spend it with? He only hoped that he could be the man Kei knew he could be, and someday, he would be able to find a place in his heart for another cat to be in his company.
1999
Several Johnny’s Juniors had gathered in a small meeting room, called upon by Johnny’s about some important news.
Only a few people had arrived and they had chatted quietly among themselves. A younger boy entered the room, shy, hair looking a bit untamed, and a toothy smile. He bowed as he walked in, and the other boys stopped talking to see who it was. The room got awkwardly silent, until a tall, lanky boy broke the ice.
“Hi, my name’s Koyama Keiichiro, let’s work well together.” He walked up and extended his hand to the boy.
Shige took it and shook firmly. “Kato Shigeaki, nice to meet you.”
The others proceeded to introduce themselves and soon the room was full of chatter again.
“You look awfully familiar,” Shige mused as he sat next to Koyama, settling into his seat. “Maybe I know you from somewhere else.”
“Maybe,” Koyama replied with an amused tone. His smile widened, fighting back the urge to hug the boy. The witch had kept her end of the bargain, even if the wait was long and grueling. It had been 302 years, but he made it.
---Several years later---
“Wagahai ha neko de aru,” Koyama read aloud. “Your blog title is interesting, Shige. What’s the deal with you and cats?” Koyama asked.
“Well, I can’t have one because I’m allergic, so I’m making it happen another way.”
“…By creating an imaginary cat,” Koyama simply said, holding in his laughter.
Shige narrowed his eyes. “Don’t judge me.”
Deep down, Koyama couldn’t help but feel a sense of joy, that even through time, Shige would always have a soft spot for cats.
Originally posted in je_telephone, which was a project done to see the effects of remixing fics several times over. The twist was, you didn't remix the original fic, you remixed the remix ;)
Here are all the versions with two soundtracks -enjoy!
Version 1| Soundtrack for Version 1| Version 2| Version 3| Version 4| Version 5| Version 6| Soundtrack for Version 6| Version 7| Version 8