Why Is There a Cat Girl?

[Avernale]

Wasn’t that always the way? No sooner had she joined the Magic Council when it was suddenly split apart by internal conflicts. Avernale didn’t sign up to get involved in politics. She didn’t sign up for anything, technically. She was conscripted because the Lampade, the huge sword currently strapped to her back, only used its magic for her. The Magic Council still existed, but the schism left her wondering who the good guys were supposed to be. Then again, she probably wouldn’t be more confused if she had actually paid attention to the news, but she didn’t like to get involved in politics. Kind of a vicious cycle, and it made her feel like maybe she should just skip work and pump some iron instead. For the moment, she was just going to take the long way to work, even if she was pretty early regardless.

As she strolled along, wallowing in her own dissatisfaction, she passed an old woman sitting on a bench and crying. At first she was going to ignore her, the idea nagged her until she walked back to the old woman and asked, “Hey, are you alright?”

“Oh, you’re from the Magic Council, aren’t you?” the old woman asked as she looked up, her sorrowful eyes now tinged with hope.

“Until I find something better to do, I suppose,” Avernale replied.

“Oh, please, won’t you help me find my Neko?” the old woman pleaded. “She’s run off and I don’t know where she could be!”

“Your… neko?” Avernale noted with a raised eyebrow.

“My granddaughter,” the old woman elaborated. “She’s only six years old! She must be so scared and alone!”

“Alright, alright, I get the point,” Avernale remarked. “Can you tell me what she looks like?”

“Bless you, officer,” the old woman said. “She’s the most precious, little thing, with adorable, pink hair and the most darling, yellow eyes.”

“Yellow eyes, huh?” Avernale mused. It wasn’t much of a description, but she sounded pretty unique so far. Yellow eyes weren’t exactly a common trait, and was often associated with the supernatural. She quickly saluted the old woman. “You can count on me, ma’am.”

“Thank you,” the old woman said. “Please, find her quickly.”

Avernale set off again. She was still heading off in the general direction of the Magic Council to report for work, but she was going to keep an eye out for Neko along the way. She could make a more in-depth search when she was on the clock, maybe put together a search party as well. But as she cut through the park (she was still early and trying to kill time, of course) she noticed a little girl, about six years of age, with pink hair crouching on a swing set with her back to the officer. Chances were this was her girl.

“Excuse me,” Avernale said as she walked up to the girl. “Is your name Neko?”

Startled, the little girl turned her head and flashed her big, yellow eyes at Avernale. She took another step towards her and the girl promptly sprung off the swing and scurried into the bushes on all fours.

“Hey, wait!” Avernale exclaimed as the girl disappeared. She sighed and scratched her head. “They just had to name her after a cat.” Avernale then followed suit, wading through the bushes after the girl. “Neko! Neko, come back! I just want to talk to you!”

((570 words. I will post more of this some other time.))

[Avernale]

“Neeeekooooo!” Avernale called out as she wandered the streets of Oak Town. “Neeeeekoooooo!”

Avernale felt stupid doing it, but she couldn’t think of much else to do. She must’ve scoured every square inch of that park and questioned every single person she came across at least twice and could find neither hide nor hair of that little girl with the cat-like mentality. She briefly considered going to headquarters and putting together a posse, but the whole thing was humiliating enough without having get everyone to help her. Maybe she could just go ahead and file the damned missing persons report, but that would be giving up. She had just seen her! How far could she possibly have gone?

A commotion at the bank caught Avernale’s attention. She hurried over, but slowed down once she could make out the threatening language being used within. She sidled up to a window and peered in. Sure enough, there was a robbery in progress. Four men, three with masks. No visible weapons, but judging from the number of boulders embedded in walls and furniture they had command of magic. The crime alone would’ve made thwarting the robbery a welcome respite from the search, but then she noticed who the unmasked leader held as a hostage. He was lifting Neko off the ground by a set of chains that was wrapped around her.

Two birds with one stone? Sure, why not?

“And you better fill everyone of those bags!” the leader was yelling. He waved the squirming Neko at the staff as if she were a weapon. “You don’t want to see what happens when…” He trailed off as Avernale walked in through the door. “Which one of you losers called the cops, huh!?”

“I was just in the neighborhood,” Avernale explained. “You guys aren’t especially discrete.”

“Whatever,” the leader said. He turned to brandish Neko at Avernale. “Unless you wanna see me break the walls down with this little girl, you’ll put down that big-assed sword of yours, lady!”

“Fair’s fair,” Avernale said as she drew the Lampade from her back and wedged it’s tip into the floor next to her so it stood straight up. “You boys wanna make sure I’m not carrying any other weapons, right? ...Neko, honey, you might want to shut your eyes for a moment.”

“Uh… Now that you mention it, yeah,” the leader said as Neko shut her eyes tightly. “You just hold real still while the boys…”

Avernale completely ignored what the leader was saying as he slipped off her uniform’s jacket. It was a trenchcoat, practically a dress in and of itself, now pooled at her feet, revealing her red half-camisole and standard white miniskirt, neither of which did much to conceal her sleek, muscular body, her numerous scars, or, most distractingly, her generous cleavage. For a moment, the gang’s leader was tongue-tied.

“What was it you wanted us to do, Railan?” one of the minion’s inquired.

“H-hold on, I’m thinking!” the leader, Railan, snapped.

“Not satisfied yet?” Avernale asked teasingly before removing her camisole. In the mere moment they were distracted by her, uh, beauty, she grabbed her sword and hoisted it above her head. Violet flame contained within the globe surged over the blade and flared out, obscuring all with its light.

Railan reeled as the light faded, at which point he noticed Avernale and one of his minions had switched places. She was now with the other two minions, and the three of them were pummeling each other with rocks. Not just her, as they each picked another one of their number to waste. So baffled was he by the sight, he didn’t notice the remaining minion running at him with an oar-shaped sword until he was laying on the floor.

“You okay, kid?” Avernale inquired of Neko as she put her camisole back on and untied her.

“Yes ma’am,” Neko replied. “Can I open my eyes now?”

“Eh… I wouldn’t recommend it,” Avernale said as she stood up and walked over to the minions. The goons had gotten over their delusions and began apologizing to each other when she approached them. They had barely readied their attacks when she knocked the three of them out in one swing with the broad side of her sword. As she reached for her magic-inhibiting handcuffs, a length of chain wrapped around her torso and bound her arms to her sides.

“No one makes a fool out of…” Railan said, interrupted as Avernale jerked her torso forward. The force of it dragged Railan towards her, and she headbutted him into the floor. With the lot of them now unconscious, she quickly slapped the magic-inhibiting cuffs on them.

“Okay, Neko, let’s…” Avernale stood up and noticed Neko had disappeared again. “Oh, for the luva…”

She charged outside, still slipping on her jacket, expecting to have to chase Neko down. Instead, she found her in the arms of her grandmother.

“The nice lady saved me, grandma!” Neko declared.

“How can I ever repay you, officer?” the old lady exclaimed.

“All in a day’s work, ma’am,” Avernale said modestly with a smile.

“Here,” the old lady said as she took out some money from her purse and shoved it into Avernale’s hand. “You deserve it!”

“I couldn’t possibly…” Avernale protested.

“No, no, I insist,” the old lady said. “No good deed should go unrewarded.”

Avernale sighed, then bowed slightly. “Thank you very much ma’am.”

“You’re very welcome,” the old lady said. “Come along, Neko, it’s time to go home.”

“Buh-bye, nice lady!” Neko said as the old lady led her away.

Avernale watched them walk off, then turned and started heading back to headquarters. She had spent so much time on this case, that she might actually be late to work if she didn’t hurry. Still, it wasn’t a bad way to start the day, and it felt pretty good to help the old lady and her granddaughter out. That’s the whole point of the job, isn’t it? She smiled to herself, thinking that maybe the politics of the whole thing didn’t really matter as long as good folks like them were being helped.

((1027 words, 1597 total))