The Nekomata stopped, her paws pinning KuliKuli to the ground, short of breath and their bodies riddled with scratches. Janette could only watch as her blood turned icy cold, fearing the worst outcome as she expected the cat girl to strike any moment.
"Nityri?"
KuliKuli was left catching her breath, bruised and dazed while glaring angrily upon her enemy.
Only this dark-haired Nekomata no longer looked at her with malicious intent, her snarl had dissipated and softened into a look of shock. She rubbed her eyes and retracted her claws, leaning in to inspect KuliKuli's face with a squint of her eyes.
She pulled away with a gasp. "Nityri!"
KuliKuli yelped, mouth wide open in shock as suddenly this Nekomata lifted her up and hugged her tight.
"Mew?"
"I missed you so much! I didn't realize it was you, I am sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" She pulled away, patting down KuliKuli's arms and legs and inspecting every individual scratch she had.
"Did they hurt you, did they mistreat you? Tell me-no don't! Your mother is waiting outside, let's go!" KuliKuli squeaked as the mystery woman's tails wrapped around her paw, pulling her from behind as they made off for the shattered window. Janette just stood there speechless, watching KuliKuli pull her arm away.
"Wait what?"
"Yea, your mom and your sisters are all here! They'll be so glad to see you, let's go, hurry!"
"Let go of me!" She snarled, pulling her paw away and retreating to Janette's side.
"Nityri? What's wrong, are you hurting too much?"
"I don't know who you are, and my name is KuliKuli not Nityri!" She shouted, keeping Janette behind her. "I don't know who you are, but you need to leave. Now!"
She gasped and held a paw to her chest. Her eyes began to swell, her ears dropped and her heart started to ache. "Nityri... is this because of that fight? I-I know sorry won't be enough, but I promise to change and be better. Just please, come with us."
"No!" She shouted back, puzzled and aggravated by her change of tone. "First you attack us and now you're asking me to leave? Who are you?"
"I'm Na'Vi, don't you remember? I-"
Everyone turned around as Felix and Reta pushed the doors open, hurrying over to KuliKuli and Janette's side. Feeling defeated, Na'Vi gave one last look toward KuliKuli, gasping when she saw Felix hold her paw. Her eyes widened as she spotted Felix's nonhuman traits, locking eyes with him. She spun around and crouched on all fours, leaping out the window into the black night. There, a silhouette of three more Nekomata's were waiting. As the fourth ran past them, the smaller two went and followed. Felix approached the glass only to make eye contact with the last remaining Nekomata.
"Mother?" KuliKuli covered her mouth, trembling at the sight of her as the Nekomata smiled and nodded in return.
"We have a lot to think about tomorrow, but I'm just glad to know you're safe." She said in a soft tone, extending her paw to her.
KuliKuli stared with a look of uncertainty before stepping back and shaking her head.
Her mother sighed with a pained look on her face, looking back before waving to her one last time.
"I missed you, Nityri." She said, running off into the dark and leaving the four of them speechless.
Reta approached Janette and reached out to extract the knife from her hand, when it slipped and hit the ground with a small clink noise. She flinched and recoiled back, hugging herself and shaking her head.
KuliKuli pulled away from Felix and stepped carefully around the mess of shattered glass and chipped splinters left on the dining room floor. He reached out for her arm when her tail flicked his hand away, something he did not expect.
"Kuli?"
"I-I'm fine, Master."
"You're hurt, you have scratches all over you."
"Master, please. I'm fine, it's nothing."
Reta huffed and placed her hands on her waist. "This entire room looks the opposite of fine. Even the training dojo in my old village never looked this rough."
"Reta, not now." Felix warned her, keeping his sight on KuliKuli as she gently walked toward the broken window.
"Chikushô, this one's bleeding." Reta exclaimed, reaching for Janette's bloodied-hand.
"No no, it's fine. I crawled over some glass, that's all."
"If untreated, this cut could lead to an infection. Come, we should move upstairs and treat this at once."
"Reta, this is really not the time. I can tend to this wound myself, if anything I would require your aid in cleaning up this-" She paused when Reta's eyes flashed wide open, ending this debate as Janette nodded in return. "R-Right, upstairs it is. Off we go."
"Good, we must go. We will speak about this come sunrise. Rest well for the night while you still can. I expect that there will be much to discuss by morning."
Felix nodded back, watching the pair walk upstairs and leaving him alone with KuliKuli.
"Listen KuliKuli, about before-"
"Not now Felix. I'm fine. You heard her, we should get some rest too. It's been, I-I find myself tired tonight. Off we go to bed." She rambled on, clumsily walking up the stairs.
"You don't even sound like yourself, just wait. I'll be there shortly."
Felix hurried to shut off the lanterns around the bottom floor, following up the stairs but not before catching one last look to the awful mess left behind. He found her sat in bed, staring blankly to the wall as he shut the door behind him. Once he sat beside her, she broke the silence.
"You're going to learn some new things about me. I want you to know that whatever happened before, it's new to me as well."
"Yea, of course. I hope... are you feeling okay?"
KuliKuli shrugged. "Nekomata claws are sharper then I thought. Will you... still love me after tonight?"
He stared for a minute, lingering on her question before nodding slowly. She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat as it sound... nervous, based off its faster beating.
"Master, you're scared?"
"No, no I'm just relieved you're doing better."
He felt her shuffle before she looked up into his eyes.
"Master, you're lying. You're lying and you're nervous, tell me."
"I..." He stuttered. "It's... I don't know what's going to happen. They're your family, what now?"
KuliKuli rested against his chest, a look of concern on her face.
"She said my name is Nityri."
Felix tilted his head. "Who?"
"The one I fought downstairs, Na'Vi."
"Do you know her?"
She hung her head down with a pained look in her eyes. "I do, but you won't like it."
"I'll be strong, you can trust me." He reassured her.
She looked into his eyes again, staring, scanning, trying to read him in a way before accepting his decision.
"I think... I think we were lovers."
"Lovers, what makes you think that?" He asked with wide eyes.
KuliKuli shriveled and curled up into herself with closed eyes and a soft whimper. "You're mad, aren't you?"
"No, how can I be? I'm just relieved you're not hurt. But... it's a lot that just happened. Your family, and now your lover?"
She stayed silent, looking away in remorse.
"You knew about her before, didn't you?"
"No, not her."
"Your family then?" He asked, watching her closely. "You seem to recognize your mom. Did you know about them before?"
"I wasn't lying to you about my memory before, Felix. Don't think that I was, I just... was starting to remember bits and pieces."
"Bits and pieces?" He questioned.
"Yea, bits and pieces." She repeated angrily, "I remember you saying before to Janette that you would rather I not remember about who I am. I thought I was dreaming when I heard, but I think it was true. I knew it had to be true because I would never dream about you saying something like that to me."
His heart sunk as he recalled about that day with Janette. "Kuli, I didn't mean-"
"It's okay. I didn't want to be a burden, so I kept them to myself. I wanted you to think that I was the same monster you mated with, so that I didn't complicate things with new memories. I just got scared when that man said people were after me, and I still don't know why."
"You're the same woman I fell in love with, nothing has changed that. How much did you remember?"
"Just faces, no names. It helps when I see them. Seeing my mother tonight just sent a lot in my mind, and I don't know what else I'll remember."
He paused once he noted her tails tighten their hold around her waist. He reached over and scooped her into his arms, kissing her ear and hugging her close. "I'm not asking any questions if you don't want any."
"I don't have any answers, only more questions."
"Yea, and lots of them."
KuliKuli sat up and gave him a pleading look, reaching for his hands as she leaned in close.
"You are my only family, you believe me right Master?" She asked, looking up to him with watery eyes as she fell onto his chest. His hands reached to hold her paws to comfort her. Feeling his 'hoo-man' hold her in this way broke her down and for the first time in his life, he witnessed his love sobbing quietly in his arms.
All he could do was hold her still, hug her close and whisper sweet nothings into her feline ears, telling her it will be alright.
Even if it was a lie.
The Nekomata stopped, her paws pinning KuliKuli to the ground, short of breath and their bodies riddled with scratches. Janette could only watch as her blood turned icy cold, fearing the worst outcome as she expected the cat girl to strike any moment.
"Nityri?"
KuliKuli was left catching her breath, bruised and dazed while glaring angrily upon her enemy.
Only this dark-haired Nekomata no longer looked at her with malicious intent, her snarl had dissipated and softened into a look of shock. She rubbed her eyes and retracted her claws, leaning in to inspect KuliKuli's face with a squint of her eyes.
She pulled away with a gasp. "Nityri!"
KuliKuli yelped, mouth wide open in shock as suddenly this Nekomata lifted her up and hugged her tight.
"Mew?"
"I missed you so much! I didn't realize it was you, I am sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" She pulled away, patting down KuliKuli's arms and legs and inspecting every individual scratch she had.
"Did they hurt you, did they mistreat you? Tell me-no don't! Your mother is waiting outside, let's go!" KuliKuli squeaked as the mystery woman's tails wrapped around her paw, pulling her from behind as they made off for the shattered window. Janette just stood there speechless, watching KuliKuli pull her arm away.
"Wait what?"
"Yea, your mom and your sisters are all here! They'll be so glad to see you, let's go, hurry!"
"Let go of me!" She snarled, pulling her paw away and retreating to Janette's side.
"Nityri? What's wrong, are you hurting too much?"
"I don't know who you are, and my name is KuliKuli not Nityri!" She shouted, keeping Janette behind her. "I don't know who you are, but you need to leave. Now!"
She gasped and held a paw to her chest. Her eyes began to swell, her ears dropped and her heart started to ache. "Nityri... is this because of that fight? I-I know sorry won't be enough, but I promise to change and be better. Just please, come with us."
"No!" She shouted back, puzzled and aggravated by her change of tone. "First you attack us and now you're asking me to leave? Who are you?"
"I'm Na'Vi, don't you remember? I-"
Everyone turned around as Felix and Reta pushed the doors open, hurrying over to KuliKuli and Janette's side. Feeling defeated, Na'Vi gave one last look toward KuliKuli, gasping when she saw Felix hold her paw. Her eyes widened as she spotted Felix's nonhuman traits, locking eyes with him. She spun around and crouched on all fours, leaping out the window into the black night. There, a silhouette of three more Nekomata's were waiting. As the fourth ran past them, the smaller two went and followed. Felix approached the glass only to make eye contact with the last remaining Nekomata.
"Mother?" KuliKuli covered her mouth, trembling at the sight of her as the Nekomata smiled and nodded in return.
"We have a lot to think about tomorrow, but I'm just glad to know you're safe." She said in a soft tone, extending her paw to her.
KuliKuli stared with a look of uncertainty before stepping back and shaking her head.
Her mother sighed with a pained look on her face, looking back before waving to her one last time.
"I missed you, Nityri." She said, running off into the dark and leaving the four of them speechless.
Reta approached Janette and reached out to extract the knife from her hand, when it slipped and hit the ground with a small clink noise. She flinched and recoiled back, hugging herself and shaking her head.
KuliKuli pulled away from Felix and stepped carefully around the mess of shattered glass and chipped splinters left on the dining room floor. He reached out for her arm when her tail flicked his hand away, something he did not expect.
"Kuli?"
"I-I'm fine, Master."
"You're hurt, you have scratches all over you."
"Master, please. I'm fine, it's nothing."
Reta huffed and placed her hands on her waist. "This entire room looks the opposite of fine. Even the training dojo in my old village never looked this rough."
"Reta, not now." Felix warned her, keeping his sight on KuliKuli as she gently walked toward the broken window.
"Chikushô, this one's bleeding." Reta exclaimed, reaching for Janette's bloodied-hand.
"No no, it's fine. I crawled over some glass, that's all."
"If untreated, this cut could lead to an infection. Come, we should move upstairs and treat this at once."
"Reta, this is really not the time. I can tend to this wound myself, if anything I would require your aid in cleaning up this-" She paused when Reta's eyes flashed wide open, ending this debate as Janette nodded in return. "R-Right, upstairs it is. Off we go."
"Good, we must go. We will speak about this come sunrise. Rest well for the night while you still can. I expect that there will be much to discuss by morning."
Felix nodded back, watching the pair walk upstairs and leaving him alone with KuliKuli.
"Listen KuliKuli, about before-"
"Not now Felix. I'm fine. You heard her, we should get some rest too. It's been, I-I find myself tired tonight. Off we go to bed." She rambled on, clumsily walking up the stairs.
"You don't even sound like yourself, just wait. I'll be there shortly."
Felix hurried to shut off the lanterns around the bottom floor, following up the stairs but not before catching one last look to the awful mess left behind. He found her sat in bed, staring blankly to the wall as he shut the door behind him. Once he sat beside her, she broke the silence.
"You're going to learn some new things about me. I want you to know that whatever happened before, it's new to me as well."
"Yea, of course. I hope... are you feeling okay?"
KuliKuli shrugged. "Nekomata claws are sharper then I thought. Will you... still love me after tonight?"
He stared for a minute, lingering on her question before nodding slowly. She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat as it sound... nervous, based off its faster beating.
"Master, you're scared?"
"No, no I'm just relieved you're doing better."
He felt her shuffle before she looked up into his eyes.
"Master, you're lying. You're lying and you're nervous, tell me."
"I..." He stuttered. "It's... I don't know what's going to happen. They're your family, what now?"
KuliKuli rested against his chest, a look of concern on her face.
"She said my name is Nityri."
Felix tilted his head. "Who?"
"The one I fought downstairs, Na'Vi."
"Do you know her?"
She hung her head down with a pained look in her eyes. "I do, but you won't like it."
"I'll be strong, you can trust me." He reassured her.
She looked into his eyes again, staring, scanning, trying to read him in a way before accepting his decision.
"I think... I think we were lovers."
"Lovers, what makes you think that?" He asked with wide eyes.
KuliKuli shriveled and curled up into herself with closed eyes and a soft whimper. "You're mad, aren't you?"
"No, how can I be? I'm just relieved you're not hurt. But... it's a lot that just happened. Your family, and now your lover?"
She stayed silent, looking away in remorse.
"You knew about her before, didn't you?"
"No, not her."
"Your family then?" He asked, watching her closely. "You seem to recognize your mom. Did you know about them before?"
"I wasn't lying to you about my memory before, Felix. Don't think that I was, I just... was starting to remember bits and pieces."
"Bits and pieces?" He questioned.
"Yea, bits and pieces." She repeated angrily, "I remember you saying before to Janette that you would rather I not remember about who I am. I thought I was dreaming when I heard, but I think it was true. I knew it had to be true because I would never dream about you saying something like that to me."
His heart sunk as he recalled about that day with Janette. "Kuli, I didn't mean-"
"It's okay. I didn't want to be a burden, so I kept them to myself. I wanted you to think that I was the same monster you mated with, so that I didn't complicate things with new memories. I just got scared when that man said people were after me, and I still don't know why."
"You're the same woman I fell in love with, nothing has changed that. How much did you remember?"
"Just faces, no names. It helps when I see them. Seeing my mother tonight just sent a lot in my mind, and I don't know what else I'll remember."
He paused once he noted her tails tighten their hold around her waist. He reached over and scooped her into his arms, kissing her ear and hugging her close. "I'm not asking any questions if you don't want any."
"I don't have any answers, only more questions."
"Yea, and lots of them."
KuliKuli sat up and gave him a pleading look, reaching for his hands as she leaned in close.
"You are my only family, you believe me right Master?" She asked, looking up to him with watery eyes as she fell onto his chest. His hands reached to hold her paws to comfort her. Feeling his 'hoo-man' hold her in this way broke her down and for the first time in his life, he witnessed his love sobbing quietly in his arms.
All he could do was hold her still, hug her close and whisper sweet nothings into her feline ears, telling her it will be alright.
Even if it was a lie.
