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“I should get you out of this rain….”
On that fateful rainy day, the Bakeneko named Mizuki met the person that would become their owner.
Deep brown eyes staring back at them with kindness and pity, all while shielding them from the heavy rain. Mizuki, who only appeared to be a normal cat to the nice human, had been weakened from living off the streets, dirtied and matted due to having to fend for themself. Yet the young woman only gazed at them without an ounce of disgust, and instead wrapped them up in her coat to take home.
They had the capabilities to live on their own, as they were a mythical Yokai, and yet, Mizuki had a very good reason not to do so, and chose to live as a normal cat in the eyes of other living beings.
It had been quite a while since Mizuki had ever interacted with another human being, however, and if they had been keeping track of the years…
…it would have been over five hundred years since they felt the warmth of a human being that cared for them.
Times had certainly changed compared to how they were when Mizuki had just been like any regular cat roaming the streets, and despite not having a name at the time, they still had a place to call home, and people to call family. A family of tailors, often visited by important looking humans with entourages on either side. As a fickle cat, they avoided such patrons and would instead hide in the bedroom of the family’s youngest child.
The child considered them to be their best friend. Innocent pink orbs would gaze upon the cat whom they’ve known their whole life, and would sparkle in joy whenever the feline would show up in their room unannounced.
Needless to say, Mizuki always loved the hugs that their human owners would give them. All the pats and affection. Especially from the little child that adored them so much.
Mizuki lived a long, healthy life with the family of tailors, and was prepared to ascend to the after-life once they’ve reached an old age for cats. Yet it would seem that fate had other plans, and instead of seeing death, they were instead granted a second life. Before they knew it, they had been standing on their hind legs, and was taken over by an uncontrollable instinct as their claws grew and their hair stood up untamed.
It happened so late at night, and their sudden change in behaviour woke up the child who had noticed their presence gone by their side. “Neko-chan…? What’s wrong?” The child groggily asked, rubbing their eyes and unable to see what kind of transformation Mizuki had undergone.
And before they knew it…
…their claws and fur had been matted with splashes of red, while their paws remained pressed against the cold, lifeless body of the child that loved them so much.
The juvenile couldn’t even utter a scream, yet the drop of their body had alerted the rest of the family. Mizuki, still panicked over what they had done, trembled as they became surrounded with people that once considered them family. They wanted to run, and yet their instincts were yet to be satiated completely.
“You… monster!”
Never had Mizuki seen so much red.
Seeing the massacre before them, the Bakeneko couldn’t help their tremors all while they kept their gaze on the young pink-haired child that they had killed first. Everyone in their family had always talked about what kind of adult they would be when they grew up, and even heard the pure wishes that they spoke of. Hoping that the cat could live long enough to see them become an adult and take over the tailoring business.
How the monstrous feline wished that they hadn’t let their newfound instincts taken over, and that they could’ve let the child grow old while watching over them.
As the cat sat there, solemnly pawing at the child’s lifeless body, they could only begin to futilely wonder just how they would’ve grown up. What kind of experiences they would’ve had, and moreover, the kind of life they’d live beyond what anyone has talked about.
And so, the Bakeneko went through a second transformation, feeling their fur sink back down to their skin, and their limbs growing longer. They could only peer through the looking glass partially stained with blood, and saw that they had turned into a human bearing a striking resemblance to the child, albeit an older version of them and one bearing the same cat ears and tail that they once had.
Perhaps the Bakeneko’s wishing had metamorphosed into their own appearance, but at the same time, they couldn’t feel any joy from it. Their ability to transform had only come from their newfound powers—the same one that caused such a bloodshed.
So they transformed back, and ran as far as they could until they grew tired.
The whole time, they could only repeat the young child’s name, the only legacy that they had, and decided to keep it for themself, all while silently vowing both to themself and the child of the life that they wished to live from now on. After all, as they were a Yokai now, they had all the time in the world to reflect.
As long as they didn’t harm anyone else. As long as they decided to live like a normal cat again, they could survive.
I will bear your name, Mizuki, and I will vow to you that I will live my life in repentance.
Mizuki had been skeptical over humans ever since, and yet, something about the girl’s gentle gaze stopped them.
The young woman—Ena, as they learned later on—had taken Mizuki into her tiny apartment, although had taken time to make sure that the complex was pet-friendly. They were immediately placed into the bathroom to be properly dried, which had been a new experience to the feline.
Things had certainly changed since the last time they’ve seen a home. While the streets gradually changed, and the age of modern times dawned upon the human beings, Mizuki hadn’t quite seen, let alone felt the warmth of a cozy home in centuries. Perhaps it came along with spontaneously coming home to another human’s abode, as Ena made the decision to keep them after a few days of being brought to the veterinarian.
And from the day Ena had kept them as her own, they were given a new name.
“From now on, your name is going to be Amia. How’s that sound?”
While Mizuki had been skeptical at first, not just with the newly given name but with the fact that they’d be staying with yet another human, they ultimately decided to trust Ena, and therefore chose her to be their new owner.
Thus, marked the start of their many years together with the young woman named Shinonome Ena.
Much to Mizuki’s surprise, their stay with Ena had been quite an adventure, far different from their time with their last owner, or even the many years they’ve spent on the streets. It came along with starting to trust the young woman, but oftentimes Mizuki has found themself loosening their initial guard around her as the days went by.
Ena was certainly a character, they quickly realized. A woman with good intentions, yet not the brightest mind. Mizuki figured that the girl had little to no knowledge in taking care of cats prior to adopting Mizuki, as on their first official day living together, Ena had given them strange food that certainly did not belong in a cat’s stomach, and it was clear that even Mizuki’s own knowledge far exceeded their new owner’s.
However, she still had her good points, as she attempted to find what would be best suitable to hold Mizuki’s attention while she worked on her bizarre contraption alongside a peculiar looking brush all throughout the morning. She also managed to get ahold of a cat tower rather quickly, and Mizuki had taken quite a liking to climbing the little building solely made for them.
Mizuki, in return, had taken quite a liking to Ena’s grand reactions. Whenever the girl would give them the wrong food, they could trigger a funny reaction from Ena with a simple stare of judgment, and they also took great pleasure in jumping on top of the young woman’s head from atop their tower, especially when it looked like Ena needed to stop working for the day.
Ena would get mad, but never truly lashing out at Mizuki, and perhaps knowing such a fact helped Mizuki become more comfortable living with her.
Ena rarely left the house, but when she would, she would always let Mizuki know where she was going, and what time she’d be back. Usually, the places she’d go to had always been the same—to buy groceries, to meet up with a friend, or to go to an on-site place for her job. True to her words, she would always return when Mizuki expected, and even give them a little treat for “waiting so nicely,” as she claimed.
The Bakeneko would eagerly await Ena’s usual greeting of “I’m home, Amia!” as they rested from the top of their tower, and without fail Ena would always take note of how they’d react.
“Your ears would always perk up whenever I return, huh? Silly cat,” she would say with a giggle, before spoiling Mizuki with pats and possibly a few treats if she had any to spare.
To the two of them, it had become a routine, especially when Ena found herself needing to leave home more often due to her work. As she would leave, she’d always name a time as if to say she knew Mizuki would be smart enough to understand, and a very curious Mizuki would indeed wander around the apartment until then.
It was a life that Mizuki could accept, despite knowing they weren’t normal. As long as Ena didn’t know, it was alright with them.
That is, until one particular evening.
“Amia, I’ll be going now! I’ll be back before dinner time,” she had announced that morning, while slipping on her boots. Dinner time, as far as Mizuki knew, was always consistent, which meant that Ena would be back at around 6 pm. “Be good, okay?”
Mizuki let out a soft mew, making Ena chuckle as they watched her exit and properly lock the door. As usual, the Bakeneko would wander around the apartment, taking interest in whatever new thing they’d find—and for a 500 year old creature like them, everything was new.
Yet as the time of Ena’s return drew near, Mizuki retreated to their cat tower, eyes focused on the clock that hung on the wall across. Ena was a rather punctual person when coming home despite being the complete opposite when leaving the house, but perhaps it had been because she knew of the routine she has to follow for her pet cat’s sake, needing to be back just to feed them.
But…
…the clock showed that time had already gone past the time Ena needed to come home. Of course, Mizuki wasn’t particularly concerned about not being fed, but rather Ena not coming home.
At first, Mizuki showed no concerns, seeing as it had only been five minutes. Mizuki couldn’t quite make any assumptions, but from what they had observed in the streets, Ena could have been running late due to some commuting troubles, a reason that happens rather often to many people.
Ten minutes passed.
Mizuki began to fidget with the ball of yarn they had brought up to the tower with them, trying to ignore the clock and yet, they kept going back to it. Twenty minutes. Finally, Mizuki started to worry. Ena would never allow herself to come home later than she had told the feline, nor would she be running so late due to commuting issues.
Which could only mean one thing, and that one thing is something that finally prompted Mizuki to move away from their tower and out the window after a whole thirty minutes of waiting. Unfortunately, they had no idea of the paths that Ena would usually take, so retracing her steps would be out of the question, and the only thing they could really do at this point was to rely on their senses.
Their senses proved to be reliable, however, as they managed to sniff out Ena’s scent at a nearby alleyway, along the presence of two troublemakers. Yokai, no doubt, as they didn’t feel remotely human.
Mizuki took a shaky breath, running as fast as their four little legs would allow them. It could very well be the fear of losing another human in their life, but Mizuki, as much as they didn’t quite show it to Ena, loved the affection that Ena gave her. It felt far too different from their previous owner, but it was clear that Ena also loved their presence over the years. They’ve become inseparable in a way, after all.
So to know that Ena might be in danger didn’t sit quite well with Mizuki, even if they couldn’t do much in their current state. But if they used the Yokai abilities that they hid so well for so long…
…it hadn’t been the time to think about what they could do, as long as they could get to Ena and bring her to safety by at least providing her with an escape. They neared the alleyway that they sniffed Ena out in, and saw what could only be a sight that angered the Bakeneko all too much.
Ena was surrounded by two Oni, disguised as humans, but with every intention on devouring the helpless human in front of them with sinister smiles. The poor young woman, on the other hand, only trembled as she had no means of escaping, with her back now against the wall of the alley, as tears streamed down her face.
“P-please…get away from me…!” She could only feebly call out, hugging herself in defense. From the looks of it, Ena had been on the run for the last little while, with the two Oni in pursuit. Where she ended up in had been this alleyway, possibly to hide, only for it to be of no avail as the Oni easily caught up to her.
“It’ll be over before you know it, little girl,” one of the Oni declared, and as Mizuki watched, hissing, the two Oni had finally gotten a hold of Ena’s arms, pulling it away from her defensive stance.
And in that moment, Mizuki snapped.
They found an opening, just big enough for them to hop over the two Oni and land right in front of their human owner. Due to their small stature as a cat, they could only see the piercing gazes of the two Yokai towering over her, but they could also sense the relief from Ena’s end for a split second before going back into her panicked state. “A-Amia…!” She called out. “What are you doing out here…?! You…you have to get away from them or they’ll hurt you…!”
But Mizuki only hissed, earning an erupting laughter from the two Oni. “What? Are you now getting your little kitten to defend yourself? What a pathetic girl you are,” taunted the second Oni, crossing their arms so as if to say that they aren’t scared of a little cat such as Mizuki.
The Bakeneko, however, had other plans.
“Get away from my human, fools,” Mizuki said in a low tone, throwing away their morals right then and there. Breaking their vow from five hundred years ago, in order to not lose another human they cared for.
They could see the Oni stop in their spot, backing away as the sneers on their faces were replaced with looks of pure shock over the speaking cat before them. While they still couldn’t quite see Ena’s reactions, either, Mizuki could tell that she, too, had been far more surprised than the Oni.
“Th-the cat spoke?!”
“Yes, I did, and I’m ordering you to get away from my human,” they demanded once more, before they stood on their hind legs to further intimidate the speechless Oni. “From the looks of it, you two are rather young Oni, aren’t you? So I suggest you listen well before you regret your actions.”
The two Oni only clicked their tongue. “A Bakeneko, huh? It doesn’t matter. You’re still smaller and outnumbered,” the first one cockily chimed, charging at Mizuki who only stood their ground. At the last second, however, Mizuki bared their claws and jumped, digging them right on the Oni’s back without an ounce of hesitation within them. The Oni fell, but they had just enough time to dodge the other Oni before gracefully landing right in front of Ena once more.
But as much as Mizuki hated to admit it, the two were right. They were far too small, and outnumbered, that they had no choice but to fully throw their morals away.
A sensation they hadn’t felt in centuries washed over them, and one that they found so unpleasant as it brought back so many bad memories. They could only wince, as they felt their body grow longer and morph into that of the human figure they’ve taken up long ago.
Now what stood in the cat’s place had been a pink haired human, clad in the same summer yukata that Mizuki had seen their previous owner in last. Their ears and tail remained, only straightening up in slight anger as they stared the two Oni down.
“A-Amia…?” She heard Ena whisper, unable to say anything more as the Bakeneko turned towards her.
“It’ll be okay, Ena,” they said with a grin. “You’ll be safe now!”
Mizuki chose to gave no time of recovery to the two young Oni, this time being the one to charge as they delivered a series of kicks towards them. The Oni could only defend with their arms, unable to find an opening to attack as Mizuki moved far too quickly for their eyes to keep up. In the meantime, Mizuki only kept with their assault, prioritizing their speed rather than causing damage.
Eventually, the two Oni ultimately fell victim to the harsh drop kick that Mizuki had sent their way, causing them to fly back a few feet. It was clear that while Mizuki still had breaths to spare, the two troublemakers were winded, as the combined effects of both Mizuki’s consecutive kicks as well as their pursuit of Ena from earlier had finally added together to tire them out.
With the Oni struggling to get up, Mizuki looked down at them once more, with eyes sharper than that of a tiger’s. They approached them, grabbing them both by the horns that stuck out of their hairs. A deathly grip caused them to crack ever so slightly, making the Oni whimper in pain. “I’m giving you one last warning. Get away from my human, foolish children, or I will not hesitate to send you back to the shrines to be exorcised.”
“Y-Yes, Bakeneko…!” The Oni exclaimed, far too intimidated by the angry Mizuki as they scrambled away once the cat let them go. With a sigh, they finally were able to transform back to their cat form, feeling rather uncomfortable remaining in such a ghastly human form due to the recollection of their past.
They turned to the trembling Ena, who had fallen back due to the shock of what she had just witnessed. But before they could utter a word to one another, Ena had finally stood up, and snatched Mizuki off the ground before making her way back to their apartment. Mizuki could tell that it had been Ena’s adrenaline, but also the fact that she probably had too many questions to ask the Bakeneko, and doing so in a cold alleyway wouldn’t be clever as the potential dangers may come back.
So Ena ran, with Mizuki cradled in her hands. “E-Ena, slow down…! I can run on my own,” they bolted, but Ena heeded no mind to their calls as she rushed inside of her apartment and locked all the doors. Only then did she put Mizuki down, as well as her belongings.
As if nothing happened, Mizuki took their place on the cat tower, licking at their paws just as a normal cat would.
“Amia, explain. What was that all about?!” Ena had finally managed to let out, staring up at the nonchalant cat.
“Well, I guess there’s no hiding it now that I’ve revealed it to you,” they started with a sigh, before frowning. “I’m sure you heard them call me Bakeneko, and that’s what I really am. I used to be a normal cat, but the Gods turned me into a Bakeneko when I was to die from old age.”
“And those two guys?”
“Oni. They’re also Yokai, just like me. Although far more younger than I am.”
Ena couldn’t help her shock as she fell back on her desk chair, placing a hand on her mouth in disbelief. “Yokai…. L-like, ghosts, and stuff?” she mumbled. “Th-there’s no way I’m hearing all of this correctly. I’m probably just tired from work, and I haven’t eaten yet…! You’re probably hungry too, right, Amia?”
Mizuki only gave her the same look that they’ve reserved specially for when Ena would do something stupid. “I’m being dead serious. In fact, you may not have noticed it, but there are Yokai everywhere disguised as humans or other animals. I’m simply one of them.”
Ena released a sigh. “You’re joking….” She whispered, though with the tone of her voice, it seemed as if she was starting to believe it. “Have you been a Yokai this whole time? The whole time you’ve been living with me?”
“Unfortunately so.”
“Th-then what about earlier?! You turned into a person! Have you been doing that when I’m gone?!” She inquired, panic in her voice as she began to fear her own imagination. Mizuki couldn’t quite understand what had been a big deal about them turning into a human without her knowledge, but they could only tell her the truth.
“How dare you accuse me like that?! I’ve gone for so long without using any of my Yokai abilities, that I wouldn’t just break it after living with you for so many centuries! In fact, tonight had been the first time in a while that I’ve done so, and it’s a rather unpleasant feeling, you know?”
Ena stopped, her panic being quickly replaced with confusion and a twinge of curiosity. “Centuries…? How…how many years have you been alive for, exactly?”
Mizuki blinked.
“Five hundred.”
“Five hundred?!”
Mizuki lowered their ears from the sudden scream, even going so far as using their paws to cover them. “Tone it down, will you! Or you’ll catch the neighbours’ attention,” they retorted with a frown, before hopping down from their cat tower to approach Ena. They instead took their place on her bed, only this time, they turned their attention away from the shocked human.
“It’s…been a long time of being alone….”
Ena seemed to have also settled down as well, as she quickly noticed the air of melancholy surrounding the cat. “...so that form you took up earlier…. Is that someone you used to know?”
Mizuki took a moment, staring at the little corner of Ena’s small apartment before once again transforming to their human form. An ear twitched as they nodded. “I can’t give you many details, but in a way, this is my previous owner. When they died, I took their image as well as their name. I went by Mizuki from the day I became an orphan five hundred years ago, up until the day you decided to take me.”
But they quickly replaced their solemn atmosphere with a stretch of their arms before Ena could even say any words of sympathy, still purring as a cat would despite being in their human form. A toothy smile showed up on their face, turning towards the baffled Ena with genuineness in their actions. “In any case, I should admit now that it’s been a while since I’ve really been given affection by another human!”
“You…liked it?”
“I did. I missed it, in fact. Although your methods of caring for a cat can really leave much to be desired. I mean, seriously, I still haven’t quite forgotten about the dog food you tried to give me back then,” admitted Mizuki with a teasing tone, only to earn an embarrassed grumble from Ena in return. She couldn’t quite refute it, only garnering a laugh from the Bakeneko.
“But now that you know that I’m like this, would you make me leave?”
Ena paused, eyes shifting away. She seemed to be pondering over the choices that she had, yet for some reason there hadn’t been an ounce of disgust painted on her face. Instead, she seemed to think about Mizuki’s words, before coming into a conclusion. “No. I gave you my place as a home, and…I wouldn’t really want you to spend another five hundred years on your own again,” she stated firmly, determined eyes staring back at Mizuki’s feline-like pupils. “But in return…you have to tell me more about yourself, Mizuki.”
Mizuki smiled. “It’s a deal, then, and you can still call me Amia if you want. You’re more used to that, aren’t you?” they replied, standing up from their bed. Now with the security of a home as well as an owner that would take care of them, Mizuki needed one last thing to do to make it official.
“Then as your pet cat and a Bakeneko, I shall make a vow.”
The young woman only tilted her head, but had shot right up as Mizuki knelt in front of her, with a hand placed so properly on their heart.
“I, the Bakeneko Mizuki, or as you know me by Amia, will vow to protect you in exchange for the warmth you’ve given me.”