Chapter 102

10 Stalks of pampas swayed together in the north wind, making for an enchanting and mystical sight. Overhead, the moon hung impossibly big and bright in the sky. The only sounds were the whistling of the wind, the crunch of toppling stalks, and heavy breathing, mixed with blood, as though the fluids its bearer had inhaled were too much trouble to cough up. A single white cat dragged herself through the field. She was not difficult to spot, even among the similarly colored stalks, for her path was marked by a wet crimson trail that extended over the rolling hills and out of sight. … Just…a little…farther… Suddenly, her paw, slick with her blood, slipped, and the white cat fell face-first to the ground. She had tugged herself so far through the soil that all of her claws had been peeled off, and she lacked even the energy to keep herself upright. “Gh…gh…” She clenched her jaw, her fangs ready to crack, and grunted. If only…I could reach…the temple… As if in response to her wish, a bright light shone in her paw. It was the Ultrafaith Arrow. Using it as a crutch, the white cat staggered to her feet once more, spurring herself on with nothing but sheer determination. She looked like a wraith, a specter. Cursed to wander the land and never to be free. I was just…unlucky. But so long as I have the arrow, I cannot lose. I need only return to the temple, to await another chance. One day…the Catwisp Blade will be gone, and my new world will rise… “So you are alive,” came a voice from behind her. “I didn’t expect you to last this long.” “Who’s there?!” In her heart of hearts, she already knew. The white cat jumped and spun around, and there he was. His sleek black fur glimmered. The fated pair stared into each other’s eyes, standing in the dazzling light of the moon. “Geppei Amakusa,” said the black cat. “Look at you, ready to die. And yet still you reject the word of the Catwisp Bow.” “Yokan Yatsuhashi!” A silent eternity passed between them, punctuated only by Amakusa’s ragged breaths and the whistle of the wind. Her eyes were wild and bloodshot, while his were clear and serene. “You have come to end me, have you?” she asked. “You one-armed failure. Pathetic.” Yokan stood motionless, his one sleeve dangling limply by his side. It was clear he would never command the Catwisp Arts as he once did. “Lest you forget,” continued Amakusa, “I still possess the Ultrafaith Arrow. Even in your prime, you could never defeat it, so how do you hope to—?!” “I have not come to kill you,” said Yokan. “What?!” “I just wanted to see you… And to tell you something.” Amakusa’s mouth hung open, speechless. “I was wrong,” said Yokan. Then something astonishing happened. The ruler of this entire country bowed his head to the one who would have seen it destroyed. Wh-what?! Even Amakusa could not believe her eyes. “What is this, some kind of trick?! Have you come only to mock me?!” “Does this mean,” Yokan went on, “I have not earned your forgiveness?” “My forgiveness?! Why do you need my forgiveness?!” “On the night you slew my family, I always wondered why it was I couldn’t change your mind.” Yokan looked down to the new sword at his hip, then back at Amakusa. “It was that regret, that moment of weakness, that fueled my arts and became the Catwisp Blade. However…” “So that’s why you’ve come! I might have known…!” Geppei Amakusa began to cry, although she could not quite articulate why. The tears from her eyes mixed with the blood on her cheeks. “You’ve come to use that detestable sword to change my mind, haven’t you?! Because you always know what’s best for me! You always know what’s best for the world!!” “No! You’re wrong, Geppei. Let me explain—” ““Can it, puss! You’re under arrest!”” “Mmm!” Without warning, dozens of bandanna-sporting cats jumped out of the undergrowth, running on all fours toward the pair. ““Geppei Amakusa! You must die for the sake of peace!”” “Oh no!” said Yokan. “They’ve sniffed us out!” “Curse you, Yokan! How long will you mock me before you’re satisfied?!” Slavering with rage, Amakusa tightened her grip on the Ultrafaith Arrow. It glowed with a dim, golden light, but… “Grrh… Rggh…” Her dreams were shattered. And with no dreams, there was no power to fuel the arrow’s miraculous abilities. It’s the same as it was back then… …when she lay dying in an alley, bullied by the rich and powerful over a single fish to fill her starving belly. All my money and faith came to nothing. And so it all ends the way it began… Her tears rolled down her face and fell onto her clenched paw… …when a second dark-furred paw appeared and held on tightly to hers. “…?! Yokan! What are you—?!” “Focus,” he said. “You are the greatest cat who ever lived. Only you can command this unimaginable power.” “Focus?! But…” “Now!” “O-okay!” The two cats, white and black, each channeled their determination into the arrow, and it shone once more with a golden glow! ““Wh-what?! What’s this light?!”” the ninja cats exclaimed. “Do not falter!” said one. “Our enemy is wounded! Press the assault!” In a calm voice, Yokan explained. “They are from the military. We must uproot the very ground beneath their paws. Are you ready?” “W-w-w-wait! Those are samurai! They’re your army!” “Which is why we must not kill them. Just slow them down a little.” “But that’s absurd! The people would rebel! Who ever heard of a shogun turning against his own people?!” “I failed that day…” Yokan turned and looked to the distance. Then he focused his pure, bright eyes on Geppei’s. “…I shall not do so again. Those two human boys taught me what is truly important in life.” “Yokan…!” “It is not my country or my sword. It is not my duty or my ability. It is you, Geppei. You, and nothing else.” And then he kissed her. As both their paws curled around the Ultrafaith Arrow, Yokan gently pressed his lips to hers and hugged her tight. His loving embrace washed all her fears away, and in the tears that streamed from her eyes, there was no anger or regret. All the emotions that had kept her trapped her whole life disappeared, replaced by only love. ““Meow?! What are they doing?”” ““We’re in the middle of a fight; can’t they see that?!”” ““Get a room, you two! C’mon, mogs, attack them!!”” The ninja cats charged, earning a deadly glare from Geppei. Her fated kiss with Yokan was not to be denied. In her paw, the Ultrafaith Arrow glowed brighter and brighter, until… Thud! Gaboom! ““Meow?!”” Thud! Gaboom! ““Meow?!”” Thud! Gaboom! Gaboom! Gaboom! Bright golden King Trumpet mushrooms erupted from the ground, catapulting the cats away. That one kiss had restored Amakusa’s faith to bursting. And it was still going. “…Mm-mmm… That’s enough,” said Yokan, struggling to break free of her grip. “Let me go!” “No. You’re staying right here.” “B-but the ninja! They’re coming for us!” “I beat them all while we were kissing.” “What? You didn’t kill them, did you?” “Of course not. See? They are getting back up again. Though perhaps I should have… Eek!” Suddenly, Yokan took Geppei under one arm and took flight through the long grass. “Now we are free,” he said. “We can go anywhere our hearts desire!” “Are you out of your mind? You are the cat to lead all cats! For you to forsake your country would mean exile! You would be abandoning all of feline-kind!” “Then I do so freely!” “B-but…” “Ultrafaith Arrow!” At his words, the arrow shone, catapulting the pair of them up, beyond the clouds, far into the clear blue sky where the Cat Gate loomed. “MROOOOOOW.” “Let us abandon this realm, Geppei, and live as the humans do. As those two boys do.” “No! I don’t want to be a human! They’re all hairless and cold!” “Then let us be hawks, or wolves. Let us search until we find what is right for us, Geppei.” “…You idiot.” The wind rushed through their ivory and soot-black fur. Geppei threw her slender arms around Yokan’s shoulders and nuzzled his cheek. All the anger she had bottled up her whole life was gone, spent in an instant like a disappointing firecracker—and yet Geppei didn’t seem to care. The arrow ferried them up in a golden streak, as though it were transporting them directly to heaven. All across the land, cats turned and gazed at the beautiful sight, mouths agape in wonder. Then, once it was gone, they forgot all about it.