Soxxx

Sato

Sato was still at home. He had meant to go back to Castle Hill by now, but he had gotten caught up at home. He had been training with Sakura every day since he'd been back. Every day she asked him about Rebe, and every day he gave the same tired answer. He was beginning to believe it himself. He wasn't sure if Sakura was as convinced. Lily must have said something to her.

As expected, Sato's mother was fairly suspicious of this new summer job of his. His physical transformation didn't help much either. Daniel and he had practiced their alibis for hours, lying in his bed at Castle Hill. His bed. He questioned his own choice of words. He hadn't been in his own bed for nearly two months. Now that he was back, it felt almost strange and foreign. All his baseball posters seemed pointless. He'd screwed that up. His grades and attendance were in freefall. Maybe he can't live two lives simultaneously. Maybe he couldn't have the best of both worlds.

Sato looked out his window. It was raining pretty hard outside. He was dry, warm, and safe inside. Sato loved the rain. He loved to listen to it as he fell asleep. He would always crack the window when it was raining. He would listen for thunder and watch for lightning. He wondered how much he would like the lighting if he were out there instead of in here.

Somehow, even the rain felt too quiet here. Like he belonged out there in the middle of the storm. Like he should be wet, cold, and in danger outside.

Sato couldn't remember the last time he had just lain down and stared off into space. He used to do it every day. Just imagine. It didn't much matter what about. He would just get lost in his own mind.

Sato suddenly sat up. He realized why it was so quiet. Despite a mountain of stuffed animals covering his bed, the only animal he had missed wasn't here. His cat, Sox.

Sato and his brother had found Sox outside on a rainy day just like this one. He had been a homeless stray. He had lost most of his tail and part of his right ear in territorial fights with other tomcats. He was a black cat with yellow eyes. He had white sock-like patterns covering only his hind paws, like a person. His brother had named him Sox after his favorite baseball team, back in the States. He must have been nearly 11 by now. He was a sweet cat and for many years was Sato's best and only friend, especially after his dad... and his brother.

Sato went downstairs. His mom was drinking a hot glass of tea, as she often did. She was watching something on the news. Something about some gang members being found dead. It didn't matter.

"Mom, have you seen Sox?" Sato asked, trying to steady his voice to avoid undue alarm.

"He must have snuck out. You should probably go find him. Don't forget your umbrella. You'll catch a cold. Then you might actually have to come home..." Sato's mom passively threatened.

"K, thank mom." Sato forgot his umbrella. He always did. Sato didn't much like umbrellas or worry about staying dry in general. He loved the rain.

Sato did have something else with him to keep him safe, though. It had been by his side since he had returned. He had planned to take it without asking, but decided better of it. He had asked Leo if it was okay to bring it with him. Leo had to think it over.

"It's a risk, no doubt. But I'd rather you have it if you are attacked. Then I can find you, and you can try to defend yourself. It's not as though they can use it without you anyway," Leo decided.

"So basically, they'd have to kidnap me to use it?" Sato questioned.

"Basically," Leo confirmed.

Leo had told Sato from their first meeting that there would be others seeking him. He had to be on guard, even here. Even now.

Sato slipped on his sneakers and an oversized coat, his father's, to obscure the silhouette of a sword at his side. Only then did he remember just how collapsible his blade was. Certain more so than his sturdy, ridged bokken, which he had also brought home. He simply snapped it into its constituent pieces, and he was easily able to truck it away into its uniquely designed sheath. When he broke it, the golden fluid would become hard and stick to the edges of the piece. It reminded Sato of a non-Newtonian fluid.

Sato opened the front door and looked out into the world. It was now pouring. Maybe his mom was right about the umbrella. Probably not, though. He started calling for Sox. Sox loved to run off and murder this thing or that. That cat was a warrior long before Sato was. But he always came home for dinner.

"Sox... Dinner," Sato called for a minute straight before he decided he would have to find the cat himself. He stepped out into the watery world.

Sato walked down his street calling for Sox all the way. It wasn't too late yet, but he was mindful not to be too loud. He walked to the park, one of Sox's favorite spots to run off to. No such luck. He finally hit the end street. He made his way towards the much busier cross street. Now he was starting to worry. Sox rarely went past the park. He had a bad feeling in his gut. Then he spotted it. In the water lining the street, Sato saw the reflection of streetlights and also the glint of a glowing yellow cat eye against the dark street and darker night sky. The rain suddenly stopped.

At the side of the road, Sato saw something that looked vaguely like the shadow of roadkill. Only it was struggling to move. It called out It in pain. He knew that voice anywhere. It was Sox!

Sato ran over to the crippled cat. He was in rough shape. He was bleeding, and clearly, his back legs were badly broken. He'd been run over while crossing the street. Sox saw him and meowed weakly in recognition.

Sato didn't think twice. He knew very little about cat biology, but Gran had taught him a thing or two. He'd seen her heal Taff before after a heavy fall. Sato was going to save Sox.

He drew the Kintsugi, and the shadow seeped into him. The golden fluid sprang to life, clinging the pieces together back into shape. Sato choked up in the blade and delicately sealed Sox's wounds, careful not to leave any internal bleeding untreated. The poor kitty yelped in pain, but Sato could not relent. As soon as the golden fluid sealed the wounds, Sox immediately seemed stronger. He wasn't fading anymore.

As soon as he was stable, Sato picked the crippled cat up in his hands and rushed back to his house. He screamed for his mom to get the car, and they rushed to the emergency vet. Sox was emitted immediately. Sato and his mom sat together in the waiting room as the rain poured for several hours. Sato's mom fell asleep on his shoulder. He was glad she was getting some rest. She loved that cat as much as he did. He was all she had left when Sato was gone. Sato felt awful for that. The vet came out to talk to them, and he shook his mom awake.

"I've got good news and bad news. The good news is he is stable. He's sleeping right now. He lost some blood, but there was no internal bleeding, which was really a miracle considering. We did find some unidentified foreign substance in the wounds, and we are running tests on it, but we don't believe it's infectious. Both of his hind feet are pretty severely broken. At this point, it's unclear whether they will heal or not, but he's going to be in some pain for a long time. Otherwise, he seems to be perfectly healthy. He's resting right now. We'd like to keep him overnight for observation, but we will send him home with some medicine tomorrow. I'd say you are incredibly lucky," The vet confirmed.

"Thank you," they both said in unison, their eyes pooling up with their own rain. Sato's mom wrapped him in a huge hug. He did the same. I guess it works, Sato muttered to himself. Then he started coughing. He seemed to be getting a cold.