Chapter 2 – Shattered Dreams

By the time they had reached home, day had already begun to fade. The bright daytime colours in the sky had changed to the dull dark hue of night.

Rena, who was full of energy the entire day, started to get very tired from the long walk back. Steps starting to slow as her ears began to slowly droop, all the excitement and new sights were a bit overwhelming. Leaving her drained of energy and ready for bed.

Haruki lived in a house located on the outskirts of Kyoto where no city lights glowed and the country side began. It wasn’t a large house, but it was quiet and wholesome surrounded by the forests edge.

“Are you tired?”

“Nyaaaa.... I think so.”

Carrying a shopping bag with a few new items and necessities she had acquired from the shopping mall. With Haruki's help Rena had found things she would need such as: underwear, makeup, and even her own hair brush.

He was no expert on what a girl would need but, he tried his best remembering what things his sister would often ask to buy.

“It’s okay, you have been through a lot in the last few days.”

While walking down the gravel path, Rena who was already half asleep and trying hard to keep her eyes open, accidentally bumped into Haruki.

Catching her in his arms he felt slightly awkward, but at same time understood how exhausted she must be.

“Whoa, careful. It’s okay, we’re home now.”

At least for Haruki this was the home he was used to. Rena wasn’t so sure if she was ready to stay here.  She still didn't remember everything about her own home, but at least she felt safe for now. To Rena this place was quite comfortable and had good food, two things very important in her opinion.

Finally reaching the entrance, they stumbled inside. Rena wasted no time sleepily climbing up the stairs to Haruki’s room. The second she reached the doorway, she pounced onto the bed like a kitten. Rolling around and snuggling into the soft blankets, she made herself comfortable.

In a quiet sleepy voice she called out to him before passing out from exhaustion.

“Haruki...”

“Yes, Rena?”

“Please don’t let me sleep too long... I don’t want to forget anything else.”

With those final words leaving her mouth, she was already on her way to sleep. Twitching once more before also taking their rest, her ears slowly relaxed atop her head. Cuddling her face into the fabric, a small yawn snuck out. Lying silently on his bed, she looked peaceful and at rest; something she hadn’t been since arriving.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen.”

Quietly turning off the light and closing the wooden window shutters. Haruki gently crept over to the tatami mat he had placed on the floor. Again he would sleep here, same as the previous night. The floor felt a bit hard and it sometimes got cold at night but , he didn’t mind letting her share his bed if it made her feel at ease.

Dim light from the moon filtered in the room from his large window. Haruki could barely make out the silhouette of her tail hanging out from underneath the covers. Curling herself in a giant ball of fluff, she wrapped blankets around herself like a onigiri.

Things are so strange... Haruki Minazuki, the boy who never talked to girls. All of a sudden there is a cute cat girl cuddling up in my bed. It's a good thing my parents arn't here...

Restless thoughts tried to understand a difficult situation. Despite how odd the whole thing felt, he couldn’t help but smile. Giving up on trying to make sense of it all, he closed his eyes letting himself rest.

“Good night Rena.”

“...Goodnight”

From the dark room, her last words held slight hesitation. Maybe there was more to say, or she was simply talking in her sleep.

Nothing but a rustle of blankets could be heard as the room remained silent. Listening closely he swore there was a gentle purr~. Unaware what the future held, a beautiful scene played out between them as they slept.

Unknowing to them both, Rena was about to experience something much more than dreams.

Part 2

Brilliant fields of golden flowers surrounded Rena as far as she could see. She wasn’t sure how she awoke in this place but it felt familiar. The landscape was slightly different from the human world, but magnificent to see. Next to her, flowers were letting off tiny yellow sparkles into the air almost like magic.

Sitting in the center of the odd glowing field, she felt peaceful and at home. Stars were brightly twinkling above her in the clear night sky.

Looking down at herself she realized she was wearing the outfit she had chosen with the human boy. Despite how strange she felt, the clothing somehow made her feel beautiful.

I must be dreaming...

Taking a deep breath in she pulled her knees to her chest and looked around. It seemed like she was alone in this place. As far as her eyes could see there was no one else. Nothing but fields of yellow flowers swaying in a gentle breeze. It all felt quite surreal for her to look at.

Why does this feel like home...?

Closing her eyes, she let herself fall back onto the bed of flowers. Sparks of gold burst into the air as she sank into ground. Letting herself relax as she cleared her thoughts, again she fell into a deep sleep.

............................................................................................................................................................................

Floating around in a colourless space, her body felt formless and empty.

Voices whispered far out of reach, echoes from another life. Forgotten memories shattered like crystal fragments. Suspended in a space between two separate realms, her arms reached out while she let out a voiceless scream.

Alone in the darkness, beneath her she saw what looked like a large portal connecting two worlds. Weightless, her  body fell towards it as she tried to hold on. Bright purple light began surrounding her as she fell through.

Shattered fragments of herself broke off and remained on the other side. Everything she knew about herself, her name, even the way she used to smile. All broken and fragmented as they floated around with brilliant colours. Each fragment pulsed with emotions and memories, none of them belonged in this world and they could not come with her.

She felt everything being torn and ripped away.

Warm gentle touch's.

A crystal key.

Kisses on her forehead.

Spinning around her faster and faster, they all started swirling at the center of her dream.

“No... wait!”

Trying to grab them, she reached out but her hands passed straight through. One remaining fragment hovered in front of her. The very last memory showing a reflection of herself. Then in a blue flash of light, it was gone.

Rena continued falling, until nothing of her was left.

Gasping for air, she violently awoke. Nervously looking around, she quickly realized she was still in the human world. Warm tangled sheets wrapped around her as the bed was soaked in sweat.

Sitting up in the large bed, she carefully surveyed the room. Everything looked so strange. Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths as she tried to calm down. Just a few moments ago she swore she was falling...

“It couldn’t have all just been a dream...?”

Even though she knew it wasn’t real, that’s not how it felt. Her memories were still missing, something had taken them.

Tail still moving around frantically like it had emotions of it’s own, she pressed a hand to her chest to try and calm her heartbeat.

The room was quiet. Scent from the forest hung in the air, let in from the cracks in the window shutters. Moonlight leaked in creating a soft but welcoming light.

Looking down at her body, her hair softly fell around her shoulders like yellow silk. Still wearing yesterdays clothes, she noticed they looked a bit dirty and covered in stains.

Carefully getting up and letting her feet touch the cold wooden floor, she was cautious as to not wake the human boy. Sleeping peacefully below, his arms were flailed out as his body uncomfortably sprawled across the wooden floor. Living with a human and even sleeping next to one made her feel strange.

He is real... but why did he help me?

Heart starting to finally calm from the nightmare, something about him caused the feeling in her chest to soften. She watched him for moment, being close to him somehow made her feel safe. A gentle smile started to develop on her face as she quietly observed him.

Strange human...

Curling around her legs, her tail tightly held on. It was her own special way of comforting herself when feeling vulnerable. Lingering pictures from the dream caused her to feel unease. Standing with hands across her chest, she closed her eyes and listened to the quiet. Time felt paused just so she could remain in the present.

Glancing around the foreign room, her ears twitched with curiosity. Quietly padding across the floor, her steps barely made a sound. Tail softly dragging on the floor behind, finally it also started to relax.

The room around was quite different from her home, at least that’s how she felt. It was a small space, but it had a big wooden panel window. Gently making her way over, she eased open the shutters as quietly as possible and peaked out.

Slightly leaning outside, she could see a large open view of a large grassy field. Everything outside was green and brightly lit under the moon. The forest behind the house was dense and held a feeling of mystery. Rena felt that the landscape looked similar to her dream but also a bit different. The ache in her chest returned, reminding of the distance from her home.

Is this what my world also looked like...?

Turning around to explore the room some more, she continued to look at all his different belongings. Piles of comic books were stacked by a nightstand. Half-open drawers had clothing peeking out. A tiny potted plant full of vibrancy, cheerfully sat on shelf. Everything in his room felt like it had it’s own place.

Everything except me...

Stepping quietly over to his closet, she slowly slid open the doors as they let out a small creek. Inside, she found an assortment of clothing. Mostly T-shirts and large dark coloured hooded sweaters. While inspecting the weird clothing a specific item caught her eye:
 an oversized plain white T-shirt. Reaching out to touch the fabric, it was warm and soft. It contained his familiar scent. Even though it was a bit wrinkled and too big for her... it would be perfect to sleep in.

Without fully understanding why, she held it close to her chest.

Hopefully he won’t mind...

Taking another look behind her where he was lying, she could tell he was deep in sleep.

You better not be peaking!

Stepping back into the better lit area near the window, slowly she started to remove her clothes. Letting the clothing fall to her ankles, she stood bare and exposed in the quiet room. 

Moonlight caressed her naked skin highlighting curves and painting shadows across her body. Pale white glow traced along her collarbone and down the small bend of her back. Shadows formed to the dip of her waist until it reached where skin and fur met. At the base of her spine a long golden tail emerged, and freely danced in the dark.

For a moment she stood naked before the almost empty room.

Slipping the shirt over her head, fabric fell loosely over her body. Cotton stretched across the top of her chest. Neckline dipping just enough to show her delicate collarbone. Sleeves loosely drooped past her shoulders, while the rest of the shirt hugged her waist.

She loved how normal his clothes made her feel. Even though it was too big, it still felt right. Absently she tugged at the shirts hem, feeling the way fabric softly rested on her skin. Cheeks flushing, a warm feeling rose in her chest.

Realizing that the bed was still soaked from sweat, she glanced around the room. Her eyes landed on a pile of folded blankets in the corner. Grabbing the most comfortable looking one, she carefully removed the old sheets and re-made the bed. Sitting back down on the clean blankets, she tried to relax.

letting herself wonder what it would feel like to belong in this world. For a moment she almost felt like this is where she belonged. Living in this house, sleeping in his bed, and even wearing his clothes. This could all be part of her new lift, but was this what she really wanted?

Would this all really be okay...?

Curiously looking around her eyes landed on his dresser. There was a picture of him standing next to a smaller young girl. She looked very petite and cute with dark hair that ended in purple tips. Haruki had one arm around her as she snuggled close.

Who is she? A previous lover...

She wasn’t sure why, but looking at the picture made her feel jealous. She just met this boy and didn’t know why she felt this way. But the way he stood next to the girl looked protective.

She must be important.

Trying to move on from the picture, she noticed a pen laying on the dresser next to a small notebook. Picking it up and turning to a clean page, she felt intimated by the empty lines. But carefully she began writing.

Rena.

Rena.

Rena.

Each line she drew, the more the name became her own. Gently tracing over the ink with her fingertip she could hear it being spoken in her head. Like a magic spell, the name bonded her to this world.

“Rena”

Her new identity given to her by the human boy. Something important she wanted to hold onto and never forget. Even though she knew she had whole other life, for now this is all she could be. Until her memories returned, she felt this identity would be just fine.

The feeling of the dream began to slowly fade, but anxiousness still remained. Hand trembling slightly as she turned the page, she tried writing more. But she was starting to feel exhausted from long night.

Hugging the notebook to her chest, she tiptoed back to bed. Curling up in the same spot, she set the notebook down beside the pillow. A sacred charm to prevent her memories from fading, her hand lingered on it’s cover in fear it might vanish.

“...Rena. That’s my name.”

Finally closing her eyes to put this long day to rest, she was about to drift off, when-

bzzt bzzt bzzt!

“Nyaaa!”

Something startled her, causing her to shout out loud. Quickly covering her mouth to hide her surprise, she glanced over at the boy. Again checking to make sure she didn’t wake him, she noticed a bright light.

Some kind of small magical device she had never seen before was glowing next to his bed. Curious as to what it was, she quietly jumped off the bed and carefully bent over to take a look. Unable to hide her curiosity any longer she picked it up and held it up to her face. Again it started to let out light.

What is this...?

Touching the screen with her fingers, the device reacted and suddenly an image appeared. A picture of the same cute girl that was on Haruki’s desk side.

Hmmm...

Intrigued by this strange device, Rena laid back down and cuddled into the blankets. Continuing to play around with the new item, she inquisitively opened different screens and moving pictures. Eventually dropping the phone to her side, she passed out from exhaustion.

Outside, birds sang as daylight began to return. Rena was fast asleep in his comfortable bed. This time her sleep was peaceful and no dreams followed.