The Baroness Returns Chapter 21

Chapter 21


While leaning on one of the tower's columns waiting for everyone to arrive Baron sighed deeply.

He leaned his cane against the column and walked toward the center of the tower and craned his neck in order to look at the top.

His emerald eyes darkened at the sudden memories flooding his mind. Recollection of  Muta, Haru, and himself running up those very steps spiraling towards the top of the tower in order to reach the exit and then for them to fall off and be miraculously rescued by Toto and his friends. The sudden memory of Haru's face glowing with delight as she thanked the crows and The Cat Bureau for helping her, instantly clouded his mind.

Baron quickly dismissed the image of Haru and groaned in frustration.

"Haru. . ." he said, placing a hand to his forehead in distress.

"You really did love her then, didn't you?"

Baron turned to see Louise, formerly known as Yuki, standing behind him with a small smile on her face.

Baron gave a tired sigh, bringing his hand down from his brow.

"I thought it was bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony. . ."

Louise shrugged.

"Well. . . we aren't the most traditional couple now aren't we?" Louise said.

"I suppose not." Baron said giving her a halfhearted smile.

Louise's smiled disappeared and was replaced with a serious expression.

"Baron. . . why didn't you tell me earlier that you were in love with Haru? If I'd known that earlier I . . ."

Baron's smile disappeared as well.

"I didn't tell you Louise, because I myself was in denial. It got very complicated when you returned. Haru's and my relationship didn't matter anymore, because now you've finally returned to me."

Louise felt her heart pang, hearing the emotion in Baron's last words.

"It still mattered Humbert.You could have still said something to me. . ."

"It made no difference."

Louise gave Baron a soft glare.

"Of course it did. If I'd known, I wouldn't have been so adamant about us marrying, as I was. I might of let you go. . ."

Baron silently stared at Louise, before turning away with a sigh.

"I can't imagine the pain I've put you through because of it Humbert, let alone Haru. . ." Louise said as her eyes suddenly widening, realizing something, then she stared at Baron.

". . .Were her feelings mutual Humbert?"

Louise saw Baron flinch for a moment, before he faced her again.

"Yes. She told me a while after you discovered you were Louise."

". . . What did you say to her?"

"I told her I was glad she still spoke from the heart and then I told her that we couldn't be together because of the whole situation. . . She then told me it was fine and that she was just glad she told me."

Baron paused.

"Then she wished for our happiness."

Louise stared at Baron sadly, her heart breaking at the thought of Haru saying all of this to Baron and still wanting to help the both of them.

"If. . . If I didn't remember who I was and I was still Yuki. . . marrying Lune. . . would you have still rejected her?"

Baron then looked Louise dead in her eyes, unwavering.

"Louise. . . you and I both know why I would still have to say no to her."

Louise stared silently back at him.

"You and I are both immortal beings, Haru's only mortal. Mortal and immortal cannot mix. . ." Baron said.

'Cannot mix. . .' Louise thought, placing her hand over her heart subconsciously.

Baron then took a step closer to Louise, staring down at her.

"It only proves the point. . ." Baron said reaching down to hold her other hand.

"That you are the one I am to be with. We after all, we are made for each other. . . " Baron said smiling sadly down at her.

Louise stared back up at Baron, feeling an old flame burning in her, but dismissed it. She raised her hand to his cheek.

"Humbert. . ." Louise whispered before smiling up at him.

"Will you dance with me?"

Baron's eyes widen at the sudden request.

"Now?"

"Yes."

". . . We don't have music."

"We didn't have music either back in our old home. That still didn't stop us."

Baron, giving one last look to Louise, sighed and then hesitantly gathered Louise into his arms and they both got into position to waltz.

"It was usually I who requested the dance instead though." Baron said guiding Louise sideways.

Louise chuckled.

"Yes, but things are changing Humbert." Louise said as they both glided backwards.

The two then silently waltz within the towers columns, with only the slight breeze in the air as their music. The sky that was once always dominated by the sun in the kingdom, was now gray and cloudy. Yet somehow one of the sun's beams managed to escape the clouds to glow on the tower, bathing the tower in a bright golden glow as the two waltzed within it. The sunlight’s brilliance enveloped them even as they waltzed.

Baron then broke the silence, with a sigh.

"I'm sorry Louise. . .  For not treating you the way I should have upon discovering your return. I admit, the thought did cross my mind once on wishing for things to be the way they were, when you were just Yuki, I'm ashamed I even thought of it. But for what it's worth Louise, despite the way I've behaved, I am grateful you are back. . ." Baron said stopping the waltz and pulling Louise into a soft embrace.

". . . That the baroness has returned. . ."

Louise stood in his arms, processing what he just said. She did think every once in awhile that Baron was not happy she was back, and always felt sad about it, even though her own feelings were somewhat similar to Baron's. It still hurt seeing their relationship had sunk this low, for them both wishing to not know about each other, when they once were so close and in love. But hearing this now, Louise felt tears of relief sliding down her white furred cheeks. She eagerly returned Baron's embrace in full, burying her face in his chest, feeling closer to Baron than she had in the longest time. Louise closed her eyes and savored the embrace. Her mind ringing with a single phrase.

'Immortal and mortal cannot mix.'

The two cat figurines ear's twitched at hearing the steps of others approaching.
They broke from each other’s embrace. They saw Toto, Muta, Momo, and Lune with the cat priest heading towards them, all wearing emotionless looks.

The short cat priest, holding a thick book in his paws, coughed and looked up at Baron and Louise.

"Shall we begin?" he said.

Baron sighed.

"Yes, of course. . ." he said holding his hand out to Louise, who tentatively took it. They and the cat priest then headed toward the center of the room.

Everyone else stood behind them watching as Baron and Louise took their places in front of the cat priest who brushed his light blue fur and sighed.

"You requested a quick ceremony correct?"

Baron and Louise both nodded slowly.

The priest nodded.

"Very well. . . " he said.

He then cleared his throat and began.

"We are all gathered here today, to see the union of this unique couple. Who have gone through a lot to get to this point in their lives and are fortunate to have done so. . . "

Louise smiled softly, knowing where the priest words were coming from. Lune no doubt gave details for the priest to say these things.

"If there is any reason these two should not be joined, speak now or forever hold your peace. . ."

The room fell silent, unspoken words, remaining unspoken.

"Then since this is a short ceremony. . . do you Baron, take Louise to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to cherish for the rest of your immortal lives?"

Baron who was staring down to the floor this whole time, looked up at the priest.

"I do."

The priest then turned to Louise.

"And do you, Louise, take Baron to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to cherish for the rest of your immortal lives?"

Louise gazed at the cat priest, and gave a glance to Baron, her mind already made up, and said firmly.

"I don't. . ."

Everyone's eyes widened, but the priest, who still continued obliviously.

"Good good, now with the power invested in me I now pro- wait what?" the priest said looking in question at Louise, finally processing what just happened.

Baron, wearing the most shocked expression Louise has ever seen him wear, looked dead at her.

"Louise?"

Louise gave a soft smile to Baron and glanced at the others behind them, all wearing shocked expressions, but Louise could see a certain mismatched eyed cat was the most shocked of all.

Louise then sighed and looked at the dumbstruck priest.

"I'm sorry about this sir, but I just needed to have the ceremony, I wanted to do this so I would confirm to myself exactly what I'm doing. . ." she said placing a hand on the priest arm in thanks.

The priest, still dumbstruck, and now even more confused, blinked at her.

"Uh, i-it was no trouble?" he stuttered.

Satisfied, Louise grabbed for the dumb stricken Baron's hand and dragged him towards the others.

"Yuki. . .?" Momo breathed out, once the cat figurines were in front of the group.

"What are you doing?"

Louise grinned and let go of Baron's hand and walked between the group towards the castle.

"Making things right." she said still making her way to the castle, leaving the group to watch her go.

"Making things right?" Toto asked, looking towards everyone confused.

Muta shrugged with a frown on his face.

"What's she doing to make things?" he asked.

Momo then darted away from the group and towards Louise.

"I don't know but I'm finding out!" she called out, before catching up alongside Louise.

Muta and Toto then looked at the females then at each other, before also quickly following the girls, leaving behind a still shocked Baron and Lune.

They slowly looked at each other and then walked (mostly ran) towards the others. Meanwhile the cat priest watched them go.

He groaned and closed his book.

"Two canceled weddings in a row. . ." he muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Maybe I should be doing something else." he sighed walking away.

OOO

"Yuki, I demand to know what you think you're doing!" Momo half whined behind Louise as she turned down a hallway.

Louise struggled not to roll her eyes at her friend's tone.

"Trust me Momo. . . I barely know what I'm doing myself."

"What's that supposed to mean, Snowy?" Muta asked in his gravelly voice, behind Momo.

Louise smiled a little at the old nickname, but remained silent, earning an impatient growl from Muta.

"L-Louise could you at least tell us where we're going?" Lune asked, finally speaking of Louise's pursuit.

Louise keeping stubbornly silent, continued down the hall, walking faster than she was before.

Baron, tore his confused gaze from the back of Louise and eyed each door they passed, feeling a bit uncomfortable about the proximity of a certain room.

Toto watching Baron's expression, muttered quietly to him.

"Baron, are you. . . okay?"

Before Toto could have a response, they all stopped in their tracks seeing Louise had halted and was staring at the closed door of a room.

Everyone else stared in slight horror at Louise.

"But this is the room Haru is in. . ." Toto said weakly breaking the tension.

"Louise, what-?" Baron stopped in mid sentence when Louise opened the door and walked in.

Momo who was standing the closest to Louise, turned to shrug at the others and followed her in, while the others reluctantly followed as well.

Louise walked up to Haru's lifeless form on the room's bed to stare down at her and sighed, turning to the others.

". . . You know everyone, this may sound like madness but. . . I'm glad that Kuro returned." she said looking at the group, who were mortified.

"Wait- What!?" Momo stuttered glancing at everyone else's reaction.

Muta only crossed his arms, raising an unseen eyebrow, while Toto let his beak slightly hang.

Lune was distraught. Why would Yuki say something like that and right next to Haru's body no less?!

Lune then looked at Baron, who was standing completely still, except for his hands which trembled, fighting his anger, causing the cane he was clutching to tremble as well.

Finally Baron opened his mouth.

"H-How on earth could you say such a thing after all that has happened?!" Baron asked as stoic as he could, but barely hiding the traces of outrage in his voice.

Louise gave a sad smile to Baron.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you Humbert, but there is a matter I need to address."

Louise smile disappeared and was replaced with a serious look.

"Listen everyone. . ." Louise began.

"I'm sorry for putting you all through this. I'm sorry for hurting and endangering all of you due to my choices. I selfishly thought of only myself these past days without considering what everyone else wanted and pushed the idea of Baron and I marrying and I'm very sorry about that. I wish I could have done things differently." Louise said.

The group silently stared at the female creation, waiting for her to say something else.

Louise nervously chuckled.

"But as you all saw earlier. . . I could not go through with marrying Baron."

"B-But why now, after all this time, you finally changed your mind?" Lune asked quietly, not feeling completely confident to ask this.

Louise looked to the ground.

"Well, I guess everything came to me standing next to Baron as I was about to be bound to him forever. I finally realized, that I actually did not want to marry Baron."

Muta snorted.

"Stopped living in the fantasy, huh Snowy?"

Louise gave a weary smile.

"Yes, I suppose that's a better way of saying it. . . I finally realized right then and there that my reasonings about Baron and I being together didn't seem like a good enough reason to marry him when we don't love each other anymore. So, I finally came to my senses and stopped our wedding."

"But what about those recurring dreams you had? Aren't they part of the reason why you wanted to marry Baron, because they brought back memories of your past with him, right before you were going to marry Lune. Do they mean nothing to you now?" Toto asked curiously.

"No, they still have some meaning to me, in some way, especially since it turns out Kuro had nothing to do with the dreams. But I decided that I don't want mere dreams to make me do something that I’m not sure of. I don't care anymore. I can't base my dreams on how my future should be, even if they are really signs that Baron and I should be together. It still is not a good enough reason for me anymore."

Louise then finally faced Baron, who had remained silent.

"Baron, it's true that you and I were made for each other and my dreams may even prove the point that we're supposed to be with each other. But you and I don't need to be together."

Baron looked at Louise, his eyes widening slightly at her saying that.

"Baron, we're not 'supposed' to be with each other, we should be free to love whoever we desire, and I was foolish to believe otherwise. I just wish I realized this sooner."

Louise walked to Baron and reached and held both his gloved hands.

"I can't be with you Baron, you're already in love with Haru, and I'm in love with. . ."

Louise paused to look over Baron's shoulder at the cat prince, whose mismatched eyes met hers.

". . . and I'm in love with my prince. . ." she said softly, her eyes still glued to Lune's mismatched ones.

Lune froze, his eyes slowly lighting up.

"Oh Yuki. . ." he breathed as she approached him slowly.

"I love you Lune, I always had. And I know that our situation has changed drastically-" Louise said eyeing herself up and down, before looking up at Lune.

"But. . . can we still be together Lune? I know I don't have the right to ask after everything I've put you through, but-"

Louise was interrupted when Lune abruptly gathered her his his arms, causing her purple hat to fall off and without thinking leaned down and placed his lips on hers, causing a bright blush to form on her white furred cheeks.

Lune then broke away and happily smiled down at her, holding her close.

"Yuki, you have no idea how much I've longed to for you to tell me that." he said.

Louise blush still remained, hardly believing Lune just kissed her.

Lune then smiled bashfully.

"Not exactly how I pictured our first kiss, but I could not let the opportunity pass anymore." he said releasing her reluctantly, to pick up her hat from the ground and place it on her head.

"I want to be with you, whether you decide to remain Louise or Yuki, I'll always love you."

Louise smiled feeling happy tears filling her eyes and she embraced Lune tightly as he happily returned the favor.

Baron, Muta, and Toto all wore small smiles as they watched Lune and Louise enjoy each other's embrace, even Momo watched the pair feeling strangely happy despite everything.

"Um, I hate to be the one to crush dreams and happiness, but how exactly is your relationship going to work out with, you know, Louise being a creation?" Muta asked bluntly.
At hearing this, Lune clutched Louise tighter to him, a sudden fright rushing through him that Louise may still leave him.

Toto, who instantly wanted to peck Muta viciously for saying such a thing at that very moment, began to realize just how much Muta's question made sense.

"Yeah. . . I know that cats that live in the Cat Kingdom have a lifespan that might mirror a creation's, but there is the issue that Lune and Louise won't be able to have an heir, because creations can’t have children." Toto speculated, looking towards Baron for his input, who only stared back at him with a solemn expression.

Momo fidgeted where she stood, and spoke up.

"But Yuki. . . why did you say earlier that you were happy that Kuro returned? What was that all about?"

Louise and Lune reluctantly broke out of their embrace, at that question.

"Oh yes. . . about Kuro. . ." Louise said, pausing before continuing.

"It amazed me. . . just how much power Kuro had."

"To pull out someone’s life out of them and make it his own. . ." she said.

Louise's eyes saddened.

"Although an accident, he was able to take out Haru's life and make it his own, making himself this strange creature that was half cat creation, half human, before being reduced to dust."

Baron's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, it was surprising. . . " Baron said.

Louise then looked straight at him.

"But didn't you find it strange that him of all people possessed this power? He was half creation and the other half just doll, he wasn't even fully a creation."

"But maybe the power wasn't really his. Maybe he got it from somewhere else besides himself." Toto interjected.

"No that couldn't be true." Momo said.

"Kuro always boasted on about his powers on how he alone, discovered them before anyone else. I never really knew what he meant by that but. . ." Momo trailed off.

Louise's eyes widen.

"So it's true then. . . that power was his own . . . "

Louise then turned slowly to face Baron and Toto.

"Could we have that same power?" she asked the two.

Toto frowned.

"I. . . doubt it. Creations can do all sorts of things like transforming or even moving objects at will, but nothing to the extent of Kuro's power." Toto said.

"So does that mean that it's not possible for you three to do something like Kuro did?" Lune asked.

Now Baron was frowning.

"It seems like it, but it still doesn't add up since Momo confirmed that the power was his alone. And he would just be an unliving doll if it weren't for the half of him which was creation, which is where he most likely got his power from." Baron said glaring at the ground in thought.

Toto looked awed.

"So you mean. . . we could possibly do everything Kuro did?" Toto asked.

"But if that's the case, why did Kuro find this all out before you guys?" Muta asked crossing his arms.

Louise, looked at Baron and Toto, who both looked as if they were trying to come up with an answer.

"This is just a theory of mine but, maybe he discovered it because he was half creation. He might have been exposed to more things than us, to where he couldn't be able to do things like we could, but at the same time exposed more traits than us, because he wasn't full a creation like we are." Louise said voicing her opinion.

"That does seem to be the most logical reason." Baron considered.

Louise watch as everyone looked at one another, looking confused as to what they should do about this new information. Louise actually considered this all before the wedding after talking with Lune and Momo. She was not so convinced, but her thoughts on this were enough to make her to cancel the wedding and have everyone gather into this room. But actually hearing it all being discussed, made her believe more in her other theory.

Before she knew it, she felt a small smile appear on her face, she then turned to Haru lying on the bed.

"Louise?"

Louise faced everyone again, to see them staring at her with questioning looks, which she answered with a smile.

"I think. . . I could bring Haru back. . ." she whispered to them.

Everyone's eyes widen.

"Wait, what?!" Momo blurted.

A bright smile appeared on Lune's face.

"You think you can?!"

"Are you serious??" Muta asked wide eyed, his mouth actually hanging a bit.

"W-Wait don't tell me our talk about Kuro's power got you thinking this??" Toto asked his dark eyes also wide.

Baron was the only one who wasn't shocked by Louise's words. He wore a mournful look as he stared longingly at Haru's lifeless body.

"Louise. . . you couldn't. . . " he whispered a bit brokenly. "There's no possible way that she can come back. . ."

Louise gave her former fiance a reassuring smile.

"Trust me Humbert. . . I think there is."

"But why do you think you can do it all of a sudden? Baron and I have lived as creations for centuries and we had yet to find out we could be capable of such power as Kuro. Now only discovering it you believe you can do it?"

Louise nodded firmly.

"Yes. I think I can."

"But how?" Toto asked her.

"Unlike like you and Baron, I'm not a real creation anymore. I once was, before Kuro made me into a normal cat, when I was Yuki. But now I am not a normal cat, I'm a fully restored creation supposedly and yet I still have a remaining part of me that is a normal cat still. I'm not normal anymore. . . in a way. . . I'm like a dud like Kuro was. . ." Louise said.

"You. . . are still a normal cat?" Momo asked.

"Yes, but also at the same time I'm a creation." Louise said.

". . . Where are you going with this?" Lune asked hesitantly.

". . . I have two life forces inside of me. . . I think I could give Haru, either one. . ."

"What?!" Baron said.

Louise looked to Baron, with a smile.

"It's just like you said Humbert, 'Mortal and immortal cannot mix'."

Baron paused to let those words sink in.

"I'm exactly that. I'm mortal and immortal. I'm not supposed to be both, just how Kuro was not supposed to be half doll and creation. When Kuro took Haru's life out of her, he ended up being a doll, creation, humanoid creature, but in the end his body could not handle it all and he vaporized. I'm not supposed to holding two life forces like I am now. I'm actually surprised that I myself, haven't been reduced to dust yet." Louise said.

Lune looked alarmed at Louise's last statement.

"Then what do we do then?!" he said bringing her to him.

Louise kissed Lune reassuringly on his cheek.

"I need to give either my mortal or creation life to Haru." she said.

Everyone in the room froze at the statement of options.

". . . Which are you going to give her?" Muta asked.

Louise sighed.

"I've already decided. . . I'm giving her my creation life."

Baron's eyes immediately opened wide.

"You can't do that Louise, think of what would be at stake!" he cried out.

Louise sadly smiled.

"I know. . . I know it's selfish of me to want to put the burden of being a creation on her. She after all didn't ask for any of this. It will change her life dramatically. She won't be able to age anymore and live long with her own kind, without bringing suspicion on herself. She'll lose her friends and family in the process as well. She won't be able to marry a nice human boy and have her own children. She'll lose so much just because I don't want the burden of being a creation, in order to have the life I always wanted with Lune." Louise said shamefaced.

"Because I honestly don't want to give up my mortality. . . I truly am selfish. Can I really do this to Haru?" Louise said, feeling tears threaten to pour out.

Lune slowly brought Louise into an embrace letting Louise softly cry on his uniform.

Toto, Muta, and Momo looked at each other wondering what next.

Baron looked at Louise and then looked at Haru's form on the bed.

'Can I really allow this to happen? Can we let Haru's life be disrupted to give Louise her own chance of happiness?'

Louise then moved away from Lune.

"But. . . I think she will be happy." she said wiping her tears away to look at Baron.

"Because when she is a creation, there will be nothing holding you two back."

Baron didn't even react to Louise's words. The moment the possibility came up of Haru becoming a creation , he instantly thought about how the both of them could be with each other. He always longed for a way the two of them could be together without anything in their way. But despite how much he would love her to become a creation and be with him forever, he could not ignore all the ramifications that could come to affect her.

Baron gave a deep sigh.

"I realize what you mean Louise, but I still can't do this to her. She will later regret everything, she may even become miserable, she couldn't be happy-"

Louise interrupted Baron.

"She was in love with you Baron. There is no greater joy than to be with the one you love. I know she will be happy, she'll have you. She'll move into the Bureau with you, Muta, and Toto and have an eventful life. She'll have friends, love, and a career she'd enjoy by helping others." Louise said smiling up at Lune, who smiled lovingly back down at her.

"It does sound like a better option now." Momo said softly.

"Yeah Baron, we should let Louise go through with it. We'll take care of Haru." Toto said smiling down at Baron.

"Yeah! We'll make Chicky so happy, she'll forget she ever even was mortal!" Muta said confidently.

Lune then smiled gently at Baron.

"And I'm sure you both will get the happiness you deserve."

Breaking away from Lune's embrace, Louise walked towards Haru lying on the bed and then turned to Baron.

"I'll ask you Baron. . . because not only will her life change. . . yours will as well. . . So, what shall it be?"

Baron's eyes widen, as he heard Louise call him by Baron and not Humbert for the first time since she became Louise. He then slowly smiled, already coming to a decision.

". . . Louise. . ." he whispered.

Louise smiled brightly, knowing Baron's choice, and moved her gloved hand into her red dress pocket.

"Please." she said pulling out her pink bow and tying it around her neck.

"Call me Yuki."

She then faced Haru and placed her gloved hand over Haru's heart slowly, before seeing a soft light emerged from her hand and onto Haru.