“Sora,” Sayuri groaned, pushing through the darkness fogging her mind. Her bloodied hand searched slowly at first, then more desperately as her thoughts snapped back. “Sora!” Sayuri ignored the pain in her body and bounced up, looking around desperately. Nothing moved in the bloodied snow around where she’d come to rest. Her eyes shot toward the ruined greenhouse. Sora had to be there! Please don’t let anything happen to Sora! She thought desperately, willing her body forward gingerly. Please be ok!

“Sora!” Sayuri cried, stepping through the wreckage which had once been the door. Plants were strewn all about and part of the roof had collapsed. The woman who had yelled at them lay a short distance away unmoving. Maybe she could find Sora and then run away before the woman woke up so she wouldn’t call the guards on her, Sayuri thought. Her keen eyes searched desperately as she moved plants and chunks of charred wood from where she’d stood before the blast. The glass cut her hands and lodged in her skin, but she gritted her teeth and continued searching. No matter how it hurt her Sora could be hurt worse or scared. She had to find her!

A few moments of frantic searching revealed not only no sign of Sora but also no sign of movement from the woman lying on the ground. What if she was hurt? Sayuri fretted. What if she needed help? Sayuri chewed nervously on her lower lip. What should she do? She had to find Sora, but she couldn’t just ignore the woman on the ground, either. Perhaps the woman knew where Sora was! The thought lodged into Sayuri’s mind. Yes! That had to be the case! The woman knew where Sora was and if she helped her, the woman would produce Sora from where she was hiding and would not call the guards and throw them in the dungeons! Instead, she would reward them with some meat and a hearty pat on the head for a job well done!

“Um,” Sayuri whispered nervously as she crouched over the woman’s prone body. She poked the woman’s shoulder delicately with a stick she found on the ground. “You’re ok, right?” She poked her again after a moment, but the woman didn’t move. Did that mean she was…dead? “Excuse me, please.” Sayuri mumbled before gently, nervously rolling the woman on to her back. The woman’s face was pretty but seemed haughty somehow, even while not moving. There were several small cuts on her face where the glass had sliced her, but they didn’t seem bad. Sayuri poked the woman’s shoulder with the stick, again the woman didn’t react.

What should she do? She chewed her lower lip nervously. Wasn’t there something she’d learned to do with humans who could be dead? Something about breathing into their face? Sayuri pursed her lips and blew down toward the woman. The woman’s bangs fluttered gently but otherwise showed no sign of reacting. Sayuri blew once again, a bit more vigorously this time, but still the woman remained unresponsive. Did she have to blow in her mouth for it to work? Sayuri gently opened the woman’s lips and moved her head closer to make sure she could get enough air into her mouth when, to her great surprise, the woman’s eyes snapped open.

“GAH!” The woman shrieked, scrambling backward in surprise.

“MROWWWW!” Sayuri howled leaping backward in surprise, tail returning to its poofed state immediately.

“Who are you?” The woman demanded. “Wait…what are you? Where am I? What’s going on?”

“Where’s Sora?” Sayuri snapped back in reply. “We did not mean to intrude but if you must punish someone, punish Sayuri! Leave Sora alone!”

“Wait…” the woman stared around herself in growing awe. “It worked! It worked! It worked! Mirai, it worked!” Sayuri glanced around nervously. The woman was obviously not well. It would be best to take Sora far away as soon as possible. “You! You’re a nekomimi aren’t you?”

“A nekowienie?” Sayuri cocked her head to the side. “Sayuri does not-“

“You are!” The woman was suddenly grabbing Sayuri’s ears, stroking the fur and rubbing the edges in awe.

“P-Please do not touch Sayuri’s ears like that,” Sayuri gasped, blushing. “Her ears are very sensitive. Please, just give Sora back to Sayuri, kind crazy person, and we will leave you alone forever. We promise!”

“Let me think about this logically for a minute…” the woman mused, not letting go of Sayuri’s ears. “If I’m here and whoever’s body I’m in is back in my world then…wait. What’s your name?”

“Sayuri,” Sayuri answered, trying to pull away from the woman rubbing her ears without much success.

“And who is Sora?”

“Sora is Sora. She is Sayuri’s friend. She is a small dark kitten. Have you seen her?”

“Me, the lady and a cat…” the woman hunched over slightly, finally releasing Sayuri’s ears and bringing her hand to her chin as if in thought. Sayuri watched as the woman paced back and forth, a growing sense of unease and impatience beginning to set in.

“Where is- “Sayuri began before the woman cut her off with a hand motion.

“I think I’ve figured it out,” the woman finally turned to Sayuri.

“Where Sora is?” Sayuri’s tail rose high behind her, the tip flicking back and forth.

“Yes, yes, where your cat is,” The woman brushed away Sayuri’s statement with a wave of her hand.

“She is not Sayuri’s cat,” Sayuri snapped defensively. “She belongs only to her. She is Sayuri’s friend for as long as she wishes.”

“Uh…ok…,” The woman stared at her curiously for a moment but shrugged finally. “Whatever. I think what’s happened is that when I came to this world and whoever this is went to my world, your…er…Sora was caught up in the mix.” Sayuri nodded sagely at the woman.

“Sayuri does not understand what that means,” she finally admitted when it became clear no additional explanation would be forthcoming.

“Sora is in my world,” the woman said. “She’s safe! I mean, probably.”

“Sora is in a new world?” Sayuri was more confused than when the woman had begun her explanation.

“What do you do, Sayuri?” The woman asked. Sayuri cocked her head slightly to the side. The crazy lady switched to new things so fast Sayuri had trouble keeping up with the conversation.

“Do? Sayuri is confused. Do what?”

“I think I have just the job for you, then,” the woman grinned.

“Sayuri does not want a job, she wants Sora!” Sayuri’s tail whipped back and forth.

“Well, I think I can reunite you with her but it’s going to take some time. I promise she’ll be ok. If you help me, it’ll go faster,” the woman suggested.

“Sayuri can see Sora faster if she helps?” Sayuri asked suspiciously.

“Yes, indeed my new associate,” the smile on the woman’s face broadened.

“Countess Thorne! Countess Thorne! Are you alright?” Two guards appeared, racing around the edge of the house toward the ruins of the greenhouse. They spotted Sayuri and quickly dropped into a defensive crouch, weapons drawn and gleaming in the faint light. “Did this creature do this? What’s it doing here?”

“A countess,” the woman’s smile broadened considerably. “Very nice. No, no, she’s fine, she works for me.”

“Really?” The guard glared at Sayuri suspiciously.

“Yes!” Sayuri exclaimed. “I’m an asshoeciate!”

“My lady?” The guards looked curiously back at the woman who shrugged.

“Yes, indeed, we’ll go with that,” the newly minted countess Thorne nodded. After the guards had reluctantly disappeared the woman took Sayuri’s arm in hers and walked toward the house as the snow continued to drift from the heavy sky.

“What do crazy lady and Sayuri do now, sir?” Sayuri ventured.

“We get to work on reuniting you with Sora,” the woman answered. “After we work on your pronoun usage. That’s getting on my last damn nerve. And why are you calling me, sir?” Sayuri smiled. Hold on, Sora! She thought. Sayuri will come for you soon!