Shaman King Fan Fiction ❯ Hoshi ga Hoshii desu ❯ the cat ( Chapter 4 )

H o s h i - g a - h o s h i i - d e s u

"I want the stars"

by Lucathia

-----chapter 4: the cat-----

Hoshi stared at the cat. It reminded him of someone he knew before, but the name escaped him. The cat, if possible, was glaring at him.

Hoshi held out his hand, but the cat just looked at him. Deciding that the cat didn't really trust him, Hoshi was about to take back his hand when the cat pounced on him.

Hoshi raised his eyebrows, expecting to feel the weight of the cat on him. However, he felt the cat pass right through him.

The cat was a spirit.

With the sudden realization, he turned around and knelt down to look at the snarling cat. His eyes softened and he spoke softly.

"How did you die?"

He concentrated on his hands and imagined them touching the fur of the cat. He then reached out and stroked the cat. Somehow his hands didn't pass through the cat this time. He actually felt the soft fur of the cat.

The cat calmed down a bit.

He took that as a good sign and continued running his hands through the cat's fur. He scratched the cat behind the ears. The cat gave a content purr. He smiled slightly.

"Hoshi-niichan! Here are some clothes for you!"

He stopped the stroking and glanced up at the young boy. Tsuki had bundles of clothes in his arms. The boy dropped them on the floor where the cat was. Tsuki obviously couldn't see the cat. The cat hissed and jumped onto the table to avoid the heavy bundle of clothes, even though the clothes would pass through the cat.

Che...stupid human.

Hoshi blinked. Where did that thought come from? He closed his eyes and repeated the words in his head, but they didn't trigger any more memories.

So he opened his eyes and sorted through the clothes.

Jeans and t-shirts. More jeans and t-shirts. Wasn't there anything else other than jeans and t-shirts?

Tsuki beamed and held up a shirt with a star pattern. "Hoshi-niichan, how 'bout this shirt?"

//My nii-chan really liked it too...since it fit his name.//

He didn't want to admit that he liked the shirt. But, seeing the hopeful look on the little boy's face, Hoshi grudgingly took the shirt.

After Hoshi changed from his tattered clothing to a pair of plain, worn out jeans and the star-patterned shirt, he found Tsuki's eyes upon him. Hoshi turned around warily, wondering what the little boy wanted this time.

//I wonder why Hoshi-niichan has such long hair...it makes him look like a girl!//

Hoshi's eyebrow twitched. He so did not look like a girl. And besides, if that boy had something he wanted to say, he should have just said it out loud!

//His hair is really pretty though...but doesn't it get in his way?//

Hoshi unintentionally reached towards his hair, fingering one lock of it. Long hair was a part of him. He always had long hair, that much he remembered. Well, at least that kid thought it was pretty. He could forgive him for the first statement.

"Did you have a cat before?" Hoshi suddenly asked Tsuki.

Tsuki nodded somewhat sadly. "Yeah, it was my 'niichan's cat. It was named Hoshisuke after him. It sort of disappeared."

Hoshi looked at the table where the cat was and whispered, "Yoroshiku, Hoshisuke."

That night while they were eating dinner, Hoshi watched the smiles on Tsuki and Tsuki's mother, Sora's faces. Their glowing faces triggered a warm feeling inside of him. What was that warm feeling? It felt so nice.

"Want some more?" asked Sora, who turned soft brown eyes towards Hoshi. She smiled encouragingly.

Hoshi nodded and returned the smile.

----------

A few peaceful months passed. Hoshi enjoyed the quiet days. Sometimes, he lay on the soft grass in the daytime with the cat by his side. Hoshisuke was really attached to him now, following him everywhere. Granted, he was the only person who could see it. Outside during the day, he was able to enjoy the cool breezes and the warm sunlight. The warmth of the sun sometimes lulled him to sleep.

As the sun set, Hoshi usually remained outside, unafraid of the biting cold. He enjoyed the nights even more than the days, since at these times the stars came out. He watched the tiny, twinkling stars and sometimes glanced towards the changing moon. Everyday, he marveled at the beauty of the seemingly tiny stars. They glowed and sparkled, challenging him to stop thinking that they were small. He watched the moon as it grew from a sliver into a round, full moon.

Sometimes, so captivated by the calm of nature, Hoshi forgot about eating. Tsuki would always come bounding out of the house to pull him inside. Then, Sora would give him a little lecture about the importance of eating regularly for a growing teenage boy. Somehow, Sora accepted Hoshi into the family without any more questioning about his past or where he came from. Tsuki was the happiest with the arrangement. After all, he suddenly had a new older brother to play with.

It was during one of these times when Hoshi was playing with Tsuki that Tsuki climbed into a really high tree and couldn't get down. They were playing hide-and-seek outside, where the only good places to hide were in the bushes and the trees. Tsuki decided to climb a tall tree to stay out of Hoshi's sight.

Hoshi was always able to tell where Tsuki hid. He could somehow sense the little boy's whereabouts. Just as Hoshi was looking up to tell Tsuki that he found him, Tsuki stepped on a weak branch.

Crack!

Hoshi's eyes widened as he saw the little boy begin to fall. He held out his hand.

"Spirit of..!" He paused. He said it again...Spirit of...what was he trying to call to him? Whatever it was, it didn't exist anymore.

He looked down at cat by his feet.

"Help me, Hoshisuke."

The cat meowed and jumped onto Hoshi's hand. It turned into a spirit ball.

A spirit ball? Hoshi had no time to ponder anymore. He let his body take over, hoping that his body still remembered what to do.

"Hoshisuke! Hyou gattai!" Hoshi merged with the spirit of the cat. He felt the cat's mind within him. He closed his eyes, imagining the tree trunk. It was too easy to climb.

Opening his eyes wide, Hoshi dashed towards the tree trunk and literally ran up the tree trunk towards Tsuki. He felt the wind rushing past his ears as he dashed up at inhuman speed. He held out his arms and caught Tsuki. He then jumped off the tree trunk and landed gracefully on the ground.

Tsuki's eyes were wide. He felt the adrenaline from falling and also overwhelming awe at Hoshi-niichan's abilities. "How did you do that?

Hoshi winked and put his index finger against his lips.

"Hi-mi-tsu."

-----to be continued-----

yoroshiku - Nice to meet you

himitsu - secret

Next chapter: the trip home

pleasereview! :)