(peeks from behind curtain, tiptoes timidly onstage) Um…Hi, everybody! I'm samuraistar, putting up my first Cat Returns fic, which happens to be a one-shot (that's how I usually do stories—I test myself with a one-shot then see how it works). I fully support the Baorn/Haru pairing (those who've read my latest Kingdom Hearts story know that already) and this story has no plot other than Lune and Yuki's wedding (part of it, anyway). But there is some tidbit of a plot at the end, so it'll be fun!

I hope you'll enjoy this act of me dipping my toes in the Cat Kingdom water; please let me know what you think. I only discovered TCR about a month or two ago, but I'm so frickin' hooked on it, I don't know what to do with myself! I love the cast, and I've watched it in Japanese and French (all of Haru's voices are absolutely adorable!). Anyway, let's get to it! Enjoy!

By the way, I don't own the song they play here; it's from Thumbelina, as made by legendary filmmaker Don Bluth! Boo-yah!

"I wish to announce that there will be a buffet dinner served in the next room in five minutes; in order to get you into that room quickly, Mrs. Schmaulhausen will sing a solo in this room."—Groucho Marx, Monkey Business

Royal Wedding

Summary: One-shot. Haru and the Cat Bureau are invited to attend Lune and Yuki's wedding!

"No way!" laughed Haru, "You're kidding!"

She was walking home from school with Hiromi and they were close to the crossroads.

"I kid you not!" responded Hiromi enthusiastically, "He actually said, in an Elvis voice, 'Baby, we belong together.' And I blushed like no one's business! It was so funny!"

"I swear, Hiromi," Haru shook her head, "You and Tsuge get weirder every day!" She looked at her watch and gasped. "Oh! Come on! I want you to meet Muta!" She grabbed her by the wrist and hurried to the crossroads and the dinette table where she'd first met the large white cat. He was curled up in the chair like always and looked up at her approach.

"Hi, Muta," Haru smiled fondly and pet his head, "How've you been?"

"This fatso is your friend?" said Hiromi.

"Hmph!" sniffed Muta, "And what are you, a supermodel?"

"Oh, come on, Muta," Haru gently chided, "It's no good insulting someone if they can't understand you." Indeed, all Hiromi could hear were some rather grouchy meows out of him.

"Yeah, right," Muta smiled, "It's more fun, I say!"

"Um, Haru?" asked Hiromi, "You know you're talking to a cat, right?"

"Yea; I know," she answered like it was the most natural thing in the world. She turned back to the fat feline.

"Muta," she said, "this is Hiromi, my best friend. I brought her here to meet you, so can you let her pet you?" Muta cringed.

"All right, I'll be nice," he muttered.

"Thanks, Muta," Haru beamed, "Go ahead, Hiromi. He won't bite; he's really a sweetheart once you get to know him!" Hiromi petted his head tentatively at first, but she touched a spot Muta particularly liked and he was purring in no time.

"By the way, chicky," he said to Haru, "That tooty-fruity cat that works for the king was here looking for ya."

"Really?" said a surprised Haru, remembering well the strange brown cat that had spearheaded her abduction to the Cat Kingdom.

"Mm-hmm," he nodded, "Said he had a message for you from the prince. I told him he'd know where to find you."

"Oh," said Haru, "I guess I'll just wait for him to find me then."

He did find her again, but not until she was getting ready for bed. He leapt up the wall to her window and stopped to catch his breath.

"Whew," he panted, "I've got to start working out." He looked up and saw Haru in her PJs. "I found her!" he said to himself and tapped on the glass. "Miss Haru! Miss Haru!"

"Hmm?" Haru turned around. "Oh!" She crawled over to the window and slid it open to admit him. He hopped onto her bed and dropped a scroll between them.

"Hi, cat," she smiled, "Long time no see!" She mobbed her hand to pet him.

"Eh!" he jerked back, "Please, not again! I haven't done anything!"

Haru realized he was afraid she'd shake him by the scruff again.

"Don't worry," she smiled, "I won't hurt you anymore, not unless you earn it." She gently pet him on the head.

"Oh, my," he said in surprise, "Well you've certainly changed, Miss Haru. And I love what you've done with your hair!"

"Thanks, cat!" she said, ruffling her short hair, "So what brings you back here? Muta said you had a message for me." She unrolled the scroll.

"Oh, yes indeed," he said, "In fact, the prince himself sent me to personally invite you to be a guest of honor at his wedding to Princess Yuki!" Haru looked up with excited wide eyes.

"You're kidding!" she brightened, "That's wonderful! Actually, I'm glad you told me, 'cause I can't make head or tail of this scroll."

"That's your official royal invitation!" the cat explained, "Everyone in the kingdom attends when cats get married, of course, but only guests of honor receive official invitations. Your fat friend and the Baron were invited as well!"

"Really?" said Haru, "I'm so honored! When is the wedding?"

"It's tomorrow night, as far as your time goes," he answered, "We're perfectly willing to pick you up if you'd like."

"Ooh," said Haru, not looking forward to another bumpy ride on a strong cat stampede, but not seeing any other way of entering the Cat Kingdom, either. "Well…I guess so. I'll meet you at the Cat Bureau."

"Great! We'll see you then!" the cat chimed, "Good night, Miss Haru!" He hopped back on her window sill.

"Good night, cat!" called Haru. He reared up and turned his head back.

"Oh," he smiled, "My name is Natoru, by the way."

"Natoru?" she repeated and smiled, "Nice name!" Natoru nodded and bounded away. Haru watched him go, giggled to herself, and closed the window. She looked at the picture on her invitation, the orange crayon-like head doodle of Prince Lune with a pink female head—obviously Yuki—wearing a petit tiara with a red heart between them. Haru smiled fondly at the Yuki picture, rolled up the invite, and went to bed.

"A royal invitation? That's quite an honor, Baron," said Toto over tea the next afternoon, "Are you going to wear your black suit?"

"I think I'll go with the silver one," replied the Baron, sipping his tea, "I'd prefer not to upstage anyone, and no one in the Cat Kingdom appears to wear much of anything, let alone a black tuxedo."

"Doesn't matter to me," grumbled Muta, "I'm not going back to that funny farm."

"Muta!" Toto scolded, "What's the matter with you? You've got a royal invitation and you're not going?"

"He's right, Muta," the Baron said reasonably, "It's very rude to decline an invitation, especially as a guest of honor. And Haru would be so disappointed; she's quite fond of you, you know."

"Bleh," Muta said uncomfortably, "I know what she'll do—try to put a bowtie on me!"

"It'd be an improvement," muttered Toto as he preened himself.

"Oh, come now, Muta," the Baron chided gently, "It's a high honor to be invited to a royal wedding, and Haru's counting on you. Remember how devastated she felt when she thought you were dead? Imagine how she'd feel knowing you've missed all the fun; it would simply crush her."

"Cut it out, Baron," he warned, "You know I can't handle your mind games."

"All right, then," the Baron replied cheerfully, "Think of all the free food you'll miss, such as the…catnip jelly?" Muta's ears pricked.

"Fine, you got me," he relented, "Who wants to hear her whining, anyway?"

"Aw," Toto teased, "Does kitty have a soft spot for girlie?"

"Can it, birdbrain!" Muta growled. Toto dropped something on him, a black bowtie to go around the neck.

"What the heck is this?" the fat cat demanded.

"It is a black tie affair," Toto grinned, "You have to dress apro po."

"What?" gawked Muta, "No way am I putting this on!"

"Better hurry!" Toto crowed, "I see her coming!" He flew out cackling.

"Why, you!" Muta bristled and chased him outside, "I'll tell you what you can do with this!"

He stumbled when he saw Haru approaching them and nearly fell over; she was wearing a plain yellow one-piece dress with no fancy décor that was knee-length and sleeveless but still covered most of her neck-and-shoulder area and had a white lace trim on the neck and hem. She wore white knee-high socks, yellow dress sandals, carried a yellow pocketbook (with a string), and a yellow hat that looked 20's or 30's style (but not exactly) with white trim.

"Hey, guys!" she greeted, "What's going on now?"

"Haru, you look adorable!" gasped Toto.

"You think so?" she giggled and twirled.

"You look like a flapper to me," said Muta, "But I guess you make it work."

"Thanks," she beamed with her head cocked, "Is the Baron ready?"

"Born ready, Miss Haru!" greeted the dashing cat as he strolled out to greet her, "And I must say, you look very pretty. That dress suits you wonderfully."

"Thank you, Baron," she blushed pink, "You look great, too!" He was wearing a snappy suit (of course) of a mid-dark silver color with lighter shaded pinstripes, which slimmed him down even more, and all his usual trimmings—handkerchief, cane, and matching top hat.

"Thank you, Haru," he smiled, "After all, if you're blue and you don't know where to go to, why don't you go where fashion sits?" Haru laughed.

"Puttin' on the ritz!" she responded, "Good one! Oh, um, Baron, I have something for you." She rummaged around in her pocketbook. "I hope I'm not being presumptuous, but—I clipped this from my mom's rosebush before I left so it would stay fresh." She held up a small yellow rosebud, the perfect size for a figurine boutonniere.

"I just…" she stammered, "if it's not too much trouble, that is…I was wondering if…if you'd wear it." He knew why she was embarrassed, of course; the bud was yellow, like her dress. If he wore it, they'd match. He smiled fondly and held his hand up to her.

"I would be honored, Haru," he said warmly. She smiled her thanks and handed him the rosebud, which he planted firmly in his chest pocket. He was glad he did it; the boutonniere added a nice splash of color to his already debonair outfit. Toto thought so too, and told him so.

"Now, then," the Baron said presently, "How are we getting back to the Cat Kingdom, Haru?"

"Same way as last time, I'm afraid," Haru half-smiled, "But I'll handle it; this is such a happy occasion!"

"Uh-oh," said Toto, "Here they come!"

Haru looked behind her to see the close group of cats with Natoru waving and calling, "Ready or not, here we come, Miss Haru!" Haru winced.

"Wait a second, you guys!" she threw her hands out, "You don't need to do that, really! AAH!" They bowled into her heels like lane pins, knocking her feet from under her and catching as she landed unceremoniously on her bottom; she nearly fell back, but Natoru braced her up.

"Oopsy-daisy!" he grinned as she straightened herself in kneeling position. "Just like old times, eh, Miss Haru?"

"Yeah," he replied flatly, "A little too much. Wait! You forgot the Baron and Muta!"

"Not to worry, Miss Haru!" he chirped, "We have a special group for your fat friend."

"Special delivery!" called Toto, flying overhead with the Baron, "One escort for the lovely lady!" The Baron nimbly jumped from his back and landed on Haru's shoulder.

"Nice jump, Baron," she said.

"Have a nice time, everybody!" Toto shouted as the cats leapt through the first portal on the exhilarating, terrifying ride to the Cat Kingdom.

"And so," Natori announced, "By the authority given me by the King of Cat Kingdom and by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you cat and wife. You may kiss the bride!"

Prince Lune and Yuki gently touched noses. Lune was wearing a sky blue prince uniform and a small gold crown with a jewel similar to his father's and Yuki was in a beautiful poofy pink dress. Natori (who, wearing white, looked like an archbishop) picked up a delicate silver tiara with a diamond in it from a cushion being held by Natoru.

"As the prince's chosen bride," he said further, "I crown you Princess Yuki, future queen of the Kingdom of Cats!"

The prince and princess turned to the cheers and applause of all the Cat Kingdom; Yuki sought out Haru's tearfully smiling face and smiled at her. She saw the Baron offer her his handkerchief and was once again thankful that the two were still in touch, that he was still able to protect her—Muta, too.

Lune held up her paw under his own and together they led everyone to the ballroom, where they sat at the king's table with his father. As guests of honor, Haru and the Baron sat with them—Haru was next to Yuki and the Baron was next to Haru. Muta was at the end, next to the Baron (that way, Natori could keep him away from the king for his safety).

"Yuki," said Haru, "I have a present for you." She reached in her pocketbook and handed her a small box wrapped in white paper, tied with a gold ribbon.

"Haru!" Yuki gasped softly, "You didn't have to…"

"I wanted to," said Haru. Yuki carefully unwrapped a jewelry gift box and opened it to find a pink silk choker necklace with a gold heart-shaped charm with a rose carving on it.

"Ohh," she breathed, "It's beautiful, Haru! Thank you!" Lune admired it as well and helped her put it on.

"I have something for you too, Haru," said Yuki, "Here, the bride and groom give gifts to their close friends. I'd like you to accept this gift in the spirit of Cat Kingdom tradition, and as a token of my gratitude."

"Oh," said Haru as she accepted the gift, "Thank you." It was a smaller jewelry box tied with a red ribbon. Inside was a pair of gold fish earrings with tiny emerald eyes! Haru gasped softly at their beauty (they're so alike!).

"I had our Master Crafts Cat fashion them just for you," said Lune, "Yuki wanted your gift to be special."

"Yes," nodded Yuki, "You see, Haru: The fish is a symbol of the kindness you showed me when I was young. I want you to wear these earrings as a reminder that if you ever doubt yourself or your heart, you will always remember that you are a kind person with a kind heart." Haru smiled dearly and hugged the bride.

"Thank you, Yuki," she said fondly, "I'll keep them forever." She put them on so the mouths hung to her ears. She giggled with Yuki as they admired each other's jewelry. After a little while, Natori stood in the middle of the room with Lune and cleared his throat for attention.

"And now it is time for the king to escort the bride to the groom so they may share their first dance as newlyweds!" he declared. The king stood up and offered Yuki his paw; she accepted and allowed her new father-in-law to lead her to her husband, her love, her lifelong friend.

"The bride and groom will dance to a special song they chose themselves," said Natori, "One they shared together as kittens, when our prince kept Princess Yuki by his side as his friend and playmate." The king and his son bowed to each other as the king passed Yuki's paw over to Lune's. He was awfully mellowed out, Haru noticed, so calm. She guessed he was either weighed down by the solemnity of the occasion or strung out on catnip—maybe both.

Natoru gingerly put the needle down on a record player as Yuki and Lune got in position. As the sweet violin intro swept in, Haru gazed wondrously at their smooth, graceful dance steps.

Let me be your wings
Let me be your only love
Let me take you far beyond the stars

"They're wonderful dancers!" she breathed as they twirled and turned, Yuki's dress flowing like water.

Let me be your wings
Let me take you high above
Everything we're dreaming of
will soon be ours

"You are all invited to join in the wedding dance!" said Natori with a smile.

"Well, Miss Haru?" smiled the Baron, standing up, "Since our last dance was interrupted, would you care to try again?" He extended his hand to her.

"I'd love to, Baron," she smiled, "But I'm warning you: Just because I'm more confident doesn't mean my dancing has improved!" He looked her in the eye.

"I trust you, Haru," he said gently and led her to the dance floor. Muta watched them as he gobbled down sweets.

"Once again I go stag," he grumbled, "Whatever. I hate dancing, anyway."

Anything that you desire
Anything at all

The Baron succeeded in making Haru look good on the dance floor, but not enough to upstage the bride and groom. Haru felt every bit a princess as Yuki.

Every day I'll take you higher
And I'll never let you fall

Haru blushed as the Baron dipped her and brought her back up. Lune and Yuki were now dancing cheek-to-cheek, their eyes closed lovingly as Lune quietly sang to his bride.

Let me be your wings
Leave behind the world you know
for another world of wondrous things

He held her paws and circled around with her.

We'll see the universe
And dance on Saturn's rings

He held her from behind.

Fly with me
and I will be your wings

"Smooth moves, Your Highness," Haru said slyly, "No wonder you're such a lady's man!"

"Not really," Lune shook his head with his "arm" around Yuki, "The only reason the other girls liked me was because they saw me as 'the handsome prince.' But Yuki…we've known each other all our lives. She's the only girl in the whole kingdom who looked past the image of what I was and found who I was." He rubbed his face on hers. "And she fell in love with me anyway. I'm the luckiest cat in the whole world."

'Oh!' Haru thought adoringly, 'How cute!'

"Congratulations, Prince Lune," she said, "and to you, Princess Yuki. I hope you'll be very happy together and live long healthy lives."

"Thank you, Haru," smiled Yuki, "And thank you again for the gift. It will be my most precious possession." They smiled and Haru held her paws.

"Shall we switch partners?" said Lune, "Do you mind, Baron?"

"Not at all, if Miss Haru doesn't mind," said the Baron.

"Sure!" said Haru. The Baron passed her hand over the prince.

"Thank you, Baron," he said and bowed, "Miss Haru."

"Your Highness," she curtsied and allowed him to sweep her away.

"My congratulations, Princess Yuki," said the Baron as they danced.

"Thank you," she nodded, "Actually, there's something I wanted to tell you about. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but…

"Not too long after Haru fed me and ran off, I tried to find her again and thank her. Instead, I got hopelessly lost and caught in a thunderstorm. I curled up in a cardboard box and lay there with my eyes shut tight. Soon I heard footsteps walking toward me and I opened my eyes to see a small pair of feet wearing ladies' rain boots under a purple skirt. They stopped and the person stooped down to look at me." She looked him in the eye and he twirled her once.

"It was a lady cat with green eyes, just like yours," she said, nervous that she might be bringing up a deeply personal topic.

"Like mine, you say?" he responded curiously.

"Um, yes," she nodded, "She had an accent just like yours, too. She asked me if I was all right. Back then, I could only meow like a normal cat, but she seemed to understand me. She picked me up and carried me off in one arm, because she had an umbrella. I kept mewing like the most pitiful little thing, but she didn't seem to mind. She told me about lots of things on our walk and by the time it stopped raining, I was falling asleep. She laid me down in a rose pot and smoothed my fur down. The last thing I remember is her saying quietly over me, 'If you find yourself troubled by something mysterious, or a problem that's hard to solve, there's a place you can go where you always find help. You just need to look for it.' After that she must have disappeared, because I woke up to Lune's voice asking me to wake up. I looked around for the lady cat, but she was gone. I never saw anyone like her again until you came here. Every time I see you, I think of her—not just because you look alike, but in the way you selflessly help others. She didn't hesitate, and I didn't even ask her. She just picked me up and carried me to a place where she must have known Lune would find me. She was so kind to me, just as you've been kind to Haru."

"Was she the one who told you about the Cat Bureau?" he asked with total neutrality.

"Yes, sir," she nodded, "Was…was she someone you knew?"

"In a manner of speaking," he replied as he twirled her again. He said nothing more on the subject and Yuki didn't feel the need to pry into the personal affairs of one of her guests of honor.

"Baron?" asked Toto back home, "You're awfully quiet. Is something wrong?"

The Baron glanced up from where his face was resting on his knuckles with his other hand draped over the arm of his chair, his tea sitting untouched on the table.

"Toto," he asked back, "How long ago did we establish the Cat Bureau?"

"Thirty years last week, if memory serves," he answered.

"Hmm," mused the cat. Toto looked curiously at him.

"Turns out the new princess met Louise when she was a kitten," Muta answered for him.

"What?" gasped a wide-eyed Toto. Muta leaned back to look at him.

"That's not what's bugging him, though," he continued, "Think about this for a second: The Bureau's only thirty years old. Louise has been gone for fifty."

"I don't understand," said Toto, ruffling his wings.

"Let me explain, Toto," said the Baron, "The three of us began this Bureau twenty years after our separation. As Muta said, we've been separated for fifty years, which raises the question…" He looked Toto in the eye.

"How could Louise have possibly known of a Bureau that started so long after her disappearance?"

"What are you thinking, Baron?" Muta asked, watching his friend curiously. He turned his glass green eyes to him.

"Princess Yuki once said to me that we are known of in the Cat Kingdom," he said, "She also told me Louise was the one that had told her of its existence. I can think of only one way she could possibly have ever known."

"You think she's been to the Cat Kingdom?" Muta guessed, surprised.

"Is that possible?" asked Toto.

"Not only been," said the Baron, "What if she has open communications with the Cat Kingdom?" Muta's ears twitched in surprise.

"But if that's true," Toto spoke up, "that would mean they told her about the Bureau!"

"Which brings up another question," added Muta, "If she knows about the Bureau, why is she still gone?"

A silence fell over the trio as they all thought different variations of the same thing: Why hasn't Louise tried to contact them if she knew for so long?

THE END

Author's Review:
Ha-HA! A cliffy ending! Which means, obviously, there will be a sequel, but not quite yet. I'm working on other stuff, but don't worry, I'm working on it, too!

So what did y'all think? Was it a good Cat Kingdom wedding? I originally chose a song from the 60's as Lune and Yuki's wedding dance: "Bend Me, Shape Me" by The American Breed, but I didn't think anyone would know it, and I've already done a silly wedding dance (Kingdom Hearts story), so I switched back to the fluffy stuff, my usual specialty.

As mentioned above, the song was "Let Me Be Your Wings" from Thumbelina! Obviously not mine.

I don't know how long the Bureau's been in business, really (duh—fan fiction). I still haven't found a website that will let me watch "Whisper of the Heart" all the way through (the one I did find only let me see the first 5 min.) Does anyone know one? Anyone? That'd be wonderful of you!

Oh, and Baron's "if you're blue" line, in case you don't know, is from a song called "Puttin' on the Ritz" as sung by The Singing Hoosiers. It's a fun song, and totally fits Baron's sense of fashion! ^_^

So…yeah—reviews, please! I welcome constructive criticism, just please don't burn me. Burning hurts. Thanks!