MHA: A Cat’s Way

<>=English

I awkwardly sip from my milkshake, Pony Tsunatori sitting across from me as she fiddles with the hair around her horn. Her metal-shod hoof marking a constant rhythm with her nervous taps. Across the cafe, Nyamuri, Minya, and Tormew have their eyes locked on the two of us, making this all the more nerve wracking.

See, Pony and I were childhood friends back in California. Since they were both single, our mothers often got together to gossip about the husbands of their friends. That left Pony and I to entertain each other. She would play with my tail and pet my ears, and I would stroke her horns and fluff her tail. Hours of fun for a couple of toddlers. 

Unlike me though, she had more family than just her mother. Her grandmother is the pro hero known as Cow Lady. Or at least she was back when we were kids. Ever since I was forced to stay in Japan I… hadn’t paid much attention about what’s going on back in America.

I mean, what kind of child would? I didn’t know the phone number to get in contact with Pony’s mom, I didn’t even know if they knew what happened to my own!

I was told that my life as an American was over and not to worry about things that I couldn’t change. So… that’s what I did. I had no way of going back. No way of contacting my old friend. No way of letting them know what happened. So I did my best to put it out of my mind and continue with my life as best I could.

Ignore how I became the object of worship for a cult, plan to kill the number one hero in the entire world, and have joined forces with a villain organization to do it. Other than all those, I would say that I’ve been doing pretty well!

Still though, I would be lying if I said I didn’t wonder how she was doing. And now, here she is! In Japan! Attending the same hero school as me!

…

What kind of sense does that make!? Out of all the places we could have reunited, it was in the number one hero school in Japan, while I told her entire class that I’m better than them!? It could not have gone worse!

I’m just happy that I managed to get permission to leave campus with her so we could talk in peace. Even if I did have to bring Nyamuri as a chaperone. Apparently she let Minya and Tormew tag along because ‘it seems like fun’.

I sigh, watching as Pony stiffens up, her foot falling silent. “<So… Pony. How have mew been?>”

She shifts, her tail moving in the open space of the chair’s back. “<Oh! I’ve been… good. What about you? I noticed that you make cat puns now.>”

“<Yep!>” I say, my voice filled with fake cheer. “<It has to do with my quirk, and how it purrogressed.>”

“<That’s nice! Now when I launch my horns, they grow back almost right away!>”

“<Cool! Nyo more people calling you a horse when they can only see your hooves now!>”

“<Yep!>”

We fall into silence, the slurping of our shakes sounding deafening.

…

…

With a noise of irritation, Pony throws her hands up into the air. “<Ugh! I can’t take this anymore!>” She looks back down at me with desperation filled eyes. “<Catia, what happened!? All we heard was that your mother died and that you’d be staying in Japan! No matter what Mom and Grandma tried to do, they couldn’t find out anything else! Not even who would be taking care of you!>”

I shift uncomfortably, my tail wrapping itself around one of the supports for the seat’s back. I’m sure they have an actual name for the rods, but I never learned it. With a swallow, I begin to explain.

“<Ah, well, I got stroke with a couple who also had animal mutations. Something about how they would best understand how to raise me., nya.>”

“<Are they dumb?>” She asks with a completely straight face, causing me to laugh.

“<Nya-ha. I remember hissing about that exact same thing. Pearl was nyaice enough, but Paul…>” I sigh. “<Let’s just say that I didn’t clawse a scene when he got killed.>”

She gasps. “<You were the person the school made the dorms for!?>”

I tilt my head in confusion. “Nya?”

She hurriedly explains, gesturing wildly. “<Everyone was talking about how one of the students was being targeted by villains, so the school made the dorms to keep them safe! Everyone else getting to come was just a side-benefit to help hide them! A hiding a cow in a herd type of situation!>”

I roll my eyes at that. “<It wasn’t just for me-ow know. I heard that the principal had wanted to do it for a while, but couldn’t convince the commission until the guardian of a future student got clawed.>”

She shakes her head in bemusement. “<Ok, but you have no idea how much the dorms helped mom and me! She was going to rent me a place to stay so that I could attend UA since her company couldn’t work out a transfer for her! The dorms have saved us so much money!>”

I smile, flashing a canine at her as my tail unwraps from the seat and starts to sway. “<Well then, I’m pawleased that I could be of service to you~.>”

She laughs, and I laugh with her, the tension I’ve felt since seeing her again falling away.

After ordering some food and a refill on our shakes, we make small talk. We reminisce on the kind of things we got into when we were little, like how we beat up a bunch of older kids for saying that we were just animals: How we pretended to be matadors and she got stuck in the wall for an hour before remembering that she could make her horns come off. How someone with a water quirk secretly sprayed me and I hid up a tree until my mom eventually convinced me that, “The evil water isn’t out to get you. It isn’t waiting for an opportunity to attack.”

We laugh with each other. We tease each other. We rebuild the bond we had so long ago. She doesn’t push me on what happened to Mom, which I’m thankful for. Though it’s become rare, I still get the occasional nightmare where I’m back there. Watching it all happen again like it’s the first time.

The sun is starting to set, giving the light streaming through the window a soft shade. It’s not until Nyamuri comes up that we realize how late it’s gotten, and even then she looks regretful to interrupt.

“Sorry girls, but it’s time we all head back to UA. You have a curfew, not to mention classes and training for the Sports Festival.”

My ears droop a bit, but I know she’s right. Honestly, I’m thankful that she waited as long as she did to have us go back. I didn’t realize just how much I missed Purrny until today. Yes, I have friends here. Friends that I cherish. But now, it’s like I’ve gotten back a piece of the home I was forced to leave behind so long ago.

I stand up with a stretch, holding a hand out to Purrny. “Let’s head back, nya.”

She nods, speaking in Japanese for the first time I’ve heard. “Yeah, let’s goo!”

I snort, holding a hand to my mouth to cover it up before correcting her. “Go, Purrny. Not goo.”

She blushes before switching back over to English. “<I’m still not all that fluent in Japanese. Would you mind tutoring me? The person in my class is kind of… mean, when he does it.>”

I nod with a grin, more than happy for the excuse to spend more time with my old friend before a thought strikes me. I turn to Minya and Tormew, who seem to be pouting? “Since I’m tutoring Purrny on Japanese, do the two of mew want to join to help with English?”

They exchange glances, though I have to remind myself once again that Minya isn’t actually aware of that and is just guessing that they’re looking at each other, before turning to me and nodding with determination. “<Mine English great not, but learn how to want!>”

“<Please go away, scary pink girl!>”

Hearing Minya’s reply, both Pony and I snort, which blows into full on laughter at her genuinely confused look. She looks at Nyamuri, who seems to be holding back her own laughs. A feat that’s rendered mute at her question as she clutches her stomach. “Doesn’t that mean ‘Sounds like a great time’? Anytime I met tourists I would recommend cool stuff to do and they’d say that and rush to get there!”

`~`

By the time we get ourselves under control there’s not much left of the sun, the streetlights are already coming on to battle the encroaching darkness. We walk in a happy silence, except for Minya clutching her head and groaning after we explained what those words actually meant.

Still though, today was the best day I’ve had in a long time, and I think it’s safe to say that nothing could ruin it.

And that’s when a little girl runs out of an alley and into my side.