Private Hidden Cats

Well, from what Flutter has seen, it will take more than patience. It will take a lot of skill. Although this was not the first time, she needed patience and skill. She was beginning to get frustrated, so she put down the knitting and looked around for something interesting. Seeing the Switch, she flew over to it, then landed and in a thick silver-gray turned into a three-foot version of herself (her wings remained as they were). She looked it all over and poked at it, giggling.

Naisis followed Shiro out to the kitchen and put her cup in the sink.

"Again, thank you. Ah, Flutterpip is a wee bit spoiled, being an only child - actually - the only one of her kind. Under all that, sweetness beats the heart of a mischievous imp." She chuckled, "one time she asked me if she could go to a birthday party. I said she could. What she forgot tell me was it was at a pizza/pub in the outskirts of London, England. Fortunately, the owner knew us and told me she was there, and he would keep an eye on her until I get there."

Naisis rolled her eyes and sighed, "Although I do not blame her, she got most of her traits from me, well, except for her temper - that is all her own."

Naisis smiled, "All impishness aside, her friendly and honest attitude is a breath of fresh air in a place full of deception. She has quite a following because of it."

She became sad and silent, "Hell have mercy on anyone that would harm her. When I am done, their life would be worst than Hell."

She shook her head and took a deep breath, "Sorry. Still a bit emotional from my biggest mistake. I wanted to know if you owned a magical cat or any cat?"

Naisis looked wistfully off into the distance, "so was I when I was that young. Getting into all sorts of trouble and mischief. Fortunately, our magic doesn't show itself until our fifth year, or whoo-boy!"

Naisis smiled at the offer, "any help would be appreciated. She loves to do her magic, offering popcorn to almost anyone, but she also loves to do things with her hands." She ponders, "she has a mom, grandmom, dozens of aunts and uncles and even a little brother - sort of, but no big sister. She could use one. I hope you do not mind?"

When Shiro revealed she was a cat shifter, Naisis was flabbergasted. She never suspected. When she said she usually had cat ears, Naisis blinked the opened her mouth as she was about to say something then closed it. She blinked again the looked up, tilting her head, and said, "Avax, did you have anything to do with this?" pointing to Shiro.

Ah, Shiro knew about Flutter's fear of cats, "that did happen, but a long time ago. She has been getting better. Instead of fleeing in terror, she keeps her distance with apprehension. Actually, you might be the best thing to happen to her. She seems to trust you. Hopefully, it will be strong enough to withstand when you reveal you are a cat."

She looked out to the living room only to see a three-foot-tall Flutterpip with something in her hands. Flutterpip had the Switch controller out of the carriage and was looking it over when Naisis sternly called out, "Flutterpip! What have I told you about messing with other people's stuff!"

Flutter faced her mom holding up Switch, "it is a video game thingy! Can I have one?"

Naisis chuckled as leaned over to Shiro, "you are not fooling me. You are a little scared. Not to worry, Flutter is one of the best, providing you can keep her mischievousness in check."

Naisis had to agree with Shiro. The sooner, the better, but most of it would end up on Shiro's shoulders, "true, but it will mostly be your doing. All I can do is keep it from blowing up."

When Flutterpip showed the Switch and Shiro said she could come over and play it, Nasisi came up with a devious idea that might solve two problems. Naisis headed toward her little one with a devious look on her face, which caused a worried one to appear on Flutterpip's.

Crossing her arms, she asked, "You really want one of those?"

Flutter clutched the Switch closer, "Yes?"

Naisis smiled, "Ok, I will make you a deal..." that is when a miniature Naisis appeared on Shiro's shoulder (the one furthest from Flutter) and whispered, "do not look. I am one of Naisis's shoulder angels, and we have a request for you. Can you bring out just your ears? We will keep Flutterpip busy while you do that." The shoulder angel disappeared.

"... I will give you one if you make an A in arithmetic."

"An A!? That is a lot for a little one like me to do. How about a C?"

Naisis pondered the proposition, and her smile broadened, "Ok," which caused Flutter to blink in surprise; she was not expecting Naisis to give in so easily.

"If you make a C a game system. But," Flutter cringed, now the conditions, "if you make a B, a game system and one extra game, picked by me."

She paused to let it sink in and to cause a pillow to appear under the console.

"If you do make an A. Add two more games. One you pick and one we agree on."

Flutterpip dropped her jaw and the game console (the reason for the pillow). In a puff of smoke, she reverted to her normal size.

Flying up to Naisis, she asked, not quite willing to believe, "really?"

Naisis nodded, "Really, really. Ok, the time..." she puckered her lips and thought, "Since it is a fairly tall order - the final report card. Is it a deal?"

Naisis got out her pen and lanced one of her fingers, holding it out to Flutter. Flutter poofed another needle only much sharper and poked her finger and touched Naisis's. A puff of black smoke formed when the two fingers touch.

Flutter looked at her finger still in unbelief, before letting out a squee that probably could be heard all the way to the Subliminal. Flying in circles she chanted, "I'm going to get a video game!"

Flutter could not believe what just happened. She flew over to tell Shiro the good news.

As Flutterpip flew closer to Shiro, she noticed something different about her. She had ears? When did she have ears? Not only were they ears, but cat ears! Flutter backed off apprehensively and flew down to where Naisis was sitting (pretty sure there was no comfy chair with an end table nearby). Naisis had materialized them so that Shiro would be just outside Flutter's comfort zone.

Flutter whispered, glancing back at Shiro, "Mom, she is a cat."

Naisis sat back and smiled, "I know."

Flutter spun to face Naisis, surprised, "you knew? And you did not tell me?"

"Well, I just found out, and I figured she should."

Flutter landed on the table, arms folded, looking a bit peeved, "she should have told me."

Naisis raised a brow, "Oh? And what would have happened?"

"I would have flown away."

"And miss out on all of this," Naisi spread her hand to include everything.

Flutter muttered, "like being eaten."

"Well, by now, she would have eaten you, or at least tried, if she wanted to. She had ample opportunity."

Flutter looked up to her mom, appalled she would say something like that.

With a serious look, "well, did she try?"

A bit dejected, looking down, "no."

Naisis gave her little one an odd look. She sounded as if she wanted Shiro to try.

"Well, that is not what I was talking about," raising a closed fist, one finger popped up, "you would have missed out in learning how to knit," a second finger popped up, "you would have missed out in playing your first videogame."

She could Flutter's resolve to begin to crumble.

A third finger popped up, "you would have missed out on befriending a really cool person,"

Now, hopefully, the clincher. Naisis slowly raised the fourth finger. Flutter looked on with a blend of anticipation and apprehension.

Very seriously, "you would have missed out on a chance to get your very own game system."

Flutter looked troubled as she thought about all the things she would have missed.

Softly and sympathetically, "because you judged them because of what they looked like instead of who they were."

Flutter looked down, embarrassed, with her hands in her lap and one of her tiny hooves making little circles (something she does when embarrassed).

Mom was not always right, but when she is right, she was really right. Turning to look up to Shiro, sheepishly. She was pretty cool, even for a cat. But mom was right; she would not have given Shiro a chance if she had known. She shook her head. That was not like her. She gives second and, even, third chances. Why should Shiro suffer because of what that cat did. And the other she had shunned, what of them. How many cool people and neet things she had missed out all because of their dumb fear. Well, she might not be able to change the past, but she can fix this.

She flew up to one of Shiro's ears (she would hear a low buzz). She tentatively reached out to touch it. To her surprise, it was soft. Turning and flying over to where Naisis was, she declared, albeit a bit sheepishly, "Ok, mom. She is cool."

Naisis, now aware she was holding her breath, exhaled and smiled, "good."

She got up and flared her horn, causing the table and chair to vanish.