Finding The Way Back (A Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts Fanfiction)

[3] Hairballs and Hair-Raising Revelation

As much as he wants to stay in his memories, Chess can hear some kind of commotion going on. Is that argument still going? Maybe he should give a listen...

...

...

*coughing, hacking*

Huh...that's not good.

The tuxedo cat turns over, looking down at the world below. Looks like...the Timbercats are chasing a ball of yarn. Well...that's not unusual. But the humans on the said ball of yarn are. Looks like Kipo and her friends have a plan to escape.

Well...it's not like he cares all that much. He really was only there for the flapjacks.

...

...

But...

That Kipo girl...she really is something different, isn't she?

Now that he thought about it, she's probably the first human that acted...differently. Genuine caring and concern over their people, despite being so different from humans. And the kidnapped humans he witnessed before more or cared for themselves. That statement...

"...peace between the species..."

Did she really mean that?

Well, since they're gonna be leaving soon he might as well try and pry that question. 

Chess watches where the yarn ball falls and proceeds to make his way down the tree. He watches as the humans make their way into a concealed-off space, though he picks up Kipo's voice. He follows up quietly, hoping to just sneak up and ask.

That is, until he heard what Kipo said.

"Good idea. We don't need those cats to help us, and they don't..."

The little blue pig Mute they have with them makes a noise, and Kipo turns around, seeing him. He frowns at her sentence...

Did...did that mean she didn't mean it? 

"...need our help either." Kipo finishes her sentence. 

Chess feels a bit of heartbreak crack the glass in his heart.

"Um...hey, Chess." Kipo greets sheepishly. "Really sorry for the sudden exit."

"Um..." Chess knows he can't really talk. But he's gonna try and ask anyway. "Mmmm?" he tries to make a gesture, something that means "question".

"Oh, what do you want to know?"

The tuxedo Timbercat realized he doesn't have a way to portray his question. He scrambles and finds a stick and a rock and presses them together.

"Mhhmmmm!" he pronounces his grunt like saying "we're friends!". 

"Mmmm?" he pushes the stick and rock to Kipo.

"You...want to be friends?"

Chess thought about it. He shrugged to clarify he might be up for it. But he repeated his past gesture, several times to be exact before she got the idea.

Though instead of excitement from the realization, there was a solemness to it. "You're asking if I really meant it..."

Chess nods.

"Well, I really do mean it Chess. I just...I guess it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. But..." she smiles at him. "Seeing as you're up to being a friend, I guess my plan worked out somewhat, right?"

He nods slowly. It's...true. He's at least willing to be someone she knows. 

"But your people are in shambles. If only your leader were there for you guys. Maybe things would have gotten off better."