The Butler's Tiger--Black Butler Fanfic--

Never truly free

I woke up surprisingly warm and dry. The sun was far up in the blue sky and the people were wide awake. I uncurled from my sleeping position and stood up. I thought about Sebastian and how peculiar it was that he kept finding me. I tried to shrug it off and the warm feeling that resided in my stomach whenever he appeared. I walked out to the main street, hungrily looking for something to eat. The girl that had killed about 50 people was now gone ,and I was now an innocent homeless girl. 'But Sebastian knows you aren't' The voice inside me taunted. Why should I care what he thinks and knows? Besides, It's unlikely he will bother finding me again. I glumly walked the streets, receiving many looks of disgust along the way. The people here were very different from the villagers I had attacked. They were posh and seemingly polite amongst themselves. Whoever had the heart gave out food for the homeless little kids that begged for crumbs.  An urge inside wanted to join them in hopes of getting breakfast, but I was stronger than that. There were signs and notices on poles and billboards of an escaped 'exotic blue tiger found in the jungle'. I shook my head at the lie. Anyone would make it so mysterious and exotic so that people would be interested. Other than the increased patrols around the Zoo and in certain parts of the city, everything was quite normal. I gave up trying to find  free food and sat down against a wall, staring out into the blue. " Momma, who is she? Why is she so sad?" A little girl had halted her mother to look at me. Her kind brown eyes met my hard ones. " Emily, we mustn't talk like that." Her mother attempted to hurry her along ,but Emily stayed in place. " Would you like a cookie? You look so hungry, little girl." Emily placed a cookie beside me.I stared at her but gave in and took the chocolate chip cookie delicately in my hand. " Thank you, Emily." I croaked. She smiled at me and then skipped along. Her mother nodded her head at me then hurried after her daughter. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a black cat peering at me. It looked hungry but trained its eyes on me. I smiled and broke the cookie in half. One-half I stuffed into my mouth and the other I reached out to the cat. It didn't hesitate for one second and soon it was sitting next to me, enjoying its meal. " Here cat." I reached out my hand. It looked at it for a second then rubbed against it. I smiled and stroked it's silky fur. " At least a friend cat," I whispered to myself, but it seemed to hear me and purred softly.  Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the streets and screams followed quickly after. I pounced to my knees in a hunched position-then realized how stupid I looked.  The cat peered judgingly at me as if it were almost human. I sighed and stood up straight like any normal human. My instincts were growing stronger and stronger each day; I felt less human every time. Another bang followed and people were running and panicking everywhere. I ran to the edge of the alley, where I peeked my head out around the corner. The cat followed. Two men, armed with rifles, were towering over three dead bodies, all that seemed businessmen. They were yelling some profanities but I hardly heard them. I felt my vision sharpen and my muscles increase in strength. My claws sprung out and my tail grew back. I felt the cool breeze brush against my tangled fur. I had an urge to pounce and eat the nearest passerby but a low meow stopped me. The cat was looking into my eyes. It was smaller and weaker but great leadership resided in it. I gulped, staring longingly at the meat which I wanted so much to be mine, but decided not to.  I looked back at the cat, but it was gone. Confused, I shrugged ( as much as a tiger could shrug) and focused my attention to the gunmen. they were pointing their guns at the man who was somewhere in his thirties. He was pleading and begging, but shots rang and he fell dead on the ground. A woman screamed and rushed to him, cradling his head in her arms. She was shot down in an instant. " THIS IS A NEW ERA! WE WILL MAKE A NEW GENERATION, A NEW BEGINNING!" one of them yelled. I saw red, just the feeling that they are shooting down innocent bystanders made me hate them the more. 'But you are no different'  The voice inside me taunted. I growled inside, telling it to shut up. I hunched, waiting for the perfect moment...then crash! I missed them completely and ended up breaking a shop window. Now everyone was terrified. Some frozen on the spot, the others running as fast as they could. Those included the two killers. I regained my composure, shaking my head swiftly, and running after them. I leaped upon one, crushing him with my weight. The other was too fast, but I was able to eat the one I had killed. Police came running to the scene a bit too late. I wanted to raise my hands and say I had helped the citizens, but I remembered I was a tiger and transforming into a human will only bring me back to the labs. So I bolted out of sight.

 I ran without failure as fast as I could. Before I knew it , I was in a forest, tripping ungracefully over branches and sharp rocks. I was still in my tiger form, which was giving me extra speed and strength, but even after hours of running, the strongest get tired. When I was deep in the forest, certain that no harm could come now, I slowed my gait and began a slow walk. The trees started to become less scary and destroyed, more beautiful. They rapidly turned into neatly trimmed hedges that lined my entrance. I smiled to myself. Two birds twirled in the air above me. In the distance stood a great mansion, more splendid and beautiful than any other house and dwelling place I have seen. I appeared in the courtyard. A fountain stood as the centerpiece. A great feeling of love and welcome washed over me. Even the stranger that lives here must be compassionate enough to let me stay her for at least a week or so. But that thought only stayed for a moment when a buttlet whizzed by me, chipping off a bit of ear. I looked wildly from where I could have come from. before my gaze fixed on a streak of pink, a yelled cried behind me and a boulder crashed upon my head. I saw a young boy with blonde messy hair, a straw hat tied to his back. He stared at me. " Finian! Watch It!" a man's voice yelled and the boy moved, just as another bullet pierced my paw. I howled in pain and glared at the direction. 'How dare they!' I thought to myself, but then remembered I was the trespasser and also a tiger. I stood still, trying to look as calm as possible. " Why is it just standing there!?" A girl chirruped somewhere in the roof. " Why would I know!? JUST KILL IT!!" The man yelled as a bullet whizzed by me again, heading straight in between my eyes. " NO!" The boy, I suppose was Finnian, crashed into me and we toppled down on the ground. He looked at me with great care. "You poor girl." The yells of the others were just a blur as his soft hands stroked my fur. "You poor girl," He smiled, as if he understood who I was. The great door opened and out came Sebastain. My eyes widened at his smirk. "I see you have found your way here, Tora. Please, come in." Finnian was as dumbfounded as I was. I got up and followed Sebastian in.