"It's just a cat Kai, calm down." A mature feminine voice calmly soothed, a rustle of fabric hinted at their position a few meters away from Ari.

"But moooomm its cat! A cat mom! What if it bites me?" A childish voice whined dramatically not far off, a pitter patter of meek footsteps shifted the carriage a bit as who ever they were bounced on the spot.

Ari felt like whining herself, stubbornly keeping her eyes shut as she denied being awake.

"Honey stay still, I can't brush your hair if you keep squirming." The voice soothed again, patient but tired. Ari sighed through her nose and opened a eye to peak at who ever's creating the insufferable noise. Her vision shifted from the wooden floor of the carriage to flicker over a busy mother with a young boy sitting in her knees. A young boy who was busy staring at Ari.

A jolt of adrenaline bursted inside Ari as she bolted out from her small nest of cloths that probably belonged to the mother.

Scraping her paws across the smooth texture of the carriage she leaped out the other end of the structure, narrowly dodging a few more humans that looked too busy carrying giant bags of fruit to pay her any mind.

Numbly skidding across the concrete floor Ari hid underneath a wooden stall. Her senses flooded by noisy chatter and the suffocating smell of many many different kinds of food. 'What the actual f-'

Talking in a few gulps of air, holding each breath in for three heartbeats at a time Ari managed to calm down enough to look around. 'Okay okay breath. Little steps, little steps.'

The area around her was filled with stalls, wooden, metal or otherwise. Looming buildings on each side lead her eyes over the busy street full of people shopping, talking, bargaining. 'Where am I now?' She thought, slowly coming out from the stall she was hiding under.

"Oh it's a cat! Here kitty kitty kitty!" A high pitched voice squealed in joy as pudgy hands tried to make a grab at her.

Hissing in alarm Ari darted away swiftly, running back into the stall and further along the back into a narrow alleyway. Her heart pounded and head spun. 'Holy smokes where the hell am I? A town, a village?' Ari thought rapidly. Good thing she was a cat or else she would have been questioned at the gates, and Ari did not like questions.

'Okay okay, so I'm guessing a village from the sheer amount of people. Alright I can deal with this, I can do this.' Ari thought to herself as she started to climb the tall fence that blocked off the other side of the ally, her sharp claws helping her haul her weight up.

Using her tail for balance she jumped onto a windowsill, running along the rails so she could leap higher onto another, then another. Stopping only once she's reached the Orange tilled roofs of the building below. The bandages at her side restricted Ari's movements slightly.

'Okay I need a game plan, I can stay here or.... move on? Wait no but I haven't been back in society for so long! Maybe I can stay for a bit..' she half heartedly started to walk along the rooftops, her golden eyes scanning the lively surroundings below as civilians went about their days.

A group of mothers chattered as their children ran around playing some sort of game. A stall owner making a bit too much noise while trying to sell his fish, an elderly couple strolling along as they basked in the familiar surroundings.

Ari felt a pang of envy as she watched a child fall and proceed to burst into tears, only to get picked up and comforted by their mother as she rubbed their back soothingly. Her eyes flickered to another spot below as she witnessed a group of teenagers chatter loudly, seemingly lost in conversation as they finished their ice-creams.

In another spot a stall owner bargained with a middle aged man, making large and exaggerated hand gestured. Both had amused grins on their faces like they've been friends for years and years.

'This is their home' Ari thought longingly.

'This could be your home too' a small voice whispered in her mind, she batted that thought away as quickly as it came. 'No, not yet' she replied back to nothingness. Eyes lingering on the street below for a second longer than necessary before looking away, up ahead.

The roof dipped to the other side where there was more and more streets, but looking ahead Ari could make out the faint glow of bright green leaves. 'A tree! Perfect!' The sleek jet black cat nimbly trotted across the roof tiles and across powerlines. Thanking the world for her long tail that helped her keep balance.

She leapt over the heads of people walking by, markets and stalls that continued for several streets before it spanned out into neighbourhoods and apartment buildings. Buildings all different sorts of colors with the occasional grove of trees.

Ari reached the tree and scurried down the trunk successfully to take a drink from a nearby stream. The shimmering flowing water illuminated by the sinking sun.

'I wonder if this place has a forest? I mean I could just catch rats but who knows what viruses they carry...hmm a bird is safer. No eagles though, eagles are bloody evil.' Ari rambled in her head as she logically followed the stream, letting it lead her onwards as it expanded under a bridge.

The rhythmic splashes of flowing water against rock was disturbed by a door slamming shut after a series of yelling. Ari's fur instinctively stood on end as she snapped her head over to witness a small boy pick up what seams to be food of some sort from the ground. He brushed his fingers on it a couple of times to 'clean' it before taking a bitter bite.

Her eyes widened as confusion and empathy flashed in them. 'Did they throw that at him?'

Deciding to get a better look Ari padded away from the stream to edge forwards, her curious nature getting the best of her as she cautiously approached him. The boy had a worn looking white shirt on that had some stains, his blue shorts dirty and blotched with dirt and mud. 'I guess there is always two sides of a coin...' Ari frowned as she remembered her earlier impressions of this village.

Not wanting to startle the boy Ari meowed softly as she came closer, inclining her head a bit to look up at him from a meter away.

The boy's solum blue eyes snapped to her as spark of fear danced in them before going away, being replaced by a small shiver of interest. Ari sensed his deep sadness was still there, but it was dulled a bit by his curiosity. He crouched down to stare at her at a eye level, the food, which she identified as a slice of bread clutched in his small hands.

Normally cats consider it rude to stare, but since Ari had the mind of a human she read his actions as curiosity instead of a challenge. Stepping a bit closer she watched as the boy stretched out a hand to let her smell. Taking a sniff she grimaced as his scent was overthrown by the stench of mud and pine but she pressed her head to his hand anyways. Cat language for "yes you can pat"

The boy took the invitation, running his hand gently to pat her over her head and back. A soft rumble filled the air around them as she naturally started to purr. He scratched a spot under her chin which she adored.

Ari took a glance at him to see a soft small smile adoring his face. The boy's bubbly emotions reflected in his eyes, making them brighten and spark with life. She could sense his mental state like most cats could. He seamed to be feeling better which made Ari lighten up a little.

Reaching back the boy took a piece of the bread slice and carefully handed it to her, afraid that his only companion would run away. Ari watched in astonishment as the boy shared what seamed to be their only food for the day with her, a cat. A fuzzy feeling danced in her chest as she pinned the boy with a awe struck look.

Even after what happened earlier he was still kind enough to share?

Taking the price of bread gently from his hands she chewed in quick bites, her mind whirling at this. Usually kids who are treated badly or neglected lash out at her, but this boy...Ari could sense an endless amount of kindness and compassion within him just from this gesture alone.

Making sure to purr extra loud she rubbed her side against his legs, making sure to avoid touching her injuries. The boy giggled at that, a delicate laughter only a child could have as her fur tickled him. The boy reached to pat her again but was stopped by a blaring voice that dripped with disgust and resentfulness.

"Naruto! Get inside. Now!" A elderly women snapped from the door that was slammed shut earlier.

The boy, apparently named after fish cakes flinched at the voice, his eyes snapping up to stare fearfully at the lady before coming back down to Ari's worried gold ones. He smiled softly as he waved at her, reluctantly walking over the the lady with his head bowed and shoulders hunched. The old lady scoffed at him and than took a glance at Ari before slamming the door shut once again.

Her yelling could faintly be heard from out here.

Ari hissed as she sensed Naruto's flares of fear and sadness spike up once again, so powerful that she could still sense them from outside the house. Her ears flattened to her head as she pulled her lips back in a snarl. 'What the hell is going on? Who treats a child like that?' She spat in her head.

Turning back she stalked back towards the stream, fully intended on going to the forest to burn off some steam. She'll be back, she's sure of it.

Ohhhh soon lady, just you wait.

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Tried, I sleep.