Fourteenth

"You're really small, though? What sized soul could you even eat...?"

"You have such rude words!" She stamped her...paw. "I could eat you, you know! Your whole soul in one big bite!"

She set the fairy down on the ground. "Go ahead."

She paused and turned to blink up at her with huge eyes. "...I want to. I'm going to!"

She squinted at the fairy. "Uh huh....really?"

She stomped her foot again. "Don't tempt me, foolish human!! Your soul is mine!!"

She blinked. "Didn't you say you wanted to eat me already...?"

Mia-Stella? Shuffled in place and mumbled angrily under her breath, tail flicking back and forth. "Grr..." She glared up at her, and narrowed her eyes. "Just wait here, I need a snack!" She raced off into the shadows and vanished.

"O...kay...?"

Emily waited patiently as promised, wandering through the glowing, mystical looking cave.

"Such a strange cat..."

After a short time the small fairy returned carrying several glowing spherical objects in her mouth. "...Huh? You stayed?" She gulped them down and licked her lips, swallowing the mysterious objects in a single gulp. "You must have a death wish!"

"Why?"

"I said I was going to eat you, didn't I?" She shot a toothy grin at her. "If I ate your soul you would become part of my power, and you'd be my servant for all eternity!"

"...Is that a fairy joke?"

She wrinkled her nose in irritation and stomped her little paw again, bristling at the remark. "Foolish mortal! I will have my revenge for this transgression! I-I-...what are you doing??"

Emily pet the Katsith behind the ears. "Oh...your fur is soft and silky.How old are you? You look like a kitten in this form..."

She batted her paws at the human's hand, hissing and growling softly in response. "A-at least five hundred years old, you ignorant mortal!"

Emily squinted at the little fae cat. "...I don't think you actually want to eat me."

"What?!" She yowled. "Are you stupid!? Look around! I've lured you out to your doom!"

She reached out and pet the pink cat once more. "But then you went off and ate cave bugs or somethi-"

"THEY WERE NOT BUGS!" She cut her off indignantly, fur fluffing up as she reared back, tail standing straight up. "I-it's a fairy delicacy, to catch and consume the essences of creatures, which will make me even stronger!! If you only knew the difficulty I went through to acquire them!"

"...Still. I think...maybe you're just a little lonely, too." She stroked the top of the small animal's head with a gentle finger, causing her to swish her tail and flick her ears. "Right? Why don't you come stay with me, instead of eating me."

She flicked her tail. "Hmm...are you tempting me to betray the Goddesses...? To abandon my mission, my quest for vengeance..? ...To leave this place, with all the dangers and secrets and mysteries here, to go live with a human and serve her every whim, feeding her and being pampered and pet and cuddled and fed human delicacies and..."

'...I feel like she's just convincing herself...'

The katsith swished her tail and cocked her head. "Or you could run screaming! I could hunt you down and devour you....!"

"You could stay with me in the palace. If you disguise yourself as a human maid named Stella like you did before, I bet no one would bother you or think twice. Right?"

The tiny cat eyed her warily, and let out a quiet, displeased sounding mew. "I'm...going to destroy you! Just not now! Don't be so happy!!"

She shrugged and reached down to pat her on the head again.

"...Don't touch me...! Grrrr...! Nnnghh...." The cat sighed loudly and huffed, wrinkling her nose at the woman. The growls sounded suspiciously like purrs. "Fine. Fine! I'll accompany you to the palace. I'll give you my service - as a maid! I'm a fairy maid!! Count your blessings!!"

"...Do you want to be carried back to the palace or do you want to walk back in human form?"

"...Walk. I can't suffer the indignity of being carried." She scowled and pouted, sticking her chin up. "But first!" Her eyes sparkled as she thrust her paw at her. "You must grant me your blood! The essence of your lifeforce in exchange for your servant, fufufu!!"

"...Will this hurt?" She offered her hand.

The fairy paused. "Hurt...? Y-yes of course! It will cause great pain!! In the world beyond, even!! Your soul will ache from the pain of this bond!"

"...I see..."

The Katsith chomped her thumb.

"Ow!" She hissed and shook her hand as soon as the cat fairy let go. A drop of blood touched the pink cat's tongue, and vanished.

"It's done...!!" She stood up triumphantly and began to transform, body growing and reshaping back into the form of that cute young maid who'd led Emily out into the forest in the first place.

"G...gah!! Ghaah...! Guh! Ahhh...haha! It worked, it worked! I can taste it!!" She bared her teeth in a fierce, toothy grin. "Finally...my power, so long suppressed...returned to me!"

Emily squinted. "...You look the same?"

The young woman turned, shooting her a glare. "It's not visible to human eyes! Shut it!"

Emily squinted at the young...cat...woman and sighed, finally. "Well, if you're not eating me, can we go back to the palace?"

'I feel a bit silly going all the way out here when there wasn't anyone in danger...'

"Tch. Fiiine. I'm hungry, though!"

"Then...come with me to the dining hall. They probably won't mind sharing a meal with you."

She smirked wickedly and waved a hand. "Very well! Lead on, servant!"

"...Servant? You're my maid..."

"That's right." Her smile grew wider. "Lead the way."

Sighing heavily, she shook her head and did as requested, walking alongside the...fairysith back towards the palace.

'...Well. I suppose making a friend isn't a total waste of an afternoon...'

A cat-lady friend.