C4 Meet Torashi

*First Kingdom*

Mei Jai was on edge after hearing how upset the Emperor was about the stolen tiger. Never had she once thought that the matter could escalate so highly and become a threat to her.

Her initial thought was that the Emperor would ignore Mei Xing, claiming that she paid no attention to his gift and call her careless even.

Now, her plan backfired, leaving her soaked in fear for her dear life. A knock on her window pushed her out of her thoughts, only one person would dare to knock on her window.

She walked over to her window and stuck her head out, her hand on the handle, her eyes searching for the man.

"Where is he?." She asked out loud in perplexion, she turned to leave but a white flower popped up in her face, making her pale cheeks redden.

She took the flower and looked above her to see a man, smiling down at her, she pulled his arm and led him into her chamber, making sure no one was in sight.

"Why did you come here? To torment me?." Mei Jai implored, her face soaked in worry. " How could I? I heard about the Emperor being angry and thought to reward you a flower as beautiful as yourself." The man said and took her hand.

"Bao I have warned you against..." Mei Jai left her sentence hanging, her eyes caught sight of the claw marks on his arm.

"Have you lost your senses? Don't you realize you must conceal these injuries, lest they suspect you?" Mei Jai said sounding irritated.

Bao held both her hands and pulled her closer to himself, Mei Jai wiggled out of his hug and raised her hand to him.

"You left the task incomplete Bao, and I will not tolerate that. Now, this is what will happen, you will go to wherever you and your men have hidden that tiger, and kill it." Mei Jai said.

'Kill?. How can such a little girl say such things, she is heartless and ruthless' Bao thought.

"Isn't that suspicious? Whether they find the tiger they won't be able to identify those who killed it." Bao said.

'He's smarter than his men, how do I get rid of him now?." Mei Jai thought. Her plan as of now was to get them to kill the tiger, and for the guards to catch them in the act. Then the Emperor would execute them publicly without a trial or anything.

"I will reward you for this, that animal is intelligent and will recognize your faces. Leave now before anyone sees you here." Mei Jai cautioned pushing him away.

The young man jumped out of the window unto the roof, trying not to get caught by any of the maids or guards.

"I just hope that tiger doesn't live long enough to cause me any problems." Mei Jai thought aloud, she had never been more worried before.

*Second Kingdom*

A shoe flew across the room knocking Hiro to the ground, the one who threw the shoe was none other than Aimi. Hiro's mother.

"Okaasan...you've hurt my skull." Hiro lamented, holding the side of his head, Aimi bolted to retrieve her shoe and proceed to whack Hiro with her it.

"Stop it please! Okaasan! I haven't eaten anything for two nights." Hiro pleaded running around his Minka.

"You have some nerve leaving home for five days, and coming back. Just tell me what demon possessed you to leave your family?." Aimi asked, she held him by his ear now.

Hiro opened his mouth to yell, but a tiger roar replaced his childish yelp. His mother dropped him swiftly and turned around to see a tiger cub standing behind her licking its paw.

'Am I seeing things now?' Aimi thought, her shoe fell out of her hand, a head popped up from behind the tiger, it was Hiroshi.

"Your animal weighs a tonne, good thing it loves to bathe, if not I would have served as cat food." Hiroshi, the third eldest son said.

"Hiro! Why do you possess this animal?. Did you steal it?." Aimi asked, Hiro, stood up from the ground and walked up to the animal.

"This is my friend Okaasan," Hiro said with a smile on his face, "friend? If the neighbors see him, they will panic and report our family." Hiroshi said.

"Why have you brought this pet of yours here?." Aimi asked, going closer to inspect the animal for herself. She didn't touch it but stood close enough to feel the animal's breath on her dress.

"I found him all alone and hurt, he needs some love and a family that will take good care of him. He's even hungry probably, he hasn't eaten anything in a long while. " Hiro said breaking into a dramatic monologue of compassion and humanity.

This speech moved his mother and brother so much that the two found themselves crying and agreeing to cater for the animal.

'Hehe...am lucky that it was only Okaasan and Hiroshi at home. If Botan was here then I'd be skinned alive.' Hiro thought to himself, inwardly grinning.

"What is your friend's name?." Hiroshi asked, Hiro, didn't think twice before answering him.

"Torashi. His name is Torashi." Hiro said and scratched behind its ears.

'Am sorry for lying like this, but to sell this animal quickly, I will need it fed

and bathed. By tonight I should have found a good buyer.' Hiri reckoned.

"What about Otousan and eldest brother Botan, won't they get angry at Hiro coming back home, and with a tiger?." Hiroshi asked, sensing a deficiency In the plan.

"Just feed him for now, and I will try to find Toroshi a good home before the day turns to night," Hiro explained.

"No son of mine will step out of here at night." Aimi cautioned Hiro was taken aback by the care his mother still showed him, despite him constantly running away.

"I will come back this time. " Hiro lied, "who is referring to you? Am concerned about Toros! He's already a son to me, and I will not have you corrupting him with your bad values." Aimi said.

Things suddenly turned around in the house, "Okaasan, how can you say such things, he's a tiger, he cannot stay here." Hiro defended, trying to reason with his mother.

"Of course my new son can stay here. There is a room inside where my previous son used to stay. But he left his life behind, and so my new son is entitled to that new room. At least I'll have another son who stays at home with me." Aimi said.

'She just wants company. That will ruin the plan, what if the real owner finds it?.' Hiro thought.

"Okaasan, are you replacing me now with a tiger?." Hiro asked, the tiger's stomach rumbled. It was hungry and sick of hearing these two humans bickering.

"My new son is starving! Hiroshi, let's get it some food to eat." Aimi suggested, Hiroshi rushed inside to help and make some food.

Hiro sat on the floor looking around, the place still looked pretty much the same as the last time he was around. His family portrait was hung on the main wall inside, it consisted of his Otousan, Okaasan, his six elder brothers, then a potato-headed little child in his okaasan's hand.

The tiger walked to him staring at the portrait, it stared at the baby then at Hiro, they both had no resemblance whatsoever.

Toroshi, the tiger licked his face, wanting more of that traveling snack, "you want one?." Hiro asked pulling one out of his dress. The tiger licked his hand, he chuckled and fed the tiger the last of his traveling snack. He proceeded to play with the animal, pulling its ear as his mother had previously done with him.

In a distance, two heads were seen whispering to themselves about the sweet sight before them.

"Okaasan, why do you want to keep Torashi?." Hiroshi asked. The woman smiled faintly, "maybe Torashi is what we need to finally teach Akihiro the true meaning of family. And keep him here longer." Aimi said.

"And, he serves as a good security defense and a suitable playmate for Hiro," Aimi said smiling warmly at the two.