Garfield clung tightly to the Ancient One's leg, his orange fluff pressed against her robes, wailing with snot and tears.
"Master! Don't make me leave! I don't want to go! Meooowww!"
Ancient One looked down at him, utterly unfazed, and rubbed his head. "Didn't you complain three days ago that Karma Taj didn't serve grilled steak?"
Garfield's ears twitched.
"…What? Who said that?" He sat up, feigning innocence with glistening eyes.
"Impossible. I'd never betray the sanctity of yak meat. Must be a different orange cat, meow."
At that moment, a soft pink glow flared above his head.
Pandora eyes narrowed in fury. She hovered above him and jabbed an accusing finger at Garfield's forehead.
"You definitely said that, you ungrateful furball!"
"And don't even pretend otherwise. You've been lounging in Baima's arms every day, soaking up her warmth like a pervy sun sponge!"
Garfield puffed up defensively. "Hey! I, Garfield, am a creature of culture and refinement."
"I merely enjoy her, uh, maternal warmth. Nothing untoward about that, meow!"
"Liar!" Pandora snapped. "You were practically purring yourself into another dimension yesterday!"
"I was meditating!"
"You were kneading her arm like a bread machine!"
"Details, details! Irrelevant to the bigger picture!"
They both crossed their arms and turned away from each other with synchronized snorts.
"Hmph!"
"Hmph!"
But soon enough, Garfield was back on his master's leg, hugging tightly like a clingy plush toy.
"Master, please! Don't send me away yet!"
Ancient One gave his head a gentle pat. "You've done well, Garfield."
"But it's time. Miss Peggy has been looking for you. She's missed her little troublemaker."
Garfield's ears perked. "Peggy… Oh right! My childhood shit-shoveling officer!"
"Meow, I almost forgot!" He gave a sudden grin.
Ancient One reached into her robe and pulled out a finely crafted golden ring.
With a flick of her fingers, she clasped it around Garfield's right leg. The ring shimmered and shrank to the perfect size, fitting snugly just above his paw.
"This is a modified Sling Ring, tailored to your feline physiology." She explained. "It'll adjust as you grow."
Garfield waved his leg proudly, like he was modeling a luxury anklet. "Stylish and functional. I am the future of magic, meow."
With a few practiced swipes… three circles left, three right, the air shimmered and parted.
A golden portal bloomed in front of them, revealing the windswept rooftop of a vast estate.
"We're geniuses, Master!" Garfield beamed.
Ancient One knelt beside him. "Be well."
"Take care of Peggy, and yourself. And be kind to Philip… he's gotten quite old."
Garfield gave a rare, genuine nod. "Got it, Master."
The portal widened as Ancient One escorted him to the eaves of the castle roof.
Garfield gave her one last glance, then sprang through the golden light, landing gracefully atop the manor with tail high and proud.
As the portal closed behind him, Ancient One stood in the silence of the room.
"I hope giving Pandora to him was the right decision... A blessing, or a very colorful curse."
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Garfield stood atop the tiled rooftop of Peggy's manor, fur ruffling in the breeze.
Below stretched a grand estate, hundreds of acres of woodlands, rolling hills, and a sparkling lake.
A small dock jutted out into the water, lined with wooden boats. Birds flitted past him, and he sniffed the air.
Fish.
Fresh bread.
Something roasted with garlic.
(﹃)
Garfield wiped the drool from his mouth.
Pandora phased out beside him, arms crossed. "So… this is your 'territory'?"
Garfield lifted his chin proudly. "Indeed. Look at all this, trees, lakes, boats I've never sat in. My empire."
"Smells more like a rich woman's backyard."
"The humans are merely caretakers of my greatness. As long as Peggy is happy, the staff will follow. They're not servants… think of them as loyal worshippers."
"More like mildly annoyed pet owners," Pandora muttered.
"You're supposed to be a cosmic entity. A Great Devourer."
"I am a thee Devourer. Super fierce. Super mighty!"
"Riiight. Not as mighty as my Dark Hound summon," she smirked.
"Oh? Then summon it."
"Hmph. I don't need to show off."
"Convenient excuse."
╭(╯╰)╮
Pandora smugly returned to Garfield's soul-space, curling up like a triumphant queen.
Meanwhile, in the physical world, chaos reigned in the Carter family's kitchen.
After a brief but noisy skirmish involving a stolen roast and several outraged chefs, the truth of Garfield's return reached the manor's master, Miss Peggy Carter.
And just like that, the orange menace was welcomed back into the household like he never left.
To Garfield, nothing had changed.
Peggy remained his loyal 'shoveling officer ' while he was still the noble, untouchable house emperor.
It was a mutually beneficial arrangement… mostly.
The only real issue? Peggy was a chronic hugger.
Every time she laid eyes on him, she'd swoop in with the speed of a vulture and the force of a freight train… hug, kiss, lift, and squeal.
And she wasn't the only offender, the manor's maids had also developed a habit of ambushing him with affection.
As a modern soul trapped in a feline body, Garfield had strong principles.
He understood that cross-dressing once could be forgiven, but being treated like a plushie forever?
Not.
"I'm a proud beast, an emperor among cats!" Garfield would grumble. "Not some walking plush toy!"
Pandora, ever present in his mind, scoffed.
"You're a soft-furred narcissist, that's what you are. I saw you roll over for a tummy rub twice today."
"That was a strategic maneuver to gain food access!"
"Mmhm. Sexy cat."
"Shut up."
Peggy had plenty to say about Garfield's sudden six-month absence, and she intended to say all of it.
Garfield, in turn, had no interest in the nagging unless it came with cuddles, snacks, or a warm bed. Preferably all three.
…
That evening, Garfield strutted confidently through the grand manor like he owned the place, retracing the path back to Peggy's room from memory.
Once inside, he leapt onto the bed and plopped himself onto her pillow, sighing into the soft fluff.
A familiar, sweet scent clung to the pillow… Peggy's own fragrance, a soft milky smell that was distinct from Baima's natural, earthy aroma.
Garfield inhaled deeply. "Mmm... so fragrant."
"You!" Pandora hissed from within, scandalized.
"Sniffing a pillow isn't a crime!" Garfield shot back defensively.
✦••┈┈••✦••┈┈••✦
Elsewhere in the manor, the news spread.
Butler Philip stood in the kitchen, looking equal parts stunned and vindicated.
An orange cat had returned. Stolen food and caused panic.
He lit up with joy.
"It's him. It has to be! Miss Peggy's cat is back! My name is finally cleared!"
The cooks and servants exchanged puzzled glances. Wasn't he the one who flew into a rage when the cat disappeared half a year ago?
They only found out the whole truth later, Garfield had vanished right after a food theft incident that delayed dinner for an important guest.
Peggy, in her grief, feared the worst. She thought Philip had taken revenge on the orange cat and... well... disposed of him.
When Garfield never turned up, Peggy cried for days. Her mother was distraught, and the entire household was turned upside down.
Even Grandpa James Carter got involved.
Philip insisted he had nothing to do with the disappearance, but the timing looked bad.
To ease Peggy's sorrow, James resorted to theatrics, planting strands of orange fur around the house every few days to suggest that Garfield was still nearby.
But no orange cat ever appeared again. Until now.
Upstairs, the sound of a door slamming open echoed like thunder.
"Garfield!" Peggy's voice squealed with joy.
The next moment, a blur of motion and perfume tackled Garfield into the pillow.
He tried to resist.
"Oh, thank goodness! You're back! I missed you so much!" She cried, rubbing her face into his fur.
Garfield groaned, flattened under her affection.
"I didn't authorize a hug... Ohhh—but it's so soft—no! Must... maintain... dignity..."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Phantom your way through a treasure trove of chapters waiting on P@treon!
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