uhhhhh cats: what do you fear, cat?

“What do you fear, cat?” The sorceress asked.

Groff did not answer.

“Not very much a talker, huh?” She said, her staff glowing a multitude of colors. “No need.”

Groff ran and tackled her, pushing her staff to the ground. He swiped it with his claws, causing a spark that led to a blaze.

“Oh, won’t you look at that…” She mumbled. “You stopped me so easily…”

“... Did I really… just like that?” Groff looked around for tricks. “What… where’s… you don’t have anything else?”

“I don’t~”

“I…”

“Thank you, thank you!” The villager told Groff. “Thank you so much! That wicked witch was awful! Now, thanks to you, we’re awake from our sleep!”

“I still feel like I got rid of her too easily…” Groff said. “... Am I really that strong?”

“Of course you are! Great hero!”

“Hero Groff! Hero Groff!”

“Thank you, Hero cat!” A little girl with black ponytails- wasn’t her name Yosaba? Like the girl Annora spoke of- ran over to Groff and hugged him. “Thank you, thank you!”

Groff, nerve-wracked, just sat there.

“And…” Groff said, looking down at the ground. “I can’t believe I really defeated her that quickly… she didn’t even get to put up a fight.” His tail twitched. “I… I’m not that strong, am I?”

“Actually, Groff, I have been thinking…” Reese said. “You might… well… how do I say this?”

“You’re not… going to say what I’m scared you will, are you?”

“... You might be… too strong to live the life you do. With us.” Reese looked down. “...You might… need to leave.”

“No…” Groff shook. “No!” He yowled. “No, no, no!”

“It’s the truth.” Cream said, staring at the scene from Nora’s window. “You might hurt us by accident…”

“I… I…” Groff looked from Cream to Reese.

“Yeah, Groff, you should-”

“Yeah, you’re a bit too strong-”

“No! No!” Groff ran off.

“Martus!” Groff yelled. “My friends… think I’m too strong to be with them…”

“So you’ve finally reached that point, huh?” Martus asked. “I know it’s tough for an Adventurer, realizing that they’ve grown past their old life, but you’re not alone-”

“I don’t want to grow past my old life!”

"Nobody ever does. But it's an important part of life- In fact, most let go before they reach the rank you have, Groff-"

"Please! There's gotta be a way-"

"There isn't. I'm sorry."

"No, no, no, she must have faked it, she must have-" Groff ran off.

"You! Witch! I didn't really defeat you that easily, did I?" Groff yelled. "Please! Please, I'm not really that strong, am I?"

"Indeed you are, cat..." She said, clutching her still-burnt broom. "You never did tell me what you feared."

"What I feared is going on right now!" Groff yelled. "I... I... Wait." Groff blinked. "What I fear the most..."

The witch giggled.

Groff looked around. The room was a mess of colors- how long has it been that way?

Everything... everything was...

... It wasn't real, was it?

"You alright?" Martus asked.

"... I don't ever have to leave my friends behind, do I?" Was the first thing Groff asked upon waking up.

"You don't. Sorry for sending you against a witch, I forgot that your universe doesn't have its own magic." Martus rubbed the back of his head. "Aster caught her with a sneak attack while you were down, though, so she's dealt with."

"Who's Aster?"

"Oh, you don't know him? You two have a lot in common, maybe I should introduce you to him sometime..."