Banished

Three weeks ago…

"Children! Children! Calm down at once! You are in school, and are expected to behave appropriately. Now sit down!" Jellylorum’s voice filled the room, catching the attention of 11 kittens. Quietly, or as quietly as they could, each one of them sit in their desks. "Now, I have an important announcement to make." She motioned towards the door and four young queens and a tom walked in, all of them obviously shy in front of the others. One was all yellow with black markings resembling fire coming up her arms and legs; the second one was basically a tortoise shell; the third was all white; and the last one was an orange tabby and had the out line of a red bathing suit. Her right leg and right arm were yellow with black curves on them, but her left leg was black with multi-colored stripes and her right arm is cross-thatched with cat colors. The tom was an orange tabby. "Everyone I would like you to meet Cequin," the tortoise raised her hand. "Cryletta," the multi-colored one stepped forward. "Crytella," the white one curtseyed. "Cicelia," The yellow one just lingered in the back trying to hide behind Cequin. "And Billy." The tom jumped to the front, bowed, and pointed to the air.

Jonathan, who was pretty shy, and the reason he sat in the back of the classroom, quickly took a liking to Cicelia. She wasn’t as outgoing as the other girls he had gone out with.

Carbucketty raised his hand. "Yes… Carbucketty?" Jellylorum responded.

"Could Cicelia sit next to me?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the young kitten. The class laughed, and Cicelia backed further into the corner she already was scrunched into.

"Now, Carbucketty, that’s not a very nice thing to say…" She put an arm around Cicelia’s shoulder. "especially to someone so shy in front of people. Now apologize."

Carbucketty sighed and stood up, walked to the front of the class, and faced Cicelia. "Cicelia, I am sorry for embarrassing you in front of the class. I promise to never do it again. Please accept my apology." Cicelia nodded, and Carbucketty, who was blushing, walked back to his seat. Pouncival snickered at his twin, but was silenced by Jellylorum who cleared her throat.

"Now children," she started. "please take a seat, and we will get started. Ok?" the five nodded and sat randomly around the room.

"Man! Miss Jellylorum was strict today!" Pouncival complained, shoving some books into his bag, books he would end up not even using.

"Well, she was even worse on me then anyone else!" Carbucketty complained. "Why does she pick on me all the time? I was just showing that I liked the girl by saying she could sit next to me. Sure, I would understand if I had said ‘Keep her away from me! Eew! She’s a girl!’ But I didn’t. And that’s what really burns my rump."

"The teacher at my old school was bad!" Billy said, already fitting in with the guys. "Her name was Ivy, and she makes Jellylorum look like Jemima!"

"Man! That’s bad!" Tumblebrutus made a face.

"Guys!" Sillabub said. "I have the perfect idea to get back at Miss Jellylorum. It is the best trick ever!"

"What is it?" Etcetera asked, confused.

"Ok, here’s what we do…"

One week later, and the kittens had come up with their plan. They had gotten to school at 5 that morning to get it ready, and they all felt that Jellylorum would get the scare of her life. Etcetera had been appointed guard, to warn them of when Jellylorum was coming.

"There she is!" Etcetera whispered and ran to her seat. All the other kittens did the same, and in seconds, were sitting quietly in each of their own decks.

"Why do I get the feeling that something is going on?" Jellylorum said as she entered. Pouncival raised his hand. "Pouncival?"

"Well, Miss Jellylorum, I asked Bombalurina out on a date, but she said that she would only if I behaved like a gentleman. And I need to get my practice time in." he looked around at his classmates. "And I guess that everyone else is quiet because I am." Jellylorum cocked an eyebrow.

"I guess that makes sense." She said. "Ok, everyone get your homework out from yesterday and hand it forward." Pouncival did as well. "Pouncival, your just full of surprises, and I mean that in a good way this time."

"Thank you Miss Jellylorum."

"Ok, everyone turn to page 56 in your text… ah, my throat is dry…" she reached for her cup of coffee and took a long drink. She set the cup down again and turned back to her text book. Suddenly, she started to cough, so hard she fell to the floor. All the kittens rushed to her side.

"What’s going on?" Electra wailed.

"I think she’s choking!" Cryletta shouted. "Victor, your the fastest runner, go and get help!"

"Who should I get?"

"Anyone! Just hurry!" Cryletta shouted turning back to Jellylorum, who was almost out of air.

The teacher looked up at Pouncival, and said, "Pouncival, how could you…?" then she stopped moving. Cryletta bent over and put her ear above her mouth, then sat up and looked at the others.

"She’s gone."

Victor ran as fast as he could to Munkustrap’s house. He didn’t even knock on the door, but ran in.

"Victor! Haven’t you been taught to knock before entering a private residence?" Munkustrap snapped.

Victor, out of breath, gasped, "Jellylorum is choking!" Demeter gasped and ran out of the house with Munkustrap and Victor. Munkustrap burst through the doors of the school and into the Jellylorum’s classroom. He froze. There she was— pale, a frozen expression of horror on her face, and limp in Cryletta’s arms. Electra was crying next to her mother’s dead body, and the other kittens just stared.

"What happened?" Munkustrap asked.

"She just took a drink of her coffee, complaining that her throat was dry, then started to choke." Pouncival explained. Electra, tears filling her eyes, turned to the calico kitten. "What did you do to my mother? What?!" she shrieked at him.

"Hey, hey! What’s going on here?" Munkustrap questioned and looked at the crying female. "Why would you accuse Pouncival for murdering your mother?"

"I think I know why." Cequin said, stepping away from the other kittens. "Just before she died, Jellylorum said ‘Pouncival, how could you…’. I don’t know what it is that Pouncival ‘did’, but I know that he wouldn’t try to kill her."

"Well, I am just going to have to close off this room and prepare the funeral." The leader-to-be said and left, leading Electra away and Demeter ushering the other kittens out of the room and closing the door after herself.

Skimbleshanks, Alonzo, and Munkustrap came and removed Jellylorum’s body. Asparagus attempted to kill himself out of grief, but failed and was taken to the Jellicles make-shift hospital. Everyone else was mourning the loss of the tribe’s nanny cat.

Asparagus watched his mate ascend to the Heaviside Layer before her time. He was traumatized, and frightfully pale from the blood he lost when he slit his wrists. "Why?" he said, over and over.

Electra appeared hypnotized and didn’t even respond to anything anymore. Alonzo sat by her bedside everyday, missing his mate dearly. "Electra? Squeeze my hand if you can hear me. Squeeze my hand. Come on Electra, I know you can. Please." He pleaded, but got no response.

Old Deuteronomy sat on the tire after it’s decent. *It doesn’t make sense. Who would do such a thing to Jellylorum? I can’t say that it was Pouncival. Not even he would do such a thing. But all evidence points to him. I think it’s best to think about it a little longer.*

Skimbleshanks ran across the junkyard to Old Deuteronomy’s house. He knocked and ran in.

"Old Deuteronomy sir!" he called.

"Yes my son?"

"Sir, I was looking through the kitten’s desk’s looking for clues, and I found this." He passed his father a small sandwich bag with three small white pills in it.

"What are these?" Old Deuteronomy asked, puzzled.

"Rat poison. The same poison used to kill Jelly."

"But how do you know this is linked to the kittens?" the elder returned.

"Because it was found in Pouncival’s desk with a note in his scribbled hand writing." He handed Old Deuteronomy the note. It read as follows:

To all kittens,
Me, Carbucketty, and Sillabub have come up with a great idea to get rid of Jellylorum. We are going to kill her, with rat poison. Finally, no more Jellylorum! I really hate her, and I have always wished she was dead. I finally get my chance. What we are going to do is sneak in early, before school, and slip the poison into her coffee cup. The kittens that will take part in this are as follows:
Bill Bailey
Billy
Carbucketty
Cequin
Cicelia
Cryletta
Crytella
Electra
Etcetera
George
Jemima
Jonathan
Pouncival
Sillabub
Tumblebrutus
Victor
I can hardly wait to kill her. I have been waiting for this for a long time…
Pouncival

Old Deuteronomy looked up at Skimbleshanks with a tear in his eye. They didn’t speak for a long time.

"What are we going to do sir?" the orange tabby asked.

"I don’t know. I just don’t know."

Every Jellicle was there. It had been a week since Jellylorum’s death, and most Jellicles had only sketchy details of the incident. Old Deuteronomy entered the room and sat down at his desk. The Kitten’s sat in front of his desk, and everyone else sat behind them. It was the kitten’s trial.

"Now," Old Deuteronomy started. "Everyone knows why their here. We are here to decide what to do about the kittens. Who, might I add, murdered their teacher."

Admetus stood up, representing the kittens. "Sir, what evidence do you have that supports these charges?"

Asparagus stood up. "This!" he picked up the pills. "These pills are rat poison. The same poison used to kill Jellylorum were found in Pouncival’s school desk." Everyone began to mutter Pouncival’s expression was that of sheer horror. "And this," he lifted the note. "was also found in Pouncival’s desk. It explains the kitten’s plans to murder Jellylorum." He read the note.

Cryletta stood up. "Sir, Many of us didn’t even know this was going to happen. Myself and my two sisters didn’t even know Jellylorum long enough to think such things. And Electra would never kill her mother, if you had seen her reaction to her death you would understand." She sat down.

"But the note had all your names on it!" Asparagus argued.

"Some one else could have written that!" Carbucketty stood up.

"It’s in his hand writing." Skimbleshanks returned. "And Jennyanydots said that it was his hand writing." He walked over to his mate.

"But I can’t spell that good!" Pouncival protest, thankful that he had never pass a single spelling test. Electra stormed over to him.

"But you are full of surprises, aren’t you?" she sneered. Admetus came over to see what was going on.

"What is it? What do you mean?" he asked.

"On the day they killed Mommy," the dark kitten started. "Pouncival was acting real suspicious in class. He wasn’t goofing off for anything like that. He even did his homework. Now if that isn’t the strangest thing you’ve ever heard of…" she explained. The adults began to whisper. Victoria, who was sitting with Mistoffelees, turned to him.

"I feel so sorry for your sisters. I hope they are proven innocent." She said. Her mate nodded.

Old Deuteronomy stood. "I say we take a short break so I can come to a decision." He said and walked back to his room.

"You really did it, didn’t you?" Cicelia whispered at Pouncival.

"I didn’t do anything!" he whispered back. "I would never want to harm Jellylorum. I disliked her as a teacher, but I don’t like any teachers. And I know that she was just doing her job."

Cerrita and Plato, her mate, walked up too her sisters. "Hi Cicelia, Cryletta, Crytella, Cequin."

"What’s gonna happen if the leader person says that we did it." Cequin said, she still couldn’t pronounce Old Deuteronomy’s name.

"You would be expelled from the tribe. And we wouldn’t be able to see you anymore." Plato told his young sister in law.

"Cerrita, will you sing to us again?" Cicelia asked, giving her older sister a hug.

"Sure. What do you want to hear?"

"Hey, look who woke up!" the small family turned and saw Charisma, the oldest sister walking down the isle carrying a small body. It was Billson, Cerrita’s son.

"Hello Charisma." Plato said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Let me see the little tiger." Charisma handed Billson gently over to Plato.

"Can I see Billson?" Cicelia asked in her kittenish voice.

"Sure." Plato handed Billson to Cicelia and she sat there, rocking back and forth. Billson yawned and looked up at Cicelia with his big orange eyes and everyone sighed.

"Aunt Ci—cel—ia." Billson said. Everyone gasped and Cerrita leaned over and gave her youngest sister a big hug.

"You know Cicelia," she started, stroking Billson’s cheek. "Your very special. He said your name as his first word."

All the cats took their seats as Old Deuteronomy entered and sat.

"I have come to my decision. And I have to admit that it was not an easy one." Everyone was nervous. The kittens looked at each other, trying to see what the other thought it was. "The kitten’s are…" he sighed. "guilty of first degree murder of Jellylorum."

"NO!!!" Electra screamed. She tried to run, but Coricopat and Mungojerrie were manning the door and caught her. The kittens sighed and hung their heads.

"And as punishment, they will be expelled from the tribe. And because they are so dangerous, the Presario tribe as well." The mothers started to cry. "I will give you 10 minutes to say your good-bye’s, then you will be escorted out of the junkyard permanently."

Cicelia, Cryletta, Crytella, and Cequin ran to Cerrita and hugged her all at once.

"I’m gonna miss you Cerrita." Cequin said. Cerrita began to cry. Plato picked Cryletta up and spun her around. Plato was like that, trying to make others feel better in a bad situation.

Cicelia’s asthma was starting to act up again. Mistoffelees and Victoria tried to get her to calm down. Quaxo gave Billy a bear hug and fought back his tears. Jennyanydots wanted to turn and run, she didn’t think that she could survive with out her children. But she fought back the fear and hugged her three own children; Tumblebrutus, Bill Bailey, and Etcetera and her step children; Cequin, Cicelia, Cryletta, Crytella, and Billy.

"I will miss all of you." she whispered just before the Munkustrap, Skimbleshanks, Alonzo, and Admetus gathered all the kittens together and led them all to the gates of the junkyard, when they were all shoved forward.

Pouncival led a crying Sillabub away from the Junkyard. All of the adults stood at the entrance, watching them go, making sure that they didn’t come back. Jennyanydots cried as she watched her children— Tumblebrutus, Bill Bailey, and Etcetera— leave for the last time. She would never see them again. Skimbleshanks held her close, telling her that everything would be all right. But it wouldn’t. These 16 kittens were no longer Jellicles— they were outcasts. Slowly, George opened his eyes. At first he didn’t know where he was, then he remembered. They were in an alley. Sleeping in boxes or garbage cans. Some improvised and made little tipi’s. He looked over at the body next to him, it was Etcetera. She snored a little in her sleep, but that was all right. As quietly as he could, so he would not wake her, he stood up and stepped away. *I must find something for us to eat.* he thought and started off, his stomach growling slightly.

He found an old carpet bag while searching through a promising garbage can. He was lucky that he had gotten to this can before the strays had. There was a load of food. More then he could carry. Half eaten apples, doughnuts, watermelon rinds, plus many other items. He ate as much as he could, (more for the others), filled the carpet bag and slung it over his shoulder, then loaded up his arms with as much as he could carry and ran back to the others.

By now, most of them were awake, a couple talking quietly, others just thinking about the day before.

Crytella complained of being cold and Billy had put a blanket around her.

"I’m hungry!" Jemima complained, holding her stomach and groaning.

"I know you are." Tumblebrutus soothed. "We all are. But you just have to wait until…"

"Everybody!" George stumbled in, dropping two jelly doughnuts. "Look at what I found!" many gasped and their eyes lit up.

"Look at all the food!" Victor commented and grabbed half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich; Pouncival and Carbucketty were fighting over a loaf of bread; and Tumblebrutus brought Jemima some turkey drumsticks.

"Be sure to eat as much as you can, we don’t know the next time we are going to be able to eat."

"What’s in the bag?" Billy asked, pointing to the carpet bag with a carrot.

"Food. Just in case our next meal isn’t in the near future." George explained. Billy nodded.

"Hey, " Bill Bailey rested a hand on George’s shoulder. "You know, your all right. Thanks for the food man."

"Thanks!" everyone said in unison.

Everyone was gathered around the tire afterwards.

"I feel just horrible about sending Jemima away when we did." Jennyanydots cried.

"Why is that?" Skimbleshanks asked.

"Because Jemima was pregnant!"

"She was?" Victoria, her mother, said. "Why didn’t I know this?"

"Because I knew that you would want to know who the father was, then want his head, and I couldn’t do that to Tumblebrutus."

"Tumblebrutus got my daughter pregnant?" an unseen cat questioned.

Munkustrap and the other toms gathered the queens together and surrounded them. They were preparing for the worst, even though they already knew who it was. Alonzo made his way over to Munkustrap, who gave him a nod.

"Madockenite, show yourself!" he called, and was answered by Madockenite himself. He was all gray with a red 'X' on his chest. "What do you want, Madockenite? You know your outnumbered."

"I wouldn’t say ‘outnumbered’…" he sneered and some 18 toms and queens entered the junkyard, surrounding the Jellicles. They were Excels, a tribe stolen from Daunte.

"What do you want?" Munkustrap repeated.

"I want my mate."

"I am not your mate!" Victoria shouted, glaring at him from behind Skimbleshanks and Asparagus.

"Ah, so you know who I am talking about." Madockenite smiled and advanced on the leader. "Now, we can make this easy, or," the Excels stood ready to attack. "the hard way." Munkustrap didn’t answer, and the Excels attacked. They went for the toms.

Mistoffelees was caught off guard and thrown down by another magical cat, who began to severely beat him. Victoria screamed and ran to her mate, but was pushed aside by a large red tabby.

Madockenite attacked Munkustrap. Madockenite was much stronger then the Jellicle Leader and had the upper hand.

The queens tried to scatter, but were cut off by several Excel queens.

Victoria watched in horror. She knew it would stop if she would give herself to Madockenite, though she didn’t want to. But she knew there was no other way. She ran as fast as she could to Madockenite and pulled him off Munkustrap with amazing strength.

"What?" Madockenite growled at the white queen.

"I will come with you." she said. His face lightened up a little. "Only if you withdraw from the fight."

He thought for a minute, then nodded and whistled, bringing all the Excels to a halt. "We have what we came for." He picked up Victoria. "Move out!" he commanded and they left, with Madockenite in front.

"I can’t walk another step!" Jemima complained. "My feet hurt, my head hurts, my back aces, and my stomach feels like it’s going to burst!" Tumblebrutus hugged her and gave her a kiss.

"Can I carry you, would you feel better then?" he asked soothingly.

"I don’t know…" Jemima stopped in mid sentence. She squinted her eyes and doubled over.

"The kittens are coming!" Cryletta said and helped her lie down with the help of Tumblebrutus, Pouncival, and George. Cryletta checked her abdomen to see how the kittens were.

"There could be four, maybe five." She said and began to soothe the pregnant queen.

"That many kittens?" Tumblebrutus exclaimed as he knelt down next to his mate. "Is she going to be Ok?"

"I think so." Cryletta said. "What about you, Crytella?"

"Let me check" she checked Jemima’s abdomen. "I think she has a pretty good chance."

"That’s it? ‘Pretty good’?" Tumblebrutus was shocked.

"Well," Crytella began. "She is kind of young to be having kittens, but if she doesn’t have two many, she’ll be just fine."

"How many is to many?" Tumblebrutus asked.

"Given you size," Cryletta thought. "More then four."

"But you said there could be four or five!" the tom grabbed Cryletta’s shoulder.

"I did say that, but it looks to be only four. If there was five in there, they are going to be smaller then normal." Cryletta explained.

Jemima yelled, "I think their coming!"

"Move, Tumble, we need to deliver." Crytella pushed him out of the way.

"What can I do to help?" he panicked.

"Look around for something soft that the kittens can lay on. And do it quick, their coming!" Cryletta yelled. Tumble, Bill Bailey, and Jonathan took off to look for something soft. Sillabub knelt down next to her sister and soothed her. The rest of the queens sat close by and held the kitten’s while waiting for the toms to returns. The toms that had stayed behind stared in wonder. It was something that they had never seen happen. Jennyanydots wouldn’t allow toms around when kittens were being born.

It took but half an hour before Jemima was laying on a cushion with three adorable kittens at her side. Tumblebrutus knelt down beside her and gave her a kiss.

"What are we going to name them?" he whispered as his children fed. There were three girls. One was black with white skink stripes, the second was gray with yellow splotches, and the third was exactly like her father.

"How about we name the black and white one Marco," Jemima whispered.

"The second one should be Gabrielle," Tumblebrutus continued.

"And the third should be Tumblima, after you." Jemima finished, and kissed each of daughters gently.