It was a beautiful spring day, Victoria was walking along the banks of a small stream. It looked like a thin clear ribbon, rippleing away over a pile of rocks. Beside her walked her mate, Mistoffelees. He had to trot to keep up with the ever speeding-up Vici. "Okay, where is this Marvlus, must-see, big, wonder?" He asked, tired of walking. Victoria had pulled him out of a peaceful slumber in the junkyard, at sunrise and (Misto, not being a morning cat) was not in his best mood. "Oh, its comming up, just hang in there dear," Vitoria was begginging to act much like her mother, Jellylorum, latlely. Not that this was strange, but it was rather different than the playfull, giggly Vic he remembered. Despite that, he looked at her lovingly, proud to be her tom. He was brought back to reality by Vic shouting out brethlessly, "Here it is!!" Misto, at that moment, forgot all about his tiredness, and worries. For towaring above him was a most wonderess sight. Like none he could ever see in the junkyard, or possibly any other place at that. It was a tall, graceful willow tree. Its branches hung low and they made a small green puddle at its roots, which spred out like little brown mountains all over the ground. There were little white flowers speckled across the weeping leaves. It was somthing that was made slowly and with much care, it was perfect right down to the coloring of the bark, soft red with a hint of black. He looked to Victoria, who looked like she was deep in thought, her green eyes vacent, as she stared up at the wonderus sight before her. She thought to herself, the song of the willow tree, she had heard sombody sing it, but who....? "Soft, and low, song of the breeze, whispers to hills below...." She paused for a moment trying to remember the rest of the song, but she couldnt. She looked back to the grinning Misto. "Oh, we better be going back....everyones going to be wondering where we are..." As much as she hated to admit it it was true, they both took one more look at it, then started back. Back at the junkyard cats were all over the place doing many different things. Victoria smiled to herself as she saw her friends, Jeminia, and Sillabub. They were helping babysit Bombalrina, and Tuggers kitten, Specklebizz, a small red kitten, with a small mane growing. Like Tugger, he was a handful, always pulling practial jokes and such. He was running around both of the exusted looking females, nawing on their ears. "Vici, thank the everlasting cat youre here!!" Exclaimed Sillabub with a sigh. "Why?" Asked Victoria stopping in mid-step. "Well, youre so good with kittens and all, we were just wondering...could you take care of Speckle while we take a small minor break?" Vic looked at them with a smile and then to a growling Speckle. "Sure, why not?" "Oh thank you thank yo....there must be a catch!" Jeminia looked to Vic with narrowed eyes. "Oh, no catch..." Victoria said with a hidden sly smile. "Okay...bye!!!" The both of them took off, giggling girlishly. Victoria sighed. It seemed just yesterday they were as small as Speckle...now they were almost grown up. She looked down to him, and lowered herself to his level. "How about a little game of....tag! Youre it!!!" Speckle said with a laugh as he tapped Vicis pink nose. "Hey, thats cheating!" She objected, but still ran after him playfully nipping at his small tail. Finally, after a while they both collasped in a heap brething heavily. "Youre..so much more....fun.....than..Sillabub...and Jemi.......Jemina." He yawned and fell asleep, his head on Victorias back, purring. Victoria yawned along with him and also fell asleep, with a smile planted on her white face. *** A couple of weeks later Misto and Vici were sitting on a trunk of an old ford, talking and smiling at eachother. Munkustrap, now the Jellicle leader since Old Deauteronmys departing into the HeaveySide Layer, walked by with his kittnen, Tumbluyes, following close behind, a carbon copy of his father. Munku was protrolling the area and grinned at the cats on the ford. "Hello, and isnt this a lovly sumer day?" He asked, talking a deep breth of fresh air, which Tumbluyes quickly mimiked with a proud smile. Victoria nodded and smiled back. "It really is...." She said looking around at the pale blue sky, with clouds dotted across it, drifting by lazily, There was a faint breeze which made the hot tempure cool down. Munku nodded and said in a very formal voice, "Carry on." With that he was off, but before Tumbluyes left he mewed with much importaince in his squeaky voice, "Carry on!!!" He then turned around and ran after his father who had taken a commanding lead. Misto chuxkled good-naturedly and grinned. He watched as Victoria stood up and turned around, walking off the ford, with a small stumble, not normal in her light-stepping movments. "Vici, whats wrong?" Misto asked, his smiled now a deep frown. "N..nothing, Im just...go..going to find a place to sleep thats all." Misto nodded, still unsure of what she was saying. "Do you want me to come with you?" He asked still frowning. "N..no thats okay, Ill go by myself." She staggered off. Misto, not beliving her every word, got up and followed far behind. He watched as she walked into a dryer in which Jennyanydots dwelled. His frown deepened. He sat there, for a long time...maybe even four hours, somthing told him he should wait there, so he did. Finally, Jenny came out with a worried look on her face. "What!!??" Asked Mistoffelees, scared by the look. "Oh, Misto I was just about to come and get you, there is somthing wron...with Victoria.." "What is it?" He asked his voice rising. "I.....I dont know...shes faint, has a fever....shes not doing so good." Jenny had tears in her dark brown eyes. Misto left her and dashed into the dryer. Victoria was lying there on a pile of old clothing, on her side. "Vic..." He muttered, not wanting to see her in this state. "I...feel...terrible.." She whispered. "Shhhh...its okay.....shh.." He told her crying form nuzzeling her head, even though he himself was on the brink of tears. Weeks, even a month went by, cats stopped by to see Vic, everyone knew of her sickness and was as worried as heck. Speckle walked up to the dryer, Tugger and Bom following. "Mom, dad, do you mind if I go in by myself..? He asked with a solam look an his usual haappy face. They both looked at eachother and then nodded in approval. Speckle ventured in and smiled weakly to Victoria, who smiled weakly back. "Hey little Speck..." She whispered hoarsly. Speckle smiled more broadly, hearing his nickname. "Miss Vici, I just wanted you to know that I really really hope you get better and we can play again I want to play tag with you as soon as youre better." "Okay, well do that.." She agreed. "But I want you to know whatever happens to me, Ill always be your friend, were friends forever..." She grinned weirly at him and fell asleep. Speckle nodded, and scampered out Jenny bustled in with a look on her face that ment trouble. All of the cats gathered around the dryer, wondering what all of the fuss Jenny was in was all about. Misto at the lead. They sat, and sat, just like before, hoping of news of Vici getting better. At last Jenny did come out this time with tears running down her cheeks. Misto froze up, knowing what was comming. "She....she...just slipped away...right before my eyes...Im so sorry Misto....I...I..." She could speak no more she burst into tears and buried her head in Skimbles shoulder. All of the cats lowered their eyes and heads, a silent tear rolled down Speckles face as he whispered, "Were still friends forever," All of the cats began to sob, even Munkustrap took a second to weep. Jenny remembered somthing and went back into the dryer, she came out with a small ball of white fluff in her arms. "She left you this." She said handing it to the bawling Misto. He looked up and held the ball tenderly. It was a female, white witha black tipped tail. "Snow." He whispered a single word, soon to become the kittens name. He held her close, and cried softly into her fur. Never to see his sweet Victoria again. *TWO YEARS LATER* Misto led Snow through a small stream, and around a big rock. "Dad, this better be good, I was trying to catch that mouse that I keep seeing, Im so sick of mice...." She stopped in talking to see a tall slender tree, it was a willow tree. There was a small flower, a rose, planted beneth its bratches. Victorias resting place. A tear slid off her cheek, "Mom..." She whispered. Misto nodded abd put a paw around his daughters shoulders. A gentle breeze blew through the tree and met the two enbracing cats. Snow looked up to the sun and smiled as a strange song filled her head, it had an enchanting melody, it filled a void in her sole, and she had to sing it out loud, in a soft soothing voice. "Soft and low, song of the breeze. Whispers to hills below....Flowers and trees listen delighted, dance gentle willow, dance, oh, dance gentle willow....dance." "Good-bye Victoria..." -,ׂ,-WׁV,-WW-WW-,-WW--,WW-,WW-V,,WׂׂWW-WׂWWׂWWWׁ-ׂ,-ׁ,W,,-ׂW|GɊH ('ZOz^AKqc~CʓX$/0AW''[D~XVs#W:W=W^
