Friends and Enemies
By Jade
Note: At this point in time, Jade and Cornelius
are 3 months old.
"Good morning,
Jade." Cornelius said. He could tell that it was his sister without even
looking. She was the only Jellicle that woke you up by bitting your ear and
pulling your tail. Hmmmm, I wonder where she got that from, Cornelius
wondered, looking at Pouncival, who was chasing Jade around the junkyard, trying
to keep her from waking all the Jellicles up, something Pouncival wanted to do
himself.
"Morning, 'Nelius."
Jade jumped out of Pouncival's way as he dove to wake Munkustrap up. "Oh,
no, you don't!" Jade grabbed Pouncival by his tail, which jerked him
to the ground. Pouncival turned on the kitten, who was up and running. Jade
reached Munkustrap first, which brought a howl of defeat from Pouncival, which
woke all the Jellicles up. Pouncicval smiled smugly, but only to be repremanded
a moment later.
"You could at least wake
us up NICELY, Pouncival." Jennyanydots streached, only to sit back down to
start her daily routine.
"Well, at least I get
some excercize, a word that dosen't seem to be in your vocabulary."
Pouncival grinned at Jade, who giggled at the insult he'd just given the Gumbie
cat.
Jenny was speechless, but
Munkusrap was not. "Pouncival, apologize to her, RIGHT NOW."
"I'm sorry, jeez. Can't
take a little joke?" Jade burst into a fit of giggles, which pleased
Pouncival more then anything. "See, I knew I was funny once in a
while."
Jade was given the Look by
Munkustrap, which shut her up right away. Pouncival was repremanded once again,
and forced to apologize. Again.
"Jeez, losen the collar
a little bit." Pouncival muttered as he and the kittens went to find
mischief.
"Yeah!" Cornelius
agreed with whatever Pouncival or Tumblebrutus said, because he figured they
would know. "Where's Tumble?" the pure white kitten
asked.
"I dunno." was all
Pouncival could come up with.
"Here I am." said a
voice in the bushes. "I am right here."
"Tumble!" Cornelius
dove into the bushes. Tumblebrutus smiled. The cat hadn't been this loved in a
long time."Good morning all." he looked at Pouncival, who was trying
to keep Jade from completly biting off his tail. Pouncival finally resorted to
smacking Jade on the nose, and she started to cry and ran away.
"Serves you right!"
Pouncival was holding his tail and making sure it was all right when
Tumblebrutus asked, "Are you sure her parents are going to apprieciate
that?"
"She was trying to bite
my tail!" the teenager argued.
"But you didn't have to
hit her!" the older cat argued.
"She'll be okay,"
Cornelius asured them. "She'll get over it."
The three walked off, leaving
behind a sobbing Jade behind a bush.
*
*
*
Jade stayed there for a
while. She cried and rubbed her nose, which wasn't really hurting. Jade was
depressed. The only cat that she could play with had hit her! Pouncival was the
closest to her age, next to Jemima, and Jemima liked hanging out with the older
girls. The other cats were all older, and they didn't have time to play. She was
about to go tell Munkustrap or Alonzo when she heard a sniff beside her. Jade
turned, expecting to find Macavity. Instead, she found a kitten, just her age
and just her size.
"Hello?" Jade asked
uncertainly.
"Hello." the kitten
sounded depressed also.
"What are you doing
here?" Jade thought the kitten looked familar, but then again it
didn't.
"My Daddy was being mean
to me. My name's Cleo, waht's your's?" The kitten peered at
Jade.
"Jade. Is Cleo short for
something?" Jade liked this kitten.
"Yeah. It's short for
Cleopatra. That's my full name." Cleo started to cry again.
"What's wrong?"
Jade really liked this kitten, and intended to help her.
"My Daddy will beat me
if he finds out I was here." Cleo sobbed.
"Well, he won't find
out." Jade said firmly. "Now let's get out of the
junkyard."
*
*
*
"You WHAT?!"
Munkustrap rarely yelled, but when he did, cats listened.
"I...ummmmmmmm.....I was
just.....playing around." Pouncival stuttered.
"You don't hit when
you're just playing around!" Alonzo yelled.
"I am going to ask you
again. What happened?" Munkustrap had calmed down, but not
much.
"Ummmmmmm........Jade
was biting my tail,annnnnnnd......ummmmm....
Ihithertogetheroffme."Pouncival rushed through the last part, because he
knew that was the incriminating evidence.
"Say it again, nice and
slow," Munkustrap said in a calm voice.
"Jade was biting my
tail, and I hit her on the nose to get her off me." Pouncival waited for
the smack he was expecting from Alonzo, but it never came.
"And where is she
now?" Rum Tum Tugger sounded just as angry as the rest of the cats.
"She left the junkyard!" he yelled.
"She left a note saying,
'Since no one can play nicely, I'll just find my own playmates.'
And who do you think she was
talking about when she said 'since no one can play nicely'?" Bombalurina
was also very upset, to say the least.
Pouncival gulped.
"Me?" he asked meekly.
"Yes, you! And now we
have no idea where she is or who she's with!" Demeter shuddered at the
thought that had crept into her head.
Pouncival scanned the faces
in the crowd. The only cat he couldn't see was Mistoffelees. Uh-oh, Pouncival
thought. I'm in for it now.
Suddenly, there apperared
Mistoffelees, looking not at all pleased. But beside him, to Pouncival's
infinate relief was Jade. She was covered in dust, and she was saying something
about Pouncival.
"So," Mistoffelees
started. "I was walking down the street getting fish for dinner when I hear
chattering. I turn the corner to find my daughter talking with another kitten.
The other kitten runs away, but I find myself looking at my daughter. She is
covered in dust, and she is holding a hot dog she got from God-knows-where, and
she is NOT IN THE JUNKYARD!" Mistoffelees seemed to be out of things to
say, but he went on. "So she tells me that she left the junkyard to find
someone to play with. I ask her why she didn't play with Pouncival, and she
started to cry." he looked at Pouncival, as did everyone else. "She
tells me that Pouncival hit her on the nose for biting his tail, something HE
did as a kitten HIMSELF. So I decide to take her home. Call me
paranoid."
Pouncival
decided that this would be a good time to come to his own defense. " I was
just fooli-"
Alonzo cut him short.
"Don't ever, ever, EVER hit a kitten again, okay? Okay, Pouncival? Because
if you do..."
"There is no need to
threaten with violence." Everyone turned around to find Old Deuteronomy
standing behind them.
"But he was harassing a
kitten!" Alonzo protested.
"Did it ever occure to
you," Old Deutoronomy asked, "that she was harassing him? Or that
Pouncival isn't officially an adult yet? Or that she left the junkyard on her on
accord? Pouncival didn't make her go.She went on her own. She
dilleberatly left the junkyard." Old Deuteronomy faced the little kitten.
"And she put herself in great danger."
Pouncival visably relaxed.
But then Old Deuteronomy said, "And Pouncival, you didn't need to hit her.
She was only playing around. An excuse you used yourself. So, a truce must be
called. Jade, stop harassing Pouncival. And Pouncival, don't hit any more
kittens. Okay?"
"Okay." both Jade and Pouncival answered meekly.
"Okay, now that that's
settled, we can all get some much needed sleep." Cornelius said from the
back of the crowd. Everyone laughed, relaxed now that Jade was home. All except
Jade and Pouncival, who glared at each other and stuck their tongues out. The
only thing that Old Deuteronomy and the other cats hadn't seen was that Jade and
Pouncival both had their fingers crossed behind their backs.
*
*
*
Pouncival started his routine
each day by waking everyone else up. Also, most of the time when he did this, it
was while racing Jade. Well, he thought, not this morning. And Pouncival went to
wake up the other Jellicles. Only to find them awake. With Jade saying to him,
"I won."
*
*
*
Jade always played with
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer in the afternoon. Always. And usually with
Pouncival. But she went to Victoria Grove only to find out they weren't there.
And there was a note that said, Pouncival wanted us to see something. Won't
be back.
*
*
*
Pouncival liked to sunbathe
with Tumblebrutus in the late morning. Just to lie in the sun. Maybe fall
asleep. So the teenager went to the old Ford, where the pair usually sunbathed.
Only to find Jade and Tumblebrutus getting ready to leave. "Sorry, Pounci.
Jade and I are going to see Coricopat and Tantomile."
"Can I come?"
Pouncival asked hopefully.
"No, Pounci. Sorry. Cori
and Tant are expecting us, and they wanted to talk to us
only."
*
*
*
Jade stayed with her brother
in the late afternoon, and they usually played with Tumblebrutus. So when Jade
went to find Cornelius, he was already with Tumblebrutus. And Pouncival. And
then Cornelius said, "Sorry, Jade. We have to go catch some
mice."
"Can I come?" Jade
asked.
"No, 'cause Pounci is
allergic to magic." A total and complete lie, yes, but it still kept Jade
from going with them.
*
*
*
Pouncival always played with
Jade, and only Jade, in the afternoon. Needless to say, neither kept the
appointment.
*
*
*
Jade was lonely. She never
played with anyone anymore. So she decided to go find Cleo. She was about to
leave when someone pulled her into the bushes. There was Cleo.
Cleo whispered, "Do you
want to go to the meat shop? We can steal some more hot dogs!"
Jade hesitated. "Well,
okay, but I gotta get home soon."
The pair left the junkyard.
Cleo laughed and said, "Wow. I'm actually playing with a Jellicle! I hope
my Daddy dosen't find out."
Jade looked up
sharply."Why?"
Cleo looked alarmed."I'm
not supposed to play with Jellicles. I think my Daddy's coming. We have to
hide!"
But it was too late. Jade was
going to find who Cleo's Daddy was.
*
*
*
"How did she get away
this time!" Alonzo shouted. Pouncival cringed. It was his fault.
He'd told Jade to "BUZZ OFF!" And she had screamed that she would, and
he had shoved her toward the gate and said, "THEN GO!"
"It was my fault."
Pouncival whispered.
"What?!" Victoria
looked at him sharply.
"It was my fault."
Pouncival repeated. "I told her to buzz off, and I even shoved her toward
the gate of the junkjard." He gulped, and waited for Alonzo to smack him.
And waited. And waited. He opened his eyes. Alonzo was looking at him
weirdly.
"You've really grown up,
Pouncival. It was brave of you to admit that." Alonzo looked at Munkustrap.
They both nodded. Pouncival was confused.
"Huh? You're not
mad?" Pouncival looked from one to the other.
"We didn't say that.
Yes, we're mad. But you're growing up." Munkustrap was looking at him
weirdly too.
"So, since it was you
who sent her out there, you're going to get her back." Alonzo
stated.
"What?!
Me?!"
*
*
*
Macavity hauled off and
smacked Cleo as hard as he could. "You were in their junkyard! You're
PLAYING with a JELLICLE! How DARE you! You're MY daughter, and you're PLAYING
with a JELLICLE?"
"But Daddy, I was
just..." Cleo whimpered.
"I don't CARE!"
Macavity smacked her again. He turned to Jade. "And you! Stay with your own
kind! But, you'll be able to play with her soon. I'll make you and your powers a
member of my gang."
*
*
*
Pouncival watched as Macavity
smacked the small kitten beside Jade. So, he thought, Old Mac has a kit. Anyway,
it was his job to save Jade, not Macavity's kitten. So Pouncival braced himself,
and he flew through the air, claws outstreached, onto Macavity's
back.
*
*
*
Jade watched as Pouncival
attached himself to Macavity's back. The Hidden Paw screamed, and Pouncival
yelled, "Go, Jade!" Jade didn't want to leave her friend behind, but
did as he said. Cleo watched, mesmerized, and then she ran, shouting, "I'll
get my own food, Daddy!" Jade ran to the junkyard.
*
*
*
Pouncival screamed as
Macavity slashed his side. He was going to die. I'm too young to die! he
screamed in his mind, but then he thought, At least Jade is safe, as he fell
unconcious.
*
*
*
Jade tore into the junkyard,
screaming, "Macavity...Pouncival...fighting...help!" Alonzo,
Tumblebrutus, Munkustrap, and Plato ran to help Pouncival, and everyone else
comforted Jade, who told them the whole story. "...and now he'll DIE!"
she sobbed. Then Alonzo walked in , carrying the wounded but alive Pouncival
into the junkyard.
*
*
*
"I'll be back to my old
tricks in a couple weeks, Jade, don't worry." Pouncival assured the fuzzy
black and white shape beside him.
"But what about waking
everybody up?" Jade asked.
"Jade." Pouncival
said seriously. "You'll have to carry on the act of waking everybody up
'till I'm better, okay?"
"Okay." Jade said
sleepily.
"Hey don't fall asleep,
okay? Jade? JADE?" Pouncival looked to see Jade resting against his
shoulder, fast asleep.
"Oh, nice."
Pouncival muttered. Then he gave up and fell asleep.
>^..^< The End >^..^< (or is it?)
Back to Fanfiction
