The music changed, Jemima felt the ancient call to the mating dance stirring in her blood. She stepped into the centre of the ring and waited for a tom to come and claim her. She turned as she heard footsteps behind her. A black and white tom stood behind her sparkling faintly. He leaned in towards her and rubbed his head against her stomach. Jemima jumped back slightly shocked but the call was too much for her to accept so she stepped forward again and he lifted her over his head.
There was a crash and Misto pulled her into a tight embrace as her mother screamed Macavity. Misto pulled her to the side of the Junkyard furthest from the crash where Jennyanydots and Jellylorum stood protecting the kittens before running back to join the rest of the adults able to fight. Demeter joined her daughter by the kittens and the two cats huddled together terrified of Macavity's arrival but praying Bombalurina would be with him.
She was.
Macavity carried a limp bundle of fur in his arms which he dropped in the centre of the Junkyard.
"I heard your touching little speech earlier. Here's your missing jewel." He sneered at the horrified Jellicles but then smiled at Demeter ho had run forward to check on her sister's body.
"I didn't mean to hurt her but she looked so pretty when she cried."
He laughed and vanished before any of the stunned Jellicles could react.