It had been a few days since we'd left our old home to venture to the unkown Junkyard. Although my keen eyes could see quite well in the dark, the moon was so bright that I almost forgot it was close to midnight. I cast a worried glance over my shoulder at my numerous siblings.
"Adrianus? You alright back there?" I asked softly, noting the drooping eyelides of my youngest brother.
"I'll be alright..." he mumbled, stumbling a bit as he yawned. I supressed a chuccle as I quickly scooped him up in my arms and continued walking, letting my instincts pull me closer to our destination.
"Aurora? Don't you think it's time for us to stop for a bit?" Fanchet asked, her red tail twitching.
"We're nearly there. I'm thinking probably within the hour. If we stop to rest, we probably won't get there until dawn. Wouldn't you rather get there, get settled, and have a good sleep in our new home?" I asked, giving her a sidelong look. She heaved a big sigh and rolled her amber eyes at me.
"Always planning ahead, aren't you, Miss Killjoy?" she asked sarcastically.
"Two mice says you'll thank me later." I replied, trying and failing to hide the smirk creeping across my face. Fanchet was truly a gambler at heart, so she immediately perked up at the thought of winning a bet.
"Pfft! You're on!" she said, offering the first real smile I'd seen from her in weeks.
The minutes rolled by as we trudged on, closer and closer to our aim. I could smell the garbage before I saw the towering pile of junk. Gently waking my baby brother, I let him walk on his own and immediately went on the defensive.
"What is it?" Kaden asked, stepping up next to me while his flashing blue eyes swept the area.
"Something doesn't smell right. This place was empty before but now...I don't know. Something's just not right. Go to the rear and keep the kits close. It's easy to get lost in this place." I replied tersely, my senses kicking into overdrive at even the notion of a threat to my family. We advanced slowly deeper into the piles of rubble and my nose twitched with the many smells assaulting my nose. Something was definitely different here.
We had just reached the center of a vast, empty space, surrounded by piles of junk on all sides, when I was hit with the sharp, distinctive scent of another cat.
"Something's out there, kits. Stay behind me." I whispered, watching five heads nod as one. Suddenly, as if by magic, the place was alive with lights and cats popping out of every nook and cranny.
"Shit shit shit shit! Was this a trap? Who are they?" I thought wildly as I gathered my siblings in a group and slowly circled them, baring my claws and fangs to these strange cats.
"No way in hell are they touching my brothers and sisters! I'll die first!" I thought, locking my jaw with steely determination. A silver tabby broke away from the junk, moving closer to Valeda and Adrianus. Almost instantly, I was between my siblings and the tabby, hissing like a demon and baring my evil looking fangs.
"Back off, Stripes!" I snarled. The tabby stopped advancing, but didn't retreat. Instead, he pulled himself up straighter to look down at me.
"You're on Jellicle territory. This is hardly the way a civilized guest would behave. We won't hurt you, I promise...provided you give us the same curtosy." he stated softly in a deep, velvety voice.
My head cocked to the side as I curiously took in this strange tabby. He offered a gentle smile and extended a paw, keeping his claws carefully retracted. I catiously sniffed the air, and sensing no real threat, began to relax.
"Sorry about that. I thought the place was deserted. When the lights came on and all of you popped out, I couldn't help being a bit...defensive." I replied, offering him a small smile and reaching to touch my paw to his. As soon as our paws connected, an electric sizzle passed between us, causing us both to jump back as if we'd been scorched.
"Who are you?" I asked, giving him a shocked look. His steel grey eyes were easily the size of dinner plates as he returned my stunned gaze before visibly shaking himself and regaining his regal composure.
"...Munkustrap. I'm the Protector of the Jellicles. Since we're getting acquainted, perhaps you could give me your name...and the names of your children?" he asked, that same gentle politeness in his voice, as though the strange jolt had never happened. We all stared at him for a moment, then dissolved into helpless laughter (or giggles, in Valeda's case).
"Oh! Oh Everlasting Cat, that was a good one! Hee hee hee...they're not my children! They're my brothers and sisters. But since there's so many of us, I'll introduce us in order. I'm Aurora, the oldest. That's Kaden, Fanchet, and the one giving us both the evil eye would be Roque. These two are Valeda and Adrianus." I listed the names, pointing to each one in turn. Adrianus peeked shyly around me and stared up at Munkustrap.
"What's a Jellicle?" he asked softly. A ripple of amusement swept through the crowd of felines watching us, and even Munkustrap chuccled a bit as he crouched down to get on my youngest brother's level.
"Tell you what. How about I take you all to see Old Deutoronomy, the Jellicle leader, and he'll explain everything to you, okay?" Munkustrap asked, offering a paw to my brother. Adrianus beamed and looked hopefully up at me.
"Oh can we Aurora? I like this place! Can we stay, please!" he asked, nearly bouncing with excitement. Seeing him so happy made my heart melt, and I found I couldn't refuse him...not that Munkustrap was really going to let us just walk away.
"Let's go talk to their leader, and then we'll see." I said, bending down to give his face an affectionate lick. My eyes locked with Munkustrap's, and for a moment the air between us was filled with that same electric energy, sending a shiver down my spine. With great effort, I tore my gaze from his and looked at my siblings without really seeing them.
"What in the name of Bast is going on here?" I thought we began to follow Munkustrap further into the unknown.