Sorry it took me a while to update. I've had a very busy week, and SOMEONE (stares at Satin-n-Crimson) jumped me and dressed me up like a Maine Coon. All these kittens came out of nowhere, and ended up beating me up when they realized I wasn't who they thought I was. I think I'm coming down with cat scratch fever ...eep. Anyways, without futher ado...


Chapter 7 - Black Sheep

Old Deuteronomy sat on the Vicarage wall, watching the children in the church yard play a game of flashlight tag, while their parents were speaking with the priest that crisp autumn night. The big fluffy cat was getting very old, and his visits to his tribe became less and less frequent. Say what you want about animals and their allegiance, but the Jellicle Tribe adored their old leader. Though he could not defend his tribe, he held more wisdom, and therefore, more respect from the young ones than a show of brute force could ever gain. And though he was the epitome of wisdom to the Jellicles, he was humble in admitting that even he still had things he needed to learn.

"Deuteronomy!" Jellylorum yelled breathlessly up to the Jellicle Leader. His head turned to greet the cat who was followed by Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks. As they caught their breaths, his eyes shifted between the worried looks among them.

"Good evening," he said to them with a gentle smile. "What brings you three so far from your homes tonight? Is something the matter at the junkyard?"

Jennyanydots shook her head. Then she glanced back to her two friends before looking back up to Old Deuteronomy. She took a breath for courage, before saying, "It's your grandson."

Deuteronomy sat up instantly. "Something has happened to one of my grandsons?"

Skimbleshanks quickly waved his hands back and forth to indicate the old cat was on the wrong track. "No, no, they're all fine," he assured him. "In a manner of speaking…"

"It's his behavior we're worried about," Jennyanydots explained as Deuteronomy wearily let his body go back to resting in the spot it had nicely warmed.

"Macavity is out of control," Jellylorum spat out. "He has absolutely no respect for his elders! He hasn't stopped since he first attacked…you know…Grizabella." The name had been a sore spot in the tribe since her departure, but Deuteronomy simply nodded for her to continue. "He's taken to trying to harm poor Asparagus. And he frightened the wits out of Bustober Jones! I have yet to figure out how… He's constantly belittling the kittens: playing mean tricks on them. The youngest ones are terribly frightened of him. Munkustrap is constantly complaining that his things are missing, and though he doesn't say it, I'm sure he and Tugger know who the culprit is. What's more, Macavity's constantly picking fights with the poor dear! He has scratches all over his body!"

"It's worse with Alonzo," Jennyanydots interjected. "You know how he's always been. He's always ready to fight. He keeps coaxing him into fighting. I've seen Macavity convince Alonzo to get into fights with some of the other kittens as well! I've talked to him about it of course, and he's gotten better. But there are still times I see him and Tugger nearly getting into a fight. He loves Tugger! I don't know how Macavity does it…"

"And the twins," Skimbleshanks reminded the two queens.

"The twins!" Jennyanydots didn't seem to know how she forgot about that. "Those two are always disappearing before Macavity comes around. They're very insightful, you know. I get a horrible sense of foreboding if they retreat every time Macavity comes by."

"They haven't even met Macavity," Jellylorum marveled at the afterthought. "They're so new to the tribe. At least, I haven't seen them cross paths."

"And…" Jennyanydots began, but she didn't seem to want to continue with that thought. Skimbleshanks nuzzled her lightly to give her strength. With a deep sigh, she looked up to Deuteronomy with tears in her gentle eyes. "I've seen him…with the mice. It's not like he's hunting them. I'm not sure what it is…It's almost like they are, um…hypnotized? For lack of a better word. He makes them turn against each other. They do things mice would never actually do. It's like he's controlling them somehow. I know…it sounds insane." At this, Jennyanydots bowed her head, unable to speak any further. Skimbleshanks scooted closer to her and put his arm around her, nuzzling his head to hers to calm her down.

Jellylorum looked up at Old Deuteronomy and sighed. "I know he's your grandson," she began, "but something has to be done."

At this information, Old Deuteronomy shook his head lightly and looked off into the distance. After a few moments of quiet thoughts, he said, more to himself than the cats in his presence, "Every family has its black sheep." He then got up gently and climbed down the Vicarage wall with great difficulty. As he finally made his way down, the three went to help his old form. "I will have a talk with him," he said, "and we'll see where we can go from there."

Skimbleshanks muttered softly, "What good will a talk do?" He's had to keep many a kitten in line, but never before had he seen a kitten with such disregard for his elders as Macavity. Old Deuteronomy simply nodded to him as they began to walk to the junkyard.

"After I talk with Macavity, I will come to you and seek your opinion. It will give a chance for Admetus to see how things are done in our tribe. He ought to bring a good perspective to the situation." The older cats followed Old Deuteronomy in his slow amble to the junkyard. Hopefully, their problem would soon be resolved…

After taking his place in his den, Deuteronomy asked his trusted friends to find Macavity and tell him of the meeting. It took a while for the cats to find Macavity, let alone convince him to come to see his grandfather, but eventually he arrived in Deuteronomy's warm den and sat down as far as he could from the old cat without being too disrespectful. The ginger cat would only be mostly obedient to Deuteronomy. He had yet to cross that line of insolence...

The gentle cat looked down on the rebellious kitten with some thought. Macavity shifted slightly, looking towards the exit, before looking back up at Old Deuteronomy, frowning. "Why was I called here?" he asked gruffly, obviously wanting to leave. Though Macavity surely had other things he would have loved to do right now, he knew he had to wait to be dismissed. (Damn rules…)

"Macavity," the aging cat began, "You are a remarkably smart kitten. For that reason alone, I would imagine you could come to achieve great things." Macavity nodded, but Old Deuteronomy could tell he was mostly pretending to listen.

"But I'm afraid that you're using this knowledge for cruel pranks and harmful games. You're incredibly smart and exceedingly strong, not unlike my father. I have to admit, I was never either of those. But I had something else that made me Jellicle Leader today: Compassion and understanding."

Macavity snorted. "How can someone be so smart and not understanding?" he challenged.

"That is a question I have pondered at times about the very kitten in front of me." Macavity frowned. (Most likely he took more offense to being called a kitten rather than being told he didn't understand.) "Knowledge means nothing if you do not use it correctly. Instead of thinking of ways to hurt and humiliate the others around you, you could be using it to find ways to help them and ease their pain."

Macavity had a bored look on his face. Old Deuteronomy sighed, knowing that it may have already been hopeless. The ginger kitten wasn't like his brothers, who had compassion for other cats, or living beings for that matter. He had a thirst for knowledge, rather, which evolved into something more. "Ever since you were very young, you have had a desire for respect and power among your fellow kittens. The question is whether or not you can turn it into a desire to help others."

Macavity chocked back a laugh but couldn't hide rolling his eyes at the thought. But for once, the ginger kitten was taken aback by the sudden force he felt when his grandfather stood up sharply and looked sternly down at him. "I know," began Old Deuteronomy, his voice level, "That you weren't given the right teaching when you were younger. I neglected to teach you the vital points of a compassionate life. I didn't realize the need. That was my mistake. But if I can't see you change, then I will be forced to banish you from the Jellicle Tribe."

And for once, a cat had put fear into the kitten's eyes. Macavity quickly composed himself and said with a slightly angry tone, "Why would my own grandfather do such a thing?"

"You may be my grandson," the old cat said, "But I am the leader of this tribe, and every last kitten and cat in this tribe is my child. And I will not allow you to continue hurting them." Old Deuteronomy sat back down, as the kitten wished the old cat was having a heart attack and about to die. "I will give you a warning. If you cause any more damage, you will no longer be accepted as part of this tribe. Your hypnosis, as well, must never be used on any member of the tribe, or living creature for that matter."

"My hypnosis?" Macavity asked, but the look of a kitten with his paw caught in the cat treat jar gave away his vain attempt to feign ignorance.

"You are a very powerful cat, Macavity," Deuteronomy reiterated. "But there are stronger things in life." However, he knew Macavity wouldn't understand that. Instead, the frustrated kitten hissed at his grandfather, growled lightly, before grudgingly bowing his head to their stand-off, and leaving.

As soon as Macavity was out of sight, the other adult cats came into Old Deuteronomy's den. Quietly, the aging cat looked over to the others, a stern look a remnant of his talk with his grandson. "Be sure to keep an eye on him," he said to them. "If he does anything more that is harmful to any living being, he will be exiled from the tribe."

Some of the cats looked shocked to hear these words from Old Deuteronomy. The new cat, Admetus, looked between the confused faces, then to the leader who seemed so gentle when he first met him. Jellylorum, however, frowned slightly. "Why would that be punishment for him? He'll just keep doing what he's doing, if not with the tribe."

"Because," Old Deuteronomy sighed, thinking back to his daughter. "He fears what hardships lay ahead of him in the unforgiving world of man."

Ultra Special Blah Blah Blah 2:

Looks back at her chapter I had to combine two chapters here to make it, after my befuddlement with my last chapter. But I'm excited at the next one, cause I thought it up today and thought I'd squeeze it into the events...Anways...

Satin-n-Crimson: Heh, I'm glad you like the slight fluff. You might miss it, though... whistles innocently

Krissy 4: You're so very kind ! Mew, that makes me happy. Now, while I can wonder why you review so early, I assume it's a better start off to the day if you wake up looking forward to at least one thing! And not about midterms and what-not like me lately. So I encourage you to keep reading early, lol. If it puts you in a good mood for the day!

Now, I have to write my next chapter before the weekend so I won't get bogged down by my up and coming midterms and leave on a serious note, so...yeah, gunna do that now. It's 9:08 at night...hehe