A/N: Okay! I'm back! Rather than address you all individually for the moment, Imma have a touchy-feely moment.
When I first started with fanfiction, long before AAL, I saw each reviewer as simply a random person I would never meet telling me I'm awesome. As time has progressed I've started to recognize behind each review is a person with a general view, a person with a favorite food and a house and a family who has taken the time out of their busy day just to tell me to keep writing. It's a good feeling, appreciating that people have taken the time to talk to you. And really that's what it is – it's like making new friends. And I do consider each and every one of you my friends, because over the course of this story I've learnt about you. I've learnt you're funny, or smart, or really like certain characters… and so I want to thank you, as friends, for sticking by this story so long.
Whew! Okay, touchy-feely moment over. Dry those eyes and get to reading!
I didn't want to be the one to tell her, but it must be done. I took her out of the Junkyard and on the short trek to the road, where the dark splatter of dried blood stood half seen in the dim light on the road. Sil hissed under her breath, turning her head away and scrunching her eyes. It hurt me to see anyone in a state of anguish, much more a friend. I laid a paw gently on her shoulder, directing her eyes to the sight before her.
"We would have given them a proper burial," I murmured, "had the human not done their own, strange ceremony with them." The human had treated them like garbage, from what I heard – jumping out of his metal contraption, walking lazily towards the two and kicking them off the road. I could not tell if it was some sort of ceremony they had, or plain disrespect, but our customs told us not to move them. Their fur was matted and they were rotting, a dark sight to see.
It broke Sil in two. She was sobbing under her breath, unable to take her eyes away even though I knew it hurt her to see it. She was mouthing something, over and over, louder and louder to the point I could hear her.
"They're gone, they're gone," she chanted, "They're really gone." I walked closer, slowly, wrapping my arms around her. She buried her head into my neck, her tears wetting my fur.
"It'll be okay," I cooed, trying to be like Jenny whenever she did this. (once a year, of course, someone would lose a tom or queen they had loved to the Heaviside Layer.)
"I had a father once, too." She said, almost to no one. I continued to rub her back, listening. "He would come and go… I remember an uncle too. He was nice, but barely visited. He and father worked together. And then, somewhere along, they stopped coming back. And mommy just waited, saying they'd come back, though they never did. And she just got worse and worse, and we had to leave…" she trailed off into sobs, but I could put the pieces together. I continued to hold her for several minutes before her eyes dried.
"Well well, what are two little kitties doing out all on their own?" I jumped at the sneering face, the mocking voice. He stood high atop a nearby fence, the rats that worked for him slowly stalking from the darkness, yellow eyes flashing, teeth gnashing and rasping giggles cruelly spilling from their mouths as they surrounded us. Sil shivered, part from the cold and part from the fear of the disgusting creatures surrounding us. There were at least 7, and only two of us. I was left with little choice, resorting to a familiar tactic. I silently drew a deep breath, releasing it with a loud cry.
"MACAVITY!"
Demeter jumped, one hand lightly over her bulging stomach and the other reaching for the blanket shielding her from the early morning. She wrenched it aside and stepped out, many other joining her. Alonzo rushed forward, alert and ready, eyes questioning.
"It wasn't me." She said, looking about. Munkustrap soon joined the ever-growing crowd, checking on his mate.
"Are you okay?" He asks softly.
"Yes," she replied, slightly irritated, "Now can I find out what's going on?" Everyone turned to face the silver tabby.
"Alright, anyone know who called?" No one raised a paw or said a word. Tantomile pushed her way to the front.
"Coricopat and Sil have gone," Tantomile called out loudly. "It may have been one of them." Victoria suddenly sobbed loudly, grasping onto the nearest tom – Plato. "My Pouncie is gone too!"
"I'm right here!" He called, protruding from a nearby junk pile.
"Pouncie, you had me worried!" Victoria cooed, wrenching herself from Plato's soft grip and running at the young tom. Pouncival side stepped, watching with a bored expression as she tumbled to the ground. "Don't touch me."
"Do you know where Coricopat and Silhouette are?" Jellylorum called, worried as usual when Macavity was near.
"They went to see Sil's mom and sister." He said, looking down sadly. He was fully aware of what had happened to them.
"The road," Alonzo reasoned, "It's too far from the Junkyard, Macavity may see it as his 'territory'."
A small group was assembled – Alonzo, Munkustrap, Mungojerrie and Tumblebrutus – to go and check for them. The kitten's were ushered, much to their discontent, back to bed, and everyone, even those who had little connections to the two, worried for them.
The rats continued to giggle, scratching the ground with their sharp claws and all together creeping our two intrepid kitties out. Macavity jumped down and stalked forward.
"And who is this little kitty? Haven't seen you around before…" he said. Sil turned away as he peered in close, closing her eyes tightly. He grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to face him.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you." He scolded, like an angry parent. For a silent moment they simply stared at each other.
"Adema's girl?" He asked himself, letting go and stepping back. Sil's brow creased in thought. Adema… her mother?
"Sil! Cori!" They turned, watching as an orange, white and black blur flew past and rammed into two of the rats, sending them flying back. A silver and black tom followed, ramming into Macavity as Tumblebrutus gracefully tumbled into another rat.
"Alonzo!" Sil called happily, running over to the black and white patched tom of the sidelines.
"Thank Bast you two are all right." He said, touching each on the shoulder lightly. Coricopat smiled at him warily.
"Rumpleteazer is in the bushes nearby, go find her." Alonzo said. Only a step was taken before more of the rats pounced, Alonzo and Coricopat each jumping into action. Sil screamed, jumping out of the way and simply running in terror.
"Sil!" Rumpleteazer called, pulling her into the shadow of the bushes. "We 'ave to go! They'll be foine here!" She said.
"But they're outnumbered!" Sil said, turning. She was stuck in place. Her honor told her to turn back and help, but she knew she wasn't a fighter and she'd just get pummeled back there.
"We've done this 'eaps o' toimes, just relax! Oi got a place you can hoide in till this all blows over." She said, dragging Sil away from the loud scratches and thuds.
A/N: Um… I lost my book… again. However I have remembered how the story goes, just not where I'm meant to split it… at least two more chapters! Enjoy and review please!