A/N: Okay, So I'm back after awhile… I had no idea what to do with this chapter since the last one… writer's block… *grrr…* Anyway, I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY! And I promise I'll try to update faster, as long as my thinking process doesn't go so slow anymore.
Macavity grinned to himself. After all of these months of waiting, he had driven Zelaphelia straight to where he wanted her. He had spent so many months planning. Contacting his outer branches, and trying to find her was a hassle, but he knew it would be worth it soon enough. Zela was his now. There was no doubt of it. His long-termed plans were finally falling into place…
~^..^~
Munkustrap dragged Demeter out of the area of their den, tugging at her arm. She tried escaping his grasp a few times, but with no avail. He was, of course being gentle about it. The gold queen just wanted to be stubborn, and that was entirely her decision to do so. After all, what right had he to drag her out of her own den? As soon as they got as far as the TSE 1 red convertible, she finally was able to rip her arm away from Munk's grip. "That's enough Munk!" she shouted, grumbling exasperatedly, "Exactly what do you think you're doing?"
The silver tabby sighed and closed his eyes, as if trying to calm himself for the words he was about to say. It took a few moment before he could talk, "…Dem, you can't suffocate her."
Demeter scoffed. "I am not suffocating her." She insisted.
Munkustrap's eyes suddenly flew open at her comment, "You were fighting me just to stay in the den!" he countered.
"Hm…well…" –the golden queen's voice became uneasy, "That's because…I haven't seen her for awhile. I mean, what do you expect Munk? She's my daughter! I missed her growing up because I made some stupid mistake years ago, and I don't want to lose her again! Not after all that we've been through!"
Munkustrap sighed in frustration, obviously disgruntled. Even though Demeter knew what he was trying to say, she didn't want to admit to it. She loved Zela, but it was hard not to be a neurotic and obsessive mother to the child especially because she had only spent an autumn with her in the first place. But she didn't know another way to act. Demeter felt a protective maternal instinct for Zelaphelia. She had felt that way when raising Victoria and Electra. It was a natural predisposition. The gold queen turned herself away from Munkustrap, feeling upset.
The silver tabby gingerly walked up to her side and put a comforting paw on her shoulder. "You're not going to lose her," he assured, "You are over exaggerating a little bit, love."
Demeter sighed, swallowing a tongue lashing and fighting an emphatic tear, "I know," she admitted, "but I……I just feel like I owe her that much Munk… She deserves so much from me… I mean, after abandoning her, and then……just…after so many years…"
The gold queen stopped herself. Her sore voice had wandered in mid-sentence, just because she couldn't find anymore words to add to her explanation. Munkustrap sighed from behind, and came to face her, "Well Dem, you won't get anywhere with breathing down her neck half the time. You'll just be driving her away." Demeter couldn't only detect a hint of compassion in his words, but his eyes were drowned in sympathy.
Demeter also knew all that he said to be true. The more times she spent gluing herself to Zela's side, the more the gold-and-red queen wasn't going to want to be with her. It seemed a little be ironic. When Zela was born, Deme barely wanted anything to do with her, and now all she wanted to do was to be with her. Perhaps this was the remedy to this mess, but maybe if she approached it at a lessened intensity. She sighed, wanting more than anything to see her daughter. She turned to Munkustrap, "So…what do we do now?"
The silver tabby grimaced, "Well, I just left our den to Zela, and I now have no current plans…so…"
She grinned and pecked him quickly on his lips. He snorted and wrapped his tail around hers. It was at this, Demeter realized that she and Munkustrap had been very separate through these past months. It could have been that she was in a depression, or he was just busy. Either way, they had been quite incoherent with each other. And realizing this, Demeter felt her love for her mate return to her, and all thoughts of her worrying brain started to go away as they started to walk across the Junkyard trail. It had been awhile since they had talked. It would be good to catch up…
^~*~^
Zela smiled as Tugger trailed up next to her, with a sly grin plastered on his face. She hadn't seen him in so long, that she had forgotten how pleasant a tom he was to be around. Her heart leaped in joy, knowing how long it was since she had last seen him. The leopard-spotted tom flashed a smile towards her as he stared. His eyes seemed to have increased in their auburn color from the last she had seen of him, the curious glimmer in his coat seemed not to have faded in the slightest and even after all these long months of being apart from him, Tugger still had a silly smirk that he so interestingly enjoyed using on her. Zela smiled back at him. The days had been too long without seeing the Curious Cat.
He quickly settled himself on a patch of dirt, "So, Zel" he started casually, "Been gone awhile."
Zela confirmed this with a nod. Tugger's smirk seemed to move higher on his face, "So where've you been?"
The gold queen shrugged, "Around. Here and there." She replied, trying to appear nonchalant. It reminded her of how some queens would try to act so cool around him, and she immediately felt disgusted with herself, but she didn't want to seem to girly as to babble on to where she traveled.
Tugger snorted, "Okay, but then where's 'here and there'?"
Obviously he wasn't going to take a nonchalant answer from her, which made Zela feel a bit glad, knowing he was at least interested. She then thought back. Kingsten had been in northern England, but before that, she had traveled mostly the boundaries between the ocean and countryside, and also saw a little of the bordering countries, "Just parts of the country." She said, then remembered something spur the moment, "I…I also visited Scotland." She murmured. She instantly wished she hadn't.
Tugger didn't seem to react by facial expression, but in his eyes, there glimmered slight nostalgia, "Oh. Nice…" he said quietly. Zela immediately felt an awkward wall between them. She had hoped to appeal to his memory but she didn't want to make the moment feel weird. Why do have to be so STUPID sometimes?! She screamed mentally. Late autumn, the Curious Cat had confided in her about his original heritage. His biological mother was supposedly from Scotland. The father was unknown. Old Deuteronomy was traveling western Scotland when he found Tugger as a small kitten, half dead. Acting on impulse, Deuteronomy adopted the kit, and took a train back to the city where he placed the young Maine Coon in the care of his sixth mate, Aurélie, who had given birth to a silver tabby tom who grew up to be the Jellicle guardian, Munkustrap. A few years passed and Aurélie died. The whole tribe was devastated for the loss of their beloved member, but no one could compare as to the sorrow of the late queen's sons and mate. By that time, Deuteronomy told the young Tugger the truth about his parentage, and it was right around the same time that the Curious Cat changed his image completely. The whole reason for his sudden change of persona was do to his actual heredity.
Zela always did wonder why he had shared all this with her. After all, she was just a stupid adolescent queen, how did he change his mind about her so quickly? Inhaling sharply, the gold-red queen looked up at him and smiled, "But enough about me, what have you been doing these past few months?" she asked, in an effort to change the subject.
The leopard-spotted tom's smirk reappeared, just as she had expected as he got back into his wry stance, "Been waiting for you, Z." He said flirtatiously, and through his wry tone, Zela knew that there was some truth to his words.
"Well then, you've been waiting for me, so here I am." She said with a slight grin, playing with her own flirtation, which seemed odd, coming from her. Wow, where is this coming from? She thought. The golden-red queen quickly concluded that this must have been inherited from Bombalurina, her being her aunt. I guess it just needed time to grow in. she guessed. However, Zela didn't let this issue block her mind from Tugger. She didn't know why she was attracted to him. Maybe it was his smile, or maybe she was just as easily a fankit like the rest of them, but was simply in denial. Or possibly it was just because he was fatally charming. Whatever the reason, she wasn't about to let him get away with anything at the moment, even if she did leave him with a kiss before she left… Anyway, right now it was just an innocent flirtation, and she wasn't about to let it get a hold of her.
So, the Rum Tum Tugger grinned slightly before making his way back by her side, "So, you wanna take a look around? It's been awhile since you've seen the place." Very casually, Tugger put his arm around her. Zela thanked Heavyside he wasn't going to do anything rash or cheesy right at that moment.
A sudden shy reminisce came over her, as if remembering some flirtation back when she was just barely an adolescent. She felt so stupid for everything that she had done back then, especially any young kitten-like dalliance with him. Zela felt so embarrassed with herself, but she knew it didn't matter anymore. The past was the past, and she was going to try to not look like a fool in front of the Curious Cat, though she wasn't trying to get his attention like before…or maybe she was…
"Uh….sure." she finally answered after a long pause.
"Good, so…" Tugger then went on about a rant the young Jellicle queen wasn't even paying attention to as he led her around to the exit of the den. Inside, (though she didn't want to admit it at the moment) Zela really did like Tugger, but she just didn't want to get hurt and embarrassed if he didn't like her the same way. It was an odd conundrum between them, which she hoped to get sorted before the fort night was out…
^~*~^
Tugger led the gold-red queen away from the den with his arm draped around her shoulder. At this time, Mungojerrie had the pleasure of watching from a place above in the junk piles. He and Rumpleteazer were having much luck in tunneling their way around the Junkyard, in order to stash some of their heisted goods. One of the perks was being able to watch the Junkyard activities like a parade from above. The tiger-striped tom grinned rascally as he watched Tugger and Zela walk away. He found spying on the tribe as a good pass time, as well as a factor of his advantage. Whenever he wanted information, or he needed something, he could always blackmail. It was all fun though. He wouldn't reveal anything crucial, but anything that could cause instant mortification.
Jerrie watched as the Curious Cat walked around pointing to and fro through the Junkyard, and talking to Zela. The gold queen didn't really seem to be paying attention to what he was saying, as she was taking an interest of his facial expressions. Mungojerrie was glad that his days as a spy/thief for Macavity had paid off. He turned to Teazer, who was deep in the cavern-like junk pile, "Oi, Teazah, ge' a load o' this!" he exclaimed humorously.
The tiger tabby queen walked over to him with a grin. "Wha' is it?" she asked. Jerrie didn't answer. Teazer sighed as she tried to meet where his eyes were staring. Finally, she spotted the two. She scoffed, "Well looky there! Ain't tha' just an interestin' scene? Don' think Deme and Munk's gonna loike tha' a' all, no Oi don'!"
The male half of the duo chuckled impishly. "It could come in moighty handy when we need somethin' from Tuggah, or Zela fah tha' reason."
Teazer clutched his shoulder as she raised an eyebrow tentatively, "Now Jers, we talked 'bout this koind o' stuff…" she murmured.
He snorted as a rebuttal, "Teazah, come on! It's jus' a lil' black moil, is all. It ain't gonna 'urt no one."
The tiger-striped female just shook her head doubtfully, "Oi don' loike doin' tha' stuff Jerrie. An' the las' thing we need is to ge' on someone else's bad soide. Besoides, Zela's loike a kindred spiri'. We ain't the only ones oo've bin mistrea'ed boiy Macavity."
Jerrie nodded, "Oi know it." He said solemnly, "Bu' tha' ain't our problem anymoah. We go' our own issues to settle ovah here."
Teazer through her head back and laughed, "An' whot exactly is that, dare oi ask?"
The tiger striped tom shrugged, "How 'bout the fact that Zela's got those weird moind powahs and she could easily know where we keep everythin'?"
Rumpleteazer rolled her eyes as she sat next to her partner, "Well, by the looks o' it, it don' look loike she'll be too interested on where we keep our stashes."
"Oi guess, bu' tha' don' mean she can' 'old it against us if she does look for 'em ou' of curiosity."
Teazer shrugged, "True, bu' then again, now we go' somethin' on 'er. And knowin' Zela she'd go to us for braggin' before she went to someone else. Now we go' somethin' on 'er."
Mungojerrie grinned impishly, "Now you're talkin' Teazah."
The tiger striped queen quickly raised an eyebrow, "Don' be gettin' any oidea'rs now, Jerrie."
He grunted, partially annoyed by his mate, as he kept his eyes on Zela and Tugger, "Don' worry, Oi won'," he assured, "It's jus' good tah keep an ey' on things……fohr our own advantage, o' course…"
Teazer was still tentative, but she reluctantly let go of his shoulder, "Of course…" a bit bored of the subject, the tiger striped queen looked out toward the fence lines of the Junkyard. It was amazing how far they could actually see from the junk piles. Suddenly, she saw an ominous figure in the shadows, merely a blur, but still visible. The tiger striped queen stood up, trying to see what was there. She turned to her mate, "Jerrie," she said, "Look ou' there. Oi see somethin'."
Mungojerrie looked out, trying to see where Teazer was looking. Suddenly he noticed the same blur of a figure, lying on the sidewalk. He turned around, heading for the exit of the cavern, intending to head up by the borders. "We shou'd go check i' out…"
^~*~^
Plato twitched in the dust, pain twisting through his veins and pounding in his head. He couldn't move, but his mind was totally awake. With heavy strain, Plato lifted his eyelids. All he saw was the ground, and a red stain in the dirt, his blood, obviously. He wasn't exactly sure how he had gotten there, or what had happened before. The red and white tom only remembered being knocked out a long period back, and then being tortured a countless number of times.
He cringed at the thought of the pain, and grimaced as feeling returned back into his body. Plato wheezed out small breaths several times, trying to ease the pain, but breathing itself proved to be quite difficult without wanting to stop. Pure agony had now taken over his lungs and throats. It felt like it his whole body was on fire, but he refused to give in.
Suddenly, his vision started to become glossy. Plato started to see the blood in front of him starting to change colors, and the pain in his body growing more in tense. The calico tom felt his veins beginning to pulse, almost like they were calling to the hurt. He could then feel his tongue beginning to go fuzzy, and his cheeks feeling like they were swelling. What's…wrong…with me? He asked himself, still in anguish.
Suddenly, his thoughts just started to flow over him, and he couldn't even think to himself anymore. All the pain from his body just seemed to take over his mind, and he couldn't feel anything but insanity.
A blurry voice suddenly spoke to the impaired tom, "What the-" the voice paused in surprise, and then gasped, "Great Heavyside……Plato? Plato………"
The voice was just a blur now. Plato could hear the words, and understand them, but the pain was far too great, and the madness of whatever was affecting him was taking over. He was no longer in control…
^~*~^
Alonzo stared at the disheveled shell of his old friend. A panic and shock filled him. The black-white tom had gone on his voluntary patrols, only to find Plato to his own surprise. At first, he had absolutely no idea how to react. The bicolor tom was a mess. He looked like he had suffered a few contusions, and didn't look too bad with some cuts and bruises. His fur looked like it was pulled on and torn at, as if he was mistaken for a scratching post. He was a complete mess.
Alonzo rushed over to Plato, and started to shake him. "Plato!" he cried in a rough whisper, "Plato, wake up! Wake up, Plato!"
The injured tom stirred a bit, "Hesssehhhffmfmemmmmm…." He mumbled. Then, abruptly, Plato started to twitch and spazz. His body started shaking crazily, as if he was being possessed by a demon. "Hah……Ah….Ah! HA! AHAHA! HA!" Plato's wickedly insane laughter started to shoot out randomly and circle the area. It was as if the young calico had gone mad.
Alonzo backed away, in fear, as he witnessed his old friend being taken over by insanity. Suddenly, someone else's voice cried behind him, "'Ehy, whot's goin' on?"
The black and white tom knew the voice all too well. Soon, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer suddenly appeared from the shadows of the Junkyard. They both looked at the spastic tom, and instantly had shocked and horrified faces.
Alonzo quickly ran for the fence, and almost slammed his body into it in complete panic, "Jerrie, help me get him under control!"
The tiger striped tom looked at him as if he were insane. "You're jokin' roight?" he asked, "Whot tha 'ell is wrong wit' him?!"
Alonzo just started shaking his head, "I don't know. Just please help me."
The tiger tom still looked anxious and tentative, but reluctantly, he looked up and leapt on top of the fence. Quickly, he jumped down, and told Rumpleteazer to stay back as the two males headed toward the mad tom.
Mungojerrie was the first to approach him, "Nahw Pla'o, jus' calm down-" He tried reaching out to the red-orange tom, but Plato quickly extended his claws and scratched his arms, "OWCH!" he cried, rubbing the cut. The blow barely broke his skin, but it hurt enough to make him curse.
Alonzo then quickly went into action. Gulping, he sprung up behind Plato, and took a quick hold of his paw. Plato then turned to him, with a crazed look in his eyes, which had turned from a soft blue to a harsh and fiery red. Alonzo was taken aback by his friend's change in appearance. Now staring at him for a brief second, his fur seemed to be covered in his own blood. His smile revealed his sickening, yellow teeth. But his eyes were the most horrific of them all. They were a stomach-curdling red. They had the gleam look that waved over the blood red irises the seemed to be mixed with pain, madness, and hate. His pupils could barely be seen. It gave the white-black tom absolute dread.
Mungojerrie then came back on the rebound, and pinned down Plato's other paw, this time with more agility. The crazed bicolor tom started kicking as his profane laughter surrounded the place. While struggling to secure him, Alonzo spotted Rumpleteazer opening the gates to the Junkyard. Breathing deeply, Mungojerrie and Alonzo stood Plato up as he starting jittering like a half-frozen kit. They gently started walking him towards the gates. He then violently started to hitting, as his cackle started become loud then soft with each spasm.
Alonzo held tight to Plato, and then called out to Teazer who was observing this in fear, "Teazer, go get Munkustrap!" he shouted. The tiger-striped queen nodded and then ran in the other direction without any hesitation. As Plato started to move more quietly, Alonzo glanced over at Mungojerrie, "Let's get him to Jelly's den." He said.
The tiger striped tom confirmed this with a nod as they walked more quickly. Alonzo could tell that they were now trying not to be seen…
^~*~^
As the sun rose into high noon, Munkustrap sat with Demeter in the middle of the Junkyard, as they stared at nothing but each other. He felt a little guilty from neglecting to attend to his depressed mate after all these months, but now he had the opportunity to make it right. This had probably been the longest he had spent with her since winter. Of course, he couldn't help it. He was a busy tom, trying to do Old Deuteronomy's job, but slowly, it had gotten easier as the seasons had passed. Now it was mid-summer, the Jellicle ball was soon to approach and life seemed to have absolutely no troubles at all.
The silver tabby then turned to his mate. Her gold face and green eyes seem to shine brightly under the sun, as if to great lights were competing to see who could be brighter. He had missed that smile, and he wished it could never leave her face. "Dem," he said, barely above a whisper, "Sitting here…with you…after so long……I just…I feel……well…….I love you."
Demeter looked over to him and smiled warmly. Munkustrap felt like a hearth was near his face, as if she were the sun. "I love you too." She said genuinely. Munkustrap always loved being open to the gold queen, because she always had a positive reaction. Demeter quickly pecked her mate on the cheek and smiled at him sweetly. The silver tabby felt as if his youthful adolescent days were waving back to him.
Demeter then sighed, and then sat up straight, with a slight grin. "Anyway, now I guess I'm just happy that Zela's back. I don't have to deal with anymore drama, and maybe I can finally get to know my daughter."
Munkustrap smiled as he came up to meet his mate's face, "I think so too." He said encouragingly, "You've just been so deprived of her for so long; I guess…I guess you just need some time with her."
She smiled back at him, "And I plan to make that time, whenever it's possible. Of course, I want her to have a life in the Junkyard, not just to improve her relationship with me."
Munkustrap nodded, acknowledging all of Demeter's hopes for the gold-rd queen. "I know she'll be alright." He assured them both, "She's very strong, and now she's a fully grown queen."
Demeter covered a smile on her face and looked at the ground, "Oh…that must mean I'm getting old if she's already an adult." She cried through her hands.
The silver tabby chuckled and leaned over to kiss her forehead, "Oh Dem," he chuckled, "You're as young and spirited as the day I first met you."
The gold queen smiled and leaned into her mate. "Munk, I love you….so much. You're too nice to me."
The silver and black tom scoffed, "I'm not nice enough to you…….But I swear that's going to change. I'm not going to unintentionally neglect you anymore."
Demeter looked up at him, "You never did." She said simply.
Soon the two of them sat in the silence of the day. Magic seemed to swarm around them listlessly, magic that seemed to last forever, as if they didn't have a care in the world.
"Munk!" a voice suddenly cried. Munkustrap opened his eyes as Demeter got up from his chest. He stood up and looked around with Demeter bending down by his side. Abruptly, Rumpleteazer appeared sprinting over to him, as her screams grew louder, "Munk! Munk! Oh, Heavyside, Munk!"
The silver tabby stared at the tiger striped queen. She looked completely exhausted, but also in a panic. He touched her shoulder, and tried to calm her, "Teazer. Teazer! Relax…" she panted heavily, looking very dizzy. He looked deeply into her eyes, "What is it? What's wrong? What happened, Rumpleteazer?"
The tiger-striped queen stood there, breathing heavily in and out. Demeter came tentatively to her side, and gripped her other shoulder. Teazer then started to speak between breaths, "Munk……Pla'o….It was Pla'o…..We…we saw 'im…….we saw 'im, an' he was….goin' crazy, loike….loike a…a mad ca'…….It was terrible! Then……Mungo an' 'Lonz……they grabbed 'im, an'…… 'eaded into tha…that Junkyard….Ah, it was……awful…"
Munkustrap brow furrowed as Teazer bent down, catching her breath. He released his grip on her shoulder, "Plato? Where, Teazer, where did they go?"
She shook her head, staring at the dirt, "I dunno……I dunno…….prolly Jelly's den……bu' it's just a guess…"
Without thinking, Munkustrap stood up and ran towards the medical den, still shocked and amazed by Rumpleteazer's story. He headed down a dark path and into the main area of the Junkyard. Everything seemed normal. No one seemed panicked or confused. Perhaps nothing was going on. Maybe Teazer was just being funny. Then again, she seemed far to strained to be joking. Heading past the curious faces, the silver tabby headed up into the areas where the dens sat in garbage piles. Quickly, he located where Jellyorum's den was, and ran straight for it.
Then suddenly, something stopped him.
He saw Mungojerrie and Alonzo trying to carry the crazed looking Plato into the den. He had on a wicked grin as he cackled. His claws were out and swinging between the two of them and his eyeballs looked as to be on fire. Munkustrap was taken aback as his jaw dropped,
"Good Lord……" he whispered. All of the instincts on issues and troubles and problems suddenly came back…
^~*~^