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"Why don't you come back with me? Everyone at the Junkyard would love
you!" Jemima beamed holding the taller toms hand as they walked through the darker side of town.
He had no idea
how he met her, and why she had any interest in him. He was shy and quiet, rarley ever speaking to anyone, even his own father.
He was tall and well built. His fur was white based with brown and copper patches. His eyes were bold and stood out against
his white undercoat. They glowed a golden colour making him an intimidating cat to cross.
She on the other hand was
innocent, petite and outgoing. She had a beautiful personality. Loving, accepting, kind... She was incredible. He didn't deserve
her, not for what he was.
"No," he pulled away siddenly as they approached the Junkyard. "I can't..."
Jemima
paused and turned to him with a frown, "Why not?"
"That life isn't meant for me." he replied softly lowering his eyes,
hiding them in the dark shadow his fur created above his brows. "I can't go there. It's forbidden."
Jemima simply laughed
and danced back to his side, wrapping er slender arm around his muscular one, "Don't be silly, Plato! They will adore you,
like I do."
"You don't understand," Plato shook her off his arm, "It's complicated Jem."
Jemima didn't understand.
He had been so joyfilled earlier, so full of life. He was talkative and outgoing like her. They had sat on the rooftop of
the pub for two hours talking about themselves, getting to know one another, and now he was quiet and mysterious.
"It's
not you." He added after a long silence as jem trie dto understand what he was saying. "I just don't want you to get hurt
because of me. It's not worth it. I'm not worth it."
"Don't say that!" Jemima hissed ready to smack him, "You
are worth it! Youre worth it because I think you are. You make it sound as if my opinion doesn't even matter."
"That's
not what I meant." Plato sighed. "My father... he wouldn't approve of this."
"Why not?" Jemima's eyes grew sad again.
"What could he possibly hold against a Jellicle?"
"Everything."
---
It had been so long since she'd seen
him. Days? Weeks? Months? It seemed like years, but it had only bee several days.It only took a day for her to fall in love
and it would take a life time to let go.
Jemima sat on the tire hugging her knees to her chest as her friends sat on
the steps talking about the toms of the Junkyard. She sighed thinking about how much she missed him. She missed how he held
her when she was cold, how he faught off that nasty HenchCat they had run into. It seemed odd that he knew Plato's name as
if he'd seen him more than once. Could that be true?
"What about you Jem?" Etcetera asked suddenly.
Jemima
looked down at her, her daydream broken, "What?"
"What tom do you like?" Cettie repeated more accuratly. Jem didn't
reply immediatly, so Cettie pushed on, "Well?"
"I don't know."
"Of course you do!" Electra half laughed, "There
must be a tom around here that you like. I can see it in your face."
Jemima looked away hidding her eyes in her knees.
She didn't want to talk about it, she no longer even wanted to think about it. It hurt to much. He didn't even give her a
chance! Was she not good enough for him? Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn't notice until Etcetera wrapped her
arms around her.
"It's ok Jem," Cettie cooed tightening her hug.
"No toms worth your tears Jem." Electra added.
"You
don't know that!" Jem snapped pushing Cettie away, "You can't say that when you dont' know who it is! He's worth every tear,
every heardache, every lonley moment and every second of my life!"
The two young queens blinked at Jemima in surprise.
Jemima had always been the sweet kind kitten, the kitten everyone thought would grow up to be something incredibly specail
and important. Now a tom was involved and it looked bad.
"Who is it?" Electra finally asked.
"I don't know."
Jem replied honestly looking away wiping her eyes vicously. She didn't really know him. She knew he was a tom, one she'd found
wandering the dark side of town. He had saved her from the HenchCat that had tried to attack her. But other than that, he
was a mystery cat.
---
"You're in for it." The cat chuckled darkly walking beside Plato. He was a fully black
cat, his fur rough and messy, but still it shimmered as if it had once been soft and smooth. His eyes were nearly invisible,
just as dark as his fur.
"Shut up, Hench." Plato hissed, his voice hinted a warning. He conitnued on through the messy
streets of the city's allys as the Hench walked behind him. He passed several similar looking Hench's as he approched his
father further into the ally.
He could feel eyes watching him as he walked passed, and he was so tempted to attack
several of the Henches. They mocked him for what he had done and many probably shund him. A Jellicle was something a Hench
was never to get involved with. The only exception was the fight.
When he finally reaches where his father stood, he
felt oddly nervous and scared. His father was ruthless and harsh. His punishments had lead Plato to become the monster he
was today. He hated his father for turning him into the animal he was, and forgivness was out of the question.
"You
were with a Jellicle," The ginger tom stated, his arms crossed and his emerald eyes glaring down at Plato as he stood on a
dumpster, three Henches below, ready to die for him.
Way to state the obvious. Plato thought to himself rolling
his eyes.
"Don't roll your eyes at me!" Macavity snapped narrowing his eyes at his son.
Plato fell to his knees
as a sharp pain rushed through his brain like lightening. He flung his hands to his head trying to endure the sharp pains.
It was like a migrain only nothing was really wrong. It was an illusion, nothing more.
"Now," Macavity uncrossed his
arms and let his arms hang down by his sides, more relaxed now. "You've broken our most punishable law."
"And I'm ready
to take the punishment, whatever it may be." Plato found the strength to stand and face his father. "Let's get this over with."
"You
seem to think your punishment is physical." Macavity raised en eyebrow, "Don't be so quick to assume."
"What is it
then?" Plato asked, still frustrated and angry.
"You are never to see that Jellicle again, and if you even step a foot
outside of this territory you are to be killed. No exceptions." Macavity wouldn't hesitate for a second if it came down to
killing his only son. Plato meant nothing to him.
"You can't do that," Plato's anger vanished and was replaced with
despair.
"Oh but I can, and did. Is that to much for you to handle?" Macavity smirked at Plato's misery. It had only
been decided and Plato was already in peices.
"No." Plato replied.
Macavity was unsure whether he had said no
as in 'No this cant be' or 'No i can handle this'. It didn't matter though, "The it's decided. You may leave Plato."
Plato
turned and began walking. He could ear snickering and laughing from the Henches as he passed. It was pathetic that he had
fallen in love with a Jellicle. You had to be some kind of reject to do something like that. he could have sworn he heard
his heart shatter.
---
It was dark outside, and the wind was whipping the trees around without mercy. That's
how Jemima felt; like she was being beaten up. She walked along the sidewalk, that divided the two territories. She was praying
that maybe, he would come around again. Maybe.
"Jem?" His gentle voice was carried on the wind.
Jemima smiled,
and turned to see him. Something was wrong though. His eyes looked dead, and he looked as if somerhing had bene taken from
him, something that helped him live.
"What's wrong?" She asked walking towards him.
"My father has forbidden
me to see you." He replied with a frown, but he sounded so strong, so sure of something. "But I can't keep walking in his
murderous footsteps. That's not who I am."
"What?" Jem became lost in his words. "Murderous?"
He nodded a little
nervously, afraid to admit who his father was. She might hate him for who his father was. There was no sure answer to how
many Jellicles had died at the hands of Macavity. "Macavity is my father."
She was speechless. Macavity? Plato was
the soon of Macavity? That didn't even seem possible. Plato was so different, so... perfect. Macavity was heartless
and a murderer. A criminal.
"I don't blame you if you hate me." Plato looked away ashamed. "I hate myself for who
I am. Im disgusted by myself."
"No," Jemima stepped across the boarder line and took his face in her hands. "Stop saing
things like that! You're not like him and never will be. You're Plato; most amazing tom alive. That's who you really are."
Plato
sighed placing one hand over hers. He closed his eyes, just imagining her smiling face. This moment was so nice, he thought
he was dreaming. "You're to good to me, Jemima."
"You're just to hard on yourself." Jemima replied with a soft smile.
It didn't matter what cat he was the son of. Plato was Plato.
"Well," a deep voice rang from ehind Plato, "Just can't
keep away."
Plato quickly turned to the Hench speaking, only to see the other two with him. They all looked the same.
Black with hidden eyes. He stepped back towards Jem, ready to fight to protect her.
"You're father will be very displeased
with this, Plato." One hissed through his teeth, "A Jellicle and a Hench; so sad."
"More like pathetic." The other
remarked with a grin.
"You remember the consiquence, dont you?" The first Hench asked. He stood taller and more proud
than the other two did. He was clearly a higher rank then them. "Death."
Jemima gasped clutching onto Plato's arm,
"No, you can't." She squeaked in fear, her tiny voice hard to hear now.
"Oh but we can." The same Hench smiled wickley.
"Macavity's
orders," The other said, more serious. "And what Macavity orders, must be done."
"You're sick, all of you!" Jemima
hissed.
Plato looked back at her disapprovingly. SHe didn't need to go and anger these Henches. They wanted him, not
her. Chances were when they were done with him they'd take her. He couldn't risk that.
"If you want to kill me, go
ahead. If you die it's your own failt." Plato replied, in a low growl.
The three laughed at his words. As if he, lover
of a Jellicle, would be able to stop three well trained Henches. It was suicide.
"You speak brave, kit." The lead Hench
added, as the two other Henches still laughed, "I'll give you that. But bravery is stupidties brother." He lunged forward,
claws unleashed ready to rip Plato apart.
Plato turned and hugged Jemima, ready for the pain to take his life away.
A
flash of colours went passed Plato and attacked the Hench coming towards him. The Hench was knocked away, skidding across
the dirty street, passed the other two Henches. Their laughing stopped and they hissed angrily.
Munkustrap and Alonzo
stood in front of Plato, glaring at the three Henches. The lead Hench jumped back up and fell back into a crouch, snarling
as his eyes flared with rage.
"Alonzo, take the one onthe right." Munkustrap ordered, as he charged towrds the leader.
"And
let you walk away a hero..." Alono muttered a little annoed as he followed Munkustrap's order and jumped towards the other
Hench.
The large tom watched in furry as Munkustrap and Alonzo faught the smaller Henches. he looked back at Plato
with a deady glare, "You ran off to the Jellicles? How sad. You can't even face your father."
"I didn't run off to
the Jellicles." Plato defended, as if it was a bad thing. "They just showed up!"
"So you don't need our help?" Alonzo
asked as he dogded a swip from the Hench he was fighting.
Jemima pulled Plato back, "Stop it Plato. They just want
to help."
"I don't need their help." Plato hissed pulling away vicously, running at the large tom. The hissed and snarle
as fur flew and blood was shed. Alonzo and Munkustrap faught off the two Henches but Plato was struggling with the other.
"To
much for you to handle?" He taunted Plato.
Plato glared at him, panting. He was exhusted. He had barley any energy
left. There was no way he could fight this tom off alone, and he sure wasn't going to get help from any Jellicle.
He
stopped. What was he saying? He loved a Jellicle. Jemima. How could he treat her fellow family like garbage, and treat
her like a jewl? If he was going to lov a Jellicle, he was going to be Jellicle, for her if nothing else.
"I need help,"
Plato called, not believing what he was saying. Never once in his life had he ever asked or been given help.
Alonzo
looked at Munkustrap troubled, "What do you think?"
Munkustrap looked at Alonzo with a thoughtful look. "Hes one of
us Alonzo." was all Munkustrap said before he ran to Plato's side.
"Disgusting Jellicles," The Hench hissed under his
breath. "You dancing fools are going to get what's coming someday." he warned. "Macavity will prevail." Without anothr word,
he bolted back towards th allys.
Plato was quiet as Jemima ra to him, arms wrapped around him. "Plato, I'm so glad
you ok."
"Jemima, what you did was reckless and dangerous." Munkustrap looked furious, but he just sounded worried.
Jemima
frowned, pulling away from Plato so she could face him. "I'm sorry Munkutrap. I didn't know he was Hench-"
"But he
was a stranger and you were wandering the Hench territory!" he cut her off. "What if you had been kidnapped?"
"But
Plato saved me." He defended. "He couldn't b that bad if he had the decensy to save me."
Munkustrap looked at Plato
questionably. Plato looked ashamed still. Munkustrap sighed, and returned his gaze to Jemima, "What you di was still wrong."
"I
know, and I'm sorry!" Jemima whinned, feeling miserable.
"Hey don't be so hard on her." Plato stepped forwar, finally
finding his voice, "I love Jemima, Jellicle or not. I want to become Jellicle, so our differences won't be our weakness."
"Speak
to Old Deuteronomy, Plato." Munkustrap replied moe relaxed then before, "I have n osay in the matter."
Jemima wrapped
her arms around Plato's neck with a smile, "I love you Plato. We can live happily ever-after now."
"Yeah," Plato replied
caught up in thought, noicing the emerald eyes in the darkness watching them, "Sure."
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