The Aristocats Collection

Chapter 12

Sara bundled under the covers. "Well, goodnight, Moth--" Sara stopped. "Marie." I really hoped Sara could get around to calling me Mother soon. It would make my life.
I woke up the next day thinking about Sara. The shy little cat was supposed to be my daughter. We ate breakfast (Sara didn't like it, but she put up with it). How would she ever be like Bristol? She could never take her place.
Having Sara as a daughter became even harder when I figured out the one thing that she loved to do--read. Now, usually I would be very happy over this sort of thing, that I have a kitten who actually likes to read. But may you remember that stories are strictly forbidden in my own family.
I allowed Sara an exception, as she would never do that sort of thing. She enjoyed reading a chapter book called Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West. She told me it was true literature, and that she wanted to be a storyteller one day. I then had to explain to her my rules.
"Well, you came into my life for a sad reason." I explained. The happiness left Sara's eyes as I told the story.
"I had just told my four kittens, Lanc, Abe Gio, Paris, and Bristol a story. It was a story about how I met your adoptive grandfather. He's also my adoptive father. Well, of course, we are all your adoptive family members, but you get the gist. Well, Bristol--after hearing the story, she wanted to be wild. So she ran away. I haven't seen her to this day. Her last words to me--I want to be a wild cat. I want it to be my life."
My eyes were puffy and watery as Sara stared at the ground. "Oh..." she whispered, a crying like tinge in her voice. She looked up at me. "I understand. I will do all I can to be the best daughter ever, and the child you want me to be. I love you, Mother."
That night, I went to sleep satisfied. I would strive to be the best mother.
The next morning, Mama was getting ready for a music recital. The age old tradition never failed to delight. Everyone took part in it. Posters made by Diamond and Mariette hung all outside and in the house.

The Importance Of Aristocats Recital
Join us in the musical recital of The Importance Of Aristocats, performed by all of Madame Adelaide Bonfamille's household cats! All cats are welcome. Tell your friends!
Singers:                                         Musicians:                                   Dancers:
Desiree                                          Berlay                                        Toula
Mariette                                        Cannes                                        Rebel
Diamond                                       Berlioz                                        Bella
Lanc                                             Adam                                    Sara Bristol
Paris                                              Zeke                                          Toulouse
Duchess                                        Abe Gio                                         Duke
Marie                                           Scat Cat's Band                             Junior
Madame  (human)                           Clemence (human)                       Thomas

Song written by Sir Henry

Come on Wednesday at noon, exactly 12:00
Have a good day!

    I stared at Bristol's name. Marked out. Forgotten. I shook her from my mind. I looked to see the plentiful number of cats already lined up outside. "Come on, outside! Into your positions!" Mama whispered as each cat filed through the kitty door. Madame and Clemence finally just opened the door for them all.
    We all took our places. About thirty cats had shown up! Gray cats, brown cats, ginger cats, white cats, black cats--I even saw a lynx in the crowd. A lynx! The most majestic of wild cats. She towered among the rest, standing beside a calico female.
    I stood in the front while everyone else lined up. Finally, Mama started talking. "Here today, posing before you, are cats. But not only cats. They are singers. Dancers. Musicians. Dreamers. Artists. Models. But most of all, they are together. Alley cat or aristocat, hot or cold, north or south, up or down, left or right--they are together. Now enough with the talking. Let's begin."
    Mama retreated to her place at the back. I prepared my voice. Being at the front, the other singers and I began.
    "The world would be different if it weren't for us cats," we started to sing. My solo now. "Let me go ahead, and tell you about that." The musicians chimed in. It was now Desiree and Duchess' turns. "One two three-three-three, aristocats are looking at me. Just one glance and you will see, Aristocats are what we need."
    Scat's cat and his saxophone did a dip. Like, wee-ooo, oo-oo-oo-ee. All the singers sang. "Important aristocats, something for your eyes to bat at, alley cats are wild more, so the aristocats push them out the door."
    Scat Cat's band and the musicians play a tip-toe tune. Like, boop, boop, boop. The dancers came on. They had their fur combed up, and they looked cute and dangerous at the same time. "Oh no!" Lanc shouted. "Here they come!" Paris laughed on cue. Mariette had her solo. "You haven't to worry, no my dears! The alley cats are coming near. Just one whiff and in a jiff, they'll run away really quick." I heard Berlay on his violin, and everyone else went silent. His magnificent violin solo lasted for five seconds. Five seconds in the spotlight. Finally, Clemence ended his solo with a blow of her flute.
    Finally, almost the end. O'Malley walked out. Duchess sang very slowly. "Sometimes things end up the wrong way...but to me it does not matter anyway. My love and me shine together so bright, an aristo and an alley cat in the moonlight."
    All the dancers twirled as Mama sat with O'Malley, and as I whisked over to Adam to hug him. Rebel dashed over to Zeke, and Desiree gracefully skipped over to Toulouse. And all of us smiled and posed.
    Everyone clapped. The lynx bounced up and down on his big paws. After everyone was let go from the stage to converse, I saw the lynx wander over to Berlioz. I looked like they were already very good friends. I wondered if Berlioz would be dropping Clovisse any time soon.
    I had wondered this, until later in Madame's house, Berlioz and the lynx (who was named Winter) announced their engagement. I was happy, but Berlioz and a lynx? Kinda crazy! It would be awesome if they had kittens.
    A little while after Winter moved in, my wish was granted--kittens! They looked beautiful. However, there were only two--and both looked like Winter.
    Winter decided she would name the girl and that Berlioz would name the boy. The girl was named Sycamore and the boy was named Oak. They were so cute! However, I hoped they wouldn't want to play rough. They were big already.
    Over the next few days, the kittens (or cubs) grew to a state where they could talk and move. Both the cubs found interest in my harp. This was interesting--having great interest in music from a young age.
    Sycamore was excellent on the chords, while Oak was good on effects. The two produced a magnificent sound.
    However, a truly wild animal can never fully revert to a tame stage. Although they also had domestic cat in them, they also had lynx. And lynx were completely wild.
    It started when, within five weeks of being born, Oak and Sycamore began to eat more. Not just at different times of day, but at once. They also began to have an urge to eat more 'wild' food. Fresh fish, caught bird--not just the average cinnamon milk and kitty kibble we eat.
    Eating more leads to gaining more weight, which leads to growing in size. Oak and Sycamore, at only two and one quarter months, were as big as me! They also stayed under the cabinets and in the dark. I started to think that they barely had any domestic cat in them.
    The one remnant of docility from Berlioz was that they loved to cuddle. Their ears, also, were not fluffy, like Berlioz'.
    I weigh eight pounds. That's pretty average for a cat. But these younger-than-me wild cats weighed a grand 17 pounds! One more pound than twice my size! I heard Madame whisper something about a place called a sanctuary, and that if the lynxes don't become more domestic, they would go there.
    Madame had to get freshly caught fish from the market every day to satisfy Oak and Sycamore's growing hunger. I finally could focus on something else for a moment when Mariette, Berlay, and Toula announced something to Mama...
Each of them were dating.
    Mariette was dating an intelligent cat named Benjamin, while Toula was dating an athletic one named Ryder. Finally, Berlay was with a quiet, musical girl named Isla (pronounced eye-luh).
    Just as I had stricken up a chat with them, a loud noise blared through my ears.
Weee, ooo. Weee, ooo.
    It was about eight PM, not too late, but pretty dark. Red and blue lights flashed through the windows, as all of us cats panicked. Red and blue could only mean one thing.
Police.
    They were supposed to, apparently, keep the city safe. Why were they here?
    I heard manly shouting downstairs, and I heard Madame cry, "Please! No!" Sara crawled under the couch to hide, and I could tell she was scared.
    A man in an all black costume bursted in. "There they are!" He shouted, pointing at Sycamore, Oak, and Winter. "Get them!"
    I was confused. For a split second, I was terrified. My whole family dashed to the nearest hiding place as the police grabbed Oak. Sycamore and Winter dashed away, and the black-coated man ran after them. He tried to pick up Winter. I heard her hiss. A loud boom rang through the room, and everyone remained silent.
    Madame burst in, crying. "Winter! Winter!" The police were still trying to grab Sycamore, but Sycamore flopped onto the ground, exhausted. They picked her up.
    "You monster! You killed Winter! You were trying to save her from this, and you killed my cat!"
    "Miss, let's reason through a few points. First of all, it was never your cat. You captured it from the wild. Second, it is illegal to own a Eurasian Lynx in these parts, due to them being endangered. Finally, and most importantly, it is not only legal to shoot a wild cat if they show aggression to you, but it is enforced upon us." The policeman said to Madame. I peeked out from my hiding place. I saw Madame kneeling over Winter, crying. Winter's body was lying and motionless.
    Winter did not blink. She did not close her mouth. Sycamore and Oak whined as tears dripped down their faces. What had this policeman done? His job is to protect, not hurt. What was wrong with Winter?
    I lifted my head to see her chest. There was a hole, a little red hole. I looked to the policeman, who was holding the long stick that had caused the loud noise.
    Berlioz ran over to Winter's cold body. He shed tears on it. "Winter, no!" he cried, touching her forehead with his paw. "Winter, come back! Please, Winter!"
I am telling how this happened slowly, so that you may get all the details. But in reality, all of this happened very quickly. "I'm sorry, Ma'am." the policeman said. "If it would have been in the wild, this would have never happened."
Madame turned to the officers. "What will happen to her kittens, Sycamore and Oak? I get to keep them, right? I mean, Berlioz is my cat, and he bred Winter!" The officer gave Madame a stern look. "No, but they will be released into a sanctuary. As for the body of the killed lynx, it will be disposed of."
Madame shrieked, "You can't just throw her away! She has to have a proper funeral and everything!" The policeman looked at Madame as if she were crazy. "That is reserved for humans."
Madame lashed out again. "Can't I represent in court? The English Constitution states that I have the right to file a lawsuit."
"Ma'am, this is involving an animal. Court cases are for human related cases only. Animals are not important."
"They are! You can just shut your po-"
Madame was cut off as two other policemen grabbed Madame. "You have violated the laws by contradicting a member of the law. You will go to jail for half a year."
"What? Wait...what will happen to my cats?"
"The maid will care for them, and if she declines they will be sent to the shelter."
"But...what about-"
The police pulled Madame out the door as she shouted a muffled, "I love you, my beauties!" Winter's kittens and her body had been taken by the police. We stared at the spot where her lifeless figure lay seconds before.
"I don't understand!" Abe Gio cried. "First Bristol, then Madame, now Sycamore, Winter, and Oak, all together! Mommy, Daddy! Why!" Abe Gio ran to me and buried his head in my fur. I felt it start to get wet as he cried. I heard his muffled words. But they were not Come Back Sycamore and Winter. They were not Come back Oak and Madame. They were...
"Bristol, please."
    I hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry, Abe Gio. Bristol is not coming back."
And I'm so glad I was wrong.