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My name would become legend... - Puss In Boots(Shrek)

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Jake jumped back away from the creature, terror clearly on his face, Puss was menace before, he didn't want to imagine what he'd do if he could talk.

"You know, that expression of yours says volumes about what you think of me," Puss stated dryly, "And I'm constantly amazed at how well you can understand me," Jake's eyes narrowed quickly into slits, Puss really was as proud as he imagined he was, he had read him completely right. Somehow that realization seemed to annoy him further, because now he had officially confirmed that this cat had in fact been messing with him, and manipulating him on purpose. It wasn't just his imagination, in fact he may have been happier if he thought perhaps Puss really wasn't quite as evil as he indicated.

"Puss, why are you talking,?" he scolded firmly still glaring down at him. Puss grunted a sound Jake always linked to a scoff.

"What you want me to sing? This isn't 'The Sound of Music'" he responded. Jake narrowed his eyes more, at him, and Puss responded by walking up to him slowly, and rubbing up against his leg like he always did to gain attention. Jake frowned down at him, right before Puss wordlessly walked away heading to the stairs. He wanted him to follow, Jake noticed immediately, he weighed his options, ignore the cat that talked, and pretend this was all a bad dream, or follow the cat and engage this crazy storyline, which may possibly end up with me checking into an asylum. Puss tilted his head at the stairway impatiently, and Jake sighed, as much as he complained about the cat--if he was honest, he did consider him a friend...perhaps even closer family than his older brothers...so yes, he'd continue this crazy story and follow him.

Puss led him up the stairs and weirdly pass his father's old room, into the attic, it was definitely the first time Puss had led him there. Jake had however, been in the attic before and short of an old chest that belonged to his late mother with her old clothes, there was nothing of importance.

"Why up here, Puss?" Jake questioned, coughing softly admist the dust. Puss went to the large chest, and stood in front of it, and Jake followed. He opened it revealing...

Old clothes.

Moths had eaten away at some and the stench of mild dew filled the room almost instantly.

"No seriously? Why up here?" Jake stated incredulously, making a face at the smell, "I figured a talking cat had better things to do," Jake teased him, heck if he was going crazy, he may as well enjoy it. Puss just seemed to frown.

"There's a book in there, dig it out," Jake frowned at his commanding tone, but dug through the chest anyway, pulling out an old brown book.

"And this...?" his voice trailed off when he saw his feline friend fast asleep curled in a ball, he frowned again, he knew Puss didn't sleep that fast, meaning...he doesn't want to talk. His eyes went back to the book and he opened it to read. There he learnt a lot about his world, apparently the world was created by someone every called the Creator, and he had had made beings in this world that could use magic, there were werewolves,wizards and witches, besides that there were some with magical guardians, who would protect you and your family, they were rare though. Nevertheless according to the book, Jake's mother's family line had an ancient lineage, and the guardian they had was a orange cat by the name of Puss in Boots.

Jake looked from the book, that sounded like nothing short of a fairy tale back to Puss' sleeping figure. Puss is my family's guardian? This really is crazy, he determined.

"You don't believe it," Puss said, now apparently awake as he stretched himself out, digging his claws into the wooden floor as he stretched himself. Jake shook his head.

"I still think I'm delusional due to the trauma of losing my father," Jake responded bluntly.

"Hmm," Puss took a step forward, "Given the only reason you're hearing me is because of your father's death--since after Milday died he became my Master, I couldn't talk to you openly until he passed since it was his wish--and so, you are not imagining me talking..." he explained ," As I am now, I can talk to anyone I want to, in order to prove my point--but that isn't necessary to do my job," he concluded. Jake huffed.

"And Puss? What exactly is that job?" he asked sarcastically looking down at him, as the cat sat in front of him, his eyes seemed to hold a maturity and wisdom to them that he hadn't seen before, and he found himself unwillingly believing his strange illusion.

"To be your guardian, and giving you your heart's desire,"he stated.

"My heart's desire?" Jake repeated dumbly, never had he felt so lost as when he was talking to his cat, Puss definitely had a way of messing with his mind, despite that instantly an image of the Princess flashed cross his mind as she smiled and laughed with the children. "I don't have a heart's desire." Jake said it quickly almost to surpress his thought but it was too quick, because Puss noticed instantly, and his eyes twinkled a bit. One small paw came forward to point at him, and Jake felt his stomach twirl, at the look of deviousness in his eyes.

"That there, that you just thought about, that's your heart'd desire," Puss claimed his eyes twinkling mischievously, Jake blushed.

"Look, it's not..." he tried, "It doesn't matter--It's not important," he tried again.Puss huffed.

"Of course it's not important, nothing is more important than me," he stated hautedly, Jake frowned, not liking the comparison, "Nevertheless, it's my job and I will achieve it." Jake narrowed his eyes.

"Put aside the whole my heart's desire, or what's not,"Jake started, his cheeks heating slightly at the thought,"Why me? Jackson and Jason also have a heart's desire...even my father had a desire, why do you want to make mine come true?" Puss tilted his head slightly to the side and gave him a look as if he were stupid.

"Do you think I'd grant the heart desire of just anybody? I only spend time with those I feel deserve my effort," he said. Jake looked at him dubiously, "Milady, your mother's heart desire was to be free, travel the world and live out her days in a peaceful village, I granted her that," he continued, and Jake found himself a bit surprised by the heart desire his mother had, "Your father was a decent man, so I allowed them to be, but after she died, even I could not grant his heart desire to bring her back, so we agreed I'd look to one of you," he looked out the circular window, as if in thought, it was almost cute seeing a cat look so serious, "Jackson and Jason are idiots with only money and girls on their minds," he said bluntly, even Jake thought the sudden insult was a bit rude albeit true, " And although I could bring them success," he stated turning back to Jake, "I'd rather spend a thousand years being tortured by dogs, than use my intellect for something like that," he concluded harshly making Jake flinch back. "Then there was you, you didn't have much of a desire for anything, I swear I'd have to wait til one of you had kids to have a use, since you're so dull, like you didn't bother to reach further than what you had currently. Annoyed me to furball hell, so I did what I could to annoy you, and you started to show some kind of personality--"

Jake frowned at his statements, he was right, after his mother pass he had decided to just accept whatever came, never complain, and bother about achieving more than his 'role' in life. He would just live and eventually die... but who would have thought his cat was so analytical, not to mention, until he pointed it out Jake hadn't realized that with Puss he was different, he was willing to stand up for himself and say something back even if only a little bit...mainly because the furball was so annoying. Seriously, who could seriously sit back and allow a cat to act like he was better than you, without at leadt getting annoyed, but to think that he did that to help him, was...actually a bit heart warming, Jake couldn't help thinking.

" And yes...I enjoyed messing with you," Puss confessed, and Jake felt like hitting him. " I started to like you as much as Milady, so I asked your father to leave me to you, so that I can grant your heart's desire," he concluded. Jake frowned.

"There are a whole lot of things wrong with what you just said," Jake muttered, considering in his one speech he called him dull, and stated he liked to annoy him. Even if his heart was in a semi-good place, the cat was in deed a menace.

"But in the end, you are my master, and I'm your Puss In Boots," Puss gave a catty grin, and Jake frowned again. There was a moment of silence, before Jake broke it.

"But you're not wearing boots," Jake stated the obvious, at which Puss growled, then sighed.

"Here, as my master, before we can start, you'll have to buy we a pair of boots, " he said in a command like voice, "I'm size 1."Jake's eyes narrowed, this cat must be trying to lose one of his nine lives...

"Puss, I am poor--all I have is a few pennies I've saved from work, and your cat food, I've no money for boots...for a cat!" Jake growled out,"And if I'm your master why order me around?!" Puss shook his head.

"Tell me what is your desire?" he asked, ignoring Jake's two questions, defeated Jake answered with the only thing that had come to his mind and refused to leave, although he doubted a cat, even a talking cat could do what he desired. He wanted her, the beautiful Princess Elena to be...his wife and he wanted to have a family with her, it was preposterous, yet, she was the woman who captured his heart, and he longed to have a family beside her. "Okay, I'll have you marry the princess," Puss agreed easily. Jake's mouth dropped, even for a cat to say that so easily.

"But first you must buy me boots," he insisted. Jake's expression changed to one of weariness.

"What does boots have to do with anything?"

"No-one is going to take a talking cat seriously unless he has boots, master," Puss claimed, "I.need. boots." That was the end of that, Jake decided then, even if he spent his last shilling, he'd buy the annoying cat boots, even if it at least it meant a moment of peace.

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