The Story of a Knight in Shining Armor

Mistoffelees curled up tighter into the corner of the cardboard box, shivering hopelessly in the cold sun. Although half-starved, shelter-less, and scared, Mistoffelees knew anything was better than what he was running from. His father worked him relentlessly, even painfully, forcing his son's magical tendencies to emerge earlier than most mystical cats'. The poor kitten didn't know what was happening to him when a searing, bright beam shot from his paw and the smell of burnt fur rose to his nose. So he ran. He bided his time until the appropriate moment to escape his father's greed-filled, power-hungry face.

Of course, Mistoffelees knew he wouldn't be able to last much longer without help. His father was the Napoleon of Crime, the Hidden Paw, a fiend in feline shape, who had dozens of cats at his disposal to do his bidding. Either Macavity would capture him or he would eventually perish in the merciless London winters. He was still a kitten, after all.

So here Mistoffelees lay, curled up in a forgotten old box in a forgotten old alleyway, wondering how he could possibly find a proper family in a world that had forgotten him.

"There you are, you little brat," a large, rusty tom stalked up to the young Mistoffelees, cornering him in his box. "Your daddy is quite cross with you right now. Better to get you home now, before your punishment escalates to a more… painful… level."

"No! I will not go back! You can't make me! He'll hurt me!" cried the desperately courageous kitten.

"Not my problem," growled the tom. Just as the cat began reaching for the trembling tuxedo tom, a crushed can flew from out of nowhere and hit the cat squarely in his scarred face.

"Hey, ugly, come and get me!" squeaked a voice from behind a trashcan. Fury at his broken pride spurned the assaulted cat to seek out his attacker in a careless, clumsy fashion, shouting,

"Get back here, you idiot kit! When I catch you, you'll be nothing more than a fuzzy winter blanket!"

Mistoffelees saw a flash of white to his left from underneath the dumpster, the opposite direction from where his father's cat was searching.

"Hey, you, in the box," whispered the cat hiding under the dumpster. "When I say go, run with me to the mouth of the alleyway." Mistoffelees could only nod, still confused and petrified by the passing events. A sleek kitten queen pulled herself from her hiding place and threw another crushed can at a bucket placed precariously on the edge of the trashcan that the burly tom was sniffing out. The can hit its target, and the bucket plummeted, trapping the enraged cat inside when it hit the ground.

"Let's go!" she shouted to Mistoffelees, and they both ran from the cat spouting language almost as colorful as the mirth in the queen's eyes. Turning the corner past the alleyway, the two stumbled upon a junkyard, where several cats were out sunbathing or grooming each other. The running pair slowed and entered the yard, the queen grinning widely at their adventure. Mistoffelees turned to thank her, but was stopped when he had to squint and turn away from her gleaming white coat, which shined like armor in the sunlight so strongly that it hurt to look. Eventually, he opened his eyes again as she led him into her home, nodding to each passing cat.

The magical Mr. Mistoffelees was welcomed warmly into this family of cats. In the months to come, as he grew closer to his feline friends and fostered his ever-growing magical talent, Mr. Mistoffelees would come to think of this pearl-white queen (whose name he soon learned was Victoria) as the kitten who saved him in his moment of need, his knight in shining armor.

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Hi there! I'm new-ish to the fandom, and this is my first publication here. It also happens to be an entry for BroadwayKhaos' Jellicle Week writing competition. I know it is technically 6/17, but it is currently 12:04 AM where I am, and I think that should count as an entry for 6/16. I just happened to publish it four minutes late... And in order to get seven consecutive days, I have to publish this tonight. Hope that works... Enjoy! ~InkWoven