(introduction, author's note, disclaimer and all that good stuff)
Hi ya'll! I'm Presto and this is my fic. (that was the introduction :-)
As you've read this is the special edition of "Burnt Out Ends of Smoky Days." All that means is it's a new and improved version of the old one. I fixed some of the typos (and most likely made some new ones while I was at it ;-). I added some stuff, deleted some stuff, and made a character log that can only be seen in the special edition! :-D
And now for the promised disclaimer that I know you all are just DYING to read! :-P
I do NOT own CATS (however if you are reading this story Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, I would be happy to take it off your hands ;-)
I do NOT own any of the characters in CATS.
I DO own Samprona.
I do NOT own Shakespeare's eighteenth sonnet. That is owned by the brilliant
*sound of trumpets heralding. . .*
William Shakespeare himself!
And now with no further ado, please enjoy
"Burnt Out Ends of Smoky Days"
SPECIAL EDITION!
=^.".^=
The yearly Jellicle Ball was to be held in only five days. The junkyard was alive with all sorts of activities. The Rum Tum Tugger flirted with Bombalurina. The kittens enjoyed games of tag and hide-and-seek. Jennyanydots and Jellyorum were knitting and sharing the latest gossip. Off to the side, Mistoffelees was practicing the magic tricks that he would perform that year. He would occasionally look around to make sure that no one was watching.
Munkustrap, Alonzo, and Skimbleshanks were discussing the schedule for the ball. They agreed that they needed to be prepared for another attack by Macavity. He had shown up completely by surprise the previous year. That had resulted in the catnapping of Old Deuteronomy, and the attempted catnapping of Demeter. Thank the Everlasting Cat Mistoffelees was there to bring their beloved leader back to the junkyard.
They had been calmly discussing this subject when Munkustrap leapt to his feet.
"Did you hear that?" he asked.
The other two perked up their ears and listened.
"I can't hear anything Munk," said Alonzo.
"Neither can I," added Skimble.
Munkustrap shrugged and sat down. But, he remained alert. He was sure that he'd heard something.
Skimble resumed the conversation.
"What we need to look out for are Macavity's disguises," he said. "He almost tricked us into believing that he was Old Deuteronomy last year. Who knows what he'll try this. . ."
Suddenly, all three jellicles leapt to their feet.
"I assume you heard that?" asked Munkustrap.
The other two nodded.
They had all distinctly heard the bark of a pollicle followed by the scream of a female cat.
The three toms dashed out of the junkyard to find the source of the sound.
They soon caught sight of a queen who was being chased into an alley by a small pollicle.
They quickly followed.
When they caught up, they found that the pollicle had cornered the female against a dumpster. It did not have any intention of hurting her, but it wasn't going to let her go either. The three jellicles had an easy time at making it go away.
They planted themselves between it and the female, hissing and slashing at it with their claws. The pollicle was in no mood for a real fight and it quickly retreated.
When it was out of sight, the male jellicles turned to look at the queen. She was curled up in a little ball and shivering from fright.
She was a shorthaired cat of moderate size. Her fur was dark brown with blotches of tan.
On her shoulder there was a long, cruel looking scar. For some reason she seemed familiar to Munkustrap but he could not tell why.
The gray tabby knelt beside her and placed a paw on her back.
She leapt to her feet. Her green eyes filled with terror.
"Plea-please don't hurt me," she stammered.
"We aren't going to hurt you," said Munkustrap as he rose to his feet.
"Are you all right?" asked Skimble.
The brown queen nodded.
"We can take you to your home if you like."
"I don't have a home," she whispered.
"Then let us take you to ours," said Munkustrap.
He held out a paw to the brown queen.
She studied the kind faces of the toms. After deciding that they meant her no harm she accepted Munkustrap's paw.
The four cats started out of the alley.
"This is Alonzo and Skimbleshanks. My name is Munkustrap. What is your name?"
The gray tabby thought that her name would be familiar to him. He was certain that he knew her from somewhere.
The brown queen started to say something that sounded like "Samper." However she abruptly stopped.
For a second, she looked very nervous. Munkustrap felt her paw tighten around his. Then she relaxed and gave the toms a pleasant smile.
"Cassiopeia," she said. "My name is Cassiopeia."
Alonzo and Skimble agreed that this was a beautiful name.
However, Munkustrap's feeling of familiarity had now changed to suspicion.
What kind of cat stammers over her own name, even for a second?
What had made her so nervous?
And why did she seem so familiar?
The gray tabby wasn't sure what to think. He was now wishing that he had not invited her to come to the junkyard. But, there was nothing he could do about it now. He would just have to smile and say nothing.
=^.".^=
When the small band of cats entered the tribe's clearing, which is what the jellicles called their area of the junkyard, they were met with several questions from the other jellicles.
Everyone had seen the three toms suddenly dash out of the junkyard, but none of them knew why.
Now, they saw them return escorting a female outsider into their home. They were eager to find out what had happened.
Munkustrap started to explain when he saw Old Deuteronomy sitting on the tire trying to see what was going on. The gray tabby brought Cassiopeia before him. He bowed to him and explained how they had rescued the brown queen from the pollicle.
Deuteronomy looked at her kindly.
"What is your name my dear?"
"Cassiopeia," she answered.
"Where do you live?"
"I don't live anywhere."
Deuteronomy was not surprised. He knew that many felines in England did not have a home with human pets. However, he was curious as to why this beautiful queen was one of them.
"Why is that?" he asked.
"I was abandoned when I was a kitten."
Deuteronomy smiled at her.
"In that case," he said. "You can live with us. I hereby name you a jellicle cat. That is, if you would like?"
The brown queen ran up to the jellicle leader and threw her arms around his neck.
"Oh thank you!" she said. "It would be so wonderful to finally have a good home!"
The jellicles cheered.
One by one, they introduced themselves to their new friend.
Admetus offered to give her a tour of the junkyard which she accepted, much to his delight.
Munkustrap, however, did not join in all the excitement. He slowly left the junkyard and walked down the street. He wanted to think.
There was something about this new jellicle that made him uncomfortable. He wasn't sure what it was.
Something in the way she behaved.
How she had stammered over her name when she first introduced herself.
A cat's name is his pride and joy. Why should she be so jittery about it?
And why did she keep the story of herself so short and vague?
What was it she was trying to hide?
Munkustrap thought about what she said to Deuteronomy.
'It would be so wonderful to finally have a good home.'
"As opposed to what?" he said to himself. "A bad home? What would she know about a bad home if she was abandoned when she was a kitten?"
The gray tabby shook his head.
Why was he getting suspicious over a simple phrase like that?
It could mean nothing. She could simply be happy that she would have a home.
That was it wasn't it?
Munkustrap couldn't help but worry.
He was so lost in thought that he did not see the human man and girl walking toward him from the opposite direction.
"Look Daddy! A kitty cat!" said the girl.
Munkustrap looked up at them. They looked like nice humans. He knew that a human friend could always come in handy.
He meowed at the little girl who knelt beside him and stroked his fur.
"His name is Tiger Daddy, cuz he's all covered with stripes!"
The man chuckled. He set down the newspaper that he carried in one hand and patted the gray tabby on the head.
"Hello there, Tiger," he said.
"Tiger," thought Munkustrap. "What a dull name. Humans have no taste."
"Can we keep him Daddy?" asked the little girl.
"I'm sorry Princess," said the man. "I don't think your mother would like that."
He took his daughter's hand and pulled her to her feet.
"G'bye Tiger!" she called to Munkustrap, and they continued on their way.
Munkustrap smiled.
It was nice to be admired every once in awhile.
He looked down to see that the man had forgotten his newspaper.
"If I was a pollicle I would bring it to him," thought the gray tabby.
He couldn't help but laugh at the habits of those strange creatures.
"They almost deserve the name that humans give them," he said. "Dogs! Pathetic!"
He again looked down at the newspaper. The wind had blown it open.
There was a picture on the top page that caught his eye.
Two female cats.
The picture did not have color but Munkustrap could tell that the queen on the right was dark with light blotches and a scar on her shoulder.
"Holy Heavyside!" he thought. "That's Cassiopeia!"
The other queen in the picture was a white longhair. She also had a scar on her shoulder.
Munkustrap studied her picture for a second.
Then, he realized who this white queen was.
The words under the picture only verified his suspicions.
"Wanted: Griddlebone (left), former mate of Growltiger the Terror of the Thames; Samprona (right), daughter to Growltiger and Griddlebone."
Munkustrap drew in a sharp breath.
"Samprona," he thought. "That was what she started to say when she introduced herself."
This is why she looked so familiar to him. He had probably seen wanted posters just like this one around the town. In fact he was sure he had! He just didn't think about it until now.
He tore the article out of the newspaper and ran back to the junkyard as fast as his strong legs would carry him.
=^.".^=
Old Deuteronomy, Munkustrap, Skimbleshanks, and Alonzo had gathered, at Munkustrap's request, in the old car.
Deuteronomy shook his head as he studied the newspaper clipping the gray tabby had given him.
"So, she lied to us," he said. "Everything she told us about herself was a lie."
"She's a professional con queen Deuteronomy," replied Munkustrap. "Making up stories about her past is not new to her. Who knows how many times she's done it to get out of trouble."
The old cat nodded.
"Sir, do you think that she could be setting us up for something? Or did she really, want to join our tribe?"
Deuteronomy shrugged.
"I don't know Munkustrap," he said. "But, I think that we should have a talk with her, privately."
The three toms nodded.
None of them noticed the small, striped figure of Rumpleteazer who had been listening to their conversation.
She and her mate Mungojerrie were the mischievous jellicles in the tribe.
Rumpleteazer sensed that this was the perfect opportunity to stir up trouble.
"So, Cassiopeia's a con!" she thought. "Wait till the others hear about this!"
She ran off to find her jellicle friends.
=^.".^=
Admetus and Cassiopeia were sitting next to each other on an old tire.
The tom was eager to learn more about her.
"I hope you don't mind my asking," he started to say.
The brown queen interrupted.
"You want to know about this," she said, touching the scar on her shoulder.
Admetus nodded.
"It was a foolish accident," she explained. "I was walking on a fence and fell. I was lucky enough to land in a garbage can that was completely empty, except for a single broken bottle."
The tom winced.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"It's no big deal," she replied. "I've always been pretty clumsy."
The two jellicles were silent for a while. Cassiopeia looked around at her new home.
Admetus couldn't help but stare at her.
She was so beautiful, even with the scar on her neck.
The tom didn't care about that.
He was glad that she had been accepted into the tribe.
He really wanted to talk to her, but he didn't know what to say.
Females were the Rum Tum Tugger's strong point, not his.
For now, he was perfectly content just to look at her and admire her gorgeousness.
Cassiopeia turned her head and saw him staring at her. He quickly looked away.
"Sorry," he said.
The brown queen smiled and rubbed against him.
"It's all right," she purred.
The two jellicles were suddenly interrupted by a shout.
They looked up to see that almost everyone in the tribe had surrounded them. Rumpleteazer was pointing a claw at Cassiopeia.
"That's her!" she shouted. "That's Samprona, the daughter of Growltiger and Griddlebone!"
"That's a lie!" shouted Admetus as he leapt off the tire.
Mungojerrie, who was standing beside his mate, ran to confront him.
"C'mon," he yelled back. "We all know it's true! She's been lyin to us since the moment she got here!"
Admetus could no longer control himself. How dare that tom slander the queen he loved so much!
He slashed the striped cat across the face as hard as he could.
Mungojerrie was not prepared for this and was knocked off balance.
He quickly recovered and hissed at his assailant.
Admetus leapt at him, but the striped tom dodged the attack and Admetus landed on his face.
Mungojerrie stepped over his opponent and looked down at him.
"Tell me you can do better than that!" he sneered. "I always thought you were a fighter. Guess I was wrong!"
Admetus kicked the striped cat's feet out from under him.
Mungo fell to the ground.
Admetus leapt on top of him and the two toms rolled across the floor.
When they stopped Mungojerrie was on top, pinning Admetus on his back.
Admetus threw the striped cat off him and scrambled to his feet.
He hissed at his opponent and prepared himself for another attack.
He did not see that Rumpleteazer was running up behind him with a rock clutched in her paw.
"Admetus, look out!" screamed Cassiopeia.
The warning came too late.
Admetus felt a sharp pain in the back of his skull.
The junkyard began to spin.
Mungojerrie stood.
He walked up to his opponent who was clutching the back of his head and fighting to stay on his feet.
With a sarcastic laugh, the striped tom pushed Admetus to the ground and leapt on top of him.
"I save my attacks for when I have the advantage," he hissed. "Now I do."
He raised his paw ready to strike a deadly blow with his claws.
Cassiopeia screamed.
Suddenly, Mungojerrie was pushed off Admetus and thrown to the ground with the tall, gray figure of Munkustrap standing over him.
The striped tom got to his feet and dashed at the jellicle who had dared interfere with his near victorious battle.
He slashed at the gray tabby, but Munkustrap ducked and scratched Mungo's stomach.
He then stepped away from the striped cat, who glared at him furiously.
"No more of this!" shouted the gray tabby. "We are all members of the same tribe. We shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves."
"Save your speech Munkustrap!" interrupted Mungojerrie. "You're not the leader yet!"
He started toward the gray tabby, but was held back by Skimble and Alonzo, who had finally managed to push through the crowd.
He struggled as hard as he could, but the two jellicle would not release him from their iron grips.
"I believe it is Old Deuteronomy!" yelled someone from the crowd of felines.
There was complete silence.
The old cat walked through the crowd and onto the tire. He turned and faced the tribe.
At the sight of him, Mungojerrie froze. A look of horror came over his face.
Munkustrap helped Admetus to his feet. The latter shook his head, trying to regain his composure.
When he looked up at Deuteronomy he too became afraid.
"I do not want to know what happened here," said the old cat. "I am ashamed and disappointed that it was allowed to happen. I thought that our tribe was one of peace and kindness. These are signs of strength. I see now, that we have yet to gain them."
The old leader paused and the junkyard became quiet.
Rumpleteazer was the one to break the silence.
"But what about her!" she whined, pointing to Cassiopeia. "It's all her fault! None of this would've happened if she hadn't shown up."
Cassiopeia found herself being pushed onto the tire.
Deuteronomy put his arm around her.
"Cassiopeia, it is time to tell us the truth."
His words were strong, but they were also reassuring.
The brown queen looked around at the jellicles.
She took a deep breath.
"It's true," she said. "I am Samprona, the daughter of Growltiger and Griddlebone."
Admetus was shocked. He didn't know what to say. The other jellicles began to murmur. Deuteronomy silenced them.
"How did you get to be here?" he asked.
"It's a long story."
"We have plenty of time," he replied.
"After my father was forced to walk the plank my mother gave birth to me. I had no brothers or sisters, it was only me. My mother had been badly skeered, and she hated that her daughter could be more beautiful her, so she gave me this."
Samprona, ran her paw along the scar on her shoulder.
"A scar identical to hers. When I was old enough, she started to teach me to be a criminal. How to lie, steal and cheat and, not to get caught. When I mastered this, she took me to an abandoned house on the outskirts of town. She told me this was the hideout of Macavity the mystery cat and his gang. She acted like she and Macavity were old friends. . .really good, old friends. Even though she was so much older than him. It was like they'd been together sometime before. . . Anyway, we lived with them for a long time. We helped Macavity with his 'jobs' and in return, he and his gang took care of us. He was always flirting with and. . .touching my mother. And. . .she did nothing to stop it. They'd spend the nights together and even some of the days. But after a while, I noticed that. . .that. . ."
Samprona buried her face in her paws. Deuteronomy held her close to his chest.
"It's all right," he said. "We understand that this is hard for you. You may finish your story later if you like."
"No," said the queen. "I have to tell the truth. You won't trust me until I do."
She wiped the tears from her eyes, took a deep breath, and continued.
"Macavity was no longer attracted to my mother," she said, making visible efforts to hold back the sobs.
"He was attracted to me. He was older than me but attracted to me. And yet, he'd still flirt with my mother. I tried to avoid him, but he was just. . .everywhere! He said that he wanted me to be his mate. He said that he would 'take care of' my mother so that she would no longer come between us. . . The next day, my mother was found dead. Macavity told everyone that she had been attacked by a pollicle, but I knew it was him. I ran away as soon as I could. I lived by myself for about a week. Then some human boys thought it would be fun to set their pollicle on me. That was when I was rescued by Munkustrap, Alonzo and Skimbleshanks. And now, I'm here."
"Why didn't you tell us right away?" asked Deuteronomy.
Samprona pulled away from him. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She turned and faced the rest of the jellicles.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" she shouted. "Did you really expect me to tell you who I was when I first met you?"
She looked down at the three toms who had been her rescuers.
"Can you honestly say that if you knew who I was you, still would've offered to bring me here? You, Munkustrap!"
She pointed an accusing finger at the tabby.
"You never said anything while you brought me here from the alley. You were staring at me with this. . .this solemn, angry look on your face. Whenever I looked at you, you would turn away. I was afraid you knew who I was. Now I know you did!"
The brown queen turned away from the bewildered Munkustrap and again, addressed the whole group.
"When you all found out about me, I know what you were going to do! You probably won't admit it, but wanted to kill me! I know you did!"
She turned her focus toward Mungojerrie.
"You were going to kill Admetus because, out of all of you who called yourselves my friends, he was the only one who tried to defend me!"
The striped cat hung his head in shame and embarrassment.
"I ran away from Macavity because I wanted to start a new life. I didn't want to be a criminal. I didn't want to make others feel upset and angry and cheated and all that! I thought that here, as a member of your tribe, I could do that. But I was wrong!"
Deuteronomy tried to hug her, but the queen ran away from him.
Away from the other cats
Away from the junkyard.
=^.".^=
Cassiopeia, or Samprona as we now know her name to be, had run to a park not far from the junkyard.
She now lay in a small flower bed looking up at the sky.
She had come here several times before. It was a special place.
Here she felt safe, like nothing could harm her.
Being surrounded by the beauty of nature on a glorious summer day, she felt like she could forget her troubles and just relax.
She loved to look at the clouds.
A plain blue sky was boring to her but the clouds were beautiful.
Sometimes a bird would fly over her, or a butterfly would land on her nose and make her sneeze.
This was a magical place.
Samprona liked it.
But now, it seemed like everything had changed.
The events that had taken place in the junkyard no more than an hour ago refused to leave her memory.
She was ashamed for how she had yelled at the jellicle cats.
They would never forgive her.
She could not return to the junkyard, now or ever.
The thought crossed her mind that she should return to her old life.
Her life as a criminal.
Living to cause sorrow for others who had only caused sorrow for her.
Living alongside the most feared feline in England.
At least Macavity loved her and had taken care of her. He was the only one who ever did.
Samprona shook her head.
How could she possibly think that?
She knew very well that Macavity did NOT love her.
He may have been attracted to her body, but she knew that he was incapable of loving anyone.
If she returned and became his mate, then she would end up just as her mother did.
No, she could never, and would never go back to that life.
It seemed that she would just have to accept her life as a rogue and an outcast. Shunned by both humans and felines.
Perhaps it was meant to be this way.
Perhaps it was her destiny.
Samprona closed her eyes. She hoped that if she took a nice long nap, then everything would be fine when she awoke.
She was just staring to doze off when she felt a strong paw on her shoulder.
She opened her eyes to see the kind face of Admetus looking down at her. She stood up to face him.
"How did you find me here?" she asked.
"I followed you from the junkyard," came his reply. "When I saw you lay down I thought you'd want to be alone for a little while."
The brown queen bowed her head. "I did, thank you," she said.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between the two cats. Neither of them knew what to say.
Finally, Admetus spoke up.
"Samprona," he said. "I want you to know that I don't care what happened in your past. I. . .that is. . ."
Admetus bit his lip. This was harder than he thought it would be. He took a second or two to think about what he wanted to say.
Then he said it.
"I love you for who you are now."
Samprona looked up at him. "You really mean that?"
Admetus nodded.
"I was hoping that you would come back to the junkyard with me."
"I don't think the other jellicles would accept me."
"Please Samprona," begged the tom. "I've known them my whole life. I know they're sorry for what they did and want you to come back as much as I do."
"You think so?" asked the brown queen.
"I know so."
Admetus held out his paw.
She stared at it for a little while but finally, accepted it.
The two cats started back to the junkyard.
=^.".^=
The tribe's clearing had become like a graveyard after the brown queen left.
No one had said anything.
Everyone sat down somewhere to think about what just happened.
To feel sorry they'd let it happen, and wish that there was some way for them to fix it.
Even the Rum Tum Tugger who usually thought of no one but himself was almost ashamed of the events that had taken place. . .almost.
The stillness was broken when Admetus entered the clearing with Samprona on his arm.
The jellicles stood and looked at her, but no one spoke.
Again, there was stillness.
Samprona looked around at the eyes that were fixed on her. She felt as though she would cry, but she forced herself to be strong.
Then, when she thought that she could not stand the silence any longer, she saw the gray striped figure of Munkustrap take a step toward her.
He paused and caught his breath when her eyes met his. She was glad to know that she was not the only uncomfortable one in the junkyard.
Munkustrap took a deep breath and continued to walk toward the brown queen. He knew that all eyes were on him now, but he didn't care.
He stood before Samprona.
Their eyes were locked together. Admetus thought that he could almost see the tension between them.
The gray tabby slowly knelt to one knee.
"Samprona," he said at last. "Everything you said to us was true, and very much deserved. We should not have judged you the way we did."
Samprona was not sure if she was imagining it or not, but she could've sworn that his voice was choked with sadness, almost pain.
Were those tears that glistened in his eyes?
Munkustrap bowed his head. He himself was afraid that he would begin to cry.
"I am sure," he said without looking up, "that I speak for everyone when I say that we are sorry, but most especially me. I feel like I'm responsible for all that you've been through for the past hour. It was a load you should not have had to bear. I know that I don't deserve it, but I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Please."
Samprona stepped away from Admetus and knelt down in front of the gray tabby. She lifted his chin with her paw and looked into his eyes. A single tear had rolled down his cheek.
He was ashamed that she should see it. He never cried in public. He barely ever let himself cry in private.
He was inwardly rebuking himself for doing it now in front of the entire tribe and Samprona. He just couldn't help it.
"Munkustrap," said the brown queen. "I need your forgiveness as much as you need mine. If I hadn't of lied to you, none of this would've happened. I do forgive you, can you forgive me?"
The gray tabby smiled and nodded. Another tear rolled down his cheek and he made no effort to hold it back.
The two cats rose to their feet, their eyes still locked together.
"Thank you," said Munkustrap.
A joyful cheer rose from the crowd of jellicles.
Samprona and Munkustrap hugged each other. Then the gray tabby took both her paws and placed them into those of Admetus.
With a quick look of gratitude at the gray tabby, Admetus took Samprona in his arms and kissed her.
The cheers of the jellicle tribe became louder.
Munkustrap bowed to the two cats and slowly backed away to let them enjoy their moment together.
=^.".^=
five days later
The jellicle ball was to be held that evening as soon as the jellicle moon took it's place in the sky.
Admetus and Samprona walked, paw in paw, in a secluded area of the junkyard. Here they did not have to worry about the other jellicles disturbing them. They could just enjoy each other's company.
Samprona was again feeling like she was a part of the tribe. She had apologized to every one of the jellicle cats and received an apology from each of them.
Even Old Deuteronomy had asked for her forgiveness.
She knew that this was a place where she could start a new life and forget about her past.
"So are you enjoying life in the junkyard?" asked Admetus.
"Very much," said the queen. "Everyone is so friendly here."
"Not too friendly I hope."
The jellicle tom had not meant for Samprona to hear that comment, but she had.
"Why Admetus," she teased. "Is it just me, or do I detect a hint of jealousy in your voice?"
The tom blushed.
"Well if you must know, Electra told me that one of the other toms is planning to ask me to dance tonight."
"Who?"
"That black tom with the mane. I never could get his name right. Rum. . .Tum. . . Tupperware. . .something like that."
Admetus laughed.
"Tugger. Rum Tum Tugger."
"Oh, right."
"Out of curiosity, what would you say if he did? Hypothetically speaking of course." said the tom.
"Oh yes, that is definitely jealously. Don't worry Admetus. You should know by now that you are the only tom for me."
Admetus responded by giving the brown queen a gentle kiss on the cheek.
"I love you too," he said.
The two jellicles continued to stroll through the junkyard.
Eventually, Admetus suggested that they head back to join the others, as the sun had disappeared behind the hills, and it would not be long before the yearly jellicle ball would begin.
=^.".^=
The two jellicles turned a corner in the junkyard. The tribe's clearing was not far away.
Admetus stopped and looked at Samprona.
"Before we get any closer," he said.
He pulled the brown queen close to him and pressed his lips against hers.
"Forgive me, I couldn't restrain myself."
"I don't mind," whispered the queen.
She closed her eyes and leaned toward him.
Their lips were almost touching, when a shrill scream pierced the air.
"Holy Heavyside!" said the tom.
He grabbed Samprona's paw and they ran toward the clearing as fast as they could.
=^.".^=
The sun was barely visible behind the hills. The clear summer sky was lavender, streaked with lovely shades of pink and violet. As the sun sank further, the colors became deeper.
Soon it would be night, and time for the jellicle ball.
The tribe's clearing was filled with activity as the felines prepared for the festivities.
Jennyanydots and Jellyorum had their paws full trying to control the kittens who were much too excited to be calm.
The Rum Tum Tugger constantly checked himself out in an old mirror, making sure that he looked perfect. That his gold spiked collar was so well polished that it sparkled when the light hit it. That his studded belt fit just right around his waist. And that there was not a strand of fur out of place in his carefully groomed mane.
Some of the older jellicles practiced the dances they would perform that year.
Mistoffelees was running through his tricks in his head, so that he would not give them away to the cats that would make up his audience.
In the midst of all the activity, only two cats remained calm. Munkustrap and his mate, Demeter, sat on the tire watching the sun slowly descend out of sight. The gray tabby had his arm affectionately wrapped around the queen and she leaned against him, a blissful smile spread across her white face.
Neither had spoken. They did not need to. Both were content to sit in each other's arms until the music for the ball filled the cool evening air. Munkustrap took one of Demeter's paws in his and kissed it.
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"
he whispered into her ear.
"Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of the fair thou ownest,
Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When eternal lines to time thou grow'st;
So long as man can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."
Demeter looked up at him.
"You do Shakespeare so well," she purred.
"No sonnet could begin to describe you, fair one," replied the tabby.
They leaned toward each other and their lips met in a passionate kiss.
=^.".^=
A young queen named Jemima sat on an old stove gazing the two cats. She loved to watch her older cousin Demeter, and her mate when they were together.
"They are the perfect couple," she said to herself. "They love each other so much. Munkustrap is so kind to her, and he's so romantic. I hope I meet a tom like that someday."
The little calico closed her eyes and imagined what such a tom would be like.
"He must be tall," she thought. "And strong, and handsome. He would smile at me. Then he would bow and ask me to dance with him. He must be a wonderful dancer. Graceful and energetic."
A new thought came to her head.
"Actually, he can not be too tall. I want to be able to look into his eyes as he takes me into his strong arms and we twirl across the dance floor as if on clouds."
Jemima smiled.
"I wonder who that tom could be."
She opened her eyes and looked around at the other jellicles. Could her true love be a tom from the tribe? Who would it possibly be?
Many of the jellicle toms were already spoken for.
"Alonzo is already with Cassandra, and Plato with Victoria."
The young queen shook her head. They were too tall anyway. Who else could it be?
Tumblebrutus? Pouncival? Mistoffelees?
She wished she knew.
Ah, but why would any of them have any interest in her? Though she would soon be a year old, she was still considered a kitten.
"They probably think I'm too young for them."
Jemima sighed. The glorious vision of her dream tom slowly faded from her mind.
She knew that one day he would come, and that she and him would live happily ever after just like her cousin and Munkustrap.
She would just have to be patient.
The young queen returned her focus to the couple on the tire. Their lips had parted and they sat watching the sun disappear into the west. It was a beautiful picture.
As Jemima watched them she noticed something move behind the tire.
She gasped as the dark figure of a strange feline rose and towered over the couple.
They did not notice him.
In his paw, the stranger held a large object that he raised over his head.
"Behind you!" screamed Jemima as loud as she could. "Munkustrap, Demeter look out!"
The couple looked at the young calico in surprise, but before they could comprehend what she'd said, a heavy object came down on Munkustrap's skull with a sharp crack. Demeter watched in horror as the gray tabby fell from the tire and rolled lifelessly to the ground.
She rushed to his side.
"Hehehehehahahahahahaha!"
Demeter gasped. She knew that laugh only too well.
She raised her eyes and looked upon the tall figure of Macavity the mystery cat.
The queens screamed as the clearing was swarmed with henchmen. Demeter watched terrified as the black, scruffy cats fell upon the small tribe of jellicles. They entered the clearing from all sides, attacking in groups of four or more.
The jellicle toms tried hard to resist, but it seemed impossible. There were so many of them!
"Split up!" ordered the ginger cat.
The henchmen divided into two groups. The queens and kittens were surrounded by one group and herded like cattle to a corner of the clearing.
All except Demeter, who knelt beside her mate, only a few feet away from Macavity.
"Munkustrap, please wake up," she said.
But the gray tabby did not respond.
The jellicle toms organized themselves into a circle, each one facing outward. It helped to ward off most advances made by the second group of henchmen. Now at least they couldn't be attacked from behind.
The black scruffy cats quickly surrounded their little circle. There was no where to run.
They had no choice but to fight.
And they did, with all their might.
Whenever a henchman dared come close, they were driven back by the sharp claws of the jellicle toms.
A bolt of lightning flew from the part of the circle where Mistoffelees stood. It struck three henchmen and they fell to the ground unconscious.
The magical cat shot another bolt and two more fell.
Five henchmen down in less than two minutes.
Macavity hissed.
Mistoffelees was defeating his toms at a rate that made him uncomfortable.
"Someone get that magical cat!" he shouted.
But every time a henchmen came near him, Misto shot him down.
Macavity gritted his teeth.
"If ya want a job done right," he muttered. "Give it to Macavity."
The ginger cat leapt from the tire and ran to the group of female jellicles.
The henchmen guarding the group, stepped out of the way as he neared them. Macavity roughly grabbed the white queen known as Victoria and dragged her back to the tire. She began to scream but abruptly stopped when he held his sharp claws to her throat.
"Nobody move or the cotton ball gets it!" he shouted.
The jellicle cats froze and looked up at him.
"Victoria!" yelled the tom known as Plato.
He started toward the tire but was held back by Asparagus and Rum Tum Tugger who were standing next to him.
Nobody moved.
A silence you feel you could cut with a knife filled the clearing.
The henchmen awaited further orders.
The jellicles stared up at Macavity wondering what he would do.
"Magical Mr. Mistoffelees," he shouted.
All heads turned toward the magical tom.
He stepped forward and stared at the ginger cat.
Macavity motioned with his head for him to come closer.
The black tom's eyes remained locked on the mystery cat and his face remained hard and expressionless as he walked toward the tire.
He stood before Macavity, still as a statue for fear that one quick movement would mean the death of Victoria, his sister.
Three large henchmen gathered around him, but Mistoffelees did not react. Either he did not notice or simply did not care. He continued to stare at Macavity.
"Cross your arms behind your back," ordered the master criminal.
Misto took in a sharp breath. His eyes flew from Macavity to his sister and back to Macavity.
He had no choice but to obey.
He flinched as one of the henchmen tied his wrists together with a rough piece of rope. An evil grin spread across the ginger cat's face. He nodded to his henchmen.
The next thing Mistoffelees felt was something hard come down on his head.
There was a gasp throughout the clearing as the magical cat sagged to the ground.
Victoria's eyes grew wide.
Macavity released her and pushed her off the tire. She knelt beside the unconscious figure of her brother.
"Misto!"
Her blue eyes flooded with tears. She knelt down to kiss his cheek but before she could, she was grabbed by a henchman and forced back to the group of queens.
"There doesn't need to be any more fighting," said Macavity.
His voice oozed with his trade deceitfulness and suavity.
"I came here with one intention."
"Yeah, to kill!"
Just after he said this, Alonzo was slashed across the face by a nearby henchman.
Macavity leapt off the tire and casually walked through the clearing.
He hissed at the kittens taking pleasure in their terrified gasps and efforts to hide behind the adults.
He continued to walk in silence until he reached the edge of the clearing. He then turned and faced the tribe.
"Where is Samprona?" he demanded.
There was a gasp among the queens.
"I know she's here," continued the ginger cat. "Everlasting cat knows what you've told her about me. But that doesn't matter. I've come here to rescue her and take her home. Give her to me and there will be no more trouble."
After he said this, Macavity heard a small gasp from behind him. He whirled around to see the familiar brown queen and a jellicle tom standing there.
Samprona stared at him with horror.
The jellicle tom was immediately seized by two henchmen.
Before she had time to think, Samprona found herself struggling to get free from Macavity's strong arms.
"Samprona," he whispered.
He placed a paw on the back of her head and pressed his lips against hers.
"Get off her you pollicle!" shouted Admetus.
With sudden strength, he pulled away from his captors.
He grabbed the master criminal by the fur on his chest and slashed him across the face.
Samprona fell away from Macavity, only to be grabbed by two other henchmen.
Macavity recovered.
He hissed and slashed Admetus.
The jellicle tom stumbled under the heavy blow. When he regained his balance, he found himself surrounded by three henchmen.
One of them dashed at him, but Admetus was ready. He dodged the charge and the scruffy cat ran square into another henchman. They both fell.
The third henchman was staring in shock at his fallen comrades. He did not know what hit him when Admetus slashed him across the face.
By now, the other two cats had regained their feet.
One of them pounced toward the jellicle who fell under his weight.
Admetus pushed the henchman off him only to recoil as another kicked him in the stomach.
Samprona screamed.
Admetus knocked the feet out from under one henchman. He scrambled to his feet and kicked the fallen tom in the face.
Another henchman came up behind him and wrapped an arm around his neck. The jellicle tom's eyes grew wide as he choked for breath.
Another henchman came up from the front. The jellicle tom managed to slash him across the face and keep him away with his foot. The henchman who held him, tightened his grip. Admetus drove his elbow into the henchman's stomach as hard as he could. The scruffy cat groaned. His hold weakened enough that the jellicle tom could get free.
Taking several deep breaths, he turned and slashed his attacker. He then grabbed him by the fur and threw him into another henchman.
They both fell to the ground.
=^.".^=
Macavity stood watching the fight for a few seconds then grew bored.
That Admetus tom didn't stand a chance against three of his henchmen.
He turned around to see that the other jellicle toms had resumed their fight, but the henchmen still kept them clumped in a tight circle.
They didn't stand a chance either.
The ginger cat wondered why they didn't just give up and accept that they had been captured. It would certainly save them a lot of injuries.
He turned his focus to Mistoffelees the magical tom that lay unconscious on the ground.
Macavity couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
He looked so small and pathetic. Like a helpless kitten.
He was only a year and a half after all.
"He's young," thought the master criminal. "But he's powerful."
The thought crossed his mind that he should take the magical cat with him when he finally left the junkyard. Who could stop him?
"He would certainly come in handy even if I have to force him to work for me."
Macavity kept the idea in mind. The next thing his evil eyes focused on was Demeter.
The prettiest queen in the tribe.
She was still kneeling beside the unconscious figure of her mate though she looked up at the fighting felines every few minutes.
Macavity grinned and started toward her.
=^.".^=
Demeter stared with horror at the battle going on in her junkyard home.
The queens cornered.
The toms surrounded and outnumbered.
Samprona captured, and Admetus trying his best to fight for her.
Mistoffelees unconscious, as well as her mate.
She felt tears filling her eyes. She buried her face in Munkustrap's chest.
"Oh Munk," she said quietly. "Please wake up. Don't leave me. Please wake up."
The queen had barely finished her last sentence when she was startled by the gray tabby's paw gently squeezing hers.
She lifted her head and looked at him.
His eyes were opened.
A small smile came to his lips.
He neither moved nor spoke, but his eyes told Demeter not to draw attention.
"Please wake up Munkustrap," she whispered to let him know that she understood.
Munkustrap squeezed her paw again as if to say thank you.
His eyes shifted to something away from them.
She glanced up in that direction to see Macavity coming toward her. The blood drained from her face. She looked back down at her mate.
The tabby winked at her and closed his eyes.
"Please don't leave me Munkustrap," she gasped. "I need you with me. I love you."
Munkustrap lightly squeezed her paw as if to say, "I love you too and I'll never leave you."
"Is he dead?"
Demeter's blood turned to ice inside her veins. She glared up at Macavity who stood over her. The master criminal grinned sarcastically.
"Too bad."
He knelt down and looked into her eyes.
"Hello Demeter. Heavyside, you get prettier every day."
The jellicle queen did not answer. Macavity continued.
"Ya know, these toms'll be fighting a while. What'd ya say we steal away and go someplace quiet. We can come back for my men and the magical cat later."
Demeter hissed. The master criminal smiled.
"Oh don't worry," he said pointing to the jellicle tom. "Munkustrap won't mind."
Quick as lightning, the gray tabby leapt to his feet and kicked Macavity in the face.
The ginger cat was taken completely by surprise.
He let out a small cry as he fell backwards.
Munkustrap kicked him in the stomach and then lifted him up by the fur on his chest.
"Yes, Munkustrap will mind," he hissed.
He slashed Macavity who stumbled under the blow.
"Munkustrap will most definitely mind."
The master criminal ran toward Munkustrap who spun out of the way. Macavity hissed.
The two toms circled each other each one contemplating his next move.
Macavity was the first to charge.
Munkustrap stepped to one side and scratched him on the back of the neck.
The ginger cat spun around and slashed him across the face. He then kicked the gray tabby's feet out from under him.
Demeter watched with horror as the master criminal leapt at her mate.
But Munkustrap was quick, and rolled out of the way before Macavity landed on him.
In a blink of an eye, he was back on his feet.
So was Macavity.
Again, they circled.
=^.".^=
Admetus slashed one of the henchman across the face. He grabbed him by the fur on his chest and threw him into a pile of junk.
The scruffy cat lost consciousness almost immediately.
The jellicle tom felt another henchman leap onto his back. He threw him off.
The scruffy cat landed on top of the other one.
The jellicle kicked him in the face.
=^.".^=
Munkustrap and Macavity were rolling across the ground each one grasping the other's throat.
When they stopped, the tabby was on top. He slashed the ginger cat across the face.
=^.".^=
Admetus was holding one henchman by the fur. He raised his paw to deliver a blow.
His wrist was grabbed by another henchman who twisted his arm behind his back.
The other henchman wriggled free and slashed him hard.
=^.".^=
Macavity threw the gray tabby off him. He scrambled to his feet and slashed his assailant.
Munkustrap stumbled backwards from the blow and tripped over the unconscious figure of Mistoffelees.
=^.".^=
Admetus had been struck several times.
Large drops of blood dripped down his cheeks.
With a fierce hiss, he drove the heal of his right foot into the shin of the scruffy cat that held him.
The henchman howled in pain, and the jellicle tom struggled free.
=^.".^=
The master criminal lifted Munkustrap by the fur and threw him against the car.
He then, slashed the dazed tabby across the face.
Once
Twice.
Munkustrap fell under the third blow.
Demeter gasped.
Then something caught her eye.
Mistoffelees
The little tuxedo on the ground was shifting ever so slightly.
He was moving by himself!
He was waking up!
=^.".^=
The magical cat opened his eyes to find himself only inches away from Munkustrap and Macavity.
He managed to roll himself away from the fighting toms.
His vision was blurry and his head ached more than ever but he knew he had to help his friends.
He ignored the pain and struggled to free himself from his bonds.
"Misto, thank Heavyside you're awake!" he heard someone say.
He looked up to see Demeter. She quickly removed the rope that bound his wrists.
"Are you all right?"
The black tom nodded and got to his feet.
A bolt of blue lightning pierced the air.
Two henchmen cried out in pain and fell to the ground.
Every jellicle in the tribe was inwardly cheering.
=^.".^=
Admetus found himself between the two henchmen.
The one he faced, slashed him.
The one behind him, turned him around and also slashed him.
He was turned around again.
The henchman raised his paw for another blow.
Admetus ducked.
The scruffy cat slashed his comrade.
The jellicle tom knocked their feet out from under them. They both fell to the ground.
Admetus kicked one of them in the jaw and he lost consciousness.
=^.".^=
Munkustrap tried to get up but Macavity pushed him back down with his foot. He kicked the gray tabby in the stomach.
"Come on Munkustrap!" he jeered. "Get up! Get up and fight me like a tom!"
=^.".^=
Mistoffelees suddenly felt a paw on his shoulder. He whirled around ready to strike the attacker when he realized that it was only Demeter.
She frantically pointed to Macavity and her mate.
Mistoffelees waved his sparking paws through the air and sent a bolt of lightning toward them.
=^.".^=
Macavity was about to kick Munkustrap again when he felt a sudden excruciating pain in the tip of his tail. He jumped and let out a bloodcurdling screech.
The gray tabby took advantage of the opportunity.
He leapt to his feet and slashed the master criminal across the face.
=^.".^=
Another bolt of lightning flew from the magical cat's paws. Already, more than twenty henchmen had fallen.
Now, three more fell.
=^.".^=
Admetus pounced at his third and final opponent.
They rolled across the floor.
The henchman ended up on top.
He slashed the jellicle tom.
Admetus threw the scruffy cat off him. He leapt to his feet and grabbed him by the fur.
He threw the henchman to the ground as hard as he could. His head hit the earth with a crack.
He was out immediately.
=^.".^=
Macavity's screeches grew louder as Munkustrap continuously slashed him giving him no time to recover.
=^.".^=
Admetus ran toward Samprona. The two henchmen holding her gladly threw her into his arms and ran away as fast as they could.
=^.".^=
Misto's lightning bolts were growing stronger every second.
Twenty,
thirty,
forty henchmen had fallen.
They were visibly becoming afraid as their numbers decreased.
Another bolt.
Three more down.
The jellicle toms were gaining the advantage. Their circle became bigger and bigger. Each tom fought as hard as he could.
Another bolt.
Two more down.
The henchmen couldn't take it any longer.
"RUN!" they yelled.
The scruffy cats frantically heaved the unconscious figures of their comrades onto their backs and bolted out of the junkyard as fast as they could.
=^.".^=
Macavity's face was dripping with blood. He was blinded with pain.
He wildly swiped his paws, but hit only air.
He stumbled as Munkustrap dealt him another blow.
The ginger tom suddenly realized that his army was retreating.
"Get back here!" he shouted. "Where do you think you're going? Get back here and fight you cowardly pekes!"
He felt two strong paws push him to the ground.
He tried to get up, but couldn't. His strength had deserted him along with his toms.
Munkustrap rolled him onto his back with his foot.
"The fight's over Macavity," he said. "You've lost, like you always have and always will."
"Go ahead Munkustrap," hissed the ginger cat. "Finish me. You know you want to."
The gray tabby smiled.
"No way, that would be too merciful."
Macavity clenched his teeth. He sat up and looked around.
The last henchman had left the junkyard.
Not one jellicle had fallen from the battle.
The entire tribe had gathered around him and Munkustrap.
Among them were Admetus and the brown queen.
"Samprona," the master criminal started.
The queen cut him off.
"Get out of here Macavity," she said in disgust. "I hope I never see your ugly face again as long as I live!"
"You heard her," added Munkustrap pulling the ginger cat to his feet. "Get out of here."
Macavity turned back to the brown queen.
"I'm sorry to say that your last wish will not come true," he hissed. "You will most definitely see me again Samprona. I will be back. You will never hear the last of the Hidden Paw!"
With that, he started away. The crowd of jellicles parted to give him room.
A deathlike silence filled the clearing.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flew through the air and hit the ginger cat on the rear.
Macavity screeched.
The junkyard filled with laughter as he bolted out of the clearing as fast as he could.
Mistoffelees blew on the tips of his fingers with a smug smile.
Victoria ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. They hugged each other tightly.
Then, Misto took her paws and placed them in those of Plato.
Demeter embraced Munkustrap with tears in her eyes.
The queens who had mates now rushed to them and threw themselves into their arms.
The kittens hugged each other.
Suddenly, the clearing was flooded with light. Music filled the air.
It was time for the yearly jellicle ball to begin!
A cheer rose up from the jellicle tribe.
Some of them began to dance. Others joined them, with their mates.
Munkustrap took Demeter's paw and lifted it to his lips.
"Would you care to dance fair one?" he asked.
The queen smiled.
"Oh Munkustrap," she said.
They danced off in each other's arms.
Jemima smiled as she watched them.
Munkustrap and her cousin. The perfect couple.
"Jemima?"
The young queen turned around when she heard someone say her name. She saw Mistoffelees standing before her. A handsome smile on his white face. He gave the queen an elegant bow.
"May I have the honor of dancing with the loveliest queen in the tribe?" he asked.
It was the first time Jemima ever heard him say anything other than 'presto.' He had a wonderful voice. The young calico smiled, hoping that he did not see her blush.
"Yes, you may," she said.
Misto's eyes seemed to light up at her answer. He held out a paw to her. She accepted it and they danced away.
Samprona looked around the clearing for Admetus. She had lost him in all the excitement and was afraid that she would miss being able to dance with him. Then she saw him.
He seemed to be looking for her also. He looked in her direction. She waved and he waved back.
She grew excited as he began to make his way toward her.
"Hey pretty young thing," she heard someone say.
She turned to see the tall figure of Rum Tum Tugger standing next to her.
"Wanna dance?"
"No thank you Tugger."
"You sure?" asked the tall cat.
He was more than a little surprised. He had never been turned down by a queen before.
He hid his shock under his macho grin.
Samprona opened her mouth but before she could anything, another queen spoke up.
"She's sure."
The red queen named Bombalurina had walked up to them. She stood between the brown queen and the Rum Tum Tugger and took his arm.
Her tail wrapped itself around his.
"And so am I," she said with a gleam in her eye and a smile on her face.
Samprona shook her head as the Rum Tum Tugger and Bombalurina danced away.
"Here you are."
She turned to see that Admetus had made his way through the crowd of dancing jellicles.
"I was afraid that another tom was having the honor of dancing with the most beautiful queen in England."
Samprona smiled as the jellicle tom came closer to her.
"Don't worry Admetus," she said. "You are the only tom for me."
Admetus took her paws and planted a kiss on each of them.
The two felines looked into each other's eyes. They did not say a word as their faces came closer.
Finally, their lips met.
They wrapped their arms around each other and shared a loving kiss.
=^.".^=
In all of the junkyard only one area was lit up.
In all of that area only one clearing had music.
In that one clearing a band of cats that called themselves jellicles were dancing.
They were having what they called the jellicle ball. An event that takes place only once a year. It is made up of all kinds of different dance and musical styles.
Now, the jellicle cats were free to make up their own dances to lively and energetic music.
In all of the tribe only one couple,
one pair of lovers,
stood with their arms wrapped affectionately around each other and gently swayed with the music.
The End =^.".^=
Hi ya'll! I'm Presto and this is my fic. (that was the introduction :-)
As you've read this is the special edition of "Burnt Out Ends of Smoky Days." All that means is it's a new and improved version of the old one. I fixed some of the typos (and most likely made some new ones while I was at it ;-). I added some stuff, deleted some stuff, and made a character log that can only be seen in the special edition! :-D
And now for the promised disclaimer that I know you all are just DYING to read! :-P
I do NOT own CATS (however if you are reading this story Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, I would be happy to take it off your hands ;-)
I do NOT own any of the characters in CATS.
I DO own Samprona.
I do NOT own Shakespeare's eighteenth sonnet. That is owned by the brilliant
*sound of trumpets heralding. . .*
William Shakespeare himself!
And now with no further ado, please enjoy
"Burnt Out Ends of Smoky Days"
SPECIAL EDITION!
=^.".^=
The yearly Jellicle Ball was to be held in only five days. The junkyard was alive with all sorts of activities. The Rum Tum Tugger flirted with Bombalurina. The kittens enjoyed games of tag and hide-and-seek. Jennyanydots and Jellyorum were knitting and sharing the latest gossip. Off to the side, Mistoffelees was practicing the magic tricks that he would perform that year. He would occasionally look around to make sure that no one was watching.
Munkustrap, Alonzo, and Skimbleshanks were discussing the schedule for the ball. They agreed that they needed to be prepared for another attack by Macavity. He had shown up completely by surprise the previous year. That had resulted in the catnapping of Old Deuteronomy, and the attempted catnapping of Demeter. Thank the Everlasting Cat Mistoffelees was there to bring their beloved leader back to the junkyard.
They had been calmly discussing this subject when Munkustrap leapt to his feet.
"Did you hear that?" he asked.
The other two perked up their ears and listened.
"I can't hear anything Munk," said Alonzo.
"Neither can I," added Skimble.
Munkustrap shrugged and sat down. But, he remained alert. He was sure that he'd heard something.
Skimble resumed the conversation.
"What we need to look out for are Macavity's disguises," he said. "He almost tricked us into believing that he was Old Deuteronomy last year. Who knows what he'll try this. . ."
Suddenly, all three jellicles leapt to their feet.
"I assume you heard that?" asked Munkustrap.
The other two nodded.
They had all distinctly heard the bark of a pollicle followed by the scream of a female cat.
The three toms dashed out of the junkyard to find the source of the sound.
They soon caught sight of a queen who was being chased into an alley by a small pollicle.
They quickly followed.
When they caught up, they found that the pollicle had cornered the female against a dumpster. It did not have any intention of hurting her, but it wasn't going to let her go either. The three jellicles had an easy time at making it go away.
They planted themselves between it and the female, hissing and slashing at it with their claws. The pollicle was in no mood for a real fight and it quickly retreated.
When it was out of sight, the male jellicles turned to look at the queen. She was curled up in a little ball and shivering from fright.
She was a shorthaired cat of moderate size. Her fur was dark brown with blotches of tan.
On her shoulder there was a long, cruel looking scar. For some reason she seemed familiar to Munkustrap but he could not tell why.
The gray tabby knelt beside her and placed a paw on her back.
She leapt to her feet. Her green eyes filled with terror.
"Plea-please don't hurt me," she stammered.
"We aren't going to hurt you," said Munkustrap as he rose to his feet.
"Are you all right?" asked Skimble.
The brown queen nodded.
"We can take you to your home if you like."
"I don't have a home," she whispered.
"Then let us take you to ours," said Munkustrap.
He held out a paw to the brown queen.
She studied the kind faces of the toms. After deciding that they meant her no harm she accepted Munkustrap's paw.
The four cats started out of the alley.
"This is Alonzo and Skimbleshanks. My name is Munkustrap. What is your name?"
The gray tabby thought that her name would be familiar to him. He was certain that he knew her from somewhere.
The brown queen started to say something that sounded like "Samper." However she abruptly stopped.
For a second, she looked very nervous. Munkustrap felt her paw tighten around his. Then she relaxed and gave the toms a pleasant smile.
"Cassiopeia," she said. "My name is Cassiopeia."
Alonzo and Skimble agreed that this was a beautiful name.
However, Munkustrap's feeling of familiarity had now changed to suspicion.
What kind of cat stammers over her own name, even for a second?
What had made her so nervous?
And why did she seem so familiar?
The gray tabby wasn't sure what to think. He was now wishing that he had not invited her to come to the junkyard. But, there was nothing he could do about it now. He would just have to smile and say nothing.
=^.".^=
When the small band of cats entered the tribe's clearing, which is what the jellicles called their area of the junkyard, they were met with several questions from the other jellicles.
Everyone had seen the three toms suddenly dash out of the junkyard, but none of them knew why.
Now, they saw them return escorting a female outsider into their home. They were eager to find out what had happened.
Munkustrap started to explain when he saw Old Deuteronomy sitting on the tire trying to see what was going on. The gray tabby brought Cassiopeia before him. He bowed to him and explained how they had rescued the brown queen from the pollicle.
Deuteronomy looked at her kindly.
"What is your name my dear?"
"Cassiopeia," she answered.
"Where do you live?"
"I don't live anywhere."
Deuteronomy was not surprised. He knew that many felines in England did not have a home with human pets. However, he was curious as to why this beautiful queen was one of them.
"Why is that?" he asked.
"I was abandoned when I was a kitten."
Deuteronomy smiled at her.
"In that case," he said. "You can live with us. I hereby name you a jellicle cat. That is, if you would like?"
The brown queen ran up to the jellicle leader and threw her arms around his neck.
"Oh thank you!" she said. "It would be so wonderful to finally have a good home!"
The jellicles cheered.
One by one, they introduced themselves to their new friend.
Admetus offered to give her a tour of the junkyard which she accepted, much to his delight.
Munkustrap, however, did not join in all the excitement. He slowly left the junkyard and walked down the street. He wanted to think.
There was something about this new jellicle that made him uncomfortable. He wasn't sure what it was.
Something in the way she behaved.
How she had stammered over her name when she first introduced herself.
A cat's name is his pride and joy. Why should she be so jittery about it?
And why did she keep the story of herself so short and vague?
What was it she was trying to hide?
Munkustrap thought about what she said to Deuteronomy.
'It would be so wonderful to finally have a good home.'
"As opposed to what?" he said to himself. "A bad home? What would she know about a bad home if she was abandoned when she was a kitten?"
The gray tabby shook his head.
Why was he getting suspicious over a simple phrase like that?
It could mean nothing. She could simply be happy that she would have a home.
That was it wasn't it?
Munkustrap couldn't help but worry.
He was so lost in thought that he did not see the human man and girl walking toward him from the opposite direction.
"Look Daddy! A kitty cat!" said the girl.
Munkustrap looked up at them. They looked like nice humans. He knew that a human friend could always come in handy.
He meowed at the little girl who knelt beside him and stroked his fur.
"His name is Tiger Daddy, cuz he's all covered with stripes!"
The man chuckled. He set down the newspaper that he carried in one hand and patted the gray tabby on the head.
"Hello there, Tiger," he said.
"Tiger," thought Munkustrap. "What a dull name. Humans have no taste."
"Can we keep him Daddy?" asked the little girl.
"I'm sorry Princess," said the man. "I don't think your mother would like that."
He took his daughter's hand and pulled her to her feet.
"G'bye Tiger!" she called to Munkustrap, and they continued on their way.
Munkustrap smiled.
It was nice to be admired every once in awhile.
He looked down to see that the man had forgotten his newspaper.
"If I was a pollicle I would bring it to him," thought the gray tabby.
He couldn't help but laugh at the habits of those strange creatures.
"They almost deserve the name that humans give them," he said. "Dogs! Pathetic!"
He again looked down at the newspaper. The wind had blown it open.
There was a picture on the top page that caught his eye.
Two female cats.
The picture did not have color but Munkustrap could tell that the queen on the right was dark with light blotches and a scar on her shoulder.
"Holy Heavyside!" he thought. "That's Cassiopeia!"
The other queen in the picture was a white longhair. She also had a scar on her shoulder.
Munkustrap studied her picture for a second.
Then, he realized who this white queen was.
The words under the picture only verified his suspicions.
"Wanted: Griddlebone (left), former mate of Growltiger the Terror of the Thames; Samprona (right), daughter to Growltiger and Griddlebone."
Munkustrap drew in a sharp breath.
"Samprona," he thought. "That was what she started to say when she introduced herself."
This is why she looked so familiar to him. He had probably seen wanted posters just like this one around the town. In fact he was sure he had! He just didn't think about it until now.
He tore the article out of the newspaper and ran back to the junkyard as fast as his strong legs would carry him.
=^.".^=
Old Deuteronomy, Munkustrap, Skimbleshanks, and Alonzo had gathered, at Munkustrap's request, in the old car.
Deuteronomy shook his head as he studied the newspaper clipping the gray tabby had given him.
"So, she lied to us," he said. "Everything she told us about herself was a lie."
"She's a professional con queen Deuteronomy," replied Munkustrap. "Making up stories about her past is not new to her. Who knows how many times she's done it to get out of trouble."
The old cat nodded.
"Sir, do you think that she could be setting us up for something? Or did she really, want to join our tribe?"
Deuteronomy shrugged.
"I don't know Munkustrap," he said. "But, I think that we should have a talk with her, privately."
The three toms nodded.
None of them noticed the small, striped figure of Rumpleteazer who had been listening to their conversation.
She and her mate Mungojerrie were the mischievous jellicles in the tribe.
Rumpleteazer sensed that this was the perfect opportunity to stir up trouble.
"So, Cassiopeia's a con!" she thought. "Wait till the others hear about this!"
She ran off to find her jellicle friends.
=^.".^=
Admetus and Cassiopeia were sitting next to each other on an old tire.
The tom was eager to learn more about her.
"I hope you don't mind my asking," he started to say.
The brown queen interrupted.
"You want to know about this," she said, touching the scar on her shoulder.
Admetus nodded.
"It was a foolish accident," she explained. "I was walking on a fence and fell. I was lucky enough to land in a garbage can that was completely empty, except for a single broken bottle."
The tom winced.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"It's no big deal," she replied. "I've always been pretty clumsy."
The two jellicles were silent for a while. Cassiopeia looked around at her new home.
Admetus couldn't help but stare at her.
She was so beautiful, even with the scar on her neck.
The tom didn't care about that.
He was glad that she had been accepted into the tribe.
He really wanted to talk to her, but he didn't know what to say.
Females were the Rum Tum Tugger's strong point, not his.
For now, he was perfectly content just to look at her and admire her gorgeousness.
Cassiopeia turned her head and saw him staring at her. He quickly looked away.
"Sorry," he said.
The brown queen smiled and rubbed against him.
"It's all right," she purred.
The two jellicles were suddenly interrupted by a shout.
They looked up to see that almost everyone in the tribe had surrounded them. Rumpleteazer was pointing a claw at Cassiopeia.
"That's her!" she shouted. "That's Samprona, the daughter of Growltiger and Griddlebone!"
"That's a lie!" shouted Admetus as he leapt off the tire.
Mungojerrie, who was standing beside his mate, ran to confront him.
"C'mon," he yelled back. "We all know it's true! She's been lyin to us since the moment she got here!"
Admetus could no longer control himself. How dare that tom slander the queen he loved so much!
He slashed the striped cat across the face as hard as he could.
Mungojerrie was not prepared for this and was knocked off balance.
He quickly recovered and hissed at his assailant.
Admetus leapt at him, but the striped tom dodged the attack and Admetus landed on his face.
Mungojerrie stepped over his opponent and looked down at him.
"Tell me you can do better than that!" he sneered. "I always thought you were a fighter. Guess I was wrong!"
Admetus kicked the striped cat's feet out from under him.
Mungo fell to the ground.
Admetus leapt on top of him and the two toms rolled across the floor.
When they stopped Mungojerrie was on top, pinning Admetus on his back.
Admetus threw the striped cat off him and scrambled to his feet.
He hissed at his opponent and prepared himself for another attack.
He did not see that Rumpleteazer was running up behind him with a rock clutched in her paw.
"Admetus, look out!" screamed Cassiopeia.
The warning came too late.
Admetus felt a sharp pain in the back of his skull.
The junkyard began to spin.
Mungojerrie stood.
He walked up to his opponent who was clutching the back of his head and fighting to stay on his feet.
With a sarcastic laugh, the striped tom pushed Admetus to the ground and leapt on top of him.
"I save my attacks for when I have the advantage," he hissed. "Now I do."
He raised his paw ready to strike a deadly blow with his claws.
Cassiopeia screamed.
Suddenly, Mungojerrie was pushed off Admetus and thrown to the ground with the tall, gray figure of Munkustrap standing over him.
The striped tom got to his feet and dashed at the jellicle who had dared interfere with his near victorious battle.
He slashed at the gray tabby, but Munkustrap ducked and scratched Mungo's stomach.
He then stepped away from the striped cat, who glared at him furiously.
"No more of this!" shouted the gray tabby. "We are all members of the same tribe. We shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves."
"Save your speech Munkustrap!" interrupted Mungojerrie. "You're not the leader yet!"
He started toward the gray tabby, but was held back by Skimble and Alonzo, who had finally managed to push through the crowd.
He struggled as hard as he could, but the two jellicle would not release him from their iron grips.
"I believe it is Old Deuteronomy!" yelled someone from the crowd of felines.
There was complete silence.
The old cat walked through the crowd and onto the tire. He turned and faced the tribe.
At the sight of him, Mungojerrie froze. A look of horror came over his face.
Munkustrap helped Admetus to his feet. The latter shook his head, trying to regain his composure.
When he looked up at Deuteronomy he too became afraid.
"I do not want to know what happened here," said the old cat. "I am ashamed and disappointed that it was allowed to happen. I thought that our tribe was one of peace and kindness. These are signs of strength. I see now, that we have yet to gain them."
The old leader paused and the junkyard became quiet.
Rumpleteazer was the one to break the silence.
"But what about her!" she whined, pointing to Cassiopeia. "It's all her fault! None of this would've happened if she hadn't shown up."
Cassiopeia found herself being pushed onto the tire.
Deuteronomy put his arm around her.
"Cassiopeia, it is time to tell us the truth."
His words were strong, but they were also reassuring.
The brown queen looked around at the jellicles.
She took a deep breath.
"It's true," she said. "I am Samprona, the daughter of Growltiger and Griddlebone."
Admetus was shocked. He didn't know what to say. The other jellicles began to murmur. Deuteronomy silenced them.
"How did you get to be here?" he asked.
"It's a long story."
"We have plenty of time," he replied.
"After my father was forced to walk the plank my mother gave birth to me. I had no brothers or sisters, it was only me. My mother had been badly skeered, and she hated that her daughter could be more beautiful her, so she gave me this."
Samprona, ran her paw along the scar on her shoulder.
"A scar identical to hers. When I was old enough, she started to teach me to be a criminal. How to lie, steal and cheat and, not to get caught. When I mastered this, she took me to an abandoned house on the outskirts of town. She told me this was the hideout of Macavity the mystery cat and his gang. She acted like she and Macavity were old friends. . .really good, old friends. Even though she was so much older than him. It was like they'd been together sometime before. . . Anyway, we lived with them for a long time. We helped Macavity with his 'jobs' and in return, he and his gang took care of us. He was always flirting with and. . .touching my mother. And. . .she did nothing to stop it. They'd spend the nights together and even some of the days. But after a while, I noticed that. . .that. . ."
Samprona buried her face in her paws. Deuteronomy held her close to his chest.
"It's all right," he said. "We understand that this is hard for you. You may finish your story later if you like."
"No," said the queen. "I have to tell the truth. You won't trust me until I do."
She wiped the tears from her eyes, took a deep breath, and continued.
"Macavity was no longer attracted to my mother," she said, making visible efforts to hold back the sobs.
"He was attracted to me. He was older than me but attracted to me. And yet, he'd still flirt with my mother. I tried to avoid him, but he was just. . .everywhere! He said that he wanted me to be his mate. He said that he would 'take care of' my mother so that she would no longer come between us. . . The next day, my mother was found dead. Macavity told everyone that she had been attacked by a pollicle, but I knew it was him. I ran away as soon as I could. I lived by myself for about a week. Then some human boys thought it would be fun to set their pollicle on me. That was when I was rescued by Munkustrap, Alonzo and Skimbleshanks. And now, I'm here."
"Why didn't you tell us right away?" asked Deuteronomy.
Samprona pulled away from him. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She turned and faced the rest of the jellicles.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" she shouted. "Did you really expect me to tell you who I was when I first met you?"
She looked down at the three toms who had been her rescuers.
"Can you honestly say that if you knew who I was you, still would've offered to bring me here? You, Munkustrap!"
She pointed an accusing finger at the tabby.
"You never said anything while you brought me here from the alley. You were staring at me with this. . .this solemn, angry look on your face. Whenever I looked at you, you would turn away. I was afraid you knew who I was. Now I know you did!"
The brown queen turned away from the bewildered Munkustrap and again, addressed the whole group.
"When you all found out about me, I know what you were going to do! You probably won't admit it, but wanted to kill me! I know you did!"
She turned her focus toward Mungojerrie.
"You were going to kill Admetus because, out of all of you who called yourselves my friends, he was the only one who tried to defend me!"
The striped cat hung his head in shame and embarrassment.
"I ran away from Macavity because I wanted to start a new life. I didn't want to be a criminal. I didn't want to make others feel upset and angry and cheated and all that! I thought that here, as a member of your tribe, I could do that. But I was wrong!"
Deuteronomy tried to hug her, but the queen ran away from him.
Away from the other cats
Away from the junkyard.
=^.".^=
Cassiopeia, or Samprona as we now know her name to be, had run to a park not far from the junkyard.
She now lay in a small flower bed looking up at the sky.
She had come here several times before. It was a special place.
Here she felt safe, like nothing could harm her.
Being surrounded by the beauty of nature on a glorious summer day, she felt like she could forget her troubles and just relax.
She loved to look at the clouds.
A plain blue sky was boring to her but the clouds were beautiful.
Sometimes a bird would fly over her, or a butterfly would land on her nose and make her sneeze.
This was a magical place.
Samprona liked it.
But now, it seemed like everything had changed.
The events that had taken place in the junkyard no more than an hour ago refused to leave her memory.
She was ashamed for how she had yelled at the jellicle cats.
They would never forgive her.
She could not return to the junkyard, now or ever.
The thought crossed her mind that she should return to her old life.
Her life as a criminal.
Living to cause sorrow for others who had only caused sorrow for her.
Living alongside the most feared feline in England.
At least Macavity loved her and had taken care of her. He was the only one who ever did.
Samprona shook her head.
How could she possibly think that?
She knew very well that Macavity did NOT love her.
He may have been attracted to her body, but she knew that he was incapable of loving anyone.
If she returned and became his mate, then she would end up just as her mother did.
No, she could never, and would never go back to that life.
It seemed that she would just have to accept her life as a rogue and an outcast. Shunned by both humans and felines.
Perhaps it was meant to be this way.
Perhaps it was her destiny.
Samprona closed her eyes. She hoped that if she took a nice long nap, then everything would be fine when she awoke.
She was just staring to doze off when she felt a strong paw on her shoulder.
She opened her eyes to see the kind face of Admetus looking down at her. She stood up to face him.
"How did you find me here?" she asked.
"I followed you from the junkyard," came his reply. "When I saw you lay down I thought you'd want to be alone for a little while."
The brown queen bowed her head. "I did, thank you," she said.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between the two cats. Neither of them knew what to say.
Finally, Admetus spoke up.
"Samprona," he said. "I want you to know that I don't care what happened in your past. I. . .that is. . ."
Admetus bit his lip. This was harder than he thought it would be. He took a second or two to think about what he wanted to say.
Then he said it.
"I love you for who you are now."
Samprona looked up at him. "You really mean that?"
Admetus nodded.
"I was hoping that you would come back to the junkyard with me."
"I don't think the other jellicles would accept me."
"Please Samprona," begged the tom. "I've known them my whole life. I know they're sorry for what they did and want you to come back as much as I do."
"You think so?" asked the brown queen.
"I know so."
Admetus held out his paw.
She stared at it for a little while but finally, accepted it.
The two cats started back to the junkyard.
=^.".^=
The tribe's clearing had become like a graveyard after the brown queen left.
No one had said anything.
Everyone sat down somewhere to think about what just happened.
To feel sorry they'd let it happen, and wish that there was some way for them to fix it.
Even the Rum Tum Tugger who usually thought of no one but himself was almost ashamed of the events that had taken place. . .almost.
The stillness was broken when Admetus entered the clearing with Samprona on his arm.
The jellicles stood and looked at her, but no one spoke.
Again, there was stillness.
Samprona looked around at the eyes that were fixed on her. She felt as though she would cry, but she forced herself to be strong.
Then, when she thought that she could not stand the silence any longer, she saw the gray striped figure of Munkustrap take a step toward her.
He paused and caught his breath when her eyes met his. She was glad to know that she was not the only uncomfortable one in the junkyard.
Munkustrap took a deep breath and continued to walk toward the brown queen. He knew that all eyes were on him now, but he didn't care.
He stood before Samprona.
Their eyes were locked together. Admetus thought that he could almost see the tension between them.
The gray tabby slowly knelt to one knee.
"Samprona," he said at last. "Everything you said to us was true, and very much deserved. We should not have judged you the way we did."
Samprona was not sure if she was imagining it or not, but she could've sworn that his voice was choked with sadness, almost pain.
Were those tears that glistened in his eyes?
Munkustrap bowed his head. He himself was afraid that he would begin to cry.
"I am sure," he said without looking up, "that I speak for everyone when I say that we are sorry, but most especially me. I feel like I'm responsible for all that you've been through for the past hour. It was a load you should not have had to bear. I know that I don't deserve it, but I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Please."
Samprona stepped away from Admetus and knelt down in front of the gray tabby. She lifted his chin with her paw and looked into his eyes. A single tear had rolled down his cheek.
He was ashamed that she should see it. He never cried in public. He barely ever let himself cry in private.
He was inwardly rebuking himself for doing it now in front of the entire tribe and Samprona. He just couldn't help it.
"Munkustrap," said the brown queen. "I need your forgiveness as much as you need mine. If I hadn't of lied to you, none of this would've happened. I do forgive you, can you forgive me?"
The gray tabby smiled and nodded. Another tear rolled down his cheek and he made no effort to hold it back.
The two cats rose to their feet, their eyes still locked together.
"Thank you," said Munkustrap.
A joyful cheer rose from the crowd of jellicles.
Samprona and Munkustrap hugged each other. Then the gray tabby took both her paws and placed them into those of Admetus.
With a quick look of gratitude at the gray tabby, Admetus took Samprona in his arms and kissed her.
The cheers of the jellicle tribe became louder.
Munkustrap bowed to the two cats and slowly backed away to let them enjoy their moment together.
=^.".^=
five days later
The jellicle ball was to be held that evening as soon as the jellicle moon took it's place in the sky.
Admetus and Samprona walked, paw in paw, in a secluded area of the junkyard. Here they did not have to worry about the other jellicles disturbing them. They could just enjoy each other's company.
Samprona was again feeling like she was a part of the tribe. She had apologized to every one of the jellicle cats and received an apology from each of them.
Even Old Deuteronomy had asked for her forgiveness.
She knew that this was a place where she could start a new life and forget about her past.
"So are you enjoying life in the junkyard?" asked Admetus.
"Very much," said the queen. "Everyone is so friendly here."
"Not too friendly I hope."
The jellicle tom had not meant for Samprona to hear that comment, but she had.
"Why Admetus," she teased. "Is it just me, or do I detect a hint of jealousy in your voice?"
The tom blushed.
"Well if you must know, Electra told me that one of the other toms is planning to ask me to dance tonight."
"Who?"
"That black tom with the mane. I never could get his name right. Rum. . .Tum. . . Tupperware. . .something like that."
Admetus laughed.
"Tugger. Rum Tum Tugger."
"Oh, right."
"Out of curiosity, what would you say if he did? Hypothetically speaking of course." said the tom.
"Oh yes, that is definitely jealously. Don't worry Admetus. You should know by now that you are the only tom for me."
Admetus responded by giving the brown queen a gentle kiss on the cheek.
"I love you too," he said.
The two jellicles continued to stroll through the junkyard.
Eventually, Admetus suggested that they head back to join the others, as the sun had disappeared behind the hills, and it would not be long before the yearly jellicle ball would begin.
=^.".^=
The two jellicles turned a corner in the junkyard. The tribe's clearing was not far away.
Admetus stopped and looked at Samprona.
"Before we get any closer," he said.
He pulled the brown queen close to him and pressed his lips against hers.
"Forgive me, I couldn't restrain myself."
"I don't mind," whispered the queen.
She closed her eyes and leaned toward him.
Their lips were almost touching, when a shrill scream pierced the air.
"Holy Heavyside!" said the tom.
He grabbed Samprona's paw and they ran toward the clearing as fast as they could.
=^.".^=
The sun was barely visible behind the hills. The clear summer sky was lavender, streaked with lovely shades of pink and violet. As the sun sank further, the colors became deeper.
Soon it would be night, and time for the jellicle ball.
The tribe's clearing was filled with activity as the felines prepared for the festivities.
Jennyanydots and Jellyorum had their paws full trying to control the kittens who were much too excited to be calm.
The Rum Tum Tugger constantly checked himself out in an old mirror, making sure that he looked perfect. That his gold spiked collar was so well polished that it sparkled when the light hit it. That his studded belt fit just right around his waist. And that there was not a strand of fur out of place in his carefully groomed mane.
Some of the older jellicles practiced the dances they would perform that year.
Mistoffelees was running through his tricks in his head, so that he would not give them away to the cats that would make up his audience.
In the midst of all the activity, only two cats remained calm. Munkustrap and his mate, Demeter, sat on the tire watching the sun slowly descend out of sight. The gray tabby had his arm affectionately wrapped around the queen and she leaned against him, a blissful smile spread across her white face.
Neither had spoken. They did not need to. Both were content to sit in each other's arms until the music for the ball filled the cool evening air. Munkustrap took one of Demeter's paws in his and kissed it.
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"
he whispered into her ear.
"Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of the fair thou ownest,
Nor shall death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When eternal lines to time thou grow'st;
So long as man can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee."
Demeter looked up at him.
"You do Shakespeare so well," she purred.
"No sonnet could begin to describe you, fair one," replied the tabby.
They leaned toward each other and their lips met in a passionate kiss.
=^.".^=
A young queen named Jemima sat on an old stove gazing the two cats. She loved to watch her older cousin Demeter, and her mate when they were together.
"They are the perfect couple," she said to herself. "They love each other so much. Munkustrap is so kind to her, and he's so romantic. I hope I meet a tom like that someday."
The little calico closed her eyes and imagined what such a tom would be like.
"He must be tall," she thought. "And strong, and handsome. He would smile at me. Then he would bow and ask me to dance with him. He must be a wonderful dancer. Graceful and energetic."
A new thought came to her head.
"Actually, he can not be too tall. I want to be able to look into his eyes as he takes me into his strong arms and we twirl across the dance floor as if on clouds."
Jemima smiled.
"I wonder who that tom could be."
She opened her eyes and looked around at the other jellicles. Could her true love be a tom from the tribe? Who would it possibly be?
Many of the jellicle toms were already spoken for.
"Alonzo is already with Cassandra, and Plato with Victoria."
The young queen shook her head. They were too tall anyway. Who else could it be?
Tumblebrutus? Pouncival? Mistoffelees?
She wished she knew.
Ah, but why would any of them have any interest in her? Though she would soon be a year old, she was still considered a kitten.
"They probably think I'm too young for them."
Jemima sighed. The glorious vision of her dream tom slowly faded from her mind.
She knew that one day he would come, and that she and him would live happily ever after just like her cousin and Munkustrap.
She would just have to be patient.
The young queen returned her focus to the couple on the tire. Their lips had parted and they sat watching the sun disappear into the west. It was a beautiful picture.
As Jemima watched them she noticed something move behind the tire.
She gasped as the dark figure of a strange feline rose and towered over the couple.
They did not notice him.
In his paw, the stranger held a large object that he raised over his head.
"Behind you!" screamed Jemima as loud as she could. "Munkustrap, Demeter look out!"
The couple looked at the young calico in surprise, but before they could comprehend what she'd said, a heavy object came down on Munkustrap's skull with a sharp crack. Demeter watched in horror as the gray tabby fell from the tire and rolled lifelessly to the ground.
She rushed to his side.
"Hehehehehahahahahahaha!"
Demeter gasped. She knew that laugh only too well.
She raised her eyes and looked upon the tall figure of Macavity the mystery cat.
The queens screamed as the clearing was swarmed with henchmen. Demeter watched terrified as the black, scruffy cats fell upon the small tribe of jellicles. They entered the clearing from all sides, attacking in groups of four or more.
The jellicle toms tried hard to resist, but it seemed impossible. There were so many of them!
"Split up!" ordered the ginger cat.
The henchmen divided into two groups. The queens and kittens were surrounded by one group and herded like cattle to a corner of the clearing.
All except Demeter, who knelt beside her mate, only a few feet away from Macavity.
"Munkustrap, please wake up," she said.
But the gray tabby did not respond.
The jellicle toms organized themselves into a circle, each one facing outward. It helped to ward off most advances made by the second group of henchmen. Now at least they couldn't be attacked from behind.
The black scruffy cats quickly surrounded their little circle. There was no where to run.
They had no choice but to fight.
And they did, with all their might.
Whenever a henchman dared come close, they were driven back by the sharp claws of the jellicle toms.
A bolt of lightning flew from the part of the circle where Mistoffelees stood. It struck three henchmen and they fell to the ground unconscious.
The magical cat shot another bolt and two more fell.
Five henchmen down in less than two minutes.
Macavity hissed.
Mistoffelees was defeating his toms at a rate that made him uncomfortable.
"Someone get that magical cat!" he shouted.
But every time a henchmen came near him, Misto shot him down.
Macavity gritted his teeth.
"If ya want a job done right," he muttered. "Give it to Macavity."
The ginger cat leapt from the tire and ran to the group of female jellicles.
The henchmen guarding the group, stepped out of the way as he neared them. Macavity roughly grabbed the white queen known as Victoria and dragged her back to the tire. She began to scream but abruptly stopped when he held his sharp claws to her throat.
"Nobody move or the cotton ball gets it!" he shouted.
The jellicle cats froze and looked up at him.
"Victoria!" yelled the tom known as Plato.
He started toward the tire but was held back by Asparagus and Rum Tum Tugger who were standing next to him.
Nobody moved.
A silence you feel you could cut with a knife filled the clearing.
The henchmen awaited further orders.
The jellicles stared up at Macavity wondering what he would do.
"Magical Mr. Mistoffelees," he shouted.
All heads turned toward the magical tom.
He stepped forward and stared at the ginger cat.
Macavity motioned with his head for him to come closer.
The black tom's eyes remained locked on the mystery cat and his face remained hard and expressionless as he walked toward the tire.
He stood before Macavity, still as a statue for fear that one quick movement would mean the death of Victoria, his sister.
Three large henchmen gathered around him, but Mistoffelees did not react. Either he did not notice or simply did not care. He continued to stare at Macavity.
"Cross your arms behind your back," ordered the master criminal.
Misto took in a sharp breath. His eyes flew from Macavity to his sister and back to Macavity.
He had no choice but to obey.
He flinched as one of the henchmen tied his wrists together with a rough piece of rope. An evil grin spread across the ginger cat's face. He nodded to his henchmen.
The next thing Mistoffelees felt was something hard come down on his head.
There was a gasp throughout the clearing as the magical cat sagged to the ground.
Victoria's eyes grew wide.
Macavity released her and pushed her off the tire. She knelt beside the unconscious figure of her brother.
"Misto!"
Her blue eyes flooded with tears. She knelt down to kiss his cheek but before she could, she was grabbed by a henchman and forced back to the group of queens.
"There doesn't need to be any more fighting," said Macavity.
His voice oozed with his trade deceitfulness and suavity.
"I came here with one intention."
"Yeah, to kill!"
Just after he said this, Alonzo was slashed across the face by a nearby henchman.
Macavity leapt off the tire and casually walked through the clearing.
He hissed at the kittens taking pleasure in their terrified gasps and efforts to hide behind the adults.
He continued to walk in silence until he reached the edge of the clearing. He then turned and faced the tribe.
"Where is Samprona?" he demanded.
There was a gasp among the queens.
"I know she's here," continued the ginger cat. "Everlasting cat knows what you've told her about me. But that doesn't matter. I've come here to rescue her and take her home. Give her to me and there will be no more trouble."
After he said this, Macavity heard a small gasp from behind him. He whirled around to see the familiar brown queen and a jellicle tom standing there.
Samprona stared at him with horror.
The jellicle tom was immediately seized by two henchmen.
Before she had time to think, Samprona found herself struggling to get free from Macavity's strong arms.
"Samprona," he whispered.
He placed a paw on the back of her head and pressed his lips against hers.
"Get off her you pollicle!" shouted Admetus.
With sudden strength, he pulled away from his captors.
He grabbed the master criminal by the fur on his chest and slashed him across the face.
Samprona fell away from Macavity, only to be grabbed by two other henchmen.
Macavity recovered.
He hissed and slashed Admetus.
The jellicle tom stumbled under the heavy blow. When he regained his balance, he found himself surrounded by three henchmen.
One of them dashed at him, but Admetus was ready. He dodged the charge and the scruffy cat ran square into another henchman. They both fell.
The third henchman was staring in shock at his fallen comrades. He did not know what hit him when Admetus slashed him across the face.
By now, the other two cats had regained their feet.
One of them pounced toward the jellicle who fell under his weight.
Admetus pushed the henchman off him only to recoil as another kicked him in the stomach.
Samprona screamed.
Admetus knocked the feet out from under one henchman. He scrambled to his feet and kicked the fallen tom in the face.
Another henchman came up behind him and wrapped an arm around his neck. The jellicle tom's eyes grew wide as he choked for breath.
Another henchman came up from the front. The jellicle tom managed to slash him across the face and keep him away with his foot. The henchman who held him, tightened his grip. Admetus drove his elbow into the henchman's stomach as hard as he could. The scruffy cat groaned. His hold weakened enough that the jellicle tom could get free.
Taking several deep breaths, he turned and slashed his attacker. He then grabbed him by the fur and threw him into another henchman.
They both fell to the ground.
=^.".^=
Macavity stood watching the fight for a few seconds then grew bored.
That Admetus tom didn't stand a chance against three of his henchmen.
He turned around to see that the other jellicle toms had resumed their fight, but the henchmen still kept them clumped in a tight circle.
They didn't stand a chance either.
The ginger cat wondered why they didn't just give up and accept that they had been captured. It would certainly save them a lot of injuries.
He turned his focus to Mistoffelees the magical tom that lay unconscious on the ground.
Macavity couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
He looked so small and pathetic. Like a helpless kitten.
He was only a year and a half after all.
"He's young," thought the master criminal. "But he's powerful."
The thought crossed his mind that he should take the magical cat with him when he finally left the junkyard. Who could stop him?
"He would certainly come in handy even if I have to force him to work for me."
Macavity kept the idea in mind. The next thing his evil eyes focused on was Demeter.
The prettiest queen in the tribe.
She was still kneeling beside the unconscious figure of her mate though she looked up at the fighting felines every few minutes.
Macavity grinned and started toward her.
=^.".^=
Demeter stared with horror at the battle going on in her junkyard home.
The queens cornered.
The toms surrounded and outnumbered.
Samprona captured, and Admetus trying his best to fight for her.
Mistoffelees unconscious, as well as her mate.
She felt tears filling her eyes. She buried her face in Munkustrap's chest.
"Oh Munk," she said quietly. "Please wake up. Don't leave me. Please wake up."
The queen had barely finished her last sentence when she was startled by the gray tabby's paw gently squeezing hers.
She lifted her head and looked at him.
His eyes were opened.
A small smile came to his lips.
He neither moved nor spoke, but his eyes told Demeter not to draw attention.
"Please wake up Munkustrap," she whispered to let him know that she understood.
Munkustrap squeezed her paw again as if to say thank you.
His eyes shifted to something away from them.
She glanced up in that direction to see Macavity coming toward her. The blood drained from her face. She looked back down at her mate.
The tabby winked at her and closed his eyes.
"Please don't leave me Munkustrap," she gasped. "I need you with me. I love you."
Munkustrap lightly squeezed her paw as if to say, "I love you too and I'll never leave you."
"Is he dead?"
Demeter's blood turned to ice inside her veins. She glared up at Macavity who stood over her. The master criminal grinned sarcastically.
"Too bad."
He knelt down and looked into her eyes.
"Hello Demeter. Heavyside, you get prettier every day."
The jellicle queen did not answer. Macavity continued.
"Ya know, these toms'll be fighting a while. What'd ya say we steal away and go someplace quiet. We can come back for my men and the magical cat later."
Demeter hissed. The master criminal smiled.
"Oh don't worry," he said pointing to the jellicle tom. "Munkustrap won't mind."
Quick as lightning, the gray tabby leapt to his feet and kicked Macavity in the face.
The ginger cat was taken completely by surprise.
He let out a small cry as he fell backwards.
Munkustrap kicked him in the stomach and then lifted him up by the fur on his chest.
"Yes, Munkustrap will mind," he hissed.
He slashed Macavity who stumbled under the blow.
"Munkustrap will most definitely mind."
The master criminal ran toward Munkustrap who spun out of the way. Macavity hissed.
The two toms circled each other each one contemplating his next move.
Macavity was the first to charge.
Munkustrap stepped to one side and scratched him on the back of the neck.
The ginger cat spun around and slashed him across the face. He then kicked the gray tabby's feet out from under him.
Demeter watched with horror as the master criminal leapt at her mate.
But Munkustrap was quick, and rolled out of the way before Macavity landed on him.
In a blink of an eye, he was back on his feet.
So was Macavity.
Again, they circled.
=^.".^=
Admetus slashed one of the henchman across the face. He grabbed him by the fur on his chest and threw him into a pile of junk.
The scruffy cat lost consciousness almost immediately.
The jellicle tom felt another henchman leap onto his back. He threw him off.
The scruffy cat landed on top of the other one.
The jellicle kicked him in the face.
=^.".^=
Munkustrap and Macavity were rolling across the ground each one grasping the other's throat.
When they stopped, the tabby was on top. He slashed the ginger cat across the face.
=^.".^=
Admetus was holding one henchman by the fur. He raised his paw to deliver a blow.
His wrist was grabbed by another henchman who twisted his arm behind his back.
The other henchman wriggled free and slashed him hard.
=^.".^=
Macavity threw the gray tabby off him. He scrambled to his feet and slashed his assailant.
Munkustrap stumbled backwards from the blow and tripped over the unconscious figure of Mistoffelees.
=^.".^=
Admetus had been struck several times.
Large drops of blood dripped down his cheeks.
With a fierce hiss, he drove the heal of his right foot into the shin of the scruffy cat that held him.
The henchman howled in pain, and the jellicle tom struggled free.
=^.".^=
The master criminal lifted Munkustrap by the fur and threw him against the car.
He then, slashed the dazed tabby across the face.
Once
Twice.
Munkustrap fell under the third blow.
Demeter gasped.
Then something caught her eye.
Mistoffelees
The little tuxedo on the ground was shifting ever so slightly.
He was moving by himself!
He was waking up!
=^.".^=
The magical cat opened his eyes to find himself only inches away from Munkustrap and Macavity.
He managed to roll himself away from the fighting toms.
His vision was blurry and his head ached more than ever but he knew he had to help his friends.
He ignored the pain and struggled to free himself from his bonds.
"Misto, thank Heavyside you're awake!" he heard someone say.
He looked up to see Demeter. She quickly removed the rope that bound his wrists.
"Are you all right?"
The black tom nodded and got to his feet.
A bolt of blue lightning pierced the air.
Two henchmen cried out in pain and fell to the ground.
Every jellicle in the tribe was inwardly cheering.
=^.".^=
Admetus found himself between the two henchmen.
The one he faced, slashed him.
The one behind him, turned him around and also slashed him.
He was turned around again.
The henchman raised his paw for another blow.
Admetus ducked.
The scruffy cat slashed his comrade.
The jellicle tom knocked their feet out from under them. They both fell to the ground.
Admetus kicked one of them in the jaw and he lost consciousness.
=^.".^=
Munkustrap tried to get up but Macavity pushed him back down with his foot. He kicked the gray tabby in the stomach.
"Come on Munkustrap!" he jeered. "Get up! Get up and fight me like a tom!"
=^.".^=
Mistoffelees suddenly felt a paw on his shoulder. He whirled around ready to strike the attacker when he realized that it was only Demeter.
She frantically pointed to Macavity and her mate.
Mistoffelees waved his sparking paws through the air and sent a bolt of lightning toward them.
=^.".^=
Macavity was about to kick Munkustrap again when he felt a sudden excruciating pain in the tip of his tail. He jumped and let out a bloodcurdling screech.
The gray tabby took advantage of the opportunity.
He leapt to his feet and slashed the master criminal across the face.
=^.".^=
Another bolt of lightning flew from the magical cat's paws. Already, more than twenty henchmen had fallen.
Now, three more fell.
=^.".^=
Admetus pounced at his third and final opponent.
They rolled across the floor.
The henchman ended up on top.
He slashed the jellicle tom.
Admetus threw the scruffy cat off him. He leapt to his feet and grabbed him by the fur.
He threw the henchman to the ground as hard as he could. His head hit the earth with a crack.
He was out immediately.
=^.".^=
Macavity's screeches grew louder as Munkustrap continuously slashed him giving him no time to recover.
=^.".^=
Admetus ran toward Samprona. The two henchmen holding her gladly threw her into his arms and ran away as fast as they could.
=^.".^=
Misto's lightning bolts were growing stronger every second.
Twenty,
thirty,
forty henchmen had fallen.
They were visibly becoming afraid as their numbers decreased.
Another bolt.
Three more down.
The jellicle toms were gaining the advantage. Their circle became bigger and bigger. Each tom fought as hard as he could.
Another bolt.
Two more down.
The henchmen couldn't take it any longer.
"RUN!" they yelled.
The scruffy cats frantically heaved the unconscious figures of their comrades onto their backs and bolted out of the junkyard as fast as they could.
=^.".^=
Macavity's face was dripping with blood. He was blinded with pain.
He wildly swiped his paws, but hit only air.
He stumbled as Munkustrap dealt him another blow.
The ginger tom suddenly realized that his army was retreating.
"Get back here!" he shouted. "Where do you think you're going? Get back here and fight you cowardly pekes!"
He felt two strong paws push him to the ground.
He tried to get up, but couldn't. His strength had deserted him along with his toms.
Munkustrap rolled him onto his back with his foot.
"The fight's over Macavity," he said. "You've lost, like you always have and always will."
"Go ahead Munkustrap," hissed the ginger cat. "Finish me. You know you want to."
The gray tabby smiled.
"No way, that would be too merciful."
Macavity clenched his teeth. He sat up and looked around.
The last henchman had left the junkyard.
Not one jellicle had fallen from the battle.
The entire tribe had gathered around him and Munkustrap.
Among them were Admetus and the brown queen.
"Samprona," the master criminal started.
The queen cut him off.
"Get out of here Macavity," she said in disgust. "I hope I never see your ugly face again as long as I live!"
"You heard her," added Munkustrap pulling the ginger cat to his feet. "Get out of here."
Macavity turned back to the brown queen.
"I'm sorry to say that your last wish will not come true," he hissed. "You will most definitely see me again Samprona. I will be back. You will never hear the last of the Hidden Paw!"
With that, he started away. The crowd of jellicles parted to give him room.
A deathlike silence filled the clearing.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flew through the air and hit the ginger cat on the rear.
Macavity screeched.
The junkyard filled with laughter as he bolted out of the clearing as fast as he could.
Mistoffelees blew on the tips of his fingers with a smug smile.
Victoria ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. They hugged each other tightly.
Then, Misto took her paws and placed them in those of Plato.
Demeter embraced Munkustrap with tears in her eyes.
The queens who had mates now rushed to them and threw themselves into their arms.
The kittens hugged each other.
Suddenly, the clearing was flooded with light. Music filled the air.
It was time for the yearly jellicle ball to begin!
A cheer rose up from the jellicle tribe.
Some of them began to dance. Others joined them, with their mates.
Munkustrap took Demeter's paw and lifted it to his lips.
"Would you care to dance fair one?" he asked.
The queen smiled.
"Oh Munkustrap," she said.
They danced off in each other's arms.
Jemima smiled as she watched them.
Munkustrap and her cousin. The perfect couple.
"Jemima?"
The young queen turned around when she heard someone say her name. She saw Mistoffelees standing before her. A handsome smile on his white face. He gave the queen an elegant bow.
"May I have the honor of dancing with the loveliest queen in the tribe?" he asked.
It was the first time Jemima ever heard him say anything other than 'presto.' He had a wonderful voice. The young calico smiled, hoping that he did not see her blush.
"Yes, you may," she said.
Misto's eyes seemed to light up at her answer. He held out a paw to her. She accepted it and they danced away.
Samprona looked around the clearing for Admetus. She had lost him in all the excitement and was afraid that she would miss being able to dance with him. Then she saw him.
He seemed to be looking for her also. He looked in her direction. She waved and he waved back.
She grew excited as he began to make his way toward her.
"Hey pretty young thing," she heard someone say.
She turned to see the tall figure of Rum Tum Tugger standing next to her.
"Wanna dance?"
"No thank you Tugger."
"You sure?" asked the tall cat.
He was more than a little surprised. He had never been turned down by a queen before.
He hid his shock under his macho grin.
Samprona opened her mouth but before she could anything, another queen spoke up.
"She's sure."
The red queen named Bombalurina had walked up to them. She stood between the brown queen and the Rum Tum Tugger and took his arm.
Her tail wrapped itself around his.
"And so am I," she said with a gleam in her eye and a smile on her face.
Samprona shook her head as the Rum Tum Tugger and Bombalurina danced away.
"Here you are."
She turned to see that Admetus had made his way through the crowd of dancing jellicles.
"I was afraid that another tom was having the honor of dancing with the most beautiful queen in England."
Samprona smiled as the jellicle tom came closer to her.
"Don't worry Admetus," she said. "You are the only tom for me."
Admetus took her paws and planted a kiss on each of them.
The two felines looked into each other's eyes. They did not say a word as their faces came closer.
Finally, their lips met.
They wrapped their arms around each other and shared a loving kiss.
=^.".^=
In all of the junkyard only one area was lit up.
In all of that area only one clearing had music.
In that one clearing a band of cats that called themselves jellicles were dancing.
They were having what they called the jellicle ball. An event that takes place only once a year. It is made up of all kinds of different dance and musical styles.
Now, the jellicle cats were free to make up their own dances to lively and energetic music.
In all of the tribe only one couple,
one pair of lovers,
stood with their arms wrapped affectionately around each other and gently swayed with the music.
The End =^.".^=