Aftermath
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A new story that was supposed to be the first one that I was writing. I obviously didn't do this one first. It takes place directly after the Jellicle Ball.
Enjoy.
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"And that's how you address a cat!" Sang Old D.
He brought his arms down after singing the last line of a Jellicle ball for the ages. The great tire descended back to its normal position in the yard as the Jellicle patriarch considered the events of the night before.
They'd had the mating dance for young Plato and his granddaughter Victoria.
Mac had catnapped Old D himself with the help of some of his henchrats.
Demeter had finally confronted her fears about his son Macavity.
Victoria's brother Misto had finally revealed himself to the rest of the tribe as a magician and proven his worth by returning Old D to them with his magic.
Old D's daughter Grizabella, from his 1st mate, had finally been accepted back into the tribe, thanks to young Jemima and Vic, and had ascended to the heavyside layer.
And his sons Macavity and Munkunstrap, from his 3rd mate, had finally had it out, with Macavity being driven off, hopefully for good.
He sank down to sit on the edge of the tire and looked at the weary Jellicles before him. "So begins another year."
Rum Tum Tugger came over to him, "don't be like that dad. Another year is another year. Don't worry about what's to come just enjoy it when it does." The Maine Coon tomcat was Munk and Macavities half brother, Old D's son from his 5th mate. The maned tom was a consummate flirt and glamour cat like his older sister, however unlike Grizabella he would never consider leaving the tribe. He had everything he needed right here after all. Queens and queen-kits all over him, toms to make jealous and a family that loved him through it all. He rarely thought beyond his next flirt and lived moment to moment.
Munkunstrap, Old D's other remaining son, had become the tribes protector and storyteller. He was a strong silver and black tabby who'd become mates with the gold and black queen Demeter. He came over to check on how his dad was after the events of the ball.
"So how was tonight dad?" he said tiredly.
"It went well in the end my boy" Old D replied "How are your injuries?"
"I'm fine, just a knock on the head and a few cuts and bruises. Alonzo is ok and the kittens and Jerrie are over with Jenny getting their scratches looked at" replied the protector. "Demeter is over with Vic and Plato and feeling quite proud of herself" he grinned. He was pretty damn proud of his mate as well, she was the only one who'd seen through his brothers illusions after he cat napped their father. Everlasting Cat only knew what would have happened if Mac had succeeded in his fakery. The criminal cat had attacked the kittens Teaser and Etcetera and tried to carry off Demeter before being stopped. Munk had attacked together with his second, Alonzo, and managed to rescue his mate. During the resulting fight Munk and Alonzo had been hurt and it had taken the combined forces of the tribe to chase the exiled cat off. Macavity had covered his escape by shorting out some power cables, causing an electrical fire and plunging the Junkyard into darkness. Nobody quite knew what had happened to the criminal tom. A brief search had been conducted but nothing had been found.
"Well my son. All's well as ends well. I am going to return to the churchyard and I'd advise everyone else to get some sleep" said the old cat as he stood to head off. "Give my love to Demeter and I'll see you next time I visit."
The tribe patriarch walked off through the yard, waving to weary cats as he left.
It'd been one hell of a night.
…..
Two days later the kittens Jemima, Electra, Etcetera and the newly mated queen Victoria were heading out to the fields behind the junkyard to hunt mice for lunch.
The kittens were pestering their friend about how her mating dance and the subsequent nights with her new mate.
"It was wonderful" said the white queen with a pink blush to her face. "He made me feel things I'd never even thought of before. I mean, I can't explain it but I feel, complete when I'm with him."
The kittens sighed.
"I hope I find someone to make me feel like that one day" whispered Jemima. She was always a quiet well behaved kitten, unless she was singing of course and then you could hear her glorious voice from anywhere in the junkyard.
"What about my brother" teased Victoria. "I know you like him and I'm pretty sure that he likes you too."
Jemima blushed to the merriment of her friends, "maybe."
The kittens all laughed and continued on to the fields and lunch.
…..
"Come on Electra, we're going home" called Etcetera.
"Go ahead. I want to sit out here for a while" replied the black and red kitten. "It's just such a nice afternoon. I want to enjoy it out here."
"But, I want to go and find my Tugsy!" complained the yellow, black and grey striped kitten. Etcetera was the founding member and president of the Rum Tum Tugger fanclub and would do anything, and I do mean Anything, to spend time with her heart throb. Tugger loved the attention and flirted madly with the young queen kitten, but wouldn't dream of taking it any further than a flirt. He'd already given his heart to Tantomile, the female half of the psychic twin cats for whom the tribe relied on for early warnings about any dangers. She put up with his flirting ways, as she knew that it was all purely in fun, being a mind reader had its perks afterall.
Jemima elected to stay around and keep Electra company, wanting some quiet time to dream about Victoria's brother. The two kittens lay in the soft grass and looked up at the clouds drifting across the slowly darkening skies and enjoying the cool breeze. The silence between them didn't last long as they started to discuss the tom kittens in the tribe. Jemima was trying to find out who Electra's crush was.
"Admentus"
"No"
"Pounce"
"No"
"Tugger"
"No. Well I mean, yes but he belongs to Cety."
"Hmm ok. Umm Munk, Cori, Tumble, Skimble, Augustus, Plato, Misto (the last one said with a sigh), Bustopher, Old D?"
"No, no, no, no, no, no he's Vicky's, no he's yours, eww no, no. I just don't have anyone I am crushing on yet" said Electra with a giggle.
"Promise me that you'll tell me first if you do?" queried the red and black tortishell.
"Of course. Even before I tell Etcetera" Electra assured her friend.
"It's starting to get dark. We'd better get home" Said Jem and pulled her friend to her feet.
The two kittens walked through the field and reached the alleys leading back to the junkyard. Once getting back in the alleys it got noticeably darker as the tall buildings blocked out the waning sunlight. The kittens started to move a little quicker as the twilight settled in.
As they reached the outskirts of the junkyard Jemima heard a low moan coming from under a nearby scrap of canvas. She stopped and reached out to grab Electra pulling her to a halt as well.
"Did you hear that Electra?" she asked.
"Hear what?"
"It sounded like a moan" Jem replied.
"Probably one of the tom's trying to scare us" Electra scoffed, and peered around the surrounding junk. "Where did you hear it?"
Jemima pointed at the canvas, "It was coming from over here."
The two kittens approached the torn flap of fabric timidly. As they got within a couple of feet of it, they began to hear a quiet rasping breath and leapt back a little.
"Who's there?" demanded Electra, moving in front of her more timid friend.
There was no reply from under the canvas and the kits edged closer again.
Electra reached out slowly and lifted a corner of the canvas to peer underneath.
She leapt back with a screech. "Jem! Go get your dad. There's someone under there and I think whoever it is, is hurt."
Jem started to step away and then stopped and looked back at her Electra who'd lifted the canvas again. "You come too. I'm not leaving you here with a strange cat."
Electra watched her friend, who didn't look to be moving anytime soon. "Fine" she sighed, "but we have to run, I think they're really bad."
With that the two kittens ran into the Junkyard crying out for Munkunstrap.
…..
Electra led a small procession of adult cats back to where they'd found the injured cat, Jemima had been kept back at the dens by Demeter.
"We found him just under there" Electra pointed at the canvas.
Munk cautiously approached the canvas patch and lifted it to reveal the cat lying beneath it. He swore loudly and motioned Jennyanydots to come over quickly.
The Jellicle medic looked over the sorry figure lying still in the dirt before her. He (it was a tom) was very badly burnt with raw charred flesh and bone showing through his skin in numerous places over his head, shoulders, torso and arms. Empty sockets looked out where his eyes used to be and where his skin was unbroken the fur had been burnt off. Broken bones protruded through the skin of his arms and legs and he was torn and bleeding from numerous puncture wounds and slashes from claws. The only thing that showed the cat was still alive was the slight movement of his chest and the nearly silent moan that came from the holes in his throat.
The Jellicles had never seen a cat in such a sorry state, what could possibly have done this to a cat, they all came to the same conclusion. It could only have been Macavity.
"I need to get him back to the medical den as soon as we can Munk" said Jenny, and I'll need Jellylorum to help when we get there.
Using the canvas the cat had been lying under and a couple of spare poles they found in the junk, Munk and Alonzo quickly made a makeshift stretcher and rolled the mortally injured cat on. Mercifully the mystery cat had passed out and wasn't feeling the pain that the movement would have caused.
The little party of cats jogged back to the main clearing and Electra was sent to find Jelly and bring her to the medical den. The injured cat was placed on a bed in the den and the toms were shooed out while the medics got to work.
A couple of hours later, Jenny came out of the entrance to the den to speak to Munkunstrap. The tom had been busy in the interim and had doubled the patrols. Finding the injured feline within the junkyard perimeter had put the tribe protector on alert and he wanted as much warning as possible if trouble was headed their way.
"We've stabilised him. We have no idea who he is and with his injuries he'll never be able to tell us" Jenny said. She ran off a litany of injuries and finished it with. "He's also had his eyes and tongue torn out. It's only a matter of time now I'm afraid."
"Everlasting Cat. You say it was all deliberately done." Munk asked.
"All, but the burns. They were done first and the rest of the injuries were done up to 24 hours later" answered the medic.
"Who could have hated him that much?" he wondered "I'd hesitate to think that even my brother could do this to a living being. We need to know who it is but how."
Jenny turned around and headed back into the den to care for her patient in the time he had left, while Munk walked over to the tire and consider his options.
As he was sitting there he heard the squeal of a female kitten and looked up to see Rum Tum Tugger enter the clearing with Etcetera clinging to his tail. An idea popped into his head as he looked at his younger brother.
"Tugger" he called. "Do you know where the twins are?"
"Umm. Tanto and Cori are over with Misto at his den" the Maine Coone replied.
"Thanks" and Munk dashed off.
…..
Munkunstrap was walking back with Tantomile explaining what he needed.
"So, I'm to read this cats mind and let you know what happened to him?" she clarified.
"In a nutshell, yes" replied Munk.
"I'll try" she answered.
"That's all I can ask" thanked the tom.
The psychic cat and the protector entered the medical den, Jelly came over to talk to them quietly. Munk explained his idea.
Jelly though she didn't really like it, gave her consent for the procedure to be carried out.
Tanto approached the comatose cat on the bed and laid her hand on his bandaged head.
"The contact will make it easier" she said to the room as she slipped into a light trance and started to relate what she was experiencing.
"This cat has an extremely stong mind and some very good barriers set up against intrusion, but they are weakened" she related in a monotone. "I am looking for a crack that I can get through, ah found one."
She was silent for a moment, then her eyes opened wide and she pulled away with a hiss.
"I know who this is" she snarled as her fur puffed up and her claws extended to defend or attack.
"It's Macavity!"
...
Well what do you think? Leave me your thoughts and I'll let you know how Mac got into this situation.
Ciao!