Hi!
So I know I promised a different story earlier this summer but plans didn't work out and this happened. My first story as LOinOP so please be as ruthless and mean as you possibly can! All constructive criticism is welcome!
The night is cool and light with the euphoric ebbing of the Jellicle moon; music and laughter dance across the the tops of junk piles, trees, and curt breezes. An occasional tune escapes the gates of Rosenhour's Scrap, the sanctuary that houses felinity of the most esteemed kind: the Jellicles.
Yes the Jellicles. A most talented and peculiar tribe that has a knack for being especially expressive in their divinity as they routinely open up the gates into the Heaviside Layer, begin their melodious songs in the tune of C, and handle the most important pieces entrusted to them by the Messiah himself.
On this particular night they are hosting the most impressive of celebrations: the Jellicle Ball.
This year's ball proves to be something unique as, for the very first time, instead of procuring an heir to ascend to the kingdom of the Heaviside Layer, two new heirs to the Jellicle tribe will be bestowed upon them.
"Oh Deuteronomy go on with the ball without me. I- Aarh!"
A Jellicle queen and a handful of Jellicle toms stumble along a moonlit path carved out between towers of scrap metal and discarded furniture. The queen nearly collapses to her knees as she's taken with another contraction, her beautiful face contorted in pain and her breath coming in harsh pants. But the toms keep her on her feet. She curses and spits at them for their efforts.
Deuteronomy, the leader of the Jellicle tribe, loving mate, and current father of one (and counting!) totters behind the group with his son Macavity in tow. "No worries, my dear Grizabella!" he wheezes and gasps, "There's always next year!"
One of the toms holding the queen's arm chuckles. "You'll have to send two up to even the score."
"Why don't I send you up right now, you blabbering tit!" shrieked the writhing Grizabella before grabbing a handful of fur and bearing down with all her might.
This prompts a sudden hysteria amongst the toms and within moments she was crossing the threshold of a den she was sure would be tens of minutes away. She lay on her back upon the nest at the far end of the den and set to the task of delivering her young as swiftly as physically possible. Deuteronomy took his post at her side with utmost pride while the son Macavity was set to the side where he wouldn't be in the way.
IA gaggle of queens pushed into the den after them and set to mussing with the blankets, fussing over the labouring mother, and cussing over the those mussing with the blankets. At the first sight of blood all but two of the group remained at the bedside: Jennyanydots and Jellylorum.
"Now," began Jennyanydots as she knelt between the queen's bent knees, holding a clean blanket at the ready to catch the first kitten, "Let's hope the kittens won't be too shy and be out of there by sunrise."
"Oh please!" cheered Deuteronomy while his mate pushed and strained and breathed and spat.
After quite a while- which was much too long not to be worried- Grizabella began to grow tired and listless and a kitten had yet to make an appearance. Deuteronomy had grown silent though he tried his best to look hopeful and excited whenever he caught the wandering eye of his mate and son.
Jennyanydots looked nervously to Jellylorum who then turned to the kitten Macavity still standing post in the corner. "Let us go find your momma some water. She must be very thirsty." With a nervous glance at his mother, Macavity nodded and let the old queen lead him out of the den.
"Something's wrong," Grizabella cried when her son had left. "Nothing's happening-"
"No, I see the little bugger," Jennyanydots murmured. "I see his bum- your first here is a tom by the way."
"Fan-TASTIC!" One hard shove and the kitten's bottom half had all but burst forth into the awaiting hands of the stoic midwife. With no time to spare the old queen lifted the dark kitten's rear in the air and pulled him free of his mother.
Deuteronomy sighed at the sight of his second son, writhing slowly in Jenny's grasp and took it from her to gently clean away the birth fluids while the two queens busy with the rest of the litter. The kitten hadn't made a single sound.
Unlike its brother this second kitten did not seem too keen on drawing out its grand entrance (or exit, if you will); his descent was announced with horrible cries from its poor mother as it, thankfully, crowned. "Face up," Jennyanydots sighed. "I hope for your sake this is the last of 'em."
"He's too quiet." Deuteronomy murmured, the kitten in his paws moving lethargically but having yet to make a bid at mewling.
Neither queen heard him over Grizabella's final screams with the second and last kitten blooming in Jennyanydots' paws. Within moments of birth the slimy thing fought gallantly against its protective sac demanding his freedom. This kitten, who was also male, wasted no time in screaming his horrible abuse to the world. Grizabella reached for the noisy thing to hug tightly to her chest, gasping with joy while shushing him as she groomed the mess out of his damp fur.
In his paws, Deuteronomy felt the tiny mucus-coated kitten jerk and startle at his brother's surprisingly strong and strident cries. The tiny newborn too began to cry just as the midwife reached for him, her knit brows relaxing with a sigh as the two kittens' mewls filled the den. "He just needed a little badgering, poor thing." With her finger she traced the white of his muzzle and popped her pinky into his wide mouth to suckle on.
Someone outside must have heard the commotion for Deuteronomy could hear a few cheers; many later tried to catch a glimpse of the new Jellicles through the open curtain as Jellylorum and Macavity ducked in with blankets and pitchers of water.
At the sight of his new brothers Macavity paused. "What are their names?" he asked, pouting into his pitcher of water. He watched Jellylorum move to see the newborns, aww-ing and coochie-cooing at the useless things in his parents' arms.
"We don't know yet, why don't you come and help us decide?" Grizabella smiled at her red-furred tom-kit, reaching for him as he tentatively drew closer to get a better look at the muddy-blond kitten suckling at her chest. It felt wrong to Macavity that his mother be petting him while her new favourite kittens lay upon her, both much more soft and small and cute than he. The other kitten was just a plain grey and white tabby, his nose so pink it reminded him of the carnations on his mother's favourite pillow. "This one was born first," she said as she lifted the white and grey one higher on her chest so he lay squished up against his littler brother.
"I wanna name them Rupert and Stiles."
"An excellent choice, but these kittens already have names." Macavity spooked and spun to the entrance of the den where an older tom was timidly eyeing the family from afar. The young tom-kit immediately recognized him as the self-proclaimed oracle, tribe prophet, and the best friend of his unfortunate father. His bright yellow eyes hardened when they landed on the young Macavity.
"Vahtise!" Deuteronomy boomed, smile so wide his back teeth glimmered in the candlelight. "I was surprised you weren't here to catch the babes yourself; you seemed so keen on being here every step of the way."
Jennyanydots and Jellylorum snickered. "If Vahtise thinks he can catch a fresh kitten he's welcome to deliver the next one," Jelly teased, taking the pitcher from Macavity and pouring into a cup.
The tom named Vahtise, a plain black tom, smiled shyly and moved in to greet Deuteronomy with a warm hug. "I just thought childbirth was something to be handled by the... erm... experts. I can honestly say I've seen one live birth in my time and I'm convinced I wouldn't even see to my own kitten's birth. Such horrible-"
"Well, now that you're here you can welcome the new princes with us," Grizabella laughed, offering her paw for him to kiss in greeting, which he took cautiously. Possibly having heard first hand the abuse she inflicted on the other toms who brought her here.
Deuteronomy reached out and gently caressed the small curls of the newborns' spines, his even breaths tapered at the ends. "Leave us." Jennyanydots and Jellylorum hmphed and hmmed but did as they were told, taking the sullied blankets and towels along with them.
Macavity frowned as the family friend leaned in to sniff and peer at his new brothers- not that he particularly cared for them. "What are their names, soothsayer?" he asked impatiently.
Vahtise straightened himself up and smiled. "May I?" he whispered, pointing to the one who grew blond fur in his face, tail and limbs; it wasn't entirely clear whether the brown spots that sprinkled the yellow were bits left over from the birth or actual colourings. Grizabella nodded and lifted the poor kit from her chest and handed him to Vahtise. It kicked and let out an indignant mew as he was turned over and over again in the adult's grasp.
"This one here is a pretty lucky little thing," he began, staring blankly, almost entranced, at the kitten's face. "His name is Rum Tum Tugger and I can assure you his strong will isn't going anywhere.
"I see him growing up in sunlight- in fact his likeness will mirror the sun, with bright golden fur he will enchant everyone he meets. Like the sun he too will burn bright and hot; prosperity and happiness will follow him and his crown of gold. But he must be careful, for prosperity is a dangerous illusion that, if one looks upon it too long, they shall become blind to what's really important."
From below Macavity scoffed. "Rum Tum Tugger is a stupid name."
"Macavity!" Deuteronomy hissed, "I will have silence from you."
"Maybe, but it's the one he chose, just as you had chosen yours. Rum Tum Tugger is the son of the brightest hours and will flourish and blossom when the sun is at its strongest."
That certainly got the red tabby kitten's attention. Hurt and worry caused him to bite his lip and ask, "So he's just like me?"
Vahtise's eyes grew wide and looked to Deuteronomy for help, luckily the kit's father understood enough about their... predicament, to explain it so as a kitten would understand. At least a little bit. "No, Macavity, you find your strength in the Twilight, my dawn devil."
"Daad!"
"May I see the other prince?" Deuteronomy took little Rum Tum Tugger with a proud grin though it was clear he was deathly curious about the other kitten as well.
The moment the kitten was lifted from his mother's chest Vahtise adopted a rather unprovoked and gloomy air about him. With a quiet sigh he raised the grey kit to his face and searched for something to smile about. Apparently only Macavity noticed for his parents looked on with unshaken excitement. Finally Vahtise spoke, his mouth tightened and fought to hide the slight quiver of... fear? "The child is blind."
"Blind?!" repeated Grizabella quizzically. "But Jennyanydots didn't mention-"
"Jennyanydots didn't know as his eyes haven't opened yet."
"Then how did you-?"
"Because I just know," he murmured as he flipped the kitten onto its back so that it lay cradled in the crook of his arm. Macavity wasn't sure he wanted his little brother to be handled by this character for much longer. Again, not that he cared.
"His name is Munkustrap. He will never see the light of day but for in the reflection of the moon; he will live in the darkness and his fur will darken so that the likes of his being will blend seamlessly into the shadows of the midnight, his soul will sway with the power and subtlety of a thousand full moons. But he should be wary as out of the darkness comes..." Vahtise trailed off, eyes fixated on the small tabby in his arms. Gently he stroked the faint stripes racing across his fluffy white face.
Macavity swallowed hard. His parents exchanged worried glances. Tugger gurgled. The room felt filled with cotton, no sound could penetrate it.
Deuteronomy stood, startling the soothsayer who nearly dropped the young Munkustrap in his fright. "He will grow to be a very strong tom. This night terror will keep you two busy in the wee-hours."
Grizabella thanked him when he handed the kitten over to her once again where she lay him flush against his littermate. "Munkustrap will never see? That doesn't sound very nice."
"No. Not nice at all," grumbled Deuteronomy, who stood to follow the retreating Vahtise out the den for what Macavity knows to be 'private words'.
With a small sigh Macavity watched his father disappear to chase down Vahtise, leaving him alone with his mother and brothers. Munkustrap started to cry, and when Macavity heard his father's chastising voice grumbling lowly from outside the den he too wanted to cry.
Munkustrap and Rum Tum Tugger, Night and Day. That sounded a whole lot more important than Twilight. He wasn't really even sure what it meant for the sons of Deuteronomy but as far as he was concerned there was a heck of a lot of sun and the Jellicles always danced under the moon, but no one celebrated at Twilight... that he was aware of.
"What are you thinking of, my babe?" Grizabella whispered, bringing Macavity out of his trace. It hadn't occurred to him until now that he'd been staring at his brothers for some time.
In her eyes Macavity saw something dark, cold and calculating. It created a terror in him not disimilar to the time he'd gazed up the muzzle of a rabid pollicle moments before his father and uncles rammed a steel rod through its deranged skull. What would he find in his brothers' eyes when they finally opened? They must have some likeness to her.
He wondered if they would see the same void that he saw in their mother. "I'm tired," he said slowly, rubbing his eyes to avoid looking at her directly. "I wanna go to bed."
"You're not going to stay up for the rest of the Ball?"
"No."
Grizabella smiled sweetly, lifting the corners of her mouth like any other mother's smile except that hers never reached the darkness in her eyes. "Just wait until your father gets back so he can take you home."
Dumb luck just so happened to bring his father back into the den just moments later, where Macavity wasted no time in grabbing his father's paw and stating "I'm going home" before pulling out into the Jellicle night.
"Goodnight, darling!" Grizabella's voice called after him on a backdrop of mewling kittens. He didn't look back.
The light from the moon made everything look bright and new like a funny black and white day. Macavity could see into every shadow and sometimes the glare of moon in a passing window made his eyes hurt- it was so bright! It made him think of his first Jellicle ball last year and how his father and he stole away to the pond to drop pebbled in the water and watch them sink to the bottom. This year was brighter, he wondered if they could see the bottom of the world.
Deuteronomy anchored him to an even walk once they'd broken through the wall of Jellicles eager to see the new members of their noble monarchy. "It's a special thing to be born on the night of the Jellicle moon," his father sighed, wrapping a comforting arm around Macavity's shoulders. "But remember that it's not the circumstance of your birth that makes a cat."
Then why did they get these ridiculous prophecies? "They're going to need a strong big brother to look up to, Macavity. It'll be up to you to make sure they grow to be good strong toms."
It was a lie, Macavity knew, but he also knew his father was right. How else would these kittens grow up right if we wasn't around to show them? His parents were busy and if they weren't around to watch over his brothers then they would have to go to the nursery- or worse yet they would be tutored by Vahtise. That loony wasn't going to let his unfortunate brothers grow up believing in silly things like magic and fairytales; they had to learn practical things like how to hunt and sneaking a quick snack from Jenny's mice.
And protect them.
"I'll think about it," he said. Though his heart had already decided he would.