This is not a story that progresses from A to B to C. It does not arc. It does not end. It does not have a consistent plot. It may be confusing – Life often is.
Black Cats is a collection of memories, strewn about within the mind of a young tomkit who wanted to be a magician. Following are his memories of hope, ambition, lies, betrayal, and tragedy.
Black Cats
by Waiting for my Munkustrap
I was eight, the first time I saw magic performed. It was beautiful, black magic performed by a beautiful, black queen. Every cat knows that black magic is the most powerful magic known, but she made it look like a dance, not because it was so powerful, but because it was so tender. She breathed life into the magic. She made it real. She brought it to life. I was awestruck. I was hooked. The idea that such a supernatural force could work with a cat bled into my soul, and to get it out would have required the destruction of my soul itself. I knew, from that day forward, that I had to become a magician. I had to. It was meant to be.
"What are you looking at, kit?"
Mistoffelees stumbled backwards, out of the shadow that concealed him. "Y- Your magic, sir."
The ginger cat rolled his eyes, advancing on the kit. "And why do you think I come all the way out here, far, far away from everyone else, to practice?"
Mistoffelees turned bright red behind the soft white fur on his cheeks. "Oh. Um, I'm sorry, sir."
"Right. Now, scram!"
The young cat turned and ran. The way that cat was just performing that magic – that black magic – reminded him of that queen he had seen, almost three years earlier. It was breathtaking, and it was dangerous. He didn't want to piss off a cat like that.
To be honest, he was way out of his depth. The Jellicle tribe was known for having the greatest magicians in the world. He visited the junkyard often to learn all that he could, but it was a slow process. There was no way anyone would trust a kitten with magic, much less the powerful black magic he yearned for. He was close, though. Oh, was he close. At eleven, he could begin his training. He just needed to find someone to train him.
Mistoffelees reached the main clearing, heart racing as he looked around him at all the Jellicle cats. Only a few of them were magicians, of course, but those that were renowned for their prowess. He'd come to know a few of them by name: Aurora, Grizabella, and, of course, Old Deuteronomy.
Every magic student wanted to study under Old Deuteronomy. When it came to magic, he reigned supreme.
Mistoffelees recognized even more magicians by appearance: There was the charismatic, orange tabby queen, the mysterious, black and brown twins, and the dark brown beauty who lurked in the shadows. Not to mention the ginger tom he had just met, thought Mistoffelees wasn't so sure he liked him.
The young tom was so starstruck that he didn't notice the cats creeping up behind him. "Have you come to see the magic, little one?" they spoke in unison. Mistoffelees whirled around to find himself face-to-face with the black and brown twins. He nodded excitedly. "I want to become a magician, when I grow up."
The cats smiled warmly, sensing the curiosity he had inside of him. "If you have any questions, ask away."
Mistoffelees grinned from ear to ear. "Well…" he began, gauging if his question was appropriate. "I've heard of magic from the East that is very beautiful and very dangerous. I'd like to know more about it."
The twins looked at each other, concerned. They stared for a minute, and Mistoffelees realized they must be speaking telepathically. "We're afraid we haven't studied Eastern magic," one of the twins, the queen, replied apologetically.
"But I have."
Mistoffelees tensed up. The speaker was none other than the ginger tom who had shooed him away, just prior. This time, however, the tom seemed keenly interested.
"What do you want to know about Eastern magic, kit?"
Oh, everything, Mistoffelees thought. Any inhibition he had felt flew out the window, as his curiosity was finally allowed to blossom. "What does it feel like?" he asked. "I mean, have you done it? Performed the Eastern magic? I've heard that it's dangerous, but it must be so exciting."
The ginger tom's face turned into one of amusement as he spoke to the aspiring magician about the volatile magic he was so proud of performing.
"Are you one of Old Deuteronomy's students?"
The tom nodded. "Sure am. You know a lot about magic, so I'm sure you know that Old Deuteronomy is the best in the business."
Mistoffelees stopped listening after "You know a lot about magic." Yes, he did! And an actual student of Old Deuteronomy confirmed it!
"What's your name?"
"Mistoffelees."
"You have real potential, Mistoffelees. Do you have a teacher?"
Mistoffelees' heart fluttered. "No, sir; I don't."
The magician grinned. "Well, Mr. Mistoffelees, my name is Macavity, and I would love to take you on as a student, if you would like."
Mistoffelees could hardly believe his luck.
A couple months into his training with Macavity, Mistoffelees was over the moon. With a mentor, he felt like he really had a chance at becoming one of Old Deuteronomy's magicians. He spent every possible moment at the junkyard, watching and learning everything he could.
One day, he found himself talking to Grizabella. "Tell me about black magic," he asked.
Grizabella smiled at the sweet little tom. "Black magic is amazing, kitten," she answered. "There is nothing in the world better than working with it."
"How do you make do what you want?"
"You don't. You can't. Black magic is alive, kitten. You have to treat it like a friend."
Macavity approached them in the middle of their conversation. "Excuse me," he said to Grizabella with a playful smirk on his face, "this is my student."
Mistoffelees went on to ask Macavity if he liked working under Old Deuteronomy.
Macavity sang his master's praises. "Old Deuteronomy is the best of the best," he told Mistoffelees. "You won't find better magicians than his students."
Then, four months into his training, Mistoffelees saw the magicians talking to Old Deuteronomy. They looked somber, and he got the feeling that something was wrong, but it wasn't his place to ask. Later, Macavity pulled Mistoffelees aside.
"Mistoffelees, you know black magic is dangerous, right?"
"Yes, of course."
Macavity sighed heavily. "I don't want to scare you, but if you're going to be a part of this, you need to know: A cat in another tribe was killed by misfired black magic."
When Macavity told me that a cat had been killed by misfired black magic, I wish I could say I was surprised, but I wasn't. I knew black magic was dangerous. I knew that cats could die if it misfired. I was young, but I wasn't naïve. I knew, and I still wanted it more than anything. Then, on a bright winter's morning like any other, everything changed.
Mistoffelees recognized her. Not only did he know who Aurora was in general, but he also recognized her as the cat who inspired him to learn magic in the first place. She was the sleek black queen who could perform black magic like no other. Her death was a reminder that no one, not even the most experienced magician, can control black magic.
Aurora died when her black magic misfired.
From that day forward, black magic was banned from the Jellicle junkyard.
"This is bullshit, and you know it."
"I'm afraid it's out of my hands."
"Out of your hands? Please. You just don't care about us enough to fix it."
"Macavity, I taught you everything you know about magic. My word is final. If I catch you practicing black magic, you will be asked to leave the junkyard."
Macavity stormed out of Old Deuteronomy's den, stopping about ten feet from the entrance. "How much did you hear?"
Mistoffelees crept out of the shadows. "Black magic will never be allowed, again?"
Macavity sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Mistoffelees."
Mistoffelees shrugged, though there were tears forming in his eyes. "I'm sad, but…I still want to do magic. You'll still teach me magic, right?"
"Of course."
The next few years felt like a constant battle over black magic. Should we practice it? Should we not? In the end…that was really it. It was banned forever, and part of what I'd worked so hard for was gone, but all was not lost. Magicians will always be needed for safer magic, and by the Everlasting Cat, I will be one of them.
Two years after Aurora's death, Macavity approached his young student. He said, "Mistoffelees, I have something to tell you."
Mistoffelees turned his attention to his teacher.
Macavity took a deep breath. "I'm leaving the junkyard."
"What?"
"I will still teach you magic, but I am going somewhere else to start a new tribe. Grizabella and several others are coming with me. I think you should come with us, too."
Mistoffelees shook his head in confusion. "Why would you go start a new tribe?"
Macavity bared his teeth. "Because Old Deuteronomy is a tyrant. He's suffocating us. He doesn't care about anyone but himself." He noticed his young student's frightened expression and softened a bit. "Mistoffelees, listen: We don't hate Old Deuteronomy. We don't want anything bad to happen to Old Deuteronomy. We just want to make a change."
"…I'll think about it," Mistoffelees conceded.
"Good. Follow me."
And he did. He followed to see this new tribe of his teacher's. After all, after years of fighting and fighting, change sounded nice, but the farther they got from the Jellicle junkyard, the more uneasy Mistoffelees felt.
Macavity had changed. Mistoffelees could feel it. He wanted to blame it on the tragedies. He wanted to blame Old Deuteronomy. He wanted anything but to believe that his mentor was not on the side of justice. That wasn't the Macavity he knew. If Macavity was up to something with this new tribe, the Macavity Mistoffelees knew, looked up to, and trusted never existed. It was a distressing thought. Still, Mistoffelees followed. Macavity had never given him a reason not to trust him.
They reached a warehouse, and Mistoffelees skidded to a halt outside the door. Looking in, he saw Grizabella and a bunch of cats he had never seen before.
"Well? Come in. Join us," Macavity urged.
"No."
"No?"
That's when I got angry. That's when I knew something was wrong. These cats were not any of Old Deuteronomy's magicians. If they were, they hadn't been around in a long time. I didn't even know if they were magicians at all, or if they knew the first thing about magic. I looked at Macavity. I wanted to trust him. I didn't want to believe that he was playing me. He wouldn't do that to me, would he? I was just fifteen. He said he would still teach me magic. Why would he still teach me magic if his intentions were sinister? Oh, I was desperate to believe in him.
"You told me Old Deuteronomy was the best of the best, and now you're saying he's suffocating you? How is that?" Mistoffelees demanded.
Macavity crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not that simple, Mistoffelees. You're just a fifteen year old tomkit. You can't possibly understand, but if you were standing where I'm standing, I know you'd feel the same way.
Mistoffelees gritted his teeth. "You're right about one thing; I don't understand. And I do think it's that simple, Macavity. Were you lying to me then, or are you lying to me now?"
That's when Macavity lashed out. "How dare you?" he snarled. "After all I've done for you?"
Mistoffelees ran.
And when the Hidden Paw attacked the Jellicles, he knew he had made the right decision.
He said they didn't hate Old Deuteronomy. He said they didn't want anything bad to happen to Old Deuteronomy. He lied. I wonder how much he lied.
He trained with whomever he could find. He found that learning magic from different teachers broadened his horizons and made him more versatile. His life was still on track. He was doing well. Still, those words burned in the back of his head: "You're just a fifteen year old tomkit."
One day, he wouldn't be just a fifteen year old tomkit. He would not stop until he was the best magician the world had ever seen, and they'd all say, "Oh! Well, I never. Was there ever a cat so clever as Magical Mr. Mistoffelees?" One day, he would be better than Macavity ever was.
That is, if he could outrun his past as Macavity's student.
Macavity, Macavity,
There's no one like Macavity.
There never was a cat of such
Deceitfulness and suavity.