"Renaya," A pair of crystal blue eyes opened as the yell echoed through her room.
"Get your lazy ass up," She rolled her eyes as she sat up.
"I'm comin'," She called back. She stood up from her nest, rubbing her eyes tiredly. That dream, that memory kept coming back. She stood up and walked to the mirror that was in the small stone room that was hers. She looked at the body length mirror, sighing. Her silver black-striped fur was a bit on the untidy side, the brown, white, silvery calico fur on her stomach and tail was sticking up at different angles. The intense blue eyes stared back at her.
"Renaya!" She growled at the impatient yell.
"Alright, alright!" She called back before turning and leaving her room. She walked down the cold stone hallways until she turned into a large room.
"Yes, Macavity?" Renaya asked as she walked towards him. Macavity turned and looked at her, his orange tail swishing behind him.
"Renaya," He purred, walking towards her. He gently took one of her paws, kissing it softly.
"How is my favourite little hench-cat?" He asked. Renaya growled. Though she was a Queen now, having had her coming-of-age a few months ago, she was still small, only coming up to Macavity's shoulder.
"I'm fine," Renaya answered. Macavity's dark red eyes looked at her closely.
"Why do you look tired?" Macavity questioned. Renaya shook her head.
"It's nothing," She answered. She found herself tumbling to the floor as Macavity struck her. It was nothing new, being hit by him. She had three long scars that ran from her left shoulder to partway down the left side of her chest.
"Don't you lie to me!" He snarled.
"Dreams, Macavity…they're what's keeping me awake," She hissed as she got back to her feet.
"Dreams about what?" He asked, going calm once more.
"About my dad…about the real me!" Renaya snarled. Macavity's hackles rose, his dark red eyes flashing dangerously. He was mad, he was really mad. After a while, he just shook his head and his fur settled back to its normal neglected state.
"Just like your mother, so stubborn," Macavity laughed. "Or maybe like Munkustrap," Renaya flinched.
"Do not forget, Renaya," Macavity snarled, putting emphasis on the new name he had given her. "That I brought you in off the streets, when you were just a small, helpless kitten; you could have died if it wasn't for me," Renaya sighed, looking away. Macavity gave a dark laugh, he knew he had won. Macavity walked around Renaya, who was still standing tall. He ran his tail around her middle.
"No one has come looking for you, Ren," He purred. "I'm all you have,"
"Yes, Macavity," She murmured. Macavity draped his arms around her shoulders.
"Go do your work!" He hissed in her, pushing her away. Renaya sighed, walking away.
"Griddlebone," Renaya murmured as she walked past her.
"Renaya," Griddlebone smiled as she walked past the small queen. Griddlebone walked over to Macavity, who was pacing around.
"What is it now?" Griddlebone asked, stopping by his side.
"Renaya…she's thinking more and more about her past," Macavity murmured. "About her place in the Jellicles," Griddlebone snorted.
"Ah, what's left of the Jellicles you mean," Macavity nodded.
"Yes, yes…but she's thinking about them," Macavity sighed, collapsing back into his chair.
"Which means for Renaya?" Griddlebone questioned.
"That I have no use for my niece anymore," Macavity told her. Griddlebone frowned.
"Why don't you just give her to one of your, ah, allies as a peace gift?" Griddlebone suggested. "You don't need to kill her," Macavity glanced at Griddlebone, his mouth twisting into a smirk.
"Do you care for her, Griddlebone?" Macavity asked. Griddlebone hissed.
"No…but you don't need to kill her, she is your niece after all," Griddlebone murmured.
"And besides," Macavity said. "You remember what happened the last two times that she had a mate," Griddlebone nodded.
"She still has the scars from the second one," Griddlebone muttered darkly. Macavity nodded, his eyes flashing. Macavity leaned back, sighing.
"Go watch her," He ordered Griddlebone. Griddlebone nodded, before stalking from the room.
Renaya was training with the other hench-cats, flipping them over one by one as they rushed at her. Griddlebone leaned against the wall, casually watching her as she defeated the hench-cats one by one. Griddle sighed. As Renaya got older, she began to get more and more like Munkustrap…which was probably another reason why Macavity wanted to get rid of her. For a Queen, she was incredibly strong, even now, Griddlebone could see the muscles under her calico fur. Griddlebone straightened up, watching as a hench-cat snuck up on Renaya. Renaya ducked at the last moment and the hench-cat soared over her head. Renaya pounced on him, claws out. Griddlebone settled back down on the wall. Another hench-cat ran at Renaya. Renaya waved her paw in his direction and he flew back from an unknown source. Griddlebone knew it was Renaya's magic, her powers. That's a reason why Macavity kept her around, why Macavity brought small, kitten Renaya to his lair, because she had magic.
"Renaya!" Renaya froze, looking around as Macavity yelled her name. Renaya stood up, leaving the training room and heading back towards Macavity's throne room. Griddlebone followed her. Renaya pushed the large door open, stalking towards Macavity.
"You called?" Renaya asked bluntly. Macavity smiled.
"I did actually," He said, standing up.
"I have a job for you to do tonight," Macavity said, glancing at Griddlebone.
"Three of my hench-cats will accompany you," Renaya nodded.
"What do I need to do?" Renaya asked. Macavity turned, looking at her.
"My hench-cats will explain it on the way," Macavity murmured. Renaya frowned but didn't say anything.
"Of course," Renaya answered, before leaving the room to prepare.
"Let me guess…you'll go as well, but they won't know," Griddlebone sighed. Macavity nodded.
"I have to make sure those idiots do what I ordered," Macavity growled. Griddlebone rubbed her eyes wearily.
"I can't believe you're going through with this," Griddlebone murmured. Macavity looked at her.
"Not one word to her, Griddlebone…not one word," Macavity warned her. Griddlebone nodded and walked away.
Renaya walked through the streets with hench-cats around her, she still had no idea what she was needed for. Going on missions to steal or to see cats about a debt they owed to Macavity, wasn't new to Renaya…but something about this one felt…off. She had these feelings sometimes, and most of the time it was generally right. Renaya went on alert, glancing at the hench-cats.
"We're here," One of the hench-cats growled. Renaya looked around, confused, they were in an alley.
"Where?" Renaya asked, looking around. She crouched as the hench-cats did, turning on her. Renaya's breath caught in her throat.
"Nothin' against ya, darl, but Macavity's orders need to be carried out," One of the hench-cats told her. Renaya glanced at them all, she tried to grasp at the power she had, to use it if needed. The hench-cats all leapt, Renaya focused on two of them. She rolled and clawed as the hench-cats attacked her.
"Damn it!" Renaya snarled as she used her power to knock the three of them back as they gained on her. The three flew back; two hit a dumpster and were knocked out cold. One, the largest one unfortunately, remained. He stared her down. He gave a loud growl and jumped at her. They rolled around, clawing, hissing and biting at one another. Renaya managed to gain the upper hand, slamming his back onto the ground. He hissed and clawed at her, clawing her already scarred chest. Renaya snarled, grabbing the cat's head and forcing him to look at her, to meet her eyes. He did and his eyes rolled back as he slipped into unconsciousness. Renaya stumbled off of him, feeling dizzy and exhausted. Every time she used her power to get into another cat's head, it affected her greatly. She wearily raised her head as she heard an enraged yell. Macavity was standing on a roof-top, glaring at her. He leapt down from pole, down to window sill, onto the top of a garbage bin and onto the ground. He glared at her.
"Never send the fools to do the dirty work," He hissed. Renaya got to her feet, facing him. Macavity crouched, sparks dancing around his claws. Renaya took a step back. She had had to fight Macavity before in training…she couldn't beat him. She dived to the side as he shot a lightening bolt at her, but that wouldn't just stun her…it would kill her. Renaya knew she had to get away, she had to run. She waited as he looked around for her.
"You can't hide forever, little Shima," He growled, using her real name. Macavity walked past where Renaya was hiding. She lunged out, grabbing his legs, tackling him to the ground. She quickly got off him and ran.
"I'll find you, Renaya, I'll find you!" Macavity screamed after her as she ran. Renaya ran through the streets, not caring where she was going as long as it was far away from Macavity. She continued running until the sun began to rise; she slowed down to a walk, panting furiously. She had been running for hours. She looked around, frowning. Something about this part of town seemed familiar…but she had never been here, had she?
She walked for a little while longer, stopping by a puddle to take a drink. She sat next to the puddle for a while, just thinking. Thinking about why Macavity had suddenly turned on her. Well, anyway, Macavity wanted to kill her and he'd be looking for her. Renaya frowned as she thought of that. She needed to find the uncle that her father had told her about…but she needed to keep a low profile to stay under Macavity's radar. It was time to go back to her old name, to become Shima once more.
"Munkustrap?" Shima looked around to see a tall Tom with a brown patch over his right eye looking at her.
"Oh…oops," He murmured before quickly running off. Shima got to her feet.
"No, wait!" She called, running after him. He glanced over his shoulder as Shima ran after him. He ran into a small yard, which looked like it contained hard rubbish, things such as cupboards and desks and things like that…human furniture.
"Wait!" Shima called after him. A large weight landed on her back, knocking her onto her chest, knocking the breath out of her. Shima squirmed under the weight, her breathing quickening up.
"What do you want?" A voice yelled in her ear.
"I-I wanted to ask him something!" Shima yelped, still struggling.
"Stop struggling!" The voice commanded angrily. Shima went still. She needed to prove she wasn't a threat to these cats.
"Are you a threat?" The cat asked, growling.
"No!" Shima told him, trying to look over her shoulder at him. The cat sitting on her back held her head in place so she couldn't look at him.
"She's Macavity's 'ench-cat," Shima's ears twitched, she knew that accent. She looked around to see Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, two of Macavity's reluctant thieves standing with some other cats, glaring at her.
"No, I'm not…not anymore, he tried to kill me!" Shima cried desperately.
"What's your name?" The cat holding her snarled.
"Renaya," Rumpleteazer spat. Shima shook her head frantically.
"No, that was the name he gave me so no one would recognize me!" Shima cried out.
"What's your name then?" Shima looked around. Her eyes widened when she saw a brown calico stepping out in front of the group. She knew this Tom…she knew him!
"Cori, come on!" The cat above her snarled. The calico gave the cat a hard glare.
"Be patient, Alonzo!" Cori snarled. He looked back at her.
"What's your name then?" He asked her.
"S-Shima," Cori's eyes widened. Alonzo scoffed.
"Oh, as if we haven't heard that one," Alonzo snarled, his paw pressing down on the back of Shima's neck.
"Alonzo, you bozo, get off of her!" Cori yelled, ramming Alonzo off of her.
"She could be one of Macavity's!" Alonzo cried.
"Well then, watch my back!" Cori hissed. Cori rolled Shima over. His paw ran down her chest and stomach, before he lifted his paw and ran it down his own chest and stomach.
"Oh, Shima!" He breathed, pulling her up into a sitting position and hugging her tightly.
"C-Cori, are you sure?" A hesitant voice asked.
"Yes…yes, it's her," Cori breathed. "Two years, Shim, two years," Shima nodded.
"I know," She murmured into his shoulder. Cori finally let Shima go, helping her off the ground. Shima looked around.
"Sorry about tackling you and everything," A black and white patched Tom apologized. Shima nodded. The others came to crowd her and Cori, who had his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"Tumblebrutus and Pouncival," Cori introduced, pointing to two younger Toms, one of whom was the Tom Shima chased.
"Plato and Admetus," A red headed Tom and a greyish one.
"Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks," The queen was orange, and it looked like at one stage she had been slightly larger, but now she was thin. The Tom had drawn eyes, as though he had seen too many things in his life time.
"Demeter and Bombalurina," Two queens, a Scarlet one, who was holding the arm of a black and gold one. The black and gold one had milky, unseeing eyes.
"Has anyone told Munkustrap?" Shima looked around, seeing a tall, lanky, Maine Coon walk up to her. She remembered him.
"Tugger!" Shima cried, leaping forward and hugging him. He gave a tired laugh as he hugged her back. A small Tuxedo was hanging a bit back. When Tugger let her go, he walked forward, though it seemed with difficulty.
"Hello, Shim," He said softly, his green eyes sparkling.
"Misto," She smiled, hugging him. He hugged her back. She looked around at the small grouping.
"Is this all that's left?" She asked hesitantly. Tugger gave a small nod.
"This, Munkustrap and Electra…but Electra won't come out of her den," Tugger explained. Cori had his paw resting on Shima's arm, as though he didn't want to stop touching her, as if she'd disappear suddenly.
"We should take her to Munkustrap," Misto spoke up. The others nodded.
"Ready to see your dad?" Cori asked. Shima looked around at the ragged, weary looking Jellicles, before taking in a deep breath.
"It's now or never," She breathed.
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Hm, second chapter…it's going to be another small fic, just while I'm writing Obsessions :D
Please read and review!
Luv HGP!
