Sorry I didn't mention this in the previous chapter but, obviously, I DON'T OWN CATS and I'm making absolutely NO money from this.
Thank you for reading and, if you feel up to, review!
Back at the yard Munkunstrap was pacing back and forth like a man in a cage, in front of the old tire that Old Deuteronomy used as his den. His brother had disappeared hours before, after another practical joke at the expense of Skimbleshanks, and nobody had seen hide or hair of him ever since.
Now it was really close to the sunset and he still had to return. Munkus knew his brother was a handful, he had always been but after the death of their mother he became more a troublemaker than ever. The silver tabby blamed himself and his role as Protector for the change in his brother; if only he had been closer to the young coon maybe all the pranks wouldn't even have started in the first place. But it was so difficult with his many responsibilities and Tugger was a complicated cat to understand.
An alarmed shout from Alonzo shocked him out of his musings and he quickly ran to the main square of the yard. Once he got there he was shocked to his very core by the sight of the Rum Tum Tugger, the selfish, obnoxious, hard-headed, egoistical brother of his, carrying what looked like a small black tom on his shoulders and steadying another tuxedo tom with his right arm. By the looks of things both the young cats were very much in need of some medical help and he just hoped that Tugger was ok himself otherwise Munk knew he couldn't possibly survive the guilt of having left his brother alone.
While the Silver Protector of the Tribe was only able to stare shocked at the scene in front of him his the young coon gently deposited on the floor the black cat and helped his brother to sit as well. Once that was out of the way he fixed his gaze onto his brother but seeing that Munkus wasn't about to snap out of his reverie anytime soon he quickly looked Alonzo straight in the eyes and said the only thing no Jellicle ever thought to hear him say: "Go get Jenny you moron! They need all the help they can get! They have been badly injured! Don't stand there like an idiot! Run!"
The black and white almost Tom snapped out of whatever he was thinking and went to fetch Jennyanydots while Tugger kneeled in front of the two injured and very frightened kittens trying to ease their obvious fear: "Don't worry guys! These are the Jellicles. They seem a little bit off but they are ok. Quaxo are you all right?"
Said kit was looking rather pale at the bundle of black fur that was his brother; on his face were etched a myriad of different emotions running from affect to concern, but the main one was fear: fear of loosing the most important person in his life till that very moment. For a brief moment Tugger could have sworn he had seen a look of self loathing crossing the white features of the smaller tom but a moment later only concern was there so the young coon thought he had imagined it. In that exact moment Jenny and Jelly burst into the main clearing and quickly spotted the two young patients they had to attend. Immediately they went for the black on who looked unconscious and probably the most hurt but were forcefully set back by a threatening hiss and a growl coming from the tuxedo one who had come between his fallen brother and the two matrons.
"Quaxo relax please! They won't hurt your brother! They are Jennyanydots and Jellylorum, the two matriarchs of the Tribe. They also are the ones with the medical knowledge to help you both. Trust me please Quaxo, they won't hurt either of you! I'll make sure of it!"
Tugger had jumped up on his feet the second he heard the hiss escaping the lips of his new friend and less that two seconds later he had enveloped the smaller tom in a bone-crushing hug that both restrained him from attacking and tried to console the poor tux. He knew that the older of the two brother must have been very worried for the other one and he also expected to be clawed all the way to Heaviside for doing something so personal while they still didn't know each other. Therefore he was completely shocked and pleasantly surprised when the other young tom returned the hug equally forcefully and slightly relaxed in his arms. What he told him after came as a shock for all the tribe and not just the Tugger: "I trust you Tugger. We both trust you with our life! I know you'll take care of us and I'm sorry for my overreaction but…but…" "Shhh, there's no need for you to tell me know what happened to you two. Not now nor ever if you are not confortable." "Thank you again for everything!"
And with these words the tuxedo cat joined his brother in the darkness of oblivion while Tugger managed not to let him fall to hard on the floor.
An amazed silence fell onto the Jellicles. Nobody knew what to make of this so-out-of-character Tugger till the coon himself got up to his feet and motioning the two matrons to come closer and resume their work on the kittens, he swayed his way out of the main clearing and hid his worried expression behind cocky smiles and hot glances to all the Queens he happened to pass. Sashaying he made his way to his den fervently hoping that Quaxo and Lenny understood what he had to do to maintain hi reputation intact. Munkus and the other elders watched him go away like nothing happened frowning all the while. They had hoped that he had changed but apparently the Rum Tum Tugger couldn't be swayed from his bad-boy attitude.
In the meantime the two matriarchs had ordered some young toms to carry the two newcomers to the Healer's Den where they proceeded to wrap their gashes and assess the damage done to the two poor kittens. After they had completed the task the two older queens went out to find Munkunstrap and Old Deuteronomy so to decide what to do with the new ones.
Unknown to the two matrons and the rest of the guard the two young cats had already awaken at least enough to have a proper conversation in their minds.
Thank the Everlasting Cat Lena! I thought you had died when you collapsed in Tugger's arms. I'm really sorry, I should have been the one to fend off Macavity. You shouldn't even be scratched. I'm a failure as a brother and as a protector. You'll be better off without me for sure!
Would you cease your useless blabbering Misto? You perfectly know why I jumped in front of you when Macavity stroked the last hit. I control my powers a little bit better than you and if he had succeeded in triggering them you would have been dead by now! So stop making up stupid excuses and let's try to figure out a way to be accepted by the Jellicles.
I'll never understand how you know exactly what to say to make me realize I have been an idiot every time, but thank you for your trust little sister! Anyhow, back to the problem at hand I guess that we will have to keep up this masquerade a little bit longer even though I know you are not comfortable being a male…
It would have been worse if you had to change yourself into a female! Your acting skills weren't even useful to get some cream from the humans so I wouldn't rely on them to last for who-knows-how-long before the truth can be revealed.
Jee thanks Lena! Your encouragement is very much appreciated!
There's no need to sponge your fur Misto! You know as well as I that this cover is the only thing that saved our hide till now. The main problem will be keeping our powers to a minimum. Especially mine! I think it'll help our case if, at least you, came clean with the fact that you are a conjurer. You may say you control electricity, but nothing more specific than that. You know, being a Tom and all your powers are less subdued than mine, so it'll save us a lot of troubles if you came clean.
You are right, I know it. But I really don't like the idea of lying to them. They will provide us with a family and they'll trust us. But I know the reasons and I also know that if we both come clean Macavity will be onto our tail before we even had the time to blink. So what's our story? We can't very well tell them that we are the legendary magical twins. The ones that between them control the powers of the four elements. We can't tell them that our tribe has been massacred by Macavity to get to us and that you shape shifted into a male black cat so to go undercover!
That would be the truth but I would definitely ruled that out! We could say that Macavity is the one responsible for our families' demise and that he wanted your power because you are a conjurer. We can tell them that it had been sheer luck that we weren't with our family at the time so we missed the massacre but we got spotted by some henchcats and that's why we're sporting these lovely cuts.
Do you think we should tell them that we actually run into Macavity?
We could tell them that we saw him and we managed to escape the henchcats just before he came to us, otherwise we'll have to explain how in the Heaviside we manage to get out of HIS clutches.
You're right as always my dear sister. I just hope that Old Deuteronomy wasn't aware that our tribe had an addiction of magical twins some time ago, or he will connect me to them for sure. By the way you think Tugger is here waiting for us to rise? 'Cause I can't feel him near.
No Misto he went to his den just after your little display of distrust! The Tribe had started regarding him with suspicion and he knew he couldn't linger any longer with us. He's regretting his decision right now since nobody will tell him anything about us.
Well you told me that he had a reputation to uphold so I'm really not surprised to the change of heart. But you're saying his regretting his decision to leave us? Everlasting Cat what a complicated life must he endure! What do you say if tonight, when no one will be watching we pay him a visit to let him know we're alive?
I told you that you would develop a soft spot for that cocky tom! But I couldn't be happier! His gloomy thoughts are kind of driving me insane! Plus I really want to help him feel less lonely. And I know that he could never return anything, except friendship, to me but I really would like to be there for him.
Don't worry sis! I'm sure everything will be fine and we'll find a solution for everything. Just stay positive and try to get to know the tom before you leap! You're still a kitten so no nonsense regarding toms! I'm still your brother after all and there fore very protective of you!
Hush now dear brother! I can hear someone approaching and we must rise so to meet the elders. I'm going to cloak my power and our connection for some time because if I remember the stories they have two mystics brothers here and I really don't want to be exposed by them!
With this the connection between the two twins broke and they rose separately ready to take on the world and hoping their story would work, otherwise they had to start running for cover or Macavity would kill them.
The first one to be interrogated by the Leader, the Protector and the Mystics was Qauxo and the it was Lenny's turn. Apparently their story satisfied Old Deuteronomy who told them that they were part of the tribe and that they had nothing to worry from any danger because once part of the Tribe every Jellicle protects his comrades. At this both of them grimaced, even though fortunately nobody saw it, thinking about the trouble they were putting the tribe in just to selfishly escape Macavity's clutches.
The interrogation and final verdict dragged on till after the moon had rose into the sky when finally the old patriarch bid them goodnight and Munkunstrap told them they could place their den any place they wanted. Having spotted an old wardrobe on their way to the meeting they decided that it would have made the perfect choice for a den. It was spacious and not totally in the middle of the Yard so they could have some space and privacy. It also had both the doors so, in the dark of their home Lenny could become Lena again so not to lose her identity.
Once they had settled themselves in their new den it was late enough so that nobody was still around. Quietly and stealthily they made their way through the Yard following Tugger's scent till they reached an old vanity, with a miraculously intact mirror on top, that apparently was the Maine coon's den.
Without knocking they jumped inside exactly on top of the heavy sleeping tom who was brutally startled out of his sleep. Without giving him the chance to yell for help they moved themselves out of the shadows so that their friend could see them and they smiled at the still shocked coon.
"Sorry to wake you up, but we thought you wanted to know we are fine, without ruining your reputation!"
Lenny had spoken in his baritone voice, but he quickly exchanged a worried glance with Quaxo when the Tugger kept looking at them like they were ghosts.
"Tugger?" ventured Quaxo a little panicky.
"You still want to be my friends?"
At that point the two brothers were completely at loss with what to do.
"Even after I practically left you there after I promised to protect you, so that my reputation wouldn't be ruined? You came here to let me know you are well?"
"Tugs, can I call you that? We told you that we believe you have a very good heart, and we kind of figured your reputation the minute we walked into the Yard. So we want to be your friends and that doesn't mean we want you to change. Plus it wouldn't be fair on you to ask you to be somebody else. You met us just some hours ago! If you want we can approach you in the middle of the day, otherwise we live in the abandoned wardrobe just at the outskirts of the Yard. We can continue to meet overnight, it really won't be a problem for us!"
"Are you sure you're real Lenny? Nobody has ever told me this before! If it's really all right can we keep seeing each other at night? Can you cope with the Rum Tum Tugger during the day?"
"We can Tugs! As long as we know that our friend Tugger is in there!"
Tugger was about to burst into tears and the tow younger cats thought it was their cue to leave. Quietly as they came they went back to their den leaving a flabbergasted coon wondering what in Heaviside he had done right to deserve two friends like them!