Munkustrap was walking around the alley when he ran into Rumpleteazer.
"Watch where you're goin'!" she said indignantly as she stood up. When she looked at who had run into her all of her anger melted away.
"Munkus you're alive!" she cried. The two friends quickly embraced, and Munkustrap felt Rumple's tears fall on his shoulder. He closed his eyes, and nuzzled her.
"Are you ok?" he asked her. She was shaking with, what he knew were, sobs.
"I'm fine...but you-I thought you were dead..." Rumple gasped. He smiled lightly at his friend as she buried her head deeper in his shoulder.
"I'm fine Rumple..." he whispered to her. He felt her nod and she slowly calmed down. The two friends looked at each other once more...and then Rumple asked;
"Do you love Demeter?" Munkustrap looked at his best friend in silence then answered;
"Yes...I do..." Rumple broke into a grin...she knew it.
"I knew it!" she whispered excitedly to her friend. He looked at her confused...
"What do you mean 'you knew it'?" he asked.
"I knew it because you basically sacrificed yourself to save her..." she told her friend. He smiled slightly at this reply, and looked back at the sleepy junkyard.
"I did for all of them-" he started.
"But mostly for her." Rumple finished. He blushed slightly, and nodded.
"Besides Jellylorum...she was one of them that treated me like I belonged when I didn't know I did." he confided.
"I met someone too..." Rumple told him. He looked at her...his grey eyes taking her in.
"Who?" he asked slightly interested.
"His name's Mungojerrie. He's the tom who took care of me while you fought off my father..." she replied.
"For some reason I knew you two would hit it off." he told her. She laughed and gave her friend a slight push.
"You did not!" she laughed. The two friends laughed together until Rumpleteazer said breathlessly;
"We might as well get some rest..."
"I agree with that..." Munkustrap panted his reply. The two friend's hugged once more and then went their seperate ways.
--
The Jellicle Ball had come once again. Munkustrap was with Demeter and Rumpleteazer was with Mungojerrie. Munkustrap was in charge of singing most of the songs...and Demeter found his voice enchanting. It was strong...confident...
After the mating dance had found its way through the tribe of cats Munkustrap and Demeter were sitting together. She was leaning on his shoulder and he nuzzled his new mate. He took a quick look and found Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie laying together. He smiled...happy that his friend had found someone. Little did the Jellicles know that Macavity was watching them. Angry that they had stolen his daughter and his best fighter.
"When do we attack father?" asked his son, Sulfur.
"Soon...right after the railway cats song." the ginger growled. Sulfur nodded...the young black/grey tom had proven himself in an epic battle to the death that Macavity had not seen since Munkustrap's defeat of Fenrir. Sulfur was watching the enemy sing and dance. Finally the railway cat's song was coming to an end...he raised his paw to signal the Majestic's to get ready to attack.
"THE CAT OF THE RAILWAY--TRAIN!" sang the chorus of Jellicles.
"ATTACK!" shouted Sulfur as the last note rang out. A defeaning clash was all the Jellicles heard as Macavity entered the alley. Sulfur heard a queen whisper;
"Macavity!" he laughed silently to himself. His father had a trick in store for them. He looked back as his father donned the false Deuteronomy mask...and walked into the alley with his son in the lead. He seen the silver tabby that his father had talked about in one of their earlier discussions standing guard in front of the kittens. He looked suspicious but said nothing as he watched 'Deuteronomy' enter the alley. All the other Jellicles were approaching the imposter...some were even embracing him. Sulfur grinned but it vanished quickly as he noticed a black/gold queen signaling to the others of trouble. She pushed some of her kind away from the false Deuteronomy, and then she leapt onto his back and pulled off the cloak and mask.
"MACAVITY!" yelled the Jellicles in despair. The ginger grabbed the black/gold queen that had ruined his plan. The tabby chased after and grabbed her back...he handed her to a black/white tom and stood between the two Jellicles and Macavity. Sulfur watched as his father and the tom battled it out. After knocking the tom aside Macavity battled the black/white. The silver tabby and the black/white both wounded his father so he made a quick getaway...and he cut the power.
The Jellicles were able to get their noble leader back with the help of the Magical Mr. Mistoffellees, and the Jellicle Ball was over until next year. Munkustrap, Demeter, Mungojerrie, & Rumpleteazer were sitting together and talking about the ball and anything they could think of. Finally after a couple hours of talking the couples split up to go to their homes and get some much needed sleep. Before dozing off Demeter nuzzled her mate and whispered;
"I love you..."
"I love you too..." he replied. Then they slept beneath the silent watchful stars.