A/N: Okay-dae. Like I promised, this one was just written. It's another shorty, but this one and the previous one should hopefully make up for the month I missed. Probably not, but still. If I was keeping to my schedule still, I should be like...in the fourth chapter of the sequel by now O.o o.O Oh well. This one has maybe one or two chapters left...and they're not very plesant. BTW - thanks for all the advice about the rating change eariler - I decided to leave the whole thing about that out. I disliked the idea....

Disclaimer: Yeh, you know the drill

"Are you half-witted? I got Bombalurina pregnant!"

A coughing, choking sound from Munkustrap's left made him realize that he hadn't misheard his brother. Bombalurina was wide-eyed, and the Jellicles were all shooting her and Munkustrap surprised looks. Munkustrap was bubbling inside, but he kept it down.

Not now, later, he told himself, and continued to look at Macavity. Macavity's eyes widened and his face broke out into a grin.

"You didn't know? Oh, this is just delicious," he grinned manically, and Munkustrap hissed.

"Continue…" he muttered, his voice dangerously low.

"So, I, got Bombalurina, your girlfriend, pregnant," Macavity drew the sentence out, enjoying every moment of it. "Don't you remember? When she decided to explore the city? Wasn't it a little suspicious that she was gone for a little over two months?"

"Enough Macavity," Munkustrap hissed, and Macavity chuckled to himself.

"Anyway, so Deuteronomy caught on, and told me to look after her, but I obviously didn't. I wanted nothing to deal with the kid. Besides, I already had little one on the side…my dear Quaxo," Macavity continued, and another gasp filled the tense air.

Quaxo and Victoria had made the sound, and Macavity showed another look of surprise.

"They don't know either? They didn't know that I, the terrible Macavity, was their father? Why do you hide these things from your kittens? Your family is not as stable as you thought it was, Munkustrap," Macavity laughed, a horrible, evil laugh, but continued his story. "So, Deuteronomy called me heartless, and an unworthy son, and told me he was almost reconsidering having me as leader. Then Bombalurina showed up with her little brat, and Demeter volunteered us as his parents. Just before I found out that Demeter was pregnant with the other little one…I decided to leave. Deuteronomy approached me and told me I was no longer allowed to be leader, so I went to leave and Demeter found me."

The large tom was grinned evilly, watching the tension pass through the cats.

"Of course…it shouldn't matter anymore…" he said, watching the interactions between Demeter, Bombalurina and Munkustrap.

"There is one thing I don't understand…" Demeter spoke up softly, and Macavity turned his attention to her, grinning once more.

"Yes, my love," he asked, and she flinched

"Why didn't you protest? When I offered to look after Calypso…when we were together…you knew it was him. Why didn't you say no? You wanted nothing to do with the kitten in the first place, so why want him?" she asked, glaring at him.

"I wasn't completely heartless then. I hated the kitten, but I would do anything for you…" he said softly, remembering back to the days when he was younger.

"You have always been heartless. Being heartless wasn't something you became…you were born with it. First it was little, insignificant and barely recognized…but as you grew older…it fed on the bad things that happened, until it ate you instead. You're not Macavity anymore…you're just the shell," Jemima said quietly, and Macavity looked surprised

"The words of one so young, yet not as wise as she thinks she is," he said softly, standing up and hissing.

"I may be young…but I do know that you tore our family apart…and you can't ever redeem yourself for it," Jemima cried, and Munkustrap took her words as a cue.

"Attack!" He shouted, and the seventeen younger, healthy queens and toms sprang forward, taking on the nine cats that stood in the entrance.

Unprepared, the nine cats faltered slightly, but years of intense training kept them alive, as they regained their composure and fought back viciously. Bombalurina was crying as she fought, not daring to take on Macavity, even though she wanted to kill him. The battle didn't last long, and soon enough, four of the nine cats were dead, and they had cornered the remaining five were cornered.

Several of the Jellicles had suffered injuries, but whether they were fatal, nobody could tell. Munkustrap was weakening and was struggling to keep fighting, but the reassurance that the battle was nearly over gave him strength.

"This is what you've always wanted…isn't it brother?" Macavity asked, inching further into the corner.

"I can assure you that killing my older brother wasn't on my to-do list," Munkustrap retorted, and Macavity chuckled painfully.

"But you want to…don't you. You want me dead, so you'll never have to deal with me again…isn't that right,"

"Cav…it's no use talking. If you escape, your wounds will kill you before you recover. If you stay, you're dead. What you've done…it's unforgivable… and as much as I don't want to murder my brother, I have no other choice. You killed Calypso, not to ment-"

"What?" Macavity coughed hoarsely, staring at his brother. "Calypso…he's not dead…"

"Enough! Munkustrap, just do it!" Tugger cried and Munkustrap sighed, taking a deep breath.

"May the Everlasting Cat have mercy on your soul…for we could never," Munkustrap whispered, and Macavity nodded, already accepting his fate.

He tilted his head up, allowing a clear path to his neck. The pain in his eyes reflected into Munkustrap's, but Macavity wasn't sad. He smiled, a wicked smile before swallowing hard.

"Do it," he whispered, and Munkustrap nodded, hesitating only slightly before swiping his brother's neck, flinging him to the side.

The large tom didn't retaliate. He just hissed in pain, and lay on his side, waiting for the blow that would kill him. Now the tom looked scared and sad, but he just smiled sadly at his brother. When Macavity was out of the picture, the four cats left over were quickly eliminated by the remaining Jellicles, but Munkustrap couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Harden up, you old softie…" Macavity whispered painfully, finally reverting back to the tom that Munkustrap remembered. "Just do it…and do it quickly,"

"Cav…"

"DO IT!" he roared, and Munkustrap gathered the last amount of strength he had and pounced, ripping the flesh away from his neck.

With a cry, Macavity shuddered and went limp, and Munkustrap lay over his body, weeping silently. He had hated the cat with his very soul, and he couldn't wait to kill him, but now that he was dead, Munkustrap felt guilty. He had been the reason his brother turned into what he was.

"It's different, from a different perspective," Musk murmured, making Munkustrap jump. "He used to always talk about you…about how you screwed up his life. But…he always ended his ramblings with something about never regretting it, and enjoying the torment that he inflicted on you. I don't think he's going to want you to dwell over this, like he dwelled on his leadership…"

"Thank you…for that…" Munkustrap muttered, and Musk nodded, stepping away.

Thoughts zoomed around Munkustrap's head. He was lost and confused, with his past and future. He knew one thing about his present. He needed sleep, and that was for certain.

A/N: It seems a little OOC to me...but I'm liking it, and that's the main thing...right? The next chapter will be the 'aftermath' of the battle. Who's wounded...who's dead, and who's heartbroken. Ehehehe....Not too long a wait...actually...maybe in the New Year. I'll be at my dads over Chrissy!