Title: The End (10/11)
Rating: PG-13 for things not in this chapter
Warnings: There will be character deaths
Notes: This is it. The end. The end of the Ritzkin Arc, the finale, as it were. This is where choices are made, fates are decided, and Leviticus (modeled after the Godfather), finally shows his face.
Fade to black sex scene. I hope you guys don't mind…
You really should read the Ritzkin Arc in order to understand what's going on. I know it's long. Bear with me…
I do not own Cats…
The End
The plan was fairly simple. Macavity had something planned, a punishment for the guardians who had lashed out at the Monniks. Munkustrap suspected some sort of massacre. When Macavity was entertaining the Monniks, warming them up for the Jellicles' punishment, that was when Munkustrap would strike. As Leviticus' second favorite once again, he would be up near Macavity. Hopefully, his brother would have no time to block his spell (Mistoffelees had taught him how to hurl lethal magic).
If the Monniks acted like Monniks, then when Munkustrap attacked Macavity, that was Mistoffelees' cue to pull himself out of the canal and wreak as much magical chaos as he could, aiming especially at any guards blocking Jellicles. Hopefully, the Jellicles would join in and save Mistoffelees.
That was the plan, at least.
There was one more thing to do. After his magical crash course, Munkustrap helped Mistoffelees (now Quaxo again) back into the canal before he called some other Monniks over to take his place. He went off in search of Macavity.
"Oi! Mac! Get your tail out here!"
Macavity growled as he emerged from Munkustrap's old den, aiming a pawful of claws at Munkustrap's face. Munkustrap easily dodged the swipe.
"What's this I hear about you getting my queen?"
"What?" Macavity snarled at Munkustrap again. He smelled like Demeter, and like Demeter's fear. Munkustrap had probably interrupted him during a rape. He bristled at the thought of Macavity hurting Demeter like that.
"My queen. Demeter. From the stories I'm hearing, she was set to be my queen, but when yours ran off with her brother, of all things, you took mine."
"You want Demeter?" Macavity spat after saying the queen's name. "What do you want with her?"
"Same thing you want with her," Munkustrap answered. "A good lay with a queen terrified of me. And she's mine."
Macavity frowned, looking thoughtfully at Munkustrap. For his part, Munkustrap met his gaze. Finally, Macavity smiled, and he laughed. "You want her? Fine. I'll be a good brother, and share her with you tonight."
"What?" Munkustrap had hoped Macavity would say that, but he hadn't actually thought Macavity would give in so easily. "Why?"
Macavity grinned wickedly. "Because she'll hate the idea of yet another who isn't her precious Munkustrap touching her. Go on. Have your way with her. Bring more fear to her pretty eyes."
Munkustrap felt sick, but he forced a grin on his face. "Bring her out, then. I'll take her to my den. She won't even have the smell of her lover to comfort her…"
Macavity chuckled as he turned back into Munkustrap's old den. When he emerged, he was dragging Demeter with him. He gave her a shove into Munkustrap's paws.
Munkustrap closed his arms around Demeter, fondling her lightly with one paw. Demeter whimpered and sobbed, burying her face in her paws.
"Buh-bye, kitties," Macavity said, waving them off. "Go have fun now, Kinny! And don't forget to bring her back in the morning, or it'll be your tail…!"
Munkustrap rolled his eyes and dragged Demeter off to the den he had claimed as his own. It was the little hideout he and Tugger had found, way back when they were kittens. Over the years, they had come close to outgrowing it, but instead, they managed to enlarge it. It was still very small for a den, but it was very secure. No one could spy on the cats within, not without being caught.
Demeter didn't put up much of a fight. She just sobbed and let Munkustrap push her into the den. He let the scrap of blanket used as a door fall into place before he turned to look at her in the dim light. She had curled up in a corner, her tail tight between her legs, knees to her chest, and face hidden in her paws.
"Demeter…" Munkustrap closed his eyes and reached up, pulling off his collar. "Deme, please, don't cry…"
Demeter froze when Munkustrap's voice changed from Ritzkin's harsh rasp to his own. She slowly lifted her tear-stained face from her paws, her eyes going wide when she saw Munkustrap before her. "M-Munkus?"
Munkustrap smiled, dropping to his knees by Demeter's side. "Deme… I… I'm not dead. I'm here now, Deme. I came back for you… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was late… but I'm here now…"
Demeter reached for Munkustrap, her paws trembling. Munkustrap gathered her paws in his, bringing them to his lips to kiss them. A moment later, he had his arms full of a sobbing, shaking queen. "Munkus! Munkustrap, you're not dead! You're not dead! You're… you're…" She dissolved into tears again.
Munkustrap held Demeter all night, softly kissing her tears away. "I love you," he whispered, over and over again. The rest of the night was spent telling her his story, from why he killed Deuteronomy ("I knew you wouldn't do that!" Demeter had cried) to how he got the collar ("Do you think they knew this would happen?") to his true identity ("So… you really are Ritzkin? And… I really am supposed to be your queen?") to his plan to save the Jellicles.
Demeter was silent, her paws curling in the fur of Munkustrap's chest. "You… you're going to die? Tomorrow?"
"I'm going to kill Macavity tomorrow."
"And your plan involves your death."
"Macavity's going to kill the guardians tomorrow. Alonzo, Admetus, Plato, Tumblebrutus… he's going to kill them, Deme! I have to stop him…"
Demeter closed her eyes, pressing her face into her paws again. "You're going to die. You've come back from the dead… just to tell me you're going to die."
"Deme…" It did sound cruel when she put it that way, but Munkustrap couldn't have… he couldn't just… "I couldn't die without saying good-bye to you…" he whispered.
"The tribe always was safe in your paws," Demeter whispered back, her voice choked with tears. "I always felt safe knowing that you were there, protecting us." She wiped her face with her paws before looking up at Munkustrap. "I suppose a queen couldn't ask for more from her mate."
Her mate. Munkustrap and Demeter had talked about mating in the past, but Demeter had never felt comfortable with that, and Munkustrap had never pushed her. "Deme…"
"You do… still want to mate with me… don't you?" Her voice was soft, hesitant.
Munkustrap cupped her face in his paws, kissing her gently. "Yes, Demeter… yes. I'd love to be your mate."
Demeter returned the kiss, wrapping her paws around Munkustrap's neck and drawing him down to the makeshift bed…