Part 12
Malicious had been standing above Alonzo so he jumped down at him. Alonzo had jumped up at him and they collided in midair scratching before taking ground and starting to fight viciously. Munk sighed and jumped at a palace cat that was advancing on the pair.
Tugger threw himself at some guards but he didn't reach them as Coricopat grabbed his tail. Tugger was jerked backwards and landed on his butt.
"Cori", he yelled.
"Shut up Tugger", Cori hissed and walked up to the guards and palace cats closets to them. "Malicious is a cruel and heartless leader and yet you follow him. Why?"
"We don't have a choice", said the guard. "He told us that if we did not do what he tells us he would kill all of the slaves."
"So you are cruel to the slaves to save them?"
"Yes", a palace cat said. "Malicious is a mystical. He is a very strong conjurer. He murdered his father when he just looked at him."
"We are here to put an end to his terror", Coricopat said. "Right now Alonzo son of one of your own is fighting him… to kill him."
"We can see that", another guard said. "But what do you want us to do?"
"I guess some of the guards and palace cats are on Malicious' side?"
"Yes."
"Then help us fight them!"
The guards hissed and Tugger thought that they would attack Coricopat but instead the three guards and five palace cats turned on their own ranks and started fighting them. Almondo and his gang and the rest of the slaves joined the fight too. Now Malicious' side was the underdogs. Sorry they were the undercats.
Malicious threw Alonzo off of his back when the younger tom had jumped onto him and biting his neck.
"I should have gotten rid of you when I had the chance mutt", he growled. "But noooo your father talked me into letting you live. You could be to use for me one day."
"Yeah right", Alonzo spat as they circled each other.
"Exactly what I thought." Malicious flew at him and they clawed and bit each other drawing blood at many places. Alonzo hissed in pain when Malicious claws left deep gashes in his back.
"Tell me", Malicious said and grinned. "How can someone so unimportant be such a bother to me and my guards?"
"Because I'm not unimportant, not to those who really matters." Alonzo jumped out of reach. "No tell me how someone who used to be so melodious became so malicious?"
Malicious growled and he flew at Alonzo and pinned the younger tom to the ground. He leaned in close to Alonzo's face and hissed:
"I was never melodious."
Alonzo spat in his eyes and Malicious lost some of his grip. That was all Alonzo needed to push him off. All that time working in the mines had paid off. The slaves were strong and fit.
"And now you're playing dirty too", Malicious growled and he rubbed his face to get rid of the saliva.
"Good", Alonzo growled and jumped him. "Then we can understand each other."
Munk come up to Tugger's side and together they fought off some of Malicious' guards.
"Your buddy is doing fine", Tugger commented and nodded to where Alonzo was fighting Malicious.
"So is yours", Munk nodded towards Cori who was jumping out of reach from two palace cats before glaring at them and they tumbled to the ground. "How does he do that?"
"He is Sierra junior Munk", Tugger said and grinned. "Do you really need to ask?"
Tumble and his brothers were lying and looking at the sky when an angry shout caught their attention.
"Bangs-kits!"
The four sat up and saw Electra, Etcetera and Victoria walk up to them looking angry.
"Yeah", Pouncival asked.
"What have you lot done to Jemima", Electra shouted at them and the four of them look confused at each other.
"We haven't done anything", Quaxo said.
"She is crying your heart out", Victoria yelled. "And that only happens when one of you have done something horrible to her!"
"When did we last do something horrible to her", Tumble asked.
"Last week you gave her that candy and she lost her voice because she was allergic", Etcetera shrieked. "And you know she was!"
The four young toms looked at each other sheepishly.
"That was kinda fun", Pouncival giggled and Electra swatted her adoptive brother hard. "Ow!"
"Serves you right", Electra said. "Now who of your boneheads have made her cry?"
"El we have no idea of what you're talking about", Misto said. "Last time I saw Jemima she was happy."
"Yeah", his brothers said.
"Don't lie", Victoria yelled. "You are the only ones who-" She stopped abruptly and turned pink.
"Vicky", Quaxo asked his sister and turned and saw what had caught her eyes or rather who. "Oh Vicky's got a crush!"
"Do not", Vicky exclaimed and turned a darker shade of pink.
"Do to!"
"Do not!"
"Do to!
"Do not!"
"Do to!"
"Do not!"
"Do not!"
"Do to!"
"HA got you", Quaxo said triumphantly while his brothers sniggered, even Electra and Etcetera's lips were twitching in amusement.
"So what if I do", Vicky hissed. "That's not what we are here to discuss!"
The bangs-kits weren't listening to her. They were watching Plato talk to another queen. The queen squealed and gave him a kiss on the cheek and he grinned and kissed her cheek too.
"Excuse me", Vicky said and took off running, tears were falling from her eyes.
"Now don't say we had anything to do with Vicky's meltdown", Tumble grumbled and lied down again. But Misto's eyes were big as realization dawned on him. He groaned and rose.
"Excuse me", he said. "I have to be somewhere."
"Aw Misto's so sweet", Etcetera grinned. "He's going to comfort Vicky."
Misto didn't answer and ran in the opposite direction of Victoria. He now knew why Jemima had run away from him and what Tantomile had meant.
He found Jemima on her favorite spot, a high junk pile overlooking the river. He sat down beside her and he could see she was still crying.
"Hi", he said softly.
"Hi", she said so low he almost didn't hear it. She wiped at her cheeks to get rid of the tears.
"Jemima I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"I know I hurt your feelings when you saw me look at Tantomile."
"Why should I care?"
"I think you do."
They were quiet for a while and then she sighed heavily.
"Okay fine", she mumbled. "I do care. It's just…"
"You like me."
"Yeah…"
"Jamie if you'll just wait for a while I'll lose my crush on Tantomile."
"I'm not so sure. She's beautiful."
"Well you are too."
She turned a bit pink.
"She is cool and smart too", Jemima said.
"So? You are cool and smart too and she is three years older than me and… I think she loves someone else."
"Oh?"
"Yeah remember when she and her brother told us about where they came from?"
"Yeah…"
"Every time she talks about that place she gets this sad and dreamy look on her face. Her brother just looks disgusted and ready to kill."
"So", Jemima asked a bit happier. "There might be a chance for me?"
"Defiantly", he said and kissed her cheek.
Tumble and Pouncival was walking towards Jenny and Skimble's den when Teazer came running and threw her arms around Tumble crying.
"Teazer what is it?" Pouncival asked. She was much smaller than the other queens of the tribe. She wasn't bigger than the queen kits, well she was bigger than Jemima but not the others.
"J-Jerrie and d-daddy a-are going to war", she sniffed.
"What", Tumble asked in shock.
"M-Manty came by and told dad that Deuteronomy has ordered that every grown tom is to follow him to fight Malicious."
"But isn't Jerrie only four?"
"Yeah but he is going anyway!"
"Have he lost his mind?"
"Oi thin' no'" the object of their discussion said and walked up to them.
"Please tell me you're not going Jerrie", Tumble begged.
"Oi am Tumbs. Oi don' wan' to le' dad go on 'is own. 'e need someone to keep 'is back."
"Dad can look after himself and a lot of other toms will be there!"
"Yeah bu' tha' troibe is much biggah than ours. Tha's whoi Macavity an' 'is troibe will help too. An'… we moight foun' ya brothah."
"What", Pouncival asked in awe. "Alonzo might come back with you?"
"Maybe Oi'm gonna troi it."
Teazer walked up to him and threw her arms around him.
"Jus' come back okay", she asked and he nodded before hugging the three of them taking off to join his father and the other toms.
Alonzo cursed as Malicious got him in the chest hard. He was panting and feeling his strength slip away fast. He had cuts everywhere and a few cracked ribs. But their tribe leader didn't fare any better than him. Malicious had four deep gashes going across his face from his left ear to the bottom of his right cheek. Alonzo claws were very sharp.
"Why can't you just curl up and die", Malicious asked and swiped at Alonzo who jumped aside seconds from getting hit.
"Because if I did I wouldn't have the satisfaction to see your world crumbles down upon you."
"What?" Malicious looked around and saw that most of the cats loyal to him were either dead or unconscious on the ground. The others were now watching him and Alonzo fight. One of the two Jellicles seemed eager to join the fight but the other held him back. Malicious growled and noticed too late that Alonzo had rammed into him sending them both tumbling down a hill. Alonzo lost his grip while the tumbled and the two of them bounced down the hill… towards an open crack in the ground to the mine.
"No", Velari screamed in terror. "Mel!"
Munk watched her in disgust as she called for her secondary mate but not her son. He watched in horror and relief as Alonzo slid to a stop near the edge of the dark crack and Malicious stopped not far away from him. Both of them shook their heads groggily and gingerly got to their paws. Malicious regained his bearings a little faster than Alonzo and he was about to use that and advanced on the tom.
"Alonzo", Munkustrap yelled in horror.
"Watch out", Coricopat yelled but too late Malicious rammed the younger tom. Alonzo stumbled but caught Malicious by the golden chain around his throat. The two of them fell.
"Alonzo", different voices yelled and Munk, Tugger, Cori and Alonzo's friends ran down the hill and looked over the edge. Three meters down the two toms were trying to get to their paws again. There had been a ledge that far down and they had landed on it.
"Alonzo", Coricopat yelled in horror as he saw how weak the patched tom was after losing so much blood. Alonso tried to rise but fell again. "Alonzo!"
Malicious on the other paw got to his paws and slowly made his way to the struggling younger tom with a grim smile on his face. He bent down and grabbed Alonzo by the throat and dug his claws into it.
"You fool", Malicious said. "No one can kill me. I'm the most powerful cat in the world! Now die!"
He raised his other paw to cut Alonzo's throat open.
"ALONZO!" different voices yelled again and the stroke fell.
But it never hit its goal a loud crack was heard and a lighting soared over the onlookers heads and struck Malicious paw. The ginger leader screamed in pain and dropped Alonzo to the ground. The patched tom looked up tiredly and his eyes widened. Everyone, including Malicious followed his gaze. In the setting sun they could make out a figure and then there was a pop and it was gone. But in the next second there was a second pop and a black tom stood in front of Malicious. His eyes were blazing in anger and around his paws were sparkles.
"Get. Away. From. My. Son." Hadey said and let loose another lightning. It hit Malicious in the chest and the power sent him flying from the ledge and he fell into the dark crack below them. Hadey turned to his son and held out his paw. Alonzo took it in awe and Hadey pulled him up and into his arms hugging him close.
"I almost lost you", Hadey mumbled.
"Dad", Alonzo choked out in shock.
"Of course", Coricopat grinned as he and everyone else watched what was going on down on the ledge.
"Of course what", Tugger asked him.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"What's obvious?"
Coricopat looked at him and shook his head sighing.
"You know that in the Jellicle tribe there is two tom kits who were recently found out to be mysticals?"
"Yeah", Tugger said unsure of what Coricopat meant. "So?"
"Who were the kittens?"
"Two of those bangs-kits", Munkustrap said.
"Yes", Coricopat said and nodded to the two toms on the ledge. "Whose father and brother are standing down there right now."
The Jellicles' heads snapped back to the pair.
"I thought I was going to lose you", Hadey whispered. "Just like I lost your brothers."
Alonzo choked on his tears. His father was finally holding him in a way only his uncle Munk had did before. But he was also angry, his father had sold out his brothers to Malicious.
"Why do you care", Alonzo hissed to him. "You sold them out to Malicious!"
"Technically it was your mother but I had to agree to fool my former boss. I was planning on going to the den to 'kill' them. But instead I had planned to put them in a basket and set them out in the river. But someone else did it before I could…"
"Y-you mean it?"
"I do."
"He does Alonzo", Coricopat yelled down at them. "But that is not all Hadey has done."
"What", Alonzo asked and looked up at his friend.
"Hadey", Coricopat said so everyone could here. "Have been saving kittens as well as stopped Malicious from acting worse than he has. Malicious planned to kill all the queens. But Hadey talked him out of it… and a lot of other things. I know this" he said as an answer to Almondo's unspoken question. "Because I am a mystical cat who can read minds and memories and I always sees the truth."
"What's your name", Diana asked as she walked closer to the mystical tom. "Everlasting cat… Co-Coricopat?"
"Yes mother it is me."
Diana squealed and hugged her son close to her.
"No", Velari screamed in anger. "This can't be happening! You betrayed me!" She pointed at her primary mate.
"No Velari", he spoke softly. "You betrayed me."
"Uh father", Alonzo said. "Not to interrupt but how the heck are we getting out of here?"
Hadey smiled. "Just hang on." And with a pop they disappeared and appeared among the other cats.
"Never. Ever. Do. That. Again." Alonzo said. He was a bit green.
"Aw but it is so fun", Hadey said and let Alonzo stumble backwards to be greeted by his friends. Hadey looked at his tribe and said:
"Malicious is dead. We need a new leader."
It was quiet then Almondo stepped forward.
"I suggest Hadey", he said and everyone, including Alonzo and his father stared at him.
"Excuse me", Hadey said.
"You killed Malicious. You protected the queens of this tribe. You protected your son from death dozens of times. You are a mystical. Fare and strong, there is no one else who can take the place."
Old Moony grinned at his grandson, Almondo's words and walked up to Hadey.
"As one of the eldest cats I agree", he said his vote weighing heavily.
"As do I", said the old queen Maggie and a lot more affirmative voices were heard.
"No", said Sarah. "I think Alonzo should be."
"I don't want to", Alonzo said tiredly. "I don't even plan to stay here anymore."
Everyone stared at him in surprise, save Hadey and Cori.
"Then it's settled", Moony said. "Hadey is the new leader."
The tribe cheered.
"I think not", a deep voice said and everyone turned to see…
TBC
Roselna - was that an inch?
Ljuba - Hey don't blame me I must keep you interested!;)
