Whew... we're on the final stretch now. Just a few more chapters to go. It feels weird, being almost done- I mean, this has taken up a good portion of my life for like, two months now. I probably won't be starting any big projects like this again anytime soon, especially with school starting up again.
Anyway, here's the complimentary sad chapter. It's a bit more angsty than I personally prefer, but I think it's still good. (But then again, even the slightest bit of crying is too much angst for me- I can't hardly take anything seriously for more than about five minutes.)
Hope you enjoy it!
Tugger groaned as his body began to return to consciousness, the slight pain coursing through his body only growing as he became more and more aware of his surroundings. "Thank the Everlasting Cat!" came a feminine voice. His eyes fluttered open and he saw Bombalurina sitting by his side, her eyes swollen, presumably from tears. "We were afraid you wouldn't wake up," she said, gently stroking his face. "He's awake Jenny!" she exclaimed.
He felt stiff, and realized that his body was almost entirely wrapped in bandages, many of them blood soaked. "What happened?" he asked groggily.
Her face fell. "Do you really not remember? We were hoping you could tell us."
Tugger closed his eyes and thought back. He remembered the Ball... his mother had been there... and afterward he and Misto had-
"Oh Bast," he said, his eyes filling with tears. Ignoring the pain that shot through his arms, he buried his hands in his face and began to sob. "Is it true?" he managed to say. "Is he gone?"
Bombalurina nodded and wrapped her arms around Tugger. "Munkustrap told me about the story. You did the right thing. He wouldn't have wanted to live like that."
Tugger said nothing and continued to cry. "We need to change his bandages," he heard Jennyanydots say. She nudged him gently. "There are some visitors outside who wish to see you. Are you ready for that?"
He nodded slightly. He heard her footsteps as she walked toward the entrance of her den. Tugger opened his eyes and saw Munkustrap, Demeter, and Victoria enter the den. He turned away from the white queen, not wanting to look her in the eye. "How are you feeling Tug?" his brother asked.
"Never better," he croaked humorlessly.
"When you're feeling stronger... I need to know what happened."
"I can tell you now."
"Tug, no. That's not-"
"It's still fresh in my mind Munk. Now's the best chance you'll get." Munkustrap nodded, understanding. Tugger looked sadly at Victoria. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"
She nodded, her eyes brimming with tears.
Tugger began his story, leaving out no details. He told them of Quaxo's story, the brutal torture, the help he had received- His voice stopped as he came to the magician's death. Tearfully, he told the details surrounding Quaxo's death. "And then," Tugger said, "he smiled at me and I knew that Quaxo was gone. He said my name and... he told me he loved me..." he buried his face in his hands. "And then he was gone."
"You did everything you could," Demeter said compassionately.
Tugger didn't respond. "Demi," Munkustrap said, "if you don't mind, would you take Victoria out. I need to speak to Tugger alone." The golden queen gently led the sobbing queen out of the den, Bombalurina following closely behind them. "Tug," he began, "I wasn't going to tell you before but..." He sighed. "Tugger, Mistoffelees' body is gone."
Tugger sat up in shock, groaning as the wounds on his back and stomach reopened. He lay back down slowly. "What do you mean?"
"When I went back this morning to... well to clean up, he was gone. Everything else was there- the pipe... the blood- but he was gone."
"Then Quaxo... he's still-!"
"I don't know Tug. If what you said is true, then he's gone. They both are. This is what happens to magical cats. Their whole being is sent up to the Heaviside Layer. There will still be a funeral... but I just wanted you to be prepared."
Tugger nodded despondently. "How is everyone else?"
"Most of them don't know yet. The official announcement will be made this afternoon. Victoria needed to know though."
"I hate that I'm putting her through this."
"Tugger, listen to me. This isn't your fault. You only did what was necessary." Munkustrap paused. "And I'm very proud of you."
"It still sucks," he said, his eyes beginning to water again.
"I know." Munkustrap put his arms around his brother. "I know."
For two weeks, Tugger remained under Jennyanydots' (and, for that matter, Etcetera's as well) constant supervision. In some ways, it wasn't until he was finally allowed to return to his own den that the weight of what had happened hit him. There was his spot in the blankets, made apparent by the scent and the blonde and black fur, but all traces of Mistoffelees was gone. His smell, his fur- even the glitter. All of it was gone. Tugger cried himself to sleep that night.
But despite what he might've secretly hoped for, he was recovering. Rather quickly for that matter. It pained him to walk for long periods of time, and it would probably take months for his full strength to return, but he was at least not entirely useless. He still had to rely on Munkustrap and Bombalurina for food, but he suspected that in a few weeks he would be able to do that for himself as well.
In one of his darker moments, he awoke from his sleep, his body trembling and sweating. Nightmares had begun to plague him- images of Quaxo filled his mind, and each night, he relived his horrible experience.
Tugger's body shook from the sobs that now came from him. He was exhausted, depressed, unthinking. That was the state of mind he was in when climbed to the top of the vanity. He stared at his reflection, hating how it mocked him, how it reminded him of all his injuries and shame. He slammed his fist against it, ignoring the pain that shot through his hand as the shards pierced his skin. He grabbed a larger piece of the broken mirror and turned it over in his hands, an unthinkable yet unnervingly wishful idea entering his head. He lifted the shard up and continued to stare.
What miracle had convinced her to go see him was a mystery. But Bombalurina had come. She snatched the glass from his grasp, threw it aside, and took the maine coon in her arms, tears filling her eyes. Tugger clung to her desperately. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I don't know what I was thinking."
"Please," she pleaded softly, "promise me you'll never scare me like that again."
He nodded and laid his head on her shoulder.
"I love you so much," she whispered. "Please don't forget that."
"I never have."
Tugger lay on an old mattress, trying his best to enjoy the sunshine. Bombalurina sat close by, stroking his headfur. She was almost constantly by his side now.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked quietly.
"Lots of stuff actually."
"Would one of those things be the memorial service tomorrow?"
"Actually no. And frankly, I really don't want to talk about that right now."
"I know, I'm sorry," she sighed.
Tugger said nothing; instead he rolled over and attempted to stand. Bombalurina steadied him. "If you don't mind Bombi, I'd like to be by myself for a bit."
"Are you sure? I don't want you to-"
"I'll be fine. Promise."
"Okay," the scarlet queen replied hesitantly. Tugger carefully began to walk away, taking great care to step gently, lest he risk ripping one of the wounds that remained underneath the few remaining bandages. "Just don't do anything stupid, okay Tug?"
Tugger stared incredulously, his gaze alternating between her and the bandages. "Bombi, even if I did succeed in performing some insane stunt, I have this funny feeling I wouldn't be able to make any sort of escape."
She chuckled slightly. "Point taken. But can you at least tell me where you're going if I'm called as a witness?"
Tugger looked away. "The back gate," he replied sadly.
"Tug-"
"I have to face up to it sometime. I can't be afraid of going there. And I need to think about… well, everything I guess. It just seems like an appropriate place."
Bombalurina nodded and blew him a kiss. He teasingly caught it and smacked it on his cheek. He waved to her and left.
Later that afternoon, Tugger sat alone by the back gate, staring at the remains of the scene that would haunt him until the day he died.
He heard footsteps behind him. Tugger turned and saw Victoria, her eyes swollen from crying, approaching him. "Bombalurina told me you were here," the white queen said, sitting down next to him.
Tugger put his arm around her. "What's wrong?"
She pulled her knees in and snuggled closer to the maine coon. "I just really need him right now," she said, tears beginning to fall. Tugger said nothing. "I'm so scared."
"Victoria, what's wrong?" he asked again.
She sobbed for over a minute before answering. "I-I'm pregnant," she finally stammered out.
Tugger was taken aback. "Already?"
She nodded.
"Well, I guess it's a bit soon… but Vicky that's great."
"You don't understand."
Tugger's expression grew fierce. "Has Plato done anything to-"
"Oh no," Victoria replied quickly. "Plato is wonderful tom; he would never do anything to hurt me. It's just… I always imagined him being here, you know? When I was little and I imagined myself having kittens, he was always there. He's the only family I have."
Tugger sat silently as the queen sobbed in his arms. "I'm sorry," he finally said.
She looked at him questioningly. "For what?"
"For taking him away from you." Tears began brimming in his eyes also.
"Tugger, I don't blame-"
"You may not blame me, but you can't deny that it isn't my fault. If I'd just prepared more, I know I could have saved him. If I'd tried harder-"
"Tugger, stop. There's nothing you could have done. This isn't your fault- it was all Quaxo." She practically spat the name. "Quaxo and his stupid revenge plot." She turned away sadly. "Maybe if I'd listened to him more-"
"Vicky, don't even-"
"I didn't take him seriously at all, Tugger! I thought he was just being dramatic."
Neither of them said anything for a while. They simply sat there- she weeping quietly, he attempting to stifle his own tears. It felt good on some level to have her here, he decided. He now realized that there was someone out there suffering just as much as he was. He pulled her closer.
"What do we do now, Tugger?" she whispered.
"I don't know Vicky. I don't know."
