In the month that had passed since Tugger and Quaxo's babysitting misadventure, things finally came back to normal. Winter was ending, and with the melting snow came increased activity in the junkyard. Many cats returned home from their owners and brought with them an atmosphere of familiar chaos and chatter.

Jellylorum had since given birth, with Electra, Etcetera and Jemima welcome new additions into the already overrun nursery. Quaxo himself had been spending more time there, with Pouncival and Tumblebrutus all too eager to teach him how to play fight and join in their games. He also seemed incredibly attached to little Victoria. Even though she was mute, the two kits communicated through dance. And they were quite the dancers as well. Munkustrap was never the best at that activity, and found himself constantly in shock on how easily the little tux had picked up the art, how graceful he was, and how much enjoyment he derived from it.

While Munk was seeing less of Quaxo, he was spending more time around Demeter. Rumors spread quickly, and soon their relationship was the talk of the tribe. Munkustrap wasn't quite sure if he would go that far, neither cat had been in a proper relationship before, but he was certainly willing to take it slow for Demeter's sake. He knew to always announce his presence when entering the same room as her, and to never touch her without her permission. She seemed eternally grateful for his patience and he responded in kind. For her, Munkustrap would wait a lifetime.

"I told you," Jenny told him one day as he helped her to clean her over-cluttered den.

"Told me what?"

"You know what I'm talking about. With Demeter..."

Munk smiled.

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about, Jenny."

"My dear, I know what a tom in love looks like, and you are a prime example of it. If you ask me, it's about time you settled down. Maybe we'll even see some kits on the horizon..."

"Jenny!" Munk chided gently. "We're taking it slow. That type of thing won't be happening for a while, if it happens at all."

"Of course. Forgive an older cat for getting excited over these things. Goodness, I remember when you were just a little kit. So well behaved, you were."

"Getting nostalgic, are we?"

Jenny sighed.

"When am I not these days?"

She picked up her sewing needles that somehow ended up on the floor and deposited them in her drawer. She turned to look at the Jellicle protector.

"I don't suppose you've asked Quaxo about moving into the nursery, have you?"

Munk froze.

"I...uh..."

"Been distracted?"

"Something like that..." he mumbled.

"My dear, I'm not a young as I once was. It's getting harder for me to watch over him."

"I know, Jenny…"

"And don't get me wrong, Quaxo is a pleasure to have in my den. He's never caused me any serious problems. But he really needs to be living in the nursery with other kits of his age…."

"I know, I know. I'll go find him now. I don't suppose you know where he is?"

"I believe I saw him with your brother not too long ago. Perhaps you should try his den?"

The grey tabby frowned.

"Why would he be with Tugger?"

"I'm not sure. If I were to guess, it may have had something to do with their little debacle with the pollicle. I have found that near-death incidents tend to create a rather unique type of bonding experience."

"I guess…but I never thought that Tugger particularly liked kits that much. It's just…strange, is all."

"I think you forget, my dear, that Tugger is closer in age to Quaxo than he is to you."

"You're starting to make me feel old."

She swatted him gently.

"Please. You will always be a kit to me. Now, are you going to talk to him or not?"

"Alright, alright. I got the hint. I guess I'll investigate my brother's quarters. Thanks Jenny."

"No problem, dear."

He exited her den and made his way towards Tugger's.

His little brother had claimed the inside of a washing machine that had been dumped in the junkyard some time ago. It was definitely spacious, and in Munkustrap's opinion, too large for just a single tom. But he doubted Tugger would ever find the time to settle down. Permanency wasn't his style.

He could hear the two of them talking inside as he approached the den. Munk hesitated in entering, his curiosity bubbling over. What could they possibly be discussing?

"Have you tried…perhaps… not doing it like that?" he could hear Tugger ask.

"Well how would you do it then?" Quaxo responded.

Do what?

"How am I supposed to know how this works?"

"Because you're old. And old cats know things."

"Alright, let's get one thing straight. I'm not old. I'm not even two yet."

Munkustrap shook his head. Wow, his brother really was young. It was hard to believe sometimes. Tugger…. he was loud. He was obnoxious and arrogant. He loved being the center of attention. He craved it. Jenny, being the psychologist she claimed to be, thought this attitude may be rooted in a lack of motherly affection. While Munk tended to disappear into himself, Tugger sought out this affection elsewhere. Jenny's theory seemed plausible enough.

But that was the thing. Tugger was all those things, but he was so much more. He had heart. He had soul. He had a natural charisma and spirit. And there was nothing he wouldn't do for his family. Tugger had a maturity about him that can only be found in cats that were forced to grow up a little too quickly. It was true, Tugger was barely past kit-hood himself. But it was no wonder that Quaxo thought he was much older than he actually was. He had a big personality and enough confidence for the whole tribe. Only a select few, however, knew of the heart that his brother kept hidden beneath his rock star persona. Tugger was a paradox indeed.

"That's still old," Quaxo retorted.

"Whatever you say, sparkles. Now are you going to try again or not?"

Sparkles? What is he talking about? What are they trying to do?

"But what if I lose control..."

"You won't. I'll be with you."

"But..."

"Why don't you try something small," Tugger interrupted gently. "Just to start off?"

He heard shuffling around the den.

"How about this ball?"

"Ok...I'll try," Quaxo mumbled.

What is going on?

He waited another moment, debating whether or not to interrupt them. The silence didn't last long, however.

"I'm doing it Tugger, do you see?" Quaxo exclaimed.

"Woah. You actually….did it…"

"I told you I could."

"See, I'm pretty sure that's not how the conversation went…"

Munkustrap had enough. He entered the den to see what on earth the two toms were talking about. What he saw when he entered made his jaw drop.

Quaxo was positively glowing. Sparkling, if you may. His fur was lit up in an assortment of different colors making the tiny tux look like a walking rainbow. Above him was a bouncy ball, floating up in the air with nothing to support it.

What...

It was silent for a moment as Tugger and Quaxo realized they were not the only two occupants of the den anymore. The bouncy ball dropped to the floor and Quaxo's fur immediately reverted to normal as the little tom's eyes widened in shock. He crawled over to Tugger for refuge.

"Tugger, what...what is..." Munkustrap sputtered, trying to wrap his head around what he just saw.

"Munk," Tugger warned. "Just relax. Just..."

"He has magic?" Munk interrupted as the realization finally struck. "He has magic..."

Munk? Munk, come here!

"Mac, I'm trying to sleep," the grey tom-kit mumbled.

"Come here, it's important!"

He sighed, walking over to his friend.

"What is it?"

"Watch this..."

The ginger tom-kit focused intently on a plastic fork on the floor. He flicked his wrist forward, and the fork went flying, slamming into the other side of the nursery wall.

The grey kitten gasped.

"How did you..."

"Munk?" Tugger interrupted. "Can you hear me?"

"He...he has magic..." he repeated weakly.

"Yes. But it's not dangerous, I promise."

"Mac? Maybe we should stop..."

"Just give me a minute, I know I can do it."

"No you don't! What if you hurt someone?"

"Why is it you never believe in me?"

"I do, it's just..."

"No you don't! You know what, Munk? I think you're just jealous that the everlasting cat gave me powers and not you," he hissed.

Munkustrap took a step backwards.

"That's not true..."

"Yes it is! Why do you always…

Just then, a burst of light flashed from the ginger kit's paws, striking the inside of the nursery. Flames began to rise, filling the air with smoke.

For the first time in his life, his friend looked truly scared.

He looked down at his paws and back at the flames.

"Did I do that?" he whispered.

Munkustrap shook his head, looking back down at Quaxo. The tiny kit was still huddled behind Tugger, eyes wide.

"I told you," Tugger repeated firmly. "He's not dangerous..."

"Not dangerous?" he responded angrily. "How would you know, Tugger? Since when did you become an expert on magic? Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Because I was afraid you would react like you're reacting now! He's not going to hurt anyone…"

Flames. There were flames everywhere. Cats were screaming. It smelled awful. He couldn't see, he couldn't hear. Where did Mac go?

"You have no idea what magic is capable of, Tugger," he said, his voice dangerously low.

"Oh, I think I..."

"You don't!"

"I didn't mean to, Munk! You saw me, right? You know I didn't mean to..."

"I...I know, Mac. But the nursery..."

"Do you think Mac was always the way he was? He started off just like Quaxo..."

"Now wait a second!" Tugger interrupted. "Don't tell me that you are going to compare that...that murderer with Quaxo. He's not..."

"I'd like to see those mangy things try to touch us. I'll make it burst into flames or something."

"Are you even listening to me?" Tugger hissed, breaking Munk from his reverie.

"You haven't seen the things I've seen, Tugger! You don't understand what magic can do to a cat. What it can do to anyone. It's...it's dangerous. It's unnatural. It's..."

"He's going to die, Munk. Look at him. We need to leave now and pretend this never happened."

"So what then? Quaxo is going to be Macavity 2.0 then?"

"That's not what..."

"That's what you were implying, wasn't it?"

"I'm just..."

"You know, you never asked how we escaped that pollicle, did you? He saved me, Munk. He shot that thing in the side while it was crushing me to death. He did that. So don't tell me that Quaxo's going to turn into a raging psychopath because I won't let that happen!"

In retrospect, he should have known. He should have known since the first time he ever laid eyes on Quaxo. No kitten should have been able to survive for that long outside in the middle of winter. And even then, all of the objects that would go missing in Jenny's den - the balls of yarn, the utensils, the toys that all ended up in places that a kit shouldn't even have been able to reach. The signs were all there, he had just overlooked them. Then, of course, was that bloody pollicle. Why didn't he question either of them about the burn mark? Did Quaxo really electrocute it? Did he know that he killed it? Has he done it before? Will….will he do it again?

Munkustrap was finding it increasingly hard to breathe.

"We're friends, aren't we Munk?"

Tugger was right. Maybe he was overreacting. But everywhere he went, it seemed like Macavity followed him. His former friend's decent into utter chaos was always in the back of his mind, even moons after it had happened. Seeing Quaxo performing magic just reopened a wound that wasn't entirely closed to begin with.

He looked around for Quaxo, wanting to apologize to the kit, but he realized, far too late, that he wasn't there anymore.

"Where did he go?" he asked Tugger, who now looked furious.

"You scared him off! Do you realize what you've just done?" he snarled.

Munkustrap had never seen his little brother look this...mad before. It unnerved him.

"He's scared, he's alone, he thinks you hate him..."

"I don't hate him, Tug."

"And how is he supposed to know that? You just compared him to a murderer!"

What have I done?

Tugger shook his head, leaving the den.

"Where are you going?" Munkustrap asked weakly.

"To find him before he loses control of his powers, if he hasn't already."

"Loses control?"

"They're...I can't explain it. When he's upset everything just seems to...amplify. It can get dangerous for him and everyone around him."

"I'll help..."

"Haven't you done enough?" Tugger hissed, eyes flashing. "You know, it's a good thing you never became a parent because you're terrible at it!"

He watched his brother leave the den, hackles raised.

Everlasting cat, what have I done?