Altaica's Story-Part 14-The Truth
Author's Note: OKay, Altaica, Engle, and Ocenir belong to me, Ruffles and Truffles belong to L and Mell. The story is miiiiiiiiiine! so yeah. Enjoy!! please review!!
The train rumbled past, inches away from the patched tom's nose. He slowed his breathing, even as he listened with a slightly sadistic smile to the hysterics above, and watched as the train disappeared from his line of sight. He inches backwards, not willing to be seen as Skimbleshanks peered at the tracks from above.
"Strange," he heard the tabby's highland burr say. "There dinnae seem tae be any remains of the poor wee boy...." Skimble's voice faded away, as did the voices of the others, as Ocenir continued back.
Of course there wouldn't be any remains! As if he's actually kill himself. Of course, none truly knew who the patched tom was. They assumed him to be some country bumpkin, infatuated with Altaica and simple-minded. Mere brute force, no real talents or uses. He snickered softly, even as a pair of dark-gold eyes flickered into existence behind him.
"Just as we planned. I see that you haven't lost your touch, Ocenir," said a cool, sophisticated voice cultured to send chills down your spine.
Ocenir turned, his green eyes meeting the gold. "Thank you, Macavity. Is everything in order?"
Mac smiled and stepped closer. "Most everything. However... what do you want to do about that black cat? After all, from what I've heard he's a hardened criminal..." he trailed off as Ocenir held up a paw.
"Engle? Hardened criminal? Hardly likely. Engle as a kitten would rather prance around in a meadow and pick flowers than organize a business. However, his looks suited the job, so I took care of it for him."
Mac was puzzled. "How?"
Ocenir smiled, his lips curling up to show a flash of fang. "He was so gullible, really, it was nothing to make him believe that he was a crimelord. I started him off gradually at first, but eventually I just gave him the full blow of hypnotism...he was completely under my control. Everything that he did had been planned carefully, to turn Altaica against him and-"
"To you," Mac said in admiration. The larger tom nodded.
"Precisely. And it worked. Alta began believing Engle to be evil, particularly after he raped her. I figured that she'd willingly come with me then, but no. I offered to take her away, but she got suspicious....she was ashamed of what had happened and hadn't told a soul. She just told me, rather shortly, that Engle was suffering from overwork."
Mac chortled. "OVERWORK? As if that powderpuff ever thought up anything in his life!"
Ocenir chuckled. "Honestly! Anyway, I waited for a little while, and, eventually, I had Engle begin beating her. Even then, it took her some time to come to me, but eventually, she did. And we came here."
"Did anyone ever suspect that you were controlling Engle?" Mac asked. If Ocenir was as good as he said he was...
"No one. Even Sarge couldn't, and that's his job. Alta couldn't either. Even Engle had no clue. When we arrived here, I lost my hold on Engle...I didn't expect for him to follow. "
Mac nodded. "What happened when Engle did arrive?"
Ocenir laughed softly. "I found him and shocked him into being evil again...but it was too soon, too strong. He hurt her too much, and together Altaica's brother and I tipped him into a pond..."
Mac held up a paw. "Hold on! I thought that Munkustrap helped you do that."
Ocenir hardly blinked. "Like I said. Alta's brother."
Mac raised his eyebrows. "This'll be convenient. Does she know?"
"No. May I continue?"
"By all means," Mac said, fascinated.
"Thank you. I didn't expect for the git to survive, so I withdrew all spells from him. Respect for the dead, you know? Well.... it apparently pulled him back and allowed him to live again."
"So when he came back to the junkyard..."
Ocenir sighed. "It took me years to make him a shadow of evil in the first place, and look at what happened when I attempted it all at once! I couldn't do anything. So....here I am. Will you take me?"
Macavity laughed maniacally. He had, of course, decided about halfway through Ocenir's story. "And will you get him again?"
"I'll try."
Mac raised an eyebrow, and Ocenir smiled in response.
"And succeed."
Altaica sat, stony-faced, near the front of the gathering of Jellicles. Engle was beside her, his arm around her shoulders, and Misto holding her other paw. Vicki was near Misto, and Demeter sat with Bomba and Tugger behind the others. Munkustrap was on the tire, addressing the tribe about Ocenir's death.
Ruffles and Truffles were attempting to be civil for Alta's case, but that was like asking an egg to grow hair. Eventually they just wandered off, Ruffles finding a can of maroon paint and amusing herself by flicking it at various members of the gathering.
Alonzo flinched as the paint hit him, and rubbed the back of his head as he felt another bit hit him. He turned, but there was nobody visible, as Ruffles was booking it back to where Truffles stood, mesmerized.
Ruffles stood and looked over Truffles' shoulder. "Whatcha looking at?"
"Look at that weeeeeird-looking kitty-katty, y'all!" Truffles whispered.
Ruffles decided not to tell Truffles that she was looking in the dented surface of an aluminum pan and glanced around. She caught sight of a large form half-hidden in the shadows near the Tire, but behind the rest of the tribe.
"Truffles," Ruffles said, not bothering to be quiet.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?"
"Look over-" but the figure was gone.
"What're you talking about, y'all?" Truffles asked, deeply puzzled. It didn't take much to puzzle her.
Ruffles squinted. "Forget it."
Alta and Engle were walking back to Jemi's pipe after the service when they were found by Ruffles. It was rare for the kit to be without her counterpart, and Alta blinked when she saw just Ruffles, without "-and Truffles".
"Ruffles? Something wrong?" she asked mildly.
Ruffles seemed nervous and not at all like she normally did. The kits were growing up, Alta realized with a pang. Truffles would likely always remain a little kittenish, and Ruffles and Truffles would likely always be a pair. But still....
Ruffles cleared her throat. "This afternoon, during the service? There was someone in the shadows, watching. Watching you, Auntie Altie," she said, the affectionate nickname eerily out of place in the solemn dialogue. "And I think it was Ocenir."
Alta frowned. They hadn't found a body....something flickered in her mind but was gone quickly. "Ruffles, Ocenir's dead," she said, for lack of a better response.
Ruffles bowed her head. "Right. I just thought you should know. Good night, Auntie Altie," she said, turning and running down the junkpile to the suitcase that she shared with Truffles.
Engle and Alta hurried into the pipe before Alta turned her eyes to Engle. "Do you think it could be true? Could he have lived?" she whispered urgently.
He sighed. "I don't know. Look, try not to think about it for awhile," he murmured, kissing her soundly.
Alta was too tired to protest and instead wrapped her arms around his neck, flicking the curtain shut as they dropped to the blankets.
Alta awoke early, carefully dislodging Engle from where he was wrapped around her and stretching before heading down to the main Junkyard. She had thought about what Ruffles had told her the night before, and decided to go to Munkustrap about it. She didn't know what it was, but something about Munkus told her that she could tell him anything.
She found the silver tabby on the hood of the old Ford, watching as the Junkyard awoke. She leapt up lightly beside him, his green eyes glancing at her briefly. She took this as a sign to speak.
"Ruffles came to me last night about something that I thought I should relay to you..."
A silver eyebrow shot up. "Ruffles? No Ruffles and Truffles?"
She laughed. "I know, I thought the same thing. But yes, just Ruffles."
"Well. Do continue."
"They think that they saw Ocenir at the memorial service."
A shiver passed through Munkustrap. There hadn't been a body....but still, nobody except the Hidden Paw himself would know how to survive a leap in front of a train. "Alta, don't be ridiculous. There's no way Ocenir could be alive," he said shortly.
Alta stiffened. "You don't have to be so stingy about it, Munkus," she said, lashing her tail about angrily. "I was just telling you what Ruffles saw."
He exhaled slowly. "Right. I'm sorry I snapped, Taica, it's just....with Ocenir's death and everything...."
She smiled. "I know," she said softly, rubbing his back. "I know."
They sat in silence for a moment, watching Ruffles, Truffles, Electra, and Etcetera playing in the main square of the Yard. Alta stood eventually, mumbling something about getting back to the pipe.
Engle rubbed Alta's back, kneading out the stiffness in her muscles. "And he doesn't believe you?"
"No," she said with a sigh. "He doesn't. Nor does anyone else." She had asked around, and nobody seemed to believe that Ocenir could have lived. "He said that nobody except the Hidden Paw could pull that off."
Something stirred in Engle's memory then, something dark. "None other than the Hidden Paw, eh?" he said, trying to keep his voice neutral.
Alta swiveled around slowly. "Don't think I can't find that little planning note in your voice, Engle. What are you thinking of trying to do NOW?"
He kissed her gently and moved to the pipe entrance. "I'm going to Mac's apartment."
"WHAT?!" she screeched in a combination of fear and fury. "Are you completely out of your furry black mind?"
"Maybe, but you knew that when you Mated with me," he said, coming back to kiss her knuckles. "If you want to know the truth, I have to go."
Alta sniffled, a single tear creeping down her cheek. Engle hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry about me, Taica, I'll be careful...and I'll be back."
She pulled away a little, a smile toying with her mouth. "I don't care how careful you say you'll be, I'm going to worry all the same..."
He laughed softly and kissed her. They looked at each other for a few moments, and then he turned and left.
Alta slid down against the wall of the pipe, tears spilling down her cheeks. "What is WITH me lately?" she wondered aloud, wiping her cheeks dry. She glanced quickly in the mirror, assuring herself that her eyes weren't red, before heading down to the Junkyard.
"Very good, Engle," Ocenir commented as he and Mac circled the chair that the black tom was tied to. "You figured it out. Give the tom a prize."
Engle glared, but the gag prevented him from saying anything as Mac delivered a vicious uppercut to Engle's jaw.
"Now, let's see..." Ocenir continued, eyes gleaming. "What ARE we going to do with you?"
Mac looked Engle up and down. "I could use some slave labor," he said dryly, smiling sadistically as Engle began to struggle against the ropes that held him.
Ocenir raised an eyebrow. "Very well," he said, leaning forward to look at Engle. They locked eyes, Engle's hard and gold, Ocenir's cold and green. Engle's eyes widened as Ocenir's eyes began spinning and taking on a reddish hue...
Alta.....Engle thought desperately, struggling against the ropes even as he lost thought and his actions weakened. Alta.....
Mac looked at the limp black tom with his eyebrows raised. "Very good, Ocenir. Very good."
Ocenir stood, somewhat disgusted. "His Mating with Alta barred me from changing him completely....he's pretty much a walking zombie right now and shouldn't be retaining any memory."
Mac turned to walk out, motioning for Ocenir to follow. "It'll do for now."
Alta flopped down on the hood of the old Ford for the second time that day, this time, however, Munkustrap and Demeter were both present.
"Alta, are you okay? You look awful!"
Alta laughed. "Thanks for the inspiration, Dem."
"You do look a little tired, Taica. And you've put on a little weight..." Munkustrap chimed in.
Alta glared at him. "Remind me to beat your sorry hide next time I have a spurt of energy. Or, even better...." She paused, a wicked grin gleaming over her features, and Munkustrap knew what was coming. "RUFF..." she was cut off as a silver paw clamped over her mouth.
Demeter snickered. "Munkus, let this be a lesson to you...never comment on a queen's weight, especially a queen with Ruffles and Truffles at her disposal."
Alta snickered through Munkustrap's hand, and he let go guiltily. "Sorry, Taica...."
"But really, Alta, maybe you should go see Jennyany or something. You don't look like you're feeling well."
Alta smiled. "I just might. Thanks for your BRILLIANT observations, you two..." she said, jumping down from the car as gently as she could manage.
She arrived at the oven, suppressing a grin as she saw a frazzled Jennyanydots dealing with Ruffles and Truffles. "Ruff, Truff, go bother Munkustrap. I need to talk to Jenny, and besides, he has it coming to him anyway."
"Oh boy oh boy, y'all, we get to go bother Munkustrap, y'all!" Truffles cried joyfully. Ruffles picked up a stick that she had spotted nearby and set off with an evil glint in her eye. All traces of her seriousness from the night before were gone, and now she was just Ruffles again.
"Yes, dearie, what's the problem?" Jenny asked, looking frazzled.
She shrugged. "Munkus and Demeter sent me over. I've been kinda tired lately, and irritable and such, and Munkustrap said some ridiculous thing about gaining weight...." She trailed off as Jenny smiled widely. "What's so amusing?"
"My dear, you're pregnant, that's all!" Jenny said, gently squeezing Alta's shoulders.
"-What?"
"Expecting? With kitten?" Jenny said happily. "You'd better tell Engle," the gumbie cat said, ushering Alta to the door.
"...Right," Alta said faintly as she stepped outside. The timing just couldn't be worse, could it? she thought bitterly. Isn't this just peachy?
Engle had remained unconscious for two full days after Ocenir had hypnotized him, trying desperately to pull back into the realm of the living. Something was wrong with Alta, he could sense it. Eventually he forced his eyes open, and it was immediately clear to Ocenir, who happened to be in the room, that something had gone wrong. The black tom's eyes were still bright gold, not dulled and lifeless as they should be. He appeared to have all of his wits about him as he climbed out of the chair.
The black tom stalked to Ocenir, the patched tom too shocked to react. The black paw was around Ocenir's throat, slamming him against the wall, choking him.
"You bastard." Engle's voice was hoarse and dangerously low. "You took me away from Alta-again-and now you're going to let me go back, understood?"
Ocenir could only make small, choked noises, all the while wondering how his plan had gone wrong. Something in Engle's Mating bond with Altaica had clearly cut through the hypnotism. He struck out with a fist, catching Engle in the gut and causing the black tom to drop him.
They circled each other, Engle holding back until Ocenir made the first charge. Engle darted to the side, claws out and catching on Ocenir's ear. Engle winced at the sight of blood under his claws, and of Ocenir's ear hanging in tatters. You must bear in mind that Engle had actually never fought before, his body had. The actual spirit had not.
Ocenir screamed for "Maaaaaaaac!" even as he lifted Engle to throw him against the wall. He couldn't restrain the taller tom by himself, not when he was so clearly fired up.
The ginger tom walked in as Engle went flying by at eye level to slam into a wall. "What the hell?" He wondered aloud, cursing again as Engle stood again and charged out of the door past him.
A short wrestling match in the living room and a tranquilizer later, Engle had been locked back in the room. Mac stood next to Ocenir, doctoring his ear with a human first aid kit that had been lying around. "Wonder what made him do that?" the ginger tom said aloud, dabbing some antiseptic on the ear.
Ocenir winced. "Careful!"
"Sorry."
The patched tom sighed. "Alta's pregnant."
Mac paused. "Excuse me?"
"That's what caused him to act like that. It broke through the hypnotism, he could feel it. We're going to have to keep him locked up, and he isn't going to be any use, really....he's going to fight."
"Remind me what the point in keeping him here at all is again?"
"Revenge."
Alta sat on the hood of the car once again, this time alone, watching the sunset. It was the third day since Engle had gone to see Macavity about Ocenir, and he had yet to return. She feared for the worst, but in her heart she knew him to be alive.
She heard someone coming and didn't even bother to turn her eyes as the same feline sat beside her. "Hey, Munkus," she said blandly.
"Hey, Taica."
"Something you need?"
Munkustrap shifted slightly. "Well, something Jellylorum said today got me thinking."
Alta raised an eyebrow. "There's a first. You thinking."
Munkus laughed slightly. "Well, she mentioned something that I thought you should know about."
"What's that?"
"Well, she was on one of her tangents about all of us as kittens, and she mentioned something to me that seemed odd."
"And that was?"
"Well, she said that when I was born, I had a sister in the same litter as me. A twin."
"Twin?" Alta asked, vaguely interested.
"Of sorts. Jelly said that she had been a tabby too, white instead of silver, blue eyes instead of green, and smaller."
"So what happened to her?" Alta said, completely interested now.
"Well, she got owners and the owners moved to...."
"Lemme guess. America?"
Munkus raised his eyebrows. "Right in one."
"So I'm your twin. According to Jellylorum, that is."
"Pretty much."
"....Wow." Alta said, completely bewildered as she hugged Munkus gently. "Wait a minute, doesn't this mean that I can tell you stuff and you can't tell aaaaanyone else?"
Munkus winced. "Basically."
"Good. I need someone to blab to."
Munkus glanced around. "Don't you have Engle for that?"
"Not right now. Remember how I told you about Ruffles seeing Ocenir?"
".....yeeeeees?"
"Engle went to Macavity's apartment three days ago to check out the situation and hasn't been seen since," Alta said, her voice breaking.
Munkus bit his lip and breathed slowly. "Is that all?"
"Not exactly...." Alta said, crying fully now.
"Munkus turned to her. "What is it that's so horrible?"
"It's not horrible, not exactly.....Munkus, I'm pregnant....and he isn't even here, and I don't know if he'll ever be again!"
Munkustrap wrinkled his nose. "We're going to have to go and get him, you know. Or at least try."
"There's more."
"What NOW?"
Alta cast her eyes downward. "I have reason to believe that Ocenir was controlling Engle all along. Don't ask me HOW I know," she said, shooting Munkus a look to kill when he opened his mouth. "I just do. Engle's still alive, for the moment, and that's the feeling that I've been getting from him."
The silver tabby sighed, but before he could say anything, Ruffles and Truffles showed up, glaring at Munkustrap.
"What iz y'all doing to make ouah auntie Altie cry, y'all?" Truffles asked suspiciously.
"We don't like people who make ouah auntie Altie cry," Ruffles said menacingly, hands on hips.
Altaica laughed. "It's alright, you two..."
"You suuuuuuure, Auntie Altie?" Truffles asked while Ruffles glared at Munkustrap. Munkus gulped nervously.
"Alta, call off your...kits."
Alta looked at him, the same gleam showing in her eyes. "Now, why would I want to do THAT?"
"Because...I'm...the twin you never knew you had?"
Alta laughed. "Honestly, Munk, what are siblings for?" she turned to Ruffles. "Get him, you two."
"Altaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" was Munkustrap's cry as he headed for the hills, the twins in pursuit.
Alta laughed heartily as she trailed after at a more sedate pace. However, she glanced in the direction of Macavity's apartment, wishing that Engle was with her.
Author's Note: OKay, Altaica, Engle, and Ocenir belong to me, Ruffles and Truffles belong to L and Mell. The story is miiiiiiiiiine! so yeah. Enjoy!! please review!!
The train rumbled past, inches away from the patched tom's nose. He slowed his breathing, even as he listened with a slightly sadistic smile to the hysterics above, and watched as the train disappeared from his line of sight. He inches backwards, not willing to be seen as Skimbleshanks peered at the tracks from above.
"Strange," he heard the tabby's highland burr say. "There dinnae seem tae be any remains of the poor wee boy...." Skimble's voice faded away, as did the voices of the others, as Ocenir continued back.
Of course there wouldn't be any remains! As if he's actually kill himself. Of course, none truly knew who the patched tom was. They assumed him to be some country bumpkin, infatuated with Altaica and simple-minded. Mere brute force, no real talents or uses. He snickered softly, even as a pair of dark-gold eyes flickered into existence behind him.
"Just as we planned. I see that you haven't lost your touch, Ocenir," said a cool, sophisticated voice cultured to send chills down your spine.
Ocenir turned, his green eyes meeting the gold. "Thank you, Macavity. Is everything in order?"
Mac smiled and stepped closer. "Most everything. However... what do you want to do about that black cat? After all, from what I've heard he's a hardened criminal..." he trailed off as Ocenir held up a paw.
"Engle? Hardened criminal? Hardly likely. Engle as a kitten would rather prance around in a meadow and pick flowers than organize a business. However, his looks suited the job, so I took care of it for him."
Mac was puzzled. "How?"
Ocenir smiled, his lips curling up to show a flash of fang. "He was so gullible, really, it was nothing to make him believe that he was a crimelord. I started him off gradually at first, but eventually I just gave him the full blow of hypnotism...he was completely under my control. Everything that he did had been planned carefully, to turn Altaica against him and-"
"To you," Mac said in admiration. The larger tom nodded.
"Precisely. And it worked. Alta began believing Engle to be evil, particularly after he raped her. I figured that she'd willingly come with me then, but no. I offered to take her away, but she got suspicious....she was ashamed of what had happened and hadn't told a soul. She just told me, rather shortly, that Engle was suffering from overwork."
Mac chortled. "OVERWORK? As if that powderpuff ever thought up anything in his life!"
Ocenir chuckled. "Honestly! Anyway, I waited for a little while, and, eventually, I had Engle begin beating her. Even then, it took her some time to come to me, but eventually, she did. And we came here."
"Did anyone ever suspect that you were controlling Engle?" Mac asked. If Ocenir was as good as he said he was...
"No one. Even Sarge couldn't, and that's his job. Alta couldn't either. Even Engle had no clue. When we arrived here, I lost my hold on Engle...I didn't expect for him to follow. "
Mac nodded. "What happened when Engle did arrive?"
Ocenir laughed softly. "I found him and shocked him into being evil again...but it was too soon, too strong. He hurt her too much, and together Altaica's brother and I tipped him into a pond..."
Mac held up a paw. "Hold on! I thought that Munkustrap helped you do that."
Ocenir hardly blinked. "Like I said. Alta's brother."
Mac raised his eyebrows. "This'll be convenient. Does she know?"
"No. May I continue?"
"By all means," Mac said, fascinated.
"Thank you. I didn't expect for the git to survive, so I withdrew all spells from him. Respect for the dead, you know? Well.... it apparently pulled him back and allowed him to live again."
"So when he came back to the junkyard..."
Ocenir sighed. "It took me years to make him a shadow of evil in the first place, and look at what happened when I attempted it all at once! I couldn't do anything. So....here I am. Will you take me?"
Macavity laughed maniacally. He had, of course, decided about halfway through Ocenir's story. "And will you get him again?"
"I'll try."
Mac raised an eyebrow, and Ocenir smiled in response.
"And succeed."
Altaica sat, stony-faced, near the front of the gathering of Jellicles. Engle was beside her, his arm around her shoulders, and Misto holding her other paw. Vicki was near Misto, and Demeter sat with Bomba and Tugger behind the others. Munkustrap was on the tire, addressing the tribe about Ocenir's death.
Ruffles and Truffles were attempting to be civil for Alta's case, but that was like asking an egg to grow hair. Eventually they just wandered off, Ruffles finding a can of maroon paint and amusing herself by flicking it at various members of the gathering.
Alonzo flinched as the paint hit him, and rubbed the back of his head as he felt another bit hit him. He turned, but there was nobody visible, as Ruffles was booking it back to where Truffles stood, mesmerized.
Ruffles stood and looked over Truffles' shoulder. "Whatcha looking at?"
"Look at that weeeeeird-looking kitty-katty, y'all!" Truffles whispered.
Ruffles decided not to tell Truffles that she was looking in the dented surface of an aluminum pan and glanced around. She caught sight of a large form half-hidden in the shadows near the Tire, but behind the rest of the tribe.
"Truffles," Ruffles said, not bothering to be quiet.
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?"
"Look over-" but the figure was gone.
"What're you talking about, y'all?" Truffles asked, deeply puzzled. It didn't take much to puzzle her.
Ruffles squinted. "Forget it."
Alta and Engle were walking back to Jemi's pipe after the service when they were found by Ruffles. It was rare for the kit to be without her counterpart, and Alta blinked when she saw just Ruffles, without "-and Truffles".
"Ruffles? Something wrong?" she asked mildly.
Ruffles seemed nervous and not at all like she normally did. The kits were growing up, Alta realized with a pang. Truffles would likely always remain a little kittenish, and Ruffles and Truffles would likely always be a pair. But still....
Ruffles cleared her throat. "This afternoon, during the service? There was someone in the shadows, watching. Watching you, Auntie Altie," she said, the affectionate nickname eerily out of place in the solemn dialogue. "And I think it was Ocenir."
Alta frowned. They hadn't found a body....something flickered in her mind but was gone quickly. "Ruffles, Ocenir's dead," she said, for lack of a better response.
Ruffles bowed her head. "Right. I just thought you should know. Good night, Auntie Altie," she said, turning and running down the junkpile to the suitcase that she shared with Truffles.
Engle and Alta hurried into the pipe before Alta turned her eyes to Engle. "Do you think it could be true? Could he have lived?" she whispered urgently.
He sighed. "I don't know. Look, try not to think about it for awhile," he murmured, kissing her soundly.
Alta was too tired to protest and instead wrapped her arms around his neck, flicking the curtain shut as they dropped to the blankets.
Alta awoke early, carefully dislodging Engle from where he was wrapped around her and stretching before heading down to the main Junkyard. She had thought about what Ruffles had told her the night before, and decided to go to Munkustrap about it. She didn't know what it was, but something about Munkus told her that she could tell him anything.
She found the silver tabby on the hood of the old Ford, watching as the Junkyard awoke. She leapt up lightly beside him, his green eyes glancing at her briefly. She took this as a sign to speak.
"Ruffles came to me last night about something that I thought I should relay to you..."
A silver eyebrow shot up. "Ruffles? No Ruffles and Truffles?"
She laughed. "I know, I thought the same thing. But yes, just Ruffles."
"Well. Do continue."
"They think that they saw Ocenir at the memorial service."
A shiver passed through Munkustrap. There hadn't been a body....but still, nobody except the Hidden Paw himself would know how to survive a leap in front of a train. "Alta, don't be ridiculous. There's no way Ocenir could be alive," he said shortly.
Alta stiffened. "You don't have to be so stingy about it, Munkus," she said, lashing her tail about angrily. "I was just telling you what Ruffles saw."
He exhaled slowly. "Right. I'm sorry I snapped, Taica, it's just....with Ocenir's death and everything...."
She smiled. "I know," she said softly, rubbing his back. "I know."
They sat in silence for a moment, watching Ruffles, Truffles, Electra, and Etcetera playing in the main square of the Yard. Alta stood eventually, mumbling something about getting back to the pipe.
Engle rubbed Alta's back, kneading out the stiffness in her muscles. "And he doesn't believe you?"
"No," she said with a sigh. "He doesn't. Nor does anyone else." She had asked around, and nobody seemed to believe that Ocenir could have lived. "He said that nobody except the Hidden Paw could pull that off."
Something stirred in Engle's memory then, something dark. "None other than the Hidden Paw, eh?" he said, trying to keep his voice neutral.
Alta swiveled around slowly. "Don't think I can't find that little planning note in your voice, Engle. What are you thinking of trying to do NOW?"
He kissed her gently and moved to the pipe entrance. "I'm going to Mac's apartment."
"WHAT?!" she screeched in a combination of fear and fury. "Are you completely out of your furry black mind?"
"Maybe, but you knew that when you Mated with me," he said, coming back to kiss her knuckles. "If you want to know the truth, I have to go."
Alta sniffled, a single tear creeping down her cheek. Engle hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry about me, Taica, I'll be careful...and I'll be back."
She pulled away a little, a smile toying with her mouth. "I don't care how careful you say you'll be, I'm going to worry all the same..."
He laughed softly and kissed her. They looked at each other for a few moments, and then he turned and left.
Alta slid down against the wall of the pipe, tears spilling down her cheeks. "What is WITH me lately?" she wondered aloud, wiping her cheeks dry. She glanced quickly in the mirror, assuring herself that her eyes weren't red, before heading down to the Junkyard.
"Very good, Engle," Ocenir commented as he and Mac circled the chair that the black tom was tied to. "You figured it out. Give the tom a prize."
Engle glared, but the gag prevented him from saying anything as Mac delivered a vicious uppercut to Engle's jaw.
"Now, let's see..." Ocenir continued, eyes gleaming. "What ARE we going to do with you?"
Mac looked Engle up and down. "I could use some slave labor," he said dryly, smiling sadistically as Engle began to struggle against the ropes that held him.
Ocenir raised an eyebrow. "Very well," he said, leaning forward to look at Engle. They locked eyes, Engle's hard and gold, Ocenir's cold and green. Engle's eyes widened as Ocenir's eyes began spinning and taking on a reddish hue...
Alta.....Engle thought desperately, struggling against the ropes even as he lost thought and his actions weakened. Alta.....
Mac looked at the limp black tom with his eyebrows raised. "Very good, Ocenir. Very good."
Ocenir stood, somewhat disgusted. "His Mating with Alta barred me from changing him completely....he's pretty much a walking zombie right now and shouldn't be retaining any memory."
Mac turned to walk out, motioning for Ocenir to follow. "It'll do for now."
Alta flopped down on the hood of the old Ford for the second time that day, this time, however, Munkustrap and Demeter were both present.
"Alta, are you okay? You look awful!"
Alta laughed. "Thanks for the inspiration, Dem."
"You do look a little tired, Taica. And you've put on a little weight..." Munkustrap chimed in.
Alta glared at him. "Remind me to beat your sorry hide next time I have a spurt of energy. Or, even better...." She paused, a wicked grin gleaming over her features, and Munkustrap knew what was coming. "RUFF..." she was cut off as a silver paw clamped over her mouth.
Demeter snickered. "Munkus, let this be a lesson to you...never comment on a queen's weight, especially a queen with Ruffles and Truffles at her disposal."
Alta snickered through Munkustrap's hand, and he let go guiltily. "Sorry, Taica...."
"But really, Alta, maybe you should go see Jennyany or something. You don't look like you're feeling well."
Alta smiled. "I just might. Thanks for your BRILLIANT observations, you two..." she said, jumping down from the car as gently as she could manage.
She arrived at the oven, suppressing a grin as she saw a frazzled Jennyanydots dealing with Ruffles and Truffles. "Ruff, Truff, go bother Munkustrap. I need to talk to Jenny, and besides, he has it coming to him anyway."
"Oh boy oh boy, y'all, we get to go bother Munkustrap, y'all!" Truffles cried joyfully. Ruffles picked up a stick that she had spotted nearby and set off with an evil glint in her eye. All traces of her seriousness from the night before were gone, and now she was just Ruffles again.
"Yes, dearie, what's the problem?" Jenny asked, looking frazzled.
She shrugged. "Munkus and Demeter sent me over. I've been kinda tired lately, and irritable and such, and Munkustrap said some ridiculous thing about gaining weight...." She trailed off as Jenny smiled widely. "What's so amusing?"
"My dear, you're pregnant, that's all!" Jenny said, gently squeezing Alta's shoulders.
"-What?"
"Expecting? With kitten?" Jenny said happily. "You'd better tell Engle," the gumbie cat said, ushering Alta to the door.
"...Right," Alta said faintly as she stepped outside. The timing just couldn't be worse, could it? she thought bitterly. Isn't this just peachy?
Engle had remained unconscious for two full days after Ocenir had hypnotized him, trying desperately to pull back into the realm of the living. Something was wrong with Alta, he could sense it. Eventually he forced his eyes open, and it was immediately clear to Ocenir, who happened to be in the room, that something had gone wrong. The black tom's eyes were still bright gold, not dulled and lifeless as they should be. He appeared to have all of his wits about him as he climbed out of the chair.
The black tom stalked to Ocenir, the patched tom too shocked to react. The black paw was around Ocenir's throat, slamming him against the wall, choking him.
"You bastard." Engle's voice was hoarse and dangerously low. "You took me away from Alta-again-and now you're going to let me go back, understood?"
Ocenir could only make small, choked noises, all the while wondering how his plan had gone wrong. Something in Engle's Mating bond with Altaica had clearly cut through the hypnotism. He struck out with a fist, catching Engle in the gut and causing the black tom to drop him.
They circled each other, Engle holding back until Ocenir made the first charge. Engle darted to the side, claws out and catching on Ocenir's ear. Engle winced at the sight of blood under his claws, and of Ocenir's ear hanging in tatters. You must bear in mind that Engle had actually never fought before, his body had. The actual spirit had not.
Ocenir screamed for "Maaaaaaaac!" even as he lifted Engle to throw him against the wall. He couldn't restrain the taller tom by himself, not when he was so clearly fired up.
The ginger tom walked in as Engle went flying by at eye level to slam into a wall. "What the hell?" He wondered aloud, cursing again as Engle stood again and charged out of the door past him.
A short wrestling match in the living room and a tranquilizer later, Engle had been locked back in the room. Mac stood next to Ocenir, doctoring his ear with a human first aid kit that had been lying around. "Wonder what made him do that?" the ginger tom said aloud, dabbing some antiseptic on the ear.
Ocenir winced. "Careful!"
"Sorry."
The patched tom sighed. "Alta's pregnant."
Mac paused. "Excuse me?"
"That's what caused him to act like that. It broke through the hypnotism, he could feel it. We're going to have to keep him locked up, and he isn't going to be any use, really....he's going to fight."
"Remind me what the point in keeping him here at all is again?"
"Revenge."
Alta sat on the hood of the car once again, this time alone, watching the sunset. It was the third day since Engle had gone to see Macavity about Ocenir, and he had yet to return. She feared for the worst, but in her heart she knew him to be alive.
She heard someone coming and didn't even bother to turn her eyes as the same feline sat beside her. "Hey, Munkus," she said blandly.
"Hey, Taica."
"Something you need?"
Munkustrap shifted slightly. "Well, something Jellylorum said today got me thinking."
Alta raised an eyebrow. "There's a first. You thinking."
Munkus laughed slightly. "Well, she mentioned something that I thought you should know about."
"What's that?"
"Well, she was on one of her tangents about all of us as kittens, and she mentioned something to me that seemed odd."
"And that was?"
"Well, she said that when I was born, I had a sister in the same litter as me. A twin."
"Twin?" Alta asked, vaguely interested.
"Of sorts. Jelly said that she had been a tabby too, white instead of silver, blue eyes instead of green, and smaller."
"So what happened to her?" Alta said, completely interested now.
"Well, she got owners and the owners moved to...."
"Lemme guess. America?"
Munkus raised his eyebrows. "Right in one."
"So I'm your twin. According to Jellylorum, that is."
"Pretty much."
"....Wow." Alta said, completely bewildered as she hugged Munkus gently. "Wait a minute, doesn't this mean that I can tell you stuff and you can't tell aaaaanyone else?"
Munkus winced. "Basically."
"Good. I need someone to blab to."
Munkus glanced around. "Don't you have Engle for that?"
"Not right now. Remember how I told you about Ruffles seeing Ocenir?"
".....yeeeeees?"
"Engle went to Macavity's apartment three days ago to check out the situation and hasn't been seen since," Alta said, her voice breaking.
Munkus bit his lip and breathed slowly. "Is that all?"
"Not exactly...." Alta said, crying fully now.
"Munkus turned to her. "What is it that's so horrible?"
"It's not horrible, not exactly.....Munkus, I'm pregnant....and he isn't even here, and I don't know if he'll ever be again!"
Munkustrap wrinkled his nose. "We're going to have to go and get him, you know. Or at least try."
"There's more."
"What NOW?"
Alta cast her eyes downward. "I have reason to believe that Ocenir was controlling Engle all along. Don't ask me HOW I know," she said, shooting Munkus a look to kill when he opened his mouth. "I just do. Engle's still alive, for the moment, and that's the feeling that I've been getting from him."
The silver tabby sighed, but before he could say anything, Ruffles and Truffles showed up, glaring at Munkustrap.
"What iz y'all doing to make ouah auntie Altie cry, y'all?" Truffles asked suspiciously.
"We don't like people who make ouah auntie Altie cry," Ruffles said menacingly, hands on hips.
Altaica laughed. "It's alright, you two..."
"You suuuuuuure, Auntie Altie?" Truffles asked while Ruffles glared at Munkustrap. Munkus gulped nervously.
"Alta, call off your...kits."
Alta looked at him, the same gleam showing in her eyes. "Now, why would I want to do THAT?"
"Because...I'm...the twin you never knew you had?"
Alta laughed. "Honestly, Munk, what are siblings for?" she turned to Ruffles. "Get him, you two."
"Altaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" was Munkustrap's cry as he headed for the hills, the twins in pursuit.
Alta laughed heartily as she trailed after at a more sedate pace. However, she glanced in the direction of Macavity's apartment, wishing that Engle was with her.