Two hours had passed since the guard cats met the jellicle tribe. They had since been made to feel very welcome. They shared conversations with several of the jellicles including Munkustrap. The gray tabby enjoyed speaking to them as they asked him questions about leading the tribe and gave him numerous compliments. They also got along very well with the kittens. Kent had even played a round of hide-and-seek with them, much to their delight. Now, they sat on the tire talking amongst themselves.
Before long, another tom entered the clearing. He was not as tall as the others. His fur was completely black save for his white chest and face. His black fur appeared to sparkle when the sun hit it from just the right angle. He had slipped into the clearing in such a quiet and casual way that nobody seemed to notice him. However, he had scarce taken three steps before a young queen named Jemima ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck.
"It's about time you got back Misto," she said. "I missed you."
The tuxedo, who was none other than Mistoffelees, smiled at her.
"I missed you also," he said. "You were all that I thought about."
He planted a small but loving kiss on her cheek. The queen blushed. She and the magical cat had been mates for almost a month. They had often been told that they were a cute couple, partly because they looked good together, but mostly because they were deeply in love with each other. Jemima hugged her mate affectionately.
"I don't like it when you leave, but I love it when you come back."
The pair was interrupted when the Rum Tum Tugger walked up to them.
"Hey Misto, long time no see."
"Hey Tugger," answered Mistoffelees.
They had been good friends since the magical tom and his sister, Victoria, had been accepted into the tribe. Jemima watched as they did a pawshake that they had invented. She could never get it. All she knew was that it ended with an arm wrestling match. This time, it was Misto who was victorious.
"You got lucky!"
"You wish!" laughed the magical cat.
"Hey, wishes come true all the time. Listen, I'd love to chat but I was just on my way out."
"You going to meet that queen again?" Misto asked.
The Maine coon nodded with a smile.
"I don't want to keep her waiting. I'll see ya Misto, Jemima."
With that, the Rum Tum Tugger strutted out of the tribe's clearing. Mistoffelees turned back to Jemima.
"What queen is he meeting?" she asked.
"He met a stray queen about a week ago in an alley. He's gone to meet her everyday since then."
"What's her name?"
Misto shrugged.
"He hasn't told me."
"Well, why doesn't he bring her here? We'd love to meet her."
"He offered to bring her here once, but she declined."
"That's too bad," said Jemima.
Misto didn't hear her last comment. His attention had been drawn to five, large, brown toms sitting on the tire.
"Who are they?" he asked.
Jemima followed his gaze.
"Oh! They're new here."
The queen explained to her mate about how the brown toms' human pet owned the junkyard and about the deal that they had made with the jellicle tribe.
"They call themselves the guard cats," she said. "They are very nice. Let me introduce you to them."
Before her mate could respond, Jemima had taken him by the paw and was pulling him toward the group of toms.
"Hi," she said to them.
They looked up at her and smiled.
"Hello Jemima," said one of them.
"I would like you to meet my mate," said the queen. "This is Misto."
The black tom shook paws with each of the guard cats as they told him their names. Jemima was about to say more when someone called her. She turned to see her two friends, Electra and Etcetera, waving her over to them.
"I'll be right back," she said.
She ran toward the queens.
"Sorry I wasn't here when you guys came," said Misto to the guard cats.
"No problem," they responded.
"So you and Jemima are mates huh?" asked Golb.
The black tom nodded.
"Darn! I was psyching myself up to ask her on a date."
The toms laughed.
"Misto," said Vor, after the laughing ceased. "Is that short for something?"
The tuxedo nodded.
"It's short for Mistoffelees."
As soon as he said this, the guard cats' smiles vanished and their expressions turned cold.
"So you're the magical cat?" asked Vor.
Mistoffelees was confused by their sudden change of character, but he chose to continue as if he hadn't noticed.
"They've told you about me," he said, forcing a smile. "Yes, I am a magical cat."
The brown toms did not answer. They each looked at the paw that they'd used to shake his and proceeded to wipe it off on the tire. The magical cat's face became solemn as he watched them do this, but he said nothing. The guard cats simply stared at him in disgust. There was an uncomfortable silence between them. Mistoffelees felt as though their piercing eyes could see right through him. He was about to walk away when Jemima returned.
"I'm back," she said.
The guard cats' cold stares were immediately replaced by warm and friendly smiles, but Misto's expression stayed the same.
"Sorry about that," continued the queen. "Electra and Etcetera needed me to settle a silly argument about the lyrics to the Moments of Happiness."
The brown toms laughed.
"Thank you for introducing us to your mate," said Vor.
He looked at the magical tom.
"It was nice to meet you Mistoffelees."
He held out his paw. Misto hesitated, but for no more than a second. Then, he reached out and shook it. He felt as though Vor was cutting off his circulation, but he made no visible reaction.
"Nice to meet you too," he said.
Jemima smiled.
"We'll talk to you later!"
She linked her arm around her mate's and they turned to leave.
After walking a little way, Mistoffelees turned his head and looked back at the guard cats, only to see that their faces were once again hard and they stared at him with expressions of bitter loathe and disgust.
Before long, another tom entered the clearing. He was not as tall as the others. His fur was completely black save for his white chest and face. His black fur appeared to sparkle when the sun hit it from just the right angle. He had slipped into the clearing in such a quiet and casual way that nobody seemed to notice him. However, he had scarce taken three steps before a young queen named Jemima ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck.
"It's about time you got back Misto," she said. "I missed you."
The tuxedo, who was none other than Mistoffelees, smiled at her.
"I missed you also," he said. "You were all that I thought about."
He planted a small but loving kiss on her cheek. The queen blushed. She and the magical cat had been mates for almost a month. They had often been told that they were a cute couple, partly because they looked good together, but mostly because they were deeply in love with each other. Jemima hugged her mate affectionately.
"I don't like it when you leave, but I love it when you come back."
The pair was interrupted when the Rum Tum Tugger walked up to them.
"Hey Misto, long time no see."
"Hey Tugger," answered Mistoffelees.
They had been good friends since the magical tom and his sister, Victoria, had been accepted into the tribe. Jemima watched as they did a pawshake that they had invented. She could never get it. All she knew was that it ended with an arm wrestling match. This time, it was Misto who was victorious.
"You got lucky!"
"You wish!" laughed the magical cat.
"Hey, wishes come true all the time. Listen, I'd love to chat but I was just on my way out."
"You going to meet that queen again?" Misto asked.
The Maine coon nodded with a smile.
"I don't want to keep her waiting. I'll see ya Misto, Jemima."
With that, the Rum Tum Tugger strutted out of the tribe's clearing. Mistoffelees turned back to Jemima.
"What queen is he meeting?" she asked.
"He met a stray queen about a week ago in an alley. He's gone to meet her everyday since then."
"What's her name?"
Misto shrugged.
"He hasn't told me."
"Well, why doesn't he bring her here? We'd love to meet her."
"He offered to bring her here once, but she declined."
"That's too bad," said Jemima.
Misto didn't hear her last comment. His attention had been drawn to five, large, brown toms sitting on the tire.
"Who are they?" he asked.
Jemima followed his gaze.
"Oh! They're new here."
The queen explained to her mate about how the brown toms' human pet owned the junkyard and about the deal that they had made with the jellicle tribe.
"They call themselves the guard cats," she said. "They are very nice. Let me introduce you to them."
Before her mate could respond, Jemima had taken him by the paw and was pulling him toward the group of toms.
"Hi," she said to them.
They looked up at her and smiled.
"Hello Jemima," said one of them.
"I would like you to meet my mate," said the queen. "This is Misto."
The black tom shook paws with each of the guard cats as they told him their names. Jemima was about to say more when someone called her. She turned to see her two friends, Electra and Etcetera, waving her over to them.
"I'll be right back," she said.
She ran toward the queens.
"Sorry I wasn't here when you guys came," said Misto to the guard cats.
"No problem," they responded.
"So you and Jemima are mates huh?" asked Golb.
The black tom nodded.
"Darn! I was psyching myself up to ask her on a date."
The toms laughed.
"Misto," said Vor, after the laughing ceased. "Is that short for something?"
The tuxedo nodded.
"It's short for Mistoffelees."
As soon as he said this, the guard cats' smiles vanished and their expressions turned cold.
"So you're the magical cat?" asked Vor.
Mistoffelees was confused by their sudden change of character, but he chose to continue as if he hadn't noticed.
"They've told you about me," he said, forcing a smile. "Yes, I am a magical cat."
The brown toms did not answer. They each looked at the paw that they'd used to shake his and proceeded to wipe it off on the tire. The magical cat's face became solemn as he watched them do this, but he said nothing. The guard cats simply stared at him in disgust. There was an uncomfortable silence between them. Mistoffelees felt as though their piercing eyes could see right through him. He was about to walk away when Jemima returned.
"I'm back," she said.
The guard cats' cold stares were immediately replaced by warm and friendly smiles, but Misto's expression stayed the same.
"Sorry about that," continued the queen. "Electra and Etcetera needed me to settle a silly argument about the lyrics to the Moments of Happiness."
The brown toms laughed.
"Thank you for introducing us to your mate," said Vor.
He looked at the magical tom.
"It was nice to meet you Mistoffelees."
He held out his paw. Misto hesitated, but for no more than a second. Then, he reached out and shook it. He felt as though Vor was cutting off his circulation, but he made no visible reaction.
"Nice to meet you too," he said.
Jemima smiled.
"We'll talk to you later!"
She linked her arm around her mate's and they turned to leave.
After walking a little way, Mistoffelees turned his head and looked back at the guard cats, only to see that their faces were once again hard and they stared at him with expressions of bitter loathe and disgust.