Disclaimer: In no way do I own any of the cats from "Cats" the musical, all
of them belonging to the talented T. S. Eliot. The characters Chyna and
Cassie belong to me though. Stealing them will result in Macavity doing
evil and mean things, like the evil villain he is. Enjoy the story!
Chapter 3
"Ticket, please ma'am." the conductor asked Chyna. She couldn't contain her enthusiasm.
"Is Skimbleshanks on this train, sir?" Chyna inquired. After taking her ticket, he answered.
"Well, of coarse he is! We couldn't leave without him!"
"Oh, please sir, can I meet him?" Chyna asked.
"I'll send him to your room after he makes his rounds. Hmm... 34B. That will be easy to remember. Your room ma'am is down that hall to your right." He smiled pleasantly, happy to be of service. Chyna's parents gave the conductor their tickets and got the number of their room.35B. 'Cool!' Chyna thought. 'I get my own room!'
She walked down the hall and found her room. It was very pleasant with a little window that had a bright view of the countryside. It had a nice bed with newly folded sheets, and she also discovered a bathroom was when she opened a door that was in her room. She sat the cage that contained Cassie on the bed and put her suitcase on the floor.
"This is a lovely little room, isn't it, Chyna?" Mewed Cassie. "I bet Skimbleshanks will get here in about fifteen minutes, if not sooner." "But I don't want to wait that long!" Whined Chyna. But then they heard a knock on the door. Chyna opened it and there stood a man holding an orange and white tabby cat.
"Here, ma'am, is your famous Skimbleshanks. I'll leave you two alone now so you can get aquatinted." He said, as the cat leaped out of his arms. "See yous, later!" And then he left.
"Skimbleshanks! Oh, it is so good to see you finally!" Cassie shrieked with excitement.
"What...Who? Oh! Cassie! Where have you been this past year? We missed you at the Ball!" Skimble inquired, leaping onto the bed so he could see her better.
"Skimble, I would like you to meet my best friend, aside from Victoria, Chyna."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Skimbleshanks. I've heard alot about you." Said Chyna, taking his paw and shaking it.
"What? A human who can talk to a cat?" shrieked Skimble.
"Pretty weird, huh? I feel that she is really a cat but she is stuck in a human's body, the poor thing." Cassie sympathized.
"Wow.... It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Chyna. My, that is a pretty name. It almost sounds like a Jellicle name, doesn't it, Cassie?"
"Yeah, I just didn't say anything to her about it." Cassie mewed. Now it was Chyna's turn for being confused.
"What are you cats talking about?"
"I didn't tell you, but I always thought about it." Cassie kept Chyna in suspense.
"Now that you mention it, it does make sense." Skimble said, quickly sniffing Chyna over. "The Legend of the Heavyside Layer. I remember my mother telling me that story when I was a kitten. A long time ago, about 17 years, one cat was chosen to go to the Heavyside Layer. She was once a beautiful gray and white calico, but age had worn her down. So when the Jellicle leader chose her to go to the Heavyside Layer, she was overjoyed. She went up to the Heavyside Layer, but she never came back. Some say she made the Everlasting Cat cross and he killed her, but no one really believed that....she was such a sweet cat. Some believe that the Everlasting Cat loved her so much that he took her as his mate, which is possible, because she was a beautiful cat. But most cats believe that she was turned into a different animal, to someday protect the Jellicles in some way that only that species of what she was turned into could. Most everyone thinks she was turned into a human, so the Jellicle leader told us to keep our eyes open for a human, well, such as you, Chyna."
Chyna shook her head in confusion. "Well, if this really happened to me, why can't I remember any of it?"
Cassie slowly purred. "Probably to protect the Jellicles. Think about it. If you knew this when you were younger, you wouldn't have known any better and might have told the wrong person. It could have turned out disastrous."
"Wow. I always wanted to be a Jellicle Cat, but actually being a Jellicle Legend, now that's amazing!" Chyna paused, her brow deeply lined with thought. "But if I was a Jellicle cat before, couldn't I become one again?"
"I really don't know, Chyna. Maybe if you went to the Heavyside Layer again, but I don't know if it would work." Cassie sighed.
"Old Deuteronomy would know! We could ask him about it when we get to the Junkyard." Added Skimble hopefully. "He'd want to know about her."
"Right you are, Skimble. Well, I was wondering, how's the tribe doing? How's Victoria?"
"She's great. She's expecting, you know. Plato is so very proud!" Skimble added.
"Oh, I can't wait to see her! How is Mistoffelees doing?" Cassie's heart leapt when she thought seeing him so soon. Skimble's face fell. "Not so good."
"Oh, no! What happened?" Cassie's mind flashed before her the many dangers Misto could have succumbed to: being hit by a car, falling out of a tree, or even worse, Macavity himself!
"It's not physical. It's emotional. He's been depressed after you left. He's been having nightmares, and sometimes he can't control his magic. It's scary how much he changed over the past year." Skimble explained gently.
"Oh, my poor Misto." meowed Cassie sadly.
"Oh, my dear, he'll be fine once you come back. He'll be himself again."
Chyna sat back and listened to their conversation solemnly. 'To love someone that deeply' she pondered, 'is so moving! I want to meet this Mr. Mistoffelees of hers! Oh, and to have someone love me that way...'
"Who went to the Heavyside Layer at last year's ball?" Cassie inquired.
"Grizzabella, Old Deuteronomy's old wife." Skimble said.
Cassiopia gasped, "She came back? How did Deuteronomy and Munk take it?"
Skimble smiled to himself," Old D was delighted to see her back, but it took Munkustrap a while to accept her. I don't think he really has yet either. Grizzabella is now a young queen again, and trying to make up for what she did to the tribe. Most of the cats have forgiven her, but you know how stubborn Munk is. He is kind of giving her a cold shoulder. Poor lad. It's sad really, when a son can't forgive his own mother. It tears me to pieces."
"Wow, alot has happened while I was gone. Oh, how are Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer doing?" Cassie giggled, remembering those two.
"Still getting into trouble, I'm afraid, but they have both found sweethearts. Mungo has snagged Demeter, and Rumple has fallen for Pouncival, and she's fallen hard! It's so cute to watch them together...but can you imagine how rambunctious their kittens will be? " Skimble shuddered at the thought.
"Ha, ha. That would be so cute...Rumple and Pouncy getting a taste of their own medicine! How are Bombalrina and Rum Tum Tugger doing?" Cassie asked.
"Rum Tum is still the ladies stud cat, but you can tell his heart is with Bomby. Bomb is playing hard to get, and Tugger is playing right along. It's really frustrating."
Cassie laughed as she thought of Tugger and Bomb. They were so perfect for each other. Cassie then got a sad look in her eyes as she thought of Misto. "I really miss my Misto, Skimbles. It is a relief to know that he misses me too." Cassie gulped.
"He hasn't found another mate, has he?" Skimble laughed at this question. "What? Are you kidding? Even the way he talks about you, you can tell that he is madly in love, even after a year of separation."
Cassie smiled as her heart leaped and closed her eyes, concentrating on the sleeping body of Misto. 'I love you, my Misty. I'll be there soon.' She thought toward him...Willing him to hear the message.
***************************
Munkustrap was exhausted. He slowly limped home to his owner's house. Sometimes being the future leader had its downs, like saving kittens from those stupid mangy Pekes. You think those kittens would learn, but some of them Munk thought never would. He sighed as he longed for an ear to listen to his frustrations and deepest thoughts. He sat down on the sidewalk to check his injury. It was a bite from the Peke that had attacked Ecetera, a hyper little kitten who was always following Tugger around. His leg wasn't too bad...it just stung a little.
"Munkustrap, what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Asked a voice behind him.
"Not much, Jennyanydots. Just a little bite from a Peke." Munkustrap said, smiling at her motherliness.
Jenny smiled back, "I heard all about your brave fight from Ecetera herself. Now, let's see what we can do for that bite."
They both retreated to an alley where Jenny could work her magic in peace. She first cleaned the wound then dressed it.
"There you go, good as new!" Jenny exclaimed.
"Nope, better than new! Thanks Jenny." Munk examined his leg and decided that it would be a good idea to keep it quiet from his owner. He didn't want her to get worried.
As Jenny left, he watched her go. She was getting up in her years, but she never let anyone know it. She was good friends with Jellylorum, his adoptive mother. Her mate was Skimbleshanks, the railway cat. They made a lovely pair, and had a couple of kittens, Tumblebrutus and Electra.
"Munkustrap! How are you? I heard about that battle today." Grizzabella asked.
Munkustrap turned around. He smiled weakly at her then turned around and started walking to his owner's house again. It was just too weird having his mother home, and she was about his age because she went up to the Heavyside Layer at the last Jellicle Ball.
"I am really sorry about that." Grizzabella added, falling into step with him. "I was just wondering if we could have, you know, a kinda like a mother son chat. I really need one after the day I had."
Munkustrap turned around, his eyes as cold as a snowstorm in the Antarctic. "If you wanted one, you should have swung by when I was a kitten!" He huffed, then hissed angrily at his mother and stalked away. Grizzabella looked after him sadly. 'Someday, Munk. Someday you will really forgive me and open up. Heavyside Layer knows you need someone to confide in.'
When Munkustrap creeped through the cat door on the house on Maple Street, he smelled the wonderful smell of freshly cooked fish. His stomach rumbled and he realized how hungry he actually was! He was so busy he hadn't eaten all day. His owner, who was an elderly lady named Mrs. Pat Brown, was in the kitchen finishing up her portion of the fish dinner.
"There you are, Tom. Do you care for some fish, sir?" she asked.
Munkustrap purred when he heard his pet name and rubbed against the lady's legs, as if to beg her for some fish. She smiled and placed a plate full of fish on the floor so Munk could have as much fish as he wanted. As he ate, Mrs. Brown turned on some soft piano music and got out a book so she could read. When Munk finished his dinner, he leaped up into her lap and curled up into a ball. She smiled at him while she read. The nice thing about having an old lady for an owner is that she is looking for companionship, not a toy to play with. He felt sorry for Misto because his owners had three children. Small ones, too. Those are the worst. Especially when they are tugging at your ears and biting your tail...he's seen plenty of that from some of the other cats with young children as owners. Jenny and Jelly usually doctor them up.
"Now, Tom, it's time for us to go to bed. We don't want to stay up too late, now, do we?" Mrs. Brown chuckled, setting down her book. Munkustrap purred sleepily and leapt to the floor. He walked into the laundry room where his bed was and curled up in his bed. He quickly fell asleep. He had a strange dream...he was standing in the Junkyard, and he had that fatigue feeling that he always got right after a Jellicle Ball. He saw a girl approach him, a blond with the most amazing green eyes. They were cats eyes! When she approached him though, she turned more and more into a cat. When she was standing right in front of him, she had completely turned into a cat...the human girl had melted away. The cat she changed into was beautiful, gray and white striped calico, with those same amazing green cat eyes. She looked at him and smiled, and he was immediately drawn to her. She laughed and said, "Hi Munk. Do I look any different to you?" He found himself whispering, "You're beautiful...."
Munk woke up with a start. He pondered the dream for a while, but he was too tired to think straight. 'I will bring it up with dad tomorrow. Maybe he'll know what it means.' He then fell back asleep.
Chapter 3
"Ticket, please ma'am." the conductor asked Chyna. She couldn't contain her enthusiasm.
"Is Skimbleshanks on this train, sir?" Chyna inquired. After taking her ticket, he answered.
"Well, of coarse he is! We couldn't leave without him!"
"Oh, please sir, can I meet him?" Chyna asked.
"I'll send him to your room after he makes his rounds. Hmm... 34B. That will be easy to remember. Your room ma'am is down that hall to your right." He smiled pleasantly, happy to be of service. Chyna's parents gave the conductor their tickets and got the number of their room.35B. 'Cool!' Chyna thought. 'I get my own room!'
She walked down the hall and found her room. It was very pleasant with a little window that had a bright view of the countryside. It had a nice bed with newly folded sheets, and she also discovered a bathroom was when she opened a door that was in her room. She sat the cage that contained Cassie on the bed and put her suitcase on the floor.
"This is a lovely little room, isn't it, Chyna?" Mewed Cassie. "I bet Skimbleshanks will get here in about fifteen minutes, if not sooner." "But I don't want to wait that long!" Whined Chyna. But then they heard a knock on the door. Chyna opened it and there stood a man holding an orange and white tabby cat.
"Here, ma'am, is your famous Skimbleshanks. I'll leave you two alone now so you can get aquatinted." He said, as the cat leaped out of his arms. "See yous, later!" And then he left.
"Skimbleshanks! Oh, it is so good to see you finally!" Cassie shrieked with excitement.
"What...Who? Oh! Cassie! Where have you been this past year? We missed you at the Ball!" Skimble inquired, leaping onto the bed so he could see her better.
"Skimble, I would like you to meet my best friend, aside from Victoria, Chyna."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Skimbleshanks. I've heard alot about you." Said Chyna, taking his paw and shaking it.
"What? A human who can talk to a cat?" shrieked Skimble.
"Pretty weird, huh? I feel that she is really a cat but she is stuck in a human's body, the poor thing." Cassie sympathized.
"Wow.... It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Chyna. My, that is a pretty name. It almost sounds like a Jellicle name, doesn't it, Cassie?"
"Yeah, I just didn't say anything to her about it." Cassie mewed. Now it was Chyna's turn for being confused.
"What are you cats talking about?"
"I didn't tell you, but I always thought about it." Cassie kept Chyna in suspense.
"Now that you mention it, it does make sense." Skimble said, quickly sniffing Chyna over. "The Legend of the Heavyside Layer. I remember my mother telling me that story when I was a kitten. A long time ago, about 17 years, one cat was chosen to go to the Heavyside Layer. She was once a beautiful gray and white calico, but age had worn her down. So when the Jellicle leader chose her to go to the Heavyside Layer, she was overjoyed. She went up to the Heavyside Layer, but she never came back. Some say she made the Everlasting Cat cross and he killed her, but no one really believed that....she was such a sweet cat. Some believe that the Everlasting Cat loved her so much that he took her as his mate, which is possible, because she was a beautiful cat. But most cats believe that she was turned into a different animal, to someday protect the Jellicles in some way that only that species of what she was turned into could. Most everyone thinks she was turned into a human, so the Jellicle leader told us to keep our eyes open for a human, well, such as you, Chyna."
Chyna shook her head in confusion. "Well, if this really happened to me, why can't I remember any of it?"
Cassie slowly purred. "Probably to protect the Jellicles. Think about it. If you knew this when you were younger, you wouldn't have known any better and might have told the wrong person. It could have turned out disastrous."
"Wow. I always wanted to be a Jellicle Cat, but actually being a Jellicle Legend, now that's amazing!" Chyna paused, her brow deeply lined with thought. "But if I was a Jellicle cat before, couldn't I become one again?"
"I really don't know, Chyna. Maybe if you went to the Heavyside Layer again, but I don't know if it would work." Cassie sighed.
"Old Deuteronomy would know! We could ask him about it when we get to the Junkyard." Added Skimble hopefully. "He'd want to know about her."
"Right you are, Skimble. Well, I was wondering, how's the tribe doing? How's Victoria?"
"She's great. She's expecting, you know. Plato is so very proud!" Skimble added.
"Oh, I can't wait to see her! How is Mistoffelees doing?" Cassie's heart leapt when she thought seeing him so soon. Skimble's face fell. "Not so good."
"Oh, no! What happened?" Cassie's mind flashed before her the many dangers Misto could have succumbed to: being hit by a car, falling out of a tree, or even worse, Macavity himself!
"It's not physical. It's emotional. He's been depressed after you left. He's been having nightmares, and sometimes he can't control his magic. It's scary how much he changed over the past year." Skimble explained gently.
"Oh, my poor Misto." meowed Cassie sadly.
"Oh, my dear, he'll be fine once you come back. He'll be himself again."
Chyna sat back and listened to their conversation solemnly. 'To love someone that deeply' she pondered, 'is so moving! I want to meet this Mr. Mistoffelees of hers! Oh, and to have someone love me that way...'
"Who went to the Heavyside Layer at last year's ball?" Cassie inquired.
"Grizzabella, Old Deuteronomy's old wife." Skimble said.
Cassiopia gasped, "She came back? How did Deuteronomy and Munk take it?"
Skimble smiled to himself," Old D was delighted to see her back, but it took Munkustrap a while to accept her. I don't think he really has yet either. Grizzabella is now a young queen again, and trying to make up for what she did to the tribe. Most of the cats have forgiven her, but you know how stubborn Munk is. He is kind of giving her a cold shoulder. Poor lad. It's sad really, when a son can't forgive his own mother. It tears me to pieces."
"Wow, alot has happened while I was gone. Oh, how are Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer doing?" Cassie giggled, remembering those two.
"Still getting into trouble, I'm afraid, but they have both found sweethearts. Mungo has snagged Demeter, and Rumple has fallen for Pouncival, and she's fallen hard! It's so cute to watch them together...but can you imagine how rambunctious their kittens will be? " Skimble shuddered at the thought.
"Ha, ha. That would be so cute...Rumple and Pouncy getting a taste of their own medicine! How are Bombalrina and Rum Tum Tugger doing?" Cassie asked.
"Rum Tum is still the ladies stud cat, but you can tell his heart is with Bomby. Bomb is playing hard to get, and Tugger is playing right along. It's really frustrating."
Cassie laughed as she thought of Tugger and Bomb. They were so perfect for each other. Cassie then got a sad look in her eyes as she thought of Misto. "I really miss my Misto, Skimbles. It is a relief to know that he misses me too." Cassie gulped.
"He hasn't found another mate, has he?" Skimble laughed at this question. "What? Are you kidding? Even the way he talks about you, you can tell that he is madly in love, even after a year of separation."
Cassie smiled as her heart leaped and closed her eyes, concentrating on the sleeping body of Misto. 'I love you, my Misty. I'll be there soon.' She thought toward him...Willing him to hear the message.
***************************
Munkustrap was exhausted. He slowly limped home to his owner's house. Sometimes being the future leader had its downs, like saving kittens from those stupid mangy Pekes. You think those kittens would learn, but some of them Munk thought never would. He sighed as he longed for an ear to listen to his frustrations and deepest thoughts. He sat down on the sidewalk to check his injury. It was a bite from the Peke that had attacked Ecetera, a hyper little kitten who was always following Tugger around. His leg wasn't too bad...it just stung a little.
"Munkustrap, what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Asked a voice behind him.
"Not much, Jennyanydots. Just a little bite from a Peke." Munkustrap said, smiling at her motherliness.
Jenny smiled back, "I heard all about your brave fight from Ecetera herself. Now, let's see what we can do for that bite."
They both retreated to an alley where Jenny could work her magic in peace. She first cleaned the wound then dressed it.
"There you go, good as new!" Jenny exclaimed.
"Nope, better than new! Thanks Jenny." Munk examined his leg and decided that it would be a good idea to keep it quiet from his owner. He didn't want her to get worried.
As Jenny left, he watched her go. She was getting up in her years, but she never let anyone know it. She was good friends with Jellylorum, his adoptive mother. Her mate was Skimbleshanks, the railway cat. They made a lovely pair, and had a couple of kittens, Tumblebrutus and Electra.
"Munkustrap! How are you? I heard about that battle today." Grizzabella asked.
Munkustrap turned around. He smiled weakly at her then turned around and started walking to his owner's house again. It was just too weird having his mother home, and she was about his age because she went up to the Heavyside Layer at the last Jellicle Ball.
"I am really sorry about that." Grizzabella added, falling into step with him. "I was just wondering if we could have, you know, a kinda like a mother son chat. I really need one after the day I had."
Munkustrap turned around, his eyes as cold as a snowstorm in the Antarctic. "If you wanted one, you should have swung by when I was a kitten!" He huffed, then hissed angrily at his mother and stalked away. Grizzabella looked after him sadly. 'Someday, Munk. Someday you will really forgive me and open up. Heavyside Layer knows you need someone to confide in.'
When Munkustrap creeped through the cat door on the house on Maple Street, he smelled the wonderful smell of freshly cooked fish. His stomach rumbled and he realized how hungry he actually was! He was so busy he hadn't eaten all day. His owner, who was an elderly lady named Mrs. Pat Brown, was in the kitchen finishing up her portion of the fish dinner.
"There you are, Tom. Do you care for some fish, sir?" she asked.
Munkustrap purred when he heard his pet name and rubbed against the lady's legs, as if to beg her for some fish. She smiled and placed a plate full of fish on the floor so Munk could have as much fish as he wanted. As he ate, Mrs. Brown turned on some soft piano music and got out a book so she could read. When Munk finished his dinner, he leaped up into her lap and curled up into a ball. She smiled at him while she read. The nice thing about having an old lady for an owner is that she is looking for companionship, not a toy to play with. He felt sorry for Misto because his owners had three children. Small ones, too. Those are the worst. Especially when they are tugging at your ears and biting your tail...he's seen plenty of that from some of the other cats with young children as owners. Jenny and Jelly usually doctor them up.
"Now, Tom, it's time for us to go to bed. We don't want to stay up too late, now, do we?" Mrs. Brown chuckled, setting down her book. Munkustrap purred sleepily and leapt to the floor. He walked into the laundry room where his bed was and curled up in his bed. He quickly fell asleep. He had a strange dream...he was standing in the Junkyard, and he had that fatigue feeling that he always got right after a Jellicle Ball. He saw a girl approach him, a blond with the most amazing green eyes. They were cats eyes! When she approached him though, she turned more and more into a cat. When she was standing right in front of him, she had completely turned into a cat...the human girl had melted away. The cat she changed into was beautiful, gray and white striped calico, with those same amazing green cat eyes. She looked at him and smiled, and he was immediately drawn to her. She laughed and said, "Hi Munk. Do I look any different to you?" He found himself whispering, "You're beautiful...."
Munk woke up with a start. He pondered the dream for a while, but he was too tired to think straight. 'I will bring it up with dad tomorrow. Maybe he'll know what it means.' He then fell back asleep.