Chapter 6
A brand new body, a brand new soul
"Ok, so, it's been decided. What do we do next?" Victoria asked when the big meeting, during which she's been looking down the entire time, was finally over.
"Wait for the Jellicle Moon to rise," Mistoffelees smiled as they walked toward the old oven on which Tugger and Bombalurina were sitting.
"I can't believe this is actually about to happen," Victoria uttered.
"Stop brooding," said Mistoffelees, "it'll be over before you know it."
"Hey, Misto and Vicki," Tugger called.
"What's up, Tugger?" Mistoffelees said.
"So, Vicki, got the big news, huh? Plato gets to be the lucky one this year!" Tugger said as Bombalurina gently brushed his mane.
"Oh, can you all leave me alone?" Victoria said, hiding her face.
"Oh, come on, little darling, remember what I told you?" Bombalurina smiled, and gave Tugger a gentle kiss on the ear. Tugger immediately pulled her into his arms, making her cry out with joy.
"Tugger, stop it!" Bombalurina cried as Tugger covered her face with kisses. "How much catnip have you been on again?"
Mistoffelees and Victoria leaped onto the oven.
"Please, Tugger, mind your companies," Mistoffelees cleared his throat.
"Um, no one invited you two," Tugger said, giving Mistoffelees a Cheshire cat grin. "Go do some meditation with the twins. Can't you see that we're busy at the moment?"
"Tugger, shut up!" Bombalurina gently slapped Tugger's face, but remained lying down on his legs. She gently purred as Tugger caressed the fur on her head and kissed her from one ear to the other.
"So, Vicki, should we leave these two love birds alone and have a moment for ourselves?" Mistoffelees wiggled his eyebrows and said loudly, enough for Tugger and Bombalurina to hear. He moved his face close to Victoria's, with his lips out in a ready-to-kiss position. But soon his face was pushed back by a small white paw.
"You're no better than Tugger," Victoria said.
"You might wanna consider his proposal, Vicki," Bombalurina said, "then you don't have to be jealous of us anymore."
"Bombalurina, stop!" Victoria cried.
Tugger and Bombalurina both laughed.
"Come on, I'm serious," Mistoffelees said lowly, and took Victoria's paw to lead her off of the oven. They could still hear Tugger and Bombalurina's intermittent giggles even as they were walking away. The two of them crawled into Mistoffelees's favorite pipe in a corner of the junkyard, and looked at the outside lying side by side.
"When you're dancing, I'll be watching you the entire time," Mistoffelees said gently, and Victoria turned her head around to face him.
"Alone?" Victoria asked.
"Of course!" Mistoffelees smiled, and pressed a kiss on her small white nose.
"You won't get jealous?" Victoria asked.
"Did you get jealous when I was dancing with Rumpleteazer last year?" Mistoffelees asked, half joking.
"To tell the truth, yes," Victoria said lowly.
Mistoffelees put an arm around Victoria and pulled her closer. "I won't be jealous, because I know that you're body might be with him, but your heart isn't. It was exactly how I felt with Rumpleteazer."
Victoria smiled and gently rubbed her head against Mistoffelees's. "I know you're telling the truth."
"My heart will always be with you, even when my body isn't," Mistoffelees said, gently messaging Victoria's back up and down. "When you're not with me, I'll always be able to feel you. I'll be able to find you wherever you are."
"It's the same with me," Victoria nuzzled Mistoffelees. "My heart will hear your call even if my ears can't, and my heart will see you even if my eyes can't."
"How lovely it is when these words are coming out of your lips," Mistoffelees held Victoria close, and Victoria gently licked his white-tipped black ears.
"Hey, that tickles," Mistoffelees said and gently poked Victoria with his paw.
Victoria put her arms around Mistoffelees's neck, and the two lied quietly together as the warm sun slowly started to ascend to the middle of the sky as noon approached.
"Why, you two fiends of the hell!" Victoria and Mistoffelees nearly banged their heads on the top of the pipe when they heard a roar that could get no closer to that of an enraged tiger. They crawled out of the pipe and spotted Tugger, drenched and dyed red from top to bottom with what looked like tomato sauce, running like a mad dog after the giggling Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, with two dripping buckets dangling in their front paws. Bombalurina casually sat on the oven and licked away the bits of sauce that tainted the edge of her fur, and watched with amusement on her face at the red, sticky sauce dripping Tugger running around after the two calicos, leaving a trace of red tracks all over the junkyard. The whole junkyard was again in uproar.
"Oh, my, here we go again," Mistoffelees said as Victoria's head moved with Tugger and the two troublemakers dashing back and forth.
"With those two around, we can never get bored," said Victoria.
"Tugger, would you calm down, for the Everlasting Cat's sakes?" Munkustrap called from the tire, but Tugger paid no attention to the tabby who was relatively far away. He was but a few feet from the "evil duo's" tails, but just couldn't seem to get the distance any shorter. The two tiger cats sprinted around like flashes, occasionally turning around to leer with teasing and even throw out words of sarcasm at the outraged Maine Coon who was already wheezing behind them but still refused to give up.
"Tugger, you need to rest! Take a deep breath!" Rumpleteazer called, and skipped as she ran here and there with her brother on her side. Tugger grinded his teeth and let out a growl, while trying his best to shake the red sauce off of his fur at the same time.
"Don't be angry, Tugger. Red looks good on ya!" Mungojerrie called, grabbing his sister and jumped up onto a pile of cardboard boxes.
Tugger hissed and made a big leap, but the moment he landed on the pile, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer jumped down, followed by the falling apart of a pile of junk which they landed on.
"Oh, come on," Jennyanydots yelled, "You guys think this place isn't a mess already?"
"I think those two deserve to be taught a lesson," Mistoffelees mumbled to Victoria, who immediately nodded and opened her eyes wide.
Mistoffelees stuck out his forefinger and made a round in the air, and the two buckets suddenly flew out of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer's paws and fell on top of their heads.
"Hey, what's going on? Get this thing off of me!" Mungojerrie hopped around, struggling to free his head of the new bucket hat, with tomato sauce dripping down his face. "Misto, is that you again, darn it?"
This time, it was Tugger's turn to laugh and taunt.
"Oh my, when is this gonna end?" Demeter said on the side.
Victoria stifled her laughter as she watched the two calicos jumping around the junkyard with two buckets covering their heads, and Tugger finally was able to calm down and lick the sauce off of his fur.
Mistoffelees concentrated his vision for one moment, blinked his eyes, and fixed his stare on Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer's tails. In one moment, the tips of the two tails started to smoke.
"Ouch, aw! My tail's burning!" the two cats yelled almost simultaneously, with one paw paddling their rare ends, the other fighting to take off the bucket. The whole junkyard was in pandemonium with laughters and yelling.
"That ought to teach you two demons!" Tugger yelled at the side, while he meticulously licked away every bit of tomato sauce on him. Bombalurina jumped down from the oven and went to Tugger's side.
The two screaming calicos jumped and finally ran out of the junkyard, with buckets still covering their heads. Mistoffelees slowly blew air with his mouth toward their direction, and a small breeze flowed toward them and put out the smoke on their tails.
"Wow, what do you say, another freak show!" Jellylorum said, quelling the hopping, giggling kittens at her side. "Can we go through one day in peace?"
Munkustrap sat back down on the tire next to Demeter, covered his face in his paws, and started laughing uncontrollably.
"I wonder where are Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer now," Demeter said.
"Well, let's just leave it at that," Munkustrap chuckled.
"That's it, everybody, stop looking at me! I didn't start it!" Tugger yelled with annoyance and busily groomed his mane. "Misto, thanks, by the way! You're always a big helper when it comes to these kinda things."
"Anytime, buddy," Mistoffelees said, "need a shower?"
"Heck no! Thank you very much!" Tugger cried, and Bombalurina laughed as she brushed the back of Tugger's mane with her fingers.
"You guys are a bad influence on the kits!" Asparagus yelled.
"Oh, come on," Alonzo said as he stretched out on an old long chair. "It's never a bad thing to let the kits see a little adventure once in a while."
Asparagus and Jellylorum rolled their eyes, and went back into their tent shaking their heads, while Etcetera, Jemima, and Electra continued giggling and joking with each other, and Victoria joined them with Mistoffelees. Slowly, the junkyard went back to its normal state before the big event took place, and everybody went back to their own businesses. Bombalurina gently coaxed Tugger as if he was a kitten, and the two went back to their flirting in no time.
"Hey, Misto!" Etcetera called, "good trick! I'll bet that gave Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer a warning for next time!"
"Where did Tumblebrutus and Pouncival go?" Victoria asked as she looked around.
"Back to their scavenger hunt," Jemima replied, then let out a small laugh. "And wow, was that fun, guys! We can't stop talking about it now. All three of them looked so ridiculous!"
"So, how did you guys like it?" Mistoffelees asked.
"Hey, how did you make Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer's tails burn like that?" Electra asked.
"It's part of my magic," Mistoffelees said proudly, "I can set things on fire when I want to. Well, you know I didn't actually light their tails up. I merely gave them a bit of smoking."
"Can you show us again sometime?" Electra asked.
"Ok, whose tail do you want to singe this time?" Mistoffelees asked.
"Hum, how about Pouncival's?" Electra said, "To show that someone here really has the 'hots' for him" She winked at Jemima impishly.
"Electra!" Jemima slapped Electra's shoulder hard while her cheeks started turning pink. "I'll never talk to you again if you don't stop this!"
The kittens all laughed.
"Oh, gee, don't you love Tugger's face when Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer dumped the sauce on him?" Etcetera said, "I tell ya you won't see that all the time!"
"Well, we missed that," Victoria sniggered, "but I can well imagine just watching the way he went after those two. I seriously thought he was gonna explode and blast Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer into oblivion if Misto hasn't intervened."
"But I gotta say, Tugger still looks hot with red sauce all over him," Etcetera looked over toward Tugger's way dreamy-eyed, and wrinkled her small freckled nose.
"Oh, Etcetera," Victoria sighed.
"Always your Tugger," Mistoffelees tittered, "guess someone can't wait till the ball."
"I think everything's all set for tonight," Munkustrap said as he strolled through the junkyard for the third time with Demeter.
"What can possibly go wrong?" Demeter asked gently, holding Munkustrap's paw. "We've checked every corner at least five times already."
"Well, I hope all goes well, like it has been for the last several balls," said Munkustrap, "but you know me, I still can't help worrying."
"You're always way too edgy when it comes to security, Munkustrap," said Demeter, "you're gonna wear yourself out before the big night tonight!"
Munkustrap smiled as he gently nuzzled Demeter. "I think we're ok for everything! I mean, it's been quiet as usual for the last few days, why should tonight be an exception?"
The couple sauntered to the big tire in the back of the junkyard.
"Hey, Munkustrap!" Alonzo called from the chair that was sitting on the highest point of the junkyard.
"Do you see anything from there, Alonzo?" Munkustrap asked.
"So far, no Pollicles, no humans, and no Macavity!" Alonzo replied.
Demeter shuddered a bit at the sound of that name.
"Shh, don't mention it," Munkustrap put a finger on his lips. "We don't wanna conjure the devil by speaking his name!"
Alonzo hopped down from the chair and was greeted by Cassandra coming out of the corner behind the tire.
"Nothing behind the junkyard either," said the Siamese queen, "and you know nothing escapes my senses."
"Well, looks like everything is all ready for tonight then," said Munkustrap, glancing around. "Let's stop the inspection now. We've been out here for quite a while."
The couples walked off hand in hand, totally unaware of a shadow that has been trailing around for sometime now...
"Oh, Heaviside, I can't believe I'm actually going to do this," Victoria said as she stretched on the front lawn.
"Would you relax? What could possibly happen? Plato's not gonna eat you!" Etcetera said.
"Besides, I think he's a cool fellow," said Jemima.
"It's not Plato," Victoria sighed, stretching her hind legs. "It's this whole thing with the mating dance. I just can't stop thinking if I'm really ready for it."
"Oh, of course you are!" said Etcetera, "you're the oldest of us, and you're pretty and you're talented. Usually at the balls, you're always the best dancer! You can't do worse this year!"
"Um, I don't think I'm gonna do much dancing during the mating dance," said Victoria as she raised her head to gaze at the setting sun. The horizon was slowly turning into a shade of reddish orange.
"Oh, of course you are," said Etcetera, "you'll do much dancing very... differently!"
"You're making fun of me again, Etcetera?" Victoria eyed Etcetera.
"Um, don't think so, Vicki," said Electra, "I think she's just letting her fantasies run wild again."
"Maybe you're right," said Victoria, "maybe I really am getting too wound up about this whole thing. I outta relax and just get it over with, then not think about it again. You're right, what's the worst thing that'll happen?"
"Oh, come on, Vicki, seriously, you'll be fine," Electra said, "Just pretend that Plato is Misto, then you'd feel much better."
"Oh, Electra!" Victoria cried.
In a mixture of giggles and screeches, the sun slowly sunk behind the horizon line.
"The Jellicle Moon will soon rise," said Jemima.
"And we'll all rejoice at the Jellicle Ball!" said Electra excitedly.
"It's gonna be an exciting night!" Jemima said dreamily.
"Are we all prepared?" Victoria asked.
"Been for the whole year," said Etcetera, and everyone laughed.
It was perhaps the most memorable night in Victoria's life so far.
Following the Jellicle tradition, Victoria, for she was chosen to be brought into queenhood during the ball, would do the solo dance at the beginning of the invitation to the ball under the Jellicle Moon. As the other Jellicles dispersed into the sides of the junkyard, giving her the entire space, and Victoria gracefully moved her steps to the center. The bright and clear Jellicle Moon was shining directly above her head, raining its glistening white luminance down upon her as she moved her slim white body and fully carried out her beauty in and out. She felt intoxicated as she moved her flexible body, and at the same time, feeling happier than ever. She lifted a hind leg high in the air, brought it to the front, then to the side to make it parallel to her straight body, and then slowly made a long split on the ground and stretched.
The Jellicles on the side watched the beautiful white dancer with great amazement on their faces. Under the moonlight, her white body looked more pure and beautiful than ever. Mistoffelees watched her from inside the pipe on the corner, his eyes dreamily fixed on her and followed her every gesture. The kittens eyes grew wide as they watched Victoria go down in her split, her long white legs fully stretched out, and then as she turned around, lied on her back, and lifted both of her legs straight up.
"Wow, she's great!" Electra exclaimed in a whisper.
"I didn't know she was even better than I thought!" said Etcetera.
"She really is a white belle, isn't she?" Demeter moved close to Munkustrap as she watched Victoria folding herself in half.
"I knew that bringing her into the tribe was the most right thing in the world," Munkustrap smiled at Demeter, "it's just great comfort to see that, a couple of years ago she was this vulnerable little kit that we dug out from a trash dump, and now look at her!"
As Victoria was set on her elegant position, Mistoffelees went out of his pipe and joined her in the dancing. The two finished the invitation to the ball, and the rest of the Jellicles soon rejoined them. However, for the first half of the ball, Victoria tried to stay away from Mistoffelees, thus not bringing back the edginess she still felt inside. She joined in with the others to hang around Tugger and sing and dance with ever song. Unlike the last two years, this time, she was not afraid to show off her skillful dancing and supple movements. After all, she was growing into queenhood, and there was still much about her body and soul that she needed to discover.
But she had not expected that Grizabella, the name of whom has long puzzled her mind, to show up at the ball. Ever since she has learned about the glamour cat, she has always thought about her, and wondered about her, but never really expected to actually meet her. When the old gray queen limped into the junkyard after Tugger finished his song, the whole yard was suddenly covered in a veil of silence. Tugger huffed and mouthed a curse and turned around, and some cats made faces and stared, some backed away, and some hissed. Victoria stared with astonishment at the old queen's uneven footsteps, her wrinkled face, torn coat, and her worn-out color up and down, the sight of which both baffled and scared her. This was Grizabella the glamour cat? The more she looked at her, the more she began to find it hard to imagine what that old, withered, sad looking queen could have looked at in her glamour days. Jellylorum's story filled her mind, and she was almost afraid that Grizabella could see it through her eyes. She glanced at Munkustrap who was behind the old queen, and seemed could see pity in his eyes, yet still feelings of rejection. She wondered why even kindhearted Demeter, who appeared not to hate Grizabella at all, would run away from her as if she had the plague. With great inquisitiveness, she crawled toward her with Etcetera, but was held back by Jellylorum, to whom she heard Grizabella sing out a sentence in a most despondent and stressful tone. However, it seemed as if few Jellicles displayed sympathy of any sort toward the old cat.
"She haunted many a low resort, near the grimy road of Tattenham Court. She flitted about the no man's land, from the 'rising sun' to the 'friend at hand', and the postman sighed as he scratched his head, 'you'd really have thought she'd ought to be dead.' And who would ever suppose that that, was Grizabella the Glamour Cat..." Victoria listened to Demeter's gloomy voice as she sang out the song, with Grizabella slowly walking away. She again recalled Jellylorum and Mistoffelees's words, and did not know what to do as she watched the old queen walking away.
"Grizabella the Glamour Cat, Grizabella the Glamour Cat," Bombalurina joined Demeter, but in a tone of voice that sounded much harsher. As the rest of the cats gathered, Victoria found herself having to join them, and Jellylorum prevented her from moving any closer to Grizabella.
"And who'd have ever supposed that that, was Grizabella the Glamour Cat..." Victoria sang along with the others, but felt her eyes filling up with tears as the old gray cat disappeared in the shadows. She haunted many a low resort, near the grimy road of Tattenham Court... she flitted about the no man's land, from the rising sun to the friend at hand... those words, those words, what did they mean? Victoria stared at the disappearing shadow of Grizabella, as Demeter's song echoed itself in her head. She was not sure if she could really understand.
Through the rest of the ball, Victoria could not keep her mind off of Grizabella. The image of her had carved deeply into her mind. That was Grizabella, whom she had seen for the first time that night wondering alone on the street? That was the mother of Tugger, Munkustrap, and Alonzo, whom they all appeared to reject, even she was their mother who birthed them? Oh, why would everyone hate her so? Did they see how sad, how lonesome, and how miserable she was? Victoria sighed as she thought about these over and over. The poor old queen wanted to join the tribe again, and Victoria could clearly see it. However, what could she do?
But she danced on. Because of her being chosen for the mating dance this year, Victoria was at the front during the biggest dances. The mating dance has finally come, and Victoria, though on edge as Plato moved closer and closer to her, loosened up a bit as he lifted her over his shoulder and then putting her down on top of Skimbleshanks. She could feel something inside, burning like a new flame, as the other Jellicles surrounded them and Plato gently pressed himself against her. She closed her eyes, feeling the moment, though uneasiness never left her. When she was able to open her eyes again, the other Jellicles had risen from around her. She stood up and looked down at her body, suddenly feeling as if a brand new cat as emerged from underneath her skin.
Just when they finished a big dance number, suddenly Grizabella appeared again. As usual the Jellicles moved away from her and some harassed her, and soon, Victoria, Jellylorum, Jemima, and Jennyanydots were the only ones left in the junkyard. Again, Victoria tried to go near Grizabella, but was again pulled back by Jellylorum. Jemima also tried to reach out for her, but was pulled away by Jennyanydots. As Victoria went away with Jellylorum, she could vividly hear the sound of the old queen's dreary singing in the junkyard, alone under the moon, the words and melody of which made Victoria want to go back again and touch her had Jellylorum not been there. "Midnight, not a sound from the pavement, has the moon lost her memory? She is smiling alone. In the lamplight the withered leaves collect at my feet, and the wind begins to moan..." how sorrowful her heart must have been, and how much she'd wished she could be forgiven and accepted again?
"Don't go near her again," said Jellylorum to the kittens, "she doesn't deserve such kindness. You young ones will understand this later."
Victoria could only sigh.
But the ball went on, and Victoria enjoyed herself with the other Jellicles. Everything went perfectly for her, though she got slightly irritated when hearing Gus say that "these kittens, they don't get trained", which she considered that that included her, she continued having her good time. But she wasn't able to forget Grizabella, and couldn't help wondering where she was. She wondered if the lonely old queen would come back again, and how would everyone treat her then.
But she forgot about Grizabella for a moment when she was suddenly face to face with the evil creature whom she's heard so much about and has long feared. At the first two crashing noises, though she got scared, but was relieved when nothing happened. But this time, it was real! Macavity, he was exactly what Victoria had pictured him! She's never seen any cat so hideous and horrifying looking, nor had she ever heard such wicked sounding voice. She could not find protection behind Mistoffelees, for he had to leave a while ago to prepare his magical tricks for his number, and Munkustrap, Skimble, and Alonzo did their best to shield all the other Jellicles, but Old Deuteronomy was caught in the net of the master criminal's henchcats and before anyone could notice, Macavity was gone. Munkustrap and the others went around looking for Old Deuteronomy in panic, while Victoria sat frozen with the other terrified kittens, as Demeter and Bombalurina slowly walked to the center of the junkyard.
"Macavity's a mystery cat, he's called the hidden paw. For he's the master criminal who can defy the law. He's the bafflement of Scotland yard, the flying squad's despair, for when they reach the scene of crime, Macavity's not there!" Demeter sang out loud in the center of the yard, and through her movements and the looks in her eyes, Victoria suddenly began to understand.
"Macavity's a ginger cat, he's very tall and thin. You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in. His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly domed. His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed. He sways his head from side to side with movements like a snake, and when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake!" Bombalurina picked up with Demeter, moved down the steps with her hips moving left and right, and the two started in a powerful duet. How exact was their description of that monster! Victoria and the other queens joined in with their dance and sang along with their words, while the two queens shook their slender bodies with the music across the junkyard, implying something that Victoria didn't get. At last, the toms returned, proving that the search has been in vain. Tugger was still out looking when the fight between the unmasked Macavity and Munkustrap has begun, and Victoria and the others could do nothing but watch helplessly from the side and clenching their sweaty paws into tight fists. Demeter tried to run up to Macavity but was foiled by Bombalurina, and Jellylorum and Jennyanydots did their best to protect the frightened Victoria and the rest of the kittens. When the strong ginger tom threw Munkustrap aside, Alonzo and the other Jellicles joined in, and even the gentle Jennyanydots and Jellylorum lashed at the wild Macavity. But Macavity proved far more powerful even being surrounded, and he disappeared after breaking the electrical cords that supplied the junkyard's electricity.
Victoria crawled out from behind a bicycle tire in the dark, as the exhausted Munkustrap sat helplessly with a sighing Demeter on the side. Everyone looked so lost and scared, and Pouncival held a head light and nervously shone the light around. Everyone feared that the hidden paw would return. They knew that they needed to find Old Deuteronomy, but none knew how. However, the silence was suddenly broken by the unexpected appearance of Tugger's voice from the top of a junk pile.
"You ought to ask the magical Mr. Mistoffelees, the original conjuring cat..."
"Where did he just come out of?" Bombalurina muttered.
"The greatest magicians have something to learn, from Mr. Mistoffelees's conjuring turns..." Tugger stood up and faced the Jellicles as the spotlight shone on him, and Victoria couldn't help looking around.
Everyone immediately knew what that meant as Tugger started those familiar lines, and everyone started humming along with the rhythm up and down. "and we all say, oh, well, I never, was there ever a cat so clever as magical Mr. Mistoffelees?"
"Misto, but where is Misto?" Victoria said to herself and looked around, but suddenly, she saw lights sparkling like tiny stars from around her, and spotted Mistoffelees descending from a rope that looked like it was hanging from mid air, with lights shining all about him and his ink black outfit almost completely blending in with the night.
"Misto," Victoria called in a whisper.
The rope touched the ground and disappeared into a line of sparks with a wave of Mistoffelees's paw, before Mistoffelees turned around and with a "Presto!", the junkyard was again filled with light. Tugger was singing the melody loudly, in a tone full of praising and encouragement, as Mistoffelees started hopping and dancing around the junkyard, throwing lightning strikes here and there, and with his beautiful black jacket glittering in Victoria's eyes. He again conjured up a cup and from it pulled out a long rainbow ribbon, which as usual, amused the kittens and arouse impressiveness from the adults. Victoria stared at him from afar with admiration and dreaminess as his slender black body moved around in front of her, and her eyes followed his small and agile steps up and down. In a sudden, she felt she was surrounded by light, and the next, she found herself right in front of him, on the other side of the junkyard and with Jellicles staring at her in awe. She didn't realize until later that Mistoffelees had just made her disappear and reappear in front of everyone's eyes.
She crouched where she was, gazed with a smile on her face at Mistoffelees dancing and jumping from here to there, and glanced around at the other Jellicles who were singing and smiling with applaud, and the kittens looking restlessly with amazement. He had to warm up, she thought. He knew what he would soon need to do. She knew that he had a huge task in front of him, and was about to accomplish something big.
Finally, Mistoffelees halted his dance routine, ran toward the old car next to the tire, and pulled out a huge red sheet from its back. The whole junkyard was hushed as everyone watched Mistoffelees pointing to Cassandra, and the Siamese queen immediately sat down on the pipe and Mistoffelees threw the red sheet over her. He seemed pretty confident, and Tugger was giving him support on the side. Victoria held her breath as she watched Mistoffelees moving his paws about on top of the red sheet, and when lifting it up again, everyone gasped. Old Deuteronomy stood up from underneath the sheet, and Mistoffelees let out a breath and smiled.
The smile on every Jellicle's face was indescribable as the confused looking Old Deuteronomy was approached by Tugger, indicating whom should be thanked for. Victoria cheered with the crowd and the group surrounded Mistoffelees as Old Deuteronomy hugged the little magician warmly. Mistoffelees, of course, looked very proud of himself as Tugger praised him with his singing loudly, and everyone was impressed by his skills. Things were soon back to normal, and Victoria, delighted with Mistoffelees, soon forgot about Macavity.
"Isn't that Misto something," Jennyanydots said to Jellylorum.
"Ha, Old Deuteronomy can probably never thank him enough this time," Jellylorum smiled at her sister, and sat down on the ground with Asparagus on her side.
Mistoffelees, of course, looked proud of what he had just done and was more than happy to receive the sounds of praises and compliments all around him. He and Cassandra bowed in front of Old Deuteronomy as the Jellicles scattered about, feeling relieved and joyful again and forgetting about the incident with the Master of crime. How Victoria wished to go up and hug Mistoffelees, to cry out to tell him how much she admired him, and what a great job he's just accomplished. But in a blink of an eye, Mistoffelees disappeared again after his big split-jump in the air. Victoria laughed at herself and Mistoffelees's trick, and more and more, she felt that she was falling deeper and deeper into his invisible spell.
Daylight was not too far away now, and when everything quieted down, all that was audible was the leaves rustling with the gentle blowing of the wind, and soon accompanied by Jemima's lovely, harmonious voice. "Daylight, see the dew on the sunflower, and a rose that is fading. Roses wither away. Like the sunflower, I yearn to turn my face to the dawn. I am waiting for the day..."
Victoria knew that dawn was arriving very soon, and that Old Deuteronomy was about to announce the cat who's be sent to the Heaviside Layer to be reborn. After Munkustrap's announcement, all the Jellicles gathered around Old Deuteronomy, all anticipating that one important decision. But soon, as Mistoffelees was the first to stand up with his acute senses, all Jellicles turned around at the sound of dragging footsteps coming from behind them. It was Grizabella, just as Victoria had wondered, coming back again. She stared at everyone with her eyes filled with sadness, and watched all the Jellicles turning and walking away, most with their backs turned to her on the junk piles. Even Demeter and Mistoffelees, who were perhaps the only ones appeared not to despise the former glamour cat, sat with their faces turned away. Victoria again attempted to go near the withered old queen and touch her with her paws, but was again pulled away by Jellylorum. She sat down with Jellylorum and Asparagus next to Old Deuteronomy and Munkustrap, and lowered her head, not daring to look Grizabella in the eyes.
"Memory, turn your face to the moonlight, let your memory lead you, open up, enter in. If you find there the meaning of what happiness is, then a new life will begin..."
Grizabella's bleak words floated through the cool air and echoed at Victoria's ears. She felt herself trembling as the old queen sang on.
"Memory, all alone in the moonlight. I can smile at the old days, I was beautiful then. I remember the time I knew what happiness was. Let the memory live again..."
Victoria slowly raised her head to look at Grizabella, and noticed the change in emotion of the other Jellicles. She looked at Old Deuteronomy, whose face looked filled with sympathy and compassion, and who was stretching a paw out toward the sad old queen. Munkustrap sighed, lowered his head, and then raised it again, and stared at the old queen not far away.
"Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise. I must think of a new life, and I mustn't give in. When the dawn comes, tonight will be a memory, too. And a new day will begin..." Grizabella, with eyes filled with tears, fell onto the ground, as the other Jellicles slowly turned their heads toward her way. Mistoffelees, Bombalurina, and Demeter all gazed at the old queen with a different expression in their eyes, and Jemima rose.
"Sunlight through the trees in summer, endless masquerading..." the young kitten, facing the Jellicle Moon, sang out with her high, beautiful voice, and Victoria mouthed the words with her. As hearing Jemima's young voice, Grizabella gradually raised her head from the ground.
"Like a flower as the dawn is breaking, the memory is fading..." Grizabella followed, and was able to rise. How Victoria wished she could be there to help her up. "Touch me, it's so easy to leave me, all alone with the memory, of my days in the sun..." Grizabella was almost crying out the words, totally taking out the pain in her heart through those notes, and Victoria noticed the old cat's body trembling. "If you touch me, you'll understand what happiness is, look, a new day has begun..." The old gray queen at last finished the last note of her melancholy song, and the junkyard was silent as a tomb, but the look on everyone's face had totally changed.
"If you touch me, you'll understand what happiness is..." those words floated in Victoria's mind as she gazed at Grizabella, her eyes were also filled with tears. Finally she stood up resolutely and walked toward the old queen, and this time, neither did Jellylorum nor Asparagus objected. Victoria turned around, and noticed the look of approval on Old Deuteronomy's face. She then moved near Grizabella, and gently placed a paw into the old queen's.
Grizabella smiled as Victoria gently rubbed her face against her paws, and the other Jellicles also came up. Mistoffelees was the first one to take Grizabella's paws after Victoria, and the other Jellicles also greeted the old queen with smiles on their faces. They were finally forgiving her and accepting Grizabella again, and Victoria's kindness has touched everyone. Old Deuteronomy nodded at Victoria, as he took Grizabella's paws and slowly led her toward the tire throne.
"Up, up, up past the Russell Hotel, up, up, up, up to the Heaviside Layer..." the Jellicles chanted as they followed. Victoria walked with the group behind Old Deuteronomy and Grizabella toward the tire, and smiled at the old pair from behind.
"He still loves her..." Victoria mumbled as she watched the old Jellicle Leader with his arm around the old queen as they ascended the tire, and holding her warmly as the tire began to rise. Victoria watched the two float through the air above the heads of all the Jellicles, and then saw a shiny, hand-like stairway that looked as if adorned with millions of stars, descending from the sky. Old Deuteronomy, with a wide smile, signaled for Grizabella to climb onto it. The Jellicles all sang together in a grand choir as they watched Grizabella ascend. When the stairway began to rise, Victoria delightedly hugged Mistoffelees and the two shared a warm smile with each other. Soon, the stairway closed and disappeared into the night sky, which was still illuminated by the glistening white Jellicle Moon above their heads. Victoria smiled at herself, feeling a great deal of warmth from inside, and Old Deuteronomy also smiled at her, as if thanking her for being so kind and understanding.
When Grizabella and the Heaviside stairway had completely disappeared into the black sky, Old Deuteronomy turned to the Jellicles, who also looked at each other, nodding and smiling. Victoria and Jemima exchanged a warm look, as the Jellicles around them all looked at them warmly. Victoria walked away from Mistoffelees and stood more in the back, and listened to Old Deuteronomy's addressing of the cats. When the Jellicles finished their last note in "The Addressing of Cats", the brilliance of the Jellicle Moon was starting to slightly fade. Though the sky around them was still dark, everyone knew that in only a few hours, the sun would rise. The Jellicles looked at each other and smiled, each knowing that this was perhaps the best and most memorable ball they've ever had. Victoria sighed and walked off the center of the junkyard, and for the first time all night, felt tiredness throughout her body. As the Jellicles started to part and leave for their separate ways, lowly chatting and some giggling as they went, Victoria used tired as an excuse to walk away from Electra, Jemima, and Etcetera, and went toward the top of the old car where she had sat that night, after her first Jellicle Ball had ended. Except, what she felt now was completely different. What she had now was a brand new body, and what resided inside this body was a brand new soul.