Chapter

In a matter of seconds Phantalmina fell out from the dark mirror back first and she bumped her head on the floor. It hurt a lot. It took awhile from her to hear the commotion that was going on in the stage. The rats and mice were scared and confused about what was happening. First seeing large rats getting them out of their prison and then suddenly they were told to go to the mirror that brought them to this strange huge place that had more mice, rats, bats … and cats?!

Obviously that part was one of the main reasons. But it sounded like Arthur was trying to handle things and telling Munkustrap to keep the cats away from the newcomers so there won't be a bigger commotion.

But it also sounded that when she came out and bumped her head some of that commotion was turned to her. Justin was the first to get her up.

"Are you okay?" he asked, since she was the last one to come out and not that fast as usual. And the way she dropped out was a bit worrying.

"Yes. I'm fin...AAAAH!"

The big bat was still trying to bite her hands and this time he did it hard that she released her hands and he flew up so fast that it got everyone's attention. But their main concern turned back to Phantalmina. Ashley, Luna and Demeter moved quickly closer to check on her. Her hands didn't bleed much but they were full of nasty bite marks.

"What happened to you?" Demeter asked. Surely they were still clueless about all this, more than the newcomers.

But Phantalmina was already in her own emotional storm. She tried so hard not to cry. All of those horrible things she just saw in there, that big bat and now her hands. All this tension was too much for her to handle. She looked up to see that the big bat went hiding in the structure of the stage roof. Couple feet higher than her bat friends usually go. Then her vision started to go darker and her mind was closing in till she was falling to sleep. It was a good thing Justin was right there next to her. He managed to catch her into his arms so she wouldn't hit her head again. Demeter and others could only look when he got up Phantalmina in his arms. It was then when Munkustrap stepped out.

"Justin. Explanation. Now!" he said in a serious voice.

"Yes, of course." Justin answered to him. "Just let me put Mina to bed and I'll meet you in the office. I'll tell you everything in there."

Not the kind of answer Munkustarp wanted to hear, but considering that there were many new rats and mice it was reasonable. Munkustrap told the other cats to move out from the stage and if possible move to the hallway. Meanwhile Arthur, Brutus and Paco tried to organize the new rats and mice to a proper place to regroup and to rest. Dusk, Luna and two other bats did the same thing with the new bats.

Ashley on the other kept a watch on the big one. He was almost the same size as she was, actually he was a little bigger. But he wasn't the same kind as she. He was somehow different. And as she recalled those bite marks, his jaws were more powerful than hers, maybe even matched to a cat.

But right now, Ashley also wanted to know what happened to Phantalmina and what was she doing. She followed Munkustrap, Mistoffelees and Demeter to the office where Justin told them to meet. Inside the office Justin leaned to the table as they came in. He nodded to close the door and he sat down on a chair when the lock clicked.

"I just want to let you know, I wish I would have told this sooner than now." Justin started. "But I made a promise and these bands made sure I was keeping it until she finds her object."

"Object? What in the Heaviside layer happened to her?!" Munkustrap let out. His nerves were almost up.

It took a little to Justin to answer since he saw that Ashley was present as well.

"Mina,… She has been looking for Ashley's family."

"What?" the three cats let out.

But Ashley on the other hand was confused. She already knew this, Phantalmina told her. But…she quit it. Didn't she..?

"I couldn't turn her mind out of it, so I thought if I'll help her, it will be finished quicker. But..."

"Seriously?! " Munkustrap said with anger. "You knew about this and you are telling us all this RIGHT NOW!?"

"Munkustrap, please." Demeter tried to calm him down. She didn't like it either, but getting angry wouldn't have helped them.

"I don't understand." Ashley said, catching their attention. "That was almost two years ago. How is it that…."

"Wait. You knew about this too?" Mistoffelees asked her.

"She told me." It took awhile from her to answer that, because of the memories of that night. "On… that night when I got shot, and when… she gave the Blood-bands."

"Oh for love of…!" Munkustrap let out his frustration. Demeter tried to calm him again.

"But… I thought she quit it." Ashley said to them. She hoped Justin would prove her right.

"I thought so too." he started. "Until tonight when Dusk asked her. She told us she has been doing it alone ever since that night. God, I wish she would have forgotten this already. And still, the worst thing happened tonight."

"What? What happened? Did humans see her?" Demeter asked with concern.

"No. It's not that. It's what she saw in there."

"Saw what?"

Justin bent down in his chair for what he was about to say. It was the hardest part of all. He couldn't look at them knowing how they would react. Even he wished he didn't see that footage.

"That place… It was a science laboratory."

"What?"

He placed his hands to hold his head while he continued.

"They were experimenting ways to carry explosives on bats and other small mammals."

"Oh my gosh..."

"There was footage that showed how they attached them, in the cruelest way and sent them to their deaths." Justin's voice started to sound like he was about to break too.

"Did... did she…see ... all of it?"

He nodded for that. He couldn't say any other word for that. They stayed still and silent for several minutes. They could only guess what happened next. Obviously she didn't dare to leave all those animals in there and desperately tried to get everyone out.

"It's my fault." Ashley's voice broke the silence. They turned to look at her. "I should have told her to stop."

"Ashley, no one knew she was still doing it. You didn't know…."

"But I did know about this!" she cried tears running on her face. "I know she was doing it for me. But even when she did the blood-bands… Even when it seemed to be all over, she was still doing it. She was still looking for them."

They couldn't find any word to comfort her. Demeter moved to the table where she was standing on, pulled her close and held her between her paws like she was hugging her. It kinda helped, Ashley buried her face on her fur and kept crying.

"So, what now?" Mistoffelees then asked Munkustrap and Justin who had already calmed down and lifted his face up. "What are we going to do? With her and with the new animals?"

They looked at each other first before they nod for agreement.

"The Newcomers can stay here for the winter." Munkustrap started."The bats will hibernate soon, so that can be expected from the others too. Meanwhile we need to know where these other mice and rats come from and help them to get home."

"During that time they can stay and rest here once we know what to do with them." Justin finished. "But what comes on Mina,... we'll better wait for her to calm down from all this."

"Agreed. She has experienced enough for this night. And recovering might take long."

They all agreed with this plan and walked back to the stage to help the others. All except Justin. For some reason he was still sitting in the chair looking down, like something was still bothering him. Munkustrap noticed that.

"How about you go ahead. Justin and I have few things to settle." he said to others.

They didn't say much for that matter. Munkustrap pushed the door close after them and then walked back to Justin. He didn't notice him at first but it didn't take long to see he was there looking at him like he did another bad thing and now he has to confess.

"What?" he asked

"Don't you 'what' me." Munkustrap said to him. "Your thoughts are in something else. Now what is it?"

"I don't like to talk about it right now."

"Too late. You yourself started asking me when I had that face. Now you're having it, so you better tell me."

Justin sighed irritably, he wanted to have more time to gather more intel about this, but… Munkustrap was already a little irritated and he won't let it be until he tells him.

" Remember when I said that I had someone to love?"

"Yeah."

Justin took a deep breath before he answered.

"I.. I think I saw her. I mean, someone just like her among the mice."

"What?"

"I'm not sure yet, but at that moment I saw someone exactly like her. I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. I'm still trying to tell myself that she is gone and not coming back, but..."

"Some part of you wants to believe it is her." Munkustrap guessed the rest.

Justin leaned back in his chair and groaned. There were so many things to settle and now he didn't feel like he could do it.

"What should I do?" he asked.

"You are asking me? I'm more clueless than you are about this. All I can say right now is that you are tired and that you need to rest too. Let's just follow the plan and wait for things to get in order."

Justin nodded to his suggestion and stood up from the chair. They both walked out from the office and met with others. Munkustrap went to guide the cats to the boxes while Justin walked to the bed where Phantalmina was sleeping. On his way he checked how others were doing. The newcomers were still uncertain about them, so they were scattered around the stage in groups or as individuals. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that small mouse again helping to put young ones to sleep, at least she was safe that way in the group. And yet she looked and acted just like the one he was thinking of. He shook his head and continued to walk to the bed.

Once there he checked Phantalmina, making sure she was sleeping. She sounded and looked like she was in a deep sleep, and yet she looked like she was still troubled. He placed the blanket better on her before he laid down to the down side of the bed. Being large wasn't an easy thing when you needed to sleep, since laying down on the chair was out of the question. The only sofa was taken by the cats, for those who didn't get room in the boxes were able to sleep there. Well, at least this way he can watch over Phantalmina if something comes up. He noticed that Ashley had the same idea when she flew closer and roosted to sleep above Phantalmina. It didn't take long till he closed his eyes and fell into deep sleep.

(Several minutes earlier)

When Munkustrap and Justin stayed in the office to talk more, Demeter, Mistoffelees and Ashley returned to the stage. Demeter and Mistoffelees went to help the cats to regroup and move to the boxes and to the hallway. Meanwhile Ashley flew to the roof structures where the bats were. Dusk and others managed well to settle all the newcomers and they were well grouped to the coming rest.

Well, not all of them. She spotted the big one further way close to the sealing. For some reason this one didn't even come close to the others of his kind. She wondered why. She flew to the same level he was, but kept her distance from him, just to be sure she didn't step the boundaries.

He snarled a little when he noticed someone was coming, but once she landed on the structure he kept looking at her. As if he was studying on what kind of bat she was.

"Hi. Are you alright?" Ashley asked carefully.

He didn't answer back to her. He simply turned his face away, telling he wasn't going to talk to her.

"Why are you this separated from the others? Aren't you cold alone?"

No answer either. He only flapped his wings closer around him. Ashley took a breath before she talked again.

"It's alright. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I have been in a similar situation before. It's all confusing and uncertain. But at least you are not in danger here. You can rest now and gather your strength back. By the way my name is Ashley." she finished gently smiling at him.

Ashley then noticed that Justin came back and went to sleep close to Phantalmina.

"I better go to sleep myself. I'll see you in the evening" she kingly said to him.

But before she took off, a response came.

"Goth."

She looked back at the big bat who was looking at her.

"My name is Goth." he said to her.

On that Ashley smiled at him for at least telling her his name and then flew back down to the canopy.

Everything looked peaceful and quiet. Only the sounds of the sleep would be heard on the stage, if you had the kind of ears.

But in that silence a pair of eyes was watching…

Phew. New chapter done. I apologies for the mistakes you'll find in the grammar. I tried to capture the moment here. I hope you'll be expecting on the coming chapters because things are going to be more dramatic on the coming chapters. Some of you might know why. Others... well, let's not spoil all of it.