Nothing was more pleasant than a nice sunbath on his favorite chilling car bonnet during warm weather like this. Rum Tum Tugger nuzzled up against Kathleen's worn-out pillow which he had stolen from her for who-knew-how-long ago. This no-longer-used pillow was way comfortable than any stupid mouse stuffed toy that she had bought and forced him to play with. When he laid down on the pillow, it surprisingly fit well, like his head would be precisely in the center of it. The Maine Coon sighed quietly while he was still closing his eyes and feeling all the relaxing vibes around himself. He inhaled the soft coconut smell of Kathleen's shampoo, mixing with his own signature sense, and some of...Misto's smell!

Why no one had ever told that cat that he smelled like a healthy canned tuna which Tugger hated the most. And, apparently, those tuna smelled delicious to Kathleen as well, otherwise, she would not keep hoarding them like they were his favorite food or something. Tugger wrinkled his nose in disgust when the particular tom's sense reached his nose again.

Ugh! That Tux needed to stop putting his stupid head on other cats' properties, or, even better, stop eating those rotten fish!

Tugger sat up and intended to flip the pillow to the other side, a softly hissing voice ringing in his ears. The tom stopped his movement abruptly, then swiped his eyes throughout the empty Junkyard. It was weird enough that there was no one here. Tugger could feel his fur stand up when the sunlight was gone and the mist slowly crawled cover all over the place. His ears immediately perked up when the hissing sound happened again, and this time, it was louder and nearer.

"Who's that?!" The tom demanded, trying to keep his eyes clear and sharp among the mist.

"Well, hello, my furball." As the familiar voice, that had engraved into the deepest place in his mind emerged out of nowhere, the tom winced.

"Macavity," hissed Tugger.

"Miss me, don't you?" The voice came from his behind. The tom jumped and turned around, unsurprisingly, finding no one.

"What do you want?" He gritted his teeth.

"Let's play, Tuggsy." The voice came from his left side. And then, another more murderous came from the right. "Play our 'favorite' game!"

Less than a second, one strong lightning struck down on the dirt near his paws, turning the spot into a dark, smoke, circle. Another bolt was shot directly towards his tail, luckily that Tugger could dodge it in time. Another after another were sent to the target without mercy. Forcing the tom to run and avoid the strikes for his life, but the further he ran, the slower he was. Then, Tugger finally realized that he was not slower, his legs were shorter as a kitten's legs instead!

No, this could not be! How did he become a kitten?! How was that even possible?!

The former tomcat wanted to scream and demand the other cat to stop, but right now even breathing was hard enough and he could not focus on anything else except those bolts that nearly hit him.

A huge pile of junk lay in front of him, Tugger did not want to waste any minutes, he leaped and climbed up there like a pro. Yet the lightning still managed to hit his paw. The kitten yelped in pain and hurriedly grasped a chair armrest before he could have fallen, then continued climbing.

Tugger yanked the giant-size washing machine lid open, hoping to get inside and hide, but instead of an empty tank, the last cat on earth, whom he wanted to meet stepped out of it. He gulped, looking back at how high he had come.

He gripped the lid tightly, preventing himself from trembling. Then he begged, shaking his head, "no, Mac, please."

"So long, little brother." The Mysterious Cat's mouth twitched into a maniacal leer. He sent a furious lightning strike to attack the young tom right in his face. Tugger spasmed his whole body violently, losing his grip on the junks. He was falling slowly and losing all the abilities to move. Everything around him immediately turned black, leaving only two hot red eyes that burned him into his soul.

"—Tugger!!"

Tugger was yanked out of his slumber abruptly by a shout of someone, panting and darting his wide eyes around Misto's den.

Wait, Misto's den? His glance met the bigger and taller cat looking at him confusingly and concernedly. Yes, he was in his friend's home because Macavity was stupid and he had shrunk.

"What? Crying in your sleep. And now, you're gonna wet your bed too?" The Tux poked fun at him, yet Tugger could not care less.

He looked at his still-shaking tiny paws with many feelings swimming in his mind. Everlasting, those things were just a dream, a very, very cruel dream. That Mysterious Cat had not come here and tried to hunt him down, had he not?

It was just a dream. It was only a dream.

Tugger squeezed his eyes shut, embracing his trembling and sweatsoaked body. But then his own hug was not enough. He could not help himself, but think of Munkustrap's warm hug that always calmed him down when a night like this had come. They had a secret code that knew only between the brothers, the two brothers, the one that whenever Munkles heard, he would know that his little bro wanted him the most. But his big brother was not here, and Tugger was all alone with the cat who probably would never understand him.

"It's just a dream," murmured he to himself.

"Of course, it was a dream," said Misto sarcastically.

How came it was just a dream but felt so real?! Tugger unconsciously touched his left cheek where was struck by the lightning in his dream. He still felt a slight burn on it. Maybe he thought too much, but it felt real, like he was there, being chased, and Macavity was there too, trying to get rid of him for good!

"Was a dr—dream." Tugger choked out, gasping for air as breathing became harder again.

"Hey," the other cat called him with a very sweet-toned, putting one paw on his lap. As Tugger looked at him, Misto smirked irritatingly. "Do I need to sing a lullaby for you, kitty?"

"Shut up," he said under his breath.

"Oh, come on, Tugger, I'm just teasing ya." The Tux nudged him in the ribs.

Tugger meant it even though Misto still driveled more and more. In his ears, there were so many alarming sounds like his own stupid thought, Misto's babbling about nothing, something like a soft thunder from far away, and, deeply in his mind, Macavity's voice.

His head started to spin. The heart beat faster, and the canned tuna smell that arousing in this den did not help him either.

He needed to get out of here. He needed to find Munkles.

"Hey, where are you going? You can't go out right now. Because it's about to—" Misto had not finished his sentence. A loud harsh thunder roared all over the place, making both cats stunned at the same time. "--rain."

Oh, no. Now, it was exactly like in his dream. The rain, the flashes of lightning, the thunders, and…and Macavity's voice might appear out of nowhere in no time. Was it possible to hear someone's voice even though he was not even here? Of course, he was here. Macavity was always here. In his dream. In his head. Haunted him days and nights just like when they were young. So, no, the right question should be, was he hearing Mac's voice right now?

Tugger looked around the Junkyard, feeling bewildered as if this was not even his home. Everything was so huge and high from his view. And that was because of that cat. He wanted him to be his tiny fur-ball forever, so he could bully him, test on him, torture him with his magic all he desired. It was because of the stupid magic that made him struck into this size, this situation, and this past that no matter how long ago he still could not get past it.

Tugger covered his ears with two paws, screaming at the top of his lungs against the sounds of heavy rain. "Stop it! Stop it already! I'm a grown tom now, Mac! I'm a freaking full-grown tom! You can't do anything to me!"

He was not even sure if what he heard was just the rain or that bastard was making fun of him. But how could that be? It did not even make any sense. It was true that Macavity had power, but he could not ghost him all the time, could he?

"Stop it already, Mac!" The kitten stomped his paw on the ground frustratedly.

He trudged towards Munkustrap's den. One paw touched the door softly, ready to push it open without a permit. He needed him. If anyone would know the answer to his question, it was him. If anyone would know how to soothe him when 'the night' like this came again, it was him, Munkustrap, his only brother.

But Tugger let his paw slide down along the door without knocking. He could not do that. If he asked for help, Munkles would know that there was no Rummy, but only the pathetic kid that Mac forced him to be.

A sudden thunder roared over the Junkyard, making the deep in thought kitten startle so hard and hit his bum onto the door. A murmur came from the other side of the door as if someone inside was already awoken. He probably disturbed their pleasant sleep. And he knew Munkustrap too well. That cat might walk out of the den to see what was going on outside at any second.

Tugger glimpsed the area for somewhere, anywhere that he could hide. He did not want Munkles or Demeter or anyone to see him now. There would be a lot of questions and pity eyes that he was not ready for. One of the dens caught his eyes. The one that he was sure that it was empty standing on the top of the Junkyard.

A stilly conversation from Munkle's house made him run and hop to the pile of discarded appliances. He had no time to think and pick the perfect place anymore. Yet that was the best option he could think of and also the only one he needed.

Tugger wanted to take one jump to catch an old car's window, but his legs were too short to pull a stunt as he used to, therefore, the panicky cat needed to try a few times in frustration, before giving up and climbing on a rusty tire instead. He hopped on the hood, but the rain almost sent him slipping right back to the tire if he did not dig his nails deeply on the car. The kitten struggled to get past the broken windshield. Goodness, he hated it. Everything would be easier if his legs were longer. The former tom looked up at the refrigerator over the distorted car roof and the den above the fridge in discouragement. Tugger exhaled heavily. He did not want those queen kittens to trespass his home, but now he got backfired.

The kitten leaped to the next step, gripping one of the refrigerator shelves. Instantly, before he could bound to the next shelf, his paws slipped, letting him fall to the ground with a loud thud, no matter how hard he had tried to grasp something.

A long hurtful mewl was gotten out of him. That was just great, so great. Even his crying sounded like a pathetic newborn cat!

The Curious Cat pushed himself up, but as the first step was taken, a sharp pain rushed through his right ankle, making him slump to the wet ground again. Tugger bit down on his lower lip and squeeze his eyes shut, meaning to subside the pain.

How wonderful. Now he could not even go back to his own house!

The kitten sniffed, then tried to stand up again, ignoring all the agony on the leg that made him want to cry out. He shuffled to the tire and climbed up and up, battling against the rain, the height, the pain, and himself.

Tugger finally reached the front door after pushing and kicking including biting down a few wires in the refrigerator to hold himself so he would not fall again. The former tom was almost out of his breath. He pushed the door open, clawing inside with little energy he had left. A warm sensation and a very friendly atmosphere ran over him. A heavy sigh left his mouth. He tried to stand up on his feet again and limped to his favorite pillow and a small pile of blankets that laid in the deepest nook. Every single painful step caused him to moan before his body collapsed on Kathleen's pillow. Oh, Everlasting Cats, how much he missed Kathleen now. That woman sure knew how to subdue his restlessness when he wanted her to do.

The kitten rubbed his wet face, either from the rain or tears or both, on the soft pillow, closing his eyes and feeling slightly relaxed for once. He was fine now, he was at his den, the one where that ruffian had never laid his foot on before. He was safe. At least, that was what he was trying to tell himself.

But then, suddenly, the door was shoved violently. Tugger snapped his eyes open, jerking his head to the door. A black huge silhouette appeared fulfilling the door frame at the same time as the lightning struck echoing all over the place. The kitten embraced his own shuddering body, choking on his breath.

No.

He was here. Macavity was there!

——————

Was it his fault? He did not mean to tease a cat who had had a nightmare, but then again, it was Tugger for Everlasting's sake! They teased each other all the time! But, now—now that he was shrunk, he became so sensitive too?

As much as Mistoffelees wanted to deny that it was not him who had made the kitten run away while it was raining heavily. It was not him. It was all in Tugger's mind. He was just so scaredy out of nowhere. It was not his fault. Not his fault. Not his—

"Everlasting! Where the hell are you, Tugger!" The Tux yelled as loud as he could in the middle of Junkyard as he had been looking for the terrified cat for quite a while, shuddering a little because of the rain pouring over his body.

Suddenly, when his eyes barely focused on anything, a familiar voice was shouted from one of the biggest dens in this area. "Misto? What are you doing in the rain?"

Oh, no. Now, he had woken Munkustrap up, and Demeter was walking towards the door to see what was going on as well. Great job, Misto! Now, what were you going to tell them? 'Oh, nothing. I just bad-mouthed to the new kid, and then he got away. That's all.' The Tux gulped. They were going to think that he was an introverted cat with a very bad attitude who could not even spend one night with an innocent kitten.

Misto walked near to their den, wiping water out of his face nervously. "Well, you see, Tu—I mean, the kid is…well, gone."

"What do you mean 'gone' ?" Demeter could not hide the perplexity on her face.

"He…he just ran away! And I can't find him!" He stammered.

The queen gasped. "You meant he could be anywhere right now when it's dark and raining?"

"I—I didn't mean to! Munkustrap, you need to believe me, I didn't mean to—"

"We'll talk about it later. Now, we need to be sure that he's alright. Demi, please, wait here, in case he comes back. I'll get the other guys to help search outside of the Junkyard. And you try to look around here again. I don't think he could go that far." Munkustrap did not wait for their reply, running to Alonzo's den. Demeter nodded quietly, and then rushed to Jennyanydots to spread the news, leaving the Tux alone in front of their house.

Where should he go then? He had already looked everywhere, otherwise, he would not lose his mind and shout so loud that woke them up. What Munkustrap was not completely false. A new kitten would not be able to go anywhere so far on the rainy night, but he was not new around here, he was Tugger!

The fright in Tugger's eyes appeared in his head again. He should know better than let the tom wander around like that. Well, at least, Tugger was his best friend! He could have asked about his nightmare. The guy was the Rum Tum Tugger. When was the last time anyone had seen the Tugger get scared? Never! So, what terrified him probably was not a small thing that could be forgotten by a few jokes.

Of course, where could the one who felt left alone want to be if not his own home, right?

And then it hit him. The young tom turned his head up, glazing at the highest den in the Junkyard; Tugger's den.

The Tuxedo took a couple of easy jumps until he reached his destination as if he knew the step by heart even though it was hard to see outside. Misto's heart leaped for joy when he saw a rusty door was already ajar as a sign of someone had been there. He rapidly pushed the door wide open, seeing two big golden eyes stare back at him in horror.

He was about to greet the other cat but was interrupted by a yelping and a flying pillow which he could perfectly dodge. "Mac—get out! Leave me alone!"

Mac? What Mac? Did he mean…Macavity?

"Leave me now! I'm not your experiment anymore!" Tugger screamed and hissed at him. Those furious yet frightened eyes squinted as if he was ready to attack him in any second if he did not back down.

"Tugger, I—" the Tux did not finish his sentence, Tugger bared his fangs, taking a big jump towards him. To his surprise, Misto sent a small lightning bolt through his paws to the kitten instinctively, trying to protect himself from the unexpected attack. But before he could realize what he had done, it was too late. Tugger shrieked as the bolt hit his shoulder. He drew back to the deeper side of the den, blanching visibly. "I--I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

The kitten shook his head fiercely, embracing himself with his arms and mumbling something that sounded like 'I'm sorry.' repeatedly.

He had seen an enraged Tugger so many times in many different battles, but at this moment, it was not like the others. There was something else in those eyes, and some other sensing that spreading around him. It was as if the angry was something that he wanted to be the cover, but deep down he was also…confused and fear.

"Hey, hey, easy there. I'm not Macavity. I'm Misto, your friend. Hey, I'm not trying to hurt you." Mistoffelees lowered his head a bit and walked towards the other tom as slow as possible to let him know that he meant well. Tugger finally peeked at him and let out a softly sobbing sound.

"Misto," he muttered under his breath.

"Yes, it's me. It's only me, Tuggs," he reassured him. The Magical Cat felt slightly successful when he heard his friend try to normally breathe instead of screaming in fear. Yet he was too focused on Tugger, who laid down on the other side of the room, and the whole den was too dark, so he could not see that there was something on the floor. The young tom tripped over it, sending himself a few steps further and yelling in surprise which made the kitten flinch hard. "Damn it! I can't see a thing."

The Tux decided to make a small ball of magical fire on his paw, lighting the room up. He felt much better now that the whole place did not too dark and lonesome anymore, but, on the contrary, the owner of the den winced and retreated again until his back hit the wall and there was no more space to escape.

Misto hardly minded the kitten's reaction towards his magic because there was something else that caught his eyes. He gasped at his friend's slightly swollen hind leg, and then took big steps to him. "What happened to your leg? Did I do it—"

"Put it out." Tugger cut him out with his growling in a very deep and low voice.

"What?"

"Put it out! Put it out! I said put it out—Ah!" An awful pain had held him back before he could pounce at the young tomcat again.

"Tuggs…" The Tux did not know what should be the priority anymore either the physical pain on Tugger's leg or something that mentally hurt him.

"Please, put out the light," Tugger begged desperately, starting to whimper. He let his body collapse on the cold floor as if he was too exhausted and had already given up.

Misto ceased the magic ball on his paw immediately, eyeing the kitten carefully with only the dim light from the moon that shone through the front door. Tugger's sight glued to the floor. His whole body throbbed while all his front claws nailed tightly to the wooden.

"May I..." hesitated he, "go nearer?"

The other cat did not answer, not even sending a sign. The Tux had waited for a few seconds to make sure that he would not object, before going forward. He stopped one step next to Tugger, not daring to abruptly sit down or do anything. He wanted to ask for a permission to sit and soothe him, yet he knew too well that there would not be any reply back.

Mitso slowly sat down. The moment that he put one paw on Tugger's shoulder, the kitten recoiled in fear, breathing harder. However, when he realized that it was just his friend, the Main Coon let out a relieved sigh, trying to calm himself down even though from what Misto saw, it did not work at all. The Tux's paw felt the wetness on Tugger's fur and his body was still shaking uncontrollably. This was new to him. Tugger had never been like this before and he did not know how to handle it, how to stop his friend from this sorrow. And the worst was he was totally clueless about the cause for it.

But no matter what was going on in that head, Misto knew that he could not leave his best friend to ramble alone in the darkness like this. He could not and he would not.

They only sat there silently for who knew how long the time had passed. The Magical Cat rubbed the other cat's back until he seemed to calm down. Misto took this moment to break the silence between them, whispered, "Tuggs, what's wrong?"

There was no answer. Only one kitten gazed aimlessly to the sky through a small hole on the wall and the other tom sat by his side. After a few cycles of steady breathing, the swollen golden eyes finally gently closed. Misto exhaled softly at the poor cat in front of him.

Lots of cats kept asking what had happened between Demeter and Macavity, or what had been going on between Munkustrap and Macavity when they were fighting, or what had Macavity done to Old Deuteronomy when he was kidnapped. But no one, no one asked this question before except Mistoffelees who was going to ask this for the first time in his life, and he hoped the Everlasting Cats would help him to find the answer soon.

"Oh, Tugger, what has Macavity done to you?"