It may seem that I exaggerated some things but I really didn't, I swear. That's all I have to say about this one.
"So, you really do have your own Deuteronomy?" Pounce asked, hoping that maybe he had been hearing things wrong all night. So far as he knew there was only room in the world for one Old Deuteronomy.
He shouldn't have asked. Munk took that as his cue to start singing again, drawing him and Misto closer to the building everyone was gathered around. It was a run down establishment with stained glass doors and a sign proclaiming it to be "The Egyptian". It wasn't a junkyard but at this point Pounce didn't really care. He was too busy looking for potential escape routes.
"Old Deuteronomy's lived a long time." Munk began. "She's a cat who has lived many lives in succession. She was famous in proverb and famous in rhyme a long while before Queen Victoria's accession."
This part was nothing new. Idly Pounce glanced up and saw Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer waving down at him from a ledge, both completely unapologetic for literally leaving him to the wolves. Okay, so it was a dog, but if this is what the cats looked like in this world then who knew what horrible creatures the dogs resembled.
"You smug sons of bitches, I oughta- mmph!" Pounce's threat was smothered by Munk slapping his hand over his mouth. He settled for shaking his fist at them. "Mmmmf!"
"Old Deuteronomy's lived many lives." Munk crooned. "You know, I am tempted to say ninety nine. And her numerous progeny prospers and thrives. And the village is proud of her in her decline."
"Yeah, well, my Deut's had like ninety nine wives." Pounce muttered once Munk released him. Then again, Tugger was the one who had said that, so maybe it wasn't something to take at face value. Having ninety nine wives would explain all the numerous progeny though.
"At the sight of that placid and bland physiognomy when she sits in the sun on the vicarage wall. The oldest inhabitant croaks..." Munk turned to his unwilling audience only to find empty air.
Pounce scurried up the steps to the building, intending on taking shelter inside, but Munk was quick and grabbed him around the middle, hauling him clear off the ground and slinging him over a shoulder.
"Lemme go, I don't wanna meet your Deut!" His protests went unheard.
Too late. It was time. The air was thick with anticipation. And fog. Inexplicably the streets were filled with mists, rolling down towards the group of cats in a thick blanket that covered their feet.
"This amount of fog can't be good." Pounce remarked as Munk carried him closer.
Misto, who was following behind, shushed him.
"I'm just saying that this amount of fog never meant anything good was coming-" Abruptly Pounce was dropped onto the ground. "Oof! Ow!"
"Well, of all things." Munk forcibly turned Pounce around so he was facing the street.
"Can it be really?" Pounce wondered.
"Yes!"
"No." Pounce whispered.
"Ho, hi-"
"Oh my eyes!" Pounce screamed.
Shambling through the mists was a figure. Tall, pale, wide of shoulder with tiny feet. Closer it crept, ever moving forward, silent as a wraith in the darkest of gripped Pounce's heart. What creature was this? Was it coming for him? Was this how he was to ultimately meet his fate? At the claws of some fiend that would spell out the very end for him and his kind-
"My mind may be wandering, but I confess, I believe it is Old Deuteronomy!" Munk sang, rushing forward to greet his Jellicle leader.
So this was this universe's Old Deuteronomy. A Deuteronomy wearing the biggest fur coat of all, a coat that was an exact match to her fur and flesh. There was absolutely no way she had bought such a coat, it had to have been shorn from her flesh and created so that she could wear her own fur on top of what was already growing from her body.
It finally dawned on Pounce that this Deuteronomy was female. Really, in the grand scheme of things, it was a minor detail. Right now he was much more concerned with the rest of her to worry about the gender difference. Pounce huddled down in the street, heart pounding in his chest. Misto mistook his defensive stance as reverence and bowed down next to him.
"Well of all things, can it be really? Yes?" Misto sang, nudging Pounce to prompt him to join in.
"No, by my eyes. I want my Deut." Pounce whimpered.
Finally Misto took pity on him. "Here, let's wait for her on the steps. Come on, up you go."
They took refuge on the outside of the crowd, watching everyone fawn over the Jellicle leader as she ambled closer.
"My legs may be tottery." Old Deuteronomy declared. "I must go slow-"
Okay. So this Deuteronomy was slow. There was a possibility he could outrun her if needed.
"And be careful of Old Deuteronomy."
Oh, he'd be careful alright. Careful not to catch her eye lest she turn her unnatural face towards his. Really, it was too much. There was not even a hint of feline features about her besides some whiskers and ears. It haunted him.
"Jellicle cats meet once a year on the night we make the Jellicle choice." Deuteronomy explained to the overly trusting cats gathered around her. "And now the Jellicle leader is here, Jellicle cats can all rejoice!"
There was no way he would be rejoicing. Had to keep on guard. Who knew when Deuteronomy would make the choice. And who knew how she'd go about it. The possibilities made him shiver.
"Exciting, isn't it?" Misto asked. "I wonder who it will be?"
"You'd better hope that it's not you." Pounce muttered, ducking behind the magical cat when Deuteronomy turned her gaze his way.
"Who will it be? Who will it be?" Everyone echoed.
They needed a distraction. Something to keep Deuteronomy's attention so that she couldn't think about which one of them to kill off. Already she was eyeing them in rapt contemplation.
"Oh!" Inspiration struck him. "Munk!"
"Who will it- yes, what is it now?" Munk broke out of the chant to address him. "Did you want me to introduce you to Old Deuteronomy?"
"Absolutely not, never. We've got better things to do." Pounce pulled on the silver tabby's arm.
"What could possibly be more important than what's happening now?" Clearly Munk was only humoring him because he wanted to know what crazy thing Pounce was going to say next. Pounce could see the curious glint in his eyes.
"Pekes and Pollicles!"
"What and what?"
Pounce gaped at him. Munk had to be joking. There was no way that this Munkustrap did not care about the single most important part of the Jellicle Ball. Well, maybe not the most important part, but it was important enough for Munk to run everyone through hours and hours of grueling rehearsals to make sure that the show was perfect for Old Deuteronomy. Although, judging by how every year things always went wrong, Pounce wondered if Deuteronomy enjoying watching it year after year just to see what new chaos would ensue.
"You know, The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and Pollicles?" Pounce tried again. "Together with some account of the participation of the Pugs and the Poms? And the intervention of the Great Rumpus Cat? Speaking of, if you still need one I'd be an excellent choice, I've practiced and everything, not to mention that out of all of us I have the most hair-"
"Please, we can discuss this later. It's time to go inside." Munk turned away, leaving Pounce and all of his Great Rumpus Dreams behind.
"Jellicle cats come out tonight." Deuteronomy started to chant, drawing the Jellicles near to her. "Jellicle cats come one come all."
"Oh, so we're just jumping right in to the ball then. Alright." Pounce slumped up against the steps. "No Pekes and Pollicles, I get it. No, no, it's fine, not like it's one of the best parts of whole night. I should have known after the cockroach debacle at Jenny's house that you guys aren't into costumes."
"The Jellicle moon is shining bright. Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball." Deuteronomy wasn't singing. It was more of a commandment.
"Jellicle cats are black and white." Around her the cats crept closer, voices blending together as one, chanting and breathing in sync. "Jellicle cats are rather small."
Pounce felt his fur stand on end. This frantic mantra was striking the wrong chord.
"Jellicle cats are merry and bright-"
"Hey, that's my line!" The outrage overrode his terror. "That's like the only thing I get to say in the whole Jellicle ball and you guys just steamroll over it, come on-"
"And pleasant to hear when the caterwaul." Misto took the opportunity to shove Pounce into the building. Behind them a cat let out a gruesome sound that was somewhere between a yowl and a retch.
"Jellicle cats have cheerful faces. Jellicle cats have bright black eyes." Everyone was streaming into the building, spreading out into empty, abandoned space.
"We like to practice our airs and graces and wait for the Jellicle moon to rise." Munk and Deuteronomy slipped through the writhing, wiggling masses to lead the way.
Pounce tried to sidle up against the wall but was halted by the sight of an old crusty cat tilting his head back towards the sky in what seemed to be irreparable agony.
"Meow, meow, meow, meow!" The cat wailed.
"Everlasting Cat help us all." Pounce muttered, trying to back away from the nightmare before him. Misto grabbed him by the arm and led him towards the crowd.
The chanted words were blending all around him in a never ending cacophony of hellish sounds. This was not a celebration. This was an initiation. And there was nothing that Pounce could do to escape it.
It finally came to his attention that they were in an abandoned theatre. The main floor had been cleared of debris to make room for the upcoming activities. Moonlight filtered in through the broken roof. It wasn't the junkyard he was used to but, honestly, it wasn't a bad space. At least the environment was appropriately spooky.
"Jellicle cats." Pounce grumbled to Misto. "More like Hellicle cats, am I right?"
Misto was too caught up in the action to notice his quips. Munk led Deuteronomy over to a large stage and took up his position in the center of the theatre, scanning the crowd of cats with an excited grin on his face and a crazed look in his eye.
"Jellicle cats come out tonight! Jellicle cats come one, come all! The Jellicle moon is shining bright, Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball!"
"Whoa, you guys got through that part rather quick." Pounce observed. "Although you guys were chanting feverishly so I guess- hey! Lemme go!"
Munk took him by the arm and pulled him out into the center of the theatre, positioning him in the moonlight. Briefly Pounce was transfixed by the sight of the Jellicle moon.
"Jellicle cats come out tonight. Jellicle cats, come one, come all. The Jellicle moon is shining bright." Munk sang. "Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball."
As Pounce's gaze drifted down from the moon he caught sight of Deuteronomy looking at him.
"Nope! I'm out-" His attempt to flee was blocked by cats writhing around him. The moonlight had taken hold of everyone, sending them into a possessed frenzy that left them all gasping for breath. All around them they crouched, tails twitching in time to an unheard beat.
"Uh, guys? Are you all- Oh no." His tail began to twitch in time with theirs. The moonlight had gotten to him too.
As one the Jellicles began to move in a rhythmic, feverish dance. Pounce was familiar with how the light of the Jellicle moon possessed cats to dance, but these movements were more harsh, frantic, and left him wondering if someone was going to have a heart attack right in front of his eyes. The heavy gasps for breath all around him was worrying.
As he contemplated trying to go for help Munk grabbed him around the waist and spun him around in a circle, eyes filled with an intensity that left no room to argue against him. Another cat in bright red pants danced next to them. It was becoming more and more clear to him that there was no escaping the Jellicle Ball. Might as well go with it for now.
"I know I keep asking this, but who makes all these cats sized clothes?" Pounce wondered out loud as he let his feet operate independently of his brain. "I'm digging the red. Can I get a pair for myself?"
Munk sighed and pushed Pounce out of the circle, preferring to dance with the red pants cat instead. That was fine by him. Munk looked better with the other cat anyways. As they rotated together in the circle more and more cats joined in on the dance.
Over to the side Pounce spied the familiar magical cat hanging just outside the writhing ring. Misto looked around nervously as everyone started to pair up, looking like he wanted to join in but lacking the confidence to do so. It did not escape Pounce's notice that he had shed the spangly hat and coat.
"Misto, get over here." Pounce grabbed him before someone else could. It wasn't the first time he had danced with a Mistoffelees. "Where are your clothes?"
The question fell on deaf ears. Together they elegantly spun and twirled along with the crowd. Again it was hard not to compare this Misto with the other, flashier one that Pounce knew, but this Misto managed to at least keep to the beat and not fall flat on his face again.
"Hey, not bad, you're pretty good- What're we doing now?" Pounce tried to grab Misto's hand but wound up doing a weird hand dance with him. "Is this some sort of secret handshake?"
Perturbed, Pounce tried to leave Misto and wound up face to face with Mungojerrie. The calico tom winked at him.
"Don't think I've forgotten what you did earlier, you-" Again Misto pulled him away. "I'll never forgive you!"
Pounce barely had enough time to shake his fist before he was spun around and lifted high into the air by a suddenly confident Mistoffelees. This was never part of the choreography he was familiar with.
"Put me down! Put me down!" Quickly he was lowered back to the ground.
Clutching his head, he staggered off just in time for Munk to lead Deuteronomy back onto the dance floor. Behind him the Rum Tum Tugger jumped into the spotlight, doing a complicated spin and landing right in front of Deuteronomy.
"It's party time!" Tugger threw off his coat. It was quickly snatched up by an excited queen. "With your permission, of course."
At Deuteronomy's encouragement Tugger led the cats into the next part of the dance. One by one the others started to perform for Old Deuteronomy in a bid to win her favor. Pounce perched on top of a table to watch from a safe distance.
It wasn't long before a bengal kitten approached, eyes bright with exhilaration. He recognized her as one of the queens he had been sitting next to at the milk bar earlier in the evening. Everlasting Cat, that had seemed like ages ago. He'd aged at least a hundred years since then.
"Mind if I sit with you?" The kitten asked, looking up at him hopefully. "I need a quick breather."
"Sure." Pounce moved over. "I'm just trying to figure out who's who."
She eyed him curiously. "Is this your first Jellicle Ball?"
"No."
"This is the first time I've seen you around here." The kitten poked at the fluff on his legs. "I'd definitely remember someone as fluffy as you."
"Look, sister, where I'm from, I'm considered very handsome."
"I didn't say I didn't like it." She giggled.
"Well maybe when your fur grows back you'll be fluffy like me."
"Grows back?"
"Yeah, weren't you all shaved to make those fur coats everyone is wearing?" Apparently not, judging by the way she was staring at him. "Um, how about we forget that last part."
"Good idea." She followed his concerned gaze out over the crowd. "How about I help you figure out who's who?"
"Great, 'cause I'm really lost. Everyone looks the same and no one's bothered to tell me their names." Pounce complained.
Although, if he thought about it, back home at his Jellicle ball only the cats that had songs sung about them were formally introduced. Hell, no one even referred to Munkustrap directly by name and he was the narrator and guide of the entire ball. Maybe that was something that should change in the future. It would clear up a lot of confusion.
"Well, for a start, my name is Syllabub." The bengal kitten said. "I heard Munk and Misto call you Pounce."
"Yeah, I gave my name to that brown queen when she cornered me and demanded to know who I was." Pounce said.
"Oh, you mean Cassandra?" Syllabub asked. "She can be pretty protective, especially around strangers. And especially around Grizabella."
"Is that her name? Huh." Pounce watched her and a brown tabby chase someone off into the shadows. He wasn't exactly buddy buddy with the Cassandra back at home but at least she didn't act like she wanted to bite him every time she looked at him. "Who's the brown tabby with her?"
"That's Alonzo. He also helps protect the tribe."
"Aw, that's not fun." He pouted. "That's not much different from the Lonz I know. Although the one back home is much slinkier." Pounce slouched back and splayed his legs out in front of him. "Interesting seeing him as a brown tabby though."
As he spoke another, younger brown tabby launched himself into the air and flipped over the dance floor in an impressive display of acrobatics. When he landed he wiggled around in a dance, ending in the splits and bringing his hands together in a plea for Old Deuteronomy to notice him.
"Hey, that was pretty cool." Pounce nodded approvingly. "All the flips and tumbling stuff reminds me of my brother. What's that guy's name?"
"Coricopat." Syllabub said.
Pounce snorted. "No way, that's Coricopat? Where's Tantomile? Why aren't they together? I thought they were joined at the hip."
"Um, no. Tantomile is over there with Jellylorum." She pointed over to two kittens who were watching on the other side of the stage.
"Jellylorum? Jelly's a kitten now?" Pounce laughed. "That's fantastic. Now she can't tell me what to do."
Syllabub frowned, clearly puzzled. "She's about the same age as us."
It was clear to see that while these cats shared the same names as the Jellicles he knew, for the most part they were nothing alike. Munkustrap was vaguely the same (although this protector was looking more and more crazed by the minute) and Mistoffelees had potential to become as powerful as his counterpart, but beyond that Pounce could have easily referred to the rest of the cats by other names and not have noticed a difference.
"Kinda feels lonely, in a way." Pounce remarked. "Seeing all these Jellicles I should know and still feeling like a stranger."
It struck a chord with him. Something poked at the back of his brain, a memory of another lonely cat that he should have felt empathy for, but there was too much going on for him to focus further on the thought.
"You okay?" Syllabub asked, sensing his sudden shift in mood.
"Huh? Oh, just... memories." Pounce said as he blinked himself out of his introspection.
The arrival of the cats in sneakers interrupted him before he could clarify that statement. Together they moved in sync, shoes squeaking across the floor as they danced. Syllabub watched them for a moment before turning back to Pounce.
"That's-"
"No, no, I got this one. One of those guys is Plato, I remember Munk telling me that." He frowned. "Honestly forgot the other one. The shoes are so distracting."
"Socrates."
"Right. Not gonna remember that." Pounce jumped off his perch, edging closer to the dancing twins. "But you guys got some interesting dance moves, not gonna lie, they're kinda- oof!"
Suddenly he was pushed out into the middle of the circle. All eyes were on him.
"Oh, you wanna see me dance, is that it?" If that was how it was going to be then he was going to give them a show.
Cassandra circled around to face him. In a sort of challenge she danced rather aggressively at him.
"You're on, just you wait." Normally Pounce did not have a solo during the Jellicle Ball, but that didn't mean he wasn't prepared to perform one if needed. Back home both Tumble and Misto had shown him some killer moves and he was itching to show them off. A couple high kicks, a few jumps, and some patented spin moves and there was no way he could lose this dance competition.
The other cats around him ducked out of the way as he ricocheted off the nearest available furniture. His enthusiastic moves sent several cats rolling across the floor, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Munk reach out to grab him and miss by a mile. With a flourish he leapt into the air and swung from a piece of fabric hanging from the ceiling.
"Ha!" Pounce cackled. "This is how real Jellicles dance!"
Eventually the others joined in, clearly unwilling (or more likely unable) to stop him. At one point Pounce fell to his knees right in front of Old Deuteronomy, the old queen blinking in surprise, but before Pounce could make his approach Munk surged forward and pulled him away at the last second.
"You're a little too wild to meet her right now." Munk murmured, dumping him off at the edge of the crowd and giving him a stern look. "Try to control your flailing."
"This is not flailing." Pounce sniffed indignantly. "This is art."
So maybe these Jellicles weren't ready yet for his signature dance moves. That was fair. But they did put him in the middle of the dance floor and invited him to show off, so what did they expect? In an attempt to reel it back in he mirrored the moves of the other Jellicles but was woefully unprepared for the random, spastic movements they favored.
Just as he seemed to have gotten the hang of it everyone collapsed to the ground, leaving only Deuteronomy and himself standing. Pounce was too winded to notice.
"Okay, so... so now are we gonna do Pekes and- argh, just a sec. Need to- need to catch my breath." Pounce panted. "Whew. Two Jellicle- argh- Jellicle balls in one night is more than enough. I need some air."
While the others were collapsed in exhilarated exhaustion Pounce found refuge in the cool night air. Moonlight intermingled with the neon lights from the Milk Bar across the street and the flickering streetlamp on the corner. The streets were quiet. Almost too quiet.
Something shuffled among the garbage at the base of the streetlamp.
"Don't eat me, I'm too young and handsome to die! I have so much to live for!" Pounce shrieked.
What he thought was the pile of garbage sniffed and snuffled. It looked at him mournfully.
"Wait." Pounce took another look. "Uh oh."
Grizabella looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. Snot flooded from her nose.
"Um. You got a… there's… you know. Got a little… something." Pounce helplessly gestured to her face. "All over."
"Silence." Grizabella sang, either ignoring him or unaware that he was there. "Not a sound from the pavement. Has the moon lost her memory? She is smiling alone."
"If you're gonna sing, do you mind if I take a seat? I'm pooped." Pounce plopped down on the sidewalk. "Don't mind me though. Continue."
"In the lamplight the withered leaves collect at my feet." There were definitely withered leaves at her feet. "And the wind begins to moan."
Pounce idly picked up a leaf and studied it as the wind blew around them. The cats here sure were literal.
"Every streetlamp seems to beat a fatalistic warning." Grizabella struggled to her feet, using the streetlamp as a crutch. "Someone mutters and the streetlamp gutters and soon it will be morning."
"Hope so." He muttered. "This has been the longest night of my life."
"Memory. All alone in the moonlight. I can smile at the old days. I was beautiful then." She continued, oblivious to Pounce's musings.
"Hey, so like I said before, you're not as janky as you think. You should see the Griz that I know. Now that was a cat past her prime." Pounce said in a poor attempt to cheer her up. "You still got at least a few more years left in you."
"I remember the time I knew what happiness was. Let the memory live again." Grizabella finally seemed to notice him and backed away from her beloved streetlamp.
"I'm not gonna get you, I just needed a break out here." Pounce stood, brushing the dirt off of his fur. "But now that you're out here singing sad songs to yourself I can't help but feel kinda bad."
Grizabella was looking at him expectantly. Slowly he turned to look behind him, just in case she was looking at someone else. Nope, it was just the two of them. If she was truly expecting something spectacular she would be sorely disappointed.
The wind stirred at his feet. Something stirred within him. Maybe he could help her after all. Words did not come to mind but words certainly came to his mouth. Without much thought he decided to wing it.
"Follow me home." He sang softly. "If you dare to. I mean, I wouldn't know where to lead you since I literally dropped in from the sky in a bag. Kinda took a chance with these guys and no one certainly took chances on me, really, I'm out all by myself in the street with you and no one cares..."
He trailed off as Grizabella made to leave again. Clearly the pep talk wasn't working.
"Um, lemme try again. All that I wanted, was to be wanted." Pounce found himself singing. "Too young to wander London streets alone and haunted... No, wait, that's not right. I don't want that at all."
He frowned. Where had that bit come from? Yeah, he was young, currently alone and was definitely one hundred percent haunted by what he had seen. It seemed that something in this universe wanted him to sing but it was butting up against his legendary lack of focus.
"Look, Griz, at least you have something." He tried again. "Something to cling to. You've got your youth and still got your looks, minus the snot all over your face. The Griz back home was in a much sorrier state than you."
At least she had stopped running away from him. He took that as his cue to continue.
"So maybe this place wasn't what I thought it would be- no, let's be real, this isn't at all what I thought it would be, kinda my worst nightmare at times. There are unquestionably phantoms of night and this life isn't safe at all. To call it wild and free would be an understatement."
Oops, he was rambling again. Time to bring it home.
"Er, all I ever really wanted tonight was to eat a good meal and go to sleep. And I guess I want to forget a lot of tonight, on account of everyone here acting crazy and looking even crazier. Seriously, the images are gonna haunt me like ghosts. And not even beautiful ones."
His list of demands were met with silence.
"If I could only have one thing it'd be nice to know if your coat is part of your fur or not." Pounce tried. "It's really bothering me."
Whatever magic moment they had between them had evaporated during his ramblings. Grizabella disappeared around the corner, trailing her coat behind her.
"Well, bye then." He gave her a small wave goodbye. "At least you'll never truly be wandering alone, 'cause all the Jellicles will haunt your every step. Like ghosts!"
In hindsight the pep talk could have gone better. Pounce shrugged and headed back towards the theatre. Old Deuteronomy was waiting for him in the shadows. With a stutter Pounce felt his heart momentarily stop.
"Argh! Don't eat me!"
"Are you all right my dear?" She said, not unkindly. "We haven't met before, have we?"
It took a minute for his heart rate to return to normal. If Deuteronomy was going to eat him she probably would have done it while he was distracted by Grizabella.
"No. I'm not from round here." Pounce sullenly kicked a rock. "I was chucked into an alley in a burlap sack and then kidnapped by all these guys."
"Oh, poor thing." Deuteronomy edged closer, fur coat trailing in the dust behind her. Her eyes gleamed in the night. "Would you like to see me make the Jellicle choice?"
"Is that a threat?"
"No-"
"I'm not part of your cult here so you can't sacrifice me, I'm sure there's a rule about that somewhere."
"What do you mean by that?"
"'cause even though I'm a Jellicle and you're a Jellicle we're clearly not the same Jellicles and I don't know where my Jellicles went. So it's best if you just ignore me until I can figure all this stuff out and find my Jellicles."
"You say that you are a Jellicle cat?" Deuteronomy sounded slightly incredulous.
Pounce tried not to feel offended. "Look, lady, I know I don't belong here, but I really am telling the truth."
Again with the intense stare. These Jellicles really did like to stare a lot.
"You are a Jellicle cat." Deuteronomy finally said. "But not one of ours. You have come from far away."
"Yeah, that's what I've been saying. I'd really like to go home now. This has been a really weird night."
"And you shall return to your home. But not right now." Deuteronomy looked up at the moon. "It is not yet time. You still have work to do."
"Like what?"
"Come, we are about to begin." Old Deuteronomy gestured for him to follow her.
Either he could go wander the streets alone and haunted or stick around to keep her in his sights. Neither option was wonderful but he figured it would be better to stay close so she couldn't sneak up on him again.
"Oh, hey, if you hear something about you getting kidnapped by Macavity, I had nothing to do with it." Pounce said as he followed her.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." He trotted away to sit next to Syllabub, who was lounging next to an empty basket on the side of the stage. At least she seemed vaguely nonthreatening and her bengal pattern made her somewhat recognizable.
"Where have you been?" Syllabub asked. "Misto was looking for you."
"Outside talking about ghosts and stuff." Pounce replied. "What'd Misto want?"
"He wanted to introduce you to Gus-"
"Oh, that guy. I know him." Pounce made to climb into the basket but was stopped by the appearance of Deuteronomy.
The Jellicle leader crawled into the basket, draping her fur coat over the side by her tiny feet as she clutched the edge with her fleshy little hands. Munk crouched at her side like a protective gargoyle.
"Eugh. Nevermind." Instead Pounce found a place on top of a table where he could rest for a bit.
"Gus the Theatre Cat!" Deuteronomy announced from her basket.
A cat in a shabby coat shuffled out onstage. Well, this Gus looked appropriately old and decrepit. Nothing unusual here. And for once his coat was made out of fabric and not fur. Pounce stretched out and closed his eyes. Maybe he could get a quick nap in before something more interesting happened.
"Gus is the cat at the theatre door." Gus wheezed. "My name as I ought to have told you before is really Asparagus but that's such a fuss to pronounce that they usually call me just Gus."
Pounce yawned. One performance from Gus a night was enough for him. Munk, sensing his intent to sleep during the show, sat down next to him and nudged him awake.
"Eh, leave me alone, I've already watched this guy tonight." Pounce tried to crawl away but was once again stopped by the crazy glint in Munk's eyes. "And this Gus seems fine. He's got at least a few more years left in him."
"Hush. Show some respect."
"Fine." Pounce turned his face towards Gus to at least appear to be listening. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Misto crouching down next to the curtain. "Huh. Wonder what he's up to?"
Munk nudged him again. "Focus."
"What? This Gus clearly has something going for him. He can walk on his own, sing by himself, he says he has palsy but his paws ain't shaking, I can see that from here-"
Munk resorted to sitting on him to keep him quiet. Sullenly Pounce shut up, not wanting to incite the ire of the clearly unstable Jellicle protector. Throughout the night there was a wild glint growing in his eyes that Pounce did not want to provoke.
"But my grandest creation as I love to tell was Firefrorefiddle the Fiend of the Fell." Gus ambled towards the edge of the stage, eyes staring out over the crowd in remembrance.
Off in the corner Misto pulled a pencil out of his sleeve, gesturing towards the walls behind the stage. Nothing happened. Onstage Gus screeched and hissed, looking like he was about to either cough up a hairball or have a stroke, it was hard to tell.
Old Deuteronomy was laughing along with Gus so the noises must have been deliberate. It was clear to see that she was clearly enjoying Gus's performance. Her tiny, fleshy hands gripped the edge of the basket in delight. Gus kept shooting suggestive looks at her that were clearly returned.
"Do they have a thing going on between them?" Pounce whispered. "No, wait, I don't wanna know."
Munk didn't respond but merely leaned a little more on Pounce until he was appropriately flattened and unable to speak. Gus sang a little more and did a jig on stage, taking a brief moment to berate the kittens before wrapping up his song.
"These modern productions are all very well." Gus sighed, scratching himself with his claws. "But there's nothing to equal from what I hear tell. That moment of mystery when I made history as Firefrorefiddle the Fiend of the Feeeeeeeeeeell!"
At the old Theatre Cat's screech the sound of thunder clapped through the space, causing every cat to jump and run for cover. Even Munk was startled at the sound, giving Pounce a chance to escape and run over to Misto, who was grinning to himself and clutching his pencil proudly.
"Did you do that?" Pounce asked, gesturing to the pencil in Misto's hands.
Misto nodded. "Bet that was just like how your Mistoffelees does lightning."
Pounce's mind flashed back to the uncontrolled literal lighting bolts that his Mistoffelees had unashamedly flung around the junkyard. During the action Pounce had climbed a nearby pile of junk to get a better look only to have Misto turn and fling a bolt of electricity right at his head. Sure, Misto had apologized later, but his fur was still singed. The fiery, wildly out of control electrical explosions were clearly of a different caliber than the small rumblings that this current Misto had just produced.
"Um, not quite the same, but close." Pounce said, patting Misto on the back. "Good job."
The cats quickly got over their fright and clapped and yowled their applause. Misto ran forward and helped a now winded Gus offstage. Noticing that Munk had abandoned the table, Pounce started to head back to his spot when he was stopped by a familiar voice.
"Bravo, bravo, Gus." The voice echoed from the shadows. "Could I trouble you for an autograph, sir?"
Gus shuffled forward, Pounce crouching down behind the curtain to watch. To his surprise it was the cat in the hat and trench coat yet again, this time carrying a huge blank book in his arms. Guess this mystery cat was a fan of the theatre.
"To see Firefrorefiddle come alive tonight was truly inspirational and scary." The cat gushed, ushering Gus backstage.
"Eh, I'd disagree with that." Pounce turned his attention back to the stage. It wasn't a good idea to keep his eyes off of Deuteronomy for too long. There was no telling what she'd do when his back was turned.
Behind him there was a strange whoosh of air. Pounce turned back around to find Gus and the mystery cat gone.
"Huh. Must have gone to the pub." He shrugged. If things panned out tonight they way they did at his Jellicle Ball then Gus wouldn't be needed anyways.
"The next contestant is... Skimbleshanks, the Railway Cat." Deuteronomy announced again, bringing Pounce's attention back to the stage.
Now here was a cat worth paying attention to. There was no way that even this universe could mess with this Skimbleshanks. Surely the god of the railway train would remain consistent across all universes, right?
Time for some Skimbleshanks, the greatest cat who ever lived (or at least that's how the song sounds to me).