Munkustrap sat on the tyre, relaxing in the warmth of the sun.

He finally had some time where he wasn't training, so he had some time to relax whilst also looking over the occupants in the clearing.

Munkus glanced up as someone settled down beside him before turning his gaze back to the clearing.

"Hey, Lonz."

"Hey, Munkus." Alonzo murmured back, sighing, as he settled down beside his best friend and fellow Protector. Munkus looked at his friend sadly.

Alonzo's father, Antony, had gone back to Italy two days prior, just three weeks after Alonzo had started training to be second Protector, as he was needed back at his old tribe.

Antony had received a message from his brother, asking for his assistance, as their tribe and family were in danger from a neighbouring tribe who had been gathering power. Antony had left almost at once, though he had left his old tribe and his family to follow the love of his life, he still cared for his family very much and wanted to help them.

Munkus had been sad to see Antony leave, the Italian Tom was a great Tom and had been a great support to him.

"How are you doing?" Munku asked gently. Alonzo gave a small nod and a weak smile.

"I'm doing okay." Alonzo admitted quietly. "I just miss him." Munkus nuzzled his friend reassuringly. Alonzo gave a small thankful nuzzle in return.

"He'll be back before you know it." Munkus reassured him.

"I hope so." Alonzo sighed. Munkus was about to say something else when a loud, high-pitched scream interrupted him. Without a second thought, Munkus leapt off the tyre and darted towards the source of the scream.

Munkus's ears pricked up as another scream echoed through the air, he could hear Alonzo was close behind him; Tirus was coming to join him just up ahead.

Munkus skidded to a halt, frozen in shock, when they arrived at the scene of the scream.

Trelawney was lying bloodied and still on the ground, her limbs at funny angles and blood staining the ground around her.

Tantomile, the one who had been screaming, was trying to help Cori, who was on the ground, bloodied and beaten, pinned down with claws wrapped around his neck, slowly strangling the life out of him. Tantomile beat at the Tom attacking Cori, but he tossed her back with ease.

"M-Macavity?!" Munkus breathed, horrified, as he stared at his older brother who was strangling the life out of his closest friend.

"Alonzo, get Tantomile!" Tirus yelled out suddenly, breaking Munkus out of his shock. Alonzo ran off to the hysterical young Queen, who was running back at Macavity again. He caught her around the middle and dragged her away.

"Munk…"

"I've got Macavity!" Munkus told him, not leaving any time to argue, before he darted off to tackle his brother off of Cori.

"Macavity, you need to stop!" Munkus yelled as he rolled around with his brother, avoiding his claws and sharp fangs. Macavity hissed in response, his gold eyes crazy with rage.

"Cori, Cori!" Tantomile's scream echoed.

Munkustrap hissed under his breath as he managed to hook his leg around Macavity's waist and managing to get enough momentum to flip them over. Munkus quickly pinned Macavity's wrists down with his knees as he straddled Macavity's waist, keeping the thrashing and snarling Tom pinned to the ground.

"Macavity!" Munkus hissed, pushing down on Macavity's shoulders to stop him thrashing. "Macavity, you need to stop this now!"

Macavity continued to snarl.

"Macavity, stop!" Munkus yelled.

That seemed to break through as Macavity suddenly went still, rolling his head up to look at Munkustrap as he blinked, his gold eyes suddenly clearing and focusing on the younger brother that had him pinned to the ground.

"Munk…" Macavity croaked. Munkus looked at his brother sadly.

"Mac, what did you do?" Munkus whispered sadly. Macavity just rolled his head to the side, looking at the carnage he had created.

"Trelawney is dead." Tirus spoke up from where he was kneeling beside the Queen. Tantomile gave a muffled sob as she clutched her bloodied, unconscious brother close to her. Jenny was kneeling beside her then, gently looking over the hurt mystic.

"What has happened here?!" Munkus slowly, and cautiously, slipped off Macavity at Deuteronomy's horrified voice. Macavity lay on the ground for a few more moments before slowly rising to his feet, Munkustrap guiding him.

Deuteronomy took in the bloody clearing, looking at Trelawney's body and the grim Tirus, to the wailing Tantomile clutching her hurt brother in her arms as Alonzo tried to calm her as Jenny checked over her twin.

His eyes finally rested on his two sons.

Munkustrap was glancing sadly at Macavity, who just stood there, blood dripping from his sharp claws.

"Macavity…what have you done?" Deuteronomy asked heavily. Macavity slowly lifted his head, looking around at the few tribe members that gathered around.

Macavity remained silent…he knew what his fate would be. Macavity clenched his claws shut tightly into fists as he glared at the Jellicles standing there, staring at him…judging him.

"You heard him!" Tirus snarled angrily as he stalked over from Trelawney's body. Macavity's ear flickered in his direction, his body becoming tense and rigid. Munkus took a cautious step back, sensing his brother's fury.

"Answer him, you weak, cowardly, evil…!" Macavity's eyes turned dark as Tirus continued to insult him. Munkustrap's eyes widened when he saw Tirus about to grab Macavity's arm and saw Macavity's eyes flash murderously.

"Tirus, don't!" Munkustrap tried to warn him, but it came too late. As Tirus was about to grab hold of Macavity's arm, Macavity quickly and smoothly spun around, claw flying towards Tirus's neck.

There was a loud crack and a shaky gasp.

Munkustrap stared in shock as Tirus fell to the ground, blood gushing from a laceration on his neck, where bone stuck through as a result from Macavity snapping his neck. Munkus turned his head away, unable to look at Tirus's unseeing grey eyes.

"Macavity…" Deuteronomy breathed in shock. Macavity turned to look at Deuteronomy, his expression bitter and cold.

"I know." Macavity hissed. "I'm banished, right? Exiled?" Macavity scoffed.

"Good, I'm glad…I can't stand to be around you, to be treated like less than I am!" He snarled. "Don't you see? I'm more powerful than any of you could ever be! But do I get appreciation, no, I get treated like a kitten, like I'm worthless!" Macavity cast his eyes around once more.

"You'll all regret treating me less than I deserve." Macavity promised chillingly before he disappeared in a flash of blue light.

"Macavity's not there…" Someone cried out.

"Mac…" Munkus whispered, shocked.

The yard was in a state of shock, fear and disbelief that night.

After Trelawney and Tirus had been cleaned and buried, Deuteronomy had announced that from that moment on, Munkus was now the Protector, much to the young Tom's shock.

The Jellicles stood, gathered around the graves, as Deuteronomy stepped up.

Up, up, up past the Russell Hotel – Deuteronomy's voice echoed clearly, the Jellicles understood and joined in to send Trelawney and Tirus to the Heaviside Layer.

Up, up, up, up to the Heaviside layer
Up, up, up past the Russell Hotel
Up, up, up, up to the Heaviside layer

Up, up, up past the Russell Hotel
Up, up, up, up to the Heaviside layer
Up, up, up past the Russell Hotel
Up, up, up, up to the Heaviside layer

Up, up, up past the Jellicle moon
Up, up, up, up to the Heaviside layer
Up, up, up past the Jellicle moon
Up, up, up, up to the Heaviside layer

The mystical divinity
Of unashamed felinity
Round the cathedral rang 'Vivat'
Life to the everlasting cat

Munkustrap sat in the den that night, hugging the trembling Quaxo close to him. Deuteronomy and Tugger sat beside him, both silent in their shock.

"W-What could have caused him to go off like that?" Tugger whispered before burying his head in his paws. Deuteronomy gently rubbed his back.

"Sometimes magic can be a burden…and a curse." He responded softly. "It can have rather averse affects…" Deuteronomy trailed off. Quaxo sniffled sadly.

"M-Munkus," Quaxo mumbled.

"Shh, it's alright, Quax, it's alright." Munkus murmured as he soothingly rubbed the kitten's back. Quaxo gave a hiccup and burrowed his face into Munkustrap's broad chest.

"Dad, what-what do we do now?" Munkus asked. Deuteronomy gave a small shake of his head as he sighed heavily.

"There isn't anything we can do, Munk." Deuteronomy murmured regretfully. "Macavity murdered two cats, he is exiled from the yard…if he returns as he has sworn to, then you must fight him." Munkus closed his eyes tightly at that. He didn't want to fight his brother, his protector.

"I-I'm going to go check on Cori and see what happened." Munkustrap murmured, placing Quaxo in Tugger's lap. Tugger immediately hugged the small kitten close. Munkus silently left the den, leaving Deuteronomy looking sadly after him.

Munkus breathed in deeply as he walked out into the cool night air. He glanced up at the starry sky before sighing and continuing on to the infirmary.

"Oh, hello, dear." Jenny greeted him softly as he ducked inside.

"Hi, Jenny." Munkustrap replied tiredly, giving a weak smile. His emerald green eyes landed on the two cats he wanted to see. Cori was lying on the bed, his wounds wrapped up in white bandages as Tantomile knelt by his side. Cori gave a weak smile through his split lips.

"Hey," Cori rasped as Munkus knelt beside him.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Munkus asked softly as he took his friend's paw. Cori gave a small nod.

"Pretty well considering." He croaked. "My throat is just sore." Cori glanced at Tantomile with that.

"I heard you are the one I should be thanking for saving my life." Cori rasped, gently squeezing his friend's paw. Munkus gave a small nod. Cori and Tanto exchanged sad glances.

"I am sorry, my friend." Cori murmured.

"W-What happened?" Munkus asked. Cori looked to Tantomile, silently asking her to explain.

"Magic is a very complicated thing." Tantomile started slowly. "It can either be a great gift that empowers you or it's a curse that consumes you."

"Is that what happened to Macavity?" Munkus questioned quietly. Tantomile gave a small nod.

"Magic is alive, Munkus, it feeds off of us…off of our souls, our thoughts and dreams, and our emotions." She explained. "If you choose to put your emotion into your magic, it can turn…dangerous."

"If you use emotions such as happiness, excitement and love, it makes the magic that much stronger and purer…but it also works the other way." Cori rasped. Tantomile nodded in agreement.

"If you are not at peace with yourself and hold emotions such as anger, heart-break, bitterness, envy, greed and jealousy…it can make your magic dark, and it amplifies that emotion which, in the end, consumes you."

"That's what made Macavity like that?" Munkus questioned, trying to confirm his fears.

"We are afraid so." Tantomile said quietly as she watched her friend sadly.

"Can you tell me what happened today?" Munkus requested a few moments later.

"He just…lost it." Tantomile murmured. "Trelawney tried to correct his magic and he lost it."

"That's it?" Munkus asked, shocked. Cori gave a sad nod.

"He always did feel the lessons were beneath him." Cori murmured. "And Trelawney wasn't one for taking nonsense or babying someone…she had her methods."

"She was the one who turned his tail pink, wasn't she?" Tantomile gave a nod.

"We attempted to help him figure out the counter-spell, but it turned out Trelawney cast it because he wasn't working hard enough, so she thought, so it wouldn't lift until he studied more," Tantomile explained.

"He was bitter about it," Cori sighed sadly. "I guess he never let it go." Munkus gave a curt nod before he focused on the wounded mystic covered in bandages.

"What about you?" Munk asked. "Why did he attack you?"

"Macavity attacked Trelawney in a fit of madness," Cori explained. "I attempted to interfere and pull him off of her, so he attacked me instead…but…I do not believe he was fully there,"

"What do you mean?"

"I believe he lost himself within his madness, within his anger, he allowed it to consume him and blind him." Cori sighed sadly. Munkus closed his eyes tightly.

"W-Will we ever get him back?" Munkus asked, dreading the answer.

"No." Tantomile answered gently. "I don't believe Macavity will fully return to us."

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And there goes Macavity…

More reasons as to why he went dark will be explained in future chapters…

Thanks to those who reviewed!

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Love,

HGP!