Macavity watched, unperturbed, as Munkus suddenly shifted his posture, going from relaxed and open to closed and protective as the young silver Tom moved to sit more in front of the kitten.
"Easy, Munkus," Macavity drawled. "I'm here for the sake of the kitten." Munkus frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean?" He demanded to know. Macavity yawned as he sat up once more, stretching his limbs out.
"When his powers manifested, it sent out a ripple…which I felt." Macavity told him. "So naturally I came to investigate and found the Jellicle Junkyard in uproar with the adults in disbelief that you would give up everything to protect him." Macavity glanced at the sleeping kitten once more. Munkus glanced back at him too, frowning as he noticed the kitten hadn't stirred once while Macavity had been in their hiding place.
As though he had read his thoughts, Macavity smirked.
"He won't wake yet, not until I let him." Macavity informed Munkustrap. Munkus looked back at him, fangs bared slightly and eyes narrowed.
"Why?!" He demanded to know.
"Because he doesn't need to hear this…not yet," Macavity's voice went soft at the end, as he stared at the peaceful, sleeping kitten. Munkus stared at his elder brother, confused.
"Why?" Munkus asked. "And hear what?" Macavity tsked.
"Don't get impatient, Munku, I'm just getting to that." Macavity chided with a grin. Munkus just rolled his eyes before he settled down once more, waiting to hear his brother out.
"I came to the yard to investigate just who sent out that ripple, and I found the Jellicles arguing about what to do." Macavity started. "I was shocked to hear that you went against their wishes and ran off with him." Munkus gave a small shrug.
"I couldn't let them isolate him, Mac, not for something he couldn't control…he isn't dangerous." Munk murmured as he looked to his brother. Macavity nodded.
"I know." Macavity told him gently. "Which is why I came to find you,"
"Oh?"
"Munk, if…if for whatever reason, Deuteronomy listens to the crazy mob and decides to send Quaxo away…"
"He wouldn't do that." Munkus interrupted. Macavity just gave him an unimpressed look.
"Don't interrupt me," Macavity scolded. "As I was saying, if that happened, Munk, I will take Quaxo in, that way you know he is safe and off of the streets, and I will see to it that his magic is controlled." Munkus was surprised by the offer but he frowned, looking at Macavity as the ginger Tom idly groomed his arm.
"Why?"
"Hmm?" Macavity hummed, looking up from grooming his arm.
"Why would you take Quaxo?" Munkus questioned him. Macavity sighed, sitting up and looking at his entwined paws.
"Because it's my fault Quaxo has magic." Macavity admitted softly.
"What?! How?!"
"He's my son, Munkus," Macavity admitted, looking up at his younger brother to gauge his reaction. "Victoria is my daughter."
Munkustrap was speechless.
That was the last thing he ever expected Macavity to say.
"B-But…h-how?!" Munkus managed to stammer. Macavity looked at his paws, brow furrowing.
"I met their mother, Nalah, when I sneaked out of the yard for a walk," Macavity murmured. "Some Toms were annoying her and trying to get her attention and backed her into an alley, I intervened and scared them off." Macavity chuckled slightly.
"We started dating after that and seeing each other regularly, we fell in love…" Munkus looked at his brother sadly as he watched the heart-ache flash across his face.
"There was a problem though, her abusive and possessive father." Macavity's voice turned to a growl.
"I told her to run away with me, to come back to the junkyard, where I knew she would be welcomed and loved…and we agreed on a date. She was to meet me at the alley where we first met at sundown."
"She didn't show, did she?" Munkus asked softly. Macavity gave a small shake of his head, his claws bunching into fists on top of his legs.
"No, she didn't." Macavity muttered. "I waited for her and went back every night, but she never came." Macavity glanced at Munkus.
"In the end, I gave up and thought she just changed her mind about us, and though I was heart-broken, I tried to move on as the months went by…until I saw Tirus carrying her bloodied and broken body that day." Macavity cleared his throat.
"I knew then that Quaxo and Victoria were my kittens, I just knew it…" He whispered, angry tears coming into his eyes.
"I went to see her body and asked Jenny what had happened to her, Jenny thought I was just performing a duty of the Protector, but I just wanted to know what happened to her…" Macavity looked up at Munkus.
"She had been beaten for months, was malnourished and dehydrated," Macavity growled. "I knew then it was her father…and when I went to dig deeper into what happened to her and if Quaxo and Vicky were mine, I found out everything."
"What happened?" Munkus asked gently.
"Her father had found out she was going to run away and he locked her away so she couldn't," Macavity whispered sadly. "He beat her when he found out she was pregnant, but he kept her alive, and when she gave birth, alone, he kept them locked away and barely fed them while he continued to beat Nalah." Munkus gently put his paw on Macavity's shoulder reassuringly. Macavity gave a weak smile before he continued.
"Nalah was deteriorating by the day and knew she had to get out with the kittens, so she escaped and made her way to the junkyard, but…but she didn't make it." Macavity murmured brokenly.
"If I had just gone looking for her…"
"Mac, you can't blame yourself." Munkus reassured him. Macavity just remained silent.
They sat in silence for a few moments.
"I killed him." Macavity whispered suddenly, breaking the silence.
"What?" Munkustrap asked, shocked. Macavity turned his emotionless gold eyes to Munkustrap.
"I killed him." Macavity said simply. "I killed Nalah's father for locking her away from me, for abusing her and neglecting our kittens…and for killing her." Macavity just said calmly. "He was the first I killed."
"Mac…" Munkus just breathed.
"I never forgave myself for Nalah's death and for Quaxo and Victoria's horrible start in life." Macavity continued. Munkustrap was shocked. He couldn't believe his brother had lost a Queen he loved and then to see her dead body being carried across the yard and to learn he was a father.
Munkustrap now understood where the darkness in Macavity came from, where the anger and the heart-ache came from.
Macavity looked at Quaxo again, before he shuffled over to the sleeping kitten, Munkustrap watching him closely.
Macavity just gave a small smile as he gently rubbed the sleeping kitten's back, causing Quaxo to purr happily. Munkus smiled at that.
"My offer stands, Munk," Macavity spoke up once more. Munkustrap gave a small nod.
"I doubt Dad will turn Quaxo out, but still…" Macavity murmured.
"Thanks, Mac." Macavity turned to Munkustrap, his serious gold eyes boring into Munkustrap's emerald ones.
"Munkustrap, Quaxo is never to know I'm his father." Macavity told him. Munkustrap frowned, confused.
"But…"
"Can you imagine what it would do to him, knowing that?" Macavity questioned. "The Jellicles are already untrusting of him because he has magic, if they learn he is my son…" Macavity trailed off at that.
"I understand," Munkus sighed. Macavity gave a small nod, looking back at Quaxo.
"I'm telling Dad though; he deserves to know he has a grand-kit." Munkustrap told him. Macavity just shrugged in response.
Macavity's ears twitched suddenly and a grin appeared across his face.
"I need to go; I have…jobs to do." Macavity smirked. Munkus gave a small nod, not bothering to ask as he knew Macavity would never tell him. Macavity glanced at Quaxo once more before looking to Munkus.
"If anything goes wrong with Quaxo, just yell out and I'll be here." Macavity told Munkus. Munkus inclined his head.
"Thank you." He murmured. He sighed as he looked back up, finding Macavity was no longer there.
"Typical." Munkus chuckled under his breath.
"What is?" Munkus spun around, eyes wide, to find Coricopat and Tantomile sitting near the cupboard entry.
"Can cats stop sneaking up on me today?!" Munkustrap yelped, paw over his heart. The twins just blinked, looking at him.
"I take it Macavity chose to surprise you as well?" Cori asked evenly. Munkus stared at the two, shocked.
"H-How did you…?"
"Mystics." Tantomile answered softly as she padded across the cupboard to sit next to Quaxo. Quaxo mumbled in his sleep causing Tantomile to smile and lift the kitten to set him in her lap. Quaxo purred happily as he snuggled into her arms.
"So what was Macavity's purpose for visiting?" Cori asked as he walked into the cupboard to sit beside Munkus, watching as his sister cuddled the kitten in her arms. Munkustrap glanced at the sleeping kitten.
"He came to speak about Quaxo." Munkus murmured. The twins exchanged a look which Munkus caught.
"I'm guessing you know what he was here to talk about." Munkustrap sighed, looking at the two. Cori looked back at him.
"When we were reading the cards, they came up to read that a cat with great powers, that none can match, would be revealed." Cori revealed. Munkus frowned.
"That's why you were looking at the kittens…" He murmured. Tantomile gave a nod.
"Yes, we knew it would be one of them, an adult's powers would have manifested by now." She explained. Munkustrap gave a nod, looking at his sleeping charge.
"Why was Macavity interested?" Cori asked, curious.
"He offered to take in Quaxo if, for some reason, Dad decided to have Quaxo removed from the yard." Munkustrap admitted. Cori and Tantomile exchanged another glance, Cori's ears flicking.
"You know, that gets annoying after a while," Munkus told them, giving a small grin. Cori gave a small laugh as he looked back to his friend.
"We were just wondering what Macavity's intentions were…" Cori said slowly, carefully.
"Why?" Munkus asked curiously. Munkus rolled his eyes when he saw that the twins were making an effort not to glance at each other with that question.
"Because the cards also revealed that the conjuring cat may walk the line between light and dark." Tantomile murmured. "Though, we believe Quaxo walks the path of light, there is still a chance he could be tempted by one walking the path of darkness."
"Like Macavity." Munkustrap sighed. The twins nodded.
"W-What's Macavity?" Munkustrap looked at the sleepy kitten blinking up at him from Tantomile's arms.
"Hey there, buddy." Munkus greeted softly as he rubbed Quaxo's ears, making the kitten purr. Quaxo rubbed his sleepy purple-green eyes before looking up at Munkus.
"Why are you talking about Macavity?" Quaxo yawned. Munkustrap hesitated.
"Macavity wanted to see if you were okay," Munkus told him. The kitten frowned, looking confused.
"But why?" Quaxo questioned innocently.
"He felt the ripple you sent out with your magic, and he was concerned." Munkus murmured as Quaxo curled close to Tantomile's chest.
"Oh," The kitten mumbled. "My magic is dangerous."
"No, Quaxo, it isn't dangerous at all." Tantomile told him firmly. Quaxo looked up at her, his eyes wide with innocence.
"She is right, Quaxo." Coricopat added. Quaxo turned his attention to the male twin. Cori smiled warmly at him.
"Magic is a wonderful gift, Quaxo, if you are willing to be at peace with it and use it for good."
"Really?" Quaxo questioned, causing Cori to smile.
"Yes," Cori chuckled. "You don't think I'm dangerous, do you, even though I have magic?" Quaxo shook his head. Cori raised his paws up slightly to hover around chest height and let them spark. Munkustrap and Quaxo watched as the green sparks crackled before they started swaying before the sparks started to roll around and wrap around Cori's paws.
Cori smiled at the look of awe on Quaxo's face as he watched the lights and sparks circle around Cori's paws before Cori stopped it, lowering his paws to rest on his legs once more.
"See? Magic isn't dangerous, if you don't use it for bad things." Cori smiled. Quaxo nodded, looking to Munkus, who smiled encouragingly at him, before he frowned.
"B-But how will I learn to control it?" Quaxo questioned, his voice trembling. Tantomile and Cori looked at each other silently for a few moments before Tantomile gave a small nod and a smile.
"We shall teach you, Quaxo." She told him, smiling. Quaxo beamed up at her, his white face lighting up.
Suddenly, Cori's ears twitched and he turned his head slightly.
"Old Deuteronomy has arrived in the yard." Cori announced. Quaxo gave a small whimper and scrambled into the safety of Munkustrap's arms.
"Shall we go see what his thoughts of the situation are?" Tantomile suggested. Munkus gave a nod.
"If…if he's not listening to the others, can you bring him here?" Munkus asked softly as he hugged the trembling Quaxo close. The twins nodded sympathetically, knowing Munkus didn't want to take Quaxo out there, the poor kitten was terrified.
"We will be back shortly." Cori murmured before he and Tantomile slipped out of the cupboard, leaving Munkus trying to soothe the worried Quaxo.
He only hoped his father would see sense.
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There you go!
Also…I've been thinking of giving Munkus a love interest in future chapters, but I can't decide between Coricopat and Tantomile as they are the closest to him…so, suggestions?
Thanks to those who reviewed!
Please read and review!
Love,
HGP!