Author's Note: Updates will be twice a week, this chapter is an exception (may slow down after chapter five or so)
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Drama, Angst, some Humor
Warnings: Slash, Het, mention of sex, some blood, swearing, incest (there cats, there's nothing unnatural about it)
Pairings: Misto/Munku, Tugger/Bomba, mention of Munku/Dem, some Cass/Munku, past Bomba/Munku, Mungo/Teezer
Timeline: two weeks from the Jellicle ball in the movie.
Description: Love cannot exist for a magical cat; in fact, it's fatal if it does.
Disclaimer: I do not own CATS, or any portions thereof. None of the following events took place in the original CATS plotline, and I do not claim that they do.
Songs to Read With: (not mandatory) Take on Me (Ah-Ha), If You Could See What I See (Geoff Moore and the Distance)
Between Death and Love
Chapter One
By Edenrising
(Recap from Prologue)
Because, Mr. Mistoffelees, the Original Conjuring Cat, is about to form a bond and will probably not survive the occurrence.
The day was bright and sunny, and the breeze was pleasantly cool as the pavement began to heat and a stank air settled over the junkyard. Summer was both wonderful and horrible for a cat. The feline form loves to experience the freedom of the dry landscape, but loathes the heat that builds under his fur, and most of the time finds himself at conflict for what to do.
Mr. Mistoffelees was one such cat, he was black and needed to stay out of the sun due to the danger of an overheat, but today he felt restless and had the need to burn away his energy. Sticking his small head out of the cool pipe that he lived in, that had a convenient stream of water that flowed down the middle and pulled himself out into the glare of the early morning sun. Making a quick judgment on how long he could be out in the sun before overheating, Mistoffelees ran quickly through the Junkyard, hoping to tire himself out so he could sleep through the day.
Just as he was beginning to tire, Mistoffelees heard a cry come from above. Screeching to a stop, he looked up the pile of cars to see two unknown cats bullying a smaller one. Looking closer, Mistoffelees saw that the cat being bullied was actually the small Pouncival, who had yet to reach a year of age and was only the size of Mistoffelees himself. 'But' Mistofeless reminded himself, 'I have magic and he doesn't. I'd better help him.'
Carefully, but quickly, he climbed the pile of cars to approach the scene almost slipping in some places. Coming closer, Pouncival's cries got louder and more urgent and Mistoffelees felt his heart beat faster for the almost-Tom's safety. Reaching the level where the fight was, Mistoffelees could clearly hear the bullies' comments as Pouncival tried to protect himself.
"Ow! Let me go, what did I do to you!" came the cry from the almost-Tom.
"Here that Garentuile? He speaks!" came an abnormally high voice.
"Speaking? We can't have that… Might tell someone. Break his jaws." A deeper voice decided, almost as if he were discussing the weather.
"What! NO! Please don't, please… I won't tell, I promise I won't!" Pouncival pleaded.
Mistoffelees growled, how dare they assault such a youngster? He wasn't even a full-fledged Tom yet! Pouncival was certainly mischievous, and caused a lot of trouble but he didn't deserve to be hurt, least of all maimed or killed. Walking to where they could see him, the bullies stopped at the look of the magician and put Pouncival down. Turning to look at the black intruder they grinned when they realized how small he was, thinking him an easy target as well.
Now that he was in the full sun, Mistoffelees dared a glance to check the time of day, it was noon and very hot. He needed to get somewhere cool within twenty minutes or he wouldn't be any help to Pouncival at all, but he had to try and settle this without hurting anyone. He didn't want to have to hurt or, Bast forbid; kill anyone to save the kid.
The Bullies approached the small Tom, looking him over and sizing him up. Pouncival was left writhing on the ground, in obvious pain, holding his left forearm over his chest- a rib had been broken. The larger, a marmalade and brown tabby, stopped a few inches in front of the intruder, and began to chuckle at the black feline.
Mr. Mistoffelees looked on coolly, the heat was becoming unbearable, but he wasn't about to let this go unnoticed.
The big Tom was the first to speak, "What are you doing here kid?" his high voice squeaked, "This ain't no place for kittens."
Mistoffelees' eyes widened, were they really that dumb? They thought he was a kitten. He looked over towards Pouncival, who was staring at Mr. Mistoffelees as if he was the last hope in the world. The front of his nose was cut and part of his ear dangled on a strip of skin. The magician narrowed his eyes to let the trespassers know he was angry, and hissed at them, to which they both chuckled.
"What you going to do kid? You made a mistake coming up here." Garentuile, the lower-voiced one said, "We're going to have to kill you now, too bad too, you're really pretty." He reached out to grab Mistoffelees, and the smaller cat whipped his claws across his face.
The large calico screamed in pain, covering his face with his paws, and drew them back to see blood that was smeared across the pads. He began to huff and growl, turning to the magician with a mad look in his eyes. His partner, the larger tabby, was angry too, but settled for glaring at the little black cat.
"What are you doing here?" Mistoffelees said, "You're trespassing on Jellicle land. Leave now, and never bother this kitten again."
"And what are going to do about it? You're nothing but a defenseless kitten, and we're going to rip you to shreds." Garentuile huffed, his claws extended.
Mistoffelees snorted, "I'm not a kitten you idiot, I may be small but you're a moron and that gives me more advantage then you." He himself was beginning to pant; it was hot, so hot. "This is my last warning, get out of the Junkyard."
Garentuile and his friend were really angry now, "Who's going to make us? You pipsqueak?" His fur was puffed up, and he seemed a large black, white and orange puffball, his face was bleeding profusely.
"Fine, be that way," the overheated Mistoffelees whispered, "I warned you." He was almost sad in his manner, but then his gaze hardened and before you could blink, both bullies were lying on the ground in the forms of charred flesh. Garentuile was still breathing haggardly, but his friend, the larger one, was most definitely dead. Mistoffelees whispered a prayer to the Everlasting Cat on behalf of both individuals, and walked to the pained Pouncival.
"Pouncival? Are you alright?" the magician cat asked, kneeling beside the youngster. A hiss of pain was his answer and Mistoffelees bent down to carry Pouncival.
As he reached for the brown and white kitten, Mistoffelees was distracted as a cool breeze seemed to reach into his fur, which was burning like an inferno, and he was forced to turn his head in the direction of the wind. Then, scratching and pawing, Pouncival began to slip, or as he was in reality, pushed. Mistoffelees watched in horror as the cat he was trying to save began to fall off the car, pushed by Garentuile in a last breath attempt.
Everything thing seemed in slow motion, from the yell of Pouncival, to the last haggard breath of Garentuile. Even the wind was slow, as the last paw of the kitten passed over the side of the pile to drop 30 feet onto the ground below. Mistoffelees took a shuddering breath, and a split second after the kitten fell he jumped after him.
Mistoffelees would after remember the sickening feeling of his stomach lurching into his heart, and using his magic to make himself fall faster. He reached out, grabbing the kitten's paw, and using the momentum of the fall to swing the other's body up and over himself and back onto the top of the pile, where Pouncival skidded to a halt, astonished at the rescue. Mistoffelees however was still falling, barely managing to create a pillow-like substance to cushion his fall, before he crashed into the ground, crushing his paw with a sickening snap.
Pouncival heard the thud from below, and giving the dead bodies a wide berth, looked over the edge at the black cat below. Mr. Mistoffelees was lying in a sprawled position on his side, paw underneath his body and barely breathing with a pained expression on his face. He managed to look at Pouncival, who was regarding his savior with a mixed expression of shock and horror and mouthed through tired and overheated lips, "Get… Help." Then promptly fell unconscious.
A while later, Mistoffelees would remember being lifted into strong arms, and being carried to somewhere warm and soft, where his paw was gently examined and his form wrapped in warm blankets. It was here Mistoffelees began to regain consciousness, slowly opening his eyes to look at his caretaker and feeling a sensation that was more comforting than the happiest days of his life. He also vaguely remembered thinking that it was good he was an alley cat, he didn't have a family to worry about, but the thought left to be replaced with the strangest feeling of being stretched. And after a time, he fell asleep again, dreaming of his caretaker, but not remembering a detail but beyond that of the identity of his savior.