I am so terribly sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I had no idea what I wanted to happen, so I must have reworked this chapter at least five times. I'm still not overjoyed with it, but... I'm pleased. Remind me never to write as Mistoffelees ever again, because I think my writer's block was all his fault. Seriously, as soon as I finished that last chapter, I started a completely new story about Misto and neglected this one for at least three days.

Disclaimer: Props to TSE! (And Al Dubs, I guess...)

He could feel the air pulsing as he approached. The sheer force of this unseen energy made him halt, his resolve becoming prey to his id.

It frightened him, this invisible force pushing against him, entering his body and rendering his limbs paralyzed. He could feel his heart beating wildly against his ribs, as if battering against the bars of its cage. His skin prickled, fur standing on end. He felt he had aged a hundred years while this force had control over him.

Just turn around, a soothing voice said inside his head, stroking his fear as if to calm it. Leave. You don't have to be here.

His mind was fogging, becoming intoxicated with the voice. He felt sleepy, and his vision blurred before him.

Just turn back. Turn back. Turn back.

These words continued as a mantra inside him, wrapping tendrils around his unresponsive limbs and forcing him to start backing away from the still pulsing air. He felt as if he was floating, being carried away to a paradise he had only dreamt of.

His eyelids were so heavy. Perhaps if he just closed them, only for a second, he would awake refreshed in a place far from here. His eyelids began to droop as the soothing voice urged him to succumb to sleep.

Close your eyes, it said, wrapping him in a warm, cloudy cocoon. Sleep. Drift away into your dreams.

He allowed his eyelids to fall closed, his eyes feeling swollen beneath their loving touch. He felt his body go limp and fall to the ground softly, as if he was being laid in bed by a kind owner. He curled himself into a little black and brown ball, breathing slowly and deeply. The voice was still speaking to him, relaxing him, slowly helping him drift off.

Only semi-conscious, he could feel someone – or something – grab onto his limbs one by one, so tight he felt his paws throb. He tried to stir, to awaken himself from this induced slumber, but to no avail.

He was being dragged none too kindly along the ground, feeling the rough dirt scrape against his back. Parts of his mane snagged on rocks and bits of garbage, an event that would have caused him to jump up in alarm had the situation differed.

The calming voice was still speaking to him, coaxing him deeper into sleep, reassuring him of his safety. The voice was swirling around inside his head, his head that had once been filled of determined, conscious thoughts. He felt as if someone had come and sapped away all his will power, draining him of both thought and movement in one fell swoop.

He could feel particles of garbage and dirt in his mane, adding to its barely noticeable weight. He could feel his paws growing numb from a lack of blood, and he willed his captors to release his paws to let them heal.

And yet, he felt nothing at all. His mane did not matter. His paws could drop off for all he cared. The soothing voice was telling him everything was all right, that he would be just fine, and the voice had to be right.

A second voice broke in on his thoughts, this one seeming more real and outside the realms of his mind.

"Release him."

The voice inside his head suddenly went silent at the same moment his paws were released. All thoughts came flooding back, all pain became more noticeable. His entire body convulsed, pulling itself together into a defensive ball. He kept his eyes closed, not willing to look up at the cat he knew was staring down at him.

He was slowly regaining feeling in his paws, his whole face screwing up against this unpleasant sensation. He could feel dirt in his coat, and knew he would be spending the next few days cleaning himself.

"Leave us."

That voice was so threatening it sent tingles down his spine. He could feel it grating against the air, as if it was not meant to be heard. That voice was so familiar, and yet it was so different he would not have recognized it in another situation.

He allowed his eyes to slowly blink open. It was very dark here, wherever he was. Had it been nighttime when he had first set out? He could not remember. His body was pressed into his face, his nose forced to inhale the smells his coat had picked up.

Slowly, oh so slowly, he began to uncurl his body. He shifted his weight so he was propped up on his side, then continued moving until he was in a tolerably upright position. His tail was in close to his body and his legs were wobbling under his weight, but he was upright.

He kept his head bowed, not able to bring himself to look at the cat standing above him. He could hear the cat breathing, feel the anticipation in the air.

"Tell me why you are here."

It wasn't a request. It was an order, the type of order he had become so accustomed to receiving from this cat. Blinking rapidly to hold off tears, he raised his head.

He caught a single glimpse of the ginger cat before his head was smacked with such force he was forced to bow it again. He winced, his head feeling as if a mad Pollicle was inside it.

"I had to find you," his voice was soft and hoarse. He could feel a lump in his throat protesting, but pressed on nonetheless. "I had to see you."

"Is this the part where we start crying and I return with you while you play the part of the hero?" The ginger cat's voice was scathing. A cut with a knife could never penetrate as deep as this voice.

"I hoped it would be," he admitted, closing his eyes on the tears that were threatening to betray him.

"Rum Tum Tugger," the cat's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Known by his friends as the joker, the clown, the tom that never has a serious moment. This is quite an accomplishment for you, little brother. So tell me, why were you sent after me? Was it because everyone thought I couldn't possibly hurt my little defenseless brother?"

He could see the blow coming before he felt it. He did not move; he did not flinch. He remained motionless, limp as a discarded piece of newspaper, as the cat above him began to beat him mercilessly.

"The Hidden Paw is not a cat to be underestimated," the ginger cat's voice was rubbing against his mind like sandpaper, making every sense he had want to flinch, to curl up into a defensive ball again, but he let his body collapse to the ground, feeling his bruises form as the paws kept hitting him. He could feel the careless claws raking against his soft skin, could feel blood running down his stomach, but he did not move.

"Too scared to defend yourself?" the other taunted, never ceasing in his abuse. "Afraid of scary big brother Macavity?"

Rum Tum Tugger closed his eyes, unwilling to look at the ginger tom. He rolled over so his back was to the cat called the Hidden Paw, so the cat would not see the tear escape from his eye.

"Don't turn your back on me!" The older tom pounced on the younger, his teeth sinking through the once fluffy mane to bite the flesh underneath. Rum Tum Tugger felt his shoulder burning, felt his mouth open, heard his own voice reverberate around this strange underground place, but he could not comprehend his situation. He was screaming, wasn't he? He was being hurt, being abused, wasn't he? He couldn't understand.

The teeth released him, only to give way to a number of vicious attacks to his arms and chest. He could feel the claws tearing his skin, and yet it did not hurt.

"Jellicle Cats come out tonight," he began mumbling, not comprehending what the words were or what they meant. "Jellicle Cats come one, come all. The Jellicle Moon is shining bright. Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball."

"Stop it!" Macavity shouted, pushing his brother away. Rum Tum Tugger felt a strange sensation come over him, and suddenly the ground fell away from beneath him. For the first time that night, he was seized with terror, and he opened his eyes.

He was suspended in the air above Macavity, who was snarling up at him. There was nothing holding him in the air, however, so Rum Tum Tugger assumed this was one of Macavity's special powers, as his father had called them.

"Jellicle Cats come out tonight," he continued, his voice still nothing more than a mumble. "Jellicle Cats come one, come all. The Jellicle Moon is –"

"Stop it!" Macavity ordered again, and a white hot pain seized Rum Tum Tugger's body from head to tail. He gritted his teeth, wincing against this new torture.

"I will not hear such blasphemy, not here," Macavity's voice was calm, but Rum Tum Tugger could feel his discomfort. "I will not tolerate such disobedience."

The pain died away, leaving his body numb. How he wanted to return to the ground, to curl up and sleep!

"I'm surprised at you, Rum Tum Tugger," Macavity began pacing now, his eyes fixed on the ground. "You were always nothing but talk. You would brag to Munkustrap and Alonzo and anyone else who would listen about how someday you were going to be the greatest Jellicle of them all, how you were going to hunt down the thaumaturgist of our generation and bring him back to the ways of the Jellicles.

"Well, here is your chance, little brother. Why so down? Why are you not converting me from my – how did you put it? – 'badness from the Heaviside to the junkyard' to become a perfect little Jellicle?"

"You were going to sing it," Rum Tum Tugger's voice was soft, his tone gentle but urgent.

"What was that?" Macavity asked, looking back up at the suspended cat.

"You were the one chosen," Rum Tum Tugger knew Macavity understood every word he was saying, but he felt as if he had to explain everything to him, as an elder explains to a kitten. "You were chosen by the elders to sing the invitation."

The silence rang around him, mocking him. Rum Tum Tugger's ears were buzzing and he was slowly losing feeling in his extremities. He was wavering between consciousness and dreams, unable to decipher the two.

Then Macavity began to laugh.

This laugh was filled with such inhumane pleasure it struck Rum Tum Tugger to his very center, leaving every bone in his body tingling. It caused his mind to jerk awake so fast his head began to throb, pounding in time with the laugh.

"Jellicle Cats come out tonight. Jellicle Cats come one, come all. The Jellicle Moon is shining bright. Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball."

His voice was powerful, much too powerful for his body to contain. It rang through the air, battling with the laugh in a clash of sound. It pushed against the laugh, forcing it back… back… back until it was nothing but an echo, a memory of sound that once was.

"They chose you to sing it!" He was shouting, not knowing where this surge of energy had come from. "Out of all of us, they chose you! You were going to show the kittens what it means to be a Jellicle, show them what they have to look forward to. You were going to be their first teacher! You were supposed to represent the tribe, not leave it for… for… this!"

"And I suppose our dear Munkus will have to fill in for me now, won't he?"

"No! I do!"

For the first time, he had caught the Hidden Paw off guard. He had shocked the cat into silence, had surprised him into thought. When he spoke next, the Hidden Paw remained silent.

"I don't want to be your replacement. I want you to do it. I want to look up at my older brother and be able to whisper to the kittens, 'That's my brother, Macavity.' I want to hear you sing it, nobody else."

He fell to the ground abruptly, his claw and teeth wounds stinging on impact. He could feel the other cat coming closer, could feel the hot breath on his neck. He tensed his body, squeezing his eyes shut against the threat coming nearer.

His entire body convulsed when he felt something warm and wet brush against the teeth marks in his shoulder. He pushed his unresponsive body away from his brother, his paws tingling and his heart racing.

"Hold still, dammit," the rough voice followed him, its master's paw fastening on his arm. Rum Tum Tugger's eyes widened as Macavity bent down over the wound he had inflicted and began licking it.

"What are you doing?"

"Shut it," Macavity's words were a blur between licks, coming so fast that Rum Tum Tugger barely caught and comprehended them. His entire body was telling him to back away, to escape from whatever it was that Macavity was doing, but his mind held him still out of nothing but curiosity.

Having finished with his little brother's shoulder, Macavity moved on to the other wounds on his body, going steadily and slowly. Rum Tum Tugger's body was tense, unable to relax under his brother's care.

He barely noticed when Macavity had finished, when he turned his back on his little brother and began to leave as if nothing had happened. Thoroughly confused, Rum Tum Tugger began to move his numb body, his wounds not stinging nearly as much as they had.

Jellicle Cats come out tonight. Jellicle Cats come one, come all. The Jellicle Moon is shining bright. Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball.

"What's going on?"

A tiny, wide-eyed Rum Tum Tugger was clutching Macavity's ginger arm in his paws, pulling it close to his body.

"Let go, Tug," The older kitten ordered, succeeding in pulling himself free of his brother's needy grasp. He shook his arm dramatically, as if to show Rum Tum Tugger just how tight he had been holding on.

"But really, what's going on?" Tugger asked again, leaning closer towards his brother.

"Bother someone else," Macavity's voice was impatient, and he focused his gaze on the cat in front of them, shutting Tugger out completely.

Rum Tum Tugger pouted, tossing his head obnoxiously. He turned away from Macavity and instead looked at his other brother, Munkustrap.

Munkustrap was watching the cat in front of them intently, his eyes unblinking and his back straight. His tail was twitching behind him, but he seemed not to notice.

"Munkus, what's going on?" Rum Tum Tugger fastened his paws on Munkustrap's arm now, squeezing as tight as he knew he was allowed and pulling. Munkustrap did not acknowledge this, and continued staring ahead. Groaning impatiently, Rum Tum Tugger tackled Munkustrap to the ground, forcing his older brother to pay attention to him.

"What?" Munkustrap was obviously annoyed.

"What's going on?" Rum Tum Tugger asked, his voice rather whiney, as the two cats straightened up. Munkustrap sighed exasperatingly before giving Tugger a short but accurate explanation.

"It's the greeting song and dance Dad told us about," he fixed his eyes on the cat again. "Remember, Dad told us that they choose one cat from each of the three youngest generations to do it."

Rum Tum Tugger did not, admittedly, remember this at all, but he did not ask for further clarification. As he turned to look at the cat dancing, he noticed with a shock that it was Demeter. She was contorting her body this way and that, showing off her grace and flexibility.

As he looked on, Skimbleshanks came into sight and began singing. He and Demeter began dancing in unison, smiling around at the cats clustered in a circle, watching them.

"Jellicle Cats come out tonight," Skimbleshanks sang, his voice powerful and inviting. "Jellicle Cats come on, come all. The Jellicle Moon is shining bright. Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball."

As he ended his song, another cat Rum Tum Tugger did not recognize stood up at the front of the group and began singing. Skimbleshanks and Demeter, who looked rather sick, fell back, giving this new cat the limelight.

Demeter looked around wildly, and, as her gaze fell over to where Tugger and his brothers were sitting, she made her way over to them. She headed at first to sit next to Macavity, but, noticing an empty space next to Munkustrap, she turned abruptly to sit there instead.

Rum Tum Tugger was watching the little queen intently. Her movements were graceful, her arms sweeping around her elegantly. She had followed Demeter's instructions exactly, learning the dance as the generations before her had.

The queen's orange fur was shining in the moonlight, little lights glinting peacefully. Tugger could see Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots smiling as they watched this little queen dance the first part of the invitation to the Jellicle Ball flawlessly.

Rum Tum Tugger felt his stomach flip over. He had always been so confident in front of groups, always been the first to break into song, but here he was, singing a legendary and traditional song that hadn't even been given to him. This role did not belong to him. He did not deserve to invite the kittens to join the tribe.

He had been told to make the song sound original, to make it unique to him, add his own flair to it. Well, his type of flair was not the type a tom would use when singing the invitation; Macavity's, on the other hand, was. Even now, as he stood concealed, waiting for his moment, he could hear the tom singing the invitation in his head, his powerful voice pulling at the willpower of everyone present, until they each succumbed to his command and entered the tribe.

Recognizing the queen's dance move as his cue, Rum Tum Tugger sauntered into the open, smiling sheepishly at the cats surrounding him. He kept walking until he was close enough to reach out and touch the little orange queen.

"Jellicle Cats come out tonight," he began, his voice missing its defining rock edge, as he had opted for a softer, more traditional tone. "Jellicle Cats c–"

"Come one, come all."

A powerful, irresistible voice broke in on the tranquility of the clearing, smothering Tugger's neatly. In a flash of ginger fur, the little orange queen crumpled to the ground in front of him, her head hitting the ground with a horrible crunch.

"The Jellicle Moon is shining bright."

The ginger fur appeared for mere moments, barely noticeable. It traveled around the group of Jellicles clustered around the clearing, leaving an unmoving kitten in its wake each time.

"Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball."

Screaming, Jennyanydots bounded forward, pulling the orange kitten into her arms. Skimbleshanks had remained where he was, cradling two other little orange kittens, a tom and a queen. All around the clearing, frantic parents rocked their unresponsive kittens in their arms, screaming and crying.

You were going to show the kittens what it means to be a Jellicle, show them what they have to look forward to. You were going to be their first teacher!

Not a single kitten survived Macavity's first lesson.