Author's note: I plan to write one more chapter then 'the end is here' for this story. So please enjoy the next to last chapter of The Protector and reveiw! I deeply want to know what you guys think.

Chapter 15: The End is Here

"Jellicle Cats come out tonight

Jellicle Cats come one come all

The Jellicle moon is shining bright

Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball"

"The Jellicle Ball has officially begun," Donte thought as he watched from a concealed place further up, "but Macavity can not use the curse until the stroke of four." He looked at the clock. It was 2:24. Less than two hours before all would be decided.

The dark tom's yellow eyes turned toward the tightly bound Andrian behind him with sympathy.

"Jellicle Cats meet but once a year

at the Jellicle Ball where we all rejoice

And the Jellicle leader will soon appear

To make what is known as the Jellicle Choice

When Old Deuteronomy, just before dawn

Through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife

Announces the cat who can now be reborn

and come back to a different Jellicle life"

Macavity listened to Munkustrap's always perfect voice float over the Junkyard. It made his wish dearly to go and throttle the silver tabby, but he must be patient. Soon. Soon he would never have to hear that stupid opening paragraph for the Ball sung in Munkustrap's hideously perfect voice.

…………

An hour and thirty-three minutes passed and 4:00 was a mere three minutes away. The Jellicle Ball was dwindling to a close and Macavity's plan was about to be set in action.

On silent orders the highly trained henchcats quietly surrounded the Junkyard and waited further orders. Donte pulled Andrian to his feet as Macavity came over.

Two minutes. Andrian starts shivering.

"And now, Old Deuteronomy, just before dawn

Through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife

Announces the cat who can now be reborn

And come back to a different Jellicle life"

One minute. Andrian's shivering gets worse and is joined by little jerks.

Thirty seconds. The once little jerks now claim his whole body and Macavity smiles.

The Ginger cat leans over and whispers in the thrashing cats ear, "Jellicles"

Andrian's eyes turn pure red and he is shoved off the platform. He lands in the middle of the group of Jellicles just as the clock strikes four.

…………

They were all gathered around Old Deuteronomy eagerly waiting to hear who had been chosen this year, when a loud thump came from behind. Mistofeeles and the others turned to find a pale orange cat, bound and jerking violently.

"Andrian!" Mistofeeles shouted and tried to get closer to his friend, but a wave of heat knocked him back. The black cat looked back at the now still Andrian and knew what was happening. "Oh, Heaviside." he whispered.

Andrian's bindings simply melted away into nonexistence and then the tom slowly stood up. Jagged lines that shone a deep red etched themselves onto his thin body and his claws grew longer. The cursed cat lifted up his head and his pure red eyes bore into the Jellicles.

In a voice that was way too deep to belong to him, he said one word: "Jellicles."

Mistofeeles knew he had to stop Andrian and fast. The magical cat concentrated and a blue mist surrounded the pale tom and prevented him from moving, but with the curse in progress he was much stronger and Mistofeeles doubted he could hold him for more than a minute.

"Andrian?" a small voice said quietly making Mistofeeles jump. He turned slightly and saw Nova standing beside him, but closer to Andrian. "What's wrong with you?"

Mistofeeles could feel his magical grip was about to be broken. "Nova! Go back! Run!"

He shouted at the kitten just beyond his reach.

The hold broke and red energy balls flew outward, one caught Nova in the chest and her small form flew backward and landed in a heap.

Mistofeeles couldn't believe it: Andrian, who lived for the kittens, just hurt Nova. Curse or no curse, Mistofeeles was now furious at the glowing red cat in front of him.

"Andrian!" Mistofeeles shouted angrily as he tried to bind him again, "You freaking idiot! You hurt her! You swore to protect them, you just hurt her!"

Andrian's head snapped to the side and for a few seconds his eyes were once again gold and he watched Nova's motionless form in shock. He then looked with red and gold eyes at Macavity's henchcats surrounding the Junkyard. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he said "Macavity's cats"

…………

Macavity couldn't believe it. That pathetic little whelp found out how to turn around the curse. Now he had to kill him before he finished or Macavity would have no henchcats and would have to start over.

The Ginger cat started down the pile of junk, but before he made it halfway down he was tackled by a dark brown blur.

"I'm not going to let you stop him, Macavity." Donte said determinedly from his position on top of the Napoleon of Crime. He knew if Andrian completed the curse all of Macavity's henchcats would die including himself, but Macavity would be set back so far he had little chance of recovering fast enough to destroy the Jellicles.

Macavity slashed at Donte, but the younger cat dodged by rolling to the side. Macavity continued toward Andrian but was stopped this time by a silver tabby who sprung at him. Donte caught up and together he and Munkustrap kept Macavity at bay long enough for the curse to finish.

A red globe of light surrounded Andrian and with the whispered words of: "Macavity's cats." All the henchcats dropped lifelessly to the ground and Macavity went hissing into the distance.

The curse lifted and the pale orange cat now a year old collapsed to the ground, back to normal except for two things: the scar on his paw had vanished, and the jagged lines on his body turned black and remained.