Notorious Duo Turns Triple
By Mistacor
Part IX
Macavity guided them to the old, decaying cell, opened the door, and announced jovially, " She's right in there."
Munkustrap motioned to Tumblebrutus. " We'll take him in with us. Hold him tightly."
Tumble nodded solemnly. " Right."
When the team entered the dark room, they noticed the only light came from the single stream of golden moonlight coming from the lone barred window high above. The smell of blood reeked. The prison was dirty and putrid.
Mungojerrie's heart melted for his loved one. " Mista? " he called out softly.
The response was a low growl.
" Who's the'? " a hard, feminine voice demanded.
Rumpleteazer motioned for everyone to move into the darkness a bit more deeply. She and her brother both knew the effects of Macavity's treatment all too well and for Mistacor to see so many cats at once was one of the worst things to do.
Mungojerrie stepped slowly into the moonlight, speaking soothingly, " Mista, i's me, Mungo..."
There came a loud hiss and he saw two deeply-set orbs shine brightest silver from the ragged darkness.
The young tom was startled in disbelief. " Ya don' reme'ber me, do ya?"
" Oh, I reme'ber ya alrigh'.... Traita'...."
" Luv...."
" Don' ca' me tha'! Ya 'ave no righ'! " She yowled. " I kil'ed yer pret'y lit'le girlfrien' an' now I'll ki' you! "
" Wha' girlfrien'?! " Mungo cried, confused to no end.
Just then, the silver calico raised an eyebrow and a light shone near him, exposing the charred remains of a once-beautiful feline.
" Tha's Kriana, yer luv an' ligh'."
Mistoffelees raised his paw and light flooded through the entire cell, Rumpleteazer gave him a pained look that he quickly ignored as everyone got a good look at Mistacor.
She was more slender now, less kittenish. A wisdom shone in her eyes, underlined with pain and hate. Her eyes lacked their natural luster, the warm brown of them gone and replaced with glowing silver. Her once-beautiful coat was torn and mangy, her fangs terrible as she hissed a bloodcurdling hiss.
Her voice was cool and sleek. " Why, Mungojerrie, ya know..." She motioned to the remains of the dead Korat. " Tha' girlfrien'."
Munkustrap stepped forward. " You killed an innocent? " he asked gently yet firmly.
" Don' ya go an' rep'iman' me! She ea'ned 'er fate. Speakin' o' 'ow 'er an' Mungojerrie ma' luv... Aa! " She shook her head violently. " I's unfe'givable! "
Jerrie spoke imploringly, " Bu' she wa' ne'er me luve'. Kriana wa' tryin' ta sedu' me an' tha's par' o' th' 'ole re'son I lef' Macavity."
" Lia'! " the queen snarled, crouching low, staring him down.
" I's th' tru', Mista! Plea' belie'e me! "
" Wh' shou' I?! " the young calico growled. " I won' le' ya use me an' the' throw me awa'... Ne'er."
His gaze softened in love for her, pity at what Macavity had done to her.
When he had worked for him, he had seen dozens of cats driven insane, their eyes glazed over, their keen noses sensing only enemies, their tongues speaking nonsense and fragments of illusionary hallucinations. He had remembered seeing a small grey-spotted tabby in a cell once as he was going to meet with Macavity for his daily report. The tabby, not even a month old, was lying on the cold ground in a twisted position, murmuring and crooning that it was dying - " But what does 'death ' mean? Mother, am I dead? What's dead? If I;m not dead now, what am I? The lullabye the poor thing sang in a sad, mewing voice haunted him - " That cat took the sharp thing... felt the strike... Red... Something red.... Blood? "
He had never once thought it could happen to him or the ones he loved... until now.
" I luv ya, Mista," he spoke in all innocence and earnest. " I wou' ne'er use ya. Yer th' mos' pre'ious in th' worl' ta me."
Emotions raged across her face before the silver calico's ears went back even further. " Shu' up an' figh'," she hissed dangerously, lunging forward.
It was too sudden for any real reaction.
" Jerrie, move! " Rumpleteazer yelled but it was too late.
Macavity smirked in satisfaction as he caught sight of the cut Mistacor had left on her beloved's face and was even now clawing and biting at her victim unremorsefully. His perceptions had been correct: the Jellicles would stand there not knowing what to do, whether or not to fight a fellow tribe member and a kitten besides; and Mungojerrie refused to fight back due to his soft sentimentalities on this female.
He's grown weaker since last he was in my command, he thought coldly.
" Jerrie! " Teazer called desperately in fear for her brother's life. She was about to join in the fight, when Misto stopped her and then went on to watch the scene unfold, seeming to judge something intangible.
Mungojerrie was limp as the possessed young queen attacked him, his gaze almost unsettlingly calm. He could feel the pain but barely cared and barely responded. He could feel his neck being gripped firmly and it was then he saw her beautiful, wild face above his....
" Mista, ya ca' kill me if ya wan' bu'..." he whispered out hoarsely, blood and pain seeming to strangle him ever so tenderly, " ....I'll al'ays luv ya, no ma'er wha'..." Then, just as he felt her grip loosen ever so slightly, saw her eyes widen, he gathered all of his strength to lean up whisper for her ears only her third effanieffable, singular name spurred by the love his whole heart had for her.
Tumblebrutus still holding the nefarious cat firmly from behind, Macavity let out a silent snarl and weaved a spell using only his mind-thought.
Emotionless, the twins Tantomile and Coricopat tensed as one.
Suddenly, the Rum Tum Tugger ran past the group, pulled Mista off her victim and scratched her hard across the face, leaving a long bloody cut in the very place she had cut her love.
Flinching briefly against the pain, the silver calico queen hissed at the Maine Coon.
" Tugger! " Bombalurina called as she ran to the side of the now confused and surprised tom who stared at his paws in shock.
" You weren't supposed to attack without my signal," Munkustrap called out, irritated but concentrated as he watched and calculated the crazy calico's actions.
" Yeah, I know... Something weird came over me though..."
Bom raised an eyebrow. " 'Something weird ' ? "
Munkustrap was crouched defensively as he eyed Mistacor warily and then momentarily to Tantomile and Coricopat. " Twins, help me out here. Advise me."
Mistoffelees raced past him like terpsechorian lightning. " Plan's already in motion! "
Teazer was right behind him as he jumped in front of Mista with a smile. Carefully, she tended to her brother.
Misto's smile brightened at the young cat's frown. " Hi! "
Alonzo's jaw nearly dropped. " Mistoff, are ya nuts?! Get away from her! "
" Be'er liste' ta yer frien'," Mista growled softly in her throat. " Thi' doesn't concer' ya, blackie. I'm ju' as 'e supposes."
" You can't believe what 'Lonzo thinks," Misto scoffed, grasping for a foot-hold in this conversation. " He's delirious."
" I beg your pardon?! "
" Li'e me," the calico spoke matter-of-factly with a glare. " Now, ge' ou' o' th' way or I'll kill ya."
" No," the black-and-white began gently. " You're better than that. You're sweet and kind and gentle."
" Mischievous ta no en'," Teazer added with a grin as she and her brother looked up at their partner in crime.
" Lovely an' fun'lovin'," Jerrie said with a wink.
Bom smiled. " Fiery."
" Smart...aleck," Tugger interjected with fondness.
Alonzo gave in with a laugh. " Every bit a part of the Notorious Triple."
" Magical," Coricopat said.
" Mystical," Tantomile added.
" Cute! " Tumble called cheerfully.
Munkustrap, uncharacteristically shy, slowly approached the kitten with a warm, fatherly smile. " And I second all of that."
Mista raised her head up, eyes wide and ears pinned back now in a silent fear, disbelief and embarassment.
" I know I've seemed unfair to you... and I know now I never should have tried to seperate you and Mungojerrie. I'm sorry, Mistacor. I never meant to hurt you, just to protect you. You are, in many ways, like a daughter to me."
Eyes softened, she looked to the Jellicles on either side of her and slowly backed away, beginning to curl herself into a tight ball like any kitten would.
Mungojerrie, though a bit painful, made his way to her laughing goodnaturedly. Tentatively, he nuzzled her cheek wit hhis black-tipped nose. " It's alrigh', luv," he whispered reassuringly. " It's alrigh'."
After a moment of hesitation, the young queen nuzzled him back and then, as if a burden had finally been lifted off of her shoulders, she hugged him tightly.
Mungo nudged her shoulder lovingly and then, to his surprise, felt tears. He lifted her chin up gently.
When she opened her eyes, he saw her eyes no longer glowing silver but possessing their own natural warm brown colour.
She smiled at him happily and Mungo could feel no greater joy to have her back.
" E'erlastin' Ca', plea' le' i' be fore'er," the tom whispered into her fur with a sigh as the moonlight which tread into the cell on silent paws returned to normal - as if in reply.
" Oh, this is just too sweet," Macavity spoke out sarcastically in bitterness and bile. Quite easily, he broke free of Tumble and tossed him effortlessly aside.
All of a sudden, all four magical cats - Mistacor, Mistoffelees, Tantomile and Coricopat - turned sharply to face him, heads cocked and apparently listening to osmething or someone unheard. Then, as if all four were one, they narrowed their eyes.
Mistacor stepped away from Mungo to stare down Macavity in controlled anger. " You were the one to kill Kriana. You used your mind power to manipulate me."
" And you, " Tantomile spoke evenly. " You made the Rum Tum Tugger-"
" -hurt Mistacora to incite her," Coricopat completed.
" And you only let Tumblebrutus hold you so you could witness what transpired," Misto added, uncharacteristic anger igniting his eyes.
Macavity sneered. " How would any of you know? "
" It's writ'en 'n th' wind," Mista answered, her gaze far away.
Misto pointed a paw at the Napolean of Crime and golden light held him in place. He smiled over his shoulder at Mista who came up beside him. " What shall we do with him? "
Mungo went to them. " We shoul' kill 'im. 'E'd kill us."
" In a heart beat," the Paw said deceptively soft in threat.
Mista turned to him in contempt. " Gee, ya su' ain't doin' anythin' worth notin' ta 'elp in yer defen'."
" I don't need to," came the retort. " I still have followers and they'll hunt you all down sooner or later." The ginger smiled a wicked smile. " And I promise you: whether I'm in the pit of hell or get the chance to come back to a new life, I'll be there to see them rip you apart."
Tugger glared. " And we promise you: we'll be there, no matter what, to wipe you and your little goons' rears in the dust."
Mistacor cleared her throat. " In wha'eve' case, we can't kill 'im. Death isn't th' answe'. No ma'er wha' 'appens, once one evi' is sealed or destro'ed, a new evi' comes ta ta'e it's place."
" Why? " Jerrie asked.
" You cannot have light -" Coricopat answered.
" - without darkness," Tantomile finished.
Munkustrap sighed. " It would make things a lot more easy."
" What's the fun in that, though? " Tugger grinned with Bom.
" It keeps you busy," Tumble playfully nudged their leader.
The silver calico looke donce more at the restrained ginger tom and then turned back to her friends with a sigh. " I ca' seal 'im awa' fore'er bu' I need yer 'elp ta do i'."
Mistoffelees nodded. " Anythin'."
" We're 'ere fer ya," Mungo agreed.
" Okay. Everyone stand in a circle around the filth," Munkustrap supervised.
All the Jellicles did so, Mistacor and Mungojerrie standing at the front side-by-side.
The others leant the magic cats their strength and love. The energy, the power that entered the circle among them, choking Macavity grew stronger and stronger.
The sinister cat hissed, tryed to escape, but, for the first time in his life, was completely powerless.
" I will kill you all! " he screamed in rage.
The Jellicles were too lost in the light and the magic to hear...
One by one, they closed their eyes to send the imprisoned evil away. And just before she too closed her eyes to oblivion, Mistacor felt Jerrie's warm paw gently grasp hers.