For All The Days Gone By
by Veronikitty
An old bedraggled cat limped along to a familiar pile of rags and eased himself into a sitting position. Sighing contentedly, he
nuzzled the pile into a comfortable position and stared up at the moon. He grinned for he knew his granddaughter, Jellylorum
would absolutely throw a fit if she knew he wasn't asleep at this time of night.
"Just like dear little Jelly to worry about her old Grandpop Gus" he smiled and shook his head slowly. He was not sure
exactly how long he had been sitting there and staring up at moon, but he suddenly became aware of a gray colored feline
who was staring at him. Gus smiled in recognition, but then quickly tried to put on his best 'stern' face.
"Now see here young tom, what're you doing sittin' there and starin'?" he said teasingly. "If you want to see at greatness, it
might as well be up close! Come over here!" Gus grinned as the handsome tom slunk foreward and awkwardly settled himself
down at Gus' feet.
"I... I was uh... How did you see me there, sir?" he asked in his usual respectful manner, twinged with just a hint of nerves. "I
thought that---"
"Now nevermind what you thought or didn't think, sonny," Gus said gently. "Not blind yet you know..."
"Of course not, sir! I never ment any harm, sir! I'm *so* sorry si--" Munku tried quickly to appologize, but Gus held up a paw in protest.
"No appologies needed my boy! I know that you came out here to see that all the Jellicles are set for the night... did much the same
thing myself when I was your age and leader of the tribe." Gus rubbed the tabby's back affectionatly and recalled a time when he
had such a strong and muscular backside.
"Yes. I'm sure you did." Munkustrap said gently, with a bit of his normal vocal tone returning. "It's just been a really long day and I just
stepped out for a bit of fresh air. There was another Macavity scare today, Gus. If I didn't know better I'd say that he was looking for
something around here--- but that sounds foolish, doesn't it? I mean, what could Macavity want around he--- Gus?" What Munkustrap
hadn't realized was that at the moment he had mentioned the name Macavity, Gus had started thinking backwards in time.
"Elantris..." he whispered more to himself than anyone else.
"Who?" Munkustrap asked in wonderment.
"Oh!" Gus realized he had spoken aloud. " I was just thinking about something... It's nothing for you to worry about dear boy." he rushed on.
"You were saying about Macavity?"
Munkustrap began talking about what the day's search party had discovered and other matters of importance, but Gus' mind was a million
miles away..... to a time long ago.
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"Gus!" a frantic voice called to him. "ASPARAGUS! Wake up!" He jumped with a start and found himself staring into the face of an absolutely
gorgeous siamese cat. She jumped off of him and frantically pulled at his strong brown paw. "Please hurry! There's trouble!"
Asparagus bounded off his customary pile of rags and landed gracefully on the ground. Shaking off sleep as if it were an old blanket, simply to be
cast aside when dawn beconed, he pulled her close to his muscular chest and nuzzled her face.
"Caramella," he said with a pleasureful sigh as he rubbed his mate's head. "You know I don't enjoy being woken up early. What's all this nonsense
about some trouble? It's such a peaceful morning, I don't see trouble anywhere! Why, even the kittens are still sleeping! Now don't go tying yourself
into a knot, just go back to sleep for awhile longer. Caramella loved to feel his strong paws caressing her, but she didn't play that game this
morning.
"GUS!!" she tried again, this time with much more force behind her voice. "There is terrible trouble! The reason you don't hear any noise coming
the kittens is because they aren't here. Someone's kidnapped them all!!" she moaned in clear distress. Gus felt terrible for not believing her words.
"The kittens!!??" he cried out. "We have to gather the others together immediatly! No time to waste."
"Whoa! Whoa! Sloowwww down wonder tom! I've already gathered the search party," Caramella said rapidly. "And they're waiting for you over
there!" Gus' tense expression loosened a little and he grinned at her a little.
"You know, that's why I love you so much. Always so cool and calm under pressure." he kissed her lightly and was just about to join up with the rescue
party when the gold and brown queen, Vidallia ran over panic-stricken.
"ELANTRIS!!" she screamed. As she let out this exclamation an orange and black striped alley cat landed with a thud in the Junkyard and emitted a
high pitched screech. Gus dashed over to put himself between the Terror Tom and his tribe. He noted that there were two kittens with him. One he knew
to be little Jennyanydots, the other he did not recognise.
"Who's that?!" he pointed with a snarl and the new kitten. "Another kitten you've kidnapped I'd wager!"
"Not even close you narrow minded Jellicle!" Elantris said with his customary slippery smooth voice. "I'd like you to meet my son and only heir, Macavity."
Gus gasped and pulled back, for he knew what this meant. It ment that Elantris would have another ally. If this kitten was allowed to mature and join forces
with his father, no force this side of the Heavyside Layer would stop them. Elantris had to be stopped here and now. Elantris made the first move and Gus
was quick to counter him. This stalemate of move for move continued for awhile until Gus finally saw his opening and made the lunge for Macavity. He whirled
the kitten towards himself and clutched Macavity by the throat. Instead of panicing though, Elanris smoothly motioned for Jenny to be brought to him and
snapped his claws tightly around her neck when she was delived into his waiting paws.
"Harm my son and she dies, Jellicle!" he snarled.
Gus hesitated for an instant. Now what will I do? he thought to himself. Taking a moment to think, he suddenly had an inspiration and winked to his second
cat, Hemeliophate. The black tom nodded his recognition of the code message and sat in wait.
"I won't negotiate with criminals!" Gus shouted back loudly.
"Then you leave me little choice," Elantris snickered. Turning to his henchrats he bellowed, "Kill her now!" Gus faked a terrible state of panic and yelled in what he hoped
was a convincing voice of panic.
"NO! Don't..... Here, I'll give you back your son if you promise to give me back Jenny." he said in a mock voice of submission.
"I knew you'd come to your senses." Elantris said slyly.
"I know when I've been licked. Here, I'll let him--- *GO!!!!*" Gus bellowed the signal to Hemelio, who had snuck around to Macavity's flank. Hemelio sunk his claws into
Elantris' back side with a ripping motion. The feline leapt up and poor little Jenny went flying through the air, but landed safe in the arms of a waiting Vidallia who rushed
off carrying the precious bundle.
"Aurgh! You brat!" the wounded tom turned on Gus. "You'll pay for th-IS!!" he screetched and threw his whole weight into Gus, who staggered backwards and
landed a few feet from the edge of a high pile of garbage. Elantris barreled up the pile of trash and hoisted Gus high into the air. "This is the end for you! Any last words?"
"Yeah!" a voice said from behind. "Can you bouce?" A siamese leapt onto Elantris' back and knocked Gus free. Elantris faltered and fell over the edge to certain death below.
The siamese grabbed the edge and hung on for dear life. "Gus!?" she cried out. "Help me!"
Gus ran foreward and grabbed for the soft paw of Caramella, which was just out of reach. "Mella!" he sobbed. "Hold on! I'll pull you up!" He reached for her paw, but she was
just out of his reach. " I can't get to you!" Caramella looked into his eyes and said, "I love you, Gus! And no matter what happens, know that I care for you more than anything!"
Mella slipped again and this time was unable to balance herself. Gus watched in horror as she lost her hold on the ledge and fell into the dark depths below.
"NNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!" he sobbed with all his heart.
*********************************************************
Gus awoke in a pile of rags and tears streaming down his cheeks. "Mella." he said in that tone which only one who has ever lost someone they love could understand. He was about to
jump to his feet when he was grabbed by a knawing pain. He suddenly realized what had happened. "I must've dozed off." he moaned and rubbed his paulsy stricken paws. He was back
in the Jellicle Junkyard where he and Munku had been talking only a few short hours before. He thought of Mella and wistfully stroked his paw the way Mella had when she came to greet
him. A shadow was cast over the ground and Gus was aware of a low chuckling behind him.
"Awww... Poor heartbroken Gus. Tell me, did you also weep for my father?" a dark shadowy figure drew quite near. "Oh! That's right, I forgot! You killed him and didn't think a thing of it,
but when your mate fell, why all that changed!" Gus turned to face Macavity.
"Where are the other Jellicles?" Gus demanded hoarsely.
"Oh, they're here all right," Macavity snickered in a sugary sweet tone. "They're all tied up and gagged over there so that they can't get in the way when I kill you! Isn't that right my little
friends?" Macavity turned his attention to the bundle of fur nearby and was answered by a chorus of muffled replies. Macavity slunk foreward and without warning, launched himself into
Gus' frail body.
Gus wheezed and collapsed to the Earth. He tried to strike back but was so weak that all he managed to do was right himself in time for another blow. He woozilly collapsed again, but did
not rise again. He gasped for air and was about to give in and let himself be destroyed when a familiar voice called him in the back of his mind. Gus! It called him, ASPARAGUS
you must hear me! Fight for your friends and save them from Macavity!
"Caramella?" he called to the voice. "Mella I can't. I have no strength left. I'm an old cat!"
You're only as old as you think you are, my love. She whispered. You can't let Macavity kill the tribe. You have to fight! Give it all you've got.... The voice faded away and Gus
suddenly felt stronger and more alert than he had before. He rose to his feet with a crazy fire in his eyes. He took a step foreward and in a flurry of claws sliced into the Monster of Depravity.
"YOU WILL NEVER WIN, MACAVITY!!!!" he bellowed as he landed blow after punishing blow against the ginger cat's supple body. He knocked aside Macavity and rolled with him on the ground.
"Go back to where you came from!" he hollered. With one last swipe he tore Macavity's ear to shreds and the mystery cat turned tail and ran for it. Gus laughed for a moment and then collapsed.
While all this was going on the Jellicles had cut through their bindings and ran up to the Theater Cat once they were free. They arrived at his side just as he fell to the ground.
"Gus!" Munkustrap cried and reached out a paw to the old cat. "Gus! You're hurt badly. We have to get you to the veteraniarian immediatly!" Gus only shook his head and coughed up blood.
"It's--- It's too late for that Munkustrap." he let loose a low moan and sunk deeper into Munku's strong arms. "I've lived my time here..." he started to shake and his lids grew heavy.
"NO!" Jellylorum protested fiercely. "You will live Grandfather! You must.... Old Deuteronomy has to come and take you to the Heavyside Layer!" Just as Jelly spoke these words, a figure approached
from behind which all knew to be their leader, Old Deuteronomy. He moved Munkustrap to the side and bent over Gus. Lifting the fragile frame of the heroic cat he made his way to the tire which
would transport them to the Heavyside Layer.
"My dear Friends," Old Deuteronomy addressed the assembled. "Even though it is hardly time for the next cat to be chosen, I have made an exception to the rules. Gus is a magnificant cat with a soul
to match. He sacrificed himself to preserve the Jellicle Tribe and for that has been granted a special place in the Heavyside. You must never forget what he has done here today."
"We will not ever forget." Mistoffelees stepped foreward. "We will tell our children and they will tell their children, so that his story will never be forgotten."
Gus rose out of Old Deuteronomy's arms and began to assend the magical stairway to the Heavyside. He looked down and smiled at all the Jellicles. When his eyes fell upon Jelly he blew her a kiss
and mouthed the words-- Never Forget--- to her. He turned and made his way up the remaining steps and was greeted at the top by a certain siamese who held out her paws to him with tears in her
eyes.
"Asparagus!" she breathed with excitement.
"Caramella!" he cried out in shock.
The two embraced and the sky burst forth with a million stars that evening. The Jellicles knew that there, Gus had found the meaning of what happiness is....
Dry your eyes and return to the Fic
