A prayer, a symbol of good bye… a hope for a safe journey…
"No." The word itself was nothing, a simple adjective. Nothing more.
But the balance of the entire world seemed to settle around those two letters. The pure fury and unbridled power behind it caused Goosebumps to run up Christian’s body. The pain the anger and hate burned through Thistle’s voice and wrapped around Christian. He straightened, the arm falling from her slim shoulders. He understood, bless his soul.
So they left, Blaze in her pain and sorrow. She would be fine now. The Dogs were long gone and the pure pain in her screams would bring other Jellicles to her side to spirit her away from this place of pain and death. Thistle didn’t care anymore.
She didn’t care what they thought of her. She didn’t care what they felt. The only thing she cared about now was running from his death…
Jaded could not help the cold smile that filtered through his features as he made his way through a network of alleyways. He had to move his way through quickly, he knew Thistle. He paused slightly, looking up with yellow eyes at the ladder that led to the top of the building. It was a fire escape. Thunder sounded some distance away, but it was moving fast. The storm would be upon them soon enough…
Thistle and Christian went after him once again. His scent filled their nostrils, his very life etched through their souls. There was so much hatred that it burned so deep that you would never find the bottom of it in your lifetime. And it hurt a lot more then you could possibly imagine…
They stopped, sniffing. His scent stopped here, but how could he have disappeared? It made no sense. That was when Thistle looked up and saw the fire escape. They both looked at each other and shrugged, Thistle pouncing and grabbing the bottom run. She found his scent again, he was going for the roof.
She didn’t pause to wonder why but kept moving, ever so slowly up. The building was barely two stories high but it took the two small cats what seemed like a life time to make it up each and every on the 55 runs. In that time the anger boiled, the hatred simmered. When they reached the top of the roof day had turned to night as the storm clouds rolled in, obscuring the landscape. Jaded was waiting patiently for them.
He was infuriatingly calm as he waited for them on the other side of the roof. Thistle’s face twisted, pure fury masking her features. Jaded smiled, grinned almost. Thistle’s muscles in her back legs screwed up and she pounced…
Christian caught her, knowing full well the type of ruthless fighter Jaded could be. He watched cautiously him with deep blue eyes.
Jaded looked to Thistle, "you killed him," her voice hissed, "you’ve taken him from me. And all you can sit there and do is smile. You little bastard. I’ll-"
Jaded stopped smiling. "You’ll what?" Thistle quieted down, staring into golden eyes. "Come on Thistle, you’ll what? Have you forgot everything they taught you??"
She stared at him, "what?"
"Our parents."
Thistle stayed quiet for a bare moment. When she spoke her voice was like cold ice. "You have /got/ to be kidding."
He shrugged. "Am I?"
Suddenly Thistle wasn’t so sure. She’d known Jaded for a long time. The longest time in fact. And something about him smelt so familiar, like it had always been beside her. "You can’t be telling the truth." She whispered.
"You know the truth in my words sister," he answered softly, "you know I’m not lying to you." She pulled herself to her feet.
"But…" her eyes filled with tears, "why?"
It was simple, soft but it held the world’s balance. She took a step towards him, and Jaded took one back. "Why Jaded?"
He smiled now, a soft sad smile. He took another step back. "Because you’re you. Nothing more, nothing less. You were their pride and joy, the magic one, and I wasn’t." Another step. "You thought you weren’t excepted, for me it was worse, I didn’t have your power." Another one. "Your green fire." Again. "Your healing." Now he was dangerously close to the edge. "Thistlewait Sundancer, the pride of her parents, and little Jaded Black. Nothing."
"Jaded," Thistle started worriedly. "It’s alright now, you’re with family."
He smiled and Thistle’s eyes widened. Suddenly she was moving, with out no prier thought. But already he was falling, plummeting, dying before her eyes…
Not again…
Suddenly she was there, her paws grabbing his, stopping his fall. "Oh Jaded, Don’t leave me." Her eyes filled and her world closed over with bright amber. "You’re the only family I have…"
And then her brother, her only brother, smiled lovingly at her, his paw reaching up and touching her face. She cried into it, smiling back at him. Suddenly his lips pressed against hers in a soft kiss.
"Jaded." She wailed. "Don’t…"
"I’m not your only family…" and then he made her let go, he forced her, ruined her. And he was falling. She watched him plummet, screaming, howling cursing his name. Her brother’s life spirited off in front of her… and there was not a single thing she could do about it…
Christian was carrying a crying Thistle back to Blaze. Her heart died slowly. Her brother her family, her brother, dead… Mistoffelees gone with him. There was nothing else here for her, nothing. She would say their good-byes, and then she’d leave. She wouldn’t stay in this place of death and destruction. There was only so much that one cat could take.
Upon seeing Blaze she moved over to the pink queen. Her cries had died slightly. She knelt beside Mistoffelees, his head resting on her lap, rocking back and forth, grief etched within her. The poor queen was devastated. She was dying inside.
Thistle placed a paw on her shoulder, kneeling down beside Blaze. For a moment the two queens stared at each other, rose eyes meeting emerald. They stayed like that until Thistle shattered. Blaze’s arms wrapped around her, pulling her head down as the tears flowed. Blaze held her close, brushing her fingers through her fur. Her paw then reached down, patting Thistle’s paw that rested against Mistoffelees before moving to stroke him.
There was a slight buzzing in their ears and it grew to a chiming, a ringing. They looked to Misto…
They gasped, their eyes widening. Even as they looked he was beginning to breathe, his chest filling with air, with life.
"My god…" Blaze whispered. She looked to Thistle "You did…?"
She nodded, "and you, you helped me to remember."
The sound changed. Thistle’s eyes opened wider and she looked around her. The Jellicles. They were there, watching, clapping. Cheering for her. Bomb, Demeter, Munkustrap… Everyone.
She laughed… and cried. Christian hugged her. Home… she was home… She had lost a blood brother, and gained a lover and an adopted family… And Misto was alive…
Even as she thought it Misto’s eyes opened. Blaze cried and he smiled, his arms wrapping around her. "I thought I’d lost you." "And I you." "Never again Misto," "never Blaze."
And then they kissed, their lips pressing together in a seal of their love. Blaze couldn’t stop crying. Misto’s spare arm hugged Thistle.
It wasn’t over. It never would be… There would always be other problems, other cats, rats and dogs to cause trouble. But for now they were alive, and safe. Thistle was home, she had her family, her life.
And her name…
I am Thistlewait Sundancer, Sister of Jaded Black, lover of Christian Rogue and protector of all Jellicles…