Standing At the Edge of the Earth (Part 1)
Note: The title of thsi fic is really the title of a song, "Standing at the Edge of the Earth", from Blessid Union of Souls. Also, in the fic, the lines in italics are from that song.
Munkustrap must have paced across the junkyard twenty times, pondering. He was so eager, yet so not. He wasn’t sure how he felt.
At last, Mistoffelees burst into the junkyard, carrying a piece of paper in his jaws. He ran right to Munkustrap. He was jumping like he had to go to the bathroom.
“Is it from her? Is it?” Munkusrap asked.
“Hold your horses tabby guy.” Misto carefully opened the letter, making suspense grow in Munkus’ body. “It says, ‘Dear Munkustrap,’.
“Wow.”
“Munkus, I’m not done. ‘Dear Munkusrap, I am missing you so from where I am. I haven’t seen you or Rum Tum Tugger in so many years, I cry when I think about it. I don’t even know what the two of you look like anymore. I wish that I could tell you where I am, but I can’t. But I can promise you two that I will find the Jellicle Junkyard if it’s the last thing I do in this tortured life I live. Sincerely, Meteress.’ Aw. Isn’t that—“
“MISTOFFELEES! IT’S HER!”
Misto tried to stable himself from Munkustrap’s shaking him. “Who?”
“Meteress is my sister! I haven’t seen her since we were three weeks old!”
“Wow! Too bad you still have no clue where she is.”
“I know,” Munkustrap came to a sad slow. “But I have to find her.”
“You can’t! You’re the leeader! You can’t just pack up and leave!”
“I have to. I have to find her. You don’t know how much I need to find her.”
“I bet I do,” Mistoffelees said. “But who would be in charge?”
“I don’t know. But I have to tell Demeter. And Rum Tum Tugger. Everyone must know!” Munkustrap dashed off into the city, leaving Mistoffelees alone in the darkening junkyard.
“Alonzo! Quaxo! Matty!”
No reply.
The little black and white cat scampered into the night.
Meanwhile, the Rum Tum Tugger was hanging out in Pouncival’s basement since around December 23rd his flat had been destroyed by humans. He was with twwo rather familiar customers, Jemima and Electra.
“Hey Jemmie, how ‘bout some snuggle time?” Tugger asked flirtatiously.
“No Tugger. I’m with Tumble.”
Tugger shrugged. “Your loss.” Electra cuddled right in his mane.
Matty walked in the basement from the freezing cold outdoors, Travie close behind.
“The heat went out in our flat,” Trav explained. “We need someplace to stay.”
“Ah,” Pouncival said, warming himself by the basement heater. “Come in.” Matty and Travie looked at him. They were already inside. “So what’s shaking?”
“Nothing.”
“Well, I, am going to bed,” Tugger informed them.
“And I’m going with him!” Electra giggled.
“Don’t think so,” Tugger said. “You’re staying down here with Matty, Travie and your BOYFRIEND.”
Electra sighed. “I guess so.”
“Why? It’s fun to be with me,” Pouncival said.
Electra rolled her eyes.
“WAIT!” Munkustrap’s voice came from the other side of the besement door and then through into the room. “Tugger,” he gasped breathlessly. “This letter…Meteress.”
Tugger’s ears perked up. “Meteress? You’re kidding.”
“No. Read it.” Tugger picked it up and reopened it. He read it to himself over and over.
“It’s her,” he whispered. “It’s really her.” His brother nodded. “After all these years, she never forgot us.”
“You didn’t forget her?”
“No. I remember her. But why won’t she tell us where she is?”
“I don’t know. But this time I have to find her. I’m not giving up this time.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you remember? We were about four weeks old when we lost her. We looked and looked and then we gave up. You shouldn’t have.”
Tugger racked his brain. “But I remember why we gave up! Because she was the one who lef tour litter in the first place!”
“It doesn’t matter! I have to find her.”
“But you’re the leader!”
“Then someone else will have to do it while I’m gone.”
“You really wanna do this?” Rum Tum Tugger asked.
“Yes.” This whole time the four kittens were just watching him in awe.
“What was her name?” Travie asked finally.
“Meteress,” Munkustrap said. “She was beautiful. She’s probably more now. We lost her three years ago.”
“Oh, but it seems like more.” Munkus nodded.
“Tugger, I’m going to find her. I need to find her. But what’ll I tell her?”
“I don’t know. But don’t tell her you’re going off to have an affair with another queen.”
“Please Tugger. No jokes. Not now.”
Munkustrap started back into the snow, headed for the Vicarage Wall.
“So Tugger,” Pouncival began. “This Meteress. Is she hot?”
Matty rolled her eyes. “I don’t know,” Rum Tum Tugger replied. “I haven’t seen her since I was a tiny kitten.” Pounsical snapped his fingers.
“Shucks.”
Tugger ruffled the fur on top of Pouncival’s head.
“I bet you’d like her anyway. Even if she was Tugger’s brother.”
“Hey!” Pouncival jumped on Matty.
Munkustrap didn’t know how Demeter was going to handle this. He trudged home, through the wind and snow.
“Munku!” Demeter cried as he walked in the door. “Oh Munkustrap, I missed you!”
“I’ve only been gone for a day.”
“Thank God only that.” He wasn’t sure if he could tell her.
“Demi… do you remember Meteress? I told you about her.”
“Your sister? Yes, of course.”
“Well… I got a letter from her.”
Demeter took the paper carefully from his paws. She looked it over. A fretful exspression spread on her face. “Oh no. You’re not going to leave—“ she looked into his eyes. But she knew her mate would go. It was his sister, he had to. She set the paper down and turned away, burying her face in her paws. “When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow morning?”
“What?” Demeter whirled around. Munkus didn’t say anything. “But…” But there was nothing she could say.
“Demi, I’ll be back.”
“I know, but… but…”
Munkus had a horrible feeling she was imposing that he wouldn’t return.
“I will be back. With Meteress with me. I gave up on her when I was a kitten and that was my fault. She’s in trouble now when she should be with us. I can’t give up on her.”
“I understand. But what if—“
“If I don’t come back? I will. Just trust me.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you…” Demeter didn’t know how to put it.
“Demi… there’s nothing else to say. I know you have worries, but opening them will only make the pain deeper. I have to go. But I have to put someone in charge first.”
“Munkustrap…”
“Demeter, I appoint you.”
“How?”
“You’re second in command. It’s only right that you should take over while I’m away. The first female appointed second-in-charge.”
“I’m honored… but I’ll miss you so.”
“Honey, why don’t you take someone with you? Like Tugger?”
“NO! You didn’t travel with that cat for months on end. It is not fun.”
“I wish you would.”
“Sleep.” Demeter nodded and headed for the catbed in their mansion, actually a church.
Munkustrap sighed and wondered how this would work. Could he trust Demeter to take over while he was away? She was a great queen and a wonderful mate, but what if Macavity attacked? He wouldn’t be there to defend them, and he wondered if Demeter would know what to do.
Then he wondered if he thought that because the was such an alert queen. But wasn’t that for the better? A leader that was always alert. But she was always tense. Still, she had always been a great mother, even to kittens to didn’t particularly care for her. Still…
His thoughts went back and forth wondering if he had done the right thing. Tomorrow he would tell all the Jellicles and then set off on his journey. Yet he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Many would protest, he would have to get extra packages that he couldn’t afford to take on his journey. His thoughts made him feel warm somewhat, they showed how much the Jellicles would care. The warmness at last carried him into his dreams.
The next morning he got up extra early. As he tiptoed past pews to a fireplace in a large room, he was surprised the Demeter already sitting there, his breakfast sitting in front of her: tuna and warm milk. He smiled.
“Good Morning, dear.”
“Good Morning,” he replied, seemingly very awake.
“Um, I have some food ready for you. I packed it all in a back you can tie on your back.”
“Thank you. How long have you been up?”
“Eleven-thirty last night.”
“Oh, Demi,” he said sympathetically. “You shouldn’t have.”
“I had to. My mate’s going away for a long time and I can’t stop him—I must do something to help him.” Munkus licked Demi’s neck.
“Thank you. I’m going to go tell them.”
He walked into the chilly January morning. The streets were near empty. A cold wind blew and ice was paved everywhere. Munkustrap crawled through a small pipe that lead into the Junkyard. There was no one there either.
They must all me in there houses, he thought.
He decided he could go to Alonzo’s Shack. There was always someone there. He trudged to the shack and knocked on the door. Something his the door. Then it was opened.
“Oh, heya, Munku,” Sillabub greeted. “Come in.” Munkustrap stepped in. Sillabub still held the door open and called: “Hey everybody, Munkustrap’s here!” They was a stampede of paw-thumps coming from the bedroom. And there in front of Munkustrap was the whole family, except for Matty.
“Silla, close the door!” Alonzo shouted. She turned and realized it was still open. She closed it. “What is it, Munkus?”
“Well… where’s Matropolis?”
“She’s at Pouncival’s basement. It was so cold in her flat last night she went there.”
“Oh. Well, yesterday, I got a letter from my sister, telling me that she found out where I lived, but she couldn’t tell me where she was. So I’m…I’m going to go find her.” All of the cats in the shack looked astonished. “I’m putting Demeter in charge until I return. And I will return. And when I do, I will have my sister, Meteress, with me.”
Demeter was standing at the front door with his pack. He got up to her and stood in fron to of her. Suddenly, she threw her arms around him and cried into his fur.
“Wouldn’t it be safer tor avel with Skimble?” Demeter asked.
“Yes. But I don’t know if she lives where he is going. Demeter, you know I’ll be back.” Munkustrap said, trying not to cry.
“But how long will you not be back? I’d really like to know that.” She cried all over again.
“I don’t know.”
”I knew that this moment would come in time, where I’d have to let go, and watch you fly. I know you’re coming back so why’m I dying inside?”
Munkustrap didn’t know what to tell her. It could be a very long time before he returned. He promised he could come back without knowing where his sister was, and finding her.
”Trying to search for words that you can’t find. Trying to hide your emotions, but eyes don’t lie. Guess there’d no easy way to say good-bye.” Tears started to streak down Demeter’s face. “So I’ll be standing at the edge of the earth, hoping that someday you’ll come back to me, I’ll be standing at the edge the earth knowing that one day you’ll come back again.”
Munkustrap felt more pain from her than any of the Jellicles. He was going to miss her so but he knew she would miss him more than anthing. She would be alone. He wiped a tear from her eye.
“Don’t misunderstand what I’m trying to say. I don’t want to let you leave this way, I want you to know that I’ll stand right by your side.” Munkustrap smiled at her warm thoughts. “And I know this maybe the very last time that we see each other cry, but whatever happens know that I’ll… I’ll be standing at the edge of the earth, hoping that someday you’ll come back to me.”
“Demi,” his whispered. “I have to go.” He kissed her nose. He started to walk away. As he did, he watched her sad face wave good-bye. Tears started a river on his cheeks, and soon they were dripping from his face. But he couldn’t go back. His sister was depending on him. He turned around and scampered into the London city, his heart no longer baring to look back.
