Innermost Chamber
Written by: Jemimagic

=^.^=

Disclaimer: I do not own CATS, or any of the characters within this Fan Faction other then Maginhia.  But I do claim this Fan Fiction as my own, original work, and would buy CATS in a heartbeat if it was offered.

 =^.^=

Authors note:  This is the product of my own imagination; the CATS in this story are as they should be, paired with whom they are paired with in my own little mind.  Another thing to note are the parents of the cats. Children of Deuteronomy are as follows: Munkustrap, Rum Tum Tugger, Macavity, Alonzo, Copricat and Tantomile.  Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie are sister and brother as are Copricat and Tantomile.

=^.^=

It was the night of the Jellicle Ball; old Deuteronomy was sitting on the Vicarage wall listening as Munkustrap called all the Jellicles to the Junkyard.  A dark form passed beneath him, and another soon after.  But still he sat, sat, waiting for something.  He could hear the others singing and saw their shadows dancing across the wall beneath him.  But he still waited, sitting; waiting patiently for something that he knew was to come.  He had already decided the one who was to be sent to the Heaviside layer, it didn’t matter that he wasn’t there for the celebration.  But something was to come, he could feel it, sense it, it tickled the edges of his paws, made his tail twitch.  They would be expecting him, they were waiting, but so was he.  He was waiting, waiting, waiting for it.  It was important that he waited; patience was a virtue that he had practiced all his life.  So he waited.  The car didn’t see him sitting on the wall, the headlights were off, and the person in the driver’s seat wasn’t paying attention.  Deuteronomy saw it before it hit.  It barreled into the wall, giving the old cat a terrible shake, who fell off the wall, landing softly on his feet.  But the car had not finished its destruction, before Deuteronomy could get away it exploded.

Munkustrap had seen the car before it hit.  He was looking for Deuteronomy.  The noise baffled his ears as the car exploded, sending debris flying.  A horse whizzed past his ear, the hood ornament of the destroyed car.  The car had erupted in flames after the initial explosion; another tremor shook the car, a hubcap rolled over to him, circling him once, twice, then clattering to the ground harmlessly at his feet.  He looked into it, seeing himself, seeing flames leap up into the air to turn into smoke and float away.

“Where’s Deuteronomy?” a quiet mew behind him took his mind off the hubcap.  He knew who it was before he looked.  He turned around, Jemima was there, looking at him, an innocent expression on her face.  She stepped closer, he watched her move; every step she took was light and easy as all her steps were.  He looked back to the flames; they too were light and easy, but deadly.  They had worked their way around the car, and where licking the wall.  A siren resonated in the distance; lights whirred around, growing closer and closer.  Men jumped out of the big red truck with red tanks that reflected the fire.  They spurted forth white foam that smothered the fire, and put it out.  He looked back to Jemima who was watching the men with the tanks.

“I don’t think he’s with us anymore,” he replied.  She cocked her head slightly, wondering, pondering what his meaning was.  It hurt him to tell her that Deuteronomy was dead, he did not want her to be hurt.  “I don’t think he survived,” he added.  She inhaled, straitening her head, her eyes watered, she blinked, and a tear fell from her innocent green eyes.  Munkustrap stepped up next to her, nuzzling her muzzle.  She could only look at the flame and the men with the tanks.

Munkustrap left her side and walked into the middle of the Junkyard.  He called the others to him; they walked out of their hiding places slowly, cautiously, expectantly.  They all watched him, all eyes were on him, greens, blues, yellows, browns, all pointing at him, penetrating him, waiting now for him.  It was silent but for the men with the tanks, now brushing the foam off the car, searching it, looking for whatever it was they may find.  Another car came up, this one white and black.  It too had sirens, but they were not sounding, not flashing.  More men came out of this car.

The cats all listened as Munkustrap announced Deuteronomy’s death, listened as he claimed leadership, accepted the responsibility, and denounced the Ball until the next Jellicle Moon.  The cats did not respond, but a response was not needed.

Jemima still watched the men, watched as they searched the car, watched as another car, this one bigger then the last, this one too with unused sirens, came up.  The dead car was quickly hooked to this one, and pulled slowly, slowly, slowly away from the wall of their fallen leader.  Munkustrap watched her as her back was turned.  How long had it been, he thought, since the last Ball?  A year.  A year since she had stolen his heart with her innocence, with her music, with her affection.  But she continued to watch the wall, her thoughts only on their fallen leader.

 =^.^=

The next morning Munkustrap sat up and stretched.  His eyes opened wide, he yawned and leaned first backwards then forwards.  The red hearthrug under him stared up at him blankly as it always had.  He looked around him, it was all so familiar, but so different.  Everything had changed.  But no, everything was as it had been, he was different.  He had changed, not the things around him.  They would not change, they could not change, but he could.  He padded into the kitchen, the old tiles familiar, alternating grey, green, grey, green.  The reliable milk in his dish, he lapped it up, it tasted different today, fresher.  He walked out the door, noticing the old bottles were gone.  He sniffed the air, the smell of bacon wafted through it, hungering him.  But he had plans; he could not be bothered with bacon.  He padded down the steps and leapt into the freshly mown lawn, rolling in the clippings, his, for the moment, happy thoughts with Jemima.

Rum Tum Tugger saw his brother out the window, acting like a kitten.  Laughing to himself he walked out for a better view.  Munkustrap didn’t notice his surveyor until Tugger could no longer resist.  He chuckled to himself, and said, “A little old for that, aren’t you?”

“You’re just jealous,” Munkustrap taunted, righting himself and shaking the loose grass out of his fur.

“Jealous?” Tugger laughed again.  “Of you?” he laughed harder.  “Not a chance of that.  Perhaps you are the new leader, but I still have all the Queens.”  Munkustrap laughed in reply, and trotted over to his brother.  They walked out past the whitewashed fence, talking all the while, laughing at each other.

Two closely followed them, barely able to keep from giggling and ruining their surprise.  Suddenly, Rum Tum Tugger was lunged at and pinned to the ground.  Munkustrap just barely avoided his attacker.  The stalkers erupted in giggles, giving themselves away as the mischievous duo, Mungojerry and Rumpleteazer.

Tugger and the duo walked off together, him all the while flirting with Rumpleteazer and she enjoying every bit of it to the dislike of her brother, Mungojerry.  He didn’t like Tugger, didn’t trust him, knowing that he would take and then break any Queen’s heart.  Munkustrap watched them go and sighed to himself.  Would his brother never learn?  He began on his way again, cantering now, not in a hurry, just lonely and wanting to get into the company of others.  Soon enough he came to his destination, the Junkyard.  Others were already there, some of them melancholy, others not so much, but none of them particularly bursting.  Jellylorum came up to him, nuzzling him in greeting.  Her tail twitched above her head, but she sat down as he walked into the center once more, to the magical Mistoffolees.  The conjuring cat looked up at him, purring happily at the sight of his leader.  A crowd of kittens was around him, excitedly watching his tricks.  Death was new to them, they did not understand, and it was to be expected.

He watched for a while, and when he had gotten his fill of the previously seen tricks, he walked on.  The Junkyard was now his domain, his kingdom, and he was the king.  Yet he could not help thinking about Deuteronomy and how he had ruled.  So detached, and yet involved in every aspect of their lives.  They could all go to him, all trust him, and he was there for every one of them.  How could Munkustrap take on such a role?  How could he take over after such a wonderful leader, when he was not ready to lead, not ready to take on that role?  Deuteronomy was not supposed to die that night; he was not supposed to leave them alone.  And he wouldn’t have had if it was his choice, but it wasn’t and now Munkustrap had to keep the Jellicles together.

He felt eyes on his back, friendly, admiring eyes, piercing him.  He turned around but there was no one there.  Again he felt the eyes, the same eyes, and again he turned around to see no one there.  Perhaps it was only his imagination.  He wanted to be admired, as was Deuteronomy.  He wanted to be held in awe by the others, liked and trusted and treated as Deuteronomy was.  Again he felt the eyes on his back, only this time when he turned around there was someone there.  The one who had come to him yesterday, the one to whom his heart belonged.  She was not a kitten, but she was not yet a Queen.  He looked at her, and she looked at him admiringly.  No words passed between them, but they locked eyes and held each other’s gaze.  Munkustrap looked away first, feeling strangely intimidated.  She stood there, looking for his eyes again, “This is a game to her,” he thought, and refused to play again.  In truth, he was hurt, hurt that it was only a game to her.  He wanted it to mean something more to her, to be more then just a game.  But if he was only a game to her, he did not want any part of it.  She sighed and walked away, he watched her go, her small form taking delicate steps.

=^.^=

Jemima lay down in an old pipe, her paws in front of her, her chin resting on her forelegs.  This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.  She was supposed to be sad; Deuteronomy had died.  But she couldn’t help feeling good, feeling happy.  Whenever she was near him her heart soared.  But he didn’t like her anyways; she was probably too young for him, too immature.  He was the leader now, and he didn’t have time to bother himself with her.  She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

=^.^=

Rum Tum Tugger, Rumpleteazer, and Mungojerry sauntered into the Junkyard, Mungojerry in a huff trailing behind the other two.  Rumpleteazer was bubbling, loving the attention, Tugger was just being himself.  Munkustrap laughed, Mungojerry shot him a deadly glance, but then relaxed at the soft glance from the new leader.  ‘Maybe it won’t be to hard to keep the peace, to maintain the happiness,’ Munkustrap thought.  Another giggle burst forth from Rumpleteazer.  Tugger sighted his next Queen, and sidled up next to her.  Mungojerry, delighted, leapt up once more to his sister’s side, and nuzzled her affectionately.  She returned the favor and then they snuck off somewhere to get into trouble together.

Only moments later an enormous giggle erupted just as a loud crash echoed around the Junkyard.  The other cats only looked up for a second before shrugging it off.  Jemima was disturbed in her sleep, and sat up.  But she just as easily brushed it off, repositioned herself, and fell asleep once more.  Tugger stopped flirting only a second before he continued flattering and sweet talking Bombulerina, his usual subject.  Munkustrap suspected something sparked between them, but said nothing.  Demeter was there to take it all in with her sister, enjoying the show, but also annoyed that the attention was not hers.  Mistoffolees had long since finished his show, and was prowling around, looking for a new audience.  He found joy in performing and dazzling his audience, usually the younger kittens.  Occasionally he would learn a new trick, or invent one, and his shows at the Ball where always new and astounding, but he would perform everyday shows for those willing to watch.  But no, he was not looking for a new audience, he was looking for the one who held his heart, Electra.  Once he found her, he playfully pounced on her, sending sparks flying around the Junkyard.

Victoria and Plato were off somewhere, as they usually were.  Cassandra and Exotica were grooming themselves on the hood of the red car that had always been in the Junkyard, as far back as any of them could remember.  Jennyanydots was, if in the Junkyard at all, to be found where ever someone needed help, usually Jelly Lo Rum was there as well.  Coricopat and Tantomile where off, where ever it was they usually were, but being gifted with an extraordinary and disturbing sixth sense, they did not need to be looked after.  It was a gift that they received from their mother as well as their father, who just happened to be Deuteronomy, though they did not share the same mother as Munkustrap and his brothers.  The twins’ mother had mysteriously disappeared after their birth.

Pouncival was playing with Etcetera, and Skimbleshanks was on a train to the Northern part of the Northern Hemisphere.  Munkustrap felt, as leader, that it was important for him to know where everyone was, important for him to watch out for every one of them.

Demeter, quite feed up with Tugger’s Bombulerina fetish, saucily walked over to where Munkustrap was watching.  She sidled up next to him, nuzzling him in greeting, and purring in his ear, “Whatcha thinking?”  He looked into her pretty green eyes, and replied.

“It’s a lot harder then I thought it would be, to be responsible for them all.  I have gained a new level of respect for my father.”

“But he was never here, always on the Vicarage wall, always reliably sitting there, thinking to himself.  What was he thinking about?  You could never tell, but you knew that he was always thinking.  He was deep, thoughtful, seemingly all knowing.  He was the closest thing to the Everlasting Cat here with us.”

“I fear I shrink by far in comparison.  I will never be what Deuteronomy was.  I will never come close to what they expect of me.”

“You think to much on it.  Come, let your thoughts linger elsewhere for a while,” she dropped off the tire; looking back to make sure Munkustrap would follow her.  He did.  She led him out of the Junkyard, past where Jemima was sleeping placidly.  He was glad that she did not see him leaving with her sister, he still held a faint trace of hope that she would be interested in him, would one day love him as he loved her.  But he knew that if she thought he loved Demeter there was no chance of that.  Jemima would never let a Tom come between her and her sisters.

=^.^=

She watched him go with her sister, her heart aching.  She sat up, a tear fell from her eye.  “She’s jealous of Bombi, so she’s taking Munkustrap,” Jemima whispered, her words echoed around the hollow tube.  “Perhaps its better this way.  At least there’s a good reason why he cannot be mine; if his heart is elsewhere…” she let her words trail off.  There was something behind her; she could feel it, hear it padding its way towards her.  She lay her head down once more on her paws, closing her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

“I know your heartsss desssire,” a cool voice hissed at her.  “I know what it isss that you want, or perhapsss I should sssay who?” She felt the fur on her back standing straight, a tingling sensation ran its way up and down her spine.  “Don’t pretend to sssleep.  I know you are awake.  I know you hear my wordsss.  They are truth, are they not?” the voice continued.  A clammy paw placed itself on her back, stroking her gently.  She cringed.

“Leave me alone,” she whispered, a scared mew.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.  Leave me alone.”

“But you do,” the voice etched itself into her mind.  “You know asss well asss I know.  And I have the anssswer to your problem.  I have all the anssswersss.  I can give you what you want, I can make you happy.”

Jemima stayed curled up in her ball, her mind whirring.  Who was this cat, what did it want from her?  Did it really have all the solutions, or was it just trying to trick her?  Would it hurt her?  Suddenly, she leapt out of the pipe and yelled, “MACAVITY!”  It had the desired effect; all the other cats in the Junkyard sprang to life, rushing to her side.

“Where?” Jelly mouthed.  She thrust her paw forwards, pointing into the pipe.  Tugger stepped up, eyeing the pipe ferociously.  But there was absolutely nothing in the pipe, let alone Macavity.  Jelly turned to Jemima.  “What were you thinking?” she spat.  “That is not a game, calling out his name like that.  You had us all worried, terrified.”

“But there was someone in the pipe, honest.  It was talking to me…” Jemima whined, declaring her innocence.  “That’s why I called out…” she continued, but was interrupted by her eldest sister.

“He’s not there now, and I highly doubt he ever was.  Do not play foolish pranks on us.  It’s not like you to act this way, I expect it won’t happen again?” she looked at her menacingly.  Jemima could only nod.  Tugger pulled Bombulerina closer to him, growled something in her ear, causing her to giggle, and they walked off.  The rest of the on looking cats dispersed as well, more then one of them looking scornfully at Jemima, who cringed at their dirty glares.

Munkustrap and Demeter came back, sometime after this disturbance, to a once again calm and quiet Junkyard.  Neither of them suspected anything out of the ordinary had happened.  But Bombulerina told Demeter, who told Munkustrap, who decided that he needed to talk to Jemima.  Maybe this was his chance?

She watched as he walked up to her, wishing that it were under any other circumstance that he would do so.  She knew she was going to be yelled at, given more of the dirty looks, and made to feel worse about herself.  He was getting closer, though he was not looking right at her.  Maybe she could shrink back, and become invisible amongst the junk.  He was scanning the area around him; his eyes were drawing nearer her hiding place.  If she were to run, she should do it now.  She couldn’t stand being looked down on by the one to whom her heart belonged.  It would break her heart a thousand times more then if he loved Demeter and were never to look at her again.  She had two choices, face her pending doom, or shrink and hide from the one that she would rather run to.

His eyes were almost on top of her, ‘Decide right now!’ she yelled at her inner mind.  She shrank back into the shadows provided by the pipe she was hiding in.  His bright blue eyes swept where she had just been, not pausing, not suspecting.  Now there was only one thing to do, leave the Junkyard.  She turned around in the pipe, facing its deep blackness, and began to quickly and quietly run threw it.  The longer she ran, the larger the pipe seemed to become, and the darker, until finally, in the distance, she saw a small shred of light growing bigger as she ran.  Finally she was right underneath the hole in the inky blackness.  A stream of sunlight shone down on her, casting her slender shadow down beneath her and slightly in front of her.  Suddenly, she became aware of a pair of eyes watching her.  She shrank back out of the light, scanning the darkness beyond it, searching for the intruder.

A familiar, hissing voice ran itself around her, “You have run from him, and come to me.  Perhapsss thisss wasss not on purpossse, but it isss ssso all the sssame, and now that you have come to me, I can help you.  Do not try to run from me, it isss ussselesss.”  Jemima couldn’t see it, but she heard it, and she knew that it was in front of her.

“Who are you?  Show yourself,” she demanded, though it sounded frail and meek to her own ears.

“Asss you wish,” the voice responded, there was a slight hint of a mocking laugh in it.  Slowly, one limb at a time, a cat stepped into the light.  Its paws were white, gradually climbing up its leg and fading into a dark abyss of black.  Its eyes were bright yellow and deep, but clouded, protecting its soul from those unworthy to look into it.  It was missing an ear, as if it had been chewed off in a fight with a pollicle, the other ear was the same black abyss as most of its body.  It smiled at Jemima, and said, “My name isss Maginhia, thossse few who are my friendsss call me Gin.  I am the mother of two cats you might know.  Tantomile and Copricat…” Maginhia stopped, pleased to see a look of recognition flash across Jemima’s shrouded muzzle.  “I am here to help you, I can help you get what you want.” She smiled wickedly.

“I’m not sure,” Jemima replied, cautious.  Something didn’t seem right about this cat, something wasn’t as it should, and she didn’t feel as though she could trust her.

“I sssee, you don’t trussst me.  It wasss to be antisssipated, I do not exsspect you to underssstand, or to trussst me, yet.  But in time, perhapsss, you will learn to trussst me, and sssee what it isss that I have to offer,” she cooed seductively at the little kitten.  Then she turned, and walked out of the light.  “The leassst I can do isss offer you a shelter from the night, to keep you dry and sssafe.  I’m sure your sssissstersss will be worried, but you will be in good handsss.”  She began to walk, Jemima heard the pitter patter of her feet echo in the hollow pipe.  Not sure what to do, but not wanting to spend the night in the pipe, or go back to the Junkyard, she followed the sound of Maginhia’s padded feet.

=^.^=

She led the innocent kitten safely through the dark pipe, knowing she followed, knowing her every thought, her doubts, her fears, knowing that she would, in time, give in to her desires.  This is what Maginhia had planned on, she would help the little kit, but at a price.  She would take her place in Macavity’s clan, and Maginhia would finally be free to go back to the Jellicle life.  Macavity had promised to let her go if she could successfully ensnare a Jellicle Queen to take her place, and she had promised to do so.  Jemima was just the unfortunate victim of her freedom.  But it didn’t matter to Maginhia, she had no feelings for others, only herself and her children.  She longed to hold her children close to her once more, to be with her mate, and most of all to free herself from Macavity and his sniveling rats and dirty companions.

=^.^=

 Jemima found herself, after what seemed like hours of following and listening and following some more, out in the open starry night, far from the outer gate of the Junkyard, near a run down old car.  Maginhia leapt into it through one of the missing windows, Jemima followed her, they both landed onto the leather drivers seat.  Maginhia leapt down onto the floor where the pedals should have been protruding out.  But they were missing, and in their place stood a wide gap, a hole in the front of her, beckoning her in.  She walked through, Jemima followed and found herself walking steadily downwards.  Once the ground leveled out again she looked around her as she followed Maginhia.  It wasn’t as dark as she would have expected, there were gaps in the dirt roof above them that allowed the shallow moonlight that could, sink through them and light the ground at their feet.  It also provided enough light for her to see around her, in front of her was Maginhia’s form, stealthily leading her through the underground tunnel.  Around her were dirty earthen walls, closing in on her, leading her this way and that, expanding here and contracting there.  Not paying attention, she bumped into Maginhia who had stopped in front of her.

“Thisss isss where we shall ssspend the night,” she smiled.  Jemima, still not trusting the Queen in front of her, could not resist her urge to curl up and sleep.  The dark, earthy ground was scattered with leaves, which she gathered into a small heap and turned into a cushion of sorts.  She curled up upon her homemade cushion, and within moments fell asleep.  Maginhia watched her, her mind whirring with possibilities.  Her ears perked up, her sixth sense kicked in; Macavity was near.  The hair on her back stood up, she shuddered as he approached, but before he could enter the chamber in which Jemima was sleeping she turned and walked out, nearly colliding with him, but just nearly.

“I expect that you have her,” the ginger cat growled seductively at her.  “I expect that soon she shall be joining my ranks,” he added, eyeing her as he had before. 

She stiffened, hoping that he did not expect more from her then a look, and shortly replied, “Yesss, I have her.”

“Good,” Macavity snarled and stalked off, not having the particular taste for her right then.

She sighed, relieved, as he went.  Then she turned back to the sleeping kitten on her cushion, and curled up not far from her, falling asleep in seconds.

=^.^=

Bombulerina and Demeter paced on the ground in front of the old cabinet that had served as their home.  Munkustrap was with them, watching Demeter as she walked back and forth worriedly.  He found himself comparing her movements to those of her younger sister, she was not as soft footed or easy as her somewhat enchanted sister, she was different, Jemima’s way was, to him, more desirable, more graceful.  That’s who they were waiting for, Jemima.  He couldn’t find her earlier, and she hadn’t turned up yet.  It wasn’t like her to disappear, but she had been acting funny all day.  His mind flashed to his initial encounter with her, a year before at the Jellicle Ball.  It had been her first, his seventh, but she was not that much younger then she.  That was the night he fell in love, real love, for the first time in his life.  She was the one who first accepted Grizabella, her voice was enchanting, and her big blue eyes reflected the moon as she sang; those same innocent caring eyes that had held his own only that morning.  And the hurt that she had caused him, unwillingly, unknowingly.  He shook his head, riding himself of the memory.

Demeter went to him, seeing him disturbed.  “I’m worried about her, she should be here, with us, safe,” she looked to Munkustrap for comfort, but his response was less then satisfactory as he didn’t respond at all.  He looked at her, sizing her up, and sighed.

“There isn’t anything we can do tonight.  In the morning I’m sure things will have sorted themselves out,” he replied, his heart yearning for what he said to be truth.  She looked at him sidelong, but then yawned in agreement.

“Bombi, we should sleep.  She’ll have come home by morning.  She’s smart.”  The eldest of the trio nodded and leapt onto the second shelf of the half open cabinet, yawning and stretching herself out along its length.  Demeter nuzzled Munkustrap farewell, and sighed, “Do you really think that she’ll come home?”

“I do,” Munkustrap replied, outwardly strong, inwardly crumbling.  She smiled at him and took her place in the cabinet, watching him as he walked away.  This was not how it was supposed to be, he had only been leader for one day and already things were amiss.  Jemima was missing and he didn’t know what to do about it, what would Deuteronomy do?  A search party perhaps, but he did not know where it was that she would go to in the first place, and Deuteronomy seemed to know everything.  How he missed the old cat, they all missed him.  He was father figure to them all, and father to more then one of them; Rum Tum Tugger, Alonzo, and he himself where but three of his progeny.

He walked through the door that was left ajar for him every night, padded across the kitchen tiles, stopped only to lap up a bit of his milk, and curled up on the red hearthrug as he did every night.  Before he closed his eyes he looked into the fire.  The flames danced and spiraled their way up the blackened chimney.  A group of them in the center seemed to take on the form of a dancing cat, and it took him all of a second to know who it was.  Jemima.  Then sleep took him, it had been waiting to, and now it had its chance.  His eyes fluttered closed, the dancing cat crackled good night to him, and soon his breathing became deep and easy.

=^.^=

Jemima woke up, her eyes took only a second to adjust to the darkness.  She had fidgeted uncomfortably in her sleep, and was now almost hiding underneath her leafy pillow.  She poked her nose out, the rest of her body followed.  The sleeping figure of Maginhia was in front of her, blocking her from the exit that was so close.  Even in her sleep she looked like she was not to be trusted.  Jemima nimbly leapt over her, easier than she thought it would be.  Then she began to sniff her way out, she longed to see the sunlight.  The dark was no place for her, she was a dreamer, both in the day and in the night, she could not stand to have it be eternal night for her.  She came to a place in which the passageway she had come down only the night before broke off into two different directions.  Which way was it?  She only remembered going down, and they both sloped gradually up, they could both easily be the way back into the sunlight, back into the real world.  She chose the one in which the scent of clean air was stronger; the path to the left.

Hesitantly at first, but slowly quickening her pace, she began to walk up the passageway.  The further she went the stronger the smell of good, fresh air played with her nose and tickled her paws.  There was a light, growing closer, ever closer, and a slight breeze was drifting down the hall.  Suddenly, she broke out into a long, round chamber with no roof, and skidded to a halt right before she would have collided into Mungojerrie.  Startled, he looked at her and said, “’ello Jemima!  And wut are ‘ew doin’ ‘ere?  Don’tcha know where ‘ew are?  Oi say!”  Then he ushered her past a few other cats and pushed her into Rumpleteazer.  “Look wut Oi found meanderin’ about Macavity’s lair!” he explained to his surprised sister.

Jemima sat back, shocked, and almost screamed, but for Rumpleteazer’s paw in front of her gaping mouth.  “Now don’t go makin’ a ruiot, we don’t need that, now, dew we?” Jemima shook her head vigorously, “No,” and Teazer removed her paw.  “Wut dew ew think yer doin’ here anyways?  Macavaty’s lair ain’t no place for a little pretty like ‘ew.  Munkustrap’s nearly got the whole Junkyard in a hubble alookin’ for ‘ew, and ‘ere ‘ew are!”  Jemima’s heart flipped.  Munkustrap was looking for her?  Maybe there was something there after all.  But then she remembered, “No, he’s the leader, he’s just doing his job, he loves Demeter anyways.”

=^.^=

Munkustrap had sent out many Toms and Queens to look for her in her favorite spots, and Mungojerry and Rumpleteazer to Macavity’s lair to see if, somehow, he had taken her.  She wasn’t the type to pull pranks, and he really didn’t believe she had.  She must have had a reason for sounding the alarm the day before, and the longer he thought about it, the more it made sense to him that something had happened to her.  The only thing he could think of was Macavity, and it seemed logical to check out all possibilities.

Demeter walked up to him, diverting his thoughts.  She nuzzled him lovingly, but he did not return the affection.  “What’s wrong Munk?” she purred.

“Your sister is missing,” he replied.

“I know,” she sat back in a huff.  “But she’ll come back, you have practically everyone out looking for her, there isn’t a single Tom or Queen left, but you and me” she added, almost seductively.

He looked at her, quiet sure where she was headed but wanting to stop her before she embarrassed herself.  "Demeter," he said, looking firmly into her bright emerald eyes, so hopeful, yet nothing like Jemima's.  "I do not love you the way you would have me to," he said, choosing his words carefully, not wanting to break her heart.  "I love you as a friend, but my heart does not belong to you.  It is your sisters, do what she will with it."  He stopped short, this was the first time he had told anyone of his affection for Jemima.

Demeter stared up at him, there was a sagging longing in her face, but she did not appear to be crushed.  "You think I did not know this?  She practically fawns over you, and you cannot keep your eyes off of her!" she replied, not reproachfully.  "I understand what love is, I know.  My heart is Alonzo's, and his is mine." she purred to him.

"But what about yesterday?" he asked her, remembering their walk and the gleam in her eyes that he had only interpreted to be lust.

"Yesterday I was comforting you, as a friend would do..." she trailed off, a sideways grin placed itself on her face, and she scampered away.  Taken aback, Munkustrap watched her go, thinking about what she had said.  “Jemi practically fawns over you…” the words repeated themselves over and over in his head, leading to all kinds of possibilities.  Had she run away because of him?  Because she saw him with Demeter?  A strong urge placed itself in his heart to find her, to right her thoughts, he didn’t like Demeter, sure she was his friend, but she wasn’t the one that he longed to be with.  It was Jemima that his heart yearned for, longed for, needed.  It was she that, when he was not thinking of Deuteronomy, he was thinking of.  It was Jemima, the innocent little Queen that haunted his dreams, the few and far between.

She hadn’t been asleep when he had walked off with Demeter, he was sure of it now, and it might be to late for her to know what he really thought of her, of his undying love for her.  He had to find her, him personally, so he could confess his deepest emotions, his truest, purest thoughts.  He sprinted off, a two pairs of yellow eyes watched him go, each from different hiding places.

=^.^=

Jemima, Rumpleteazer, and Mungojerrie quickly and quietly escaped from the halls of Macavity’s lair, back down the passage she had taken to get to them, and up the path on the right.  They emerged from the hole in the car, leapt out the missing window, and found the hollow pipe used by Jemima and Maginhia only the night before.  Running down it as fast as their legs could carry them, they soon passed the hole in the pipe that let a shallow stream of sunlight through, still casting their shadows ahead of them as they ran down it, this time, towards the Junkyard.

=^.^=

The two pairs of eyes spotted each other, one fluttered closed, eliminating the light that it reflected, the other pair continued to watch the pipe where the first pair were hiding.  Suddenly, four forms came tumbling out of the pipe, one strikingly familiar to the on looking pair of eyes.

=^.^=

Maginhia whirled on the intruders that pushed her out of the pipe, her claws extracted, but a firm paw on her shoulder stayed her own.  The paw was strong, comforting, sent a flood of emotions through her veins.  She knew who the paw belonged to even before she turned, the paw that she had longed for the entire time she was under the control of Macavity.  The three in front of her were awestruck and taken aback by the cat they beheld before them.  It spoke in its usual, calming manner, “I have not returned for good.”

=^.^=

Jemima leapt up, but Mungojerry held her back.  Maginhia slowly turned around, and threw herself at long last into the arms of her one and only love.  “Deuteronomy,” she purred, nuzzling herself into the depth of his fur.  The old cat smiled and embraced his only living mate, drawing her close.  A bright light surrounded them.  The other three could not help but shield their eyes from the light, it hurt to look at it; it even penetrated their eyelids that were tightly clenched.  Music filled their ears, that of the Everlasting Cat, the holy music from the Heaviside layer.  Abruptly, the light subsided and the music ceased; the cats opened their eyes.  But Deuteronomy and Maginhia were nowhere to be found; they had vanished.

=^.^=

Munkustrap had looked back long enough to see the light consuming the Junkyard, and had quickly turned around to see what had caused the holy light.  But when he got there he saw only Mungojerry and Rumpleteazer looking dazed.  Then he saw the third cat behind them, the Queen he had been longing to see.  At about the same time, she saw him and leapt up, facing him.  No words passed between them for a long time, but as one they both broke out in explanation, their words a calamity of syllables making no sense to either of them.  Only three words, said in harmony, were comprehensible.  “I love you.”

“I love you,” Munkustrap repeated.

“You love me?” Jemima croaked, her eyes welling up with tears.

“Ever since I first saw you,” Munkustrap replied.  Jemima ran into his arms, he embraced her as he had longed to do since the first time he saw her.  “And you love me?”

She looked into his kind, passionate blue eyes so close to her own; her heart did a back flip.  “Now and for…” was all she could utter, for he leaned down and kissed her.

=^.^=