Mummies Alive! meets Cats
Part 4: Macavity's not there!
"FATHER!" I shout for Munkustrap as I run away from the junkpile over which, moments ago, I saw Macavity and Scarab conjuring up a huge Cat woman, correction, Cat goddess, Cassandra would tell you her name is Bastet in the human tongue.
"Michael, what are you yelling for? We're right here." Mother says to me, I can tell she's not too happy at the moment.
"Macavity and Scarab just conjured up something that I think will spell big trouble for us, especially if we can't get rid of her." I tell Demeter, my mother.
"Big trouble spelt how?" Pouncival asks from his and Tumblebrutus' matress. Tumblebrutus' face echoes his question.
"Spelt as B-A-S-T-E-T, that's how. LOOK!" Femima points behind me.
Turning around, I see Bastet, Scarab, Macavity and their cronies, the sorcerer and the Napoleon of Crime are grinning in ways that tell us we're in for a bad time.
"Thank you, nephew, for leading us straight to our prey." Macavity grins at me, I automatically know what he means, my yelling woke up everyone in the Junkyard.
"And he led us to you guys!"
A whip slashes out of the air and snatches Griddlebone, pulling her into the shadows, where, after a brief shout, we can tell she's out cold.
"Griddlebone!" Gilbert shouts and the Siamese leaps for his mate, only to be knocked out by an orange and blue fist.
"I didn't want to do that, but any ally of Scarab's is an enemy of mine." Talana says, rubbing her knuckles, despite her armor, with an obvious expression of some remorse on her shadowed face.
"Now let's kick some feline tut!" Nefer-Tina shouts, and jumps straight for Macavity, knocking him off-balance with a kick to the gut, but he retaliates with a punch that sends her flying into Cassie and Nyx.
"Maybe Macavity does his own fighting, but I've got a few surprises up my sleeve." Scarab sneers at us. Turning to the shadows, he shouts "Shabties! Get the Jellicles AND the Mummies!"
Looking into the shadows, I see that they are Shabties, but not the human ones that Ja-Kal says Scarab has do his fighting for him. They're feline Shabties!
"Hey, that's fighting dirty, sorcerer!" I pounce on the first batch of Cat Shabties, shattering all ten to pieces but one, who has its paws around my throat.
Mistoffelees blasts another set of them, and even Jellylorum and Jennyanydots begin fighting. I see Orissa, Rath's half-human half-sister, step forward, in her gold-less armor with the large clawed hands and a smile on her purple shadowed face, she calmly steps forward and eliminates all of the Cat Shabties in her path towards the sorcerer and the feline crime lord.
I, on the other hand, feeling the life going out of me, until someone smashes the Shabti, so I only have to pull its paws off and turn to my rescuer.
"Thanks for the help, 'Dean." I tell my cousin.
Alonzo's son grins at me. "Don't mention it, just watch out next time, okay?" Azhdean tells me. Still grinning as he turns away, he looks at more Cat Shabties. "So, to quote Nefer-Tina, 'let's kick some feline tut'!"
"Couldn't have said it better myself." I tell him as we start working through the batch of Shabties coming at us.
Hearing a very shrill high-pitched shriek, Azhdean and I turn as one while fighting to see Azhdean's mother, Cassandra, and her daughter and Azhdean's older sister, Calica, both running away from a strange chimerical creature. Cassandra said that that is supposed to Ammut, the Egyptian Devourer of Souls, and from the looks of the beast, she's probably not far off.
Then, Ammut turns his (her?) attention from Calica and Cassandra and begins going after Exotica and Admetus, Cassandra's parents. Exotica shrieks just like Cassandra before running very fast for the queens' area of the Junkyard, while Admetus and two of his fellow Big Boys, Plato and Tumblebrutus, run towards Ammut and start fighting him/her, and they seem to be doing a good job of it, too, because soon, Ammut has a number of shallow yet crimson scratches from the claws of toms, and begins running away with Admetus, Plato and Tumblebrutus in hot pursuit.
After a few minutes of fighting, we hear Bastet speaking in a voice that makes the Junkyard shake like we're in the middle of an earthquake.
"Macavity, Scarab! Take your servants and leave, I will deal with these Cats and Mummies myself!" she shouts at them.
Scarab opens his mouth to protest, but Bastet looks at him with glowing yellow eyes, and he, Macavity, the remaining Cat Shabties and Macavity's cronies all vanish in a flash of purple light.
Turning to us, Bastet tilts her white head to one side as if she's thinking about something, something concerning us.
Munkustrap, Skimbleshanks, Jennyanydots and Jellylorum are all standing in front of both us kittens, and the other Jellicles, waiting for Bastet to make a wrong move. We just hope she didn't make a *right* move, that's all we hope for right now.
Bastet then makes a motion with one white-furred hand, and Femima, always looking like a younger version of Exotica, her feline grandmother, comes floating up from our midst, despite the combined efforts of Cassandra, Calica, Azhdean, Joari, the youngest of Cassandra and Alonzo's litter, and even pure white Marzipan of Mistoffelees and Victoria's litter, in an aura of a red and gold until she is hanging in front of the Cat goddess herself.
Bastet puts a clawed finger to her chin, and slowly turns Femima's head from side to side before looking straight into her dark blue eyes and smiling. "You're the first." she says.
"First of what?" Femima asks. Bastet just smiles again, and you can hear Exotica's granddaughter hiss in both fright and anger.
Bastet waves her hand again and this time, Mystoflare begins floating upwards. I grab and get a hold on one of her hind paws, but the magic of Bastet pulls her right out of my grip just before I get electrocuted and end up on my back.
As Elja, one of my sisters, helps me back up, I see Mystoflare hanging in front of Bastet and struggling as if against a physical, visible grip, but she only succeeds in turning upside down instead.
"I don't care what you want the kittens for, but I would like to have my daughter back!" Victoria shouts in an impressively loud voice. Bastet only looks at her and laughs, making Vicki's white fur puff out like the toms'.
"I won't hurt them, they're too valuable for what I have in mind." Bastet looks us over with a yellow gaze that makes us uncomfortable. Then, she smiles.
"You'll do just fine." The next time I know, I'M the one floating upwards, despite Munkustrap and Demeter's efforts to keep me grounded, I find myself in front of the Cat goddess herself.
"What does she want the kittens for? Wouldn't she try to get Kahti and Nefer-Tina again instead?" Ja-Kal asks Munkustrap. Old Deuteronomy shakes his brown-and-gray head.
"She finds Cats more fitting for her plans, whatever they are." Grandfather says.
Then, my vision goes white as I feel the light surrounding me and wonder what will happen next.
***
Leaping from one rooftop to another, I find my mind wandering, not unusually so. But with misgivings of my thoughts and my very sanity.
"Maat! The Junkyard!" Jared shouts in my head. Looking up, though, I see bright magical lights flashing in all colors out of the Junkyard, I have to jump into a smelly, garbage-filled alley just to avoid a shower of white fireballs raining on us.
"Aren't you going to see what's going on? Someone or something could be killing them!" Jared shouts at me. I cuff him over the head for his stupidity.
"You moron corvid! I would know if they were being killed. I'm a telepath, remember? I'd be unconscious from the psychic backlash by now if that was the case!" I shout back at him before swinging my arm and sweeping him through the air. Jared just settles down on my shoulder and I can hear his thoughts, grumbling about the basic stupidity of humanity and how even one-celled creatures are smarter.
"Ah, so we have the young woman who saved Cassandra from us. Not that she'll be able to save herself." I hear a voice behind me say.
"And she's unarmed this time, Scarab." I hiss as I violently expel a breath and turn to face my attackers. I recognize Macavity, and I believe the other one is referred to as Scarab.
"Bad mistake, you two. I might be unarmed, but I can still deal with you two with my powers as it is!" I tell them as I point to them. Macavity only howls like a drunken hyena, while Scarab chuckles the kind of sound that rain makes on the roof.
To prove my point, I conjur a massive fireball and throw it at them. Scarab gets hit before it reaches Macavity, who now looks more like a hedgehog with fuzz glued to him rather than a Cat.
"That was a big mistake for you, Maatsatisis!" Macavity snarls before pulling his levitation gimmick. Still, I jump-kick him in the gut before we both go crashing to earth, thanks to a purple magical flare, courtesy of Scarab.
"And now, we get to finish you, bothersome pest!" Scarab's hands flash with purple light, but just then, Jared swoops down and begins viciously pecking and clawing at his face, most likely trying to go for his eyes and tongue. Corvids are disgusting like that, but sometimes, the fact that they're carrion-eaters comes in handy.
"Not so fast, Crow!" Macavity tackles me to the ground and has one paw around my neck and the other in the air, ready to strike. "You may have saved Cassandra from us this time, but don't think that will save you now!" he snarls at me and I spit in his face.
"Maybe not that, but it'll take a lot to finish off a Crow, Macavity!" I tell him. Then, pulling my leg out from between us, I bend my knee to my chest before kicking him in the groin, then on the chin, and finally, in the jaw, again.
"Jared, come on! I'll feed you rabbit when and if we get home!" I shout to my spirit guide. Jared flys away from Scarab, out of the corner of my eye, I can see scarlet dripping to the ground and Scarab's pale hands over his left eye, I think.
"No need, I just got myself a little snack." he tells me, wiping the crimson stain on his beak off on his feathers. With him on my shoulder, I run out of the alley and into the streets, luckily, not many people out are at night for about a week around the time of the Jellicle Ball.
"Think we got them good this time?" Jared asks me. If he were a man, I'd probably slap him for being just too danged cocky, but as a crow, nothing to do about that.
"Until they decide to come after us on their own terms, yes. Especially considering how violently you gouged out the sorcerer's eye, I think we can count on seeing them pretty soon." I tell him, still running like the wind down the main street of London.
And tomorrow night, the night of the Jellicle Ball, I have a very, tickly feeling about that. I know what to possibly expect when I get back home.
***
I am not the only screaming in pain and fright, I can hear Femima's shrill shriek and Mystoflare's shout of fear as the light clears and Bastet appears in my vision again.
Then, three loud thunks sound as we hit the ground, probably paralyzed from shock. Trying to roll over, I manage to get to my side, and look up at a smiling Bastet.
"These three will be your warriors against Macavity and Scarab. I won't tolerate your destruction, since you are Cats, like I and my sister, Sekhmet. Femima for her grace and agility, Mystoflare for her magic and intelligence, and Michael for his leadership, fighting and strength. Care for them and keep them in health." With that, Bastet vanishes in a burst of white light, and the paralyzing sensation leaves us, so we can stand up.
"Michael, what is that supposed to be?" Munkustrap looks at me with wide gray eyes. If there's something wrong, I'd better hear it.
"What do you mean, Father?" I can only ask. Then, I realize my paws are covered with gloves, colored black like my stripes.
Looking down, I see boots on my feet of the same color, and Mother holds up a mirror to my face, and I see a red on my head and face, covering my eyes, and I realize my entire body is armored, even my tail, covered with red and black.
Femima and Mystoflare are likewise armored, Femima's armor is practically flattened against her fur, and still, she moves with all the grace and agility of her mother, grandmother and half-sisters, despite the armor's not-so-obvious bulk, and her armor is colored brown, black, white and tan, blending into her fur sometimes, while Mystoflare's armor makes her look like she has gauntlets on her arms, and it's bears an obvious resemblance to Talana's fox armor, even down to the boots covering her hindpaws, but her armor is simply white and black. And, surprisingly, none of our armors has any gold on it, like most of the Mummies and their allies do.
Suddenly, Mystoflare is enveloped in aquamarine light and when the light clears, her armor is gone.
"How'd you do that, Misty?" I ask her.
Mystoflare just looks at me with an uncharacteristically confused look in her eyes. "I don't really know. All I did was think about how I wanted the armor off." Looking thoughtful for a moment, she reaches up to undo the white collar with the black diamonds that Isabelle put on her, including the silver tag that declares her human name. Looking closely at it, she holds up the tag for me to see.
It looks the same, but the front of the tag is now colored, half of it is black, the other half, white. I can conclude that her collar is now similar to the Mummies' amulets, storing her armor when she doesn't need it.
Thinking about how much I want my armor off, I am blinded by bluish light for a moment, before I can see everyone staring at me.
"Michael, whatever you did, it worked!" Bombalurina exclaims.
Looking down, I realize that the armor is gone, then, Mystoflare smiles at me.
"It's in your name tag now, Michael. It's like your collar's your amulet now."
Femima does the same thing, for a moment, enveloped in dark blue light before it clears and she grins as her armor is gone.
"So, any idea why we got armor fitted for felines?" Mystoflare asks to no one in particular. Rath begins to clear his voice and Femima rolls her eyes as she waits for him to talk, naturally, she's not too fond of the scribe, none of us are, in fact, except for Crysalis, Tantomile's daughter, and we don't know why.
"Actually, maybe she was telling the truth." Talana breaks in. "She's a Cat goddess, I suppose the Egyptian equivalent to your 'Everlasting Cat', and she doesn't want to see you guys hurt because you're Cats. Maybe she figures that since Scarab and Macavity conjured her up, that giving three of you guys feline Bastet armor might even up the odds. After all, Corryn's proof that even the gods have feelings, isn't she? If Bes can be protective of his daughter, who says Bastet can't be protective of her own worshippers?"
Ja-Kal smiles at his daughter. "For someone who was a huntress and soldier, you seem just a bit too intelligent, you know that?" Talana grins and it's obvious how much of Ja-Kal is in expressions like that.
"Coming from you, Father, I take that as a compliment."
"So the three o' ya just 'old onto yer armors until Macavity 'n' Scarab decide t' show their ugly mugs again, eh?" Pearl begins rubbing up against me and I can't help but jump back, it gets scary when kitten queens simply refuse to keep their paws off you! Especially when one of them happens to be the calico daughter of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, the tribe's cat burglars.
"I suppose we'll have to. Mother?" Femima looks at Cassandra, who nods slowly.
"But, then, we know that Bastet's on our side, behind their backs, I mean, so that's one less thing to worry about, isn't it?" Cassie points out.
"True. But if Macavity and Scarab are allies, they'll be giving us a REALLY bad time while we're still here in London. When can you get us back to San Francisco, Misto?" Presley turns to Mistoffelees.
Mistoffelees looks up with a horrified look on his white face. After shivering for a moment, he looks back up.
"Well, you see, you guys were actually teleported here when Rath, Scarab and I used our magic all at the exact same time. I'm sure Rath wouldn't mind casting a spell with my help, but unless Scarab uses his magic at the same time, elsewhere, I'm after you're stuck here until then. Sorry." The little black magician looks rather scared, but Victoria begins rubbing up against her mate, then Misto's too busy paying attention to her to be worried or scared.
"Father, isn't the Jellicle Ball tomorrow night?" Munkustrap turns to Old Deuteronomy with a worried look on his face.
"Yes, it's forty-five minutes to midnight now, so it is tomorrow night, and don't forget that the kittens will mostly be in charge of this one." Old Deuteronomy grins widely, he reminds me of Skimbleshanks, for some reason, when he does that.
"Kittens?" Nefer-Tina looks at us with a bewildered expression, she looks so much like a female Munkustrap at that moment that even Jellylorum and Jennyanydots are chuckling.
"They will be doing many of their predecessors' duties during this year's Ball. Though the older Jellicles will be mingling with them from time to time, this is mostly the Ball for the next generation." Old Deuteronomy answers.
"But what about us? You're going to kick us out of the Junkyard for tomorrow night?" Samuel Hawkes, Ja-Kal's reincarnated son, asks.
"Not if you agree to something. If we let you see the Ball, you must promise not to tell anyone of it, we only want to be safe, and only talk about it amongst yourselves. If you can do that, we'll let you stay here tomorrow night." Old Deuteronomy says.
The Jellicles look at the Mummies and their allies expectantly. Then, Cassie comes forward and hugs Mystoflare the same way she was doing that last time. "I'm sure we all accept that condition." she says. The others nod in agreement.
"Then, you can stay for the Ball." Old Deuteronomy says. This is be a very strange night indeed.
***
"Jared, for the fifth time in the last ten minutes, shut up, okay?" I tell Jared as we reach the house. I stopped running fifteen minutes ago, and Jared's been driving me nuts about why we bothered with Scarab and Macavity in the first place. I only put up with him because my life depends on his being alive, remember that.
Swinging the door open, I kick an envelope across the floor. Flicking the light switch, I step forward and pick it up before flopping down into the couch.
"Now what do think that could be?" Jared says.
"For the last time tonight, shut your beak, Jared. Go away and look for Benny, 'Mau's probably upstairs snoring with the TV on." I tell him. When Jared flys off, I hold up the envelope and realize the writing on it looks like Alonzo's work, people would call it handwriting if it was a human's handiwork, I call it pawwriting, since it was written by a Cat.
Ripping open the top of the envelope with my fingernails, I pluck out the paper inside and toss the envelope into the trashcan by my desk. Opening it up, I can't help but smile.
It reads: 'As a friend of the tribe, I, Alonzo, cordially invite you to the Jellicle Ball tomorrow night, though you realize who might be there. Still, come one, come all!'. Cute, Alonzo might be a bit rusty on brains, but I have to admit, he does have a way with words.
A crash from the basement gets my attention, I look up and sorely hope it's not those two trouble-makers, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, or any of their litter, their daughter Pearl, or their sons, Onyx, Firebane and Mungorumple. Shaking my head, I put the card down and head for the basement.
Stopping at the basement door, I wait until I hear nothing before swiftly opening it and flicking on all three lights, so as to flood the basement with light.
I recognize a man with albino skin and blond hair, one eye is black but for a green pupil, and wearing a skeletal armor, I believe. I also recognize the woman, with dark skin the color of caramel, brownish hair, green eyes, one of which is red where it should be white, and the other has a green tattoo over it. I also recognize the Jellicle, who has a very guilty look on his face. A caramel Cat, with brown spots, brown and white stripes, a black patch over his left eye like Alonzo's, and red paws, tail and ears, not to mention green-gold eyes that are slitted by a black pupil.
"Nightshade, just what do you think you and they are doing in my basement at this time of the night?" I ask him. Nightshade winces before answering.
"Looking for food." There's only the slightest hint that he is asking a question rather than saying something.
"If you promise not to come down here again at the appropriately named dead of night to look for table scraps, I have turkey sandwiches, cupcakes and leftover fish and chips that Alonzo swipes from the bus stations and bus stops that you're all more than welcome to. Agreed?" I ask them.
They all nod and I motion for them to follow me to the kitchen.
"Um, we didn't introduce ourselves, my name is Shade, this is Meccha," the albino man gestured to himself, then to the woman, "and you seem to know Nightshade already."
"I was told of him by his uncle, Alonzo. The Jellicles regularly visit here since I saved Alonzo's life not that long ago." I tell him as I fetch the food from the icebox.
"How can you understand them without magic?" Meccha asks as she begins nibbling on a turkey sandwich.
"I have magic of my own, and even if I didn't, I'm a Crow, Jared's nature provides me with the ability to understand the languages of the animal kingdom." I explain. Looking at them, I wonder if I were to tell him what the twins told me. "By the way, I was informed that you have a relative among the Jellicles, a grandson."
Shade and Meccha both look at me as if I'm nuts, sometimes, I can very well be. "Excuse me, but our only child died when he was two, how could we possibly have a grandson?" Shade asks, with a look in his eyes that is more insane than any I've seen before.
"I can explain that, Son of Tymaera."
All four of us turn towards the front door to see a tall blue-eyed anthropomorphic femalee fox. Dressed in a Japanese kimono colored lilac and crowned with a mass of black, white and red hair.
"Who the deuce are you supposed to be?" I ask her, partly in confusion, partly in surprise.
"I have no name, nor do I need one. But I can tell you that the words of the female Crow are true. Nightshade is the grandson of the Son of Tymaera and the daughter of the tiger." she says, pulling back her lips to reveal fanged teeth in a Mistoffelees-esque grin.
"But how can a Cat also be a werewolf, and be our grandson, to boot?" Meccha asks her, pointing to Nightshade.
"That is my doing. I realized how saddened you two were when your son died. I attempted to bring him back to life unchanged, but a side-effect of the spell which I didn't foresee was being transformed into a woman. He escaped, we could find him, and without kitsune technology, he didn't live very long, but he mated with the Cat you call Macavity, Nightshade is the sole offspring of this union and heir to your unique powers and abilities." the woman says before vanishing completely. The cloud of confusion is raised then, and we all look at each other.
"This is just too weird. I need time to get this." Shade shakes his head, looking at Nightshade. "And how can you prove that you're our grandson, anyhow?"
Nightshade grins. "I think I can show you tomorrow." is all he says.
"For now, considering how late it is, I hope you will stay for the night." I say, mostly out of courtesy.
"You have extra rooms?" Meccha asks me with surprise. I nod.
"There are several guest rooms upstairs, or down here, if you wish. I, however, can't show you around right now, as I must rest, but I hope to see all three of you here tomorrow."
As I turn, I look at the trio out of the corner of my eye. I wonder how Nightshade can prove that he is the grandson of Shade and Meccha, and just what powers has he inherited from his grandparents, I wonder.
***
Yawning to myself, I look over the Junkyard. Most everyone's gone home, or to their lairs, if they live here, and the Mummies and company picked out their sleeping spots for the night.
Looking into the broken window of a beat-up American convertible, I see..hmm, I believe it's Talana, Nyx, Jana and Khetala all curled up together in a ball, well, England probably is cooler than San Francisco, I'm sure.
Rath is in that little compartment next to the magic tire, he's going to have cramps and a hard time getting out of there tomorrow, I can tell, Ja-Kal and Samuel are housed with the Big Boys, that's what we call Admetus, Pouncival, Tumblebrutus, Alonzo and Plato when they're all together, since the Big Boys are mostly toms in their prime, I wonder about Admetus being there, but, oh, well.
Kalia, Apachetress, Satyre and Cassandra are all housed by the queens, seperately, since Apachetress is one of those humans you just can't help but hate most of the time. Corryn is out flying over the city, with any luck, she'll find some warehouse or something to spend the night in, or Demeter and Bombalurina will give her a place to stay for the night.
The sound of something swishing past metal makes me look up. For a moment, I almost think it's Exotica, until I realize the face is black, with gold markings, I know it's Kianoi, the ancient Egyptian Jellicle Named Kahti by her humans.
"So, tomorrow is the Jellicle Ball, is it?" she asks as she sits right next to me.
"Yes, tomorrow's the summer solstice, the night of the Ball." I tell her. Where is this going?
Looking thoughtful for a moment, Kianoi puts a claw to her mouth. "Do you think I could also participate? It's been over three thousand years since I've last been among Jellicles, after all."
"I don't particularly see why not." I shrug. Then, Kianoi just gets up and walks away. She's definitely got be an ancestor of Cassandra and Exotica, they act very similar to each other sometimes.
Looking around, I'm considering just going home right now when I feel fur rubbing against my shoulder. I almost jump when I realize it's just Mystoflare.
"Ready to go home now?" she asks sweetly. For a moment, I can only think of how beautiful and how much like her mother she looks.
"I think so. I don't feel like running into another kitten queen tonight, and I don't think you want Cassie to hug you like a stuffed animal, right?" I ask.
"Cassie's arguing with Kalia and Satyre right now. And don't forget that I'm a kitten queen, too." I smiles.
"Yes, but you don't hound me all over the Junkyard, not like Calica and Pearl. Or worse yet, like Sparkles." I tell her. I grin as Mystoflare hits me lightly on the ear with her black paw. Then, she rubs against me before jumping down and waiting for me to follow.
"Do you think they'll try to interfere with the Ball tomorrow night? Especially with the mating dance, you know how touchy humans can be about that sort of thing." I ask her.
"No. Father and Grandfather wouldn't put up with that, especially since Marzipan wants to make an affirmation that he and Femima are going to be mates. Besides, some of them might actually want to join in." she says. Marzipan, if you're wondering, is one of her brothers, a pure white tom.
"Yeah, like who, for example?" I ask her. I can't picture any of them wanting to participate in the mating dance.
"Hmm, well, Nyx might get Ja-Kal in it, or Ja-Kal and Nefer-Tina, I think they'd be cute snuggling together. And definitely Rath and Apachetress, that woman follows him around like a duckling following its mother." Mystoflare makes what we all call a Munkustrap face, a face that Father tends to make a lot, then begins giggling and loses it. It's contagious.
As we walk home, I wonder about the Jellicle Ball. I only know it's not going to be like any the tribe has had before. Especially since we, the kittens, are mostly running thing this year. I can't help snickering to myself about humans and Mummies being in attendance. This is going to be an unforgettable Ball, I know that.
Part 5
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