Author's Comments: This is my second attempt at a fic, be kind. *g* Also, this is very angsty; I was crying as I wrote parts of the end. There's also the violence and profantity, so if I were to rate this story, it woud be about PG to PG-13. Just so you know. Also, the spell near the end has no meaning or value. I just thought it would be neat to throw some Latin in there. It's not a real spell, to my knowledge. *g* Enjoy!

1.

Rain pounded London with a vengeful force. The wind whipped soggy newspapers around poles, buildings, benches, and the legs of unfortunate animals that did not have or were on their way to shelter. Unnoticed by humans, and perhaps others of her species, a gray and orange cat scurried toward the abandoned factory at the end of the street.

She crept through a tiny hole in the brick and proceeded to dry herself off the best she could, which was not much. The factory building, left to years of negligence and delinquency, leaked terribly. Many areas were transformed into miniature lakes.

“Well?” a voice rang out. “Did you find someone?”

The gray and orange cat looked to her left with her unusually large green eyes. “Yes.”

“And?” The voice grew impatient.

“There were many in the location I scouted. Two cats seemed to sense my presence.”

“Were you discovered?”

“No. Before they could investigate, a small kitten leaped from a perch near my hiding place, thus distracting them. A shaded female, she may have either been a Siamese or a mix of that breed and another short–haired breed, then went up to the two and initiated a conversation. By the time the two cats were free to investigate, I was gone.”

“But did you find one?” the voice demanded.

“Yes. I was able to find the perfect one for our needs.”

"Excellent work, Asille. As soon as the storm passes, lead the cat here. I assume it is a tom, correct?”

The gray and orange queen, Asille, toyed absentmindedly with the brass tag on her leather collar. “A young tom, but a tom. Would the ritual work with a queen, Dersoun?”

“No. It must be a tom. A young one, you say?” Asille nodded. “Good,” Dersoun continued. “It will be easier for you to lure him here. Now, go home, before those humans you live with worry too much. When the storm passes, return here, so that we may carry out the ritual.”

2.

The Junkyard was thoroughly drenched. The unlucky cats that had no other homes or did not reach their homes in time searched in vain for a dry spot. The driest of the cats were still damp. One of the unlucky cats, Admetus, wandered around in an attempt to stay dry. He peeked into the car trunk, which already contained Alonzo, Exotica, Plato, Etcetera, Pouncival, and Electra. “Um, any room for me?” Admetus asked.

“There’s barely enough room for us,” Alonzo said. “You wouldn’t fit.”

“Oh,” Admetus said. “Well, thanks anyway.” The cold water pelted his ears, head, and back, while dripping in a continuous trickle from his nose. The twins were in the oven, and that was quite crowded. Besides, Admetus didn’t want to bother them. Tugger and Jemima were in the dryer, so that left the pipe. It wasn’t the driest place, but it was better than standing around. He peered into the pipe for any sign of life.

“Who is it?”

“Misto, it’s me, Admetus. Can I come in?”

“Sure, but it’s still pretty wet.”

“That’s OK.” He crawled in and spotted the young tux curled up against the side. “Lovely weather we’re having, isn’t it?” Admetus joked.

Mistoffelees raised a skeptical eyebrow and smiled. “You look like a drowned rat.”

“You mean cat,” Admetus said, smiling. “You don’t look much better.”

“Eh, I’ll live. How about you?”

“No problems from me.”

“It’s kinda funny, doncha think?” Mistoffelees’s voice echoed in the pipe.

“What’s that?”

“We’re hiding out from the rain in a drainage pipe.” Both cats got a good laugh. “How much longer do you think the rain’s gonna last?” he asked, after their laughter died down.

“No telling.” Admetus looked out at the gray, ominous sky. “Minutes, hours, days, weeks-“

“OK, enough. I don’t like rain,” he playfully whined.

“Let’s just take a nap. Maybe we’ll get lucky and the rain’ll stop by the time we wake up.”

“Nap. What cats are famous for, at least to humans, anyway.” They smiled and settled down for a wet, cold nap.

3.

A gray and orange cat stared out the window as the rain slowed to a trickle. “Oh, look, Boots is watching the rain, Papa!” a little redheaded girl cried.

Asille inwardly flinched. She despised that awful name the humans gave to her. It was because of the way the orange markings around her paws resembled boots. She never answered to it, which annoyed the little girl. “Just wait,” Asille muttered. “You’ll never call this kitty ‘Boots’ again.”

“Oh, Lydia, she probably wants out,” the girl’s father said.

“But it’s wet!” Lydia protested. Asille narrowed her eyes. She hated that stupid girl. The rain stopped, and Asille walked exquisitely toward the back door and gave a small mew.

“What did I tell you? Let Boots outside,” the father told the girl. Lydia scowled and opened the door, watching her precious kitty as she headed for the end of the street.

“Dersoun?” Asille called into the factory. “Dersoun, I’m here!”

A pair of brown eyes glimmered in the low light of the mill. “Good. This is what you must do. Do you remember the tom you discovered the other day?” Dersoun asked.

“Yes.”

“Lure him here. Make him believe he is aiding a, what’s that human phrase again? Oh, yes. Make him believe he is aiding a ‘damsel in distress.’ Do not let on what will happen, and don’t seem anxious to get here.”

“Anything else?”

“Make sure he is alone. Not a single cat must follow you two. It could cause… unpleasant complications. Go now, and return with the tom.”

“Help me.”

Pouncival looked up from where he was playing as a mysterious feminine feline voice carried softly on the wind. “Huh?”

“Help me.”

Tumblebrutus also looked around himself. “What was that?” he asked Pouncival.

“I dunno. Hey, you guys here it, too?” Pouncival asked the other toms.

“I heard something,” Admetus said. Mistoffelees was looking around for the source of the voice.

“Help me.”

“That’s it, I’m gonna go see what’s making all that noise.” Pouncival got up and headed for the north end of the yard.

“Pouncival, I think it’s over there,” Tumblebrutus said as he pointed south.

“No, I know it’s over here,” Pouncival argued back. While the brothers argued, Admetus walked over to where the voice seemed to be the strongest.

“Help me,” it cried. The owner of the voice was definitely coming from over here.

“Where are you?” Admetus asked quietly.

“Come closer. Help me.”

Admetus did as the voice instructed him to do and stared into a pair of large olive-green eyes.

“Who are you?” Admetus asked.

“You must help me. Come quickly.” The voice was urgent.

“I don’t even know your name. Hold on, let me find Munkustrap. He’ll help.”

“No,” the voice protested a little too loudly. “I mean, there is no time, we must hurry.”

“Why?”

“Hey, Admetus, who’re you talkin’ to?” Cassandra sneaked up behind Admetus.

“Um,” Admetus looked at the eyes, which blended into the shadows, making them difficult to see. “Some cat over here needs help, but I can’t see her anymore.”

“Maybe she left?” Cassandra suggested.

“No, that doesn’t-” Admetus was cut off by the voice again.

“Help me, Admetus. Please.”

Admetus took a step back. “How does she know my name?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Cassandra said. “I’m going to go find someone who can offer assistance to the situation at hand.”

“Yes, Cassandra, go find help.” The voice was urgent, as if it was trying to make Cassandra leave. “Admetus will take care of everything.”

Cassandra, shifting into a skeptical attitude, let out a small laugh. “’Admetus will take care of everything?’ I’ll believe that when I see it. Look, uh, Voice, you just stay put, and we’ll be back in a few.”

“No,” the voice sounded angry. The mysterious Queen edged into the light, her green eyes glowing. “You will leave Admetus here, and you will go away.” The utterance became very agitated and appeared to have a strange effect on Cassandra. “Go away, Cassandra. Go away, and leave Admetus.”

Cassandra’s eyes looked glazed and stared eerily. When she spoke she sounded hollow and robotic. “I’m going to go now, Admetus. You help Voice.” She turned around, very mechanically, and left.

Admetus watched her go, not sure what to do. “Uh, Cassie?” he called after her.

“She’s gone, Admetus. Please help me.”

Admetus was confused. “How? What do you need me to do?”

The young tom was sure he saw a smile deep within the shadows. “Follow me.”

“I’m not so sure…” Admetus said as he looked after Cassandra.

The eyes began glowing again. “Follow me,” she said. Admetus, under the effect of whatever spell she cast upon him, obeyed.

5.

Cassandra walked machinelike into the proper, a stark contrast from her normal fluid step. She walked through the Junkyard and nearly exited the other side when a pair of identical cats raced in and stopped her in her tracks.

“Let me go, I have to go away,” Cassandra recited.

“We’re too late,” Tantomile lamented to her brother.

“Too late for what?” Pouncival asked.

“Cassandra’s under a spell,” Coricopat explained.

“Well, that’s obvious,” Victoria said.

“I’m not sure what kind of magic this is…” Tantomile said.

“…But it’s bad. We sensed evil before the storm, but we were distracted. It came back, and that’s why we returned, but we weren’t in time,” Coricopat finished. “Does anyone know where she was the last time she was normal?” Cassandra continuously mumbled incoherently.

“Uh, she was over there, with Admetus,” Jemima said.

“Hey, where is Admetus?” Pouncival asked.

“Wonderful,” Coricopat sighed. “Cassandra’s under a spell, and Admetus, the cat she was with, is now gone. Cassandra,” he turned her so she faced him. “Where is Admetus?”

“Go away, go away, Admetus will take care of everything,” Cassandra rambled.

“Take care of what?” he asked.

“Voice needs help, I should go away, Admetus help Voice,” she babbled. “Let me go away.”

"Voice?” Mistoffelees said. “What voice?”

"Queen, help,” Cassandra answered weakly. The spell was wearing her out.

“Queen, help,” Misto repeated. “Oh my gosh, the voice!”

“What voice?” Tumblebrutus asked.

“Remember?” Misto insisted. “That one that kept asking for help?”

“Oh, yeah,” Pouncival said. “It started to get really annoying after a while, ‘Help me, Help me.’ I couldn’t find where it was, though.”

“I bet Admetus did. While you and Tumble argued about where the voice originated, Admetus must have found it. Cassandra probably saw him over there, and so the voice put some spell on her…”

“And led Admetus away,” Exotica finished.

“Wait, we can’t jump to conclusions,” Munkustrap put in, always the voice of reason. “I mean, how do we know that this voice led Admetus away?”

“A few clues,” Victoria told him. “One, Cassandra’s blathering on about ‘Admetus will help Voice,’ and we can’t find Admetus. Last place anyone saw him was over somewhere with Cassandra. Now she’s all messed up, and, oh, come on, Munkustrap, it doesn’t take a genius to figure this one out!”

“Ok, next question,” Plato said. All eyes turned to the quite tom. “How do we find Admetus?”

“Well, the first thing for us to do would be to figure out a way to reverse this spell,” Alonzo said. “But how are we going to do that?”

“There may be a way to counteract the spell,” Tantomile said. “Let’s see… we need to take her where she was when the spell was cast. Jemima, you say she was over there?” The small kitten nodded. “Good, now we need some cat to carry her over there.”

“I’ll do it,” Alonzo said. He picked her up and took her to the spot indicated by Jemima. “Step two?”

“We perform a counter-spell,” Coricopat said. “Based on what we’ve noticed about the spell, we might be able to reverse it.”

“And if you can’t?” Tumblebrutus asked.

“She stays this way until we discover the proper spell or find the cat who cursed her and make that cat take back this spell. Alonzo, lay Cassandra down so she’s on her back.” Alonzo did as he was told. Cassandra was too weak to offer much protest. “Ready, Tantomile?” Coricopat asked. She nodded. “Let’s go.”

The twins stood at opposite ends of the Queen and closed their eyes. They held their paws over her body and began chanting softly in a strange language. Cassandra’s blue eyes flew open as she bolted upright.

“What do you think you’re doing, telling me to go? You have no…” she looked around her. “Huh?”

“You were under a spell, Cassie,” Exotica said. “Tanta and Cori lifted it from you.”

“I was under a spell? Ooh, I bet that cat did it!” Cassandra fumed.

“What cat?” Munkustrap asked eagerly.

“Some strange cat, never heard her before, wanted Admetus for something… say, where is Metus?”

“He’s gone,” Mistoffelees said. “You were with him last.”

“Tell us what happened,” Munkustrap said.

“Well, Admetus was over here talking to the shadows, and I come over, and here’s this Queen’s voice telling him she needs help and for me to go away. She really didn’t want me around, so I got suspicious. Next thing I know, I’m over here.”

“If he was led away, it was through here,” Coricopat said. “I can sense Admetus’s aura, along with an evil one.”

“Well then, let’s find Admetus,” Munkustrap said. “Alonzo, Cori, and Tanta, come with me. The rest of you, wait here in case Admetus comes back.”

“Oh, no, I’m coming,” Cassandra said. “I want to repay that Queen for messing around with my head.”

“No, Cassandra, stay. You’re too weak, anyway. Everyone else, stay, too.” Before anyone else could protest, Munkustrap led his team away in the direction in which they hoped to find Admetus.

6.

Admetus followed the gray and orange Queen down the street. His movements were like an ill-commanded marionette. His eyes were glazed over, and he had no visible control over his body.

“Very good, Admetus,” Asille said. “You’re following along just fine. Come now, we’re almost there.” She turned her face toward the dilapidated building a few hundred meters away from them. “Soon everything will be restored.”

A lean red Persian lie basking in the partial sunlight atop an old trash can. He perked up as he heard an all too familiar voice. “Great, now who does Asille have to assist in their demonic schemes?” he wondered out loud. He crept toward the end of the alley and peered into the street. At first he could only see Asille’s gray and orange form, but soon her captive appeared. Macavity stifled a shout. ‘What is she doing with Admetus?’ he thought. He knew of the ways of her and Dersoun, and he couldn’t sit back and watch Admetus fall victim to one of the sisters’ ritual. There was only one thing for him to do if he wished to save Admetus: Macavity had no choice but to go to the Jellicles.

“There, there, here we go,” Asille said as she guided Admetus down the stairs into the basement. ‘This is too easy,’ she thought. Getting rid of that Oriental Queen or whatever she was back in the Junkyard was a bit tricky, but this tom followed her like a common Pollicle. They would have no difficulties performing the ceremony.

The two cats reached the door to the basement. Asille took Admetus’s paw in hers and pulled him into the room. She then shut the door, but in doing so passed her paw in front of Admetus’s eyes. This act obviously lifted the spell, because the glaze left his eyes. “I mean, I’m really not sure I should be… doing… what?” The young tom looked nervously at his surroundings.

Asille clenched her teeth in aggravation. The spell could only be performed once a day on each cat, and now that she accidentally lifted the spell, she would have to contend with him at his full mental capacity. “Thank you for accompanying me here, Admetus. I appreciate it so much,” she said, trying to keep her cool.

“I don’t remember walking here,” he said, confused. “I mean, we’re in the Junkyard, and then we’re here. What happened?”

“Oh, it was, uh, such a brisk walk, I’m not surprised you don’t remember it.”

“Well, I’m going back now, nice to have met you.” Admetus made his way for the door, but Asille grabbed his wrist.

“No, you haven’t begun to help us yet. There’s so much more we need you to do,” Asille said.

“I don’t like this; it’s too weird. Let me go.” Admetus struggled to release his paw from Asille, but her grip was like iron. “Let me go,” he repeated, his voice rising a bit.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” she said while dragging him to the far side of the basement. “We need a young tom for our ritual, and you are him.” As they neared the back wall, Admetus could see a large wooden table. Unlit candles lined the table, and with a wave of her free hand, small orange flames burst into life, feeding upon the wick of the old candles. The young Jellicle gasped in horror at the sight that the light brought to his eyes. Attached to the back wall were a pair of manacles that hung from heavy chains, and the floor was littered with what appeared to be bones of other “helpers.”

Admetus panicked. “What are you doing? What’s going on?” he asked. His voice trembled with fear.

Asille flung him against the wall and before he could react she fastened the cuffs around his wrists. “Comfortable?” she asked with an evil grin.

Admetus struggled against the bonds. “What are you doing?” he asked in a frightened whisper.

“You’ll find out. Dersoun will appear shortly, once she is fully rested. Then we will begin the ritual.”

7.

Munkustrap led his team down one street and up another. There was no trace of Admetus, and Tantomile and Coricopat were getting tired, which didn’t help them. The gray tabby was frantic. He didn’t know where to look, or even what to look for.

“Munkustrap.” A rich bass voice resounded behind the cats. The Jellicles froze; they knew to whom the voice belonged. Munkustrap slowly turned to meet the cat.

“Macavity,” the tabby said. Alonzo crouched into a fighting stance while the twins stared daggers at the Persian.

“Look, I know we haven’t exactly gotten along-“

“You can say that again.”

Macavity ran a paw through his headfur. “I’m here on account of one of your Jellicles. A young one.”

Munkustrap shoved Macavity against the grimy brick. “What do you know about Admetus?” he shouted. Alonzo and Coricopat pulled him off Macavity.

The ginger feline brushed himself off. “I don’t like you and you don’t like me, but I don’t like her even more.”

“Who?” Alonzo asked.

“Her name is Asille. She and her sister partake in sick rituals involving toms, and now she has Admeuts. I’ve never seen any of their acts, but I’ve heard the screams coming from their warehouse.”

Tantomile and Coricopat looked thoughtful. “You wouldn’t happen to know the name of Asille’s sister, would you?” the queen asked, half wanting Macavity to say yes, the other half wanting him to say no.

“Dersoun.”

The twins gasped. “Where’s their hideout?” Tantomile demanded.

“This way.” Macavity took off.

“What are you three talking about?” Munkustrap wanted to know.

“We’ll explain on the way. Come on, or Admetus will suffer a fate worse than death.”

The five cats ran like the blazes toward the run down section of the city as Tantomile and Coricopat filled them in with the details of Asille and Dersoun. The two were sisters, Asille being the oldest, and both possessed magical capabilities. Dersoun was far more powerful than any cat alive, but she was greedy, like most powerful beings are. She contacted a feline medium, which channeled the spirit of the most evil and magically powerful cat ever: Kyppomardis. The force of the evil was too much for the medium, who died, but Dersoun, who was evil to begin with, could stand being in his presence. Naturally, she wanted power, and Kyppomardis gave it to her at a terrible cost. Dersoun lost her soul and physical beauty. She now looked old enough to be Asille’s great-grandmother, and her frail body was not able to support the magic. This is where Asille entered the big picture. Dersoun could transfer bits of power to Asille for rituals and spells, who then performed the necessary deed. The mystic Jellicle twins knew about certain rituals involving the murder and torture of cats, but they didn’t know the specifics.

Macavity remained silent throughout the explanation given by the twins. They knew facts: he knew what went on in the dark rooms after the sun set. He knew how Asille, the younger-looking queen, attracted toms with her alluring voice and enchanting eyes. He knew how she possessed the ability to cast a spell on a cat, binding him to her will, leaving the poor victim powerless to stop and with no memory of what occurred during the duration of the spell. Macavity knew of the dark shadows gathering together to form a massive shape of pure evil and, with Asille and Dersoun watching from the background feeding it with their power, envelop the chosen cat and- Macavity shook his head. He didn’t know what happened after that. He wasn’t able to stick around and watch…

“Macavity!” Alonzo’s voice pierced through the ginger cat’s thoughts. “Are you going to show us where Admetus is, or are you going to lead us on a wild goose chase?”

“Oh, sorry,” Macavity muttered. “We’re almost there. See that old factory down there?” Munkustrap and Alonzo nodded. Tantomile and Coricopat began gathering their energy. “That’s where they normally are, and I’d give my right paw if they weren’t there now. Let’s go.”

Admetus stretched, flexed, and pulled, but nothing worked. The shackled remained tightly fastened around his wrists. Late afternoon sunlight streamed through a small window near the ceiling of the basement. Asille busied herself around the room, oddly pleasant.

“Almost sunset,” she chirruped. “Then Dersoun will be ready, and we’ll be ready, and Kyppomardis will return!” She spun around gleefully, reminding Admetus of a nipped Etcetera.

“Who-who’s Kyppomardis?” Admetus dared to ask.

Asille froze mid-spin. “Kyppomardis is the most powerful being in the known universe, possibly the unknown as well. Tonight he may return to the land of the living, but there’s a catch.”

Admetus vaguely remembered hearing that sort of legend before, although it involved humans, costumes, and a day they called “Halloween.”

Asille’s face grew as dark as the room. “You’re supposed to ask ‘What’s the catch.’”

“I don’t think I want to know…”

“Well.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m going to tell you anyway. In order for Kyppomardis to remain on this plane, he needs a vessel in which to house his spirit.”

“Let me guess- I’m the vessel?” Admetus let his paws hang to his sides.

“Good for you!” Asille acted more like a happy kitten than an adult queen, which she was. “I didn’t think the sex of the vessel mattered, but apparently, it does. Dersoun said a tom.”

The room was darkening by the minute. Asille’s face lit up while Admetus’s fell. If the other Jellicles didn’t find out what happened to him soon, he didn’t know what would happen to him.

“Soon, Admetus, soon,” Asille said as the sun continued to set.

8.

The sunlight completely disappeared from the room. The candles provided the only illumination. Asille’s ears perked up as she whispered, “She’s here.”

Admetus listened to the “shhhhthunmph…shhhhthunmph” sound being made outside the basement door. The noises seemed to last forever. “Shhhhthumph. Shhhhthumph.” Finally, the noise stopped as the door creaked open, a shadowy figure standing at the entrance. Asille raced across the room and up the stairs to assist the creature.

Five minutes seemed a lifetime as the two cats made their way to Admetus. “Admetus,” Asille purred, “I’d like you to meet my sister, Dersoun.”

Admetus stifled a gasp as the cat stepped into the light. Her coloring looked as if a child had been let loose to wreak havoc on his white kitty with his paints. The only thing constant about her colors was the brown around her white muzzle, the orange stripes across the middle of her face and the gray circles around her eyes. If Admetus looked closely, he could see, on her forehead, two diamond-like shapes composed of whisker dots and a gold stripe beneath them, descending toward her left eye. Her deep brown eyes peered from the folds of furred flesh that hung from her body. “Your… your sister?” Admetus stammered.

“Do you think my appearance to be too old for the younger sister of Asille?” Dersoun asked, her voice like sandpaper on granite. “This is the price of power!”

“Now that the sun has set and Dersoun has arrived, the ritual may begin,” Asille said. Admetus struggled fiercely against his bonds, yet they would not give.

Dersoun “shhhhthunmphed” her way over to Admetus. After checking him out, she turned back to Asille and gave her what appeared to be a pleased look. “Perfect,” she purred.

“W-what are you going to do?” Admetus asked as he tried to meld his body with the wall.

“I told you already,” Asille protested. “The spirit of Kyppomardis will return to the land of the living, and he’ll use your body to stick around, and it’ll be Armageddon!” She proceeded to dance merrily in place, which really reminded Admetus of a nipped Etcetera when Tugger was in the room.

“Now we perform the spell,” Dersoun said mystically. She walked over to the table and with a wave of her hand Asille glowed. Asille then traced an outline upon the table, and an ancient book appeared. The aged magician opened the book and chanted in her sandpaper voice.

Asille’s glow faded to a dull light as she held her paws over the outline and murmured softly. A wind began to blow throughout the locked basement, and the shadows stirred like smoke. Dersoun continued with the spell:

“No!!” Macavity cried when he witnessed the shadows swallow Admetus. The rescuers just broke down the door of the basement, only to see they were too late.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Asille cried. “It worked!” Causiously she went over to Admetus; the shadows either faded away or dissipated. She undid the shackles around his wrists and stepped back as he fell to the floor, still. “Dersoun,” Asille said shakily, “is he supposed to be like this?”

“No he’s not,” growled Munkustrap. “What did you do to him?”

“Patience. All will be revealed.” Slowly Dersoun turned back to her book. “You wouldn’t dare harm a queen. It’s untomly.”

“There aren’t any rules about a queen attacking a queen now, is there?” Tantomile asked before leaping for the elderly witch. Fortunately for Dersoun, Asille intercepted the blow. Coricopat went to help his sister while Munkustrap, Alonzo, and Macavity went over to Admetus.

“Wake up, Metus, wake up,” Munkustrap said.

“Come on, open your eyes,” Alonzo pleaded.

“It’s no use,” Dersoun cackled. She found her place in the book and screeched: “Rise, Kyppomardis, return to us! Overthrow the weak and resume your rightful place as ruler of all evil!”

Admetus began glowing and his eyes shot open, now completely black. “I’m back,” he whispered in a voice that was not his.

Munkustrap, Alonzo, and Macavity stepped back. “You bitch,” Macavity whispered. He spun around to Dersoun and let loose a low growl. “You killed Alastair, and now you’ve killed Admetus! And now I’ll kill you.” He lunged for the queen.

“You can’t kill me, you insolent fool!” she said. “Admetus was the tom we looked for. Alastair… yes, I remember him. Looked like you, with those pale green eyes. He wasn’t the one. Admetus is. And,” she added the clincher, “you can’t kill me unless you kill Admetus.”

“No,” Munkustrap whispered.

“Kyppomardis, kill them for me, will you” Dersoun ordered.

“My pleasure,” Admetus answered. He lunged upon the tom nearest to him, Alonzo, and fought furiously. Alonzo was caught off guard, giving Admetus the upper hand.

“At midnight, Admetus will be no more,” Dersoun explained to Macavity. “Once that happens, there’s no stopping him.”

“You killed my son, and many before and after him. Now you’ve killed Admetus. Tonight you will die,” Macavity said.

Munkustrap screamed, “No, Macavity! You’ll have to kill Admetus.” He then turned, with several degrees of difficulty for he was aiding Alonzo, to the twins and asked, “Tanta, Cori, can you reverse this spell?”

“Why does everyone always assume we can reverse every spell?” Cori asked his sister.

“No, Munkustrap,” Tantomile said, ducking a blow from Asille, “we can’t reverse this spell. You have to.”

“I can’t,” Munkustrap said. Admetus glared and threw him against the wall, stunning the gray tabby.

Macavity towered over the witch cat and stared into her cold brown eyes. “Whatever you did to Admetus, undo it,” he demanded.

“You dolt,” she spat. “What I have done cannot be undone. You were too late for Alastair, and you’re too late for Admetus!” she ended in a final cry of victory.

“Aaaaayaa!” Alonzo yelled as he threw Admetus off him. The fall dazed Kyppomardis, allowing Admetus to speak freely.

“Alonzo, Munku, please help-“ he begged, but was cut off by the evil spirit.

“Shut up,” the spirit muttered through Admetus. “I will destroy everyone of you, beginning with-“

“Leave my friends alone!” Admetus shouted out. His face twisted in pain, fear, and exhaustion from the inner struggle, Admeuts tore a dagger from the nearby table and held it to Munkustrap. “Do it,” he whispered.

“No…” Munkustrap said. “I can’t kill you.”

“Damn it, Munku, I’m dead as of midnight, anyway,” Admetus painfully got out. “You must, or Kyppomardis will kill everyone.”

Dersoun “shhhhthunmphed” her way around the table, but a tall, lean, ginger Persian stood in her way. She hissed and raised her paw, but Macavity easily knocked it away. “Pitiful,” he said. “You had such potential, and you sold it for more power at such an idiotic cost. You’re too weak to even cast a decent spell!”

Dersoun gaped at him. How dare he! Before anyone could react to anything else, the distant chimes of Big Ben rang in their ears.

“Midnight,” Asille sneered. She laughed until Tantomile smacked the back of the head.

“Hurry! Before the chime hits-“ Admetus was once again blocked by Kyppomardis.

“Too late!” the evil entity scoffed. “No, I’m not,” Munkustrap said defiantly. He tore the dagger from Admetus’s paw, but hesitated.

Admetus’s voice spoke for the final time. “Go on. You have to." The chimes rang for the tenth time. “Now!”

Before Munkustrap could hesitate any longer, the gray tabby sheathed the dagger into Admetus’s heart. “I’m so sorry, my friend,” he said.

“No!!” cried the two sisters at once. Dersoun clutched her throat, gasping for air. Asille sank to the floor, defeated. Dersoun was dead within seconds. “Admetus, I am so very, very sorry,” Munkustrap cried, his tears blending with those of everyone else in the room, save Asille, who snuck out once everyone’s back was turned.

Admetus looked up at the future Jellicle leader with those simple, innocent eyes of his and smiled a forgiving smile. He nodded as if to say, “I forgive you,” then closed his eyes forever.

The Jellicles spent many weeks mourning over the death of their dear friend. Cassandra kicked herself for not doing more to prevent it from even happening. Tantomile and Coricopat spent hours mulling over why they waited so long to come back to the Junkyard. Misto regretted not using his magic. Everyone tried to comfort everyone else. They told Cassie that she was under a spell; she was helpless. Tanta and Cori were told they did all they could, and at least they helped find Admetus before it really was too late. The Jellicles told Misto that it wasn’t his fault Dersoun and Asille placed a cloaking spell over the factory. Munkustrap, however, no one could approach. He alienated himself from the other Jellicles, refusing to speak with anyone.

“No leader does that,” a rich bass voice said from behind him, “and this leader didn’t.”

“Macavity,” Munkustrap sighed, “I killed Admetus. I took the dagger and stabbed him. And you’re saying I didn’t kill him?”

“You killed Kyppomardis, who took Admetus’s body as a home. Dersoun and Asille killed the Jellicle. Blame them, not yourself.”

“Easy for you to say,” Munkustrap muttered.

Macavity narrowed his eyes. “What exactly is that supposed to mean? You think I don’t punish myself everyday for my actions? I do. I didn’t chose my life; my life was chosen for me. In order to survive I had to be this way, and don’t you dare say that I like it.”

“What makes you think I want to be the next leader?” Munkustrap shot back. “The Jellicles live under a hierarchy. I can’t say no. What I wouldn’t give to be a normal tom, not having to worry about ‘Is this for the good of the tribe?’ and ‘What would Old Deuteronomy do?’ because I am sick of it!”

Macavity quietly nodded his head. “Looks as if we’re both products of our environment. But don’t let Admetus’s death kill you, too.” The two toms, of different backgrounds and lifestyles, but with a common bond, locked eyes for a moment before Macavity turned and left.

Once away from the Junkyard, Macavity escaped into an alley. Life was so full of paradoxes and hypocrisy that it was no wonder no one made it out alive. Running a paw across his face, he remembered why he went to Munkustrap in the first place. He found Asille wandering the streets the day after the incident, looking for the entire world a lost kitten. Macavity had approached her and learned she was also under a spell, preventing her from retaliating against her sister. Dersoun’s death freed her. Macavity shook his head as he recalled the final words he heard Asille speak. It was of the requirements of the toms used in their rituals. Asille was to find young, forgotten, and alone toms, who were often overlooked. Taking one last look at the bloodstained leather collar with the brass tag in his paw, Macavity left the alley to continue with the life given to him.

Hmm, okay, how about them other fics?
I wanna go home!!! :)