Azazel: The Birth

By Jalhar

Chapter 3

"Mistoffelees, bring her back!" Bombalurina shouted. She was shaking
Mistoffelees violently, as if she was in the greatest fear ever conceived.

"When do you care?" Mistoffelees asked. Obviously, it hit home. Bombalurina
stopped shaking him.

"How can you even say that? Do you remember what happens in Macavity's
lair? No, you wouldn't. I've been there. I don't want that to ever happen to
anyone. Not anyone." Bombalurina was staring daggers at Mistoffelees. He
knew that she had been correct.

"Powderpuff, bring her back, man. You did it with Deuteronomy. You can do
it again." Tugger was sincere in his request. Mistoffelees wished so badly
that it would be so easy.

"The only reason I could do that," Mistoffelees said, "Was because I knew
where Deuteronomy was. I have no idea where Macavity is. Plus, Deuteronomy's
mind is mature. It isn't clouded. Her mind is. She can't cope with this
information given to her. That she's been kidnapped. When she realizes what
happens and accepts it, then I can--"

"Liar." Pouncival interjected. "You can get her back. You know you can!"
Before Mistoffelees could comfort him, Pouncival ran away, bounding at the
fastest he had ever gone. Mistoffelees felt like the number one heel. And it
seemed oh-so-apparent that everyone else was skeptical of him.

"You serious?"

"You'd better be joking."

"Moron..."

"You're the worst magician ever." The words flew out of their mouths like
water from a geyser. Mistoffelees held his head.

"Do any of you know any form of magic? No. So who are you to judge me?"

"Hey, Powderpuff's right," Tugger said, "It isn't his fault. He knows I'd
pound him if he didn't help if he could." Mistoffelees sighed.

"Mistoffelees can't help her right now, Children. And you are children.
Listen to yourselves bicker and squabble. You sound like Pekes and
Pollicles. Always at war. What a shame." Old Deuteronomy's words pierced
into their very hearts. He could always go right to the heart of the matter
and leave that heart dead.

"Okay, so how’re we going to get her back?" Bombalurina asked. Deuteronomy
shrugged his massive shoulders.

"We need to know where he is. And as of now, we don't."

"Hey!!" shouted Victoria. "What about Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie? They
used to work for him. Wouldn't there be a chance that they would know where
he is?" Deuteronomy smiled.

"Brilliant. Only problem is that we don't know where those two are. Sure,
Victoria Grove. But has anyone here ever seen their actual house?"
Deuteronomy asked.

"I know how we find them," said Demeter, "We listen for the screaming."
Whether she was joking or not, it actually seemed like an idea that would
work very well.

"I guess I'll go find them." Alonzo said. He may not have been the best one
for the job, but he seemed to want it. And after all, no one wants to go on
a scout hunt.

"Sure. Go find them." Mistoffelees said.

"Okay." Alonzo took off at a blazing speed. Almost knocking Bombalurina
over. Bombalurina, though, seemed far off. Demeter had her head down. Could
she still have feelings for the cold beast that was Macacvity? Mistoffelees
didn't have time to wonder. He began to walk away.

"Hey, Powderpuff, where're you going?" Tugger called.

"To think. I need to be alone to think... Maybe, just maybe, I'll hear her
calling..."

The night came gently. The world was given a heavy blanket of darkness to
call a comforter. Little by little, the world became black. The light in the
world was that of a fire. In the old orphanage, there was rest. And yet,
there was hostility.

"So, sister, how do you feel about your new home?" Macavity asked. He was
actually being sincere. No sneer. No evil smile.

"I hate it." Azazel spat. And she, too, was sincere. Macavity looked
puzzled.

"Why? I have returned you to your home. I have shown you who your family
is."

"Whom."

"What?" Macavity was even more puzzled.

"Whom. I have shown you whom your family is. Learn to speak." Azazel was
trying her best to anger the beast, but it wasn't working. It was only
making him smile.

"Oh, the same tenacity as when you were younger. I remember when you were
born, and mother was taken away. As were you. I tried frivolously to get you
back. I couldn't find you. I couldn't find mother. It was so sad." Macavity
did seem sad. And how would he have known that they were taken away at a
young age? Was he actually her brother?

"Do you remember this?" Macavity asked. He pointed to his arm. A pattern of
stripes were there, seeming to make a star. "It's a compass rose. We all
have one. It shows us the way."

"How is that possible?"

"Well, we can find the nearest family member when only one of the arrows
shows up. Right now it is still, because I have found you." Macavity was
grinning.

"How can you say that?" Azazel asked. "It's just a stripe. Just a regular
stripe."

"And you've got the exact same one on your forehead. Sadly, you'd have to
look in a mirror or a puddle to see where you were supposed to go. And that
leads me to this..." Macavity brought out something. A necklace, of sorts.
Its gem was very reflective. It had been kept clean even in the filth of the
orphanage. The dirty floors, the stained walls. They were filthy. And yet,
although it seemed as if Macavity was unable to keep anything clean, even
himself, he had kept the gem in hte necklace sparkling and pure.

"It's reflective surface is so that you could see your way out. Mother
wanted you to have this. When you might need it." Macavity moved forward,
slowly as not to alarm Azazel. He put the necklace around her. "I hope you
like it. Mother sure did."

"Mother...?" Azazel asked. "What... what was Mom's name?" She looked at
Macavity with intense eyes. Azazel remembered losing her mother.

"Mom... Her name was Razeltaff." Macavity's eyes softened at her name.

"Was. Was. I can't believe she died..."

"Mom didn't die." As Azazel said this, Macavity stood straight up.

"She's not dead?" He was so curteous it was frightening.

"No. She was just taken away." At these words, Macavity's smile vanished.

"She is dead. Taken away. Sure. But by who? The Everlasting Cat or some
punk with a rifle?" Macavity was frowning. He had to be her brother, she
thought. Because even now, she remembered her mother's voice.

"One day," her mother had said, "There was a big, strong boy born. His name
was Macavity. He was pure, innocent, and strong. A guardian for my little
child, Scattlebediddle." Scattlebediddle. That was her actual name. She
remembered it. But would Macavity?

"If," Azazel said, "You are my actual brother, what is my real name?"

"Your real name... I can't remember."

"Liar. You aren't my brother."

"If you let me finish," Macavity said, "I don't remember it all. I only
remember calling you Scat."

Mistoffelees was trying to focus, and almost had a lock on Azazel's mind,
when it went away.

"Everlasting Cat, what in the world is taking so long!?" he shouted. He was
growing irritated. Why couldn't he find her? It should have been easy.
Clearly, she was being occupied by other thoughts. Victoria, though, had to
feel known.

"Don't stress yourself. You always told me that worry leads to fear, fear
leads to anger, and anger leads to violence. I don't want you to get into a
fight." Victoria was so caring in tone that Mistoffelees couldn't remain
cold.

"I'm sorry, Vicki. It's just... She's like a daughter. OK? There. I said
it. She is like my daughter." Mistoffelees shook his head. Victoria wasn't
surprised. Mistoffelees often stayed quiet, and she knew that he had to have
kept it within himself for a long time.

"You know, Misto, you can cry every now and again. Show some emotion. Why
do you think Tugger called you aloof in your song?"

"Because that's what I am. I can't really change that."

"Oh, come on. I've seen you change Pekes into Pollicles. I've seen you
change cans into catfish. I've seen you pull kittens out of a hat! You can
change. You just don't want to." It was amazing how accurate Victoria was.
Mistoffelees cringed at her words, drawing away from her.

"You," Victoria said, "Are afraid. It's just like the Hedgehog's Dillema."

"Hedgehog's Dillema?"

"Even though a hedgehog may want to become close with another hedgehog, the
closer they get, the more they hurt each other. It's the same with you.
You're afraid to be hurt." Mistoffelees had seen Victoria grow from kitten
to bombshell cat. And even now, Mistoffelees realized she was correct. He
took off at full racing speed, away from the ghostly form of Victoria.
Mistoffelees, whom was so good at keeping his composure, began to break
down. He stopped, and breathed heavily.

"Why am I afraid? There's nothing I can't do." Mistoffelees thought.
Except, he added mentally, get used to not being able to help once in a
while.

In other places, Alonzo was having the time of his life searching for
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. Not that it was any fun.

"Oh!!" he screamed, rounding a corner, "I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate,
hate, hate, hate POLLICLES!!" He ran at full speed, gunning past other cats
on the street, being chased by the gang of five Pollicles. Soon, the cats
behind him were joining in the chase. He felt the hot breath of a Pollicle
on his tail. He took a leap of faith. He made it. He was atop a fence,
looking down at a Pollicle barking at him.

"Nya nya! Cats rule and dogs drool!" a cat called from beside him. Alonzo
looked over to see a cat, calico, small and fragile, insulting a huge
Pollicle. He wondered if she was strong, or just insane.

"Whoa. You sure you want to mess with a Pollicle?"

"Peke, Pollicle, anything under the sun, baby!" She was totally ecstatic.
Alonzo was now sure. She was insane. He began to walk off, but slipped off
the gate when a large Pollicle slammed its bulk into it. He fell down, to
him in slow motion, towards the mouth of the large Pollicle, jaws flaring.
That's when he felt the tug on his tail. It yanked him upwards, all the way
back onto the gate.

"GEEZ! Why in the world did you pull my tail!?" Alonzo screamed. He was
paused by the stare of the cat. It was not a fearful stare, or a threatening
stare. It was more like a happy stare. A thinking stare.

"You know, if you get past your bad attitude towards being saved, you are
cute." she said. Alonzo rose an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Cute! Name's Sassy. And you are?" Sassy. Sassy. Where had Alonzo heard
that name before. Then he remembered.

"Sassy? You are the one that beat up that Peke! You're famous around the
junkyard." Alonzo was practically beaming.

"I told you. Anything under the sun. And what is your name?" Sassy asked.

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Alonzo. Of the Jellicles." Sassy nodded a
bit. She seemed to acknowledge the word Jellicle.

"Wow. A Jellicle. Cool. Don't you feel special? Hee hee! Well, glad to be
of service, Alonzo."

"Uh, thanks... Say, do you know where Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie live?"
Sassy's jaw dropped.

"Why in the world," she asked, "Would you want those two?"

"It's important. We, the Jellicles, need to know where Macavity is."

"Ah. Well, I'll take you to them." It was such good luck, Alonzo thought,
that he was going to have a guide to where Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer
lived, he did a backflip. "On one condition." He stopped in mid-air. "You,
friend, have to take me out on a date. All the best spots you know."

"What?! What kind of a deal is that?"

"The only kind you're going to get. Now, either you take me out on a date
and I show you, or I'll leave you to the nice Pollicle over there. To try to
find them and fend for yourself." Alonzo was wondering on what to do. Then,
he realized. He would find Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, then just not
agree. Simple as that.

"Okay," He said, "I'll do it." Sassy's eyes lit up.

"Really!? Cool! Follow me!" Sassy took off at a full speed, and was
followed closely by Alonzo, following her every move, and every turn, so he
could remember for later. He finally came to a house that was gigantic, even
for the homes in Victoria Grove.

"This is the place," Sassy said, "Now, about that date..."

"Later, Sassy. I need to get them. This is very important." Alonzo left a
shrugging Sassy on the doorstep, and scratched at the door, and gave a
specific kind of call. A whistling sound, that for some strange reason, only
other Jellicles or cats could hear. Low, high, high, low, high. The response
was the low, low, high, low, low. Then Mungojerrie appeared from the cat
door.

"'Ello, 'Lonzo! Whot be happenin' in ah pile?" Mungojerrie's very speech
was disturbing, but it was decipherable.

"No so good. We need to find Macavity, and we figured that the only one
that could help us do that is you. Will you help us out?" Mungojerrie rose
an eyebrow.

"Well, I don't really undahstan' why ya wanna go 'n find 'm... But, if'n
it's whatcha want, awright! Lemme get 'Teazah." Mungojerrie called out to
Rumpleteazer, whose speech, though still with an accent, still sounded
better than Mungojerrie's. Rumpleteazer walked out briskly, recognizing the
form of Sassy.

"Sass! Izzat yew?"

"Hey, Teazer. And yes, it's me. This moron was running from the Pollicle
gang in this area. Oh boy. I've never seen anyone run so fast!" Sassy and
Rumpleteazer would most likely have continued their conversation, had
Mungojerrie not broken it up.

"Awright, Teazah, we gotsta find Mac. 'Lonzo 'ere wantsta find 'm for some
strange reazon." Rumpleteazer rose an eyebrow, and shrugged.

"Okay, so we take 'em?"

"Agreed." And with those final words, the quartet of cats set out on a
journey to find Macavity.

The junkyard was up in arms. People were afraid that they had lost their
beloved Azazel. It was a rumor spreading that she was dead. This did not
help the four cats that cared the most. Mistoffelees, Bombalurina, Pouncival
and Victoria were gathered together, thinking of some way to capture
Macavity.

"I'll rip the little buggers eyes out, and then I'll," Pouncival said words
that were foul and obscene. Words that suprised Bombalurina.

"Pouncival, hush. Saying those awful things won't help anything. We have to
think." She said. She was deep in worry, and did indeed feel like expressing
her emotions. But she couldn't. The most torn person there was Mistoffelees,
who had been trying to contact Azazel for the last two days, without any
food or water.

"Mistoffelees... Please, you have to eat something." Victoria said. She was
the most concerned. She couldn't stand to see her lifelong friend and mate
suffer. Mistoffelees was despondent. He seemed not to care of food or
anything else, only his apprentice, Azazel. Mistoffelees opened his eyes.

"Victoria, I was responsible. It's all my fault that Azazel is not here
with us right now." Mistoffelees put his head in his paws, thinking deeply
one what could be happening to his precious apprentice Azazel.

"Misto, you can't blame yourself for that. It was all Macavity. All of it.
It's never been anything but Macavity." Pouncival said. He was the saddest
by far. He was the one that Azazel had first met around her own age. But he
could only help so much. They heard a noise stirring. The voice of
Munkustrap was soft, so not to disturb them too much.

"Alonzo is on his way right now to find Macavity. He'll be caught soon
enough, and brought to justice. So, Mistoffelees, please try not to worry so
much. I don't know that much about magic, but I do know this... Overwork
yourself, and your magic doesn't work so well. Like the time you were moving
those boxes around to make a home for ..." He stopped. Mistoffelees sank
deeper into his hands. He had made the home of boxes for Azazel, so she
might have enough room to live in comfort. He had overworked himself and
ended up knocking half of the boxes over.

"Munkustrap, leave me alone. All of you. Leave me alone." Bombalurina was
about to place a comforting paw on Mistoffelees, when he backed away
suddenly. His fur was standing on end, and he was afraid. He darted off in a
flash, wanting only to be left alone. And he vanished, and then appeared at
the one place no one would bother him. The old theater. Not the one that Gus
occupied, but another. It was empty in the attic, and Mistoffelees made sure
to keep it that way. her locked the attic up so tight nothing could get in.
He lit a series of candelabras, and the room was instantly illuminated. He
looked out the window in the attic, down at the humans below. They and their
families. Walking about, happily. Coming from a theater that was filled with
music. Filled with joy. Filled with love. Much unlike Mistoffelees. He
didn't have joy or love. He sat down into the comforter he had placed up
there, and began to sleep. The longest sleep of his life. And yet, the
strangest.

"Oh, Misto. You worry way too much. What's wrong with you? Don't you know
that I can take care of myself?" It was Azazel's voice emitting from the air
around him. Mistoffelees turned around, and saw her, Azazel, smiling at him.
Mistoffelees was in an old building. He seemed to recognize it. It was so
familiar he could swear himself for not remembering the name.

"Azazel! It's you!" Mistoffelees ran towards her, and threw his arms around
her, embracing her in a hold of life. And then he felt it. The burn. He
backed away, burned by Azazel. But she wasn't burning. She didn't have a
match. But he looked down at his paws, and saw that they were singed. As if
he had been burned by a fire.

"Poor, pathetic little would-be hero. You want to play the lead man? You
want to save the girl? Too bad. It'll never happen!" Azazel screamed at him.
Mistoffelees shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. Then he felt it.
The chill. He had gone from being burned to being frozen all in the same
moment. And he saw him. The ginger cat, with deep-set eyes, and a spherical,
domed head. Macavity.

"Sad little thing, isn't he, Azazel?" Macavity sneered.

"Yes, he is." Azazel walked up to Mistoffelees, and slashed one side of his
face, knocking him to the ground, and then kicked him in the side. As
Mistoffelees spat up blood, some from his face, some from his internal
wounds, he saw it happen. The change. Azazel was changing. She was now
older. Her fur was darker, and a bit dirty. And she looked angry. An
everlasting sneer was pasted upon her face. She grinned down at him, looking
pleased.

"You weak, sick little toad. I should just put you out of your misery." She
lifted a paw, and Mistoffelees closed his eyes. He did not feel a deathblow.

"Azazel," Mistoffelees said, wondering at what he was seeing. Azazel had
changed again. She was now old. And weak.

"Mistoffelees, how could you let this happen to me? Your own daughter? How
could you? Why didn't you rescue me?" Mistoffelees took one last look, and
when he blinked, he then saw something even more frightening. He was in an
alley, now. And he saw a grey, tattered form lying limp on the ground in
front of his feet. He saw the long fur, and he knew somewhere in his mind
what would happen next. Even though he didn't want to face the truth, the
truth would face him. He lightly grabbed the shoulder of the still animal,
and when he turned it over, it was still, and firm. He lifted a shoulder,
and the body lifted with it. The chemicals in her body had hardened and
solidified. And he saw her face. And the body. And the peculiar red marking.

Mistoffelees shot up awake, not knowing what happened, but breathing
heavily. He was gasping for air. And he knew what the dream had been about.

"I've got to get her." He said. He ran out of the theater, landing on a
hard box, and ran to nothing. He didn't know where he was running. Then it
hit him. He stopped in his tracks. Right in front of an old building. The
room in the dream. It was burnt. And the building he was in front of was the
old orphanage. That had burned to the ground. He took no time. He lunged
into the gate. And he saw what he feared. Macavity's guards. He hid behind
bushes. The guards didn't see him, because their backs were turned. Two were
orange calicos, and the other was white and black.

"'Ey, Teazah, d'you 'ear anythin'?" One of them asked. His voice was
familiar.

"No. Why? Ya hearin' things again are ya?" The smaller one giggled. That
giggle. Mistoffelees knew them. He jumped from the bushes, and tackled
Mungojerrie.

"You little loon! What's the big idea of coming here and not getting the
rest of the tribe!?" Mistoffelees was shaking Mungojerrie so bad that he
fainted. Then Mistoffelees found himself being pounced upon by a cat he had
no clue as to who it was.

"Behold Sassy! Killer of Pekes! Defiler of files! ...Uhm, who are you?" she
asked. Mistoffelees wasted no time in vanishing, then appearing behind her.

"Someone who wants to get back a friend," Mistoffelees said, turning to
Alonzo. "You, where are the others?"

"Deuteronomy thought that we would be fine enough. This is covert. But,
hey, how did you know where to find us?"

"Call it instinct. I can smell a rat anywhere." Mistoffelees bounded into
the foyer of the orphanage. A rusty swing set, broken toys, and burned bushes
marked the once-beautiful cathedral of innocence.

"Wow. Someone be needin' ah decahraytah." Rumpelteazer said, her speech
slurred. She giggled. Then Alonzo's quick paw muffled her outburst.

"Even one screw-up, and we're all fried. Understand? We're gonna die in
here if we make too much noise."

"Too late." The five cats whirled around, and saw a giant cat. Bigger than
any other that they had seen. "Name's Track. Let's introduce you to my
friends, Felony and Misdemeanor." Two other cats appeared from the darkness.
Sister and brother. The eyes gave it away. While track looked like a black
tiger, Felony and Misdemeanor were totally different. Fewer lines on Felony.
Lines and spots on Misdemeanor.

"You," Felony began.

"Will," Misdemeanor said.

"Die." Felony and Misdemeanor said in unison. The Jellicle group and the
outcast Sassy knew they were in for a battle. Even though they outnumbered
the group, all of Macavity's henchmen were notorious for being menacing
fighters. And so the clash began, with the first bit of blood hitting the
ground, from Alonzo's white cheek.

"Son of a Peke!" He screamed. It had been Misdemeanor that had hit him.
Alonzo wasted no time in slashing him in the chest, and flipping him over
onto a glass bottle that had been broken over Track's head by Mungojerrie.
Mistoffelees and Mungojerrie were fighting with all their might against
Track, who seemed to be undamaged in this clash of the titans. Rumpelteazer
and Sassy were battling against Felony. But she was, like Track, despondent
of pain.

"Core, don't you bleed!?" Rumpelteazer shouted, smashing the base of her
hind foot into Felony's face.

"Only on occasion." Felony said, grabbing Rumpelteazer by the tail, and
tossing her into a trash can.

"No one fights me and wins!" Sassy cried. She began the pummeling assault
against Felony. And now, this time, pain was there. Felony fell onto the
ground as Sassy bounded into the air and pounced onto her. Sassy dug her
fangs in deep into Felony's shoulder. She screamed, and whirled around in a
daze. And that is when Rumpleteazer found the time to tackle Felony, and
bowl her over, Felony's head snapping onto a brick.

"One down, two to go!" Sassy called out.

"Unless you count me, darling." It was Griddlebone. She appeared as if she
came from thin air, and as Sassy and Rumpleteazer attacked, Griddlebone
easily moved out of the way, grabbed Sassy's tail, and threw her into the
wall, with a sickening thud and crack. Rumpleteazer jumped to her friend,
and observed the wound. Sassy's leg was broken by the weight of her body.

"Poor, pathetic you! Did you really think you could fight with me and win?"
Griddlebone teased. On the opposite side of the room, Track was now reeling,
the blows to his face being noticed. But that was soon drawn to a close when
he bit a piece of Mistoffelees' ear to the point of tearing through the
flesh.

"Ah! Mungo! Get this dirty fleabag offa me!" Mistoffelees called. Mungo was
digging deep into the flesh of Track, but there seemed to be no effect.
Until Track whirled around, smacking Mungojerrie in the face, knocking him
out. Misdemeanor was down, Alonzo having beaten him easily with the glass
bottle. While Track was distracted, Mistoffelees found the time to summon
enough energy to blast lightening into Griddlebone's back, knocking her for
a loop. Her fur singed, Griddlebone was running away. All that was left now
was Track and Felony. And Mistoffelees made the final charge, and let out
his anger on the two victims, who, even though they were strong, ran like
kittens from Mistoffelees.

"Oh, whot a din 'at wuz. Blimey, everyone okay?" Mungojerrie said, rubbing
his head as he stood up. But he saw quickly that that wasn't the case.
Rumpleteazer was hurt, but was watching over Sassy. Alonzo was moving
towards Mungojerrie, glass bottle in hand.

"I think I killed him," Alonzo said. He looked sick. "I think I killed that
guy Misdemeanor. What've I done?"

"He's not dead. Just knocked out." Mistoffelees said as he kicked the cat,
and heard him grunt. "Sassy, or whoever you are, get out. You can still walk
on three legs. Rump, you take her. Tell the others that Misto sent her.
Alonzo, Mungo, come on. We're gonna get her yet. Now I know what to expect."
Mistoffelees began to head down a narrow corridor, but decided to blast a
jolt of lightening down into it. He heard the screams clear as daylight, and
laughed to himself. Truly, this would do just fine.

In other places, Azazel was looking out the window.

"Mac, what's going on?"

"Intruders."

"Must be the Jellicles. They've come to get me, Mac. I'm sorry. I... I
don't know whether to leave or stay. Tell me... What should I do?" Azazel
was pleading.

"Azazel," Macavity said, "I am not going to decide your future. That's the
only thing that no one can take away from you. Your sole decision on what to
do that alters your future and your destiny. I can't stop you." Macavity was
facing out the window.

"Mac... I... I don't know what to do. Help me... You've come to know me
like a sister. You are my brother, so why not try to explain to them what
has happened?" Azazel was pleading with Macavity all she could. Macavity
turned away.

"Mistoffelees is here. He'll kill me. He's a loose-screw of the Jellicles.
He is perfectly sane, but angered. You don't mess with people like that,"
Macavity said, turning to Azazel, "I need to go. Don't cry. And try to
forget. I just wanted to show you. Good-bye until next time." Macavity
opened the window, and flew out. Leaving Azazel behind with Mistoffelees,
Mungojerrie, and Alonzo to deal with.

Chapter 4