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"Try it again, on three. One, two, aaahhh!!!" Mistoffelees quickly levitated out of the way, as Mysticlees vainly tried to get her claw bolts under control.

"Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!" she yelled viscously at her claws, and it worked for the bolts sputtered and stopped. "What's wrong with you?" she asked her paws, shaking them. Mistoffelees floated back down.

"I think that's enough for today."

"But Black! I've been working on my flying and I wanted to show you." she whined, giving him her best smile. He hesitated.

"Still, around this time of year us Jellicles make plans, and practice dances." he told her, siting down next to the kitten. He smiled back at her. "Perhaps tomorrow."

"Perhaps, purrhaps, perhaps, that's all I hear nowadays. I said stop it." she told her left paw in a matter-of-fact tone, giving it dirty looks. The sparks on her paw were starting up again. She hit her paw, in an attempt to stop the oncoming bolts.

"Here." Mistoffelees gently took the glowing paw, said a few arcane words, and blew on it. But instead of just air, he blew a small blue cloud with shiny, clear, small crystals onto her paw. The sparks ceased. He examined her paw, pleased with the results.

"Will you teach me that?" Mysticlees asked in awe.

"In time." He meowed. "I have planning to do with Old Dueteronomy and Jellylorum. You can stay here if you like." he told her, licking down some of the wild poofy on her ear. Mysticlees yawned.

"I wanna come Black. What are we gonna plan for?"

"The Jellicle Ball. I've told you about it."

"Oh yeah. Well, Rumpleteaser and Mungojerrie should be by soon to give me my lesson on, um, the junkyard." she told him, as she squirmed away from him to the lawn and began to dig up grass with her claws. Un-charistically, she didn't go into depth about what she wanted to do in the lesson and so forth.

Mistoffelees frowned. "Alright, well, you know how to reach me if you're in trouble?" she nodded. "I'll be right in the park if you need something. Are you feeling okay little one?" he asked earnestly, coming up behind her. Again she simply nodded. "Then I'll see you a little later." Mistoffelees let her be, and went off to the meeting he and the others planned. Mysticlees sighed a goodbye.

"Hey Squirt! Let's go!" Rumpleteaser called out from the sidewalk next to the house Mistoffelees and Mysticlees lived in. Since Mysticlees became a Jellicle, the notorious cats had taken interest in her because of her stealth talents, and took it upon themselves to get her on the track to making mayhem in her humans house. Though Mysticlees secretly didn't care for such things, she enjoyed the company of the knockabout clowns.

"I don't think so today. I, uh, broke a vase, so I'm being punished." she lied, and laid out on the yard. Now, being so good at lying themselves, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser knew she wasn't telling the truth. Teaser laid down next to the kitten, and Mungo jumped into the cherry blossom tree.

"Squirt, tell us the truth. I could tell you fibbed by the guilt in your eyes. Remind me later that we have to work on that."

"I'm just nervous about the ball. I've never been to one before and I don't want to mess up. I also don't know how to dance. Got any pointers?"

"Yes, don't imitate Rumpleteaser cause she couldn't dance if her tail depended on it!" Mungojerrie called down.

"And Mungojerrie won't have any legs left to dance with when I get through with him!" Rumpleteaser yelled and attacked her counterpart. The two came rolling out of the tree and out of the yard, forgetting their student. Mysticlees sighed again, having been forgotten by the two cats on many occasions, but it never bothered her. Having nothing else to do, she left for the junkyard.

***

"Bustopher mentioned something about the Mountains of Bottles being unstable."

"I agree with you Jellylorum. Maybe we should move them for that night. Mistoffelees, what do you think?" Old Deuteronomy asked the pacing cat. Ever since Mistoffelees had arrived, he had been distracted. Now he had taken to pacing back and forth. At the sound of his name, he waved his paw in the older cats general direction.

"Yes, fine. I'm sure it's the right color."

"Shen-Shen's jumping of the top of a house." Old Dueteronomy replied. Mistoffelees looked up alarmed.

"Where!?! Why didn't you tell me earlier!?!?" he fairly yelled and started to fly off.

"Mistoffelees, he was just saying that. Shen-Shen's fine." Mistoffelees looked doubtful. "He was just getting your attention, of which there isn't much today. You know, there is a reason we came here today." Jellylorum snapped in a scolding voice.

"Well, you needn't give me a heart-attack to get my attention. It's just that Mysticlees wasn't acting like herself this morning and it bothers me. I also haven't seen Shen-Shen around, which also worries me."

"I told Shen-Shen that you and Mysticlees needed time to get used to living with each other." Old Duet told him.

"I wish you hadn't done that. She's always welcome to come whenever. But that leaves only one last question. What's wrong with Mysticlees?" Mistoffelees said, confused as to what to do with Mysticlees.

"We also have a problem with the bottles." Jellylorum prompted. Old Dueteronomy gave her a reprimanding look. She shrugged.

"You're right. I've been neglecting my duties. Let's start planning."

***

Mysticlees jumped onto the magic tire and looked around for any other Jellicles. After coming to the conclusion that she was alone, she tried a jig and she fell right on her bottom. Rubbing her rear, she got up and tried again. Again she fell. Muttering kitten oaths, she got up and tried again. And again. And again. All these times, she fell flat on her bottom. Rubbing her hurting backside, Mysticlees decided to try somewhere else.

"Mysticlees! Mysticlees, I'd like to see your flying now, if you want to show me." Mistoffelees called out, as he walked up the lawns towards his home. Not sensing the kitten, he didn't worry. Many times she had attacked him from various hiding places. Looking for her, under rocks, in the cherry blossom tree, all her favored ambush places. She wasn't there.

"Mysticlees?" he called out one last time. Fighting down worry, Mistoffelees took this in stride, thinking his adopted daughter had just wanted to explore on her own. He'd just have to remind her that daytime is the time for Jellicles to rest their terpsichorean powers for night. Besides, he thought, I think it's time I rested some of my own. So Mistoffelees stretched out like a Gumbie cat and slept white-belly up to the sun.

***

Mysticlees came upon a place very familiar piled high with slippery bottles and old furniture. Laughing, she jumped up onto the closest bottle-mountain. Wow, she thought, only a week ago I was a tribeless, nameless, homeless orphan. Now I have Black, a home, I'm a Jellicle and she thought proudly, my coats a lot prettier and I also have my own family of humans. Yowsers, stuff has changed. Mysticlees sniffed, Golly, I miss these old mountains. She shook her head and reminded herself of the task at hand. She had never doubted herself or been nervous her whole life. It wasn't a very likeable felling. She thought back, reviewing scant times during the past week when she saw a Jellicle dance. The only problem was there wasn't one. The kitten tried a jig again. And fell again.

"Oh, this is never gonna work!" Mysticlees meowed unhappily. Felling tired and at a loss, the kitten decided to sleep.

***

Much later, a meeting of the Jellicles took place in the junkyard concerning the annual ball. Old Deut wasn't present, but Munkustrap was. Happy with his promotion for the night, Munkustrap sat with his head high. Cassandra was cold from the night air with her thin fur, and lay down next to Carbuckety. Tumblebrutus was bouncing off the walls, hyper. Alonzo was wandering around, wanting to talk to the original conjuring cat, and Victoria sat near Coricopat and Tantomile. Etcetra nearly fainted when Rum Tum Tugger came in late with his trademark meow, causing chaos among the females. Shen-Shen rolled her eyes, and started to trail behind her father.

"Papa, are we beginning now?"

"No Shen-Shen. Mistoffelees hasn't arrived yet."

"Just checking. I should look for him." and she, as always, acting on impulse, ran off into the night.

"Shen-Shen come back...oh nevermind. Stupid magician." Alonzo muttered, hearing worry creeping into his voice.

***

A sharp pain exploded in Mysticlees' head and stars danced merrily under her eyelids. Opening them, she saw huge rats and a big, orange, hairy cat just before she blacked out.

***

"Mysticlees! Mysticlees!?" Mistoffelees screamed. Dizzy with worry, the magic cat plunged on. His muscles ached and his heart constricted with pain. The tiny kitten he searched for, despite her talents, was still vulnerable to anything.

Mistoffelees jumped onto an old abandoned machine left by the humans. As he looked around in the car, a huge shaking gripped the junkyard. The magic cat held onto the car as millions of bottles raced past. He watched the avalanche of glass, and was surprised to see a familiar form of white and black rolling with them. Horror grabbed him.

"SHEN-SHEN!!" he screamed.

"Mistoffelees!" cried out the small cat as she rolled past. The magic cat summoned all his magic and leapt into the air, flying to the cat, picking her up. His magic dwindled, weakened from his lack of sleep. He had just enough to teleport one of them out, for his levitation was almost spent. He smiled at Shen-Shen and started to mutter strange words.

Shen-Shen watched him puzzled, until he smiled up at her, a smile she knew well and could never lie. Understanding dawned on her, and she tried to squirm free.

"No Misto, no please!" she cried shrieking, but he had already cast the spell and Shen-Shen suddenly popped up right into the junkyard, crying. The ground still shook. Upon seeing his daughter appear, Alonzo ran to her.

"The bottle mountains are collapsing, we have to get out of here." he picked up his struggling daughter.

"No! Papa no! Misto's back there! He's got no magic he can use now! He's stuck in the slide, I have to save him!" Alonzo plopped her down.

"Where?"

"In the bottle landslide, not far from where they once stood." So saying, Shen-Shen started to run off. Alonzo grabbed her tail.

"Go to Cassandra, stick with her. I'll get Misto. Just go!" he finished, pushing her when she shook her head. Cassandra came over and picked Shen-Shen up and she nodded to Alonzo, then ran off. Alonzo turned to the direction of the Bottle Mountains, and ran.

***

Mysticlees sat up, dizzy. Colors swirled until her vision finally got a hold of itself. Muttering futile kitten oaths, she got onto her feet and took a look around. Not much to see. It was pitch black. Every minute there was a loud clank coming from the ceiling. It was dusty, dirty and full of old dirty magazines. Curious, Mysticlees trotted over to the papers and sorted through them. They're all about Macavity, she mused.

"Who ever lives here," she said aloud, taking comfort in the sound of a voice," sure has a thing for Macavity.

"Who is that?" asked a scared, slightly English, high-pitched voice. Reaching out her senses and memory, Mysticlees happily discovered Rumpleteaser.

"Teaser!! It's me!!" Mysticlees cried and ran to the notorious cat.

"Squirt, stay where you are." Something in her voice stopped Mysticlees in her tracks. The kitten stepped backwards, out of her full throttle run. Again the kitten tried to adjust her eyes to the darkness. When she accomplished this, she gasped.

Rumpleteaser was being held by her neck by the same hairy orange thing Mysticlees saw before she blacked out, only now she recognized it. The hidden paw himself was there. He whispered something into Teaser's ear.

"Where's the black magic cat you are always with?"

"I don't know."

"Well, my tails on the line!" Slowly, Macavity started to squeeze Teaser's neck. The notorious cat squirmed and tried to hold her breath.

"I don't know where Black is!! STOP!! STOP IT!!!" the scared kitten screamed, muttering unintelligible words, and bolts of white energy slammed into the hidden paw's back, making him lose his grip on Rumpleteaser. The notorious cat hit the floor running and grabbed the stunned kitten by her scruff, running till she ran right into a wall of hardened trash. Teaser turned just in time to see Macavity almost upon them. Muttering arcane words, Mysticlees pulled Teaser's tail, who promptly screeched, dropping the kitten. Just as Macavity reached out for Teaser, Mysticlees leaped into the air, flying up into the air, grabbing Teaser's tail, pulling with all her strength.

"REEEEEEOOOOOWWWWWWWRRRRRR!!!!!" Teaser screeched. Mysticlees was strong for a kitten of her size. She managed to pull Teaser up and out of the way of a stunned Macavity. She managed to fly around drunkenly before she and an in pain Rumpleteaser plummeted back to the ground.

"Now I've got you, you maggots! I'll skin you both and sell your coats for catnip!!" Macavity roared in anger, running at them. Rumpleteaser thumped Mysticlees' arm.

"Do something!"

"Those are the only spells I can form!" Mysticlees yelled back, still feeling her magic welled up. It frustrated her that she didn't know how to form it. A strangled cry came from Mysticlees as a black form landed next to her and Rumpleteaser. Another one fell after the first, colored as though it was a zebra.

Macavity stopped his approach, now being gravely outnumbered. He called his rats to him as the kitten and his former agent groped about the two cats that had fallen into the pit.

***

Alonzo ran to the mountains, which to his horror had dismantled themselves. Dodging bottle that flew through the air, careful to stay out of the main stream of rolling bottle. But he searched with his eyes frantically for the young magician.

"Mistoffelees! Mistoffelees, can you hear me?!" Alonzo yelled out, watching for movement caused by something other than the bottles.

"Alonzo?" came a muffled cry. A black paw surfaced, then was drowned under just as quickly as it appeared.

"Mistoffelees! Just magic yourself out!" Alonzo yelled back.

"I can't! I don't have enough preserved or the time to concentrate! HELP!"

"Try to stick something out so I know where you are!" Suddenly the white face of Mistoffelees broke the surface. As Alonzo watched helplessly, the small black cat looked panicked, and screamed something and sunk back down, clawing for the top of the bottles.

"Everlasting Cat!" cursed the frustrated tomcat. He shook his head and focused on his risky plan. He'd jump in and pull up the magician. Then, pull them to the side, push out the magician, then pull himself out. He certainly hoped he was strong enough to pull both himself and Mistoffelees through the bottles. Focusing on the spot where the black cat had last surfaced, the tomcat reared up, ran and jumped in.

Immediately, Alonzo sunk and fought frantically for the surface. Looking around, he saw all kinds of glass bottles. It was hard to breathe beneath all the glass. His head began to hurt from being hit from all directions by the hard glass. Something pushed him backwards, against the tide of bottle, and he turned in time to see Mistoffelees' white face panicked and hear him yell, "THERE'S A CHASM RIGHT BELOW M-!!" the magician was cut off as the bottles surrounding beneath him disappeared and the black cat fought frantically to get on top of the bottle, was pulled down into the black hole also.

"MISTO!!" Alonzo yelled, and, seeing the whole avalanche was being sucked down into the hole, he struggled frantically against the bottles, but the tomcat was pulled into the hole. Suddenly, he was weightless, free-falling until something brown and blurry started coming rapidly up at him.

***

"Mistoffelees!!!" choking, Mysticlees ran to the limp magician lying on the floor. Another cat fell down near Teaser. The notorious cat jumped nearly a mile.

"Rumpus cat! It's Alonzo!" she sweared and moved to the tomcat's side. She gently shook him back to consciousness. Alonzo shook his head, everything was circling around in his vision, and he was surprised to see three Rumpleteaser's watching him panicked. He shook his head again and the three Teaser's melted into one.

"Teaser? Where are we?" he asked.

"We're in Macavity's lair tunnels. Well, one of them at least. The hidden paws down here!! He's gonna skin us alive!!" Alonzo was now on his feet. He looked around for Mistoffelees and saw the small black cat lying on the ground. Something even smaller sat with it's back to Alonzo, and red rings of fur wrapped around the thing's body. Alonzo's groggy mind recognized the coloring of Mysticlees, the kitten Misto had taken under his wing. Coming up behind the kitten, he quickly surveyed Mistoffelees' damage.

"How is he? What's wrong with him?" The kitten turned, her white face stained with tears, looking hopefully up at the tom-cat.

"I, I think Black's hind-right leg is hurt, but not broken. Black also hit his head hard." Mysticlees sniffled. Something bonked Alonzo on the head, exploding new stars into his vision. More bottles crashed around them. Mysticlees threw her tiny body over that of Mistoffelees. Teaser pointed up at the falling ceiling.

"Quick! We gotta move out of the way!" Alonzo yelled to Rumpleteaser, who ran to Mysticlees, helping the kitten move Mistoffelees to another part of the circular room. Alonzo simply picked up the small magician, and ran clear of the falling bottles. Mysticlees and Teaser followed him.

Macavity snickered and nodded to his rats. The vile things sneaked off. They slowly advanced, using the cascade of bottle as cover, upon the preoccupied Jellicles. But Teaser, being a sneak herself, saw this and with a curse told Alonzo.

Mysticlees knelt by Mistoffelees and licked his face. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.

"Where are we little one?" How did you get here?" Mysticlees told him everything from the time he left her for the meeting up to the point where awoke.

The magician smiled, "Well, well. I'll have to remedy your dance problem, but first, we have to get out of here." He tested each limb, and when he got to his hind right leg, he bit his lip and tried not to yelp.

"I think I can walk on it, but I wouldn't get far." Mysticlees held out an arm, and the magician took it gratefully.

"This is all the very touching, but we have more immediate problems. Like them!" Rumpleteaser told them. Just then Macavity's rats came in from all sides. Alonzo hissed and attacked the nearest rat, Teaser jumped on another, but five rats made it past them and surrounded the last two Jellicles. Mistoffelees frantically tried to call upon his magic, but he didn't have the concentration or good enough amount to keep the rats back. Mysticlees frowned and hurriedly tried to come up with a plan. Something stuck out in her mind. The story Shen-Shen had told her about the time Misto giving her some of his magic to borrow. I have to try, the kitten thought. The red-ringed kitten concentrated all her might on her magic and giving it to Mistoffelees.

Mistoffelees felt tingling and nodded in admiration of the kitten. Channeling what magic of his he had reserved and what magic the kitten gave him that wasn't wild, he shot icy hot rain at the rats, and they froze, burning on the inside, iced over on the outside.

Alonzo punted the rat he had been fighting into the waterfall of glass, just as he heard sizzling and heard a Jellicle scream. Turning around frantically, he found Mistoffelees behind him, with a tired but happy Mysticlees holding him up. Still turning, Alonzo saw frozen, but burning rats. He turned in the other direction and saw a sight that froze his own heart.

Rumpleteaser was still trying to keep the rat from attacking her, but wasn't doing a good job of it because the rat had scored a huge, jagged cut across Teaser's side, and since then had inflicted many other smaller cuts.

Horrified, Alonzo leapt at the rat, but at was knocked out of the way by the rat who had been punted through the fall of bottles. Mistoffelees watched, livid at the sight before him. He didn't have enough power reserved to do anything. Mysticlees licked his fingers, concentrating. Mistoffelees felt a rush, looked down into Mysticlees' face to find a mysterious grin await him. He felt another rush and magic course through him, but it was barely contained, wild. He realized what had happened.

Mistoffelees spoke some arcane words to get the wild magic calmed, then held out a palm pointed at the rat attacking the wounded Rumpleteaser. The rat flew into the wall, with little shards of light sticking out of it. Rumpleteaser gasped in a breath, and fell back totally limp, but breathing. Her air came in quick bursts and was very shallow. Alonzo nodded to the magician in admiration, then turned back to Teaser, the rat that had been attacking him had fler when it saw what wonders the small black cat could do.

Mysticlees struggled to stand, much less help her father stand. Her knees began to bend dangerously, and the kitten pulled herself and Misto back up with her last burst of strength. Mistoffelees had only to glimpse in the kitten's mind to catch a glimpse and know her concern. Though it hurt badly, the black cat let go of the struggling kitten, and threw his light weight forward, so that he could stumble and fall forward, landing besides Teaser. He bit his lip in pain, and pushed up, in a crawl position and stayed there. When Mistoffelees had let go of her, Mysticlees had come over to the other Jellicles and snuggled up close to her poppa.

Rumpleteaser's world had changed so quickly. Ever since that damnable kitten had been admitted, everything changed. Mungojerrie had asked Teaser about teaching her, intrigued by her talent. Teaser had agreed and now was even fond of the blunt kitten. Then her employer too took interest, and Teaser, not wanting to get Mungo harmed, nor face Mistoffelees' wrath (and though she won't admit it, fond of the blunt kitten) lied to protect Mysticlees. Macavity had already coveted the kitten and was just testing her. Now, since her lie to him, the hidden paw wanted her dead.

She felt a nudge at her side, and drowsily opened her eyes. Alonzo's blurry figure came into view, along with a black and red-ringed one.

"We can't mover her. We might make it larger." Alonzo was saying.

"I think I may be able to levitate her and another out by themselves but after that, someone would have to hold onto me, which isn't going to enjoyable." Mistoffelees stated.

"That settles it. Poppa can levi you and Teaser up and out, then I'll sit on Misto's back and we'll levi out." the kitten told the still blurry Alonzo. She turned to Mistoffelees, "Are you up for it poppa?"

The black blur nodded. "I think so. Well, if that's what's going to happen, we have to wait for the bottles to slow down, so you two don't get clobbered." The soft, strong voice Rumpleteaser recognized as Mistoffelees.

Lazily, Teaser closed her eyes and sighed, which ended in a gasp of pain, as her side reminded her of it's unhappiness.

"She's awake!"

"Well, duh Alonzo! Keep up with events." retorted a frustrated Mysticlees. "Well, if we are going to do this, it better be quick! Those rats are starting to get ideas."

"Alonzo, you'll have to cover Teaser, for this is probably the last moment before the rats attack again." Mistoffelees clasped paws with the tomcat, then started the concentration needed for the spell. Mysticlees licked Alonzo in a kittenish "goodbye and good luck", then rubbed up against Teaser.

"See ya later Squirt." Teaser purred softly, and gasped as another spasm of pain gripped her.

"You too Tease." the kitten returned, as she fought down a snuffle.

"You were always more trouble than you're worth." Teaser told her, slapping the kitten's face smiling. Mysticlees was used to this rough affection. She sniffled a bit. Alonzo was ready to go and nodded to Mistoffelees. The tomcat and Rumpleteaser lifted into the air and jumped up, up and out. The bottle waterfall thundered down and was quickly filling the floor.

Macavity, angered that his treacherous agent had got away alive, was having problems of his own. Wading through a knee-deep ocean of bottles, he saw the magician cat slump a little and that little brat of a kitten catch him. Determined to take this momentary advantage over the Jellicles and looked about for one of his best rat fighters.

"Rodentspawn!"

"Yus?" it asked, popping up from behind him. Macavity whirled around. "Bring me the two Jellicles. The black one may be of use, so don't kill it." the rat looked a little disappointed at this, but didn't ask any questions, being a little smarter than it looked. It passed the orders around to the other rats in a gutteral language of squeaks.

***

As they broke the surface from the underground room, Alonzo breathed in the fresh air gratefully. Something jumped at him, and he stumbled back with a cry to the Rumpus Cat and he fell. Shen-Shen blurred into view till Alonzo could focus on her. He relaxed and just watched the moon for a moment.

"Daddy, where's Mistoffelees? Are you alright? Should I..?"

"No. Do you see Rumpleteaser? She has been wounded. Mistoffelees and Mysticlees are still stuck down there. Praise Vivat they should be free." Alonzo sputtered out. His daughter left his view for a minute and drew in a gasp as she saw Teaser's serious wound.

Shen-Shen didn't know what she should do. Half of her didn't want to help, since Teaser had helped in trying to kill her, but that was before she was Jellicle, but her heart wanted to help. Now that she was Jellicle, Teaser had no reason to hate her. And both of them are Jellicles. But still... Rumpleteaser eyes gleamed with a perfect understanding.

"I understand. Jus get that poor excuse for a cat Mungo for me." she said, and her face broke into lines of pain. Shen-Shen made her decision. If she could bring Misto back to life, she sure as Rumpus cat save Teaser. It wasn't about Teaser's life now, it was now about passing a test of herself. Even if Rumpleteaser's life was the price of failure, even possibly her own.

***

Mistoffelees felt drained. His leg throbbed, he bit his lip to keep from crying out, so hard he drew blood. Mysticlees saw the rats only a few seconds after Mistoffelees sensed them. He was in no shape to fight, and the kitten couldn't hold back seven rats all by herself for long. Ignoring his leg, the magician leaned on the wall and began again the intense concentration needed for the spell. Mysticlees left her poppa's side to fight off the first rush of rats. Mysticlees had lent all of her magic to Mistoffelees, which didn't leave her much to fall back on. But she still had her speed advantage, and was much smaller than the rats. Which unfortunately gave her and the rats an edge. She cast a worried glance back at Mistoffelees when she heard him curse. The black cat wore now a look of pain masked badly, and her resolve wavered. But she knew she needed to keep the rats back as Black again worked the spell of levitation.

Mistoffelees gathered what little control he had over the wild magic and started casting the spell. His leg hurt so bad he also passed out, but he continued on stubbornly through the spell. One unusually large rat leapt at Mysticlees, but the kitten easily sidestepped, and clawed it mercilessly when it fell face-first onto the ground. Another one raced at her, swerving side to side. Mysticlees hissed and jumped backward. The rat followed. Jumping back a couple of times, Mysticlees stopped and waited for the rat to run into her. But at last second, the red- ringed kitten jumped over the racing rat, which smacked into the wall. The others rats were a bit unnerved at the easy defeat over their best fighters. The kitten glanced back again to the black cat. The rats' leader smiled.

Mysticlees was suddenly surrounded by the horrid smelling rats. Every time she tried to escape the hellish circle, she was blocked. She glimpsed through one of the rat's legs to see if she might be able to slip through them, when she saw four rats sneaking up and around Mistoffelees. She had to keep them from stopping her poppa from casting the spell. Mysticlees hissed again and attacked the meanest rat. It tried to counter, but the kitten's claw had hit a vital vein on it's neck. Sliding under the dying rat, Mysticlees nearly bonked into Mistoffelees. All the rats started closing in on both of them. Mysticlees hissed and had her fur on end, but was really scared inside.

Mistoffelees grabbed the kitten by her rump and the two started to fly up. The tiny kitten crawled onto his back, and held on. The small cat blasted up and off into the bottle cascade. Mysticlees batted away as many bottles as she could, trying to shield Mistoffelees and herself.

Slowly, the two Jellicles lifted up higher and higher.

Mistoffelees stretched his arm as high as it could reach and broke out to the top of the waterfall of bottles. He started to raise his other arm when with a cry, his grip and magic faltered for a second, but it was enough to send the two free falling. Thinking quickly, Mysticlees grabbed a black paw, and jumped at the opening, swinging her paw around to catch the edge.

Feeling nothing but air, the kitten panicked. If they fell back down again, Macavity would skin them alive! The kitten's upward momentum had stopped, and the two started another free fall. Suddenly a black dotted white thing flashed down and grabbed the kitten's outstretched paw.

Mysticlees bite her lip as she felt both her and the light magician's weight pulling on her arm.

***

Alonzo watched his daughter anxiously as she started the procedure that empathy cats do. He turned away, and peered into the opening to the pit below. He heard someone cry out and began to get even more worried. Suddenly a tiny red and black paw shot out of the bottles, groped around and was pulled back through. Surprised, Alonzo scrambled forward and reached into the opening and grabbed the paw. Mysticlees grinned uncomfortably up at him.

***

Now back on a normal ground, safe, cleaned and healed, Mistoffelees gazed up at the Jellicle moon. Something poofy rubbed up against his tail, and he watched out of the corner of his eye Mysticlees come and sit next to him.

"Teaser and Shen-Shen are feeling much better. They said for me to tell you thanks for the herb whatchamacallit, that it really helped. Also, Alonzo may be permitting visitors tomorrow, I'm not sure. You can try again then."

Mistoffelees smiled, the kitten had been secretly visiting the two hurt Jellicles. "I'm pleased that the elixir was of good use."

"Well, it helped a lot. Teaser was strong enough to throw things at me today. Mungojerrie's probably worried, so I'll go tell him that Teaser's fine."

"He already knows, Alonzo has spoken with him," and in turn Mungo had talked to the magician when Mungo had come to teach Mysticlees. The lessons had continued after Teaser had been hurt solely because Mungo had nothing else to occupy his time. At first it had been odd without Rumpleteaser there, but they got used to it by the third lesson without her. "Besides, you're in trouble."

Mysticlees looked a little surprised, then laid down and sulked. "What did I do?" she asked herself incredulously.

Mistoffelees smiled up at the stars. "It's only three weeks till the Jellicle ball, and you don't know how to dance.' Mysticlees grinned.

"Oh, and you're going to teach me?" Mistoffelees nodded, then he hopped onto a more flat, less cluttered portion of the junkyard. He looked back at Mysticlees expectantly. Curious, the kitten followed suit.

"Place your front-left paw here...." he paused to readjust her paw, "and this one there..." The lessons continued for a week and by then Mysticlees knew every jig that was going to be danced, and taught how to dance naturally, without set steps. The two weeks left prior to the ball, the kitten danced to music she alone could hear. And Macavity still wanted revenge, but decided that an extremely sneaky and deceptive way was the right choice.

The Junkyard