Munkustrap
When Munkustrap awoke, it was to a steady throbbing in his head that extended slowly down throughout his body. Memory came flooding back and he wondered if he still lay on the forest floor. His nose and ears told him no, but the smells he detected were unfamiliar. He could hear the movement and breath of another Coricat nearby, but it wasn't Cazondra as he would have expected. Groaning with the effort, he forced his eyes open and looked around. The room he was in was not familiar, though it resembled Cazondra's sick room in many ways. Where am I? he wondered, and tried to sit up.
"Oh, you're awake at last," cried a voice that he almost recognized. Firm paws assisted him into a sitting position, and when his head stopped swimming he saw an older female Coricat kneeling beside him. She was white with black and brown patches, a black one over her left eye and a brown one over her right. Her eyes were pale green and it was this feature that made Munkustrap remember who she was.
"Vyktorea?" he gasped, staring in disbelief at the former Jellicle healer thought to be dead or worse. "Is it really you?"
"Of course it's me," she replied, concern creeping into her voice. "Who were you expecting?"
"Well, Cazondra, actually."
Vyktorea's eyes widened at the name she hadn't heard in so long and she stared at him searchingly. "Tell me your name," she commanded.
Munkustrap gave her a look of surprise. "But you know my name, don't you?" he said in bewilderment.
Vyktorea shook her head. "Tell me who you think you are," she insisted.
Munkustrap shrugged and answered, "I am Munkustrap, chief of the Jellicles."
Vyktorea drew back sharply as if he had struck her. "No, you're not," she whispered.
Ignoring Munkustrap's protests that yes, he was, and what on Coricum was she talking about, the healer got up, took a mirror from the wall, and placed it in front of him.
"Aaaigh!" Munkustrap yelled when he saw the ginger-striped image of his hated enemy reflected on the polished metal. He looked down at himself for the first time and saw that the body was not his own; it was larger and had red and black stripes instead of grey and black. He looked up at Vyktorea with horror in his now green-gold eyes and breathed, "I'm Macavity!"
"So it would seem," Vyktorea sighed, shaking her head.
Munkustrap ran his hands through the thick red and black mane that now covered his head like a helmet. "But…but how could this happen?" he cried in despair.
"I don't know," Vyktorea replied honestly, "but somehow we've got to find a way to reverse it."
"Agreed," Munkustrap held on to that hope; it just might keep him sane.
Just then, a younger male who looked very much like the healer came in, and seeing Munkustrap, said, "Ah, he's awake. Should I let Moya in to see him now?"
"Yes, go ahead," Vyktorea answered quickly.
As the younger male left, Vyktorea turned to the alarmed Munkustrap and told him, "That was Tobit, my apprentice. Moya is your second in command. Just try to remember that you are Macavity now."
Munkustrap nodded mutely as Tobit returned, leading a tall cream female with chocolate-colored face, ears, paws, and tail. "Are you all right Macavity?" she asked, her brilliant blue eyes filled with concern. "I thought I heard you scream."
"I just..." Munkustrap fought for a believable answer, "I just...didn't quite know where I was when I first came to."
"Are you all right now?" Moya pressed. "How do you feel?"
"A little…stiff," Munkustrap replied hesitantly.
Moya sat down beside him, put her arms around him, and purred quietly as she nuzzled him. Munkustrap fought down the urge to pull away and thought-spoke to Vyktorea, Is Moya also my mate?
No, her mate is Morghen, Vyktorea returned, but she seems to like you just as well.
While Munkustrap was considering this, the amorous Moya murmured, "I was worried about you, Mac. When the magic light died and I saw you lying there so still, I thought sure the Jellicle had killed you!"
"Well, actually…" Munkustrap stopped, trying to imagine what Macavity would say in reply to that. "Actually, it was me that did the magic. Munkustrap doesn't have the strength for a trick like that."
"What, exactly, were you trying to do?" Tobit asked curiously.
Fear flashed briefly across Munkustrap's face as he struggled to come up with a suitable answer. "It--I, um, I was trying to get into his head," he stammered. "It was, uh, a complicated trick. Unfortunately it backfired on me."
"I'm just glad you're alive," Moya said, licking his face.
"So, uh, what happened to the Jellicle?" Munkustrap asked carefully.
"He went limp, just like you," Moya told him. "The Jellicles took him and we took you, and we parted peacefully for the first time in years."
"Amazing," Vyktorea muttered under her breath.
"I hope you're well enough to come to the feasting tonight," Moya said, ignoring the healer. "If you don't show that you're alive and well, I think Groultyghur may be planning to challenge my leadership."
Munkustrap flicked a questioning glance at Vyktorea who said, Your younger brother. If you don't keep him firmly under your paw, he gets out of hand.
Munkustrap processed this and said slowly, "Well, you can tell Groultyghur that I will be at the feasting, and he had better be on his best behavior!"
This was apparently the right answer, for Moya's brown face split into a grin and she nuzzled Munkustrap's face. "I'm so glad you're all right, Mac," she whispered as she stood up. "I'll see you later tonight." And with a coquettish flick of her tail, she left the room.
Macavity
The first thing Macavity became aware of was a stinging sensation on his face. Not the pounding headache he would have expected after exerting such a massive amount of magic. I wonder if I killed him, he thought of his enemy. I think I came close to killing myself.
With a sigh he opened his eyes, expecting to see either Vyktorea or Moya hovering over him. He was very surprised, then, to see Grizabella, whom he thought had returned to the Jellicle tribe several months ago.
"Mama?" he cried. "I didn't think I'd see you again."
"It's all right, dear," the grey and black female said soothingly. "You're safe now, and Cazondra says you weren't that badly hurt."
"Cazondra?" Macavity said in confusion. Isn't that the name of the Jellicles' healer?
"Just some scratches and bruises," said another voice and Macavity turned to see a black, orange, and white female that he quickly recognized as Demeetar. "Cazondra doesn't think the magic has had a long-lasting effect."
Macavity was speechless. Here was the charming Jellicle female whom he had been lusting after for so long, and she was stroking and purring over him like he was her own mate. "I-I don't understand," he stammered. "W-what's happening? This must be a dream!"
He started to cover his face with his paws, but stopped and stared in shock when he realized they were striped with grey, not red. Then Demeetar said, "It's not a dream, Munkustrap. You really are safe."
Something snapped in Macavity's mind. "What did you call me?" he demanded fiercely, sitting up.
Demeetar shrank back, alarmed by his behavior. "I called you Munkustrap," she squeaked nervously.
Macavity barely heard her as he looked down and saw that his body was now smaller and grey and black striped. "Oh, no," he moaned as he stared first at Demeetar, then at his mother, who watched him with growing concern. "Oh, no! By the Everlasting Cat, what's happened to me?!"
"Munkustrap…" Grizabella began.
"Don't call me that!" Macavity snapped, pressing his ears back with his paws. "I don't want to hear it!"
"But, darling…" Demeetar started, tears forming in her blue-green eyes.
"I'm not your darling!" Macavity bellowed angrily.
With a wordless sob, the heartbroken Demeetar ran from the room and Macavity felt a brief twinge of remorse. Then he turned back to Grizabella and was promptly nailed by a green-eyed stare that knocked down all his mental defenses and seemed to pierce him to his very soul. He tried to resist her probing, but the old cat had surprisingly strong psionic powers. Finally she released him and he sagged back on his elbows.
"So you're not Munkustrap after all," she said quietly. "Well, that was a clever little bit of magic, kitten, though you obviously weren't planning it that way. I'd like to know how you plan to fix it."
"I don't know!" Macavity almost wailed in his distress. "I'm not even sure how it happened. Mama, what can I do?"
"Well, for now, I guess you'll have to pretend to be who you look like," Grizabella sighed. A look of terror shadowed Macavity's now grey and white face and she quickly added, "Don't worry, I'll help you, at least until we can figure out a way to get you back into your own body. Now come on, let's see if we can satisfactorily explain your outburst to your mate."
Macavity nodded meekly and followed his mother out of the room.
They met Cazondra in the hallway. The brown and cream healer looked Macavity up and down, then asked, "What's the matter? Demeetar came to me in tears saying that Munkustrap isn't himself."
"That's true," Grizabella nodded and Macavity tensed, fearing that she was about to give him away. But then she continued, "I think Macavity's magic may have muddled his mind a little more than we thought, but we seem to have got it sorted out now."
"In that case, please go reassure your mate on that point," Cazondra said sternly. "The poor thing is convinced that you are lost to her."
"I'll try to console her," Macavity mumbled uncertainly, casting an apprehensive glance at Grizabella.
As he followed Cazondra into the front room, he caught sight of a mirror and started involuntarily upon seeing his enemy's image reflected there. The stinging sensation he felt was now explained as he noticed the healing scratch marks on the right side of his face. I made those marks, he thought. And now I bear their pain.
A nudge in the back from Grizabella brought him back to the present and he saw Demeetar curled up on a low sofa, her face buried in one of the pillows.
"Demeetar," he called softly, trying to fight down the queasy feeling in his stomach.
Demeetar started at the sound of his voice and stared at him fearfully, almost as if she knew it was Macavity, not Munkustrap, behind the green eyes.
"My love," Macavity continued cautiously, sitting down on the sofa next to her, "I'm sorry I caused you alarm. Please try to forgive what I said; I don't know what came over me." She seemed unconvinced, so he reached out a paw to caress her face and added, "I am your darling and I do love you."
"Oh, Munkustrap," Demeetar purred and slid over close to him so that she could lay her head on his chest. "I thought Macavity had got you for good this time."
"Not this time," Macavity murmured, rubbing his face against his "mate's" soft fur. Then he caught sight of his mother glaring at him over Demeetar' ears.
You don't need to enjoy this so much, she said meaningfully.
Macavity just grinned evilly at her and proceeded to lick Demeetar's head.
©1999 Delilah