New format. To encourage myself to write longer chapters, anything I have to say is at the end.

Misto started tentatively walking towards his best friend.

But before he could make it all the way out, Majestic did something that was very smart, but also very stupid. She did some sort of mixture of a run and a skittish dance to the sidelines, where she pushed his sister out in front of her. Victoria happily danced gracefully to Magic's previous spot, while Plato crept out towards her.

Mistoffelees gave a sigh of releif, then twisted down and slipped into the oven before anyone could miss him. Then he promised the Everlasting Cat that after the ball, he would tell Majestic that she was a genius. He watched the cats as everyone drew closer in, then he crawled back towards them, arriving in time to put a paw up, and then lower it down slowly.

Though, he didn't stay down for very long. Almost immediately he shot up again, right after Tantomile and Coricopat, hearing a rustling from somewhere in the junkyard. Then Skimble went up, and then everyone else. And then he saw her. He twirled his paws, making the lights go haywire, while Alonzo jumped atop the TSE 1 and clawed at her. Then everyone was up and dancing again, having fun. They twirled and leaped and some people danced in little groups, and eventually everyone was together again, clawing at the air and going from side to side. Then the music got faster, and everyone backed up together, twirled their paws at Old D, then ran forward and lept, landing on the ground and breathing heavily from the intense dancing.

And then they were interrupted by Grizabella again.

Majestic blinked in disbelief. Grizabella had been one of her mother's best friends...she faintly remembered her chatting with her mom while she darted around their feet, chasing after the sparkles that what Grizabella wore that reflected on the ground.

She watched as Pounce ran up to her, then bumped the older queen out of the way. Majestic immediately ran after him. "Pouncival!" she hissed, chasing him out of the clearing. Once he stopped moving, she whacked him on the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Pounce asked, turning around and glowering at her.

Magic glared back. "For being mean to my mother's best friend!"

Pounce raised an eyebrow. "How'd you find out about the scratch? I thought you were with the kittens or something."

THWACK!

"OW!"

"You deserved it!"

"Did not! Tumble and Plato told me to!"

Magic paused for a second. "That doesn't mean you had to. Now, if you'll excuse me for a while..." And then she stalked off. And a few minutes later...

THWACK! THWACK!

"OW!"

"OUCH!"

"I can do worse if you want me to."

"NO!"

"Then don't encourage Pounce to hurt my mother's best friend again. Ever."

"Okay, okay. Jeez. It was just a joke."

"Not a very funny one, at any rate," Majestic threw at them before stalking off again. She crawled out after Cassandra, then went and pawed at Electra, who batted back at her and cuffed her ear for jumping on her. Then she slipped around towards the pipe while Electra stretched out, then laid there for a while. She watched as Jellylorum brought Gus to the clearing.

The Old D started singing,

"The moments of happiness

We had the experience, but missed the meaning,

And approach to the meaning restores the experience

Of a different form, beyond any meaning

We can assign to happiness..."

Majestic closed her eyes and listened intently. She hadn't heard the song that her mother cherished in so many years...

"In the past experience, revived in the meaning

Is not the experience of one life only

But of many generations- not forgetting

Something that is probably not ineffable."

Old Deuteronomy looked at his tribe, but no one seemed to understand. So he looked to Coricopat, who received the message and passed it to Tantomile, who, in turn, grabbed the paw of the closest cat- Jemima. She stood in one fluid motion, then sang,

"Moonlight,

turn your face to the moonlight

Let your memory lead you

Open up, enter in

If you find there, the meaning of what happiness is,

Then a new life, will begin."

Then she collapsed to the ground, while the rest of the junkyard repeated the stanza. Majestic wished she could hear Jem's voice again. It was far more beautiful than hers had ever been when she sang that to Shimmer. Gus stood up and started walking off. Magic watched as her father came down from the tire and helped him back towards his daughter-in-law.

Majestic smiled pitifully at Gus. She loved the old tom. The whole yard did. But he was getting old, and both his sight and hearing were going out. He blinked like he was a little confused, but went back to Jelly, who lead him back to his seat. Then she turned and sang,

"Gus is the cat at the theater door.

His name as I ought to have told you before,

is really Asparagus, but that's such a fuss

to pronounce that we usually call him just Gus."

A few of the cats nodded in agreement. Asparagus Jr was watching his father with tears brimming in his eyes. Everyone thought that Gus would most defiantly go to Heaviside.

"His coat's very shabby,

He's thin as a rake.

And he suffers from palsy that makes his paws shake

Yet he was in his youth, quite the smartest of cats

But no longer a terror to mice or to rats.

For he isn't the cat that he was in his prime, thought his name was quite famous

He says in his time.

And whenever he joins his friends at their club,

Which takes place at the back of a neighboring pub,"

Jelly seemed a little put off at the fact about the pub, but quickly recovered and smiled again.

"He loves to regale them, if someone else pays

with anecdotes drawn from his palmiest days

For he once was a star of the highest degree

He has acted with Irving, he's acted with Tree.

And he likes to relate his success on the Halls,

Where the Gallery once gave him seven cat-calls.

But his grandest creation, as he loves to tell,

Was Firefrorefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell."

Now Jelly bent down next to him, then looked at him like it was his turn, which it was. Gus took a moment, but then sang,

"I have played, in my time, every possible part,

And I used to know seventy speeches by heart.

I'd extemporize back-chat, I knew how to gag,

And I knew how to let the cat out of the bag.

I knew how to act with my back and my tail;

With an hour of rehearsal, I never could fail.

I'd a voice that would soften the hardest of hearts,

Whether I took the lead, or in character parts.

I have sat by the bedside of poor Little Nell;

When the Curfew was rung, then I swung on the bell.

In the Pantomime season I never fell flat,

And I once understudied Dick Whittington's Cat.

But my grandest creation, as history will tell,

Was Firefrorefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell."

Then Jelly smiled and started again.

"Then, if someone will give him a toothful of gin,

He will tell how he once played a part in East Lynne.

At a Shakespeare performance he once walked on pat,

When some actor suggested the need for a cat.

He once played a Tiger--could do it again--

Which an Indian Colonel purused down a drain.

And he thinks that he still can, much better than most,

Produce blood-curdling noises to bring on the Ghost.

And he once crossed the stage on a telegraph wire,

To rescue a child when a house was on fire.

And he says: "Now these kittens, they do not get trained

As we did in the days when Victoria reigned.

They never get drilled in a regular troupe,

And they think they are smart, just to jump through a hoop."

"And he'll say, as he scratches himself with his claws,"

Jelly sang, shoeing his paws away from his chest.

"Well, the Theatre's certainly not what it was.

These modern productions are all very well,

But there's nothing to equal, from what I hear tell,

That moment of mystery

When I made history

As Firefrorefiddle, the Fiend of the Fell."

And then Gus stood up and started to walk about as if he was chasing something. Then he turned back around and sang again,

"That moment of mystery...

When I made..."

And from there he couldn't finish. He turned around and started crying. Jelly took him back to his home in another part of the junkyard. After a few moments of saddened silence, Old Deuteronomy broke out with,

"Skimbleshanks,"

And then Jemima joined in with,

"The railway cat,"

"The cat of the railway train!"

the entire junkyard sang.

"There's a whisper down the line at eleven thirty nine when the night mail's ready to depart

Saying Skimble where is Skimble?"

They shouted the last part, awakening the railway cat that had fallen asleep a top the TSE 1.

"Has he gone to hunt the thimble?

We must find him or the train can't start."

"All the guards and all the porters and the station master's daughters

Will be searching high and low,

saying 'Skimble where is Skimble?

For unless he's very nimble then the night train just can't go!'"

Skimbleshanks sang, his bright scottish accent coating his words. He slipped down the TSE 1, then ran up to the front of the clearing where he stood before all the young queens, who had stood up in some kind of line formation. As he sang, they mimicked his movements. Then they formed a nice fake train, then ran and slid on the ground, forming a semi-circle around Skimble. He sang about the train, and mentioned sneezing, where Rumpleteazer let out a nice loud, "A-CHOO!", which caused Victoria to give her the biggest look of surprise.

After Skimble singing a few more lines, then jumped up and started pulling out everything to build the fake train. Majestic ran and raised the hood of the TSE 1, then slipped into the main orange part of the train, where she made some steam come from the smoke stack while holding it up.

After listening to Skimble for a while, they took the train apart. As Magic was going to put the smoke stack away, she tripped over the hoop that kept the big orange fabric together, causing her to fall into a tumble-roll and then fall to the floor.

She looked up in time to see Skimble look over at her father, who had walked down from the tire.

"And he...gives you a wave of his long brown tail which says I'll see you again!"

They sang as everyone hopped up and raced to put their stuff away.

"You will meet without fail on the midnight mail, the cat of the railway train!"

They made the cat train again, following Skimbleshanks around the clearing again. Alonzo and Admetus made a little staircase, where Skimble stepped up on top of Alonzo's back as they all sang,

"The cat of the Railway Train!"

And then there was a crash, and the lights went red. All the newer adults went down on all four, the older ones standing up protectively. After a few seconds Demeter shirked, "Macavity!"

And then the ginger tom appeared, hypnotizing the junkyard to where they couldn't move. Old D put out a paw at his tribe, right before a net was thrown over him and he was whisked away by three hench-cats that were masked. Then the ginger tom ran away after them, and the hypnotism was broken.

Everyone scattered. Majestic herself made a wild dash for Jelly's den, where her sister and the other kittens were. She threw herself into a protective crouch outside the den, looking around suspiciously, then darted inside. She relaxed slightly when she saw that all the kittens were still there. Seeing that Tristam was the only one awake, she picked him up by the scruff of his neck and pulled him out of the basket.

"You were a hench-cat, right?" she asked. The tom-kit nodded hesitantly, slightly afraid of what was coming next. Magic's eyes flicked towards the entrance of the den and her ears twitched. "Look, I've got to get back to the clearing. If anyone comes and tries to take my sister, or anyone," she added, "I want you to protect them, alright?"

Tristam's eyes slid to the basket, where Puck was sleeping with Shimmer's head on his shoulder. Then he looked back at Majestic. "Can I let them take Puck?"

Besides the dangerous situation, Magic grinned. "No. Sorry, buddy, but he's part of the junkyard. Gotta keep 'im." Then she put Tristam back down and jumped out the door just a blur of silver dashed by, quickly followed by a black and white one. Magic turned into a black and purple one barreling after them.

Magic followed Munkustrap and Alonzo back to the clearing, where they entered as all the other queens were already. Majestic looked around, then realized something.

Oh where is the tom that you're so dearly in love with?

'SHUT UP!'

Oooo, protective, aren't we?

'Ugh.....it's no use trying to say you're wrong, is it?'

Nope! Only 'cause I'm always right!

Majestic shook her head, then realized that her father was back. Her head snapped up above the pipe and she saw Macavity holding his paws up in a 'I come in peace' signal. She shook her head again, then ran over and hugged her father. But a soon as she did, she was forced to the side by a black and gold blur. She dove out of the way, then realized that Demeter had pushed them all away from the tribe leader. The queen then ran and jumped on the old tom's back. He started spinning around and around, and then Demeter was thrown off to reveal Macavity underneath fake fur. The ginger tom then attacked the nearest two cats, and ran for Demeter, dragging her out to the center of the clearing. Munkustrap dashed after him and grabbed Deme's feet. They started playing some messed up version of tug-of-war until Alonzo grabbed Demeter and dashed away with her held over his head.

Then Macavity and Munkustrap started fighting. After a few painful minutes of scratching, throwing, and jumping, Macavity tossed Munkustrap towards the sideline, unconscious. Several of the young adults, including Majestic, slid over to him and tried to awaken him.

Alonzo jumped up and started fighting. He didn't last as long, but managed to get one good swipe in Macavity's side.

The entire junkyard then got up and started swiping at the tom, who was clutching his side with one paw. He seemed to decide that he couldn't fight. He turned around and fled, racing to the top of the TSE 1, where he grabbed some power cords and jammed them together, creating a power shortage.

Pouncival ran and grabbed the headlight for the train, then turned it on and flashed it around the clearing.

"Macavity's not there,"

Everyone said. Pounce rested the light on Munkustrap, who woke up and started crawling towards Demeter, who nuzzled him and checked over for any major injuries.

"We have to find Old Deuteronomy,"

Everyone sang. Then another voice said, "You ought to ask Mister Mistoffelees." The light swept towards it, then revealed Rum Tum Tugger lounging on some junk above the TSE 1. "The original conjuring cat. There can be no doubt about that," Tugger continued. The light started to move away, but the Maine Coon sat up and said, "Please! Listen to me. And don't scoff. All his inventions are of his own bat."

At this point, Tugger jumped down from his perch. "There's no such cat in the metropolis, He holds all the patent monopolies for performing surprising illusions. And creating eccentric confusions!"

"The greatest magicians have something to learn

From Mister Mistoffelees's conjuring turn!"

Tugger sang. Then he bent down and addressed the junkyard,

"Oh! Well, I never! Was there ever, a cat so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?"

Magic giggled slightly as Rumpleteazer, who was bopping slightly with her tongue hanging out.

"He is quiet he is small He is black

From his ears to the tip of his tail,"

Etcy was hanging around Tugger's feet, and got excited anytime he walked near her.

"He can creep through the tiniest crack

He can walk on the narrowest rail.

He can pick any card from the pack,"

Tugger made a motion with his paws that made it look like he was spreading a few cards in his paws, then turned to Etcetera who pretended to pick one.

"He is equally cunning with dice.

He's always deceiving you into believing that he's only hunting for mice,"

Tugger was very convincing. A lot of people moved in their spots, looking for mice.

"He can play any trick with a cork

Or a spoon and a bit of fish paste

If you look for a knife or a fork,

And you think that it's merely misplaced.

You've seen it one moment, but then,

It is gone!

But you'll find it next week,

lying out on the lawn!

And we all say,

Oh! Well, I never was there ever,

A cat, so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?"

And then Mistoffelees came down on a rope, his coat sparkling. He turned around, made the rope disappear, then whipped around and said,

"Presto!"

Causing the lights to turn on again. And then the entire junkyard sang,

"Oh! Well, I never! Was there ever,

A cat, so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?

Oh! Well, I never was there ever,

A cat, so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?

Oh! Well, I never was there ever,

A cat so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?"

Then Tugger positioned himself not to far from the tom in question, and sang,

"His manner is vague and aloof

And you would think there was nobody shyer.

But his voice has been heard on a roof

While he was curled up by the fire.

And it's sometimes been heard by the fire

While he was up out on the roof.

At least, we all heard that somebody purred

Which is incontestable proof

Of his singular magical powers!

And I've know the family to call

Him in from the garden for hours

While he was asleep in the hall,"

Tugger sang, mimicking any dancing that Mistoffelees did. All the while Misto would shoot lightning at the junk piles.

"And, not long ago, this phenomenal cat

Produced seven kittens right out of a hat!

And we all say,"

He started. Then the entire junkyard joined in with,

"Oh! Well, I never was there ever,

A cat, so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?

Oh! Well, I never was there ever,

A cat, so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?"

Misto started dancing around the clearing, doing all kinds of dancing and conjuring. Then he ran towards the TSE 1, where he pulled a big red sheet from a flashing light on it.

While he was doing that, Tugger sang,

"And not long ago, this phenomenal cat

Produced seven kittens right out of a hat!"

Misto looked around, a paw held out as if looking for a assistant. Which, he was. The whole junkyard had a paw raised excitedly, even Majestic. She was really impressed with her best friend's magical skill. Misto turned to the tire, where he picked Cassandra. Then he started shaking out the red sheet and had the dark queen go and sit on top of the pipe. Then he threw the sheet on top of the pipe, Skimble and Asparagus both grabbing a corner and shaking it. Cassie ducked down under and crawled forward. But the shape of the sheet was much to bulky to be Cassandra. Mistoffelees started stalking around it, twirling his paws. He blew a few sparkles off, then gave a final twirl as he pulled the sheet off to reveal Old Deuteronomy.

Tugger looked at his dad in disbelief.

"And we all say,

Oh, well, I never was there ever,"

He sang, grabbing Old D's paw and stepping forward.

"A cat so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees!"

He continued, directing the leader's attention to the small tom, who turned around and jumped on the leader, giving him a hug.

As this happened, everyone sang,

"Oh! Well, I never! Was there ever

A cat so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?"

Everyone grabbed paws and formed two circles around Mistoffelees and Old Deuteronomy, then backed away and let Misto run out. First he brought Cassandra back, then he started doing really high jumps and toe-touches as the entire junkyard continued to sing,

"Oh! Well, I never! Was there ever

A cat, so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?

Oh! Well, I never! Was there ever

A cat, so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?

Oh! Well, I never! Was there ever

A cat, so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?

Oh! Well, I never! Was there ever

A cat, so clever as Magical Mister Mistoffelees?"

Tugger pointed at Misto, then jerked his paw backwards. Mistoffelees ran up to the tire and put his back to the tribe. Tugger then said,

"I give you- the magical!"

Mistoffelees turned around and held up one paw.

"The marvelous!"

Up went the other paw.

"Mister Mistoffelees!"

And then Mistoffelees jumped into the air, doing a toe-touch, and disappeared in a flash of light.

Misto reappeared next to Majestic and put a paw on her shoulder. He panted slightly, tired but happy.

"What did you think of my performance?" he asked.

Magic squealed and turned and hugged him. "You brought my dad back! Oh, thank you so much, Misto!"

But then a voice turned their attention away from that matter.

"Daylight, see the dew on the sunflower

And a rose that is fading

Roses wither away.

Like the sunflower I yearn to turn my face to the dawn

I am waiting for the day."

It was Jemima, telling them that it was almost day break.

Then Munkustrap turned to them. "Now, Old Deuteronomy, just before dawn. Through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife, announces the cat that can now be reborn and come back to a different Jellicle life."

Everyone crawled over to the leader and extended a paw, begging to be chosen. And then someone intruded again.

Grizabella was back.

Cats started stalking by her and then going to a different spot of the clearing, turning their backs to her. Majestic almost went to see her, but Mistoffelees yanked her aside and to the tire with him.

"Memory, turn your face to the moonlight

Let your memory lead you

Open up, enter in

If you find there the meaning of what happiness is

Then a new life will begin.

Memory, all alone in the moonlight

I can smile at the old days

I was beautiful then.

I remember the time I knew what happiness was

Let the memory live again

Burnt out ends of smokey days

The stale cold smell of morning

The streetlamp dies, another night is over

Another day is dawning

Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise

I must think of a new life

And I mustn't give in

When the dawn comes tonight will be a memory too

And a new day will begin."

Grizabella staggered, then fell to the ground. A bunch of the cats had turned around to face her at this point.

Suddenly Jemima rose on the TSE 1, her gaze to the sky.

"Sunlight through the trees in summer

Endless masqurading,"

Grizabella looked up and joined with Jemima.

"Like a flower

As the dawn is breaking,"

Then Grizabella sang by herself again,

"The memory is fading!"

She stood back up and sang with her whole heart.

"Touch me, it's so easy to leave me

All alone with the memory

Of my days in the sun

If you touch me you'll understand what happiness is

Look, a new day has begun."

After the final note and no one came out to greet her, Grizabella turned her head away dejectedly. But then Victoria moved out, and the old queen froze, hearing the movement. Victoria looked back at Old Deuteronomy, who gave her an encouraging nod. Then she placed her paw in Grizabella's. The Glamor Cat's face relaxed. She turned around as Victoria nuzzled her paw.

Everyone came down and started greeting her. Misto was the next to hold Grizabella's paws. Then he passed her to Majestic, who smiled at her tearfully and nuzzled her paws quickly before passing her to the next cat. Eventually the old queen reached Munkustrap, who gave her a smile asking for forgiveness, which was easily given back to him. And then the tribe protector passed her to Old Deuteronomy. Then everyone started walking behind them and singing,

"Up, up, up, past the Russell Hotel

Up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer

Up, up, up, past the Russell Hotel

Up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer

Up, up, up, past the Jellicle Moon

Up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer

Up, up, up, past the Jellicle Moon

Up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer!"

The tire that Old D had lead Grizabella up onto started rising up to the sky, where a large paw descended from the sky. Old D helped Grizabella onto the paw. She looked back, but the leader encouraged her to go on. The paw started going back up to the sky, until it was no longer visible.

Then everyone turned around and sang,

"The mystical divinity of unashamed felinity

Round the cathedral rang 'Vivat'

Life to the everlasting cat!"

Everyone froze in their positions, then Old Deuteronomy began to sing.

"You've heard of several kinds of cat

And my opinion now is that

You should need no interpreter

To understand our character

You've learned enough to take the view

That cats are very much like you

You've seen us both at work and games

And learnt about our proper names

Our habits and our habitat

But how would you ad-dress a cat?

So first, your memory I'll jog

And say: A cat is not a dog

Now dogs pretend they like to fight

They often bark, more seldom bite

But yet a dog is, on the whole

What you would call a simple soul

The usual dog about the town

Is much inclined to play the clown

And far from showing too much pride

Is frequently undignified

He's such an easygoing lout

He'll answer any hail or shout

The usual dog about the town

Is inclined to play the clown

Again I must remind you that

A dog's a dog, a cat's a cat

With cats, some say one rule is true

Don't speak 'til you are spoken to

Myself I do not hold with that

I say you should ad-dress a cat

But always bear in mind that he

Resents familiarity

You bow, and taking off your hat

Ad-dress him in this form: "O' cat!"

Before a cat will condescend

To treat you as a trusted friend

Some little token of esteem

Is needed, like a dish of cream

And you might now and then supply

Some caviar, or Strassburg pie

Some potted grouse or salmon paste

He's sure to have his personal taste

And so in time you reach your aim

And call him by his name!"

Then everyone joined in the song, singing:

"So this is this, and that is that

And there's how you ad-dress a cat

A cat's entitled to expect

These evidences of respect

So this is this, and that is that

And there's how you ad-dress a cat!"

So. There you have it. The end of the Jellicle Ball. And this new format is going to help me write longer chapters- as you can see. And now to respond to those review from the last chapter. I GOT NINE OF THEM! OH MY GOD, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!

RamRamCaramelle: I know. But that's fixed!

Evanne Taylor: I know. I had fun writing them. Giggle to forgetfulness!

Don't know Don't care 38: I knew I would get that out of you. But I fixed it!

Violaunte: I know. I really had fun with the mental conversations.

Olliv Lynn Sulam: Personally, I don't like them either....when I'm reading. :)

RedRubyStorm: Shimmer is what we would call a pre-teen. In cat years, I'm guessing it's about nine or ten.

SummerRose12: I added that to my list of things you learn. It's not from the one chapter anymore. If you have any last ones you want me to add, say the word.

Arnemethia Crow: I'm so glad to know that!

The High Roller Hat: Thanks so much for taking the time to read this. I continued!

And now, I loyal readers......

However much it may pain me to say this....

~FIN~

But don't kill me! I already started writing a sequel!

Oh, and word count of this chapter: 6,933