Chapter 25: Epilogue

A/N: Well here we are my dear readers, at the end of the story… and an end of a chapter in my life. First fanfiction, and I must say, I am rather proud. I hope you enjoy this final chapter! Review, and I may give you a hint for what comes next ;) (Though I have a few things in mind…)

Disclaimer: Don't own cats or the Josh Groban song (with slight variations)… just this storyline

The years passed, each one filled with abounding joy and happiness. Life unfolded almost as if it had been planned.

One cold evening, I found myself slowly walking up to our secret clearing. The 'our' had grown since those many years ago, but the secret was still religiously kept my Quaxo's and my kittens. We were the only ones that knew of this hidden Eden.

As I tenderly picked my path to the center of the sacred ground, I could feel the slight vibrations and hear the soft music of the ball as it drifted across the yard. To add to the magic, an early snow came to the area, and I couldn't suppress a smile as it silently dusted the yard.

I held out a paw to catch the dancing flakes, and I pulled my paw close to my face to better examine the delicate structures that clung to my fur. My smile faded ever so slightly when I saw the definitive contrast between the pure white snowflake and the dulled gray shade that my fur had become. Such pure fur used to be my pride and joy, aside from my family that is.

The vibrations seemed to disappear as the music became much softer and sweeter. I instantly recognized the song and dropped my paw as I closed my eyes and turned to face the breeze. I couldn't help but sway as the familiar tune filled my entire being. It was the song that Quaxo sang for me…it was our song for many years, and was played at every ball.

The song had been celebrated by the Jellicles as the first real love song to be performed for the ball. Old Deuteronomy had even said that it would be remembered for generations. It was a beautiful song where Quaxo would sing and I would dance with him. It was the highlight of my year, every year.

However, all dreams eventually come to an end, and one day, I had to wake up to the reality that I was too old to dance. I just couldn't keep up with the demand it put on my body. Of course, after he learned about this, Quaxo refused to sing the song. He told others that he didn't care about tradition, but the song only meant something if he sung it to me. The selfish side of me was happy he had said those words. I wasn't sure how I'd react if he sang it for a pretty, young queen.

But we couldn't let such a beautiful tradition die then, so Quaxo and I each gave our consent for the song and dance to be continued with new young cats. Our blessing was given on one condition; this couldn't be like the Mating Dance. The number could only be performed by lovers, with the consent from both. Each year, Quaxo and I would watch the performers with misty eyes and memories of our younger days.

Tonight was an extra special night. Tonight, the song and dance was performed by a pair of newly mated lovers: Artemis, who was Cetty and Plato's granddaughter, and by my grandson, Jedidiah.

In my mind's eye I could see them dancing and swirling around each other. Jedidiah's beautiful tenor, which he must have gotten from Quaxo, would fill each cat present with tears of joy and perhaps even love lost. The graceful Artemis would perform the dance without the slightest hiccup.

My smile widened as I counted the three steps to the waltz, shuffling my feet to the beat. I could easily picture Cetty watching with pure joy, along with hers and my kits. Munkustrap, the new leader of the Jellicles, wouldn't be far away. I could see him beaming from his ceremonial seat on the tire.

I remembered being surprised that Cetty hadn't simply died of a broken heart when Plato passed and went to the Heavyside Layer. But she had Dante and Felina along with her grandkitten, Artemis. They had given her strength. And I guess one could say the same for me, but lately I'd been feeling so tired…

Quaxo would have loved to see the two cats dance. I could just imagine the pride in his eyes.

My ears became more alert as a beautiful tenor voice wafted through the air, singing the beginning of our song. Yet no matter how different the voice was, all I could do was picture Quaxo singing in my ear like he used to do at every ball.

"A waltz when she walks in the room"

I shuffled around the clearing. Of course back in the day my strides were much longer and more graceful. However, I was content to shuffle through the song.

"She pulls back the fur from her face

She turns to the yard fence to sway in the moonlight

Even her shadow has grace"

I performed a pale imitation of a fouette turn, landing clumsily but avoiding a fall.

"A waltz for the girl out of reach

She lifts her hands up to the sky

She moves to the music

The song is her lover

The melody's making her cry"

I performed each lyric as the words met me. In the past, I would not cry as the song stated, but hold myself as I continued to turn and perform some fancy footwork. However, at this moment, hearing Quaxo's voice in my ear, I couldn't stem the tears from flowing.

By this point, chorus would pick up and Quaxo would sing as powerfully as he could. This was also the time where I could display the best moves in my repertoire: attitudes, grand jetés, and sissones, plus many more that I could perform but couldn't remember their names.

"So she dances

In and out of the crowd like a glance

This romance is

From afar calling me silently"

I continued to hear Quaxo sing as I gently shuffled around the clearing, trying my best to imitate the memories of once upon a time. Finally, I couldn't suppress my smile when the song reached my favorite part. The voice that had been singing so strong suddenly became quiet and tentative, like a shy kitten.

"When I close my eyes I can see

The spotlights are bright on you an me"

As he sang in my mind, I could see Quaxo slide of the TSE car like he always did and enter into my arena. He would slowly circle me, as if looking for the best time to enter into the dance. I remembered how I would continue to dance as if I hadn't seen his movement, but in reality, I could never take my eyes off of him. I was always anticipating when he would make his move and the rush of joy that accompanied it.

"We've got the floor

And you're in my arms,

How could I ask for more?"

At the next part, he would come running into the clearing, as if he couldn't get to me fast enough. He would lift me in the air with a great flourish and a smile from ear to ear. I could feel the wind playing with my head fur as if I really was in the air.

Suddenly a shooting pain started in my hip and painfully radiated up through my back. The pain was so excruciating that I fell to the ground, panting and gritting my teeth. I released a sadistic chuckle as I realized that, in my trance of memories, I had actually tried to perform the fan kick that was routine after Quaxo put me down on the ground.

I could still hear the music drifting through the clearing, but it seemed empty now, I couldn't hear Quaxo singing anymore. The emotions that began to well up inside of me were so confusing. On one hand, I was almost overcome with loneliness. I felt the sadness pushing in on me and I felt like I would suffocate. But every time I almost gave into my those feelings of despair, I could hear Jedidiah's voice just making it's way over the many junk piles between us. Quaxo was gone but he had not left me alone. I also had my kittens, Sarbella and Elizabeth, and I had been given the chance to watch the two queens grow up and find mates and have families of their own, with Quaxo at my side.

Quaxo…

I was so happy, but I had just grown so tired. I just couldn't seem to find the strength to support myself. I contented myself with resting my head on my arms. I just needed a moment to recuperate. The snow continued to fall and it began to melt through my fur and onto my skin. The prickly cold sensation felt oddly comforting as I let my eyes drift close.

There were so many cats that I missed. I could feel the tears making streams down my cheeks. There were all the cats who had be selected to go to the Heavyside Layer and be reborn, like Jem, Lonzie, and Pounce. How were they? Were they enjoying their new lives? They deserved the renewed happiness. And as great an honor as it was, I could only pray that I was never selected. I didn't want to be reborn. I wanted a fate similar to Plato or Tumble, I wanted to be able to remain in the Layer forever, with Quaxo.

Quaxo…

My mind became fuzzy, and I realized I had fallen asleep. I mentally tried to clear the fog, still feeling each snowflake as they landed on my face. I wasn't sure how long I had been sleeping, but however long it was, I had found the strength to stand.

I squinted as I opened my eyes and allowed the streaming sun to momentarily blind me. Apparently I had slept the night away. A new kind of urgency over took me as I realized that I hadn't been there to congratulate Artemis and Jedidiah.

I immediately gathered my paws under me, fueled by my renewed energy and sense of urgency. Once on my back paws, I smiled as the snow drifted around ever so lightly. I don't think I'd ever seen it dance so wonderfully before, it was distracting.

Instinctively, I held my paws out to catch the snowflakes as they drifted to the ground. However, I instantly froze in wonder, I didn't even know if I caught a snowflake or not. The paws held in front of my body were perfectly white and matched the snow in the background.

I shook my head. I had to still be asleep and dreaming, even the wrinkles and folds seemed to be gone. I immediately looked down holding my paws to my stomach and legs, everything seemed like it was as young as the day I met Quaxo.

My paws began to shake as I slowly turned around to confirm my suspicion.

Standing across the clearing was a gathering that immediately made my eyes water. What seemed to be a welcome party gathered around the clearing, and it was made up of all the cats that hadn't been chosen for a new life. I easily identified the smiling faces; there was Tumble, Jerrie, and Demeter to name a few. All of them were smiling and wiping tears from their eyes.

My gaze was instantly drawn to the strong, tall, copper-patched tom standing in the front and center of the small tribe. Plato's smile widened and I heard his deep, baritone laugh echo its way across the clearing. He held his arms out, beckoning me towards him.

I was so overwhelmed, I couldn't even fully think through a single thought. I took a faltering step and stopped. I was anxious. I knew where I was, but an overwhelming nervousness overtook me.

Plato released another bout of laughter as he quickly closed the space between us, welcoming me with a warm embrace. Even in my shock, my body remembered its old habits and I instantly hugged him in return. I heard him whisper in my ear, "Welcome home, little snow fairy."

Plato securely put his paws on my shoulders and held me at arms length. He lifted his paw to wipe away one of the many tears that were falling from my eyes before turning around and guiding me towards the gathering.

Halfway across the clearing, I felt a gentle nudge at my waist. I looked down to see Plato's elbow poised to poke me again. I looked up at his joy-filled face. His other arm extended across my field of vision. I followed his paw to two queens standing slightly off from the rest of the group.

The two were holding each other closely and sniffling through a torrent of tears.

My paw covered my mouth, which was hanging open in surprise. I instantly recognized the one queen. The yellow tabby, Jellylorum, disengaged from the other queen and ran to meet me. My legs flew across the clearing as I sprinted into her embrace.

The two of us couldn't hold back our tears as we reunited. I felt her paws cup my cheeks and lift my gaze to face her, just like she always used to do when I was a kitten and she wanted me to look at her. Even through the tears, I couldn't stop the purring. I had forgotten what it felt like to be embraced in a mother's touch. I was used to providing it for my family, but it was such a relief to feel it again.

I tried to ignore the nagging feeling in the back of my mind. As much as I hoped for it, I knew that Asparagus wouldn't be here; he had gone on to be reborn into another Jellicle life.

Jelly lifted my chin again and smiled encouragingly. She then repeated Plato's gesture and turned me to face the queen she had left behind. I was slow to understand, I had just assumed she had brought one of her old friends to accompany her.

As I took in the long white furred queen standing before me, a kind of realization began to dawn on me. I knew that fur! How many hours had I spent as a young kitten running my paws through it? How many days had passed comparing its whiteness to my own? And how many nights had become bearable from its warmth surrounding me?

I took an unsure step. For some reason I still had trouble believing that she was standing before me. It couldn't be real, could it?

Griddlebone also took a cautious stride in my direction. I guessed that this moment was almost too good to be true for both of us.

As if a flip had been switched in both of us, we simultaneously met in a fierce embrace. All I could hear were the hiccups of sobs and her repeated phrases, "I'm so proud of you! I've missed you so much, my little fairy."

I couldn't even produce any words. In recent years, I had dreamed of this moment, but no dreams could ever have compared to actually being here. The Heavyside Layer was more than words could describe.

Plato had made his way over to Jelly, and held her as she continued to cry on his shoulder, though I knew they were tears of joy. Plato gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze and couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Even through the tears and laughter, a new sound reached my ears. The world stopped as I heard a sweet waltz dance across the clearing. A familiar tenor voice carried words that were always meant for me.

Griddlebone silently stepped away, a smile spread across her face.

I slowly turned to see a young but familiar tuxedoed tom emerging from the back of the crowd. His fur seemed to sparkle as he sang, and his copper eyes danced with mischief.

"I can't keep on watching forever

And I'm giving up this view

Just to tell her…"

I'd never felt so torn in my life. One part of me wanted to keep my feet planted where they were, I didn't want to ruin this moment. I was afraid to wake up and realize it was a dream. After this, I wasn't sure if I would be able to go back to the aches and pains of the real world. I also wanted to take in as much of him as possible. I could recall every detail, and he was just as I remembered. Even so, I wanted to drink in his very presences. I wanted to watch as his eyes danced in the light and his fur swayed with his magic.

However, the other half of me was screaming to run to him. It had been to long since his arms had been around me. I missed his nuzzles and kisses. I longed for him by my side again; I had been cold at night for too long. I yearned to feel the rhythm of his heart like I used to when I rested my head on his chest.

He continued to sing the words exactly as I had remembered them. Time may have separated us, but I hadn't let it fade my memories. He slowly held out his paw to me as if offering to dance.

My desires as well as old habits took over as I gracefully strode forward, paw outstretched to meet his. My being couldn't resist his call. Our paws met and I shivered just like I always used to; those same feelings and sensations he always gave me since the first time we met. Since that fateful night at the Jellicle Ball.

As soon as my paw clasped his, he raised it over my head, forcing me to do a quick spin. As I turned back to face him, in one fluid movement he released my paw and took my face in both of his paws, pulling me to his lips. We remained intertwined for a while, remembering the feeling of each other. I couldn't question my sense any longer, this wasn't a dream.

After what felt like an eternity yet still wasn't long enough, Quaxo stepped back and performed a quick bow. Just like when we were younger, his head gave a formal dip as he extended his paw to me.

I couldn't suppress the kittenish giggle as I responded with my own petite bow before gratefully taking his offered paw.

Quaxo grandly led me out to the center of the clearing and twirled me again, catching me at my waist. He smiled at me, "It's been much too long, Viki. I love you."

I gazed for a while in his eyes, watching the copper's and gold's swirl and blend. I continued to run my paws through his fur, still enraptured with fact that I could. I leaned forward and kissed him again. "I love you too! You don't know how much I've missed you! And there's so much for us to catch up on..."

He smiled, cupping my cheek in his paw. "And we have plenty of time, my love. But for now, are you ready?"

I knew exactly what he meant, and I beamed at the amazing tom before me. "Forever and always!" I purred.

In that instant, Quaxo sang out the chorus to our song. A new kind of joy filled his voice, a kind of joy that I could hear, but not fully comprehend. It reflected the joy of having such a long wait come to an end.

"So she dances!"

I immediately picked up where I had left off earlier, but this time I was able to dance again. I could feel the bliss radiate through my body as I performed a flawless fan kick.

We continued to dance, even after Quaxo had finished the song and the other cats had left. There would be time later to catch up with them as well. For now, I was content.

I had all I needed: Quaxo, a song, and our shadows in the snow.

A/N: Now this is officially the end. My offer still stands. And while I have ideas in mind, if you have any Cats couple that you'd like to request, I won't promise anything, but I am always open to new inspiration. So feel free to PM me or review a suggestion. Anyways, as for the story, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. I guess you might have seen the 'surprise' coming from the beginning of the chapter, but I hope you liked it. This just seemed like a fitting ending, you know? And if you haven't heard it, I encourage you to look up So She Dances by Josh Groban. Whenever I hear it, I can only picture Misto and Viki. 3 I hope I wrapped everything up well. Those two are just so cute together… This is note is actually getting kind of long, but I just know that once I finish typing this, Shadows in the Snow is over. It's so surreal. Anyways, all offers are in effect! So review or message me! I look forward to writing some more stories soon! :P