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The Hearth Cat’s Mistake
Mistoffelees looked into his den, smiling when he saw Hestia sitting there, her brow furrowed in concentration as she waved her paws, creating sparkles that rained down around her. “Etta, how about we go and practice for a bit?”
“Really?” Hestia asked excitedly, and Mistoffelees nodded with a smile. She jumped to her feet and followed him outside, away from the main stage area to a smaller clearing.
Mistoffelees stopped and turned around, facing his daughter. “Alright, Etta. Follow my lead.” The grey queen nodded, and Mistoffelees focused on a can that was nearby. He stretched out his paw, closed his eyes, and let out a breath. Hestia gasped in delight as the can began to rise off the ground, continuing to lift until it was high above their heads. Mistoffelees them twitched his fingers, and the can disappeared, reappearing at his feet. “Now you try.” Hestia moved closer to Mistoffelees, and he lifted her paw. “Focus on the can, and feel your magic inside you. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. As you let out the breath, imagine that your breath is lifting up the can like a balloon.” Hestia obeyed the instructions, and Mistoffelees watched proudly as the can began to lift off the ground. “Well done, Etta.”
Hestia opened her eyes and beamed. She twitched her paw like Mistoffelees had, and the can disappeared and reappeared at her feet. “I did it!” She looked back at her Papa. “Can I try something else? What about that box?”
“Careful, Hestia.” Mistoffelees said, chuckling at her excitement as she began to lift things around them. She soon got tired of lifting smaller things and moved onto pieces of wood and larger pieces of junk. “Hestia, I think you should stop.”
“But it’s so easy!” Hestia said excitedly.
“Hestia, listen to me!” Mistoffelees said firmly, but Hestia continued to lift objects, glee on her face. A fear gripped Mistoffelees, a fear he hadn’t felt in years that he hated feeling about his daughter. “Hestia, that is enough!” Hestia’s head jerked around at his sharp voice, and the wood she had been lifting exploded, splintering apart and shooting off in different directions. Both magical cats immediately shielded themselves, and Mistoffelees waved his paw, making the shards of wood disappear.
Hestia looked at Mistoffelees, hurt in her eyes. “Why did you yell at me?”
Her papa sighed, trying to calm his nerves. “Hestia, when I tell you to stop, you need to stop.”
“But I was in control!” Hestia protested.
“You were getting lost in your magic, and that is dangerous!” Mistoffelees replied.
Hestia’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I’m not going to become Macavity!”
Mistoffelees’ jaw dropped in shock. “I never once said that you would! How could you think that?”
“You’re constantly keeping an eye on my magic, and you only let me practice when you’re around!” Hestia snapped. “I don’t get to show everyone what I’ve learned, because you’re scared that something might happen! You’re afraid, and you’re letting my father cloud your view of my magic!”
“You know that’s not true, Etta. You know I only want to keep you safe.” Mistoffelees said gently.
“Well you have a funny way of showing it!” Hestia exclaimed angrily, and a sudden bolt of lightning hit a pile of junk nearby. Mistoffelees stepped back, eyes wide, and Hestia froze, staring at the spot.
The black cat slowly reached out towards his daughter. “Etta…” Hestia stumbled back, and she turned around, running away from Mistoffelees. “Etta!”
Hestia ignored her father’s cry, running through the Junkyard, biting back tears as she reached her destination. An old couch with a hole in the bottom. Her hideout with Jemima, Tumblebrutus, and Pouncival. She darted through the hole and curled up in the blankets they had piled into their spot, shaking as silent tears fell down her cheeks.
It was a few minutes of loneliness before Hestia heard her cousin’s voice. “Hettie?” Jemima poked her head underneath the couch, and she went to the other queen’s side, throwing her arms around her. Hestia flinched back.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Jemmy.” she said quietly, and Jemima rolled her eyes, simply hugging her tighter.
“You’re not going to hurt me. I know you.” she reassured her. Hestia slowly returned the hug as Pouncival and Tumblebrutus looked into the hideout.
Tumblebrutus gave the grey queen a gentle smile. “Are we allowed to give you a hug?” Hestia let out a watery laugh and nodded, wiping her eyes. Immediately, Tumblebrutus was at Hestia’s other side, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close, nuzzling her cheek. Hestia leaned against him, smiling as Pouncival flopped down on top of the cousins and his brother dramatically.
“You do know that we know you’re not Macavity, right?” Pouncival asked, and Hestia nodded.
“I know. Sometimes, though, it feels like everyone’s afraid I’m going to turn into him. I’m scared of that too.” she whispered. “Maybe that’s why Dad saved me. He didn’t want another Macavity around.”
Jemima pulled back from her cousin, her eyes wide. “Don’t say that, Hettie! Uncle Tugs absolutely loves you! He didn’t take you in just because, and don’t you dare think that!”
“You’re the best thing that’s happened to Tugger and Misto, according to what I’ve heard Aunt Jenny say to Mum.” Pouncival added.
“You mean the world to your dads, Essie.” Tumblebrutus murmured, his arms tightening around Hestia. “They just want to protect you from him. Sure, they’re not doing it in the best way, but this is something you need to talk to them about.”
Hestia bit back another flood of tears, and she just rested against Tumblebrutus’ shoulder. Her friends surrounded her in a tight hug, snuggling together underneath the old couch, Tumblebrutus purring comfortingly as Jemima rubbed Hestia’s shoulder.
The Library Cat and her Joker
If one was to pass by a certain library, they would spot a lovely Selkirk cat lounging on the windowpane of the largest window, keeping an eye on the comings and goings of her library.
If you were to ask the librarian the name of the cat, she would respond with “Oh, that’s Tabitha, our lovely little guardian!”
That was her First Name, of course. The Second Name the Selkirk went by was Jubilee, and it was the name she chose for herself, so it meant quite a bit to her. Jubilee was a cat who liked to keep to herself, and she did not enjoy getting into trouble. She had had enough troubles to last a lifetime.
On this specific day, Jubilee was sitting on her favorite windowpane, relaxing as the sun warmed her curly fur. It was a slow day at the library, which was always nice, as it allowed Jubilee some peace and quiet. The silence didn’t last, however, as her nap was quickly disturbed by the sound of a human’s distressed call. She opened her eyes and straightened, looking out the window to see a calico tom being cornered by the local animal catcher, who was looking extremely cross. The calico tom in question actually looked quite frightened, his eyes darting around nervously, searching for an escape. Jubilee jumped into action, jumping down from her perch through the opened window. She took a breath and approached the human and the tom, rubbing up against the tom with a purr and an affectionate nuzzle.
“Follow my lead.” she whispered. The tom stared at her with wide eyes.
Jerrie didn’t know what was going on.
One minute, he had been laughing, running out of a Victoria Grove home with Rumpleteazer, and the next, the animal catcher had spotted them and begun chasing after them. Jerrie had gotten Teazer to run back to the Junkyard as he led the human away, and he ended up just outside a library, the animal catcher cornering him.
“Alright, you horrible cat.” The human said, holding his net in his hands. Suddenly, a queen ran up beside Jerrie, rubbing against him with a soft purr, and Jerrie’s mind went blank.
“Follow my lead.” the queen whispered, and Jerrie, flustered and confused by the very pretty queen who was currently very close to him, just nodded and nuzzled her in return. He watched as the animal catcher’s face brightened when he spotted the queen.
“Miss Tabitha! How are you today?” he asked, and the queen meowed in response. “Do you know this gentleman?” Another meow, and the animal catcher sighed. “I am guessing he’s your boyfriend. Well then, I can’t very well take him away from you.” The human knelt down, and Jerrie tensed slightly, but all the human did was reach out and scratch Jerrie’s ears. “You behave for your lady, young man. You take care of our Miss Tabitha.” With that, the human stood, tipped his hat at the two cats, and walked off, whistling.
Jerrie stared after the human, eyes wide with shock, and he was startled at the sudden laughter that came from the queen beside him. She stepped away from him, and Jerrie immediately missed the warm presence at his side.
Jubilee was beaming, excitement rushing through her. “I can’t believe we tricked him!” She looked at the tom, and nearly began to laugh again at his shocked face.
“Why’d you help me?” he asked after a minute, and Jubilee paused, sitting down.
“I used to be a stray.” she said softly. “I was constantly picked on, and when I was adopted, I made a vow to myself that I’d never let another cat feel as lonely and scared as I used to feel, and that I’d always help others in need.” She and the tom looked at one another, and Jubilee felt her cheeks begin to heat up.
Luckily, her owner chose then to call for her. “Tabitha! Tabitha, where are you my dear?”
“I should go.” Jubilee apologized, turning to leave with a small smile.
“Wait!” the tom said, and Jubilee whirled around, finding the tom looking at her bashfully. “What’s your name? Unless it really is Tabitha.”
“Jubilee.” the Selkirk replied with a wider smile. “What’s your name?”
The tom puffed up. “Mungojerrie! But everybody just calls me Jerrie.” He gave Jubilee a wink, and she laughed slightly. “Would… Would it be okay if I came to visit you sometime?”
Now Jubilee’s cheeks were absolutely burning, but she nodded shyly. “Yes.” The tom brightened, and he gave her a roguish grin, bowing.
“Until then, Lady Jubilee!” he called before running off down the street. Jubilee laughed, and she walked back into the library
The Hearth Cat’s Mistake (continued)
It was a full day before Hestia approached Mistoffelees again. Tugger knew about what had happened, of course, and he had gone to find his kitten immediately, finding her curled up between Jemima and Tumblebrutus under the old couch with Pouncival splayed out across them. The two of them had a long-overdue talk, that involved lots of comforting cuddles. Tugger didn’t pressure his daughter into seeking out her papa, however, because he knew that both would need at least a little while to take a breath and gather themselves.
The afternoon after her small explosion, Hestia entered the den she shared with her fathers. Tugger had already left, giving her an encouraging nuzzle as he went off to find his brother, and Hestia stood in front of Mistoffelees, her ears pinned back.
“Hi, Papa.” she said softly, and Mistoffelees looked up, smiling gently.
“Hi, Etta.” he replied, opening an arm. Hestia immediately darted across the room, diving into Mistoffelees’ embrace and nuzzling against him. The magical cat hugged his daughter close, stroking her fur. “It’s okay, kitten. I’m not mad at you. You were absolutely and completely right.”
Hestia sat back, looking at her paws. “You were right, though. I could have really hurt you, or hurt someone else.”
Mistoffelees reached out, taking her paws. “Maybe, but that’s why I want to work with you. When I was your age, I didn’t have anyone to help me with my magic, and I was terrified every second. I thought that whenever I got emotional, my magic would suddenly flare out. It took quite a while for me to find help, and it was your granddad, Cori, and Tanto who helped me.” He lifted Hestia’s chin and gave her an encouraging nod. “I want you to feel confident with your powers as early as possible, Etta. I don’t want you being scared like I was. I want you to be brave and proud. I want you to see your powers as part of you, not as part of him.” Hestia flinched, and Mistoffelees pulled her back into his arms. “You’re not him, and you’re never going to be him. You are my daughter. My kitten, and that’s all that matters. I’m going to help you, Etta, because I love you more than anything, and I want you to be happy.”
Hestia clung to Mistoffelees, burying her face in his fur as she tried not to cry. “I love you too, Papa.”
“Excuse me, but are there cuddles happening in here that are not including me?” Tugger asked, poking his head into the den. Hestia giggled as Mistoffelees rolled his eyes.
“Well, you’re welcome to join us, you terrible bore.” he huffed, and Tugger grinned. The maine coon leaped across the den, throwing his arms around his mate and daughter and snuggling them both close, laughing as they fell backwards. Hestia yelped in surprise as she was suddenly flipped over, and she began to squeal with laughter as Tugger began to tickle her sides.
She squirmed, trying to escape her father’s grasp. “Dad! Stop!” Mistoffelees moved back, laughing as he watched Tugger grin triumphantly.
The large tom ignored his daughter’s pleas. “Nope! We’re making up for the day of sadness!” Hestia was breathless, her laughter ringing through the den. She finally was able to take a breath, and she touched Tugger’s arm. Her father yowled and released her, pouting as he rubbed his arm. “Magic isn’t fair!”
“Good job, Etta!” Mistoffelees said proudly, and Hestia looked at him hopefully.
“Really?” she asked, and Mistoffelees nodded, pulling her into a hug once again.
“Hey! Don’t reward her! She zapped me!” Tugger protested.
His mate looked at him disinterestedly. “So? How many times have I zapped you?”
Tugger leaned in, winking. “Yeah, but those times I didn’t mind.” He pressed a kiss to his mate's lips, the other tom laughing softly in amusement.
“GROSS!” Hestia shouted, shoving her fathers apart and darting away from them. Tugger and Mistoffelees shared a grin, and they jumped to their feet, chasing after their daughter, who shrieked and laughed as she ran away from them, running out of the den.
The Hearth Cat and the Library Cat
Hestia truly did love her papa. She loved him and her dad with all her heart, but she couldn’t deny that she was still nervous around him. After everything that had happened, she was still angry at herself for losing control, and she was afraid that her papa was still angry at her. She hoped he wasn’t angry at her. She knew that he wasn’t scared of her power, and that he just wanted to help her, but she was still nervous.
“I can practically hear you overthinking all of this, Etta.” Mistoffelees remarked, looking at his kitten. Hestia looked at him shyly before glancing away, focusing on the ground.
“I’m sorry, Papa.” she said softly.
Mistoffelees paused, leaning down to nuzzle her comfortingly. “Don’t apologize, Etta. Please don’t. We both made mistakes, but we can get better.” Hestia leaned into him, purring in contentment. “Now, let’s make the most of our walk before your dad sets something on fire in our absence and gives your uncle a heart attack.”
Hestia giggled, and the duo walked on, chatting about random topics, such as the new young queen who had just been found by Munkustrap outside of the Junkyard with her own little kitten (she was from France, Hestia said excitedly, making Mistoffelees chuckle, but she was also a very shy and skittish queen, but Hestia was determined to befriend her), Hestia’s afternoon with Tumblebrutus the day before, where they had spent the afternoon in one of the smaller clearings (a topic that Hestia was determined to stay away from, much to Mistoffelees’ amusement as his daughter’s cheeks flushed), and plans for Mistoffelees and Tugger’s upcoming anniversary.
They were passing by the library when the idea came to Hestia, and she gasped in delight. “Tumble, Pounce, Jem, and even Calli could help me set up a whole area for you! I could try conjuring some petals and sparkles, and I can even try conjuring some instruments!” Her eyes were sparkling with excitement. “Maybe that’ll make Calli more comfortable in the Junkyard! Oh, and I can even see if Cori and Tanto could teach me how to change the lights around the Junkyard!” Mistoffelees smiled warmly at her joy and anticipation but was promptly put in guard by a loud gasp coming from the stairway of the library. A young queen, about Hestia’s age, came rushing towards them, causing Hestia to flinch back. The queen seemed unafraid, her eyes bright.
“You can do magic?” she asked, her tone not one of judgment but of excitement. “Like, real, actual magic?” Hestia was taken aback, looking at Mistoffelees with wide eyes, the black cat relaxing slightly as he took in the excited queen.
“You’ve never seen magic?” He asked, and the queen deflated slightly, pouting.
“I’ve never left the library or my human’s home.” she said, sitting in front of them. “The last bit of excitement I had was meeting two cats who came into the library trying to hide from a couple of angry dogs. And before that it was helping one of those cats out of a jam with the animal catcher.”
Now it was Hestia’s turn to gasp in realization. “Wait! You’re Jerrie and Teazer’s friend? The one Jerrie won’t stop talking about?”
“You know them?” the queen asked, only slightly flustered by Hestia’s words, and Mistoffelees laughed slightly, nodding.
“Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. They’re some of our very good friends.” he replied. “Their older sister is Hestia’s aunt.”
Hestia was nearly bouncing with excitement, remembering how much Jerrie and Teazer liked their library friend, and how nicely they talked about her. She also remembered how flustered Jerrie had become when talking about her, and how Teazer poked fun at her brother, but she wouldn’t mention that. Not yet. “This is my papa, Mr. Mistoffelees. I’m Hestia!”
The queen beamed. “Nice to meet you, Hestia! I’m Jubilee!” The two queens immediately began to chat with each other, and Mistoffelees’ smile grew. He had never seen his daughter take so quickly to another cat.
He couldn’t wait to tell Tugger.
Although, knowing his mate’s brother, Munkustrap would see a young queen with no family and no idea of the Jellicle world and immediately adopt her. Mistoffelees couldn’t help but laugh quietly. It seemed as though this was just the beginning of Jubilee’s interactions with the Jellicle cats.