The Original Conjuring Cat

Chapter 7

"The Rum Tum Tugger. You will start by explaining your side of what happened."
The proud cat from when Mistoffelees had first appeared in this place took a step, so that he was standing besides the gray one. He fluffed up his mane in a proud sort of way, not unlike The Rum Tum Tugger from his very own junkyard does. However, this cat obviously knew when something was serious, and wouldn't just dart off when his time had left. This cat had already shown that he wanted, and needed, to solve this mystery. It made the magic cat miss his home.
"I was walking home with Mr. Mistoffelees," he started, "Our Mistoffelees, not that one over there, of course. Either way, we were walking back to our human home, and he stopped, said that something was off. I didnt feel anything, it must be a magic thing, but he kept insisting that something was wrong. It started raining, and I kept saying that we need to hurry home." Tugger paused, whether it was for dramatic effect or to actually catch his breath, he couldn't tell. "There was thunder, then lightning, and everything went black, and Mistoffelees were gone, replaced. By him." An accusing paw was pointed, straight at said cat, the 'imposter' Mistoffelees, as the other cat had previously called him.
The surrounding Jellicles had broken out into whispers, discussing their own opinions and what they thought was going on.
Munkustrap cleared his throat, and gently pushed down The Rum Tum Tuggers paw. "Thank you,Tugger, for that bit of drama there. Now, do you remember about what time you were walking back to your human house?"
Tugger frowned, thinking. "The sun was not yet set, but just about to. It was getting slightly cold, and the clouds were over the sky but not the sun, because it was too low for them to grab at."
"Thank you." He turned to the rest of the junkyard. "Now, does anyone else remember anything strange happening around that time?"
The fat cat who had been offered a seat raised a paw as high as it could go, which wasn't very high, as he seemed to have trouble moving with that much weight on him.
"Bustopher Jones, if you would like to rise and tell."
He stood slowly, adjusting his coat around him. The well-dressed Bustopher Jones cleared his throat, and then began to speak.
"I was not outside at the time, but in a club, downtown, getting some rather delicious curry. I did not notice it start raining, but there was a loud bang from the outside, before all the lights in the club turned off. They did not turn back on for a decent amount of time, left everything in quite a bit of a mess."
Munkustrap nodded, and Bustopher Jones plopped back down. A few other cats voiced that they had been in their human houses, and that the power had gone out.
The gray cat raised his paw, and the junkyard was once again silent, as if they had never been speaking in the first place. Even Mistoffelees couldn't help but stay focused on him.
"Was there anything else that was noticed around the time that Tugger described Mr. Mistoffelees going missing?"
Silence remained, before a smaller, beautiful queen stood up.
"Demeter," Munkustrap called, signaling her to start speaking.
The queen took a deep breath, then began speaking. "Around the time that the sun was setting, but not quite set, I remember the rain suddenly appearing. I remember thunder and lightning. I remember the rain stopping, just as suddenly as it began. However, I also remember. Right before the thunder and lightning, there was the rumble of a loud engine. Whenever there is that sound..." She stopped, and it seemed for a moment that she would continue talking, but she didn't. Everyone in the junkyard filled in what she was about to say; Macavity had been behind this.
No one spoke, or made a move, yet Munkustrap still raised his paw.
"There are a few more cats we must get information from before we confront Macavity." He turned towards the corner that the two trouble cats were hiding in. "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, would you please come out and tell us what you know?"
First the tom, Mungojerrie, slunk out. Mistoffelees almost expected him to be smirking as much as he had been before, or to at least cause some kind of chaos. Yet, there two cats seemed to understand the seriousness as much as the rest of the junkyard did, and Rumpleteazer soon followed, just as quietly.
The two exchanged glances, and Mungojerrie spoke first.
"Befo' we start, 'member that we always are loyal to the Jellicle Clan. 'ome cats just like to 'ave a lil' fun, ya'know, for the extra bits and pieces in ta' end." He put his head down slightly, and the she-cat nodded, before speaking herself.
"Of'n we do small tasks for M'cavity, y'know? Lil' things, like fetchin' the meat, o' stealin' a pearl. 'E always gives us somethin' good in return. 'S not like were 'is right-'and-cats, o' anythin', but 'e do get 'round in 'is area..."
Mungojerrie picked up where the she-cat had trailed off. "'Es been talkin' 'bouta spell, y'know, Macavity's magic is all 'at teleportin'. 'N other fancy gimmicks, 'ike his disguises. 'N we didn't 'eally think much o' it because Macavity 's always plannin a new spell, 'cept 'is magic aint all that strong as 'stoffelees magic is, so it dont work a lot."
Rumpleteazer quickly shoved the other cat aside, and spoke quickly. "We don't talk about it, 'e tries so many differen' things that neve' work, figured that 'is one sounded so big, 'e would neve' get it goin'!"
"Rumpleteazer. Mungojerrie." Munkustrap spoke calmly, but it was obvious that he was exasperated with how long their tale was taking.
They exchanged glances with each other, before continuing.
"It's 'eally weird, don' 'eally know 'ow it works. 'E kept on sayin' things 'bout 'imself, but not 'imself, an' one o' the othe' guys said somethin' about timelines, but we don' know what that even means. Some Siamese, said it was like 'imself but not 'imself! 'N 'is magic was gonna switch 'eir places, 'n then there was gonna be a differen' M'cavity 'ere!"
Mungojerrie had finished in a confusing rush, and took a deep breath. Both the cats looked scared. Back where Mistoffelees was from, these two were directly connected to Macavity, working as his partner's partner. They weren't just troublemakers, as they seemed to be here, but actually evil.
"We don't 'eally know much afta' that. 'E 'asnt wanted us aroun', the otha's say 'es mad, say 'at 'is magic didn't go 'ight. M'cavity ain't as good at 'is magic as 'e thinks 'e is, 'e musta messed up, switched the wrong cats 'round.
He had to wonder if the two from back home had a side like this, if they really were just innocent cats that like to goof around. Really, he doubted it, but you have to hope for some good in the world.
"Well," started Munkustrap after a long pause, "It seems that we need some magic to help us out. Lucky for us, we have two cats with some magic around here." The gray cat focused on Mistoffelees, and he backed up a bit, slightly scared, but the twins on either side of him stepped forward.
"Three," The two said as one.
All the cats seemed to automatically know who the twins meant, and looked directly at the tuxedo cat.
"Well, is he strong?" Asked the gray cat.
"More magic than us," Said Tantomile.
"Not very confident," Said Coricopat.
Mistoffelees blinked, surprised. He could do magic, and last year he hadn't been that confident in his abilities, but he certainly had improved. Other than Macavity, he was the only known cat who could do magic. He was the only Jellicle cat that could do magic, that was for certain.  These twins, who were just little kids who had no magic at all back at his home, were suddenly claiming that they could do magic, sense his magic, and were just pouring all this information out to the others?
"Jellicle Cats, I would just like to say that I do, infact, care for all of you, but this has happened at such a bad time. Rum Tum Tugger, Coricopat, Tantomile, Mungojerrie, and Rumpleteazer. I need you to take this Mistoffelees and figure out what is going on. Any information, any way to reverse what is happening, and any way to work magic, go for it."
The five cats nodded. Mistoffelees shuddered.
He turned to the other members of the clan. "The rest of us, we need to continue practicing for  the Jellicle Ball. Mr. Mistoffelees is a very important Jellicle cat, but that does not mean that we cannot hold the ball. We will get him back in time, and we will hold the ball under the Jellicle Moon. That is all."
This seemed to be the clue that they were dismissed, as the members of the clan began to disperse. The cats that Munkustrap had called on had gotten up as well, slowly migrating towards where the Protector was sitting.
Someone(or something) slammed into the back of Mistoffelees, and he yelped, turning quickly. The two troublesome calicos were giggling as they seemed to herd him along.
"C'mon, c'mon, ya' can't keep up?" Crooned Mungojerrie, while Rumpleteazer cackled loudly. It was earsplitting, really, and their voices were quite annoying.
"Eep!" was his reply, and on accident, he sent out a slight electrical shock. It hit both the cats at the same time, and they momentarily froze, before jumping out of his way.
"Tugger, Tugger! Did ya' see 'at!!" Squealed Rumpleteazer as she ran up to The Rum Tum Tugger. The large cat nodded his head, swishing the fluffy main, back-and-forth. Then, he turned his head back forwards, towards where Tantomile and Coricopat had wandered ahead, seemingly not noticing the others left behind, fooling around, or perhaps just not caring enough. Either was reasonable, if Mistoffelees had that kind of confidence, he would also leave this wild group behind.
...Okay, so maybe he was a bit of a coward still. One performance and magically making a few cats appear can only do so much to you.
By now, the little group had formed a circle-like shape just outside of the junkyard. Tugger sat down last, after taking one last, long glance at the others.
"Well, kittens, what is first on the agenda?"
"Oh! Oh! Pick me, I 'ave 'n idea!" Rumpleteazer shouted, jumping up and down while waving her paw. "I's a great one!"
"Well, lets hear it," was Tugger's reply.
She dropped back down to her paws, but took another leap, until the trouble maker was right next to Mistoffelees. The calico wrapped her paw around his shoulders.
"I wanna see 'is guy do 'ome magic!"