How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan - The Sequel

He gazed up at the moon, wishing for a queen to stay beside him, walk beside him, live beside him. He sighed and left the clearing, hoping tomorrow would be a better day.

She stared up at the moon through the bars of her cell, wishing she was out under it, dancing in its light. With a sigh, she sank to her pallet, hoping *he* wouldn't come pay her a visit. As she tried to drift to sleep, a foul stench reached her nose and she recoiled from it, hissing as she backed into the corner furthest from the door. As the door to her cell slowly swung in and an evil, unkempt tom filled the doorway, her mouth twisted into an ugly snarl. "Hello, my sweet."

"Hey, 'Lonzo," the white and black tom opened his navy blue eyes and found Plato sitting next to him.

"Hey, Plato," Alonzo answered, closing his eyes and letting the sun warm his fur. "How ya doin', buddy?"

"Pretty darn good," Plato replied as he stretched out next to his friend. "I finally found a queen I like."

"Good for you," Alonzo murmured, still a bit sore that Cassandra liked Rumpus better than him. "Who is she?"

"I'm not gonna tell you," Plato taunted. "I'm gonna keep it to myself for awhile."

"Whatever," Alonzo drowsed in the warm sunlight.

"Honey, the sooner you stop resisting him, the sooner he'll stop coming around," Griddlebone told her. "Then you'll be much better off."

"I can't help it, Griddle, I hate the very sight of him," she answered.

"I can't help you there, Sugar," Griddlebone answered. "Although I *do* know someone who can."

"Will they help me?" she brightened.

"Yep," Griddlebone answered. "Now, you just rest and I'll take care of everything."

"Okay," she curled up on her pallet and let sleep overcome her.

"Bom? Can I talk to you for a sec?" Rumpelteazer asked the taller queen.

"Sure," Bombalurina followed the striped queen into a secluded part of the junkyard. "What's up?"

"Griddle's got another one she wants you to rescue," Rumpelteazer began.

"No can do, Rumpel," Bombalurina shook her head. "I don't do rescues anymore. That's how Macavity got Growltiger in the first place."

"I know, but, from Grid's description of this queen, she's different," Rumpelteazer answered.

"They're all different. What makes her so special?" Bombalurina asked skeptically.

"She sounds like she could be one of Jelly and AJ's lost kits," Rumpelteazer replied.

"I'm sorry, Rumpel, I won't help you this time," Bombalurina told the shorter queen firmly. "You'll have to find someone else."

"Okay," Rumpelteazer walked away, dejected.

Tantomille watched the two queens talk from her perch near the top of a junkpile. Neither had noticed her and she couldn't hear their conversation. From the way they were acting and the emotions they were giving off, Rumpelteazer was asking Bombalurina for something or to do something. With a shrug, Tantomille left. She slowly trotted to the flat that was just hers. When her twin brother had become mates with Exotica, she'd moved out to give them privacy. She flopped onto her pillow with a sigh, wondering if she'd ever find a mate.

He watched the mystical queen from the shadows, longing to speak to her, yet afraid that she would turn him away. He could see that she was sad and ached to comfort her. After he saw that she had entered her flat safely, he left, wishing he had the courage to talk to her.

"Alonzo?"

"What is it, Rumpel?" Alonzo asked, his eyes closed.

"Could you please help me with something?" Rumpelteazer requested timidly, unsure of how the white and black tom would take it.

"If possible," he answered, opening his eyes to look at her. "What's this something you want me to help you with?"

"I want you to help me rescue a queen from Macavity," she replied, her bright green eyes meeting his frankly. "Griddlebone is my contact in his gang and she says that, if this queen isn't rescued soon, Macavity'll kill her."

"We can't have that now, can we?" Alonzo asked rhetorically as he stood up and stretched. "Let's go."

"Great!" Rumpelteazer shouted. "Just follow me."

"Okay," Alonzo followed the queen out of the junkyard, ready for battle. "Umm, how are we gonna get her out?"

"*We* don't actually do anything," Rumpelteazer informed him. "Griddle gets the prisoner out of Macavity's lair and we pick up the prisoner."

"Why don't you just have Mungo or Bom help you?" Alonzo queried, puzzled.

"I already asked Bom and she said 'no'," Rumpelteazer explained. "Mungo doesn't like for me to do this because then *he* gets punished, so I don't ask him to help me."

"Macavity thinks *Mungo* is the one who helps rescue queens?" Alonzo asked, surprised.

"Yep," Rumpelteazer answered cheerfully.

"C'mon, Honey," Griddlebone shook her awake.

"What is it, Griddle?"

"My contact is on her way with someone who'll help her get you away," Griddlebone answered as the other queen sat up and stretched.

"Okay, what do I have to do?"

"Just do what I tell you," Griddlebone told her.

"Works for me," she yawned.

"Come with me," Griddlebone instructed her. "I've helped rescue plenty of queens so I know how to do this."

"Okey dokey," she docily followed Griddlebone through the lair, hissing softly at every hint of Macavity's scent. Griddlebone suddenly stopped, causing her to plow into the white Persian queen. "What is it, Griddle?"

"Macavity's coming," Griddlebone whispered as she turned back. "We've got to get you back into your cell."

The two queens dashed back to her cell. Once Griddlebone was sure she was safe, she left. She hissed as Macavity entered her cell. "Hello, my sweet."

"What's taking so long?" Alonzo asked impatiently.

"Some rescues take longer than others because Griddlebone avoids Macavity as much as she can," Rumpelteazer calmly informed him.

"Oh," Alonzo turned back to watch the rendevous point, just in time to spot a white Persian queen reach it, carrying a bloodied and muddied bundle. "She's there! Let's go," he whispered.

"Not so fast," she grabbed his tail when he would have rushed out into the open. "We have to wait for her signal," Griddlebone carefully set the bundle on the ground and Alonzo could see that it was really a queen. The conscious queen glanced around and raised her plumed tail perpindicular, then parallel, then down, then perpindicular. "That's the signal, let's go."

"Right," Alonzo followed the colorful queen out into the open.

"Thanks for coming, Rumpel," Griddlebone told the queen as she and Alonzo appeared.

"No prob, Griddle," Rumpelteazer answered. "You know I'm always willing to help ya."

"And I thank you for it," Griddlebone replied before turning to Alonzo. "Who are you?"

"I asked Bom to help me and she refused, because of what happened to Growltiger," Rumpelteazer explained. "So I asked Alonzo and he agreed."

"Thank you, Alonzo," Griddlebone told the tom. "I have to go now, otherwise I'll be missed."

"Okay, 'bye, Griddle," Rumpelteazer hugged her friend.

"'Bye, Rumpel," Griddlebone returned the hug. "'Bye, Alonzo."

"'Bye, Griddlebone," the white queen disappeared into the shadows.

"Well, let's get back to the junkyard," Rumpelteazer turned and headed home. Alonzo picked the limp queen up and followed Rumpelteazer, wondering what the unconscious queen's name was.

"Is she gonna be okay, Tant?" she heard the question and wondered who Tant was.

"Yeah, she should be coming out of it now, Lonzo," a female voice answered the male one.

She slowly blinked her eyes open and found herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. She looked to the side and saw a white, black, red and gray queen kneeling next to her. The queen smiled when she saw that her patient was awake. "Hello, there."

"Hi," she looked past the queen and her breath caught in her throat when she caught sight of a handsome tom standing by the door. He was white with black patches and one of the patches was over his left eye. "Who are you?"

"My name is Tantomille," the queen answered and gestured the tom forward, "and this is Alonzo."

"Hello," she shyly met the tom's navy eyes, then lowered her own. "My name is Tailkinker."

"Hello, Tailkinker," he smiled down at her.

Tantomille shooed the tom out of the room. "You need a serious bath, Tailkinker, and I know just where to go."

"Where?" Tailkinker asked, eager to get rid of the filth caked on her fur.

"Follow me," Tantomille led Tailkinker out of the flat.

"Alonzo, what were you doing in Tant's flat?" Plato asked, trying to hide the jealousy he felt.

"I helped Rumpel rescue a queen from Macavity and we took her to Tant's flat," Alonzo answered, wondering what the muddied and bloodied queen looked like when she was cleaned up.

"Oh," they wandered side-by-side, each wrapped up in his own thoughts. "So, have you thought of asking any of the queens to be your mate?"

"Yes," Alonzo nodded.

"Who?" Plato asked curiously.

"I'm not gonna tell you," Alonzo repeated Plato's earlier taunt.

"Okay," Plato grinned at the other tom, respecting his wish to keep it a secret. "I'm starved. Wanna go see if we can rustle up some grub down at the river?"

"Naw," Alonzo shook his head. "You go ahead, though."

"Alright," Plato trotted off.

*POUNCE* "Gotcha, TK!" Pouncival shouted gleefully, pinning the queen with a grin.

"I think not," the young queen flipped the tom off with her powerful hind legs and pinned him. "*I've* got *you* pinned."

"So I see," Pouncival conceded the point. Tailkinker had been introduced by Tantomille and quickly accepted. She had quickly become a playmate with Tumblebrutus, not caring about getting her white pelt with it's cream paws, tail tip, mask and ears mussed or dirty. Alonzo found her fascinating and watched from a distance as she romped and played with the two tom kittens, sometimes joined by Rumpelteazer, and sometimes joined by Etcetera and Electra. Victoria and Jemima had found in her a willing listener and wise advisor. Demeter found in her kindred spirit and had quickly befriended her. Jennyanydots and Jellylorum had taken the young queen under their maternal wings and Munkustrap watched over as diligently as he watched over Demeter. "I'm tired of Run 'n' Pounce."

"Me, too," Tailkinker let the patched tom sit up and her crystal blue gaze wandered over the junkyard. She quickly spotted a flash of white as Alonzo retreated from her view. She ignored the retreat and turned to find a changed Pouncival. He had ruffled his fur so it stood on end and a mad light had entered his usually ditzy gray eyes. "P-p-pounce? What are you doing?"

"I'm playing I'm Macavity," he answered innocently. "You be Demeter and I'll chase you," so saying, he crouched and leapt at her. Imagine his surprise when Tailkinker met him halfway, clawing and biting as she never had before, truly fierce, for Pouncival's playing had triggered the instincts she'd cultivated as Macavity's prisoner and fought so hard to repress. Now those instincts were unleashed and she attacked like a fury, nearly ripping the tom kitten to shreds.

"Kinker!" Tailkinker ignored the voice bawling in her ear and continued to mercilessly attack the shivering and bleeding ball of white, brown and gray fur Pouncival had become under her onslaught. "KInker, stop!" Alonzo dragged the hissing, spitting and clawing queen away from the tom kitten slightly bigger than her. Ignoring the wounds and pain she inflicted, he grabbed her flailing handpaws. That didn't work, for she proceeded to bite at his handpaws with her sharp teeth and kick with her footpaws. Still fighting to control her, he pinned her without hurting her, wincing as she continued to fight him. Unexpectedly, a pair of white handpaws rested on the queen's temples. Alonzo looked up found Tantomille standing over him and Tailkinker, sulphur eyes closed in concentration. A few minutes later, Tantomille opened her eyes and removed her handpaws. Tailkinker lay still beneath him, eyes closed and breathing evenly. "Is she okay?"

"Yes," Tantomille nodded. "Pouncival's playing triggered a flashback for Tailkinker and she fought as she did Macavity. She's asleep now."

Alonzo carefully stood up and scooped the sleeping queen into his arms. "I'll take her home."

"Okay," Tantomille smiled as the white and black tom carried the white and cream queen to his flat so he could keep an eye on her.

He watched with admiration in his turquoise eyes as Tantomille managed to calm the queen. Jealousy narrowed his eyes as Alonzo talked with the white, black, red and smokey gray queen. He sighed with relief as Alonzo picked Tailkinker up and carried her into his flat. He watched silently as Tantomille approached the two healers bent over Pouncival. Cassandra was placing a gentle palm over each wound one by one and gently healing them with the powers she'd honed while Coricopat knelt at the tom's head with his handpaws over the younger tom's temples and his sulphur eyes closed, seeking to heal the mental damage done by Tailkinker's ferocious attack. Tantomille knelt behind her brother and placed her handpaws over his temples before closing her eyes and concentrating on supplying her twin with more energy. For long time, only Cassandra moved as she healed the numerous bites and scratches Tailkinker had left on Pouncival. When the Burmese queen was done, Pouncival stirred and the twins removed their handpaws. Cassandra helped the tom sit up and asked him a question. Pouncival nodded and replied in a quiet whisper as Exotica appeared to support Coricopat as he fought to control the after-effects of his mental healing. Cassandra murmured a few words to the small tom and sent him on his way before turning to her friend with concerned blue eyes. Tantomille sat with her knees drawn up to her chin and her arms circling her legs. She shook her head at a question Cassandra asked and nudged the brown and cream queen on her way to Rumpus, who appeared out of the shadows to take the tall, slender queen home. He cautiously entered the clearing and approached the queen, who was huddled into a ball of misery. "Tant?"

Her head snapped up at the sound of his quiet question and she closed her eyes tight against the headache pounding behind them. "Hi, Plato. What brings you here?"

"You," he answered simply, kneeling behind her and gently massaging her temples.

"Why?" Tantomille asked, sighing with relief as the headache faded.

"You looked like you needed someone," he replied, moving his handpaws to massage her tensed neck and shoulders. "Cori had Exotica, Cass had Rump and Kink had Lonzo."

"You're right about that," her head fell forward as he gently began to massage her scalp, his claws gently scratching. "Thanks."

"No prob," he moved his massage to her back, surprised by how tense and knotted her muscles were. "Lie on your stomach."

"What?" Tantomille twisted to look at him.

"Lie on your stomach so I can massage your back properly," he instructed her, gently pushing her torso forward. "It feels like one big knot of tension."

"Oh," she obliged him and laid down on her stomach, sighing with relief as her muscles unknotted under his skillful massage. "Mmm," she stretched luxuriously. "That feels good, don't stop."

"I won't," he murmured as he felt her grow limp. "Tant?" Plato leaned forward and listened to her breathing. She was asleep. He scooped her up and carried her to her flat.

"No! Leave me!" Tailkinker screeched, caught in the throes of a nightmare. Alonzo watched helplessly as she thrashed on the cushion, fighting an invisble attacker. "No! Stop! Please stop," her shout turned to a whimper that broke his heart.

"Tailkinker, wake up," he shook her gently.

"No!" Tailkinker flailed out and scratched his cheek. Alonzo ignored the pain and continued to shake her, eventually waking her. "Oh, Alonzo," she buried her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollaby.

"Sh, sh," he gently rocked her back and forth, the blood she'd drawn dripping on her head. "It's okay. I'm here. Nothing's going to hurt you."

"It was so terrible," she whimpered through her sobs.

"It's all over," he told her, ignoring the firey pain coming from the wound on his cheek. "I won't let him take you back."

"Hold me," she sobbed, clutching at him tightly.

"Forever," he promised. "I'll never let you go."

"Thank you," she leaned back and smiled mistily at him. "Oh! Did I hurt you?"

"Just a scratch," he told her as she reached up a timid paw and stroked the wound. The pain subsided and he was surprised to find the scratch gone when he reached up to touch it. "How'd you do that?"

"I've always had a gift for healing," she shrugged, snuggling against him.

"I'm glad," he murmured, sensing that her gift for healing wouldn't help her heal the deep mental, spiritual and emotional wounds left by Macavity. Only he could do that. "I'll be here for you, always."

"Plato!" Tantomille sat up with surpise. "What are you doing here?"

"I carried you here," he told her. "And I stayed to keep you company."

"You didn't have to," she told him, melting at the sincerity in his words.

"I wanted to," he answered. "Because I have something I wanted to tell you."

"Okay," she scooted closer to him. "What is it?"

"I've been watching you for some time now," he began, "and I've become fascinated with you. You're so beautiful, so graceful and serene. It's a change from my life before I joined the tribe. I realized a couple days ago that I love you. Will you be my mate?"

Tantomille stared at him, knowing he'd been watching her, but surprised by the intensity of the emotion. When she reached out to sense his emotions, all she found were sincerity and love. A deep, abiding love that would last a long time. Then she thought of her own emotions. How did she feel about him? He was one of the quieter toms, close friends with Alonzo and always ready to help out in any way, shape or form. She probed her thoughts about him and was surprised to find herself wondering what it would be like to kiss him. She gazed into his turquoise eyes and felt that she could happily drown in them. The insight hit her like lightning: she loved him. She'd cared for him a long time and it had slowly deepened to love. "Yes, I will be your mate. Long ago, I came to care for you deeply and now I realize that it has deepened to love over time."

He was so happy that the only way he could express it was by a deep passionate kiss that she returned with equal passion.

"Kinker?" Alonzo began timidly.

"Yes?" she glanced up at him.

"Will you be my mate?"

"Of course I will," she replied, love shining plainly in her eyes. "I don't know if I could ever let a tom touch me, but I *do* know that love is more than that."

"So do I," he held her closer, glad to be able to claim her for his very own.

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