Kittens! Kittens! Kittens!
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! For the love of Bast!!! Maruman! Get Misto out of here before I fry him!!!”
Maruman looked pleadingly at Jennyanydots, “I don’t think I can get my hand back, can you take him out of here please?”
Mistoffelees was a little worried, his mate wanted to fry him? That didn’t sound good. While he was standing there, full of indecision, his mother bodily picked him up and carried him outside.
“Mum! I have to be there for her!”
“Misto, right at this moment, the last thing she needs is you in there with her.”
“Why is she mad at me Mum?”
“Honey, she’s in labour, and a great deal of pain. At the moment, you’re the one who is causing the pain, you’re the one who made her pregnant, so it’s your fault.”
“Doesn’t she love me anymore?”
“She loves you a great deal, which is why she requested that you be removed from the room. Go and talk to your father and brother for a while. They’ve both been through this from your point of view, they’ll reassure you. When the kits are born you can come back in again. Don’t worry, it’s a normal part of labour, I threw your father out for each time, I’m not magickal though, I was just going to claw his eyes out for him. The pain goes away, and it is the best time for the parents, the naming of the kittens. Keep an ear out though while you go and see your father and Quaxo, she might change her mind when the kittens actually start coming.”
Mistoffelees left at a dead run to look for his father and Quaxo. He was really worried about his mate and he really needed to talk to them about it. Jennyanydots shook her head at him. Usually when he was sent off to his father he just vanished. He must be really very worried, hopefully Skimbleshanks and Quaxo could calm her little tuxedo cat down. Another scream of pain came from the birthing area so she hurried back inside to help her son’s mate give birth.
“Dad! Quaxo! Everlasting Cat, Where are you two?”
Skimbleshanks looked up, startled to hear his youngest son swear like that. It wasn’t like Mistoffelees. He was such a good little cat. “Mistoffelees! Mind your language! What if the kittens heard you?”
Skimbleshanks shared a bemused look with his son Quaxo, who he was talking to before Mistoffelees arrived on the scene.
At the sound of his father’s voice, Mistoffelees jumped two feet straight up. Lightning sped from his claw tips straight at Quaxo. “Hey Misto!” Quaxo also jumped two feet straight up, yowling, “Watch what you’re doing, you could hurt someone like that! What is with you today?”
Mistoffelees calmed down a little when he saw whom it was who spoke to him. “Thank Bastet I found you. Mum told me to come and talk to you two. Starflower threatened to fry me if I didn’t get out, and Mum said that was normal but I’m not so sure please tell me that everything is ok.”
The little tuxedo magick cat was nearly in tears by this time, he really thought, despite what his mother had told him that his beloved mate didn’t love him anymore.
Skimbleshanks just looked baffled. He didn’t have a clue what his son was talking about. Quaxo on the other hand thought about it for a moment. “Ah! I believe I know what you’re talking about Misto my brother”
“Please enlighten me Quaxo, because I haven’t the foggiest idea” Skimbleshanks was really confused.
“Starflower is giving birth to your kittens at the moment isn’t she Mistoffelees.”
The little tuxedo cat just sobbed, “Yes, and she said she was going to fry me if I didn’t leave”
“Mistoffelees, son, why didn’t you say so before? Sit down son and I’ll tell you a story. A story of – “
Mistoffelees cut in bluntly “I don’t want to hear a story Dad, I want to know what’s wrong with my mate”
“Young cat! Shush. Listen and learn…”
Authors note: I’m not going to actually write the story, I started to, but it was rather gory and I decided that I didn’t think it was appropriate for kittens I will just write a summary of it instead. Writer’s prerogative.
Skimbleshanks proceeded to tell Mistoffelees of the reason toms don’t stay with the queens when they are in labour. Mistoffelees listened in horror to the tale of the queen who tore the tail off her mate because she wanted to inflict the same amount of pain on him that she was going through.
“Dad that has got to be the most horrific tale I have ever heard. Is this supposed to reassure me that my mate hasn’t turned against me completely?”
Quaxo started to laugh, “Misto, Dad told me that story when Cassandra was in labour with Electra. He just like to scare us. Starflower still loves you, but right at the moment she sees you as the cause of the pain she’s in. Once the kittens are born she’ll be back to normal. Trust me, you’re safer nowhere near her, Cass tried to scratch my eyes out, you’re mate is magickal though, so you’ve got more chance of being fried.”
“Her brother’s are in there with her. What’s so special about them that they aren’t being ripped to shreds?”
“They’re family, you’re the one who made her pregnant. Don’t worry, if I tried to go in there she’d try to fry me as well.”
“So she still loves me?”
“Yes Misto, she still loves you”
“She’s got a good grip on her doesn’t she Maruman?” said Alonzo, wincing slightly
“That she does Alonzo. It’s a pity that she can’t stand the sight of the magician at the moment, he too could be here having his paw crushed.
“She does actually love him you know Maruman.”
“I know she does. I’ve got nothing against him, so lets not get the little guy fried today.”
“Excuse me boys,” came the voice of a very testy female, “But must you talk about me as if I wasn’t here? I love Misto dearly, but today I don’t wa – AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!”
Alonzo looked worriedly at Jennyanydots, “Is she going to make it through this Jenny? I’ve only just found my sister and I don’t want to lose her so soon.”
“She’ll be just fine Alonzo, she’s having kittens, not dying.”
“Are you sure Jenny?”
Jennyanydots let out a long sigh, “Yes Alonzo, I’m sure. It’s not her time to die, I have that on Old Deuteronomy’s authority. She’s not ready to die yet.”
“ARGH!!!!!! Would you PLEASE not talk about me as though I’m not here?”
Jennyanydots shot an amused look at Jellylorum, “How are we doing Jelly?”
“Pretty good Jen, Starflower honey, I want you to start pushing now, these kittens are ready to be born.
One by one, with much, grunting and a little screaming, seven perfect little kittens became a part of Starflower and Mistoffelees’ family.
Mistoffelees’ ears perked up. He could hear it again, very faintly “Misto, come and look” He raced off towards the birthing room, as this time he recognised the voice in his mind, it was Starflower! He got to within a few feet of the entrance and was tackled by Skimbleshanks and Quaxo.
“Let me go!” he snarled
“We are not letting you go in there Mistoffelees. We happen to care for you, and we don’t want you to get fried.”
“But she called for me. She needs me!”
As the trio argued, their voices escalated
“Let me go!”
“Not on your life!”
“YES!”
“NO!”
“YES!”
“NO!”
“YES!”
“NO!”
“YES!”
“NO!”
“YES!”
“NO!”
“YES!”
“NO!”
“YES!”
“NO!”
“YES!”
“NO!”
“YES!”
“NO!”
“YES!”
“NO!”
Maruman and Alonzo came out of the door to investigate the shouting.
“Don’t you ever listen to your mate? Get your tail in there….. Daddy!”
“Quaxo, Skimbleshanks, would you be so kind as to let Mistoffelees go. Starflower needs him.
Mistoffelees could hear Starflower now that he’d stopped shouting, so he cautiously stuck his head around the corner, “Is it safe for me to come in now?” he whispered “Am I likely to get fried?”
Starflower laughed throatily “It’s safe Misto, get in here and meet your kits.”
Mistoffelees came quietly into the room and stopped dead. Beside his mate were seven of the cutest little kittens you’ve ever seen. “They’re beautiful Starflower, I’m so proud of you. What are their names?”
One by one, Starflower picked up each kitten and introduced them to their father, starting with the eldest.
“Misto, this is your eldest daughter, I’ve named her Mistoflower” The little kitten was a negative of her father, white with a black face, chest and tail tip. Next came Mistostar, who looked just like her uncle Quaxo, except that her left forepaw was white, not her right one.
Mistoffelees looked at her and commented to his mate “That’s going to make life fun Starflower.”
Next up were the twins, Rumplejerrie and Mungoteaser. Named for their aunt and uncle who they very closely resembled.
“Another two! We’ll have to try and keep these two out of trouble though. Teaser and Jer will be rapt about the names.”
“Misto, we won’t have to worry about them, they won’t be much trouble really, I can tell. Here is your middle son, Skimbledots is his name”
Little Skimbledots was a ginger cat with leopard style dots.
“Mum and Dad will be pleased about that name honey”
“I know they will. This little lady’s name was a little harder to come up with, but I finally decided on Mistostrap”
The tiny kitten was black, with white tiger stripes, and looking at her, Mistoffelees could tell that she was going to be a heartbreaker when she grew. The last little kit stood out starkly against his mother, for he was a light coloured cat.
“Who’s this little fellow Starflower?”
“Misto, this is the one we are going to have to keep out of trouble. I’ve had a premonition about him, and his name is Mischiefelous, he is your youngest son, and we’ll have to keep him safe.”
“I’m so proud of you Starflower. I guess I’d better start taking them home. Our human will want to see them.” Something struck him, and he took a closer look at his youngest son “Star, where did Mischiefelous’ colouring come from? I can pick the others, but I’ve never seen that particular colour before. None of my family is that pale brown.”
“My mother was that colour. It’s a pretty rare colour I know. The humans call it ‘Mushroom brown’. I’m a little surprised that we only got Rumplejerrie and Mungoteaser as twins actually. I’m surprised that we didn’t get any mirror twins.” She nuzzled her mate “I prepared a cupboard at home before we left, take the kits carefully back there while I say goodbye to everyone. I’ll bring Mischiefelous with me when I come. He can’t be left alone.”
“Snow! You have been busy haven’t you? Seven kittens… I wasn’t expecting you to have that many. Let’s see, what shall we name them? Ooh, don’t you look like a mirror image of your daddy, you’ll be Tuxette, you my dear, are definitely Princess. Cali and Corey are twins I see! You are going to be Spot, and I think Tiger for you missy. That one looks like he’ll be a handful doesn’t he Snow? What do you think Tux? Shall we call our little mushroom fellow Mischief? I never saw a name that suited a cat more than that one.
Author’s note: The names were given to the kittens in age order, from oldest to youngest. You match name to cat. Rumplejerrie is a female, and Mungoteaser is a male, Rumplejerrie is the elder of the two.
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