Chapter Ten

When we got back, there were several Jellicles walking around. I saw Riniel and Etcetera run towards Tugger, who seemed surprisingly glad to see them. He gently nuzzled them both. Not his typical flirtatious nuzzle, which he uses on practically every queen he sees. This was an almost fatherly/brotherly sort of thing, like he'd thought he would never see them again or something. It was really kind of sweet.
Once I got over this, I started looking for Sanya. I didn't see her, Teaser, Jemi, or Mungo among the upright Jellicles. That made me nervous. I saw Tumble and Pounce sitting on the trunk where Jennyanydots comes out of during her song. Tumble was holding a towel on a large gash on Pounce's tail.
I ran over and asked, "D'you guys know where Mungojerrie is being kept?"
"Yeah, he's in the Hospital den, over there," Tumble answered. "Are you looking for Sanya?"
"Um, yeah, actually. Isn't she with him?"
"No, she's over in Teaser's den."
I thanked him, and took off for Teaser's place.

I walked in to see Teaser and San sitting and talking, their eyes rather red from crying. I was about to ask how Mungo was when San asked about the meeting.
"It went okay, despite Alonzo and Plato wanting to ditch us."
Teaser was shocked.
I launched into a brief recap of the meeting, with Teaser muttering and gasping at appropriate times.
We had been sitting and talking about it for about twenty minutes when Mel walked in. There were tears in her eyes. When she spoke, her voice was shaking.
"Plato...wanted me...to sell...you guys out."
We stared.
"He w-wanted...to go against Old Deuteronomy's orders...and turn you two and Riniel over to Macavity."
Even Teaser was stunned.

We talked with her about it for quite some time before deciding to go to Old Deut with the information. Once we made that decision, Mel asked about Mungo.
Sanya sighed. "It looks like he'll make it, but we can't be sure yet."
"I think 'e'll be alrigh'. Mungo's a trooper." This was, if you couldn't tell by the exaggerated accent, Teaser talking.
I looked at San, who was smiling sadly.
"He'll be alright," I said. "I'm sure of it."
"I am too." said Mel.
Coricopat came in. "Sanya, Rumpleteaser. Mungo's asking for you."
San nodded. I gave her a reassuring smile as she and Teaser got up and left.
I got up as well. "D'you want to go see how everyone else is doing?" Mel nodded.

As we stepped outside, we saw Pouncival and Riniel standing together. Pounce was talking and Riniel was giggling. Mel and I looked at eachother, grinning.

****

Epilogue

Mungo made a full recovery, as did everyone else. As soon as he was able to walk, we left for our long journey to the old Junkyard.
On the way, Jemima discovered that she was pregnant. (two boys and three girls, according to Tantomile)
Sanya and Mungo soon announced their engagement, while Pounce decided to court Riniel.
It wasn't long after we got settled into the new Junkyard that Misto pulled me aside. Suffice it to say that there were two weddings very close together.

Our lives have been bliss, pure and simple. Sanya and Mungojerrie had three boys and a girl, who were named Aldarion, Eben, Elrohir, and Larien.
Riniel and Pounce married shortly after Sanya announced her pregnancy. They had three girls named Caylen, Deirde, and Waverly.
Misto and I had four kittens. Two boys, Brodie and Peregrin, and two girls, Caela and Sienna.

Meltoriel met a young tom who was a rebellious henchcat of Macavity's. She convinced him to officially defect to the Jellicles, and they married shortly thereafter. His name was Romulus.

We've lived here, among Jellicles, for about twenty years. We've had kids, and watched them grow up and have kids of their own.
We have discussed finding a way home, but we're getting a little old for that now. Besides, there's nothing left for us in the real world, and we've tried getting back to the worlds we visited before this one. It never works.
We'll just be content to live the life we have now, telling stories about our former lives to our grandkids. They never believe it, though.

Maybe someday, I'll tell you about Middle-Earth, or the Island, or when I accidentally wished Amber into Narnia and Charity and I had to go find her. But those are for a different day. ;)