Disclaimer: I don't own Cats. I just love the musical and all the characters...
Claimer: (Bet you never saw one of those before!) I own all of my ideas. To anyone who's trying to accuse me of stealing these from themselves or their friends, I came up with this story on my own. I don't believe in plagiarism, and I think people who do it should be punished fittingly. It's highly unlikely that every single Fanfiction story is going to be 100% original work, without even the slightest influence of other stories. No matter how much you deny it, anything you read and enjoy influences the things you write. It comes to you as an idea, though you've molded it to fit your exact taste. I haven't read the stories I've been accused of stealing from, but even if I had, I wouldn't plagiarize them. I apologize to the people (they know who they are) who think I would stoop that low, but I assure you, I didn't. So, before you send me more messages, excuse the language, bitching me out, take that into consideration. And to anyone else who decides to accuse me, ask me about it politely first. That way, when I respond to you, I'll keep in mind that you showed me the bit of respect I deserve as a human with rights. Thank you.
A/N: I apologize, but I can't type in a Cockney accent.
A/N: When words are italicized, it's a flashback. When words are italicized and underlined, it's a dream.
I was running through a forest, desperately trying to escape from my crazy mother. She had torn me away from my father just a few days ago, quite painfully I might add. Oh, how I missed him. He was the only cat I knew who cared for me truly. I had just managed to escape from her this morning, and I ran with all my might. My back and sides hurt profusely from her claws ripping me away from my father. I heard her shout after me, "Go on, run you stupid little kit! Don't come crying back to me when you get stuck on the streets!" I had run for hours, and I had only begun to realize that I had no idea where I was going, and that I was beginning to get very tired, hungry, and thirsty. I slowed down when I reached a street, which was something I was relatively unaccustomed to. I padded over to a park across from where I emerged from the forest and laid under a park bench to rest.
The next thing I knew, I'm being prodded at by paws. They're not the harsh, clawing paws of my mother, or the comforting paws of my father. I open my eyes to find a black and white tom cat staring down at me.
"Hello there, little kit. I'm Alonzo. What is your name?"
"Um, my names Korritzka…" I replied.
[A/N] I don't want it to sound like any specific language or anything, the name just sounds cool to me…
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Korritzka," Alonzo politely said.
"It's nice to meet you, too, sir." I replied. I went to stand up and yowled in pain. I had forgotten about the cuts all over my back and sides. Seeing this, Alonzo picked me up by the loose skin on my neck, just the way my father used to. My mother thought it pointless and just carried me by my stomach.
"You look like you could use some food, Korritzka. As well as a nice place to rest and heal. Come with me and I'll see what I can do for you," he told me. I was too tired to refuse, so I just went along with it.
He carried me for what seemed like an hour before we reached a fence surrounding a junkyard. I thought to myself, "Okay, this is strange. I thought he was going to help me, not dump me off…" Suddenly, I heard many voices coming from the junkyard. Alonzo leapt over a pile of junk, and suddenly we were surrounded by cats, all of whom appeared to be staring at me.
"Munkustrap! Come see what I found in the park!" Alonzo shouted around my fur. He placed me gently on the ground as a silver and black tabby tom and a gold and black queen strode over. The tom looked me over once and asked, "Who is this kit? You said you found her in the park?" At his words, I shrunk down in embarrassment. The queen looked at me and smiled, which made me feel a bit better.
Alonzo looked at the tabby and said, "Her name's Korritzka. She was asleep under a bench in the park when I found her. She looked hungry, and she's covered in cuts. I thought I'd bring her here and ask Old Deuteronomy if she could join the Tribe." At this, I looked up at him, bewildered. What Tribe?! He looked down at me and realized he forgot to mention this detail. However, instead of explaining, he turned to the queen and said, "Demeter, can you take Korritzka to Jenny to see about those cuts and getting her some food? I'm going to go find Old D and see about getting her an interview."
"Yes, Alonzo. I'll take her," Demeter replied. With that, she picked me up and carried me off to an old dishwasher. "Jenny, are you here?" Demeter called.
"Demeter? Is that you?" a voice replied. Following it was some clanking, and a ginger-colored queen emerged. "Hello, dear! How can I help you?" she asked. She then noticed me and exclaimed, "Oh, who's this little darling?"
"This is Korritzka. Alonzo found her under a park bench today. He said she has cuts all over her, and that she needs food. I was hoping you could take care of her?" Demeter replied.
"Oh, of course, Demeter," Jenny said. With that, Demeter said quick thanks and set me down on the floor. She then padded off out of sight. "Let's have a look at those injuries, little one."
After that, it was awkward, embarrassing, and just a little painful. Jenny was picking me up and turning me every which way and touching my cuts until she finally put some soothing herbs on them and declared, "All better! Now about that food…" She then proceeded to stalk off in search of something, mumbling something to herself which I couldn't catch. I lay down on the old couch cushion she had placed me on and closed my eyes. I wished I could go home, with my father. I remembered the first time I opened my eyes, I saw his smiling face…
"Look, look! Korritzka's eyes are opening!" my father shouted to my mother.
"Who cares? It's just a stupid kit. Now let me sleep." I heard her shout back.
My father picked me up and held me to him, and we both purred.
At this happy memory, I began to cry. Why had my mother taken me away? I missed him so much. Jenny came back in with a delicious smelling morsel of food, and I immediately dried my tears and tried to look happy.
"What's wrong dear?" she asked in a sympathetic voice.
"I miss my father, so very much. I didn't even get to say goodbye to him before she tore me away," and with that I began to sob even harder. Jenny comforted me until my sobs had died down to sniffles. Suddenly, Alonzo strode in, followed by Munkustrap and Demeter, as well as some cats I didn't recognize.
"Old Deuteronomy will see you now, Korritzka," Munkustrap stated. I jumped down from the cushion and padded after the group as they left. I looked back to find Jenny walking after us. We walked to the center of the junkyard to a large tire. Sitting on the tire was a large cat with a kind face who was smiling down at me. "Welcome to the Jellicle Junkyard, Korritzka. I've hope you're enjoying yourself so far," the large cat said warmly. "I'm Old Deuteronomy. It's nice to meet you. I will be asking you some questions regarding your acceptance into the Jellicle Tribe." From there, he asked me a series of questions about my background, how I feel about the cats I'd met so far, and things like that.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of questions, Old Deuteronomy announced to the whole of the Jellicle Tribe, "Attention everyone, we have a new Jellicle! This is Korritzka."
Everyone cheered. A black and white tom kitten ran up to me and greeted me. He said, "Hi! I'm Quaxo. It's nice to meet you, Korritzka! Would you like me to show you around?"
"Um, sure. Thank you, Quaxo," I replied. "He's nice," I thought to myself as he grabbed my paw and we took off toward a group of kittens. Quaxo took me around to each of the kittens. There was Victoria, Jemima, Electra, Etcetera, Rumpleteazer, Tumblebrutus, Pouncival, Admetus, Plato, and Mungojerrie. After being introduced to everyone, Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie approached me and started chatting with me.
"Hey Korritzka, do you have anywhere to sleep yet?" Rumpleteazer asked me.
"No, I haven't had a chance to look. I haven't even gotten to explore the Junkyard yet."
"What say we show you around then, eh?" Mungojerrie asked with a smile.
"That's a great idea!" Rumpleteazer exclaimed. She grabbed my paw and dragged me over to a rusty, old car with a license plate that said TSE1. "Strange, I wonder what that stands for," I thought to myself.
"This is the old car. Us kits like to play on it, but our parents don't like us to because they think we'll get hurt. Kinda stupid, really," Rumpleteazer explained. The rest of the afternoon proceeded in this manner until the sun started to set.
"We'd better find you a suitable bed. It's almost time for us kits to get home," Mungojerrie stated. We searched around the Junkyard until Mungojerrie triumphantly brought back a small wicker basket and a deep purple pillow. "How's this?" he asked through the basket handle and corner of the pillow wedged between his teeth.
"It's perfect! Thanks guys!" I said with a smile to my two new friends.
"Now we just need a place to put it…" Rumpleteazer said. She looked around for a minute, when suddenly her eyes went wide. "AHA! I've found the perfect spot," she shouted, startling both Mungojerrie and myself. We looked to the spot she was staring at where we saw two bushes with a gap on one side just big enough for a kitten to crawl through.
"That looks like a great spot, Teazer!" Mungojerrie agreed.
"I agree. It looks like a lovely place for a bed," I added.
Mungojerrie, being the gentleman that he is, drug my bed to the bushes and crept inside. We heard a bit of leaves rustling, some twigs snapping, some slight grunts of effort, and then he emerged covered in foliage. He grabbed the basket and pillow and carefully drug them through the tunnel. Moments later, he emerged a second time, and motioned for Rumpleteazer and me to join him in the bushes. We crept slowly through the tunnel until we got to a clearing, which I assumed Mungojerrie had made, and there sat my bed. I looked up, and I had a lovely view of the moon and stars, which I love.
"Oh, Mungojerrie, it's perfect!" I shouted as I ran up to hug him.
"Glad you like it, Korr," he replied with a grin and returned my hug. "May I call you Korr?" he asked.
"Only if I can call you something too," I answered.
"You can call him Mungo or Jerrie, and you can call me Rumple or Teazer." Rumpleteazer declared.
"Which would you guys prefer?" I asked.
"Well, we call each other by the second halves of our names. We have since we were old enough to speak," Mungojerrie said.
"Well, I'll call you Mungo and Rumple then," I replied.
"Alrighty then, Mungo, Rumple, and Korr it is!" Mungo declared.
"It's time for all the kittens to go to their dens!" Jenny shouted.
"Aww, dang, I was having fun" Rumple sighed.
"Well, at least we can hang out tomorrow," I said.
"True. Goodnight Korr." Mungo said. He hugged me and then turned to his sister. "You coming Teazer?"
"Yeah, just a sec Jerrie," she replied. He padded away. She turned to me and said, "Just throwing this out there, if you ever start to like Jerrie, let me know. I'd much rather him be with someone like you than some of the other kits. But anyways, goodnight Korr." She hugged me and raced off after her brother. I padded back into my little "forest" and lay down in my bed.
As I lay there, half asleep, I began to reminisce about my home. I remembered the first time I caught a rat…
I stalked the rat, around the trees and through the shrubbery, until WHAM! I pounced and felt a struggle beneath my paws. I picked up the squirming creature in my teeth and carried it triumphantly to our den. I showed my mother and father, and my mother just rolled her eyes and stalked away. My father, on the other hand, congratulated me and kissed my head.
The happy memory made me purr, and I fell asleep in a lovely mood. I woke up to the sun shining down on me, warming me. I made my way out of the bushes and didn't see anyone else around. I padded over to a hole in the Junkyard fence, which I hopped through. I walked down a hill until I came to a pretty pond with clear blue water and a great deal of fish. I looked at my reflection in the water. My father had always told me I was a beautiful queen-kit. I was mostly black, like my mother, but I had stripes of white and red, like my father. I had piercing storm gray eyes, like my father's, but a light pink nose like my mother. My ears were rather large and disproportional, my tail was a fluffy stub which was disproportional in the other direction, but I felt they gave me character.
I started to lap water from the pond, when I heard footsteps approaching. My head shot up, and I teetered and fell in the water. Luckily, my father had taught me to swim, so I didn't drown in the surprisingly deep water. I paddled over to the edge and climbed out, soaking wet. I looked to the source of the footsteps, and saw an orange, black, and white tom-kit rolling on the ground in laughter. "Mungojerrie." I thought. I put on my best glare and waited for him to stop laughing.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, Korr. I was just coming to see what you were up to," he said, seeing my glare.
I burst out laughing and said, "It's okay Mungo, I was only joking."
"Do you want me to jump in, too?" Mungo asked.
"Nah, it's alright," I replied. I tackled him, and we both plunged into the pond, laughing. We swam around for a bit, and each caught a small fish. When we were done eating, we padded back to the Junkyard talking and laughing all the while. When we got back to the Junkyard, we saw that everyone was out and about. Rumple ran up to us and shouted, "WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN? I've been bored crazy! And why are you wet?"
"Sorry. I went to the pond this morning and then Mungo over here decides to scare me so I fall in, then I tackled him in and we went fishing and then we walked back." I replied. Mungo just nodded in the affirmative.
"Oh. Well, why didn't you invite me? Jerks…" Rumple fake-pouted. We all laughed.
Jemima ran up to us and, panting, said, "Hey, come check it out! Mistofelees is doing his magic!" She bolted off toward a black tom-kit that looked a lot like Quaxo, who was surrounded by a group of kits. Mostly squealing queen-kits. We padded over to the crowd and watched the show.
Mistofelees shot lightning out of his paws, conjured various things, and at one point, made a deep red rose appear and presented it to Jemima, who blushed bright red. I wished longingly that a tom would make me blush like that someday. I looked over the crowd of cats and saw Victoria and Plato nuzzling each other and wondered how long they'd been together. I saw Rumple trying not to stare at Pouncival. Electra and Admetus kept looking at each other, but trying not to let the other notice, which I thought was cute. Neither Etcetera or Tumblebrutus were looking at anyone in particular. I glanced at Mungo, who seemed to be staring off into nothing with a bit of a sad look on his face, which for some reason disheartened me a little.
After Mistofelees was done with his magic, his coat stopped glowing, and I saw that it was, in fact, Quaxo. I guess Mistofelees is his stage name. Suddenly, I heard Etcetera scream, and turned around to see her sprinting off toward a Maine Coon cat coming in the entrance to the Junkyard. Suddenly, most of the queen-kits, including Rumple, rushed off to greet this tom. I padded over slowly to see what the deal was, and discovered that the Maine Coon was very good looking. Then, a scarlet queen flitted over to him, and nuzzled him. I saw she and Etcetera give each other death glares, but the adult queen's glare was more threatening, by far. I laughed as Etcetera shrank down in defeat. Suddenly, all the queens turned to look at me with wide eyes. I looked up at the tom and he was staring at me, smirking. "That's a little creepy…" a voice came from behind me, and it made me jump. I recognized the voice as Mungo's, and it relieved me a little. I turned around to smile at him and found him smiling a big, goofy smile that made me laugh.
"Um, Korr, do you want to go on a walk with me?" he asked.
"I'd love to Mungo," I replied with a smile. At my answer, his ears perked up, and he padded off, beckoning for me to join. We walked to the hole in the fence and then to the pond. We sat together, batting at the fish in the water, and talking about random little things like what we like to do, what places we think we'd like to see. After a while, the sun started to set, and Mungo sighed.
"We should probably get going. It's sundown," he said sadly.
"Yeah. I wish the days were longer," I replied. We padded back to the Junkyard, where we were greeted by Jemima and Quaxo.
"Hey guys! Where'd you two go?" Quaxo inquired.
"We went to a little pond outside the Junkyard," Mungo replied.
"Hey, Korritzka, do you wanna come spend the night in my parents' den with me?" Jemima asked me. I didn't really know her that well, so I figured, why not?
"Sure, Jemima. That sounds fun," I replied, to which she smiled and dragged me to a big old oven with a hole in the side, which I assumed was their den. Inside, I was greeted by Munkustrap and Demeter. We jumped to the top rack of the oven, which had a flap of cardboard covering the metal grate. There was a pretty, deep red pillow with a white blanket as her bed.
"I love your room, Jemima! It's really nice," I told her.
"Thanks! Quaxo gave me the pillow and blanket as a present," she replied. "That deep red is my favorite color."
"Oh, so that's why Mistofelees gave you that rose, because that's your favorite color." I thought aloud.
"Well, that and he's my tom-friend," she replied, giggling.
"Really? That's so cute!" I exclaimed.
"Yeah. Do you have your eyes on anyone?" she asked.
"Well, not really. That Maine Coon everyone was squealing over was pretty cute," I said.
"Oh, Rum Tum Tugger? He's the Junkyard flirt, along with his possibly-but-no-one-really-knows mate, Bombalurina. She's the scarlet queen. Etcy's a bit obsessed with him. I don't see what everyone sees in him." she replied.
"Oh. So that explains the death glares!"
"Haha, yeah. Bomba usually wins the staring contests with Etcy," she explained. The night continued on like that, the two of us just chatting and laughing. Jemima told me lots of stories about things the other kits did or some of the adults did.
The next morning, Jemima said she had a date with Quaxo, so I went to find Rumple and Mungo. As I was looking, I ran into a cat a bit bigger than me, and fell over.
"You okay there, little kit?" the tom said as he was helping me up.
"Yeah. Sorry about running into you," I looked up to see who I'd run into, and it was Rum Tum Tugger! At this, I about fainted, but he caught me just before I hit the ground.
"You sure you're okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, thank you." I replied. "So, I hear you're a bit of a flirt," I said.
"Who'd you hear that from?" he inquired. I told him it was Jemima that told me. He laughed.
"So, Jemima also said that no one really knows if Bombalurina is your mate, and it made me wonder. Is she?" I asked. "You don't have to answer…"
"Well, technically no. But I do rather like her. Well, more like love. I want to ask her to be my mate, but I can never work up the courage. As big of a flirt as I may or may not be, she just makes me nervous," he replied in a bit of a depressed tone. It made me sad to see him like that.
"You know what you should do? You should take her on a date. Whilst on the date, you should take her somewhere romantic, and just ask," I said, being a hopeless romantic at heart.
"You know, that's not a bad idea. There's this really pretty hill that has an amazing view of the Junkyard and the city. Maybe I'll take her there…" he said.
"Well, good luck! I've gotta find Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. See you later Rum Tum Tugger!" I said as I started off.
As I continued my search, I ran into Tumblebrutus and Pouncival, who I learned were brothers. I stopped to talk to them for a little bit, and then continued looking for my friends. Finally, as it got to be sundown, I gave up. Where were they? Jenny shouted for all the kittens to return to their respective dens, and I walked slowly to my basket. When I got inside, I saw a plush, black blanket sitting on my pillow. I wondered where it came from, so I went to investigate. It was soft, and very comfortable. It had a familiar scent, but I couldn't quite figure out what it reminded me of. Either way, it smelled good.
I curled up in my basket, pulled my blanket over me, and gazed up at the stars. I heard a rustle in the leaves, but I ignored it. Suddenly, I saw a shape by the tunnel. My heart started to race, until the figure stepped out into the moonlight. It was Mungo! My heartbeat slowed, but sped back up, which I thought was a little strange.
"How do you like your new blanket?" he asked with a smile.
"It's very comfortable, and it smells really nice. Did you put it here?" I replied.
"Yeah. I got it for you today while I was out with Teazer," he said. Mungo brought me this? How sweet!
"Awe, thank you, Mungo!" I said. I hopped out of my bed and hugged him. .
"Well, I just came by to see if you liked your present. Goodnight, Korr," he said. He rubbed his head against mine and padded out of my den. Oddly, I found myself wishing he didn't have to leave.
"Goodnight, Mungo," I whispered. I climbed back into my bed and cuddled under the blanket. As I lay there, looking at the stars, I drifted off to sleep.
I was sitting at the pond, staring thoughtfully into the water. I heard footsteps behind me, but I only smiled. The cat nuzzled me, and I started to purr. Suddenly, I felt a movement in my belly, and smiled even more. I turned around to face the cat…
I awoke to the bright light of the day, and shook the sleep from my eyes, wishing I hadn't woken up yet. I wanted to know who was behind me and why I was so happy! I decided to try and find out what the dream meant. I padded out of my den and found Victoria, Jemima, Electra, and Etcetera all playing in a group. I walked over and said, "Hey guys!"
"Hey Korritzka! Wanna play with us?" Victoria asked.
"Maybe later. I had a really weird dream last night, and I want to know what it means. Is there anyone around here who could help me?" I replied.
"Yeah. You should talk to Tantomile and Coricopat. They live across the Junkyard in an old tent," Electra answered. That was the first time I'd ever heard her speak.
"Thanks, Electra!" I said as I scampered off. I searched around the Junkyard until I found an old gray tent with patches in the sides. As I made my way over to it, I started feeling a strange, probing aura around me. When I finally made it to the door, I noticed a bell hanging down, which I batted at so it would ring.
"Come in, Korritzka," two simultaneous voices said. I walked into the tent, which from the inside looked much bigger. Two dark colored cats lay in the center, facing each other. I approached them, and they turned to face me at the same time. "Sit down," the male said. I obeyed.
"I assume you're here about your dream?" the female inquired.
"Um, yes. How'd you know that?" I asked.
"We're psychics. We can sense your intentions. What would you like to know about this dream?" they asked in unison.
"Well, I would like to know who the other cat was in the dream, and why it made me so happy…" I replied. At this, the female stood up and placed her paws on my temples. I sensed the probing aura again, this time much stronger. I felt my brain being rummaged through, and the cat seemed to be concentrating, and seeing an image in her mind. After a few minutes, she stepped back and lay back down in her original position.
"The cat in your dream was a tom you love very much. I couldn't get the identity, because you haven't figured out that you love him yet. The movement you felt in your belly was a pair of twin kits, two toms. You were happy because you had your mate, who you love very much, and were expecting his kittens. Everything was right in your world," the female cat said.
"Oh! Well, do you think it was a vision, or just a dream?" I asked hopefully.
"It's too soon to tell. Possibly it's a prediction of your future, but it could also just be your wishes being played out in your dreams," the male cat replied.
"Oh," I said, my ears drooping a little. I hoped it was a vision. The world in my dream seemed really nice. "Thank you for explaining this to me!" I said.
"You're very welcome, Korritzka. Come back any time you have a dream you need explained," they said together. I walked out of the tent, and was greeted by a smiling Mungojerrie.
"Hey Korr! What were you doing in there?" he asked.
"I had a weird dream last night, and Electra said I should ask Tantomile and Coricopat about it. She was right," I replied.
"Oh. Well, do you wanna go to our pond today? You could tell me about your dream on the way…" he said. It sounded like a good idea, so I agreed.
As we made our way to the pond, we ran into Rum Tum Tugger and Bombalurina, who were holding each other's paws and smiling.
"Bomba, Mungojerrie, could you give Korritzka and I a minute alone?" Rum Tum Tugger asked.
"Uh, sure…" they both replied, confused. They walked a little away, talking to each other.
"Korritzka, I wanted to thank you for your advice the other night. I took Bomba to the pond, and we had an amazing time. I asked her to be my mate, and she screamed and said yes, and I've been so happy. I just wanted to say thank you so much for giving me the courage to ask the queen I love to be my mate. I want you to know that if there's ever anything, and I mean anything, I can do to repay you, just let me know," he gushed.
"You're welcome, Rum Tum Tugger," I said smiling.
"Please, call me Tugger," he replied, and he hugged me. "Hey Bomba, are you ready to go?"
"Yes, darling," she replied, and they walked off paw in paw. Mungo walked up to me and asked, "What was that all about?"
"Well, the other day, I was looking for you and Rumpleteazer, when I ran into Tugger. I asked about him and Bombalurina, and if they were mates. He said they weren't, because he couldn't get the courage to ask her. I told him to take her somewhere romantic and just ask. Apparently, he took my advice, and now they're mates! He wanted to thank me is all." I explained.
"Oh. So they're mates now. Cool," he said. We continued on our trek to the pond. When we got there, we went swimming. I dove under the surface, trying to show off. I opened my eyes and it was amazing! The fish were all around me. I turned my head to see Mungo swimming toward me, also under the water. I decided to trick him and pretended to pass out. As my eyes were closing, I saw him start swimming faster. Just as my luck would go, my trick turned real. I blacked out, and the next thing I know, I'm on solid ground. I open my eyes to see a soaking wet, worried looking Mungojerrie looking at me. "Korr! Oh thank Everlasting Cat! I thought you were dead or something!" he exclaimed in relief.
I took a deep breath and said, "Thank you for saving me, Mungo. I wanted to trick you, but I ended up passing out for real. I'm so happy you were here to save me," I sat up and did something very strange. I nuzzled my head to his and purred. I realized what I was doing, and pulled away. Fortunately, he didn't comment. I wondered silently to myself why I had just done that.
We sat talking quietly for a while before we decided to head back early. We walked up the hill and jumped through the fence. We found all the kittens seated in a circle, and we padded over to them.
"Hey guys! Whatcha doin?" Mungo asked.
"We're gonna play Truth or Dare," Victoria said. "Wanna join?"
"Sure!" Mungo and I answered in unison. It reminded me of Coricopat and Tantomile. We sat down in the circle.
"I'll go first!" Etcy shouted. "Electra, truth or dare?"
"Hmm.. Dare." she replied.
"I dare you to… kiss Mungojerrie!" Etcy said. I looked at Mungo, and he was blushing. Electra slowly made her way across the circle and kissed him with a quick peck and she scampered back to her spot. Seeing that hurt a little, but I didn't really know why. I looked over at Admetus, and he looked hurt, too.
"My turn! Um, Jemima, truth or dare?" Electra asked.
"Truth." Jemima stated.
"Jemima, who do you like?"
"Quaxo. And I don't just like him, I love him," she said smiling. "Victoria, truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"I dare you to…"
I didn't really pay attention to the game much. I just kept thinking about the dream I had, and wondering who the cat could be.
"Mungojerrie, truth or dare?" Admetus asked.
"Truth." Mungo replied.
"If you could have any queen, adults included, as your queen-friend, who would it be?" Admetus asked.
I listened for his answer, but all I heard was Jenny shout, "All the kittens need to go to their dens now!" I sighed. All the kits stood up and went their separate ways. Mungo, Rumple, and I walked together.
"Hey, Korr, do you wanna stay the night in our den with me tonight?" Rumple asked me.
"Sure! That sounds like fun!" I said excitedly.
"Great!" she replied. I walked with them to a large cardboard box with a tarp over it to protect it from the rain. When we got inside, we were greeted by Jellylorum, one of the matronly cats. "Hey, is it okay if Korr spends the night?"
"Sure, Rumples," Jelly replied.
Mungo, Rumple, and I walked to the back of the box, which had lots of pillows, blankets, and various other nice things about. I wondered where it all came from. The back of the box had three separate cardboard walls. Two of equal size, and one that was a bit larger. I assumed the larger one was Jelly's room. Rumple led me to the room farthest left. We went into the room, which was decorated with diamonds and pearls. A medium-sized orange pillow was in one corner of the room with a bright red blanket neatly against the wall.
"Wow, Rumple! Your room is amazing!" I exclaimed.
"Thanks! It took a while to get all the decorations," she replied. I looked around for Mungo, but he wasn't there. "I guess he went to his room…" I thought.
Later, we were sitting on her bed talking. The subject of toms came up, as it would go.
"So, Rumple, who do you like?" I asked, curious about why she was staring at Pouncival at Mistofelees's show.
"Oh, no one in particular…" she said. I could tell she was lying by the way she looked off to the side instead of at me.
"Don't lie to me, woman!" I fake-yelled. We laughed.
"Well, I kind of like Pouncival…" she said.
"I knew it! I saw you trying not to stare at him that night we watched Mistofelees do his magic." I said.
"Was it that obvious?" she asked, her ears drooping.
"Well, not really. I just like to observe other cats and watch their behaviors. Did you see Electra and Admetus eyeing each other? It was cute." I replied.
"No, I didn't see that. I've always wondered if they had a thing going or something," she replied. "Who do you like, Korr?"
"Well, to be honest, I don't really know. I used to think Tugger was cute, but then I helped him ask Bombalurina to be his mate. Other than that, I don't really know." I replied.
"You did that?! Wow! Etcy's all broke up about it, but what'd you do?" she asked. I told her the same story I'd told Mungo, and she merely looked stunned. "Wow. To think… Tugger being too nervous to ask her."
The rest of night went similar to the night at Jemima's, except I kept thinking about Mungo, who could be heard moving about in the next room. And the fact that we didn't sleep at all. In the morning, Jelly told me that she and her kits were going on a week's vacation to see Gus. I said goodbye to my friends and walked to my den. I curled up in my basket to nap, and I smelled the blanket. The smell was pretty much gone, but there was a trace of the blanket's scent still there. I fell asleep in the warmth of the sun…
I was laying in my bed, still in the clearing in the bushes. I felt a warm body curled around my back, breathing slowly and purring. I smiled. I looked around the den and noticed two more tunnels through the bushes, which seemed a bit larger than I remembered. I cuddled up closer to the sleeping cat next to me and purred as I fell back asleep. A faint trace of my favorite smell was in the air around me.
When I woke up, the sun was high in the sky. I decided to go talk to Coricopat and Tantomile about my dream. As I made my way to their den, I remembered that Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were out of the Junkyard with Jellylorum. I sighed. When I got to the tent, I batted the bell.
"Come in, Korritzka." Tantomile said. I had learned that Tantomile was the female and Coricopat was the mail when I told Mungo about my dream. I walked into the tent, and didn't see Coricopat, which I thought was odd. "My twin is out with an acquaintance today."
"Oh," I said.
"I assume you had another dream you need me to tell you about?" she asked.
"Eh, yeah…" I replied. Once again, she put her paws on my temples and read the dream. She stepped back, and sat looking at me. "So, what can you tell me about this one?" I asked.
"Well, once again you were with the tom you love, but this time in your den, which you two shared. The extra tunnels were to your kittens' rooms. I noticed a faint scent in this dream. Do you know what that scent belongs to?" she answered.
"Well, no not really. A friend of mine brought me a blanket as a gift, and the scent on the blanket is the scent in my dream. I really like it, though, and it's a familiar scent, but I don't know who or what it belongs to." I replied.
"I think the scent belongs to the cat in your dreams. It seems like a logical explanation," she explained. It made a lot of sense. I thanked her for her services and I left.
A couple days went by, and they were pretty much uneventful. I played games with the other kittens, and visited the pond a couple times. On the third day Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were gone, I decided to visit Tugger. I found him with Bombalurina in their new den which was an entertainment center laying down on its front side. All the panels had holes cut in them so a cat could pass from room to room.
I knocked on the side by the door. "Tugger, are you home?" I called. Tugger came out of his den and said, "Hey Korritzka! How's it goin little lady?"
"Oh, it's fine I suppose," I replied. "I was just wondering something, and I figured you'd know how to help me find the answer."
"Okay, I'll do my best. Ask away," he said.
"Well, I was wondering… how do you know when you're in love?" I asked.
"That's a tough question. A lot of times, you know you love someone when you can't stop thinking about them. Or when you're saddened to be away from them. You know?" he replied. "It's different for everyone. The way I figured out I was in love with Bomba was that I stopped caring about my squealing fangirls anytime she was around. I always felt a pang of sadness when she flirted with other toms. And when we were alone together, it was as if we were the only cats in the world."
"Wow. That's so romantic!" I said. "There really isn't anyone I feel like that towards, I don't think…"
"Well, you'll find that special tom someday, kid." he said. "You know, my oldest brother had a fling with Demeter when they were kits. They were happy, but then she fell in love with Munkustrap. He fell in love with another queen, and after she was his mate, they left the Junkyard to go live in the forest somewhere. My brother always liked the forest. I haven't heard from him in a while, but last I did hear, he was into some pretty bad stuff. That queen of his, she was a bad influence. I wonder if they ever had any kits… Oh, sorry… I'm rambling."
"It's okay. I never knew you had brothers! Who are they?" I asked.
"Well, my second older brother is Munkustrap, which makes my father Old Deuteronomy. My oldest brother, well, we don't really like to talk about him." he replied.
"Wow. I never would have guessed you two were brothers." I said.
"Yeah, it's kinda hard to believe. But hey, maybe now that I'm settling down, it won't be so hard to imagine, huh?" He laughed when he said that.
"Well, I best be going now. It was nice seeing you, Tugger. Thank you for your advice. And could you tell Bombalurina I said hi?" I said.
"See ya, Korritzka. You're welcome. And yes, I will." he answered. I hugged him. I wish I had an uncle like Rum Tum Tugger. He'd be the coolest.
It was the last day of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer's absence. I decided today that I was going to play matchmaker for a little while. At least for Rumple. I looked around until I found Pouncival, jumping off the old car. I walked up to him and said, "Hey there! Whatcha doin?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm just bored." he replied.
"Can I talk to you about something?" I asked.
"Um, sure. What is it?" he said while jumping off the car.
"I was wondering if you like anyone, and if so, who?" I stated.
"Well, I kinda like a queen. She's a good friend of yours. But you'd probably tell her, so I'm not gonna tell you." He replied.
"Well, if I guess who it is, and I'm right, will you tell me I'm right?" I asked.
"I guess so…"
"Rumpleteazer?"
"How'd you know that?" he asked, bewildered.
"Lucky guess. So how much do you like Rumpleteazer?" I inquired.
"Well, I like her a lot actually. But she doesn't seem interested, so I just keep my distance," he said.
"Have you ever considered just asking her out?"
"Well, yeah, but I'm not that brave."
"Just ask her out sometime. Tomorrow. Ask her out tomorrow. I almost guarantee she won't say no."
"How can you be so sure?" he asked, skeptically.
"Just wait and see. Well, I gotta go now. Bye Pouncival." With that, I strode away. I went and played Hide and Go Seek for a while with the other kittens, but I got bored and decided to walk to Mungo's and my pond. I swam for a little bit, and caught and ate a small fish. Then I curled up in the sun and took a nap…
I was back in the forest with my parents, but this time was different. My mother wasn't there.
"Dad? What's going on? Where's Mom?" I called out.
"Korritzka, I'm sorry. Your mother left me. When I told her I wanted to stop being a criminal and fired all my thieves and henchcats, she got angry and left me. She tried to take you with her, but I wouldn't let you go." I heard his voice say.
"Mom took me away from you, Dad. I ran away from her, and ended up in a place with a bunch of other cats." I replied. "I miss you, Dad. So much."
"I miss you too, Korritzka. Keep safe, baby." his voice called, fading away.
"No! Dad, don't go!" I called after it.
"I love you, Korritzka" he said.
"I love you too, Dad…" I called to the nothingness.
I woke up crying. I looked at the sky and saw it was almost sunset, so I started the walk back to the Junkyard. As I was walking, I thought about how I hadn't been thinking about my father lately. I did miss him terribly, but there had been other things on my mind lately. I wondered if I would ever see him again. When I got to the Junkyard, I padded over to my den. Outside, I found a distressed looking Rumpleteazer.
"Rumple, what's wrong?" I asked, alarmed.
"I just remembered that the Jellicle Ball is in a month and I don't have a date!" she explained.
"Jellicle Ball?" I asked.
"The Jellicle Ball is a dance where all the Jellicle cats meet here in the Junkyard and dance and sing under the Jellicle Moon. It's a really fun event, but I don't have a date!"
"Well, maybe you'll get a date by then. You still have a month." I said.
"I guess so. Which reminds me, you need a date." she stated.
"I don't know… I don't really know of any toms who like me, or of any who I really like…" I replied truthfully.
"I know of one who is practically in love with you… But I'm not gonna tell you," she said matter-of-factly.
"Who is it? Please, please tell me!" I begged.
"Nope. Not a word about it is escaping these lips." She pantomimed zipping her lips and throwing the key.
"Darn. I really want to know!" I said, a bit chagrined.
"Hey, Korr, do you wanna stay at my place again? Last time was fun." she asked.
"Sure!" I said, excited. We walked back to her den, and I saw Jellylorum, Gus, her mate, and Mungo. I smiled, happy to see him. I crept up behind him and pounced, laughing. He laughed when he figured out it was me. Rumple, Mungo and I went to the back of the box, but this time we went to his room. His room was covered in studded and spiky things. He had a bright red pillow in one corner of his room with a black blanket, identical to mine. I walked over to the blanket to see if it smelled like mine did. To my surprise, the scent was a lot stronger on his blanket. "Maybe his blanket is newer…" I thought. We hung out in his room for a while, talking about the Jellicle Ball. I asked Mungo if he was going to go, and he said, "Well, I might. I don't know. It depends on if I get up the courage to ask the queen I like to go with me…"
It hurt a little to know he liked someone, though it shouldn't have, but I decided to help him out anyway. "Who is she? Maybe I can talk to her for you?"
"No, that's okay. Maybe you could just give me some advice on how to ask?"
"Well, you could take her somewhere special. Somewhere that means something to the two of you. There, you could tell her you like her and ask her if she'd go to the Ball with you. Just kind of an idea." I said.
"Thanks, Korr," he replied.
"Girls, time to go to bed!" Jelly shouted through the den.
"Well, goodnight, Jerrie. I'll see you in the morning." Rumple hugged her brother and went to her room.
"Night, Teazer." he called after her. "Night, Korr. Sweet dreams," he said softly. He hugged me, and I hugged him back.
"Night, Mungo. Sleep well." I replied. I went to Rumple's room. She was laying on her bed looking at a diamond and pearl collar.
"I think I'll wear this if I get a date to the Ball. It's my favorite collar." she said.
"It's very pretty. Where do you get all these?" I asked.
"Oh, some we find in various places, others our parents bring us." she said, looking off to the side. But as much as I pried, I couldn't get her to tell me more. Unlike the last night, we actually went to sleep this time.
The next morning, Mungo came in and asked, "Do you guys wanna go to the pond today?"
"Sure!" I replied. I loved our pond.
"Sure, that sounds like fun. I've never been to the pond," Rumple replied.
We headed out the door and just as we left the den, Pouncival rushed up.
"Hey Rumpleteazer!" he said, panting.
"Hey Pounci!" she replied.
"Do you wanna hang out with me today?" he asked. I knew what was going on. He was going to ask her out! I signaled this to Mungo, and he understood.
"Well, I had plans to go with Jerrie and Korr, but you guys don't mind, do you?" she asked us.
"No, not at all. Go ahead, Teaze," Mungo said smiling.
"Yeah. Have fun you two!" I added, also smiling.
"Thanks! I'll see you later, Korr. See ya at home, Jerr." With that, she and Pouncival went off together.
"Well, I guess it's just the two of us then." he said.
"Yep. But that's okay. I like hanging out with you, Mungo." I said.
"I like hanging out with you too, Korr," he replied. We continued on our way to the pond. We decided to explore the area around the pond, and I found the hill Tugger was talking about. It had a breathtaking view. We explored the trees by the pond, and we chased some cottontail rabbits around the underbrush. Finally, by lunchtime, we had caught one, which we shared. We had wondered pretty far from our pond, and by the time we got back, it was almost sunset. We lay in our usual spot, looking up at the sky. Without realizing it, I found myself scooting closer to him gradually. I lay my head next to his and said, "The sky is so beautiful. I love to watch the clouds drift, or the stars twinkle."
"Yeah, it is quite a site," he agreed.
I closed my eyes and took a breath through my nose. What I smelled surprised me. The scent on my blanket, the smell from my dream, it was Mungo's scent! I wouldn't have thought about it before, but now that I figured that part out, had it been Mungojerrie in my dreams? I wondered… I was brought back from my thoughts when he spoke.
"Korr, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, Mungo. Anything," I replied.
"Korritzka, do you like me?" he asked, quietly.
"Of course I like you. We're best friends." I replied.
"No, I mean, like as in, fancy me? Or have feelings or me…" he said, even quieter.
"Well, I hadn't really thought about it…" I replied.
"Oh…" he said, sounding sad. Suddenly, it hit me. His scent was the one in my dream, and also my favorite smell in the world. He was the one tom I ever wanted to spend time with. Any time he was talked to by another queen, or the time that Electra kissed him, I always was hurt. I thought back on my dreams. In the first, when I turned around, it was Mungojerrie I saw. In the second, it was Mungojerrie's scent I smelled. I loved him.
"But now that you mention it, and now that I've thought about it, yes. I think I do like you." I said, happily.
"Really?" he practically yelled.
"Really. I think you were the cat in my dream. I even had another dream about you. This time, we were in our den, sleeping, and I could smell your amazing scent." I replied. I sat up to look at him, and he was grinning from ear to ear. It made me blush to see him grin. I lay back down, this time with my head in the crook of his shoulder. I could hear him purring, and I was purring as well.
"Korr, do you want to go to the Jellicle Ball with me?" he asked.
"Well of course I do, Mungo!" I exclaimed. I guess now, I considered him my tom-friend. We lay there for a while, just looking at the sky and enjoying each other's company.
Sadly, all good days must come to an end. When the sun started to set, Mungo helped me up, and we walked slowly back to the Junkyard, paw in paw, purring all the while. As we jumped through the hole in the fence, we were greeted by Rumpleteazer and Pouncival, also paw in paw. The four of us walked to my den, and I had a sudden thought.
"Hey, Rumple, do you want to spend the night at my den tonight?" I asked.
"Sure! Let's go ask my parents!" she said.
With that, we continued on our way. When we got to Mungo and Rumple's den, Rumple and Pouncival said their goodnights. We went in and Rumple asked her mom if she could stay. Jelly being Jelly, she said yes. Mungo walked us outside, where we said our goodnights.
"Goodnight, Korritzka. Sweet dreams," he said.
"Goodnight, Mungojerrie. Sleep well," I replied. We hugged, and he kissed my head.
Rumple and I made our way back to my den.
"So, what happened during your adventure with Pouncival today, Rumple?" I asked.
"Well, we went to his favorite spot, the old car, and we talked for a while. Then, we went hunting for mice. After we ate, we went and sat under this big, pretty tree, where he told me he likes me. I told him I like him too, and then he asked me to the Ball!" she replied, happily.
"Successsssssss!" I thought to myself.
"What happened on your adventure with Jerrie today?" she asked.
I told her what happened today, and she said, "Aww! How cute! Did he tell you just how much he likes you?"
"Well, no…" I replied.
"He's the one I told you about. The tom that's practically in love with you," she said.
"I should have guessed! It took me a really long time to figure out that I lo-I mean, like him…" Maybe it's too early for love, maybe not. We'll see…
"Were you going to say love?" she asked, knowing me all too well.
"Yes… but don't you think it might be a little early to say love?" I asked.
"Not really. You two have known each other for a while now, and you get along really well. Maybe your feelings are stronger than just like. You know?"
"Yeah, maybe. But I'm not saying it till he does…" I declared.
"Haha. You're a dork," she laughed.
We chatted for a little while longer before finally drifting off into sleep…
I'm in the forest again. Once again, my mother's not there. But someone else is.
"Dad? Who's here?" I call out.
"My friend Demeter is visiting," his voice replies.
"Demeter? How do you know Demeter?" I ask.
"She's my younger brother's mate," he says.
"Is your brother's name Munkustrap?" I ask, going on a hunch.
"Yes, but how did you know that?" he asks.
"And is your youngest brother's name Rum Tum Tugger?" I ask.
"Yes, but how do you know all this?" he asks again.
"Dad, I'm in the Jellicle Junkyard. Your father has made me a Jellicle, and I'm attending the Jellicle Ball this year." I say.
"Oh, Korritzka, I'm so happy for you! It's so much more than I could have hoped to give you. I only wish I was there to support you," he says, happily.
"I wish you were here too, Dad. I really miss you…" I say, sadly.
"I miss you too, baby," he replies, his voice fading away again.
"Dad, don't go! Please!" I cry.
"I love you, Korritzka. Take care of yourself," he says.
"I love you too, Dad…" I say to the empty forest.
I wake up, and Rumple's staring at me. I feel tears coming down my face, and I try to make them stop, but I can't.
"Are you okay, Korr?" she asks, worried.
"I'm fine… I just need to go for a walk… I'm sorry if I woke you up." I left my den, still sniffling. I walked to the pond, and lay there sobbing quietly to myself.
Suddenly, I feel warm paws stroking my head. I look up to see Mungo looking down at me, sadness in his eyes. "What's wrong, Korr?" he asked me.
"I had a dream about my father. It's the second one I've had about him. I find myself in our den in the forest, but he's not there, only his voice. The first time, he said my mother left him because he decided to give up being a criminal, so he fired all his thieves and henchcats. The second one, Demeter was there visiting, and I found out that Munkustrap and Tugger are my uncles. Both times, I only get to talk to him for a little bit, and then his voice fades away. I just miss him so much," I explained. I buried my face in his fur, crying.
"I'm sorry, Korr. If it helps, I think Teazer and I knew your father. Do you remember all the nice things in our den, and the blanket I gave you?" he said. I just nodded. "Well, our parents used to work for him. They were his top agents." I pulled back and looked at him. "They went by the names Growltiger and Griddlebone. We got all those nice things while my parents still worked for your father. Eventually, they found out Mom was going to be a mom, and left the jobs."
"Wow. That's incredible. I never would have guessed." I said, almost in disbelief.
"Yeah… it's not something I'd expect anyone to know…" he replied. "Come on, let's go. Rumpleteazer's worried about ya," he said. We walked back to the Junkyard paw in paw. I felt a lot better, knowing I had another connection to my father. When we got back, we explained the situation to Rumple. I decided that Tugger and Munkustrap didn't need to know just yet.
The weeks until the Jellicle Ball passed fairly quickly. The night before, however, I had a nightmare…
It was nighttime in the Junkyard, and all the cats were singing and dancing happily, having fun. Suddenly, CRASH! A cat appears out of the shadows and tries to kidnap a small queen. Both cats are silhouettes from my line of sight. The cat starts clawing at the queen, ripping her flesh. The queen is screaming in pain, but the cat doesn't stop. Another cat stalks out from the sideline and saves the queen from a certain death. Then, all the cats gather around the intruder and start attacking. At the end of it all, the intruder lays bloody and motionless, and the queen is nowhere to be seen…
I woke up the most terrified I had ever been in my life. I rushed over to Coricopat and Tantomile's tent and rang the bell. "Come in, Korritzka," Coricopat said. I hurried into the tent and looked around. "Tantomile's not here right now. Did you need another dream read?"
"Yes, and this one's urgent." I replied.
Coricopat walked over to me and placed his paws on my temples. After a minute, he looked at me with surprise. "Korritzka, this is very serious. I believe you've just had a vision of something to happen tonight at the Ball. Go tell Munkustrap immediately of your dream, and I'll get Tantomile and try to figure out who the figures are." I obeyed.
I went to find Munkustrap, but ran into Mungo by accident. He saw the terrified look in my eyes, and followed me to find the Jellicle Protector. "Munkustrap!" I yelled when I saw him.
The silver and black Tabby came over to Mungo and me and, seeing the urgent look in my eyes, motioned for us to follow him to his den. I told him of my dream. He said he'd try to prevent this from happening at all costs. It made me feel better, but I still was uneasy.
Later in the day, after Mungo and I had parted to get ready for the Ball, Rumpleteazer and Jemima came to my den to get ready with me. We helped each other with our fur, collars, and such. When it came time to meet our dates, we went our separate ways. I met Mungo outside my den, where he gave me a beautiful spiked collar with purple jewels between the spikes. He put it on me and we walked paw in paw to the center of the Junkyard. When we arrived, Munkustrap came down into the center from the old car, followed by a few others from various places.
"Are you blind when you're born?" Munkustrap sang.
"Can you see in the dark?" Demeter followed.
"Can you look at a king?" sang Skimbleshanks, Jennyanydot's mate.
"Would you sit on his throne?" came Asparagus.
"Can you say of your bite that it's worse than your bark?" Tugger sang.
"Are you cock of the walk," Alonzo sang.
"When you're walking alone?" I added. [A/N: I know this was Grizabella's part, but this story takes place after she goes to the Heavyside Layer…]
Then everyone sang, "Because Jellicles are and Jellicles do. Jellicles do and Jellicles would. Jellicles would and Jellicles can. Jellicles can and Jellicles do."
"When you fall on your head, do you land on your feet?" Jellylorum sang.
"Are you tense when you sense there's a storm in the air?" came Coricopat.
"Can you find your way blind when you're lost in the street?" Jemima added.
"Do you know how to go to the Heavyside Layer?" Old Deuteronomy sang.
The rest of the song went on, but I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention. Then, Quaxo sang an invitation to the Ball, which Rumple told me was the official start. Everyone started singing and dancing. Munkustrap sang a song about Jenny, then Tugger got his song. Then a fat, black and white cat came and they sang about him. Suddenly, crash! "Oh, no!" I thought. But I heard Rumple's giggle, and sighed with relief. Mungo and Rumple sang a song about thieving.
A few more songs were sung, and then Old Deuteronomy came in. After that, we put on a play about the battle between the Pekes and the Pollicles. I played a Pug. Later on in the Ball, CRASH! I heard maniacal laughter, and I started to hyperventilate. The intruder was here! The silhouetted cat stalked across the Junkyard, looking around for something. The cat stopped when it saw me. It sprinted at me and picked me up over its head, claws digging into my sides. I recognized the feel of the claws. It was my mother! I felt my sides being torn at, and I knew what was happening. The pain was immense, and I started to scream. Just when I thought I couldn't take any more, I felt warm, reassuring paws lift me away from the pain, but I couldn't figure out who's they were. Everything went black from there.
I woke up a little while later, in Jenny's den. I saw Mungo sitting next to the bed, and Rumple was across the room. "Hey, guys. What happened?" I asked.
"Well, a mysterious cat came and tried to kitnap you. No one knew who she was, though. She started clawing at you …" Rumple answered.
"Another cat came out of nowhere and lifted you away from her. He carried you off to safety, while the rest of the cats, mainly Rumple and me, attacked the cat that hurt you. She fell to the ground, dead…" Mungo continued.
"The cat that attacked me… that was my mother," I said quietly. A single tear rolled down my cheek.
"Why would she attack you?" Rumple asked.
"I don't know… Maybe she was angry with me for running away from her…" I replied. "Does anyone know who the cat that saved me was?"
"It was me, Korritzka," I heard a familiar voice answer.
"Dad!" I shouted, happy to hear his voice. I saw him emerge from the corner of the room, and he came up to me and hugged me gently.
"I've missed you so much, Korr. I couldn't bear the pain when your mother took you away from me. Then, one night, I had a dream about you. I was here, and I could hear your voice. You told me you were here, and some other things, but then your voice faded away. I knew in my heart it wasn't just a dream. So I made my way here, finally arriving during the Jellicle Ball. That's when I saw your mother attack you, and so I went to save you…" he said.
Just then, Munkustrap and Tugger came into the room, followed by Demeter, Bombalurina, and Jemima.
"How is she, Macavity?" Tugger asked.
"She looks injured pretty badly, but she still knows who I am…" my father said.
"What did Jennyanydots say about it?" Munkustrap asked.
"She said that Korritzka will make a full recovery," Mungo answered.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Macavity, Old Deuteronomy wants to see you when you're done here," Munkustrap said.
"Alright. I'll come back to see you later, Korritzka," my father said. He kissed my head and padded out of the room. Everyone else but Mungo followed him.
"Oh, Korr, I was so scared. I thought I was gonna lose you!" he cried. I saw tears forming in his eyes.
"I thought I was gonna lose you, too." I replied, beginning to cry. He climbed up onto the bed and curled up next to me.
"I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you, Korr. I need you. I," he trailed off.
"You what, Mungo?" I asked, confused.
"I love you, Korritzka. I think I have since the day we met…" he said softly.
"I love you too, Mungojerrie," I replied. He nuzzled his head against mine and we kissed. We fell asleep, cuddling on the bed.
Footsteps in the room woke us up. "Korritzka?" my father called quietly.
"Yes, Dad?" I answered sleepily.
"I need to tell you something…" he said.
"Okay. Mungo, could you give us a minute?" I asked, and he got up and quietly left the room. When he was gone, I asked," What was it you needed to tell me?"
"I used to be a Jellicle. I was the oldest born son of Old Deuteronomy and my mother, Grizabella." He said.
"I know…" I replied.
"How did you know?" he asked, baffled.
"Well, I had dreams like the one you had about me. In one of them, I asked you if Rum Tum Tugger and Munkustrap were your brothers, and you said yes. I also told you that your father made me a Jellicle, and that I was going to the Jellicle Ball this year." I explained.
"That's strange…" he said. "I never would have thought that dreams could tell you so much…"
"Well, I've had a lot of strange dreams in the time I've been here. Some about you, one about last night, and some about Mungojerrie…" I replied.
"You two are great together. A cat who's parents used to work for me and my daughter. Who would have guessed?" he laughed quietly. I laughed with him. "There was something else I need to talk to you about…"
"What is it?" I asked.
"You see, your mother and I left the Tribe to go live on our own, just as my mother did. But when we found our den in the forest, things turned bad. She started to demand that I bring her things like diamond collars and other items you can only get from humans. That's when I started being a thief. Eventually, she wanted me to start my own crime syndicate. I did, because I loved her. Then, we found out she was expecting you. She was annoyed, but I was the happiest I'd ever been. When you were born, I started to doubt the life of crime we'd made. I thought that a kitten growing up around a bunch of criminals would corrupt you, so I fired all my workers. When I told her, I thought she'd be happy. Instead, she was furious. She took you away from me, Korritzka. She didn't even let me say goodbye. I was beside myself with guilt and grief. Then I had the dream, and I knew I had to find you… And that's how I ended up back here," he told me.
"Wow, Dad…" was all I could muster.
"Macavity?" Jenny called.
"Yes, Jenny?" he answered.
"Your father wants to see you again. He's coming in." she answered. Just then, Old Deuteronomy came into the room, smiling.
"Macavity, after hearing your story and after what you did last night, I've decided that the Tribe needs you back. You are a Jellicle again," he said.
"Oh, Father, thank you!" My father got up and hugged his father. I smiled to myself because I knew that from now on, the world would be good.
A few weeks later, I was released from Jennyanydots's care. I walked to my den, where I found my beautiful spiked collar with the purple jewels, as well as a simple black collar with a cute purple bell, hanging on a branch. "Do you want me to put it on you?" my favorite voice asked from behind me.
"Why yes, Mungo. I believe I'd like that." I replied, smiling. He grabbed the collar with the bell from the branch and fastened it around my neck. I turned to face him, and he was smiling his big, goofy smile. I giggled.
"It looks lovely on you," he said, sheepishly.
"Awe, thank you!" I replied. I hugged him and nuzzled my head to his. We went outside, and we saw Rumple and Pouncival playing with Jemima and Quaxo, Victoria and Plato, Electra and Admetus, and Etcetera and Tumblebrutus. We walked over to join them.
"Hey guys!" they all said.
"Want to play den with us?" Etcy asked.
"Sure!" I replied. So, we played den with all the other kittens. At about noon, my father came up to me and said, "Hey, Korritzka, I have to go to our old den in the forest for a few days. I'll see you when I get back, okay?"
"Okay, Dad. Have a safe trip!" I replied. I hugged my father. He left, and Mungo and I walked to our favorite spot.
"Korr, are you happy with me?" he asked.
"The happiest I've been in all my life," I replied truthfully.
"Would you like to make the rest of your life a happy one with me then?" he asked.
"Mungo, are you asking me," I trailed off…
"Korritzka, will you be my mate?" he asked me.
I teared up with overwhelming joy and shouted, "Yes!" I tackle-hugged him. After it got dark, we walked back to the Junkyard, paw in paw. At my den, he kissed me goodnight and went home. We had decided that, until we were adults and could officially be mates, we would still sleep in our separate dens.
A couple years later, we went to see Old Deuteronomy about becoming mates. He granted us a ceremony, where all the Jellicles that lived in the Junkyard attended.
Old Deuteronomy began to speak. "Fellow Jellicles, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of two souls into one. Mungojerrie, do you take Korritzka as your mate, to have and to hold through sickness and health, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Mungo said clearly.
"Korritzka, do you take Mungojerrie as your mate, to have and to hold through sickness and health, as long as you both shall live?" Deuteronomy asked me.
"I do," I said happily.
"Then, by the power vested in my by the Everlasting Cat, I now declare you mates!" he said.
Everyone cheered, and Mungo kissed me. After the ceremony, we were walking back to our den, when my father stopped me.
"Korritzka, congratulations. I'm so proud to be your father," he said. He began to tear up.
"Thank you, Dad. I'm so happy to have you as a father," I replied and I hugged him, crying too.
"Mungojerrie, welcome to my family," my father said, and hugged him.
"Thank you, sir," Mungo said, happily. With that, we proceeded back to our den.
A month or so later, I found out I was expecting kits. I went to the pond, where Mungo and I had agreed to meet. I sat looking at the water, and I heard his footsteps behind me. I smiled to myself, because I knew it was him. He nuzzled me, and I started to purr. I felt the kits moving a little in my belly, and I turned around to face him.
I said, "Mungo, can I tell you something?"
"Sure, anything, Korr," he replied.
"Mungojerrie, you're going to be a father…" I said, wary of his reaction.
"Oh my gosh! That's great news!" he exclaimed, and he hugged me tightly. We walked paw in paw back to the Junkyard, and went to find Rumpleteazer.
"Teazer! Great news!" Mungo shouted.
"What's that, Jerrie?" Rumple called from the den she and Pouncival shared.
"We're gonna be parents, Rumple!" I said excitedly.
She didn't really say any words… She mostly screamed in excitement at the thought of being an aunt.
When I told my father, he teared up and smiled at the thought of being a grandfather.
Mungo and I made our way back to the den, and later we went to sleep…
A group of kittens were playing in the center of the Junkyard. At sunset, Jennyanydots called her infamous, "It's time for all the kittens to go to their dens!" Two little tom-kits made their way toward a pair of bushes. The bigger one was mostly black, with stripes of white and orange. He had storm gray eyes, a black nose, and a fluffy tail. The smaller one was mostly orange, with stripes of black and white. He had dark brown eyes, a light pink nose, and his ears were just a little too big.
"Mom, Dad, we're home!" the bigger one called.
Mungojerrie and I stepped out into view.
"Hello, boys. Did you have fun today?" Mungo asked.
"Yeah! We played tag and hide and go seek!" the littler one replied.
I awoke from my dream, happy. I looked around the den and saw the two new tunnels Mungo had made for our future kits. I smelled his wonderful scent, and heard him purring behind me. I snuggled closer to him and went back to sleep, purring.
Fin.