So, Hi! Thank you for clicking on this. If you're one of my readers who read my BTR fics, sorry, this ain't BTR. It's Cats :) You can still read it though! You may not understand.
So this fiction is about how Jemima sees Grizabella in the scenes she appears or is slightly about her. Hope you can enjoy! :)
On the night of the Jellicle ball, we were waiting for Bustopher Jones to arrive, he may respected by all, since well, he feeds us human food, but he's always awfully late. So we sang to Rum Tum Tugger to make time, father never approved of the song. But we rehearsed it anyways, well us the younger cats and Bombalurina. The look on my dad's face, Alonzo's and the older cats were hilarious. I was having the time of my life dancing, and all they did was complain by saying 'No, that's so inappropriate.'
But the moment uncle Tugger came went on top of something, showing off his maine; he stopped and pointed at someone, an old cat, then left. I saw the old cat she looked at everything with such hope, her fur was torn and stained, it was a dead grey, her eyes looked tired and lifeless but they shined with some hope, I was going to stretch my paw towards her, but Mistoffelees went over to her first, he sniffed her, but my dad pushed him back causing Misto to glare at him but then went on the big tire and sat next to Admetus. I then stretched my paw to her as well, my father glared at me and the queen slowly reached out, but Skimbleshanks got in the middle and pulled me away, where I sat between his legs, daddy looked at me with a serious face. Aunt Bombalurina looked at this old cat with despise and had looked at her as if she were superior. She then looked at me and made a disgusted face. Electra also stretched her paw but Jennyanydots cut in the way and shook her head at the cat.
Then what I saw was Pouncival motioning her to come forward, the older cats didn't do anything since he was a tom already. I wasn't a queen yet, but as he motioned her to come he went over to her and scratched her arm then slid behind Skimble and I, Skimbleshanks put a paw, showing that he protected Pounce. I looked at him with mean eyes then looked back, my mother tried to comfort her, but then she simply hid away and aunt Bombalurina put an arm around her.
The Cat began to sing, she had a beautiful voice, she spoke of us noticing how she looked like, and knowing she had suffer and didn't want her to be accepted. I sank the song in my mind. Victoria and Etcetera got closer to her, but Jellylorum stopped them, the cat began to sing to Jellylorum in her face. Speaking about her coat and her old age, Cassandra hissed as she sang, and wrapped herself around Alonzo. Soon enough Momma began to sing about this cat, saying how she left and went where no other dared to go. That most people thought she was dead, and then she spoke her name Grizabella, the Glamour Cat. Father told me about this cat, she thought she was better than anyone because she was more beautiful than everyone else, so she left the tribe in order of fame and fortune. Soon enough, Aunt Bombalurina began to sing, repeating her name Grizabella the Glamour Cat, then the whole tribe began to sing "And who would ever suppose that, that was Grizabella the Glamour Cat" My father stopped everyone from going forward as everybody glared and sang. I couldn't help but sing it too, but not with accusation like the others.
Soon enough, Bustopher Jones arrived and everyone acted as nothing had happened.
After the first part of the Jellicle Ball, Victoria and Plato had already mated, I was so happy for her, I was cuddled next to Tumblebrutus when this was happened, but we're only friends. I'm too young to have a tomfriend. So we all snuggled in the middle and slept for a little bit, but Coricopat and Tantomile woke up and so did Mistoffelees, Skimbleshanks sniffed around and soon we all woke up out of the sudden. Mistoffelees saw someone it was Grizabella, he then moved his paws around and something happened to the lights and we began to dance, to celebrate Victoria and Plato. I saw Alonzo hiss at Grizabella and she left abrupt. Old Deuteronomy looked at the withered queen, and wanted to invite her as our guest. But no one heard him
We danced our hearts under the moon, showing ourselves worthy to the Everlasting Cat. I couldn't help but feel released and after we finished we went closer to Old Deuteronomy to hear his words of wisdom and Grizabella came back, Coricopat and Tantomile hissed at her in sync and ran away, Tugger fluffed his Maine at her and didn't give her a second thought, I stretched my paw at her again but Skimbleshanks for a second stopped me. I shyly took my hand away and I looked sadly at the queen.
"Jemima," he began to scold me "Don't go near her, what would your mother think?" Pouncival pushed him with his bottom, and then ran away, I glared at him but he shrugged me off. My mother looked at her and tried to comfort her, I looked at Skimbleshanks
"My mother is over there" I said to him, he paid no attention to me and left.
Mother looked sadly at Grizabella and aunt Bombalurina held her, momma looked away from the queen and ran to safety, Bombalurina followed her, the former glamour cat looked at them, with the thought of following them, but father stopped her. She glared him in the eye and he walked away with his dignity. Leaving her to moan her sorrows and regrets by herself. I couldn't see Old Deuteronomy anymore, maybe someone took him away from the cat.
The queen was alone but Jellylorum began to sing, the song "And you see the border of her coat is torn and stained with sand." At first I thought she was singing with her, but then I noticed she wasn't she was singing AT her, almost critizing her. Victoria tried to touch her, Grizabella walked towards her but Jelly stopped the connection by violently pulling Victoria back. I remembered the song and stretched my paw to her, hoping she'd accept it "And you see, the corner of her eye twist like a crooked pin." I think she thought I was singing at her like Jellylorum, but when I didn't move my paw, Jennyanydots pulled me away and hissed at her.
Jennyanydots looked at me with anger and I rolled my eyes. I would've said something, but instead I crawled into Mistoffelees' pipe and saw the queen, in her attempt to dance, other cats found it hilarious, I glared at them angered and hissed. My heart fell towards the queen, I could understand her but not anybody else, as other cats began to speak I heard the queen singing, I admired her beautiful voice, her song was beautiful, it filled me. I wanted to go see the queen, but I would get in trouble. When she finished her song, she put her paw behind to see if someone heard her and accepted her, I wanted to go but I couldn't. She then left.
Soon enough Deuteronomy sat on his tire again and all the cats began to go out of their hiding places, I went out of the pipe after I saw Cassandra, Coricopat and Tantomile come out, I then positioned myself close to the two mystics. I saw Deuteronomy lost in his thoughts, he was going to sing us about how we treated Grizabella. As soon as almost everyone was lying down, I saw an old figure appear, along with Jellylorum, it was Gus! The Theatre Cat! Oh how I adore him! He always tells us stories about historical cats, and his greatest works. Some cats greeted him, Pounce just smiled and slid away from him. The cats gave Gus a bucket to sit upon. My father nuzzled him affectionately and then he sat down.
After we were all lying down, Old Deuteronomy sang, he sang about the moments of happiness, that if we look back at them, we see what they mean, and sometimes we can regret it or not. We approach the meaning and forget what had actually happened. It was beautiful. After he finished, everyone was supposed to sing a part of it, to mean we understood. But everyone was silent. I understood what it meant and decided to take manners into my own paws, but I was too afraid, I had never sung in front of Old Deuteronomy before. At least not with intention, since I usually sing quietly or to the moon.
Coricopat laid down on the ground with a paw behind his back twitching, Tantomile gracefully put her paw in his and offered me hers, raising me up. I breathed in as words came out, I sang with volume thanks to the twins and I think I explained what Deuteronomy spoke, and what I felt towards Grizabella, I saw her as a memory that should be remembered with respect and love and let her lead a way, we should trust her. If she led us to happiness, then we will all begin a new life, in joy. But I didn't see those around me, I just felt the moon whispering to me beautiful words. After I finished, Tantomile let my paw go and I felt the confidence and strength I had suddenly disappear. I felt weak, and I fell down.
The tribe began to sing the song, I felt proud of myself, but then I put my attention towards Coricopat and Tantomile, they weren't singing, I guess the connection also made them feel faint and lightheaded as well, they looked at me and I thanked them with a smile and continued to sing. When the piece of the song ended, we all enjoyed silently the music, and then stood up, I felt as if Everlasting was speaking to me, in front of me, I couldn't see how he looked like I just saw a vague figure that was a light, and as I stretched my paw towards him, he disappeared.
When the sun was about to rise, and all the madness was over, it was time for Old Deuteronomy to pick the cat that will go to the Heaviside Layer. All the other cats were on the ground of the Junkyard, while I was perched on top of the old car, or at least that's what human call the metal moving monsters that can kill us. When it first arrived we were scared but now we see it more tamed and we called it the TSE-1, my father stretched his paw, to almost salute him in a way. But before they could, I felt as if I needed to relieve the others who might still be suffering even after Deuteronomy was kidnapped, I needed to give them hope for a new day, also I felt like if I needed to prove myself, that I didn't need to sing with Coricopat and Tantomile. So I opened my mouth and words flew out.
I imagined the new day, how beautiful it will arrive, the sun will shine on the flowers that would be covered with the drops from a summer rain. But I also had to remind them, that nothing will be perfect automatically, so I spoke of a rose dying, but it was all natural, but that we should be all anxious for a new day. I then finished but I didn't get off the TSE-1.
Father and Old Deuteronomy then saluted each other, and father began to speak what we already knew, the day was coming and my grandfather was about to pick who was going to finally meet Everlasting Cat and then come to a new life, as the cats went down a stretched their paws towards him to see who would be blessed, I saw Grizabella arrive again. Then the rest of my tribe noticed her, Old Deuteronomy seemed to welcome her. Tugger taunted her; he whispered something to her, as he looked at with disgust. Etcetera and Electra hissed at the grey queen since whatever Tugger thought or said, they paid attention to it, and copied it. And as my family and friends tore their faces away from the old queen, Victoria stretched her hand again, but Grizabella didn't even try to touch Vic. Since Jellylorum was already behind and she violently grabbed my best friend and pushed her towards where Deuteronomy was.
They had all shunned her, all the tribe except for my grandfather, Munkustrap and I. My grandfather gave her an opportunity to speak her mind. Although Munkustrap doubted the idea but he didn't deny my grandfather and let the old Queen sing, I was excited to hear her ethereal voice again.
Memory, turn your face to the moonlight, let your memory lead you, open up, enter in, if you find there the meaning of what happiness it, then a new life will begin. The Glamour Cat sang, I gasped, the words from what I sang, to explain to the tribe, were from her song. I knew this was no coincidence, this was fate, and so as she continued to sing, I understood the message of her song, she sang that she felt like a memory, faded away and old, she spoke of days on the street with such a poetry that I couldn't contain myself as a tear fell from my eye at the beauty of the song. My tribe mates were turning around, listening to the message of the song. But then Grizabella sang when the dawn comes, tonight will be a memory too, and the new day will begin. The cat, felt as if no one heard her and she fell, giving up on hope. No one in my tribe reacted; they just looked at her with glaring eyes.
So I stood up and saw the sun slowly rising through the trees and knew what to sing, I forgot the world, I just felt the lyrics build up in me with a growing need to be heard. I was going to sing with her, I was going to accept her no matter what. So I gathered my courage and sang. The words filled me, I spoke of today, of the new day, and what my tribe was hiding behind wouldn't end. The dawn was looking at me with haunting eyes, Grizabella heard me and begin to rise slightly, we continued to sing, I was mesmerized by the dawn appearing like the beauty that it was. A new day has begun, we reminded them. Grizabella soon got up and continued to sing. She had such a beautiful voice that when she sang I felt like Everlasting was touching me. I smiled greatly at the withered queen.
When she finished, Victoria got up from where she sat and looked at Old Deuteronomy, for permission, which he granted. Grizabella then put her paw behind her again and Victoria delicately touched her. Grizabella turned around to see who had accepted her in the tribe as Victoria nuzzled her paws and handed her to Mistoffelees, who looked at her with grace, the Glamour Cat, was being accepted by all. I couldn't go down yet. I was gazing at the scene with a smile on my face. One by one, Cats had accepted her, and then when she finally reached Old Deuteronomy, he bowed to her, which meant she was going to be the cat that went to the Heaviside layer.
I quickly slid down and joined my tribe as we sang "Up To the Heaviside Layer" we all chanted quietly, rising our voices every time. Deuteronomy led her to the Great Tire and I saw how happy they both looked, Grizabella looked so content. Soon a claw appeared from the sky and lowered down, waiting for her. She looked insecure and Deuteronomy reassured her. As she climbed we all started to lift our paws and pushed with our arms in a way that it looked like we're trying to make sure she goes happily. It's a way we say goodbye. We lowered our paws and began to sing "The mystical divinity of unashamed felinity." We raised our paws slowly again as Grizabella went higher "Round the cathedral, rang Vivat!" At Vivat we pushed our paws again put kept them up, "Life to the Everlasting Cat." We sang in high key, slowly waving our paws from side to side, until the claw disappeared from the sky, then we went in our position to hear Deuteronomy's last wise words for the night.
As he sang, I looked into the world that was Junkyard; I saw the pieces of garbage that were there for years. I was growing up here, tonight was my first Jellicle Ball and I had accepted the old cat. Too many things happened tonight. But didn't that make the experience, more perfect? To see how my tribe reacts to different things? How we cannot accept someone who made a mistake? But we can accept a man who has married nine times? How my tribe tries to cover up sadness with happy and joyful songs? I shook my head. We've had the experience, but missed the meaning, which restores the experience in a different form. The words of Deuteronomy rang in my mind. I didn't want to remember my first Jellicle Ball like a bad night, a night I learned the truth about the Jellicle tribe. I wanted to remember this night as the night, I danced ten minutes straight, sang with my heart in front of the whole tribe. The night my best friend got mated and as the night, I overlooked the ideas of others and put my own. The night I was a small part of Magical Mister Mistoffelees' magic show. The night, I made a difference.
Hope you enjoyed this fic! Please leave a review, any kind of review and I'll reply!
Happy New Year Everybody!
-Jackie is Grey