Disclaimer: CATS doesn't belong to me, as you know by now. It's T.S. Eliot's and Andrew Lloyd Webber's. I'm just borrowing the characters, and I'll put them back in their places after I'm done.
A/N: Okay, I couldn't help myself. This is the prequel of Anything Fiercer, or at least something like it. More is coming. Let me know what you think, would you?

PROLOGUE

The Peke lady growled at her enemies as her puppies whined and hurried to get behind her. She felt them shiver with fear, and that sparked her fury. They scared her pups. How dared they?

"You're wasting your time," she told the intruders. "You have no right. This is my place, this is Peke territory. If you come any closer, I'll have your head."

The Pollicles bared their teeth. They were sharp, and discomfortingly large, but the lady did not back down.

"This is Pollicle territory now," growled their leader. "We've been assigned to this neighbourhood, Peke, and we're going to clean out your filth, with force if we must."

Another Pollicle took a look at the puppies behind her, and he grinned toothily. "Such pretty little pups you've got there. Such a shame if anything should happen to them, don't you agree?"

"I swear, if you touch them, I'll..."

"We're not afraid of a Peke bitch," snorted the leader and snapped at her. "We're giving you the opportunity to leave without fight. For the sake of your puppies, I suggest you take the chance while you still have it."

The lady hesitated for a bit, and there was a glimpse of fear in her eyes.

Her oldest pup looked up at her with large, scared eyes. "Momma?" he said.

Her look of hatred faded into love, and she said: "Take your brothers and sisters with you and go outside. Momma's just going to talk to these... fellows for a little bit. I'll be right there."

The puppy whimpered a little, but decided to be brave. He even dared to growl the slightest at the Pollicles as he exited, his siblings in tow. The lady turned to her adversaries again.

"This is not over," she vowed. "You can't just come here and take everything away..."

"This was never your home to begin with, Peke," replied the leader and smiled nastily. "Take comfort in the thought that the rest of your kind will join you soon."

She threw him a look of pure hatred, maintaining eye contact for as long as possible before she turned her back at them and ran.

The Pollicles laughed as her tail disappeared out the hole. The leader, a large dark mix-breed, barked loudly after her. They heard the scared whines of the puppies, and how the mother begged them to run faster.

"Get them," said the leader.

Two Pollicles immediately barked and set off into the velvet evening, teeth glimmering and eyes glowing with the thrill of the hunt.

For these were the days of war.