The Rum Tum Tugger was a curious cat, especially on this day. He had no obligations to anyone, and he could do whatever he wished. He ran from the Jellicle Junkyard, his eyes glowing with the excitement of a new day, and the prospect of what he might find. His favorite spot, apart from his place in the junkyard, was in the woods. Here was a place untouched by Human hands, full of the beauty that had been seen in every cat at the Jellicle Ball. Here he could listen to the singing of the birds, and maybe even try to catch one as well.
The other Jellicles hated the woods, because they couldn't touch the sunlight or feel the light of the moon on their backs. Most Jellicle's also disliked the feeling of being stuck or secluded by trees, because they made it hard to dance and play. But the Tugger liked the quietness of the place, and the feeling of having something above him. He had grown up in the forest, and he felt protected there.
He wasn't too sure what he wanted to do first. Should he hunt? Should he run a mile, or should he relax? The Tugger finally decided that he would try to catch a bird. But not just any bird. He was going to catch a big bird. He started by finding a tree which he assumed could hold him. He snuck quietly from tree to tree, glancing at the branches of each one. As he did so, he would whisper to himself quietly. Once he had caught the perfect bird, he would bring it to the Jellicle Junkyard. He imagined that the kittens would be the first to come examine the bird, and then they would squeal and jump around him with excitement. He loved the kittens, not just because they went crazy over him, but because they reminded him of when he was younger, and much more mischievous.
He imagined that Jennyanydots and Jellylorum would probably walk up to him with great big eyes and opened mouths. Old Deut would probably laugh at his son, and Munkustrap would want to know where he got such a large bird. His dearest friend Mistoffelees would congratulate him, and Tugger would tell the story of how he fought such a large, dangerous animal. Then, Tugger hoped, that Bobalurina and Demeter would come striding up to him-
The Tugger's right ear perked up at the sound of rustling leaves. He glanced up at a large pine tree, looking for what might have made the sound. Going with the assumption that it was probably a squirrel, the tall, maned cat scooted up the tree and sat on one of it's branches. He swore he kept hearing that same rustling sound, but he ignored it and looked up to the sky. The waited patiently for a bird of prey to come by, hoping that his brown mane camouflaged him.
After he had waited about as patiently as he could (which lasted only a few minutes), the spotted cat got lucky. He watched as a sharp, brown hawk came glinding by. He had just prepared himself to pounce, when, to his suprise, a calico Queen brought her front paws down on the hawk. The animal let out a sort of screech as it fell to the ground, it's neck broken.
The Tugger's mouth hung open as the Queen climbed down the tree. "Hey, now wait a second!" He demanded, watching as she held the bird in her mouth.
"What?" She replied sharply, dropping the mouthful of bird.
"That was my meal you just killed, Princess."
The Queen's eyes narrowed. "I killed that bird first. You have no right!" She hissed, threatening to swipe a paw at him.
The Tugger knew she was right; besides, if the situation were reversed, he would've said the same thing. "Fine, take the bird. I'm not hungry anyways." He replied, although to the Queen, he wasn't quite convincing enough. He began to walk away, hissing at himself when the Queen spoke again.
"Who are you?"
He whipped back around to face her, and she could see he was loosing his patience. "The name's Tugger. You?"
The Queen scrunched up her nose. "Tugger? That's...odd. I'm Bria."
The Tugger was growing more irritated as the conversation went on. "Well, Bria, are you going to let me leave, or not?" He asked, now growing impatient and very, very hungry.
The Queen smiled. "No, I think I like annoying you. Where do you live, Tugger?"
"I live in the junkyard, not far from the hotel. Why?"
"I'd like to meet your family." She replied, licking a paw.
Tugger growled, walking towards the junkyard with Bria following behind. "This is just great, I meet her for the first time and she's already wanting to meet the parents."
When the Tugger and his new 'friend' reached the junkyard, a crowd of Jellicle cats greeted them. The first cats to acknowledge him were the kittens, who bounced around at his feet. He ate up their attention, and as little Jemima stood up to get a better view, he grabbed her paw and kissed it gently. He grinned as the tortie cat squealed and nearly fell over, and the other kittens, Etcetera and Electra batted him with soft paws. Bria rolled her eyes and walked past them, catching the kittens' attention with the hawk that was in her mouth.
The three kittens walked up to Bria, sniffing the hawk, then sniffing her. The Tugger rolled his eyes in disgust and jealousy. He spotted Jennyanydots and Jellylorum coming to gather the kittens, with their mouths gaping open at the hawk in Bria's mouth.
Tugger watched as Munkustrap leapt down from beside Deuteronomy's side, his eyes wide with curiosity. "Who is this cat?!" He asked.
"Her name's Bria," Tugger responded, greeting Munkus with the flick of his tail, "she brought in tonight's meal."
Munkustrap looked worried, but Deuteronomy seemed grateful for the food. "How very wonderful of you, my dear. Come, stay, and meet the Jellicle cats." Deuteronomy stretched his arms out wide to embrace Bria, who had dropped the hawk in the middle of the junkyard. She climbed up to his favorite spot and approached him carefully, observing his expressions to see how friendly he really was. Then she touched the tip of her nose to his outstretched paw, deciding that she trusted him. Old Deuteronomy laughed, and Bria's fur laid flat.
Victoria was the next cat to approach her, while Munkus and Skimbleshanks were divvying parts of the hawk to each cat. She purred as she walked up to the calico Queen, and Bria turned to get a better look at the white cat. She held a small, soft paw out to Bria, and the calico cat took it, purring back. The two were becoming fast friends.
Jellylorum and Jennyanydots joined Bria for her meal, and proceeded to ask Tugger a million questions about how he found the Queen.
"Technically, I guess I found him." Bria replied, glancing at the annoyed Tugger.
The two Queens seemed not to notice Tugger's annoyed expression, but began to tell Bria about when he was just a wee little kitten. Bria laughed along and teased the Tugger, pawing at him and irritating him further, until finally he blurted out, "Do we really have to talk about this?"
Jennyanydots smiled, and patted the Tugger's maned shoulder. "Oh, come now Tugger, I was around when you were just a wee little thing, just come out from your mother's belly."
At this the Tugger blushed, and got up from his spot, his tail swishing back and forth. He could hear the chatter of the cats all around him, and he sort of wished that he could be alone again. Besides, what was the use of hanging around other Jellicles when no one hardly paid him any mind?
Before he could leave the junkyard, however, the moon shone to take the place of the sun. The cats all turned to watch as Victoria tiptoed across the clearing, dancing in the moon's great light. Even he had to pause as the white Princess lifted a foot into the air, holding the pose with such poise and grace. The next thing that happened nearly startled the Tugger, but he slowly drank it in and allowed it to flow over him. Jemima began to sing. Her voice hit a note that seemed nearly impossible to even think of, and all the cats listened as she sang of flowers, and kittens playing in the sun. She seemed nearly the polar opposite of Victoria, but their combined talents made for a splended show.
All had seemed peaceful, that is, until a loud yowl was heard nearby. The Jellicles screeched and assumed that it was their old enemy Macavity, who had come to wreak havoc on them again. However, their assumption was wrong, and the cats were shocked as a jet-black tom leapt in front of Bria. She shrunk back and hissed at the cat, swiping a paw at him.
"Ah, now what have we here? The little tramp has joined a group of junkies." The black cat grinned, showing stained, yellow teeth that clashed with his black fur.
Bria's ears laid back against her head. "Artemus, go away!" She hissed, swiping at him again, this time pulling fur from his chest.
The black cat growled, then took in a deep breath of air before smiling again. "Come now, dear, don't make me rough you up in front of these cats..."
"Hey buddy, I think the girl told you to leave her alone."
The black cat heard the Tugger's words, and spun around to face him. "Excuse me?" He responded.
The Tugger's lips twitched, threatening to curl back into a snarl. "Get outta here, you mangy rat!"
The cat growled. "You wanna fight? Fine, let's do it then!"
The black cat sprang at him, but Tugger had all the warning he needed. He jumped back from the cat's reach, watching as he slipped and fell in the middle of the junkyard. The cats around them stepped back to allow them more room, and they watched as Tugger picked his opponent up off the ground and threw him at a pile of junk.
The cat hissed and stood up, swiping at the Tugger's face with a paw. The Tugger tried to block, but Artemus' swings knocked him backward. The black cat pinned him down and took chunks from his fur, which only ticked him off more. He rolled over on the attacker, clawing at his belly and yowling madly. After a few minutes of fighting on the ground, the two cats stood and clawed at each other; in the frenzy Artemus ripped off the Tugger's belt, sending it flying through the crowd. The kittens found it, seized it, and began rolling around as well, mimicking the fight.
Both cats were covered in scratches and bruises, and both were growing tired. Before long, the maned Tugger and the dark-furred Artemus laid on the ground, huffing and puffing. The Tugger then swiped at Artemus again, this time giving him a black eye. His opponent's ears bent back against his head in fear. "Go. Leave this place. Leave Bria alone." He then loosed the cat, who was looked much more battered than the Tugger.
He turned, glancing at Bria, then the Tugger. "I'll be back for you yet, you pitiful tramp!" With that said, he disappeared, going unseen by the Jellicle cats.
Tugger and Old Deut insisted that the Queen stay, but she refused. She had made up her mind that she could no longer endanger her new friends, and she had asked the Tugger to take her back to the place where they met, so that she'd be able to find a place to hide from Artemus. He tried to convince her that they could protect her, but she admitted that she didn't want to endanger him, either.
And so, after a while of arguing, the Tugger finally conceded. He guided Bria back to the forest, leaving her at the tree where she had killed the big, red hawk. Before he could disappear, however, he felt he needed to say goodbye.
But the Queen beat him to it. "I guess this is goodbye, then," she meowed, licking a paw. She tried to make her talk seem casual, but the mew that escaped her mouth sounded full of regret.
"I suppose it is." The Tugger grumbled reluctantly. "It- it doesn't have to be, though."
Bria sighed. "Tugger, you know I can't do this. And you know why." The Queen's mew cracked, and she glanced away.
"Bria-"
"Are you going to let me leave, or not?" She asked, backing away from the spotted cat.
"I- I guess so."
The calico cat turned away from him completely, and the Tugger watched her leave. He watched as her tail swerved back and forth at the swing of her hips before she disappeared into the forest.