Author's notes: If this chapter gets a little confusing don't worry, I'll explain at the end. Enjoy!
Etcetera groaned and opened her eyes. The dim light of morning lit the junkyard and a thin mist hung in the air.
Slowly and carefully Etcetera pushed herself into a sitting position. Everything seemed different somehow; maybe it was the blow to her head she'd received last night but everything seemed a little further away, like she'd got taller of something. Suddenly everything came flooding back to her, the unnatural darkness, Tugger, the paw on her arm, and then plunging into blackness.
She sat for a moment wondering what to do, should she tell someone? 'Of course.' A deep voice in her head said. 'Go and find Munkustrap.'
Etcetera blinked. It was almost as though Tugger had whispered the words in her head. Shrugging off the ominous feeling she stood up shakily and headed towards the clearing where she knew Munkustrap would be, keeping her eyes open for Tugger.
Just as she stepped out into the clearing, Bomba walked up to her in a manner connected to a whore.
"Hey there gorgeous, how are you feeling?" She purred.
Etcetera stared at the red queen. Maybe this was some kind of joke. "I'm… err, ok."
"Did you enjoy last night?" Bomba said, purring suggestively.
Etcetera stared at the queen with a mixture of horror and bewilderment as Bomba walked suggestively up to her, wrapping her arm round her waist and running her paw over her stomach. But Bomba was looking up at her, something Etcetera would find significant later.
"Get off me! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Etcetera demanded, pushing Bomba away, frightened of her. Was that her voice? Maybe she had a sore throat or something because it sounded much too deep.
"What… what do you mean?" Bomba seemed close to tears. "You said you loved me…"
"I said no such thing! I don't love you! Now get lost or I'll tell on you!"
Bomba burst into tears and sprinted out of the clearing.
Etcetera stood for a moment, watching after the red queen. She blinked a few times then continued over to Munkustrap who'd slept throughout the entire scenario. Etcetera reached out to shake Munkustrap awake… then froze. Etcetera looked at her paw, she reached shakily up to touch her face, and she looked down at her body and screamed. She screamed and screamed and screamed. As she screamed she ran in circles all over the clearing. Munkustrap woke with a start at the noise, as did everyone else in the immediate vicinity.
Etcetera ran screaming into Munkustrap's outstretched arm, and then was stopped in her tracks as he gripped her shoulders to stop her running off. By now a small circle of Jellicles had appeared round Etcetera and Munkustrap.
"What's wrong Tugger?" Munkustrap demanded.
Etcetera stopped screaming and started to cry instead. She raised a gloved paw to wipe away the tears that were running down her face. She could feel the huge mane of fluffy fur around her neck and chest; see the spots on her muscular arm. She'd always dreamed of being with Tugger but not actually being Tugger. She'd become her idol.
"Tugger what's wrong?" Munkustrap demanded again.
"I'm not Tugger, I'm Etcetera."
Munkustrap gave her a strange look. "Tugger, have you hit your head? Yes, you're bleeding there…"
"I'm not Tugger, I can't be Tugger, I'm Etcetera…!" Then the reality of what had happened sank in. If she were Tugger then she wouldn't be able to lose her innocence, since Tugger was definitely no virgin. Which meant she couldn't do the mating dance, a dance she'd been looking for to for weeks now. "Oh no!"
"Tugger… what's wrong?" Munkustrap asked uncertainly, holding Etcetera at arms length.
"I'm not a virgin! I can't do the mating dance with Plato!" And with that Etcetera burst into tears. She pushed a completely terrified looking Munkustrap forcefully away then ran out of the clearing. She ran crying through the piles of junk… then into Etcetera. Etcetera? Wait a minute she was Etcetera.
"Thank God I've found you…" the Etcetera clone started to say.
"Who are you? You're not me I'm me!" Etcetera shrieked.
"No Etcetera, it's me, Tugger I…" The Etcetera clone tried to say over the shrieks of outrage and fear.
"How can you be Tugger, I'm Tugger… no wait, I'm Etcetera. You're me… no you're not I'm me, no hang on…" Etcetera looked down at herself, completely confused.
"Let's go somewhere a little bit quieter." The Etcetera clone muttered, glancing up at the junk piles where cats were peering out of various dens.
Etcetera allowed herself to be led away by her clone, still trying to work out what the hell was going on.
So, if that confused you, Tugger is in Etcetera's body and Etcetera's in Tugger's body.
