Full Summary:
"... Who hesitates towards you..."
The Jellicle Moon is shining bright and the Jellicles cats have met once more to celebrate the Jellicle Ball.
Meanwhile, watching from the darkness with saddened eyes, untrimmed claws and a dusty coat, another cat silently remembers memories of a time long gone, when she celebrated with them, wishing so badly to be a part of it once more.
Basically CATS, but by Grizabella's point of view.
- Headcanon heavy - Past Old Deuteronomy x Grizabella - headcanon heavy - flashback and instrospection - drama and angst - mentioned OCs
Mentioned/background relationships:
- Rum Tum Tugger x Mr. Mistoffelees
- Demeter x Munkustrap
- Plato x Victoria
- Jennyanydots x Bustopher Jones x Skimbleshanks
- Past Demeter x Macavity
- Past Macavity x Bombalurina
Sequel fanfic:
CATS - All alone with the memory (already up on my profile)
Prologue
The moon was shining bright and the sky was unusually clean, but it was still hard to see the stars, thanks to the shimmering light of the lamp posts. The wind howled, cold, nipping at the old queen's snout, making her whiskers tremble slightly.
She pulled on her matted fur, limping down streets she was still very familiar with.
It had been so long since she had been around that area. Some things had changed, but in general the place looked pretty much the same.
She stopped near the square and sighed, her warm breath a clear cloud in the cold air. And she couldn't help but smile as memories flooded her mind. Memories of a nicer time, of happier times, when she was younger and pretty and life was easier.
That was all she had now…
Memories.
She could almost see herself, as a young queen, strolling around the square, be it alone, be it with those she called friends and family. She remembered the places she liked to visit and the people who would give her food if she showed them enough cuteness and friendliness – something that always grasped a human's attention.
She couldn't do that anymore, not being all scraggly and dirty. Not even that luxury she had anymore. Now most humans frowned at the sight of her and her dusty coat, shooing her away, sometimes violently.
Another shaky sigh left her as she continued her way, her paws noiselessly limping down the cold and empty sidewalk.
It had been a long time since she had been around, but she still remembered the way, so she followed down an alleyway, towards the large wooden fence that blocked the other end. She jumped carefully up the garbage bins, almost falling and letting out a pained mewl when landing. Her twisted leg hurt and so did her old back. Maybe she should stop for a moment and rest.
She wasn't even sure for how long she had been walking, too lost in her own thoughts, being guided by the full moon.
The Jellicle Moon.
The old queen looked up to the sky. She shivered, unsure if it was because of the cold or because of the silver light falling over her. She could feel the moon's energy taking over her from inside out and she felt strong again – even if just a little – to continue moving. She couldn't stop, not now; she felt that, if she didn't press forward, she would never be able to do so again.
She climbed on the fence and let out a sigh that sounded more like a whimper.
The junkyard was still filled with junk and broken items that humans had no interest in fixing anymore, all being bathed in the moon's light. She wasn't expecting to see much change really, but her heart fluttered at the view of familiar places, familiar mountains of tires and rusty buckets and familiar drawers and boxes that once hid away cozy dens. She wondered if the same cats she knew still lived there, in their respective little dens.
It looked the same as it had always looked, since the time she had been there, then not being known as "The Glamour Cat" – or at least, not in an ironic or derogatory tone.
But really just…
Grizabella.
And she took a moment to take it all in.
She was home.
