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The tiger-like cat fumbled nervously with his hair. Called The Rum Tum Tugger throughout his tribe, he has to keep his reputation intacked. The Jellicles' 2nd in command, Munkustrap, had called an emergancy meeting, and Tugger could not be seen withour combing his mane first. The brown and black striped mane that usually curled so perkily atop his head now flopped lifelessly. The curtain which hun gover the entrance to his den for privacy fluttered in the corner of his eye. He glared at it until the brown, white and black head of a kitten popped in.
'What is it, Etcetera?' He turned back to the shattered mirror in which he had been gazing at his reflection.
'Munkustrap called off the meeting.' Her baby-like, quirky voice was, as always, obviously happy to talk to The Tugger. 'Electra was missing, but Alonzo found her.' She stepped closer to the object of her affection with every word. He put his hands down, letting the unsalvegable tuff drop.
'Great.' He turned and plucked the black shining belt from where it hung, sat and began examining every detail to be sure of its perfection. He gave Etcetera a look of approval. She relaxed from her tense position atop his tattered chair. She stretched acrossed it and admired him as he did his belt.
'Tugger?' Etcetera had been watching the tiger cat play with his new belt for a while now. He sighed, 'Yeah?'
'Will you go with me to the Treeleaf River? I can't go alone.' She smiled at him. he adored the kittens smile. It was so sweet.
'Why? We have water here...'
'Yes, I know, but I, uh, like to play there. Please?' She pouted. He rolled his eyes but reluctantly smiled.
'OK, fine. I'll go.' He stood up and put his belt on. Etcetera hugged him, which startled him at first, but he eventually hugged her back. He liked Etcetera, but she did get on his nerves-with all her screaming-she was more like a sister. Just as they were going to break apart, Bombalurina walked into his den. To his surprise it was dark out. The moonlight filtered in when the red Queen pulled the sheet open. Tugger dropped Etcetera to the ground, who was trying to relax in his arms.
'Tug, where were you?' She asked, hands on hips. She glared at Etcetera.
'I was examining my new belt. Etcetera was just watching me.' He paused for a moment. 'Why?'
'Did you forget about meeting with Demeter and Munkustrap in Kensington Square?' She eyed him carefully.
'Er...I knew I forgot something today.' He just shrugged.
'Big surprise.' Bomby, shaking her satin, calico head, turned on her heal and left.
'Ow,' Etcetera rubbed her hip. 'Why'd you drop me?'
'Reaction. Okay, 'Cety, you should go now.' He motioned toward the entrance. Etcetera just looked at him confused.
'I thought we were going to Treeleaf.' She had a whiney tone again.
'Did you not notice that it's dark outside?' He waited to see her disspointment or shock, but niehter came.
'I know. I could've gone alone if it was daytime.' She realized that he was confused. She grinned. *He's so cute* she thought ruefully.
'No you couldn't. Treeleaf is out of Jellicle Boundaries.' He glared into her eyes. She cringed.
'Uh, I know. I don't do that. I'll just go now...' She backed out slowly, then turned an ran, trilling as she lept away.
''Cety, wait! You are in trouble!' He followed her out, but she was gone. *Wow, she's quick* Tugger inquired.
'Munkustrap' Demeter lept at the sound of her mate's name. Munksutrap also leaned foward and hugged Demeter close to him to comfort her. They had been resting peacefully, and whatever reason they were disturbed, he did not care. *Wait, had we slept in?* he pondered. Nope, the moon still shone brightly through a cracked glass on the wall.
'Munk,' Demeter, being the only one allowed to call him by that name, rubbed her eyes, blinking tiredly. 'What is it?' Alonzo's head appeared in the entrance to their den.
'Uh, Tugger left. I think he followed Etcetera, out of Jellicle Boundaries,' Alonzo informed them. Demeter snapped awak. 'What??' She turned to Munkustrap. 'We have to find them. 'Cety's only a kitten.' The look in her icey blue eyes could not be resisted. He nodded, and motioned for Alonzo to leave. He got up cleaned his fur and finished in time to see his mate cleaning herself as well. She looked up.
'What?' She couldn't help but smile at the look on his face.
'You care so beautiful, Dem.'
'Gee, thanks, but this is hardly the time for flatery.' She quickly plabted a kiss on his lips and they both exited in search of the two Jellicles.
'I don't see anyone...or anyTHING for that matter,' Demeter sighed.
'Well, the moon is bright tonight, so that'll help a little,' Munkstrap assured her. Then they heard a short, muffled yelp. Demeter and Munksutrap snapped to attention and ran toward the sound.
'Bri! You scared me!' Etcetera gasped when her friend sneaked up behind her.
'Sorry. I was trying to be quiet.' Fombulabri looked around nervously, as if being watched. As she turned, her normally orange eye shone pruple and black and Etcetera noticed. She reacjed to touch it.
'What happened?' Fombulabri scratched her paw.
'N-N-Nothing, 'Cety, I'm fine.' Etcetera recoiled. *Why is she lying to me? She can tell me anything.*
'Bri...' She was interupted by Demeter's quivering voice.
''Cety!' Both of th kittens jumped, startled. Demeter, followed by Munkustrap, ran up to Etcetera and hugged her.
'Uh, hi Demy,' Etcetera said from over her shoulder.
'What are you doing out of Jellicle Boundaries? You could've been hurt!' Demy gave her criticizing look. 'Cety's eyes fell to the ground. *How to explain this...*
'I, uh,'
'Who's this?' Munkustrap took Etcetera off the spot. Fombulabri smile at the fact that she was noticed.
'I'm Fombulabri.' She turned to 'Cety.
'She's my friend.'
'What tribe are you apart of?' Munkustrap questioned, his attention still on Bri. Her eyes now fell to the ground.
'I'm not. It's just me, my mother, my father and my sister.'
'Where's this from?' Demeter motioned towards her eye. Bri covored it with her paw.
'Nothing. Well, something, but I don't wanna talk about it.'
'Well...who's THIS?' Rum Tum Tugger came up behind Etcetera.
'Tugger!' She hugged and clung to him.'
'She's my friend, Fombulabri.' Tugger looked at Munkustrap and pushed Etcetera away. He patted her on the head and nodded.
'OK, introductions...I'm Demeter and this is Munksutrap. Who screamed?' She was in a rush to ask a lot of questions.
'Oh, that was me,' Etcetera confessed. 'Bru scared me.'
'OK, no, Fombulabri, tell us why your eye is bruised.' Munkustrap urged her before Demeter had a chance to. Fombulabri shook her head again.
'I'm sorry. I don't want to talk about it.'
'Will you promise tell us later?' Demeter wanted to help the poor kitten. Fombulabri gave her an odd look. *Why do they want to know so bad? No one's ever cared before* She slowly nodded. Munkustrap smiled and nodded, along with Demy. Demy looked around suddenly.
'We should go back now. Macavity might be around.' Fombalurina looked at Etcetera. I know, she mouthed.
'Uh, we have another friend coming.' 'Cety reluctantly told them.
'Another one?' Tugger was shocked. 'What's wrong with all the kitten in the tribe?' *How many kittens are there?* he thought to himself. Etcetera shook her multi-coloured head.
'Nothin. I just met them, and liked them.' She gave a kind of disgusted look. *he says some mean things sometimes...*
'So where's this other friend?' Munkustrap asked, noticed his mate was getting anxious. As if to answer his question, there was a russle in the bushes around them, and out popped a orange stiped cat.
'Oops,' she whimpered when she saw the three older cats.
'Hey, Tammy,' Etcetera tried to stay calm. She mouthed they caught us, and looked to the ground. In all the monotion, Tugger tried to tip-toe away.
'Tugger, where are you going? Etcetera was with you. This is your fault.' Demeter hissed. He grumbled. *Yeah. It's my fault she's obsessed with me*
'And you left Munk, Bomby and I in Kensington Square.' Demeter was getting off the subject. 'Did you forget?' She mimiked Tugger's voice.
'OK, OK. Let's deal with these three right now, OK?' Munkustrap was afraid his yellow, white and black calico mate would go overboard.
'Now. What did we "catch" you doing?' Munkustrap lowered his head at Etcetera. The tabby and 'Cety looked at Fombulabri for approval. She sighed. *I guess we're gonna have to* She reluctantly nodded. The three hugged.
'Tandilana and I met Fombulabri a couple weeks ago. We've been meeting here for a while now and playing together.' Demeter interupted.
'At night? That's so dangerous. Macavity could've...'
'No, this was the first time. That's why I asked Tugger to come with me.' Etcetera conitnued.
'Bri said she needed to talk to me and Tammy privately, so we did.'
'First of all, Etcetera, this is out of Jellicle Boundaries-bad mistake. Second of all, why did you ask her here, Fombulabri?'
'I needed to talk to my friend about...something.' Fombalubri looked at her two friends.
'Is it really that important and private that you can't tell them?' Etcetera motioned towards the older cats. Fombulabri looked to the ground. She didn't want to tell them. She sighed.
'A strange cat came into our den, destroyed everything, and,' She paused, tears surfacing. 'And he killed my parents.'
'Is that who gave you the black eye?' Munkustrap asked sympathetically. Fombulabri nodded with tears streaming down her face. Etcetera and Tandilana hugged her.
'What happened to Blaizerette?' Tammy asked.
'She ran away right after he...attacked.' The words seemed to be hard for Bri to say.
'Was it a red and black tabby named Macavity?' Demeter always assumed it was Macavity. Bri shook her head.
'No, he was a cream colour with black stripes. I don't know his name.' She said the last sentance sarcastically.
'Bri!' They all turned around to see a black and white striped kitten running up to Fombulabri, panting heavily.
'Blaize!' Fombulabri hugged her sister. 'Where did you go?' Blaizerette paused to take a breath.
'I went to our tree. There was someone else with that cream-coloured cat.' After Blaize finished, she looked at everyone and whispered. 'Who are they?'
'They're Etcetera's tribe - the Jellicles.' Fombulabri informed her. She turned to the tribe and introduced her sister.
'This is my twin sister, Blaizerette.' They all nodded and smiled at Blaize, who returned the gesture. She then noticed her sister's dark eye and gasped.
'Bri, your eye is...'
'I know. He, uh, smacked me.' She put her paw over her eye as if it hurt suddenly. Blaize gave a pouty look. *Poor Bri. I'm glad I left* She looked around.
'We should get back. Mom and Dad are probably worried.' Fombulabri looked up at her sister and tears formed again.
'Blaize...' Her sister didn't know.
'What is it?' Blaizerette could see the hurt in her eyes.
'Mom nd dad..the cat, he...they're dead.' The words escaped Fombulabri's lips painfully.
'No!' Blaizerette screamed. She fell to the ground, sobbing. Bri fell too, hugged her and cried with her. Tandilana and Etcetera did the same.
'Let's take them home with us. I'm sure Deuteronomy will accept them into the tribe.' Demeter whispered to Mukustrap.
'Of course. We can't leave them out here alone.' He answered. Etcetera was the only one who heard.
'Really?' The hyper kitten was ecstatic. Munkustrap nodded and Etcetera hugged Blaize and Bri harder.
'Guys!' She was trying to sound optimistic. The two looked up with blurry tearfulled eyes. 'You can stay with us!' They turned to eachother and smiled weakly. Rum Tum Tugger walked over and scooped up Blaize. He didn't mind carrying such a light kitten. She just seemed to weak from crying. She thanked him and clung to his neck.
Munkustrap walked over to Fombulabri. She shook her head.
'I'm fine. I can walk. Thank you sooo much.' And she hugged him. She and Etcetera suddenly realized that Tandilana had snuck away. Fombulabri noticed her bright fur and ran to her.
'Where are you going, Tammy?' Tandilana jumped.
'You are all apart of a tribe now, so I'm just gonna go.' Bri looked at her confused.
'So are you.'
'I know, but a different one.'
'Tammy, your my best friend. I wouldn't go anywhere with out you.' She wiped a tear from her eye. 'I already lost my parents. I'm not losing you, too.' Tandilana smiled.
'But, would they let me be a Jellicle if I'm already apart of a tribe?' She asked, wearily.
'Of course they would.' Etcetera said from behind Fombulabri. 'What tribe are you in right now?'
'Raven's' Tandilana answered, reluctantly.
'Oh.' Etcetera said and looked at the ground. 'That's what I was afraid of.'
'What's wrong?' Bri asked. 'Cety sighed.
'Jellicles and Ravens aren't exactly the best of friends. Some actually really hate one another.
'Demeter put a paw on Etcetera's shoulder. 'I think we can make an exception.' The kittens smiled, especially Tandilana.
'C'mon. Let's go home.' And they all followed Demeter back to the Jellicle Junkyard.
