Author's Notes: Wow, it's my first CATS fanfic. Please, please, please give it a chance, I think I actually did a good job ( I hope!!). I ADORE feedback, so if you wanna let me know what you thought please email me at diamondrope@hotmail.com. Thanks! Now a few notes pertaining to the story:
*solicitus means "wicked" in latin. And I'm not fond of any intruders..
This is a Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer fic. They're my favorite pair, and from what I've seen both in the video version and live productions (yes, I'm authentic!) of the show, they are NOT brother and sister. I strongly beleive (and doubt that I'm wrong based on some very obvious actions) that they are a couple. But how did they become a couple? Read on.
"Whatcha starin' at?" Rumpleteazer jumped at the sound of Bombalurina's voice by her shoulder. Ducking down from the top of the junkpile, she turned to the older cat.
"N-nothing." She said, stuttering slightly.
"Really." The note in Bombalurina's voice told her that the queen beleived otherwise, and her thoughts were justified a moment later as she poked her head over top of th junkpile.
"Hmm, all I see are Cassandra, Alonzo, Mungojerrie and Solicitus*." Bombalurina muttered. Alonzo and Cassandra were rather wrapped up within themselves, totally ignoring the rather amusing attempts of Solicitus to interest Mungojerrie in her developing feline figure.
"Hehe, 'teazer, take a look at this. That kitten can flirt for as much as one of my hairballs are worth!" Bombalurina snickered. Rumpleteazer joined her friend by the pile and gave out a halfhearted snicker.
"Yeah, funny."
"You ok, hon?" Bombalurina was taken aback by the tone Rumpleteazer used. She was usually as indomitable as Etcetra in her happiness, and she sounded genuinly weary and upset right now.
"Yeah, fine, I'm just really tired. Etcetra pounced me this morning before I was ready for the day." That wasn't completley true, but no one was going to question her.
"Oh, well, you take a nap now. We've got plans tonight." Bombalurina shot her a look. Everyone knew that Electra's birthday was today and there was to be a suprise party once the sun went down. Rumpleteazer was essential, she was supposed to lead Electra away from the junkyard for a while until the party was ready. Letting out a sigh, Rumpleteazer shot one last look at her dream tom and crawled off to nap in the pipe.
"RUMPLE!!! RUMPLE!!! HEY! RUMPLE!!" A voice outside the pipe a while later woke Rumpleteazer from her catnap.
"What?!" she growled iratly, shuffling out of the pipe. Solicitus was standing there, a huge grin on her face.
"Oh! I am so excited! I think Mungojerrie will pick me to dance with him at the ball next month!" Rumpleteazer gulped hard.
"Joy of joys." she spat out flatly.
"What's with you?" the other queen said, making a face, " Look, I'll go spout to someone else. Don't be such a sourpuss."
"Zebra." She hissed under her breath. Solicitus had been hailed when she joined the tribe, for her stripes were uncannily like a Zebra's, but on a red-silver fur body. It was a secret nickname among the tribe, but damned if anyone said it to her face. She glared at the queen as she scampered off and returned sullenly to the pipe. *Oh, I hope it isn't true. I won't lose my Mungo to that witch. She has to be wrong. She _has_ to be.*
"Electra, what should I do?" Rumpleteazer said, shooting a quick glance past the kitten's shoulder to the watch tower of the junkyard posts. Still no Munkustrap, still no sign.
"I don't know! Maybe you should just tell him. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"
"He could never talk to me again." Again, still no sign. How long could this party take to prepare?
"Silly! He would never do that! You live in the same house with him! He's die of boredom in ten minutes!" She had to laugh at that.
"He's quite an oaf like that, isn't he?" They giggled for a minute, each having a picture of Mungojerrie going out of his mind from boredom, when Rumpleteazer saw a flash of silver and black tail from the tower. Everything was ready.
"Hehe, well I think you've helped me a lot. Let's head back to the junkyard now, there's gotta be someone there by now. Maybe we can get Cassie and Alonzo to fall off their pile if we're quiet enough." Electra laughed, secretly wodering if everyone had totally forgotten her birthday, as she followed the queen back to the junkyard. It was completley dark an she looked around in curiousity for a moment before a soft "Presto" was heard and lights flashed on everywhere.
"SUPRISE!!" Electra nearly fell on top of Rumpleteazer as the whole tribe jumped out with a flaming slice of pie. The candles were about to fall off so she blew them out quickly. Mistoffolees let most of the lights go out, allowing the full moon to illuminate the junkyard. Rumpleteazer quickly spotted Mungojerrie with Solicitus, and decided that she needed some time alone. Abandoning the music and laughter, she found a small patch of moonlight and sat down, looking up sadly at the moon. She was faintly away of someone behind her but ignored it until the cat nudged her shoulder softly and whispered
"Solitare."
"Hmm?" she turned quickly and almost hit Mungojerrie in the face.
"Solitare." He repeated. She looked at him funny.
"Umm, you ok? My name's Rumpleteazer, you know that." He looked at her like a foo.
"No, no, not your name. Solitare. It mean single. One, uno, alone. I saw it on the Master's magazine. Solitare diamonds. Single white diamonds. Wouldn't you wanna snatch one of those?"
"Sure." her answer was halfhearted. *All he cares about is snatching. Not me, not me*
"It doesn't only have to do with diamonds you know. You. Solitare. Alone. But that's not why I said it."
"Then why did you say it?" Rumpleteazer whispered as he moved closer to her. He was acting mighty strange tonight. He was closer to her than he had ever gotten before, and she could barley breathe. The fact that she could still think coherently was something she took pride in.
"It can also mean pure. Perfect. Immaculate. Like you," he paused and looked at her with something unnamable in his eyes. It frightened her but she liked it very much, "I saw you over here, and you know, you looked a lot like Victoria. The moonlight made you look pure white, like a ghost. A very pretty ghost, " he leaned his mouth right by her ear and she gasped, " I've never seen your eyes look so pure either. You should really show them off, you are the only feline I know with violet eyes. You're pure, you're perfect. and you know about things that are pure and perfect. We desire and cherish them. I desire them. I desire you."
"Dance with me at the ball next month." he whispered, and ended their words.
The time of the ball came swifter than imaginable. Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie hid their secret well. Mungo, being his usual self, continued to lead Solicitus on. Rumpleteazer just giggled a lot, something that would become her trademark.
"You giggle like a love sick kitten!" Demeter scolded her. Rumpleteazer just giggled again, with a glint in her bright violet eyes.
"You over Munkustrap when he's not listening?" Demeter gasped at the queen who had just become a queen instead of a kitten herself.
"You watch your tounge! My, my! What wit you have on you!" Demeter sounded truly shocked and apalled. Munkustrap came up behind her and pounced on her tail.
"Eii!" She shrieked, swatting him.
"Do you really giggle like that when I'm not here?" he asked and ran quickly as the queen jumped up and began chasing him angrily around the junkyard.
"Rumple! Girl, you will never settle down will you?" Solicitus said, coming up to her. Mungojerrie was by her tail, making faces at Rumpleteazer over her shoulder.
"I dunno, maybe I will. I think I know the right tom.."
"Sure, whatever. Mungo, darling, lets go!"
"One sec!" he said, waiting until she walked off.
" 'Mungo, darling, blah blah blah!!' " he whined, looking disgusted at the waiting queen, "The look on her face tonight better be worth it!"
'The Ball came and it was joyous. There was the traditional songs, the naming of the Glamour Cat, who happened to be Solicitus, and finally the Dance of the Jellicle (known more fondly as "The Great Catnap"). Mungojerrie looked magnificent in the center of the moonlight, as he reached his hand towards Rumpleteazer. There were gasps all around, this was an unexpected choice, especially from Solicitus. Rumpleteazer accepted and they danced gracefully in the moonlight. Solicitus grinned wickedly in the shadows however and when they were done and were about to lay down she leaped up.
"Remark, the cat, who hesitates towards you!" she called out. All action stopped as Munkustrap, as tradition, if a little fearfully, called out the reply.
"By the light of the dawn.."
"..which opens on her like a grin."
"What is it you wish?" he asked, standing up. All eyes were on her now.
"As dawn breaks over the horizon, I call upon the cat of the Jellicle Dance to refuse me when offered my name!" She cried triumphantly. Rumpleteazer froze. *Oh no,* she thought, *If she gives her name and he accepts then I'm history! And he must accept! That's tradition!* she felt all hope drain from her heart and it break into a million peices.
"Your name?" Dueteronomy asked.
"My first be Lydia, my family name. My second be Solicitus, my Jellicle Name. But my name, my one true name, is Grizabella." All eyes now turned to Mungojerrie.
"I refuse the desicion as of now. I wish for the challenger." There were gasps from the cats and all eyes turned to Rumpleteazer. She squared her shoulders and looked at her fellow Jellicles.
"My first be Jessica, my family Name. My second be Rumpleteazer, my Jellicle Name. But my name, and my soul, is Solitare." There was silence as she dropped to her knees and waited to hear Mungojerrie's decscion.
"I choose purity above wickedness. I choose Solitare." Rumpleteazer was pulled into an embrace by her mate as Old Dueteronomy gave Grizabella her final choices.
"Do you wish to be known by Solicitus?"
"Nay, call me Grizabella." There were moans from her friends but she ignored them. If she couldn't have Mungojerrie then she wouldn't stay.
"Then I call thee to leave to Tribe of her free will before banishment takes place for revelation of one's true name."
"I accept."
Many things happened that night, some good, some bad. Grizabella left for good. Rumpleteazer (she always liked that name better) stayed with Mungojerrie. The next year brought just as many suprising turns to it. But you know that story well.
The End