Never Alone



By Minta



Note: CATS the musical is property of Andrew Lloyd Webber



The moon illuminated above the Jellicle Junkyard, nothing had stirred to disrupt the chilling silence. Every Jellicle was asleep in their dens as they waited for the sun to rise. Yet beyond the outskirts of their home, another being had entered onto their land, but not on purpose, merely by mistake. A small human form reflected her shadow on the light of the moon, dragging her half-broken body across the outskirts; a trail of crimson pain followed behind her while she clutched her side. Her breathing was shallow, her skin was covered in sweat from running thus soaking through her baggy shirt. Even her brown-shoulder length hair was matted in blood from the fight she was in earlier. The young female’s green-emerald eyes were glazed with exhaustion, still fighting for the chance to live. The pain acted up again as she gasped for breath, the bullet was lodged deeper then she suspected; how was she suppose to know that the ring-leader was carrying a weapon on him? How was she suppose to know that it was nothing more then a setup to get her killed? That didn’t matter to her now, what was important at that moment was that she needed to find shelter to rest until she could find the right tools to help the wound. Then again, she wasn’t sure herself she would make it until the dawn’s first light. All of a sudden, she fell to the ground face first, to exhausted to move on. Lying on the ground, she glanced up at the moon as she thought to herself, “I guess I’ll be dying alone after all.”



Jemima crept behind the old tire, being cautious not to give away her position. Her tail twitched as she watched Rum Tum Tugger from behind, waiting to make her move. Little did she realize that another small feline was right behind her, about to execute her next attack. In one swift motion, the small female leapt onto the young queen and tackled her to the ground. Jemima glanced up in surprise to see young Sakura laughing with glee, “You’re it!”

All the young queen could do was laugh, how could she not? Since Sakura joined the tribe less then a year ago, she officially adopted her as her little sister even though she was in the custody of Munkustrap and Demeter. Growling playfully she darted off the other direction while the young feline followed behind; both slid pass the golden-mane coon catching him off guard of the situation. It took him only a minute to realize that this was a game of cat and mouse, and he was the hunter. He grinned from ear to ear as he followed the females to the outskirts of the Junkyard calling out, “Better watch out ladies! The Tugger is in the house!”

Both of them laughed out loud as they continued running from the “hunter”. Sakura suddenly had an idea as she fell back, allowing the young queen to take the lead. She then grabbed her knee as she moaned, “Ow! My knee! It hurts!”

Rum Tum Tugger came to a full stop when he saw the young feline grasping her knee, trying to understand what had happened. He knelt to her height as he asked, “You okay kid?”

A mischievous grin broke on her face as she tackled him to the ground and said, “You’re it!”



His jaw dropped in shock, not believing himself that he fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book. He gave her his signature grin as he picked up and began to tickle her to death, “You’re gonna get it now!”

She squealed and giggled as he continued to torture her with endless tickling, until a high pitch scream snapped them back to reality. Both Jellicles ran to the source of the scream when they found Jemima standing there in shock, both of her paws covering her mouth. The golden-mane coon grasped her shoulders as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Sakura’s eyes widen at the same site, her knees starting to give in, “I think I know what she’s so freaked out about.”

Following her gaze, he felt his heart stop. A female human form was lying on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood. He signaled the two to stay where they were as he crept towards the body, despite the fact that the smell of the red liquid made him feel nauseous. He knelt by the body and leaned his head in close for any signs of life; a sudden gasp of breath startled him slightly, but he sighed in relief. He turned his attention to Sakura as he spoke, “Sakura! Go tell your dad that we got a human on our hands, but she needs help!”

“I’m on it!”

Carefully he scooped the limp body into his arms as the girl stared at him glassy eyed, not knowing what was happening around her. Jemima went to his side as she asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Do you have a piece of cloth or something on you?”

“Yes bu-“

“That should clog up the wound until we get back home.”

She pulled the cloth from her belt and did her best to clog the wounded area; acting quickly Rum Tum Tugger and Jemima ran towards the Junkyard, praying that they weren’t too late to save her.



All was quite in the small den, there was hardly any activity in the place. Munkustrap quietly tip toed to the kitchen, being careful not to wake up the small creature in the next room. Before he could take one more step, a loud high-pitch mew reached his ears making him sigh in defeat. He went towards the open room and peeked into the small nest were the small furry form cried out for attention; he couldn’t help but smile as he picked up his son and cradled him in his arms. When Sakura became apart of his family, Demeter became pregnant a few months later, and she was all but overjoyed that she would have a kitten of her own. The protector was at first nervous how the young feline would handle having a sibling in the house, but he was surprised when she acted mature about the situation. On the day his son was born, Sakura couldn’t help but love her new brother as she named him Frodo. Young Frodo had all the characteristics of his father, but he had the eyes of his mother. As he cradled his young one in his arms, he nuzzled him gently on the top of his head, soothing him as the cries began to cease; Demeter wasn’t around today since she was going out with Bombalurina so he was in charge unless something came up. Just when he was about to place him back in the nest, he heard the distant cry of his daughter running into the Junkyard. Before he could react, Sakura was already through the door and panting heavily on her knees.



He knelt to her height while still holding his son in one arm as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“We *pant pant* have a *pant* problem-“

“I can see that from all that running; now take slow breathes and continue.”

As her breathing returned to normal, she gazed into her father’s eyes as she spoke, “There’s a human here, but she’s hurt really bad!”

The protector furrowed his brows together, “How bad?”

“She was bleeding when Tugger, Jemima and I found her; he told me to get you and tell you that she needs medical attention really badly!”

He helped his daughter to her feet and gently placed the young kitten in her arms, “Keep an eye on your brother, I’ll inform Skimble and Jenny about the situation.”

He quickly ran out the door and headed towards the infirmary where Jellylorum and Jennyanydots were helping some new stray kittens that had entered into the Junkyard. But before he could step through the door, a ball of blue-gray fur wrapped her arms around his middle with a yelp, “YOU HAVE TO SAVE ME!!”

He stared at the young female in confusion, “What’s the problem?”

“JELLYLORUM WANTS TO GIVE ME A BATH!!! IT’LL KILL ME!!!”

This young Jellicle was known as Tala, one of the many stray Jellicle kittens that had made their new home in the Junkyard. With a sigh he laid his paws on her small shoulders and said, “Tala, nothing bad will happen to you if Jellylorum gives you a bath; she just wants you to be clean.”

“Are you sure?”



He gave her a reassuring smile, “I’m sure of it. Tell me this; is Skimble or Jenny in there?”

“Uncle Skimble is, but Aunt Jenny had to run out for supplies.”

“Thank you, that’s all I needed to know.”

Before she could respond, Jellylorum scooped the young feline in her arms as she stated, “All right Tala, now you’re going to get that bath. Come along.”

As she walked the opposite direction, the protector went inside as he searched among the kittens for Skimbleshanks. The young ones were scattered everywhere, many of them were either playing a game or reading a few of the Gumbie Cat’s books. As he made his way through the sea of tikes, he finally found the Railway Cat wrapping up the youngest Jellicle kitten’s arm with a smile, “There ye go lassie, good as new. In a few days your arm will be all better, just don’t jump off the tire again, all right Serenity?”

The young calico nodded in silent reply as he helped her off the table and ran past the protector. The orange feline gave a slight nod when he noticed the worried expression on his face, “Is something wrong lad?”

“I’m afraid so; apparently Tugger, Jemima, and Sakura found another human in the outskirts, a female of course.”

“But what is the problem?”

“When they found her, she had already lost quite a bit of blood; Tugger and Jemima should be coming here any moment now with her.”

Skimbelshanks felt his fur slightly stand on end at just the image of the human, it was just almost too much to bear. Acting quickly, he cleared the table off and brought out some of the tools his mate had taught him to use. As soon as he was set up, both toms saw Rum Tum Tugger burst through the door with the human in his arms, while Jemima stayed outside since she was feeling sick from the site. The kittens gathered around the coon as they stared at the human curiously; but the Railway Cat quickly interfered as he told them, “All right wee ones! Why don’t ye all wait outside until I tell you to come back in? Ye all need the fresh air anyway; scoot now!”

The kittens moaned in response but shuffled outside anyway thus leaving the trio alone. The golden-mane coon gently set the girl down on the table as he spoke, “She’s alive, but barely. I think there’s something buried in her side that could be causing the problem.”

Skimbleshanks gently took one of the tweezers as he examined the wound, causing Rum Tum Tugger to turn away from the site since he felt sick enough. A slight moan escaped her lips as the bullet was pulled out then placed on the counter where the protector stood. The silver tabby glanced at it as he asked, “Who do you think would have wanted her dead?”

“I don’t know lad, probably another human that held a grudge against her. As far as we know, none of us have used a gun in our lives.”

The girl turned her head towards the Railway Cat’s direction, her eyes still glassy as she asked, “Where am I?”

He gave a small smile as he gently stroked her forehead, “Don’t try to speak lassie, we’re just about to stitch ye up. It might hurt a wee bit but it’ll be all over soon.”



She nodded slowly as she slipped back into unconsciousness, giving him the chance to quickly close the wound up. Once he was through, he cleaned up his paws as he spoke, “She’ll be all right, but she’ll need to stay in bed for the next few days or so until she can get her strength back.”

The two brothers nodded in silence as they helped clean the blood off the floor; until Rum Tum Tugger had a thought, “Do you think she has family?”

Munkustrap racked his brain for a moment to contemplate his question, “Possibly, but we’ll only know that when she’s ready to talk.”

The golden-mane coon suddenly spotted a card-like object sticking from her jean pocket; carefully he pulled the object out as he read the name aloud, “It says here her name is Avril Jones, fifteen years of age; it gives a street name but nothing else.”

Skimbleshanks glanced at the card then at the two brothers with a sigh, “As much as I hate to say this, this job calls for Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. They’re the only ones that could give us the information that we need.”

The protector gave a heavy sigh, knowing for a sad fact, he was right. He glanced at the two as he spoke, “All right, I’ll go talk to them. In the meantime though, someone will have to keep the kittens away from here until we have a separate sleeping quarter for the girl to sleep in.”

The Railway Cat nodded in silence as the two brothers left the infirmary, while the girl slept uneasily with the wound still throbbing at her side.



The concrete den was completely overturned by a group of black felines, nibbling on what food they had found around garbage cans and what not. Sighs of the battle between Lucifer and Sakura had left their marks permanently, telling their own story of what had occurred. Even though Macavity and Lucifer were both deceased, a new leader had claimed the throne of Napoleon of Crime. The muscular feline picked the flesh off his meal, hardly staining his dark ginger-red fur from the fluids; even his oversize mane cascaded down the back of his throne. Yes, these features and more were the similarities of the former Hidden Paw. As he was lost in thought, one of his minions came rushing in from the outside exhausted, “S-sir?”

His yellowish eyes narrowed at the pitiful creature, “What is it? And it had better be good.”

“W-well sir, it appears another human has taken domain in the Jellicle Junkyard, along with some stray kittens from an abandon village.”

“You seem to have more information, out with it.”

The creature breathed deeply as he continued, “We have also confirmed that the human that once defeated your father is now officially a Jellicle; and a member of the tribe is now reborn and plans to return soon.”

The feline rubbed his muzzle in contemplation at the thought; he could kill two birds with one stone if he sent out his minions to wipe out the small tribe along with the one responsible for his father’s death. He gave a cruel smile as he told the messenger, “Keep an eye on the village for the next few days or so until I give the command of what to do next. Make sure you’re not seen by any of them.”

“Yes Firefrorefiddle, son of Macavity, Fiend of the Fell.”



Avril felt a paw on her forehead placing something wet upon it; she wasn’t sure how long she had been out, but she was pretty sure that it had been almost a week. A Scottish accent was keeping her somewhat awake as the blurred visions became clear, “Well, hopefully when the lass wakes up she’ll tell us more about herself. What do you think Jenny love?”

“It’s hard to say at this point, we’ll just have to wait and see.”

A sharp pain shot up her side when she turned her head, her vision finally becoming clear. The exhausted girl noticed the two felines talking to one another, unaware that she was awake; she was still wondering herself if this was just all some strange dream, or if she was actually in heaven. The pain in her side quickly reminded her that it was no dream, it was real. Her voice felt scratchy as she tried to speak, “W-wh-where am I?”

The Railway Cat glanced over his shoulder and smiled as he sat by her bedside, “You’re awake lass! That’s good news, considering the amount of blood you lost a few days ago.”

“That long eh? I guess that explains why I’m still sore all over.”

“Aye, ye took quite a hit from that bullet; ye would’ve been left for dead on the outskirts if one of our own didn’t bring you in.”

She gave a small chuckle despite the pain, “Better left for dead then alive if you ask me.”

His eyes widen in shock of her response, “Why would ye say such a thing?”

She frowned for a moment as she sighed, “It’s a long and complicated story, I’ll explain later when I’m ready. By the way, do you have anything to munch on?”



His smile returned as he called to his mate, “Jenny! The lass is hungry!”

“I’m coming love! Just a moment!”

The teen glanced around his arm to see Jennyanydots carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of beef stew and mug full of sweet cider. Slowly Avril tried sitting up, stifling a scream from the wound. The queen smiled sweetly as she placed the tray on her lap, “There you go young one, just take it nice and slow.”

As the teen placed the spoon in her mouth, she savored the juicy beef and vegetables rolling on her tongue. As she ate, the Railway Cat began to speak, “Allow me to introduce myself; I am Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat, and this bonnie lass right besides me is my mate Jennyanydots.”

The teen glanced up from her food as she spoke, “I’m Avril, a nobody.”

“Come now lass, what kind of talk is that? Everyone, including you have a story to tell.”

“If I told mine, I think you would be horrified.”

Before he could continue, Rum Tum Tugger suddenly entered into the room with a grin, “Hey, I see the kid’s awake!”

Avril actually felt the blood rush to her face as he sat by her bedside thinking to herself, “He’s actually kind of hot.”

He grasped her hand in his paw as he spoke, “The name’s Rum Tum Tugger, and I already know who are when your ID fell from your pocket. Anyhow, I was the one that saved you from the outskirts; I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Her cheeks began to redden the longer he grasped her hand, despite that she was able to say softly, “Thanks, I guess.”

He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed it with a smile, “Pleasure’s all mine.”



Skimbleshanks gave the coon a light slap on the shoulder as he spouted, “All right lad out! Ye already have a swarm of females, ye don’t need to add this one to the list!”

Rum Tum Tugger gave him a quick glare as he stood up from her bedside, “I gotta run anyway; Bomb and I have a date! See ya kid!”

Once he had left the room, Avril quickly noticed her possession were by her bedside. She turned towards the Gumbie cat and asked, “How did my stuff get here?”

“We have a pair of our own ‘cat burglars’ that were able to bring your belongings here.”

“Dare I ask who?”

A pair of wide grins popped out of the closest, nearly giving Jennyanydots a heart attack as the unified voices spoke, “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, the notorious cats!”

Avril gave them a queer look, wondering what they were doing in the closest in the first place. Skimbleshanks placed both paws firmly on his hips as he asked, “Just what were ye two doing in there?”

Rumpleteazer gave him the innocent face as she spoke, “Nothin’; jus’ thought we stick around to see how she was doin’.”

Mungojerrie gracefully sat on the edge of the bed as he eyed the teen from head to toe with interest, “She’s a pretty thing, for a human. Got a boyfriend love?”

The teen suddenly formed her hand into a fist and gave a direct punch into the Jellicle’s stomach, causing him to topple to the floor in surprise and pain. She glared down at him as she responded, “Don’t even think about it.”

“Ow, she’s a tough one.”



The trio stared at her in surprise, and in shock of what just happened. Rumpleteazer draped her brother’s arm over her shoulders and said, “Well, maybe some other time, later!”

Once both felines left, Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots stared at her with awe, still not believing what they had witnessed. The older queen was the first to break the silence, “How-when did-“

She raised her hand in the air to stop her as she spoke, “I’ll explain later. I just want to get back to sleep.”

Slowly she buried herself back under the covers, turning her back toward the two Jellicles; she heard leave the room silently as the door was closed. Avril wanted just that, to be alone for awhile with no one to bother her. Most of her life was spent alone, with no one else to care for her and with people who just wanted her dead. Curling up under the blankets more she thought to herself, “I’ll give this place a chance I guess, better then bleeding to death behind an alleyway.”

With that thought in mind, she finally went into a deep slumber as the world around her stood still.



It had only been a few days, but Avril was already up and about despite the fact that her wound was not completely healed. Some of the younger Jellicles, however, were aware of what had happened to Mungojerrie and didn’t dare go near her. Some of the older males though were taken aback by her mysterious beauty as she strutted around in a skull-printed tank top, baggy jeans with a pair of old Nike sneakers, and pair of fish-nettings around her arms. Her hair was cut to her ears since the blood made it hard to brush it out, but she didn’t care. Sakura watched from above with one of the stray kittens known as Pippin, who was just about the same age as they young one. He glanced at his comrade and asked, “Do you think she’s dangerous?”

“I don’t think so; she’s probably just misunderstood. You can’t always judge a book by its cover you know.”

“What’s a book?”

She rolled her eyes in annoyance as she spoke, “You just go back to Jellylorum for awhile, I’ll try to see if I can talk to the newcomer.”

“Suit yourself.”

The young feline crept slowly behind the teen, being careful not to anger her in any way. But it was futile; the teen turned around quickly and had the young female in a headlock. Sakura struggled to break free as she shouted to her, “I wasn’t doing anything wrong! I just wanted to talk!”

The grip on her loosened as she gasped for breath, her tail somewhat poofed out from shock. Looking up at the teen she asked, “What was that for?!”

“Sorry, I didn’t know who was trying to sneak up behind me; old habits die hard you know.”



Brushing the dirt off her fur she said, “I guess so. Anyway, I just wanted to know more about you.”

Avril crossed her arms across her chest with an annoyed look on her face, “Is that so?”

“Yeah; like where did you come from? Who were your parents? Does somebody-“

The teen placed her hand in mid-air to stop her from talking, “Let’s get something straight here; there are some questions that don’t need answers. And the ones you’re asking aren’t one of them. Got it?”

Sakura lowered her eyes to the ground at the harshness of her voice, but quickly regained her courage as she spoke, “Truth be told, I was human once.”

Her brow rose up in interest, “Really? Then what happened to you, some freak accident or something?”

“Actually, it’s quite a story…”

The two girls sat on one of the tires as Sakura regaled her tale from when she first met the Jellicles to when she fought Lucifer, making sure all the while that the teen was hanging on to every word. When she was through, Avril looked towards the sky as she broke the silence, “Sounds like you had quite the adventure there for awhile.”

“Yeah, but I’m just glad that I can finally relax with my family.”

The teen stared into her lap as she muttered under her breath, “Not everyone can be as lucky as you.”

The young feline picked up on her words, her heart going into her throat, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

Before she could finish, the young teen got up and left the feline speechless.



Sakura just sat there, feeling like she was just punched in the gut with a sledgehammer. A small tear started to fall down her cheek when she heard a familiar voice from behind her, “Did I miss something?”

She glanced over her shoulder to see Alonzo standing right behind her; she quickly wiped the tear from her eye as she spoke, “No-not really-I don’t know…”

The black and white feline sat down next to her and patted her head with a comforting paw, “You can tell me; what happened?”

The young female explained the entire story to him from beginning to end, being careful not to leave anything out. When she was through, he began to contemplate every word as he asked, “And then she didn’t say anything else?”

“No; did I do something to make her hate me?”

He chuckled warmly as he placed his paw around her shoulders, “No, she just not used to have people-er, felines ask her about her life; there are some things that are to painful to share, just give the kid some time and she’ll be fine.”

Sakura gave him a small smile as she responded, “I guess you’re right.”

“Good girl; why don’t run along now to see what the rest of the kitten are doing?”

“What are you going to do?”

As he got up from the tire, he brushed off his fur and said, “Try to talk to Avril.”



Firefrorefiddle paced around the cavern, waiting for his henchmen to return with some sort of news. What concerned him most though was the new human in the tribe; what was she like? Could she fight as well as the young Jellicle? All this and more ran in the back of head, continuously pacing the floor. His ears perked up when he heard the familiar footsteps of one of his henchmen; turning on his heal he saw the black feline give a soldier’s salute as he spoke, “I have some news sir!”

“I’m listening.”

“The one Jellicle that was reborn is on her way now to the Junkyard! Should my men follow her in for a surprise attack?”

He had thought about it for a moment or two, but his expression read otherwise when he spoke, “No, no surprise attacks. But keep an eye on the tribe anyway, especially on that human.”

“Pardon me for being bold sir, but what does she have to do with your plans for revenge?”

He narrowed his eyes so coldly it left the messenger trembling, “That is none of your business; I will inform you about the human when the time is right. Do I make myself clear?”

“Y-yes sir.”

“Good, now get out of my site.”

The black feline retreated to the outdoors, leaving the new Hidden Paw to wonder in his thoughts, mainly about a certain female that could be a threat to him and his plans.



Avril was doing some practiced punches in the air, trying to keep herself in shape, and not even aware that Alonzo was watching her from behind one of the trash bins. He actually admired her fighting spirit, even if she was a little rough on the young ones. She quickly stopped and allowed herself a moment or two to breath, until she heard his voice, “You must be an incredible fighter.”

The teen glanced over her shoulder in surprise when he sauntered to the rear, an amused smile across his face. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear she asked, “Alonzo, is it?”

“Of course.”

“Well, what do you want?”

“Just to talk, that’s all.”

Crossing her arms across her chest she asked, “About what?”

His tail twitched as he stood almost a foot away from her, he had to admit, she was a rare beauty. Catching himself in his thought he said, “It’s about the conversation you had with Sakura; she thinks that you hate her.”

The teen rolled her eyes in annoyance as she spoke, “Kids always think that way, plus she should learn to move on about it.”

His eyes widen for a moment at her words, but he kept control of his emotions, “Well she’s not like you; she already felt responsible for the death of our foe a year ago, what you did made her feel like she made you upset.”

“Like I said to her before, there are some questions that don’t need an answer.”



He cocked his head in confusion, not quite clear what she saying, “What are you talking about?”

“She was just getting into some personal stuff that I don’t want to talk about, ever.”

Avril began to walk quickly pass him until he grasped her arm and said, “Just be careful what you say to her next time, she’s pretty sensitive.”

The teen considered his words as he released her arm; then the air was filled with cries of joy and cheering, making the young teen feel confuse, “What’s going on?”

Alonzo perked his ears up, listening into the sound. A small smile broke upon his face as he spoke, “Looks like one of our own has returned.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?”

Suddenly, he scooped her into his arms as he replied, “Just hold tight, we’re taking a shortcut.”

“Say what?!”

Without hesitation, he grabbed onto a piece of cardboard and began to slide down the hill; Avril clung onto his fur tightly as they made their way towards the crowd. He then leapt off the cardboard and landed gracefully besides Bombalurina. The teen breathed in deeply to slow her heartbeat down from all the excitement, until Alonzo spoke once more, “You can let go now.”

She felt the blood rush to her face as she stepped onto the ground next to the red queen. Bombalurina glanced at her as she asked, “What happened to you?”

“Let’s just say a certain feline decided to take a shortcut. So what’s all the excitement about anyway?”

The queen gave her a grin as she responded, “One of our own had just returned from the Heavyside Layer, and now she’s rejoining the tribe.”

“But who?”

As the rest of the Jellicles finally cleared away from the new comer, Avril was able to get a better look at who it was. She then felt Sakura run past her as she greeted the stranger with joy, “You’re Grizabella, aren’t you?”



The queen gave a quite laugh, amused at the fact that she looked just like her in her early days, “I am.”

“My dad’s told me so much about you! I’m honored to finally meet you in the flesh-er, fur!”

The teen glanced at the two felines, confused that they both looked the same besides the age difference and shade of fur. Grizabella caught site of the human and asked the young feline, “Who is that?”

Sakura gave a slight frown as she did the introductions, “Miss Grizabella, this is Avril; Avril, this is Grizabella.”

The older queen took her hand gracefully and said with a smile, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

The Glamour Cat nodded in response when Old Deuteronomy suddenly appeared, embracing her like an old friend. He smiled gently as he spoke, “Welcome back; I hope that your journey was successful?”

“It was, and it’s good to be back.”

Then the swarm of Jellicle kittens surrounded, asking her several questions all at once. She only laughed as she responded, “One at a time young ones, all will be known soon.”

As she headed towards the old tire, the kittens followed behind like a flock of sheep. Avril stared amused at the fact that they all adored her so greatly, like if she was a hero of some sort.



She felt Old Deuteronomy’s presence behind her as he asked, “Young one, may I have a word with you for a moment?”

The teen was silent for a moment as they rest of the tribe scattered, until she broke the silence, “I guess.”

He motioned her to follow him to his den, not realizing that Alonzo was quietly following them. As they entered into the den, she couldn’t quite explain it, but she felt…different somehow. The leader sat upon his chair and motioned her to do the same as he spoke, “It has come to my attention that some of the younger Jellicles fear you. Why is that?”

She shrugged her shoulders in response, “Probably after what happened to Mungo when he tried to hit on me.”

He sighed as he clasped his paws together, “Is it also true that you were a fighter of some sort?”

“You could say that.”

He straightened up in his chair while the teen leaned back casually, her hands behind her head, “How did you learn to fight in the first place child?”

She went stiff at the question, trying to figure out how to answer him. Shaking the shock off she began to tell her story, “When I was ten, my parents were killed in a hit a run robbery at the store; I was pretty much left alone after that, hoping from one foster home to the next. During that time though, I watched street gang fights and one or two bar fights, and I wanted in on the action. So during my spare time when no one was trying to watch me twenty-four seven, I would go down to a local gym and practice my techniques there. During the next several months, I entered into a lot of street fights and won myself my own title and a few prize possessions in between. That’s basically how it went, and you pretty much understand how I ended up here.”



Silence hung between them like a foul stench in the air, it was almost unbearable. Old Deuteronomy leaned forward and grasped her hands in his enormous paws, “There is more to the story though, isn’t there?”

Avril stiffened once more as he released his grasp, allowing her to stand up and turn to the door, “Maybe I don’t want to talk about it. Later.”

As she pushed back the curtains, she felt that someone was behind her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand. Reacting quickly she reached into her pocket for one of her metal knuckles and tried to strike at the person following her; her eyes widened with surprised that it was Alonzo who caught her fist in his paw with ease. The teen gritted her teeth as she questioned, “You were listening in on our conversation?!”

He gave a slight smile as he released her hand, “I just needed to know more about you, and so that’s what I did.”

“You had no right to do that!”

“And you had the right to insult a young feline who only wanted to help?”

Her fist aimed for his face once more, but failed when he caught them both. He then forced her arms down and leaned in so close to her face that their noses were barely touching. The heat rose to her face as he began to speak, “If you keep this up, you won’t have any friends left.”

He left it at that as he walked away from the angered teen, blushing himself that he was that close to her face. Avril stomped her foot in anger as she headed back towards Skimbleshank’s den.



Sakura held her infant brother in her arms while Demeter was preparing his dinner. The young feline was still somewhat angry of what had happened between her and Avril, but tried to shake the thought off when Frodo began to pull at her collar. He gave a small mew, causing the young female to giggle in response. Demeter knelt besides the two with the bottle at hand, “All right, I think Frodo’s getting a little hungry; I’ll take it from here darling.”

Gently she lifted the mewing kitten from her arms and cradled him in her own. The young feline smiled to herself, still amazed that she had a family again; but her thoughts were interrupted when Munkustrap entered exhausted, he could barely keep his eyes open. Sakura went to her father’s aid as she asked, “Did the patrol go okay?”

He gave her a small smile and patted between her ears, “It was pretty much a slow night, not even a sigh of a rat anywhere.”

Demeter sauntered to the rear and kissed him fully on the lips, causing the young female to softly giggle. The queen smiled sweetly while still cradling the infant, “At least you can get some well deserved rest.”

He smiled fully as he responded, “Quite true, I could use it. I haven’t gotten a full night’s sleep since Avril was discovered.”

The young feline felt a soft growl escape her lips, but quickly concealed it before it could reach to her parent’s ears. But it was a little late for that; the protector gave his daughter a look of concern as he asked, “You have something against her?”



Sakura scratched the back of her head in embarrassment, her tail twitching with some guilt, “Well-you see-um-“

He placed his paw on her shoulder as he spoke, “Alonzo told me what happened between you two. I know she made you feel upset, but she is apart of this tribe now, you of all people should know that.”

Her ears flatten against her head in shame, knowing that he was right. He tilted her chin upwards as he gave her a small smile, “Don’t worry, I think Alonzo will keep her in line.”

The young feline nodded in response and stretched her limbs with a yawn; Demeter laughed softly as she spoke, “I think its pass someone’s bedtime, don’t you think?”

Sakura stretched once more as she spoke with a hint of tiredness in her voice, “I’m not *yawn* tired at all.”

Munkustrap scooped the young feline into his arms, her head resting comfortably against his shoulder as he responsded, “Guess again. It’s about time you went to bed; tomorrow you and the rest of the kittens have your first music class with Grizabella.”

She smiled softly as she began to fall victim to her slumber, and everything else around her faded away.



The new Hidden Paw leapt across the tall buildings, the cold night air stinging at his eyes. It had been nearly two months since the discovery of the human girl, and he was still weary of her, fearing that he might interfere with his plans. He knew that if he wanted more information about his possible new foe, what better place to find her story then in the city she once lived in? Firefrorefiddle came to a complete halt when he heard a group of humans chatting away below him. Glancing over the rooftop, he saw a group of males sitting on crates and bins, while puffs of smoke escaped from their lips. The feline could see that they were young, and possibly naïve; he leaned in more carefully as he picked up a few words from their conversation, “-and she was like, ‘Oh more Pablo, more!’”

They had a hearty laugh, leaving the feline confused, but he still stayed at his post as he picked up more, “So you guys heard anymore about that girl? What was her name?”

“I think it was Avril something; a.k.a, ‘Sniper’.”

“What happened to her again dude?”

“There was some sort of bust or somethin’, then she was shot and that was that.”

Before one of the other members could respond, Firefrorefiddle made his move as he landed in their circle with a roar. The group screamed in fright, wondering what he was; though they didn’t want to stick around to find out, thus they began to run for their lives. But the ring leader, unfortunately, was caught by the collar of his hooded sweatshirt and was forcefully turned around so he could see the feline face to face. The Hidden Paw snarled at the frightened human, his grip tightening on his shirt, “So you know of the one called ‘Avril’?”

“Y-y-yeah, b-bu-but what’s this gotta do with-“

He silenced him with another roar, causing the human to slightly whimper in response. The feline gazed at him once more as he continued, “I am in need for some information about this girl. Tell me what you know.”



The young teen practiced punch onto an old sack that Asparagus Jr. gave her, that way she wouldn’t try to go after some of the older Jellicle males to fight. During her practice though, a certain black and white feline kept appearing in her mind, making her feel unfocused. “Argh! Why can’t I get Alonzo out of my head?! This is getting on nerves!”

“Hey darling!”

She turned around startled, almost making her fists slam into Rum Tum Tugger’s chest. He was shocked for a moment, but regained his composure as he spoke, “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

She tucked a strain of hair behind her ear, the redness in her face clearly showing, “Don’t worry, I’ve had worse. What’s up?”

He gave his signature grin as he continued, “Turns out Grizabella wants you in her class today.”

Avril stared at him wide-eyes, completely taken off guard, “She wants me to what?!”

“You heard me! It’ll be good for you!”

“I can’t sing a tune! Let alone carry a note! I’m not going!”

She turned her back to him as she crossed her arms across her chest; he laughed to himself, knowing deep down that she had talent, she just needed a little push. He placed his paws on her shoulders, causing her to tense up at his touch. His tone became a bit more serious as he spoke, “Come on, just give it a shot; you might like it. Okay kid?”

The teen sighed deeply, hating to admit that he was right. She turned back to face him as she responded, “Okay, so where’s this class taking place?”

He smiled as he pointed towards the old tire, which was right out in the open.



“I can’t believe I’m doing this!”

Reluctantly, she made her way down towards the kittens without saying another word to the golden-mane coon. The Glamour Cat could see Avril coming a mile away as she conducted the small chorus of tikes to a small tune; she gave the teen a smile as she spoke, “I’m glad you could join us, we were just practicing the song to the Jellicle Ball.”

The teen stood besides the tire as she spoke with a hint of sarcasm in her tone, “Sounds like fun.”

Grizabella frowned for a moment at her remark, but quickly came up with a plan, “Avril, why don’t you sing something for the class?”

She felt her jaw drop in surprise, that was something she wasn’t expecting to hear, “Say what?!”

“Come now, it’s not that bad; just sing a small tune for the class and then you’re free to go.”

Avril narrowed her eyes at the queen, “You’ll keep true to your word?”

“You have my promise, Jellicle Cat’s honor.”

The teen could feel the kittens boring their eyes at her. What other choice did she have? She then climbed to onto the top of the tire where the kittens could get a better look at her; it was if she was the main attraction at a circus sideshow event. Avril then closed her eyes, taking in several deep breaths as the kittens remained completely silent.



The teen then glanced onto the audience as a harmonic tune escaped her lips, “Mysterious, that’s what I call you. I’m curious, about you. I’m scared and I’m not sure that you are safe; but your eyes seem to say that you are good. This is not a dream that I’m living, this is just a world of your own. You took me from all that I knew…..”

The music reached their ears of every Jellicle in the Junkyard, making them wonder who it was singing such a musical song. All of them gathered by the tire to see Avril reaching deep into her soul, belting out the last few tunes that she sung from memory, “Peace and power, love forever, who am I to stand before you? I am speechless, but in my weakness, you are here, and all is well.”

Alonzo stood besides Skimbleshanks and Jemima, drinking up every note that came out of her mouth; to him, she had the voice of an angel, “-it feels like I’m living in the lion’s mouth, but the lion is an angel; is an angel.”

Not a soul had stirred once the song was done; all of them were in shock of her musical talent. Rum Tum Tugger was the first to clap, followed by Alonzo and Bombalurina, and then the entire Junkyard was filled with applause and praise of the performance. Avril took a slight bow as she hopped off the tire, hoping to actually have time to herself. But she was suddenly mobbed by most of the tribe, all of them commenting on her singing voice. The young teen felt like she had to scream, that she had to burst her way out of the crowd just to get away; she suddenly felt someone grasp her arm and pulled her into a sea of fur.



She glanced up to see Alonzo’s face smiling back at her. As she tried to push away she heard him speak to the others, “All right everyone! Give her some breathing space! You can talk to her later, but not in a mob!”

Knowing that he was right, they quickly went back to their business leaving the two alone. He glanced into her face as he asked, “Are you okay?”

Avril felt the heat rise to her face again as she responded, “Y-yeah, thanks for helping out there. I thought I would’ve suffocated beneath a pile of fur, no offense.”

“None taken.”

He released her from his grasp, feeling the heat rise to his own face. Silence hung between them for a moment or two, neither one of them knowing what to say. Alonzo was the first to break the silence, “Avril, I actually wanted to ask you something.”

She glanced into his face, tucking her hair behind her ear, “Yeah? What is it?”

The black and white feline cleared his throat as he took a step towards her, “Would you care to just hang out tonight? You know, dinner and a walk around the Junkyard?”

She raised one of her brows in question, “Are you asking me out?”

“Well I-“

The teen stopped him in mid-sentence by raising a hand in the air; she then patted his shoulder as she spoke, “Meet me at Skimble’s place at seven, I’ll see you there.”

She knew she had left the feline completely stun, until she could hear him do a small victory dance. And at that moment, for the first time in years, she actually smiled.



Young Serenity giggled with glee as Mistoffelees allowed sparks to pop and crackle in the air, illuminating his smiling face. He actually enjoyed entertaining the kittens, it gave him chance to practice his magic more. To wrap the show up, the magical feline produced a flock of doves from his paws and allowed them to take flight above the Junkyard. He gave a great bow as the young tike clapped joyously. He gave her his paw and helped the young feline to her feet and asked, “Did you enjoy the show young miss?”

She smiled as she responded shyly, “I did, it was really great!”

“That’s good to know; now we should probably get you back to Jellylorum before she starts to worry.”

He scooped the young tike into his arms when he spotted Alonzo trotting happily, humming a tune or two to himself. The magical cat gracefully leaped in front of the tom, all the while being careful not to drop Serenity. He gave his usual greeting and asked, “Tell me friend, what has you in such a cheery mood?”

Alonzo cleared his throat before he could respond, “Well, just to let you know, Avril and I are on a ‘date’ tonight.”

Mistoffelees stared at him wide-eyed as he clutched the ball of fur tightly, “You’re going out with her? Isn’t that taking a bit of a risk there?”

“It shouldn’t be; we’re just going to talk and have dinner, then walk under the light of the Jellicle moon. There’s no harm in that.”

“I suppose you’re right, as a friend, I just want you to be careful.”



The magical cat quickly realized that Serenity was still in his arms and was gasping for breath; he quickly loosened his grip as he spoke, “My apologies young one. I hope you aren’t terribly angry.”

“*gack* No, I’ll be all right.”

Alonzo chuckled as he ruffled the young tike’s head, “I should get going Misto, but I’ll see you later.”

“Farewell then.”

As the two toms parted ways, the young feline suddenly spotted Mungojerrie pop up from the side, “Evening guvner! Did I hear right, that Alonzo’s going with Avril?”

“You heard right.”

His eyes went wide as he spouted, “IS HE INSANE?! SHE’LL KILL HIM!! SHE’LL-“

“I’ll what?”

He slowly glanced over his shoulder to see the young teen staring right back at him. He yelped in surprise as he placed his paws over his head, “DON’T HURT ME!”

She patted his head lightly as she spoke, “Relax, I’m over that now. So don’t worry about it, okay?”

As she walked away from the small trio, Mungojerrie glanced at the magical cat in surprise, “What just happen?”

“I think she just forgave you.”

He blinked rapidly as the thought just clicked, “Oh, that’s good then. Gotta run!”

Once he was gone, Serenity glanced up at the feline and asked, “I don’t understand, what’s going on?”

He smiled as he responded, “You’ll understand someday when you’re older, just enjoy being a young kitten.”



It had taken the young teen hours, but she was ready to go out with Alonzo. Rumpleteazer giggled in delight as she placed the last finishing touches on her makeup, “That should do it! You look marvelous!”

Avril groaned in response as she tried to pull the silver dress down to her knees, “I haven’t worn a dress since kindergarten; this just doesn’t feel right.”

Cassandra placed the silver necklace around her neck as she spoke, “Teazer’s right, you look wonderful. Alonzo will go head over heels over you.”

The young teen then glanced back at the orange calico, “By the way Teazer, where did you get this dress?”

“Meh, I had it in my dresser for awhile, just in case of an emergency.”

“And you thought this was an emergency?”

“Of course! All you had for clothes were anything rock related or somethin’!”

Jemima entered in the room followed by Skimbleshanks, carrying a small wooden box with two cat eyes engraved on it. The railway cat embraced the teen as he spoke, “Ye look like an angel lass.”

She smiled slightly as she responded, “Thanks, I think. What’s the box for?”

“Why don’t ye open it up and find out?”

As she opened the lid carefully, she felt her heart stop. A silver like bracelet laid at the bottom, on it was a cat’s eye charm with the reflection of the moon on it. Carefully she lifted the piece of jewelry from the box, fingering it delicately in her hands. She looked at the railway cat as she spoke, “This is really beautiful; I never had anything so nice before.”

He smiled warmly as he placed the bracelet around her wrist, “Jemima made this awhile back, and thought she could give it to you.”



Once she thanked the young queen, a loud knock came to the door startling everyone. Jemima glanced out the window and giggled, “It’s Alonzo!”

Avril hid behind Rumpleteazer and Cassandra, blushing in embarrassment, “He is?! I’m not ready!”

The orange calico grasped her hands in her paws reassuringly, “You’re gonna be fine, trust me!”

Before she could respond, Skimblehshanks had already opened the door, “Alonzo lad! Come on in!”

“Thanks Skimble. Where’s Avril?”

The two queens stepped on opposite sides to reveal the teen standing right behind them. He felt the blood rise to his face, amazed how she had been transformed. He stepped towards her with a smile on his face, “You look fantastic.”

She fiddled with her fingers for a moment, “Thanks, you too.”

He chuckled lightly as he offered her his arm, “Shall we get going then?”

The teen intertwined her arm with his, smiling, “Why not?”

The duo then excited the house while the small group watched eagerly from the window. Rumpleteazer turned to Jemima, “You think it’ll work out?”

“I hope so, it’s so obvious that they like each other; they just don’t know how to say it.”

“True; my money’s on Avril.”



The red feline snuck into one of the office buildings, hoping to find more information on his foe. The empty walls of the office echoed from his light footsteps. He suddenly saw one of the file cabinets listed under “Foster Care”, a cold grin broke across his face. In one swift movement, he smashed the drawers opened, causing numerous files to scatter across the floor. He scanned the names carefully, hoping to find the one he was looking for. His eyes finally focused on one folder, “Avril Jones”. He handled the object delicately, being careful not to spill any of its contents. Slowly he glanced at every page, his lips curling with glee of what information laid in his paws. A sudden sound made him fully alert; acting quickly he hid in one of the cubicles, hoping that he wouldn’t be discovered. A small beam of light reflected off the walls of the office, causing Firefrorefiddle to duck in even more. He quickly took note that the security guard was in his late forties, and not in the best of shape due to the shape of his oversized beer belly. The Hidden Paw knew this was his chance to sneak out without being discovered, or so he thought when the flashlight was suddenly on him. The guard thought he would have a heart attack when he saw the creature snarl at him, his claws outstretched to attack. He quickly took out his gun and aimed it at the creature as he stuttered, “P-p-put your hands up where I can see them! Do it now!”

The feline rolled his eyes in annoyance as he spoke, “Why bother? You’ll just die anyway.”

In an instant, he was already at the guard’s side, his claws engulfing his double-chin throat.



The petrified human didn’t know what to do next, he was never trained to take on human-cat-like creatures. He tried to glance over his shoulder as he asked in a quite voice, “What are you planning to do with those files?”

He heard the creature purr coldly, “None of your business, say good night.”

At that moment, his claws tore at his throat, spraying blood on the walls. He dropped the lifeless carcass to the ground and quickly left the building. What he didn’t realize was that Admetus and Plato were both watching him from afar, not believing what they had witnessed. Plato turned to his comrade as he spoke, “So the kid was right about him; kind of scary that he’s almost a Macavity look alike.”

Admetus sighed as he ran his claws through his fur, “Who would’ve that that Macavity, of all creatures, could have a son?”

“But what that kid told us, that he was looking for more information on Avril, doesn’t that get you wondering?”

He stared at his comrade in silence, trying to figure out an answer to his question. Until he felt Corpicat and Tantomile’s presence behind them; he turned around to see the twin cats standing against the moonlight, “Did you sense the same thing?”

The twin cats spoke in unison as they stepped towards the two toms, “Yes, we thought it would be best to tag along in case you two got in trouble.”

“By the way, the kid didn’t tell us the new Hidden Paw’s name; do you happen to know it by any chance?”

The creatures stood stock still as they began to draw the aura around them, sensing the energy in the air.



Their eyes popped wide open as the spoke, “His name is Firefrorefiddle, The Fiend of the Fell.”

Plato felt his jaw drop in surprise as he turned back to his comrade, “Isn’t that the name of the character Gus use to play?”

Admetus rubbed his muzzle in contemplation, “It is; but why would Macavity name his son after a fairytale-“

He stopped in mid-sentence, his mind clicking on a disturbing thought, “Unless, he wasn’t an imaginary character.”

Plato stared back at him confused, “Are you saying that he could’ve been real?”

“You’ve read my mind. And the only one who would know the history of Firefrorefiddle would be Gus himself.”

Corpicat decided to intervene into the conversation, “As true as that might be, he is friends with Old Deuteronomy.”

Tantomile was next to speak, “Meaning that he too, would know the history behind this fiendish foe.”

The two toms glanced at each other, knowing what they had to do. Admetus stretched out his limbs as he spoke, “We better tell Old Deuteronomy ASAP, before something happens that we can’t prevent.”



The black and white feline guided the teen through the Junkyard, their bellies full from the dinner Exotica, Electra and Ecectra prepared for them at the old tire; that was something she didn’t expect, seeing the three queens cook for the first time, and they had done quite well. Now the duo walked with each other under the night sky, the Jellicle moon shining brightly above them. The young tom glanced at the teen as he spoke, “You’ve been awful quiet since dinner, is something on your mind?”

Avril sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair, “I don’t know; I guess I’m still trying to get use of everyone being so nice to me.”

“Really? I thought you would be use to it by now.”

The young teen stopped in the middle of the path as she took off her heels with a groan, “These things are killing me! I would’ve been more comfortable in my sneakers or flip flops!”

He couldn’t help but laugh as she tore the shoes off her feet, “I thought girls like yourself are use to high heels.”

She rolled her eyes as they continued walking, the sounds of the night filling their ears. The feline breathed in deep as he asked, “So, where did you learn to sing like that?”

A small smile crept to her lips, “I kind of picked it up along the way I guess; no one every taught me.”

“Why is that?”

He felt her stiffen at first, becoming hesitant. She took in a deep breath, steeling herself as she spoke, “Maybe we should take a break from walking for a minute.”

“All right, there’s a spare crate over there we can use.”



Alonzo scooted over so the teen could have room to sit. She tucked a strain of hair behind her ear as she sat besides the feline, almost completely touching his side. She then gazed into the moon as she began to speak, “Remember when I said since I was ten I’ve jumped from one foster home to the next? It’s because I was always so distant, I didn’t want anyone to become my friend or anything because I was afraid I lose them like that. I would just harden myself whenever I went into street fights or when I was training, while pushing everyone away. Plus the night before I came here, I was caught in a middle of a drug bust; I wasn’t dealing or anything, I was there at the wrong time. It didn’t take me long to realize that one of the dealers was someone I use to know from one of the foster homes I grew up in. Apparently he decided to go into ‘the business’ when he was kicked out of his latest home, I guess he held a grudge against me and decided to try to kill me; and that pretty much sums it up, I haven’t had a single friend or anyone that cared what happened to me.”

Avril became silent after that, her eyes gazed at the stars as her fingers twisted the fabrics of her dress tightly. Alonzo suddenly noticed that her expression had softened from mellow to sad, the painful memories stirring in her head. The feline cupped her chin as he spoke softly, “That was the past, this is now. You have friends here who care what happen to you, that want to help you. There are going to be times that you have to let your feelings out, and not be afraid to express them. Plus whenever you need a shoulder to cry on, I’ll be right there, I promise.”



Avril gave a small smile as he released his grip on her chin, the fabric loosening in her grip. He cleared his throat as he spoke once more, “I guess we should be heading back now, shouldn’t we?”

“I guess so.”

As she got up though, she accidentally twisted her ankle the wrong way and collapsed into Alonzo’s arms. He glanced down at her as she sucked in a breath in pain, “I guess those heels actually did a number on my ankle.”

“Funny, you don’t complain about a bullet to your side but you complain about a possible sprang ankle.”

She gave a small laugh as she remarked, “Got a point there.”

“Well, at least I succeeded in something.”

“What?”

“I got you to laugh.”

She smiled softly as she responded, “True; maybe you can give me a hand here?”

“I’ll do more then that.”

In one swoop, he scooped her into his arms in a bride-like manner, causing her to blush. “Is that better?”

She smiled as she buried her head into his breast fur, “Yeah, it is.”

He smiled softly as he began to walk back to Skimbleshanks den, while the teen enjoyed being carried by her hero.



Little did they realize that a certain golden mane coon was watching them from above one of the crates, smiling to himself as Bombalurina purred into his ear, “Got a soft spot for the kid?”

Rum Tum Tugger nuzzled the queen lightly as he spoke, “You could say that, she’s like a little sister in a way.”

“Even if she is rough around the edges?”

He gave a quite laugh, trying to come up with an answer, “Yeah, she just needs a good feline to help her out, like Alonzo down there.”

The red queen playfully nipped at his ear with a purr, “Sounds like you’ve grown up a bit Tugger.”

“Nah, there’s still a young inner tom that hasn’t changed a bit.”

In a playful like manner, he scooped her up into his arms with a smile, “Now why don’t we go have some fun of our own?”

A glint of interest gleamed in her eyes as she laughed, “Carry me away my prince!”

“Yes mi lady! It shall be my honor!”

He kissed the red queen fully on her lips, savoring the taste as they headed back to his den.



Alonzo and Avril on the other hand had finally made it back to Skimbelshanks place, unaware that the small group was still watching from the windows, hoping to catch a piece of the action. The black and white tom carefully placed the teen down as he asked, “You think you can walk?”

She smiled as she tested the ankle on the ground, “Seems fine to me, I guess it wasn’t a sprang after all.”

He laughed quietly as he rubbed the back of his head, “That’s good to hear; did you have a good time?”

“Yeah, the best I’ve had in a long time.”

His cheeks redden at the comment, knowing that he had succeeded in his goal to make her happy. The teen moved slowly towards the door as she spoke, “I guess I should head back inside now, before they start to worry.”

“Before you do, there’s something I want to give you.”

“What’s that?”

Without speaking a single word, he leaned into her face and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek.

Avril was taken back by surprise as he straightened up and said softly, “Good night.”

Once he was gone, she raised her hand to her cheek, still feeling the warmth of his kiss; no one, not even a single boy at the many foster homes she lived in, never kissed her quite like that. As she headed inside, Jemima was the first to squeal in delight as she wrapped her arms around her, “He kissed you! I knew it!”

The teen pried the excitable queen off her as she asked, “You were watching?”

Her ears flatten against her head, her eyes darting towards the railway cat, “It was papa’s idea!”

He felt his jaw drop in shock, that his own daughter was playing the blame game, “Well, I never!”

Avril just laughed as she responded, “It’s no big deal guys, this kind of thing happens all the time on dates.”

Rumpteazer giggled in delight as she went to her side, “So, how was it anyway? Did he swoon you with some nice music or what?”

Cassandra came to the teen’s aid as she spoke, “Let the girl be, she just had a good time so give her some breathing space.”

The teen gave her a small smile as she responded, “Thanks.”

“Not a problem.”

Avrl stretched out her limbs with a yawn, “Well, I’m hitting the sack for tonight; see you guys later.”

She went into the guest bedroom and shut the door quietly, sighing with relief that she could have some time to herself. She then flopped onto the bed with a smile, her hand caressing her cheek. That small moment in time replayed in her mind over and over again, causing her to blush; staring at the ceiling she thought to herself, “Alonzo’s not so bad after all; come to think of it, he’s been nice to me since I first came here. Maybe he’s ‘the one’.”



Gus sat besides his son with a grim expression on his face, while Old Deuteronomy sat on the other side of him. He had barely gotten the news from Admetus and Plato about Firefrorefiddle and what his plans were; the elderly feline somehow knew, sooner or later, that he would have to reveal the secret behind this foe. He gazed at the young toms with a sigh, “So you wish to learn more about The Fiend of the Fell?”

Plato leaned forward in his seat, “If you don’t mind; it’s extremely important that we know more about who we’re dealing with.”

He ran his shaky paw over his worn face as he spoke, “All right; Asparagus, please bring me my book.”

“Yes father.”

His son placed the oversized book gently in his paws, as the dust coated some of his fur. The theater cat opened the book onto a page that had a gruesome illustration of the villain he once played, sending shivers down his spine. Reluctantly, he began to tell the story, “Firefrorefiddle was indeed a real villain; he plundered villages, murdered innocent bystanders, and of course looted some treasure. During his journey though, he fell in love with a Jellicle queen named Sophia, who was as changing as the sea. Both of them fell deeply in love and eloped together so they could begin their own journey. During one of their raids, the queen became pregnant and gave birth to a son, called Macavity.”

Silence hung in the den for a moment or two, allowing them to let the words sink in. Gus decided to continue, “Macavity grew up in his father’s footsteps until he was a young tom, when his father was killed by a Pollicle in a street fight. His mother was in so much grief that she threw herself to the sea, never to return. He was finally on his own, building his reputation as The Hidden Paw; until he too, fell in love with a young queen called Black Rose, a feisty female with a taste for combat. Once they were wed, she gave birth to a son and he was known as Firefrorefiddle. Unfortunately, she did not survive to hold her son in her arms. As soon as Macavity’s son was a young tom himself, he left to pursue his own destiny, which now brings us up to date of the present.”



Old Deuteronomy placed his paw on his comrade’s shoulder, “Why didn’t you tell us this before?”

“I thought that what I heard were just rumors, until now. I regret not even telling you about this.”

The leader smiled gently as he spoke, “Fear not, all is forgiven.”

Asparagus Jr. decided to lend his voice, “But why come out of hiding now? And why Avril?”

Admetus rubbed his muzzle in contemplation, until a thought struck him, “Maybe it’s because he want to use her as bait to seek out his revenge.”

Plato gazed at him confused, “What are you talking about? Who would he want to seek his re-“

The pieces of the puzzle were finally complete, causing the feline to shudder, “No way, you’re not saying that he’s-“

Admetus nodded silently in reply, giving Asparagus Jr. a chance to connect the pieces together, “Sakura was the one that defeated Macavity, before Lucifer decided to kill him.”

The young tom responded in a low tone, “Exactly. We have to let Munku know about the situation, so that way we can be prepared for any surprise attacks.”

“And what about Sakura? Doesn’t she have the right to know about this situation?”

The leader stood up from his seat as he spoke, “She has a right to know what is to come; as for Avril, it’s probably best that Alonzo or Tugger tell her what is going on.”

The den became quite once more, all the while allowing the haunting story to float in their heads.



The next morning, the teen could sense something was up; most of the older Jellicles were on high alert, but of what? Walking through the Junkyard, she suddenly saw Sakura playing a small game of peek-a-boo with her infant brother, causing her to smile. She knelt by the young feline and asked, “Having fun?”

Sakura smiled as she responded, “You could say that, it’s the only thing he knows how to play.”

The young Frodo mewed in delight as his sister cradled him in her arms. Avril tickled under the infant’s chin as she spoke, “He’s actually kind of cute, for a kitten.”

“Yeah, I think he takes a lot of his attitude from dad. In fact-“

“Avril!”

Both females turned quickly to see Alonzo running towards them. He was almost out of breath as he bended over to catch his breath. The teen grasped his shoulder as she asked, “What is it?’

“Just *pant pant* give me a *pant* second *pant pant* to catch my *pant* breath.”

She turned to Sakura as she asked, “You wouldn’t mind giving us some space, would you?”

“All right, I have to find Pippin anyway.”

As she left the two alone, Avril helped the tom to his feet as she asked, “Now what’s so important that you had to run to tell me?”

He took in a deep breath as he grasped her hands tightly, “I really don’t know how to say this, I just got the word this morning from Munku-“

“Wait a second, it’s something bad isn’t it?”

He nodded in silence as he tried to continue, “There’s a new enemy called Firefrorefiddle, the son of Macavity. We believe that he might use you as bait to get to Sakura.”

“What does that have to do with-“



She thought she felt her heart stop at that moment, remembering the story the young feline told her awhile back, “Oh no, he wants to kill her?”

“Yes, and he might use you in order to do it?”

“How?”

“I’m not sure how, but he can be quite deceiving.”

She clenched her teeth in anger, not believing what she was hearing. He cupped her face as he spoke, “We’ll find a way to stop him, I promise.”

Before she could respond though, a high pitch scream echoed across the Junkyard, thus the duo ran to the source to find Sakura trembling in fear what stood before her. An enormous black feline toward over her and her infant brother with his claws outstretched. Avril quickly took action as she slipped on her metal knuckles and ran towards the creature at full force. Her fist had made contact with his jaw thus causing him to tumble over in pain; she turned to the small felines as she ordered, “You go with Alonzo, I’ll take it from here!”

“But what about you?!”

“Never mind that, just do as I say!”

Sakura didn’t make any further arguments as she went towards the black and white tom, while the infant mewed in confusion. The creature took his fighting stance once more as he leaped towards her throat; but that didn’t phase her one bit. She quickly dodged to the side and side-kicked the foe on the spine, causing the creature to howl in pain. She then used multiple punches on his weak points, leaving small gashes and bruises all over his body. The creature tried to grab at her leg, but was too weak to do it. In one final act, she tightly grabbed his head and gave it a loud crack; thus the lifeless creature fell to the ground.



As she caught her breath, she noticed that Alonzo and Sakura were still right where they were, standing in shock of what they had witnessed. Before she could speak, a group of black felines leapt over the barricade of crates and trash as they stampeded towards the small group. The teen ran towards her comrades as she shouted, “Run for it!”

Without hesitation, they began to head deeper in the Junkyard as the black swarm was on their heels. Sakura suddenly tripped but was careful not to let Frodo get injured as she fell to the ground. One of the felines began to leap towards them, causing the young female to freeze in fright. But Avril quickly apprehended the foe and tackled him to the ground, giving the young feline the chance to escape. Another two felines surrounded her with their teeth bared and claws revealed. She gave a small smirk as she got in a fighting stance, “It’s been awhile since I had a challenge. If you want some, come get some!”

Before one of them could make a strike, a golden streak tackled one of the creatures to the ground with a snarl. She glanced down to see Rum Tum Tugger clawing at the foe until the creature could move no more. He stood at his full height, his fur standing on end, “Get yourself out of here kid! I’ll take it from here!”

“Fat chance! You’re outnumbered! It’ll take more then a few felines to scare me!”

Alonzo appeared suddenly as he broke the neck of one the felines, thus evening the odds, “And you won’t be doing this alone!”



The trio quickly ran toward the Junkyard to help out in the battle, praying that they weren’t too late. Many of the black creatures were trying to aim for the kittens, but the older Jellicles didn’t let them lay a single paw on them. Right and left each feline was giving it their all, tooth to claw. Munkustrap appeared besides his brother as he shouted, “Make sure they don’t capture Sakura or Avril, that’s Firefrorefiddle’s main goal!”

“You got it bro!”

As they went their separate ways, Avril became determine to protect the ones who cared for her; with each foe she approached she would knock them down without giving them a fighting chance. She even observed the black and white tom giving it his all with his own fighting skills. Before she could go to his aid, a loud growl could be heard behind her. The teen glance over her shoulder to see the enormous red feline towering over her like a giant, his yellowish eyes staring coldly at her. Avril got into her fighting stance as she asked him, “So you’re the one everyone’s been talking about.”

He gave a chilling laugh that even caused her to tremble, “You’re correct Miss Avril.”

“How do you know my name?”

He cupped her face tightly as he spoke, “I have my sources; I know that you were transferred to many foster homes because no one cared for you, I also know that your parents were killed at a store because they were law enforcers. Your father taught you how to fight in the first place thus dubbing yourself ‘The Sniper.’”

Her eyes widen in shock as he told her story, getting every detail correct, “Scary thought isn’t it? I know so much about you, thus I knew that I had to take you out of the picture-“

“To get to Sakura.”



He grinned once more as he continued, “Correct again. So I can’t let you interfere with my plans.”

Her muscles tensed up as she stood her ground, “You’ll have to go through me before you can get to Sakura.”

Without warning he punched her hard in the stomach, causing her to drop to her knees in pain, gasping for breath. This was the first time an opponent stronger then herself brought her to her knees. He then grabbed her hair and pulled her up so he could see the fear in her eyes. The Hidden Paw smiled coldly as one of his claws delicately caressed her throat, purring into her ear, “Looks like you’ll be dying alone.”

And for the first time in years, since the death of her parents, she was actually afraid; the fear coursed through her veins as he allowed the claw to inch closer to her flesh. Avril wanted to cry out for help, but she was too afraid to even scream. All of a sudden, the red feline cried out in pain and dropped the teen to the ground. As she glanced behind the creature, she felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Alonzo baring his fangs at him, “You keep your filthy paws off her!”

He turned on his heal to face the feline with a roar, “You impudent vermin! You’ll pay for that!”

He swooped in for the kill, but the young tom dodged his every attack while the teen watched helplessly from behind. But she could tell that Alonzo was losing energy fast, his moves were becoming more predictable to the creature as he inched closer to him.



Suddenly, one of Firefrorefiddle’s claws made its mark across the tom’s chest, causing him to gasp in pain. He then backhanded the feline, allowing him to collapse to the ground. She felt as if her heart was torn out at that moment, watching the one she cared for most fall victim to the Hidden Paw. She let out a scream as he ran towards his lifeless body, praying that he wasn’t dead. She leaned into chest, hoping to hear some sign of life; the teen breathed in relief that she could still hear him breathing, but it was quite shallow do to the wounds. The red feline was already gone, on to pursue the young feline he was targeting. Her anger had reached its limit, her hand forming into a fist at the cold metal in her grasp. Mistoffelees and Mungojerrie suddenly appeared with shocked looks on their faces; Avril quickly told them before either one of them could mutter a word, “Get Alonzo to the infirmary fast, tend to his wounds as quickly as possible. Do it now!”

The two young toms quickly lifted the unconscious feline off the ground and ran the opposite direction. Avril then ran towards the red feline at full force, her anger taking complete control as she collided into him. Firefrorefiddle tumbled to the ground, not knowing what had happened. He glanced up to see the teen’s fists shaking in rage. Without warning she began to pummel him left and right, allowing her anger to talk through her fists as he made it close to the edge of the Junkyard. In one swift motion, she felt her fists make contact with his jaw, causing him to tumble to the side. Acting quickly, he gave a loud whistle as he told his minions, “Retreat!”

The foes quickly ran out of the Junkyard, allowing the Jellicles to celebrate their victory.



Avril turned towards the tribe as she screamed out, “STOP IT!”

All of them fell silent, their eyes focusing on the angered teen as she continued to speak, “This is no time to celebrate! They’ll be back but in greater numbers; we have to plan for our next attack! On top of that, one of your own was wounded today! The war has only just begun!”

The teen felt so much emotion running through her veins, she began to run the opposite direction to a place where she could take out her anger, her hate, her sadness. Once she was on the other side of the Junkyard, she began to pummel some of the empty can as she screamed out in rage, angry at herself that she could’ve stopped the Hidden Paw from hurting the one she loved. A pair of footsteps made her turn around, only to see Rum Tum Tugger walking towards her with a concern look on his face, “You okay kid?”

Breathing rapidly she retorted, “I’M NOT OKAY! ALONZO’S HURT BECAUSE OF ME! HE COULD BE DYING BECAUSE I WAS TOO SCARED TO TAKE ON AN ENORMOUS FLEABAG!!”

He took a few more steps towards her as he spoke, “This is not your fault, he just wanted to protect you.”

“AND LOOK WHERE IT GOT HIM! THIS IS WHY I DIDN’T HAVE ANY FRIENDS!”

“Avril-“

“LEAVE ME ALONE!”

He was already standing a few inches away from her, not willing to leave her alone. She then began to pound into his chest as he repeated the same thing over again. The golden-mane coon suddenly drew her into his embrace, allowing her anger to cease. He suddenly heard a sob escape her lips as she spoke tearfully, “This is all my fault! It’s all my-“

“Hush now, it’s gonna be okay kid. I’m right here.”

He held the sobbing teen in his embrace, as he spoke words of comfort to her under the setting sun.



Victoria had just finished bandaging up the wounded feline when Pouncival entered into the room with some warm drinks. He gave one to the young queen and to Tumblebrutus who was helping Jennyanydots clean the instruments; the small group was silent as they gazed at the injured tom, his chest falling slowly with each breath he took. Victoria glanced at Pouncival as she asked softly, “Do you think he’ll be all right?”

“He’s a strong tom, he has to pull through.”

Tumblebrutus was next to lend his voice, “So true, even for the person he loves.”

The young tom stared at him confused, “You mean Avril? But she’s-“

“Right behind you.”

He glanced over his shoulder to see Rum Tum Tugger with his arm wrapped around the teen’s shoulders, his eyes gazing at the young Jellicles. He cleared his throat as he directed his voice towards the Gumbie Cat, “Jenny, would be okay if the kid and I hanged out here tonight?”

“Well, I suppose so. I’ll let Skimble know plus I’ll find some spare blankets and pillows.”

Once she left the room, Avril turned her gaze towards the trio surrounding the bed, her eyes still glazed with tears. Victoria was the first to grasp her hands as she spoke, “I’m terribly sorry of what happened, but I’m sure Alonzo will pull through.”

The teen gave a silent nod as Pouncival was next in line, “I also want to apologize, for the way the rest of the Jellicles and I have acted towards you.”

Tumblebrutus was the last to speak, “We know now how much you care for him, and how much he cares for you.”



The teen once more nodded in silence as she lowered her gaze to the ground. The golden-mane coon quickly broke the silence, “Why don’t you guys run on home? We’ll take care of things from here.”

The trio nodded in agreement as they left the duo alone. Avril slowly sat next to the bed, her hand gently caressing his head fur. She sucked in a shaky breath as she began to speak, “I should be the one in the bed, not him. He didn’t deserve this.”

He placed a comforting paw on her shoulder as he spoke, “You shouldn’t think like that, Alonzo wouldn’t want you to.”

She narrowed her eyes as she snapped, “That’s what everyone keeps telling me and it’s never true! The guy that shot me a few months back wished I was dead, and we were friends once! And this is what happens to someone who even dares to get close to me!”

“Kid, listen-“

“As far as I know, at any moment, Alonzo could-“

The words were caught in her throat, unable to speak them. Her eyes filled up with tears again as she tried to wipe them away, but she was unsuccessful as her true emotion was revealed. Once more Rum Tum Tugger held the teen in his embrace, her face buried into his mane as her body shook with sadness. He gently rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head, until he could finally form the words he was looking for, “Listen to me, and listen well. Alonzo did what he did because he loves you, and I know you would’ve done the same because you love him. Heck, I would’ve done the same thing, you’re like a little sister to me; you need to have faith in him and in yourself that he’ll pull through.”

She lifted her face from his mane, her cheeks still wet with tears, “You think of me like a sister?”



He laughed quietly as he wiped away some of her tears, “Yeah. Heck, everyone cares for you in their own way; truth be told, you’re loved by everyone here.”

“*sniff* For real?”

“Fore real kiddo.”

Before she could respond, the Gumbie Cat entered into the room carrying some spare blankets and pillows with a small smile, “Here you loves, I hope you’ll be comfortable enough out here. If you need anything, just give Skimble or me a shout.”

Once she left the room, the tom placed a pillow on the couch as Avril set herself up next to him. Rum Tum Tugger glanced at the teen and asked, “You feel a bit better?”

“I guess so, thanks for trying to cheer me up.”

He smiled softly as she snuggled next to the mane coon, her head resting against his chest. She glanced up into his eyes as she softly asked, “Could you do me a favor?”

“Anything kid.”

“If Alonzo does wake up, will you let me know?”

He gave her another smile as he kissed the top of her head, “Jellicle’s honor.”

Avril gave her “big brother” a small smile as she buried her head deeper into his mane, his heartbeat lulling her to sleep; in the back of her mind, she was praying for a miracle.



Firefrorefiddle roared in anger, his claws leaving marks on his throne. He was completely upset that he was unable to get his revenge, and that he was defeated by a teenager! Of all the ones he fought that day, it was a human that defeated him! He rubbed his jaw tenderly, seeing the mark she had left. He had admired her fighting spirit though, the way she fought off his minions as if they were nothing. What he enjoyed most though was when he felt her fear for the first time; just the smell of it made his lips curl into a cruel smile. He suddenly heard a pair of footsteps behind him, causing the Hidden Paw to turn around with a snarl, “WHAT IS IT NOW?!”

The black feline stopped abruptly before he could regain his courage to speak, “Sir, are troops are ready for another assault on the Jellicles. When do you wish to proceed with the attack?”

He began to contemplate what stood before him, his mind still wondering off to the young teen, “How many are in the troop?”

“Almost one hundred sir, enough to outnumber the tribe greatly.”

He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he began to plan out his plot. After a moment of eerie silence, he turned his attention back on the messenger, “Cut the troops down in half.”

“Sir?”

“You heard me, cut them down to half, enough to surround the tribe. The human and the young female though are mine. Are we clear?”

“Of course. When do plan to launch the attack?”

He gazed at the sky for a moment or two, then the expression in his eyes changed as he spoke, “We’ll attack at mid-morning, when they’re still in their beds.”



The first rays of light blinded the golden-mane coon, waking him from his slumber. He suddenly felt a funny sensation on his chest; he quickly glanced down to see the young teen still snuggled next to him. He gave a warm smile as he spread the blanket further onto her shoulder to keep her warm. He then glanced at the bed to see how the young tom was doing, but was shocked when he saw that he wasn’t there. The older tom glanced around the room to see where he went, only to discover that he was standing right besides him and the young teen. Rum Tum Tugger gave him a wide grin as he embraced the young tom, “You’re okay! I thought you were a goner!”

“Um, yeah *cough*; could you let go of me? My chest still hurts.”

“Whoa! Sorry about that.”

As he released Alonzo from his grip, he heard Avril moan in her sleep, curling under the covers more. The black and white tom glanced at his comrade and asked, “Has she been here all night?”

“Yeah, she was worried about you; she even blamed your accident on herself.”

“What?! I didn’t want her to think that way!”

“Don’t worry, I gave her a ‘big brother’ pep talk.”

“’Big Brother’ pep talk?”

“I’ll explain about that later. Just let me get her up, I kind of promised I would let her know if you were okay.”

“Fine with me.”



The older tom gently shook her shoulder as he spoke, “Hey kiddo, you might want to see this.”

She groaned in response as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, trying to focus her vision onto his face, “What is it?”

“See for yourself.”

Glancing pass his shoulder, her eyes widen when she saw the black and white tom standing behind him with a smile. She got up from the couch as she made her way towards him, touching his face to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. The teen covered her mouth in shock as a sob escaped her lips, but it was out of joy instead of sadness. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his breast fur, allowing herself to let the tears flow freely down her cheeks. Alonzo held her in his embrace as he began to speak softly, “I’m right here, everything is going to be all right.”

She glanced up at his face, smiling through her tears, “I thought I’d actually lost you there when that thing attacked you. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

He kissed her cheek tenderly as he wiped away her tears, smiling at her. Rum Tum Tugger gave a small smile at the couple, feeling glad that he was able to lend a hand. Ecetra suddenly came bursting through the door, her eyes wide with fear, “We’ve got trouble! Firefrorefiddle’s back! Worse then that, he has all the Jellicles surrounded by his troops!”

Avril grasped the young queen’s shoulder as she asked, “Even the kittens?”

“Even them, he’s especially has his eyes set on Sakura!”

Without hesitation she grabbed her metal knuckles and shoved them into her pants pocket, but not before Alonzo grasped her arm, “Are you crazy?! He’ll kill you if he gets the chance!”

“And you think you can take him on in your condition?! This is my fight, and I have to settle the score once and for all.”



His lips were set in a thin line as he glanced at the older tom for support, but he spoke differently, “Kid’s got a point; this is where she has to prove herself that she won’t back down.”

“Tugger!”

Avril stepped towards the black and white tom as she caressed his face, “I have to do this, it’s the only way he’ll leave Sakura alone.”

“But you might get hurt, or worse.”

“Then you, Tugger and Ecetra just stand by the sidelines in case I need backup.”

“But-“

Without saying another word, the young teen planted her lips on his to silence him, catching the tom off guard and leaving the other two in shock. She wished in the back of her mind that the moment could last forever, but she knew it was futile. Slowly she removed her lips and gazed into his eyes, speaking ever so softly, “I love you, never forget that.”

Leaving it at that, she ran out of the infirmary towards the battle ground where the Jellicles were surrounded. The kittens were huddled behind the adults as the black forms kept their fangs and claws out, while Firefrorefiddle circled the group carefully. His eyes never left the young Sakura as she hid behind her father. He set his eyes onto the group as he spoke, “You all know why I’m here; to seek revenge on the one who killed my father, a young feline known as Sakura. Now this can work two ways, hand the young one over to me, or let my minions kill off every last one of you.”

Munkustrap hissed coldly at the Hidden Paw, “You keep away from my daughter! What happened to your father was his own doing!”

The red feline snarled back, “You stay silent!”



He suddenly saw a small trio of cats running out of the infirmary, one of them he knew he injured, but something didn’t set right with him, “Where’s the human?!”

“Turn around and you’ll find out.”

At that moment, he saw the teen standing right behind him with a look of revenge in her eyes. He gave a hearty laugh as he asked, “Do you plan to fight me human?”

“You bet, but let’s raise the steaks a bit shall we?”

His eyes glinted with interest, “I’m listening.”

“If I win, you and your minions leave the Junkyard area for good, never to return.”

“And if I become the victor?”

“Then you get me and I’ll tell you the real story about your father.”

The red feline gave a cold grin as he responded, “Sounds fair to me. Choose your weapon.”

“I’ve got two weapons, but one of them is hidden. As for the other, I’ll use this staff to give me some help.”

He nodded in agreement as he signaled the troops to give them some room. Once the field was clear, the two warriors circled each other, trying to anticipate each other’s strategy. The red feline was the first to strike as he lunged at her head on, but Avril blocked the attack easily with the staff thus knocking him to the side. She gave a cold laugh and asked, “Is that the best you can do? Your dad could do better then you!”

He snarled in response as he slide past her and punched her back hard from behind; she gasped in pain for a moment but still stood her ground, “Please, that doesn’t faze me at all, give me a challenge here!”



With a cold smile, Firefrorefiddle moved as fast as lightning and had her in a headlock; that was something she didn’t foresee. As she struggled in his grasp, she began to reveal to him about his father’s death, “You know *gasp*, your dad had an employer named Lucifer. *gasp* They joined forces with *gasp* each other in order to capture Sakura.”

“What are you getting at human?”

His grip loosened enough for her to escape, her staff crunching his foot. She stood in front of the foe as she continued, “Macavity was suppose to capture the necklace that Sakura wore, but failed several times by its magic. You know what happens next?”

He took a swipe at her face, but he was mainly focused on her words thus causing him to miss, “Tel me!”

She gasped for breath as she got into a fighting stance, “Lucifer decided to dispose him to the dogs; and he crawled all the way to the Junkyard to find help. And Sakura was the one that stayed with him until he died, and in turn she killed Lucifer to avenge his death. That’s how it happened!”

His eyes narrowed in anger, his paws clenched into a fist as he punched her jaw, sending her flying to the ground, “YOU LIE! THAT STORY IS COMPLETELY FALSE!”

Avril wiped the blood from her lip as she struggled to stand, “What I’m telling you is true! And if you don’t like, then go suck an egg you freak!”

His anger had finally snapped as he lunged for her throat, his face contorted in anger like a stone gargoyle.



His body was on top of hers until her felt a sharp pain go into his chest and into his heart. He glanced down at his chest to see droplets of blood staining her arms; she glanced with a look of pity as she spoke, “I’m sorry it had to come to this, but you were just too pig-headed to listen.”

She forced the blade-like object deeper into his chest, until he gave a final howl and his body went limp. The teen threw the body off her and glared at the black felines, “Anyone else care to join him?”

They glanced at each other nervously, not knowing what to do. In a matter of seconds, they scattered like sheep and left the tribe alone in a circle. Avril felt like her energy was completely drained as she leaned on the staff for support, but is slipped from beneath her as she began to fall. But she felt a pair of arms catch her before she made contact with the ground; glancing up she saw Alonzo’s smiling face staring right back at her. He cupped her face as he spoke, “I knew you were an incredible fighter.”

She laughed softly as she sat up in his arms, “Glad to know that you think that.”

Rum Tum Tugger laid his paw on her head as he spoke, “You made us all proud kid.”

“Thanks.”

“By the way, what do we do with the body?”

The tribe murmured quietly at the thought, until Old Deuteronomy silenced them, “He shall be buried away from the Junkyard, where he can no longer haunt neither man nor Jellicle.”

The Great Rumpus Cat slung the carcass over his shoulder as he announced, “Allow me to take care of the matter! Rumpus Cat, away!”

He was off like a flash, leaving the tribe alone to breath in relief.



Alonzo helped the teen to her feet, her arms grasping his shoulders for support. He then gazed into her eyes as he asked, “Did you really meant what you said back in the infirmary? That you loved me?”

She was silent for a moment, causing the Jellicles to hold their breath for an answer. She smiled as she responded, “I did, every word.”

He felt his heart skip a beat at those very words, his heart singing with joy. He cupped her face in both of his paws as he kissed her fully on the lips, savoring the moment. Avril succumbed to his embrace, allowing the world around them to disappear for only a few mere moments. As their lips parted, they couldn’t help but smile as Grizabella cried out, “Three cheers for Avril! A great warrior, and an even greater friend!”

The tribe cried out in joy as they surrounded the couple, burying them in hugs and kisses. They began to dance and sing as the sun rose higher in the sky, making the day seem just a little bit brighter as Grizabella san these words, “Moonlight. Turn your face to the moonlight. Let your memory lead you, open up, enter in. If you find there, the meaning of what happiness is, then a new life will begin.”



The End

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