(author's note) I do not own CATS. It is owned by TS Elliot, Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Really Useful Groups. Having gotten that out of the way, enjoy the story! =^.".^=
Layf was leaning against an old bicycle tire. His arms crossed. His green eyes fixed on a large band of cats who had not noticed him. He was a tom about two years of age. He had sleek, brown fur that promoted his large, rippling muscles. Around his neck was a black, spiked collar.
He had only lived in the junkyard for a day, but he acted as though he owned it. He actually thought that he did. Him and the other for toms in his gang. They were often thought to be brothers as they all looked perfectly similar. When in fact the only relation between them was that they shared the same human pet.
Really, it was the human who owned the junkyard. He had recently bought it from it's previous owner. Having nowhere else to keep his feline companions, he decided to let them live there. The cats themselves believed that in fact they owned the junkyard. They called themselves the guard cats, knowing that it would be their job to guard the junkyard from intrusion.
When their human had dropped them off they wasted no time in familiarizing themselves with their new home. Each went off in a different direction. The main intent was to learn whether or not any others had taken the liberty of inhabiting any part of it.
The guard cat known as Layf, they all had short names, while searching his area had found a large band of felines of all ages and breeds who seemed to have been living there for quite some time. After signaling to the others, he stood patiently awaiting their arriving. It wasn't long before he heard a voice.
"You signaled us, Layf," it said. "Have you found something?"
Layf turned to see that the rest of the gang had arrived. As I have said before, the all looked alike. Sleek brown fur, muscular builds, green eyes, and spiked collars. The one who addressed him was the leader of the group. His name was Vor. Layf immediately straightened up to answer his leader.
"Yes Vor, a band of cats who have inhabited this part of the junkyard."
Vor and the others studied the group of felines.
"What can you tell us about them?" asked the leader.
Layf eagerly replied.
"They call themselves, the jellicle tribe."
"Are there any magicals?"
Layf shook his head.
"Not that I have seen. Their leader is an elderly tom by the name of Old Deuteronomy."
Vor looked at Layf as though he had not heard correctly.
"Old Deuteronomy? THE Old Deuteronomy?"
Layf shrugged.
"I assume so."
Vor bit his lip.
"This will be interesting," he said. "Not only does this jellicle tribe outnumber us, but they are head by the most well known and well loved cat in the town."
"They will most likely not want to leave," said another guard cat whose name was Golb.
"They do not seem hostile," said Layf. "It might be in our best interest to let them stay."
Vor thought for a moment.
"Let's meet this tribe," he said at last. "Meet their leader. And let me do the talking."
The guard cats nodded. They were used to Vor being the spokestom of the gang. Without another word, Vor entered the clearing where the jellicle tribe lived. The other brown toms followed.
The felines of the jellicle tribe were enjoying a rather normal day. The usual activities were taking place. The kittens played with and wrestled each other. On the bumper of the car, Jennyanydots and Jellyorum were knitting and gossiping. While on the tire Munkustrap, Alonzo and Skimbleshanks sat with Old Deuteronomy discussing the more official matters of the tribe. And so, it was a day like any other. Until a group of toms entered the clearing. The tribe went silent. Everyone stared at the strangers, noting how tall and strong they looked. The toms themselves did not seem to notice the looks that they were receiving. They walked straight to the center of the clearing and stopped. The tom who appeared to be in the lead stepped forward.
"We wish to speak to the leader of this tribe," he said.
Without hesitation, Old Deuteronomy stood up on the tire.
"I am Old Deuteronomy," he said.
Vor bowed respectfully to the old cat.
"Old Deuteronomy, it is an honor to meet you."
The jellicle leader smiled and bowed back.
"I am Vor," continued the brown tom. "Leader of the guard cats. We are here because our human pet bought this junkyard and has left it in our charge."
Old Deuteronomy nodded for Vor to continue.
"Our intent was to find any others who might have settled here, and tell them that they must leave as they are trespassing."
At this, Munkustrap leapt to his feet and glared down at them. The other jellicle toms followed his example. Vor sensed an attack on it's way and quickly continued.
"However, we do not wish that any of you should have to leave your homes."
"That is very considerate of you," said Old Deuteronomy.
Vor bowed and continued.
"We wish to make a deal. You may continue to live in this junkyard if we may be allowed to live here as well. To come and go as we please, to hunt for food, and to interact with the members of your tribe without fear of any harm being done to us."
"That sounds reasonable to me," said the old cat.
He turned to the gray tabby who stood at his side.
"What do you think Munkustrap?"
Before a response could be given, Vor broke in.
"If you don't mind sir, we would like this decision to be made by you as the leader of this tribe."
The gray tabby opened his mouth but before he could speak, Old Deuteronomy answered the guard cat.
"Munkustrap is my second. He is training to take my place as the leader when I am no longer able. I feel that he should take part in any decision that is made."
Vor nodded in consent.
"I apologize," he said to Munkustrap.
The gray tabby smiled.
"I agree with Old Deuteronomy that your deal is a fair one. There is more than enough room in this junkyard for all of us. There is no reason why we can't live in it together as neighbors."
The jellicle leader nodded in approval of Munkustrap's reply.
"Then we accept your proposal. Let me be the first to welcome you to the junkyard."
Again, Vor bowed.
"We are very grateful and honored. Let me introduce us. As you know, I am Vor."
He turned to the other toms in his gang.
"This is Tak, Golb, Layf, and Kent."
Each one of the guard cats bowed as his name was mentioned. Deuteronomy introduced them to each of the jellicles one by one.
"There is one more," he said when all the introductions had been made. "He is not here at the moment as he frequently leaves the tribe's clearing to be alone. His name is Magical Mr. Mistoffelees."
At the mention of the word magical, the guard cats' faces became solemn. All except Vor, who kept a friendly smile on his face.
"There is a magical cat in your tribe?" he asked casually.
The jellicle leader nodded.
"His manner is vague and aloof. There's really nobody shier. But he is very friendly. I am sure that you will like him."
Vor nodded in response. But what no one noticed was that behind his warm smile, he clenched his teeth as tightly as he could.
Layf was leaning against an old bicycle tire. His arms crossed. His green eyes fixed on a large band of cats who had not noticed him. He was a tom about two years of age. He had sleek, brown fur that promoted his large, rippling muscles. Around his neck was a black, spiked collar.
He had only lived in the junkyard for a day, but he acted as though he owned it. He actually thought that he did. Him and the other for toms in his gang. They were often thought to be brothers as they all looked perfectly similar. When in fact the only relation between them was that they shared the same human pet.
Really, it was the human who owned the junkyard. He had recently bought it from it's previous owner. Having nowhere else to keep his feline companions, he decided to let them live there. The cats themselves believed that in fact they owned the junkyard. They called themselves the guard cats, knowing that it would be their job to guard the junkyard from intrusion.
When their human had dropped them off they wasted no time in familiarizing themselves with their new home. Each went off in a different direction. The main intent was to learn whether or not any others had taken the liberty of inhabiting any part of it.
The guard cat known as Layf, they all had short names, while searching his area had found a large band of felines of all ages and breeds who seemed to have been living there for quite some time. After signaling to the others, he stood patiently awaiting their arriving. It wasn't long before he heard a voice.
"You signaled us, Layf," it said. "Have you found something?"
Layf turned to see that the rest of the gang had arrived. As I have said before, the all looked alike. Sleek brown fur, muscular builds, green eyes, and spiked collars. The one who addressed him was the leader of the group. His name was Vor. Layf immediately straightened up to answer his leader.
"Yes Vor, a band of cats who have inhabited this part of the junkyard."
Vor and the others studied the group of felines.
"What can you tell us about them?" asked the leader.
Layf eagerly replied.
"They call themselves, the jellicle tribe."
"Are there any magicals?"
Layf shook his head.
"Not that I have seen. Their leader is an elderly tom by the name of Old Deuteronomy."
Vor looked at Layf as though he had not heard correctly.
"Old Deuteronomy? THE Old Deuteronomy?"
Layf shrugged.
"I assume so."
Vor bit his lip.
"This will be interesting," he said. "Not only does this jellicle tribe outnumber us, but they are head by the most well known and well loved cat in the town."
"They will most likely not want to leave," said another guard cat whose name was Golb.
"They do not seem hostile," said Layf. "It might be in our best interest to let them stay."
Vor thought for a moment.
"Let's meet this tribe," he said at last. "Meet their leader. And let me do the talking."
The guard cats nodded. They were used to Vor being the spokestom of the gang. Without another word, Vor entered the clearing where the jellicle tribe lived. The other brown toms followed.
The felines of the jellicle tribe were enjoying a rather normal day. The usual activities were taking place. The kittens played with and wrestled each other. On the bumper of the car, Jennyanydots and Jellyorum were knitting and gossiping. While on the tire Munkustrap, Alonzo and Skimbleshanks sat with Old Deuteronomy discussing the more official matters of the tribe. And so, it was a day like any other. Until a group of toms entered the clearing. The tribe went silent. Everyone stared at the strangers, noting how tall and strong they looked. The toms themselves did not seem to notice the looks that they were receiving. They walked straight to the center of the clearing and stopped. The tom who appeared to be in the lead stepped forward.
"We wish to speak to the leader of this tribe," he said.
Without hesitation, Old Deuteronomy stood up on the tire.
"I am Old Deuteronomy," he said.
Vor bowed respectfully to the old cat.
"Old Deuteronomy, it is an honor to meet you."
The jellicle leader smiled and bowed back.
"I am Vor," continued the brown tom. "Leader of the guard cats. We are here because our human pet bought this junkyard and has left it in our charge."
Old Deuteronomy nodded for Vor to continue.
"Our intent was to find any others who might have settled here, and tell them that they must leave as they are trespassing."
At this, Munkustrap leapt to his feet and glared down at them. The other jellicle toms followed his example. Vor sensed an attack on it's way and quickly continued.
"However, we do not wish that any of you should have to leave your homes."
"That is very considerate of you," said Old Deuteronomy.
Vor bowed and continued.
"We wish to make a deal. You may continue to live in this junkyard if we may be allowed to live here as well. To come and go as we please, to hunt for food, and to interact with the members of your tribe without fear of any harm being done to us."
"That sounds reasonable to me," said the old cat.
He turned to the gray tabby who stood at his side.
"What do you think Munkustrap?"
Before a response could be given, Vor broke in.
"If you don't mind sir, we would like this decision to be made by you as the leader of this tribe."
The gray tabby opened his mouth but before he could speak, Old Deuteronomy answered the guard cat.
"Munkustrap is my second. He is training to take my place as the leader when I am no longer able. I feel that he should take part in any decision that is made."
Vor nodded in consent.
"I apologize," he said to Munkustrap.
The gray tabby smiled.
"I agree with Old Deuteronomy that your deal is a fair one. There is more than enough room in this junkyard for all of us. There is no reason why we can't live in it together as neighbors."
The jellicle leader nodded in approval of Munkustrap's reply.
"Then we accept your proposal. Let me be the first to welcome you to the junkyard."
Again, Vor bowed.
"We are very grateful and honored. Let me introduce us. As you know, I am Vor."
He turned to the other toms in his gang.
"This is Tak, Golb, Layf, and Kent."
Each one of the guard cats bowed as his name was mentioned. Deuteronomy introduced them to each of the jellicles one by one.
"There is one more," he said when all the introductions had been made. "He is not here at the moment as he frequently leaves the tribe's clearing to be alone. His name is Magical Mr. Mistoffelees."
At the mention of the word magical, the guard cats' faces became solemn. All except Vor, who kept a friendly smile on his face.
"There is a magical cat in your tribe?" he asked casually.
The jellicle leader nodded.
"His manner is vague and aloof. There's really nobody shier. But he is very friendly. I am sure that you will like him."
Vor nodded in response. But what no one noticed was that behind his warm smile, he clenched his teeth as tightly as he could.