Title: Power to be Strong
Rating: G
Warnings: Use of the word "Pollicle" as an insult. Bullying.
Additional Notes: You really should be reading the Ritzkin Arc in order, to understand everything.

I like Admetus. I do. I don't see him as a jerk, just as a cat who has some issues with Munkustrap.

This story was inspired by Phil Collins' song "Son of Man" from Disney's Tarzan, and the title is a line from it. I had the song playing on repeat as I wrote this, and I envision it as a bunch of short clips from Munkustrap's training. Although I labeled this 3.5, it really starts after the third story and ends after the fourth story... but there are no spoilers for Stealing a Goddess. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

Simbol is mine. None of the other things in this story are. They all belong to T.S. Eliot, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the Really Useful Group.

Power to be Strong

"So, you're sure you want to be a guardian?" Admetus was leaning against a pot, watching Munkustrap. "Simbol's going to give you hell. You'd be better off just staying a kitten."

"I'm not a kitten," Munkustrap grumbled, crossing his arms. "And don't think you're going to scare me away. I have every right to be a guardian. Simbol said so himself."

Admetus laughed, shaking his head. "I'm not trying to scare you, kitten. I'm just being honest. You're the newest – you're going to catch hell for it. And not just from Simbol." He smirked at the silver tabby. "Don't think I haven't forgotten what you did to my face."

Munkustrap cocked his head to the side, looking at Admetus' still-scratched face. "You know, you should be thanking me, really. It's an improvement."

"You Pollicle!"

Munkustrap jumped back as Admetus took a swipe at him, hissing and laying his ears back, his claws out, but that was when Simbol showed up. The large patched tom stalked between the two, shooting them both glares (Munkustrap's darker than Admetus'). "Stop it. We do not attack each other. We are Jellicles, not heathen Monniks."

Both toms backed away at Simbol's command, though they still sneered at each other. Munkustrap flattened his ears, though, at the Monnik comment – was it just him, or did Simbol say that to him especially?

There was a rat, a huge rat, a big, black, juicy rat, sitting in that shadow and gnawing on an old boot. Munkustrap quietly stalked toward the rodent, licking his lips. Dinner…

The rat paused, lifting its nose and sniffing the air. Munkustrap froze, even stopping his breathing. He was downwind, he knew that, but it still didn't hurt to be careful.

Apparently satisfied with whatever it smelled (or didn't smell), the rat turned its attention back to the boot. Munkustrap grinned and dropped into a crouch, preparing to pounce.

As soon as he sprang forward, though, Munkustrap fell back with a yelp. Something had stepped on his tail! As the rat scurried off, now fully aware of his presence, Munkustrap turned around with a glare.

Admetus lifted his paw off of Munkustrap's tail, giving him an innocent and surprised look. "Whoops. I didn't see you there, kitten… you're so small. Oh… were you hunting? Did it get away? Sorry…"

Munkustrap growled, unsheathing his claws, but he remembered Simbol's many, many lectures on fighting amongst each other. We are Jellicles, not heathen Monniks. Still glaring at Admetus, Munkustrap forced himself to resheathe his claws and stalk off, though there was a bit of a stomp to his footsteps, made all the more heavier by Admetus' laughter behind him.

Munkustrap ran a tail-length behind Admetus, stretching his legs as long as they'd go, his mouth open as he panted. The two were running laps around the junkyard along with most of the other guardians – twenty laps to start the day. Admetus and Munkustrap, though, had made it an unspoken race. They had started off evenly, but Admetus had quickly pulled ahead, his larger frame letting him take longer strides. Munkustrap wasn't giving up easily, though, and every time they passed Simbol, he was just a little closer to the grey tom. Simbol watched them pass with his unreadable gold eyes… was that a frown on his face? Or a smile? Munkustrap couldn't spare the attention to figure it out. His entire focus was on Admetus' dark tail, on catching up to that tail, and then to Admetus' hind legs, and then his shoulders…

It was lap nineteen, two months into his guardianship, and Munkustrap was determined to win the race this time. The two toms were fast approaching the footbridge, a narrow rail that lay across a canal of waste. It was only big enough for the cats to go single-file, and the canal was far too wide for a jump (Munkustrap had learned that the hard way the first day). If he could pull ahead of Admetus by the footbridge, then he'd win – Simbol was just a few hundred yards beyond that, not enough time for Admetus to catch up!

Munkustrap grit his teeth and leaped, pushing off with his powerful hind legs. He heard Admetus yowl as he landed on the rail first, taking a brief second to recover his balance before surging ahead, a proud smile twisting his lips despite his harsh breathing. All of a sudden, he felt a sharp nip to the tip of his tail. Munkustrap stumbled and Admetus pushed forward, shoving him into the canal and racing ahead.

Sputtering and yowling, Munkustrap surfaced in the grimy water, frantically splashing as he tried to make it back to shore. A few minutes later, Admetus trotted over to watch as he climbed out, a smug grin on his face, even though he too was panting. "I win."

"You cheated," Munkustrap growled, shaking himself from nose to tail.

Admetus delicately stepped out of the way of Munkustrap's spray. "No rules means it's impossible to cheat, kitten. I just won." With a flick of his tail, he turned and sauntered off. Munkustrap growled at his retreating back.

"Give it up," Tugger grumbled, grooming the back of Munkustrap's head. "It's not worth this."

"I won't give up," Munkustrap said sourly, cleaning off his arms. "I can't."

Tugger pulled aside, dry-retching for a moment. He turned back to Munkustrap with a grimace. "You taste like shit and piss and oil. You were cleaner as a Monnik… and yet you still think this is worth it?"

Munkustrap spat out something slimy that he pulled off his shoulder. "It will be. Tugger… you don't get it. I have to do this."

"Learn to dance!" Tugger protested, pushing Munkustrap down with a paw to better get at his neck. "You're doing great there, and I'm not shoving you into the canal!"

"It's a matter of pride now," Munkustrap said, cleaning his face. "Admetus thinks he can push me around. I have to prove that it doesn't matter what he does, I won't be a kitten and walk away. I have to prove that I deserve a place among the guardians."

"They're not really everything you seem to think they are," Tugger grumbled. "A bunch of butch tomcats with more brawn than brains…" He jerked back as Munkustrap spun, snapping at his nose. "Hey, watch it! You want me to help you get cleaned up or not!?"

"Don't call them stupid!" Munkustrap glared at Tugger. "They do more for this tribe than anyone else, except maybe Deuteronomy! They don't deserve you ridiculing them like that, just because you're too lazy to be bothered…"

Tugger held up his paws and backed away. "Fine. If you're going to be all snotty, you can just bathe yourself. Tch." He turned and stalked off, his fluffy tail switching angrily from side to side.

"Tugger!" Munkustrap bounded after his friend, nudging his shoulder with his nose. "Tugger, wait. Rumsy. I'm sorry. I'm just…" He trailed off with a sigh, and Tugger turned to look back at him. "I just want to belong," he said quietly. "And I feel like Admetus is trying to push me out… not just out of the guardians, but out of the tribe, too. And... Simbol's letting him." He looked up at Tugger, swallowing thickly. "I… this is my home now, Tugger. It's all I have. I don't want… I don't want them to push me out. I need to prove I belong with the Jellicles… and if I can prove my place in the guardians…"

"Then you'll feel worthy of being a Jellicle," Tugger finished, and Munkustrap nodded. Tugger sighed, turning to nuzzle Munkustrap's cheek. "You're a Jellicle in my book, Ritzy. And that's the only important one. But if this is that important to you… come on. Let's get you cleaned up, and then we'll figure out how to put Admetus in his place. You can't prove you deserve this spot if you just let him push you around. You're going to have to get him back."

"But Simbol gets upset when I fight him…"

"Because you're fighting him," Tugger said, rolling his eyes as if that were obvious. "You need to battle him the same way he's battling you. Is there a rule against pushing another cat in the canal? No. That's why Simbol lets him get away with it. You're going to have to fight fire with fire. That way, Simbol either lets you get away with it too, or he stops you and then has to stop Admetus, to be fair. Simbol's all about being fair."

Munkustrap grinned, sitting back. "Thanks, Tug. I knew you were my friend for a reason."

"That, and I've wanted to see Admetus' tail in the canal for a while now," Tugger said with a grin. "Did you know that he had the nerve to take Bombalurina? When she's been with me for the past month!?"

"Maybe Bomba went with Admetus," Munkustrap suggested. "I mean, she is pretty strong-willed herself…"

"And pass up on the Tugger? Nuh-uh. I don't think so…"

"May I have a word with you?"

Simbol looked down from his trash-pile vantage point when Deuteronomy approached him. He nodded, hopping down the rubbish until he was at Deuteronomy's side. "What's on your mind?"

"Walk with me." Deuteronomy set off at a sedate pace, weaving his way through the maze of the junkyard piles. Simbol easily kept pace with him, ever-alert for danger. "I wanted to talk with you about Munkustrap."

"What about Munkustrap?" Simbol asked, turning gold eyes to the older cat.

Deuteronomy sighed. "Don't you think you're being too harsh on him? I've seen some of what the guardians do to him… and I've heard stories of worse. Surely, you're aware of this harassment."

Simbol nodded once. "I'm aware…" he said, his tone guarded.

"Then you'll stop it?" Deuteronomy asked.

Simbol shook his head. "No."

Deuteronomy frowned. "Simbol… why are you letting these atrocities continue? Are you trying to punish him for his past? He's a Jellicle now. He's no longer that wicked Monnik kitten… he's not even a kitten anymore. Let him start his life anew among us. Don't force him to drag his baggage along. I'm sure he's repented… he seems like such a nice young tom now."

Simbol shook his head again. "I'm not punishing him, Deuteronomy. I'm…" He flicked his tail as he tried to find the right words, eventually giving up with a shrug. "Look. I don't tell you how to run the tribe, right? You don't tell me how to run the guardians. You guide us, I protect us."

"I guide the guardians as well," Deuteronomy said.

"With all due respect, sir, I guide the guardians." Simbol turned to look Deuteronomy in the eye. "Please, Deuteronomy. Trust me. I know what I'm doing. Munkustrap is never seriously harmed from anything the others do to him. They know the lines they aren't allowed to cross, and they do an excellent job of toeing them. If they ever did step out of line, I would stop them. I can assure you of that."

"Simbol…"

Simbol leaned forward, nuzzling Deuteronomy. "'Ronmy, you know me. Would I ever torture a cat?" Deuteronomy shook his head. "Then stop thinking I am. What's happening to Munkustrap is for his own good. Trust me."

Deuteronomy still didn't look convinced, but he closed his eyes. He did trust Simbol, trusted Simbol with his life, and the lives of all the cats in the tribe. Except Munkustrap's. But maybe he should. "Very well. I'll trust you. But I'll be keeping an eye on things. If I think things are getting out of paw, I'll step in and set things right."

"And make things worse," Simbol corrected. "Do you think Munkustrap's the type of cat who would appreciate someone else doing something for him, no matter how good the intentions are? He's a guardian; he needs to be able to take care of himself. And he can. So stop worrying. I know what I'm doing."

Of course, nothing Simbol said could make Deuteronomy stop worrying about the young Monnik, but Deuteronomy could also understand the wisdom in Simbol's words. He wasn't the Protector for nothing, after all. "I will still keep an eye on things."

"I don't expect anything less from you," Simbol said with a smile.

Munkustrap froze as he turned a corner, staring at the scene spread out ahead of him. Admetus was slinking low to the ground, his attention focused on a seagull. The large white bird was picking pieces of popcorn from a discarded sack, chortling happily as it devoured its prize. The older cat was completely distracted by the bird and didn't seem aware of Munkustrap's presence. A wicked grin stole across Munkustrap's face and settled in his eyes and lips. "BARKBARKBARKROAR!" he shouted, giving his best impression of a Pollicle as he charged forward.

The seagull, startled, took flight, screaming its displeasure at Munkustrap. Admetus jumped about a foot, his fur puffed up. Munkustrap laughed at the expression on Admetus' face, pointing a paw at him. "Gotcha!"

"You are a Pollicle," Admetus sneered, turning and stalking off stiff-leggedly.

Munkustrap just smirked and looked up at where the bird had flown off to. Tugger was right. He did need to fight back.

Munkustrap hissed as he felt the book he was balancing on begin to give way beneath his paws. Glancing around, he made a snap judgment and leapt onto the side of a pitcher, hooking his front paws around the rim to hold on. The book fell away below him, and Munkustrap watched it hit the ground many feet below with a thump. He sighed and looked up. Now where to? He needed to reach the top…

Over to his right, Admetus and Skimbleshanks were helping each other up the pile, stretching out paws and tails and jaws, keeping each other balanced and stable while they moved. The railway cat had been in town, and decided to join the guardians for their training. Currently, their objective was to reach the top of this pile, the most unsteady in the junkyard. Simbol hadn't said how to reach the top, just to do it. At the rate Admetus was going, he'd beat Munkustrap up. At the rate he was going, he'd get to the top while Munkustrap was still clinging to this broken pitcher.

Munkustrap sighed and shimmied around the side of the pitcher, reaching out for a pipe. If he could get there, and then flip onto it, and balance on his hind paws while he tested the stability of that curtain…

"You go ahead. I'll wait up here for the kitten." Munkustrap heard Admetus' voice before he reached the top and groaned. He was almost to the summit… and Admetus was going to be waiting for him. Alone. Great. He saw Skimbleshanks jump to a nearby pile, and then another, making his way down to where Simbol was waiting.

Munkustrap closed his eyes and took a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever Admetus was about to do, before he stretched and pulled himself the rest of the way up.

To his surprise, Admetus was sitting not too far away, clapping. "Great job, Munkustrap. It took me a lot longer than that to get up here on my first climb."

Munkustrap blinked, taking a step back. "W-what? You're complimenting me?"

Admetus nodded, looking harmless as he stepped forward. "Yes, of course I am. Why wouldn't I? You did a great job!"

Suspicious, Munkustrap stepped back as Admetus stepped forward. His attention was focused on the older tom, though, and he didn't realize he had put his foot over the edge of the pile before it was too late. He slipped off and yelped, managing to catch himself on the edge of a picture frame.

Admetus moved closer to the edge, crawling on his belly now, Munkustrap noticed, because this side was the most unstable. It had the shallowest drop, more of an incline than a straight fall, but it was still a ways up. "Oops. Should I have warned you about the edge?" He smirked as he gave the frame a small nudge. He didn't push it off himself, but he didn't have to. The nudge was enough to loosen the frame from whatever was holding it up, and it started to slip.

"Admetus!" Munkustrap shouted angrily at the older tom before taking the fall, tumbling ears over tail down the pile of rubbish. He bit his lips to keep from screaming and closed his eyes tightly. "Oof!" A table leg stopped him, catching him in the stomach once he reached the bottom, and Munkustrap was winded. "Oww…"

Up above, Admetus watched until Munkustrap unwrapped himself from the leg. He smirked down at the silver tom then, turning to take Skimbleshanks' safer path down.

Munkustrap staggered away from the pile, wincing as every step jarred fresh bruises. He had to hand it to Admetus – that was fairly clever. The slope of the fall was enough that he had rolled down, and there was nothing sharp to land on here… though over to the side, far enough away to not be a threat, was a pile of broken glass, neatly stacked. Munkustrap frowned, looking at that. Had Admetus planned this even before they made the climb?

Had he moved the glass so Munkustrap would just get bruised and not seriously hurt?

It was lap nineteen and a full year into his guardianship. Munkustrap had finished growing, and at ten pounds, was about the same size as Admetus. The toms were running nearly neck and neck – Admetus was behind a little. Munkustrap no longer grinned when he thought he'd win, he just got a truly determined expression, a set to his eyes and jaw. This time, this time, he would win. Admetus wouldn't pull his victory from him at the last minute.

As the footbridge loomed, Admetus fell back. Munkustrap frowned – what was his plan now? – but he didn't dare look back.

"Hah!" Admetus landed on the bridge seconds ahead of Munkustrap, having jumped over him, much like Munkustrap himself had almost a year ago.

The trouble with this move was that Munkustrap knew exactly how to counter it. He surged forward and smartly bit the tip of Admetus' tail, using the older cat's distraction to move up and shove him to the side, into the canal. As Admetus fell into the muck with a squawk, Munkustrap finally let his grin curl his lips. Oh yes. He had won.

Rather than finishing, though, Munkustrap slowed and padded over to the side of the canal, watching Admetus struggle to reach the side. Admetus shot him a dirty look, but Munkustrap just offered him a little smile, not mocking, and stretched out his paw to help him get out.

Admetus looked at Munkustrap's paw and then up at his face before he grinned and reached out, taking the proffered paw and giving it a yank. It was Munkustrap's turn to yowl as he fell into the canal, a place he had become familiar with over the past year.

"Serves you right," Admetus said in response to Munkustrap's expression, splashing him with some of the muck.

"I was trying to be nice," Munkustrap retorted, splashing him back.

"Hey, watch it!" Admetus wiped the grime from his mouth before splashing Munkustrap again.

"You watch it!"

Simbol showed up a few minutes later to pull two of his guardians from the canal that they had been playing in like kittens. The look he gave them was as unreadable as ever, but it wasn't a glare. As Munkustrap shook himself off, he shot Simbol a sideways glance. Was that… pride he saw, when Simbol looked at him?

Despite the lecture they were getting, Munkustrap smiled. Oh yes.

He had won.

Again, this doesn't fit nicely in between two other stories, but it was very fun to write. I'm still working on Stealing a Goddess. I'm almost done with the first half. That one will definitely be a multi-chaptered story.