Rumpleteazer sat up and saw where she was. She smiled slightly, but quickly. ‘This is perfect’. She thought as she noticed the looks on the toms’ faces. She was especially pleased with the look on Mungojerrie’s face. Oh yeah. He was hers all the way. “Where am I?” she said confusedly.

The silver tabby, Munkustrap, said, “The Jellicle Junkyard Miss.”

She smiled and said excitedly, “The Jellicle Junkyard?”

It was then that she noticed Mungo speaking for the first time. “Yes. Have you heard of us?” he asked, his eyes staring into hers.

She smiled and then gave a giggle. The look on his face was priceless as were the thoughts in his head. She could sense other’s thoughts if they were potent enough. ‘So he has a slight memory.’ She mused to herself. ‘Well, we can’t have too much memory can we now. I’ll take care of it later.’

She said as she giggled again, “I grew up on the streets on the other side of town and had always heard wonderful tales. I told myself that someday I would get there and become a Jellicle.” She looked around pleadingly. Soon she saw Tugger saunter over. ‘I’ll have some fun with him.’ She chuckled aloud. When she realized others were starting at her, she quickly turned it into a cough.

“Hey darling,” Came the voice of the Rum Tum Tugger. “I’m Rum Tum Tugger, but you can call me Tugger. Want to go out tonight?”

Rumple giggled cutely and said “Sure Sugar. You’re cute.” And she licked him on the nose. She almost burst out laughing when she saw everybody’s expressions. She could tell what they were all thinking: she had made the infamous Rum Tum Tugger speechless. Her lips curled into a smile that she knew made her look like the Cheshire cat. She now had him under her control as well. But… she cautioned herself, it wouldn’t do to have all the toms answer to her yet. She caught the glare that Bombalurina pointed her way. She needed to validate her claim and become an accepted part of the Jellicle tribe. Oh, she knew that she would become a Jellicle, but she didn’t know how the others would accept her. No cat knew everything, even a cat as powerful as her. She pulled herself up from the trash pile and slightly dusted herself off as she watched Tugger regain his composure. She saw Bombalurina come up to him glaring, hands on hips, and then saw her pull him away.

Then Munkustrap started speaking again. “If you want to become a Jellicle, you have to be tested by our leader, Old Deuteronomy. We need to make sure that you aren’t involved with Macavity.”

Teazer gulped slightly. ‘Damn. I hadn’t considered this. Maybe I should confess that I have worked for Macavity.’ She thought to herself. She straightened up and said, “I’d like that very much.”

Munkustrap nodded and ushered her towards the large tire in the middle of the junkyard.

“Wait!” she cried. “Can I have a little time to make myself presentable?” This would give her the time she needed to seal her mind from the prying ways of Deuteronomy and the other three magical cats.

Munkustrap paused and then, seeing how dirty she looked, nodded his head in acquiescence.

Rumpleteazer ran off behind the trash pile she’d been in earlier and took a deep breath. She quickly put an illusion around herself so that it looked like she was grooming herself to anyone who might want to spy. She turned in a circle three times counterclockwise and quickly sketched a few runes in the air and then opened up her mind. She felt a white light surround her mind and form a dome. Now, nobody would be able to see into her mind. She then waved a paw over herself and most of the dirt and grime disappeared. She then emerged and walked over to where Munkustrap was waiting. ‘Alright Jellicles, let the games begin!’ was her last thought before meeting Deuteronomy.

Rumpleteazer lay panting in her box.

It had been a couple weeks since she was accepted into the Jellicles. She was exhausted. She needed desperately to get out. She hadn’t been able to change into Carrigold because of the rest of the cats. Most of them were still wary of her. She had made an enemy of Bombalurina by going out with Tugger, Demeter wouldn’t come anywhere near her, and Mungojerrie still just stared at her. To top her off problems, staying as Rumpleteazer was beginning to weaken her. She had never stayed calico this long before. She pushed herself up and wobbled out of her box. She had to hide and change. Soon, or she would lose her grip on herself. If she lost her grip on herself, all her plans would be demolished. But the worst thing that would happen if she lost her grip on herself was death.

When she was born her mother had bargained with the cat gods. She had wanted her kit to grow up with the power to change the world. She was part magic by genetics, but her mom had wanted her to have more. In exchange for the power that she could shape to her own will, her mother had given her life as payment. The final stipulation was that if the kitten, Carrigold, couldn’t control the powers, then it would destroy her.

As she left, she looked around warily. Munkustrap was talking to Deuteronomy, the kittens were hanging on Tugger, and Bombalurina was talking with Demeter.

Her mind raced through a list of places in her head that she could reach before she collapsed. She finally decided on the cannery. She ran as fast as she could until she came upon it. She ducked behind a garbage can and let herself totally relax. She instantly felt the changes coming. Her teeth grew longer, she became slightly larger. Her calico fur melted away to dark violet and her eyes grew wide and round. When she felt that the changes were complete, she stretched. Carrigold grinned as she worked the kinks out of her muscles. She immediately felt more comfortable. Her grin faded as she remembered that she would have to stay this way for a couple days to regain her strength. She started pacing. While she needed the few days to recuperate, she also needed the days to land Mungojerrie. She would need to mate with him on the night of the Jellicle Ball to harness his power. The ball was in a month and a half. She wasn’t sure if that would be enough time, but she’d have to make it work. Which brought up another problem.

By the end of the next week, she’d have to get Macavity into place. She needed him to change her one more time. When that happened, he would be drained of power and she could kill him. She needed his power before she took Mungo’s power and after she had both, she would unlock the other magic cats and drain them.