Some Things Aren't Meant to Be

The moon rose in silent light over a junkyard, bathing it in a silvery gray glow as a shadow slinked along the junk piles fleet and quiet of paw. It was a young cat queen that was a mix of shadow and light herself. Her bronze coat covered in molten markings of black and deepest grays. She moved silently over the pieces of rusted metal and odd junk that littered the dusty ground. As the moon rose higher the shadows around her shifted and lengthen throwing strange images upon the ground and herself. She was a Jelicle cat, though she wasn't a sworn Tribe cat yet, seeing as she was a newcomer.

The queen kept up her quiet pace, not sure exactly where she was going yet but had a feeling she had a destination though it was hidden from her. She was seeking a place to hide for a bit and gather her thoughts after her great humiliation among the Jelicles. It was a normal day, well a normal day for an outsider looking in.

But she had managed to cause a great problem between a sultry red cat named Bombalurina and a black tom with a tawny ruff around his neck named Rum Tum Tugger. Though what made him attractive to almost every young queen among the Tribe was beyond her comprehension. But whatever she did, for she didn't remember exactly what happened, Bomba had ended up with mud splattered in her face and Tugger covered in something she couldn't name. And both had blamed her and with that she had skittered off before even apologizing and asking for forgiveness.

Now she was near the southern part of the junkyard feeling very lonely and wondering if anyone would like her. She finally sat down to catch her breath and wrapped her tail tightly around herself as she buried her face in her arms, shaking with silent tears. I'll never fit in with the others. She thought glumly to herself as she lifted her head and cleared the tears from her eyes.

She stood up feeling numb to the core as she always did when she couldn't handle her problems otherwise. She tried to analyze the problem she created and wondered how to rid of it but a sound kept distracting her. She finally gave up and turned her attention to the sound. It was a slight scratching sound though what was making it she couldn't figure it out. She quietly slunk along the ground trying to be quiet as possible. Which is difficult when you are thinking of sneaking up on something.

She started to round the corner when a flash a fur and claws knocked her onto her back and pinned her tight with the use of weight. She squirmed and tried to claw at her captors claws but the grip shifted up to holding her wrists tight.

"Please, let me go..." She felt the sting of tears as her pride disappear under her plea.

"Who are you, to sneak up on me?" A masculine voice purred near her ear making her quiver with a fear she couldn't understand.

"I'm no one. Besides who sneaks around making noise in the dead of night anyways?" She retorted feeling her rash streak coming to light at the bad times it usually chose.

"I wasn't sneaking around you brat." The voice turned to a sharp edge and she bit her lip to keep her tongue from getting away from her again.

"Besides, what female would be out this late anyways?"

She kept her mouth shut then looked up at her captor. He was covered in dirt and his fur was a tangle. And there was a dangerous gleam to his eyes. She felt her breath catch in her throat.

He looked down at her with an eyebrow raised in lazy contemplation as though it wasn't at all strange for him to have a queen trapped under him. She felt the fur along her spine rise with fear at the look in his face.

"Being a quiet one now? What's the matter? Pollicle got your tongue?" A slow malevolent grin lighting his features.

"No, no damn pollicle has my tongue, now let me go or I'll hurt you and I mean it." She bared her set of fangs.

"Got quite a mouth on you hm?" He laughed harshly with amusement.

"Just let me go." She narrowed her eyes.

"I think I'll have some fun with the feisty Jelicle I have." He gave another malicious grin.

"I am not a Jelicle, not yet anyways." She shifted her gaze from his and let out a self despising sigh.

"What does that mean?"

"It means what I just said bad breath!" She shove against him and was surprised when he relented and let her up.

"So you aren't a real Jelicle? Then why be with those boring cats?"

"I don't have much choice."

"Why?"

"What does it matter to you?" She flicked her tail with impatience.

He merely shrugged and sat in the dust contemplating his long claws as though he didn't have a bad tempered queen glaring at him.

She tilted her head to the side then let out a loud sigh and turned to go then paused, "So what's your name?"

"Macavity, what's yours?" He kept looking at his claws.

"Stormy." She turned and ran off in the direction of the Jelicle's home.

She knew somehow she would have to keep her meeting with the strange ginger cat a secret. She was surprised she had met the cat of crime himself. It felt surreal to her and much more since the others feared and hated him and most weren't afraid to spill stories although amazing quite ghastly to her. She was also surprised he didn't kill her or worse. Her mind was in right jumble from all that happened to her.

Soon she was in the Jelicle's part of the junkyard. She slunk quietly to her small bed they had made for her just shortly after she arrived. She curled up in a tight ball and fell asleep without one shed tear or feeling sorry for herself.