The Birth and Life of Razzy

[razzy]

This is my first attempt at a fanfic. I have never written one before and I'm not sure how good this fic is right now. Please be kind with your comments. The only characters that belong to me are Xavier, Melissa and Razzy. Tailchaser and Touchpad were thought of by my friend Smokeykit. The others belong to RUG. This fic I would say is rated PG-13 because of some violence later on in the fic. There's more to come, but this is a start.

Introduction

Our story takes place in London, England in a posh home.

It was an unusually warm evening. A black queen with a white-tipped tail and brown eyes was in labor and her mate was next to her through the whole ordeal. The queen's sister Morgana was there to help with the delivery.

The queen giving birth was named Melissa and she was having a difficult pregnancy. The little kitten inside her wasn't ready to come into the world, but the kitten had no choice. "Push Melissa, push hard.." replied Morgana. Melissa's mate Xavier held her paw. Melissa did as she was told. After about two hours of being in labor, a beautiful black Turkish Angora with white spots and long bushy white-tipped tail was born to the happy couple. Morgana cleaned the kitten off and handed her to Melissa.
Melissa held her new daughter in her arms, while Xavier looked on. Xavier was a jet-black tom. They were so happy. Melissa looked up at her mate and smiled, "What shall we name our beautiful daughter?" "How about..Raza-Ma-Taz, Razzy for short?" he suggested. Melissa smiled and said, "That is a beautiful name." Then she nuzzled little Razzy and said, "Welcome to the world my darling Razzy."

Chapter 1

Xavier smiled at his mate and daughter. He was a very happy tom. Melissa kissed Razzy on her head and yawned. Razzy also yawned a tiny yawn. Xavier chuckled at how cute that looked. Melissa was really tired. She looked up at Xavier and said, "Xavie? Would you like to hold your little girl while I sleep and get my strength up?" Xavier smiled, "I would love to." Then he gently covered Melissa over with a blanket, kissed her forehead, gently picked up Razzy and held her. He walked out of the room with Razzy so Melissa could sleep.

Xavier carried Razzy into the living room, sat down in his favorite spot and smiled. He purred happily as he held her. He held her with great pride and made a promise to her. "I will always be around you Razzy. I'll protect you from harm and watch you grow into a beautiful young queen."

A few days passed and Razzy was getting bigger and more beautiful, in her parents' eyes anyways. Razzy was no ordinary kitten. She was a magic kitten and her eyes opened faster than any other kitten her age. She had the deepest and darkest brown eyes you've ever seen. Xavier and Melissa watched their daughter explore everything around her. Razzy continued to explore, because she was a curious little kitten. She saw something she hadn't seen before and chased it. It was a tiny dormouse that had somehow gotten into the house. She chased him into a hole in the wall where he disappeared. She mewed and wondered if he was ever going to come back out. Xavier chuckled and went over to her. "Aww, what wrong Princess? Did you lose your friend?" "Mew.." she replied with a sigh. Xavier picked her up and kissed her cheek. Then he carried her back over to Melissa and set her down. He put her in a position to feed and sat down behind his mate.

Their owners who had been gone for a few hours finally came home. The Master of the house walked into where their two cats and kitten were. He had a present for Razzy. Razzy finished feeding and turned around to look at him. She mewed cutely at her Master. He smiled and gently picked her up. He sat down on his chair and placed her gently in his lap. Razzy's deep dark eyes sparkled with wonder. She didn't know why she was sitting on her Master's lap. Her Master smiled and opened up the present. He pulled out a diamond studded gold collar and put it around her neck. "There you are," he replied petting her gently. Razzy purred, and then jumped off his lap to show her parents her new collar. Her parents nuzzled her and then nuzzled their Master's leg. In the kitchen the cook put out some food for Razzy's parents. Her parents walked in with Razzy following close behind them. Her parents started to eat with Razzy sitting close by them.

After dinner, Razzy sat in front of the mirror in the room that was given to them, admiring her collar. Melissa walked over to her and said, "You love your collar, don't you Sweetie?" "Mew," replied Razzy. "It's beautiful on you," replied Xavier from where he was. Razzy smiled and then pounced on her mother. Xavier chuckled and joined them. Razzy and her parents played for a few hours, then Razzy yawned. Xavier smiled and said to Melissa, "I think our little princess is tired. She had a big day today." He picked Razzy up, let his mate get into the basket first, gently set Razzy down next to her and then got in after Razzy. He smiled at Razzy who curled up in between them. Then he covered all three of them with the blanket and all three of them fell asleep.

[razzy]

Chapter 2

The next day, Razzy was up before her parents. She gave a yawn, and looked at the room wide-eyed. Her dark brown eyes took in everything. She loved seeing all the big furniture in the room where she and her parents slept. She crawled out of the basket, ran over to the window, hopped up onto the footstool, to the chair, and then onto the windowsill and looked out. She saw animals she hadn’t seen before. She also saw big monsters on four wheels; sometimes they were bigger than that. She looked at the sky and saw something flying. She didn’t know what they were or how they did that. The world was alive and she wanted to see everything. The thing she saw flying had flown further away and was no longer there when she wanted to tell her parents.

Her mother woke up not long later and joined her daughter at the window. "Morning my darling Razzy. What has fascinated you so much that you're staring out the window?" "Mummy, look," replied Razzy, speaking for the first time and pointing out the window. Melissa was shocked. "What did you say?" she asked. "Mummy, look," Razzy repeated and pointed out the window again. Melissa smiled, hopped down off the windowsill, ran over to her mate and woke him up. "Xavier! Razzy just spoke! She said two words!" Xavier woke up, looked at her and asked, "What words did she say?" Melissa looked over at her daughter and said, "Razzy dear, say it again." Razzy looked over at them getting frustrated that no one was looking out the window to see what she was pointing at. Then she said, "Mummy, look." Xavier was so proud of his daughter that he ran over and gave her a hug and kiss. "Look," replied Razzy pointing out the window. She was pointing to a dog that was walking with its owner. Xavier looked out and said, "That's a pollicle sweetie. They don’t like cats." Razzy looked up at her father curiously to see if he would explain further. Xavier smiled and told her all about pollicle's. He told her that they came in all shapes and sizes, what they did and what they ate at times. He only told her what he could since he wasn't that knowledgeable about pollicle's. Razzy listened to everything he said, taking it in and retaining it for future reference. When her father was done telling her everything, she smiled at him and hugged him. "Love Daddy," she smiled. Xavier smiled and hugged her back. "I love you too Razzy," he replied. Melissa smiled as she watched her mate and their precious daughter hugging and talking. "Soon Razzy will be talking a storm and she'll have a whole bunch of toms falling for her beauty when she's older," Melissa replied. Xavier looked at his mate and said, "I hope that doesn’t happen for a long time." Melissa laughed and said, "Xavie, what are you going to do? Keep Razzy a kitten all her life?" Xavier laughed back and said, "If I have to, that's the only way of protecting Razzy from heartbreak." Melissa sighed and said, "She would have to learn eventually, it's a part of growing up." Razzy laid her head on her father's chest as she continued to sit on his lap. "What heartbreak Mummy?" she asked. Melissa looked at Razzy and said, "I'll tell you when you're a little older Sweetie." Razzy nodded and sighed softly.

Just then their owners called them in to the kitchen to eat. Melissa picked Razzy up gently off her father's lap and set her down on the floor. Xavier got down off the windowsill and walked into the kitchen with his family. They walked over to the food dishes and started eating. Razzy looked at her food for a while and then started eating. She didn't know what heartbreak was and since her parents wouldn't tell her, she was thinking about it. Their owners watched the young kitten and then looked at each other. They didn't know what was wrong with the young kitten, but didn't say anything about it. After the felines finished eating, Razzy left the kitchen and headed back into the living room, jumped up on the windowsill and looked out the window. This word 'heartbreak' was really bothering her. Xavier and Melissa then left the kitchen and saw their daughter staring out the window again. They looked at each other and shrugged. They knew that something was bothering their daughter and thought it might have been what was said earlier, but they didn't know that it was going to eat at her all this time.

Xavier walked over to his daughter and said, "Razzy, would you like to play a game?" Razzy looked at her father and said, "What game?" He replied, "How about the three of us play hide-and-seek?" "Okay," replied Razzy, jumping down from the windowsill lightly and padding over to her parents. "Who gonna be it?" Razzy asked. Xavier smiled and said, "I will if you want." Razzy nodded and then waited for her father to close his eyes and start counting. Then she and her mother ran to find hiding spots in the house. Melissa hid in one spot and Razzy hid in her favorite hiding spot. It became her favorite hiding spot when she started to take naps with her favorite dormouse. They would take naps together. Razzy stayed in her hiding spot very quietly and watched her father. Xavier stopped counting and started the search for his mate or his daughter. He was going to catch one of them. "Here I come," he announced. Razzy and Melissa kept quiet while Xavier looked all over the house for them. He looked behind every piece of furniture in every room and he checked any open closets. Xavier stood there and scratched his head. He had no idea where his family went. He knew they were hiding somewhere in the house, but he just couldn’t see them. "Where can they be?" he asked himself, but loud enough for them to hear as he continued to look around. Razzy stifled a giggle and looked at her mother.

Her mother put a paw to her lips and made a 'keep quiet' gesture. After a while Xavier said, "I guess I can’t find my family. I'll go take a nap." He turned around and started leaving the place he was. Out of nowhere a black kitten with white spots, long bushy white-tipped tail ran up and pounced him from behind tackling him to the ground. Xavier went down with an 'Oof' and chuckled. He turned his head slightly to see his daughter Razzy sitting on his back with a big grin on her tiny face. "Great job Sweetie," he replied still chuckling, "You really got me that time." Then he rolled over and picked her up. He gave her a hug and kiss, and then whispered, "Where's your Mum?" Razzy giggled and then whispered in his ear, "Over there." She pointed to the spot her Mum was hiding in. Xavier set her down, made the 'keep quiet' gesture and then found Melissa giving her the element of surprise. He was a very happy tom to find his family again. Melissa giggled when her mate caught her and said, "Razzy, when I get my paws on you I'm going to tickle you. You told your father where he could find me. That wasn't fair!" Razzy just sat there grinning at her parents. She was so happy and she could tell her parents were really happy being together. She loved her parents so much. Just then she gave a tiny yawn and curled up. She watched her parents a bit longer and then slowly fell asleep.

Melissa looked over and saw that Razzy had fallen asleep. She pointed the sleeping Razzy out to Xavier and he smiled. They both slowly walked over and Xavier picked her up, cradling her in his arms. Then he carried her to their bed and laid her down gently so he wouldn't wake her up. Melissa then climbed onto the bed and lay on one side of Razzy. Xavier then joined them on the other side of Razzy so Razzy was in the middle. They gave each other a nuzzle and kiss and then they fell asleep cuddling their daughter.

[razzy]

Chapter 3

One day, a few weeks later, Razzy and her parents were going for a leisurely walk around the city of London without their owners. This had been the first time since the birth of their daughter that they had left the house again. They figured it would be best to get some fresh air and stretch their legs after being stuck in the house for three months.

Razzy was so excited. This was her first time out in the real world. As she walked with her parents, she took in all the sights around her. Everything was so big and there were things she hadn't seen before. She would run on ahead of her parents, look down an alley, then turn and run back to her parents giggling. Her parents laughed when they saw how much fun she was having just doing that. After awhile, she decided to walk in between her parents. She nuzzled each of her parents contently. Razzy was full of questions. She wondered what she was seeing and each thing she pointed out, her parents would tell her and she would repeat it.

It was still early in the afternoon. The streets were still bustling with humans either working selling flowers, fruits and vegetables, other types of goods, or just going for walks enjoying the nice warm weather. Her parents thought it would be a nice day to go to the park. When they arrived at the park, Razzy ran ahead of her parents again and bounced around. Her father had his back turned to her and was facing her mother. As they talked, Razzy turned, ran and pounced on her father. She giggled. Her father chuckled.

"You little rascal," he replied, "You're so cute." He took her off his back and said, "I'm going to get you. You better run." Razzy squirmed out of her father's arms and ran around. He chased after her while her mother sat down and watched. They were very happy. Razzy hoped her parents would be around forever because she loved them so much.

When dusk came, Xavier said, "We'd better get home. We don't need our owners worrying about us." Melissa stood up and picked up little Razzy, who gave a yawn. She was really tired after having fun with her Daddy. She had a really big day and now it was time for her to eat something and then go to sleep for the night.

They walked out of the park and headed for home. Their home was a bit of a walk from the park. It wasn't that close by at all. They lived in the nicest part of the city, while the park was in a part of the city where bad things happened most of the time.

It started getting darker on their walk home. "We can either take the long way or the short way home. Which way do you think we should take, Melissa?" Xavier asked his mate.

Melissa looked at him and said, "I think the shorter route would best." Melissa was a smart queen, but not really good when it came to the best routes to get home. Xavier nodded and they headed down a really dark alley. Xavier knew his way home through this alley, because he and his mate used to take that route all the time before Razzy was born.

It had been awhile, so they didn't know that things had changed in that part of the city, and not for the better either. As they headed down that alleyway, a strange tom stepped out of the shadows and flashed his bright yellow eyes at Xavier, Melissa and their daughter.

"Well, well, well," he replied with a sinister voice, "Look who we have here. If it isn't a bunch of strays who don't know how to stay with their own kind. You should know better than to go down a dark alley in this part of town. Apparently the two of you have no brains. By the way, it's nice to see you again, Melissa. Too bad we won't be meeting again after today."

Melissa held her daughter tightly. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked nervously. She knew who this tom was. He was a member of the tribe that she had belonged to years ago before she mated with Xavier.

The Past
The tribe Melissa had been born in were rivals of the Jellicle tribe. They did everything they could to make trouble for them. Two years ago, Xavier who was born a Jellicle and lived amongst the Jellicle tribe, was out hunting. At the same time, Melissa was also out, but for a different reason. She was out going for a walk. Neither one had known about the other before this, so they didn't see each other. As each one continued doing what they were doing, they accidentally walked into each other. The minute their eyes met, it was love at first sight. Xavier's heart stopped and Melissa's heart beat really fast.

They started talking and realized that they had a lot in common. They decided to spend a few hours together, each not wanting to go back to their tribes just yet. They laughed, ate and even kissed. When the few hours were up, Melissa had to get back before her tribe got worried about her and Xavier had to get back since it was his night for guard duty at the junkyard.

When Xavier got back to the junkyard, he was given a stern talking to by Skimbleshanks, a tall orange tabby with a brown tail and a vest. He worked the midnight mail run and was on his way out. He was running late, not that he always left early, but this time he was running really late. Xavier apologized for being late and then took his place at the entrance of the yard.

Jennyanydots, an orange tabby with tiger stripes and leopard spots were hurrying all the kittens off to bed. It was way past their bedtime. "Come along dearies," she replied, "Kittens who don't get their sleep are always cranky." The kittens whined and complained, but did as they were told. She looked over and yelled out, "Good night, Xavier." Then she headed inside her den, covered all the kittens over and went to sleep. She took care of all the kittens in the yard, since their parents were either working, away or deceased.

As Xavier sat at the entrance of the Yard, he thought about Melissa. He loved her and longed to be with her, but knew that if he did that, he would be breaking a rule of the tribe. The rule was a simple one. 'All Jellicles must mate with Jellicles lest they be banned from the tribe forever.' As he continued to think of Melissa, he had finally made the decision to break the rule and mate with her. He knew his tribe wouldn't accept it, but he didn't care. He wanted to be with his love.

Meanwhile, Melissa was also getting a stern talking to. Though they were a bit harder on her because she was a queen who went out alone and anything could have happened to her. She apologized and headed to her den to go to bed. She dreamt of Xavier that night and hoped she would see him again.

Many days had passed and they were still seeing each other regardless of what their tribes rules were. Xavier had the perfect time to do something he had always wanted to do. He asked Melissa to be his mate and she accepted. Later that night they consumated it and didn't go back to their tribes until the next day. However, instead of going separately back to each tribe, they went to her tribe first. They frowned on it and banished her from their tribe. They weren't going to accept a Jellicle into their tribe at all. Then they headed to the junkyard to see if she would be accepted, even if it was against the rules. Even there they weren't accepted as a couple and banished them from there forever, because Xavier had broken a rule.

The couple wandered the streets of London without a place to live. Just then this human couple, who were just married saw Xavier and Melissa on the streets and decided to take them in. They lived in a nice home and it gave Xavier and Melissa a place to live. The human couple didn't think it was fair to have them wandering the streets. They loved cats, so they were willing to take them in.

Xavier and Melissa were so happy together and very much in love, that they didn't care where they lived as long as they were together. They were very well cared for. They were given expensive things to eat and even a basket they could sleep in. Two years later, when Melissa went into heat again, Xavier took her and that's when she became pregnant with Razzy.

The Present
Melissa continued to look at the tom who was blocking them. "We're not strays Hector. We have a human family who cares for us deeply. You and the others turned us away and wouldn't accept the fact that Xavier and I were mates and we weren't going to be parted." She nuzzled Razzy and kept her as calm as she could.

Hector continued to glare at them and said, "Aww, isn't that sweet? You have a daughter. Congratulations. Too bad you won't see her grow up into a fine queen." Then he gave a signal and a few more toms stepped out of the shadows. Half jumped on Xavier and half jumped on Melissa, knocking Razzy out of her arms.

Razzy heard screeching and screaming. She had no idea what was going on, so she stayed hidden in a box she had found. She hoped her Mummy and Daddy would be alright so they could go home. Little did she know that she would never see her parents alive again.

[razzy]

Chapter 4

It was early morning the next day. Skimbleshanks had just come off of work and was heading back to the yard from the train station. He happened to pass by the alleyway where the attack happened the night before, when he heard tiny sobbing. He headed down the alleyway and saw the gruesome attack that had happened the night before. As he continued to scan the alleyway to see where the sob was coming from, he saw a little black kitten with white spots and a white-tipped tail. He then noticed that the sob was coming from the kitten. His heart went out to the little kitten, because he realized that the kitten belonged to the deceased tom and queen. On closer inspection he realized that the tom was Xavier and the queen was Melissa. He couldn't believe anyone would kill them. Just because they were banned from the Jellicle tribe, didn't mean he wanted to see them killed.

He walked slowly over to the little kitten, sat down, and said, "You poor little kitten. I'm so sorry." He really had no idea what to say to her. He wasn't good about situations like this. He wasn't even sure if she would allow him to comfort her. It wasn't right for a kitten her age to be left alone in such a dangerous world. Anything could happen to her now that her parents were dead.

Razzy looked up at the voice and recoiled from him. She didn't know if he was sent to finish the job or if he was going to save her. "Who are you?" she asked shaking and sniffling.

Skimbleshanks looked at her and said, "I am Skimbleshanks. I knew your parents. Your father was a good friend of mine. He's a member of our tribe. He's a Jellicle and so are you. I can take you to my tribe where you can be well taken care of."

Razzy's sad brown eyes, which still had tears in them, ran to him and buried her head in his stomach. She cried harder. "Mummy...Daddy.." she wailed.

Skimbleshanks wrapped his arms around her and lightly stroked her back. "It will be alright. I'll take real good care of you and no harm will ever come to you. You will be protected. Ready to go with me?"

Razzy looked up at him and said, "Wait." Then she got out of his lap and slowly walked over to her mother's still form. With tears in her eyes she nuzzled her Mummy lovingly and kissed her cheek. "I love you Mummy. I miss you." Then she walked over to her father's still form and did the same thing. "I love you Daddy. I miss you." Then she headed back over to Skimbleshanks. "I'm ready now."

Skimbleshanks had watched her say goodbye to her parents and picked her up. He carried her back to the junkyard. He was going to introduce Razzy to the Leader of the tribe and recruit three toms to come and help bring back the bodies of Xavier and Melissa. They were so young and their lives were cut short.

After awhile he was back in the Junkyard. He was welcomed by the guard on duty. The guard looked at the little kitten in Skimble's arms and arched a brow. He had no idea why Skimble had that kitten, but knew eventually he would find out.

Skimble saw that Old Deuteronomy, the Leader of his tribe was sitting on the giant tire. He slowly walked over to him. Old Deuteronomy's two young sons Munkustrap and Rum Tum Tugger were playing tag with each other. Munkustrap was six years old and Tugger was five. Munkustrap and Tugger stopped playing when Skimble showed up. They too saw the kitten in his arms and walked over to the tire to see what was going on.

Skimble bowed his head to the Leader and said, "Old Deuteronomy? This is a young kitten of the late Xavier and Melissa. She's all alone now." He placed Razzy on Old Deuteronomy's lap gently and the backed up. He stood there and watched.

Old Deuteronomy looked down at Razzy with a kind face. "Hello Little one," he replied, "What's your name?"

Razzy looked up at him and said, "Razzy." Her dark brown eyes were still sad, but she was glad to see a kind face. She knew that neither Skimble nor Old Deuteronomy would hurt her, not like those bad toms did to her parents.

Old Deuteronomy's heart went out to her. "Welcome to the junkyard Razzy," he replied, "You will live here with us. You are a full Jellicle from now on. We will get you cleaned up and find a couple here to adopt you into their family." He lightly stroked her back and then patted her lightly on the head.

Skimbleshanks moved forward again and said, "Sir? Jenny and I would be very happy to adopt Razzy and raise her as our own."

Old Deuteronomy nodded and said, "Alright Skimble. Razzy will be in Jenny's and your care. Take her to Jenny so she can clean her and feed her. Then come back and I will give you further instructions." Then he looked his two sons and said, "Go with Skimble and help Jenny."

Munkustrap and Tugger nodded. "Yes Sir," they chorused, then moved to wait for Skimble. Skimble picked Razzy up and carried her to where he lived with Jenny. They didn't have kittens of their own yet. He walked into the den. Munkustrap and Tugger followed him inside.

"Jenny? Please come here. I have a little kitten," he called to her. Jenny came into view and saw the little kitten in Skimble's arms. She thought she was such a beautiful little kitten. She had never seen a little kitten who looked the opposite of another kitten they had in the yard, named Alonzo.

"Hello Little one," she replied, "My name is Jennyanydots, but you can call me Jenny." Then she looked at Skimble and asked, "Where are the poor dear's parents?"

Skimble sighed and said quietly, "She's the daughter of the late Xavier and Melissa. I found her in an alley on my way home from the train station. I also saw their bodies. They were a mess. They were definitely attacked last night."

Jenny's heart fell when she heard the news. She had always liked Xavier and now he was gone. She gently took Razzy from Skimble and nuzzled her. "Aww, you poor dear. Don't worry. We'll take care of you." Then she looked at Skimble again and asked, "What's her name?"

"Her name is Razzy," he replied. Alonzo, Cassandra, Exotica, Bombalurina, Demeter and a little black tuxedo tom named Mistoffelees came out from the back room to see who the new kitten joining them was. Mistoffelees was the same age as Razzy. His blue eyes looked at her with wonder and interest.

Jenny turned to look at the other kittens who had gathered around them and said, "Everyone, this is Razzy. She will be living here with us. I'm going to clean her up and give her something to eat."

"Hello Razzy," they all chorused. Razzy gave them all a small smile. She said nothing at the moment, while Jenny carried her to the sink to bathe her. As Jenny washed her in the sink, Razzy started to purr softly. She really enjoyed it. Jenny's touch was so motherly and loving.
It was definitely something she missed when her mother was taken from her.

Skimble said, "I have to get back to Old Deuteronomy. He has some instructions for me. You kittens be good and be nice to Razzy." Then he left the den and headed back over to Old Deuteronomy.

Old Deuteronomy already had three toms sitting with him waiting for Skimble to come back. Skimble walked over to them and said, "I never thought we would ever have to do this to one of our own."

"Me neither, but we can't let the city dispose of them. Xavier was a Jellicle and he shall be one again. Melissa will also become one. I will see if I can reach the Everlasting Cat to come and collect both of them from here. I need the four of you to go to that alley and bring their bodies back here," instructed Old Deuteronomy.

All four nodded and headed out. Old Deuteronomy then concentrated and prayed to the Everlasting Cat. He wanted the Everlasting Cat to make an appearance and accept them both into the Heavyside Layer.

Meanwhile, back in Skimble and Jenny's den, Jenny was feeding Razzy. Razzy was enjoying her food, even if it was a lot different than what she had been fed in her human's home. Razzy's brown eyes were still sad as she ate. Mistoffelees slowly walked over to her and tilted his head to the side.

"Hello Razzy," he replied softly, "My name is Mistoffelees. You can call me Misto if you like. I'm sorry your parents are no longer here. I don't have my parents around either. My uncle only comes to visit when he can."

"Hello Misto," she replied softly, "Thank you for your sympathy." Tears streamed down her little cheeks. Misto frowned and nuzzled her. He knew what it was like not to have his parents around anymore. They were also killed not too long ago as well.

"Would you like to be friends?" he asked, hoping she would say yes. Maybe they could be friends and a comfort to each other. Misto had been adopted by Alonzo and his parents.

Razzy sniffled and said, "I would like that, Misto." He was the first friend ever had, besides her parents. She finished eating and Jenny cleaned up the area.

"You can go play if you want to Razzy," she replied with a smile. She was glad Razzy ate everything that was given to her. She could never let a little kitten go hungry especially that long since it was apparent that Razzy hadn't eaten anything since yesterday morning.

Misto headed to the doorway to where the others were playing and turned to look at Razzy. Razzy nodded and said, "Alright Mama Jenny." Then she followed Misto to the doorway and they both headed into the room.

Munkustrap was the oldest kitten there. He stood on a small box and was trying to get the others there in the group to make suggestions on what they could play. He asked each one in turn what they wanted to play.

Tugger thought a bit and then said, "How about Superheroes? I will be the one to kitnap Razzy, and you all have to save her." He winked at her, his heartthrob attitude showing through at an early age. He was definitely going to be the breaker of hearts when he was older and he knew it. His mane was so wild and furry.

Razzy blushed lightly and said, "That sounds like fun." The others loved the idea. They all chose a secret name since no one was supposed to know who their secret identities were. Tugger had mischief in his eyes. Razzy wasn't so sure about it, but she went along with it.

Munkustrap told the others who were going to be superheroes to follow him so they could get costumes out of a toy trunk. They all chose their costumes. Tugger didn't need a costume. He was fine the way he was. They all told Razzy to just do whatever she wanted at the beginning of play. She did so and then Tugger came and kitnapped her.

Razzy screamed, "Help! Someone save me!" She was really getting into the role. Tugger tied her up into a tiny chair that they sat on to eat their snacks gently as not to hurt her, and said, "I got you now my little pretty. No one will ever save you."

The superheroes all arrived. Munkustrap looked like Superman, Demeter looked like Hawkgirl, Bombalurina looked like Wonder Woman, Cassandra looked like Batgirl, Exotica looked like Supergirl, Alonzo looked like Robin Hood and Mistoffelees looked like Zorro. He had a tiny little hat, a mask, boots, and belt with a sword holster in it with a toy sword. While the others went to 'fight' Tugger, Misto decided to be the hero to actually rescue Razzy. He untied her and got her out of there.

Razzy blushed and giggled. "My hero," she replied, then kissed his cheek in a friendly manner. It may have just been acting, but Misto blushed because the only one whoever kissed him was his adoptive mother. Then they sat and watched the 'fight'. Everyone there was on top of Tugger in a pile and mussed up his mane. Finally he was subdued and the game was over. They all laughed and giggled with excitement. They had a lot of fun.

By the time their game was over, it was snack time. Jenny had the snacks out for each appropriate age. Tugger brought the chair that they used and sat down in front of his snack. Since Misto and Razzy were the two youngest ones there, they were sitting in highchairs. The kittens ate their snacks. They played a bit more and then the parents came to collect their kittens.

All the kittens had already left. Alonzo and Misto were the last ones left. When Alonzo's parents came to pick up him and Misto, Misto brought Razzy over to meet his parents. He called them Mum and Dad, even though they weren't his birth parents. "Mum. Dad. This is Razzy. She just came here today. Mr. Skimble brought her here," he replied with a smile.

"Hello Razzy," replied Alonzo's father with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you," replied his mother, also with a smile. Alonzo's mother picked up Misto and held him in her arms.

"Hello," she replied shyly with a smile. Her dark brown eyes looked at Alonzo and wondered if she was going to see all the kittens again tomorrow.

Alonzo smiled at Razzy and gave her a hug. "We'll see you tomorrow Razzy," he replied, "Again we're all sorry."

"Okay," Razzy replied returning the hug, "Thank you." She watched them walk out the door and towards their den. "Good night," she waved. Then she turned around and headed over to Jenny. "Mama Jenny?" she asked.

"Yes dear?" Jenny said as she looked down at Razzy. She wondered what little Razzy wanted.

Razzy nuzzled her leg and said, "Thank you for taking me into your home and adopting me as your own."

Jenny smiled down at her and picked her up. She cradled her in her arms and nuzzled her back lovingly. "You're welcome dear," she replied, "Would you like me to cuddle you tonight?"

Razzy nodded and purred. "I would like that Mama Jenny," she replied softly. Then she let out a tiny yawn. She was getting really sleepy.

Jenny's heart melted. She never thought she would ever take care of a kitten yet. She and Skimble didn't have kittens of their own yet, but she did want them. She carried Razzy around while she got a tiny blanket to wrap around her. She sat down on a pillow and covered Razzy wrapped the blanket around her. She cuddled her to sleep.

Razzy fell asleep in Mama Jenny's arms. Just then Skimble came home after doing the hardest job he would ever have to do, and hoped he would never have to do it again. After closing and locking the door behind him, he turned to see Jenny cuddling Razzy in her arms. He smiled at that and headed over to them giving Jenny a nuzzle. "The Everlasting Cat accepted both bodies and they will be reborn when they're needed," he replied in a whisper. He wasn't working the midnight mail run that night so he would be able to stay with Jenny and Razzy. He sat down next to Jenny and saw little Razzy asleep.

Skimble smiled and said, "We'll take really good care of her. She will be practice for us until we decide to have kittens." After awhile he said, "We should get some sleep now. She has a big day ahead of her. Tomorrow we'll take her out to meet the other adults."

Jenny nodded and said, "You're right Skimble. That sounds like a good idea." Then she set Razzy down gently. Skimble laid down on one side of Razzy and Jenny laid down on the other side of her. Then they both fell asleep with Razzy sleeping soundly in between them.

[razzy]

Chapter 5

Many years had passed since Razzy had been adopted by Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots. Razzy had already grown into a beautiful young queen. All the kittens who were kittens when Razzy came into the yard, were now a bit older. Razzy was now fifteen years old in human years which was equal to one year old in feline years.

Some of the toms who had seen Razzy when she was a kitten and had watched her grow up before their eyes, couldn’t believe she would look like an angel. They would always watch her walking around the yard. Some would say hello to her, but the others would just look away thinking that she would never talk to them in a million years.

There was one main tom who would always watch her from afar. He had grown up with her and had watched her. He was her best friend, but at the same time he was really shy. He had become shier since he had gotten older than he was when he was a kitten. His blue eyes watched her as she sat down not too far from where he was.

Razzy's dark brown eyes scanned the yard, when she felt eyes on her. Her white spots illuminated in the bright sunshine and the sun also formed an aura around her. She looked like an angel without the wings. Her magic had shown through the past few years. She had ended up with her father's magic powers. She didn't have anyone to teach her how to use her powers since no one in the Tribe had the powers that she had. She always knew when someone was watching her.

She smiled, blushed and said, "Hello Misto. I know you're watching me. A friend doesn't stare at a friend. I'm not really sure how I know it's you, but you're about the only who seems to watch me from afar. Are you that afraid of me now?" She blinked her eyes in the direction he was sitting.

Mistoffelees sheepishly appeared in front of Razzy and blushed. "I'm sorry, Razzy. I don’t mean to stare, but for some odd reason, I'm not sure how to talk to you like I used to. You must have magic powers. I found out that I have some, but I can't control them much right now."

"Magic powers? How is it that both you and I have them? I don't know if either one of my parents had them or not," Razzy replied softly, "If either one of them had them, they never showed it around me or even told me. I remember a lot of things about my parents, but that was one thing I don't. I'm afraid to ask Mama Jenny and Papa Skimble, because they may not even know."

Mistoffelees moved closer to her and nuzzled her. "Don't worry. I'm sure someone here would remember if one or both of your parents had magic. I don't know if either of my parents had them either, but I do have them. Since we both have powers and no one to teach us, would you like to practice together sometime?"

Razzy looked up and smiled at Mistoffelees. "I would like that very much," Razzy replied, "I promise that if you accidentally hit me with your magic I won't get mad at you, because I know you didn't mean it."

Mistoffelees smiled and said, "Thank you and I will do the same if you do it accidentally." He suddenly got shy again and looked around the yard. He saw that the other toms closer to their ages were looking at Razzy. He suddenly felt inferior compared to them and felt that he might be getting his hopes up for nothing. He really liked Razzy, more than just a friend, but knew that he would be letting himself in for heartache if he told her how he felt about her and she didn't like him in that same way back.

Alonzo had been watching his brother Misto and Razzy talking together. He knew that they were really good friends, but he saw something more than they were letting on. He would never make his brother feel embarrassed about something like that. Alonzo knew that in two years Misto and Razzy would have to go through the coming of age during the Jellicle Ball and wondered if they would ever choose each other. It wouldn't be the end of the world if they didn't, but it would be interesting if they did.

There had been six new kittens in the Yard since Razzy had joined the Tribe. When Razzy and Misto were five months old, Jellylorum had given birth to two kittens and Jennyanydots had given birth to four kittens. Jellylorum's kittens were named Victoria and Etcetera and Jennyanydots's kittens were named Tumblebrutus, Pouncival, Electra and Jemima. Tumblebrutus, his brother, and two sisters were Razzy's younger siblings only because she had been there first.

Tumblebrutus and Pouncival were watching Razzy and Misto talking. They snickered to each other. All of a sudden Pouncival, the younger of the two toms, decided to pounce on Razzy. He pounced on her and pinned her to the ground.

Razzy closed her eyes and sighed. "Pounce, that wasn't very nice," she replied, "Please get off of me." She looked up at Misto and waited to see if Pouncival would get off of her.

Pouncival finally did and hurried back over to Tumblebrutus giving him a high five. Then they both ran off to find their two sisters to bug. They were laughing on the way. They had already pounced on their older sister, now they had two more sisters to pounce on.

Razzy sighed and sat up. "Siblings," she said simply. She brushed the dirt off of her fur and then looked back at Misto. She gave him a smile not knowing what else to say about getting pounced like that.

Just then Tugger waltzed into the Yard. He had become the heartthrob of the Yard. All the young queens and female kittens followed him around like love-sick pollicles. Tugger always noticed a queen and he was definitely one of the toms who had his eyes on Razzy, but knew that Misto would zap him one if he ever tried to seduce her.

Razzy used to be one of Tugger’s followers, but now that she was older, she no longer wanted to follow him around. Some of the young queens in the Yard, Bombalurina mainly, never stopped following him around. If those young queens wanted to follow Tugger around for the rest of their lives, then they were welcome to him. Razzy just didn't like Tugger in that way anymore. She felt like he was trying way too hard to get the queens to like him, but he was also showing them that he wasn't just interested in one, he was interested in all of them.

Mistoffelees looked down at the ground. Tugger had become a lot worse than he was years ago. Tugger had become a pompous, arrogant pain in the butt. Mistoffelees felt that if he didn't make eye contact with Tugger, he wouldn't bother him at all, but that didn't work. "Hey Misto, hello Razzy," Tugger replied as he sauntered his way over to him and Razzy. Misto looked up and moved in front of Razzy to keep Tugger at bay. "Hello Tugger," Misto replied softly.

"Hello Tugger," Razzy replied kindly, "Besides all the young queens here in the Yard, what brings you by?" She already knew the answer, but Tugger wasn't that easy to get rid of. You had to have some kind of conversation with him to get him to go away.

"That's the only thing," Tugger replied, "Just here to see the pretty queens. By the way, you're still a beauty." He winked at her. He eyed her up and down as he waited for her to answer him back.

Razzy sat there and sent a telepathic message to Misto, "I'm still a beauty? When wasn't I? Not that it really matters to me if I was a beauty or not, but none of the toms here have ever said I was still a beauty."

Misto shrugged and then decided it would be best to stand up to Tugger. "Tugger, why did you say that to her? She has always been a beauty. Why did you say she is still a beauty?"

Tugger looked at Misto and then looked at Razzy. He just realized what he had said and sighed. "I apologize for that, Razzy. You have always been a beauty." He hoped that she would accept his apology, because it wasn't often he ever apologized for anything.

"Apology accepted," Razzy replied, and then excused herself from Misto and Tugger. Razzy would have liked to stay around Misto, but since Tugger was there, it felt a bit awkward.

Misto sighed sadly and then it finally hit him. He had actually revealed his thoughts about Razzy out loud and she heard him. He felt really embarrassed. He decided to go after Razzy and make sure she was alright.

Tugger watched them both leave and then shrugged. He would find another queen or two or even three who would love his company. He looked around and saw Etcetera, Bombalurina and Cassandra. He sauntered over to them and made himself comfortable. The three queens gathered around him and snuggled up to him contently.

Razzy had moved to the other side of the Yard in a short time. She was sitting down and looked at the ground. How dare Tugger say that about her. He had never said anything like that to her before. The nerve of that arrogant tom telling her that she was still beautiful. She either was or she wasn't and that was in the mind of the tom himself.

Mistoffelees found Razzy and cautiously walked over to her. "Razzy?" he asked softly. Razzy looked up at Misto to let him know that it was alright for him to come closer. He gave her a nuzzle and said, "Tugger had no right to say that. He never thinks before he speaks and that's his problem. I meant what I said earlier, too. I always thought you were beautiful, even when you first came here. I never thought you would ever give me the time of day because I'm the shiest tom here. No queen or even princess here would ever give me the time of day unless they wanted to see a few magic tricks. Apparently that's all I'm good for."

"Don't say that Misto," Razzy replied, "You're the only one here who knows what it’s like not to have anyone here who can teach us how to control our magic. We both lost our parents when we were really young, while the others were a bit older or haven’t lost them yet. Tugger's just a pompous fool. He doesn't care about a queen or princess and their feelings, he only cares about himself. He's a pretty boy." After awhile, the thing that Misto said had finally sunk in. "You really mean that? You've always thought that about me?" She blushed furiously hoping he wasn't just saying that. Then she remembered that Misto never said anything he didn't mean.

"Of course," Mistoffelees replied shyly, "Why wouldn't I mean something like that? You know I never say things I don't mean." He sat down next to her and continued to look at her.

Razzy nodded and said, "I know. I just remembered that." She gave him a bright smile and nuzzled him happily.

Mistoffelees blushed when she nuzzled him and purred contently. A few minutes later, Mistoffelees wanted to ask her a bold question. He wasn't sure if Razzy's adoptive parents, let alone his own, would let them, but if she said 'yes' then they could ask both of their adoptive parents together. He took a deep breath and said, "Razzy, would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Razzy was stunned by that question. No tom had ever asked her that before. She wasn't quite sure how to answer that kind of question, so she decided to phrase it a certain way. She took a deep breath as well and then said, "Misto, if my adoptive parents and your adoptive parents don't object to it, I would love to."

Mistoffelees smiled widely at that and then it faded again. "Who's adoptive parents should we ask first?" He really didn't know if they should ask his adoptive parents first or if it would be best to ask Skimble and Jenny first.

Razzy's eyes widened at that and said, "That's a very good question. I would probably think my adoptive parents first, since Papa Skimble has to go on the Midnight mail run tonight."

Mistoffelees nodded and then stood up. He offered her his left paw to help her stand up. They would talk to Skimble and Jenny first since they didn’t want to wait until the next day when Skimble was going to be home.

Razzy gave him her paw and stood up with his help. She smiled at her best friend again and nuzzled him. She was really glad they were best friends. She knew that he would never hurt her on purpose.

Mistoffelees led her to where she lived with Skimble, Jenny and their kittens. He was really nervous, but knew that they had to get permission before doing anything else and taking their relationship further. He knew they had to be dating first and then become mates when it was their time. They had two Jellicle Moons to go before they ever reached that bridge to cross.

[razzy]

Razzy walked into the den first and looked around to see if Skimble and Jenny were there. They were and Razzy's four siblings were out and about the yard. Razzy walked over to where Skimble and Jenny were sitting and asked, "Papa Skimble? Mama Jenny? May we talk to you two privately while the kittens are out and about the yard?"

Skimble looked at Misto and Razzy briefly, then at Jenny. They both nodded and wondered which one of them was going to speak first. He wasn't going to rush them because he knew how shy they both were and figured out that they might need to plan out what they wanted to say before they actually spoke.

Mistoffelees gave Razzy a look and then cleared his throat. "Mr. Skimble, Ms. Jenny, you both know that Razzy and I have known each other from the first time Razzy came here into the Yard and was adopted by the both of you," he started and then waited for them to take that into consideration. He was no good with words and everyone knew that, so he was going to word everything carefully so it came out intelligently and not confusingly.

Skimble and Jenny nodded. They remembered that very well. Misto and Razzy had been close since they day they met and they had noticed a hint of something more to their relationship than they ever let on.

Then Mistoffelees continued, "We would like your permission to date seriously." He wasn't sure what their reaction would be to the way he said it, even though it didn't sound too bad. At least they trusted Misto more than they did Tugger.

Razzy stood there looking at both of her adoptive parents. She hoped they wouldn't object, but at the same time, she wasn't quite sure if they would accept it. She bit her lip as she watched them.

Skimble looked at Jenny and then back at Misto and Razzy. "We will talk it over and get back to you later," he replied. This was definitely something they had to talk about. They remembered what it was like when they were kits, so they knew what the adults had to do before giving permission for something like that.

Mistoffelees sighed, but understood. He nodded to them both respectfully. Razzy reacted the same way, but she also nodded to them. Mistoffelees offered his paw to Razzy, she took it and then they walked out of the den together, not letting go of each others' paws even when they got outside.

There was nothing Misto and Razzy could do but wait for Skimble and Jenny to either accept or reject Misto and Razzy's request. Just then, a pretty white kitten with gold ghost markings and blue-green eyes saw Misto and Razzy. She elegantly ran over to them and gave them both a smile.

"Hello Misto, Razzy," she replied softly, keeping the smile. She was the oldest female kitten in the Tribe. After Misto and Razzy had their turn at the Ball, she would be the next one in line.

Misto smiled back at the young princess and said, "Hello Victoria." He bowed politely to her and asked, "What are you so happy about?"

Razzy smiled and said, "Hello Victoria." Then she said nothing more at the moment. Since Misto had asked Victoria a question, there was nothing she could really say until that question had been answered.

"I just found out that I can dance!" Victoria exclaimed happily, "Mummy saw me dancing and she loved it. She said I looked like a ballerina!"

Mistoffelees and Razzy smiled at Victoria. Mistoffelees said, "Maybe one of these days you can show us."

"I can show you now if you want," Victoria replied, looking at both of them. She hoped they would say yes, but if they didn't want to see her dance, then that would be okay too. She also hoped they weren't busy.

Mistoffelees looked at Razzy to see if she would object. She didn't object and the both found a place to sit giving Victoria plenty of room to dance for them. Razzy sat down next to Misto and rested her head on his shoulder. Mistoffelees wrapped an arm around Razzy's waist and said, "Victoria, you can start whenever you're ready."

Victoria nodded and took a deep breath. She wasn't quite ready yet, but when she was ready, she had the tune of the song playing in her head. Then she started dancing like a graceful ballerina for Misto and Razzy. She was flexible, but not as flexible as Razzy at the moment. She still had a long way to go to get even close to Razzy's flexibility. Victoria was still young, which was why she wasn't that flexible yet.

Mistoffelees and Razzy smiled as they watched her. Victoria was definitely a beautiful dancer. Both Mistoffelees and Razzy knew that Victoria was going to become the Ballet Cat when she was old enough and had a status in the Tribe. Everyone in the Tribe had a status and a job. They knew what they were supposed to do and knew that at least one of their kittens when they mated would take over their status and job.

Just then, Skimbleshanks came out of the den. He looked around and saw Misto and Razzy sitting next to each other watching Victoria dance. He watched her too and thought that she was really graceful in her movements.

Finally Victoria stopped dancing and noticed that Skimbleshanks was watching her too. She smiled shyly at him and then smiled at Misto and Razzy. A few seconds later Victoria's mother was calling her home. "VICTORIA!! TIME FOR DINNER!" Jellylorum called to her daughter. Victoria said goodbye to Misto, Razzy and Skimble and then ran home quickly.

Skimbleshanks walked over to Misto and Razzy. He gave them a smile and said, "Jenny and I have talked it over and we give you our permission to date seriously." He gave them both a few rules that they had to follow and the main important one was to not do anything sexual until they were old enough to mate. Misto and Razzy agreed to those rules and then Skimbleshanks went back into the den.

Misto and Razzy looked at each other with bright, wide smiles. Then they gave each other a nuzzle and a huge hug. They were so elated. They were really glad that Skimble and Jenny gave their permission, but now the problem was only half solved. The other half was to ask Misto's adoptive parents. "Shall we go ask my adoptive parents now?" Misto asked Razzy. "I think we should," Razzy replied softly, "I just hope they're just as understanding as mine were."

"Me too," Misto replied standing up and offering a paw to help Razzy up. Razzy stood up with his help and then they both headed over to where Misto lived with his adoptive family. They walked into the den and saw Misto's adoptive father and mother sitting down relaxing. Misto was really scared to ask them since he thought they would be tougher on his request than Razzy's were. "Hello Mum, Dad," Misto replied with a smile. Razzy also had a smile, but it was more of a shy smile.

"Hello Misto, Razzy," Misto's adoptive father Tailchaser said. "Why are the both of you smiling?" Misto's adoptive mother Touchpad asked, "You two haven't ever smiled this much before."

Misto was a bit nervous but said, "Well, Razzy and I just came from Mr. Skimble and Ms. Jenny's place. We wanted to ask you permission before we tell you why we were at Razzy's place."

Tailchaser looked at Misto and Razzy. He was really curious. He wondered what they could possibly want to ask them for permission about. "What's on your mind, son? What do you want to ask us permission about?" he asked. Touchpad looked up at all of them and waited patiently.

Misto took a deep breath, looked at Razzy and then back to his parents. "Razzy and I would like your permission to date seriously. We have been friends for a long time and we felt it would be better to take our relationship to the next level. What do you two think?"

Tailchaser was stunned. He looked at his mate Touchpad. Touchpad was also stunned. Tailchaser looked back at both of them and said, "Give us a little while to talk it over and we will get back to you as soon as we can."

Misto and Razzy sighed. They knew that his parents would pull the same thing on them like hers did. There was nothing they could do but wait for them to give them their answer. They went outside and went back to where they had been sitting before while waiting for Skimble and Jenny to give them an answer.

Alonzo had been out and about the yard. He had been hanging out with Munkustrap. He was heading back to the den when he saw Misto and Razzy looking a bit glum. He wondered why they were looking so glum. He walked over to them. "Misto? Razzy? What's wrong? Why are you looking so glum?"

Razzy looked up at Alonzo and sighed. "We're waiting for your parents to answer our question which was more of a request. Apparently they like to make us wait. I don't know what's so hard to say yes or no to our question. Alonzo? Do you know why they would put us through this? This is the second time this has happened in the past few hours."

Alonzo shrugged his shoulders and said, "I don’t know Razzy. They must have a good reason. What question or request did you ask them? Depending on what you asked them, they would want to make sure that they both agree on it."

Mistoffelees sighed and said, "We asked them an important question, that's all you have to know right now Alonzo. When we get our answer, and hopefully it's the one we want, then we will tell everyone here in the yard. Until then, we are saying nothing about what Mum and Dad are talking about."

Alonzo shrugged his shoulders and went to find Plato. He was just a little younger than Alonzo, but it was better than the queens that were around his age. There was nothing else he could do.

Just then Tailchaser came out of the den. He looked around and saw Misto and Razzy
sitting next to each other. He headed over to them and said, "Misto? Razzy? We talked it over and we have decided that the two of you are old enough and mature enough to date seriously, so we will give our permission."

Misto and Razzy looked at each other elated and gave each other a hug. Misto then said, "Thank you, Dad. Mr. Skimble and Ms. Jenny also gave us permission, but we didn't want to tell you just in case you and Mum didn't approve."

"Good idea," Tailchaser replied with a laugh, "I know you two won't do anything you're not supposed to do until you mate with each other, if you choose to mate with each other."

Razzy blushed and so did Misto. They hadn't thought that far. They were just interested in moving to the next step in their relationship and nothing more for the time being. In a few days they would tell the entire Tribe that they were dating seriously and that both of them were unavailable to the opposite gender.

Misto said, "You four can count on us Dad. Razzy and I won’t do anything that will jeopardize the trust the four of you have in us." Misto respected his elders and so did Razzy. They knew that when the elders trusted them, they had to make sure they kept that trust.

Tailchaser chuckled and said, "I know you both will." Then he headed back to the den and went inside to relax with his mate. Touchpad smiled at her mate when he came back in. She knew that he had just told Misto and Razzy the good news by the smile on his face.

After Tailchaser had left them, Misto and Razzy gave each other another big hug, except this time Razzy gave Misto a kiss on the cheek. Misto blushed, but returned it. Then they snuggled into each others arms in the shade with wide content smiles.