The Aristocats Collection

Chapter 1

(Authors note: so this is a story. I'm Courtney and this Tory is a collaboration with my friend Jacob and I. As of 2016, we are actively updating the story! Yay! So, we have a fan page on Instagram: @aristo.fans and it's cool! We're working on an Aristocats game on Scratch, as well as an animation that's already out. Follow us for sneak peeks, digital author meet n greets, contests, and more! Thanks for reading! It's from the POV of Marie, because I was in an Aristocats play as Marie. Bye!)

A sweet breeze brushed the air, and the trees swayed nicely. I
stared out the window, wondering when to ask Mama about what I wanted to ask her. Her, and that thing...
I am Marie, a wonderfully pampered Aristokitten. My mother, Duchess, is an Aristocat, and my father, Thomas, was an Alley cat—but now he's an Aristocat too. I live in a big, beautiful mansion. My life was sweet, except for the one thing bothering me.
Duchess was about to walk out, but I called her back to me. I sighed. I was about to ask her, but I quickly changed my mind.
"Mama..." I said. "I always hear Daddy talking about how beautiful you are, and how you have sparkly sapphire eyes, and how your coat is shiny like a star and things like that." I took a big huff of breath. "Am I beautiful, Mama? Do my eyes sparkle? Do I make someone's day just by smiling and saying hello?"
Mama smiled. I ask her this every night. I love how she says it. "You get more beautiful each second. Your face gets sweeter. Your luxurious Aristocatic fur gets longer and more shiny. I love you, Marie." I smiled. Then I closed my eyes and nodded my head, and drifted to sleep.

I woke up and stretched. I actually woke up to the sound of Toulouse and Berlioz tumbling around. I knew Mama wouldn't approve of it, but I don't think she would be awake. What was the formal thing to do? I'd talk some sense into them myself.
I cleared my throat. "Berlioz? Toulie? You better stop fighting." Toulouse stuck his tongue out at me. He hated when I called him Toulie. They balled back up again. "Do you want Daddy to see you guys?" Berlioz looked up. "Dad would be proud of us." Berlioz said. "Heck, he was an Alley cat himself!" I rolled my eyes. I started to say something, but Toulouse cut me off. "Shut up, Marie. Abber dabber doo doo, blah blah stop stop stop." Toulouse mimicked. Him and Berlioz cracked up. "You know," I said. "Berlioz, you and I should be practicing our scales and arpeggios. Toulouse, you should be painting." Toulouse laughed more. "Marie, stop it!" he laughed hysterically. I stuck my tongue out.
"Do. Do. Do mi, do mi, do mi, sol mi, do me sol do, do sol me do, do me--"
Berlioz cut me off. "Uh, your terrible screechy voice is interrupting our fighting!" That's when I got mad.
"MAMA!"
Mama rushed over. "Oh, Marie! Oh—what happened? Stung by a bee? Fell? Broke a bone?" Mama hurried to me.
I explained to Mama what happened. "Toulie and Berlioz were fighting, and I started singing scales and arpeggios, and Berlioz said I have a terrible screech voice!"
"Oh, Berlioz!" Mama spat, so loud that Daddy came now. "Duchess, everything okay?" Daddy assured. I could tell Mama was mad, and Berlioz had a solemn look on his face. Mama smiled maliciously. "Berlioz, you are the best singer in the world." I almost thought Mama was serious for a moment. "So why don't YOU sing the scales and arpeggios? Hmm? You've never sung them before, just played them, yes? Try for yourself. Then maybe you will see how hard singing is!"
Berlioz just stared at Mama, as if he didn't know what she meant. "Go on, go on. Sing them." Mama deviously smiled. Heh. This would be a show.
"Do. Do. Doo doo mi saw doo do sol low...um..."
I cracked up laughing. Toulie just pointed and giggled. "Now, Aristokittens, don't point and stare. Giggle in your mind." Mama said. We didn't understand. She read OUR minds, and smiled big. ''Smile," she said. ''And you will giggle in your mind.'' I tried it. Strange enough, it worked. Strangely.
''Breakfast!'' called Miss Agatha. We all ran over to her. Our favorite--warm, cinnamoned, sugared milk. I could see the brown cinnamon swirls dancing in it, and shiny sugar on the surface. I touched my tongue to it lightly. Ooh. Delicious as ever. Sweet, just sweet enough. I loved it.
I started to lap it up. Toulouse lifted his paw and swiped at the milk, then licked it off. Mama shot a look a disapproval to him, an 'I Dare You' look. Toulouse then started licking it up like a proper Aristokitten. Mama's face lit up. ''Oh, kittens! There was something I wanted to talk you about...'' What did Mama want to talk to us about?
Later that day, it was time to practice scales and arpeggios--again. I was still wondering what Mama wanted to tell us. Maybe later she'd reveal it.
''Now, Marie,'' Mama started. ''Prepare your wonderful voice you have.'' She shot a look at Berlioz, so quick you could barely notice it. By routine, Berlioz sat down at the piano. He played the first note. Do. Then the next. Do. He played the same note a few more times, as a warm up. ''I'm ready, Mama.'' Berlioz said with a clear voice. It seemed as if what he had done earlier was much in the past. I cleared my throat as he started playing.
''Do. Do. Do mi, do mi, do mi, sol me, do me sol do, do sol me do, do me sol do, do sol me do, every single note is important so, and you must play your scales and your arpeggios. Do me sol do, do sol me do, every voice of mine is important so, I must sing my scales and my arpeggios.''
The song went finely, and smooth. Up until Mama ask we to try something new. ''Marie, sweetness, maybe you could try singing this. Listen to me. Berlioz, don't play right now.''
Then Mama started singing. ''Do sol, do sol, do mi do mi do sol, sol do, sol do, mi do mi do sol do.''
I sat there, puzzled, trying to remember what Mama had just sung. She sung it again, so I would know. I had a perplexed look on my face as I attempted it. ''Sol do, do sol, mi do, do mi sol sol?'' I tried to sing. Mama clapped. ''Not exactly, but very close. Nice.'' I smiled. ''Thank you, Mama.'' I said smiling. Mama nodded. ''Now, I have something important to do. Good bye, my sweetnesses!''
I tried to race after Mama and remind of what she wanted to tell us, but I didn't catch her before she left. It was after midday, but not yet evening. I didn't know what to do to entertain myself. Toulouse was still painting. He was painting a picture of Agatha, I was pretty sure. Or the old butler Edgar. I had no idea why he was still painting, though--he didn't even enjoy it that much. He usually stopped painting when Mama left. I thought maybe he didn't know.
''You know, Toulouse,'' I started. ''Mama left already.'' ''I know.'' Toulouse replied, still painting. Something was up. I wondered if Toulouse was thinking about the same thing that was bugging me. I thought I might ask him. First what he was painting, then the thing.
''Toulouse, what are you painting?'' I asked. His answer surprised me. ''If Mama had more kittens, but with Thomas, what would they look like?'' Toulouse asked.
That was exactly what had been bugging me.
Then I straightened my back to look up at Toulouse's painting. I thought the circle had been a human's head--but it was a kitten's head. Three kittens in fact, and under each one was a name. Suiss, a white male. Then Mariette (whom I think is named after me), who was an orange and white female who looked like Daddy. Finally, a small, light orange female kitten named Léa. Now I definitely knew what he was drawing--and why.
''Toulouse, I've been wondering the same exact thing. For, well, ever since Mama and Daddy got together.'' I admitted. Toulouse looked surprised. ''Wow.'' Toulouse said. I knew what he was thinking. Berlioz hopped over. ''I've been listening. Same here.''
All of our mouths dangled open, glancing from each other to the picture. But then another question flew into my mind. ''Also...another thing we need to ask Mama.'' I gulped. ''Who is our real daddy?'' Berlioz and Toulouse nodded. Now, we had two questions to discover our past and future.
It was late night again, too late. But this time, Berlioz, Toulouse and I were all staring out the window. When Mama walked in, we would ask her everything. Spill it all. This was gonna be a long night.
Finally, the door creaked open. My heart skipped a beat, and thumped furiously. Then her voice.
''Kittens, you should be in bed!''

We each turned around. ''We have something to tell you, Mama.'' Berlioz whispered. ''Two things, actually.'' Toulouse said. ''And what would that be?'' Mama asked.
The moment of truth. Our past and our future, revealed.
''Mama. It's time you stop hiding it. Two things. The first. Our past.'' I started. ''Who is our dad? Not O'Malley. Our real, true dad. Before you never ever knew O'Malley.''
Mama's eyes lit up. ''Oh. You want to know. I understand.'' It looked like Mama was as nervous as us. ''Well...'' she started. ''Long ago, Madame got me from Paris' finest breeder. Not too long after, she got a black and white cat from the city shelter. He had been an Alley cat, but he soon became a proper Aristocat. We loved each other very much, and one day I had kittens. You kittens. The black and white cat, whom she named Duke, got jealous quickly. One day he ran away, and we never saw him again. That was when the old butler Edgar was here. But now it's a new time, and you mustn't worry about those things.''
I stood smiling. The entire tale lit up my face. I was now satisfied, knowing my past. Now the future.
Mama was about to leave the room, but I stopped her.
''Mama?'' I asked. ''Yes?'' Mama turned back around to face me. ''One more question.'' I started. ''Will there ever be another generation of cats? Will you ever have kittens with O'Malley?'' Mama didn't even say a word. She just smiled. ''Go to bed, kittens.'' Mama whispered. I obeyed.
That night, I had fanciful dreams of a new future. I had more dreams of my past, a sleek, handsome tomcat named Duke. And the future--I had dreams of three new kittens. And their names? Suiss, Mariette, and Léa.
The next morning I woke up refreshed. I woke up thinking of Duke, and of Suiss, Mariette, and Léa. It would be a wonderful day. The only thing was, with knowing my past, I had more questions. I was curious. I wanted to find out where my real father was.
It would be a long trip. Then, even more complications would arise. But I just had to find Duke, and let him know I was his daughter. I mean, I liked O'Malley, but, in general, he was not my true father. Duke was going to return.
I was planning out my journey in my head until Madame announced something I usually would be ecstatic over--we were going on a cruise. It sounded fanciful and sweet. Well, it would have, considering if I wouldn't be planning on staying here for quite a while finding Duke. Then, there and now, I had to make a decision.
Would I come with Madame and my family on the cruise, or stay here and find part of my family? Madame said we would be going next month on the cruise. Suddenly, something occurred to me.
As long as I was back in a month, I was fine. It didn't matter. I would be back to go on the cruise, and I would possibly be back with Duke. My dreams were unraveling.
I jumped up on the dresser, where there was an empty bottle of pills. I picked it up and slipped it underneath my collar. Now I just had to wait until dinnertime.
When it was dinner, I secretly slipped my head down where my bow was in the milk. The empty pill bottle filled up with milk. Perfect.
I swiftly jumped back up on the cabinet, not spilling but a drop of milk. I held the cap to the pill case in my mouth and placed it on top of the jar. There. I was all ready.

Night came very quickly. Mama had said good night, and each of the kittens were asleep. Well, except me. The window was open. It was the only way out. I tried not to look down. It was about 3 stories high. Not too high, but a little tall. However, there was a tree. If I could just land on it, then fall to the--
I slipped.
I shrieked for a minute, but then tried to balance my attention on balancing. I landed on my front paws in the grass, then my hind legs flew down softly. Time to find Duke. But where would I start?
I walked down the streets, yelling, ''Duke!'' I didn't think I would find him very soon. But my goal was to find him this week. It was Sunday. By next Sunday, Duke would be home, and we would have two fathers. It would be awesome.