Disclaimer: I don't own Cats.
A/N: I thought I'd try my hand at a Cori/Tanto fic. I think they would make pretty interesting characters to write and I love the pair! This is not an incest fic, or romance fic, but merely a friendly story. Sorry if the telepathy between Cori and Tanto gets confusing. They finish each other's sentences so...yeah. Enjoy!
Everything was dark; silent. Coricopat stumbled through the darkness as he tried frantically to find some sort of light or reassurance as to where he was. Beads of sweat trickled down his forehead as he found the atmosphere was unbearably hot around him. He stood still for a moment to catch his breath. He could hear nothing but his own labored breathing, causing him to panic even more.
Where was Tantomile? Surly she would be telling him to calm down by now. But he could not sense the familiar presence of his sister's mind in his own, nor see her in the darkness that enveloped him. He was alone. Alone in this black abyss, running to nowhere, not knowing if he would ever get out.
Suddenly, a faint, distant voice called out to him, "Coricopat..."The voice was definitely female, and Coricopat looked around to see who had called him. He saw no one. He couldn't even place who the voice belonged to, as it was so fleeting, it was impossible to tell. The voice repeatedly called his name, and each time it became louder and clearer, until it was like a scream in his ears. It overwhelmed the tom until he was on his knees, begging to no one for the voice to stop. The single word the voice was shouting melded into shrieks of pain and terror, invading his mind with unparalleled force and causing him to cry out in agony. He felt his eyes roll back into his head at the same time as his body fell backward.
Coricopat jolted awake as Tantomile called his name. He glanced dazedly up at her concerned face, which was peering down at him. He shook his head as the fog in his mind left him, instead being replaced by the comforting presence of his sister's mind.
Cori, you were dreaming again. Tantomile stated as her expression became emotionless; the usual expression she used when she was communicating telepathically with him. Since they could read each other's thoughts and feelings, there was little use for facial expressions if they could already feel what the other was.
Why, Tanto? I keep having this-
-strange dream? I know, I've been experiencing it with you for the past week. It's always the same one. Tantomile finished. She sighed mentally.
You're worried for me. What's wrong with me? Are my powers-
-going out of control? I don't know, but it's a possibility. All I know is that-
-it's getting worse every night. What am I to do? I feel like I need to do something to get rid of these feelings, but what? Cori asked pleadingly. The strange dream, the slow, but overwhelming build-up of magic inside of him...was he finally losing it?
No, brother, you're not going mad. Your predicament sounds oddly familiar, though.
How so? Cori questioned. I don't remember you having-
-the same problem. The symptoms; the magic building up inside, begging to be let out. Who else do we know who has the same problem? Tanto's thoughts swirled with his, making the psychic tom forget his current agitated state in favor of trying to catch on to what his sister was implying.
Tantomile's mind wandered off as she fed memories of bright flashes of light into her brother's mind, along with sporadic booms and glimpses of colour. Cori felt her become lost in the memories and her mind grew a little more distant from his. He suddenly caught on to what she was trying to tell him and pulled her mind back the present.
Mistofelees! Are you sure it's the same problem? I'm not an adolescent anymore, though. We passed that stage a couple of years ago. We can control our powers now. Cori stated as Tanto shook her head.
I know. I'm not saying it's exactly the same problem. It's just similar. Misto lets excess magic out via bolts. Now you sound like you have magic that needs letting out. Maybe we should-
-ask him and see if he has any ideas? Great idea, he's the only one who could possibly understand what we're going through. Let's just get some sleep and ask him in the morning. Cori yawned and laid his head back down. Tanto smiled softly and stretched out beside him in their shared bed. Cori slept peacefully for the rest of the night, mingling his mind with his sister's on a subconscious level as he did so.
Tantomile blinked her eyes open as her twin brother did the same. They sat up in unison and branched their minds out around them, wanting to know if anyone else was awake. They could read others' minds, and every mind had a distinct colour that flashed in their heads when they read the cat's thoughts. The twins could easily distinguish one mind from the other depending on the colour that it gave off while they touched the mind. This came in handy when they couldn't see the cat.
Coricopat sensed some active minds about, which meant that some cats were already awake. Others were still dormant, with little to no activity. He was searching for one mind in particular, as was his sister. Together they mentally probed the area around them, and stopped once they recognized a familiar burst of purple coming from the center clearing.
Mistofelees is awake. Tanto said briefly as they both stood up and walked to the clearing in perfect synchronization. The cats who were awake stopped and stared at them for a few moments before shaking their heads and continuing their daily routine.
Cori tried to ignore their probing eyes and instead touched their minds, wondering what they thought of them today. He always got anxious around others, as they treated him and his sister differently because they were psychic. The minds around him felt uneasy, as usual.
He caught a flash of green from a mind on his left. Alonzo. He thinks the way we do things in unison is weird, sister. I feel his unease.
Tanto sighed sadly. Everyone thinks we're strange. That's what you get when you're-
-a psychic cat. Why can't they just accept us and treat us normally? Cori finished as a burst of longing mixed with anger coursed through him, and inevitably, passed through to his sister.
Tantomile stopped in her tracks as her twin stopped as well. Cori...those feelings. They're the same ones you have when you're dreaming. Maybe the dreams are linked-
-to what I feel in the real world? Let us ask the Conjuring Cat if he knows. Cori stated as they met up with Mistofelees.
He smiled at them as he stopped walking. "Good morning, you two. How are we today?"He greeted kindly. Cori and Tanto smiled in return.
"We are fine today-"Tanto started.
"Mistofelees. We came to discuss matters of magic with you, if you have the time."Cori finished. Misto looked from one to the other, not at all fazed at the fact the twins finished each other's sentences.
His expression turned serious at the mention of magic. "Of course. Let's talk somewhere private, alright?"He said in a low tone as he led the twins away from the now occupied clearing and to a smaller one, where no one could hear them. The trash piles here were considerably lower and mainly consisted of old appliances and furniture. The trio sat down in the middle of the clearing in a circle.
Misto was the first to break the peaceful silence. "What is it? Is something wrong?"He asked as he scrutinized his friends' unreadable expressions. They were looking at each other, occasionally cocking an eyebrow or glancing towards him. Misto knew they were conversing with each other through telepathy, so he waited patiently for one of them to speak.
After a few minutes, they both turned their heads to face him. Coricopat started.
"I've been having these strange dreams. They are often accompanied with feelings of desperation, loneliness, longing, and sometimes anger. The feelings get worse and worse every night, and they drive both of us insane."
Misto nodded, and asked, "When did you start having these dreams, Cori?"He looked inquisitively at him, but Tantomile answered for him.
"At the beginning of the week. We think Cori's powers are going out of control, so we came here to ask you if you had any ideas on how to control them."She explained as they both looked at him hopefully.
The tuxedoed tom seemed to be deep in thought, his face unreadable. After a few moments, he met their eyes again. "Think back to the day you started having these dreams, Cori. Was there anything out of the ordinary that happened on that day? Something that invoked these feelings?"He furrowed his brow as the psychic cats seemed to go into a trance. They stared off into the distance, staying completely still. Suddenly, they both flinched as if something hit them, and they seemed to come back to reality again.
"We remember something that Mungojerrie said to Cori. It wasn't any different from the things we hear every day about us, but-"Tanto looked to her brother, who continued her phrase seamlessly.
"-it cut deeper than the usual remarks cats give us when we talk to them. I was talking to Rumpleteazer when her brother came up to us and led her away, muttering, "Don't talk to these freaks, 'Teazer. They don't belong here."It left us feeling like outcasts, more than ever. That night the feelings I felt then multiplied tenfold in my dreams."Cori and Tanto sighed hopelessly.
Misto perked up and snapped his fingers. "That's it!"He exclaimed as the twins cocked their heads at him.
"What's it?"They asked simultaneously.
Misto smiled at them. "I know what your problem is. The feelings stirred up by 'Jerrie caused an unbalance in your magic, making you have these dreams. I've had the same problem a bunch of times. If you want them to stop, find a way to let the feelings out, thus balancing your emotions and magic again."He explained as the twins nodded in understanding. They both furrowed their brows as another problem seemed to come to their minds.
"Wait, what kind of an outlet? We can't release magic through bolts, like you. Since we also share the same feelings, we can't just dump it on each other, or that will just cause an emotional build-up neither of us could handle. What should we do?"Cori asked as Misto tapped his chin thoughtfully.
He smirked at them as if the answer was obvious. "Find someone else to confide in and talk it out. You can't pick me, though. That will just make my emotions go crazy, too. It won't be pretty. Who else can you trust with your feelings?"He asked as the pair stared at him in disbelief.
Confide in someone else? No one wants to get within a ten meter radius of us, let alone talk to us! Who could we possibly share our feelings with? Tanto asked as waves of anxiety and uncertainty passed between her and Cori.
I have an idea. What about Jemima? Cori asked. A surprised wave emanated from Tanto.
Jemima? No, she's much too young. She would not be able to handle this type of thing. Who else...? Cori felt his sister's mind wander off, branching out to the minds around them again. He did the same and felt splashes of colour paint the otherwise black plane of his mind's eye.
He saw splashes of blue, green, and red colour his vision. Admetus, Alonzo, and Bombalurina...No, not them. He thought as he suddenly stopped his search as he felt two different shades of orange burst from somewhere on his right. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer? Sister, what do you think of Rumpleteazer? Cori asked as he felt her mind retreat back to herself as his did the same. Feelings of her uncertainty swirled with his feelings of hope.
Rumpleteazer? I thought she and her brother were the ones who started this whole problem? Why go back to-oh, I get it! Tanto caught on as a wave of understanding flowed between them.
Yes, fixing the problem at its roots. They are the only suitable choice. I don't want to deal with Mungojerrie, though. He hates us enough already. Besides, Rumpleteazer is the only one I know who will voluntarily talk to us. She has also been through much hardship, what with her time at Macavity's hideout. She would easily understand and help us cope. Cori thought as he heard Tanto snicker. What's so funny? He sent a wave of confusion her way as she rebounded with one of amusement.
I know why she's the only one who will talk to us. She has a crush on you, you know. Her brother doesn't like the idea, though, so he is even harsher towards us, especially you. Tanto snickered louder as Cori just got more confused.
She does? Why, then, haven't I known of this? I have talked to her on numerous occasions, yet I never felt these feelings of infatuation in her mind. Are you sure? Cori asked.
Coricopat, you may be psychic, but even you cannot read a queen's deepest feelings and thoughts. I have noticed these feelings cross her mind, but I have kept them hidden from you. Call it queen's intuition. Toms just can't sense those feelings, unless of course, the queen is their mate. Tantomile explained with a slight smirk.
I have a lot to learn about queens, then. What else do you keep hidden from me, sister? Cori pried. He sent feelings of curiosity to Tanto's mind as he tried to probe it, but she mentally blocked him so he couldn't find out what else she knew that he didn't. Defeated, Cori mentally sighed and retreated back to his own mind. I'll find out one day! Do you think Rumpleteazer would-
-help us? Yes, I'm sure she'd be more than happy to. Tanto answered with a hint of satisfaction that Cori found frustrating. Even if he was mentally linked to a queen, he never could find out what they thought about each other. Tanto kept it hidden very well, and as much as he tried to probe these thoughts, she wouldn't give them up.
With that, the pair finally turned their attention to Misto, whom they completely forgot was there during their conversation.
"Sorry about that. Our conversations can-"Cori started.
"-run a bit long. We came up with someone who-"Tanto continued.
"-can help us. Rumpleteazer."Coricopat finished.
Misto looked a bit surprised with their decision, but accepted it. "Alright, that's an interesting choice. Good luck with that. I have things to attend to, so I'll leave you two on your own. I hope you two get better." He nodded politely and walked off as Cori and Tanto stood and strolled down the path on the opposite side. Now all they had to do was get 'Teazer alone to be able to talk with her.
Tanto knew it wouldn't be hard, but a sense of nervousness slowly settled in her mind.
Cori, why are you nervous? We're just going to talk with her! She'll understand. Tanto reassured her brother, but it didn't help much.
It's not that I'm worried about. I'm worried about-
-Mungojerrie. I'm sure if Rumpleteazer can even remotely understand our problem, she will tell him to back off. Tanto assured him. She felt Cori's nervousness recede a little bit.
Let us hope so, Tanto. I just find him a bit intimidating, that's all. Cori said feebly as they walked along in unison.
I will handle it. Queens are much more understandable than toms, anyway. Just keep quiet until Mungojerrie is gone. Then you can talk as much as you want to her. Tanto offered as she sent calming waves to her brother. The nervousness gradually disappeared from her mind as they took effect.
Thank you, sister. Look, there they are. Cori and Tanto turned their heads towards one of the dens as they saw 'Teazer emerge from it, along with her brother.