The red queen, ducking her head down low, followed obediently in the steps of her gold-and-black leader.

She didn't dare ask her to slow down—Demeter was too worked up.

But as she caught up, breathless, she noticed a confidence in the gold queen's shoulders, where before they'd been hunched in fear.

Bombalurina took to Demeter's side with the ease of years of practice and asked, "You feeling better?"

Demeter answered, sounding a bit surprised, "You know, I actually am?"

Bomba gave a big smirk. "See? Once you smack Tugger he's not so bad."

A grin forced its way to Demeter's war-face. "True enough."

By the time this conversation finished both cats could see Cassandra where they'd left her, but she wasn't paying attention to their approach. The Abyssinian, who looked like a big dark blot in the snowy landscape, was crouched with her paws planted on two wooden crates and head stretched out between them, peering intensely at some scene down below.

Demeter sat in the hard snow by Cassandra. There was a bit of shelter from the pelting hail behind an anonymous pile of snow-covered stuff.

Bomba crouched at Cass's other side. "What is it?" she asked urgently at the dark queen's hiss.

Cassandra didn't even look up. "Munk's got Awonzo pinned!" She sounded angry.

"What?" Demeter jerked back up on her hind feet and leaned over Cassandra, almost comically, trying to catch a glimpse of her estranged mate.

"Tensions are high," said a familiar voice. The Rum Tum Tugger dropped to one knee in the snow by Bombalurina, his expression neutral.

Cassandra, annoyed by Demeter's anxious weight on her head and shoulders, growled and pushed upright. Demeter sat back, eyes darting from Tugger to Bombalurina and back down towards Munkustrap, barely visible through the heavy snowfall. Fright was starting to seep back into her posture.

Bomba, feeling every inch of that tension, said quickly, "Right. Cass, you and I take Alonzo-er, 'Awonzo'."

Cass didn't look remotely amused. "It's getting bedder," she complained.

"Tugs, you're with Demeter, kay?"

It was really a marvel, Demeter thought wryly, that her sister still trusted the tom who'd not one minute ago tried to dunk her in slush. Bomba was so very hopeless.

But Demeter's very exasperation was helping ease her fear, and she figured that being paired with Tugger gave her the delightful option of knocking him into a ditch should the opportunity present itself. After all, he was on the tom's team.

Tugger nodded. "You got it, Babe." Then the neutral expression broke and he whispered: "But after that I'm on you."

The red queen scratched her shoulder with supreme nonchalance.

Demeter rubbed her ears. They were much too sensitive in the cold…

"Hurry!" Cassandra said, worry in her voice and her eyes glued to the scene below. "He's going to—Alonzo!"

Before any of them could stop her, Cassandra wildly grabbed a snowy object from the neighboring pile and hurtled it down at the gray tomcat below, who was poised on the edge of a smacking the black-and-white tom into next week.

"Pounce?"

Tumble stopped dead. Pouncival turned back, irritated at this delay when it was snowing (actually, hailing) harder than ever.

But his irritation turned to worry as he saw the frozen look on Tumble's face, which was a shade of green.

"Pounce..."

Pounce leaned in, placing a paw gently on Tumble's limp shoulder. "Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?"

"I did something stupid, Pounce."

Pounce coaxed Tumble in a sitting position, and stood blocking the snow from him. "We've got to get you back to the den. Take a quick rest."

"No!" Tumble's answer could only be called a shriek.

Pounce's heart started thumping painfully. He felt almost sick with worry over Tumble's predicament.

"I-I wrote down things, Pounce. In my soldier's log. Things that should never be discovered."

Pounce frowned, heart still pounding, but less so since Tumble's broken ribs weren't causing the problem. "Things? Huh? What sort of things?"

"And I left it out," Tumble whispered, so low that Pounce could barely make him out over the storm. "When you came to get me, I was so excited to see Electra that I-" he gulped comically-"left it out on Jelly's bed."

Pounce was nonplussed. "So? Why is that a big deal? Everyone already knows you like Electra; that's no secret."

Tumble swallowed, staring at Pounce's right knee. "I mentioned your quote about Plato."

Pounce's ears stood up straight. "What quote about Plato?" Plato, whom they'd left back at the den. With the journal.

"The...one about his head...being stuck...up his..." Tumble didn't need to finish; the jerk from Pouncival indicated that he remembered well enough his quote about Plato's head being stuck up his ass.

Pounce's mouth fell open. His lips quivered.

"And...the fact...that we..." his voice shrank even more "are the spies..."

Pounce sat down suddenly in the snow, head lolling like a toy mouse.

"Oh...my...Heavyside..."

Tumble's greenish complexion grew greener. He looked as though he'd be throwing up any moment.

Pounce looked at him suddenly, fiercely. "Plato's going to murder us! And I do not want to be murdered right now!" He stood up, and started pacing maniacally. He laughed a madman's laugh. "Things are going really well with Etcy. It's the start of something, Tumble, something good and serious and I do not want to be murdered right now!"

"I'm so sorry," Tumble whispered. "I'll try to convince him to murder only me." A cold sweat broke out at the thought of the pain that would entail-Tumble felt that broken ribs were quite bad enough.

Pounce shook his head wildly, still pacing. "You know Plato! And then he'll tell Alonzo, and Munkustrap!" His voice reached a higher pitch. "Munkustrap, who is just about ready to snap and kill someone anyways!"

"Killed by Plato and Munkustrap," Tumble repeated in horror, now the color of a houseplant. He flopped backward in the snow.

Pounce paced for another full minute before he realized that the stress, combined with fear and mixed with a good deal of rib pain, had knocked Tumble clean out.

Plato grumbled, "How could they kick us out on a night like this? In a blizzard? I mean, I don't even think they're going to use that den…" He used a broad shoulder to push through some quickly-freezing snow, making a path towards Jenny's warm, dry, and hopefully-safe den.

Victoria couldn't help but blush, the soft pink flush on her cheeks practically the only part of her visible in the swirling white and grayness around them. She pressed into Plato, thankful for his warmth, thankful for his imposing size, and thankful for his presence on a frigid, stormy night. She nuzzled him affectionately, her white headfur almost but not quite blending in the cream color of his flank.

In answer, Plato's arm wrapped around her and she looked up into his smiling green eyes.

"You doing okay, Vic?"

"Freezing," she answered. "You?"

He laughed, the sound snatched away by the storm. "I'm pretty cold."

"No time to waste," she said promptly, blushing more when he ducked in for a kiss. "Let's hurry and get inside."

At once his protector instincts took over, and Plato glanced around the junkyard, ears high, nose sniffing. Victoria hoped he could see, hear, or smell more than she could, or they'd be lost in the blinding whiteness for a while.

Finally Plato dropped his head. His lips found her right ear and he said, loudly: "This way. Keep hold of me at all times."

She couldn't resist joking. "Is it going to be a bumpy ride? Are we expecting turbulence?" This new thing with Plato made her goofy.

He smirked, but his priority was her safety, and he didn't otherwise acknowledge the joke. "Let's go." And they did.

Victoria hated that frigid, remorseless trek, which felt like it took hours instead of mere minutes. The very breath was stolen from her lips by the wind, and when she was able to suck it down it made her throat ache. The hail beat against her back and head, not quite painful but by no accounts pleasant.

Her numb paw on Plato's broad side, with only the slightest hint of warmth on the palm, was the only thing that kept her going.

Suddenly, he wasn't there.

Victoria jerked her head around, feeling stiff and stupid. Where was he?

Then Plato's face and arms were there, pulling her out of the noise and cold and into the blessed warmth of Jennyanydot's den—the queen's home base.

The noise of the storm subdued, Victoria tucked her chin into her shoulder, trying to rub out the ringing in her ears.

"All right?"

Plato. Victoria was surprised how quickly she recovered; warmth rushing into her veins.

"Yes." She smiled, and looked around eagerly. "Jemima? Jelly? Jenny?" Her eyes narrowed, trying to make out forms in the dim light. "Etcy? Ele? Jemima? Coricopat?"

Only silence and solitude.

Plato said, blithely: "It appears your team is missing."

Victoria sat for a long moment, long enough for Plato to come over and settle in.

She broke away. "Oh no, Plato!"

"I don't like the sound of that…" He looked at her. Victoria said firmly, "We have to go find the others. Especially Jemima. She's so tiny, a gust of wind outside would seriously mess her up." Her voice shook.

Plato didn't look at all surprised at her declaration, only slightly fazed. "Ah well. I suppose we've had enough alone time for a while, don't you think, Vic?"

Etcetera, humming loudly to ignore the cold wind biting every part of her body, called back: "Just about there, Electra!"

The calico queen scampered over to join her friend. "I know, Etcy."

"No time at all!"

"I got it." Electra tried not to scowl; her eyes were already red and her nose blue as a blueberry and ice particles clinging to her headfur and whiskers. She knew she looked a fright.

She breathed hotly into her paws and tried to smooth the delicate furs on her face.

It wasn't working. Electra sighed.

"Right here!" Etcy gestured excitedly. The pale tabby dove into the hidden doorway of Jelly's den. Electra took a ragged breath, and followed.

"Tumble?" she called. Her heart started racing.

But the den was empty. Etcetera made a face. "Golly. Where are they?"

Electra walked over to the flattened cushion that was Jelly's bed. She picked up a lonely bandage. "Well, they were here."

Etcetera nodded in agreement. She said "Pouncy?" in a hopeful tone, even though it was clear he wasn't around. She checked out every corner of the den. "Look at this!" she said brightly, holding up a fleck of glitter.

Electra batted her paw away. "Where are they? It's a blizzard outside! Tumble shouldn't be out! It's dangerous!"

"We went out," Etcetera pointed out. She winked at Electra. "Because you just can't wait to see Tumble!"

Electra scratched her foot vigorously. "As I recall, it was you who kept saying 'Pouncy? Pouncy? Shouldn't we go get more news from Pouncy?'"

Smirking, the pale queen shook her head. "You were just as happy as I was to find Tumble—admit it!"

Electra gave her a benevolent punch.

"Fine. Don't admit it. It's obvious." Etcetera had an air of maddening superiority that, combined with her overwhelming cheerfulness, made Electra turn purple in irritation.

"Shut up, Etcy." Electra went to the doorway. She was suddenly frightened. "We've got to go find them. They might be in trouble."

Etcetera came up beside her, sobered. She laid a paw on Electra's shaking shoulder. "We will." Then her nose turned up. "Anywho, we should get out of here. This place stinks."

Jemima huddled under a flimsy cardboard box. It was so limp that every new gust of wind would make it raise up, flap wildly, and come back down, knocking against her. She gritted her teeth, trying to control the shivers wracking her body.

She wasn't quite sure where she was, at the moment. When Mistoffelees had stalked off with the promise of another match-up at a later date, she had shrugged it off and headed in a direction she thought was south. But when the wind and snowfall increased, Jemima had the sneaking suspicion they were turning her ever so slightly so that she had no idea where she was going.

Her teeth chattered helplessly. Jemima tugged at the soggy brown flaps of the box, trying to keep it anchored down. Her best chance of surviving the storm was to stay put, and stay warm.

Although, Jemima reflected, those requirements might cancel each other out. If she stayed under this stupid box, she'd probably freeze to death.

"Well," she told herself, "it's your fault. I wonder if…?" She didn't say what she was thinking out loud, because it would be too hopeful. But she definitely wondered if anyone had even noticed she was gone. Especially her sworn opponent.

She really hoped so.

Mungojerrie watched indulgently as his sister alternately pushed, coaxed, and threatened Admetus into gaining an upright position. The brown-and-grey tomcat was rather reluctant to let go of his wounded tail.

Jerrie did feel a bit bad about that. After all, he was on the same team as Admetus.

Technically, Tantomile was the enemy.

"Well, Tanto, how about this?" Jerrie grinned widely. "Three on one. You're surrounded. Now, I'm not about to let anyone attack you but me, but…"

Tantomile glared at him. The soft fur on her shoulders was rising.

"Seeing as you took me prisoner all sneaky-like earlier, I'd like to regain some manly honor here…" he trailed off. His queenfriend, normally calm, collected and superbly unaffected, was hissing, eyebrows meeting in a V-shape over the delicate bridge of her nose.

If Jerrie didn't know any better, he'd say she was raging mad.

"Tanto?" he said, weakly. She looked right past him. Jerrie turned to see what Rumpleteazer and Admetus were doing that could get her so upset.

Nothing, unless Tantomile was offended by the act of wiping snow from your whiskers. But Jerrie was pretty sure that wasn't the case. He peered harder at the couple, trying to see what they did that could have made Tantomile so angry…

Wait.

Jerrie's mind clicked into place. It wasn't Tantomile who was angry…

Coricopat came out of nowhere. He flew through the turbulent air, a dark streak in the whirling gray snow, and hit Rumpleteazer hard. She was knocked off her feet, rolling over and over and finally coming to a stop against a frozen stack of tires.

Her head whipped up, her freckled face full of shock, and a hint of anger. Cori was right on top of her, and crammed a snowball the size of a Frisbee into her face.

"How about this for a snow-bomb, huh?" Cori grabbed more pawfuls of snow, stuffing them in Teazer's headfur. "And this? And this!"

Admetus growled, and made to step forward, but Mungojerrie held him back. "Cori…I think you've made your point." His tone held a warning. Rumpleteazer was his sister, and his partner in crime. Even if Cori was Tantomile's brother.

Coricopat promptly grabbed a hold of Teazer's wriggling body and shoved her down in the snow. "Fine. I'm done here." He stepped away, stretching. His eyes swept over his sister, Mungojerrie, and Admetus, who was snarling and trying to break free of Jerrie's hold.

Exotica appeared, suddenly. The darkness of the sky and storm made her approach almost invisible. "Feel better?" Her smile suggested she was having a good deal of fun.

Cori nodded gratefully. "Very much so." He smiled in return.

And that was when Rumpleteazer recovered from his sneak attack and jumped him. Down they both went, landing hard in the snow.

Jerrie yelped in surprise, and Tanto's eyes narrowed. She seemed to have recovered somewhat from Cori's violent mood, but the aftereffects were lingering.

"Teazer!" Jerrie yelled, trying to get her attention away from scratching, biting, and pummeling every inch of Coricopat she could reach. "Teazer, stop it! You did have it coming!"

Exotica said, sounding a bit worried: "She fights rough, doesn't she? Cori didn't want to hurt her; he just wanted to humiliate her…" She rubbed her shoulders, nails digging into her fur. "He would never hurt a queen!"

Tantomile hissed. "That is it! Let's settle this!" And with that, she jumped into the fray. Screeches, hissing, and yowls rose up in cacophony.

Mungojerrie groaned loudly, but over the hubbub and the blizzard he was barely heard. His grip on Admetus loosened, but the streaked tomcat was so busy staring in disbelief that he stood stock-still. Jerrie swore, and said roughly to Exotica:

"Keep a paw on him. I'm going in."

Exotica and Admetus stood there, watching the psychics and the thieves battle with scratches, bites, and copious amounts of snow.

Exotica turned to Admetus. "Perhaps we should?"

He blinked finally and looked at her. "Well?"

"We could just wait it out. Let them deal with their issues. Find some shelter."

"Or?"

"Or jump in. Defend the objects of our affection."

"You?"

"I'm in. Cori's not going to be snow-bombed ever again."

Admetus' grin was so wide it took over his entire face. "Unless Teazer and I get to him first."

Exotica wiggled her eyebrows. "Alrighty, then. Bring it!"

And just like that, the two watchers became active participants in the wild snow-battle that was raging with no sign of stopping, freezing blizzard or no freezing blizzard.

A large chunk of ice, harder than a rock, smashed into Munkustrap's head. He shook it off, and instinctively released Alonzo, turning and crouching towards the direction the missile had come from.

His eyes were narrowed, pupils darting about, searching for his attacker, but his breathing was controlled and steady.

Only one queen would dare to defy him like that.

He was finally ready for this stupid Snowball War to begin.

A/N: DRAMA! And another cliffhanger; I'm sorry! But this is a two-part chapter...Next part should be up...soon.
Thanks for reading! I know it's tense right now; but things are going to get fun. And funnier. And maybe a bit more dramatic.
Hope you enjoyed!