A/N: Italics are either internal thought or telepathic communication.
On his way back to the 'yard, Alonzo pondered to himself what could possibly have happened to Misto to make him act so bizarrely. It really wasn't like him to leave someone stranded the way he apparently had with Victoria. There had to be some kind of explanation. There had to be! In all his years of being Mistoffelees' friend, of the two of them, Mistoffelees was always the gentletom around queens and queenkits. Must have been because he took after his father; if there was any one tom in the entire junkyard you could always count on to be gentletom-ly, it was Munkustrap. Alonzo had always assumed that Mistoffelees was automatically the same way. Apparently, he thought as he scratched his head, he might have to rethink his assumption.
When he got to the gate, he ran inside and began frantically searching for the magical cat, becoming more and more convinced that something was seriously wrong with him. This wasn't just out of character, it was downright freakish! Alonzo dashed over to Mistoffelees' usual sleeping area, but he was not there. He tried looking in Munkustrap's den, too, just in case, but he still was not there! Now desperate (though he wouldn't have been able to tell you why), he wildly ran through the junkyard, calling at the top of his lungs, "MISTOFFELEES? MISTO? WHERE ARE YOU?" He received many odd looks from the other cats around, but he didn't care: he really needed to find Mistoffelees! Finally, being able to scream no more, and still not having found his tuxedo-ed friend, he sat down on a convenient tire, overwhelmed. He found the strength to mutter, "Mistoffelees, isn't there" and tried very hard not to think about how weird it was to be saying that about Misto (and not a particular you-know-who!).
As if on cue, Alonzo then heard the distinctive muffled laughter of his best friend. There was no mistaking the sound Mistoffelees made when he was stuffing his arm in his mouth to prevent his laughter from being heard. Mesmerized, Alonzo followed the sound around a large junkpile and to the right, and at long last found Mistoffelees. He was non-chalantly sitting behind a low junk wall with his back to Alonzo. "Mistoffelees!" he practically screamed. "Where have you been, man?! I've been looking all over for – hmph mng wyt th fngk!"
Right in the middle of Alonzo's sentence, without looking, Mistoffelees had muttered, "Shut up, 'Lonzo!" and waved his paw behind him, somehow rendering Alonzo's lips completely immobile! That was rude! To say that Alonzo was annoyed would have been an understatement. Now incapable of understandable conversation, he plopped himself on the ground next to Misto, grabbed Misto's chin to get him to look at him, and shrugged exaggeratedly and annoyedly, to convey, "What the heck did you do that for?!"
Mistoffelees rolled his eyes and motioned with his head over the low wall. Alonzo peeped over. About ten feet away sat Jemima, Etcetera, and Etcetera, talking softly amongst themselves. So softly, in fact, that Alonzo couldn't make out a word they were saying. But this still didn't explain what the heck Misto was doing! Alonzo repeated the annoyed shrug: he still didn't get it. Mistoffelees sighed and waved his fingers in a magical motion. Out of nowhere voices emerged in Alonzo's head and began jabbering to each other like little old queens! No, I take that back. They were jabbering like little young queens. Because that's what they were. Misto had somehow caused the queenkits' conversation to be transmitted into Alonzo's mind! The patched cat started flailing around in surprise, but Misto grabbed him by the shoulders and held a claw to his mouth, whispering, "Shh!" He then motioned with his head over the wall again and got up on his knees to peep over it. Alonzo followed suit.
"I don't know what to do, guys!" Alonzo watched as Jemima spoke to her friends, hearing her voice in his head rather than in his ears. "It's just – I don't know what he was thinking! The other night he said he would have a surprise for me in the morning, but when I woke up, he wasn't even in the junkyard! Isn't that just like a tom?!"
Alonzo's eyes widened. Oops. He had told Jemima that he would have that bracelet for her in the morning. But it was Mungojerrie's fault! he thought to himself. He told me he'd have the bracelet by morning!
What was that?
Oh, I was just thinking – Hey, wait a minute! Alonzo whipped his head around to stare at Mistoffelees, who was looking at him expectantly. Misto? Alonzo thought tentatively, Can you hear me?
Yes, of course. He looked so innocent, too.
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY THOUGHTS!? Alonzo thought-screamed at him.
Mistoffelees flinched at the unexpected noise in his head, but recovered quickly. Oh, nothing, he thought back.
Oh, no. You've got some explaining to do, Alonzo said, erm, thought, as he stood up and beckoned for Mistoffelees to follow. Misto shrugged and non-chalantly followed.
When they arrived at that same old rarely-used oil drum where they could be alone, Alonzo started organizing his ideas to prepare what he was going to scream at Misto, until he remembered that not only could Misto hear his thoughts, but he couldn't scream. A cursory glance at the magical cat revealed that he was smirking evilly, betraying the fact that Misto had indeed heard Alonzo's attempt at organization and was internally giggling at his pathetic attempts. Okay, first things first: let me talk! Alonzo thought. Misto hesitated, but finally twiddled his paw around. Alonzo was finally able to speak! His first words were, "And get out of my head, you freak!"
Rolling his eyes, Misto uttered, "Fine! I'll talk! What's got your tail into a knot?!"
"MY tail!? Mistoffelees, are you okay? You seriously haven't been acting like yourself lately!" Alonzo retorted.
"Myself? I haven't been acting like myself?" Misto was the picture of innocence. "My dear Alonzo, I have never felt better! I have just found the extent of my abilities, and now you accuse me of freakishness? Of not being myself? Alonzo this IS myself! This is what I am! If I'm a magical cat, I've got to be able to use my magic! And to use it, I have to practice with it, and if I don't practice, how will I ever get better? Answer me that, oh doubting cat!"
It took a moment for Alonzo to digest that. That was deep. Not to mention nothing like what Alonzo had expected him to say. He hopped up on the oil can to arrange his thoughts. Finally, ignoring Misto's last question, he said, "Wait a minute, what do you mean you discovered the extent of your abilities? Is that how you're doing all this new stuff?"
Mistoffelees put his paws to his head in apparent exasperation. After a few seconds of deliberation, Mistoffelees sat on the can next to Alonzo, put his arm around his shoulders, and said, "Alonzo, you have no idea what happened to me last night. I'm not even sure how I can tell you, besides conveying that it was a purely magical experience. For the most part, you wouldn't understand. But let me put it this way: last night, in a dream, I was visited by someone who introduced me to my Power. I know how to use all of my Power."
Alonzo just stared, the wheels of his mind trying to understand what Mistoffelees was telling him. His "Power"? He looked Mistoffelees straight in the eye, grimacing a little. Mistoffelees only nodded back, his eyes the size of saucers. But Alonzo had no idea what to say. He was even afraid of Misto a little bit, what with him with his arm around Alonzo's shoulder and talking about his "Power." Mistoffelees was actually being almost threatening, if not on purpose. Alonzo grimaced again: this would be tricky. He tried to think of something he could say that would not prompt Misto into talking more about his "Power"; it really creeped him out. Instead, he said, "Misto, were you listening to Jemima's conversation back there?"
"Oh, I was just having some fun," he answered, grinning evilly. "Really, I couldn't resist. And you didn't hear the rest of their conversation! You wouldn't believe the things that are going on with Electra right now. For the past week –"
"Misto!" Alonzo interrupted, "You were listening in on their thoughts! Do you realize that's like stalking?"
Rolling his eyes for the umpteenth time, Misto got out, "Stalking? Please! Alonzo, if I'm able to do whatever I want, what's to keep me from doing whatever I want? If I'm –"
"Munkustrap."
"I beg your pardon?"
Alonzo felt like such a traitor for bringing this up (because Heavyside knew he had gotten Misto to circumvent his father one-too-many times), but the magical cat was just getting scary. "Misto, have you forgotten that Munkustrap doesn't let you use your powers?" he asked softly.
"Pft. Munkustrap, Shmunkustrap. Who cares about him? I have all the Power I need to ..."
Mistoffelees kept talking, but Alonzo wasn't listening. He was completely absorbed in his own thoughts. It was NOT like Mistoffelees to dismiss his father like that. He may bend the rules sometimes, go around them others (especially when Alonzo encouraged him), but to blatantly disregard all thoughts of obedience was beyond Misto. Or, at least, it should have been....but still! This simply was not like the tuxedo to just shamelessly waltz around Munkustrap as though he didn't exist!
Seeing that he would get nowhere with Mistoffelees today, Alonzo stood up and began trudging dejectedly toward the gate of the junkyard. Misto, in the middle of his speech, noticed that his friend was leaving, and called out, not too kindly, "Hey, where are you going?! We were talking here!"
Alonzo shook his head and kept on walking without looking back. Misto was just not approachable right now. It was a good thing he didn't need to approach him for any – Oops. He did need to approach him for something, and he'd completely forgotten about it, too! "Misto, there's something –" he called back as he turned around, but he was too late. Mistoffelees was already sauntering away, not listening to Alonzo and living up to his reputation of being vague and aloof.
Well.
Alonzo would just have to help Victoria himself, then. He strode out to the junkyard gate, trying to maintain his dignity in front of the other cats, even though he felt like Misto had emotionally turned him into a kitten. But he soon found that his efforts to rescue Victoria would be unnecessary, for when he rounded a bend in the 'yard, there were Victoria, Pounce, and Tumble just entering the gate. Pounce and Tumble assisted the young queen, who was covered in green shrubbery and seemed to be limping. Alonzo raced over to them and asked, "What happened, Vicks? Are you all right?"
"Vicks" just gave Alonzo an annoyed look. "Thanks for leaving me with these two idiots! Their best idea was to get me down a tree! When I think about –"
"Shh, Vicks," Alonzo whispered. He took her paw in one of his own, and put the other over he shoulders, leading her away from the bewildered Pounce and Tumble. "There's something I really need to tell you..."
A/N: I hope you guys like reading this, becuase I'm having the best time writing it!
Kassoro: Thanks! I LOVE Misto fics too! I practically won't read something if Misto's not in it! And for your costume, did you make your own wig?
Krissy4: He'll go crazy when Alonzo tells him he left Vicky on the roof? Mmm...maybe not...
Chimalmaht: Stock up on Kleenex now.
Jemima-luvah: Your new nickname is JL; "Jemima-luvah" is too hard to type.
JL: Well, I think the reason you didn't drool over Mac on that one is that he kind of wasn't in that chapter...