A/N: I've been thinking about it, and I believe this story has had a bit of a rocky beginning. Does it seem like it's going somewhere for you, readers? Answer: it is! I just have to get the foundations set and then write down all those little moments I have in my handy dandy notebook. Yes, there is going to be some plot development and the focus will switch from Cass and Alonzo to Misto and Victoria. Also, I'm going to be using some ballet terms, so if anyone needs anything explained in more detail, let me know!
Alonzo and Cassandra dashed down the path in the direction of the high-pitched scream. Once they were a fair way down, the two cats halted. The four kittens that had followed them stopped and watched with growing horror a few feet behind them.
What Alonzo saw made his gut clench in disgust. One of the henchcats he knew from his father's hideout had a struggling Victoria in his arms. The mangy black tom had the white queen-kit pinned against him with one arm, and the other was at her throat with a knife. Both captor and captured were surrounded by Plato and Mistoffelees. Plato looked infuriated while Misto's countenance held a mixture of fear and anger.
The black tom sneered at Mistoffelees, "If you come with me quietly Misto, you won't see this pretty little kitten's throat slit! You don't want her to die, do you?" He put more pressure on Victoria's throat, which caused her to whimper. A tiny bead of blood trailed down her otherwise perfectly white neck.
Alonzo hissed at the attacker, who snapped his head towards him. "Well, if it isn't Mac's prodigy, Alonzo! How have you been doing, old buddy, old pal? I've come to take you and your brother back home! Maybe I'll take this kit as a souvenir with me too, hmm?" He laughed. It was a hoarse, empty sound that made Misto shiver.
The patched tom rolled his eyes and responded calmly, "Let her go, Aldretch. It's me and Misto you want, not her. We won't have any trouble if you just release the kit, alright?" He tried to maintain a steady voice, but it was clearly bordering on impatience.
Aldretch chuckled darkly again. He ran the paw holding Victoria in place up her side. The white queen-kit squirmed and she started to sob. Plato snarled and tried to charge him, but Alonzo barely held him back. "Get your paws off my queenfriend, you bastard!" The russet and white tom-kit yelled.
Aldretch's chuckle turned into an amused laugh. "She's your queenfriend? My, my, you have very fine tastes in queens. Just look at that body…The toms will have a nice surprise for them back at home. Would like first dibs, Alonzo? It's the least I can offer to the Boss' son." His voice dripped sarcasm, which just made Plato struggle against Alonzo's hold even more.
The patched tom sighed in annoyance. He began to get angry himself. "Don't be an idiot, Al. I'm not going back with you to my father's hellhole, and neither is Misto. Give your little game up, release the kit, and return home. Tell Macavity that we're with the Jellicles now, and that we don't intend to leave anytime soon."
At those words, Mistoffelees smiled a little. Inside he was delighted and relieved he wouldn't be leaving his new junkyard home.
The amused glint in the black henchcat's eyes faded, and his face grew grim. "Is that so…? Then I'm afraid you leave me no choice, 'Lonzy." Aldretch stated with no emotion in his raspy voice. He tightened his grip on Victoria and slowly added pressure to her throat. The white queen-kit struggled harder against the stronger tom's hold, but it was no use. In a few seconds she would be lying in a pool of her own blood, dead.
Mistoffelees, Alonzo, Cassandra, and the other four kits watched helplessly as more blood dripped from their snowy friend's throat. In his utter shock, Alonzo forgot he was still holding on to an enraged Plato. The red and white tom-kit wrenched himself out of his older friend's grip and charged Aldretch. The henchcat didn't see him coming, as he was too focused on watching Victoria suffer.
The black tom felt someone yank his paw with the blade away. He didn't have time to think as he stumbled backwards and saw a red and white blur lunge towards him. An excruciating pain suddenly exploded in his chest and he shrieked in agony before he dropped to the ground.
Plato stood up from his victim, eyes wild and chest heaving. He had stabbed Aldretch in the heart, and he slowly stepped away as a puddle of crimson blood started to form around the dead tom. It took the russet-patched tom-kit a few seconds to calm down and to come to full realization of what he had just done. He glanced down at the black henchcat with wide eyes. "I…I just murdered someone…He's never going to see his family again because I killed him...Everlasting Cat, what have I done?" Plato bemoaned in his mind as tears began to trail down his cheeks. He backed up as quickly as possible, as if the more distance he put between the deceased Aldretch and himself would ease his immense regret. He bumped into Alonzo.
Alonzo noticed the younger tom's distress and tried to comfort him. "If it helps, I was going to kill him. Look on the bright side: Aldretch was going to die anyway and Victoria's safe and sound. You saved her, Plato." He smiled, and Cassandra hugged Plato from behind while she turned him to face his queenfriend, who was sobbing on her knees. Her four friends surrounded her, and they stepped aside as their red and white friend came over.
Victoria smiled through her tears as Plato embraced her tightly. Her throat stung from the cut, but it wasn't very deep. Her tomfriend cleaned it with a few licks and she nuzzled him gratefully. "Thank you so much, Plato. I thought I was going to die, but you rescued me…" She whispered. Plato kissed the top of her head and rested his chin on it. He momentarily forgot about his crime of murder as he inhaled his queenfriend's sweet scent.
Misto stood a little ways away. He hadn't moved from his spot. The small tom-kit gazed longingly at Plato and Victoria, and wished he was in the russet-patched tom-kit's place. Jealousy made him avert his gaze after a few seconds, and he sighed sadly as he went to stand by his brother and Cassandra.
With the commotion over, the four kittens walked away to find something to keep their minds off of the corpse lying in the middle of the path. Victoria and Plato stood up and strolled off, holding each other's paw. They seemingly forgot about Misto, and the tuxedoed kit stayed behind with Alonzo and Cassandra. Alonzo hid the bloody corpse well, and then he trailed behind the young couple that was already out of sight. Mistoffelees and Cassandra followed suit.
A silence blanketed the trio until they reached the center clearing. Nothing seemed out of place: the four kits from before had resumed their game, Plato and Victoria sat on the large tire in each other's hold, and none of the adults that passed by on the opposite side of the clearing seemed any the wiser. Alonzo glanced down at his paws and observed that they were still coated with blood from the henchcat corpse. He hastily licked them clean, and then looked over at his younger brother.
Misto stared at the couple on the tire with distant ochre eyes. He appeared to be in a trance. Alonzo smirked and waved a paw in front of the kit's face. Mistoffelees started, but the dreamy glaze over his eyes didn't disappear. Alonzo frowned and glanced in the direction his brother was staring. His smirk widened into a knowing smile. He looked at Cassandra, who got the hint and quickly walked away as she giggled under her breath.
"Something on your mind, 'Stoffy?" The patched tom asked innocently.
The tuxedoed tom-kit came out of his reverie and responded unconvincingly with, "Not really…"
Alonzo chuckled and took his sibling by the shoulders. He gently turned him around and knelt down to his level. "You and I both know that's not true. I know that look in a tom's eyes anywhere. You're thinking about queens, aren't you?" He nudged Misto, and the young tom-kit pointed his nose away and crossed his forelegs over his chest defensively.
"I am not!" The scrawny kit retorted indignantly. His slight blush gave his inner feelings away.
The older patched tom shook his head and smiled. "Yes you are. Let me guess…Does her name start with a 'V'?" He prodded as he eyed his little brother slyly.
The pink in Mistoffelees' cheeks deepened to red. He pouted and groaned, defeated. He knew he couldn't hide anything from Alonzo. "It's not fair! The first queen my age that I ever set eyes on is already taken by some violent jerk! I feel so strange around her, too…I even tried to kiss her while no one was watching yesterday…" The tom-kit admitted in a whiny tone.
Alonzo raised an eyebrow in surprise. He ruffled Misto's short, black headfur affectionately. "Aww, my little bro's got his first crush! I remember my first crush on a queen…Damn, was she hot! Nevermind, we're talking about you, not me. Maybe the whole thing with Plato won't work out? If Victoria breaks up with him, then you'll swoop in to comfort her and she'll be in your arms before you know it!" He encouraged, and patted his sibling's shoulder heartily.
Misto beamed at his brother, no longer down. His eyes instantly became livelier and Alonzo took his paw. He stood up and they went off to go find dinner.
When a couple of pigeons were caught for supper, the two brothers sat at the foot of a large trash pile to dine on their catch. They ate in comfortable silence until Misto tentatively asked, "Is it true we're going to stay, 'Lonzy?" His golden eyes were filled with a kittenish hope.
Alonzo furrowed his brow as he contemplated the notion. After a few tense moments he replied, "I guess so. We have nowhere else to go, and it seems these Jellicles aren't as bad as I thought. Plus, I'm working on a relationship with Cassandra and you've obviously got Victoria. We can't exactly leave them now." The older tom started in surprise as his little brother flung his thin arms around his neck and purred joyfully.
The small tom-kit released his brother and continued eating his pigeon. "You're the best brother ever, 'Lonzy!" He declared with delight.
"I know." Misto's sibling agreed cockily. His brow creased once more as another idea came into his mind. "Hmm…My hind paw is healed enough so that I can walk…I don't think we need to crash in Munkustrap's den anymore. Do you think we could find a den of our own? There must be tons of places here."
Mistoffelees cocked his head. "I could stay in Munkustrap's den a little longer…" The adolescent tom-kit smiled goofily. His brother snickered and batted him playfully over the ears.
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Misto! We can't mooch off Munkustrap forever. How's about we go den-hunting? We've got plenty of time before sunset, and it will get your mind off you-know-who. C'mon." Alonzo didn't wait for a response as he grabbed his brother's paw and led him along towards the center clearing.
The tuxedoed tom-kit halted by the drain pipe he had hid in yesterday to get away from Victoria's friends. "What about this one, 'Lonzy? I was in there yesterday and it's actually quite roomy once you go in far enough." He suggested, pointing to the metal pipe.
The patched tom inspected it and then shook his head. "You can have it if you want. It's way too small for me. Are you okay with living on your own yet?" He questioned. The reluctant expression on his little brother's face provided an obvious answer.
Alonzo and Mistoffelees searched for the perfect den until sunset. They found one a little ways away from the center clearing, down a very narrow path that ended in a dead end created by a tall trash heap. The foot of this trash pile was very wide and looked stable. The two toms spent a good hour just before the sun went down digging away at the trash to form a spacious alcove. They cleared away the garbage to reveal dirt that they packed down with their feet. Misto did most of the stomping since his brother couldn't.
The pair surveyed their work when it was finished. Pleased, Alonzo said, "All it needs is some blankets and furniture and it will be home, sweet home. This beats straw mats in a closet any day."
Misto nodded in agreement, and they walked off to make use of the last few rays of sunshine to gather up discarded blankets or other large pieces of fabric and beat them clean with their paws. Once they were done, the blankets were spread out on the floor of the new den and Alonzo and Misto created nests for themselves with any leftover fabric. Mistoffelees was so exhausted by then that he fell asleep as soon as he was curled up in his new nest. Alonzo draped a blanket over him and decided to get some sleep himself.
The next morning Mistoffelees woke up feeling more rested than he ever had before. He sat up and stretched his arms over his head, and then glanced over at Alonzo. He was gone. A sense of panic came over the small tom-kit, but it receded as he heard his brother's voice from outside the den entrance. It was accompanied by Cassandra's, and someone else's that he didn't recognize. It was a queen's voice, but slightly deeper than Cassandra's.
Misto pricked his ears in interest as he silently crawled out of the den and into the sunlight. Alonzo was talking to Cassandra and another queen that appeared to be the same breed as her, only she had a darker bronze coat. Her features were also more angular than Cassandra's.
Alonzo noticed his younger brother and waved him over with a smile. Mistoffelees stood up and edged towards his older sibling while he kept a sharp eye on the unfamiliar queen. Both queens smiled gently at him when he finally came to stand by Alonzo's side.
The patched tom introduced the new queen, "Mistoffelees, this is Exotica. She's Cassandra's sister."
Exotica's smile widened and she reached a paw out to the small tom-kit. Misto shook it tentatively, and the dark bronze queen giggled. "You have no need to be afraid of me. You have a very cozy den, I must say. I'm impressed you two built it in such a short time! It would usually take someone a whole day to do what you did in less than half." She complimented in a thick Middle Eastern accent.
Misto relaxed at her kind words. "Forgive me for asking, but why haven't we seen you around before?" He asked timidly.
"I like to wander," The dark bronze queen explained, "sort of like a nomad, if you will. I visit the junkyard every now and again to catch up with the tribe. Would you like to practice dance with us? We were just about to leave."
The tuxedoed tom-kit glanced at his brother for confirmation. Alonzo nodded fervently and Misto replied, "Sure! I'd like that."
Exotica and Cassandra exchanged amused smiles and started walking in the direction of the center clearing. Misto soon found out that they weren't the only ones practicing. Victoria, Electra, Etcetera, Plato, and the two tom-kits from yesterday were in a group led by Jenny. They were all doing the same thing, which was unfamiliar to Misto. It looked like progressive leg raises, and the kits would switch legs every now and again.
Victoria noticed movement from out of the corner of her eye. She glanced in that direction and smiled broadly at the sight of her approaching friends. She broke off from the group assembled in front of the tire and jogged over to them. "Hey guys! Have you come to dance with us?" The white queen-kit greeted cheerfully.
All four cats nodded in response and went to join at the back of the group, but Alonzo and Misto held back. Victoria cocked her head and asked, "What's wrong? Aren't you going to come with us?"
Alonzo shrugged his shoulders and questioned, "Are you sure I should be putting so much weight on my injured foot?"
The white queen-kit's joyful features clouded over with concern. "Do whatever you feel is most comfortable. None of us will mind if you sit out. What about you, Misto?"
Mistoffelees ground the dirt under his heel as he averted his gaze. His cheeks turned pink under Victoria's gaze. "I can't dance…" He mumbled.
Victoria giggled and strode over to him. She grabbed his paw and pulled him along behind her. "Oh, don't be silly! I'll teach you! We're doing something really easy right now. It's called cou-de-pied. Here, I'll show you." She giggled and stopped a respectable distance away from the group of kits. She stood opposite Misto where she bent and held her right leg in the basic cou-de-pied position. Misto copied her and she smiled. "Great! Now try this one." The white queen-kit encouraged as she lifted her leg higher, just below her knee.
Once again, Misto mimicked her perfectly. He didn't even wobble. Victoria smiled and showed him other variations of the cou-de-pied, and increased the speed. The tuxedoed tom-kit barely faltered. When they had done the same with the other leg, Victoria decided he was good enough to join in with the other kittens. Misto was reluctant at first, but with the white kit's prompting he followed and stood beside her at the back. Jenny was still directing the kits in the same exercise Victoria and Misto had just done, but at a faster pace. Mistoffelees had a little trouble keeping up at first, but soon got into a rhythm.
Jenny stopped counting after another minute or so to give the kits a break. Then she announced, "Good job everyone! Now pair up and form a line! We're going to practice our pirouettes."
Victoria immediately took Misto by the elbow and joined the forming line. Plato came over, but he narrowed his eyes disdainfully at the sight of the pair and instead went with the brown and white-patched tom-kit. Misto intently watched the pairs in front of him as they performed perfect spins. He began to fidget nervously, but stopped when Victoria placed a reassuring paw on his shoulder.
"We'll go slow for you, don't worry. Just watch Jenny." Vicky instructed softly and Misto nodded in reply.
When it was their turn, Jenny led both kits in the process of executing a pirouette. Misto was a bit wobbly with his plié at first, but managed to make a smooth pirouette. He stumbled as he set his foot back down, and pinned his ears as he heard Plato snigger quietly from behind him. Jenny shot the russet-patched tom-kit a sharp glare and he shut his mouth. After a few more tries, Mistoffelees didn't stumble as he finished and he could hold his leg in a higher position. Victoria smiled proudly at her black and white friend as they made their way to the back of the line. Misto smiled back with a slight blush.
Plato and the brown and white tom-kit were next. The pair was so fast on their spins that they were a blur. Plato even turned his pirouette into a turn with a split in mid-air as he finished.
Jenny applauded lightly in approval as he landed without a falter, "Impressive grand jete en tournant, Plato! It's really coming along!"
Plato bowed his head in thanks and shot Mistoffelees a cocky smirk. Misto hunched his shoulders and looked away submissively.
The white queen-kit standing beside him caught the exchange and crossed her forelegs over her chest with a disapproving huff. "Show off…" She muttered under her breath.
The rest of the dance lesson continued smoothly, and Mistoffelees caught on to every move very quickly. Jenny praised him at the end and he smiled confidently.
Misto felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned around. Plato was staring coldly down at him. "You're not bad for a rookie, Misto-fleas. You were better than I thought you were going to be." He stated without a hint of sincerity. He turned to Victoria and addressed her in a much brighter tone, "C'mon, let's ditch this newbie, Tory. I want to show you something."
Victoria gaped at her tomfriend and placed her paws firmly on her hips. "What's the matter with you, Plato? Stop treating Misto like the trash you live under! Apologize to him!" She demanded fiercely.
Plato smirked arrogantly and shot back, "I don't take orders from queen-kits. Plus, I just don't like toms who are trying to steal away my queenfriend. Don't think I haven't seen the way that runt looks at you like you're some goddess!"
This time Mistoffelees cut in. He leered up at the taller tom and denied, "I'm not trying to steal Victoria away from you! I respect your relationship and I'm not the kind of tom who does that!"
"Why the hell should I believe a son of The Hidden Paw? You've caused nothing but trouble since you got here! You almost got Victoria killed by luring a henchcat here, for Bast's sake! With that said, I'm surprised you haven't led Macavity himself to the junkyard to murder us all!" The russet and white tom-kit snarled. He stepped threateningly towards Misto, but the smaller tom-kit stood his ground.
Fury boiled up inside Mistoffelees just like it did when his father had harassed him back at the hideout. His paws began to tingle, and before he knew it, two small, bright flashes burst from his paws and flew straight towards Plato. The taller tom yelped in pain as the flashes hit his body and he collapsed onto all-fours.
Unbeknownst to the trio, the group of kits from the dance class had gathered around them when Plato and Misto were arguing. They stared in shock as they tried to comprehend what had just happened. A deathly silence hung in the air for a few moments.
After an unbearable minute, the scraping of claws on dirt was heard. Misto stared at Plato with wide eyes as he stood up, albeit painfully slowly. The red and white-patched tom-kit gazed down at himself to survey what Misto had done to his body. There were two medium-sized, blackened patches on his chest and left shoulder. It was obvious they caused Plato pain, and he also had a bit of difficulty breathing.
Victoria rushed to her tomfriend's side with a distressed gasp. She inspected the blackened areas and discovered that the skin underneath the fur was ever so slightly singed at the center. She threw a desperate glance at Misto, who averted his gaze in shame. It broke his heart to see that much fear in her beautiful sapphire eyes. Jenny emerged from the crowd of stunned kits and led Victoria and Plato away hastily to her den to treat the wounds.
Before Plato turned his back he shouted in anguish at Mistoffelees, "You'll never belong here, you freak!"
Misto winced at the harsh words, and slowly pivoted on his foot to face the crowd of assembled kits. Not one met his eyes except Alonzo. As he shuffled towards his brother who was sitting on the giant tire, every kitten fled in a different direction with a frightened look on their face.
When the tuxedoed tom-kit reached Alonzo, he was greeted with an emotionless expression. His blue eyes seemed to possess a mixture of disappointment and worry. Misto looked hopefully up at his brother for some sort of explanation as to what had just happened, but even he was at a loss for words. Alonzo silently stood up and placed a paw at Misto's back. He didn't remove his paw until they were safely inside their den.
"What happened, 'Lonzy…? I felt so much anger, and then my paws started tingling. Before I knew it…I felt this kind of power explode from my paws…The flashes were just like Dad's." Mistoffelees said feebly as he and his older sibling sat opposite each other on the floor of the den.
Alonzo rubbed a paw down his face and sighed heavily. After a short silence he answered, "That's because you are just like Dad, 'Stoffy. You're magic; a Conjurer."