A/N: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers! There may not be many of you, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate you guys! Enjoy the chapter!
Mistoffelees gaped incredulously at Alonzo for a moment. He couldn't believe what he was hearing! "M-me…? A C-Conjurer? Oh no, this is terrible, 'Lonzy! What if I turn out just like Dad? What if I become consumed by power and greed and-and-" He rambled as he wrung his paws nervously.
"Misto!" Alonzo sharply cut in, "You're not going to go end up like Dad if you do something about this! If we can figure out a way to control your powers, you can use them for good and not evil. What if we go talk to Munkustrap about this whole thing? Maybe he can help?"
The tuxedoed kit's voice instantly rose into an urgent, "No! We can't! It's bad enough I scared his daughter and hurt her tomfriend. I don't want him to be angry with me, too!" Misto's eyes were full of fear and anxiety when he finished.
Alonzo sighed exasperatedly. Although Mistoffelees had a point about the possibility of Munkustrap being angry with him, it wouldn't be fair to hold a grudge against the tom-kit and refuse to help. "Look, I know Munk might be mad at you at first, but it's not right for a reasonable adult to hold it against you and not help." He offered comfortingly.
His younger sibling bit his lip, but nodded reluctantly in agreement nevertheless. He let Alonzo take his paw and guide him out of the den. It was noon by now, but the two toms weren't hungry for lunch. The kittens had returned to the center clearing and their cheerful laughter could be heard all the way to Alonzo and Misto's current location. A dreadful feeling formed in the pit of Misto's stomach as he and his brother entered the clearing.
Etcetera was the first to notice the approaching pair. Her eyes went wide and she dashed off, leaving a confused Electra who was crouched in front of her, behind. The tortoise-shell kit glanced over her shoulder, hissed, and followed Etcy. The two tom-kits that happened to be part of the morning's dance lesson also observed Alonzo and Mistoffelees, but they didn't run away. Instead they just shot hostile, icy glares in their direction as they passed.
Alonzo returned the glares with his own leer, but Misto averted his gaze. He was too embarrassed by the previous magical incident that he couldn't make himself face his fellow toms just yet. Luckily, once he and Alonzo had left the clearing, the path to Munk's den was devoid of any felines who would have shunned them. The patched tom knocked on the wall of the silver tabby's den and waited for an answer.
"Come in." Munkustrap's voice sounded from inside.
The two brothers hesitantly stepped inside to discover Munk at the table. He was reading a torn magazine of sorts, but didn't seem very engrossed in it. He glanced up at the young toms, but his expression was unreadable. The silver tabby motioned to the two chairs in front of him and the pair sat down.
"Victoria informed me of what happened this morning. Plato should be fine, but you gave all of us quite the fright, Mistoffelees. Is this the first time something like this has happened to you?" Munk's voice wasn't angry or demanding like the brothers expected it to be. Instead it was calm and collected.
Misto shook his head no in reply. He wasn't brave enough to meet the adult tom's eyes at the moment.
Munkustrap rested his chin on his knuckles and raised an eyebrow in interest. "I'm not angry with you, if that's what you're thinking. I understood that you had inherited your father's powers as soon as my daughter described the incident, but she refused to listen to me when I explained this to her. It was obvious her concern for Plato had taken over and until he heals, I don't think she'll come around. Do you remember the last time you used your magic before today?"
The tuxedoed tom-kit finally raised his head to meet Munk's eyes as he answered in a feeble voice, "Macavity has told me that you're his brother on a number of occasions, so it makes sense that you know what's going on. The last time I used my magic was four days ago when my father harassed me enough that I had to use it. I saw a blinding flash of light and the heavy door to the room we were in was completely destroyed a few seconds later. After that I fainted…"
The adult tom nodded. Misto glanced at Alonzo and noticed he had a surprised look on his face. "Huh…So that's why that door looked like someone threw a bomb at it…" He commented offhandedly.
Munkustrap ignored the remark and continued, "You have quite the power inside of you, Mistoffelees. If someone like Plato can provoke you into using it this easily, then we might have a real problem on our paws. Fortunately, there are a couple of cats here who can help you. Their names are Coricopat and Tantomile, and they possess magic like you, but in the form of clairvoyance. Since they're psychic, their habits might come off as a bit…peculiar. Don't let them frighten you, though. They're wise and very polite."
"Where do we find them?" Misto queried as he cocked his head to the side.
"Don't worry about that. They'll find you." The silver tabby cracked a sly smile.
The two brothers exchanged skeptical glances. Alonzo shrugged and said, "Well, thanks for the advice. C'mon Misto, we have some waiting to do. See you around, Munkustrap." Both toms got up and headed for the door.
Munk hesitated for a moment and then requested, "Wait, boys."
Alonzo and Misto stopped at the den entrance. "Yes?" The former asked expectantly without turning around.
"If you have the time, Alonzo, I need another tom to patrol tonight since Plato's injured. Do you think you could fill in for him?" The silver tabby offered.
The patched tom thought for a moment. He replied curtly, "Where and when?"
Munkustrap smiled with relief. "I'll meet you at the tire at sundown and you can have the first shift. You've never patrolled, correct?"
"No I haven't, but I'll be there. You can count on it." Alonzo confirmed in a business-like tone.
"I'll give you the run-down tonight. Admetus will relieve you at midnight. I'll introduce you to him when the time comes. Good luck, both of you."Munkustrap bid the pair farewell and picked up his magazine once more.
Alonzo and his brother left the den. It was around mid-afternoon, but the two still didn't feel hungry. Misto sensed someone nearby and glanced to his left down the path. Two black and white adult cats strode in their direction. They were a tom and a queen. Upon closer inspection, their steps were perfectly synchronized. He nudged his brother and pointed in the approaching cats' direction. Alonzo cocked an eyebrow at their odd yet elegant movements.
The unknown tom and queen stopped in front of the pair of siblings and Misto could plainly see that they were identical, save for their genders. He also noticed that they had thin, copper stripes laced through their headfur.
The tom of the pair spoke first. "We are the cats Munkustrap spoke to you about." His voice was as smooth as silk and matched the breezy whisper of the wind.
"I am Tantomile and-"The tri-coloured queen had the same voice as the tom, only higher.
"I am Coricopat. As you already know, we are the mystical cats."
Misto raised an intrigued eyebrow like his brother. When Munkustrap said their habits were peculiar, he wasn't exaggerating. These two finished each other's phrases as if only one of them was talking.
Mistoffelees smiled and extended his paw in greeting, but neither Coricopat nor Tantomile reached out to shake it. Instead he felt a warm, calming sensation envelope his mind like a veil. It felt like someone was hugging him, only it was inside his mind. The feeling vanished as soon as it had come. Misto shook his head and watched his brother do the same.
"What the hell just happened?" Alonzo questioned, although a tad aloofly.
The twins smiled gently. "That was a mind-hug. We-" Tantomile started.
"-welcome you to the Jellicle Junkyard and use this mind-hug as a sign of friendship."
The tuxedoed tom-kit smiled broadly in return as he answered, "That's so cool! Will I be able to do that with my magic?"
Coricopat and Tantomile pursed their lips for a moment. They fell silent and Misto's enthusiasm quickly wore off. The psychic pair seemed to be lost in a trance for a moment.
Suddenly the queen of the pair placed her paw on her chest and let out a soft, "Aww…" It appeared she found something romantic in her short trance. Her brother possessed that same tenderness in his eyes as well. They glanced down at Mistoffelees.
"We will teach you, but it takes a great deal of practice to learn something-"Coricopat began.
"-that is not part of your natural magical ability."
Mistoffelees frowned, but he seemed determined. "That's alright. If I can learn it, I will. I want to know what you saw." He stated.
"It will be worth it. You'll see why…In time." Tantomile said confidently.
Her brother nodded firmly as he changed the subject, "For now, we will practice honing your power and storing it. Come with us."
Alonzo and Misto exchanged smiles and followed the magical pair. They were led to a small clearing quite a distance away from the center one. There, Coricopat and Tantomile sat in the middle of the empty space and the two toms sat across from them.
"What makes you most angry, Mistoffelees?" The tri-coloured tom asked once his friends were settled.
The tuxedoed kit thought for a moment. He pictured Plato in his mind and felt anger boil up inside him a little bit. He glanced up at Coricopat to answer, but the adult tom spoke before he could.
"Plato? Interesting choice…Now, try to store away that anger. Picture yourself locking it away so that you become calm once more." The psychic tom instructed.
Mistoffelees attempted to suppress his negative emotions towards the russet and white tom-kit. It was hard at first, and he furrowed his brow in deep concentration. After what felt like an eternity, the feelings receded and he felt calm once more. He felt a slight tugging in the back of his mind, though.
"What's that feeling in the back of my head?" The small tom-kit queried.
The pair of twins smiled with satisfaction. "That is stored magic." Tantomile responded, "You'll get used to it."
"Now try taking that magic and forcing it towards your paws, but don't release it." Coricopat advised patiently.
The black and white tom-kit closed his eyes this time. He focused solely on his paws and felt some of the magic creep down his arms. He smiled and giggled at the tingling sensation. While this was going on, Alonzo stared at his little brother in awe. The tom-kit's fur shimmered intensely with gold instead of its usual dull silver. Once the magic reached Misto's paws, he broke his focus. The magic also lost its tingle.
The mystical twins nodded to indicate they were impressed. "You learn quickly, Mistoffelees. We're-"The tom of the pair complimented.
"-quite surprised that you can control your magic this easily. We thought it would take-"
"-you the whole day. Let's see how you do under pressure." Coricopat finished.
Misto cocked his head in confusion. "How are you going to do that?" He asked.
Tantomile smirked in synchronization with her sibling. "We'll let Alonzo do that." She stated, "But before we begin, you must know something-"
"-and that is: magic is energy. If you use all your energy for magic, you will kill yourself. Use your magic sparingly, Mistoffelees." Her tri-coloured brother finished with warning evident in his smooth voice.
The tuxedoed kit nodded his head once. The twins stood up and Alonzo and Misto copied them.
"Fight your brother, Alonzo. Don't hurt him, but remember to duck when his paws glow." The psychic queen instructed.
Alonzo shrugged and threw a punch at his little brother. Misto squeaked and shielded his face as he ducked. His older brother missed, but quickly followed up with a low kick. Misto jumped up to evade the leg and hastily backed up to put some distance between him and his sibling. Alonzo matched his movements and charged the small tom-kit. Mistoffelees saw his fast-approaching brother and instinctively clapped his paws together. A bright flash of light was the result and the tom-kit could feel his stored magic disappear. He stopped himself and brought his paws apart before he could drain any of his actual energy.
Misto gaped at the effect of his magic. Alonzo was sprawled on the ground to protect himself and the large trash pile behind him had a deep, sizeable blackened hole in it. Smoke floated into the air from within its depths. His brother got up from the ground to look in the direction his brother was gazing.
He whooped excitedly at the smoking trash pile and cheered, "Yeah baby, that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!" His joyful moment got cut short as a sickening groan erupted from the mountainous heap of garbage. It sounded like metal being twisted and ripped apart. Before he knew it, the whole pile collapsed on itself.
Alonzo and Misto dashed out of the way of the falling trash to safety. When the dust cleared, an immense wall of garbage separated them from Coricopat and Tantomile. When the patched tom's adrenaline rush calmed down, he glared accusingly at Mistoffelees. Misto hunched his shoulders and promptly averted his gaze sheepishly. He pricked his ears as a voice called out to them from the other side of the wall.
"Are you guys alright?"Tantomile's high voice made itself known.
"We're fine!" Alonzo answered in return.
Misto and his brother began climbing the daunting barricade of trash to reach the other side. It was fun hopping from one ledge of garbage to the next, but it was clearly torture for Alonzo and his shattered hind paw. The patched tom had to frequently stop and rest while he navigated the steep slope of trash. His younger brother noticed his pain and jumped down to him.
The tuxedoed kit gently butted Alonzo's shoulder to encourage him to keep going. "C'mon 'Lonzy, you can climb this. It's no big deal, right?" He mewed softly. Alonzo groaned in pain as a response.
"Damn, it hurts. I don't think I'll make it without seriously injuring my paw again. I think we're stuck, 'Stoffy…" The patched tom said with disappointment. He wanted to go on, but he also didn't want to make his hind paw utterly useless by damaging it even further than it already was. To make things worse, it was late afternoon and it would be dark soon.
Mistoffelees let out a sad sigh. "Do you think you could climb with three paws?" He offered.
Alonzo shook his head with a frown. His face suddenly brightened as an idea struck his mind. "Coricopat, do you think you could transport me over to where you are with magic? My paw is seriously injured and I can't climb over!" He shouted to the pair of cats on the other side.
A tense silence hung in the air for a minute before Coricopat replied, "I can't if I don't have physical contact! Mistoffelees might be able to do it, though!"
A frightened expression replaced Misto's concerned one. Before he could protest Tantomile continued, "Mistoffelees, store as much magic as you can! Then take Alonzo's paw and focus as hard as possible on the image of the mouth of the clearing! Imagine yourself there and let the magic do the rest!"
The tuxedoed tom-kit shook his head fervently as if the psychic queen could see him. His older brother took him by the shoulders and stared him straight in the eye. "You have to do this, Misto. Otherwise, we'll be stuck here for quite a while. C'mon, do what Tantomile said. You got this, bro." He smiled confidently.
Misto's reluctant expression changed into determination. He closed his eyes and thought about Plato. The fury didn't take long to come back and he stowed as much of the emotion as he could in the back of his mind again. When his head practically pounded from the amount of stored magic, he took Alonzo's paw and concentrated on the image of the mouth of the small clearing. He felt the magic completely envelope him, and when it faded he opened his eyes. They were at the mouth of the clearing, and the psychic twins smiled proudly at him a few feet away.
"Wow…You're awesome, 'Stoffy! You should teleport me more often!" Alonzo exclaimed as he gazed around at his new surroundings in awe.
The magical tom-kit grinned from ear to ear. He had trouble believing that he had actually teleported himself and his brother from one side of the clearing to the other. It left him feeling a bit tired, but he didn't mind.
"Go rest, Mistoffelees. It is always important to regain energy after using so much magic." Coricopat said gently as the tired tom-kit's ochre eyes drooped slightly. He also began to sway on his feet, and the psychic tom guided him back to the center clearing. Misto could barely stand up by then. Alonzo took over for Coricopat and bid the pair of twins good evening. He effortlessly picked Misto up into his arms to carry the exhausted tom-kit.
The half-asleep kit squirmed in his brother's arms. "Put me down, 'Lonzy…I'm not a kitten anymore…" He mumbled quietly as he gave a wide yawn.
Alonzo chuckled lightly and kept carrying his sibling. "What? You want to sleep-walk on me?" He retorted as their den came into view. When the patched tom received no answer, he glanced at his little brother only to smile lovingly at him. Misto's head rested on his shoulder and he was sound asleep. When Alonzo entered the den he set Misto carefully down in his nest. He tucked a blanket around his thin shoulders and stepped outside. He was at a loss as to what to do for the rest of the evening until he had to go meet Munkustrap. The memories of Misto's argument with Plato came back to him, and he decided that teaching the rude tom-kit a lesson about bullying his little brother wasn't a bad idea.
Alonzo figured that there was a good chance Plato could still be in Jennyanydots' den, so he walked quickly over there. The patched tom was correct: He heard Plato's voice from inside the den before he knocked. He rapped his knuckles on the wall beside the den entrance and Plato ceased speaking.
"Come in!" Jenny called cheerfully from inside.
The black and white tom stepped in and observed the yellow and orange queen as she sat at the table with her son and daughter, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. Plato was curled up in a nest of blankets on the other side of the den with Victoria. The wounds inflicted on him by Misto were covered with patches of fresh gauze.
Everyone except Plato smiled at their visitor. "Good evening, Alonzo. What brings you here?" Jenny greeted politely.
"I need to speak to Plato. Alone, if that's possible." The patched tom stated flatly.
Jenny's bright expression became serious at his tone. "I see. Plato, you're strong enough to stand, right? It wouldn't hurt too much would it, dear?" She consulted the red and white tom-kit.
Plato shook his head and his queenfriend helped him up. He strode over to Alonzo and the two toms went outside. Plato could only guess as to what Alonzo wanted.
Once they were out of earshot of the cats in Jenny's den, the older tom of the two halted and stood opposite Plato. "So, apparently you're not on very good terms with my brother?" Alonzo started with an expectant tone.
The russet and white tom-kit cocked an indifferent eyebrow. "Mistoffelees? Yeah, I suppose you could say that. The kit tried to murder me; of course I don't like him very much. The tom's nothing but trouble. What the hell's wrong with him, anyway? He can shoot lightning out of his paws; it's the strangest thing I've ever seen." He replied sarcastically.
Alonzo pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He sighed in frustration at this tom's ignorance. "Nothing's wrong with Mistoffelees. He's a Conjurer, a magical cat. It's what he does, and you'd be lucky if you ever saw another magical cat like him in your lifetime. With that said, he's just discovering his powers and you seem to be quite good at provoking him into using them. I'd suggest you stop for the benefit of both him and yourself." He explained in a calm voice.
"Mistoffelees is a what? You've got to be kidding me! He really is a freak!" Plato remarked as he tried to hold back laughter. What Alonzo said made him sound like he was nuts!
The patched tom began to get irritated with Plato's impudence. He had to get tougher if he wanted to get his point across. "He's not a freak; he's just different than the rest of you non-magical cats. All I'm saying is stop bullying my little brother, or there will be a problem." Alonzo threatened seriously as he stared Plato in the eye.
At this, Plato really did burst out laughing. When he calmed down he replied, "How can you not make fun of that pipsqueak? He hasn't got an ounce of muscle on him and he has to get his brother or Victoria, a queen, to stand up for him! I can't help it; the scrawny runt is a natural target!"
Alonzo's blue eyes flashed with anger as he snapped. He lunged at Plato, and the russet and white tom-kit was too slow to escape the trained tom's grip. Alonzo held Plato a few inches off the ground as he struggled to get free. "Listen to me, and listen well." The patched tom growled menacingly, "Misto and I come from a hellhole where we were malnourished, worked like slaves, and abused daily. We came here to take refuge and we don't need smart-ass toms like you making our already miserable lives even worse. Back off, and don't make me repeat this lesson again." With that he slung the tom-kit on the ground and he yelped in pain as his burns were agitated because of the sudden movement.
Plato nodded fervently as he scuttled backwards with fear in his eyes, got up, and fled back to Jenny's den. The patched tom stared after him until he was out of sight, and then hung his head as a guilty feeling came over him. He realized with reluctance he had just mirrored Macavity's violent behaviour. Alonzo let a drawn-out sigh escape his lips; the last thing he wanted to do was act like his father. He glanced up at the sky and noticed it was time to go meet Munkustrap. With a burdened mind, the patched tom headed over to the center clearing.