I LIIIIIIIVVVVVEEEEE! Hehehehe... No excuses for my absence... Absolutely none. Why did I finally get around to posting? I got to see CATS LIVE! It was only a community theatre, but it was amazing! Everything was perfect and the characters were spot on! Casting was perfect!

Sorel led Quaxo through the junkyard and towards a old, large, overturned dryer. The door was opened just large enough to cats to slip into, but that caused the insides to be unseeable. Sorel paused just outside the door. "Stay here, Quaxo. I'll go talk to him first." The protector said, then slipped into the dryer. It took mere seconds for the tuxedo to get tired of waiting and stick his head inside. The insides were still dark, only a line of string lights cast a weak glow around the room, causing just enough light to see the silhouettes of the two cats that were inside. The cat that Sorel was talking to was large, not as in fat, but muscularly large. The cat was lounging on a large pile of blankets nestled in a ratty basket. The mystics eyes flashed towards Quaxo, causing the tuxedo to bristle slightly and duck out of the entrance. "Quaxo? Come on in, kit. I promise I won't bite." The voice was gentle, yet commanding at the same time. Cautiously, Quaxo pokes his head back into the dryer. "It's okay, Quaxo. Come in in." Still cautious, Quaxo slipped into the den and started towards the tom. "Hello, Quaxo. I am Maladren. I've heard that you are a mystic as well?"

Quaxo nodded.

"And you need some help practicing in it?"

Another nod.

"Very well. Come here at noon tomorrow. Your training begins then." Maladren said after scanning the the younger tom over with his emerald eyes, a suspicious glaze filling them as he did so. Sorel nodded happily, unaware of the older toms odd look, and turned to leave. "Come on, Quaxo, let's go find your friends again. Knowing them, they are over by the Tyre bugging Munk for a story." The female said and she guided Quaxo out of the other mystics den and towards the main clearing.

Almost as soon as he had found his new friends, who were at the Tyre just like Sorel had predicted, Quaxo was swamped with questions.

"Why did you need to go see Maladren?"

"What did Maladren do to help you?"

"Are you sick? Did you need Maladren to fix you?"

The questions never slowed enough for him to answer, but it gave him time to think of an excuse for visiting the mystic. "Well?" The tuxedo jumped slightly as he realize that the kittens had stopped swamping him with questions and were gazing at him expectantly. His ears pinned back slightly in embarrassment. "What?" Alonzo rolled his eyes slightly. "Why did you have to go see Maladren?" The black and white kit questioned.

"Oh... Uuuummmm... I... I heard that he... helped... with... nightmare... and I needed him to help me..." Quaxo murmured quietly. Coricopat and Tantomile gave him a odd look, obviously not buying his lie, Cassandra and Exotica have him a questioning look, sensing something odd about his words, but unable to place it as quickly as the other twins."Yeah, he's great at getting rid of nightmares! I was having nightmares almost every night... When I was younger of course, and he helped me get rid of them." Mungojerrie said from where he lay, sprawled out with Rumpleteaser. "'Tease had nightmare even worst than I. She never went t Mal, so she still has them." The calico added, nudging his twin with his signature, mischievous grin plastered on his face. His words seemed to get the reaction that he was wanting, since Rumpleteaser pushed him over, causing him to topple off of the kids perch on a small tire. "Do not! I haven't had a nightmare since I was a kitten!" She screeched indignantly as her brother toppled over, easily bouncing back up and resuming his place with his sister.

"Stop fighting. You both still..."

"Suffer from nightmares. Neither one..."

"Of you have ever talked to Maladren about..."

"Getting rid of your nightmares." Coricopat and Tantomile scolded the other twins, who pressed their ears back in embarrassment and grinned slightly. "So, he is still good at getting rid of them." Jerrie muttered back, then turned his gaze to Quaxo. "Did he fix ya?" Quaxo gave him a blank stare, unsure for a moment what the tom meant, then realization hit him , so he shrugged. "I won't know until tonight. I hope so though." He lied, getting more odd looks from Cori, Tanto, Cassy, and Tica. Suddenly Alonzo, who had been mostly silent for the nightmare conversation, spoke up. "Come in, Quaxo. My mom said that she wanted us back at the den early tonight so that we can get your nest ready." He said, standing and gently nudging the other black and white kit. "Tomorrow Sorel is going to see Bustopher about taking you in." He sounded far from exited at this fact. "Bye, guys. See you tomorrow." Alonzo chirped and Quaxo hopped off of the tire that they were on, so, side by side, they started towards Alonzo's den.

"Why did you really go see Maladren? I know that you were lying about the nightmares. Tanto and Cori could too. So did Cassy and Tica. Spit it out!" They tom kit demanded, not angrily, as they walked. Quaxo grimaced slightly, sure that his newfound friend would know if he lied again. He glanced around, then nudged Alonzo over to a nearly hidden spot near a trashpile. "You can't tell anyone!"

"I won't."

"Absolutely no one! Not Cori, Tanto, Cassy, Tica, Jerrie, Teaser, Tumble, Pounce. No one!"

"I won't."

"Promise!"

"I swear so! Now, for the sake of the Everlasting Cat, what is it?"

"I'm a mystic."

Alonzo was silent for a second, traces of fear, amazement, and curiosity flashing through his eyes. "How strong?" A simple question, but an extremely important one. Mystics range in power, extremely powerful ones, like Macavity, could hypnotize, levitate, even twist someone to do their will of they tried hard enough. Moderately strong ones, much like Maladren, could fix nightmares, cast simple illusions, locate others mentally. Weak ones, like Cori and Tanto, could do little more than locate others as they neared and sense emotions. Being an extremely strong one would most likely cause fear in many, but a weak one would be easily accepted. So, when Quaxo's answer came, it was spoken softly. "Not as strong as Macavity, but stronger than Maladren."

"Well then, Bustopher certainly won't be taking you in." The two young toms jumped as a new voice above them spoke. Another tom swayed into view, hips swinging dramatically as he walked. "Of course, he probably wouldn't take you in anyway. He doesn't like mystics at all. Especially after his sister ran off with a crazy one." The leopard spotted cat mused as he settled down on a broken couch. "Tugger, go away! You are suppose to be at home by now. I know you are basically grounded! I'll tell Sorel." Alonzo's threat did nothing to the tom. "I'll tell Munk, and you know he will tell Deuteronomy." That got the cocky tom to freeze his kneading of the couch and glare down at the two younger cats. "You wouldn't." Alonzo grinned cheekily. "We both know I would. And I will, if you don't swear to never tell anyone about Quaxo's secret until he tells it himself!" Tugger sighed. "Swear it!" The fluffy tom groaned loudly. "Fine, fine. I swear to never tell anyone." He growled as he hopped off of the couch. "And I'm going home, so... Just don't tell Munk." He pleaded, knowing that his overprotective older brother would probably make his curfew even earlier that it was now. Alonzo nodded and Tugger let out a soft sign of relief before he swayed off. "Why is he so afraid of Munk? I thought Munkustrap was nice." Quaxo mewed as they slid from their spot and started towards Lonzo's home once again. "Munk is strict and likes rules. He is also the future protector, but he holds a lot of authority over Tugs. Tugger is Munks little brother." He added as they weaved through the cats that still milled about in the clearing near the Tyre. That fact shocked Quaxo, after all, the two toms were total opposites and looked nothing alike. "Of course, they are only half brother, different mothers and all." Alonzo added, picking up his pace as they neared the den that his parents owned. "There you two are. Lonzy, I told you to have Quaxo back early tonight so that we could get him settled down." Quail, Alonzo's mom, scolded as the two slid into the den.

The next morning, Quaxo wished that he had spoken to Maladren about his nightmares. He had woken up from one in the middle of the night. Apparently he had woken quite loudly, because Alonzo had woken too. After soothing the tuxedo, Alonzo had told Quaxo that he could sleep in his nest with him, and that was how they woke. Quaxo was curled up with Alonzo as the sun filtered in through the plastic that formed a crude window. The toms woke together, blinking, yawning, and stretching as the sun warned them. "Lonzo, Quaxo? Are you two awake?" A male voice just outside the entrance to the room caused Quaxo to jump with fright, but was soothed by one of Alonzo's paws on his back. "We're awake, Dada. Tell Mumma that we'll be ready for breakfast soon!" The black and white kit called back to the tom, who was apparently his father. "Come on, Quaxo. My Mumma makes some of the best food here, other than Jenny's." He said, obviously proud of his mothers cooking abilities. The two toms stumbled over each other to get out of the nest, then darted into what served as a kitchen in the den.

They were greeted with a 'good morning' from Quail and a plate of food for each on the 'table'. After quickly snarfing down their food, Quaxo doing so quicker than Alonzo, the bid Quail a goodbye and darted out to find their friends. But, instead of finding their group of friends outside of the den, they found Sorel with a large, tuxedo cat. Bustopher.

Dun-Dun-Duuuuunnn! Working on the next chapter now. Just hope I don't lose my muse!