Wind swept passed Tantomile's ears as she slowly made her way down a crooked alley. In the sky hang a silver half-moon, though she thought she remembered seeing it much fuller only recently. It didn't matter, she decided as she neared the end of the alley. It didn't matter that the wind shouldn't have been able to touch her, and it didn't matter that she didn't know where her brother was. All that mattered was the strange orb of light emanating from the back of the alley.

She came to a stop and stared, transfixed, as the light seemed to float up into the sky, and down again, pulsing and radiating with raw magic. It was the most magic she'd ever felt concentrated in one place, greater than her, or her brother, or any mystical cat she'd ever known. Possibly even greater than—

The light dimmed. Out of the darkness of the alley strode a small cat she'd never seen before, but oh was he Jellicle. The truest definition of a Jellicle, from his mysterious showman smile to his shiny black coat. The cat twitched his whiskers and winked at her. Then, he leaped high into the air and spun three times, and Tantomile could feel it, the incredible power that spilled out of his very being. And she knew.

Tantomile woke up to find a tail in her face. She sneezed, and rolled away from her still sleeping brother. He was snoring quietly, splayed out on his back with his limbs lying everywhere. She snorted; Coricopat had always been a messy sleeper. She could remember a time when once, as a kitten, he rolled right out of their family's den and into a puddle outside. He'd yowled loudly enough to wake up half of the tribe.

She circled him as quietly as she could, wondering about how to wake him up. The vision that had come to her in her dreams was already fading away in bits and pieces, but the meaning was still there, and it would be better to tell her brother now while it was still fresh.

Idly grooming her paw, she pondered for a moment longer before coming to a decision. Unceremoniously, she batted a nearby can off a ledge. It fell with an impressive clatter, and Coricopat was on his feet in an instant, back arched and tail frazzled. He stared at the can, and then stared at her, and stared back at the can, and back at her, and finally relaxed, embarrassedly scratching his ear.

I thought the humans were back with one of those machines of theirs, he whispered into her mind. Bringing in more junk, or taking some of the old. What is it then, Tanto?

Something is going to happen, she whispered back, and proceeded to relay the contents of her vision. Coricopat sat quietly for several minutes, a stunned look spreading across his face. He looked at her with wide eyes, bringing a paw to grip her shoulder.

"By the Everlasting Cat…" He said aloud, his breath sending hot air over her face. Obviously, he understood something she had not. Her brother had always been better at interpreting cryptic visions than she, just as how she was better at sensing the comings and goings of other cats.

Tantomile, her brother's thoughts spiraled into her head, It's happening. Just like mother said it would, the next great cat will soon arise. The strongest magician of the century is coming soon, fate has revealed him to us!

Throughout their kittenhood, the twins had been told time and time again that their tribe had always hosted the most powerful mystical cats in the world. That no matter how far away they started from, mystics always ended up crossing paths with the Jellicles sooner or later. Tantomile thought of her mother, Celetsa, who'd been a powerful mystic in her own right. She'd often mentioned, almost off-handedly, that it had been her purpose in life to give birth to them. "But mother, what is our purpose?" Tantomile had asked her, for the thought had never crossed her mind that she and Coricopat might have different roles. She and her brother had always been two halves of one whole, moving and breathing and speaking together, hardly ever apart.

Their mother had only smiled at her with that secretive smile of hers, and quietly murmured that mystics of all kinds were drawn to the Jellicles. "One day, my dear, the next great magical cat will arise, and on that day, you will understand."

Tantomile forced herself back into the present. The sun was just barely making it's first appearance of the day, and her brother was pacing about their shared den like a tom possessed. She could feel his agitation crackling in the air like static, could hear his thoughts of failure. He was worrying that they wouldn't meet the great cat in time, that they would never find their destiny. They crept out of his head and through hers, like a small parade of constantly buzzing and very unwelcome flies.

She padded over to him and intercepted his nervous pacing, nuzzling his head and projecting soothing thoughts.

Fate cannot be ruined. Destiny cannot be lost. We're going to meet that tom one day, and everything will be clearer to us then.

Coricopat calmed down, and rubbed a cheek against hers fondly in thanks. Tantomile yawned, and glanced up at the sun, which was now hanging much higher in the sky. Maybe there would be a nice sun patch outside for an early morning nap before they discussed the vision further. Wordlessly, she began to walk away, knowing that her brother was just a step behind her. She allowed herself a small smile. They were going to be just fine.

It was late afternoon when the peace and quiet of the junkyard was abruptly shattered by the sounds of squealing. Tantomile held back a groan; that sound could only mean one thing. Four of the older kittens, who'd just been playing unobtrusively in an old oven, were now falling all over themselves, giggling out greetings and compliments to an extremely furry tom as he strut into the yard.

The Rum Tum Tugger grinned, waggling his hips every now and then to elicit more excited squeals from his fan club. A curious cat indeed, if one does't understand the meaning of narcissism; she heard Coricopat snort from his perch above her. She stood up and stretched, circling her spot to try and make herself comfortable again. Tugger wasn't that much of a mystery, he just liked being contrary. His constant flirting let on a lot more about his real nature.

She glanced at him once more, and looked away only to snap back and stare at him. There was something… strange about Tugger today. An odd sort of air was hanging around him, clinging to his fur. Tantomile breathed in deeply, and reached out with her senses. She could feel the four kittens, bounding around and shining with youth, and she could feel Tugger, dripping with self-confidence, but there was an extra presence. It was faint, but potent, and when she looked deeper, what she felt nearly knocked her off her feet. Her brother jumped down and landed beside her, and they exchanged a look. Whatever it was, Coricopat had sensed it too. He nodded at her once, and Tantomile climbed down from the pile of junk she'd been reclining on.

Approaching Tugger was one of the few things that usually threw them for a loop. He was always difficult, as was his nature, and if one of them were to try and speak with them, he'd often turn tail and begin to chat up the other one. It was frustrating and obnoxious, but the twins weren't always able to make sense of the visions they saw, and Tugger was an excellent source of information. Out of necessity, they had to come up with special tactics just to get close enough to talk to him.

First, they would have to pay close attention to the company he was keeping. The corresponding twin would approach him, while the other stayed out of his line of sight. It usually worked… sometimes. It at least usually worked long enough to ask him a question, and no matter how cryptic his answer was, they would get the information they wanted. All it took was to quickly read his mind before his sauntered too far away, and there they had it.

Of course, they weren't able to use their strategy very often. He might start noticing, and refuse to talk to them, or his mind could even start building up a resistance to their powers, as sometimes happens with especially strong-willed cats.

With this in mind, Tantomile joined the growing gaggle of queens gathered around Tugger. He was telling some story about how he'd taken and hidden one of his human's keys, locking him out of the house when he tried to go in with a date. She grinned along with the others as he described in great detail the many shades of red the human had turned when Tugger had finally deigned to return the keys.

She remained there and listened, until most of the queens had left and even the kitten fan club were called away by their mothers for dinner. Finally, she wandered closer to him, and he acknowledged her with a smirk. This was her chance.

"There's something different about you today." She said softly, stretching and laying down near his perch. He raised an eyebrow, smirk still in place.

"Oh? Do tell, my dear mystical cat."

She would have to tread carefully. Tugger wasn't well known for his wisdom, but he could be incredibly perceptive; if he caught on how interested she really was, he'd be gone in a heartbeat. That was the best way to talk to the Rum Tum Tugger; layer upon layer of nonchalance.

"It's just an observation. Have you done anything fun lately?" She asked, carefully tuned in for his response. By all appearances she was practically falling asleep, though that was true for most Jellicles during the day. As a whole, they were very much a nocturnal tribe. Tugger eyed her for a moment, and grinned.

"Actually, I saw a magic show across town." The tom posed with a theatrical flourish. "Quite a talented little illusionist. His tricks could give you a run for your money."

"I wouldn't call what we do tricks." Tantomile said, perhaps a bit reproachfully.

The Maine coon chuckled. "Of course not."

He stood up and sauntered away, flicking his tail goodbye. As she watched him leave the junkyard, she felt her brother whisper in her mind, and along with it came an image he'd found in Tugger's memory. A little black kitten with a tuxedo patterned coat, sitting on a dumpster. Under his paw sat a deck of cards. But when she looked at his eyes, she could see that tiny telltale glimmer that marked all mystical cats.

Is this the same one? Coricopat whispered inquiringly as he crawled out from his hiding spot. The tom you saw in that vision, Tanto?

Tantomile thought back. The kitten seemed so different from the cat in her vision. He had the shaggy, scrawny look of one who's lived on the streets for a while, a stark contrast to his older, sleeker counterpart. It was hard to associate that cat on the tail end of his kittenhood, just on the cusp of adolescence, with the tom she'd seen in her vision. But that performer's smile was unmistakable, and the markings were exactly the same.

Yes, she whispered to her brother, confirming it even though she knew he already knew. Yes, that's the tom. He's younger than he was.

The two of them began to make plans to find the kitten, plans to begin their role in life. Tantomile could barely focus over the strange sensation in her belly. Somehow she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that fate hadn't even gotten started with them yet.

Somewhere across town, a little black tuxedo cat was curled around a deck of cards. He was very resolutely not thinking about that annoying fluff ball who'd come to see his show that day. The one with the huge mane, who'd called him squirt (as if he was so much older!). The cat was cold in spite of the warm summer air. He missed his mother. Without her, he felt alone, so, so, alone, and empty. Still, he didn't move from his spot under the dumpster.

He didn't entirely understand why, but something told him that it was the right place to be. So, he would keep on putting on a show. He would keep on performing, and one day, it would be better. One day…

So, that's the first chapter of Quietism, my take on the origin of Mistoffelees. I hope you've enjoyed it, and I'd really appreciate it if you left a review with any questions or concerns. Also, if I made some ridiculous typo, don't leave me in the dark. Thanks!