Note: This takes place many years after the Jellicle Ball in the video, and is based on the many Misto stories around the web that describe our beloved magician as being alone most of the time.
The old cat's eyes twinkled merrily at the kitten who waited in
anticipation. His old, grey paws held something neat, something
exciting from view. He slowly opened them and a little blue ball
sparkled as it appeared. The tiny black and white kitten pounced onit.
"Grandpaw, that was neat! How do you do that?" he asked, gazing
wistfully into his elder's eyes.
"Oh, years of practice, child, years of practice," he chuckled, giving
the kitten a scratch behind the ear. Mr. Mistoffelees enjoyed
entertaining all of the kittens who lived in the junkyard. He felt as
though each of them were his grandkittens, something that he longed to
be reality. This kit seemed to have just as much or even more spirit
than he had in his younger days, and he smiled as he remembered the few
purely happy moments he had experienced in his lifetime. He made sure
that he spent as much time as possible with each kitten so that none of
the little tykes would ever have to endure life alone the way he was
forced to at such a young age.
Mr. Mistoffelees, who had matured into a polished wizard, was so loved
by the cats and kits of the community and was by far the oldest cat
there so he had acquired the title of Grandpaw. It could even be said
that he had assumed the position that a cat by the name of Old
Deuteronomy once held, who was also quite inspiring.
"Grandpaw, aren't there any other magical cats like you?" the kitten
wondered as he rubbed his head on Mistoffelees' grey chest.
"Well, I suppose there are very few of us in the world," he said, not
really knowing the answer. "I never had any siblings and, actually, I
haven't seen or heard of any other feline magicians for quite some time
now," he said, vaguely remembering the long deceased Macavity. "I might
be the only one left," he thought out loud, feeling a bit lonely for a
moment.
"Then that makes you extra, extra special. I love you, Grandpaw."
Mistoffelees nuzzled the kitten and purred softly. There was something
about this one. Most of the other kittens were borne to litters of the
tribe, but this one was a stray. The old cat blinked thoughtfully as he
studied the kitten's coat for the tenth time that evening. He looked so
familiar to him yet... he'd never seen him before the day the tiny
thing wandered into the junkyard.
A lot of the other kittens were making there way towards the old cat,
tugging at each others' ears and pouncing on tails, doing the things
that kittens do. "Well, I guess it is story time, isn't it?"
Mistoffelees said as he looked up at the evening sky. The tiny kitten
joined the others in a semicircle around their Grandpaw and sat still,
for anything he said was something to be cherished.
"Alright," he grinned as he looked at the youthful faces around him,
"What kind of story would you like to hear tonight?"
"An adventure!!"
"Oooh, tell us a scary story!!"
"What about a funny story??" The kittens went on like this for a few
seconds until the tiny kitten piped up, "Will you tell us a love
story??" This seemed to quiet the others.
"You don't really want to hear a love story, do you?" Mistoffelees
replied, trying to make it sound boring. He knew that wasn't his best area.
"Yeah! A love story. You haven't told us one of those yet." Well, he
couldn't get out of it, so he waved his paws in the air to quiet the
kittens. They ooohed and aaahed as his paws sparkled. He traced the
shaped of a heart in the air that glowed for a few seconds until it
disappeared.
"A love story." The kittens listened to the sound of his gentle and
aged voice as if it were the only sound to be heard for miles. "This is
a story about a young tom from a long time ago, who was about your
size," he touched the tiny kitten on the nose, "and very shy. This tom
was a very distant thinker and usually had the best manners around. And
although he was small, he was able to earn the respect of all of the
cats that knew him."
"Did you know him?" One of the older female kittens asked.
"Well, yes. I did know him."
"Was he cool?" Mistoffelees grinned at her spunkyness, which reminded
him of her once curious grandfather.
"He wasn't the coolest cat around, but he did have his own unique
style. Anyhoo, this cat was sometimes very lonely. While everyone liked
him, he didn't really have any close friends. Despite this, he managed
to stay cheerful and have a positive attitude most of the time. Then
came his first Jellicle Ball..."
"Was the Jellicle Ball as beautiful then as it is now?" asked the tiny
kitten.
"Oh, yes, yes. It was quite beautiful, especially for the tom. But it
was during that night that his life was changed forever. The ball was
an excitingly new experience for him, exalting the joys of being
Jellicle. It was all very engrossing, and he seemed to fit in just
perfectly. There came a point in the celebration, though, when
everyone had become very quiet and started to walk away. The little tom
didn't quite know what was happening so he slipped into the pipe behind
some of the others. When he turned around he could not believe his
eyes. She was the most stunningly beautiful and captivating white
kitten he had ever seen and he couldn't take his eyes off of her.
Without blinking, he layed down to watch and was careful not to make a
sound so as not to disturb her."
The tiny kitten watched the Grandpaw very keenly, taking in every
expression on his old and wise face. His voice, the kit noticed, had
taken on an extremely sincere quality.
"Every graceful movement... every delicate breath she breathed in that
moment he would remember for the rest of his life. You see, this was
his introduction to love; something that he had never known personally
up to that point. Well, needless to say, he did as much as possible to
impress her throughout the Ball. He started off by singing the
invitation, which gave him the unforgettable chance to dance with her.
She seemed to enjoy it, too, and that filled him with great joy. He
also opened the trunk of that very car over there with his magical
powers. And when a jolly cat by the name of Bustopher Jones came by to
sing to them all, the young tom assisted him. Everything was going so
well." Mistoffelees' eyes drifted into deep thought for a moment. The
tiny kit touched his paw to awaken him.
"Did the white kitten love him?"
"She liked him... but..." The kitten looked up innocently into his eyes
and whispered, "She didn't love him?" Mistoffelees looked down at the
kit with a sad smile. His old eyes were slightly glazed over, but none
of the other kittens seemed to notice; but this one...
"He didn't want to think about that. He was too in love too fast. Every
time he saw her he would dance a little harder and as gracefully as he
could. A gaze in his direction would give him instant energy and he
would perform with all of his heart. In fact, a lot of the cats were
quite energized that night and Old Deuteronomy, bless his soul, had to
calm them down. The lovestruck tom was finally right beside her as
everyone began to yawn and lie down. He started to lie down also,
thinking that maybe... just maybe she would follow. But she didn't."
Mistoffelees spoke very softly so that he would not shed tears in front
of the kittens.
"Another tom, a bit older than him, took the initiative and danced with
her, bringing her out of kittenhood and into adulthood. It was, of
course, very beautiful but the little tom was heartbroken. She was
completely out of reach. He decided to put it in the back of his mind
for the rest of the night and try to enjoy the rest of the Ball, which
was not easy." Mistoffelees was slighty startled when the tiny kitten
nuzzled him. It was exactly what he needed. This kitten must know...
"Well, the Ball went on, and things were going pretty well, until the
tribe's leader was catnapped by an evil cat. All of the cats were very
worried. The little tom knew he might be able to bring him back but he
didn't think that the others would have that much confidence in him. So
he didn't tell anyone. But there was one cat who believed in him. This
cat was of the popular type and, oddly enough, admired him. It gave the
little tom a boost of energy knowing this. He even made the pretty
white cat appear using his magic. She smiled at him with stars in her
eyes, and it hurt him deeply but he didn't show it. He danced and
danced to get his mind off of her. Then finally, after waving his paws
around for a few seconds, who should reappear but the tribe's leader?
The cats were ecstatic! That is how he gained respect." He paused for a
moment, not knowing what else to tell because he knew the rest was all
downhill from there.
The tiny kitten almost didn't want to ask, "Did they ever get together?"
Mistoffelees sighed, "No, unfortunately, they did not. The beautiful
white cat was very happy with her new mate. They did become good
friends, but the little tom never got over her grace and beauty." He
stopped for a moment. His smile, or what was left of it, began to fade
away. "He eventually outlived her... and many of the others in the
tribe.." But I'll never forget that one moment... He looked up.
Most of the kittens' ears were drooping and there were sniffles all
around. "Sorry about that. I know love stories usually have happier endings."
"That's ok," the tiny kitten reassured him. "It was beautiful." He
smiled down at the kit, then looked up again.
"It's time for bed now. I'm sure your parents are waiting for you all."
He nuzzled each one goodnight and they all left for their homes...
except for the tiny kitten who sat in front of him, gazing in awe.
"You were the little tom, weren't you?" the kit whispered.
Mistoffelees smiled, putting an arm around him to pull him closer.
"I've been meaning to ask you something. Do you remember your parents?"
"No... well, a little. They were killed when I was seven weeks old. I
don't remember their names, but I remember what they look like. My mom
was... well, she was... I can't remember my mother," the kitten
whimpered. "But my father was all black with a speck of white between
his eyes."
Mistoffelees thought for a moment. "Did he by any chance have a certain
way of walking...?"
"He was always very stiff and his tail curled up when he walked."
Mistoffelees looked at the kitten with wide eyes.
"I remember him! He was my father's younger cousin. Kitten, you and I
are related!"
"WOW!! We're.. I can't believe it!!" The kit jumped into Mistoffelees'
arms in breathless joy. The Grandpaw himself couldn't speak as tears
began to well up in his eyes. So many years with no one to truly relate
to. Distant cousins they were, yes, but relatives none-the-less. He
hugged the kitten tightly.
"Right under my nose the whole time..." he whispered. The stars were
bright in the sky and the Jellicle moon, though not full, shined
bright. They layed down next to each other and Mistoffelees curled his
tail around the purring kitten. They would have a lot to talk about in
the morning.
"He might even have a potential for magic. Someone I can finally
share this awkward talent of mine with... and to think, I was
considering going up this year." The old wizard smiled to himself
and fell asleep.