Welcome to the final part of the Thundercat trilogy! It's been a great honor to write this story. I hope that this final chapter lives up to your expectations. Before you read this I have two announcements I would like to give.
One, I would be very happy if anyone who reads this would check the links on my profile about my book, Battle for the Stars. It's a fantastic book and I think many of you would enjoy reading it or buying it. Please support my writing by at least considering it.
Announcement two, I'm thinking about setting up a service to help out fellow fanfics writers for a commission. I would be happy to help proofread, edit, do a bit of ghost writing while giving suggestions and helping people with writer's block. Let me know what you think about this idea.
In the week following the wedding of the Thundercat royals, it appeared that the first part of Ocelata's prophecy was coming true with their nuptial bliss lasting only a day. Once the party had ended the Alliance had convened a formal meeting to discuss the future of their union along with discussing the best method for defeating Mumm-Ra and the Ancient Spirits of Evil once and for all. At the moment the leaders of the different tribes were gathered in the Grand Council room in the city of El Dara with Master Chem. The rest of the Spellbinder Council was busy working to distribute the flow of purified manna across the planet while the majority of the tribes were out in the city stocking up on supplies and getting to really know one another. Everyone was anxious to find out what the next step in this war was going to be.
Lion-O was resisting the urge to bang his head on the table as he listened to the other leaders arguing once more about equalities and restitution for the different tribes. He had been voted the leader of the Alliance not only because he'd been the one to unite them in the previous battle, but because it had been confirmed that he was the Ancient Spirits of Good Champion. Only he could use the Stones of Power ultimate potential to end this millennium long conflict. The responsibility of being in charge of such a big group was overwhelming at times. He tried his best to be fair and not ask for more then the other tribes could give even though at times his patience nearly ran out. Age old conflicts and cultural differences were causing trust issues and causing tempers to get out of hand.
Ocelata placed a comforting hand on her husband's giving him a reassuring smile. She was the second in command of the Alliance and it was hard for her to diffuse the growing conflicts and keep the leaders from leaving the room. She was now wishing she had paid more attention to her sister Panthera when she was setting up the original Union. Having her skills as a diplomat would come in handy right about now. "Enough bickering, we need to come to a decision today about what direction our Alliance is going. Let us not forget it was our combined powers that helped win the battle for El Dara and prevented the creation of an evil set of Stones of Power for Mumm-Ra. I understand how in the heat of battle bonds can be forged, but it is up to all of us to keep those bonds from dissolving once the fighting has stopped."
"Well spoken Queen Ocelata especially since you were one of the people threatening the city and the world. Master Chem has vouched that you're healed from your conversion to evil, yet you still bare Mumm-Ra's mark. You are truly not free of him. How can we be so certain that you aren't reporting our meetings back to him so he can wipe us all out?" Mousette demanded. He and his tribe were still being ostracized for the actions of Rataro enslaving the cat race. Though they had proved their loyalty in battle many of the other tribes were still wary of them. So to boost his tribe's position he attacked the Cats.
"Mousette, we have been over this before. The Pools of Xanadu have healed Queen Ocelata. It's true that the darkness hasn't completely left her, but it's contained as long as she wears the Diadem of Prophecy. In fact; it's her link with Mumm-Ra that has helped keep tabs on him while we debate on what to do next," Master Chem responded sharply, but Ocelata shook her head.
"Master Chem, Mousette has every right to be concerned. It's true that I should be held under suspicion. If the evil starts to grow again and take me over his tribe's sharp senses would alert the rest of the Alliance so I can be contained before I become dangerous. Still I can tell my trust issues aren't the problem. Mousette, what grievances do you have with the rest of the Alliance members? Haven't we shown you our trust?"
"The Rats have contributed greatly and done our best to make up for the enslavement of the Cat race. Yet, you and the other tribes still treat us with disrespect and mistrust. We have offered our skills as expert survivors and spies only to be scorned at. Even the Vultures who are scavengers like us are given more power then we are!"
"That's not true! Both our kind are treated equally. Even anything you knowledge of surviving in the most inhospitable environments such as the swamps makes you more valuable. Then us! Its only because you refuse to work with other tribes that you're contributions aren't being taken seriously," Nanda shot back.
"Nanda is right. If you wish us to change our opinions on you prove it by your actions. In my culture standing up and showing your worth through battle and the ability to provide speaks loudly," Stoutland commented.
"Exactly, some tribes are contributing more then others. We Amazonians have already agreed to send a platoon of our sisters to watch the corpse walker's pyramid for signs of him attempting to escape. Lion-O, you have banished him back to his home, but for how long? History has shown us that as long as Mumm-Ra has his powers and the Ancient Spirits of Evil backing him up nothing can stop him from spreading chaos," Crysta said reminding the group of another issue.
"She speaks the truth Lion-O. Mumm-Ra's evil spirit is seeking for a way to bring us harm. We Elephants can sense that the Spirits of Evil renewed their bargain with him. Not only has he regained his immortality, but his power has grown. The Stones of Power can only hold him for so long," Anil said.
"Not to mention he's got a whole army behind him. With his magical resources and amount of war tech while he holds the Sword of Plundar he's all but invincible. The Lizards are to frighten of him not to obey his orders. Even if Frilla and I were to go to our settlements trying to convince them to stand up and fight against him there's no guarantee they'd listen. We've seen first hand what he can do when he's locked up and if he should be freed again what will happen to us? Can you promise the survival of our tribe? Especially, since the dogs were unable to keep Slythe and the other generals prisoners. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence when you can't hold on to three chained generals," Gela hissed.
"Is that a challenge? I lost two of my best men trying to recapture those beasts! The Dogs committed more then half of our resources to keeping them locked up instead of sending them back to our city to be dealt with in the Pit. We agreed to abide by rules against killing prisoners and look where it's got us!" Dobo barked.
"Why are we arguing about this when it's a moot point? We should be committing our resources to wiping Mumm-Ra out. We understand that he's dangerous, but at the moment he's vulnerable to attack. We could weaken him further. At the very least we should find the last Stone of Power and use to ensure our survival!" Fishman argued.
"Finding the final Stone of Power is not easy. The Book of Omens has yet to reveal its location and I've attempted to use Sight Beyond Sight only to be blocked. I assure you finding the final Stone is a priority," Lion-O told the group.
"Robobear Berbils trust Lion-O. We love him and Ocelata. We want to help the Alliance out," Robobear Bill intoned.
"That's swell, but we still haven't come to an agreement on how much resources each tribe should commit to this or what help we can expect from the other members. The cats don't even have a proper home right now and if we commit Spellbinders to helping the recover and rebuild we waste precious time and resources that could be better spent. We need to secure more members so that we can provide food, weapons, aid and anything else we need before we think about finding the last Stone of Power or defeating Mumm-Ra. We should be sending envoys out to the other tribes convincing them to align with us instead of Mumm-Ra," Mousette argued once again. "I, for one, want assurance of better homes for our tribe once this fight is over. At the moment we could do with a steady supply of food and comfort."
"How can you think about spoils of war when so many are suffering now? Do you expect to bribe tribes into joining us?" Crysta stated incredulously. "How can you be so selfish at a time like this?"
"It is not selfish, but self preservation for his kind that he is worried about young Amazonian. All three of these ideas are important. We do need more allies and should figure out how to divide up the responsibilities of our tribes. The people of El Dara are willing to commit much to help ensure that the threat of Mumm-Ra is permanently solved, but we can't think about that or future rewards without the Mind Stone," Master Chem spoke up.
"He's right and at the moment we're so angry and upset we can't think straight. Our emotions are getting to us leaving us unable to act rationally. The bottom line is we wall want what's best for our tribes, but we need to start thinking about what's best for our unified front if we are to have a future. Our ancestors both on Animala and when we first landed were able to create a union that weather many troubles. We need to stand united or we'll die," Lion-O informed the group.
"We understand that there is still much work to be done. It's going to take a lot of time and patience to overcome grudges, cultural differences, and our fears, but we need to remember why we forged this Alliance in the first place. To ensure the survival of not only the Animal tribes, to renew our promise to the natives of Third Earth and keeping this planet from falling into the clutches of evil. I suggest we take a break and use this night to think of what we all want, what would best benefit the entire group. We'll reconvene tomorrow and make our plans. Agreed?" Ocelata asked. The heads of the council nodded. "Then this meeting is adjourned until nine am tomorrow. See you then."
Both royals were both physically and mentally exhausted as they headed back to their guest chambers. It felt like very little had been accomplished today and they hoping for a chance to rest and have a small respite before having to deal with anything else. However when they arrived at the guest chambers the others were there waiting for them. The kittens raced over to hug Ocelata and Snarf gave Lion-O his own welcome. The kittens helped seat their leaders who sank into the comfortable couch and accepted the cold juice and sandwiches offered by Tygra and Cheetara.
"Long day I take it?" Tygra asked.
"You have no idea. It seems that any decisions we make take hours to decide upon and even then it feels like no one is happy. The bonds we formed during our battle are fraying and I'm worried that the Alliance will fall apart completely. The only way we are going to end the threat to our world is if we unite against our common enemy. Why can't they see that?" Lion-O responded.
"The tribes do see it Lion-O, they're just scared and worried about what's going to happen to them. You have to remember that since the Great Divide our peoples have had very few positive encounters with one another since then. Going back to the beginning of this conflict we've had longer periods of strife and war then peace and cooperation. You're just going to have to stay strong and have open ears and mind if you want this Alliance to work," Cheetara informed him.
"Don't worry so much about being perfect little brother and don't forget you're not alone in this. We're all here to help you. We've been working to help spread the truth about what really happened all those centuries ago. It's a long process and many are resistant when it comes working with other tribes and learning that we aren't the best, but I have faith that we can eventually change their mind."
"We've been helping out to. We've been working really hard to make sure all the tribes are interacting with one another. Showing that each tribe has something unique to offer the others is helping to form friendships," WilyKat explained.
"It's also fun to spend time with other species and learn more about them. We love finding commonalities and it helps that the Spellbinders are working with us to provide everyone with the supplies and food we needed. We've broken up a few fights between the tribes; mostly Cats and Dogs or Rats. Its hard work, but its going to be worth it in the end if it means this war is over right?" WilyKit asked.
"She's right you know and whenever you're ready to search for that final Stone the Thundertank will be ready. I've finished with the repairs and I've upgraded the weapons system and even integrated some of the El Darians magic into her. I've been talking with some of the other metalworkers from the Weasels tribe and they think they've come up with some new transporter designs we can use to create vehicles for all the different tribes. It will take some time to build them, but I have confidence we'll finish them."
"Thank you, all of you have been great at helping me this past week. Without your help I don't know if I could handle all the responsibilities I have by myself. I worry that I'm not going to live up to everyone's expectations. So many people are counting on me to protect us from Mumm-Ra and the Ancient Spirits of Evil. What if I fail or our people are enslaved again? The other tribes have suffered so much under our kind's arrogance. I need to make it up for them? This is the hardest thing I have ever done. I don't know if I can do this," Lion-O told the others sadly. He was looking at his sword and gauntlet staring at the Stones of Power willing them to help give him the strength to deal with everything that was going on.
"Oh Lion-O, I know that this is a lot of responsibility for one person to deal with, it's more then any person should have to deal with. It can't be easy being the King of the Cats along with your added duties to the Council and being the Champion. It's not fair either that I'm linked to Mumm-Ra or have to worry about what keeping the evil inside me contained. I also have more responsibilities then I'm wondering if I can handle. Being Queen and trying to use the powers of the Diadem to help end this conflict can be very draining. It's not fair what's going on, but it's what is."
"I wish I had your confidence. Each day at the Alliance Council meetings is a struggle to get anything accomplished. All we seem to do is argue and it takes us hours to come to a consensus about what we want to do. I've seen your memories of Panthera and Leo. They seem to get anyone to listen to what they have to say and go with what they wanted. I want to bring back that same unity that helped our ancestors survive after the crash. To rebuild the relationships that were damaged during the long years in space after Mumm-Ra forced us to abandon our ancestral home. I just don't have the same charisma and skills Leo had."
"Lion-O, the game of politics is arduous one that takes time to learn how to play. It takes even longer to develop the art of diplomacy so that you can negotiate and compromise on your ideas so they benefit the whole. We have to stand strong on our position and be ready to adamantly defend our choices. At the same time we have to keep an open mind so that we are flexible when it comes to the needs of others. We're both doing the best we can. It may not seem like much right now, but in the end it will be worth it."
"You should listen to your wife Lion-O. I know I always said I would make a better king and champion, but I can't think of anyone right now that I would put my faith in other then you. Don't quail when you're so close to victory. You've accomplished so much in such a short time. I know our parents would have been proud of you."
"Hey Ocelata, have you figured out what that prophecy you gave means? "The bliss of marriage is short lived as the underwater city sings for help. The tribes' unity grows stronger, yet the dark one still holds the power of destruction. Four shall become one."" Why are prophecies always in riddles? It makes understanding them so much harder," WilyKit said scrunching up her nose.
"If they weren't hard to understand then they wouldn't be prophecies sis. Predicting the future is hard. If it was easy to do then everyone could do it."
"Snarf roaw!"
"It's obvious the part about the wedded bliss refers to your marriage, but the rest is a puzzle. I've never heard of an underwater city. Does the rest of the prophecy mean the Alliance will become truly unified against Mumm-Ra? What does the last line mean? I wish Jaga was here, he'd be able to figure out what the prophecy means," Cheetara mentioned to the group.
"I hate all this mumbo jumbo. Give me a real threat to battle against any day. You know what I think we could all use a break. Anyone else up to getting a hot meal right about now? I know I'm looking forward to whatever meal the El Darians have prepared as long as its meat. I don't think I can stand having candy fruit again." The group nodded and they all went to dinner together.
That night, Lion-O was sleeping restlessly. He was rolling all around the bed trying not to disturb Ocelata. The night diapason filtered in through his window stirring his already active mind. He kept worrying about tomorrow's meeting wondering if anything would be accomplished. His thoughts also turned to his people, knowing that soon they'd be returning home to start rebuilding Thundera. Many of them wanted to stay and fight, but they weren't in the best of health. The best way they could contribute to the Alliance would be to find out if any of their farmlands still had fresh food for them to eat. Perhaps there were also weapons, medicine, and extra supplies in the rubble that could be distributed evenly. Knowing that sleep wasn't an option he flicked on the light on the end table taking out the Diary hoping to make sense of the entries on the last Stone of Power: the Mind Stone also known as the Elemental Stone.
"This Diary is giving me a headache. I can't even begin to translate the text on the Mind Stone. What kind of writing is this?" Lion-O grumbled.
"Lion-O, its late you should be getting some rest. What do you hope to learn from the Diary that can't wait until morning?" Ocelata questioned him rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She wrapped her arms around him and looked at the pages. "Trying to learn more about the Mind Stone I take it?"
"Any information we can gleam can help us secure the Stone easily. I also think the Council should be made aware of the potential power it wields. I need to assure the Alliance members that I would never abuse the powers of the Stones; in fact I plan to share them somehow."
"I think that's noble of you. It's a generous gift that should win over many members. If I recall correctly the Mind Stone fed on the intellectual curiosity of the people near it. I know that it's supposed to increase intelligence, it's even rumored to give the bearer mind reading abilities."
"So why is it nicknamed the Elemental Stone?"
"It increases your minds ability so much that people start forming connections to the twelve elements in the world. They literally are able to manipulate them using their mind alone. I never saw Mumm-Ra use the Stone's abilities to its fullest, but he did punish many slaves with fire and lightning blasts from the Stone. We need to recover it before he breaks free of his banishment or employs others to do his dirty work. It wouldn't take much convincing for people like the Duelist or Conquistador to do his dirty work. We can explore these possibilities tomorrow. Right now, lets get some sleep," Ocelata told him. She kissed him and drew him back to the bed so they could sleep together
The next day the Council Meeting was much the same. It seemed the nightly rest hadn't helped tempers at all. The Alliance was in danger of losing everything they had worked for possibly breaking up when Lion-O decided to take a firm hand and lead these political games in the right direction.
"Enough bickering we can't be divided by our petty differences any longer. We are fighting for our right to be free, to reclaim our cultures and lives before they were stolen. We must let go of the past and live in the present. Only by taking action now can we hope to have a future worth living in. I promise you I will never abuse the powers of the Stones. I will gladly share each of them with all the tribes just as their powers once protected and aided us on Animala. I'm sure even the humanoids gathered here today could help ensure equality amongst us all. You elected me to be the leader of the Alliance Council and put your faith in me as your Champion. Allow me to show you those choices weren't wrong."
"Lion-O speaks the truth. His rhetoric is sound and I for one believe that if our ancestors could form a perfect union then why not us? My Diadem of Prophecy has forewarned us to the need to stand unite. I have lived through the horrors of Mumm-Ra and his masters. If we don't pull together our lives will be worse then death. Now we need to make some tough decisions today. Who are we sending on these envoy teams to ask for help? What kind of resources are the tribes willing to commit and how will we share duties of helping us forge an army to stand up to the evil? Who is willing to stand guard around the Dark Pyramid making sure that Mumm-Ra stays contained and warn us if he breaks free?" Ocelata proclaimed to the group. Her passion and commitment to the cause was inspiring. It helped win over the Leaders who started discussing the ways they could work together.
In the end the Council came to a decision. A group consisting of a couple Amazonian warriors, some Spellbinders and the Fishmen would be the ones patrolling the Dark Pyramid keeping an eye on things. Other tribes were committing supplies, medicines, and food to the Alliance while agreeing to teach others how to fight. The Berbils and Vultures were eager to help restore the tech to even the odds. Other members of the tribes were forming small groups to act as envoys going all over Third Earth convincing the other tribes to join their cause.
Once that had been decided Lion-O and Ocelata brought out the Book of Omens on a portable tracker. With everyone's eyes on them they activated the tracking function to find the last Stone of Power. The leaders were nearly blinded by the red light as it filled the room. After a few seconds it shot out of the window heading towards the coast.
"Lion-O; quick use Sight beyond Sight to see where it's going!" Ocelata urged.
Lion-O drew the Sword of Omens to its full length and activated Sight beyond Sight. His vision was blurry for a few seconds as he concentrated on the beam watching it as it went past the coast and disappeared into the ocean. He tried to stay with it and caught a glimpse of a glass dome before the vision faded. He turned to the group and spoke. "My vision has shone that final stone is somewhere in the vast ocean."
"Makes sense, my prophecy did stay that the underwater city would be crying for help," Ocelata pointed out biting her lip.
"How can they're be a city underwater? Do you have the slightest idea where in the ocean it is exactly? How are you even going to get there?" Mousette questioned.
"There have been tales as well as documented evidence of animal tribes living in the ocean from many different sources. Since most major tech hasn't been used in centuries its not surprising animal tribes in the water have gone undetected," Dobo replied.
"Sharks, Dolphins, other marine life forms could be using the Mind Stone to help them construct and run their city. It would be very difficult, but not impossible to build a functioning city underwater," Nanda added.
"So how is your small team going to pinpoint the Stone's exact location and retrieve it? The Thundertank can't function underwater and none us could survive the pressure without some sort of transport. I could study the magic archives, but I doubt there is a spell we could use to make it easier for you to travel underwater; especially with the mana still recovering," Master Chem explained.
"We Berbils will build Thundercat's a sub. We'll make sure it can withstand the pressure and so you can still breathe. It will take some time, but soon you will be traveling the seas," Robobear Bill assured him.
"Thank you, I'm sure Panthro will be eager to help. Until were ready to launch I will continue to help my people recover and work with this Council towards are goals. This millennium conflict will come to an end. I swear by Thundera that I will defeat Mumm-Ra and the Ancient Spirits of Evil once and for all!"
Everyone cheered in agreement. It was a momentous occasion to see all the different tribes, both animals and humanoids, of Third Earth come together for a common goal. The bonds forged today would decide the future for everyone involved. They could only hope the royals could keep their promise for it would be a very bleak future if they failed.