Disclaimer: No. None, nada. Well, maybe the idea of the crossing the two over at all, but whatever.

I've always wanted to read a good crossover, but I've never really found any that appealed to me. Although the Jimmy Neutron/Fairly Odd Parents was interesting, it left something to be desired. So, to remedy this egregious issue, I've decided to throw common sense to the wind and start one.

Yes, that's several stories I should work on. No, I do not care. I'm having issues writing certain things, and college is mildly frustrating, so I'm going to write what I please. If this is met well, hurrah. If not, oh well.

I would recommend at least having a basic knowledge of both series to fully grasp what's going on. For those of you unfamiliar with one or both fandoms that are brave enough to venture on…

Sonic the Hedgehog – An anthropomorphic blue hedgehog with the ability to run at the speed of sound lives on a planet called Mobius with other similar beings. His world contains gemstones called 'Chaos Emeralds' that wield amazing energy. He is always fighting against villains like Doctor Robotnik, Doctor Finitevus, and the Iron Queen. The all-around good guy, he does his utmost to be kind and fair and just keep moving ahead with life in spite of tragedy.

ThunderCats 2011 – Anthropomorphic felines that use their variety of abilities and talents to combat evil beings such as Mumm-Ra. Led by Lion-O, the youthful and somewhat idealistic king who wields the Sword of Omens, they currently seek a way to combat the forces of Mumm-Ra. Their world is full of a variety of denizens as well.

The Sonic verse is extremely varied, and I will be using a combination of the games, cartoons, and comics; mostly the comics. Don't be hating on the mixture of canons. Warnings for this story include:

Mild fantasy violence. They'll be busting Swatbots, socking lizards, kicking the tar out of villainy in general. Nothing terribly gory that I know of yet.

The fact that it's a crossover might alarm some readers. So I'm warning you right now; it's a crossover. Hopefully a mildly logical one, but all the same.

I haven't read much in the Sonic verse for quite some time. I can assure you that if there are any similarities to other Sonic fanfics in this, it is accidental.

Pairings: Mainly SonicxSally – Sonamy fans, don't kill me – Lion-OxCheetaraxTygra, and several others that shall simply have to remain a surprise, mostly unrequited love. Sally is portrayed positively, although I'd like to think she's a bit more like her cartoon counterpart. No yaoi, yuri, or sexually explicit content. Y'all get some kissing every now and then, and that's it.

Starts out moving kind of quickly from one place to another. We've got to set the scene after all, don't we?

Anyway. Without further ado, welcome to the story.

"But do you really mean, sir….that there could be other worlds – all over the place, just round the corner – like that?"

"Nothing is more probable," said the Professor."

'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,' C.S. Lewis

Where the Roads Intersect

Chapter 1

Meddling With Reality is a Dangerous Hobby

Doctor Finitevus twiddled a warp ring idly over his index finger, tossing it into the air before catching it again. It reflected the dawn's light well, winking painfully at him before it swung neatly over his finger.

Angel Island loomed far from the compound mockingly, several miles out and over the ocean, and he gazed at it with his yellow eyes, considering. To attempt to warp to the island right now, with its guardian out for his blood, would not be wise. But the Master Emerald called so temptingly this morning…

To study it again and learn more of its secrets would have been rapture. With the power of warp rings, it was as close as his fist. But Knuckles was still there, watching the gem like a hawk. Even when he left to regroup with the Freedom Fighters, somebody stood guard over it, armed to the nth. He'd only ever peeked through the rings to see, but they were always present.

The plot with Enerjak had crumbled, and it had held so much promise. Knuckles had been a purifying wave, obliterating echidnas and dingoes alike. Cleansing everything of technological and human taint…before Locke had an attack of conscience and decided to ruin everything. The Emerald had been free of his magic, as had Knuckles. The noble endeavor had been halted. Not without making progress, but…

And those wretched Downunda Freedom Fighters were still heckling him. While Scourge and his various aides had been nuisances as well, they at least had provided backup for when things got messy. Last he had heard, though, Scourge had landed himself in the Interweb prison, courtesy of Sonic Hedgehog. He'd taken to spying on Zone Cops lately; the variety of worlds and their respective issues did wonders for a bored mind.

To be honest, though, it made him curious. If there were indeed so many zones and versions of their world, it seemed as if there ought to be more variety. All he ever heard talk of were the various Mobiuses and their problems, though other planets were occasionally mentioned.

As he tossed the ring about, this was all on his mind. As was the idea brewing in the back of his head.

Who was to say there were only alternate Mobiuses? Had not Sonic returned from outer space with tales of aliens? What if their worlds also featured in these mirror universes, and all the worlds they would never be able to reach due to distance and energy limitations? The possibilities were exciting.

It was an unfortunate fact that Finitevus was most dangerous when he didn't have anything in particular planned.

It would take staggering amounts of Chaos Energy to fuel a ring enough to reach such a distant place. The Master Emerald could provide the boost, but that left him back at the beginning of his issue of it being guarded.

Then again, how much time would it take for a ring to absorb what it needed? And even if he did get discovered, what was the worst that could happen? Knuckles had already thrown him off the island before, and he'd survived. It would be easy to warp away if things got more violent.

His mouth crooked into a grin, and he slid the ring onto his wrist. A little mayhem might actually be entertaining.

"Eleven'o'clock is when you need to review Lupe's assessment of the situation with the Felidae. Her people are trying to be tolerant, but the cultural clashes are proving extremely tense and they can't agree on when the stone can be moved for certain ceremonies. Also, we've got one group of monarchists that insist Elias should seize control and reject the role of the Council of Acorn, and they've set up signs and tents outside the castle. They demand an audience. And we need to divert a stream across the city to deal with possible fire threats, but some citizens are blatantly refusing to allow me to move their homes for the space." Nicole folded her arms behind her back, gazing expectantly. Then she lifted a finger and began fiddling with the long, black locks and beads that trailed from the back of her head. "Oh, and there's been another call for my dismantling. I've been called 'Iron Traitor' twice now and the children throw things. Just in case you wished for a full report."

Sally lifted her head from the desk. A pen stuck to her forehead. "Be a friend and brain me."

As a friend, the AI would never admit it out loud, but Sally looked quite terrible. Her fur was mussed, her hair was stringy from being repeatedly pulled, and she appeared to have developed a nervous tic as her eye twitched. Tapping her boot, the princess was giving the little brass lamp in the corner a serious look. She tugged the pen from her brow and tossed it over her shoulder, head slumping yet again.

"I apologize, but that goes beyond the call of duty. Besides, Elias is swamped as well." She half considered replacing the lamp with something less solid and capable of causing cranial injury, but Nicole instead settled herself beside Sally and gazed at the papers on her desk. "Damage from the Yagyu's final assault?"

"Mm. The fact that you can rebuild everything with nanites doesn't seem to set the people at ease." She rubbed her eyes and let her fingers furrow into her hair. "Do you think Ken would still take me up on that offer to be queen of the Dragon Kingdom? Because over there, people seem a lot more self-sufficient."

She didn't mean it. But with the recent complaints and shaky return to normalcy from the Iron Dominion, people were nervous and more inclined to panic, meaning a great deal of stress for those in power. Though it had been months since Sally had last dealt with duties other than leading the Freedom Fighters, the pile up of work was enough that Elias had begged her to step in and help, as the council members – save Uncle Chuck – just didn't seem to have any idea which way was up anymore. Rotor was a help, but Hamlin caused more harm than good. And the Prowers…they meant well, but going around starting mobs the way they had just seemed detrimental to the grand scheme of things. Democracy was all well and good; she hoped New Mobotropolis could have such a government someday. But tearing the city apart while they were trying to fight an enemy like Robotnik was asking for a dictator.

And nobody trusted her. True, that wasn't the main point, but it certainly added to everyone's paranoia.

Nicole watched Sally bury her face in the files with distinct pity. There were days when being a super computer and being able to control vast amounts of technology with just a little binary code was a blessing indeed. Computers responded well to logic and orders; people did not. Then again, to control people as one could control a computer was wrong. Feeling a little guilty and disturbed at the idea – being branded a traitor truly messed with one's mental health, even if one happened to be an AI – Nicole touched Sally's shoulder. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Convince Sonic to go talk to the Felidae. He knows about as much about the situation as I do. And see if there's any other way to divert the water, because I really don't want suits filed against the kingdom for disregarding property rights even in a case like this. And…oh, tell the mob to vote next year about the issues! That's the nice thing, if they want a king in command they can decide on it then." The paradox was interesting. Sally threw up her hands at last and stood up, pushing her chair back. "Anything else we need to do! Solve world hunger, decrease student apathy!"

The notifications resting on her desk were swept aside, clattering thinly against the floor. Nicole watched them tumble before meeting Sally's haggard, fed-up blue eyes. Apparently paranoia was not the only issue rearing its head under all the stress. Four mugs of coffee over the past twelve hours hadn't helped. "And tell the people that think you'll betray us to get off their high horses. If we abandoned or dismantled everyone that ever made a mistake or were tricked by the enemy, I'd like to know who would be left!" she added accusingly.

With that, she covered her face, rubbing her eyelids. "…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scream. I'm just…so tired." Red hair frazzled, she swept it out of her eyes and thumped back into her chair. The warm carpet was covered in her work, white paper gleaming. "And I'm mad about those people that want to shut you down. I don't even want to give them the time of day. But I have to."

"It makes you a good leader." Her arm was warm, and Sally smiled when she continued, "and I don't think it will be the end of the kingdom if you leave Lupe's message until tomorrow. The Ancient Onyx has been argued over for generations, and I really don't think that you'll be able to mend the issue by yourself, anyway."

"Sonic thinks I can." She leaned back and slid out of her seat, beginning to pick the papers. "He thinks I have some royal ability to give a heartwarming speech and rally everyone together for the good of the world. At least, that's what he says."

Nicole shook her head, gestured with an index finger, and the files zipped from the ground to Sally's arms. "Nanites. I don't know how I ever got by without them. Why don't you take a break, get some breakfast that doesn't consist of coffee. I can hold down the fort for a while."

Looking helplessly over her files and the rest of the room where more folders and shelves rested, Sally shook her head. "But there's so much I need to do. I mean, even after I finish all that, there are court cases that need an authority, and missions that need to be briefed and reviewed. And we still have-"

"Sally." Her green eyes were serene, and she held out her arms. "Give up the files. Go eat. Smell the roses."

Hesitantly, Sally finally relinquished her hold on the work in her arms. "I guess I'll just crash in the middle of something if I don't, right?"

"Like a computer." A slight grin flitted across Nicole's face. "Go take a shower, and I'll see about setting up something to eat. Review Lupe's message later, and I'll relay for the protesters to take up their issues with Hamlin. Social unrest will make his day."

Sally smiled faintly, then rubbed her eyes and tugged her bangs, examining them. "I need a haircut."

"Go get one today. I'll see about everything."

When Sally left the room, heading for her home for a quick wash, Nicole began to examine the papers she'd left behind. Most had to do with anger and fear about the government, the ended Dominion, the loss of Robotnik during the attack…the lethal computer controlling the environment…

She sighed. Flopping the pages down, she put an inky hand to her chin in thought. This had to be the third all-nighter this week Sally had pulled, and her stress levels were at crazy levels. The thing about adventuring at least was that problems could generally be dealt with by means of fighting or witty banter. But when it came to politics…bleh.

And the fact that Ken had been gone for a month couldn't help her. While Nicole wasn't exactly sure how the relationship had ended, the fact was that Sally had been close to the monkey and he had been a source of comfort and support for her. And now that he was gone, the princess was left somewhat stranded. Nicole was a friend, but she didn't wasn't quite the type that could give Sally the kind of relief Ken had.

Although…

Nicole turned on her heel and let her form flow into the nanites of the floor. She had a politically inattentive hedgehog to see about.

"Judging from the angle of the sun and the way the moss is growing, and the fact that we've been traveling for three hours southwest, I have to say that we are one hundred percent lost."

Panthro turned his head to look at Tygra with all the speed of a rusted machine. "Thank you for that unnecessary comment. Lion-O rides shotgun tomorrow."

Trying to look concerned, as opposed to a little thrilled, Lion-O tilted to look between the front seats, gazing ahead at the greenery. The Thundertank was excellent for plowing through the growth, but the trees before them and behind them made it hard to know they'd moved at all.

Kat leaned over too, nearly falling from his knee. "Is the Book of Omens still on the fritz?" he asked. Tygra's ears lowered and he glanced back with one dark eyebrow quirked. "Because, you know, that's totally okay. Part of adventuring, right?" Kat added hastily. Lion-O subtly nudged him so that he would sit back and shut his mouth before he irritated Tygra anymore. Because an irritated Tygra was not necessarily a friendly one.

And he'd spent hours upon hours trying to make the stupid thing connect with the Tank.

Kit popped up from Cheetara's lap, gazing at the Book. "What are we going to do now? Because if we don't know where the stones are, I really wouldn't mind getting out of the forest. We've been here a long time already." With that she sat back obediently, cuddling comfortably. Cheetara was examining the foliage, scanning the perimeter as it rushed smoothly by.

"I'm with Kit. Lizards will eventually find us if we stick around." While the back seats had been a pleasant surprise when Panthro had removed the cover, for all of them to fit required some snug maneuvering. At least, for all to fit the seats exposed to the air. Nobody had wanted to stay in the back of the tank for three hours.

Not that Kit and Kat were particularly heavy, but after three hours of sitting and watching trees go by, they were all getting a little nauseous and Lion-O's leg was falling asleep.

Snarf sighed from his position by Cheetara's feet. He only had enough room to roll over and stretch a little, and the vibration of the machine was making him edgy. Lion-O shifted Kat to his other knee, wincing when his other leg starting smarting. Bad idea. Very, very bad idea. Kat slumped back crossing his arms and pressing his cheek moodily against the king's shoulder. "I'm hungry. And my tail hurts.

Fighting to keep himself from tapping his foot, Lion-O looked toward Panthro. "Think we can take a break for half an hour?"

"Sure. We all need a good stretch." He shifted the gears smoothly, and it was a wonderful sensation when the tank began to slow and ease into a stop. Snarf's relieved screech was a sentiment shared by all of them; Kat vaulted over the metal side and promptly performed a cartwheel.

"Sweet ground, how I love you!" He flopped onto his front, laying flat. "Sorry about your leg, Lion-O."

"It's okay." Would jumping jacks look really stupid? Deciding they would, Lion-O simply started walking, wincing and kicking lightly at the ground, rubbing his upper leg to increase blood flow. Tygra climbed out, giving the Book of Omens a look.

"I don't get it. I just don't." He stretched his arms, then his legs, walking in a tight circle. "The stupid thing is supposed to show us where to go, and it can't be formatted to fit the Thundertank. That, or I just can't do it," he added in afterthought. Looking surprisingly glum, he watched Panthro head around to the rear to check the wheels and the armored plating on the sides.

"Technology's a new thing to us. And you don't see any of us doing any better," Cheetara said. He didn't reply immediately, for she'd vanished in a flicker of yellow light, darting three times around the clearing. When she stopped again – along with the branches and leaves her motion had kicked up – he shrugged.

"I guess. That doesn't help us much, though." But Lion-O saw his irritation fade a little, and even though he didn't really want Tygra to feel bad, he didn't really want him smiling at Cheetara either.

Don't be stupid. We're…all friends here. All of us. Just friends.

Thinking it helped him try to convince himself it was true. They were on the run from Mumm-Ra, trying to find a way to kill the guy; it wasn't exactly a good idea to try to start any romantic relationships. So he wouldn't think about it.

Even though he did steal glances at her sometimes. And he felt his tongue get kind of dry when she looked directly at him.

"Should we get some food out? We've got enough fruit left for five more days, and enough bread for four." Kit's was invisible but for her tail, sticking out of the hold in the back of the Thundertank for provisions.

"Sure. We'll eat a little now, but have a meal at dinner. We need to make sure we're near a town before running out." Stretching rations had been hard at first, but they were all used to it now. Tygra was mainly in charge of it, and he did a good job at it. Kit's tail rippled as she climbed out, a small satchel under her arm.

Cheetara leaned against the side of the tank, seated in the cool grass, and Lion-O debated whether or not it would be seen as more than friendly to get her share for her. That was normal, getting somebody's rations and bringing it to them, right? Friends did that for each other, right?

Whether they did or didn't, he took the piece of fruit – a pleasant, rich red – and sat down beside her. "Here."

She opened her eyes, looking a bit surprised. "Oh. Thanks. You didn't have to-"

"I know. I just…y'know." How very eloquent. But she gave him a slight smile and accepted it. Somewhere in the back of his head, he noticed that their paws touched when she took it.

The quiet was lovely, and the grass felt nice under their feet, like a cool carpet. For the first time that day, they could see the sun through the leaves, bright and hot. He bit into his fruit and discovered it was still good, not yet too soft. The stillness was best; the Thundertank was a blessing, but it rumbled over the ground like a huge boar, sending uncomfortable motions through all of them. But now, for a few minutes, they could sit and rest. And bend their knees further. Which he did, pulling them to his front for a second to ease their stiffness. Something warm pressed against his side, and he grinned; Snarf was pawing at his arm for a bite. He broke off a part of it and put it down.

Cheetara turned her head, and abruptly stopped chewing. "Something wrong?" Panthro had settled by the twins, allowing them each a little extra from the satchel; it was harder to let them still be hungry, given the fact that they'd spent most of their lives that way. Cheetara took one more dainty bite before getting up.

"Something's there. Watching us."

Lion-O heard Tygra taking out his pistol. "Friend or foe?"

"I don't know." She squinted, and cautiously pointed. "It's there. It looks like metal, but it's too wide to be a gun, or even a cannon."

"I see it too." Lion-O tilted his head, and felt for the claw shield at his hip. The Sword was comforting, a hefty weight. "Do you think we should check it out?"

From between the trees, it looked slick and golden around the rim, almost molten, fully as wide around as he was tall. But within the middle it looked…watery? Like a rippling reflection, distorted and wobbling. Only it wasn't reflecting trees. Instead, there seemed to be a pale, short figure within, gazing at them.

And then the wobbling gold turned abruptly black, and vanished with a sizzling crackle. A smell like decay suddenly seemed to fill the area. The kittens squealed, covering their noses as it deepened. "Yuck!"

Before Lion-O could even give the order, Cheetara and Panthro were moving. "Come on Kit, we're leaving," Cheetara said gently, voice low and soft. Kat darted to Lion-O's side, and Lion-O hefted him into the Thundertank, and then Snarf, climbing in and letting Kat grab hold of his neck. Tygra had his gun out, lowered, gazing critically at the spot where the strange substance had appeared and vanished.

"What was that? What smells so bad?" Kat sounded somewhere between nervous and curious, and Kit kept glancing toward the spot where it had been. Snarf hunkered down by their feet again, green eyes wide and glassy.

"We're not sure," Tygra said mildly, sounding as calm as Cheetara as he climbed in. Panthro shifted the gears and the tank roared to life, a comfortingly loud noise.

"Did you get the supplies?" Leave it to Panthro to be the practical one under pressure. Tygra showed him the satchel in answer, and with that Panthro put his foot to the pedal, and again trees were flashing by, green and gold and inky brown.

"Do you think it was dangerous, Cheetara?" Kit still gazed back, and Cheetara tugged at her arm until she sat down and looked at her instead, leaning on her.

It was Panthro who answered, over the purr of the engine. "We don't know, guys. And since it didn't do us any harm, we're willing to live and let live. Whatever it was."

They were all quiet for a few minutes after that, Lion-O listening for the sound of anything following. Kat looked up at him, pupils a little thinner in his anxiety.

For some reason, that made him realize that he still had half a fruit in his palm. "Here, Kat. You and Kit split the rest of this if you're still hungry. I've lost my appetite." Divvying it between them, Lion-O watched them nibble at it quietly, glancing back once or twice himself.

Hot showers did wonders for her stress headaches.

Sally ran her comb through her coat, using a towel to pat it dry after. The stiff teeth were pleasant and the towel soft, and it took all her will power not to flop back on her bed and start snoring.

Not that she snored. Well, maybe a little whistle every now and then…

Sliding her feet back into her boots, Sally pulled her vest on and eyed herself in her vanity. Lack of sleep was not doing the lines under her eyes any favors, but she couldn't sleep with all the work hanging over her like a guillotine. She'd have to make time for it soon, and surely everything would calm down in a few days, right? It always did. Maybe next month when the 'Forget Me Knots' were due to perform, everybody would relax. And then, she could.

If it had all been the ordinary type of problems going on, none of this would have been an issue. But frankly, Hades had broken loose.

Eggman had gone nuts, apparently regained enough sanity to break out, and escaped the city. Snively had weaseled his way out of justice again. The Iron Queen was gone, but the terror of a technology-dependent city remained. Geoffrey had apparently betrayed them. Enerjak had only months ago rampaged across the planet, and everyone still gave Knuckles looks when he came to New Mobotropolis. And of course the feline and canine tribes were still fighting like cats and…well, duh.

And of course, dealing with all that was almost preferable to trying to deal with the council and the monarchy issues, and the will of the people. It was easier to defeat a dictator than it was to please a majority of people. Make a decision, and half the city was roaring against it. Find a compromise, and somebody would take issue. It was getting to be so bad she just wanted bang her head into the wall until she passed out.

That, however, wouldn't help anybody. Including her. There was work to be done, and as princess and Freedom Fighter leader, she would see to it that it was.

But no work until food, or Nicole would kill her. Or make her paper dissolve into nanites. One or the other. Giving her comforter and mattress a wistful look, she fought the urge to chew her lip. Would it really be all right to answer Lupe tomorrow?

"Sally? I've arranged a brunch for you, and an escort to make sure you spend at least an hour away from anything that looks remotely like a report." Nicole's calm, pristine voice made the words seem funnier, and Sally smiled. The computer was getting good at not simply appearing in people's rooms.

"Oh really? And who is this escort?" she asked, opening the door. Though she really should have seen it coming – predicted it, really - Sally was still a little surprised to see Sonic standing there, boldly blue with his arms crossed.

"Who else, Sal? Nicole said you're running on coffee and that I must stop you lest the kingdom face the wrath of what we call, 'The Royal Meltdown.'" Extending one arm, she saw that a small bag hung from his elbow, and it smelled of pastries. "Mom made extra cinnamon rolls. And I know Uncle Chuck's sells OJ until noon."

Nicole had conveniently vanished, and Sally felt her bangs; they weren't unreasonably messy. "Homemade? With cream cheese icing?" she asked.

"And cinnamon and brown sugar."

It was hard to figure out exactly where she and Sonic stood anymore. He'd dated Fiona – but she was an evil, backstabbing, hateful, Tails-tormenting shrew. She'd sort of dated Ken – but then she'd turned him down to figure out what she had with Sonic. And after the attacks and political messes they'd been in lately, nothing in the world seemed concrete anymore.

And yet, for all his speed, Sonic never changed. Not really. And he was standing solidly in front of her, not about to run, and she finally realized that the reason he'd put the breakfast bag on his elbow was so she could take his hand. Talking to her like he always had, saying just the right thing – even if it was silly – at just the right time.

Nicole could be subtle. She'd apparently elected not to be this time. Sally shook her head and took his hand, enjoying its warmth. "How could I refuse?"

Finitevus hovered somewhere between what might have been called fear and absolute, delighted fascination.

That wretched pink echidna Julie-Su had been standing guard. She couldn't do much right other than fire a gun, but when she did that she did it well. His forearm was still smarting where the beam had grazed it, singeing his fur away. But he'd left with a laugh; it had taken ten seconds for the ring to charge, and take in the energy he needed for his experiment. Even now she would be fuming, calling Knuckles and his menagerie of friends, but it was all quite too late. He'd gotten the energy he needed to fiddle with his ideas, and fiddle he would.

In retrospect, perhaps it had been a bad idea to simply use his powers to charge the ring beyond its limits. Perhaps it had been a bad idea just to reach as far with the Chaos Energy as he possibly could, down in the compound's labs, alone in the dark of his unlit study. But he'd never been one for half-measures, nor had he ever been able to adequately cope with boredom.

So when the warp ring ripped open a hole and he actually saw something through it, he shuddered; pure adrenaline. Something other than a redundant Mobius was lurking on the other side.

It had taken a moment to focus beyond the rippling window, and he feared that perhaps it would simply close, too weak to form a proper connection.

And then it had cleared a little, and he had seen the most fascinating things. Cats. Bipedal, like any Mobian cat, but strange and exotic. Tall as the filthy humans. Two children, a female, and three males, all near each other and beside a gargantuan metal vehicle.

Finitevus was one for discovery, and the biology of new species and beings. But even to his thoroughly analytical eye, they were beautiful creatures, beautiful in the way most predators were. Examining them, he mentally recorded everything he saw.

The children, talking to the large, dark cat – some kind of panther? – and a tiger, replying to some of their queries. The female was spotted; perhaps some kind of leopard or cheetah? He'd have to look it up later. She was beside another, a younger male lion. Mates, perhaps? Was it some kind of pride of mix-matched cats? And what of the fat red creature beside the lion? He was feeding it; a pet, most likely, but what kind of beast was it?

Hundreds of questions. Thousands even. And all he could do was watch until the energy ran out.

Awareness flickered through their group. The female had spotted his warp ring, and alerted the rest of them, and they were looking back toward him in unease.

It would have been desperately foolish to step through the portal. Though they appeared to be eating some manner of vegetation, there was no way he could know if they were omnivorous. But they appeared similar to the Mobians in some ways, even though he could feel the stretch of space between their worlds like air in a canyon.

He wanted to cross that canyon. He wanted to examine them, to see if their world was different. Perhaps it was purer than his, purer than the people of Albion.

Putting his gloved hand to the surface, he felt the energy luring him. Like a siren's song, the vision was alluring…

Something black filled the image, and a heathenish odor roiled from the ring. Finitevus leaped back, startled, anger boiling in his eyes. Something was attempting to obstruct his learning.

Nobody did that and lived.

But the ring buckled, its insides writhing. Cautiously, the doctor slid another ring off his arm; though it pained him, a hasty retreat might be in order. The harsh smell was stronger now, and if he wasn't mistaken, something dark and – dare he, a practitioner of darkness, think it? – unholy was trying to come through.

The ring failed, and he fell back in the energy as its portal suddenly shut. Finitevus hit the floor and held the ring tightly in his hand, holding still as the room became calm once again in the absence of the wildly flickering light. The smell grew small, stale, but didn't entirely fade.

He sat up, looking around. Something red seemed to have crumpled on the floor, and he jolted backwards when it began to move. From under the folds of the red fabric moved two aged, cracking hands with long nails, wrists wrapped in bandages. The thing pushed itself up, and when it stood he couldn't help but cringe; its whole body was a deeply gray, almost blue tone, sickeningly old as if it had rotted in salt. The nose was crushed back and the eyes were bulbous and red, and even from here he could see just a little spittle on the aged, decrepit fangs.

It was nothing like those strange, elegant creatures. And yet, the black magic it radiated somehow fascinated him more than even their beauty. Even so, a part of him quailed at being near something so obviously…evil.

Good and evil were just terms. Purification of a species was a beneficial thing indeed. Wiping out the impure, cybernetic echidnas would have been for the best. All those thoughts came back to him, and yet he knew beyond a doubt that the first, at least, was not true.

There was evil. And some part of it was standing right in front of him.

"Greetings," Finitevus said finally. The being gazed at him, eyes dark under the foul hood. "I am Doctor Finitevus, master of warp ring technology and curses on emerald energy. May I ask your name?"

For nearly a full minute, the being simply stared at him, thin lips curling into an eerie grin. Again that part of him – probably the part that had lived before his experiments had altered him so – trembled in despair and horror, nearly wailing in fear.

"…Mumm-Ra." Rottingly soft, hissing, the name came from the back of the being's throat. "You have done something very interesting and very dangerous, Doctor. I could feel the energy you used even many miles from where you opened this hole and espied my foes."

Finitevus swallowed, trying not to sweat. "You mean those beings? The cats?"

"Indeed. Thundercats, to be precise. What led your enchanted technology to my world?" Mumm-Ra asked lowly, nearly laughing when the doctor glanced to the twisted, blackened ring on the floor.

"Curiosity, I suppose. A…desire to understand the unknown."

The mummified corpse smiled a little wider. "Ah, you're one of those. The intellects."

Finitevus wasn't sure if he ought to take that as a compliment or not. Nor was he sure if he liked it when the creature moved silently to his chair in the corner and sat in it, interlocking his delicate, dead fingers under his chin. "Tell me, Doctor Finitevus…about what opened the strange door. And tell me whether others can go through them, just as I did."