chapter 12
Panthro was watching the boarder of the Village and saw Grune coming with the Lizard army.
He went to the hut where the others were. "Bad news the village is surrounded." Panthro said.
"How many troops?" Cheetara asked.
"Well I say it looks like all of them." he said.
"I say so to I can hear them coming," Lynx-o said.
"What is taking them so long?" Wilykit asked.
"Taking who?" Anet asked.
"Lion-o and Tygra," Wilykit said.
"Yes they went after the spirit stone," Anet said.
"Maybe something went wrong." Cheetara said.
"I sense a strong loving yet troubled presence with in, they face a greater challenge in there." Anet said.
"What?" Cheetara asked.
"Themselves by evening bell tomorrow Lion-o will know what is like for his brother and side he has never seen from him before and soon find out who he is meant to be with." Anet said.
In the Astral plane. "This place gives me the creeps." Tygra said.
"We've been walking forever will we ever find it?" Lion-o asked.
"The elephants say if we can't find something we are not looking at the big picture." Tygra said.
"Yeah it could be right under our noses." Lion-o said.
"If we find it I'm keep it just in case it's dangerous." Tygra said.
"The stone is my responsibility," Lion-o said.
"It hasn't chosen you yet I just hope you don't do something foolish." Tygra said.
"It will, and I'm not cub anymore! You are just father was!" Lion-o said. "So stop treating me like a kid!" he said.
Mum-Ra was following them he was intent on showing them something to make them destroy each other so he could get both stones.
Meanwhile outside the plane Panthro was setting up bombs.
"Look at Grune's snaggle tooth just sitting out there I bet he's scared." Wilykat said.
"You know how he lost his saber tooth?" Panthro asked.
"No," Wilykat said.
"We were traveling and wound up in Spidera's nest." Panthro said.
"The spider monster?" Wilykat asked.
"What did you do?" Wilykit asked.
"What do you expect? I closed my eyes and waited for the end." Panthro said. "But Grune ripped out his own saber tooth." he said.
"Yech, why do that?" Wilykat asked.
"Because he knew that monster had a weak spot he used his tooth jammed right into that monster." Panthro said. "After it was over he told me something I never forgot. I may have sacrificed my tooth but try anything to prove yourself. Do really think he's scared?" he said.
Panthro was still thinking about what Anet said. As was Bengali his visions had them curious.
Tygra and Lion-o were arguing.
"You've always been jealous of what I have." Lion-o said.
"That's not true Lion-o I have always been happy for you, you are just putting words in my mouth." Tygra said.
Soon they found themselves in memory.
"It's a memory," Tygra said.
"Yes it's a bad one," Lion-o said.
"Our trip to forbidden ruins how could I forget," Tygra said.
"Wait for me Tygra," young Lion-o said.
"Are you sure you want to keep going? They say ever visits the ruins is never heard from again." young Tygra said sounding concerned.
"I can show you how brave I am and that I can handle myself I'm not baby!" young Lion-o said.
Tygra crossed the log quickly but nearly fell.
"I hate this memory because you knocked me into the pit!" Lion-o said.
"I didn't it broke on it's own!" Tygra said.
Lion-o began to cross the log without thinking twice. "Lion-o get off the log and go around I nearly fell when I crossed it's old rotten it probably can longer support weight!" Tygra called.
"I'm not a baby! I can do what I want so don't tell me what to do you are not father!" Lion-o said and continued to cross. The creaked and the broke from the strain of Lion-o's weight.
"LION-O!" Young Tygra said.
Lion-o was shocked Tygra was right Tygra didn't break it. Tygra was about step on the breaking log to help him.
Meanwhile the lizard army was waiting. Slithe and Grune were talking.
"I just hope we get done with this soon," Slithe said.
"I hope I can see Panthro again when the moon rises." Grune said.
"What makes you say that are you going to the Thundercats side?" Slithe asked.
"Isn't any of your business!" Grune said and gasped held head and his eyes became gentle blue and almost feminine.
"What's your problem?" Slithe asked.
"I'm fine, I just have problem when I met Mum-Ra he played on my worries, and made a promise that I would be free if I worked for him I'm just starting to doubt it I feel like he tricked me," Grune said.
"You aren't the only one who feels tricked by Mum-Ra by forcing you to work for him in some way," Slithe said under his breath.
"What?" Grune said.
"Nothing," Slithe said. "Let's just go," he said.
In the astral plane Lion-o and Tygra saw the memory.
"Tygra help!" young Lion-o said.
Young Tygra ran off.
"Don't leave!" young Lion-o shouted.
"How could leave your own brother!" Lion-o said.
"Lion-o you don't know why I left you don't know why I do these things," Tygra said.
"You always beat me and sure you give advise but you never let me learn because you think I'm helpless and that you would be a better king!" Lion-o said. "Let's fight!" He said.
"Okay if I can get through to you after breaking through your thick skull!" Tygra said.
The Thundercats went on the defense. Panthro saw Grune and started to fight him. "Panthro there is something I want to talk to you about and you must listen!" Grune said.
"Listen what about joining Mum-Ra?" Panthro said.
"No he forced me telling me I would be freed from the curse on me," Grune said.
"What curse?" Panthro asked.
"If we wait until the moon rises I'll tell you!" Grune said.
"Fine," Panthro said.
Grune helped him up. "Panthro why is Grune helping you?" Cheetara asked.
"I don't know what's going on I feel Mum-Ra tricked me he said if I did what he wanted he would free me from a curse that was put on me when I was little," Grune said.
"He's probably lying," Wilykit said.
"No he's telling truth." Lynx-o said.
"How do you know?" Cheetara asked.
"I can feel his heart rate, pulse and breathing and hear the tones in his voice, all of it changes when one lies and his are when someone tells the truth."
The Elephants were meditating.
"Anet said I's see another side of you it was inevitable!" Lion-o said.
"You always do things without thinking I promised mother that I would look after you!" Tygra said.
They continued to fight and Lion-o was fell down into the pit after slipping. "Tygra whatever I am to you a brother, a partner, a rival or a responsibility we call the same father we are both sons of Claudius." Lion-o said.
"Father he was there too." Tygra said. "True I ran but it was to get help." he said.
Young Tygra told Claudius what happened.
Tygra pulled Lion-o. "I know whatever you will soon see from me it will never cause you harm not now not ever." Tygra said.
They fought off Mum-Ra and got the stone. Once out there the Elephants joined the fight.
Panthro started to fight a lizard with sharp blade and Grune was assisting him.
"Did we miss something?" Tygra asked.
The lizard cut off Panthro's arms. Grune fought them off. Pumyra ran over and quickly bandaged him up applying pressure and the bleeding stopped.
The moon started to appear. "Grune what are you doing?" Panthro asked.
"What I wanted to show you when I first met you but was afraid too you know me in another form." Grune said. "My days one way and only nights with moon will be another." he said.
Then Grune glowed a female black panther stood in his place. "I know you I meet you several times when I went looking for Grune to see if we could train that night!" Panthro said.
"I'm Panella, I didn't want to keep it secret from you, but I felt I had no choice Mum-Ra tricked me, he has hurt me many nights I asked him for nights when he would do it, he told me once do all he wants he would but I doubt he will." she said.
"How can this curse be broken?" Lion-o asked.
"Only if my true love promises to love me forever and seals it with a kiss," she said.
Panthro stood up with Pumyra's help. "Panella I loved you when we met at night, I know everything will be alright," Panthro said.
"You really think so?" she said.
"I know so I promise to love you forever." Panthro said kissing her.
Panella glowed and stayed a panther. "You did it I love you," she said. Then she started to feed Panthro and he was tolerating it.
The elephants were celebrating. "I wonder what side of my brother I will see still." Lion-o said.
"The evening bell has rang yet." Anet said.
"Yes now I know what my brother goes through, he sees me as a responsibility he made a promise to my mother that he would look after me," Lion-o said.
Lion-o went to find his brother saw Tygra and Cheetara kissing. "They make a lovely couple." Liosia said.
"Yes they do," Lion-o said.
"You know Lion-o I made choice to long ago when we met as cubs you gave me a charm," Liosia said. Then showed him the charm. "This is that same charm I kept in memory of your generosity I have been wanting to show how I feel about it," Liosia said.
Then she and Lion-o kissed.
Bengali saw the whole thing he was shocked.
To be continued.
