Fall Of The Empire
Rating: T (for now.)
Disclaimer: I don't own this. If I did, the second season would have been out already, and I would be all over that like white on rice.
Author's Notes: How. . . In the world is this the longest chapter I've ever made?
Well then. That's weird. But it's a good thing at the same time, isn't it? Anyway, school work is now starting to ramp up, won't lie. Papers due all over the place right now.
I started up another story, too, over in the Rise of the Guardians section. Who knew writing 3 - 5k chapters would be so damn liberating? Episode transcriptions take forever to translate into writing!
Anyway, chapter-wise, rolling things along. More facets about Echo are learned, some weird stuff happens, and there's a return of a fan favorite.
I didn't realize how much I missed him myself until I started writing him. :c
Special shout-out to Anne, and everybody who's reviewing! Also, I've almost got 8,000 views on this story. EIGHT THOUSAND. That's a hell of a lot, guys!
Warnings: Cursing. Echo doesn't seem to care too much about what she says anymore.
Also, I have a habit of repeating words and not realizing it. . . What else. . . Ah, yes, some minor spelling errors, and stylistic choices might be goobered up.
I'm going to have to get a new pencil soon.
Echo glanced gloomily down at the writing utensil in her hand, and turned it over in her fingers. Her skin was red and her fingertips were bruised, but this was the only way to keep the voices at bay. Even now, with just her short lull, they whispered in the back of her mind, insistent and refusing to be ignored. Echo was not happy about this turn in events.
She'd just gotten off of her emotional roller coaster ride, and now she felt like she was going crazy all over again.
Wisely, however, instead of keeping her mouth shut, she'd fessed up.
They hadn't been twenty minutes into the forest (which Panthro had found without direction from the elephants. . . quite quickly, in fact) when she'd confessed that she was hearing voices in her head.
"What?" Lion-O had asked, dumbfounded, "Voices? Where?"
Echo had grown fidgety and nervous, afraid she had been the only one hearing voices in her head. Every Cat present stared at her - Tygra most intently.
"I'm h-hearing v-voices," She'd stuttered, "I d-don't know w-why."
Tygra had jumped in, peppering her with questions. When had they started? What were they saying? Had she touched the Book when they hadn't been looking? Echo had only grown more and more flustered. Thankfully, Cheetara had come to her rescue.
"Calm down, everyone. Since we've stepped foot in this forest, I've heard a few murmurs myself."
"You have?" Echo asked tentatively.
Cheetara nodded.
"Yes. I've learned to tune them out - it appears you haven't. An aspect of your training that was neglected. Don't worry, I'll help you. It's perfect normal for Cats - er. . . other species to experience when they've not been trained to root themselves in reality."
Echo had been relieved, and doubly so when Tygra bought into it. Cheetara had pulled her aside, and together, the two had meditated, although Echo hadn't had much success in tuning out the voices. It had helped a little, but she'd found it much easier to distract herself by writing.
So she had, incessantly.
They had stopped for the day, and Echo had decided to rest on top of the tank, laying close to Panthro. The soldier was preforming general maintenance on the tank, and honestly, it was better than being close to the twins, who were causing a bit of a ruckus, as usual. Panthro's steady work was helping keep herself in the present.
"How you holdin' up, kid?" Panthro asked, voice low.
Echo tilted her head back, looking at the general. He looked kind of silly upside-down. She gave him a small smile.
"Doin' okay." She replied.
"So, uh. . . What's it like? The voices, I mean." He glanced at her curiously, and then reached for a wrench.
Echo gave a small shrug as she turned back to her diary and continued to doodle, finding any available space that she could. Let's add another diary to the list. This one's almost full.
"It's like. . . People are talking. All the time, but I can't hear what any of them are saying, so it's all a big drone of noise. Sometimes it's quieter, sometimes it's louder."
Panthro gave a thoughtful hum.
"Maybe it's because your brain-thing won't turn off?"
Echo nodded in agreement.
"That's what I'm guessing."
"GHOSTS?!" Both twins shouted, tones eager and excited, their voices carrying over the clearing.
Echo rolled to her side, placing her diary on the tank, and rested her head on her arm. She watched as the twins grabbed a nearby tarp and wiggled their arms underneath it, making "ooo!" sounds, and acting goofy. Echo chuckled as they advanced on poor Snarf, who made frightened, small noises.
"Spirits," Cheeetara said, exasperated, "Not ghosts. Spirits."
"Ghosts, spirits, souls," Panthro grouched, "I don't care what you call them, they all give me the willies." He peered around nervously.
A fear of water and a fear of ghosts. . .Every day you're getting more and more human.
Panthro gave a shiver, and grumbled as he focused on the tank again, tools in his hands. Echo observed him for a moment, looking at his tinkering. She'd never thought she'd see so many sides to the general, and each one only served to help her understand him a little more. He wasn't just some war-torn, gruff ex-soldier. He was a Cat, just like any other Cat, with all kinds of fears and weaknesses.
A strong wind blew through the clearing, making the trees overhead groan and creek. Panthro shuddered, but Echo didn't mind.
Yeah, the forest was creepy. The voices in the back of her head disquieted her, and the notion that ghosts or spirits roamed the wood made her wary. But, oddly enough, Echo wasn't afraid. . . Not exactly. It was more like she was on edge, like she was an old soldier herself, just waiting and anticipating an attack. Her nerves were crackling, ready to spring into action, but she wasn't scared.
She was more irritated than anything - especially with all the voices floating around in her brain.
The twins, in the midst of terrifying poor Snarf, cornered the pet, hands outstretched.
Panthro glared, growling as he stood up.
He still hasn't forgiven them for the missiles.
"I've had enough of this!" He grumbled. He hopped off the tank and moved to intercept the twins, "You two!" He snapped.
"Huh?" Both twins echoed, craning their necks back to peer up at him.
"Go get some firewood." Panthro ordered.
Echo snickered. Panthro had been getting really freaked out, and with the twins running around, it had probably made him even more anxious.
"Why do we have to?" Kat whined.
"'Cos you're smaller than me, younger than me, and not good for much else." He reprimanded. The twins looked like they were going to fight it, but wisely backed down. Sufficiently cowed, the two gave in.
"Ugh. FINE-UH!" Kit moaned. She threw off the tarp and stalked away, Kat hot on her heels.
With the twins departed, a comfortable silence fell over the camp. Panthro stormed away, mumbling as he worked on something else, and Echo rolled back onto her back, settling in. She was going to just relax, meditate a little with her eyes closed, and probably catch a catnap before it was time for some actual shuteye.
She felt the tank rock, and the nearly inaudible sound of claws scraping quietly over the metal. She didn't even bother opening her eyes.
"Kit, Kat, no pranks. Go get some firewood-"
A chuckle cut her off.
Another person plopped down beside her, and she stared, finding Lion-O settling in beside her and getting comfortable.
"Not the twins. You're getting rusty."
Echo smiled, linking her palms behind her head.
"Maybe a little." She conceded.
Lion-O shifted, getting more comfortable, and Echo marveled that, even with her eyes closed, she could tell that her friend was laying close to her. Not close enough to touch, but she could practically feel the heat from his arm near her side. A peaceful silence spread between them, and Echo relished it. God, it seemed like so long ago. She and Lion-O used to lay together on a rooftop, staring up at the stars. How long had it been since she and Lion-O had just been. . . close?
Not to mention their friendship still felt somewhat fragile, so any opportunity for some bonding time, Echo was grateful for it.
She shifted, laying her arms back down at her sides, and accidentally brushed Lion-O's in the process. She was comfortable with it. . . until a voice emerged from the depths, haunting her thoughts.
Of course, that voice belonged to none other than Tygra.
"Tell me you don't love him."
. . . Count on Tygra to ruin whatever mood she was in, any time of the day.
"I can't get the sword to work." Lion-O said, shattering the silence, "And I can't figure out why."
Echo stared up at the thick canopy, that easily swallowed up the night sky, obscuring any and all stars. She shook her head.
"Maybe it needs a recharge. Maybe something's wrong. Either way, I'm sure it'll fix itself soon."
Lion-O mumbled something inaudibly under his breath, sound frustrated and uncertain. Echo nudged his elbow.
"I'm serious," She continued, "You never know with that thing."
"Yeah," He grumbled, and then, switching tracks, asked, "How's your telekinesis?"
In response, Echo propped herself up on her elbows. She stretched a hand forward, and, forming a fist, cracked a nearby tree branch with a loud snap.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Panthro jump five feet in the air, startled, and then leveled a fierce glare at her.
"Don't do that!" He growled.
Lion-O shook with silent laughter next to her, and Echo couldn't help but giggle. "Sorry, Panthro." And then, to Lion-O, she added, "A bit jumpy, huh? But it's better. Much better. I'm back to normal now."
She let her hand fall back down, and the pieces of tree followed suit.
Lion-O grinned.
"Good to hear. But, I figured that since it was quiet, you and I should talk."
Echo propped her knee up, leisurely stretching out her other leg.
"What 'bout?"
"About what Annet said. It's been bugging me, because there's no way it could be right."
Echo twisted her head to look at him, giving him a frown.
"Right to the heavy stuff, huh?"
Lion-O crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring her question, and looked thoughtful.
"You wielded Omens yourself! Not to mention we've shared visions before and everything. If anything, being around you has helped me out. It hasn't made any of this any more difficult."
"But you can't know that for sure," Echo protested softly, "Annet also told me that these powers - they aren't mine. And think about it - how long did it take me to get my telekinesis to a useful level? Not to mention that I still get sucked into visions and memories and flashbacks. What if I'm throwing off some sort of vibe that is messing you up?
Lion-O shook his head.
"Your powers are yours. I know it. I feel it. But that still doesn't answer the question: if you weren't supposed to be here, why would Omens let you wield it in the first place? Or let you see its visions? You have as much right to be here as any of us. Thundera was your home, too."
It felt damn good to have somebody have so much faith in her.
Echo smiled, and reached out to touch his arm gently. Lion-O looked at her, and her smiled widened.
"Thanks. For having so much stock in me."
Lion-O, not missing a beat, grinned, flashing pearly white fangs.
"It's what friends are for."
With that, their conversation turned to safer waters, and Echo just relaxed and let their talking fill up idle time. Eventually, the night grew darker, and fatigue pulled at Echo, but she staved it off as best as she could. Next to her, Lion-O stretched, working out the kinks in his muscles, and his gauntlet hit the tank.
His expression darkened.
"It's frustrating me that I can't figure it out." He griped.
Echo shrugged.
"Maybe you should help me try to use it again. Like you did in the other forest."
At that, Echo shook her head.
"If what Annet said is true, I might just make things worse. We don't know why Omens is. . . Malfunctioning right now. Throwing me into the works might make it worse. . . Besides, I honestly don't even know how it worked the first time."
Lion-O made a small noise of disagreement, but he didn't voice his doubts.
In the small clearing, Echo could hear the twins enter, raucous and loud, proudly declaring their success. Despite the noise, Echo still managed to yawn. Lethargy weighed her own, and honestly, sleep would be pretty awesome. She rubbed at her eyes and tried to summon more energy, but it just wasn't working. Lion-O chuckled, and knocked a hand against her bicep.
"Go get some sleep. You look absolutely awful."
Echo responded by whapping him on his chestplate, but she did as he said. She got up and stretched, yawning again, her jaw cracking.
"Who's got first watch?" She asked blearily.
"Panthro. I'll stay up for a little longer, so it's okay. Go get some rest."
Idly, Echo nodded, and jumped off the tank. She scrubbed at her face and her arms, shaking out the pins and needles, but she couldn't have been any more satisfied. Really. When was the last time she and Lion-O had just. . . talked? It had been far too long.
But hell if it hadn't felt good, being friends again. Echo made her way over to her pack, giving Tygra and Panthro a tired, "g'night" as she strolled by.
There, she fluffed out her bedroll against a thick root. Sleeping with her back against something always made her feel a little safer, and what with the whispers beginning to rise in her head again, an extra security blanket wouldn't be amiss. She hoped it would calm some of the paranoia she was feeling.
She crawled up on top of her bedroll (it was warm enough not to be inside of it), and settled down, instantly falling prey to the grip of a light sleep. She stirred when two bedrolls smacked into her sides, and blearily opened her eyes. The sleepy faces of Kit and Kit stared back at her - right up 'till they flopped down on her.
Normally, Kit and Kat preferred to sleep with each other, slightly apart from the group.
That night, however, they seemed to want some company. All that talk of being unafraid. . . Yeah, you guys play a good game.
But hey, bed buddies were bed buddies.
Echo relaxed, and the kittens sprawled on top of her, and Snarf joined the sleeping pile as well. Though she didn't say anything, Echo was actually quite grateful for it. Being around people helped drown out the voices, and it always calmed her, sleeping with somebody else. She still had a fear of being alone, and probably would, until the day she died.
Sleep claimed her easily, then, as the heat of the fire and the kittens seeped into her body. She'd chosen to sleep with her sword harness on - something she normally didn't do, but with her nerves on edge, it gave her comfort. And thankfully, sleeping with the kittens granted her a blissfully silent, black sleep. . .
Until discontented voices woke her up. Quiet voices, but they were quickly rising in volume, hissing and growling at each other.
Threat? Her mind thought, prodding her into reality.
Half asleep, Echo sat up, and the voices stopped.
Voices in my head? Or were they from the camp?
"It's okay, Short Stack. Go back to sleep."
She turned to the voice blearily, brain sluggishly trying to figure out who'd spoken to her.
She saw orange.
Tygra.
Annoying as he was, Tygra didn't lie.
"'Kay." She mumbled, laying back down. Kit and Kat rolled back over her, and within seconds, the blanket of sleep wrapped itself around her again.
Something exploded, hissing and popping and crackling, and Lion-O gasped. It was like a knife to her brain, and she jumped up, skin crawling. Her hands wrapped around her hilts, and she drew them, the metal rasping viciously in the air.
What she saw shook away the cobwebs in her head pretty damn quick.
Smoke and blue flames rose from the fire, quickly filling up their small encampment. The other Cats had jumped to their feet as well, weapons drawn. Behind her, Echo heard Kit and Kat let loose small, startled gasps.
"Ghosts!" They cried.
Echo shifted her weight, staring at blue embers that rose from their campfire, and hovered in the air. Within moments, there was easily a good thirty or forty of them, and they only continued to grow in number. One of the balls of smoke and flame coalesced into a figure - a bird. It wore a strange mask, completely obscuring its face, but pale, milky eyes stared down at them.
As if that had set off a chain reaction, the other balls of fire began to form into birds, filling the entire clearing with specters.
"They're coming from the wood!" Cheetara shouted, kicking at the fire.
It sputtered and popped sadly as the fire died. But even with the source of the smoke dissipated, the ghosts still drifted overhead, twisting and shaping into more of the blue spirits. And. . .
Oh, oh god.
No.
The shadows of the forest melted together and expanded, filling the ground with an inky blackness. Little tendrils rose, almost as though it was. . . reaching for her. Echo's hands trembled, and she bit the inside of her cheek - hard enough to make her bleed.
Just - just have to stay rooted in the present. Ignore it.
The whispers started with a vengeance, doing their best to drown the sound out of the world. Distantly, Echo could hear Tygra firing his gun, but man, it was so hard to hear over the voices. They'd risen like some furious crescendo, trying to distract her from the fight.
Echo remained firmly in front of the twins, vowing that it wouldn't happen. She had to protect the kids. Above her, the birds swirled, agitated - and then began to divebomb them.
One swooped in their direction, and she moved instinctively, batting at it with her sword, but the metal just passed right through it, as effective as slicing the air.
The human bit out a low curse.
"Always say," Panthro griped, "Only problem with ghosts is that you can't punch them in the face!"
"Don't worry," Lion-O assured him, "I've got something that never fails!"
He drew Omens, confident smile on his face.
No, that's not right. It's not right at all, Echo thought, staring intently at the Eye of Thundera. It was dormant, dead as a doornail.
"ThunderCats, HO!"
. . . Nothing.
The silence coming from Omens was terrifying.
In the place Omens's voice, though, the whispers quickly escalated to shouts, and pain began to throb in Echo's temples.
". . . What?!" Lion-O said, breathless and shocked.
Pressing their advantage, the ghosts attacked.
Cheetara took the air, twirling her staff, keeping the ghosts from gaining leverage from above, but there were just so many. With sharp screeches, the spirits divebombed them, and with no way to counter, they were all forced to dodge, rolling one way, and then the next. The twins ran, emitting sharp, scared yelps, and that helped to center Echo. She grit her teeth, forcing herself to gain her bearings.
A blue flash came from in front of her, and in seconds, another ghost was charging at her, sharp mask-beak opened, shrill screech coming from it. She dodged, rolling to the left.
And she gasped.
Half of its wing nicked her, and instead of burning her, it passed through her-
Echo fell to her knees, dropping her swords, and clutched at her head. Visions of places and people and things before assaulted her, overloading her head. It all came rushing in at once, like a gigantic waterfall of sights and sounds and emotions. She gasped, trying fiercely to keep herself rooted in the present, but it was a battle she was rapidly losing.
Focus. Focus!
A pressure settled over her, and Echo twisted and writhed in pain as it turned icy and volcanic at the same time. She struggled to breathe, her lungs refusing to work as something latched onto her mind and began to claw away at it ferociously, ripping into her mentally with claws and talons. The voices rose to shouts and screams, spiraling into a cacophony of madness.
Blackness engulfed the forest entirely, blacking out her vision.
The thing kept needling into her mind, presence wholly alien and terrifying. She struggled to breathe, her lungs burning.
A light burst through the shadows, golden and bright, and just like that, everything fell away.
Echo collapsed onto the ground, the grass cushioning the blow.
The last conscious thing she remembered was the beautiful, bright, golden light.
Ow.
Ow, ow, ow.
Why was it, whenever she came to, pain was always the first sense that came online first? It could never be sight or smell - it always had to be pain. It was like her body was out to torture her, just for kicks and giggles. She'd just gotten back into working order, and now, every part of her felt static-y and bruised, like somebody had worked her over one too many times.
But the worst part?
Her head.
It was like she'd abused her telekinesis again, as a fierce headache was doing wonders in jack-hammering through her skull. She cracked open her eyes, and saw a packed dirt trail passing her by. A broad back supported her, and large arms framed her. Big arms. Scarred arms.
Panthro. He's carrying me.
A small smile twitched at her lips. The general didn't know, but when she'd first left Thundera, she'd been in this very position. But those days had been plagued by agony, of memories of Mumm-Ra and Lion-O, arguments and yelling, and rage.
The general took a large step, jostling Echo, and she groaned.
"Well, hey there. Was wondering when you'd wake up." Panthro said, calm and happy. Pressed against him, his voice rumbled through his chest, vibrations making her wince.
She pinned the side of his face with a bleary gaze.
"Dn't soun' too worr'd." She slurred, her tongue thick and cottony in her mouth.
Panthro huffed a laugh. "As if. You're just as stubborn as the rest of us. I think you'd tell death to go and-"
"Ah-ah!" Cheetara said, voice growing closer, "Not in front of the twins."
Kit and Kat protested, wanting to know exactly what Panthro had been saying, but the sound only made Echo wince. With another pitiful groan, she rested her forehead on Panthro's shoulder. A few seconds later, and the twins quieted.
A tap made her crane her neck again, and the action threatened to make her head explode. It felt as though somebody had wrapped her brain with electric and barbed wire.
A very blurry Lion-O grinned at her.
"It's okay, we're safe. What happened back there?"
Back there?
"There? Wh'?"
For a long moment, it didn't process.
But when it did, Echo stiffened, remembering just what had happened. The pain escalated in her brain, as if she were poking at the wound just by thinking about it, and she cradled her forehead in her hands, hissing through clenched teeth. Panthro shifted, accommodating her new position, keeping her securely against his back.
"It was terrible," She said, forcing her tongue to work, "It was like there. . . was something in my head."
Lion-O tapped her arm again, and Echo slitted her fingers to peek through. He was holding three leaves out to her. Ah. thank the gods.
She gratefully accepted them and shoved them in her mouth, chewing with a vengeance. Cheetara had been a goddess, finding this cure for her, and just recently, too. It was an herbal remedy for her headaches, something that had been very useful in the past week or two. It was fast-acting, but the effects didn't last long. But to make the pain go away, Echo would've eaten a whole tree of the stuff.
A minute passed, and then another, and her symptoms began to abate. Lion-O waited patiently, another thing Echo was grateful for.
"I don't know," She said, swallowing the leaves, "I just. . . I really don't know what happened. One second I was fine, and then it touched me, and the voices started screaming. It was like a thousand people were trying to talk to me, all at once."
Tygra somehow appeared at his brother's side, giving her a bemused look.
"It didn't touch you. It covered you entirely. We thought it was burning you, because you started screaming, but when you didn't burn. . ." He shrugged, "We figured something else was up. Try not to face plant in the dirt next time." Tygra jibbed, smirking.
Leave it to Tygra. Echo rolled her eyes.
"Really not in the mood for it right now, Tygra."
Their tactician snickered and disappeared, walking ahead. Lion-O procured more leaves, which Echo happily stuffed into her mouth. After a few strong chews, they were mostly leafy pulp, but they had a slight citrus-y flavor, which made it bearable.
A light flashed overhead, and Echo tilted her head back and saw. . . lanterns?
She frowned. She was most certainly looking at floating lanterns right them. But where did they come from?
"The Wood Forgers saved us," Lion-O supplied, noticing her expression, "Isn't that exciting? You finally get to meet a few in person."
"Wood Forgers." Echo repeated, a little awestruck. Had she just heard him right?
Despite the pain, she was actually a little excited - she certainly hadn't expected such news. She was being given the opportunity to actually meet the very thing she'd posed as, all of those months ago. Swallowing down the leaves in her mouth, Echo gave her head a tentative shake.
Pain-free. Good.
She straightened in Panthro's hold.
"Doin' alright back there?" The general asked.
"Yeah. You can let me down now. I can walk."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
Wordlessly, Panthro stopped, and in a fluid motion, crouched close to the ground. He let go of her legs, and she dropped to the forest floor. She still felt like one, massive bruise, but her head wasn't hurting anymore, and that was all she could ask for.
"Thanks, Panthro."
"Let's not make it a habit." He said, waving his hand airily. Echo shook her head with a small smile. Panthro very much fit the category of "steel marshmallow." All gruff and tough on the outside, and heart of gold on the inside.
The twins, noticing she was on her own two feet, ran up to her side.
"Are you okay, Echo?" Kat asked.
"You didn't sound like you were okay." Kit continued.
Echo reached out and patted Kit's head.
"I'm fine. Don't worry, okay?"
They bought it. Physically, she didn't feel fine, but that'd go away in a few hours. Pain always did.
"This is the school of paper arts," A new voice announced, "And I am its headmaster, tasked with training our students in the various disciplines in woodforging, in order to carry out our mission to protect all in need."
And that was when Echo got her first eyeful of the academy, and the Wood Forger leading them. She was blown away by how similar they looked. Height-wise, they looked roughly the same, and had it not been for the odd coloring of their skin, and the strange opaque nature of their eyes, they could have passed off as human.
Huh. How strange.
Wood Forgers were much different in person than they were on paper, but Echo couldn't wait to get him alone and talk to him.
The Wood forger led them into a stark white, sprawling complex. It was sitting on the edge of a river, with a smokestack jutting out of the middle of it, and a mill framed it. Echo was so busy staring at the Wood Forger, she hardly noticed that the entire structure was made entirely of paper. Lion-O, still walking beside her, ribbed her, but she batted him away.
Actual, real, live, Wood Forgers!
It was enough to make her forget her pain.
"Magi Oar is an enchanted forest," He explained, completely ignoring Echo's ogling, "Whose power we harness through paper, in order to protect it."
"Protect it from whom?" Cheetara asked, quirking her head slightly.
The headmaster stopped, and drew a massive paintbrush from his side. He drew on a single sheet of paper, and Echo stared in wonder as the paint began to glow gold - the same gold she'd seen before she passed out. They really did save us.
"Viragor," The headmaster spit, "A monster known to swallow men whole and snatch children in the night."
And then, to her absolute amazement, the painted bird lifted off the paper and flitted through the air, leaving a trail of golden dust behind it. Echo stared at it in curiosity, wondering what other strange magic the Wood Forgers possessed. Because just this was incredible!
"He doesn't look so tough." Lion-O observed.
"I don't think he's been drawn to scale." Tygra replied.
Making a small lap in the air, the bird flew to the headmaster's finger, where he dispelled it with a flick. After a beat, he looked at the sky forlornly.
"Viragor seeks to drive us from the forest, so he might use its power for his own, evil intent. Not long ago it looked like he might do just that - until we built this paper mill." He said, gesturing to the building.
Taking that as a cue to move on, the Wood Forger led them deeper into the complex. They passed through a series of doorways, and into what looked like the complex housing the paper mill.
"Once it took a Wood Forger an entire day to craft a sheet by hand. This mill can produce thousands in the same time."
Echo watched as logs of wood were loaded onto an unmanned conveyor belt, and saw blades split them in half before moving them along the line. The process continued, heat and water somehow working together in complicated machines to produce wet pieces of paper.
"How can the forest sustain such loss?" Cheetara queried, sounding slightly concerned, "This is a lot of wood to reap from such an ancient forest."
"The forest is big," The headmaster said dismissively, "And only through its lumber can we protect it from Viragor. Come now, this is more to see."
The tour didn't last too much longer than that. They were led through the rest of the academy, and the only real thing of note Echo noticed was the lack of used rooms. The paper school seemed like a huge waste of space. Off the top of her head, she'd counted at least twenty rooms that were completely untouched. The headmaster led them back into the courtyard, where the Cats disbanded, having gained their bearings. Panthro and Tygra went back into the forest with the other two Wood Forgers to get supplies from the tank, leaving the rest of the group in the academy.
The twins ran around with Snarf, happy to have a new playground to climb in and jump around.
I'm glad they get over trauma quickly. You'd think that two kittens, having just fought ghosts, would be terrified out of their minds. But, Echo mused, Kit and Kat were like that. She hadn't seen them so much as cry when they'd left Thundera, and that was after they had a close brush with death.
She, on the other hand, carried it all around like it was going out of style. She shook her head and chuckled humorlessly.
The headmaster began to move off, and Echo started after him.
"Hey! Wait!" She called, body practically vibrating in excitement.
He regarded her curiously, facing her completely.
"Yes? How may I help you. . .?" He trailed off.
Echo was silent for a beat too long as she examined him critically, taking in every facet of his body. Spindly, willowy limbs, strange, opaque eyes, a unique color pattern - but he looked so much like she did. Her cheeks flushed when he raised a brow in question, and Echo quickly scrambled to talk.
"Well, uh, my name is Echo. I'm a human - but, as you know, we kind of look alike."
He did a slow sweep of her body, before nodding his head.
"Yes, I noticed. What did you say you were?"
"A human." She supplied. "Is there any way that we're connected? Species-wise, I mean, headmaster. . ." Echo paused, hoping that he'd help her out.
"Zig. Headmaster Zig. And no. I am sorry, but I've never heard of this. . . human species before. Although, I have to say I'm incredibly interested why one of Viragor's minions grabbed you."
Echo shrugged.
"Makes two of us."
Zig looked at her for a moment longer before he took a step backward.
"I see. Well, young human, if you'll be kind enough to excuse me, I have matters to attend to in my school."
Echo watched him go, a tad confused, mostly awed. It didn't take a genius to figure out why she was so enraptured by the Wood Forgers. They really did look just like her. The closest she'd come to human in a while. But she was confused - normally, when somebody learned that she was a "human" they stopped and stared at her and asked her all kinds of questions.
But Zig hadn't really cared.
Ah, well. At least you learned that they don't know about humans, either.
"Echo."
She looked up, and Cheetara stood in front of her.
"Yes?" She replied.
"You should go get some more sleep. Bunk up in one of the rooms. . . it really looks like you could use it."
Truth was, she was exhausted. She chuckled.
"You guys can see right through me lately, huh?"
Cheetara smiled. "Not that hard, you're quite transparent. So go on, get some sleep."
Zig was walking away, and Echo looked longingly after him. She had a million more questions to ask him, as the texts in the Thunderian library hadn't been as explicit in detail on Wood Forgers than she'd have liked. Cheetara bodily steered her away, however, nudging her to one of the empty rooms.
"Cheetara-" Echo whined.
"Not now. Later. Zig and the other Wood Forgers will be happy to have you bug them later."
Echo tried to duck out from under her hands, but the cleric was quite obstinate, and directed her down a hallway. Eventually, Echo gave in, and marched onward. Cheetara put her up in a sparsely furnished room, and while Echo wasn't happy that she wasn't able to interrogate a Wood Forger, she was beyond ecstatic to find a bed.
An honest-to-god, physical bed. Tentatively, she sat down on it, and then flopped over with a dreamy sigh.
The cool sheets and the mattress pressed up softly against her, supporting her weight. Echo snuggled down into it.
"I miss beds." She said, her voice muffled by the layers.
She kicked off her shin guards and her boots, and not bothering to curl up under the covers, grabbed the pillow and hugged it close to her as she laid her head down on it.
Sleep came easily, and quickly, soothing away the quiet whispers and the pain.
Two or three hours had done her wonders, it turned out.
The pain had eased considerably, and while a dull pounding still resounded in her head, she was able to carry on. Echo got up, stretching. She bemoaned the loss of the bed, and wanted to sack out on it again, but her legs and torso felt cramped. She just needed to take a lap or two around the mill, just to get her muscles loose.
She gave a muted yawn as she left the bedroom, grumbling slightly as the bed left her sight.
She was used to being woken up at odd hours in the night to take over watch. Sleeping so much in one day was a bit of a foreign concept to her.
Her swords were still strapped securely to her back, as she'd slept with them on. Even in the paper school, she still felt. . . on edge. Like she expected the ghosts or the mysterious Viragor to make an appearance sometime soon.
Echo didn't like feeling that way, either. She was constantly alert, scanning her surrounding. Her fingers would flex every few seconds, itching to take her swords up into her hands. She didn't like feeling like a trigger-happy gunslinger.
She entered the main courtyard, where Panthro was sorting through supplies, although it already looked pretty squared away. Oh, they're back.
"Hey, Panthro. How was the trip?"
"Uneventful. The Wood Forgers know how to keep those flamin' birds away."
Echo smiled. "Let's hope it stays that way."
"Eh. How's your head doing?"
"You mean Radio Freaksville?"
Panthro stared at her blankly, and Echo sighed, humor disappearing. Nobody gets what I say. I don't even know what the hell I say sometimes.
"Fine. It's muted, like I'm listening to them through a closed door. Actually, getting some sleep helped out a lot."
Panthro tightened down a pack, ensuring all of the straps and buckles were neatly done. The infamous bug-out bags, meant to be located on their persons (or within everyone's reach) at all times. Just in case things went south, and they had to grab-n-go.
"That's good. You weren't doing too hot back there."
Slightly abashed, Echo rubbed at the back of her neck sheepishly, massaging the skin there.
"Yeah. . . I know. Sorry 'bout that. I really have no idea what the hell happened."
"Nobody does."
An awkward silence fell, and Echo shifted her weight from side to side, trying to find something to say to fill it. Panthro continued working on the bags for a moment longer before he straightened. Echo was just a beat away from saying she was going to walk around the mill before he gestured to her.
"C'mon." He said.
"What?" Echo asked dumbly.
"We're goin' for a walk."
Oh, okay. Got it.
Echo fell into step beside him, stretching again, working out the kinks in her muscles. They walked, quiet, and passed by a few open ponds framing the mill, fireflies illuminating the tranquil atmosphere.
"Never thought I'd see anything prettier that the Thunderian gardens." Panthro murmured, stopping to admire the view.
"Neither did I." She replied, staring out at the pond. It was pretty, the landscaping kept up with and artfully-planted flora providing just the right amount of greenery.
"Reminds me of the royal gardens," Panthro mused, "Always loved that place."
"So did I. But, I've found one flaw in the outside world. . . Bugs."
Panthro laughed.
"Yeah, didn't think there would be so many of the buggers, out in Third Earth. You shoulda been there, kid. One time, Grune and I just about drove ourselves mad trying to swat them away. Kept me up more nights than I'd like to remember."
They started walking again, and Echo peered up at Panthro curiously.
"Panthro. . . What are you going to do? If we meet Grune again?"
The general's face clouded, eyes flicking with a myriad of pain and longing. A few, tense seconds passed before he answered her.
"I'll do what I have to do. Grune isn't the Cat I remember. . . Not anymore."
That's a bit chilling to think about. . .
"And what will you do, kid?" Panthro asked, glancing down at her, "What are you going to do if you can't get what you want?"
The question was enough to make Echo stop. She frowned. She hadn't considered it. What would she do? Tear Third Earth apart to get her memories back? Or would she just come to terms with it?
"I. . . I think-"
A screech interrupted her, loud, shrill, and resonant.
Pain erupted in her head, and that closed door the voices had been hiding behind opened. Hundreds of whispers poured into her thoughts, and she snapped her eyes shut and grit her teeth as she tried to endure it. The screech just seemed to amplify the cacophony in her brain, giving the voices power.
Eventually, it tapered off, and with it, the voices quieted to a manageable din.
Out of them, one voice boomed through the paper mill.
"Get out of my forest!"
As it spoke, the lanterns lining the wall flickered, and the shadows began to elongate, reaching for her. . .
"Let's go!" Panthro barked.
Biting back her fear, Echo ran behind him, drawing her swords. The shadows were threatening to take the world again. Oh, god, what am I going to do? What is with this place and messing with my head?!
She glanced up to find Zig's magical paper get brushed away with a strong down stroke of Viragor's wings. Echo skidded to a stop, coming to the main pavilion, and lifted an arm to shield herself from the strong gust, and again, stared in wonder.
Viragor was huge. He must have easily stood over 20 feet, possibly more, and his wingspan-
"You forget! I'll always be stronger than you, Zig! I don't need paper to harness this forest's magic!"
Echo shifted her weight, holding her swords in her hands, and as Viragor swept down, she jumped up and swung. The bird danced lithely out of her reach, not even looking her way. Likely, it hadn't even seen her. He continued on, sweeping past the other two Wood Forgers, who hit the wall behind them with a painful thwack. Both of them sank to the ground, unconscious.
The world shivered as the air rushed around her, and shadows uncoiled from the ground like snakes, latching onto her skins, trying to pull her own-
Echo cursed as she swiped at them, dislodging the inky blackness.
Lion-O rushed to the middle of the battlefield, drawing Omens and lifting it up high above his head.
"HO!"
Nothing.
The sword's silence was just too much for Echo to bear. The voices rose up again, drowning out sound, and making every nerve ending feel as though it were on fire. The darkness pooled on the ground, and rose up, creating a shadowy figured that moved, silently edging closer to her. From the pools, more of the shadow-people began to emerge.
Echo felt dizzy as she staggered backward, trying to ignore the shadow-people.
More of them began to advance.
Why now? Why am I losing control now?
She breathed harshly, the sound of it rasping in her ears. The world continually quivered, threatening to throw her to the ground.
"Get it. . ." She murmured, barely able to hear herself, "Lion-O!" She shouted, "Get it together!"
"I'm trying!" He snapped back.
Echo kept moving, getting farther away from the shadow people, and gripped her swords so tightly, she swore she heard the muscles in her arms creek.
One of the shadow-people was only a few steps away, and they were lifting up a darkened hand-
Viragor screeched, piercing her whispers, and swooped down.
The wind was so strong, it blew away the shadow-people and knocked Echo down to the ground with enough force to drive the wind from her lungs.
"Sorry, he's not on the menu!" Cheetara exclaimed.
Echo flipped herself over, catching Tygra cursing, and brandishing his whip. With a ringing crack, he launched the three-tailed whip at the bird, where a streak of gold was sitting in its beak - and then falling through the air. Echo scrambled to her feet, fear flashing through her as she imagined Cheetara pancaking on the ground, but Tygra moved to intercept, and caught her, grinning down at the cheetah.
"We can't lose the mill," Zig pleaded, sounding close to tears, "If we do, we'll lose everything!"
"Don't worry," Lion-O assured him, "He's about to be grounded."
Echo watched, paling, as Lion-O lifted his arm and took aim with his gauntlet.
She stuttered, trying to say his name, to tell him no, but her voice was drowned out in the pneumatic hiss of the claws firing.
In a heartbeat, Lion-O was gone, Virgor's speed and weight lighting him up like a feather. In just an instant, he was nothing more than a speck in the sky, a bobbing red-and-gold sparkle, chasing after Viragor.
The world shivered, and fear gripped her.
The shadows continued forming into more and more people, as if they'd been waiting for Lion-O to disappear.
"N-No. I c-can't-" She stuttered, tripping over herself as she tried to step away from outstretched hands.
She could hear her heart racing in her chest, her pulse a thunderous metronome to the shadows dancing across her vision, distorting the world. They were all reaching for her, claws and fingers outstretched.
"What's wrong, Echo?"
She jerked her head up, and let out a small squeak.
A shadow-person was wearing Panthro's face. Panthro - or what had been Panthro - stared at her, eyes rapidly blinking. A shadow-creature had latched onto him, mutating him into something. . . something else!
No. Please.
Just stop!
More of the shadow-figured just melted into them, twisting and contorting their bodies-
When blood hit the grass, and she heard snaps, she screamed.
And she ran.
Echo turned, forcing her way through the shadows, and out of the destroyed side of the paper mill, and plunged headfirst into the forest.
She kept running, even when the darkness flooded over the world and engulfed it completely, turning everything black. A hand latched onto her, and then another, and more and more, until her entire body felt numb from their icy fingers.
Still, Echo ran. Even when she couldn't feel her own body, Echo kept running.
She collapsed onto the ground, her knees hitting the dirt. Running sucked. Everything sucked. She bore a few telltale scratches from her desperate, frantic sprinting through the forest of Magi Oar, but she could hardly bring herself to care about the minute pain. No, she was much more concerned about the fact that. . That the Cats had been-
"No!" She shouted, her voice swallowed up by the forest. "No. No, it's not. . . I don't know what I saw, but it wasn't what happened."
The Cats weren't dead. They couldn't be.
But they didn't even see them. . .
She heard a crack, and she held her breath, her heart thundering in her ears. She strained her senses, trying to hear more noise, to see where it was coming from. One of her hands strayed to the hilt of a sword (Echo had no idea how it was still there - she hadn't even remembered shoving them back into their sheathes), resisting the urge to draw it. The whispers were ever-present, echoing in the very air around her.
Tense seconds passed, and deeming the noise nothing, Echo let loose a gust of air and fell back onto the grass.
"What's happening to me? Why is this even happening?" She muttered, resting her forehead on the dirt. She just needed a breather.
She'd been running for what seemed like hours, and she was definitely not a long-distance runner, that was for damn sure. The shadow-people had been pursuing her relentlessly, and always, their arrival was heralded by-
Dead silence.
Echo jumped back up to her feet, and squeaked, startled, as she just barely managed to avoid a shadowy hand, darting out to grab her. The blob straightened, and advanced, form hardly making a whisper as it moved over the grass. More of them appeared, melting out of the woodwork, and Echo felt her frustration - and her fear - rise.
"What do you want from me?" She yelled, running again.
The shadows were relentless, chasing after her, becoming blurs on the ground.
She'd entertained the notion of staying, but the image of the Cats kept filtering into her head, and she just couldn't. Even if these things were friendly, they scared the living hell out of her - and what friendly thing slaughtered innocent Cats?
She kept running, her hands shaking fiercely from the effort of remaining at her sides. It was her first instinct to just draw her swords and lash out, but she'd already tried that. Her steel just passed through the shades, as though they didn't exist. It was about as useful as striking out against the fire demons.
A light flickered in the distance, and Echo steered herself towards it. She knew that flame - it was what Zig had used to illuminate their way to the paper mill. The Wood Forgers! Oh, thank god, I'm saved. The shadows, as if sensing her salvation was at hand, sped up, combining together and forming a large pool on the ground that lashed out, trying to wrap her up in a tendril-
But Echo hurdled over a tree root, using her mind to get an extra boost, and rolled to a messy stop in the circle of light, safe.
She picked herself up tenderly, breathing heavily, and watched as the shadow sulked around her safe haven, trying to enter. Where the darkness touched the light, it burned, small streams of steam rising from it. Eventually, it gave up, and slunk away into the trees, disappearing.
The voices fell to a muted murmur in her head.
Echo stood, gingerly wiping off her clothes, and peered around her.
"Hello?" She called out, "Where are you? Zig? Are you there?"
Silence.
Maybe the shadows are giving him hell, she thought, bending over. She just needed to catch her breath, and then she'd go and look for Zig. Or the other Wood Forgers, and she'd ask them what the hell happened. If the Cats were really. . .
Deafening silence fell again, and Echo tensed, one hand shooting up to a hilt.
"Zig?" She called out again, projecting her voice a little more.
Above her, the light flickered. Echo's head snapped to it, her stomach twisting into a hard knot. Then, before she could blink, the shadows accumulated, lightning fast, piling up and up and up. Echo staggered, retreating, until her back hit the trunk of a nearby tree. The light grew dimmer and dimmer, and the pile of shadows grew larger and larger, rising far above her.
It was a trap, she thought, right as the light winked out of existence.
Like a tidal wave, the shadows plummeted down, drowning out her frightened shout. Echo felt her body being tossed around by the terrible force. She tried to breathe, but it pressed against her mouth, cutting her off from fresh air. Echo choked, twisting and turning, as the assault began. It was like when the specter had wrapped itself around her, but it was a million times worse.
Each voice screamed at her, demanding to be heard, but there were hundreds - no, thousands of other voices that screamed too. Images of places and times and events and people flashed all around her, disjointed and chaotic. It was too much, far too much for her to bear, and she didn't think she could last another second-
Something wrapped around the back of her tunic, and jerked her up, pulling her from the depths.
Echo gasped as oxygen flooded the air around her, and she coughed and rasped as she sucked it all in. Her limbs felt shaky, and a fierce headache was pounding behind her temples as she knelt on the grass.
Three green leaves entered her vision, and she took them gratefully, relief pouring through her. Cheetara. She was alright. As she stuck the leaves in her mouth, she tilted her neck back, and every muscle in her body went slack.
A tawny-colored coat gleamed in what little light there was, and she. . . She. . .
Echo recalled saying that she was tired of crying.
But she launched herself up, wrapping her arms around him, and sobbed. Broken, disjointed words escaped from her, but she knew she was apologizing. She said the words a thousand times over, praying and hoping he would forgive her.
"Hey, now. That's not the human I know."
She buried her face into his chest, her fingers gripping him all the more tightly.
Sunda chuckled.
"C'mon now. I didn't pull you from that just so you could stand there and cry all day. We've got a few things to talk about, you and I."
It took every ounce of her titanium will, but Echo finally managed to separate from Sunda long enough to look up at him. She wasn't ashamed that she was crying - and it wasn't a pretty cry. It was ugly, she could feel her cheeks burning, and she was hiccuping as she tried to keep the sobs in.
"S-Sunda. . . I'm s-so. . . s-sorry!" She choked out, scrubbing at her cheeks.
"I know you are," The cleric said softly, "I know. I should've stayed a second longer. I knew you wanted to apologize. . . And I've watched you tear yourself apart about it. I know you're sorry. Don't worry about it anymore, okay?"
It just made her cry all over again. Absolution. Repentance. Forgiveness.
She finally had it, and god, it was such a beautiful thing.
This time, Sunda hugged her, stroking the back of her hair.
"When did you become such a crybaby? Look at you. You're a mess."
He separated from her, and in the way that he used to, led her over to a tree trunk. Echo let herself get pulled along, and didn't protest when he tugged Lion-O's ribbon free. Long, white hair spilled around her shoulders.
"B-But the shadows-"
"Can wait. They won't disturb us. I promise." Sunda assured her.
Expertly, his hands lifted her bangs and tucked it into her hair, and began to plait it, threading the ribbon through it. Echo didn't stop crying, but she closed her eyes, and sucked up every waking second that she could. She didn't want this moment to stop. She wanted it to last an eternity.
Sunda worked slowly, taking great care to braid it evenly, tightly, framing the ribbon just right.
"Thank you." Echo whispered, "For helping me."
Sunda made a noise in the back of his throat, as though he were offended.
"Like I wouldn't? The spirits are ill-mannered, at best. They should have known better than to overwhelm you. You can only imagine their surprise, upon learning that they could be heard. They all wanted to speak with you then."
Echo frowned, scrubbing at her cheeks. The tears were slowly beginning to stop, thank the gods.
"Are you siding with them?" She asked, a little insulted herself.
"Echo," Sunda said, evenly, "I am a spirit. The forest is filled with them. Of course I'm siding with them - but only because I know what they want. From you, anyway."
"But they k-killed everyone!" She protested, wrenching herself out of his hold.
Sunda's golden eyes glittered in the moonlight, and his calm, patient expression made her pause.
"No, the Cats are very much alive and well. Unharmed, too. They were making you hallucinate, to drive you away from the Wood Forgers. Now come back here. I wasn't done yet."
He reached forward and yanked her back, planting her on the ground. The way he said made her pause, primarily because it was so calm. Not to mention the fact that Sunda had never lied to her. . . So why would he start now? Echo felt like resisting, just like she had in the old days, but she didn't. Sunda picked up her hair again and began braiding carefully. Relief made Echo's limbs tremble. Everybody's alright. Thank god.
But what Sunda had said. . .
"Why?" She asked.
"Now we get to the fun part. Why did they do it? Why can you hear them? You've been asking yourself that ever since you stepped foot in the forest, haven't you?"
She nodded her head - and earned a harsh flick on the ear.
"Ow!"
"Don't move. You'll mess up the braid. . . I don't know everything, Echo, but. . . I've seen things. Things I can't explain. Being a spirit is. . . Strange. But I've seen you."
His claws scraped against her neck, but she didn't complain when he scratched her. He was just a little out of practice. It had been months, after all. And he'd died.
"What did you see?" She asked, holding her breath. Did Sunda see something about her past?
"I told you, it's. . . Difficult to explain. But I saw something here," He said, tapping her spine, "Feel it."
He grabbed her hand and guided it to her back - a place she didn't touch often. His hand as a guide, he helped her trace up and down her spine. Echo didn't understand, and felt confused, as she encountered the regular bumps and ridges that came with. . .
Oh.
"What is that?" She asked. Sunda's hand dropped, but she continued exploring, feeling. . . Something that shouldn't have been there. They were equally spaced apart, and felt like squares, resting right underneath her skin. It was a bit of a challenge, but she felt up and down her spine, encountering a good ten or so of the squares. At the bottom, she met a triangle-shaped bump.
"Technology," Sunda replied, "From what I've seen, you used to have something that. . . Hooked? Is that the right word? Hooked into you. It helped your mind. You didn't suffer as much with it on."
Echo was equal parts thrilled and terrified. Excited, because she'd learned something new about herself - but alarmed, because who knew what else had been done to her.
"Technology. . . Inside me." She murmured. Her fingers kept hitting the square ridges, lurking just under her skin. She didn't prance around naked in front of people, and the bumps felt flexible, so it was no wonder why they'd escaped her detection.
"Yes. But that's only part of it. Omens is mostly to blame. The sword acts as something of a buffer for you. And it's quiet, right now, to teach Lion-O an important lesson. It felt the sacrifice you would have to pay would be worth the reward."
Echo shook her head (receiving another flick to the ear). "Annet said I mess up the sword. That can't be right, Sunda."
At that, Sunda gave her a quiet, "hmm."
"I can't tell you anything new, there, human. Every warning I've been told to tell you - you already know. All of the voices tell me to tell you the same thing: abandon your quest for your memories, that you're not meant to be here, that you're a danger to Lion-O's mission."
Sunda's hands fell from her, and Echo stood. Just like the old days, her knees and feet tingled as blood rushed back to them, and she smiled. Turning, she regarded her dear, dear friend. Sorrow tore at her when she discovered that he was beginning to turn transparent.
He looked down at himself, as if surprised, and then back up to her.
"Guess I don't have much time left."
Oh, Sunda. I'd give anything for you to be here with me.
"I've heard that warning a lot," She said, her voice slowly growing more confident and sure, "But it's not happening. I decide my fate. Not the Book, not Jaga, and not destiny. I'm choosing my own way."
Sunda stood, a bright grin on his face.
"I'd be worried if you said otherwise. And I understand. I'll be watching. Before I go, though, let me help you with one more thing."
He pointed, and Echo turned - and paled. A shadow-person stood there, reaching out for her. She stepped backward, remembering the tidal wave and the Cats, but Sunda's hands fell on her shoulders, keeping her in place.
"S-Sunda-"
"Trust me." He said.
His hand slipped down to her own, and he lifted it for her. Echo practically quivered with fear as the shadow kept stretching, reaching, and a cold appendage rested in her own.
A voice rose, whispering in her mind, and Echo gasped as a series of images flashed behind her eyelids. She saw the forest, ancient and beautiful, spanning before her. A sense of comfort and pride filled her. The emotions swirled, turning into poignant sorrow and pain as trees were uprooted, over and over again, as a hungry monster devoured them.
The Wood Forgers chopped and hacked away, never satisfied with the amount they'd been allotted. The shadow cried out, rage kindling the fires of self-preservation, and fiery embers forced themselves to form and attack, all while Zig continued chopping and hacking into the ancient wood. . .
And then she was back.
And the shadow had turned into a blue, fiery ember.
"See? No need to run," Sunda said, lifting her hand up to touch the fire, "They just wanted you to know the truth."
"But the Wood Forgers. . . Their school. . ."
The fire prickled in her hand, as if annoyed by her words. Emotions swirled in her mind, leaving her with the impression of furysorrow, as if it were all one blended-up package of feeling.
"Take more than their due. Look again."
She peered into the depths of the fire, slowly, tentatively opening her mind up to it. She saw. . . She saw images of Viragor and Zig, talking, counseling one another. The master Wood Forger crafted the school, as they'd both come to an understanding about the began as a tiny, four-person home, quickly and rapidly developed into the sprawling paper mill it was today. The scene flashed, and Viragor and Zig were yelling at one another, until Zig attacked Viragor, and the fire-birds formed again, protecting their defender. . .
The scene shifted, one final time, and she saw the Cats fighting, warring against Zig and the Wood Forgers, Lion-O standing on the great bird's back. It was a vision of the present.
And then she was back in the forest again, with her spirit friend.
"I have to go. And help them." She said, turning to Sunda. "But I can't leave you."
Sunda was almost entirely gone, but she still caught the flash of another broad smile. The leopard leaned in and kissed her forehead. Echo felt her skin tingling as Sunda brushed a finger over her cheek.
"It's time for you to go, human. My time is up. But I'll be watching. You know I will."
He faded away, completely disappearing.
Echo smiled, although it made her heart wrench and it felt pained.
"I really am sorry, Sunda," She said, "And I'll do better this time. I promise. Thank you. For everything you've ever done." And then, turning to the ember in her hands, she asked, "Can you show me the way back?"
It floated up, out of her hold, and much like Zig's paper lantern trail, other fire balls formed from the wood, coming together in a line.
Echo afforded herself one more look back, at where Sunda had shared his precious moments with her, and then turned her back on it. She had to look forward again. She started running, following the fiery lights. More appeared from the trees, zipping alongside her, urging her on.
"Are you going to. . . follow me in?" She asked, breathlessly.
One brushed against her, and Echo winced at the alien intrusion on her mind. Without Sunda there, helping monitor the activities, it was more raw, more untamed. But she'd manage - it was a lot easier. The other voices quieted when one wanted to speak. She got the bright, illuminated image of the fiery-birds again, swooping down on the paper mill.
Echo grinned.
"Alright. Let's do this."
Somehow, returning back to the paper mill hadn't taken nearly as long. Odd. It felt like I was running for hours. . . Definitely got my cardio in for the day, though. Hot damn.
A shower would totally be in order. Within moments, she saw a burst of flame through the forest, and she could see the paper mill. Battle waged, and from the embers brushing against her, she could see that the Cats weren't faring too well. The Wood Forgers, harnessing the ancient power of the forest, were conquering them. It was little wonder they were able to pull it off, too. Magi Oar was thousands of years old.
Pitting magic, seasoned and refined at a few centuries, against physical fighters, was just a little bit unfair, in Echo's opinion.
Still, the Cats were holding their own. Even Kit and Kat joined the fray, Kat wielding his flank with skilled ease. He's been practicing. Good kitten.
Echo ran up to the large, destroyed section of the paper mill, and stepped over the wreckage, finally entering the battlefield. Beside her, the embers flitted about, agitated, ready to spring into action and defend their land. Echo held a hand out, absently running her fingertips over the cold flame.
"In a minute. I promise. I have the advantage, and I don't want to lose it."
The spirit reached into her mind again, and Echo, growing much more comfortable with the intrusion, didn't even flinch. Understanding her intentions, it flickered away, followed by the rest of them.
Time for me to jump into the fight.
Zig's female student - Echo had never asked for her name - had summoned some kind of paper dragon. It was almost as tall as Viragor, and it turned its attention to the twins, who were celebrating (quite prematurely, Echo noticed, she'd have to reprimand them later for that) over taking down Zig's male student.
Dashing forward, Echo drew her swords, and with a lunge, swung at the female Wood Forger.
She noticed, and from a sheet of paper on her side, produced a thin blade-knife made out of her notebook. She glared, opaque eyes narrowing, and shoved Echo back. She was surprisingly strong, despite her thin frame.
The dragon stopped, as if awaiting commands from her.
"Echo! You're back!" Kat exclaimed, sprinting away from the dragon.
The Wood Forger pressed the distraction, but Echo sliced through her paper-sword and kicked her, sending her sprawling in the dirt. The Wood Forger, however, rolled back up to her feet and scowled at her.
With no whispers constantly hammering into her brain, she was so back on her feet again.
"Are you done being crazy?!" Tygra shouted, picking himself up from the ground, "We needed you ten minutes ago!"
"I'm not crazy." Echo replied, "I was out. Making some new friends."
Her friendly little ember came to life at her elbow, and so did the hundreds of others that had decided to tag along.
Echo would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the look of fear that came over the Wood Forger's face.
In a flash, several of them transformed into their fiery-bird counterparts, and screeched, rushing at the Wood Forger and her dragon. She fled, trying to recoup, and Echo flicked her swords, expertly sliding them back into their sheathes.
Cheetara ran by, uttering a short, "Where'd you go?"
One of the blue birds exploded, the sound popping Echo's ears, and she coughed as the smoke settled around her, irritating her lungs.
The birds, infuriated one of their comrades had been defeated in combat, beat their wings furiously, clearing the smoke.
Cheetara stood there as the haze cleared, triumphantly holding a red book in the air.
"Not so tough without your notebooks, are you?" She grinned, tossing it into the air.
Tygra took aim and fired, scattering the pages.
Almost immediately, the paper dragon stilled. Large swaths of sections fell from it, until it pitched forward and collapsed into a messy heap. Viragor screeched int he sky, and Echo tilted her head back, watching as paper streaked across the sky, resembling shooting stars.
"What in the blazes is wrong with you?" Panthro snarled, stalking up to Echo. "After that bird came by the first time, you screamed bloody murder and ran off! And now you come here with them!"
As if listening to the conversation, one of the birds ghosted over, shrinking in size, until it was roughly the same height as Echo. Despite Panthro staring daggers at her, she smiled as the bird rubbed against her like an overgrown cat, demanding attention. Feelings of sorryregret filtered into her mind.
"I'm not used to tuning out magical forces." Echo said, stroking the flames of the bird, "And this forest - the spirits - were all trying to talk to me, all at once. They scared the living hell out of me. I started hallucinating. But we. . . Talked it out. Sunda helped me."
"Who?" Cheetara asked, puzzled. A beat later, and her eyes widened. "A Guardian of the Crown."
Echo nodded.
Panthro looked utterly confused, and Tygra mirrored the emotion. He peered at her, as if trying to decide if she was lying. The bird straightened, deciding looming over her was the best thing. The twins stared at her in awe - and she knew they were excitedly whispering about how she'd controlled the ghosts of the forest.
I don't have the heart to tell them that it's just a partnership, really.
With Tygra, it clicked.
"But. . . Cheetara's the only Guardian. . . oh."
Their cleric stared at her. "What did he tell you?"
The voices of the birds began to fade as Echo felt a familiar thrum crackle through the air, brushing against her mind. Omens, as apologetic as it could, feathered over her. Most of the whispers of the ghosts quieted instantly, and she sighed in relief.
I don't know why I'm connected to you, but sometimes, I'm glad for it.
Cheetara prompted her again, repeating her name, and she gave the cleric a sheepish smile.
"He didn't tell me anything. He gave me absolution."
A beam of light shot up into the air, displaying the ThunderCat crest in the night sky. Omens rejoiced, almost wrapping itself around her. Red beams of light played in the night sky, silencing the rest of the voices. Echo sighed in bliss, eyes closing.
Yup.
That's the stuff.
Day broke quickly, and they'd reunited with Lion-O shortly after.
He and Viragor met them in the stripped patch of forest, standing on his back haunches. The specters had disappeared after the battle had ended, fading back into the obscurity of the forest. Echo was. . . Kind of sad to see them go, primarily because it felt weird, being the only person in her head again.
"Looks like everything's back in working order." Panthro observed, eying the Eye of Thundera.
Lion-O beamed.
"And Zig won't be coming back into the forest anytime soon, either."
"Glad to see we've all the kinks worked out." Tygra remarked, giving her a glance.
Echo shrugged it off. It wasn't her fault that hundreds of forest spirits had chosen to use her as a communication method. Viragor surveyed them, golden eyes observing each and every single one of them.
"I owe you my thanks, ThunderCats," He said. Unfurling his wing, he laid down a small object. Echo heard a small thunk, and when he shifted his wing away, a new staff sat on the ground. "A gift, from the oldest tree in the forest. The staff is alive with great magic."
It glowed, pulsing the same gold color that Cheetara wore. Echo had to admit, it looked pretty spiffy. Though she could see pain in the cleric's eyes from losing her old staff. Just another memory of Thundera taken away from us. Still, the cheetah walked forward gratefully and received it.
"I accept it with great humility." She said softly, inclining her head in a bow.
Tygra admired her, eyes flicking over her, and Echo stared at him curiously.
Did he. . . ?
Nah! No way! Cynical-asshole Tygra? Shoot-first-and-ask-questions-later-Tygra? The tiger that puts the mission first, and emotions second?
Then Tygra looked at Lion-O. "Well, then. Do you want to try learning what you put to use, baby brother?" He asked.
Lion-O nodded.
Holding up the sword to his face, his expression pulled into one of concentration. "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!"
The hilt curled around his eyes, and Omens flared with an inner light of its own. Echo watched as his eyes lightened, glowing with that same inner light, and she nearly sagged with relief when she felt Omens's presence in her head. It was wholly welcome, and served as a gigantic wall from the rest of the world.
A beat later, and Lion-O pulled Omens away rom his face.
"I know where it is now. Let's go get that stone. We have to leave now, Viragor. I'm sorry."
The bird inclined his head. "I expected as much. Should you ever have need of this forest, you are certainly welcome to enter it."
"What will you do?" Panthro asked the bird.
We've been asking that question a lot, lately, Echo mused.
Viragor chuckled, resonant and throaty.
"Re-open the school. . . And teach the correct way to harness this forest's magic. The school's doors are open to you at any time, ThunderCats."
With that, they bid their goodbyes.
Viragor launched himself into the air, somehow managing to spare them from the severe wind gusts, and took off over the forest, quickly disappeared from their sight. The Cats began their trek back to the tank, morale boosted over their victory. Nobody pestered Echo about her time in the forest, or what, exactly, Sunda had told her.
Everything was back to normal, and she was in tip-top shape.
Kit and Kat, however, bounded over to her, big grins on their faces.
"Did you see us, Echo?"
"Yeah, we saved Cheetara!"
"And I took down that Wood Forger! Did you see that?"
She smiled. "I did. We'll have to get you a weapon yourself, Kit."
"I have my flupe! I don't need one! But you showed up with all the ghosts and were like, 'charge!' and they did!"
She laughed. That wasn't how the story went, but she'd humor them.
Kat paused, and looked at her.
"How did you make the ghosts be your friends?"
For a moment, she was back in the forest, desperately clutching a tall, muscled leopard that had died at the hands of an enemy that had stripped everything from her. . .
"An old friend visited me." She replied, "He helped me."
"Who?" Kit asked.
"That's a secret." Echo said, walking a little faster.
"Secrets?!"
"We're the best secret keepers ever! Just as Tygra! Nobody knows he accidentally made the tank short circuit yesterday-"
"What?" Tygra shouted, startled, "You two saw that?"
"That was what happened?" Panthro roared, infuriated at discovering just how his tank had broken down. "You broke my tank?!"
Tygra was quite adept at running, Echo discovered. Even more so at dodging.
She bit back a laugh as the chaotic routine of the group returned to normal. . .
And how Panthro managed to get a good, solid blow in, sending Tygra crashing to the ground.