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:
1.) SMEAGOL IS FREEEEEE.
Finals ended on Friday, but I still have work. And I have to make playdates with all of my coworkers, because I'm moving back home. I graduated with my Bachelor's degree in English, and this time next year, I should be pursuing my career as an ESL teacher. And a TEFL teacher. But that's about a year from now. Over the summer I just plan on working my ass off. But anyhoo, I'm excited about grades! I had a 3.1, and I took an extra class this semester, but the lowest grade I should be getting is (hopefully) a B. I would like to graduate with at least a 3.2, but anything above that would make me a happy camper.
Protip: being an English major for a University with high writing standards sucks, kids. Do not do it. I ran myself ragged with many sleepless nights. The good news is that I plan on cranking out some chapters for this summer. If you do plan on doing what I did, stay close to the tutoring/writing center. They will be an immense help. Also not all Universities are as scary as mine. But they like to tout that they "ranked higher in writing than Yale."
To graduate, I had to submit a writing portfolio with three different writing pieces, and then take a writing exam. They really want to make sure you can write a damn fine paper.
But anyway!
Buckle in, kids. The end of Sn. 1 is on the horizon.
2.) We've broken 11k views. o-o
I must be doing something right with this story!
3.) Thank you so much, DarkestMind! She introduced me to this awesome song by Ellie Goulding, "Human." It actually fits Echo really, really well. I've been hooked, and managed to throw it into my playlist of heavy metal/rock. I loved it that much!
4.) I am a published author for realsies, guys. My University publication - a journal - published my work! I submitted a piece last year, but it didn't get accepted. I was so happy. Things are finally going my way this year!
5.) I, surprisingly, did not like writing the Pit as much as I thought I would. I think it had to do with the fact that it didn't concentrate on any one person long enough. The Pit was just all over the place plot-wise (and I understood why), but man. I really had to slog through it. Rest assured, the next chapter will be better. I just wasn't feeling it this chapter.
Warnings: Nothing, except for stylistic things FF loves to om nom. Mild cursing. If you see anything with the first-person in it, it should be italicized. That is all.
It had been quite the revelation to them all that humans were, in fact, not indestructible.
Echo, having a very wonderful way of taking injuries and healing from them with the guidance of Cheetara and her own body, was susceptible to the greatest enemy of them all: nature.
As Echo walked through the desert, she stretched in the sun, glad for its rays. It felt damned good not to be chilled to the bone, not to mention surrounded by one of the coldest environments on Third Earth. For the past four days, they'd been parked up high in the timberline, with Lion-O and Tygra setting out to go find a shortcut through the snowy mountain passes. Echo vaguely remembered clutching a fur-lined blanket close to her body, miserably staring out at the landscape as she'd taken first watch. . . but that was about it.
As far as she could recall, she'd gotten cold, soaking wet, and nature, taking advantage of this perfect opportunity, gave her the worst case of the flue she'd ever had in her life. Echo had passed four days lying in one of the cots of the tank, idly staring up at a medical display under her bunk. She'd been feverish, throwing up, and sleeping a miserable, sick sleep. All in all, she'd been practically useless after the first day, and with sickness wracking her body, she honestly didn't remember much.
The most she could remember was Sunny giving instructions to the Cats, and telling her that this was perfectly natural, that humans needed to get sick.
It Echo hadn't thought she'd been about to die, she would have accepted what the Berbil had said.
But, she'd gotten better a day ago. She was back up on her feet, but she'd missed a hell of a lot.
When she'd finally come round, Lion-O and Tygra seemed. . . happy. Her friend didn't even look pained when Tygra and Cheetara held hands. The twins were walking on air, too, seeming immensely pleased with themselves. But, Echo had decided not to dwell on either fact for too long. She'd been sick, and there was nothing she could do to change that. Her sinuses were still clearing up, but she felt pretty normal otherwise. Besides, the desert was so, so much better than the tepid forest or the snowy mountains. So long as all of the Cats were back on speaking terms with one another, she figured she could deal with not knowing exactly what had happened.
If Echo was being honest with herself, however, she thought she'd had a really, really weird nightmare involving gargoyles in a cave, but she couldn't be quite sure about it.
She stretched again when they reached an overhang, allowing their group entry into a large, sprawling city, populated entirely by dogs.
"I say we find the supplies and get outta here. Got some real bad memories of this town." Panthro grumbled, striding ahead of them.
The rest of the group trailed along behind them, Echo soaking up the sights. Dog City was so much more different than Thundera. The architecture, the citizens, their culture, the way they lived. . . it was a welcome change. There was something new and exciting about embracing differences.
"You've been uneasy all morning," Lion-O commented, "What exactly happened here, Panthro?"
Panthro stiffened as he cast wary glances around them, as though he were expecting a fight. Echo looked around - despite their group largely consisting of Cats, none of the dogs really seemed to care. Nobody really gave them so much as a second out of their day. . . hardly the material for assassins to come out of the woodwork.
"Forget it, kid. I don't wanna give you nightmares." Panthro bit out, tone simply saying, 'discussion closed.'
Next to her, Tygra snickered. "He's probably worried about catching fleas from the locals." He ribbed.
"Remember when Lion-O got fleas?" She responded, grinning.
Tygra laughed. "I do. I had to shave his arms."
Echo chuckled, innocently looking at the lion when he gave her a halfhearted glare. It had happened just a few months after she'd entered Thundera - Lion-O had managed to rub up against the wrong Cat, and the rest had been history. She'd had to endure his patchy shave-job for weeks while he'd recovered from the pests.
"C'mon, guys, dogs aren't so bad!" Kit protested.
"Yeah, we used to hang out with them all the time in the slums in Thundera. They made the best bone stew." Kat continued.
Kit nodded her head, agreeing with him. Her eyes grew glassy, and she nearly salivated at the thought. "I almost forgot about the bone stew! Kat, we gotta find some while we're here."
With that said, the kittens began to scamper off, and Echo watched them warily, debating calling out to them. Cheetara, however, beat her to it.
"Maybe you two should stay close." Cheetara shouted after them.
"We can take care of ourselves!" Kat replied, exasperated. They ran off, disappearing into the crowd.
Echo stared after them, torn between wanting to order them back to her side and trusting them enough to know they would be safe. . . She hoped. Echo looked at Cheetara, making up her mind.
"Maybe we do need to start trusting them more. . ." She offered, hating the words even as she spoke them.
"Coming from the overbearing, overprotective human?" Cheetara teased her with a smile, "Never thought I'd hear you say it."
"I just don't have the energy to hunt them down today." Echo replied off-handedly. It was meant to be dismissive, but when the human spotted Cheetara's expression melt into concern, she knew it was the wrong thing to say. While it was true that she was still recovering, and slightly tired and achy, she'd make it. She always did, didn't she?
"Maybe you should have stayed behind?" Cheetara said, eying her critically.
Echo smiled. The past four days, Cheeetara, the cleric threaded into her bones, had tended to her the most. And the human had been utterly beyond the cat's help, save for herbal remedies. Apparently, no amount of magic could help eradicate an under-stimulated immune system and a few million virus cells.
Helping put the cleric's mind at ease, Echo waved her hand airily. "I'm fine. Sunny said I haven't gotten sick in. . . eh. Forever. That's why it was so bad. Apparently we humans have to get sick every once in a while in order to stay healthy."
". . . Counterproductive, if you ask me." Cheetara grumbled.
"Trust me, I could've done without four days of puking my guts out."
Snarf mewled up at her as he ran past the both of them, dancing around their feet as he bolted into the crowd, disappearing into the last area the twins had been in. Both girls blinked, and looked to Lion-O, who was standing from his crouch, where he'd released his nanny. He gave them a sheepish smile and a shrug.
"Just a precaution. Never know when they might run into trouble."
Echo shook her head and smiled. She was glad she wasn't the only one worried. While it was true that the twins were capable of handling themselves, it was nice to give them a lookout of sorts. They were still kittens, after all. Shortly after, the cats departed, meandering away into the market. Panthro disappeared rather quickly, but Echo caught sight of him keeping everyone shepherded into a somewhat larger area so he could keep an eye on them all.
Echo shook her head again as she made eye contact with him for a moment. They were fine, absolutely and totally fine. Apparently, Dog City and Panthro have a bad history. But, Echo wasn't about to let that spoil her day. A blob of fiery red hair caught her eye, and Echo spotted Lion-O beginning to walk away, intrigued by something, and since Tygra and Cheetara had secreted themselves for a little alone time, Echo figured it was the perfect opportunity to catch up with her friend.
"Lion-O!" She called out, jogging to catch up to him.
The lion paused, waiting for Echo to join him before he continued walking over to a supply vendor
"What's up?"
"Ah, just wanted somebody to hang out with," She replied. She sniffled, hating the weird, nasally way her voice sounded. Lion-O gave her a sidelong glance, and paused at a booth, barely stopping as he dropped money on the counter, scooped up a cup, and handed it to her. It looked lukewarm, and rather bland.
"Here. You sound horrible."
Rolling her eyes, she muttered under her breath about paranoid cats, but accepted the soup. She was far from vomiting everywhere, but with her nose all clogged up, she couldn't say she blamed her friend. She sipped on it idly as Lion-O approached the supplies and bartered with another vendor, lowering the price .Once he had a free moment, Echo looked up at him.
"Things are different," She said. When Lion-O looked at her, confused, she clarified, "Between you and Tygra. . . Did something happen? I thought. . . When I was sick, I thought I felt something."
Emotions flickered over his face - happiness, sadness, regret. . . but mostly joy. A tiny, secret smile quirked up the corners of his lips. "Yeah. A lot happened, actually. But it's between brothers, you know? Strictly royal business."
He said it with just enough of a tease in his voice for Echo not to be offended, but her curiosity drove her to insanity. She pressed her lips into a thin line, scowling up at him. Lion-O knew how much it bugged her not to be "in the know" with gossip. . . And he'd certainly told her quite a lot while they'd been in Thundera. But still, whatever had happened between the two of them had patched up their relationship well enough, she supposed. They were back to actually talking without fighting, and that should have been good enough for her. . .
But still. She was a little nosy, and not telling her something was just plain mean.
Finished with her soup, Echo discreetly tucked the empty bowl into the nearest food court area she could find (it wasn't like she'd need it after Dog City, so no reason to keep it), and continued walking beside Lion-O.
"You know, I'm happy for you. And Tygra. I was getting really worried. You two were pretty shaky for a while, there, and I know that the uh, Cheetara issue was driving a pretty big wedge between you."
Lion-O nodded. "It was. Things aren't normal, not yet, but give it a little more time, and it will be. You know how we can be. Sometimes we just have to. . . fight it out. Besides, Tygra's my brother. . . the only family I have left. I won't abandon him over a broken heart."
"I'm just glad you're happy again. I was really missing your smile."
The words had been out of her mouth before she could stop them, the filter between her brain and her tongue malfunctioning. Echo tensed, expecting Lion-O to shoot her a bemused look, but instead, he laughed, grinning widely and knocking against her shoulder.
"It was getting tired of frowning all the time."
Crisis averted. Whew.
But. . . Would it be bad if I told him. . .
For a brief second, she heard every conversation she'd ever had with Tygra, the tiger telling her exactly why Lion-O didn't need to be falling in love. Additionally, she was another species. As if that weren't enough, a certain human presence on this planet reminded her very much of her roots.
Would it. . . Would it be bad if she told him about her feelings?
"Hey, guys! Look at this!" Tygra called, waving at them through the crowd.
Pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind, Echo weaved through the crowd with Lion-O, and came to stand next to the tiger, who was pointing to a poster. Echo stared at it, not quite understanding the significance behind it. The poster was fairly bland, hues of grays and white showcasing a prominent depiction of. . . a Cat? She stood like a gladiator atop a cliff, head held high, womanly features highlighted in a graceful, yet feminine way. But the spear she held in one hand, and the piles of defeated opponents she stood on warned those that she was not someone to be taken lightly.
"A cat?" Lion-O asked. "What's she doing here?"
"She must have survived the fall of Thundera." Cheetara offered." It looks like she'd made a name for herself here."
"Lion-O, this is great!" Echo said, watching as he ripped the poster off the rock pillar to get a better look at it, "We always wondered how many survivors there were. Maybe she could tell us how many other survivors there are."
A shadow fell over the group, and they turned, discovering Panthro looming over them. Echo glanced up at him, and caught a pained expression filtering into his face as he stared down at the poster.
"Yeah. She's made a name, alright, and I doubt she'll have any useful info. She's in the Pit."
"What is the Pit?" Lion-O asked, turning the poster over in his hands.
Panthro's lips pressed into a grim line, and Echo looked at him worriedly. Lion-O, taking his silence as something serious, crinkled the paper in his hand and stood tall.
"If that means anything, then I have to find out for myself. We're going to this Pit. Lead the way, general."
Panthro looked as though he wanted to protest, to outright say no, but he blew out a tired gust of air and shrugged his shoulders. "If that's what you want. You won't like what you see, kid."
He led the way, and everybody fell into step wordlessly. Echo frowned as she stared at the poster in Lion-O's hands. If Panthro's cryptic words, pained glanced, and paranoid expression were any indication, then this cat had not met fair circumstances. And, if this Pit - probably a fighting arena of some kind, Echo mused - was as terrible as Panthro was leading it on to be, then they'd have no other choice than to free the poor Cat.
It actually didn't take them that long to come upon the arena, similar to the game dome in Thundera. Panthro moved himself to the back of their group, tense and not at all happy in the slightest. After paying a very small fee, they were ushered into the stands, where Echo sat on a rickety wooden bench. All around them, dogs growled, howled, yipped and bark, cheering on the opponent in the ring. Bets were being placed here and there, shillick shells jingling in the air.
Peering into the arena, Echo noticed there really wasn't anything special about it. It was sandy, and the outside was banked by large, scarred rock walls that kept the competitors in. She watched the fight, frowning sharply as three dogs squared off against. . . a robot?
She looked to Lion-O. "Technology, here? . . . But none of them are afraid of it. How long has it perforated Third Earth and just stayed out of Thundera somehow?"
Lion-O shook his head, troubled, but attentive to the fight. "I don't know."
"It looks to be more widespread now." Panthro commented, eyes never leaving the arena, "Won't be long until this is a common occurrence." His eyes went a little glassy as he stared down at the Pit, and Echo glanced at him, slightly concerned. What had happened to Panthro in the Pit that had left him looking so haunted?
If she asked, she'd probably get snapped at. It was a much better idea to lay low and not bug him until they were in private.
The crowd went berserk, forcing Echo to attention, and she looked down at the arena. All three dogs were unconscious, spread-eagled around the robot, who was pumping its fists above its head in victory. Surprisingly, Panthro spoke up again, grimly announcing, "This is the Pit. It's where slaves and criminals fight to survive."
Does that mean. . . Panthro. . . Echo peeked at the general out of the corner of her eye, but decided not to say anything. Later on. When we're alone.
Next to her, Tygra glared down, eyes narrowing. "And to entertain. Like I needed another reason to not like dogs."
Quiet fell, and Echo crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't think the slaves are right, but what if some of the criminals are murderers?" She asked.
Tygra shook his head. "It's all wrong. None of this is right. Forcing someone to fight for their lives has no honor. It's cruel."
"But Thundera had an arena-"
"-for sport-"
"-and if this arena was filled with lizards, I know you wouldn't care."
At that, Tygra stopped. "You might have a point there. But Lion-O's rubbing off on you. There might be criminals down there, but there are slaves, too."
Lion-O stood, clutching the poster tightly in his hand, interrupting their conversation. Without a word, he stormed off, his eyes slitted. Hurriedly, Echo and the others jumped up, chasing after him.
"Where are you taking us, Lion-O?" Tygra asked, strides long and quick to keep up with his brother.
"To whoever owns this Pit." He growled.
Echo took her time to discreetly prep, albeit she had to jog in order to keep up with everyone else. Still, she made sure her harnesses were tucked in neatly against her body, and her supply pouches full. There was no telling how ugly the fight would get when they got to it. Lion-O, uncaring of the guards that tried to stop him, barged into the tower and practically hopped up all the steps. Echo flicked one sword slightly out of her sheathe, warning an approaching guard that yes, she was quite serious, and that axe of his had absolutely no chance against Thunderian steel.
As they neared the top, Echo was fully expecting alarms to ring and more guards to come pouring out of the woodwork, but to her surprise, they didn't. It's like somebody knows we're coming. . . but we're not being very discreet about it.
. . . Always a bad sign.
They emerged on an overhang of the Pit, where a single dog occupied the only chair available. Lion-O, unafraid and pissed off, marched up to the dog and stuck the poster under its muzzle. He waved the paper for emphasis.
"What do you know about this cat?" He demanded, blue eyes hard and flinty.
Echo cast a wary glance to the staircase behind them, but not a whisper of sound emerged from it. No guards were pursuing them. Odd.
"She doesn't belong to anyone."
From her spot on the balcony, Echo could see the dog smiling. "That so?"
She tensed. It was time to go, time for a fight, she just knew it. They'd have to fight practically all of Dog City if this dog was the head honcho of the Pit.
"Yeah," Lion-O continued, glaring at the dog, "She's a free cat now, so we'll be taking her with us."
The dog stood, snarling in the back of his throat. He was easily a head taller than Panthro, and just as heavily muscled as their resident general. Echo bent her knees slightly, fingering one of the throwing knives she kept tucked in her arm bracers. A few new knives were new additions, after that last fight with Markata. She was liking some distances in fights, now.
"You're welcome to try." The dog growled, towering over Lion-O. He pulled his lips back to bare his fangs, and while they were duller than a cat's, Echo spotted a lot more of them. . . and he looked like he could bite down a lot harder than a cat, to boot.
"Don't let him scare you, Lion-O." Panthro said, sounding calm and carefree.
Echo stole a quick glance at him. Was he crazy?
"Uh, stay out of it, Panthro." Cheetara warned, shooting the general an alarmed glance herself.
In response, Panthro pushed past her and Tygra, completely ignoring the two of them.
"He may have been tough once, but now he's too old and scrawny!" He shoved Lion-O out of the way, staring up at the dog, who visibly tensed in rage.
Next to Echo, Tygra grinned gleefully. "Oh, man. I'd never thought I'd see the day that Panthro picked a fight. On purpose."
"This isn't funny, Tygra." Echo said, hand locking around the hilt of her throwing knife. If the dog made one wrong move, she was going to launch it straight into his damned eye.
"You filthy little furball!" The dog snarled.
"You stupid ugly mutt!" Panthro hissed.
Panthro's gone crazy, Echo thought, eyes flicking between the pair of them.
Both animals sized each other up, growling, but a second later, their anger dissolved into laughter. The dog and Panthro clasped each other's hands, patting one another affectionately. Echo stood there, hand numbly releasing her throwing knife, feeling immensely stupid. They. . . they knew each other?
"Been a long time, Dobo." Panthro said genially, all traces of aggression and anger gone. Dobo grinned.
"It's been a lifetime, Panthro."
Panthro roughly patted Dobo on the arm. "I can see that. You look old!"
Echo stood there in shock, and she wasn't the only one.
"Are they. . . friends?" Tygra asked, sounding shellshocked.
"I can't tell." Cheetara shrugged.
"Wanna see your cat? Well, you're just in time." Dobo gestured to the arena, "She's up against Gormax next."
The crowd exploded into a noisy cacophony of sound, and Echo made her way over to the balcony railing, looking down into the arena. She caught sight of the cat, and was completely blown away.
Where Cheetara was all elegant grace, this cat was brutal. She leaped into the air, not as fast as their resident cleric, but certainly as nimble and agile. Almost with pathetic ease, she dodged a few strikes from Gormax's head, and then fired. . . rocks? Yeah, Echo was seeing that right. Rocks. The cat fired rocks into his exposed head unit, and within moments, the robot went down in a smoking heap of scrap metal. She stood, proudly holding a fist over her head. Wow, she's got moves. Her style looks practiced, controlled almost. . . like a soldier. How the hell did a cat that skilled at fighting end up in the Pit?
"And Pumyra wins again!" Dobo declared, crossing his arms over his chest with pride, "You cats train your soldiers well. That warrior is making me a fortune!"
Despite Pumyra's situation, Echo gave herself a small smile. Called it.
In the arena, two large dogs entered and clapped Pumyra in handcuffs. Precious warrior in custody, they led her away to one of the gated openings, dogs cheering and chanting her name.
Next to her, Lion-O bristled. Echo watched as he turned to Dobo again, moved by Pumyra's plight. "Let us buy her freedom, Dobo."
"With what?" The dog asked, rolling his eyes. "You don't have the shillicks, and that's what we take in Dog City. She'll earn her freedom if she survives 100 fights."
Lion-O straightened, all traces of kindness gone. "It'd be a shame if she escaped before that."
Dobo glared down at him, lips momentarily pulling into a snarl, before he shook his head and turned to Panthro. He waved his hand airily at Lion-O. "Make sure your friend doesn't do anything stupid, Panthro."
Threat delivered, Dobo walked away, disappearing into the tower they'd stormed in from. Lion-O growled, and attempted to follow, but Panthro laid a hand over his shoulder and shook his head.
"The lizards are bad enough. We can't afford a war with the dogs, too."
Lion-O glanced down at the arena, where the gates fell down on Pumyra, and her body was quickly swallowed by the shadows. Her jerked his head up to Panthro, features cross. "She's a ThunderCat, Panthro. I won't let her be a slave."
Shaking free of Panthro's grip, Echo caught sight of a small gleam in Lion-O's eye. . .
Something she knew very, very well.
Scuffle scuffle.
Pause.
Rustle scuffle.
Echo sighed.
Really?
She stood against a wall, one leg propped against her, her arms crossed over her chest. She waited, timing the sounds she heard. It wouldn't be long now. In five. . . four. . . three. . . two. . .
A red-haired lion rounded the corner, and jumped when he saw her. Echo sighed, shaking her head in disapproval as she stared at him.
"You are terrible at this." She reprimanded. "I've been standing here for five minutes while you've been getting ready. Why did it take you five minutes?"
"Echo!" Lion-O exclaimed, recovering, "W-What are you doing here? I thought you were in the market with everyone else. . ." His voice died in his throat as Echo gave him a knowing looking. "Okay, maybe not the market. You know I have to do it, though. I'm not going to stand by and let her be a slave. It's my duty as a king to protect my people - and a hundred victories could take years."
Echo straightened, nodding her head. "I agree."
Lion-O looked as though he'd been about to plead his case, preparing for Echo to tell him no, but he paused when her words registered. He smiled, albeit he looked slightly confused. "I'm glad I'm not the only one. But how the heck did you stand there for five minutes? You weren't making any sound? And why aren't you warning me against this like you normally do?"
Echo smirked. "Kit and Kat may have been teaching me a thing or two about sneaking around. You should take a lesson from them sometime, they're very good. And honestly, I don't know. I guess I'm tired of being safe all the time. But we're wasting time - let's go."
"Woah, woah, waoh. You're not coming with me. As a king, this is my duty."
"And as your friend, I'm inclined to help you." Echo replied. "You can't stop me from going."
"I can do this by myself, Echo. . . I have to do this by myself. It's my fault she's in there in the first place." Lion-O protested.
"Then I'll be backup or support or something. Lion-O, if you run into trouble down there, and if you don't have her free, you'll be captured or killed. I'll let you play the hero rescuing the poor kitty in distress. I'm not out to steal your glory."
Lion-O turned beet red, and turning on his heel, began to walk over to the entrance of the prison cells underneath the Pit. Located roughly three hundred feet away, they weren't particularly hard to find, nor was the outside well-guarded. Apparently, nobody wandered close to the Pit's prison block, unless they wanted to be a part of the show. . . Which made it all the more easier for them to enter.
"I am not a hero wanting to rescue another cat."
"Sure you are," Echo teased. "You wanna hold her and kiss her and squeeze her-"
Lion-O gave a swipe at her head, and she huffed a laugh as they ducked into the underground tunnels leading to the prison cells. Darkness swallowed the both of them, and Echo, still in a happy mood, slipped into infiltration mode. She spaced herself a small distance behind Lion-O, acting as the wingman, constantly checking behind them to ensure they weren't being followed. Guards haphazardly patrolled the route ahead and behind them, but their armor, loosely belted, made them very loud and easy to hear approaching.
They did not, however, have a very set pattern in their patrols, making the likelihood of running into a guard a high probability. Still, Lion-O and Echo slipped past them, slowly crawling deeper and deeper into the underbelly of the Pit. As they trudged lower into the Pit, Echo passed by cells that were populated sparsely, many of the Pit's contenders asleep for the day.
Where do they keep Pumyra?
Minutes passed, and the next obstacle Lion-O and Echo encountered were two guard dogs, fast asleep at a table, and loudly snoring. Further on down the block, a single cell was illuminated by flickering candles, the first sign of luxury that they'd seen in their recon. Passing by the guard dogs, Lion-O ordered Echo farther down the row of cells, instructing her to keep a lookout for incoming patrols.
With the guards still fast asleep, Lion-O stepped up to the bars, peering inside. "Pumyra," He whispered, "Quickly. Come with me."
A moment of silence passed before Echo heard a small rustle from the cell.
"Who're you?" The coarse, hoarse voice asked. She was a little too loud, and Echo winced when she saw one of the guards shift in his sleep.
Lion-O grimaced. "A friend. But keep it down, this place is crawling with guards."
"You. . . you! Get away from me!" Pumyra shouted, her voice almost a scream. Echo jumped, her heart leaping up into her throat. What the hell was that all about?
The guards stopped snoring, and ice blossomed in the pit of her stomach. She heard them getting up, and her stomach fell completely. This was all going downhill incredibly fast. "Lion-O, we need to book it!" Echo hissed.
The dogs were approaching the sound of the commotion, their armor making a loud ruckus as they approached.
"It's okay!" Lion-O tried to assuage her.
"I said get away from me!" Pumyra screamed.
Lion-O yelped as one of the dogs grabbed him from behind. The other dog seized the other half of him, and Echo latched onto her throwing knife, prepping to throw it, but Lion-O straightened up, shaking one of the dog's hands free. "Go! Now's your chance! The gate is open! Tell the other Cats where I am and they'll help me!"
"I'll never help you!" Pumyra snarled.
Echo glanced at the cat's gate. It wasn't open.
More dogs were approaching, and Echo's skin crawled as she heard their armor rattling in the darkness, the sound bouncing off the walls of the caves.
"GO! The kittens need help, too!"
He's talking to me!
She felt dense that she hadn't understood it earlier, but there wasn't any time to ponder her stupidity. Loyalty to her friend made her want to stay, but Lion-O's words told her she had to go. Echo bit down on the inside of her cheek, hard, and she silently got up to her feet as the dogs wrestled her friend to the ground. They'd throw Lion-O into slavery, and her short stint with the Duelist had been all the incentive she needed to not wind up a slave.
And she'd been a slave for all of six hours, maybe.
I have to go.
Echo spun around, and though it was hard, she turned her back on her friend and sprinted down the tunnel. The guards converged on their position, but some crafty maneuvering kept her out of the way, and more fancy footwork eventually led her to a slope that wound upwards, destined to lead her outside. She could practically feel the heat increasing as she sprinted up the incline. I'll be back, Lion-O. I swear. Panthro will help get you out of this mess.
She knew Lion-O didn't want her to end up in a prison cell, but it was still really hard for Echo to swallow. Given that her friend had died, been recently resurrected, and they'd all been in prison cells courtesy of Mumm-Ra, she really didn't want to leave him. But she had to.
Luck was on her side, as most of the dogs were busy running to Lion-O, and she was able to avoid conflict. She hit the outside of the prison block at a dead run, sprinting through Dog City to find the other cats. Almost running into a dog or two, Echo almost shook in relief as she spotted Tygra and Cheetara sitting, Tygra with his arms crossed, expression stern. Echo slid to a messy stop beside them, her hands latching onto the side of the table to keep herself from falling as her momentum carried her.
Cheetara blinked. "Echo? Are you alright? You look pale. . . are you sick again?"
Echo shook her head, breathing in ragged gasps as she tried to spit out the words. "Prison. . . Pumyra."
Tygra looked thoroughly unamused. "Oh, dear lord. Don't tell me my darling baby brother did what I think he did."
"Captured! Lion-O's captured!"
At that, Tygra's eyes narrowed.
"What?" Cheetara said, bolting upright.
"The dogs have him," Echo said, sucking in air, "We tried-"
"You did what?" Tygra demanded, standing, "What in Thundera got into you? What would make you think that this could possibly be a good idea?"
Heart and breathing returning to normal, Echo stood herself and glared up at Tygra.
"What was I supposed to do?" She countered, "Let him go alone?"
"No, you should have stopped him!" Tygra snapped. "We can't afford to have Lion-O locked up at the hands of a dog!"
"It wasn't even our fault! We got there, and Pumyra freaked out and woke up the guards!"
Panthro, like a forgotten ghost, appeared beside them, damn near scaring a good five years off of Echo's life. Both she and Tygra peered up at the general, who looked thoughtful and troubled at the same time.
"What's done is done. Yelling about it won't help anyone. We can talk about how stupid the two of you were after we get Lion-O out of those prison cells. If I know Dobo, he'll be waiting for us when we get there. Come on."
Panthro began to walk away, Cheetara rapidly falling into step beside him. Tygra was next, although he glared at Echo and leveled a finger in her face.
"Trust me, human. We are going to have a very thorough discussion about your stupidity."
"It was temporary insanity." Echo snapped in return.
Stalking behind Tygra, Echo glowered at his back as they walked through Dog City. Panthro led them through the sprawling town, and to the Pit, where, true to Panthro's guess, Dobo stood outside of the entrance of the prison block, holding Lion-O's gauntlet and Omens. Omens whimpered, far from happy to be parted from its master. As they drew closer, Dobo offered the items out, and Echo rushed forward, grabbing Omens. The sword quieted, but she swore she felt it shiver in her hold. It didn't want her - it wanted Lion-O. Cheetara grabbed the gauntlet, and the human glared up at Dobo.
"How dare you! What do you think you're doing?" She demanded, putting on the best act she could.
No need for Dobo to know she'd been part of the Rescue-Pumyra-Team.
"Dobo, our king is who you have locked up in a cage." Panthro said.
"He tried to steal from me, Panthro." Dobo replied, tone unmoving, "Would you rather I turn him over to the authorities? In the Pit, at least he's got a chance of getting out."
Cheetara looked at the dog pointedly, her own eyes flashing in anger. "After one hundred victories."
Echo seethed. "We can't wait that long! We have to-" (think fast think fast think fast) "-return to Thundera and reclaim it!"
Dobo glanced down at her, as if finally noticing her after this whole time. "Quiet, pet. There was a second scent down there, and it smelled an awful lot like you."
"Gonna need more evidence than that, you-"
Tygra grabbed her arm and yanked her, planting her behind him. "And, that's enough out of you, Short Stack."
Echo bristled, but remained quiet. Tygra released her, but stood in front of her, ensuring she didn't do anything stupid.
"Since Panthro's a friend, I'll make an exception. If Lion-O wins his first match, he's free."
"And if he loses?" The cleric queried.
"He'll stay in the Pit." Panthro answered. "It's how the rules go."
"And you know this because. . .?" Tygra prompted.
For a moment, Panthro was quiet. His eyes flickered with emotions, and Dobo stood in front of them all, examining his friend with a critical eye. Finally, Panthro regarded them, a grim look on his face.
"Long time ago, Dobo and I were thrown into the Pit. I was a prisoner of war, he was a thief. We were usually placed in a team - guess they thought it was funny seeing a cat and dog fighting together."
"We beat everything they threw at us, no matter how nasty." Dobo continued.
"Where most warriors die here, Dobo rose up to run the place."
As they spoke, their conversation grew smaller, until it only included the both of them. Panthro and Dobo hardly seemed to realize the rest of the group standing not but a few feet away. Echo watched, soaking up the information ravenously. She knew Panthro had been exploring Third Earth for years, send by Claudus to find the Book, but she hadn't really understood how large his travels were, how all-encompassing. He'd been a gladiator, a general, a fugitive, a survivor. . . what title didn't Panthro bear?
"I owe it to you, Panthro. You were like a brother to me. I wouldn't have lasted a day if you hadn't taught me to survive."
"That's not true, Dobo .We survived together." Panthro's tone changed, becoming less factual and more. . . pleading. Echo didn't understand why, but she wasn't about to go and interrupt their talk.
"Indeed. . . Until that morning I woke up and found you had escaped." Dobo's tone turned bitter, and he turned his head away from Panthro, as if the mere sight of the cat disgusted and pained him at the same time.
"I always regretted leaving you behind like that." Panthro continued, tone soft. He looked to Dobo, practically begging for forgiveness, but the dog glared and growled at him.
"No," Dobo replied, "It was the best thing you could've done. I was naive to have expected loyalty from a cat. I learned that day I was going to have to earn my freedom myself. If your king wants his freedom, he can fight for it, too! The match is tonight. I'll be expecting all of you."
With that, Dobo stalked away, entering one of the many doors leading into the Pit.
Still holding Omens, Echo stared into the doorway Dobo had disappeared through, irritated. "We can't wait that long! Why should Lion-O even have to fight in the first place?"
"Because somebody decided it was a good idea to steal another person's property." Tygra snapped, rounding on her.
"Pumyra's nobody's property! A cat is not property."
"To them, kid, she might as well be. Lion-O has to fight. If we try to break him out, they'll kill him, and us, for good measure."
"So, what, we just buckle down and wait for nightfall, idly twiddling our thumbs?"
"Yes." Cheetara answered simply, voice leaving little room for argument, "There's no reason for you to go traipsing into the Pit to try and rescue Lion-O."
Echo stared at them all, incredibly unhappy about the turn of events. Yeah, what they'd done was rash, but there was no reason to act like she and Lion-O were criminals. They'd been trying to free a slave - nothing shameful about that. Angrily, Echo shoved Omens into Tygra's hands, taking a small amount of satisfaction as the tiger fumbled with the blade, almost dropping it. With that, she spun on her heel and started walking away into Dog City.
"Echo!" Cheetara called after her, "Where are you going?"
"Away! Be back at nightfall!" She replied.
She wasn't throwing a tantrum, she just. . . she just needed to pace off energy. With every second she spent just standing there, another second led her to the temptation to break into the Pit's prison cells to free Lion-O. It was highly likely she'd leave Pumyra in her cell, though - she was the entire reason they were in this mess in the first place. Plus, if Tygra expected her to just sit there and let him needle her every two minutes over what she'd done "wrong," then he had another thing coming.
That, unfortunately, left her with the task of finding something to do.
Find the kittens, she thought. They hadn't checked on the twins all day, and after the events, Echo was eager to check up on the pair and make sure no dogs were acting hostile, or that the two were in chains themselves. New task in mind, Echo set herself to scouring Dog City, keeping her swords tight against her back as she entered the slums. No dogs gave her much trouble, save for sparing a second to glance at the weird color of her hair.
After a few weeks, she'd finally managed to wash the lanky, gross blue hair dye out of her hair, and it was now back to its normal white sheen. As Echo walked through the city, trying to locate her troublesome twins, she pined for a cloak of some kind. Anything to cover up her body. It just felt wrong to be inside of a slum without one - she was so used to her forays into Thundera's slums with Lion-O, it felt odd to be without one.
Hours passed, the sun slowly slipping away from its peak in the sky, and still, Echo had yet to find the twins.
Her legs ached from the walking, but she was relentless. She just needed to check up on them, find out where'd they been, what they were up to. Anything, something to keep her mind off of the upcoming match-
A small, furry mass collided with her legs, catching her off balance. Echo sprawled onto the ground with an undignified wheeze, the small creature scrambling to get off of her.
"Oh, I do say! Many pardons, young miss, I'm quite afraid that I just wasn't watching where I was going, how utterly silly of me. Please do forgive an old creature such as myself."
A tiny paw stuck itself out to her, offering to help her up. Echo accepted, and was remotely surprised to find a tiny raccoon, dressed in threadbare rags. He smiled up at her, practically oozing charm.
"No, it's okay," Echo said, brushing dirt off of her tunic, "I wasn't looking where I was going, either."
The small raccoon shifted, hands fiddling with his vest, and then he peered up at her, eyes crinkling in interest.
"If I may say, madam, you are quite the jewel. I haven't seen such a shade of hair, nor features such as yours. You don't have the. . . the-"
"Rot? No. I'm furless naturally. An albino Wood Forger." Echo dismissed, slipping back into her old ruse of lying.
The raccoon's face perked up. "Oh, do forgive me. But I enjoy having my fur, despite this terrible heat - ah, look at the time. I'm quite sorry, madam, but I must be going. The sun is almost set, and the games are about to start!"
With that, the little raccoon scampered away, pausing just long enough to bid a "good evening!" to her before he disappeared into the crowd.
Echo stared after him, not quite sure what to make of him. What an odd little raccoon. But he's right. I haven't found the twins, but they know where we are. They'll find us after the games or. . . or something. But I have to get to the arena now.
Lion-O's waiting for me there.
As the sun began to sink below the horizon, Echo headed for the Pit.
"It's a rare treat to see two cats tear each other apart," Dobo says, grinning and flashing his fangs, "But the crowd's excited."
The gates to the arena opened, and Lion-O emerged, bearing a clunky, metallic sword, and no sword whatsoever. The dogs boo'd, but the cries quickly turned to enthusiasm and cheer as the other set of gates opened and Pumyra entered the arena. Even from Dobo's outlook, Echo could make out the anger on her face. At her sides, the cat's hands flexed, as though wanting to wrap themselves around Lion-O's neck and squeeze.
Echo worried the bottom part of her lip, debating the odds of her making it through the night alive if she just jumped the railing and used her telekinesis to stop the fight.
"Too bad cats won't kill each other for some dog's sick pleasure." Tygra ground out.
Dobo laughed. "I have yet to see your species display such loyalty." He looked pointedly at Panthro, who glanced away, wounded.
"You'd be surprised at the depths of loyalty contained by catkind." Cheetara intoned, moving to the balcony.
Dobo huffed, not at all impressed. The clanging of metal on metal sounded through the air, and Echo shoved Dobo out of the way, jockeying for a better position to view the fight with. She felt the dog reach out to her, growling, but Echo turned and looked up at him, every muscle in her body tense.
"If anything happens to him, I swear by everything holy, you'll wish you'd never been born. I'll make those years you served in the Pit seem like a happy dream." An icy promise coated her voice.
It stunned everyone - Echo included - when Dobo fell silent. Glad that he had taken her seriously, Echo turned back to the arena. She joined in just as Pumyra hopped in front of Lion-O, and her friend hefted up an axe (I didn't even notice him come out with it), as though he wanted to hit her, but he hesitated. Pumyra, taking advantage of Lion-O's pause, attacked. Echo's hands gripped at the railing as she kept a laser eye on the fight below.
With a few blows, Pumyra managed to knock Lion-O's shield out of his hand. As he tried to run, she somehow produced a bolo, and with expert aim, captured his legs. Lion-O went down in a messy heap, and Pumyra descended upon him, kicking and punching with little handicaps. She wasn't holding anything back from the fight, each move punctuated with violence and anger. She and Lion-O exchanged words, but over the roar of the crowd, Echo couldn't make out what they were saying.
Lion-O cried out in pain as Pumyra brought her heel down viciously into his side.
"Does he have to be punished for what you think I did?" Panthro nearly shouted.
"I should be the only one, old pal? When you ran, you didn't just leave me behind. You left behind all the enemies we had made together. I had to stand alone against that bloodthirsty horde."
"I ran because I learned my fight the next day was a deathmatch."
"It was going to be between you and me."
The conversation behind her lulled, as though Panthro's words had socked Dobo in the gut. Echo kept tabs on it, but her eyes never strayed from the brutal beating Lion-O was taking in the arena. The battle was reaching a fever pitch, and the human was afraid where Pumyra was going. The cat just wasn't letting up the pressure.
"You were afraid you couldn't beat me?" Dobo demanded.
"No," Panthro said softly, calmly, ". . . I was afraid I'd have to."
Lion-O stood, completely abandoning the shield, and relaxed, head held high. Whenever Pumyra knocked him to the dirt, he got on his feet again. Echo was barely aware that she was holding her breath - her friend was lined up with a kill shot, Pumyra wielding a sharp rock in her wrist-bow. Utter silence descended on the crowd, and Echo held her own breath, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest. If Pumyra took the shot, if she killed Lion-O. . .
The silence that pervaded the arena was so thick, Echo could actually hear the small, pointy rock Pumyra held drop and clatter to the ground. The puma straightened, turning to Dobo, brown eyes fierce.
"I will not kill my king, Dobo!" She shouted, voice carrying through the silence.
"And I will not hurt a fellow cat!" Lion-O called out.
"The penalty for forfeiting is death." Dobo replied impassively.
Echo whipped her head and pinned him with a sharp glare. Next to her, Tygra laid a hand on her arm, uttering a small, "easy, there." Still, it did little to help her. Echo was going to kill Dobo if he enforced that rule. Then it would probably be likely she'd slaughter the guards for attempting to carry out his orders. . . The worst part, Echo thought, was that she knew she could do it. She wouldn't escape unscathed, but by god, she'd make those dogs wish they'd never been born.
She was not going to lose Lion-O a second time.
Behind her, the dogs took up the chant, "let them live!" and their voices blended together, filling the air.
As though it had just been for posturing entirely, Dobo grinned. "It seems loyalty is not only a trait of the dogs," He commented, glancing at Panthro, before addressing the arena, "You have earned my respect! You both leave this arena as free cats!"
"Two." Echo bartered.
"None." Cheetara countered.
"One. Just one."
"None." The cleric stressed. "And unless you can conduct yourself like a proper human, I'll refuse to let you on this mission."
Echo wanted to growl at the cheetah, but wisely kept her mouth shut. Together, the pair made their way to the outskirts of Dog City, where Lion-O and Pumyra had been released, and were waiting for them. When the pair came into view, Echo tensed, just wanting to all-out sprint to her friend and ask if he was alright, but she resisted against the impulse. Pumyra was standing beside him, bandaging up his arm. Her eyes narrowed on the cat, and her hands itched to smack her, punch her, do something.
Cheetara, noticing her change in body posture, sighed. "Echo, behave. She had every right to act as she did. Lion-O has been absent as a leader from the ThunderCats for a decent four or five months now. There is nothing we can do to quell her anger except to ask her forgiveness and lead now."
Echo shook her arms, willing the tension to go away, and chewed on the inside of her cheek to keep herself from spitting venom like a snake. No reason for her to get nasty. Cheetara had a point, after all, much as she hated to admit it. But still. The cleric had even been mean enough to deny her bartering a good punch or two to the puma's face. Pumyra's nastiness in the arena had been uncalled for - already, Echo could see bruises and patches of lumpy fur where bumps were rising. Upon drawing closer, however, Lion-O perked up and separated from her.
"We're going to Mt. Plundarr." He announced.
"Mt. Plundarr?" Panthro echoed, confused. "What are we going there for?"
"Most Cats were taken there to be enslaved." Pumyra replied, voice scratchy.
Echo flicked a glare in her direction, and then promptly looked away. She'd have to find a way to get her revenge, somehow. She was the only girl on Third Earth and beyond who had permission to beat Lion-O to a bloody pulp for doing something stupid. That was her job.
"Then we have to go." Tygra answered simply.
Echo was not pleased to hear this news - and downright irritated to discover that Pumyra, with firsthand knowledge of Mt. Plundarr, would be leading the way and a part of their group. Echo was more than willing to kick some ass, but as she cast a look at the group, and then to Dog City, she frowned.
"I haven't seen the twins all day. . . What if-?"
"They're fine. They know where we're camped, and they can probably get intel on where we're going." Lion-O said, materializing at her side, "Mt. Plundarr is only an hour away on foot. If I have my way, we'll be back tomorrow."
Echo mulled the response, trying to decide if it was alright, and eventually she gave in. Lion-O was right on both accounts. The twins were crafty little things, and so long as they were back within the night, she supposed it would be alright. Plus, she hadn't run a night ops in a little while. . . that hadn't screwed up too terribly. She'd have to redeem herself this time around.
And. . . quite possibly plan a way to trip Pumyra once. Or twice.
As the puma walked ahead, leading the pack, Echo gave another glare at her back.
Or five times.