Fall Of The Empire
Rating: T-17+
Disclaimer: I don't own this. . . or do I? Nah, I don't. So don't sue me. I'm already in enough debt with my student loans.
Author's Notes: Hey all! I bet you thought I died, didn't you?
Well, I didn't, so I guess that's good!
The bad news is the muse for this fic can be very fickle at times. But I am legit, 100% trying my best. If you want to know the truth, I haven't written a lot of anything nowadays. Winter vacation is coming up, but in the meantime, my nose is to the grindstone planning lessons and trying to keep my kids entertained and focused for another week or so.
Remember how - when you were in school - that last month was torture? That's my kids right now. They just do not want to do anything and I don't blame them one bit. I'm kinda wanting a break, too. I hope to crank out another 1-3 chapters during winter vacation, as I'll have a lot of time on my hands. . . hopefully. Korea is very much a turbulent working environment.
But anyway! Here's another table of upcoming chapters. I solidified some ideas, ditched others entirely.
1.) The Trouble with Thunderkittens
2.) The Fourth Guardian
3.) Legacy
4.) The Final Fight
5.) Epilogue
T-minus 4 chapters until the end, kids!
The epilogue piece will be uploaded here. It will be short, don't worry. I think maybe 5 chapters maximum and each chapter should be around 5k. So not nearly as long or as plot-heavy as these chapters have been, thank god.
Almost to the end. It's like pulling teeth at this point. My fingers want to finish it but my brain is just not having it. But we'll get there. Little by little.
In the meantime, let's see how this Legends bit wraps up. C:
Also, side note, I'm pleased to announce one thing:
1.) As of the last week of December, my student loans will have been paid in full. I'm so excited.
*throws confetti.*
Secondary note:
I've adopted a lot of mannerisms from the South Koreans. I teach at an elementary school and I've tried to spell, "Won" as in "Jimmy won the running race" as "Wun" because that's how my kids spell it. Honestly, my English is slipping a little. If you see anything wrong, point it out!
Warnings: Nothing, except for stylistic things FF loves to om nom. More blood and gore than normal. If you see anything with the first-person in it, it should be italicized. That is all.
. . . this text is here for a mysterious reason.
It was the bells that woke him.
Lion-O blinked several times, forcing himself to remain still and get his bearings. It took a long moment for his mind to register that he wasn't hearing the warning horns of Thundera, and while he it was instinct to flail around blindly, snatch up his sword, and attack the first thing that tried to touch him - he knew he had to suppress it.
It was becoming a necessary trait with every passing day. Once, in private, he'd asked Panthro about it, and the grizzled war general had imparted this wisdom to him: "Been like that for years. . . I don't even remember what it's like, sleepin' normal. War's gettin' in your blood, kid. Just lay there and remember where you are, how you got there. Takes a bit of practice, but it's better than accidentally breaking some Cat's jaw when they're just tryin' to wake you up."
Waking up and falling asleep on command were soldier's reflexes, apparently. And this war was quickly seeping itself into him. . .
The bells chimed again, deep and resonating, pulling him from his morbid thoughts. The sound of the bells were deep and unfamiliar, but welcome all the same. Lion-O turned over, and started in surprise when he saw Pumyra standing roughly tne or so feet away from him, back pressed flush against the wall, her breathing deep and steady.
There was something in her hands, glinting silver in the dim lighting of the room. A knife?
"Pumyra?" Lion-O asked, worry seeping into his tone, "Is everything okay?"
"It's fine," She assured him, "I'm fine. I was just waking you. i don't know what these bells mean. . . but Thundera. . ."
Ah, so he wasn't the only one. Lion-O slid off of his cot, and gave Pumyra's shoulders a tight, reassuring squeeze. She tucked the knife, only half-drawn, into its sheath again, and watched him as he crossed the room an dpicked up his chest armor. Normally he slept in it, but inside El Dara's walls, he'd felt safe enough.
Obviously this had been a mistake, as he hardly felt well-rested. Not to mention he'd woken up in a semi-panic.
"Well, I don't hear Cybele's guardians running around, so I don't think it's an attack. What time is it?"
"A little after sunrise."
"Ah. Maybe the bells chime every day at this time?"
Pumyra shrugged.
Still. Time to investigate.
They'd opted to stay close together for security purposes, which Cybele hadn't minded at all. All of the rooms were empty, so she'd simply instructed them to take whichever (and however many) rooms they saw fit. Lion-O couldn't quite shake the eerie feeling creeping through him though - the entirety of El Dara was a literal ghost town. . . except for the resident Summoner and her guardians. She had returned sometime in the evening, Liontári in tow, stating that she'd run out on dinner due to evening prayers. After showing them to a bank of rooms, Lion-O had request that they stay close to Cheetara and Tygra.
Exiting the room, the twins mysteriously absent (likely they'd crept away in the middle of the night, as they were prone to do), Lion-O stepped two doors down and peeked his head in. Cheetara was still asleep, and Tygra, ever the watchful soldier, was sitting next to her bed. He lifted up his head and locked eyes with Lion-O.
"What do the bells mean?" His brother asked, his voice pitched low despite Cheetara very much unconscious beside him.
"I don't know. I'm going to go find out. Is she okay?"
"Yeah. I think so. She's just. . . asleep. She's been dreaming - mumbling in her sleep. Cybele came last night and told me she thinks the forest is trying to communicate with her. . . or something. She hasn't mumbled in the past few hours, though."
Lion-O nodded. "I understand. I'm going to check out the bells - if you hear Omens crackling, means I ran into trouble."
Tygra nodded, and Lion-O dismissed himself. Pumyra rejoined him as he walked back into the main dining hall, where he figured he had a good chance of running into Cybele. Especially if she was about to make breakfast. His suspicions were confirmed as he heard a tinkling, musical giggle greet him.
Bingo. He'd hit the jackpot. Both Wily twins were in food-induced comas, the pair surrounded by stacks of empty dishes and crusts of bread.
Liontári was draping a blanket over the unconscious kittens, and Cybele was laughing quietly, trying to tidy up the mess as best as she was able without disturbing the kittens. Upon their entry, Liontári swiveled his head to regard them curiously through the mask he wore. How the dog-creature saw through the opaque surface, Lion-O would never know - it had no slits for eyes. All four of its tails waved gracefully in the air behind it.
"Ah! Lion-O, Pumyra. Good morning. . . what are you doing up?"
"The bells woke us." Pumyra replied, padding closer to check on the kittens, ". . . is something wrong?"
Cybele looked confused for a moment before she gasped. "Oh! No, I'm so sorry. The bells signify it's time for me to attend morning prayers. They chime every morning at this time."
Oh. Well. He could deal with that.
"I had my suspicions, I just. . . didn't know. We were just making sure."
Cybele smiled. "I understand. You're welcome to attend, if you'd like."
"I'll tell Tygra." Pumyra offered, moving into the hallway before Lion-O could say anything. He turned back to Cybele, age-old curiosity burning in his heart. He was intrigued by the faun's prayer rituals - he really did want to see them. He nodded his head, watching as Liontári produced a cloak out of nowhere and slipped it over Cybele's body.
It was white, and trimmed with ornate, swirling designs that matched those on her tumblers. Oddly enough, from what Lion-O saw, the way the fabric moved, sounded, and shimmered in the light, it didn't appear to be made from cloth or cotton. Judging by the way Cybele kept herself, and what she valued, Lion-O had to guess that perhaps the cloak was made from wood fiber?
Cybele, seeming to catch the way he was staring, smiled and gestured for him to follow her out of the dining hall.
"It's ritual that I walk in front and Liontári follows behind me. You're more than welcome to watch, however."
"I'd love to." Lion-O replied.
No reason to rush - they'd talk about getting the essence today. Lion-O was betting the rest of his Thunderian coin that it was in the pyramid. Cybele flipped the hood of her cloak up, and Liontári took his place just a few paces behind her.
As she walked, she started to sing, though Lion-O couldn't understand the words - they were in her native tongue. Again, odd, but not unpleasant. At times he strained to pay attention to it due to the differences in tone and inflection, but it was still somehow beautiful all the same. El Dara was white and half-ruined, but beautiful around them all the same. Especially with the rising sun touching the valley as it was. Natural waterfalls wove under (and sometimes over) small bridges made of the finest marble Lion-O had ever seen. And those precious gems sparkled from their places in the rock.
On the path ahead, to what looked like an open-aired shrine of sorts, Lion-O spotted Panthro.
"Well. You're not panicking so I assume the bells weren't a warning signal." Panthro spoke up as he fell into step with Lion-O.
The lion nodded. "Apparently, they ring every day at the same time."
"Coming from a soldier. . . relish any day you get to sleep in. Before you know it, you're too blasted old to get a good night's sleep. So what's going on?"
"A prayer ritual."
Panthro grunted. "And what about Cheetara?"
"Still asleep." Lion-O replied. "But Tygra said she's been mumbling, like she's having dreams. I think she'll wake up soon."
"Mumbo-jumbo magic is more trouble than it's worth." Panthro grumbled.
Lion-O huffed a snicker. "At times, I think the same, Panthro."
Cybele and Liontári entered the shrine, embellished and just as ornately done as the rest of El Dara. Liontári knelt on the stairs leading up to the main stage that she stood on. Shrouded in her white and gold cloak, Cybele continued to sing, eyes closed and relaxed, seemingly uncaring for her audience. For a time, Panthro and Lion-O simply stood there, content to just listen and watch.
There were pressing matters at hand, sure, but just like the elephants, Lion-O got the notion that he'd get nowhere fast if he interrupted and asked, "So we agreed to talk about the essence now, yeah?"
Light footsteps alerted him to another visitor: Pumyra. The combat medic peered around at the sight, interest sparkling in her for her to take a spot beside him, he was glad to see she accepted. The trio stood there, listening to the intricacies of Cybele's song. . . and Lion-O breathed out slowly, working up the nerve he needed for his next move.
Just do it.
Just. . . Just do it.
So he did.
His heart skipping a beat, he reached a hand out and tentatively prodded Pumyra's with uncertain fingers. It was clear what his intentions were, and for a few, earth-shattering moments, Pumyra didn't move, standing still as a statue. But then. . .
Oh sweet merciful Thundera.
Pumyra twined her fingers through with his. And Lion-O had to stop grinning like a blasted fool. Almost as though the gods were watching - and helping him score some extra forgiveness points - the tumblers on Cybele's arms began to rotate, and swatches of lights arced into the air, swirling with a myriad of colors. And rapidly, it began to expand, highlighting the glyphs and runes cut into the rock. The precious gems around them began glimmer. Even the War and Spirit stones hummed in his gauntlet, vibrating and throwing off arcs of light.
not all the sunrises or sunsets are as beautiful as this. Colors, adventure. . . and the Cat I love at my side.
He squeezed her hand.
She squeezed back.
As with all beautiful things, slowly but surely, the light began to fade. Iota by iota, the beauty died down. Was this what Cybele did every day? The last few tinges of light began to fade away, and the Summoner took a few steadying breaths as she stretched a hand forward.
Liontári had been still as a statue up until that point. But he reached forward and took Cybele's hand in his own. Reverently and carefully, he pressed the surface of the stone mask to her tumblers, as if he were kissing her. The resulting green flash of light was almost blinding in its intensity. How long had they known one another? Liontári seemed very protective and caring of the faun. Almost as though he considered her his charge.
. . . which wasn't too far from what their relationship appeared to be. But Lion-O had a feeling that they both were very dear friends.
Cybele offered a tittering laugh as she pulled her hand away from Liontári, a wide grin on her face. "You always do that." She accused him. "Act like today is the first day we met."
Liontári craned his neck back up, looking at her. . . but no words came from his mouth. But there was certainly a playful wag in one of his tails.
Assisting the faun in stepping down, Cybele walked away from the shrine, her hoofs striking the ground with a melodious tak tak noise.
"That was beautiful." Pumyra said, glancing around the pavilion again. "What were the lights?"
"The spirits that live here." She answered. "The jewels in this place act as an amplifier of sorts. When the faun and the creatures faded from this world, they offered to have their souls preserved in the gems."
Lion-O's mouth dropped. "What?" He glanced down at his feet, and immediately felt a surge of guilt upon discovering he was standing on a cluster of rubies.
Cybele smiled. "Not all of them, but some. The others are plain gemstones that act as amplifiers. Souls are a very powerful thing, Lion-O. Filled to the brim with limitless potential. It's what makes me so strong. All of these souls, united under one banner."
She paused. "But none of them are as strong as the Stones of Power. Mine only have the strength to manifest a physical body in this world to come to my aid. Compared to what yours can do, it's nothing but a paltry parlor-"
"Everyone."
Lion-O turned his head.
"Oh! Cheetara, is it? A pleasure to meet you. My name is. . ." The faun's voice died in her throat at the look on Cheetara's face.
The cleric appeared far from pleased. She didn't look angry with Cybele, but. . . whenever Cheetara was serious, it meant something big was about to go down. She was flanked by Tygra, who looked equally as grim.
"We haven't got much time. I have. . . I have a vision I must share with all of you."
"What have my ancestors showed you?" Cybele asked, brushing aside the cleric's brusque entrance with ease.
"Mumm-Ra." She replied grimly. "His generals are quickly closing in. They will be here very soon."
"What?" Cybele demanded, her fragile voice reeling in shock. "That's. . . that's not possible! I would have felt such an intrusion! This place has been guarded for centuries-"
"By the magic of your people and this forest, right?" Tygra interrupted, "The spells that were cast over this place to safeguard it from animals?"
"Yes! You don't have to worry." Cybele tried to assure them. "Truly. We have stood against Myst, and even Ratilla. There is no animal capable of piercing these spells. It would take Mumm-Ra years to find a way."
Cheetara's eyes flickered in anger and impatience. Lion-O didn't exactly know how much was directed at the faun.
"Your ancestors never foresaw a human."
At that, Cybele paused. "A. . . human? What is a human?" She asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
Lion-O wanted to groan.
Erica.
The largest thorn in his paw. The spells that were meant to work so well against animals faltered in the face of a single human. But that couldn't be it. . . not exactly. Erica and Mumm-Ra's generals had been silent for far too long. While he'd been with Pumyra for her recovery, what had Mumm-Ra and Erica been up to?
Something about this bothered him, but he couldn't quite place why or how. . . but that didn't matter now. He was reluctant to drop Pumyra's hand, but he did, and he turned to face Cheetara fully.
"What did you see?" He asked.
Tygra cracked a wry smile. "This is the good part." He muttered, tone dripping with acid.
Cheetara ignored him.
"Voices. Hundreds of voices and images and memories of times long past. . . and the future. Or what may be the future. I didn't understand what I saw - it was abstract. But there was one thing that was clear. I was in the dark, drifting in the void, when a light pierced through the veil, shattering it. It was sharp and hot, and so very powerful."
The cleric paused, her gaze flicking down. And then back up. "It killed me."
Tygra tensed. Lion-O felt his muscles clench. Even Panthro's eyes widened.
"What are you talkin' about, Cheetara?" The general asked. "Are you sayin' if you go after this essence, you're gonna die?"
"I don't know." She admitted. "Nothing was clear, it was a confusing sprawl of whispers and languages I didn't know. But the same thing kept happening. I was trapped in the dark. The light pierced through it, speared me. If I die, it doesn't matter. It's the duty of the Guardians of the Crown to give their lives in service to the king."
There was a moment of silence as Lion-O struggled to figure out what to say, on how to comfort his friend. To deny that she was going to die. But Panthro was the first to break the quiet and step forward, commanding Cheetara's full attention.
"I'm goin' to say this once, cleric, remember it well. We Cats forge our own fate. Destiny is not set in stone. I hardly doubt Mumm-Ra's famed soothsayers saw the animals rising against him and taking us to this rock. We've gotten this far because we make out future. If you die, let it be at your own choosing."
It was quiet again. Cheetara was still for only a moment, open shock showing on her face. It was memorable to Lion-O primarily because Cheetara always closed her emotions behind a wall of stone. And she looked shocked. Shocked and touched and confused and vulnerable all in the same heartbeat.
"I won't let that happen." Tygra affirmed. "It won't come to that."
"Nobody dies." Lion-O said, finally finding his voice. "I won't lose another one of my people to this war."
Liontári jerked his head back, rising behind Cybele, a menacing shadow with an equally feral, hostile growl. Cybele looked up at him, confused, until the air shook with a loud boom, sending everybody off balance. Lion-O staggered, his ears ringing, but a quick shake of the head stopped that. Cybele had stumbled back into Liontári, who had caught her. A quick glance at the rest of the Cats gatehred showed that they were unharmed. Cybele clutched at her chest, pain drawing her features tight.
"Are you alright?" Pumyra asked, probing hands reaching for her.
"What was that?" Tygra demanded, looking at the sky.
Cybele breathed heavily, clutching at her heart, her eyes wrenched shut tight, but she nodded.
"You were right," She said, shaking her head, "The human you spoke of just entered the outskirts of my city, broke through the shield, with more animals. . . it won't be long now. I'm fine."
The faun straightened, nodding to herself. "Come on. We haven't much time, and I must take you to the temple."
Shaking off Pumyra's probing hands, the faun got to her feet, still wearing her ritual cloak, and started running. Liontári surged forward, dropping to all fours and sprinting back through the dining hall before disappearing from sight. Cybele was quick, Lion-O had to give her credit for that. He never would have assumed that from her delicate features. She remained at the front of the pack, guiding them through the dining hall, where a confused Kit and Kat were standing, looking around anxiously.
"Come with us, kittens!" Cybele urged. The Wily twins didn't need to be told twice.
Cybele led them through the dining hall and back through a series of passageways Lion-O never remembered coming through.
Does El Dara react to her the same manner that the forest-
A wave of heat and debris washed over him, and Lion-O felt his body impact against the wall as a huge amount of air pressure collided with him. He wheezed, the air driven from his lungs in a loud woosh, and he cracked his eyes open to find half of the wall next to him had imploded, green smoke curling from the edges of charred rock, Grune standing in the wreckage, his hammer charging and aimed right at him-
Until Liontári ran past, giant jaws clamping down on the general as he was forcibly carried away by the beast. Liontári had transformed, abandoning his more visitor-friendly size and adopting his much large form. Several more of the dog-creatures followed, their fur runes glowing so brightly it almost hurt to look at. Lion-O straightened, looking further down the hallway, and spotted Cybele, her hand raised, her tumblers flaring a brilliant green.
Pumyra grabbed at his arm, forcing him back to his feet, and Lion-O sucked in a few deep lungfuls of air. After a second, he was good to go.
"Come on!" Cybele shouted, her voice ringing with urgency, "We don't have time! Come on!"
"Run and breathe, kid!" Panthro shouted, shoving him from behind.
It took him a moment to remember how his feet worked, but Lion-O eventually found his footing and did as Panthro instructed. It was hard, but with Pumyra acting as a semi-crutch of sorts, he made it work. The sounds of explosions and the flash of an acidic green laser let Lion-O know that Grune was still kicking. After a few more twists and turns, Cybele brought them to the main entrance of the pyramid. The exit from the buildings was abrupt and sudden, the light stinging his eyes.
Lion-O moved to draw Omens, but Cybele shook her head.
"No."
"Cybele-"
"As a Summoner, it's my duty to protect my home. They want the essence. Go get it!"
"It's not a fair fight. I'll stay." Tygra offered.
Cybele offered a tight, but dangerous smile. "Do not underestimate me, ThunderCats. I am much more powerful than you think."
"This is foolish-" Cheetara tried to interrupt, but Lion-O held up his hand.
"She can do it. We don't like it - I don't like it. But there's no time to argue. Cybele, what's guarding the essence?" His voice was raspy, but he'd gotten his breath back.
Her lips thinned, and she shook her head. The explosions and gunfire and the roars of great beasts began to draw closer. "I've never been allowed into the pyramid. You're on your own. Whatever you seek lies in the center."
"Kitty Cats! Kitty Cats, come out and playyyy!" Kaynar's voice rang out, dreadfully close. Lion-O snarled at him, spotting Addicus and Slithe at the bottom of the steps. Cybele turned around, facing the three generals.
"Go, ThunderCats." She dismissed, her voice sounding. . . stronger? Lion-O watched as the faun spread her arms, her sleeves falling up, her tumblers spinning wildly, green arcs of light sparking from the symbols.
"You have a duty to fulfill. As do I."
"We'll stay!" Kit offered. "We'll fight!"
"yeah, she won't be alone!"
The stairs glimmered, the jewels and stones lighting. "Then let us fight."
Ghostly shapes and visages of creatures Lion-O had no name for rose up like specters, quickly gaining form and becoming solid. Legends that had long since been forgotten and others that had simply never been known. Lion-O didn't like leaving the kittens, but Cybele was quickly summoning her own personal army. An army that was swelling in numbers, each soldier quickly becoming corporeal. They had numbers on their side.
"Let's go." Lion-O urged, putting as much confidence and assurance in his voice as he could manage. He couldn't underestimate the twins. And he didn't know what creature he would face in the pyramid. The other Cats seemingly ran into the same train of thoughts, as they turned away from the kittens. Lion-O was the last to leave them.
"Fight well. Stay safe."
And then he was gone. As a group, they began to advance in the temple, but he couldn't resist looking behind him one last time. Kit and Kat were standing at the ready, cat-like creatures flanking them. And Cybele kept summoning more and more. And they attacked, teeth and claws and balls of energy descending upon the generals in one orchestrated strike. Mumm-Ra's forces quickly went on the defensive, overwhelmed at the onslaught.
A flash of silver made him look to the right.
Erica was there, swords gleaming.
Wisely, as they entered the pyramid's shadowed maw, Lion-O tamped down his concern and turned his eyes forward.
It shouldn't have surprised Lion-O that the pyramid wasn't exactly straightforward. It wasn't exactly complicated, per se, but it wasn't exactly a winding maze with tons of rooms, either. Despite its size, it looked as though most of its pathways led to a large, central area, albeit the passageways meandered their way to the middle.
The pyyramid was stunning on the inside, threaded through with veins of marble, gold and precious gems. Runes and symbols had been etched into the wall, most of them depicting the fauns and their beasts, from what Lion-O could readily see. There was no time to consult Omens and ask where the essence might be, but he had a fairly good idea. Not to mention even Cybele had told him where the essence was: smack dab in the middle.
As they reached an antechamber, Lion-O pulled everyone to a halt.
"If we stay together, we'll never find the center in time. We have to split up."
"After what Cheetara said-" Tygra bristled, his eyes turning into angry slits.
"Mumm-Ra's generals are right here, Tygra. We can't afford to lose this essence."
Cheetara laid a hand on Tygra's chestplate, and looked at him. "I agree - it's necessity. I do not, however, believe that we should travel alone."
"We'll go in pairs." Panthro said. "I don't like the feeling this place gives me. Safer in numbers."
Lion-O nodded. "We have to cover as much ground as we can. We don't have much time. Pumyra will stay with me. Panthro, go with Cheetara and Tygra. If you see something, don't hesitate to engage. I don't care who gets the essence, just so long as we get it. If Mumm-Ra gets it, we lose everything."
"Let's go!" Tygra ordered, taking command of his group - Panthro being the only addition. They headed down a series of passageways that slanted left.
Pumyra and He took the opposite way. As he ran, he felt a sense of purpose and motivation flooding through his body, along with no small amount of dread and concern. They'd already lost two essences. They really couldn't afford to have Mumm-Ra lay his grubby, withered hands on this one either.
He had two stones. Mumm-Ra had one. Mumm-Ra had two essences.
It was an absolute necessity he get the third. They'd been lucky so far, but if Mumm-Ra found the fourth stone, there would be no stopping him. He'd seen firsthand what the decrepit creature could do with just a stone and no heart to back it. And through Leo, he'd experienced a fraction of Mumm-Ra's power when he wielded all of the stones.
But. . . Why hadn't. . .
"Pumyra," He said, his thoughts spiraling in every direction, "I don't understand. Why hasn't Mumm-Ra sent one of the generals with a stone and an essence?"
"What?" She asked beside him. "I don't understand."
"He only has one stone, but two essences. The balance is tipped in his favor. Why hasn't he used it yet?"
"I don't know," She answered, sounding just as confused as he felt, "Perhaps the essences are only matched to a certain stone?"
"That. . . that makes sense." Lion-O breathed, glancing around. He continued down through the tunnels, entirely trusting his gut on where to go. His lungs felt as though they were bruised and aching, but he did his best to run despite the pain. He didn't have a choice.
"Why do you ask?"
"I didn't understand why he hadn't ended this yet. Why he hasn't given the Tech Stone to one of his generals, or even come chase after us himself. It wasn't adding up."
"Oh." She said.
It was quiet again. Lion-O pinned her with a look.
"I can't afford to lose this next essence. There's only one stone left. I can't let Mumm-Ra have it." He sounded sincere. He felt sincere. But he had to make sure Pumyra understood. He was there for his people. He knew what was at stake.
Silence fell between them both, interrupted only by the sounds of their footsteps, armor, and their own breathing. Lion-O let his motivation and purpose fuel him, chasing away his morbid thoughts. He trusted Cybele, but even then there were parts of him that doubted she could win. How could a Summon win where he had failed?
And the Wily twins. . . if anything happened to them. . .
The temple was surprisingly clear of pitfalls and traps. But with that security, there came a growing sense of dread. Something was going to happen. He wasn't sure what, but he could feel it in his bones. As soon as he'd finished that thought in his mind, Lion-O felt the pressure in the air change, and he hissed as he grabbed Pumyra's wrist and bodily shoved her against the closest wall.
He just barely managed to pin her there with his own body before a strong explosion ripped through the room. Rocks pelted him, stinging where they impacted, and his ears were ringing, but he was fine. He heard an insane, high-pitched giggle over the settling din, and he whirled around, Omens rasping with deadly intent as it extended to its full length.
The dust settled, and he heard the sound of scuffling feet, of bodies striking one another. . . and then it settled. A single pair of footsteps approached, slowly and methodically. Lion-O's hands gripped Omens tighter, the leather creaking under his hands as he waited to see who was approaching. It was too light to be Erica or Addicus. That left. . .
"Heeerreee, kitty kitty!" Kaynar snickered, his form misshapen and odd through the settling dust and strong light that silhouetted him from the outside.
But there was something wrong about the way his body was formed. Since when had Kaynar been so bulgy and proportioned so strangely?
As the dust began to settle, and Kaynar stepped through it, he got his answer.
Cybele's minty green hair was wrapped up tight in the general's claws, most of her hood caught up with it too. He was using it to drag the beaten faun by his side. For a brief heartbeat, Lion-O feared that she was dead, but the idea subsided a second later. He could see her chest rising and falling, and her head would have lolled otherwise. Her eyes were closed, but she simply looked to be unconscious. A knife of ice slid into his heart.
What happened to the Wily twins?
Her pristine white robes were matted by blood, and stained through with dirt. Kaynar stopped, the rough movement shaking Cybele. The faun's wide eyes blinked open, slowly, and they tracked over the environment until they found Lion-O and Pumyra.
"L-Lion-ah!" Cybele cried out in pain as Kaynar released her hood and aimed a sharp punch to the back of her skull.
"Shut up, goatgirl! Shut up shut up shut up! Nobody said you could bleat! When you do, you hurt! Only hurt!"
Lion-O grit his teeth, glancing at Pumyra, rage boiling in his veins. Pumyra looked at him and nodded, understanding his plan in an instant. Kaynar was too close to Cybele - they needed to be separated somehow. As Lion-O took off at a dead sprint, Omens vibrating in his hands, Pumyra fired off a rapid stream of serrated stones. Kaynar could either move, or he could be impaled.
Insane as he was, Kaynar was no masochist. He jumped to the side, and that was where Lion-O had his way with him. Kaynar was normally flanked by troops, but as of right now he was alone. And that gave Lion-O the advantage. As Pumyra darted in, swooping Cybele into her arms and escorting the injured faun out of the thick of battle, Lion-O unleashed a decent amount of pent-up aggression on the jackalman.
Kaynar giggled as Lion-O punched him, absorbing the blow with ease, and the lion cursed as he felt his bones grind under his fur. How was it that Kaynar could stand such pain? Certainly not a masochist, but he didn't process pain correctly, that was certain. Still, Lion-O pressed on, ignoring Kaynar when the jackal managed to get a lucky swipe over his armor. It only cut a shallow graze into his bicep as it passed through, but it made a loud, noisy screech as the tip raked over his breastplate.
Lion-O growled, and with a savage kick, he sent Kaynar into the closest wall. The jackalman's head snapped against the rocks with a loud crack.
"That all you got, kitty cat? I've had better fights in my dreams!"
"No." Lion-O snarled. "I'm just getting started."
Kaynar was disoriented from the blow. He didn't see Lion-O coming until it was too late. Lion-O used the jackal as a punching bag, pressing a full assault. A slice there, a kick here, another punch - and a wicked roundhouse. The jackal groaned as he went down in a heap, but Lion-O wasn't too concerned. He was down for the count.
"Lion-O!"
"Cybele!" He responded, turning and finding the faun still wounded, but on her feet. "Are you alright?"
"I've seen better days. But we need to move before there's more reinforcements. This way, quickly!"
"Why go, Lord of the ThunderCats? Stay. Test your mettle."
"Whispers." Lion-O cursed, turning around.
He raised Omens defensively, growling a threat as Grune reached down and plucked Kaynar up, roughly shoving the general back onto his feet. The jackalman shook his head, very clearly disoriented, but he was recovering. Grune's golden armor was marred by dirt and debris, and sporting several new, deep scratches. Steam rose from his hammer, and Lion-O glanced down at it. The size of the hole next to them would lend some major credence to that theory.
Either way. He knew what that hammer could do. He wasn't planning on running headfirst into its beam any time soon.
"No need to leave kitty cats," Kaynar slurred, his eyes unfocused, "Stay and play, stay and play!"
Pumyra snarled at Grune. "Traitor!" She hissed.
Grune laughed, a dark, sinuous sound that rumbled from his chest like oil. "Traitor? I merely seek to give my people the king they deserve. That sword is mine."
To his right, Cybele looked at him. "You should run. I can make a distraction-"
"No." Lion-O interrupted, his eyes never leaving Grune and Kaynar. "We fight. If we fall. . . we fall together."
"Just like your father," Grune taunted, eyes glimmering with hatred, "Too thick and dense to know when he's outmatched. Very well. Come. Let us fight."
Cybele snarled, and without waiting, spun her tumblers. From the cloud of green smoke, a serpent appeared, three sets of jaws and teeth peeling back from his muzzle to roar power at the generals.
"ThunderCats, Ho!"
Lion-O sprinted forward, meeting Grune's challenge. Pumyra was by his side, they waged an onslaught that would have made Thundera proud. Grune was a crafty opponent, however, and for every strike that Lion-O landed, he received a block in return. There was no use to exchange words - neither opponent had the breath to do so. Lion-O was throwing everything he had into the fight, slashing and striking and blocking, Pumyra's feet and hands landing blows and distracting Grune where she could. But Grune and his legend were not simply for talks - it was terrifying, Lion-O noted in the back of his mind, just how accurately the general could guess his movements.
Sometimes before Lion-O even knew what he was going to do himself.
Still. They were making ground. They were starting to push the general back, inch by precious inch -
The serpent Kaynar was engaging blew up, the jackalman having gutted the ferocious snake. The concussion from the blast was so strong it sent everyone reeling. Lion-O sprawled out rather ungracefully on his knees, but he recovered. Cybele cried out in a mixture of rage and pain, and with sheer fury on her face, she swept up a jagged rock and made a deep slice into both of her palms. Kaynar giggled.
"If you're that sad, I can put you out of your misery goatgirl-"
Cybele began to chant, smearing her blood on her tumblers. Kaynar looked at her in alarm.
"Oh no, no no no no, goatgirl! No! When you speak, you hurt!"
Cybele only chanted faster.
The air shifted over Lion-O's head, and wisely the lion dived to the side, just seconds before Grune's hammer struck the ground. He sprang up, deflecting a blow with Omens, but Grune knocked his defense wide and planted a solid punch right into his abdomen. Lion-O choked, suddenly fighting vomit, his breath driven from him a second time. Grune's knuckles were so firmly planted in his gut, Lion-O swore he could feel them touching his spine.
The general sensed victory.
Lion-O tasted blood in his mouth.
Madness, possession, and something utterly dark glittered in the general's eyes as he wound back his arm, Lion-O body moving with him, intending to punch Lion-O into the wall. The lion was fairly certain that if he let that happen, he could count on his spine snapping under the force. Too bad the general was so obsessed with winning, he hadn't noticed that Lion-O had dropped Omens.
A flick of the wrist, a wheezing rasp of breath, and Lion-O prepped to drive it through the general's neck. The defeat of your enemy is worth any sacrifice. What's a few organs and maybe a rib or two?
Cybele's scream, laced with power and rage, reverberated through the tunnel. Even Grune, victory literally in his grasp, stopped to look.
Green smoke settled around her, and the faun slouched forward, breathing heavily, sweat dripping off her forehead. But there was no creature.
"All that show, for what, goatgirl? For what?!"
Cybele turned her head up to Kaynar, spitting out a word, a name. The jackalman laughed, insane and giddy, bounding up with his spear.
A deep, throaty growl filled the air, organic and loud and terrifying.
Behind Cybele, the air rippled, and the creature, whatever she had summoned, began to appear from thin air - like it could turn itself invisible at will.
Kaynar let out a startled scream when the creature briefly flashed into reality. Lion-O's skin crawled as he realized he was staring down a legend the likes of Sycorax, albeit this one had six, muscular legs, and was just about as tall as the passageway they were in. And tails. And heads. And by Thundera, so many teeth. The creature howled, making Lion-O's ears ring, and bounded forward, dislodging Grune's fist from his stomach.
Lion-O fell onto the floor as the creature passed overhead, screeching as it chased a very scarce general down the passageway.
He scrambled up to his feet when Cybele collapsed onto her knees, shaking. Pumyra beat him to her, hands instantly working over her. Cybele shook her head, warding her off.
"You have to go. It was the human - I don't know what she did. Light. So much light. The Twins are safe, I made sure of it. Don't worry. I can protect myself. Please. Go."
"We can't leave you." Lion-O said. "We can take you-"
Cybele shook her head again. "I can't go any further into the temple. A darkness is here, sapping away at my strength - please, Lion-O. Please."
More rubble began to clatter and move, and Lion-O jumped up, ignoring the burning in his abdomen, but he was greeted by the imposing form of a transformed Liontári. The dog-creature made short work of climbing into hole, and brushing Pumyra aside, large muzzle touching the faun. Cybele began to relax, her wounds knitting up before their eyes.
"Lion-O," She continued, her voice sounding hazy and faraway, her eyes sliding shut, "I'm going to keep them at bay. Go. Liontári will keep me safe."
Pumyra jumped back, startled, as did Lion-O. Roots were creeping out of the ground, encasing the faun in a protective shroud. Liontári swiveled his massive head to the pair, and then looked further on down the passageway.
As much as Lion-O hated it. . . he nodded. He grit his teeth and started running.
Pumyra was only a step behind him.
Was Cybele dead?
Lion-O didn't know.
Were the Twins safe?
Lion-O didn't know.
How was everyone else?
He didn't know.
And it was eating him alive from the inside. In all of their journeys, sure, they may have split up, but they always rejoined. There were so many factors at play this day, in this battle. He had to be reckless. He wasn't being cold or cruel. He had to get the last essence. The very fate of the entire galaxy was hanging in the balance, and he was starting to feel the titanic weight of it settling on his shoulders. Pumyra had administered what emergency aid she could, but then had simply helped him in keeping a brisk pace.
Internal bleeding. Broken rib. Cheetara would be able to heal up the rest of it.
After just a few more minutes of running, he felt something soft and featherlight brushing against the bottom of his foot. And then again.
And then the slope pitched downward. They'd arrived. It was dark in the center of the pyramid, impossibly so, but he could see movement in the shadows.
"What is it?" Pumyra asked. "What's down there?"
"I don't know."
A red torch glowed at the bottom of it, swaying side to side, though Lion-O couldn't see what it was attached to. He understood something very important, however: every part of him was screaming danger, and all of the hair on his fur was standing on edge. Something dark and evil was there. He heard tik tik tik in the dark, but he couldn't see.
A pained cry made his head snap up, and two levels above and slightly to the left of the pair a door slammed open, a body falling through. Tygra's lasers peppered the air, and in the blink of an eye Cheetara was surging forward, her staff spinning and smacking, batting her opponent around like a rag doll. A very familiar sword illuminated the harsh darkness as a laser edge sizzled to life, deflecting Cheetara's blows, the sword primed to rake over her stomach-
But Panthro shoved her aside, taking the blow to his arm, and he punched.
Lion-O had been on the receiving ends of those punches before. Panthro didn't hold anything back, even when they sparred. They hurt. And with his new mechanical upgrades, he packed three times as much force.
Erica went flying off the ledge she was on, falling through the dark, and she landed just a spare few inches away from the glowing red torch at the bottom. She groaned, pained and stiff as she forced herself to sit up. And froze.
"Oh, jesus fu-"
A shrill scream pierced the air, so sharp and rough it felt as though somebody was poking needles into his ears. Lion-O staggered, covering his ears with his hands and praying that it would stop. Crystals set into the walls came to life, responding to the command laced in that primal roar. The main antechamber he was staring at was covered in. . . in. . . white? Glistening white. And what Erica had landed on top of was not a torch.
The human ducked and rolled as a leg, ending with a point as sharp as a spear, rose up and tried to impale her. She deflected with the sword, the lasers sparking in the air. She was bested, however, and sent reeling as she was hit, where she smacked against the wall and crumpled to the floor in a heap.
Spidera.
The red torch had not been a torch.
It was an eye.
Eight more opened in short order, swiveling in different directions and scanning them all. Only one looked gray and dulled - the one that Grune had punctured with his fang. Spidera was even larger than the legends suggested. Each one of her massive legs was as thick as Panthro, and she probably stood a solid twenty feet off the ground. Probably more. She was massive. And the aura she exuded was the farthest one could get from light. She displaced the air with a sense of malice and evil.
She took up a good portion of the main antechamber, and every surface he saw was covered by the glittering white webs. The only specks of color mixed into the ancient temple were the crystals, glowing a serene white, and black rocks littering the ground. . . Wait, those weren't rocks-
"Lion-O!" Pumyra barked. Lion-O spun around, stiffening when he saw baby spiders. Roughly twenty or so - far too many for them to engage.
"Whiskers! Pumyra, into the main pit!"
Without waiting for her, Lion-O grabbed Pumyra and jumped. It was instinct more than anything - Lion-O could not see any baby spiders inside of the main pit. . . except for the dead ones. He'd thought they were rocks, but they were her dead children. As he landed at the bottom, he took a quick second to examine the closest one. It had been thoroughly chewed, was missing three of its legs, and what little organic matter remained inside of it was a slimy puddle of molten goo.
"She eats her children. They won't come here."
"Are you certain?"
A quick glance up at the doorway they'd jumped from. The spiders refused to enter from it.
"Positive."
"Brother, heads up!"
Lion-O snapped his attention forward, where Spidera had spotted he and Pumyra. Both cats jumped up to their feet, circling around the giant spider, who was far faster than Lion-O had originally given her credit for. Panthro, Tygra, and Cheetara were quick to join the fray, and as a group, began to assault the legendary beast. Lion-O dashed and ran at her, hacking and slashing at whatever he could touch, but not so much as a gouge in the chitin that covered the spider.
Tygra's blasters were just bouncing off of her (and electricity did nothing to her, either), and no roots would come to Cheetara's aid, the thick cobwebs drowning everything in a sickly miasma. Panthro couldn't so much as lift one of her massive legs off of the ground. And Omens. . . it was just bouncing off of Spidera's natural armor.
"Nothing's working!" Pumyra shouted, struggling to be heard over a frustrated squeal Spidera emitted as she tried to strike one of them again.
"Keep trying!" Tygra grunted, ducking and rolling away from a leg, "Something has to work!"
"We've got to kill her - all Grune did was manage to blind her!"
Spidera screamed, and reared back for just a second before she rocked forward, her mouth opening and spewing forth a stream of white mucus. All of the Cats were far too close to avoid the sticky webbing, and Lion-O grunted as the disgusting threads pinned him down against the wall and floor. Lion-O grit his teeth as Spidera, proclaiming the fight finished, began to wander over to her closest victim: Panthro.
"Blast!" The general snarled, "I'm not gonna be spiderfood. Go chew on somebody else!"
"Reassuring, Pantho," Tygra snarked, struggling to try and free himself, "You want somebody else to trade places with you?"
"If you're offering!" Panthro snapped, straining against the webbing.
"Lion-O!" Cheetara cried out, "I understand! The light! The light that pierced the dark!"
"Omens!" He jerked his eyes down to the sword and the War stone. In his palm, he could feel the sword vibrating. It was so close to a creature of evil that it was practically chomping a the bit to be used.
It was a tad difficult to maneuver the sword into the correct position, but he eventually managed. He wasn't able to swing it like he normally did, but he called out to the stone and felt it answer.
"ThunderCats, ho!"
Omens blasted Spidera, and the blow was so strong that it knocked her over. Eddies of the blast singed the webbing holding Panthro down, and in short order the general freed himself. The energy shot tapered off, and Lion-O took the time to slice through Spidera's trap. In record timing, he and Panthro freed the others. . . and Spidera rose to her feet again.
"I don't understand." Lion-O gasped, his jaw dropping. "How did it not work? What did we do wrong?"
Those red eyes concentrated on them, all standing as a group, and with a speed that could make Cheetara envious, the spider charged them, chittering and screeching and enraged. Lion-O felt several of the legs impact him, knocking him aside and sending him crashing into the wall with enough force to crack it. The injuries he'd sustained from Grune made him curl up into a ball as liquid agony pulsed through his veins.
Have to get up.
His stomach felt like it was on fire.
Have to try harder.
Lion-O wheezed as he tried to stand up, and failed. He crumpled back to the ground, hands clenching around Omens. . . wait.
Where was Omens?
He swayed like a drunkard as he tilted his head back, searching for the sword. Where was it? He needed it. When had he let go of it? He caught sight of a glimmer of silver, and he spotted it roughly thirty or forty feet away from him. And almost as if the gods were looking over his shoulder and granting him a sliver of luck, there was already a person in front of it.
"Pumyra," He rasped. "Pumyra, pick it up."
She stood there.
And she stared. Her eyes flicked down to the sword.
Dread and fear curled through him when he saw Spidera moving behind her, slowly inching into position. She was going to eat her. The Cat he loved. The Cat he fought for! He couldn't let that happen. Not now, not ever. Lion-O shoved himself up to his feet and let out a sharp cry of pain as agony bolted through him, shoving him back down to the floor a second time.
"Pumyra, hurry," He begged, "Pick up Omens!"
But. . . she didn't.
The puma looked at the blade, and ignoring the giant spider at her back, began to speak.
"Lion-O," She said, her voice quiet yet somehow impossibly loud in the antechamber, ". . . how many times have you failed us?"
"W-What?"
"I've lost count. Time and time again. All you do is fail. You rise to fail. Here you are, failing again. The King has dropped the fabled Sword of Omens. Your only weapon to allow you a path to victory. . . and you've dropped it."
Pumyra heaved a heavy sigh, and she finally lifted her gaze.
Lion-O felt the air being driven from his lungs a second time. He felt frozen, rooted to the spot as she looked through him, peeling him apart until she'd exposed the core. And yet, inside of those eyes, Lion-O saw so many things. Some of which he had names for: hate, pain, loathing. . . and others he couldn't describe. But Pumyra stood there all the same, relaxed, ignoring Spidera creeping up behind her.
"I tried to kill you." She admitted, never breaking eye contact.
Lion-O felt like the world was shattering around him. His head began to spin.
"What? Pumyra, what are you-"
"So many times. Whenever I stumbled, the knife was in my hand. Whenever you hugged me, it was a hair's breadth away from your heart. And even this morning. . ." She trailed off, looking away for a moment.
The bells woke me. His mind argued. I heard them. I got up to investigate them.
. . . you woke up thinking there was danger, another part of his mind whispered. You woke up feeling as though you were being attacked.
Lion-O remained on his hands and knees.
He felt his hands beginning to shake.
"But," Pumyra continued, "As King of Fools, you reign has seeped into me. I, too, have failed. I'm tired of bearing this failure on my shoulders."
A dry, bitter laugh floated in the air.
"I knew you didn't have it in you." Erica snickered. "I told him. I warned Markata that you couldn't do it."
Shock wasn't the correct term to describe how he was feeling. Mumm-Ra. . . Erica. . .
"Did they. . . did they do something, Pumyra? It's alright. It's okay-"
Pumyra shook her head.
"Your kindness blinds you."
She reached down, fingers brushing over the metal of Omens - and Lion-O choked when lightning rose up, crackling over the blade and protecting it, insulating itself from Pumyra's hands. Lion-O knelt there, his hands shaking, his mouth going dry, his head spinning. What. . . What was happening? Reality was fracturing. It was splitting apart at the seams.
"I hate you." She murmured, her voice quiet. "Mumm-Ra raised me from the dead the night Thundera fell. I hate you. I hate you so much. . . yet, I can't kill you. And I'm tired of failing. I can't hold my end of the bargain. . . I'm-"
Pumyra made a choked noise as she jerked forward.
Lion-O shook his head, tears flooding his eyes.
Blood sloshed onto the floor from where she'd been impaled, the puma sporting several new holes through her body. Lion-O wanted to scream for Cheetara, call for help, but there was no way. One of the legs had punctured her heart. Lion-O stared at Pumyra as the puma's eyes stared at him for just a second longer. . . and then they unfocused and stared into space.
Lion-O felt a scream crawling up his throat, but something stopped it. It was building inside of him, but the horror of what he was seeing was driving it back. And instead of throwing her body aside, or just eating it, Pumyra. . . just dissipated. She disappeared as though she'd never existed, her body turning transparent before she dissolved into some sort of fluid and sloshed onto the floor.
Was this a dream?
Was it a nightmare?
He wanted to wake up. He needed to wake up. The only time he'd felt such agony was when his father died. His throat felt swollen shut, keeping his scream of despair and horror locked inside of him. It was still building, still growing, and he feared what it would sound like when he unleashed it. Tears streamed down his face, unchecked, as Spidera's legs hit the floor where Pumyra used to be.
She was nothing but water now.
"I tried to kill you."
Just like he couldn't kill Erica.
Something had kept her from murdering him.
"I'm tired of bearing this failure on my shoulders."
This was the same puma that had given him a second chance. Just hours ago, she'd held his hand. Just hours ago, she'd given him forgiveness. Out of the periphery of his vision, he saw Erica shove herself away from the wall. The human sped forward, her right fist clenching, bright lights illuminating the antechamber. She was wearing something on her hand. A glove. A special glove with two globes of bright, brilliant light. What had Cybele said? The human had lights.
Spidera recoiled in pain and agony as Erica wound back and punched one of the spider's legs.
A large hole formed from where the human had managed to puncture through with just a punch alone.
King of Fools.
King of Lies.
I'm tired of failing.
Something broke. Lion-O clearly felt something snap, deep, deep inside of himself. All of the horror, all of the pain - it just stopped. The tears continued falling, and for a moment, he wondered why. He felt nothing. But he knew what he had to do. It was so clear to him now. The light that pierced the blackness had not been Omens.
It had been the essences that were strapped into the glove Erica was wearing.
When he got up, Lion-O could feel the sick sensation of broken bones and organs grating against each other, but the pain was something he switched off. He ran forward, scooping up Omens, catching a brief image of Erica. She looked shocked and surprised, like she hadn't expected him to get to his feet again. He pressed forward, winding Omens back.
When he hit Erica, she didn't dissolve into fluid, like Pumyra had (don't think, don't remember, push it down down down). She bled. She bled red blood. And her bones were white - who knew that? If Erica looked shocked before, he'd been wrong. She was staring down at the arm he'd flayed open with Omens. The glove tumbled off of her destroyed limb, but he didn't stop there.
He knew better than to underestimate her. With another slice, Lion-O tried to separate her into two halves, but Erica jumped back. He'd only managed a deep, brutal gash into her stomach.
Erica didn't scream.
Not even when she stumbled back and fell through a slope leading down, into the darkness of the pyramid. But Lion-O had what he needed.
Voices called out to him, said his name, but Lion-O ignored them. He scooped up the essences, and harvesting them from Erica's glove, shoved them into the two stones on his gauntlet.
Power flooded through him.
He didn't even have to think before armor was racing over his body, capturing it. The same armor Leo had once worn, albeit it had shifted slightly, adopted a slightly different shape to suit him. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it. The stones told him as much. Spinning around, Lion-O deflected one of Spidera's legs.
And the war began anew. Omens was strong - so much stronger now. He slashed, hacked, and gouged. Chitin came flying off in chunks as Lion-O freed the beast of the armor she'd accrued over centuries. The stones whispered to him, told him that's why their weapons had been ineffective. For hundreds - possibly thousands of years - she'd been reinforcing her chitin in unholy ways. They'd needed something of equal caliber.
Spider rocked back as he struck again, and Lion-O saw the opening he was waiting for. She flailed, sharp, pointy legs trying to ward him away, but he knew this opportunity wouldn't come again. He dashed forward, Omens clenched tightly in his armored hands. He felt the impacts as he got close, felt those same legs spear into the armor, crunching through it as though it were nothing but fragile clay.
He felt the spears as they penetrated him, one in his leg and the other off-center to his stomach.
His victory had not come without consequence.
She may have impaled him, but Omens was buried deep, deep down into the black thing she may have called a heart.
Spidera choked, spluttered, and fell over, dragging Lion-O with her as she settled into the dirt. And she sizzled away, crumbling into nothing, a white, scathing light chasing away her miasma as the essence revealed itself.
Lion-O collapsed to his knees, Omens falling from numb fingers, the taste of blood on his lips.
He didn't care.
The armor he was wearing folded back into his gauntlet.
He didn't care.
A tentative hand touched him, and Lion-O blinked, seeing someone in front of him.
"Pumyra?" He whispered, his voice fragile. Broken.
Tygra shook his head. "No, brother. It's just me. I'm here. It's okay. It's alright. Cheetara's healing you up right now."
His brother pulled him in close, wrapping his arms around him, pressing him close to his breastplate. Cheetara's nimble hands began to work magic on his wounds. In Tygra's chest, Lion-O could hear a heartbeat. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
Pumyra's dead, he thought. Her heart isn't beating anymore.
His eyes were still wet.
He hadn't stopped crying.
Whatever had broken inside of him broke a second time, and everything bubbled to the surface.
Lion-O screamed. It hurt. It hurt.
"It's okay, brother. I'm here. I'm here. I won't let go. It's okay. . ." Tygra soothed.
Lion-O clutched at his older brother and he sobbed.
I feel like I should say this anyway.
Remember those grass stains Erica had last chapter?
Some people were busy little bumblebees while Pumyra was laid up on a bed. . . A soldier's only as good as their recon, y'know.
I did read the basic outline for the original plans for Season II and I totally disagreed with the whole, "Tygra gets killed by Spidera which Pumyra forms into." Now, don't get me wrong, I know that a sibling's death (especially so dramatically) can really help build up a character, but it just felt so. . . out of character? Sure, we'll go with that. I honestly felt like it just didn't fit in with the show, really.
So I kind of twisted it into my own version.
. . . I'm actually kind of sad to see Pumyra go. I mean, I know she was a spy, but she had all the right reasons to be such a conniving Cat. As many of you know, I love to explore shades of gray, and Pumyra embodied that just as much as anybody.