Lost Battles
Octapon and the
She-Cats
Part II
Tabbirra was awakening by a scream from down the hall. It was still dark out, yet she felt rested.
"How long have I been asleep," she thought as she rushed down the hall to Cheetara's room.
Tigra, Pumyra, and Lion-O were already there when she arrived, and
Panthro and Snarf were right behind her. Cheetara was lying on the floor next to her bed, which was disheveled as though she had fallen out. She was struggling to maintain her composure as Lion-O helped her to her feet.
"What happened," he asked, sitting her on her bed.
She took a deep breath, "a bad dream, just like that premonition I had two days ago."
"Two days ago," Tabbirra thought, "I've been asleep for two days?!"
Cheetara continued, "It starts out with me, Tabbirra, WillyKit, and Pumyra in ... stone room or hallway. Suddenly, we're attacked from above with black fire. I don't have time to see where it's really coming from because it completely surrounds us like . . . like an orb. I can't see what happens next. The next thing I do see is the four of us lost in the forest of mists; I try to lead us out, but my sixth sense is blocked and all I can see is a strange black light. Then I hear screams and WillyKit and Pumyra disappear."
The other Thundercats looked at each other for some explanation. Finally,
Tabbirra steps forward.
"Not that I don't believe you, Cheetara, because I do, but if we were trapped in the forest of mists, couldn't I simply disperse the mists, and the same with the fire?"
She shook her head fiercely, "it . . . it wasn't real fire or fog, it was ...oh, I don't know."
"It's alright, Cheetara," Lion-O said, yawning, "we'll try and figure it out tomorrow."
Snarf seated himself in the chair at the far end of Cheetara's room, "I'll stay in here for the rest of the night, snarf snarf just in case."
Everyone went back to bed, except for Tabbirra. She didn't see any point, since the sun was already peeking over the horizon.
"Could there be any truth to that vision she keeps having," she wondered as she unrolled the second scroll, "it just doesn't seem to make sense. WillyKit is at the Tower of Omens for a few more days and I doubt that the four of us could ever really get trapped. I'll just have to keep my eyes open for the next few weeks, I guess."
She stared at the scroll; she was too anxious to read. She put on her belt and fastened her chacraam to it. Dragon wouldn't like to be wakened so early, so she left her room alone and walked down the metal hall to the control room. She'd call the Tower to talk to whomever had the night watch.
"Aren't we up early," Lynx-O said when she greeted him.
"Not much of a choice," she sighed, "I think we've got big trouble coming."
"Bigger than two days ago," Lynx-O laughed.
"Much bigger. Cheetara keeps having this vision where she, Pumyra,
WillyKit, and I are all trapped and lost."
Lynx-O's smile disappeared, "I'm on my way over."
He disconnected before she had a chance to change his mind. She didn't think it was that big a deal, but then again, she was new to that clan. Pumyra entered the room.
"Couldn't sleep either," she laughed.
Tabbirra shook her head, "what's the big deal about Cheetara's dream? I don't understand why everyone is so hyper about it. Even Lynx-O."
Pumyra sat at one of the observation screens, "no one told you about
Cheetara's sixth sense?"
Tabbirra shrugged, "Cheetara mentioned it."
"Cheetara is psychic, in a way. She can see things that are going to happen and knows there's trouble even when the Sword of Omens doesn't.
Sometimes her visions are really helpful; but sometimes they don't make any sense until it's too late."
Tabbirra fingered her chacraam, "you mean there could be some truth to it? That the four of us could walk unknowingly into a trap?"
Pumyra nodded. For a while, there was silence.
"Thunder-strike to Lair," buzzed the radio.
"Lair here," Pumyra said.
"Permission to land."
"Permission granted. Raising right cat's paw."
Within moments, Lynx-O was in the control room, "where is Cheetara?"
"She's asleep," Tabbirra said, unsure.
"No, I'm not," Cheetara said softly from the hall, "I'm glad you're here, Lynx-O. Maybe you can help me make some sense of all this."
Lynx-O went with Cheetara into the conference room and then door slid tightly shut behind them. The others were beginning to waken now. Snarf was the first, heading for the kitchen; Tabbirra followed him.
"What's for breakfast this morning, Snarf," she said calmly.
"Razor-boar bacon, toast with candy fruit jam, and snarf snarf fon-berry pancakes."
Tabbirra laughed at his enthusiasm, "I've never known anyone to be so happy about making breakfast."
Soon, everyone was gathered at the table, eating in silence, not knowing what to talk about. Finally, Lynx-O spoke.
"I think we've determined the meaning of Cheetara's vision," he said between bites.
Lion-O put his fork down, "Tell us."
"It would seem that there is a new enemy on Third Earth. The problem is, we don't know what it is. We do know that it can control fog and mist, which even Mumm-ra can't do effectively, and that it can control black fire, which we've never known Mumm-ra or any others to use. I fear, Thundercats, that we are in for a hardy battle."
"Better to say that we are," WillyKit said, motioning to the other she-cats.
The others looked at her and she sunk back into her chair.
"Is there anyway to prevent all this from happening," Tigra asked.
"None that I can see," Cheetara said slowly, "all the images are dark and jumbled; nothing really make any sense at all."
"The best guess that I can offer is to keep our lady-cats separate. If they do not go into battle together, they cannot get caught together," Lynx-O said, as his final statement.
"Sounds good to me," Lion-O said, asserting his command, "Tabbirra: you and Kit will stay at the Tower of Omens until further notice," Tabbirra nodded and Kit let out an annoyed sigh, "Pumyra and Cheetara will stay here."
"I've never been here before," Tabbirra said as Kit showed her to her room in the Tower.
"There's not much to it," Kit said, opening the door of a vacant bedroom, "not compared to the Lair anyway. Want some help unpacking?"
Tabbirra looked at the small bag Kit had set on the bed and laughed, "no, I think I can manage that."
They were still laughing when an alarm rang through the empty halls.
The two ran to the control room.
"What is it, Lynx-O," Tabbirra asked as they entered.
Lynx-O turned on the main screen, "Sky-Tomb!"
"Again," Kit sighed.
The huge spire rumble past the Tower, just out of shooting range.
Tabbirra stared at it thoughtfully.
"They're up to something . . . "
"They're always up to something," Kit growled.
"It's almost as if they want us to come out and get them. Some kind of trap or something."
"No time to worry about that now," Lynx-O commanded, "Tabbirra, you go find Bengali, Kat, and Snarfer while I summon the others."
Tabbirra flew out an open window. The others were out on a patrol in the
Thunderclaw and the left pod of the Thunderstrike, but she did not know where.
"Lynx-O," she called over the communicator, "where are they?"
There was only static, followed by a crash. She turned and saw a good chunk of the Tower tumble to the ground, but she saw nothing that could have attacked. She flew toward the Tower, but then saw the Thunderstrike escape from the hanger before it collapsed.
Lynx-O called her from inside, "Tabbirra, WillyKit was in the hanger. Did she make it out?"
"I don't see her," Tabbirra responded, diving for the crumbling structure.
"No, Tabbirra, it's too dangerous," he called, but she did not listen.
Stones crumbled around Tabbirra, forcing her to walk instead of fly.
What was left standing of the hanger was being sustained by a single beam, and that was beginning to buckle. She saw no sign of the Thunderkitten.
"Kit, can you hear me," she called, digging through the rubble.
Another chunk of the ceiling fell. She was so far in that she wasn't sure she was even in the hanger anymore. The lights, which had flickered until then, suddenly cut out, leaving her in complete darkness.
"Kit," she called again, feeling her way along.
"Tabbirra," Kit called back, "where are you?"
Tabbirra threw a bolt against the ceiling, "did you see that?"
"Yes, do it again and I can get to you."
Tabbirra maintained a bright bolt and Kit was soon beside her.
"How do we get out," Kit asked, looking at the wreckage all around them.
"I have an idea. Tie your lariat to my belt and put the other end around your waist."
Kit did as she was told and held on as Tabbirra mustered all the strength she had. Then, in a sudden burst of wind and lightning, the stone above their heads exploded into a spray of pebbles and dust. In the open air, where winds could be generated easily, Tabbirra lifted herself and Kit to where Lynx-O hovered in the Thunder-strike. He opened the remaining side pod and they flew in.
"That was very foolish, Tabbirra," he scolded over the radio as they headed for the Lair.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," she sighed, winking at Kit.
Kit was barely able to suppress her giggle.
They arrived at the Lair in minutes, landing just outside the front door.
Lion-O met them.
"What happened," he called as the trio climbed out, "we lost all communications with the Tower."
"The Lunattacks attacked again," Tabbirra said, climbing out of the ship, "they took out the north hanger and did some minor damage to the cat's eye."
"The strange thing was that they were not within firing range when they attacked," Lynx-O added.
"Because they didn't fire on you," Cheetara said, stumbling through the front door, "I saw the attack through my sixth sense; Sky-tomb didn't attack you, something else did."
"What do you mean `something else'," Kit asked.
Cheetara shook her head, "I don't know. It was like nothing I've ever seen. At first, it look like Sky-tomb, but then that image melted away to show a ... thing with blue skin and tentacles. He is the one who will trap us."
"No he won't," Lion-O said forcefully, "not as long as I am the lord of the Thundercats."
"Lion-O," Panthro called over the communicator, "we've got trouble."
"On our way," the young lord called back.
In the control room, Tigra turned on the video screen, revealing Sky-Tomb just past the Berbil village, "Lunattacks."
Cheetara shuddered, "It's not the Lunattacks. It's that ... thing I saw before."
"Well whatever it is," Pumyra said, "it's getting closer."
"But what does it want," Kit asked.
"If it wants a fight," Panthro said, "we'll give it to it. Cheetara, Tigra: let's go get the Thundertank."
Soon the Thundertank was roaring down the countryside. It would only take a few minutes to reach the threat.
"Snarf," Lion-O commanded, "call Bengali, WillyKat, and Snarfer on the communicator and tell them to get back here. We'll need all the help we can get."
After a few moments, Snarf hung up the communicator, "they're already on their way. They're going to see if they can help Panthro, Tigra, and
Cheetara."
"We should help them as well," Lynx-O advised.
"Yes," Lion-O said, "You and I will take the Feliner. Snarf: you, Pumyra, Tabbirra, and WillyKit stay here. If this thing is what Cheetara says it is, we need to keep all of you as far from it as possible."
"What about Cheetara," WillyKit asked.
"We'll send her back here on the Thunderclaw," he said.
"Okay," Pumyra said, warily, "but you all be careful."
Soon, Cheetara was back in the Lair with Snarf and the others, and everyone else was investigating the new threat.
"I feel so . . . useless," Tabbirra complained, pacing.
"I feel that way sometimes," Snarf consoled her from his perch on one of the screens, "but then I remember that we all play our part in this team."
"Thanks for trying, but that doesn't help much," she sighed, hovering above the floor.
"It never does," Cheetara laughed from her control center.
Suddenly, alarms and buzzers began ringing, all the panels went crazy.
The group fought to regain control of the Lair, but warnings continued to flash across the screens faster than anyone could read. They were forced shut off the power to end the pandemonium. Just as they were restarting the system, the
Thundercats symbol appeared in the sky. They looked at each other in confusion as the symbol shuddered, exploded, and disappeared.
"Something terrible has happened. I can feel it," Cheetara cried, "We must get to the others."
"I'll take WillyKit," Tabbirra said, "You and Pumyra take the Thunderclaw. Snarf, stay here and guard the Lair. Let us know if you find out anything."
They were gone before he had a chance to object. As he watched them leave, he felt as though he should have tried harder.
As the She-cats arrived to where the false Sky-tomb hovered, they noticed no signs of a battle or of the other Thundercats.
"We have one choice," Pumyra announced after they landed, "we have to go in there and search for them."
"But it's not real," Cheetara said.
"It doesn't matter," Kit said, "the others need our help and that's the best place to start looking."
They had no choice. Weapons drawn, they ran to the spire, which began to fade as they neared it. In its place was a stone temple, just barely as real as it had been. The four still ran toward it, a blast from Cheetara's staff blowing out the door.
Once inside, they were enveloped in a musty, damp smell and atmosphere. The door somehow slowly replaced itself, but the strange torches on the walls maintained the eerie light of the corridor. Tabbirra held her arms tight to her sides, away from the damp stone walls.
" ... just like in Cheetara's vision," she said absently.
No one else said anything. They walked down the hall, which had a slight decline. The air got colder and damper as they moved along, and the torches more infrequent.
Suddenly, Cheetara stumbled and cried, "it's here!"
The air gained sudden, eerie heat and darkness enshrouded them.
Tabbirra reached out and felt the fur burn from the back of her hand.
"Black flame," she growled.
"Now what happens," WillyKit asked, drawing a pellet.
"I ... I don't know," Cheetara cried.
"We have to get out of here," Pumyra said.
Tabbirra threw her hand to the flame and a downpour of ice rain exploded all around them. For a moment, the flames died away. But, then there was another explosion of heat and Tabbirra shrieked and jumped back. A low laughter followed her angry cry as she wiped her burnt hands on her shirt, and the floor fell from beneath them. They tumbled to the dirt many yards beneath, all knocked unconscious.
The radio on the Thunderclaw buzzed.
"Cheetara. Pumyra," Lion-O said, "come in. Where are you?"
At the Lair, Lion-O, Snarf, and all the others stood anxiously around the communication station, waiting for a reply. There was only static.
"They're in trouble, aren't they Lion-O," Snarf asked, ashamed.
"Yes."
"I never should have let them go, I should have . . ."
"Do not blame yourself," Lynx-O interjected, "many of us would not be able to stop those four if we tried."
They shared an uneasy laugh, knowing this to be true
Tabbirra was the first to wake, struggling against the pain in her head to stand. Strangely, though, her hands were no longer burnt. She wondered around the dark room, to occupy her time. Cheetara was soon with her. Neither could see much in the complete darkness, only shadows.
"Does any of this look familiar," Tabbirra asked.
Cheetara shook her head slowly, "can you give us some light?"
"No. My head hurts too much. We'll have to wait for Pumyra or Kit to come to and use a fire pellet."
"Maybe not," Cheetara said, extending her staff.
A beam of light extended from the staff, illuminating the strange dungeon. The floor was packed dirt, and the walls were layered stone. The room was huge and the ceiling was twice as high. In the farthest corner, there were broken down devices of torture made of thick, decaying wood. Tabbirra walked over to the equipment and broke off large chunks, carrying them over to where the others were. Cheetara fired the staff at the wood and a small bonfire exploded before them. They could only wait.
"What happened to Sky-tomb," Snarf asked as all save Snarfer, Lynx-O and Tigra headed toward the strange temple.
"It was never really there," Panthro said, "it disappeared when we got close to it."
"When the alarms at the Lair went crazy and we saw the Thundercats symbol explode in the sky, we thought something terrible had happened," Snarf whined.
"The cats symbol," Lion-O asked puzzled, "but, I never used the sword."
"It would seem we're dealing with a telepath," Tigra said over the com. link, "should I join you?"
"No, Tigra," Panthro commanded, "we need you there to resist any other illusions this thing might throw at us."
"How are we going to get out of here," Kit whined, rubbing the back of her head.
"Not the way we got in," Cheetara pointed toward the high ceiling they had fallen from, "even my staff would never reach that."
"Tabbirra," Pumyra questioned.
"Even if I could concentrate enough, I doubt I could generate enough wind to lift us without burying us in dirt."
Kit stood and wandered, "so we're stuck here."
"It would seem so," Cheetara said, solemnly.
Kit took a few steps into the darkness, "maybe not."
The other jumped up and joined her in the farthest corner of the room.
"There's another hall back here," she said.
They looked at Cheetara, waiting for a hint, a clue, anything. She only shrugged.
"It appears that we have no choice," Pumyra said, going to the small fire and getting a piece of burning wood. Just as they entered the hall, the ground began to rumble and shake. The room behind them collapsed, trapping them in the corridor. Above ground, the Thundertank came to a halt where the ruins of the temple barely stood. The Thunderstrike landed behind them and Bengali climbed out.
"I don't understand," Bengali said, "it was completely in tact when we left it."
"That's because it was never really there," Lynx-O said over the com. link with the Tower.
"What do you mean," Panthro asked, "we all saw it."
"But it did not register on the Braille board, neither did Sky-tomb. All I perceived were vague readings of what all of you saw. We are dealing with a very powerful telepath."
"And he has Pumyra, Cheetara, Tabbirra, and Kit," WillyKat said from his seat in the tank, "we have to find them."
"Maybe the Sword of Omens can do that for us," Lion-O said, drawing his mystic weapon, "Sword of Omens: give me sight beyond sight; show me the missing Thundercats ... I can't see anything. Whatever this thing is, it can even block the sword. We'll have to find them the hard way."
"If we're going to do it," Panthro announced, running toward the ruins, "let's do . . ."
In a cloud of dust and roar of crumbling stones, the ruins fell in upon themselves and disappeared. Panthro cried out and jumped back.
"Looks like they're on their own for now," Bengali said.
After a steep incline, the hallway opened into more darkness.
"The forest of mists," Cheetara said.
"Well, at least we have a little light," Tabbirra panted, she was worn out already.
"I can't see anything," Cheetara said, "just like in my vision."
"Tabbirra, are you okay," Kit asked, "you sound exhausted."
"I'll be alright. For some reason I get really tired after so much activity in one day."
"It's probably just before sunset by now," Pumyra guessed, "it's gonna get real dark soon."
"We have to get out of here," Cheetara ordered, "before that . . . thing separates us."
"Lead the way, Cheetara," Pumyra said.
"Wait," Tabbirra said, "something . . . something is not right about this mist."
The other stared at her as she called a spiral of wind around them. The mist did not obey the wind.
"It's not real," she said, "none of this is."
"How is that possible," Pumyra asked.
"I don't know," Tabbirra growled, "Cheetara: see if you can contact Tigra,
Lynx-O, Jaga, anyone. Try and get us some help."
"I'll try," she swallowed, sitting on the false ground.
They watched her for a long time, until she finally gave up, unable to reach anyone. She growled and punched the stone floor.
"I can't fight whatever's holding us here."
"Then we're at its mercy," Kit said.
"No," Tabbirra said, sitting down next to Cheetara, "there is another way.
We have to try to break through to the Sword of Omens."
"How could we do that," Pumyra said, sitting next to them.
"Cheetara and I can," Tabbirra whispered, "if her telepathic powers can add to what little there is of mine, she should be able to project my astral form into the Eye of Thundera. I can lead the others to us from there."
The others stared at her in amazement.
"You have a sixth sense," Kit finally asked.
"My grandmother was a full psychic, and Mother always said all I had to do to use my own powers was try. I think now is as good a time as any."
"If anyone has a better plan, now is the time," Cheetara said.
No one said anything. The decision made by the silence, Tabbirra lay down on the false ground and closed her eyes. Cheetara sat behind her and concentrated.
The Thundertank roared over the countryside, finding nothing amiss, nothing to indicate that their world was under siege.
"Nothing," Panthro growled as they rolled through the field of daggers, "no sign of them."
"Tank to Lair," Kit called on the com. link, "any word of them?"
"None," Snarfer called back, "anything down there, snarfer snarfer?"
"Nothing, even the Sword of Omens can't find them."
Just then the Eye of Thundera opened and roared. Lion-O tore the sword from the claw shield and looked through the eye.
"Sword of Omens: Give me sight beyond sight ... It's Tabbirra! She's ... in the Eye of Thundera!"
"What," Panthro said, stopping the tank.
"Somehow, she was able to reach us through the Eye."
"Lion-O," Tabbirra's image called.
"I can hear her..."
"Lion-O: we are trapped in an unreal place created by an unknown force.
We need your help. The Sword of Omens will lead you to us."
"Tabbirra, Cheetara," Pumyra yelled, "wake up!"
She got no response. She and Kit stood in front of the two as a figure began to form from the mists around them. They both drew a pellet and flung it at the foggy form, but only heard a malicious laugh as a result.
"We are under attack, Lion-O," Tabbirra said, "you must help us. Trust only the Sword of Omens; never let go of it. This creature can bend minds and thought, only the Sword can see the . . ."
The image was gone. Tabbirra ripped back into her body, and found
Pumyra on the ground beside her, hurt. A vicious creature loomed over WillyKit, who threw pellet after pellet. The stranger tossed the pellets aside and threw Kit back to where the others lay. Tabbirra stood shakily, seeing the creature clearly now. It was hideously ugly; wearing a purple and gold alchemist's robe over its dark blue, scaly skin, framed by stringy gray hair, and it had eight slimy tentacles moving it across the ground, which was slowly fading away to show packed stone floor.
"Welcome to my dungeon, Thundercats," it laughed as she drew her chacraam.
"Octapon," Tabbirra growled.
"You know that," Kit asked, stumbling to her side.
"From one of the scrolls that were at my mother's temple. He was said to be imprisoned in the great underground lake prison. It would seem he managed to escape."
"Very good, little cat," Octapon smiled hideously, "but I did not escape. I was freed when Thundera exploded and summoned here by a priest of evil and crowd called Lunattacks. Leave it to the desperate to free the desperate."
"And what is it you want with us," Cheetara said, extending her staff.
"I? I want nothing. But, my employers want you dead, and I want to be free. That's my payment, and I intend to fulfill my end of the bargain."
"But, why us? Why not start with the Sword of Omens, it would have been quicker," Pumyra said, sling in hand.
"That would have been too fast," Octapon laughed, "and fast is boring.
First I'll kill you four, torturing the others of your kind with guilt and impending death of your species, then I'll kill them off one by one. Oh this will be such fun!"
"You've got a sick sense of humor," Tabbirra said, throwing the chacraam at him.
He caught the weapon, much to everyone's surprise, and, enveloping it in a ball of black flame, threw it back at her. She dove to the ground as the ring charred the dirt where it landed.
Octapon laughed again. Kit helped Tabbirra up and the four stood ready to fight.
"Well, enough games," the creature sighed, "time to die."
"Yeah, your time," Tabbirra said, feeling a rumble in the ground and hearing the roar of the Sword of Omens.
The wall behind Octapon exploded as the Thundertank rammed through.
Lion-O stood on the passenger seat, the sword extended in his hand.
Octapon did not even falter at the blast, but simply sighed, "well, now you've ruined the surprise. I guess I'll just have to kill you all now."
Cheetara and Pumyra struggled to their feet and ran to the tank. Tabbirra bent for her weapon, but found that the metal burned her already blistered hands. She growled as Kit pulled her toward the tank.
"Running will do you no good," the creature bellowed, "there is no where to hide from my illusions."
Panthro drove the tank farther into the dungeon, but the world around them began the twist and turn. They found themselves in the blackness of space, where nothing existed, not even distant stars.
"We're in big trouble," WillyKat said, groping in the darkness for something to hold onto.
"No we're not," Tabbirra struggled, "it's all an illusion. We have to find a way to see through it. Lion-O, the Sw . . ."
A bright flash illuminated the darkness and Tabbirra imploded in an instant before them. Cheetara struggled for the tank.
"We must call Tigra," she said, feeling for the communicator, "his abilities should help us . . ."
Another flash and Cheetara was gone. Lion-O reached for his sword, but the claw shield was empty.
"Sword of Omens," he yelled in of a blind rage, "come to my hand."
The Eye of Thundera blazed at his side, roaring loudly from the sheath of the claw shield. Slightly confused but too angry to worry about details, Lion-O pulled it free and the held it to his eyes.
"Sword of Omens, Eye of Thundera: free the Thundercats from this illusion. Help us vanquish this villain."
The sword blazed in his hand, lighting the depths of space, and then the dim light of the dungeon. Cheetara and Tabbirra hung from bars on the ceiling, bound tightly. Octapon let out a sigh of disappointment and carelessly threw a ball of fire at the lord of the Thundercats. Lion-O dodged and leapt toward the creature, but was deflected by a large tentacle.
Tabbirra was nearly exhausted from the days' activities and she grew more aggravated with the situation with every deflected blow the Thundercats threw. Everyone was fighting now (except those at the Lair and Tower, who were still unaware of the gravity of the situation). Neither side was making any progress. In the mists of the blows, Bengali slipped out of the line of fire and over to Cheetara and Tabbirra. With one light blast of his hammer, the two fell, Tabbirra slowing the decent with a cushion of wind.
In a matter of seconds, Cheetara had untangled herself from the charred ropes and had joined the titanic battle. Bengali helped Tabbirra to her feet.
"This battle is a stale mate," she said, annoyed at the exhaustion the gripped her, "no one will win until some one tires."
Bengali looked at her expectantly and she half-yawned, half-growled, "I haven't the strength."
"We have to do something. A moment ago, Kit told me you knew something about this creature; do you know any weaknesses?"
Tabbirra shook her head just as a ball of fire flew between her and Bengali.
"That's it," she screamed, rising as high as the cave dungeon would let her.
With an overly aggressive wind, she tossed the surprised Thundercats away from the creature. Then, with every last bit of natural magic she had left (and more), she threw a small hurricane at her enemy. The awesome storm enveloped him, throwing off his guard. The effort left her barely powerful enough to fall gracefully.
"Some one jump in here and finish this," Tabbirra called weakly as
Bengali helped her to the tank.
Lion-O stepped forward against the dying winds and raised his sword.
"Ho" he cried as a bolt of power flew from the eye and surrounded
Octapon and threw him into the sky.
Everyone lumbered back to their vehicles, glad it was over, but too tired to congratulate each other. Tabbirra was already asleep in the back of the
Thundertank when Cheetara, Pumyra, Lion-O, Panthro, and WillyKat climbed in. Kit stood inside the cave, searching the ground.
"Come on, Kit," Panthro called to her, "we're going home."
"Just a second," she called back as she wrapped her hand in her belt and picked up the still-hot chacraam, "Tabbirra would be real angry if we left this."
She climbed on the Thunderclaw with Bengali and they headed home.
At the Lair, Tigra examined Tabbirra and wrapped her hands while she still slept. Lynx-O, who had traded shifts at the Tower with Panthro, stood next to Bengali at the far end of the room.
"Her life signs are almost dangerously low, Tigra," Lynx-O said once
Tigra was finished with the examination, "was she hurt in the battle?"
Tigra shook his head, "I can't find any reason for her exhaustion, other than it's been a busy day."
Bengali stepped forward, "I know why."
The other two looked at him, waiting. Bengali took a deep breath, feeling shame in his words.
"When I helped her to bed the other night, I found a scroll sitting open on her desk that explains it. It said something like she can't maintain a high amount of physical and magickal activities without almost constant sustenance. I hadn't meant to invade her privacy, I just thought that the scroll would have some explanation for her fatigue. I was afraid she wasn't strong enough to be a
Thundercat."
Lynx-O, sensing his shame, put his hand on Bengali's shoulder, "do not be ashamed. You were only worried for her well being. I'm sure she, and the others will understand."
"Yes," Tigra added, "and as for her strength, I'd have to say I'm glad she's on our side."
The other two smiled and they left the room.
Octapon and the
She-Cats
Part II
Tabbirra was awakening by a scream from down the hall. It was still dark out, yet she felt rested.
"How long have I been asleep," she thought as she rushed down the hall to Cheetara's room.
Tigra, Pumyra, and Lion-O were already there when she arrived, and
Panthro and Snarf were right behind her. Cheetara was lying on the floor next to her bed, which was disheveled as though she had fallen out. She was struggling to maintain her composure as Lion-O helped her to her feet.
"What happened," he asked, sitting her on her bed.
She took a deep breath, "a bad dream, just like that premonition I had two days ago."
"Two days ago," Tabbirra thought, "I've been asleep for two days?!"
Cheetara continued, "It starts out with me, Tabbirra, WillyKit, and Pumyra in ... stone room or hallway. Suddenly, we're attacked from above with black fire. I don't have time to see where it's really coming from because it completely surrounds us like . . . like an orb. I can't see what happens next. The next thing I do see is the four of us lost in the forest of mists; I try to lead us out, but my sixth sense is blocked and all I can see is a strange black light. Then I hear screams and WillyKit and Pumyra disappear."
The other Thundercats looked at each other for some explanation. Finally,
Tabbirra steps forward.
"Not that I don't believe you, Cheetara, because I do, but if we were trapped in the forest of mists, couldn't I simply disperse the mists, and the same with the fire?"
She shook her head fiercely, "it . . . it wasn't real fire or fog, it was ...oh, I don't know."
"It's alright, Cheetara," Lion-O said, yawning, "we'll try and figure it out tomorrow."
Snarf seated himself in the chair at the far end of Cheetara's room, "I'll stay in here for the rest of the night, snarf snarf just in case."
Everyone went back to bed, except for Tabbirra. She didn't see any point, since the sun was already peeking over the horizon.
"Could there be any truth to that vision she keeps having," she wondered as she unrolled the second scroll, "it just doesn't seem to make sense. WillyKit is at the Tower of Omens for a few more days and I doubt that the four of us could ever really get trapped. I'll just have to keep my eyes open for the next few weeks, I guess."
She stared at the scroll; she was too anxious to read. She put on her belt and fastened her chacraam to it. Dragon wouldn't like to be wakened so early, so she left her room alone and walked down the metal hall to the control room. She'd call the Tower to talk to whomever had the night watch.
"Aren't we up early," Lynx-O said when she greeted him.
"Not much of a choice," she sighed, "I think we've got big trouble coming."
"Bigger than two days ago," Lynx-O laughed.
"Much bigger. Cheetara keeps having this vision where she, Pumyra,
WillyKit, and I are all trapped and lost."
Lynx-O's smile disappeared, "I'm on my way over."
He disconnected before she had a chance to change his mind. She didn't think it was that big a deal, but then again, she was new to that clan. Pumyra entered the room.
"Couldn't sleep either," she laughed.
Tabbirra shook her head, "what's the big deal about Cheetara's dream? I don't understand why everyone is so hyper about it. Even Lynx-O."
Pumyra sat at one of the observation screens, "no one told you about
Cheetara's sixth sense?"
Tabbirra shrugged, "Cheetara mentioned it."
"Cheetara is psychic, in a way. She can see things that are going to happen and knows there's trouble even when the Sword of Omens doesn't.
Sometimes her visions are really helpful; but sometimes they don't make any sense until it's too late."
Tabbirra fingered her chacraam, "you mean there could be some truth to it? That the four of us could walk unknowingly into a trap?"
Pumyra nodded. For a while, there was silence.
"Thunder-strike to Lair," buzzed the radio.
"Lair here," Pumyra said.
"Permission to land."
"Permission granted. Raising right cat's paw."
Within moments, Lynx-O was in the control room, "where is Cheetara?"
"She's asleep," Tabbirra said, unsure.
"No, I'm not," Cheetara said softly from the hall, "I'm glad you're here, Lynx-O. Maybe you can help me make some sense of all this."
Lynx-O went with Cheetara into the conference room and then door slid tightly shut behind them. The others were beginning to waken now. Snarf was the first, heading for the kitchen; Tabbirra followed him.
"What's for breakfast this morning, Snarf," she said calmly.
"Razor-boar bacon, toast with candy fruit jam, and snarf snarf fon-berry pancakes."
Tabbirra laughed at his enthusiasm, "I've never known anyone to be so happy about making breakfast."
Soon, everyone was gathered at the table, eating in silence, not knowing what to talk about. Finally, Lynx-O spoke.
"I think we've determined the meaning of Cheetara's vision," he said between bites.
Lion-O put his fork down, "Tell us."
"It would seem that there is a new enemy on Third Earth. The problem is, we don't know what it is. We do know that it can control fog and mist, which even Mumm-ra can't do effectively, and that it can control black fire, which we've never known Mumm-ra or any others to use. I fear, Thundercats, that we are in for a hardy battle."
"Better to say that we are," WillyKit said, motioning to the other she-cats.
The others looked at her and she sunk back into her chair.
"Is there anyway to prevent all this from happening," Tigra asked.
"None that I can see," Cheetara said slowly, "all the images are dark and jumbled; nothing really make any sense at all."
"The best guess that I can offer is to keep our lady-cats separate. If they do not go into battle together, they cannot get caught together," Lynx-O said, as his final statement.
"Sounds good to me," Lion-O said, asserting his command, "Tabbirra: you and Kit will stay at the Tower of Omens until further notice," Tabbirra nodded and Kit let out an annoyed sigh, "Pumyra and Cheetara will stay here."
"I've never been here before," Tabbirra said as Kit showed her to her room in the Tower.
"There's not much to it," Kit said, opening the door of a vacant bedroom, "not compared to the Lair anyway. Want some help unpacking?"
Tabbirra looked at the small bag Kit had set on the bed and laughed, "no, I think I can manage that."
They were still laughing when an alarm rang through the empty halls.
The two ran to the control room.
"What is it, Lynx-O," Tabbirra asked as they entered.
Lynx-O turned on the main screen, "Sky-Tomb!"
"Again," Kit sighed.
The huge spire rumble past the Tower, just out of shooting range.
Tabbirra stared at it thoughtfully.
"They're up to something . . . "
"They're always up to something," Kit growled.
"It's almost as if they want us to come out and get them. Some kind of trap or something."
"No time to worry about that now," Lynx-O commanded, "Tabbirra, you go find Bengali, Kat, and Snarfer while I summon the others."
Tabbirra flew out an open window. The others were out on a patrol in the
Thunderclaw and the left pod of the Thunderstrike, but she did not know where.
"Lynx-O," she called over the communicator, "where are they?"
There was only static, followed by a crash. She turned and saw a good chunk of the Tower tumble to the ground, but she saw nothing that could have attacked. She flew toward the Tower, but then saw the Thunderstrike escape from the hanger before it collapsed.
Lynx-O called her from inside, "Tabbirra, WillyKit was in the hanger. Did she make it out?"
"I don't see her," Tabbirra responded, diving for the crumbling structure.
"No, Tabbirra, it's too dangerous," he called, but she did not listen.
Stones crumbled around Tabbirra, forcing her to walk instead of fly.
What was left standing of the hanger was being sustained by a single beam, and that was beginning to buckle. She saw no sign of the Thunderkitten.
"Kit, can you hear me," she called, digging through the rubble.
Another chunk of the ceiling fell. She was so far in that she wasn't sure she was even in the hanger anymore. The lights, which had flickered until then, suddenly cut out, leaving her in complete darkness.
"Kit," she called again, feeling her way along.
"Tabbirra," Kit called back, "where are you?"
Tabbirra threw a bolt against the ceiling, "did you see that?"
"Yes, do it again and I can get to you."
Tabbirra maintained a bright bolt and Kit was soon beside her.
"How do we get out," Kit asked, looking at the wreckage all around them.
"I have an idea. Tie your lariat to my belt and put the other end around your waist."
Kit did as she was told and held on as Tabbirra mustered all the strength she had. Then, in a sudden burst of wind and lightning, the stone above their heads exploded into a spray of pebbles and dust. In the open air, where winds could be generated easily, Tabbirra lifted herself and Kit to where Lynx-O hovered in the Thunder-strike. He opened the remaining side pod and they flew in.
"That was very foolish, Tabbirra," he scolded over the radio as they headed for the Lair.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," she sighed, winking at Kit.
Kit was barely able to suppress her giggle.
They arrived at the Lair in minutes, landing just outside the front door.
Lion-O met them.
"What happened," he called as the trio climbed out, "we lost all communications with the Tower."
"The Lunattacks attacked again," Tabbirra said, climbing out of the ship, "they took out the north hanger and did some minor damage to the cat's eye."
"The strange thing was that they were not within firing range when they attacked," Lynx-O added.
"Because they didn't fire on you," Cheetara said, stumbling through the front door, "I saw the attack through my sixth sense; Sky-tomb didn't attack you, something else did."
"What do you mean `something else'," Kit asked.
Cheetara shook her head, "I don't know. It was like nothing I've ever seen. At first, it look like Sky-tomb, but then that image melted away to show a ... thing with blue skin and tentacles. He is the one who will trap us."
"No he won't," Lion-O said forcefully, "not as long as I am the lord of the Thundercats."
"Lion-O," Panthro called over the communicator, "we've got trouble."
"On our way," the young lord called back.
In the control room, Tigra turned on the video screen, revealing Sky-Tomb just past the Berbil village, "Lunattacks."
Cheetara shuddered, "It's not the Lunattacks. It's that ... thing I saw before."
"Well whatever it is," Pumyra said, "it's getting closer."
"But what does it want," Kit asked.
"If it wants a fight," Panthro said, "we'll give it to it. Cheetara, Tigra: let's go get the Thundertank."
Soon the Thundertank was roaring down the countryside. It would only take a few minutes to reach the threat.
"Snarf," Lion-O commanded, "call Bengali, WillyKat, and Snarfer on the communicator and tell them to get back here. We'll need all the help we can get."
After a few moments, Snarf hung up the communicator, "they're already on their way. They're going to see if they can help Panthro, Tigra, and
Cheetara."
"We should help them as well," Lynx-O advised.
"Yes," Lion-O said, "You and I will take the Feliner. Snarf: you, Pumyra, Tabbirra, and WillyKit stay here. If this thing is what Cheetara says it is, we need to keep all of you as far from it as possible."
"What about Cheetara," WillyKit asked.
"We'll send her back here on the Thunderclaw," he said.
"Okay," Pumyra said, warily, "but you all be careful."
Soon, Cheetara was back in the Lair with Snarf and the others, and everyone else was investigating the new threat.
"I feel so . . . useless," Tabbirra complained, pacing.
"I feel that way sometimes," Snarf consoled her from his perch on one of the screens, "but then I remember that we all play our part in this team."
"Thanks for trying, but that doesn't help much," she sighed, hovering above the floor.
"It never does," Cheetara laughed from her control center.
Suddenly, alarms and buzzers began ringing, all the panels went crazy.
The group fought to regain control of the Lair, but warnings continued to flash across the screens faster than anyone could read. They were forced shut off the power to end the pandemonium. Just as they were restarting the system, the
Thundercats symbol appeared in the sky. They looked at each other in confusion as the symbol shuddered, exploded, and disappeared.
"Something terrible has happened. I can feel it," Cheetara cried, "We must get to the others."
"I'll take WillyKit," Tabbirra said, "You and Pumyra take the Thunderclaw. Snarf, stay here and guard the Lair. Let us know if you find out anything."
They were gone before he had a chance to object. As he watched them leave, he felt as though he should have tried harder.
As the She-cats arrived to where the false Sky-tomb hovered, they noticed no signs of a battle or of the other Thundercats.
"We have one choice," Pumyra announced after they landed, "we have to go in there and search for them."
"But it's not real," Cheetara said.
"It doesn't matter," Kit said, "the others need our help and that's the best place to start looking."
They had no choice. Weapons drawn, they ran to the spire, which began to fade as they neared it. In its place was a stone temple, just barely as real as it had been. The four still ran toward it, a blast from Cheetara's staff blowing out the door.
Once inside, they were enveloped in a musty, damp smell and atmosphere. The door somehow slowly replaced itself, but the strange torches on the walls maintained the eerie light of the corridor. Tabbirra held her arms tight to her sides, away from the damp stone walls.
" ... just like in Cheetara's vision," she said absently.
No one else said anything. They walked down the hall, which had a slight decline. The air got colder and damper as they moved along, and the torches more infrequent.
Suddenly, Cheetara stumbled and cried, "it's here!"
The air gained sudden, eerie heat and darkness enshrouded them.
Tabbirra reached out and felt the fur burn from the back of her hand.
"Black flame," she growled.
"Now what happens," WillyKit asked, drawing a pellet.
"I ... I don't know," Cheetara cried.
"We have to get out of here," Pumyra said.
Tabbirra threw her hand to the flame and a downpour of ice rain exploded all around them. For a moment, the flames died away. But, then there was another explosion of heat and Tabbirra shrieked and jumped back. A low laughter followed her angry cry as she wiped her burnt hands on her shirt, and the floor fell from beneath them. They tumbled to the dirt many yards beneath, all knocked unconscious.
The radio on the Thunderclaw buzzed.
"Cheetara. Pumyra," Lion-O said, "come in. Where are you?"
At the Lair, Lion-O, Snarf, and all the others stood anxiously around the communication station, waiting for a reply. There was only static.
"They're in trouble, aren't they Lion-O," Snarf asked, ashamed.
"Yes."
"I never should have let them go, I should have . . ."
"Do not blame yourself," Lynx-O interjected, "many of us would not be able to stop those four if we tried."
They shared an uneasy laugh, knowing this to be true
Tabbirra was the first to wake, struggling against the pain in her head to stand. Strangely, though, her hands were no longer burnt. She wondered around the dark room, to occupy her time. Cheetara was soon with her. Neither could see much in the complete darkness, only shadows.
"Does any of this look familiar," Tabbirra asked.
Cheetara shook her head slowly, "can you give us some light?"
"No. My head hurts too much. We'll have to wait for Pumyra or Kit to come to and use a fire pellet."
"Maybe not," Cheetara said, extending her staff.
A beam of light extended from the staff, illuminating the strange dungeon. The floor was packed dirt, and the walls were layered stone. The room was huge and the ceiling was twice as high. In the farthest corner, there were broken down devices of torture made of thick, decaying wood. Tabbirra walked over to the equipment and broke off large chunks, carrying them over to where the others were. Cheetara fired the staff at the wood and a small bonfire exploded before them. They could only wait.
"What happened to Sky-tomb," Snarf asked as all save Snarfer, Lynx-O and Tigra headed toward the strange temple.
"It was never really there," Panthro said, "it disappeared when we got close to it."
"When the alarms at the Lair went crazy and we saw the Thundercats symbol explode in the sky, we thought something terrible had happened," Snarf whined.
"The cats symbol," Lion-O asked puzzled, "but, I never used the sword."
"It would seem we're dealing with a telepath," Tigra said over the com. link, "should I join you?"
"No, Tigra," Panthro commanded, "we need you there to resist any other illusions this thing might throw at us."
"How are we going to get out of here," Kit whined, rubbing the back of her head.
"Not the way we got in," Cheetara pointed toward the high ceiling they had fallen from, "even my staff would never reach that."
"Tabbirra," Pumyra questioned.
"Even if I could concentrate enough, I doubt I could generate enough wind to lift us without burying us in dirt."
Kit stood and wandered, "so we're stuck here."
"It would seem so," Cheetara said, solemnly.
Kit took a few steps into the darkness, "maybe not."
The other jumped up and joined her in the farthest corner of the room.
"There's another hall back here," she said.
They looked at Cheetara, waiting for a hint, a clue, anything. She only shrugged.
"It appears that we have no choice," Pumyra said, going to the small fire and getting a piece of burning wood. Just as they entered the hall, the ground began to rumble and shake. The room behind them collapsed, trapping them in the corridor. Above ground, the Thundertank came to a halt where the ruins of the temple barely stood. The Thunderstrike landed behind them and Bengali climbed out.
"I don't understand," Bengali said, "it was completely in tact when we left it."
"That's because it was never really there," Lynx-O said over the com. link with the Tower.
"What do you mean," Panthro asked, "we all saw it."
"But it did not register on the Braille board, neither did Sky-tomb. All I perceived were vague readings of what all of you saw. We are dealing with a very powerful telepath."
"And he has Pumyra, Cheetara, Tabbirra, and Kit," WillyKat said from his seat in the tank, "we have to find them."
"Maybe the Sword of Omens can do that for us," Lion-O said, drawing his mystic weapon, "Sword of Omens: give me sight beyond sight; show me the missing Thundercats ... I can't see anything. Whatever this thing is, it can even block the sword. We'll have to find them the hard way."
"If we're going to do it," Panthro announced, running toward the ruins, "let's do . . ."
In a cloud of dust and roar of crumbling stones, the ruins fell in upon themselves and disappeared. Panthro cried out and jumped back.
"Looks like they're on their own for now," Bengali said.
After a steep incline, the hallway opened into more darkness.
"The forest of mists," Cheetara said.
"Well, at least we have a little light," Tabbirra panted, she was worn out already.
"I can't see anything," Cheetara said, "just like in my vision."
"Tabbirra, are you okay," Kit asked, "you sound exhausted."
"I'll be alright. For some reason I get really tired after so much activity in one day."
"It's probably just before sunset by now," Pumyra guessed, "it's gonna get real dark soon."
"We have to get out of here," Cheetara ordered, "before that . . . thing separates us."
"Lead the way, Cheetara," Pumyra said.
"Wait," Tabbirra said, "something . . . something is not right about this mist."
The other stared at her as she called a spiral of wind around them. The mist did not obey the wind.
"It's not real," she said, "none of this is."
"How is that possible," Pumyra asked.
"I don't know," Tabbirra growled, "Cheetara: see if you can contact Tigra,
Lynx-O, Jaga, anyone. Try and get us some help."
"I'll try," she swallowed, sitting on the false ground.
They watched her for a long time, until she finally gave up, unable to reach anyone. She growled and punched the stone floor.
"I can't fight whatever's holding us here."
"Then we're at its mercy," Kit said.
"No," Tabbirra said, sitting down next to Cheetara, "there is another way.
We have to try to break through to the Sword of Omens."
"How could we do that," Pumyra said, sitting next to them.
"Cheetara and I can," Tabbirra whispered, "if her telepathic powers can add to what little there is of mine, she should be able to project my astral form into the Eye of Thundera. I can lead the others to us from there."
The others stared at her in amazement.
"You have a sixth sense," Kit finally asked.
"My grandmother was a full psychic, and Mother always said all I had to do to use my own powers was try. I think now is as good a time as any."
"If anyone has a better plan, now is the time," Cheetara said.
No one said anything. The decision made by the silence, Tabbirra lay down on the false ground and closed her eyes. Cheetara sat behind her and concentrated.
The Thundertank roared over the countryside, finding nothing amiss, nothing to indicate that their world was under siege.
"Nothing," Panthro growled as they rolled through the field of daggers, "no sign of them."
"Tank to Lair," Kit called on the com. link, "any word of them?"
"None," Snarfer called back, "anything down there, snarfer snarfer?"
"Nothing, even the Sword of Omens can't find them."
Just then the Eye of Thundera opened and roared. Lion-O tore the sword from the claw shield and looked through the eye.
"Sword of Omens: Give me sight beyond sight ... It's Tabbirra! She's ... in the Eye of Thundera!"
"What," Panthro said, stopping the tank.
"Somehow, she was able to reach us through the Eye."
"Lion-O," Tabbirra's image called.
"I can hear her..."
"Lion-O: we are trapped in an unreal place created by an unknown force.
We need your help. The Sword of Omens will lead you to us."
"Tabbirra, Cheetara," Pumyra yelled, "wake up!"
She got no response. She and Kit stood in front of the two as a figure began to form from the mists around them. They both drew a pellet and flung it at the foggy form, but only heard a malicious laugh as a result.
"We are under attack, Lion-O," Tabbirra said, "you must help us. Trust only the Sword of Omens; never let go of it. This creature can bend minds and thought, only the Sword can see the . . ."
The image was gone. Tabbirra ripped back into her body, and found
Pumyra on the ground beside her, hurt. A vicious creature loomed over WillyKit, who threw pellet after pellet. The stranger tossed the pellets aside and threw Kit back to where the others lay. Tabbirra stood shakily, seeing the creature clearly now. It was hideously ugly; wearing a purple and gold alchemist's robe over its dark blue, scaly skin, framed by stringy gray hair, and it had eight slimy tentacles moving it across the ground, which was slowly fading away to show packed stone floor.
"Welcome to my dungeon, Thundercats," it laughed as she drew her chacraam.
"Octapon," Tabbirra growled.
"You know that," Kit asked, stumbling to her side.
"From one of the scrolls that were at my mother's temple. He was said to be imprisoned in the great underground lake prison. It would seem he managed to escape."
"Very good, little cat," Octapon smiled hideously, "but I did not escape. I was freed when Thundera exploded and summoned here by a priest of evil and crowd called Lunattacks. Leave it to the desperate to free the desperate."
"And what is it you want with us," Cheetara said, extending her staff.
"I? I want nothing. But, my employers want you dead, and I want to be free. That's my payment, and I intend to fulfill my end of the bargain."
"But, why us? Why not start with the Sword of Omens, it would have been quicker," Pumyra said, sling in hand.
"That would have been too fast," Octapon laughed, "and fast is boring.
First I'll kill you four, torturing the others of your kind with guilt and impending death of your species, then I'll kill them off one by one. Oh this will be such fun!"
"You've got a sick sense of humor," Tabbirra said, throwing the chacraam at him.
He caught the weapon, much to everyone's surprise, and, enveloping it in a ball of black flame, threw it back at her. She dove to the ground as the ring charred the dirt where it landed.
Octapon laughed again. Kit helped Tabbirra up and the four stood ready to fight.
"Well, enough games," the creature sighed, "time to die."
"Yeah, your time," Tabbirra said, feeling a rumble in the ground and hearing the roar of the Sword of Omens.
The wall behind Octapon exploded as the Thundertank rammed through.
Lion-O stood on the passenger seat, the sword extended in his hand.
Octapon did not even falter at the blast, but simply sighed, "well, now you've ruined the surprise. I guess I'll just have to kill you all now."
Cheetara and Pumyra struggled to their feet and ran to the tank. Tabbirra bent for her weapon, but found that the metal burned her already blistered hands. She growled as Kit pulled her toward the tank.
"Running will do you no good," the creature bellowed, "there is no where to hide from my illusions."
Panthro drove the tank farther into the dungeon, but the world around them began the twist and turn. They found themselves in the blackness of space, where nothing existed, not even distant stars.
"We're in big trouble," WillyKat said, groping in the darkness for something to hold onto.
"No we're not," Tabbirra struggled, "it's all an illusion. We have to find a way to see through it. Lion-O, the Sw . . ."
A bright flash illuminated the darkness and Tabbirra imploded in an instant before them. Cheetara struggled for the tank.
"We must call Tigra," she said, feeling for the communicator, "his abilities should help us . . ."
Another flash and Cheetara was gone. Lion-O reached for his sword, but the claw shield was empty.
"Sword of Omens," he yelled in of a blind rage, "come to my hand."
The Eye of Thundera blazed at his side, roaring loudly from the sheath of the claw shield. Slightly confused but too angry to worry about details, Lion-O pulled it free and the held it to his eyes.
"Sword of Omens, Eye of Thundera: free the Thundercats from this illusion. Help us vanquish this villain."
The sword blazed in his hand, lighting the depths of space, and then the dim light of the dungeon. Cheetara and Tabbirra hung from bars on the ceiling, bound tightly. Octapon let out a sigh of disappointment and carelessly threw a ball of fire at the lord of the Thundercats. Lion-O dodged and leapt toward the creature, but was deflected by a large tentacle.
Tabbirra was nearly exhausted from the days' activities and she grew more aggravated with the situation with every deflected blow the Thundercats threw. Everyone was fighting now (except those at the Lair and Tower, who were still unaware of the gravity of the situation). Neither side was making any progress. In the mists of the blows, Bengali slipped out of the line of fire and over to Cheetara and Tabbirra. With one light blast of his hammer, the two fell, Tabbirra slowing the decent with a cushion of wind.
In a matter of seconds, Cheetara had untangled herself from the charred ropes and had joined the titanic battle. Bengali helped Tabbirra to her feet.
"This battle is a stale mate," she said, annoyed at the exhaustion the gripped her, "no one will win until some one tires."
Bengali looked at her expectantly and she half-yawned, half-growled, "I haven't the strength."
"We have to do something. A moment ago, Kit told me you knew something about this creature; do you know any weaknesses?"
Tabbirra shook her head just as a ball of fire flew between her and Bengali.
"That's it," she screamed, rising as high as the cave dungeon would let her.
With an overly aggressive wind, she tossed the surprised Thundercats away from the creature. Then, with every last bit of natural magic she had left (and more), she threw a small hurricane at her enemy. The awesome storm enveloped him, throwing off his guard. The effort left her barely powerful enough to fall gracefully.
"Some one jump in here and finish this," Tabbirra called weakly as
Bengali helped her to the tank.
Lion-O stepped forward against the dying winds and raised his sword.
"Ho" he cried as a bolt of power flew from the eye and surrounded
Octapon and threw him into the sky.
Everyone lumbered back to their vehicles, glad it was over, but too tired to congratulate each other. Tabbirra was already asleep in the back of the
Thundertank when Cheetara, Pumyra, Lion-O, Panthro, and WillyKat climbed in. Kit stood inside the cave, searching the ground.
"Come on, Kit," Panthro called to her, "we're going home."
"Just a second," she called back as she wrapped her hand in her belt and picked up the still-hot chacraam, "Tabbirra would be real angry if we left this."
She climbed on the Thunderclaw with Bengali and they headed home.
At the Lair, Tigra examined Tabbirra and wrapped her hands while she still slept. Lynx-O, who had traded shifts at the Tower with Panthro, stood next to Bengali at the far end of the room.
"Her life signs are almost dangerously low, Tigra," Lynx-O said once
Tigra was finished with the examination, "was she hurt in the battle?"
Tigra shook his head, "I can't find any reason for her exhaustion, other than it's been a busy day."
Bengali stepped forward, "I know why."
The other two looked at him, waiting. Bengali took a deep breath, feeling shame in his words.
"When I helped her to bed the other night, I found a scroll sitting open on her desk that explains it. It said something like she can't maintain a high amount of physical and magickal activities without almost constant sustenance. I hadn't meant to invade her privacy, I just thought that the scroll would have some explanation for her fatigue. I was afraid she wasn't strong enough to be a
Thundercat."
Lynx-O, sensing his shame, put his hand on Bengali's shoulder, "do not be ashamed. You were only worried for her well being. I'm sure she, and the others will understand."
"Yes," Tigra added, "and as for her strength, I'd have to say I'm glad she's on our side."
The other two smiled and they left the room.