2
It was indeed Christmas time on Third Earth. Though the old time measurements of time and the like were unknown to the citizens, Lynx-O had managed to dig up some old records on their explorations, and using his Braille board managed to contain the records in electronic form and relay them into the computer at the Tower of Omens. There was a lot in these electronic histories: war, newscasts, legends...but it was one legend that the that caught the avid interest of Wilykit and Wilykat. That one was Christmas. They had eagerly read all that there was on it, though many records were destroyed, and they could not find the beginnings of the holiday, though they tried. Maybe they would go back to the old building and look some more. Maybe written records.
But with what they had, they managed to get the gist of the thing, and they set out excitedly, wearing pants and thick tunics in the cold weather, and riding their boards. They went to the forest to get a pine tree, and spent all of an afternoon making decorations for it. Another day was spent making gifts for each other and finding shiny material to wrap them in.
Even the other ThunderCats couldn't help but get caught up in the twins' enthusiasm, and some made gifts of their own, or went to the Wollos or the Berbils to buy or barter them.
****
The Mutants, however, had always known about the holiday. Some of the citizens celebrated it, liking its morals and its symbolism. These celebrations were often quashed by the government, however. They did not hold kindly to the ideals, and they disliked anything that would make the populace think on their own, or think about going against their rulers.
Long ago, their ancestors has been to Earth while it was in its first cycle, and had simply observed. Plundaarians had not always been conquerers and killers. But while most species evolved, their degenerated as they grew, not strong enough to keep up the evolution. But then these observers watched, and they recorded everyhitng and brought it back to their people; at first Christmas was widely accepted.. But after centureies, as the Plundaarian races began to evolve, not into an enlightened group of being, bue into a bloodthirsty band of sadistic wretches, this holiday of light was scorned, then forbidden. The few Mutants who still held onto light and good were thrown into slavery, and those who were not were shoved into the background, often forcing the families into the worst parts of town, where they had no floor other than dirt, and had no running water or electricity, let alone the technology the Mtunts did have access to.
And so Christmas was a taboo among the Mutants.
But a child does not hold the prejudices of his race. A child has no concept of right and wrong. A child does not instinctively know the bloody histroy of his race. A child does not hate unless he is taught.
Fifty feet away from Cats' Lair, Kringer stopped. Outside, the twins had their decorated tree, and were only gazing at it, wrestling occasionally with each other. The jackal cub was very hesitant. The ThunderCats seemed to be wary of any of his kind. Some of what the grown-ups said about them were probably even true.
After a long time, he got off his ground-skimmer and cautiously approached.
The twins did not see him at first. They were too busy looking at their tree and shaking the presents to see what was in them. but then Wilykit leapt to her feet. "Hey!" she said in an accusing tone. Kringer stepped back.
Wilykat also looked up to see his sister ready to fight, with her lariat and a capsule with her. "Whoa, Wilykit hold on! He's just a cub like us!" He looked to the uncertain child. "Wilykit, he's younger than we are, put those away."
Wilykit was looking at the child with narrowed eyes. Wilykat was right, he did look to be maybe six or seven, maybe eight. But still, he was a Mutant... "It could be some kind of ploy or trick!" she growled.
Wilykat considered, looked at the timid jackal cub in his scant clothing, his fur being blown by the wind that was many times bigger than he, and shook his head. "Yeah, it might," he said. "But it might not. Remember all it said about this time of year? You're supposed to be forgiving and stuff." He turned to the jackal while his sister grudgingly put away her weapon. "Hello..."
A little encouraged, Kringer stepped forward, keeping a wary eye on the girl. He knew these two, or at least who they were. He did not know their names. "Hi..." His voice was small and uncertain. "Um..." He felt a little silly, but he came a couple of steps closer. "I...I wanted to ask you a question."
Now even Wilykit could see he posed no threat. He was not even armed. "Hey, it's okay," she said awkwardly. It was strange talking to a Mutant like that but it was just a kid. Their quarrel was with S-S-Slithe and the other adults. "Um...do you want to sit down with me and Wilykat?" She caught an approving glance from her twin and smiled a little. They had read this was supposed to be a time of giving, forgiving, and love... She was trying.
"Okay..." The little jackal sat down, as uncomfortable as the twins, maybe more so, as he was the one in "enemy" territory.
Wilykat was more at ease. "What did you want to ask us? Well first, what's your name? I'm Wilykat, and this is my sister Wilykit."
Kringer smiled uncertainly. "I'm Kringer...and I heard Monkian say something about a Christmas Spirit...I thought you might know what it was. The grown-ups won't tell me and say Mutants aren't supposed to think about it."
"Oh!" Wilykit said. "We can tell you about it." What timing, too! "Well I don't know how it started, but me and Wilykat found records in an old building. It's a time that had a weird date, not like the dates we all use now, but the day is gonna be tomorrow, Day Five." The Thunderians, Plundaarians, and anyone else in their sector of space used the seasons as their calendar, starting from the solstices, and the equinoxes. Christmas fell on the fifth day from the winter solstice. "You have a tree like this and gifts sometimes, and people usually act nicer around that time." She had not failed to notic the slight change in the other cats. The spirit was catchy.
As Wilykat and Wilykat explained, passing the story back and forth easily, being twins, he thought. It sounded like something he would like a lot. "Oh...well then what's a Christmas spirit?" His apprehension had been replaced by his eager curiosity.
"Oh, well the spirit of something usually means the mood, or how people feel,. So the Christmas spirit is the feeling good and nice and stuff."
"Oh..." The jackal grinned. "I think I like Christmas." He looked around. "How old are you?"
"We're eleven," they said together and laughed. "How old are you?"
"I'm six, but I'm almost seven." He always made sure people knew that he hadn't just turned six. He was closer to seven than five, and that was an important thing to know.
Five was way too young.
"Cool." They grinned at each other for a minute, then Wilykat said, "I think we have some sleds in the hangar, want to go sledding with us? There's a spot about three miles away where it's snowing."
"You mean like on Hook Mountain?" He had been there once, and it was the greatest thing he'd even seen, snow.
"Yep!"
"Okay! What's sledding?"
Wilykit stood. "We'll show you. Come on!" The three cubs raced to the hangar to get the sleds. There were only two, but Wilykat said he would share. Then they took the spaceboards to the spot, their uneasiness forgotten. Now they were only three kids having fun. That's what they saw in one another: another child. As they talked, they had felt more and more of the spirit that they read about, and it became less and less something they tried to do.
The three laughed and played all day, and were exhausted when they got back to Cats' Lair. "I had fun," Kringer said shyly to the twins.
"We did too," Wilykit said, sounding amazed to find it was the total truth. "Maybe you can come over again?"
Kringer grinned broadly at the seeming acceptance. "Okay...they don't pay much attention to me. Just so I don't get lost they don't care where I go."
Wilykat grinned "Cool!"
Just then, Panthro came out of the Lair to get the twins. His eyes widened when he saw who they were with, and like Wilykit immediately suspected a Mutant trick. He drew his nunchucks and ran at them. "Thunderkittens, get away from him!" He growled at the jackal cub, who screeched in fright and stumbled backwards onto his rear. "Get out of here!" Panthro shouted at him, waving his weapon threateningly in the air. The child got to his feet and ran.
In shocked silence, Wilykit and Wilykat watched him jump on his scooter thing and speed away "Panthro!" Wilykit finally accused. "He didn't hurt us! He didn't mean any harm!"
"He's our friend!" Wilykat added.
Panthro scowled at them. "Get inside! You're ThunderCats! You should know better! Thunderians do not make friends with Mutants!"
Wilykat pulled his arm away from the adult. "Yeah," he said, feeling tears of humiliation, frustration, and injustice, this latter mostly for the young Mutant who had only wanted to know about Christmas, and got chased away by an adult. A pretty intimidating adult at that, even to other adults. "We are ThunderCats. Maybe that's why we do know better!" He stomped inside, his sister on his heels.
Part 3
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