5

Inside, Panthro and Cheetara looked at each other and laughed. Tygra frowned, trying to hide his own amusement. "Shouldn't we put a stop to that?"

Lion-O gave him a look, chuckling himself. "No, let them be. You think they don't cuss when we're not around?"

"Good point."

"And besides, after the words Panthro uses when he;s fixing the ThunderTank..."

Panthro snorted, but said little on the matter. He couldn't really deny it, after all.

Cheetara looked to the panther. "Well? Convinced? That child is not armed and he is not dangerous. He just wanted to ask about Christmas. All he's carrying is made out of wood, and it's small." She hook her head. "I can't see it well, but I think he made them a gift."

Panthro nodded. He really did feel ashamed. "I think so too. You think I should go out there and apologize to the kid?"

She shook her head. "No. He's probably scared of you now, and it's probably not a good idea to make too much contact with him. Can you imagine the trouble that cub would get into if S-S-Slithe found out he was hanging around the twins? An adult would be executed for treason had it been on old Plundaar."

Panthro nodded grimly. "Yes. Probably now too. I wouldn't put it past him."

"Yes. Just trust the kids more in the future. I think that's enough." Cheetara smiled.

Panthro nodded. "You're right., but it's not easy." He sighed. "But you're right."

****

Outside, the kids had finished trying to teach each other the curses of their languages, and were talking about their own planets, and their own people, and talking of Third Earth. Kringer was not like the others. In fact Wilykat thought he would grow up to be a decent Mutant. He knew there were some at the castle that did not fight, but did not leave for fear of being branded a traitor. He was thinking so far ahead...but he hoped that maybe, just maybe, when Kringer got older, he could help form some kind of peace...

"...you think, Wilykat?"

"Huh?" Wilykat shook his head then laughed. "What?"

"I said this tree looks really cool, don't you think?" Wilykit repeated with a laugh. "Got snowballs in your ears?"

Wilykat laughed also and smacked his sister in the arm. She cackled obnoxiously, making Kringer giggle. "Yeah I do. Think it looks cool that is."

There was a pleasant silence, during which the three cubs only gazed at the tree. Panthro had taken the running lights from the Hovercat and put them on. They were a little big, but gave a nice glow. "Well..." Kringer said shyly. "I...I got something for you guys." He brought out the wooden object, a series of carved letters, very awkwardly done, and almost unreadable. It read, with one word stacked on the other: "Thanks Twins" He handed it to them. "I-I made it."

Wilykit took the words and smiled. After she handed them to Wilykat to look over, she reached out and hugged the smaller child. "Thanks," she said. "It's beautiful."

Kringer stiffened a little at the embrace, but them smiled. "Thanks...I worked all night on it."

Wilykat was looking at it with a grin, then he set it down. "We have something for you, too, Kringer." While the cub gave him a look of interest, Wilykat got the gift from under the tree and handed it to him. It was wrapped in silver shiny paper, as were all of the others. They had swiped it from the kitchen. "We made ours too. Wilykit made one and I made the other one."

The jackal cub eagerly took off the paper, after being assured that was what he was supposed to do, and grinned down at what was underneath. They had been made of leather as well: they were a pair of wrist covers with Kringer's name stamped somewhat clumsily into one of them. They had rawhide thongs.

Kringer looked at them eagerly and gave his new friends a grin. "Boy they're neat...could you help me put them on?"

"Sure!" Wilykat took one and helped the young Mutant tie it onto his left wrist, then put the other on his right, name outward.

Kringer looked at them for a minute, then awkwardly hugged Wilykat, as if he were almost afraid to do so. "Thanks."

Up in the Control Room, the adults looked down on this. All were smiling. Snarf, who had only just been told of what happened and given Lion-O a tongue lashing for not telling him sooner, wiped a tear from his eye. He was very sentimental, after all, and by his own admission. "Aww, that's sweet, snarf, snarf."

"Yeah...it is," Tygra agreed, and put a companionable hand on his shoulder. Cheetara and Panthro had their arms aaround each other's shoulder's in a friendly stance, and Lion-O only watched with a smile. He had the same thought in his head as Wilykat had about peace. Maybe not in their lifetimes, but he could always hope, couldn't he? Wilykit and Wilykat could do it...maybe others if they ever found their countrymen, those that had survived. He had hope.

Sometimes that was all one needed.

****

"Well..." Kringer said, clearly reluctant. "It's late, and the sun's going down. If I don't get back, S-S-Slithe'll send someone to look for me, and the he won't be happy." He paused thoughtfully. "He's a jerk."

"Boy, he sure is." The trio had spent some of their time agreeing about what kind of creep S-S-Slithe was. Wilykit nodded, and stood, the other two following suit. "Well...can you come here sometimes maybe?"

Kringer grinned. "Yeah...like I said they don't care where I go and never know either." He started to walk away, stopped, and waved. "Bye, ThunderCats..."

The twins waved and said in unison, "Bye, Kringer." The child walked away.

****

Back at Castle Plundaar, Kringer was greeted by an irate snake Mutant whose name he didn't know. He whapped Kringer upside of the head, and the jackal cub scowled at him. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Ssssssslithe wasss getting mad. He thought you got losssst again; almosssst sent sssssomeone to look for you, brat!"

Kringer pulled away from him. "Well I didn't get lost, so there." Scowling, he stalked off, leaving the snake who had guard duty that night to make a rude gesture after the cub and to tell S-S-Slithe the kid was back.

Later that night, when he probably should have been sleeping (not that anyone cared if and when he went to bed) the little jackal sought out Simi in his quarters. "Simi?"

The simian, in a pretty good mood, grinned at the kid and gestured him to come in. "What is it, Kringer?" He was one of the few that used his name, instead of "kid" or "cub" or "scavenger".

Kringer came and sat down on the bed, looking a little nervous and a little embarrassed. "Well, I made you something..." Kringer brought his hands from behind his back and handed the older Mutant another wood-made object.

Simi frowned a little and took it. It was a bad imitation of a Skycutter, and he laughed. "Hey you're getting pretty good with that wood, hoo, hoo. I like it, kid." Then he frowned, this one a little suspicious. "What's it for?" He remembered the conversation from the day before.

Kringer looked down. He had been pleased by the compliment, but now afraid Simi would be mad at him "Well...i-it-it's for Christmas..." he answered in nearly a whisper.

Simi sighed and tried to look sternly at him, but he saw the kid was nearly in tears and sighed. He was too soft-hearted for his own good. He put an arm around the jackal cub. "Thanks, kid." Kringer looked up, a little surprised. Simi pointed a finger at him. "But don't you ever tell any of the others you been messing around with that stuff, okay?"

Kringer beamed at him. "I won't, I promise." His smile widened as Simi put the lopsided Skycutter on his dresser in plain sight. "Okay, go on to bed, kid. And try not to stay out so late next time, okay?"

Kringer shook his head and stood. "I won't."

Simi frowned a bit. "Where'd you get the wrist guards, hoo hoo?" he asked. "They look like the ones the warriors wear."

Pleased with that description, Kringer said, "A-a friend gave them to me." Actually two friends, but Simi was pretty smart. He didn't want him to suspect.

Simi shook his head. "Okay." He ruffled the fur on his head. "Go to bed, imp. You're gonna be the death of me, hoo hoo."

Kringer giggled and left the room, in better spirits than he had been in in a long time. He climbed into his bed in the tiny room that had once been a medium sized storage closet, only big enough for a small bed and a nightstand where he kept his clothing and few belongings. He closed the door and undressed. The child climbed into bed and curled up, and still wearing the wrist-guards, he fell asleep.

THE END

Part 4

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