2

Cats' Lair did, indeed, have the correct pipes, and Lynx-O and Snarfer brought them back. Having finished her visit to the lair, Pumyra hitched a ride back with them.

After the plumbing work had been finished, Lynx-O suggested that they take a break. Third Earth had been on edge, it would seem, lately. Mutants attacked, and the Lunattacks hatched one evil, often lame-brained scheme after another. To top it all off, Mumm-Ra seemed to have declared war on the whole blasted planet. The quiet past couple of days had been a welcome relief.

"What would you suggest?" Pumyra asked. She had assisted the other two in their task to get it finished more quickly.

"Perhaps a picnic lunch, a short distance away from the Tower of Omens," Lynx-O suggested. "We could stay close enough to hear the auto defenses if there happened to be an attack."

Pumyra smiled. "That's a good idea, Lynx-O. I'll get Bengali." The younger cat was willing enough to take a break and stopped his balcksmithing for the day.

***

Not long afterwards, the foursome was sitting in the pleasant shade of a large tree not far from the Tower of Omens, in the closest wooded area. "Rowl, this was a good idea, Lynx-O," Bengali said as he ate a sandwich in three large bites.

Pumyra laughed. "Bengali, the point of a picnic is to relax, not to scarf everything at once!"

"Hey, can I help it if I have a large appetite?" he asked good naturedly. "I'm a growing cat, you know." He flashed a grin and a muscle at the puma.

"Oh, jeez." Pumyra laughed harder. "What a ham!" Bengali's grin widened. "Besides, you're not exactly a cub."

"No, but I am almost twenty. Thunderian males don't stop growing until they're twenty-six."

Lynx-O shook his head and laughed. "Perhaps I should go back to the Tower of Omens and get the sparring pads." He smiled on them to let them know he was kidding.

"Who needs those?" Bengali asked. He growled and pounced.

Lynx-O chuckled at the surprised squawk from Pumyra, then the indignant threat to the young tiger as they wrestled. He lay back and drank of his Berbilberry juice.

***

In a coal-colored pyramid, a certain ageless priest of black magic had found what he was looking for. It was a simple spell, and required no objects, and no help from the ancient ones. An unnerving chuckle made its way through the large chamber. "This is it, Ma-Mutt," said the voice in a low rumble. "Divide and conquer, eh?" Mumm-Ra stood and raised his hands once more. This was not only for show, but it better put his body in a position to receive and channel the power and magic of the spell.

As his master began, the stout canine whimpered and crawled into the sarcophagus. The magic often intimidated him, and when the wind started howling, and things started shaking, the small animal decided he liked it in the tomb much better.

***

In the forest, after a short tussle that Pumyra won, Bengali stood. "I'm going to go look for some wild crental fruit," he said, speaking of a tart, skinless fruit that they had discovered in the forests of their region. "I have a taste for them."

"Would you like some help, Bengali?" Lynx-O asked.

"Nah, that's okay. I'll bring back a bunch." Bengali waved as he went on. Lynx-O shrugged agreebly and lay back once more, content to let the more energetic tiger bring the friut back. if he could find any, that was. Crental fruit was not always easy to locate.

"Hey," Snarfer suggested. "You want to play hide and seek?"

Pumyra chuckled. "I think we're a little old to play hide and seek, Snarfer. And besides, Lynx-O could not play the game very well."

"Oh...I didn't think of that."

Lynx-O chuckled lightly and stood. "I could play it, Pumyra. Remember that a Thunderian can smell better than most species of the galaxy, and I hear many things that no one else could. However, I don't think I am into climbing trees and hiding in bushes at the moment."

"Well," Snarfer said, as Pumyra looked abashed by the gentle reminder. "How about kick the can? We have the juice bucket..."

"That I will play." Lynx-O smiled and rooted around for the can.

***

"Tydranti garoug, flentragh desti cresh!" Mumm-Ra called in a near shriek. It was simple, but long, and in an alien tongue. He was almost done.

***

"HA!" Snarfer gloated, kicking the can easily from Lynx-O's reach. They had chosen a clearing so that no one ran into the trees, as much for Pumyra and Snarfer as for Lynx-O. When one got into a game, they sometimes didn't see things they might run into.

The small Snarf darted for the can once more, but Lynx-O had heard the move easily, and leapt lithely in front of him, kicking the can a couple of feet away. Hearing where it landed, he kicked again, thus taking control of the game.

Pumyra laughed at Snarfer's surprised expression as they went after the lynx...

***

"Isthint yeresh!" Mumm-Ra shrieked. "Entarenm yarul ANDERON!" As these last words were howled into the blackness that had surrounded the alien spell, the energy that was channeled from the priest was cast out, striking at the intended spots around Third Earth.

Mumm-Ra cackled insanely, the intense rush of power causing him to experience something quite similar to a drug high as it coursed through his body. "YES! Strike! And soon the ThunderCats will be no more!"

***

Snarfer grinned, sneaking quietly up on Lynx-O, who was kicking the can toward their makeshift goal. He heard Bengali coming back from his search as he leapt...

...and he landed in a spot that was nothing like the spot he had leapt from. Snarfer skidded down awkwardly on cold cement, and fell ungracefully on his rear end. Disoriented, he looked around with dazed eyes, wondering where all the trees had gone. Seconds later, Pumyra and Lynx-O ran out of thin air to join him. "What on Thundera--?" Pumyra said, as she, too, looked around.

"I...I don't know, Pumyra." Lynx-O's voice was as confused as the others' expressions were. "We are not in the forest anymore, are we?" Pumyra shook her head, then spoke the answer. "I feel a slight chill, and hard rock or cement under my feet...and running water somewhere."

Snarfer stood. "Where are we??" he asked, alarm already in his voice. "Lynx-O, Pumyra, what happened? Where's the Tower of Omens!?"

"Calm down, Snarfer," Pumyra told him. "I don't know what happened, but standing here gaping isn't going to tell us, and it' not going to get us back to the Tower of Omens."

"You're right, Pumyra," Lynx-O said. He cautiously took a step forward, putting his hands out so as not to run into anything. After a moment, his hands hit cold, hard concrete. It was rough, but even, unlike rock. "I...I felt a tingling as I ran forward and found myself here," Lynx-O said. "Did either of you feel it?"

"No," Snarfer said. "At least I didn't notice it if I did."

"I didn't either, Lynx-O, but you know you feel more than any of us can."

"Yes," Lynx-O said. "But there is something more."

"What?"

Lynx-O shook his head. "I-I'm not sure...yet. Let is move on and see what we see." He paused then chuckled a bit. "Figuratively speaking." There was a nervous laugh from his companions as they moved on.

The trio walked on. They were in a stone tunnel of sorts, with little light, coming from holes in the roof, and the sound and smell of water nearby. Lynx-O was silent as he felt his way, but as he went, things were clicking into place. The smells, and the sounds, and the cool, damp feel, all these were finding a familiar place in the niches of his mind and memory. He became oriented, while Pumyra and Snarfer became more confused.

"This looked almost like a storm sewer," Pumyra said.

"Yeah!' Snarfer agreed. "That's why it looks kind of familiar! I wonder where, though? Third Earth doesn't have any cities that use storm sewers like this, are there?"

"No, I don't think so."

Finally the group came to a large area with three other tunnels branching out from it. The sound of rushing water grew stronger, and the felt moisture beneath their feet. There was an inrush of cool air against the hot, humid atmosphere that tried to penetrate from above. There was large grate above that let a good amount of sunlight filter through, and Lynx-O felt it on his face. There was a large ditch in the floor, and Lynx-O stopped short before stepping in it. "Careful!" he warned, his voice having a strange, urgent quality to it. He pointed downward, got to his knees and felt. It was there, a two foot wide, one foot deep trench in the cement.

Pumyra and Snarfer were gaping at him. "Lynx-O!" Snarfer finally said. "How...how did you know that was there? You couldn't possibly see it, nope, no way, snarfer, snarfer!"

Lynx-O frowned and shook his head. He stood, the knees of his uniform having been soaked from kneeling in the trickles of water. "Look ahead. There is a tunnel, two others on the side. On your left is an indentation in the wall with an old control panel, on the right a bench made for those who work in the sewers to use to rest while they toil, in front of each tunnel is a ditch. The cement is a dark gray color, except for the bench, which was painted a dark green." There was an astounded pause. "Am I right?" the elderly lynx asked.

While Snarfer sputtered, Pumyra finally closed her slack jaw and exclaimed, "By Jaga, Lynx-O! How?"

Lynx-O dropped his head and shook it in amazement. "I have heard this before. I have felt it, the air, the cement. I have smelled the damp and the concrete, and the cool air...smell is the strongest sense when it comes to recalling memories." He hesitated, then continued. "Pumyra, I have been here before, when I still had my eyes."

Part 1

Part 3

Table of Contents
ThunderCat Stories Page
Main Page