The Keeper of Kallisto
By Spaced Angel
From a cloud-heavy sky, snowflakes fell in their thousands, peppering the great grey canvas of the heavens with spots of white. Winter, in all her glory, had come to claim the land as her own and, displeased with the ugliness of the barren landscape, had hidden all beneath a blanket of purest white.
Seen from a frosted window in an interior that was deliciously warm and cosy, the landscape had an ineffable beauty about it. Being out in the thick of a snow blizzard soon dispelled any romantic notions, as Cheetara could readily testify. Now, as she plunged unawares into another snowdrift that concealed the irregular undulations of the land, she felt herself agreeing yet again with Snarf's pronouncement that winter held few attractions.
Picking herself up, she tried to brush away the worst of the clinging snow. Icy flakes had already sneaked into her clothing and had melted against the warmth of her skin. Cold and wet was a most unpleasant combination. Only the knowledge that she had to complete her mission stopped her feet turning for home.
A signal booster had mysteriously stopped transmitting, thus effectively creating a communications blackout over the territories to the north of Hook Mountain. There had been no argument about the fact that it needed repairing, but who to send? With Lion-O, Panthro, Pumyra and Bengali gone to New Thundera, the choice had been narrowed down to an unwilling few. The twins were ruled out, since neither of them had the technical knowledge, Lynx-O had taken to his bed with a head cold and Tygra had spent half the morning sneezing. Snarf was technically inept and Snarfer was too clumsy to be trusted with a delicate job like this. In the end, there was only ever going to be one candidate.
With a resigned sigh, Cheetara took the locator device from its protective pouch and examined it. A green light flashed just off-centre. By all accounts, she should be right on top of the wretched thing. She glanced about, looking for any trace of the landscape Tygra had described, but found that all hard lines had been softened into unrecognisable shapes by the drifting snow. With the locator still in her hand, she pressed on, keeping her eyes fixed on the tiny screen, waiting for any change in the locator light. Twice she altered her course when the light moved even further from the centre, until finally green turned to red and told her that she had reached the device.
The rocky outcrop where Tygra had told her he had placed the booster was a lumpy pile of powdery flakes. Finding the thing meant digging and her hands were already numb from the cold. She knew delaying the inevitable would achieve nothing and so, gritting her teeth, she plunged her fingers into the snow.
By the time she glimpsed a flashing yellow light, she had known what it was to pass through the pain barrier. With fingers she could now barely flex, she brushed the last of the snow away and stared at the signal booster. The blinking light told her that it was functioning, but the presence of any other lights confirmed that it was no longer transmitting. No damage then, she thought. That left a possible technical fault, which would mean taking the device back to the Lair for Tygra to inspect. Disconnecting it would take ages and more time than she had planned to spend out in the cold. Still, it had to be done. This booster was a lifeline to the remoter areas of Third Earth and in these uncertain times the Thundercats could not afford to be blind. Filling her mind with images of blazing fires and hot drinks, she was about to start the long process of dismantling the device when another thought occurred to her. It was a long shot, but if right, she would be home in time for dinner. Reaching behind it, she sought the power switch. She flicked it on and the device whirred back to life.
Activating her communicator, the sharp crackle of static soon gave way to a familiar voice.
"Cheetara?" said Tygra. "You managed to get the signal booster working?"
There was that about his tone that caused a sense of irritation to rise within her. Bad enough that she was out in this foul weather without having her abilities doubted.
"Of course I did," she replied indignantly. "Are you getting a reading from it?"
"Let's see." A moment's silence followed. "Yes, very clear," he said at last. "What was wrong with it?"
"It was switched off."
He half-repeated her words, then paused to take in their meaning. "By accident?" he asked. "Did something fall on it?"
She quickly surveyed the immediate vicinity, but whatever lay beneath the snow was well hidden. "Possibly," she replied. "It's hard to tell."
"Or it could have been deliberate." Thoughtfulness changed to concern in a moment. "Someone could have turned it off on purpose, knowing we would come to investigate. Cheetara, be careful. It could be a trap."
That prospect had already occurred to her. As far as she could tell, she was alone out here in this white wilderness. There was no reason to start getting jittery, but she was and for once it was nothing to do with her sixth sense. Tygra had an annoying knack of usually being right. There again, which of their enemies would be silly enough to venture out in this blizzard? She was ready to bet that even Mumm-ra was safely tucked up in his sarcophagus.
"Do you want me to come over in the Thundertank?" was Tygra's next question.
It was a nice thought, but dragging him out in this weather on the merest suspicion of foul play hardly seemed good enough reason.
"No, I can manage," she said. "I'll be home soon."
She closed the communicator channel and set about installing the booster back on its snowy shelf. The merest tilt and it shut down. The lights went out and the casing immediately started to cool under the storm's relentless barrage.
"Stupid thing!" she said, giving it a thump. "Work, will you!"
It obeyed with reluctant and came back to life with an annoyed hum. Its lights twinkled and winked at her, as if revelling in some secret knowledge. That earned it another thump, making its hum to rise a pitch in protest and giving Cheetara a moment's satisfaction before her hand started to throb from the ill-advised blow on the hard metal casing.
"Blast it all!" she muttered, rubbing her fist in her other hand to get the blood moving. "Blast this faulty equipment and blast this weather! What next?"
"This!"
She heard the roar of flame and felt searing heat on her back. With inches to spare, she rolled out of the way as a fireball smashed into the rocks where a second before she had been working. Turning as she came to her feet, she faced her attacker. Cloak flying, seemingly oblivious to the worst of the storm, Chilla stood several feet away, hands on hips, laughing out loud.
"Poor Thundercat," she cackled. "Did your little machine stop working?"
"No thanks to you!" Cheetara said, pulling out her staff in readiness for whatever Chilla had to throw at her. "You did turn it off, didn't you?"
Chilla eyed her with contempt. "Who else?" she sneered. "And of course you came running to fix it. I didn't even have to wait too long. Bah! Thundercats, as predictable as ever!"
"You're not even original!" Cheetara countered.
Before the Lunatac had a chance to answer, she struck the ground with her staff. A blast cut a fiery cleft through the snow and Chilla had to skitter out the way to avoid an impromptu roasting. With the fringe of her cloak smouldering, Chilla let out a scream of rage and flew at her, talons outstretched. Cheetara tried to outrun her, but with her feet sinking into the snow and robbing her of her speed, Chilla was well able to reach her before she could escape. The Lunatac's weight brought them both down and they tumbled down the slight incline, gathering snow, fighting, biting and clawing.
When they finally came to a halt, Chilla had gained the upper hand. Cheetara managed to grab her wrists as her fingers descended towards her neck. Stalemate ensued, until Cheetara relaxed enough to make Chilla think she was weakening. It worked. A wicked grin curled the Lunatac's lips, but her hesitation cost her dear. At the moment of victory, Cheetara threw a punch at her jaw. Chilla was sent reeling and Cheetara scrambled away. Rounding on the Lunatac, she pitched her forward and pressed her face into the snow.
"Cool it, Chilla," Cheetara said. "Why don't you have a taste of your own medicine!"
Beneath her, Chilla writhed and screamed insults, until one of her flailing fists finally found a soft target and Cheetara was forced to release her. Back on her feet, Chilla turned on Cheetara, both hands raised.
"Say your prayers, Thundercat," she said. "Time to die."
As a red pinpoint in the centre of Chilla's palm grew, Cheetara struggled to get to her feet. A red ball flew directly at her and she raised her staff to deflect it back at the Lunatac. Her aim was off and instead of hitting Chilla, the fireball struck the ground between them. Shock waves rippled out, knocking both from their feet. The air filled with the sound of rending ice and snow began to pour into the opening that had appeared. As a crack pierced the snow and shot towards her, Cheetara tried to escape it. Behind her, she heard a scream as the earth opened to claim Chilla, who was scrabbling in vain at the icy surface, and as she turned to help her, the ground beneath her own feet disintegrated. She fell in a blanket of snow, past rock-hewn glaciers and down to a distant and hopefully soft landing. The snow cushioned her, but her teeth still rattled when her body hit the firm surface. Barely had she time to recover before an approaching wail heralded Chilla's arrival. Cheetara glanced up as the Lunatac came hurtling towards her and, too late to move, Chilla landed squarely on top of her in a flurry of snow and curses.
"Get off me!" Cheetara yelled, pushing Chilla away.
"Keep your filthy hands to yourself, Thundercat!" Chilla retorted. "This is your fault, you spawn of an ill-bred alley tom!"
Despite her aching bones, Cheetara jumped to her feet and faced her. "You threw that fire ball!"
With her hands on her hips, Chilla sneered back at her. "And you threw it back at me. Or tried to."
"Think yourself lucky I'm such a bad shot."
Chilla scowled and retreated to sulk and brush snow from her clothing. While she was occupied, Cheetara took the opportunity to assess her surroundings. Great walls of sparkling ice rose on all sides and, above, the hole through which they had fallen was rapidly being covered over by a layer of ice. What little remained of the sunlight was soon blocked out, leaving the cavern lit only by a mysterious blue glow that seemed to emanate from the ice itself. Suddenly struck by the strangest feeling that she was being watched, Cheetara turned to find a woman standing a few feet away.
She was a strange sight, in her simple shift dress of rainbow colours that clung to her lean frame and fell from her shoulders into two voluminous sleeves. Her waist-length white hair was held back from her face by two plaits running from her temples to vanish into a yellow veil of gossamer fine material. In some respects, Cheetara was reminded Willa, but this woman had not the healthy blush of a life lived outdoors. Her pallor was sickly and so pale that it was hard to distinguish where the fabric of her dress ended and her skin began. Yet for all this air of fragility, Cheetara sensed an overwhelming aura of power from this woman.
It was with measured caution that she called to Chilla and alerted her to the woman's presence. Chilla strode over, with all her typical arrogance, and looked the newcomer up and down.
"Who's she?" she said disdainfully.
Cheetara sighed. "I don't know."
"Where did she come from then?"
"I don't know."
Chilla hissed. "You don't know much, do you, Thundercat?" She cleared her throat and in an unnecessarily loud voice addressed the silent woman. "Hey, you," she barked. "D'you know a way out of here?" In answer, the woman nodded. Chilla seethed. "What is this? Idiot week? Tell me, you fool!"
"There are many doors, but only one way from this place," the woman said at last.
"What's the quickest?" Chilla demanded.
"Such impatience," came the calm reply.
"My time is important. Get on with it."
The woman shook her head. "Time matters little here in Kallisto."
"Is that where we are?" asked Cheetara.
"Indeed. I am the Keeper of Kallisto. You are welcome here, Thundercat Cheetara, as are you Lunatac Chilla."
"You know our names?"
"Course she does," Chilla muttered. "She heard us talking earlier."
"I didn't mention your name," said Cheetara. "And you didn't say mine."
Chilla paused and considered that statement. "So?" she spat. "Don't try and get smart with me, Thundercat. It doesn't suit you." With a withering look, she turned her attention back to the Keeper. "Now listen, lady. I have to get out of here. Which is the quickest way?" When no reply came, Chilla hissed her annoyance and spat ice at the woman. At least, she tried. No ice formed from her frosty breath and Chilla was left coughing and wheezing.
"Your powers will not work here in Kallisto," said the Keeper. "You are in my world now."
"Are we to consider ourselves your prisoners?" asked Cheetara.
The Keeper shook her head. "There are no bars to contain you nor jailers to bind you."
"Then I'm leaving," said Chilla. Glancing around the cavern, she saw an opening in the ice wall and headed towards it.
"There are many doors, but only one way to freedom from this place," said the Keeper.
Chilla stopped in her tracks. "That's the second time you've said that, and I've still no idea what you're talking about. Now, unless you've got an army to stop me, I'm leaving."
"No army. I am alone."
"Alone?" said Cheetara. "Why do you choose to live down here?"
"I do not live," said the Keeper. "I exist, but my life ended many years ago. Mine is a dead civilisation."
"Dead?" said Chilla, wrinkling up her nose. "Is she nuts or something?"
"Kallisto was once the largest city in this hemisphere," the Keeper continued. "We turned jealous eyes on those who lived in the south and they on us. We fought to gain what the other had and yet could not, for we were evenly matched. Every year brought new weapons and new ways to bring death to our enemies. The losses were great on both sides and yet we did not stop. Eventually, we created the ultimate weapon and called upon our enemy to surrender. They refused and the weapon was used." She raised her hands and eyes to the hidden heavens. "Our enemy was destroyed and we celebrated as black snow fell across our land."
"Sounds like fallout," said Cheetara.
"Who cares?" said Chilla. "They won. That's all that matters."
"We did not win," said the Keeper. "Our crops rotted in the fields. Our animals were born mutated. Our children were not born at all. This, we won. And now we are no more. I was the last and so I remain. I am the Keeper."
"The Keeper of what?" Chilla sneered. "You just said everybody was dead. Doesn't seem much point you being here, sweetheart."
"I am the memory of my people. I am that which was and that which must always be. Through many years, I have watched and I have listened. How much has changed and yet how much has remained the same. I see a world still at war. You, for example, come here as enemies."
"You could say that," said Cheetara. "We have a 'few' issues."
"Like we hate the Thundercats' guts and want to see them all annihilated," said Chilla with a snort of disgust.
"And you, Cheetara?" asked the Keeper.
"We want to protect Third Earth from the Lunatacs."
"By destroying them?"
Cheetara shook her head. "By having them incarcerated for the crimes, preferably."
"Yet a moment ago, you expressed a regret that your enemy had escaped her fate at your hands."
Chilla sniggered. "That puts you in your place, doesn't it, Thundercat?"
"Those words were spoken in anger," said Cheetara, glaring at Chilla.
A thin smile spread across the Keeper's lips. "And in anger might you have struck her down."
"No. I am a Thundercat. I believe in preserving life. However, that does not stop me from defending myself. I accept that the outcome may not always be favourable to my opponent."
"Yet violence begets violence and so the circle is unbroken."
"Nice," said Chilla scornfully. "Now you've said your piece, perhaps you'll tell me how to get the hell out of here. Thanks for the lesson in morality!"
The Keeper's coal black eyes turned on her. "You have learned nothing." She drew herself up to her full height and regarded them both gravely. "You will leave Kallisto, Cheetara of the Thundercats and Chilla of the Lunatacs, but it will be together or not at all. To one I will give the knowledge, to the other the ability. In one hour, the great sea rises to flood these caverns. If you have heeded nothing I have said, then you will both die here."
She folded her arms across her chest and Cheetara watched in fascination as she slowly faded from sight. Where she had stood she had left no footprints or any other indication that she had ever been anything more than a strange dream. Cheetara might have been able to convince herself she had been hallucinating had it not been for Chilla's presence at her side and the sudden pain that shot up her left leg. She dropped to the ground with a cry of surprise as her leg buckled beneath her and refused to support her weight. She tried to stand and fell again. Her leg was leaden and lacking in sensation. If she did have only an hour to escape from this place, she would have to crawl out. She would never make it.
On the other hand, she was sure the Thundertank could make light work of the snow and reach her before the waters did. She activated her communicator and was met with silence. Either the ice was too thick for a signal to get out or the Keeper had some way of blocking it. Another avenue closed, leaving her with the uncomfortable thought that she must either resign herself to her fate or do as the Keeper suggested. Co-operation with Chilla, however, was not a prospect she relished.
Chilla for her part was scurrying around the cavern, peering into the dark tunnels that lined its walls. Seething with fury, she pounded back to where Cheetara sat and glared down at her.
"Which is it?" she demanded.
"What?"
"The way out. Don't play stupid with me."
"I don't know."
Chilla's eyes narrowed. "Yes, you do. Our crazy friend just now said that one had the knowledge. Well, you ain't got the ability, have you, so you must know the way out. Which tunnel is it?"
Cheetara kept her mouth firmly shut and Chilla prepared to hiss ice in her direction. "It's no use trying to intimidate me," said Cheetara. "You heard what the Keeper said. Our powers and weapons won't work down here. Neither will our communicators."
"That won't stop me strangling you!" Chilla retorted.
"Then you'll never find the way out. I should imagine that these tunnels run for miles. You could wander forever… or at least until the waters get you."
Chilla muttered something discouraging. "Then what?"
"You heard what she said. We leave together or not at all."
"Never!" Chilla declared, as though Cheetara had just suggested she sell her soul. "I would rather die first!"
Cheetara folded her arms. "Then we might as well sit here and wait. There's only an hour to go, probably less now."
Chilla hurled an insult at her and strode over to the nearest tunnel opening. Peering into the inky blackness, she hesitated on the threshold, uncertain whether to proceed. Then, with one final icy glare over her shoulder, she headed into the tunnel and vanished from sight. Cheetara sighed and stayed where she was. Chilla would be back.
Sure enough, several minutes later, Chilla returned, red-faced and as angry as ever. "I'm done messing about here," she raged. "Which tunnel is it?"
"What was wrong with that one?" Cheetara asked innocently, knowing full well that Chilla had met with difficulties almost immediately. In her mind's eye, she could see a plan of their immediate location, a gift bestowed by the Keeper, and she knew that the way Chilla had gone was definitely not the way out.
"More tunnels," Chilla muttered. "Five branching off in different directions."
"Oh. And you couldn't decide which one to take?" Chilla scowled and Cheetara knew that was the best reply she was going to get out of her. "If you help me, I can get us out of here," she said.
"You want me to help you? Isn't that against your precious Code of Thundera or something?"
"No," said Cheetara. "I want to get out of this place, so do you. We have no option but to co-operate." Chilla shuddered and said nothing. That was progress, Cheetara decided. At least she had not flown into a rage this time. Perhaps she was coming round to the idea. "I can't leave without you and you can't leave without me. We have no other choice, Chilla."
"I could beat the information I want out of you."
Cheetara nodded. "You could. However, even if you did succeed in doing that, I would only be able to give you details of our present location. I cannot see beyond that. I imagine more will be revealed to me as we progress."
Chilla muttered something under her breath and, finally, after a moment of fighting with her better judgement, held out her hand to Cheetara. She took it, trying hard to contain her surprise at how warm Chilla's skin felt, and allowed herself to be helped up to her feet. She swayed slightly as she tested her weight on her numb leg and almost fell as again it buckled. Chilla caught her and supported her on her injured side.
"Thanks," said Cheetara.
Chilla glared at her. "Listen, don't start getting all chummy. I'm doing this under sufferance. Once we're out in the open, all bets are off. Understand?" Cheetara nodded. "Very well. Which way?"
Cheetara pointed unerringly to a tunnel in the opposite wall. Putting her arm around her waist, Chilla helped her stumble towards the opening. It was as dark as the others, but as they approached a blackened torch on the wall suddenly flared into life.
"I think that means we've got the Keeper's approval," said Cheetara.
Chilla took down the blazing torch without comment and once more helped Cheetara along as they headed into the darkness. The torch cast a yellow glow on the tunnel wall, creating monsters out of the ice, which the protective aura of light around them seemed to keep at bay. With no feeling in her leg at all, Cheetara knew their progress was going to be agonisingly slow. Had it not been for her unerring sense of direction, she knew that Chilla would have dumped her ages ago. The Lunatac was tiring, more quickly than Cheetara had expected, and it was not long before she finally came to a halt.
"Give me a minute," she said, thrusting Cheetara against a nearby wall to prop herself up. That done, she bent over, hands on knees, and wheezed painfully.
"Are you all right?" Cheetara asked with concern.
"What do you care?" she shot back.
"If you have asthma--"
"I don't," said Chilla abruptly, straightening up. "There's salt in the air. It aggravates my chest."
Cheetara remembered what the Keeper had said about the sea flooding the cavern and realised that as far as they had come they were still not out of danger. She waited until Chilla's breathing had improved a little and put this suggestion to her. Chilla's already thunderous expression did not change; obviously she had come to the same conclusion. She shouldered Cheetara's weight again and set off at a blistering pace along the tunnel. Neither could keep it up for too long before both needed to rest. This time, Chilla's breathing was much worse and she had to support herself on the wall. When she removed her hand, a bloody palm print was left behind.
"Chilla, you're bleeding," said Cheetara in horror.
"It's nothing," came the muttered reply. "Just the salt irritating my skin."
Cheetara hopped over to her. "It's not nothing," she said, peeling off Chilla's glove and inspecting her palm. The skin had cracked and split in places and was thinly oozing blood. "These gloves aren't much good," she said. "The fabric is as thin as gossamer."
"It's meant to be," Chilla groused. "I wouldn't be able to release my fireballs otherwise."
"There's a happy thought," said Cheetara and set about tearing a strip off her sleeve, which she wrapped around Chilla's hand. To her surprise, the Lunatac did not protest at her ministrations and it was only when she had finished that Chilla pushed her away and knocked her to the ground.
"I don't need your help, Thundercat," she grumbled. "Or your sympathy." She regarded her bandaged hand and a little of the annoyance fell from her face. "But… thanks anyway."
"Forget it," said Cheetara. "I never knew seawater had such an effect on you."
"It's like acid," she said. "A little secret for you to use against me when we next meet."
Cheetara shook her head. "I might want to thrash your hide, Chilla, but I'm not vindictive."
Chilla grunted. "Then you'd be a rarity on my world. Dropping my people into vats of seawater is what the Mutants consider fun. Not that you'd have known anything about that, safe in your happy little ignorant existence on Thundera," she added harshly.
"I'm sorry," said Cheetara. "I had no idea."
"And you care even less?"
Cheetara shook her head. Reports of what happened on the outer moons of Plun-darr had always been sketchy at best. She knew that the Mutants had exploited the ability of the indigenous population of Chilla's homeworld to endure the sub-freezing temperatures in order to mine precious Thundrillium ore buried deep in the moon frozen heart. Beyond that, she knew little else. Until she met Chilla, she had no idea what these icy people looked like or the special talents Nature had bestowed upon them. And as for caring… well, she had to admit that Chilla had a point. While they had been faceless entities, it had been easy to turn a blind eye and imagine them as being like their Mutant neighbours. Hearing the truth was less palatable.
"I care," she said. "But I also know that you were helping the Mutants fuel their campaigns against us."
Chilla scowled. "Not by choice. Something else you didn't know."
"So why?"
Chilla stared at her bandaged hands and slowly clenched her fists. "Plun-darr ignored us for centuries. We had nothing to offer them, so they left us alone, to live or die as fate chose. Then that accursed mineral you call Thundrillium was discovered on my planet. The Mutants were interested in that. When their machines fell foul of the cold, they turned to us for cheap manual labour. They enslaved my people and made us work for them. And no one cared." The eyes she turned on Cheetara glowed with a faint inner anger. "I despise the Mutants for what they did, but I hate Thundera more for what you did not do."
"We didn't know," Cheetara replied weakly.
"Yes, you did!" she retorted. "Before the Mutants tightened their grip on us, one of my people managed to escape. He went to Thundera and begged the Thundercats for help." She paused for breath and glowered at her. "You know what your beloved leaders did, Cheetara? They handed him back to the Mutants in exchange for a peace treaty."
This was shocking news indeed. "I don't believe it," Cheetara said.
"Why? Because it doesn't fit with your notions of morality? Huh! They paraded him before us and made him tell us about your betrayal. Then they executed him. Have you ever seen the skin slowly peel from someone's body? That is my earliest childhood memory. What's yours?"
Cheetara looked away from her intense glare, unable and unwilling to believe what she was hearing.
"From that moment on, Thundera was our enemy. Hate gave us the strength to keep supplying the Mutants with the ore they wanted. In time, they would have destroyed you… and then we would have destroyed them. And now fate has delivered both my enemies into my hands. Know that when we get out of here, Thundercat, I will kill you!"
From the icy look in her eyes, Cheetara believed her. If what she said was true, then she could not blame her for her hatred. All the same, there had to be some mistake. The Thundercats would never have turned their backs on a people in need, especially if they could have been an ally against the Mutants. There again, she knew from experience that doing the right thing was not always politically expedient or practical. Three souls had been left on Thundera to their fates at Jaga's insistence. At the time, she had seen what making that decision had cost him. He had no idea that they would be rescued and in time be reunited with their countrymen. He had acted to save those who he could. Perhaps the leaders back in the day when the plea came from Chilla's homeworld had had the same considerations in mind. It did not make it any more acceptable, if it were true.
"Have you ever considered that the Mutants were lying?" Cheetara said. "You only had their word for it. How do you know he ever made to Thundera? They could have forced him to lie."
Chilla seemed genuinely thrown by the remark, as though she had never considered the possibility before.
Now seemed like a good opportunity to press home her advantage. "Think about it, Chilla. The Mutants got what they wanted. You turned your anger on us and not on them."
For a long moment, Chilla was silent, until suddenly she pulled herself up to her full height. "That would suit you for me to believe that, wouldn't it?" she growled.
"It is possible though."
Chilla stared at her and then finally looked away. "Yes, it's possible," she said with a sigh. "You aren't the first to suggest it either. I was sure it was as they said until I met you."
"Really?" Cheetara said with some surprise.
"You were all so honourable, doing the right thing, helping these pathetic Third Earthlings. I couldn't understand why you had refused to help us."
"Had we known, even if we could have done nothing to help you ourselves, we would have told someone who could."
Chilla grunted. "That's what the elders said. But even now..." She hesitated. "I cannot allow myself to believe it."
Strange choice of words, Cheetara thought. "Why not?" she asked.
"Because that would mean that we willingly colluded with our oppressors all those years. That would mean that we wasted our energies hating you when we should have been fighting the Mutants. I have to hate you, Thundera has to be to blame." She waved a dismissive hand. "Enough of this nonsense. Come on."
A bandaged hand was extended in her direction. Cheetara accepted her support and they started away down the gloomy tunnel. Half-stumbling, dragging her useless leg behind her, it was slow, exhausting work. Every turn brought hope that the end was near and yet realisation met only with another long winding path into darkness. The despair was almost too much to bear and did not get any better when they rounded another corner and were faced with several tunnels. With a weary sigh, she indicated the opening on the far left. A little way along, she felt the ground begin to drop away and Chilla started to grumble.
"You sure about this?" she said.
"Yes, don't worry. It's not far now."
"You've been saying that for the last fifteen minutes. I'm starting not to trust that knowledge of yours."
"That you trust me at all is something of a miracle. And I'm glad to say that the feeling's mutual."
Chilla shot her an annoyed glance and promptly removed her arm from around her waist. Cheetara fell heavily on her numb leg and felt her ankle grind under her weight.
"Still trust me now, Thundercat?" Chilla hissed. "I need you at the moment, that's all. When we get out of here, I will destroy you!"
"I know," Cheetara said between gritted teeth. "Have you finished? We're wasting time."
Grudgingly, Chilla held out her hand and helped her back up to her feet. Upright again, Cheetara placed her injured foot to the floor and cried out from the pain that shot up her leg. Chilla made no protest as she clung to her and dug her nails in her arm.
"Gods, that hurt," Cheetara said. "I think it's broken."
"Great!" muttered Chilla. "That's really gonna slow us down. At least before you couldn't feel it."
"That's right, I couldn't." Cheetara released her grip on the Lunatac's arm and straightened up. "If feeling is returning, that must mean that we're almost out. The Keeper's powers are fading, don't you see?"
Chilla huffed on her hand and inspected it for any trace of ice. "Well, my powers aren't back yet. Sure you haven't made a mistake?"
Cheetara shook her head firmly. "Really, Chilla, we're getting close. Trust me."
"Don't start that again."
They started off again in dogged silence and a little way along were rewarded by a sudden upturn in the path. The steep climb made the going difficult, not least because any slight touch on her leg was driving Cheetara to distraction. Time was fast running out and for both their sakes she dared not voice her complaint. Chilla was already suffering enough for both of them; her breathing had been getting steadily worse to the point where she was gasping for every breath she took. Lack of air was making her weak and dizzy, and it was not long before one stumble too many brought her to her hands and knees. Helpless on the floor without Chilla's support, Cheetara tried not to give way to the twinges that shot up her injured leg with painful regularity. Then, above the sound of Chilla's ragged breathing, she heard a sound, like a distant roar of waking giant.
"D'you hear that?" she whispered.
Chilla nodded her head in acknowledgement. "We're too late," she murmured. "My only consolation is that we're going to die together."
"Who's dying?" Cheetara replied, glancing over at her as she collapsed in a graceless heap on the floor. She shook her slightly and Chilla's head lolled lazily from side to side. "Great," she muttered. "Fine time you pick to pass out."
The hour was up and a torrent of water was heading their way. She could scarcely move and Chilla was out cold. Unless a miracle happened and someone came to rescue them, Chilla would be burned alive by its touch and she would be drowned. The odds were stacked against them and only the most optimistic soul would have been able to find a smidgen of hope. It was all over, but Cheetara had never been one to give up without a fight. Grabbing Chilla around the waist, she hauled herself and the Lunatac up to a standing position. Steady on her one good leg, she started a shambling, hopping shuffle along the tunnel. Round the next corner, she was rewarded with the glow of natural daylight. They had reached the end. All she had to do now was get there before the water.
Gritting her teeth, she intensified her efforts. Chilla was heavier than Cheetara had expected and every step was draining her strength. With less than a hundred yards to go, she was physically exhausted. Her body pleaded with her to take a rest, but she pushed onwards, ignoring the pain of her leg when she put it to the ground to give herself extra leverage. The roar intensified and she could hear the water lapping and gurgling at the tunnel walls behind them. Fifty yards and her heart was pounding from the effort. Forty and she was almost dead on her feet. At thirty, she fell, her limbs no longer able to support either herself or Chilla.
This close to freedom, she was determined not to give in. So began a painful crawl towards daylight, dragging Chilla along behind her. With ten yards to go, the water rounded the corner and rushed up to meet them. Cheetara pushed with her good leg with all her might and propelled herself backwards on the slippery ice. Another push brought them both out into the open. The water followed them all the way to the very edge of the tunnel and stopped, turned by the icy chill into a frozen crust. A flurry of snowflakes fell and the cavern and its watery depths were hidden by a blanket of white. It was as if it had never been.
Even the pain in her leg had gone as mysteriously as it had begun. Cautiously, she flexed her toes, anticipating a wince-inducing spasm at any moment. To her relief, there was no pain. Another demonstration of the Keeper's powers, she imagined, in healing the damage she had caused. That she had also extended the courtesy to Chilla was evident when the Lunatac began to moan. She coughed violently and shook herself back to wakefulness.
"What happened?" she asked groggily. Her gaze fell upon Cheetara and her mouth set into a scowl. "You!" she spat, only to cough again.
"Pleased to see you too," said Cheetara. "Feeling better?"
Chilla gave a half-hearted nod. "At least I can breathe again." She pulled the wrappings from her hands and inspected her palms. "Nothing," she said. "As if it had never happened."
But it had and Cheetara could feel Chilla's awkwardness growing by the minute. "You dragged me of there?" Chilla wanted to know.
"Yes. You passed out."
Her reward was a grudging and muttered thanks. At least she thought that was what it was; knowing Chilla, it could have been something more colourful. Either way, she supposed it was all she was going to get and, with a sigh, got to her feet.
"What now?" said Chilla.
"We go home."
A laugh echoed in the stillness. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Chilla had a gleam in her eyes. "I said I would kill you if we got out of that hole."
Cheetara shook her head. "Do what you want, Chilla. I'm too tired to fight you any more today."
The Lunatac snorted. "Yeah, me too. Besides what you did for me… I wouldn't I'd have done the same for you."
"You could have left me behind," said Cheetara.
"I needed you."
"True. We both needed each other." She held out her hand and helped Chilla up. "I guess that was what the Keeper was trying to tell us."
Chilla pulled a face. "Ugh! I hate these moralising types. Always trying to make the world a better place. Doesn't she realise some people are just born enemies?"
Cheetara wondered for whose benefit Chilla had made that little speech, but said nothing. The Lunatac had shown a side that belied her icy heart and she imagined that she felt raw from the experience. "What will you tell the other Lunatacs?"
Chilla shrugged. "Nothing. I bet they haven't even noticed I've gone."
On impulse, Cheetara suddenly found the courage to ask the question that had been on the tip of her tongue throughout their long hour together. "Why do you put up with them?"
"Same reason you put up with the other Thundercats, I suppose," she replied. "I've nowhere else to go. And I owe Luna." Chilla's eyes grew strangely dull. "You never asked me how I escaped from my homeworld."
"I didn't like to pry."
"I killed a Mutant. That shock you?"
"You had your reasons, I suppose."
Chilla smiled grimly. "Oh, yes, I did. He started it, but I finished it. They took me back to Plun-darr to be executed and, as luck would have it, Luna was staging one of her crazy raids on the prison at the time. I kind of tagged along for the ride."
"Hence your loyalty," said Cheetara.
"I reckon I've paid that debt by now," said Chilla. "Yet I'm still here." She raised her eyes to Cheetara's face. "And you? What will you tell your friends?"
"A version of what happened. I don't think they'd believe me if I told them the truth."
"But they'll be glad to have you back to keep them warm at night."
Cheetara caught the implication and shook her head. "It's not like that. We don't have the time."
Chilla smirked. "There's always time, Cheetara."
"Not when we have to keep looking over our shoulders for you or the Mutants or Mumm-ra."
"You're serious?" Chilla said, her eyes narrowing. "Not even with Lion-O? He's kind of cute, so Luna says," she added quickly.
Cheetara smiled at her slip. "He's also very young."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"I'm not a cradle snatcher." She held out her hand. "Well, it's been… different."
Chilla accepted the peace offering and shook her hand. "It certainly has. I'm glad its over. It's easier hating you."
"How will you get home?"
Chilla scanned the surroundings and pointed to a snow-covered mound. "There's my ride," she said. "What about you?"
"I'll manage," Cheetara said.
"Until next time then," said Chilla. She turned to go and took a few steps before stopping and looking back. "Thursdays," she said.
"What about them?"
"It's Luna's bath night. We never do plan anything against you on a Thursday, because she likes to keep the evening free." She grinned. "Thought I let you know, just in case you ever feel like taking a little time off."
Cheetara grinned back at her. "Thanks for the tip."
Chilla trudged back to her Ice Runner, leaving Cheetara staring after her until her communicator crackled into life. Tygra's voice came across the air waves, sounding deeply concerned.
"Cheetara, are you all right?" he asked.
"Fine," she replied. "I'll be home soon."
"Sooner than you think," he said. "When we lost radio contact, I came looking for you in the Thundertank. I'm about two minutes from your location. Where have you been?"
She was tempted to reveal all, but refrained. There would be time enough to tell him about the Keeper and the mysterious world hidden below the sheet of ice and snow. As for what had happened with Chilla, she resolved to keep her promise and say nothing. That a strange ghost could have put them through such an ordeal to teach them a lesson about war and its consequences was hard enough to swallow; that a Thundercat and a Lunatac could ever work together was just asking too much.
"Well?" he said. "What happened?"
"Oh, things," she said with a laugh. "But you'll never believe me!"
The End
THUNDERCATS, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Ted Wolf. All rights reserved. Stories, characters and incidents mentioned in this work are entirely fictional. Characters, names, etc. are used without permission and the above story has no official endorsement. This is a work of fan fiction, for entertainment purposes only and certainly not for profit. No infringement of rights is intended nor any harm meant by its creation and existence. May you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Thundercats Forever! Ho!