Eye of the Storm

by Knight Writer Thundercat

The war is over, but the story far from told. New loves are found, new challenges accepted, and old enemies make themselves known in the sequel to One Last War to Fight

2. Naming Day

ThunderCats

Bio Booster Armor Guyver

Eye of the Storm

Episode Two

The days had been a constant stream of bedlam after their return to the Tower of Omens. The Wollos who had been enslaved had been met by the three who had escaped the taking of their village, and had departed to the southeast toward another village of their people. Salvador, along with his daughter Rosa and his grandson Miguel had enjoyed a tearful reunion with the female Ximena on their return.

The Wollos had departed with assurances that they could rebuild. Those reassurances were reinforced by the Western Berbils joining with the Berbil tribe which was more local to this part of Third Earth. Foodstuffs had been distributed and workers dispatched to lay the groundwork for the slow and painful process of rebuilding.

For Lion-O, seated at Tygra's left in Council that morning, all of those realities were pressing inward in the manner of an inexorable tide. He forced his mind clear, tapping the book Tygra had loaned him during his convalescence, as matters of great import were batted about.

"I suggest this," he said, still unused to the tone of command his voice could convey. "We need to establish not only a home, but a base of agriculture. We could learn much from the Wollos and Berbils."

"Seconded," Tygra said. "In fact, I've taken the liberty of having several Berbils download their knowledge into our databanks. We also have many spare seeds which they have spared us. Inside a year, we could become entirely self-sufficient in regard to food."

"Next," Lion-O said after a sip of coffee whose freshness alone invogorated him, "is the matter of a new Lair and home for our people."

"Again, Lion-O, I've taken the liberty," Tygra said. "I have a design for the new Cat's Lair drafted. First, however, we must find a suitable place to build our new home."

"I'll assign Cheetara and Sho to you for that. I know," Lion-O said to Panthro, "you don't like for Sho to rely too much on the Guyver, but we're almost in panic mode. It's not just the ten of us, so we have to conserve Thundrillium wherever we can. Cheetara and Sho can cover the greatest distances in the shortest time without burning a gram of Thundrillium."

"Can't argue with that," Panthro said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Next, we are to decide on naming new ThunderCats," Tyrgra said.

"The candidates are Myrlha, Torr, Laheela, Kyranna, and Siberias," Lion-O said.

"Siberias already has the ThunderCat title," Pumyra said, "and is willing to take that title up again."

"Good. About the others, then. So say all of you?" The votes proved unanimous. "Very well."

"Now," Tygra said, "I believe you have something you wish to put to Council, Lion-O?"

"I do." Lion-O took a deep breath as he dipped his toe into the waters of communal decision-making. "This concerns Sho. After reading this book of history - by the way, thanks, Tygra."

"You're quite welcome," Tygra said on receiving the tome from Lion-O's hand.

"I wish to put to Council naming Sho a Vanguard of Thundera." His statement was met with sidelong glances and small mutters of confusion.

"Lion-O," Tygra began, "you do know that naming a Vanguard is a Royal decision, rather than a Council one?"

"Tygra's right," Cheetara said, her healed eyes locking onto his. Her restored vision was a constant source of relief for him. "To use one of Panthro's sayings, the Snarfball's on your side of the field."

"I know," he said, gathering his breath for what had to be said. "Listen. The more I think about the monumental amount of work ahead of us, the more I realize that I can't lead alone. I need you. All of you. I need your experience, your loyalty, and your honesty most of all."

"You have that," Lynx-O said, "though I am curious as to why you place emphasis on honesty?"

"What I mean is that I don't need my ego spared. If you think I'm screwing up, then tell me. My policy is open door, here."

"It's certainly heartening to hear you say that," Tygra replied, "though you'll forgive us if we use a bit more tact than simply saying you're screwing up."

"I don't want to start throwing around decrees and commands like candy," Lion-O said, the picture of somber. "If I'm to depend on the prowess of others, then let it begin here. I'd like your opinions on this."

"I say yes," WilyKit offered first.

"Same here," her brother said. "I mean, he did give his life for us. Sorta, anyway."

"Sho possesses many traits that, were he Thunderian, would mark him a fine ThunderCat," Lynx-O said. "The title of Vanguard would fit him quite well."

"Look," Panthro said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "I can sum everything up here. Sho's earned it." True to his word, the other ThunderCats nodded their heads and agreed.

"That didn't take long," Lion-O said around a small grin. "I just have one question, Tygra."

"Yes?"

"Is there any specific ceremony to naming a Vanguard? Your book skimped on the details of that."

"To my knowledge, it's little different from naming a ThunderCat."

"Just so you know," Panthro added, "Sho is the first Vanguard to be named in over five centuries. Make sure he knows the importance of that, and what the title entails."

"I've got a feeling that won't be a problem," Pumyra said from her seat next to Bengali. Lion-O glanced at her, again noting that something seemed different about the Puma.

"WilyKit," Lion-O said, "find Sho and have him report to Tygra in his quarters. WilyKat, find the new recruits and tell them to attend a special council session this evening. Once they accept, or decline, I'll address our people and commence the Naming Ceremony."

"If there is no further business?" Tygra asked to silence. "Council adjourned, then. Cheetara?" The two rose to retire to Tygra's quarters to await Sho and begin making plans.

The infirmary was customarily cool and sterile, with only a hint of the herbal remedies and medicines Pumyra was so skilled at preparing lingering in the air. The door slid shut behind them as Bengali studied his mate's posture, her stride, anything to find a clue as to what had been going through her mind for the past weeks. He'd caught her looking at him at odd moments during the treatment and adjustment of their freed countrymen as though she wanted to tell him something. Something vital. It hung between them like a great divide, and it was driving Bengali nuts.

"Sit down," she said, easing onto a bed and sitting with her shapely legs dangling just above the floor. "Trust me, you'll want to. Sit." Suddenly worried, he retrieved the chair behind Pumyra's desk and rolled it to face where she sat before doing so.

"What's wrong?" he asked, all other concerns now secondary, unimportant even. His breath came shallow as she seemed to steel herself, her hands claping each other in her lap.

"I first noticed the signs a few weeks ago," she began, "before Myrlha came to us. I've run the tests again and again, and the results are the same." She unclenched her hands and took his in them. "I've been wrestling with how to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Bengali asked, now frightened. "Pumyra, what's wrong?" An unexpected, and somewhat wicked, smile erupted on her face.

"Bengali, I'm pregnant."

Even more profound than the relief she felt at telling him was the look of complete and utter shock on his handsome face. His mouth gaped open, his pale blue eyes wide as saucers. She could even imagine his mane standing on end and his rear suddenly finding a substantial amount of air between it and the chair.

"I... I'm what?!"

"No, silly, not you," she chuckled, "me. But seeing you with cub would be quite fascinating. Not to mention hilarious."

"Uh... oh... h..."

"Ask me how it happened," she said, scowling furiously, "and I sock you principle."

"I know how it happened," Bengali replied, going from shellshocked to babbling, "of course I know how it happened, I mean, I was there!"

"Yes, you were there." You love him, don't hit him. You love him, don't hit him. "As I recall, you were rather enthusiastic about it."

"This... Pumyra!" Without warning, he sprang from the chair and embraced her fiercely for a brief second before suddenly pulling back, his face unsure.

"Our cub's still a zygote," she explained, deducing his sudden reluctance, "no need to treat me with the kitten gloves yet."

"Why didn't you tell me before?!"

"Well, things have been pretty crazy around here lately," she replied, "I didn't want you to worry too much about me, especially during the raid on Plun-Darr."

"What if something had happened to you?"

"We both came through the battle, that's all that matters." She kissed him slowly, revelling in the feel of his lips on hers before parting for air. "You do realize that I'd like for us to be formally joined while I can still stand for longer than thirty minutes at a time?"

"How about tonight?" he asked, jubilant and nearly hyperactive, "today? Now?"

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but there's still time. I'd like at least a small ceremony."

"This is just... wow!" He reached down to pat her still-flat stomach which would become rounded soon enough. "It's a lot to take in. I mean..."

"I know," she said, smiling at him. "The news is usually pretty heavy for first-time fathers. I'd know. I just never thought I'd be the one breaking the news to my mate."

"Just makes it better," Bengali replied. The stood in silence for a few moments, expecting parents marvelling at the wonder of life. Regardless of species or planet of origin, the creation of new life was a thing of ecstatic beauty. "When do we tell the others?"

"How about at the start of tonight's Council session?" she suggested. "It seems kind of appropriate."

"My lips're sealed until then."

"Now," she said, "don't you have a special project in your forge to take care of?"

"Yeah. I'll get right on that," he said, his mind obviously a million miles away from the making of an amulet for Sho.

Oblivious to what had just transpired in the area of the Tower of Omens he was headed for, Sho allowed the same goofy grin he'd had on his face after the battle to reappear. He still had some trouble believing that he's been part of something so wonderful as having been part of a battle where the innocent had actually survived. Though his memories were still addled, he recalled enough to know that such had practically never happened in his former life.

He recalled, as he ofted had, the feel of Myrlha's lips on his own after the battle, and frowned at the new awkardness between them. Sho kept finding himself unable to let go as much in the brief moments the two had alone now that everyone had been brought to the Tower.

Sho shook his head, growling lightly at himself. He knew the pattern he was falling into. He knew it all too well. He was allowing the shy schoolboy he'd once been to dictate his actions.

Haven't I learned by now what that cost me? he asked himself as he came to the door of the Infirmary. Enough of that. I won't let it happen again. The door opened suddenly and a severely addled Bengali staggered out into the corridor and walked away without so much as a glance to the human who shared the space with him. Sho's gaze followed him, half-expecting to find air beneath the ThunderCat's feet. He turned his eyes to Pumyra, who leaned against the doorway with her arms crossed over her breasts and a warm smile on her lips. He looked back and forth between them, certain he'd missed something and totally unaware of what.

"Whatever you gave him," he began, "had to be some amazing stuff."

"Best ever," she replied, her voice somewhat dreamy.

"Are we talking about the same thing?"

"Probably not."

"Got it. I'll come back later."

"Hold it," Pumyra said, catching his shoulder after a couple of steps. "In case you didn't notice, the doctor is in." Sho allowed himself to be pulled into the Infirmary and steeled himself to ask what he needed to. Pumyra sat at her desk and with a wave of her hand indicated that he should take up the chair on the opposite edge. "Something's on your mind. I've treated you enough to see that. What is it?" Sho tried to speak, to keep the yammering out of his words.

"There's... there's this girl... woman... I like..."

"I don't suppose," she said, her face assuming a cheshire grin, "that her name is Myrlha."

"WHA...?!"

"Oh, come on," Pumyra said around a laugh. "Everyone knows about that epic snog she laid on you."

"Uh... yeah... Anyways..."

"Here you are! WilyKit said as the doors to the infirmary slid open to reveal her. "Lion-O wants you to report to Tygra's quarters, Sho."

"Looks like duty calls," Sho said with a trace of regret as he rose. "See ya."

"Until next time," Pumyra called back. She chuckled a little at the thought of him so in love that even he couldn't see it. Or, maybe he did?

"Sho!" Tygra called as he entered the Tyger's quarters. Everything was neat, all items in their place. The only thing the space lacked was labels for all the various instruments and placemats for them. "Come in!"

"Nice place," Sho said as he neared Tygra and Cheetara. The two were seated at a narrow desk, the light from the rising sun casting them both in its glow through the small window. "Reporting as ordered," he said with a lopsided grin.

"First," Tygra began, "I have designs for a new Cat's Lair. However, we still must find a place to build it. With the kittens, we shall try to find a place to construct our new home."

"So, where are they?" Sho asked, glancing about the small space Tygra used for his quarters.

"They're off doing something for Lion-O," he explained. "For now, it's just the three of us."

"So, you said you have some sort of plan?" Cheetara asked.

"I have prelimanry blueprints. Actual planning will require some hasty exploration, which is why the two of you have been assigned to this." Tygra looked at each in turn. "Now, finding the mountain which held so many natural caverns to be converted into corridors had been a stroke of supreme luck, but we can't count on that a second time. A site we select has to have several key features."

"Good soil for crops?" Sho guessed.

"Not just that. It has to be close to a viable site for a quarry, as well as near fresh water. There are many factors to consider."

"This will take awhile," Cheetara said, leaning back in her seat.

"Unfortuantely, time is something we're still running short on," Tygra replied. "Sho, just how much can you remember about this continent?"

"Well, the geography itself is kinda vague," the human said, "I was here mostly to get rid of Kronos. I do know that we're in one of the best areas for growing crops. Maybe we should stick to within a few hundred miles north and south. East, if we have to. There's nothing much out west that can support much of anything."

"How about mountains?" Cheetara asked as Tygra brought out one of the maps Turmagar had given them. "I see several here."

"Keep in mind," Sho said, "these maps are thousands of years old. A lot can change over those kinds of years."

"Not geologically," Tygra pointed out.

"True. Okay, if you want mountains, try here," he said, pointing to the western border of a place once called North Carolina. "If I remember right, these were the Appalachian Mountains."

"To the west," Cheetara said, "are these. I wish the writing wasn't so faded."

"Those are the Rockies," Sho offered. "Lotsa stone, but a harsh climate."

"I agree. A bit too far west for our needs. Here's a promising site," he said, tapping one of the northmost parts of the American map.

"I know that one," Sho said. "Mount Rushmore. It used to be a national landmark."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Tygra. The faces of four of this country's most well-known presidents were carved on it."

"All I see are shapeless blobs."

"Well, this was over two thousand years ago."

"True. We'll set out in one week. Sho, we'll need your speed along with Cheetara's to make this happen."

"Count on it."

This place is starting to feel like home, Lisker thought as he made yet another knot in the rope. Even with what he knew would come, he was beginning to feel comfortable with the farmhouse he and Maria had claimed as a home. The strores of food went a long way toward that, as well as the fabrics the former occupants had left behind.

"Lisker," Maria asked, "you still haven't told me what you're doing."

"You'll see it soon," he replied as he coiled more rope.

"It's awful tight."

"It's supposed to be."

"I never thought you were into this sort of thing," she said. "I suppose I can accept it with some time."

"Huh?"

"If this is how you really want it, I can adjust," Maria said solemnly. "I know some men like this sort of thing, you know."

"Wait. Back up. Are you talking about what I think you're talking about?"

"From what I'm seeing, at least you're bringing me into this easily."

"Whoa! Maria, this isn't about that!"

"I'm glad," she said, coming over to his left and looking at the rope which was coiled about the post which he had placed into the ground. "I could get used to this, but I would not have looked forward to it."

"What kind of pervert do you take me for?!"

"Thankfully, not this kind. I do not relish being restrained. Even so," she said with a wink, "If it is you, I could deal with it."

"MARIA!?"

"A Wollo woman devotes herself to her man," she said as she snuggled next to him, "no matter what."

"Did you really think I was trying to..."

"The thought crossed my mind," she said. "To tell the truth, I would not have objected outright."

"Okay, how's this for weird?"

"I have told you," Maira explained, "I am yours and you are mine. If this is what you like, I can accept it."

"I keep finding myself reminded of how amazing you really are." Lisker sighed. "I'm just making a punching post," he said. "I wasn't planning on doing any of this to you."

"You plan on punching this?" she asked, clearly puzzled.

"That's the long and short of it. Y'see, the rope will keep me from ripping my hands all to hell when I hit it."

"And you'd punch this why?"

"Can't let my training slip," Lisker replied and the shadow of something Maria did not like fluttered across his face briefly. It passed as quickly as it came once he looked at her. "Those pants really suit you, have I told you that?"

"I was wondering when you'd notice," she said with a grin, running a hand over the snug fabric. "I've never worn these before. It feels a little strange."

"You'll get used to it soon enough," Lisker said with a soft smile. "They match the boots nicely."

"Aw, stop it," she said with a blush beneath her fur.

"No, I'm serious... Huh?" Lisker looked up suddenly to find the diminutive shape of a Bolkin making his way up the lane to the farmhouse. "Dendel?!" he called out.

"So good to see life in the Camber house once again!" Dendel exclaimed as his short legs carried him closer. A kindly smile appeared on his sheep-like visage as he gazed at them both. "But, I suppose this should be called the Lisker house now?"

"Who are you?" Maria asked.

"Enjoying the boots, madam?"

"He's the one I got the footwear from," Lisker explained to her. "Damn good fit," he said to the Bolkin, who had come up to them by that point. He was smaller than Maria, his head coming up to just above Lisker's own waist. The simple brown robe was still in place, held closed by a length of old cord.

"Come in," Maria said, slipping into hostess mode. "I can make us all some tea."

"I'd like that very much, Miss Maria," Dendel said with a nod and a smile.

Lisker studied the Bolkin as they took seats on each side of a corner of the table which sat in the main room of the house. Something seemed screwy about Dendel's sudden appearance. No one who sold footwear, at least in his experience, made a house call to see if they fit well. Third Earth was a weird place, but not that damn weird.

"We don't have much sugar," Maria called from the kitchen.

Not as if he came over to borrow a cup, Lisker thought.

"Quite all right with me," Dendel said as he settled himself in a chair that was far too large for him.

"Are you the local welcome wagon, too?" Lisker asked.

"I guess I am this time."

He's hiding something...

"I thought about your advice," Lisker began, "and we just like the place too much to go skipping on our merry way."

"Can't say as I blame you now," Dendel said as Maria set the kettle and stoked a fire into life in the stove's belly. "Yes, sir, I have a feeling things will be much improved around these parts." He stretched his back, tiny pops sounding from his spine. "My, that's better. I find it funny, though."

"What?" He knows. Oh, shit, he knows.

"Not even a day after you come into my shop full of questions, our problems with the Clutch get solved. Quite messy, from what I'm told, but the look on Mayor Gil's face when his boy came home was a thing to behold indeed."

"Fancy that, huh?" Lisker folded his hands atop the smooth table, staring directly into Dendel's eyes. "So, what brings you by?" Trying to pump me for info, huh? Two can play that game...

"This house has been empty since the Clutch first came," Dendel said. "I was just a little curious about the new folks in town. Surprised me to find your female friend to be a Wollo."

"Something wrong with that?" Lisker asked, letting just the right touch of menace into his voice.

"No!" Dendel replied, "no, no. I was just surprised. I can see you take good care of her."

"Of course he takes good care of me," Maria said as she readied cups and saucers. "Certainly better than others have."

"Just so you don't get the wrong idea," Lisker said, following her cue, "she's not my property. She's with me because she wants to be."

"I was a slave once," Maria added. "I don't wear chains anymore, that's for certain."

"I see," Dendel replied. "Still, you purchased her from somewhere." There was a clear undercurrent of disgust in the Bolkin's words.

"Freed her," Lisker corrected. "The ones who had her before, they didn't treat her well. Let's put it that way."

"Seldom do," Dendel replied with a nod.

"When I found her, I couldn't very well leave her in that hell. So, I took her with me. As for her former owners..." Lisker let that hover unsaid in the air between them.

"They won't be doing any of that to anyone else again," Dendel finished, disgust replaced with approval in his speech. "Still, she serves you?"

"Things are pretty equal around here," Maria answered. "I'm no servant, not any longer."

"But, having said that," Lisker said with a small grin, "she makes better tea than I do. Trust me." The three of them laughed at that, closing the matter.

"William came back," Dendel began just as the kettle began to whistle, "saying the strangest things."

"Like what?"

"Something about a golden bug-man showing up out of nowhere and putting paid to those bastards. Mayor Gil set out with some men the next day. Tell you this... thank you, Maria... whatever it was left a God-awful mess."

"Sounds to me like they deserved it," Lisker replied before taking a sip of tea. "So, how about we cut the crap? I know why you're here, Dendel."

"What?"

"Maria told me Bolkins weren't good liars, but she didn't say you were this bad at it," Lisker replied. He set the cup down onto the saucer before fixing his eyes back on Dendel. "I mean, you tripped yourself up before you even got started."

"Lisker, what are you talking about?" Maria asked, looking at him in bewilderment.

"The last time we spoke, Dendel here handed me boots and pretty much said I should shake the dust of Watershed off them. He didn't even follow me out of his shop, so how did he know to find me here? Also, he wasn't surprised for a second when he saw you, Maria." Lisker barked a short laugh. "He didn't know about how we work, though, which was why he said I'd bought you."

"I was surprised to find that she'd broken the Taboo willingly," Dendel said. "Never met one who had. Most're forced, one way or the other. Knew a Tabbot once who got one by puttin' her two young ones to good work in his shop."

"So long as she gave it up on demand, her kids got three meals and a bed," Lisker spat. "That's how it usually is?"

"Sadly, yes," Maria said with a nod and a pinched expression. "That or simple brute force."

"Getting back on track," Lisker began, "what I want to know is how you found out. You didn't hoof it all the way out here just on a hunch."

"That night, I was on my roof. I like to look at the stars, and an old friend of mine gave me something he called a telescope some years ago."

"Good ol' spying," Lisker said, missing at first how wide Maria's eyes had gotten and that her teacup had frozen half-way to her open mouth.

"I saw lights over here, and I knew the house'd been abandoned, so I took a look. Don't know what magic you used to do it, but that change was somethin' else."

"Y... You..."

"Maria?" Lisker asked, looking over to find her trembling slightly. "You okay? Hey?!"

"You..." she hissed, "...pervert!"

"Ahkkgg..." Dendel croaked, clearly abashed.

"Deviant!" Maria shouted, just as clearly angry. "Peeping Tom!"

"Maria, what are you talking about..."

"Don't you remember?!" she yelled at him. "That night?!"

"What about it..."

"How I saw you off wearing only these boots and a smile?!"

"Oh." He turned his gaze to the cringing Bolkin, who looked for all the world that he wanted to be pretty much anywhere else on Third Earth rather than in that chair and under her smoldering stare. "Just so you know, you really don't want to see my jealous lover routine. Not pretty, Chief."

"I didn't mean to see you so... uh... indisposed," Dendel managed after a few moments. "I didn't know you'd be..."

"I'll just bet, but I'm sure it didn't stop you from getting an eyeful or two!" Maria shouted in response. "Were you hoping I'd do a dance for you?!"

"NO! I didn't even look long!"

"Dendel, some advice?" Lisker said conversationally. "Stop. Now."

"I... I aplogize," he said, this last meekly. "I never intended to... ah... that is to say..."

"Just stick with the apology," Lisker replied. "Maria, I'm sure he didn't mean to see you in the buff."

"You're not going to do anything?!" she asked hotly.

"Nothing to gain from beating him senseless," Lisker said, reaching over to place his hand atop hers. "There's a time and a place to pummel someone, and this is neither. Okay?"

"Fine," she relented.

"But," Lisker said, looking at Dendel, "I strongly advise against aiming that scope of yours over here a second time. Maria's not on display for anyone. Got it?"

"I understand," Dendel replied, releived at having escaped the hook.

"Now," he said, "I'd ask how much of this Gil knows, but I'm sure he heard it all through the door." At that, said door opened to reveal a lean man dressed in leather boots, tan pants and a grey blouse. A forest-green cloak adorned his shoulders, the same shade as his eyes. Brown hair hung to his shoulders, hints of grey at the temples lending his visage a hint of distinguishment.

"I see you're no fool, Mister Lisker," Gil said with a smile turning up one corner of his mouth.

"Might as well come in," Lisker said with a wave of his hand. "Not trying to heat up the outside, y'know."

"First," Gil said after closing the door and approaching with even strides and an extended hand, "I want to thank you for saving William."

"Sure," he said, taking the hand and noting the firm grip. "I was hoping to avoid a scene like this, though. Can't have your cake and eat it, too, I guess."

"Indeed," Gil replied, taking the fourth available seat.

"How is he?" Maria asked the mayor of Watershed.

"He will recover, given time and much rest," Gil said softly. "If you had saved any of them for me, I'd have wrung the life out of them for what they did."

"That bad, huh?"

"The healer says it was just abuse and starvation. It could have been far worse."

"Yeah." Lisker had seen more than a few examples of that during his days as a Marine, in thrid-world hellholes south of the Equator and elsewhere.

"I have no idea how you are able to transform like that, and if you want to keep that to yourself..."

"I'm going to."

"I understand. However, I don't know if you understand what you may have started."

"I do. Any idea who those Clutch punks were working for?" Gil eyed him appraisingly, nodding as though he had to improve his estimation of Lisker yet again.

"Certainly no fool," Gil said softly before replying. "No. I know that once word reaches their masters, or whatever, Watershed will become a big target. Crippled as we are, I fear we won't be able to fend off a major armed force."

"Why do you think I'm still here?" Lisker asked. Gil's eyes widened in surprise. "I'll save you the trouble of having to ask. I made this mess what it is, and I'll clean it up."

"I keep finding myself upping my view of you," Gil replied. "Would you mind if I asked why you got involved in the first place?"

"Personal reasons," Lisker said in a tone that did not invite questions.

"Good enough," Gil said. "Most of our fighting men were lost in the first assault. Those who remain won't be enough to turn away a major attack."

"How about weapons? Just swords and knives?"

"We have archers, but not many."

Lisker leaned back, pondering the choice that now stood before him. Muskets, while far from accurate, would go a long way toward making the forces of Watershed combat-worthy. Their construction was simple and, given the level of technology on parting company with the former Fortress Plun-Darr, anything more advanced or accurate required more than the locals could muster. Though he'd much prefer an M-16, a musket was far more realistic.

The only choice to make was whether to give them the ability to make gunpowder-fueled boom-sticks. It would be a considerable step up the tech ladder from bows and arrows, but what would the long-run impact be? History, as he'd learned, showed that leaps in technology often came in weapons first, usually through conflict. Those who had better arms tended to expand their territories always at the cost of people who had the misfortune of being in the way.

I've got the Guyver, he thought. While true, he had no idea how large a force would come beating a path to Watershed's door. Would they be mercenaries or total fanatics? If he couldn't take them all out with the megasmasher, would what remained turn tail or keep charging? How well armed would they be? The fact was, without a capable fighting force to take down what got past him Watershed was as good as doomed. Plans needed to be made, fighters trained.

Weapons made.

"I'll help, but I have conditions. If you can't meet them, then I've got no choice but to pick up stakes and move on. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Gil said after some thought.

"First, no one knows about my ability. No one. I'm just someone who came through and knows a thing or two about combat."

"A fighting man, are you?" Dendel asked.

"Lisker was a soldier," Maria replied, her voice proud. "Trust me, he can fight even without changing." Lisker was grateful that Maria had managed to keep herself from saying "the Guyver".

"Next, I'll be in on the planning. I'll need the layout of Watershed, archery points, routes of approach, local terrain. We can't afford to overlook something critical."

"I can accept that," Gil replied. "Anything else?"

"Just one thing," Lisker said at length. "I need to know what your weapons are made from. If I'm right, I can improve them."

"Truly?!"

"But, this is my most important proviso. Any improvements or new weapons I make are not to be used for anything other than defence. If I think you'll use them for conquest, I'll destroy them and any who helped build them. Understand?"

"I am a man of peace, Lisker."

"I've heard that before."

"You have my word. None of what you make will be used in conquest."

"I'm gonna hold you to that," Lisker said as he extended his hand once more. "Get your forces ready. I want to inspect them by tomorrow morning."

"What did you want to ask me?" Cheetara asked as she and Sho took leave of Tygra's quarters. The corridor was currently empty save for the two of them, and thankfully quiet. With the rescue of their countrymen, things had gotten fairly noisy over the past weeks.

"Well..." Sho was nervous, it was plain on his face. Cheetara, even though she could not gain any kind of mental impression of him, knew him well enough to see it and to guess what was bothering him. "How do you know... I mean, really know... when it's real?"

"When what's real?"

"... Love..."

"Oh." She allowed a smile to broaden her lips. Just as I thought. She's got him bad.

"How did you know it was real for you and Lion-O?"

"I've known Lion-O a long time," she said, leaning back against the cool surface of the gently curving wall. "All his life, really. I knew I had a torch for him when I first saw him out of his suspension capsule. I thought it was just infatuation at first, but as time went on I realized it was more than just those chiseled looks. As a matter of fact," she said with a wink tossed in Sho's direction, "you had a role in it as well."

"Me?!"

"Remember when the Lunattaks captured you?"

"I was kinda hoping to forget that one..." Sho placed a hand behind his head, a clear sign he was embarrassed.

"Lion-O made a tough call in deciding to rush to your rescue, but it was the right one. He wanted to get you out of Alluro's control before they could..."

"Yeah, I know," Sho interjected. "The Guyver snapped me out of it, though."

"We didn't know that would happen. Lion-O knew he was taking a serious risk, but he also knew that letting them bring you here would have been far worse."

"I get you."

"He's never lacked for courage, but that day I thought he might never come back."

"I know," Sho replied with a haunted expression. "Believe me, I know what that's like."

"Sho, I know this is about Myrlha."

"Aw, crap, does everyone here know about that kiss?"

"In a word, yes." Cheetara smiled warmly at him. "Everyone here living in a small area, privacy becomes a rather thin concept." Sho remained silent, though furiously blushing. "You're in love with her."

"But, I don't know why she kissed me. I keep thinking it was because of all the craziness that was going on then, but I want to think it's more than that. Cheetara, how can I tell? If you can't tell me, I'm sunk."

"And why is that?"

"From what I remember," Sho replied with an arched eyebrow, "men like to think they know it all when it comes to women when they really don't know the first damn thing. Excuse my language." Cheetara could not help the peals of laughter which rose from her stomach to burst from her lips, nearly doubling her over.

"Ex... Excused... and true!" she managed once she brought it back to a hearty giggle. "With that statement, Sho, you've shown you know more about women than you think!"

"Thanks," he replied with a grin of his own. "I mean, the best place for information is the source, right?"

"My advice, Sho, is to tell her. Let her know how you feel, and Myrlha will reciprocate. But, don't go thinking it's all wine and roses."

"She might not feel the same way."

"Even if she does, a relationship is not a fairy tale. Don't expect everything to go smoothly." Cheetara gathered her thoughts, searching for the appropriate way to say what he needed to hear. "Sho," she began, placing a friendly hand on his shoulder, "when you love someone, you offer them the gift of yourself. It's always a precious gift."

"The gift of myself..." Sho said at length, pondering. "I guess that's all I really have to give."

"It's the only thing that really counts. More than jewelry, pretty clothes, perfumes. Those are nice thoughts, but if you don't give yourself, then you're not giving much of anything."

"Thanks," Sho said, his face brightening once the blush finally left. "I think I understand."

"I'm pretty sure you do. You're rather bright. For a male, anyway." With a laugh and a wink, she left Sho standing in the corridor with his mouth agape and his eyes wide. She did indeed love to rib him on occasion.

The ThunderCats assembled, Council about to begin now that dinner had been finished. Sho left with a bow at the waist, a custom from his homeland, to help Snarf with the dishes. Lion-O's former nursemaid had a lot on his dance card recently, Sho and the kittens lending helping hands when and where they could.

"Council is now in session," Tygra said. "And, I've been informed that Bengali and Pumyra have something they wish to address." Lion-O looked at them, at how closely they sat together, and it clicked. A quick glance to his right showed him Cheetara coming to the same realization. Her eyes flickered to him and confirmed it.

"It's our pleasure to announce," Bengali began.

"That I'm with cub," Pumyra finished. The cheers were immediate and loud.

"Great news!" Tygra hooted. WilyKit smiled broadly at Pumyra, a hand atop the one Bengali's didn't occupy.

"I shoulda known it'd be the new guy!" Panthro cheered, walking over to clap Bengali heartly on his back.

"Congratulations, you two!" Lion-O rose from his seat and warmly clasped hands with the white Tyger and Puma in turn. "This is the best news I've heard in a long time."

"Thank you," Pumyra replied. Bengali echoed her gratitude while trying to rub at the spot where Panthro's hand had connected.

"And thank you, Panthro, for not breaking my spine," Bengali joked. After several rounds of congratulatory praise, Tygra managed to call the Council back to order and everyone returned to their seats.

"We would like to be wed," Bengali said, "as soon as convenient. Say, three weeks?"

"That will be plenty of time, thank you," Tygra replied. Then, he turned to Lion-O. "I know none of the books I loaned you covered marriage ceremonies, particularly among ThunderCats."

"Anything special I need to know?"

"Nothing earthshaking, I assure you. In the case of ThunderCats, weddings are officiated by the Lord of the ThunderCats or the King of Thundera. Since you currently are both - minus an official coronation of course - this will not be an issue."

"The only exception's your own," Panthro continued. "In that case, it's done by the Head of Council, or Lord of the ThunderCats if you pass that title onto a successor."

"Jaga was Lord of the ThunderCats, and my father was King of Thundera," Lion-O replied. "What do I have to do?"

"Nothing much," Cheetara said third. "There's a short speech, the two exchange their vows, and you seal the marriage with the Eye of Thundera. All the fancy clothes and rich food was just there for guests."

"Nothing fancy, please," Pumyra said. "We don't really need it."

"Very well, then," Lion-O said, smiling at the young couple. "Three weeks will be plenty of time for me to learn the speech and the ceremony. I'm looking forward to it, but not as much as the two of you." He winked at them which set another round of laughter about the table.

"Now, then, there is the matter of new recruits. WilyKit, WilyKat, did you assemble them?"

"We got 'em all," WilyKat said. "They oughtta be just outside the door."

"Then we'll have to explain the rowdy cheering," WilyKit added. "Want me to bring them in?"

"Please." She rose and strode excitedly toward the door to the dining area. The door slid open to reveal the five new candidates. Four, in truth, for one had been named before. Over the past weeks, they had traded in their tattered rags for decent clothing. Myrlha wore an outfit of purple, a one piece unitard which ended in open toes and heels. Streaks of gold adorned the sides of her legs, her arms and back bare.

Laheela had chosen black, similar to the uniform Lion-O now wore in place of the abbreviated blue one of his childhood. Around her shoulders was a ring of silver from which draped a pale tan swath of fabric which circled around her back and was slit at the front. A leather belt circled her waist with a holster on each hip bearing the pistol Turmagar had given her on the right with the firearm Myrlha had been given on the left. Sho had identified them both as SOCOMs, Special Operations Command Pistols, and had told him they had been military weapons for Second Earth soldiers.

Kyranna and Torr looked to be a matched pair, both in red outfits with a streak of black down the center and inside the legs. The only real difference was Kyranna's neckline plunged lower, her footwear toeless while Torr's ended in boots and a higher collar.

Siberias had opted for green with gold trim down the sleeves and legs. The elder Tyger's face, once his mane had been neatly trimmed, wore a look of calm and distinction. Of all the recruits, he by far looked the part of a ThunderCat.

"Thank you all for coming," Lion-O said. "Since the raid on Fortress Plun-Darr, many stories have reached us concerning the five of you. We were well aware of the risks Myrlha took to find us. Laheela, for your part in helping our countrymen rise against their oppressors. Torr, for your leadership and rallying those able to fight by your side. Kyranna, for standing with your mate and for the help you gave Siberias in his efforts to keep our people as healthy as possible in the worst conditions possible. All of you have shown that you are indeed worthy of being named ThunderCats." With the exception of Siberias, they all gasped in shock and glanced around as if unsure they'd heard him right.

"Council has considered," Tygra continued, "and has voted unanimously in favor of naming you all, should you decide to accept." The silence afterward was brief.

"I was a ThunderCat once," Siberias said. "When my king and my people call, I must answer. I will take up the mantle of ThunderCat once more."

"I... I accept!" Myrlha stammered, stunned.

"I'll make sure none of our people are ever enslaved again," Laheela said with a closed fist atop her heart. "I accept."

"We accept," Kyranna and Torr said in unison, their free hands atop their hearts and the others joined.

"Then, in honor of our ancient traditions," Lion-O said, "the Naming Ceremony will take place outdoors, in full view of our people, in fifteen minutes." he could't keep the smile out of his voice as well as he did from his face. "Congratulations, all of you."

"If there is no further business?" Tygra asked. "Council is adjourned."

Sho, who had been shooed out the door by Snarf once the dishes had been done, milled about the gathered crowd of Thunderians with no clue as to what the occasion was. Snarfer, who had to know, was keeping tight-lipped as he prodded Sho through the subliminal noise of many people speaking lowly to emerge at the head of the crowd.

"Best spot for it, yep, sure is!" Snarf's cheerful nephew said. From the hangar entrance to the Tower of Omens, the ThunderCats all emerged and took up positions in a semicircle behind Lion-O, who brandished the Sword of Omens. Slowly, five figures made their way out into the waning daylight. The entire scene held a strong feel of ceremony and tradition, the ThunderCats at the top of the sloping ramp as a king prepared to address his people.

I guess he's my king, too, Sho thought. Never been a subject before. Still and all, he had cast his lot and his loyalty with the ThunderCats.

Sho recognized Myrlha straightaway and tried to keep his eyes in his head at the sight of her. She's so beautiful, he thought. Sho gathered his resolve and recalled the advice Cheetara had given him earlier. Boom or bust, he would tell her tonight. Four others emerged behind her. Sho recognized the Tygress, Laheela, and tried to keep the image of an ancient west gunslinger out of his mind. Behind her were two he did not clearly recall, though he did recognize Siberias. Pumyra's mentor, he thought.

"Thank you all for assembling," Lion-O's voice boomed. Sho saw a pale white rectangle over his throat, some sort of voice amplifier. "We have all endured dark times and strife since we lost Thundera. Through it all, though, the Code of Thundera has never left us. We never abandoned hope that one day we would come together as a people again. That day is here, my countrymen.

"These five you see alongside me have proven their mettle, their willingness to risk everything for the good of all Thunderians. As such, it is my honor to name them as ThunderCats this day."

Congrats, Myrlha!

"As such, you are named," Lion-O said, aiming the tip of the Sword of Omens at a red disk just over her left breast. "ThunderCat Myrlha!" A thin beam leapt from the blade to the disk in which the relief of a cat's head in black swirled into life with a roar. "ThunderCat, Laheela!" The disk was just above the slit in the wrap about her shoulders. "ThunderCat, Torr!" The disk upon his chest ws filled with the symbol. "ThunderCat, Kyranna!" Her waist bore the new insignia. "Lastly, ThunderCat Siberias!" Like Torr, his new insignia was borne in the center of his chest.

"May you all bring honor to the ThunderCat name, and to our people. HO!" As one, the ThunderCats, and the assembled Thunderian people raised their right fists into the air and echoed the rallying cry of the ThunderCats with enthusiasm. Sho found himself joining in, and wondered at how natural it felt to do so.

"Lastly," Lion-O said once the cheer faded, "there is another to be named this day. This naming is special in its own right, and has not been performed in over five centuries of our recorded history. Sho Fukamachi, come to me." Sho looked right and left, unable to believe it despite Snarfer and Snarf's urgings to get his legs in gear. Dumbly, Sho pointed to himself, his face questioning. "Yes, I mean you," Lion-O chuckled. Sho was finally able to put his feet in motion, striding up the incline to where his friends awaited.

"Hey... Um, I thought you guys couldn't make me a ThunderCat," Sho said in an unsteady voice.

"There have been those, not of our folk, who have come to Thundera's aid in the past," Lion-O began, addressing his people once more. "Of them, some have gone above and beyond in the name of our people's defense, but very few so much as this human, Sho Fukamachi, Guyver One. For his contributions, for his part in reuniting us, it is my honor also to bestow upon him the title of Vanguard of Thundera." Cheers of agreement greeted those words, which left Sho even more gobsmacked than before.

Bengali stepped forward, in his hands an amulet of silver which dangled from a thin yet strong looking metal chain. Lion-O accepted the blank disk from him and turned to face Sho. Needing no prompting this time, he lowered his head and felt the amulet's chain against his neck. He raised his head to find Pumyra nearing with a midnight cloak in her hands. Sho turned about, facing all of the gathered Thunderians, his new countrymen, as she wrapped it about his shoulders and clasped it at the front. At her nudge, Sho faced Lion-O once again, whose eyes were dancing in a solemn face.

"So you are named. Vanguard, Sho!" The beam from the blade tickled as it impacted the silver disc. Its surface became a shade of green close to emerald as a cat's head insignia swirled into being, gold unlike the black of ThunderCats. The unreal nature of it all began to give way to a fierce sense of pride and fulfillment. Sho, for the first time in so long, finally felt as if he belonged somewhere. Any lingering thoughts he had concerning leaving them evaporated like dew beneath the sun. He could not leave them, not now nor ever.

If they only knew how good this makes me feel, he thought as he held the amulet to his eyes.

"My countrymen," Lion-O said, building to the climax of the address, "Third Earth is about as different from Thundera as one can find anywhere. We will build a new home, we will restore the glory of Thundera. But, we cannot ignore the fact that others called this world home before we did. We must learn to share this world with them, we must learn from them. We are already scouting sites for a new home, and once one is chosen building it will take all of us working as one. I am your king, but I will not sit in rule above you. I will not accept a coronation until all our people have proper housing! I will not officially take the throne until a home for all our people is built!

"I will not sit and claim to supervise the work. I helped build the original Cat's Lair on this world, and I will help build our city. I will work beside you! I will dirty my hands alongside you! We ThunderCats will not consider ourselves elite! This is a new world, and new precedents have to be set! We have all come through many difficult times together, as a people! We have done so before, and we shall do so again!"

"Lion-O!" someone in the crowd chanted. Others rapidly joined in, the cheer growing into a rallying cry that buffeted him like the oncoming tide.

"Thank you!" he called out, his voice amplified by the chip at his throat. "Listen to my words, my countrymen! Your hopes are my hopes! Your dreams are my dreams! Your woes are my woes! I learned an ancient saying on this world. 'He who would lead, let him first serve'. I've learned the meaning of that during our time here. We ThunderCats may be the Nobility, but we have all known what it is to serve the best interests of others! Together, we can bring better technology to this Third Earth! Together, we can become strong enough to find others of our own still scattered among the stars! Working as one people, we can restore our home and give the survivors a place to call their own! I call on all of you to help make this dream a reality!" Lion-O finished, somewhat breathless and awed at what he had just brought past his lips, as the people chanted his name in a heated fervor.

This is what it's like to be king, he thought. Why did my father even want this job?

"ThunderCats!" he shouted, "HO!"

"HO! HO! HO! HO!" The jubilant cries of his people echoed in the growing night as he returned to the Tower of Omens.

Sho waited atop the Tower of Omens, still struggling with how he would begin. He knew what he had to say, but actually framing it into words was defeating him soundly as he stared into the rapidly growing night. He heard the hatch open and counted the footsteps until Myrlha sat beside him.

"Lovely night," she said, her voice somewhat dreamy.'

"It is," Sho agreed. "Congratulations on your naming," he said lamely, searching desperately for a place to begin.

"Thanks," Myrlha said, sidling closer to him. Sho forgot all attempts at a smooth intro. He knew what he had to say, at what illusions like tact and timing had cost before.

"Want to sit down?"

"Sure."

Sho swallowed past the growing lump in his throat as he readied himself for what he had to say.

"Myrlha," he began, "I want to tell you something."

"That's why I'm here."

"You know how old I am, right?"

"Two thousand years, give or take a decade."

"Right."

"What is it?"

"Myrlha," Sho began as he brushed the cloak out around him and took a seat on the roof, "before I found the Guyver, there was someone." He took as deep a breath as he could as she sat beside him. "I don't know if there was anything like the girl next door on Thundera, but..."

"She was the girl you liked before you even knew you liked girls," Myrlha said. "We're maybe not so different on some things, humans and Thunderians."

"Her name was Mizuki. She had a brother, Tetsuro. My best friend in the world. He was there when I found the Guyver, the day it ruined my whole damn life." He spat the last out, wishing again he'd never found it despite all his experience that it was useless. "Kronos was a world-wide organization, turning humans into monsters called zoanoids and basically aiming to rule the planet. The three Guyver units had been stolen from them, and believe me they wanted the damn things back at any cost." Her hand appeared on his shoulder, fingers squeezing gently and Sho took strength from the contact.

"They came after you and your friend."

"I tried to keep Mizuki out of it, I figured if she was in the dark about them, well, she'd be safe. I was wrong."

"What happened?"

"I wish I could say I kept her safe." He willed himself to look into her soft eyes, finding no trace of admonishment when he admitted his failure. "I wish I could say I saved the world. I don't remember much of the past, but I know that on the world-conquering front, Kronos won."

"Oh, no..."

"I lost. Everyone. My father, my friends... Mizuki..." The darkness of his lost memories tried to swell up from the depths of his mind, tried to demolish his hold on his sanity. Sho steeled himself to press forward, to confront what he remembered of his past.

"You loved her," Myrlha said simply, but Sho still heard the faint trace of hurt in her voice.

"Yeah. Yeah, I did. A long time ago. Myrlha," Sho returned her touch, and made no effort to keep the pain from his face, "I never told her."

"Never... Not a word?"

"I kept telling myself that fighting Kronos was all that mattered, always convinced myself that I'd have a chance later. Kronos captured her, after they'd taken over. I thought it was for bait again. They used a lot of the same tricks over and over. Guess they're called classics for a reason." Sho gave a rueful laugh at that. "They used her like they used my dad."

"Like they what?"

"They used my dad by turning him into a zoanoid made specifically to destroy the Guyver. I... I can't tell that story again, Myrlha, not now. I just can't..."

"It's okay," Myrlha replied, sliding closer to him. "You don't have to."

"I will one day, if you want to know, but I can't right now."

"I understand, Sho. Really, I do."

"I remember charging into the optimization facility. All those tanks with people in them, twisted and malformed things, all claws and fangs... She was in one of them." The dream returned, the sight of her misshapen body in that oxygenated sludge which triggered the genetic alterations... "They'd already gotten started. Mizuki... I smashed it open, and when I knelt down, she looked at me." Sho took several hitching breaths and Myrlha's hand traced from his shoulder to his back, stroking him as though he were a crying child. In truth, he wasn't very far from it.

"Tell me," she urged softly. "Let it out, Sho."

"The optimization process wasn't a simple deal," he explained, switiching to a safer topic for the moment. "Unless it was complete, the zoanoid would die within days. Sooner, the earlier the process was interrupted. The moment the changes to the DNA began, that was it. They weren't human anymore. When a human was turned into a zoanoid, they became slaves of Kronos, of the zoalords. She would have been dead once the process was complete, at least as I knew her.

"She looked up at me, Myrlha, and... and she smiled. She still believed in me, even after failing her."

"Sounds like you didn't, really," Myrlha said, her voice tentative and unsure.

"I know. At least she died as a human, not some Kronos puppet. She made me promise her something, Myrlha."

"What?"

"She made me promise not to give in, to never stop fighting. I watched her body deteriorate, faster and faster, and she held on until I gave her my word. She died in my arms and I couldn't do a damn thing about it." Sho raised his head, and the concern and simple caring in her face soothed him. "It took a long time, but I finally realized what she really wanted from me." Sho hesitantly stroked the side of Myrlha's jaw with his fingertips, and was heartned when she did not pull away or stop him outright. "It was after I found you and Salvador."

"Sho...? I..."

"Mizuki wanted me to let her go. Here," he said, placing his unoccupied hand over his heart. "She'll always have a place, but she won't hold me latched to the past. I told you all this, Myrlha, because I need to lay her ghost to rest. If I don't, I'll never move on."

"What are you saying?" she asked. Sho saw the hope in her eyes, and it was all the encouragement he needed.

"I never told Mizuki how I felt, and I won't make that mistake again. Myrlha, I don't know how you feel about me, and if it's not the same then I'll understand, but when I saw you, I fell in love with you."

Myrlha, for her part, was amazed that the triphammering of her racing heart and the roaring torrent of blood in her veins didn't break the silence after those words. Every awkward moment between them since the raid on Plun-Darr, every strained silence, every thought that her feelings might not be mutual was suddenly blasted away as though Sho had transformed and fired his megasmasher at them, purging them from her mind and heart.

"I know," she said at first, unable to quite put her feelings into coherent words. "Sho, I know, and..." She saw his face begin to fall, and mentally shook herself. Damnit, girl, just say it! "I feel the same way."

"...!"

"You talked," Myrlha said, winking, "now it's my turn."

"All ears," Sho said, his face and his smile positively beaming. She sidled closer, enough to put her arms around his hard shoulders and nearly melted into the embrace he returned, his new cloak folding about them. She felt his warmth, his heartbeat, and suddenly she knew why she had such feelings for him.

"I've felt this for a while, too," she began, easing them back to the surface of the roof. "I've been asking myself why, trying to figure out what it is about you that I loved so much. Saving me from that big-assed bone serpent was impressive, and it didn't hurt your chances, but that wasn't it. It's not your powers, not your looks."

"I'm not exactly of the feline persuasion" Sho replied. "I know that."

"Hey, I'm not calling you ugly. I think you're rather handsome! In truth, it's the whole package, Sho, that I love. Your heart, your courage, your honesty, even that boyish charm you've got."

"What can I say?" Sho joked, easy and confident. "I've aged well."

"But, I didn't truly admit to myself that it's love until after the battle. I realized it just before I lip-locked you, but here and now I finally know why." She pulled back, just enough to look into his sea blue eyes. "When I'm with you, I feel safe. I haven't felt that in a long time, Sho."

"Safe? With me?"

"Like nothing in the whole universe can hurt me, so long as I have you."

"Anything that tries is gonna have to get through me," Sho said, his face hardening somewhat. "And they're not getting through me."

"Don't I know it, but it's not all I mean. Sho, you've never been a slave to anyone, I can tell that just by looking at you. You have no clue what it's like."

"Then tell me," Sho replied, carressing her cheek. "You listened to me, and I want to listen to you. Maybe we can both deal with our pasts."

"I wasn't a concubine, thank goodness. Guess I just wasn't pretty enough. Even so, it was hell. Pure hell, living in chains. Just because most of us were workers didn't mean that the rank and file of Mutant soldiers didn't have their way with some of us when the mood struck."

"Oh, God, Myrlha... I..."

"I was lucky. I was able to hide pretty well when one came looking for someone to drag off and violate. Others, though, sometimes at night I can still hear them screaming as they got hauled off. Sometimes, they never came back." Sho replied by holding her close again. "I'd wake up some days wondering if my turn would come, if I'd even make it through to night. Sometimes, Sho, sometimes I'd hoped I wouldn't."

"You'll never feel that kind of fear again, Myrlha," Sho said in her ear. "Never. I promise."

"I know, and you don't know how good that feels. How wonderful feeling safe truly is. Everyone feels that now that we're all free, and many of them thank you and Lisker for that as much as they do the ThunderCats and those Tuska people."

"I had no idea Lisker would do something like that," Sho said. "Like he's trying to redeem himself or something."

"Maybe you should ask Laheela about him. She spent some time with him before the battle, and she was in on his plan. Remember, though, she was a concubine. Primor's at that, and he set the standard for inventive cruelty."

"Maybe I'll ask her. But, for now, I'd rather stay here than learn more about Lisker." Sho snuggled against her, and she eagerly reciprocated. "Needless to say, I like it here."

"You'd better," she said playfully. "I know I do." They were silent again, and she could feel Sho's heartbeat against hers, the lines of his muscles beneath her hands. He wasn't Thunderian, but for Myrlha that didn't matter a whit. Sho was hers, and she was his. In his arms, under the stars and his midnight cloak, the warmth of their bodies and hearts seemed all she needed.

"I'm new at this," Sho said, "and I'm gonna screw up from time to time. I know that. Can you bear with me?"

"Nobody's perfect, Sho. We'll take it easy, but we'll take things together."

"That time you kissed me..." Sho trailed off, somewhat embarrassed.

"Yeah?"

"Did I... um... Did I do it right?"

"What do you mean by do it right? I enjoyed it. It was pretty spur-of-the-moment, but..."

"I mean... You're not gonna believe this..."

"Believe what? Out with it, Sho."

"That was my first kiss." Sho said after a moment's silence.

"You must be joking," Myrlha said, moving back once more to look at him. She found not a single trace of falsehood in his blushing face. "Two thousand years old, and I'm the first woman you've kissed?!" The thought of it was surreal to say the least, how someone who'd lived for so long not to have kissed anyone. Myrlha remembered her first kiss...

Oh, Sho... she thought. She found herself touched by how innocent about some things he really was.

"Hey, I slept for those two millinnea, just so you know," Sho said with a mock glare before the embarrassment returned. "Just so you know, it was worth waiting so many centuries for. Just like you."

Myrlha had trouble taking her next breath at those words, her heart full to bursting with feelings she thought life would forever deny her when the Mutants had captured her. After so much pain and degradation, of weeks and months of terror, all of it seemed lessened at hearing something so heartfelt.

We will learn to cope with our pasts, Sho. Together.

"Well," she began with a grin, "you certainly won't have to wait anywhere near so long for your second kiss. I promise you that."

"I won't huh... MMmmmmm..." Sho responded, though his efforts were tentative and unsure.

"You're not bad," Myrlha said with a wink, "but practice does make perfect." They lay there, each the other's world, and just then nothing else mattered.

Beneath them, in the control chamber of the Tower of Omens, an exhausted Lion-O sought guidance from the ThunderCats who had not yet retired to their quarters. Bengali and Pumyra had begged off for some time alone, as had Torr and Kyranna. Laheela had, as well, saying she needed to practice maintenance of her new weapons. He wondered why she would stick to ancient projectile weapons when energy weapons could be easily made, but did not call her on it. Lord of the ThunderCats or not, he wouldn't simply start demanding answers. Siberias had left to inspect the Infirmary, wishing to familiarize himself with its layout and the unconventional medicines they had to rely on. Lynx-O, Tygra, Panthro, and Cheetara were still winding down from an eventful day, while the kittens and the snarves were off helping tend to the children who had been rescued from the Mutants as well. Some had no families left.

"HOW..." As one, each clapped their hands to their ears. Abashed, Lion-O remembered the vocal amplifier still adhered to his throat and peeled it off. "Sorry about that. I'm not used to this yet. You might want to give it an off switch, Panthro."

"It does have one," the Panther replied. "You take it off your neck."

"Got it. Anyway, how did I do?" he asked plaintitavely.

"You were planning that speech, weren't you?" Tygra asked with a knowing look.

"It was pretty much off the top of my head," Lion-O admitted. "I just kept going after the Naming Ceremony."

"You definitely got that from Claudis," Panthro replied with a shake of his head and a lopsided grin. "You father could get crowds to eat outta his hands."

"He was a great orator," Cheetara added. "That's a very important skill for a king to have. Claudis was one of those kings who never used a royal speech writer."

"Did he learn that from Jaga?"

"Jaga was many things," Tygra answered, "but he was not a big talker. Royal Addresses were not his strong suit."

"Your assurance that you are there for them," Lynx-O began, "was quite well done. It is imperative for a king to stand for - and with - his people."

"Thank you, everyone. So, Tygra, how goes the planning?"

"Quite well, if I do say so myself," he said. "We have a general search area defined, and a team selected."

"Tygra and myself," Cheetara explained, "along with WilyKit, WilyKat, and Sho. We've asked Laheela to join as well, to even out our number. Tygra's already gotten gear selected, and we'll only need the outrigger pods of the ThunderStrike to get to the search area. I know about Thundrillium reserves," she said with a hand raised in pause, "but if we all go on foot it will take at least a week to just get there."

"Neither you nor Sho are passenger liners, either," Lion-O said. "I understand. How about the power core of the old Lair?"

"Once we select a site, I'll check that out," Panthro answered. "If we can salvage it, we will. Sho will be a big help there, too. Gotta clear that rubble away fast, and he's got just the thing to do it."

"If you want anything cleared away in a hurry, you mean," Lion-O replied. "How about food supplies?"

"We'll take minimal rations," Tygra said, "and the rest we'll just have to hunt ourselves."

"Have you ever hunted?" Panthro asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, no. Not as such."

"Men," Cheetara chuckled. "What would you do without women?" Women traditionally hunted on Thundera while men handled dressing and butchering the carcasses. Cheetara's jest caused low laughter to rumble in the circular room. As they said their goodnights and filed off to bed, Panthro happened to catch a glimpse at the Braille Board.

"Hey, who's up on the roof?"

"That'd be Myrlha and Sho," Cheetara said, pausing in the doorway. "Admission of feelings in progress."

"They've been up there quite a while," Tygra mused as he checked the sensor logs. "I had a feeling about those two."

"You don't think..." Panthro began, looking up from the console to Tygra.

"Young couple," he said, "newly in love..."

"Aw, hell, not on the roof!" Panthro dashed out of the control room with Tygra close at his heels.

"It may not be what you think," Tygra said as they neared the ladder to the roof's access hatch.

"Sure it's not," Panthro replied, "and I might not be an engineer!" Cool night air greeted him as he clambered onto the gently sloping surface and dashed over to the Cat's Eye with every intention of bawling out his pupil for such gross indiscretion when...

"Oh." Panthro shook his head and chuckled at the sight of it. The two lay wrapped in each other's arms and Sho's cloak soundly asleep and fully clothed, Panthro saw with relief.

"So," Tygra said softly so as not to disturb the new couple, "what were you saying about being an engineer?"

"Yeah, yeah..."

"We should wake them."

"Ahhh, I just don't have the heart," Panthro replied, stepping back. "It won't get all that cold tonight, anyway." The two of them walked quietly back to the access hatch just a light purr floated into the night. "I really hope that's not him," Panthro muttered just before descending the ladder.

In the next episode of Eye of the Storm:

The village of Watershed gains a new defender in the form of Oswald Lisker, and the nearby tribe of Warrior Maidens learns of his powers through a message from their decimated sister tribe.

The search for a new home begins as the team of ThunderCats land in their chosen search area.

All the while, the satellite far above continues to steal and store data, and the Warhammer continues its voyage to Third Earth at speeds which defy the laws of motion.

Collision for these three forces is inevitable.

Stay tuned for the next episode of Eye of the Storm.