Author's Note: So I think from now on I'll be updating once a week. I'm moving in a week and a half (yay, college!), and consequently have been really busy lately. How does Tuesday sound for updates? I like Tuesdays. For now. We'll see how I feel about them once school starts.

The idea for this chapter was given to me by one awesome reviewer, L. Burke, who suggested exploring Tygra's telepathic powers more. This is in reference to the original show, since so far there hasn't been anything on them in the new series. But hey, the show's still new, so who knows? His Jedi mind tricks might resurface eventually!

Additionally, I forgot again to credit the last chapter! I swear I'm not doing this on purpose. The idea came, once again, from the Ask-Tygra blog on Tumblr. Someone asked something along the lines of, "As a kid, did Lion-o ever call you after having a nightmare?" The user replied (and again, I'm paraphrasing), "If I said yes, he would never forgive me." And thus, a plot bunny was born!

Edit: Oh my God you guys, I'm so sorry for the THREE notifications. I kept finding typos! If there's another one, screw it, I'm leaving it in.

Disclaimer: I don't own ThunderCats. Which really sucks. :(

Chapter Six: Sixth Sense

Tygra first began to notice that he was not like the other cats when he was ten.

He supposed the signs might have been there for a while, but he had always dismissed them as a brother's intuition; things like knowing exactly how to hold Lion-o to make him stop crying, or easily discovering where he was hiding when they were playing hide-and-seek. And, of course, there were those nights when Tygra knew not to fall asleep, and within an hour, his nightmare-plagued brother would sneak into his room seeking comfort.

However, one day, it became apparent to him that his extra sense was not limited to Lion-o. That revelation came to him in the form of a murder attempt.

The royal family was seated at the large dinner table, with Lion-o prattling on about his lessons and the games he played that day with Snarf. By all standards, it was a typical evening; yet something kept nagging at Tygra's mind. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, distracted.

When the servants brought out their meal, a wave of nausea hit Tygra. A single malicious thought, like a slim thread, whispered through his mind, making him shudder. His eyes traveled of their own accord until they locked on to a single maid, hanging back behind the servants.

The cats set their plates before them, then others approached and set the food on the table. Bowls of bright, fresh fruit and mashed potatoes were laid carefully upon the polished surface. A huge carcass was placed in the center, a mouth-watering scent wafting from its golden-brown flesh. Their goblets were filled with juice. Tygra kept his eyes trained on the maid the entire time, unaware of his surroundings.

The soft cling of silverware as Lion-o picked up his fork snapped Tygra back to reality.

He shoved Lion-o's plate back, ignoring his protests.

"Father!" he exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "The food's been poisoned!"

It was silent as everyone turned to look at Tygra in shock. Then, chaos as the maid turned and attempted to flee the scene, pushing past a servant carrying a platter of bread. The startled cat dropped the plate, sending it clattering to the floor. The noise made another servant jump, spilling a jug full of grape juice.

"After her!" a guard shouted unnecessarily, as the other guards were already moving. The servants carrying the food moved hesitantly in confusion, trying to get out of the way but only succeeding in spilling more food and blocking the exit.

Claudus stood and beckoned Tygra, who had already grabbed Lion-o. They huddled close together while the panic subsided, the king's strong arms encircling them protectively. The servants had been more or less shoved out of the room and more guards, including two clerics, had taken their place.

"Well?" Claudus asked, as a cleric stooped to sniff the food.

"It does contain traces of poison, My Lord," the cleric replied.

The king turned to the guards expectantly.

"Would anyone like to tell me how this happened?" he thundered. "My sons could have been killed!"

As one, the guards shrank back and looked at the ground shamefully. No one had an answer for the agitated king.

"My Lord," said a cleric, appearing at Claudus' side. Tygra started, not having seen him come in. "We've apprehended the maid responsible. We intend to interrogate her to find out if she worked alone or was hired, and if she had any accomplices."

Claudus nodded once. "Good." He signaled a guard forward. "Make sure all the food is burned. I want no deaths in or outside the palace because of this."

Once the most of the guards had been dismissed and several bewildered maids had cleaned the mess off the floor, everyone's eyes turned once again to stare at Tygra.

"What?" Tygra asked defensively, his ears sinking.

"Tygra," Claudus said calmly. He had to crane his neck to meet the lion's fierce gaze. "How did you know the food was poisoned?"

"I..." Tygra suddenly felt hot, as though each set of eyes boring into him was a ray of intense heat. "I don't know... It just felt wrong."

"What did?"

He tried to connect what had happened to words and found the task impossibly frustrating, especially since Tygra had no idea what had happened, himself. It was like trying to explain music to a deaf man.

"The room. The air? I felt sick for no reason," Tygra struggled to explain. "And she felt weird, the maid. She was thinking bad thoughts."

Silence. No one even breathed. Tygra was sure that, if he strained his ears, he could hear the echo of silence bouncing off the walls.

"You... Heard her thoughts?" Cluadus asked in disbelief.

"Just a thought," Tygra corrected, tugging absently at his collar. "Like a whisper. 'Kill them all.' And then I just knew."

For the first time in Tygra's memory, the great king seemed to be at a loss for words.