A/N: I just wanted to put out a warning that a few of the visions that Lion-O has in this chapter get very religious and extremely gory. I give my sincerest apologies in advance if it upsets or causes any offence towards any of my readers.

Key:

Flashback = Flashback (Obviously)

Dream = Dream

Time Passage =...

- (BORDER) - = perspective change

Vision = Vision

Anyway, chapter information:

Genres: Drama, suspense and mystery.

Warnings: Scenes of violence and explicit language. And gore. Loads and loads of gore.

Date started (Chapter): Tuesday 26th September 2017

Date finished (Chapter): Thursday 28th September 2017

Song/s: Wolves of Winter by Biffy Clyro

Chapter 29: Wolves of Winter

"Leo!"

I open my eyes and weakly look up as I hear someone shout my name, and relief comes when I see my younger brother running towards me with the other Thundercats in tail. "Lion-O...How did you get here so quickly?" I whisper as he kneels at my side.

"That doesn't matter right now. What does is getting you somewhere safe to recover. I know that Mumm-ra hurt you and you're pretty badly injured, but the sooner we get you back to the Ferrals' Village, the sooner we can get you some help."

"You...You felt it...didn't you? When...When Mumm-ra br...broke the barrier...you felt the...felt the horrid feelings..."

Lion-O sighs before saying "Unfortunately, I did and no matter how hard I try to block them, they linger. We need to stop him somehow, and soon."

"I...I tried to fight him off...when he took me...The fire magic...has no effect on him." I whisper as he helps me to my feet, slinging my arm over his shoulders as we walk to the Feliner. I stumble and cry out as I feel a searing pain in my knee, and Lion-O bears my weight until I can regain my stance.

"Can you walk?"

I groan as I try to move again, only to be met with the same hellish sensation, "No, I can't...My knee..." I gasp and, to my surprise, my brother manages to pick me up and carry me to the huge aircraft.

He takes me to the onboard medical bay and oversees Pumyra splinting my injured knee before leaving to go to the cockpit. "Set course for the Ferrals' Village. Once Leo has healed, we go after Mumm-ra, but let me and Leo deal with him. I have a feeling that an idea that I have is going to work." I hear my brother say from out in the corridor as Pumyra injects me with a painkiller, and then we set off.

- (BORDER) -

"Lion-O! Lion-O, calm down!"

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? I hate to break it to you but the lives of me, Leo and Katzeran are at this moment in extreme danger if the secrets of the Barbary lion clan get out! I need to get to New Thundera so that I can help my brother and stop Mumm-ra before he learns of everything! If he does, you'll end up leaderless because he'd wipe the three of us out!"

"We're almost 24 hours away from home – you'd never get there on time! And you can't leave so soon – the funeral was yesterday and it'd be so disrespectful if you left today!"

"I've never felt my bond with Leo so strongly before – he needs me! He needs me and we aren't there for him! Why couldn't this have happened whilst we were on New Thundera?"

I feel Cheetara wrap her arms around my chest from behind. "Lion-O, it's OK. We'll find a solution to this."

"You don't understand! You're not from a persecuted clan that has been hated and hunted into near-extinction throughout history! If Mumm-ra reveals our clan to the peoples of New Thundera, there will be un uprising and me, Leo and Katz will be executed, and you'd be tortured for wedding and mating with a Barbary lion. We're hated that much, and it's likely that because we're directly related to Satos, we would be dragged though the streets of the Capital City on horseback before being beheaded or burned at the stake. It's the traditional way of killing a captured Barbary lion – throughout the centuries it's become more of a custom to chase us down, and it's slowly evolved into a blood sport similar to fox hunting."

"Thundercats, we understand that your lives are in danger. We don't mind if you return to your home planet now, especially if it means saving yourselves. We are glad that you were in attendance of the funeral – Hatchiman would be as grateful as us for your display of friendship."

"Thank you, Hana. Your hospitality has been wonderful and we hope to visit again soon, hopefully under better circumstances."

"Come on, Lion-O," Cheetara says as she loops her arm through mine, "We're going back now."

At her words, I almost pull the cheetah to the floor as another vision hits me...

"Any last words, Barbary lion?"

The young red-maned lion doesn't look at me, so I grab a handful of his mane and force his head back. "I asked you a question, 'my King'! Do you have any last words?" I spit as he's stripped of his clothes.

Lion-O growls deep in his throat. "This is murder!" he roars as he's dragged to his feet, "What happened with Jansr happened centuries ago! Fair enough, we're related by blood, but that doesn't mean that I'm anything like him!"

"No, but you are a Barbary lion, and every year on the day of the Autumnal Equinox, all captured Barbary lions are rightfully...purged. And as you are in fact the last of them, our goal will be completed one your life blood is dripping from this podium!" I growl, unsheathing my dagger as the crowd screams, baying for the young Lord's blood and, without hesitation, I drive the blade deep into the area between his shoulder blades, making him scream as the crowd grows ever louder, "Do you wish for death, Thundercat?"

I force him to watch as his own cub is dragged out to the front of the podium, kicking and screaming, and is held down against the block before being brutally beheaded. The executioner holds up the young Litah cub's severed head, spraying the crowd with blood as I say "Well? Do you? I mean, it's going to happen regardless," then I raise my voice to a shout as I continue, "But beg. Beg for mercy. Beg for benevolence for the sins that run in your bloodline! The Gods will smite you for your unholy actions in this life, and eternal damnation awaits as your master calls you back to hell from which you came forth! The judgement today is ours as it stands and in taking your head from your body, another unholy demon is rid from this world as the last of the Barbary lions falls!"

I twist the blade of the dagger, and Lion-O chokes uncontrollably, blood gushing up his throat and out of his mouth as I carve a pentagram into the flesh of his back, then two guards grab him and drag him towards the gallows in front of the crowd. He doesn't even fight back when the rope is placed around his neck. I can see his mate in the crowd, and she's crying desperately. I turn my attention back to Lion-O who is blankly staring at the floor as the executioner tightens the rope around his neck.

"I condemn you to hell, Barbary lion. In a better life, may you learn from your mistakes. Until then, your time in this life is at an end. Farewell, Lion-O." I say, then I signal to the executioner. He pulls the lever, and the trap door springs open, accompanied by the sickening wet crunch of the young lion's neck snapping, killing him instantly as Cheetara screams.

"Lion-O!"

I sit up, gagging and screaming myself into hysterics at the vision I just witnessed. I'm shaking uncontrollably and I want to be sick.

"Lion-O, what did you just see?"

I pant heavily before weakly saying "A...A vision of...of the future...of my execution...we need to get there as soon as possible!"

"We're not going to let that happen to you." Cheetara says as she helps me onto the Feliner and into the bunk room, but she only just manages to help me onto a bed before another wave of horrific feelings strikes me, and she leaps back in fear as my fear comes as a wave of pitch-black energy. A culmination of my fear and powers as I curl up on my side, shaken to my core.

"Oh Lion-O, it's all gonna be ok, babe." She says as she rubs my back, but when I start to freak out, Pumyra is quick to inject me with a sedative.

"We're gonna sort this once and for all, babe. I promise."

And with that, she holds me close as the drug takes effect and I slowly slip into a deep sleep...

"How is he?"

Pumyra sighs as she stops at my side, watching me play with Katzeran and Jøhba as Bräiden looks over us. "He's in pain because his kneecap was shattered, but the healing serum is slowly healing the damage."

"That stuff truly works miracles!" I say as I get up, then I enter my brother's hut and sit next to him as he looks up at me.

"I'm guessing you had the same vision that I did?"

"Of the execution? I sure-as-hell did. It's not good. We need to stop Mumm-ra before he reveals everything!" Leo says as he tries to sit up, but he then swears deeply as he moves his leg, "Shit, the quicker this leg heals, the sooner we can go after him."

I begin to get up, but another vision hits me with full force...

"Lion-O..."

I look up in shock and turn around, and I see Leo by my side with Dad, Satos and another lioness standing in front of us, and I immediately know whom the lioness is.

"M...Mum? Dad?" I ask, and they nod, so me and my brother run forwards and hug them, "Wh...Where are we? Why are we here?"

Dad sighs before saying "You are here, my sons, because the lives of the surviving individuals of the Barbary lion clan are at serious risk, and you two are the only ones who have the ability to stop Mumm-ra's evil plan as it stands."

"But how can we do that?" Leo asks, "Mumm-ra is extremely powerful – he's almost killed Lion-O countless times in the past!"

Satos chuckles before saying "Ah, boys, you seem to forget your heritage. As Barbary lions, we are one of the most powerful species of Thunderian. As you grow older, you will grow increasingly powerful and dangerous, and as you're both young, your powers are unpredictable. It's in this state which you will be able to combine your powers into one. Only this way will you be able to defeat him and restore the protective barrier."

"But what if we fail?"

Mum sighs before stepping forward. "The first time I held you both, I could sense the power and potential within the two of you. If anyone is more capable of saving our people, it is you two. It is time to finally work together and settle your differences once and for all. Only then will you achieve your common goal..."

"That's it!"

Cheetara and Pumyra jump back in shock as I sit up and throw myself to my feet before clearing the pages of sketches from Leo's small table before grabbing a blank piece and a pen, drawing out an elaborate plan as the other Thundercats look over my shoulders in confusion.

"Another ancient prophecy foretells that a pair of Barbary lions who are the sons of Satos will rid New Thundera of the evil demon, and only now do I understand what that means – it means that when me and Leo combine our powers and channel them through the Sword, it will defeat Mumm-ra and restore peace to New Thundera. It didn't make sense to me before, but I now realise that me and Leo are those sons of Satos because he was a distant great grandfather." I say as I scrawl on the paper, my hands violently shaking as I feel my powers surging again, the blue flames covering my hands.

"DAD!"

I look up as Katzeran races into the hut with Bräiden and Jøhba behind him. All three look terrified, and Katzeran throws himself into my chest as he cries "It's Mumm-ra! He's back!"

"Katz, Jøhba, Bräiden, you three stay in here where it's safe." I say as I get to my feet, then I walk outside to face my foe. He crosses his arms over his chest as he grins at me. "Hello, Thundercat. I suppose that you've managed to sense the dangers that I pose to you through your bond with your brother? I learned that from breaking the barrier that protected your sacred village. I know of your powers and the ancient prophecy, Barbary lion, but you shall never live long enough to see it through! By now, those secrets should have made their way out to the public. I hope you're ready to accept your fate, because your death will come swiftly."

I growl as I reach for the Sword of Omens at my side, "I may not be the strongest being on this planet, but I know that you will never be victorious. I'm not the man who you once knew," I snarl, the fire covering my hands as it slowly melts into a disturbing shade of pitch-black, "You may know of the powers of the Barbary lion clan, but you don't know exactly how powerful I am."

Before he can react, I hurl a ball of black fire at the mummy, making him roar in anger as it hits him in the chest with a resounding boom. He unsheathes the Sword of Plun-darr, and I see my reflection in the blade – my eyes are an eerie black colour with blue pupils, reflecting the colour of my powers. I growl, the flames swirling as I step towards him, and in retaliation, he sends a vicious volley of vibrant green-hued electricity towards me which I then deflect with another fireball.

"How is this even possible?" Mumm-ra roars, his face a mask of pure fury, "You dare defy me, Lord of the Thundercats? Your bloodline is tainted with cowardice yet you stand before me and tell me that you are a better person than you once were? You are but a weakling, and in ridding this world of your family and your clan, your kingdom will fall and I will reign supreme as overlord of New Thundera! Your Thundercats will bow down to me as how I deserve!"

I scoff in disgust. "Ha! In your dreams, bone bag!" I growl as I let the ancient Barbary lion clan magic flow freely through my body, preparing to attack for a second time, "If there's something you should know by now, it's that Thundercats never surrender!" I launch myself at him with a savage roar as the fire spreads up my forearms, but before I can actually land a strike on him, he punches me in the stomach, making me cry out in pain as the other Thundercats look on in horror. I fall to the floor, winded and embarrassed as Mumm-ra rolls me onto my back and places a heavy foot on my chest, grinning down at me in my plight.

"You're so pathetic, cub!" he spits as he raises the Sword of Plun-darr above his head, but he's knocked down when a purple bolt strikes him in the chest, and when I look up, I see Leo running towards me, his eyes glowing a deep purple. Jeez, that healing salve works miracles, and quickly too. He grabs me and we bolt towards the treeline as the other Thundercats begin to fire on the Ancient Egyptian mummy.

"Our fire attacks aren't working! He's just sending them back at us!"

Leo groans before saying "Yeah, I can see that! Have you got any other ideas? We've used every attack that I could think of!"

I ponder for a second before saying "What about the thing that Satos told us? What if we used the Sword of Omens to channel and combine our powers into one attack – a huge psychic blast?"

I look down at the Sword as Leo says "It's worth trying, but whether it works or not is a completely different story!"

I stare at my reflection in the blade, my eyes glowing an eerie bluish-black colour. "I did this sort of thing when freeing Dad from the Shadowmaster, so let's hope it works!" I say as I look up at my brother, "Are you ready?"

He growls fiercely. "I'll always be ready, especially if I get to avenge Rewth!" His eyes flash black for a second, so I nod, and we run from the protection of the trees with a vicious roar, both with a hand on the Sword which also lets out a powerful roar as it begins to combine our powers, a bluish-purple flame spreading over the blade as we leap at Mumm-ra.

"Thundercats, HO!" we roar in unison, and the blade plunges deep into Mumm-ra's chest. The demon unleashes a hellish roar as he backs away, the flames consuming his entire body as the bandages begin to burn. All the while, he screams, slowly turning to ash in front of us which blows away as a gentle breeze picks up. Me and Leo grin at each other, and then the fatigue hits and the ground rushes up to meet me...

...

"Pumyra, he's coming round!"

I groan as I open my eyes, and the first thing that I see is my wife sitting on the edge of the bed, and when I look past her, I see Katzeran anxiously loitering in the doorway of the room. The curtains on the windows are still drawn, and I can see that it's dusk.

"Lion-O, you're an absolute genius! Your plan worked perfectly!"

"It...It did?" I ask as I push myself up into a sitting position, "I mean, I saw what happened to Mumm-ra, but nothing bad happened afterwards?"

"There's no way that Mumm-ra is coming back – your little trick made sure of that. You and Leo both passed out after pulling off that attack, but that's only because you pushed yourselves too far and ended up exhausting yourselves, both physically and through your powers."

"How long have I been out?"

"A few hours at most. Leo woke up about two hours ago, and Snarf is cooking a feast to celebrate our victory. Word has spread and Lysander, Lèwis, Chetaro and Pumarr from the High Thunderian Council are here, and so too are the elders of the lion and cheetah clans."

She goes to help me stand up, but I tell her not to and get to my feet by myself. She and Pumyra leave so that I can freshen myself up. As I'm drying myself off and getting changed from my quick shower, I hear a pair of familiar voices calling my name.

"Lion-O..."

"Mum? Dad?"

I look on in amazement as they materialise in front of me, smiling at me. "Lion-O, my son, we are so very proud of what you have achieved today. It wasn't easy, but you proved that you are a very powerful and wise King."

I smile at my Father's words before a rush of pink taints my cheeks. "Dad, I want to apologise for what I was like as a child. I know we never got on, but..."

"Lion-O, there is no need to apologise because it was I who was in the wrong. I favoured Leo over you and I'm not afraid to admit that, but I loved you both. And I am so happy and me and your Mother are so proud of you and your brother in the fact that you managed to settle your differences and work together, and in doing so, you've managed to re-kindle your twin bond too. Spread the message to your brother for us, L'ûencho, and he will understand..."

I smile still as they disappear, and then I go to find my wife, son and Pumyra and we go to the Council Chamber where everyone is waiting. When I walk in, everyone cheers as I walk to my seat before sitting down.

"My friends, a new era has dawned today – an era untainted by the unholy evil that once was Mumm-ra. Earlier's battle saw him reduced to a pile of dust. It has taken seven years to do so, but we finally have the ability to relax for there no longer is any danger."

I look around me at my fellow Thunderians as we celebrate with champagne. Waiters fill everyone's glasses, but Cheetara stands before saying "I would like to propose a toast to the Lord of the Thundercats."

I feel myself blushing as the cheetah smiles at me before starting her speech.

"I was a young cub of age ten when Lion-O and Leo were born on the thirteenth of November on Old Thundera. I grew up alongside him and as I grew older, I would babysit the royal twins for King Claudus, and I remember having to run everywhere after these two mischievous but naughty lion cubs. When the fateful day came in which we were forced to evacuate Old Thundera, I swore to Lord Claudus that I would protect his then youngest twelve-year-old son with my life. Upon reaching Third Earth, it was discovered that Lion-O's suspension capsule had malfunctioned, allowing that young cub to age to a young adult. Fair enough, he was very impetuous and hot-headed, and some days, it seems that he never lost that streak,"

I feel myself turning redder than ever at the cheetah's words.

"But when we returned to New Thundera two years later, I begun to find myself falling for him. There was just something about him that I found irresistible – could it be his boyish charm? His rugged good looks? Who knows? But the night he proposed to me, I felt a bond forming which was only strengthened with our wedding – the mating ceremony – and when I found myself pregnant with our first cub, Katzeran. I will always stay faithful to my Lord and King as a Queen should do, and my love for him shall forever remain. Especially now that it turns out that our family is going to be growing by another member soon, too."

"Wait, what?" I ask as I look up at her, and I see the tears of joy in her eyes.

"Lion-O, I'm pregnant."

The room erupts into cheers of congratulations as I take my wife in my arms, crying with joy and shock. "How far through are you? When did you find out?" I ask, and she replies with "I'm almost nine weeks gone, and I only found out a few weeks ago!"

I smile and, not caring about the audience around us, I kiss my wife deeply and I realise that I have never felt so happy before in my life.

End of Era Two

Next time on Thundercats:

Six years later, many years of peace on New Thundera has gone past and life is going well for the Thundercats. However, when a message reaches Lion-O, he soon discovers that his people aren't extinct as he had believed for the whole of his life. And when an important figure of his past returns, questions will be raised. Will everything run smoothly?

Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!