Divided Until United

Without his SkyCutter, Slithe was forced to ride on the NoseDiver with Jackalman. They arrived at Fire Rock Mountain and me up with Captain Shiner. The alien mercenary and his crew took their leave, leaving the mutants to take care of the prisoners. Bengali, Pumyra, and Lynx-O had been drained of their energy due to being exposed to Thundranium. They even had difficulty staying on their feet. Because they were weak, it was futile to resist, let alone retaliate. As such, the Thunderians were locked in a cell.

Bengali snarled. "Looks like we've had it." He suddenly didn't feel so weak anymore as he noticed that his voice was stronger. Not that it mattered. He and his friends were still prisoners.

"There's no way out that I can see," said Pumyra.

"There is always a way," said Lynx-O. "But we must wait for the proper time."

Meanwhile, Jirachi and Lion-O made it to the Black Pyramid. Rather than take the main entrance, they took the underground passage. The path ahead had been broken up. Lion-O could easily jump over those gaps while Jirachi would just simply fly over them. They stopped crossing as they saw a strange dog in front of them. It was Ma-Mutt.

"Shoo," Jirachi ordered. "Go on, shoo!"

"Go on," said Lion-O. "We don't want to fight." Ma-Mutt didn't budge.

Jirachi sighed. "I guess I have no choice." He used Teleport to transport Ma-Mutt outside. He and Jirachi smiled at each other. Better that than starting a fight. They looked back and saw a fireball coming towards them.

Lion-O grabbed Jirachi and held him in his arms as he ran down the path. He jumped down a gap and came to another underground passage.

"What was that?" Jirachi asked.

"I don't know, but it almost took my head off," said Lion-O.

"Mumm-Ra sure doesn't mess around," said Jirachi. "Still, he's got a cruel way with visitors."

Lion-O laughed at that. "You said it, Jirachi."

Ma-Mutt suddenly appeared and began attacking. He exhaled a noxious fume in Lion-O's face, causing the lion to cough. He saw a casket and trapped Ma-Mutt inside of it.

"Are you all right, Lion-O?"

"Yeah, I guess so," he answered. He breathed calmly to help stop the coughing. Continuing on their path, they saw a line of mummies at the walls. They suddenly began attacking with their bandages.

"I should think I'd be used to this," Jirachi groaned. "After all, Egypt is my home. Then again, this place doesn't make me feel at home." He and Lion-O tried to escape, but the bandages kept trying to snare them. They came to a doorway up ahead. The only way to open it was to push one of the buttons. Jirachi pressed one, but nothing happened. Lion-O was about to press another, but the bandages grabbed his arm, trying to pull him back as though they were preventing him from pushing the button. Jirachi manages to press it, making the door open. "Yes!"

They hurried to the other side, but the wrappings wouldn't stop, even as the door came down. Lion-O was on the floor with his hair caught under the door. "Lion-O!" Jirachi cried.

"Jirachi," he groaned. "Get out of here or they'll get you too."

"I won't leave you," he protested. He tried pulling the wrappings off, but they began snaring him too.

Just when they thought they were being mummified, sunlight started breaking through the breaks in the chamber and the wrappings started turning to dust. Lion-O even managed to pull himself out from under the door without getting his hair torn off his head.

"Well, what do you know?" Jirachi asked. "Evil is strong in darkness, but weak when there's light."

"Funny how it always works that way, isn't it?" Lion-O asked, petting him. "Coming here was pointless. We'll have to go to Fire Rock Mountain directly if we're going to save our fellow countrymen. Jirachi, can you use Teleport to get us out of here?"

"You bet I can." And he transports them out of the chamber and outside the Black Pyramid.

Back on Hook Mountain, the ThunderTank took a direct hit from the Ratstar. Joseph managed to get away unharmed. Now he was helping Panthro get out. The ThunderTank was on fire and would explode if the flames were to come into contact with the fuel or wiring.

Thankfully, the rest of their friends and allies hadn't left Hook Mountain yet. Mahad and Seto began using their magic to douse the flames.

Joseph was still digging through the snow, even though his hands were becoming numb. "Leave me, Joseph," said Panthro. "I'm just one ThunderCat. There are three other Thunderians who need you."

"I will not leave you," the blonde snapped. "You're my mentor, Panthro. Most importantly, you're my friend and friends never leave each other." And his amulet starts glowing.

"Besides, we need you too," Mahad added. He and Seto use their magic to carefully lift the ThunderTank and put it back in proper position.

Joseph helped Panthro to get back on his feet. "Are you injured?"

"I don't think so," the panther replied.

"You're strong," said Mahad. "But drink this medicine, just to be safe."

Panthro took the flask and drank a small sip. Thankfully, the potion wasn't too bitter and he felt his strength returning. "Thanks, Mahad." He checked the ThunderTank. Thankfully, there was no serious damage and the engines were still running. "Come on, Joseph. We got work to do."

The blonde smiled and jumped in. "I'm right with you, Panthro. Let's get back in the action."

Seto smiled. These two were fierce, but they had the right idea. They needed to get back to rescuing the Thunderians. Seto boarded the Hovercat with Cheetara and Mahad boarded the Thunderclaw with Tygra. Kisara and Freya mounted on Kirara. Together, they all hurried to Fire Rock Mountian.

In the Ratstar, Vultureman and Ratar-O received orders from Mumm-Ra to head to Fire Rock Mountain and help the mutants to ambush and destroy the ThunderCats and the Children of Millennia. The fastest way would be going over the Tuska country. The Tuskas were a race of walrus-like people who once requested help from the ThunderCats to save their home from an evil war machine called the Technopede.

The Tuskas saw the Ratstar coming in and began firing their laser guns. Ratar-O fired a laser from the Varicannon. Snarf had enough. Even though he was gagged and shackled, he wasn't going to let it stop him from stopping the rodent mutant from attacking. He jumped on Ratar-O and pounded him against the control panel. Vultureman had no choice but to land the Ratstar now that the systems were going out of control. The door also opened and Mana and her friends managed to escape, bracing themselves for a rough landing.

Right now, Ratar-O and Vultureman were outmanned and outgunned. They had no choice but to retreat and regrettably, abandon their captives. As the Tuskas were cheering, one of them approached the heroes. Mana recognized him. It was Turmagar, the leader of the Tuskas. She and her friends helped him a few months ago when he came asking the ThunderCats for help.

Turmagar recognized her too. "Why it's Mana," he said, "the youngest daughter of Millennia. And Snarf, Kirlia, and Latias."

Mana couldn't speak because she was gagged. She instead turned on her back, showing Turmagar her magic wand.

"Oh, your wand," Turmagar said. "You want me to give it to you?" The young mage nodded. Turmagar grabbed it and gave it to her.

Mana began using her magic to free herself and her friends from their bonds. "Turmagar, am I glad to see you," she said happily.

"Come, you must tell us what happened." Turmagar brought them to his home and they began telling him everything as they were recovering from the whole ordeal. Even Latias was starting to feel better as the effects of the drug were wearing off.

"Our friends need help, Turmagar," said Mana. Her eyes suddenly went wide as she saw a familiar ship docked close by. "That's the Berserkers' ship! Hammerhand and his crew are here!" They decided to take a closer look.

The Berserkers had a cook fire going on close by. Mana and Turmagar and Snarf eavesdropped on them and heard them talk about planning on going to Fire Rock Mountain to recapture the Thunderians and sell them to Mumm-Ra for a bigger bounty.

"So the Thunderians we were trying to rescue are on Fire Rock Mountain," Mana whispered.

"We have to think of something," said Snarf.

Turmagar had a plan. The Berserkers need their ship to sail to Fire Rock Mountain. For that matter, he told Mana that they could use Latias and his own companion, the Gomplin, to tow the ship out to sea.

It was a good thing the Berserkers weren't on deck, but the Berbils from earlier were in the cellar. Snarf opened the door and told the Berbils to take the longboat and sail for shore. He then hoisted up the anchor and tied Latias' line and the Gomplin's line to the deck and they began towing the ship.

The Berserkers still had one of their own jet boats and once they saw their ship being towed out to sea, they hurried to retrieve it.

In the cells of Fire Rock Mountain, the Thunderian prisoners overheard the mutants laying a trap for the ThunderCats and the Children of Millennia. They had to escape. Carefully, Bengali used his strength to help break the shackles off of Pumyra's wrists.

"Pumyra, is there metal on the ceiling?" Lynx-O asked.

The puma woman looked up. "Yes," she answered. "Iron rings for chaining prisoners."

"Can you vault high enough to reach one of those rings?" the old lynx asked. In response, the puma jumps and catches one of the rings. It was Lynx-O's turn. He grinds his teeth and creates a sound strong enough to break even the chalices the mutants were drinking from.

Jackalman opens the door to see what's going on, only to receive a jump kick from Pumyra. She takes the keys from Jackalman's belt and begins unlocking her friends' shackles. Slithe checks the cell, but Lynx-O manages to sneak up from behind him and temporarily paralyze the reptilian mutant from behind.

As they were walking through the corridors, Bengali, Pumyra, and Lynx-O started feeling weak again. This meant that they were getting closer to the Thundranium pits. They weren't going to let it stop them. They had to keep going if they hoped to be free.

Finally, Lion-O and Jirachi made it to the entrance at the base of Fire Rock Mountain. Already Lion-O was feeling sick. "Lion-O," Jirachi gasped. "Thundranium is harmful to you, Lion-O," he recalled. "Let me go on ahead. It doesn't affect me."

"No, Jirachi, I'll be fine," he insisted. "But maybe you can use Teleport to get us to the entrance before I pass out."

Jirachi obeys and transports them to the entrance. "Use the Sword of Omens, Lion-O, so the others will know we're here."

"Yes, Jirachi, you're right," he said. He raises the Sword of Omens and sends out the signal to call the rest of their friends and allies. Indeed, they were going to need everyone's help.

On their way to Fire Rock Mountain, Tygra and Cheetara's team saw Captain Shiner's ship in the sky. "Captain Shiner sees us," said Tygra. Laser beams from the ship began striking at the Hovercat and Thunderclaw and Kirara with the cousins on her.

Looking up, Kisara saw an airlock beneath the ship. "Maybe we can sneak aboard through there."

"Seto and I will come with you," said Cheetara.

"Go for it," said Tygra. "Mahad and I will try to find another way in."

Using the Thunderclaw, Cheetara grasps the door and breaks it off, granting her and her friends access. Up top, Tygra and Mahad find an air vent and jump in.

As Cheetara and Seto and the cousins look around, the guards spot them. Cheetara trips them up using her baton and Kirara pounces on them and forces them on the ground. Another guard was about to fire his laser cannon, but Tygra used his bolo whip to snag the weapon. Seto and Mahad lift the guards and the cousins lock them in shackles pinned to the wall.

"You'll never get off this ship alive," one guard threatened.

"We got in, we'll get out," Seto argued. "Same odds." He and Mahad then gag the guards.

Now it was time to deal with Captain Shiner. The heroes went to the main flight deck and Tygra used his bolo whip to snare him. Seto and Mahad use their magic to subdue the rest of the pilots.

"Set it for straight up, Seto," Tygra ordered. "Full throttle."

"Yes, Tygra," the older brunette said.

"But we'll be light-years away in deep space in seconds," Shiner protested.

"You will, but we won't," said Freya. "Sorry we can't join you."

Seto finished setting the modifications. "Ten seconds to blastoff," he informed his friends. Using their magic, he and Mahad transport themselves and their friends outside the ship and they escape as it begins to rocket away. Though the heroes were able to take care of Captain Shiner, their detour still costed them some time. They had to hurry to Fire Rock Mountain.

Meanwhile, the Berserkers were catching up to Mana and her own team, trying to save their ship from being towed. Latias and the Gomplin were both becoming exhausted.

In the ocean, the ThunderKittens were riding their space boards. They looked up and saw Turmagar and Mana. "Look, Wilykit, it's Turmagar," said Wilykat.

"And Mana, Latias, Kirlia, and Snarf are with him," his sister added. They were relieved to see that their friends were safe.

"They look like they're getting ready to attack Hammerhand's ship," said Wilykat.

"With Latias and the Gomplin," Wilykit asked. They had to hurry and help.

Hammerhand was trying to stun Latias and the Gomplin with the laser cannons, but the two of them were too fast. The Gomplin ended up taking a hit, though. There was a burn on his side.

"Mana, Turmagar," Wilykat shouted. "Get out of the line of fire!"

"We'll take over," Wilykit shouted.

"Kat and Kit," Mana cried happily. "Turmagar, you take the Gomplin home and get him healed up. Latias can carry us to Fire Rock Mountain."

"Be careful, my friends," Turmagar said, turning around and leaving.

Mana got close to the ship and began attacking with her magic while Latias was attacking with Mist Ball and Kirlia was attacking with Magical Leaf.

"We've got to help, Mana, Wilykat, but we can't match their firepower," said Wilykit.

"Not if we use all of our firepower at once," her brother said. He gathered all of his pellets and placed them in a single pouch and his sister began doing the same. They got close to the ship and tossed their pouches on the deck and all of their pellets exploded, releasing strong smoke.

Meanwhile, Panthro and Joseph were getting close to Fire Rock Mountain. However, Monkian was waiting for them in his Fistpounder. They nearly got crushed on the path, giving them no choice but to back up. Monkian followed, but when he saw the ThunderTank, he saw that Panthro and Joseph weren't inside.

The blonde and the panther showed up, ready to fight. Monkian grabbed his club, but Panthro disarmed him using his nunchucks. Joseph then turned on the Fistpounder and it began chasing Monkian down the path while pounding against the ground.

"I hope that's the last we'll see of him," said Joseph. "Now we can help our friends." And they got back in the ThunderTank.

The Berserkers wouldn't give up either. They kept trying to attack Mana and the ThunderKittens. When they came to the cove, however, the Fistpounder was coming towards them. It landed on their ship, sinking it.

"ThunderCats, Children of Millennia, here we come," Mana and the ThunderKittens cheered. Now they could hurry to Fire Rock Mountain too. Wilykit and Wilykat got on their space boards and Mana mounted on Latias with Snarf and Kirlia.

At last, everyone was present. It wasn't over yet. Mumm-Ra had appeared. Lion-O had his mirror shield behind him, ready to use it. It worked against Mumm-Ra many times before in the past. Even so, he and his friends still needed to get past the Thundranium pits.

At the same time, Bengali, Pumyra, and Lynx-O were still walking through the caves inside Fire Rock Mountain. Lynx-O could sense a way out. It was close to the Thundranium, but they had to go that way in order to get out. The old lynx was right. However, Mumm-Ra and the mutants were right in front of them.

Seto spoke up. "Lion-O, because we Children of Millennia are humans, the Thundranium does not affect us the same way it affects you. Please, allow me to cross the Thundranium pits so that I may rescue your countrymen."

"I will come with you," said Mahad. Kisara wanted to come along as well.

"Very well," Lion-O permitted. "Go forth with caution, my friends."

So the three of them carefully walk on the path and come to the front of the cave. Seto scorches Slithe with fire magic and Mahad shoots Jackalman with bolts of magic from his scepter.

Kisara approached the Thunderians. "Hurry, gather around me," she instructed the Thunderians. "If you maintain contact with me, the Thundranium won't harm you." And she surrounded herself and the Thunderians in a barrier of light. Sure enough, it was true. They weren't feeling weak as they were crossing the Thundranium pits together. Mahad and Seto followed as well.

"I remember you," Bengali was saying, "you and your friends. You're the Children of Millennia."

She smiles and tells them, "My name is Kisara. I remember you too. We met before we were forced to leave Thundera. If I recall correctly, your names are Bengali, Pumyra, and Lynx-O." She was actually surprised that she even remembered their names after all these years. Yet at the same time, she wasn't. When she used her powers to find these three, she heard their voices and heard their names.

The rest of the heroes held out their hands, carefully pulling their friends to safety.

Mumm-Ra wasn't going to give them the chance to claim victory. "Ancient spirits of evil, transform this decayed form to Mumm-Ra, the ever-living!" And he took on his supreme form as a super being.

"Look out!" Joseph cried. "It's Mumm-Ra!"

But Lion-O was ready. "Behold, Mumm-Ra, the horror of your own reflection!" And he held up the mirror shield. It was too late for Mumm-Ra to stop and turn back now. He began to be driven in a state of madness as he saw his own reflection in the mirror surface of the shield. In addition, the shield also released a ray of light, attacking Mumm-Ra as well and driving him away, forcing him to retreat to the Black Pyramid.

"Is it finally over?" Mana asked.

"Yes, Mana," Lion-O answered. "We can all go back to the Lair. We've got some celebrating to do." And they all began making the trip home.