Eternal Recurrence

It seemed to be a never-ending thing, showing new friends new places and inviting them to one's own world. No one minded, of course. In many ways, it was fun. When Bengali, Lynx-O, and Pumyra were brought to the Pure Valley, they shared the same astonishment the others expressed when they first came here. It was nothing like any of them had seen back on Thundera. The island they stayed on was nice, but this was wonderful.

At one watering hole, Bengali scooped up some water in his hands and drank it. It tasted refreshing. Pumyra and Lynx-O tried it as well and agreed. Suddenly, Joseph came swinging in from a vine and landed in the water, creating a big splash, but failing to get the new ThunderCats wet. Bengali went to check and see if Joseph was all right when suddenly, the blonde playfully pulled him in. The white tiger gasped from being cold and wet and immediately got out of the water. Joseph followed after him, laughing. Bengali smirked at the blonde and pushed him back in the water.

Pumyra began romping around in the fields of flowers with Mana, the ThunderKittens, the cousins, and their monsters, laughing gleefully. There were some flowers she recognized, and some she had never seen before. The puma woman also marveled at the sight of the many different colored trees and the different fruits that grew from them. Kisara picked an apple from a tree, insisting for Pumyra to try it. The puma woman bit into it and smiled. It was the most delicious apple she had ever tasted.

Just because Lynx-O was blind, didn't mean he didn't have to be given a guided tour. He would know his way around from the different sounds and scents. He smelled bitter plants and figured he was brought to a field where herbs and medicinal plants grew. Mahad told him he was right.

Seto showed them the mines where they could collect Thundrillium and told them that conveniently, the canyon was just next to the door back to Third Earth. He explained that all they had to do was pass through the door and think about where they wanted to be and they would be in that exact spot. There were other places to see like the mud pools, the hot springs, Rainbow Canyon, and the Secret Garden – the heart of the Pure Valley.

Bengali looked around, marveling at the sights. "Isn't this a great place?" he asked his comrades.

"It is beautiful," Pumyra admitted. "Oh, Lynx-O, I wish you could see all of this."

"It's all right, Pumyra," the old lynx insisted. "I may not be able to see the wonder of this place, but I don't have to see it in order to know it's beautiful. I can tell by the many sounds and scents that it's wonderful. The water is clean and refreshing, everything that grows here – the plants and food – is healthy and the ground is fertile."

Kisara let out a heavy sigh. "Oh, Lynx-O, when we first met you and the others, I never imagined we'd see you all again after we left Thundera. Now I wish we would have gotten a chance to show you all this place before you… well…"

Lynx-O understood. "Don't dwell on it, Kisara. I appreciate the thought, but we mustn't worry about the past. What's important is that we're here now, alive and well." He was right. While he lost his sight, he still had his life and that was more than enough to be thankful for. Besides, no one knew Thundera was going to be destroyed, no one knew Lynx-O would lose his sight like he did, and no one certainly figured that they would meet Bengali, Pumyra, and Lynx-O again and that they would become ThunderCats. Looking at the now was more important.

Joseph stretched and suggested, "All right, so what do you guys say we show you our world?"

"The Egyptian kingdom?" Bengali asked. "That would be grand."

"Yes, we would like that very much," Pumyra agreed.

"I've heard so much about the Egyptian kingdom," Lynx-O was saying. "Though I won't be able to see it, I would certainly love to come to your world, Joseph."

"Of course," said Mahad. "We'll get you settled into the palace and then we'll give you a tour."

"You could even stay for a few days," the queen added. "After the whole ordeal you went through, you could definitely use time to rest and recuperate."

"Are you sure, Queen Mystery?" Bengali asked. "I mean, is it really all right for us to stay in the palace?"

"We wouldn't want to impose," said Pumyra.

"Nonsense," the queen replied. "Just as Cats' Lair is our second home, the palace can be your second home too. You are part of the team now and it's only right and fair that you should also be residents of the palace just as the rest of the ThunderCats are."

Lynx-O agreed. "In that case, we very much welcome your hospitality, Queen Mystery."

With that being settled, the heroes went to the door to the world of the Egyptian kingdom and passed through, winding up in the palace courtyard. Already the heat was getting to Bengali. "Whew," he sighed, wiping his brow. "I forgot that Egypt has a warm climate."

"We all felt the same way when we first came here," said Tygra. "But you'll get used to it."

"Come on," Freya was saying, "let's get you settled in. Then we can show you around the palace." And they followed her to the guest quarters. The room Lion-O and the others were using didn't have more beds, so Bengali, Pumyra, and Lynx-O were taken to another room.

The puma woman felt the sheets. "These blankets are soft and nice. So this is what Egyptian cotton feels like."

The old lynx felt the bedding. "And it's not too firm. It will do quite nicely."

Joseph had an idea. "Why don't you all rest for a bit? I'm sure you're all exhausted after today."

Bengali yawned and said, "That's not a bad idea, actually." He lied down in his bed. His comrades agreed. They decided they could be shown around the palace at a later time. Right now, a nap did sound inviting.

"I'll be working, but if you need anything, let me or any of the other servants know," said Joseph. And he left the room. A few minutes later, Bengali, Pumyra, and Lynx-O dozed off. They really were exhausted. Not just from playing and exploring in the Pure Valley, but also after the whole ordeal they went through of being captured and kept prisoners and taken to the Thundranium pits. For that matter, staying here in Egypt for a few days was certainly agreeable.

Bengali was the first to open his eyes. He looked and saw that it was sunset. He and his comrades had nearly slept through the entire day. No one could blame them. They were more exhausted than they realized. "Pumyra, Lynx-O, wake up," he softly whispered to his comrades.

Pumyra woke up. "Oh, Bengali," she said softly. "What time is it?"

"It's sunset," he answered. "We nearly slept through the entire day."

The puma woman sat up and rubbed her eyes. "I guess we were more tired than either of us thought."

"I'd have to agree," said Freya. "You all looked so peaceful, I thought it would be best not to disturb you."

"Hi, Freya," said Bengali. "I hope we're not late for dinner."

"Not at all," she answered. "Actually, the pharaoh decided he wanted to have a feast in your honor." It was true. Atem and Mystery wanted to commemorate their anointment as ThunderCats and welcome them as friends and allies.

Lynx-O got out of bed. "In that case, we'd best not keep our royal friends waiting." His comrades agreed and they all followed Freya to the banquet hall.

Once everyone was assembled, Atem and Mystery stood up. "My royal subjects, let us kindly welcome our new ThunderCat friends and allies whom we honor tonight: Bengali, Lynx-O, and Pumyra." And everyone applauded.

"Thank you, your most exalted Excellency," the white tiger replied. "But this is more than we deserve."

The puma woman agreed. "We are truly humbled, but we've done nothing worthy of being honored."

The pharaoh and queen disagreed. "From what we have heard from Lion-O, you defended yourselves in the face of danger, refusing to allow yourselves to be prisoners," Mystery was saying. "You used your abilities to protect yourselves and help each other and you worked together like a team."

"Lion-O was right to deem you worthy of being ThunderCats," her husband said. "We truly hope that here in our world and in your world, we can work together to carry out the Code of Thundera."

"Justice, truth, honor, and loyalty," everyone said.

"Yes, it would be an honor," said Lynx-O, "an honor for us to be allies and carry out the Code of Thundera together."

"Then we are in agreement," said Atem. "For that, you three are welcome to visit the Egyptian kingdom whenever you wish and stay here in the palace for as long as you please. You are not merely guests, but also residents."

"Just as your home is our home, our home is your home," Mystery declared.

Bengali, Pumyra, and Lynx-O still figured that this was more than they deserved, but it also seemed to them that their hosts were very insistent. They figured that the least they can do is accept their hospitality and kindness. It was also going to take some getting used to, being ThunderCats. But there was no rush. All they really had to do was be themselves and be allies and teammates in their own way.

After dinner, the three Thunderians were shown around the palace. It was amazing to see the interior art depicting the kingdom's history and culture. There were other places to see like the courtyard, the library, the treasury, the banquet halls, even the arenas where people could practice combat and have battles with their monsters.

There was a battle going on right now between Salamence and Flygon. Mahad explained that they were battling for sport, saying it was a way for them to gain battle experience as well as exercise and that battling also helped the monsters to better connect with their human partners.

The battle ended with Salamence using Dragon Rush, slamming Flygon down to the ground and knocking him out. "Flygon is unable to continue," Shimon announced. "Salamence wins."

Seto gently pets Salamence and rewards him with a Sitrus Berry to restore his strength. "Well done, Salamence." He faces his opponent. "You're getting better, Joseph, but I'm afraid you still don't have what it takes to defeat us."

The blonde smirked and said, "I'll keep challenging you until we win." Now he had to take care of Flygon's injuries. The dragonfly wasn't severely injured, but he needed treatment all the same.

"There are some monsters that make good companions," Mahad was saying, "however, there are also many others which are potentially dangerous and cannot be tamed."

"How do you tell which from which?" Bengali asked.

"It's not that easy, actually," the mage admitted. "But through the centuries, we've done our research and learned to better understand the many kinds of monsters that live alongside us." He faces his three new friends, "Bengali, Pumyra, Lynx-O, I'm sure you've noticed that some of the royal servants resemble monsters."

The puma woman nodded. "Yes, actually, I did notice that they had animal-like qualities such as fur-like skin, scales, horns, and even ears resembling those of animals."

"Yes, they are half-demons," the mage explained, "the offspring of human and demon parents."

"So even monsters have intimate relationships with humans," said Lynx-O.

"It's a concept that has been going on for centuries, but sadly, it is also still frowned upon by many societies," said Mahad. "Half-demons and their families are often persecuted for their relationships and end up losing their families for prejudiced reasons as well as other means such as war, famine, disease, and disaster."

It saddened the three Thunderians to learn of such cruelty. They also agreed that it wasn't fair for interracial relationships as well as interspecies relationships to be frowned upon.

"Here in the palace, we have no tolerance for negligence or persecution because of race, gender, or other means," Mahad was saying. "The palace is a home to everyone who needs a place to stay no matter who they are or where they come from. Of course, there is still a price."

"Naturally," Bengali was saying. "Nothing comes for free, after all." He was right. In exchange for housing and schooling and other necessities, they had to work in the palace and pledge their loyalty to the royals they would serve. But as the white tiger looked at the servants and saw how happy they looked, he figured they were content. Perhaps it was because they were thankful to have a home and people who cared about them. Pumyra noticed it too as she saw a servant girl smiling and waving at her. The puma woman smiled back and nodded in response.

"Why don't you all get some sleep," Mahad suggested. "My friends and I can give you a tour of the kingdom tomorrow."

"Thank you, Mahad," said Lynx-O. So the three of them returned to their room. They figured they were going to like it here in Egypt.