The Lunataks

Riding in the Hovercat and Thunderclaw, Pumyra and Bengali found the mutants on a cliff. They were looking out on the horizon. Dark Side was just ahead. Already Jackalman was whimpering, thinking that the place was too frightening even for his own liking. According to the directions they were given, they had to be at the site of three mountain peaks. The mutants didn't like this, but there was no way they could back out of it. They proceeded to enter the Dark Side.

Bengali and Pumyra weren't going to be able to follow the mutants. Dark Side was just beyond Fire Rock Mountain and fumes of Thundranium were in the air. Going through it would only make them sick. Their only option was to return to Cats' Lair.

When they got back, they asked Lion-O about Dark Side. All the lion knew was that it was a forbidden place. He figured that Dark Side was forbidden here on Third Earth just as the outskirts were forbidden in the Egyptian kingdom.

"It's a place full of weird creatures and monsters and stuff like that," Snarf was saying.

"You might say it's similar to the outskirts, where Luna is from," said Lion-O. "Dark side is also covered by the Thundranium pits and Fire Rock Mountain, as you just learned. No ThunderCat has ever crossed into Dark Side. We've also asked the Children of Millennia not to go there just as they don't want us going to the outskirts of their kingdom."

"But I've got a nasty feeling we'll soon be breaking that rule," said Snarf. He was right. Sometimes, in desperate situations, rules have to be broken and this is one of those times. The ThunderCats still wouldn't be able to go beyond Fire Rock Mountain, but maybe they could ambush the mutants when they would return.

The mutants had never been to Dark Side before either until now. As they got closer to the volcanic peaks, they trembled in fear as they saw the shapes of the Lunataks at the base. They still didn't want to proceed, but they had no choice. They went to the designated site and began working on a way to free the Lunataks from their prison.

Vultureman instructed Slithe to use the NoseDiver to tunnel a path towards the Lunataks and roundabout around them so that the flow of lava would surround them once it would be released from the volcano. Then the lava would melt away the stone surrounding the Lunataks, freeing them. Once done, Jackalman would use the Fistpounder to cut off the flow of lava. It seemed like a brilliant plan. Of course, it would only work if each mutant did his part.

Riding on the Skycutter, Monkian blasted the volcano, creating a hole and causing lava to flow into the channel below them. Once the lava got into the channel, Jackalman began using the Fistpounder to cut off the flow of lava.

When the ThunderCats and their friends made it to Fire Rock Mountain, they didn't have time to worry about the Thundranium fumes. It was the least of their problems. Lion-O used the Sword of Omens' power of sight beyond sight and saw the Lunataks being freed from their stone prison. "The mutants have freed the Lunataks!"

Joseph growled at this. "We have to find a way into Dark Side."

"We'll head back to Cats' Lair first," said Lion-O. "This is big trouble." And he and the others get back in the ThunderTank.

"First Mumm-Ra comes back and now these Lunataks," Joseph was saying. "I wish someone would tell us what's going on."

"There is no one who can tell us, Joseph," said Cheetara. "We're on our own."

"And we have to leave Atem and Mystery out of it for their own safety," said Lion-O.

From the fires at the base of the peaks of Dark Side, the Lunataks emerged. There was TugMug, Red-Eye, Alluro, Chilla, Amok, and their leader: Luna. This Luna was not the one the heroes knew from Egypt. This Luna was an old woman from the base moon of Plun-Darr. "Who freed us and why?" Luna demanded to know.

The mutants stepped forward, saying that they were the ones who freed the Lunataks. "Hear us," Slithe pleaded. "We are the ones who freed you."

The Lunataks were not grateful. They knew of these treacherous mutants and were about to do away with them until Ma-Mutt stepped between them while disguised as Mumm-Ra.

"We may have had our differences in the past," Ma-Mutt was saying, using Mumm-Ra's voice, "but all is forgiven, forgotten. We should work together now to destroy our mutual enemies: the ThunderCats and the Children of Millennia."

The Lunataks had never heard of the Children of Millennia, but they did know of the Great Goddess herself. They certainly didn't think she would have warriors here on Third Earth.

"Only by working together will we purge Third Earth of their plague-ridden good deeds," continued Ma-Mutt.

Convinced, Luna decided to let him continue. "And then, Mumm-Ra?"

"And then, Luna," he was saying, "We will divide Third Earth among ourselves and plunder it at will!" And he cackled. "What do you say, Lunataks?"

They began discussing the matter amongst each other. Luna decided that they should go along with the plan for now. It would give them an opportunity to learn something about these ThunderCats and Children of Millennia. "All right, Mighty Mumm-Ra," Luna was saying. "We will forgive our past differences and help you defeat these ThunderCats and Children of Millennia. Then we will decide how to divide Third Earth among ourselves."

Back at Cats' Lair, all of the heroes gathered, talking about how they needed to find a way into Dark Side. Lion-O noticed that Bengali, Pumyra, and Panthro weren't present and neither were Seto or Mahad. They had all gone to gather Thundrillium from the mines in the canyon in the Pure Valley. With everything else that had been going on, the heroes had been neglecting the routine maintenance.

Once the Thundrillium had been stocked up on, some locals started coming to Cats' Lair, saying that their folks had been kidnapped.

Deep in Dark Side, the Lunataks were ordering the mutants to repair their base. It was a fortress called Sky-Tomb. The mutants were using a race of simple donkey-like creatures called Brute-Men to do the repairs. They even had the Brute-Men steal Thundrillium from the mines here on Third Earth, meaning that Thundrillium was also needed to make Sky-Tomb operational.

While riding on Latias and Latios, Wilykat and Wilykit were looking around for any signs of the kidnappers who took the local Wollos and Bolkins. Lion-O was riding in the Hovercat with Jirachi beside him. The lion managed to spot something in an open area. It was TugMug and he started coming in to attack. This Lunatak had gravitational abilities and could bounce up to incredible heights. He jumped up to the Hovercat and knocked Lion-O out of the machine.

Lion-O wasn't hurt, but he decided he was going to need help. He raised the Sword of Omens in the air. "Thunder, thunder, thunder. ThunderCats, ho!" And the signal was released and the great roar was heard.

The heroes saw the signal at Cats' Lair. "Lion-O's in trouble over at Fire Rock Mountain," said Freya.

"So what are we waiting for?" Seto asked. He and Tygra and Panthro had finished working on a new vehicle: the Thunderstrike.

Lion-O was going to have to hold his own until his comrades would show up. TugMug was already proving to be a formidable foe. He bounced away, evading all of Lion-O's attacks and he even managed to swipe the blade and break it in half.

"No!" Jirachi screamed.

"Who are you?" Lion-O asked.

"They call me TugMug," the Lunatak answered. "And I am a Lunatak from the moons of Plun-Darr. Our acquaintance will be a short one." He was about to attack again, but Jirachi stopped him using Psychic.

As if on cue, Wilykit and Wilykat entered the fray while riding on the dragon twins. "Hang tough, Lion-O," Wilykit said.

"We're coming, Jirachi," Wilykat added. They both tossed their pellets at TugMug and smoke surrounded him.

The Thunderstrike was being commandeered by Lynx-O. His braille board was also helping him navigate around the area. Pantrho and Tyrgra were at the side controls with Joseph and Seto. The side sections began to split off, leaving Lynx-O on his own in command at the center.

They saw TugMug and began attacking him. Slithe hurried to help him. Right now, getting the Thundrillium they stole back to Sky-Tomb was more important. Slithe attacked Jirachi and the little monster lost his concentration. Once TugMug was freed from the psychic hold, he grabbed Slithe and began bouncing away.

"Did you see that?" Tygra asked Seto.

He did. "If that's a taste of what we're up against, we've got our work cut out. Let's link and land."

"You got it," the tiger said. He and Panthro reconnected their parts to Lynx-O's and they all landed close to where Lion-O and the others were.

"Who or what on Third Earth was that?" Panthro asked.

Jirachi rubbed his head. "He said he was called TugMug, from one of the moons of Plun-Darr."

Wilykit gently picked him up. "Are you okay, Jirachi? Did they hurt you?"

"No, Wilykit, I'm all right," he answered.

"Those moons have extraordinarily power gravitational pull," said Lynx-O.

"That explains TugMug's bouncing abilities," said Jirachi. "I had trouble holding him even with my strong psychic powers. Are all the Lunataks like that?"

"Let's hope not, Jirachi," said Lion-O. "I think we need to get back to the Lair and figure this out."

"And see what can be done about the Sword of Omens," Jirachi added, and they all looked and saw that it was broken in half.

As repairs continued to be made to Sky-Tomb, Luna figured that she and her comrades should prepare themselves for any surprise attacks. She wasn't going to take her chances against the ThunderCats or the Children of Millennia. She and her comrades already made the mistake of underestimating Mumm-Ra once before and that was what got them all trapped in molten lava from the start.

When the heroes returned to the Lair, Bengali took the Sword of Omens and began working to repair it. He reminded his friends that he was once a blacksmith on Thundera and helped forge weapons. Repairing the Sword of Omens would be a piece of cake for the white tiger; especially with his special hammer. It was small, but it also carried special powers. It would be used as a weapon as well as a simple working tool. Not even half an hour had passed and Bengali made the Sword of Omens look good as new.

At the same time, the rest of their friends came back with two prisoners who managed to escape from Dark Side. It was a Wollo and a Bolkin. They began telling the heroes about Sky-Tomb and how their people were being forced to work to repair it. They even knew of another way to get to Dark Side without having to go to Fire Rock Mountain.

Apparently, there's a canyon that leads to Dark Side just past the Forest of Mists. Lynx-O figured it would be possible to go through the Forest of Mists. "Since my blindness, I've had to learn many new ways and enhance my other senses. The Forest of Mists deprives you and our vehicles of sight and radar, but it deprives me of nothing. I might be able to guide you through it."

"Well, if we're going to do it, let's do it," said Panthro.

"ThunderCats, Children of Millennia, ho!" they all cheer.

They all head into the Thunderstrike and Lynx-O takes the main controls with his braille board. Lion-O and Panthro take the side controls with their escapees. Sure enough, they were making it through. By relying on the sounds and feel of the area, Lynx-O was able to safely pilot the Thunderstrike through the Forest of Mists and out into Dark Side.

"Holy Thundera, will you look at that," said Lion-O.

The Wollo pointed ahead at the three peaks, saying that it was where Sky-Tomb was based. But when they got there, there was nothing. The heroes decided to land the Thunderstrike and look around.

Panthro observed the ground where the Wollo and Bolkin claimed Sky-Tomb was. He felt the dirt. "The ground is charred."

"That means," Lion-O was saying.

"Sky-Tomb is not a fixed fortress," Lynx-O finished.

"The blasted thing's mobile!" the panther grunted.

"The Lunataks can move anywhere," said Jirachi, "terrorize and plunder wherever they want to."

"There is no safe place on Third Earth," the lion added. To him, this meant that Atem and Mystery could never come back to Third Earth. No, they must never come back.

"The decision is yours, of course, Lion-O," the old lynx was saying. "You are the Lord of the ThunderCats. But we should return to Cats' Lair to devise an effective strategy which will contain the menace of Sky-Tomb."

Lion-O agreed with Lynx-O and commanded Panthro to start up the Thunderstrike. The panther agreed and once they all boarded, they began leaving Dark Side.