"Oh, how exciting! So, you will be returning to your home soon?"

WilyKat shifted on the bed before taking a sip of the sweet drink Kudi had offered them. She hadn't changed one bit. When they'd arrived, already late into the day with the distance they had to travel, she'd greeted them with hugs and snacks.

"Yeah, back to New Thundera." Kit answered for her brother.

Kudi took this in stride, humming to herself, before saying, "You don't seem excited."

"Well, that's just it." Pushing herself to a stand, Kit paced. "We should be."

Kudi shook her head. "Oh, I don't know about that. Who says?"

WilyKat choked. "Wh-who says? Well, everyone!"

Kudi kept a soft demeanor. "But why?"

Well, that was an odd question wasn't it? Yet, a relevant one. The twins exchanged glances and Kit sat down again.

"It's our home, Kudi." WilyKat finally said. "We were born on Thundera."

"Bring born somewhere merely makes it your birth place, not your home. It seems to me that you've made quite a home for yourselves here on Third Earth, haven't you?"

Quiet. Kit moved a loose hair out of her face and said "We have. I guess…it feels like Third Earth is just important as Thundera. But that's wrong."

"Why?"

"Well, we were on Thundera until we were eleven! We've been here three…almost four years."

Kudi considered this. "Maybe so but the amount of time in a place doesn't necessarily make it more important. What did you achieve on Thundera?"

"Well," WilyKat rubbed his neck. "Our parents passed when we were five and seven. Then we kinda became the other Thundercats' problem. Tried to act older but it was hard. And then they started talking about betrothing Kit to Lion-o."

Said kitten folded her arms. "I told them no. Said he could court me if he wanted." She shuddered. "That feels so wrong now. He's like an older brother, not just our Lord."

Kudi frowned, "And what do the other Thundercats feel like?"

The twins paused "Well, like…uh…family."

"Was that how it was on Thundera?"

Kit shook her head. "No. I mean, I think they tried but there was so much of a focus on the people, on Lion-o, on politics." Her face wrinkled. "They were distant. Because, well, no reason not to be."

WilyKat mused. "Not like here. After we settled here, all we had was one another. It was less complicated in a way. And we just started…to care about each other."

Kit added. "First it was because we were a team. Then friends. And now…something else."

"Mmmhmm." Kudi looked from one twin to the other. "And is there a fear that this closeness you've developed here will go away too?"

The Thunderkittens looked at each other. "Well, it might…" Kat began.

"They…wouldn't. We wouldn't…" Kit stammered.

Yet, the fear was there. Third Earth had brought so many good things, despite the trials that came with it. But was that already changing? Leaving Tygra and Pumyra behind? Separating them? Wasn't that how these things happened? Was that necessary distance muscling its way back in?

No. It couldn't.

"But you still fear it." Kudi said matter of factually. "Did you tell the others about it?"

"No." Kat shook his head. "Until you brought it up, I don't think we really realized it."

"But we do now." Kit raised her head. "And we should tell them. We told them we would. We promised we would." Her eyes went soft, contemplating. "Lion-I said he'd listen."

And he would. He had before. And ever since they'd run away that one time, everyone tried harder to listen and notice things, like at dinner last night!

"Then, it seems you have something to discuss with them tonight." Kudi stood, and the twins followed suit. "But you've a long journey to get home."

"She's right." WilyKat set down his used cup. "Thanks, Kudi. You've helped a lot."

"That's what friends do, WilyKat." She smiled. "Now, go have that talk. I think you'll find that they want to change a few things from how they were before."

Setting their boards down, Kit mounted here first then her brother did the same.

"Oh and Thubderkittens?" Kudi called out.

Pausing before accelerating, both turned back, "Yeah, Kudi?"

"Do let me know when you get final details on their farewell feast. I'd very much like to come!"

Kat almost laughed. He'd nearly forgotten why they came out here in the first place!

"You bet! Bye!"

OOO

The sky looked bad. Stormy, cloudy and a wet scent permeating the air. Yet, there was something else. Something non-tangible.

"We should stop in with someone for the night, Kit." WilyKat's tone was somber. "At this rate, dark and this storm is gonna hit any minute."

"Oh, you're not afraid of the dark and getting a little wet, are you?" His sister's teasing was typical but this time, he snapped back.

"It's just a feeling, okay!"

Kit's words burned to ash. Contrary to popular belief, females did not hold the monopoly on intuition. While Cheetara certainly had an overly accurate one, Kit was convinced hers was either broken or still asleep.

But her brother had his own. Not nearly on par with Cheetara's, naturally, but as a general rule, Kit had learned to trust her brother's instincts and tried to give him the confidence to share them.

"You got a gut feeling?" She asked.

He sighed, looked skyward, "I know it's stupid but yeah. It just feels wrong to be out in the open right now."

Kit considered. Their space boards were running low on juice and that storm did look particularly nasty—

"Hey!" She pointed. "We're right near the Warrior Maidens' forest. I bet they wouldn't mind us waiting out the storm. And," she added, "We need to give them the news about the feast!"

Her brother nodded. "I bet the others would understand. I mean, how many times have we been caught out in a storm?"

"Too many!" His sister confirmed with a laugh.

With that, they darted into the woods.

The clouds flashed black.