Disclaimer: All these years, and I still do not own Thundercats 2011.
Betaed by: Zim'smostloyalsrvant & Trackula.
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Chapter VI
Thunder!
My vision is clear but wandering. Exhaustion and anguish now open my sight as only dedication and focus could.
The steel claws of an empire lay shattered. The iron fangs torn from broken jaws.
Ruin reigns and jubilation spreads across it as flies to carrion. The city is dead and its slayers now revel.
Where is the need to act? The rage of my youth to stand in spite of caution?
Gone, my time has ended. That story awaits only the pen to ink the final sentences.
As I suspected and I should have known, my destiny has become that of the Witness.
I am so sorry. In the end I was useless to you all.
X X X
Day broke on the city of Thundera. Or rather its ruins. Though the fires had been put out and debris was being cleared along the walls and thoroughfares by loud machines grinding and tearing the seemingly fragile cobbles in their wake, the destruction hung with an air of finality.
Open spaces were dominated by two kinds of scenes. Cats sitting shocked and chained. Some raging and even charging the perimeters to be shot down. This defiance was rarely greeted with death, but pain and derision mot certainly. Most simply cowered in stunned disbelief at a world gone mad. Half or more expecting at any moment to be roused from this disturbing nightmare of a world that could not be.
Elsewhere, the squares hosted revels of the victors.
X X X
El Dara had opted not to come. Grune was surprised, given the young Cat's easily apparent viciousness toward the Great Cats. Apparently he wanted to get more work done before his sister awoke.
Poor foolish Maultus, he thought, it was always a pity to lose a good soldier to simple folly. But Maultus had failed to follow simple and vital orders; his fate was his own fault. He had even had the audacity to cry out for Grune to aid him, as if his General would lift a claw to deliver him from the Feralli's particular brand of retribution for broken contracts.
The important thing was El Dara was understanding, and there seemed to be no ill feelings toward Grune himself. Yes, it had been the correct decision to sacrifice one of his troops.
"You seem pensive, Cat. Regrets?" Slythe asked. They stood on a relatively intact balcony overlooking the grand courtyard where Claudus' statue had actually survived the night. But it stood on borrowed time — a lizard tank was parked in front of it, facing toward the cleared gateway. Other Lizards were using the powered drills to wreck the pedestal while smaller nimbler Lizards chained the statue itself.
Quite a crowd had gathered from the revels, Lizards, slaves of other races, and the Feralli. Some of the other lesser Cats had also come. While not part of the conspiracy, and thus their breed not excluded from being enslaved like the Sabres and Feralli, the best — or perhaps, worst — of those breeds had been approached during and after the Fall with an offer.
Most had said yes. Invading armies tend to be a persuasive argument.
The Lizards were sadly the most orderly. The slaves, despite free flowing spirits, seemed either exhausted or too focused to debauch at the moment. And the Lizard army had strict orders to remain battle ready even as they celebrated centuries of war seemingly ending in their decisive and total victory.
But the Cats here were civilians and had no restraint. It disgusted him; most of these had no role in this glorious achievement. Whiskers, they would likely have warned Claudus for a handful of gold coins only yesterday. And yet now they cheered for his statues fall.
"Grune?" Slythe asked.
"That's General Grune. And no, no regrets. Just thinking of the future. Victory may be an exotic and heady brew for you Lizards, but I am accustomed to winning and knowing you can never be too swift in determining how best to make use of your victory," Grune said. The Lizard hissed at his tone.
Good. The Lizard was an ally, but he must never forget that before Grune and the master approached him, he was just the latest in a pathetic chain of Lizard kings. A collection of scratching posts for any Lion king who felt like sharpening his claws.
The tank's engine roared, and stone strained and broke. It seemed… too mundane, Grune thought as Claudus' likeness toppled to the cobbles. It didn't shatter and the tank revved its engine again, pulling forward. The edifice was dragged through the streets to cheers and even rifles being shot off into the air with Lizards giving a high warbling shriek he recognized as a victory cry from some of their tribes.
It wasn't just the expected debris and garbage thrown at the statue as it was dragged to the larger crowd outside. Several Cats, mostly children and elders, Feralli and other lesser Cats, actually ran out to spit at or strike the likeness of their late king. He was a fair eye for intention; that was no passion of the moment. Perhaps El Dara had stayed away to preserve composure?
"Surprised?" Slythe spoke up, "I'm not. Cats have always been vicious; your own kind you barely have any more mercy on than anything else. Small wonder you dominated, until tech leveled the playing field."
'Only level for now. Once my New Cats are just as well armed you will be back where you belong, obeying your betters or suffering the consequences,' Grune thought, keeping his expression mildly irritated, as if he cared about such a fact being thrust in his face.
He looked to the statue's progress down the once grand avenue. Back over the broken city where only scavengers moved.
"I suppose there is one regret. Thundera itself. I have outgrown my ambition to rule this city. But still… From the first time I laid eyes on her to that last look back when we left in search of the Book, I dreamed of someday making her mine. A crown, a harem, a mountain of gold, or a pile of battle trophies. I thought nothing could proclaim my greatness more than being able to point to this city and say with certainty, 'It is mine'. Moving on is vital. But burning your old dreams to ash, I don't think that is ever easy," Grune sighed, taking in the great city of the Cats laid out for the scavengers without so much as a wake.
Show an animal a bit of pointless honesty and he was less likely to look for the lies. He could almost pity the Lizard savoring his victory as the campaign was already entering its next stage.
X X X
Lion-O was in a cell.
A glance out the window confirmed it was part of Thundera's daylight dungeon. Not only did his family own this cell, but they had approved its design along with the test of the wing. Huh, was it odd he was more interested in the irony than the fact he was locked in here?
He had been woken a few moments ago, at least he thought it was only a few, by Tygra's kicking at the door. Apparently he made some noise or something, because Tygra had glanced back to him and answered an unasked question.
"I am looking for the weak spot," Tygra had said. His brother looked awful. Even exiting spars, he had never seen the tiger look so strung out and shabby.
Now, how had they gotten here again? After the… incident, everything was a blur. The monster had vanished. It had been Grune and Lizards that hauled them away. His fingers brushed the bruise on his left cheek. Grune.
Yes, Grune and he had fought when… when they had tried to haul him away from Father's corpse.
"…Father's dead," Lion-O said the impossible words dryly. Tygra stopped raging against the iron, but did not face Lion-O. He nodded, though.
"Yes."
"Mumm-Ra. He's real, Tygra. Technology," Lion-O muttered. Tygra slumped against the bars, resting his brow against the back of his arm.
"I think Jaga's dead, too. The clerics, Lion-O, I think he wiped them all out. How can this be? This isn't supposed to happen!" Tygra roared, leaping back only to lash out at the door again.
Footfalls down the corridor drew their attention. Judging by the way Tygra's fur stood up, Lion-O was guessing it wasn't rescue.
…What happened to Kit?!
X X X
Kit did not wake up in her bed.
She knew it wasn't her cot or her chamber the moment she woke up, even before opening her eyes. She sat up rigid, her tail going uncomfortable stiff and trying to straighten.
The bed was immense, and the room, she had been here before? Frowning, trying to make sense, made her face throb. Her poor nose!
…
…
"Pussfur on New Year's!" she cried, the kidnapping snapping back into her thoughts. She was on top of the bed, then she was off it. Fur standing up, crouched and ready to go on all fours, small quick, escape hide, scratch and bite if she has to.
And what was she wearing? Grabbing a handful of the cloth against her chest, she pulled it out to take a better look. Silk? And dyed red and black. Fine nightclothes?
She had been undressed by those Cats?!
X X X
The gold-plated armor was new, and Lion-O found the helm especially strange, as it seemed to look like claws or teeth or something coming down on Grune's head. But new armor or not, that was General Grune, the traitor, looking in on them.
"Grune," Lion-O hissed. Grune gave a fang-filled smile, all too pleased at the situation, it seemed.
"Ah, Lion-O, I know this is a bit extreme for the threat you could pose, but Mumm-Ra is rather insistent regarding the bloodline."
"Traitor," Lion-O spat. He stayed seated, glaring at Grune.
"Ha, finally got some spine poured into your back? Well, it does no good for you or Claudus now. But you saw the Master's power. Your fate was sealed before the first weapon was drawn in battle. But as I said, Lion-O, you're doomed. I didn't come here to kick a Lion that's already dying."
His gaze shifted to Tygra, who had remained still at his spot at the bars. Lion-O could not see his brother's face. Grune smiled as he looked at his old student.
"Tygra, I know this has been quite a shocking turn of events. You're probably a bit angry at being bested so thoroughly. But there is no shame in being blindsided by the unprecedented. And unlike Lion-O, your fate need not be sealed. Mumm-Ra wants the Line of Leo extinguished; Claudus had to die, and so does Lion-O. What once barred you from the throne can now save you from being ripped open on some altar."
He says it so casually. How can he treat working under the Living Darkness as if he had simply left Thundera to serve another king, Lion-O thought with disgust.
"Mumm-Ra, he recalls the Tiger clans well. The legends forget that even in his defeat, several remained loyal to the Master. Your strange origin could make you a descendant of those faithful servants. If I speak on your behalf, I am certain I can secure not only your release, but a place among my officers. Sadly it looks like for the time being my troops will mostly be only Sabers and Feralli. I have been offering several warriors of note the chance to live on under my banner, but Slythe insists on his due in slaves and Mumm-Ra, even as he needs me, seeks to weaken me. You would a great asset. And serve well and you might one day succeed me as King of Cats," Grune said, smiling.
"King of Cats?" Tygra spoke for the first time.
"Thundera is done, but the Cats once were the pride of an army that shook the very stars. Kingdoms will crumble and creeds be burned away. The only meaningful divisions will be race, and the fact you either support Mumm-Ra or get ground into dust before his might. So, Tygra, will you be ground, or will you be turning the grinder?" Grune asked, leaning close.
Lion-O jumped at the roar as Grune's helm was knocked askew while he pulled back from the claw swipe. Tygra roared again, slamming his body against the bars and trying vainly to reach the General.
"Traitor! Murderer! I'll see you dead for what you did!" Tygra said, before raging into snarls. Grune righted his helm and composed himself before shaking his head at the berserker display.
"A shame, all those years training you wasted because of sentiment toward a Lion, of all things. I expected more from you. Die with the past alongside this trash then," Grune said, turning to head down the corridor.
"Unlock this door, Grune!" Tygra called after him, "If you think you're a King, prove it in a real fight!"
"I already did!" Grune called back, then a door slammed shut, leaving them alone again.
X X X
Grune had to admit, it was an unusual gathering. Ten Saber leaders and their representatives were assembled in the judgement chamber, but rather than elated to report conquest through the long distance communications, they were pensive.
Well, he supposed it was natural, he had not informed them of all the details. While he prided himself on dealing with the unexpected promptly and effectively, it did not make it hurt any less when he had to pull out his own sabertooth to slay that monster Spidera.
Putting on his best General smile, he raised his cup to the gathered leaders of his tribe.
"My kin, I am proud to see you so assembled. While the setting is not what it once was, from these battered ruins of the old order we stand poised to take a grand and powerful place in the new order. And it would not be possible without the sound judgement that has seen you choose the correct side of history. Future generations of Sabres will look upon you as great heroes who secured a better future for our clan."
"Bah! Don't act as if your clan matters to you, Grune," a grizzled Saber whose wild hair was more silver than brown growled, slamming a fist on the table.
"Creese, address the General respectfully! We stand as victors," another chieftain protested.
"Victors? Stand?! It seems we are meant to kneel, simply to something else in place of the Lions. I'd say something worse, but there it sits! Does anything need to be said?!"
Grune glanced back to the throne of judgement where Mumm-Ra sat. The shadows seemed unnaturally thick abut him, probably were. But he did not stir himself to the words, just continued to glare, those eyes of his smoldering over them.
"Yes, a true surprise for you all. But had I told you sooner, surely you realize-"
"That there are still those among the Saber Clan that would not sell our souls for our resentment of the Lions?! Yes, you would have found that. We accepted your technology, and swallowed an alliance with mere Lizards, so that our clan and those clans like us that have felt the paws of the Lion heavy on our throats for generations could rise up. We never agreed to a pact with the Evil that should remain unnamed. We did not agree to forsake the Thundercat legacy!"
"But you have forsaken it. And knowing or not, you have become mine."
Mumm-Ra did not rise from his throne, but his voice seemed to suck the tension from the air. Not with relief, but a cold dread blowing it away. Only Creese still stood as the others settled, averting their eyes. The Saber chieftain trembled visibly, but narrowing his eyes, stilled himself.
"I do not belong to you. Nor do my people! We would never have knowingly sided with the likes of you!"
"…And what now, then? Because now you know, little thing, and you know that you have thrown yourself into my grasp for your greed and spite."
With a wordless war cry, Creese leapt onto the table and charged down its length toward the red-robed figure. The Sabers seated at the table jerked backward reflexively. Grune smiled, and Mumm-Ra raised a hand lazily.
Outside the door, the Lizard guards cringed at the screams coming from within. The screams of a Cat, but still they cringed. One looked to his partner, who stubbornly kept looking forward.
X X X
"Are you done, then?" Lion-O demanded sourly as Tygra stepped back from his attacks on the door.
"Shut up and do something," Tygra snapped.
"Talking is doing something," Lion-O answered.
"Are you going to talk this door down, maybe the wall?" Tygra mocked.
"Well, hitting them certainly isn't working," Lion-O pointed out.
Tygra gave a final kick to the bars before turning a full glare on Lion-O, who was seated on the cot, chin resting on his folded hands.
"…What are we going to do?" Tygra demanded.
Lion-O knew his brother wasn't really talking to him, but he lifted his head anyway and sighed.
"I don't know. We lost what was probably are best way out of here."
"What way out?!" Tygra demanded, glancing around the cell as if a door had been overlooked.
"Grune. The smart thing would have been to pretend to go along with him."
"I'd rather die than pretend for even a second to side with that traitor!"
"Does that include dying rather than getting a chance to avenge our father?! Such as maybe swallowing your pride at least long enough for the whiskering door to be opened?!"
Tygra growled at his brother, who just glared back. Tygra looked away first, turning back to the bars and slamming a fist against them.
"What can we do, Lion-O?" Tygra finally asked.
Lion-O had no answer, leaning his head back against the wall.
X X X
"Of all the times to get guard duty. It's a celebration that will be legendary and we're missing it," one of the Lizard guards griped, leaning on his rifle as he stood next to the door to the cell row holding the Cat princes.
"Quit whining. We got to take part in the early sack, it's your own fault if you didn't get your fill," his companion on the other side of the door said, inspecting a component before snapping it back into his own rifle.
"And stuck with you."
"Would you rather be doing guard detail where the King could keep an eye on you? Or with the Master?"
"Don't even joke about that!"
"Then stop acting out! We're still soldiers, and this is our assignment," the second guard snapped, lifting his red goggles to properly glare at his comrade. Making a sign against evil over his chest, the first guard grumbled but settled into a reasonable stance of attention.
Soon the sound of footsteps perked their attention. They glanced to each other, silently affirming it was far too soon for them to be relieved. Their stance relaxed as a Lizard came into sight, wearing the light weaponry of a conscript and carrying two bowls.
"Halt, you're not with the ration detail," the second guard said.
"Bite your tongue, I won't say no to extra grub, who knows how hard we might be marching after all this?"
"Easy comrades, this is for the prisoners," the arrival said.
"Eh?"
"Why waste food on them? They're probably just going to get eaten by that demon or something. Better them than us."
"…I'll be freshly shedded with you. I have my grievances against these two, personal ones. I want to kick the Cats myself before they're done. Also, I may have… enhanced this soup, if you know what I mean."
"Hmm."
"Oh, why not? Vengeance is more than half of why we're here. Not like he can even unlock the door, they didn't even give us a key."
"And a little something to show my appreciation," the arrival said, pulling out a battered but intact hip flask, "Not sure what it is, but has a nice bite to it."
"…Very well, but be quick."
"Now you're talking sense. But be careful, comrade, they were roaring mad earlier, might throw the stuff right back at you like a Monkey at the market," the guard said, accepting the flask with a smile.
X X X
"Eat up, Cats. Got something special for ya," the Lizard soldier said as Tygra leaned against the bars.
He growled as the Lizard stopped beyond the line painted for caution on the floor and slid the bowls expertly across the stone and through the gap for feeding prisoners.
"You, I know that voice. You're one of the Lizards from the festival," Lion-O said, rushing to join Tygra at the bars. The Lizard blinked, stopping as it was turning to go.
"Huh, and here I thought we all looked alike to Cats."
"I saved your life! And now you can't even look at me."
"…Eat your supper, Prince. If you don't keep up your strength, the best you could hope for is going out like your father. Word has it the Master has 'plans' for ending Leo's bloodline," the Lizard didn't turn to face them as he talked and left without another word.
Tygra rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Yeah, help a Lizard, that was a good idea. At least we'll be well fed before we die. Not like it's possible he didn't put something horrible in there."
"Did he sound… angry?" Lion-O asked, narrowing his eyes, looking at the door the Lizard had left through.
"What does that matter?"
Lion-O crouched and stuck his fingers in the soup. It was lukewarm.
It wasn't long before his fingertips found something more solid that vegetable chunks. Tygra's eyes widened as Lion-O pulled out a key.
"Help a Lizard? Maybe that was a good idea?" Lion-O said.
X X X
After leaving the cell they had searched the prison hallway for anything they could use as a weapon. But the area was fairly intact, no convenient rocks or anything, and not even a stool around to swing. And trying to break anything apart or rip stuff from the walls or floor would only risk alerting the guards surely outside the nearby prison door. The door swung inward, harder to batter down, but the door was unlocked; Lion-O had noted neither the Lizard nor Grune had used a key or signaled the door open.
How many guards? Tygra was of the mind it didn't matter. They had no time to spend trying to find another way out and there probably wasn't one. Their only edge was being loose, and it was best played by striking fast and either fleeing, or arming themselves and then fleeing. Because if they could get away, they knew the palace. Even with Grune helping them, the Lizards were invaders and would not be wise to everything. They'd have a chance.
But it all hinged on what happened after they burst through this door.
Tygra was taking the point position and raised three claws.
One.
Two.
Three.
Of all he things Lion-O had expected when he pulled the door open and his brother charged through, Tygra tripping and almost face-planting wasn't one of them.
On the other side, he confirmed two guards, passed out. One Lizard having slid down against the wall, the other having fallen into the path Tygra had cut with his ill-fated charge.
"Drugged," Lion-O guessed, grabbing a flask that had fallen near one of the Lizards. Well, considering that Lizard had not woken from Tygra tripping over it that had been pretty likely, but Lion-O decided to not say anything.
"Well, I guess if you betray your race, no sense stopping halfway, huh?" Tygra commented, acting as if he hadn't just nearly fallen over his own feet.
Lion-O ignored him, gabbing the Lizard's tech spear and inspecting the weapon. There was the hole for the tube the fire thing came out of. And yes, judging by the way it seemed to be held, you probably did something with that tiny lever to loose the… thing.
Lion-O frowned and ripped the combat dagger out of the Lizard's belt. With no time to really figure this out, a normal weapon he knew how to use would be a good investment.
Tygra considered the spear, but set it aside after sliding and twisting the blade off it and stuck it in his belt. But he spotted something else.
"Did you see any of these in action?" Tygra asked, holding up a tube attached to a handle with a box jammed into it.
"…I think so. It's probably like a dagger to these being swords?" Lion-O guessed.
Tygra flipped the Lizard over to get its own belt off and slapped it on over his own, getting sheathes for the tech and the dagger.
"We'll need to play it stealthy. The big ones might be more trouble than they're worth."
"Maybe. I'd rather hold onto it for now. Let's get moving."
"Right, but first…" Tygra said, kneeling aside his Lizard and pulling the curved spearhead out of his belt. Lion-O realized what was going to happen as Tygra reached for the Lizard's throat.
"Don't!"
"…What?" Tygra demanded with a calm tone and smoldering eyes.
"…You owe one Lizard two Cat lives. You'll probably never see him again, but I don't think he would want these two killed like this."
"…"
"Do you want to owe a Lizard?"
"Fine, we lock them in a cell. Their absence would probably be discovered just as quickly either way," Tygra decided.
Lion-O had to drag them and lock them in while Tygra stood watch. Then it was time to sneak through their own palace.
X X X
The Feralli woman cried out as Kit burst through the door. She glanced around, not stopping, trying to see where she was. That thought was derailed by more Feralli strangers standing and sitting around. Poor, their clothes said, but several were wearing fancy jewelry.
'Another door, go through it!' she thought, eyes landing on an exit. She hit the door hard, barely slowing to open it, her shoulder rolling on the wood. And ran smack into someone. Thankfully, they were light enough she knocked them down and she was only staggered.
Blinking the impact from her eyes, Kit registered a huge Dog looming over her and what was left of her thoughts checked out for flight.
"KIT!" a voice cut through as she started to run again. It reached her, different, but she knew it regardless.
She didn't stop, she skidded as she turned to look back. Heart still pounding, but something reaching past that need to flee. A desperate need to know.
He was sitting up from where she had knocked him over. Older and better dressed than she remembered, nothing compared to the palace dwellers of course. But it was him.
"Sis," he said, getting to his paws.
"W-Wilykat?" she stuttered. She had no idea how this could be. Why, she wondered too.
He closed the distance slowly, with a grace she did not quite remember as the massive Dog made to follow but was waved off.
He reached for her cheek, but stopped, looking her in the eyes and lowering his paw, offering it. It wasn't until she felt his fur and palm on hers she was sure she wouldn't wake up any moment.
"Been awhile hasn't ehh!?" her brother was cut off as she pulled him into a tight bear hug. Lifting him a bit off the ground, she turned them around as he blinked in astonishment.
X X X
Wilykat led her back into the room she had burst out of. It was fairly well furnished, but Kit took the bed for her seat, even unmade as it was. After a moment's consideration, Kat took a seat next to her on it.
"You have questions, right?" he asked. Kit looked around at the Feralli in the room and the huge Dog standing by the door, and nodded. Kat took his own look around and nodded to himself.
"Yeah, I can see how you'd be feeling overwhelmed. Everyone out, I need to speak with my sister," Wilykat commanded with a sharp tone.
Kit blinked at him presuming to talk to adults, even adult Feralli, like that. Then to her shock they gave slight bows to him.
"As you wish, El Dara," the oldest-looking Feralli woman there said. And they all filed out, save the Dog, who at a gesture from Kat closed the door and stepped in front of it, clearly standing guard.
"El Dara?" Kit asked.
"Heh, yeah. That's what I go by now. Only one person ever calls me Wilykat anymore. You can call me what you like," he assured her.
"So long as it's not late for dinner?" she asked without thinking. They both smiled at that, but it was more a ghost of good feelings than anything else.
"Where have you been?" Kit asked.
"Heh! Where I was left, I suppose. After we got separated, I was not in a good place, but I realized I couldn't do nothing. I needed to change, to become someone who could do more than just barely survive. A new name seemed as good a way to start as any."
"But why the city from the storybook?"
"Because I loved it, Kit. The city where there's so much wealth even the lowest thrive. You know, I really thought it was out there. I knew Thundera wasn't it, even before we came here, but the slums… Losing you, it showed me a place like that probably doesn't exist anywhere. The strong, even if they are wealthy beyond reason, would never let the weak thrive if it would enrich them even by a pinch. El Dara, it was my dream, Wilykit. And I realized the only way something like it could exist would be if someone had both power and the will to make it. There was no Cat like that. So I decided I would become that Cat. It wasn't easy. I survived some stuff by the tuft of my tail and sometimes came out on top more by a good roll of the dice than anything. But I made it! The slums are mine, as much as they can be anyone's."
"Wow. Wait, that still doesn't explain why you're here. Last I remember, I was getting abducted by Grune's thugs."
"Oh, right, them. You don't need to worry about that. In fact, Red! Get Kit's package, it should be on my desk."
"Kat, the Lizards attacked. Did we lose?" Kit asked. Kat smiled wide, and she found herself leaning back.
"Oh no, not at all. For the first time in far too long, we won big, Kit. You'll never have to take another order from that stupid prince," he whispered passionately, stroking her cheek. Kit felt as if ice water had been dumped down her back again.
"We've only started, and being on the move will delay some of my plans in the short term. But I have such plans, Kit! Thundera is literally going to be history. Let Grune no doubt plot about a bigger, badder Thundera. You, me, and the other so-called Lower Cats? We're going to make El Dara a reality, and the future will remember us as the ones who started it. Ah, and here's the first bit of my apology on taking so long to rescue you," Kat said, eyes alight with excitement. The Dog had come back and loomed over them, holding a plain wooden box like she'd seen the better fruit get shipped in.
The Dog sat it down and looked at her with eyes that didn't seem to see her. She flinched back on the blankets.
"Oh, Red making you nervous? Don't worry, he's very well trained. Watch. Red, sit," Kat commanded. Kit watched in puzzlement as the hulking Dog sat down on the floor.
"Up, and turn around," Kat continued. Red obeyed each command.
"Most Cats think he has no mind, but as usual they're wrong. His mind is simple, but it works fine when you figure out how to handle it. I'm sure with a little time and training he'll obey you just as well, Kit, so don't worry about him. Now, open your gift," Kat pressed, leaning in closer, smiling.
Kit frowned at the box, glancing at the Dog facing away from them, but picked up the box, setting it on her lap. It was heavier than she expected. The lid came off easily, and the smell hit her before the sight.
She felt the blood drain from her face, and stared at the contents staring back at her.
"He won't bother you again, Kit. What do you think?" Kat asked excitedly, clapping her shoulder.
Kit replaced the lid and set it aside, the fur on her tail standing straight.
Two loud knocks sounded at the door.
"I'M BUSY!" Wilykat snapped. Horrible laughter came from the other side of the door.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Boss, though, boss. You're being summoned by big scary himself. He's getting ready to interrogate the last two party tricks. Wants an audience for the grilling! Ohhhh! Think he'll let me have bite? Anyway, hate for this touching reunion to end in a pit. YHAHAHAHA!"
"Whiskers, curled whiskers," Kat cursed, getting off the bed. He turned to look at Kit as he padded his tunic smooth, a calculating look in his eyes.
"I was hoping to wait to introduce you to… everyone. But I'm not sure leaving you alone with Red will sit well with you. What do you want, Kit? Stay or come with me to the meeting?" Kat asked.
'I want to wake up now,' Kit thought, still holding the box with a cat's head in it. She must have said something, though, because Kat eased the box from her grip and set it aside, and with some gentle guidance she was following him out the door. And into still deeper insanity in the once familiar palace.
X X X
'Animals rarely look up', Panthro's advice was working fairly well.
They had taken to the rafters and outside ledges where they had to. The enemy was looking around and out; it didn't seem to occur to them in the midst of their victory celebration that they should remain diligent. Lion-O wondered if Cat armies were this oblivious after winning a battle.
Lion-O felt he was on the edge himself. Facing looming death in the cell, that had been one thing. But now, between escape and fear of recapture, he was also feeling the weight of events pressing against him. How could everything change so quickly and horribly? Just the sight of this, looking down on a familiar hall as Lizard troops carried armloads of cloth and pushed a wheelbarrow full of steel odds and ends…
He had to focus — Tygra might have anger to keep him going, but Lion-O felt if he pulled back even a whisker from taking stock of everything, turning it over in his head, that he'd fall into some pit and just wait to die. Though considering he was just following Tygra's lead, who seemed to have little notion where he was going, the signs already weren't that good.
"What are you planning?" Lion-O asked.
"Grune is a strong warrior, and we can't count on taking him alone. So retreat is probably the better option. The Lizards couldn't have captured and killed everyone. So we escape and lie low, gathering up a force," Tygra said.
"There will be other prisoners," Lion-O pointed out. He wasn't sure if Kit's low status would protect her from being singled out or if that ignominy would put her in danger.
Tygra hesitated, then shook his head.
"Too risky. Our escape will be discovered before too long, and we need to make tracks while covering them," Tygra insisted. They slipped back inside, creeping along the beams of a corridor, ending discussion for the moment. Two Cats rounded the corner and they halted, hoping they wouldn't loom up.
"-dsie like that. All Maultus lived through just for dying like that. Ain't right," the slimmer of the two said, taking a pull from a wine bottle marked with the royal seal.
"He failed his mission, it's simple as that," his companion shrugged. The two were part of Grune's group that had returned from the quest, though they had exchanged their old armor for more stylized polished armor with claw designs on the pauldrons holding red half-capes.
"Just the Prince's pet Feralli," the first guard grumbled. Lion-O's head jerked down, paying full attention now. Tygra, for his part, shifted slightly to look back at his brother. The slimmer guard got smacked in the back of his head by his companion.
"All the more reason he had no excuse to fail. Besides, El Dara wanted her, and she'll probably be at the meeting, so keep that talk to yourself. The Lions are done, and now the other Cats are moving up. Try treading on those heads these days, you might get a paw-ful of fangs."
"Bah! Sharing a table with Feralli. Well, it will be worth it to see Jagga and his stooge get it. Those Guardians, always thought they was creepy, as…"
The pair's voices trailed off as they turned the corner, and Lion-O turned. To follow. Looking back at Tygra, he raised an eyebrow.
"Jagga and a Cleric, worth the risk," Tygra sighed.
X X X
"Grune, I trust we didn't miss anything important?" Wilykat asked the Saber as others of his clan filed out the door.
"Not to worry, it was a trifling matter of confirming all parties understand their role in the new order. Very humdrum," Grune assured, glancing to a Lizard awkwardly dragging out a large sack followed by another with a broom on his shoulder.
"So then, the next meeting?" Wilykat pressed.
"The Master has deemed it time to drag the answers he wants out of Jagga. Not sure why he waited, but he does not explain himself unless he feels like it," Grune answered.
"An air of mystery can be quite effective in managing Animals," Kat conceded. Grune glanced to Wilykit staring blankly, her paw held in her brother's.
"This yours, then?" Grune asked.
"Yes, hands off," Kat said with a closed-eyed smile that sent a sight chill down the Saber's back. Collecting himself with reflexive ease, Grune grinned and chuckled.
"But of course. Though I didn't expect you to bring her here. The Master's presence can be quite a burden on the weak-willed."
El Dara's eyes opened, and the smile vanished.
"Never call my sister weak, Grune," Kat said, stepping past the treacherous General into the Master's presence, sister in tow.
"To think, a slave like that being connected to a Cat like him," Grune just shook his head at the ridiculousness. But watching as the last of the summoned filed past, he withdrew back into the temporary throne room. This would be fun.
X X X
Sneaking into the judgement hall was much easier than it should have been, Lion-O thought. Tygra might sneer and say it was just like the Lizards to not guard as well as the Cats had, but Lion-O wondered as they made their way.
For starters, he supposed the Lizards were just too caught up in victory. This was a nightmare for the Cats, but it must be a dream come true for the new conquerors, he realized. Even with the tech and Mumm-Ra, perhaps they had not really believed they would win until they had. So now, they got sloppy?
Well, also they probably thought any prisoners escaping would be heading toward the perimeter, not the interior. After all, that would be the smart thing to do.
And last but not least, as they reached a high overlook of the lower throne room, he realized the Lizards likely had no desire to be any closer to Mumm-Ra than they had to be.
There he was. Yes, they'd seen him before, but that moment of horrifying… he didn't want to call it glory, but he was at a loss of what it was. But it had been massive, a scene from legend. This was worse, seeing him hunch on the broken throne, so real yet so wrong under that red cloak. You didn't want to see him, but he refused to vanish no matter how many times you blinked. And he wasn't going to, Lion-O accepted even as his eyes darted over the others in the room. He couldn't think of this as going against the Lizards; Mumm-Ra was their enemy.
Mumm-Ra. Yes, part of him wanted to say this was dumb and Tygra's plan was better, just go.
A part wasn't even most of him. Lion-O could see Jagga bound there before the monster. He had failed to save his father. He would not abandon Jaga.
And there was the other cleric chained off to the side amidst a gallery of Lizards and Cats-
"Kit," Lion-O spoke enough above a whisper for Tygra to glare at him. But hearing what his brother had said, Tygra followed his gaze and blinked at the sight.
Feralli, a bunch of them, dressed in an odd assortment of poor clothing and jewelry. A huge brute of a Dog with reddish fur and a crumpled-looking wrinkled face. A lanky Monkey was perched behind them on a broken pillar, grinning like a maniac.
But the important thing was a Feralli youth standing at the front of the group with a composed look on his face, and next to him in a nicer dress than he had ever seen, was Kit.
"Whiskers, sorry Lion-O," Tygra said, actually putting a hand on Lion-O's shoulder.
"What?" Lion-O blinked looking to Tygra.
"Another traitor," Tygra said simply, before turning his attention back to the room.
'Traitor? Kit?' Lion-O didn't even get angry at the thought and casual accusation. It just rang too absurd that finicky, even nagging Kit, who cared more about his reputation than he did could ever be a traitor.
He looked back, narrowing his eyes, trying to see everything in the moment.
Kit was there, and the Feralli with her definitely could be a litter sibling; they were quite common with the Feralli. Had Kit told him about having siblings? A brother? He felt she had, but had he not paid attention, forgotten? Whiskers, despite the situation, that realization hit hard.
But what he saw most was that she was completely different from everyone else among those Cats. She wasn't pleased, bloodthirsty, or composed. She looked stunned and scared. She didn't seem to be looking at anything. And she flinched enough that he could see it from here when her kinscat put a hand on her shoulder.
'Yeah, sorry Tygra, not seeing a traitor just now,' Lion-O decided.
Then Jagga screamed.
Lion-O watched in stunned horror as red lightning from Mumm-Ra's hand struck the cleric. He'd never truly seen the elder helpless. Never heard him so much as sincerely complain of an ache. Now, he screamed as if his very soul was being lashed. Lion-O wondered if that might be the case, with horror sinking deeper into his bones.
The lightning faded, and Mumm-Ra stirred on the broken throne, gazing down at Jaga.
"Why persist in such pointless defiance? Your war is already ended, there is nothing noble in struggling for a cause that is lost."
"Yet for all your power, the Eye of Thundera is beyond your grasp," Jagga choked. Lion-O saw it then, embedded into the ground between the chained Jagga and the throne. The Sword of Omens, and its gauntlet sheath laying on the cracked floor as if it had been hastily cast aside.
"The Eye of Thundera, how presumptuous. That stone has history so ancient that your petty empire's hand has barely grazed it. There was a time such passionate arrogance endeared your kind to me. But you forgot your place. Even the mightiest of animals must kneel before their master. I will break this spell. I am Mumm-Ra, I am beyond mortal limitations, I am the Ever-Living who endures the rise and fall of empires and watches as stars scream and die in the void. I cannot be stopped, only delayed. And those who dare delay me pay a heavy price. Give in and I will send you and your student to the beyond of death. Defy me and you will suffer such in life and death that you will beg for the final mystery's embrace."
"All that, and still you fear."
Jagga screamed anew.
X X X
Kit tried not to listen to the nightmare around her. It was too absurd, she kept telling herself. She must have gotten nervous and drunk the brandy meant for the Prince. She'd get scolded as she woke to a hangover and have a miserable day trying to manage Lion-O for the victory celebration. Even Grune couldn't be so terrible as to smile while Lord Jagga was tortured. And who could even do that to the great cleric?
She knew she couldn't imagine the terror on the broken throne, so she desperately tried to just not know it was there, as nightmare Kat held her wrist too tight, making her hand go numb.
"Master, much as I enjoy seeing you work, in my experience breaking such animals as Jagga is less about force, and more about direction," Grune said, turning his eyes on the other prisoner, the chained cleric hung in their midst from a broken statue. Kat let her wrist go to walk over to the cleric, grinning. Kit watched numbly.
"Good point, General, it's often all about the angles. Monkey, let's see what we have to work with," Wilykat commanded. With a hooting cackle, the Monkey leapt to a new perch, and tore the body cloak and helm from the cleric.
Wilykat blinked now, the smug confidence replaced for a moment by honest surprise that made him resemble her brother again.
'Yeah, must be a nightmare for her to show up,' Kit thought, seeing the streetwalker Cheetah her Prince had been sniffing after revealed, battered and bruised beneath the holy uniform. Kat grinned, baring teeth in something too close to joy.
"Ha! Well, I have never been much the praying type, but a cream this sweet deserves some thanks," Kat laughed.
"Well, if you require a deity to give thanks to…" Grune grinned, pointing behind Kit to the throne.
"A personal grievance, young El Dara?" the thing she would not see asked.
"Very much. Though I wonder, do you remember me, Great Cat? I have never forgotten you. In a way, you made me what I am today. But I'm not feeling I owe you anything for that, so, shall Monkey fetch my tools, or does the master want the honors?"
Then a pair of sounds burst out, making Kit flinch as one of the chains binding the Cheetah exploded in a clatter and one of the Sabers on her other side dropped like a pile of laundry.
Then things were all sound and motion. Kat was dragging her by the wrist, but it was toward the demon, so she finally dug in her heels.
Kat looked at her with shock. And he was swatted aside, revealing Prince Tygra of all people. For a moment, he looked down at her unreadably, then he was dragging her along by the shoulder. At least it was in the right direction, away from the demon. But she somehow looked back and realized her prince was standing before Mumm-Ra, and the nightmare gave way to reality.
XXX
'Get the sword, save Jagga,' Lion-O thought, leaping down to the floor.
The Prince barely saw Mumm-Ra rise from the throne as he grabbed the sword. It pulled clear from the floor with surprising ease, the lightning coming at once. With two swings, he severed the chains holding Jagga's arms, and the cleric fell to the ground. Lion-O paused, stunned, as Jagga tried to push himself up. He had kind of hoped that once free Jagga would be the one to take charge.
"Lion-O!" Cheetara called out from the side. He saw her dodge a swing from an angry Grune as Tygra blocked a knife strike from the Monkey. The large Dog was also advancing on the two with a huge club.
But Cheetara wasn't calling for help, she was pointing.
Instinct made him raise the blade to block as red lightning surged toward him. He cried out in pain as the energy surged across his hands before dispersing.
"As ever, I am surrounded by fools. But perhaps this is a bounty unlooked for," Mumm-Ra said, descending the stairs slowly.
Lion-O met those hungry red eyes and tried to look away. He couldn't, as if it was a pit and he couldn't find a grip to avoid slipping in.
"I was simply going to take your head for a trophy. It reminds me of an old… friend. But instead, I will use you to break this cleric. It's only fair — Leo took it from me, now his blood will see it finally placed where it belongs. In my hand, as all things soon will be."
The sounds of battle drained away. In truth, as Mumm-Ra's voice echoed and his footsteps fell, everyone — even Grune — came to a halt, focused on the menace pervading the air. And Lion-O stood at the center of the unseen maelstrom, struggling to breath under a weight indescribable, his knees starting to tremble. And the demon still spoke.
"So this is what Leo's line comes to? I thought Claudus warranted subterfuge, but seeing this, I wonder. Look at you. That stolen power in your hands, and you can't even lift it. It would be amusing if it wasn't so pathetic."
Lion-O wasn't moving as the horror advanced on him. But he was watching, and his mind was moving even as his body seemed on the verge of buckling.
The eyes, he realized, that weren't watching him at all. They were watching the sword. The Sword of Omens' legend said it had defeated Mumm-Ra, a crimson light to cleave darkness.
Struggling, he tried to see beyond, sight beyond sight, and he realized that as horrifying as those eyes were, they were not empty. They were not just full of endless malice. There was fear there, fear of what he held.
And with that realization, he could see not just Mumm-Ra of legend, but how small and bent this thing before him was. That its rotting form was wrapped up lest it fall apart. That it feared what he had in his hands, it feared because it could be defeated. Because it was not invincible.
His grip tightened, and he raised the sword. Lion-O breathed, and his gaze hardened, meeting the demon's eyes anew. He was afraid, but Jagga was behind him, Jagga couldn't fight. Kit, Cheetara, even Tygra…
The thought of Kit dashed across his mind, the way she reacted when Mumm-Ra was mentioned. An old superstition to banish evil…
He'd later swear the sword practically swung itself, and the words came to his lips. As if it remembered what to do.
"Thunder!
"Thunder!
"Thundercats! HOOOOO!" Lion-O shouted, swinging the sword in imitation of the Feralli ward against evil. The power jolted with each word and gesture, yet instead of swinging out after the final upward thrust, he lowered the sword, still pointing up, and thrust the flat of the blade toward Mumm-Ra.
Lion-O couldn't see it, but he had a feeling the Eye of Thundera was glaring at the ancient evil before it.
The shock in the demon's face, he would always remember, before power erupted from the Eye of Thundera and the roar of thunder tore the room apart.
The dust cleared to show Lion-O standing holding the sword, the Eye's glow fading but lightning still running along the blade. And everyone saw Mumm-Ra was gone, a gaping hole where he once stood.
The Lizards fled in a panic, Slythe cursing as he rushed from the room, stunned.
"Im-impossible!" Wilykat stammered, eyes wide as his own thugs ran off. The Monkey swept in and picked him up.
"All bets off! Time to get off the table, boss! HOHAHAHA!" the Monkey cackled, carrying the Feralli leader away and joining those Cats in their own retreat over Kat's wordless protests. Red blinked in confusion at Cheetara before turning and lumbering after his comrades.
"Well, isn't that interesting," Grune remarked, eyebrow raised, before turning his attention to Tygra as a handful of his fellow traitors gathered behind him warily.
"Withdraw," Grune commanded with a raised fist, turning his back to a furious Tygra, two Saber warriors covering his back.
"No!" Tygra said, stepping to follow the retreating Cats.
"Stop," Cheetara snapped. Tygra smacked her hand from his shoulders, but looked at her, "We haven't won. There's an army around us, and it will take more than that to kill Mumm-Ra. I can feel him."
Tygra saw that Lion-O had fallen to his knees even as Jagga, now on his feet, tucked something under his tattered cloak. And Kit was inching her way toward Lion-O. And he could hear alarm bells and horns being sounded.
"…Let's go," Tygra said, jogging over to his brother. Cheetara let out a sigh of relief before scooping Kit up under one arm. The startled yowl of the smaller, younger Cat was a good sign; better she be outraged at the indignity than going into shock.
Because she could tell Mumm-Ra was far from done.
XXX
In the courtyard, Mumm-Ra rose growling to his feet, glaring at the shattered stone he had been sent through.
"So, more to you than meets the eye, son of Claudus? Well no matter, such a blow could never destroy me. And with my true form, I will grind you into a smear upon your kingdom's ruin! Ancient Spirits of Evil! Transform this decayed form! Into Mumm-Ra the-!" his chant gave way to a curdling shriek as the sun crested the horizon and its rays struck his form through the tattered cloak. Writhing on the ground, he tore into grass and soil while scarring stone where his clawed fingers met it.
Grune looked on as his followers hung back.
"Well, so you don't merely hate the sun," the Saber remarked. Glancing about, he seemed to take measure of his men and the now swarming Lizard army. Even spotting El Dara practically stomping with rage as he led a murderous-looking band of Feralli.
"…Let's get you in out of the sun, master," Grune said, stepping forward and bending the knee to lift Mumm-Ra's pained, gasping form to his feet.
X X X
Jagga had taken the lead, which Lion-O was grateful for. It felt like he had… well, he wasn't sure what, but it seemed like he was both numb and about to collapse. Oh, and yet felt he could keep running forever?
Yeah, he did not want to think about it, just clutching the sword and watching Jagga's back as he led them through the tunnels. Kit was safe, Tygra was with him, and Cheetara was apparently a cleric? So yeah, looking up as much as anything could today, Lion-O decided as Jagga reached a section of wall and stopped.
"What are you doing?" Tygra demanded. Cheetara answered, "Getting us out of here."
Sure enough, at some final tap, a section of the wall popped out and Jagga seized it to slide the hidden door aside, revealing a dark passage.
"The guardians of the crown kept many secrets, many beyond even the most trusted Generals," Jagga remarked.
Lion-O smiled, but never remembered what he had been about to say as a red bolt seared past him and struck Jagga square in the back. The cleric gave a pained gasp and fell to his knees. Cheetara snarled and dashed back the way they had come.
Lion-O rushed to Jagga, picking him up under the arms.
"Forward!" Jagga insisted, clutching his staff.
"Grune's coming!" Cheetara yelled, rushing back to them in a blur.
Lion-O felt like he was dragged into the passage, Jagga's staff lighting up with a pure white light. Then Jagga shoved him aside and turned back the way they had come. Lion-O looked too and saw Grune alright, that tech mace of his surging with green lightning, and with the corridor before him packed with Lizards charging with tech spears raised.
Jaga sent a bolt of lightning, straight up into the ceiling. The Prince could barely register the Lizards' panic and realized Grune was likely safe as the passage was clogged by falling stone.
"Well done," Tygra said with a sigh.
"That will not stop them long," Jaga said.
"Then let's get out of here. Your wounds need tending," Cheetara said, stepping up to support the Jaguar, who Lion-O had not realized was trembling.
"No, first there is something we must do," Jagga said, and reaching under his tattered cloak produced the royal gauntlet.
"Lion-O," he beckoned.
"Lord Jagga, is this really the time?" Tygra demanded, stone already being heard shifting.
"It is the only time. Take it and place the sword," Jagga ordered. Lion-O wanted to agree with Tygra, but something in Jagga's gaze made him kneel instead, slipping the gauntlet on and retracting the Sword of Omens' blade and sliding it into the gauntlet's sheath.
Jagga nodded, and with a word his staff ignited, the fading radiance restored, and he tapped it on the back of the offered gauntlet. Lion-O had not noticed how the vibrancy had faded from the gleaming metal, but now it bloomed anew under Jagga's magic.
"From father to son. From king to king. But now for more than it has been in ages. It has awaited you; for promises unfulfilled, and a war never truly won."
"What?" Tygra asked. Lion-O agreed; they both knew the oaths and ceremony for kingship, it was simple royal law education. And this was not it.
"Will you be true to your Sight Beyond Sight?" Jagga demanded.
"…Yes." He found there was no other answer.
"Then go, Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats."
The light faded, and with a hissing sound a field flare ignited, revealing Cheetara holding one of the expensive pieces of equipment.
Jaga stood and stumbled to face the rubble.
"Jaga?"
"I said go. They will come too quickly. I will delay them. You must escape, everything depends on it."
"No," Cheetara whispered. But it carried for all of them.
"Lion-O, you have Sight Beyond Sight, the Sword of Omens has revealed its true power, to a true Thundercat. You can do what no one has been able to — find the Book. The truth and power of the past that can save the future. But you must not let Mumm-ra, Grune, or anyone else snuff out this light before it can ignite," Jagga declared.
"Jagga, we need you," Lion-O said, reaching out to the elder Cat's shoulder. Before he touched it, Jagga turned enough to give a sad smile.
"You don't. Your generation has inherited the mistakes and consequences of those who came before. You owe me nothing. Live and be better than me. Better than Thundera. BUT LIVE!" Jagga snapped, turning back to face the trembling rocks.
"…It's his choice," Tygra said, pulling Lion-O's shoulder even as Kit grabbed his arm.
"My Prince, he can barely stand," the collared slave stated. And Lion-O could see it then, and realized they would have to carry Jagga. And the old Jaguar, he wouldn't let them. The numbness swept over Lion-O as he tried and failed to find a way in his head to save the Cat in front of him.
Then the two pulled him away, and he couldn't resist even as they spurred him slowly into a run.
Cheetara was the last to depart, eyes wide and facing Jagga's back. He said nothing. She rushed to catch up, the other three having already broken into a run, the flight leaving the lone cleric to face the darkness.
X X X
Despite everything he said, Jagga had a fleeting urge to follow after the fleeing Cats. There were so many reasons to live, and he might yet have the strength to escape, to live. They had lost so much and were unprepared for what laid ahead. It seemed cruel to abandon them to their own devices on the heels of such losses. And entwined with all that noble sentiment, a part of him did not want his role in the world to end yet. He had little fear of death, but little was not same as none.
But he had dealt far too much death and sent too many comrades to theirs to contemplate complaining of his old life ending.
As to guidance, he was of limited value. For all that he had come to see Thundera's flaws and that he could understand that this tragedy of downfall was necessary for the hope of a better world, he had been complicit in Thundera's actions. Yes, he had criticized, and taken no small action to alleviate the suffering, but in honesty he had ever pulled up short of the outright sedition that would have been needed to change things truly for the better.
It was not his place, or the time; he had never had the power to mend the world, only break it in ways to prevent greater evil. He had believed that, but it did not change the fact he had chosen inaction before the evil around him. His guilt may be lesser for what he did than others, or greater for what he failed to do; but he was guilty all the same.
'I'll see you soon Claudus, everyone, to endure dream or nightmare for our virtues and sins until we rise again. I do not ask for forgiveness, I accept whatever judgement is rendered for leaving the world in such a state.'
A blast of green-tinted energy shattered the stone before him the shrapnel striking him but he hardly felt it now. Illuminated by his massive tech weapon, Grune strode out of the smoke, eyes alight with bloodlust.
Jaga smiled mirthlessly at the Saber; how fitting for him to be slain by this Cat who embodied the vices of Thundera consuming all its virtues. He realized now Cats like Grune, Cats like Claudus who tolerated Grunes, and Cats like himself who saw much but spoke too little, had destroyed Thundera long before the Enemy returned.
'May you find the better path your elders never reached, Thundercats,' Jagga thought, standing tall one last time against the wicked Cat before him.
X X X
They came out into sunlight, and everyone but Cheetara collapsed in some way. Amidst the rocky terrain broken by a few twisted earthy trees, Wilykit fell to her arms and knees almost like a bow, breathing hard and starting to curl in on herself; even her tail was tucked in. Tygra sat down hard on the first rock that caught his eye, gripping the small tech weapon in his hand but not looking at it or anything. As for Lion-O, he went a few steps before going to one knee, catching himself with his free hand, the Sword of Omens dragging in the pale dirty soil.
Cheetara did not collapse; there was work to do. Returning to the hidden door cut to resemble rock face, she inspected the inner wall, and found the lever Jagga had shown her long ago. It surprised her how smoothly it slid aside after the hidden catch was released; how rarely was it inspected? She pulled the lever and stepped back out as a rumbling sounded and a dust could followed her back out.
"They won't be following us," she said to the others. They didn't notice. With a sigh, she made her way to a dead tree and… well, her memory was not as good here, so she eventually just decided to tear the trunk apart, laying into it with her staff. Reduced to a stump, she wiped a bit of sweat leaking from her eye away as she inspected the stash there. Two heavy traveler's packs, a quick inspection confirmed they were dry, with frontier tools and supplies. No food though, except a few jars of dried stuff. Not bad for a King and one cleric, but there were four of them; they already had a supply problem. Whiskers, she thought, tightening her grip on the staff.
Dumping the packs next to Tygra, she got a blank look from him.
"Check those, I'm going to scout the area. We can't stay here long," she ordered. She could not grieve, she could not fall apart, she was a Guardian of the Crown.
The Guardian of the Crown.
Once she was certain she was out of sight and earshot, she began to wail and murder the rocks. No words of accusation or revenge, even as Mumm-Ra loomed in her mind. What wrapped around her was her own pathetic, helpless screaming as her clan was murdered around her, only able to think of her own terror. And now she had walked away when the Cat who rescued her from despair… she left Jagga to die.
Wrath spent, she let herself fall. Soon enough she would stand firm and hold up others, she knew, but for now she let herself be broken.
X X X
"Leave, already? But my men will need days to plunder thoroughly, and the wounded… no, even the whole need rest from such a battle," King Slythe said.
The Generals stood before Mumm-Ra, who had taken a chair deep in the ruined palace, far from the light, to hold court.
"Your men have received what was promised. The Lizard Army is victorious and Thundera is no more. Thundera no longer matters; the other forces will reduce what remains of Leo's legacy. The Lizard Army, the Cat troops loyal to me, you will move out at once. Word will spread and speed is our ally in ensuring this world falls easily to me. The Rats may cooperate, but others will stand against my rule without even a pretense of submission. And the Sword of Omens, I will have that sword returned."
"You want me to move my largest force, the heart of the army, to hunt down a handful of Cats?" Slythe demanded.
"One of those Cats hurt the Master, watch your tone," Grune said. Mumm-Ra hissed and glared over the two of them. El Dara smiled where he hung back, before the scowl he had been wearing fell back into place.
"It's not our place to question Lord Mumm-Ra," El Dara said, "My subordinates are not accustomed to tracking people through the country, but I offer the best I have for this task. They will learn quickly or I will have it out of their hide," he said with a warm tone. Mumm-Ra gave him a look with a sly smile.
"Do not think I have forgotten your own motives to display such readiness, young Cat. But no matter, those who serve me well I have always rewarded as they deserve, just as those who defy me I shall always crush."
…
"Well?! When I say we leave at once, I do not mean tomorrow!" Mumm-Ra snapped. The three Generals withdrew, with one seething, one grinning, the other simply stoic.
Alone, Mumm-Ra ran the back of his hand over his bandaged chest.
"So, Leo. It seems we're not finished after all. No matter, this is better. Whether he's your heir or you rise again to face me, I will prove that my humiliation was simply a fluke, a mere stumbling block. The universe and all its Animals are mine. A mere mortal could never truly defeat me."
X X X
"Sword of Omens, please give me sight beyond sight," Lion-O said, holding the sword before him. They stood on ledge overlooking a trail winding through the high country that lead away from the farmlands that spread from Thundera. A beautiful sight, even as he hoped to see something else.
…
"Anything?" Tygra asked.
"No," Lion-O sighed. Cheetara patted his shoulder, which roused Kit enough to give a glare.
"You have done it before, you will do it again when the time is right. Let's go," Cheetara said. The two men wearing the packs and the short Ferrali girl between them, the Thundercats followed Cheetara through the rough landscape, toward an uncertain future.
Author's Note:
Well, that took longer than it had any business doing. I really was overthinking the events in the palace.
Nothing else i ca really say other than sorry for the wait regarding this chapter.
As to the future, well its uncertain. I plan to disregard or shorten the event of some episodes(I have particular plans for that blasted Ramlak KHAHAHAHA!), so things should be moving quicker for the next story arc chapter wise. But with worldbuilding and characters developing i am not sure how much it will take. And as ever, the question of when I actually post the blasted chapters.
Well future events aside i hope you enjoyed this chapter. As gesture of apology I decided to just come out and admit my longterm pairing plan of lion-o Wilykit here, hope its not a deal breaker.
Long days and pleasant nights to you all.