Chapter Nine: In Chaos, There Is Order
Tiberon stood silently as he sensed the approach of one of the ships. As might be expected, being that she was already on the planet, Wraith was the first to arrive, in one of the fastest airships the reptilian military had. She landed on the rocky beach of the volcanic isle, escorted by a few reptilian guards, though they stayed behind at the ship as she stepped forth to join Tiberon. “I am here,” she said simply in greeting. “And I am ready.”
The Nautilus nodded. “You remember what Conchlian told you?”
“Everything,” she said softly, her blue reptilian eyes studying him intently. “I am prepared to stop Jhahood.” She looked around. “Where are the others? The Lunatacs and Thunderians?”
“They will come,” Tiberon assured her. “They are on their way.”
Wraith relaxed slightly, until she heard the rumble of the volcano in the distance. She wondered briefly if it would erupt, but Tiberon, having read her thoughts, answered before she could even think of voicing the question. “It will not,” the Nautilus said simply.
A smile crossed her features and she and Tiberon fell into silence again. She had no idea what to say to the Nautilus, and he was the type who would not speak unless he had reason to.
Several minutes passed uneventfully until a craft came speeding out of the
upper atmosphere, toward the shore of the island. “The Lunatacs,” was all Tiberon could murmur
to confirm the identity before the Bentusi landed on the isle. Tiberon motioned for her to follow him to
greet the passengers, and the pair of mutants walked over to the craft. By the time they made it there on foot, the
Lunatacs were already filing off of the ship.
Selene asked RedEye,
“Warrior Queen Wraith,” the white reptilian answered politely.
“That’s her,” Psiarik whispered to Cheetara. “The one from my dream.” Cheetara nodded grimly in response. She was experiencing a lot of déjà vu herself.
Tiberon stepped forward, fingering the strange bracelet on his hand. Psiarik winced slightly as the whispering, not as loud as before, but still clearly present, started again. Cheetara also made a face of discomfort, indicating that she too could hear it. Tiberon glanced at the pair. “These two would do well to stand aside during the ceremony. It is likely that the voices of the comet and the blades will be deafening to such strong telepaths.”
Selene glanced at them. “You should wait back at the ship with the others.”
Psiarik frowned. “But what if you need—”
“I’ll be fine,” Selene cut him off. “The Mutants aren’t here to attack.” Though she had no psychic abilities of her own, she did have the MoonSaber, which, like the other mystical blades, would alert her if there was treachery against her afoot. She had received no such warnings from the ancient sword. “Please, do as Tiberon says.”
The sound of another ship in the distance interrupted them. “The Thundercats,” Cheetara noted brightly, hearing the familiar roar of the Feliner’s engines. “They’re here.”
“So they are,” Tiberon said.
“And then we can stop Jhahood,” Wraith continued.
Selene nodded. “Once and for all.”
The Feliner, expertly maneuvered by Panthro, swept out of the atmosphere and swung down along the churning waves of the shore until it glided in next to the Bentusi. The engines cut out and several Thundercats—Lion-O, Panthro, and WilyKit—climbed off the craft. Cheetara immediately ran over to embrace Lion-O, who accepted the cheetah into his arms without a moment’s hesitation. “It’s so good to see you,” he whispered. He was glad that even if things were to go badly, he would at least have had the chance to hold her again and tell her he loved her before they met their end.
Panthro too was relieved, as was WilyKit. They had both been worried about her after having heard the news from the Third Moon after she left. Panthro stepped toward the others, including the crew of the Bentusi, who also came to join them. WilyKit and Darkail immediately recognized one another and exchanged a smile. The Hunter stepped smoothly toward the scarlet and black-haired Thundercat and offered her his hand. “A pleasure to meet you,” he said suavely. “And even lovelier in person, might I add.”
WilyKat shook the ivory hand and smiled broadly. “And it would seem that you’re twice as charming,” she shot back.
Panthro gave the pair an odd look, and decided to pull WilyKit aside later and have a chat with her about flirting at inappropriate times, while Luna shot the Hunter ambassador a similar glare. It was bad enough that Psiarik was sharing his dreams with the cheetah, but for the ambassador to make eyes at the enemy? Especially that snide Thunder-brat, who had been a thorn in her side on more than one occasion as a child. Luna highly doubted she was any better now that she was grown up.
All the pleasantries were cut off when Tiberon addressed Lion-O. “It’s good to see that you all came so promptly,” the Nautilus spoke. “The sooner we start this ceremony, the better for us all. It will be taxing beyond anything you can likely imagine to destroy Jhahood, as his own evil is being directed by forces more evil than he.”
Lion-O met the squidman’s watery eyes seriously, while instinctively holding Cheetara closer for a moment. Tiberon glanced at the cheetah, knowing that the Chaos blade’s voice was growing louder in her head, as well as that of the Psi, for now that all blades were present, it was distracting to even him. “She should rest in your ship,” Tiberon urged. He glanced back at Psiarik, who looked no better. He stood rigid, his jaw clenched, trying to let it seem like it wasn’t getting to him, but it was clear that it was. “So should you.”
Panthro stepped forward and took Cheetara’s arm. “Come on, Cheetara. You’ve been through a lot. He’s right, you should rest.” She nodded and reluctantly stepped away from Lion-O, who gave her a reassuring smile. She leaned against Panthro as he escorted her back to the Feliner to sit down.
RedEye tapped Psiarik in a similar manner. He barely knew him, but the fact that he was Alluro’s son was reason enough for him to abide by Tiberon’s request. He knew that Alluro would have done the same if he’d come, and while he was not a type for sentimental gestures, he felt he owed the hypnotist at least that much for summoning Aurora when he’d been hurt. Psiarik cast one last look at Selene before walking back to the Bentusi with RedEye. Luna almost stepped forth to say something to Selene, but a firm look from her younger relative stopped her from doing so. Instead, Luna only gave a brief nod to her and joined the others gathered by the ships.
Tiberon took a deep breath and studied the faces of those before him. Wraith—sheltered and naïve, but dedicated and determined. Selene—worried and unsure of her role, but also devoted and courageous. And lastly Lion-O—his catlike eyes were filled with fatigue and suspicion, but unparalleled strength and bravery as well. These were the sword-bearers, and they were the salvation of all the worlds. Tiberon smiled serenely and wrapped his fingers around the bracelet. The time had come to draw the Chaos Blade.
* * *
Mumm-Ra growled with anger and exhaustion. He and Torlei had been directing Jhahood for so long now, and he wanted the delicious payoff of destruction to come soon. Even though the Ancients had granted him and his partner more energy, his mind was tired and needed rest from the tedious task.
“We will soon strike the Ice Moon,” Torlei hissed from beside him. She too was nearly spent. Like his own, the evil red light in her eyes burned with less intensity, and her body seemed to be almost withering from exertion. His own muscles were taxed and shaky, and he wondered briefly if he shared the same haggard appearance as she.
“The deaths of the souls on the moon will renew our strength,” Mumm-Ra asserted. “And then again when we pull two more moons out of orbit and feed on the energy of their demise. We will plow into Plundarr with unstoppable force and bear witness to the greatest destruction ever seen.”
Torlei exhaled heavily with exertion, using the visualization of the horrible image to draw renewed strength. “Finally, revenge,” she hissed. “At long last.”
“At long last,” Mumm-Ra agreed with a dark chuckle, as they pushed the comet forward.
* * *
The four sword-bearers climbed the mountain in relative silence. As they neared the top of the volcano, the heat grew more oppressive, uncomfortable to them all, but they pressed onward regardless. “The ceremony must be carried out at the summit,” Tiberon stated as he led them onward.
Lion-O felt the hot, humid air and the unpleasant odor of sulfur cling to his fur. He held the mystic Sword of Omens tightly in his hand. The blade was extended to its fullest, and the eye was open. It had not growled, and he knew he did not have to summon the Thundercats, but he could feel it pulsing with energy. His senses were tingling with anticipation. He knew that whatever was about to take place, it would decide definitively if they were all to live or to die.
Next to him, Selene ascended the rocks, careful to keep her footing. She was not accustomed to such wild conditions, nor was she used to the heat. She was not letting it stop her, but the fumes and the landscape reminded her horribly of the last volcano she’d seen—the one that had blown up half the city, as well as the royal palace, with her parents in it, so long ago. Her own blade shimmered and hummed to life in the presence of the others, and while it was large, it didn’t encumber her as she climbed.
Wraith too was lost in her own thoughts. Both blades of the Sword of Plundarr were extended, as if anticipating battle, much like the swords of Lion-O and Selene. She watched Tiberon climb the side of the volcano and wondered how he could stand the heat. Surely it had to be worst on the Nautilus, she mused, but it seemed like he felt nothing. Perhaps he could block it. When a hot blast of air from a nearby crack hit her face, causing her to wince, she wished she could do the same.
When they reached the peak, Lion-O was the first to look up at the sky. A sinister dark object was partially blotting the sun, and looming ominously behind the brilliant white sphere that he knew to be the Ice Moon Lixuvekh. Though his primary interest naturally lay with his own people, he could not help but feel great pangs of sympathy for the countless Lunatacs that would die first when the comet obliterated their home. “How long do they have?” he questioned.
“Not long,” Selene answered quietly. “Given what our scientists said, they have only hours now.”
“All those poor souls,” murmured Wraith.
“All our poor souls,” Tiberon said, following their gazes to the unsettling sight of the night sky. Then abruptly, he shifted his gaze from the heavens to the other sword-bearers. “We have no more time to waste. We must begin now if we’re to do this.” The Nautilus then pulled the bracelet from his hand, and as it fell into his palm, a brilliant light came forth from the metal as it grew and twisted into the shape of another beautiful, ancient blade, made by the gods themselves like the swords of the others.
There was a collective gasp from the other sword bearers as the simple bracelet quickly transformed into an awesome blade. It was hard to look at. Although it held a basic shape, it seemed to be in constant flux.
Down by the ships, both Psiarik and Cheetara were having a very difficult time. What seemed like thousands of voices screamed in their minds, yelling in a long forgotten language. Panthro, transfixed by the scene above him, did his best to support Cheetara and comfort her. Psiarik leaned on the ship, while his fellow Lunatacs kept an eye on him. Atop the volcano, all eyes were on Tiberon.
“By Jaga, look at that sword,” Lion-O murmured, in complete awe. Tiberon held it high over his head. Suddenly, Lion-O felt the Sword of Omens jerk in his hands and he looked down. It extended even longer than he had ever seen it do so, and it was almost purring in anticipation. Looking around, he saw the other blades were responding in similar ways.
“Long ago, we were all one people, the Nautilus,” Tiberon said, looking over the sword bearers. He was certain he now had their undivided attention. “We were one of the most powerful races in the universe, but we let it go to our heads. Our disrespect angered the old gods, and they sundered us and our planet. Some of the new races left,” he looked pointedly at Selene and Lion-O, “while others stayed behind,” he looked at Wraith, who nodded back knowingly. She was aware of this story. “The gods gave us, the Nautilus, a means to reunite the people in spirit… the Chaos Blade. They also forged 3 other blades, and gave them to the shattered races. The time has come to bind our spirits and our wills to the Chaos Blade, and destroy Goroth Nug Jhahood, Planet Killer, once and for all!”
The other sword bearers glanced at each other nervously. What was this ‘binding of spirits’ business?
Tiberon, aware of their concerns, but more focused on the task at hand, thrust the Chaos Blade even higher over his head. He spoke in a strange language, and a pure white, twisting beam of energy erupted from the blade, speeding off into the sky.
Compelled to follow suit, Lion-O pointed the Sword of Omens at the ominous black shape that was Jhahood. “Hooo!”
As he spoke, the Sword of Omens let loose a terrifying roar, and blue energy streaked from it, although not towards Jhahood… it slammed into the Chaos Blade, and twisted around the thick white beam of energy, merging with it.
Selene, watching as the Sword of Omens guided Lion-O’s shot to the Chaos Blade, pointed the MoonSaber at the Blade. Unlike Lion-O, she had no call to summon the powers of her weapon. Suddenly, the MoonSaber began to hum loudly and shake in her hands. She nearly fell over as a powerful blast of red energy surged towards the Blade, twisting with the white stream as the Sword of Omens had.
Wraith was the last to contribute her energies. With a hearty yell, she gripped the handle and held the wicked Sword of Plundarr aloft. The Sword let out an inhuman screech and a yellow bolt of lightning surged from the Sword, and entwined itself in the huge mixture of energy.
The awesome sight, more spectacular than even the incredible Battle of Swords, transfixed everyone. Tiberon, his arms straining to keep hold of his now incredibly powered up Blade, spoke.
“Chaos Blade, King of Swords, Bind out Wills and push back the darkness!” he cried. The wind kicked up and the volcano under their feet began to shake.
The sword bearers suddenly felt themselves get lighter, and those who watched the ceremony could hardly believe their eyes. Each respective sword bearer turned into pure energy and was sucked into the Chaos Blade, even Tiberon. Hovering over the volcanoes opening was now a writhing ball of light. The Divine Forge shook mightily.
* * *
“Where are we?” asked Selene. She was so alarmed that, ironically, she was incredibly calm… and the place she was in was so dark that it was blinding, and she was forced to squint.
“Everything is so strange,” said Lion-O, his voice barely a whisper.
Then Tiberon’s calming voice came to them. “You are within the Chaos Blade. There is not much time… we must all focus on Jhahood!”
Before they had the time to ponder the implications of that announcement, the sword-bearers agreed, and abruptly found them selves floating in a circle together. They joined hands. Tiberon then closed his eyes, and Goroth Nug Jhahood’s voice filled their minds.
“I am the Planet Killer, Goroth Nug Jhahood!” bellowed Jhahood, his voice filled with triumph and pleasure. “My destiny is at hand!”
* * *
Outside of the Blade, the others watched as the Divine Forge erupted with, not lava, but a humongous beam of white energy, catching the swirling Chaos energies in the blast. The four energies grew to formidable sizes and twisted around each other, in a spectacular light show of power, and went speeding towards Jhahood with one singular task in mind.
* * *
Goroth Nug Jhahood, eager to get the small ice moon out of his way, ignored the ridiculous beam of energy headed for him. Nothing existed that could destroy the mighty Planet Killer. Ships of all sorts did their best to flee the Moon, but most were sucked right into the comets tail, smashing upon the meteoroids already captured by him.
Those unfortunate souls perished almost immediately under the harsh conditions, and the dark energy of their demise only fueled the wicked alien energy further.
Jhahood pressed on.
* * *
Mumm-Ra and Torlei both gasped as they felt an incredible power surface on the face of Plundarr.
“What is that?” Torlei hissed, her eyes wide. The power emanating from Draco was incredible… like nothing she had ever felt before. It was not a good sign, and for the first time since this mission began, she found herself questioning the likelihood of their victory.
Mumm-Ra was more determined. “Throw everything you have at whatever it is!” the ancient mage ordered, he himself already hurling his last reserves at the approaching threat.
Gritting her teeth and snarling with rage that came from the bottom of her unholy soul, Torlei did just that.
* * *
The sword-bearers, now of one mind, will, and spirit, sped towards Jhahood, fused with their Blades’ abilities. It was as though they were the mighty Blade itself, a twisting tendril of raw energy and power unlike any they’d experienced before, and they struck the Planet Killer just as he was about to penetrate Lixuvekh’s atmosphere.
The Will clashed with Jhahood with such force that he was jolted back, unable to proceed past their barrier. The ancient behemoth’s consciousness howled in anger, and reached out telepathically to his helpers, amplifying their powers with all the reserves of his own.
* * *
Torlei screamed in near orgasmic pleasure as Jhahood infused her with unimaginable power. Mumm-Ra too growled with ecstasy as the comet’s power flowed through him, setting his every sense afire, bringing sensations he hadn’t felt in such intensity since his mortal days. The undead pair locked gazes for a fleeting moment, and without speaking even a word, they projected all the force they could muster onto the strange onslaught that came from Plundarr.
* * *
Down on the Ice Moon, crowds of terrified Lunatacs, those who were seemingly unfortunate enough not to escape on a ship and those who had simply resigned to their fate and stayed behind, watched in awe as the comet stalled in the air, pushed backwards by a strange beam of light. Was it divine intervention? Were they to be saved after all? Collectively they held their breath…
* * *
Even in the face of the incredible power put forth by the ever-livings and Jhahood himself, the Will did not falter. Despite such heavy attack, the Will pushed with all it’s might at Jhahood again, not only stalling him this time, but forcing him back even farther. Some of the meteoroids that had followed the Planet Killer diligently for millennia flew away as his gravitational pull lost its power. A few of them even betrayed their long time master and smashed directly into him, causing the consciousness to howl in fury.
“I am Goroth Nug Jhahood!” roared the enraged comet, tearing desperately, angrily at the minds within the Will. “You will not deter me!”
But the Will ignored his bellowing, even though it was a sound so intense that it was tearing into the mind of every psychic in the system. Instead the Will pressed on, and began to eat away at Jhahood, growing larger as it consumed larger and larger portions of the malignant comet’s power and claimed it as its own, just as Jhahood had done to its own countless victims.
In a last ditch effort to save their wicked vessel of destruction, the Ancient Spirits of Evil infused their ever-living charges with even more power, power so great that it could very well destroy them if they lost control of it. The undead pair, screaming in rage at the Will, and in desperation to their masters, expended every available reserve they had into one final push against the light barrier.
And Jhahood did indeed push forward… right into the destructive force of the Will. As the two mighty forces collided, the force of the Will literally devoured Jhahood, its brilliant light energy spilling over his surface and even into his tail, neutralizing and eliminating all possible threats they contained as they came into direct contact.
Jhahood shrieked in desperate outrage. “NOOO!” He could feel his essence dissipating, and he searched for a way to stay in this reality, by latching onto the life forces of Mumm-Ra and Torlei.
Knowing what this destructive force would mean for them, Mumm-Ra and Torlei protested violently, and in a panic turned their own power away from helping him to saving themselves. It was one thing to be banished to another dimension… it was another to have their life force completely sucked away.
Making its final move toward the complete destruction of the Planet Killer, the Will gathered for a moment, and then exploded into a massive ball of energy, essentially vaporizing what little was left of Jhahood once and for all. Before he was obliterated from existence altogether, his final terrified, angry yell would echo through the minds of many across Plundarr, its Moons, and Thundera, for years to come.
* * *
On Plundarr, the spectators on the ground shielded their eyes from the brilliant light of their salvation as Jhahood was engulfed in a blinding light that made their sun seem a dim star in comparison. When they could look up at the sky again, they were astonished to see that the Divine Forge had gone dormant. Slumped on each of the rocks were the unconscious forms of the Sword bearers. Tiberon was the only one standing, leaning shakily on the Chaos Blade.
“It is done,” he said quietly.
* * *
Throughout the whole system, as if they had heard the Nautilus’ words, a great cheer erupted as the Planet Killer was eliminated.
On Thundera, the Thundercats and Thunderians alike saluted Lion-O and prayed for his swift return. Standing on the steps of the majestic Cat’s Lair, WilyKat watched the sky, thinking about his twin. In his heart he felt hope and knew she and his friends had not been lost. Pumyra and Bengali stood nearby, smiling with relief in each others’ arms. As Tygra reverently watched the display of divine fireworks, Snarf let out a sigh of relief that Lion-O was safe, while his nephew Snarfer put an arm around his shoulder. Even blind Lynx-O’s face was turned upward toward the skies, as his other senses confirmed the same thing the others felt but that he could not see. In the city close by, felines of all ages and clans shouted and cheered in the street, celebrating that they were once again saved from the horrors of the destruction of their beloved home planet.
The rioting streets of Moons of Plundarr degenerated into a humongous, wild party that reached even the royal quarters. Watching the crowd from a balcony on the North spire, Frostor studied the dazzling lights above and thought about his friends—ones he almost considered family—that helped participate in their salvation all the way on Plundarr. He sipped at a cold brew and smirked as he realized Luna would soon be back to tell it all to him in nauseating detail. What surprised him was that he really didn’t find the prospect all that nauseating. Truth be told, if anything happened to the conniving little royal, he’d miss her.
Back on the planet of Plundarr itself the mutants too cheered, both for the fact that they were saved and that for the first time in centuries all their warring clans were united against a common foe. Bazungy, who had finally reunited with Klith, leaned into his arms and sighed. Ratrelle, settling gladly into her new home in Kurabi’s star city Junktown, smiled at the merriment around her. Part of her hoped that things were going to go for the better. The notorious town, known for its lack of laws and protocol, was as good a place as any for a newly liberated—and quite rich, thanks to Slythe and Jackalman’s payoff—rat woman to carve her niche. Slythe and Jackalman themselves even celebrated the fact that they weren’t going to die on his estate, though with the number of drinks they pounded back festively, odds were their hangovers and their own unscrupulous natures would have things back to their usual scheming, uneasy alliance the next morning.
In the ruins of Draco, things were not quite so cheery. Panthro had just barely caught Cheetara when she had shrieked and collapsed from the strain of Jhahood’s final psychic attack. Her whole body had gone rigid, her pupils contracted to tiny specs. Then she fell, completely limp, unable to bear the psionic pain any longer. A quick glance over to the Lunatacs’ ship confirmed to the panther that Psiarik had gone through a similar trauma when Jhahood finally exploded, and RedEye was in the process of shaking the Psi awake.
Slowly, sunlight began to filter through the clouds. The bright star that sustained their system was no longer blocked by the Planet Killer. It was a welcome sight to all.
Atop the volcano known as the Divine Forge, Lion-O was the first to recover and awaken. He slowly sat up, completely exhausted. What he had just experienced was the most incredible thing he could have imagined, and yet he still felt couldn’t even comprehend it fully. The Thundercat Lord looked down at the Sword of Omens, resting nearly inert in the palm of his feline hand. It had reverted to its smaller form, but the Eye was wide open, glowing softly. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt different.
Nearby, Selene pulled herself to a shaky stand with the help of the MoonSaber and looked around. Her strength was all but gone, but still she felt triumphant in the knowledge that they had done it. A feeling of euphoria enveloped her, although it would never match the feeling of power she had when part of the Will. She too felt changed somehow, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on how or why that was.
Wraith stood, and looked to Tiberon. He nodded to her and smiled weakly, and she smiled back. The binding of Wills was even better than she had imagined it, and she searched her memory for anything new. Conchlian had told her that after the binding, each of the participants would be given a glimpse into one another’s mind.
Wraith understood the frustration Selene had felt in dealing with the mutant people—her people—before the more terrible issue of the comet was brought to light. She resolved to free the Lunatacs of the economic yoke her predecessors kept them under.
Selene felt Lion-O’s strength and determination. She found herself with a newfound respect for the things he had gone through at the hands of her people—her family. She saw Luna’s actions back on Third Earth through his eyes, and while her loyalty and affection for her relative did not change, she gained new insight into both sides… objectivity she needed when it came to dealing with Luna at times.
Lion-O himself saw things that Tiberon had long known. Flashes of the past, of when they were all One, before development, wars, and evolution had fragmented them all into the warring factions that they were now. Though they would never go back, he found himself understanding more of his roots, and of his people—something he’d always wanted answers to, but never quite found before.
And completing the circle, Tiberon felt the quiet determination of Wraith, the first of her gender to lead her people in millennia. He understood her worries and his resolve to help her lead Plundarr to its rightful glory and peaceful coexistence with the Moons and Thundera strengthened a hundredfold.
Several minutes later, after the initial shock of the merging and release, the sword-bearers filed down the side of the volcano, Tiberon bringing up the rear.
Psiarik, mostly recovered from Jhahood’s psychic assault, forgot his pain momentarily and ran to Selene and picked her up, swinging her around. The Lunar Queen laughed gleefully, a genuine laugh that he hadn’t heard in months. “You did it,” he cheered.
“We did it,” she corrected, glancing at the others. Even more so than after the Battle of the Swords, after which she had simply no longer felt hostile, she now felt a definite kinship and understanding towards the other sword-bearers.
Psiarik just grinned at her and held her close. They both ignored Luna as she approached, firing questions at both of them.
In an amazing burst of speed for someone who had just awakened from a painful collapse, Cheetara also greeted Lion-O with open arms, as did Panthro and WilyKit.
“By Thundera, Lion-O!” grinned Panthro. “You put on quite a show up there!”
Lion-O favored the panther with a tired smile and kissed Cheetara on the forehead while she leaned on him, grateful that he was all right.
Wraith watched the emotional scenes unfold and sighed quietly, a melancholy smile on her face. She hoped she would find such loyal and caring comrades one day... but for now she would have to watch. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned. Tiberon looked down at Wraith.
“You did well, Warrior Queen,” he said simply.
Her heart brimmed with pride and she smiled at him. Perhaps she had one true ally on Plundarr after all.
After a short while of basking in the glory—and relief—of their victory, soon the group on the rocky beach knew they had to disburse and return to where they were needed, namely back on their respective home worlds.
“We’d better get going,” Selene said suddenly, thinking of Frostor. She guessed that he was probably swamped dealing with happily rioting crowds and was likely not pleased about it.
Lion-O was having similar thoughts about Snarf, and his smile broadened as he imagined Snarf lamenting to the Thundercats that had remained behind that they were taking too long to return. “You’re right,” he agreed. “We all have a lot to do now.”
Before they left, however, the sword-bearers approached each other silently.
“You all did well,” Tiberon said quietly, holding the Chaos Blade out into the center of the group. The others nodded quietly, and touched their blades with his. All of the swords seemed to intensify briefly, and they withdrew them.
“Go in peace,” Tiberon said. His words stayed with them in the days to come.
Ships left one by one, and soon only Tiberon stood on the rocky beach of the Divine Forge. He returned the Chaos Blade to his wrist and dove into the water, swimming for his transport. The Nautilus had a feeling he wouldn’t be needed on land again for a while.
* * *
In a more secluded spot on the Moons—namely, one of the royal suites—Alluro and Chilla, celebrating the comet’s demise in their own way, were both very irritated when their private communicator went off for the second time that day. Hurriedly pulling on some pants, Alluro accepted the transmission, thinking that it might be from Psiarik. It wasn’t. TugMug’s ugly face greeted him instead. He heard Chilla mutter something about killing the mood, and sighed as his ex-associate began talking.
“Holy shit Alluro, did you see what happened?” TugMug yelled, utterly flabbergasted. He was obviously impressed.
Alluro sighed, and nodded at the graviton in aggravation. Chilla, wearing only a sheet and strategically placing herself behind Alluro, made a growling noise. “Was that all you wanted, TugMug?” he asked irritably. TugMug exchanged words with someone off screen, and Alluro assumed it was Gravitina.
“Yeah, just checking,” he said, abruptly ending the transmission.
Alluro rolled his eyes and flopped onto the bed. “Moron,” the Psi muttered. “He always did have horrible timing.”
Chilla eased on top of him, letting the sheet fall aside, and smiled wickedly as she smoothed a hand across his chest. “If you disconnect it, he can’t do it again,” she rasped suggestively.
That was all the encouragement Alluro needed to yank the plug from the power supply, just before he tumbled back onto the couch.
* * *
The mood was light in the Feliner as the Thundercats rode back to New Thundera. Panthro was busy asking Lion-O and Cheetara questions about their feelings on the alliance with the Lunatacs and mutants, and what they thought it would mean in light of the negotiations Cheetara had been having with Selene on the Moons in the days before. WilyKit was the only one relatively silent, as her gaze was lost in the starry universe outside. Despite all she’d seen and experienced back on the beach, a seemingly frivolous, bordering on annoying, little train of thought kept surfacing. It had to do with the green-haired Lunatac ambassador, and when or how she might see him again.
Not so far away but bound in the opposite direction, aboard the Bentusi, Darkail had similar thoughts about her.
* * *
Despite the prevailing cheer of victory throughout the system, there were two souls that were most certainly not happy with how things turned out. Now lost in an oblivion of cold and matterless silence, Mumm-Ra and Torlei clung to one another—and to their own existence—desperately.
The destruction of Jhahood had left them with nothing. Their own power, and the power of their masters, was spent, but yet they still lived, if one could call the existence they were left in living. Their bodies were no more. It would take years of magic and rest to regenerate them. Now they were but mere spirits, a consciousness of a power long spent. Their ever-living essence could not be destroyed, but all their ties to the material world had been, and it left them wherever they were now.
“I can barely see you now, Mumm-Ra,” Torlei’s voice whispered in the darkness to the outline of her partner.
“And I can feel you only with my mind,” he replied. “But as always, we are together.” Like hers, his voice was devoid of any true emotion.
“The Ancients have forsaken us.”
Mumm-Ra’s spirit swirled next to hers. “The Ancients cannot forsake us any more than we can them, or each other. We are bound to them, they to us, me to you. We cannot be separated… even in death.” A stillness settled around them. “Living death as it may be.”
Torlei’s exhausted consciousness searched telepathically for any link to their masters. “Then why can I not sense them?”
“Because they are as powerless as we at present,” Mumm-Ra’s once booming voice, now little more than a dark and evil whisper, replied.
“You’ve lived centuries longer than I,” Torlei said, snaking a tendril of mist that once was her arm around the shoulder of her wicked mate. “You must know what happens now.”
“I do,” Mumm-Ra replied.
“What?”
He drew her spirit essence into his, merging the two ethereal mists into one. “We wait. Together, we wait.”
The End
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