The Thundertank rolled swiftly across the Third Earthen terrain, making good time for Mumm-Ra’s pyramid. It’s passengers, Lion-O, Panthro, Cheetara, Black Claw, and the Thunderkittens, were on a rescue mission of sorts. Tygra, one of their team mates had been captured by two of the Lunataks and taken to the pyramid. Above them flew Bengali and Pumyra, in a spare Thunderclaw. The remaining three members of their team, Lynx-O, Snarf, and Snarfer, were all monitoring the activities from their ruined headquarters, the Tower of Omens and Cat’s Lair.

Cheetara felt a flash of pain as images of Tygra entered her mind. It was her danger sense going off again. "What is it Cheetara?" Lion-O asked, concerned.

"It’s Tygra. He’s battling us," Cheetara said, "and he’s even killed Panthro!"

"What? I’m not dead!" Panthro exclaimed from the driver’s seat.

"I know that. But I’m getting images of him doing this. I’m afraid I can’t be any more clear about this. I don’t know how or why he’s doing so," Cheetara said.

"Maybe the Sword of Omens can help clear things up. Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight," Lion-O said, raising the handle of his sword to eye level, "you’re right! He is fighting us, but I sense something else, like he’s being watched."

"Then I’d better step on it," Panthro said.

Tygra snapped his whip once, catching Wily Kat across the face. This was ludicrous. These were his friends, weren’t they? No. They were his enemies. He had to destroy them. All the Thundercats must be destroyed. Especially Lion-O.

Knave sat on the edge of what was left of the cauldron in Mumm-Ra’s pyramid. After the Thundercats had made their assault here, not much had been left of anything. Mumm-Ra seemed content to hide in his sarcophagus, and that suited Knave just fine. The one he had to keep an eye on was the hypnotist. The two had been at each other’s throats only hours ago, now they were in an uneasy truce. Alluro was poking through the rubble, trying to find some trace of the Ancient Spirit’s power. The fourth member of their little group, excluding Tygra, was the vampire warrior, Vampi-Ra. She had given Tygra a nasty bite on the neck and exerted her influence on him, causing him to believe that the Thundercats were his enemies. The people he fought were all in Tygra’s mind. It was an old ploy, but it was effective.

Mumm-Ra could sense the Ancient Spirits slowly rebuilding their power. They needed the statues around the pool to serve as conduits for this power, but with their destruction they had been unable to supply the demon priest with the energy he needed to become Mumm-Ra the ever living.

The Thundertank pulled up outside of the pyramid, with the Thunderclaw landing beside it. "Come on Thundercats. Let’s go teach Mumm-Ra a lesson. Mess with one Thundercat and you mess with them all," Lion-O said, leading the charge inside.

Knave heard the pool rippling and turned around to see its clear glassy surface transform into an image of the Thundercats. "It looks like we’ve got us some visitors," he announced.

"Not now," cursed Vampi-Ra, "We’re not ready. Quick, everyone into the pool. I will use its powers to take us elsewhere. We’ll leave Tygra to the Thundercats. I can re-exert my control later when the time comes."

Although Knave made it a policy to distrust wizards in general he did allow that battling the Thundercats when their numbers were so small would not be beneficial. Reluctantly he swivelled his legs over the pool and slid in. Behind him Alluro, Mumm-Ra and Vampi-Ra did the same.

Tygra slumped to his knees. The pain that had been so dominant in his head was fading. Unfortunately so were the memories of what had happened. The last thing he remembered was entering Mumm-Ra’s pyramid and feeling a stabbing pain in his neck. "Tygra! Are you all right?" Lion-O asked.

"I’m fine, Lion-O, I think," he replied.

"Where’s Mumm-Ra?" Lion-O asked.

"I don’t know. I don’t know where Alluro and Knave are either," Tygra said.

"We’d better get you home. Hopefully the Berbils have repaired the medical facilities at Cat’s Lair," Lion-O said.

"Repaired the Lair? Why, what happened?" Tygra asked.

"It’s a long story, one which we’ll tell you on the way back," Lion-O said.

Four robed figures walked slowly around a garden with a pool in the center. They were chanting softly and gesturing into the pool. These were, in fact, the Ancient Spirits of Evil in their home state. They were none too pleased at having their pool disturbed by four visitors including two of their servants. Laying beneath a willow tree were the remains of Diana, the young woman that had been sent to appease the Spirits. Knave walked over to the pile of bones and picked up the skull. "Nice company you keep," he remarked, "just think Alluro, your skull probably looks much like this, except the top would have less in it."

"We could always find out if yours would look the same," Alluro retorted.

"Stop your petty bickering. We command it!" one of the Ancients said.

"And why should we take orders from you? Your power is diminished without your precious statues," Alluro began.

"This is our home dimension. It is true that we are weakened on Third Earth. Here, though, is the focal point of our power. Here, our power is limitless," another Ancient said, waggling a finger in Alluro’s direction. The Lunatak let out a startled gasp as he was lifted high into the air, spun around rapidly, and placed back on the ground, reeling and feeling quite ill.

"Really Alluro, you ought to be more careful with these things. We need you for the upcoming battle against the Thundercats," Vampi-Ra said, comforting the man.

"It’s like waking up from a dream. Something happened and then I woke up. When I did, all traces of the incident fled from my mind. It’s almost as though there’s something in there that I’m not meant to remember," Tygra said as Pumyra examined him in the temporary infirmary.

"Well, these bites don’t seem fatal. There are minute traces of some unknown substance around the puncture point, but other than that there’s nothing wrong. I’ll get someone to do some tests on the samples I’ve taken," Pumyra said.

"It’s okay. I can do it myself. I need to do something around here or else I’ll go stir crazy," Tygra said, taking the small vial from his friend.

"Whatever you say. But if you remember anything, tell us at once," she replied.

The Lunataks spent several days in the dimension of the Ancients as the beings rebuilt Mumm-Ra’s pyramid. Soon, though, the time came for them to depart. Mumm-Ra, infused once more with energy, led the way through the pools back out into the open air. "Excellent, then we make our strike on Cat’s Lair. Once there I will once again take over the mind of Tygra and provide us with an unexpected ally," Vampi-Ra said.

"Why do you get to decide what we do?" Mumm-Ra asked.

"Because while you are a man who chose to work for the Ancient Spirits of Evil I am one who was raised entirely under these powerful beings. I am, for all intents and purposes, their daughter, therefore your master," Vampi-Ra replied.

"Very well. I will obey you, for now," Mumm-Ra grumbled.

The repairs to Cat’s Lair were going splendidly. Not much actual damage had been done. Mostly it was just the head that needed to be reattached. Over seeing the construction was Lion-O, looking at the old blue prints. "Why do all of our computer monitors need to be so blasted heavy?" Panthro asked, walking by.

"We wouldn’t want to let your arm muscles go slack, would we?" Lion-O asked, laughing.

"It’s nice to know that you have our best interests at heart," Panthro remarked.

"Lion-O, Panthro. Look out, Mumm-Ra!" Robear Rowan said, frantically waving his arms.

"Mumm-Ra! So, he wants to do battle, eh?" Lion-O said.

"And he has Knave and Alluro with him," Robear Laura said.

"As well as someone we don’t recognize," added Robear Jim.

"It doesn’t matter who they are. If they’re with Mumm-Ra they must be defeated," Panthro said.

"I’ll summon the others. Thunder, thunder, thunder, Thundercats, ho!" Lion-O shouted, drawing the Sword of Omens. The red and black Thundercats symbol shot from the sword and hung in the sky, alerting all the Thundercats that there was danger.

At the Tower of Omens Bengali looked up and pointed out the symbol to Pumyra. "Will you Berbils be all right by yourselves?" he asked.

"We will be fine. Go. Lion-O needs you," Robear Calvin said. Bengali nodded and, along with Pumyra, ran for the Thunderstrike that Lynx-O was already powering up.

From his laboratory Tygra saw the symbol but also heard a voice calling his name. It was a familiar voice. One that carried great power to him. He drew his bola and became invisible. He must help Mumm-Ra defeat the Thundercats.

Alluro cast the crystal from his psyche club over the Berbil workers. "Come on Berbils. We’re your friends. Lion-O and the Thundercats are your real enemies. You should attack them, not us," Alluro said soothingly.

"Alluro is our friend. We must attack Lion-O and the Thundercats," the Berbils said as one.

"That’s very good. Hurry before he attacks us," Alluro said.

"We must hurry before Alluro gets hurt," the Berbils chanted.

"See Knave. Hypnosis is a powerful tool. Much more useful than your powers will ever be," Alluro said.

"Alluro is their friend? Give me a break. Anyone who needs Berbils to do their dirty work is useless in my books," Knave said, spying Cheetara speeding toward him. "Watch a master at work."

Knave allowed his Cheetah heritage to kick in, sending him rocketing toward the psychic Thundercat. When he had the range down to a few meters he waited for Cheetara to predictably leap over him, using her bo staff. When she was at the pinnacle of her vault, Knave stopped and breathed a sheet of ice over her.

Mumm-Ra felt the power flowing through him once more and was invigorated by it. Nothing could stop him now. He raised both hands, aiming for the Thunderkittens, and blasted both off of their space boards. Mumm-Ra turned to see Lion-O pointing his sword at him and knew what was coming next.

Vampi-Ra hovered near the back. It took a lot of effort to make a pure heart commit evil, and so it was with controlling Tygra’s actions. As Lion-O swung the Sword of Omens to wound Mumm-Ra, she convinced him to tackle the Lord of the Thundercats.

Black Claw had sensed Tygra’s approach and assumed that he had come out to help the Thundercats, a natural thought. He couldn’t have done much anyway. It was taking all his strength just to keep the Berbils back. Panthro had already been pulled to the ground and was being stomped on by the metallic creatures. When Tygra made his attack Black Claw became invisible himself and forced his way through to his wayward pupil.

"Tygra!" Black Claw said.

"What is it villain?" Tygra asked.

"Why are you doing this? We’re your friends!" Black Claw said.

"I am doing this because it is what my real friends want me to do. Vampi-Ra is the only person from whom I take orders," Tygra replied.

"I am saddened to hear that. What happened to the little boy I knew on Thundera? The one who was so scared of failure that he convinced himself that he needed drugs to use his powers? Have all my teachings really been for nought? Is this what I have led you to do? If they are, then you had best kill me now. You have ripped a hole through to my heart, you might as well pull it out," Black Claw said.

"Master?" Tygra asked weakly, stumbling a little.

"Yes. I am here. You’re under Vampi-Ra’s spell. You must break it, fast, before it’s too late. Already they are looking for you," Black Claw urged.

"You’re right, Black Claw, master and friend. I am Tygra of the Thundercats, and we never surrender. Especially not to Mumm-Ra and his ilk," Tygra growled. He plucked the Sword of Omens from the ground and threw it to Lion-O, draped over Mumm-Ra’s shoulder.

With the sword once again firmly in his grasp Lion-O could feel his strength returning. "Ho!" he shouted, sending the sword’s powers about the battle field. The ice holding Cheetara melted, leaving her behind Knave. Alluro’s psyche club shattered, leaving the Berbils as allies of the Thundercats rather than the Lunataks and Mumm-Ra, the Thunderkittens were awakened from their period of unconsciousness. Mumm-Ra dropped the Lord of the Thundercats and looked up in time to see the repaired Thunderstrike barreling in on him. "Your plan has failed Vampi-Ra. We must retreat!" Mumm-Ra shouted.

"Agreed. The Thundercats have won this day," she said, joining Mumm-Ra in flight.

Alluro and Knave, having no method of transportation, began to run at break neck speed but did not garner any pursuit. When they had a chance to stop and catch their breaths Knave. "Remind me never to listen to your suggestions," Alluro panted, "I wanted Tygra killed, but no. You had to take him to Mumm-Ra."

"Quit your whining, we still need an excuse for Luna as to why we disappeared and haven’t returned yet," Knave replied.

"Tygra! Those marks on your neck are gone!" Pumyra said as she approached.

"And so is Vampi-Ra’s mental influence," Tygra said, "Thanks to an old friend."

"Watch your mouth. I’m not that old," Black Claw said to the laughter of the Thundercats.

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