"Please, please let me come with you!"

She stared up at the tiger, putting on her most appealing face. As tactics went, it usually worked. Today, however, her best efforts were proving to be fruitless and Tygra remained stubbornly unmoved by her entreaties.

"I'm sorry, WilyKit, not this time," he said.

"But why?" she wanted to know.

"Because."

"Because why?" she persisted. "Why does WilyKat get to go and not me?"

He was hesitant to answer and she thought she knew the reason why. This was Panthro's doing. Just because she hadn't made her bed. What did it matter? The sheets all got rumpled again the minute she got back in, so what was the point in making it? She had argued her case with the panther until she was blue in the face, but he had stuck to his guns. Make your bed or be grounded, he had warned her. She hadn't believed him of course. What would happen if the Mutants attacked, she had said. Would she still be grounded then? She had felt so smart at the time when she had walked away with her head held high, confident that she had won the argument. The bed had remained unmade. Panthro had said nothing. Until now.

"Is this because I didn't make my bed?" she asked. "'Cos if it is, it's so unfair, 'cos WilyKat never makes his bed, 'cos he gets Snarf to do it and--"

"It's got nothing to do with your bed," Tygra said. "Although while we're on the subject--"

"What if I go and make it right away?" she said. "Will you let me come then?"

He shook his head. "No, WilyKit. I'm sorry."

"But it's only a silly Thundranium hunting expedition!"

"Then why do you want to come?"

She pulled a face and huffed. What a stupid question, she thought. Why? Because everyone else was going, that was why! Instead, she was being left behind while her rotten brother got to go. It just wasn't fair!

"You all hate me!" she declared.

Tygra sighed. "No, WilyKit. You know that's not true."

"Then why am I being left here?"

"Cheetara is staying behind too," he reminded her. "She'll need someone to keep her company."

"Then let WilyKat stay!"

Tygra assumed a weary expression. "WilyKit, please, be reasonable," he began.

"No, I won't!" she went on. "It's not fair! I hate you! I hate you all!"

With that, she turned and ran from the hangar, not stopping until she was in her bedroom and the door had closed behind her. The outside world was shut out, but her anger remained. She had delivered her parting shot and hoped it had hit home, but now she felt curiously dissatisfied. Just when she needed someone to scream and shout at and where was WilyKat?

"Huh, he's gone," she muttered to herself. "Gone and left me behind! It's not fair!"

Her eye fell upon the two neatly-made beds. Snarf had done what she would not. She took out her rage on the pillows and sheets, tossing them about the room until the beds were well and truly unmade. Chaos replaced order, and soon the room reflected her own troubled soul. With her anger finally spent, she dusted her hands and surveyed her untidy domain.

"There," she said. "Another day they've not been made. Now who cares?"

No one, she knew, because there was no one around to see it. She still could not believe they were actually leaving her behind. The injustice rankled. They had always maintained that they did not have favourites, but what was this if not favouritism, choosing her brother over her? She was the better Thunderkitten after all! She was faster, smarter, wilier. WilyKat was slow and clumsy. There was simply no contest. Yet she was the one being left behind and she still had no idea why. Tygra had said the neglect of bed-making duties was not the cause, but then what?

There was one obvious answer. She had tried to ignore the possibility, but she was fast coming to the conclusion that it had to be right. They simply didn't want her with them. They preferred her brother. They didn't like her.

She sniffed back the tears and wiped her nose on the back of her hand. Wandering over to the window, she looked out to where the Lair's drawbridge was slowly extending. Seconds later, the Thundertank tore across it and headed away into the distance. A lump rose in her throat as she watched it grow ever smaller until it had vanished. They had gone and not even wished her goodbye. So it was true, she thought.

"Face it, WilyKit," she said out loud. "They don't like you. That why you're stuck here and WilyKat's out there."

As she finished speaking, there was a knock at the door.

"Go away!" she called out.

"WilyKit, I want to talk to you," came Cheetara's voice through the metal. "Let me in please."

Grudgingly, she gave the command and the door slid back. Cheetara entered, glancing about at the devastation as she did so.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

WilyKit shrugged. "Guess so. What d'you want?"

Cheetara crossed to one of the beds and sat down. "You seem a little out of sorts. What's wrong?"

Biting her bottom lip, she turned back to the window. "S'nothing," she mumbled.

"Oh, I think it is something. Why don't you tell me?"

"Don't wanna talk about it."

"I see." She drew in a deep breath. "You know, Tygra was rather upset by what you said downstairs. Wasn't that a little unfair, WilyKit?"

"You would stick up for him," she muttered under breath.

"What was that?" Cheetara asked.

"I said, you would stick up for him," she yelled, turning on her. "You all gang up on me, 'cos you all hate me!"

"Now, WilyKit, you know that's not true. Come and sit here with me and let's talk about this."

It was the last thing she wanted at that moment. Not knowing how else to get out of it, she fell back on a tried and tested refrain.

"You're not my mum!" she cried. "You can't tell me what to do! Just leave me alone!"

With that, she sprang over the mess of sheets and dashed from the room while Cheetara was too startled to stop her. She raced along, not knowing where to go. Out? No, night was falling and it was cold. Downstairs and spend the evening hiding in one of the rooms? She would be found for certain. That left up and the last place Cheetara would look. She hurried up the stairs to the lookout in the head of the mighty cat that surmounted the Lair and flopped down. Tears came and went as she watched the sun slip below the tree line and leave the land to night. Darkness reigned, little troubled by the watery light of the moon as it tried to escape the cloying clouds that hid its face from the earth below. The temperature soon began to drop and WilyKit found herself shivering. Wispy plumes escaped her lips and rose to the heavens. Time to go in, she thought, briskly rubbing her goose-pimpled arms.

"I'm glad I didn't go with them," she muttered. "Serves them right if they're all frozen stiff in the morning."

She got to her feet and was about to leave when she heard what sounded like a thin wail on the chill night air. Pausing, she strained her ears to catch it again. It rose up, louder this time and much closer, and now she could make out a plea for help. Curious, she raced to the very edge of the lookout and peered into the darkness. Ponderously approaching was a sloth owl, the lazy beat of its be-furred wings barely seeming able to keep the heavy bird aloft. It continued on its way, unperturbed by the writhing, noisy thing it held in its talons. Obviously a creature in need of help, WilyKit decided.

Popping a capsule into her mouth, she chewed until it had become a soggy mass. Then, flattening it with her tongue, she blew into it. A bubble emerged, which she continued to inflate until it was double the size of her own head. Pinching the end of the impromptu balloon, she waited until the owl was almost overhead, then released it. It flew from her hands with a satisfyingly rude raspberry noise. Startled, the owl veered violently, in its panic dropping its prey straight into WilyKit's waiting hands. Deprived of its dinner, the bird gave an annoyed screech and flew away.

"Good riddance to you too," WilyKit called after it.

Her gaze wandered to the small green bundle she held in her hands. As she watched, the swathes of material were pulled back and a face appeared. About six inches tall including his pointed hat, with a white beard and bemused expression, he breathed a sigh of relief and mopped his brow.

"Whew!" he said. "That was a close one. Thank you, young lady, for saving me."

"My pleasure," said WilyKit, setting him down. She waited while he brushed himself down and pushed his unruly green cloak back over his shoulders. "Who are you?" she asked.

"Willibald the Wish Wizard at your service," he said magnificently, giving a low bow. "And to whom do I owe my life?"

WilyKit grinned and told him. "What happened?"

He sighed and settled down in a cross-legged position, indicating to WilyKit that she should join him. She did and waited expectantly for his explanation.

"Well," he began, "there was I, a-minding of my own business, a-merrily on my way to the Annual General Meeting of the Wizards' Union, when this great hairy thing comes a-swooping down and plucks me up into the great black yonder. I tell you, it all a-happened so fast that I didn't have time to grab my wand and put a curse on the beastie. It was up, up and away before I could be doing a thing about it." He shook his head. "It's no fun being small, I'll tell you that for what it's worth."

"Yeah," WilyKit agreed, feeling her earlier sadness returning. "When you're little, no one takes any notice of you. They treat you like you aren't there."

She looked over at Willibald just in time to see his puzzled expression change to an encouraging smile.

"Well, my young WilyKit," he said, "you did me a great service today and that deserves something. Now, what would you like? They don't call me a Wish Wizard for nothing." He stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Let me see. How about a snowy-white pony? They're always very popular."

WilyKit shook her head.

"Okay, then, what about a room full of toys?" Undeterred by another negative, he tried again. "A wardrobe full of pretty clothes, an outfit for every day of the year? How does that sound?" With another negative response, he frowned. "Well, I'm sure I don't know. Tell me, what would you like, WilyKit?"

She wrapped her arms around her knees and gazed into the distance. "Not to be here."

Willibald's eyebrows rose. "Curious," he said. "Mind if I ask why?"

WilyKit shrugged. "Because."

"Because what?"

"I don't know," she replied. "That's the answer I got. It must mean something."

"I sense that you are troubled," Willibald said kindly. "Now what could possibly be a-doing that to a nice young thing like you?"

She was about to put him off with a glib remark, but her distress was greater than her obstinacy. Tears started to creep down her face. "Everyone hates me," she sobbed.

"That's a mighty strange thing to be a-saying."

"It's true," she went on. "They don't want me around. So I don't wanna be around any more." She turned her tear-streaked face to him. "That's what I want, Willibald."

His face was a picture of concern. "Well, if you're sure," he said. "But won't you be missed?"

"No one'll miss me," she replied. "They don't like me. I bet if I went away for a whole year, they wouldn't know I was gone." As long as I left my bed made, she thought bitterly.

"Shall we see then?" said Willibald.

She nodded.

"You're absolutely, utterly, totally sure?"

"Completely," she said.

"Sure you wouldn't prefer a pony?"

"No!"

"Very well then. May your wish bring you…" He hesitated. "Well, I usually say 'happiness', but I guess that doesn't apply in this case. So I'll just say, good luck to you, WilyKit."

"Thanks," she said.

He drew out what looked like a short stick from the bag hanging at his waist. Brandishing it aloft, he muttered an incantation to the night's sky, then with a flash of light, he was gone. WilyKit looked about her in surprise. Had he not kept his word, she wondered, for nothing had changed.

"Well, of course it hasn't," she chided herself. "It's only a year later." She rubbed her hands together with glee. "The look on their faces when I show up will be priceless! Ha, serves them right for being rotten to me."

She jumped to her feet and headed downstairs. As she entered the corridor, she noticed how gloomy it was. The Lair's internal lights were off. A sense of emptiness hung about the place, as well as an over-riding smell of blocked drains, strong enough to make her feel sick. Clamping her hand firmly over her nose, she hurried along until she came to a bathroom door from behind which came a sound like the rumblings of a discontented leviathan. Curious, she looked in, only to beat a very hasty retreat. It had clearly been a long time since anyone had bothered with cleaning duties and in an effort to attract attention the toilet had taken to spewing its unlovely contents out over the floor.

The first sense of uneasiness started to prickle the hairs on the back of her neck as she continued on. Snarf certainly would never have permitted such slovenliness. And what were the others doing that they had allowed the toilet to carry on in its disgusting manner? Perhaps they were just busy, she tried to convince herself. As reassurances went, it did not keep her happy for very long and, before she had reached the top of the stairs, her mind was already embarking on worrying flights of fancy.

Just as she started down the stairs, a voice from below made her stop. It was gruff, coarse and unfamiliar. A moment later, its owner waddled into view. A reptilian Mutant, a bored look on his face and a half-eaten leg of some unfortunate bird in his hand, did one circuit of the entrance hall and then took up position by the main doors. Stuffing the remainder of his food into his mouth, he chewed lugubriously, neither particularly enjoying his meal nor the duty assigned to him. While he cogitated over his ills, WilyKit took the opportunity to slip back into the shadows.

What on Thundera was going on, she wondered. Mutants in the Lair? That would account for the state of the place. If they were treating Cat's Lair anything like they treated their own home, then she knew to expect more blocked toilets and worse. Snarf would have a fit when he saw the mess.

"But where is he?" she thought out loud.

The pessimist in her was sure of the answer to that, but she did not want to believe it. That something had happened for the Mutants to now be ensconced in the Lair was evident. Not that it needed to be the worst thing she could think of. Perhaps the other Thundercats had been captured and were currently languishing in some Mutant prison, waiting for her to come to their rescue.

"Ha, so they need me now," she said. "Well, I might not be in the mood, so phooey to you!"

She stood for a moment, arms folded, sullen of expression, enjoying a feeling of superiority. She was free and they were trapped somewhere. Serves them right, she thought. There again, what if the Mutants were being horrid to them? That thought was not so nice and it urged her into action.

Creeping back to the stairs, she noticed that the reptilian was still on guard. Somehow she would have to get past him. Better idea yet, she resolved, she would make him tell her where her friends were being held. She paused, carefully considering which of her capsules was the best to use. A dinosaur might do it, but the noise might bring others to the scene. Itching powder? No, he would probably run and jump in the river. Then her eye fell on one she had not used for a while.

"Laughing gas," she said approvingly. "Yes, this should do the trick!"

Pleased with herself, she started down the stairs, hugging the wall and making her movements small and unhurried. By the doors, the reptilian stood resting his chin upon his staff, eyes closed, unaware of what was about to happen to him. At least he was until she reached the bottom step. Some instinct must have warned him that something was amiss, for his eyes flew open and, seeing her, his hand went for the internal alarm. Her lariat spun out, snagging him around the wrist, but not before he had activated the warning system. Yanking on the rope, she spun the reptilian round. His feet danced on the spot for a second before tripping over each other and bringing their owner's considerable bulk crashing to the ground.

WilyKit's moment of triumph was short-lived. A cluster of other Mutants came rushing in to see what all the commotion was about. They stared at her, glanced at one another and then started to laugh. And she hadn't even used her capsule.

"Well, well, well," roared an old battle-scarred ape. "Having a bit of trouble, are you, Slithvic?"

"She jumped me, boss," said the dazed reptilian on the floor.

"Oh, did she?" jeered the ape. "And who is this little scrap?"

"I'm WilyKit," she declared. "And you're going to tell me where my friends are or you'll regret it!"

"Will I really?" he said with amusement. "Tell me, sweetness, who are your friends?"

"The Thundercats."

To her dismay, the gathering of Mutants guffawed. Several were laughing so hard that they were doubled up and had tears streaming down their faces.

"You'll be laughing on the other side of your faces if you don't tell me," she said. "Where are they?"

Their leader finally stopped laughing and his expression changed to one of seriousness. "Hmm, well, that depends if we can remember where we left them. Now, where was it, I wonder?"

At his side, a jackal grinned maliciously. "Wasn't it in the desert, boss? Those old ruins near Mumm-ra's Pyramid?"

"So it was. Well, sweetness, now you know, what are you going to do about it?" His eyes lit with an evil light. "Especially as now you are our prisoner!"

The gathering found it funny and chuckled, although the smiles died from their faces when WilyKit suddenly pitched the capsule into their midst. The gas spread quickly, engulfing them, and then they were all laughing with such violence that they could not keep upright. She dodged round them and headed towards the hangar. Inside, it was a mess, a sight she knew would have driven Panthro wild. Tools were scattered haphazardly, oily rags were draped over workbenches and various liquids had been left to dry on the usually scrupulously clean floor. They had used what was useful to them and left the rest. Luckily for her, the rest included one spaceboard, which was propped up against the wall behind an assortment of rusty pipes and sheet metal. As she pulled it free, the Paw began to lift and a skycutter with a jackal on board came flying in. He gaped in amazement when he saw her, but by then she was on the spaceboard and streaking past him. Behind her, she heard the skycutter's engines roar back into life. As she crossed the drawbridge, she glanced over her shoulder to see the Mutant trying to catch up to her, but she had the lighter, faster craft and the advantage of a good head-start. She was into the welcoming cover of the trees before he had even crossed the ravine.

With the jackal left far behind, she had time to breathe a sigh of relief. It had been a close run thing, but at least she knew where her friends were. She would have them rescued in no time and they would drive the Mutants from the Lair, from the home they had built together. Now she found herself wondering why had she ever wanted to leave it. It was a wish she was bitterly regretting. If the others had come to harm, she would never be able to forgive herself.

By the time she had reached the outskirts of the desert, the moon had broken free of the clouds and was casting its silver light upon the vast sea of sand. She came to a halt, looking out across the expanse. It was a big place, one where she might easily get lost. But they had given her a clue. Old ruins near Mumm-ra's Pyramid, those Mutants had said. Should be easy enough to find, she thought. Head for old bone-face's home and fan out from there. Easy, yes, but still she hesitated. The journey had given her plenty of time to think. If her friends were there, what would she find? She had imagined all sorts of horrors in this place, and yet it seemed as lonely and empty as it had ever done, forsaken by all but the wandering tumbleweeds. Her nerve faltered and the doubting voice of her innermost fears started up. What makes you think they'll be here, it taunted. Why haven't they escaped before now? Why hasn't Lion-O used the Sword of Omens to defeat their captors? Why…

"Shut up!" she yelled out loud. "They're all right! They're relying on me. I won't let them down!"

With that, she set off across the sands. The peak of the Pyramid and its four silent sentinels appeared ahead of her sooner than she expected. As she approached, she was struck by how big it seemed. Was it more imposing, or was that just her imagination? Pushing her foolish fancies aside, she began to scan the desert for any sign of the ruins and almost immediately found the broken remains of an old temple structure. Decaying masonry glowed dimly in the moonlight, as ragged and irregular as the few teeth in Mumm-ra's mouth. But amongst them was a larger, more alien shape.

WilyKit approached with growing trepidation as her eyes made out the familiar outline of the Thundertank. It was upside down, its white exterior dulled by black smudges. Scattered around it were a number of jagged white shards. Stopping her spaceboard, she hopped down for a closer inspection. They were cylindrical, hollow in the middle and delicately tapering in the middle. Curious, she pulled one from the sand to find two smooth knobs at its other end. Then she knew exactly what it was.

She tossed the bone away and drew back in horror. Bones were all around her, some small, some large, but all stripped of flesh by desert scavengers and bleached by the elements. Under her hand was the top of what looked like a large white pebble. Brushing the sand from it, she found two eyeless sockets. She pulled the skull free and stared at it, her mind in a whirl. There was no proof that these bones belonged to her friends. Perhaps there had been a fight and their enemies had perished. Except Thundercats didn't kill, the voice of her deepest fears insisted.

"This can't be them!" she cried. "No, it's impossible! I won't believe it!"

From the corner of her eye, she saw something glittering in the sand. Inching her way over to it, she found several links of a chain. Further investigation revealed a blackened rod, fashioned at one end into a clawed fist. Its pair was missing, with only the broken end still attached to the chain.

"Panthro," she whispered.

There was no denying it now. Her hands started shaking. Her insides screwed up. Her grief broke free as a wail that rivalled the lonely lament of the winds in the ruins around her.

"Hey, you there, what are you doing?"

The unexpected female voice made her look round. Through her tears she saw a figure in a grimy white cloak and hood standing a little way off. At her side was a thin unicorn, laden down with panniers and bundles. At the sight of WilyKit's face, the figure let out a gasp and retreated a few steps. Then, when she had recovered, she approached and knelt down beside her, pulling back the hood as she did so. To her surprise, WilyKit found herself looking at a Unicorn Keeper. The face was older and more wrinkled than those of the youthful Keepers she had previously encountered, and the star on her forehead had been reduced to a faint outline. The elderly creature returned her gaze and reached out to gingerly grasp her shoulder, as if she did not believe her eyes.

"WilyKit, my child, is it really you?" she asked.

"Yes," she answered. "Who are you?"

"It's me, Astralia," the Keeper said.

"But she was young," WilyKit said. "You're old."

Astralia gave a rueful smile. "Indeed I am," she said. "But what are you doing here? We thought you were taken from us forever."

"What happened here? Are my friends really dead?"

"I'm afraid so, child. After you went missing--"

"I what?"

Astralia looked puzzled. "You've been gone for… well, it must be a year now. We scoured Third Earth for you. Your friends were sure that Mumm-ra was holding you captive, so they came here." Her gaze drifted to the overturned Thundertank. "From what I can gather, he had summoned up the very cream of Evil to use against them. Somehow, he managed to defeat your friends. I still do not know how. I have asked the gods many times for enlightenment. Their answer is always the same."

"What do they say?"

"Something about the chain of loyalty being broken. I can make no sense of it. Can you?"

WilyKit shook her head, but in her heart she knew. They were saying it was her fault. She had abandoned her friends. They had gone looking for her and been killed. She was as much to blame as Mumm-ra for their deaths.

"After that, there was no one to stop Mumm-ra from claiming mastery of Third Earth," Astralia went on. "He reduced the tribes to servitude. We must all worship him or forfeit our own lives. The Mutants enforce his rule with great brutality. Everywhere they are feared and loathed. There is no one to stand against them. They rampage unchecked through our beautiful planet." She glanced over at the unicorn, which was picking at a few straggly blades of grass. "He is the last of his kind. The Mutants have killed all his family. The Keepers exist only while the unicorns live. Now as his life force fails, so does mine. That is why I have aged beyond your recognition."

"So why are you here?" WilyKit asked.

"The forest was no longer safe, so together we travel across this land, moving to wherever Mumm-ra is not."

"But what about the Pyramid?"

"The Evil One is not at home," Astralia replied. "He lays siege to the Kingdom of the Warrior Maidens as we speak. Once they fall, as they must, there will be no one left to stand against him. That being the case, I dare not linger here. I have something to give you and then I must depart. You would be well advised to leave this place as soon as possible too." She called to the unicorn and the beast came dutifully trotting over. After retrieving a small bundle from one of the panniers, she returned to where WilyKit sat. "I have travelled this way many times," she said. "Mumm-ra forbade the burial of your friends on pain of death. To my shame, I was too scared of his wrath to give them the rites they deserved. I did, however, take something from this place for safekeeping and now I pass it to you. It is right that you should have it as the last of your people."

WilyKit took the offered bundle and slowly unwrapped it. The thin folds of material fell away, revealing the contents. What was left of the Sword of Omens winked back at her with a dulled Eye. The source of the Thundercats' power lay shattered in her hands, broken and impotent.

"No!" she wailed. "They are dead! And it's all my fault!"

She looked round to Astralia for reassurance, but the Unicorn Keeper had already gone, cloaked from her view by a swirling cloud of sand that the winds had lifted from the desert floor. The Sword of Omens fell from her hands as clasped her hands about her and cried bitterly.

"I'm sorry," she wept. "I never meant it to happen. I'm sorry. Please forgive me, my friends. Please, please forgive me!"

And in her deepest despair, she heard a familiar voice call to her and comforting arms lift and enfold her. She opened her eyes and found herself in Cheetara's embrace.

"Shush, little one, it's all right," the cheetah was saying. "I'm here now. Everything'll be all right."

WilyKit gaped at her, hardly daring to believe her eyes. Cheetara? Was it possible?

"How…?" she began, but then her gaze drifted to her surroundings and she saw that the world had changed. The desert and its horrors had vanished and she was in her own bedroom, surrounded by her own things. She was sitting on her bed and her clammy night clothes clung to her in a way which was most unpleasant.

"There, there," Cheetara said gently, as she brushed WilyKit's damp mane from her face. "It was just a dream. Just a horrible, horrible dream."

"A dream?" WilyKit echoed. Yet it had been frighteningly real. Relief and guilt made her cling to Cheetara and bury her head in her shoulder. "I thought you were all dead," she sobbed.

"Was it that dream about Thundera again?" Cheetara asked.

WilyKit shook her head and hugged her a little tighter. "I dreamt I'd made a wish and disappeared for a year and when I came back you had all been killed and it was my fault." She sniffed back her tears and stared up at her. "How did I get here?"

"I found you curled up asleep in the lookout. I thought you would be far more comfortable inside in a nice warm bed. That was several hours ago, and the next thing I knew you were yelling out in your sleep. Are you all right now?"

WilyKit gave a small nod.

"Good. Well, let's get you back into bed."

She helped her settle down and pulled the sheets up to her chin. WilyKit watched her, until Cheetara finally became aware of her gaze and stopped what she was doing to meet her wondering eyes.

"Are you sure you're all right, kitten?" she asked.

"I…" WilyKit began, wanting to say more, but lacking the courage. Remembering how the dream had made her feel, she took a deep breath and tried again. "I'm sorry… about what I said. I didn't mean it."

"I know," Cheetara said, smiling kindly.

"Forgive me?"

"Already forgotten."

"So are we friends again?"

"We always were, kitten. That's why it upset me to see you so sad earlier. Feel like telling me why?"

WilyKit looked away. "It's silly," she said.

"Not to you it wasn't."

It took her a moment, but finally she glanced up and met Cheetara's inquiring gaze. "Why did they leave me behind?" she asked.

"Ah, so that's what it is. Didn't Tygra tell you?"

WilyKit shrugged. "He just said 'because'."

Cheetara frowned. "That wasn't very helpful, was it? Although…" She paused and considered. "Was Lion-O nearby when you asked?" At her nod, Cheetara brightened. "That's the reason then. WilyKit, I'll tell you, but you have to promise to keep it a secret. We don't want Lion-O or your brother to know."

"Promise."

"Very well then. Now tell me, what's the one thing we all know about little boys?"

"They're stinkers," WilyKit said without hesitation.

"I was thinking more along the lines of their being less mature than little girls. Now, wouldn't you say that you are far more grown-up than your brother?"

She nodded furiously.

"That being the case," Cheetara went on, "we, meaning Tygra, Panthro and me, thought that a little extra, let's call it, 'exercise in the art of becoming grown-up' was needed for your brother and Lion-O."

"But Lion-O is grown-up."

"In body, yes. In his mind…well, I'm not so sure. He has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders now. We want to make sure he knows how to handle it."

"How?"

"They're having a boys' night out. Sleeping rough, eating raw food, lighting fires by rubbing two sticks together, that sort of thing. Panthro said it made a man of him, so I guess he knows what he's talking about." Cheetara grinned conspiratorially. "If nothing else, it gets them out from under our feet for a while."

WilyKit giggled. "I'm glad now I didn't go," she said. "It's too cold to be sleeping out tonight."

"So it is," Cheetara said. "Tell you what, while they're gone, how about we do some fun things too?"

"Like a picnic?"

"Sounds good to me."

"And a shopping trip to the Wollo village? There was this really pretty necklace I saw that I really liked last time I was there. Can I have it? Please?"

"We'll see." Cheetara tucked the sheets in around her and then got to her feet. "Now you get some sleep. Tired kittens won't feel up to anything come the morning."

WilyKit turned on her side and snuggled down. "Night," she said.

"Night, kitten. Sleep tight."

Cheetara left, turning off the lights and closing the door behind her as she went. In the darkness of the room, WilyKit shut her eyes, not noticing the little figure in green who was sitting on the ledge outside her window, a benevolent smile upon his face. The last thing she heard before sleep took her in its gentle embrace was his whispered blessing sounding like the gentle breeze through the trees of the Forest of the Unicorns.

"Good night, WilyKit," he said. "Sweet dreams."

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