Part Three: To The Extreme

Chapter One: Problems

“Hey sis?” Kat called looking up from his studies. She looked back at him.

“Yeah?”

“what came first, The Moon disaster or the Magma deal?”

“What do I look like? A history book? Ask Tygra, that’s his job.”

The kittens were in the library studying. After Kit told Tygra that she’d whipped Celeano’s partner with magic and oh yeah, could travel through time, he frozen for a time then jumped up, screaming about “why you should have told me earlier and how irresponsible etc. Etc.” Then after he’d blow like a chimney he’d sent her to ‘do something useful.’ Well after she’d rested that is.

“Jeez, good gosh, sis. What’s your problem?”

“Nothing!”

“okay, I’ll just keep my big mouth shut.”

“please spare my ears.”

Jerking his books up, Kat stormed out, letting the doors slam shut behind him. Kit stuck her tongue out at him. She swung her hair around and took her own books. She walked off and thought, “Well, okay maybe that was a little fierce. “

She finished her work and then went looking for Kat.

“WilyKat?” she slowly looked in the bedroom. He was sitting on his bed. She came in put a stack of books on their nightstand. Then she faced her brother. “Kat? Bro?”

He refused to look at her. “What?”

“I…I’m sorry about before. I just was sick of the problems. I just wasn’t in the mood for questions. I…I uh…well, these new problems! Now whenever I get yelled out it’s for magic or doing something on my own against this Celeano! I miss my old problems! Like…like being yelled at for being stupid. I want to be reprimanded! Well not really but well you know! I mean.. I don’t know!”

Kat giggled. “You don’t know anything.”

Kit slugged him and laughed. “Well, if you learn from me what does that make you?”

“I don’t know. A genius?”

Kit rolled her eyes and muttered, “Boys,”

“Kit?”

“Yeah?”

“So which came first?”

“The chicken.”

“No! I mean the… Snarf rebellion or I mean..”

“mean what?”

“I don’t know. You made me forget.”

Kit giggled. “Well, you have a reason. I mean who else finds out that they’re the sources of innocence?”

“Well, I think, I read about that every year in the records that Tygra keeps. It’s nothin’ different. Except the fact that oh yeah, this time’s someone’s dedicating their life to bump us off.”

Kit smiled. “You’d think that with all that time on their hands they’d find someone worthwhile to waste their energy on.”

“Nah, I just think that someone needs to get a new hobby.”

“You gotta admit though, all that killing and enslaving stuff has got to make them magnets for respect. The new ideal: if you respect me, you live if you don’t you die. Make your choice.”

“Hah, hah, and also hah.”

“Kat?” she said, suddenly serious again.

“Don’t you think if it comes down to it, a final battle we should ask for help?”

“Help?” he snorted. “I will, you’re beyond help.”

“Kat! Be serious!” she snarled. “We have to accept that this is serious. In the end if it comes down to it…”

“Kit?”

“Yeah,”

“As Tygra would say, we should traipse that catwalk when we confront it.”

“And Kat as I say to Tygra all the time, in plain language please. I do a lot of studies but foreign language is not one of them.”

“I mean sis, that we shouldn’t worry about crossing that bridge until we actually get to it.”

“I know Kat but I…”

“KIT! KAT! DINNER!”

The twins looked at one another. Sighing, they got up and headed downstairs. Halfway down Kit ran into her brother. They both tumbled down. Kat turned around and glared at her. Then he laughed.

“walk much?”

She got and suddenly cursed. “Man, first a tearing heart and now a broken nail. I’m just falling apart.”

“Kit?”

“What?”

“you bite your nails.”

She sighed and said, “I’m just trying to ease the tension okay?”

The twins entered the dining chamber joking. Then they saw the adults’ faces. Looking to Tygra, Kit asked, ‘What? Whadda we do now?”

“I told them Kit.”

Chapter Two: Bargains

“Kit,” Lion-o ordered sternly. “Sit down, Kat you can eat in the kitchen.” Kit was still standing. She leaned against the wall. She despised being ordered around like someone’s maid or something. But then Lion-o spoke again in a dark and cold voice she’d never heard before, “Now, WilyKit.”

She sat.

“All right, Kit. I would have been more understanding if you’d told us. But having to find out from Tygra, just blew me away. The fact that you didn’t come to us is…”

“Infuriating is what it is!” Pantro cut in. Kit scooted back. He continued yelling.

“I thought we agreed to tell everyone everything ever since that Wizz-Ra accident. What happened to honesty?”

“This is exactly why I didn’t tell you!” she exploded leaping to her feet. Cheetara pushed her back down, angry so angry she dismissed her feelings. “I knew you would jump all over me. You always do! You never listen to ME! You make me listen to YOU! But you never ever listen to me!”

Lion-o raised his hand and said,“relax. All of you. As a matter of fact, leave us alone. I want to talk to Kit alone.”

The adults looked at one another but nodded and left. Lion-o dropped to his knees in front of the kitten. He looked directly at her and spoke, softly, calmly.

“Now tell me Kit,” he said slowly as he touched her face gently, “Why didn’t you tell us? Really? I know there was more to it than being yelled at. You’re used to being reprimanded. I bet you tuned out very word we said.”

Kit nodded. ‘I don’t know, Lion-o> I guess in a way, it was jealously.”

Lion-o appeared confused. “Jealously?”

“Yeah, see as long as Kat and I were the only ones who knew it made me feel special. I mean, Pantro’s got strength, Cheetara’s got speed, Tygra’s got brains, etc. I just wanted to feel like I was special.”

“Kit,” he said looking at her firmly. “You are special. You know that. We always tell you that.”

“I know. But Lion-o knowing it and actually feeling it are two different things. I should have told you. I didn’t. That’s not important now. Is it?”

Lion-o stared at her. Then he smiled and ruffled her hair. “You’re right kid. We should have been more sensitive. We should have listened. Again that isn’t important. Is it?”

She shook her head.

“okay,” he said patting her shoulder. “let’s go talk to the others.”

She nodded again.

They came to the door. Lion-o called in for the adults to meet them in the council room and for Kat to get ready for bed. His sister would be up soon. His orders were carried out. As the two Thundercats approached the council room, they could hear Pantro screaming out his anger. Kit winced. Lion-o put his hand on the door summons.

“Wait,” Kit protested. Lion-o looked at her. She darted behind him and clutched his waist so that his body shielded her. “Okay,” she added. “Now.”

Lion-o smirked but opened the door. The others turned around.

Pantro spat, “Where’s the kid?”

“A, Pantro use her name and B she’s behind me.” He gestured behind him. Kit wrapped her arms tighter around his waist and peered around.

 “Okay Kit,” he demanded cocking his finger. “Come here.”

Kit looked to Lion-o. He nodded and slowly pushed her forward. Pantro no doubt would have blown up like a stick of dynamite if not for his lord’s look and Kit’s terrified face. He calmed.

“Okay Kit,” he said again and reached for her hand. She drew away, shaking. Her eyes were wide and Pantro took on an ashamed look. “All right Kit,” he amended. “I’m sorry for losing it earlier. I was upset but I still shouldn’t have screamed but girl, ya made me mad.”

The kitten swallowed hard. “You make me mad too Pantro. A lot. But more than that, I get jealous.”

The three adults looked at one another. Cheetara spoke up, softly, curious. “Jealousy Kit?”

She nodded. “Cheetara you have your speed, Tygra your smarts and Pantro your strength. Having the power, I don’t know, it made me feel special.” She bowed her head.

More guilt swelled up in the adults then they knew any mortal being was capable offeeling. They’d lost it at a young girl who just wanted to feel special. That wasn’t much. Like a black snake their guilt seeped away.

“We’re sorry Kit,” Tygra said slowly. “We didn’t know.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “Forget it. I think we’re all at fault. Maybe we can reach a compromise on this.”

Lion-o nodded. He turned to Kit.

“How about this kid? You don’t have to tell us everything in the future. But anything you think we should know about don’t be afraid of telling us.”

“Yeah,” Pantro said. “I don’t feel great about before. In fact, I feel awful. I made you afraid to tell us anything you don’t have do.”

Cheetara smiled. “It seems to me, we all learned something today. Agreed?”

“Yes,”

Lion-o smiled as the child swallowed a yawn. “Well, that’s settled. Kit why don’t you go and get ready for bed? You look tired.”

Kit nodded. Cheetara smiled as she watched the child leave. But that hardly destroyed the guilt.

* * *

A dark shadow crossed Celeano’s face. “Thanks for the power, Thundercats.” She laughed to the dark empty sky with a deadly smirk on her face.

Chapter Three: A Calling Card

WilyKit and Kat slept in the next morning. They felt exhausted. They’d not even gotten a chance to train but they felt just as weary as if they’d run five miles. Tygra finally came in to wake them up.

He smirked as he came in and saw them both still sprawled facedown on their beds.

“They’re sleeping in,” he mumbled to himself with a smile on his face, “And they don’t even have to study today. Just train.”

He sat on Kit’s bed and gave her shoulder a good shake. She threw her arm up and muttered, “Not yet. Five more minutes.”

Tygra laughed. “Sorry kideo. Time to wake up.” He shook her again. She threw his arm off and pulled the pillow over her head. He smirked again and pulled the comforter off her bed. She drew her knees up by natural instinct and moaned, cracking her eyelids a little.

Tygra smiled at her. “Wakey, wakey kitten.”

She scowled and plunged her face back in the pillow. “Aw Tygra, do I gotta get up?”

He nodded and pulled her up by the scuff of her neck, although gently. When she was a child, a young girl, he used to do that all the time just to get her up so he could wash her face. She groaned and pulled the architect’s hands off, grumbling, “Okay, okay, I’m uping I’m uping.”

The tiger waited until she was completely up before going to her brother. He shook the child then said softly though sternly, “Come on, Kat. Up and at em.”

Kat moaned and tried to ignore him. The tiger pulled off his covers and shook him again. Kat groaned, shot the tiger a glare, but finally stumbled from bed. The twins got dressed and followed the adult down the stairs.

After coming into the kitchen, they both grabbed a few of Snarf’s pancakes and drenched them in syrup. The twins ate quickly, anxious to do something. They groaned though, remembering that last night, after the council meeting, Lion-o said he wanted an adult with them when they went out.

Jeez! Was it just them or were people getting paranoid?

“Lion-o?” Kit asked hopefully. He looked at her and raised an eyebrow curious. He swallowed and wiped his mouth before answering.

“What WilyKit?”

“Can Kat and I go to the Berbil village today to do some trading?”

Lion-o looked at Tygra. The tiger nodded. Then Tygra answered for Lion-o.

“Sure but I’ll go with you.”

The kittens scowled and whined even though they knew that all the adults, practically Tygra hated that.

“Aw, can’t we go alone? We can take care of ou-r-sel-ves. Come o-n-n. Pl-ea-se?”

Tygra raised one eyebrow at them and they shut right up. He got up and left without saying one word. The twins felt awful. Unlike the others, when he got angry or was disappointed in them he didn’t scream a lot. Instead, he just went silent on them.

The kittens got up too and put their dishes away. Lion-o didn’t say anything else about the incident. He figured they’d learn themselves. Sure enough as soon as they finished cleaning up they took off after the architect.

They found him in the hangar, fidgeting with some blueprints he’d left around. When, they arrived, Kit spoke out.

“Tygra?”

He turned around and got a look that made her feel beheaded. She trembled but swallowed hard. Gulping she continued.

“Sorry, we’re just sick of being shielded.”

Tygra smiled and held the twins at arm length. He smiled again and spoke out, gently, like a father. “You two do know that we only do it to-“

“-We know, Tygra,” Kat cut in, shaking his head. “We know it’s just to-“

“-Protect us and because-“ Kit added.

“-We care,” Tygra finished. The twins sighed. They knew he cared. Still it was infuriating at times. They sighed again but nodded at the architect. He grinned and thumbed their noses. “You two go get your spaceboards while I finish this up. Then, we’ll go to the village okay?”

The two nodded, smiled then rushed to get their boards. Tygra smirked as he watched the energetic kids bolt for their boards. He quickly rolled up the few new designs and rubber banded them. He hopped into the Thunderclaw and motioned for the kittens. They hurried out and jumped on their boards, immediately tearing ahead. The tiger stepped on the speed and quickly caught up to them.

Upon arriving at the Berbil village, the twins were already anxious to run off; it had become natural to them. But the architect kept a firm grip on their elbows. This stopped them. They turned back to Tygra. He shook his head. They blew air out through their lips, exasperated.Tygra took them by the arm and led them from store to store.

How humiliating, Kit moaned silently. People probably think we’re being babysat or something. Oh someone just put me out of this embarrassment. 

As they entered one store, the twins started to go off in different directions. Tygra couldn’t be in two places at once. They looked at the tiger hopefully. He sighed but answered their pleading eyes.

“All right. But I want you to stay here within earshot, understand?”

Kit caught sight of a local smirking at her and flushed furiously. “All right,” she mumbled. Her brother echoed her thoughts. 

“Tygra?” Kat asked slowly. “A request please?”

“What?”

“Not so loud please. People think you’re babysitting us or something. It’s totally embarrassing.”

The tiger smiled and ruffled his hair. The two kittens took off in opposite directions. Kit headed for where the writing and leather were. She began to sort through black and brown leather she might be able to use for her pellet holders or something.

“So your babysitter let you get away?”

Kit spat at the word ‘babysitter’ and turned to the smart aleck. It was a young Warrior Maiden girl with two of her friends. They were all laughing. The leader so to speak, giggled and scowled at Kit.

“What’s the matter Thunderbrat? Upset that it took you to twelve years to go on your own?”

Kit shrugged. “I got off faster than you. When are your friends here, letting you do the same?”

The Maiden hissed, cursed her, then ran off. Kit blushed furiously and turned back to the stand of things. The girl’s comment refused to leave her head. She stood there, silently fuming from the slur.

She had to wonder though, why she’d taken off so quickly. Probably realized she was wrong. Or that she was a Thunderkitten with an attitude. She ignored the reason and sighed. Her eyes suddenly flared.

She caught sight of something or someone in the distance. Forgetting her promise, she bounded from the market after it. The creature disappeared into the woods swiftly. Foolishly forgetting the dangers that she’d been facing lately, she dove after it like a dog.

The branches drove wedges into her skin but she ignored them. Curiosity was her middle name although not so much as it was her twin’s. Still, she was hooked on finding out what this thing was or she’d lose her mind.

So she bounded after it, without realizing Tygra was calling her.

* * *

“WilyKat?” Tygra called as the young child came to him. “Have you seen Kit?”

“Nu-uh,” the cub responded honestly, with wide innocent eyes. As Tygra looked at him, he felt his eyes burn with anger. 

‘Should have known better,’ he reprimanded himself. ‘Give a kitten an inch, they’ll take a mile.’

He rolled his eyes in exasperation but turned to the male kitten. “WilyKat, I’m trusting you on this okay? I want you to go right back to Cats’ lair, no stops whatsoever. I need to find your sister. If you go anywhere else, I’ll find out and get Pantro to deal with you. Understand? While Pantro’s not a total jerk, he is the strictest of us and you know it. Do I make myself clear?”

The kitten nodded and the tiger motioned for him to go. Sensing that the tiger was tense, the child obeyed. As he ran off, he couldn’t help thinking: Oh Kit of all days why today?

* * *

Kit wandered around in the woods. The sun was dipping low; it was well past noon. She forgot about everything but finding out what she’d seen. The branches were reaching out at her but she ignored them. Despite the fact her feet were starting to hurt and her throat was dry, she went on.

She caught sight of something in the bushes but she started forward again. But then it glowed. That got her full attention. She darted forward and started to dig through the leaves and twigs. The thorns left scars on her hands but she was curious and overlooked them easily.

When, she pulled aside the last piece of thicket; her hands fell on a small pamphlet. She picked it up, immediately curious about what it contained. Her fingers shook as she slowly brushed aside dust, rocks, and dirty leaves. What she saw beneath it struck her dumb.

But before she could open it a rough hand ceased her shoulder.

Chapter Four: New Revelations

“What are you doing here, YOUNG LADY?”

Kit winced, immediately recognizing the fierce tone as Tygra. She slipped the pamphlet back into the dirt and turned around. Tygra was towering over her, hands on his hips, a scowl on his face.

“Oh,” she said, slowly trying to be casual. “Hya Tygra.”

“I thought I told you to stay in earshot!”

“I did, I can hear you fine. And when the ringing in my ears stops, I’ll hear you better.”

“Kit! Do NOT get smart with me! Come on! We’re going home. And this time I’m not letting go of you.”

Kit groaned as the tiger grasped her arm. She turned her face away. Before the tiger could tug her to her feet, she dug in the dirt and slipped the leaflet under her shirt. As the Thundercat dragged her toward the Thunderclaw, she couldn’t help wondering why in Jaga’s name she was so hooked on that tiny booklet.

The adult sat her in front of him. She looked at the passing atmosphere and wondered what Pantro would yell at her this time besides, ‘irresponsible child’ that she was getting sick of hearing.

When the Lair came into sight, she caught sight of her brother sitting on the stairs, waiting for her no doubt. He always had waited for her and he always would wait for her. The cub sat still, looking at them as they approached. When they landed, he got up and ran to them.

“WilyKat, where’s Pantro and the others? I need to explain to them why we took so long.”

The kitten shrugged. “Got me. I last saw them before we left. They might have gone somewhere.”

The adult nodded and tugged WilyKit down, a fierce hand on her elbow. She winced as she felt the architect’s fingers tighten on her arm. She gulped. She’d seen him angry before but never like this!

“Okay,” Tygra acknowledged. He turned back to WilyKit. “Kit, go to your room for now. I’ll figure out what to do with you later. Go!”

Only as she started upstairs did she realize that he had been worried about her. When she started up the stairs, he gave her rear a good slap but didn’t say anything. Kat looked at him, slack jawed like he’d just seen Mumm-ra kiss Cheetara.

But before he got slapped too he took up the staircase after his sister. He came into their room, not long after her. Gulping, he took a seat beside her. She sat down slowly. The tiger’s slap had hurt but not as bad as Pantro’s did. She hoped he wouldn’t blow up at her that way.

“WilyKit?”

She looked at Kat. “Yeah?”

“Why did you run off? I thought Tygra was gonna break down in tears!”

She shrugged and felt the twinge of guilt that rose whenever she made the adults, practically Tygra, worry. She turned to her brother again. “I don’t know. I saw something and a little impulse inside me made me follow it. It was like my conscious mind slipped away. Like my body was moving somewhere without me wanting it too.”

Kat looked at her hard. “Celeano?”

She shook her head. “No, I wasn’t hurt or ambushed or anything.”

“Mumm-ra?”

“Why me? It wasn’t evil Kat. But it was deep. Like an inner core of me was commanding my body. It was like a sweet voice that called to me and made me feel all warm and comforted.”

“Mother?”

Kit suddenly snapped her fingers. “Yes, that’s it! It was like Mama was calling me. She led me to it.”

“To what?”

Kit suddenly pulled the pamphlet from her shirt. She blew the extra dirt off and made her brother sneeze. She giggled. Kat crossed his eyes at her and leaned closer to see better. Kit slowly opened the booklet.

The pages were a faded yellow color. Whenever she turned, a fold or crease would crack and break. The faint smells of wet ground reached her nose. They smelt familiar. Like she should know them. But WilyKat reached the conclusion faster.

“Thunderian dirt. From our township, from where we were born.”

Kit nodded. She read,

Hello, any that read this, know this, my children are in grave danger. WilyKit and WilyKat if this is you, read these words and head them well. You are in severe danger. You’re naked without this knowledge”

“Wow,” Kat mused. “We’re in danger. Whodda thunk?”

“Shhh,” Kit hissed. She read on,

Kit, Kat. As many people know there is a legend of two grand sorcerers, greater than me. These are no strangers, as some believe but you two. Katen, WilyKat, and Kita, WilyKit. You need only to draw the power out. If you draw out the power and command in your mind, Mighty Kita come forth or Mighty Katen come forth, you will change. I cannot tell you how but you will change, know this power but do not abuse it. May Heaven be with you.

The kittens looked at each other. This was getting weird. They kept finding notes that told them things about their powers. It was as if someone was trying to help them. As if their mother was still beside them, guiding them. Kit suddenly realized, she was. Her mother’s words came back.

"My child, you are of my blood. I shall always be with you and your brother. Now and forever."

Chapter Five: Forgiven

Finally, she decided to just get it over with and got to her feet, slowly. She stepped over to her door. It had been a good fifteen minutes since the adults got back but Tygra had gotten caught up in something and hadn’t told him yet. Kit decided then and there to face her fear as Pantro taught her to do. She looked at her brother. He was sitting on his bed, reading, trying to cope with the newfound knowledge she guessed.

Reluctantly, she headed out for the panther’s room.

“Hyua!” Pantro cried as he flung his nunchucks around. He normally practiced outside, but with this Celeano about everyone was getting wary. He almost didn’t hear the knock at his door. The nervous knock. The frightened knock.

He put his weapon back onto his belt and went to open the door. As the metal slid apart, he found a very nervous and frightened looking kitten. He recognized her immediately as WilyKit. Stepping aside, he let her in. He felt bad for yelling at here all the time. She didn’t deserve it. She was uncovering all these memories and powers and all he’d done was reprimand her.

“What’s up, kid?” he asked, kneeling to be even with her. He had to lean on one knee to do so but didn’t mind it. He smiled as he looked at her. While, he wasn’t by any means a sentimental guy, he couldn’t tune off how cute and sweet she’d looked when she was three and he used to hold her on his knee and give her piggyback rides with her giggling. Her brother had been the exact same. Giggly, innocent, and pure. He smiled again and nodded at the girl.

“Well, I uh, thought I should tell you rather than Tygra. Well, today, I didn’t exactly stay where I was supposed too and Tygra kinda lost it.”

“And with good reason,” the panther said crossing his arms. He didn’t yell. He’d done far too much of that lately. But he did speak firmly and sternly. “What if you’d run into Celeano?”

“I’d have faced her and fought till my last breath. I am a Thundercat, ya know.”

Pantro nodded and again felt a wave of admiration he’d recently felt for her, for her bravery. She was young, very young not even by Thunderian standards a teenager yet but she had more experience than most people half as old as she was had.

“But Pantro my point is, I left because I felt like my mother was calling me, summoning me. It was as if disobeying was unheard of. Ya get my drift?”

He nodded. “I get it Kit but still, why didn’t you tell Tygra you had a feeling and needed to go see something?”

“I don’t know. I guess I was sick of being fussed over like a baby.”

Pantro shook his head. “Kit, you know for a fact that we just worry about you. We don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“ I know but…”

“But what if this Celeano had been there? What if she ever does catch us off guard?”

“What if she doesn’t? You can’t keep us sheltered the rest of our lives, Pantro. You can try but it won’t work. And you know it.”

The panther almost lost his temper at that point but despite how he tried not to think about it, the kitten was right. They couldn’t shelter them the rest of their lives. In fact, they couldn’t do it much longer. The twins would switch to desperate matters if they tried.

“And another thing Pantro! What if this Celeano does show up? What good will it do us if we don’t know how to defend ourselves against someone like that? Think about that. I mean, no offense, everyone can be paranoid but you guys have so overused the privilege!”

Without another word, Kit left. Pantro didn’t come after her but she heard him mutter, “I forgive your impulsiveness Kit.”

Kit scowled and fought tears of frustration. “Pantro, I’m not the one who needs to be forgiven.”

Chapter Six: Anger

She crept close to the source and found the adults in the council room, talking. Pressing an ear against the door, she listened.

“Lion-o? What is it?” Cheetara asked as she sat down at the chair. Her lord sighed and waited for Tygra and Pantro. Snarf was perched on the windowsill. He couldn’t believe the adults were putting the kittens through this much out of their own overprotectivness. He sighed and waited to see what they had to say.

“Well, Pantro told me what WilyKit said, about us being too paranoid and about how we can’t shield them forever and guys, she’s right.”

The adults turned to Lion-o waiting to see what he was getting at.

“All I’m saying guys is maybe we should ease up a bit,”

“Or,” Tygra cut in, “Teach them what to do if they should meet her. We’ve been hoping for the best, but we need to prepare them for the worst.”

Cheetara nodded. Snarf mumbled to himself, “Finally, Those kids are about to go insane.”

Pantro snorted. “I’m not letting them go too far on their own. You guys can prepare them but I’m gonna guard those two until that Sorceress dies or until the last breath of air escapes my lips. Whichever comes first.”

With that he stormed out, fuming and scared for them. 

“Snarf?” a voice called into the kitchen later. The time had really flown by. It had been a week and the nursemaid knew that ever since the adults had eased up, the kittens seemed far happier. The kitten calling him was WilyKat.

“Yeah, WilyKat?” the nanny said putting down his cutting knife. The child plopped down by the counter, exhausted. This new training was tough. But at least he could go off on his own again!

“Why did it take them so long?”

“Yeah?” a new voice called in. WilyKit entered and plopped down by her twin brother. He smiled at her and she ducked his playful slap. “Pantro’s still paranoid.”

The snarf smiled.

“You see kittens, snarf, snarf, practically with Pantro sometimes when a danger is present, people can care too much. The result is paranoia and overprotective adults.” He smiled again. “It’s called love.”

“Am I doing this right?” Kit asked as she tried desperately to hold her position. Tygra laughed. Ever since they’d eased up, he’d felt better too, not so tense. He still couldn’t believe that two weeks ago, Kit had said a few words that made them do this.

Well most of us, he thought. Pantro can be so stubborn! He pushed the thought aside as he saw the panther watching, disapproving from a window. He hurried to Kit. Just in time, too. She lost her balance and fell from the practice beam. Tygra caught her easily.

“Not quite, kid. But you’re close. Here try it again.”

Carefully, he hoisted the child back up onto the bar. Then, he jumped up himself. Pulling out a practice whip, he waited for her to pull out her lasso. She slowly did, obviously reluctant. He smiled at her.

“Okay, I’ll attack you. But I’ll go slow okay?”

Kit nodded, knowing if said slow that meant he was gonna speed up. He tried to trick her into letting her guard down. But she wasn’t about to let that happen. Not while there was a breath in her body.

She stole a glance over to her brother. She sent him a wink. It was harder for him. He didn’t have magic. He should have. He should have had just as much as her but Tygra had said usually only females had sorcery traits. Still, he had a five chambered heart, not four! Any reason Tygra gave her wasn’t good enough. She knew there was magic in him. She could feel it. She could feel it in her soul and heart.

“Ouufff!” Kit groaned as she tumbled off. Tygra leapt off to help her. She’d been so caught up in her thoughts she hadn’t been paying attention. The tiger smirked but offered a hand to his pupil. She took it and painfully got back on her feet. She’s hit the ground, shin first. That was gonna leave a mark.

‘Let’s try that again,” Kit laughed. She’d discovered more of her power lately and couldn’t wait to see Tygra’s face in response to them.

“Ready, kideo?” Tygra smirked as the kitten prepared herself. She nodded. The tiger drew his whip and let it fly. But as it neared her, she shimmered, turned transparent, then vanished completely.

“What in Jaga’s name?” Tygra wondered aloud. Suddenly his feet were whipped out from under him and he fell to the ground. Lifting his head, he saw a glimmer of a sparkly material almost like dust. It spun in a circle, forming a small form, Thunderian. Finally, the mists glowed bright yellow and when the flash dimmed away, Kit shot him a smile.

“Kit? How did you…”

She laughed. And threw her arm up. Her body became a mist and it turned in a loop and then Kit dematerialized, sitting by the architect on the hangar floor. She giggled. “Ya mean that?”

Tygra started to answer when suddenly they heard the sounds of battle. From inside the Lair. Immediately, everyone responded rushing in. When they got in they were shocked to see no other than the Mutants. But how did they get in the Lair?

“Mutants!” lion-o hissed drawing the Sword. “What do you want?”

“It’s not what we want, hoo hoo,’ Monkian chanted. “It’s what our mistress wants.”

“And who would be foolish enough to trust you?” Pantro spat rushing in on the scene. He drew his nunchucks and whirled them threateningly. The Reptilian Slithe hissed.

“The Deadly Celeano, that’s who Thundercat. But we will leave peaccccfully if we are given one thing.”

“What do we have that she wants?” Cheetara scowled, swinging her staff around. The kittens drew their lariats. The reptile smirked.

“Not muccch, Just the livesss of your precccious kittensss.”

Cheetara immediately leapt in front of them. Kit looked into her mind, searching for power any type of power, any type. She wasn’t going to be picky. She wanted firepower.

Her brother remained silent not saying anything just thinking. Kit turned to him.

“Kit! Kat! Go!” Lion-o ordered. The twins, not in the mood to argue obeyed. Then, the Mutants revealed they’d learned new tricks too. For suddenly they weren’t there anymore. Pantro’s heart stopped.

“The bastards are going after the kittens. Should have known Celeano gave them magic. Who in their right mind would trust Mutants to do something like murder?” In a panic the adults scrambled after the Mutants, unsure of what or who they’d find.

Kit and Kat kept a firm grip on each other. Kat was panicked for his sister and himself and his sister was about to lose it from fear. They tried desperately to run without giving away their position too much. Bu they couldn’t. 

The air in front of them shimmered. Stepping back they screamed as the Mutants reappeared waving axes and picks and swinging at them. With nothing else in option, the two split up. Kit ran down one hall, Kat down the other.

But as soon as Kat left, he realized Kit was in trouble. That was dead end hall.

His heart stopped. Calm Kat, he tried to tell himself. Calm down. Think.

His sister’s scream of panic didn’t help. His hands grew sweaty and his mane matted. His mind became clouded with unconnected thoughts. Images blew through his mind. Tears blurred his vision. Why did they go after her?

Leaning against the wall, breathing hard, Kat suddenly heard another of his sister’s screams but this time of pain. They’d hurt her. Anger bubbled up inside him. But what could he do? He only had pellets and a lasso. Those Mutants had Celeano's magic. Kit had magic too but she was outnumbered. It could take the adults five minutes to find her. 

Calm Kat, he said to himself again. Think, you can do this you can think, I can think, I…I can’t think! Too much stress! Kit hang on! I’ll do something! I promise. Tears stopped welling up and began spilling down his cheeks.

As he closed his eyes, his mind stopped racing. Instead a simple thought came forth but his heart was ordering it not him. It was as if he were standing outside his own body and watching.

Mighty Katen, COME FORTH!

The words were simple. Kat didn’t believe in them but in his heart he knew that he should. After all, his mother had told him that in her little letter. He should also go help his sister. But as he started to walk he stared at his hands. They were glowing. He stared, struck-dumb. His skin turned transparent and he could see his bones and veins and muscles. Then as suddenly as it happened, it became solid again. But then, he felt a whip of power start to fold around him, enveloping him in pure magic. His eyes closed.

And he began to change…

Chapter Seven: True Power

Too weak. Too weak to fight, too weak to use her magic that would be salvation.

She winced as Slithe crept closer to her. He held an ax high over his head. Kit wanted to do something anything. But she was too weak, far too weak. All she could do was lie in a heap of the floor, bleeding and whimpering. She just wished that they’d kill her already. Then, she could forget everything else. She just wanted to die quickly if she was gonna die.

“Lookssss like it’s cccurtains for you kkkitten,” he hissed. “Your preccciousss brother is next in line. Your protective adultssss are still trying to find you. You ssshouldn’t have made this Lair sssso large.”

He raised the ax and brought it down for her skull.

“AHHH!” Slithe suddenly screamed. Kit raised her head and saw all three Mutants screaming, in pain. Immense pain. They seemed to be burning! She dared to look for the source, for Pantro or someone.

“Kit! Are you okay?”

Kit searched for the voice. That was WilyKat! Then, she saw the person who’d saved her life. He was standing beside her. She studied his form. He was tall, for his age, an inch taller than she was. His arms were bunched with small muscles that made his whole torso muscular. His legs were strong and slick. He was Thunderian. His eyes were deep amber and seemed to peer through you like lasers. The thin coat of fur he had was coffee colored and seemed to shine in the light. His uniform was a famous one. The one male magicians used on their planet.

It was very plain. The pants were slick leathery black and ended just below his ankles. The light made certain areas glimmer like gold. He had boots that were an even darker black. They stretched all the way up to the bottom of his knees. The top was a solid black vest over a slick and tight white tunic that his pants touched the bottom of. His face was gentle, and his eyes kind. He had red, white, and black hair that was swept to one side of his face and that made the colors blend together, making him even more attractive. To everyone else but Kit.

She knew this cat. 

“WilyKat?!”

He smiled and nodded. Then he turned to the Mutants who were coming out of the pain. They glared at him in anger. He stared right back at him.

“Who are you? Hoo, hoo?”

“Who am I?” he repeated. “That doesn’t matter. What matters is the fact that you were attacking my sister! No one gets away with that, you slimy Mutant!”

The Mutants stood staring for at least a minute. They were in shock. They knew WilyKit had only one sibling, her twin brother, WilyKat. But he was klutz!

“WilyKat?!” they demanded. He smiled an angry grin. 

“Yeah, Mutants but it’s time you learned who I really am!” He unleashed a wind of power that knocked the whole of them to their knees. “Mutants? Meet Katen!”

He had learned after completing the transformation that being in this form gave him full and total access to all his powers. ALL OF THEM. He had stalled a little after changing. One because he was nervous but then because he knew how powerful he was. He had more power in his left toe than the Sword of Omens had in total. That was always a tad shocking.

He unleashed another blast of power at the Mutants. They felt it in total. They took the full force in their chests. The fur and scales they had turned red, blood red as blood vessels snapped and gushed out blood. He was careful not to fatally injure them. Just close.

As they finally broke from the child’s power, he let them, they ran. The adults would intercept them. Sure enough, they soon heard the sounds of weapons clashing. Kat dropped by his sister. His fingertips brushed her wound momentarily but it was enough. A huge flash appeared and then the wound was gone, totally. Not a single scar remained.

Kit stared at her brother.

“But, WilyKat, Katen, how?”

“The way our mother said sis. When I heard you scream, my heart took over my mind and I just thought, ‘Mighty Katen, come forth’ like the letter said and then a flash surrounded and whipped around me and where it touched me, I changed.”

“Woah, does this mean your powers are loose?”

“All of them sis, as long as I’m like this.”

Kit was about to ask more but they could hear the battle getting fiercer. They had to help. “Kit?” Kat begged. “You have to do it too! They need our help! PLEASE!”

“But I…”

“Kit, you unlocked your powers early. If I can do this, surely you can!”

“But WilyKat…”

“KIT! Listen they need help! We have to do something!”

She gulped. “Right,” she got to her feet shaking but then closed her eyes. She looked deep into her heart and felt a surge of power lying there, waiting. She remembered her mother’s words. Saying, “here goes nothing,” she concentrated and let her mind speak:

Mighty Kita, COME FORTH!

As soon as she did, a tingling feeling began to surge and ripple through her blood. She opened her eyes and could only gape. Her brother stood against the wall, smiling as he watched. Her transformation was slightly different but still pretty similar.

Her skin turned the color of solid gold. Then, like with Kat returned to normal color. Suddenly a raging circle of flames appeared at her feet. Yet it didn’t burn her. Instead, it rose in a string of fire to encircle her, brushing her feet first. Her feet shrank, became smaller and more delicate. Rich sequenced purple shoes formed over her pale feet. They had a small heel maybe a centimeter in height. Then, the fire left and formed a halo over her head. Twin beams shot down and embraced her hands. The white sections by her fingers turned from foam white, to solid white, the color of nothingness.

The flames moved and wrapped themselves around her upper torso. Kit gasped as her small breasts grew in size, forcing her uniform to stretch. Suddenly, her sleeves disappeared, vanished away. The rest of her top turned grape-purple, silky. The top of it curved over the top of her breasts making them seem ever larger and more curved. As the circles traveled down her body, the top stopped at her waist. Then a skirt attached itself to her top and stretched to the tops of her shoes. The skirt was a paler purple but still purple. It had sparkles in it. 

Then from the sides of her dress came a translucent pink sash. It flew up and wrapped around two of her fingers on each arm. The band she wore on her left arm turned to gold. 

Glitter formed on her face around her eyes. The lashes of her eyes stretched and curled in on themselves in a wavy pattern. Then, they colored coal-black.Speaks of power erupted from her fingers and traveled to her lips. They puffed out, grew fuller. Then blood seeped through the cracks in them and turned into a solid stream. It spread over her lips then stopped, leaving the lips of her face a blood red.

Finally, the final steps began to happen. The fires formed into hands almost. Twin wisps of fire raced up and caressed her hair. They spun around her mane for a time then as they left; her mane fell in red and black ruffles to the tops of her thighs. Bright colored threads of hair ran over her short red and black bangs and tumbled to the back of hair before racing along the edge of her hair to the tips of her knees. It highlighted and then turned pale pink with silver speaks in it. The transformation was complete. Kit was truly who she was born as, Kita, Sorceress of Thundera and Bearer of Innocence.

Kit stole a glance at the mirror. Her jaw dropped. “Oh great Jaga!” she whispered. “I’.. I’m…I’m…”

  “A knockout?” her brother offered. She turned around and grinned. She nodded.

“Man,” she said again touching her blood red lips, “I have gotta do this more often.”

“Kit?” the child said putting a hand on her shoulder. He jerked his head toward the battle sounds.

“Oh right,” she swallowed. “Let’s go.”

The twins darted forward toward the battle, hearts pounding but confidence in their souls.

“Thisss is it, Thundercatsss,” Slithe hissed. Gulping the Thundercats stepped back. They had the Mutants out numbered but they were losing. Lion-o kept the Sword of Omens pointed at them but couldn’t fire. His heart was burning. The Mutants had killed the twins. Slithe’s battle-ax had blood. That proved their statement.

“You aren’t dragging us down before I get you for …for killing them!” Pantro declared, voice burning with anger but his voice choked. He drew his nunchucks. The Mutants smirked at the cat’s anger and sorrow.

“Killing whom, Pantro?” a young voice called out. The Thundercats dropped what they were doing and turned to the voice, hope in their eyes. 

Slithe hissed, “WilyKat!”

“In the flesh, you overgrown lizard!”

A small figure dropped from the stairs. He landed and stood up, hands on his hips. They all knew the uniform of sorcery when they saw it and that was definitely it. Pantro stared. Kat noted and said, “Oh yeah, by the way, I’m really Katen.”

“Where’s your sister, cub?” Jackalman demanded. He stepped closer to the kitten. Kat whistled through his teeth.

“Right behind you scavenger!” a feminine voice called out. Everyone turned to the source. Kit stepped out into the sunlight, her sash held like a handkerchief over her lips and lower face.

Then, the kitten threw her sash off and put one hand on her thigh. The Thundercats eyes spread so wide they thought that their eyes would just pop from their face. Lion-o stared hardest. If he’d still been his old age, he’d have dumped any girlfriend he had for her at the moment.

“And my name’s Kita, Sorceress of Thundera and the Bearer of Innocence.”

“Or one of them,” her twin cut in.

Kit nodded and continued, “I’ll make it simple Mutants. Simple words for simple minds. Leave now or we’ll fight you out.”

“I’d listen to her, Reptilian,” Lion-o advised as he and the other adults joined the twins in encircling the Mutants. The Plundaarians looked around at the Thundercats but mainly at the kittens. Katen shot him a threatening look as his sister jerked her head toward the exit.

Slithe spoke, “No way, Thundercatsss,” The monkey and jackal seemed reluctant but complied. Kat looked to his sister. She nodded.

“Fine Slithe,”

Everyone there turned to stare at her. She lifted her hands to the ceiling and beyond, to heaven. She spoke again.

“Fine then we’ll kick you out!”

The kitten concentrated and then to everyone’s shock, including hers, a loud clap of thunder was heard. They turned in time to see clear skies suddenly cloud over with dark clouds. Rain and lightning plummeted the ground fiercely. Kat rolled his hands together and then formed a small ball.

“What’s he doing?” Monkian whispered but the Thundercats heard and turned. Kat flung the ball at them. It exploded and a small bird emerged. A lightning bird. It attacked and the Mutants screamed as the shock traveled through their bodies. Kit called upon the winds and it was all the Mutants could do to keep on their feet. They should have flown off if she’d used her full power but she wasn’t. She didn’t want to kill them.

“Kat!” she suddenly shouted. “NOW! FIREBALL!”

Everyone was looking at the twins now. The twins put their arms in an x and where the two arms meet, small fireballs formed and began to spin around. Then all at once they jerked their arms apart, sending the fireballs circling the Mutants at a good speed. Then, with the Mutants screaming, they combined together and formed one huge ball that engulfed all three. It rose several feet into the air then simmered before disappearing completely, the Mutants with it.

Right before it vanished, Kat had his lightning bird attack them once more, and they all screamed. He smirked. He hated to admit it but he’d enjoyed that!

But once the magic in the room died down, They both fell to their knees, clutching at the floor to keep from crashing indignantly facedown.

Lion-o and Cheetara recovered swiftly from the shock. Cheetara fell to her knees by WilyKat, Katen, and helped the child keep his balance. Lion-o clutched Kit, Kita, tightly and tried not to stare. It was hard. She was beautiful. He hated the fact but compared to Kit Cheetara looked like a poor dingy woman. 

The two adults tried to help the twins stand but they were far too weak. Lion-o and Cheetara finally scooped their bodies up into their arms and picked them up. As they turned to the others, Kit and Kat suddenly glowed brighter than a star in their arms. When the glow died away, they were themselves again but nude.

They were also unconscious.

The Thundercats lost in shock couldn’t think of anything to do but put them to bed. As they laid them down, they had a feeling that the Mutants were not gonna forget this. If Celeano found out…

Chapter Eight: Another Day, Another Lie

“A MONTH!” she screeched. “I’ve been asleep for a month!”

She started to get up but felt too drained. She collapsed backward. How had she stayed so clean? And why wasn’t she hungry?

With swift embarrassment, she knew why. Nutrient shots and sponge baths. That’s why she was nude. They’d probably washed her a few minutes ago. She felt her mane. It was still wet.

Great, she thought. Just great.

As swift as the embarrassment had come, fear came. Celeano. Where was she? Had she confronted her friends? Had they died? Were they okay?

Panic overtook weaknessness and she threw on a uniform. She checked the clock. Noon. Tygra or Pantro were probably home. She needed to talk to them. She walked out, occasionally clutching the wall for balance. As she got to the control room, she spied the architect and her lord, talking.

“Lion-o? Tygra?” she asked weakly, clutching the doorframe to keep upright.

They whirled around to face her. Tygra darted forward and caught the child before she collapsed. He looked at her then scolded.

“Kit if you’re still weak, you should still be in bed.” He turned Lion-o for his approval. He nodded.

“Tygra’s right Kit. You’re still very weak. You need your rest to heal.”

She nodded but then spoke, halting from exhaustion but they could understand her.

“That…attack, the Mutants…I don’t remember…. Tell me.. What did I do?”

The adults exchanged shock faces. Then, the tiger nonetheless answered the kitten.

“Kit, you became your true self. You became Kita. Kita, the Sorceress. The one sorceress more powerful than Kitra, your mother.”

Kit nodded. She was recalling now. It was faint but she remembered. The child nodded in acknowledgement. Then, she felt her knees quiver. Tygra dropped again and caught the cub before she could fall. He hoisted her to his hip and pressed his forehead against hers.

The tiger carried her back upstairs, leaving his lord in the control room. They’d told the Thundercats at the Tower of Omens what had happened ever since they’d gotten back from a special mission. Everything being from the fact that Kit had told them that she had power to the present. It had been a little much to swallow but they trusted their friends’ word.

By the time, Tygra reached the top of the stairs; WilyKit was out like a well, like a kitten again. It was a little shocking. This child was barely twelve and yet she had more power in her than a million Swords of Omens. He wondered sometimes how well that they were both dealing with it.

He wondered how Pantro was dealing with it.

Celeano sneered. The Mutants had been banished. But not by her. She would have killed them, not banished them. Those scumbags deserved to die. They were merely polluting the air and wasting oxygen with their existence. Why if she could only get her hands on them…

But that wasn’t the point right now. The point was the little bit of information she’d gotten from them as they blasted in nothingness. The twins were Kita and Katen, the most powerful sorcerers in the universe, in its whole history. They even surpassed their mother, the Mighty Kitra.

Funny how the most deadly powers wind up in the youngest of us. They wouldn’t be young for long. In fact, they wouldn’t be alive much longer either. Celeano was sick of failures. She stepped into the pitch-black night.

Well, she thought with an evil smirk, If you want something done right,

A huge clap of lightning charged down, frying everything with the mile of her home. She thrust her fist to heaven.

Do it yourself.

Relax Kitra, she smiled. I’ll send you company. First those meddlesome protectors of them. Then, guess what, your little kitties are coming home to Mommy. I’ll make sure of that. Because I’ll know. I’m sick of pathetic failures. Sleep well, kittens, it’s Celeano herself you have to deal with now…

Chapter Nine: Memories

Three months, Kat thought in amazement. Has all only happened in three months? In twelve weeks? In eighty-four days? In two thousand and sixteen hours? In one hundred twenty thousand, nine hundred and sixty minutes? In seven million, two-hundred fifty eight thousand, six hundred seconds?! And what’s wrong with me? I’m doing math!

He swiftly forgot that. The pictures were starting to haunt him, memories were rushing back. He almost wished that he didn’t know his mother. She’s obviously caused a memory lapse on her children. So they wouldn’t feel the pain that came with losing such an important mother.

Pantro leaned back in his chair. He hadn’t heard anything from the twins for a time. Driven by gut instinct for trouble, he got up and headed for the stairs. But on the way up, he ran into WilyKat. Literally.

“Oww!” the two stopped walking and Pantro rubbed his chest while Kat began massaging his forehead.

“Sorry!”

“Sorry!”

Realizing they said it at the same time, they laughed. But then the panther noted the child’s sad face. He was instantly concerned but tried not to go all-postal. He instead took the kitten’s hand and asked him, “Okay Kat, what is it?”

The kitten sighed; knowing there was no use hiding it.

“Pantro, it’s about my mother.”

The Thundercat nodded. “And? What about her, Kat?”

He sighed again. 

“Well, she gave Kit and me memory lapse so we wouldn’t remember anything. But now we remember and we also find out someone’s trying to kill us and we have to figure out how to defeat the woman that killed our mother. I knew teenage years were gonna be rough but I think this is tad more than I expected. We’re kids! I thought kids had fun. That they didn’t worry about some psychopath witch trying to kill them! I want normal problems, like acne.”

Pantro smirked and laughed. He ruffled the kitten’s mane slightly. The child still seemed a little sad. Pantro sensed there was something more to this than the child was letting on.

“WilyKat? What else is it? I’ve raised you and your sister from tiny babies, I know when you’re holding something back.”

Kat flushed a bit but obeyed and started speaking.

“Okay, I remember now when we were younger before she brought us to the Lair, you used to come over remember?”

He nodded.

“Well, whenever she left, hey you must have gotten memory lapse too or you’d have known.”

Pantro nodded again. “Kid, you’re stalling. Spit it out, already!”

He nodded. “Okay, she’d go out sometimes and leave us with Tygra or you or Cheetara. But before she left, she’d always tell us to think of something we wanted to know how to do and she’d teach us a spell that’d do it. Then, one night I told her that I wanted to know how to call on the ‘Powers of Innocence.’ She said she’d tell us when she came back. But she died when she came back. She’d always said the spell questions were so she’d let us know that she’d always be there. Then, she never got a chance to answer that question.’

Kat turned and faced Pantro. His eyes were red and tears were spilling down his cheeks. “I miss her Pantro.”

The panther felt a twinge of pity for this young child. They’d never stopped to think of what kind of memories these events must have been bringing back. Now he realized and did something he rarely did. He opened his arms and WilyKat fell into them.

Pantro pulled the kitten as close as he dared and smoothed his hair. Kat was crying now. Pantro pushed his face into his shoulder. The kitten wrapped his arms around the panther’s neck in desperation.

“Why Pantro?” the child wailed. “Of all people, why my mother?”

The panther couldn’t answer that question. No one could except with, it was her time. He knew why this Celeano scared him so much. She’d killed his mother and now he was sure that she could kill him. His mother had seemed indestructible.

And yet this Celeano had killed her.

The kitten’s sniffles had died down now to brief sighs and choking. The panther hugged him tightly. As he held him, he felt the magic in him. He literally felt it, in his heart. It was pleasant, not shocking. He breathed deep and took the child’s scent into his body. It was spicy unlike his sister’s who smelt like fire and roses. This child smelt like pine and water.

He gave the kitten another squeeze. He then held the child out at arm length and wiped away the cool tears with his thumb.

WilyKat rubbed at the red stains, somewhat embarrassed by his sudden outburst but in reality, he’d been holding it in far too long. He knew that Kit was in their room now, crying. The Thundercats meant everything to them but they just didn’t understand what it was like to be completely alone with only one family member left. They’d all lost their parents but they hadn’t literally seen their mother die.

And they hadn’t lost them as young cubs either.

“Listen WilyKat,” Pantro said slowly. “It’s late. We ate a few hours ago. Why don’t you go get ready for bed then I’ll talk to you some more. Both of you, okay?”

Kat was shocked. Pantro wasn’t really an open guy. He didn’t talk to them a lot about like feelings and stuff. Kat was surprised that Pantro had let him cry into his arms.

Kat nodded and headed upstairs. He was still desperately trying to calm down his emotions. The thoughts and memories of his mother were strong and were tearing up his heart, piece by piece.

When he got upstairs he went into his room and put on his nightclothes. His sister was already dressed for the night. She was lying on the bed, arms folded over her eyes. Kat flopped down on his own bed and tried to push all his terrible emotions from his mind.

It was at least an hour later before Pantro came in. Kat and Kit were half-asleep but they still got up when the panther came in. He sat at the end of Kit’s bed and put one arm around his knee. He chuckled.

“Did I wake you two up?”

The twins shook their heads and Kit swallowed a yawn.

“Not quite,”

The Thundercat smiled and reached forward to give her red and black hair a tousle. She giggled and clutched his hand. He tightened his grip but not enough to hurt her. She screeched in mock pain making her audience of two burst into laughs.

“Okay, you two,” the Thundercat spoke out. “Kat told me that memories are starting to hurt you. Is that true for you too Kit?”

Kit nodded and her laughing eyes cast down.

Pantro spoke again, “That’s only normal you two. I can’t change the past but I can say this much, had your mother been here now, no one would be prouder of their children.”

The kittens looked at Pantro strangely. It just wasn’t like the adult to speak like that. He wasn’t the most comforting adult in the Lair. When they were in need of comfort, they usually ran to Tygra.

Pantro ruffled Kit’s hair again.

“It’ll be okay, kids. We’ll make it out of this. We’ll defeat this Celeano. Once and for all. We’ll make her pay for all she’s done. I promise you that.”

The twins nodded silently and so the adult got up and left.

Kat muttered, “then why do I get the feeling, it won’t be so easy?”

Chapter Ten: Nightmares

She stepped nearer. But she didn’t say anything. The Sorceress merely laughed. It was a laugh that chilled the twins to their bones. The echo of it seemed to travel over the lands and make the ground itself tremble in an earthquake.

Then, the ground under their feet split. Without time to think of using their magic, a massive arm burst from the ground and clutched them around the around the waist. There was loud splash as it tugged them under water. The kittens beat desperately on the massive tentacles. The creature merely tightened its grip, sending the poor children into a screaming frenzy, letting out the sacred bubbles of air. Their lungs filled with water and began to burn. Fire scorched the inside of their throats and their hearts began to pound.

They moaned as the awful pain began to slow down their system’s responses. All except their hearts. With an agonizing pain, they screamed as their hearts and lungs exploded…

“WAKE UP! WAKE UP! THUNDERKITTENS WAKE UP!”

Kit’s eyes flew open and she sat up. Lion-o stopped shaking her as she put a hand to her heart. Her forehead was drenched with cold sweat and her heartbeat was fast and high. The Lord could hear it to his shock. He wrapped his arms around her and begged her, “Kit, it was a dream, stop shaking.”

Pantro gave the male child a good shake and the kitten sat up with a loud shriek. Pantro looked at him and never before had he seen more fear in his bright amber eyes. He hugged him tightly and felt the cold sweat that had soaked the child’s clothes.

“Okay, okay,” Pantro held the child close to try and slow his swiftly beating heart. He didn’t cling to closeness a lot but upon seeing the child’s fear he gave into the love he had for the child.

“It’s okay,” Lion-o mused holding kit tightly in his arms. “You just had a bad dream.”

The child nodded in agreement but buried her face into her lord’s chest. The adults exchanged worried looks. Pantro smoothed WilyKat’s mane. The kittens sighed in relief and just let the adults hold them.

Kit threw her arms around Lion-o’s neck. She didn’t know why but the dream seemed to be sending her a warning but something told her, it wasn’t for her own life. A hidden sense told her that her friends’ lives that were in danger. But she didn’t know if the warning was true or not.

“Are you two okay?” Lion-o asked. WilyKit hadn’t let go of him yet. Kit nodded but shook a little. Lion-o and Pantro were needless to say not convinced, in the least. Pantro hugged WilyKat and the kitten clutched him as if for dear life.

“Alright, you two.” Lion-o said sternly. “What was it about? You’ve had nightmares before but not at all like this. What did you dream?”

“We saw…our…our death,” Kit managed to say, voice choking with fear. The lion hugged her tighter. “We both saw it Lion-o. Same dream, same time. How weird is that?”

The adults exchanged one of those looks parents get all the time. The our-child-is-getting-hallucinations-but-they-might-not-be look. Our as most people know it, the-worried-adult-look.

“Your death?” Pantro asked slowly. They nodded. The adults were close to tears with worry but had enough