Part Three: The Darkness of Love

Sequel to Sorcerer and Sorceress

Chapter One: Son of the Moon

“Kat answer me! Are you okay?” 

WilyKat felt a slight pressure put on his shoulders. His eyes slowly fractured and Tygra was looking down at him. The tiger sighed in relief and gave his shoulders a slight squeeze of reassurance.

“Tygra?” the kitten’s words were slurred. He was hurt. Hurt more severely than he even knew. “Kit? Is she okay?”

“Shh,” Tygra ordered sternly but gently as he placed a finger over the child’s lips. “Calm down Kat. Ratha gave both of you quite a beating. Your sister’s fine Kat but let me fix you up. You need it.”

The kitten groaned in pain as the tiger slowly sat him up. He was bleeding severely in several areas, including his lower stomach, near the hips, and his thighs. The tiger quickly decided that the easiest way to make sure all the injuries were treated was to have the child strip and then cleansed properly. Injuries were easier to spot that way.

Tygra said something under his breath. Kat looked at him and muttered, “What?”

The architect smiled at him. “Nothing for you to worry about, kitten.”

WilyKat cringed and he winced as the tiger’s fingers brushed a wound on his shoulder that the cat hadn’t noticed. Unaware, the Thundercat moved his fingers deeper into his slender shoulder. It was too much.

“STOP IT!” Kat threw the adult’s hand off and clutched his shoulder, hissing in pain. The tiger immediately drew his fingers as far back as possible. Then gradually put a hand toward the child again. Kat instinctively drew back. Tygra spoke again and his voice was soft as if the kitten was only five.

“I know it hurts Kat. But I need to clean these injuries. I’ll try to be careful okay?”

Kat nodded. The tiger slowly began to peel away the kitten’s outer clothing, gently. Kat consented as he lifted his arms and the tiger removed his brown tunic. Tygra could see the bleeding cuts on his torso and cursed Ratha and Lion-o. Ratha for betraying them and Lion-o for not listening to the kittens.

As the tiger peeled the final article of the child’s clothes off, he slipped his arms under the cub and lifted him up. He was always light to the tiger but now he was frightened and most likely feeling betrayed by Lion-o. He clung to the architect desperately. He only released when the Thundercat lowered him in the cool water that filled sickbay’s tub.

“Tygra,” Kat said slowly. “I can bathe myself. I’m not a baby.”

The tiger smiled as he rubbed the kitten’s chest with the washcloth. “I know Kat. But I don’t want to leave you alone. You lost a lot of blood. You could pass out and it only takes a matter of minutes to drown.”

The kitten let out a slight hiss as the tiger rubbed a little alcohol over his cuts and scrubbed his fur free of mud and dirt. As the tiger set to work on the child’s health well being, his mind began to wander for some reason and he swore Kitra was talking to him.

He recalled the cub telling him a while back how he’d beaten Celeano. Twisters, winds, ice, nature’s works.

Lately, he’d been wondering if they’d called it or it had come from inside them. It was typical for Thunderian sorcerers and sorceresses to call upon power rather than be able to expel it from inside them. Still the kittens were of Kitra’s blood. But Kat…a son of…

“Impossible,” the architect mumbled to himself. “All those powers are revealed at birth.”

“What powers?” Kat cut in as the Thundercat poured water over his head. The tiger cursed himself for speaking aloud but smiled.

“Oh nothing kitten.” He grinned at the child who looked at him with worry. “Just talking to myself.”

Kat shrugged it off as the designer pulled him up and wrapped him in towels. He picked him up and cradled him as if he were an infant and gently carried him back. The fight was still catching up with him, somewhat. His eyes slowly closed and Tygra mumbled again.

“But those Thunderians were born on moons. Kat was born in township. There’s no way he could be…”

The tiger glanced down at the child.

“WilyKat?” he asked. The child made no response. He was asleep. The tiger seemed to calm but in the back of his mind the question rose again:

Is WilyKat a Son of the Moon?

Chapter Two: The Diamond of Thundera

But the gem’s power. The Diamond of Thundera as it was called was so powerful several hundreds fought to claim it as theirs. But only a god or goddess had the ability to weld it. If it fell into an evil god’s hands he could wipe out the whole universe with a single thought. A SINGLE THOUGHT. But the gem held more power than that. If the god or goddess wished so they could eliminate all memory of the past universe, any memory of innocence! It would be as if starting off from scratch.

Cesira got the blessed blood. He thought bitterly. But we need more than her. There was…

Yes, he remembered now. The goddess of Thundera, Ali was her name, she was nearly indestructible. Because she wasn’t whole. Every god and goddess had two parts. The immortal half which gave them immortality and knowledge of all time. But they also had a mortal half. It gave them the ability to truly fall in love. There was a difference between family love and true love. Without their mortal half gods couldn’t feel true love, only family love. Ali had been separated from her mortal half. Several gods had suffered the same fate. These included Minnia, goddess of anger, Voz, god of envy, and Coveen, god of innocence. The three gods went to the mighty Ali for help. If one remained without their mortal half in the open for more than ten years, they perished.

Ali made a desperate move. She was very young but still very wise. She told Coveen and Minnia to bring her the Diamond of Thundera. Anxious for their lives, they obeyed. Ali took it in her hands and it glowed alive. She told them to press their hands against it. They obeyed. Then Coveen asked her what she was doing. She responded that there was only one way to save them and herself. Hibernation until someone came along to help them refind their mortal halves.

With a deafening crunch they all watched as their glorious crystal, their Diamond of Thundera, split into ten equal halves. Minnia was sucked into one fragment, as Voz became part of another. Ali and Coveen were sucked into the first fragment. Using the last of her will before the diamond’s power faded into separate parts, Ali sent the fragments deep into space.Her fragment landed on the largest moon of Thundera, Moon Tenia. The envy god wound up on Moon Helion, the fire moon. 

“Since then,” Mumm-ra muttered to himself. “The separate pieces of the diamond have shown their powers. But Ali was clever. When they each landed, she caused their power to shield them from anyone not noble and true. Traps were set. Only the bravest could make it far enough to claim the crystal parts. 

Many tried. The fragment on Moon Tenia was a dream crystal. Anyone who touched it could control someone’s dreams. Could haunt them. And could even make nightmares reality. And it was the most powerful. It could erase one’s hopes. And without hope, good cannot live.

The fragment on Moon Helion was the second most powerful. Anyone who held it had complete power of fire. They could command lava and create flames with a thought. It was protected as well.

The third fragment on Moon Jilla was powerful as well. It was debatable whether it or the Moon Helion crystal was more powerful. Anyone who possessed this gem had power of ice. They could create ice from their breath, eyes, or fingertips. Also they were protected against natural cold.

The fourth fragment was on Moon Kuyia. The Sea Moon.The crystal gave anyone who held it complete control over all bodies of water. It could create whirlpools and tidal waves. The works. Luckily for the Thundercats, Mumm-ra thought with a scowl. It’s kept in an underwater cave. So deep that nothing can live there. Nothing.

Moon Tylia’s crystal fit it well. The moon had dozens of animals and the one who held it had complete control over animals. Any minor animal obeyed them, their minds washed blank. The fierce ancient animals of Thundera guarded it.

The sixth crystal was Moon Nightshowl’s pendant. The Earth crystal. Anyone who held it had control over any land mass. The size was irrelevant. The pendant lay buried in a deep canyon. The sides were steep and the fall fatal.

The seventh was the Memory Crystal. The magic pendant could be found on Moon Crytian. You could draw out anyone’s most frightening or saddest memories and cause them to see it again and again without halt. It could drive someone mad.

The eighth crystal existed on Moon Yuya. Yuya was the moon of wind. The crystal was powerful although not one of the most powerful. The one who carried it could call upon huge winds, hurricanes and even tornadoes. Sometimes, they even called upon all of them at once. It was well guarded as well. However, if one got this gem it didn’t have as fatal effects as one of the others.

Moon Winna held the ninth crystal. This green crystal held the power of plants. At a touch and a thought one could bring forth foliage and control already present trees and plants. Stone statues protect the crystal.

Black unicorns on the Moon Dynamian protected the final crystal, the crystal of emotion. This was rumored to have almost as much power as the Crystal of Dreams. Someone could cause the emotions of whomever they desired to enhance. It was known to break hundreds of hearts.

Unlike others, Mumm-ra knew that it didn’t have to remain in ten crystal fragments. With a Daughter of the Sun or Son of the Moon, the ten crystals could combine together and form the Diamond of Thundera again.

“A Daughter of the Sun,” he mused, gazing into the cauldron. “Or a Son of the Moon.” He laughed. “Thunderian Sorcerers and Sorceresses that were born in outer space and have control over comets and the heavens.Magic that comes from inside of them instead of having to call upon it.”

“Now all I need is Chilla.”

Chapter Three: Regrets

The Thunderkittens had been confined to sickbay for three days now. Tygra was constantly checking on them. Although it was annoying, it felt good to know that someone cared for them. Apparently he cared more so than a certain lion that entered their thoughts.

The kittens were weak. Their legs hurt, their arms hurts, body parts they didn’t even know they had hurt. But the twins passed time talking. Basically it was chatter trying to decide what to do now. They knew that they would have to tell the others about Cesira’s heart-breaking plan soon. Problem was after that dream and dreams that passed through their minds in the spells of unconsciousness, they weren’t one hundred percent sure it WASN’T their mother. At first they’d said she would never do that. But Grune had.

“Thunderkittens?” a voice called in. The twins turned as Lion-o walked in with a tray. They turned their backs. Lion-o sat the tray down and crept toward the kittens. They made no response.

“Kat?” the lion laid a hand on the cub’s bandaged shoulder. He jerked away as if the touch was poisonous. “WilyKat, please,” Lion-o said desperately. He had feeling the awful worm of regret and hate at himself lately. But he didn’t tell the kittens this. He should have.

In despair, the Lord of the Thundercats turned to WilyKit. “Kit talk to him.”

The kitten glared at him and tossed her hair in his direction. Sitting up, she let her legs dangle over the edge of the bed and crossed her wrapped arms. Lion-o would have said more but Tygra entered then. He didn’t say anything to Lion-o but did shoot him an icy glare. Lion-o left.

Tygra rolled his eyes at his lord and turned to Kit. He swung her legs back onto the bed and she gave him a wince as he put a little pressure on her wounds.Tygra smiled at her and rechecked her major wounds. Her biggest was huge burn on her left side. It had been second-degree burn and although it wasn’t as serious as a third degree, her weakness had made it more dangerous.

Tygra had been up half the night tending their wounds. Kat had gotten a minor concussion when he hit his head and Tygra had stayed by his bedside all night. More than twice, the kitten had started screaming. The thing that worried the tiger was he’d wake up with a cry for, “Mama!”

Kitra had been dead for years. Why was he suddenly crying for her now?

“How are you doing?” he asked gently with the fatherly love he always had. The twins made no response.

* * *

“Lion-o? What are you doing?”

Lion-o turned and looked at the cheetah that entered his bedchamber. She took a chair and sat in it. Whirling around to face her lord, she didn’t smile but frowned. “Didn’t you go to give the twins lunch?”

“Yeah I did,” he answered. “But they had nothing to say to me. They wouldn’t even look at me!”

Cheetara rolled her eyes. “Men, amazing creatures. Lion-o did you apologize?”

“APOLIGIZE! For what?”

“Ignorance, favoritism, love-neglection, where would you like me to start?”

Cheetara could tell that he knew what she was getting at but refused to admit it.

Lion-o sighed. “It’s not like they’ll ever speak to me again, whether I apologize or not.”

Cheetara scooted closer to him. “Don’t be silly Lion-o. They won’t hold a grudge. As long as you make amends.”

“But Cheetara I…I caused this. I put them in sickbay. I gave them that pain.”

The cheetah laid a hand on her lord’s shoulder and stared into his eyes. “You made a mistake Lion-o. And I quote a young lord I know, “But mistakes can be valuable if you learn from them.”

Lion-o smiled at her. She put her hands on his. “I’ll go talk to them.”

* * *

“Thunderkittens,” Kit lifted her head from her pillow and opened her eyes. Kat followed suit. Their lord came in and sat on the edge of WilyKat’s sick bed. He put a hand to the cub’s hair and let several strands fall in-between his fingers.

He sighed as the kitten pulled away. Then, he barged straight in.

“Kit, Kat, I’m sorry.”

The twins turned their faces back to him. He smiled. “I should have listened to you. You’d never lie about something like that. But I was so anxious that we might have freed another Thunderian, I put her age over my trust. I’m sorry. Forgive me, please.”

He laid his head into his hands. Kat smiled and put a palm to his lord’s left hand, his sister beaming herself. Lion-o lifted his head. Kat smiled again and it was the smile that left Lion-o feeling fuzzy and warm. He put his face into his Lord’s chest.

“Forget it Lion-o.”

“You forgive me?” he asked surprised. He nodded. Lion-o turned to Kit. She grinned and sent him a double thumbs up.

“We didn’t talk to you,” Kat explained. “Because when you didn’t say you were sorry we thought that we were mere burdens. That you were GLAD to have us out for a while. We thought you didn’t…”

Kat didn’t have to finish. Lion-o knew what he was thinking. He felt the regret swallow him again. He pulled the kitten close to him and smiled at him.

“You thought I didn’t care? That I didn’t love you?”

Kat and Kit nodded.

Lion-o continued. “You thought that I wouldn’t do something?”

Two more nods. Lion-o felt the regret spread and something else. Something deep. Something strong. Love. He gave Kat a squeeze and then turned to Kit. She got up and walked with unsteady paces over to the bed. Lion-o opened his arm to her. She collapsed into his arms and felt the warmth of his love as he answered,

“Never. Never Thunderkittens. Never.”

Chapter Four: Ice-Cold

Chilla crept into the pyramid, her heart ablaze. If Mumm-ra tried to boss her around, she had a defense now. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out that she could call on a blizzard whenever she wished.

Her new clothes were a tad irritating though. Most irritating because now Alluro was staring at her all the time. Her shoulder-length white hair had expanded and now tumbled, when left loose, down to her hips. That was irritating too so she usually put it into three braids and wrapped them together before binding them.

Her dress had remained much the same except the ends had curled under leaving it with a strange round look. Her boots had vanished and in their place gleamed ice white high heels. These were ultimately irritating. In the name of the gods, how was she supposed to fight with these things?

“Welcome Chilla.”

The Ice Lunatack sneered. She entered the main chamber and leaned against the wall. The sarcophagus slid open and her least favorite mummy entered. She rolled her eyes.

“What do you want Mumm-ra?”

He laughed. “I need your help.”

Chilla rolled her eyes. “I know that. I didn’t come here for my own well-being. What is it, so I can say no?”

“There’s an ancient diamond on Thundera Chilla. An ancient gem. It was split into ten different fragments. When the fragments are recovered, the ten can combine together to form the diamond again. With this gem, you can do anything. No Luna, no problem. The universe will be at your feet.”

Chilla smirked. “I’m listenin.’”

“But there is one catch, Lunatack.”

“Knew it. What is it?”

“The ten will only combine together at the will of a Son of the Moon or Daughter of the Sun.”

“A what?”

“Thunderian sorcerers, Sons of the Moon, and Thunderian sorceresses, Daughters of the Sun, that were born in outer space and who’s magic comes from inside.”

“Which has what to do with me?”

“I want you to capture WilyKit. She can use that sixth sense of hers to find me a Daughter or Son. And you no longer have the excuse the others will get in the way. You’re solo.”

“There’s Alluro.”

“Oh yes,” he sneered. “I seem to believe you would call off a mission for him.”

“I would not! He’s just another Lunatack!”

“Really? Then that little fling you had years back was just a boring month?”

“That’s history! He means nothing to me!”

“I can see into you Chilla. All those years in lava mean nothing. Your ice heart has a tiny flame still burning for him.”

Chilla glared. “He’s too loyal to Cesira to interfere.”

“Good then go get the cub.”

“Or what?”

Mumm-ra glared at her. Chilla tossed her hair. “I’m going Lazy. I’m going.”

* * *

Kat sat up suddenly. He felt an icy presence in the room. Swiftly, he got up and was racing toward his sister. Shaking desperately, he cried out, “Wake up Kit! Wake up!”

Kit flung an arm at him, absent to the world, “Not yet, a few more minutes.”

“Kit wake up, please!”

His shakes and shouts were to no avail. She was out like a light. Kat tried his last resort. He deepened his voice.

“Kit, get up now!”

The kitten’s eyes flew open. “Kat! Don’t do that! I thought you were Pantro!”

   “Kit, listen to me.” He demanded. “Something’s wrong. I can feel it. Don’t tell me that you don’t feel that cold.”

Normally Kit would have said, Of course you’re cold you’re on cold tile! But not this time. She felt the cold too. It wasn’t chilly like the heat wasn’t turned up. It was an intangible cold. The kind of cold that affected more your soul and heart than anything else. They felt an abomination in the room. They almost started to tell Tygra or someone but before they could, a swift ice coated the door, effectively welding it shut.

At that sight, they both knew.

“Come out Chilla.”

“Fine,” an icy voice hissed. Under their feet, the ice left and ran toward the center of the floor. In a spiral, it formed a body and then gradually Chilla appeared.

But not the Chilla they knew. She was more powerful. They knew that right away.

“What do you want?” Kat spat, clutching his sister close to him. She hugged him tightly. She wasn’t afraid of much or when she was, she was reluctant to admit it, even to her sibling. But Kat knew her. Chilla was something that scared her.

“I’ll tell you,” she hissed. With a wave of her hands, a fierce cold knocked the kittens apart. Kat tried to scramble back to his sister but Chilla’s wind kept him back at least temporarily. With another blow, the kitten found that he could move his hands or feet at all. When he tried an agonizing cold shot throughout his wrists and feet. He was locked to the ground with ice shackles. He struggled to break them but this was strange ice. Stronger not fragile. It was like steel against him in his weakened state.

“I want you kitten.” Chilla hissed spitting ice at Kit. The kitten dodged, though not without some difficulty. She felt weakened and the pain was still in her legs.

“Why?” Kit managed to ask. She readied herself for another blow. But this time she wasn’t fast enough. A ice chain locked her leg to the ground of the room. She tugged desperately at it.

“Mumm-ra needs you. You’ll find him a Daughter of the Sun.”

“Well guess what?” Kit countered. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about, so it won’t work. You’re plan’s useless so get out, Ice Lunatack!”

Before the kitten could do anything, she found herself encased in ice. She tried to desperately to break her bonds but found she could not. This ice was strangely strong, smothering.

The Ice Lunatack laughed. Her favorite line escaped her lips, “No one gets away from Chilla. And certainly not a kitten-girl at that!”

Kat laying on the ground saw this and a rage filled him as the woman strode to his sister. He had never felt so angry in his life. He struggled against his shackles. They were weakening. Then to his shock, there was a loud snap, as he broke free from them.

Chilla whirled around at the sudden sound and was immediately on her guard. Then as she ran toward the cub preparing to ice him permanently this time, his eyes lit up, went from amber to pale blue. He crossed his arms and small glowing sphere of ocean blue appeared over his skin. Chilla had never seen it before but had enough common sense to tell what she was seeing. She let out a gasp as she backed up.

“Impossible! Physically scientifically impossible! WilyKat…. A SON OF THE MOON?!”

The kitten was running on automatic now. He knew what no one else did that a Son of the Moon could call upon the full force of Thundera’s Moons. While a Daughter of the Sun, could call on the full force of Thundera’s comets and sun. He jerked his arms apart, and the force of Moon Kuyia erupted onto the Lunatack. Dozens of gallons of water hit her, knocking her backward. She fought back with ice, which made the kitten clutch his shoulder and halt his power temporarily. But as Chilla prepared another attack, searing pain shot through her. Fire. She turned, already weakened. WilyKit was standing there, free from her ice prison.

Chilla spat. “So a Son of the Moon and his sister a Daughter of the Sun.”

The kittens stood up together. Chilla charged at them, impulsively. Her voice echoed.

“Who cares what Mumm-ra and Cesira want. You two are mine!”

Chilla’s one weakness in personality was her impulsiveness. She charged at the twins. They fought back with fire. She ducked. They battled on for a few minutes. Both groups were growing weak. Chilla because her added power weakened her and the kittens because of their injuries. Finally, with her pride lost, Chilla retreated.

The kittens collapsed. They were exhausted. But something else was there. Mystery. They’d pretended not to know what Chilla was talking about but they did know. And that led to the question, “Then, where were we really born? Who are we, really?”

Chapter Five: Into the Core of a Heart

“Wonderful,” Chilla muttered to herself as she began to rub her fiery hot arms. They hurt. Kit had hurt her with that first blow. And her brother had helped then reigned superior with that huge wave of water. Her chest had a large bruise on it now thanks to the brat. She was weakened.

A knock came at her door. She groaned. “If that isn’t someone incredibly attractive and powerful, I’m out!”

“Guess I would qualify then,” Alluro said pleasantly walking in. Chilla rolled her eyes and collapsed backward. The hypnotic Lunatack sat next to her and Chilla opened her eyes to look up at him. Seeing those beautiful eyes made her feel all chilly inside. She remembered long ago when she’d first met him. He’d been seventeen in galacto years, she’d been fifteen…

* * *

“Chilla!” Chilla a young Lunatack of fifteen and not fully capable of her ice powers ran from her least favorite person, a high-grav Lunatack named Tug-Mug. He was far older than her by at least seven years, most likely more, and seemed to enjoy tormenting her. Her mother had been an Ice Lunatack who’d tormented him as young Lunatal, so now that she was dead, Tug-Mug exerted his revenge on her daughter while he could. He knew that when she hit seventeen her powers would excel to their limit and then he’d be in for it.

“Leave her alone, Tug-Mug,” a new voice cut in. It was different. She’d never heard it before. It was soft and in someway soothing. She whirled around at Tug-Mug. He had stopped. His gravity carbine was still drawn but he was staring ahead as if in trance. A small greenish-blue light floated over his head. “I said, leave her be. Now go. Leave us.”

The high-grav Lunatack turned and left. “Cool.” Chilla muttered.

“Thanks. I just got the hang of it.” The Ice girl turned around and for the first time saw the man who’d come to her aid. Her cheeks blushed with an unnatural deep blue flush. She could have iced him. Why hadn’t she?

“What are you doing out here, kiddo?” he stepped into the light. He worn brown trousers and had on a belt from which hung a small club that she recognized as a hypnotic Lunatack’s psychic club. He wasn’t that old. His hair was silky and fine and covered the whole of his head.

‘What’s it to you?” she demanded, showing her pale white teeth. The Lunatack backed up and held up his palms in mock terror.

“Whoa, easy kid,” he cocked his head at her. “Say you’re Chilla aren’t ya?”

She nodded.

“Well should have know you’d have an icy temper.” He smiled as he turned to leave her. “I’ll be seeing ya around.”

Chilla saw him several times after that. Somehow, it let to a kind of dating thing. She remembered one night that nearly led somewhere it shouldn’t. Almost though.

“Alluro,” Chilla now twenty-one and Alluro twenty-three, spoke calmly a rare thing for her as the hypnotic Lunatack massaged her shoulders. She turned her face to his. He stared at her. Then before either knew what was happening Chilla wrapped her ice arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. Alluro was surprised at first but quickly returned the gesture. Chilla pushed her tongue into his mouth, as he repeated the same process with her. She tightened her grip around him and let her fingers sink into his silky gray hair. It felt soft between her fingers and she trembled in her stance. The older Lunatack swept her up into his arms as she pushed her lips still tighter to his. The night dragged on. Chilla could remember laying on a bed with her legs wrapped around Alluro. Now she was ashamed of it but at that moment she was so happy. Her life was a bliss. She remembered savoring that last kiss, the last kiss they’d shared in years, holding it in her mouth and memory as long as she could…

* * *

“Chilla! Alluro! Here NOW!” Cesira’s shout startled the Ice Lunatack back to the present. She turned to Alluro. He shrugged. Chilla got to her feet and silently followed Alluro out into the main chamber of this damp cave. For some reason that last kiss remained in her mind. All those times, she neglected him began to tug at something in her. Her heart. Mumm-ra was right. She did still love him.

“What Cesira?” Alluro demanded as the two of them stood in front of her.

“Alluro, you must up your efforts. The kittens know something is up. Your dreams must enhance.”

Alluro almost rejected but then she spoke again and her voice burned like fire. Her eyes fixed on Chilla.

“And you Chilla, I told you the twins were MINE! You nevertheless went after them anyway! I told you that you were the helper! I’m the commander!”

“Please,” Chilla said softly, she was frightened. She put nothing past this bitch. Alluro shot her a look. “Let me explain. I was…”

“I don’t care if you were killing them! They were mine! And always will be mine! You won’t get in the way again!”

Cesira lifted her hands. Alluro broke in.

“Cesira please, she’s impulsive with anger…she CESIRA! NO!”

Cesira paid no mind to their words. From her hands burst a wave of black power. Chilla lifted her hands to defend herself but the magic penetrated through her hands. It entered her blood. She felt a substance like fire bubble through her blood. She tumbled back and cried as she fell.

“ALLURO!”

“NO!” The Lunatack fell to his knees and caught Chilla in his arms. Cesira spat and then with a glow vanished. Her words echoed again in Alluro’s ears.

“You’re expendable.”

Alluro turned to the Ice Lunatack. She was trembling in his arms. He felt her forehead. It was burning. He drew his hands away. They came back black. Cesira was burning her alive from inside out.

Chilla’s voice faltered. “I’m sorry. For…for everything Alluro. You tried to warn me about my anger…I…I’m sorry.”

“Shh,” he told her. “You’re going to be alright.”

Chilla’s eyes filled with tears and sadly she shook her head. Alluro’s tears fell down his face. She knew. She was dying. It would all be over in a matter of minutes.

“Alluro,” she said slowly. “If I’m gone, you owe me one thing.”

“What?” he asked, voice choking. He still loved her. Always had. “Name it.”

Chilla’s cold exterior had vanished. In it’s stead was her heart. It was her heart speaking.

“You really…you have to do this.”

“I will. Name it Chilla. Name it.”

“Whatever you do, don’t…don’t forget me.”

Alluro smiled and pulled Chilla to him. She used the last of her strength and wrapped her arms around him. He pressed his lips to hers. She let the tears spill down. She heard, “I never could,” before death overcame her. Alluro pulled her face away. Her head loaned over his arm. He knew then that Cesira meant it this time. Chilla was gone. As he pressed her face into his chest, he muttered with a choked voice,

“Rest in peace, my dear.”

Chapter Six: Heart of a Demon

Alluro laid Chilla’s body down. His vision was clouded with tears. He felt the tearing pain at his heart. For the first time, he asked himself, “Who is this Cesira? How could anyone mortal be so cruel and heartless?”

Chilla had found something out, he knew that much. He had seen it in those bright blue eyes. But what? She had gone after the kittens. She never had been the type to go after one of her enemies for no reason. She had been the most ruthless of the Lunatacks but not without reason. She’d gone after those twins for a reason.

She didn’t have a grudge with the twins. So she hadn’t gone there by her own will. So who else could….

Of course! Alluro saw it now. Mumm-ra. It was just like him. The Lunatack’s eyes suddenly clouded over with unwanted tears. It was that mummy’s fault. Had he not summoned Chilla, she wouldn’t have gone! She would still be alive!

“Looks like we should talk Mumm-ra,” Alluro murmured as he left. He could see the pyramid in his mind. So with a newfound determination in his aching heart, he headed for it.

* * *

WilyKit sat up and stared first at her brother then down at her hands. Her blow to Chilla had been weak. Her brother’s had been strong. She forced herself to look at him. He was still standing. A faint blue glow had surrounded him and made his bright red hair fly up into the air. His arms were spread out to the side and his fingers were open. His eyes were closed. At a closer glance, Kit could see a small red dove, the Thunderian symbol for moon and innocence, lit up on his forehead, a little distance above his eyes.

Though Kit was unaware of it, she was looking very similar. Her eyes seemed to close on their own and a bright warm breeze up from nowhere making her hair flow above her in an almost solid stream. Like the battle with Celeano, a faint yellow glow surrounded her as she sat crouched on the floor. In-between her eyes, though slightly elevated, was a small pink dove, only it had one wing raised rather than both spread apart like her brother’s. It was the Thunderian symbol for sun and innocence.

“Thunderkittens!” a call came at the door. It was Tygra. The twins were unharmed for the most part but nevertheless were tired and weak. They made no answer. The tiger called in again waiting for a reply. He got none.

He tried the door commands and let out a growl of frustration when he discovered that the door was welded shut. He shoved his shoulder against the door and shoved hard. He didn’t so much as dent the door. Finally, he leaned back and gave the door a swift kick. It flew open. Rushing in, he was temporarily blinded by a bright blue and yellow flash. He backed up and shielded his eyes. The glow dimmed and he slowly opened his eyes.

Kat felt the glow fall from him. He let out a slight moan as he collapsed facedown. His sister wasn’t too far behind him.Tygra meanwhile was lost in shock. He tore to the kittens’ sides and knew immediately what had happened. The glow had dimmed enough so the tiger had seen for a brief moment, the kittens as Daughter of the Sun and Son of the Moon.

Kat clutched at him desperately. The only thought he had at that point was:

“Dear Gods of Thundera where did THAT come from?”

Kit had the same thought but was more content to think about the pain in her legs. It stopped her from worrying.

“Thunderkittens,” Tygra tried to help them up but they were so weak and they were still in a fairly decent amount of pain, so they merely crumbled to the ground, letting out brief tiny mummers, something like a meow, when they tried to rise again.

“You saw,” Kit said plainly. When she met the architect’s eyes along with her brother’s he stared deep into their amber pupils before giving a nod. Kit sighed. Every second it seemed some new force was bursting loose of her. She already had a super powered Cesira to deal with, now super Lunatacks too?

“This is too much,” Kat mumbled, obviously having the same thought.Tygra didn’t have to ask them. He knew they had to be thinking about Cesira.That plus the fact that he knew these two twins like the back of his hand. He slipped his arms under the kitten and lifted him up in one arm and his sister up into the other. He knew that he should talk about them being a Daughter of the Sun and Son of the Moon but decided that now was not a good time. Judging by the door’s condition, he’d guessed this was Chilla’s handiwork.

“Just calm down you two,” he told them, noting their ragged and stressed breathing against his torso.Half was from exhaustion, he guessed. They still weren’t fully recovered from the battle with Ratha and here comes Chilla looking for trouble.

Kit was asleep before her head hit the pillow and was in exhausted dreams by the time Tygra had rechecked her burns, checked for new injuries, and draped the sheet over her. But sleep didn’t come so easily to her twin. Tygra had started to leave and inform the others when her sibling sat up and called softly, “Tygra?”

The tiger had turned around and walked back over to him. Sitting on the edge of the kitten’s bed, he stroked his cheek tenderly, something he hardly ever did, and told the kitten that he needed to sleep.

“I’m afraid to, Tygra.” Was his response. More worried than usual, Tygra scooted closer to the kitten and let him lean against him. He gave his bright red hair a slight ruffle. Before Tygra could say something like, ‘Aren’t you a little old to be afraid of the dark,’ Kat added, “The dream’ll come again.”

Tygra lost his grin and looked at the kitten seriously. Kat sighed. “Almost every night I have to see it Tygra. I know Cesira’s behind it but it’s so real. I have to see her die again every night Tygra. Every night.”

“Who, Kat?” Tygra asked. He drew the child’s face up. The kitten’s cheeks were streaked with tears.

The kitten swallowed.

“My mother.”

From those two words came the whole story. Of how they’d found out some illusion of Cesira’s looked like their mother, how Pumyra was under her spell and he told him the dream. In detail. Everything. When he finished, his eyes were damp with fresh tears.

“Kat, listen,” Tygra said softly. “We’ll get Cesira for this. She’s just like her mother. We’ll do her in. I…I promise. To my last breath, I’ll fight her until she or I die.”

Kat looked up at him, amazed. “Do…do you mean that?” he asked slowly. Tygra nodded firmly.

“Every word, kitten.”

Now the relief and exhaustion came sweeping as one and the twin threw himself into the tiger’s arms, his eyes still wet. The tiger was surprised to say the least but nevertheless held the kitten as close as he dared without hurting him. He hadn’t had to do that in years but did it now without shame. As the kitten clutched him for comfort, the architect lifted and shook his head.

“Cesira, you have the heart of a demon.”

Chapter Seven: Need for Revenge

“Mumm-ra!”

The mummy stirred out of his deep sleep by the sudden shout. He scowled and walked into the light that managed to sneak into the pyramid. Though it was usually dark, particles of light did manage to slip through small openings.

Mumm-ra smirked as he recognized his minion Alluro storming in. His psychic club swung madly at his side and his eyes were alive with anger. But the mummy could see tears there too, though, he tried to hide them.

“What do you want, Lunatack?”

“YOU! It’s because of You!”

“Meaning?” the mummy pressed, a cruel smile gathering over his lips as he saw the despair peering at him through Alluro’s eyes.

“I mean that you’re the reason Chilla’s gone, you bastard!”

He smirked. “Really as I remember it, she was foolish enough to go after the Thunderkittens on her own.”

Alluro clutched his hands into fists and glared at the mummy through rage-ridden eyes. He could scarcely see straight. The air was shimmering and burning with his hate and rage. Oh, for Mumm-ra to be mortal and him to be able to wrap his hands around his throat and squeeze the life from him.

“You can’t kill me Alluro,” Mumm-ra said as if reading his thoughts. “I only wish you could. But you Lunatacks have failed me too many times. And now your cold girlfriend loses to a pair of cubs.”

“They aren’t normal twelve-year-olds, you heartless brute!”

Mumm-ra turned as if the words meant nothing.

“Well if you hate the fact she’s gone, why not take it out on someone you can? Like the kittens?”

Alluro narrowed his eyes. “Because unlike some people, I’m not a coward that challenges people weaker than themselves.”

Mumm-ra turned to the hypnotist with something like anger in his ruby-red eyes. “Then why not talk to my sister? She didn’t kill her off for no reason. Soon, the kittens will join Chilla. Why not help in their destruction? Let out some of your hate? Hmmm?”

Alluro started to yell something back when a voice echoed in his head.

“Alluro! It’s Cesira! Back here! NOW!”

Alluro spat at Mumm-ra before disappearing to his Mistress’s command. If he didn’t submit willingly, it would be unwillingly.

* * *

“I need to talk to you,” Cesira said simply. Alluro glared at her. She glared right back. And her eyes peered through him like lasers. He said nothing.

“The time’s come, Alluro.” She stated. “The twins’ fate is near. I need you to go and capture one. But don’t kill it. I need it alive as bait for the other. The Thundercats will come as well. If I don’t capture them now, when I kill the kittens, it will unleash ‘The Forgotten Code.’”

“The Forgotten Code?”

“Yes,” Cesira nodded. “The ancient part of the Code of Thundera. When a Thundercat is murdered, the others have the right to kill their friend’s murderer. It is this time alone when the code of all life is precious, is omitted.”

“If you’re so powerful, why are you worried?”

“I’m not worried. But it would be annoying. If I kill the twins then-“

“NO!” a sudden small voice called out. A young tiger girl, not more than six, with hip length hair ran out. She threw herself in front of Alluro and shouted. “No! Don’t do it Alluro! Please! If Chilla’s death brings about more death would that give her life meaning?”

“SHUT UP BRAT!” Cesira roared. She leapt down and yanked the cub from Alluro. She lifted her off the ground and glared at her. The cub still shouted, unafraid.

“NO! You heartless bitch. How dark can you be? How low can you sink? You’re going after kittens, only twice as old as me. You’re not a warrior. You are coward. And when I say coward, I mean you are the most yellow-bellied heartless bitch ever to grace this universe.”

Cesira stared at her. Then narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip. The cub began to beat on her hands, trying to free her neck. Cesira suddenly lifted her hand and swung the cub down. Her face hit the ground and there was a satisfying crunch as her nose broke. Blood dripped onto the child’s tongue. Cesira grabbed her hair and pulled at least half of it out. Then she glared at her victim.

“I hope you enjoyed that little speech brat. It’s the last one you’ll give.”

With that, she grabbed the child by the hair and held her up. With a sickening crunch and smooch, she dug her nails into the child’s neck and yanked her spine and esophagus through her skin. The child slumped and then tumbled to the ground. Alluro watched lost in shock.

Cesira glared. “I’ll do that to you if I have to Lunatack. I want my revenge. I want my power. And I’ll have it. No matter the cost.”

Chapter Eight: Mysteries of the Past

WilyKat fingered the small stick in his hands. It was of light blue coloring. While a Son of the Moon could unleash the powers of the Moons of Thundera, this small staff allowed the powers to combine together into one. This produced a single beam of power.

His sister had the yellow one. It had the same powers only it combined the powers of Thundera’s comets and sun into one. When combined together, the two formed a small many decorated staff, almost a wand. But it did more than that. It took a Daughter or Son to find the parts of the diamond that were pitched onto Thundera’s moons. But what very few knew was that when Ali separated them, she split each fragment in two. The most powerful landed on the moon but the others merged themselves into Thundera’s core. The yellow staff could locate them.

Many wondered why this was, but Kat knew. All those born on Thundera’s Moons were twins. The Daughters of the Sun had power over the crystal fragments plunged into the core while the Sons of the Moon had power over those on the Moons.

When combined together, the fragments formed a whole segment of the Diamond. But then the Daughters and Sons jobs were done. After that, it was up to the Guardians of the Moons.

“Dear Jaga!” Kat suddenly screeched and hit his fist against the windowpane where he was sitting. “How the hell do I know this stuff?!”

Suddenly, he stopped. The memories rushed at him again. Not just information. MEMORIES. But how…Unless…

He gulped and took a tighter grip on the staff. He suddenly knew why he knew. He wasn’t blessed with wisdom. He’d been there. Only in a spirit like form but he’d been there. Thing was he didn’t know how.

He closed his eyes. The Guardians.

Normal Thunderians, not nobles, but regular Thunderians, old and young who alone knew how to activate the separate fragments of the Diamond. When they held the fragments they could call forth the full force of their respective Moons. Because of this they had names that in Ancient Thunderian meant fire or lightning, or whatever special power their moon had. The Emotion’s Moon’s Guardian had a special power and was blessed with power over lightning.

Ali knew it would be difficult to combine the fragments together again. Which was what she planned. It was almost impossible to find the Guardians. They were so much like normal Thunderians. But once found, with the help of a Son of the Moon and/or Daughter of the Sun they could form the Diamond. But their work didn’t stop there. After that, they must protect the gods and goddesses released from the fragments until their mortal halves were refound.

Kat sighed. He flopped backward. He could hear the others downstairs talking and doing who knew what. They were adults. He didn’t try and figure them out. He was alone. His sister was with Tygra for a check-up on her injuries. He was alone, to wander through his thoughts.

Once again, he wondered where this cursed stick he held had come from. He’d woken up and it was there. The same thing had happened with his sister. He’d thought about telling his friends but decided not to. Maybe he was hallucinating or overreacting or something. Something told him he wasn’t. He looked up.

“Mama, if you’re dead or still alive, tell me: what the heck’s going on?”

He received no answer. He leaned back again. He looked down at the stick in his hands. It lit up for a brief second, like a small star. He moaned in frustration. What good was this blasted stick and this accursed memories if he didn’t know what significance they held?

Chapter Nine: Start of a Hatred

Kat’s sleep was uneasy. He tossed and turned and several times woke his sister with his rapid shouts. Kit wasn’t upset, as she normally would be. She felt it again. That strange ‘sixth’ sense that lived in her. Something was going to happen soon. Something terrible. She remembered the last time she’d felt this intuition and shuddered. That had been the last night.

The night before Celeano had killed their friends.

Kit was usually more reluctant to reveal her feelings. Typically her brother would be, but of the twins, Kit was the reluctant one. Actually, they were both reluctant but Kit was at times more reluctant than usual females. She tried to sleep and ignored the warning. But her brother felt it too.

Kat sat up in the dark suddenly. He felt the darkness. He turned to Kit. She was asleep or trying to be. But her brother couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t. He took a quick glance at the clock. Four am. He sighed. Then, made his decision. Getting to his feet, he grabbed his robe and headed down the hall.

He paced down the hall, toward the control room. He knew that only one person could help him figure out this stupid dream. Cheetara.

The cheetah whirled around at the sound of her name. She was surprised to see WilyKat come through the door. It was extremely early, too early for kittens to be up. She got up and guided the kitten to one of the chairs. She sensed something’s wrong.

“What is it WilyKat?”

He sighed and looked up at her. “I don’t know Cheetara. But… do you know about the Diamond of Thundera?”

Those three words, ‘Diamond of Thundera’ were enough. The she-cat stared at the kitten. Very few knew about it. She knew simply from history and occasional images she got in her dreams.

Kat put his head into his palm. “I get these images in my head.” He explained. “Information, Cheetara. And…and MEMORIES.”

Cheetara caught sight of a faint blue glow then. Her eyes followed it. She felt a gasp catch in her throat as she spied the source. Clutched tightly in the child’s left hand, was the blue Moon Wand of Thundera.

“Calm down Kat,” Cheetara said gently. “Let’s take one thing at a time.”

Kat sighed. Cheetara quickly went to a small table in the corner. Returning, she pressed a small cup of icy-cold water into the cub’s hands. The nice liquid soothed his fears and anxiety temporarily.

When the kitten put the glass down, Cheetara knelt by him and gently stroked his hair as she had when he was little. “Now Kat, I want you to tell me everything…”

* * *

WilyKit wandered through the Lair’s kitchen, feeling alone and scared. She had woken up and found her brother gone. After that, she had found it impossible to get to sleep. After tossing in a restless sleep for several minutes, she had gotten up and headed downstairs.

“I need something to drink,” she thought. “That’ll calm my nerves.”

But to her great dismay, it had done nothing. She was still exhausted. She was still scared. For a brief moment, she wished she were seven again. At that age, though it was kept secret, the kittens, when frightened had run into Pantro’s room and he would let them stay with him until sleep overcame them again. Then, he would carry them back to their own room.

Kit sighed. She put her glass down in the sink. As she turned around, she felt a coldness. Once again an intangible cold. She swallowed hard.

“Who are you?”

* * *

“Leave me alone!” Cesira turned her face. Celeano’s words still echoed in her mind.

“You’ll fail. You know you will.”

“Shut up!” Cesira snapped. She took a swipe at the nearest animal, a small snake-bird. Snapping its spine, she growled.

“I’ve told you already, I don’t need you.”

“Do you?”

“I don’t! Never had and Never WILL! As far as I’m concerned, you can rot in hell for all eternity! You failed in killing the kittens Mother. I won’t!”

* * *

“PANTRO!”

A shrill voice startled the panther from his sleep. That was WilyKit! He immediately leapt up, and threw on a uniform before tearing down the Lair’s stairs.

* * *

Tygra heard the child as well. As he ran by Lion-o’s door, his lord quickly followed.

* * *

“Alluro!” Kit scrieked. The Lunatack smiled.

“Yes brat.”

“Leave me alone! Please!” Kit reached into her belt for her pellets. To her dismay she only had two left. When she was low on pellets, she got scared. Alluro drew nearer and his hand stretched closer to his psychic club. As the kitten turned to run, her legs went numb.

“Come with me cub,” Alluro soothed. Kit turned around. Alluro wasn’t using the club. His eyes were bright amber. “You can’t resist, you must come with me.”

“No,” Kit tried to back off. “I can’t.”

“Yes,” he hissed. “You will and you must.”

“I…I” Kit slowly stammered. “I will and I must.”

She took a step forward.

* * *

Cheetara charged after the male child. He’d heard the scream of his sister and took off like a shot. He hadn’t even finished his sentence which she knew held something of great importance. By the time the two charged into the control room, they knew they were too late. They caught Alluro’s grin and his words as he vanished with WilyKit with him.

“Come and get her, Kat. Just try.”

Kat collapsed to the ground.

“Kit! No! Kit NO!”

Cheetara dropped down by him and tried to calm him down. Then his words cut into her mind.

“No, it’s true. I knew it when I first saw Chilla. I knew it. It’s come. It’s true.”

“What’s true?” Cheetara looked deep into his eyes. “We’ll get her back. But what’s true? I know it’s important. What is it?”

“It’s come Cheetara.” He responded with tears running down his cheeks. “The Evil Rebellion. The Time of Darkness.”

End of Part Three

Continued…

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