End of Innocence

Sequel to Dark Secrets

Final Book

Part One: Awaking of Ancient Evil

Chapter One: Sweets

            Rain fell down from the sky and the Thunderkittens sighed as they leaned against the wall. It was their seventh month back on New Thundera. For a whole week now, it had been raining. More than that, they missed Tygra and Pumyra.

            “Great!” Kit moaned. “Yet another day of doing absolutely positively, completely nothing.”

            Kat sighed along with his twin. Kit spoke up slowly.

            “Come on, we can do something…like ..uh?”

            “No use Kit,” Kat countered. “We’ve already done everything there is to do at least six times.”

            Kit kept it to herself but she felt a strange force lately. Her sixth sense hadn’t warned her of anything for several months, since her brother had temporarily beaten the heck out of Cesira. He had known it wasn’t permanent but they couldn’t really do anything when they didn’t know what she was up to. Kat had tried to tell Lion-o that they should locate the fragments of the Diamond of Thundera anyway but the Lord of the Thundercats had said they shouldn’t do that unless it was absolutely necessary. It was too risky.

            Kit felt that nagging fear return with this rain.

            Just then, Kat’s communicator went off.

            “Yes?” he answered. Leah’s voice answered him.

            “Hey Thunderkittens? Can you come down to the Market of Solpia?”

            The twins smirked.

            “Something must be up!” Kat smiled. Leah knew that when the twins went out in public they had to put on their new uniforms. Thundercats were royalty so they had to dress like a Duke and Duchess when they went out among regular Thunderians. The one exception was when they went spaceboarding. Formal events or trips to the market had to be done in the formal dress. The rest of the time they dressed as they had on Third Earth.

            Still, their symbols always gave them away and people treated them like a prince and princess, always fussing over them.

            “I guess,” Kat answered Leah. “Why?”

            “Because my uncle is hosting something for me and my friends. All the candy you can eat.”

            The twins smiled again.

            “I know you hate to dress like royals but I thought you’d hate me if you missed out on this!” Leah finished, her voice alive with excitement and anticipation.

            “Count us in!”

            They hung up and rushed upstairs. Passing Snarfer, they quickly changed.

            Running out of their room, the snarf asked, “Where ya going?”

            “Market of Solpia,”

            “Why?” a new older voice asked. Turning Snarf came in. The kittens laughed and told him what Leah told them. Snarf shook his head but said “Alright, but you’ll get fat.”

            “Will not!” they protested and rushed downstairs and outside. Kit felt the sorrow and worry she felt completely vanish. But Kat’s didn’t. He was still worried. Still, candy would certainly help. He followed his sister.

            Snarf watched them go and just called after them, “Don’t be blaming poor ol’ Snarf when you’re busting out of your uniforms.”

Chapter Two: Signs

            “Leah?” Kit asked suddenly. The younger child lifted her head.

            “You okay?”

            “Guess,”

            Kat put down his cup and looked at the little girl. She was only seven, almost six years younger.  But she was his friend. She’d saved their Lair once and was always there for them when they needed her.

            “What’s wrong?” they asked her again. She sighed but then laughed.

            “I don’t know. I’ve been getting this troubling dream lately. About water.”

            “Water?” the kittens looked at each other. Leah laughed again.

            “It shouldn’t bother me because I LOVE water. I mean, I look forward to summer so I can swim. But these were really weird. About whirlpools and a goddess. A Dark One.”

            Before the twins asked, Leah answered.

            “Her name’s Cesira.”

            Kit and Kat’s hearts stopped. They swallowed hard and tried desperately to get themselves under control. But a true friend can see how you feel despite how much you try to hide it. Leah knew.

            “Are you two alright?”

            The kittens sighed. “Yeah, we’re fine Leah. We.. just ..we should get home. We need to tell Lion-o something.”

            “Well, okay,”

            The young Thunderians watched her two friends speed away on their spaceboards, even in the rain. She almost told her father so he could call them back. Royals or not, they were still expected to obey elders. Except in intense situations.

            But she knew it wouldn’t do any good.

* * *

            “All right, snarf, snarf,” Snarf’s voice greeted the twins as they came in, dripping with rain. Snarf had expected them to take a covered vehicle but they had been in a hurry. Also, he knew they hadn’t been thinking. Something was bugging them both. He crossed his arms and continued. “To the showers, both of you. You’ll catch your death of cold in those wet clothes, snaarf.”

            “Snarf,” Kat moaned. “We’re fine.”

            “No, Snarf’s right,” a new voice called into the room. Kit and her twin turned. Panthro walked in. He smiled but said firmly, “A warm shower for both of you. What in Jaga’s name were you thinking? It’s raining. You took the spaceboards?”

            The kittens flushed. That had been stupid but they were bothered. Something about Cesira had bugged them before, upsetting their judgment in the process. Still, Panthro knew that something must be severely bugging them if they didn’t think about the rain.

            “Panthro?”

            He turned back around. Kit and Kat seemed worried. No, they were scared. He could see it in their eyes. They almost said something else but Panthro stopped them.

            “Get a shower first,” he ordered in a no-nonsense voice, “Then we’ll talk.”

* * *

            Kit stepped from the shower shaking out her mane. It was late anyway, so she went ahead and put on her nightshift. She stepped over to the sink and gave her face another washing before she decided to go and catch up with the panther again.

            Her brother had gone to their room to do some calculations for Tygra about New Thundera. They were going to talk to them for a little bit tomorrow. Kit looked forward to it. But that didn’t shake the feeling of dread she felt surging through her blood.

            Kit looked out the bathroom window as she combed through her hair. The rain’s so dark, she thought. Too dark. Real rain isn’t this dark or black. Not nearly this dark. Kit scooped and picked up her wet clothes and dumped them into the hamper.

            “Is that you Cesira?” she muttered. “Are you back?”

            Kit sighed as rang some excess liquid from her stockings before dumping them in with her uniform. And stopped. A single word escaped her lips. It was cold, light and scared to death.

            “Cesira.”

            For as she looked at her hand, she saw the rain run off her stocking. It was black.

            Not mud, not dirt but black.

            Black rain.

Chapter Three: Rainy Days

            “I said go away!” Kit called at the knock on her door. “Leave me alone!”

            “Kit! It’s me! Kat!”

            “Are you deaf? I said go away!”

            Kat recoiled as if his sister had hit him. She had never turned away his comfort before. Something was desperately wrong. While WilyKat tried not to anger his sister anymore when she was like this, he knew something was torturing her from inside. He charged in with the excuse, “It’s my room too.”

            Kit glared at him at first but seemed to sigh in relief as he walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. It was a lot fancier than hers on Third Earth. ‘Fit for a princess.’ Kit liked it because it had her favorite colors, blue and pink in it. The mattress was filled with something called Flybird feathers. Its feathers were the softest on Thundera. The fabrics of the sheets themselves were made of a material very similar to Third Earth silk.

            Kit had her stuffed cat in one arm. It was something she only held when she was very worried or very scared. It had a faint smell of her mother left in it. Kit looked up at her brother again.

            “Hey Kit,” he said gently. “You okay?”

            She shook her head, tears in her eyes.

            “No Kat, I’m not.”

            Kat couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped at his sister’s next words.

            “I’m scared Kat.”

            Kit never told anyone she was scared. Except in intense situations.

            She looked up at her brother who stared down at her with a shocked expression. She sighed again and put her chin into the back of her stuffed animal. Tears filled her eyes and she buried her face into the back of the animal.

            Kat sighed and looked at his sister with sympathy. He ran his fingertips through his twin’s bright red mane, smoothing it behind her ears. She shuddered but didn’t reject her brother’s comforting gestures.

            Kit finally sat up and Kat wiped away his sibling’s tears with his palm. He lifted his sister’s head and stared into her deep amber eyes. She blinked and the extra tears made her eyes glimmer like silver Thundrillum. They looked like gems, so wide and afraid on her face.

            “What’s the matter, Kit?”

            She sighed.

            “Remember when you learned about the Diamond of Thundera and told me about it?”

            He nodded.

            “Well, remember how you tried to talk Lion-o into finding the pieces just in case and he refused?”

            “Heck yeah, I remember. He’s more stubborn than Mumm-ra.”

            That brought a temporarily grin to Kit’s face. She giggled and said, “You can always make me laugh, can’t you?”

            Kat laughed himself and said, “Yup.”

            Then Kit swiftly told Kat everything she’d been feeling lately. The evil force she felt recently and the black rain they’d both been it last night. Kat listened to every word as though it was the only thing that mattered. The adults would have told her that she was still jumpy from the attacks she had with Celeano and Cesira and was just getting paranoid.

            When Kit finished, she sighed again, “I tried to convince Lion-o to look for the fragments, Kat,” WilyKit confessed. “But he wouldn’t listen.”

            Kat nodded. It was because they were still kittens. Had they been older, Lion-o would listen but they were still children both physically and mentally. Although they were very mature for their twelve years, that didn’t change the fact that were kittens.

            “Kat,” Kit said again, breaking Kat from his thoughts. Kat felt a weight on his legs and saw that his sister had turned on her side and laid her head into his lap. He began to smooth her hair as his own mother used to do to him and Kit when they were younger. He had another memory of someone else doing it but it was too blurry to tell whom.

            “Kat?”

            WilyKat looked down at the girl who now had grabbed some of her brother’s shirt and clutched it between her fingers. He rubbed her shoulders and she snuggled closer to her brother, the only family she had left. But also for more comfort. Unlike other siblings, the twins scarcely argued. They were born together and had sworn to one another a long time ago that they would die together. Kit wanted her twin’s comfort, her best friend’s comfort.

            “What is it, WilyKit?”

            “I know we have to get those fragments! I KNOW IT!”

            She calmed a bit and said slowly with tears in her eyes.

            “I saw what will happen if we don’t Kat. I saw it in my dreams.”

            Kat gulped. He’d had dreams like that too. He pulled his sister up and she leaned against her brother’s torso. She spoke the dream and it was the same that her brother had had.

            “Cesira is alive. She gets her hands on the Diamond of Thundera. She attacks Thundera. We’ll fight to the finish but the Diamond’s too strong. We’ll fight but to no avail, Cesira will win. We’ll all die.”

            She looked up at Kat, tears blurring her vision.

            “We have to get that Diamond Kat. We have to.”

Chapter Four: Evil Schemes

            Cesira awoke slowly. Her brother Mumm-ra had told her that he had a full-proof plan this time. Cesira was reluctant to believe him but she had failed. So she was open to suggestions. The Ancient Spirits of Evil had granted her half-sibling the ability to become his former mortal self. It was merely so that he wouldn’t have to gather strength but he loved it. Cesira had shown him to an ancient cavern under Third Earth.

            “Mumm-ra?” she called out into the dark corridors. She felt an urge of evil surging here. Something very evil and destructive was very near.  She smiled and ran through the dank halls, her dress fluttering around her.

            “Over here, sister.”

            Cesira turned as her brother beckoned her to follow. She sneered but nonetheless followed. He led her to a hidden tunnel even she didn’t know about. He was leading her to his ultimate plan to end the Thundercats but she didn’t know of he was right or not. He had claimed that several times.

            “Why bother with this plan?” she demanded. “It would be easier to just destroy the Chain of Loyalty and leave the Thundercats to destroy each other.”

            “Before, it would have been sister,” he responded. “But not now. If you recall, the Thundercats encountered the Chain of Loyalty shortly after the kittens unlocked their powers. It was a few months after but before Celeano killed the adults. As a matter of fact, New Thundera first began to form at the exact moment that WilyKit unleashed her powers for the first time. She triggered its reformation. That’s how much power they have Cesira.”

            She stared at him. She didn’t know this. While she’d been attacking Mumm-ra had been gathering information.

            “When Panthro threw himself in front of the twins to save them, the Chain’s power weakened. It was created to prevent traitors. To tie the Thundercats together as a unit. But there is also one more thing: When true loyalty was proved, the Chain would lose its power to divide the Thundercats when broken. The reason: it proved that the Cats were loyal enough without that blasted chain. When the twins attacked Celeano to defeat her for the evil she’d caused but mostly for revenge for what she’d done to their friends, the chain-“

            “Lost its power completely,” Cesira finished. Mumm-ra nodded. Cesira spat in frustration. “So now it’s just a piece of jewelry.”

            “Correct.”

            She sighed. “So where’s this plan of yours?”

            “Right there.”

            He pointed ahead. Cesira took note of a huge iron door, a tomb entrance. Carved on where these words:

            Whenever someone passes through here

            The end of the universe is very near.

            Cesira smirked. She spoke and her voice was deep and icy. “Sounds promising Mumm-ra. What’s in here?”

            He smiled. “Some old friends of mine.”

            “Don’t play riddles, brother. What is it?”

            “Inside here are ancient gods and goddesses of First Earth. Humans referred to them as Greek or Egyptian. They were conquered by a greater power and locked in this prison for years. But now I shall release them.”

            Cesira nodded.

            Mumm-ra lifted his arms, “Hera, jealous goddess, Demeter, sorrow-stricken mother, Apollo, Artemis, strong willed twins. Seth, god of evil itself, Isis, goddess of magic, Sekhmet and Bast, who hold the powers of the sun, come forth. Seek revenge on the descendants of your captors. Earn your vengeance. Appear before me now!”

            A crash of thunder was heard in the distance and Cesira felt a strange black mist start to whip around the chamber. She put in her magic too. But not to release them. Instead to hold their minds in her control. She found Seth and Artemis extremely difficult to control. Yet she managed it. At least temporarily.

            A huge flash blinded her for the moment. But both Mumm-ra and herself said “Excellent,” as they reopened their eyes and where facing eight gods, each one more than any thing the cats could throw at them. They all only said three words and they said it in unison, in monotone,

            “Give us vengeance.”

Chapter Five: Memories of a Forgotten Time

            Panthro sat at the scanners, a strange feeling of dread rising inside him. He knew the kittens were worried. They’d tried several times to get the others to go to their ten moons to search for the fragments of the legendary Diamond of Thundera.

            While the panther felt sympathy for them, he also understood his lord’s refusal. They weren’t talking about searching for something that was easy to get. Every Thunderian raised from childhood to adulthood on the original planet knew how heavily guarded the fragments were. The Thundercats couldn’t risk it unless it was absolutely necessary.

            But it was beyond that. He was worried about the twins. As a father would be if his son and daughter began to act as the kittens had. If they had lack of concentration. If they seemed less happy. If they were saddened.

            “Jaga,” he whispered suddenly. “They’re my friends. But there’s something else I need to know. Tell me please.”

            He laid his head onto the panel but looked up again at the soft, strained, and tired voice. It was young, about WilyKit’s age and feminine. But it was weak. He lifted his head. And couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped his throat.

            He was looking forward and directly into a young Thunderian’s eyes. She was about twelve, maybe thirteen. Her bright red hair was now dull and transparent to a point. Her eyes looked at him with a faint amber glow. They were tired. But when the panther reached out to help support the child, his hands passed straight through her. She wasn’t really there.

            “Remember Panthro.” She said softly. “You must listen to the kittens. Do not put their age over your trust. Unlock the memories panther. Unlock the memories of a forgotten time.”

            “Who are you?” he demanded. She shook her head and reached a hand forward.

            “Close your eyes, Panthro,” she said softly. The voice was so soft, so innocent, that not even Panthro argued. “Let me show you why you care for them so. Let me show you those memories that you long to find.” She pressed a transparent hand against the panther’s forehead.

* * *

            The time was three years before the Diamond of Thundera was split up. Kitra led a series of expeditions to Moon Tenia. Her friend Cheetara had warned her of a coming evil. Despite Panthro’s protests for her to stay on Thundera, she’d come with Panthro to Moon Tenia. Kitra had taken several of the explorers to the left while Panthro took the rest to the right. They were searching for the gods. They had to warn them. They didn’t know everything. Perhaps the Thunderians could help them prepare for an attack.

            Kitra missed her Panthro now. She was crouched on the ground, screaming.

            One of the younger scouts, named Tygra ran for his best friend, Panthro. Kitra lay howling.

            “What’s happening?” one boy demanded the nurse that had come to Kitra’s aid.

            She bit her lip and answered softly, “The kittens are coming.”

            “Kitra,” she continued turning to the screaming Thundercat. “We have to get you to the spaceship. I can help you.”

            “No,” she gasped. “I don’t want you. I want Panthro. Where’s Panthro?”

            “Right here,” a voice called.

            “Panthro!” Kitra called reaching out her hands to him. He grasped them and then picked her up gently. The group immediately canceled the exploration. The birth of two new Thundercats was occurring.

            The group didn’t make it far. As they walked by one of Moon Tenia’s many lakes, Kitra screamed and clutched her stomach again. Her nurse, Lyina, hurried to her. She turned to Panthro.

            “Panthro, it can’t wait. The twins are coming. They want to be born. We have to deliver them right here.”

            Tygra suddenly announced. “There’s some soft land on this shore.”

            Panthro turned to Lyina. True it was wet because they would be born in a small section of the lake but Panthro would be there. Still a Thundercat born in a lake…

            “Our clan’s strong,” Kitra hissed. Panthro looked down. “Do it.”

            Panthro brought Kitra to the lake’s edge. It made sense in a way. Unlike other creatures, Thundercats and Thunderians were typically delivered in water. Some said it was to make sure they would be able to swim but others just went with it.

            Panthro crouched by Kitra and held his hands at ready. Lyina sat by her head and commanded, “Push!”

            Kitra pushed. She screamed her head off but she did push. The water was comforting for some odd reason and numbed her a little. When she felt she could push no more, Panthro called, “I can see the head!”

            With a final scream, Panthro held a newborn kitten in his hands. He took a handful of water and cleansed the kitten a little before taking off his cloak and wrapping the child up. He smiled at Kitra. “A little boy.”

            Five minutes later, he said, “A girl.”

* * *

            Panthro opened his eyes. “I..” he stammered. “I delivered the Thunderkittens?” he asked the girl. She nodded.  Then began to fade away. As she did, she spoke.

            “I have given you your memories, Panthro. Now please listen to the kittens. Help me.”

            He leapt up. “Who ARE you?”

            “Ali.”

Chapter Six: Protective Friends

            WilyKit soared over Leah’s village on her spaceboard. Her brother had gone to the gym to train with Panthro. She had wanted to come but Panthro had convinced her to go check on Leah’s village for him and maybe see how Leah was doing.

            Kit had rejected. But Panthro needed only to raise an eyebrow at her and say her name nice and low and she stopped any further complaints. She did storm off but then decided to go check on Leah after all.

            Panthro turned to WilyKat as she left.

            “Panthro?” Kat said slowly, not raising his eyes to meet the panther’s. Panthro looked at him as he watched his sister speed away. He gently put a hand under the child’s chin and turned his face towards him. Kat looked at him with young, curious eyes.

            “What Kat?” he asked, looking deep into the child’s eyes. He saw an innocence there that always seemed to calm his worries or fears. Kat stared right back into the older Thundercat’s eyes and saw the experience there that was denied to him and his sister.

            “Why don’t you guys listen to me?”

            Panthro tried to appear confused but didn’t succeed. Kat sighed.

            “Panthro, the fragments. We-“

            “Don’t tell me,” he interrupted. “I know you think we have to find them. And…I do believe you WilyKat.”

            Kat looked right at him.

            “You do?”

            “Yeah kitten,” he said softly, ruffling the kitten’s mane. Panthro and Lion-o had finally decided that so the twins weren’t so embarrassed when they went out, to have them just wear either the traditional cloak, like Kat and Panthro had on, or in Kit’s case a longer skirt over their clothes instead of the fancy stuff. They could save that for ceremonies.

            “Why?” Kat asked.

            Panthro smiled. “Long story kiddo.” Then he started to tell Kat about last night.

* * *

            “Please,” Leah begged, reaching out her arms to Lyann, a girl bully in her town. Lyann had caught Leah with a talisman the Thundercats had given her and gotten jealous. Instead of asking her where she got it, Lyann just took it.

            “Please,” Leah begged again. “Give it back, Lyann. It was a gift from my friends.”

            “You mean the “Nobles.” Lyann corrected with a sneer. She spat the word, “Noble” as if it were dirty. Leah felt her eyes burn with hot tears. Lyann had used to be nice but lately she was a witch. Leah didn’t dare stand up to her. She was a full-fledged lion, not a cheetah-lion hybrid like Leah was. Also she was fourteen.

            “No,” Leah dared. She reached out again in futile attempts to regain her gift. “They’re my friends.”

            “Shut up!” Lyann raised her hand to hit her.

            “Back off, jerk.” A new voice called.

            Kit landed and stepped off her spaceboard. She was mad already but this jerk of a girl picking on someone half her size just made her furious beyond imagining. Panthro had told her time and time again that if she ever EVER started a fight or fought a fellow Thunderian that wasn’t an enemy, he’d ground her until next year. But WilyKit was the impetuous twin. She was angry.

            “Well,” Lyann sneered, “If it isn’t the Noble WilyKit,” she laughed and did a phony curtsy. “Back off, Miss Royalty, I can handle this. You Thundercats don’t understand the tough life.”

            “Whatever,” Kit shot back. “I know more about fighting and surviving then you’ll ever know!”

            “Wanna test that, brat?”

            Everyone gasped. Thunderians didn’t call Thundercats “brats.” They just didn’t.

            Kit turned to Lyann. “Give Leah back her talisman.”

            “No,”

            Kit narrowed her eyes. Lyann laughed and mocked, “Ooo, you’re scaring me.”

            “Alright,” Kit snarled. “That’s it!” Without even thinking about it, she tore off her long skirt and told Lyann with an icy voice, “You want trouble? You’re looking at her. My NAME is trouble!”

            Then, the two ran towards each other, fists flying.

Chapter Seven: Cat Fight!

            WilyKat walked outside the gym with Panthro. He was hot and tired. Sipping some water from a cup, he followed the panther to the Whisker. Panthro began to climb in, when someone called, “Panthro! WilyKat! HO!”

            The two turned and smiled as Cheetara and Bengali walked up to them.

            “How are you kiddo?” Cheetara smiled at the kitten and gave his mass of hair a small ruffle. Kat giggled.

            “Fine and hot.”

            Bengali laughed. “Well, before long you’ll get the hang of it.”

            Kat nodded. He took another swing from his cup when Leah came running up.

            “Leah!” Cheetara cried. She ran to the child and embraced her. Leah hugged her briefly, and then turned to them all, her eyes wide.

            “What’s wrong, Leah?” Kat asked suddenly. Leah took a deep breath and said.

            “Well, Lyann was picking on me again and she even tried to take my talisman-“

            “Why the little-“ Kat started but Panthro quickly hushed him. Kat fell silent.

            “But it isn’t that. She…she…”

            “She what, Leah?” Bengali asked, dropping to her level. Leah didn’t say anything else but lifted her shirt, revealing a fairly large bruise that had turned black and purple already. Cheetara could see it was new.

            “Lyann did this to you?” Bengali demanded, nearly bursting from anger.

            Leah nodded.

            The Thundercats clutched their hands into fists. Leah wasn’t finished with her news but Panthro interrupted her.

            “By Jaga, if the brat weren’t weaker than me, I’d-“

            “Please Help HER.” Leah cried, bursting into tears. They all whirled to face her. Cheetara stepped a little closer.

            “What do you mean by that, Leah?”

            Leah wiped her tears away. Then all caring lost, she flung herself at Cheetara, weeping. She whirled to face WilyKat. “Last I saw her, your sister had her on the ground. They were clawing at each other like wild animals.”

* * *

            Kit groaned as Lyann delivered another kick to her forehead. She felt a headache seize her but she wasn’t out yet. Not by a long shot. She delivered a kick that would have been impossible for a normal Thunderian. But Panthro had trained her well.

            Lyann stumbled and Kit barreled into her, shoulder right into the child’s gut. Lyann flew backward and then picked herself up to charge WilyKit again.  But Kit was faster. She did a front handspring and let her feet connect with Lyann’s chin. The girl barreled back, clutching her mouth.

            Then, she had decided that she was not gonna be taken down by a twelve-year old at that. Especially not a noble. She glared at Kit. Reached into her belt slowly as the kitten ran towards her.

            “Try this, spoiled twerp,” she thought.

            As she withdrew a glittering dagger.

* * *

            Panthro and Bengali tore ahead of the others. Cheetara had hurried to alert the Lair. She didn’t really need to, but finding something about this girl’s past had made her concerned. Also the fact that she was not only older than Kit but of the lion clan worried her.

            Leah had told her that that she had been a bully on Thundera before, according to what her older cousins told her. Her eldest cousin, Lynxa, of the lion and lynx clan, had said she was famous for her fights.

            Bengali and Panthro tore through the crowd. It hadn’t taken long to find the two fighters. A large ring had formed and people were shouting, “Catfight! Catfight!”

            Panthro knew they had to hurry. Unlike males who stopped when one battler was down, females kept it going until the other was too exhausted or hurt to rise up. The younger Thunderians upon seeing the adult’s insignias had swiftly moved.

            Then Panthro’s heart leapt into his throat.

            “Lyann! You coward!” the boy turned and saw the adults. “Stop her! She has a dagger!”

            Kit had seen it first though. She reached into her heart. As Lyann flew towards her, a pain entered her legs. She screamed. “The brat stabbed her!” the same child cried again. Panthro and Bengali tore through just as Kit jerked her legs and kicked Lyann backward. This time, her aim was right on.

            Lyann hit the ground hard and the pain was too much. She collapsed.

            Kit forced her way up and glared at Lyann. She said plainly, “You got guts girl.”

            “But watch your actions, twerp!” a voice called. Lyann turned and faced all the nobles. She turned. Kat was helping Kit to her feet. They had her surrounded.

Chapter Eight: In Need of Firepower

            Cesira growled in frustration. Demeter and the other gods were trying to distract the Thunderians but were reasonable enough to try and come up with a strategy first. Demeter however was so determined to get her daughter, Persephone back that she had jumped into the situation.

            Cesira hated people disobeying her.

* * *

            “WilyKit,” Kat smiled at her. The others had left them alone. Panthro saw that the knife had only grazed Kit’s leg, although it was a little deeper than usual. Kit smiled at her brother as he pulled one edge of her skirt up and gently began to wipe the wound with some alcohol. Kit hissed and gritted her teeth. A small “Ouch,” escaped her lips.

            Kat grimaced himself. He remembered getting the same treatment not too long ago when he fell off his spaceboard when a strange sixth sense feeling hit him, with an intenseness he’d never dreamed of.

            When he fell, he’d been traveling through the forest that was now called The Forest of Burgeon. It used to be the Iron Glades. He’d fallen from a fairly high level and whacked his head on the way down, sending him into unconsciousness. But luckily, Bengali had been nearby and heard him scream from the sixth sense vision.

            The white tiger found him unconscious and bleeding.

            Kat shook himself out of his thoughts and whispered to WilyKit, “sorry,” Kit smiled and nodded, saying without words that it was okay.

            “Roow, how ya doin Kit?” a voice called in. Kit and Kat turned as Bengali entered the room. They’d entered Leah’s house and Leah’s parents had showered the kitten with thanks. Now they had given the Thundercats the medical equipment that they needed to treat Kit’s wounds.

            Kit smiled as her brother wrapped a bandage around her leg. She winced as he tightened it a little bit. Bengali laughed and sat down beside WilyKit. He took another bandage from the kit along with some ointment. He poured some gel onto a cloth and lifted Kit’s face. With gentle gestures, he smoothed some over the large cut on the child’s forehead.

            “Oww!” Kit protested and instinctively tried to pull away. But Bengali had a firm grip on her chin. The white tiger laughed and blew on her cut a little as he had to younger kittens before Old Thundera was destroyed. Bengali wrapped the bandage around her forehead gently.

            “I think that’s it.” Kat said. The tiger nodded. Kit started to get to her feet but she swayed. Bengali pushed her back down.

            “Oh no,” he said, shaking a finger in her face. “You did get a minor concussion kiddo. Congrats to you for defending Leah but roow, Lyann of the LION clan. You’re a SMALL CAT clan. Do the math kid,”

            Kit lowered her head. She didn’t feel shame for defending her friend and she knew Bengali wasn’t mad at her but still his rather rough words hurt her. Kat wrapped his arms around her. The white tiger suddenly turned and left for a minute.

            Kit sighed in her brother’s arms. Bengali returned then.

            “Thunderkittens, let’s get you two back to the Lair. Especially you, Kit.”

            But instead of letting her try to walk, Bengali scooped her up into his arms. As they left, Kit and Kat found out from him that once home, there would be a full council meeting, minus WilyKit and Kat.

            “What!” they cried. “Why?”

            Bengali laughed. “You two lose track of time too quickly. Look at the time.”

            Kat checked the clocks and saw that it was already night. But how had it got so late?

            “It was already five when you two came out,” Bengali explained. “And believe it or not, Kit, that fight lasted a fairly long time. And you were pretty torn up when we got to ya. Wasn’t she, Kat?”

            Kit turned to her twin. He nodded.

            Bengali smirked as the male kitten bit down a yawn. They’d been busy all day and were exhausted by now. Inside however, lay an agonizing fear. Several Thunderians had fallen ill in this single day. Panthro and Lion-o had found that out from Cats Lair while he and Kat tended to Kit. The whole of Thundera’s harvest had turned bad and either been too bad to eat or withered away.

            “We still have to figure that out.” He muttered to himself. “Mumm-ra’s been free from the Book of Omens for weeks and tried nothing. I wouldn’t put this past him.”

* * *

            Demeter fell to the ground, feeling weaker than she ever had. She struggled to get up but hadn’t the strength. Her long blond hair tumbled past her cheeks and she felt her head drop.

            “Tired Demeter.” A voice hissed.

            “Cesira?” she asked. Sure enough the evil goddess appeared before her. She glared and spat in Demeter’s face as she yanked her up by the hair.

            “You fool. You poisoned all the Thunderians’ crops. ALL of them?! You might as well announce over a PA system: Mumm-ra and Cesira are back!”

            “Please, give me another chance.” Demeter begged. Cesira shook her head.

            “I made that mistake with Chilla. You’re rather clever though, girl. You’ve figured that I’m giving you your strength because your worshippers have fled. Only Seth and Artemis don’t need that. But now, neither do you.” Cesira waved her hand.

            Demeter collapsed. She tried to get up but hadn’t the strength. She tried to pull air into her lungs but hadn’t the strength. She looked down at her hands. They were pale, transparent almost. Then as she watched, they began to fade away. The last thing she heard before she faded away into oblivion was: “I just took away my power. You’re nothing without power. Without power, you’re mortal and you’re already centuries dead.”

            As Cesira watched her fade away, a hand clasped her shoulder. She turned and found her half-brother beside her.

            “a little harsh sister?” he asked.

            “No, Mumm-ra. I need the gods merely for distraction. I can kill the kittens myself.”

            “And how? I COULDN’T!”

            “You may recall the shadow that attacked Thundera when the gods lost their mortal halves. You may remember that before Thundera it destroyed ten planets, full of sentient species. Ali declared that one day it would be reborn.”

            She smiled.

            “It was Brother. Inside me!”

Chapter Nine: Sixth Sense

            The Thundercats gathered in council and were all nervous. Panthro especially. For some reason, it didn’t seem right when the kittens weren’t there. Cheetara sat in her seat, nervous. He could tell. Bengali and Lynx-o were the only ones that managed to look calm. Even Lion-o was worried. The two snarfs had left to help the Thunderians.

            Luckily, the poisonings weren’t that bad and could easily be cured. Still, this meant that some evil had survived. Panthro worried about not Mumm-ra but Cesira. WilyKat had defeated her several months ago on Third Earth but that didn’t mean it was forever.

            And someone had freed Mumm-ra from the Book of Omens.

            “Lion-o?” Cheetara started the conversation. He turned to look at her.

            “Yes, what is it Cheetara?”

            “It’s…my sixth sense.”

            That was all anyone needed. They all turned to stare at her. She sighed.

            “Well, it’s what the kittens have been telling all of us.”

            “you mean about the Fragments of the Diamond of Thundera?” Lynx-o inquired. She nodded.

            “Last night, I had a vision. About destruction. The end of the Thundercats.”

            Lion-o and the others exchanged looks. Panthro spoke up.

            “I had a weird vision last night too.”

            Everyone turned to the panther. When Panthro revealed that he had any doubts or fear whatsoever, it was something to listen to. He sighed and started to tell them about it.

            “What was it of?” Lynx-o cut in. The Thundercats turned to the panther and nodded. He looked up at them. Taking a deep breath, he began to talk.

            “Well, the strange thing is I don’t think it was a vision. I think it really happened.”

            He took note that they were definitely listening and continued.

            “Well, I was sitting at the control panel and something kept bugging me. Like I was missing something. Some lost memories. Then…then she appeared.”

            “Who?” Bengali demanded.

            “She was pretty young, I could tell that much. Maybe about WilyKit and WilyKat’s age, maybe a little bit older. But she was pale, weak. She wasn’t just a little pale either. I could see the screen THROUGH her.”

            A gasp of surprise escaped every Thundercat’s throat.

            “She was beautiful. She had pale red hair that only fell to the tops of her shoulders, which were bare. They were pale too, an awful pale. When I saw how weak she was, I instinctively reached out to her. You know, to support her.”

            They nodded.

            “But my hands went straight through her. She wasn’t really there. And her face was strained as if her talking to me was weakening her beyond imagining. Her amber eyes were lonely and frightened.”

            Panthro took another breath. He remembered something now that he hadn’t noticed before.

            “Guys, she had a red glow around her.”

            Everyone fell silent and stunned. A red glow could only mean one thing: Immortality.

            “Panthro,” Lynx-o said slowly. “What did she tell you?”

            Panthro looked at Lynx-o. “She told me that I delivered the twins into the world.”

            “Her name?” Bengali asked.

            Panthro looked directly into Lion-o’s eyes and answered, “Ali.”

            Only Cheetara said anything after that. And it was only five simple words.

            “The Princess of the Gods?”

* * *

            A hand grazed Leah’s hair and she turned in her sleep. The touch was so faint that she almost thought that she imagined it. But then, the voice came, crisp and clear. But weak.

            “Leah, awaken Leah.”

            The young girl stirred slightly.

            “Leah, please, awaken.”

            This time, Leah opened her eyes. Then sat up completely.

            “Who are YOU?”

            The girl floating over her bed was older, perhaps seventeen. But she was pale. So pale that Leah could see right through her. Her hair was long and a pale yellow. It waved about her hips like golden ocean waves. Her dress was slender and the sleeves and sash she had drapped over her hair were translucent. The light blue dress had no top that covered the shoulders. Instead the sleeves started about even with the tops of her breasts. Her lips were a pale pink but had obviously once been a beautiful red. Blue beautiful eyes smiled at Leah in a way of consulation.

            “Be calm little one,” the girl smiled and moved so that she was right by Leah’s side. “My name is Tinna. I’m the goddess of cool feelings and was born on Moon Kuyia, the Water Moon.”

            Now Leah too could see the bright red immortal glow that sparkled and shimmered out from this immortal source. She swallowed hard.

            “Goddess Tinna?” she managed to gasp.

            Tinna nodded. “Help me, little one. The ten gods of Thundera are trapped within the Diamond fragments. But the Diamond must be reformed. The gods must reappear or Thundera is doomed.”

            Then, she faded away and Leah could feel her presence no longer.

* * *

            “This could be serious Lion-o,” Cheetara started to say but was interrupted by a small voice crying out the Thundercats names, one after the other.

            “Leah?!” Cheetara cried out in shock as the young girl tore into the room. Her hair was wild and her breath came in rapid gasps.

            “Leah? What are you-“ Lion-o started to ask but then Leah burst out.

            “The Diamond must be reformed!”

            Everyone exchanged glances. Leah burst out another statement and they knew she was serious.

            “Goddess Tinna appeared to me!”

            Cheetara took a deep breath as the others ran towards Leah.

            “Leah?” Bengali asked. “Are you certain? We can’t just rush into the unknown without absolute certainty.”

            “She’s sure,” two new voices called in. Turning, the adults caught sight of the Thunderkittens as they entered the room. Their eyes were intent. Leah ran to them. Kat opened his arms to her and she let him wrap his stronger arms around her frail form.

            “There’s only one way to know for certain,” Cheetara said slowly. Everyone focused on her. She stepped away from them all, into the center of the room and began to spin…

End of Part One

To Be Continued…

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