Thundercats Fan Fiction ❯ Last Life ❯ Chapter Ten: Home Invasion ( Chapter 10 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Chapter Ten
She ran to the entrance to the Cats’ Lair with Snarf still on her shoulder and Kassim running beside her. The most unlikely sight greeted the trio ever, or at least to Catrina it was an unusual sight. Across the chasm was a blue-skinned woman dressed in a white dress with a white cape attached to her shoulders. A crescent moon was on her forehead.

“Oh n-no! The Lunatacs!” Snarf cried out in a trembling voice as a large dragon shaped tank pulled up to the gulf. Catrina blinked in mild confusion, gripping her sword even tighter.

“The…Lunatacs?” The girl echoed. She heard Kassim growling from beside her. “I’m guessing they’re not here to welcome me to Munchkin Land.” She said sarcastically to herself.

“They’re not here to welcome anyone! They’re here to kill us!” Snarf added. The nursemaid leapt off Catrina’s shoulder to reach a nearby lever on the wall. He managed to pull down on the lever just in time as a large dragon shaped tank pulled up to the other side of the gap. The bridge quickly retracted back into the base of the cliff, not giving the mechanical tank a chance to cross it.

Catrina could see a small, strange looking woman on the shoulders of an equally strange looking behemoth of a creature with a saddle on its back. “What in the world is that thing?” The young Thunderian asked in surprise. She nearly jumped at hearing a loud screeching voice emitted by the strange woman.

“You blasted Kitten! Do something, Chilla! Teach that fur ball a lesson!” The small woman seemed to throw a fit as she writhed like a child throwing a temper tantrum. The white cladded woman close to her made a hissing sound as she glared at the smaller woman.

“I will, Princess Luna!” Her voice sent chills down Catrina’s spine. The white haired Lunatac looked back at a short male Lunatac with a Mohawk. Chilla’s dark blue lips curled into a threatening smirk. “Think you can bounce me over there, Tug Mug?” The mistress of ice and snow asked in her frosty whispery voice.

The one called Tug Mug returned her smirk and his great belly shook from the force of his laughter as he answered her. “Bounce? We could bounce to this galaxy’s puny moon on the way over.” His statement was a sarcastic one that both infuriated and amused Chilla, but Catrina shivered from fright at hearing the exchange.

“Oh great, I guess that’ll be one small step for man, but one giant leap for all of Evil-kind?” Catrina said rhetorically.

Snarf whimpered softly as he hid behind her, his fur bristling from fright. “I don’t know about small steps, but Tug Mug can be over here faster than you can say Thundera.” His sentence ended in a nervous purr as he said that.

Catrina took in a deep breath; her eyes quickly scanning her surroundings for anything that might help her stop the feeble attempts of the Lunatacs. She released a breath she did not know she was holding as she watched Tug Mug grab Chilla by the wrist and start bouncing towards the gorge; only he managed to bounce so high that not even Catrina could believe it. “What the—“

“Lina! Whatever you’re going to do, do it now!” Snarf yelled as the shadows of the two Lunatacs hung overhead. They were coming down on her and fast. The thirteen year old only had a few seconds to act, in which she did. She quickly whipped out her mother’s katana lash just as Tug Mug and Chilla were coming down upon her. Tug Mug’s four spring like legs landed on the blade of her katana, immediately weighing it down.

Catrina found herself struggling to keep her grip on her weapon as her knees began to buckle from under Tug Mug and Chilla’s combined weight, but the weight lessened slightly as Tug Mug released Chilla. Chilla landed next to Catrina, her cape fluttering behind her. Catrina’s heart leapt with fright at seeing the sinister grin forming on the snow mistress’s lips.

“Ready to be a frozen kitty cat, you Thunder fur ball?” Chilla snarled. Her voice chilled Catrina’s insides as she said this. The female Lunatac found the fear in her prey’s eyes amusing. You could say it tickled her insides. Chilla could see herself reflected in the Thunderian’s eyes as she took in a deep breath. She was preparing to whip up an icy wind when Snarf leapt at her with his claws out and his teeth poking out of his mouth.

“You leave her alone, C-Chilla!” Despite the fear racing through his entire body, Snarf felt like he had to protect Catrina at any cost, even if it means risking his life in the process. As soon as he was within reach, he sank his claws into Chilla’s face, hissing and growling ferociously.

Chilla let out a howl of pain as she stumbled back. Her face felt like it was on fire from Snarf’s furious attack. Temporarily blinded, the mistress of frost took in a deep breath and released a chilling wind that would turn any living thing into a breathing Popsicle, only Snarf would become the Popsicle.

Catrina’s heart leapt at hearing the solid steel in the blade of her sword beginning to crack under Tug Mug’s weight. She could see the heavy Lunatac’s red lips forming into a menacing grin as they locked gazes with each other.

“Too bad you can’t help your friend, little Kitten.” Tug Mug laughed. He pushed down even more, forcing Catrina’s knees to buckle

Catrina just gritted her teeth, refusing to release her sword. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the male. “T-there’s just one thing you’re overlooking, fatso!” Summoning any extra strength she could muster from within herself, the Thunderian started to lift her sword, taking Tug Mug with it. The crack on the blade was starting to split open even more against the forces of the two opponents’ strengths.

Tug Mug’s eyes widened at feeling himself being pushed back slightly. When he looked at the child holding the katana, he could see her arms shaking from the force of trying to keep him aloft. He growled and pushed himself down even more. There was no way he was going to let a mere adolescent beat him. “You little…” However, no more was said as Catrina’s eye began to glow a faint blue and Tug Mug soon found himself being pounced upon by Kassim.

The force of Kassim jumping onto him knocked him backwards off the Katana Lash and away from Catrina. He found himself hitting the ground rather hard, which would have knocked the wind out of him if he was not so heavy, but that did nothing to keep the male beast off him. Kassim snarled, his pupils turning to tiny slits, as his fur bristled with determination, fear, and anger. Tug Mug bared his own teeth at him.

“Get off of me, pussy cat!” His words only made Kassim angrier and the lion pressed one of his paws against Tug Mug’s throat, cutting off his breathing supply.

Relieved at being free of the heavy burden that had been Tug Mug, Catrina glanced in Snarf’s direction to see how her old nursemaid was faring, only to see a chilling sight. She had looked over just in time to see Chilla release her icy cold breath on the reptilian feline. She gripped her sword even more and running at the white Lunatac, Catrina swung her weapon at Chilla. She managed to catch the brunt of the freezing breath on the blade of the sword. The temperature around her dropped rapidly at feeling the case of ice enveloping not only the sword, but her hand as well. Catrina shivered from the chill, but at least she managed to protect Snarf.

“Lina!” Snarf landed on the ground upon Chilla tossing him to the side.

Chilla laughed in her eerie way and she inhaled deeply before exhaling, expelling her frosty breath once more, aiming it at Catrina. Catrina became completely encased in ice. “It looks like we’re serving cold revenge for dessert, and with a side of Lion Cub!” The frosty woman said. She then turned to the lion pinning her fellow Lunatac under him before breathing her cold breath of ice at him as well.

As if sensing the danger, Kassim growled and leapt at Chilla, baring his claws at her, but he became frozen solid by the alien woman’s icy cold breath and the lion dropped to the ground like a rock sinking in water.

Another one of Chilla’s laughs echoed in the air, slicing through the feeling of foreboding and danger as Tug Mug managed to sit up. The jumper used his arms to push himself up from the ground, where he took to the air, only to come back down on his metallic feet. His squinty eyes turned to the frozen Wild Cat lying on its side. He could see Kassim’s flank rise and fall slowly with the small breaths he took. “Good riddance.” He muttered before looking back at Chilla and Catrina. “Hurry up. We have to deliver this brat to Mumm-Ra.”

“Hold your unicorns, Tug Mug. Why shouldn’t we have a little fun with her before we hand her over to that idiot, Mumm-Ra?” Chilla’s dark blue lips curled back into a smirk as she towered over the frozen Catrina. “This little brat has caused us a lot of trouble.”

Tug Mug just growled and rolled his eyes as he came to his companion’s side. “Those blasted Thundercats will be back as soon as they learn that the alarm was false and we can’t take any chances on this kitten having already contacted her precious Lord of the Thundercats. Now let’s go!” He grabbed Chilla by the wrist and hefting the frozen Catrina to his other shoulder; the Lunatac propelled himself into the sky, giving himself enough force to jump over the chasm where Luna, Amok, and the other two Lunatacs were waiting for them in the Luna Tank.

Snarf ran after them until he reached the edge of the cliff, where Alluro flew overhead. Chilla grabbed onto the wing of the flying contraption, allowing Tug Mug to hoist the frozen Catrina onto the back seat behind the third Lunatac.

“Lina! Oh no.” His ears folded themselves against his head as the Lunatacs drifted away. Snarf watched helplessly as the Luna Tank pulled out and drove away in the direction of either Sky Tomb or Mumm-Ra’s Pyramid.

“This is bad, very bad.” The Nursemaid said to himself, nervously playing with his fingers. He quickly ran back to Kassim’s side and climbed on top of the ice that encased the lion. “Come on, Kassim! Snap out of it! Lina needs us!”

The Snarf jumped with mild fright as the ice began to move, but he felt disappointed, as Kassim did not break free. He could sense a wave of panic washing over the half-grown Lion Cub and he purred in worry. “I know just how you feel, Kassim…”

--

The Thundertank skimmed smoothly over fields of green grass and dark earth with Panthro at the helm. No matter how many times he has gone on a ride in the Thundertank with the warrior, Lion-O could never believe that this seemingly heavy vehicle could almost float as if it were on ice. His golden eyes watched as Panthro pulled down on a nearby lever, making the Thundertank speed up some. Usually Lion-O would be enjoying the prospect of scouting out the corners of Third Earth for any sign of trouble, but the mind of the young Lord of the Thundercats was somewhere else, as was his heart.

Lion-O glanced at the sword and gauntlet at his hip. Nothing. The Sword of Omens was silent and still in the Cat Claw. He could not help feeling that there was something wrong. He almost wanted to take a hold of the Thundertank’s steering wheel and turn the tank around, but he did not. Instead, he remained in his seat and tried to ignore the foreboding thoughts flitting around in his mind. The wind blew through his red mane as he sat there, pondering the many worries crossing his brain.

Panthro looked at his ruler from the corner of his eye and gave a small smile. He knew where his Lord’s mind was. It was on Lina and possibly pondering the lost time she spent from him and the other Thundercats. Panthro, himself, had to admit it, he, too, was a bit perplexed at how they could not find Lina up until right after they rescued Pumyra, Bengali, and Lynx-O. He lost all confidence in finding Lina over time and that fact alone was what had driven a wedge between him and his friends.

Tygra had worked endlessly in finding his lost student and Lion-O believed that their missing member was alive and well. It all paid off in the end and they managed to find her. Now all they needed to focus on was maintaining the peace on Third Earth and spreading the teachings of the Code of Thundera.

The mechanic chuckled a bit before finally speaking. “Anything on your mind, Son?” Panthro asked out of concern. It was unusual for Lion-O to be so quiet.

The look on the Lion’s face told him that he had startled him. Lion-O’s mind was definitely elsewhere.

Lion-O smiled faintly at Panthro and scratched the side of his face. “I-it’s nothing, Panthro. I…I was just lost in thought, that’s all.” The young Lord of the Thundercats mumbled. He turned his golden brown eyes to stare at his fellow Thunderian. He hoped the conviction in his tone would appease Panthro, but it did not. In the very least, it raised the flag for alarm in Panthro’s soul and the panther Thunderian’s great body shook from the small chortle building up in the back of his throat.

“Tygra’s louder than you are when he goes into thought, Lion-O. So, come on, tell me what’s going on inside that head of yours.” Panthro slowed the Thundertank a bit so he could hear his Lord a bit better, instead of having to yell over the blast of wind howling in their ears.

Lion-O looked a bit apprehensive as Panthro said those words. He broke eye contact with the blue furred Thundercat to look at the Sword of Omens sleeping in the Cat Claw, allowing the silence to give him some time to put together his thoughts.

How am I to tell him about my concerns for Lina? At least Tygra would understand and feel the same way. The Lord of the Thundercats thought to himself with his eyes closed. Lion-O breathed deeply before releasing his breath and he opened his eyes again.

“I’m concerned about Lina, I mean Catrina.” He began in a quiet tone. There was almost a sad undertone in his words as he spoke. He struggled with saying his betrothed’s new name. Just the name alone felt strange, alien, and unfamiliar to him. It saddened him that Catrina had abandoned the teachings of their race, only to take up the guise of a mere human.

What made her abandon the Code of Thundera? Why? Why did she abandon the Code of Thundera? What happened to her during the time she spent on that backwater planet called First Earth? How did she even wind up on First Earth?

There were so many questions going through his mind that the Lion could not handle it. This was the inner struggle Lion-O always faced surfacing. He has always managed to suppress his personal demons and the battles that always raged between his true, childish self and the adult Lion-O that was the Lord everyone wanted him to be. He has suppressed the personal feelings for so long for the sake of the others, but now Catrina’s appearance had brought this battle to the surface and it was beginning to show.

Seeing the inner battle raging within Lion-O, Panthro reached over and placed his free hand on his friend’s shoulder. He was about to speak comforting words when the warning growl of the Eye of Thundera sounded, breaking the tense silence between them.

Lion-O quickly reached for the Sword of Omens and held it up to where the hilt was at eye level. “Sword of Omens, give me Sight Beyond Sight.” The Lord of the Thundercats commanded. He watched as the cross bars of the sword curled up as if to curl around his eyes. The Eye of Thundera glowed faintly, making Lion-O’s eyes flash. It was at this moment that the Eye of Thundera and Lion-O’s mind reached out, encountering each other. Lion-O saw an image in his mind’s eye.

He saw Catrina, Snarf, and Kassim trying to fight off Chilla and Tug Mug, only to have the two Lunatacs victorious and run off with a newly frozen Catrina in their grasp. Lion-O’s heart leapt to his throat at seeing the Lunatacs carrying his childhood friend off to only Jaga knows where. When the sword shrank back to its original size and the Eye of Thundera went back to sleep, the lion placed his weapon back into the Claw Shield.

“What’s wrong, Lion-O?” Panthro glanced at his young Lord in confusion. He could tell by Lion-O’s face that there was major trouble. He immediately braced himself to make a U-turn and return to the Cats’ Lair. His right hand went to the lever, ready to put the Thundertank in reverse.

Lion-O felt his body become tense with anger as his heart started to race. There was no telling what the Lunatacs were going to do with Lina, nor why they took her in the first place. He could only guess that it was Mumm-Ra, who ordered them to kidnap her. “We have to return to the Lair. They have her.” He growled.

“Who?” Panthro asked.

“The Lunatacs.”