Third Earth: Tatiana’s Castle

Late Saturday Afternoon

Opening her eyes, Tatiana stood up and stretched. She inhaled deeply and took in the musty, damp smell of the room. Once again, she studied her new surroundings. It was much better that the dark blue cell she had been in for the past two hundred years.

In the corner, the four statues’ eyes began to glow red. The water in the cauldron rose into the air and a purple haze of smoke filled the room. “Tatiana,” the Ancient Spirits of Evil called out. “Come to the cauldron and learn all the changes that have taken place on Third Earth.”

Tatiana gracefully walked up the steps to the water’s edge. She peered into the cauldron as an image appeared. For an hour, the Ancient Spirits of Evil showed their new servant all the places and people residing on Third Earth, including the Warrior Maidens, the Berbils, and the Wollows.

“This is all imperative to know,” she stated. “But you have yet to say one word about these so-called ThunderCats. What are they like?”

“You are wise to ask,” they answered. “We have some alarming news. Now there are more of those wretched do-gooders here because of the cheetah’s demise. We did not foresee this, but surely you can handle them all.”

The woman in black nodded, “Of course I can.”

She pulled out her sword and swung it swiftly in the air. “I’ve killed hundreds with this sword. They too shall perish by my hand!”

“We expect no less from you, Tatiana. Look into the cauldron and see these two ThunderCats. They are called Pumyra and Ben-gali. The puma has a slingshot and pellets that she uses to fight her enemies. She is also quick and agile.”

“Mere children’s toys,” Tatiana smirked.

“Ben-gali uses this hammer which shoots out energy bolts. This ThunderCat remains on Thundera.”

The scene changed again. “Now these two are Snarf and Snarfer. It is believed that snarfs are incapable of evil. Snarf is the loyal companion of the Lord of the ThunderCats.”

“Stupid furry creatures.”

Ignoring her comment, the evil spirits continued, “These two are the twins, WilyKit and WilyKat. They too use various pellets. They are cunning, and together, are not to be underestimated. The two young ThunderCats are just as effective as an adult when they work together.”

“More children and their toys. Isn’t there anyone more serious than this?”

“You want serious, Tatiana! We will show you serious! The ThunderCat you see now is called Lynx-o. He’s the oldest. Also, he’s blind, but his other senses are extraordinary. The lynx hears things the others cannot. His only weapon is the light shield you see banded on his wrist. He is the other ThunderCat on Thundera.”

“Getting a little better . . .”

“This is the ThunderCat Panthro. His knowledge of the martial arts helps him fight his enemies. Panthro is most deadly with his Nun-chucks. Look how he stores things inside of them to surprise his enemies.”

Tatiana rubbed her hands together and replied, “Ooh, something I can sink my teeth into!”

“These two are the ThunderCat tigers Tygra and Talia. They are the intelligent cats. Both of them have mental powers that can hypnotize people, or they cause others to hallucinate. They use bolo whips that are capable of shooting fire balls. The male is thought to be the next in line as the Lord of the ThunderCats.”

The image changed once again. “However, it is this ThunderCat that had moved up to second-in-command. This is Cheetara, the one we destroyed.”

“Yeah, yeah, keep going,” Tatiana interrupted.

“And finally, we have the Lord of the ThunderCats. The others call him Lion-O. Inside the claw shield is the mystic Sword of Omens. It holds the Eye of Thundera, the source of the ThunderCats’ power.”

“And the key to making me . . .” Tatiana stopped suddenly and rested her head into her palms.

“What is the matter, Tatiana?”

“The She-cat, she’s inside of me!”

“How can that be?”

Tatiana shook her head and looked back up. “I don’t know! She was suppose to take my place in the Netherworld! When I telepathically merged with her, she must have held on to this plane. I can hear her thoughts, and she can hear mine.”

“This could be a problem.”

The evil woman paused for a moment lost in her thoughts. “Actually, this could give me an advantage. By reading her thoughts, I know all about the ThunderCats and their weapons. As long as I am stronger than her, she cannot overtake me.”

“We will provide you with the strength. It is important that you do not leave the castle for more than a couple of hours. The longer you are away from here, the weaker you will get.

Wait, someone approaches. Look, it’s the mutant, Rataro. No doubt, he’s here to collect his reward.”

Tatiana gazed into the cauldron and studied the ugly mutant. “Let him in, Ancient ones. I’ll take care of him.”

A few minutes later, Rataro stomped into the room. Tatiana was waiting for him at the top of the cauldron, hands on her hips. He walked up the other set of steps and declared, “I’m here for my money.”

“Is that the proper way to greet a lady?” Tatiana asked.

Rataro smirked and replied, “Any woman working for the Ancient Spirits of Evil is no lady!”

She hissed and crouched down. Before he could blink, Tatiana leaped over the cauldron and knocked the mutant onto the floor. She flew down the steps, pulled out her sword, and placed it against his neck. “You take that back!”

Shivering from fear, Rataro stuttered, “Okay, okay! I take it back! Will you back away from me now?”

She grinned and removed her sword. “Come with me, Rataro. I’ll give you your money.”

Tatiana sheathed the sword and headed out of the room. The mutant stumbled up and ran after her. They went through a maze of hallways and doors until they finally reached the treasure room. Tatiana grabbed a stack of gold coins and handed it to Rataro. “Here you go. Are you ready to earn more?”

Rataro gazed at her. “I’m always ready to earn more money.”

“Good,” Tatiana nodded. “I’ll double this if you will bring your fellow mutant fighters from Wayoutback. I’m going to need reinforcements to fight the ThunderCats.”

“Wait a moment. You didn’t say anything about fighting the ThunderCats. Forget it.” Rataro turned around to leave.

“So, Rataro is really a chicken in a rat’s suit.” Tatiana shook her head.

The mutant turned around and glared at her. “I’m not a chicken! It’s just that . . . I don’t have my other dagger. And . . . those idiotic mutants couldn’t hit a ThunderCat if there was a bull’s eye painted on them. You’re wasting your time.”

Tatiana folded her arms and answered, “I’ll go get your precious dagger and give it to you if you’ll free the mutants. I will see for myself how well they fight.”

“And what if you can’t get my dagger?”

“Then I’ll still pay you, and you don’t have to do anything else. Agreed?”

Rataro chuckled to himself. He really did not believe that Tatiana would be able to get his dagger back. It looked like this would be an easy job. He would be a fool not to accept the offer. “Agreed.”

“Be back here by tomorrow afternoon.”

Third Earth: Cat’s Lair

Saturday Evening

There was a cloud of despair and sorrow hanging over Cat’s Lair. Most of the ThunderCats were running on autopilot. They tackled chores and tasks quietly and without thinking. WilyKit and WilyKat insisted on returning to the Tower of Omens although Snarfer and Panthro offered to go. The twins were too afraid they would look like children if they did not go to their assigned post. Snarf cooked dinner but not much was eaten. Lion-O did not even show up.

Tygra and Panthro went to the wreckage site and began clearing the debris from the area. Together, they tried to figure out why the Whisker crashed. WilyKit revealed to the ThunderCats that Cheetara had been battling the Rat Star when it crashed. That was all she and WilyKat knew.

Panthro put a big chunk of the Whisker into the Thundertank’s cargo holder. He kicked it in frustration. “Blast it! Why did this have to happen to Cheetara?”

Tygra sighed and put his stash of debris down. “I don’t know, Panthro. I didn’t think I would ever see a ThunderCat get killed in battle. The explosion must have been so large that Cheetara‘s body must have incinerated at the hot temperature.”

“Cheetara is the best pilot we had. I want to know how that son-of-a Rat Star managed to do this! What was Rataro’s intent?”

“Who knows how mutant’s think. It’s Lion-O I’m concerned about. He’s not taking this very well.”

The panther glared at Tygra. “I don’t blame him. He figures it’s all his fault, I’m sure. But you’re right. We should keep an eye out on him. There’s no telling what he’s capable of doing.”

Tygra looked out over the horizon and pointed. “Look, Panthro. I think that’s a Berbil coming towards us!”

Panthro put his hand over his eyes and stared in the direction Tygra had pointed. “It is a Berbil. I wonder what he wants.”

The mechanical bear came running at them, his hands waving frantically in the air. Once he reached them, he stopped. “You’ve got to help us, ThunderCats! There’s some kind of ghost raiding our village.”

“A ghost? What do you mean?” Tygra inquired.

The Berbil explained, “There’s someone or something that came to our village. Golden flashes appeared right out of the air and set our homes on fire! Most of our food was stolen during the ambush!”

Panthro and Tygra shared a surprised look. The panther raised his eyebrows and shrugged. They both secretly wondered if the Berbil had been eating Silky Fruit. Tygra put his hand on the bear’s shoulder. “We’ll go check it out. Although, I don’t think it’s a ghost causing this. Ghosts do not eat.”

“How do you know that for sure?” Panthro asked.

They both leaped into the tank and waited for the Berbil to get in. “I always assumed that ghosts didn’t need to eat.”

“Maybe it’s a samoflange.” Panthro grinned at Tygra and drove the Thundertank toward the Berbil Village. When they reached their destination, they were both shocked at the scene. Smoke wavered in the air from all the homes. The other Berbils were running around panicking. Suddenly, a woman appeared right in front of the ThunderCat vehicle. Panthro slammed on the brakes and missed her by a few inches.

Tygra and Panthro stood up and took a good look at her. Tatiana threw her head back and laughed at them. She grinned at them, slung a bag filled with food over her shoulder, and vanished into thin air. Panthro whistled as Tygra was at a loss for words. They looked at each other.

“I think she’s gone,” Tygra commented.

“How . . . how did she do that?” Panthro muttered.

“Who is she, you mean,” Tygra proclaimed.

Panthro shook his head. “I don’t care who she is.”

“It looks like Mumm-Ra’s been replaced. We are going to have our work cut out for us.”

“How do you know that?”

“Didn’t you see the snake insignia?”

Panthro shook his head. “Didn’t even notice it.”

“We better tell the others about this. Let’s hurry and get these fires put out, so we can get back to Cat’s Lair.”

“You got it, Tygra.”

Meanwhile at Cat’s Lair, Pumyra and Talia were checking Lion-O’s wound. The puma shook her head in amazement. “You’re very lucky that you didn’t tear the staples out, Lion-O. You have got to take it easy. This wound needs time to heal.”

“I don’t have time,” Lion-O growled and sat up.

Pumyra pushed him back down on the examination table. “If you don’t give this time to heal, you will be useless to the ThunderCats. We all miss her, but you can’t just go around doing anything you want.”

She spread more antibiotic over the area and re-bandaged it with Talia‘s help. “There, I’m through.”

Talia helped Lion-O up as Pumyra cleared her mess. He hobbled out of sickbay and out of sight.

Shaking her head, Talia glanced at Pumyra. “I feel so bad for him. I wish there was something we could do.”

“I understand,” Pumyra responded. “It’s Tygra that got his hands full. You need to be there for him. He’s going to need all of our support.”

Talia smiled and nodded her head. “I know. It’s killing him now going to the crash site. He and Cheetara were such good friends.”

“Talia, you aren’t the least bit jealous?”

“It may be hard to believe but . . . no. I know how Tygra felt about Cheetara. It was purely platonic.”

Pumyra commented, “I believe you. Come on. We better go check on the twins.”

Just then, Tygra ran into the room. He glanced at Pumyra then turned his attention to Talia. “You’ll never guess what Panthro and I just saw!”

Darkness settled over the ThunderCats’ part of Third Earth. Lion-O sat in Cheetara’s bedroom on the floor. He had just discovered her photo album and began flipping through it. The lion studied each picture carefully. This was his first time to see her mother and father. The similarities between Cheetara and Charles were remarkable. In one family portrait, Cheetara towered over her mother and was just a few inches shorter than her father.

Lion-O continued past her family pictures to her early days at Cat’s Lair on Thundera before it exploded. She had various pictures of Jaga and Claudius. In one particular photo, Claudius was standing by her and had a hand on her shoulder. Lion-O looked at his father’s expression curiously. It seemed to him that his father was proud of the young ThunderCat. He could not blame Claudius. Lion-O was always pleased with the way Cheetara handled herself.

More pictures were those of the other ThunderCats. Many of them were photos she had taken of Lion-O as a boy and Snarf. Lion-O’s favorite picture was one showing Cheetara kneeling. Lion-O was in front of her, and she had her arms wrapped around him. Her chin rested on his right shoulder. He vaguely remembered Snarf taking that picture. She was seventeen, and he was only ten. It would be two more years before Thundera exploded.

He sighed at the memories and flipped through more of the pictures. At the back, Cheetara had put photos of the ThunderCats on Third Earth. There were only a few photos of her, and those were mostly group shots. Lion-O found one of Cheetara in her dress and another of her in regular uniform. He took these pictures out of the album. With the album under one arm and the two pictures in one hand, Lion-O went into his own bedroom. He placed the album on his nightstand. The pictures went up on his mirror. Lion-O sighed and traced Cheetara’s image with his fingers.

It’s my fault this happened. If I had been looking at Rataro instead of you, his dagger would not have hit me. Then I would have been with you in the Whisker. You would be here right now. Or at the very least, I would be with you wherever it is that you are.

How much longer can I hold on? I lost my mother and my father. Then Jaga passed away. Now I’ve lost you. If I knew this was going to happen, I would have never wanted to be Lord of the ThunderCats. Maybe I should just give it to Tygra.

With tears filling his eyes, Lion-O laid down on his bed. A few seconds later, Snarf entered in the room. The furry creature quietly walked to Lion-O. “Meow, Lion-O, Tygra wants to talk to you.”

“I will talk to him tomorrow.”

Snarf rubbed his hands together worrying about the lion. “If you need anything, you just ask old Snarf. I’ll . . .”

“I know, Snarf,” Lion-O interrupted without even looking at him.

Snarf bowed his head and trotted out of the room. He never felt so helpless as he did just then.

Later that evening, Tatiana crouched behind a tree and stared at Cat’s Lair. She watched as the lights from the eyes scanned the area.

It would be much easier to teleport myself into the lair, but I want to see just how fast and stealthy this body really is. I’ll never have a better chance to test it.

Tatiana timed the lights and took off at the right moment. She zoomed past the scanners and made it to front doors of the lair.

They must not have the alarm on. Thanks for the information, ThunderCat!

She entered in the code and sneaked into the foreign base. Hearing someone approaching, Tatiana hid herself around the bend of the hallway. She heard Panthro mutter something and go into the control room.

With a sly grin, Tatiana continued down the hallway until she reached the stairs. She whizzed up the staircase and ran through the maze of hallways. Finally, Tatiana reached the sword chamber.

So that’s how I get in here. Thanks again, She-cat! I just hope Rataro’s dagger is in here.

Tatiana moved her hand along one side of the wall. She found the loose stone and turned it. The door opened for her. After peering in, she strolled in and found the dagger laying on a side table. She grabbed it and sheathed it on her belt. She turned to leave when she saw the Sword of Omens in her peripheral vision. With her heart racing, Tatiana walked to it. She reached her hand out to grasp it when it started glowing. Tatiana foolishly ignored the eye and seized the sword. It growled loudly and burned her hand. With a small cry, Tatiana dropped it.

Knowing she was in trouble, Tatiana raced out of the room and down the hallway. She heard ThunderCats coming towards her. She continued running until she reached the end of the hallway.

Moonlight lit up the hall from a window. Tatiana rushed to it and tried to pry it open. It would not budge. A night owl flew by and perched on the window’s sill. It cocked its head and cried out at her.

Tatiana glared at the bird and scared it off. The voices and footsteps of the ThunderCats grew closer.

“Someone was in here. We better go check the rest of the lair out.”

Tatiana searched the area. In desperation, Tatiana searched the cheetah’s mind for a way out. She then smiled and raced to one of the doors. After hitting some buttons on the door panel, Tatiana entered the room.

So this was your bedroom. Not to bad, although I could do a better decorating job myself. Now, let’s try this window. Ah, yes, it does open.

Suddenly, the door opened. She hid herself in a dark corner and held her breath. She hoped that she would not be seen.

However, the lights in the room came on. Tatiana saw a red-haired lion in the doorway. He focused his eyes on her and aimed the sword at her. “Who are you?”

Tatiana grinned at him as the door closed behind the lion. She remarked, “So, you must be Lion-O. You may call me Tatiana.”

He glared at her and continued aiming the sword at the strange woman. “What do you want?”

“I came to get something that belongs to a friend of mine,” she murmured and patted the dagger in her belt. She licked her lips playfully and put her hands on her hips.

“Let’s try down here,” Tygra’s voice echoed.

Tatiana shifted her head. She slowly backed up against wall toward the window as Lion-O followed her with his eyes. “Can‘t talk now. I’ll be seeing you later.”

She waved at him and did a back flip out of the window.

Lion-O looked out the window and saw her run off into the horizon.

“Did you find our intruder?”

Lion-O bumped his head on the window. He pulled his head into the room and turned toward Tygra. He replied, “Yes, I did.”

“Well, who was it?”

“I don’t know. She’s gone now.”

“She?” Tygra paused for a moment then inquired, “She didn’t happen to be dressed all in black and have a snake insignia, did she?”

Lion-O nodded his head. “Yes, she did.”

“I think we better have a meeting first thing in the morning.”

“I agree. This is a serious problem.”

Tygra raised his eyebrows and answered, “It’s worst than serious! She knew her way around the lair and even got access to the sword chamber. It looked like she tried to steal the Sword of Omens. Thankfully, we somehow prevented her from doing that. Worse of all, whoever that was, she got in here without tripping the alarm! I thought only one person was fast enough to get into Cat’s Lair without setting off the alarm.”

“Who?”

“Cheetara.”