Doorway of the Gods, Chapter 6
This last chapter is still a work in progress, but I thought it would be a good idea to post it here until I can get back to it. Doorway of the Gods Chapter 6 “Pull your right arm back in a little” Panthro instructed his newest student. “That’s good, now reposition the back leg until you feel comfortable and steady. Good, now come at me!” Linda shot her arm at the panther, which he easily ducked. She followed with a few more karate moves the she had been taught, then tried a round house. Panthro grabbed her foot and twisted, landing Linda on the mat. Bengali laughed from the side lines. “Be careful with her, Panthro. I might need her later. She’s no good to me bruised.” Linda looked at him from the mat and rolled her eyes. “Keep that up, Tiger Man, and you’ll be the one getting bruised.” Bengali walked over grinning and bent down next to her. “Is that a promise?” he kissed her gently. Panthro shook his head. “Ok you two, keep that thing behind closed doors. No one wants to see it.” “I don’t know Panthro.” said Cheetara, who had come to watch Linda’s progress. “I think it’s sweet.” “I agree,” Tygra was beside Cheetara, having decided to take a day off from the lab. “It kind of gave me an idea for later.” He looked a Cheetara suggestively. She laughed and pulled him in close, whispering “What idea could you have that we haven’t tried already?” The orange tiger blushed, making everyone laugh. Lion-o walked in. “Hello all, I thought I’d come down to see how things were progressing.” Panthro glared at the couples. “It’s not.” He answered. “The mating instincts are so thick in here you can cut it with a knife.” Lion-o smiled, knowing what the panther meant. Ever since Kylynne had become pregnant, she had become ravenous for his “attention”. “Well, you know Panthro, spring is coming. It does strange things to people.” “Yeah, well it’s completely messed up my training session!” the panther said in mild disgust. “Since no one here can keep their minds on what their supposed to be doing, I’m ending the session and going to visit my own love.” Everyone smiled or laughed, knowing what he meant. He was going to the garage to tinker with the Thundertank, his “baby”. “I swear” said Cheetara, “If the Thundertank had been a woman, you’d have been mated by now.” “If she was,” shot back the resident mechanic, “I’d be a happy man. She never talks back to me.” The panther ran out of the room laughing, chased by Cheetara. “You’re going to regret that!” she yelled as she zipped out the door. “Give him one for me, girl!” laughed Linda. “Well I hate to break up the party here, but it’s getting late and we need to get back to the Tower.” announced Bengali. “If Panthro survives Cheetara’s onslaught, could you let him know that we will be back next week for another session?” “Sure thing Ben,” said Lion-o. “Give my best to everyone at the Tower.” Bengali nodded and he and Linda left Cat’s Lair. Bengali had decided that he had taught Linda everything he knew and had asked Panthro to give her some more advanced fighting techniques. Besides, whenever he and Linda went to the training grounds, they never really got around to the lessons. Outside the land was covered in a blanket of white and it threatened to snow again. Linda shivered at the sight and pulled the cloak she wore closer to her, glad for its warmth. Winter had never been her favorite season. The Feliner was scheduled for maintenance, so they had to use the Hover Cat, one of the flying Thundercat vehicles. While it did have a windshield, its lack of doors made the trip home fridge for Linda. By the time they got to the Tower, she could barely feel her fingers or toes. I hope the Feliner is finished soon.” she said though chattering teeth. “I hate riding on that damn Hover Cat in this weather.” “Why is that?” Bengali asked. Linda shook her head slightly. He could be dense at times, but she loved him anyways. She reached up and caressed his ears with her frozen fingers. “That’s why!” she laughed when he drew back shivering. “By Thundera woman, your hands are like ice!” Then he grinned at her, a lustful look in his eyes. “Let’s get you inside and warm you up.” Linda took a step towards the Tower, laughing. “Oh no you don’t! I was thinking more along the lines of a steaming hot shower.” He stepped closer. “Sounds good to me.” He playfully lunged at her. Linda screamed and ran to the Tower, Bengali close behind her, both of them laughing like loons. The spring flowers were just opening up when an excited Tygra called the Tower of Omens. “We did it! We created the opti-crystal!” “That’s wonderful Tygra. I’m sure Ms. Hurst will be happy to hear of your success.” said Lynx-o. “We still have a few more -*test*-('")s to run, but it looks like this time next week, Linda will be back on her old stomping grounds.” “I will inform her immediately. Tower out.” Bengali, sitting at one of the weapon consuls, shut his eyes for a moment and sighed. He had hoped that Panthro and Tygra would fail in their mission, but he always knew that the possibility of them succeeding was there. He saw Lynx-o heading for the door and stood up. “I think it would be best if I told her, Lynx-o.” The older man stopped and turned to the tiger. “Are you sure that is wise, my friend?” Bengali nodded. “We promised each other that we would face this together. She would appreciate it if I was the one to tell her that she can go home.” “I understand. Good luck.” Bengali walked through the Tower, his legs feeling like lead. He found Linda in the kitchen helping Snarfer with lunch. Before he enter, he made himself smile, not wanting to look downcast for her sake. “Linda.” He called out to her. She turned to him, elbows deep in flour and smiled. “Hey Tiger Man.” Then she stopped, knowing that something was up. He might be smiling, but it wasn’t reaching his eyes. “What’s wrong?” He sighed again. “We have to talk Beautiful.” She wiped her hands and walked over to him, placing her palm on his cheek. He reached up and took her hand in his, savoring the feel of her close contact. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Is everything ok?” “Everything is fine.” he assured her. “We just got a call from Cats Lair. Tygra and Panthro have great news. They were able to create the time device and they believe that they can send you home as soon as next week.” Linda looked down, stunned by the announcement. “Wow. That’s…that’s great.” She hadn’t thought about going back to her time for a while. Now that it was possible, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go. “Hey,” said Bengali, tilting her head up, “You ok?” “Yeah,” she answered. “It’s just that it’s so sudden. I didn’t expect them to do it so soon.” Bengali laughed. “It’s been almost a year. I wouldn’t exactly call that soon.” “You know what I mean.” she said, smiling at him, then hugged him close. He held her, wanting to always keep this moment frozen in his memory. “Together, remember?” Linda fought back tears. “I remember.” After several successful -*test*-('")s, Tygra and Panthro declared the time device perfect and contacted the Tower to set the date for Linda’s return to 2006. They decided that the best place to use the device was at the place where she had first entered Third Earth and Linda helped them find the spot. Thinking back to that day made Linda smile, but then the thoughts of leaving wiped that smile away. She was going to miss everyone. The night before her return everyone gathered at the Cats Lair for a farewell dinner. Linda laughed and smiled and accepted the good luck wishes of her friends, but inside she wanted to run as far away from the device as she could. That night, she and Bengali made love until near dawn. Bengali wanted to remember everything about this night, every gasp and exclamation she uttered, every kiss, every breath. He never wanted the night to end. In the morning Linda said her good-byes to Kylynne, the Thunder Kittens, and Renee. They would be staying behind because Lion-o feared for their safety. Although the device had passed its -*test*-('")s, it had never been used and he wasn’t sure what would happen. He espically didn’t want to put his wife or unborn child in danger. They soon made their way to the designated spot where Tygra and Panthro set up the machine with the delicate crystal set on top. Through all this Linda held Bengali’s hand, sometimes gripping so hard that it caused the tiger pain, but he allowed it, understanding her fear. Ok, I think we got it.” Panthro stood up and pressed a button. From the crystal shot a large projection of light. A wavy distortion formed, then cleared, creating what appeared to be a hole in space. Through this hole could be seen a house with a “For Sale” sign in front. Linda recognized it as her house and gasped. She stood there just looking at it, not moving. Bengali knew that he would have to help her, so he gently led her over to the projection. “It’s time Linda, you have to go.” She looked at him. “I’m not even sure how.” Tygra came over to explain what she needed to do and to explain one of the dangers. “All you need to do is just walk through the portal. But be careful, you have to go quickly. As soon as you step through, the portal will rapidly close behind you. This is a one way trip. If this fails, there is no way we can recreate it. The crystal is very unstable and I don’t think we can make another.” “Thank you Tygra, for everything.” She said, hugging him. “Yes, Thank you Tygra, Yehaahaahaaaaa!” Everyone looked up to see Mumm-Ra floating above them. He released a bolt of magical energy from his hands, blasting everyone away from the device “Mumm-Ra!” yelled Lion-o. The ancient Egyptian warrior cackled. “I’m so glad you remember me, My Lord.” he said, making a mock bow to the Lord of the Thundercats. “I hope you remember my friends as well.” Soon the Thundercats were surrounded by Mutants. They all had weapons trained on the Cats and evil smiles of triumph on their grotesque faces. “What do you want, Evil One?” demanded Lion-o. “Why, your time device, of course.” “It’s no good to you Mumm-Ra. Whoever goes through that portal will be stuck in that time.” called out Tygra. The Egyptian grinned at Tygra. “That is exactly what I want. Once I am back in time, I can change history to suit my needs. In fact, there are a few delicious things in that period of time that will help me start my own Armageddon.” The Thundercats were confused by this statement, but Linda knew with dawning horror what he was talking about. “Nuclear bombs.” she said quietly. She knew from the history books that Lynx-o had found that nuclear weapons had been used 50 years after her disappearance, but only because of a misunderstanding. A computer failure in Korea had caused a cascading nuclear strike on several countries. Nearly 2 billion people had lost their lives, but the emerging governments of the world had banned together to create tougher restraints on nuclear technology and better medicine for the survivors of fall out. It had been the end of 1st Earth and the Dawning of the 2nd Earth. Mumm-Ra threw back his head and laughed loudly. “Precisely my dear. You are a smart little girl, aren’t you? By the way, I have a friend here who wants to make your acquaintance.” Monkian slid over to her and yanked her arm. “Looks like I finally get to meet you properly, hoo, hoo!” “Like hell!” She noticed that all of the Mutants were enjoying the spectacle and not paying much attention to the Thundercats. An idea began to form. “Hoo, hoo, hell is only the beginning for you girlie.” He grabbed her hair roughly and brought her close for a savage kiss. Linda gagged and pretended to stumble, causing the ape to widen his stance. Linda rammed her knee up between his legs as hard as she could, praying that he had the correct equipment. Monkian fell like a stone, cradling his badly injured anatomy. The Thundercats sprang into action and soon there was pandemonium. Linda saw Mumm-Ra go for the device at the same time that Lion-o did. Lion-o blasted the mummy with the Sword of Omens, knocking him several yards. “Get to the portal NOW!” he yelled at her. She began running, but she saw that Mumm-Ra had recovered and was racing to the portal. Linda knew she’d never get to the portal before him and she also knew what would happen if he made it to her time. He would use the weapons technology available to destroy 1st Earth and create 2nd Earth in his own image. The world she knew in this time would never be. Linda wasn’t about to let that happen! She grabbed a rock and headed to the device instead. She brought the rock back and slammed it down on the crystal. The resulting explosion threw her through the air and she heard a sickening cracking noise when she slammed into a tree. As she hit the ground far below her, she felt an immense pressure of heaviness in her chest and found that she had trouble catching her breath. The explosion had knocked everyone off their feet. Bengali picked himself up off the ground and looked around, spying Linda’s crumpled form. He ran to her, hoping that she had just gotten the wind knowcked out of her. But as he got closer, he knew something was wrong. “Hey Beautiful, you ok?” She smiled at him. “I wish I could say yes, but I think I broke my back.” She started coughing up blood. “It doesn’t look good Tiger Man.” Just then they heard an enraged roar. Mumm-Ra had been rocked by the explosion as well. The portal that he had been so close to going through was now gone and where the device should be there was now a large crater. He was now glaring at Linda with hatred in his eyes. Linda knew she was dying and she had no fear. As Mumm-Ra flew at her, knocking Bengali aside, she prayed. “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” The mummy grabbed her by the neck and quickly released her, screaming in agony. His hands were burned, large angry blisters forming on his palm. He looked at the dying woman, remembering what the Ancient Spirits of Evil had said. He pulled a wickedly sharp knife out. “You will have no power over me, bitch!” As he raised the knife, intending to plunge it into her heart, he was knocked back by a blinding white light. There was a strange soothing calm coming from the brightness that refreshed the Thundercats and terrified the Mutants. Everyone stared in amazement as they saw the radiating light revert Mumm-Ra back into his decaying mummy form. From the light emitted a voice so loud and strong that many had to cover their ears. “YOU SHALL NOT HARM MY CHILD!” Another blast from the light set Mumm-Ra ablaze in a white hot inferno. Mumm-Ra screamed in agony as he was consumed by the fire until he became nothing more that ash. A blast of wind swept up the ashes and scattered them toward the sea. The Mutants all got up and ran screaming into the forest, scared that they were next. Bengali had stared at all this in disbelief, but soon remembered Linda and crawled to her. She was fighting for each breath. Bengali knew she would go soon and cried. Linda picked up his hand. “It’s ok my love. We will meet again, I promise.” “NO!” He couldn’t live without her; she had become the missing half of his heart and the joy in his life. He looked to the sky. “Please,” he whispered, “Please don’t take her from me.” Bengali felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw the transparent form of a human man. He was dressed in some kind of multi colored uniform. On the uniform were some words; one said U.S. Army, the other was “Hurst”. Linda looked at the apparition and smiled. “Greg.” she whispered. “Have you come for me?” The ghostly figure knelt down and smiled at her. “Not yet babe. I have a message from God; He is proud of you. Though everything that you have had to deal with, you never gave up on him. But He was saddened to see you give up on life and That is why He opened the doorway and brought you here. Now it’s time to make a choice. You may go back to your own time where things are familiar, but where you will be alone; or you may stay here where the dangers are unknown, but where you have people who care for you and a man to love you. You must decide now.” Linda looked at Bengali and smiled at him, then turned to Greg. “ I choose love.” The spirit smiled. “ I hoped you would.” He placed his hand over her heart and a white glow enveloped her. Bengali stared as he saw her injuries begin to heal themselves and she began to breathe easier. When the light finally faded, Linda sat up and -*test*-('")ed her arms and legs to see if she could use them. When she saw that everything was in working condition, she turned to Bengali and embraced him. Linda then turned to her ghostly husband. “I’ll never forget you Greg.” “I’ll see you around.” he said to her, beginning to fade. Before he disappeared completely, he turned to Bengali and nodded to him. “Take good care of my girl now.” and vanished. Bengali continued to look at the spot where the man had been, the turned to Linda. “One of these days, you’re going to have to tell me more about this god of yours.” Linda laughed and kissed the man she loved as the other Thundercats gathered around. “By Thundera, you look absolutely beautiful!” Cheetara stepped back to admire her handiwork. Linda was dressed in a flowing white gown, her hair intertwined with summer flowers. She was radiant with happiness. A knock at the door let both of the women know that they had a visitor. “It’s time.” Lynx-o announced. Cheetara kissed Linda on the cheek “Don’t be scared, you’re going to do fine.” Linda laughed. “I have done this before, you know.” Cheetara laughed too and headed to the door, grabbing a few tissues on the way out. Linda stepped next to Lynx-o as he escorted her out. “Are you ready for this Ms. Hurst?” he asked her. Linda smiled. “This will be the last time you get to call me that!” Lynx-o laughed. “Oh I’m sure I can find something else.” Linda laughed as they stepped outside where all of Third Earth was gathered. On the top step was Bengali standing in front of Lion-o. Both were dressed in their formal uniforms. Lynx-o guided Linda to the waiting arms of Bengali and the ceremony began. Friends,” Lion-o began, “Today is a very special day. Any day is special when love is found as these two have learned.” He turned to Bengali. “The woman who stands before you has proclaimed her love for you. Will you accept it?” “I will accept it.” Lion-o turned Linda. “The man who stands before you has proclaimed his love for you. Will you accept it?” “Yes, I will accept it.” Lion-o pulled out the Sword of Omens and held it up between the couple. They placed their right hands together, the Sword between them. Lynx-o wrapped a length of cloth around their hands and the Sword tightly. “Do you swear to love each other and to stand by each other, no matter what the future holds?” Bengali looked into Linda’s eyes. “I swear by the Code of Thundera and by the Sword of Omens.” Linda fought back tears as she returned his gaze. “I swear by God and by the Sword of Omens.” Lion-o pulled the Sword down quickly, cutting the couple’s hands, their blood mingling together. “Let all know that Bengali and Linda have formed a bond that can never be broken!” The crowd cheered as the newly weds sealed their bond with a kiss. The End
This last chapter is still a work in progress, but I thought it would be a good idea to post it here until I can get back to it. Doorway of the Gods Chapter 6 “Pull your right arm back in a little” Panthro instructed his newest student. “That’s good, now reposition the back leg until you feel comfortable and steady. Good, now come at me!” Linda shot her arm at the panther, which he easily ducked. She followed with a few more karate moves the she had been taught, then tried a round house. Panthro grabbed her foot and twisted, landing Linda on the mat. Bengali laughed from the side lines. “Be careful with her, Panthro. I might need her later. She’s no good to me bruised.” Linda looked at him from the mat and rolled her eyes. “Keep that up, Tiger Man, and you’ll be the one getting bruised.” Bengali walked over grinning and bent down next to her. “Is that a promise?” he kissed her gently. Panthro shook his head. “Ok you two, keep that thing behind closed doors. No one wants to see it.” “I don’t know Panthro.” said Cheetara, who had come to watch Linda’s progress. “I think it’s sweet.” “I agree,” Tygra was beside Cheetara, having decided to take a day off from the lab. “It kind of gave me an idea for later.” He looked a Cheetara suggestively. She laughed and pulled him in close, whispering “What idea could you have that we haven’t tried already?” The orange tiger blushed, making everyone laugh. Lion-o walked in. “Hello all, I thought I’d come down to see how things were progressing.” Panthro glared at the couples. “It’s not.” He answered. “The mating instincts are so thick in here you can cut it with a knife.” Lion-o smiled, knowing what the panther meant. Ever since Kylynne had become pregnant, she had become ravenous for his “attention”. “Well, you know Panthro, spring is coming. It does strange things to people.” “Yeah, well it’s completely messed up my training session!” the panther said in mild disgust. “Since no one here can keep their minds on what their supposed to be doing, I’m ending the session and going to visit my own love.” Everyone smiled or laughed, knowing what he meant. He was going to the garage to tinker with the Thundertank, his “baby”. “I swear” said Cheetara, “If the Thundertank had been a woman, you’d have been mated by now.” “If she was,” shot back the resident mechanic, “I’d be a happy man. She never talks back to me.” The panther ran out of the room laughing, chased by Cheetara. “You’re going to regret that!” she yelled as she zipped out the door. “Give him one for me, girl!” laughed Linda. “Well I hate to break up the party here, but it’s getting late and we need to get back to the Tower.” announced Bengali. “If Panthro survives Cheetara’s onslaught, could you let him know that we will be back next week for another session?” “Sure thing Ben,” said Lion-o. “Give my best to everyone at the Tower.” Bengali nodded and he and Linda left Cat’s Lair. Bengali had decided that he had taught Linda everything he knew and had asked Panthro to give her some more advanced fighting techniques. Besides, whenever he and Linda went to the training grounds, they never really got around to the lessons. Outside the land was covered in a blanket of white and it threatened to snow again. Linda shivered at the sight and pulled the cloak she wore closer to her, glad for its warmth. Winter had never been her favorite season. The Feliner was scheduled for maintenance, so they had to use the Hover Cat, one of the flying Thundercat vehicles. While it did have a windshield, its lack of doors made the trip home fridge for Linda. By the time they got to the Tower, she could barely feel her fingers or toes. I hope the Feliner is finished soon.” she said though chattering teeth. “I hate riding on that damn Hover Cat in this weather.” “Why is that?” Bengali asked. Linda shook her head slightly. He could be dense at times, but she loved him anyways. She reached up and caressed his ears with her frozen fingers. “That’s why!” she laughed when he drew back shivering. “By Thundera woman, your hands are like ice!” Then he grinned at her, a lustful look in his eyes. “Let’s get you inside and warm you up.” Linda took a step towards the Tower, laughing. “Oh no you don’t! I was thinking more along the lines of a steaming hot shower.” He stepped closer. “Sounds good to me.” He playfully lunged at her. Linda screamed and ran to the Tower, Bengali close behind her, both of them laughing like loons. The spring flowers were just opening up when an excited Tygra called the Tower of Omens. “We did it! We created the opti-crystal!” “That’s wonderful Tygra. I’m sure Ms. Hurst will be happy to hear of your success.” said Lynx-o. “We still have a few more -*test*-('")s to run, but it looks like this time next week, Linda will be back on her old stomping grounds.” “I will inform her immediately. Tower out.” Bengali, sitting at one of the weapon consuls, shut his eyes for a moment and sighed. He had hoped that Panthro and Tygra would fail in their mission, but he always knew that the possibility of them succeeding was there. He saw Lynx-o heading for the door and stood up. “I think it would be best if I told her, Lynx-o.” The older man stopped and turned to the tiger. “Are you sure that is wise, my friend?” Bengali nodded. “We promised each other that we would face this together. She would appreciate it if I was the one to tell her that she can go home.” “I understand. Good luck.” Bengali walked through the Tower, his legs feeling like lead. He found Linda in the kitchen helping Snarfer with lunch. Before he enter, he made himself smile, not wanting to look downcast for her sake. “Linda.” He called out to her. She turned to him, elbows deep in flour and smiled. “Hey Tiger Man.” Then she stopped, knowing that something was up. He might be smiling, but it wasn’t reaching his eyes. “What’s wrong?” He sighed again. “We have to talk Beautiful.” She wiped her hands and walked over to him, placing her palm on his cheek. He reached up and took her hand in his, savoring the feel of her close contact. “What’s going on?” she asked. “Is everything ok?” “Everything is fine.” he assured her. “We just got a call from Cats Lair. Tygra and Panthro have great news. They were able to create the time device and they believe that they can send you home as soon as next week.” Linda looked down, stunned by the announcement. “Wow. That’s…that’s great.” She hadn’t thought about going back to her time for a while. Now that it was possible, she wasn’t sure she wanted to go. “Hey,” said Bengali, tilting her head up, “You ok?” “Yeah,” she answered. “It’s just that it’s so sudden. I didn’t expect them to do it so soon.” Bengali laughed. “It’s been almost a year. I wouldn’t exactly call that soon.” “You know what I mean.” she said, smiling at him, then hugged him close. He held her, wanting to always keep this moment frozen in his memory. “Together, remember?” Linda fought back tears. “I remember.” After several successful -*test*-('")s, Tygra and Panthro declared the time device perfect and contacted the Tower to set the date for Linda’s return to 2006. They decided that the best place to use the device was at the place where she had first entered Third Earth and Linda helped them find the spot. Thinking back to that day made Linda smile, but then the thoughts of leaving wiped that smile away. She was going to miss everyone. The night before her return everyone gathered at the Cats Lair for a farewell dinner. Linda laughed and smiled and accepted the good luck wishes of her friends, but inside she wanted to run as far away from the device as she could. That night, she and Bengali made love until near dawn. Bengali wanted to remember everything about this night, every gasp and exclamation she uttered, every kiss, every breath. He never wanted the night to end. In the morning Linda said her good-byes to Kylynne, the Thunder Kittens, and Renee. They would be staying behind because Lion-o feared for their safety. Although the device had passed its -*test*-('")s, it had never been used and he wasn’t sure what would happen. He espically didn’t want to put his wife or unborn child in danger. They soon made their way to the designated spot where Tygra and Panthro set up the machine with the delicate crystal set on top. Through all this Linda held Bengali’s hand, sometimes gripping so hard that it caused the tiger pain, but he allowed it, understanding her fear. Ok, I think we got it.” Panthro stood up and pressed a button. From the crystal shot a large projection of light. A wavy distortion formed, then cleared, creating what appeared to be a hole in space. Through this hole could be seen a house with a “For Sale” sign in front. Linda recognized it as her house and gasped. She stood there just looking at it, not moving. Bengali knew that he would have to help her, so he gently led her over to the projection. “It’s time Linda, you have to go.” She looked at him. “I’m not even sure how.” Tygra came over to explain what she needed to do and to explain one of the dangers. “All you need to do is just walk through the portal. But be careful, you have to go quickly. As soon as you step through, the portal will rapidly close behind you. This is a one way trip. If this fails, there is no way we can recreate it. The crystal is very unstable and I don’t think we can make another.” “Thank you Tygra, for everything.” She said, hugging him. “Yes, Thank you Tygra, Yehaahaahaaaaa!” Everyone looked up to see Mumm-Ra floating above them. He released a bolt of magical energy from his hands, blasting everyone away from the device “Mumm-Ra!” yelled Lion-o. The ancient Egyptian warrior cackled. “I’m so glad you remember me, My Lord.” he said, making a mock bow to the Lord of the Thundercats. “I hope you remember my friends as well.” Soon the Thundercats were surrounded by Mutants. They all had weapons trained on the Cats and evil smiles of triumph on their grotesque faces. “What do you want, Evil One?” demanded Lion-o. “Why, your time device, of course.” “It’s no good to you Mumm-Ra. Whoever goes through that portal will be stuck in that time.” called out Tygra. The Egyptian grinned at Tygra. “That is exactly what I want. Once I am back in time, I can change history to suit my needs. In fact, there are a few delicious things in that period of time that will help me start my own Armageddon.” The Thundercats were confused by this statement, but Linda knew with dawning horror what he was talking about. “Nuclear bombs.” she said quietly. She knew from the history books that Lynx-o had found that nuclear weapons had been used 50 years after her disappearance, but only because of a misunderstanding. A computer failure in Korea had caused a cascading nuclear strike on several countries. Nearly 2 billion people had lost their lives, but the emerging governments of the world had banned together to create tougher restraints on nuclear technology and better medicine for the survivors of fall out. It had been the end of 1st Earth and the Dawning of the 2nd Earth. Mumm-Ra threw back his head and laughed loudly. “Precisely my dear. You are a smart little girl, aren’t you? By the way, I have a friend here who wants to make your acquaintance.” Monkian slid over to her and yanked her arm. “Looks like I finally get to meet you properly, hoo, hoo!” “Like hell!” She noticed that all of the Mutants were enjoying the spectacle and not paying much attention to the Thundercats. An idea began to form. “Hoo, hoo, hell is only the beginning for you girlie.” He grabbed her hair roughly and brought her close for a savage kiss. Linda gagged and pretended to stumble, causing the ape to widen his stance. Linda rammed her knee up between his legs as hard as she could, praying that he had the correct equipment. Monkian fell like a stone, cradling his badly injured anatomy. The Thundercats sprang into action and soon there was pandemonium. Linda saw Mumm-Ra go for the device at the same time that Lion-o did. Lion-o blasted the mummy with the Sword of Omens, knocking him several yards. “Get to the portal NOW!” he yelled at her. She began running, but she saw that Mumm-Ra had recovered and was racing to the portal. Linda knew she’d never get to the portal before him and she also knew what would happen if he made it to her time. He would use the weapons technology available to destroy 1st Earth and create 2nd Earth in his own image. The world she knew in this time would never be. Linda wasn’t about to let that happen! She grabbed a rock and headed to the device instead. She brought the rock back and slammed it down on the crystal. The resulting explosion threw her through the air and she heard a sickening cracking noise when she slammed into a tree. As she hit the ground far below her, she felt an immense pressure of heaviness in her chest and found that she had trouble catching her breath. The explosion had knocked everyone off their feet. Bengali picked himself up off the ground and looked around, spying Linda’s crumpled form. He ran to her, hoping that she had just gotten the wind knowcked out of her. But as he got closer, he knew something was wrong. “Hey Beautiful, you ok?” She smiled at him. “I wish I could say yes, but I think I broke my back.” She started coughing up blood. “It doesn’t look good Tiger Man.” Just then they heard an enraged roar. Mumm-Ra had been rocked by the explosion as well. The portal that he had been so close to going through was now gone and where the device should be there was now a large crater. He was now glaring at Linda with hatred in his eyes. Linda knew she was dying and she had no fear. As Mumm-Ra flew at her, knocking Bengali aside, she prayed. “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” The mummy grabbed her by the neck and quickly released her, screaming in agony. His hands were burned, large angry blisters forming on his palm. He looked at the dying woman, remembering what the Ancient Spirits of Evil had said. He pulled a wickedly sharp knife out. “You will have no power over me, bitch!” As he raised the knife, intending to plunge it into her heart, he was knocked back by a blinding white light. There was a strange soothing calm coming from the brightness that refreshed the Thundercats and terrified the Mutants. Everyone stared in amazement as they saw the radiating light revert Mumm-Ra back into his decaying mummy form. From the light emitted a voice so loud and strong that many had to cover their ears. “YOU SHALL NOT HARM MY CHILD!” Another blast from the light set Mumm-Ra ablaze in a white hot inferno. Mumm-Ra screamed in agony as he was consumed by the fire until he became nothing more that ash. A blast of wind swept up the ashes and scattered them toward the sea. The Mutants all got up and ran screaming into the forest, scared that they were next. Bengali had stared at all this in disbelief, but soon remembered Linda and crawled to her. She was fighting for each breath. Bengali knew she would go soon and cried. Linda picked up his hand. “It’s ok my love. We will meet again, I promise.” “NO!” He couldn’t live without her; she had become the missing half of his heart and the joy in his life. He looked to the sky. “Please,” he whispered, “Please don’t take her from me.” Bengali felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw the transparent form of a human man. He was dressed in some kind of multi colored uniform. On the uniform were some words; one said U.S. Army, the other was “Hurst”. Linda looked at the apparition and smiled. “Greg.” she whispered. “Have you come for me?” The ghostly figure knelt down and smiled at her. “Not yet babe. I have a message from God; He is proud of you. Though everything that you have had to deal with, you never gave up on him. But He was saddened to see you give up on life and That is why He opened the doorway and brought you here. Now it’s time to make a choice. You may go back to your own time where things are familiar, but where you will be alone; or you may stay here where the dangers are unknown, but where you have people who care for you and a man to love you. You must decide now.” Linda looked at Bengali and smiled at him, then turned to Greg. “ I choose love.” The spirit smiled. “ I hoped you would.” He placed his hand over her heart and a white glow enveloped her. Bengali stared as he saw her injuries begin to heal themselves and she began to breathe easier. When the light finally faded, Linda sat up and -*test*-('")ed her arms and legs to see if she could use them. When she saw that everything was in working condition, she turned to Bengali and embraced him. Linda then turned to her ghostly husband. “I’ll never forget you Greg.” “I’ll see you around.” he said to her, beginning to fade. Before he disappeared completely, he turned to Bengali and nodded to him. “Take good care of my girl now.” and vanished. Bengali continued to look at the spot where the man had been, the turned to Linda. “One of these days, you’re going to have to tell me more about this god of yours.” Linda laughed and kissed the man she loved as the other Thundercats gathered around. “By Thundera, you look absolutely beautiful!” Cheetara stepped back to admire her handiwork. Linda was dressed in a flowing white gown, her hair intertwined with summer flowers. She was radiant with happiness. A knock at the door let both of the women know that they had a visitor. “It’s time.” Lynx-o announced. Cheetara kissed Linda on the cheek “Don’t be scared, you’re going to do fine.” Linda laughed. “I have done this before, you know.” Cheetara laughed too and headed to the door, grabbing a few tissues on the way out. Linda stepped next to Lynx-o as he escorted her out. “Are you ready for this Ms. Hurst?” he asked her. Linda smiled. “This will be the last time you get to call me that!” Lynx-o laughed. “Oh I’m sure I can find something else.” Linda laughed as they stepped outside where all of Third Earth was gathered. On the top step was Bengali standing in front of Lion-o. Both were dressed in their formal uniforms. Lynx-o guided Linda to the waiting arms of Bengali and the ceremony began. Friends,” Lion-o began, “Today is a very special day. Any day is special when love is found as these two have learned.” He turned to Bengali. “The woman who stands before you has proclaimed her love for you. Will you accept it?” “I will accept it.” Lion-o turned Linda. “The man who stands before you has proclaimed his love for you. Will you accept it?” “Yes, I will accept it.” Lion-o pulled out the Sword of Omens and held it up between the couple. They placed their right hands together, the Sword between them. Lynx-o wrapped a length of cloth around their hands and the Sword tightly. “Do you swear to love each other and to stand by each other, no matter what the future holds?” Bengali looked into Linda’s eyes. “I swear by the Code of Thundera and by the Sword of Omens.” Linda fought back tears as she returned his gaze. “I swear by God and by the Sword of Omens.” Lion-o pulled the Sword down quickly, cutting the couple’s hands, their blood mingling together. “Let all know that Bengali and Linda have formed a bond that can never be broken!” The crowd cheered as the newly weds sealed their bond with a kiss. The End