What Would Life Be Like? -- Chapters 4, 5, and 6
Chapter 4 Back at Cat’s Lair, Cheetara tended to Lion-O’s energy seared arm while Panthro looked at what Mumm-Ra had called the Thunder-Granter. “What do you suppose it does?” The lion asked as Cheetara finished wrapping the gauze. “I have no idea. Jaga never spoke of such an instrument and in translating the Book of Omens, I haven’t seen anything called the Thunder-Granter.” Panthro told him. “Doesn’t that seem odd? I mean if it truly does belong to the ThunderCats or Thunderian people, wouldn’t there be a record of it?” Cheetara wondered. “I would assume so. Seeing as it has the ThunderCat emblem on it, someone had to know what it is and what it does.” The panther conceded. “Well Mumm-Ra said that he would use it to spread his evil over the entire planet and then Third Earth. He must know what it does.” Lion-O said. “Hmmm that seems very strange. Let me get a hold of Tygra and see if he knows. Worse comes to worse, we could use the Sword of Omens and it would tell us what it does.” Panthro suggested. The Lord of the ThunderCats nodded and the panther left the room leaving the two alone. “Thanks for patching me up.” He said. “Not a problem, just promise me you’ll try to avoid those energy blasts a little better next time.” Cheetara smiled as she finished wrapping the tape around the bandages. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Silence fell between the two for a few moments before Lion-O spoke up. “Well I guess we’d better get to the control room. Maybe Tygra has an answer to our strange contraption.” The cheetah only nodded and the two headed for the door. “I hate to tell you this Panthro but I’ve never seen it. Hang on and I’ll get Lynx-O. Maybe he knows.” The orange tiger said. “All right.” The panther nodded and watched his friend leave the viewing screen. Behinds him he heard the doors open and turned around. “Well no luck with Tygra but he’s getting Lynx-O. It’s possible that he knows something.” Panthro explained. Neither Lion-O nor Cheetara responded and the panther was about to say something when Lynx-O’s voice drew him back to the screen. “What do you have there?” The lynx wondered. “Mumm-Ra called it the Thunder-Granter but we have no idea if that is what its called or not. The Book of Omens doesn’t mention it and I never heard Jaga mention it. It’s a telescope but there appears to be only one lens on the big end of it.” Panthro hoped the description would be enough for the lynx. Silence fell between them before Lynx-O spoke a few minutes later. “The description matches a tale from long ago. It is said that the Thunder-Granter was only a myth, a telescope with one lens that allowed its owner to see into the future. Should the owner not like what he or she saw they could make one wish that would change the course of that future. It could have disastrous effects on the time continuum but it was supposed to be a myth.” He explained. “How could something this small do something like that?” Lion-O asked. “It was said that the Ancient Spirits of Goodness used their very powerful magic to bestow its special powers. They created it for the soul purpose of saving Thundera from plunging into total darkness. Peace and prosperity would then reign for the next five hundred years until the destruction of the planet.” Lynx-O said. “So my father must have been aware that what was thought to be a myth was actually reality.” The Lord of the ThunderCats realized. “The only way to test that theory is to put the small end to your eye and see what it shows you.” Came the reply. Chapter 5 Lion-O took the Thunder-Granter from Panthro and placed it over his right eye. At first, nothing happened and he wondered if it was broken, suddenly light shot forth and the Lord of the ThunderCats saw a scene of Thundera before him. But it wasn’t a peaceful Thundera, it was minutes before the planet would be obliterated and those who didn’t make it off the planet would perish. Suddenly the view panned to Claudus and the ThunderCats. He was telling them that he must stay behind to help get their ship off the planet. They all were saddened but knew that it had to be done. Once they entered the ship, Claudus pulled out the Thunder-Granter and commanded it to lead his son and the ThunderCats to safety. It would be his dying request as the planet exploded. The scene became black and then it appeared again to show everything that led up to the moment of the fight with Mumm-Ra earlier that day. Conveniently, the whole part about the ever-living source of evil creating this modified version was left out. Once this was over, Lion-O pulled it away from his face. “What did you see?” Cheetara asked. “My father let Thundera be destroyed. He could have saved it and he chose instead to give us safe passage. I don’t understand.” He said. “He must have seen the future and knew that what was in store for us away from Thundera would be more important than saving the planet itself.” Panthro thought. “But what about all our fellow Thunderians that died because of the Mutants’ actions? What about Jaga? They were best friends and you’re telling me that he sent Jaga to his death on purpose?” Lion-O was obviously getting upset. “He did what was best for Thundera, what was best for his people, and what was best for his son. We will never know if your father ever saw that Jaga would die. Perhaps his wish wasn’t specific enough. We will never know but we do know what kind of Thunderian your father was and we know that whatever he saw, must have been worth the chance of never seeing Thundera again.” Lynx-O spoke up. Everyone knew that the lynx was right. Claudus would never purposely endanger Thunderians unless it was absolutely necessary. He was a good leader and father. Lion-O let out the breath he had been holding with Lynx-O spoke and then turned and left the control room. He needed time to think and to be alone. Only then could he sort out his mixed emotions and make a decision about what to do with the Thunder-Granter. Cheetara sighed and watched him leave the room. Something inside her wanted to chase after him but her better judgment said that he needed to be alone. Panthro said goodbye to Tygra and Lynx-O and then went off to find the ThunderKittens to explain the situation. No doubt the two were eating supper down in the kitchen. Cheetara promised to stay in the control room, and flipped the video screen to the security cameras. It wasn’t long before she found Lion-O sitting in the Cat’s mouth, staring off toward the distant mountains. Another sigh escaped her lips as she switched it back to the outside feeds, to keep an eye on the newly reformed Thundera. Her thoughts wandered to this afternoon and the fight with Mumm-Ra. She had been sure that the entire planet had been swept for missing pieces of the treasure of Thundera and yet somehow, the Thunder-Granter, had been missed. Not only that, the fight today had been too easy. Mumm-Ra hadn’t followed them after they escaped on the ThunderClaw. The cheetah didn’t need her sixth sense to tell her that something was up and the moment she got the chance, she would have a few words with Lion-O. Mumm-Ra watched the scene unfold before him in his bubbling cauldron. So far the Lord of the ThunderCats hadn’t had a need to wish for something but it wouldn’t be long. “Little do they know, Ma-Mutt, that when Lion-O comes to need the one wish that the Thunder-Granter gives, he’ll get the exact opposite of what he desires. My evil magic has interfered with the telescopes wishing capabilities. So instead of things getting better they’ll only get worse!” A loud cackle left the mummy’s lips and Ma-Mutt joined in by howling. Chapter 6 The sun began to sink over the crust of New Thundera and Lion-O made his way to the kitchen for dinner. The ThunderKittens raced past him, as they wanted to eat and then go out and meet some of their friends in the settlement. So caught up in his own thoughts about what he had seen in the Thunder-Granter after today’s earlier events, the lion didn’t hear someone calling his name. “Lion-O, are you still with us?” Cheetara wondered as she raced in front of him and cut off his path. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes.” “Huh? Oh sorry, I just have a lot on my mind.” The Lord of the ThunderCats said slowly. “I’ve been doing some thinking and that fight we had with Mumm-Ra was too easy. If he wanted the Thunder-Granter so badly then why didn’t he put up more of a fight, especially since you were wounded.” She conjectured. Lion-O moved his attention from the floor to the cheetah’s face. “You’re right and why after all this time would he go looking for it if it would supposedly give him the power to defeat us?” Cheetara was about to answer him when Cat’s Lair shook violently. “Earthquake?” The cheetah wondered when the shaking stopped. The response she got was the Sword of Omens warning it’s master of danger. Quickly, Lion-O pulled the might Sword from the Claw Shield and put the hilt up to his face. “Sword of Omens, give me Sight Beyond Sight!” The sword showed him the horrible truth behind all the chaos and he quickly raced off back toward the control room. Not waiting for an explanation, Cheetara followed. “Dormant volcano number twelve in sector O has just erupted. No signs as to why, I didn’t receive any activity warnings.” Lynx-O hit the Braille Board’s key furiously trying to discover what the volcano had spewed from its mouth and if it was headed their way. “Well you wouldn’t. The Sword showed me who’s behind this but first what kind of fallout can we expect?” Lion-O wondered. “Ash has been sent hundreds of feet into the air. It will cover everything in its path and choke the life out of plants and animals. I’m working on what kind of damage radius there will be.” Just then another violent tremor shook the Lair. Cheetara watched the screen as the very active volcano number seven erupted in the same sector. “We have lava flow with this one.” Lynx-O alerted them. “What the hell is going on?” Panthro rushed into the control room with the ThunderKittens and Snarves hot on his tail. “We’ve had a couple volcano eruptions in sector O, one spewing ash, the other lava. We have to find a way to control the lava before it sets the forests and grass plains ablaze, then we’ll have a real mess on our hands.” Lion-O explained. “The best way to divert lava is with a large crack in the earth. Even if we wet down the grass and trees the lava will just go right through it.” Panthro said. “Well however we’re going to do it we’d better do it fast.” Cheetara pointed out as she watched the lava pick up speed down the side of the volcano. “Sounds like a job for the ThunderTank. Let’s go!” The panther exclaimed as he raced out of the control room. In a flash, Cheetara, Lion-O, and the ThunderKittens joined him, leaving Lynx-O to keep them updated as they raced against time and Mother Nature. Panthro had the ThunderTank running on all cylinders and he pushed it hard to get close enough to the moving lava so he could begin to bore into the ground and create a large trench for the hot liquid magma. Lion-O silently begged Jaga to give them the time they needed, as it seemed the ThunderTank was only moving inches at a time. Suddenly, the heavy-duty vehicle stopped in its tracks. They had arrived at the right spot but someone was already there. To Be Continued...