Chapter Text
Looking back, the world seemed full of hope after that initial victory over Mumm-Ra. The first step in overcoming the difficulties that came with rebuilding Thundera. Having the allies who aided him in the fight cheer as he raised the Sword of Omens gleaming high up in the air. There was a chance. There was a dream. Now, that dream was gone. Mumm-Ra's forces swarmed Third Earth mere months afterwards. The City of Dogs fell first. Then the Fishmen. And Elephant City. The list went on and on. The survivors of the fallen nations banded together to oppose Mumm-Ra, but even now, their forces were dwindling while Mumm-Ra's grew stronger. Could the rebellion successfully defend Third Earth? Or would Mumm-Ra kill them all?
"Lion-O!" his head jolted up as he snapped out of his thoughts. "Y-yeah!..." Lion-O mumbled and scratched his head with a slight grin on his face, hiding the anxiety he was harboring in his head. Why did he suddenly start thinking about the futility of the war, though? It didn't matter.
"Stop daydreaming! The situation grows dire in Magi-Oar. We have to decide our next course of action soon or we'll lose more ground to Mumm-Ra!" Cheetara yelled.
"Sorry, my head's not in the game today.."
"Well, get it together. I know you're still upset over what happened in Cloud Peak, but we can't afford to have our leader musing about while Mumm-Ra's forces siege the forest." She looked down at Lion-O, who was completely nonchalant, as if he had no concept whatsoever of what was going on. A frown appeared across her forehead as she turned back to the map.
"Onto the war efforts, I propose we..." She trailed off.
He sighed, leaning back into the chair. As it was right now, Mumm-Ra had dominion over almost half of the planet and was still gaining. Meanwhile, the allied forces were struggling to keep control over the territories they had held for over 5000 years, back when they first landed on Third Earth. Was losing just one more forest really going to matter? No.. Of course it did! "...surrender."
Wait, did he hear that right? Did Cheetara just come up with the idea of surrendering? The strong willed, optimistic Cheetara wants to surrender? "Wh-" He was cut short by a deep growl. "I agree." Panthro said, arms folded. "What's the point of fighting anymore? Either we give up or Mumm-Ra will kill us all!" "Panthro, not you too?" What was going on? "Why would they..." Lion-O whispered under his breath.
Lion-O stood up, knocking his chair over. "What about the Thunderran Code?! Listen to yourselves! How can you give up on the rebellion so easily?! We're the last hope for Thundera and if we won't fight for Third Earth who will?!" He slammed his gauntlet-clad hands onto the table.
"Lion, face it. We're losing more and more troops every day while Mumm-Ra grows stronger every second. He's unbeatable! We've lost!" Tygra growled.
''We beat him once, we'll-" "We'll DIE! We-YOU got lucky one time! The next time you won't have Mumm-Ra surrounded by a hundred elephants and fishmen! Next time, you'll be alone and you'll lose. I'm done. I'll be gone by tomorrow." His claws dug into the table, knocking it over before he stormed out of the tent. He turned and shot a scowl towards Lion-O. "I'm sure dad would've loved to see you throw the lives of our soldiers away. You're no leader. Not my leader."
Panthro followed suit, not even looking in Lion-O's direction while doing so. He stared at the opening in disbelief at what had just happened. "Cheetara.. I-"
"Lion, I hate to say it. But we can't do this anymore. I'm sick of waking up every morning to see more and more of our people dead. If you have any sense of logic left, you should come with us and surrender. Maybe Mumm-Ra will spare the other rebels. Or what remains of them, at least. Please consider this, Lion-O. I know you can set aside your pride and do what's right for our people." She said, before walking out into the night as well.
He slumped down into the chair. The last of his original companions had just abandoned him. Wilykit and Wilykat had long been gone, off to their own endeavors after that incident. Pumyra, who he thought was the love of his life had betrayed him years ago. Was it really worth it to continue this war? Each day, more and more of his allies deserted him and joined Mumm-Ra's forces. Is the war already lost? He thought. Come to think of it, why did the war suddenly seem so hopeless? Just the day before, the rebellion had managed to take control of Mount Plun-Darr and were celebrating the victory. What happened to cause this abrupt shift in spirits? The familiar sound of metal clanging and shouting interrupted his thoughts. An attack? He drew his sword and ran out of the tent.
"What's going on?!" It wasn't an attack. Not an enemy attack, at least. Outside, the dogs and fishmen clashed their swords and harpoons against each other.
"Lion. O." A berbil came running over, or rather it tried to. Running wasn't exactly easy when your feet were attached directly to your torso, though.
"Uh...Robo-Bear? Why are they fighting?" Lion-O asked. "Fishman thinks war is lost. Rebel to help. Mumm-Ra."
"Great.. this again." He mumbled, running over and cleaving the ground between the combatants in two with the Sword of Omens.
"What in Thundera is going on here?!" He demanded.
"Sir, the fishmen have gone mad! They wanted us to join Mumm-Ra and betray the rebellion! When we refused, they attacked us!" One of the dogs said.
"The war is lost! I would rather serve Mumm-Ra and live than fight another day for your hopeless cause! We joined you out of the ridiculous idea that we would defeat Mumm-Ra but all we've gotten in return is suffering for our soldiers! I renounce the alliance! Death to Mumm-Ra's enemies!" He yelled, charging forward at Lion-O before he and his fellow fishmen were knocked down by the earth itself shaking. A shadow loomed over the gathered forces.
"Thanks, Aburn." A hulking figure stepped out of the darkness. "At least some of my allies still support me."
The elephant shook his head, trunk swaying from side to side in the process. "Lion-O. I defended you out of respect for the long history we have together, but I have come to tell you that the foolishly-made alliance between our kinds is broken." Aburn said.
"What? Why?!" "Surely you must know the reason. The war, is lost." No further words were spoken as the gray giant turned and walked away slowly.
"What should we do with the fishmen, sir?" No response. "Sir?" The dog's words weren't getting through to him.
He stared up into the stars with a blank stare plastered across his face, mouth slightly open. The war was lost, wasn't it? Everyone felt the same way, except for the dogs apparently. And the berbils. Then again they weren't exactly the most logical thinkers. Why would they understand whether the war could be won or not? Or was it because their minds were artificial? Who knows. Maybe... just maybe... he was the one who was wrong. Was the war lost? No. No, it wasn't. As long as there was still blood in his veins, he would fight. In the name of all that was right, he would oppose Mumm-Ra. "Sir!" He snapped out of his thoughts. "Lock them up and interrogate them in the morning. They might be under some sort of influence."
The dog saluted him. "You heard the king! Get them in the cage!" The other dogs bound their hands and led them away.
"Is that all, sir?"
"Yeah. Get some rest. You'll need it." He said, before walking back to his tent. Not before catching a glimpse of a dog soldier resting against a tree, face scarred beyond recognition. No doubt another casualty from the war. If it wasn't for the rebellion, would he be living a peaceful life in the City of Dogs? Perhaps, perhaps not. It wasn't a good time to continue pondering whether their cause was righteous or not. His eyes snapped back to the tent, before he entered it. The tent wasn't exactly the most comforting place.
The walls were adorned with war plans and maps. The floors scattered with crushed papers. Beside the armor stand next to his bed was a heavily scarred table with papers, the Book of Omens and memorabilia of better times scattered across it. Those days were gone, though. He sat down on his bed, a liberty that most of the other rebels didn't have. Resources were being diverted to the construction site after all. What the hell was Tygra's deal though? Didn't they get past this petty blood son dispute years ago? Why would he bring this up again out of nowhere? So much for the Loyalty in the Thunderran Code. Either way, what's done was done. If anyone else were to look at the current situation, they would with utmost certainty believe that Mumm-Ra would come out on top. Mumm-Ra...
Could Mumm-Ra be using his powers to cause conflict amongst them? He certainly had the capability to do so. He snapped his fingers, that was it! After that loss at Plunn Darr, Mumm-Ra probably had to resort to cheap tricks like manipulating their minds in order to get them to lose hope and give up on the war! There was still a chance to regain the support of his friends and allies. But he had to find a way to break Mumm-Ra's hold over them. "The Book of Omens might provide the answer.", he thought. Getting up, he walked over to the wooden table and sat down. He hadn't done this in quite some time. "Alright, Book. Do your thing." His fingers ran across the seal on the book, prompting a red beam of light to emit from the red gem in its center. Familiar wisps of energy snaked out of its pages, enveloping his body and pulling his spirit into the book's ethereal world.
His eyes opened to a strange glowing entity in front of him before it took the form of Jaga, looking as wise and relaxed as ever.
"Ah, Lion-O. You haven't visited in a while. What brings you here this time?" He inquired.
"Jaga, I need to know how to break Mumm-Ra's control over the rebels. Is there anything in the past that will give me the answer?"
"The book shall not provide you with the solution. But, I will."
"Well, how do I do it?"
"Why do you think the dogs haven't betrayed you yet?"
"...Because they're...they're... Why?"
"Dogs, the strange but powerful beasts that they are, take pride in their dedication to their leaders. No matter how bleak a situation may seem, their spirit will never waiver as long as their leader's doesn't."
"So you're saying that they haven't given up because I haven't either?" "Of course. Giving up is not in your nature. Headstrong and unwaivering."
"...Thanks, but I still need to know how to get the rest of the Rebellion back on my side."
"Mumm-Ra's hold over your forces is based off of their fear."
"Fear?"
"Yes. The ever present thought in the back of every soldier's mind. That they will lose. That they will die. He takes advantage of that uneasiness and coerces them to rebel against you."
"Well, how do I get them back on my side?"
"A leader's responsibility is to inspire loyalty and hope in his people. How you go about doing this is entirely up to you. I have no further counsel to provide to you. For now, I must tend to a far more dire situation." Jaga turned around, fading away into the suspended lines of light.
"Wait, I- GAH!" He was cut short by the regaining of his consciousness in the corporeal world.
"Damnit!" He slammed his hands on the table, leaving dents in the wood as he had done countless times before.
"Fat load of help that was." He murmured out loud, leaning back into the wooden chair. What kind of business could the spirit of a dead man have to deal with? Whatever. "Inspire hope? How am I supposed to go about doing that?" His eyes shifted toward the Thunderran insignia on the table. Come to think of it, there was no symbol to represent the Rebellion. Maybe the troops needed something to fight for. They needed to know that they weren't alone, that they had allies.
They-no, Third World needed a symbol of justice. A shining beacon of light in the darkness of Mumm-Ra's overwhelming power. He grabbed a "pen", something that the Berbils had invented. A small stick with a metal tip that excreted ink when pressed on paper and got to work on the design of the new Rebellion Insignia.
The chirping of birds in the trees above interrupted Lion-O's sleep. He jolted awake, visibly spent after hours of endless drawing and brainstorming last night. He looked down on his work. Thankfully there wasn't any drool on it. After all, this was his greatest masterpiece.
"Heh, not bad." He said, rolling the parchment up before walking out of his tent.
He raised his gauntlet in a futile attempt to block the sun's rays from entering his eyes, to no avail. As the blurry world around him came into focus, one thing was quickly apparent. Nobody except for a few berbils walking around and the caged fishmen were here. Either they were all still sleeping, couldn't be bothered to come out of their tents or had abandoned him during the night. His free hand clenched into a fist and he gritted his teeth in fury.
"Ugh..Its fine. I'll lift their spirits with this!" He said, looking down at the rolled up drawing in his hands. A smile crept across his face. He walked over to a small pile of crates, likely containing Panthro's many tools and weapons. Or food supplies, not that anything would've deterred him from his endeavor.. It made a good podium, though.
"Rebels! I have an announcement to make!" Lion-O yelled. The camp began to stir with activity as the soldiers hiding from their duties in tents came out to see what the commotion was about.
Murmurs filled the air as the dogs and fishmen asked about what was going on. Panthro and Cheetara walked into the scene, already preparing to leave. They would stay, just to listen to Lion-O's final words to them, though.
"Gather around me. There is something important that I must show you." He commanded. A crowd began to form around him as the soldiers assembled to see what their leader had to reveal to them.
"For months I know you've all been asking whether the fight against Mumm-Ra's forces is worth it. At times, it might seem like its hopeless. Pointless. That Mumm-Ra is unbeatable. But I say that Mumm-Ra can be defeated! We've done it once before, but only when we were united."
As he continued, excited whispers shot around the congregation. Perhaps he had a point. They did beat Mumm-Ra with a significantly lower amount of allies, but what was it that he had to show? Was it a weapon that could defeat Mumm-Ra? Something to turn the tides of war in their favor?
Anticipation built up amongst the soldiers, who were dying to see what was so important that they all had to gather here. Tygra crossed his arms, a frown snaking across his forehead. Surely this was a farce and he had nothing to show, right? But if he did... then...
"So, as a representation of that unity we once had, I proclaim this to be the new Insignia of the rebellion!" Lion-O proclaimed, grinning and proudly holding up the rebellion's emblem to show to everyone.
A terribly done sketch of a simplistic hybrid of the races participating in the efforts against Mumm-Ra. Drawing wasn't exactly his forte, after all. After a short silence as the soldiers stared in awe, not at how great it looked, rather at how awful it was.
"What a waste of time. I'm out." Tygra said, walking off along with Cheetara and Panthro. The rest of the congregation began to leave as well, muttering to each other with disappointment. "Wait! I-..." His plan failed. He had to do something to regain their loyalty before everyone completely abandoned the cause. Last resort, then. He hated doing this. "Cowards!"
The rebellion stopped in their tracks, turning to look at the Thunderran standing high above them.
"What was that?!" Panthro yelled. He began to walk over, ready to pummel this young upstart king into a pulp.
"Here goes nothing." Lion-O said under his breath. "You heard me Panthro, you and all who would abandon the fight against Mumm-Ra are cowards! Fools who would run away instead of standing their ground against tyranny. We're the last line of defense against Mumm-Ra and you would join him instead of fight against him?!"
"What else can we do?! Mumm-Ra is killing more and more of us every day while his forces grow stronger! We can't win this war!"
"The victory at Plunn-Darr two days ago tells me otherwise. The victory against Mumm-Ra himself in Avista tells me otherwise. That look in your eyes as Mumm-Ra retreated in fear told me otherwise! But now, I see in your eyes the same fear that would gouge out your honor. A day may come when our courage fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of alliance, but it is not this day!" He shouted, drawing the Sword of Omens out of his gauntlet and plunging its blade into the wood beneath him.
"An hour of war and shattered shields, when the age of beast comes crashing down. But it is not this day! This day, we fight! By all that you hold dear on this world, I ask that you stand, men of the rebellion! For Third Earth!" He declared, holding the sword high in the air.
Panthro's eyes grew wide as he looked down in shame. Lion-O was right. What was he thinking? He gritted his teeth. How shameful. The great general of Thundera, running away from battle like some kitten with his tail tucked between his legs? NO! He was a warrior. His honor would not allow it. He- would not allow it.
The same awkward silence from before filled the air. But this time, it was different. The awestruck looks across the soldiers' faces were of reverence instead of disgust. Cheers filled the air as the rebels voiced their approval for Lion-O's speech. Even the fishmen raised their hands and roared in support. He had managed to overcome Mumm-Ra's power. If it were even Mumm-Ra who did this to them, at least. It didn't matter now. He had the backing of the rebellion once again.
As the crowd dissipated, chattering excitedly about the battle they would have with Mumm-Ra's lizards in Magi-Oar, spirits high in the air at this point, Lion-O stepped down from the podium. Only to be approached by Panthro, who was scratching his head and Tygra, whose eyes were fixated on the ground. How could he look his brother in the eye after what he said to him?
"Lion-O, I-" He was interrupted by Lion-O placing his hand on his shoulder. He looked up, only to see a warm smile in place of the cold snarl he was expecting. "Don't sweat it. I doubt you meant those words either. After all, I think that Mumm-Ra was gulling us all into thinking that the war was done."
"That would explain why I suddenly felt so hysterical." Panthro said. "The mighty Panthro, hysterical? Now that's something I thought I wouldn't hear." Lion-O laughed. "I-I.. I mean- Oh, shut up." Panthro turned away, arms folded with a face that was in between embarassed and angry.
"Where's Cheetara?" Lion-O asked. "She went to tell Bengali that we weren't vacating after all."
"Oh. Well, its fine. As long as you guys are back on my side, I'm happy. You had me worried there for a second." He nudged Tygra's shoulder with a grin.
"Well, about that new Insignia you showed us just now..." "Ah.. Well, I thought it was a good idea."
"Its a great idea! It just needs... some refining. And I know just the person to do that!"
"Hold that thought. We need some way to prevent Mumm-Ra from affecting us again."
Lion-O scratched his chin. "Maybe the Berbils can do something?" "I doubt any tech on Third Earth can counter Mumm-Ra's powers." \
"What about something enchanced by a Power Stone?" "That might work. Get the Berbils on it."
"Sure, my king." Tygra laughed before beginning his journey to the Berbils' village, conveniently located just a few kilometers away from the camp. Which would still take a while to reach. The Berbils did provide a lot of high tech gear to the Rebellion, though. Including downsized versions of the Thundertank called "Thundercycles". It took a while to get the hang of, but once they did, it was definitely the fastest way to travel on Third Earth, much to the chagrin of Cheetara. He waved Tygra goodbye, before looking back at the construction site behind him.
"GRRRRAAH!" Mumm-Ra yelled in fury, smashing a green crystal onto the ground. "I was so close! SO CLOSE! To ending this pathetic rebellion! This thorn in my foot. That fetid worm, Leo's descendants still HAUNT me to this day!" He breathed heavily through his clenched teeth.
"Master, are you.. alright?" A female voice asked from the hallway.
"Pumyra, you worthless excuse for a servant! I should never have saved your pitiful soul on that day. The last thing I want to see right now is one of Leo's disgusting bloodline! GET OUT!" Pumyra bowed, moving backwards into the hallway and leaving. "Thunderrans... I will destroy you and this disgusting planet one day. EVEN IF I HAVE TO RIP ITS VERY CORE OUT OF ITS FOUL ROCK!"
Mumm-Ra's rage echoed through the hallway and the surrounding area. Something that was becoming more and more of a commodity nowadays. His frenzied fits of rage were getting worse and worse.
Meanwhile, Pumyra's footsteps echoed through the dark hallways of the Black Pyramid. An endless darkness in place of the bright lights, marble floors and stone pillars in Thundera.
The laughter of children in the city. Women bartering with the local butcher, the whistling of disgusting men as she walked down the busy streets. She missed it all. How long had it been since she last experienced any of it? Now, all she got to see were lurking shadows that disappeared around corners into nothing, the uneasiness of the dimly lighted rooms and evil cackling from the disgusting lizards.
And who was the one who took Thundera away from her? Was Lion-O truly to blame, or was it the being who destroyed Thundera? Who knows. All she knew was that Mumm-Ra was her master. So she had to follow him, right? Even if she enjoyed the time she spent with Lion-O, wasn't he the one who left her to die while Mumm-Ra was the one who saved her? She had been pondering this for quite a while. Perhaps...
"So, what do you think?" Cheetara rolled open yet another sketch of the new insignia. While it was far superior to Lion-O's concept art, it still lacked something. Something they couldn't quite put their finger on.
"What about an eyepatch?" Panthro casually chimed in.
"Panthro, no."
"Why not? Its a symbol of power!"
"If you say so." Lion-O laughed. He was worrying just hours ago that he wouldn't ever experience something like this again, the laughter of comrades as they sat around a table and discussed ongoings in life. Just like old times.
"What are you smiling about? Put your poker face back on, Mr. Leader." Panthro snarled.
"Ah, no. Its just... its just good to have you guys back again." He grinned. "Whatever kid."
"How about we get rid of the trunk and replace it with tusks?"
"Yeah the trunk doesn't quite fit the dog snout." Panthro chimed in.
"Alright, how about we remove thi-" Lion-O's hand knocked over a cup of red paint, splattering it across the design. The three's mouths gaped as wide as they could go before Lion-O finally broke the silence. "Whiskers."
"Well, actually it doesn't look too bad. Might actually look better than before!" Panthro said.
"Well, it does look more... Abstract?" "This might be it!" Cheetara exclaimed.
"Alright, looks like I have some affinity for art after all!"
"Don't flatter yourself, kid. You're hopeless at drawing."
"Alright, alright. I-"
"But you make a pretty damn good leader. Keep it up, my King." A huge grin made its way across Lion-O's face.
"Either way, we're going to need more than just a paint splattered drawing to motivate the soldiers." Panthro said.
"Why don't we award soldiers for their bravery in combat and upholding the Thunderran Code?"
"That could work... I've got it! How about we replace the red crests' on their armors with the new insignia?" Lion-O said.
"Only the ones who deserve it. But how do we decide who deserves one? Do we go by battle prowess or how they uphold the Thunderian Code's values?"
"Hmm, if it were by battle prowess you should probably give me a hundred of them."
"Always one to brag, Panthro." Cheetara said.
"Only the weak are humble. The strong are proud."
"That's not gonna work. If we're going to make these a symbol of prestige, only men-at-arms should get it. Not the leaders." There was silence in the war room as they pondered over how they would go about awarding these new "medals" to the soldiers.
"Any warrior in the alliance can kill a few lizards. But only a few can down one of Mumm-Ra's generals." Panthro finally spoke up, breaking the awkward silence.
"Agreed. They should earn the insignia by overcoming obstacles such as overwhelming enemy forces and the like." Cheetara added.
"No, that's still too simple. It has to be hard earned. We can't just go about giving some violent brute a medal. Its a poor example. I say we give it to those who regularly overcome overwhelming obstacles whilst upholding the Thunderian values."
"That'll work." Panthro said.
"I'll send a messenger to get the Berbils to commission a few medals of honor tomorrow." "Now that I think about it, I did send Tygra there earlier today. He was supposed to ask them to begin work on a device that could prevent Mumm-Ra's powers from affecting us. I think he's too far along the road to intercept now, though. He did take one of the new Thundercycles, after all.
"Tsk." Cheetara winced. He'd struck a nerve, apparently.
"Anyway, onto the subject of New Thundera." Panthro interrupted Lion-O's thoughts once again.
"The Berbils are making good progress on the city, but its taking up a lot of our resources. Resources that we can use for the war instead."
"No. New Thundera is the future of our people. Its a place where those who've lost their homes can live in peace once again. We're not halting construction."
"Alright, alright. I get it. I'm just saying."
"But the soldiers are getting pretty fed up with sleeping on the thin piece of cloth you call a sleeping bag. Maybe you should set aside a small amount for them" Cheetara said.
"...You're right. They deserve some comfort at least. Add another line to the message telling the Berbils to process some cotton and make mattresses for our allies. "
"Got it. Now that I think about it, trunks huh? What about the elephants? Didn't they break the alliance between us last night?"
"Ah, whiskers. I forgot that they ditched us. I'll go to Elephant Village and try to-" "SIR!"A dog came running into the war room.
"What's the problem?"
"Sir, you're gonna want to see this." The Thunderrans ran out of the war room, to be greeted by the sight of a large group of elephants, with Anet and Aburn standing at the front.
"Anet? Aburn? Why are you-"
"Lion-O, it would seem that the decision we made last night was too hasty. I'm not sure what came over us, but we have come to renounce our renounciation of the alliance between Elephants and the Rebellion. Please accept our utmost apologies."
"Its not your fault. We believe that Mumm-Ra used his powers to manipulate us into giving up on the war."
"Even so, it would be unforgivable for us not to offer reparations for this horrible betrayal of trust. Anything you ask for, we will provide."
"No thanks, we couldn't take advantage of your kindness. What's done is done, and as long as we're back on good terms, that's all I need."
"As humble and noble as ever, young Lion-O. Thank you." Aburn raised his trunk and began trumpeting, followed by Anet and the other elephants. "Well, toodle-oo. The Elephants owe you a favor now. Come to us if you require our aid for anything whatsoever. The elephants began to walk back to their village, causing the ground to rumble in the process. Eventually, they got far enough that it died down.
"Looks like everything's back to normal." Lion-O said. "
Yeah, and now the elephants owe us one. I say we make them join us in the war effort!" Panthro proposed excitedly.
"No, they're a pacifist race and as useful as they would be in fighting against Mumm-Ra, the Thunderran Code specifically states that we have to be honorable and to fight in the name of justice. There is no justice or honor in forcing those peaceful giants to fight for us when they won't want to." Lion-O sternly said.
"Tsk." Panthro voiced his disapproval, turning around and crossing his arms once again.
Yep, everything really was back to the way it should be. As it had been for the past few years, at least. Things weren't the way they were before. And they could never be. The age of Thundera was over. But they would rebuild and bring back a glimpse of that shining, golden time. Until then, the war would go on. They would fight until their last breath. Until Mumm-Ra was beaten. Game on.