The doors of Cat's Lair opened almost before the trio arrived. This was fortunate for they had been debating for some time how to go about signalling their arrival to the Thundercats. Should they knock? Would there be a ringer? This solved their problems quite nicely though it was startling. Only Woodstock seemed unsurprised as though she'd sensed an alien presence nearby. In fact, the clouded leopard projected a wave of delight as the doors parted to reveal the Thunderian beyond.

"Welcome to Cat's Lair," said Cheetara warmly as she stepped forward and allowed the doors to close behind her. "How can I help you?"

Her veiled suspicion was obvious, but not unexpected, and the group remained unphased by it. MDG Calypso was momentarily speechless by the cheetah's sheer loveliness. The realism of the game added an extra dimension to a formerly two dimensional heroine. Every hair, every spot, every athletic curve made the Thunderian almost supernaturally beautiful.

Not that it mattered any to Wilycub.

"Cheetara!" the cub squealed happily. "It's really you!"

"Do...do I know you, little one?" asked the cheetah carefully, looking from adult, to child, to cat, to child once again.

"Uh...No, but who on Third Earth *hasn't* heard of the Thunercats," said MDG Calypso quickly, nudging Wilycub into silence. "I...thought to escort this orphaned cub to where I knew there would be more of her own kind and hoped that I would get to meet with you. I've always admired your team."

**Good...clever** came the overwhelming thought into MDG's mind as Woodstock bumped his thigh with her nose and made a little noise of contentment.

"So you are but two travellers?" asked the cheetah.

"Three."

"Three?"

"Three!" declared Wilycub, kneeling to hug Woodstock around the neck. "Woodstock's a traveller too!"

**Friend** confirmed the clouded leopard loud enough for everyone to "hear".

Cheetara was momentarily startled but remembered that Snowmeow herself was quite sentient for an animal. "You...you can speak with your mind?" projected Cheetara even as she spoke the words. "Can you read minds as well?"

**Feel**

"Er...not exactly," supplemented MDG. "Woodstock sort of projects impressions of her thoughts and the receiver tends to just put words to the feelings. She can't read your thoughts but she's pretty good at interpreting feelings."

**More friends** the cat related, sitting daintily and curling her tail about her. She almost seemed to be grinning.

"More?" Cheetara's eyebrows raised and even Woodstock's travelling companions turned to look at her.

**More** the cat confirmed, turning her head to look out across the field where two forms ran swiftly across the field of grass.

"It was wonderful of the Keepers to let us ride their unicorns!" gasped Felina as she clung to the main of the swiftly running animal.

"As far as I could tell, it wasn't their choice so much as the unicorns'!" replied Laura as the rushing wind stole her breath away. "No two horses would run this close together just so we could...could...hold...a..." Laura closed her mouth against the wind and swallowed hard. "Hold a conversation," she managed with a grin.

"Such as it is," agreed Felina before turning her attention back to keeping her balance. Without saddles or reins, riding a unicorn was tricky indeed. She was quite sure that the only reason she hadn't fallen off yet was due to the animal's skill rather than her own.

"Hey!" grinned Laura, nodding toward the rise ahead. "Do you see what I see?"

Felina looked up to see Cat's Lair appearing as if by magic from behind the hills scrub. The great hulking cat sat poised, a guardian in the niche of the cliff behind its head turned to its left to watch for enemies approaching from the bend in the river...a place not far from the players' original meeting place. To Felina, who with Laura was approaching from the left hind-quarter, it seemed at though the feline would turn its head at any moment to focus its luminous yellow eyes on the intruders.

And yet she felt no fear. She knew those eyes would welcome her.

"I think we should swing around where the hills slope down!" Laura shouted above the rushing wind. "The going will be easier on the unicorns and we can get a better view of the front of the Lair..."

"Not to mention look more like friends and less like thieves!" agreed Felina as they veered to the South-East and raced across the Plains of Fertility toward the extended drawbridge.

Wilycub ran down the stairs to get a better view of the newcomers with the protective Woodstock right behind her. Cheetara and MDG Calypso made a much more leisurely descent, the Thundercat asking many questions that put the game player's quick thinking to the test.

"The pod was apparently found by the people of a small village in which I was staying on an island. I travel around improving technology in return for food, shelter, travelling supplies...whatever else a town can offer," MDG lied convincingly. The cybernetic part of his brain was proving to be quite a useful tool indeed for rapid fabrication of facts. He would have to remember to have Wilycub memorize his story or feign amnesia. "It was in a cargo ship that was starting to sink off-shore. How it got there is anyone's guess. Wilycub certainly doesn't remember anything of the time before she awakened in the village, but everyone could tell that she was Thunderian and it was then that I decided I would bring her to Cat's Lair. It was a long way to travel, but I thought of it as the perfect excuse to meet with you and perhaps exchange knowledge. There is so little technological development on this world."

"Then you are from another world too?" asked the cheetah. "Between us, the Mutants, the Lunataks, and the Berbils, I'm beginning to wonder if any of us are from this world."

MDG caught himself before he winced. In making up a past for Wilycub he had entirely forgotten his own! Taking the chance that the Thundercats knew much of the universe, but little of this planet, he thought up the perfect explanation. "Actually, I *am* from this world...but from Second Earth. I am part machine as well as human," he explained, tapping his left arm with his knuckles. There was a faint clanging sound. "I was shut down and preserved artificially in an underground lab...I've only been reactivated for a couple of years to tell the truth."

Cheetara was quiet a moment, but seemed to accept the explanation. "And Woodstock?"

"One of a species of clouded leopards we met on our way," explained the cyborg. "Their kind are very rare and she's very secretive about her people. What she does tell is also difficult to interpret." MDG made a mental note to get Woodstock alone and explain her past to her as well. Couldn't Bast have provided them with backgrounds?

But then, he supposed, that would take the fun out of building a character. Such as the two that were now arriving at top speed on the backs of unicorns.

"WOAH!" cried Felina, gripping her mount's mane tightly to keep from being tossed as the creature pranced about happily at the scent of a child. Innocence, it seemed, was especially sweet to them.

"Shhh...there there," soothed Laura, patting her own mount's neck until it calmed and knelt forward to let her slide off of its back.

"So that's how you do it," commented Felina, arching an eyebrow. She stroked the unicorn's neck and was rewarded by the same kneeling dismount as Laura had received. As she dismounted, the other unicorn nuzzled at her elbow, making it quite obvious that it was of the opinion that she should use it for something more interesting...like playing her flute.

"Alright! Alright!" laughed the human woman, raising the instrument to her lips and running off a lively tune to the absolute delight of the unicorns. She played on a short time before stopping. "Now get on home," she smiled, patting one of the equines' flanks, "before your keepers start to worry."

With a joint neigh, the pair of creatures nuzzled their riders, the other players, and Cheetara - nibbling on Wilycub's hair for good measure - before gallopping off in the direction of the unicorn wood.

"WOW!" cried Wilycub. "REAL UNICORNS! Calypso, Woodstock, did you see them!?! Real unicorns!"

**We saw** projected the leopard, bumping her head against Wilycub's knee.

"Well," said Cheetara with some surprise, "more visitors! This is quite a day! We seldom see so many strangers at Cat's Lair."

"Ah! Cheetara of the Thundercats!" smiled Felina. "It's an honour to meet you! My name is Felina and I'm sorry if we're intruding, but we really are here as friends. I will open my mind to you if you like and you can see that I'm telling the truth. I have certain mental abilities of my own," she finished modestly.

"Oh...I'm sure that won't be necessary. If the unicorns let you ride them, you can't possibly be of evil intent," smiled Cheetara. "But...I would be interested in hearing about your abilities. Sometimes it's...difficult...being the only one."

"We'd all be happy to tell you about our talents," offered Laura.

"But maybe we shouldn't do it out in the open," added MDG. "Woodstock, Wilycub, and I were chased by Mutants earlier on."

"Oh...of course," said Cheetara quickly. "Where are my manners? We shall let you join us in the Lair although I'm sure you will understand if I restrict your access until such a time as our lord returns?"

"Wouldn't dream of asking for more," smiled Laura. "And as for manners...yours are no worse than mine. Laura," she said, extending her hand.

Cheetara accepted it and let MDG take her place. "MDG Calypso," the cyborg said significantly, hoping the human would understand that he too was a player. "And these are Wilycub and Woodstock."

**Greetings** projected Woodstock, flicking her tail in amusement at the new arrivals' shock.

But they had little time to recover as they were assaulted by all of Wilycub's exuberance.

"Hi, Laura! Hi, Felina! I'm Wilycub and I can't *wait* to see inside Cat's Lair. I've always wanted to come here! How did you make friends with the unicorns? Is it because of your flute? You're such a good player!"

**Come. Talk later.** cat-grinned the clouded leopard, bumping the young Thunderian toward the Lair.

"I think I agree with...Woodstock, was it?" said Cheetara. "If there are Mutants in the area we will have time enough for explanations when we're safely inside. Besides, the kittens are dying to meet you mysterious travellers," she smiled broadly.

"You mean Wilykit and Wilykat? They're here too?" asked Wilycub excitedly. "I want to meet them too! Our names are almost the same!"

Overjoyed by the prospect of encountering other Thunderian youths, Wilycub bolted up the stairs with Cheetara and the players close behind her. As they all filed into the Lair, MDG offered silent praise to the cub for being clever enough to not say that she was named *after* the Thunderkittens. That close brush with discovery brought to light the problem of fans who might create player character with the intent of being related to the show characters...a concept that would never fly in this world.

But that problem would be dealt with when and if it presented itself. In the meantime he was about to get his first glimpse at the interior of the might Cat's Lair.

With a grin of anticipation, MDG Calypso stepped through the outer doors.

*********************