Path Into The Darkness

Grune sighed as he watched the Thunderan sunset from miles above the ground.  The sky was a brilliant golden color, a color that he hadn't seen for weeks now.  After what had felt to him in the last part of his stay as a hellish eternity, his trip to the Third Moon of Plundarr was finally over.  He recalled the tedious remainder of his trip after that foolishly impulsive visit to Kalin.  It had turned out to be a rather pointless diplomacy mission, just as he had predicted it would.  The lunatac king really had no intention of trying to make peace with the Thunderians, he had merely humored their whim and used the visit as an opportunity to make Grune feel like a unwelcome outsider and to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the suggestion of peace among the peoples by any way other than ultimate conquest and domination of one over the other, was impossible.  His wife, Siliera, was a bit better about it all, he knew that she had wanted to see it work out, and she was always more than polite to him and went out of her way to see that his needs were tended to.  In a way Grune genuinely liked the lunatac queen... though he could not have much respect for her, since she was little more than her husband's yes-woman and an attractive arm ornament when it came to actually doing any real political work.  Making matters worse, Grune had been unable to get the aggravating memory involving Kalin and the incident at the sleazy club out of his mind, and even more aggravating, had been unable to get her out of his mind.

After a while he had been able to convince himself that it was nothing more than the fact that he missed Scarlette, and his loneliness had been projecting itself-- albeit in a decidedly sick way-- onto the mysterious and manipulative woman, but still nagging thoughts made themselves known every once in a while that there was a possibility-- a very small possibility, of course-- that it was not the case at all.  Still, that was over now. Time to forget the evil and scheming lunatac and return his thoughts to where they rightly belonged, with his love.  A strong, fiery, loyal woman, someone who would never sink the the twisted games that Kalin did.

The ship landed outside of Cat's Lair, and Grune made his way out of the ship to where the Thunderian Royal Guard was waiting to greet him in his return.  Glancing up at the magestic shadow of Cat's Lair, and knowing that his love and all of his friends were there, he felt more at ease than he had in weeks.  He was home.

Jaga was waiting on the steps of Cat's Lair with Tessana, Chetland, and Tygra when Grune and his guard escorts arrived.  "Ho, friend!" Jaga called out.  He gave Grune a smile, though Grune thought it appeared to have just a hint of sadness in it and-- what was that other thing he was sensing... was it nervousness?  The others smiled politely as well as Grune approached.

"Ho, my friends." Grune replied.  As he joined his fellow Thundercats, he wondered why Claudus hadn't joined them.  Traditionally the Lord of the Thundercats was supposed to greet other Thundercats when they returned home from extended missions if at all possible, especially highly political or diplomatic ones.  As far as he knew, Claudus wasn't scheduled to be away... so why wasn't he there?  "It's good to be home again.  Is there a reason Claudus wasn't able to join you in greeting me?  I had hoped to discuss some of what I had seen over on the Third Moon of Plundarr with him as well as the rest of you upon my return."

"Welcome home, Grune." Tessana greeted him.  "Claudus was not able to make it here to greet you because of personal business.  You'll be meeting him later, there are many things to be discussed."  A strange look passed between the others as she said that.  Grune noticed.  "I am sorry to hear that the peace mission didn't go as planned." Tessana continued.

Chetland snorted. "Damned lunatacs don't know the first thing about peace.  I don't know why we even bothered sending anyone, we all knew this would happen."

"We're obligated to try if there is a chance." Tygra remarked.

Jaga nodded. "Yes, Tygra, that is true."  He turned to Chetland. "Thundercats are protectors of peace, and we do not condone war or hatred."

The cheetah youth sighed. "Yeah yeah, Jaga, I know that.  But it sure is a royal pain in the ass when we're the only ones playing by those rules."

"Maybe it's time we changed the rules." Grune suggested.

Tessana and Jaga immediately shot him a questioning, if not suspicious, look.  "I'm not sure I understand why you would want to change a code that has served us well for centuries." Tessana said, eyeing him carefully.

Grune looked to his fellow Thundercats.  "I'm not talking about changing the code exactly, I'm saying... I saw and learned much while I was living among the lunatacs.  Our peace summit might have failed us, but I did learn valuable information about how they live.  Much of what I saw sickened me, but surprisingly I also found myself intrigued by how deeply they believe their own ideals, different as they are from ours.  And while their ultimate goals of destructive conquest are wrong, I find some of the theories behind their ways of thinking to make a lot of sense on many levels.  While I was there I met some... fascinating... individuals who opened up some paths of thought I hadn't previously taken before."

"I'll just bet you did." muttered Chetland.

Tessana shot Chetland a withering look.  The cheetah lowered his head at the elder panthress' stern gaze and grumbled a bit more unintelligibly.

Grune instantly picked up the undercurrent. "Excuse me?"

"Let it be for now." Tessana replied.  "It is not our place to talk about this."

"Talk about what?" Grune asked, growing angry.  Something was going on here that he was not privy to.  The others were giving him odd looks, and he wanted to know why.  He also wondered for a moment if this had anything to do with the fact that Claudus had not joined them to greet him.

Jaga stepped in.  "As Tessana said, it's really not our place to say anything, Grune.  When we get inside, talk to Scarlette."

"Scarlette?  What about Scarlette?  What does she have to do with this?"

Chetland shot a rude look at Grune. "I think you know full well what she has to do with this."

That set Grune off.  "Don't you dare take that tone with me, boy!" snapped the sabertooth.  "If you've got something to say to me then be man enough to say it.  Now it's quite obvious that something strange is going on with all of you, and as your fellow Thundercat I deserve the respect for you to come out and say it!  I am in no mood to play games!"

"Is that what you said to her?" Chetland retorted, glaring at Grune.

"Chetland!" both Tessana and Jaga spoke in unison. "Let it go, Chetland.  That's an order." Tessana continued.

Grune, however, would not let it go. "No, let him continue.  Just who in the hells were you referring to, cheetah?  Scarlette?"

"What other her would I be referring to?" Chetland asked sarcastically.

Grune reached and grabbed Chetland. "I said I didn't want to play any of your games, boy!  Now tell me what you're talking about."

"Enough!" Jaga asserted, far more forcefully than he usually spoke. "Please, let's take this inside and settle it there as Claudus and Scarlette planned.  Grune... please, just go to Scarlette and talk to her.  We can't say any more than that until you do so."

Grune released Chetland. "Fine.  Let's get to the bottom of this, then."

The group quickened their pace as they headed back to Cat's Lair and went inside, an awkward silence now over hanging over them like a thick blanket of fog.  Grune didn't know what to make of what was happening, or why the others were acting so strangely.  He almost felt as though he had somehow done something wrong... but what?  He had done nothing that could be considered dishonorable, even in that visit to Kalin, which he assumed they couldn't possibly know about anyway, for them to be holding anything against him.  It made no sense.  And what was this big issue about Scarlette?  A dark feeling gnawed at him, increasing tenfold as the group stepped through the majestic main doors into the entry hall of Cat's Lair.

Grune took a deep breath and faced the others. "Where is Scarlette?"

"The council room." Tessana replied in calm and even tone.  "She and Claudus are in there now, waiting for you."

The sabertooth nodded, then turned and headed toward the council room.  As he walked away, he thought he heard young Tygra whisper "I hope he'll be all right."

What does he mean by that? Grune wondered, thoughts running wild in his head.  He had only been gone for a few short weeks, what possibly could have happened in that time that was so awful that none of them wanted to tell him about it?  Was something wrong with Scarlette?  Was she sick?  Was she in there with Claudus to bear some bad news?  Or was it about her competition with Tygra for position as Thundercat?  Maybe Firestripe had chosen the mentalist youth over her, and she needed Claudus's support to break the news?  Grune shook his head.  Don't jump to any conclusions, he told himself, remember, no matter what they tell you, you are a Thundercat, there is nothing that you can't handle, Grune the Mighty.

But there was no way that Grune the Mighty was in any way prepared for what awaited him when he opened the council chamber doors, stepped through, closed them, and met the sad, tear-stained face of his young love or the somber and guilty expression of his lord and ruler.  A terrible, sick feeling swept over him as he joined Scarlette and Claudus at the table. "I would ask why you weren't there to welcome me back, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me right now, aren't you?" Grune asked them.  Something inside him was telling him to leave, to turn away, to do anything to prevent himself from hearing what he was about to hear-- and it scared him.  Grune was never afraid of anything.

"Grune--" Scarlette started, but her voice faltered as soon as she began to speak.

Claudus picked up for her.  "We need to discuss some things with you, Grune." he said sadly.  "I'm not sure where to begin... Scarlette?" the lion looked to the young tigress.

Scarlette swallowed hard and nodded to Claudus.  "I'm okay, Claudus, I have to be the one to do this, hard as it may be." She turned to Grune.

The sabertooth immediately moved toward his distressed fiancee and reached to take her into his arms. "Scarlette... what's the matter?  You can tell me, you know I love you and that you can say anything to me--"

"Don't lie to me, Grune." she retorted, her voice suddenly taking on a cold and bitter edge.

Grune was taken aback.  "What?  Lie to you?  How can you say that?  I would never lie to you!  I love you--"

"Stop it, I can't hear that right now." Scarlette asserted.  Fresh tears welled up in her eyes, and she sobbed softly for a moment, before taking a deep breath to steady herself enough to speak again.  "I mean... oh... why did you do it, Grune?  How could you hurt me like this?  Was she worth it?"

She? Grune's stomach tied up in a knot and his thoughts raced wildly.  No, there is no way she could know about Kalin... nothing happened... there's nothing TO know!  Nothing happened, dammit!  She is nothing to me! Grune ignored his disturbing thoughts and faced his lover.  He didn't want to do this, but he had to ask, had to settle this.  He had to find out just what she knew, and find a way to rectify it somehow.  "Scarlette... what are you talking about?"

Scarlette reached for a folder on the table and pulled out a large glossy photograph, and defiantly shoved it in front of his face.  "Who the hell do you think I meant? HER!"

A shockingly detailed picture of him, in the seedy club back in the capital city of the Third Moon of Plundarr, with Kalin wrapped around his body like a predatory snake, greeted his eyes.  Grune's heart pounded and his stomach lurched.  Oh no, no... great moons of Thundera, no... He felt like a child who'd been caught sneaking where he shouldn't have been, a horrible, guilty feeling that made him flush beneath his sable fur with embarassment.  The camera that had taken this had managed to not only capture the image of the two of them in a heated lip-lock, which was damaging enough, but somehow it had even been able to portray the very essence of the incredible chemistry... the incredible unwanted chemistry, Grune corrected his thoughts, that the two of them briefly shared.  No wonder Scarlette was so upset!  "Scarlette, I can explain this..." Grune began.

Scarlette stiffened and choked back another sob. "Can you?  Can you really?  Because I'd love to hear you explain that one away, Grune... who is she?  Was she worth it?  Was she worth destroying us?!"

"No!" Grune shouted in heated denial, a bit too heated, perhaps.  Frantically Grune searched for an explanation, determined to set this misunderstanding right with her. "I mean, I don't know... this is not what it looks like Scarlette.  It was a setup.  That woman is a twisted, manipulative, mind-game playing sociopath!  She works for some underworld crime group on the Third Moon and--"

"Underworld crime group?  What on Thundera had you mixed up with them?  Weren't you staying in the royal palace in the ambassador's quarters?" Claudus asked.  His voice was not without suspicion.

For the moment, Grune let the insult of his lord's distrust of him go, as he was more worried about his damaged relationship with Scarlette than anything else. "Yes..." he explained "but she approached me at a banquet at the palace.  She was friendly, and had asked me as a diplomatic gesture to meet some of her associates at a club she worked at.  I saw no reason to turn her down, as I thought any insight we could gain into the enemy would be valuable to us... but once I was there, she tried to seduce me, which is obviously where that picture came from.  I turned her down, but apparently she had forced herself on me just long enough for her to get this photo.  It was a planned set up, can't you see that?"

Scarlette and Claudus both listened to his explanation, but their expressions remained unreadable.

Grune shook slightly.  They weren't believing him.  Him!  An honorable Thundercat!  They were believing whatever lies Kalin or whatever other lunatacs were involved were selling them over him.  His wounded pride flared up and a spark of anger lit within him.  How dare they not trust him... after all he had gone through with them, all he had given them.... "You don't believe me." he said flatly, challenging them to prove him wrong.

Claudus sighed. "We want to believe you, Grune... but..."

"You don't." Grune finished.  His voice was colder than ice.

Scarlette began to cry in earnest. "I'm sorry, Grune.  I know I should believe you... but... I see this picture, and no picture can be faked that well!  I believe that you did what you said you did... but I can't believe that you weren't on some level... attracted to..."

"You think I enjoyed that?  You think I liked having her use me in her sick games?" his voice rose in anger.

Scarlette slumped down in a chair and banged her fist against the armrest in frustration.  "Don't you see, Grune?  It doesn't matter!  The point is... the damage has been done.  It's over.  Whether or not you felt anything for her isn't even the issue anymore."

"Why does it have to be over?  If nothing happened, why has anything changed?  Gods, Scarlette, doesn't the fact that I did push her away prove that you can trust me?"

"It's too late for that Grune.  I already doubted you... and in that moment of weakness..." Scarlette faltered again, and wiped more tears from her amber eyes "I have destroyed any hope of our having a future together."

That terrible feeling of dread filled Grune once more. "What are you talking about, Scarlette?"

Scarlette sobbed, and looked to Claudus.  He simply met her eyes and nodded, indicating for her to proceed with whatever it was she had to say.  Slowly she turned back to face Grune, while Claudus's own eyes averted themselves from Grune's gaze. "When I thought you betrayed me... I... I betrayed you.  I'm sorry, Grune..."

Grune felt as though he'd been kicked in the stomach. "You... what?"

"I betrayed you.  In my pain, I sought comfort... in the arms of someone else.  I was wrong and weak, and I know that... and I am sorry, gods am I sorry, even more so now that I know it was all for an offense much less than I believed it to be... but it happened, and because of that, we can't be together.  Ever.  You see, Grune--" she babbled, spitting out the difficult words between sobs and more tears "I am having his cub."  The grief-stricken tigress then buried her head in her hands.

The implications of her words sunk into Grune's stunned mind slowly.  She betrayed me... she bedded someone else... she didn't believe in me... she betrayed me... His body began to shake and he fought back his own overpowering emotions.  Surprisingly enough, it wasn't an urge to cry or scream from heartbreak that emerged as most prominent.  It was cold fury.  He stepped forward and stared hard into her eyes.  "Who?"

She looked up, but didn't answer.

"Who?!" he demanded.  The rage in his voice was quite evident.

Scarlette opened her mouth, but nothing came out.  She just couldn't bring herself to say it.

The anger inside him suddenly hit a critical point, and his temper broke through his frighteningly calm facade. "I said, tell me who he was, you backstabbing little whore!" he snarled, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her slightly, forcing her to look into his eyes.

Claudus immediately came to Scarlette's rescue and stepped between them. "Back off." he warned Grune with a growl. "Just because you are angry, it doesn't give you the right--"

Everything suddenly fell into place for Grune.  "You..." he muttered in astonishment, staring at Claudus. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"Grune, don't--" Scarlette interrupted.

"WASN'T IT?!"

Claudus sighed sadly and lowered his head in a slight nod of affirmation, then took a deep breath and began to speak. "Yes.  I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I--"

Grune roared and punched one of the council chairs, breaking it in two. "You lying, cheating, backstabbing bastard!" he growled, then pounced on Claudus.  He knocked the lion lord to the floor and began to pummel him, unable to control the sheer fury coursing through him at the moment.  Claudus defended himself, but not well enough to avoid taking several blows to the head from Grune's flying fists.  Grune was vaguely aware of screams in the background, which were Scarlette shrieking for help.  She knew she didn't have the physical size or strength to break up the fight, plus she was terrified of what Grune might do.  She had known that he was capable of deep feeling and had a temper, but she'd never seen him come... unhinged... like this.  She was scared... not only for herself, but also for Claudus and even Grune himself.  He was clearly not in control of himself at the moment.

As Grune momentarily got the advantage over Claudus and was about to deliver him a likely fatal blow to the base of the skull, he was pulled off of him by two other Thundercats, who'd heard Scarlette's cries of distress.  Jaga had firm hold of one side of the sabertooth's flailing body, while Firestripe had the other.  Tessana, Chetland, and Tygra were near the door, while Sibera had her arms around Scarlette trying to comfort her and calm her down.

"Grune, stop, please!" Jaga's firm and urgent voice finally got through to the raging Thundercat.  Grune stood there, dazed and panting from exertion, still restrained by Firestripe and Jaga, and looked down upon Claudus.  He was bruised and bleeding a bit, but overall not really harmed other than some flesh wounds that would heal in time.  The Lord was growling and snarling as the ever-loyal and practical Tessana helped him to his feet.  Grune growled again and stepped forward, intending to take another swipe at the lion, but a sharp tug from both Jaga and Firestripe prevented him from taking it that far.  "Don't think for a minute this is over." he warned Claudus.  "No one takes what is mine and gets away with it, you hear me?  No one, not even you, mighty Lord of the Thundercats!"

"She's NOT your possession!" shouted an angry Sibera.

Claudus glared at Grune.  "Maybe she wouldn't have needed the comfort of a friend if you hadn't been foolish enough to be caught with your pants down with some lunatac whore, Grune.  Perhaps if you hadn't let her down, she wouldn't have needed me as much as she did that night."

"Don't you dare put this off on me!  So how long has this been going on?  How long have you been lusting after my fiance, Claudus?  And you called yourself my friend... you make me sick!  You preach the Code of Thundera and you don't even know the meaning of the words within it!"

"That's not how it happened and you damn well know it!  It was an isolated incident, and believe me, we both are sorry and regret it more than you can possibly imagine.  We never planned this, it was never something I wanted to happen!  So don't you presume to know a damned thing about how I feel or what my motivations were."

"Claudus has always upheld the Code, Grune." Jaga agreed.  "He made a mistake, and he has owned up to it.  I don't believe that he or Scarlette would do such a treacherous thing as that just to hurt you.  He is sorry, you have to know that deep down."

Grune rolled his eyes.  "Oh, wise up, Jaga!  It may not have been planned but you and I both know damn well that it was done just to hurt me.  Scarlette--" he turned to cast her a hateful glare "--the little tramp, thought she'd get even with what she thought was a betrayal on my part by going and sleeping with Claudus.  And hey, it works out in her favor too, after all, what better way to secure that position as a Thundercat than by giving their Lord a few cheap thrills?"

"That's not what happened!" wailed an angry Scarlette. "How can you say those things to me?  Gods, what the hell is the matter with you, Grune?  Do you really have that low an opinion of me?  Until a few minutes ago, you said you loved me!"

"I did-- but now that I see you for what you are, I could never love a pathetic, weak, and underhanded little wretch like you.  You know what?  You and Claudus deserve each other.  I hope being his mistress and having his bastard child makes you happy, Scarlette.  Have a nice little life." Grune then turned and stormed out of the room.

Scarlette leaned heavily on Sibera, completely spent emotionally from the encounter.  "I knew he'd be upset, but this?  How could he say and think such awful things?"

"Sounds like he's confusing us with all those evil lunatacs he's been hanging around.  He's forgotten that Thundercats don't act like that or something." Chetland remarked.

"Perhaps..." Sibera mused, looking at the door with a distressed expression on her face. "But maybe it's more..."

Jaga gave her a questioning look.  "Sibera?"

"The Birth Hour of Darkness." the white tigress replied.  "Grune was born on that hour, exactly.  It means it's in his destiny to wrestle with the demons of good and evil all his life.  No other time of birth contends with such an intense struggle.  One born on that hour is capable of great goodness and selfless devotion to its ideals... but on the flip side, no other is capable of such deep and pure rage, hatred, and evil when the soul turns on that path.  And sadly, that is the easier path for these lost souls to take."

"Evil always is." Firestripe replied thoughtfully.

Tessana sighed with exasperation.  "Sibera, that's nothing but superstition, and this is hardly time for a discussion of it."

"You're wrong, it needs to be discussed.  I can see Grune slipping away from us as we speak.  We can't lose him to the side of evil, we can't!" Sibera argued.

"What Grune needs right now is a friend." Jaga interrupted. "He and I have always been close, perhaps I can calm him down.  The rest of you stay here, let me find him and talk to him."  The others agreed, and Jaga hurried out of the room to catch up with Grune.

As he departed, Sibera looked upon the doorway nervously. Somehow she had a feeling that her warning had come too late... that Grune might be already lost to them, that they might have lost him the second that Scarlette and Claudus confessed their betrayal.  "Oh Jaga, I hope that you can get through to him... if you don't stop him...." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it didn't matter, for none of the others heard her anyway. If you don't save him, Jaga, then he is lost.  Lost to the darkness.  Forever.

Grune stormed down the East Wing to his quarters, his heavy boots creating a thundering echo throughout the majestic halls of Cat's Lair.  Upon reaching the doorway to his bedroom, he kicked in the door, not bothering to open it.  The wooden door creaked and gave way, swung inward, and bounced off the wall.  Grune gave it another angry shove as he stomped past it, into his room.  Rage still coursed through his body, obscuring any clear or rational thought, as he erratically moved back and forth.

At random he opened drawers and closets, flinging clothes on the bed, and throwing any other articles that got in his way to fall wherever they may.  He picked up his suitcase, which had been brought up to his quarters by one of the serving staff of Cat's Lair apparently, was still packed with his things from the extended trip to the Third Moon of Plundarr. "I should have just stayed there." Grune grumbled with disgust, and opened up the suitcase so he could dump its contents, mostly dirty clothes and a few personal items, onto the floor.  Once the baggage was empty, he began throwing clean articles of clothing, and anything else he could find that meant something to him, into it.

It was then that Jaga entered the room.  "Grune," he said cautiously as he approached him, "you must calm down.  Please.  There is nothing so terrible that has happened that cannot be worked out."

Grune stopped his wild packing, turned, and faced Jaga, his expression one of disgust and anger. "You really believe that?  Then you are a fool.  The woman I love turned and hopped into bed with the first warm body she came across the minute she had even the slightest notion that I'd betrayed her.  Did she wait to ask me for the truth of what happened, to hear my side of it, before she committed her selfish, weak act?  No, she didn't.  Adding insult to injury is the fact that the man she bedded was none other than our very own lord, King Claudus-- our 'friend', our leader... the same man who stands for all we believe in, telling us to uphold and honor the Code of Thundera... Truth, Justice, Honor, and Loyalty... when he cannot even be man enough to practice what he preaches.  And I, the man he betrayed, am expected to simply forgive and forget?" he spat bitterly.  "I don't think so, Jaga."

"You're a Thundercat too, Grune.  Forgiveness is a part of our code as well.  It may not be in the four words comprising it, but if you honor someone and are loyal to them, you look past their mistakes, especially when their regret and willingness to make amends is sincere."

"Where was Claudus's loyalty to me, Jaga?  Or doesn't that count?" Grune snarled.

Jaga looked away, not sure how to answer that one.  Instead he only replied "Claudus repents his mistake.  He doesn't want to lose your friendship or respect.  He and Scarlette never set out to hurt you."

Renewed rage, ignited by the fact that Jaga was maintaining his position to defend Claudus and Scarlette, flashed in his eyes. "Whether or not they intended anything is irrelevant.  The fact is that they did it, and showed no respect or regard for me.  I refuse to stand by and honor any code of his when he doesn't extend me the same courtesy!"

Jaga grew angry at Grune's stubborness. "What is the matter with you? You are a Thundercat, Grune!  Thundercats are above being so petty and victive!  No one is asking you to forgive Claudus or Scarlette immediately, all we ask is that you calm down and give them a chance to make up their mistake to you."

"I want nothing from them!" bellowed Grune.  He took the shoe he was holding in his hand, which he had initially intended to add to the bag he was packing, and threw it against the wall with enough force to put a dent in the plaster.  He stepped forward and stared at Jaga hard in the eyes.  "You ask what's the matter with me, well what the hell is the matter with you, Jaga?!  You know what they did, you know how I feel about Scarlette and how that would feel!  Imagine that Claudus had done that with Sibera, would you be so willing to forgive?"

"I-- well--"

Grune didn't let him finish. "Imagine the burning, terrible image of Claudus with his lecherous hands all over your love and see how it makes you feel.  Damn it, Jaga, you're supposed to be my closest friend, yet here you are taking that bastard's side and telling me I should just smile and nod and tell him it's all right because it's the 'right' thing to do?!  Forget it, Jaga, it's not going to happen, because it's not all right!  Not now and not ever!"

The jaguar Thundercat took a deep breath as he tried to think of a way to calm Grune down.  His words made sense, but they were spoken with such vehemence and anger that it frightened him.  He was still certain there was a way, some way, to get past his friend's wounded pride and somehow get through to him.  "Grune, listen to me.  I understand that it hurt you deeply.  You think the rest of us weren't appalled by what Scarlette and Claudus did?  You're wrong... we were.  But we also listened to them, heard what they had to say.  Wrong as the behavior was, they know why they did it, and they know it was wrong, and want to make it right.  That earns them the right to be given another chance.  That is what sets the Thundercats apart from others, we have a standard, our code, that makes us the admired people we are.  It is because we are so willing to forgive and help even when the others might not deserve it, that we are proud to wear our insignias and hold our title.  Or have you forgotten that?"

"Tell this lecture to Claudus, not me.  I don't care to hear it, Jaga.  Right now the last thing I want is to be associated with that man or anything he stands for.  If that makes me less than your 'ideal Thundercat', Jaga, then perhaps I shouldn't be one anymore." the sabertooth said with a low growl.

"Be careful what you say, Grune." Jaga warned.  "There are certain things that, once done, can not be taken back."

"Don't I know it!" retorted Grune.  "Just look at Claudus and Scarlette's unborn bastard cub, there's a perfect example!" Grune stormed back over to his suitcase and continued packing.  "You know what, Jaga?" An impatient tone, mixed in with the anger and bitterness, rang in his voice. "I've had it.  I've had it with the lying, with the two-faced backstabbers, and with the rest of you who are doing nothing but condoning their sickening behavior while hiding the truth behind some pretty-sounding empty code.  From this day on, Claudus of Thundera and all those who would support him are no friends of mine.  Kalin was right... when it comes down to it, there is no one you can depend on but yourself.  Putting your trust in people only leads you to being let down and abused.  I won't stand for it any more, Jaga.  I can't be the noble and forgiving Thundercat that you expect me to be.  From this day forth, consider me resigned." Grune reached to tear his insignia from his belt.

Jaga's voice was suprisingly calm and even, given the situation and how this entire thing was killing him inside.  How he wanted to tell his old friend not to leave, and agree with him that it was indeed an unforgiveable act of betrayal that Claudus and Scarlette had committed.  But he could not.  He was a Thundercat, and he lived and believed in the Code of Thundera.  No matter what he felt for his friend, he could not turn his back on his Code.  It was simply not in him.  "I implore you to calm down and reconsider, Grune.  For once you tear that insignia off and walk out that door... there is no going back.  It will be impossible to return to the way things once were."

Grune's face was stony and his voice ice cold.  "It already is."  His clawed fingers took hold of the insignia and ripped it from his belt.  The sound of the fabric tearing was the only thing breaking the otherwise tense silence in the room.  Once it was fully torn away, Grune threw it onto his bed in disgust.  He slammed shut his hastily-packed suitcase and picked it up, stomping past Jaga.  Before he left the room he stopped only long enough to turn and say one final thing to Jaga.  "The next time one of you oh-so-honorable Thundercats crosses paths with me, remember... you're crossing paths with an enemy."  And then he was gone.

Jaga stood alone in what was once Grune's room and watched the empty doorway for a long time.  There were no words to describe how he was feeling.  A man he had once called his best friend had just departed forever thinking him an enemy, because he'd chosen his belief over him.  Had he failed?  Had he done the right thing?  He believed he had... and it was one of the hardest things he'd ever have to do.  Jaga sighed and looked down.  A brown leather-bound book on the floor, apparently discarded by Grune in his fit of rage.  His journal, thought Jaga, he left it behind.  He bent down and picked it up.  Part of him wanted to read it, wanted to understand what it was that had made Grune act this way, what it was that would make him feel comfortable in betraying a code that he had thought he'd believed in as strongly as he did.

But he didn't open it.  Why he didn't, he really wasn't sure.  He told himself that it was out of respect to the man who'd once called him friend, that it was wrong to pry into what were his private thoughts.  It was a lie.  The real reason Jaga didn't look was because maybe, if he came to understand why Grune made the decisions he did... he might act the same.  It was a risk Jaga would not and could not take.  "I have faith in myself and in the Code of Thundera." he assured himself out loud, as he set both the journal and the discarded insignia in a now empty drawer of Grune's room and shut it. "I've done the right thing."  However, deep down, Jaga was not as sure as he sounded.

Having nothing left to do or say in the ex-Thundercat's quarters, Jaga picked up the key to the room, laying on a nearby end table, and exited.  He turned the key in the lock and secured it for what would be the last time any Thundercat of Old Cat's Lair would enter it.