Thundercats: Hall of Omens Episode 1 "Hidden Treasures"

[Captn Cracka]

Thundercats - Hall of Omens is a fan-fiction series written by us here at the Hall of Omens and "Save ThunderCats" Campaign. The story runs simultaneous the new ThunderCats series’ time line. Episode 1 takes place alongside Episode 1 of the new ThunderCats series. Like all of the fan fiction written here, we try to keep it as close to the series as possible. With Season 2 still up in the air, many of the stories written now may not coincide with Season 2 should it ever get a release. Please keep that in mind.
Thundercats - Hall of Omens follows the original character we created named "Buddha". His mission is to find and restore all the items stolen from the Hall of Omens before its destruction, including artifacts such as the Treasure of Thundera. New characters will be introduced alongside several characters from the original series. We have a lot of stories we want to work on here and they are all interconnected. If you like one particular series we write, check out the others! It will give you more background on your favorite characters and perhaps even a better idea of the bigger picture as intended.




Thundercats: Hall of Omens
Episode 1
"Hidden Treasures"



Scene 1

It is a joyous time in Thundera. A great general has returned to the city with vast treasures, conquered enemies, and tales of adventure. One of the mightiest of all Thundercat warriors, Grune, has returned.
The thrill of seeing Grune ride closer to the city filled Thundera. His return however marked a great sadness in one of its residents. A little known resident that was of no significance to the other inhabitants of King Claudus’ great fortress. One, that if most knew was within the city limits, would demand him removed.
Buddha, of the Maltese Tiger clan, was not so cheerful of the celebrated general’s return. The two had never been friends, nor could they stand being close to one other. Buddha looked out from the Hall of Omens to where a solitary Grune stood on top of a heap of treasure he had brought with him. When Grune had left Thundera he did not leave alone. He left with fellow ThunderCat General Panthro. But now Panthro was nowhere to be seen. Realizing this, Buddha turned his head, pulled his hood over his face and walked away. He sauntered through the Hall of Omens to a section most Thunderians did not even know exist. These spaces were the areas Buddha called home. He spent most of his time in these ancient halls reading the early texts, researching primeval stories and studying every piece of information he could lay his hands on of the knowledge hidden within the Hall of Omens.
This was not always how he spent all of his time. There had been a time when his time was divided between his research at the Hall of Omens and apprenticing with Panthro. Panthro and Buddha had become fast friends after an incident in the Thunderian marketplace. They did not start off as friends but soon became the closest comrades. But now, Buddha's friend was gone and he was convinced he would never see him again.

Buddha wanted to be alone. He gathered some books from the shelves that he wanted to take with him for further reading. It was not safe to study them in the Hall of Omens. If he were to have a run in with anyone here, things would escalate from bad to worse. He knew that he needed to go.
Buddha made his way out of the dark corners and back to the more populated areas of the Hall of Omens. As he rushed through the great open space, his path was abruptly disrupted. The glutinous Baron Tas had not been paying attention and slammed right into Buddha. They both fell to the ground.
"You fool!! Who do you think you are?! Do you know who I am?" Baron Tas hollered as he tried to pull himself off the ground. A frail, skinny, grey haired Thunderian that accompanied Baron Tas quickly helped him up. “Are you alright Baron Tas, sir?" the elder Thunderian asked.
"I'm fine, Mr Grubber." Baron Tas replied as he pushed Mr Grubber away from him. "Get that fool, Grubber"!! Baron Tas demanded.
Mr Grubber scurried across the floor like a frightened animal towards Buddha. He frantically gathered the pages that had fallen out of the books he was carrying with him. Mr Grubber grabbed Buddha's hood and pulled it down, simultaneously reaching for his arm, but Buddha reacted swiftly by pulling his arm away from Mr. Grubber.
"Don't touch me Grandpaw" Buddha moaned as he whipped his body around, exposing his face to the light.
Baron Tas, now able to see his “attacker” for the first time, raised his voice to a loud reprimand of disgust.
"A TIGER?! I was touched by a Tiger?!" He instinctively wiped the dirt and dust off himself as if he had been brushed by a wind of disease. In protest, Baron Tas did something he would live to regret. In the ultimate display of disrespect, he spit on Buddha.
"You don't deserve to touch my fur, you pathetic waste of a cat", Baron Tas exclaimed as he turned to signal the Thunderian Royal Guards.
The situation intensified. Buddha jumped on Baron Tas, flipping him down and springing himself up, knocking down both the guards that had arrived. He then sprung himself back onto Baron Tas, kicking him into the air only to catch him and push him against the wall of the Great Hall. Either end of his sectional fighting staff was shoved against the sides of Baron Tas' face, the center of it thrust against his chin.
Guards rushed to the area from every direction. Buddha looked to either side, seeing them get closer and closer. His gaze returned to Baron Tas who wore a medallion on his shoulder garb. Buddha pulled the medallion off, growled and head-butted Tas, knocking him out. He dropped Tas as he pulled away his weapon and disappeared into the darkness of the halls.

The Thunderian guards halted and checked on Baron Tas while three guards ran down the hallway to track down the cat that had just caused this commotion, publicly assaulting Thunderian royalty. They searched all the rooms. There was no sign of the perpetrator. Reaching the end of the hall a guard saw a dark figure in the window of the last room. They entered but the room was empty. The guards hurried to the window and looked out, knowing it would have been his last resort of escape.
The guards filed out of the room to continue their search outside. As they left, Buddha slowly closed the door he was behind. Little did the guards know that within that room there was a secret passage. In the corner of the room, when the torch stand was pulled down, a door would slide open to reveal a tunnel that lead to an exit at outskirts of the Hall of Omens. With the guards gone, Buddha made his way to the hidden door, pulled at the torch stand and slipped through, locking the door behind him. He looked down at the medallion he had taken off Baron Tas, flipped it in the air and caught it. Buddha then smiled as he continued down the dark forgotten tunnel, disappearing into darkness.


Scene 2

After navigating his way through the tunnels in the Hall of Omens, Buddha appeared in a doorway covered in vines and shrubs. It was located in the valley below, behind the Hall of Omens. Buddha made his way to a close by cave opening and entered.
A great roar suddenly filled the air and two lights lit up the darkness of the cave. They began to move and Buddha appeared behind the wheel of the Jungle Cat.
Unlike most of Thundera's citizens, Buddha had left the walls of Thundera on many occasions. He knew of the wonders that across the lands of Third Earth. Buddha had been travelling extensively from an early age and had ventured out to the furthest reaches of the land. As a thief in his early days, Buddha had gone to where the jobs had taken him. Even of late, Buddha had regularly left the walls of Thundera on journeys to find items claimed to once exist in the writings of the fabled Hall of Omens. Being an outcast in Thundera due to his Tiger heritage, Buddha had to keep much of what he knew of technology and of Third Earth to himself. Not many would have believed him any way. He had to conceal the Jungle Cat from the preying eyes of the cats alongside his knowledge of what was out there.
The Jungle Cat was the first vehicle ever designed by Buddha. It was built from salvaging parts and using scrap materials. The Jungle Cat was small but swift and powerful - the perfect vehicle to travel the vast different landscapes of Third Earth. It maneuvered jungle-like territories just as well as it could cross sandy terrain – all at high rates of speed. Sand dunes were therefore no problem for this versatile vehicle. Not even rocky mountainous regions - the Jungle Cat was equipped with the "cat's claw" that could be launched from the vehicle and used to pull itself up against mountains, up the currents of dangerous waterways and to keep an enemy fleeing in a vehicle from getting out of sight. There wasn't anything the Jungle Cat couldn't do, and with Buddha behind the wheel, there was nowhere it couldn't travel.
Buddha navigated through the valley with no destination in mind. He drove fast. He knew that it relaxed him. He drove for hours on end; through the valley and up the mountain range. With the help of the "Cat's claw", the Jungle Cat was able to scale the side of the mountain, and before long he was on the path leading to Mount Anguish, which was suddenly in sight. When he reached the peak of Mount Anguish, Buddha stopped the Jungle Cat and walked to the edge of the mountain where he sat down looking at the sky. Day was turning to night. The moons of Third Earth began to show in the darkening sky above. This was a view that Buddha found himself enjoying often. Not usually from the peak of Mount Anguish, but he felt that its location would be appropriate for the view today. He acknowledged the irony behind the name of the mountain and his feelings as he sat in remembrance of his fallen friend, Panthro.

Buddha woke early the next morning with a heaviness in his heart. The time spent on Mount Anguish did not heal any wounds. He did not expect it to. The hurt of loosing his friend while the cats celebrated Grune's return was a dishonor, and he did not approve of it. He spent most of the day atop Mount Anguish, lost in thought. Some were memories, yet some were thoughts of guilt for not being able to help his fallen friend. He was also considering what he was to do next. Buddha wanted to use what he had learned from Panthro for good. Buddha had done enough "bad" in his life, and even though he had changed his ways upon his arrival to Thundera, Buddha felt it was not enough. He had to do more in honor of his true friend, the fallen Thundercat.
Hours had passed and Third Earth was covered in night all over again. This night seemed darker than the previous, Buddha thought to himself, but it made for an astonishing view of the evening sky and the wonders that lay above the clouds. Suddenly the silence was disturbed by the beeping of an alarm. It had come from the Jungle Cat. Buddha turned to look. A red light was flickering and bathing the inside of the Jungle Cat in a red glow.
"What?!? It must be some kind of mistake," Buddha thought to himself as he leapt from the rocks he was perched on. He sped to the Jungle Cat to see what the alarm was. He looked inside saw that the alarm was one that he had installed in the Hall of Omens. It had been designed to warn him of any structural damage. The only thing that should trigger the alarm had to be an earthquake. Perhaps there was an explosion of some kind? But there had never been reports of earthquakes within the walls of Thundera. Buddha doubted that it was the cause for the alarm the go off.
"It's got to be some kind of glitch or a bad circuit or something," Buddha thought to himself, as he sat in the Jungle Cat, starting the engine. "It's probably nothing but I better check it out just in case," Buddha said out load, trying to reassure himself everything was fine. The Jungle Cat took off at an incredible speed. Despite his mind telling him that everything was fine, the knowing voice of his conscience wanted him to make sure. He couldn't shake the awkward feeling and pushed the Jungle Cat to its limits to return as fast as possible.

Buddha looked ahead. The kingdom of Thundera was clearly visible on the horizon and his worst fear had come true. Flames were dancing all around the city, explosions echoed throughout. Something very bad was happening, and if he didn't hurry, Buddha would helplessly watch Thundera’s destruction. He hit the accelerator and raced towards Thundera and the Hall of Omens.


Scene 3

Thundera burned right in front of his eyes as Buddha raced back to the Hall of Omens. He reached the entrance in the valley and jumped from the Jungle Cat. He would be able to reach the Hall of Omens quicker on foot using his knowledge of the tunnels and passage ways. He pushed through the first door to the main concourse he had passed, and to his surprise, Buddha saw Lizards, EVERYWHERE. The Lizards were destroying and looting the Hall of Omens, taking everything they could get their hands on.
Buddha fought through the Lizard army, making his way through the flotsam and jetsam of the Hall of Omens. He saw one of the Thunderian guards that had tried to stop him earlier lying on the ground. Buddha ran to him and knelt down and asked, "What's going on? What's happening?"
The guard replied, "The Lizards breached the city and they are led by Mumm-Ra!” He gulped as if he was drowning in water. “The Treasure Room….go!" the guard muttered before passing out.
Buddha's eyes opened wide as he whispered in awe, "The Treasure of Thundera!" Buddha ran to find the Treasure Room to protect it from the Lizard Army. He battled his way through the Hall of Omens, and every time one Lizard fell, it seemed like three more appeared. When he reached the doorway of the room that held the Treasure, he was knocked down by a dark figure fleeing the Hall of Omens. Buddha couldn't make out who the figure was through the smoke-filled air. The figure vanished into the consuming battle behind him.
"It must have been a frantic Thunderian", Buddha thought to himself as he regained his stand in front of the door again. He looked inside. It was filled with Lizards. All but one piece of the Treasure of Thundera was gone, and it was in the hands of a Lizard. Stuck between the thin fingered, green claws of the red spectacled creature was the Key of Thundera.
Buddha fought through the group that had ransacked the room. The walls and ceiling of the hall began to crumble and fall. Buddha made his way to the plump-set Lizard that had the Key of Thundera. Sensing there was only a matter of seconds before the room would come crashing down, the Lizard threw the Key to the other side of the room. With only seconds left, the whole ceiling caved in, and instead of running for the door to save his own life, Buddha ran for the Key of Thundera. He reached for it and clutched it in his hands as the ceiling fell, chunks of cement falling down upon him.
The debris however bounced off Buddha as if he was covered by a glass dome. Buddha realized instinctively that the Sword of Omens was not the only Thunderian jewel that had magical powers. The Key of Thundera had saved his life. His decision to save a piece of Thunderian history saved his life. The Key had released an energy field that acted as a shield protecting both Buddha and the Key from harm. Buddha was convinced that the Key had sensed the danger. He was dumbstruck.
Buddha climbed out of the rubble and made his way through the remains of the Hall of Omens, looking for survivors. He found many lost and confused cats, and guided them to the tunnels to a safe escape. He saved as many Thunderians as possible, but there was only so much he could do.
The damage the Lizards and Mumm-Ra had done to the Hall of Omens and Thundera was too immense. The Hall of Omens had crumbled before his very eyes. Even the magical powers that it had been thought to posses were unable to stop it from collapsing. Before more damage could occur, and taking the safety of the Thunderians Buddha had led to the forgotten tunnels, Buddha decided to close and lock the door behind them. As he closed the door with sorrow, he turned to watch the Hall of Omens collapse. The place that he called home was no more.

Buddha guided the survivors through the passages to the valley below. They were safe there. There were no Lizards in sight. He instructed them to head to a village only a few hours walk further on, where they would be safe. As the Thunderians hurried towards the village, Buddha jumped into the Jungle Cat and began scaling the mountain. It would take a while, but it was going to be the fastest way for him to reach Thundera again.
By the time Buddha reached the top of the mountain to look out across the land, the sun had risen to reveal a fallen Thundera. Fires that had been burning fiercely in the night were now only smouldering piles of ash. There was nothing left of the once great city. As Buddha looked around he could see Lizards running down the streets, pillaging what was left. The people of Thundera were gone. Many had been captured by Mumm-Ra his Lizard Army, others had escaped and were lost to Third Earth. He knew things were going to very be different from here on out.

Buddha walked through once magnificent Hall of Omens, wallowing in its destruction. The Hall of Omens was a shell of what it had once been. There was nothing left of it except for the Key of Omens which had saved Buddha's life. Buddha knew what he had to do. The Key had saved him for a reason, and he was not going to let it down. His mission was simple: find all the items that used to call the Hall of Omens home and restore it to its former glory.
After seeing the power the Key of Omens had within it, the rumors of the Hall of Omens having an “energy” about it became more and more real. If it were true, Buddha figured that it could use all the help it could get. If this iconic Cat structure indeed had the ability to mend it self over time, Buddha figured the sooner it was straightened out and cleaned, the easier it would be for it to heal and repair it self.
Buddha spent hours combing through every inch of the Hall of Omens, looking for survivors or any injured Thunderians. Buddha planned to search the rest of the city for any cats that may still be alive or hiding in Thundera. He would start clearing the Hall of Omens of debris after his search for survivors. It was going to take him weeks to relocate all the rubble that now cluttered the halls.
Buddha stood in a doorway facing the exterior, looking out over the fallen city, and to his surprise he could see cats walking in the distance. Not just any cats, but ThunderCats. He saw the son of King Claudus, Lion-O, along with his brother, the adoptive prince Tygra, accompanied by a female cat. They were leaving Thundera.
This confused and angered Buddha. Why would the royal family of Thundera be leaving the city? Why weren't they conducting a search for survivors and working on saving what was left of the city? Why were they turning their backs on Thundera only hours after its fall? There could still be cats within the walls that needed help, cats that could still be saved. But the new Lord of the ThunderCats was leaving, walking away from it all. The king was abandoning his city.
Buddha, who already had problems with the way the ThunderCats and cats treated other, was disgusted by this act of cowardice and lost all respect for Lion-O. "What kind of King leaves his people in their greatest time of need," Buddha thought to himself as the trio walked away.


Scene 4

Days had passed and there had been no sign of Lion-O or the other ThunderCats returning to Thundera. Buddha had been there for days searching the city for survivors. To his horror, he had not found any, but he had found many Thunderians who did not survive.
Had these cats seen Buddha on the street, they would have spat at him or walked on the other side trying to avoid him. Yet he chose to ignore that. He did not believe their end to have deserved. Buddha gathered each and every Thunderian that had met their end that night and gave each one a proper burial. He tried to identify each cat and recorded their names, should families one day return to learn of the fate of their loved ones.
It was a horrifying job. It took days to complete this task. Buddha's past had been dark but this had to be worse. How could one stand being surrounded by death for so long?

It was the last day of putting to rest the fallen of Thundera. Buddha wanted to put the past nightmare behind him. It was time to look towards the future. He wanted Thundera to forget the death and destruction. He wanted creation and life. The day to rebuild Thundera was here, and he would start with the Hall of Omens.
"I think I'm going to need a hand with this one. I mean I'm good, but I don't know if I'm THAT good," Buddha said to himself as he stood before the ruins of the Hall of Omens. He looked down at the book in his hands. It was one of the books he had taken with him when he left the Hall of Omens in a rush the day before. He read the page nodding his head. He knew the information on the page he was reading was exactly what he needed to see.
In the corner of his eye, Buddha saw a piece of cloth blowing like a flag in the wind. The sun’s rays highlighted it, almost as if a greater power was trying to get his attention. Buddha stopped reading, walked over to the cloth and ripped it from the nail that held it on the wall. There was a kind of thunder flickering in his gaze.
He unfolded the cloth, bowed his head and closed his eyes. Wrapping the cloth around his forehead he said, "I wear this symbol in the name of Thundera ", as he tied a knot at the back of his head. "Star of Thundera, here I come!!" Buddha said as he jumped into the Jungle Cat and raced out of Thundera.