While burying one of the time capsules that transported the Thundercats to Third Earth, it smashes apart and Lion-O gets caught in its gases, making him younger and younger by the minute. The other Thundercats must find a way to reverse the process and realize the Cave of Time is the only way, but they must get Lion-O there before he "vanishes" from existence. Things get worse when the young Lion-O and Snarf are captured by the Lunataks.

Hatchiman rescues an old woman not knowing it's Luna. She "invites" him to her "cave" and there she and Chilla and Aluro attack him and take his sword, the Thundercutter. The Thunderkittens find Hatchiman and rescue him. The Lunataks plan to use the Thundercutter with their new samurai robot, Automaton, to fight Lion-O and the Sword of Omens. The Thundercutter can't tell who's good and who's evil in the fight but when Hatchiman touches the sword, the Thundercutter destroys the robot.

Lion-O, Lynx-O, Snarf and Tygra go to the Crystal Canyon, thinking the Lunataks somehow got the Treasure of Thundera. While there, they encounter Aluro and Chilla. The two Lunataks trick the Thundercats by confusing them using with their reflections. They knock out the Thunderstrike and cause it to crash. Lynx-O is seriously injured and Lion-O is knocked unconscious. Tygra and Snarf find the Keystone and when Tygra holds the Keystone, he becomes convinced that it is making him more powerful. He uses it to restore the Thunderstrike, and heal Lion-O and Lynx-O. They return to the Lair and the other 3 Thundercats learn Tygra has become seriously addicted to the Keystone. When they try to tell Tygra he's become a slave to the Keystone, he doesn't believe them. Later in a battle against Aluro, Tygra thinks he's invincible, but Aluro proves him wrong and takes the Keystone from Tygra. Then Aluro himself becomes addicted to the Keystone. Aluro captures Lion-O and Lynx-O forcing them to come w