Third Earth: Old ruins of pyramid

Saturday Night

ASOE #1: Have we come up with someone to replace Mumm-Ra?

ASOE #2: Yes, I think we have, but there are a few minor problems.

ASOE #3: Problems? Of course there are problems. There are always problems.

ASOE #4: Ignore #3. He’s just being sarcastic.

ASOE #1: Well, who are we going to use?

ASOE #2: Does the name Tatiana mean anything to you?

ASOE #3: Of course it does. Uh, who is she?

ASOE #2: If we promise her total rule of Third Earth, she will guaranteed!

ASOE #3: But we aren’t really going to give it to her, are we?

ASOE #4: Indirectly, she will have total rule, but she has to do what we order her too!

(They all laugh sinisterly.)

ASOE #1: Wait a minute! Isn’t Tatiana still in the Limbo plane?

ASOE #2: That is one of the problems I was talking about.

ASOE #3: Great! How are we going to use her?

ASOE #4: Let’s just go bargain with her first. We will figure that part out later.

New Thundera: Clear River within the Evergreen Forest

Monday Afternoon

“Errr, Let’s go back to Cat’s Lair, Lion-O. It’s kind of creepy out here.”

“What are you so worried about, Snarf? Look around, there’s nothing out here but nature!” Lion-O spanned the area with an outspread arm.

Snarf stood up on his tail and crossed his arms. “I know that, but it’s still a little creepy. Besides, I’ve got some chores to do, snarf, snarf.”

“If you want to go, then go. I’m going to stay here.”

Snarf got back down on his feet and sat down on the bank of the river. He folded his arms again and quietly thought to himself. This would be the perfect time to bring up Cheetara, but should I? He might get upset again. But, if I don’t push him, he won’t do it. Maybe if I just lightly bring the subject up . . . “Did you notice Cheetara yesterday? She was in a bad mood all day. I hate it when she’s like that. I try to stay away from her as much as possible.”

Lion-O looked at the furry creature at replied, “Snarf, everyone is entitled to be in a bad mood once in a while, especially her. She works hard and hardly ever complains. Give her a break.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Snarf agreed quickly and smiled. “Maybe you should tell her how you feel,” he added at the last second. He flinched automatically waiting for the lion’s response.

When Lion-O did not say anything for a minute, Snarf slowly opened his eyes and relaxed his posture. He looked at Lion-O’s face and saw an expression he was not expecting. It was an expression of determination and sadness at the same time somehow.

“I wish it was that easy, Snarf,” he finally commented.

“You two use to be good friends before we had to leave Thundera. You could tell her anything.”

“Yeah, but there was an eight-year difference between us, too.”

“But that is just my point! Cheetara did anything you asked as long as it did not interfere with her duties. And . . . she still does, Lion-O. Sometimes, she is the only one who supports your decisions.” Snarf paused for a minute and then continued. “I don’t understand you sometimes. You run full speed toward all kinds of evil. But, when it comes to Cheetara, you get scared. You should just talk to her.”

Lion-O scowled at his buddy and replied, “I am NOT scared. I just have my doubts.”

“Doubts? About what?”

The Lord of the ThunderCats sighed and stared out at the river. “I really don’t want to talk about this. I thought you were going back to Cat’s Lair.”

“Mew, I’m going. I’m going. I know when you don’t want to talk anymore.” Snarf glanced at him one last time then scurried away.

He’s right, you know. You are scared . . . scared that she still thinks of you as the twelve-year-old boy you were when you were put in that suspension capsule.

Lion-O cast his eyes downward to his reflection in the water. He ran his hand over his face. The face was that of a twenty-four year old man. He could see that for himself, but did Cheetara see that when she looked at him? If so, did she have any feelings for him other than the friendship that existed between them?

A bluish form appeared next to his reflection. Lion-O turned and saw a male lion with blonde hair standing behind him. “Father?” he asked.

“Hello, Lion-O.”

In respect, Lion-O stood up to meet his father’s gaze. “What is it?”

“I’ve come to tell you that you don’t have to make the same mistake I did. Don’t wait as long to express your feelings. You have an opportunity to have the best weapon.”

“I don’t understand what you mean, Father,” Lion-O admitted.

“The one who loves you will be your greatest ally. That is a weapon everyone needs in their life. Don’t waste time my son.”

“But . . .” the young lion reached an arm out to the already disappearing form.

“Don’t forget my words. She will be your greatest ally,” Claudus’s voice faded away.

Lion-O stared at the empty place where his father had stood and wondered what he meant. Why would he have to know that?

He sat back down and thought about his father. Claudus was almost fifty when he married Lion-O’s mother. She died from an internal disease when he was only two. There was not much about her he could remember. Then the Shadowmaster took Claudus right before Thundera exploded.

For some reason, the thought reminded Lion-O when he first met Cheetara. He had just turned nine and was hiding from Snarf as usual . . .

New Thundera: Cat’s Lair Hangar

Monday Evening

Cheetara raced into the hangar where Ben-gali was working on the Feliner. Various tools laid on the floor unorganized and strolled. The Siberian tiger was on his back underneath the aircraft checking the electrical components.

“I’m sorry for being late, Ben-gali,” she apologized. “I was in the control room and lost track of time.”

He slid out far enough, so he could see her. “That’s fine. At least you’re here now. If we don’t get the maintenance done on the Feliner, Panthro will have all of our hides when he returns.”

“Where do you want me to start?”

“I need you to get in the pilot’s seat and check the controls as I turn them on down here.” Ben-gali slid back underneath the Feliner. “And please use the ladder. The ramp is not working.”

“Too late,” she quipped after she leapt up into the Feliner cockpit and sat in the left seat. “Besides, the ladder isn’t even in here.”

The tiger grumbled loudly, “I just don’t want to get in trouble if anything happens to you.”

“Why would you get in trouble?”

“Very funny, Cheetara.”

“What? I was being serious!”

Hearing Ben-gali slide out again, she peered down to look at him. “You really don’t know? I find that hard to believe.”

She shrugged her shoulders and replied, “No, I don’t. What are you talking about?”

“Just forget I said anything,” he answered. He went back underneath the aircraft, ending the conversation.

Cheetara thought about his words but only for a moment. Together, they checked all of the modules on the aircraft. Any controls that did not work were fixed. It took an hour, but they finished all of the electrical work.

“I’m going to take a short break, Cheetara. When I get back, we will start repairing the ramp.”

“Okay. I’ll start cleaning the storage compartments.”

Ben-gali nodded and left the hangar.

She sighed and started opening the compartments one at a time. Cleaning was her least favorite task, but someone had to do it. Thankfully, there was not much stuff within them. Most of the stuff was materials that stayed on the Feliner in case of emergency. She made a mental check list and found everything in its place. Everything else became a small pile in the middle of the aircraft.

“Do you need some help?”

Cheetara’s body jerked in fright. She snapped her head down to its owner and saw Lion-O’s brown eyes gazing at her. “You scared me to death!”

“I didn’t mean to,” he replied and tucked his hands under his arms. “So, do you need help?”

The cheetah looked at the pile she had made. She realized it would be easier to get it all out once the ramp worked. “I don‘t now,” she answered and wondered what was keeping Ben-gali.

Lion-O knew that the ramp was malfunctioning. He looked around the hangar then stared back at Cheetara. “Where’s the ladder?”

“It’s in the storage room, I think.”

“Well, how did you get up there, then?”

She shrugged her shoulders and replied, “I jumped up here. I’ll get down the same way. Back up and give me some room.”

Lion-O shook his head and remarked, “I don’t think so.” He raised his arms up toward her. “Come on, I’ll catch you.”

The thought of Lion-O holding her, even for a moment, made Cheetara nervous. “Don’t be silly. I can jump down. I do it all the time.”

“Don’t argue with me, Cheetara. There’s no need to risk getting hurt. Now come on.”

She scowled and tried one more time. “But you might get hurt. I’ll just wait until you bring the ladder in here.” She smiled to herself thinking he could not argue with her point. However, Cheetara soon began frowning again when she heard his reply.

“Getting the ladder will take too long. You’re not going to hurt me. Now quit arguing with me.”

Cheetara wished she had listened to Ben-gali about using the ladder in the first place. She would not be in this predicament. Sighing in defeat, she nodded. “Okay, you’re the boss.” She walked to the edge of the cockpit and looked down.

It was only a few feet from where she was to where Lion-O’s hands reached. Taking a deep breath, she jumped out of the aircraft into his arms. He caught her right above her waist and slowly lowered her to the ground. Once her feet touched the floor, Lion-O smiled at her and commented, “See, I told you I would catch you.”

She nodded her head and closed her eyes. He was too close, much too close. Her heart was pulsating rapidly within her. Heat bolted through her as she was aware of the magnetism between their bodies. She wondered if he was feeling it too or if it was just her.

Cheetara quickly opened her eyes. She stared at his chest not wanting to look into his eyes. She stuttered, “Yeah, you did.”

Lion-O took his hands off of her and used a free finger to lift her face up under her chin. The action made their eyes lock. He felt her tremble slightly and continued staring into her amber eyes. “You should trust me more, Cheetara,” he whispered.

Hearing him say her name made her tremble even more. “I do,” she breathed as he cupped her face with his right hand.

He started leaning in closer to her and closed his eyes. In a flash, Cheetara realized he was going to kiss her. Her heart thudded even faster as she closed her eyes in submission. His lips barely brushed hers, but it still felt like a burst of energy shot out of her.

The ‘swoosh’ sound of the doors interrupted the moment. Lion-O whipped his body around and saw Ben-gali and Pumyra walking in. He was aware of Cheetara as she took a couple of steps away from him.

Ben-gali and Pumyra noticed the flushed on their faces but did not say anything. They walked up to the Feliner as Ben-gali inquired, “Are you going to help us, Lion-O?”

“Uh, yeah, sure, I can help.”

Cheetara folded her arms and glared at Ben-gali. She was angry with herself but lashed out at the Siberian tiger. “I thought you said you were going to take a SHORT break!”

“He had to talk me into helping,” Pumyra defended. “It’s my fault.”

“It’s both of your faults,” Cheetara fumed. She stormed past them and exited the hangar.

Ben-gali turned to Lion-O and asked, “What did you do to her?”

The Lord of the ThunderCats shrugged and replied, “Nothing, really.”

“Sure, Lion-O, sure,” Pumyra remarked. “Let’s get started on the Feliner. It’s not going to fix itself.”

Cheetara entered her bedroom. There was nothing special about the room. It was even smaller than the one she used on Third Earth. In the middle stood her double bed. A light pink quilt covered it. There was a square nightstand on the right side of the bed that matched the headboard. Her lamp took up most of its space. One of her books sat on the edge of the table. A wooden armoire was placed along the left wall. The cheetah’s uniforms and storage box were contained within the double doors. A small chair was on the right wall under the window and next to a locked door. Her private bathroom entrance was at the back left of the room where she kept her vanity and other various belongings. There was just enough space for her to jump rope when the mood crept upon her.

She let herself fall down on her bed. Cheetara thought about what had just happened. It had taken her by surprise. She had known that there was some attraction between her and Lion-O ever since they first landed on Third Earth. It had continually grown little by little over the years. However, she had not realized how much it had grown. She had always been able to fight it. Why could she not fight it in the hangar?

Of course, the two of them hardly ever spent time together where it was just the two of them. There was almost always someone else with them. Usually it was Snarf, who still believed that Lion-O needed watching. The few times they had been alone were during times of fighting on Third Earth or during other important missions.

The thought of her emotions coming out frightened her. Cheetara wanted to stay independent. There was no way she was going to end up like her mother. Forget it! She never wanted to be in a position where she would risk everything just for some stupid feeling like love.

She hugged herself and tried to calm herself down. There must be something she could do to fight her feelings. Cheetara realized then that if she volunteered to go to Third Earth, she would spend six months away from Lion-O. That would give her time to get herself under control. Until then, she was just going to have to stay away from him as much as possible.