Netherworld: Solitary Confinement

Late Tuesday Night

“Tatiana! We think we have found a way to get you out of here!”

The woman stood up and stared at the empty space in front of her. “How, my masters? How will I get out of here? Will the Nether Witch get me out of here?”

“Uh, no. The nether witch was Mumm-Ra.”

“Oh. Then what about the Dimensional Magician?”

They cleared their throats and answered, “That was Mumm-Ra too.”

Tatiana raised up her arms in exasperation. “How many forms did Mumm-Ra take, anyway?”

“That doesn’t matter now. You shall get yourself out of here.“

She put her hands on her hips and arched an eyebrow. “And just how exactly am I supposed to do that? Don’t you think if I could get myself out of here, I would have done so a long time ago!“

“But you haven’t tried using your telepathic powers.”

She stood there silently and cocked her head. “My telepathic powers? I don’t understand. How will that help me get to Third Earth?”

The Ancient Spirits of Evil replied, “There is one ThunderCat who shares your powers. If you can make a connection with her telepathically, then you should be able to enter her.”

Tatiana began laughing uncontrollably at the thought. “You can’t be serious! You want me to use a ThunderCat to destroy the, well, the ThunderCats? No wonder Mumm-Ra could never defeat them. What are you thinking? If you can’t defeat them, then join them?”

“Tatiana! We are serious!”

She began laughing again. “And what shall happen to the She-cat?”

“She will take your place here, in the Netherworld.”

The evil woman began rubbing her hands together as she thought of their plan. “Hm, it just might work.”

“We are going to test it. So get prepared.”

Tatiana nodded and continued, “There is one thing more that I ask of you, Ancient ones.”

“What is it, Tatiana?”

“Um, er, could you rebuild my castle? I just couldn’t see myself in a pyramid. It’s too . . . mumm-ra-ish.”

They answered, “Yes, we can do that for you. We will also find your sword.”

With that said, they left the netherworld. Tatiana smiled to herself and began planning her first attack.

Third Earth: Cat’s Lair

Early Friday Morning

“Noooo!” Cheetara screamed out. She raised up in her bed and covered her mouth with her hands. She realized that she had been dreaming again. Another nightmare had invaded her sleep for the third time. As always, the cheetah could never remember what the nightmare had been about. It frustrated her.

She took a deep breath to try and calm down her racing heart. Her body was covered in sweat. The sheets were tangled around her legs. She hoped that Lion-o had not heard her. That was all she needed, him rushing in there in her condition. Cheetara flung the covers off of her and stood up. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep. It was only a few hours until sunrise, and she did not want to risk having another nightmare.

The female ThunderCat switched on a light and put on a uniform. As she was about to close her closet doors, Cheetara saw her photo album. She gingerly picked it up and sat down on the floor. The cheetah opened it and saw her parents. Sighing inwardly, she flipped past her family pictures. When she came to the first ThunderCat pictures, Cheetara stopped and studied them carefully.

Many of the pictures were of her and Lion-O as a boy. She could still remember the first time she saw Lion-O. Even though she had lost her parents and was alone, he was the one with sadness inside. Cheetara often wondered if she had been the only one to notice. Despite their age difference, the two of them had become friends. If Lion-o was no/t giving Snarf trouble, then he usually could be found hanging with her. Both of them shared things with each other that no one else knew. There had been an indescribable bond between them.

Then things changed when Thundera exploded. The ThunderCats landed safely on Third Earth, thanks to Jaga. During the trip, Lion-O aged physically from twelve to nineteen. Although Tygra thought Lion-O was still mentally twelve, Cheetara did not think so. But along the way, they had lost that special bond.

Cheetara flipped through more pictures and came to the ones of the ThunderCats when they first landed on Third Earth. The memories swallowed her: the new Cat’s Lair, the fights with the Mutants and Mumm-Ra, the emergence of the Lunatacs and the new ThunderCats. She could remember the first couple of years on Third Earth when she and Lion-O would playfully flirt with each other. When Mumm-Ra freed the Lunatacs, things just got too busy for the ThunderCats. There was not much free time. Ever since then, Lion-O had pretty much shut her out in that aspect.

It’s just as well. He’s doing you a favor. Remember what happened to Mom. You cannot afford to put yourself in the same predicament. It’s just not worth it.

The cheetah closed the photo album and tossed it on her bed. She had no use for remembering the past. It would just haunt her.

Suddenly, her sixth sense went off again. Cheetara fell to her knees and put her hands to her head. For the past three days, her sixth sense had gone off and on. However, she never saw anything except a bluish blur. It confused and frightened her. It was her lack of knowledge and confidence that prevented her from telling anyone else about it.

Cheetara stood up and raced to the control room. When she got there, the alarms in the lair went off. “What the . . .” she started. Pushing a few buttons, she turned the alarm off and turned the communicator on. WilyKat appeared on the monitor from the Tower of Omens.

“Cheetara! Thank Jaga! Look at what I’ve discovered.”

A picture of a snake in her bathtub flashed in the cheetah‘s mind. “WilyKat! If this is a practical joke, it’s not funny.”

The youth shook his head. “No, Cheetara. I’m serious. I’ve been receiving strange communication signals here. It’s kept me up all night trying to figure out who’s sending them.”

Lion-O ran into the control room just then. He stopped beside Cheetara and stated, “I heard the alarm go off. What’s going on, WilyKat?”

WilyKat repeated what he had just told Cheetara. He then said, “I’ve finally discovered the origin of the signals. Look at this.”

The scene on the monitor changed. Within the darkness, the two adult ThunderCats could barely make out the black structure. It appeared to be some kind of fortress.

“I know it’s hard to see,” WilyKat remarked. “But it’s right on the site where Mumm-Ra’s black pyramid use to be.”

“We better go check this out. WilyKat, you and WilyKit need to take the Whisker and look for Thundrillium when the sun comes up. Cheetara and I will go check out this new place. If it’s on the old pyramid ruins, it can’t be good.”

Cheetara and WilyKat nodded in agreement. “Okay, Lion-O,” the youth replied. “I’m going to go get some sleep now.”

They all yelled out, “ThunderCats! Ho!”

The monitor screen went black as the communication ended. Lion-O turned to Cheetara and announced, “I’ll go get the sword and meet you in the Thundertank.”

She nodded and ran to the garage. After she leapt into the ThunderCat vehicle, Cheetara began to worry that this place was part of the reason for her sixth sense going off.

Third Earth: The Castle

Friday Morning

The Thundertank roared to a stop in front of the fortress. With the sun coming up, Cheetara and Lion-O could it out more clearly. It appeared to be a castle straight out of the medieval period. Four stone towers, which look like rook pieces from a chess game, stood at each corner. A huge wooden door was at the front of the building and provided an entrance.

“By all the seas of Thundera,” Lion-O breathed. “It’s stunning!”

“It sure is,” Cheetara agreed.

They walked cautiously to the entrance. Together, they opened the heavy door surprised to find it unlocked. The two ThunderCats entered the strange castle and found themselves in a main room. Looking around, they found three different doors to choose from: one on the left, right, and straight ahead.

“I think we should split up,” Cheetara suggested.

“I agree. Which way do you want to go?”

She pointed in front of her and replied, “I’ll go straight.”

“Then I’ll go left,” Lion-O remarked.

Cheetara nodded her head and started toward her chosen door. She opened it and peered in. It was completely bathed in darkness. The cheetah pulled out her staff and lit it up with its magic. Hesitating for just a moment, she entered the room. The room blazed to life with the light emanating from her staff.

She studied the room and found candles on the walls. Cheetara lit all of them and put her staff up. The view before her astounded and frightened her. The four Ancient Spirits of Evil statues stood in separate corners of the massive room. In the very center, a black cauldron stood eight feet high and had an eight feet wide diameter. On either side of the magical cauldron, a staircase provided a path to the top.

Cheetara had a feeling of deja vu. She climbed the staircase closest to her and peered down in the dark waters. Her image stared back at her. The female ThunderCat then looked around the narrow walkway around the rim of the cauldron. She noticed a stone platform across from her. She walked to it and studied it closely. It came to her waist and was almost as long as the diameter of the cauldron. Despite its great length, the platform was only two-foot wide. The cheetah laid her hand on its surface. It was cold and unmoving.

Unnoticed by Cheetara, the statues’ eyes began to glow red. Pain shot through her like lightening. She screamed out, knelt down, and placed her head into her hands. It felt to her as though she was losing control of herself. It was almost like she was a puppet being moved by someone else. Unable to get restrain herself, Cheetara raised her head and cried out, “Tatiana, Tatiana, TATIANA!”

With a small cry, she lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs. She landed on her back and passed out.

Meanwhile, Lion-O had made a complete circle around the castle. He found himself in the main entrance. At that moment, the wooden door swung open. Rataro walked into the castle and glanced at the ThunderCat. He hissed and pulled out his daggers.

“What are you doing here, Mutant?” Lion-O growled.

The rat laughed and answered, “Wouldn’t you like to know, cub! That’s highly confidential.” He crossed his weapons and commented, “You’ll never escape the power of the Rats’ Eyes.”

An energy bolt headed toward Lion-O. He blocked it with the Sword of Omens and returned fire. Rataro ducked out of the way and hissed, “You can’t hit me!” The ugly mutant ran out of the castle.

Lion-O followed him as the rat ran toward the Rat Star. He yelled out “Ho!” and tried to shoot the mutant again. This blow struck the ugly rat. It knocked him off his feet and weakened him slightly.

While the mutant was down, Lion-O raised his sword and yelled out, “Thunder, Thunder, Thunder, ThunderCats! Ho!” The red ThunderCat symbol blazed out of the sword and into the air.

“You fool,” Rataro replied. “You call your friends. But I’ll finish you before they show up!”

Groaning softly, Cheetara opened her eyes. She slowly sat up and felt pain in her back and legs. Raising herself up, she moved her body realizing that she was not seriously hurt. There would be bruises though. Wondering what happened, she looked around her surroundings and was aware that she was still in the castle in the cauldron room. Feeling terrified, Cheetara sprinted out the room and exited the castle.

Cheetara was surprised when she saw Lion-O and Rataro battling each other. “Where did he come from,” she thought silently to herself.

Without any hesitation, she pulled out her staff and enlarged it. She raced at Rataro and aimed a strike at his head with her staff.

Rataro moved out of the way barely missing the staff’s blow. He blasted a bolt at the female ThunderCat as soon as she landed.

“Watch out, Cheetara!” Lion-O warned.

She cried out and jumped out of harm’s way.

Knowing he was outnumbered, Rataro started running again to the Rat Star on the other side of the castle. Cheetara chased after him and threw her staff at his feet. He tripped but quickly regained his composure. The mutant stood back up as Lion-O ran toward the action. Growing frustrated and angry, Rataro threw one of his daggers at the Lord of the ThunderCats.

Cheetara gasped as she saw the dagger leave Rataro’s hand. She watched as the short blade cut into Lion-O’s abdomen digging through the flesh. Grabbing her staff, Cheetara ran to her leader as Rataro went into the Rat Star.

Lion-O was kneeling on the ground from the pain. He sheathed the Sword of Omens and clutched his side. “We can’t let Rataro get away,” he whispered.

“Don’t worry about him. We have other chances to take care of that miserable mutant.” The cheetah knelt down beside him. She put her hands on him as she studied the wound. Rataro’s dagger was still embedded in his side. The wound was beginning to bleed profusely. Cheetara knew she had better get to it quickly.

“Stay here, Lion-O,” she ordered him. “I’ll be back in a moment.” The cheetah sped to the Thundertank and turned on the communicator. “WilyKit and WilyKat, do you hear me? Please respond.”

“WilyKit here, Cheetara. What’s up?”

“Listen carefully, Kit. Tell Kat to bring the Whisker to the old pyramid ruins as fast as he can. I want you to get to Cat’s Lair. Get Pumyra on the monitor in sickbay.”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“No questions now, Kit. Just do it,” Cheetara ordered. She turned off the communicator, grabbed the first aid kit, and ran back to Lion-O.

“I can’t believe I didn’t see it coming,” Lion-O growled. He watched as Cheetara took the top part of his uniform off. She made him lie down and leaned in to look at the wound more closely.

“I can’t believe Rataro would leave without one of his daggers. WilyKat is coming with the Whisker. You‘ll never get in the Thundertank in your condition.”

“Do . . . what . . . needs . . . to be . . . done,” he replied. “I trust . . . you.”

The remarked stunned Cheetara for a moment.

Lion-O winced as Cheetara attempted to stop the bleeding. He thought he was going to pass out from all the blood and pain.

Thankful that Pumyra had taught her some medicinal things, Cheetara continued to keep a cloth on the wound. It was bad enough that her heart raced just from handling Lion-O’s body, but when she couldn’t stop the bleeding, Cheetara really began to worry. She looked into Lion-O’s eyes and replied, “I hope WilyKat gets here soon. I need to get you to sickbay quickly.”

Getting weak from the loss of blood, Lion-O nodded.

As soon as she finished her statement, the Whisker landed. Cheetara helped him up and walked with him to the Whisker’s ramp. After she got Lion-O settled, Cheetara turned to WilyKat and said, “I need you to drive the tank to Cat’s Lair. Do you think you can handle it?”

He hesitated then replied, “Sure, Cheetara. Whatever you ask.”

“Just drive slow, Kat. You should be okay.”

The youth nodded and ran to the massive vehicle. Cheetara sat in the front seat and piloted the aircraft to the lair’s hangar. Once they reached Cat’s Lair, Cheetara helped Lion-O out of the Whisker. He put his left arm around her shoulders and leaned on her. She wrapped her arms around his hips and helped him get to sickbay. “So . . . weak,” he muttered.

“I know, Lion-O. Save your strength. I’ll take care of you.”

WilyKit met them in the hallway. She noticed the blood-drenched bandages and gasped, “Great Jaga!”

Cheetara handed her the claw shield and sword. “Take these to the sword chamber. After that, put some scrubs on, and meet me in sickbay,” Cheetara commanded. The cheetah took Lion-O inside the infirmary. He laid back on the examination table and closed his eyes.

Turning to the monitor, Cheetara asked Pumyra, “Thanks for waiting. We’ve got a serious problem that I need you to walk me through.”

It took several hours, but Cheetara and WilyKit managed to remove the dagger from Lion-O’s abdomen. They stapled the wound closed after finding no serious damage to any of the organs.

“Wow! That was kind of cool,” WilyKit said.

Cheetara smiled at her and began cleaning their mess. “You were a big help, Kit. You should consider going to medical school on New Thundera. The ThunderCats could always use a doctor.”

“Maybe I will,” Kit pondered. She started to help clean, but Cheetara stopped her.

“No, Kit. I’ll do this. Go find your brother and make sure he made it here in one piece. Then I want the two of you to take the Whisker and probe for Thundrillium.”

“Oh,” she groaned, “but I want to stay here to make sure Lion-O’s going to be okay.”

“I’ll be here with him, Kit. You and Kat can come back at dinnertime. Right now, we really need that Thundrillium. And watch out for the Rat Star.”

WilyKit nodded and left. Cheetara stopped cleaning and exhaled. She sat down in the chair next to her leader. He was sleeping peacefully and in stable condition. Cheetara stared at him and ran her hand through his hair. She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. When the realization hit her that Lion-O could have died, tears started forming in her eyes. “What would I do if I lost you?” she whispered to him.

Her mother’s words echoed in her head: “Love can be a wonderful thing when you have it. It is something to be treasured. It doesn’t come but maybe once or twice in a lifetime, so when you have it, you must do everything you can to hold onto it.”

Cheetara inhaled sharply and stared at Lion-O.

By Jaga, this can’t be! I tried to fight it, but it’s useless. I promised myself it wouldn’t happen to me. It already has though. It happened five years ago on Third Earth. I‘ve always told myself it was just physical attraction, but I was wrong. What a fool I‘ve been. I‘m in love with him! I‘m absolutely, positively in love with Lion-O.

The thought sent a thrill of fear and happiness through Cheetara at the same time. She held his hand and continued to think to herself.

I wonder how he feels about me. Does he love me? Can I trust him with my heart? Do I have a choice? Now I’m even more confused. What should I do? Well, one thing is for certain. I’m going to stop running away from this. I’m not going to be afraid anymore. Hm, I really should talk to Lynx-o. He probably has some good advice to give me.

Cheetara gazed at Lion-O again. She then kissed his hand and sat beside him deep in thought.

Third Earth: Cat’s Lair

Friday Evening

“I really need to talk to Lynx-o. When will he be back?”

Tygra rubbed his head and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe not for a couple hours.”

Cheetara sighed and leaned back in her chair. She turned back to the control room monitor and said, “Okay. I’ll just try again later.”

“Maybe I can help you, Cheetara. What is the problem?”

“I really wouldn’t call it a problem. Call it a . . . lack of direction. I really want to wait and ask Lynx-o.”

Tygra paused for a moment and thought. “Sure, whatever you’re comfortable with. How is Lion-O doing?”

“He’s doing much better. He’s still recovering from the anesthesia and surgery.”

The tiger nodded and grinned to himself. She had walked right into his trap. “That’s good. I’ll tell the others. Have you changed your mind about the night-alarm system?”

Cheetara smiled and replied, “As a matter of fact, I have. It works extremely well. I should have never doubted your work, Tygra.”

He laughed and waved his finger at her. “I told you so. Have you talked Lion-O into using it here on New Thundera?”

“No, I haven’t. I will though, I promise. There’s just one problem with the system though.”

“A problem? With my system. What? Is it too sensitive?”

Cheetara laughed. “No, Tygra. It’s not that. It’s just that, well, a few times . . .”

“What, Cheetara? Come on, you can tell me.”

She sighed and folded her hands in her lap. “You know how Lion-O can sleep through anything. I’ve caught him sleeping through the alarm when it was his turn to have the alarm sound off in his bedroom. Thankfully it was never important, but it could have been.”

“Hm, that is a problem. We could have two ThunderCats share a night shift. Then if the alarm fails to wake one up, the other should waken.” Tygra suddenly chuckled again as a thought came to him.

Cheetara stared at him and asked, “What are you thinking?”

“Just that the Lion-O problem should resolve itself at some point.”

“How is that?”

Tygra folded his arms and grinned slyly at his friend. “Lion-O won’t always be sleeping alone. If you would just hurry up and jump him, we all would heave a sigh of relief.”

It was Cheetara’s turn to fold her arms. She glared at the tiger. “That’s not funny, Tygra.”

She sighed and looked down at her hands. “I don’t even know if that would work anyway. What if he doesn‘t have any feelings for me?”

Tygra smirked and remarked, “Yeah right. If Lion-O doesn’t care for you, then I’ve sure been fooled. We have all noticed the way he treats you, Cheetara. You get special treatment. You just haven’t noticed because you are use to it. It’s been that way since Third Earth. Cheetara, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about. If anything, you could use the Bracelet of Power on him. If that doesn‘t work, I think we‘ve got Alluro‘s Psych Club around here somewhere. You should be able to use that on Lion-O. You know, just hypnotize him.”

Cheetara laughed at Tygra’s antics. He lifted a book near him and showed it to her. “There’s something I want to share with you. I’ve been reading this book again.”

Cheetara stared at the title and responded, “The prophecy book. Yeah, what about it?”

“In one chapter, it tells of a black-mane lion that will rule the Thundera. He will be born with special gifts that no other king has ever had. With it, this lion will bring peace to New Thundera once again.”

“I’ve heard about that. It’s just a myth, Tygra. A legend to make Thunderians have some hope. Black- mane lions are extinct. We both know that. You don’t really believe in that myth, do you?”

He stared at her and remarked, “You really don’t believe that it’s just a legend, do you?”

“What’s just a legend?”

Cheetara spun around and saw Lion-O walk into the control room. “What are you doing, Lion-O? You shouldn’t be out of bed.”

The female ThunderCat turned back around to Tygra. “I’ve got to go. Tell the others I said hello.”

Tygra nodded and signed off. Cheetara stood up and walked to Lion-O. His chest was still exposed. He pushed the metal stand where the I.V. bag was hanging.

“You look like you’re feeling better.”

He looked into her amber eyes. “I still feel weak. I came looking for you.”

She wrapped her arm around him. “I’m here. I’ll help you to your room. You’ll be more comfortable in your own bed.” The feel of his bare skin against her arm sent shivers down Cheetara’s spine. She took the metal stand in her other hand and walked with him to his bedchamber.

As soon as he was settled in, Cheetara took his temperature and checked his pulse. “Everything looks fine, Lion-O.”

He grinned at her and answered, “Of course it does. This is me you’re talking about, after all.” Lion-O lifted the covers and glanced down at his wound. He looked back at Cheetara. “Will it leave a scar?”

“Probably, but it will barely show.” She sat down on the bed next to him. “Is there anything I can get you.”

Something flashed over Lion-O’s eyes. He smiled and replied, “No, nothing that I can think of.”

“Okay, then I have to go do some things. I’ll come back and check on you later.” Cheetara stood up to leave when Lion-O grabbed her arm.

“Wait, could you bring me that note pad?” Lion-O released her arm and pointed to his dresser. “It’s over there. I want to show you something.”

“Sure, Lion-O.” The cheetah picked the pad up and brought it over to him. He took it from her and motioned for her to sit back down next to him. She got as close to him as she could without touching him. Cheetara watched as he opened the cover and flipped through the pages. The images drawn on the sheets amazed her. They were various black and white pictures of places on Third Earth and New Thundera. Cheetara even noticed a few of Snarf and Snarfer.

Lion-O continued flipping until got to the back of the note pad. “Ah, here we go. Take a look at this drawing, and tell me what you think.”

Cheetara looked deep into his brown eyes. She nodded and glanced at the picture. The image she saw made her freeze for a moment. She broke out of her reverie and placed a hand over her mouth in surprise.

The drawing was of her in a dress she had worn. The ThunderCats were celebrating the addition of Lynx-o, Ben-gali, and Pumyra. It was a special occasion, and Cheetara had made the dress just for that night. It was made completely from black velvet. One her left side, a slit ran up to mid-thigh. The dress glided up the curves of her hips and chest. The two wide shoulder straps met at the back of her neck, leaving her back exposed. Cheetara had worn black leather boots that laced up right past her knees. It was one of the few times she had put her hair up. She had on her gold necklace (from “All that Glitters”) and matching earrings. Her insignia blazed outward in the middle of her chest. But there was something more to the drawing. It was like there was a golden aura around her.

“Do you like it? You’re making me worry.”

The sound of Lion-O’s voice brought her back to reality. “Lion-O, it’s magnificent,” she breathed. Cheetara looked at him and, for the first time, she sensed something that she never had before. And it wasn’t even her sixth sense that told her. Seeing the picture and the way he was staring at her now, Cheetara knew that he loved her. He always had, but she had not recognized it until now.

With a sigh of relief, she leaned closer to his face and whispered, “I didn’t know until now.”

Their bodies felt like two magnets being pulled to each other. Cheetara did not fight it this time, even though she could not have if she wanted to. Their mouths met in an explosive kiss.

Lion-O pulled back suddenly but held her face in both of his hands. “Then, you don’t think of me as just a boy?”

“No, Lion-O, I don’t. I haven’t thought that since we first landed on Third Earth.”

He smiled at her and kissed her again. Cheetara ran her fingers through his hair as they tried to get as close to each other as they could. It was as if they were trying to merge into each other.

A small thought crept into Cheetara’s mind. She pulled back and breathed heavily. “You are in no condition to be doing this,” she said between breaths.

Sighing, Lion-O nodded in agreement. “Will you stay here with me, until I fall asleep?”

Cheetara smiled at him. “I wouldn’t want to do anything else.” She snuggled in the crook of his arm. Together, they looked at Lion-O’s drawings until the Lord of the ThunderCats fell back asleep.