Cat's Lair

Cheetara looked all around her and saw that she was surrounded. It was a trap. They were expecting her, but how? No one knew about the plan except the cheetahs, lynxes, and pumas. Could someone among them be a traitor? No, they all wanted to fight the lions, tigers, and panthers. They would not betray her, but she did not understand how they knew.

Lion-O stood only a few feet from her. Behind him, Cheetara saw the soldiers as well as the elders and Thundercats. He was looking at her softly but seriously, like he did not want to fight her.

"Surrender now, Cheetara, and no harm will come to you and your soldiers," Lion-O warned.

"You surrender, Lion-O, and no harm will come to you, your soldiers, and the Thundercats," Cheetara replied firmly.

Lion-O pulled out the Sword of Omens, "Your cause is evil, Cheetara. You and your warriors want to rule Thundera."

Cheetara pulled out the sword Chase had given her. "You've joined the side of evil, Lion-O. The lions want to wipe the cheetahs out, and I won't allow it!" she begin twirling the sword and took a defensive stance.

Luther got a good look at the sword and gasped. "Cazar. That's Cazar's sword! He fought Lord Koran with that sword a thousand years ago."

The Thundercats turned to Luther.

"I thought his sword was captured when Cazar was defeated," Tygra said.

"It was, but it was stolen again a hundred years later. We thought Cazar's descendent had it and searched them, but we didn't find it. They must have hidden it from us, until now," Tyland explained.

"I don't want to do this," Lion-O held his sword high. "HO!" Lightening and thunder rumbled in the dark sky. The Sword of Omens stretched to its fullest length.

Cheetara, not knowing it was Cazar's sword, wielded it well as she and Lion-O slowly circled each other. They never took their eyes off each other. Cheetara struck first, but Lion-O blocked it with his sword.

"Don't force me to fight you, Cheetara. I know that you really don't want to fight me," Lion-O said.

Cheetara pulled back. "I'm not the Cheetara you knew. That woman is gone. Now fight!"

She struck him again. He blocked it, but she expected him to do that. She kicked him with her left leg on his side. He yelled out and fell back. Using her telekinetic powers, she blasted some of her yellowish energy at him. Her power knocked him onto the ground. Cheetara swung at him with her sword. Lion-O rolled out of the way, the blade just missing his head.

Lion-O jumped up. He could not believe Cheetara struck him like that. She could have killed him.

I'm not the Cheetara you knew. That woman is gone.

"That's not the Cheetara I know, but she isn't that far gone. I can bring her back, and I'll have to do that by fighting," Lion-O thought.

Lion-O charged at Cheetara and struck at her. She blocked it and the two continue to exchange blows, each blocking the other one. Cheetara grew frustrated at the sword fighting and leaped back. Lion-O held his stance as he watched Cheetara closed her eyes in an intense concentration. A yellow glow surrounded her body. Out of her body, came a ball of energy heading for Lion-O.

"HO!" Lion-O shouted holding his sword in front of him, protecting him from the energy ball. He repelled it back at her. The blast hit Cheetara before she knew it. She fell on her back yelling in pain, the sword flying out of her hand.

Cheetara's people and the Thundercats gasped in shock as they saw her fall. Luther grinned wickedly.

Lion-O ran to her immediately. "Are you all right? I'm sorry."

Cheetara saw Lion-O lean over her. She used his softness to her advantage and kicked him in the stomach. He groaned and rolled over. Cheetara got up and shot more of her telekinetic powers at him with her left hand. Lion-O put the sword in front of him. Her powers were blocked by the sword. Still glowing with her powers, Cheetara angrily struck his sword with her hand. Lion-O blocked her as he stood up to continue to fight.

In haste, Cheetara used her telekinetic powers to bring her sword to her hand. The sword flew at her, and she caught it swiftly with her right hand. She took the moment to strike at the Sword of Omens again.

The swords clashed, and it seem Lion-O and Cheetara could not defeat each other. Neither could they overcome the other as they were at a standstill. Cheetara knew it was her telekinetic powers that were helping her withstand Lion-O's strength and the Sword of Omens, but she knew it was something else also. Lion-O was holding back. He was not given her everything he had.

"Why don't you strike me?!" Cheetara shouted. "I know you can fight better than this."

"You're not as evil as you think you are. I know you're not Cazar's descendent. It's Chase. You have been blinded from the truth by him," Lion-O told her.

"No, Lion-O, you're the one who has been blinded. The lions want to wipe us out. You are on the side of evil," Cheetara said. "You support the evil ones, so I must defeat you for the cheetahs to be safe again."

"If I'm on the side of evil, then why is the Sword of Omens fighting against you?"

Cheetara gasped at Lion-O's words. He was right. The Sword of Omens was fighting against her. She knew only the sword and Lion-O would fight for a noble cause. Jagara herself told her that. For the first time in what seem like a long time, she looked into his eyes and saw the truth. She saw that he was right. She was wrong. He loved her, and she loved him. She could not do it anymore, not after being opened to the truth. She could not fight Lion-O anymore or the lions, tigers, or panthers. It was over for her.

Cheetara pulled back. The yellowish glow around her body faded. Cheetara looked at the sword she had been battling Lion-O with, and dropped it on the ground. She looked up at Lion-O's eyes. "I surrender."

The Thundercats breathed a sigh of relief, and Luther and Chase growled angrily when they saw Lion-O embrace Cheetara.

Lion-O hugged Cheetara tightly, gently stroking her hair. "It's over. There's nothing else to worry about. Everything will be fine. I'll make sure of it."

Chase growled at the sight. "No! It's not over. Attack, cheetahs!"

Cheetara pulled from Lion-O's embrace and turned to Chase. "No!" she commanded. She looked back at Lion-O. "I'll talk to them. You talk to the elders."

Cheetara ran back to the cheetah elders and her fighters. "The war is over."

"No, Cheetara. It mustn't end this way. We must defeat the lions! The Thundercats!"

"No, Chase! They are not our enemies anymore! It must be a misunderstanding. We can all work through it peacefully."

"Oh, I bet Lord Lion-O told you that."

"Yes, he did," Cheetara said defiantly. "And I believe him."

"I do believe Cheetara is right, Chase," Carvel said supporting Cheetara. "Perhaps we can work through this peacefully without any more violence."

"Yes," Cheetara said and turned to Chase angry now that she knew the truth. "Lion-O also told me that you are Cazar's descendent. That's why you wanted to fight, isn't it, Chase? You wanted to do what your ancestor failed to do a thousand years ago, and since I have the same powers as Cazar once had, you used me to try to rule Thundera!"

"Chase, is this true?" Candra asked.

"Don't tell me you believe that wretched cheetah?!" Luther growled.

"That 'wretched' cheetah is my fiancée and your future queen, and you will learn to respect her, or you will lose your power as an lion elder," Lion-O commanded angrily.

Luther turned to the others behind him to seek some support. "I suppose that you will let her banish all of us..." he said as he waved his hand at the lions, tigers, and panthers gathered. "...from New Thundera? Or maybe we should just be their prisoners, like the tigers being held currently by them! Because that is what will happen."

"No such thing will happen," Lion-O replied. "Cheetara does not seek to destroy you or anyone else. She has a special place in her heart for all Thunderians."

"Oh, is that so?" Luther turned back around when it was apparent that no one was going to help him. "That must have been why she led them in a attack against us," he sarcastically said. "She is responsible for the deaths of the lions, tigers, and panthers. Her cause is evil! You know that because the Sword of Omens let you fight her."

Lion-O growled angrily and shouted, "She was lied to. But I don't have to explain her actions to you. I'm the leader of Thundera, not you. It is enough that I forgive her! Besides, I'm not so convinced that your intentions to fight were completely devoid of evil!"

"If you marry her, you will accomplish nothing but taint the royal bloodline!" Luther hollered. "We cannot allow that to happen! It has always been a lion and lioness who have ruled New Thundera. We know that cheetah's cannot be trusted."

"Oh, it's true. Just think about it. Everything makes sense," Cheetara said. "Chase intended on accomplishing what Cazar couldn't do a thousand years ago. Even though he inherited some of Cazar's powers, they were not as strong. Chase needed someone who had strong telekinetic and telepathic abilities to win the battle for him. The only one stronger than him is me. He knew that because I defeated him in the cheetah trials.

However, Chase knew that I would not be convinced to join him in his evil pursuit. He had to have something that he could use. When Cata was murdered, Chase convinced you all that it was a wrongful death. He told you that Cata was killed out of prejudice by the lion shopkeeper. But that's not true, is it, Chase?"

Cheetara eyed him as he glared at her. She continued with her explanation. "Cata was his cousin too."

The cheetah elders gasped as they heard the news. Cheetara did not give them time to respond as she said, "Chase and Kalar, his uncle and Cata's father, wanted revenge for Cata's death. But Cata was killed because he led the lion store owner to believe that he had a gun and would use it. The lion acted within his rights."

"How do you know this?" Che'kar inquired.

"I talked to the lion myself when I found out that Cata was related to Chase," Cheetara answered.

"Chase was expecting me to turn down your request when you asked me to lead you. It was only when Kayla died that I changed my mind. But this war has gone on long enough. It's time to end it and live peacefully once again."

Chase snarled at the cheetah elders. "It is time that cheetahs rule! The lions have been in power long enough!" He faced Cheetara and remarked, "They must pay for killing my cousin, Cata! If you will not help me, then I will do it on my own!"

Before anyone could react, Chase grabbed a gun from the warrior standing next to him. He lifted it up and aimed it at the only thing keeping him from ruling.

Lion-O turned around to the cheetah side to see what was happening.

Everything from that point seemed to occur in slow motion for Cheetara. She saw that the gun was aimed at Lion-O. In a split second decision, she ran in front of him as Chase pulled the trigger. As she was turning around, the bullet slammed into her. Her body jerked at the impact. Cheetara screamed out in pain as she began to fall.

Lion-O caught her and helped her to the ground. He supported her head on his arm and leaned over her.

Meanwhile, Carvel took the gun from Chase as Che'kar and Chet bounded him. Chase saw what he had done and yelled out, "No! Cheetara!"

Che'kar and Chet pulled him back. Carvel stared coldly at Chase as he said, "You are hereby charged with an assassination attempt on the Lord of the Thundercats. You are charged with murder for shooting Cheetara. You are charged with lying to the cheetah elders and all the war crimes it has led to. You shall be imprisoned until we decide on a proper punishment."

Carvel turned to Che'kar and Chet. "Take him away!"

They nodded and began dragging Chase away. He yelled out, "I will have my way! I will rule New Thundera! You just wait and see! Then everyone shall bow down to me!"

Meanwhile, Lion-O wanted to beat the living daylights out of Chase, but he fought the urge. Instead he turned his attention to Cheetara, the one person who needed him at that moment.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Shhh. Don't talk," he said. Lion-O stroked her face with his free hand.

"If I have to give up my life so that you can live, then I have truly succeeded," Cheetara gasped.

Lion-O pulled her closer to him and firmly replied, "You're not going to die! I won't let you."

He quickly examined her and found where the bullet entered. Her flesh was torn under her right shoulder. Blood flowed profusely from the wound. Lion-O's arms and clothes were beginning to get covered with her blood. "Tygra!" he shouted out.

Pain enveloped Cheetara like a tight cocoon. She stiffened her body as waves of pain coarsed through her. With great difficulty, she raised her right hand to touch Lion-O's face. "I love you."

"I love you too," he answered back and kissed her softly. What in the hell is taking Tygra so long?!

Lion-O pulled back as Cheetara's hand dropped. She smiled one last time at him and closed her eyes to the world around her.