Darkslayer Part Four: Confessions, and the Zen of Cultivator Repair
      "Well," Said Brod to Ardua and Tyger, "here it is, have fun, kids.  I'm going to go help Kitten in the kitchen. Hmmm, that rhymes."
Brod left the two to repair the cultivator, as he walked he tried to rhyme other words with kitten.  Tyger walked over to his vehicle and got the new part to the cultivator, along with a toolbox. "It's hard to believe that this little thing makes that big sucker work.  Well," Said Ardua, "It's the smallest things that cause the biggest problems. Oh, 'Dua, don't tell me you are a sage now too! I'm a prodigy, alright!" They both enjoyed a good natured laugh while they set about removing the broken part from the cultivator.  Ardua got underneath the machine, while Tyger removed all of the bolts, but the part wouldn't budge.  "'Dua why won't it come off? No wonder," She said from underneath, "the whole thing is so rusted, that the parts are fused. Give me a hammer, please."  Ardua put her arm and hand through an opening from under the machine. Against his better judgment, Tyger handed Ardua a hammer.  Ardua lightly tapped the part with it, it didn't move, she hit it a second time, and rust flew into her mouth. "Jaga, that's nasty!" As she spat she asked, irritated, "Are you laughing, Tyger? No." He said with a snicker. Tyger's chuckling was making the whole cultivator move.
      Ardua finally lost patience with the tenth strike and hit the part with great force, rewarding her efforts with a blow to the head as it fell. "Ding dang blasted piece of crap, son of a...." Tyger interrupted the tirade, "Panthro, is that you? Damn it!" Ardua got up out from underneath the cultivator and threw the part as far as she could fling it.  Tyger stopped laughing when he saw a small cut above her eye, and a bump beginning to form. "'Dua you okay? Yeah," Ardua said angrily. "at least both sides of my head match now!"  Ardua cursed like a space sailor and held her head as Tyger wet a rag and dabbed Ardua's wound with it. "Good thing your head is hard."  Ardua looked at Tyger and smiled falsely. "Remind me to kill you later."
      Tyger finished dabbing Ardua's head, and Brod walked inside the barn.  "Supper is ready." Ardua smiled at Brod. "Parts off." she replied with mild annoyance as she held her head.  As all three walked towards the farmhouse Tyger teased Ardua about how danger prone she had been during her visit home.  "You must still be getting used to gravity, space girl. You should really consider some health insurance, or marry a healer or something as many scrapes as you have gotten into." Ardua's mood by then had improved considerably, she walked and thought then said with a wink, "Is that a proposal, 'Tyg?"  For once in his life Tyger had no smart aleck, or zippy retort for her.  Ardua loved it.
      Everyone walked inside, and Wilykit and the kittens were seated already, Wilykit inquired about Ardua's new wound and Ardua said it was okay and nothing else was said.  Wilykit made sure that Tyger and Ardua were seated next to one another and everyone began to eat.  Soon Keena and Tark were begging Ardua to tell them evil chasing stories, there weren't many that were suitable for children to hear, she had to do extensive editing to those that were.  The stories turned to adventures that the Thundercats, Wilykit, and Tyger's parents in particular had on Third Earth.  Tark especially loved the parts where Bengali used the Hammer of Thundera.  After supper Wilykit took her children upstairs for baths, more stories, and bed.  Tyger and Ardua helped Brod clear the table, then wash the dishes.
      Wilykit went downstairs after tucking her children in, to find a clean kitchen. "Thank you, all of you. Tyger, Ardua, you two should come more often."  Ardua, Tyger, Wilykit, and Brod sat for a short while, talking about the Thundercats, and what was going on in Jaga City, then Ardua patted Tyger's hand and said, "Let's go finish up so you won't have to drive home so late. Okay," Said Tyger.  "Wilykit, Brod, thank you for supper. It was delicious. You are welcome here anytime, Tyger, tell Pumyra and Bengali to come see us sometime. Will do."
      Tyger and Ardua headed towards the barn and the Cultivator.  Ardua got under the machine again, and Tyger on top of it, and as she held the part in place he bolted it on.  "'Dua, are you ready to start it? Let me get out from under it first! No, stay there, you have been thinking small, why a scratch here and a cut there when you can remove an entire limb?"  Ardua got up and brushed herself off.  Tyger pressed the start button and the machine roared to life, Tyger turned off the cultivator and wiped his hands.  "Ardua, it's not so late, let's go for a walk, maybe pick a little candy fruit.  It's been a long time since i've been here, and i'd like to see what's changed."  Ardua shrugged her shoulders. "Lead the way."
      Tyger and Ardua walked down the dirt road and talked about different things like temperatures for tempering, and what her braid meant to the Monkians, and eventually they stumbled into the candy fruit section of the orchards. By that time night had fallen, and the moons of Plundarr were clearly visible, as well as the stars.
      Tyger picked two pieces of fruit while Ardua sat down and took off her boots.  "I've had these on all day." She said.  Thorn had joined them earlier in their walk, at that moment the cat had situated itself between the two. Tyger and Ardua petted, and scratched the big cat until he was purring loudly, then it got up, stretched and began chasing lightning bugs and snapping at them.
      "How's your head? It's alright, it's not as swollen as it was." a comfortable silence followed.  Tyger leaned back and broke the silence.  "I'm not seeing Zia anymore. I know. Who told you? A little bird." Tyger smiled and thought. Kera.  They ate their fruit and looked up at the sky through tree branches. "I really missed you, 'Dua. I really missed you too, 'Tyg." Another silence, and eating followed.  Tyger shifted uncomfortably on a root.
      Tyger took a deep breath and exhaled. "'Dua? Hmmmm? Do you love Claud-Us?" Ardua sat up mid bite and looked at Tyger. "What?" She said with a full mouth. "Well, do you?" Ardua swallowed, and looked at him in surprise. "No! What made you think that? Well, you two have always been chummy. Of course we're chummy, we're friends! I thought maybe you loved him. Not like that!"  Tyger leaned back against the trunk of the tree and felt relieved.  Ardua sighed and shook her head, Wilykit's advice swam through her head.  Ardua sat up and looked at Tyger.
      "Tyger? Yes? I'll get to the point." Tyger braced himself for a tirade.  "Do you still like me?  Like...you know?"  Ardua felt completely ridiculous, her question sounded like it came out of the mouth of a little kid with a crush.  Tyger sat up with interest and the realization that Ardua wasn't upset with him.  Ardua felt her face get warm, she wished she hadn't said anything, and even worse she couldn't recover from the question, it was what it sounded like.  "Well, do you?  What do you think?" Tyger looked at Ardua with growing hopefulness. "Yes."  Tyger said with excitement.  Ardua sat for a few moments in silence then said quietly with her heart pounding, "I like you too."
      Tyger felt his heartbeat quicken.  Ardua sat up and looked Tyger in the eyes. "You are all I thought about while I was away."  Ardua leaned against the tree feeling foolish, relieved, and strangely enough, free.  Tyger and Ardua sat in silence for a few moments. "What now?" Asked Ardua. Tyger slid closer to Ardua. "I guess we should kiss."  Ardua looked at Tyger.  "You won't hit me will you?" He asked. "No, actually it sounds logical." She said.
      Tyger and Ardua sat up and faced each other, Tyger brushed Ardua's face with his hand and drew it closer to him. They closed their eyes, and touched their lips to one another's then withdrew.  Ardua felt disarmed, and kind of silly.  Tyger couldn't believe that after all of those years of wishing, and praying, she had finally let him in.
      Ardua thought for a moment, wondering where the reckless abandon and passion she had heard about was in the kiss, when Tyger wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her again, deeply.  Ardua had never kissed in such a fashion, at first in the back of her head, she wanted to push away from him and flee, but she was held there by an invisible force.  Ardua thought she better act like she knew what she was doing, even though she didn't.
      Tyger was further pleased when Ardua put her arms around him, and reciprocated the kiss, no matter how awkward she was.  Ardua prayed that she wasn't making too big a fool of herself, and it didn't show how truly green she was.  Ardua knew that she was going to have to eventually talk about...something with Wilykit, or Cheetara, if she could bring herself to ask.  Tyger smiled inside, inexperience was a good sign as far as he was concerned.
      Tyger wanted to go farther, much farther, but knew that he had better keep his hands on her back, and be a gentleman, or he might scare Ardua away, or Panthro would take his face off.  The two stopped kissing and held one another for a moment. Ardua inhaled deeply, the delightful musky odor she remembered from the forge was strong,  her hands traced the muscles on the powerful tiger's back. Tyger nuzzled his face against Ardua's neck, he wanted to mark her with his teeth and claws, a definite no no.
         Tyger lessened his grip and then looked at her.  "Ardua, may I court you?  Well, yes but did you ask Panthro?  No, isn't that a little old fashioned?  Not to the Panther clan, if you wish to continue breathing, you will ask Panthro first before we go any farther." Tyger felt apprehensive, asking to court Ardua would entail, talking to Panthro, the ultimate deterrent, he could imagine Panthro's gray fist exiting the back of his head all the while laughing and saying "Not my baby!"
      Tyger got up and pulled Ardua up off the ground and they both made their way to his vehicle, after a few minutes of walking they reached their destination.  "I guess you had better get home as quickly as you can, Snarf, Bengali, and Pumyra are probably waiting up for you.  Mom and Dad are snoring right about now, Snarf is up waiting."  The two laughed and Tyger pecked Ardua on the lips then turned to leave, she grabbed him by the arm. "Tyger don't let him intimidate you, look him in the eyes, and whatever you do don't make rambling conversation, he hates that, get to the point of the visit. Okay?"  Tyger looked at Ardua unsure.  "Trust me, i've lived with the man my whole life, I know him, you'll win me if you take my advice.  Win you? I'm a hell of a prize, how many other women do you know who can do a lube job on a car, and make canapés?" Ardua said with a naughty smile. "You have spent way too much time with Kera, 'Dua!"  Before she could retort, Tyger got inside his vehicle, started it , and sped off for Jaga City.
       Ardua stood in the cool night air, surprised at how quickly everything had transpired.  As she rubbed her arms to warm them she could still smell Tyger on her.  Ardua jumped onto the now repaired cultivator then a back flip off of it and reveled in the feeling she had, she felt intoxicated, and happy.  Ardua was in love. If she had known how wonderfully delicious it was, she would have given way to it long before now.
      As Tyger drove he was happy and worried at the same time, his fondest wish had been granted, but he still had Panthro to beg favor with, and he was trying to mentally build himself up for the task.
      Ardua went into the farmhouse, she felt like a teenager who had stayed out past her curfew, every step she made betrayed her as the boards of the steps creaked and sang, she made it to her room and cracked the door.  With the lights off Ardua stripped and put on her bed attire as best she could by moonlight and slipped into bed. While she was still recounting the evenings events, she heard the door creak open, she turned in bed and saw two kittens creep towards her.  "Ardua, can we sleep with you? Okay, come on." Keena and Tark climbed into bed with her, she scooted over to afford them more room, then she felt more heaviness on the bed, it was Thorn.  Ardua sighed not expecting so many bed buddies, but settled down to sleep as the children clung to her, and breathed softly.
       As Ardua held the children, she wondered if she would be a good mother if she had children.
      Tyger reached Cat's Lair and ran inside with two bags and tossed them onto the floor.  Snarf was waiting.  "Where have you been, snarf, snarf, i've been worried sick! Snarf, it's only eleven thirty.  That doesn't matter, snarf, snarf. I'm sorry, Snarf. I know that I should have called, where is mother and father? Asleep, snarf, snarf.  I don't see how they can sleep with their baby out so late, brrrrr!" Snarf said with consternation "I'm twenty two, Snarf. That doesn't matter either!" Tyger interrupted Snarf's tangent.  "Snarf, have you seen Panthro? I'd really like to talk to him.  Snarf, snarf he's in his workshop, working on some doo dad on the Whisker. Thanks, Snarf i'm sorry I worried you.  Is everyone okay at 'Kit's? Oh yeah, Wilykit and Brod sent you some candy fruit,  meat fruit, and a recipe for a casserole."   Tyger left Snarf in the Grand Hallway wondering why he was in such a hurry.  Snarf looked at the candy fruit, picked through the bag, and got a big fresh, juicy piece and started to eat it.
Continued...

Look, they even finished their chores before making out. How considerate. More fanfics!

Tiger/puma meets Thunderian/mutant. I can see the tabloids now. Main page.