**Sometime between “Telepathy Beam” and “The Jade Dragon”. This story concurs with “Cheetara’s Greatest Battle” by explaining some of the tension between Lion-O and Cheetara.

The cheetah stood at the windows in the council room. She looked out over the fields toward the forest. Her hands were behind her back, her feet slightly apart. It appeared that she was at attention in training school.

Memories of the past flooded her mind. And she let them come. Usually, Cheetara’s memories angered and saddened her. So, she always tried to keep them at bay. Those kinds of feelings only made her vulnerable. But that evening, Cheetara invited them. It was time for the female cheetah to reflect back on her life and examine her choices.

The first sets of memories were those of her early childhood. To a small child, it seemed that her family was normal. Though she had been an only child, Cheetara could remember many happy memories, especially those spent with her parents together.

But that had all changed when she was fifteen. That is when her father’s sin killed him and her mother.

Their death had been ruled an accident, but Cheetara knew better. Her father paid the ultimate price for what he had done outside the realms of his marriage and drugged her mother into the consequences.

Now she could feel the hatred and anger building in her. This was good. The anger would protect her by as it built walls up around her. These walls would prevent any future heartache by shielding her heart.

Cheetara’s mind then flashed back to her standing in the winner’s circle at the cheetah trials. That had been a good day for her. But now that she thought about it, maybe it had not been a victory for her after all. It was her triumph that gave Jaga the chance to ask her to join the Thundercats.

The Thundercats...a group she had always dreamed of joining. A group who was always loyal to you, and no secrets were kept between members. However, she had been proven wrong. The first instance was the knowledge that Grune had been a Thundercat but betrayed them. It had shocked her that even a Thundercat was capable of betrayal. And worst of all, it was a secret that Jaga never shared with them.

Cheetara was beginning to learn that nothing was ever like it seemed.

Her memories took her to the moment when she first met the Thundercats. Nine-year old Lion-O had won her friendship and affection from almost the very beginning. He grew attached to her during Thundera’s last three years.

Then came the moment she first laid eyes on Lion-O after their landing on Third Earth. The boy she had known had grown to nineteen-year old man. His boyish innocence and charm had almost caused her to fall for him. Cheetara would be lying to herself if she did not admit it. But the keyword was “almost”.

And it was a good thing she had kept herself from falling.

It is true that they had talked about future generations of Thundercats. Those conversations had put a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. After all, she had been the only female old enough to bear cubs. If Lion-O was planning on having a heir, well...

Then the day had come where the Thundercats had learned about the Thunderians who survived Thundera’s explosion. The three Thunderians who were now Thundercats themselves. And if they had survived, there had to be others who also lived, including other females.

Since then, Lion-O had acted different around her. Before Pumyra, Ben-gali, and Lynx-O’s arrival, he had treated her special. But now, Cheetara knew he was only protecting her, because he thought she would have to be his mate.

Now Lion-O was indifferent toward her. And Cheetara could not blame him. The telepathy beam incident really hit it home. Her inexperience with her sixth sense and telekinetic abilities could have cost the Thundercats their lives. If anything had happened, it would have been her fault. She had been the one unwilling to be trained in those areas in her youth. Those were ‘gifts’ she never wanted. The time was coming where she would have to learn to control them better.

Slowly, but steadily, the walls built themselves around her.

In fact, Cheetara could pinpoint the exact moment when her lord began acting cold to her. It was at the celebration of having the new Thundercats. The female cheetah had never looked better, yet...

“Dinner’s ready at the Tower of Omens.”

Cheetara looked over her shoulder to see Kit standing by the door. The young Thundercat waited for a response.

“I’m really not hungry. You three go ahead without me. I’ll stay here.”

“Are you sure, Cheetara?”

The cheetah looked back out the window to hide her face. “Yes.”

“Okay, but Panthro won’t like it that you’re not coming.” Kit shrugged and left.

Cheetara’s gaze was refocused on the scene outside the window. Dark clouds were rolling in, making the day seem later. The Thundertank drove out of the lair and out of sight.

Alone, the cheetah decided to go for a walk. Walks in the grassy field usually helped clear her mind, and she really needed it. She would be back before the others knew she was gone.

Cheetara grabbed a cloak from her closet and headed out into the darkness. The wind stirred her golden hair off her shoulders. She inhaled the fresh scent of the night air. Looking up, she noticed that a slight mist began to fall. Shrugging her shoulders, she headed toward the grassy plains.

Not too far from the lair, her footsteps stirred up an enormous flock of black-feathered birds. Cheetara had never seen birds like that before. As they flew off, they screamed in protest.

The cheetah began to get an eerie feeling. She shrugged it off and continued her walk. The sky began to get darker and colder. The wind blew harder, making the red cloak snap behind her. She took once glance back at Cat’s Lair then turned her head to the path in front of her. With a deep breath, the cheetah raced against the wind.

Mumm-Ra left his sarcophagus as birds flew into the pyramid. They cawed loudly, their shadowy forms coming together into one demon-like figure. He whispered to his master, “She is approaching.”

The mummy laughed wickedly and rubbed his skeletal hands together. “Good. It has started. With Lion-O, Tygra, Ben-gali and Snarf gone on another voyage to New Thundera, I won’t have a better time to do this!”

Mumm-Ra looked down at the two-headed snake insignia on his chest. “If I can get her to take my mark, she’ll never be able to leave! Then I will finally have the weapon I need to destroy the Thundercats!”

He laughed again and shuffled to his cauldron. Raising his arms into the air, Mumm-Ra enchanted transforming himself and flew out of the pyramid.

Exhausted from her run, Cheetara dropped to her knees and breathed heavily. The night air enclosed her. Rain pounded its force on her, leaving her hair wet. The spotted golden strands clung to her uniform, hiding her Thundercat emblem. Lightening crashed around her, showing the outline of the trees surrounding her.

“I’m in the middle of a forest!” she thought to herself. “I’ve got to get out of here with the storm as bad as it is. I’m going to get hit by lightening for sure.”

For some reason, the cheetah did not get up just then to return to Cat’s Lair. She stayed on her knees, and put her head into her hands. All of her pent up emotions and fears began to surface again.

Cheetara shook her head and shouted, “No, no, no! Don’t do this to yourself. Go home.”

Returning to the lair was the last thing she wanted to do.

“What’s the matter, beautiful Cheetara?”

The Thundercat raised her head and gazed at the person who had called out to her. She inhaled sharply in shock, her heart pounding in a frenzy. The cheetah quickly got up on her feet as he continued, “Who has caused you such sadness?”

“Wizz-Ra? What...how did you get here?”

The sorcerer walked to her and put a hand under her chin, lifting her gaze to his. “It doesn’t matter how I got here. What I want to know is what has made you so upset? I see pain in your eyes.”

More lightening flashed and the thunder rolled. The rain pounded even harder on the cheetah.

“I...uh, he, they,” she stammered and closed her eyes at the threat of tears wanting to fall.

Wizz-Ra wrapped his arms around her and let her lean on his chest. He murmured quietly to her, and his eyes glowed red in the darkness for a brief moment. “They have not been treating you very well, have they?”

“No, well uh, yes. Um, not really.” It felt good to let someone hold and comfort her for a change.

Wizz-Ra pulled back but kept his hands on her shoulders. “No one should make you feel this way, Cheetara. You don’t deserve it. Come with me to the Seventh Dimension. I will make you my bride. Then you will live with me in my own kingdom and realm.”

His sudden proposal surprised Cheetara. She momentarily thought for a moment what it would be like to go with him. The wonderful, dream-like images flashed in her mind. It would not be so bad for her to go. The Thundercats could continue without her. That was a thought that haunted her mind day after day.

The panther symbol began to fade away from the red background on her emblem.

When Cheetara did not give a quick answer, Wizz-Ra commented, “Do you wish to continue on the Thundercats mindless pursuit for truth, honor, justice, and loyalty? Truth, when they have not been honest with you? Honor, for the way they treat you? Justice, when their enemies continue to battle them day after day endlessly? And loyalty, well you know how that has been broken by an old Thundercat. Is this the wonderful code of Thundera that you have sworn to uphold?”

“How do you know all of that?”

The sorcerer shook her as if to make her think straight. “Come with me, Cheetara. Join my side.”

As if someone turned on a light bulb, Cheetara gasped and pulled away from him. “You are not Wizz-Ra! He is not at odds with the Thundercats! He would never ask me to join his side because I’m already on his side! Who are you, imposter?”

Mumm-Ra’s eyes glowed red as he flew into the air above her. He transformed into his warrior self. “I almost had you this first time, Cheetara! You cannot escape me!”

Cheetara whipped out her staff and spun it in the air. “You shall never get me to join you in your evil ways!”

The black panther returned on the emblem underneath her wet hair.

The mummy laughed and aimed his magical bolts at her. She jumped out of the way and ran from him, afraid that she could not beat him alone.

He screamed out, “I will find you, She-cat! There is no escape for you. I’ll keep tracking you down, until you are mine!” He curled his fingers into a fist and disappeared into the night air.

Already tired from her previous run, Cheetara did not make it far when her energy left her. She had traveled in another direction, but in her panic, she did not think to go towards the lair. Instead, the cheetah found herself this time right outside the forest. The ground was rocky and mountains loomed high in the moonlight that was beginning to appear. The rain had ceased, but the thunder rumbled in the distance. It served as a reminder to her of the events that had just happened. She scolded herself to be more careful.

Clearing her head of all her emotions, Cheetara looked ahead and decided to go to the Tower of Omens. It would be quicker and safer for her to get there. And if she was fast enough, she could get a ride back in the Thundertank with Panthro before he and the twins left.

“I’m not getting an answer at Cat’s Lair.” The urgency in Pumyra’s voice was very clear.

“The storm must have cut out communications,” Lynx-O reasoned.

“Nevertheless, I think the twins and I should go check on her,” Panthro replied. “I shouldn’t have left her there alone. I don’t want to die before my time,” he tried to joke with them.

“You’ll let us know something, won’t you?” the puma questioned.

Panthro nodded his head and answered, “Of course. Kit, Kat. Let’s go.”

The twins waved bye and followed the panther to the elevator that would lead them to the Thundertank.

After they had left, Pumyra sighed and turned to her blind friend. “I hope Cheetara is okay.”

“Why wouldn’t she be?”

“You haven’t noticed it, have you?”

Snarfer bumbled into the control room and sat down at a side panel. “What are you two talking about?”

Pumyra folded her arms and leaned against the console behind her. “I was just going to tell Lynx-O about Cheetara’s depression. Haven’t you noticed any changes in her, Snarfer?”

“Now that you mention it, she has been acting strange lately, snarfer.”

Lynx-O agreed with the snarf. “Yes. She does seem to do her work like she is on autopilot. But I thought I noticed a gleam of happiness in her voice when the Feliner took off safely for New Thundera.”

“I didn’t hear it, Lynx-O, but then I don’t have as good of hearing as you. But the signs are there and have gotten worse ever since the telepathy beam incident.”

“What signs, Pumyra?” Snarfer inquired.

The puma began to count on her fingers as she listed the signs. “She hardly eats. She has a lack of energy and a tired look on her face. Her posture suggests that she feels inadequate. She has a hard time concentrating on simple tasks.”

“But she blames all of that on her insomnia,” Lynx-O remarked.

“Just another sign, which adds up to five things that we know of for sure. Right now, I don’t think it is a good idea for her to be left alone. If she is experiencing depression, she could be suicidal.”

“You aren’t suggesting that she would...kill herself, do you?”

“No, Snarfer, but I don’t want to take the chance. After all, more than fifteen percent of depressed people commit suicide. We should just take extra precaution until this episode ends.”

“That is probably a good idea,” Lynx-O commented. “Why don’t we try to contact the lair again?”

Pumyra turned around and tried the communication system again.

Cheetara was not certain how much time had passed, since she left the lair. She was wet, cold, and very exhausted. Every step she took felt like it would be her last. Her mind was a mask of confusion as thoughts swirled around in her head. She somehow knew that if she did not make it to the tower, she would not live to see another day on Third Earth.

“Why did I leave the lair?” she angrily thought to herself. “I’m so stupid. My walk has not done anything but make things worse. I almost failed again falling for Mumm-Ra’s trap. Am I so weak in the flesh that I could fall for something so idiotic? Wizz-Ra even told me that I would never see him again except in my dreams. How foolish of me!”

The cheetah took another few steps on the rocky path. As she rounded a corner, a wollow almost bumped into her.

“Cheetara? What are you doing out here this late of night?”

“I could ask the same of you,” she replied, her teeth chattering as she spoke.

The male wollow looked at her more closely. “My goodness! You are going to get sick out here. Come with me. I’ll take you to my home. You can rest there for the night.”

He took her hand and turned around to go back to his home.

“I can’t. I have to get to the Tower of Omens. The Thundercats will be worried about me.”

The kind stranger continued leading her. “Don’t be silly. You can’t go very far in your condition. I’ll take you to the Thundercats tomorrow when you are stronger. What you need now is a change of clothes and a nice cup of warm tea. It will help you sleep.”

His offer was really tempting. There was nothing she wanted more than to get warm and get some sleep. Cheetara allowed him to lead her as she figured that she could explain things to Panthro tomorrow. He would understand.

The wollow led her inside a cave on the other side of the mountain. Another person, whose face was hidden under a dark hood, stood at the entrance. He beckoned Cheetara and her companion inside. Out of the cold wind, the cheetah began to feel much better.

The stranger in black talked to the wollow as Cheetara followed behind them. It was not long before the three of them reached a river within the cave. A boat stood at the port, ready to be used.

The wollow pointed to the boat. “I’m afraid that my family and I have taken extra precaution, since the trollogs have begun to attack us again. Our home is tucked safely away on the other side of the river. Get on the boat, Cheetara. There are blankets on board that you can use. My friend here will take you down the river.”

Something deep within the cheetah screamed at her to turn around and leave. Shaking her head, she told herself it was just her being wary after her encounter with Mumm-Ra. The mummy could not take the form of two different people. And the trollogs had been attacking the wollows lately.

Cheetara smiled gratefully at the wollow and shook his hand. “Thank you. Your kindness won’t be forgotten. But, aren’t you coming with us?” She questioned the wollow as she stepped into the boat.

“I’m afraid that I have an errand to run. But I will see you in the morning.” The wollow nodded at the cloaked stranger and left as his eyes flashed red.

The Thundercat wrapped a blanket around her as the stranger stepped into the boat. He used his long, walking staff to maneuver the boat down the river.

“How long will it be before we get there?”

The stranger replied simply, “It won’t take long.”

The warning voice inside Cheetara screamed again but louder. She turned it off and let the rocking of the boat sway her to sleep.

On New Thundera, the sun had just begun to shine on the Thundercat crew. They had already been working a few hours on their search to find the Thundercat treasure. Snarf was visiting his relatives at the snarf village.

However, Lion-O’s uneasiness had only hurt his work. He could not help but wonder about Cheetara’s condition lately. He did not like it. She could not do medial tasks as quickly as she used to. Her appetite was not normal either. The lion also wondered if he was the only one who had noticed how tired she always seemed to be.

Ever since his departure, the Lord of the Thundercats had this weird feeling that something was wrong. He had been able to ignore it until now. Lion-O wanted to get home. How could he persuade the others without looking paranoid?

“Is something wrong, Lion-O?” Tygra asked his leader, noting that the lion had stopped digging.

“There doesn’t seem to be any treasure in this cavern. I think we’re wasting our time. I say we go home, and let someone else have a turn.”

“But we’ve only been looking in here for a few hours,” Ben-gali pointed out. “We should give it another few hours before we give up.”

Lion-O sighed knowing it was going to be difficult to come up with a reasonable excuse to leave. “I’m going to check in with Third Earth.”

Tygra started to point out that the Thundercats would be asleep, but he shrugged his shoulders at Ben and kept quiet.

The Lord of the Thundercats walked to the Feliner and entered the aircraft. He turned on the communicator and tried to reach Cat’s Lair first.

At Cat’s Lair, Panthro and the twins had just finished making their way through the immense fortress searching for Cheetara. They met in the control room in time to catch Lion-O’s communication link.

“Feliner to Cat’s Lair.”

Panthro growled and motioned for the twins to remain quiet as he talked. “Cat’s Lair here. What’s new, Lion-O?”

“Nothing, Panthro. I was just checking in to make sure that everything was okay there.”

The panther closed his eyes and covered the mouth piece with his hand, so he could curse. The twins shared a glance with each other and turned their attention back to Panthro. He hesitated a moment too long before he replied, “Yeah, Lion-O. Everything is fine here, as far as I know.” He mumbled the last part.

“What do you mean, ‘as far as you know’? Panthro, if there is something wrong, I want you to tell me now.” Lion-O’s heart raced as he waited for the news.

“It’s nothing really,” Panthro stammered. “The twins and I just don’t know where Cheetara is at the moment. She probably went for a walk and forgot to leave a note. We will...”

The panther was interrupted by Lion-O’s angry voice coming over the line. “Cheetara is missing? Panthro! I told you explicitly to not let her remain by herself!”

WilyKit and WilyKat laughed at Panthro as he made cringing faces at the speaker. Lion-O continued on angrily announcing that he would be coming home ASAP.

As soon as communicating was closed with the Feliner, Panthro turned to the twins. “We’ve got to find her before Lion-O gets home. You two go together and, dang blast it, don’t you go missing too! I’ll get Pumyra and Lynx-O to help us. We will meet back here in four hours before the Feliner arrives. Got it?”

They nodded and answered together, “Got it!”

“Thundercats! Ho!”

Cheetara awoke to the sound of keys clanging. Startled, she jumped to her feet just as the black-cloaked stranger had locked her cell door into place. He laughed as Mumm-Ra, in his giant stature, came up beside him.

“Here she is as you requested, Master.”

“Good work, Ma-mutt. Now leave us here. Go dig up some bones or something.”

The figure in black decreased in sized and changed until an ugly dog appeared. He ran out of the room barking.

Cheetara walked to the cell door and grabbed the bars tightly with her hands. “You were that wollow, weren’t you? Let me out of here now, Mumm-Ra!” She went to grab her staff only to find it missing.

The mummy chuckled to himself. He stared at Cheetara as he remarked, “Are you cold? Wet? Tired? I can help you if you will let me.”

Suddenly, the cheetah felt her mind being taken over. She began to shiver uncontrollable. Her legs grew weak and buckled. She fell to the floor. Water dripped from the ceiling on top of her forcing its cold right into her soul. She crouched into a fetal position and folded her arms in a desperate attempt to warm herself.

“Let me help you, Cheetara. I can make it so that you will never feel such horrible feelings ever again. All you have to do is take my mark.”

She shook her head and stammered, “No. I will never take your mark. I won’t join forces with you. Never.”

“You don’t sound so convincing. Perhaps if I showed you the real truth...” Mumm-Ra snapped his fingers.

Cheetara opened her eyes as she was suddenly upright. She was chained to the wall in the main sanctum of the pyramid. Mumm-Ra stood before the cauldron as its evil water began to bubble and churn into the air.

“Look, Cheetara. The others don’t appear concerned for you.”

The cheetah refused to look. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from the image that had begun to appear above the cauldron.

“Look! The Thundercats at the lair are sleeping. Did they not notice that you were gone?”

Not able to resist, Cheetara peeked at the image and gasped as she saw Panthro, WilyKit, and WilyKat asleep in their beds.

Mumm-Ra shook his head and let the image change. “And the Thundercats at the Tower of Omens...they are sleeping too!”

It did appear to the cheetah that Lynx-O, Pumyra, and Snarfer were asleep. She closed her eyes and turned away again.

Studying her expression closely, Mumm-Ra grinned. He commented, “Ah, but what about the other Thundercats? What are they doing on New Thundera?”

He waved his hand in the air, changing the scene. When Cheetara did not look, he remarked, “Ben-gali and Tygra appear to be digging. But where are Lion-O and Snarf?”

The image changed again. Mumm-Ra said out loud, “Hm, interesting. They are in the Feliner flying over New Thundera’s surface. Strange, but I wouldn’t think you could find small pieces of treasure so high off the ground.”

“You lie, Mumm-Ra.”

Mumm-Ra walked to Cheetara so that she had to look at him. “I wish I was lying, Cheetara. But as a matter of fact, I know what Lion-O and Snarf are looking for. Don’t you want to know?”

Cheetara pulled against the chains trying to free herself. Mumm-Ra lifted his hands and freed her from her bonds. She fell to the ground and regained her balance.

“Before you leave, you should know that your Lord is looking for a suitable bride.”

Shocked, Cheetara quickly looked up at Mumm-Ra. He shrugged his shoulders and began to walk away from her. “But you knew that all along, didn’t you? You just won’t admit it.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Cheetara asked as tears fell from her eyes.

Mumm-Ra turned back around and pointed at her. “Because I have watched as the Thundercats have treated you horribly. Despite my evil ways, I began to feel sorry for you. I wanted to give you the opportunity to destroy the Thundercats before they destroy you. With our combined strengths and talents, we can defeat them!”

“What?” Cheetara stood there astounded at his statement.

“Oh, the Thundercats won’t kill you. Don’t misunderstand me. But they have known about your depression for a long time now. They were just waiting for a chance to leave you alone. They are hoping that you will kill yourself. You know, do the job for them.”

More tears fell from her eyes. She shook her head and began to step backwards. “No, I don’t believe you, Mumm-Ra.”

Growing frustrated, Mumm-Ra shouted out, “Don’t you see, Cheetara? They fear you because of your power! You have the capability to destroy Lion-O!”

“I would never do that!” She cried out, wiping away her tears. “They trust me.”

Knowing he had gotten to her, Mumm-Ra quietly commented, “You are a liability to them. You almost cost them their lives with the telepathy beam incident. They stopped trusting you. You know it. Doesn’t it all make sense? Admit it!”

In her state of mass confusion and depression, it did seem to make sense to her. But she refused to acknowledge it. She saw Mumm-Ra extended his hand toward her. “Join with me, Cheetara. I can protect you from them.”

He smiled wickedly as the panther sign once again began to fade from her insignia. “Only I can offer you immortality. You shall never be cold, in pain, or feel heartache ever again. Join with me and help me destroy the Thundercats!”

Cheetara fell to her knees as the walls within her crashed. She sobbed heavily letting all of her pent up frustrations and emotions out.

Not seeing the two-headed snake mark appear on her insignia, Mumm-Ra tried one last attempt. He remarked, “Look one last time into the cauldron. I want to show you a scene from the inevitable future. Look, Cheetara! Then, you may choose to leave, and I won’t bother you with this ever again.”

The cheetah looked at the image. She watched in dread as a marriage was taking place. Lion-O was the groom and was lifting the veil from the bride. The face of a lioness showed underneath. They kissed each other passionately as the guests clapped.

Cheetara shook her head and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and faced Mumm-Ra. “Thank you for showing me this. I know now what I must do.”

“Then you will take my mark?”

Cheetara replied, “Not quite.” She closed her eyes and drew on all her mental strength to concentrate.

“What...what are you doing?” Mumm-Ra asked slightly reserved.

The female Thundercat’s body began to glow yellow with energy. Her eyes flew open with a glazed look. She threw her hands towards Mumm-Ra, sending two yellow beams of energy at him.

The mummy shrieked and was knocked back against his sarcophagus. He quickly regained his composure and shot a blast at her.

Cheetara also fell back. As she crawled to her feet, Mumm-Ra walked to her. “You fool! What are you doing? You can’t defeat me!”

She growled and aimed another blast at him. He blocked the rays with his owns, the red and yellow lights not giving away to the other. The two of them circled around each other letting the rays fade.

“My destiny is obvious. I am here to destroy you! If I can defeat Lion-O, then I can certainly defeat you!” Cheetara spat out.

Mumm-Ra howled and replied, “You can’t destroy me! I am immortal! You will die in your futile attempt.”

“I don’t believe you, but either way, I will be doing Third Earth a favor!”

Mumm-Ra shot another blast at her. She leaped out of the way and landed on the edge of the cauldron. She took the moment to shoot her telekinetic ray at him. The mummy ducked out of the way and shot back at her. Cheetara blocked it with her energy.

Out of nowhere, something flew at the cheetah. Before she could scream out, Ma-mutt landed on her and sent her backwards into the cauldron’s waters.

“Good boy, Ma-mutt!” Mumm-Ra cheered his faithful hound.

The two evildoers waited for Cheetara to get out of the water. A minute passed. Then another minute passed. Mumm-Ra snorted and commented, “Maybe she drowned.”

He carefully walked to the cauldron with Ma-mutt right on his heels. The mummy peered into the water. He saw Cheetara’s body on the bottom, not moving at all.

In a kind of melancholy voice, Mumm-Ra sighed and petted his dog. “Well, I was close Ma-mutt. Her depressive state was almost enough to make her join our side.”

Mumm-Ra turned around, ignoring his dog as he suddenly began barking. “At least I have one less Thundercat to worry about.”

Ma-mutt’s barking grew louder.

“What is it?” Mumm-Ra turned back around to see Ma-mutt pointing inside the cauldron with a paw.

The mummy’s eyes widened because the water had begun to glow with a yellow tint. It started bubbling then spewed into the air. Mumm-Ra and Ma-mutt jumped back. “What’s going on? Ancient Spirits of Evil...”

The Feliner had just entered Third Earth’s atmosphere when the Sword of Omens growled. With a sinking heart, Lion-O pulled out the sword from the claw shield. He gave the words to allow him to see which Thundercat was in trouble. The lion’s eyes widened in horror as he saw the telekinetic battle ensuing between Mumm-Ra and Cheetara.

“Where is she?” Ben-gali asked knowing it was Cheetara.

“The black pyramid. Get us there quickly!” Lion-O commanded the Siberian.

The white tiger nodded and punched the controls at the main panel. “Coordinates are changed. We should be at the pyramid in minutes.”

Lion-O turned back to Tygra. “Contact Panthro. Tell him to get to the pyramid. Maybe he can get there before we do in the Thundertank.”

“Sure thing, Lion-O,” he replied.

The Lord of the Thundercats sighed and leaned back in the chair. The hardest part now was to wait, until they reached the pyramid.

The walls of the pyramid began to shake. The four statues’ eyes glowed red as their forms began to crack apart. Cheetara flew out of the cauldron, her whole body glowing white. She floated mid-air in the main sanctum and aimed another energy blast at the decrepit mummy. The white energy surrounded him and made him fall to his knees. He cried out in pain as the sheerness of the blast overwhelmed him. Mumm-Ra had almost forgot what it was like to feel pain.

Mumm-Ra limped up and began to chuckle. “It’ll take more than that to get rid of me.” The mummy then let his anger show on his face. He yelled, sending his evil magic at the female Thundercat.

Cheetara leaped out of the way, landing on the other side of the room. Before she could react again, the mummy sent another blast at her. This time, she was not so lucky. It hit her and knocked her backwards against the wall. She fell to the floor, barely conscious.

Mumm-Ra walked to her and put his foot on her. “Join my side, and I won’t kill you.”

“Never!” she spat out. “A Thundercat never gives up!”

The mummy pointed to her insignia on her wet and dirty uniform. “Ha! You have already betrayed them! Look! The cat sign is no longer there!”

Cheetara looked down, horrified. Indeed, her insignia was nothing more than a red circle. She purred fiercely and knocked Mumm-Ra off of her. He laughed and stood back up. With a short incantation, Cheetara’s staff appeared in his hand. He threw it at her. She caught it and raised her eyebrow in confusion.

Then the sound of the Thundertank entering the dark pyramid could not be mistaken. Cheetara gasped and leaped out of the way as Panthro sent the vehicle into the main sanctum. He jumped out and swung his nun-chucks around him.

“I should have known you were behind Cheetara’s disappearance, you ugly bastard!” Panthro shouted at Mumm-Ra, noticing that his fellow comrade was standing against the wall.

Mumm-Ra pointed at Panthro and turned to Cheetara. “Here is your chance! Take him out! Remember, he wants to destroy you!”

Her mind confused again, Cheetara faced Panthro and spun her staff in the air. “Yes! You left me alone! This is your fault!”

Shocked, Panthro said, “What are you saying, Cheetara? I don’t want to destroy you! Don’t listen to Mumm-Ra! He lies to you.”

With a shout, Cheetara ran at the panther and threw her staff at him. He jumped out of the way, throwing his weapon around the golden staff. Both fell to the floor with a thud.

“Cheetara! I’m not going to fight you!”

“Then you will die!” Cheetara screamed out. She threw her arms out toward Panthro and shot him with a yellow, telekinetic blast. He yelled out in surprise and fell to his knees as the blast weakened him.

Lion-O, Tygra, Ben-gali, and Snarf raced into the room. Mumm-Ra threw out his hands. “Ah, we have more guests!”

Seeing the fighting between Cheetara and Panthro, Tygra shouted for Cheetara to stop. “It is forbidden for Thundercats to fight each other!” She growled at him and shot a blast at him.

All the while, Mumm-Ra was enjoying watching the scene. He had no idea it would work this well. He called out to the new arrivals, “Cheetara is no longer a Thundercat! Her insignia proves that!”

Lion-O gasped, seeing the blank insignia on her uniform. Formulating a quick plan, he asked Ben-gali and Snarf to distract her, so he could run up behind her.

As Cheetara concentrated her blasts as the Thundercats, Lion-O began to run behind her.

“Cheetara! Behind you!” Mumm-Ra called out and sent his magic at the Lord of the Thundercats.

Cheetara turned around to see Lion-O fall to the ground. He growled and began to stumble to his feet.

“Get him, Cheetara! Now! Before he gets up!” Mumm-Ra shouted at her.

Growing angry and frustrated, Cheetara closed her eyes and clenched her fists. “Leave me alone!” she screamed out, shooting her telekinetic blast in a white-hot fury.

Lion-O stood up and went to Cheetara’s side. He aimed the Sword of Omens at the mummy and cried out, “Ho!”

The two simultaneous blasts were too much for Mumm-Ra. He screamed out in terror and flew backwards into his sarcophagus. Ma-mutt whimpered and ran out of the room.

With all of her energy spent, Cheetara fell to the stone ground unconscious. Lion-O panicked and knelt down beside her. “Cheetara!” he called out to her, trying to shake her awake.

The others raced to Lion-O side. Tygra stopped the lion, commented, “It’s no use. She’s had some kind of emotional breakdown.”

“Let’s get her to the lair. Pumyra can check her out.”

“But, Lion-O,” Snarf started to argue. He pointed at her insignia which was still blank. “Are you sure you want to take her back to Cat’s Lair?”

“Yes, Snarf. That’s where she belongs,” Lion-O replied.

“Let’s go then. I’ve had enough of this place,” Panthro remarked.

Lion-O sheathed the sword. He then picked up Cheetara and carried her to the Thundertank. Panthro steered the vehicle out of the dark pyramid. The other Thundercats flew the Feliner back home.

Later that morning, Cheetara awoke. Surprised to see the sun out and shining brightly, she sat up and started to get out of the bed.

“Whoa, Cheetara!” Pumyra held her back. “I didn’t say you could get out of bed.”

Confused, Cheetara searched Pumyra’s eyes for answers. “What are you doing in here?”

“No, I get to ask the questions first. Do you remember anything that happened last night?”

The cheetah shook her head. “No, I don’t. Haven’t I been asleep?”

It was Pumyra’s turn to shake her head. “No, Panthro found you in Mumm-Ra’s pyramid. He and the others rescued you.”

“Really? I don’t remember leaving the lair.”

From her expression, Pumyra knew she was telling the truth. She asked, “What is the last thing you remember?”

Cheetara frowned as she thought for a moment. Flashes of her looking out the council window penetrated her mind. “I was in the council room...then I told Kit to go to dinner without me.”

Suddenly, the cheetah gasped.

“What? What is it, Cheetara? What do you remember?”

“I did go for a walk, but I thought I would be back before Panthro and the twins would return. It was beginning to storm, and my mind...so full of horrible memories...I ran...” Snippets of her encounter with Wizz-Ra, the wollow, and Mumm-Ra filtered through her head. She put her head into her hands trying to make sense of everything. “That’s all I remember.”

Pumyra put a comforting hand on Cheetara’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Tygra and I think you had an emotional breakdown. You were vulunerable to Mumm-Ra’s spell. That may explain your memory loss. But I think you’re going to be okay now.” She paused for a moment and turned around and began walking to the door. “I’m going to tell the others that you are awake. Do you mind some visitors?”

“Not at all,” Cheetara smiled. “I’m feeling much better than I have in weeks.”

Pumyra glanced back at her friend. “I’m glad.” Then she opened the door and left the room.

While she was alone, Cheetara contemplated all the memories from last night. She determined that she had dreamed everything. None of that had been real. It could not have been real. She hoped it was not real.

The twins ran into the room then, causing the memories to fade. WilyKit hugged Cheetara. “We’re so glad you’re okay.”

WilyKat sat down beside her. “Yeah, what happened to you?”

“It’s a long story. One day, I will tell you what happened. But I don’t want to talk about it now,” she explained.

“Panthro got into a lot of trouble leaving you alone.” WilyKit commented.

“Don’t tell her that!” he replied as he walked into the room with Tygra. He looked at Cheetara. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”

“Why did you get into trouble, Panthro? It wasn’t your fault that I went for a walk.”

Tygra smiled and answered, “He was told not to leave you alone. We’ve been worried about you lately. You haven’t been the same.”

Cheetara smiled and hugged him. “I’m okay, you guys.”

He pulled back and replied, “I believe you are. I haven’t seen you smile like that for a long time.”

“What are you doing home, Tygra? I thought you and the others were supposed to be on New Thundera until tomorrow.”

“We came home to look for you.” Tygra replied.

Cheetara suddenly frowned knowing that her memories were not from a dream. She looked at both adult Thundercats. “I’m sorry that I attacked you two. I don’t know what overcame me.”

“It was Mumm-Ra’s spell,” Panthro shrugged. “You are not to blame.”

The cheetah bit her tongue to keep her from saying more. She knew it was no spell that had caused to act that way.

Panthro turned his attention to the twins. “Come on, you two. We have chores to finish.”

They moaned in response but got up to follow Panthro and Tygra out of the room. “We’ll see you later, okay?”

“Okay.” She waved at them as they left the room. Then she groaned and put her head back into her hands. “You screwed up royally, this time, haven’t you? Making Lion-O come home because you decided to go on a disappearing act. Then you let Mumm-Ra blind your mind, making you attack your friends. Lion-O will be upset at you for sure. That’s probably why you haven’t seen him yet.”

She sighed and got out of bed. Running a hand through her messed up hair, the cheetah decided to take a shower. She opened her closet doors and stood there as she lost herself in her thoughts.

A knock at her door woke her from her reverie. “Come in,” she automatically said.

“I wanted to see how you were doing for myself.”

Cheetara’s back stiffened up. Her heart pounded uncontrollably. She kept her attention on her uniforms in the closet. “I’m doing fine, Lion-O,” she remarked in her most nonchalant voice and ran her hands through her hair trying to fix it.

“Cheetara, I was worried about you.”

The cheetah sighed heavily and took a uniform off its hanger. “You don’t need to worry about me.” She loved and hated it when he said her name so softly.

“It’s part of my job description. I’m supposed to worry about everyone,” Lion-O tried to joke.

Without looking at him, Cheetara replied, “I can’t believe what I almost did. I could have killed you and the other Thundercats.”

He put his hand around her arm and turned her around to face him. Her uniform fell out of her hands and to the floor. She looked down, angry at herself.

“It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself! Mumm-Ra had a spell on you.”

Cheetara pulled away from him and sat on the edge of her bed. She threw her head into her hands as tears came. “No, Lion-O. It was my fault. Mumm-Ra did not have a spell on me. I let him get the better of me. I wouldn‘t blame you if you asked me to leave.”

Lion-O sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. “I would never ask you to leave, Cheetara. Mumm-Ra took advantage of your emotional state. But you were strong and fought him back.”

He pulled her against him as she sighed heavily. “I almost lost it.”

“But you didn’t,” he remarked. Lion-O pointed to her insignia. She noticed the cat signal had reappeared on it. “This tells me more. I have faith in this. This only proves to me your loyalty to us. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you,” he whispered to her. Cheetara looked into his eyes, saw his eyes begin to tear up, and embraced him. “I’m still here.” She leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes.

He wrapped his arms around her and ran his hand up and down her back. “Please promise me that you will talk to me or someone else if you are feeling depressed. Please, Cheetara.”

“I will,” she replied softly. “I promise.”

“And promise me that we will remain friends, no matter what happens?”

A memory flashed through Cheetara’s mind. She remembered the image of Lion-O’s wedding, a scene that Mumm-Ra had called ‘inevitable’.

Coming to terms with the image, Cheetara pulled back from Lion-O. She looked at him and commented, “That’s sounds good.”

Pleased with her answer, Lion-O pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. He then said, “Hurry and get dressed. You can join us for lunch. Snarf has gone out of his way and cooked loads of food.”

“Good, because I’m starving!” Cheetara remarked. She smiled at him as he turned around and walked to the door. After he stepped out of the room, Lion-O paused and turned back around to her.

She watched as his expression changed, as if he changed his mind. He said, “We’ll wait for you. And clear your schedule for next week. You and I are on the passenger list to New Thundera.” Then he closed the door.

Cheetara sighed and picked up her uniform. She stared at her reflection in her mirror and wondered what had just happened. She looked back down at the insignia on her uniform. The Thundercat signal shone brightly in the sunlight. She smiled and said to herself, “I’ll be a Thundercat for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is my family.”

The cheetah paused and looked out her window. She then said, “Whatever my destiny is, I’ll embrace with my heart. I have to accept it, and go on with my life.” Cheetara smiled broadly, feeling free for the first time in weeks.