Started: August 15, 2000

This story occurs six months after the Book of Omens

 

Cheetara’s Greatest Battle

Chapter One: The Parent’s Story

 

Third Earth: Old ruins of Mumm-Ra’s pyramid

Late Friday Night     

(ASOE = ANCIENT SPIRITS OF EVIL)

            The water within the black, rebuilt cauldron bubbled slowly. Demonic whispers stirred the air within the cold, dark room.

ASOE #1: We have finally regained our full strength.

ASOE #2: Now is the time to find a new servant to replace Mumm-Ra.

ASOE #3: But who can destroy the ThunderCats once and for all?

ASOE #4: Someone who is stronger, more cunning, and more deadly.

ASOE #1: What we need is the stealthiest person of all, someone who can defeat the Lord of the ThunderCats with the sword.

ASOE #2: Ah, but who fits this description?

ASOE #3: There must be someone. Let us look at the past and find someone.

ASOE #4: Yes, together we can find someone who can dispose of the ThunderCats forever.

 

New Thundera: Cat’s Lair

Late Saturday Afternoon

            (Note: Talia is a female tiger who recently became a ThunderCat. Her and Tygra have been getting interested in each other since her arrival. I may write out Talia’s story later.)

            The council meeting had just started. The ThunderCats sat around the council table in their usual order: Lion-O, Cheetara, Pumyra, Ben-gali, WilyKit, WilyKat, Panthro (empty), Lynx-o (empty), Snarfer (empty), Snarf, Talia, and Tygra. Panthro, Lynx-o, and Snarfer were all on duty on Third Earth and could be seen on nearby monitors.

            Lion-O looked around the room and spoke. “It’s time again for two of us, here on New Thundera, to take a turn monitoring activity on Third Earth. I want two volunteers by the next council meeting.”

            Cheetara groaned inwardly. She had yet to take a turn to go to Third Earth. The only ones who had not gone to Third Earth were her, Talia, Snarf, WilyKit, WilyKat, Ben-gali, and Lion-O. Deep down, Cheetara knew she would have to volunteer at next week’s meeting. It was only fair, although the thought of leaving New Thundera again made her a little sad. But it would only be for six months and not another four years, she consoled herself. At least she would get some solitude and privacy.

            Interrupting her thoughts, Lion-O continued, “Also, with the completion of the Cat’s Eye, it will only take us a few hours to get there. How are the blueprints coming, Tygra?”

            “I’m almost done. Talia and I should have them completed by Friday.”

            The Cat’s Eye was a new aircraft designed by the two tigers. Panthro would then be in charge of building the aircraft. However, the aircraft would take huge amounts of Thundrillium to power its massive engines. It could only be used in extreme emergencies.

            “Good,” Lion-O announced. “How are things there, Lynx-o?”

            “Before anyone volunteers,” Lynx-o remarked, “I think you all should know that I’ve been receiving strange signals here at the Tower of Omens. I couldn’t pinpoint their origins, but they were so small that it may not have been anything major. They have stopped for now, so it may not be anything to worry about.”

            “Let me know if anything changes, Lynx-o,” Lion-O replied. He looked around the table again and asked if there was anything else.

            Tygra was the first one to speak. “Yes, I was wondering if you have made any decision about using my night-alarm system that I developed while on Third Earth.”

            The tiger was referring to a new monitoring system that he engineered on Third Earth. It eliminated the need for anyone to actually be up on night shift. If the alarms went off or anyone tried contacting them, an alarm went off in the designated bedroom alerting the sleeping ThunderCat. It proved useful on Third Earth since, at first, there had been only two ThunderCats on duty.

            “I looked over the blueprints, and it does seem like it would work well here. However,”

            Almost every ThunderCat groaned at Lion-O. He ignored the interruption and continued, “However, I’m leery about doing away with the night shifts. I just don’t completely trust a computer-run system.”

            “But it works well!” Pumyra protested. When Tygra installed it at Cat’s Lair on Third Earth, I had my doubts at first. But once I realized how well it worked, I never slept better.”

            Lion-O shook his head. “Why change something that already works? I would rather have someone in the control room at night.”

            “If you would just give it a chance, you would like it,” Tygra remarked. “We could all sleep the whole night and would perform our normal chores better while we are awake!”

            Before Lion-O could reply, Cheetara stood up and hit the table loudly with her palm. “Now wait a minute!” she chided. “If Lion-O doesn’t want to use it, then we’re not going to use it. You have to respect his authority. Besides, we are talking about working an hour and a half. This is not much! We’ve all made harder sacrifices than this.”

            She sat back down as WilyKit elbowed her brother. “She always takes his side,” WilyKit whispered to WilyKat.

            He nodded in agreement and whispered back, “Yeah, do you think he pays her or something?” WilyKit shrugged her shoulders.

            Lynx-o spoke over the monitor just then. “Cheetara is right. Just because we have had six months of peace doesn’t mean we should relax our standards.”

            Tygra and Pumyra reluctantly agreed with the wise lynx.

            “Is there any other old business to discuss?” Lion-O inquired.

            “Is there any way I can get the Thundertank to Thundera? I really miss having it,” Panthro admitted over the monitor.

            “You can build an aircraft big enough to carry it,” Ben-gali suggested.

            Cheetara remarked, “Or you could just bring it in pieces and put it back together here.”

            Panthro scowled at the cheetah making everyone laugh. “I don’t think so!” he grumbled.

            “I think it’s going to have to stay there, Panthro.” Lion-O faced the ThunderCats in the room.    “Is there anything else?”

            When no one spoke up, he said, “Okay, this meeting is officially over. ThunderCats!”

            “Ho!” they all responded. Everyone got up and left the room thankful that another meeting was over.

            Cheetara turned to the left and walked down the corridor. She looked over her shoulder as she heard Pumyra cry out, “Wait, Cheetara! I need to talk to you.”

            The cheetah paused in the hall and waited for the puma to catch up to her. They continued walking down the hallway. “What is it, Pumyra?”

            “Let’s wait until we get somewhere more private. How about your room?”

            “That’s fine with me.” Cheetara led them to her room and opened the door. She let Pumyra in and then put the automatic lock on the door as it closed.

            The puma sat down in the only chair available and waited until Cheetara sat down on the bed. “Is it possible for ThunderCats to marry?”

            The abrupt question took Cheetara by surprise. She stared at Pumyra quizzically and answered, “I think so. Why? Is there something I need to know?”

            “Lately, Ben-gali and I have been talking about getting married. I was wondering if you knew any special rules for marriage.”

            Cheetara paused for a moment and thought. “I think you would have to get Lion-O’s permission. Since you would be marrying a ThunderCat, you don’t have to leave our organization. So, I don’t see any problems.”

            “Hold on a sec,” Pumyra replied. “You mean to tell me, if you wanted to marry someone who was not a ThunderCat, you would have to leave!”

            Cheetara nodded her head and quickly answered, “Yeah, but I’m NEVER going to get married! I don’t have to worry about it.”

            It was Pumyra’s turn to look quizzical. “I thought that you and . . .”

            “What?”

            The puma shook her head. “Never mind. I just thought you would get married.”

            “Ha, yeah right. My parents taught me a hard lesson about marriage that I don’t ever want to face.”

            Pumyra wanted to ask Cheetara about it but decided not to pry. “So, you think that all Ben-gali and I need to do is to get Lion-O’s permission?”

            “Yes, and I don’t know why you wouldn’t get it.”

            “Thanks, Cheetara. I’ll leave you alone now. Ben-gali is probably waiting for me.” She got up and let herself out of the room.

            Cheetara locked the door again and walked over to her closet. She opened the doors and sat down in front of her white box. Pulling the top off, she dug through the box’s contents until she found a black-covered photo album. The red ThunderCat insignia was on the front cover.

            Sighing, Cheetara opened the front cover of the album exposing the first set of photos inside. They were pictures of her as a little girl with her parents. She flipped a few more pages until she reached the last photo of her family. It was a photo of her fifteenth birthday. Her dad and mom were on either side of her. They appeared to be a happy, normal family. That was before her father’s mistake. A mistake that ultimately led to death.

            Closing her eyes, Cheetara let the memories fill her head . . .

            She walked home from school cradling her books in one arm. Popping the switch up, she opened the front gate that led to her house. The gate creaked loudly, and the scent of freshly mowed grass filled her nostrils. She started humming a favorite song and walked up the sidewalk to the front door. The closer Cheetara got, the better she could hear the fighting words passing between her parents.

            “Who is she, Charles?”

            “You don’t know her. It doesn’t matter anyway. It’s you I still love!”

            “I don’t believe you! How could you risk throwing away twenty years of marriage for someone else? How could you!?”

            “Leandra, please don’t cry. I never meant to hurt you.”

            “Get out of here, Charles!”

            “But . . .”

            “I said get out!”

            “I’ll come back when you are more calm.”

            Cheetara’s father opened the door and was startled to find his daughter there. She gave him a stern look and brushed past him into her house. Her mother was on the couch sobbing almost in a fetal position.

            Feeling overwhelmed, Cheetara wrapped her arms around her mother trying to comfort her. “It’s okay, Mom. It’ll all be alright. We don’t need him. We will always have each other.”

            “I wish that were true, Cheetara. I wish it were,” she whispered and hugged her daughter.

*****

            Two days later, Cheetara came home from school to find her mother packing. “What are you doing, Mother?”

            “I’m going away with your father for awhile. We need some time alone to talk and sort things out.”

            “But, how could you go with him? He doesn’t deserve a second chance!”

            Leandra sighed and closed her suitcase. “I know that, but I still love him. I have to try for my sake.”

“I don’t understand. Why?”

            “Trust me, Cheetara, you will understand someday when you’re in love. That day will come someday.”

            Cheetara smirked and retorted, “Me, never. I’ll never fall in love with anyone! And I’m never going to get married!”

            “Don’t say such things,” Leandra softly replied. “What about Chase? Didn’t you have any feelings for him?”

            “Sure, I had feelings for Chase, but I don’t think I was in love with him.”

            “You’re probably right then. 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.”

            “It doesn’t sound like dad is in love with you.”

            “He is Cheetara, at least he once was. Sometimes people get lost along the way. I‘m not even sure I understand.”

            Her mother paused and sat down on the bed. She patted the space next to her signaling her daughter to sit down. Cheetara obeyed and listened to her mother. “You are special, Cheetara. I’m not saying that because you’re my daughter. You just have to listen to your heart to know that you are very exceptional. You are strong and unique. Cheetara, you have been very blessed with unusual gifts. Learn to use them wisely.”

            “You mean my sixth sense, right?”

            “Yes, and other things. I am very proud to be your mother.”

            The two women embraced each other then let go. Leandra continued, “While your father and I are gone, the elders of the cheetah clan have agreed to watch over you. They will continue training you.”

            Cheetara nodded in understanding. “Okay, Mom. But don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

            “I know you will, Cheetara. I know you will.”

*****

            A week later, Cheetara stood in the middle of the cemetery. She watched the cheetah elders leave then knelt down in front of two gravestone markers. She traced the etched words on one marker:

                                    Leandra - Cheetah Clan

                                    42 Years Old  

                                    Beloved Wife and Mother

            More tears fell from her eyes and onto the freshly dug soil. She turned her gaze to the other gravestone and yelled out, “I’ll never forgive you, Father! You took her away from me, and I’ll never forget that! You never loved her! It was your foolishness that started all of this. Thanks for nothing. Do you hear me!? I’ll never forgive you!”

            With a heavy heart, Cheetara lowered her head and sobbed. She was alone now. All she had were her fellow cheetah clansmen and her friends at school. There was no other family for her. She wondered what would become of her.

             

            Cheetara closed the photo album and put it onto a small table next to her bed. She locked the memories and emotions back inside herself. They were not going to start haunting her again.

 

 

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