Unknown Enemies

Part One

On the planet Thundera, a special ceremony was occurring. On this day, the next Lord of the Thundercats was being born. The father, Claudus stood by his wife’s side as she pushed their child out of her. It was a miracle Katherine became pregnant considering Claudus and Katherine several disappointing tries. The pregnancy was smooth and easy as Katherine took every precaution for a safe pregnancy but the labor was long and difficult. With one last painful cry, the baby finally left his mother’s womb. Katherine collapsed in Claudus’ arms with relief and exhaustion when she heard her cub crying.

“Congratulations! You have a baby boy,” the doctor said.

The doctor cut the umbilical cord and the nurse cleaned the cub and wrapped him in a blue blanket. She handed him to his tired mother.

“So, you're the one who's been kicking me.” Katherine kissed the newborn on his forehead and looked at her husband. “What do you think we should call him, Claudus?”

“How about that name we agreed on last night: Lion-O?”

Katherine smiled. “Lion-O. Yes, I like that. What do you think, Lion-O?” she asked her son.

Lion-O cooed and moved his hands in a fussy motion.

Katherine laughed. “I think he likes it.”

“Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats,” Claudus said proudly. “Yes, it's perfect, just like you, son. You will get nothing but the best in life.”

*****

On another part of Thundera, another woman was giving birth to her child. After several cries, screams, and lost of blood, the baby soon came out. In the room, were several other people. None of them were doctors or nurses, but onlookers wanting to witness a great change in Thundera’s history. When the nurse showed them the baby, they all had looks of disappointment.

“It's a girl,” someone murmured.

The mother frowned. “A girl? But I thought it would be a boy.”

“That's what we thought, too,” Carvel, the highest-ranking of the Cheetah Elders, said holding an old book in his hands that became worn over the years from its many users. “But this book prophets that the child born at the same time as the Lord of the Thundercats will deliver the cheetahs to freedom, respect and power on Thundera. This cheetah will also bear gifts of telepathy, telekinesis and a sixth sense. The prophecy didn't say it was a boy, so I guess it could be a girl.”

A nurse handed the infant cheetah to her mother. “What shall we name this child--the future destroyer of the Lord of the Thundercats?”

“I think Cheetara will be most fitting,” Cheelon, another elder spoke.

“Yes, and this Cheetara will need a ruler with her,” Candra, the only female elder added.

A male cheetah stepped out among the others with a little boy beside him. “Yes, I think my five-year-old son, Chase, will be the perfect man for her.”

Carvel nodded. He knew the man to be a strong cheetah warrior and his son would be even greater. “So, it's agreed. We will train Cheetara from birth to kill the Lord of the Thundercats, and when she is queen, Chase will be king,” Carvel said.

“Agreed!” the cheetahs cheered.

*****

Five years later

Cheetara ran as fast as her short legs could carry her. She was in yet another race against Chase, her betrothed. She knew that for as long as she could remember, but she didn't understand why she was picked to be the best fighter on Thundera or that she will kill the next Lord of the Thundercats. Cheetara crossed the finish line in second place again as she always did when she raced Chase.

“Slowpoke!” Chase called her as she crossed the finish line.

“I did the best I could,” Cheetara said.

“You have to do better! If you want to kill the future Lord of the Thundercats, you have to be better than all of us and you aren't!” Chase slapped Cheetara and she fell to the ground. She wanted to cry because of the stinging pain on her cheek, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Besides, he has seen her cry several times when he hit her and it didn’t change his cold heart one bit.

“If I'm to be your future wife, then you shouldn't hit me.”

Chase ruthlessly yanked Cheetara off the ground. He growled at her fiercely. “I can do anything I want to you because I am your future husband.” He pushed her back to the ground. “Now get up and fight me!”

Cheetara grew angry and fought Chase. She gave it her all, but he was still too powerful for her. In her defeat, Chase knocked Cheetara to the ground again. This time she was bleeding from her nose and on the side of her face.

“You’ve got to be tougher!” Chase shouted.

Cheetara wiped the blood off her nose and yelled back. “You're older than me! You have an advantage!”

“That has nothing to do with it,” Chase said and kicked Cheetara in her stomach. She cried in pain. “You're just weak. I still don't see how you can be the person to kill the Lord of the Thundercats.”

“Well, I am, although I don’t know why. But I know why you hate me so much,” she said pulling herself off the ground and looking up at Chase defiantly. “You hate me because you don't get to kill him but I do. Just to get back at you, I'm not going to kill him. I don't see why I have to anyway. He didn't do anything to me.”

“You have to kill him! He and his kind are wiping out the cheetahs. We don't get any respect because of them. There is no order in the world because of them. They are evil and must be destroyed!” He grabbed Cheetara by her shirt. “And you will kill him, because if you don't, I will kill you and everything and everyone you hold dear.”

From the cold stare in his eyes, Cheetara knew he was serious. Cheetara didn't care about herself but he would hurt the only person she cared about and that was her best friend. Her parents didn’t care for her. She never saw them after her birth because she was given in the care of the cheetah elders and they never bothered to visit her.

She looked down defeated. “I'm sorry, Chase. I will kill the Lord of the Thundercats.”

“That's right. You should be sorry,” he sneered at her. “But I forgive you. That's another thing a fiancé does.”

*****

Twenty Years Later

Cheetara continued the rough life of her training to be the assassin of the future Lord of the Thundercats and endured highs of success and triumph but also several pains of physical and emotional abuse along the way. Lion-O’s life was very much different from Cheetara’s. Yes, he was trained by fellow Thundercats to be the next leader and although it was tough, dangerous and vigorous, he enjoyed it.

A year after Lion-O passed his trials, his father died. This left him an orphan since his mother died from a disease when he was very young. Other than the death of his mother in his early youth, his life was fun and exciting. Lion-O knew the future that lied ahead of him and he was ready to rule and protect his planet. His few bothers about his royal status was that he wasn't treated the same. Everyone was always kind and polite to him because he was royalty. He often had to wonder if anyone was being genuine nice to him because he was kind to the people or because he was Lord of the ThunderCats.

Another thing he hated was that he was betrothed by birth. His fiancée, Leela, adored him, but he didn't love her and he didn't want to marry anyone he didn't love. Like so many of his people, he silently wondered if Leela only liked him because of his power over the planet. The only people who treated him like an ordinary person were the Thundercats--Tygra, Panthro, WilyKit, and WilyKat.

One evening, Lion-O and Leela took a stroll in the vast backyard of Cat's Lair, walking along the freshly cut grass, newly bloomed flowers, the large tulip shaped water fountain, talking and often enjoying the silence of the peaceful night.

Leela looked up at the star lit sky with a smiled as she held onto Lion-O tightly. “The night is beautiful isn't it, Lion-O?”

Lion-O looked up at the perfect lit sky of stars and a bright full moon. “Yes, it is.”

Leela also thought it would be the perfect time to bring up the “m” word again. “Lion-O, when are you going to decide it's time to get married? We've been engaged since we were born and you've been the Lord of the Thundercats for four years now. There's peace on the planet, too. Let's get married while we still have it.”

“I'm not ready,” Lion-O commented.

“You've been saying that for four years now. We could have married once you passed your trials and had a child for your father to see before he passed away, but nooo, you kept putting it off, and your father died not seeing a grandchild.”

“My grandfather died before I was born,” Lion-O pointed out.

He didn’t seem to regret not marrying one bit. “Oh, Lion-O. What's wrong with you?” Leela asked annoyed.

“Nothing. I just don't want to get married now. I got time.”

“Yeah, well I don't. My biological clock can only go for so long, buster.”

“What’s your problem? You're as old as I am.”

“Yes, but you men can keep producing until you die. I can't!” Leela was shouting now.

“Maybe you should have been born a man,” Lion-O shot back slyly.

“Oh!” Leela groaned, releasing her hold on him. “That's it! I'm going back into the lair. You can finish your walk all by yourself!” And with that, Leela stormed back into Cat's Lair.

Lion-O laughed once Leela was out of hearing distance. “Finally, she leaves.” He didn't want her to join him on his walk anyway. She joined him. He looked around the area. Behind him, Leela had just entered the lair. Lion-O looked around and found no one else outside. Smiling, he left the premises of Cat's Lair, hoping no one saw him.

*****

At a cheetah village, the Cheetah Elders, Cheetara and Chase were celebrating another accomplishment of Cheetara. Once again, she defeated Chase as well as everyone else in battle and she mastered her telekinesis power. Her telepathy was easy, but she was never able to control her sixth sense. The cheetahs praised her and treated her like a queen for she will be their savior. After a few hours of celebration, Cheetara decided to retire early and go to her room, finding some peace with herself. Chase, her fiancé wouldn’t let her out of his site and escorted Cheetara to her room.

“You did very well, Cheetara. I’m proud of you.”

Cheetara looked up at Chase and smiled at him “Thank you, Chase.”

He opened her door, she walked in and was going to close it, but Chase stepped in and closed the door for her. Cheetara became nervous. Her sixth sense was telling her something wasn’t right.

“What are you doing?” Cheetara asked.

Chase slapped Cheetara so hard and unexpected that she fell on her bed. He quickly maneuvered himself on top of her. “Don't you ever embarrass me like that again!”

Cheetara was stronger than him now and could easily knock him off, but because of the abuse he gave her as a child, she always felt weak when she was around him. “What are you talking about?” Cheetara asked nervous, frightened.

“You beating me like you did.” Chase said.

“I had no choice. You and the others trained me to be the best cheetah, and I am.”

“Yes, but you should go a little more easy on me because I am your fiancé. You can defeat me, yes, but not so embarrassingly. Do you understand?” he asked in a threatened voice.

Cheetara was terrified. She hated Chase being this close to her. She wanted him off her as soon as possible so she answered in a weak voice. “Yes.”

“Good,” he said evilly and kissed her. Cheetara hated it when Chase kissed her. Chase was the only one to kiss her, which made her hate the act. She didn't love him, let along like him and hated that she had to marry him and have his baby one day. The thought of being intimate with him that way made her want to vomit. Chase pulled apart from her looking puzzled. “Why aren't you kissing me back?”

“I don't feel like kissing. I’m tired and I want to sleep.”

Chase kissed the tip of her nose. “Okay. You had a rough day anyway. You are so beautiful,” he commented tracing his fingers on her right arm and running it up towards her face.

Cheetara remained quiet.

“You don't think so?”

“No. Could you please leave, Chase? I'm really am tired.”

“You know you’re beautiful, Cheetara. Otherwise I wouldn’t treat you the way I do,” he said and kissed her again deeply before pulling himself off her. “I'll see you tomorrow.” He opened the door and closed it as he left.

Cheetara sat up in bed and wiped the kisses Chase planted on her and felt the side of her face where Chase hit her. Already, her face was beginning to swell. The hit reminded her of the several times Chase would beat her as a child. Chase never hit her again when she began going through puberty and developing a woman’s body. Instead of hitting her, he would grope her inappropriately. She thought the physical abuse was over now that she was an adult. Thoughts of the future flooded her mind from being married to Chase, making love to him, giving birth to his kids, getting occasionally beat by him.

No!

Cheetara couldn't do it. Cheetara couldn't live this life for her. If living with Chase was going to bring her nothing but hurt and sadness, then she wanted out. She didn’t want to kill the Lord of the Thundercats or be the leader of the cheetahs. She wanted to get away from it all.

The cheetah jumped out her window, running away from her home, hoping to never return. She ran and ran unaware of where she was going but aware of leaving her other life. She was going to start a new life where she did things for herself and not for the Cheetah Elders. She’d changed her name, cut her hair if she had as long as it promised a new, happy life.

Cheetara finally came to a stop at a waterfall. Looking several feet down, she smiled at the gentle waves of water crashing along the shore below. It was a serene vision and beckoned her to join them. If she jumped, she wouldn’t have to worry about changing her identity and worrying if anyone would eventually find her. She wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore.

Lion-O was nearing the waterfall also. It was dark and he thought a late-night swim would do him some good. His muscles were still tense from his vigorous sparring session with Panthro and he wanted to soothe them. He took off his belt, shirt and was about to take his boots off when he saw a woman standing on the edge of the waterfall. The blonde cheetah immediately enchanted him. His enchantment soon turned to worry when he noticed the woman leaning further and further over the edge.

“Maybe I should end it now. I won’t have to deal with this anymore. I will be free from everything,” she consoled herself. She then shook her head as if scolding herself. “No, I can't do that. It wouldn't be right. I'm not taking the coward’s way out. Besides, the cheetahs need me. The lions’ oppression on us will soon end and I will be the savior.”

The thought of her actually considering ending her life shook the very core of her and she broke down on her feet crying. How could she actually consider doing such a cowardly thing? Not only would her people be disappointed her but her best friend and she didn’t want that.

Lion-O saw Cheetara sitting down on the edge. Her hands covered her face as she buried it in tears. To Lion-O, she looked as if she was going to fall and it scared him. He cautiously rushed to her. When he got close to her, he saw that she was crying. Lion-O knelt behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you all right?”

Cheetara stopped crying and looked to the face of the voice. She saw a lion--the very enemy of the cheetahs. Cheetara was so caught off guard by his presence that she lost her balance and fell over.

"NO!" Lion-O yelled as he saw the woman fall over and plunged into the water. Lion-O dived in after her. The water was cold, murky and deep. Lion-O saw a figure flowing away from him in the dark waters. He knew it was Cheetara. He swam faster and got her. Lion-O swam out of the water and carried Cheetara’s frigid body to shore.

The mysterious woman was unconscious. Lion-O laid her on the ground and performed CPR on her. When he breathed air into her for a third time, Cheetara coughed up the water she swallowed earlier.

Lion-O helped her sit up and patted her back gently so she could get all the water out. Afterwards, he pulled the woman close to him to warm her freezing, shivering body. She shuddered at first but begin to warm up as he rubbed their bodies together.

Cheetara kept quiet as she didn’t know what was going on. Her mind had shut down from being so cold and now it was warming up and wasn’t aware of who this stranger with his arms around her was. She was certain it was a cheetah that saved her from the water and not a lion since he tried to kill her. The bare skin of the male’s chest felt smooth against her soft face as she buried herself in it. A strange feeling of excitement wafted over her body. Her heart pounded faster feeling this close to a man and a blush stained her cheeks. Why was she feeling this way? Cheetara didn’t comprehend her behavior when she raised her hands around Lion-O’s neck and leaned closer on him.

Lion-O could tell the stranger was feeling better. “Are you all right?” He asked moments later.

Cheetara murmured yes as she looked up at Lion-O. She gasped in horror realizing it was the lion she saw on the waterfall. Knowing her mission and what type of people lions were, Cheetara jumped away from him but fell to the ground, still weak from her accident. Lion-O rushed to her and pulled her close to him.

“You mustn't move. You're still weak,” Lion-O said softly. He noticed the swelling on her face and assumed it happened when she hit the water. “I wish I had a first aid kit with me so I could do something about that swelling.”

He spoke to her like he cared. Why? Why would a lion care for a cheetah? Lions hate cheetahs.

Cheetara looked in his kind eyes, searching for an answer. “Why...why are you being so nice to me?”

“Why wouldn't I be?” Lion-O asked back.

“I don't understand. You are the enemy.”

“How can you be my enemy if we never met?” Lion-O asked chuckling.

Cheetara knew she was giving too much away. The lions mustn’t know about the upcoming attack from the cheetahs. She took her words back. “Uh, I don't know what I was saying.”

“Well, I don't understand what you are saying,” Lion-O chuckled.

“Who are you?” Cheetara asked.

Lion-O was surprised by that question. She didn't know who he was? How could she not know? He’s the Lord of the Thundercats, the ruler of Thundera. He thought everyone on his planet knew him. This excited him. He could finally talk to a civilian and not wonder if they were sucking up to him.

“I'm Lion-O. What's your name?”

“Cheetara,” she answered and pulled herself from Lion-O.

“Cheetara,” he let the name roll off his tongue. “Beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

Cheetara looked away. She didn’t think she was beautiful, not after everything she’s been through, not after everything that’s been done to her, not after knowing her mission in life.

“You don't agree with me?” Lion-O noticed.

Cheetara remained quiet.

Lion-O turned Cheetara’s face to him. The action caused a flutter in Cheetara’s stomach. “Well, I think you are. Why were you crying up there?”

Cheetara pulled from Lion-O and rose off the sandy ground. She was still weak, but stood her ground nevertheless. She didn’t want to collapse and have Lion-O hold her again. The thought of him doing that again invoke feelings she never had before and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to feel it again.

“Thank you for saving my life, Lion-O. I owe you.”

“You owe me? No, you don't. I just save your life. It was nothing. Besides, I think I am the blame for it. I did startle you to make you fall.”

“Maybe to you, but to me I do, and I always pay my debt.”

“Why don't you tell me why you were crying?” Lion-O suggested.

“Why do you care?” She asked annoyed.

“Because I do. You looked so sad up there and I want to help you.” He stared at her in awe. “I’ve never met someone so beautiful.”

Something about the way Lion-O said it made Cheetara believed he was sincere. “You think I'm beautiful? Me?”

Lion-O stepped closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulders forcing her to look at him. “Yes, why don’t you believe me?” He cupped the side of her face. “You are beautiful. Has anyone ever told what beautiful brown eyes you have?”

The lion looked so sincere, as if he cared. His touch was so soft and warm that caused a blush to rise on her cheeks. Cheetara felt scared, excited and confused all at once because of this man. Cheetara never felt this way before, not even around Chase. The strange emotions inside the cheetah were scaring her.

“I-I have to go,” Cheetara said suddenly, breaking contact from him.

“Wait. Can I see you again?” Lion-O asked.

“No.”

“Please. I want to get to know you.”

“I don't want to meet you anymore,” Cheetara said firmly.

“I didn't want to do this,” Lion-O said regretfully, “but I saved your life so you owe me. If you meet with me tomorrow night, then your debt with me will be paid.”

Cheetara frowned. She should’ve known a lion would do this to her and she had promise to repay him. He couldn’t leave well enough alone. Bitterly, she responded. “All right. I'll meet with you again, but not here. Meet me at Swan Lake at 10:00pm.”

Now why did she say that, she wondered.

“I'll be there,” he picked up her hand and kissed it. Reluctantly, he released it and left.

Cheetara looked at the hand Lion-O kissed. She fingered it softly. It was so light and tingly that it scared her. Scared her? Of what? Cheetara then became angry with herself. How could she let a lion get close to her like that? It was the only time she would let that happen. She wasn't going to let him get that close to her again. That was a promise.

While walking back to the lair, Lion-O thought about the kiss too. Part of him knew it wasn't right since he was engage to Leela. He shouldn't be meeting a woman secretly while promised to another. However, another part of him said it was right. It wasn't his choice that he was engaged to Leela anyway. It was his parent’s idea. They arranged it. Also, there was something about that woman. He had to find out more about her. He didn't understand why, he just had to.

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