A/N: I hope you like this newest story. It is a little different than my others as we leave most of the familiar characters from the show behind but I hope you like it. The next two weeks will be crazy, so please look for something the week of the 27th for an update.
A/N2: I dedicate this chapter to Lea. Nothing prepares you for what you've been through and I hope that this helps. *hugs*
The Death of the King
By 18lzytwner
Chapter 1
The sun was barely over the distant mountains and the morning fog was beginning to clear, knowing it was not wanted. A lone reptile walks toward a neat row of headstones and monuments. Later that morning there would be another somber ceremony in the same row, adding to its length and he shuddered at the thought. Finally he arrives at the one he was looking for and despite the dew covered grass he sits.
"We lost another one last night Dad. We all knew it was coming but it doesn't make it any easier. I know that I miss you every day. I know Mila misses you too. So do the kids although I don't suppose I can call them kids anymore. They are in their mid-twenties after all. Where does the time go? It's only been five years since you left but it feels like an eternity. Mom is still barely keeping it together but I think living away from the Lair at Kiele's house helps. Of course they still fight over the best way to make dinner or to wash the clothes but I think it helps Mom to know that she's still loved. Sorry I couldn't spend more time but I have to get ready for the funeral. Sahara wouldn't want me to be late," Basheer slowly stood and brushed away the grass from his pants. At the age of fifty three, he looked much like his father, something his sister and mother never let him forget. He stopped at the grave next to his father's, smiled slightly and said,
"Lord Tygra, I hope the afterlife is treating you well. May you rest in peace for all eternity knowing you have shown us all the way to a better life." He moved to the next and repeated his message only changing the person he was addressing it to; Lord Panthro, Lady Leanna, Lord Ben-Gali, Lady Pumyra, and Snarf. He stopped at an older grave to which Pumyra and Ben-Gali had been buried next to. They had wanted it as their final wish and no one could blame them.
"Lord Lynx-O. You will soon be joined by an old friend. I never met you but Lady Pumyra and Lord Ben-Gali always spoke highly of you. It is my hope that they are happy with you in the afterlife," Basheer bowed his head and then slowly began the trek up to the Lair making one stop at a special place reserved only for the most special of people.
"Queen Cheetara, you were always the pillar of strength everyone looked to. I know that your children miss you very much. You must forgive Sahara for not making it today. Many a morning I have seen her out here. I'm afraid that she must deal with something that I'm not sure any child is ever prepared for but then I think you know what I mean," he gave a slight smile and headed back toward the Lair.
Two hours later, a procession left the Lair. Two members of the ThunderGuard stood in front of the procession and one cried out,
"Present arms!" Members of the ThunderGuard, Mutant Protection Squad, and the ThunderCats raised their swords forming an archway for the procession to go under that would collapse after the last of the procession had passed and then they would fall in line. The whole of the planet watched with broadcasts given simultaneously on Third Earth and Plundarr. The two members of the ThunderGuard began to beat their drums somberly and the procession began. The temporary wooden casket was draped in the flag of Thundera and the occupant dressed in his best military uniform with a weapon as tradition demanded. They slowly made their way to the newly erected stone monument which had been constructed last week despite the protests of Sahara and Leo. It measured fifteen feet in length and eight feet tall. Inside the room, a stone coffin would sit in the middle of the floor. The casket would be six and three-quarters feet long, two and a half feet across, and one and a half feet deep; measurements that unfortunately everyone in Cat's Lair had committed to memory by now.
Now everyone from Thundera gathered around their video screens or lined the streets as the procession went by. Upon reaching its final destination, the wooden casket was led into the tomb and the flag was removed. The red and black flag was then hung on two hooks that jutted from the wall. Next the body was gingerly removed from the wooden casket and placed in the stone one. The lid was then pushed back over the top and the group stood back. Sahara lifted the Sword of Omens but her emotions overcame her and she couldn't do it. Leo wheeled himself up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"You have to do it. You lead the ThunderCats. Tradition demands it be you," he hoped it was what she needed to hear. She nodded and tried to pull herself together before giving the feeble cry of,
"HO!" Blue energy shot forth and effectively sealed the stone coffin. Then the Leader of the ThunderCats called again.
"HO!" The Sword of Omens extended all the way to its full length and the Eye of Thundera roared. The Cat Signal shot forth and etched itself into the top of the casket. Then Sahara put the Sword back into the Claw Shield and stood at rapt attention, as much as she could. The others followed suit and then all of them put their hands against the center of their chests in a salute-like manner. Silence enveloped them for what seemed like a very long while before finally Sahara dropped her arm. The others did the same and they filed out of the stone monument.
Later that evening, a great bonfire would be held and the wooden casket burned so that no one would ever use it again but for now all returned to their homes. Sahara, with her brother, went to the Cat's Head and pulled the Sword of Omens once again from its sheath.
"Thunder, thunder, thunder, THUNDERCATS HO!" The great Cat Signal shot forth into the sky and the mighty Cat roared for all to hear. It would ring out for once for every year served letting everyone know that today a very special ThunderCat had been buried.
Later, as the sun dipped behind those same distant mountains Basheer had seen in the morning, the ThunderCats stood outside Cat's Lair. The empty wooden casket was on top of a platform made from tree branches, soaked in a flammable liquid. People of the planet had been able to visit it all day and little keepsakes or mementos wishing the one who passed one a safe journey into the next world. Sahara again teared up at seeing the love for the person and she turned to her comrades and the people who gathered.
"My father is… was… a great leader, a great ThunderCat, a great husband, and a great father. He never shied away from what needed to be done no matter how painful or how hard it was. He gave everything for his friends, his family, his people, and his country. He always sought out the Code of Thundera for guidance and gave little wiggle room when it came to following it. He buried many friends and my mother, who six months ago, left us very quickly. In the end, his heart could no longer take it but he never complained. He'd done what he had to and for that I loved him. We all loved him and we will continue to love him despite him leaving us too soon. We will always remember him for his courage, his brashness, his view of the galaxy, and of course his love. Goodbye Dad. I'll miss you," The Leader of the ThunderCats lifted her sword and shouted through her tears,
"HO!" An energy blast shot forth from the blade and ignited the large wooden pyre. Then she turned toward the sky and shouted once more.
"HO!" The other ThunderCats followed suit. The Eye of Thundera roared and another blast of energy shot from the mighty weapon, lighting up the night sky. Lion-O, King of Thundera, was dead.
To Be Continued…