"You mentioned that here, on this planet, your name is Vail," Cheetara said. "What did you mean by that?"

"I meant that I knew this planet once," Vail confessed. "I have been here, many times throughout its life span. I was given the name by the humans who lived here."

He leaned to one side and shuffled his paw through the dirt, a sad smile on his face. Weeks had passed since he'd first crash-landed in a Thundercat-built pod- a gift, he said, "pressed upon me so that I might travel the universe in a more… natural manner"- but like any mechanical device, it had failed upon entering the planet's atmosphere.

For the past week since Vail first felt well enough to go outside, he, Cheetara, WilyKit and WilyKat took advantage of the warm summer days and made widening circles around Cats' Lair, helping him to improve his strength and his endurance. But Vail's presence had created a bit of a rift in the Thundercats. Panthro, Tygra and Lion-O kept their distance from him, suspicious and resentful of his presence, but not merciless enough to turn him out of the Lair. Or at least, not yet.

Vail went on to explain, "It used to be that humans were the dominating intelligence. Oh, other animals had intelligence, too, but the humans were the only ones with the language and skills and adaptability that led them to control the planet." He raised his head and gazed over the horizon. "Long ago, they built many cities and many wonderful inventions. They also built instruments of war and destruction, and tore at one another's throats. Not so very different than other creatures on other planets."

"What happened to this planet?" WilyKit spoke up. "There are ruins all around. Some aren't too far from here-"

"Would you like to see them?" WilyKat interjected. "We can take you there."

A look of mild interest crossed Vail's face. "Soon, perhaps. But I don't have the strength for it right now." He looked away. "Ruins. Once a great civilization. Now ruins," he muttered.

By the tone of his voice, Cheetara understood that he didn't just lack the physical strength. He had once seen this world at what had perhaps been the peak of its existence, teeming with life, but now… what did it have to offer him?

Cheetara shook off such gloomy thoughts and smiled up at the twins. "Come on, it's about time to eat. Let's race back," she challenged them.

"Vail will race you!" WilyKit put one hand on Vail's shoulder. "He said yesterday that he's even faster than you, Cheetara!"

"Oh, really?" Cheetara smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Now that I'd like to see."

Vail returned her smile and pushed himself off the ground. "Then let's race."

A look of concern came over her features. "But your arm—"

"My arm is fine," he interrupted. Along with the massive wound across his abdomen, the damage done to his left arm had been one of the most persistent injury that Vail had to deal with. Except for when the Sword of Omens healed Vail's hand and eased his breathing, Lion-O would not permit him to touch the sword again—which had caused more than a few arguments as Cheetara watched Vail struggle to recover from the crash without the aid of its magic.

"I've been locked inside," Vail complained. "Come on. Let's have some fun."

He lined himself up between two young saplings and crouched down, then waited for Cheetara to assume a runner's stance next to him. WilyKit and WilyKat laughed and moved to one side, then WilyKit raised one hand.

"Ready? Go!" he cried out.

As WilyKit brought his hand down, Vail and Cheetara shot away from their starting positions. For the first kilometer, Cheetara could feel her competitor's presence a few feet behind her, but she felt confident that she would be able to hold him off…

A rush of wind swept her hair to one side at that moment, and Cheetara's eyes widened in genuine surprise as Vail shot past her. Although she'd only been running at three-quarters of her possible speed, she could tell that even with more effort on her part, there would have been no way to surpass him. She had never known any creature who could produce such an incredible speed.

A few minutes later, Vail slowed and then stopped at the edge of the clearing in front of the Thundercat fortress. He let out several panting breaths and braced himself against a nearby tree as Cheetara caught up with him. His expression looked serious at first, but Cheetara could see a glint of humor in his eyes as she padded to a stop beside him.

"That was incredible!" Cheetara confessed. She let out a laugh of astonishment. "It's been such a long time since anyone has been able to outrun me."

She smiled and knelt down beside Vail, but her look of happiness faded as she watched him slump to the ground, his left arm curled up to his body and his eyes half-closed. She put one hand on his head and leaned closer to him.

"Are you all right?"

Vail closed his eyes and rolled onto his side. "Yes," he managed to say. "Fine. But it always tires me so…"

His words trailed off as he slipped into a sudden, heavy sleep. Cheetara stood up and took a few steps back in confusion, then knelt beside him again and gathered up his muscular, compact body into her arms. She carried him back to the Lair with slow, steady steps, his head cradled against her shoulder and the warm scent of his body mingling with her sweat-drenched skin. The smell of him seemed to intoxicate her as she brought him up the elevator to the living quarters, and she barely noticed the weight of him the entire time.

When they arrived at his room, Cheetara hesitated outside the door and looked around the empty hallway, then tightened her grip on his limp body and stepped inside. She slid Vail between the cool sheets of the bed, then fumbled with the fastener around his neck and removed his cloak. As she draped the black cloth over a nearby chair, Vail moaned and rolled onto his back. His eyes remained closed as one paw fumbled for but could not find the edge of the sheet.

"Here," she said in a soft voice. She reached down and brought the sheet up to him, and he clutched it under his chin with a nod of appreciation.

"Thank you," he said with a sigh. His eyes cracked open. "I'm… sorry." Vail drew in a breath and forced out each word with obvious effort.

"You shouldn't have run," she chastised him in a light tone.

"Had to."

"But why? Why would you do that if you knew it would exhaust you?"

A weary smile emerged, and his other paw came out from beneath the sheet and stretched out in her direction. Cheetara slipped her hand into his, and she tilted to one side in confusion.

"For you."

The simple answer touched her heart, and Cheetara found that she had begun to lean over him in response, her mouth half-open as she inhaled. She caught herself and pulled her hand out of his grip as she moved back.

"Vail—" she started to say, but the words of protest could not come. It had been so long, so very long for her since she had been with another in that way…

Vail reached out for her again as he sensed her needs, and she linked her grip with his again and let him pull her onto the bed without further protest. She slipped beneath the sheet with him and the two of them cuddled there together, their hands linked together next to her chest and the soft fur of his stomach pressed against her back. She smiled to herself as she felt the smooth exhale of his breath against her ear.

"I wish…" he breathed.

"Shhh. You rest," she ordered in a soft voice. "Okay?"

"Yes," he said in a slurred voice as he fell back to sleep.

Cheetara squeezed her hands against his and smiled again, then closed her eyes and, although she hadn't felt the least bit tired before, she fell asleep as well.