Chapter 9

"It is my honor and privilege to bestow this great honor upon my son," Cheetara smiled to the crowd that had gathered, completely unaware of what had transpired in the med bay.

"Where is King Lion-O?" Someone shouted, interrupting her.

"The King wishes he could be here but his health prevents him. It is with a heavy heart that I do this because our Prince's father would love to be here to do it himself but he cannot. Still there must not be any interruptions in the protection of this planet and it is with much pride he hands the Sword of Omens and Claw Shield to the new Lord of the ThunderCats," the cheetah explained.

"Will the King be all right?" Concern murmured through the crowd. It was obvious that the people loved their King and their show of concern made Cheetara smile.

"He will be in time. We have the finest doctors in all of Thundera working on his condition," she smiled. This seemed to placate the crowd and she continued,

"Leo, son of Lion-O, grandson of Claudus, do you accept the responsibility that comes with these weapons? Do you swear to uphold the Code of Thundera and spread it wherever your travels take you?"

"I do," the litah nodded. His military uniform was neatly pressed and the deep red uniform matched his hair color. The big black cat on his chest seemed as though it was ready to come to life.

"Then it is with great honor, I bestow upon you the greatest weapons this planet has ever seen. Use it wisely to protect those who cannot protect themselves," she said as she handed over the Claw Shield. Then she flipped the Sword around, effectively placing the hilt into his hand. A bolt of energy shot through him and the Eye of Thundera roared. He lifted the weapon towards the sky and shouted,

"THUNDERCATS HOOOO!" The cat symbol shot forth into the sky and the group of ThunderCats present, shouted,

"HOOOO!" With that the change in command was complete and the crowd dispersed.

"They really love Dad don't they?" Leo turned to his mother as he sheathed the Sword.

"Yes they do. They will grow to love you too son. Just have to give it time," she smiled.

"I have some big shoes to fill," he sighed.

"They are only as big as you make them. Keep your head up and soon everyone will know who you are and what you stand for," Cheetara pulled him in for a hug. Leo nodded and they headed back in when they saw Tyler running out of the Lair.

"There you are. Everything ok?" Leo asked, suddenly concerned with the look on his brother-in-law's face.

"We need both of you in the Council room," he said.

"Come on," Cheetara took off running, a deep feeling of dread settling into the pit of her stomach. The two quickly followed and when they arrived, they found Panthro, Tygra, and Ben-Gali sitting there.

"There have been developments for which everyone in this room needs to keep to themselves," the orange tiger started.

"What is it?" Cheetara asked.

"First, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you that Sahara lost the baby. We tried everything we could but the last round of heart troubles and wild blood pressure spikes caused her to miscarry. I believe it was the severe stress of the situation that caused it. I am very sorry," Tygra said, glad that he had told Tyler earlier that he would handle the announcement himself. Ben-Gali looked to his son and the poor boy could not control his emotions any longer. He cried and Cheetara pulled him close, the two of them incredibly upset. The white tiger had cried himself when he found out but his brain was too busy trying to focus on the next thing that needed to be done; if he didn't focus the consequences could be deadly.

"The second development is that somehow the Sword linked Lion-O's heartbeat to Sahara's. There is an inverse relationship developing which I cannot understand but I think in an effort to save his daughter, Lion-O used the Sword to give her some of his heartbeat. The result is that when his heartbeat drops, hers rises. Should his heart stop I fear it will cause Sahara's heartbeat to go up and eventually cause cardiac arrest," the orange tiger told them.

"What happens when eventually Lion-O passes away from old age?" Panthro asked.

"I don't have any idea but if we don't do something now, it might not matter," Tygra shrugged his shoulders.

"Then if we're going to do something, we'd better do it. Ben meet me in the hanger in ten minutes. I'll get Snarfer," the panther nodded and quickly left the room but not before giving Cheetara a knowing glance. She nodded and he continued on his way.

To Be Continued…