Chapter 4: Passages

"Happy Birthday!" Tygra presented a cupcake drizzled in lemon icing.

Cheetara reached for it and smiled. They sat on the garden wall, facing the rear of the palace. "Today is not my birthday."

"Maybe not, but it's the anniversary of the day you showed up on the clerics' doorstep."

Her smile deepened. She would never stop being amazed by the prince's thoughtfulness or his sentimental streak.

The cheetah nibbled at the treat then handed it back. "Can you believe it's been five years?"

Tygra laughed and took a bite. "And it only took four to finally get to know you."

She shrugged, but her voice was gentle. "We were busy. We're still busy. How did you manage to sneak away?"

"I'm a prince," Tygra said, affecting an arrogant tone. "I come and go as I please. I answer to no one."

"Right." They both laughed.

He returned the remaining morsel to her. "I've got to get back. Duty calls. Petitions to hear, stuffy officials to annoy. You know, the usual."

"Thanks for the cupcake."

Tygra looked at her; his expression was wistful. "Anytime."

He pushed off from the ledge and landed with athletic grace. He jogged off, but when he was halfway home, he turned and waved. He knew she'd still be watching; she always watched until he was no longer in sight.

Nimrim waited outside the common entrance, in the archway between the garden and the courtyard. Her arms were folded across her chest, her stance disapproving. "The prince?" her voice was hushed, but her tone was stunned. "No wonder you've always been so coy."

Cheetara hadn't expected to see anyone. She quickened her pace and tucked her arm inside the leopard's. "It's not what you think."

"Really? Because I think you've got one foot in the royal family."

"No," Cheetara sighed. "We're only friends."

"Friends?" Nimrim frowned. "Okay. Cheetara, you're a royal bodyguard. You can't be friends with a member of the family." She took it down a notch. "I'm not telling you anything you don't already know."

Cheetara was silent. No, you aren't. But how could she tell Nimrim that she was in love with Tygra and had been for years? How could she admit out loud that this small indulgence was all she could ever have? She could never tell him how she felt, and she could never really be a part of his life. Cleric. Prince. Like oil and water, they did not mix. Besides, she didn't know how Tygra felt. He was kind and respectful, but he'd never said or done anything to make her think his feelings ran deeper.

"I know I can trust you to keep this to yourself, Nimrim. I'll work it out."

"I've got your back. Always. Just be careful."

Tygra cut through the royal kitchens and made his way to his quarters. He ambled through corridors, nodding to staff and servants along the way, and thought back to the day his friendship with the comely cleric began. After recognizing Cheetara as one of the guardians on duty in the throne room, he'd waited in the field until she appeared to sit on the garden wall. He waved; she waved back. Tygra took that as an invitation and joined her on the ledge.

"I'd ask how you recognized me, but I guess it's obvious," Cheetara said, her voice was calm and pleasing to his ear.

He offered a crooked smile; his gaze locked with hers. "I've never seen prettier eyes."

Cheetara blushed. "This is irregular. You shouldn't be here."

"True," Tygra shrugged. "But we never have a chance to talk, and I wanted to congratulate you."

She smiled. "Thank you."

"You not only became a cleric; you became a Guardian of the Crown."

"I did, and you know what that means, my prince."

"That you can never call me Tygra?" She laughed, and his heart melted. "I guess I should go. I don't want to get us in trouble."

He prepared to jump, but Cheetara reached for his hand, surprising him. "It was nice of you to come."

Tygra couldn't explain it. But his world was reduced to the touch of her hand on his at that moment. He'd waited a long time to have her full attention centered on him, and all he knew was it had been worth the wait. The pull toward her was powerful—so strong that it had taken all his willpower to leave. After that, he was careful not to show his hand when she was on duty. It was hard not to acknowledge her with more than the slightest nod of his head, but he was well aware of their stations.

They'd had perhaps a handful of conversations since then, usually when sitting together on the wall surrounding the clerisy. And while their personal time was infrequent, it had been enough to forge a comfortable rapport between them. Still, Tygra didn't know how Cheetara felt. Her behavior toward him was never more than that of a guard, a subject, and perhaps a friend.

The pressure to marry with an eye toward political alliance and security of the realm did not land on Tygra's shoulders, but as a son of Claudus, he was still expected to marry well. A cleric did not meet that definition. The tiger prince was unattached. There hadn't been any coercion for him to find a mate; however, that did not mean he could remain unwed forever. He understood that no matter what he felt for the pink-eyed cheetah, he could never offer her his heart, although his heart was truly hers and had been since the day she'd come looking for the clerics.

So now, a year later, he was able to show, in a small way, that she was always in his thoughts even though he could never say, "Cheetara, I love you."

His thoughts were interrupted by his little brother, who was waiting outside his room. "Where've you been?" the lion asked impatiently. "I thought we were sparring this afternoon!"

Darn! He'd forgotten. "Sorry, slipped my mind. Are you ready now?"

Lion-O nodded, and Tygra fell in step with him; they headed to the exercise yard.

– o –

Cheetara retreated to her room and thought about the situation she was in. One of the many things the cheetah adored about Tygra was his work ethic. Now that she was constantly in the royals' presence, she observed them in their environment and learned their personalities.

Claudus was larger than life. He was a strong, forceful lion who ruled with an iron hand. He was hard, some might say cold; he wasn't outwardly affectionate to anyone, including his sons, but Cheetara could see Claudus was proud of them both. The lion king was also proud of his lineage, the title Lord of the Thundercats, and Thundera's place in the world. It was clear he thought cats were superior to all other species, and his attitude permeated throughout the kingdom.

Lion-O was young and seemed to be a bit of a dreamer. He marched to his own drum and pursued interests most thought were foolish instead of taking his duties as heir to the throne seriously. He had big blue eyes and a bright red mane like his father. He was cute, and Cheetara was sure he'd capture many a heart someday, if not sooner. Tygra had a bit of a chip on his shoulder, but not without good reason. The tiger worked hard, put in the effort, and did everything required of a prince—more than was expected of a second son—but he could never be the king's heir because he was not Claudus's blood. Cheetara knew that stung, and there was resentment, but that didn't mean he did not love Claudus and Lion-O. He was a tiger. They were strong and proud by nature. But he also had a good heart—he was kind, thoughtful, and generous.

Cheetara adored Tygra's swagger as much as she loved his stillness and sentimental nature. It was true that most of Thundera thought he'd be a better king than Lion-O, but Cheetara didn't really care. Heir or second son, her heart belonged to the handsome striped cat. But now Cheetara knew she would have to put distance between them or risk losing the position she'd worked so hard for, and if that happened, she wouldn't be able to see him at all. She sighed; the realization lay heavy on her heart.

Cheetara roused herself from her thoughts and glanced out the window; from the sun's position, she saw it was time to relieve her counterpart. Cheetara slipped into ceremonial dress and headed to the palace. As Tygra said, duty called.

It had taken a while, but Hafsa—at long last—had something to charge Cheetara with, an infraction that would impugn her pure reputation with the head cleric. She was standing in the gallery overlooking the garden when she saw the prince and the cleric together. Hafsa hadn't seen anything scandalous, but they did seem very friendly, more than the cheetah should have been with someone she was sworn to protect. The lioness didn't care if she had to exaggerate the offense if it caused Jaga to reprimand Cheetara or even expel her from the clerisy. Hafsa despised the spotted cat that much. Expulsion would be best, she thought. It would also be well deserved.

– o –

Cheetara had a bad feeling when Jaga summoned her to his workroom a few days later. She'd been careful to avoid meeting the prince outside of the palace; she'd also stayed under his radar when she was on duty. Cheetara intended to tell Tygra it was too risky for them to be friends; she just needed a little more time to get her heart in sync with her head. But this summons gave her the distinct impression that time had run out.

The cheetah didn't know that not only had a fellow cleric informed the sorcerer of her relationship with Tygra, but she'd fabricated details, claiming to have seen them in a compromising situation in the clerisy's very own garden. The informant had even dragged Cheetara's best friend into the mess, claiming Nimrim had covered for the cheetah's indiscretion by standing watch. All this ugliness waited in ambush for Cheetara when she stood before her teacher and mentor.

She saw two clerics standing to her left, her dearest friend and confidant, Nimrim, and her self-appointed enemy, Hafsa. Nimrim glared at the lioness; she looked both upset and angry. Hafsa's expression was smug. Jaga stood a few feet from the staircase behind a podium placed in the center of the room. The jaguar looked down his nose at the cheetah. His expression was far sterner and more disapproving than usual, and in all honesty, he'd never regarded Cheetara with such condemnation before. She swallowed hard.

"Cheetara of the Thundercats, do you know why you've been called before me today?" Jaga's voice could have frozen water.

"No, Jaga, I do not."

The cleric proceeded to advise her of the charges made against her and Nimrim by Hafsa. Cheetara's cheeks burned. She was angry and embarrassed.

"Most of those charges don't resemble anything close to the truth," Cheetara said hotly, her fury barely contained. "I have a friendship with Prince Tygra. I met him the first day I arrived in Thundera. You may recall he escorted me to the doors of this very clerisy. When I became a guardian, the prince sought me out to give his congratulations. Since then, we've had several conversations. Yes, against the rules, the prince came here, but we were always in plain sight, and there has never been anything inappropriate in our behavior. We are friends, nothing more."

The cheetah glared at the lioness; she wanted to rip the hellcat's face off. "Hafsa is lying if she says we have mated. We have not! And Nimrim is innocent in all this. She was unaware of my friendship with Tygra until recently."

Jaga turned his harsh gaze on Nimrim. "Your name has never been raised to me for wrongdoing. I don't believe you would disgrace yourself even for a friend. You are free to return to your duties."

Nimrim nodded. She shot a hateful look at Hafsa and left. The jaguar turned his wrath on the lioness.

"Why did you bring false charges against a fellow cleric?"

Unrepentant and arrogant, Hafsa raised her chin and said, "I may have been mistaken about the mating. After all, it was dark when I saw them together, but she still broke the standards of her fellowship. She's admitted as much!"

"Mistaken?" Jaga thundered. "You claim to be ignorant of the mechanics of mating? What a pair so engaged look like?"

Hafsa scoffed but did not respond.

"Your behavior and reputation have been at odds with our teachings for most of your time here. You've avoided expulsion thus far because you've never done anything quite this egregious. However, delivering false testimony is unacceptable, and I will not tolerate it. Therefore, you are relieved of your fellowship and title. You will remove yourself from this clerisy by sunset tomorrow."

Hafsa was shocked by the severity of Jaga's punishment. "I am expelled while a guardian who socialized with a member of the royal family goes unpunished?"

"Do not concern yourself with Cheetara's reprimand. She will be dealt with appropriately. You, however, will leave this room now and prepare for your departure."

"This is not over!" Hafsa shouted and stomped from the workroom.

Jaga turned his attention to the cheetah. He still looked angry, but his voice was less frigid. "I can't say that you haven't disappointed me, Cheetara. Of all the clerics here, I never thought you would disregard doctrine."

"I have no excuse, Jaga." Of course, she had an excuse, but it would hardly improve matters in the jaguar's eyes, and she was unwilling to name it in any case. "All I can say is I'm sorry and accept whatever punishment you set for me."

Jaga removed Cheetara from service in the palace for a period of two full moons; she was to reject her friendship with the prince before she returned to duty.

"I should not need to point out that sooner is better than later," Jaga said.

The tiger prince was unavailable for a time as he had accompanied the king on a tour of the summer country. A few weeks passed before they returned, and Cheetara could renounce her friendship with Tygra. The conversation took place on the most romantic of nights. First Night was a Thunderian tradition; shy lovers made their intentions known with the gift of a single flower or candle. The irony didn't escape the cheetah—she was going to do the opposite. Cheetara waited on the garden wall; the light of Third Earth's first rising moon cast a golden halo around her head. Tygra's deliciously earthy scent announced his presence before his magic dissolved, allowing her to see him.

"Hello gorgeous," he said with a wink. "Missed your presence today."

"Jaga made a few changes in our rotation."

Tygra frowned. "Permanent?"

"Temporary, just for a few weeks."

"What's your assignment?"

"You know I can't tell you that, but…" she hesitated. Her next words came out in a rush. "We can't see each other like this anymore, Tygra."

That was a punch to his gut, and Tygra couldn't hide his surprise. "What happened? Are you in trouble because of me?"

Cheetara sighed and folded her hands in her lap; the gesture seemed small and defeated. "No. I'm in trouble because of me. A guardian cannot have a personal relationship with any member of the royal family. It goes against our doctrine. It goes against the rules."

Tygra's emotions were in chaotic freefall. He should not have put her in this position. He should have walked away, but he hadn't been strong enough.

"I am sorry. This is my fault. I shouldn't have continued to see you." Tygra pulled her close. "Will you be alright?"

She lay her head against his shoulder and nodded. "Eventually."

"Cheetara, I'm really sorry." His voice was low and filled with regret.

She pulled away to look at him. Her eyes were hard to read, but her smile was wistful. "Me, too."

That night Cheetara retrieved the dried flower heart from her trinket box and slipped it inside the vambrace she wore. She would carry it with her always, a token in memory of her lost love.

– o –

Cheetara returned to palace duty when her punishment was over, but Jaga wanted to keep her out of Tygra's orbit and assigned her to Lion-O along with another guardian, Tiaret. The boy was forever running off to less than desirable places in Thundera, namely the slums. The wizard wanted guardians shadowing him and providing protection if there was trouble. Since discretion was of utmost importance, the bodyguards did not wear their robes and veils when following the lion around town. Jaga wanted the prince heir to think Cheetara and Tiaret were simply pretty girls should he notice their presence. Lion-O was unaware that he had two dedicated bodyguards, and Tygra was unaware the cheetah was on the protection detail for his younger brother. His own guardians were both males. The tiger's glimpses of his secret love were infrequent. Cheetara was rarely assigned to guard any of the rooms where he or the king worked. Tygra missed Cheetara; her absence was a dagger lodged deep in his heart, and Cheetara's sense of loss was no less painful.

Around this time, Claudus indicated Tygra should start thinking about his future mate. The king suggested he pay court to some of the noble ladies with an eye to choosing his wife-to-be. Tygra resisted as long as possible, knowing his heart would always belong to another, but by his nineteenth year, the king was no longer suggesting. So, the tiger prince paid half-hearted court to several ladies to appease the king. Tygra tempered each lady's expectations; he was honest about his predicament. The king wanted him to find a wife, but he was unable to give his heart. If they allowed him to lavish attention for appearance's sake, he would not stand in the way if others pursued them as well, thus giving the ladies opportunity to make fruitful matches. Idle gossip made much of Tygra being on the prowl for a mate, and when word reached Cheetara's ears, she was hurt. But as time went on and Tygra neither proposed nor married, the cheetah felt better, if somewhat cautiously. He may still be a single cat, but she had to prepare herself—one day, it would happen.

The following year, Lion-O, now seventeen, finally came face-to-face with one of his bodyguards. The prince heir and his pet Snarf went to the slums in search of a piece of technology and found himself in a scuffle with a group of alley cats. The young lion successfully fended them off, but another crept behind him and would have blindsided the boy, but Cheetara stepped in and clocked the overweight cat with her staff.

"Who do I have to thank for the assist?"

"Cheetara."

Lion-O was surprised to see a beautiful and shapely cheetah step out of the shadows. She was tall, wrapped in tawny-brown fur with splashes of cream and a shock of golden hair sprinkled with the tell-tale black spots of her species. He immediately stood taller but still fell short of her height and deepened his voice. Cheetara did not notice.

"What's so important you'd risk your life to come down here for?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

The guardian's look was noncommittal. She accompanied him to his destination, a little junk shop where he purchased a metal disk. The shopkeeper, whose name was Jorma, told them it was technology. Cheetara scoffed, and the prince asked if she thought he was crazy.

"I think you're…different."

Lion-O realized he was late for an engagement. He grabbed his purchase, thanked the cheetah, and ran off with Snarf hot on his heels. Cheetara dashed back to the palace and slipped into her ceremonial robe and veil. She knew what event the prince was late for; she was taking part in it.

Guardians of the Crown entered the throne room with Cheetara in the lead. She'd been given the privilege of presenting the Sword of Omens to the king during Lion-O's coming of age ceremony. Tygra was stunned when he saw Cheetara's sapphire eyes above the sword. Their eyes locked, and he couldn't stop himself from winking at her. Lion-O thought his brother was flirting, but Tygra was sending a warm hello to someone close to his heart. Cheetara's eyes sparkled in response before she returned her gaze to the sword; she blushed beneath the veil, and her pulse raced. Fortunately, Jaga and Claudus did not notice the moment between cleric and prince.

Later, she joined the brothers in another brawl when the young lion decided to defend a couple of lizards attacked by an angry mob. Cheetara's appearance surprised both princes and was Tygra's first look at her skill and power as a fighter. He was thoroughly impressed with Cheetara, the warrior, and found her incredibly sexy.

"Twice in one day. Now I know you're following me," Lion-O remarked.

"Yeah, right into trouble, again."

Disaster struck the next night when the lizard army attacked Thundera with the help of Grune, one of the king's trusted generals, who'd turned traitor. The assault was massive and decisive. Thundera fell—thousands died, and Claudus was killed. The city was sacked and destroyed. Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living, revealed himself as the mastermind behind the attack. The ancient evil's purpose was to reclaim the Sword of Omens and the precious stone embedded in its hilt. He unleashed his power against Thundera's elite fighting force, the Guardians of the Crown, destroying what remained of the clerics apart from Jaga and Cheetara. The cheetah's evasive speed saved them, but they were still captured and taken to the former king's throne room.

The decrepit mummy squatted on Claudus's throne, obscene and malignant, and Jaga was thrown on the floor at the foul creature's feet. Mumm-Ra demanded the wizard remove the spell on the sword that prevented him from taking the stone. Jaga refused, and the mummy set about torturing him. Cheetara struggled against the restraints. Her mind could scarcely grasp the loss of so many friends and colleagues—Nimrim. Kefira. Leah. And Jaga's painful screams filled her with rage and horror. Lion-O and Tygra were imprisoned.

The tiger prince mourned. "We've lost our kingdom, our father, and the sword. We lost everything."

"This is my fault, Tygra," Lion-O confessed. "I didn't know what it meant at the time, but I did see a vision through the sword. Mumm-Ra."

The tiger's reaction was explosive. "And you told no one? This is exactly why you aren't fit to be king! Your decisions always bring disaster."

Shortly after that, the brothers escaped their cell with the aid of a lizard Lion-O helped earlier. Hearing the wizard's torture, Tygra led the way to the throne room, disabled a lizard guard, and relieved him of his laser gun.

He motioned to Lion-O, who ran toward the sword while Tygra took aim and fired the gun, freeing both Jaga and Cheetara from their binds. Cheetara slipped out of her ceremonial garb, landed gracefully, and began fighting. Her speed and prowess made short work of the lizards guarding her. She stood over their fallen bodies, magnificent in her fierce, feminine feline beauty.

Lion-O's voice rang out in surprise. "Cheetara? She's a cleric?"

Tygra was stunned to see the guardian he'd rescued was none other than the lady of his heart, but now was not the time to show relief or joy. They were fighting for their lives.

Lion-O grabbed the Sword of Omens and called upon its power; a blast of energy hit the ancient mummy full force, sending the creature through a column of stone walls. Mumm-Ra ended up outside the palace wall, lying in a deep rut he'd dug in the earth with his scrawny, linen-wrapped rear.

Cheetara grabbed the gauntlet. "Let's go!"

They followed Jaga to a hidden panel; he turned a torchier in the wall and revealed a tunnel. The small group dashed through the opening, but Jaga was mortally wounded before the secret door closed behind them. Tygra and Cheetara helped the sorcerer-cleric along the tunnel when he pushed against them, forcing them to stop.

"There's something that must be done," the wizard wheezed.

"It can wait." Cheetara was intent on getting him to safety.

"No! It must be done."

Jaga took the gauntlet from Cheetara and placed it on Lion-O's arm. At the moment of Claudus's death, it had turned a morose dull gray, but when the wizard touched it with his staff, the glove returned to its brilliant golden color. The jaguar placed his hand on the gauntlet, Cheetara covered Jaga's hand with hers, and Tygra covered her hand with his. The wizard declared Lion-O Lord of the Thundercats. Jaga instructed Lion-O to find the Book of Omens, then urged them to flee. He would hold off the enemy as long as he was able.

The three survivors, along with Snarf, paid honor to their fallen king, and Lion-O told the others they were going after Mumm-Ra.

Cheetara tearfully objected. "Jaga told us to find the Book of Omens. Those were my teacher's last words."

Tygra agreed; only the book could provide answers. But Lion-O's rage was boundless. He didn't need answers; he knew who was responsible for the destruction of their city and the murder of their king. The book could wait; it had for centuries. The young king wanted vengeance; they were going after Mumm-Ra, and that was a command. Thus began their journey. Along the way, the company ran across two kittens, homeless and seemingly orphaned after the fall of Thundera. The boy-king refused responsibility for them in his quest for vengeance and refused to relent even when Tygra spoke up for them. Cheetara and Tygra exchanged concerned looks; Lion-O's anger was clouding his judgment. The kittens—Wily Kat and Wily Kit—tagged along anyway, later proving they were assets and not burdens.

After a series of missteps, Lion-O realized he needed to follow Jaga's advice. And during one scary encounter with the lizards, Panthro, another of Claudus's trusted generals thought to be dead, arrived to save the day.

The rivalry that had always existed between the princes erupted into full view; however, Lion-O was no longer the "idiot little brother," but the new king. Tygra chafed at his brother's emotional decisions, lack of leadership, and poor strategies. Cheetara understood that Lion-O was ill-prepared for the responsibility that had befallen him and didn't think Tygra's criticism helped the situation. She said as much to the tiger, much to his vexation. Since she'd been trained in restraint, serenity, and guidance, she felt a gentler, more supportive approach would be beneficial in building Lion-O's confidence in his new role. Cheetara believed in Lion-O and encouraged him to believe in himself.

Lion-O knew Cheetara was a cleric, but he didn't seem to understand what a cleric's role was to the king. Her duty was to support, guide, and advise him and to follow his orders unfailingly without question. But whether it was age or hubris, he only saw a beautiful cat-woman who was paying him a lot of attention, and he thought her interest in him was personal and romantic.

At the start of their journey, Tygra and Cheetara were shy with each other. They'd been forced apart for roughly two years and were a little unsure, but their feelings for each other had never died. Now that the world they knew was gone, the bond between them reasserted itself in myriad quiet and subtle ways. Yet, neither one felt comfortable revealing the truth of their emotions, fearing rejection or, worse, the possibility that one's feelings might be more profound than the other.

And when Tygra saw Cheetara's attention to Lion-O, he misread her intentions. The cheetah wasn't lavishing the same level of attentiveness on the tiger, and he saw her every gesture as romantic affection for the young king. Thus, Tygra saw his brother again as a rival for something he wanted, this time the woman Tygra loved. Lion-O was aware of his brother's interest in the cheetah, but he was unaware of their past. The boy-king could only go by Cheetara's behavior towards him, and the red-headed lion was confident she would pick him when she decided to choose her mate. Tygra tried to keep his jealousy in check, but it became impossible as the months dragged on.

Tension, jealousy, and resentment all came to a head when the brothers entered the Astral Plane in search of the Spirit Stone. A mean childhood memory provoked by Mumm-Ra and a vague warning about betrayal pushed Tygra and Lion-O into a huge fight. The tiger's rage overwhelmed the lion—Tygra was the better fighter and swordsman, and when he kicked Lion-O into a pit, it looked as if he would leave him to die. But Tygra remembered who he was and what he stood for.

He pulled his brother to safety and said, "I would never betray you."

While Cheetara, Panthro, and the kittens waited outside the Astral Plane, Anet, an Elephant elder, told the cheetah that Lion-O would feel betrayed by his brother. Cheetara was worried and thought she'd played a part in the growing animosity between the brothers. She was in love with Tygra, and Lion-O was her king. If she could relieve the tension by setting them straight about her feelings, then she needed to do so. There was no longer a reason to keep her feelings for Tygra secret, especially if he had feelings for her, too. Tygra would understand her duty to the king, and Lion-O would just have to realize her loyalty to the crown and her affection for him as a person did not mean she was in love with him.

The battle between the Thundercats, Elephants, and the lizard army was winding down when Lion-O and Tygra rushed out of the Astral Plane to avoid being trapped. That night, while the village celebrated victory, Tygra went off by himself to brood over the loss of the woman he loved. He would accept her choice and continue to support his brother, the king. But Cheetara went looking for her tiger.

"I feel I've contributed to the trouble between you and Lion-O by not being clearer about my feelings."

Tygra was resigned. "No, it's pretty clear you made your choice."

"You're right. I did choose, years ago." She told him she would have never survived Jaga's test without his gift. "Of all the flowers, you picked the Day Astrid. Each petal is said to have trapped a day of life within it. It gave me the strength to make it one more day."

She reached into her vambrace and withdrew something small. "This is the heart of that very same flower. I've kept it all these years in memory of your kindness."

Tygra was stunned to speechlessness.

"Which reminds me," her voice was as soft as a summer breeze, "I never had a chance to thank you."

Cheetara leaned in and kissed him; it only took a second for him to recover from the surprise and kiss her back. After so many years of desiring and denying and never dreaming they could be together, Cheetara and Tygra were finally able to acknowledge and embrace their love.