Fleur D'Amour
Chapter 4
The Confrontation
12/3/2011
Author Notes:
This may be the last chapter of the official story, but I also might have one adults-only extra chapter. Yes I just had to go there. What I can't draw, I suppose I can write. You wouldn't know how many sketch-attempts I had of these two and I can't seem to make it happen.
I never know when this thing will truly end. I'm on chapter 4 now and when I started it was only supposed to be a one-shot.
I also have to confess, a Lion-O/Cheetara fanfic is very, very, tempting. Although how I can pull that off may take a lot of time, and a lot of manipulation. I've pulled rabbits out of my literary hat before with pairings I didn't completely support (Tokiya-Fuuko) but that was a whole twist of the entire animation universe. I had to rewrite the entire series and it took me 6 months to achieve.
Wait and watch.
I also know I've skipped half the first season trying to explain how and why they got together. The problem was I couldn't think of how to insert situations that would allow them to get all touchy-feely. Episodes 8 and 9 did present me with opportunities which resulted in the previous chapter. Although I may backpedal from time to time, who knows? Heck I don t even know where I m going sometimes until after I finish an entire chapter.
And I know I said, no Lion-O triangle, but I can t help it. He 's way too cute to ignore. So he'll be making apperances from time to time.
Anyway, enough of the random babble. Here it comes. This would be around the Berbils episode and forward.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo
She looked like the cat that got the canary.
He wondered why she had a knowing smile on her lips when he first saw her that morning. She had an expression that he couldn't quite put a label on.
Maybe the lack of food and a good night's sleep was beginning to get into her head.
That wasn't good.
And despite the fact that every inch of him was sore from leaning uncomfortably against a tree of mushrooms, inside he felt fantastic.
He had the most beautiful dream last night.
Cheetara couldn't wipe the smile off her face. Sure she was starving and she hurt every inch from roots of her hair to the tips of her toes but waking up this morning she had a fuzzy feeling over her heart and stars in her eyes.
She didn't have a single nightmare last night.
Plus she had but the shortest but sweetest dream.
She dreamed that she had been sleeping against her snarky prince and that he had leaned forward to kiss her hair.
And tell her those three words she's been aching to hear from his beautiful lips.
"My hair's stuck."
Of course that was earlier this morning. She woke up before everyone else had and that was the first thing she noted. She had slumped over from her lean against the tree last night and had found her head resting on Tygra's lap.
He was so deep in sleep he was actually snoring.
It was a light snore however, not like the machine-like humming of Panthro nor the noisy snarl of Lion-O. It was the sound of exhaustion.
He was sprawled partially on the ground and partly against the tree, she was laying on him with her head in a precarious spot on his lap, her left arm resting on his chest, her right hand touching his leg. His claws were curled suggestively on her midsection and his other hand tangled in her hair.
Unfortunately that wasn't the only place her hair was twisted in.
Stupid suit of armor.
She had no idea how her hair got entangled in the dumb thing but all she knew was that she needed to get out of it before someone else finds them in this extremely awkward position.
Great Thundera this is going to hurt.
Thank heavens that she had more hair than she knew what do with.
It was her rapid yank that woke him up. Luckily her speed not only applied to her running. Years of cleric training had trained her how to get the strands of hair from his belt line without making a sound and with the speed and precision of a military tactician.
"What are you so happy about? "
"We've got food, shelter, the Thundertank 's fixed, what not to be happy about? " Tygra whistled as he walked behind his brother and Cheetara. They were headed off to the auction to confront the Conquedor and rescue the captured berbils.
Lion-O looked over his shoulder. His older brother looked too happy. The last time he actually saw his brother like this was after he was bestowed the highest honors for excellence in combat school a few years ago. He wondered if it had anything to do with last night. Sleeping under a tree with Cheetara next to him.
Did something happen that he didn't know about?
He shook the thought off his head. Panthro was up almost all night and even though Lion-O snored like the dickens, he doesn't sleep that deeply. If something was going on right across him, he would've woken up at some point.
Wouldn't he?
It's too bad he couldn't use his sight beyond sight to find out.
He wasn't sure he wanted to find out anyway.
He glanced over to the cleric walking next to him. She acknowledged him a warm smile. Nothing about her expression or demeanor seemed off. She was her usual sweet, caring self. It was Tygra's lack of snippy-ness and sarcasm that was bugging him.
Maybe the prince had turned his ways around after being a lifelong curmudgeon?
Somehow he doubted that.
These thoughts dissipated as they arrived at the auction site. There was a mission to complete.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxooxxoxoxo
"You know we're going to have to settle this eventually, may the best cat win."
That sentence bothered the tiger to no end.
He was on the balcony of the wood forger's school, his vision trained to the skies, awaiting the return of the beast Viragor, or his little brother. Perhaps both. His arms crossed, a worried expression evident on his features.
His mind was racing a million miles a minute.
"You're worried about him, aren't you?"
His gaze shifted to her and despite his concerns over his brother, he acknowledged that the moonlight flattered her exquisite feline features. She approached him and stopped about a foot away.
This isn't the time or place to be thinking about that, Tygra, he reminded himself.
"Of course I'm worried." he confessed. He turned to her before continuing, "I know we have our differences but he's still my brother and I do care about him."
She agreed. "He's going to be okay. " she reassured. "I have faith in him."
He replied with a nod, knowing deep inside Lion-O can handle himself. A part of him, however, felt a little stab of jealousy at the way she spoke about him.
He wasn't blind or stupid. He's seen the way she treated him, how she would advise him, hold his hand, constantly boost his confidence and treat him with respect and reverence when others did not.
He reluctantly turned away, his gaze shifting to the empty space in between him and the evening sky.
It was hard enough to concede that he wasn't going to wield the Sword of Omens anytime soon, and that unless he was reborn a lion that he was never going to be King, however he proved himself.
But to lose her to his brother too, after carrying a torch for her for over a decade?
He felt as though the Universe conspired against him.
Life sure knows how to play cruel jokes. This one was not particularly funny.
His dialogue with Lion-O earlier tonight nagged at him. His brother apparently knew that he had feelings for the cleric. He didn't know if it was just that evident, or how he's given away his feelings for her. She didn't seem to know, or at least acknowledge that she had a clue? More importantly, his younger sibling knew, and was willing to compete for it.
They've always been battling each other since they were cubs, whether it was for King Claudus' attention or for the last cookie on the desert plate. It was always a contest, and for the great majority of the time, Tygra emerged victorious.
His victories over his sibling was what fueled his confidence throughout the years. He knew he was good, and there was no shame about it. He was cocky and maybe a little overkill rubbing it in Lion-O's face the things he outshone him on. But when it came to things that he knew he couldn't control, his self-esteem took a nosedive.
She was one of those variables.
Cheetara took a step back, sensing that he wanted to be alone at this moment. She had approached him to thank him for saving her from becoming bird fodder earlier, but he didn't seem to be in the mood for it. She disappeared silently into the background, making a mental note to express her gratitude at a better time.
It felt wrong for brothers to be at odds because of affection for the same cat. It's bad enough that they fight over most everything, but this one too?
That's why he didn't have a smart aleck comeback for the statement Lion-O had made earlier. He usually has an abrasive if not amusing retort to his brother's challenges, but for this one he could only reply him with silence.
Mostly because he didn't feel it was right.
Another because he wasn't certain about where he stood on this one.
Truth be told, if only he could admit it to his heart, he felt that he was going to lose this one to the crowned king.
Score another one for you, Lion-O.
"Yep, life is just peachy." he growled before turning around.
He replaced his whip onto his holster. He remembered how it wrapped around her body as he pulled her from the beak of certain death. She had fallen straight into his arms and for the few minutes he held her there, he savored the feel of her fur on his. The contact her eyes made with his, the partly opened lips expressing surprise at her rescue. He couldn't help but smile at her at that moment after saying "Gotcha." It channeled how he felt at the moment, having her in his possession, temporary though it may be.
He figured, this was the closest he was going to get.
Life be damned.
xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxo
"You know its not like you to quit."
He recalled this statement after one particularly difficult session with Urdu. He was 13 then, and after the nth time of losing his newly acquired whip to his opponent, he just about threw in the towel.
"What's the point?" he had plopped down on the concrete. "I'm good with most any other weapon. Not having this dumb whip in my repertoire isn't going to hurt me."
The snow leopard shook his head. "All of the weapons in your repertoire are to be used when you are in the immediate proximity of your opponent." he lectured the young prince, "this is one you can use from a distance. It will come in handier than you think."
His sparring partner demonstrated that in their next battle by using the bolo whip to capture Tygra's sword and toss it several feet away. The prince lunged after it but got his leg tangled in the same whip Urdu used to throw his sword away in the first place. He was dragged back across the ground and tied up in loops with the weapon he had given up on.
"Point taken." he finally agreed as the battle ended. He gave his friend a look of pure determination as he tried to release himself, "Next time we meet, I'm going to wrap your tail in it."
Urdu laughed. "Now that's the Prince Tygra I know. Never giving up!"
xoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxo
Comparing his whip to the love of his young life didn't seem fair, but the thought behind it did.
Prince Tygra isn't going to go down that easy.
Not now, not ever.
Well, maybe this could be the exception rather than the rule.
The conflict of emotions was beginning to make his head hurt. Even more so than hitting it on the bottom of the Thundertank.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
The days that followed made Cheetara wonder. Tygra had been unusually somber and had been sulking through most of the journey back to the Elephant village.
Something must be truly bothering him for him to be this quiet and distant.
She didn't recall of any great incident that transgressed that could result in him being so unlike his normal, snarky self.
For the most part, she has seen him interact normally with Panthro and the kids, but when it came to her and his brother, he was just extremely laconic.
Luckily she had not heard the comment that sparked the whole incident.
"It's probably the same reason she's gonna chose me."
"And just like the sword one more thing you don't deserve."
Lion-O on the other hand, was the extreme opposite. He was jovial and rather perky.
As though him and he's older brother had a bet and Tygra had lost some kind of wager.
Maybe he did.
She wondered if there was anything she could do to cheer him up.
Later on, the brothers were arguing.
Yet again.
With Lion-O ordering that they wait until nightfall and sneak in the village, while Tygra insisting on attacking then and there with the Thundertank.
She just had to break the bickering. This was not healthy. "The tank can't make it." she finally put her foot down.
"Besides, I've always considered stealth to be your greatest strength." she turned to him, hoping that a genuine compliment him might help break him out of this funk he was in.
"No wonder I've always been invisible to you."
Well that didn't work.
She had been reflecting on the events of the day as she stood guard in front of the entrance to the Astral plane. Tygra has been edgy and out of sorts and it concerned her greatly. When Anet mentioned that he was going to betray Lion-O before the evening bell sounded tomorrow, it made her worry even more.
She wanted to get to the bottom of things but she wasn't certain where to begin.
It has to do something with their rivalry, she thought. Is it finally getting to Tygra? She knew Lion-O can sometimes be insensitive when making comments about the sword of Omens choosing him, and of his position of being the Lord of the Thundercats. She had attributed that mostly to his lack of maturity and his wanting to one-up his older brother who seemed to have beaten him in every contest they had. It's been brewing as far as she could remember. She even remembered in her early days that even the clerics silently took sides when it came to the two of them, although they never truly mentioned it.
Perhaps Lion-O has pushed his brother's buttons long enough and the latter was at his breaking point.
She feared that Tygra was going to lose it when they got into the Astral planes and do something he was going to regret later on.
She closed her eyes and said a prayer. She knew she could do little else.
xoxoxoxoxoxox
He didn't know if it was just being in the Astral plane, his brother debating with him for the infinite time, or the tremendous battle waiting outside that was getting on his feline nerve.
Maybe all three.
He snapped.
And that was when he found himself wielding his own sword of Omens and trying to show Lion-O he didn't need the real one to show who the better cat was.
"You took the crown, you took her!"
If there were any doubts on the extent of his jealousy at Cheetara and Lion-O's relationship, they had been cast away by that very sentence.
Tygra was literally seeing red.
A cat can only take so much.
He felt the rage in every hair on his body.
It was as though the sky have been falling on him, piece by little piece.
From as far as he can remember he was constantly reminded that he was never going to be King. That had fueled his desire to upstage Lion-O whenever he could, hoping against hope that they would reconsider, break Thundera's rules and traditions and place a candidate that the rest of the kingdom considered fit for the position. It was a battle he was never going to win, but he never stopped trying.
When he first laid his eyes on the sword of Omens and witnessed its capability, he was awestruck. He had his heart set on it since and repeatedly denied the reality that there was no way in this lifetime it was going to be his. The sword had chosen his brother and that was a truth he was going to have to live with no matter how much it pained him.
And then there was her.
He had carried a torch for her for more than half his lifetime. He had gotten in trouble plenty with every attempt to catch a glimpse of her in the cleric residence. Her image had burned itself into his memory since the day they met. He had his share of short-lived romances and flings, but deep inside, it was her face that he saw, her voice that he heard, her touch that he yearned for. He still clung on to the thin fabric of hope that she would return his feelings for her someday. But Lion-O seemed to have doused cold water over that burning flame of hope.
It was all he could stand.
And with every swing and clash of his sword against the sword of Omens was a release of pent up rage. He's had his frustrations up to here and by Thundera he was going to let his little brother know what his pain was like. The pain of rejection.
With a final blow he sent Lion-O to the bottomless pit.
If he thought that sending his brother over the edge was going to make him feel any better, then he was gravely mistaken.
For as soon as he saw him disappear from sight and fall into the well, he was gripped by an intense feeling of regret.
What did I do?
He stood there for several seconds, as though in shock.
And with the mention of King Claudus', he was shaken completely out of the red haze he seemed to be in.
What would Father say?
That although the blood that flowed in their veins was not the same, he was no less of a son to him that Lion-O was and that he loved the both of them unconditionally.
He remembered.
That statement always seemed to have kept him from boiling over with resentment, because in the end, it was all that mattered.
It felt like a cold splash of water in the face.
I'm coming for you, brother.
With that he leaped into the well, grasping his brother's claw before the he lost his grip.
"I would never betray you, not then, not now."
As they made their way out of the Astral plane later on, he had decided that he was just going to roll with the punches.
Simply accept, that she had made her choice.
And that choice was not him.
It was going to hurt. It was going to sting. But its something he just had to live with. Just like the throne. Just like the sword.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
"So what happened in there exactly?"
It was nightfall, and in the elephant village everything was lit up in celebration. There was music, there was dancing, there was much jubilation going on despite the earlier tragedies of the day. They had won this battle for the spirit stone and it was cause for merrymaking.
Tygra sat among Anet and some other elephants from the village. He had been taking in a sweet ale made from a fruit that only grew in the elephant gardens. It calmed and soothed his nerves, which was what he truly needed right now after everything that happened today. He was in no mood to talk and allowed his brother relate the tale that unfurled inside the astral plane.
"Wow Tygra, you had your own sword of Omens?" WilyKat was wide eyed with excitement.
"It wasn't the real sword of Omens, but yeah, something like it." he answered briefly.
At least there was one cat who didn't seem to think he was a jackass.
He felt like the villain of the story as he had to hear all over again how as a child he had broken the log that sent Lion-O down the bottomless pit, and how he had taken up arms and tried to repeat the same feat by kicking him into the well at the end of their battle.
I've had enough of this, he thought as he excused himself out of the table. As he made his way out of the merrymaking, he had missed the part when Lion-O had mentioned the issues that have sent the two of them over the edge. The Crown. The Sword. The Cleric.
Someone else, however, was listening.
She was seated but a few feet away, more intent on cleaning her staff and half-heartedly listening to Lion-O's tale. The story of the brothers' rivalry was not new to her, and while she was concerned that it all came to a head inside the Astral Plane, she knew deep inside that their bond was stronger than jealousy.
Then she heard her name.
"I knew it!" WilyKat exclaimed. "I knew you both liked Cheetara!"
"The more important question is, does she like any of you?" one of the other elephants asked. "I mean, how do you know she doesn't prefer a pacifist with more brawn?" and with that he started flexing his trunk and showing off his muscles, much to everyone's amusement.
"Guess we'll have to see." the lion remarked. He took a quick glance at her but she was too shocked to notice.
They were fighting over me?
That thought did not sit well with her. Not at all.
She quietly slipped out of her seat and left.
xoxoxoxoxxoxoxo
He didn't know how long he stood there.
Tygra was standing among ruins, the full moon casting shadows upon him, the night breeze gently kissing his face. His gaze wandered aimlessly over the peaceful valley below, not looking at anything in particular as he was lost deep in thought.
He ran his hand over his face.
It hurts.
How much it was going to hurt he didn't really realize until this very moment.
The last few days were tough on him. He had come to the conclusion that waging a war against Lion-O for the affections of Cheetara was a battle he was losing, if not completely lost already. It was a nagging feeling that had become more evident as the days passed. At first he had attributed it to the fact that she was a cleric and that part of her job description was to keep him in check and made sure he got his head out of the clouds. He had tried to overlook the fact that she would hold his hand, whisper in his ear and touch him with obvious care and concern. But when she had given him that kiss before they left for the astral plane, he knew that it was over.
She had made her choice.
And it wasn't him.
He felt as though his heart had been literally ripped out of his chest.
Repeatedly.
Cheetara's gaze searched the village, seeking him. She had noticed that he had left the table earlier when Lion-O was relating the events at the Astral Plane but she thought that it was temporary. When he didn't return, and she heard the rest of the story, she became concerned.
Was that why he seemed miserable the last few days?
Was it because of me?
She still couldn't wrap her head around the notion that she was part of their conflict. It was, to say the least, inconceivable.
For as much as she cared about the future king, it was mostly that of a friend, a sister, and a servant of the crown.
Had he misconstrued her actions? Thought that she had done it most out of romantic love rather than a sense of duty?
Apparently he wasn't the only one who thought so.
What have I done?
The last thing she wanted was to come in between brothers who already had a lifelong rivalry.
I have to find him.
In a sense she felt a failure of her job as a cleric and protector of the Thunderan royalty.
She had driven a wedge between Tygra and Lion-O when she was supposed to be the bridge to connect them together.
This was wrong.
And she was going to fix it.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
"Who goes there?"
A small pair of ears appeared around the bushes. "Hi."
Tygra breathed a sigh of relief and returned his gun to its holster. "Hey Kat."
The 8 year old tentatively approached him and once realizing he wasn't going to be barked at, appeared to relax. "Whatcha doin' out here?"
"Just thinking." he replied, turning away. He wished the kitten hadn't found him. He wasn't exactly conversational right now.
A moment of silence prevailed until the kitten spoke up again. "You'll always be my hero."
That caught him by surprise. He cast a glance towards WilyKat. "Thanks." he meant that sincerely, "But I don't think I acted in a very heroic fashion today."
The younger cat's ears perked up, "Yeah you did. You saved Lion-O from the well."
He wasn't sure how to explain it to the much younger WilyKat that Lion-O shouldn't have ended up in the well in the first place, had he been a hero in the true sense.
"Tygra."
"Yes?"
"I think you're the best warrior in Thundera." he piped, "Even if you're not King."
Coming from the little one's mouth, it was one of the biggest compliments he had ever received. A genuine smile found its way on his lips, "Thanks kid."
I guess not everyone hates me right now.
With that the little one squealed one more time how awesome it was that he had his own sword of Omens in the astral plane, gushed more of his fighting abilities and then happily took off.
That temporarily put a good feeling on his chest.
Several minutes later, he thought he heard footsteps behind him and wondered if the Thunderkitten was back for more chitchat.
This time he figured he was going to talk to WilyKat longer a little more. It may take his mind of this physical hurting in his chest.
"I heard about what you and Lion-O went through in there."
It was her.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxo
Author notes:
In the end I realized that squeezing their encounter into the end of this story was not going to do my favorite pair justice. So they are getting their own chapter! Yay!
Yes, this is not the end, yet.
One of my biggest stumbling blocks as a writer is ending my work. It tops my list as the most difficult thing to do (Action scenes probably rank in second.) Mostly because its like setting your kid free after nurturing them for the longest time. it's just that hard.
Tygra: *smirks at Cheetara.* You were sleeping on my lap.
Cheetara: I was tired. That wasn't my original position either.
Tygra: You do realize this thing wouldn't have dragged on if you just winked back at me in the first episode.
Cheetara: That was neither the time or place for flirting, Mister.
Tygra: Oh why can't you just admit that you adore me as much as…
Cheetara: *raises a brow* as what?
Crickets chirping again.
Cheetara: I thought so. Tune in for the next one folks!