Author's Note: Now, I don't know if all of you are aware of this, but a rumor's been going around that in the new series, Bengali will be Tygra's blood brother. I have no idea if this rumor has any truth to it, but let's just say for this chapter's purposes that it does. ;) Also I obviously take some liberties with the enigma that is Lion-o's mom in this. Once again, I really appreciate all your wonderful feedback!

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of ThunderCats, unfortunately.

Chapter Four: Brothers

Tygra's world changed the day Lion-o was born. He was only four years old at the time, but it was a day that he would remember for the rest of his life. His first memory was of two big, green eyes staring up at him from a small bundle he cradled in his arms.

Claudus put a large hand on his shoulder. His grand, powerful face was already showing signs of the tragedy he'd just been through; of watching his wife die giving birth to his only son. Tygra was too young to understand the concept of bloodlines and succession, but something about the weight of his adoptive-father's hand and the warm body in his arms told him that his life would never be the same again.

"Tygra," Claudus said, gazing at the two of them with solemn pride. "This is your brother, Lion-o."

An impossibly tiny paw emerged from the cocoon and gripped Tygra's nose, its claws gently prickling his skin. Tygra smiled.

Lion-o's world changed the day he met Bengali. He and Tygra were sparring in the courtyard, and Tygra was winning (again). At age ten, Lion-o was only just entering his training at the novice level, so his older brother could beat him blindfolded and with both paws tied behind his back.

"Tygra!" a voice called, and the two turned their heads in unison toward the sound.

A cat was running toward them; or more specifically, toward Tygra. As he approached, Lion-o saw that he was the absolute spitting image of Tygra, except where his fur was orange, the newcomer's was white, and his eyes were light blue in contrast to Tygra's gold.

Tygra dropped his wooden sword and ran to meet him, wrapping him in an embrace.

"Bengali!" he exclaimed, grinning. "I haven't seen you in so long! How have you been, brother?"

Lion-o bristled. Brother?

"I've been well," the white tiger replied. "Panthro has taught me much. We should spar when you have the time."

Lion-o walked up to them hesitantly, still perplexed and agitated.

"Ah!" Bengali said, noticing him. "This wouldn't be Prince Lion-o, would it? You've grown so much since I last saw you."

"Who are you?" Lion-o quipped, not returning his friendly smile.

Tygra smacked him on the back of the head sharply.

"How about manners, Lion-o?"

Bengali laughed at the exchange.

"It's alright, Tygra," he said. "Of course he wouldn't remember me." He turned to Lion-o. "I met you long ago, when you were just a cub."

"Lion-o, this is my brother, Bengali," Tygra introduced.

Lion-o furrowed his brow in confusion. This was not right. Tygra had been with him since the day he was born, helping to raise him, teach him, and train him. He had even saved him once or twice. He was the favorite, true, and most agreed he would make a better king that Lion-o. Some part of Lion-o resented Tygra for being so much better than him, just like he knew a part of Tygra resented him for being the only person standing between him and the crown, but he knew that, when it came down to it, they cared for each other in a way that was nearly impossible to describe.

"But I'm your brother," he protested.

Tygra seemed just as confused by Lion-o's words as Lion-o was by his.

"Yeah, but..." Tygra stopped, seeming to search for the right words. "We're not really related. Claudus adopted me. Bengali is my brother by blood."

The ground underneath Lion-o's feet shifted. Suddenly, everything he saw was in a completely different light, as though he had been living his life looking through a screen. He knew he and Tygra weren't really related but, somehow, he had never translated that to them not being brothers. Now that the connection was made, he felt like a stranger in his own life. In Tygra's life.

The two stared at each other for a long moment, both trying to silently convey something. However, it seemed as though a wall had come between them, and neither was certain how to overcome it.

"Should I," Bengali began uncertainly, eyes shifting between them. "Should I leave for a moment?"

With the stillness broken, everything crashed down on Lion-o with overwhelming force. It became difficult to breathe. Not glancing at Bengali, he turned on his heel and ran in the other direction, wanting to get away from the crushing feeling.

Tygra found him an hour later, of course. He knew all of Lion-o's favorite places to go when he didn't want to be found, a problem Lion-o was beginning to think needed fixing.

"Come on, scoot over," Tygra instructed, leaning his back against the trunk of tree next to Lion-o. They sat in silence for several minutes, listening to the wind rustling the leaves and watching children chase each other across the matted grass.

"Do you remember when you got stuck in this tree and I had to get you down?" Tygra asked, smiling to himself and tilting his head back to gaze at the leafy branches.

Lion-o took in his profile, the soft curve of his nose. The knowledge that it did not resemble Lion-o's nose in the slightest hurt more than it should have.

"No."

Tygra sighed and looked at him.

"I chased Snarf through the dirtiest back alleys and shadiest neighborhoods you can imagine. Of course he would choose the most complicated route to take." Lion-o averted his gaze, picking at a loose string on the hem of his shirt. "And when I got here, you were clinging to a branch with all your might. You nearly choked me on the way down, by the way. You'll be strong when you're older."

Lion-o frowned at his shirt, wondering what the point of the story was. If it was to prove how useless he was, a cat getting stuck in a tree, then he'd run away again and spend the rest of his life ignoring Tygra's existence. Tygra was stronger, but Lion-o was faster.

"Hey, how about listening when I'm proving a point," Tygra said. His soft tone was what made Lion-o obey him, because Tygra never spoke to him that way. He was all rough edges and sarcasm and charisma, the kind that made everyone love him but made Lion-o feel like he was chasing a hurricane.

"I've known you your whole life," he continued when he had Lion-o's full attention. "I held you the day you were born."

"How can you possibly remember that?" Lion-o asked skeptically.

"Don't interrupt," Tygra chided, giving him a quieting look. "I'm trying to be sentimental here.

"As I was saying, I've known you your whole life. And mine, too, really. That day I held you in my arms, that's the farthest back I can remember. My first memory is looking at your pudgy little face." He chuckled, plucking a dandelion from the ground and twirling it around with his fingers. "You reached out and grabbed my nose, I swear it was the most adorable thing I've ever seen.

"Stuff like that... knowing each other like that, I mean really knowing each other, like no one else does; that's what makes us brothers, Lion-o. We may have our differences, we may get at each other's throats every other day, and we may not have the same blood running through our veins. But believe me when I say that you will always be my little brother, whether you like it or not."

Something tightened in Lion-o's chest and a lump rose to his throat.

"But... what about Bengali?" he asked in a small voice.

"Bengali is blood, and that will never change," Tygra said sternly. "He, too, is my brother. But he can never replace you. Okay?"

Lion-o bit his lip and looked away, finally able to breathe again. The tidal wave of panic and jealousy had at last receded, but this revelation would still take getting used to.

"Okay," he replied, looking at him shyly. "You'll always be my brother, too."

Tygra winked playfully.

"I was counting on it. Now let's go finish our sparring match."