A/N: Attention to all LiChee shippers:
You're going to LOVE this chapter!
The song for this chapter also doubles as their pairing song. The lyrics fit perfectly, so I said "Y'know what? I'm gonna use it"
Key:
Flashback = Flashback (Obviously)
Dream = Dream
Time Passage = ...
- (BORDER) - = perspective change
Anyway, chapter information:
Genres: Adventure and Drama
Warnings: Graphic scenes of violence, gore, slight adult themes (mention of rape), and explicit language.
Date started (Chapter): Tuesday 5th May 2015
Date finished (Chapter): N/A YET
Song/s: Tangled Up In You by Staind
Chapter 7: Tangled Up In You
I groan as I stumble blindly through the mud, my arms wrapped protectively around my abdomen. The gash on my leg profusely pumps out blood, and my broken elbow is agonizingly painful. The rain is blinding, and the chill of the wind hits me like a frozen dagger.
"Marcia! Marcia! Get back here this instant, you ignorant bitch!"
I stop to catch my breath. I should have learned from the first time to not go back to Thy'larr when he abused me the first time.
"Marcia! God damnit, are you even listening to me?"
The tears flow freely down my cheeks as I start running again. I need to get to the city. I need to see the king. The sting of the wound on my head is making me dizzy. I can hear the sound of a vehicle approaching at a high speed from behind me, so, upon instinct, I dive for the bushes. I can hear it getting closer, as well as familiar voices.
"We'd better get back to Cat's Lair. I don't like the looks of this storm, Panthro."
"No, nor do I. Plus, we need to tell Lion-O what we...well...didn't find."
The Thundercats! I get up and run into the road...right in front of the Thundertank. I throw my arms out in front of me and close my eyes as I wait for the impact, but it doesn't come. "Are you alright? Are you lost, or some...Great Jaga!" I hear Panthro cry as I fall to my knees from the pain. Tygra runs towards me and gently picks me up. "Panthro, we need to take a slight detour. We need to take her to the medical centre!" he says as he carries me into the Thundertank.
The warmth is soothing, but I feel so tired. "Tell me, what is your name?" Tygra asks as the tank starts moving again. "Marcia." I whisper as I close my eyes, then darkness envelops me...
- (BORDER) -
"Thundertank to Cat's Lair. Lion-O, do you hear me?"
I pick up the communicator then say "Reading you loud and clear, Tygra. Where the bloody hell are you? You and Panthro were supposed to be back two and a half hours ago! We're absolutely starving because Snarf isn't letting us eat anything until you guys get back!"
"I'll explain later. But right now, you need to get down here to the medical centre! There's a new trauma victim, and the doctors are requesting to speak with you and the others."
"Ok. Tell them that we'll be there ASAP." I say before putting the communicator down "Cheetara, go and tell the others that we need to get going. I'll warm up the Thunderstrike."
The cheetah nods then says "Right on it, Lion-O!" She runs from the room as I heave my heavy body out of my seat. Just what I need at a time like this. I barely had any sleep last night because I was too busy thinking about everything. What if I jumped into everything too quickly? I mean, I just proposed to Cheetara without dating her first. She's been my best friend since we crashed on Third Earth, and just the thought that she's going to be my wife and queen on Friday makes me slightly nervous. What if this situation is a message from the gods that I moved in too fast?
I sigh before walking to the door. As I walk towards the hangar where the Thunderstrike is, I let my mind wander. Thunder rumbles from overhead, making me flinch slightly. What's wrong with me? It's not like me to be so uneasy. Earlier on today, Cheetara told me to go and see Pumyra, but I know that I'd sound stupid. Yet, I have been suffering from shitloads of stress recently. I wonder if maybe that's what's making me uneasy.
When I reach the hangar where the Thunderstrike is, everybody are already on the craft. I climb into the cockpit along with Cheetara, the Snarfs and Lynx-O then sit down in my seat as the launch sequence is initiated. "So, from what I have heard, there's a young Thunderian female who is injured." Lynx-O says, much to my surprise. I stand up before saying "How do you know that, Lynx-O? We don't even know if it's an injured Thunderian." as the Thunderstrike speeds over the buildings below. It earns me a few laughs from the old lynx and my wife-to-be. "You seem to have forgotten, Lion-O. The medical centre is equipped with a Braille communication system, meaning that we have the advantage of forewarning." Lynx-O says, and I feel myself blushing beneath my fur.
"Either way, we're nearly there. Get yourselves ready for landing." Lynx-O says, so I sit back down again as the craft slowly descends through the rain. When we land, I make a break for shelter. I hate the rain. Lightning flashes across the sky overhead, illuminating the tree line. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see a massive black cat with glowing red eyes. I whirl around, but it's gone. What the actual fuck?
"Lion-O, what's wrong?" Cheetara asks as she puts a hand on my shoulder. "I tho...I thought I saw...I thought I saw something, but it was just my imagination." I say as I look at her.
"Anyway, can we get inside, now? It's fucking freezing!" Wilykit says, which makes me slightly mad. "WILYKIT! Watch your language! Or I'll rinse your mouth out with a bar of soap!" I snap, which makes her jump slightly. We walk inside of the Medical Centre, where Panthro and Tygra are waiting with a doctor, who is a puma.
The doctor bows to me as he says "Ah, your majesty. It's such an honour to meet you in person, my king!" He stands up again as I say "We heard that you've got a trauma victim bought in by my two friends here."
"Yes, my king. It's rather tragic, really. Follow me."
We all walk down the corridor of the IC unit as the puma says "You're not going to like what you see, my Lord."
Snarf jumps up onto my shoulder as he says "I hope it isn't something too disturbing. We Snarfs don't have very strong stomachs."
"What exactly happened?" I ask as the puma stops to pick up some medical documents from a desk.
"Well, as much as I hate to say it, the victim is a 19 year old snow leopardess called Marcia. She doesn't speak our language, nor is it any form of Thunderian. It looks like she was raped then beaten by another cat. Now, as for the subspecies of Thunderian who is responsible, it would either have to be a tiger or a lion, even though she has injuries that would be caused by brute strength, which means that a liger is more to blame. Her description of the cat who raped her doesn't make any logical sense because she said that he had one blue eye and one green eye, is a liger that's a cross with a Barbary lion and a tiger, who she described as having orangey-red stripes, which is an extremely rare pigmentation in the tiger clan. It only effects one in a thousandth of the tiger population."
"How rare is it exactly?"
"How rare is it? Well, sire, it's the equivalent of you being a white lion."
"Ah, I see...Anyway, have you any news on the leopardess' condition?" I ask as we stop in front of a door, where nurses rush in and out of the room.
"It's not good. She's still awake, but has serious memory loss. She has multiple internal injuries, including a ruptured liver and vaginal tearing. Brace yourself, sire, because it is hard to accept it."
The puma opens the door, and the second I walk in, the snow leopardess wakes with a start and starts screaming in an unrecognisable language.
"Mamma! Papà! Aiutami! Ha intenzione di attaccarmi! Il leone sta per attaccare me! Per favore, tenerlo lontano da me! Non lasciarlo più vicino a me!"
The two snow leopards, who are obviously her parents, rush to their daughter's side as the adult snow leopardess says "Marcia! Marcia, va bene! Lui è il re! Non ha intenzione di farti del male. Lui vuole solo farti qualche domanda."
Then, she turns to look at me as she says "Re Leone-O, io sono sempre così dispiaciuto. Lei è in potenti antidolorifici, così lei è in delirio. Mi dispiace che non potete capire. Si parla un'antica lingua madre terra chiamato italiana. Non possiamo parlare Thunderian."
I look behind me at the other Thundercats as I say "We can't communicate with them because they don't speak our language."
...
"Right, black cat with red eyes...black cat with red eyes...it's gotta be in here somewhere!" I snarl under my breath as I search the spines of the books in the library. "Achvall'qyyjjar; Satos, Krolljarr ziaa Thuundjaagerr, Lyjonzesksch," I say the Ancient Thunderian names that are printed onto the leather spines, and then I see the book that I was searching for.
"Märä: Thuundjaagerr-chaa'kht meurte..." I say as I flip through the pages, eventually coming to a page which has a drawing of the cat I saw earlier.
"Märä is truly the spawn of Satan himself. This ancient cat is rumoured to have created Thundera with her bare paws, but is also known to destroy life. Anybody who sees the devil's cat will soon lose their own life, or that of a beloved person. There is no way of being rid of the curse, meaning the poor soul who sees this demon will die within 24 hours of seeing it...oh...shit!" I snap as I look down at the book.
"Lion-O, is everything ok?" I hear Cheetara say as she enters the library behind me. I quickly snap the book closed and hide it behind my back as I say "Everything's fine, Cheetara. I just...erm...had some important stuff to...uh...sort out. Nothing of interest."
"Ok, so, nothing of interest, eh? What's so important that you have to keep it a secret?" my wife-to-be says as she walks towards me. She wraps one arm around my shoulders then passionately kisses me, then I realize what she's doing, far too late to react; Cheetara pulls the book from my hand before flicking through it. "Why are you reading about Märä?" she asks as we walk out of the library together.
"I may sound crazy saying this, but I actually saw it when we were at the Medical Centre. Cheetara, it says in the book that if a person sees it, then the person who saw it would die within 24 hours. Please, tell me it's not true."
As we walk into the dining room, she says "It's supposedly just a myth, but that's the way your mother died."
My blood turns to ice in my veins. "My...My mother died after...after seeing that cat?"
"It was your father who saw it, but your mother died because of it. It's said that you were dead when you were born, but your mother, Queen Leandra, gave her life so that you, her youngest son, could live."
"Why did nobody tell me that before? Surely because I'm the Lord of the Thundercats, I'd be told?"
"Lion-O, you've never been told because nobody thought that you'd be able to handle the truth. It's a lot to take in, especially considering the fact being that you're supposed to be dead."
I sit in my seat as Snarf puts a plate of venison and potatoes on the table in front of me. "Y'know, I've been thinking a lot recently." I say as I eat my food "What if Mumm-ra is intending for all of this to happen? The attack on the Black Pyramid, enslaving us, our escape, me and Cheetara getting married. What if it's all some sort of ploy to get our guard down?"
"You never know. He'd have to have planned this out very carefully."
"I know. I don't like this." I say as I put my knife and fork on my plate.
When I go to bed that night, the feeling of unease doesn't fade; it gets worse. As I pull on my pyjama bottoms, I try to concentrate on getting rid of my nervousness. I take the book from my bedside table as I slip under the covers on my bed. I switch on my bedside lamp before opening the book. I try to read, but I can't concentrate. I'm too tired. I put the book down on my bedside table and switch the lamp off after about an hour. I close my eyes, then the fatigue starts to take over...
I'm running. The sound of gunfire is deafening, and the stench of gunpowder is sickening. I'm wearing some sort of armour. I look to my left and see another cat running alongside me; a young male litah. He looks like me, apart from the fact being that his mane is golden and nearly reaches his shoulders.
"Who are you?" I say as he looks at me.
"You'll find out soon enough, Lord of the Thundercats..."
He suddenly picks up speed, and disappears into thin air...
- (BORDER) -
I look down at the dagger in my hands as I slowly walk down the corridor. I'd had to take Cheetara's form to be able to get into this hell-hole.
"You MUST kill Lion-O!" a voice says in the back of my mind. "It will be done, my lords. It will be done!" I hiss as I stop outside of Lion-O's room. The door opens as thunder rumbles overhead as lightning streaks across the sky. I slink into the room and keep to the shadows as lightning lights up the room, illuminating Lion-O as he lies sleeping in his bed.
I feel the rage surge up again as the wretched Thundercat rolls over in his sleep, purring gently.
I growl slightly at the memory of watching him blow my beloved pyramid up. My grip tightens on the handle of the dagger as I take a light step forwards. Lightning flashes for a second time, casting my shadow upon the bed.
"Finally. After so many years! I'm finally going to kill him!" I say as I raise the dagger high above my head.
"Wha...what in the..." Lion-O grumbles as he stirs, opening his eyes slightly. Lightning flashes in the sky for a third time, casting my shadow over him. He wakes up like a shot and the second he sees me, he half screams, half roars as I lunge at him, swinging the dagger to the side, trying to slit his throat.
- (BORDER) -
"Lion-O! Lion-O, where are you?" I shout as I wander through the forest. I can't see or hear anything. I carry on towards the edge of the trees, and I see Lion-O standing alone on the edge of a cliff. The young lion turns to look at me as I run up to him and smiles. "Hey Cheetara." he says as I stand next to him. He looks up and stares at the sky as I look below us; we're standing on the edge of a high cliff in a canyon. "Lion-O," I say as a pebble loosens itself under my foot and is sent tumbling down the steep rock face "We'd better get back. Either one of us could fall down there to our deaths."
The lion looks at me as he says "Either way, it's a lovely view, isn't it?"
I sigh, but don't answer him back.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah. Howether, I've got one question, Lion-O. Why are you standing here? Surely you know that this place is the perfect location for an ambush?"
"I know, but something drew me here..."
RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I wake like a shot as I hear the piercing scream coming from Lion-O's room. I've never heard him scream like that. I leap out of bed and run out of the door, grabbing my dressing gown on the way. I'm guessing that everybody heard, because we're all running to his room. The second the door opens, I switch the light on, which reveals Lion-O kneeling on the floor in front of Mumm-ra, who is holding a dagger against the young lion's throat.
"Unless you want Lion-O's blood on the floor, give me the Sword of Omens!"
"Don't do it!"
Mumm-ra kicks Lion-O in the back, making him fall forwards onto the floor. I step forwards to help my fiancé, and Mumm-ra puts a heavy foot on top of the young lion's head, pushing him down onto the floor. Lion-O growls menacingly and tries to get up, but Mumm-ra forces him back down again.
"I said give me the Sword of Omens!"
"Never!" I growl as I step towards him "You'll never have the sword as long as either me or Lion-O lives!"
Mumm-ra cackles and digs the dagger into Lion-O's throat, which makes the young lion whimper as a bead of blood trickles down his throat. "So be it!"
Mumm-ra raises the dagger then brings it down...right into thin air. "What?" the ancient devil priest shouts as he realizes that Lion-O disappeared.
"HO!" I hear Lion-O's voice shout from behind us. I turn around and see him pointing the Sword of Omens at Mumm-ra. "Go back to your pyramid, mummy!" the young lion snarls as the sword fires a bolt of blue electricity at the mummy.
"This...isn't over, Lion-O! You may have won this battle, but you'll NEVER win the war! I'll come out victorious one day, and you and your pathetic Thundercat followers will be begging for mercy at my knees! THIS ISN'T OVER! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!" the decrepit mummy says as he transforms back into his weakest form. Lion-O growls and charges at him, but the wretched Ancient Egyptian devil priest flies out of the window, cackling as he goes.
Lion-O growls then turns to look at us. His nose is bloody, and his throat is covered with dried blood. "What the bloody hell happened? I was on the floor at Mumm-ra's feet, then I'm standing behind you with the Sword of Omens." he says as he wipes his nose on the back of his hand. "C'mon Lion-O. You need some ice on your nose." Pumyra says as she puts her arm around Lion-O's shoulders. They walk out, leaving me, Tygra and Panthro alone in the lion's room.
"I don't like this, guys. Mumm-ra has never been this desperate before. We need to be extra cautious. I just hope that we don't have to position members of the Thunderguard outside his room. We've already got them patrolling the Lair." I say as we walk out of Lion-O's room.
"It's necessary for his protection, Cheetara. Don't forget, he's 21 physically, but he's 10 years younger mentally."
- (BORDER) -
"Hold that on your nose. It's cold, but it'll bring down the swelling that you'll have later."
I groan as I hold the ice pack against my nose. It takes the edge off of the sting, but it still hurts. "Why doesn't Mumm-ra just give up?" I ask as Cheetara and the others walk in. "You know what Mumm-ra is like, Lion-O. He's not going to give up on getting the Sword of Omens." Pumyra says as she sits down.
"That's what I'm worried about most." I mumble as Cheetara sits down next to me
"I'm just worried about what's going on at the moment. You were pretty ill on the journey back, but you somehow recovered in two shakes of a cat's tail. I bet five Thunderian shillings that that was Mumm-ra's doing."
I look at the clock on the wall; it's 4;46am. "Well, I might as well start to get breakfast ready. You guys have got a busy day today. Oh, hell, so have I! I've got to get the food supplies sorted! I'm going to be cooking pretty much all day and half of the night." Snarf says as he walks out of the room in to the kitchen.
I look at Cheetara as I say "I can't believe that it's tomorrow. Nor can I believe exactly how quickly it's come around."
She smiles as the scent of cooking bacon fills the room. I look down at myself. I've got a scar across my left hip where Mumm-ra attacked me after I fought him in the Book of Omens. He caught me off guard when I signalled the other Thundercats by hitting me with the Sword of Plun-darr after he summoned it. I can still remember the pain of the jagged blade tearing into my flesh and grinding against my bone.
"You ok, Lion-O? You look like you're about to be sick."
I look up as I say "Yes! Yeah, I'm ok! Just...just recalling some old memories..."
...
I pace impatiently in the kitchen as I wait for Cheetara, Pumyra and Wilykit to get home from the city. "Lion-O, calm down. I'm sure that they're absolutely fine. They've probably just been held up or they're still shopping for the dresses." Snarf says as he stirs a vat of delicious smelling pie filling.
"But, what...what if they're in danger, and we don't know?" I ask. I growl with frustration and continue pacing.
"Lion-O," Snarf says. I stop and turn around. The red and yellow creature presses a spoon of the filling into my right hand without a single word. The sweet taste of candyfruit fills my mouth and coats my tongue. When I was a little cub, Snarf always gave me the spoons and bowls to lick clean, even though I'd end up in a sticky mess, then he'd clean them properly. "Anyway, what're you making?" I ask. He tastes the filling, then says "Candyfruit and strawberry pies for tomorrow. Hmmm...needs some more sugar."
I think for a minute then say "I'm going out to look for them. You never know."
I get up, put the spoon in the sink then run off, down the corridor. I carry on until I'm out of the lair, then I stop on the hill that overlooks the sprawling city of New Thundera. It's market day, today. It's going to be very busy down there.
I head for the thick, dense forest. Leaves crunch beneath my feet as I run down the dirt path.
Suddenly, I hear twigs snapping. I stop and listen carefully, turning my head in the direction of the sound. Now that I'm standing still, I can hear footsteps rapidly approaching. My hand hovers over the claw shield as I prepare to grab the Sword of Omens. The footsteps grow louder; they're right behind me. I roar viciously, rip the sword from the shield then whirl round, poised to strike whoever ran for me. Who I see breaks my heart.
"Cheetara!" I cry as she collapses into my arms "What happened to you?"
She breathes heavily as she says "Ambushed...by the Mutants. They...They took them to...to the pyramid."
I see the wound that snakes down her chest and stops at her right hip. "Who...Who did that to you?" I snarl.
"Slithe."
She shakily gets up then says "You've gotta help them. I'm coming with you."
Before I can stop her, she rockets off in the direction of the pyramid, her long mane flowing behind her. I follow her and sheathe the sword in the shield. She leads me through the thick forest, towards the ruins of the old city. The twisted, jagged metal of the ancient buildings litter the horizon, but she still runs on. Before too long, the pyramid looms above us. The entrance is open, as if Mumm-ra is expecting me. There could be a trap laid out for me within the pyramid, but if Mumm-ra has Thundercats held hostage, then I must go and save them.
I follow Cheetara through winding corridors that have cells either side of them. Slowly, we reach Mumm-ra's throne room. We edge round the room against the statutes, but I can't see Pumyra or Wilykit.
"GET HIM!" a familiar voice shouts, and I turn to run, but something hard and heavy hits me around the back of my head. Blood gushes down the back of my head as the ground rushes up to meet me. "That taught him, yesss?" I hear Slithe hiss as everything goes black...
I awake to a splitting headache. My mane and fur are matted with dried blood and the gash on the back of my head is still bleeding.
"He's waking up!"
"Don't worry Jackalman, you cowardly wretch! He's injured, and so isn't very threatening to usss, yesss?"
I can see Slithe, Jackalman, Monkian and Vultureman standing before me. The wretched ape is holding his mace, which is bloodstained. I know it's my blood.
Slithe turns to look at me then says "Where were you rushing to, cub? What's so important to you that you go running through the forest alone?"
I growl then say "Why do you care?"
The reptilian grins then slams my head against the stone statue. "Tell me the truth!" he snarls as he pulls my head back to look into my eyes. I growl again then spit in his face.
He cries out in rage as saliva drips off of his face, then forcefully smashes my head into the statue another four times. Blood trickles down my face as my head rings. "Slithe, you fool! I need Lion-O alive! If I find that he dies from that, I'll have your guts for garters!"
"M...Mu...Mumm-ra!" I groan as my vision clouds uncontrollably.
"Gnyah-ha-ha-ha! Looks like he's badly concussed to me!" Jackalman laughs as he waves his hand in front of my eyes "Give him the shot! Send him to hell!"
Something sharp pierces my neck, seconds before an ice-cold liquid seeps through my veins, leaving me in agony and feeling as weak as a kitten. I groan in pain as I realize that they'd injected me with pure liquid Thundrainium.
"Give him another dose of that stuff!"
I watch through half-open eyes as Monkian fills the needle with the glowing red liquid then walks towards me.
I grunt and groan as the needle enters my neck, and roar in agony as I feel the liquid being injected into me. I feel tired, weak and sick, but I don't know if that's because of my near-sleepless night last night, or from the Thundrainium.
I look down at the hand of the statue which is holding me in a vice-like grip. I need to escape. I fight against it with all of my remaining strength, exerting as much pressure on the statue as possible.
The stone begins to crack, and then it shatters, sending shards of stone everywhere. I ignore the shard that is buried deep in my right thigh and slowly walk towards Mumm-ra and the Mutants as an animal rush surges through my body. I keep staggering slightly because I feel light headed from the Thundranium.
The hackles down my back and neck stand on end as I growl harder and circle the ancient mummy and the four mutants. By the time I've fully circled round them, I'm down on all fours. Then, without giving them the slightest warning, I leap at Slithe, sinking my fangs as deep as I can into his arm.
He screams and drops the Claw Shield and the Sword of Omens as blood begins to dribble down his arm. I put my left hand into the claw shield, draw the sword then swing it at him. He backs off, until he trips over Ma-mutt. The un-dead bulldog wakes and slinks towards me then leaps at my throat. I easily hit him with the claw shield then turn and run on all fours.
I run down the seemingly endless corridors until I lose all sense of direction. Great! I'm lost! I sink down onto the floor and lean backwards against the wall as I bury my head in my hands. Suddenly, I find myself falling back into thin air. "Wha..." I shout as I throw my arms out to catch hold of something, but there's nothing; pure thin air.
My mane whips in my eyes as I fall through the air. I can see loads of different patterns; eyes, animals, people, scenery. The wind whistles in my ears as I flip myself over. I can see water not so far beneath me. I curl up into a ball as I hit the water's surface.
I find myself being swept along in the current. I fight to keep my head above the water, but it's like putty. I can't breathe. I give up on struggling and let the current take me where it goes. I close my eyes as I feel the water getting thinner. I start swimming towards the shore, and the second I'm on the sandy stretch of dry land, I collapse to my hands and knees as I choke. Water gushes from my mouth as my arms and legs give way, making me drop onto my front. I feel so weak from the Thundrainium. I look up at the starry night sky. Have I really been in the Black Pyramid that long? A dark silhouette appears above me and bends down over me.
"Leo?" I whisper, then my world goes black as I pass clean out...
"Lion-O? Lion-O, can you hear me? Wake up!"
I open my eyes and groan as a strong pain courses through my head and my left arm is aching. I groan in pain and try to sit up, but I'm gently pushed back down and a familiar voice snaps "Don't move! You could tear out your stitches!"
My eyes focus, and I can see that I'm lying in some sort of hut. "Wh...Where am I?" I say weakly as nausea washes over me. I look at my arm, and I see the Eye of Thundera carved into my arm.
"You're in my hut at the Ferrals' village, Lion-O."
"Leo?"
"Yeah, it's me. You're lucky to have washed up in the river where you did, Lion-O. This forest is haunted by the spirits of the ancestors. I've cleaned and sutured your wounds, and I've communicated with your Thundercats at the Lair to tell them that you're safe here."
He helps me sit up then takes a bowl from the side of a fire and fills it from the cooking pot.
"Here. Drink this." he says as he holds it to my lips.
"How do I know that you haven't poisoned it?"
"Wouldn't the Sword of Omens warn you? Plus, if I wanted you dead, I'd have dumped you back in that river."
"Well, yeah..."
"Just drink it!"
I start drinking whatever is in the bowl. It has a fragrant aroma that reminds me somewhat of the scents of days in the summer forests of New Thundera and Third Earth, and the taste is something to behold.
"What is this stuff?" I ask as Leo refills the bowl.
"It's an ancient Third Earth drink from a country called 'Japan'. We Ferrals call it chaa'jkykyllavarzsch, but its ancient name is 'green tea'. It's been mixed with honey to make it less bitter. It's a mixture of green tea, honey, and Ferral secret ingredients. Howether, it's sorta medicated. One of the leaves that I've added to the blend is a strong natural painkiller because it naturally contains the same chemicals as parecetamol."
I take another swig of the drink before saying "Did the Thundercats say when they'd be here? It's an extremely important day tomorrow. Well, it is for all of us."
"They said they'd be here at around 9pm. Anyway, why is it a very important day tomorrow?"
"It's my wedding! I asked you to be present. Remember?"
"Oh! Oh, yeah! I remember; you asked me to be best man, didn't you?"
"Yeah. And, remember, you promised me that you'd come!"
"I REMEBER! Well, you'd better get yourself ready to go," Leo says as he looks at me "The other Thundercats are coming."
"How do you...know..." I say, but I cut myself off when I see that Leo's eyes are glowing purple. He blinks, and his eyes return to normal. "Sorry," he says in a sarcastic voice as he gets up and walks towards the entrance "I didn't mean to...scare you."
He walks out of the hut, and I hear the engines of the Thundertank rapidly approaching.
"What happened to him?"
"I don't know. I just saw him in the river, so my guesses are that he was at the Black Pyramid. He's heavily wounded on his head, and he's badly concussed. It shouldn't last too long, though. He might be nauseous in the morning, but it's natural. He should be fine to shower in the morning because I've rubbed a healing salve onto the wounds"
The door opens and Leo walks in, leading the Thundercats in.
"Sneyarf! Lion-O! Didn't I tell you that they were fine? Reow, but you don't listen to me anymore..." Snarf says as he runs up to me. He looks around me before saying "Mumm-ra's gonna pay for this!"
I look up at Cheetara, Pumyra and Tygra as they walk towards me. "You can't keep yourself out of trouble for three seconds, can you?" the cheetah says jokily as the tiger and puma lift me up.
"We'd better get back to Cat's Lair quickly. We all need our sleep; it's going to be a very long day tomorrow." I say as we walk out of the door and towards the waiting Thundertank.
I look up and see the new moon above us. A shooting star flies by, leaving a streak of silver in the sky. Tomorrow is going to be fun.
...
"Lion-O! Lion-O! Wake up, Lion-O! C'mon! You need to get ready!"
I groan and push Snarf off of me. "Piss off, Snarf! I'm trying to sleep!" I mumble as I roll over and pull the blankets over me.
"No sleeping in! Have you forgotten? It's your wedding today..."
What the red and yellow cat says takes three seconds to register with me, then I'm out of bed like a shot. "SHIT! I can't believe that I forgot! Oh, God, I've gotta get ready!" I say as I quickly slip my dressing gown on then run out of the door to the dining room. I sit down in my seat and grab a bowl of cereal. I rapidly shovel it into my mouth, unaware of the others staring at me. I look up, and say "What?"
They turn their attention back to their breakfast. I drain my cup of coffee then get up out of my chair. "Well, someone's in a rush today!" I hear Wilykat say, but I ignore him and run out of the room.
When I reach my bedroom, I run into the bathroom and switch the shower on. I've only got a few hours to get myself ready. I strip off and grab my towel as I walk into the bathroom. I sling my towel over the radiator before getting under the warm spray. Somehow, what Leo put on my wounds healed them overnight. I've had my suspicions about him, but I never knew that the Ferrals were, in a way, 'magical'.
I grab the shampoo from the shelf and dump a load on my mane and rub it in before rinsing it out. I've never been so grateful to have a shower. My fur has had a certain smell to it since I was trapped in the Black Pyramid. I grab the body wash and rub it into my thick fur. I rinse the soapy suds from my body then grab my towel.
As I walk into my room, I see a special outfit on my bed. I try to ignore the nervousness welling up inside my stomach as I dry myself off. I pick up the shirt and pull it on; it's loose and has long sleeves that reach my wrists, which is something that I'm not used to, but I suppose it's intended to be loose because I'd tear the material the second I flex my arms. I pull my underwear on then the trousers.
"Lion-O, you ready for us to come in?" I hear Snarf ask as he knocks on the door.
"I guess so." I say as I pull my knee-high boots on.
The door opens, and Snarf, Snarfer, Tygra, Wilykat and Panthro walk in. They're all wearing suits, but the Snarfs are wearing white shirts and waistcoats.
"Feeling nervy, eh?" Panthro says as he sits on the bed next to me.
"Yeah. I haven't felt so nervous since I was crowned King of New Thundera." I say as Snarf starts attacking my mane with a comb "SNARF! I can do that myself!"
He drags the comb through my mane as he says "I know, but it looks like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards."
I stand up then look at myself in the mirror. I take the comb from Snarf, drag it through my mane a few times, then put some hair gel in my mane.
"You'd better get ready quickly. You've got fifteen minutes before we need to leave for the Cathedral."
"Yeah, I know." I say as I slip the black jacket on then tie the green tie around my neck.
...
The cathedral on New Thundera is huge. It towers over the rest of the buildings, casting a large, dark shadow over the city. Dedicated to our Gods, it's a testament to their greatness and prowess.
The spires stand tall; appearing to reach to the very heavens the ancestors of the Thunderians fell from thousands of years ago. The gargoyles that stare out blankly towards the four points of the compass are alien in their design. The protectors of the Thunderian gods, they're carved from the finest marble and glistening in the sunlight like wet leather.
A giant eagle circles over head and screams for its mate, bringing me out of my daydreams. I stand at the bottom step, looking at the blue and gold banners flapping in the wind on flag poles either side of the grand double oak doors. The Eye of Thundera is carved into the stone. I shield my eyes against the glare of the midday sun to look at the Thunderian flag that flies in the wind on the highest spire.
I close my eyes, take a deep breath and walk through the large oak doors.
I can hear a hum of voices from within as I cross the threshold. I catch my reflection in a large mirror as I pass it and pause to look.
My blood red mane is as scruffy as ever, despite being combed earlier. My shirt is tucked in at my waist into a pair of royal blue trousers, which had been made especially for today. It feels tight already, and I can't breathe properly. I look down at my boots, which had been polished until they shone like a mirror. My left arm is still sore from when Leo carved the Eye of Thundera into my shoulder, and I hear his voice call my name as I rub my arm.
"Lion-O,"
In the mirror, I see Leo walking towards me, his mane neatly pulled back into a Ferral warrior's braided ponytail which had been threaded with red and black beads.
"You're extremely nervous, aren't you?"
"Meh. What sold it to you?"
"You've got that scent."
He looks incredibly uncomfortable in his suit, but I suppose that's because he's used to wearing animal skin clothes.
"Why the hell did you ask me to wear this?" he says as he stops beside me and checks himself over. He runs a hand through the thick fur on his chin then takes something from his pocket.
He then slings an arm over my shoulders as we walk towards the main part of the cathedral. "Here. This is a little something that I made for you a few days ago." he says as he presses something into my hand. I open my hand, and see the carved stone pendant in my hand. The design is similar to that of an ancient First Earth clan of humans called the Celts, with the Eye of Thundera in the centre. "It's an ancestral charm. It's a Ferral tradition to give a man one of these on their wedding day to repel evil spirits who might jinx everything."
"Erm...thanks."
We walk past countless statues of Thunderian cats and carvings from the history of Thundera. Then, just outside of the main part of the Cathedral where a grand sculpture of Satos, Thy'lacaon, Tristahn and Märä.
"Satos, I thank you for what you have done for us Thundercats. I am obliged for the help." I say in Thunderian, then we walk through the door, showing the crowd who are seated in the pews.
Leo clears his throat then calls "Hail Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera!"
The crowd stands up and as I pass them, they bow to me then straighten up again. As I stand by the altar, Leo stands next to me.
I can hear Wilykit's voice from behind me, then the sound of an organ fills the air and I hear gasps of admiration. I turn around, and am struck dumb by Cheetara; she's wearing a billowing white wedding dress and her mane is curled. As she stands next to me, I say "Wow. You look absolutely beautiful!"
"And you look extremely handsome."
The vicar stands before us and starts the ceremony, but I'm not listening properly. It seems like forever until he says "Do you, Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera take Lady Cheetara to be your wife and queen in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"
I gulp nervously before turning to Cheetara, and, taking her right hand, I say "I, Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera take you, Cheetara, to be my wife and queen, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part. You are eternally mine to cherish forever until the end of time or the end of me."
Cheetara says the same before we give each other the rings. Then, the vicar says "I know pronounce you cat and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
I lift Cheetara's veil then pull her close to me. I slant my lips against hers as the crowd cheers.
I hear Leo shout "Long live Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats and King of New Thundera! Long live Cheetara, Lady of the Thundercats and Queen of New Thundera!"
The hall is filled with the sounds of the people cheering it, then we walk down the aisle, hand in hand.
When we reach the front doors, two members of the ThunderGuard bow to us then open the doors. I can hear the wedding bells ringing before we're even outside.
When we walk out of the doors, we're showered with pink, red and white confetti. Everybody cheers as we make our way back to the Thundertank.
By the time we get back to Cat's Lair, everything is set up for the party. As we walk through the grand gates, the members of the ThunderGuard who guard the Lair bow to me and Cheetara as we walk past them, arm in arm. When we go through to the garden, I see the decorations.
"Wow. This is just amazing!" I say as I shake my head to get the confetti from my mane.
"Guys, c'mon! We've got everything set for the party." I hear Torr call from the tent.
We walk into the tent as the guests start to enter the garden. Everything Snarf and a few of the guests cooked is laid out on a large table. There are many tables in the tent, and another large table sprinkled with confetti is at the head of the tent.
"You guys have the first dance." Torr says as the guests sit at their tables.
I see Leo, Bräiden and Jøhba walking through the gates. As me and Cheetara sit at the table, Jøhba and Bräiden sit in their seats as everyone else takes their seats.
As the other Thundercats sit down, Leo stands before us and says "I would like to make a toast to my brother and his new wife:
"For those of you who don't know me, I'm Leo, Lion-O's older brother. I stand before you all today as the best man, which is a job that I never thought I'd have. Now, me and Lion-O have never really seen eye-to-eye, and our father was never happy about it, but..."
Leo goes on and on, but eventually says "To the King and new Queen of New Thundera! May there be many happy years to come, and hopefully, a complete royal family." He turns and winks at me.
Then, the food is bought to the tables. I look at Cheetara as my glass is filled with red wine. "Y'know, I was really nervous about today; it's been absolutely fine. Howether, my arm has started to hurt again, though!" I say as I glare at Leo. He grins then turns his attention back to the plate of food in front of him.
"This is actually quite nice. What is it?" I ask as I chew my way through a good-sized piece of roast meat.
"Rabbit in a white wine sauce with petis pois and rice." Snarf says as he passes a plate to Wilykit.
"R...Rabbit?"
"Yeah. Plus, there's also a choice of venison or pheasant stuffed with champignons wrapped in streaky bacon. Or, traditional smoked salmon fillets with potatoes and au vin sauce."
I take a sip from my glass of wine then say "And for dessert?"
"Dark chocolate mousse with black cherry or candyfruit pie with Madagascan vanilla ice cream."
"Ok. I'll take the candyfruit pie."
"And I think I'll have the same." Cheetara says as she puts her knife and fork down on her plate.
Snarf takes mine and Cheetara's empty plates then rushes to get the desserts.
I feel Cheetara grab my hand as she says "Today has been the best, and happiest day of my life!"
I laugh as I unscrew the lid off of the bottle of whiskey that Leo have me then pour it into my empty glass. "It's been the same for me."
Snarf places the plates of pie in front of us, and we eat without a single word. I look over the guests that are present., and I can't help but remember mine and Leo's twelfth birthday party.
I'd got hyper on sweets and pop, meaning that I stripped naked and ran around the garden. Leo even said that father had to climb a tree after me because I'd climbed it then refused to come down.
"Lion-O, Lion-O! C'mon, it's time for you and Cheetara to dance together."
I look up at Snarf as he stands before me.
"Right, right. I...errrm...uhhh...I'm ready." I say as I hastily get up. I take Cheetara's hand as we walk down to the dance floor. A song starts playing, and we start dancing. I sing along with the song as I twirl Cheetara around. When it finishes, we kiss again. Then, a crazy song starts up and everyone gets going.
I take another deep swig from my glass of whiskey as we continue socializing with the crowd.
- (BORDER) -
I look up from my glass of red wine and look at the dance floor; most of the guests are enjoying a slow dance. Today has been simply magical. The wedding ceremony was flawless and went without a single hitch, and the party has gone perfectly for the last few hours.
I look to my left at Lion-O; his cheeks are as red as his mane and he's unbuttoned his shirt, as well as untying his tie. I know he's drunk; I can clearly smell the alcohol on him. Howether, he keeps throwing back whiskey like the stuff's water. He knows that he shouldn't be drinking so heavily, but there's nothing stopping him.
I give him a swift jab in the hip with my elbow as I hiss "Lion-O, you shouldn't be drinking so much! You'll really regret it later!"
Lion-O laughs heavily before turning to look at me as he says "C'mon, what's the harm? 'No harm done'!"
He refills his glass then throws it back before standing up and walking down towards Leo. I follow him and stand behind him.
"Hey, Leo," he says as he puts an arm around his brother's shoulders.
"Yes, Lion-O?" Leo asks, obviously noticing that his brother is drunk.
"Why does the Easter Bunny hide Easter eggs?"
"I don't know..."
"Because he doesn't want anybody to know that he's been fucking the..."
"LION-O!" I say as I roughly grab his arm "Don't be so dirty!"
He laughs then says "It's not! Listen, how can you tell if a chick is too fat to fuck?"
"I don't know and I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!"
"When you pull her pants down, her arse is still in 'em!"
"Oh, God, he's even worse than you!" I say as the young lion starts cackling in a drunken stupor.
Me and Leo drag Lion-O back to the table.
...
The party is over by midnight. As I thank the guests for coming and lead them to the gates, I look behind me and see Lion-O standing on the steps of the Lair, his head held in his right hand. He's absolutely pissed, but at least he'll learn his lesson from the hangover he'll have in the morning. I run up to him and say "I think you'd better get to bed, Lion-O. You don't look so good."
I sling my right arm around his shoulders and lead him inside of the Lair. He mumbles something unintelligible, but doesn't object when we walk into the entrance hall. He stumbles and faceplants on the stone floor; I try to muffle my laughter as he gets up, then he falls over again. "Fuck!" he snaps, then starts swearing in Ancient Thunderian like a trooper.
Pumyra walks in, and stops dead at the sight of our drunken lord.
"We'd better get him upstairs before he starts throwing up." she says as she helps me get Lion-O up off of the floor.
Tygra has to help us carry him upstairs because he's so unco-operative. When we're in our room, we sit him on the bed as we try to get him changed into his pyjamas, which proves to be a much more difficult task than we'd originally anticipated. Then, we have to drag him into the bathroom to the toilet because he starts violently vomiting.
We're in bed half an hour later; Lion-O is on his side with a bucket by his side incase he vomits again.
I'd moved all of my possessions into Lion-O's room earlier; it looks weird to see my things along with the young lion's stuff.
I switch out the light then say "Goodnight, Lion-O.", but he must already be asleep because I can hear his snoring.
Next time on Thundercats:
After a perfect wedding, Lion-O and Cheetara decide to settle down and have cubs. Howether, is New Thundera a safe place for a prince or princess? When problems start to ramp up and an ancient enemy makes a re-appearance, all the years of Lion-O's training is put to the test. Will he be able to defeat the ancient force of evil, or be banished from New Thundera...forever?
Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!