A/N: The songs which are used for each chapter is chosen for the lyrics; they either match the event within the chapter, a character's thoughts, or it seems like something a character would say. For example, I used the song Be Somebody for this chapter because the lyrics fit Lion-O perfectly. Plus, in the part in Katzeran's perspective, all the grammatical and spelling errors are intentional because he IS just a 5-year-old kid after all.

Key:

Flashback = Flashback (Obviously)

Dream = Dream

Time Passage =...

- (BORDER) - = perspective change

Anyway, chapter information:

Genres: Adventure and Drama

Warnings: Scenes of violence, and explicit language. !SUGGESTIVE ADULT THEMES!

Date started (Chapter): Tuesday 31st May 2016

Date finished (Chapter): Wednesday 13th July 2016

Song/s: Be Somebody by Thousand Foot Krutch, and Scream by Thousand Foot Krutch.

Chapter 23: Be Somebody

People say that you don't know what it feels like to have anxiety until you actually suffer from it. I wish to the Gods that I didn't know what it feels like, but I unfortunately do.

Every day is always the same. Nothing ever changes, and even if it does, it's a rarity. Every morning, I wake up with the same routine to follow. It's always a case of getting up at six in the morning and waking Katzeran for school, having breakfast then getting my son's uniform sorted and helping him get ready (he still can't dress himself, but he is only five) then dropping him off at his school, Westside Primary. After that, I come back to the Lair and get on with the tasks for the day, which are always the same; sitting at my desk in my office working through endless paperwork and documents, or sitting in the control room, surveying and guarding New Thundera.

Everything is always exactly the same and I don't know if I can put up with it for much longer. I wake to the sound of birds, along with the alarm clock. I slam my hand down on it to turn off the alarm before stretching as I yawn. Mondays are always the worst, but something usually happens which has us on our feet. For example, Cheetara and I have been asked to go into Katzeran's school to talk to the kids about the importance of the Code of Thundera and what it means and takes to be a Thundercat. I suppose that it is different, but after that, it's back home and on with the duties. Plus, I have another meeting with the New Thunderian Council, which is why I have been desperately working on the paperwork and documents because they're for Lysander.

I haul myself up off the bed and pull my Thundercat uniform on as Cheetara gets up and gets ready. We walk out of the room together, and as I walk into Katzeran's room and switch the light on, I notice that he is snuffling into the stomach of his polar bear plush. "C'mon Katz," I say as I open the curtains, flooding the room with bright sunlight "Time to get up and get ready for school."

He groans then sits up, but he gets out of bed and trudges behind me and Cheetara as we walk down the stairs. Once we are in the Dining Room, we eat breakfast and talk about the day's plans as per usual. And like for the past few days, I can only eat a few mouthfuls, and I push the rest around my plate.

"Lion-O, c'mon, this isn't like you. You need to eat."

I just sit there, staring into thin air as Snarf talks to me. I look down at my still full plate of breakfast until it blurs. I don't have an appetite at the moment; I don't feel like eating.

"Lion-O!"

I look up as Snarf says my name. He's giving me a stern look. "Eat your breakfast. You can't do this to yourself; it needs to stop."

I force myself to eat, but I feel insanely sick. My throat is so dry that I can't swallow anything, meaning that I'm stuck chewing a large rasher of bacon until it's the consistency of a thick paste, a thick slime that covers my tongue and teeth...

I quickly get up then run from the dining room, feeling like I'm about to vomit. I only just make it to the bathroom, and even then I don't make it in time, and I'm violently sick all over the tiled floor. It's obvious that keeping my troubles to myself is making me ill. I slump sideways against the wall and sigh, holding my head in my hands. Why do I feel like I can't say anything? The fear of being rejected?

I'm sick again, my chest heaving as I gasp for air, beads of sweat running down my face.

"Lion-O? Are you alright?"

I look behind me and see Cheetara, Snarf, Pumyra, Tygra, and Panthro. My wife sits down next to me and gently places her left arm around my shaking shoulders. She tries to comfort me, and I start crying on the cheetah's shoulders. I look up, and I see that Panthro and Tygra are looking at each other with concerned expressions on each of their faces.

"I...I...uh...I'm alright..."

"You obviously aren't. I think you're ill. Why won't you tell us what's wrong?"

"Because I don't wanna talk about it..." I murmur.

Cheetara sighs with disappointment, so I get to my feet and walk out of the room and go back to the dining room, and I see that Katzeran is gone, and I know that he's gone to get dressed for school.

- (BORDER) -

I sigh as I look through Lion-O's medical documents. I don't know what I'm looking for, but I have a hunch that I'm going to find something. I notice that over the past few weeks, his blood pressure has been getting higher and his weight has dropped slightly, which is really bad.

"Pumyra?"

I look up as Cheetara walks in. "Hi Cheetara. How can I help you?" I ask as the cheetah sits down in one of the chairs in front of my desk. She sighs before saying "Pumyra, I have a feeling that something isn't right. For the past few weeks, I've been waiting for Lion-O to say something to me about how he feels, but he hasn't and I know that I can't wait any longer. I need closure but I can't get anything out of him, and it seems to be making him sick. Pumyra, I'm so worried about him..."

I sigh sympathetically. "Cheetara, it's perfectly natural for you to be worried about Lion-O. I mean, he is your husband after all. And we've all noticed that something is wrong with him. He isn't himself. Have you noticed anything else?"

"He hasn't been sleeping properly. He wakes up, sometimes multiple times every night, and one or two times, he's woke up screaming. He tells me that he wakes up naturally and has the occasional nightmare, but I think...no...I know that he's lying."

I think for a moment before saying "I'll have to do a full medical test on him, but I'll also have to keep him in for the night so that I can monitor his sleep patterns."

"He'll most likely object to that. You know what he's like."

I chuckle slightly before saying "Ah, but you see, Cheetara. I have my ways."

"Right, so, I'd better go and get ready. I've got to be at the school in an hour and a half." Cheetara says, and she gets up before walking out of the door.

I sigh before looking back down at the lion's medical documents. I read the handwritten reports, and I realise that I'm reading the medical report on his birth:

"Friday 13th November – 02:17a.m.

Emergency Caesarean Section at 01:46a.m. due to unfavourable position prior to delivery and blood loss suffered by the mother. Delivered 1 month premature at 02:05a.m. with the umbilical cord wrapped around the throat. Blue tint to skin due to oxygen starvation; resuscitation took 5 minutes. Vitamin K administered 15 minutes after birth. The mother did feed after birth but soon had to be put under for a second surgery due to severe internal bleeding."

I keep reading, and I see loads of entries from Lion-O's childhood. There are countless reports of illnesses and a few broken bones, and even a report about him being kicked in the head by a horse when he was 10. I sigh again. "Oh Lion-O, you've always been one for getting into trouble."

- (BORDER) -

I sigh as I read the papers that Lysander had given me. I have over 15 papers and 4 legal documents that he wants signing before the meeting with him and the rest of the members of the Higher New Thunderian Council. I've been reading and signing them since last Wednesday, and I'm still not finished.

The assembly at Katzeran's school went perfectly and we bought him home after because they have assembly last after the fifth period. Right now, Snarf is helping Katz with his homework, meaning that I'm able to get these papers finished...

"Lion-O, can we come in?"

"Yeah, come in." I say, and I look up as Tygra and Panthro walk in. They both look as if they're planning something. "How can I help you?"

"Lion-O, you need to come with us." Tygra says as he steps forwards "This is important."

"If you're going to drag me to the infirmary, forget it! I'm not moving!" I snap, so they look at each other; they grab me by my arms and pull me out of my seat, keeping a strong, firm hold on me as they drag me out of my office.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO ME? LET GO OF ME!" I scream, struggling against the pair with all of my strength "I said GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME! I DEMAND THAT YOU LET ME GO!" I make myself go limp, flopping to the floor, and making myself as heavy as possible, refusing to cooperate. "There's absolutely NOTHING WRONG WITH ME!"

"Lion-O, stop being such an immature brat and get up!" Tygra yells, but when I don't do anything, they give in and just drag me along the floor towards the infirmary. They pull me to my feet, and we walk into the room, but we go straight to Pumyra's office at the back. The door is opened, and we walk in. I can see the other Thundercats, and my eyes instantly meet my wife's.

I'm pushed down into a chair, shaking violently. I forgot to take today's meds; I'm trembling and sweating.

"Lion-O, you've got our attention, and now you have to tell us what's wrong."

I can't help but shrink back in my seat as the others look at me, willing the ground to swallow me up. I feel so much guilt for not telling them, but I still clear my throat and force myself to look around at them; they're all looking at me with the same expressions of concern, and Marcia just seems sorrowful. The snow leopardess only just returned from her home village in the Mountains of L'ankjyvååh a few weeks ago, and has been adjusting to life at Cats' Lair. She can now speak English and a little bit of Thunderian, but she mostly speaks in Italian.

I gulp nervously before saying "I know that you're all worried about me, and I know why and I appreciate that fact. But now I need to tell you about my problem. Every night for God knows how long now, I've been plagued by horrific nightmares. Many times, I have more than one each night, and they all follow the same line; punishment because of Lynx-O's death, and the murders of Rataro and Grune. I've had one where you all savagely tore me apart limb from limb, one where you forced me to have my memories wiped by the Sword of Omens, and my most recent one was where I was killed by a creature from my childhood nightmares because my soul was possessed by Satos. Combine that with the problems I have getting to sleep, and I'm lucky to get more than 3 to 4 hours a night."

"Oh, Lion-O, why didn't you tell us before? You do know that you can wake me up if you have a nightmare." Cheetara says as she walks up to me and hugs me.

"I didn't tell you because I thought that you'd all laugh at me and turn me away..." I mumble sadly "And I know that it just makes me sound like a stupid little child..."

"I'm going to have to perform a full medical check up on you to try to get down to what it is that is causing you to suffer from these nightmares." Pumyra says as she stands up "Which leads me onto my main point; you're going to be sleeping in the infirmary for tonight so that I can measure your sleeping pattern."

I shift uncomfortably in my seat, staring at the floor as the tears trickle down my cheeks. Why am I like this? Why do I have to be such a coward? This isn't who I was before Satos took over my body, and even now, I'm not 100% certain that he's gone because I often have uncontrollable bouts of anger and hatred, which have only happened after he took control of me.

The other Thundercats leave so that Pumyra can check me over, but Cheetara stays with me. I lay back on one of the beds as the puma checks my blood pressure, which proves to be higher than normal, so she runs a blood test. When I see the needle, my heart starts pounding and sweat trickles down my forehead. Everyone knows about what I'm like with needles; I'm such a wuss. I involuntarily growl at the pain as the sharp metal pierces the skin on the inside of my elbow, and my growl slowly grows louder as the muscles in my arm tense without me realising.

"Lion-O, you've got to relax, ok?" Cheetara says as she squeezes my hand "This will be over soon."

Pumyra runs a few more tests, and then I'm free to go. "It'll take me a little while to analyse the results from the blood test. At the least, I should be able to have them ready by tonight." Pumyra says as we get up to walk out of the door.

...

Sure enough, Pumyra does have the results ready by seven that night. After putting Katzeran to bed, me, Cheetara and Snarf head to the infirmary. My former nursemaid perches himself on my shoulders, purring nervously. It's no secret that he has been worrying about me, and it's also not a secret how devoted he is to Katzeran and me.

We sit down in the puma's office, and the silence is deafening, as well as unnerving. Pumyra sighs as she looks through the paperwork. "Honestly Lion-O, I can't find anything wrong in your blood, meaning that everything is down to the PTSD and anxiety. There is treatment, but it's mainly psychological training to prevent you from having these nightmares."

I sigh and look down. Cheetara gently takes hold of my hand and squeezes slightly, and as I look up at her, she smiles at me and says "Lion-O, we'll get through all of this together. I promise. I'm here for you, as you already know." I look into her bright golden-amber eyes and notice how her eyes are sparkling. I sigh again, but Cheetara passionately kisses me.

And then even later that night, I get ready for my night in the infirmary. When I am finally lying down, I'm hooked up to all sorts of monitors. "Is all of this even necessary? I feel like some sort of scientific experiment." I laugh, so Pumyra sighs before saying "I'm going to give you some medication that will help you fall asleep, and after that, me and Tygra will be monitoring you throughout the night."

I take the medication and settle myself down, and within a few minutes, it starts to take effect on me and I begin to feel drowsy. I close my eyes, and a few minutes later, I feel myself slipping into the depths of sleep...

- (BORDER) -

I chuckle as I look into the cauldron. "Well Ma-mutt, my faithful un-dead hound, it seems like the Lord of the Thundercats is having a bad time," I say as I circle the cauldron, petting Ma-mutt "I must say though, things have been awful for him lately- perfect. That means that he is mentally at his weakest. The perfect strike has to be at the right moment, to...break his mind completely when he's already so low. The perfect way to torture him, just like how he deserves!"

I look back at the cauldron as I chuckle. I'm going to make that wretched Thundercat pay!

I raise my hand as I chant in Ancient Egyptian, and as I see the image changing, I grin at the nightmare that I have planned for Lion-O. "Let's see how you deal with this one, boy!"

- (BORDER) -

I open my eyes as I hear insults and crude comments being jeered at me. I'm in some sort of cage, and my ankles are bound in heavy, thick iron shackles. I can only just make sense of what is being yelled at me, and when I look down, I see why I'm being laughed at; I'm stark naked and my fingertips and the tips of my toes are bloody- my claws and fangs have been torn out. Humiliated, I throw my hands down in order to keep my dignity, but I know that it's far too late. The Plun-darrians who have gathered are all holding items that look like they'd be used in a torture chamber.

I back away, but something sharp and hot is jabbed into my back, giving me a horrid electric shock. I roar in pain and turn around, and see Mumm-ra standing behind me, holding an electrified shock pole-like contraption. He grins at me, and then presses a button; electricity crackles and dances around the end of the pole as it glows white-hot. "Payback time, cub!"

He lunges at me and grabs me by my left wrist before lifting me up off of the ground and hooking me onto the roof of the cage. He swings the pole at me, hitting my side. The ensuing electric shock is agonizing, and I scream as if it feels like my whole entire body is burning from the inside out.

He drags the pole across the floor; blue sparks leap between the pole and the bars of the cage. "This isn't just electricity; it's also black magic- with the ability to transform you into one of my...evil spirits..." he hisses, staring at me as the crowd screams at him to kill me.

Due to the fact that I am incapacitated, I can't fight back when he presses the pole against my chest. I can feel my heart beginning to beat faster as pain explodes throughout my body. It feels like needles are being forced into my body, and it feels like by bones are being brutally changed – I can feel them snapping and lengthening, along with my teeth and claws, which are lengthening and sharpening. Plus, I can feel the skin on my shoulder blades and all down my back stretching and tearing before a pair of massive jet-black wings erupt from my back, spraying blood and flesh all over the place. Black armour begins to materialise on my body, and then the chains snap from the sheer weight of my body.

Mumm-ra cackles, and a white chain materializes in his hand, along with a collar around my neck; Thundranium.

"You disgust me, Lion-O."

I scream in pain as he wraps the chain around my chest, using the slack ends to repeatedly hit me round my face. The collar is soaked in liquid Thundranium, and I feel so weak that I can't move – I can barely breathe.

- (BORDER) -

"What the hell is happening to him?"

I look down at Lion-O in horror as he writhes on the bed as if he is caught in the midst of a violent seizure, even though he's asleep. His heart rate is fluctuating, and he's groaning, roaring and screaming. Cheetara comes running in, and I can see the obvious expression of horror on her face at the sight of what state her husband is in.

"Tygra, I would normally object to this, but we need to wake him up NOW!"

- (BORDER) -

"What's wrong, Lord of the Thundercats? Can't stand the heat?"

Mumm-ra cackles as he pins me down and presses the chain diagonally across my face, severely burning my skin as I scream. I can't do anything against him- I'm powerless to act. The ancient devil priest grins sadistically before tightly looping the chain around my neck and pulling tightly, cutting of my windpipe and the arteries in my neck, both strangling and severely burning me at the same time. All I want to do is die; I don't care anymore. I'm sick of it all- the torture, the beatings, the battles. So why can't I just die already?

I feel hopeless. Everything that I wanted and was promised for the future...slipping away through my fingers as those promises are taken back. Everything that they ever said was a lie. So why did I ever believe that things could...no...would last? Why did I ever believe that they were telling the truth? People change constantly, but I'm changing too much. So why did everything matter so much to me when at the snap of a finger, everything can and will change? Because it never did. Nothing. Ever. Does...

- (BORDER) -

I watch as Lion-O writhes, my heart breaking at the fact that I know I can't help him in any way. Usually when he has a nightmare this bad, he's awake by now, but he isn't. I can see that he's sweating, and I have the awful feeling that something is terribly wrong.

Pumyra injects something into the crook of his elbow, and although it seems like hours pass, the lion sits up like a shot before looking at me shortly before collapsing back down onto the bed. He is panting heavily, sobbing, and shaking. In order to try and help him calm down, I gently place my hand on his back- his skin is hot and sweaty.

Suddenly, he rolls over and retches, spewing the contents of his stomach all over the pristine, clean floor before lying back again. "M...Mumm-ra...t...t...tortured me...turned me into...into one of h...his evil spirits..." the young lion murmurs weakly, still violently shaking. How badly has that affected him...?

...

A Few Hours Later...

"How is he?"

I walk into the infirmary and see Lion-O sitting back against the pillows on his bed, his eyes closed, meaning that he looks like he is asleep.

"'He' is perfectly fine now, and has a name, too." the young lion murmurs without opening his eyes.

I sigh slightly before turning to look at Pumyra and Tygra. The pair have been monitoring Lion-O since he had the violent nightmare, after fearing that the episode would claim our lord's life.

"Well, it's a relief that you're ok." I say as I sit down in a chair at the side of his bed. Lion-O sighs slightly, but he allows me to take hold of his hand, and I realize how fast and strong his pulse is. He opens his eyes, and I notice that they are bloodshot, and he is very pale. He looks exhausted...

- (BORDER) -

Later That Same Day...

I look at my friends as we sit around the table in the Council Chamber.

"I swear, it didn't feel natural. I've had dreams in the past where he has been able to mess with my mind by selecting what I see, and using it to torment me. If anything, it seems that he's trying to lower my guard..."

As if on cue, the Sword of Omens roars in warning of danger. I take it from the Claw Shield and hold it in front of my eyes as I say "Sword of Omens, give me Sight Beyond Sight!" I command for the Sword's powers, and the crossbars curl upwards as the Eye of Thundera growls, and the familiar blue swirling fog fills my mind. Once it clears, I can see Mumm-ra flying towards the Lair, seconds before the proximity alarms are set off.

- (BORDER) -

I look up in fear as the alarm is set off. It's really, really, really loud and I don't like it. I can hear Dad shouting from outside but a deep laugh from be..be...behind me and I turn around and see Mumm-ra. I gasp and step back. I turn to run. The door closes. I turn back as Mumm-ra walks to me and I try to growl to scare him off but it does not work and he still keeps walking to me and I feel so scared when some thing blue and crakely starts to cover his hand.

"Oh, I'm going to make you pay for being born, you little brat!" he says meanly as he walks to wards me. He fires the thing at me, and it hurts so badly. I scream and cry, tryeing to get free. "Dad! DAD! HELP ME! PLEASE!" I scream, tears going down my face as Mumm-ra laughs...and then a loud roar fills the air and I catch a smell that I know.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY SON, YOU MONSTER!"

I hear Dad shouting, and then he jumps over me at Mumm-ra as some one lifts me up. "Oh my God, Katzeran, my baby, are you ok? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

I bury my face into Mum's chest and cry, and she rubs my back as she says "It's ok, Katz. It's ok now, you're safe..."

- (BORDER) -

I roar with rage as I swing the Sword of Omens at Mumm-ra. I swear to the Gods, I am going to make the bastard pay for hurting my cub! He dodges before unsheathing the Sword of Plun-darr.

"This is it, Lion-O! I will make you pay for everything you have ever done throughout the past load of years!"

I growl as Mumm-ra threatens me, but I launch at him again and swing at him my left hand, wrenching the Sword of Plun-darr from his hands before throwing it away.

"And this is what happens when you mess with the Lord of the Thundercats!" I snarl, before swinging at him multiple times with the Sword of Omens, knocking him back until he falls backwards. I put a foot on his chest and put the tip if the Sword against his throat.

"You've lost again, Mumm-ra!"

"Go ahead then! Finish me!"

I growl, and I place the Sword of Omens back into the Claw Shield. "I'm not going to finish you, Mumm-ra. I'm not that type of person. Killing is against the Code of Thundera."

Mumm-ra cackles viciously. "Well, Lord of the Thundercats, it seems like you've already lowered yourself to that level twice!"

He kicks me in the chest, sending me flying across the room. I hit the hard concrete wall with a loud thump, and agony explodes throughout my mouth, followed by the strong taste of blood as I accidentally bite down into my tongue.

I spit out a mouthful of bloody saliva to the side of me before forcing myself to my feet. Retrieving the Sword of Omens from where I dropped it, I charge at Mumm-ra again, letting out a savage roar as I swipe at him with the Sword. I obviously mistimed because he grabs hold of my arm and violently twists my shoulder joint before throwing me to the side. I hit the floor and roll before going into a crouch. Panting, I stand up, overwhelmed by a familiar feeling which I...no...not again...please not again...

I growl as I turn around and look at Mumm-ra. "So, here we are again. Just me and you, comedian, right? With your fancy weapons and filthy magic? Bring it on!" the voice that comes out of my mouth is familiar, yet strikes fear into my heart at the same time – Satos.

I'm too weak to fight him; he seems to have gotten stronger since the last time he took over my body. 'I' run towards the ancient devil priest on all fours and launch at him with a lot more power and force than what I can usually manage, and I knock him backwards, sending him flying into the wall. I watch Mumm-ra as he slumps over, dazed but still awake. Yet, Satos doesn't stop there; he forces me to unbuckle my hunting knife from its sheath on my belt, holding it high above my head.

"Wenke'tsu ka'anggo-tsu raaumpuungsch apaizch aku'wa m'weyt-sekh! Pamit, ch'matèni!" 'I' scream in Ancient Thunderian as Satos makes me bring my arm down. Every part of me is shaking. I don't want to do this...

"You've got no choice in this matter, boy!"

I growl at the voice in the back of my head. "Wh...Why are...are you d...d...doing this to me again, S-Satos? I-I..."

"If you're as smart and intelligent as you make out to be, then you'll know not to fight against me because I can kill you when I am in control of you like this!"

Mumm-ra sees that I'm dithering, and the next thing I know, I'm being sent flying towards the window. The glass shatters and I hurtle towards the ground as I hear Cheetara screaming my name. I aim the Claw Shield at the head of the Lair and fire the grapple hook; I soar straight back up to the window and throw myself straight back at Mumm-ra, using the window ledge for a powerful launch.

I roar before seizing hold of him by the back, seeing as how he is threatening Cheetara and Katzeran. He screams as my long, sharp claws pierce his decaying flesh and tries to pull me off of him, resulting in small chunks of his flesh being torn off of his body. He eventually manages to get me off of him, holding me in front of him by my forearms, allowing me to kick out at him. I roar and fully bear my fangs before breaking free of his grip, lashing out at him with the Claw Shield; the razor-sharp iron claws sink deep into his face and split his flesh.

He howls in pain and backs off, but I don't leave my attack at that; I stalk towards him on all fours, viciously growling and snarling. I can clearly see the fear evident on the Ancient Egyptian mummy's face as he turns around and dives out of the window, leaving a trail of thick, dark crimson blood on the glossy paint. I run to the window and stand up as not to get any of the shattered glass in my palms.

"That's more like it! Run! Run away like you always do, you coward!" I shout, breathing heavily and trembling from the sheer amount of adrenaline pouring through my body.

"Lion-O, are you alright?"

I turn around and see Cheetara and Katzeran behind me. They both look extremely worried, and Katzeran looks like he is on the verge of tears. "C'mon you," I say to my young son, and he runs towards me, crying. I pick him up and walk towards Cheetara as Katzeran wails "I thought you were gonna die..."

I laugh shakily before saying "It's ok, Katz. I'm fine, I promise. I'm not going to die." Katzeran doesn't seem very reassured, but he hugs me as Cheetara wraps her arms around us. She smiles at me, and I kiss her softly. However, she also seems very concerned, but I can understand why; this is the first time in over 5 years in which Satos has taken control of me.

"Yeah, I'm ok. I may have had a sight heart attack, but I'm fine." I say as she takes Katzeran. The cheetah looks at our son and says "Right, Katz. It's bath time!"

"But I don't want a bath! I want to play in the garden with Dad!"

"You can play outside after you've had your bath."

I chuckle as the pair walk out of the door before turning around as I hear a familiar voice say my name.

"Lion-O, you do understand how dangerous Satos could be to you, don't you?"

I sigh slightly. "I know that he's dangerous to me, Jaga - he almost killed me the last time he took control of me. Plus, I am terrified for what could happen if he does end up killing me. What would happen to the other Thundercats? How would they cope without me? Who would take my place until Katzeran is old enough to take the throne?"

The ghostly jaguar places a hand on my shoulder as he says "You don't have to worry about any of that for years yet, Lion-O. You have a long and happy life ahead of you. You shouldn't be thinking about that sort of stuff yet."

I sigh again and look away from him. Does he understand how I feel? "Listen, Lion-O, it's obvious that you're feeling down, but by keeping your thoughts and feelings to yourself, you'll end up doing yourself more harm than good."

"I...I know that Jaga, but I'm not necessarily the best at getting my thoughts and feelings out vocally. I just...you know...keep them bottled up, even though I know that it's bad for my health."

"You really need to change that."

"I know, Jaga. I know."

- (BORDER) -

That night...

I sigh peacefully as I walk up the stairs. The coolness of the floor is soothing on my hot, bare feet. Lion-O put Katzeran to bed for me earlier to allow me to get a bit of rest before going to bed, and so I have been sat in the library, wrapped in my light blue dressing gown, reading my book for the last hour.

I walk along the corridor towards mine and Lion-O's bedroom. My feet don't make any noise on the carpeted floor, meaning that I can sneak past Katzeran's bedroom without making too much noise.

I stop outside of our room, the door of which is closed. "Lion-O? Are you in there?" I ask as I knock on the door, and I hear the strong but smooth voice of my husband say "Why don't you come in and find out, my love?"

I open the door and walk in to find the young lion lying in the middle of our bed on his side. He's wearing nothing but a pair of extremely tight skinny jeans, and he has a single red rose in his mouth. Yet again, there are rose petals scattered on the silken sheets, and there are candles dotted around the room.

"You never fail to impress me, Lord of the Thundercats." I chuckle, and as I sit down on the bed and turn to look at him, he winks at me. I see what he's getting at.

I slip my dressing gown off and lie under the sheets, and Lion-O undresses then joins me, then when I rest my head on his muscular chest, I can hear his powerful, steady, unhurried heartbeat and his deep, throaty purring. I gently and slowly breathe in the sweet scent of his fur, which is noticeably a lot stronger and more pungent than usual, meaning that he is in heat. He wraps his powerful arms around me and holds me close to him. "I love you so much Cheetara, my beautiful Queen." he whispers lovingly, and I can't help but run my hands over his back and through his wild, tousled mane. "I love you so much too Lion-O, my handsome King."

He places a hand under my chin and makes me look him in the eyes – his beautiful, bright gingery-orange eyes. He places his lips against mine and passionately French-kisses me. I force him onto his back then straddle his chest, sucking at the skin on his neck, eliciting a soft, purring moan from him. I know that I've got him wound round my little finger. He reaches out and switches the lamp off, and then we passionately embrace...

...

I look up at Slithe as I growl. The wretched reptile grins at me before unsheathing a laser rifle, which he turns on my husband. Lion-O growls loudly as the Mutant aims the weapon at him. He tries to break the bonds which are keeping him down, but he can't.

"Go on then! Shoot me! You've got a clear shot of me, so why don't you take it?" Lion-O snarls as he stares at the reptile, whose hands are violently shaking. The young lion roars, and Slithe cries out in fear as the sound reverberates around the room. He manages to break the bonds, and Slithe panics and pulls the trigger; warm blood sprays all over me as the bullets rip through my husband's neck and chest...

I open my eyes as I wake up, panting heavily. Just a nightmare. I sigh shakily with relief, but I still put my arm out – just to check; I can feel Lion-O's shoulder and mane. Now I definitely know that it was just a dream. However, tears trickle down my cheeks and I wriggle into his arms and nuzzle my cheek against the calming warmth of his muscular chest as I slowly breathe in his scent. I love him so much and I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to him.

I feel his arms tighten around me in a warm embrace as he murmurs "What's wrong, Cheetara? Did you have a nightmare?"

I sigh again before replying with "Yeah. Sorry if I woke you up..."

Lion-O chuckles slightly before starting to purr lovingly as I press my cheek against his chest, allowing me to hear his strong, steady heartbeat.

"I don't care if I get woken up a million times a night so long as I always get to have you as the first thing I see when I open my eyes." he whispers into my ear, sending shivers of bliss down my spine at the rich and powerful tone of his voice. We cuddle up to each other and he falls back to sleep within a few minutes, but I lie awake. I can't sleep; something doesn't feel right.

I sigh with frustration and roll onto my back. I can't get comfortable, and I can sense something amiss. Lion-O is out cold next to me, purring and murmuring something in his sleep. I've always known that he's such a fidget when he sleeps, but the bed is a large queen-sized bed, and my husband's arms and legs seem to be everywhere. Groaning, I haul myself out of bed, just as Lion-O wraps his arms around my pillow, lovingly mumbling my name in his sleep, seconds before he starts rubbing his cheek on the material as he purrs loudly but affectionately.

I chuckle slightly before opening the door to the balcony and stepping out into the darkness of the night. The cool air is like ice on my hot skin, and I sigh contently as I listen to the crickets chirruping in the courtyard below, along with the hoots of the owls...

And then the alarm starts blaring, bringing me to my senses. Lion-O wakes up like a shot and gets up before taking the Sword of Omens from the stand by the side of his bed.

"Sword of Omens, give me Sight Beyond Sight!" he commands as Katzeran comes running into our room, crying and clutching his plush polar bear.

"I don't believe it! There's a spacecraft inbound, headed straight for the forest near the Ferrals' village!" Lion-O says, and then I hear a deafening explosion, as if the air itself had just cracked. We look at each other before running to the balcony. As I look up, the sky itself seems to be ablaze as a large object soars through the sky and plummets to the ground in the forest just beyond the city. It was obviously the spacecraft due to the fact that it was travelling too slowly to be a meteorite, and it was far too large. I'm frozen to my spot with horror. If there were people onboard, would they still be alive now?"

Next time on Thundercats:

Now that Lion-O has managed to come clean with the other Thundercats, life begins to get easier for the young Lord of the Thundercats, but when faced with a treacherous journey into the Ferrals' forest, will everything go smoothly?

Find out in the next chapter of Thundercats: Wake Up!