Disclaimer: I do not own ThunderCats. I only own my OCs for the purpose of this fanfic. I based how El Dara would be on the film 'Road to El Dorado.'
Update: I decided to rename my OC Leopera to Leophelia as not to confuse with Leopara, allurasgrace's OC from Hiraeth. The original name was just a coincidence. I named her in 2014. It is a pun on Ophelia, this tragic Shakespeare character which in a way fits Leophelia's tragic backstory. Leophelia is pronounced 'Leop-felia'
From upon a hill, two cubs watched the sun set over the royal city of Thundera, back when it was standing great, against the pink and orange sky.
"The sunset is so beautiful, isn't it?" A young female cub asked dreamily, leaning against a young male with their hands intertwined tightly.
The two cubs were very different from each other. They were different species, a leopard and a lion. And the lion was dressed in fine blues whereas the leopard was clad in dark rags. They even had blue eyes but in different shades. The lion's eyes were a dazzling turquoise while the leopard's eyes were a light blue that could hypnotise any onlooker.
"Yeah…" The male lion cub said, possessing a sad mood.
"Is something wrong, Lion-O?" The female leopard asked.
He turned away, but she leaned in closer.
"It's your family again, right?" She questioned gently.
He sighed and turned back to her. "My father scolded me and compared me to Tygra again. He treats me like I'm the adopted son!"
Just when he was about to lose his temper, his friend grabbed his shoulder. The leopard girl's gentleness quickly calmed him down.
He sighed again. "He wants Tygra to be king. Everyone does. Then what am I doing here? Tygra was heir before I came along. My mother died giving birth to me. I never knew her. Tygra hates me for that."
"It wasn't your fault. And it's not fair to make you carry that burden."
"How can I be a great king like my father?"
"You will. There's no one better to be than yourself, Lion-O."
Young Lion-O once again smiled at her.
He always felt his happiest whenever he was in her presence.
She was his best friend.
She was the only one who understood his burdens.
"We'll always be together…right?" She asked him, in a timid voice.
The way she said it, it sounded like she was unsure of their future, like she was scared of losing him, like she wanted to stay at his side forever. She even staring at him as if she was longing for him. Her head was tilted, so much of her soft hair was tousled over her shoulder and arm.
He found her so cute when she did that.
Still smiling, he cupped the right side of her face. "We will. I promise."
She leaned in his hand, their similar blue eyes locked in a longing gaze…
"THERE YOU ARE!"
The cubs jumped apart in surprise and looked behind.
An orange cat wearing a similar expensive blue outfit to Lion-O was running up the hill towards the cubs.
And he looked angry.
"Tygra!" Lion-O exclaimed.
His best friend froze, paralysed with fear as his older brother advanced dangerously close.
The tiger's brown eyes zeroed in on the little leopard.
"You!" He roared, charging towards her. "I should've known you're the reason why my brother went missing again!"
"Tygra, stop!" His little brother jumped up and stopped him from attacking his friend. "It wasn't her fault! I left on my own!"
"You shouldn't have left the palace for a street rat in the first place!" Tygra snarled, towering over his brother. Then he glared at his brother's friend. "You really did it this time, you crazy she-cat! My father is furious! When I get my hands on you-"
"Leave her alone!"
With all his strength, Lion-O managed to push the much bigger Tygra back. But Tygra lunged again for the leopard girl, claws out for extra measure.
It worked.
He scared Lion-O's timid friend so much, she turned on her heels and dashed down the side of the hill away from the princes, away from Thundera.
Away from Lion-O.
"Wait, Leopy!"
Lion-O tried to run after her, but Tygra snatched him up before he could.
"You better run!" Tygra called after the leopard cub, struggling to hold his little brother. "Lion-O, stop squirming! We have to go home now!"
"I have to stop her!"
Lion-O almost slipped out of Tygra's grip, but Tygra quickly grabbed him again.
"Leophelia!" Lion-O called out.
He had no choice but to reach his hand out helplessly and watch his best friend disappear from his sight.
"Leophelia, wait! Don't go! Leophelia!"
"LEOPHELIA!"
Lion-O sprung from his sleep, still calling out his old friend's name. And waking up Snarf in the process.
Snarf jumped high, shrieking, and then landed on his master's awaiting arms. The little red creature whined, not pleased with the rude awakening.
"Sorry, Snarf." Lion-O apologised, patting his pet.
He got up from his bed just as he heard the sound of movement. He realised that he also accidentally woke up his fellow ThunderCats in the process. They all barged out of their rooms, ready to attack, while he emerged calmly.
"What in the blazes?" Panthro announced, baring his nunchucks.
"I didn't touch it, I swear, it was Kit!" Kat yelled, stuck in his half-asleep state.
"I didn't do it, it was Kat!" Kit exclaimed, half-asleep as well.
"Are we under attack?" Cheetara asked, more awake and alert than the others.
Tygra was behind her, his green armour off his chest. He was in the middle of sleeping with Cheetara when he was rudely interrupted.
"What are you screaming for, Lion-O?" Tygra growled with annoyance.
"Sorry," Lion-O apologised bashfully. "Just a bad dream."
"Well, keep it to yourself!" Panthro grunted. "A warrior like me needs his beauty sleep!"
With that, the panther went back into his room, slamming the door behind him. His snores could be heard from inside. Kat and Kit yawned in unison and went back into their shared room together. Lion-O was about to return to his room when Tygra stopped him.
"Leophelia…There's a blast from the past." Tygra said.
"Snya!" Snarf chirped, making Lion-O smile and scratch his head.
"You remember her as well, don't you, Snarf? You liked her."
A faraway look stretched across his face as he fondly remembered Leophelia. Leophelia. A name he hadn't heard for years since that terrible day.
"I haven't thought about her in years. Father hammered it into my head to forget her."
His tender expression got replaced by guilt.
"I promised her we'll be together forever."
"You were just cubs then, Lion-O." Tygra pointed out. "It wasn't a real promise."
Lion-O scowled at him.
"It's been 10 years, brother. Let it go."
Lion-O's scowl twisted tighter. He looked so much like their father. It took Tygra aback.
"Father tried to find her, you know." He mentioned, hoping that some truth would soften the tension. "Jaga wanted to take her in. Just like you promised."
Lion-O's scowl didn't go away.
"But she was never found. I never saw her again."
Anger boiled up inside the lion. Feelings of frustration towards his brother from his dream instantly became real.
"You have everything. Everyone adores you. Father, the people, Cheetara. Yet you couldn't let me have one friend. You had to chase her out of Thundera. I'm sorry I caused mother to die and took the title of heir from you. But it's not fair to make me carry that burden when I had no control over it!"
And with that, just like Panthro, Lion-O stormed back into his room and slammed the door in Tygra's face. Tygra groaned, his throat rumbling of regret. He turned to go back to his room, only to be stopped by Cheetara wearing a frown on her pretty face.
"Did you really chase away his friend?" She asked firmly, staring at him hard, daring him to lie to her and hold onto his pride.
He didn't even try to save face. "I didn't mean to. I was only trying to get Lion-O back."
"You really need to control that temper. I can't believe you never told me."
"I forgot! It was a decade ago! Father didn't want Lion-O associated with a crazy stray. He came to regret it later and tried to find her and give her to Jaga so she can become a cleric. But we never found her again. It was like she vanished into thin air."
"You and Claudus ruined an innocent cub's life! You cost Jaga a potential student! You took Lion-O's only friend. You really hurt him."
She couldn't believe what she just learnt about her love. How could he do such a thing? Lion-O just had his heart broken for a second time and now, of all time, was dealing with another betrayal. It pained her to see her king in such distress.
"It seems like you and Lion-O are always finding something to argue about. I wish you two would just make up already."
"I'll talk to him tomorrow. I promise."
"You better. Or this is the last time we're sharing a room." She leaned in, over his shoulder and whispered in his ear. "And the last time you ever touch me."
He squeaked.
She smirked and pulled away, getting into bed, putting an end to their romantic night.
Tygra groaned again, dragging a hand down his face. Both his mate and brother were mad at him.
"Why do I feel like I'm being punished?"
The next morning, the ThunderCats embarked on their quest to find the final stone. During the flight, Tygra sent glances to Lion-O who focused his attention on the Book of Omens.
"Well, your majesty, what does the book say?" Panthro asked.
"The last stone is just about…below us." Lion-O said, pointing his finger down.
Tygra pressed a button, and a screen showed the area below them. A jungle with thick, green treetops and what seemed to be a lake with a yellowish monument in the centre.
"I don't see anywhere to land." Tygra observed. "And the jungle looks too thick for me to make a spot. We're going have to land elsewhere and search for it on foot."
So, he landed the Feliner on the edge of the jungle in a secluded area to hide from their enemies. Then he and his fellow ThunderCats ventured into the jungle to look for the lake and possibly find the final stone.
The jungle wasn't just thick. It was denser up close. The trees were huge, the vines were long, the roots were as large and sturdy as Panthro. Even the flowers were big. Every possible way they took, they found themselves blocked by a tree or a plant. There was no clear path.
The twins were not bothered by the problem. They found another way by swinging on the vines, jumping over the roots and branches, and having fun in the process.
"You two go ahead!" Panthro shouted. "See if you can find the lake!"
"Ok!"
"No problem!"
The other ThunderCats looked around on ground, trying to find an exit. Tygra took the chance to talk to his brother.
"Lion-O, can we talk?" Tygra asked.
But Lion-O just walked past him, ignoring him with an angry frown, still mad at him.
At least he wasn't upset over Pumyra's betrayal for the time being.
Tygra sighed and glanced to Cheetara. She stared at him with a raised brow. He just shrugged bashfully.
The twins were still swinging and laughing. Then Kit's vine suddenly snapped in two, and she fell, screaming.
"Kit!" Kat yelled.
He reached out to catch her, only to lose his grip and fall alongside her, crashing on the ground and tumbling down a huge root, and then flying off before crashing on the ground.
The other ThunderCats heard their screams from the other side.
"The twins!" Lion-O shrieked.
"Is there a time those kittens aren't in trouble?" Panthro grumbled.
"I'll get them!" Cheetara said.
With her superspeed, Cheetara ran up the tree while the boys climbed at their normal pace.
The twins groaned, their bodies aching from the impact of their fall.
Kat helped his sister up. "Are you okay, sis?"
"Uh huh." She nodded. Then she looked around. "Where are we?"
Kat observed his surroundings. He and his twin sister were in another area of the jungle, but this one seemed…different. The atmosphere carried an air of suspense and fear. Like they don't know if anyone was going to jump out and be a friend or a foe. It was scary. Apart from that, at each corner of the area were stone statues of lions with big manes and no arms or hands, just front paws. Snarf versions of lions.
"Kit? Kat?" A voice called.
"Cheetara!" Kit cried happily.
"Over here!" Kat hollered, waving his arms.
Once the twins saw Cheetara's form coming, they ran forward. But halfway there, Kat tripped.
"Kat!" Kit shrieked.
Cheetara was already at her side, kneeling to Kat.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" Cheetara asked.
"Yeah…" Kat said, his voice muffled with his face on the ground.
The female cats glanced to his feet to see what made him trip. His right ankle was caught against a rope. Then there was the sound of something moving. Sure enough, all the stone statues were moving on their own.
"Kat…I think you set off a trap." Kit said.
"I what?" Kat gasped, finally lifting his head up.
"Cheetara? Kids?"
Cheetara gasped and turned. The others were approaching just as the stone lions released dark smoke.
"Stop! It's a trap!" She cried.
She grabbed hold of the twins and tried to run, but her eyes drooped and then she and the twins fainted.
"Cheetara!" Tygra yelled, catching her and the kittens.
But he stumbled to his knees and laid on his side with his mate and the kittens in his arms, succumbing to the gas.
"It's knock out gas!" Panthro exclaimed. "Cover your mouths and noses!"
But it was too late. Panthro dropped like a rock. Even Snarf fell victim to the gas.
Lion-O coughed and tried to cover his mouth, but the smoke still slithered its way into his senses. He felt himself getting drowsy. He tried to support himself with his sword, but it wasn't enough to stop himself from falling into unconsciousness.
"Whiskers…"
However, just before his eyes closed, he saw figures moving in the smoke…
After what seemed like an eternity, Lion-O woke up. He tried to move, but he couldn't. Looking down, he found out that his wrists and ankles were tied with rope. Then he looked up, seeing that the other ThunderCats were also tied up and still unconscious. Even poor little Snarf.
He also found out they were in a boat and not alone. There were three cats like themselves, but of different species, wearing tribal clothes and gold jewellery. Two of them were rowing the boat down a dark tunnel while one sat at the back.
"Who are you?" Lion-O demanded. "Where are you taking us?"
The strange cat said nothing and just stared ahead.
Lion-O growled in frustration and turned to the cat next to him, who was Tygra.
"Tygra? Wake up!"
He kicked his brother awake, making him jump out of his seat.
"Ow! Lion-O! What was that for?" Tygra snapped.
"To wake you up because my hands are tied." Lion-O replied, holding his bounded hands up.
Tygra frowned and shifted his attention to his mate, gently nudging her awake with his elbow.
"Tygra?" Cheetara groaned.
"I'm here, babe." He spoke.
"Where are we?" Kat asked.
"I don't know." Kit answered.
"Oi!" Panthro shouted. "Where are you taking us?"
Like before, their capturers didn't answer the ThunderCat.
"Answer us, you bunch of-"
Lion-O cut him off. "Panthro! Don't make it worse."
"How much worse could it possibly get?"
Lion-O almost retorted when a ray of sunlight almost blinded him in the eye. The light was coming from ahead, peeking in pass long vines that covered the end of the tunnel. The boat pushed the vines aside, bringing in more light.
On the other side of the entrance was a city.
It wasn't as vast as Thundera, but it was glorious to look at. Every building was gleaming with a luxurious coat of yellow. Not only that, but there were also piles of gold, scrumptious looking desserts on golden plates and golden bowls of sweet sugar everywhere.
The ThunderCats couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"Is that…" Lion-O trailed off.
"Gold? Yep." Tygra finished.
"Gold and dessert?" Kit gasped.
She and her brother shared a grin. Then Kit started squealing with excitement.
"We're here! We found El Dara!"
"This can't be El Dara." Panthro dismissed.
"Look at the evidence!" Kat stated. "Dessert! Gold! Gold and dessert!"
"We'll investigate when we get the chance." Cheetara assured.
From a distance, behind a tree, something was observing the boat, specifically the ThunderCats. It was an odd creature. No fur, no claws, and no fangs.
"They're here. The vision is coming true!"
"Ralph! Where are you, sweetie? Come back!"
"Coming!"
The creature ran away to the source of the voice.
The boat docked at a pier just outside a temple. The strange cats practically shoved the ThunderCats off the boat.
"Move it." One cat spoke at last. "Our leader would want to meet you personally."
The cats forced them into the temple. Upon closer inspection of the temple, the ThunderCats realised the entire building were made of gold. The walls were gold, the ceiling was gold, the stairs were gold. And even the throne was gold.
Where another cat was perched upon.
This cat was a mountain lion, with a brown shaggy mane, a sandy-coated body, cold grey eyes and wearing more extravagant tribal clothes, clad in bright shades of red and green. A long, spotless white wrap-skirt clashed with the colours. A gold crown with long and big red and green feathers sat upon his head. Like the strange cats, he wore a bunch of gold jewellery, only gaudier. The big earrings, the thick necklace, the chunky bracelets, and tall anklets, they all scream 'LOOK AT ME!'
The ThunderCats were forced to kneel before the mountain lion by their captors, who instead bowed of their own will.
"We found these cats outside, Lord Muta." One of the tribal cats said.
The mountain lion smirked, as if pleased with the ThunderCats.
"At least they're not vermin. More cats are just what we needed…"
The mountain lion, dubbed Muta, trailed off when his grey eyes caught a glance of the Sword of Omens among the ThunderCats' weapons gathered in one of the tribal cat's hands.
"I know that sword…"
He got off his throne and approached his guard, cold eyes still locked on the sword.
"My father told me stories of a magnificent sword that can only be wield by the worthiest of all cats, as the leader of the ThunderCats…Where did you get that sword?"
His soldier pointed to Lion-O. "It belonged to him, my lord."
Muta turned to Lion-O. "Who are you, lion?"
Lion-O looked up. Proud, strong, and brave as the lion king he was.
"I am Lion-O. Lord of the ThunderCats. King of Thundera."
He nodded to his captured friends.
"These are my fellow ThunderCats, including my brother, Prince Tygra."
Muta gasped, shocked. "This is a miracle. Please, stand up."
He helped Lion-O to his feet.
"Untie them, you idiots!"
His men scramble to do as he ordered. Once freed, the ThunderCats took their weapons back.
Muta bowed before Lion-O, allowing the younger lion to tower over him.
"Welcome to El Dara, your majesty."
The twins practically screamed out of pure joy. Panthro and Tygra had to cover their ears.
"We were right! This is El Dara!"
"We found it! We finally found it!"
"Technically, it found us." Cheetara said.
"Even better!"
"But El Dara is supposed to be a legend." Lion-O questioned. "A myth. How is this possible?"
"Allow me to explain, my Lord." Muta said. "El Dara was originally born as a settlement of Thundera to expand the empire during the reign of Leonidas."
"Leonidas? But he was king 500 years ago!" Panthro exclaimed.
"I never heard of a settlement so far from Thundera. Tygra, have you?" Lion-O asked his older brother.
"No. Father would've told us." Tygra answered.
"Your forefathers most likely erased El Dara from Thundera history to avoid embarrassment." Muta theorised. "At the beginning, El Dara was built upon discovery of gold and sugar mines, ensuring wealth and food for the Thunderian people. But over time, Thundera and El Dara lost contact due to the great distance in between. The settlement got lost in history, stuck in this jungle for centuries. When we tried to venture out, we were hit by a dangerous world. So, we decided to stay here. Our security system is a precaution, as you already witnessed. We had to protect this city. But you and your ThunderCats are more than welcome to stay."
"Can we have dessert?" Kit asked.
"And some treasure too?" Kat added hopefully.
Muta smiled at them. "Of course. El Dara is yours to enjoy. I'll organise a feast in your honour tonight."
"That's very kind of you, Lord Muta." Lion-O complimented.
"It's an honour to have the king of cats and the ThunderCats here, your majesty. So please, explore your ancestor's city."
Muta bowed once more before Lion-O, and then turned around and walked away with his men following. And hiding a smirk. The ThunderCats were alone in the throne room. The twins took the chance to run outside, hungry for their reward.
Lion-O grinned, feeling his spirits lifted at last.
"Our luck has finally turned around." He beamed.
"Lion-O, it's a bit earlier to trust someone we just met." Cheetara said. She was a bit more sceptical about the situation. Especially when one of the guards, a king cheetah, was eyeing her like she was a juicy stack of meat earlier.
"But this is a Thunderian settlement. And we need more allies."
"A city of pure gold and endless supply of dessert?" Tygra remarked. "This sounds like a fairytale."
"If this is a fairytale, show me the woman I'm gonna marry and have kittens with." Panthro said, crossing his robotic arms. "That's a dream that's never gonna happen."
"That's rather pessimistic of you." Lion-O commented.
"Not pessimistic. Realistic. It's gonna take one heck of a woman to turn this bachelor into a smitten kitten."
"You're too old to be a bachelor. You should've settled down with a nice girl ages ago." Lion-O teased him, making Cheetara and Tygra chuckle.
"You sound more like my mother than a king." Panthro grumbled. "Don't forget, we need to find the last stone. So, let's grab the twins and-"
It was there that he and the others finally noticed that the twins were gone.
"Where the heck did the twins go?"
"Where do you think?" Tygra responded.
The twins were outside the temple at the top of the stairs, where they marvel the city of their dreams. It better than they had ever could imagine it would be.
"Gold!"
"Dessert!"
"Dessert!"
"And gold!"
"You got the Forever Bag?" Kat asked his sister.
She whipped out said bag. "Yep!"
"Let's do it!"
Hyped up on exhilaration, Kit and Kat crouched and then, like the wild cats they were, pounced forward, flying across the air, heading right towards two giant towers of coin coins and ornaments.
"They're here! They're here!"
"Take it easy, Lex. They're not going any-AH!"
BAM!
But instead of gold or even dessert, the twins crashed into two figures who unfortunately got in their way. They rolled about on the ground until they slow down.
"Ow…" Kit moaned. Her limbs got intertwined with whoever she crashed into.
"Sorry…" That someone said from above.
She opened her eyes and saw that she was touching noses with a dog pup about her age. He looked like a Doberman Pinscher but had the floppy triangular ears of a Rottweiler. He had a black body with a warm tawny-brown on his muzzle, chest, hands and feet, and a pink blush streaked across his face, with his yellow eyes were fixated on her. His built was rather cuddly with some baby-fat, which made Kit want to hug him. The puppy wore an over-sized white shirt, a brown bet hitched at his waist on top, blue shorts, and shiny gold armour-plates on his shoulders and knees.
He immediately untangled from her and stood over her.
"Here. L-Let me help you up." He said, offering his hand to her.
She took his hand, letting him pull her up.
She smiled at him. "Thank you."
The dog smiled back until he realised they were still holding hands and quickly let go. He hid his hands behind his back, blushing. Then he grabbed a treat from the nearest golden plate and offered it to her.
"Cupcake?"
Kit took the cupcake and took a big bite when she made a sound of delight. This was the most delicious dessert she ever had!
However, seeing the dog smiling shyly, she found him sweeter than the dessert.
And cuter.
Kat had a rougher landing. Whoever he crashed into, they flipped him over and pinned him down, with their knees digging into his stomach.
"What hit me?" He groaned.
"What hit you? You hit me!"
He looked, finding a young female lynx saddling him and glaring down at him. Her size and pitch of voice told him she was around his age. She had short curled-inward reddish-orange hair with black spots and tips. Her eyes were spring-green and framed with long white eyebrows and black eyelashes. Her slim body was coated with tan-coloured fur, with red on her hands, tufts of black hair on the tips of her ears, and a distinct fluff of fur on her chest with a black bow-like marking on her collarbone, which gave her the appearance of having a busty chest (which Kit obviously noticed.) She wore a red vest over a black off-shoulder shirt, a red pair of shorts with a matching skirt over them, a red bandana tied across her forehead with the long tails flapping down her back, a gold gauntlet on her left arm, and long black spat-like coverings on her legs. Around her neck hung a gold necklace with a round pendant that had the engraving of a cat's face in geometric shapes. On her right wrist was a light-red wristband with a shiny disk on it.
"What is your problem, bud?"
Kat only stared up at her, silent and still.
"Lex-A, get off him please." The pup said in a polite yet stern tone.
The lynx-girl, now dubbed Lex-A, scoffed but she jumped off Kat like the cat she was. She was actually taller than Kat by a head when she stood up.
Kat rose as well, still staring at Lex-A with a blank face. She raised an eyebrow while she stared back, with her hips cocked to the side and a hand on her waist.
From the moment he met her, Kat stopped thinking about the gold El Dara had to offer. Instead, all he could think about was this fiery she-cat.
Lex-A…
Suddenly, Kat's face broke into a lopsided grin he'd seen Tygra pull many times.
"Hi there." He said, hoping to sound suave. "My name's Wilykat. It means Wild Cat."
Lex-A just shot him an unamused glare.
"Really? Mine means Defender!" She snarled, baring her sharp teeth at him which made him recoil.
"Smooth, bro." Kit commented.
The pup just shook his head.
Lex-A rolled her bright eyes and turned away. "Whatever. I have better things to do. Like, find the ThunderCats."
Kit regained his grin. "Well, look no further. Here's one."
She got excited, looking around frantically. "Where?"
"Me!" He pointed his thumbs to himself.
Lex-A stared at him, silent. He thought he had impressed her.
Until she started to scream at him.
"HOW DARE YOU!?"
"Uh oh." Kit squeaked. "I think you made her angry, Kat."
Kat stood still. His grin was now upside down.
"THE THUNDERCATS ARE AN ELITE GROUP OF THE FINEST CATS IN ALL OF THUNDERA! THERE'S NO WAY THEY WOULD LET A SCRAWNY CUB JOIN THEIR RANKS!"
"She's scary." Kit whimpered. She grabbed the dog's arm, making him blush.
"Don't worry. She's a good friend." He assured her. "She's just…spirited."
"DO YOU EVEN HAVE A BRAIN IN THAT BIG HEAD OF YOURS OR JUST HOT AIR?"
Kat tried to speak. "Uh…"
"DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO DEFEND YOURSELF, YOU LIAR!"
Her outraged voice echoed up the steps of the temple, where the other ThunderCats were, looking for the twins when they stopped by the scream.
"What a voice." Cheetara noted, rubbing her ears.
Lion-O winced from the piercing sound, but then his eyes widened.
"Tygra, Panthro. Did that scream sound familiar to you?"
Tygra and Panthro both thought it over and eventually their eyes widened too.
"No. No, it can't be." Panthro dismissed. "There's no way that's-"
"YOU STUPID IDIOTIC FOOL!"
"Yep, it's her." Tygra said bluntly. "I know those lungs anywhere."
Lion-O looked ahead, finding the source of the screaming. "She's down there, yelling at Kat."
"Wonder what he did to tick her off."
Down below, Lex-A was still screaming her head off at Kat while her dog friend noticed the older cats coming down the stairs, coming towards them with their impressive weapons.
"Are those…" The dog asked.
Kit grinned. "The ThunderCats? Yep."
"Does that mean you are…"
"Yep."
"Uh, Lex…"
"I'M GONNA WRING YOUR PUNY NECK AND TEAR OUT YOUR RIDICULOUSLY BUSHY HAIR AND WEAR YOUR TEETH AND CLAWS AS JEWELLERY!"
"Lex…"
"YOU LYING, CHEATING SON OF A-"
"Lex-A!"
"What, Dobby? I'm trying to-"
"Please stop shouting." Lion-O asked, standing right behind Lex-A. "As much as I am happy to hear you again, it's giving me a headache."
The young lynx froze with her fur and hair standing up. Quite slowly, she turned around and gaze up at Lion-O with big eyes.
"PRINCE LION-O!"
Then she squealed and lunged forward, engulfing him in a tight hug.
"It's King Lion-O now, Lex-A." Lion-O chuckled. "But I'll let it pass." He returned her eager hug, letting her cry into his shoulder. "It's so good to see you again."
Tygra came over and gently patted Lex-A's back. "Hey, Lex-A. You're a sight for sore ears."
"Prince Tygra!"
At once, she jumped from one brother to the other, making him stagger back by her sudden action.
Cheetara giggled at her mate.
"Who is she, exactly?" She asked.
"Lex-A is General Lynx-O's granddaughter." Panthro replied. "So, it's a bit of a surprise to us that she's here in a mythical paradise."
Tygra managed to yank Lex-A off him and put her down so he can question her.
"What are you doing here? How did you get here? How did you survive the fall?"
Lex-A went timid, the opposite of the vibrant cat she was mere seconds ago. She gripped her necklace, her fingers fiddling with the pendant. Tears threatened to fall from her spring-green eyes.
"When Thundera got overwhelmed by the invasion, all Grandpa could think was getting me out. We ran into Dobby and his mother, and he told me to go with them. That was the last time I saw him…"
Lion-O gently rubbed her shoulder for comfort. Lex-A turned to her right and reached her hand out to the dog, who came to her and took her hand.
"This is Dobby. He and his mom helped me escape Thundera. I owe my life to him."
She looked at Dobby with calm gratitude. He bashfully smiled and blushed while they held hands.
Kat growled with jealousy, fisting his hands.
Lion-O smiled down on Dobby. "Thank you, Dobby. Where is your mother?"
The pup cast his gaze down, his bashful face turning solemn.
"She was killed by a lizard while we were escaping, your majesty." Dobby whimpered.
Lion-O gently touched Dobby's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
While Cheetara, Tygra, Kit and even Kat was sympathetic for Dobby's loss, Panthro was eying the pup with suspicion. For some reason, he was oddly familiar…
"Kids!"
A loud voice, softer than Lex-A's, called out. The ThunderCats looked and saw a she-cat running up to them, possessing a tail which she swung side to side.
She was an ocelot with cream fur, warm amber on her shoulders, arms and back, a pattern of black rectangular-shaped rosettes with tawny-brown fillings, a black stripe across her collarbone, and her creamy tail was almost covered with grey stripes. Her face was oval-shaped with large golden-brown eyes, pink lips, black rectangular-stripes on her cheeks and on the sides of her neck, three black spots under each eye, and small black spots on her forehead. She had hair in two different shades of brown, the darker brown in the middle, keeping the light brown on the sides of her head, like Kit. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, held by a small gold crown with green jewels. Her figure was quite lithe and petite. She simply wore a red, sleeveless dress. Like Muta and his soldiers, she was decked out in a lot of gold jewellery. A wide and thick gold necklace, gold triangular earrings, and big gold bracelets and anklets the size of Cheetara's disks.
She stopped before them, taking a deep breath, and then shot Lex-A and Dobby a stern look.
"How many times have I told you two to not go off running without me?" She said, placing her hands on her hips. 'You had me worried sick."
The cub and the puppy gave her cute faces, with their eyes big and ears flopped.
"Sorry, Ocelota." They said in unison.
Ocelota frowned at them. But her frown turned upside down and she opened her arms, to which Lex-A and Dobby eagerly ran to, engulfing in her embrace. She smiled softly and hugged them close. After a few moments, she finally noticed the Thundercats.
"Oh, hello."
She straightened up, Lex-A to her right and Dobby to her left.
"I don't believe we've been introduced properly. My name is Lady Ocelota of House Dalí…"
She trailed off once she saw Panthro.
Big, muscular, dark, and handsome Panthro.
A wide grin stretched across her face.
"My! You're a big boy." She proclaimed, much to everyone's shock, especially Panthro.
She strolled right up to Panthro, still grinning, eyeing him up like he was a plate of El Darian dessert.
Panthro was so surprised by her forwardness, he can't form a sentence to counteract.
"Ur, ah…Um…"
The others laughed at the scene.
"Lady Ocelota, this is Panthro." Lion-O spoke for his friend. "Panthro, don't be so rude. Say hello."
"H…h…"
"Pleasure."
Ocelota held her hand out, palm down, expecting a gentleman's kiss from the panther. However, Panthro grasped her whole hand and shook it in an awkward handshake. It didn't take the grin off the ocelot's face though.
"Guess we'll be seeing each other more often." Kat smirked to Lex-A.
She rolled her eyes. "More than I want."
"Do you believe me now? That I'm a Thundercat?"
"For all I know, you're their errand boy. Or their mascot."
"I'm not! Snarf is our mascot."
"Snya?"
"No, we really are Thundercats." Kit said, having enough of the lynx's attitude.
Unlike with her twin brother, Lex-A believed her. "You seriously are a ThunderCat? But how?"
"He and his sister proved themselves worthy to join." Lion-O answered.
Lex-A was about to retort when she student went rigid, her ears moving on their own.
"DUCK AND COVER!"
She and Dobby ducked to the ground and covered their heads. Suddenly, a cat guard came flying in the mid and came crashing into a pile of gold. The Thundercats gasped.
"Where did he come from?" Panthro exclaimed, finally regaining his ability to speak.
Sounds of a fight drew the Thundercats to the edge of another set of stairs, overlooking a scene of the guards fighting lizards. There were 3 lizards, each a different species.
The first was a male chameleon. He was a rather handsome lizard. His muscular body was a cool aqua-green with teal stripes, while the rims of his head-crest were yellow, and he had smouldering auburn eyes. All he wore was a red pair of trousers, purple armguards, and a necklace with five red scales attached.
The second was a male Komodo dragon. He was a massive beast who can rival Tygra. His body was black with a cream underbelly and dark green eyes. He wore a burgundy set of trousers and vest, a black necklace necklace with a big white tooth, and brown arm guards.
The third was a female snake. She was nearly double the size of the male lizards due to the long length of her tail, which was the lower half of her body. Her huge and slender body was covered in shimmering grey scales with a pure white underbelly, black lips with fangs, and big black eyes. She had arms which bore armguards, one purple and one magenta. Also, all she wore was a purple corset with magenta edges and a long black choker.
"Looks like El Dara has a lizard problem as well." Tygra commented.
"They're different than the one we usually fight." Kit mentioned.
"That one is huge!" Kat observed, pointing at the Komodo Dragon who easily swatted away a few guards like flies.
"That's a Komodo dragon. Nasty brutes." Panthro replied. "The biggest and meanest lizard there is."
"What kind of lizard is that?" Cheetara asked as she gestured to the snake.
"A snake." Panthro breathed. "Haven't seen one of those in a while."
"A snake?"
"The last kind of lizard you wanna meet on a battlefield. They're big. Venomous. Fast. Slender. Strong. I saw one squeeze the life out of 10 cats. One drop of that venom and you're dead."
The snake grabbed a dozen guards with her lower body, but rather than squeeze the life out of them or bite them with her venom, she just tossed them across the yard.
"She must the one who threw that last guy."
"Oh crud, there's a chameleon!" Panthro groaned when he spotted the chameleon changing his skin to blend in with the ground and swipe the guards off their feet. "Sneaky little buggers!"
Lion-O noticed, amid the scuffle, a hyena was lying on the ground, looking hurt.
"The lizards must've hurt that hyena."
Hearing him, Lex-A gasped.
"Wait, your majesty! There's something you need to know!"
However, Tygra pushed her back. "Get back, Lex-A."
"But you don't-"
"Thundercats, h-"
"DRAGO!"
A battle cry followed by the sound of an arrow cut through the air before Lion-O could finish his own battle cry.
An arrow pierced the shoulder of a guard, causing him to shout in pain, just before a yellow figure came swinging on a vine and kicked him into the other guards, them crashing down like dominos.
"About time you got here!" The Komodo dragon snapped, knocking the heads of two guards together.
"Sorry." The figure apologised causally as they shot arrows from their bow. "Got held up. Muta caught me. I barely escape with my life."
"Again?" The snake remarked just as she tossed more guards away.
Those guards went flying and crashing into the stairway, stopping the Thundercats from coming down.
The chameleon ducked to the ground, his entire body changing to the same dull shade of stone grey as the ground, and darted across the yard, swiftly the guards right off their feet, before reappearing again, back to his green colours.
"Can't that guy take a hint?" The chameleon asked. "Oomph!"
Suddenly, he was hit from behind by an unnoticed soldier and forced down to the ground, with a foot digging into his throat. The guard smirked wickedly down on him, raising his spear high.
"Chamelyon!" The snake cried, too far away and busy with the other guards to help her friend.
The soldier was about to plunge his spear down when the yellow stranger used their bow to loop around his neck, pull him away and deliver a punch to the face.
By the time the Thundercats finally went down the steps and reached the yard, the fight was over. The last of Muta's soldiers ran off. The lizards stayed behind. Strangely, the Komodo Dragon tended to the hyena while the stranger and snake helped the fallen lizard.
"Are you alright, Chamelyon?" The stranger asked with worry on their voice.
The chameleon moaned, but he gave a confident smile. "I'm fine, Leophelia."
Lion-O stopped in his tracks. Did the chameleon really said what he thought he said? He decided to test his suspicion with a single word.
"Leoppy?"
Apart from just screaming it out last night, the nickname sounded so foreign.
The figure stilled, their ears shifting at the mention of the nickname. Then they turned around.
Lion-O felt his breath taken away.
The stranger was a cat. A leopard to be more exact.
A beautiful leopardess.
Her tall, statuesque body was as yellow as gold, patterned with black rosettes patterned on her arms, shoulders, back, legs and neck, and a white muzzle, running up from her stomach to halfway of her heart-shaped, leaving the other half yellow, and a small smattering of black rosette freckles across her cute nose. Her eyes, her eyes were a strikingly bright light shade of blue, like the clearest diamonds, bordered with white eyeshadow-like markings, and thick black eyelashes and eyebrows. Her plump lips were in a soft shade of red. She had long, black hair with a blue shine arranged in a braid hanging over her shoulder, a red bandana tied around her head and interwoven in her braid, while a loose stand laid in between her face, in between her piercing eyes. She was wearing a black bandeau with purple rims, black leggings with yellow rosettes on her thighs, black fingerless gloves running up to her elbow, purple armguards on top, and black stripes of cloth wrapped around her feet, leaving her clawed toes. Around her neck hung a long black rope with a gold round pendant resting in the space between her stomach and chest. A brown quiver, with green shimmering scales sewn in, was draped over her shoulder, carrying silver arrows with white tips and a shiny, silver bow that bore delicate designs of long and skinny lizards with wings breathing fire.
"Lion-O?"
Her whisper confirmed his wish.
He grinned.
It was his Leoppy.
She was grown now, but he knew those eyes and freckles anywhere.
The leopardess slowly advanced towards him, taking her time in studying him, blinking as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. When she got close, she carefully brought her clawed fingers down the side of his face. Their bluish eyes were locked, turquoise and light-blue staring into each other.
And then her red lips formed a big smile. "Lion-O!"
Lion-O returned the smile.
They both laughed, bursting with excitement of finally seeing each other again after years of forced separation.
"I can't believe it's you!"
"I can't believe it's you!"
Tygra was just as shocked, his jaw hanging open.
"It's a miracle." Cheetara grinned and closed her mate's jaw.
Panthro vaguely remembered Lion-O's little leopard friend and found their reunion nolgastic of a more peace time in his life. Kit and Kat just smiled at the joyous scene. Snarf was running around in a circle, yipping excitably.
"What are you doing here?" Lion-O asked.
"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" Leophelia retorted.
Lion and leopard both moved forward, their hands inches apart…
"We gotta go now!" The Komodo dragon suddenly shouted.
"Sorry, Leop!" The snake said as she looped her tail-body around Leophelia's middle and dragged her away from her beloved lion friend.
"Hey, Snakayla!" Leophelia shrieked in outrage.
"Gotta go, bye!" The chameleon bid while he and the Komodo dragon held onto the snake's back.
"Leophelia!" Lion-O cried, reaching out for her.
"Lion-O!" She reached out in vain as the snake slither further away, disappearing into the golden city.
"Leophelia!"
Lion-O dashed after the fast reptile. Unfortunately, he lost the lizards and his cherished friend as soon as he tried to make a turn. The buildings of El Dara were cramped together, the corners and spaces were quite tight, and there were overgrown plants in the way.
Lion-O growled before erupting a mighty roar worthy of his species.
"LEOP-PHE-LIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Lion-O, calm down." Cheetara said coolly.
Lion-O barely relaxed. "She was here. She was right there. I found her and she's gone again!"
He clenched his hand and punched a wall. he was just so angry with himself. He found his best friend and he didn't even hug her or hold her hand.
Panthro grabbed hold of Lion-O's arms to stop him from causing more damage. "Don't worry, kid. We'll find her. El Dara isn't that big and has walls everywhere. She's not going anywhere. A snake that big won't stay hidden for long."
"Synah…" Snarf curled himself up in a ball and whined. He was just as depressed about losing Leophelia again as his master.
"Hey, are you okay?" Kit kindly asked the hurt hyena.
However, the hyena scrambled away from her, fear on his face, and ran away.
Kit was confused and a little hurt. "Not even a 'no, thank you?'"
The Thundercats noticed other animals, natives of El Dara, running into their homes, closing doors, and slamming windows. They also noticed that they were left all alone in the big yard.
"They just got attacked by lizards and they're scared of us?" Tygra remarked.
Panthro glanced to the stairs. He saw Ocelota hurriedly take Lex-A and Dobo away from the edge. He felt strangely sad that she was gone.
The twins thought so too.
"I didn't get to say goodnight to Dobby." Kit moped. "He was cute."
"So was Lex-A!" Kat whined.
"Cute is not a word I would describe her." Tygra scoffed.
"How would you describe her?" Cheetara probed.
"…feisty."
"What's your real answer for her?"
"A hotheaded brat."
"…let's just search for the stone." Lion-O ordered, his voice stern and hollow.
The sooner they find the stone, the sooner he can find Leophelia and have a proper reunion.
OCs
Muta
Based on the High Priest from 'Road to El Dorado' and Claude Frollo from 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'
Voice actor- Laurence Fishburne ('Thrax' in Osmosis Jones)
Lex-A
She's like a mix of Helga G. Pataki, Angelica Pickles and Bakugou Katsuki.
Her outfit is based on Lynx-O from the 80s Thundercats cartoon, showing her admiration for her grandfather.
Voice actor- China Anne McClain ('Uma' in Descendants 2 & 3)
Dobby
Dobby's main colour is blue, to contrast with Lex-A in terms of personalities and relationships with the Wily twins.
Voice actor- Caleel Harris ('Clyde McBride' in The Loud House)
Ocelota
Ocelota is inspired by Chel from 'Road to El Dorado'.
Her house, the House of Dalí, is named after the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí who owned an ocelot named Babou in the 1960s.
Voice actor- Kate del Castillo ('La Muerte' in The Book of Life, 'Lady Micte' in Maya and the Three)
Leophelia
More to add in later chapters.
Voice actor - Christy Carlson Romano ('Kim Possible' in Kim Possible)
Any thoughts why I cast her that voice?
